《Dark Crow Rising》


 Base 1: The Holy Warrior-Bride

    My senses return to me, along with the uncomfortable truth. I am to be of no use once again. There are no witches out there amongst the heretical enemy. The purpose I arrived here with is, once again, to be unfulfilled. It''s always like this. I''m little more than an ornament for the troops I am supposed to defend.


    "So I walk back out into the open, to observe yet another day of the great siege... The Siege of... Oh, who am I convincing here, not myself, that''s for sure." I mutter quietly. No miserable humour to be found in my exaggeration. Just one more failure to be tallied into the bricks with a dull dagger. I do not even know why I am here these cycles, the enemy is not committing enough.


    I''m a Valkinvar of the Ordoar Imdvarce, one of Waionr''s future wives, a great witch of much power!


    So great and so powerful I am posted to a city of no strategic consequence...! Observing battles that no songs will ever record. The walls are holding as they always do... They have been without my involvement as well. How am I supposed to prove myself in a place like this? I can''t, I cannot ever escape the rumours and accusations of inadequacy. Not here, most certainly not.


    Grasping the door out of the tower, I sigh and step back into the open, exiting my head in turn.


    The guns of the city wall volley and thunder beneath my steps. Out between the desolated mountain landscape, men die in fiery flashes of black smoke. No semblance of prayer appears on my lips for anyone in this chaotic killing field. I only watch the results as those I will pray for shoot them down with righteous fury.


    Coming to a stop, I lightly put my hands on the battlements and lean into the motion. Despite the roar of the guns warning me of what is happening below, I remain detached. My strength, the complexity of the design and the walls keep me still. The men stumble and shake as the deafening booms force tremors into the stone.


    My duty is to these men, my fellow soldiers. However, my eyes stay on the heretics. But my focus is wavering and I''m struggling to keep it in the face of this blatant victory. This same as usual conclusion. The heretics, with their relentless, shortsighted charges, have made it near-effortless. Unfortunately, many die quick deaths and it''s detestable. Yet, the God of Death and the God of War, my beloved, do not see it this way.


    It is more than their unbelieving hides deserve, frankly.


    These men... These soldiers... If I can truly call them that, this Royal Army of the Jhermonikra is a distasteful lot. I resent them and everything they were, are, and will ever be. They march for a vast, storied nation, yet they do not seem to respect that fact. Looking down, I can see the pride for my country, its faithful people and my future husband on my armour.


    Fine etchings and artistic passion and these heretics have none of it, there is nothing.


    They are little more than a featureless horde because of it. Tearing grey cloth and dull steel, that is all they have. Yet, as a bride-to-be of Honourable War, Lord Waionr, I make my pride in him and myself apparent. His visage, word and glory decorate my steel plate, finely polished without flaw.


    They have nothing. Their only custom is to die en masse!


    Ever since I first arrived at the front, it has always been like this. A pitiful waste of life that is yet to be large enough to pay for even this lone wall, let alone one brick of it. I wonder what these armoured giants with towering shields in the distance hope to achieve. The heretics are begging them to do something, but with heavy blows from club and mace, they are driven back towards us.


    I can only presume the details of what is going on out there. As for all my power as a member of the Ordoar Imdvarce, I cannot hear them. The sounds of war are far too boisterous to ignore. All I can do is rely on my eyes to reveal the incomplete story this battle so bloodily assails.


    Though, it''s enough to make out the signs of imminent devastation. Scaring one man into fleeing doesn''t mean much, but when he runs into another, their eyes meet... Terror starts, and it cascades. The so-called army devolves into a howling horde of boys. Mother is a bullet away for some, too far for the rest.


    However, up here, it couldn''t be any more different if the good men of my country try. They sing of victory and their weapons shrivel. Cold and quiet. The wall''s interior follows suit, the smoke in the air clears away, as does our cautious awareness. Some try to argue for further bloodshed, and they turn to me for encouragement. I offer no answer.


    Considering my departure at first, I spot an odd sight in the corner of my eye.


    Tens of thousands of heretics are retreating to safety further down the dangerously straight valley. In the middle of them, a thousand others defy the consensus and keep on marching for us. Like the officers being swarmed, this sturdy-hearted thousand cut down any who stumble too close. Sabres flash bare with blood in their shimmering images.


    They grab my attention to the fullest and murmurs sound off either side of my womanly person. These men remind me of the defiant mountains from long ago, in the once flooded lands. No matter what happened around nature''s monolith, it stayed tall and strong. Like them, the men keep marching on, failing to blend in with their kin.


    Slashing their way into the open, they become all the more distinct!


    No tatty cloth with sporadic pieces of rusty plating. Only near-full suits of well-polished armour with tidy, bright green uniforms underneath. Defining themselves further against those who flee, I feel magic come to the fore. With the sound of whipped cloth, a vibrant display of similar colours comes out like a ship''s sails.


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    It''s nearly enough to amaze me, but, realising the sinister implications of the far-flung visage, my mind turns hectic. With their pride in front of them, we are bound by honour and piety not to attack them directly. Nowhere in the walls are our guns firing in fear of Waionr''s wrath or mine. Our gun crews are alive but paralyzed.


    "To intentionally strike at the pride of your opponent when he only leads his fellows is to invite defeat upon your army if you command it. Death, if you only serve it." I partially recite, quietly, as the top of the wall comes back to life.


    Informal troops rush up to man the far away battlements with their toplocks. Pop-like sounds fill the air rapidly and heretics return to falling dead once more. To my shock, the answer is not always one viciously frail ball. Many of these strange soldiers keep marching on. Their pierced armour staggering them back only slightly. Very few take less than three shots to fall.


    Thankfully, it is just a delay before the inevitable catches up for the rest of them.


    The initial rush of this strange occurrence passes me by, and I calm down. My departure tempts me again. And, I start to, taking one step towards the stairs as alien light erupts on my left. A soldier screams in pain and turns silent as the warbling glowing trails he becomes turn into a strange, periwinkle mist. Snapping back to my position, I lean over the walls, something stranger tingling my senses.


    The amount is decreasing, but clear gulps of magic are being expunged right after to lethal effect!


    "Impossible..." I utter as my hand shoots towards the grip of my sword. I do not move any further and inaction grips me. My bewildering curiosity keeps me in place, and I stare.


    They have pride in what they are and have weapons, unlike anything I have ever seen before. To my knowledge, nothing like this should even exist, not even in my home nation. Powerful quantities of magic enchant my armour, as is my great runed sword. The troops I serve with are similar, if much weaker.


    But these hereti- these soldiers, they have magic-fed weapons, actual magic weaponry!


    This should be beyond them, as it is nothing like what they came at us with before. All across the cratered land are cheap swords, spears, pikes, axes and other things. Everywhere in the bloody churn is proof. Further up the valley are their abandoned siege guns. A collection of assorted but universally crude and simple designs.


    Nothing like this, nothing as terrifying as this... Shaking my head clear of doubt and inaction, I prepare to leap for the enemy.


    Stopping again, a calming presence overtakes the battlefield high above. Soft, jingling decorations alert us to where to look. My eyes widen as a beautiful woman floats by on a chariot of her breezing power. All from an ornate staff glowing so brilliantly!


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce, allow me," the Valkinvar of the True-Emerald Wind of all people tells me as she heads towards the enemy. My eyes widen and tremble to the breaking point.


    Sweeping her free arm along her side, a gust of sparkling wind magic comes for the soldiers. Power so pure and precise that a wrist flick is all she needs to wipe them out. A thousand men die. Sighing in relief, I release the stagnant grip on my sword and watch the blood pool up. Once clean and proud Unondsburic emerald and lunar gold colours drape over the fallen soldiers.


    Red creeps into the carefully woven fabric, giving it a corrupted sense of purpose...


    Worries turn to awe and my focus returns to her. In the sky just ahead, she floats on a visible lift. Turning our way, she comes towards us. As she does so, I can''t help but ponder as I take a last glance at the dead.


    They had to have been mercenaries of some kind, surely?


    Once my superior lands on the edges of the wall, my priorities change, "Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli, can I help you?"


    "You may, Valkinvar-Imdvarce," she answers, and she offers me her arm halfway through her next step.


    With great eagerness, I take her soft, bejewelled hand and gently guide her down in her last steps. In the moment of quiet that follows, I enviously look over her beauty, which is only more apparent near the expressions of men. I do not need my trained eyes to appreciate her looks. But, to respect that which truly matters, her most iconic feature, someone might need eyes like mine.


    Her long and flowing hair.


    Divided into four tails with the help of ornate bands, each one is more than simply a different colour. It is a prideful display, with our native colour of emerald, the shade of a breezing star, a first amongst equals consisting of sapphire blue, lightning gold and ruby red. Wind magic, water, lightning and fire. A scarce talent with mastery of our land''s power and three foreign ones!


    "Will you walk with me, Valkinvar-Imdvarce?" she asks, much to my shock. I am not worthy of this honour... Me, a mere Valkinvar of the Ordoar Imdvarce, not even blessed with the right to be a part of a full wing. I am a shamefully lone fighter of our esteemed people, I-


    "O-Of course, Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli," I answer with a quick but clear display of respect. I can''t help myself, I''m trembling ever so slightly next to her and those glowing iris'' notice. Her great power oppresses unintentionally, as is its right for being so immense.


    "Please, we are both Valkinvar," she tells me with a subdued giggle as she dismisses my gesture before heading for the stairs.


    The distinct sounds of her staff and attire dive into my ears as she moves forward with peerless grace. The decorations of it and her staff jingle and rattle whilst the main body makes unique, lingering thuds. This heavier sound of my armour might as well be a blunt instrument. Nowhere is this difference more noticeable than at our feet where her sandals leave behind taps and my sabatons bang on the stone.


    I closely inspect what she is wearing from the top of the stairs as she walks down them. Unlike my equally decorated, heavy plate, she is wearing flowing robes coloured white and shades of silver. Pieces of thin armour are also about it in key places and purely decorative installations in others. To top it all off, the mastery of her magic is such that she can create an almost ethereal quality about herself.


    Something I lack as I am both young and feeble for what we both are... Valkinvar.


    Still, given who she is, I am delighted to be allowed to spend even a brief moment with her. Though I do not find myself able to smile, regardless of how joyous I am to be near. Instead, I''m doubting myself and my right to be here because I am nothing. Her steps are precise and her clothes are flowing, mine are heavy, noisy, stiff and clunky.


    It''s all by intentional design, but I can''t help but feel inadequate, regardless.


    "So tell me, what is your name, Valkinvar-Imdvarce?" she asks once I reach the bottom of the stairs. Clearing my head, I prepare to answer the strangely daunting question. I try to blink the worries away.


    "... Vapooliar, Zaphadren-Valkinavr Gemorli. My name is Vapooliar." I come too close to mumbling as shakes strike me deep. Even I can hear my armour. But, I guess it does not matter if I am quiet or not. With that much power, she can easily hear a whisper a mountain range away. However strong she truly is, my answer leaves her pondering with a finger near her glossy lips. She smirks, and my paranoia can only speculate.

 Vol 1 Incline 1: Valkinvar-Imdvarce Vapooliar

    "Vapooliar, you are our newest addition, no?" she recalls correctly and we walk again.


    Embarrassment heats my face and I nod vigorously, flushing it up further. The whys to why she might''ve been able to recall who I am are wracking my brain. One word forms in the maelstrom of my thoughts and it''s domineering. Incompetent.


    Whereas my plentiful sisters and few brothers are fighting across important fronts all around the Theocracy, I''m not. Where many of them are taking it somewhat easy back at the Great Temple of the Four-Winded Valkinvar, I am here. I have been out here -alone- in a rather unimportant city overseeing an unthreatening series of attacks. I am memorable purely because I am the weakest of the esteemed Valkinvar.


    A runt in those who are so great... Such a burdening irony.


    But, it''s hard to tell what she is thinking as she has been quiet since the recollection and I want to occupy my mind because of it. Thankfully, following her brings into view the statue that gives the city its name, Giant''s Victory. The technical, formal name might be The Thunderous Giant''s Victory, but seeing this landmark makes it clear why the former is accepted¡ªa grand display of the engineering skills of our people and esteemed ancestors.


    Supposedly, Ancient Thunder battled the Singular God on the battlegrounds where this city is now built. Thurnmourer, the God of Thunder, bested the foul, red-scaled beast here long ago in the time when the gods carved the world. Were it not for my duties as a soldier, I no doubt would be spending more time around the grand statue. Masterfully carved from the mountain that it stands as tall as.


    "You show a lot of reverence for a god you are not craft-bound to, let alone betrothed to." Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli points out in an amused manner as she comes to a stop. Sharply bringing a foot forward, I stop a thankful distance away from her.


    "I''m sorry, Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli, I mean no disrespect," I tell her in a manner that feels like pleading.


    "Then, as we are here, now is the perfect opportunity to display your faith so that I know your words are true. And, for him," she explains as she points to the small temple made from red bricks. An admittedly modest, but still inspired temple dedicated to our shared future husband Waionr, the God of War.


    "Very well." I nearly gulp against and I turn towards it fully.


    Constructed with stone that we imported all the way from my home. The home of the Valkinvar. One of the few things that can clearly remind me of it, as this red rock is so distinct. Nowhere other than the canyon that the capital of Thurn''s Forge rests upon, have I seen it. If I have, it''s always been an import from the great city that bridges the gap of two continents.


    Sometimes, I like to pretend it is all here as thanks for my efforts in the war. It isn''t, though, and I should not think like this. But, in my solitude, doing all the tasks befitting and required of a Valkinvar... There''s no one here I can speak to on truly equal footing and...


    Shaking my mind clean, I put my uncomfortable thoughts to one side and go into the temple to prove my faith. Thankfully, despite my necessarily stiff neck, I can still see the art decorating the walls as I methodically walk. If this pressure was elsewhere, I might even laugh as my helmet protects against more than just blades and spells. Unfortunately, my worries are too strong compared to any joy in me right now.


    Any mistakes I make are going to be seen directly by the Zaphadren-Valkinvar herself!


    As such, there is this terrible psychic weight bearing down on me as I traverse this holy place. She will not tolerate a single mistake, not one. My focus jitters each armour plate and even the cloth is loud. I am already the embarrassing bottom of the Valkinvar. If something worse is to be associated with me...


    But, in this temple, at the far back centre, there''s a calming sight that puts me at ease. A statue of my future husband, Waionr, and his loyal, bestial ally. Seeing this beast calms me. It''s a wondrous easing sight I always welcome, even with the questions I am overwhelmed with. I welcome this rush of something other than worry and my strides and posture recover.


    This four-legged carnivore does so much for me, despite it being a simple redstone carving. And, I can only wonder, what kind of animal did something have to be to gain the kinship of a god? Whatever the reason, this mysterious animal is one with sharp claws, powerful legs, and piercing fangs. These natural weapons, though, are not what catch my eye the most.


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    It''s the fur.


    That is what stands out to me the most about this mysterious beast. The fur starts flat, well-groomed to an immaculate degree. It''s likely barely done justice by the artisan''s hands. But, as my gaze gets closer to its head, it escalates into a lavish and proud mane. Together with its jaw and face, it is almost like a shield emblazoned with heraldry!


    Unfortunately, as I reach a ceremonial blood sink, I put the thoughts away along with my sword. There is a duty I have to attend to and my mind needs to focus entirely on it. Withholding the urge to look back for a sign of anything from my superior, I breathe slowly. Kneeling into position in the carved sockets, the required words of faith come to mind.


    "O'' Mighty Waionr! Rememberer of the Fallen Soldier and Honourer of their Eternal March." I chant as I begin taking off my armour and any required clothing. Starting with my arms, I expose my comparatively hideous, lightly scarred, tanned skin. Clearing my neck of its bevor, I take off my helmet and expose the short, near-grassless field of mud that I call hair. If there were a mirror here as well, I''d be able to see the same in my eyes and compared to my superior''s spectrum of the four colours. Mine are barren, too similar to my hair.


    Placing the helmet down in front, I adjust it so that it is properly in line with my body, slit looking back up as if it has eyes of its own. Hiding my glance down in my motions, I look at the blood bowl whilst it is dry from a lack of piety. The next verse fills my head and I look up. Readying my hands, they wait above the locks on my armour.


    "O'' Mighty Waionr! We kneel before you, in your temple, and before your Prideful Beast. Our chest is exposed and vulnerable. We kneel before you to make a pledge of loyalty and honour like we always will until our deaths bring tragedy to the still living." I chant as I start to unlock and unhinge my extensive torso piece.


    With a resonating thud, the back half falls to the ground while I catch the front. Placing it down, I move onto my clothes and padding, placing them into the curve of the breastplate. My bosom and greater front now exposed, I move my lesser left hand to my same-sided breast and cradle it higher. Exposing my matrimonial scar, I reach for the ceremonial knife tucked away in my right leg''s special sheath.


    "O'' Mighty Waionr! Please bless this knife that we place underneath our life-giving chest. Please guide its edge as it cuts deep. Please allow us to draw much so that we may prove worthy." I chant as I take it out of its compartment.


    With the lightest grip I can manage, the jewel-hilted, glinting blade moves to the scar. Testing the knife''s edge by pressing it down on the often-opened mark to prepare myself. With well-practised care, the blade saws along the line and I shiver at the pain. Pushing it deeper, the blade comes close to my ribs as a seemingly dire, crimson waterfall rushes down my front.


    Wincing with a tight jaw, I keep my composure during this important part of the ritual as I must keep my oath to Waionr. I wish I could keep a straight face like some of my seniors, but I cannot do it. I pant and tremble as the blade heads on deeper whilst my eyes water and close up. My stomach crumbles up like vomit is on the way. Persevering, I imagine an idea of where the blade is as my heart aggressively smacks the tip of the knife.


    The delicate muscle threatens to slice itself apart with its lively intentions.


    "O'' Mighty Waionr! With our loyalty and faith proven, give unto us a duty to follow once we leave the service of our kin. M-May your Sons who segregate themselves away from your temple be blessed with guiding further generations... And... And may we, your Brides, hold ourselves to the purest standard so that even our motherly battles may be in your name." I struggle to chant before pulling the blade out of my chest, slowly.


    Abruptly, I put the blade away into its socket once again... Taking a deep breath once my hand is free of the weighty burden.


    "O'' Mighty Waionr! Look over your future lovers and friends with ever-growing vigilance and resolve... And may we, as your loyal soldiers, prove worthy of resting within your hallowed halls. Forever remembered in stone by the living and forever loved by you in your embrace-!" I finally chant as excessive breathing overtakes me.


    Dealing with the initial shock and trauma. I stand and take one final, calming breath. Turning around to look back at Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli, I find myself confused and worried, as she is not there. I can''t show any of it, not whilst I am under the direct eye of my future husband. I am panicking on the inside and I don''t recall slipping up in any way. There is nothing bad sticking out to me.


    Only, that is exactly what makes it worse, I don''t know what I might have done wrong!


    I can only hope the reality is that she has other duties to attend to. Maybe this was some mere passing amusement to her? Either way, I pray silently to any god or goddess who might hear me, even if this is not their divine house. I pray that I am just overthinking it and that everything will be fine.


    It -will- be unbearable if I had done something wrong... I''m already the embarrassment of the Valkinvar.


    Mouthing the last part of my anxiety-driven prayer, I focus my magic on the ceremonial wound. With little involvement in the battle, I have the energy to seal it tight. I stop the healing short so that it will scar over once again. Taking another breath to steady my mind, I reach for a cloth to wash off my blood-soaked chest.


    "What... What does her arrival even mean?" I ask myself, pondering the scope of this sudden, important arrival. My mental burdens finally able to lift away.

 Vol 1 Incline 2: Valkinvar-Imdvarce Vapooliar

    "Mmm, they have moved them." I let out, walking over the now quiet battlefield. I have been wanting to look closer at what remained of that strange formation of troops from a few days ago. Though I have been occupied with some menial tasks at the city''s other walls. But uncharacteristically, the men of the city have moved the bodies out of the way so soon after the affair. So that Waionr may return them to clay himself is why the corpses tend to be left alone.


    The haste of everything sticks out and I can''t get my mind off of it. So, holding the pommel of my sword as its edge wiggles against the dirt, I bounce noises around my mouth. Stripped, cloth-covered dead loom high at the edges of the valley. Not a carrion or opportunistic rodent in sight or ear. Nothing is running off with a still magic-holding morsel.


    Yet, that which should be blatant is not.


    This makes sense somewhat. No one looks fondly upon the handling of the heretical dead. Sorting them out is a lethargic process, even on the tightest of schedules. Still, why can''t I find a trace of their uniforms or polished steel anywhere? Quality aside, those men were once heretics! It makes no sense for them to be cleaned of anything useful now.


    Clearly, something is being planned. A focused effort had cleaned this land up, though, despite my position as the city''s resident Valkinvar, I was not privy to it. Tidied and repaired roads as well. There are plans to move beyond the city, it must be that.


    "The Zaphadren-Valkinvar?" I ask myself, as this is surely her doing. With unexpected arrivals comes much the same in changes. Sheathing my sword, I head back. Going up into the air, I gently fly over the city wall and notice something that must''ve been peculiar to most of the people here. It stands out, a lot. Someone has ordered that an army is to amass before the mouth of the wall and its tonguing road.


    Wh-When...?


    It''s a sizeable force that coils slightly through the high-rising military district and as far down as the streets below it. This is not even an assembly of the resident guard regiments and local valley-rider chapters of Giant''s Victory. I cannot see any regiments from the cities and towns from deeper within the immediate country, either. The force here is exclusively made up of the tricorn-wearing, mail-coated ironcoats.


    The army of Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy is here... -The- army.


    My superior is at the top of the wall, right above the prepared troops. I have a lot to ask her. But would it be rude to just fly on into whatever speech she is giving or conversations she''s having? It is probably best not to tempt her ire, so I land away from them and rush up. Reaching the last step up the wall, it all becomes clearer as I look around.


    Thankfully, it seems to be quiet, "Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli, what''s going on?"


    "So you decided to come to us instead. Well, it''s a minor change," she remarks to herself as she and someone else walk over. Whoever this man is, he isn''t Valkinvar. His uniform gives me all the insight I need to know. He''s an officer from the Theocracy''s logistical branch. And if they are here, that only sets our future in stone more so.


    "There''s an army, Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli," I say quickly as my confusion gets the best of me. Realising too late what I have just said, my cheeks burn. I am glad that she cannot see my expression under this helmet. This cycle is a good one to be thankful that I am properly equipped. I will be equally, maybe more so, thankful to forget these just spoken words...


    "I am aware this is an unusual sight in this part of the Theocracy. But we will be conducting an attack to push the enemy from our country''s borders." she clarifies as she joins me in looking at the lines of well-dressed soldiers. The light of the Orbital-Halo shimmers across the millions of rivets like the magic-rich winds of our homeland.


    "Why? The orders I came here with were to hold the city and nothing else. No meaningful lost territory exists beyond these walls. Only the empty space we patrolled for merchants, pilgrims and travellers once upon a time. The guns see all local strategic points or they''re behind the walls." I clarify more so for my sake, as I am struggling to grasp why we are now doing this.


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    "It is because they know we have no interest in counter-attacking through the passes this city holds that it will work, Valkinvar-Imdvarce Vapooliar. Further north, however, there are places we need to reclaim. This city presents a prime opportunity for us to follow the southern, northward-going curve of the border to envelop the enemy from behind. We will reclaim our territory with little damage to it and wipe out the heretics easily." she explains as the man presents a map for our but mostly my reference.


    Placing my finger on the semi-circle-ish, southern half of the country, I trace the path she described. Marked lost areas and the path she more precisely wants to take. Isolated, but held Valkinvar monasteries give us several routes we can safely go along if wanted. I can see what she is getting at and by using Ironcoats, there is no manpower shortage-induced risk to Giant''s Victory!


    Yet, even then, I''d be dead from laughter if we couldn''t hold this city against such incompetent attacks with only a lone group at the guns.


    Taking the map into hand, I adjust the view the enchanted parchment gives with my fingers and notice something, "Then, the enemy will be met out there... Here, to stall them and we''ll come around?"


    "Yes," she answers as she guides an index of her own across our path for the first predicted obstacle.


    "From there we then assist the fortresses and cities along the rest of the border..." I repeat to myself as I zoom the view out so I can inspect the highlighted areas. Fortresses of all kinds hold their ground, but lost towns and cities have given the enemy many safe staging areas. The already sustained damage means little. Even a pile of bricks can stagger an advance on foot.


    Within debris are many chances to hide mines and spikes. Explosive charges tied to tight wires so carefully set ahead of a defensive line. Supports that have been weakened. Carefully rehearsed paths, the dangers of which are blind to the rage of an attacker. A massacre waiting to happen.


    "Yes, but, as you seem to grasp it easily, I''ll leave him to go into further deliberation for you. Both now and when you set out," she explains as she turns and walks away.


    "I am not joining your force?" I question as she reaches the edge of the wall. Wouldn''t it make more sense for a Valkinvar of the Thrusting Advance to be a part of the hammer? I suppose it is my fault for letting my hopes rise even in the slightest. A mere Valkinvar-Imdvarce serving alongside the Zaphadren-Valkinvar in battle...


    I''m already pushing it by even being able to talk to her right now!


    "No, you will be serving as the steward of Grand-Thoucomm Pathort''s force," she answers as her power marks her ascent into the air. Frowning, I realise that I am not even trusted to lead the army. However, I suppose I can look past such a thing. Her choice of a commander is one I recognise from reputation alone.


    He''s had his fingers in managing this city''s defence and a handful of others, along with any relevant fortresses and outposts. Perhaps this is why he is coming? As I previously thought up, he will be familiar with how ruins can be exploited. Though I have to admit, this is my first time seeing the aged commander in person. Maybe it is because our battles here are rather tame compared to the rest of the battles and sieges in the South. Or maybe he is just an officer who is at his best amidst all the bureaucratic elements of warfare.


    I''ve known a few like that.


    Either way, his defensive expertise sticks out to me. I cannot complain about his appointment as the head of the anvil to the immediate parts of this plan. My struggle is understanding why I am being treated like a loose nail rattling atop it in this whole affair. I might only be overthinking it. Maybe my disappointment at not being able to serve Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli is blinding me...


    I am probably just being placed there to do as I do here in Giant''s Victory. My role is to intercept and counter the witches of the heretics, after all. But to do it under her instead would be so much grander. I can truly earn my place at Waionr''s side should the worst come to pass!


    "Valkinvar," the logistics officer says as he tugs at the map, "Valkinvar-Imdvarce Vapooliar, would you like me to start going over it now?" he asks as I watch my superior start her departure.


    "Fine, go over it for me." I sigh as I lose sight of her regality.


    "For starters, then. We will be leaving imminently, Valkinvar-Imdvarce Vapooliar. Once Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli finishes her departure with her portion of the army," he explains as Grand-Thoucomm Pathort and his staff make their way down the wall. An extensive following of aides and glorified luggage holders.


    "Explain on the way, rather," I tell the logistics officer as I step out into the air to search for a carriage that can accommodate us. Finding one, I go back to the ground and stop its driver from moving the transport.


    The carriage is a modest four-wheeler with a single, typically stone coloured and bark-textured ryphurgok hooked up to it. Keeping one hand near its throat, I prevent its four-piece, beak-like jaw from pecking at me. Like this, it is a little hard to believe that these things became renowned as the greatest mount for a heavy lancer. But rough hide and four powerfully built legs make for a potent combination when mixed with thick steel plating.


    "Are you hungry?" I ask it as I force a loose pebble into the air with my aura. Catching it with my fingers, I hold it before its focused gaze. Putting the small piece of rock into its mouth as it opens up slightly like an ''x.''

 Vol 1 Incline 3: Valkinvar-Imdvarce Vapooliar

    "This place is quite old," I comment, a finger going along the signs of long-dead plant life. Looking out of place on dry land, they''re quite peculiar, as are the implications. This building must be so many thousands of grand-cycles old. All built before the Time of Liquid Mountains!


    I am baffled as well as impressed by the sight. This is all made well enough not only to survive that dreadful time but to last all the way to now, too. It slightly shames me to fight here soon, in a way. This place predates even the ancient Valkinvar of the Ringed City by so much!


    It''s even stranger that no one from Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst has come here to research it. We are right on the doorstep of that peculiar, dually governed country. But I also have to wonder, does this plan involve them? Being so close to their border, their involvement being a part of my superior''s plan, does not surprise me.


    Hopefully, the heretics will provoke them, and we''ll gain an ally.


    "Battcomm, is that really necessary?" a man from a nearby gun crew comments to his officer.


    "What? Just making sure the screw is properly in," the aged, powder-stained man answers, stomping his foot on the gun''s leg once again. The four-screw steadily breaks into the stone with his forceful assistance.


    "Be careful, this is ancient stonework," I warn them as I turn away from the crumbling wall.


    "Sediment is often better for field guns. Aye, she''s an old building, but she''ll hold," the Battcomm explains to me.


    "I''ll trust in your judgement, then," I tell him as my gaze goes over his array of equipment. This location was chosen specifically for the narrow pass and these ruins. Surveyors, however, still have to go through it all and ensure it is safe. Evidently, these men have the go-ahead.


    "Those two out there, though, they won''t," the gun crewman who had just complained remarks. Hearing this, I go to his side to look out there with the rest of them. That tinge of confusion I have turns to adherence to duty instantly. Envoys of the enemy are out there.


    Heretics stand before us, only a couple on juperses, but they are already here...


    Pausing myself, I spot a peculiar detail. The strange uniforms are back. The banner is too and like before, it''s unveiled in its full glory like a shield. Having seen the other lot wiped out, there''s no way they are mercenaries. That was a thousand men my superior killed prior.


    A worrying thought, seeing that there are more...


    The usual rabble I deal with might not bring pride in their heritage with them. Despite that, I know full well what this display of respect means and who it is for. Possibly, these strange troops are just the elite of the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra. Something more likely along these lines, surely. It would explain why I am unfamiliar with them, as Giant''s Victory is not a major battle site.


    That banner, though, makes a fist tightly form.


    Arrogant is certainly one way to put it. On a field of shining cloth, there are seven mountains. Six of them form a smile like curve underneath the greatest of them all, the source of all wind magic. Just above the great peak, a full moon delivers a crown, a king.


    The prison for Jhrarda the Mighty gave them a king... The idea alone leaves a foul taste in my mouth.


    "Get Grand-Thoucomm Pathort. Notify him of what is out there. I will see what they want." I tell the men as I squeeze my way through one of the ruin''s larger holes. Getting my foot out into the open, I fly out towards the pair of riders. Despite my relative slowness, however, I make sure they feel a wave of forceful wind when I stop.


    There is another purpose to it as well, and when I feel nothing, I become further baffled. Not one scout or even a dozen patrols are out there beyond us three. Most certainly no witches, either. These two riders really did go out so far on their own. Did they even intend to find us here?


    Whatever the reason is, I let my magic seep out in a display of strength. I will not strike, as they are unarmed, but I am not tolerant of them either. Just leaving them be does not satiate my hatred. The idea of scaring them entertains me.


    Yet, they are not scared, the riders anyway. Their insectoid equine mounts are, but juperses are always skittish, so it means nothing. The lack of a response from the soldiers, though, tests my patience. Combined with that disgusting heraldry, it makes my eyes narrow.


    "If you have a message to deliver, do so now. Or, leave." I tell them.


    They say nothing, they just stare at me. Unflinching in the eye. The strange darkness from inside the helmets that envelop their heads does not react to my power. Two pairs of glowing, orange eyes do not break away. I narrow mine further.


    They are tearing my patience into its thinnest possible state. So much so that I can''t help but snort at them unprofessionally. One of them begins to move, his arm going to his chest and then up to his helmet, stopping short of it before he swings an open palm down at me. He moves away from this blasphemous prayer and his hand inverses its facing to begin the traditional salute of his evil people. They''re actually inferring that I am their lesser by trying to hold a palm flat above my head...


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Absurd.


    I can wipe them away into nothing but a bloody smear if I want. I could, if I did, earn the ire of Undwote for denying a soul for his Pack of Seven to find. My husband-to-be would be just as angered. For I would deny him a body to honour in doing so.


    They continue to hold their palm over me. I am still supposedly lesser. One of them presents a tube-shaped message container, one slightly more ornate than what I am used to. And something about the contents makes my body hair stick straight. There''s something power-


    I snatch it up, "Go."


    They do not listen and neither do their far more emotive mounts. Worst, it is me that moves first. I am the one to back away so I can relay the message. I try to focus on my current duty, but their gazes insist on drawing forth my anger. Ignoring it isn''t an option either. I know full well they are still staring blankly at me as I fly back!


    But, what is in this tube, though, what message is inside of it? Again, if those riders had galloped here to deliver this, then something''s off. Are they aware of our efforts, or were they suspicious of one, regardless? Why would they ever suspect a counterattack from a front that has not seen one happen since it first saw battle...?


    Either way, I may need to set out to hunt them down before disaster strikes.


    Yet, is there truly a need to do that? The Zaphadren-Valkinvar is going around through the nearby valley with her army. They are going to come around and trap this approaching force, and there will be no escape for them. We will let the heretics know we annihilated their army once again!


    Despite my boiling thoughts, however, I find myself chilled with concerns. If the enemy is closer than we thought, would we be able to hold out long enough? Our defences have made good progress, so there''s no hope of them catching us unaware. Time, though, time is in far shorter supply than previously thought, if this is truly the case.


    Making one last glance at the distant riders, I step down onto the path leading to the command centre. Hastily, I go up the time-eroded stairs and into the entrance tunnel. Natural, divinely made light makes way for our candles and lamps and a pale shadow covers me. At least if the battle does come, this place is safe.


    It''s a bunker in all but technicality!


    Arriving in the main chamber, I spot the gathering of well-dressed men around an impromptu table. It was once one wall of this place, possibly dragged in from elsewhere in the ruins. Something that becomes clear to me as I approach them is that many have just been called over. The actual tables we brought along are messy and the chairs are untucked.


    An officer quickly takes the tube and Grand-Thoucomm Pathort soon holds it, "Dear, Superior Military Force. We are sorry for coming here. The end."


    I frown at his words, this arrogance is dangerous.


    My eyes widen and my body stiffens as a strange heat rises within. This is meant to be a man of age and extensive experience. A great man who manages the safety of our country, a master in defensive warfare! Why...


    How could he? This violates the Fourteenth Law of Waionr!


    Making way for action, my confusion vanishes as magic slightly pours from me. We are supposed to be better than the heretics worshipping an evil god! We need to be better than them in stuff like this! But, somehow, I am the odd one out -all of them- laugh at Grand-Thoucomm Pathort''s words.


    They all laugh and I breathe deeply...


    "Grand-Thoucomm Pathort." I say firmly as I lean forward onto the table with resounding, stone-cracking pressure.


    "What, Valkinvar-Imdvarce?" he asks, rolling his eyes slightly.


    "That is not how you are meant to deal with the deliverance of envoys. Read them clearly to your fellow officers, equals and superiors and speak your mind about how to proceed. You do not throw it aside and mock it!" I remind him with sharp points and jabs against the air and his direction.


    The army will suffer if he goes on like this. So, I make my way around the table and officers. I snatch the document back and carefully open it up properly. Like he should have done so. He needs to read it properly and handle it the same. It is essential- He must!


    "Take your fanaticism elsewhere, cultist," he spits, "Do you seriously expect the Union to give a falling ryphurgok about how we treat their messages!?"


    "It is not if they care," I say as my shaking eyes look up at the crack-covered roof, though my eyes are looking for what is beyond it. The heavens. The Orbital-Halo.


    He scoffs again, "Do you truly think the gods will care, either? The Seven-Peaks Union, our enemy. They have brought down thousands of temples in their conquests. Much more scripture has been shattered or sent to the sky as ash! Thousands of grand-cycles'' worth of history, gone! Face it, Cultist, you gibbering fanatic... If the gods were real, they would have stopped this themselves. They don''t care about us or you, you strange woman."


    If the gods are real...?


    This is the kind of man that Pathort is? This thing had been allowed to become Grand-Thoucomm? Zaphadre- They placed a force of forty-thousand Ironcoats under his command!? I struggle to think of an answer. No...


    "That''s... Blasphemy. Apostasy! YOU ARE A HERETIC! A FAITHLESS WRETCH!" I point out, snapping my hand to my sword. Bringing it out in one clean, bloodless motion, the air blows office supplies about like a passing storm. Candles go dark and lamps shatter. Everyone bathes in the light of my twisting viridian power. Many flinch away and clutch what they can, but not him. He has a surprising amount of spine despite being the centre of my ire...


    Showing it off, he walks around the makeshift table with a straight expression. He matches my gaze directly the whole time and arrives at a just abandoned gun. He ponders, then looks back at me with a nod and a moving but silent mouth. His hand touches the artillery piece, and he runs it along the metal.


    "Properly? If you wish for that, Valkinvar-Imdvarce, fine. One of you, read it," he orders, facing away.


    Unlike him, though, the man that does so is shaking, "Fellow Jhermonikra, surrender now, lay down your arms so that you might be given clemency. You will be taken into our care and..."


    "Read it," Pathort tells him as my gaze narrows at the reader.


    "Shelter will be provided so that you may rest and be... Corrected... To the beliefs of our saviour, the only true god of this world... The Mighty Jhrarda. Saviour of the Jhermonikra... You will be given one chance. Do not waste it. Signed-" he interruptedly finishes, and, quietly, I reflect on these words.


    "Good, stew in that for a moment, Cultist, and I''ll prepare a response for these brave envoys," Pathort says as an arming click fills my ears. My magic vanishes, eyes widen and mouth opens.


    "N-"

 Vol 1 Incline 4: Valkinvar-Imdvarce Vapooliar

    A ball of fire erupts from the end of the gun.


    The heavy, heated metal tube recoils back and forward cleanly. Stumbling backwards with the tremors, I turn to the exit. Shooting into the tunnel, I burst out into the open in time to watch the still-showering debris and rising cloud.


    Youthful, but rapidly ageing warmth simmers in the air and I have nothing to say... I look at the tattered burning banner as it steadily vanishes from view. He has broken divine law. Maybe even two if Waionr ignores my efforts...


    I turn to look at the army and my enhanced gaze sees it all. Few are cheering, most are confused and concerned. I see the terror in them the most, especially in those closest to the start of our defences. They saw it directly; they saw the law being broken.


    "...is to invite defeat upon your army if you command it." Many find themselves muttering.


    Tears form in my eyes, and I start to feel something. I feel cold and terrified. An immense power far beyond anything I have ever felt before suddenly rages above the clouds. He has seen it...


    "Waionr saw it..." I rapidly breathe out.


    His wrath is descending upon us, this power, the sound that comes with it, it''s him! Yet, whilst I could''ve sworn I saw a brief visage of an armoured giant with an equally large battleaxe. That isn''t what breaks through the clouds, rather, orbs do. Glowing, pulsating orbs, hundreds of them!


    I skittishly avoid the one coming for me and turn to watch them, damning the men behind. There are so many of these orbs, they''re everywhere and they are all approaching the army. Then, a series of flashes forces me to close my eyes. Whatever has just happened, when my eyes open. I see no army.


    Only craters.


    Perfect spheres of destruction are across our position. Blood and torn apart steel decorate their rims and the thin lines of men that remain. Like me, they slowly look around and consider what has happened, shaking as they do so. Silence takes hold everywhere.


    Then... One man screams.


    He runs with all he has. Then another and another. Howls of terror fill the valley and the noise forces its way up the mountainsides on either side of our position. The stampede of charging roars forces the sound back down.


    Bright, wind-stained lances pierce through the clouds and armoured riders make themselves clear. For all the noise of the lancers, though, something else has me in its grip. As if Thurnmourer, the God of Thunder, has struck his mighty hammer so close by. A more powerful hornish sound announces a dark, valley-covering shadow.


    "Waionr, forgive me, please!" I pathetically squeak as Moonrim light fills the far end of the valley. Six streams of it, six pure, potent lines guide down a wall of solid metal. I can barely comprehend it and my eyes follow the destruction they cause. It is barely between the valley''s parting top, but it is carving apart the lowest depths, regardless!


    As the clouds make way for this impossibly giant thing, a detail becomes clear. These orbs are the shots of the thousands of guns lining this colossal wall of metal. It happens again. Hundreds of orbs shoot past me again, and that awful, distorted noise follows.


    This is my fault, it has to be... Punishment for my failure to stop Pathort.


    "RYPHYURGOKS!" scattered voices behind me scream, drawing me back to our horrible reality.


    It was as if Waionr heard those words that came out of blasphemer''s mouth. But there''s no way Waionr would punish us under the guise of red-feathered lancers. Everything that had happened and is happening... It''s the enemy!


    These are their heavy lancers, and they certainly make a point of it. Powerful, explosive gallops shatter the stone skin of the mountains. Their roars fill the air as an avalanche of splintering rock follows after. The light of their lances leading the way down into the valley.


    Hundreds of them are coming down the mountainside.


    Something!


    I have to do something! Our position is lost. Too many have died and too many are fleeing. The famed Redfeather Lancers are primed to flatten what remains. The Redfeathers will slaughter them if I do nothing!


    But how am I going to stop them!? I have lost myself in everything that is happening. The lancers are too far down both sides of the valley! It is too-


    "NO! I must save them... I must..." I tell myself.


    The surrounding air explodes conically and I shoot towards a mountain. Sliding into the rock, I plough myself and sword towards the closest lancer. Upwards, through the mount''s plate and meat. Through the rider''s armour and flesh!


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Readjusting myself as I arrive in the air, I focus on another one. The sky booms once again and I slam against them with body-crushing force. Noticing a clear path I can take, more Redfeathers follow suit and I go into the air again trailed by blood, a body leaving my hand. Turning to the untouched mountain, the sky erupts.


    I crash against the mountain and dig my way in until I am kneeling in the crater. Blade stabbed even deeper into it. Throwing rubble behind me at those charging down, I charge up at the rest, gouging a boulder out as I pull my sword to my side. Going for the closest one, I slash at him, sending him flying with his dead mount. Breaking through to the top, I slide around and position myself to go back down the mountain.


    Pebbles dribble over my back and my heart wavers.


    It hasn''t been enough, my efforts have been too narrow-minded. The Redfeathers and their ryphurgoks have broken through. The army is getting trampled, the men I was entrusted with. Some manage to reform into lines and squares. Seeing that death come for them either way. But, without the trenches, barricade and stakes...


    The bulk of the armoured lancers trample and run them down. The thin, grey lines of Ironcoats turn to more red splatters. Boom-pikes echo their name in ultimate defiance. My chance to save them vanishes. It''s gone, I''ve failed.


    I have lived up to what I am, an unworthy runt.


    "When I do die, Waionr, if this is truly not your bidding... Please do not judge me harshly for the sins of others." I plead with my god as my gaze snaps to the great machine. Whatever it is, I do not know. Rumours and facts, nothing comes to mind as I look at it. But, despite my failure to save the army, this thing presents a chance for redemption.


    I will prove the might of the Valkinvar, I will prove my strength and I will avenge the army!


    Clenching my blade tightly and barely hearing the stretching leather, I bend my legs. Focusing my magic on the tip of my blade and my aura, I wait for a brief, nerve-wracking moment. I am going to force my sword straight through that armour as if it is a pig iron sheet. I will shatter, not pierce it!


    Roaring my defiance, I shoot out to the machine. A shattering mountain face following my heels. I keep my blade straight. I put all I can into my speed and the sword''s point. The machine nears closer. Closer, closer.


    Impact!


    A sharp screech fills my ears instead. My blade goes wayward and I crash against the superficial scratch it made. Blinking, I lean away from the machine as its power continues to spear below. Slamming my blade. Again and again, nothing happens.


    I slow down. Looking up past the endless sight of cannons, I spot the top of the wall. My breathing is flat, and then it shakes. Power heaves through me as well as my emotions and I lean back as my fingers tremble.


    Throwing myself into the air, the deck of the machine appears and I crash with intent onto it. Standing up, I gaze around with a trembling body. Excitement, fear, confusion, I can''t figure it out. The alerted soldier charging me has no such restraints.


    He is weak, though, and my hand grasps his neck. He doesn''t change even then. With his beautifully made sabre, he thrusts or slashes. He fails to hurt me. Even then... These beady, orange eyes in darkness do not waver.


    "WHAT''S GOING ON!?" I scream with struggling breath. Their troops arrived far sooner than expected with weapons I have never heard of. The officers who had led my army reminded me more of the heretics than men of the Theocracy. And the men, the army...


    The men I failed to save, they are running like the heretics usually did.


    I scream.


    I scream with all the fury I can find within me and throw the struggling heretic over the side. My eyes follow him down, but my ears cannot. He doesn''t scream, not even when a flashing burst of red taints that indomitable, emerald light.


    Where was the scream?


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce." a voice says behind me. Instantly, I turn on my heels, giving myself room to move, and I hold my sword up. Oddly, the fact I can see his face, the fact there is a face to look at. It makes me... Stop.


    I take a step back. My eyes lock onto his most defining feature. I think of the Zaphadren-Valkinvar and how impressed I was by her stained-glass hair. This man, his hair, is almost divine in comparison.


    Shimmering, Heir Emerald hair, the brightest... Purest I have ever seen, more than even the legs of this machine. His eyes are much the same. In fact, his whole body just seems to glow with power. Pure, unfiltered power.


    But, he contradicts himself with his pale skin, so clearly visible despite all that he is. His sickly visage and how his body is threatening him with a sudden collapse. For the sake of the pride and honour that ornaments him, however, he doesn''t. He stands proud and his blade remains sheathed up along his back in an upward curve, as is the tradition for his people.


    "Who are you!?" I demand to know, gloves stretching.


    I want to hide my fear. But I can''t. Not after everything that has just happened. Not with what I now see in front of me. I can''t remain calm. My breaths are haggard, nerves electric and my posture is trembling as wobbling threatens to collapse my legs.


    He leaves the traditional sword grip behind and mint-tinted steel appears before us. With a high-pitched, energetic whistle, a straight blade made from solid wind magic shoots from the guard. He takes a step closer and I take one back. All the way until one of my hands suddenly panics and grabs the edge of the machine.


    "It matters little to you, Valkinvar-Imdvarce." he answers, and he comes to a stop. Turning to his side, he straightens his grip to be in line with his posture. The steel blade hides the body of the magic one, but the tinting remains eerie. Regardless, I force my next step forward, striking it down from a lack of control.


    He is powerful. His hair wouldn''t be like this if he wasn''t. I need to focus, no more fear, no more falling into pits of bafflement. Only the dedication to my duty. That is all that I need right now.


    Marking my choice with a sonic boom, I charge with my blade at my side- Sudden pain.


    I stumble cluelessly ahead. My sword''s tip smacks against the decking. Looking around, I touch my gut. My numb hand moves along the pointed tips of my armour. And I hold my hand in front of me.


    I stare at my blood as it seems to fizz...


    Even if I am not the strongest of the Valkinvar or its greatest warrior. This armour is some of the single most master-crafted steel on the whole continent. Let alone the Theocracy. But, to this man, it might as well be thin tin.


    Hearing his footsteps, I stumble forward with a copper-wet mouth.


    "Now," he goes.


    My sword vanishes from my hand, leaving it empty to all but a phantom grip. Passing me, he stops and turns. He grants me the final honour of meeting my gaze. I dribble as he remains straight.


    "Get off my airship," he says, a magic-rich palm shattering my chest plate. Leaving him a small dot in the distance as the wind rushes by me.

 Vol 1 Incline 5: The Low-Skill Labourer

    "You can''t be serious, Nin, you have no interest in going up a level?" Tamudum asks as we carefully hammer and chisel the mildly valuable walls. Admittedly, I had lied to him with my answer just now. But, I mostly want to keep myself occupied with the now and not the future. Rummaging through my supplies, I apply a mixture of preserving oils and lotions onto the bronze panelling.


    We''ve been at this for so long that I want it to be done and dusted. It''s all I need. I do not want to come back to this the next day on my next shift. Yet, in working so hard, I notice that he isn''t. So I jab my elbow at him.


    "Ow, hey!" he harshly whispers against my face. Focusing on my work to make it clear I do not care, he backs away and nurses his side. Mutters disturb the air and I turn to stare at him. Air leaves my nose forcefully and my gaze narrows.


    Making sure law enforcement doesn''t hold us up is a thankless job...


    This muttering, though... "How about instead of complaining, you get back to work? Do not forget what we are. People like to go home on time. They like to clock out on time. -I- like to clock out on time. Focus on your work and shut up!"


    Then, because I do not think he quite gets it, I snatch him up by the collar of his overalls. I take an oil I was just using, and I put the open cap near his eyes. When he finally gives me that reluctant nod that I am very eager to see, I let him go. Putting the oil back into my bucket, I stand up and reach for my belt.


    Taking my canteen off of it, I have a quick sip of water and smack my wet lips. I wash them as best as I can with a quick pour of what is left. Stubbornly rubbing my thumb on my palm, I try to work it in and clean the lines. Huffing my annoyance at the resistant chemicals, I pat my hands on the cleanest part of my overalls.


    Inspecting what I have done thus far today, I take my filthy cloth out and put the empty canteen back. Polishing the spots that look off, I nod at their subsequent shine. I want this metal to shine like a light bulb. So, I keep polishing until the metal starts to catch the light cleanly.


    Seeing that little golden orb that refuses to stay still, I turn towards the nearest window. Looking back at my toolbox, I feel excited and desperate, and I lean out as far as I can. Surely, surely, it is nearly time to clock out, or it is that time! The grand clock all the way up high seems to imply the desired time, but I can''t be sure with this angle.


    Leaning away, I look back at my toolbox. Maybe I am missing something... Yes. I am, yeah.


    "I need to change my tools." I huff out with a smirk and I gather up my stuff clumsily. Closing the lid, I grab the handle and rattle the toolbox. I smile and walk away with a tune maybe building up inside my mouth. The clock is so close to the good spot, but just far enough away to warrant a moan if I get caught idle.


    All I need to do is get to a quartermaster, any will do, any at all. I need to pester him for the time being and maybe, just maybe, we''ll share a knowing smile when the sound-off alarms ring. Though, if I am slower, the alarm will just ring as I walk and I can simply dump my toolbox... I''ll be free for another brief evening!


    But, with Tamudum''s stupidity still on my mind, an issue lingers quite clearly up in my head. If I run into someone from one of the higher floors, for whatever reason, I''ll be in trouble. Thankfully, there isn''t much precedent for anything but a rusty band to enter my lowered sights. All the same, however, I keep my eyes facing down and my ears open.


    The rattles of multiple wrist and ankle bracelets will give them away...


    "Just got t-"


    I back away, clutching my head. There''s no way I just hit a wall. And, hearing the rattling of bracelets and the ping of metal heels, my eyes widen. Black, high-heeled boots with a golden base and gold bits throughout...


    Talk about bad luck.


    "Sorry, sorry." I go, making sure to keep my head down subserviently. I hope whoever she is that she is the forgiving type. She better be the kind that understands easily that it was an accident. But, with that much gold on her, I might actually be doomed.


    "Don''t mind me. It was my fault for not being careful. Go ahead and pass by if you want," a sweet, feminine voice says, and I fail to react. I can''t stop looking at the sight of gold on her shoes. I am in for it, I am done for!


    She giggles and moves closer. A white, gold-edged glove moves past my eyes and towards my chin. Her hand lingers there, and it confuses me. I can''t figure out why she is doing this. I''ve seen the gold on her shoes. I don''t need to see more signs that she is my superior!


    Grasping my chin, she moves my head up, and I shut my eyes tight. I try to force my way out of her grip, but it''s impossibly strong. I feel like I am stuck in a tightened vice clamp. Whatever her reasons are for doing this, I am not giving her a chance to screw me over should security come.


    "Now, now, you have nothing to fear. I am not going to hurt you and I will not cause you issues. Just relax." she tells me in a kind, soft tone. However, with the contrast this inhuman grip on my jawbone gives...


    I try to get my head out of her grasp again and I feel it loosen. She laughs as if she just realised she did something by accident and she lets go. Stumbling back to the wall behind me, I bang the back of my head and drop my toolbox. Hissing, I rub my head to make sure it isn''t bleeding and I flex my freed mouth.


    Keeping my gaze on the floor, the amusement vanishes from her mannerisms. Something flushes through my veins and I pick up on her disappointment. I don''t know why she is, but I am following the law. Keeping my gaze down is a part of the legal, official protocol. I am doing what is required of me!


    This has to just be a facade... There''s no way this can be anything different.


    "I guess I''ll go about this differently..." she lets out somewhat quietly as her arms cross over each other, "You''ll be coming with me now." she firmly orders.


    I feel myself die on the inside.


    I have been following the law; I apologised regardless of whose fault it was. I am going about this with my gaze down. I am not speaking unless allowed. I am doing everything! Yet, it''s not enough, she''s going to just...


    My heart pumps maddeningly, and I clench my fists as my neck stiffens. When she turns and leaves, I follow her with legs that do not share the same rigidity. My gaze goes no higher than her golden heels and outsoles. My legs just keep on going and the contrast of light and stains on the floor changes with each step.


    Suddenly, she stops and I barely miss walking into her again. I hear a whirring machine locked away behind metal and concrete. The abrupt bing and moving doors clarify that we are at a lift. Seeing her feet move again, I step in after her.


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    She presses what seems to be the highest button, and she presents proof of who she is. The doors close, just in time to block out the sound-off alarm as it rings. Moving slightly, I feel my insides go down as we go up. The woman taps her foot again and again and I tuck my thumbs away into my fists, squeezing them gently.


    I move upwards slightly and the doors open once again. Failing to move, she taps my shaven head and I gulp. My filthy black steel caps step out onto the clean, fancy carpets of the higher floors. Random spots of unreal pain appear all around me. They move about with each step I take and each step everyone else takes.


    So many polished, patterned shoes with hardened, gold-plated heels. Boots similar to mine appear with the rattle of dangerous equipment just out of my eyesight. Exposed, painted nails placed in heels of all kinds click out of the way. Slippers flip about with each step.


    I am doomed...


    I feel like a pet being dragged after its owner. It frustrates me, but I can''t express it. If I do, I''ll only make my situation worse. I guess I should be thankful that I am able to walk myself, that I am just following her... But, realising my doom properly, I look up.


    I am on the highest floors of Tobaballe, at the behest of an insulted superior. I am doomed regardless of what I do. There''s just no reason to show restraint anymore. These pumped-up, bejewelled top-floorers sneer at me and I sneer back.


    My confidence increases with every step, and I look around as if I belong. I might as well try to enjoy all the sights up here, at the very least. Compared to the near-bottom of the city, it''s nice, quite nice. I am hard-pressed to find anything I could say is actually worse than what I am used to seeing.


    Bright, rich colours cover the wallpaper, metal and stone all over this grand hallway. Paintings and carved artistry decorate everything on top of it. The people up here are certainly easier on the eyes as well. Not just because of their fancy dresses, corsets or what have you either. I can''t see an ugly person anywhere.


    No one has aged like forgotten milk and most are youthful and energetic. It''s baffling, really. They all managed to work their way up to this floor from the ground in so little time. The women are beautiful, absolutely stunning and their clothes just make them gorgeous. Refined, sharply dressed men without a crease anywhere on their suits. All of it has clearly been through a treasury rather than to a tailor.


    The woman in front of me, however, I can''t seem to keep my confidence with her. So, keeping my eyes on everyone else as they are fair game, I let the wealth sparkle in my brown eyes. Everything, just everything... Wealth.


    Everyone''s needs are clearly attended to and there are all kinds of fancy contraptions up here. The same applies to the security of this place. They have guns, but not ones I have ever seen before. If I have seen them before, then they are just too gilded and studded to be recognisable.


    Our gazes meet a lot, especially when one of these top-floorers whispers their disgust to them...


    Coming up on a fountain with crystal-clear water, it snatches up my attention. Fancy is one way to put it. Decadence covers this thing everywhere. But, the statue at its centre has an odd simplicity to it. Paying closer attention, however, I spot the pipes built into the solid stone carving.


    We go up the floors based on our skill as workers, administrators or whatever we are. But this, this is just... Wow. I can''t even begin to figure out how they have done this. I see no signs of sealed mould lines or hinges and locks!


    "Something has caught your eye," that woman comments with a bemused tone. I flinch and keep my gaze on the statue.


    "Just trying to figure out how this is built..." I quietly manage to mutter. Somehow.


    "Well, guess I''ve found out how to make you talk. Come, I''ll supply you with a smaller, similar statue when we get to the Crown. You can then coddle that all you want," she explains, but I stop listening when she clarifies our destination.


    The Crown?


    She''s a Spire-Lord, she is one of Tobaballe''s leaders and she is taking me directly up to the highest floor!?


    She seems to find my expression amusing, and she makes a noise because of it and walks off. Turning to follow her, I slowly approach an overly elaborate set of stairs made out of some kind of pearl-like stone. Up its middle is a fluffy, richly coloured, red carpet that covers most of the steps. Whatever the material is, it changes shades depending on the angle I look at it from.


    Having taken in the impressive staircase, I step up onto the first step. Each step echoes louder and louder and all other noise seems to vanish. Leaving them behind, I walk out into a vast, empty space that is somehow gaudier than the floor I was just on. Gold, silver, marble, fine granite, gemstones and silks. This place has it all.


    Coming to a stop, I spot those who guard the Crown.


    "Goldhands..." I breathe quietly as I stare at the near-motionless, black and gold-armoured men. Peculiarly, their hands do not match the name. There''s gold on their uniforms, but nowhere on their black-painted steel gauntlets. More confusingly, though, they lack weapons completely.


    Just one staircase away, I can find guards armed to the teeth. But, here, in the Crown... The capital district of Tobaballe, they have nothing. It''s surreal.


    I finally get moving towards the extravagant, perfume-smelling home.


    "Welcome to my home. Take a seat if you will, I''ll be back shortly," the woman says to me as I approach. Stepping through the front door, she disappears behind another and I stop. I do not take another step forward. Everything up here is so nice and clean and, strangely, even though it is not my stuff, I prefer it to stay clean.


    Despite what is going to happen to me...


    Though, as I am refusing to move, I look around her house to pass the time. Dark wood panelling covers several parts of the floor on the far side of the room. The walls depict a luscious forest, and I have to admit, it is already my favourite part. It''s been so long since I have seen anything apart from the odd potted plant down on the ground floor.


    I nearly sniff in amusement at how I prefer a painting of trees over anything prior to now. But, looking around some more, I start to see how everything else is contributing to something grander. Whatever it is, though, I cannot see it and my appreciation is skin-deep. There''s a lot of money here but not one Workman''s Press of it can be used to buy a meal.


    "Seriously, it''s fine, you can walk into my home properly," the woman aggrievedly exclaims as she comes back in with the promised statue. Putting my gaze down to the ground, I walk over to her and move to take the statue. She starts to giggle and I stop. There''s a jokester''s warning here, but, with how my life is already damned, I might as well see if it makes me laugh.


    Taking the statue into my hands, she releases her grip.


    "B-By Sraac-" I let out as the overwhelming weight of the statue passes to me. My back nearly gives out, and I crash to my right knee with a painful thud. She gently grips the statue''s head and saves my fingers from being crushed by the statue. Thankfully, she helps me guide it to the ground and I retract my hands and flick them in the air.


    How strong is she? Why did I have to rely on her to put down a small statue? I''m the physical labourer here! She''s just some...


    "I suppose you''ll want to know why it is so heavy?" she asks as I briefly meet her almost-golden eyes.


    With it all so fresh in my mind and with fingers ache-filled as they are, I nod. Following her as she walks to the sofas in the middle of the room, I wait at the edge of one. She sits down and unlocks a small cabinet. Sliding it open, she pulls out a drinking glass and a vial. She pours herself a drink, and she locks it all back up, curiously enough.


    "The answer," she says as she swirls a gold, opaque liquid, "is in here." she answers, sipping on the drink.


    "What?" I go, as that just makes no sense at all. That''s just liquor. How can it make someone so strong? How does that statue relate to this at all? Surely she is just messing with me, and it has an iron core on the inside. A crude granite form with a plaster coating?


    "Not convinced?" she asks as she gets up with her drink. Drinking it quickly, she approaches her grand fireplace. She stares intensely into the fire from up close and I start to get nervous. Looking back at the opened door, I spot a goldhand.


    "D-Do I need to call in the goldhand?" I ask as she moves closer to the fire without a care at all. My skin is acting up just watching her move closer.


    "No, it is fine. See, there are forces out there that can do much to change the physical properties of materials." she explains as she rolls the empty glass in her gloved hand.


    "R-Right..."


    Taking one of her gloves off, she leaves it on the fireplace counter and crushes the glass in her bare hand. Jumping at the sight, grim curiosity overcomes me as I see what has failed to happen. No blood is dripping from her hands... She plunges her hand into the fire and releases the glass onto the burning, scented wood.


    She''s just put her hand into a roaring fire!


    My mouth opens up and I stare. It''s all I really can do. Presenting it, she shows off how perfectly fine it is and my body moves. I march up to and I snatch up her warm hand. I feel it carefully with my calloused hands, but, nothing. Her hand is just soft.


    There''s nothing else to it.


    Blinking once, I step away with a shake of my head, "Why am I here?"

 Vol 1 Incline 6: Nin

    "Because I am getting frustrated with how my fellow Tobaballians run away from me. Or how they freeze up and fail to speak to me. You''ve served thus far as a good example of it," she answers as she looks away timidly. Blinking, I find my confusion boiling with frustration. This is to be expected. She''s a Crown-dwelling citizen of our city. She''s a spire-lord, top of the very top!


    "You should know how this all works... You worked your way through it." I gulp, looking back at the open front door. That goldhand is still there. All it takes is one scream from this woman and he will be bearing down on me. Any moment now...


    "No one will harm you. I''ve already told you that," she reminds me with a heightened tone. But I just can''t take her word for it. I do not trust her.


    "History amongst my peers says otherwise... Your peers once upon a time." I point out as I try to keep this heightened feeling in my chest subdued. I can feel the shaking in my arms and it is not stopping.


    "I am not tricking you, lying to you, or leading you astray. I am trying to resolve an issue that bothers me," she explains as she gets up and closes the door. Loudly locking it, she returns to the sofa and sits back down. My eyes do not shift from the floor.


    "Dragging me up here at the end of my shift isn''t the way to do it..." I explain as I trail the ground to stare at the locked door. Given her strength, I''d honestly prefer if a goldhand comes for me instead. At least theirs will make sense with all that armour and training.


    "Maybe not... I know it''s not the best thing I can do. But, it does, however, give me a chance to make my point to you clearly and directly," she says as she urgently gestures for me to sit down. She motions that it does not matter that my overalls are filthy and filled with metal shavings. She supposedly just wants me to be comfortable. And I take her up on the offer, reluctantly.


    Doing so, I start to think about how I really should have done this earlier. I''ve been working all day in a hunched-over position, bouncing on my knees. With something soft finally being behind me to just sink into... It''s nice, especially with how I have missed clock-out.


    Enjoying the soft cushions for a moment, I lean my neck over the top of one, "I''m not even sure what your point is, you tried to burn your hand... You''ve gone on about mysterious liquids but you are going on about how you are frustrated with me doing what is expected of me."


    "I know this sort of stuff is expected of you, but can you, at the very least, just look at me? Properly, not this restrained thing I have been getting thus far." she asks of me. I fiddle with my fingers and dig my hands into the cushions.


    I am struggling to find a reply...


    "Fine..." I mutter, flinging my head forward as I know I am doomed, anyway. One call and I am in the hands of Tobaballe''s finest. But, I huff at that thought as she can pin me down and arrest me just fine on her own. Either way, I doom myself now or justify it for my immediate future.


    Maybe listening to her will let me survive, but I am doubting it, but I also want to try, anyway.


    I start to move my gaze up as my instincts fight back against me. My eyes stop at her clothes and I struggle to move them away from them. My body is screaming at me to stop and I can''t help but be suspicious each time I see her move slightly. There''s something sinister here, there has to be...


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    Voluptuous and buxom is the most blatant way I can put what I am seeing. She''s got a perfect hourglass shape tucked away in these clothes. I know that the moment she turns to her side, I''d see an equally perfect number two or S-shape. These clothes make it clear she is fully aware of this body as well, as it is tightly fitted to her like a second layer of skin.


    My eyes shoot down and my instincts win me over, but I manage to beat them back. Starting from her boots, I follow them to the knee where they stop. Stretched-out, black compression stockings cover the rest of the way. Some of her golden-hued brown skin does show afterwards, but a tight, short skirt cuts the sight off and hides the rest.


    She brings one leg over the other, spreading its tender form while her shoulders pinch higher- My gaze locks up more.


    Professional attire with all the wealth of her high-floored life stitched in. Take that away and it''s almost mistakable for a guard''s uniform. But the dark jade fabric with its long gold stripe on the front left gives it a different look entirely. Bits of gold here and there everywhere, really, broken up only by a black leather belt and similar shoulder straps.


    She is a one-of-a-kind woman with a body anyone would be happy to be near. But, despite this, I realise I have yet to do what she asked of me. I am looking her way, but not at her. I need to do the dauntingly simple task properly.


    Taking a calming breath, I move my gaze up beyond her clothes and look into her eyes once again. She''s beautiful, but I feel stupid for thinking this. The signs are all here. I was just looking at them, but looking at her now... I feel like it is wrong to say anything and disturb the moment.


    She smiles and plays with her long, done-up, silk-like, black hair, "Thank you."


    "Tobaballe is a tall city." I blurt as the obvious keeps playing through my head.


    "It is, isn''t it?" she asks, giggling against her mouth as she releases her hair.


    "I did what you asked..." I say as I turn my gaze towards the ground. Breathing a sigh of relief, my body calms down. Though my mind wants me to look back at such a pretty face.


    "You did, but, clearly, we have a lot to work through." she sighs as her leg starts to move.


    "You think?" I scoff under my breath.


    "Tell you what, in two days'' time, I will be leaving the city with many others on an expedition to the wastes. I would like you to come with me and you''ll be able to learn more about earlier should you choose to." she explains and her given timeframe lingers at the front of my mind. In two days is the new year festival to Thurnmourer. My craft-god. But, considering another detail...


    The wastes.


    "Are you mad? Out there, beyond the Civil Mountains... Named as such because there is nothing out there at all!? You people tell us we can''t even leave the city through the Outer Walls because it is so dangerous! I refuse to tempt the noses of Undwote''s pack!" I let out as my hands move about my head.


    She moves her head about ponderously, "A half-truth, while, yes, it is dangerous. A dedicated, planned effort will and does remove much of that danger quickly as it is just wasteland. A mixture of that and the secret I just showed you is why we don''t let anyone through the Outer Walls."


    Standing up, she walks up to me and motions me to stand as well. Though, I do not know how to react to her right palm being held before me. I narrow my eyes at it, but I calm down and dismiss my suspicions. Technically, I should be doing this as I am her lesser.


    Better yet, this is a greeting. Why is she greeting me now of all times...?


    "Will you join me?" she asks, smiling.


    "I... Uh... No... This is too much for you to just throw at me!" I tell her as I try to step back, only for my leg to get caught against the sofa. Returning my focus to her, she looks away to ponder once again.


    "Hm, I suppose the best I can do is leave it open to you for now," she explains.


    "Leave it open to me? You don''t know me and I don''t know you!" I remind her, as this is pointless if I can''t get to her in two days'' time and go ''Hey, it''s me!''


    "Then accept my greeting and I will know you," she calmly answers as she looks down at her still-open palm. Slowly, I place my hand on hers and slowly think it over.


    "Nin... My name is Nin Urtuan. I''m a wall-engraver." I answer out of turn just to get it out of the way.


    Her other hand traps mine in a soft prison and she smiles, "It is a pleasure to meet you, then, Nin. I am Iishar Ho. Spire-Lord of the tower we happened to meet in."

 Vol 1 Incline 7: Nin

    "Hey, Nin! Get your head out of the Crown. Ners is about to do his riddles. You''re usually always the one to get the first few right." someone tells me as I am looking up at the city''s soaring centre. Their playful jab, however, catches me off guard at the worst possible moment. The food I''m in the middle of swallowing suddenly has to compete with a gag, and I force it back down. As the pain comes to an end, I groan to my heart''s content.


    With tears in my eyes, my thenar finds a new use and I rub them dry.


    "Uh, no, I''m not interested in Ners'' riddles today." I tell him, returning my focus to the dry food on my plate. Wincing slightly at the soreness in my throat, I reach for my cup of water and take a healthy chug from it. Sighing and groaning at once, I look upwards once again. The grand clock is in the way physically and because of the light it gives off, but I can still make out the periphery of the Crown.


    Today''s the day, the one Iishar told me about. The festival to Thurnmourer is in full swing and for once, people seem to be enjoying themselves. But what Iishar said to me a couple of days ago bothers me still. It has basically ruined the festival for me with all these wayward thoughts.


    "Seriously, what''s with all the detachment recently? You were late back by a fair margin not that long ago and now it is a pain in the backside to stop you looking up!" he asks me and I just have nothing to say about it.


    Getting up with my leftovers, I tune him out as I walk away. I do not see the point in easing his concerns, as we aren''t friends, just work colleagues. Sighting a bin, I scoff down my leftovers and wash it down with the water. Reaching the bin, I clear the tray and leave it on top for the cleaners.


    Putting my hands into the pockets of my work overalls, I leave the cafeteria and idly walk about. I steadily ease my way towards the Outer Wall whilst my brain refuses to stop repeating Iishar''s words. This is the place she mentioned. This wall we are supposedly not allowed to go through normally.


    "Seed of curiosity, why''d you become a tree?" I mutter to myself as I go around one of the curved corners of a tower. Unlike the last few times I have wandered this way, though, there are people here who are not security. There are dozens of fellow grounders here alone. The real eye-catcher, however, is the goldhands amongst the regular guards of the lower floors.


    If they are here, right down here at the very bottom of the city, then Iishar is most certainly down here, too. I can''t see her, admittedly, but with how big the crowd of workers and guards is, I''m not surprised. What does surprise me, however, is the large, imposing convoy of vehicles that line the space beyond the crowd. A mixture of gigantic half-track hauliers fitted for all kinds of loads.


    Some of which seem to be mobile apartment units...


    But, I want to see her again, talk to her again. Admittedly, I have been doing more than just thinking about her words, as she is the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Moving around the edges of the crowd, I hop up onto a makeshift, rickety platform. I hope she recognises me...


    Whatever the reason for this desire, I understand one thing easily. She spoke of a chance to ascend out of this sweatshop we of the lower floors experience. It does not match the ''hard work makes the dream work'' mindset the city has. But, Spire-Lord Iishar Ho doesn''t fit the mould either, by the looks of it.


    "Alright! Alright! Step forward when your names are called, first-"


    "Mmm." I let out as my curiosity and the shrinking crowd drives me forward. Everyone else is moving ahead as their names get called out. But I''m immobile. My name hasn''t come up. She forgot about me?


    It''s only been two days since I met her, so I want to believe that I am just at the end of the list. Yet, here I am, standing idly about as the last few people get called forwards to head on up and into the hauliers. A final chance appears and I spot Iishar, the woman I can''t stop thinking about. She speaks to a goldhand at first, but, looking my way, our gazes meet.


    She stands there and stares. Is she trying to remember who I am? I get and know that being a spire-lord is busy work, so maybe I should say my name for her convenience. Am I allowed to do that, though? No one seems to care about the usual code of conduct at the moment, but still...


    Stepping closer, her expression edges on a smile, "Hello again... Nin? I see you have accepted my offer. I''m glad you have."


    "I... I don''t actually know if I have." I admit, sighing as my head turns away. Why did I come here if I was just going to say that...?


    "Well, you''re here now, so please, come." she shepherds as her arm comes around and orbits my back. My nerves are a mess right now. A beautiful woman is this close to me, but she is as imposing as anyone can be, really. Plenty of goldhands to call upon if she needs to.


    Though, seeing that ebon holster of hers and the handgun within it, I doubt she''d need to call them. It''s not like I can pin her down and stop her from using it. She''s strong, very strong, stronger than she has any right being. She must have it for whatever is out there in the wastes...


    "Should I..." I start to ask before a goldhand comes over to whisper something. She pushes me ahead for privacy, but I am slow about it. She starts to get visibly agitated and I come to a stop. However, it seems it is only to do with what is being whispered to her.


    "Then grab it and let''s get going already," she orders before the kind smile returns along with the me-centred gaze.


    "S-Should I join the others?" I ask as I notice that the last of them are disappearing into the hauliers behind us.


    "No, it is fine if you share a haulier with me. Besides, I seem to have overestimated the amount of room these things have. Somehow. Or, I talked to too many people, rather." she explains as she guides me to the foremost one of the lot. Stopping at the ladder, I look at the other hauliers. One of them is unique in the fact it has a massive tank on its cargo pad.


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    Do we really need that much water, presuming it is water in there?


    "I feel small." I remark as I place my hand on the lowest bar of the ladder. This is going to be quite the trip up. It makes me wonder why they haven''t wheeled in some mobile stairs, actually. Looking back at Iishar, she smiles and motions her hand up.


    "Come on, up you go. Take the edge seat," she explains and I start to climb up into the vehicle. Clinging on tightly, I make sure my feet are properly on the steps before going up to the next one. Reaching the thankfully open door, I heave myself up onto the first seat. I whistle at the effort I just underwent and sit down properly.


    "Never thought I would ever feel taller sitting down." I quip awkwardly with my gaze switching back and forth between the glass and the goldhand driver. Thankfully, there''s quite a bit here to distract me from that man''s gaze. Leaning into my chair fully, I listen to and feel the growling engine with a smile. I may be a wall-engraver, but I appreciate the quality mechanical work.


    It''s as big as a small building and it probably has the strength to tear one down once hooked up! As I think about the machine, however, Iishar finishes coming up the ladder. I meet her gaze and smile and it makes me uncomfortable. That expression is teasing me.


    "No touching." she coos as she leans forward to grab the handles above me. Pulling herself up, she monkey bars her way over me and drops onto the seat next to me. She looks at me as my face burns up and she laughs to her heart''s content. These hauliers are carrying big loads, she is certainly as well...


    Closing the haulier''s door, I keep my eyes looking left, towards it. Her smirk is annoying, but I don''t hate it, it just makes me embarrassed. It''s easier to keep my focus on the seemingly tiny guards outside. But, with how they are acting, it must be nearly time to get going.


    "ALL VEHICLES SECURED, OPEN THE GATE!" the guard I am watching shouts with all the strength he can muster and the hauliers roar collectively in unison. The massage-like sensation I was feeling just a moment ago is replaced by aggressive, bumpy vibrations. The thick, heavy metal doors of the Outer Wall open. With how noisy the hauliers are, I can''t tell if the gate is particularly noisy either.


    Ear defenders would be nice about now, though...


    But, it''s hard to focus on the noisy machinery for long. As, as the doors open up, light comes through. This isn''t light attached to Tobaballe''s power grid, it''s natural light. Daylight, divine light, the light of the Orbital-Halo, it doesn''t matter what I call it. This is actual light!


    "Make sure to not enjoy this sight too much, Nin. Soon, you and everyone else here will be on their way to seeing it very soon for the rest of their lives." Iishar explains as we start to roll through the great gap.


    "What the..." I let out, completely perplexed by what I see. The area outside the Outer Wall isn''t wasteland at all, at least, not the immediate area. This space seems to be quite successful farmland. I am willing to bet it feels nice working out here rather than in the city''s depths.


    Orbital-Halo''s light in your hair and a field of crops to pick away at, at your own, dedicated pace. It must be wonderful being outside compared to being in some tight hallway. I''m proud of the work I have done as a wall-engraver, admittedly, but it''s a harsh job on the ground. Few places to rest and most water is unsafe, but here, you can find a bale to sit on and irrigation water to splash yourself with.


    To my surprise, though, there are no people out here on this farmland, well, not many, rather. Instead, all I can see are these strange things that look near enough to people. But, they have long, furry tails and a pair of upward-going ears. They''re not humans, but they are close enough to justify clothes and land that isn''t pasture.


    "What are these things?" I ask as we roll by a few as they scythe down what looks like oats or wheat. However, looking closer, they seem to have it quite rough, contrary to my prior thoughts. They all look tired and beaten, and the guards are certainly well-armed for being out on thick walled farmland. I get that pests are a problem, but this seems like a step too far.


    They look as if they are being starved as well... A cruel irony indeed.


    "Do not worry, Nin. They are refugees from the wastelands, beyond the actual Outer Walls. They are taken care of," Iishar tells me as she notices my expression. Taking her word for it, I just nod. I have no idea how it works out here. I''ve only just found out there''s farmland.


    But, if they are refugees, why didn''t they just let them into Tobaballe or beyond if we do not have the room?


    "That one there seems to be having it rough from you..." I point out as we go by one being extracted by goldhands, of all things. They throw the long, reddish-haired creature into a cage on a small buggy-like vehicle and it drives to our front. Whatever is going on, a specific group of these creatures are acting up. The guards keep them in line, though.


    I try to find some amusement in its hair colour. The heated tone of the situation and its temperament at least match the hair. Eventually, I return my focus to Iishar. She''s the one who knows what''s going on out here, and I''d rather not talk to the goldhand driver.


    "They''re no different from those of the lower floors like you, Nin. Not all are well-behaved and some are violent in their demands for more. And, it isn''t helped by the fact that they have come from a rough land. Simple as it seems, we are asking a lot of them to settle into a peaceful life. As you can see here, we take the troublemakers away and have them work it out by serving as guides."


    "Guiding from a tightly knit cage?" I ask, raising my brow.


    "They like to spit in people''s ears," she tells me with a sudden shiver.


    "Now why would they do that...?" I ask, completely baffled by the claim.


    "We honestly have no idea. It might be a greeting for them as they like to look after their ears. Well, I assume greeting as it is what they do before they properly begin to speak to you."


    "Properly speak?" I ask as I find her phrasing peculiar.


    "Mostly growls, squeals and squeaks before the spit goes flying. They don''t spit in each ear more than once though, so it might just be to mark down familiar faces with a scent."


    "I guess I''ll have to wait and see..." I say, even though I hope not to see it happen.


    "I don''t recommend waiting for such a thing." she tells me, shivering once again.


    "You know, you still didn''t answer my question." I remind her.


    "Sorry, can you repeat it for me?"


    "What are these things? Their name and that." I reiterate to her as I cover one of my ears and think about what else she has just said.


    "Not an official one given to us by them, no. But, one of my fellow Spire-Lord''s has taken to calling them by the pet name of ''floof'' because of who knows why and it just caught on." she explains, with some degree of distaste.


    "I guess I can see why." I comment as stare at the caged one again, focusing on their tail. It''s in a bad, shoddy state at the moment, but, with proper care, I can see it being soft and fluffy. Unlike their spitting habits, I would like to see that. Maybe even touch it, maybe.


    "Now, as we approach the real Outer Walls, Nin. You''ll understand why it is better for them to be in here." she explains as she places one arm across her belly while the other lingers near her mouth.


    "I think I can see it from here." I say as we rumble through and under the final wall. Curiously enough, the actual Outer Wall is thinner and less impressive than the... Inner-Outer Wall?


    "It is important for us to have someone who has travelled these lands before, Nin. As you can plainly see," Iishar says to me as I frown at all the still gravel.


    "There''s nothing out here..." I comment.


    "Rather fittingly for the time of year, there is," she corrects, smirking.


    "Wait, what do you mean by that?" I ask, looking at her mischievous expression. She''s certainly piqued my interest.


    "Wait and see, I want to see how you react when we get there," she tells me, growing the smirk.


    "Come on... Don''t play these games." I beg of her as the buggy makes a turn, which the hauliers follow.

 Vol 1 Incline 8: Nin

    "Finally, a moment to walk... How many more days of this?" I let out as I stumble away from the haulier. Thank the gods I am finally down from that thing. My nerves are all frayed and shaken up, I feel like am about to fall if my arms so much as decide to go numb. All that mechanical rumbling. I need a moment.


    I collapse to the ground, knee first, and roll about to land on my back.


    "If you do find yourself able to move again, stay near the hauliers. Better yet, just stay there." Iishar tells me before she goes off to talk to those travellers she is apparently meeting. Surely there are better places to meet than all the way out here? But, well, they probably have their reasons...


    "Yeah..." I answer as my body struggles to realise that the ground is flat and that it''s not moving. These damn frayed nerves... Focusing on the sky, as there isn''t much else to do, I watch the thunderstorm. Golden bolts flash and I am left disappointed by their departure. I really wish they''d just linger. They always feel like they never existed at all with how short-lived they are.


    Thunder cracks and a strange force shakes the gravel. Sitting up quickly, I look about just to make sure that it was not me who did that. But, no, looking about, I can see the gravel dancing up and down to some strong force. I''m pretty sure I can figure out which way the force is coming from as well.


    I turn around and wait. If the force comes again, then I can properly confirm that it isn''t just my nerves. Lightning strikes again and I feel it, smiling all the while as my hands shake. There''s definitely something out there, in the distance, just out of sight.


    This orchestra of storm-light surges in a particular direction as well, like a heartbeat. The sky lights up and the rumbles and cracks precede further tremors. This has to be what Iishar was alluding to when we left Tobaballe. Lightning is in the sky near-always and right now, a festival to the God of Thunder is going on.


    This can''t be a mere coincidence...


    "A quick peek can''t hurt..." I tell myself as I peek back. My crunch-marked stagger accents the rush across the gravel. There''s a large, sizeable, decently flat rock that I can climb up onto up ahead. I don''t think I have gone very far, but all these tremors are getting stronger. My body shivers excitedly and I desperately crawl up onto the rock.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Looking back at the convoy first to gauge the distance, I turn around... My jaw drops.


    "No... No way...!" I breathe as what seems to be a fog spreads apart.


    To the backdrop of sudden and often perpetual lightning strikes is a lone mountain. With its peak shaped like an anvil, it stands out all the more compares to all the other mountains I have seen. Around the base of the grey behemoth is a bubbling sea of molten gold that selfishly hordes the storm''s wrath. The heat of it all is immense, but so is the brightness.


    I am covered with strange, reflective patterns!


    "That... That''s the Anvil-Peak! Thurnmourer''s mountain!" I laugh out like a child as my body bobbles with excitement. The god I have served for so long, this is one of his holy wonders, it is -the- holy wonder! Three times did he strike thunder here a time long ago.


    On the third strike, he saved the world...


    This peak saw his hammer, Mesofunderod, first take shape. His golden armour was hammered together on this same peak. The temples and shrines gave me an idea of what it all looks like with their stained glass and their murals. But, seeing the mountain in person, I also want to see lightning be driven into the made-obedient stone!


    This has to be it. This must be what Iishar was on about. There''s no way it could not have been. This is the Anvil-Peak! How can the thing she teased me about again and again not be this mountain!? Oh, how am I going to tell her about this...?


    "Oh, ho, ho, ho, ho!" I let out as I rub my hands together. Gravel crunches behind me, but that just makes things easier. Iishar is right there and I can just barrage her anger into submission with my excitement. I have so many questions right now that I just need to ask. It doesn''t matter if she can''t answer them!


    "Yau best turn aaand paaay aaa little mare aaattentian." a strangely accented, but distinctly feminine, voice says to me. A new noise fills my ears and I suspect I know what it is. Turning around, I shoot back erratically, my hands leaping out to stabilise my body. This short girl or woman has a gun, and it''s pointed right at me...


    I look past her and towards the convoy, but it''s too far away. They would never hear me over the distance. Let alone with all this lightning, thunder, and Iishar''s ongoing conversation. Maybe there is a way out of this. Maybe this girl is just hungry?


    There''s not much to hunt, much less gather out here in these wastes...


    "Very gaad, naw, came dawn." she orders as she pulls down her hood, revealing her inhuman looks. What even is she?


    I see no skin, only pale to brownish fur that darkens exceptionally as it comes to a stop around her snout-like nose. On her head, rather than hair, she has a coat of sharp, black and whitish spikes running down from her scalp. Little black beads for eyes as well. A finger on the trigger...


    She''s quite short, so I can only assume that she''s a child, whatever she is. This just makes the problem a whole lot worse, though. There''s no way a child will show any kind of restraint with a firearm. Not in the slightest.


    And as I have nowhere to hide, I raise my hands slowly and clearly...

 Vol 1 Incline 9: The Daughter Slaver

    "Easy now... Let''s not get too violent. I''m sure no one wants this to get bloody," the human male says as he slowly backs up to the edge of the rock. Smirking at his failure to pay attention, I wait for it to catch up with him. The moment he starts to slip and fall, I rush up onto the rock and catch him scrambling about, panicking. Pulling the trigger, I end his embarrassing moment.


    Snorting my contempt, I keep my musket trained, steadily reloading it as I do so. The tranquillizer makes its effect known and I lower my gun. Hopping down, I then approach. But I still make a point of jabbing him with the barrel or with the stock of my weapon. Fully content with my work, I sling it over my shoulder.


    He''s certainly not going to be making any abrupt movements now. The land of dreams and nightmares has his attention in its entirety. Reaching for my belt, I unhook what I need to finish this tedious task. Putting him into the capture-sack is probably the worst part of this entire ordeal.


    Flexing my fingers awkwardly as the sack''s lubricant rubs off on them. I am glad I pulled my hood down earlier. There''s not much about, but it''s nice to feel even the slightest of breezes go down through my spines. Especially without bits of gunk trapped in between them because I decided to idiotically touch up there with slimy hands. Shivering regardless at the sensation, I move the unconscious human into the capture-sack.


    My digits feeling increasingly numb as the lubricant works through my fur.


    Finishing up, I look up and assess the danger in the sky as more and more lightning strikes above. It''s different to magic normally with how focused it is, but it still laces the air with its power and I am not keen on the idea of building up an attractive charge. Though, I am more concerned with maybe having to admit that my beautiful, well-tended spines are an issue. I hate the idea of just thinking about Paps'' unsolicited remark, let alone actually going there to hear it.


    "Tch." I let out at my thoughts of Paps as I start to drag the bland human back to the deal site. Waving back at the thunderous mountain, I make my way across the dusty gravel. I have to go across all of this again... Why couldn''t these incompetent, nearly blank humans keep an eye on their stock?


    This isn''t the first time someone has wandered off a little during our transactions!


    Reaching one of the wagons, I grumble loudly, "Cuff them in future!"


    Sneering at the bagged human, I grab the bag''s ropes and pull. They''re tight alright. Testing the amount of force I might need to swing them into the air, I scoff. I throw him over in a wide arc and slam him onto the wagon and I dearly pray he wakes up with a bit of an ache later. Walking away from the wagon, I try to clean my paws.


    "Heiya, here." Paps orders when he spots me. Steeling myself, I approach him and my head moves in line with his sudden smack. Muttering, I curse him without opening my mouth as my cheek stings. He claims it is a well-meaning discipline half the time, but I''m willing to bet my lowest-hanging spine that he''s full of it...


    "And with him, I believe that is all of them." Iishar claims as one of her primitive vehicles starts to reverse towards us. Paps motions for our crew to hand over the last of our promised groups and her guard helps them out. However, the heat emanating from the silo-like device is causing both parties some trouble. Though the makers of the device gave us their seal of approval.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    But, I have my doubts, seeing all that simmering, wavy heat and the soft, cherry glow...


    If there are issues with it, I pray to all the gods and goddesses that it fails and breaks down far away from me and Paps. We got paid a tremendous fortune for shipping that rare, hard-to-get product and I don''t want to lose out on spending it. Though, I still find it amusing that most of our money comes from trading literal rubbish to these nearly blank humans. Our main contractor happens to have lots of useful waste byproducts and these lot think it''s premium!


    "Mmm, thaaat ane wauld maaake the deaaal dane." I comment quietly, catching a glance of the tablet Paps is documenting the deal with. Outside of my little trek, the deal is going smoothly, can''t ask for much more, really. Just have to make a slight detour for the out-of-line oxfuine so we can give her the necessary treatment elsewhere. Though, why this is our problem, I struggle to understand.


    "Move soon, Heiya." Paps tells me and he taps my arm. Giving him a quick gesture, I go to the forward wagon and climb aboard. I snatch up the enchanted cloth hanging from the handlebar and try to wipe my hands clean. These sapphire-coloured threads are a dream come true and I can finally get this dust-covered gunk off of my paws. I hope the returning feel of my digits means returning motor control, too.


    The problem on its way out, I flick my hands dry and feel the fur by my paw pads. Happy with it, I put the cloth back and lean back into my seat, swinging my musket onto my lap as I do so. Adjusting and fiddling with it, I take off the custom hunter module and slot back in its usual bullet chamber. Sliding my scope back on with a smooth rattle, I move to steam the glass with my breath, but, spotting Paps'' ammo container, I kick it.


    "Dumb wasps." I remark at the trapped, dangerous insects. The thin metal walls singing with their angry buzz.


    "When can I expect the next deal to occur?" I hear Iishar ask as gravel moves about on my right.


    "No deal." Paps tells the human.


    "What do you mean!? I have consistently met the deadline and paid more this time to get a far grander prize!" the flabbergasted woman lets out as Paps reaches the wagon.


    "Too much going on. No more deal." Paps barely explains as he pulls himself up next to me. Looking back, I watch as the frustrated woman aggressively scribbles something out. Rolling my eyes, I sit back down and get back to my business. It''s not like something bad is going to happen to her if we fail to keep this up in the relative future.


    But, Paps is being honest about why we can''t do much more work for now after this. The silo has a fire wyvern inside of it. He''s a rare find, the crowning jewel of its harem-mistresses'' namesake. Not to mention the great, ongoing war, the dozens of mountain-states we have to go by or through and other wildlife concerns... We have enough as is.


    A pissed-off wyvern and its on-a-warpath harem is surprisingly the tipping point when it comes to our willingness to put up with danger.


    Frankly, I don''t think either of us is in the mood to be chased across the Redstone Canyon again and again for a bit of pay. We''re safe at the moment and we can count on it staying this way for the moment. But, with our time at the exchange site at an end, I give a hidden, sarcastic wave and return to handling my gun. We lack entertainment of any kind and the landscape is flat, barren and mostly uneventful.


    Maintenance will have to do, or maybe even tablet work, if I get particularly bored...


    Like with my gun, doing it has its benefits and we will only walk away from this with an easier life. Where my musket will fire true and powerful when looked after, the next part of the deal will go smoother because I did the tabletwork. Silencing our pedantic contractor will only bring good things for my mental health once we get there. So, every detail that I can null and void now makes it all the better later...


    But it''s also boring, just like everything else around here.


    Sighing, I linger my gaze on the mamuler as Paps tugs on the reins containing the massive beast. It groans and slowly starts to move along the gravel with repetitive, heavy crunches. Wide, circular feet go stomp, stomp, stomp. Sometimes I wish these four-legged beasts of burden would be quicker... But endurance is better for these long trips and these things have it by the meaty slabful.


    They''re generally tame and obedient as well, so that''s something, I suppose.


    Would be an utter mess if such muscle-bound bulk and tusks weren''t. Sighing again, I reach for one of the tablets, "Gaaah, gat ta facus an this taaabletwark..."

 Vol 1 Incline 10: Heiya

    "Alright, be careful. Get these sacks into the pods as quickly as possible!" a hired hand orders, his arms directing the rest about. Their groans fill the air as they move the filled capture-sacks into the pods. Hissing, then thudding, the steely-grey-rimmed tubes seal up. Further noises escape the devices as they decontaminate themselves on any corrupting magic. Looking through the thick, blue-tinted glass of one, I look at the shadow of the captured blank within.


    Walking away, I run my right paw along the tube, flicking it off once I reach the end. My musket rattles behind me and I carry on walking towards the edge of the canyon. Glancing at the topside of my homeland, I grow impatient about our return. It''s just over this gap, just get over there and go back to Suhurlodst and we can be on our way.


    Looking down, it''s only darkness and looking across, it''s the near-endless mountain ranges of Jherikra.


    I pull my musket around from my back and throw it up gently. Catching it by the stock, I let it fall forwards and catch the barrel in my open paw. Looking into the scope, I try to spot some towns or villages or, at the very least, signs of them. But, I really should be keeping an eye on the canyon...


    Adjusting my view, I look out for our pickup as it is supposed to be coming up out of these dark depths. I just need to spot even the slightest tint of luminescent energy, which, given the utter blackness of the canyon... It should be easy. But, taking into account the two superpowers and their war, our partners need to be creative.


    If it didn''t make my job as lookout harder, I''d be willing to commend them for it. But it does. I couldn''t care less about their troubles, only how it affects mine. Thankfully for my patience, I spot a small, seemingly distant light down in the canyon.


    "There we aaare." I comment as I lower my musket. Smiling at the growing speck of green, I start to step away from the steep canyon edge. Placing a paw over my brow, I prepare to feel the blasting winds. The noise of the engines hits me first, and it grows.


    Then, blowing up a cloud of dust, the machine flies overhead on a flowing trail of windy light. I can''t even find the strength to complain about it. It''s been so long since I have felt a nice breeze. These wastelands have nothing going for them, despite housing the God of Thunder''s blessed mountain. How does the God of Storms not even have the slightest of gusts going across that damned place?


    Whatever the reason is for the Thunderstricken Wastes to be like that, Jherikra has lots of it. The home of the Wind-Mountain will give me all the relaxing breezes I want. It fills me with eagerness and I start to rush back to Paps and the hired hands. That machine''s going to carry us out of this wasteland of nought but still gravel and redstone at the end!


    However, as I come closer, I spot what looks like an argument happening at one of the pods, "Why aren''t you sealing it!?"


    "It''s picking up magic in this one. I can''t get rid of it!" the man by the pod answers as he presents the assigned tablet.


    "How does that even work? By Undwote''s freezing grip... They all have the ankle bracelets on! That means no magic. They are blank!"


    "It just seems to be an insect, if we just op-"


    "We don''t have the equipment to open them up again!" the lead one growls.


    "Paps..." I mutter as I approach him. Tugging at his clothes, I end his preoccupation and knock my head in the direction of the problem. He doesn''t seem to be bothered by it, though, he just checks his tablet instead.


    "Problem indeed," he eventually tuts as he hands off the tablet to someone else. Staying where I am, I watch as he paces about the pod before he glances up at our crane. The hiss of metal comes at us from behind.


    "Paps, they''ve laaanded!" I call out to him as the Academy''s airship blows up the grey and red dust in the distance. Paps keeps his focus on the pod and he knocks his knuckles against it.


    "In middle. It''ll hide," he tells the crew before he gestures out to the crane operators. The lengthy machine gets to work, placing the faulty pod into the thick of the acceptable ones. Entombing it under the others discreetly as if it is just a part of our normal procedures. Paps returns with a straight, calm expression.


    "The Aaacaaadaaamites cauld maaaybe pick it up an their sensars." I remind him, but he shakes his head. A slight, confident smirk on his lips as he does so.


    "Make sure done," he tells me as he pats me on the shoulder before he heads out to meet the approaching inspectors. Sighing, I do as asked and I briefly watch over the crews as they work in contrast to Paps'' unbreakable calm.


    "Does someone need to look out for the boss?" one of the hired hands asks as I climb up onto the crane.


    "Keep warking." I answer as I look down the scope of my musket so I can get a better view of the deal. Despite our honest transactions with the Academy, they still feel the need to do everything heavily armed. Thankfully, or not, these are not professional soldiers of any sort. But that''s just the problem as well...


    Our payday-saving facade would go along a lot better with those trained not to poke around. The Acadamites will be doing that themselves, sure, but the lack of discipline could rile up our nervous hired hands. A chaotic gunfight is never the kind you want. I snarl in anticipation of any trouble.


    Whoever they have brought along, Thrurstradtur''s State-Guard is out of the question. This umbrella does not cover Suhurlodst''s private security, and its status as a school limits its ability to be excessively armed. Either these are guild pickups or estate-guards. Promises of quick and easy pay and bored young men who want to see the world beyond their homes.


    But, depending on how they play their cards, a bit of adventure could hurt everyone here...


    I go over each and every single one of them. Checking how they hold their gun and how they stand. Many are relaxed and looking about at the utter nothing, but a few are far too pushy for my liking. They''re boys who have never been in a position of intimidation and they''re looking for a cheap way into it. They seem to think they have Paps anxious or scared. The naivety is honestly quite hilarious.


    But, I breathe a sigh of relief as Paps turns around. Lowering my gun, I shoulder it once again and hop down from the crane. The initial part of this part of the deal is going over without issue. Now, to see if Paps''s plan work so I can either laugh about it later or fear for my patience.


    Sticking to the corner of the representative''s eye, I smirk as I look his clothes over. I understand that Thrurstradtur is a city built on and about a bafflingly large sundial. But the theme is almost excessive with everything this man is wearing. Copper, brass and dark browns like the polished oak on grandfather clocks. Patterns and motifs of a similar kind as well, decorate him completely.


    Apparently, there is such a thing as too much pride for one''s home.


    Slinking away to the edge of the loading platform, I watch them as they go over everything. The crew back away as some of Suhurlodst''s security sniffs about and the inspector checks the tubes. His device beeps again and again as he goes through the tubes and he starts to get nosy with the interior ones. Looking about, he nods in support of our use of the space on the platform.


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    Paps'' plan has worked, and the inspector leaves a happy man with his guards. Or, well, as happy as these uptight professionals can be. Now all we have to do is hook ourselves up to the airship and we can be on our way. Though, I am dreading a little at how packed this thing is going to be.


    All of these filled pods, our equipment and transportation, the crews to handle it all and the mamulers to pull it... It''s going to be cramped. So, I make my way to a wagon quickly and claim it for me and Paps. They aren''t the best and frankly; I am sick of sitting on one, but a seat''s a seat at the moment.


    If I could have my way, I''d like to be closer to the edge so I can dangle my legs over it. I could watch as the world just goes on by below me. But, Paps would never allow such a thing, too dangerous in his eyes. Just like how having some privacy is considered too dangerous in his eyes...


    "Safe." he tells me as he runs a paw down my spines. Suddenly, a loud click fills my ears and he backs away, smiling, a chain in his hands.


    "Ane af these daaays... Ane af these daaays..." I grumble as I tug at the proof of his overprotective nature. I stare angrily at him as he leans into his seat to get some shut-eye. I want to mangle him... We are not even near the edge of the platform!


    Stupid old hegge...


    Though it doesn''t seem like I could dangle my legs over the edge either, there are no cables picking us up. Some kind of magic-based scoop picks us up instead with none of the usual hassle. It walls us in on four sides and everyone starts to move closer, away from the power. All this oppressive magic and so few places to go...


    "Hey, make some room." a hired hand tells another as he immediately gets sick of the arcane pressure.


    "No, stay there, keep me safe," the other answers as he hunkers behind his meat shield.


    "Roll down a mountain..." the complainer swears as we cross the Redstone Canyon. Endless mountains and rising forests become our view and I am glad to be rid of the wasteland. It''s repetitive in much the same ways, but I''d rather look at trees than endless grey gravel. Greenery-filled valleys broken up by dark grey rock are everywhere now.


    It''s so much nicer than a ceaseless field of dusty gravel. However, I am quite surprised by the lack of settlements thus far in our journey. No fortresses, castles, lonely buildings or ravineer settlements. Our path is quite the quiet one.


    Turning my gaze to the sound of shaking bars, the oxfuine catches my attention. Paps seems to have heard it as well, but he otherwise doesn''t care. I roll my eyes at him and hop over the wagon''s side carefully. Sneering at the chain as it gets caught on it.


    "Gat na file." I remind it as I am forced to lean against the wagon, the tool in question probably somewhere in my kit. However, looking closer at her, I realise that I am wrong about her intentions. She''s not trying to escape from her cage, not entirely anyway. She''s picked up on something that we and the technology of the Acadamites haven''t.


    Whatever it is, she won''t stop whimpering, and she''s clearly paranoid about it. I want to shut her up as it is getting annoying. But respecting instincts like these is what keeps me and Paps alive... I want to know -what- is bothering her.


    At the very least, I understand that something has upset her and I want to guess that it''s the surrounding magic. Even for me, Paps and our hired help, talking or not, it is uncomfortable to be around. Unlike us, though, we made a point of weakening her before she then spent quite some time in magic-blank lands.


    But her eyes are not showing discomfort, they''re showing fear.


    Is she worried about low the airship is flying? We are flying under the snow-belt after all, an admittedly strange choice, but I understand the benefits. It keeps us out of sight of Union airships, omniships and most other kinds of aircraft. Her focus, however, is on one of the mountains.


    Well, as best as her focus on it can be, anyway.


    Leaning over and grabbing my musket, I jab at my father with it, "Paps."


    "Trouble?" he asks, calmly rising from the light slumber. His spike-gun makes its distinct, heavy snap, and he steps up onto the wagon''s edge. However, it''s hard to see beyond the immediate, tightly packed crowd and the magic wall around us after them. But a loud crunch gathers everyone''s attention.


    "Shhhh!" someone lets out as quiet overtakes the packed platform...


    Suddenly, the airship starts to shake and I stagger against the wagon as hisses and groans cover the platform. It happens again and screams join the mix along with groaning metal. The airship jostles in an instant to the right and I fall to the ground. Chaos erupts across the platform, and it nearly tramples me.


    Escaping the beast-backed stampede somewhat, I notice how I am slowly sliding across the platform... The airship''s being turned over!?


    "HEIYA!" Paps snaps as his harness proves itself to be ironically named. Hopping down, he reaches for me and I start to move even faster on the ground.


    "PAPS!" I scream as the wagon pulls me with it. Knocking down the men or throwing them overboard, I try to break the chain. Paps grabs my musket and he slides down to me with a set brow. Reaching up for him, I struggle to take my focus off the wagon as it teeters overboard.


    "STAY CLOSE!" he shouts as he takes me up and fires his weapon. Shattering the chain, I scramble into his arms just as the wooden transport vanishes into the forest. Nearly everyone else and the cargo have already fallen off. Thankfully, Paps saved my gun and I take it into my tight-grip hands.


    He holds onto me and we slide down the platform as the magic scoop fails. I focus on his calm expression and I try to emulate it. But, holding Paps tightly, I close my eyes as the air pushes against us. We lose contact with the ground and I try to brace myself.


    Paps barks in pain as I am forced down against him.


    "Paps..." I groan as the rest of the cargo rains around us.


    "OSIBINDAH!" someone cries as mania spreads among us survivors.


    "Paps!" I let out as I scramble out of his protective roll. Throwing aside my gun, I grab his underarm and pull as hard as I can. I can''t see what''s going on out there, but I can hear it. These roars, the call just now, an army of bugs are bearing down on us!


    Gunshots go off all around the forest, but they''re dying off quickly. Screams and roars replace them with growing speed. Some of the humans are just staggering about with concussions before giant arrows staple them into place. Everywhere is the same, even the left over Acadamites are being overrun.


    My only chance is to run with Paps!


    "Paps, if yau caaan staaand, pleaaase!" I beg him, as what could''ve only been a ballista bolt shoots past me. It shatters and the shrapnel lashes against my back. Warmth spreads across it.


    "Go! Find safe!" he snaps as he gets up and shoves me back. Firing his gun for a moment, a piece of tumbling debris knocks him down.


    "PAPS!" I scream, "I''m nat leaaaving yau!" I tell him as I drag him once again.


    Thankfully, I manage to catch a glimpse of light in the distance. There''s a safe passage that way. If not, we can at least hide beyond it. Grabbing Paps'' belts and buckles, I drag him with increased fervour. The roars grow louder and I feel like they are now surrounding us!


    I have to get us out of here; I have to... I have to! I have to!


    "Pleaaase be akaaay, Paps!" I cry as we reach the hole. Taking a final glance out at the forest, I spot large shadows coming into view. Taking Paps'' gun, I point it up at them. Going down by his neck, I keep one arm around it and I pull.


    My foot suddenly goes overboard and I counterbalance myself with him!


    Snapping my gaze around, I spot the sudden drop. We only have a thin, small platform to hide on. But the roars are getting closer, funnelled closer by the stubby tunnel. Heaving him through the gap, I place him near the edge and drop to his side.


    I keep his gun pointed at the hole as all the noises just become those of the osibindah...


    Tears flow down my face as my weapon grip shakes dangerously. However, as it gets quiet, I realise how loud I am being. Biting my arm, I huddle closer to Paps, hoping he''ll somehow wake up. Shadows block out the daylight, but I refuse to look away from the hole.


    At least, until my peripheral catches a glimpse of something... Circle-faced and cylindrical, a clutch of stone, serpentine things move about the air. The gun snaps into the direction of one of them, but jangling metal stops me from firing. Shaking and trembling, I stare at the flat face of the manipulated rock.


    An earthy, rusty smell comes through the hole along with a three-clawed limb... Armoured completely in crushed, rusted helms, the insidious claws start to pat the platform. If I shoot at this arm or these constructs... We die... All I can do is keep my gun pointed at the arm and hope nothing happens.


    It knows we are here? Does it know we are here? I''ve heard stories of these serpents, how they can see even with no eyes... Does it know we are here!?


    No...


    The limb pulls away, and the constructs follow its departure. But, my heartbeat isn''t going down and my eyes are not drying even as the forest turns quiet. Letting my arm out of my mouth, I drop the gun. Panting, the tears flow more openly and I look at Paps as he lies motionless on my right.


    The osibindah are pulling back. Our hired hands, beasts, and the airship crew are all dead... But, even then, there''s noise in that forest. The howls of Undwote''s Pack of Seven await us beyond the hole...


    "P-Paps..." I cry as I hug him to the sound of the inquisitive God of Death.

 Vol 1 Incline 11: Osibindah

    "Ngggh... Egggh..."


    Protect the Hive. Expand the Hive.


    "Ahh! Ow... Ah-ow!"


    Supply the Hive. Fuel the Hive.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "W-W-Where am I!?"


    Capture for the Hive. Build for the Hive.


    "Huh!?"


    Contain supply. Restrain supply.


    "L-Let me go... Go! Le-"


    Secure supply. Convert supply!


    "HEY! DON''T TOUCH THERE! GET OFF ME! GET OFF!"


    Quality material. Expand Queen!


    "NO! GET AWAY FROM ME! SOMEBODY H-HELP ME!"


    Reproduce for the Hive!

 Vol 1 Incline 12: Nin

    What... What''s going on? Everything is dark, I can''t see. How did I even get into this darkness...?


    Something has its hand tightly locked around my ankle... Two things, maybe? What is holding onto me!?


    Confusion is never something I thought could terrify me, but here it happily proves me wrong. Not only that, my body hurts, everything hurts. My head''s pounding away with throbs that go against my skull. My eyes are in pain no matter what I do. They hurt when I keep them open or closed. Not that it matters if they are open. I can''t see anything!


    My body is groggy all over...


    It isn''t getting any better either, even as everything starts to unblur. My ankles are bare and pinched at while my back is sore with shallow cuts all over. Whatever is holding onto me, their grips are hard and solid. This isn''t skin against me...


    Wherever I am, I am going along the ground... I can feel wet, damp soil and all kinds of muck soaking through my overalls and getting caught in them. Whatever these things are that have me, whoever they are, clearly, they don''t care... They''re just dragging me everywhere, wherever they want me to go.


    If this is how they are going to treat me, why can''t just go ahead and kill me!?


    But maybe some god doesn''t want me to. Whoever it is, they want me to suffer. Of all these stones rolling under me, none of them is in the ground enough so that I can just grab it to fight back against the dragging. I''m like a broken trailer with a missing wheel! The ground makes way for me as they near-enough plough me through it...


    Wherever I am being taken, though, it sings an unholy song. Screaming, crying... Wet tearing and howling... I try to keep the noise out by blocking my ears with my hands or the soil.


    But it just worms its way through the grains of dirt!


    There is also the chittering, this strange, alien chittering. It is coming from just ahead, from behind and further ahead in all directions. The darkness even starts to subside and dim, dying light breaks it apart. Clearly, thanks to it, I''m in a tunnel.


    And what holds onto me isn''t human, not even the lie that they might be armoured...


    My chest is heaving and my is breath shaking, "It opens up... The tunnel, it..."


    Coming to a close, it opens up into a far larger chamber. Whatever these things are, whatever is in there, I need to break free from these hands! But it is just mud and loose allsorts. There are no rocks for me to grab, there are just tiny little pebbles...


    There is nothing big enough to be a weapon here!


    If I have no opportunity to escape, what is going to become of me? My destiny is something evil, right now. I want to wish and pray that something will show itself to me and that I can have a chance! But in what must be some kind of mineshaft, how will the gods even hear me...?


    The ones who do not want to damn me, anyway...


    Wherever I am, I am going through a spot of relative brightness now. I can see better now. These things that have me by the ankles, they''re naturally armoured from head to toe. The light also makes it clear that it isn''t just this dark, oil-in-water-shaded, shining plate of theirs that makes their grip harsh. These things are large, head and shoulders taller than I ever will be!


    These things are clearly bugs, that much is clear. Towering, muscle-slabbed bug monsters. With all this chittering and their hard, shell-covered bodies, how could they not be? But why are they bugs...?


    Bugs are small things... Tiny and annoying, but small...


    Them being bugs only makes it worse, of all the things I learned in school growing up... Why did the unique features of bugs have to be the thing that haunts me right now? Wearing the corpses of other bugs to hide their scent... Laying their eggs in the corpses of their victims...


    Bugs are gruesome things, and I am in the grips of a pair of them.


    However, to my shock, they suddenly let go and stare at each other. I stare up at them, too weak to get up and run. My fear paralyses me. Running would be pointless in a place like this... My eyes lock with their sickly yellow ones.


    I want to be some kind of demi-god that shares blood with the God of Apathy. I want the apathy of Apahthein so that I can at least be calm. Why do I have to be mortal? All I am able to do is tremble and shake like a little child.


    A useless, helpless child with no mother to cry for...


    "H-Hey..." I weakly let out as one creature bends down to grab me. With an effortless hoist, it places me on its back as if I weigh not one gram. I might as well be a pillow.


    Whatever it did it for, the creature seems determined to break my body in two. Its arms curve me around its upper back and the small, spike-like bumps force their way against my overalls. I groan out my misery and try to move my body away from them, but it''s pointless. The noise and the smells of this place, everything, even the air, stings me and now with these spikes up against me...


    It is all becoming too much.


    There''s no optimism in my head. I can only ponder how I am going to die. Eaten alive or maybe I will get a small mercy before the same fate. Are they going to torture me to appease some god? Whatever it is, I just need to come to terms with it...


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    Maybe I can try to get comfortable, as best as I can, anyway... But, no, it''s pointless. Resisting makes their grip firmer and harsher. Going limp just lets them pull me closer and I shiver as the spikes stab me.


    Taking the moment I have, I spit bloody saliva at the back of the creature. I am going to get the taste of copper out of my mouth as best as I can just to spite it. Then, it starts to get brighter, but, it might as well have stayed dark. Everything is still dim, unclear, and it all remains hidden in shadow.


    In a way, I am reminded of lights on their way out in the industrial parts of Tobaballe... Though, I can only wish this place is as nice as those rough parts of the city. I do not want to see this place better. I hate everything I can see. Closing my eyes does nothing either. This place is full of screams...


    All along the walls are these jagged frames made of dark carapace that are darker than the shadows. They pulse with malicious intent and the gaps that do not have a man hooked up to them have strange, mouth-like holes. This thing eats stolen freedom and clearly, it delights in the terror of those it traps. Many struggle to get out, but some are limp.


    That is going to be me...


    This strange thing has hooked up so many dark-eyed omens. If they were free, I can only see them collapsing like the hopeless skeletons they practically are. All hope comes to die in this dim, amber light. There will be no escape once I join the dozens already up there...


    Life fills me, terror-driven life reinvigorates me. I struggle against the hulking creature with all I have and all I can muster. The fruitlessness of it registers in the back of my head, but my body does not care. Fury takes over my actions and I scream frantically as the spikes stab into me through my own fault.


    With a single motion, the creature moves me off of its back and I go quiet. Its grip suddenly moves to my neck, and it throttles me with a single hand as it brings me closer. Chittering away, the creature looks directly into my eyes with a tilting, hyperactive head. My eyelids do not come down once.


    Opening its mouth fully, it reveals row upon row of needle-shaped teeth on three separate jaw bones. One set on top, the other two on almost finger-like jawlines that keep coming together. From a platform at the back of its taken-apart mouth, a wiry tongue rolls out all the way towards me. Dancing about at first, the foul smell of it makes my flailing stomach contort.


    It moves it against my cheek and I create elaborate expressions as the filthy tongue goes over me. The stench is unbearable and I feel nauseous already because of it. Whatever is in that saliva, though, makes my skin hurt. This stuff felt like it is burning my skin!


    Thankfully, I can keep my lips closed and my mouth away from it. The taste of that stuff remains foreign to me...


    Thrust back, wet sensations and firm-gripping spikes appear and cling to all of my limbs. One of the dark frames is now all around me. I feel no physical pain, but that doesn''t stop me from keeling over as if there is pain. I am trapped. I can''t get out of this...


    Looking around at first, I glare as my gaze meets with the bugs once again. The creature, however, can not care less and its eyes go to the far end of the chamber. There is a tunnel that way as well, and a rather aggressive gust of wind blows at us. That has to be the way out, right...?


    I dismiss the glow it has.


    I guess it doesn''t matter if it is the way out. I can''t even move properly, let alone get out of here. Sighing at my situation, I place a milder stare on the creature and look at it some more. The light makes its colours more apparent, but a dark shade of brown with an oil-like colour to it isn''t much else to look at. It''s a bug alright...


    Now, though, I can see past the natural armour these things have and it makes me uncomfortable. The flesh that breaks it up looks almost skinless, like it''s a muscle stripped of its covering. The colours are duller and just enough light fills them out to highlight enough of the detail... What is going to happen to me?


    These things do not have hands either, they''re dull-tipped, three-digit claws. Spikes erratically decorate its hunched back. Further down, a strange pair of legs with what looks like two sets of knees. The legs go forwards but shoot back suddenly before they end in a couple of brick-like feet with two fat toes...


    They all suddenly twitch and look up.


    "N-N-NO THEY''RE COMING!" someone screams from the other side of the chamber as he tries to break free. Few others try at first, but seeing so many panicking, it corrects itself. I restrain myself initially, but the chitters coming from above make me move with greater hysteria. Shadows erupt from the tunnels above us, and I see them move onto the frame across from me.


    This means one is now above me...


    Begging and pleading. I focus on one arm and try to break it free as screams fill the chamber. Throughout it all, a thud resonates. I turn to look at it...


    It is, they all are similar creatures in height and size. But they are all hollow, no more than a skeleton or some kind of exoskeletal frame. Their bodies rattle and jerk and they open up like a box... Is it...?


    Am I going to be eaten alive...? Am I about to be devoured whole? Why is it doing that!? Why is it doing that!?


    My heart pounds against my chest as if it''s trying to escape itself. My chest shakes and trembles with each forceful thud and I start to stammer. A bug isn''t near me yet, but those near me do. In front of them.


    They are being enveloped from the front...


    "OW!" I cry as something stabs into me from behind. A disgusting sensation pumps into me as more and more spikes suddenly pierce me. I struggle against it all even harder, despite how my body is locking up. The creature envelopes me and it staples itself together.


    Tears flow down my face as I feel and watch it happen. It isn''t slow, but everything feels like it is starting to slow down. Everything hurts and that burn I felt earlier comes in force now. There is nothing I can do...


    Nothing!


    "Undwote... Damn you... STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I scream just before the creature locks itself into my mouth. Straight through flesh and bone, spike after spike injects itself into me to add to the pumping sensation. Hooks slice into my skin and pull at it, and I feel blood spill out everywhere. But it isn''t warm, it''s all cold, the wet sensations are all cold...


    This thing is a living, twisted machine, and it''s eating me! I can''t even scream anymore. Spikes are in my mouth! It is in my mouth! Everywhere, the spikes are everywhere!


    I want to thrash; I want to contort and get violent, but I can''t. I cannot even fall unconscious. The pain keeps me awake as well as the hooks in my eyelids. The sickly yellow eyes of the creature came closer... Something acidic drips near my face.


    It stops, the thing stops moving...


    I look through its eyes and towards the tunnel where the breeze came from. There is a bright light erupting from down there, a dangerous light that cuts down the creatures near it. The light does not stop there; it comes all the way to me... It tears its way past everything and it is coming right for me!


    The light strikes the creature and forces us out into the air. Smashing into the chamber''s dirt wall, I start to fight against the creature. I try to tear it off of me, but blue light painfully erupts to life on my skin. The light outside remains green, a bright green...


    The light strikes me again and I go up against the wall as the turbulence has its way with me. Pieces of the frame smash and break as what sounds like a storm fills the chamber. Bodies and parts of all kinds bury me. Flesh and carapace on one side, dirt on the other.


    I''m trapped, sealed off in a pile of bloody corpses.


    A chunk of the debris vanishes. Howling winds break into the pile and come to me. The blue light burns all around and the bug on me howls as it dies. The wind-sounding light shoots towards me, filling up my vision.

 Vol 1 Incline 13: Nin

    Opening my eyes, the lack of mist surprises me. I''m not dead. Undwote isn''t looking for me. The nightmare''s still ongoing...


    Standing up, I somehow shoot upwards towards the roof of the chamber, slamming into it. Falling down, I hit the pile of debris I broke free of with a snapping crunch. No whimpers of pain leave me and I freeze up. Checking my surroundings, I see that it really was the chamber''s ceiling I just hit.


    What just happened...? What''s happening to me!?


    The bug is gone and so''s the blue light that erupted around me and I feel strange. Every time I try to move just an inch, just ever so slightly, I go flying. My body feels foreign and I am struggling to move properly. Everything is breaking too easily...


    Moving an arm forwards, I pick myself up. Suddenly finding myself against a wall, I freeze up as I fall down it. Blinking and breathing, I look into all the corners of my eyes. I slowly get up to my feet as if the ground is going to shatter under me.


    Putting my arms out, I balance myself as my muscles quiver powerfully. Why do I feel so strong right now...? I shouldn''t be any stronger than I normally am... Did the stuff the bug injected me with do something!?


    "HUH!?" I let out as I pick myself out of the wall, shooting into a fresh crater as a result. Spreading my right hand apart, I lift myself up with it until I hear a crack. Forming a fist, I move the hand to my face and open it up. A crushed stone dribbles out of my palm...


    Shaking my head, I get back up to my feet the same way as last time. Gulping as a strong breath comes out, I cough and watch as the ground trembles. Nodding to myself I look at where the breeze is coming from. I inch my way through the shredded ground methodically until I reach a wall.


    I am moving so slowly, but, what am I supposed to do right now? If I move too hastily, or rather like I normally would! I just go flying... I can move now, there are no more bugs for now, but if I can''t even run...


    Their claws will just grab me again...


    "I should keep moving..." I say as I rub my face with a filthy palm. Creaking forwards, I slowly shuffle my way through the dirt whilst my hands dig into the walls so I would stay still. Every flinch and twitch, however, makes it seem like there might as well have not been a wall. It all feels like a clump of sugar that just crumbles the moment someone touches it.


    I want to figure out what has happened to me, but right now, I want to get out of here. Lingering''s not going to benefit me in any way, I have to escape, I need to. Strange as everything is right now, I''d probably have an easier time now. This oddity bothering me, it is a blessing for the moment...


    I am moving slowly, too slowly, taking my sweet time is not an option! This is just tempting fate in all the worst ways imaginable. This power makes it so that I cannot move fast, I am barely making any progress. All I have is my busy mind and I have no way of telling it to shut up...


    "W-What''s happening to me!?" I think out loud as a shiver nearly sends me flying once again. Freezing up, I cling to the wall and stare at it. I''m scared, I can feel the adrenaline flow thoroughly throughout my body. How am I supposed to keep calm when my body demands I run but I can''t!?


    I don''t know what to do...


    Looking off into the darkness I am heading towards, I try to focus on the breeze. I just have to make it up this slope and then get across the next chamber. I have no way of telling where I am, but out there is still better than in here. I just need to get moving...


    Taking another step, I spot light, emerald light as I saw before I... I move a hand to the collar of my overalls. Tearing it off, I stop completely and look at the ruined fabric. It should not have been that easy.


    A slight tug...


    "I''ve seen this not tear when its legs get caught on loose spikes and poles... So how in Clohniq''s name did I just tear it so easily!?" I ask myself before sighing frustratedly into my hand. Wiping my tired eyes as planned, I throw the piece of fabric away. Returning my focus to the light, I watch it and start moving again. It''s a fool''s idea to not do anything, I have to keep moving.


    I start to hear a noise, an awful terrible noise yet I am thankful that I can. There''s someone up ahead, there is someone else! It sounds like a woman and while I am unsettled by the sound, I pick up the pace. The breeze''s getting stronger!


    The exit is this way, right, it has to be...


    But, why is she crying? What is causing her to cry? I can hear bugs in the distance... Is this a trap...?


    Yet, as I take the final step up the ramp-like tunnel I find nothing. The chamber is a gore-covered mess with blood and bug parts all over the place. At the centre of it, is the crying woman hunched over into her palms. Strange wisps of emerald light dance about her and they whistle like the wind...


    Are these wisps related to the gale that freed me prior? If they are, I want to avoid them. They tore up that chamber I was in and this one completely. I am only alive because I got buried in the backend corner of the place...


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    Watching as some start to drift towards me, my tongue clicks. Swatting at them, I watch as they effortlessly roll around my attempts before just floating by. Getting a move on, I try to escape them instead, but they follow me. Trying to swat them away again, I surprise myself with how much wind blows back at me.


    Pressing up against a blood-soaked wall, I ponder the distance I covered and the sounds. I''m barely making any progress here and the echoes are getting louder. The voice inside me telling me to ''move'' is now screaming and roaring the same line. But, I can''t, I cannot move properly at all...


    Looking back at the distance I have crossed, I frown at how there is only a few metres worth of trails. I came up here to find the exit but I found someone else instead. Looking around, though, I am lucky to even find someone up here. My stomach feels like a paper bag...


    The chamber has been utterly demolished and its walls are soaked in all kinds of gore, blood, bone and bug carapace... I shiver in disgust at it and tighten my mouth. I have seen blood before, wet shrapnel and horrible burns before. All kinds of lacerations!


    But this is something else...


    Choking suddenly, I endure the contractions in my through as to not be sent flying by vomit. The soft, torn-up, corpse-soaked mud taunts me. It is eager to see just how powerful my legs are right now. Holding most of it back, I spit out what I can''t and pant.


    Seeing the wisps react suddenly, I turn to the woman, "WAHAGH!?"


    Burying me into the wall, the dirt goes as far as my ears as an explosion bounces about the ruined chamber. With violently contorting insides, I stare down at the woman as a pair of armoured hands grind me into the wall. Oddly, they are all that I can truly feel. The dirt and loose stones are just kind of there, but these hands are strong and firm...


    Feeling their grip weaken, I focus on her gaze as she starts to twitch as the wisps light up her face. Her skin seems to be naturally dark or shaded, but the mud makes it hard to tell. Her hair and eyes, however, act oddly in the dark. I can see trace lines of green in her iris'' and hair and they glow independently of the wisps.


    Seeing the lack of a collar and the exposed skin, I look down no further, assuming the trend continues... Looking at her arms, I see how what remains of her armour just stops near her limb joints. Whatever she was wearing before, it''s been torn off violently. Though, clearly, everywhere shows how she got her due in return...


    Watching the anger in her eyes, I focus on the mysterious light and the terrifying strength she restrains me with. Raising my arms as best as I can, I make it clear that I am not a threat. Her gaze follows my hands and she deteriorates into a sobbing mess. Her grip vanishes and she falls against me, her arms wrap around tightly and mine fall down to her.


    "Th... There, there..." I quietly say to her uncertainly. Clearly, she needs the support and someone to just be there for her but...


    Going into the wall slightly more. I watch as she reappears in the centre of the room, an invisible force washing over me. That sound I heard when she grabbed me just now, I hear it again. Explosive, sudden, very annoying sound...


    Whatever that was, her posture strikes me as a bit odd. Whatever she is hoping to do, she suddenly remembers that she cannot do it. Despair seems to smother her and she stops moving. Taking the opportunity, I try to move out of the wall.


    But, forgetting my strength, I pop out and skid through the mud towards her. Pushing myself out of it with a grumble, I adjust my overalls as they have caught more mud. As I do so, though, I start to take them off for her. I unbutton it carefully and with even greater care, I slip them off.


    However, I tear the legs trying to get them around my work boots...


    "H-Here you go. Take it." I tell her, holding it up in a bundle. Hearing her mutter something I cannot understand at all, she takes the overalls. Oddly, I swear her voice sounds like it has the wind mixed in with it. Hastily, she gets herself dressed and I look around at the fluttering lights around us.


    They seem to follow a breeze coming from this woman.


    The wisps twitch and roars come from tunnels on all sides of the chamber. The bugs are everywhere, they are coming for us and I can''t escape... I''m too slow as is! Feeling the woman wrap an arm around me, I look at her.


    "Waionr-" is all I understand her say, the name of the God of War. The ground we were on is suddenly far away and debris flies around us. Roars follow us through the hole she just made and we start to fall. Escaping her grasp, I hit the ground and spread out across it without the slightest ache.


    "I should be hurting right now..." I moan as I am reminded of all the strange things that are happening to me. Getting back to my feet, I give the woman a scowl as she looks up. Hearing the chitters and roars with her, we move. Hopefully, none of these creatures will follow us...


    The bugs can stay up there...


    Putting too much force into a step, I bounce into the roof of the small tunnel and come to a stop. Slapping my face with a deafening crack, I sigh into the hand as my mind drowns in confusion. These aren''t questions I can just ask this woman either... I can''t understand her and she can''t understand me, I have no idea what I can do!


    We cannot, I can not linger here, the bugs will get me otherwise! But, what am I supposed to do!? I have this strange power now and there are monsters everywhere! Everything is completely messed up...


    Leaning forwards, I collapse against what should be a solid boulder and slip down it. Watching as the cracks form and the shards fall, I put my eyes against my forearm. Trembling at first, my head starts to hurt and my eyes water. Sobbing, my eyes and body twitch with growing anger.


    "Why did I have to let my curiosity get the better of me...? I should''ve stayed near the haulers... No, I shouldn''t have come at all! Now I am stuck in some monster nest and nothing... IS MAKING ANY SENSE!" I let out as I push against the rock some more, breaking into its core.


    Feeling a tender hand touch my shoulder, I look away from my arm and turn around. Looking at the woman as she tries to comfort me, I look at her arms and remember those booms. This woman has these powers too, but, unlike me, she clearly knows how to use them. She is someone who can keep us, me, safe, maybe?


    Assuming I have done enough to justify her protection...?


    Meeting her eyes briefly, I look down at her now-covered body. At some point, she tore the legs and arms off of my overalls. But, at least she is covered up properly, now. Noting the awkward smile she gives, I look away.


    "Waionr-" is all I understand once again and I conclude that she must be a soldier because of it. Her armour gives it away as well, I suppose, but hearing the God of War''s name means more. Please, by the gods, let her be a soldier! Please, be a soldier, someone who knows what to do...


    Whatever the case may be, she is willing to head on ahead for now. Doing my best to follow her, I steadily trail behind as I shuffle across the deep earth. She is, thankfully, aware that I am slower than her because of my awkward and often destructive movements. She stays ahead of me, but she is willing to stay within eyeshot, it means a lot as it''s nearly pitch black...


    These wisps are our only light and they only follow her...

 Vol 1 Incline 14: Nin

    Coming to a silent stop, the woman surveys the fork in the tunnels. I cannot see anything even with the wisps offering their light, but, she''s the opposite. Almost as if she can just see in the dark outright. All of these tunnels are near enough pitch-black, there''s no way of telling how long they go on for!


    Staring at one of the wisps, I back away slightly and try to swat it again. Leaning against the nearby dirt wall with one hand, I try to smack it with the other. I still have no idea what these things are and I still do not want them near me. I''m mentally exhausted and I just do not want to put up with them...


    Going at it more vigorously, my supporting hand slips and I fall through the wall. Unharmed, I try to pull my hand out of it. Feeling a hand touch me on the other side, I tear my arm away and smash against the opposite wall. I look at the woman as she snaps around towards me and I point at the first hole I made.


    She turns with me to look at it.


    The hole''s a gateway to the suffering that had otherwise been muffled for us. Whimpers and tears, it''s all there past the hole, all these horrible sounds. Eyeing the woman at first I watch her back away in an almost shameful manner. I step towards the hole as quickly as I can and look through it.


    With the light behind me and the surprisingly plentiful light within the otherwise dim chamber, I''m able to get a decent enough look. I''m thankful for it, as it is keeping my imagination in check and, miserable as it is, I am able to focus. Whatever is beyond the hole, it has to have been women or something, pained as they are, they have a light-high pitch to their pain. They''re not human, however, and most of the light in this chamber seems to be from pairs of things dangling on their heads.


    It is better than more bugs, I suppose.


    Pulling my head back to check on the woman, I find myself thinking. When I was in that frame, I only saw and heard men. In this chamber, I only see and hear what I think are women. What is the reason for it, why are we kept separate...?


    Hearing movement on the other side of the tunnel, I return my gaze and come face-to-face with something. Restraining the need to jump back in fright, I dig my hands into the wall and expand the tunnel accidentally. One of the things on the other side of the hole is looking right back at me. It has somewhat bright, yellow hair that comes out in many thick strands and its eyes are completely devoid of white or colour...


    Unsure of what to make of the hysteric-sounding noises it is making, I reach for the woman. She comes to the hole and I step aside to let her see if she can understand any of this. Suddenly, a large, ridged and brown object is thrust out at us and the sound of choked-back tears comes with it. Watching the woman, I see how she is utterly shocked by the item and she carefully hands it to me.


    "What am I supposed to do with this...?" I let out as I make a point of not adjusting my grip in the slightest. If this thing is fragile... But, upon closer inspection, I find myself confused. This is a giant plant seed?


    Somewhat long and elongated, it thickens up on one end as if it has a helmet. It seems to be a lighter colour and this helmet has a different feel to it as well. This thing ends at a point and there are several grooves travelling to the point. Oddly enough, there is also a slight piece of fluff coming out of the top like a plume.


    The woman''s hand touches me and she brings me to the hole and I look through it again. Focusing on the creature''s strange eyes, I pick up on some similarities with a regular person. I understood nothing it says, but I understand the kind of eyes they have. She''s begging and pleading with all she has...


    Unable to find the ability to say ''no'' inside of me, I nod at the creature and make way to leave. Stopping instantly, I let her reach out tenderly for the seed so she can tenderly rub it. The creature is reluctant to let it go but it is abundantly clear that we are its best chance... But, what is this seed anyway?


    Taking the seed away from the hand, the creature shuffles to cover the hole as chitters fill the air. Making a silent prayer for the creature, I shuffle away from the hole and keep an ear out for the chitters. No claws are bursting through to grab us, so, we have a chance here to make it out... The mere thought, though, makes me shiver fearfully.


    "Hey, uh, maybe you should take this? I can''t even walk properly..." I tell the woman as I keep on shuffling ahead at an even slower pace than before. She does not understand a word I say, but, she seems to understand as she stares at me offering her the seed. Thankfully, she seems to understand me and she tenderly takes it into her hands. Oddly enough, she seems to be holding it almost like a mother might hold a child...?


    Shaking the idea out of my head, I start to move once again and I trail behind her and the wisps. Feeling the breeze against my face, I sneer at the whistling lights before they flow out of the way. Still feeling a weak breeze coming at us, I stop and try to block out the wisps. Squinting my eyes, I try to focus on the far end of the tunnel.


    There''s light at the end of the tunnel! There is light!


    "Light... Light. Light!" I repeat to myself as I start to lose control of myself. Passing the woman with an uncontrollable leap and flop, I get back up and throw myself ahead. The light ahead is getting brighter! It isn''t much and night seems to be approaching, but there is light!


    Ignoring the woman as she calls out to me, I throw myself at the exit and hit the ground with a smile. Standing up, I look around the forest I seem to find myself in and breathe my relief. Taking a shaky step forward, I take it all in, every tree, every blade of grass, all of it. Bending down, I prepare to leap as high as I can to get away from here.


    A roar fills the air and I lose my form as I leap. Crashing just before the trees, I turn onto my back and watch as a bug charges me. Covering myself, I panic as the bug starts to flail and swing its claws, whimpering as dull thuds cover me. It roars again and again, I panic and my hand suddenly goes through the ground.


    "Huh!?" I let out as I fall into the trench I somehow dug with that one movement. Feeling a pair of claws grab my ankles, I freeze up as the bug roars in exertion and it pulls me out. Going with the momentum, it tears me out of the small hole and I go flying towards a tree. Smashing through it, I roll through the splinters until I am able to stop myself.


    Watching the bug charge me again, I prepare to move.


    "N-N-No!" I stutter as the bug quickly closes the gap. Absorbing the initial blow it strikes me with somehow, I go up into the air. Whimpering as its claws lock around my throat I look down its arms and at it. Looking around for something I might be able to use as a weapon, I spot the woman!


    But, she is just standing there, having put the seed down. What is she doing, she is just standing there! Why... Why is she just standing there!?


    A boom in the air.


    Following the noise, I spot a cloudy trail coming towards the area, towards her... Following the object the whole way, I suddenly thump to the ground with a pair of lopped-off arms on me. Powerful winds wash over me and my eyes follow it, I find the rest of the bug in two separate pieces. The woman is over there as well...


    "W-What the..." I quiver as I stare intently at the sword she now has. That is the item she was just standing there for...? Whatever the reasoning, though, I panic and scramble backwards and go off flying. Crashing into the mountain, I stare at her bloodied blade as she turns around with a heavy pant.


    Shards of stone fall down around me and my head starts to hurt. Staggering out of the wall crater with heavy, powerful steps, I look around. The trench I was just in and the tree I had been smashed right through. Patting my shoulder gently, I hear the bits of rock crunch and crack and I watch the dust in the corner of my eye.


    Rock shards just showered me...


    Breathing heavily, I look at the woman as she plants her sword into the ground before she bends over. Turning towards the seed, I contemplate going to maybe get it before a snapping branch catches my attention. Something jostles on a harness and I watch as a small shadow comes into the evening light. Out comes that furry creature, the one from...


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    Anvil-Peak!


    "YOU!" I roar as I acknowledge how it is all this creature''s fault. Starting up a mad rush, I charge her. A bang and flash of smoke appear and I come to a stop. My head''s stinging all of a sudden and that''s it...


    Confused, I rub the spot where I had been shot and frown. Bits of something come right off of me and catching some, I bring it down. A bullet hadn''t even broken upon my forehead, it is something else -something larger- and it has these little glowing spots on it. Whatever it once was, this should''ve punctured my skull and gone on to shred my brain before it maybe popped out...


    Laughing hysterically, I drop the pile of shards. Rubbing the spot again, I quieten down as I think about it. I had been shot in the head... And I am alive...


    I was shot in the head and didn''t die!


    "HOW AM I ALIVE!?" I roar as I fall to my knees. Growling and glaring, I bring a fist back and punch the earth. Feeling and seeing the ground explode in my face, I feel the want to laugh again. But I don''t.


    Punching the ground again and again, I keep on going as my body heats up.


    Catching my fist, the woman stops me without the slightest hint of strain. Going up to my feet at her behest, I stare back at her as she shakes her head. Tugging at my still-caught hand, I try to calm down. Looking down at my hand, I ponder...


    "What''s happened to me?" I beg her to somehow answer as everything rushes to the front of my mind. I can now leap metres into the air when I am trying to walk. Trees and rocks make way for me, I do not break on them... A bullet was shattered to pieces on my forehead!?


    It is exhausting, all of it is. Collapsing to my knees, I start to sniffle as the stress gets to me. It is all made worse by the fact I feel like I should be able to handle it. I should be able to handle it!


    Bad things have happened to me throughout my life. I am, was, a grounder, as rough as it got in Tobaballe. It''s a cutthroat, unstable place that speaks so proudly of merit and how it leads to your ascension in life. I made my way from nothing like everyone else in that city, in my home...


    Why am I not able to keep calm here, though? I should''ve been able to at least keep it to myself, no? No... I am whimpering like a baby instead...


    "Tabaaabaaaliaaan, we need ta mave fram here." the shooter tells me. But, with everything that is going on, I find myself glad she at least speaks the same language. Even then, though, I look up at her with a spiteful glare. Yet, despite this, they feel safe enough to lower their gun.


    Lingering on the ground at first, I get up as the woman coaxes me to my feet. Letting out a long, drawn-out sigh, I shuffle after them and enter the cover of the trees. Snatching up some leaves, I try to use them to clean my face of the worst of the muck. Fed up with them breaking, I stop and just follow the other two.


    At least leaves breaking easily is normal...


    Noticing the grey trails in the air, I sniff it and follow the other two with growing uncertainty. There is a thick cloud of smoke up ahead, almost like a fog of the stuff. Me and the woman come to a stop as this much smoke is not anything good. The shooter, however, just keeps on walking towards it.


    Taking one final glance back at the mountain, I follow the pair into the smoke. Burning at my nostrils and sealed lips, the smoke drys them out and my eyes water some more. Metal shakes and glass crunches beneath my boots. Loose sheets of something rattle and I nudge them out of the way.


    I can''t see a thing, thankfully, the woman tries to at least part the smoke. The shooter, however, doesn''t like it and she starts to yap at them. Whatever the argument is, it makes the woman stop without a fuss. I guess that means it is here to keep the bugs away.


    Watching the other two step out of the smoke, I slow down and blink. Taking another step, I stagger out of the smoke and into an open, clean area and I blink again. There''s some kind of invisible dome that keeps the smoke out of here. I am assuming it involves the loud, smoke-choking machine I can now hear as well.


    Shaking my head, I carry on shuffling ahead and glance about the area. Smashed boxes and torn-open bags are all over the place with the bags glistening for whatever reason. Around the edges of the dome, there are white tubes of some kind. Shattered, dark blue glass is somewhat brushed up against them.


    To me, they look like they are intended to be barricades. But, looking at everyone present, I find myself doubting the idea as there just isn''t anyone here. I only see three people here if I discount the woman and myself... The bugs would have no problem attacking us if the smoke doesn''t in fact scare them off.


    Maybe I should just try and escape... But, where would I even go?


    I want to hope that someone here at least knows where we are, but... The only one I can speak to has shot me on two occasions now, so if I would speak to her is its own issue. I can''t speak to the woman at all and she cannot understand me in turn. Even looking towards the edge of the camp at the floof who was Iishar''s guide, I doubt I''d be able to understand them either.


    The last member of the group is injured as well...


    Watching as the seed gets put down, I look for a seat of my own. The shooter hurries to the injured member of the group and they get to work helping them. Spying a torn-apart tree, I go over to it and lower myself down. Hearing the trunk crack and break under me, I frown as I follow the trail of whatever gouged this tree apart.


    A piece of metal is right inside a split tree, there''s dried blood as well.


    Turning to the campfire, I stare into it as the others talk in whatever language it is they speak. Looking at the injured one, I watch as the shooter fusses over them before I look back at the fire. I don''t want to look anywhere, it''s all horrible. Everything is just debris or churned-up earth and shredded plant life with splatters of dried blood.


    How exactly is my future looking like right now...?


    I am lost in some unknown land, possibly trapped in an under-protected camp next to a hive of monster bugs. Is it even going to be worth the effort to try and escape? Do I really just want to leave just to die elsewhere?


    A flask appears before me and I look up at the one offering it, it''s the woman. Nodding in thanks, I take it and carefully open it up with no effort at all. Licking my lips, I put it to my mouth and greedily chug from it. Closing my eyes and shutting myself off from the world, I ignore everyone else in the camp.


    Pulling the flask away, I sigh in relief as the water cleans and rehydrates my mouth. With a lot of water remaining in the flask, I put the lid back on and keep a loose grip on it. My mouth is finally clean of the dust, slime and grime that had worked its way in over however long it''s been... Sighing, I rest my head on my knuckles as someone approaches.


    I hope there is enough water. With all this smoke about us... We''d be smoked like strips of bacon before the bugs get to us. And with me and four others in this camp-


    "Eugh! Get off!" I snap as the floof digs its wet fingers into my ears with an audible snarl. Crushing the flask from the surprise, I shoot around and try to whack her. Thankfuffly for them, though, they are able to get away. Using what is then left of the water, I try to clean my ears.


    Why did she do that? That''s disgusting!


    "Thaaank yau, Vaaadei." the one who shot me says as the floof skulks off with a glare. Despite knowing who just did that to me, though, I glare at the small one instead. Those words imply something quite clearly... She''s taking the piss!


    Of all the times to start something, they choose now. Why. Why in the name of all the gods do they start issues now of all times!? Oh, I am going to crush her skull!


    "Calm down, friend, she didn''t do it out of spite." a feminine voice that I don''t recognise says on my right. Twisting around to see who it is, I find that it is the woman who I found in the cave that said it... How... How can I now understand what she is saying?


    "Y-You could speak Tobaballian this whole time!?" I nearly yell as I stand up, annoyed.


    "Relax, please, I am not speaking your tongue. You are, to keep it simple, speaking a tongue luckily shared amongst all of us." the woman explains before she gestures around to everyone.


    "What..." I let out quietly as I look towards the floof.


    "The oxfuine," the woman starts to say, "have a spell-tradition which lets them apply two benefits. By placing their saliva in your ears, you can understand them. By swallowing it, you can be understood by them." she explains.


    "Swallowing it...?" I repeat as I start to try and look at my tongue.


    "It was mixed into the water you just drank." she clarifies to which I gag slightly.


    "Whatever... Whatever..." I let out frustratedly. Falling back down onto my tree, I stroke my chin as I try to distract myself.


    "I understand this all seems to be a bit much for you, so, try to not think about it." the woman insists as I tap my foot again and again and again.


    "Oh, sure, don''t think about all this strange stuff which has literally just happened!" I answer as my body trembles. Feeling her hand on my shoulder, I stop and look at her as she kneels down next to me.


    "If you need something else to think about, then know I am very thankful for what you have done for me thus far." she tells me, smiling slightly.


    "I haven''t done anything... You got us out of that mountain, you killed the bug..." I sigh as I cover my face.


    "You gave me clothes so that I could cover my shame..." she mutters quietly next to my ear.


    "You''re welcome...?" I say, lingering as I do not know her name.


    "Vapooliar, my name is Vapooliar." she answers.


    "And I''m Nin." I grumble in response as she removes her hand from my shoulder.


    "I aaam Heiya!" the one that had shot me chirps.


    The floof growls in response.


    "Aaand thaaat''s Vaaadei, she daesn''t seem ta like yau!" Heiya explains before she goes back to helping the larger, other one.


    "Vaaadei?" I repeat as the accent is confusing me slightly.


    Vaaadei doesn''t seem to like it, though, "It''s just Vadei, Ho."


    Blinking at the odd, contemptuous nickname, I stand up and look for a quiet spot to rest. Heiya has set a record in the People Who Have Shot Me category. Vadei is just hostile for whatever reason and what is even with that nickname? It is Iishar''s surname!


    Shaking my head vigorously as I cannot be bothered to deal with any of it. I just want to go to sleep right now. Hopefully, I will wake up in my small, worn-out bed. Ready for another exhausting shift in the depths of Tobaballe.


    Maybe I''ll somehow find some empty syringe or bottle when I do...

 Vol 1 Incline 15: The Enslaved Villager

    "Vadei, I''m sure you understand our situation." Vapooliar disapprovingly remarks at me before she rests her chin on the pommel of her sword. One hand keeps the blade upright whilst the other goes through her embarrassingly short hair.


    Baring my teeth and bringing my ears up, "No... I don''t understand at all."


    "Vadei..." Vapooliar firmly goes as she makes it clear that I am testing her patience.


    "Don''t you ''Vadei'' me as if you''re a scolding mother." I bark with a twitching nose.


    "We need to be able to work as a team, for a few nights at the very least so we can try to figure something out." she sighs.


    "How about, no? Why would I help any of them, hm? My life is only in danger because of them!" I nearly scream as the hwardgon tenderly passes her little paw over her gun. Growling at them, I return my sneer to Vapooliar. At least looking at her I can restrain the urge to claw their eyes out and blindly send them to the hive!


    "All of our lives are in danger, Vadei." she says.


    "I don''t care! I don''t care! My life is only in danger because of them! And, I don''t even know if my family is okay, once again, because of these vile, enslaving monsters! THEY DO NOT DESERVE MY HELP! NOT HER! NOT THAT INJURED BASTARD OR THAT PATHETIC HUMAN!" I vent out with a raised, razor digit.


    "None of that m-"


    "Don''t you dare say such a thing, of course, it matters! Why would or should I help these three!? Two of them enslaved me to the city where that human is from!"


    "Let me finish speaking!"


    "No! No! You listen here, Human! I will not help them!"


    "You cannot make it through the hive on your own."


    "Neither can you, apparently, no, you lose your armour and everything useful. So, might as well try going on my own anyway, all of you are helpless!" I point out to which she flinches.


    She looks away and starts to hide behind her sword.


    "Oh? You don''t have a response, do you!?"


    She looks down further.


    I snort, "Typical... You talk about working together and you think you can just ignore problems. Well, here''s a bit of clarification if you don''t quite get it, Human... I will not work with someone -WHO SOLD ME, MY FAMILY, MY ENTIRE VILLAGE INTO SLAVERY! I WILL NOT WORK WITH THE PEOPLE WHO PADDED THEIR OWN POCKETS AT MY EXPENSE! I CAN NEVER SEE MY FAMILY OR HOME AGAIN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THAT FEELS, HUMAN!? DO YOU!?"


    Growling and heaving, I watch as she starts to tremble behind her sword. Hearing the sounds of tears, I catch glimpses of them as they reflect the campfire''s light. Honestly, I took her for someone with thicker skin. Walking in with some shattered armour and a sword...


    "I-I... Understand t-hat feeli-ing more than you could possibly know..." she cries pathetically as she starts to curl in on herself. Her sword wobbles but maintains its facing, it is all she has to hide her shame. Snorting, I look away and cross my arms as an uncomfortable near-silence takes over.


    In the middle of the camp, the fire continues to roar obliviously. Vapooliar is crying and failing to hold in her immense magical power. In another part of the camp, the slavers move about and the daughter tends to her father. A bit away from them, that contraption the daughter made putters and chokes as it barely holds together.


    Disrupting the silence, the injured slaver rises with pained groans before his daughter stops him. Forcing him down, she starts to dote on him and handle his wounds some more. He tries to force her away but she isn''t having any of it. The daughter takes care of the father...


    I do not know if there are supposed to be more of them, but seeing this makes me bitter...


    "Stop it." he goes as the young slaver keeps it up.


    Snorting one more time, I turn around and leave the miserable campsite, it can be someone else''s problem for all I care. Grabbing the cleanest piece of cloth I have on my person, I approach the edge of the barrier. Taking in a deep breath, I put it over my mouth and nose and step into the smoke. Letting that breath of stale air out, I gag and shiver as smoke-spiced air burns my insides.


    Sneaking through the greenery, I keep an ear out for any bugs. Heiya went outside the camp to investigate that noise in the air, that booming pop. There is no way we were the only ones who heard it. The bugs are surely out there, beyond the smoke and foliage...


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    I didn''t spend all that time hiding after the crash just to walk into the clutches of the osibindah!


    Reaching the edge of the smoke cloud''s barely-held-together core, I move my ears about. Hearing no chitters even in the distance, I make my way out into the lighter smoke cover on all fours. Reaching a pocket of clean air, I gladly breathe it in. It is just a shame the sharp sting refuses to leave my nostrils.


    I hate smells that linger like this...


    Thankfully, the smoke''s getting thinner and more dilute. Somewhat fresh air is reaching my nose as well as the smells of the confined woods. Noting some more smoke, I sneak past the still-burning wreckage. The young slaver''s machine might be dying, but at least there is smoke elsewhere in this place.


    Reaching the edge of our enclosure, I start to wonder if I should risk the climb down on my own. The lowest point to start might''ve been an inwards-going drop, but it is still safer than those tunnels. The only bugs I would find would all be patrols that I can easily avoid. In the hive, I won''t have that chance and they will catch me...


    Looking around this place, though, I couldn''t help but find a cruel irony about it. When I was little, Mom and Dad always told me about how places like these are perfect. They''re hidden out of the way, but not so small as to feel crowded or like a barless cage. It would be just us and the little forest would be ours and ours alone...


    High above the wars of the wind-people yet not so far up that a dragon or their mongrel spawn would roost there. Unfortunately, this place is not one of those places Mom and Dad told me about when I was younger. This is the private hunting ground for one of the most dangerous creatures out there. Everywhere I look reminds me of that fact.


    I want to laugh miserably, really, because the world is so beautiful at times but also so cruel. People can argue for days as to what the most dangerous creature out there truly is. Hwardgons might say the acidic-hided cabboth of the deep tunnels. Wind-People like Vapooliar would probably cite dragons and their greed for magic-rich areas.


    I don''t feel that way, it''s these bugs that scare me the most because they are everywhere... Dragons and wyverns stay up in the mountains or where the winds blow strongest. Cabboths are always deep underground to the point they are just stories to people like me. Not osibindah. These bugs go anywhere so long as there are people to hurt and to hunt!


    If the wind-people weren''t wasting time fighting their stupid wars, they could have wiped out these monsters. Many have tried to, despite the wars and other problems, but it''s never enough, it never is. The bugs outlive it all... And now here I am, stuck in one of their nests...


    "So what''s your excuse, anyway, Vapooliar?" I spit back the way I came. She is clearly one of the wind-people, humans blessed with great power by that mountain of mountains. So, what is her excuse? Why haven''t they just gone and wiped these creatures out?


    If she did, then this would all have just been some nightmare Mom or Dad could''ve soothed out of me...


    Reaching my destination just as the frustration gets to me, I snort and push the thoughts away. Slipping through the hole I found the slavers hiding beyond a few nights ago. I brush the stone clear of dust and other things before sitting down. Bringing my tail around, I hug it as I huddle my knees against my chest.


    Looking out at the world I can not reach, I follow the mountains as they spread out. They are everywhere, and they all have stretches of green on them and some even have lines of white snow if they are tall enough... Down below, while I can''t see it as well as it is dark, I know it is more perceptibly detailed. If I can just find the courage to go down the mountain and get there.


    But the drop and the slope make it all too easy to turn my escape attempt into a suicide attempt...


    Finding myself motionless, I become bitter and I hide more behind my tail. I''m scared... Both ways down the mountain could kill me. Both ways down I would die on my own...


    Trying to find a distraction, I look up at the night sky and frown as the clouds move out of the way. A strange, pale diamond shines down on me and I think of the wind-people once more. The so-called Deliverer of Kings... So much blood for a rock in the night sky...


    "Jhrarda the Mighty, ever the bold one." I quietly mutter as the beautiful thing keeps me in the light in spite of the dark.


    Sighing to myself, I take the obvious hint of the moon being out gives and I start to get ready. Leaning down onto my side, I catch a glint of light down below. Moving up slightly, I stretch to the edge and stare longingly at the highlighted edges. A box of weapons...


    Weapons we can use to cut down the bugs in their tunnels!


    The sight makes my body fill with energy once again even if it leaves just as quickly as it comes. We aren''t at risk retrieving them because the smoke hides the way here. Vapooliar surely has the magic strength to just go and grab them for us. It makes me smile, the box is so close and it has everything we need to get out of here!


    Frowning, I back away and think about the display I put on earlier. I will need to swallow my pride to go back to them with this knowledge. I want to turn my nose up at the idea, as suffering here is the least three of them deserved. But, I just end up lowering my head in shame instead.


    I would be no better than them if I just left them here to die. It didn''t matter if they are slavers who stole me from my home or if they are part of the people who bought me... I am not justified in abandoning them now that I know of something that can help them. They might be scourges that deserve death, but I can''t live with this idea.


    Dad may be far, far away in another land right now, far beyond the Redstone Canyon. But, even then, his voice echoes in my head and words he once told me linger up in there. Even if the whole village cheers for me, it does not mean it is necessarily the right thing to do. He''s right...


    I would be no better than them if I just left them to die horrible deaths knowing I could have maybe prevented it...


    Going onto my side, I grumble and curl into a ball and hug my tail once it goes through my legs. There aren''t many things up here I can call comfortable, but even after the neglect, my tail remains soft. The reddish-brown colour of the fur is still vibrant and the filth does little to ruin it. Even if I am sleeping on rocks tonight, it doesn''t matter, so long as I have my tail to cuddle at night.


    Taking one final, awkward glance at the box of weapons, my grip tightens, "I''ll bring it up with them tomorrow... Maybe then I can be useful for once around here."

 Vol 1 Incline 16: Vadei

    "Why can''t you be like Apahthein and be unobtrusive?" I ask the Orbital-Halo with a groggy voice, drowning in its light. Unable to get back to sleep now that I am up, I slowly uncurl myself. I hope for a second wave of tiredness to come, but it never does. Straightening myself out, I stretch my body out further until satisfaction pops into my life.


    Sniffing once, I look down at where the crate is to make sure I wasn''t hallucinating it last night. Smiling at the fact it really is real, I move closer to the hole and adjust my ears. My smile remains thanks to the quiet out there and I crawl out of the hole. Returning to the grass, I cover my face up and trace my steps back to the camp.


    With the smoke barricade behind me, I take in as much of the stale air as I can. Catching the scent of smoke inside the barrier, I cautiously approach the campfire as the younger slaver tends to it. Staring ahead miserably, I dismiss the foul smell of breakfast as there really isn''t anything else to eat. Getting closer, however, I notice the thinly spread portions in everyone''s bowls...


    "I thought you said we had at least a week''s worth left? This is barely anything!" I complain to the impromptu chef.


    "Well, naw thaaat we haaave twa mare caaampmaaates. We needed ta reaaaraaange aur stack. Three arbits of faad left if we aaare ta staaay praperly fed." she explains as she recoils at the smell of her cooking.


    Considering how badly two new mouths affect our situation, Vapooliar joins us around the campfire. Her face is dark and she moves about slowly even after sitting down. Her state reminds me of those within the transition houses of Undwote. Places where people go to live their final days before they die...


    Returning my attention to the food, "So that means we will need to either scavenge what we can or, may Jaadagoren bless us with her illusions... Sneak or fight our way through the hive itself."


    "Aaaye, fight ar die will be aur anly chaice. But, we dan''t have enaugh weaaapans." the younger slaver says before sharp serration fills our ears. With another shower of sparks, Vapooliar once again scrapes the edge of her sword with a dwindling rock.


    "Not enough food either." I say as I receive my bowl. Blowing at the steam coming from my horrible gruel, I watch as Vapooliar stands with two.


    "I''ll give Nin his lot." Vapooliar meekly explains before she abandons her weapon. Distracted by her departure, I sniff my food a little too well and fake-throw-up away from it. The smoke genuinely smells better than this foul concoction. Getting up, I head off to eat this filth in private.


    Finding a tree, I slip down it and stare at my bowl as thoughts of grabbing the spoon elude me. Unfortunately, my bravery comes and I start to eat it with a distracted mind. Directing my ears to anything else I can focus on, they catch the sound of rustling sticks and leaves. It must be Vapooliar and the Ho back there.


    "Nin, I brought you some food." Vapooliar informs him quietly as I shiver from another mouthful.


    "Not hungry." he answers quickly as I hear the sounds of disturbed rolling about. I even feel slightly sorry for him, as that probably means he lost a night of sleep.


    "What''s wrong? Whatever it is, you still need to try and eat." Vapooliar explains before she thuds to the ground?


    "I couldn''t sleep..." the Ho admits with a long sigh as another thud sounds out along with a vibration.


    "We''ve all had trouble sleeping, Nin." Vapooliar presumptuously explains. But, she''s right for all intents and purposes...


    "No, I literally couldn''t sleep! I tried changing the position in which I slept in and I even tried trying to tire myself out but nothing worked... And now I find out I''m not even hungry..." he whines before a growl suddenly boils up. A bang rings out and something smashes away from the tree I am thankfully on the other side of. I stop my hands from rattling and adjust myself to the right. Snarling, I scoff my remaining food down and crawl towards them.


    "I see... Well, I''ll just leave your food here. See if you can get it into your system, okay?" Vapooliar tells him as she gets up and leaves. Waiting for her to vanish, I slowly get up into a preemptive position. I am going to claw those eyes of his out for what he just did. Charge with claws pointed up and he will be blind!


    Before I can, though, he starts to pace about in a jagged manner and he mumbles incoherently. His fist goes straight through a tree. Backing away with a slight jump, I watch him pull his fist out of the tree as it falls. My vengeful desires simmer down and I make a point of hiding again.


    "Why... Why aren''t you breaking!?" he demands his perfectly fine hand to explain as he trembles. I leave properly and decide to find another time to rag on him. Returning to the campfire, I look at the others and ponder a question. I have some idea of what his people are like, but maybe these three know more.


    "Why is Ho confused by his strength?" I ask no one in particular as I sit in my usual spot.


    "He''s nat fram aaa maaagic-heaaavy enviranment." the younger slaver answers as she forcefeeds her father. Vapooliar, however, is utterly surprised by this information. Enough so that she quite clearly retrospects her thoughts of him.


    "Why... Why would you bring someone here from a magic barren region? It should be basic knowledge that such beings can''t survive properly up here!" she reminds everyone as her grip soundly increases on her lodged sword.


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    Even though I lacked a magic-oriented education growing up, I know she is right. Having seen a normal amount of magic used in a no-magic environment, I know it isn''t pretty. Magic is violent regardless of the caster''s intent in places like those wastes and beyond. Strange fireballs the shade of blue, purple and white erupt in these places.


    Someone from my village died that way on our way to the Ho''s land...


    "Ha. We keep safe!" the elder slaver goes in an almost mocking way as he smacks a broken tube.


    "Quiet, yau." she tells her father with a gentle smack, "We knaw they caaan''t survive ta aaa lat suddenly. It''s why we pratect aur caaarga."


    I huff quietly at that end remark, safe is one way to put it...


    "Osibindah took survivors. He lucky." the elder of the two adds as he finishes gulping down some water. Smacking his wet lips, he spreads the moisture noisily around his mouth.


    "He''s suffering from Sudden Induction?" Vapooliar questions as her head turns towards his direction. She doesn''t see her answer at first, as it is just a nod from the younger slaver. The elder one then grumbles.


    "Use him soon. While he volatile." he explains callously to which Vapooliar takes her sword out of the ground.


    I can see the logic, though, the Ho''s lack of self-control makes him perfect bait. If not, then it will be easy for him to just rip and tear until it is done. Until we get out of this evil place... Maybe, with how awkward he moves as well, he''d still end up as bait.


    Thankfully, I have a solution that is more palatable for everyone, "We can''t rely on someone who struggles to walk, much less with the lack of weapons shared between us all. Thankfully, I know where we can find a whole crate of guns that can solve that issue."


    "What good would guns do us in such tight and likely unstable tunnels? They would bring the caves down on top of us and if they didn''t, they would slow us down immensely and-"


    "Yes, we get it." I interrupt with as my eyes roll. What is she even thinking about? The guns are small things we can hold with our hands. Carry and shoot!


    "She meaaans anes like this, nat aaartillery." the younger slaver explains as she presents her personal gun.


    "Now about the guns..." I say so we can get back on topic as this is a rather important point.


    "Type?" the older slaver asks as he battles his daughter for control of his gun. The daughter wins and she moves it beyond the grasp of his crippled backside.


    Shrugging in response, I open my mouth, "I don''t know I am not a soldier! I just know I found a somewhat intact crate of them out on the mountain drop or whatever."


    "Where aaare they?" the younger one asks as they get up with their gun.


    "Well, follow me and find out." I grumble as those two should understand what I am on about, no? I did find them cowering there, after all. Getting up, I lead Vapooliar and the wretched thing towards my bed of last night.


    Arriving there, I gesture for the slaver to go on through first though Vapooliar refuses and stays within the mountain. Popping my head out onto the other end, I wait for her to say anything. However, I find myself pointing her in the direction instead which suits me just fine. That treasure chest of firepower is about to be very appreciated.


    "Interesting." the slaver remarks as we make our way back to the other side.


    "We need to either climb down there and set up a pulley system to get the crate up here or we need to widen the gap so we can try and climb to the guns." I explain just to deny the slaver a chance to sound smart.


    "Maybe I can fly to them and pick them up?" Vapooliar goes as she touches her gut and floats slightly. Horrifyingly, me and the slaver shake our heads together but she alone gestures up at the smoke.


    "Smake daesn''t ga high enaugh." she explains as our collective attention follows her digit''s direction. The cloud of smoke is protecting us for the moment, it''s all we really have right now...


    "No... You would be exposed to the bugs if you did that. Besides what''s to stop you from running off once you are in the air?" I tell her as my suspicions get the better of me. I''m already sharing the camp with two vile, opportunistic creatures...


    "You have my word as a Val- You have my word that I will not. But, I can''t fit through the gap." Vapooliar answers with a strange shift in the topic. I find it quite amusing, though, as I have both a larger chest and a tail which one might think would make it harder to fit through.


    "Then we make the gap bigger, your sword is pretty sharp and strong, no? We can just use it to saw the gap wider or just smash it open." I suggest as I turn my eyes onto the evidently magic-rich blade. It is quite a fancy one, as well, at least, in comparison to what I am used to.


    Did she interrupt herself to stop her from admitting that she is a Valkinvar?


    "It will take some time to do that, if you were to do it, anyway. A whole cycle at worst, perhaps, though, you might be able to within a few points-of-a-rotation." Vapooliar explains as she awkwardly digs away at the gap.


    "Why can''t you?" I ask as saying we should do it seems odd. It is -her- powerful sword.


    "Nin will need my help getting used to his new strength. As I am the strongest one here I am best suited for it. I can take whatever he might be able to dish out in his uncontrollable state." she explains and my body starts to more acutely react to what power she is leaking out. Though, focusing on what I am about to say dulls the pressure-like feeling.


    "Then I best get started, come on, get to it, useless human surely can do one thing, can''t he? The slaver here, meanwhile, can go sit up in a tree again or something." I tell them as I move to pick up the sword, only to drop it when it becomes clear how heavy it is. It''s quite embarrassing to go and pick it up again and I am quick to growl at the pair as they stare.


    "I was able to escape the hive because of him, do not be so quick to dismiss him." Vapooliar tells me as I leave the sword for the moment. Catching her frown, I sneer.


    "Did he? Are you sure it wasn''t you who saved him as, you know, you are the one with the sword. You are the heroic Valkinvar in this situation, are you not?"


    "H-How did you-" she stammers in disbelief as if she put up a good effort to hide it.


    "You gave it away earlier and now you have just confirmed it." I tell her and she bows her head shamefully. Giving it another go, I heave the slab of sharp steel against the rock. It easily goes through as if just slipped right through it. If this blade touches skin and bone...


    My grip tightens and steadies.


    "Yes... That would be correct, but how much it is now I don''t know..." she admits, ruining the relative silence. Quietly, she leaves.


    "How good are you with guns, exactly?" I decide to ask the slaver as she is still here. Hopefully, the fiddling she is doing is a sign of something good, maybe.


    "I aaam praficient in them, yaaah." she answers before putting on a flashy display. If she is trying to impress me, then I am happy to announce she didn''t. I do not know how to handle a gun, so it means nothing to me.


    "Well, I am not, and neither is Ho, most likely." I point out just so she is aware.


    "I caaan try to teaaach, then." she remarks as she turns and leaves for the tree I mentioned earlier.


    "I swear... If you fail us, Valkinvar..." I groan as I exert myself trying to make the bigger gap. I understand well that a sword isn''t technically meant for this... But I really wish that this thing had a longer easier-to-grip handle!

 Vol 1 Incline 17: Vapooliar

    "Valkinvar..." I quietly mutter as I finish passing through the camp''s smoke barrier. A sigh lingers and I come short of touching my ceremonial scar through Nin''s clothes. Running a finger along it, I ponder its validity. I failed my country, my people, I failed Him...


    Waionr''s punishment for my failures was...


    Coming to a stop, I turn my gaze towards the direction of the mountain. The proof that I was saving myself for the God of War is gone... On top of my scar, that was something I needed to preserve until death. I have forever lost what belongs to something holy and divine.


    To be a female Valkinvar, one has to keep their chastity intact and untainted in its entirety. It is one half of the key that allowed me to serve Waionr when I finally get put to rest. It is gone now. My broken promise stains my thighs and that chamber where it happened...


    "A century of service, of training and learning... I struggled all that time to join the Valkinvar and I..." I lament as my body heats up and my eyes water.


    Putting both of my hands against my face, I back up against a tree and fall quiet. Despite being a soldier, one of the greatest ones in the land by virtue of my arcane strength. Despite the horrors I have faced on the battlefield over the cycles and the scars accrued... I can''t summon the strength to fight back my tears.


    Chastising myself mentally, I slide further down the tree until I hit the ground. Feeling the thud, I get louder and louder as trembles rock my body. I should''ve been better than what I was that day... Waionr not only punished the army, he had also broken off his engagement to me...


    I tried my hardest but now it is all gone... Everything I ever was... Gone. Forever.


    "Are you okay, Vapooliar?" Nin asks as he slowly shuffles towards me. Sniffling and crying still, I watch him all the way until he squats down. As the lack of an answer drags on, he starts to drum his fingers. Sometimes on his legs, other times on the ground.


    Looking away, I rub my puffy eyes and try to hide them away from him. Feeling his hand take up my closest one, I look back towards him as he rubs his thumb on the back of it. Suddenly, he starts to fall backwards and he thumps into a sitting position. Smiling ever so slightly at his antics, I decide to presume he did that for me.


    Looking down, I notice the rusty bracelets near his ankles, "Nin... Do you have the time to listen to a few questions?"


    "Sure, I have time." he answers as he returns the smile I gave him tenfold.


    I do not know if it is right of me to drag Nin into this, but... "Nin... If you spent your whole life being something, but then... But then you made a mistake that makes it so that you can''t... What would you do?"


    He frowns at my incomplete question and his hand holds mine again, "I would try to move on. I understand that... How big is the mistake?"


    "Life-shaking..." I tell him, nearly sneering at the idea that it is all that apostate''s fault. The Grand-Thoucomm... May he be forgotten.


    He moves his bracelets about awkwardly, "I''ll be honest, I know this isn''t what you want to hear... But I don''t know."


    Curling up, I try to hide my face once again, "T-That''s okay..."


    I know I shouldn''t have tried to bring him into this, there is no way he''d be able to answer it...


    Suddenly moving forwards, I gasp quietly as his arms wrap around me, "Just try to move on with your life, Vapooliar. It will be hard, I understand, but, you''ll find meaning once again. Life isn''t always the same, you know? I mean, for me, I grew up on what we call the Children''s Floor. It''s a nice part of Tobaballe with everything you could want, but, when you get older, they throw you down to the Ground. You have to earn everything from that point onwards. It took me a while, but, I got used to it, maybe. I''d say you should try and do the same, just get used to it and find someone to help you through it all..."


    Hearing him fizzle out towards the end, I return the hug and look at his bracelets. The fact they are rusted over makes me want to think he was a prisoner once. There is not anything decorative about them. I just do not understand or know what the point of them is, he keeps them on for a reason.


    "These bracelets you have on, what are they for? Or, what were they once if that is more accurate?" I ask as I move out of the hug.


    "The signs of the insignificant." he apathetically shrugs before he plays with them again. Lifting them up, he rubs them off on his trousers and lets them drop down again.


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    "I don''t believe you." I tell him, hoping there is a more optimistic outlook on this somewhere.


    "No, it is completely true. I haven''t been working my trade long enough nor did I do particularly outstandingly during my time at school. Walking out of there, I got slapped with a pair of these like most others." he elaborates before he shakes his right leg.


    "How long have you been doing it for?" I ask, curious as to what he might''ve been before as these the clothes he gave me smell somewhat familiar. Like my sword as I clean and maintain it.


    "About five years of my twenty-one years of life." he answers to which my eyes widen slightly. I don''t feel old, but, when there''s someone a sixth of my age in front of me...


    "You have many grand-cycles to look forward to, then. More than enough time to make something of yourself." I tell him, hoping I can maybe do something for him. Even if I am not feeling all that well...


    "Grand-cycle?" he repeats with a rising brow.


    "Oh, sorry, I''m just used to using the Cyclical System. A grand-cycle is equivalent to a year in the Dietic Calender." I explain to him before I smile at myself on the inside. I find it funny, really, I was a holy warrior in the simplest sense of it. But, we did everything in accordance with a clinical, purely mathematical calendar. We never used the system that has a day and month dedicated to who my husband might have been...


    "Hm, so, what are days and months, then?" he asks.


    "Cycles and quarter-cycles." I answer with a nod.


    "I prefer the Dietic Calender, to be honest. It has more character to it." he comments, and, I agree with him. With all my heart, even if I struggle to understand what it wants now.


    "I can agree with you on that." I say as a smile tries to form.


    "So... Seen as it is relevant, I guess, if you still want to talk about it..." he starts to say as he looks around with a clueless gaze.


    "What I was?" I question, just to make sure I understand what he is trying to ask.


    "More so how long you have been doing it for. As I said, five years of my life fitting decorative panels into walls." he clarifies and I find myself intrigued by his words. I never thought I would owe myself to an artisanal worker.


    "I''ll try to answer both, then..." I start to say before I pause at the recent, foul memory, "I''ve been a soldier for about one-hundred and ten years?"


    "Huh...?" he blinks.


    "I''m one-hundred and thirty-three grand-cycles old, Nin. Or, years old, rather." I tell him, initially finding some amusement in it before he starts to take it differently.


    "O-Okay... You''re messing with me, right? There''s no way you''re much older than me... You might even be younger!" he lets out as bafflement chokes him.


    "I was born in the year three-seven-eight-eight of the Emerald Awakening, Nin. I am not lying to you." I say as I hide away any joy that might come up.


    "I really should have an easier time of registering that rubbish, to be entirely honest..." he groans as he grabs his head to pull his face back. He then strikes the ground abruptly and falls onto his back. Looking away, I sigh quietly and ponder what I had intended to ask him about.


    "Nin, I know you have answered what you did for a living. But, do you have any experience fighting?" I ask him as I focus on his otherwise slim frame. He has the signs of manual labour, but nothing I''d call particularly muscle-developing.


    "No. By the god''s no... I''m just a wall-engraver, someone who works with metal and makes pretty pictures in or on stone..." he repeats somewhat as he gets back onto his feet.


    "I see..." I let out as I awkwardly rub my short hair.


    "Why? Oh..." he goes with his realisation as clear as the God of Thunder arriving. He struggles to look me in the eye and shuffles about.


    "Our safest way out of here is strange..." I say as I agree with his feelings. I may have the power of a Valkinvar, but I do not want to go back in there.


    "The only way out of this is through there...?" he dreads to know for sure.


    "Yes, Nin. We will need to fight our way through the hive to escape. Vadei managed to find some weapons we can use in addition to what we already have. But, there is no guarantee that we will always be in a position where gunning the osibindah down will be practical. So, it is in the best interests of everyone to know if you can defend yourself properly." I explain to him as his eyes widen and his body jitters. Rising to his feet, his mouth appears as if it has broken.


    "Gunning...? You expect me to be able to know how to use a gun now as well...!? You saw quite clearly what happened when we walked out of that cave! I was thrown about, tossed aside and you had to step in to kill it! I didn''t do anything because I was scared! I''m scared now!" he panics as he paces about as best as he can. Standing up, I grab his wrist and keep him still despite his attempts to carry on moving.


    Firmly staring him in the eye, "Then let me help you. I might not be able to teach you much in the time we have, but... But I have time I can work with. I will pass on what I can and we will just work on it as much as we can in the few days we have left. Nin, I''m not asking you to go in as you are now."


    "I get, what... Two, three? I GET NO TIME TO PREPARE AT ALL!"


    Moving my grip to his hand, I make sure to keep it firm so he doesn''t pull away. Maybe I am applying more strength than is necessary, but I want to reassure him somehow. I understand that he is not a blade that just needs a whetstone. But even a crude piece of iron strapped to a stick can become a weapon.


    A stick on its own, even.


    I am going to make something of him. For the sake of his confidence, I will. For the sake of the safety of our group, I will do it. So that we can all escape this hive, I will do it.


    "I''m... I''m just going to find somewhere quiet for now." Nin tells me as he pulls away from my relaxing grip. Watching him as he leaves, I start to ponder what I can do for him. I''ve never taught anyone before...


    "The ways of a Valkinvar are not easily squeezed into such little time..." I mutter to myself as I look at what is left of my armour. It wouldn''t be much, but, maybe giving him a reasonable place to ground his mind might help him. He has no idea how to handle his strength and this is all completely new to him. Watching him shuffle away, I also think about how the weight might help him.

 Vol 1 Incline 18: Vapooliar

    "How does it feel, Nin? Would you like any more?" I ask him as he paces about with a slight slant.


    "My right side droops..." he answers as he continues to get used to the weight of the armour. Looking at my now bare arm and then at his now-armoured shins, I decide I want to compare him to yesterday. Even with a slant, being able to just walk is a great leap in the right direction.


    "How about walking, are you able to walk or run to me fine?" I ask as I glide away to put some distance between us.


    "Are you sure you don''t need this...? This is your armour, you will sort of need it, no?" he worries as he fiddles with it. I want to tell him to stop, but, he''s lacking most of what I normally wear for comfort under it. I just gave him extra weight to keep him on the ground.


    "Don''t worry about me, Nin. I am a soldier." I tell him as I gesture for him to come closer to me. Kicking up the earth, he starts to run towards me with an awkward, right-going bias. But while he can now move without flying, he cannot handle the weight in motion. Moving in front, I put my arms up as he struggles to stop his momentum.


    "Move!" he goes before a burst of air marks his stop. Letting go of him, I watch as he steps away with a slight shake.


    "All good?" I ask as he stares at me with a pair of wide eyes.


    "I''m glad you are here..." he answers with a nod as his body continues to tremble.


    Shaking my head, "I''m not much to look at."


    "Vapooliar... I can be shot and not die. I can go through rocks and trees... I''m suddenly stronger than a team of haulers but you... You can handle me." he explains before he looks away and rubs his shaven head. Is he getting embarrassed?


    "None of this red face, now. We''ve got some practice to get on with." I tell him after brushing aside my confusion at his embarrassment. Looking around, I observe the trees and debris to see what I have to work with.


    "Right, combat training..." he slowly lets out, rubbing his arm as he does so.


    "Show me a stance, proper posture." I tell him before I go to find something I can turn into a weapon. Testing various branches with quick flicks, I break and shatter them. Grabbing onto a particularly thick one, I gently snap it off and cup the circumference of it. Bringing my bare hand up, I clean it of any small twigs and bumps in the wood with a single upwards stroke.


    Swinging it a few times for cleaning and practice''s sake, I look back at him, "I don''t know what to do..."


    Sighing quietly, I walk over to him with my new weapon and I look at him carefully. He is completely clueless as to what he needs to do and I am finding faults everywhere. Keeping quiet about them, however, I guide his limbs around with my stick. Using my bare hand to add the necessary nuance, I finish up with his posture.


    "So, tell me, if you have been in any fights before, as, you know, you''re a young man. How did you generally behave?" I ask him as maybe trying to refine that instead would help him more. From my experience, the male members of the Valkinvar often fought a lot more to prove themselves. We all have to fight, sure, but they are unique in that they do it a lot more for the sake of it. Or, maybe, it is something more so exclusive to the hammer-wielding Ordoar Ammimpaurst...


    They''re quite blunt about their focus as siege-breakers, after all.


    "I''d grapple with them for a few seconds. Before then inevitably getting a personal Mesofunderod to either the ribs or head. Again, not a fighter." he reminisces as he starts to nurse specific spots across his body. Resting my hands on the hilt of my practice weapon, I ponder his words. Looking over his build once again, I apply a few more changes to his posture.


    Taking a step back, I focus my magic around the stick and I reinforce it as well as I can. Striking at his top right side, I let the sound of just struck metal ring. He had not attempted to block it or intercept the blow in the slightest. Trying it again, I intentionally graze his left side to no avail.


    "Nin, try to intercept the blow before it hits you. The shorter the distance the osibindah have to work with the less it''ll hurt and the safer you''ll be." I explain as he continues to keep himself locked up. Not even the places I just hit are moving...


    "The bug from before didn''t hurt me, though. Everything was just sort of a..." he tells me before he gently pats himself through his hole-ridden clothing.


    Shaking my head, "No, Nin, do not just assume they cannot hurt you. One of the basics of fighting witches is that you should never just assume their power based on what you can see or sense. You must treat them with sincerity until victory is snatched up for your own glory."


    He tilts his head, "I''m... They''re bugs, not witches...?"


    Putting my free hand up to silence him, "Nin, please listen and focus. Do not assume they just cannot harm you. Be cautious."


    "Okay." he answers, nodding.


    Making it clear I am going to give it another go, I watch his body hair as it sticks up as my power focuses. Striking at his side once again, he staggers away with the force of the blow with wide eyes. His hands and arms come to life and I appear in front of him to deliver an overhead strike. He reacts, but he goes about it so crudely that he freezes up in the slight moments before I strike.


    Exploiting this, I adjust my swing and go for his exposed stomach instead.


    "Gah..." he lets out as he keels over down onto his knees with a slight, metallic bang.


    "Do not do that." I say as I shake my head.


    "F-Fall over after having the wind knocked out of me!?" he asks, coughing heavily.


    "Freeze up when I or someone is about to attack you!" I snap to clarify as his regular breaths return.


    "S-Sorry..." he lets out as he looks at the skid marks I had also caused, "But how am I not meant to lock up when you can do this!"


    "There are far more dangerous things out there than me, Nin." I point out as I adjust my grip on the stick.


    "And I intend to leave them all behind." he tells me as he gets back up with shaky steps.


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    "Make sure not to show off any noticeable patterns either." I say so we can get back to it.


    "I don''t know enough to make any- OW!" bringing the stick down to my side, I let him nurse his cheek.


    "We begin again." I tell him so he gets it. Striking at him some more, I do my best to elicit what responses I can. Weaving around his growing willingness to move, I try to bring out all I can. But as we go along, I can''t help but wonder if I am doing something wrong. I''m barely upping the effort yet I already have him on a panting backfoot.


    Tightening my grip on the stick, I shape my magic into a fine edge and near enough make the stick into a blade. Introducing slashing motions, I topple him in a single swing along his right hip. Gripping my ''blade'' tighter, I spin around and strike him as he gets back up. Forcing him back to the ground with a burst of air marking his fall.


    I am... Disappointed... I''m not sure if I have the right to be, knowing what I do. But this incompetence makes me nervous because if he-


    "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" he roars as he claws his way up to his feet once again.


    "The osibindah will not hesitate to drag you to your feet, Nin." I bluntly remind him, fed up with this whining.


    "YOU DIDN''T HAVE TO HIT ME LIKE THAT!" he screams as if it holds any weight. I shake my head subtly.


    "If I didn''t do it to you to make sure you understand then when the osibindah do it, you will die!" I let out in one, frustrated go as I hold my stare against his. Venting through my nose, I look away and hide my gaze as I walk away. He is just inexperienced, I need to remember that. I need to remember that Nin does not know how to fight.


    He isn''t bad at fighting, he is just new to this, that''s all...


    Glancing back at his arms, I see how his left side has turned red and sore. Floating into the air ever so slightly, I hold out my ''blade'' at my side. The tunnels are tight in the osibindah''s hive and the chambers always have chokepoints. Focusing on his armoured side shouldn''t teach him any bad habits.


    "Focus on presenting your right side, Nin. Use my armour to your advantage." I tell him as I start to circle him gently but swiftly. I can teach him to remember to use his legs at the same time by doing this. Going in for another blow I trick him into putting up his guard and I slip my ''blade'' under and around it. Pulling it back, I knock his guard aside and jab at his front.


    "Slow down..." he complains before I strike at him some more. Going out into the air, his arms lose their focus and go wayward.


    "Keep that guard up!" I demand him to do as I pick up the pace. Bringing my ''blade'' up, I strike him again.


    "Slow down!" he goes as his arm fails to come back. Moving on, I start to whip away at him with the wooden ''blade'' and his focus goes all over the place.


    "The osibindah will not slow down for you, so neither will I!" I tell him as I come to a stop. I cannot teach him anything if he is just looking for excuses to get out of this!


    "I''m not learning anything like this!" he goes and I scoff. Slashing the stick through the dirt, I carve a fine line into it with my magic.


    "Stop getting distracted and focus! Everything you need to learn is being taught to you!" I growl as he blinks his gaze away from the slash.


    "No it''s not!" he exclaims as he frames his brow with spread-out, curved fingers.


    Frowning and sneering, I take up my practice weapon and precisely telegraph it. Watching him back up and take up a position quickly, I start to move forward. Going rather slow in comparison to my usual speed in combat, I rush onwards. Yet, he does not deflect my blow on my armour or catch it in his hands.


    The ''blade''s'' point slips right past it and I drive it straight into his gut!


    "GAAAAAAAH!" he goes as he flies a short distance away. Watching him as he cluelessly registers what happens, I look away as his face bloats. Hearing the sounds of an evicting gut, I shake my head.


    "Unacceptable, Nin. I made it clear where I was going and what I was going to do! Focus!" I snap as I stomp towards him as blackish goop drips from his lips. A growl starts to leave him and he gets up in an abnormal fashion. His body twitches and twists and he shakes his head after wiping his lips. Focusing on his gaze, I nod very slightly as he follows my movements very carefully.


    It didn''t have to be this way, but if this is how he learns best...


    "Attack." he says as his head continues to twitch and move.


    "Very well. Present your right side. Keep the armour on your front." I tell him, though, my uncertainty is growing. Something is off...


    "Attack." he repeats as he starts to step forward with a clattering jaw.


    "Nin?" I say as I spot a new colour entering his eyes. That dark brown I was becoming used to seeing is gone. Yellow has taken its place and he starts to growl. Approaching him, he suddenly rushes towards me with wide swings.


    Knocking aside his blows, I float backwards as he keeps up the relentless assault. Avoiding further swings, I train him to go in circles before he jerks around to catch me. Grabbing his hands, I watch his body thrash about before our eyes meet. Gasping, at the hexagonal details covering his yellow eyes, my grip weakens.


    I let go of his hands...


    "Ni-" I start to say as a fist pushes my head around with a trembling boom. With my mind focusing on my racing heart, I barely pick up the sound of distancing and approaching feet. All I can think about are those eyes. Those are the same eyes I had bearing down on me when I...


    "Whaaat waaas thaaat!?" Heiya asks as she keeps her musket up at the space around me.


    "Nin..." I mutter as I fail to notice him anywhere.


    He must''ve...


    "Vaaapaaliaaar!" Heiya goes as she approaches me some more.


    "It was nothing..." I tell her as I catch onto Nin''s uncontrolled power. Looking down, I realise that my practice weapon broke at some point. Letting go of my shattered stick, what was once its edge falls to the ground. My hand opens and a sprinkling of splinters, chips and flakes follows.


    "Keep it quiet in future! The smake anly daes sa much!" she complains with a long sigh and the bounce of her agitated, furry legs.


    "Sorry, I''ll... I''ll bear that in mind when me and Nin get back to it." I say to her as I look over at the camp as Nin comes to a stop. The smoke blocks him from my sight, but his power is just too blatant for me to be blind to his presence. But, it also feels oddly familiar. I can''t quite put my finger on it, though.


    "Aaanywaay... Fallaw me, the axfuine gat the gaaap big enaugh sa we need yau ta get the guns naw." she informs me as she cautiously turns around after looking out at the mountain again. Doing the same myself, I confirm that there is nothing coming up after us. Following the small sharpshooter, we walk up to Vadei as she heaves and sweats near my sword.


    "This better have been worth the effort..." she wheezes as she tries to keep her hands to herself to avoid sticking to the dirt. It''s a pointless, doomed-to-fail endeavour, but that doesn''t bother her. Coming to a stop near her, I call my sword up to me suddenly and she panics and falls to her side.


    "Haaa!" Heiya goes as Vadei moans quietly against the grass-covered soil, her tail limply raised in the air. Stabbing my returned blade into the mountain, I go through the widened hole and look outwards. If I didn''t have my injury, I might have been able to fly everyone down the mountain. But even that is wishful thinking, I just do not have the magic to spare to fly down a mountain four times over, maybe more.


    And I am still just assuming that the osibindah are not patrolling down there...


    Shaking my head clear of those thoughts, I look back at the short sharpshooter, "Where am I looking?"


    "Dawn an yaur right." Heiya answers as she points her musket at me and trails it in the spoken direction.


    "I see them." I tell the other two as I kneel down on the platform to assess the distance. Breathing with care, I step out into the air and go down to it as if I am on a flight of stairs. Gathering up some of the loose weapons into the damaged container, I go onto the platform to catch my breath. Sorting out my grip around the box, I head back up and push them through the gap.


    "Wonderful..." Vadei goes as she smiles at the box as Heiya goes through its contents briefly. Finding a weapon shoved up into my face, I stare back at the hwardgon as her little black nose wiggles.


    "I''m not using that." I tell her out of pride for my skills as a swordsman.


    "Nat far yau, far him." she explains as she forces it into my hand.


    Soaking it in magic, I perform a basic reinforcement of the material before I offer to hand it back to her. She denies it, chuckling with wide, nearly whiteless eyes and raised paws. Putting the weapon down on the top of the crate. I watch and hear as the now heavier weapon makes the weight-bearers inside move with a quick, heavy rustle.


    "How soon until we start distributing them?" I ask as I grab my sword''s handle. Looking at the lodged blade, I frown at my murky reflection as my grip tightens on it.


    "Tamarraw." is my answer.


    "If Nin is still at the camp, someone ask for him to come back so we can carry on." I tell the pair as I take my sword out of the mountain.

 Vol 1 Incline 19: Heiya

    "Aaalright, Faaailed Delivery, pick thaaat ane an tap up. Daaamaaaged Returns, taaake ane af the athers." I quip to the pair as I lean against my musket. Waiting for them to get to it, I eye the crate as its lid is shoved carelessly to the ground with a thud.


    "So now what?" the human asks as he points the barrel about. The barrel passes by me, right as his finger nears the trigger.


    "Baaarrel dawn!" I snap, already infuriated by their lack of trigger discipline. Trying to force his finger up and away from it, I walk past the pair and pick up one for myself. I have yet to look them over and I might as well get to it now. At least here I can explain and show off my findings to the pair.


    Whatever this brass-decorated weapon is, it is certainly no bolt-action smoothbore like my lifetime trusted friend. The customizability of the weapon is also quite limited, as such, I hate it immensely. A good weapon should at least offer some kind of modularity, like my good friend. But, I cannot deny that the weapon is still of a quality make, it is a trustworthy weapon.


    Stepping away from the pair, I turn to the targets I had set up before. Lifting the barrel up, I inspect the stock and pick away at the ammo drum to loosen it. Snapping it out of its holdings, I twist the rather bulky disc about. I had my suspicions but seeing this just confirms it, it is a magic-based firearm.


    The disc is framed by a dark material that seems to make everything around it darker. Across both of its faces are six circular, wide sockets that without a doubt rotated to feed the barrel. In the middle of the disc is a cog-like mechanism. Moving its weight around once again, I hook it and take it out of the weapon a couple more times.


    Firmly placing it back in one final time, I move my hand away and towards me.


    Rubbing the pad of my thumb along the rear-end slope that leads to the stock, I figure out how to hold it. Bracing the butt-end, inwards-going curve of the stock against my upper arm joint, I stare back at the five exposed sockets. Turning to one of the targets, I place my finger on the trigger once I finish fiddling with it. Firing it once, I adapt the way I hold it as while it is heavy, it lacks recoil completely.


    Firing a second shot, I fire a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and a final tenth one. The disc rotates with a loud, distinct almost snap-like noise. Bringing my eye away from the sights, I look over the weapon and at the spent socket. Steam''s escaping it and the air around it darkens as it takes in the nearby light.


    "That was a lot of orange. Is this some kind of fire-shooter?" the human guesses incorrectly as I inspect the socket more closely. The area is brightening up again, but it''s a slow process. Nodding to myself, I look up at the daylight and then at the mountain. A weapon that feeds itself with light is a terrible choice for our upcoming endeavour...


    Admittedly, I can''t fault the makers of the gun for building something like this when they live on mountaintops and plateaus. I could, though, still grumble over the fact this weapon will be nearly useless once it is spent outside of those places. Even if I give them the benefit of the doubt, that does not help me here. Sneering at an imaginary gunsmith, I walk towards the target.


    "Na, Arbitaaal-Haaala gun. Shaats maaagicaaally cancentraaated light." I explain to the human as I put the hefty firearm down. Crouching before the crisped-up piece of airship hull, I inspect the burns. Confident that the heat is mostly gone, I run a paw along the soot and rub it between my finger pads. Letting chips of just melted metal fall from them, I get back up.


    What the gun fires is actually quite useful. These superheated magic bolts will either cook the target to the melting point or cripple them reliably. I suppose it explains why I have come across several ''sib corpses with melted body parts. It makes me ''hmmm'' out a thought and my left foot starts to bounce.


    Six sockets with what seems to be ten shots before a rotation. Sixty shots of metal melting deliverance that comes with the benefit of also being an impromptu light source as well. However, reloading is a slow business, especially with these two clueless idiots. Either we go through the hive dangerously slow to allow the guns time to recharge and for them to reload...


    Or we take all the guns with us and dump the spent ones.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Shaking the thoughts out of my head for the moment, I turn back to the pair, "Aaalright! I waaant yau twa ta hald thase guns up aaas if yau are aaabaut to fire."


    The human does well enough, clearly, he has at least seen guns used before. The oxfuine, though, she is clueless and too prideful to even at least emulate the human. The human''s grip is subpar, sure, the finer details are just not there at all. But at least he makes a point of holding it properly!


    "Humaaan, staaart shaating the taaargets. Switch every secand shat." I say as I stand before the oxfuine, shaking my head as I do so. Watching them growl at me with a rising tail, I rub my lefthand''s pads on the fur of my forehead.


    "What? Got something to say?" she growls as she shows off her teeth. Plenty of sharp canine teeth are on display.


    "Yes, tighten yaur grip." I say as I knock her gun to prove a point.


    "Hey!" she lets out as she steps towards me.


    "Tighten. Yaur. Grip." I reiterate to her.


    "It is tight!" she lies before I slap it again.


    "I waaant ta maaake sure yau knaw whaaat yau''re daing. Paaay aaattentian." I groan as I am beholden to her continued stubbornness.


    "Don''t touch me..." she threatens as the gun is placed against my gut. Staring back into her eyes, I raise a brow.


    "Paaay aaattentian." I say once again as she struggles to pull the trigger. Forcing it up by the disc, I flick and press what I need to and point it away. A bolt of orange bursts against the mountain''s hide. Her eyes widen at its trail, then narrow at me.


    "Don''t touch me!" she hisses as she shoves me away with the gun. Rolling my eyes, I watch as she stands near the prone human. Which, when I am done with her, I will need to get that behaviour out of him. Possibly her, too.


    "Hald the gun claser ta yaur chest. In aaa pasitian thaaat feels like yau cauld rest yaur chin an it." I explain to her as I pick up my musket so I can demonstrate with it. However, she keeps her eyes locked away from me and towards the target. Though, her weapon is not following her eyes, and it will be causing us issues...


    "Why? All that matters is that the barrel is pointing at the bugs!" she sharply snaps before she starts to fire the heavy weapon. Snapping out of the way of the bolt with a raised blade, Vapooliar glances back at us.


    "Aaapalagize." I demand the oxfuine to do.


    "Sorry..." she mutters quietly as Vapooliar goes back to what I can only describe as a dance. Whatever it is, she''s being very acrobatic and overall, she is just rubbing in her skills. Admittedly, the Valkinvar impresses me, she does impress me quite a lot. Thankfully, she passes no comment on the far-flung shot either.


    "Aaas yau caaan see, it helps ta be aaable ta see where the shat might laaand." I point out as I approach the pair. Coming around on the oxfuine''s right side, I grip the barrel of my gun with one paw while the other goes against my hip.


    "Don''t speak down to me, you''re the one who made our targets smaller than the bugs themselves!" she whines.


    "Yes, ignaring the missed shat. Da yau knaw why I maaade the taaargets smaaaller thaaan they aaare?" I ask as I take the moment to inspect the human''s efforts thus far.


    "To rub in how good you are in comparison to us!?" the oxfuinei exclaims with a quick groan as she throws her hands up.


    Contemplating a non-confrontational answer, I keep my focus on the human. He isn''t doing that bad all things considered. He''s a bit slow on the target swapping, but his weapon is also far heftier with the internal-magic buff it got. The shots are also coming out with a domineering green tint, interestingly enough.


    Twenty-one missed shots altogether, with about nine of them grazing the target.


    "I maaade the taaargets smaaaller becaaause if yau caaan hit them reliaaably. Then yau''ll hit the ''sibs even better." I explain to her as she looks away with a shaky nose and lips. Pointing a finger up at her, I make sure she understands completely that she is at fault. Regardless of the fact me and Paps made her but one more transaction. I owe her at the very least for the help she has given us thus far before the other two arrived.


    I am able to look after Paps properly because of what she did after the ''sibs retreated to their mountain hive...


    Keeping the stern gaze on her, I watch as her ears droop, "I''m sorry... I''ll do as you say..."


    "Gaad, capy him." I tell her for the moment as the human finishes emptying his weapon.


    "I squeezed it dry." he comments as he tries to pass it to me for inspection. Placing a paw up, I let him keep the weight-buffed weapon.


    "Yau getting the haaang af it?" I ask as he continues to move his grip about the weapon.


    "I think? I''ve seen the guards back in Tobaballe use their guns before so I''ve been trying to copy them." he explains as he starts to fiddle with the disc. Pondering his strength, I look back at the gun-brimming crate.


    "Haw maaany guns da yau think yau caaan caaarry?" I ask as I return my focus to him and the strength oozing from him so blatantly.


    "In my hands?" he asks back as he looks at them. Rough and calloused, they tell me he is a labourer. Which means he won''t mind a bit of back-using lifting.


    "Aaanywhere, maaaybe an aaa sled, even." I clarify to which he just shrugs.


    "Honestly, I feel like that is a question better suited to your harness or sled." he answers as he applies his bare hand against a thick tree branch, snapping it with casual ease. Rubbing my chin, I dismiss his concerns.


    "Nated, naw. Praaactice relaaaading thaaat until yau''re perfect." I tell him before I walk away to the crate. Letting out another thoughtful sound, I glance about at the airship debris. Considering what tools I have at my disposal as well, my left foot bounces. Yeah...


    I can work with this.

 Vol 1 Incline 20: Vadei

    "What do you want?" I snarl at Ho as he rubs his eyes next to me. Kicking my feet against a nearby tree, I try to distract myself from that annoying gaze of his.


    "Is there anything... I need to do with you?" he asks, forcibly blinking and yawning halfway.


    Turning to face him, I express myself wildly, "Why would you need to do anything with me? The slavers are teaching us how to shoot those guns. Vapooliar''s putting you in the dirt every other second!"


    He finishes another yawn and shakes his head, "Everyone else is teaching me something..."


    "What would I even teach you? They''re the fighters, I''m just some stolen villager!" I clarify for him just in case his stupid head forgot it. Driving my claws along my scalp, I watch him as he wobbles and tugs at the armour he is wearing.


    "You move around quite well, not as smoothly as when Vapooliar goes," Ho begins to say as he also starts making weird noises as his hand goes near the grass, "But you move your feet quite well... And your arms..."


    "What are you getting at?" I snap so we can get to the point. I wasn''t in the mood for his childish behaviour and boredom.


    "Can you teach me and help me move better?" he asks with a surprisingly soft tone. Jerking back against his rightward drooping, he straightens himself out.


    "You look like you are about to fall over dead. So no, I won''t be teaching you anything." I tell him with a breath of disgust.


    "Please? Please can you show me? I''m having trouble moving..." he asks as his eyes start to close. Shaking himself awake, he returns to staring at me.


    "That''s not my problem, Ho. Besides, how are you even going to use what I can show you? We''re going into caves! Stupid, hairless Ho!" I tell him as he moves his head away from me.


    Swiping my tail across the ground like a whip, I watch him as he start to smile, "I got hair up here, hair along here, hair down here and hair rig-"


    "I don''t need to know about that, thank you!" I interrupt before his hand points away from his legs.


    "Then you show me something." he threatens as he smiles at his flexing finger.


    "Show you what!?" I go as he continues to be a clueless, wobbling idiot.


    "Well, there are a lot of trees there... Maybe you could show me how to quickly move around them and then I can have a go?" he points out as his finger moves in the direction of some trees.


    "Fine, just keep quiet and don''t say a word." I tell him as I smack him with my tail on the way away.


    "Soft... Comfy..." he goes as he wobbles forward.


    "Not a word." I growl quietly as he forces himself back up. Yet, watching his gaze, I only find myself growling some more. He isn''t paying attention in the slightest. So, instead, I roll my eyes as he rubs his once again.


    "Nice... Comfy bed..." he moans like a pup as he finally focuses on me.


    Snorting, I lower my body and aim for the widest of the trees, one with a trunk that splits in the middle naturally. I don''t know its species, but compared to the straight logs of everything else here, it will do. Straightening out my tail for counterbalance, I stop and wonder. What is the point of this...?


    He can''t even mimic my movements!


    But, I find myself hiding a smirk as I consider it. Clearly, he is too tired to think clearly, so now''s a good chance to just humiliate him. He isn''t going to pick up on it, so there is no better chance than now to do it. So I keep my smirk up, flex my tail in the air and my claws against and into the dirt.


    "Make sure to pay attention!" I remind him as I put the smirk away.


    "I am!" he whines as he anchors his body against a tree. Knocking it up and out of the soil slightly. I glance at the now-exposed roots briefly and return my focus forwards.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Starting, I feel the dirt scrape away under my claws and the splitting tree grows closer. The wind blows through my tail and I subtly shift it as I move. Moving my body upwards, I cling to the growths and broken bark of the splitting tree. Moving up and around the trunk, I arrive at a thick, welcoming branch and I let my right leg fall.


    "Did you get all of that?" I ask him to which he nods vigorously. Placing my chin against my left backhand, I watch as he stumbles back up. Putting one foot back, he brings his arms up. His preparation means nothing, however, and he just starts to stumble forwards.


    Feeling the hairs on my neck rise, I watch as he gets closer and closer to the tree. Not liking this, I dive off of the branch and turn back to him as he barges his way through the split in the trunk. He looks around rapidly and then turns to me as I snarl. Standing up, I cross my arms as he starts to move again.


    "Stay right there!" I tell him before he gets any bright ideas.


    "I broke the tree... Need to try again." he explains like the oaf he is.


    "No, that''s enough practice for today!" I tell him as my right eye twitches. Calming myself with some therapeutic fingers through my hair, I breathe.


    He yawns once again, "I''m tired..."


    "I am too." I agree for more than just one reason.


    "I don''t want to go through the mountain..." he worries with a moan.


    "None of us do. But, it''s just something we have to do. I don''t even want to share a camp with you or the two slavers. But I have to!" I complain as I turn towards the camp.


    "I like to share the camp with you, even if you are disgusting!" he proclaims loudly as he hides his ears.


    "Trust me, if it was up to me. I''d have left you clueless as to what we were saying." I explain to him as I gesture for him to follow. Like a good pup, he listens and does. Hearing him yawn once again, I fight back the urge to perform one myself. Barely.


    Bringing my tail around, I hold it close to my face as we arrive at the edge of the smoke barrier. Stepping around his attempt to grab my tail, he goes into the smoke with a clumsy stagger. Bringing my cloth up, I hide my mouth and nose and follow him through despite what he just tried. Stepping out into the stale air, I look around.


    "Where did he go...?" I ask as I let go of my tail. Feeling someone near the hairs on its tip, I spin around and jump away.


    "Aw..." he whines as he comes out of the smoke and into view. I snarl at his jestering.


    "Do not touch my tail!" I warn with wide eyes and bared teeth.


    "Come on... Just a little. Stop being so mean!" he whines as I back away with it in my clutching hands.


    "Do not touch it!" I tell him as footsteps approach.


    "What''s going on?" Vapooliar asks as the Ho finally stops.


    "He''s trying to grab my tail!" I snap at her.


    "Nin, do not do that." Vapooliar asserts as I continue to make slight shuffles away from him.


    "But I am tired and her tail is soft and would make a good pillow or blanket..." he cries?


    Frowning, Vapooliar steps towards him, "Sit down, then, you''ve said before you have been struggling to sleep."


    "Okay..." he answers with a sniff as the two disappear. Releasing my tail, I watch them move towards the campfire. Shivering slightly, I follow them until I can go straight for my usual spot by it.


    Nin collapses.


    "He''s finally tuckered out, then?" I ask as Vapooliar takes him the rest of the way to her choice of seat.


    "Draaat, if I haaad bet an it..." the younger slaver complains as her father sits up against a pile of torn cloth. Hiding my smile at his painful winces, I look up at the two humans. But, despite how I feel about the two slavers, I am glad the father is healing. He is far more helpful like this than in any other state he has been in since the attack...


    "I just hope he can recover enough energy on his own." Vapooliar comments as she starts to stroke his head.


    "We have a whole single night for him to do so. So make sure he does." I tell her as I glance at the guns we were drilled to use.


    "Paps..." the young slaver warns as the older one starts to stand up.


    "Pipe down." he groans as he starts to stretch and bend some of his limbs. Despite the injuries he has, I am quite surprised to see him just... Moving like this. However, glancing away from him, I see a gunked-up knife by the capture-sacks.


    He has been drugging himself...


    "Okay, for a better topic. Today''s our last day of living. So what is for dinner?" I ask after slapping my knees. The slavers, surprisingly, act rather ecstatically.


    "Ooo, honey." the older one goes as he returns down to rest. My ears turn first at the mention of something sweet, then my head.


    "Where''d you find honey?" I ask as I have certainly not heard any beehives, let alone bees up here. Neither aelenvari for that matter, though I''d like to pass on their honey.


    The young slaver smiles and holds up a hexagonal-barreled gun, "Fram Pap''s aaamma cantaaainers!"


    "W-What...?" I go as I try to even process that. The honey is from a gun...?


    "How do you get honey from munitions?" Vapooliar questions as she frowns.


    "Want see?" the older one offers with an enthusiastic grin.


    "No." I answer quickly as the container he holds up violently buzzes and rattles.


    "Blaad Waaasps, very daaangeraus." the younger slaver explains as she presents a collection of jagged sticks. Very carefully, she places them on her makeshift pan and smashes them apart gently with a piece of scrap metal.


    "It''s just honey, why the care...?" I ask before she throws away what now looks like a hand that has just been ploughed through shards of glass. Though seeing this, my question might as well be rhetorical.


    "Very shaaarp." the slaver answers as she starts to melt the broken-down honeycomb.


    "So why have you only just started giving our gruel good flavour?" I demand to know before she blinks at me.


    "Gruel? I faund same meaaat!" she exclaims with a puffed up chest.


    "Oh." I go as a smile slightly forms. Something tasty!

 Vol 1 Incline 21: Vapooliar

    "No awake?" Heiya''s Father asks as I stroke Nin''s snoring head. Applying what magic I can, I try to nurse him to a healthier state. I understand perfectly what he is going through right now. I don''t think much of it, but, situations like this are how I was trained...


    They built us up to be strong and powerful, then they would throw us into the lower-magic ravines. They trained our minds in a way we had otherwise not been handled in. No one thinks of it much at first, but as the nights go by without your usual schedule. People tend to get confused in the lightest sense of the word.


    I suppose it is a good thing that Nin burnt out now of all times. His lack of self-control and regulatory ability made the process far quicker. Though, I do worry that his unintentional lighthousing has and is still giving the osibindah time to prepare. Thankfully, his burnout means our journey into the hive should be safer as well.


    If they can''t find him as easily...


    "No, I think it is best to let him enjoy the moment while he can." I finally answer as I think back to my time in the war against the heretics. Some had their tricks for easy sleep, but others could never get their mind to stay quiet and I am often one of them. I''ve even heard stories of my superiors just ignoring sleeping cadets and initiates. Waionr''s thirtieth law seems odd to most if not all until one is about to go to war.


    "He better not be like this when we have to go into that accursed mountain..." Vadei spits as she cosies up to her tail. Focusing more magic to my hand, I look over at her properly just as she tosses a twig to the fire.


    "He won''t, none of us will tonight." I struggle to say as my gut trembles at the mention of the hive. Sniffing the air, I bring my attention to the makeshift pan as Heiya turns the meat around. Sizzles leave the pan and she giggles quietly with wet, freshly-licked lips.


    "No! Ruin it!" Heiya''s Father complains as he smacks his daughter gently.


    "Baaack aff! I knaw whaaat I''m daing." she groans as she hits the ammo containers near the top. Watching the older of the two make sure they are still closed, I hear the following smack he delivers to her. They mentioned before that blood wasps are inside of them. Admittedly, I do not know what they are, but, as they make honey, I find myself thinking of home.


    Thurn''s Forge lacks much in the way of plant life due to its location, so the people are avid gardeners. Often, when I could, I would just wander through the streets and go through and under the many window boxes and hanging baskets. You can find all kinds of bees and joyful, colourful emotivores within them. Oddly enough, it was out there that I most often met a head of a Valkinvar Ordoar...


    Eurultus-Valkinvar Pymonsia, a lovely but quiet woman. She likes to go through the gardens of the city and I recall often the few times she did speak up. It was always petty bickering over having some flowers somewhere in the Great Temple of the Valkinvar. I still continue to smile at the fact she even managed to politically brute force a willow tree onto the temple grounds.


    Returning my mind to the present, I look down at Nin once again as my hand moves for another motion. He is an odd thing, I have to admit. He has the strength to do more than any of the other three in our plan. But, he lacks the confidence and the all-around know-how to make much use of it.


    Despite the doubts cast his way by the others, though, I want to feel optimistic about what he can do for us. Everyone has their points, sure, but Nin can just as easily prove them wrong. Trying circumstances always bring out the best and worst in people. And, I am willing to gamble that he will show his best when push comes to shove...


    However, looking around at the debris, Nin might not be the only one we can rely on, "Heiya, answer something for me."


    "Caaan it waaait?" she asks as she uses a utensil to rub some cooking meat in the bubbling, runny honey.


    "As it pertains to tomorrow, no." I tell her as I focus on the broken tubes. They might be destroyed, but their purpose remains clear and I feel strange looking at them. Some kind of super material designed to keep magic out perfectly. Though, as they are now, my arcane senses are just all blotched up with blank spaces.


    "Aaask aaawaaay, then." she says to me, even if she needs to keep her attention on the cooking.


    "How many people were you shipping before all of this?" I ask them to which Vadei flinches and growls.


    "Uh... Aaabaut... Thirty?" she starts to say as she looks over at her father. He nods and she starts to nod lots in turn.


    "How many of them have you been able to confirm as dead?" I ask next as I lightly gesture to an empty, smashed-open tube.


    "Maaaybe haaalf? I''ve faund lats of pads but aaa faaair few aaare empty." she answers after some brief pondering.


    "You think we can ask the other slaves for help?" Vadei asks, getting straight to the point. She is touchy, as evidenced by her flexing claws, but her head is otherwise cool.


    "I do. Nin managed to survive the process of Sudden Induction. Perhaps others have as well?" I propose to the group and I get a mixture of responses. Vadei looks away uncomfortably while the other two stare. The older one starts to shake his head. Heiya''s stare moves towards her gun.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "No. Small chance. Boy unexplained luck." Heiya''s Father eventually answers. Watching him reach for one of the guns I pulled up a few orbits ago, he starts to play with it.


    "Put thase dawn." his daughter tells him and he groans as he presents it.


    "Sudden Induction big. Big boom. Safer on non-living." he explains with gestures that allude to an explosion.


    "So we are more likely to find remnants of your cargo?" I ask him as his obvious references easily call upon images from my veteran mind.


    "Yes." he answers with a single nod. Shaking my head, I put my spare hand to my chin.


    "We''re on our own, then..." Vadei whines.


    "We were aaalwaaays an aur awn." Heiya quips as she starts to plate the food but not much else. I am confused as to why she is just leaving it on a plate, we can let it cool down ourselves... But, whatever they are doing, Vadei seems to appreciate the fact that they are leaving our food alone for the moment.


    But, I can''t let go of that explanation... If a low-magic individual explodes when exposed to lots of magic. How did Nin survive? Despite his slowness, he did walk in on me after I...


    "No. Hive have many prisoners. We arm them." Heiya''s Father points out to his daughter and I look to the aelenvari seed at his words. I know there are others inside that mountain, but would they even have the strength to fight? Osibindah are not courteous or gracious hosts by any metric. At the very least, though, having a seed with us could motivate the aelenvari by appealing to their defensive motherliness...


    There might be some benefits to having more people with us, especially armed ones. But the tunnels are tight and narrow, our numbers would be useless just like the osibindahs. Cruel or pragmatic, though, a sudden group of directionless, armed aelenvari could be useful. The sudden chaos would not be handled well even by such a unified thing as the osibindah.


    These archers they have might not be a problem, but they didn''t just have them. Osibindah are distinct for their unique lore of magic, even if it is bound to one individual per hive. I can deal with the earth shaman, should we encounter him, but... My wound is barely holding together.


    That emerald-haired man on that machine, his terrifying, lingering power...


    "Is there anything you might be able to tell me about the Earth Shaman?" I ask the other three as I did not know who to go to for specifics.


    "Stone worm... Things..." Vadei mutters as she hides behind her tail. Her ears dash about and she forcibly calms them down by pressing them against her head.


    Grabbing at the dirt, Heiya''s Father lets it sprinkle from his hands, "Rust. Lots."


    "Hm, its magic doesn''t sound out of the ordinary. And, I doubt its armour means much." I say as I preemptively measure up my main opponent. It is a curious thing, though, an osibindah wearing armour. I''ve never heard of such a thing before or seen it.


    "Saunds like Aaalxxcran." Heiya comments as she pokes at the meat.


    "I''m not familiar with the name." I say to her as she looks at me with an unsteady hand.


    "The Helm-Taaaker, faaamed far feeding aaa whale fartress tawn ta his warms." she tells.


    "It''s unusual for osibindah to attack settlements like that." I point out as siegecraft of any kind is typically beyond them. Even with the oft-underestimated Earth Shamans and their stone-focused arcane... Talents...


    "Earth Shaman different." Heiya''s Father remarks as he taps his left temple.


    "Great... Of all the hives I am stuck at. It''s one with an infamous bug." Vadei snorts as she bounces a leg up and down erratically.


    "Do not despair too much, Vadei, this one may be a cut above the norm but it is by no means comparable to a... Valkinvar." I tell her, though, I hesitate at using the term ''Valkinvar.'' I am so used to speaking about myself in that manner but...


    "Even when you aren''t in your armour?" Vadei questions, drawing attention to my charity towards Nin.


    "A force multiplier is only as good as that which it benefits." I tell her as Nin starts to shuffle about on my lap.


    "This smell better not be lying to me..." he groans as he pushes himself up off of it. Clutching his head, he winces at some kind of mental pain before he shakes life back into his eyes. But, his waking remark did have a point, the food does smell nice. Rather conveniently as well, they are finally serving it as well!


    I smile as Heiya approaches with two portions.


    Receiving my bowl, I look down at the red-painted meat as the few pieces of added-on greenery sink into the honey. Sniffing it closer, I pick up on the sweetness of the honey and I poke at it in an effort to find a dryish spot. The others dig right in but Nin and I are slower. Carefully trying to pick it up, I somewhat get a good grip on the bone with the honey and the fat of the meat dripping from it.


    "What is it?" Nin asks as he watches mine lose its sweet covering.


    "Meat and honey!" I answer quite happily as I move to nibble on the meat. It''s only been a few orbits, but it feels like I have been without good food for longer.


    "No clue what ''honey'' is but what meat are we having? Been chugging gruel down for so long that I want to savour it..." he says as he smacks his lips. I smile because of that, it is nice to see him actually in the mood for eating for once.


    "Humaaan." Heiya sings and I drop the meat as my tongue arches backwards in disgust. I want to know that I misheard that...


    "Did you just say..." I utter as I desperately pray in my head that my tongue did not just touch this foul meal.


    "Yep, humaaan." she repeats nonchalantly as she gnashes some more from the bone. Shivering, I put the bowl down and watch the others as they continue to eat without a care. Nin''s lack of disgust is particularly worrying...


    "Tastes better than I thought it would." Nin comments as he rips a chunk off of his bone.


    "Nin..." I say as he continues to eat it.


    "I''ll eat yours if you don''t want it." he says as he reaches for mine. Grabbing his wrist to stop it, I stare at him as honey clogs up his mouth and smears his face. He starts to teeth his picked bone and Heiya starts to laugh.


    "What''s so funny!?" I demand to know as Heiya laughs more and more.


    Getting a hold of herself, she bites on the bone briefly, "It''s just white meaaat!"


    "White meat...?" I repeat as I move my grip to stop Nin from chewing his bone. Nearly taking it from him, he turns feral.


    "Give it back!" he hisses like an animal as he starts to test if he can eat the bone.


    "You dare lie to me about such a thing..." I groan as I start to enjoy my food. Even if I still feel disgusted with myself as I do so.


    "Y-Yep!" she cackles as she converts the barren bone into a whipping stick to be licked from. Light taps come from the bowl and she licks it clean again and again with gusto.


    "What a horrible mind you have." I remark before I take another bite from the food as Nin eyes it.


    "Come on... I haven''t eaten much." he greedily tells me between taking finger scoops of honey from his bowl.


    "Not my problem!" I snap before I strip another piece of meat off for my own pleasure. Loudly and aggressively, I then eat it in his face. He groans and stares back at me with beady eyes.

 Vol 1 Incline 22: Nin

    "Vroom vroom." I sarcastically comment as the last strap is hooked to my new harness.


    "Try nat ta lase them." the midget tells me as she steps away with her gun.


    "How am I even going to lose them?" I scoff as we are going into a straight tunnel more or less. There''s no way I am going to lose them unless she or someone else starts throwing them away!


    "Nin." Vapooliar says as she steps towards me.


    "What?" I snap as shuffle the straps about. Tearing my clothes instead, however, I stop trying to adjust them. Vapooliar, though, steps in for me and sorts out the build-up of my snatching clothes.


    I nod quietly in thanks as I look away...


    "Are you up for this?" she asks me as her hand stops my gun from shaking.


    "I..." I can''t even answer as I look further away towards the grass.


    "I am at your front, Nin. Heiya and Vadei are behind you. Heiya''s Father is also with me up front." she points out to me. Even though it is obvious, I make no remark. I just nod quietly and look at my armoured arm.


    "Do you want your armour back?" I ask her with a quick and awkward chuckle. It dies quickly and I return to being silent.


    She smiles slightly, "Keep it, think of it as a good luck charm until we escape."


    "I do feel quite lucky..." I say to her, even if ''safer'' is a more honest answer.


    "Does everyone have everything?" Vapooliar asks loudly as she steps towards the front of the group. Although it was a very brief moment, I have seen what she can do. I cannot ask or argue for a better bit to our drill in these circumstances.


    "Let''s go." Heiya''s Father tells us as he urges everyone inside the mountain. Looking back at our camp as the smoke dissipates, I gulp. During all my time there, I was pestered by thoughts of wanting to get out of here. But now that we are going to get out, I want to go back to the camp, back to my tree trunk chair. Even if Heiya ceremoniously knocked over the machine keeping us safe and hidden.


    Watching the other two go into the tunnel I once thought was my escape route, I tug at my harness. Following them, the piece of bashed-together airship hull scrapes away at the ground as I play pack mule. The Orbital-Halo''s light starts to vanish and the darkness engulfs us. The wisps return and they offer some light as our travelling echoes around us.


    I keep looking back at the way we came.


    Despite her attitude, I am glad Vadei is at the back of our group. Her ears move a lot, they pick up noise so easily... I don''t want to see them move about as we go through these damn tunnels. I can already hear my memories, I don''t need to see someone confirming the reality of it.


    Shakily reaching out for the damp, soil walls of the tunnel, I pat them carefully. There should''ve been lots of rock in a mountain, but no. The bugs have changed this mountain to be something far more comfortable for them. Their kind of comfort is not ours, unfortunately.


    Or gladly, I don''t know...


    "Service tunnel. Few if any." Heiya''s Father comments as he picks up his pace. Watching him disappear into the pitch black, my stomach starts to act up. His attire and spikes are rustling. I cannot see him.


    "What''s the plan, exactly?" I whisper to Vapooliar as her blade starts to offer its light as well.


    "We''ll see if we can find the aelenvari prisoners." she answers, swaying her blade near the dirt walls.


    "The what?" I ask with a blink.


    "The one that gave you the seed, she''s, they are aelenvari." she clarifies as I look back at the named item in Vadei''s hands.


    "Ah." I let out as I recall the largely featureless creatures. They have a pair of lights dangling from their foreheads at the very least, so I have an idea. But, coming to a stop I turn around and confuse everyone.


    "What''re you doing!?" Vadei hisses as she bashes her leg accidentally against the crate.


    "Trying to remember..." I answer as I pat the walls ponderously.


    "Nin, do so on the move." Vapooliar urges me to do as I recall what wall it was I broke through.


    "Right-hand side." I tell her as I let my spoken hand go across the damp soil. I hate how slimy and vile it feels, but, it''s where the hole should be. Any moment now, I hope.


    However, I hate the ambience of the hive more. Suffering is not the kind of music I like to hear when doing something. I can''t speak for anyone else, but I have a feeling they agree with me. We all hate how it is getting louder, slightly.


    Heiya''s Father comes back to us quickly and his daughter faces him. Patting himself, he brings out this little insect he for some reason brought and drops something to it. I am a little confused as to why he suddenly had a pet. But, hopefully, it offers genuine help as a miner''s bird does.


    "Aelenvari ahead." he tells us with what seems to be a perplexed look.


    "How''s security?" Vapooliar asks him as she keeps her blade raised against the dark.


    "None." he answers and his daughter steps forward.


    "Haaas thaaat lubricaaant messed with yaur heaaad?" she asks as she uncomfortably stares at the container with the insect.


    "No. No security." he repeats as he gestures for us to follow.


    "That doesn''t sound good..." I mutter to Vapooliar in response to his words. Then, I blink as I catch strange whispers in the wind.


    "We will have to see. I pray it is not how you feel." she tells me as I take my arm off the wall. Looking back at the other two, I watch as Vadei gently jostles the seed as Heiya hops onto my sledge. Frowning at her, she ignores me and digs through our supplies. What is she even looking for?


    We aren''t planning to linger in the hive, it is just guns back there!


    "Heiya." her father barks softly and she runs up to him. She passes a container over to him and the front of his gun snaps off revealing rows of empty, narrow sockets. Flicking open his supplies, he stabs the gun into the buzzing box and pulls it back out. Closing them both up, she sends Heiya back with the box.


    "Humaaan." she sneers as she carelessly dumps the box behind me. Flexing my fingers a little, I shiver knowing that the abused box is full of angry ammo. Looking around, I hear the sounds of sniffing. Heiya''s Father is up to something odd and his eyes seemingly glow when he turns back towards us.


    "Here." he says as he steps back to make room for Vapooliar.


    "There''s already a hole." she tells him as she places her blade against the earth. Pushing through, she ignores her own complaint and she makes us a path. The earth falls down and somewhat fills the tunnel and everyone but me and her go through it. Stepping aside, she picks up the sledge by the back and I am urged through the hole.


    "Is this normal?" I ask as I look around at the dimly lit tunnels and chambers. Glancing into one, I regret my decision and return my focus to the group. Vadei''s nose twitches and she steps away from one of the chambers and Vapooliar takes the seed from her.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Vadei, are any of them still alive?" she asks as Vadei nods with pale skin and watery eyes.


    "Seriously, where are the bugs?" I ask as the two spike-back midgets set themselves up behind cover. Standing in the open, I tap my foot gently before following Vapooliar as far as the chamber entrance. It''s a mess in here... Filthy, still bodies everywhere.


    Staring at one, I look at its still somewhat bright, yellow hair and bulbs it has. For some reason, Vapooliar is holding her hand up at them and the wisps dance on her open palms. Minding the needle-shaped legs in my way, I move closer to her. She frowns and shows off the seed more openly.


    These aelenvari all have nothing to say and what we do get is weak and quiet. Vadei comes over and takes back the seed and Vapooliar steps backwards. Planting her sword into the ground, she rubs her face. Turning to Vadei, we stare at each other as Vapooliar starts to groan.


    "I can''t believe this... We have a seed, an aelenvari seed! One of your young! Why do you all do nothing!?" she demands to know as one of them creaks their head up at us. Their mouth opens slightly and Vadei steps ahead with moving ears.


    "She says they''re too weak." she passes on.


    "I can hear them fine." Vapooliar nearly snaps as Vadei backs off stiffly.


    "Vapooliar, let''s just go..." I tell her as the wind whispers once again. Oddly, though, Vadei''s ears do not twitch at the sound. Does it just not bother her? There''s no way she didn''t hear it.


    Vapooliar walks up to me and snatches up a gun from the crate, "We bring the means to fight!"


    "Vapooliar..." I say again as I place my hand on the weapon. Shaking my head, she lets go of the gun and I waddle around to the crate to put it back in.


    "You can''t be serious... Aelenvari are supposed to be legendary in their desire to protect their young!" Vapooliar lets out as her arms lose their strength.


    "We''re... Too weak... Wind-Person... Those who can help you are gone..." one of them coughs from the far corner. Lighting them up immediately, Vapooliar blinds the poor woman. What I thought was just dry mud as well reveals itself to be caked blood. It isn''t just on that one either...


    "Where are they, then!?" Vapooliar demands to know as she kneels in front of her.


    "The parasite took them elsewhere... You''ll only find discarded food here..." she hacks as her eyes linger on the sword.


    "Food." I repeat as a hand covers my mouth. Minding my feet, I step around the bones that just seem to keep appearing.


    "Do you know anything!?" Vapooliar demands as her blade returns to her right hand.


    "I''ve heard... Words..." the aelenvari answers before it falls over. Hearing not one more sound, Vapooliar stands up and sighs.


    "What does that even mean?" I ask as she walks past me.


    "Undwote, find them." she prays, ignoring me.


    "Vadei, do you hear anything?" I ask the tailed-woman as she sniffs the air with a revolted expression.


    "Swearing." she answers slowly and Vapooliar stops.


    "Swearing?" she repeats as Vadei''s ears act up.


    "Swearing, human. Men... Like a soldier..." she realises and Vapooliar starts to smile ever so slightly. She points in that direction with her ears.


    "Very well." Vapooliar remarks as she starts to walk away as the ears suggest.


    "Still no bugs?" I ask in a hushed tone.


    "No..." Vadei answers as she slinks away from the chamber. Taking one last glance at all the half-eaten bodies and mucky bones, I turn away.


    "Wonderful." I let out as I drag the sledge onto the path out of here. Watching the other four from behind, I follow the midgets as they take point. Soon enough, I start to hear something myself and I stop alongside everyone else.


    "Maybe trap." Heiya''s Father cautions as his daughter surveys the tunnel ahead through her sights.


    "I can''t hear anything other than them." Vadei tells him.


    "There is no strong magic around here either." Vapooliar points out to which the elderly creature just shrugs.


    "Get caught." he comments with a shrug as we start to move again.


    "DON''T JUST LEAVE US ON OUR OWN AT THE VERY LEAST YOU ACCURSED, SHELLED FREAKS!" echoes a furious shout alongside the sound of shaking bars. Somehow catching whispers again despite the greater noises, I shake my head and pick up the pace. Everyone is hurrying along and I do not want to be left behind. Not here most certainly not!


    Watching the chambers and tunnels pass by, I pick up on a pattern. There are no bugs at all anywhere. No dead ones, no somehow sleeping ones... There is nothing at all.


    "H-HEY! WE HEAR YOU! SHOW YOURSELVES DAMMIT!" the same man roars as he starts to run at his bars. Arguments erupt from behind the bars between thunderous bangs.


    "Calm down before you bring them on top of us!" I screech through clenched teeth as I catch up and return to the group.


    "I''ll break the cage, everyone make sure to cover a tunnel. We need to move quickly." Vapooliar explains before rushing ahead towards the noise.


    "Val... Valkinvar! You made it!"


    "Valkinvar!?"


    "The Valkinvar is alive!?"


    Coming to a stop in front of the prison, I look inside towards the dozen or so soldiers. Each one has ringed coats of some kind and Vapooliar is actively excited to see them. Whoever they are, the feeling is mutual and I am quickly swarmed. The crate is nearly emptied and I am left staring at the last gun in there.


    There''s some other stuff as well, though, so I hold off on disconnecting myself from the sledge. Overwhelmed by the crowd, I move closer to the rusty, iron bars of the prison and I knock a small fist on them. It is odd seeing a prison with bars. Bars are a physical metaphor for the meritocratic lifestyle back home.


    They make it hard to move forward, but with skill and determination, one could move ahead if one tried skillfully or hard enough. It''s why prisons back home are always solid walls. You will not go anywhere for however many years you racked up. You will wallow in your right-done misery.


    "Is everyone familiar enough with how these weapons work?" Vapooliar asks the soldiers. Her response is a mixture of shrugs, eager remarks about our departure and what I assume to be salutes.


    "What''s the plan, Valkinvar?" the distinctly filthy-faced man asks as he otherwise stands out from the crowd. Unlike everyone else, his uniform is far puffier and involves fewer rivets. Mostly white and shades of grey, his clothes have one other distinction. A badge or symbol of some kind, one marked with a somewhat detailed cannon and battleaxe.


    "We escape. Now, where are the bugs, Battcomm?" Vapooliar asks the man.


    "None! They just seemed to disappear from our sight... However long ago that was!" Battcomm answers before he gets frustrated at his gun. It seems a little odd that they are all struggling the way they are with the guns, actually.


    "I need you to be more specific, Battcomm." Vapooliar insists as her sword-grip tightens.


    "Yes, Valkinvar, sorry, Valkinvar. About one cycle ago." Battcomm clarifies as Vapooliar looks around the inter-section-like space we are in.


    "Jaadagoren go away... Dammit... Just go away, no one wants your trickery." I swear quietly as Vapooliar struggles to make a choice.


    "Nin, Vadei, do you hear anything?" Vapooliar asks us as she moves the soldiers aside.


    "Whispers." I mutter as I scratch my head and look in the direction of the strange noise.


    "I can''t pick out anything over all this noise..." Vadei explains as the two midgets come forth.


    "We push." Heiya''s Father tells us as he gestures down one path. Leaving the four to bicker and argue, I start to wander away. The whispers are coming from the tunnel that is on our immediate left back when we were approaching the prison. Staring down the dark hole, I try to actually hear the whispers rather than just let them stay incoherent.


    Or, rather, the whistle of the wind it seems...?


    "Nin. Don''t wander off." Vapooliar warns as she suddenly grabs my arm. Blinking, I look back at her and nudge my head in the direction of the tunnel.


    "There''s wind coming from this tunnel." I tell her and everyone hears me.


    "What happens if it''s just another path back to the forest!?" Vadei complains as arguments break out throughout the small chamber.


    "Quiet!" Heiya''s Father barks with surprising power. Firmly setting his gun into his little, furry hand, his grizzled features survey the tunnels he can see down.


    "It''s a risk we will need to take... Everyone, form up. I want you all ready to shoot our way out if need be." Vapooliar tells everyone as she brings me along with her initially. Freeing myself from her arm, I fall behind and most of the soldiers overtake me. But Battcomm lingers at my side and he stares at me. Brushing his bushy, ill-kept beard with dirty fingers, he makes some noise.


    "What''s a kid like you do to get the Valkinvar-Imdvarce''s ear like that?" he asks and I blink at the word.


    "V-Vapooliar?" I ask just to make sure I am understanding him right.


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce." he growls firmly as his weapon slaps gently against his hand. Whilst I have felt a bullet against my forehead, I am not keen to feel one of these things do the same. Bullets are one thing, steel-melting fire, light, whatever is something else. So, I play along with his warning.


    "Right, the... Valkinvar." I stick to saying as I am at least able to pronounce that well enough on the fly.


    "Just be glad I ain''t got a boom-pike, if I had one of them, I''d ram it up your front and drop the barrel." he tells me and I am left further confused. What''s a boom-pike...? I know pikes are long, pointy sticks, but what does the ''boom'' entail? Is it a gun with a bayonet, it must''ve been, right?


    "So, to answer your question, anyway... I... I helped her escape. I am helping her escape." I explain, correcting myself halfway.


    "She helped you." Battcomm scoffs as he pinches my thin, scrawny arm.


    "Can you not, Battcomm?" I ask and he guffaws in my face.


    "That''s not my name, Kid, it''s Rohlant." Rohlant clarifies and I frown.


    "And mine is Nin, not Kid..." I tell him as I start to glare back.


    "That''s enough, both of you." Vapooliar says back to us as I break off the glare. Looking down at my armoured arm, I sigh quietly. I know I don''t look like the heroic or powerful type. But, since waking up in this damn mountain, really, I''ve been quite strong...


    Breaking rocks, trees!


    I guess it doesn''t matter now, anyway, I''m not going to have to prove myself if at all. By sheer luck, we managed to walk in on enough soldiers to nearly empty the crate. We now have a small army to rely on. Each one with a gun to fire at the bugs!


    I can just linger at the back and let the professionals do their thing. However, I am not sure about these whispers. Some conversation is keeping everyone sane right now, but I can still hear them. The whispers are surprisingly noisy, always in my head...


    "What''s up with you?" Rohlant asks as he shows off his scarred, pale eye.


    Looking towards our back, into the stalking darkness, "I don''t know..."

 Vol 1 Incline 23: Nin

    The feeling of the wind grows stronger. The scent of fresh air makes Vadei''s nose dance with joy and we all pick up the pace. Pushing forward with Vapooliar and some of the soldiers, we inch closer and closer to freedom. Murmurs become joyful remarks but caution remains on everyone''s minds.


    There have been no bugs thus far...


    We have seen the signs of them and we keep finding big footprints that lead nowhere. But, in terms of seeing them, not at all. It is strange that we spent all that time preparing for what appeared to be no reason at all. Yet, better safe than sorry, I suppose.


    "What is going o-" I start to say before Rohlant''s dirty hand covers my mouth sharply.


    "Do not finish that sentence." the superstitious soldier tells me as he firmly glares into my eyes. Looking away, I shut up and scratch my head.


    "Yeah, don''t spook the poor old artillery officer." one of the soldiers huffs in bemusement as he backs up closer towards me.


    "Be quiet, Footman Envo." Rohlant rumbles with a click of his tongue at the end.


    "What was that, Battcomm Rohlant? Didn''t quite get that, try shouting it instead." Envo taunts as he recoils from the back-of-the-head smack a colleague gives him.


    "How is it we managed to survive that valley with you, exactly?" another soldier asks as he lowers his gun. Looking towards what must''ve been the exit, that same soldier sighs in relief as a gust travels towards us.


    "Recklessness is as valuable as caution, Aarut." Envo explains as he fiddles with his gun some more. Hearing another remark about ''boom-pikes,'' I start to get curious. I don''t like just walking through these dark tunnels. Speaking to someone should help, maybe.


    "So, what''s a ''boom-pike,'' exactly? A few of you have commented about it." I ask as we transition from the damp soil of the hive to the mountain''s actual, stone body. Thankfully for our ears, the rock is quite wet so the sledge isn''t as noisy as it could have been. Though, still, hearing the scrape of weighted steel on bare rock makes me shiver. If we have somehow lucked out thus far, this noise will doom us.


    We might as well just play the Unwote-calling music as loud as it can be!


    "A hunk of junk." Aarut answers and Envo gives him a look.


    "At least we know how to use them!" he tells the other soldier before they devolve into bickering.


    Stepping closer, Rohlant puts his arm around me, "You know what a pike is?"


    "Yes, pointed stick, no?" I answer, feeling like it was a bit of a silly question.


    "Close enough, so, pike, gunpowder-fed tube on the underbelly. Perfect weapon for breaking formations or gutting an armoured ryphurgok." he explains to me and, somewhat being an engineer, it sounds clunky to me.


    "How do you even fight with one of those? A long stick is hard enough to control." I comment, recalling some of the times I have held hollow steel pipes during my time working.


    "You set the men up, brace your weapon and you wait for the order." Rohlant huffs with the roll of his one good eye.


    "But even then, just a line of pointed steel is better, no? Just keep pushing with a bed of nails..." I argue as I try to think of a mental image that works for me.


    "Clearly, you need to spend some time on a field against ryphurgoks." he tells me as he shakes his head.


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    "I... I don''t even know what they are..." I say as we come up upon a vast chamber. It seems to be completely empty, but at the far end of it, there is light. Moving to my right a little, I even catch a glimpse of a tree rustling in the wind.


    "THE EXIT!" Vadei howls excitedly as she starts to bounce with joy.


    "Move ahead with caution, stay together even outside." Vapooliar tells us as her wisps start to spread out across the chamber. This place is massive, but, even high up, there is nothing. It feels artificial but I see no signs of tools having done this. Not a single rusty tool anywhere at all, either.


    Oddly, though, despite her excitement just now, Vadei is now still...


    "Uh..." she lets out as her ears act up. Looking around, I see nothing but the whispers are clearer than ever. Hive, they keep repeating that term. Tasks for the hive, jobs that need to be done for the hive.


    Something I need to do for the hive...?


    Shrugging it off at first, I step forward and freeze up as a noise chases after us. A roar... No... Hundreds!


    "EVERYBODY MOVE!" Vapooliar barks furiously before she suddenly appears at my side. Feeling the wind follow her, her hand stops me and she pushes me back. But, I can''t move. There are so many roars coming at us from the tunnel we just left.


    "Vapooliar..." I go as she steps closer to the tunnel. She looks around the rock and her sword starts to glow.


    "Nin, stay with the others, I''ll be right behind you." she tells me as she stabs her sword into the rock with its edge facing my way. She takes a preparatory breath and forces the blade''s flat face upwards against and through the rock. Chunks burst out towards her and cracks start to spread instantly away from the blade. Grunting, she snaps the blade out of the rock and a brief shower of shards comes with it.


    "Vapooliar... You might have underestimated how strong you are!" I point out as the cracks surge towards the chamber''s ceiling. Only one chunk falls and shatters at first, but it is just the first one in an escalating, pouring stampede of debris.


    "Nin, go!" she tells me as she starts to run for the exit. Taking her words to heart, I chase after her with the sledge. A man screams at my side and something warm squirts out at me. Tasting blood, I start to feel cold and I go faster. But, looking at Vapooliar''s armour, I contemplate taking it off abruptly.


    I can just leap for the exit if I do!


    Spotting a space that looks safe, I go there and try to pry at least some of the armour off. Behind me suddenly rings out with a bang and I stare wide-eyed at the boulder-crushed sledge. Stopping my efforts with the armour, I turn around carelessly and get caught in the straps. Swearing under my breath I snap them off and stumble into another boulder.


    It wasn''t there a moment ago...


    "You''re joking..." I mutter before my gaze snaps towards the tunnel as a bug hops into the open. Watching it roar with spread-out arms, I panic and shove another boulder out of the way. Following the developing maze, the roars get closer and closer until one goes off in my face. Staring up at the beast, I dive down into a tight passage just as a sharp, chunky rock falls.


    Bug blood splatters across my face.


    "VAPOOLIAR!? VADEI!? HEIYA!? ANYONE!?" I cry out as chitters and roars come at me from all sides.


    "Ni-" I barely pick up as I stumble towards the light. Clenching my gun against my chest, I prepare myself. This is the situation it is meant for... Now is the time to use it.


    See them, pull the trigger!


    Spotting a bug, I pull it and its top vanishes as emerald-laced yellow light shoots from the barrel. Going along with the kick of the weapon, I fall against unstable rubble. It rolls down my back and front and I trudge towards the light. Firing my weapon again at the bugs, I find an open path. Backing up along it, I keep firing my weapon erratically at anything.


    Flashes of bug outlines. The sound of their roars and chitters. The ones who step clearly before me. Nothing at all.


    "NOT NOW!" I roar at my gun as it starts to just click. Turning around towards the light, I rush to it with all I have as my back hairs stand up. The air swooshes behind me and my chest clenches up. Roars go off right in my ear and the rocks seem to fall in front just to spite me.


    "NIN!" I hear Vapooliar call out into the cave as emerald light starts to fill the collapsing chamber.


    "VAPOOLIAR, I''M HERE!" I cry as I climb up onto a deeply lodged boulder. Slipping on something, my foot gets grabbed by a bug. Pulling it free with one clean motion, I start to laugh as I panic. Jumping over to the next boulder, I slip down into an open path and the others come into sight.


    "COVERING FIRE!" Vapooliar orders the soldiers as she waits with held breath. Yellow bolts whizz past me and bug screams propel me onwards. Mixed in with the bolts, singular bangs ring out and sharp whistles. One bug goes down at my side from a sudden burst in its skull.


    Reaching out for Vapooliar, she does the same as the exit grows wider and wider, closer and closer!


    "You are mine." a voice clearly chitters inside of my head as the mountain suddenly slides shut. Crashing against the rock and not breaking it in the slightest, I stare at the immediate darkness in front of me. Not moving at all, the roars get closer and closer as do their footfalls.

 Vol 1 Incline 24: Vapooliar

    "Nin!?" I let out as we all step away from the coiling stone that just suddenly appeared. Readying my blade, I bring its tip up and my magic builds up around me. Resonating around me, the air erupts into a cloudy boom and I smash through the rock. Bringing with me the light of a Valkinvar and the Orbital-Halo, I light up the dark chamber.


    "VAPOOLIAR!" Nin cries joyfully from right below me. The osibindah are drawing close!


    "HELP NIN OUT!" I roar at the soldiers before I dive down at the closest osibindah, crushing them. Cutting several more down immediately after, I survey the chamber in one motion. The only thing here that could''ve done what just happened is here. The Earth Shaman is here!


    I spot him in the darkness, his crude staff and vile form surrounded by pale, brown light.


    Shooting straight for the rust-armoured osibindah, I aim my blade at its torso. It sends a stone construct at me and I switch my blade''s position to block it. Rock explodes around me as my steel meets its stone and I push back against it. I hear the sounds of another construct come for me from behind.


    Breaking free of the trap, I escape into the brief patches of open air and float by the lurching construct.


    "That which we broke comes before us again." the Earth Shaman remarks as its platform coils higher at the far end of the chamber.


    "You never broke me, you just dragged in the work of the one that did!" I hiss as the emerald-haired man''s sickly face flashes in my eyes.


    Charging again, I go up and around its next attack and go for its body again. Digging my bare fingers through its body of solid rock, I pull myself up and run along the lengthy construct. Each step is forceful and well-intended to break the manipulated earth apart. Smashing aside a falling boulder, I continue the swing into a downward arc and slice the worm apart.


    The Earth Shaman laughs with a low tone and the damage is undone with a wave of its hand. Barely having time to widen my eyes, the remade worm smacks me aside. Crashing through the bugs and stopping in a crater, I growl. Blasting out of the rock, I point my sword tip up again.


    The worms start to cross-hatch as the Earth Shaman vanishes from view. Turning to block its sudden blow from below, it forces me away with its worms. Pressing up against the chamber''s ceiling, I lean against the flat of my blade. The stone cracking around me falls and disappears into the solid rock as if it isn''t even there.


    Sneering at the strange magic, I push. Forcing myself further into the ceiling, I force the worm back with my whole body. Cracks snap into existence across it like bolts of Thurnmourer''s lightning.


    "I am not easy prey for you, Osibindah!" I hiss through gritted teeth as the worm''s head pops into smaller tendrils. Twisting away to the edge of them, the air erupts and I appear in a fresh crater marked by slabs of stone spikes. The blood of crushed and maimed osibindah all around me.


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    It laughs once again, "Valkinvar-Imdavarce! The Style of the Thrusting Advance... So easily led astray..."


    "Nin!?" I question and I turn towards the entrance. I can''t see him, where is he!?


    "So easily." the Earth Shaman repeats as a dozen worms suddenly surround me. Moulding together, they trap me awkwardly in a sphere of spreading rock. Entombed, I start to tremble with fury. My emerald power blinds me and I sense the cracks in the rock.


    "DO NOT TEST ME, EARTH SHAMAN!" I roar as I scatter its weapon across the collapsing chamber. Blasting away the shower of boulders and shards for a brief moment, I create a pocket of empty air.


    "You should''ve submitted and be joined with the Queen...!" it rumbles in what I can only understand as reverence.


    "NO MORE SHALL EVER BE FORCED TO JOIN WITH YOUR QUEEN!" I scream as a vortex erupts around my sword. Shooting towards the osibindah, I barge through its amassing defence and I break through to it. Hearing metal pierce metal, I drive my blade forward as far as it will go. Swinging my blade upwards and over, the coat of rusted helms shatters and splits as it roars and I dive for the outside as more rubble falls.


    Sliding into and then along the untainted dirt, I swing my blade down to my side and stand up. Unsure how to react to the cheers, I stare back at the soldiers and my group as they approach me. Spotting Nin as he laughs quietly to himself, I walk up to him. Ignoring the soldiers for the moment, I look down at Nin as he leans forward into his hands.


    "I told you to run." I huff, somewhat annoyed at the fact he was the last one out. But, regardless, I am glad most of us managed to get out. From a glance, I can already tell we lost some of the soldiers. Who and when, I cannot figure, but, I know I owe them the greatest favour I can give.


    I will be diligent in calling for Waionr on their behalf, even if I would do so with great shame.


    It may not have been on a battlefield against our hated foe. But the men we have lost died as soldiers despite the lowness of our foe. They deserve a proper burial. I just hope I can find their bodies in due time so that they may be cremated...


    "I thought I was a goner..." Nin remarks as he stumbles onto his backend. Noting his pale face, I offer him my still-armoured hand with a smile. He fought his way out of there and held on. I am happy to have my doubts about him proven wrong.


    A set of snaps sound from the mountain!


    It comes to life as if it is a beast. Erupting towards us, something laughs boisterously from within as a jaw of jagged, rocky teeth comes for us. Moving to react, I suddenly stop as pain makes my lungs empty. Spitting up blood, I look down as a small stone worm drills its way into my wound.


    I am confused, I won...?


    But, no, Nin is scrambling to his feet as a mountain moves to swallow me whole. The Earth Shaman is alive and well and darkness is all around. Nin''s muffled voice calls out to me and a pair of hands smack against my chest and I go flying. My back hits the ground and I slide along it.


    Tearing the stone worm out, I howl against a closed mouth as I force my way to my feet. Just in time to watch as the osibindah''s claws envelop Nin. Our eyes meet just before he is grabbed. He vanishes deep underground as does the mountain...


    Only a pile of rubble remains, it seems as if the chamber just collapsed as it should have. Stumbling forwards with blood running down my gut-clenching hand, I fall into the bite-taken earth. Pulling myself up, I fall against the rock with my sword at the ready. Driving it in once, my eyes start to water.


    I was supposed to have saved him... We were all finally out of the hive. This was all going to be put behind us...! But, no, he had to sacrifice himself to save me, a worthless failure of a former Valkinvar!


    "No... No! NO! NIN!" I cry as I desperately, furiously dig for him.

 Vol 1 Incline 25: Nin

    Hitting the floor, I flip myself over and scramble away from the hulking bug. A sickly brown aura outlines it in the dark and rocks float away from us. Glancing down at the armour on my right arm, my heart beats. Two choices, I can only make one.


    Charging the bug, I swing my right fist with all I have!


    Catching my fist in a pocket of glowing rock, the bug chitters as I turn cold, "I told you that you will be mine."


    "WHAT DO YOU WANT!?" I roar as I try to pull my arm out of the tightening rock-grip.


    "You." it chitters as it motions its staff downwards. Shooting to the ground, rocks start to cacoon all around me and an explosion shakes the underground. Watching the walls move, I rise into the air as the rocks start to dig into me harmlessly. Stroking its splitting jaw, the bug moves closer.


    Its free claw runs across my trapped body until it reaches my neck. Clenching down on it, I choke. But, it scoffs and lightens the grip. Breathing in what I can, the bug casually lifts me about.


    "Hive... Relocation, maybe. Deeper underground, for now." it mutters and ponders with a chitter as it moves its staff. The debris all around us suddenly flies away and a chamber instantly appears. Blinking at the sight, the earth continues to part ways until a tunnel further down is revealed. Feeling a sudden tightness, I try to pry my neck free.


    "LET GO OF ME!" I roar as the bug starts to drag me into the darkness of the deep earth. Bouncing with every clattering step down the bug takes, I start to breathe more than think. The sounds of the bugs are everywhere. I cannot fight back just like before.


    I woke up in this mountain powerless and I return to it powerless...


    There is something new now, though. The whispers are now screams, screams of pain-filled women mixed with the chatter of bugs. It physically hurt to hear this noise but this staff-holding bug listens as if it is sweet music. It''s relieved to hear it.


    I just want Undwote to find me already. I want him to take my life before it even comes to an end as an act of kindness. Anything to make the noise stop! Anything...


    "Soon." the bug chitters against my face as the sound vanishes. Muffles still reach me, but it''s now quiet. Falling to the ground, the rock I was trapped by blows off of me. Now dust.


    My gut quivers at the wet sensation the floor has. I lean mostly against my armoured right side as I stand up and surprisingly bright lights flash into existence. Covering my eyes, the bug steps into the newly lit path. Turning to me, that brown light surrounds its staff and I am pushed towards it by stone from behind.


    Going up against its three-digit palm, a wave of goosebumps travels around my body. Its claw moves to my head and it clasps my scalp. Going along with whatever its strength demands of me, I try to keep my fearful gaze on it. The armoured bug''s head moves closer and it inspects me, chittering as it looks me over.


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    Throwing me away with a growl, I hit the ground and shake my head as I push up. A brick-like foot squelches into the muck in front of me. Unlike the usual colour of the bugs, this one is pale like sandy clay and it is covered in darker spots of washed-out brown. And, around its ankles...


    Ruined rusty bracelets, like I have...


    Blinking at the sight, I slowly get up and seemingly forget what I am looking at. I feel barely anything and I stare back at the dark-eyed creature. It snaps its jaws at me and my gaze returns to the bracelets. Why, why does it have something from my home?


    More chitters fill the room, footsteps follow them. I blink and I am surrounded by dozens of bugs, just like the other one. Each of them has bracelets like mine. All of them bear the mark of a grounder from Tobaballe...


    "The bug that opens up..." I realize quietly as the rattling of metal precedes a claw wrapping around the back of my neck. Rising into the air, the air brushes harshly against me and I am presented to the lights. Feeling a drop, I panic until I hit the ground. Scrambling up, I look around.


    "What is this... Some kind of... Fighting pit..." I slowly realize once I am done being confused by strange recollections about betting on trained rodents.


    "Kill him." the armoured bug orders from on up high. The ground suddenly squelches violently and muck is thrown about. Stepping away with my arms close to me, I face the noise. A patterned bug rises to its full height and it roars with claws thrown wide.


    Backing up as it charges me, I dive out of the way and it claws the wall instead. Feeling its clutches reach for my boot, I kick away at it erratically. Digging my hands into the ground, I throw myself as far away as I can. Spinning along the muck, I struggle to figure out where the bug is charging from.


    Sliding along further, it grabs onto me and roars once again. Claws grab my head and a slight pressure appears as it clearly exerts. Growling, its thumb-claws move over my eyes and they press down. I feel the points press against the eyelids but nothing else and I find myself turning calm.


    Feeling its weakness, I tremble and my blood reaches the boil, "GET YOUR DAMN CLAWS OFF OF ME!"


    Returning the favour, I slap away at the air until I find a head. Scuttering my fingers across it, I find its eyes. Placing my thumbs on the slimy surfaces, I dig them in until liquid runs out onto them. Howling against its cries, I brace my thumbs inside of its damn bug skull and I pull outwards!


    A wet snap and crack fill the air and blood splatters over me. Chucking the pieces of bug skull away, I wipe my face clear of the yellow gunk. Punching the earth on my way up, I take two wide steps as my body pulses with energy. Blinking as I shake uncontrollably, I look down at the dead bug.


    I spot a skull, a human skull.


    "So that was what was going to happen to me..." I say slowly as the bracelets start to make sense. Iishar and everyone else are dead, the bugs got to them. Heiya and her father killed them all by bringing us here, near here...


    "Impressive, Newlyborn." the armoured bug remarks as it strokes the tip of its mandibles. The staff lights up once again. Tunnels appear on all sides and an army of roars leaves each of them. Smacking into the muck around me, lost and looted gear rains down from above.


    Among the weapons, corpses still wearing their armour and the old sledge is a small glowing container. Snatching it up, I hold it close to my heart as I think of Heiya''s father fondly for the last and only time. The thing he called protection. I can use a lot of that right now...


    "Protect me, little insect..." I mutter as I tightly clench it as something enters the light roaring!

 Vol 1 Incline 26: Heiya

    "You''re joking... I lost it in the chamber!? Could have made a fortune with it... You ain''t no friend of mine, Undwote." Paps swears in our native tongue as he walks away patting himself down. Returning my attention to the out-of-control wind magic, I rush over to the growing crater. I cover my eyes as I bathe in the pure emerald light.


    "NIN!" Vapooliar once again screams as shards of rock rain from above. Falling over, she whimpers and loses her breath as she bends forwards. Seeing the bloody excess, I grab a makeshift packet from my suit and open it up. Sliding down the crater, I slap it onto her wound and she rolls over, recoiling from the sting.


    "Stap it." I tell her as I rub the capture-sack lubricant into the wound. As I do so, the vicious winds blowing at me start to calm down and only the uncomfortable, arcane pressure remains. But, feeling her wound, I detect an odd bump. Then another.


    "AAAAAAHHHH!" she cries as her gut is suddenly thrust up. Backing away, I watch as a small stone spike pops out of her stomach wound. My eyes widen and I look back up out of the crater.


    "PAPS! BAAAYANET, NAW!" I demand before I return to keeping an eye on the growing spell-tumour. The earth slides alongside Paps and he presents my musket to me. Shaking his paws at me, he backs away and leaves me to it. Groaning at him, I brace myself before Vapooliar''s crotch and I drive the bayonet into the wound.


    The blade doesn''t even seem to bother her!


    Feeling resistance, I flick the mutating stone out of her wound by dropping my weight onto the stock. The spell-tumour flies briefly before Vapooliar catches it. Hyperventilating, she stares at me with tearful eyes as her hand trembles. Crushing the lingering problem, she lets it burst out of her fallen hand.


    "Good. Now she stop. ''Sibs stay down." Paps snorts before he climbs back out of the crater.


    "W-Where aaare yau gaing?" I ask as I pull my bent bayonet out of the still-unbothered Valkinvar. Staring at the broken tool, I unscrew it and toss it away at the former mountain. I glance down at the Valkinvar one more time and nod some of my appreciation at her. Looking over at Paps, I listen out for what he clearly wants to say.


    "We go now. Away from witch." Paps tells me before he leaves my sight. Sighing, I look back down at Vapooliar as the sedative works its way through her system. The bleeding has slowed, but not stopped. Glancing at her sword, I look at the glow it has.


    "Sameane give me aaa haaand!" I call out as I drop what I can. Stepping over the wounded human, I take the lengthy sword handle into my paws and pull. Vadei rushes up to me and she helps out once her hands find enough space.


    "What are we doing!?" she asks hastily as we hold the flat bladeface over Vapooliar.


    "Seaaaring shut this." I answer as we carefully struggle against the weighty blade. Resting it on the wound, Vapooliar hisses as she takes over with holding it still. She nods at us slowly and I clap my pawpads together before picking my musket back up.


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    "Th... Thank you..." Vapooliar answers, huffing carefully as she cautiously watches the blade''s edge. I nod and walk towards the crater''s edge.


    "Try nat ta let it apen aaagaaain." I remark mildly loudly as I crawl up to see what Paps is up to. Reaching the top, I spot the human soldiers he is conversing with. Moving closer, I hear them clearly and get the gist of it. They are looking for a way back to the Theocracy and in turn, back to their war.


    "Yes. We guide." Paps nods as I approach. Recoiling from his sudden slap, I rub my head and grumble. Did he seriously just reprimand me for shutting that howling human up!? Right whilst we are still next to an osibindah hive!


    "You lot can''t be serious, the Seven-Peaks Union ran right over us. And you lot want to just go back!?" one of the human soldiers asks as a group of three splits off from the main body.


    "We swore our oaths to Waionr and to our homeland!" another nearly shouts as he shakes his head, baffled by such words.


    "We''d be running right into their army!" the split-offs argue quite rightly. It''s all well and good to be true to your word, but, when the only option will be a fruitless endeavour...


    "So what, it''s our duty as Ironcoats of Thurn''s Forge! As men of Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy!" the loyalists spit back. The group he is with raise their guns and starts to chant an ancient tongue.


    "We knaw aaa saaafe waaay in." I point out to the disillusioned trio.


    "What a load of-" the oldest amongst them starts to swear.


    "Oh, cut it out! We have the Valkinvar!" one of them reminds everyone and my head starts to wobble. I mean, technically, he''s right, but... Looking over at the crater, I watch as Vadei helps Vapooliar out.


    "You''re heavy..." the oxfuine comments to the injured witch.


    "Valkinvar! Come, let''s bring glory Waionr on the field of honour!" one declares to the cheers of his fellows. But, slowing down from her already slow pace, Vapooliar stops and looks at them. Her body trembles and she starts to show her fury.


    Backing away, Vadei covers her ears, "I AM NOT VALKINVAR!"


    Moving my head back and blinking, I wait for the ringing in my ears to stop. That was one powerful scream. But, such vocal strength does not deter the larger group of soldiers and they start to argue amongst themselves. One steps forward with his weapon and his confusion covers his face.


    "What does that even mean...? You wear the armour, hold the sword..."


    Taking a step forward with her bladed cane, Vapooliar stares the man down, "It matters not!"


    Watching as she turns around to leave, the arguing soldiers turn hateful, "YOU TRAITOR!"


    "YOU''RE ALL LOYALTYLESS TRAITORS!"


    "WAIONR WILL NEVER COME FOR YOU!"


    "SO THIS IS JUST HOW YOU PAY BACK THOSE WHO DIED SO YOU CAN LIVE!"


    "I came to terms with that not too long ago..." Vapooliar weakly answers back as Vadei rushes about to find the aelenvari seed. Picking it up, she follows the powerful witch as she hobbles into the distance. The three soldiers who split off trail behind them and me and Paps return our attention to the others.


    "So, guide?" Paps says to get us back on track. Taking one final glance at our former campmates, I give them a small wave.


    "Yes... If you can, guide us back to the Theocracy. Get us back into the fight." he urges us as his fellows try to poke the filth out of their mail coats.


    "It cost." Paps comments plain and clearly. His paws open up in a display of empty pockets.


    "Yes, we can sort that out in the future." the soldier assures us distastefully. Motioning for them to move, the soldiers start to walk away. Moving up to Paps, I bounce my gun''s stock on the dirt as we walk.


    "Plaaan?" I ask quietly as he smirks a little.


    "Union pay well." he chuckles under his breath as he walks after the soldiers.


    "Thaaat they do." I chirp, smiling at the future sum of ransom money we''ll be getting.

 Vol 1 Incline 27: Vadei

    "Why are you following me?" Vapooliar asks as she comes to a stop with a dangerous glint in her eye. Stopping and backing up, my hairs shiver and I clutch the aelenvari seed tighter. But, I do not go far as it is dark, unlike back in the hive, she''s not as gracious with her powers. I did not just escape with them to be snatched back there in the darkness of night.


    "I feel safer with you..." I answer and the three humans mutter in agreement. Turning away from me, Vapooliar narrows her gaze at them. The oldest of the three takes charge and steps up to meet her gaze with an unwavering one of his own.


    "She''s right..." the soldier starts to say before he stops himself.


    "Vapooliar is fine." she growls, further warning them away from their trained formalities.


    "She''s right, Vapooliar. There''s safety in numbers." he finishes with a nod. Words that mean all the more given our recent efforts.


    "The other group is larger..." Vapooliar reminds him as she leans more heavily against her blade. Looking at it, the aged soldier seems to find comfort in the magic-rich steel as it slips into the earth.


    "You heard our disagreements with them. But, regardless of it, someone like you makes it all far safer." he explains as his finger wiggles at her sword. Her sword leans forwards slightly.


    Moving with heavy thrusts, Vapooliar presents her glare to him directly. Then, she looks away and her body subtly shakes. She turns around and hastily distances herself. I spot a slight shine near her eyes.


    "Do not lie to me... I cannot protect anyone." she mutters before she stabs her makeshift cane into the ground in quick succession to get away. Watching her leave, I go and catch up to her.


    "You''ve kept many of us safe." I quietly tell her, struggling to grasp the meaning of what she just said.


    "The men are less than a fraction of what they once were. Despite me being the soldier, the powerful witch of our group... Nin gave up his chance to escape for my sake." she elaborates as she starts to lean against the trees we go by. Switching between them rather awkwardly, I offer to help, but she shakes her gaze at the aelenvari seed.


    "That was his choice, Vapooliar." I say to her, but she just shakes her head with a snort. Leaving me behind once again, I wait for the three soldiers to catch up.


    "Just like it was your choice to follow a failure like me and not the slavers..." Vapooliar mutters under her breath as the rattling of riveted rings becomes clearer.


    "So, what ya have there?" the aged soldier asks as he tries to reach for it. Placing it out of his reach on my other side, I sneer at him.


    "It''s a seed." I explain as he retracts his thick-skinned hands. Sniffing the air, I pick up on the strong smell his body is rife with. It isn''t the smell of the hive, mostly. This is a far more potent, bitter smell.


    It reminds me of the campfire and the smoke barrier, too.


    "What''s it grow, then?" one of the soldiers asks.


    "A damn big tree." the last of the three jokes.


    "It''s an aelenvari seed..." I correct with a roll of my eyes.


    "An odd sight, alright. Tis rare to see something like that not in the hands of its mother." the aged soldier points out as we walk out of the shadowy tree cover. His sooty face is slightly lit up by the moonlight as am I.


    "Can you keep your distance, Sootface?" I ask as I cover my nose. The other two soldiers chuckle and Sootface looks back at them bemusedly.


    "This is how you treat your king?" he laughs back at them with an accusatory poke.


    "One, not a battlefield. Two, you got no artillery." one says and his partner bursts into laughter with him. Hearing around with my ears, I try to pick up any other sounds just in case.


    "Oh, if I could change history, Envo." Sootface remarks as he starts to tut.


    "Yeah, you could have a bath!" Envo''s partner laughs.


    "Aarut, I''ll cut and drop the big tree from that seed onto you when it finishes growing!" Sootface warns as his filthy hand motions at them.


    "You will not be dropping anything from this seed..." I hiss as I tenderly tighten my grip on the unborn child. Unsure, I stroke the seed to try and comfort it.


    "A thousand pards, your Fluffiness. Allow me to apologise by wiping my gunpowder-stained face on your tail!" he goes. Hearing that, I hide my tail away from him and I take a leaping step away from the trio.


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    "You keep the stench of ignition away from my fur!" I growl, displaying my teeth to the aged man as they calm down with the laughing.


    "Or?" he posits, much to the entertainment of his colleagues and my detriment.


    "Do such a thing and I''ll claw your eyes out!" I threaten as I show off my longer, sharper-than-normal nails. I might not be able to fill them with magic or do anything fancy, but they are weapons in their own right.


    "Oooo, the pup''s got teeth." Sootface laughs dramatically.


    "Now, now, Rohlant, don''t start doing your sapping duties now. We still need to get somewhere safe." Envo tells him as he adjusts his mail-covered tricorn.


    "I''m just flicking the match by her candle!" he complains as if it''s not a big deal.


    "You artillerymen and your slang... Matches light fuses!" Envo goes as he throws his free hand about. The other copies it, but with a gun in hand, it''s slower and noisier.


    "And a cannonball doesn''t always break the walls it fires at." Sootface huffs. But, all three of us struggle to see his point. A fired cannonball is still a rocketing, killer ball!


    "Thank the gods we don''t have to be formal with you anymore, Battcomm Rohlant." Aarut sighs and his partner stares at him. Gently backhanding his nose, Envo, moves his head away.


    "To be honest," Sootface sighs as he rubs his eyes, "I''m just glad that I can finally retire. A little different to how I had planned. But, it''s here."


    "It''s hard to believe your age sometimes, Battcomm." Aarut comments as Sootface looks ahead at Vapooliar. Matching his gaze, I frown as Vapooliar shows more and more signs of her struggle to walk. If I wasn''t fearful about her state and the vulnerability that comes with it, I''d be curious. She''s not been doing well since we left the destroyed mountain back when daylight was a thing.


    She''s only gotten worse even with the young slaver''s efforts...


    "Mm, younger than the youngest Valkinvar right there. But I don''t look the part at all." he laughs quietly.


    "Should''ve taken the earned retirement a long time ago." Envo scoffs as he shakes his head gently.


    "War still needs fighting." Sootface tells him as his expression hardens.


    "Then why did you come with us?" I ask him as his reasoning for staying on doesn''t match now...


    "We were lucky to survive that battle. We might have been captured by ''sibins after, but I''ll take what I can get. Now, I''m not going to argue the theology behind how we have survived this long... Especially not after seeing what I did before it all went into the shell craters. The battle may have been a moment, but escaping that event gave me pause. It still does." he explains solemnly.


    "Artilleryman in his little bunker gets pause from being attacked..." Aarut bitterly remarks, sparking up an inferno of tension between the three. The opinions and memories of two against one.


    "Those orbs came for us first." Sootface reminds him as the two step close to one another. Fists form and their faces remain set in their heated, determined glares.


    "You survived in rubble, we survived running in the open valley." Aarut tells him as his eyes start to make me uncomfortable.


    "That''s enough, the pair of you!" Envo goes as he forcefully steps between them and pries them apart with his arms. Shoving him away, Aarut steps around and heads into the shadowy edge of the trees.


    "We all survived that battle, that''s all that matters." Sootface murmurs as he aggressively snaps his uniform into order.


    "We''re both... Were, formal troops, Battcomm. You might hear the screams as we go down. But it''s a little different when the formation stops existing right next to you." Envo says to him before he breaks off to go after his friend.


    "I am not belittling you two. Brave pikemen, forward marching pikemen." Sootface comments under his breath before he starts to recite a war song.


    "When did the osibindah get to you lot?" I ask Sootface as he sighs at all the darkened sights about us.


    "It''s hard to say." he shrugs as we come up on a cliff of some kind.


    "Vapooliar?" I ask as I spot the injured woman as she rests against a tree. Seeing her remaining armour glint in the moonlight, I rush over to her. She''s pointing at something and I follow the direction to see what it is she wants me to see. Though, I dread that it might be something bad...


    "Can you see them?" she asks weakly. At first, I don''t spot anything in the dark, even with the unhindered moonlight, but then I hear the sounds of falling trees. From the forested valley down there at the far edge of the plains-surrounded lake comes light. Little, bright pairs that keep growing in quantity.


    Smiling, I bounce the seed slightly as if it became solid gold, "Are they?"


    "An aelenvari caravan... Yes." Vapooliar nods as her hand drops down to her side. But, looking down at the seed once again. I start to worry.


    "W-What do we do?" I ask, we have a seed on us, but, well, that is the problem. The aelenvari treat their children with the utmost care, the unborn ones, anyway. If they see it, we might get an army at our throats!


    Emerald light fills Vapooliar''s hand and she weakly tosses it into the night sky, "They''ll come to us."


    "It''s nice to know we maybe have found somewhere safe..." I remark as I collapse to my knees. Bringing my tail around, I wrap up the seed and look out at the massive caravan. More and more of them are coming into view and the land down there lights up alongside them. So many different colours of varying purities.


    And, like something divine, Vapooliar''s magic outshines them all like a lure of hope. Finally, there is somewhere safe for us to be. We go down there when we can and I no longer have to worry about there maybe being bugs behind us. The monsters in the dark will stay away indefinitely!


    "Can someone help me up? We should make use of our time and meet them in the middle." Vapooliar asks as she tries to stand up. But, against her injury, she is forced to stay down.


    "You should rest, Vapooliar." I tell her as I uncomfortably look at the dried blood around her burnt gut.


    "I don''t need rest, I need magic..." she explains as she gives it another go. Putting the seed down, I rush to help her up seeing as she insists on overcoming the pain.


    "One of you two help her!" I bark as I watch the seed. Struggling with Vapooliar''s strength and weight as the three bicker amongst themselves. One of them is shoved forwards and he takes over.


    "Easy on my shoulders now... Vapooliar." Envo cautions as he struggles to adjust himself to the situation. Relieved it''s not my back feeling the weight, I pick the seed up and start to walk down the ramp-like slope.


    "Come on now, warm beds, full meals..." I say, getting a bit dreamy towards the end. And, looking at the waterfall-fed lake on our right, I smile a bit. I finally have an opportunity to clean my fur and tail!


    "Look at it go." Aarut remarks bemusedly as he watches it swish from side to side.


    "Try not to linger, you lot!" I nearly giggle as I start to speed up down the natural ramp.

 Peak 1: The Erotic Priestess

    Running a finger along the rim of my glass, I swirl the wine about under the gentle rose light. Holding it up higher, I watch as the amber that makes up the glass taints the beautiful rose colour. Taking a final sip from it, I put it down and stand up with grace and tact. Brushing my rose-coloured dress away from my left side, I expose it with a knowing smile and I make sure the rest is tight-fitting.


    Grabbing my staff by its stalk, it sings softly as my free hand finds my bare hip. Glancing over at the entrance to my bulb, I spot a shadow moving closer. The rattle of the carefully crafted steel plate and the sharp outline of the spiked armour make it clear who it is. An appropriately ranked thorn is coming to speak to me.


    Well, as appropriately ranked as an incompletely named aelenvari can be...


    "You may enter." I answer the patient shadow brightly as I turn to look at an empty pedestal. Carefully caressing the cold, plump cushion, I frown distastefully at the thought of what it needs. A seed. But, not mine.


    "Ivy-Mother, we have found the source of that magic. Mostly travelling wind-people and an oxfuine." she answers with a respectful dim as they bow to project the light of their true-voice elsewhere.


    "Deal with them, they''re not my concern. Tell me about the paths ahead." I tell them as I start to think about my stolen love''s desires. However bitter they make me...


    "But, Ivy-Mother, they carry a seed with them!" the thorn brightens up their true-voice at.


    Turning to face her, I tilt my head and trace a hand up through my open front and up to my chin, "The seed of an unborn child?"


    "Yes, Ivy-Mother." she answers as the respectful dimness returns.


    "Bring them as far as the Sepal, I will not trek out through the Roots to meet them." I explain, placing a hand over my pair of bulbs to shutter my true-voice. Just thinking about the forefront of our flower disgusts me. However, I could bring these travellers even closer to the Stigma, maybe even into its reserved, pure and elite privacy.


    "Yes, Ivy-Mother. I shall return with them." they oblige, bowing as they leave, they close my bulb as they go. Their shadow rises back up and their outline vanishes. Others pass my bulb by, but I have no business with any of them. My attention is only for Him now, my stolen love...


    Whipping my tail in anger, I sound my exit with the forceful thrust of my tubed points. Using a gust of beautiful wind magic, I blow open the rose-red fabric entrance of my bulb. Stepping out onto the marble floor, I glance down as magic still courses through the veins of the fine stone. But, even with all their effort, the meadow-maidens make an ugly light compared to mine.


    Looking away from the great marble platform, I focus on the light of the Stigma. My stolen love is no doubt brooding over there as he has been since the incident. I may love him, but this persistence of his to find the thief is loathsome. My involvement with her disappearance is not even my concern, it''s just her!


    This admirable quality of the Gilded-Bark is being used for such a vile, ugly purpose. His dedication should be towards me, not her. But, no... In his eyes, dandelions are the most beautiful, not roses.


    I want him to understand that he is guiding us towards barren land. She is dead and unfortunately, her unborn child might be as well. They might share her blood, would they have been born, but I sensed a future man in that seed. The yellow-haired fool walked right into my trap with her unborn son as if she was just galavanting about!


    But, I am the Ivy-Mother, he is the Gilded-Bark. I cannot argue the point with him, not in open governance or within the limited privacy of mine or his bulb. His mind is set, there is no changing it, not even through my attempts at subtlety. We are stuck on this pest hunt for the time being...


    Sighing softly, I vent my frustrations as I close in on the wattle-walled throneroom. Directing my attention first upon the two blazing, crimson fires. I sprinkle holy incense into the divinely wrought fires dedicated to Pleasure and Motherhood. Going through the necessary motions, I leave them behind and smile at my stolen love.


    Every time I see him, it''s like I have only just met him. His body may be physically deformed, hardened and stiff in the wrong places and hideously covered in growths to the idiot''s eye. But, his body brims with the purest magic I have ever seen. I can barely see any of his flaws inherited from the Pestilence when his body contains such power!


    Clicking and clacking across the amber-studded marble floor, I stand before the flower''s Gilded-Bark. He pays me no mind, unfortunately, but I pay my respects all the same. Turning away from him, I reach for the ground so that he may see my well-defined lower shape. Then, I return to facing him with a pleasant rose tint on my cheeks.


    Coming up along his right side, I place my staff aside and trace a finger along his muscles. While the hardness of his skin horrifies me, I have learned to appreciate one thing about it. There is a path I can gently trace with my index finger and it leads me along his well-built frame perfectly. Reaching the end of his right arm, I wrap myself around him.


    Fitting into the gap at the side of his throne, I tenderly spread myself against him. His arm between my soft breasts, I place my head on his shoulder and the warmth on my face grows. I focus on what I can see, but, I am bitter over how I know he is not looking at me. So I try to distract my mind by looking at the opulence of the Stigma.


    Wealth is one way to put it simply, gold, gems of every kind. All of it is carved in some form of likeness reminiscent of our species'' father god, Pluuit. We aelenvari might not share the greener skin of our millennia-distant ancestors, but we remember our origins. Humans came from the spilt blood of the gods mixing with the earth during the Fourteen''s betrayal.


    We came from the garden-monts during the time of the Water Seal.


    To honour that fact, there is not a single blemish to be found anywhere. No carelessness ever made its way into our art and decoration, not up here, anyway. I''ve made a thorough effort to ensure that. It is times like this which are best suited for such inspections as well.


    My mind cannot focus so close to my stolen love, I need something to dull it. My heart despises this, however, and I cannot help but let it win. Reminding the Gilded-Bark of my presence, I return my focus to him. Pressing my chest against his skin some more, I move my lips close to his ear so that he feels my hot, sweet breath.


    His lips start to move and my thin tolerance for words is built up, "Ivy-Mother..."


    "How may I serve you, My Gilded-Bark?" I answer with my own words. Though horrible as it feels to speak, I quite enjoy the gentle song of my voice. It pairs so finely with his as if it is a perfectly woven skirt of lacey silk.


    "Why do the gods forsake me?" he asks quietly as we bathe in the shared heat of the holy fires. Holding him tighter, I want to tell him how he hasn''t been forsaken by them. I want him to feel my love for him and...


    "The gods and goddesses have not, Gilded-Bark. We move to resolve this issue as fast as we can." I explain instead to him as I trace a finger around his opposite cheek.


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    "My son, Dandel''lhia... They''re both gone... I''ll never plant him and we''ll never make more. The Pestilence cursed our kind all that time ago and I can no longer help my people. For all the things I can do, my main duty is not one of them." he despairs as the sparkles of his heartful tears light up his face.


    "There are ways around this... You are not unable to impregnate others..." I suggest, subtly glazing my lips with my tongue as I press up against him some more.


    "Ivy-Mother," he goes as he looks over at an accursed memento, "I can have a whole harem of Dandelion''lhias. Women greater than my lover ever could be. But they would not be her. They would be bodies I hold not one bit of love for."


    "There are other choices." I point out as my lips twitch near his cheek. Ever hopeful for him to just turn and place his against mine. But, he doesn''t even look my way. He just laments over the loss of his prized woman...


    An inferior breed alright, just as he said. Not worthy of a full name like me. Dandel''lhia... I am Rose''lhia!


    Ivy-Mother Rose''lhia!


    She was just Dandel''lhia...


    "No, there is only her. There will only ever be her." he snorts as he glances up at his spear as it hangs overhead. He is far too eager to stain it with the blood of an entire hive of parasites.


    "Th-" I start to say before that thorn comes rushing in without any grace or tact, something she should have. Sneering at the thorn, I rise up and away from the body of my stolen love. Grabbing my staff, I approach them as they wait for me. Looking down at them, I let my magic ebb clearly from its dangling, leaf-inspired decorations.


    "Ivy-Mother, Our Esteemed Gilded-Bark. The group the wild-seers found is here, waiting." they explain just bright enough to be seen past the holy fires. But, frankly, I am tempted to swing an ornate tube of mine against their skull. There is a certain kind of irredeemable arrogance that I detest nearly as much as the thief.


    "Ivy-Mother, attend to these people. Find out what they want and be rid of them." my stolen love orders as he bends forward to pick up the memento. Hiding my disgust and anger, I nod in understanding and I give him a parting curtsey.


    "Would you appreciate light about them before you see them, Ivy-Mother?" the thorn asks as they rise up to follow me. Swinging my hips about carefully with the vain hope my stolen love will pop a peeking glance.


    "No, I will assess it without your taint." I answer, outshining them as they bring their head down.


    "Of course, Ivy-Mother." they dimly answer as we head out into the Petals. Taking in their glances, I confidently stride past the well-dressed women of our flower''s best and brightest. Smiling at the pregnant ones, I quietly offer them blessings of Ordoar, God of Order. The First Son, luck be willing, will grant us many once we return to the garden-mont to plant them.


    "Ivy-Mother, come, let us save our flower!" a man calls out as a taint-haired rose sprawls her body over them.


    "Blessings upon you, sacred son." I brightly answer as the other men start to laugh at his failed courting. The inspiration for his current display of justly-inspired lust is appreciated, though.


    "Just up here, Ivy-Mother." the thorn tells me as she breaks away to join her fellow thorns in their protective duty. Coming to a stop at the blurry line between the Sepals and the Petals, I glance at our guests. One stands out far beyond anyone I have ever seen before, even injured, she is beautiful... I honestly struggle to keep my posture before such a beautiful woman.


    This power is immense!


    But, besides her are a far more visually manageable bunch. Three men of the wind-people, with two of them looking rather excited. I keep my disgust for their behaviour in my head, my contempt for the stems around us encouraging this stays there too. Finally, there is a root among them.


    A magicless whelp of the oxfuine...


    "Why is she here...?" I question the oxfuine as I glare at the contents of her hands. The seed in her grip. A seed I know the markings of very well. The flower may only whisper about the travellers with a seed, but I know that is the Gilded-Bark''s son...


    They''re alive.


    I recognise the taste of his magic upon its hardened shell. As did I recognise the thief''s piss-like marking of its sacred exterior. But, despite the foul mother it came from. It is detestable that such a hideous little creature holds the seed!


    I almost want to have her run through so that we may save the seed from her...


    "W-We want to trade this..." the root weakly mutters, clearly taken aback by my tone.


    "Trade?" I question, scoffing at the suggestion entirely. But, taking the seed into her grip, the injured wind-person steps forward with it. Stepping forth to meet them, I brace myself against her so that she does not fall. Feeling the power-rimming skin, I slightly catch its tan colour through my magic-focused vision.


    "P-Please... We need your help." the woman brightly answers as she does her best to show me her hand. Delicately, I fold her fingers and force the magic to dispel. I smile clearly for her and I take the seed into my hands. Letting her beautiful body stay against me, I turn my smile onto the seed.


    "How may we reward you, Champion?" I ask her with well-earned words. Yet, she just frowns at the appropriately given title. She does not want it?


    "Do not call me that, please..." she groans as she clutches her wound. Lending what power I can, I try to ease her pain. My magic is nothing compared to hers, but, even a lone coin helps the beggar.


    "Not Valkinvar, not Champion. Just hate titles now, don''t you?" one of the men remarks to himself quietly. My eyes widen and I look at the woman with newfound respect. Her armour and sword start to make so much sense now. I have seen this style before.


    Power.


    "V-Valkinvar... How may we help you?" I correct myself as she frowns at the title.


    "Rest... Food... Anything you''d be willing to part with." she begs as I start to put more of my strength towards her comfort. It is an odd experience, but such difficulties are more than deserved for a Valkinvar! Our shared kinship as holy women is one thing, but her strength... Well, if she was a he, I don''t know if I''d be able to hold myself back.


    "Take her group to a thoroughly-sized bulb, prepare them a meal... And fetch water from the lake for baths." I order everyone else present as I adjust my hold on the Valkinvar. Helping her along, I bring both her and the seed towards the Gilded-Bark. It takes some time, doing this on my own, but we make it. When we do, the Gilded-Bark stirs in a way I haven''t seen since my botched plan happened.


    "What is the meaning of this?" he asks as he watches me, completely baffled as I help the Valkinvar.


    "Do you have the strength to answer?" I ask her as she continues to stagger against me. Moving a glowing hand up, she tries to beseech the Gilded-Bark with her true-voice. Shaking my head, I stop her arm and push it down.


    "Gilded-Bark... We have come to offer you something great in exchange... For your aid." the Valkinvar explains to him as his focus stays on the seed. Doing my best to clean it, he walks slowly to it at first. Building up into a charge, he snatches it away from me and he starts to weep. Cuddling his unborn son, he wails for all to hear.


    "MY BOY!" he declares with streaming eyes as everyone -even the should-be-focused thorns- watches him.


    "It is not a dream, My Gilded-Bark." I happily inform as he holds the seed in front of himself. Trembling without control, he starts to quieten down until he is just staring at it. Turning on the centrepiece of the Stigma, his power reaches for his spear.


    "I refuse." he says as the spear lands in his outreached hand with a powerful shake.


    "My... My Gilded-Bark?" I question as he continues to protectively clutch his unborn son.


    "I will not trade my son''s life for aid." he firmly states to us. The Valkinvar starts to step away from me. Barely, she makes it to the Gilded-Bark upright.


    "My friend, the one who saved that seed, gave his life so that we could escape the osibindah with it!" she hisses as the power I have been passing onto her is put to unintended use.


    "Tell me where the hive is." the Gilded-Bark demands as he moves his spear forwards.


    "Not until his sacrifice means something!" the Valkinvar bites as her tremendous power ropes onto a far greater, more powerful artefact. Stepping into the bright, pure stream of magic, I interrupt the flow of it so I can mediate the dispute.


    This power.


    "Gilded-Bark, this Champion, on behalf of their efforts... We should help them." I explain as the Valkinvar''s power starts to cause me physical discomfort. Such raw strength focusing around me...


    He puts his spear at ease, "Fine. For the sake of the one who saved my son."


    The Valkinvar stumbles backwards and I rush to catch her, "Come, let me provide you a bed."


    "I''m... I''m fine..." she lies as she forces her way to stand by herself.


    "Valkinvar, please." I plead as she struggles to walk away.


    "Don''t call me that..." is all she has to say before she goes on her way. Watching a thorn come with my staff, I take it from them and turn to the Gilded-Bark.


    "Is there a reason to be so difficult?" I glow in question.


    "If you ever become a parent, you might understand." he answers and pain fills my chest. Finding myself in a distasteful mood, I ponder what to do.


    "They will tell us where the hive is. We''ll have our chance." I tell him with my words before I return to my bulb. Glancing over at the pedestal, I frown knowing it is going to be occupied once again. But, another thing eats away at my mind. If the seed survived by the grace of the gods and goddesses...


    Then the thief is alive too and we know where to look for her.

 Base 2: Vadei

    "Vapooliar, surely you''d take this time to... Oh, I don''t know... Rest properly now that you have an actual bed to sleep on!?" I cry out to the injured wind-person as she continues her non-stop martial practice.


    Ever since we got here, it''s all she''s done. Again and again, I am being left anxious because of these grunts of pain she is making. She''s clutching her wound knowingly but all she has been doing is train. We only have one day left before she goes out with the aelenvari''s soldiers and witches.


    I don''t understand why she feels the need to practice like this. She''s... Was a Valkinvar, she already knows all of this! Every kick and punch she has thrown out, each swing of her sword, this isn''t in need of refinement.


    The fact I feel comfortable somehow just casually walking beside her as she does it is a testament to this!


    She finishes her routine with a sudden kick, toppling a dozen trees with the force of the wind, "If you wish to rest, then do so. I cannot until I have fulfilled my duty..."


    My ears turn in the direction of a dozen falling logs whilst my face straightens out at her, "Duty?"


    Vapooliar looks at me with tired, shadow-rimmed eyes as she limply stretches her body. Reacting once again to the pain she is feeling, she holds her gut gently. I cross my arms and back away as she bathes her immediate vicinity with pale emerald magic. She sighs and her thoughts seem to linger.


    "Yes... My duty." she slowly goes.


    "With all due respect, Vapooliar. You turned your back on your actual duty in a fit of rage. We came here looking for help to save someone we barely know. You, barely know!" I point out to her as I back away some more slightly. I can''t imagine she''d be livid over my words, but, it doesn''t help to be prepared. I''d like to stay alive...


    My paranoia, though, is proven false and Vapooliar''s magic simmers down. She doesn''t raise a hand or move to do anything sly. She just frowns at the dirt beneath us. At the grass she has both shredded and flattened with her awesome power.


    "I know enough..." she answers with an almost mute voice.


    "Then please, tell me what you know of him?" I sarcastically ask, ready to dismiss anything she might say. I want to hammer in how idiotic she is being at the moment. To try and get her to at least take the idea of looking after herself seriously... This training isn''t going to help her, if anything, it will only be to her detriment.


    And, frankly, I''d rather not be forced out into the wilderness by these snooty aelenvari...


    "He''s rather young... Surprisingly young. He''s... Not from anything particularly noteworthy by his own admission..." she slowly recollects and I raise a finger with each claim. Glancing at the v-shape I am left with, I put them down. I turn my unimpressed gaze onto her and she goes quiet.


    "Face it, Vapooliar. You don''t know enough if anything. You''re just being clingy." I say to her and she turns away to look at some trees.


    "I... I owe it to him after everything he did for me..." she tells me as she returns to facing me.


    "Wow, a whole shove." I comment as air blasts through my nose.


    Her eyes narrow and I take note of this, at the moment, gentle anger...


    "Look... I may not know you well myself, I won''t pretend to. Nor will I go about making assumptions. But I do know one clear fact about you, Vapooliar. You are a soldier, so much of your life involves individuals going out of their way to help others at the expense of their own lives. Maybe, possibly, I don''t know the specifics. But, the Ho is not special in that regard..."


    "His name is Nin..." she sneers as her blade moves. The hairs on my back move slightly, but otherwise, I keep still.


    "I know what his name is," I spit out in response to her correction, "but until I see that he is different. I will not speak his name."


    "You can''t just judge him for the actions of others." Vapooliar tells me and I scoff.


    "I can, however, judge him for his lack of action when he saw me and my family chained up tilling their fields!" I snap as I recall when I first saw him. Sat up there in that monstrous machine right next to the evil woman herself.


    "Now that is just not fa-"


    "Don''t you start telling me about fair! Or do I need to repeat myself? Hm!?"


    Silence falls on us and my aggression drains away through my nose. Our eyes briefly meet and mine turn towards the dirt. I kick at it as my hands pick away at my tail as it swings closer to my flexing fingertips. Vapooliar starts to shuffle about and I return my focus to her.


    "It doesn''t matter... It doesn''t matter if I don''t know him fully. I will have plenty of time to do that when I return him the favour for what he did for me twice. My duty to him may not be one driven by oath or faith. But it is one driven by a crucial moment in my history and I will at least see him smiling in the warmth of the Orbital-Halo''s light rather than stuck in the darkness of that abominable hive!" she declares in a grandiose manner.


    "Well let''s hope what you say about him is as true as the stone you etch it on." I say as my ears turn first towards the approaching aelenvari. Led by the rose-red-haired one in the skimpy but heavily decorated dress. A dozen or so aelenvari fully-armoured soldiers follow after her in a protective crescent. Well, ''fully-armoured'' might be pushing it...


    What they have on is more equivalent to lingerie, albeit, with the usual trappings of armour. Admittedly, I like the way some of it looks and how their figure is displayed despite the often thorny, leaf-shaped armour plates. But, still looking over at what is left of Vapooliar''s armour, it seems odd. Like an erotic underwear maker decided to try their hand at making armour.


    A decent amount is covered, but a lot of their bodies also aren''t. However, knowing what I do about the aelenvari, these open areas are probably a show of strength. Magic makes the body stronger amongst other things. It makes me grumble in the back alley of my mind as it all confuses me sometimes.


    Why can''t it just stay simple and be ''magic-user shoots some wind from their hands,'' done and dusted! None of this material-altering stuff...


    "Honoured guest, is there anything you require?" the leading rose asks us as her hands come together. Sneering, I hide my face as she moves closer to Vapooliar. Yeah, I get it... I''m me...


    Surprisingly, though, she only just spoke in words, none of this light business.


    "No, no we are fine, Ivy-Mother. Your caravan has done more than enough for my companions and me." Vapooliar answers and the aelenvari noble laughs.


    "Nonsense! You are Valkinvar yet you are still dressed in that filthy thing as if you are no better than a root! I''m sorry, Valkinvar, but I must ask you to come with me for the betterment of all." the Ivy-Mother explains haughtily as they sneer in disgust at the torn-up overalls. I''m pretty sure I even catch that sneer facing me briefly...


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    "I''m fine, Ivy-Mother, but thank you for the offer." Vapooliar tells her as she tries to get back into her pointless training regime. The aelenvari, however, makes a point of getting in her way.


    "Let me put it this way then, Valkinvar. You want to go out to save someone dear to you? Oh, don''t give me that look, Dear. No one would put in such effort for a mere friend you met over a meal. My experience with our Gilded-Bark has taught me that very clearly with his... Affection... For his beloved. However, to keep to the point, if the Champion is so important to you then surely you should be a sight worth seeing, no?"


    Oddly, Vapooliar seems to be almost offended by her words, "If I save him then I will be more than enough for him to look upon."


    "Valkinvar, Valkinvar..." the Ivy-Mother tuts as she walks around the powerful soldier. One of her hands gesture towards but narrowly avoid contact with the overalls. Though, she is more than happy to place her hand on what is left of Vapooliar''s armour.


    Or Vapooliar herself.


    "When you meet with the Champion again. He will be filthy and scarred from battle. No one in their right mind would appreciate seeing someone they thought they saved looking no better than them. He will think that his efforts meant nothing, that you wasted them. Again, I must insist that you let us dress you well so that you may that his efforts were fruitful." she explains as her narrow, fuzzy tail excitedly whips about.


    Vapooliar quietly ponders her words as she keeps her eyes on the curvaceous woman. She touches her ruined armour and the same-state overalls almost nostalgically. She starts to nod and the Ivy-Mother''s smile grows. Vapooliar reluctantly lets go of the overalls and she meets the aelenvari''s mostly black eyes with her brown ones.


    "I guess you have a point... It will be best for him. It is also rude of me to carry on wearing these even as I make use of your efforts to look after us." Vapooliar lets out as she plants her sword into the ground.


    "Excellent! If you''ll come with me then, Valkinvar... And we will try our utmost best to dress you in something more fitting for your station!" she tells Vapooliar as she tries to direct her in the direction she and her retinue approached us from. Stopping her, Vapooliar gestures for me and my lowering ears reverse their direction.


    "Might as well sort you out too." Vapooliar tells me as she brings me in close.


    "Of course... She may come as well." the aelenvari lets out as she hastily steps away from me. Her disgust is evident. Growling quietly, I stick to Vapooliar as if she suddenly became my mother.


    We depart the gradually growing field and pass through the downed forest. The caravan has changed a lot since we first arrived, lots of thick, brown leather tents now dominate the front. Makeshift streets have propped up all around us and the ground has become a well-pierced path covered in narrow holes. Despite the population of this place as well, little gets in our way thanks to the aggression of the aelenvari soldiers.


    Aelenvari dressed in a similar material to the tents are violently forced away. Many more are smart enough to move aside on their own with the elders remarking about it to their juniors. Yet, somehow, despite their treatment, they still seem to look at the Ivy-Mother with joy. At least, that''s what I am assuming as I can barely see a thing past those thickly padded visors they have.


    I look away in disgust as I start to think of my pack members back in Tobaballe. Images of all they have gone through, what I went through, they''re all over my mind. I cower more so into the shadow of Vapooliar. If I wasn''t with her, I''d be treated this way...


    Thankfully, we reach the richest part of the caravan relatively quickly. Coming up on an extravagant tent woven out of many different colours, we enter it as the soldiers vanish. All about the interior and the exterior are these pieces of inlaid metal that seemed to be telling a story. Whatever it is, though, I do not know.


    "Alright then, as you can see Valkinvar. We have more than enough material for you to choose from. We can work something up quickly and have it be ready before you leave... Or, we can look through the already-made pieces and work something out now." the Ivy-Mother tells her as her hands and tail run through all of the clothing hanging about. There''s even some armour on display, though, compared to even what''s left of Vapooliar''s...


    It might as well just be decoration rather than something practical.


    Obviously, I catch Vapooliar eyeing them mostly as she seems to nervously rub an arm with the opposing hand. I assume she wants to try and get something as close to her usual attire as possible. But, well, good luck with finding anything that can be called ''full'' here. She certainly needs it with how much she is refusing to look at any further.


    Though taking the opportunity, I try to see if there''s anything I might like... Would be nice to get out of these slave rags finally. Soaking in the water has managed to relieve my fur somewhat of the smell of smoke. But, when I keep putting on these damn rags afterwards...


    There''s more to it than just that, I suppose. The damn ''petals'' refuse to let me use brushes, soaps or perfumes and I only get filthy water to wash in. I spend all this time looking like a wrinkly old bitch just trying to clean my tail... All these aelenvari do is dismiss me with arrogant huffs while they worship the ground Vapooliar walks on.


    "No... This won''t do at all..." Vapooliar dismays as she finishes looking through all of the armour pieces. Leaving my miserable train of thought, I look back over at her and the selection she has. Briefly hiding my face with my tail, I return to her. Everything here is certainly armour by the loosest definition of the word.


    "Is there a problem?" the Ivy-Mother asks as she returns from admiring other pieces. Her face lights up with joy and she takes a liking to Vapooliar''s current inspection. A white dress of some kind.


    "None of this is any-" Vapooliar tries to say before her attempts to put the dress away are overruled.


    "Oh, yes, this will definitely work for you, Dear." the Ivy-Mother interrupts as she takes the pristine, pearly white dress out fully.


    "No... I need something practical. But all your armour is far too exposed!" Vapooliar tries to explain as the Ivy-Mother shakes her head. Though, I am finding it slightly funny. A soldier trained in the best ways to protect herself is trying to pick something out from a collection meant for aelenvari. A culture that loves to heavily emphasise how beautiful one is supposed to be.


    "Well, of course...? Why wouldn''t we want to show off your perfection?" the Ivy-Mother lets out confusedly as Vapooliar''s lack of enthusiasm fails to process in her mind. But, then, she starts to smile suggestively and she presses herself up against Vapooliar. My eyes widen and the pressed-upon woman stares down at the aelenvari in a similar fashion.


    The Ivy-Mother''s tail coils upwards and prods at Vapooliar.


    "The Champion prefers the enticement of clothes that cover more?" she asks and Vapooliar''s cheeks turn redder than the Ivy-Mother''s rose-coloured hair. She starts to stammer incoherently and the Ivy-Mother steps away with a couple of quiet taps. Shaking her head, Vapooliar seems to get her head in order.


    "N-No I jus-"


    "Well, start getting undressed, then." the Ivy-Mother orders as she shows off the dress some more. Briefly, I watch as Vapooliar starts to strip and I look away with slightly red cheeks. Her body is near-completely just refined, toned muscle under a tight sheet of tanned skin... And I thought the farmers back home were well-built!


    The amount of effort she must''ve gone through to get a body like that. Rather curiously, though, she did not let anyone see her lower abdomen. Something she only upped the effort on when the Ivy-Mother moved closer to touch the left on armour. Vapooliar wearily follows her and I ponder what kind of boundaries this aelenvari must have.


    As she is, was, a Valkinvar, though, both mine and the aelenvari find ourselves looking at her breasts. My tail swishes about slightly at how mine are bigger and more filling, but otherwise, I try to spot the scar. The famed ceremonial scar the women of the Valkinvar cut into their chest. I can only catch the edges of it, though, under her left breast.


    "May I?" the Ivy-Mother asked her as her hand reached for the scar only to be slapped away by the defensive former Valkinvar. The Ivy-Mother''s not bothered by such an action and just accepts the response, she must be fully aware of what that scar is if she let such an action go so effortlessly. The Ivy-Mother very much strikes me as the kind of person who would be furious at the mere touch of someone else, let alone being hit by someone.


    "I''m keeping the armour on." Vapooliar sternly declares as she adjusts a damaged pauldron.


    "I advise personally, swapping it out for, cleaner, less damaged pieces." the Ivy-Mother tells as she brings over the bright, white dress. She smiles at Vapooliar as she slowly starts to nod at the dress. Vapooliar then starts to take off the armour and it falls thunderously so she can put the dress on. Though, she also makes a point of keeping the Ivy-Mother''s hands away from the magic-rich gear.


    "If you can, may you please find me something I can use to clean it with?" Vapooliar asks the aelenvari as her patience for her attempts to take the armour away vanishes.


    "Of course." the Ivy-Mother says as she turns and leaves the tent.


    Looking at Vapooliar, I catch what looks almost like tears, "Are you doing okay over there?"


    "I''m fine, go on. Grab some clothes yourself while you can." she answers as she starts to put the dress on. Smiling slightly, I do as she says. Leaving my concerns for her out of my head for the moment.

 V2 Incline 1: Nin

    "Newlyborn... Why does it keep speaking to me as if I am one of these... Things!?" I ask the insect inside of the container Heiya''s Father hopefully just dropped at some point.


    Sighing depressively, I fiddle with the small container and try to open it. I''m still alive for now, but, I don''t feel safe, protected. If this little thing is meant to be protection, then I want more of it. I just need to hold this little guy in my hands...


    The armoured, staff-wielding bug has done nothing but make a fool of me. He''s thrown me into that fighting pit again and again and between those moments, he''s prodded me like a rodent in a lab. I don''t know how long I have been in here, but however long it has been, I feel my time is running short. I can''t keep fighting for my life like this...


    The lid to the container comes off with a click and I drop it onto the wet muck. A dull, pale, light blue glow illuminates my face and I carefully tip out the contents of the container. Slowly, what appears to be a stag beetle of some kind comes out onto the ground, spreading its natural shine to the muck. Rather distinctly, however, its back is shaped like a human skull and I start to fiddle about nervously.


    I have become all too familiar with that shape since I was first thrown into the fighting pit...


    The small little insect crawls about without a care in the world and I blink. I have seriously been hoping for protection from a little beetle...? Am I really that doomed that I am trying to find salvation with an insect? What am I going to-


    A passing by pair of bugs freeze up and I stare at them, tilting my head ever so slightly. They twitch nervously at the sight of the little beetle and then leg it. I blink repeatedly and land my gaze back on the insect, staring blankly at it briefly. I smile slightly at the little guy and I block him from moving ahead gently with my left palm.


    Crawling up onto it, he tickles my palm and his tiny little eyes meet mine. The light grows slightly brighter and I look away as it starts to bite me. Putting it back down, I let it wander off for about a ruler''s distance before I quickly spin it around with care. I sigh once again and the bugs return to dominating my thoughts.


    My hands clutch my head tightly and I seem to hallucinate a mixture of red and yellow blood on them. I start to shake my head and groan as my eyes bounce between the bars of my cage. Glaring, I turn on the insect as it continues to do absolutely nothing! A fist forms and I scoot over to it...


    "How''re you meant to protect me, Beetle?" I ask it as I try to consider any possible way that it is more than just some stupid little insect. Heiya''s Father surely had a reason to bring it... But, what! What!?


    I place my fist near the beetle and it stops mid-step, wobbling back and forth between a pace that could take it either way. Magic stone suddenly knocks me away and it leashes my limbs against the cage. One more then suddenly shoots down towards the little beetle. Crushing it under a moving, unending pillar of solid rock.


    I sigh miserably as my gaze turns towards the approaching rattle of rusting metal. I sneer at the bug as it comes into view at the edge of the darkness, but, curiously enough, I note its caution. Contradictory to every other time I have seen it... A bit like how that pair from earlier is the first time I have ever seen them run in fear.


    Not even Vapooliar scared them and she came busting through the mountain to save me!


    "Do not disturb the Pestilence..." the armoured bug warns as it loosens the magic it was restraining me with. Falling to the ground with a blank expression, I stare at the pillar as the beetle''s glow breaks free of it. Turning it to sand-like dust, the small beetle crawls on out as if nothing happened. I blink at it as the armoured bug opens my cage up.


    Grabbing me by the back of my neck, it pulls me up to my feet. The brown light covers its staff and the passageway becomes a chamber with a single, domineering wall. Light-covered earth bursts through and what I can only describe as a mural takes shape. It''s hard to tell at first, but the bug is fully focused on making it.


    I look back at the beetle while its attention is elsewhere and hold my hand out for it. Picking it up, I slip it into my pocket and pray it won''t do what it just did. I turn back around just in time. The armoured bug is finished with whatever it was making...


    So, why is this little insect so special?


    "Do not disturb it. Damnation is all that you shall see." the bug warns as I stare at the surprisingly detailed piece of art, almost as if its memory had just been placed right there. The decorated wall shows off a vast, crumbling chamber with a grand throne in the middle of it. At the top of the ascending chairs, with a grand sword hundreds of times longer than me, is an armoured skeleton thousands of times greater than I.


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    A giant of an incomprehensible magnitude...


    "Noted..." I mutter as my right thigh tickles as the beetle moves about it. Its little thorny legs are more than enough to get through the fabric fibres. Keeping a hand over the pocket''s opening, I pray the material is thick enough to hide the light.


    "Never harm it..." the bug warns as it tries to spot the now-hidden beetle. It seemingly shivers and hastily steps away when it can''t find it. Looking at me, it gestures for me to follow and I do as asked. I can''t do anything else for the moment.


    Just need an opportunity, though, just that one opportunity.


    "If you blind the Pestilence, he may awake and all will collapse." the bug says fearfully as it chitters louder than usual. Physically, I am quiet. Internally, I am jumping for joy like a sugar-high child. Oh, I would love for this Pestilence thing to just destroy everything related to these bugs.


    This Pestilence guy, thing, whatever, it''s okay in my books, just like this little beetle!


    However, waving its hand, the mural is destroyed and the tunnels return to the way they were. The roars of the pits fill my ears and grim anticipation covers my face. Time for my usual routine, I suppose. Another day fighting my fellow, albeit turned Tobaballians...


    No explosion from Vapooliar will save me. No family duo with strange guns will shoot them for me. Not even an agile tail for me to follow so I can escape them. I have to deal with it myself, I need to kill them just like all the other times.


    Reaching the edge of the high-up platform, the bug makes the crude bars vanish as it places a palm on me. Pushing me forward, I lean the beetle away from the impact and crash into the wet earth. Sinking into and sliding across it, I blegh my disgust and pick myself up. I remember a time this much filth would bother me...


    Now, I don''t care at all when I get further dirtied.


    The ground, however, when it squelches with blood and bug guts, I cannot help but shiver slightly. I flex my still-armoured right arm and look around at whatever I can find. I gently cup my pocket and think back to what it did to that pillar. Trying to kill it turned it into sand, dust, something.


    "Can I exploit that?" I quietly ask myself as I start to get nervous. If the beetle destroys what is trying to kill it, then I would die... My armoured fingers flex some more and I glance up at the rust-armoured bug. Guess I just need to flip a coin here, either I die because of them, or I die because of myself.


    Land the right way for me, then, Coin...


    Roars fill the air once again and a tunnel opens up. Stepping out, a blood-soaked, patterned one steps into the arena. Just like usual, always after it has proven itself better than the regular bugs. I frown at it as it goes ballistic at me with its gestures and roars.


    I start to think about the insect some more and I continue to frown. Feeling the muck come up to my ears, I realise that the patterned bug has started attacking me. Slowly, I put my armoured hand into my pocket and cup the beetle. Pulling it out as much as I can, I stare miserably at my fellow, turned Tobaballian.


    Heiya''s Father surely knew of this Pestilence thing, that must be why he thinks of the beetle as protection. If things were to go truly wrong, he''d whip it out to save himself and his daughter. These bugs are scared of it... He''d just be able to walk out so long as he kept his little hand open, right?


    Grabbing the next blow from my turned fellow, I close my eyes and push back against it. Using my unexplained strength, I snap its arm back and let it roar in pain. I force myself down against its shoulder and break it, pushing it to its knees. Then, I hold the beetle out, letting him shine brightly in the open.


    "YOU WILL LET ME GO FREE!" I demand as the bug continues to mindlessly lash up at me. Unlike it, however, the armoured one seems to take my demand seriously and its staff glows... I poise my armoured fingers, readying them to crush the beetle. I''ll blind the Pestilence alright if I am understanding this bug''s words correctly!


    The bug below brutally slips out of my grip and whacks me. Reacting hastily, my grip loosens and I drop the beetle. Panicking, I pat around trying to set it off as I am attacked by it once again. Suddenly, darkness.


    Stone worms are erupting from all around me and the hive''s ugly lighting is blocked out. They rear back and shoot down for me just as I find the beetle. Screaming, I put my open palm into the air and wait. I feel nothing and my eyes confirm I am not losing track of time.


    Dust is falling onto me...


    Coughing and blinking, I watch as the endless cascade of stone worms amounts to nothing. The ground around me is gone and steadily, this little pillar of mucky soil falls apart. Sliding down it, I somehow roll out into another tunnel. But, it''s still one belonging to the bugs...


    I get up and look behind as a strange shift echoes towards me. The worms start to reassemble and chase after me and I start to leg it. Going as fast as I can with only speed on my mind, I rush and scramble. I bash destructively alongside the walls of the tunnel and it crumbles away behind me. Turning around slightly, I slam right into the wall at the end of the tunnel.


    "NO!" I go as I bring the beetle up to my front. The stone worm coming directly for me stops and it waits. Cautiously, I start to stumble away from it as I keep the beetle''s light on it. I notice the fact that I am on my own.


    And I laugh with all I have!


    "YES!" I scream as I discover my chance to escape. This insect is the way to go. I just need to keep him at my side and we can get out. Thank you, Pestilence!


    I might still be in the hive, probably even deeper than before! But it''s better than nothing... Being able to escape the fighting pits will do me good for now. I just need to figure out which way is truly up, somehow...


    The armour on my right-hand cracks.


    "Huh?" I go as I notice how light it suddenly feels.

 V2 Incline 2: Nin

    "Come on... Come on!" I mutter desperately as I walk through the dark tunnels of the bug hive. My right arm is perfectly still for the moment, still gently clutching the little beetle. So much of Vapooliar''s armour has fallen off after cracking. I need to get out of here before I destroy my whole arm!


    But, I can''t find my way out. Every tunnel is pitch black with strange, slug-like things travelling them and I can''t hear a meaningful thing. Only my footsteps and heavy breaths echo back to me in this place. All this time I''ve wanted it to be quiet but now I don''t even know where to go!


    I glance down at my steadily unarmoured right and then towards the glow of the insect. This building dread within me, I want to ignore it, but I keep looking at the beetle. It''s like I am actually looking at a candle. The wick is burning up too close to the melted wax...


    Despair grips me tightly and I slow down to a crawl, only to catch a disturbance in the air. I glance back towards the way I came and am relieved it is not the worms. But, if it''s not them, where is this noise coming from? I can''t see anything approaching even when I let the beetle shine unimpeded.


    "Screams?" I question as I start to remember how I first woke up in this damn hive. All these noises were echoing about me, even if I couldn''t see them, they made one thing obvious. There''s a way to them. A way to them...


    I just need to follow the sounds...


    "Back off, Pack of Seven. Do not howl for Undwote..." I mutter as I slowly figure out where the noise is coming from. I stare into the deep black of the tunnel and breathe. I want to move, I am moving... But only in my head.


    Feeling a slug-thing squirm against me, I shiver and back away. Nodding to myself, I start to move properly and my left-hand keeps switching from open claw to fist. Whatever is this way, it is at least a hint as to where I might need to go. There''s a chamber this way, surely, and, I hope without a doubt, a tunnel up.


    Just got to find that tunnel, yeah.


    Find the tunnel going up...


    "Lights...?" I whisper as I move the beetle out of the way so my eyes aren''t getting confused. And, I am proven right. There is light of some kind up there. Many colours.


    Red, blue, yellow, white, so many... Weak, but it''s there!


    I kick one of the slobbering slug-things away with-as-close-to-joy as I can feel right now. It hits the walls with a wet, popping smack and I pick up the pace. Only to hear something crack below me. I stop.


    I do not bother leaning down and I just shine the beetle on it. I look away and try to keep my eyes on the roof of the tunnel. No... I did not just see small, filth-covered bones.


    Such small, delicate bones.


    My stomach shakes uncomfortably and I hit the wall with a stagger after my mind copies it. I wait for a moment and whine quietly at the lack of a glass of water. Food. I just walked over the remains of food...


    Children, babies.


    Watching one of the slug-things pop the bones of one out of its backside, just at the edge of the darkness. I grow heated. My lefthand digs into the wall until I grasp something hard and I yank it out. Walking up to it, I take the thankfully jagged rock and slam it straight on its head.


    The thing pops blood over me and I heave aggressively over the briefly spasming body. Crushing the bloody rock, I chuck its remains down at the slug-thing and keep on moving. I want to find that light now... I want to find it now!


    I want to get out of here...


    "A way out... Please, be a way out." I beg as the multitude of lights in the distance grow brighter. I start to hear words more clearly. Soft and weak, but they make it to me regardless. I wait a moment to let my mind calm down with the buzzing and remain still.


    No being like how I was when I first thought I escaped this hive. No being like that, Vapooliar is not here for me this time. I need to be more than that, a man. A man who -will- escape!


    I nod to myself over and over again, walking alongside it, towards the noise and light. Even if this route will just bring me to bugs intent on savaging me with their claws, I''ll keep going. My want to be free is stronger than my worry of Death... I want to feel safe.


    I will be safe.


    I will fan this mere, pathetic ember of hope into a roaring fire and get out. I will get out. No bug will stop me, no loss of armour shall withhold me. I will tear the ground apart until I see the sky again!


    My heart races and I mumble incoherently, passing by a tunnel with chitters coming from it. Sweat breaks through my filth-painted skin and barely washes some of it away. I narrow my gaze at the shadows and move away from them, keeping to the certainty of only two paths towards me. But, I am confused.


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    Am I scared of the bug? Why am I scared of it? I''ve been spending day after day fighting them. I''ve killed them again and again with increasing dullness to the act.


    So, why am I scared?


    "Reach a high floor, only to drop from it..." I remark at my emotional situation as the edges of my eyes seem to stiffen. Like an abdomen intentionally tensed before a mirror. However, I finally seem to reach the chamber and I stop. I listen out carefully as I slowly breathe.


    Nodding repeatedly once again, I step out into the open with a ready right hand and a fist of iron for the left. But, it''s just those creatures with the bulbs... The lights on their heads, the things Vapooliar couldn''t get to help us. Needle-Legs...


    "This is quite the gathering..." I mutter as I walk through the confused display of species. It''s mostly needle-legs, but I see some things that look like Heiya and her father as well. I am unfamiliar with a lot of creatures here, but... At least they are not bugs, I can find solace in that.


    They are also in much better shape than the ones I met with Vapooliar and the others...


    I buckle slightly, being the centre of attention in this pit of despair. I am not sure how to react to this grim five minutes of fame, so I just keep walking. I keep my focus on the tunnel beyond this chamber and keep on walking. Each step is stiff and jagged, though, I roughly and crudely make my way through the opening on the ground.


    Amongst all the dirty, tired legs...


    Only for something to get in my way, a little thing that reminds me of Heiya. Only she''s a lot smaller, if Heiya is the size of a child then this is no more than a toddler, maybe less. I meet their stare and try to shuffle around them. But, I can''t look away from those small, dark eyes and their twitching button nose.


    One of the needle-legs walks up to us and she motions Littler Heiya away. I look at the yellow glow it is producing and frown at the familiarity. Yellow hair, yellow light... It''s not much to go on, but, isn''t that...?


    "I remember you..." it confirms to me as it looks down at my hands miserably. It chokes back tears and my mouth slightly opens as I recall it.


    "The seed made it out." I tell it as I walk around it. Well, I hope it did, I didn''t see a crushed body with reddish fur anywhere since the bugs attacked. It''s hard to recall who I saw outside of the mountain before I was...


    "Then why''re you here!?" it demands to know as it comes to grab me. Backing away, I stare at the confused, frightened mother as she holds back her sobs.


    I consider its question and look at the ground, "It doesn''t matter..."


    Walking away to the dark tunnel, I glance at Littler Heiya as she joins a group of small creatures. There are nearly enough of them to fill a classroom. I shake my head and keep on walking with an increased speed. Hitting the soft, wet wall, I glare at it and then at the beetle.


    "Are you sure my son is safe? Please... Tell me you are being honest..." the needle-leg mother begs as she pours her heart out behind me. Keeping my eyes on the darkness ahead of me, my left fist forms and tightens.


    "It... He got out, that''s all I know..." I tell it as I bring my right hand up closer to my head. Letting the beetle light up my face more clearly for her to see, even though it''s not my intent.


    "I made the right choice...? Giving it to a wind-person..." she questions as she shifts about.


    "I''m not one of them." I correct as I briefly look back into the chamber. I spot everyone inside of it and how they are scared. I focus on what can only be unfortunate children and sigh. Turning back to the wall, my forehead hits the muck with a wet smack.


    Crying, whining, scared mutterings, anger, fear. I can hear it all coming from behind me. They want someone to save them, someone strong. But, I don''t want to, I can''t.


    I just want to get out of here... I want to go home!


    "Up." I mutter as I glance at the beetle once again. It glows a distinct, pale blue and I stare at its skull-shaped shell. I nod to myself and look at the wall. There''s no point in trying to find the exit, I need to make one.


    Glancing one final time at Vapooliar''s ruined armour, I make a silent prayer. I just need it to hold out long enough for me to reach the surface. Thurnmourer, please ensure that this craftsmanship proves itself more. And, I place the beetle against the wall with a steady stare.


    Closing my eyes, I push forward and feel its strange power go off. Dust rolls and blows down to my boots and I start to climb the sliding stepway. Higher and higher, I try to ignore the armour as I hear it fall apart more so. I ignore the numbness in my hand and keep on pushing.


    Growling as I watch the materials around me change colour, noise follows me up the in-progress tunnel. My left-hand digs into rocks, soil, gravel and clay and then it does it again. It keeps me going up even as I struggle to find my footing within the rolling ground. It''s like I am in a pipeline of somewhat dry, grainy water...


    I growl my frustrations some more and keep pushing upwards, even as my arm starts to ache. Hearing a sharp ping, I snap my eyes around just in time to watch the last piece of armour fall off my arm. But, something''s off, the light from the beetle is bright and and powerful. But my arm is patchy and dark...


    Shaking my head, ignoring what has to be just a mind trick. I fight back the strange tiredness overwhelming me until something smacks me. I stop and rustle my filthy, shaved head about. Clumps of earth fall onto me and hair-like things tickle and touch my scalp.


    Roots...


    I am close to the ground, I''m nearly out!


    Breathing a laugh and smiling, I push upwards with renewed strength. Bringing my lefthand forward at the end, I push until moist grass can be felt. I laugh some more and clench my hand tightly. I push through the last of the earth and pull myself out into the open by digging my hand into the earth''s top layer.


    "I did it..." I go as I drag myself back to my feet. Staring up at the cloudless sky, I grin at the full moon as it shines a light on me in my moment of triumph. Centre stage, that is where I am!


    But, as I loosen the three fingers on my right hand, I second guess the subtle thought. I look down at my arm and see something that should not be there. My real, normal arm is gone, only a tattered sheet of aged skin covers what it has somehow become. In the dark of night, it appears to be a black mass, but, following the arm, I land on the three digits.


    A set of claws.


    "N-No... It can''t be..." I let out as I realise why I was being called ''Newlyborn.'' I feel sick as I glance down at my body. Then, hearing noise from my fresh hole, I turn towards it and watch as lights follow through. My eyes widen as they sparkle and my chest starts to hurt as if it is killing me.

 V2 Incline 3: Nin

    "Wh-What''re you doing!? Get back down there!" I hiss as I realise this will only bring the bugs after me. Hiding my right arm, I back away as they ignore me and climb out of the hole. They seem to find happiness in seeing the mountains and brief emerald-shaded breezes. But, I cannot see anything but the bugs coming for us...


    They''re going to notice, they will, they will come for us!


    "GET BACK IN THE HOLE!" I roar at them as I halt myself from shoving one back down it. My turned arm comes out into the open and many of them flinch away. Many pairs of eyes struggle to look away from its sinister familiarity.


    "We... We''re escaping." someone says and I turn to them.


    "I DUG THAT HOLE SO I COULD GET OUT! NOT YOU! GET BACK DOWN IT!" I scream as my right-hand grabs them and throws them to the ground. They don''t listen, though, they just keep coming out of the hole and cast weary glances my way. I back away with my eyes locked on the hole. The bugs will notice that their food is gone, they will hunt for it once again...


    Something starts to cry, Littler Heiya...


    "SHHHH!" I hypocritically hiss at them as an older one of her kind holds them.


    "We go! We go!" they chant at me as some more escape the hive through my tunnel. Some take the chance and rush away into the darkness, but many remain here. With me... Relying on me...?


    "Get back in there before they notice you left!" I hiss again as I start to back away fearfully. Falling onto my right arm, I throw myself off of it and get back to my feet. I run with all I have as I can''t seem to find the sturdiness of heart to force them back in. I will not go back into that hive!


    I can''t let my freedom go to waste!


    And, with most of Vapooliar''s armour gone, I start to move like I used to when the windy, emerald light hit me. My attempt to run becomes far-reaching leaps as if gravity has vanished. I thunder down the valley and make frequent looks back at the growing group. Yet, even with all my speed, they keep trying to follow me.


    Crashing myself into the ground so I can halt, I then scramble to my feet, hyperventilating. I need to find a way to lose them. Which way can I go just to lose them!? There are only mountains everywhere!


    "Yes..." I mutter as I blink up at the darkness-covered mountains all around me. The bugs are underground, deep, deep underground. I need to get higher. As high as possible!


    I look down at the beetle and silently thank him for his efforts. Somehow, he''s still alive even after all these efforts to squash him. I put him down and he barely wanders off. Instead, he rotates and stares right at me, his little pincers opening and closing ever so slightly.


    "Run... Just like I am." I tell it as I stagger around before I settle on a direction. Yanking off what remains of Vapooliar''s armour on my shins, I abandon the two pieces of metal. I run. I leap for the sky and crash against and into the nearest mountainside.


    Shaking my head hysterically at the mountain as it feels too small. I turn around and spot a larger one, one that looks like it has a safe space to hide. There''s a little cave near its peak. No one will find me there, not the bugs, not those that will bring them to me!


    Placing all the strength I can into my legs, I go and leap for it. Only to fall to the ground. I roll through it without the slightest sign of impedance. I get back up and latch onto the stone, digging my fingers into it even though I feel little scratches on my left hand.


    I claw my way up the stone erratically and let bits of rock fall away from me recklessly. My hated, newly-bugified arm does most of the heavy lifting and I reach a platform. Dragging myself up onto it, I sit down and let my breathing calm down. But, I taste smoke on my tongue.


    I catch the lingering scent of it...


    My body turns cold and I slowly turn around as the moon illuminates my back. My eyes widen and those patrolling the darkness up here stop and look at me. Chittering away, they move closer and something laughs. With the jangle of rusted metal and the tap of its staff, the armoured bug comes into view.


    Its sickly, brown light defines it more and I flinch.


    "You come back..." it laughs as my body twitches and fails to move. It approaches me and gestures its army away. Carrying what scrap they can, the bugs then file away as my neck is grabbed. Hoisting me up, the armoured bug sneers against my face as I try to escape it.


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    I smack and bash its wrist to some effect, but it still maintains a grip over me.


    "Newlyborn, my heir." it chitters as one set of claws grabs my right arm and pries it out. Inspecting my hideous new limb, it chuckles knowingly as I continue to struggle against it. I throw my weight around but all I can do is make it wobble. My eyes fall to the right and the shoddy grip it has.


    Between the glowing staff and my arm...


    "You will learn to serve, in time." a voice chitters in my head as my actions become increasingly feral. Roaring with all I have as the light of freedom dies, I manage to knock the staff away. The bug roars angrily at me just as its power seems to weaken and I pull it with me. Feeling the air wash over us, I start to attack it as the ground comes closer.


    Smashing straight through a lone pine tree, we barrel around through the gravel pit below the platform. We slip and slide over the edge and further down the mountain. Through solid, jagged rock. I scream in pain as the bug snaps its jaw onto my shoulder.


    We impact in the valley below.


    Throwing me away, I hit some more trees and the bug roars angrily. One of its claws lingers at where Vapooliar must''ve hurt it before and it prepares itself. Getting to my feet, I shake my head clear of anything but violent thoughts and I charge. Slamming against the bug, it uses my momentum against me.


    Twisting me over its head, I am forced painfully into the ground. I groan and hiss as my muscles react to the harsh compression, but I get back up. Smacking aside its attempt to grab me again, I recklessly throw my right arm at it. I don''t care what happens to it, this is not my arm!


    I howl like mad at the armoured bug and tear away at its armour. It roars right back at me and lands a solid blow to my jaw, spiralling me out of control. Rolling onto all fours, I return to my feet and match its noise whilst our palms meet together. Its jaw snaps at me and the ground seems to widen and we go lower.


    Bringing one foot forward with the sound of heavy shot, I push forward and free my right arm. Striking its gut again and again, I make sure each fury-filled impact breaks its hideous shell apart. I put my all into leaping again and we fly into the night sky as our roars fill the valley. We smash into a mountain and roll out of control down it just as the bug gets one over me.


    Striking my face again and again with no care paid towards the mountain. It makes sure I am the one to take the blow as we land, its feet planted on my gut. I choke as I feel my stomach is forced to empty itself. I aim my vomit onto my gut and grab its nearest leg and pull, slipping it up.


    It falls onto me and I claw away at its gut before a solid elbow nearly buries my head. Snorting and spitting the filth away, I get back to my feet just in time to take its next punch. My hand reaches for its eyes as I force myself through the painful, blood-drawing force. Tightly clenching its vile, hideous, carapace-ridden head, I squeeze!


    It backs away roaring as it clutches the now bleeding spot and I nearly collapse. Stopping myself from doing so, I lean towards my outreaching knee as life-saving adrenaline rushes throughout my body. The armoured bug growls and slams his hand into the nearest source of stone. Small worms shoot out at me.


    Staring at the self-sharpening weapons, I twist and bring my right up in time to just barely block it. They blunt themselves against this arm''s carapace and closing-in forest light fills the night. Blasting away at it, several amongst the crowd focus fire on the bug. It howls at them and knocks me down.


    I watch as it retreats into the night with fearful leaps and I roar in its direction, beating my chest. But, then, pain. My body nearly falls to the ground and I spit out blood and tears build up. My ears feel swollen and I don''t even hear someone approach me...


    A hand touches me and I turn erratically to meet the yellow light of the mother needle-leg. She''s smiling but also tearfully worrying, she gestures for me to follow and I do so. We reach the group and she starts to motion for everyone to get moving into the dark forest so we can escape the mountain. I hobble after them with heavy, powerful steps.


    Without Vapooliar''s armour anymore and my body buzzing with the life of a fight, I cannot control myself. Each step is destructive and everyone stays far away as we go into the dark. All but one, that Littler Heiya... She comes back to stare at me, even as others try to keep them away.


    It makes baby-like noises and I think I can make out the shadowy figure of a cheer.


    "Wind-person?" the yellow-haired needle-leg questions as I come to a panting stop.


    I stare up at it as my vision flickers between true and partial darkness.


    "Do not stop, keep going!" they encourage me to do, and with my fight-or-flight as alive as it can be. I nod at them and keep on walking as my tears start to flow freely. Everything hurts... That thing nearly killed me...


    Everything hurts so much!


    I quietly open my mouth and clutch my sides as my fear is finally let loose. I stare around at the darkness and move closer to the light of the needle-legs, I''ve had enough of being in the dark. Hiding my mostly limp right arm all the while. I watch as their tired, weak bodies start to fail them and I am left as the last one standing, somehow.


    "H-Hey... Get up... You damn, lying, hypocrite!" I curse down at the yellow-haired needle-leg as I look around at the forest. Spotting a fallen tree, my gaze lingers on it. Then, I spot something thick and sturdy. Tree roots or a thankfully hooked branch, I don''t care.


    I hobble over to the log and heave it carefully into the open. Staggering around into the moonlight of the full moon, I glance up at it. It shines its full might down upon me and I nod at the divine, celestial diamond. Jhrarda the Mighty, right?


    It looks like it is the biggest of the fourteen moons...


    I hiss in pain as I choke back more tears and I look down at those the moon also illuminates. Taking shoddy steps towards them, I start to delicately place them onto the log. Leaving the yellow-hair and Littler Heiya ''til last, I put them at the start of the log. Hooking the thing I found onto its bush of roots, I start to pull.


    Sniffling some more, I start to think of Vapooliar...


    "Why... Vapooliar... Why... Why couldn''t I have gotten out with you lot!?" I ask myself tearfully as I drag the tree through the guiding light of Jhrarda the Mighty. Hissing at my pain, I keep to the moonlight path, hoping I can find someplace safe out here.

 V2 Incline 4: Vapooliar

    This is it, the horns have been sounded. The orbit I finally repay my debt to Nin is here. Though, it has already been far too long since it welcomed my sleepless mind with open arms. Thankfully for my impatience, I just need to get ready.


    Moving my fingers about my arms and legs, I secure the straps and hooks as tightly as needed. I am not used to wearing silky dresses with armour, let alone dresses at all and I am very fiddly over it. Flexing the fingers of my right hand, I try to get used to the long, arm-length, white silk glove. I feel strange wearing so much soft, flexible material on its own.


    I''ve worn rather fanciful gambesons before, but, that''s still armour, no matter how soft.


    It''s a shame the aelenvari are the way they are, really. Everything is lacking in the ways I want it to be, and what suits me better is arcanely worse due to its ''stem'' intendence. However, it feels lovely to wear this, even if I cannot stop worrying about it. But, there is one issue sticking with me...


    My now pointless matrimonial scar is far more exposed than I am used to it being. The v-section of the dress is exposing my chest and an unfamiliar draft is blowing down past it. The scar seems to react differently to it as well. It''s far more sensitive and there is this feeling, like the wind is tracing a breezing finger across it.


    I can''t even try to cover up my chest by adjusting the dress, it''s not designed to move how I want it to. The Ivy-Mother as well, for all her hospitality towards me, she''s refusing to help me cover myself up anymore. These rose-coloured medallions and their little, white leather straps are sort of her promise to that. She even had the back of the dress cut open at some point...


    In a strange turn of events for someone like me, I find myself glad I am wearing modest underwear.


    I look towards the mirror they had been kind enough to lend to me and I try to keep the dress still. But, the reach of the wind''s fingers are greater and I can''t stop my legs from being exposed. I tried my best to save what armour I could, but, so much of it was in urgent need of repair. Circumstances forced me to take up the talents of the aelenvari''s metalworkers.


    Their so-called ''Iron-Gardeners'' as they like to call them.


    Though, as I put a hand near my short, brown hair, I think of my superior, the Zaphadren-Valkinvar. It''s nowhere near the same as hers, but with these metal heels and these new decorative plates, I feel like her. I feel like I am able to emulate some of that gracious beauty she carried herself around with when I met her. Then, my mind wanders away from her as I move my body about in the polished glass.


    "I wonder if Nin will like it..." I quietly say as the Ivy-Mother''s and Vadei''s words come to mind. They like the dress, but, I cannot say I am too fond of its loose nature. The Ordoar Staguiffmani might dress their members somewhat like this, but I was of the Ordoar Imdvarce. The type of combat I am trained in, the kind of battles I fought in, such loose attire is anathematic.


    Running a finger along the now-altered end of my old thigh armour, I touch my mostly bare skin. A finger from the other hand touches my dress. Getting over it, I shake my head and step out into the light of the Orbital-Halo, leaving the tent behind. My right arm reaches outwards with an open palm-


    But, I retract it as I remember how my sword is absent.


    I frown as I try to recall where I put it, yet, I shake my head. With this much help coming for Nin, I think I can justify a lower-quality weapon. Besides, it''s a good excuse to try something the aelenvari have made, I''m sure they won''t mind me looking. So, walking through the caravan''s noble district, I wander towards the nearest militarised area.


    The thorns to the rose might be an apt comparison given their Ivy-Mother''s birth flower.


    Though, with all these holes in the ground because of the aelenvari''s needle-shaped legs, I struggle slightly. I''m already not used to heels and now I am taking them through a well-treaded path covered in perfect slots to slip them into. My focus is mostly on walking, but I also make a point of trying to return some acknowledgement to all the compliments I am getting. The aelenvari certainly admire me quite easily...


    "No, I should make a point of at least asking for one." I suddenly say as I adjust my course back to the noble''s district. Spotting the Ivy-Mother''s rose-red tent, I walk up to it. Moving one of the flaps out of the way, I step into it just as she slips on some... Light clothing.


    I turn away in an act of modesty, but she giggles at my actions.


    "Ah, Valkinvar, you look beautiful as usual." she compliments me with as she secures the last of her clothing to her body. A slight heat hits my cheeks but I focus on her now, mostly covered body. She insisted to me not that long ago that this is serious, combat-intended attire when I asked about it. But, I am struggling to agree...


    Reinforced bedwear, that is all I can really say. She gestures for me to pass over her tubes and I do so. Briefly looking them over, they enter her hands shortly after. She hooks them onto a garter belt of some description and finishes fitting into them.


    I glance at her clothing once again and focus on how much, thin, see-through fabric there is. So much of her soft, dry earth-coloured skin is showing outright and the real intent of the so-called armour is all the clearer for it. I turn my eyes away to her badge of office and look the almost willowy staff over. It reminds me of home, of that lone willow tree inside the Great Temple.


    A gentle tune blows through its dangling decorations and small wisps of bright wind-magic float about the tent.


    "You are trained in combat?" I ask as the moments of silence drag on. She turns to me and it is as if she is prepared to laugh at my words.


    "By the gods and goddesses, no! I am more or less coming along for medical purposes... Should my Gilded-Bark find what he is personally looking for. Or I..." she explains, though, her tone seems to change quite a bit. Very slight changes, but I can''t help but sense resentment.


    I do not have an interest in being involved with aelenvari problems, though, "Is there no one else qualified enough for the task? Pardon the intrusion, Ivy-Mother, but you do not strike me as the kind who wants to be out of the comfort of their home."


    "You would be right in that regard, Valkinvar. But, the Gilded-Bark requested me personally and I choose not to disappoint him." she answers as she steps to take up her staff. The decorations on it seemingly come to life and they stiffen. Stubbornly following the manipulation she inflicts upon them with her magic. I keenly eye the process and smile slightly.


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    "That is some fine control." I compliment as I start to think of my own magic in comparison. We both use the dominant magic element of our home continent. But, mine is always pinpoint-focused on destruction. When we save Nin, it might be ideal to have him speak to the Ivy-Mother.


    She can probably teach him about magic far better than I ever could...


    "You praise me far too much, Valkinvar. It is only a small effort compared to that of our thorns and your own power." she dismisses, playing down the amount of skill needed to constantly maintain a bond through a conduit. I suppose, what might be hard for me isn''t the same for her. So, I nod and leave it at that.


    "So, I assume the tales of your warriors using magic-laced chains are true?" I ask as my mind somewhat returns to my original intent. Though, I do want to genuinely know this. I rarely looked into other cultures back home, even during my solitude at Giant''s Victory.


    "Yes, that is correct. They train with the wind-magic we first learned from those of the great Emerald-Peak. Forgive me for keeping its name short due to our rushed circumstances." she answers as a hand brushes some of her petal-like, rose-red hair away from her eyes. Her bulbs flicker between various shades of brightness but I hear nothing. She must be yawning or something similar.


    "I see. Though, on the topic of weapons. Will it be alright if I loaned one from the armoury of your caravan?" I ask and her mouth opens as her eyes widen.


    "Sure, sure... I''m just not sure you''ll find one suited to your talents. We keep few swords in our armouries." she explains rather nervously as if I am going to be offended by what her people can offer. I try to ease her with a gentle smile as I want to use something else, anyway.


    "It''s alright, Ivy-Mother, I am trained in more than just swords." I explain to her as some otherwise forgotten memories come to mind. I''ve spent so long using my sword that I could almost forget I ever trained with anything but it.


    "I... I thought the Valkinvar-Imdvarce uses swords exclusively?" she questions as she irons out the kinks in her posture.


    "We do, specifically a smaller, pointer kind than what the wide-sweeping Ordoar Wiswipide use. But, when it comes to training, we use a variety of weapons. Our muscle memory is far more suited to battle, then, should we lose our weapon. In particular, polearms are something all Valkinvar train in heavily due to the preferred weapons of our fellow soldiers, the Ironcoats." I clarify for her as I decide on what I might want to choose. A polearm is what I have the cravings for this moment, for lack of a better saying.


    She nods quietly and she gestures for me to follow and we leave the tent behind. Walking beside her to an armoury or what might be more of a personal weapon storage. However, the Ivy-Mother makes a point of keeping me away from the tent with the strongest weapons. I can only assume that they are the weapons of the Gilded-Bark.


    We arrive at a structure more akin to a metallic shell and the Ivy-Mother shines her bulbs at the guards. Telling them to open it, they undo all the locks and then step aside. I follow the intrinsic mechanisms as they carry on the process until a loud thud signals their completed task. She then gestures for me to enter and I do so.


    Turning around, I notice that she has something to say, "Find something to your liking then meet up with the Gilded-Bark at the far end of the valley. Where you told us to assemble. Do not look for me, I will be heading on ahead with our wild-seers for the time being."


    I nod as she turns around with a determined swagger in her steps. Focusing on the weapons, my gloved hand moves to the gap where my ribcage comes together and I drum it. I go through the selection, deadset on finding a polearm. But, I mostly find rack upon rack of coiled-up, razor-bladed chains.


    They''re well-made, no doubt about that, but even with my curiosity about them, I don''t touch them. Though, I make a note to maybe ask for one later at some point whilst Nin recovers here. It will occupy my mind and time well, trying to learn a weapon like this. However, continuing to move past them, I find some aelenvari leg tubes made explicitly for combat with sharper tips and jagged sides.


    Beyond them, a pole with a darkly-coloured wooden shaft rests in the corner. I reach for it and tentatively run an armoured finger along the silver-ish metal that studs it. My mind goes to how there once again seems to be a lack of what I want, but the metal shifts. Like liquid, it reforms into a triple-headed weapon.


    "A halberd? Interesting..." I comment as I rub the edge of the crescent axe blade against my armoured backhand. Then, firmly knocking the tips of the top and back spike, I nod at their rigidity. I let the blade head fall and swerve it back into the air, only to ''o'' my mouth when I hear the scrape. I use my foot to move something over the fine carving I just made into the marble floor.


    I hold the blade steady above my shoulder and quickly move to leave, briefly, in the manner of an Ironcoat. I stop the reenactment as I leave the tent and then depart the two aelenvari so they can lock the armoury again. Heading in the direction of the middle district, I fiddle with the weapon. Grasping its link to my thoughts, I revert it back to being just a pole.


    Spotting Vadei, I then frown as the guards she is near hold themselves back from striking her!


    I quickly step towards them to de-escalate the situation.


    "Seriously! Let me pass you incapable stick-leg! I just want to talk to Vapooliar!" Vadei snaps at one of them. The three of them seemingly baiting each other with their aggressive tail swings. I don''t speak ''tail,'' but I seem to be a fast learner.


    "You will refer to the Valkinvar respectfully, Oxfuine, or we will drag you to the dwelling of the roots and let you bark there!" one of the aelenvari threatens as the other slowly unties their weapon from their hip.


    "That''s enough! It''s fine." I tell them as I interrupt the one reaching for her weapon. The guards nod at me, sneer at Vadei and leave. I look at my travelling companion as she bares her teeth at them before she looks at me. Lowering her tail and ears in the process.


    "About time you got here..." she snorts as she turns her head away from me.


    "I wasn''t aware that you wanted to speak to me. I am sorry." I answer as I move to her side so she can follow me as I head out. I hope she understands that I am being sincere and honest, I really did not know! But, she scowls at me all the same...


    My lips move as I prepare to ask why she wanted to speak to me, but she ''tsks.''


    "Why is it they treat you with all this luxury... But I just get treated as badly as their worst off!? I can''t do anything safely around here without you near me!" she seethes as she tries to mess with the dress out of spite. I stop her and frown back at her.


    "I can speak to the-"


    "Oh, of course, I need you to do something, don''t I!? The three soldiers do nothing but they are still at least looked at with respect. Even Sootface who still somehow reeks of bitter smoke! He even tries to put on this whole ''Oh, I''m so humble, not a very good fighter at all'' act!"


    I sigh and think about Vadei''s rant and the truth behind it. Unfortunately, by coming here, we made her draw the short stick. Without a years-long process of strengthening her own personal magic, we cannot solve this issue. Maybe I can just ask her to be patient?


    "Vadei, I know being here isn''t necessarily the best for you. So, how about, when I save Nin with the help of the aelenvari... We just leave, head for the closest ravineer town or a mountain-state?" I suggest and she just scoffs at it.


    "Oh, just grab the Ho and leave? Please! We both know we''ll be here for days on end just waiting for him to recover from his pathetic capture!" she hisses and I keep silent about her remark about what happened. Though, I think a lot about what she said in regard to him being here. I am lying by saying we can just up and go right after finding him...


    He''ll need time to rest, to heal. As will I now that my mind can be at rest.


    "I understand it is hard for you, Vadei. Try not to worry, it will all be over soon. Just stay near me or him when we get back, we will look after you."


    "Of course... The little slave needs protecting..." Vadei spits out as she moves to cover her eyes. She suddenly breaks off into a sprint and vanishes into what I hope is our shared tent. I sigh at her misfortunes but otherwise stop thinking about it. For now, I need to focus. Maybe I can try to speak to someone when me and the aelenvari return with Nin, but...

 V2 Incline 5: Vapooliar

    Walking up to the amassing aelenvari troops, I spot an excited crowd. A few of them seem particularly enthusiastic at what they see, but their superiors seem to ignore it. I approach the crowd, curious as to what it is, I use the weight of the respect they have for me to get through. But, I am disappointed to discover it is just the two formal troops that came with me to this caravan.


    Though, I am also a little surprised to see them out here. They''ve cleaned up their armour, each riveted ring of it and polished them to a sparkling shine. They lack boom-pikes, but, they''ve made up for it by acquisitioning some simpler polearms. However, I find myself frowning when they mechanically snap to attention upon seeing me.


    The rings in their coats jump with every sharp movement they make. They are standing immaculately before me with their wing-tipped spears firmly upright. I understand that this is just how they are drilled, but, I wish they wouldn''t act like this. Towards me, anyway.


    "Valkinvar! When you are ready, so shall we be!" they declare as a uniform pair. Their spears lean forwards slightly and I pick up on the slight bit of magic these two men do have. However much it really is, some of the lesser aelenvari are quite impressed by it. Not that these two are paying attention right now, with polished, mail-covered tricorns on, their focus is absolute.


    I shake my head slightly, "Why are you two coming? You have no reason to."


    "To pay those buggers back. We owe them a piece of iron in their bile-pumping hearts!" one of the two answers as he gives me a little tip of his hat. Though, I am curious about one thing...


    "You won''t be using the weapons you had when we left?" I ask them as their choices to go back to polearms strikes me as a little strange. I understand that we will be going back to the hive with an army, but, would they not feel safer with a firearm? I''ve never met a formal soldier who groans at becoming an informal one, but have seen plenty of the reverse.


    "Those things felt weird." one answers with a shrug that he forces through his refusal to relax his posture.


    "I am an Ironcoat. Formal soldier of Waionr and His Chosen Theocracy. I fight with what my heraldry is emblazoned with." the other answers as I hear his grip on the polearm tighten. I nod at their answers and choose to leave it at that.


    However, I am not fond of their usage of the term ''Valkinvar,'' I made that apparent to them already. It''s bad enough that the Ivy-Mother and the aelenvari as a whole refuse to listen to me in that regard. I have lost the right to call myself it and I renounced it openly... I''m no longer a Valkinvar.


    At the very least, I would like these two to stop.


    "Stay safe, then, you two. And stop calling me ''Valkinvar,'' do not make me repeat myself." I tell them as I turn around to leave. Glancing over at some nearby aelenvari, they respectfully bow out of the way as their bulbs light up. I ignore their magical words and carry on walking so I can find the Gilded-Bark. He is not hard to find, if I thought the two soldiers drew a crowd, then his is something more.


    I walk up the natural ramp up to the top of the cliff and my mind starts to wander during the quiet rise. In a moment of weakness, I made it true to everyone that I am not deserving of my title. I could''ve let them carry on in ignorance, given some hope that they could rejoin the war. But...


    I nearly cast aside my badge of office back then. I was prepared as well to set aside my blade in the mountain were it not for my need for a cane. Even now, I find an excuse to use something other than it. I struggle to see what my life will be like without the Valkinvar being a part of it, without Waionr...


    It''s all I''ve ever known for so long, I don''t remember my childhood clearly anymore.


    Hopefully, Nin can help me and Vadei when I save him with the help of this army. He was willing to offer his advice before, maybe he can offer it again. Help me find a life for myself beyond the Valkinvar. I -need- his help.


    I can''t seem to break my habits, I think I am trying to, but I can''t see clear results. Everything I have been doing is just what a Valkinvar would do in a barely similar situation. I can''t seem to let go of being a soldier. It feels too natural to just spend my day training my body and swordcraft.


    Arriving at the Gilded-Bark''s location, I step through those surrounding him, arriving at a throne, "Valkinvar."


    "Gilded-Bark, is everything ready?" I impatiently question as our eyes meet and narrow. Rising from his throne, the deformed giant of an aelenvari approaches me. The once loud adoration for him quietens down and a tense atmosphere takes over. The aelenvari mostly remain truly quiet.


    "You will guide me and my host towards this hive?" he asks as he flexes his bulging, hard-crusted hands in front of me.


    "I am ready." I answer as I take one step closer to him, showing off my somewhat recovered magic as I do so. The crowd lights up with their own magic and mine.


    "Let''s go." he gruffly snorts as he sharply turns around to take up his spear and a horn. Made from magic-rich wood and studded with amber, his blade is of high quality. For a bunch of nomads, anyway. He holds the ivory horn to his lips and he blows his all into it.


    With bellowing, magic-boosted bass, the horn disturbs the quiet trees and the soldiers start to move. He drops it carelessly and breaks off into a powerful sprint despite his deformities. Quickly breaking through to the front of the army, many chase after him with grim loyalty. Floating slightly in the air, I catch up to him with the intent to speak about the hive.


    I use small blasts of magic to clear annoying foliage out of my way, "The entrance is collapsed, a result of my battle with the Earth Shaman."


    "You are sure it was the only entrance?" he asks before he nimbly breaks through the blocking forest in his way. Coming back out into the open with only a trail of leaves behind him, he comes back to my side.


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    "It was a grand, open chamber. I can see no other reason than to assume it was like that to compensate for no smaller entrances." I explain, more so explaining my familiarity with how Giant''s Victory is laid out. Was...?


    I shake my head clear of the foreboding thought.


    "How many died at your hands!?" he demands to know as he uses a faraway tree to test his frustrated throwing arm on. Cleaving the thick oak in two with his spear, he explosively dashes to it to snatch the weapon back up. Only to use the small blade to slice another tree down with a bullish snort.


    "Enough." I answer vaguely as my attention back then was focused on the Earth Shaman. I do not know how many I killed.


    "Enough better be there for me to skew. For my Beloved..." he growls quietly as while I fly over a log, he stomps on it to snap it in two.


    "Depending on how they go about it, the Ivy-Mother might take that chance away from you." I remark as I remember her words to me.


    "Hah, there will always be plenty of parasites to hunt! I just pray to Undwote that he is not whistled to us." he grimly tells me as his body lets out more eager, aggressive twitches.


    "Have hope, Gilded-Bark." I say, though, more for my own sake. I said one thing, but my mind focuses only on Nin.


    "The world will have much to answer for if my Beloved dies in a pair of arms other than my own!" he goes as he picks up the pace with repeated, strong breaths. Like a forge''s fire constantly fed by its air bellow.


    Lagging behind, I watch him vanish as his soldiers start to overtake me. Their bladed barbs and chain-like whips stream behind them with deceptive gentleness. Some of the aelenvari glow brightly like a field of wild greens while others look as if they only have steel at their side. In the name of their ruling male, they all charge after him with equal fury.


    Rising above, high up into the air, I look down at them all. I glance back and see the two Ironcoats as they laugh in despair at their oncoming effort. I think back to my time with the army when we left Giant''s Victory because of them. Compared to what it was, this force the Gilded-Bark is going out with is tiny.


    But, we were laid low by a force smaller than even this, a steel monstrosity and some cavalrymen...


    I shake my head clear of thoughts like these again and sneer at myself because of it. Tightly clutching my weapon, I break away into the sky proper and soar into the lowest layer of clouds. Breaking through the snow-belt and soaring into the open, bright sky, I refresh myself with the colder air and reminisce about the feeling. I nod to myself as I make it a certainty in my mind.


    "This will be the last time I march out with an army." I sigh quietly as my short hair is taken up by the wind. I dive back down under the snow-belt and watch the army from high above. The near complete female population of the force is a curious sight to behold. It seems impressive from a glance, but should they be forced into a close fight, their strength will shatter.


    I understand that since the Patricide as they know it as, they lost an inconceivable amount of people. An overwhelming amount of which were males. But, my mind cannot stop itself from noticing the problems even if their solution is one of few that they have to work with. Men may struggle more with casting spells, but their bodies hold strength far better.


    Nin in particular holds quite a lot for someone who once never had any. To look to the valley below me for an example, his body is like it. Empty of anything that might be able to hold back the sudden, storming tide that appeared within him. That overwhelming power could not be regulated, he nearly drowned in a fantastic, arcane fireball.


    "I will save you, Nin..." I mutter as I try to smile over the fact he survived Sudden Induction. There was nothing to save the valley that is his body, but he did. With that strength, he will last far longer and better than anyone else. Whatever is happening to him in there, it is not dangerous enough to ensure that I arrive too late!


    But, he still needs me!


    Building up my magic with a determined glare, the sky erupts as I shoot ahead. Flying past the army and several of the scouts who went out ahead a while ago, I lean towards them. I slam myself onto a nearby mountain, just under the snow-belt. Letting debris and snow roll and fall past me, I look around.


    "How can I ever forget this mountain." I remark as I stare at the partially collapsed, solid stone giant not too far away. I look away from the sight of my shameful display before Heiya was forced to help me. Leaping back into the air, I head on down to where we once made camp, knowing a tunnel in should still remain. I focus on the mountain and try to pick up on anything that might lead me to him...


    But, I only pick up on a source of magic behind me.


    Turning around, I walk up to the abandoned staff of the Earth Shaman and my brow rises. I look back at our camp and all the ash-covered, broken plants in this small area. The machine we took shelter in has been picked clean of easily useable materials. Many fresh, osibindah footprints line the area as well.


    I pick up the staff then crush the handle out of spite for its owner and walk out to the ledge. I frown, looking down from the platform, I spot the signs of struggle and go down further. All the way to the ground, my eyes start to widen. Some of the dirt distinctly has the marks of boots...


    "Nin!" I let out hopefully as I realise he might''ve been able to escape even as early as the day we lost him. Broken stone is all over the place, trees are toppled and blood even decorated the grass. Staring intently at that which has bits of red blood on it, I follow a growing trail.


    "Valkinvar! Valkinvar!" one of the aelenvari scouts call out urgently as they stamp themselves to an angled stop and crouch into it. I focus my sensitive patience towards them and they grow nervous. With their blubs flickering, I start to get annoyed.


    "Speak!" I desperately demand as my eyes keep dashing to the signs of conflict.


    "There''s a strange, convoluted magic source down that path! The Ivy-Mother requested I tell you this." she explains as my eyes narrow at how they describe the magic. Stepping around them, I crouch into the ground and launch myself into the air. An annoying cone builds up in front of me, but, passing by a low-hanging summit, I dive down.


    The cone erupts.


    I land ahead of this strange magic source and quickly get back up. Thinking of a halberd once again, a blade forms from the silvery, metallic liquid and I further reinforce it with my magic. Not only is there a mixture of magic sources beyond the corner ahead. That strange magic I was told about feels familiar.


    I rush around the corner but come to a screeching halt.


    I drop my weapon and my mouth becomes agape as my eyes water.


    "Nin..." I quietly say as I look at his bruised, battered and bloody body. Staring back at me, he starts to wobble and his right arm comes into view. My eyes lock onto the osibindah-like limb as he realigns himself back upright. I take into account the tatty remains of skin still covering it then look beyond him.


    Not only did he get out himself, but he also strapped himself to and managed to cover a whole, sturdy trunk with those he saved. I was too weak to protect him, but, starting at the little hwardgon child closest to him, he has saved so many more. All by himself... He fought off the Earth Shaman and made it out with so many.


    A few dozen adult aelenvari women, some humans and other grown-ups. Children from a plethora of races. Those that must''ve been taken elsewhere before I escaped barely... He saved them all.


    I''ve been worrying for him so much, doubting him in the back of my mind again and again. But, here he is, not only alive and free of his own will, he has the proof of it. The scars of battle cover him in his entirety, nothing lacks blood or filth or dark smatterings of swollen bruises on it. I was judging him with no basis...


    I may have kept it to myself, but the gods and goddesses still heard me. They gave him the strength to prove me wrong... So, so wrong... I''m not crying in relief, I am crying because I feel so ashamed.


    I am not the one battered by battle, but I am the one to collapse in pain. I hold my chest and choke on my emotions as he slowly sways back and forth, exhausted. I bow my head to him and try to hide my shame against the dirt. For all my strength and power, here he is standing prouder, bloodier and stronger than I ever could be.

 V2 Incline 6: Champion Nin

    Shooting up from my nightmare, drenched in a cold sweat, my fingers dig into the bed. I keep clenching my hands through the frame and the bedding as I pant excessively. My clawed hand comes to my head and I clutch it as my brain painfully throbs within, pounding my skull like a battering ram. Breathlessly hissing at the pain, I struggle to wipe my eyes clear of tears with my hard triplet of bug digits.


    I try to steady my breathing to something more stable, but all I can manage is to make it less hysterically spastic...


    Moving my clawed hand away from my face, I stare deeply at the dark, shelled mass as my three digits move. Moving the one about where my pinky used to be, I look away and spot a slender, tanned arm. It unwraps itself from my gut and I follow the length of it until I find its owner. I blink at what I see as what is clearly a she starts to move with a smile.


    Coloured like and shaped like the petals of a red rose, her hair sways gently as she moves upwards. A pair of slim, pointy ears reveal themselves and I notice the pair of glowing bulbs dangling from her forehead. Lighting me up in a soft, warm, rose-coloured light, I start to shuffle away. I start to panic for a whole new, obviously silly reason.


    Why am I sharing a bed with a woman as curvy as this!?


    "A-eh!?" I let out as I fall out of the bed and roll out towards some kind of fabric wall. Shaking my head, I sit up just as she does. Having taken most of it with me, the parts of the quilt left on her start to fall. My eyes widen and my face heats up and I try to hide it by looking away and sticking my hands up.


    I did not see her bountiful body in the slightest. I am not getting vague memories of soft skin and softer mounds against my body. She starts to giggle and move and a delicate touch comes upon my shaven head. Either she is trying to calm me down or she is entertaining herself...


    I hope it''s the latter as I do not intend to become the toy for some other creature!


    "Stressful sleep, Champion?" she softly asks as she leans closer and closer towards me, bringing my arms down in the process. Placed between a rock and a hard place, I do not know where to put my eyes. Either, I stare deeply into these strange, black orbs or I spot... She rubs a finger along my forehead, wiping it clear of grime, muck and sweat.


    Looking at myself, I get quite a clear view of how filthy I am. Dried blood, mud, everything, really. But, strangely, I can''t see any bruises of note or any great injuries. I...


    I don''t understand, I know I was brutally beaten down...


    "Champion?" she asks as her fingers guide me to look up by the chin. Looking into her eyes again, she smiles and lets go. Sitting at the edge of the bed, she starts to beckon me closer with a suggestive finger. For some reason, I slowly move up to her and she guides my head down onto her bare lap.


    She strokes my head as my mind wanders all over the place in regard to my body, I try to distract myself. I look down at her legs as best as I can and see clearly that she is a needle-leg. Up close to them like this, I notice as well how, after the knee joint, it turns into a more bone-like material. My eyes dash across the quilt-covered carpet then I spot something white...


    "Wait... Where''s Vapooliar?" I ask as I shoot up slightly. Before I collapsed out there in the wilderness, I heard her voice. I saw a blurry figure in white and I heard the sounds only she could make. Powerful, sudden explosions in the air...


    "The Valkinvar? I asked her to rest easy now. For she''s accomplished what she set out to do." this woman explains to me as she tries to reel me back in.


    I blink, having no idea what that could possibly mean, "What did she set out to do?"


    "Find you, of course... And I can see why..." the woman answers as she leans in closer as her tone turns far sultrier. I quickly and nervously stand up and move away from her. Only to get a sudden build-up of blackness in my eyes and spasms in my legs. Latching onto a nearby set of draws, my fingers snap through the wood as the rose-haired woman supports me out of nowhere.


    "I''m... I''m fine..." I mutter as my right arm holds her back. But, I am confused, I can barely feel her, she''s got it pressed up between her... But I can barely feel any of it. It feels like I''ve been sleeping on it, but no pins or needles are coming.


    There are only dull sensations in a pattern of lines on my open palm, slight openings...


    I take a step away from her and clutch the arm tightly, though, her grip is not easy to escape. Her arms change their position and they wrap around me from behind along with her tail. Warm softness presses up against my back and bright light nearly blinds me on my left side. I turn my head to the right just as she starts to nuzzle my exposed neck.


    She purrs and happily hums a tune against my skin, seemingly making it more sensitive than it should be. My still-normal hand stops her right before she can reach too far down. She moans her disappointment right against my cheek then she lets go. She walks away and I hear the bed bounce right after.


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    I turn to face her and immediately look away with a buzzing mind. She just had to choose a position that showed her body off the most, didn''t she? Breasts are proudly being pushed forward by her tightly-knit arms. One leg is crossed over the other, showing off just how much leg meat there is to grab...


    Strangely, my nightmares have one thing to be praised for and that''s the fact I can''t seem to ignore them. My mind keeps going back to them rather than the eager spearman sharing this tent with us. Noting my filthy state once again, I sniff my pits and hack a fake cough at the smell. Now that I can actually smell nice things in this tent, it''s easy to see how bad I smell!


    A draw slides open and a cloth comes into view in the woman''s hands. Squeezing the seemingly dry piece, water starts to drip out of it and she wipes her front down. Mesmerised by the sight, I keep watching as she smiles. Dually-shaded, ivy light appears around her free hand and bubbles start to form as they touch the water...


    The cupboard behind me starts to violently rattle.


    Turning to face it, someone bursts out of it just in time. They''re dressed in thick sheets of brown leather and a pair of bulbs with their yellow light go off at me. I look back at the other woman and her face shows nothing but an igniting explosion. Looking back down at the leather-covered person, they rise up as they spot the seed on a pedestal.


    "THORNS! THORNS!" the rose-haired woman roars at the top of her lungs with spit-flinging fury. The leather-covered needle-leg freezes up and a group of four armoured ones burst into the tent. Two of them draw weapons and block the entrance while the other two snatch up the leather-covered one. Rising to her tips, the rose-haired woman approaches the captured needle-leg with a right furious expression.


    The bulbs on one of the armoured needle-legs light up a bright pink.


    The rose-haired woman''s light up an even brighter rose-red and the group of four leave with the leather-dressed one.


    The rose-haired woman turns to me, horrified, "I am so sorry, Champion! I would have thought you would be safe here in my bulb, but... I will put in even more effort to ensure the roots will stay away from you!"


    "It''s fine..." I answer quietly, confused and bewildered as to what is going on. What''s a root? Why does it matter if she is near me? Why does she keep calling me ''Champion''!?


    "No, no it is not, Champion! You deserve bett-"


    "Please don''t call me that." I interrupt as I clutch my still throbbing head, "My name is Nin, okay?"


    "But, Champion, you have more than earned the title! We found you with the many dozens you saved and we have been told beforehand of your saving of our Gilded-Bark''s unborn son!" she tries to explain and I blink slowly at her reasons for why I earned the title.


    I frown at them as fists form.


    She spoke as if I did any of that out of the kindness of my heart. As if I just did any of it selflessly... The seed was just suddenly thrust upon me and I immediately handed it off to someone else. And all those I put on the log, I did not save, I tried to force them back into the hive.


    I tried to force them back into it!


    She slowly starts to get up and comes close to me. When she reaches me, she pulls me in against her and aggressive snorts keep flattening her hair. Through the valleys of her scalp, I vent my anger like whistling, steam-packed pipes. She moves her head away just as I seem to calm down.


    "Now... How about we get you cleaned up?" she asks as the sultry tone and suggestive smile return. Her sweet-scented breath blows over my face and it lingers in my nostrils like that honey did in my mouth, back at the camp. She presses her front against mine some more and I start to wiggle out of her grip. Snapping around, I keep my back end facing her.


    She giggles and I take note of how she is enjoying this far too much!


    Tearing up a cloth from the nearest source, she laughs gently as I cover up my crotch. Keeping it safe from her gaze, she tries to test me with her grip and I ward her off. Soft giggles leave her again and she wraps herself around my left arm. She starts to guide me towards the exit of the tent without even trying to get herself changed...


    Silently, I go along with it with increasingly wider eyes. We''re only taking steps at a time but it feels so much quicker and so much slower than that at the same time! Whatever Aahtha''s involvements with my current circumstances are, as the Goddess of Pleasure... Nakedly striding outside isn''t one of them!


    "Woah, woah! Hold on! We aren''t dressed yet!" I point out in disbelief at the crazy confident woman. However, wrapping herself with my arm, she sticks her hip out and rolls her eyes. She makes a little gesture as she looks me in the eye.


    "So? It''s not like I am a root, unlike that hideous thing from earlier. Besides, why wouldn''t you want to show yourself off with me? Making others jealous with my good fortune is... An eagerly looked forward to circumstance..." she tells me as her lips move closer and closer to mine. As she does so, my grip on the cloth tightens as her grin lengthens.


    "Public decency!? Ring any bells!?" I ask her loudly and she tilts her head at me.


    "Public decency for the Ahnelges and all aelenvari flowers is to respect the beauty and strength of their superiors by basking in all its glory..." she clarifies to me as a hand spreads out across my chest and a leg braces itself on my cloth-holding hand... Claw...


    "Okay... Um... Can we at least find something to cover this up then...?" I plead as of all the things my body has to show. This new arm of mine is something I do not want others to see. She smiles sweetly and nods gently.


    "Of course, Champion. I will arrange for someone to deliver us a cloth to wrap up that arm in. If you are happy, so am I." she explains as she untangles her body from mine. Nodding as she does so, I try to keep my eyes away from her swaying hips and the tail framing her lower end. I direct my glare towards my crotch as it just can''t seem to take a hint.


    My mind is full of nightmares still but down here... It cannot take anything seriously...


    Admittedly, it probably doesn''t help that I am noticing what I am.


    "Would you prefer to wait on your own... Or do you enjoy the company?" she asks as her head comes back into view. Running her fingers under her mounds, she highlights them for my eyes. I turn my flushed face away and my bare feet bounce and bounce.


    I shake my head rapidly, "Loneliness!"


    She shakes her head with bemused disappointment and disappears through the tent flaps. She keeps her tail in the tent, however, swishing it aggressively from side to side. On top of being able to see her shadow come through the fabric, I also see her body slightly. Looking away from her, I spot many, many more shadows.


    The amount just keeps growing...


    "Where in the name of the gods have I ended up?" I ask myself as I start to get nervous at the sizeable force of growing onlookers.

 V2 Incline 7: Champion Nin

    My time impatiently and idly standing around comes to an end as a handful of white cloth is presented to me. Nearly leaping, I snatch the mind-saving fabric up and start to wrap my arm with it. The fact I am feeling slight resistance rather than tearing it is enough to make me flash a smile. But, with how awkward it is to use my left arm, frustration takes a more permanent place on my face.


    The arm''s too bulky and I lack the control and dexterity of my right hand in my left. I can''t get it to wrap around properly... It keeps snagging on the plates. They keep pinching and trapping it!


    "Grrr..." I let out before I start to sob as the cloth refuses to behave. I don''t want to see this hideous arm let alone so many others...


    The rose-haired woman steps close and she does it for me.


    "T-Thank you..." I weakly say as she applies a few finishing touches in the form of a finely done bowtie. She smiles at me and then places the wrapped-up arm between her chest. Smushing up against me, she hides the most catching of details with her pair of dark, shining, precious eyes.


    "Better?" she asks and I nod, repeating my answer to her before she starts to pull me out of the tent. My heels naturally try to dig themselves in, but, otherwise, I go with her wishes once I grab my crotch cover again. We step out into the light of the Orbital-Halo and it enamours me. Falling in love with the once-forgotten sight, I try to blind myself with it as its warmth soothingly bakes me.


    However, for all that I can see, no matter how much heat covers me from the sky or from the one next to me... I cannot stop hearing the great mass of people all around me. Sharp, narrow taps sing in the air and stop abruptly. Lights of all sorts flare up around us, even the woman''s head glows brightly.


    Blinking away the lingering image of light in my eyes, I settle on her rose-red hair and smile. She''s enjoying this moment to her heart''s content and I shirk away as I grasp just how big the crowd is. Nightmares of public speaking compare nothing to this... Bright and wide-eyed, they look at me like a divine-famed celebrity descending even just one floor down.


    Armoured needle-legs surround the area and many fail in their duties as their gazes land on me...


    My still-human hand twitches and convulses and I am unsure if I should wave ''hello.'' In fact, I don''t know how to respond at all. Taking the red-haired woman into account, several of these observing eyes are clearly full of lust. Others are full of amazement and wonder. Few are clinical in their observations.


    I am the universal constant for all of them.


    My nervousness starts to get worse, I try to slink back into the tent, but the rose-haired woman stops me. My stomach hurts, my head is dizzy and I feel like something is escaping me. Whatever is going on, the great, endless crowd is taken aback by it and the woman clinging to me moans gently. She starts to sprawl a little more over me, just to really rub it in.


    "Oh... Champion, be a little prouder." she purrs, confusing me further. What is she on about and what is everyone looking at!?


    What reason is there for a sudden rise in clearly jealous looks!?


    I know she mentioned something like it earlier... However, why did it have to be while I am outside with a naked bottom?


    "Can... Can we get g-going?" I ask the rose-haired woman as I try to respect my own boundaries and catch her attention. Though, I just seem to encourage her and I get a mouthful of hair for the trouble.


    "Of course, Champion." she thankfully answers, though.


    I groan with uncertainty as we start to move, I can''t really handle my current state right now. Protecting my front takes up one arm and this woman is hogging up the other one. I really wish that the people here would just be like they''re from Tobaballe... If I really am the Champion, they can just look down at the ground because I am better than them!


    But, I''m not... I didn''t save anyone. I tried to run away and only found them again because I was immediately struck by the gods with a vengeance. My cowardice was paid in full return by that armoured bug, wherever it is now...


    I try to distract my mind with the sights about me, with how I am in a city of tents. Tents, tents, more tents, endless tents! The main street is dually run alongside by tents... The distant sights are nothing but tents!


    I get to see all these tents while a beautiful woman clings to the world''s ugliest limb...


    "I really wish we could travel through the tents..." I barely mouth as flustered guards come daintily jogging in from behind us. Glancing down at the marble ground, I try to relive my earliest experiences on the highest floors of my home. I know they''re all staring at me, the weird feelings are here, but, my eyes are focused at least... They''re focused on something.


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    Though, staring at so much marble is making me wonder a little. Why is such a valuable stone, high-floor worthy stone, carrying tents? Why do they even have such a large, longgoing floor of marble...? Holding tents of all things...


    There''s something off about this marble as well, it feels weird to walk on. I can feel something pulsing through it, like a heartbeat, it shivers up through me. I feel like I am supposed to be able to see something, but it is alluding me. I have a feeling these black-eyed creatures can see it, though.


    The marble comes to an end and we step down onto hole-covered dirt and chopped-up grass. I quietly follow the rose-haired woman as it gets noisier around us. The sounds of dangerously close, orbiting footsteps and hands are gone. Whatever is going on around me, there is a crowd being kept under control.


    The further along we go, the more violent it gets...


    "I am so, so sorry, Champion... But, I am afraid we will have to... We will have to go through the..." the rose-haired woman struggles to answer as she shivers with disgust against me. Almost as if I am her final bastion for something good. I try to escape her clingy grip a little.


    Thinking back to the so-called root from earlier, I frown as I look up, "It''s fine, doesn''t look that long a walk."


    I glance and then turn around. All behind me there is so much vibrant, bright colour. All kinds of shades of tents, each styled like the flowers they share their colours with. But, down here, it''s all thick, brown leather. An endless neighbourhood of stuffy, uncomfortable slum houses.


    The kind of stuff I''d expect the very lowest of Tobaballe to be like.


    "I do not want to spend any more time here than I have to. Let''s go, the thorns will do their jobs well... Or else!" she explains to me, then warns to the armoured needle-legs around us. I watch their spikey armour rattle and raise a brow at it. I guess I can see the justification for the name.


    Though watching all this, I am not getting very pleasant memories of home...


    "So this is how it feels to be from the higher floors." I remark to myself as the thorns violently beat back the curious hordes of leather-covered needle-legs. I watch them with uncertainty as they get brutally pushed back, but, even then. They still rush up as close as they can manage to at least send wide-eyed gazes at me. Their little bulbs light up excitedly, though, notably dimmer than everyone back on the marble platform and in between.


    All this violence, for my sake, supposedly.


    I continue to watch uncomfortably as they are attacked. Wincing at a few as the metal tubes the thorns wear thrust down right on top of them. In a way, I feel like I would best fit in here with the roots, I can see myself in their position easily enough. They don''t have the way we Tobaballians denote rank, but, wearing clothes like these is similar enough.


    I wish my mind is a little different, right now, I don''t like what I am seeing... Thankfully, the amount of brown leather tents is coming to an end. We are leaving them behind us. All of it.


    "Thank the gods and goddesses, freedom from that distasteful oppression of inferiority!" the rose-haired woman exclaims as if she just stopped holding her breath.


    "Agreed..." I say, for completely different reasons as I tuck my left thumb into a fist. We will need to go right back through here, we will...


    "You''re cute, Champion. It is nice to see that your mind and heart are in the right place." the rose-haired woman giggles and I stare back at her. I nod as sarcastically as possible.


    "Yeah... Sure." I say to her as I rub my right arm and feel its hard surface. Within my bug arm, there''s some kind of phantom ache, it is a part of me, but, I can''t seem to feel it. I am watching it move, actively thinking how it will move, but I can''t feel anything it does.


    Like it belongs to someone else and it just happens to be on me...


    I look away from it just as we move through a vast, field of severed stumps and brightly marked trees. Up ahead of us is some kind of building and it is surrounded by many others. Particularly on my right, which has what looks like some form of military facility running up a ramp. Cloistering on the top and near the bottom of a modest cliff.


    I spot nothing notable on the left, however.


    "So, where am I, exactly, is this your home city?" I ask her as I look back at the few buildings that aren''t just tents. From the great mountain up ahead, a stream is raining down into a walled area.


    "City? Only humans have cities. This is our flower, a flower of the Ahnelges." she explains to me, though, my clarity of the situation only gets worse.


    "Yes... You mentioned that word before. Who, or, rather, what are the Ahnelges?"


    "My people. Me. Those around me, but not you, Champion." she answers seriously at first before a grin accompanies a light tap on my nose.


    My confusion vanishes slightly and that makes her giggle some more.


    "Your innocence to our ways is something, I must admit, Champion." she tells me as she sighs into a smile. Staring at her bulbs as they light up once again, my head tilts as I look deeply into the light. She seems to squirm a little under my gaze, but I have no idea why.


    I look away, far too sensitive to the idea of genitalia for the moment and I spot a group of dancers in the distance. Rather, a group of thorns doing something that looks similar to dancing. They''re very elegant in their manner and they do so with glowing ribbons that somehow stiffen even in motion. They whip up all kinds of chlorophyllic light and I watch them for a bit longer.


    "Training thorns." the woman answers and I nod a little. Catching onto the gentle tune in the air, my head moves slightly in motion with it. For the violent purpose thorns have, it is quite soft music. I like it.


    I turn away from them as I pick up on a far more guttural sound. My eyes widen and I look away as the rose-haired woman spots what I just saw. Some of her people are enjoying themselves a little too much just a few trees away. She does some form of gesture in their direction but then, a suggestive gaze finds its way to me.


    "If there is any service that I, the Ivy-Mother of this flower of the Ahnelges might provide... Please, tell me." she clarifies as she picks up on her efforts to press herself against me. Taking a slight step back, my face burns hot as hers takes on a pinkish hue. All to the ambience of pleasurable gasps for Aahtha''s blessing, so that they might please Motrtha in the end...

 V2 Incline 8: Champion Nin

    Keeping my flustered face locked on the building ahead, I try to ignore the moist, towelled beauties walking out of it, "This will take some time getting used to..."


    Feeling a lapse in the Ivy-Mother''s grip, I walk away, towards the far edge of the building. Running a hand on the smoothly fitted wood, I knock my backhand on some of the decorative metal plating it has. Moving further along, I reach the edge of the largest body of water I have ever seen. I''ve heard of the great pools on Tobaballe''s highest floors, but, this has to be even greater than them.


    Even the one likely in the Crown!


    I''ve never seen so much water before, only a fraction of it is contained by this building and its facilities. Even then, the amount the building has in its grasp is quite impressive. The edge of the main body is fairly shallow, it looks like it would go up to about my lowest ribs. The further I look, though, the darker it gets and many needle-legs are enjoying just diving into the dark blue depths.


    A hand takes mine and turns me around and I end up looking the Ivy-Mother in the eye, "You seem to be quite impressed. Does our craftsmanship please you?"


    Hearing her words, I look towards the building as my wrapped hand feels the rock wall around the water. Oddly, I can feel the rock. It feels spongey. Strange, but not mind occupying.


    "We put this all up in less than a week, you know?" she informs me with a prideful smile. My eyes widen and I look back at how decorative and seemingly finely built it is.


    "That''s impressive." I let out as I nod at the craftsmanship. Though, I am not familiar with woodworking in the slightest. I am, however, quite jealous of the metal components, there''s no way they just had all this lying around. Whoever made these plates and fitted them is quite good at their job.


    Outstanding work.


    Maybe I could ask for their help, if I ever get home, I can put that knowledge to use... Perhaps move up a dozen floors...


    "The amount of water here is more amazing, though... So much of it, all clean and..." I start to explain before the Ivy-Mother splashes a handful of it at my open mouth.


    Smacking my lips a bit, I pick up on the natural, crisp sweetness of the water, "Well, at least I won''t go thirsty in your flower with this... Whatever, to drink from..."


    "Lake." the Ivy-Mother answers.


    "Lake, huh." I repeat as my lefthand swirls about the cool, refreshing water. A fish comes into view and its silvery scales sparkle in the clear blue. Popping its backfin above the water, it swims by and then splashes us as it speeds away. It leaves behind a lightly foamed trail and an evergrowing ''v.''


    The Ivy-Mother giggles as my face drips with water.


    "Champion, if I may, there is quite a bit of adorable ignorance with you." she comments as she lets go of my arm to go and sit down on the rocks. Glancing once, I keep my eyes on the water as her tail gently whips at it. Ripples ring away from her and I catch a glance of her legs crossing as well.


    I turn away from the water and nearly jump at the crowd that had followed us upon seeing it.


    "There are a few things I don''t know about because I was never entitled to them. I still am not..." I explain as someone in the distance plays with some kind of ringing metal instrument. The Ivy-Mother, basking in the stares of the crowd, gets down and walks around me intentionally. I briefly follow her bouncing hips and the load they bear. As it was back in the tent, a bit of moisture has added a strange allure to her already flawless skin.


    I gulp as my face heats up once again and she reaches for my closest hand, "Much as I enjoy the benefits cold water has..."


    She closes up to me.


    "...Such as stiffer nipples." she whispers with a lick of her lips.


    "Yes!" I blurt loudly, eliciting another giggle.


    "Or, we can head inside so that it is easier to clean you up. And you are filthy everywhere..." She gently laughs against me as her hands test my defences. Warding her off, I watch her lowered eyelids as she starts to guide me into the building. I gulp as we pass by an exiting group of wet needle-legs with nought but towels on them. Spotting me, many of them lick their lips and flash their soft cocoons open.


    With several pairs of Aahtha''s bounty in front of me, down south is screaming just as my mind is!


    The laughter of naked women surrounds me and steam starts to cling to me. As if I am walking into something invisble, resistance forms in the air as we get closer to the building''s entrance. I feel a lot more aware of all the filth on me now. It feels heavy and it is only getting heavier as it darkens with moisture.


    My grip on my crotch protection tightens and the Ivy-Mother''s tail lashes out at it. She plays up her innocence even as a familiar tint of mischievousness shines in her eyes. I try to ignore her and instead focus on the way the building is venting steam from all of its orifices. But, then, hot air comes directly onto my face.


    "Can we just get into the warm water, please?" I ask as her immediate presence performs a better task of heating me up than the steam.


    "Of course, Champion. I will even find a quiet corner for all three of us..." she explains and I stop myself from looking around as she grins at me. Glaring at her does nothing and she just keeps it up. I whine on the inside as I just want to get cleaned up. But, like her, I need to get ready for this upcoming adventure.


    Voices giggle around me and voices yell inside my head. Voices of all kinds, all mine and ''Go get her!,'' they scream. The boys are trying to drive me towards her obvious hospitality. I gulp again as I try to stick close to the walls of the building.


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    My nose erratically blasts embarrassed air out and I hide my right arm...


    Stepping into the building fully, my dirty feet stain the wet tiles with dark, brown footprints. However, the Ivy-Mother just taps across it without issue, though, she sticks to the gaps between tiles. Walking after her, she seems to slip against me, but I am suspecting it is no accident. Whatever her reasons, however, she is enjoying the fact she gets to lean against me.


    Taking advantage of some of the smoothly bumped tiles, I try to wipe my feet on them. Looking up, I spot what appears to be the staff of this place and I immediately look up at the lit-up ceiling. Everyone that is wearing fabric is completely soaked by the moisture in the air. It''s clinging to them with see-through delight, ready to be peeled off by anyone courageous enough.


    The bulbs on their head light up and the Ivy-Mother delights in whatever it means. Hers light back up at them and they giggle at me jealously as we walk by. My eyes land on a sign that I cannot read and I listen to the laughter coming from beyond the entrance. Reacting as most men would, my eyes widen as memories of a time long gone come to mind.


    Teenage years.


    All the attempts to sneak a peek in the girls changing rooms, their public baths...


    "To think how difficult it would be to explain how the reality is..." I mutter to myself, almost hissing as my legs grow weak. But, the Ivy-Mother''s insistence pulls us through and she lets go as her tail wags. Staring about the chamber I now find myself in, I blink at how much work has been done in here as well. A week at most to do all this...


    "Champion, come, please sit." the Ivy-Mother encourages as she gets down onto her knees. Using her arms to push her chest together, she eagerly awaits me as I gulp again. With a slight, unwanted spring in my step, I walk towards her as she prepares a stool. I have nowhere to lock my eyes on, there are naked women everywhere!


    Why couldn''t these needle-legs be ugly...?


    "No... That would be worse." I shiver at my recent thought as I reach the stool. Placing herself against me, she guides me down onto it and she rests her head on my shoulder.


    "As much as we''d allow you your rest. Let me help you clean up. There is a lot that needs a firm, focused hand." she explains rather seriously in contrast to everything up until now. I focus on the somehow unsteamed mirror ahead and frown at it. How am I going to occupy my mind with artistic masterpieces like this? It''s clear, clean glass!


    I am disappointed...


    Feeling a hand touch my back and draw down it, I tighten the grip on my crotch-protecting cloth. I straighten my lips and look over my shoulder and meet the smile on her face head-on. One of her hands turns my head back around and she starts to pat my body. Or stroke it.


    "Perhaps a massage? You seem to be quite tense at the moment, Champion." she offers as she slides her chest up along my back, resting it on either side of my head. My ears are pressed down as she knowingly pushes this soft grip on me.


    "I wonder why..." I struggle to say as she breaks her grip, laughing sweetly at me.


    She whispers some kind of song into my ear and tickles it with her breath.


    "There we are, clean and strong." she lusts for as the cloth she uses to wipe my back down keeps getting wetter, somehow. Though, she is not just wiping my back down with that flannel... I try to distract myself from it by picking up a cloth to wipe my front down with. I squeeze it and look at the white sapphire threads as they glow, producing a bit of soapy water.


    I scrub diligently and wash each layer of bubbles away. I am not having her come around here. No... Most certainly not...


    "Not with you..." I mouth at my crotch as it practically riots away in its prison. However well I have cleaned my thighs, it is enough. I deny her every opportunity to get around here. Though, this doesn''t stop her from gasping gently as something thick and viscous starts to leak onto me.


    Curiously, I can trace the sensation to her chest, like a pair of ball-point pens...


    "What are you putting on me?" I ask her as my confusion grows. Looking back slightly I spot her reddening face and I look back at the mirror. With shaken confidence, she continues to wash my back. More of the strange liquid spills out onto me and she starts to get somewhat aggressive with her efforts.


    I watch as she hesitates to answer, her reflection is increasingly bashful and she hides her face slightly...


    "My deepest apologies, Champion... B-But I seem to be leaking honey onto your back... Defeats the point of trying to clean you, doesn''t it?" she tries to laugh off at the end.


    But, I can''t help but think of the camp for some reason. The last meal I shared with the four of them. Me, Vapooliar, Vadei, Heiya and her father, we had meat with honey... Honey.


    This word is quite the mind-halter.


    "I ate a meal with honey not that long ago..." I tell her loudly and in the corners of my eyes, I see quite a few surprised reactions happen. The woman behind me freezes up halfway through wiping my back down. I glance at her red cheeks through the mirror as they shade themselves to match her petal-shaped hair.


    "Did you?" the Ivy-Mother asks as my mind feels like it was suddenly dropped from the Crown. Splattering across the rugged, stone floor of the ground floor.


    Heiya fed us needle-leg lactation that day... Oddly, I can''t find the willingness to gag. My mouth waters slightly and makes a wet smack. I frown.


    "W-Well, it was probably from an insect or something!" the Ivy-Mother explains with an embarrassed blurt.


    "Do you not use your honey in food, then?" I ask as I turn around slightly. More so surprised to hear that there are multiple ways to make honey.


    "Only a mother with her freshly-sprouted child produces honey one can eat... For them alone. Normally it''s an aphrodisiac. Though, who knows where curiosity leads some of us." she stammers to explain as I slowly nod.


    Hmm, I wonder...


    "I don''t remember getting excited back then when I ate it... A lot. Does heat damage its potency?" I ask as I start to recall rumours of the kind of stuff the higher floors used. Many things up there that we on the lower floors never got the slightest drop of.


    "Not that I recall... In fact, I distinctly remember speaking to another ivy-mother from a fellow Ahnelges flower. She explains how she likes to... Fill and boil a pan of her personal supply... In order to see which of her flower''s males are the boldest." she explains with a flushed, but distant tone. She is certainly thinking something up, but it''s hard to tell where her mind is. Her grip isn''t teasing me, it seems to be elsewhere with her mind.


    Her expression suddenly and literally lights up and she turns away from me.


    "So other things make honey?" I decide to ask so I can at least try not to look at future meals with it as something to get me going.


    "Obviously, did you think that only the bosoms of my kind can make such sweet treats?" she asks as her more familiar attitude returns.


    I roll my left hand at her as I refrain from being sarcastic with her.


    "Some insects make it as well, often bees. Theirs behaves quite differently than ours, however, as it is sweeter. Though... I am now immediately regretting my words, because if you prefer sweet things..." she explains then lustfully suggests as she covers up her chest with a towel. She returns to washing my back as I go back to washing my front. Keeping my back clear of further spills, she seems to finish up with my backside.


    "I''ll go ahead now." I tell her as I quickly get back up. Then, scooting away, I keep my crotch away from her as she keeps to her knees. Pouting my way, she seems to get playfully angry.


    "Will you not help me, Self-Centred Champion?" she teases as I keep on leaving. I shrug at her and walk around the wall. Sighing and groaning, I take the quiet moment on my own and enjoy it. Then, I step through the exit and partially emerge outside.


    "Huh, so I could''ve washed myself outside, then come inside over the wall?" I realise as I glance out at the open view this place has. The water doesn''t seem to be as hot as it was indoors, but, it''s a wide, open pool now. A place I can just sit and rest in, supposing I can find a spot. A quiet spot, however, might be a challenge.


    Everyone''s already looking at me...

 V2 Incline 9: Champion Nin

    "Not too different out there, compared to in here." I remark quietly, from my somewhat quiet corner of the pool. I lean over with my left hand and swirl it about in the cold water on the other side. Even right against the rocky wall separating it all, it''s cold. Glancing up further, towards the mountain, I focus on the water it''s letting out.


    It''s like a naturally occurring fountain. One that, while it appears rough and chaotic, it still has an orderly beauty to it. Everything on the mountain comes together to paint an amazing picture, so seemingly effortless in how it does so. Though, for all the sight has to offer, I can''t help but smile at something silly.


    "The mountain is peeing." I childishly and quietly snicker.


    I remember that I am soaking in it and mock-up a shiver before I snicker again. Then, hearing water moving behind me, the sounds of someone wading towards me make my shivers sincere. Snapping around, I drop down into the water and tightly pack my bottom-half coverings against the smooth rock. Hiding my right arm slightly, I watch those approaching.


    A grotesque-looking, oddly proportioned male needle-leg arrives with a small group of women. My eyes briefly look down, across and then they firmly lock onto their eyes. I am the odd one out in this entire bath. The only one wearing anything...


    "You are the human that saved the Gilded-Bark''s seed, yes?" the man amongst them asks, his voice full of admiration. I frown at his tone and start to look away. Not only does it just sound weird to hear something like this, with how isolated life in Tobaballe is... I just don''t deserve it.


    I didn''t save anyone.


    I look further away and try to ignore them, but they are insistent. One of the women comes closer carefully and she gently waves as she smiles. She doesn''t say anything but her bulbs light up. She looks away and I catch how her expression keeps changing as she lights her bulbs up at the others.


    "Alright, everyone, please step back. Leave the Champion be so that he may enjoy his first bath in some time." the Ivy-Mother thankfully calls out as she wades past them. I watch as she intentionally grazes past the male, snatching up his attention entirely. The women around him start to sneer and then they pretty much drag him off as he tries to laugh it off. The Ivy-Mother gently laughs next to me as she comes and sits down.


    Leaning against me with her fingers spread out across my chest and side, I look over at her. I try to scoot away, but she just follows me with her eyes staring deeply into mine. Something wiggles down by my leg and I cautiously watch her tail snake about in the water. She starts to get more physical.


    "I don''t think I will ever get tired of this..." she lets out with a delighted whisper as she starts to move her front higher against me. Looking around quickly, I see more jealous gazes and groan within the safety of my head. Quiet, feminine fury is all about me and the Ivy-Mother is revelling in making it worse.


    "Please, get off." I request as my neck starts to move with her efforts to press down on my head.


    "Do I have to? Can''t I just show them a little more how you are all mine?" she asks as she starts to tease me more precisely. My right arm starts to pat the rock near me as she keeps it up. Her lustful aggression is testing my patience and I start to cling to the spongey rock. Digging into it, a loud crack rings out.


    The wall suddenly blasts open and she drops down into the gap.


    I shoot to my feet with wide eyes and stare at my three-digit hand as it spreads itself out stiffly. Looking into the water, I see a mass of colour within it and all around me as bubbles rise up. Shooting out of the depths, the Ivy-Mother makes a sensual display with the water as it rolls down her. She laughs.


    "Champion!" she goes as I try and figure out what just happened. That didn''t feel like me just smashing the rock open. That spongey feeling...?


    "I-I''m s-s-sorry!" I let out nervously as I feel the cold water slowly mix with the hot water. I stare at the decently-sized hole I made and the Ivy-Mother walks through it. She waves her hand dismissively at me.


    "Do not worry about it, Champion! I''m sure we all appreciated seeing your strength..." she dismisses, biting her lip towards the end as she eyes my lower half. Freaking out, I make sure the cloth is still there and I glare back at her grin when I realise it is.


    "You''re bleeding..." I comment when I spot some red move into the water.


    "Oh, it''s fine." she waves off yet again as she moves her thigh about to get a look at the cut. She glances at my right hand and I shuffle about uncomfortably. But, she guides me back down into a seat and she sits next to me. Placing the abnormal limb onto her closest leg as she does so.


    I slowly feel coldness spread through the water.


    "Do you want to talk about it?" she asks as she gently pats my underwater, wrapped-up arm.


    "No." I answer firmly as my lefthand tightens its grip on the rock I am sitting on. I want to get rid of this arm, I would rather live the rest of my life as a one-armed invalid. But, even then, the idea scares me as for some reason, I think of it as my arm right now.


    It''s not my arm, but...


    "Your mind is a mess, Champion. It would be wise to talk about it." she implores as she tries to reassure me by leaning up to me. I find it strange how I did not mistake it for anything lustful, given her track record.


    "Talking about it won''t do anything, talking won''t get me my arm back..." I sigh as she gently strokes the limb in question. It''s nice to know she wants to help, but, I don''t know. I don''t know. Maybe another time, just not now.


    "Perhaps if I bring someone you are more familiar with?" she asks as she starts to move away, slightly.


    I scoff as that would be a right fine accomplishment. Everyone I knew on the trip is dead, turned to bugs. Everyone else I know is far, far away from here. They know nothing of places like this.


    "Good luck with that..." I manage to say as my brows narrow in time with my sorrow warping to anger. Even if she could find someone, we would probably hate each other. It''s just how the city of Tobaballe is. Maybe it''s a good thing you need to cross a wasteland to get to it, pass by a lightning-infested sky with a vast sea of molten gold around it.


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    "Is the Valkinvar not someone you are close to? Her behaviour and attitude towards you have struck me otherwise. Not even the three human thorns she came here with?" the Ivy-Mother questions as a hand is placed on my shoulder.


    "A tricky question to answer..." is all I can say as I just don''t know how to answer the question. I know them, I am familiar with them. We technically went through something pretty big together, as a group depending on each other. But, even then, I don''t know.


    I feel like all I know is a face and a smile, or a sneer, or frown...


    "You are not from Thurnmourer''s old forge, then?" she asks and I blink. I don''t recall seeing a city near Anvil-Peak. Her words are confusing and intriguing. I can''t imagine I''d misremember the myths, though, not with my craft-god.


    Though, admittedly, if there is a city there, I probably missed it, what with all that flesh-searing thunder!


    "No... I am from the city of Tobaballe. It''s... Far... Far from here, on, what I assume is the other side of Anvil-Peak. So far away from all of this stuff. Everything is so much simpler." I explain to her, but I frown as she starts to smile oddly.


    She starts to laugh, and my frown deepens, "No, you can''t be. Why would anyone live in a land where the Emerald Winds don''t blow? You are making your lives worse off! You make yourselves needlessly ugly and hideous!"


    I pay close attention to how her tone changes from a baffled laugh to a sneer of utter disgust.


    Though, I guess it does clarify something for me as well. Whatever happened to me in that cave, when I first saw that emerald light, whatever happened then... It made me what I am today, handsome and delectable in their, shining, black eyes. This power is what they are attracted to, not me.


    I don''t know how to feel about that, admittedly. Disappointed that they do not think I am good-looking? Happy that I can maybe just do something to get rid of all this attention? I suppose I won''t lose sleep over it either way.


    But, I wonder, if this power attracts them, why do they dress the way they do? Can I hide it perhaps by wearing one of those thick leather outfits? Would be nice, looking around at the uncertain, strange sights around me. There are a lot of eyes on us, on me.


    Not a fan of so many eyes.


    If power is what attracts them, then, I guess Vapooliar has it quite easy. She might as well be the definition of strength and power for me right now. I know the gods are a thing, I''ve seen their works, I am proof of their spilt blood and the efforts they made to defend us. But, the fact I can see Vapooliar''s strength in action, the way the winds rush over me when she suddenly reappears beside me.


    It''s something heart-stoppingly terrifying.


    "I am afraid it is true, I am not from around here. You can even ask Vadei and she can confirm my story." I explain to her as she''s probably met her too. Though, on that topic, what three thorns?


    What happened to the group...?


    "Vadei?" she goes, her voice full of disgust as if she just ate excrement, "Right... The pathetic oxfuine that came here with the Valkinvar. I think I will pass, even if it''s your recommendation, Champion."


    I blink at her attitude and slowly nod.


    Her words are focused on Vadei, but, the way she''s acting, it might as well be me. I don''t really know how to respond and I start to think of some proof I might be able to present. I tap my feet through the water. Pondering as it rushes between my toes.


    "Ankle bracelets!" I go as I lean into the water to snatch my foot up. Rushing it back up to the surface, I see how there is nothing on my ankle. I swap to the other one but find the same situation. They''re gone.


    I look at her as she confusedly stares back at me.


    "What did you people do with my ankle bracelets!?" I demand to know as I smack the area where one of them should be. Somehow, I found myself hating how clean I am right now. I''m too used to seeing a slight rub-off of orange on my shins.


    "Ankle bracelets? I''m afraid I do not know, Champion. You were stripped when you first arrived here. Then, we had you taken to my bulb where I have nurtured you since." she explains.


    "I-It''s fine... But, now what do I use for proof?" I answer her before I ask myself out loud.


    "Why would some decorative jewellery convince me of your absurd story, Champion?" she asks with a bemused scoff.


    "Well..." come on, surely I can explain why I thought the idea would work, "They lack this weird power?"


    "Magic." she corrects as she settles herself into hearing things that must sound just stupid to her.


    "Y-Yeah, they don''t have magic! If I am from around here, then wouldn''t they be magicless!" I think I lie as I have no idea how magic works.


    "How do you not know the word of your gifts, but you grasp the difference between internal-magic and external-magic?" she quietly laughs and asks.


    "Internal-whatnow?" I repeat and she giggles even louder.


    "Again, I am not sure if to be embarrassed by your ignorance or laugh at how adorable this all is." she goes as she pulls my head down to her chest. She strokes my head and it feels condescending but I let it happen.


    "I''m not from around here... I don''t know any of this stuff..." I whine quietly, but just loud enough for her to hear me clearly.


    She seems to moan with delight, "Oh, Champion... Champion, Champion... I am going to enjoy our time together. You are so strong but, so blind and unknowing. I will delight greatly in making you something greater in my image."


    My lips straighten as her moans start to take on an erotic angle as a hand strokes my face.


    "I guess that would be nice..." I somewhat agree to as it would, in fact, be nice to know how to use this power, this magic. Vapooliar tried to some extent, but I needed her armour to even move properly. I don''t know why I can right now without it, but, maybe it''s because this power is leaving me.


    Though, with Vapooliar on my mind again...


    "Have you seen the Valkinvar?" I ask, unsure if she knows Vapooliar as Vapooliar.


    "I am afraid not, I have been looking after you for some time now. I can go look for her, though, if you''d like?" she offers and I nod ecstatically as I leave her grip. She blows me a farewell kiss and I frown at her as she wades off into the distance. Somehow, though, she still manages to keep her lower half bouncing about even in the water.


    Just enough to have it pop out of the water before she leaves the pool...


    Quiet returns and I slide into the water, tired. No one seems to be willing to bother me for the moment. Though, maybe I should head to warmer water? It''s getting fairly chill near the hole.


    The winds move strongly.


    "Nin?" a familiar, desired-for voice says from behind. It sounds happy but it''s also on the verge of crying. I turn around and l find myself looking up. Floating above the water with bright, emerald winds about her.


    "Long time no see..." I go as I recall the moment I shoved her away from the mountain. When that thing came from the ground and stabbed her right in the gut...


    She descends towards me and her white dress darkens as she enters the water. Sitting down next to me, on my left, I try to keep my eyes from going towards her open chest. I focus on her. I look a little at the odd emerald strands hidden amongst her brown hair.


    She seems to be restraining herself from doing something.


    "I am glad you are okay..." she quietly says as she focuses on my wrapped-up arm. Her body tenses up whenever it moves, no matter how slight. I try to hide my arm, knowing some of what she went through in the hive. I start to turn away slightly as I try to figure out how I can hide the arm.


    "Would you prefer it if we-" I start to say before she latches onto me from behind. Pulling me into a hug, she starts to let out the tears she''s been holding back. I feel that she is biased towards my left side, but, I am happy to get a hug like this. Compared to all the teasing from the Ivy-Mother, some sincerity is appreciated.


    "No, here is fine..." she explains as she practically starts to choke my left arm with her hug. Suddenly, she backs away with one of the reddest faces I have ever seen. I turn around to face her properly.


    Silence falls between us and we occasionally see each other''s eyes. I notice how they are like her hair, little bits of shining emerald hidden amongst brown. I keep looking down at her dress and how oddly it matches with her body. The armour she has on is an interesting touch as well.


    "I like the dress, it suits you." I tell her, smiling a little.


    "Th-Thank you..." she goes as she starts to play with it. Though, she seems to mostly try and cover herself up. Maybe she doesn''t like the dress?


    "Sorry, but, I lost your armour." I explain as I stare at what is left of it, the few bits she still has on.


    She smiles back at me, "The fact you are here means it has done its job, do not worry."


    My smile widens as she wipes her face clean of tears.

 V2 Incline 10: Ivy-Mother Roselhia

    "Looks like I was putting on the act a little too well." I quietly complain to myself with my words. Wiping down my chest some more, I solve my leakage problem for now and dispose of the old towel. Taking up a fresh one, I wrap myself up purely to keep my chest contained, regardless of how unbefitting it is for someone like me. Standing up with a flick of the hair, I go and leave the building.


    Taking up the pair of tubes I called for earlier, I slip them on and seal them onto my legs. I step out into the unrestricted opening in the valleys and head back towards the flower. I look to my left, up at the camp the Gilded-Bark has once again set out from. To his knowledge, the Thief was not among those the Champion saved.


    As I will have him think, forever.


    I managed to convince him closer to the moment that she was nowhere to be found. Though, knowing he would not believe it until he saw it, I had the Thief snatched away in secrecy. Before even the Valkinvar found the Champion... She won''t spoil my victory.


    However, while I wanted to just kill the Thief, I found myself thinking of something far more suitable. She''s always been more befitting of a root''s hideous, heavy attire, anyway. It is a contradicting state my victory has left me in, though. The Gilded-Bark remains miserable, even more so in fact.


    I can''t bare seeing him the way he is right now, but, it''s for his own good...


    But, once my plan is finished, there will be nothing to worry about. This worsening depression of his will make him unwilling to handle his usual duties. I can take full control of them with the strength of my name and position and handle them how I want. I am personally thinking of exile for the Thief, letting her just wander the world...


    Alone.


    I smirk joyfully as I enter the flower with my escort. Thinking of how painful I can make the Thief''s punishment alone makes me tingle with delight. But, for now, my plan is not air-tight, I still need to remove her discovery from reality itself. I have a few ideas in that regard...


    Firstly, maybe I should just let her rot in a quiet portion of the Root''s end of the flower. Enjoy the fact that everyone will just see her as a root, the thorns will beat her back into squalor again and again. Her smell will be drowned out and camouflaged by her new life and those around her. Nobody will question it even if a bit of her yellow hair slips out...


    "No, I need to be firmer in my efforts." I verbally go as I look around for inspiration. My eyes land on a thorn as she polishes her helmet for the moment. I glance at her purple hair and its spikey, prickly shape. Thistles.


    I could seal the magic of her hair with special, purple dye and make it so everyone thinks she is Thistle''lhia or something!


    I smile at the idea but then the Champion suddenly enters my thoughts from nowhere. I feel a slight reaction coming from my chest and I peek down the towel. I groan as I watch my sticky honey form strings from my breasts to the white fluff of the towel. But, feeling honey run down my chest forcefully, I firmly place the towel back and somewhat seal my breasts up.


    "Oh, Champion, how I am annoyed by you." I quietly remark as I suddenly develop trouble stopping my mind from thinking of other things. My mind knows who my desires are truly for, but my body seems to be particularly misinformed... Gods and goddesses be willing, their blessings will ensure my plan works. The door to my love''s heart will finally be open to me.


    Though, with my chest acting up the way it is, I will need to change my immediate plans. So I start to head towards the brambles I have the Thief locked up in. My escort disperses and I spot the confusion amongst those guarding this here ''root.'' But, ignoring them, I focus all of my justified malice onto the bound creature inside of the bramble.


    I have the thorns open it up and then dismiss them with a quiet wave of my hand. My breasts stop leaking and I stop my smile from coming out, keeping my joy on the inside. I can''t be wasting my sweet, luscious bounty on towels, it is for him. When the time comes...


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Her hair is dirtied, but still bright and rich with magic, as is befitting of a petal. Her skin is much the same but bruised and bloodied as well. Unfortunately, it is not my work. Though, rather conveniently for me, she is starting to wake up.


    Groaning herself awake, she manages to spit the gag out of her mouth and she looks up at me. Sneering, I kick her to the ground and look at her brightly glowing bulbs. She''s confused, begging and fearful. I smile and pop them under my narrow, metal-covered tips and she screams against the ground.


    Relaxing to the sound of her crying, I grab and lift her up. She rarely spoke with words whilst she walked around my stolen love. He will not recognise her by her words... No one will understand her, few actually speak words in our flower.


    She cries and cries as she bleeds across the ground. I start to laugh at her misery, kicking her away once again. There is no reason for anyone to help her. No thorn, stem, petal or even my stolen love, the Gilded-Bark himself will help a crippled root like her!


    None of them at all!


    "Well, well... Would you look at this, a pathetic, wilted creature who I could cut down so easily is before me. But, I suppose killing you now is more trouble than it is worth. A murder in the flower is too loud, executions are rare, only what you stole can authorise that, Thief!"


    She responds with pained, distorted crying.


    I slam my right point into her face and she falls back against the spiked, twisting bars of the bramble. Blood runs down her fitting attire and across her face. I want to do it more, but I know I shouldn''t. Even with all my frustrations towards her...


    I sneer at her and snatch her up by her destroyed bulbs and I spit on, then drop her.


    "Your efforts to steal my love from me end here. It will all go according to plan this time, you won''t snatch away the Gilded-Bark''s unfortunately bastard child. You. Will. Suffer." I tell her as a cruel smirk appears on my lips. Beautiful magic howls out of my left hand and I grip the nearest metal bar so I can better control it. I let it build up even more until it starts to flare out of an easy state of handling. It''s brighter than even the Champion''s power!


    I place my left hand against her bloody face, tightly grasping it. The magic flows into the hated thief and she struggles to scream against the magical winds forcing their way down her throat. Bubbles form under her skin and she violently convulses as I blow her body up. Red starts to pop out across her body and she flails about, desperately clinging to life.


    She falls limp and I let go, flicking my hand mostly clean of blood.


    Stepping out of the bramble, I walk to the nearest thorn with a relieved sigh.


    "Close it up, make sure she lives." I brightly order them to do as they get over their discomfort. I think back to my idea of dying her hair, I smile at it. Her body is destroyed, but there are still hints as to who she once was. I need to destroy that too.


    I walk into the home of the Petals and head towards the appropriate bulb, stepping into it, I am greeted with joyful, fluttering lights.


    "Oh! Ivy-Mother! A pleasure as always to see you here! Can I help you with anything? Does the Valkinvar need anything? Or even the Champion perhaps!? I heard he woke up earlier!" the young, blue-haired petal ecstatically bombards me with as she threatens to destroy her true-voice with sheer excitement.


    "Another time for all these questions, but, it is a pleasure to meet you as well, fellow petal. Now, I''m wondering, may I borrow some of your supplies?" I ask her with my true-voice as I start to walk around for the sake of inspecting things. Then, spotting what I do need, I come to a stop near some hung-up skirts.


    "Hm? What do you need? We have plenty of everything a petal might need in their dressing habits!" she eagerly asks as she tries to follow my gaze.


    "Do you have any purple, magic-sealing dye I could have? Preferably a small jar, enough for one person." I ask as I head towards what I want. Picking a vial up, I swirl it about and inspect how it messes with my vision. It deceives me into believing the magic around it is purple in colour and my eyes hurt a little looking at so much of it in one space.


    Our hair is a curious thing, even whilst our magic is varying shades of leaves, grass and moss, maybe even as sparkling as emerald... Our hair matches the flower we are born under. If I remember correctly as well, this kind of hair dye is made from the hair of our deceased ancestors. The last vestiges of their magic in this divinely-made world.


    "I can get our finest, rose-red dye?" she offers as she rapidly gestures towards the, in-comparison, regal vial. I look at it for the sake of it and smile at the gorgeous colour. It''s not as nice as my own hair, but, I might come back for it, now that I see it. I can have so many patterns painted onto my naked skin!


    It might go particularly well with the dress of my station, maybe even my...


    "No, purple will do me just fine for now." I tell her as I hide the insidious smile I can''t help but develop.

 V2 Incline 11: Champion Nin

    "Yes, this is fine." I feel the need to tell the needle-leg as I stare back at the strange expression she is giving me. They wanted me to come in and finally pick out some clothes after gods know how many days of me pestering them about it. However, everything they have offered me so far might as well be nothing... Thin, straps of cloth that I wouldn''t even wear to bed.


    I shake my head slightly as the needle-leg continues her stare of immense disappointment. She seems to hate the fact I am wearing actual clothes. But, what can I say? I''m a low-floor worker of Tobaballe, clothes like this are the norm!


    A simple shirt that properly covers my chest and back. Trousers which don''t slip off easily or lack fabric in the important areas. It''s my choice what I wear, not theirs. Though, I never thought I would have so much trouble getting a pair of boots.


    I can''t really complain about it, as well, my hosts don''t have feet...


    Tying my laces crudely, I give the needle-leg a simple nod and get up to leave. I smile at the entrance as I am finally going to be able to walk around normally! No more naked strolls as everyone licks their lips at me. No more accidental tearing because of my accursed right arm.


    A familiar face steps into the tent with a scoff of disgust which is then followed by a disappointed smile. I frown at the Ivy-Mother as I try to remind myself of the things she''s been trying to drill into my head. Her name is Rose''lhia, but she wants me to call her Rose. No, no, Rose-sweerui.


    Whatever that means.


    I don''t recall what the honorific means, but, I can recall what she said her name means. She who was born under the rose. Though, I am not sure how that works out as she came from a seed. Wouldn''t she technically have sprouted?


    I can''t really wrap my head around it, not that long ago, all a seed was to me is a plant-to-be thing I might munch on. Now, apparently, seeds also include whole children but they pop out of a pregnant woman rather than just... Falling from the tree, flower, bush, whatever!


    "Do you need something, Rose-swee...rui?" I ask her, slowing down when I need to figure out if I am pronouncing it correctly. Her smile makes me guess that I did pronounce it right. She''s oddly squeamish, almost like a little girl whenever I have said it thus far. I suppose it must be a really big compliment of some description.


    One that makes all the other needle-legs jealous, this other one near me is reiterating that detail quite openly.


    "Yes, Champion. I want you to pick clothes far more suited to you!" Rose-sweerui complains as she comes closer to me. Suddenly turning around with a huff, she crosses her arms and her tail whips up at the strings keeping my shirt tight. Somehow, she loosens the shirt and she smirks as my chest becomes a little more exposed. I try to tie the peculiar collar back up, but her hands aggressively stop me.


    "You want me to go back to waltzing about naked? Jog down a flight of stairs and trip." I mutter towards the end as I flex my feet about these boots they made for me. They''re quite comfortable but also sturdy if a little fancy on the patterns compared to what I am used to. Either way, I am glad to have a clean pair of boots on my feet. No more picking out clumps of muck, no more little, annoying stones.


    Just my socks-covered feet and the open, confined room for them to move in!


    Rose-sweerui stares at me ponderously for a moment as she tries to get as much of my chest showing as possible. Stopping her, she turns around with a sigh and her hips bounce as she sways away. A finger beckons for me to follow and I do so until we get outside. I look around the flower and briefly glance at its inhabitants until her tail touches me again.


    "Let us get going with our lesson, then." she tells me as her tail knots itself in my shirt''s strings. Leaning down slightly so as to not pick her up, I look down at it every now and then as she tries to tickle me with it. I blow some hot air onto the little, fuzzy hairs her tail has and she shivers in delight. Blowing a few more times, she lets go and steps forward laughing.


    Hiding my right arm as best as I can, I ponder what it did back at the bath during my first awake day here. That spongey feeling, I''ve only started feeling it since my arm became this abomination. But, I''ve been unable to replicate that feeling on anything else I''ve touched. Even the cloth I have kept it wrapped up in doesn''t feel spongey, I can barely feel it even when it gets caught between the plates!


    Thankfully, I guess, Rose-sweerui is quite apt at catching me when I am worrying about my arm. She slows down and reassures me by stroking my normal arm and she leans against me. If it wasn''t for her usual behaviour, she''d be the perfect stress reliever. Or, maybe she already is and I am just not willing to exploit that?


    I shake my head and she starts to clasp my arm as disgust fills her eyes. I try to follow the gaze and stare at a tightly-sealed tent made of brown leather. Every time thus far since she has started trying to teach me how to use my magic, she''s been holding that tent in contempt. Anything with brown leather on it gets this reaction, but her eyes always focus on this moderately-guarded tent.


    Maybe I should try and sneak a peek later? None of the needle-legs seem to really care about anything at all that I do. Well, they care, they like to watch me, all of them do. They just don''t seem to mind that I do -what- I do, I''ve yet to get a firm no on anything I''ve done.


    But, focusing my mind back on my magic, I sigh.


    "So, are we likely to get anywhere today? You and Vapooliar make it all seem so easy." I say to Rose-sweerui as I doubt my ability to grasp any of this. I am not sure if I know enough to call her a bad teacher, but I am just not getting it. Nothing is happening when I try to do what I have been asked to do.


    I hope I am just too new to this...


    "And it will soon be as easy for you as it is for us. Magic is not something one can just learn. I''m sure you are aware of how old the Valkinvar is?" Rose-sweerui explains as she rubs my arm.


    I blink as I recall the number as if Vapooliar just told me yesterday, "One-hundred and thirty-three."


    "Yes, and she spent nearly every day of her life perfecting it. As did I, for a period of my own. You will get there, do not stress yourself over it." she tells me as she comes in a little closer to nuzzle my chest.


    "I don''t think I have years to do this..." I mutter as I start to think of home. Ideally, I want to get back there.


    "And you won''t! I have full confidence that you will grasp all of the seemingly meaningless drivel soon enough. We are just at the initial hurdle, I will work you over it." she explains, smiling pridefully at the fact she is the one doing it.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Right..." I go as we finally arrive at the little space she set aside for us to practice in. A cleared-up field of open space is all well and good... But, why are there raised benches and podiums here as well? Packed ones at that, I''m not entertainment. I am trying to learn!


    I rub my still-normal thumb inside a normal fist as Rose-sweerui walks further away. Picking up the fancy staff she has been leaving here as of late, she puts on a demonstration. I watch her magic carefully, ignoring the flushed face she once again has as she does so. She wants me to focus on how she evokes the magic, but I''m still not really getting it.


    She''s making bright, emerald light appear and then playing with it...


    She comes to a stop and sends the magic at me, It gently blows over, "Champion, we were getting somewhere yesterday. Try to do what you did last time."


    "Right, last time..." I go as I really don''t know what it was she noticed yesterday. Bringing my left arm up, I move my fingers about as I try to search for this feeling I was told about. I frown at my hand as nothing continues to happen and then I look down at my right. If I can just find what makes the spongey feeling I might be able to get somewhere here...


    However, according to the observing crowd and Rose-sweerui, I am clearly getting somewhere with this. With the stress of so many eyes around me and my general frustrations, I start to get irked. I don''t like being watched by so many, it feels wrong. I take a deep breath as the lights on their heads start to get brighter.


    "Stop... Watching me so much, dammit!" I swear as I reach down and just dig my hand into the ground. Back in the mountain, my newfound magic mostly seemed to affect my body. So maybe I just need to treat it like something my body can just do. I dig deep until I think I find something, clasping it, I pull.


    The dirt by me suddenly shifts and I let go of the revealed but crushed, branch-like object.


    "Alright..." I mutter before I put what must be a tree root of some kind back into the ground. I look back at the crowd as they seem to go berserk with joy and giddiness. Even Rose-sweerui can''t seem to maintain her composure. But, when I look at her directly, she suddenly shifts her attitude to something far more bitter.


    I raise a brow at it but leave it at that.


    She starts to move closer to me and she spreads her arms across my body, guiding my arm in the process, "Good, good... Now..."


    "Focus, Rose." I go, bringing her back to reality by refusing to play ball with her naming convention.


    "Rose-sweerui, please!" she reminds me sternly as she regains her focus.


    I look her dead in the eye as she goes back to losing herself, looking at something to do with me, "Focus!"


    "Y-Yes! Champion, sorry!" she squeaks as seems to get her thoughts back into order. Her magic starts to weakly emit from her and then, a mirage of a winged, bulky-reared insect appears. It turns towards us and charges, but as I start to shuffle about, she remains calm. It blows apart on us harmlessly and she suddenly grasps my ribs.


    I stare at her hands as she caresses my ribcage on either side. Letting go, she then walks away before she swings her rear around as she comes to a stop. Leaning forward slightly, breasts pushed up, she beckons me to try and copy her. I blink at her as there''s no way I''d be able to!


    Yet, I still try and do something with my magic. Everyone else seems to be able to apply their magic in the form of light the shade of a well-shined leaf. I need to just copy that. Maybe, if I think really hard about it...?


    "Alright! Now I want you to send some of your magic my way! Grab at the wind and throw it towards me!" she calls for, full of excitement as she shakes about gently, but eagerly.


    I try to think about how I am supposed to do that. My hand is not a blanket, I can''t just bundle a bunch of wind up. Nothing happens if I just fan my palm about either. Determined or limply, it just does nothing!


    I click my mouth as I close my eyes and redo it. Maybe I simply need to imagine the process, not try and physically do it. But, rather than doing anything with my left arm, my right starts to get tingly. I open my eyes and stare at it as it twitches in a very specific manner.


    Dropping to my right knee, I follow the strange pins and needles in my right arm. Bringing it over a modestly small rock I knocked up earlier with the root, I pick it up. Gently squeezing the rock, it feels as if I am squishing it, opening my eyes, I see how it moves like putty. My mind becomes a mixture of relief and confusion.


    "Hmmmm?" my mouth lets out as I tightly clench my right hand. The rock suddenly bursts out like bread dough and I drop it. From a normal rock shape, it has now become a short spire with somewhat thin fins. It reminds me of a large drill on a digger with its spiralling blade.


    Only, a lot cruder and rockier.


    A roar echoes in my head, as does the sound of dangling, rusted metal. The roar of mandibles and the grim song of armour made of crushed, helmets stained in aged blood. I blink and shake my head and stop doing whatever it is my body was doing. I breathe shakily and watch as Rose-sweerui approaches me.


    "Is something wrong? You were on the right track." she asks then tells as she walks closer to me to see what is wrong. Bringing her in the rest of the way, I surprise her and I place my lips near her ear. I''m a bit embarrassed to have myself maybe heard.


    "Is there any chance I can do some sort of competition with the men in your flower?" I ask as I completely hide my worries about my right arm. Maybe, I might need to do something else when it comes to making my left hand do anything. Everything that happened back at the hive just sort of happened because my body just did it.


    Maybe a competition of some kind could help me recall that sensation...?


    I can''t use magic how she wants me to, but I know I have used it in other ways. It has kept my body safe from bullets shattering on my forehead. Rocks and trees have just broken if I apply myself against them. Maybe -my- magic is only something physical?


    Rose-sweerui considers my words carefully, she seems almost happy I''ve suggested it.


    "Competition... A magic-casting one?" she asks and I shake my head as I know what I want.


    "No, something more physical. You know, weights, running, like a sports day." I clarify, recalling what I sometimes did as a child during my school years.


    "Hm, that is correct. Men do have a natural-bias towards their internal-magic as they do not need to give birth..." she ponders openly as she starts to pace about a little. I blink as I don''t really get what she is saying, though, I am glad she seems to get my request.


    "Huh." I go just as she seems to get lost in her thoughts.


    "You believe that this might help you use your magic?" she asks as she looks down and eyes some sudden dark patches on her chest. I guess that must be her honey, maybe she needs to see a doctor or something? She''s been doing that a lot since I met her...


    "Well, yeah. I realise that most of my magical experience is to do with my body just doing something. Things you don''t put much thought into, you know, do it even with your eyes closed or while you are asleep. I think, maybe, something more physical will help me understand it better." I explain to her before I cross my fingers in my head. My mind turns to Vapooliar and how she tried to train me before we went into the hive as a group... I do not mean something like that...


    "I see! We would need to prepare a few things, but... If I can get the Gilded-Bark in on it... Then it will be far more beneficial." she explains as a glint appears in her eyes and a peculiar smile comes to her lips.


    "Why would you need to get the Gilded-Bark involved?" I ask as I don''t see how the big man can make it any better. Besides, isn''t he busy with everything in that camp up by the cliff? That''s what she told me when I asked her about who leads a flower...


    "The answer is very simple, now, go and do something else. I need to talk to some petals." Rose-sweerui tells me in a suddenly passive-aggressive, openly dismissive tone. I blink at her sudden shift in attitude and then shrug. Walking up to the fence surrounding the field, I place a hand on it. I drum my fingers and start to think of my initial time in the cave.


    Just trying to walk sent me flying into the sky, I struggled to move even the slightest. I seem to have got it under control, for the most part, but, doing anything but walking is a pain in the arse. I can''t really run anymore, just leap... Hm.


    I look out towards the trees in the distance, I notice how there doesn''t seem to be anyone there. I start to ponder leaping over there as I look down at the fence. Placing my feet onto it carefully, my legs start to bend. Gently, I crouch down... Then, release!


    Soaring into the air, flailing about, I try to orient myself to at least fall onto my feet. I can''t find my bearings. I start to panic. I cover my face and fall into the closest tree.


    I hear a loud scream as I slam against the trunk of a tree. Sliding down it unceremoniously, I thud to the ground before someone falls down onto me with a whole branch as well. I blink my eyes open and find Vadei''s teeth bared right up against my face. I blink again as I try to just smile the incident away.


    "Here I thought trees only drop leaves and acorns!" I awkwardly chuckle as she growls right up against me. Those nails of hers an inch too close to my eyes for comfort.

 V2 Incline 12: Champion Nin

    Vadei growls up against my face once more before getting off. Watching her initially, I slowly pull myself up with my abdomen. She nurses her growing bruises and I look about at the damage I caused. Turning around to face where I leapt from, I start to laugh a little.


    "What''s so funny!?" Vadei hisses as she stomps back to me.


    "Uh... Just leapt far..." I answer quietly as she gets up in my face again. Limply, I point in the direction I came from.


    "Well, then, Ho, perhaps you should be more mindful of where you idiotically launch yourself!" she snaps as one of her sharp nails starts to aggressively jab at my head. Going with the force she applies, I flop down onto my side. She nearly storms off, heaving with anger. I look at the grass as I ponder the fact that I was sure I saw no one near the trees.


    Well, that''s the problem, near them, not in them.


    "Sorry, I didn''t see you. I just wanted to practice my magic..." I tell her as I get to my feet. Patting myself down, I get the splinters and pieces of bark off of my outfit. She can''t act like I launched for her intentionally and I won''t stand for it if she does. But, she could''ve been seriously hurt if I go by the state the struck trees are now in...


    "Just go away... Go be pampered by these stuck-up, pretentious, detestable plants! At the very least, accelerate their extinction!" she rambles with increasing contempt. She comes to a stop by a tree and suddenly slices at it with her full set of claws. Blinking at her heaving body, I take a step closer and look around at her fury-reddened face.


    "Why are you all the way out here, anyway?" I ask and her ears just drop. She looks down at the ground and fists form as her expression fails to find solid ground in either anger or sadness. She growls loud and sudden, then, she turns away from me as she brings her tail around.


    She nurtures it carefully and I wait for an answer, if I am likely to get one.


    "Because I am not welcome in the caravan, Ho. I''m not welcome here. I''m not some powerful warrior with a century of training behind them to bolster their magic. I''m not some, damn lucky lowlander with a disgusting- BUG ARM!" she explains as she builds herself up towards being right in my face. I frown when she shouts and watch as she steps away, sneering.


    "Why not try staying around Vapooliar? If you don''t feel safe, maybe she can help." I suggest and she just clutches her tail tightly again. If anyone can make someone feel safe, it is probably her.


    "Why can''t you keep me safe?" she sniffs, almost sobbing. I ponder her words but she just lets out a mild scream-growl combo.


    "The needle-legs spend too much time around me. If they''re the problem, staying with Vapooliar is probably best, no?" I decided to answer sincerely, just in case she wasn''t being sarcastic. I don''t really know what she thinks of me with how she always seems to be so angry...


    "I''m not a soldier, Ho. I can''t understand her half the time, I can''t involve myself in her conversations because she''s not speaking about something I know! The other three are no better either, they just keep to themselves at their little carved table on their little stumps! It''s not like I can live up to the delusions of these arrogant plants either... The roots don''t speak, barely anyone does here. I can''t understand them and they can''t understand me..."


    I look at her carefully and slowly nod as she gets it all off her chest. I walk up to her and place my normal hand on her shoulder and pat it. But, she growls at me, so I take it off, clearly and quickly. My eyes then look down and I watch as she carefully avoids cutting her palms open with her nails.


    I turn towards the flower and my mind starts to cook an idea up. I recall the jealousy the needle-legs seem to have whenever Rose-sweerui goes all over me. Whenever I call her by how she wants me to call her as well. Maybe there''s something I can do that Vadei will like?


    "How about you stick with me for now? We can have a look around the places you want, I can get some things for you if you''d like, even." I suggest as maybe she''d enjoy being the centre of my attention for the moment. She might not like the idea on its own, but, hopefully, she hates the needle-legs more. I can see clearly where she is coming from with their detestable attitude.


    "Do things with you, Ho?" she scoffs, though, she is definitely thinking about the idea as her tone is at least nicer now. I think.


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    I nod, "Yeah. I''ve yet to look around properly myself, but, with me around, no one should bother you. I haven''t done anything to earn it, but, they just let me do what I want, otherwise."


    "Of course they just let you walk around without issue... And what did you do to deserve it? Nothing. You just got lucky in a mountain because all these, holier-than-thou, pathetic, grass-walking refugees care about is magic power!"


    "Uh..." I let out as she starts to ramble once again. It bothers me, but I can''t find the will to talk about it. She didn''t mention it, but, I can''t help but think about what I did when I finally got out of the hole. How I tried to force even children to get back in there...


    "Oh, look at me, I''m an aelenvari! Look at me as I damn my species to extinction because I am a stuck-up, waste of compost!" she continues to ramble before she starts to walk away.


    She stops and looks at me, "Bye?"


    "Are you coming or not? I have things I want to see." she demands to know as she starts to walk again. I shrug and catch up with her as we leave the trees and come out into the open. She''s practically storming across the field and I need to be careful. Too much force and I just go flying...


    "So... Where are you from anyway? I assume you weren''t born in the fields and farms just outside of Tobaballe." I ask her as I try to get a stable walking pace going. I try to be a bit light-hearted about my home, but it might not have been the best idea...


    She sneers at me, "Why does it matter? My home''s gone. Somehow, I''ll probably just end up back in those fields again anyway."


    "It matters because what is wrong with wanting to go home?" I point out to her.


    "What do you know about wanting to go home? To be home, somewhere safe." she spits and growls.


    "Vadei..." I simply tell her as I gesture to everything about us. She comes to a stop and looks away at the nearest mountainside.


    "You wouldn''t know it." she sighs as she stares longingly at the slope of the mountain. I follow her gaze and it lands on the same mossy stone she is staring at.


    "You lived in a mountain?" I ask for the sake of it.


    "No, just near one. A small, modest village in a... What was, a quiet valley. Somewhere in the south, south-west of the continent. Sandwiched between Highland Humans and the Redstone Canyon which keeps the Lowland Humans like you out."


    "I''m Tobaballian." I correct as I have no idea what ''Lowlander'' is really supposed to mean.


    "Yes, a place in the lowlands. Hreshnia way." she tells me and, once again, I have no idea what she means. Where''d she even get the idea Tobaballe is in the ''lowlands'' anyway? It''s a towering city that nearly goes as high as the mountains it is settled between. It''s earned the nickname of Civilisation''s Gate because of it!


    Though, I only truly understood what that means before I went out into the wastes..


    "So, what makes the Highlands the Highlands exactly?" I ask as I try to recall Tobaballe''s height. I know we were taught it in school and it''s a source of pride for the city, to some extent. I never really cared, personally, but someone from the higher floors probably cares a lot.


    "The lowest point in the Highlands, or Jherikra, is measured at a little under nine-thousand halfmans." she answers with a roll of her eyes. Something in me deflates and I just assume that her stated measurement equivalent to metres.


    "H-How high?" I ask before I shake my head at the question, she probably doesn''t want to talk about geography, "I see... Being in the fields back at my home is probably a lot different to the way it was back at your home..."


    "Sadly, I used to only have positive memories of farms... The ones back home..." she depressively sighs as she brings her tail around to hug it. Watching her do it, I pay attention to how careful she is with it. Her tail doesn''t look injured, but, I am surprised to see how rough it still looks. She''s not been able to look after it, even here?


    "You care quite a bit about your tail, don''t you?" I ask as she hugs it tighter to prove my point.


    "Of course I do... " she starts as she frees it up for me to see, "Outside of it just being important because it is a part of my body... What we do with them is quite meaningful. If we are intimate with someone, it is considered a sign of trust to let them hold it as they and you sleep. Don''t even have to be sleeping, just let them hold it, touch it... Parents will normally cover their child with their tail as they sleep and a lover will generally tighten theirs with yours. A Sleeping Tail Knot. Generally, there''s a lot of hugging the tail if you trust someone."


    I smile as she explains these interesting details and I start to grin knowingly as she hides her tail.


    "No, you are not hugging my tail." she comments as she tries to at least give a smile herself. Faking my disappointment, I try to play into the joke so I can try and cheer her up.


    "How about that ear thing?" I ask as I shiver slightly at the memory. I nearly gag too, even if I don''t recall tasting her spit.


    "It''s a spell-tradition, something I was just taught by my mom when I was young. I can''t tell you much beyond that, but, if you ever find the time. There''s probably an interesting story behind it at some library somewhere. Maybe try your luck at an oxfuine village if you ever find yourself at one." she tells me.


    "Hm, oxfuine." I repeat as I look at the things that make her, her. I look at her soft, fluffy ears and her tail which is even more of the same. I even spot a rather flat sheet of fur on the back of her legs. I assume it goes higher but I can''t tell as she is thankfully dressed, although her clothes are falling apart.


    I guess I should make a point of getting her some new clothes later.


    "Okay... Enough questions now, I want to do something!" Vadei goes as she lets go of her tail and takes a quick few steps past me.


    "What you got in mind?" I ask as she continues to walk and look about.


    She looks ahead at the mountain on our left and she starts to smile a little, "How about a race?"


    I look up at the small outcropping she is pointing up at, "Sure, game."

 V2 Incline 13: Champion Nin

    "So we climbing this?" I ask Vadei as she tests her nails against the rock. I watch curiously as they take on a very slight shade of pale green as she practices her grip. It''s almost missable and were it not for the fact some of the mountain is dark grey, I''d''ve missed it entirely.


    "Yes, the first one up wins." she answers as she steps away and comes towards me. Placing my hands on my hips, I look up at the platform she had scouted out earlier.


    "Up to that platform?" I ask, just to make sure we both understand the goal.


    "Yes, told you already..." she answers with a slight groan.


    "Any rules beyond the unspoken one of no sending the other plummeting to their death?" I ask as I kick away some pebbles in the event someone does fall. Though, there''s really no point. I am not too sure as to how my magic will interact with a fall, but, cracking my head right open strikes me as the likely result. And, if I can get hurt in this, she most definitely will be.


    "Of course, you won''t be using your magic..." she goes and I raise a brow at her words.


    "I don''t even know a water drops-worth about magic." I explain to her as I huff my bemusement after I am done speaking. I guess it doesn''t matter anyway, my newfound strength lets me dig my fingers right into the rock. Though, my strength is magic-based now, so would I be violating the rules...?


    "No spells." she changes the condition to and I happily nod along to that change. I''ve no clue what a ''spell'' even is or what the term implies. I can''t do anything like Rose-sweerui or Vapooliar, though, if that is what she means.


    I eye her body behaviour briefly and start to nod a little. She seems quite confident with the idea that she might win. Admittedly, I agree with her in that regard. I can''t go fast if at all right now.


    So... Maybe a wager? Something to add a bit more of a smile to her lips. Being made fun of for losing a bet is much better than just bitter remarks. She''ll also think she''s earned it, I''d prefer to know that, personally.


    "Want to make a bet?" I ask, grinning ever so slightly as she develops a sense of curiosity about it. Her ears turn to face me and her tail even starts to get a little eager.


    "What do either of us have to offer the other?" she rightly asks, but, thankfully, I do know what I can offer her. Well, I know what I can take from someone else without issue to give to her... I hope the needle-legs are fine with it.


    "I can basically just go and grab whatever you''d like, really." I explain to her and she looks down at her tatty, dying outfit. She spreads some of the filth to her fingers and her ears fall flat. Her tail starts to move excitedly, though.


    "New, fresh clothes, a hot, relaxing bath and a... A quality brush so I can look after my tail..." she quietly answers as she nurtures the in-dire-need fluff-sausage. I smile a little as I consider her words. Then, I shake my head, shocking her.


    "Tell you what, Vadei. I''ll get all of that stuff for you regardless of if you win or not." I say and her eyes widen a little.


    "T-Then... I..." she struggles to say as she tries to think of something else she would like.


    "In exchange, what I want..." I interrupt, smiling mischievously at her tail, "Is to brush that to a fine sheen."


    "No!" she snaps as she holds it close to her chest.


    "Oh?" I huff as I get my expected answer.


    "Fine... I will not let you brush my tail. But, if that''s along the lines of what you want, I''ll let you brush my backfur or hair. When I get my brush!" she compromises on. I think about what she just said and look down at her legs. I guess that fur on the back of them goes all the way up to her shoulders or neck? Must be odd being half soft and furry on one end and mostly skin on the other.


    "I can work with that." I say as I look into her silver eyes. I grin as she narrows them towards my brown ones and she starts to bend.


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    "No magic, no pulling the other one. First up there wins." she reiterates as she prepares to prowl towards the mountain. Half-arsing my efforts at the start line, I watch her carefully as her tail whips about excitedly. Then, suddenly, it stiffens and sets itself out in a straight line.


    "Ready..." I go as she starts to dig her nails into the dirt.


    "Set..." she goes as I feel my body wind up on the inside. Shaking about slightly, I prepare to spring into action as modestly as I can. This excitement in me might cause a few issues if I am not careful!


    I open my mouth so we can start...


    "GO!" she shouts as she zooms off towards the mountain. She''s already pulling herself up it before I even get a few steps in. I start to laugh to myself as I register her motivation to not have me anywhere near her with a brush. Maybe she''s not even thinking about that, she might still just be relying on her confidence before the wager!


    "And here I thought this would be a little too steep for you!" I call up to her as I start to climb the mountain slope.


    "WHAT!? I CAN''T HEAR YOU, LOSER!" she yells heartily back down at me as she takes the moment to show off her climbing prowess. I laugh some more against the mossy rock and pull myself up sluggishly. Cracking and breaking bits off each time, I heave myself up like a rusty skeleton. I start to focus more so on her, now.


    Looking up at her, I watch her tail as it moves and notice how important it is for her swift movements. However, I am more so taken aback by how much fluffier it looks from this downward angle. Maybe it''s the wind going through the hairs, but it looks like it is just more tail, really!


    Really wish I can win now, actually, just to see its proper majesty...


    But, I can''t see myself ever winning no matter what I do. The way she moves reminds me of an insect, so skittish and quick. I am beginning to wonder how she is able to have such a sure grip with how fast she is moving. Whereas I am ponderous with my grip, it''s almost like a well-known path to her.


    She knows the best spots, seemingly and she has no qualms about taking them. Everything just feels so weak to me, in comparison. Rock is just cracking and sometimes, a whole piece that can fill a plate just falls out. I make strange noises and nervously jitter as I slow down. My right, turned arm sinks into the soft, spongey rock...


    "No..." I tell it as the peculiar sensation starts to come about at the worst time. Regardless of what little I know, I know just enough to see that this is not good. I move my hand to a rather mossy piece of rock, gripping it tightly. But, it seems I''ve just mistaken the strangely spongey rock for the softness of the moss.


    It warps out towards me as I climb up...


    I eye the strange, jagged line of stone and put my foot onto it. Snapping it off with my foot, it plummets to the ground and I go back to focusing on the race. I shake off the idea of beating Vadei, but, placing my right hand against the rock again is troublesome. Cracks suddenly surge out of control, in her general direction...


    "Undwote ignore us..." I mutter quietly before I accidentally yank out a newborn-sized chunk from the mountain. My eyes widen as I drop the deceptively light, spongey rock and it shatters on the ground below. I gulp down nearly a mouthful of saliva and it forces its way down my tense throat as more problems start to arise.


    Jumping to the top, Vadei guffaws victoriously!


    "Look like I win, so much free stuff just for me!" she nearly sings as she dances slightly to the sound of victory. Though all I can hear is dread, I watch carefully as more and more cracks keep spontaneously appearing around my righthand. I swear I am even watching the stone follow me as I climb up this mountain. The cracks lunge towards the platform!


    "Hold on!" I call out as she starts to panic when the first crack streaks onto the platform. I start to speed up as her worries become easier and easier to hear. I look around slightly, hoping I might be able to spot Vapooliar somewhere so I can scream for her. But, I can''t find her, she''s nowhere to be seen and I can''t waste time looking for her!


    I practically start to gallop up the mountain as the darkness within the cracks grows. Shards burst out at me with each, heavy, hammer-like swing I make into the mountain''s hide. I keep turning towards the platform Vadei is on as she shuffles closer to the edge. Holding her tail close, she whines as a chunk falls from the platform.


    No, no, no, no, no, no, no!


    "WHAT DID YOU DO!?" she screams down at me just as I make my way onto the platform with her. Ignoring her fear and anger, I snatch her up into my arms as the platform starts to slip from its holdings. Vadei claws at me as she tries to find purchase anywhere on my body and I back up towards the mountain. We start to slide...


    What did my arm do!?


    Whatever it did, I keep silent as I try to resist the increasingly steep angle. I eye the gathering crowd down below widely as I start to run off the edge. Leaping modestly away from the mountain, we quickly drop to the ground. Vadei whines against me as she curls in on herself.


    I try to think of something, anything! The slightest thing that might cushion our fall, but I can''t think of anything. I spread my hand across the back of Vadei''s head gently and I try to adjust myself. Anything to keep her safe from the impact.


    We hit the ground.


    Bending into the fall, we sink into the crater with a deafening crash as an imposing shadow covers us. Vadei whimpers as she starts to move. She tries to urge me to move with all she has. But I can''t look away from the mountain as it chases us.


    My mind fills with images of stone teeth and rusted metal. My arm is just like that thing, isn''t it!? I am becoming something like it...? I am turning into it!


    "NIN!" Vadei screams against me too late.


    Staring up at the falling mountain chunk, the distant sky booms.

 V2 Incline 14: Champion Nin

    I blink as I stare up at the powerful woman in the white dress, with the three of us cloaked in shadow. She looks down at us as my grip on Vadei loosens and I blink again with shaky breath. How do I explain this...? I''m glad she came to help, I really am!


    But...


    "LET GO OF ME! YOU IDIOT! YOU STUPID HO!" Vadei screams against my face as she lashes out against me. Moving with her blows, my mind tries to pull itself out of the quagmire I mixed up for myself. Then, as she breaks free from my non-existent grip, her tail makes a lengthy point of sliding along my face. I shake my head slightly as I take in the feeling of barbed whips and sweet treats.


    I return my focus to Vapooliar as she sets aside the large rock with a heavy bang. My eyes widen slightly at just how big it is and I feel small looking at it. Vapooliar initially keeps an eye on where the rock came from, but she seems to think everything is fine. She floats down to us just as Vadei starts to pout with plump, red cheeks. I shake my head again as I try to flick this electric feeling out of my veins.


    "Are you two alright?" Vapooliar asks as she closely inspects the pair of us. Her gaze lingers uncomfortably on my right arm before she looks into my brown eyes. I look away as I try to hide the offending limb. Vapooliar helps me out of the crater before then doing the same for Vadei.


    "Yeah, I''m fine, Vadei seems to..." I answer partially, disoriented by the whole affair. I move my legs about and try to get used to how that jump felt. The crater is surprisingly big for just two people dropping... Did my magic come into play when we hit the ground, perhaps before?


    I clutch my right arm by the elbow joint as Vapooliar gets done with Vadei''s quiet answer. Vapooliar looks at me and then towards the hole and she smiles slightly. I try to keep my nervousness under control as my right arm continues to let out strange sensations. My grip tightens on it.


    Vapooliar presents her smile to me fully, "I see you are managing to get somewhere with your magic."


    I blink at the rather joyous, impressed compliment and Vadei comes around to me. Her tail lingers close and Vapooliar watches it. She frowns a little as Vadei starts to tug at me. I look in the direction of the tailed woman.


    "Hm?" I ask as she looks away, embarrassed.


    "It''s nice to see you two getting along." Vapooliar remarks as Vadei starts to get irritated at my immobility. She pouts, then growls, then lets go and walks off. Me and Vapooliar watch as she heads off towards the needle-leg''s flower.


    "You owe me clothes, Ho!" Vadei barks irritably as I rub my face.


    "Back to that, are we? Not going to use my actual name again?" I ask as Vapooliar starts to follow us at my request. We leave behind the damaged mountain just as some needle-legs come by to inspect the damage. I might have some explaining to do later, but, for now, it seems to be fine...


    "Quit pushing your luck, Ho." Vadei grumbles as she hides that embarrassed face of hers behind her tail. Bemusedly, I shake my head as the implications fly by Vapooliar''s head.


    "So were you two doing?" Vapooliar asks as I start to shake my head at Vadei.


    "We were racing, we had a bet, she won, I got to pay up." I sum up for Vapooliar as she nods slightly.


    "What did you bet?" Vapooliar asks as she makes a point of gesturing the armoured needle-legs away from Vadei. I frown a little at the way everyone is looking at Vadei and how their expressions change. We need to make it clear that she is with us...


    "I wanted a chance to brush her tail." I answer as I make a point of getting closer to Vadei. At first, she tries to move away, but, nearly running into some of the needle-legs, she changes her mind.


    "Wait a minute... I never got to change what I wanted after you said you would just get it anyway!" Vadei complains as she turns to Vapooliar with one hand pointing up at me. Vapooliar stares at us, unsure of what to do as I quietly laugh to myself.


    "Yeah, you never betted anything." I laugh as she growls at the fact she isn''t getting more than was initially asked for. Granted, if she wants any more than that, she''s just plain greedy. Greedy little thing with a fluffy tail.


    "What did you want before?" Vapooliar asks as she seems to smile for the sake of the fact I am.


    "Clothes, warm bath, hairbrush, food..." Vadei explains, sneakily adding on something we never agreed to prior. But, I suppose she''s more than earned it. I did nearly kill her, after all...


    "You shouldn''t have too much difficulty with the clothes part, compared to me anyway. I''m sure at your age, Vadei, something pretty will suffice." Vapooliar comments and Vadei''s ears rise.


    "Yes, I''ve been quite lucky." Vadei smugly remarks as she adjusts her chest area. I look away and catch Vapooliar as she looks down at her chest.


    "So you two are alright?" Vapooliar asks me directly as her gaze seems to harden a little. I nod and she smiles before lifting off. The winds she lets off are quite powerful and Vadei seems to struggle standing against them.


    "She did that intentionally..." Vadei goes as I shake my head, intent on keeping myself out of whatever that was.


    "Wait, Vapooliar, where are you likely to be!?" I call out to her, hoping she isn''t too far away.


    "Probably by the slope where the aelenvari thorns are mostly stationed!" Vapooliar thankfully calls back before the sky erupts again with her powerful speed. I wave at the trail she leaves behind and return my attention to Vadei.


    "Can we get my stuff, now?" she asks uncomfortably as she pays close attention to those around her. She uses her ears at first, but, with how few words these needle-legs speak, she stops. I shake my head slightly. They''re aelenvari.


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    Aelenvari.


    "Yeah, sure, stay close to me, Vadei. They won''t do anything so long as I am next to you, hopefully." I tell her as she glares at my lack of assurable certainty. But, the shaken-up woman sticks close to me and we move through the aelenvari''s ''upper-floors.'' With so many barely, lustfully-elicit dressed aelenvari about here, I try to keep my eyes to myself. I start to worry if only to keep my mind focused on something other than all these observing eyes.


    Vadei just went through a near-death experience, I need to help her relax. It was my fault and it''s worse for the fact I promised nothing like that would happen. No spells, that was the condition. I can''t see how that incident with my right arm would not count as a spell.


    Vadei''s tail suddenly wraps around my left arm and she fastens it into her grip. I blink at her as she sticks close to me, smiling slightly. I follow her gaze to the envious ones of the aelenvari and she starts to lean against me. I lose myself in the softness of her tail, which even in its current state, has.


    "I... I know you didn''t win the race." Vadei quietly clarifies for reasons not obvious to me.


    "Right." I comment as I now try to figure out why she is doing this. Is there a single clear reason? Another on top of wanting to make the aelenvari jealous? Is this the gateway to being able to hold the tail once its fluffiness has been properly preened to a pride-worthy state!?


    Looking around the flower, I look at some of the aelenvari men. Not one matched the other with their deformities, but, many of them seem to hate me. The women they are practically blanketed with keep looking at me and their efforts are nearly all seductive. I look back at the men.


    Even with their problems, they are all so much more well-built than me, let alone most people I have known. I can''t see a fat or overweight one anywhere, none of them look particularly sickly either. Do the aelenvari just really value those they call ''Champion'' or something? But, again, they really seem to like it when I practice my magic.


    I guess that''s what makes me attractive in their eyes. This power I was just cursed enough to get after I made a big mistake. I guess... I guess if I somehow get cold feet about the idea of going back home, to all that hard work...


    I can just stay here, live like a high-floorer through the sheer luck of it.


    I turn my attention to Vadei as she enjoys all the pretty colours, "Enjoying it?"


    "This is the first time I have ever gotten this far into the caravan... It''s really pretty." she quietly comments as she hides the lower half of her face behind the tip of her tail. I catch the edges of her smile every now and then but then her ears droop. Her expression sullens.


    "Come on, take in the sights." I encourage her to do as I point at all the well-made, gorgeous stuff the aelenvari have. They mostly have tents, so I am not sure if I can call it architecture, but even this marble platform we are walking on is impressive. I''m pretty sure Rose-sweerui told me it''s not even natural marble, they made it themselves. The dark lines are some kind of coal-amber mixture and the white stone...


    The sheer effort required to assemble something like this, on this scale.


    Though, I am curious as to how they were able to make something like this, given the size. Magic is all over this thing quite blatantly but I don''t see any real industry anywhere. It all just sort of blends together as a bunch of tents. Even if several are quite distinct from others with the materials they are made up of, the style they''ve made with them and all that.


    I look down at my right arm and ponder something that seems to calm me down... Are there others out there who can manipulate rock? I would be happy to know that is the case. I''m not turning into a bug, my magic just happens to be rocky...!


    Vadei frowns and she looks at me, "Why should I take in the sights of something I don''t care for?"


    "Because even one ray of light is better than nothing? Regardless of the people around us, it is all nice to look at." I explain to her.


    "I don''t want a single ray from the Sun God''s grave. I want a sea of it. I want it in a place I care about, with people I care about." she whines as she sighs.


    "Home?" I ask, even though it''s obvious.


    "Yes..." she nods quietly.


    "We at least have that in common, then." I say, but, she turns a scowl my way. I stare into her silver eyes as they burn with the grim knowledge about my home.


    "Is yours even a home worth going back to?" she sneers in question. My expression flattens and remains that way. Even as a heavy breath passes through my nose.


    "It''s the only home I know, it may not be as extravagant as what I am getting now, but I feel safe at the very least. Even if I was open towards these women and how they throw themselves at me, I''d throw it all back just to feel safe again. I may be young for a human but I have seen enough for one lifetime in but a few days." I say, looking down further and further with each word.


    "You are as strong as you are now yet unwilling to stand up for yourself? Whichever god thought it was a good idea to bless you with this strength was gravely mistaken then." Vadei snorts out of the blue.


    "Stand up for myself?" I repeat as she confuses me, "I''m not a coward."


    "If you refuse to help in situations where you can help but don''t then what are you? Certainly not brave." she jabs as she starts to slightly step away from me. I blink at what she is saying and while I know she can''t be talking about the cave. I can''t help but think about it. Does she know that I did what I did...?


    "A lot of talk coming from someone who was so recently saved-" I try to say as I start to feel mildly angry. She has no right to speak to me like this. None!


    "Aiding someone in an incident of your own making is not bravery. It is a responsibility. Bravery is saving someone and helping someone not related to any of your actions." she says and I come to a sharp stop just as she puts some proper distance between us. I think about how I cowered away from helping the aelenvari and all those other people.


    ''Champion,'' this cruel joke of a title...


    Champion, the term repeats itself to me as I nervously rub my thumb over a finger. The smiles Vapooliar gives me, Rose''lhia''s actions towards me... They are all based on false assumptions. I left those people to die, this power isn''t mine, it''s the bugs!


    I sigh, "Let''s just get your stuff..."


    We arrive at the tent and I open it up for her so she won''t be attacked by the aelenvari. She steps into the tent and immediately dives towards the stuff she likes the look of. The perfumes she can''t get enough of. She indulges in it all without a care whilst I keep frowning to myself...


    An aelenvari worker storms out from elsewhere in the tent with a bright, aggressive flare about her. She approaches Vadei and I watch initially, but step in to stop her from going anywhere with her anger. The aelenvari is surprised to see me and her face brightens up with red shading and a smile. She eagerly looks up at me as I just get close to her for the sake of keeping her away.


    The aelenvari squirms nervously as their bulbs change and dim into humming a soft tone of light. I keep looking back to Vadei as she seemingly goes about this slowly with the intention to annoy. My nose blasts the next breath out against the aelenvari''s face. She doesn''t seem to know what to do, but she seems happy enough.


    "Do you have everything?" I ask Vadei miserably as she reappears with her arms full of all kinds of stuff. She nods vigorously and I send the aelenvari off with a lingering touch. Nodding Vadei out of the tent, I then leave behind her. I try not to care much but I just can''t focus off of her words right now.


    "Oh... I can''t wear any of this when I am this dirty!" she complains with a smile as she starts to walk towards the lake. My eyes linger on the aelenvari and she gives me a little, cute wave as I leave. I nod to myself, content that I apparently didn''t just rob my hosts who have been kind enough to nurse me back to health.


    A failure like me who was content to let their people die to save his own skin... Even children...

 V2 Incline 15: Champion Nin

    "Can you speak?" I ask one of the aelenvari bathhouse workers. They stare at me, their bulbs adjust their brightness and then they shake their head. I sigh a little at how difficult this has been.


    I gesture for Vadei to keep on going into one of the private baths so she doesn''t have to put up with anyone bothering her.


    "Can you understand me?" I ask and the aelenvari nods. I breathe a little bit in relief as at least I can clarify something for them.


    "That''s right, out of my way!" Vadei laughs as she goes through the door.


    "Do not bother her at any point, leave her be. She''s going to have a nice long bath, then, she''ll get changed and leave. Ok?" I firmly state to the aelenvari. They look between themselves with frowns and glares. Their bulbs shift about in colour, but, they start to nod.


    They nod in understanding towards me and I put my thumb up as I leave.


    "Good... Good..." I mutter as I shuffle out the main door. Coming back outside, I frown as Vadei''s words repeat themselves to me again and again. My nose twitches a little and the thumb on my right hand spasms between the hand''s two fingers. I make a point of staying away from anyone and everyone I can see.


    Carelessly bashing my right arm against the few remaining trees, I half-heartedly try to destroy the arm. Nothing comes of it no matter how hard I try to swing my arm against them. Bringing one tree down with a violent snap, I sigh heavily. I cover my mouth and force my rear onto the jagged bark.


    It cracks under me to a fine, blunt stump.


    "Coward, huh..." I repeat to myself as I think back to the hole. I never tried to save anyone, they just followed me. I never tried to help them even after they got out of the hole, I screamed at them. Roared at them.


    Get back in the hole! Get back in there! They''ll find us! Get back in before they find me!


    Damning them all to Undwote if they just listened...


    I groan as my face slips down my hands. Looking up towards the flower, I grumble to myself as I get back to my feet. Scraping my arse clean of woody bits, I walk into the open. Carrying on into the area filled with leather tents and leather-drenched aelenvari.


    "I have the strength to change things but don''t do it..." I repeat to myself as I flex my left hand. I look around at the aelenvari as their dim bulbs lighten up at me. Many of them are just excited to see me and some are quick to walk up to me. A few of them start to touch me, they hold those fingers as if they became treasure.


    I just sort of smile and wave at them, too taken aback by all of it to really do much else. I make my way through the crowd and some of the armoured ones spot me. They rush towards me and the leather-covered aelenvari break away hectically. I raise my hand up at the armoured ones and shake my head.


    Shooing them off, the armoured few become increasingly confused. They can''t understand that these are things that do not bother me. I don''t care if these leather ones lack magic or whatever it is they judge them by. I don''t care.


    "Bravery, huh." I go as I think back to how uncomfortable the treatment of these aelenvari makes me. I rub my face once again and then sort of walk around to the loudest spot. I pick up on teary-eyed screams and my pace quickens. Turning a corner, I spot a sobbing woman as the guards viciously beat her.


    I watch at first, unsure of what to do...


    "H-Hey..." I go at first before I notice the fact her bulbs are completely destroyed.


    She can''t even beg for help...


    "HEY!" I roar as I march up to the armoured aelenvari. One of them turns to me, seemingly to gesture me away. To give me some act that everything is okay... I raise my left hand at them.


    Stepping right up to them as they come to me, I shove the armoured woman away. They fly briefly and roll across the ground and everyone stops to look at me. The guards turn jittery and I heave with frustration. My hands flex and an invisible wire nooses around my mind.


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    "ALL OF YOU, GET! SCRAM! GO AWAY!" I roar right up against the terrified faces of the armoured aelenvari. Their eyes don''t focus on me directly but on the air around me. Many bow their heads again and again and they run off. The one I shoved away picks herself off of the ground and limps after them, clutching her caved-in chest plate.


    The crying aelenvari below continues to sob as she falls to the ground.


    "Are you alright?" I ask her once I have taken a calming breath.


    "H... H-H... Pl... Hel..." she can''t even get out as I kneel down beside her. Looking at her purple hair, I peek through the slot on her leather headdress. I frown at the scars she is covered with. All these bruises alone make me uncomfortable.


    I look around at those staring at me then my eyes lock on the distant cliff. I put the aelenvari''s head on my left side and my right carries her lower half. I shake my head at the idea of looking for Rose-sweerui for help, I know she won''t. But, maybe Vapooliar can...


    Soldiers know some first aid naturally, right?


    Carrying the injured woman, I take her away from here as she tries to urge me to go the other way. She seems desperate to try and go towards the place where those who hate her live. I ignore her pleas and watch carefully as she grows weaker and weaker. I can''t really tell a thing with all this thick leather on her.


    So, carefully, I take the headpiece off and toss it aside. I look at her carefully and pay close attention to all the blood, bruises and the peculiar scars. Her breath is coarse and rough like she hasn''t had a glass of water for years. Her eyes start to close but I can still tell that she is breathing.


    Sensing some danger, I recall a prayer just in case...


    "Loyal Pack of Seven I tell you begone. God of Death, I tell you to remember your other calling, that of Friendship. So please, I extend to you my friendship so that you may understand why you cannot take away the person I hold so close right now. Loyal Pack of Seven, I tell you once more begone. Heed your understanding Master and seek another soul truly in need of your ever-skilful nose..." I pray quietly as I keep making sure she is still breathing.


    Crossing the field, I get closer and closer towards the extensive camp. Many aelenvari look at the one in my arms with confusion, but most settle on disgust. I look up in the sky and across the ground. I can''t find Vapooliar anywhere, why is she suddenly so hard to find?


    I glance down to my left and spot a group of three human men. I blink a little, surprised to see them and I move a little closer. They''re dressed partially in the uniforms those prisoners from back in the hive had. Before I was unfortunate enough to get stuck in the hive for a little longer...


    One of them looks up at me as he rattles his mail coat over the back of his chair. He grabs the attention of the other two with gestures and shakes and they look at me too. One continues to carve something with his knife without even looking down. I stare a little at this as the thickly-beared one huffs bemusedly.


    "Well, well, look who it is, what''cha got dere, Log-Puller?" he asks as I try to remember his name. I think Battcomm at first then land on Rohlant as that mildly embarrassing conversation passes through my head.


    "An interesting pick..." one laughs uncertainly at as I check the aelenvari''s life signs.


    "Did he do it?" one asks as he spins a three-way hat between his hands.


    "No blood on him, Aarut." the unknown one comments as he carves a bit more. Aarut smiles a little and he slips the knife.


    "Ha! Pay attention, Envo!" Aarut goes as the other flicks his now-cut thumb.


    "Cunt." he puckers as he sucks his thumb which only results in baby jokes being made about him.


    "Have any of you seen Vapooliar?" I ask as I look back at the sky. They seem to ignore me initially.


    "Still, why a leathered one?" Aarut ponders as he drops something.


    "Maybe he thinks she''s pretty." Envo mutters agitatedly as his thumb pops out of his mouth.


    "Ignoring the scars, actually, considering them... But why? He has the, you know... Ivy-Mother! Ivy-Mother, she''s always fussing over him." Aarut says as he points a gloved finger my way.


    "Greedy one, ain''t he?" Rohlant remarks to his compatriots. My lip curls up slightly in annoyance and I start to walk away, shaking my head as I do so. I start to attract the attention of more aelenvari and the scarce men amongst them watch me curiously. A few seem to hold back their women a bit but many just watch as I handle this purple-haired woman.


    The cautious ones, though, have no need to be, I''m not after their women.


    The one I want is right in front of me, "Vapooliar!"


    Catching her attention, she abruptly stops what she is doing and she turns to me. She hands an aelenvari this weird, chain-like weapon and comes up to me. She looks at the aelenvari in my arms as I try and present them to her. Our nearly matching eyes meet.


    "What happened, Nin?" she asks just as she delicately holds one of the destroyed bulbs with a glowing hand.


    "Can you help them?" I ask, ignoring her question. This light might be helpful to some extent, I don''t know... She stares at me quietly, then she nods. I pass the aelenvari into her arms and follow Vapooliar as she starts to walk.


    "I''m not a healer, Nin. But, with my magic, I should be able to do something. I can try to find a healer later if it''s needed." she explains as a quiet sigh leaves my lips. We close in on a tent and I hold it open for her so she can get in. She places the aelenvari down on a bed and she starts to glow brightly as she leans close, holding her hand. I blink at the act and the apparent intimacy of it.


    "Is this why I woke up with no injuries?" I ask as I look at myself. I fell down a mountain, spent days and nights fighting in the deep dark. I escaped the mountain and fought that armoured bug. Got bruised, bloodied and beaten, but, I woke up and it was all gone.


    It''s all only in my memories now.


    "Yes, Nin, the Ivy-Mother tended to you while you were unconscious." she answers quietly as her mind becomes occupied with something else.

 V2 Incline 16: Champion Nin

    Nodding to myself as Vapooliar continues to tend to the aelenvari. I leave her be so she can focus on it. Deciding to head back towards the bathhouse so I can see how Vadei is getting along. Walking by everything I came by not that long ago.


    "Log-Puller!" Rohlant calls out to me as I pass by his group again.


    For the sake of petty vengeance, I make an attempt at ignoring them.


    "Log-Puller!" he calls out again before something knocks me on the back of the head. I sneer briefly but turn to face him with an emotionally bland face.


    Let''s just get this over with...


    "Play a game?" Aarut asks as he treats his hat like a frying pan to build up momentum for a set of strangely marked dice. Somewhat intrigued by the request, I walk up to them and look down at the board they have. I arrive just as he seemingly takes his turn and he places down a palm-sized, wooden tile onto it. I quickly look under at the sawn-up log they''re using as a table for the sake of it.


    They offer me a place to sit and stabilise the board as I pass by through a narrow gap. The board is fairly big compared to what I am used to with it having enough room for what looks to be twenty-four by twenty-four tiles. I grab a nearby crate and toss it down. Plopping myself down onto it and inspecting the game board more thoroughly, I come to an important conclusion.


    I can''t read a single thing here.


    "I don''t know how to play." I state as I look up at Aarut.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll teach..." he tells me with the wave of his hand. Though, I do not trust the fact he is willing to look away as he says so.


    "You? Teach?" Envo laughs as he swings some small barrel on a relatively thick string round and round. He smugly smiles at Aarut and the annoyed man''s hand touches the hilt of his knife.


    "I''ll slice your other thumb meself!" the man jokes as he chuckles his hand towards the dice-holding hat.


    "Feel free, Aarut. This barrelswing''s going to be done soon, I can feel it. I can just drink that little bit of pain away. Oh, wait, I forgot, barrelswing is the worst so I''ll just pour it to the floor!" Envo tells him and I blink in understanding at the fact it''s some kind of booze in that barrel. Aarut grumbles at the barrel-swinging man as he finishes placing down some tiles.


    Some of them are flat with only an inscribing on them for detail. Others have little dips carved into their flat faces and others are the inverse with smooth bumps. Writing of some kind is prevalent on all of them. But, I can''t even fathom as to what any of it says.


    I know my native cuneiform alone and I don''t want to test the idea that Vadei''s spit can help me read if it gets in my eyes...


    "Thought it was danglebarrel?" Rohlant questions as he reaches for his belt.


    "Stupid downslope lovers... And it''s barrelsling...!" Aarut complains as he abruptly starts to dismantle the in-progress game. Rohlant chuckles to himself and sips from a leather sack and Aarut reassembles some of the board. He creates a little space on both ends two tiles deep and eight wide. The rest of the board gets carefully covered in the other tiles.


    Envo starts to wobble a new kind of tile near Aarut, but he slaps it away to the ground. I get handed five tiles eventually and with none of the needed context. I look closely at the two types I have and focus on their pictures. One is clearly marked with a foot or a boot while the other is marked with a saddle and silhouette of something...


    I assume I need to copy Aarut, so I start to place mine down but a hand stops me.


    "Are you going to explain anything?" I ask.


    Rohlant shakes his head at me as he starts to guide my hand himself, "Don''t need to copy him. Just array the three Foot tiles in a way where you can quickly intercept theirs, keep yer Cavalry safe behind them."


    "Hey, don''t start telling him how to play!" Aarut complains and I blink at the man across from me. The actual conniving bastard...


    "We''re teaching him how to play you dumb-as-rocks osibindah!" Rohlant barks loud and sternly as he finishes placing my tiles down for me. I stare at the formation I was given and the creator of it shuffles closer.


    "You set?" Aarut asks as he focuses on Rohlant.


    "I-"


    "Yes." Rohlant answers and I sigh through my nose as Envo rattles a dice about his palm.


    "Rolling the pointless weather dice, then." he goes and he snatches it up in the air without even letting it roll to a conclusion. I blink as what seems to be an important part of the game is completely ignored.


    "Clear skies." Rohlant declares as he flips one of the tiles over at random. Aarut huffs at the action as my hand just sort of starts to mess with the board. I tap one of the tiles and shift it about as if it is a loose stone slab on a pathway.


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    "Now what?" I ask, just going with the flow that I am not going to learn anything playing with these three. I continue to wobble the tile as Aarut ponders something.


    "Play a normal match of first to three." Envo speaks as Aaruts pondering continues to drag on.


    Aarut''s mind wakes up as if he just completely missed that, "Now, we play. Seen as you are new, we will just do it as the first to three points."


    "And how do -I- do that?" I ask, emphasising the fact they''ve failed to explain anything so far. He picks one of his tiles up, one of the ones we only have two of each. Cavalry if Rohlant''s earlier words mean anything.


    "Take one of these and try to get it behind one of these, removing it from the field." he explains, but, I feel like there''s a bit more to it. I make a note of where I am taking my piece from and inspect it closer. I need to move this silhouette of the four-legged thing with a saddle behind the boot.


    "For every Foot of his you take, you get one point. Two for every Cavalry piece. Get all three of his Foot, one Foot and a Cavalry piece, or, if you''re feeling lucky... Two Cavalry pieces so you can win on a hefty four points." Rohlant explains to me as his leg starts to bounce a little. Aarut starts to move his pieces into a clearly pre-planned move. The map he set up benefits him obnoxiously if am guessing right.


    I watch with a raised brow as he smiles to himself as one of his foot pieces comfortably rests between two grooved tiles. I try to move one of my pieces but the response is almost animalistic and I stop with the shake of my head. Letting him carry on with this pathetic victory as the other two quietly laugh to themselves.


    "Can I move my pieces now?" I ask, clearly fed up already.


    "Now you can move." nodding at this and copying the same style he did just because I do not really have a plan. I look at my end of the board and try to figure out what I have to play with. The area in front of me is very hilly with all these bumped tiles. I try to copy the number of spaces I watched Aarut move his pieces with, but Rohlant stops me.


    He shakes his head at me and moves them himself. I pinch the top of my nose with my left hand as I make a point of sliding my crate back a bit. What even is the point? I mean, really...


    "When you get off the hills, your pieces can keep on going for a few extra spaces. But, they cannot turn as a result." Rohlant explains to me as I look at my end of the board. It''s pretty obvious that these hill tiles will either be to my benefit or my detriment. Given how clever Aarut thinks he''s being, I want to bet that detriment is the current season. One of my cavalry pieces is right in line with one of his foot pieces.


    The side with four little grooves on its edge...


    "Pass, your turn." Aarut says as he impatiently taps one of his pieces. I glance down at the grooved tiles some of my pieces are going to end up on. I move them in accordance with the little information I have been given.


    "They''re now all on marsh tiles, you won''t be able to move them to their best effect next turn. Cavalry can only move one tile and Foot cannot defend themselves during that turn." Rohlant explains as Aarut clearly gets ready to move his pieces. I move the one piece I can move about to no real effect. I just don''t even bother trying. Aarut starts to take his turn.


    Two of my pieces get blocked by his. A Foot blocks one of my Cavalry pieces at the front. His Cavalry then slams into its side and he flicks it off the table. I watch as the piece flies rotary-style before it thunks onto the grass.


    Two to him...


    He moves some other pieces into play but nothing seems to come of it. He swears under his breath and I huff at what was clearly a miscalculation on his part. Envo laughs openly at him and I pay attention to the exposed rear of one of his cavalry pieces. I move mine against it then just throw his lost piece at him.


    "You know why." I remark as the man groans at me in response. The other two find it right hilarious, though. I then wave my hand at the rest of my turn, it''s not like I can do anything anyway. Aarut takes his final turn and ends the game with a grumble as he listens in carefully to Envo''s excited barrel swinging.


    "Another game?" I am asked and I practically roar a single, forced laugh.


    "I''ll take you up on that." a familiar voice calls out from behind as she swaggers into view. Only because I am on the level of it, I watch as her lower end swings right up near me. Her outer thigh touches my cheek and the other three suddenly get a serious expression. Not the hard-working kind, a far, different, subtly jealous kind.


    I try to keep Rose-sweerui''s tail away from my head.


    "Careful, the game''s really hard to grasp and master." I mumble sarcastically as the scantily-clad woman happily places herself down onto my lap. She eagerly rubs into this favourite seat of hers and she decides for me to have my hands around her. I go along with it if only it will let me see Aarut get what''s coming to him. Even though I have a faceful of rose-coloured hair to the point I can barely see...


    I can still make out a very confident smirk on the lips of this woman.


    "How about we make the tension more noticeable?" Rose-sweerui asks the other three as she slowly drags her rear across my lap. I try to focus on nasty things as a tone of soft delight sings out for those listening.


    "Hm, what''cha offerin''?" Rohlant asks as he starts to play with something. I think it might be a hat but I can definitely hear jingling.


    "Whatever you want from our flower without anything in exchange. And, if I win, I take your little barrel there and the slope-maker I have seen you working on." Rose-sweerui proposes and the three men stand up with curled fists and stern gazes. One of them clicks their tongue and they seem to look off into the distance somewhere. Their pride at risk, the three men nod in mutual understanding. Though, I find it funny that they didn''t just refuse, they lose nothing if they do.


    But I suppose I won''t ever get it as I am not making a crude brewing device, however, someone''s pride interacts with that.


    Rose-sweerui giggles delightfully as she turns her head my way. My nose ends up against her cheek right after her ear flicks away from an eye. I lean back a bit and watch her smirk as a hand gently touches mine. Her bulbs light up brightly and her mouth opens slightly.


    "By the time I am done squeezing these three dry of anything of value... All you will have is the bliss of my touch and the warmth of calming drink." she gently giggles as she carefully works her body around my lap and gut. She resists my attempts to slip my grip between her back and my front.


    I glance up at the darkening sky as Rose-sweerui''s excitement becomes increasingly clear. If Aahtha has her way, then this woman on top of me will mean I''ll have to be very thorough in cleaning myself. I guess that''s another good reason to check in on Vadei once I am done here. I can clean up the mess of this damn rose-topped annoyance and maybe not get moaned at for apparently not sticking to my word...


    "Well, shall we?" Rose-sweerui asks the three men as they drop into their seats. Each expression of theirs holds the weight of the world behind it.

 V2 Incline 17: Ivy-Mother Roselhia

    "You can''t be serious... You just can''t!" the last of the human thorns complains as we finish our last game. Smiling towards the Champion with my victorious pride bejewelling my features, I start to stand. I giggle softly as I feel the Champion''s subtle movements underneath and I straighten out my dress. Briefly flashing its looser parts open in his direction.


    "I will have someone pick up my winnings at a later date. Please assemble them as necessary." I explain to the human thorns as I firmly set my points into the ground. I slither about the Champion''s grip as I try and goad him into standing up. He does as I want, but, oddly, he heads off in an unexplained direction.


    "Yeah, yeah..." the oldest of the human thorns bitterly goes as he smacks his drying lips together. I give them a final, smug smile and walk after the Champion. They have lost their senses-dulling drinks and they are now mine. Soon, I shall let the Champion share it with me, or, I''ll just stick with my personal favourite kind of wine.


    I am sure the Champion will appreciate sweetened and boiled rose wine just as much as I do.


    Catching up to the Champion, I focus my attention on the beautiful source of strength ahead of us. The Valkinvar is letting her power out quite noticeably and I am intrigued as to why. It''s harder to figure out who she is with, but, it''s obvious she is not alone. There''s a slight distortion amidst her power, it''s not overwhelming in its presence despite the difference between the pair.


    "Where are we going?" I ask the Champion as I put his arm between my breasts. Squeezing their softness around it, I smile closely against his bothered features.


    "I''m going to check on something I asked Vapooliar to help me with." he answers as some thorns bow respectfully as we pass by.


    "It is not right for you to be bothering her. Please, come to me in future, I can help with anything she can do and more..." I explain to him, whispering the final part close to his ear. I frown as he ignores me. Does he not trust me to help with this? Have I not shown my trustworthiness by healing and tending to him since he arrived here?


    We enter the bulb that is struggling to hold in the Valkinvar''s brilliant, perfect light. I spot the attire of a root and I frown, but, then, I spot the colour of their magic. It''s mostly yellow, with purple on top... My body stiffens slightly.


    Why is the Thief being treated by the Valkinvar, why did the Champion ask that of her!? The whole point of having her burst out of my wardrobe the way she did was to...


    "How is she doing?" the Champion asks the Valkinvar as I make a point of lingering closer to the bulb''s entrance. I will not step point near that hideous thing on that there bed! Though, for all the fury brewing inside of me, my gaze is soft. It does not reflect my inner turmoil at all.


    "She''s doing fine, Nin, what I can heal is nothing too serious. But, she will need to spend quite some time in bed if she is to recover. You brought her to me with broken bones... But, I cannot do anything about her throat which is nearly irreparable. Never mind her skin and her head bulbs." the Valkinvar explains to him as he walks around to the Thief''s side. Reluctantly, I move forward slightly, just so I can keep a close eye on the Thief.


    The Champion carefully looks at the Thief, he shows her a level of concern he has yet to ever show me. I don''t let it show, but, at the back of my mouth, I snarl. Though, I do find myself slightly joyous when the Thief starts to panic as her head turns my way. Flickering eyes just barely pick up on my presence and terror fills her.


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    I move closer to the Champion and wrap my arms around his. The Thief''s eyes widen and she starts to panic even more. The Valkinvar intervenes and keeps her still but her inability to speak means she cannot explain a thing. To them, it just looks like a root that knows she is not dressed properly before a full-name petal!


    The Champion sighs as the Valkinvar puts the Thief to sleep with some kind of martial technique. I nearly moan in disappointment as I would''ve liked to see her struggle some more. But, for now, I cannot take any risks that would draw the Gilded-Bark''s eye. Thankfully, he still thinks he can find the Thief somewhere out there.


    Even with the rapidly decreasing findings of parasites...


    "When you can, tell me how she is doing." the Champion tells the Valkinvar as he leaves with a simple gesture. I tow after him and move ahead until I am walking beside him once again. Carefully watching his face as he walks to the rhythm of frustrated breaths.


    "So why is the Valkinvar taking care of a... Root?" I ask the Champion, nearly choking on the fact I cannot call the Thief her honest name. He''ll start asking questions otherwise, they all will. I need to make it seem like the Thief is nothing more than just some root.


    "My reasons are my own." he mutters nearly indecipherably as we find ourselves getting closer and closer to the irrigation bulb. It''s grown in scale considerably since his first awoke day here and the drop in the building''s quality is intentional. A place for the roots to tend to themselves properly. But, we are in front of the portion intended for petals, thankfully.


    I find myself waiting alongside the Champion quietly before something disgusting walks out...


    Sighing blissfully, the utterly forgettable oxfuine steps out into the open well-dressed and perfumed. She laughs giddily as she takes in the improved state of her tail but I struggle to hide my sneer. Not only did this root-like thing just walk out of something intended for petals... She does so wearing the attire and make-up made for them as well!


    We interfered with her efforts before, but, if even the Champion is helping her...


    The Champion and the Valkinvar are both being quite charitable with this thing. But, at least her hideousness is somewhat hidden under the more appealing look of our clothes. A strange set of circumstances as normally I''d hate a petal who is covering her beauty up. Yet, given this oxfuine''s ugliness, I am glad she is covered up.


    Human concepts of modesty finally make sense to me...


    "Do you like it, Ho?" she asks the Champion as she dances a little with the obvious intention of showing off her tail. The Champion''s gaze looks the petal-intended attire over and he seems to appreciate it. A wonderful sign as it means he must adore my choice of clothes.


    "Oh, right, I got those for her earlier. I hope it''s not an issue." the Champion explains. I simply nod and accept his answer as there''s nothing non-tedious I can really do about it. Through the right of his heroism and the strength that his body holds, he pretty much can do what he wants. Within reason... It would not be a popular choice for me to just reverse everything he wants.


    I can look past this, despite my disgust for it.


    Though having gone through so much stress-creation recently, I want something more delectable in my life. Talking to the grieving Gilded-Bark, discovering the upset to my plans and now this. I want to hold something beautiful and powerful. Someone like the Champion, from within the comforts of my bulb and bed.


    Oh, I can feel my body getting excited just at the thought of it! But, that alone is an annoying thing as my breasts are likely to leak again... I''ve burned through so many fresh sheets of silk and linen since I started sharing my bed with the Champion. I hate him for it.


    But I lo-


    "Come on! What do you think?" the oxfuine asks again as her smug smile passes by my gaze. Our eyes meet again and we sneer at each other as my tail prods away at the Champion. Leaning up to him, I spread myself across his body as my mouth goes near his cheek. He can feel the bare skin of my breasts and the warmth of my breath...


    My power hums in harmony with his and it submits to the point I can feel his energy tickling my flesh.


    "It''s nice to see you smile." the Champion tells her as I start to assert myself more aggressively over him.


    "We should get moving, Champion. There are more important things we need to discuss..." I tell him with a sultry tone, tugging at his clothes and his body to draw him away from here. I make sure my breath tickles him in all the right ways and he seems more than happy to follow along. My eyes meet the oxfuine''s one more time as she sneers smugly back at me. She shows off her new wealth and I shake my head at it, groaning my disgust.

 V2 Incline 18: Ivy-Mother Roselhia

    "So, in three sleeps, then?" the Champion asks as I gently hum with my true-voice to add some much-needed rosy ambience to my bulb. He paces about with seemingly no intent, but, I can''t help but feel attracted to the way his magic is behaving. The confirmation that he will need to show himself off is drawing that power out. If only he...


    I cross my legs and adjust my dress to prevent my breasts from slipping out. I can''t stop myself from leaking and while I do enjoy teasing and tempting him with my body. The fact I cannot do so without leaking my precious honey is incredibly embarrassing. I am Ivy-Mother, I should be able to show greater control over my body and its potential for sex.


    My love is for the Gilded...


    I find myself blinking as I feel the lack of sincerity in that thought.


    "That is correct, yes." I start to answer as my true-voice goes dark, "The Gilded-Bark has agreed to it, although reluctantly. But, he has sounded the call and many of our males will be participating in this event. Though, not everyone will be attending solely to take part... Having so much strength on display is an exciting affair..."


    The Champion watches as I idly trace a finger across the curve of my firm bust.


    "So none of these roots will be attending?" he asks and I snort immediately at the question.


    "Of course not, do not be ridiculous, Champion. They are kept away from the males for a reason. The thorns make their strongest home in the transition from stem to root for this purpose, Champion."


    "Right..." he goes, once again showing this shameful ignorance of his to our plight. But, I ignore it as he will come to understand why in no time at all. I cannot be angry at his lack of knowledge, it''s a natural thing, after all. I would be more than happy to explain why should he just ask.


    Or, maybe it will be best for me to explain it to him regardless. The quicker it is made clear to him as to why he needs to steer clear of the roots the better. He will leave the Thief alone and he will be mine, I can go back to getting the Gilded-Bark to focus on me. It will be the seed that I cultivated within my bodily garden that will be on that pedestal.


    I can correct the Gilded-Bark''s only mistake, I can fix it all and make the world right...


    "Okay, I get this is going to be a very physical thing, it''s what I asked for after all. But, what exactly will I be doing?" the Champion asks as he starts to fiddle with some of my treasures. I smile at him as his childlike curiosity leads to him into making many small discoveries. The kind I am actually accepting of.


    "Well, as a man, you will find that your magic is best developed initially in a physical way. As you have somewhat discovered during our sessions. Practical and active training will be best for you right now. As well, while I understand it will not be your primary focus, but, I hope you will take this opportunity to come to terms with the sensual part as well. Understand how your magic feels. But, to return to the tournament, one thing you can be sure of is weight-lifting. Competition focused solely on whose body holds the most power so they can show it all off!" I explain to him, sighing dreamily towards the end.


    I close my eyes and imagine a figure standing proud in the grounds we have set aside for the event. I start to encourage the excitement electrifying my body a little and I moan so softly. The image in my head becomes clearer and I see the Champion losing to the Gilded-Bark. I smile as I watch the Champion take me into his arms as his power-emitting body demands a kiss.


    I shake my head slightly and force a blink...


    "That can work, but, I don''t think some gym weights are going to be very hard to handle." the Champion comments as my body tingles in response to his power moving about in his hand. He can definitely lift a mountain with that kind of strength!


    "As is customary, we have people out looking for appropriately thick and dense tree trunks. Our iron-gardeners are also working on solid core stakes, chains and bolts to hold them together." I explain and he nods slightly. He starts to think and I can''t help but admire the idea that he is thinking back to his younger years. His greatest feat of strength back when he was weaker... Oh, I cannot wait to see how great he can be now!


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    "Is there anything else I can expect?" he asks as he looks away from the various curiosities and towards me.


    "I can see something involving throwing happening. If only to see what the Valkinvar is capable with her strength. Beyond anything you or the Gilded-Bark are capable of." I explain to him as my awe slips into my tone. To think I would be able to see the power of a Valkinvar up close without my life being at risk.


    "Vapooliar''s going to be involved?" he asks as he suddenly sounds nervous. Though, I would be too if I had to be in the same event as someone as great as her.


    The Champion starts to look through the trove of items I won from the human thorns earlier. There''s nothing quite that interesting in there, certainly nothing valuable. The real value was in asserting myself over those lesser humans. A moment to spend some time with the Champion during something more casual.


    He picks up the swingbarrel swinger and starts to spin it around, disturbing the airflow slightly with its whirring noise. I stand up and start to walk towards him as he moves it in my direction. My legs are moving a little closer together than they normally do. I make sure he is focusing on my smile.


    My magic suddenly stops the swinger, making its string bend as it drops down and I slip up right against him. Pressing myself deeply against his unfortunately shirt-covered chest, I imprint some of my leaking honey against him. It just so happens there are some glasses right on the table next to us. So sliding my body against him, I smear more honey on his shirt and chest as I reach for and grab a glass.


    The quality of this alcohol might not be anything I am used to, by the gods and goddesses no. But, I know one thing, these human thorns like it strong... And, well, some things just tend to happen when you have had a strong drink. More so when the servers spice things up.


    An innocent little treat to be mixed in...


    Stirring only a little bit of my honey into the poured drink, I lick the culprit finger clean. Smiling eagerly as its sweet tang makes my body erupt with shivers and warmth. I take a sip from the drink to test its potency and I feel a little woozy as the shivers and warmth return. I cannot actively feel my willingness to restrain myself decrease.


    Aelenvari honey as a whole is more potent on men, but I can still get an idea of how strong it is right now. By the First Mother and Polite Pleasure, Motrtha and Aahtha, it is strong enough! I feel pride burst throughout me as I confidently pass the ambrosia of my breasts to him. If he cannot feel my excitement now, then I am more than happy to show it to him.


    "Drink up..." I encourage as I start to move the glass closer to his lips myself. My smile grows as the traces of my honey on the glass touch his lips and the drink washes it into him. I giggle softly and lustfully as his reluctant sipping turns into something messy. His body starts to become more active but even now, he fights off my attempts to feel it.


    He suddenly pushes me away but I take it in good order as I land on a pile of soft cushions. I anxiously and quickly spread my legs, but, I am left confused as he continues to stand there. He twitches about and his turned arm doesn''t stop forming a tightly-knit fist again and again. I catch how his eyes have changed colour to something yellow.


    The shade of his power takes on a disturbing sickly brown...


    He lets out inhuman noises as his body twitches some more. I close my legs and start to get up, concerned as to what is happening. He suddenly freezes and then staggers backwards. He sounds normal again...


    "I... I''m..." he lets out before he stumbles out of my bulb with the sound of terror in his voice. I lower my right arm which had risen and I clutch it.


    I start to snarl at myself as my grip tightens to the point of pain, "You stupid Ivy-Mother! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"


    I storm towards a chair then drop myself aggressively onto it. My eyes start to water and my true-voice starts to hurt as it glows like a star. I vent my anger through light and words and wipe my eyes dry. Getting up again, I work on making myself presentable for the rest of the night.


    My precious Gilded-Bark, I need to find him so that I may show him how much I love him. I need him to know how much I do right as he needs me the most. I turn towards his precious seed, the one he made with the Thief, not me... It should''ve been his and mine.


    Mine and the Champion''s...


    I shake my head clear of the invasive thoughts and snarl at the thought of him. It''s just a performance, it is not sincere, the Champion is nothing to me. My love is for the greatest that is the Gilded-Bark, not some human that came stumbling into our flower! It''s just an act to make it appear to others that I have no time to be planning anything righteous.


    "You damnable human, why did you have to appear!?" I nearly scream as a flash of magical energies keeps my words under control. I grab a cloth and evoke its woven water magic and I start to clean my chest of honey. My mind is abuzz with contradiction and confusion and I doubt the sincerity of my love for the Gilded-Bark. There''s no way it cannot be true...


    Ever since I''ve first gazed upon the power within his body, I''ve loved him. I''ve been at his side ever since we were young when neither of us was what we are now. We are the very top of our flower, the greatest we can ever be! So...


    Why am I unable to keep my focus on the Gilded-Bark? Why is this human able to upset my life like this...? His power... He''s stronger than the Gilded-Bark!


    "NO!" I scream and hiss as I take up my staff. Slamming its base against the floor, I walk out into the open to find something to occupy my mind with.

 V2 Incline 19: Champion Nin

    "Joining in, are we?" I ask Vapooliar for the sake of talking to someone. She looks at me and smiles as she pats down the clothes she was given for the occasion. Even if she is wearing a pair of grey, orange-striped short shorts. I''d still rather have them than this weighted, knee-length skirt I was given.


    She also has a hooded jacket of the same colours to wear, I''m bare-chested... When I asked for something physical to try my magic at, I didn''t expect this!


    I play with the patterned leather and the dangling bits of golden decoration. So many decorative doodads for a simple sports festival. It probably doesn''t help I am so pudgy in comparison to everyone else here in this waiting area. I''ve not a single spot on my body where I am muscular.


    But, even with all their strange, bulbous mutations and hard, bone-like limbs and joints. These aelenvari men are built out of solid bricks which still look flimsy compared to Vapooliar. I frankly feel embarrassed just looking her way in the slightest. I''ve had it right up against me before, but, damn...


    Completely and utterly solid.


    Though, for all my insecurities right now, I am just glad I was allowed to keep my right arm covered up. The shape is still there, little glints of it can be seen where the bandages stop by my shoulder... But, it''s hidden away. That''s all I care about.


    I spot the right spiteful gaze of the most decorated of all the men here. I keep my eyes on the ground and try to ignore him as I feel two boreholes appear on my body. Does he hate the fact that my skirt is the second fanciest here? No, those eyes don''t strike me as the petty kind...


    "Mmmmmhmmm." Vapooliar hums with a smile as she stretches her legs out in front of me. I look around slightly and see all the gazes looking at her. Right now, she''s like a well-feathered, rich man''s bird showing off its plumage. I am struggling to look away myself, admittedly.


    I stare at her stone-built thighs and legs and try to inspect the many small scars across them.


    She scowls at me, "You''ve had plenty of time to look at women. Don''t start looking at me now when we''re doing something that demands your full attention."


    I blink at her serious tone and nod as I look away, I don''t know how involved she is, but she looks like she wants to win badly. Which might be bad for me, maybe. I''ve seen what she can do, I''ve been right next to her when she''s done it. How is anyone going to do well with her here?


    My head is suddenly tapped.


    I shake it and look up at the one responsible, she offers me a hand and I accept it. Pulling me right up, I stare back at where I once was. I felt really light for a moment, it was weird. Vapooliar smiles at me once again as she gestures for me to follow her out into the noisy outside.


    The heavy wooden doors keeping us from the event open up and the once-muffled noise breaks through with tremendous force. My head moves back as I take in the screams, whistles and all other kinds of girly noises. Vapooliar ends up dragging me out into the open and I can''t take my eyes off of what is now behind us. A bright rainbow of so many different colours on a series of seats that are as wide as the valley itself.


    I''m barely getting over my bewilderment but many of the aelenvari men are already flexing their strength. I blink at all that is happening around me and I subconsciously scoot closer to Vapooliar. There are so many aelenvari here, condensed into just a few rows of reinforced wood and glittering metal. Regardless of why it is actually the case, I am now fine with the roots not being here.


    The scale of it all is quite impressive, even more so with how short notice everything was. All this woodworking to accommodate the breeding-addicted population of the flower. I look away and blink again at what we are supposed to be lifting. I thought Rose-sweerui meant logs on their own or something...


    These are gradually and increasingly colossal full trunks with massive, dark chains and spikes throughout. They start small, but the largest ones are as tall as towers! They want us to carry that? Can I!?


    Only one word really comes to mind, "Wow."


    Feeling a sudden quiver in my legs, I look down and try to stop them from shaking so much. To think this all started as a series of lessons for me so I can learn magic. Now it''s a thing as big as this and all just to show off the power within everyone''s massive guns. Everyone here is a bodybuilder of the most dedicated kind and I am just...


    Skinny, little me.


    I slightly turn up to the woman responsible for all of this and am a bit perplexed by how cold her gaze is. Our eyes meet, but she looks away elsewhere, up on her designated throne. I look to the ground as a strange feeling makes me feel hot and cold at once. A danger signal of some kind.


    She''s been like this since that incident in her tent. I didn''t do anything to hurt her, but, I was scared when I snapped out of suddenly having yellow, hexagonal vision. I''m not sure what it was and it''s not the first time it''s happened, back with Vapooliar in the mountain... My right arm twitches nervously.


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    I shake my head as I need to remain focused like Vapooliar said. So I turn to focus on what everyone else is looking at as some lightly and barely armoured thorns drag something in. It''s a dark, rattling set of objects that become clear in purpose when they enter the light. It''s a massive iron chain!


    I don''t think I can even hold a single link in my hand, I''d need to use my arm just to wrap up a single looping bar!


    Nervously drumming my fingers on the skirt, the thorns drop the chain down and walk away exhausted. I turn to Vapooliar as a bright emerald light starts to shine from her hand. I stare at the orb in her palm as it pulses with hair-raising magic power. The crowd somewhat goes quiet and the Ivy-Mother steps to her points with a glowing forehead.


    She nods as her gaudy, rose-red dress sparkles in both the Orbital-Halo''s light and her own. Two of the aelenvari men then march out to either side of the chain. Suddenly, dirt erupts as Rose-sweerui''s hand lashes out at it with magic. Growling, the men stab their points into the ground and pull.


    The massive chain snaps into the air with enough force to disturb the flattened grass below!


    Vapooliar walks off to the edge of the valley and I follow her slightly, "I am somewhat disappointed."


    She leans on one of the larger bound logs and her bare foot taps the bark. Some of it flies off as she scrapes her heel effortlessly along the crusty, dark wood. She switches feet again and again. Patches of pale, tree insides open themselves up to my eyes.


    "Why are you disappointed?" I ask as I start to swish my skirt about just to keep myself occupied. I fiddle with the modest weight keeping it down and then leave it alone.


    "I have been asked not to fully participate directly against anyone. There are concerns that I might neuter any interest the petals and stems might have in the males. I am too strong for my own good for once in my life... I know and understand they need to have as many children as possible, boys, especially. But, I just wanted to take part, really." she explains with a mixture of quiet tones.


    "Why not face off against me? I''m not important to their baby-making." I offer with a slight smile, laughing it off a bit. She smiles but shakes her head.


    "You really are... But, anyway, Gilded-Bark Oak''endoor wants to face you directly. He has the support of the Ivy-Mother as well, so, it will be best for me to just go along with their wishes." she elaborates to me as she stops messing with the bark. I raise a brow at her initial comment.


    "Endoor?" I ask as I want to assume it''s another honorific the aelenvari use. I am guessing it is similar to Rose-sweerui''s ''lhia'' bit? Though, hearing the Gilded-Bark''s actual name sounds weird. But, I suppose I am too used to hearing the title rather than his name.


    Everyone just speaks his title mainly.


    "It means ''born from the branch of,'' if I am recalling it correctly. The male equivalent to the female ''lhia,'' meaning ''born under the petals of'' or something to that effect." Vapooliar clarifies as she looks over at the aelenvari. I find myself focusing on the slight smile she has on her lips.


    "So, the men are named after trees and the girls are named after flowers?"


    "Yes." she answers, nodding once.


    "Sounds confusing. What do they do if they get lots of people born by the same plant? Or a species of that plant? Hundreds of say... Daisy''lhias."


    "I don''t see how different it really is to how we do it. You''re bound to meet someone with the same name as you at some point. Though, back home, one''s job sort of becomes a surname in and of itself. Yeah..." she explains, quietening down as she reaches the end.


    "I just have a surname, Urtuan!" I chuckle out slightly as Vapooliar frowns miserably to herself. She looks away at the ground and she shakes her head.


    "Have you ever met another Nin?" she asks and I shake my head instantly.


    "Never met another Nin, actually, my name ain''t too common."


    "Oh." she goes.


    "How about you? Ever seen another Vapooliar?" I ask but she looks away.


    "If I remember it all properly, aelenvari do change the name slightly based on who is the cream of their newest generation. The Ivy-Mother, for example, her name is Rose''lhia as you already know. If they''re simply not up to the standards of the ivy-mothers tending to them in the gardens of the garden-monts. Then their name is altered. If there is another Rose here, then she''ll likely be Ros''lhia, Ro''lhia or White-Rose''lhia and so on." she starts to explain and I just go along with it.


    She rubs a hand through her short hair as I look back towards the competition, "So I will be doing a tug-of-war against Oak''endoor?"


    "Yes, though, bear in mind to call him the Gilded-Bark. I don''t want you to get in trouble." she answers and cautions, I nod in response.


    "Any chance of me winning?" I change the topic too.


    "I cannot say, you are all far too weak when compared to me. The differences between you are too minute for me to comment on." she shrugs without a hint of condescension.


    "Helpful." I chirp bemusedly.


    "But I wasn''t...?"


    "Don''t worry, Vapooliar. Just know I am going to completely embarrass you in this thing." I tell her before joking.


    "You''d be more likely to embarrass yourself if I go with what I know of you." Vapooliar jabs innocently as silence returns to us. We watch as the chain is dropped again and again until it is seemingly my turn. I gulp as that time comes.


    I stare over at the dead silent crowd and the towering man coming into open view. The distant wall of chairs light up with excitement of all kinds and the noise loudens to a point incomparable to before. Screams of delight are everywhere and I feel my anxiousness return. Vapooliar''s hand touches my shoulder.


    "Good luck." she whispers close to me as she pushes me forward slightly to get me moving. I nod back at her and keep on going for the chain as the most important man in the flower stands by it. His eyes drill into me the whole time and I try to keep my gaze to myself. But, taking a deep breath, I try to face him.


    I don''t like it, but, everyone here thinks of me as Champion. I stare at his bulky, well-built arms and his hands which are more than enough to properly grab one of the chains. This is it, the Champion versus the greatest man of this flower. Who knows how it will go...


    Me against the top man of this place... In the shade of the mountains about us and under the light of the gods above.


    "Good luck in making sure my arms don''t break?" I quietly ask myself as I look away from the Gilded-Barks arms and towards the chains.


    "Despite your title, you are a failure." he goes suddenly and I feel uncomfortable.


    "P-Pardon?" I ask as I start to suspect he means my escape from the mountain.

 V2 Incline 20: Champion Nin

    The Gilded-Bark narrows his eyes at me.


    "You are the Champion. The one who saved my precious seed, my son. While I am thankful for that, your failure to save my beloved has left me somewhat frustrated. You were found with so many but not one of them was her... I cannot find her and you were her best hope! YOU FAILED!" he explains with a voice full of malice as his scowling eyes look me and my immediate surroundings over.


    Failed...


    I gulp quietly as I think that word over again and again. Did I fail...? I wanted to get out of there, I did... People followed me and I tried to...


    Fists form as I aggressively blast air through my nostrils. I match his glare with my own and my back straightens out. I accepted no task from anyone when I escaped that place! I did not ask to be called ''Champion,'' how can I fail at something I never tried to do!?


    What right does he have!?


    "I have asked to be put directly against you again and again until this day ends. I will find out for myself if I have any right to look upon you with scorn." he explains to me as he takes up one of the chains. His massive hand wraps itself around the thick link and he does it again to the other chain.


    My nose twitches in anger as I reach down to grab the chains myself. But, unlike him, I cannot get a sure grip on the links. The weight of the chain just forces it out of my incomplete grip. I frown angrily at my current problem and lean down further.


    Dropping to my knee, I use both hands to casually pick up one of the links and wrap my arm into it. I repeat the process for the other arm and steadily stand up as my awkward grip lets the iron slide about my forearm. Rattles fill my ears as we start to back away from each other with the metres-long chain stretching further and further. I clench my jaw tightly in anticipation as the flimsy series of links fill with tight tension.


    One slip up and it goes flying the other way.


    The Gilded-Bark jumps slightly and he strikes into the ground at an angle. I move forward slightly when he does and I frown as he continues to worm his way into the ground. I look away towards Rose-sweerui for one moment and a flash of dirt erupts. I suddenly lunge forward and fall down.


    Sliding towards him as he throws used links behind him, I draw closer and closer to the marked line. Growling, I get onto my arse and slam my feet into the ground, creating a pair of trenches to slide into. Standing back up as I fall into the drop, I pull back against his efforts, halting them. My body waves between lurching forwards and stiffly pulling backwards.


    "Phrahhh!" I blurt loudly when one of my arms suddenly comes loose. Leaping out of the hole, I grab it back with wide eyes and the Gilded-Bark yanks my other side out of the hole. I stop myself from leaning forwards and roll onto the balls of my heels. But he just ploughs me through the ground with massive swings of his arms.


    I do my best to keep my knees facing the sky and pull with all I have. I manage to take a few explosive steps back the way I came. However, I stumble when he lets the chains behind him unwind out to me. I counter the stumbling and roar at him as a paleness starts to overtake the iron chains.


    Suddenly, my back drops to the ground as the chains snap in multiple places. Breathing heavily, I drop the iron out of my hands and stare up at my blood-flushed palms. Oddly, the noise around me sounds muffled. Like my ears have swollen in but a moment.


    I smack the ground with a sneer and get back to my feet, patting the loose dirt off. I try to ignore everything that is going on around me and walk back to Vapooliar. Rubbing my face and flexing my fingers for the sake of it. A bit of limberness thankfully returns to my body.


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    "Did he feel stronger than you? You were struggling the most during that." Vapooliar remarks in a flat tone and I sneer at it.


    I don''t want to talk about any of this right now, I''m not in the mood for any of this. Especially not after what the Gilded-Bark yammered on out at me. So many little things are rubbing me the wrong way right now. It''s all building up and building up and building up!


    But how high can it go...?


    Vapooliar''s hand moves near me before she then starts to move all of these bound logs into the open. It''s nothing much, really, but the aelenvari love her for it. Their heads are lighting up like a second Orbital-Halo and they''re cheering for her nonstop. All for something so simple.


    Well, I am being dishonest by thinking of this all as simple, small towers of solid oak and iron.


    But, Vapooliar seems to be happy for the moment, her smile is growing as she moves on to the heavier ones. Then, when she reaches the largest of the weights, she picks it up as if it is just feathers. Yet, when she throws it high into the air, beyond the mountain peaks, it blasts off like a rocket. I lean into the winds washing over me and stare up at the colossal construct as it spirals during its return descent.


    A white-rimmed explosion marks the sky and the grand weight stops. It swings towards the ground with waves of wind but despite all that force, Vapooliar keeps her grip on it. Emerald light dominates the sky and she lowers it to the ground. With how lightly she is handling it, I am left jumping at how heavy its final drop is.


    A minor quake rumbles through me and I blink at its immense, iron-studded girth...


    How can I even approach handling something like this? Its scale is simply too immense! I''ll never find the centre of gravity of this thing. I am probably expected to be able to lift it up too...


    A small, hopeless groan leaves me as the aelenvari start to compete in the same pairs once again. Like a never-ending train, they just keep filing in and lifting weights until they cannot do so anymore. Vapooliar spots for them and a lot of the time she seems to be involved to compensate for their badly formed bodies. If these strange, hardened limbs and malformed stretches of flesh weren''t a thing...


    Rather amusingly, though, Vapooliar also has to pull many of them out of the ground. As their needle-shaped legs just make them sink into it as all that weight suddenly focuses on their points. Though, curiously, many don''t even make it close to the final, larger ones. It almost seems like a waste of effort on the part of the aelenvari.


    But they probably think I can do it... Lifting a tower of Tobaballe above my head is probably what they want of me. I can''t even see myself doing it! The idea someone can lift that much weight on their own without a team of haulers or industrial cranes is...


    I clutch my nerve-wracked arm tightly and blink quietly to myself. All these strange things have become the norm for me now, but, now I feel like I am at my limit. There is some curiosity about it all as I don''t know what my new limit is. Once upon a time, a thick panel of metal is all I could really see myself lifting.


    I guess now is the time to see what they are, under the very literal crushing weight of everyone''s expectations... Hopefully, these large ones are just for Vapooliar to show off with. The aelenvari would do all this just for that, right? They enjoyed seeing it!


    I tremble to my feet and head on over to the Gilded-Bark as it becomes clear it''s our turn now. Even with my current frustrations, I can''t hide my nervousness. I stand across from the Gilded-Bark as he maintains this gods damned glare of his. A snort leaves his detestable face and he effortlessly lifts the weights before him up above his head.


    I do the same and we move to the next one.


    He lifts it.


    I copy him.


    He moves along.


    I follow.


    We carry on mindlessly until we start to get to the larger ones.


    We actually start to groan as we go through them, our muscles start to ache and the biggest of them all grows closer. The Gilded-Bark might be trying to keep his features in a permanent scowl for me, but I know he''s struggling. Watching him lift so many weights in a row, doing it myself, I can see the little wobbles in his arm. We''re spending longer and longer between each set of weights, too.


    He growls and rumbles with determination as his bulbs flicker at me and I turn towards the final sets of weights... Looking back only when the Gilded-Bark throws the current set down towards me. I stare at the great sets of iron and wood and nod at them as my lungs continue to burn. By the gods, following through with Sraacdchammu''s divine purpose is going to kill me...

 V2 Incline 21: Champion Nin

    "No... You know what, let''s just get this over with!" I bark impatiently as I fail to keep my attention off of the largest of the weights.


    The Gilded-Bark looks at me with his same old, scornful face and he picks up another weight, "If you wish."


    He flexes his aching arms and he starts to throw the ignored weights about to the edge of the valley. Shattering into showers of stone dust, iron shards and pale, wooden splinters, the way forward is cleared. The final set of immense weights is left alone in the wide valley. Reaching from one end of it to the other end...


    I take the moment to rest and catch my breath, but it hurts to do so. Each intake and outward blow stokes the fire inside of me. I can''t hold my breath to let my lungs rest because that just makes everything hurt. I force my way through the pain as my limbs grow weaker and the resistance within them grows stronger.


    I think I can hear Undwote''s Pack of Seven howling for me just by looking at the weights ahead of us...


    "You will lift them alone, Failure." the Gilded-Bark remarks as he suddenly turns to leave.


    "Where in the name of the gods do you think you''re going, you sanctimonious, potential dropper!" I snap at him, but he just ignores me and he keeps on going towards the vast wall of aelenvari and chairs. I watch as he ascends to his little throne up by Rose-sweerui and everyone else vacates the valley. I am left on my own with everyone staring at me.


    The Gilded-Bark has his lap covered by the lustful priestess as she gives me the cold shoulder. Blinking to myself, I start to wonder about why I am suddenly being treated like this. Being called a failure, someone who was previously kind if overwhelming is now distant... What did I do?


    As my inaction grows, the cheering for the Gilded-Bark grows and Rose''lhia''s behaviour is copied. People who once looked at me with eager passion start to boo me, they chastise me in their own way. Gentle, warm light becomes seizure-inducing and I back up towards the great weights. Not even Vapooliar is doing anything, she''s just watching me with what looks like a blank face.


    I think about everyone''s words and frown, then I snarl as fists form. Growls start to leave me as I turn towards the large bar connecting the weights. Stepping under it, I face the army of disparaging, pretentious, stick-legged things. I''m a failure, huh?


    Weak?


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    Pathetic?


    Incapable?


    I''m not weak... I''m not a failure... Not pathetic or incapable... In their eyes, by their words and actions, I am better than all of them!


    I fought for days and nights on end in the deep, dark caves of that hive! Against bloody bugs possessing the bodies of my Undwote-taken countrymen! I beat down that monster with his army of stone worms with my bare hands after I clawed my way up to the surface! I did all of that, not so I would end up being looked at with scorn by everyone around me!


    Not this this Ivy-Mother! Not this little, tatty, tailed slave who would be nothing more than that without my kindness! Not this failure of a husband who failed to protect his wife! His son!


    None of you...


    "DO YOU HEAR ME!? DO YOU ALL HEAR ME!? DO EACH OF YOU HEAR ME!?" I roar out in the open as the world around me seems to tear itself apart. Strange winds erupt from me and shred the ground and grass until only barren earth remains. With two, thunderous slaps onto the bar, I crush it to fit into my palms. It screams with metallic pain as the weights bend the bar up.


    Fighting back against it, I keep the area near me relatively straight as the rest of it droops.


    My knuckles turn white and my veins threaten to burst from me bloodily. Something pops from my nose as my teeth grind and push up and down against one another. But, for all I snap and roar and push up, I go up not one inch. No matter how tight my grip, no matter how much skin tears and blood sweats from me.


    I can''t get my wobbling legs and arms to move the bar up... It''s not moving!


    My throat hurts, it is sore from all the roars and screams I am letting out. I look down as my feet sink into the cracking, splitting earth. I flex my feet in the soil. Screaming with painful effort as the weight moves into the air, a fraction at a time. Bouncing between upwards and down, I decide it goes up!


    I fight back as my back starts to feel increasing strain. I stop myself from leaning back and keep on pushing. The weights keep rising as I feel less of myself. But, I keep lowering.


    My knees crack with air as I realise I am now squatting.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I roar defiantly as this strange feeling guides me upright. The great tower of heavy, dense iron and oak shoots into the immediate air. Compared to what Vapooliar did, it''s pitiful. Completely pitiful.


    A dark shadow covers me and I feel the rush of danger descend onto me. I fall to the ground as the last of my strength leaves me, as the strange winds leaving me suddenly die. A grand, solid-core bomb of fire-forged iron and world-surviving oak is falling towards me. And I am on the ground, struggling to breathe.


    I''m so stiff right now, so unreactive...


    The weight I threw up into the sky is coming back down to crush me. But, I can''t say that I am scared, even as I cry against flattened, shredded grass. Vapooliar is here, she''ll make sure I am safe. Just like before with the mountain...


    Immense weight falls apart behind me and I bounce up as the earth trembles and the shockwaves rock into me. My eyes close steadily as I drop back to the ground, now somewhat facing the wall of chairs. A blurry image of blasting magical energy soars over me and the shadows vanish. Only green light surrounds me now.


    I feel tired... I start to close my eyes for a little bit so the pain might go away.

 V2 Incline 22: Ivy-Mother Roselhia

    "H-How is he, Valkinvar?" I ask the esteemed warrioress of Waionr as I step into the bulb. I gaze softly at the Champion as my heart struggles to accept the sight. What started out as just a simple request from him escalated out of control because of me. His short-sightedness has now caused him injury, but...


    Because I saved him from that, I can now look at the one who has captivated me so. My Champion... A display of magic none of us within this flower can replicate. He did all of that with so little experience.


    I am beneath him...


    "He''s just strained his body too hard. He hasn''t had his magic for long, his body doesn''t have any fine control, he just overdid it. Thankfully, it is mostly just his own poor form that caused most of the trouble. A full cycle to rest with some check-ups and he''ll be ready to go back onto his feet." she explains and I blink.


    He will be unavailable until the day after tomorrow? No, no... We... I can''t have this, I need to see him do something again, I need to see him do something!


    I need to see it...


    "Very well." I reply as I walk around the Valkinvar as she gets up off of her chair. The Champion''s eyes move in pain as I come near him and I frown at what he has become. Where once, I could barely see his true features because of his power, now I can. He used so much in that display that there''s barely a flicker of aged celadon light lingering by his heart.


    Compared to the Valkinvar and myself, he is very pale.


    The Valkinvar continues to inspect the Champion with her magic and I make sure to stay out of her way. She steers clear of the bandaged arm and her hand lingers near his chest, just above his heart. Some of her power passes onto him through his breathing as it stabilises. But, I am a little confused as to the Valkinvar''s distaste for that arm.


    I understand fully why someone might look at it with disdain, but she seems almost wary of it... A Valkinvar is above the parasite, no? It is unheard of for something as potent as one of Waionr''s brides to be scared of the parasite. But, it''s also unheard of for someone like me to fall for a human with no idea of how strong he is.


    The Valkinvar stops inspecting the Champion and she starts to leave, "Now, I am afraid I can''t do much else, Ivy-Mother. We will just have to leave him for now and let him rest. When the Orbital-Halo rises for a second time from now."


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    "I will be here for a while, if you don''t mind." I tell her and she nods as one of my hands starts to hover near the Champion''s still-clothed chest. But, whenever my hand comes too close to touching him, I pull it away, ashamed of the idea of going near him. I scorned him, trying to hold onto my feelings for the Gilded-Bark. Yet, here I am...


    My chest is hurting, my heart aches for the Champion, my Champion. I feel light-headed, I cannot keep it up straight. I am not injured, so I do not know what is wrong with me. But I am not even sure if I can say that either, this all feels so right.


    Like I owe it to him on the basis of my...


    I am confused, so very confused. The Champion clearly showed himself superior to the Gilded-Bark but I don''t want him to win. He wasn''t meant to lift that weight. He was meant to bow out of the tournament with well-mannered pride towards the Gilded-Bark.


    Our leader, the master of our flower, it was the Gilded-Bark who should''ve won. He''s the strongest male I will ever meet, he is the one best suited for helping my people. But, here''s my Champion. A young man with knowledge less than that of a child, he is ignorant of all that is around him and he just cannot grasp sense.


    His power is astounding without compare, but it doesn''t match his skill at all.


    The Valkinvar exits the bulb and I stop hiding my tears as I stop myself from wobbling. My heart smashes up against my chest and the warmth within me demands and compels me to act. With a quivering lip, I hastily strip down until I am purified in my nakedness. With rose-tinted cheeks and nudging knees, I get onto the bed and crawl up to him.


    Saddling him, I start to take off the shirt he had been given for warmth. I feel his bare chest and curiously massage the soft flesh beneath his skin. His body has room for so much greatness. This is not even him at his best.


    As he can fill me with a child, I can fill him with power!


    I collapse on top of him and moan quietly against him as I relish in the sensation of his body. Moving up closer to his head, I breathe against it with a mouth that struggles to close. My lips are so close but I refuse to place them against him. I close them and hold onto him gently as I seek safety in the embers of his power.


    My power gently leaves my body and I direct it to soak into his like much-loved rain. I sigh happily against him as I take pride in the fact I am the only one allowed to tend to him like this. I am the only one who can possibly captivate his eye. I am the greatest woman in our flower, he will be the new Gilded-Bark, our first human ruler!


    My Champion will lead our people to greatness once again. I will bear as many of his sons as I can until I break down like an old wagon. Everything I am will be his... I blink and shake my head as I push myself up and away from him.


    I stare down, unable to sneer or look lovingly at him...


    "I hate you, so very much..." I tell him as I think about the Gilded-Bark and what I feel for him. He has to win, the Gilded-Bark has to win this! My heart... It cannot take this at all, I cannot...


    Tenderly, I place my hands on my Champion''s chest again as my hips wastefully gyrate.

 V2 Incline 23: Ivy-Mother Roselhia

    "We can now carry on once again with the tournament, then, Valkinvar?" I brightly ask the holy warrior as I sit on my throne. Gazing out towards the dually occupied valley, I frown at the pair of aelenvari men as they stare each other down.


    "If you believe everyone is ready." she answers as her hand pulses with powerful magic. I gesture for the crowd to quieten down and rise to my points. My true-voice lightens up and it reaches out so that even the two men ahead of me can hear. Magic enters my palm and I strike it down into the ground, starting the competition anew.


    I return to my throne and gently gaze over to my right, I smile at my beloved as he shows a strange side to himself. He is surrounded by an unusual sight, all over him are yellow-haired petals. Is my plan working? He''s starting to seek the comfort of other women over just thinking about the Thief.


    Is he setting aside his misplaced love for the Thief so that he may carry on with his purpose? Or, is he so reluctant to let her go that he wants as many ways to remember her by? Strangely, I feel rather unbothered by all of it. I am content to let him be smothered by many as we sit on our satin-cased pillows.


    Though, I do force a slight sneer at the sight as I feel strange not doing it.


    I return my gaze out to the current match and look a bit at the crowds on either side of our near-royal podium. So many men have lost or gained current and potential lovers, the two ahead of us are going to do much the same. All of this will happen just because either one will renounce the will to carry on. I cannot look at it with any sincerity, though, they''re all beneath me.


    I cannot see any reason to be invested in them, I know all of the men within our flower well, almost intimately. I need to know so many things about them to know who they are best suited to interact with, either stem or petal. They''re trying their hardest with me in their eyes but I am not impressed. The stems eat it all up, though, every last drop of it, they love all men equally.


    I start to take a long sip from my glass of crimson-coloured, rose-pollen wine.


    "Ivy-Mother." the Gilded-Bark calls out and he snatches up my wayward attention immediately. This strange harem of his vanishes at only a silent word and I continue to sip on my drink. The smirk I am hiding vanishes as the glass leaves my lips.


    "How might I serve you, Gilded-Bark?" I ask him as I stand up in the event he might need me to do something. But, he just gestures for me to sit back down. His arm starts to linger out to the Champion as he sits in distant shadow, tended to by the Valkinvar.


    "I have heard of your attendance with him... How you were willing to present yourself to him with full honesty. I want to know, what are your thoughts on the day before yesterday?" he asks and I force a smile to come onto my face. H-How did he hear about what I did with the Champion? Not even the gentle wind disturbed the entrance to the bulb as I lay there with him, tending to him...


    "W-What do you mean, my Gilded-Bark? He failed to beat you decisively and paid for his hubris. We already knew before that, that he does not have what it takes to surpass you." I answer as my eyes linger away to elsewhere. Over him and then away, then back to him, my Champion.


    "But that is not true. He held his ground again and again the first time, getting up so often the chain broke from it. Then, he approached a challenge I refused to even go near..." he tells me as his eyes narrow at the distant human and I am taken aback. I was not aware that the Gilded-Bark walked away for that reason. I follow his eyes and envy glints in them as I watch my Champion converse with the Valkinvar.


    I should be the one speaking with...


    I scoff suddenly, "And look where it got him, your actions were wise. He could not see that wisdom, you showed your superiority quite cleanly."


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    "Superiority? I''ve yet to see it. But, to keep on track with my intentions, Ivy-Mother... Am I right to doubt him? If the chains stirred doubt within me then the weights ensured it grew mighty." he says as he covers his mouth slightly to rub it. The hand drops from his chin and he looks about, almost clueless.


    I don''t know how to answer his question... Why would he doubt him? How could any of us possibly doubt the Champion? My Champion!


    "Forgive me, it seems I have just confused you. Allow me to explain, clarify. Not only did the Champion arrive into our minds with the endorsement of a Valkinvar. She came with the proof of his strength, my precious seed, my unborn son. Then, when we found him, he blessed us with a living bounty of those who had been stolen. Not just a sum of our missing people, a few from other flowers. Many races have those who owe themselves to him."


    "Maybe-"


    "His battle with the parasites showed us yet more where we could find more of our kind. The traces of his escape have given us so many hints, even as our chances to do anything grow so slim. So much good has come of his actions but, despite all of it. My precious Dandel''lhia, he could not save her. I know she was there... I''ve seen the traces, the proof, I have walked those foul, sodden walls myself with spear in hand!"


    I nod slowly at his words as he seems to lose track.


    "Had he not done what he did, might I have been able to save what is... Was dear to me? Had I managed to find her before any of that, could I have done better than him?"


    I blink over and over to myself as I look around aimlessly. Within my head, I can feel the God of War make it into the place he is so commonly found at. I nearly jump when he suddenly gets out of his seat with a sigh. He walks to the edge of our platform and places a hand on the barrier.


    "I suppose I will hear your answer soon." he goes as he hops down onto the valley grass. I turn away briefly in shame as the thorns keep the crowd in check as he strides out into the open. In the distance, the Champion rises to meet him. I clutch my hand close to my chest with the other as my heart quivers.


    I know what this is all about, the questions! He doubts my loyalty to him, to our flower. He knows and suspects that I am failing to keep my mind in check. All for a lonely human far from his strange, unknown home...


    No, he''s wrong, he''s wrong! I am not on the same level as those who leave their flower for a human they just saw. I am not like them, my heart is only for the Gilded-Bark. A member of my people, an aelenvari!


    I let out a long, tired sigh and try to ignore the current match as much as possible. But, how can I ignore it...? This match is the Gilded-Bark''s! The one I have spent so long trying to get the attention of...


    This is his moment to show that he is truly the one for me. The best man of our flower together with the best woman of it. I cannot just sit here and ignore this match... No, I need to leave.


    I am within my right to do that! I am Rose''lhia, Ivy-Mother, petal! I am, yes, I am...


    But, the cheer of the crowd and the shudder within the air tells me otherwise. I step out towards the barricade at the edge of the podium made for me and my love. My hand gently grasps the dark, painted wood and I look out at the great glow in the distance. Human and aelenvari clash against each other in a pure display of internal-magic!


    The ground is splitting under the points of the Gilded-Bark and the feet of the Champion. Muscles bulge against each other as their full strength collides against the other. My dear love uses his larger size to his advantage and he stabs his points into the earth. But he needs to keep moving and keep his momentum up against the Champion.


    All to the backdrop of excited screams and flaring lights of the crowd. Like with the two battling men, the noise lowers and rises in accordance to the progression of the match. The crowd turns wild as the human facing my love is thrown over his shoulders with a well-placed grab. If only the human would care enough to back down before his clear superior...


    The human gets back to his feet and he charges right into the waiting Gilded-Bark!


    It carries on like this, the Gilded-Bark throws the Champion again and again. It does nothing to stop the Champion and I move closer and closer towards the edge of the podium. Leaning out over the barricade, away from the protection of the silk canopy above me. The greatest, most divine voice in all of the world shines above me.


    My mouth moves, making the movements of a cheer even if I am not saying anything. Once again, they clash together firmly... I stop and blink. I feel my heart as I finally think about how I understand it.


    They both needed to rest, but only one of them needed me. Only one of them showed themself to be at such heights that they needed me afterwards. I pressed my whole body against him and lent him some of my strength. He''s dim compared to before, but he fights on with my strength at his side.


    "You can do it, my Love... You can do it... Beat him!" I whisper initially, but my tone keeps rising with each word spoken. Each word spoken sees me lean further over the edge as my voice rises. My heart is finally being understood by my mind!


    I need to shout it out to the world, to him... My human love, my Nin!

 V2 Incline 24: Champion Nin

    Come on... Come on you. Come on!


    I smash my forehead against his as our fingers entwine and squeeze. We growl against each other as my body screams its acheful muscles at me. But, I ignore it, I need to see this through, this is personal. I can feel it, he''s not stronger than me, he has no right to judge me!


    Bugs.


    I keep thinking back to my time with them, I couldn''t really learn much, but some things make sense now. Vapooliar explained that I cannot make a point of trying to harm him, but I can redirect him. The ground below us is breaking up from my feet and his points. It''s not wet enough to slip and slide, but he''s losing his chance to keep himself in it.


    I take one more, explosive step forward and force him up and out of it, going into a charge!


    "YOU CAN DO IT, NIN! BEAT HIM!" a voice screams with all she has from the platform and I slow down.


    Losing focus as I register that I did just in fact hear my name. I know that voice but it shouldn''t be saying that, it feels wrong to hear that. I am not the only one to be confused, however. My head shakes just in time to meet my opponent''s confused gaze.


    Breaking free of his loose grip, I grab under his arms, turn and throw him up towards the mountain. His mind comes back his body adjusts and points stab into the mountain, cracking the immediate area wide open. He bends into the landing, but I intend to give him no time to stand back up. Charging straight for him from down under, I bring his back onto the mountain as his points keep him staked.


    Driving him up the rock slightly, my grip tightens, with my turned set of claws drawing blood. Kicking his points out with plates of stone, they smash against me harmlessly. His little points continue to scrape against the rock as nothing gives him any purchase. What moss he does find wipes away in clumps and falls.


    He''s at my mercy and I emphasise it with an upwards jolt and little stones dribble down his front...


    His grip on my forearms loosens and he slowly raises his palms, "I GIVE UP!"


    "Gods be right you are." I mutter as I let go of him so he can stumble out into the open.


    "I RESIGN! THE CHAMPION WINS!" he calls out as he takes my arm to throw it into the air. He lets go once again and stumbles backwards, only to drop to his knees and prostrate to me. I do not know why, I can''t figure it out, but, I won. I look to Vapooliar with a raised brow but her eyes are oddly stern at this gesture from the Gilded-Bark.


    "What''re you doing?" I ask as I have not seen this happen thus far.


    "Son of the Mountain that Grazes the Mightiest Moon, will you not raise me?" he asks and my brow rises higher in confusion. I look again at Vapooliar, but her gaze has not changed in the slightest. Is she jealous? That doesn''t seem like her...


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    The oldest, closest thing I have to a friend in this strange land is her... I''d rather not upset them.


    "Just get up." I go to the Gilded-Bark as he blinks in confusion. He does what I ask of him, but he seems clueless now.


    "You do not follow Jhrarda the Mighty?" he asks and I almost blurt. This man is legitimately baffled that I am not what he thinks I am.


    "Jhrarda the Mighty? No! Why would anyone..." I go as I try to figure this out. I cannot wrap my head around it, however, I really can''t. Jhrarda the Mighty tried to destroy the world! Why would anyone worship our near-damnation!?


    He''s confused and so am I, wonderful...


    "No, I am from a city called Tobaballe. I am not from around here in the relative of relative senses. My craft-god is Thurnmourer, God of Thunder and Creation." I say, hoping this maybe clarifies some things. I help him up back to his points and he nods at me, seemingly satisfied and de-confused.


    He looks away, shamefully, "I am sorry for what I have said, for how I have treated you thus far. I was wrong to judge you the way I did. This city you have mentioned, it has produced a very fine son, one many can and will be proud of."


    I nod slowly at his respectful tone as my eyes look over how his body communicates his shame. But, I start to frown as he backs up further, smiling as he does so. It was so sudden. He just completely changed his attitude...


    Something is coming.


    I turn to face it only to fall straight onto my back with a pair of slender arms around my neck. My mouth feels strange as something barges into it, straight past my lips. I stare at the faceful of Rose as I grow acquainted with the enjoyably sickly taste of her as well. My eyes don''t stop widening as I sort of go blank in the head.


    I stare at Vapooliar as she stares at me and Rose-sweerui with a flustered expression. It''s a bit hard to tell admittedly as I have all this rose-coloured hair in front of me. But, my eyes soon meet the culprit of my current, strange mixture of emotions. Tears drop down onto me as she shows her face.


    She smiles sweetly before she returns her lips to mine. She breathes with joyful raggedness as her lips keep suckling on mine with each swish of her tongue. I keep completely still, even in my mouth as all this excitement surrounds my tongue. The one-sided kissing ends again and I blink as Rose-sweerui shivers right up against me.


    There''s a beautiful woman of another species on top of me with an endearing gaze. But, mine''s not like that, I''m just confused and baffled as to where this is all coming from. Honestly, what is with her? She''s been ignoring me since I had that drink with her in her tent and now she wants a snog?


    Women, aelenvari women? Huh!?


    Well, it felt nice, I guess, she certainly seems to know her way around the mouth. I feel like I should be more surprised by this given what I know of her. Or, maybe I don''t know her that well... I blink again as she slips down slightly until one of her ears is pressed up against my beating heart.


    Just now, it was slamming up against me to fuel my fight, but, it hasn''t slowed down since.


    "Y-You doing alright, feeling better, maybe?" I ask, blinking once again as I try to register what is going on. She affectionately nuzzles up right against me as her head slips up next to my cheek. Her lips plant themselves on it and a wet smack ripples across it. Warm, lingering, nice...


    "My Champion... My Nin... My Love... I am feeling the very best I can be." she beams out quietly next to me before she shuffles on top. Her nose rests against my own as her eyes look deep into mine. That loving gaze of hers is still there, but it feels strange... Aelenvari eyes are just solid black.


    I keep my eyes open as hers close, with our lips meeting once again at her behest. Though her excitement is not shared in the slightest, yet, somehow, I can''t find the willingness to stop it. She just keeps going and my right arm twitches as my vision gets a little hazy yellow. Shaking my head clear of her tongue, she giggles before a wet smack vibrates on my cheek.

 V2 Incline 25: Vapooliar

    "Nine-thousand nine-hundred and ninety-nine. Ten-thousand." I declare pointlessly to the empty world around me. Stopping in motion, I do not do a ten-thousand-and-one''th headstand push-up. I just fall with a soft thud, against the snowy walls of the mountain right before it ascends into the snowbelt and beyond. Blinking aimlessly, I glance around at the patches of clear, night sky as my sweating body is cooled by the easily changed frost.


    In a single, smooth action, I rise back up to my feet and walk towards the edge of the mountain. In response to my presence, the glowing winds howl at me in force as I hold my ground against it. My dress flaps in the wind and my magic-tinted brown hair slightly jostles as I look down at the mountainous, forested world below. Slight, green, stained glass light emits from my eyes and hair before I calm my power down.


    I do not quite understand why I chose to come out this far, so very far away from the aelenvari flower. But, even now, I still feel that urge for solitude, that urge for quiet pondering. I crouch down and snap a piece of rock from the mountain, crushing it further within my palm. Light, stone rain dribbles from the gaps in my fingers and it is taken away on the breeze.


    Catching the pebble that remains from that mountain chunk, I throw it out towards the moonlit horizon. A cloud bursts into existence shortly after and I watch the mountain my pebble struck remain still. I pick up another pebble and throw it even further, breaking through some of the distant clouds. Striking out the sight of a lunar diamond.


    The greatest cause of anger in my life, that damnable moon, Jhrarda. The Mightiest Moon, Jhrarda the Mighty, Protector of the Meek Moon, whatever it wants to be known as. It''s just one of fourteen heads, one of four, traitor-thought-filled, fratricide-stained heads. The Fourteen-Headed Moon Beast, the Fourteen Moon Gods.


    A whole, heretical empire follows this thing, this evil, damnable thing... They''re trying to wipe my people out, the faithful people I have sworn to protect. They''ve brought machines beyond us for that task. They''re coming to kill us and burn our faith to ashes within our torn-down temples...


    My hand nearly touches the sword-caused scar that remains on my gut before I stop it from doing so. It''s my sword-bearing hand, the rune engraved into my flesh, my palm marks it as so. I can feel it tingle, it''s egging me towards accepting my badge of office once more. But, if it is regret or force of habit, I can''t quite figure it out.


    I''m no longer worthy to call myself Valkinvar, I resent the aelenvari for refusing to call me anything else but it. My worth to Waionr, Honourable War was lost in that hive. In my weakness, the lowest of the world was able to steal the most valuable thing in the world to me. My sacred virginity...


    My eyes water slightly as I think about how long I have been a soldier, a Valkinvar... I don''t know anything else.


    I can''t sit down and enjoy a game with the three countrymen who followed me here. They are not so different from me, being soldiers, but I just do not know how to enjoy anything they do. I can''t strike up conversations with anyone because my range of knowledge is so hyper-focused on war. I was a thoroughly refined servant of the god who honours all who take up the eternal march.


    I can''t talk to the aelenvari really about anything without it being about weapons or armour... Somehow, I only really feel like I can talk to anyone when I am with Nin. I don''t understand why, though. We couldn''t be any more different, him and I.


    But, by the graces of the gods and goddesses, we have some similarities. We are both strangers in a foreign land, though, he is far further from home than I am. I might as well have just gone out for a walk in comparison to him. A very strange, haunting walk.


    I have spent time doing certain things that I am just doing as a force of habit, even when I am not meant to. It consistently catches me off guard so often that it''s almost humorous to think about. A small smile forms as I recall this morning, when I tried to recite a morning prayer intended to be spoken by a Valkinvar... I''m not even at a battlefield or within one of Waionr''s temples, but, I do it anyway.


    Again and again, frustratingly so often.


    "I wonder if Nin ever experiences anything like I am going through..." I mutter as I calm down as I think about him more. His right arm scares me, what it became terrifies me, but, I feel safe when I am close to him. I don''t know why, I am the old soldier, he''s just a worker. I am so much stronger than him it is not even a contest, what took all of his body and mind was effortless for me, those weights.


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    Yet, when I saw him succeed and toss it high into the sky, I was happy. I want to assume I am just happy that my paranoia and worries were poorly founded. But, the further I think about the just-ended competition between all the men. I keep thinking about how it concluded.


    When the... When the Ivy-Mother ran up to him, dragging him to the ground so she could plant a loving kiss on his lips. Not just once or twice, again and again for some time. It was mesmerising but also so easily hateable...


    It bothers me more than it should and I don''t know why, I can''t figure out why at all. Assuming he feels the same way, we''re just friends who were forged in a pit of despair, in that now-gone mountain. So why does the Ivy-Mother''s affection stick in my mind like it is now? The aelenvari fawning over Nin doesn''t bother me, so why does this?


    Not even the coddling and teasing by the Ivy-Mother bothered me. It is just that one moment when her lips met his on the sweat-soaked grass. Right as Nin stood in his moment of triumph over everyone else in the flower. I understand it makes me angry, but I can''t figure it out...


    I sigh and stare out across the night-shaded land and try to spot the sights. My hands come together awkwardly and when I look down at them, they look like two people''s hands are together. Almost like the tired couples on their way back home, long ago when I still lived in Thurn''s Forge. Across the Great Bridge all the way down into the Thunlanann half of the city where most of the people lived.


    I frown as I pull my hands apart before I hear the sound of powerful, methodic drumming. My frown''s purpose changes and I quietly float away from the current mountain as I head to the familiar sound. A bluish light catches my eye and the sound of hand drums grows louder. Sensing it with increasing clarity, I gently land on a nearby mountain and look over at it.


    A lone, spectral giant dances about in what looks like a well-rehearsed dance as it bangs its spectral instrument. My eyes widen with worry as the Marching Giant''s colossal feet hit the ground in time with a nearby army on the march. These emotivores feed off of the intent for war, but to even call a single one into existence requires so many... My mind quakes in contrast to my still body and wide eyes look around everywhere.


    I flinch as the obvious suddenly hits me, I feel overwhelmed and I barely stop myself from having a panic attack. Trembling, I duck and hide behind the dense mountain as three things with tremendous magic power come into view. A mighty roar comes from them like thunder, a sound I cannot forget. Almost as if it was pressed into me like a blacksmith marks his quality-made armour.


    Crunching some rock within my hands, I lean out into the open and make sure the marching giant is hiding my magic. My lip trembles as my eyes shake about maddingly as eighteen streams of pure, deep emerald make themselves known. Three batteries of thousands of guns a side defy the darkness with the strength of their engines. Vily-marked banners dance in the wind and a ring of dimmer light pushes up against the cloth-rimmed sides of the machines.


    Unlike the one I saw from before, however, these ones are plated in a brassy colour for the main body. A paler, almost goldish tone covers the rims and engines of the machines, outlining their otherwise brass, cannon-covered bodies. I blink fearfully at the three machines as they move slowly across the sky in a close column. To see three in one place when only one was needed to destroy an army of forty-thousand veterans and their Valkinvar accomplice...


    So many of those guns, if one ship could do what I saw, what can three accomplish?


    I nearly take a shaky step back as my fear overcomes me, the urge to escape and fly is all I can feel. But, additional sounds stop me and although it is the enemy, it is something familiar. Many kite-holding soldiers glide across the sky far ahead of me with long, bladed skates. Their magic propels them forward at their behest and they scrape by and beyond the mountains around the machines.


    Windcatchers.


    "They haven''t noticed me... Wait... The machines, they aren''t moving." I realise as my focus finally stabilises as I watch the last of the heretical soldiers fly by on their patrol. I am slightly surprised they feel the need to keep the area around them clear. Only a dragon would dare move towards such raw, blatant power carelessly. These machines are clearly vulnerable, somehow, we sat amongst the wreckage of something smaller back at the hive!


    I stop my marked hand from calling upon my sword and I glare at the distant threat. Shaking my head, I turn away slightly, I am no longer Valkinvar, I am not a soldier of the Theocracy anymore. These are no longer my enemies unless they personally come to confront me, even then, they might leave me be. I have no reason to look at them with such fear and caution, I just need to calm down...


    But I can''t, my body screams for me to run or fight. I have no armour and my sword is a way off, attacking three of these machines at once is suicide. Especially if three, perfectly emerald-haired witches step out to face me. I probably wouldn''t even make it that far towards them, I''d likely vanish in one of those ominous orbs. I shake my head and try to ignore the feelings within me.


    I can''t sit well knowing what I do now, let alone sleep, so I dash crunchingly along and leap off the mountain. Gliding down into the valley, I gently start to fly away deep in the safety of the valley''s bottom. I need to convince the others that we need to go, but, they won''t understand unless they see it... I need to bring Nin here and hope this is all still here!


    I cast a final glance towards the sound of the marching giant and pick up the pace. Reaching a far enough distance, I accelerate up to my usual speed and blast away along the valley floor. Glancing up, I shoot up along the mountainside and break out into the sky. Reasserting my speed with a loud, cloud-marked explosion, I fly off into the faraway night.


    I need to get back to the flower, I need to prove my worries to and convince him to come with me... Anywhere but this flower, we need to find somewhere safe!

 V2 Incline 26: Champion Nin

    "Nin!" someone calls out from above, interrupting my thoughts and bringing me to a halt. Looking towards the sound, I try and find it, then smile as Vapooliar comes into view. She lands aggressively into the ground and I move backwards out of now pointless instinct as dirt rains about. My smile vanishes as her worried face comes into view as she steps up into the light of a nearby lamp.


    "What''s wrong?" I ask as she takes up my hand abruptly.


    "I need to show you something, please, come with me!" she urges me to do as she starts to pull me after her. I was looking for Rose-sweerui so I could ask her something, but, compared to this, it means nothing.


    "Show away." I tell her as she lets go of my hand to shoot off into the sky. Suddenly, she stops then drops back down, shaking her head as she does so. I stop the laugh building up inside of me and we go off into the air as she tries to hide her fluster. My hand tightens as I am dragged after her through the open sky, left flailing about as we do so.


    The world just seems to go by so quickly up here, it''s all a blur and emerald light and wisps surround me. Wind howls in my ear and I feel like a firmly-knotted flag on its breeze-afflicted pole. Yet, for all this power she is dragging me with, I feel fine. My arm felt no closer to being dislocated than it was when she did not have her hand with mine.


    "WHERE''RE WE GOING!?" I shout away from her so nothing gets in my mouth. But I barely heard myself, I doubt she heard me.


    White powder explodes around us.


    "HUH!?" I loudly let out as I realise we have landed. Vapooliar pulls me to my feet and I pat the last of the cold powder off of my hands. I look around and see how this powder is everywhere near us. I frown at the angry-looking clouds immediately above and then back down at the white powder.


    "Are you okay, I wasn''t going too fast for you, was I?" Vapooliar asks in concern as I continue to stare about at the cold powder. I wipe my hands clean further as water somehow appears on them. This stuff is some kind of ice?


    My eyes land on her brown ones with their little emerald lines as little white specks fall onto us, "Beautiful..."


    My eyes widen by three sizes as a stammer gets caught in my throat. She looks away with freshly renewed red cheeks and she spaces out. In a way, it''s cute, I''ve never seen a girl act this way before after being called such a wonderful thing. But, as she is spacing out, I grab some of the white powder as it is cold.


    I throw it at her and some of it ends up in her mouth, she spits it out just as fast as it went in!


    I smile and chuckle as she frowns with what might be her usual, stern gaze, "Please do not throw snow at my face."


    I nod in response and think about the name of the powder. It is nice that I now know what it is called, its real name. Snow, the name of this stuff is snow. It crunches when stepped on, but looks so fluffy and sand-like when nothing has touched it.


    Snow...


    "I have a feeling that this snow is not what you wanted me to see." I say as I try to get my mind back on a serious track. She arrived back at the flower with nothing but worry in her eyes, I need to see what bothers her. She takes my hand once again and she starts to walk towards the mountain''s edge.


    "Hold on tight." she tells me as we gently rise up before we shoot off again. She directs us upwards into the clouds and we come out on the other side, above them. I struggle to whistle slightly as we quietly soar higher under the moonlight until we find a new peak. The snow crunches under our feet and she holds me steady as she looks around some more.


    She points down at a mountain that somewhat worries me with its shape. It looks quite similar to the mountain that housed all of that grief not so long ago. With its little, walled-off garden high above the valleys where those who can help you are. I don''t want to go there, but, by her insistence...


    We land in the dark, forested hole at the mountain''s top and my hand tightens its grip on hers. Heavy footfalls suddenly sound out from beyond the shadowy canopy and hard chitters come with it. I step back with wide eyes but Vapooliar''s hand keeps me anchored next to her. I try to break free of her hand but she encourages me to calm and quieten down.


    "It''s just a ryphurgok, do not worry." she tells me as a tall, beaked creature comes waddling out into the ray of moonlight. Its smooth round head turns at us and I see two eyes, when its beak faces us, I see two pairs. The beak parts four ways so it can grind out a roar and its seemingly grey body shakes as a yawn of some kind escapes the creature. I keep trying to walk away, however.


    Vapooliar''s grip turns soft as she coaxes me close to her.


    "It''s alright, I won''t let it hurt you. I promise." she whispers kindly as this flat-footed quadruped starts to turn away from us. It doesn''t take long for it to leave, but, when it does decide to go, it leaves us a final gift. A stream of sloppy grey falls out as it walks off into the darkness.


    "Did it just...?" I ask, trying to smile at the silly likelihood of my just-now witnessing. Eyes watch as its shadow moves in the direction of the sound of pecking.


    "Yes, it let out cement." Vapooliar answers with a serious tone as she lets go of my hand. I nod at the potential jokestering of that excrement and I follow Vapooliar. She brings me to a gap in the mountain and her hand reaches out for the night sky. But, coming up next to her, I see what she is actually pointing at.


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    There''s something out there... Three, large, floating machines kept in the sky on six bright, hair-raising legs. So powerful, so very powerful. Something in me is telling me that each spire is stronger than even the strongest person I know.


    Stronger than even Vapooliar...


    "This is what you wanted me to see?" I ask quietly as I turn to look at her worry-covered features. She looks down at the ground and nods before she glances up at the machines again.


    "Nin?" she lets out, barely audible, rattled and shaking.


    "Hmm?"


    "Can you sum up what you know about me?" she asks softly as she moves backwards into the darkness, up against the rock with tremoured breath. My eyebrow rises at the question as it seems a bit odd, given the circumstances. But, all the same, I will answer it...


    "I know you are a trained fighter, you are skilled at arms. Before I met you in that hive, something awful happened... I also know, that, when I first met you after getting all this magic in my body because of those green wisps... I know that when you calmed down after meeting me so forcefully, you mentioned Waionr. The God of War." I tell her before I go quiet as nothing else comes to mind for the moment that feels meaningful.


    "I haven''t told you much about myself, have I?" she questions as she walks off slightly towards the trees. I shake my head a little in response and she sighs quietly to herself as that ethereal, magic glow somewhat outlines her. But she hates the fact she is glowing, she tries to stop it, seemingly, but evidently fails.


    I guess I could''ve brought up her age, too, but something to laugh about might not be appropriate right now...


    "I''ll try to keep it short, then. I was something called a Valkinvar, a soldier of great power. At least, before... Sorry, see, when I was one, I was at war with the people in those machines. And I am..." she explains, trembling and fidgeting as she paces about, unsure of herself. I step up towards her and place a hand on her shoulder to see if it will help. But she just suddenly lunges for and hugs me.


    Shocked slightly, I return the gesture as she keeps herself under control in my arms...


    "I''m scared, Nin. I''m scared that if I stay at the aelenvari flower with you, they will attack. I was not just some soldier, Nin, I was a Valkinvar. I don''t have the title or the right to call myself it anymore, but this power is still in me. I am too powerful not to cause issues for everyone!" she cries as I try to reassure her with little rubs.


    "So you think you will need to leave?" I ask as I hold her back as she dries out worry-drenched eyes. She nods at me as she continues to do so before her moistened hand grabs mine.


    "I want you to come with me!" she blurts out as her cheeks redden slightly. She''s nervous about my answer as she knows we both have very different wants... She needs to run for her own safety, but, it might not be in the direction I need to go. But, still, I shake my head and I close my eyes as I imagine the pain this answer must be causing her. She wants my help and I owe it to her but...


    "I''m sorry, Vapooliar, but, I can''t..." I start to answer as my bug arm fiddles its fingers, "I want to go home, Vapooliar. I can''t go back if I go with you."


    "Then when we leave we will go to your home...!" she states, hoping so much I will change my mind...


    I sigh frustratedly at the problem, "Neither you or I know which way my home is, Vapooliar. What help will you being with me bring beyond keeping me safe for some of the journey?"


    "I... I don''t know..." she quietly mutters as her mind goes to work to try and figure out a satisfactory answer. I want to try and stop her, but it seems like she''s already figured something out.


    I sigh quietly as her mouth opens again.


    "Then, I will help you get home by taking you to the most renowned school on the continent! A place known for its wealth of knowledge and people with the capacity to help you! Thrurstradtur, the Great Brass Clock!" she tells me with desperate, pleading eyes as she moves slightly closer to me.


    I stroke my chin as I consider that place she just mentioned, "You think they will know the way back?"


    "I know they will, Nin, please..." she says as I think her other words over. If true, she will be an invaluable help in my attempts to get back home. We get to this Thrurstradtur, look over any maps they have and pinpoint the direction I need to go at the very least... I know I need to go in the way of the Anvil-Peak, that at least narrows it down.


    "That would be helpful, yes... But, what will you do once I find my way home? Once I leave all of this land behind... Will you stay with me all the way or go elsewhere?" I ask and she nods vigorously to which I sigh.


    Would she even be welcome back at Tobaballe with her strange power? There''s something going on in the Crown with the Spire-Lords at the very least, so, maybe she''ll be fine... What would happen, though? This magic isn''t something that exists in my home...


    What will even happen when I get back there? How do I explain that everyone I left with is gone!?


    I feel slightly nauseous at the thought of it and move towards the mountain so I can sit against it. I''ve killed so many of those patterned bugs made from my countrymen... One of them was probably even Iishar herself. All so I could survive that bug hive...


    Vapooliar sits down next to me and her head rests on my shoulder, "I understand if you don''t want me to come all the way back to your home. But, can you at least stay with me until we get to Thrurstradtur?"


    I turn to look her in the eye as I slowly think about it. Even if these machines weren''t a problem, I would like to leave soon. Before something comes up that keeps me there happens, Whatever is going on with Rose-sweerui might mean this event might come soon.


    Who knows what will happen if I linger near that damn woman!


    "I will see... No, no... I think that will work just fine." I tell Vapooliar with a small smile as she starts to smile back. Her head returns to my shoulder and quiet settles down on us as our breathing becomes the only noise. Bar that ryphurgok thing out in the forest right now, anyway. My cheek falls down onto her hair and I let her soft locks rub against it.


    But, I remember someone else who is also looking to get home.


    "You know, we can always get Vadei to come with us?" I suggest to Vapooliar but I don''t hear anything from her other than a quiet snore. She must''ve fallen asleep in the quiet, it''s no wonder with how much stress she must be under right now. What with an army that might end up looking for her being only a few mountains away.


    It seems like a lot, but, everyone can fly nowadays it seems...


    Though, I am worrying somewhat, right now. Vapooliar was a soldier, she''s likely going to be a very fiddly sleeper. Even the slightest twitch or movement... I keep as quiet as I possibly can be as I suddenly start to worry about being attacked by her.


    I guess that means I have to keep my eyes open all night, though, I suppose that''s normally what I do anyway. I barely sleep and I don''t really eat much if anything anymore either, I feel strange. I must''ve been like this for weeks now... Oh, that could be a useful thing to find out in this Thrurstradtur place.


    The damn date, everything''s been so hectic that I''ve practically lost track of everything! Maybe there''s a festival or something soon, something normal for me to get back to doing...

 V2 Incline 27: Ivy-Mother Roselhia

    "I wonder what the Valkinvar wanted?" I quietly ask myself as I pay attention to how quiet it is around me at the moment. No one is here to remark or look at me strangely for speaking with words rather than my true-voice. I''ve been doing it a lot, lately, speaking with words, these silly little things. All because of him.


    I guess I have just come to accept the fact that this is the only way my love will understand me. Not that I mind speaking if it''s for him, I love hearing his voice and I know he feels the same about me...


    But, still, I would love to speak to him just once with my true-voice and be understood. There''s only one true-voice like mine and it feels strange knowing I might never use it for him. Just once, I want to hear his power ring out to me so I can listen to the ebb and flash of his great power. If only he wasn''t spending time with the Valkinvar...


    I wanted to ask my love about his thoughts on a new outfit I have been preparing back at my bulb. I know he was looking for me, it''s why I followed the voice of others to get here, but he left before I could... She took him up into the sky by his hand. The Champion can''t fly, obviously!


    So why does it bother me that his hand was in hers? There''s no reason I should be worried even if they do vanish to somewhere solitudous. She''s a Valkinvar, a sacred virgin who has pledged herself to the God of War. Whatever they talk about in their quiet, it is no threat to the love I have for my Champion.


    I start to smile as my love''s face flashes in my mind''s eye, all that strength and power, all that potential. It is mine, every bit of it and I am his until we walk amongst the mist-concealed howls. Though, I am worried about my Champion''s lack of integration into our way of life. He has not welcomed it as much as I have hoped for.


    Perhaps a seed needs to be made with urgent haste, so that he feels like he is with purpose. Oh, I cannot wait to bear his child for him, I will finally live up to my responsibilities as a woman, let alone as an aelenvari. I smile and blush deeply as I try to recall the rumours I have heard about humans and how they approach women. I have heard of gifts and presents which is very different compared to here.


    I am happy with his intimacy alone, but, who am I to say no to a present from my love? But, the day he comes to me with a present, I can finally wear my special outfit. I can let him take what I have saved and we will start a family that I will be the mother of! Me, a real mother!


    "I hope he will give me many sons..." I sigh dreamily as I gently caress the part of me that will swell with those seeds. I might not be able to count on him to help my people as I understand it, but he will do it because he loves me. This body that has been so carefully prepared over all of my life. As far back as the mother of my mother''s mother and further beyond.


    I smile as a little sweetness dribbles from my chest and I impatiently lick it up as my knees rub together. I frown a little as the aphrodisiac works its way through my impatient body. I have waited so long to bear my first son, but, what my love did the last time he tasted my honey... Do humans not respond to it the same way as we aelenvari?


    Looking off into the distance, I spot a group of stems talking to each other, laughing over the little things. What was intended to be just a brief look-over turns long and lingering. I bite my lip as curiosity fills my mind and I stare at the massive chest one of them has. Her honey is not as potent as mine, but, she is holding back a vast reserve of it for any who might show interest.


    I need to know if our breast honey is bad for humans and there are three lonely stems in need of a man each. Three human thorns in need of a chance to wind down in a way only a woman can provide. I briefly smile and walk up to the three stems and they notice me but initially try to move out of my way. But, following them, they realise that I am after them.


    "Ivy-Mother!? Can we help you with anything?" one born under the petals of a white flower asks as her hands move near her face anxiously. The orange-haired one stands there almost dumbstruck with her proud bounty pushed out as if she is at attention. The final dark-red, almost maroon one just has her mouth agape and she''s struggling to keep it closed.


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    "Yes, you can." I flash in answer to them as I move up to the orange-haired one. Placing my hands under her chest, I weigh and fondle them gently. Their sheer size almost makes me envious as if magically potent honey were to be in these breasts... Her gentle moans bring me out of my runaway thoughts and I squeeze harder.


    She shamelessly enjoys the kind of touch only I can provide and the magic of the other two reacts wildly. With the impressive bulk of the pair in my hands, it doesn''t take long for honey to come forth. I let go and they droop as I snatch up a sample of this stem''s honey to taste for myself. I pucker my lips at the weak flavour and go back to looking at them as the owner of these breasts burns red.


    Magic aside, however, she has quite well-developed honey as well. This stem might be worth keeping an eye on if she ever grows beyond her current station in time. This thick, sickly liquid is still going down my throat and a blanket of it covers my tongue with sweet flavour. I allow the stem to hide her chest for the moment and I look over towards the nearest bulbs.


    "Are we perhaps near your bulbs?" I ask the three as I try to keep my body under control. A near-perfect and then a weak dose of honey in my system will wreak pleasurable havoc upon me. There are worse ways to be seen, admittedly.


    "N-No, Ivy-Mother, we will need to walk for a bit before we reach it, w-why?" the white-haired one asks as she preemptively assumes that I might want to see her honey too. I put a hand on her turtle-neck sweater and stop her as my mind thinks of my love.


    "Please return to your bulbs, then, and get changed. Dress as revealing and loose as you are allowed to and wait at the edge of the Sepal together." I explain to them brightly and the three nod vigorously as excitement fills them. Though, compared to the other two, that orange-haired stem needs to move far more carefully. All that swinging, bouncing, buxom weight and now it''s leaking uncontrollably...


    I smirk at her situation as it is nice to finally see someone else sharing my recent troubles. However, I should really pass it on to the thorns that she and the other two have my permission to be going out and about like that. A stem shall never act erotically nor dress that way in public as they do not deserve to, compared to petals who may. So, I pass on a quick order to the first thorn I see and she in turn does the rest for me.


    Walking onward towards the Petals, I go further into the Stigma. I approach the Gilded-Bark so that I might speak with him and he looks at me with a sight that has been rare as of late. A simple smile. I sit down away from him at the edge of Motrtha''s pyre and I sprinkle some incense into the holy fire.


    I pick my staff up from its place of rest and start to think about changing clothes myself seeing as I mentioned it. I wearily sigh at my dress and tubes as I look upon them and I know the Gilded-Bark is confused. After all, what I am wearing is handmade with the utmost care for the Ivy-Mother, me. The tubes I am wearing are beautiful, they really are, but, I want to show my love something that is just me in every sense of the word.


    Specially, artistically forged tubes made of rose gold so that the precious ore matches my birth flower. Symbols of motherhood and pleasure across the metal and soft fabric and embedded, blood-red amber. So many fiddly, but well-worth-it hooks and holes so I can put it with my finest silk lingerie. Once, I hoped for the night I would wear it for the Gilded-Bark, but, now, I barely even look his way.


    I hope my love likes this outfit I plan to show him... There''s so much about it that''s different to usual but it is very special to me. I will wear it the very first time we make love. My first time.


    "Something seems to be bothering you, Ivy-Mother." the Gilded-Bark comments from his throne as a yellow-haired petal has her tail played with by his hand.


    "I''m... I''m just wondering if my love will like the outfit I have prepared for when he finally puts a seed into me." I explain reluctantly as although I feel nothing for him now. It wasn''t that long ago that this outfit was intended solely for him before he was taken in by another petal.


    "You speak of your First Time Lingerie?" he guesses with a flickering true-voice quite easily and a keen smile as my cheeks are scorched crimson. The eyes of the few women near us widen and their bulbs light up in shock as they discover my virginity. I try to smile and laugh, but my cheeks only get hotter. The one who guides the flower with childbirth, childcare and the making of them is not even a mother herself!?


    It''s so embarrassing!


    I smile warmly and sigh dreamily as my love enters my mind, soon, soon I will be a mother. My belly will first swell from his actions, then, I will grow as the most prized result grows. I will grow tired, exhausted, anxious and worried, hungry and peckish. But it will all be worth it once I hold my seed in my arms after it is finally ready to come into the world.


    My love will make me a mother, the greatest thing any woman can ever be!

 V2 Incline 28: Ivy-Mother Roselhia

    Staring off into the distance as my blush continues to burn, my dreamy gaze focuses on the rose-red walls of my bulb. There are so many ways that my love might react to this outfit of mine. Will he be cool and suave about it or aggressive and to the sexual point? Or, my personal preference... Will he be too taken in by my beauty and the immensity of the occasion to do anything?


    So many potential paths for my future to tread towards and all of it keeps my face burning.


    The Gilded-Bark laughs, "To think there would be a day where our flower''s blessed Ivy-Mother would find someone to share her love with!"


    But, this statement of his hurts me as I have tried so long for him to be the one who I would share my first kiss with. My first time was going to be his and now it will never belong to him. I am happy that I am finally going to end up a mother with someone who looks my way, but... I would''ve liked to have at least gotten somewhere with the Gilded-Bark, but now I just do not care.


    All that time and effort just for some human to walk in and snatch my heart up...


    "Soon, my love." I whisper, smiling wholeheartedly as my heart rings in my ears. I direct my smile at the Gilded-Bark and get up to leave so we can both get back to our attendences. I keep my staff at hand this time and walk out into the Petals for some quiet thinking. Magic starts to hide my eyes as some paranoid tears start to roll out of them.


    If my love ever chooses to leave, I would have no one in my life left to love. I may have fallen for a human, but, my duties are still to my flower, to the Garden-Mont of the Ahnelges. Something horrible would have to happen for me to lose the will to keep helping my people. Unfortunately, him leaving for his unknown, distant home is not such a horrible circumstance.


    The Champion, my Champion, he is mine and mine alone. I need to find a way to keep him with me for as long as we live. Until the day Undwote''s Pack of Seven pick up on our dying scent. But, even then, as we pass unto Death, we shall be together.


    A gust of strong magic blows overhead and I glance up at it and I whisper a wish into it. I hope it can carry my desires to the ears of my love. I want him to be here, with me so that I might show him how much I truly do love him. Even if he struggles to understand it, he will still feel my warmth as his power fills my depths up.


    "I hope you return soon, my love. It is already a bother being apart from you for so little time..." I anxiously comment as I try to get my mind back on task. Fitting back into my usual, confident stride, I return to the Sepal and smile as I see the gathered trio of stems. My needy curiosity about how the breast honey of we aelenvari interacts with humans...


    They haven''t noticed me, however, and, as I walk behind the orange-haired one, I feel a little cheeky. Maybe the honey is still present in force within me, but, I cannot help but want to elicit more joy from her in preparation for my task. So, quietly and with dimmed magic, I sneak up behind her as she chats away with excited flashes and blips to her companions. She''s quite the risk taker, what with an open-back sweater...


    My hands quickly slip in from behind and latch onto the chestward curve of her pleasure mountains. I squeeze tightly and domineer her with my knowledge of the desires of the female body. The other two watch intently as I make a lesson of it and the poor one I am holding onto bites her finger as she holds back joyous tears. My chin moves onto her shoulder and I whistle a sweet song into her closest ear as she trembles against my pressed-up chest.


    I inspect the attire of the other two and while it is nothing particularly impressive by my standards, the effort is appreciated. They''re not allowed to show too much skin, but they''re all pushing how much they can show off their form. Tight skirts and short shorts, loose tops with nothing but straps holding them up. Patterned leggings that give all kinds of brand-new shades to their legs.


    I smile at them and squeeze forth some of the orange-haired stem''s impressive bounty as she continues to fall for the pleasure I am giving. Slipping my hands out in a long, drawn-out fashion, I rub her own honey into her skin but not entirely. Sticky, pleasure-giving sugar remains on my hands and I place one against the mouth of the owner. Gasping at first, she accidentally tries it and can''t have enough, she starts to lick my hand clean.


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    "Come on you two, clean the other hand." I smirk at the left-out pair as they approach the fat-chested stem as she gorges herself on her own aphrodisiac. Tongues lap at my palms and lips suckle on my fingers as the honey is removed from every speck of my perfumed skin. I force my hand slightly into the mouth of the orange-haired one to stifle her moans. The mess is cleaned up and I smile at my three, red-faced, lust-driven stems.


    I gesture for them to walk and keep messing with their hips so that they know how to properly swing them. All in the right way so that they can keep their rear weight in mind and keep their bodies excited. We travel through the flower until we reach the gathering of thorns. Finding the three humans, I gesture the stems forward to the surprised three.


    "I want you to have fun with these three. Let them taste your honey til they are full, tell me all about it after." I sultrily whisper just before the mouth of my favourite target of groping. I place a finger on her lips and her shaky, moist breath washes over it. I step aside as the stems rush for the humans but, oddly, the oldest amongst them keeps a stem away. Alone, she then is fought over by the other two humans as they just go along with what is about to happen.


    The old human thorn grumbles as he cleans up the mess the five left in their wake. One of the nearby bulbs quickly cries out with the sounds of pleasure and joy. I sit down across from the elderly human as he places a pipe to his lips and smokes from it. He blows the burning gas out into the air and leans against a nearby crate.


    "Are the stems not to your liking, Human Thorn?" I ask as I cross my legs. Eyeing the human man as his eyes stay glued on the distant cliff and whatever might be happening up there.


    "Can''t be shaming the gods by turning on me missus." he answers and my eyes widen slightly at this reveal. This human is willing to turn down such an easy conquest for the sake of the one he loves? I smile at the thought and quietly pray that my love has morals like this man.


    "Do the other two have no one waiting for them?" I ask so I can see if there is more to such a mindset. If this is just something humans see as righteous, all the better for me. My love is a good man, the very best.


    "Don''t know, likely." the old human thorn answers as he blows out another, small cloud of smoke. He moans his relaxation as his bones crack and pop and one hand drums his clothed leg.


    "Why do you think they accepted the advance?"


    He shrugs, "They''re young lads, going out and about to see what sticks and what doesn''t is part of growing up. At the end of the day, for a soldier, the greatest comfort is someone to love. Even for just a night. Cannon firing off all around you with a charging lance ahead of you, pointed at you with your name on it... Toplocks, muskets, boom-pikes popping everywhere... Tremendous arcane power... Well... Talking about the best prayer to Aahtha you''ve ever had is a common topic."


    "They were fighting over the stem intended for you, is that unusual?" I ask as my mind wonders about human standards of dedication. Are they focused on a lone woman, or can they wander like us? I do not want to share my love, but, living here amongst my people... I know there are things that will drive even a good-hearted man to the comfort of many.


    "Can''t say, you got them riled up, a bit more is just one step closer to the divine. But, some of the lads I have seen over the years like the thrill of stealing someone''s missus. Some are fine with what they have already, some dream bigger. A lot more varied than what you are used to, I like to think. What, seen as we have no need to fix such a blatant problem." he comments as he taps the bowl of his pipe on a nearby, hanging pot.


    I nod in response as my eyes wander over towards a nearby game board, something different to the last time I played him. His eyes follow mine and he nods at it as I smile slightly. Picking the board up, he brings over a crate and I set the game down as he looks about for pieces. I want to clear my mind for the moment and a casual game might just be the thing I need.


    "I will not take anything from you this time, don''t you worry." I tell him, smiling as he grumbles at the sore defeat. But, smirking suddenly, he pulls out a flask and sips from it before he taps the cap on his head.


    "You might be good at that game, but we can always claw our comfort back from your darlings in leafy armour." he tells me as he puts the flask back into his coat. I glance about at the meagre treasure he and his fellow thorns have managed to reaccumulate.


    "I''ll probably return what I won, anyway. It is not to my standards and my love cares little for most of it." I explain to him and he shakes his head.


    "I''ll win it back, thank you. If you want to give it away, feel free, just not to us. We''ll have some final victories while we stay here to dull the pain of our loss." he sighs as the final game piece is placed down.


    "It is hard for me to imagine a Valkinvar facing defeat as you seem to display it." I remark and he remains silent as he takes the first turn. I keep quiet as that is what he seems to prefer, but, I can''t help but ponder it now. For what reason could the Valkinvar be seeking the quiet word of my love?

 V2 Incline 29: Vapooliar

    "That was strangely comfortable..." I think out loud as I rub my eyes and try to sit up. An arm suddenly pulls me back down and I remember that I fell asleep against Nin. I smile up at him as he stares down at me with half-alive eyes. He blinks a couple of times and starts to move like a sugar-high child.


    I giggle quietly at his behaviour as he groans at the open air.


    "Morning, Nin." I tell my friend as he starts to slow down to the point he is just flicking his wrists. I know he''s had some trouble sleeping, so he must''ve been as still as a locked city gate to enjoy moving this much.


    "Was wondering when you would finally wake up." he laughs short and dry as he comes to a stop before me. An awkward silence fills the air before something mechanical passes overhead. My body freezes up as Nin glances skyward. It has to be...


    "Nin." I call out as I gesture frantically for him to get closer. The top of the trees rustle and he walks to me with a raised brow. He doesn''t know the danger we are in!


    No, the danger I am in...


    "Something-" he starts to say before a group of armoured, armed figures drop down from the sky, "Wrong..."


    The group stand up and the majority reveal their shadow-covered faces and I glare intensely at their beady little eyes. Holding their swords up along the curve of their backs, they hold their ground. The strange soldiers of the heretical Union are right in front of us. I snatch up Nin''s still-human hand into my engraved one so I can hide the blood rune.


    His eyes widen at me as mine narrow at the soldiers. A single one with his face exposed walks into view with his helmet down by his side. The design is slightly different, more ornate and notably bulkier on the cheek and mouthpiece. Unlike his collection of the damned, his other hand rests on a small sidearm.


    "Greetings, you two! I am Brave Swordsman Hencell, there''s no need to worry. We are just here to see what you two lovebirds are doing up here as some of our airships are in the area. Your friend there is quite blatant with his magic, so we are fine assuming you aren''t troublemakers." he tells us with a friendly tone with chuckles peppered about his words. He gestures his men back and their posture relaxes, a few even take off their helmets, stiffly at first. Revealing ordinary human faces of a slightly pale white complexion.


    North Mountaineers if I am to guess the region they''re from...


    "I''m sorry, but, how did you know we are here?" Nin asks, completely confused by what is obvious to the rest of us.


    This Brave Swordsman laughs and shakes his head, "I just said, bit of a stupid question."


    I squeeze Nin''s hand gently as the man thankfully accepts the truth Nin really doesn''t know.


    "Your magic, Son. You don''t have a lot of control over that there aura and you are letting out quite a bit of it. Might as well have been a lighthouse for our equipment." the heretic clarifies for Nin who nods along to it. He looks about himself then shrugs as I bite my tongue.


    It was stupid of me to just fall asleep on Nin, I should''ve taken him straight away from here. I know Nin has no fine control over his magic yet I just let him stay here, I stayed here. Even without knowing what those machines are fully capable of, I know witches of all kinds can sense magic. It''s a basic skill!


    "If you are worried about your airships, why didn''t you come in the night, then?" Nin asks as his head tilts slightly.


    The heretic smiles, "We came in and had a look during the night, we saw one of you sleeping. We decided to let her sleep as it''s pretty clear you are non-combatants. In the traditional sense, anyway."


    His gaze starts to harden.


    "But, we will need to know who you two are, though."


    Nin looks to me as my grip on his hand tightens. I can''t say my name, it''s far too involved with the Valkinvar to be ignored. I don''t know any names similar to Nin''s and I... Think, Vapooliar, think!


    "We''re students from Suhurlodst! I brought my... B-Boyfriend here to help him learn to control his magic!" I answer quickly and Nin blinks at me as I start to get embarrassed now of all times. Come on, Nin, just play along so we can escape here...


    Please, play along...


    "This is quite far from your school, no? You''re coming awful close to an ongoing war, Student." the heretic asks as his hand draws dangerously close to his weapon. I watch his hand very carefully and he keenly observes my trained gaze. I am not scared of this man, nor his men, but, I cannot fight those airships. I cannot do anything to them, I can only run.


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    "Actually, no, Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding is quite lenient in letting their students off campus grounds. Pretty much to do anything, research, training in a different environment. Moon, they even have connections to the adventurer guild networks and regularly host jobs for the students to take on." a thankfully knowledgeable soldier explains as he shrugs at us.


    "How do you know that?" the Brave Swordsman asks as he turns back to look at them. Our knowledgeable saviour shrugs again.


    "Bored one evening and my daughter is getting close to the age she''d be looking at a school for higher education anyway." they explain.


    "Yeah, he is right, got an old girl friend who goes there and she likes to just talk about what she does. The place even gives permission for the students to go as far as the magicless Lowlands if I am remembering correctly. Though, I might be more so thinking of the Eusorochii colonial-whatsit lands on the south coast." another adds on and a few start to laugh at him.


    "You keep an eye on what your ex-girlfriend is up to, bit sad, no? Got to leave them things behind." another man gestures in prayer humorously as the one he remarked at sneers unamused.


    "No! Girl friend as in a friend that is a girl!"


    "You could have just said she was an old friend, you meek-moon."


    "Ahem." the Brave Swordsman coughs and the rest of the soldiers go silent as discipline is restored.


    Nin waves at me when I look his way and I am not sure why.


    "I guess that makes sense as to why we found you to begin with. Your friend here needs the practice and you probably just mistook our airships for a natural source of dense magic. But, I admit as an aside, it''s nice to see a male witch training for once. I know you girls have been blessed with the superior casting abilities for a long time now. Best of luck to you two, then, Students of Suhurlodst. But, you will need to vacate elsewhere. We''ll give you time to go, but, please do so quickly. Security concerns, I am sure you understand given where you are from."


    I nod and force a smile as Nin blinks cluelessly, "Thank you, we will leave. Sorry to cause you worry."


    I gag violently in my head, to be polite to such foul people...


    "Uh..." Nin lets out as I pull him along after me. Slowly going up into the air, I make it give a distinctly clumsy look. But, Nin stops me and he anchors us as he turns back to face the heretics.


    "Nin, let''s go!" I urge him.


    "Have any of you guys got a map? We''re kinda lost." Nin asks and the once again smiling heretic chucks a tube our way. I start to smile at what might be a genius move by Nin and he fiddles with the locking mechanism on the tube. Taking out the map, I unroll it and give it a quick lookover.


    This will help us figure out which way we need to go to reach Thrurstradtur and Suhurlodst!


    "Stay safe, you two." the heretic tells us as his men put their helmets back on. The moment the shadows return, their posture stiffens and weapons are held firmly. I nod slowly as I start to drag Nin into the sky and I make a platform under him. A construct his magic is able to hide as we get out of here.


    To those heretics, it just looks like I am trying to teach him how to fly. I keep it up for quite a while even as the mountain is far behind us. Only after I am sure of our safety do I pick up the speed. Even then, I refrain from speeding up past the speed of sound.


    "When we get back to the flower Nin, we need to start preparing to leave." I tell him firmly as I drag him after me through the whistling sky. Nothing significant might''ve happened, but even one word in the right ear can escalate this. It was all my fault... I shouldn''t of let Nin stay on that mountain overnight.


    I should''ve dragged him away...


    "This map shows us where to go, then? To this school?" Nin asks as we slow down near a river valley and I nod at him as we land. Going to the water, I splash a cold handful against my face and let it drip. Sighing quietly as I pointlessly hope for my worries to be washed away with each little drop.


    "How soon are you willing to leave, Nin?" I ask him as I turn to him, heavily breathing what I can''t keep quiet inside of me.


    "I don''t know... Wouldn''t it make sense to get the others ready as well? They''re in the dark completely, here." he says as he rubs the back of his head.


    "I am not sure about the other three, but I don''t see why Vadei would want to come." I say as I think about the oxfuine briefly.


    "Well, for me, this will be but one step to getting home. This also applies to her in getting back to her family. Besides, when we leave, Vadei isn''t going to be welcome here anymore. She''ll be run off and die all alone in these gods-forsaken lands." Nin explains and I start to nod slowly.


    "That is fair, I will make a point of asking her, too." I tell him as he rubs his face. I sigh towards the running water and watch as it rushes by around a mountainous bend as Nin comes up next to me. He squats down on the banks of the river and he watches something splash away on the far end.


    "So, what are we going to do about supplies? Food, drink, spare clothes and shelter?" Nin asks as I offer my hand to him so we can get moving once again. Initially, he refuses to take my hand and he just keeps looking up at me.


    "I can hunt for our meals." I shrug as I ponder the few times I ever got to leave Giant''s Victory. Even if it was just an insignificant chore so that the officers and I could have a proper cut of meat for supper.


    "I honestly believe those hands could tear anything apart around here..." Nin quietly remarks as I sit down next to him on the river bank.


    "You can help, if you want?" I ask, smiling at the idea of being able to do something with him. That competition showed he can grasp how to use his magical power, he just needs a goal. Something he can physically reach for. In a way, like how all soldiers are taught, really. Give them the toplock to teach them how to use it, don''t just tell them how to load the ball.


    "Sure, why not, never gone hunting at any point before." he answers as I spot some wild juperses hopping over to the river for some refreshment. We look over at the insectish equines together as their long tongues lap up a crisp drink. A particularly young one spots us and it hops about nervously, much to Nin''s simple joy.


    "They''re an easily spooked species." I comment as he continues to find humour in it.


    "Look at him go!" Nin cheers as the foal dives behind its fathering stallion.

 V2 Incline 30: Champion Nin

    "Where have you two been?" Vadei calls out to us from the comfort of a tree branch. Vapooliar drops me as I asked her to do and I fall to the ground, the wind rushing past me. I fail to keep myself upright and slam into the ground without a care. Blinking at the absurdity of what I just asked my dropper to do, I glance up and over at the tailed woman.


    "That general direction." I answer as I try to find the right way as I get up out of the me-shaped dent in the ground. I could maybe say something along the lines of ''Oh, you know, we were up in the mountains.'' But what good is a response like that? There''re mountains everywhere in this damn country.


    Vapooliar lands quite gracefully in contrast and she steps up towards Vadei, "Please, I need you to pay attention. There''s something important I need to tell you."


    "I don''t care if you two are getting married." Vadei sarcastically groans as she goes back to resting on the branch. Unlike me, however, Vapooliar does not respond to the sarcasm well and she looks towards me with aimless sight. I smile at her, as I find it rather adorable in a way. But, my hand also finds its way onto her shoulder as it looks like her glare could tear a new hole into Vadei.


    "Vadei, she is right, this is very important. Just listen, ok? We''ve decided that we are leaving the flower for some place called..." I start to say before my eyes beg Vapooliar for help.


    "Thrurstradtur." Vapooliar says.


    "Thank you. But, yeah, we''re going to leave soon and go there." I finish as Vadei''s head comes up, her ears rising higher. She quietly gets down from the tree and a stern gaze meets my eyes directly. Her ears twitch slightly and I think I even spot her tail waggle, just a little.


    "And you want to know if I will come with?" she asks, huffing a brief smile as she does.


    I nod in response as that is all I need but her expression starts to sour.


    "I don''t think I have much of a choice..." she remarks as she glares viciously towards the bulk of the aelenvari flower. I sigh at her words as they make it seem more like an ultimatum than a request. With what will happen if she stays, though, hm.


    "But you will come?" Vapooliar asks as she steps closer and Vadei starts to nod.


    "Yes... I will come..." Vadei answers as she clenches her fists as her glare focuses on me, "But you and me will be having a word in private. Alone."


    Vapooliar starts to frown as gods know what bounces around her head. I raise my left hand at her in an effort to calm her and move it near. Directing them towards the cliff, she focuses on it. I try to find the soldiers myself initially, but she''ll probably find them anyway.


    "Go find those other three, see if they want to come. This will probably matter a lot to them. I''ll see you at the tent with the purple-haired root, ok?" I quietly tell her as I smile and wave them off.


    Those three will listen to her, their hope in the hive depended on her appearance after all. Might as well ask that purple-haired root as well if she wants to come along. She''s not safe here in this place, but, neither are any of the roots. I should at least take responsibility seeing as I did what I did when I found her...


    I huff in bemusement as I look at Vadei and think of Vapooliar again. I know these two, somewhat, I know their troubles and their worries just enough. This root, however, I know nothing about, I''ve not spoken to her since taking her to Vapooliar. Yet, here I am, concerned about the safety of that one little root.


    I guess I can thank Vadei a little for her prior words, barby little thing she is.


    "So, come on, tell me. Why the sudden wish to leave? Vapooliar promised since before you even got here that we''ll leave." she says as I back up towards a tree as her face gets up in mine.


    "To go to... That city, we just told you." I say as I lean on the bark.


    "Why, not where, deaf-eared Ho." she growls as I move my bug arm up to keep her away.


    "I... I want to go home and Vapooliar believes that, that city is my best bet." I explain as those silver eyes start to soften, only to fortify to her strongest glare yet.


    "So the real reason you came to tell me this is so you can drag me back to the fields of your home city!?" she accuses as one of her nails comes dangerously close to my eye. I frown at her paranoia and my head starts to shake.


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    "N-No... I am not trying to put you to work back in those fields, Vadei. I want to go home. We asked you to come along so that we can take you to your home on the way! You know, that one I can''t possibly know about in the southwest of this continent somewhere!" I tell her as her eyes remind me of the bad thing with hard objects. They''re always so brittle and crack easily once that first dink is made.


    "What point is there in going home when my family is all stuck in that damn..." she tearfully whimpers as her ears and eyes fall down to the ground. I sigh and shake my head as I pull them in and I keep my turned, right arm away from her. My left fingers go through her soft, reddish-orange hair and I hope they at least do something to calm her. I start going through all the ideas I can think of as she continues to act as if I am not here.


    She trembles in my grip as the subtle smell of shampoo and perfume end up in my nose.


    "Then... Uh... How about this? We work on finding a way to get your family, your whole village out of there. We''ll use this power I have, Vapooliar will use her amazing strength and we''ll get them all out of there. We get them out of there and we''ll never have to see each other again once you are back home." I offer as her eyes come up to meet mine. She starts to brighten up slightly as she sets my words forever into the stone of her mind. No weather shall erode this promise, no trauma shall obscure it. She''ll never let me forget it.


    Though, with how strong I am now, with Vapooliar being her, I am worried as to how this will turn out. Violence and bloodshed will be a popular demand by Vadei and all of those she is related to. I''d rather not use my newfound strength to tear down the Outer Walls so that the fields and pastures can be emptied. Hopefully, we can keep it to just stealing some vehicles for them to take, as many haulers as they need.


    "I have your word on this? You promise? I want to hear it! Do you promise!?" she pleads as red-veined eyes widen directly before me. Our breath mixes in the short gap between us and I start to nod.


    "I promise. Vadei, I promise you that I will help. I will help you get you and your family home, do you hear me?" I promise her even as the doubt and worry fills my head. How badly will this affect my home when we go through with it? I don''t want to cripple my home just to...


    "I guess time will tell if you can stick to your word, Ho." Vadei tells me with her usual attitude as she starts to move away. Her tail softly brushes against me as she turns away and I stand there quietly, watching her leave. For some reason, though, I don''t feel comfortable letting her have the final word.


    "We''ll find you when the time comes." I tell her and she keeps walking away without the slightest registration. Not even her ears move slightly.


    I sigh and turn away for the cliff and head towards it so I can check in on the root. When she is ready as well, I can discuss some of the finer details with Vapooliar so we can get ready. I was hoping she''d be here already, but, it seems like I am the first to arrive. The root turns to me as I enter the tent and our eyes meet as I ponder if she can talk now.


    I pull up a makeshift chair and drop onto it as I frown at the fact she''s hidden her face again, "I suppose this is our first time speaking to each other, isn''t it?"


    I laugh quietly at my question but when she shakes her head, I become confused. My hands drop down to my legs and I try and think of anything that might explain it. But, nothing comes to mind, I can''t remember doing anything with her before. Her eyes are quite focused on my wrapped-up, right arm, though.


    "I''m sorry, I''m not following. Are you on about when I brought you here?" I ask and she shakes her head once again. Pain-filled croaks leave her as she tries to say something and I stop her.


    Covering my mouth as I think about it some more, I look over at the entrance of the tent. Her throat and head things are completely wrecked, she can''t say a thing to me. I hold one of her hands as it squeezes the dull-coloured bedsheet. Her hands are still fine for the most part.


    I can''t read her tongue, so she can draw!


    I shoot to my feet and briefly look around to no avail as there is nothing useful here. Popping my head out into the open, I try to spot something through the ongoing traffic of soldiers and equipment. Some of them look at me as they pass by but they largely keep to their duties. I grab one that comes just close enough and her bulbs flash excitedly at me.


    "Excuse me, would you mind finding me some paper or a chalkboard to draw on please? With something to draw with, as well." I ask her, silently hoping she can understand me as her bulbs continue to glow. She nods and I smile, waving her off as she departs with haste to find what I want. I huff bemusedly at how strange it feels.


    Being this easy to get someone to just do something for you, nothing like Tobaballe in the slightest.


    "Thank you." I tell the aelenvari soldier as she comes back with some chalk and a board. She smiles at me with rosy cheeks and I disappear back into the tent. Going back to my seat, I pass the items to the purple-haired root and she looks at them. I prop them up for her slightly, seeing her discomfort and she tries to find a comfortable grip for the chalk.


    She quickly starts to draw something familiar... That seed thing I was given back in the hive. She looks at the picture longingly and she even draws a love heart around it. Does she want me to get her pregnant or something?


    "Can you tell me your name? I''m Nin, if you didn''t already know." I tell her as she starts to draw a flower with an open top. It''s somewhat like the shape of her hair, in a way.


    My mind revs vocally in thought as a hand strokes my chin. I know this shape, I know I have seen it before. I look at the root and take off this leather headpiece despite her croaky protests and toss it away. Staring at her purple hair and its shape, going back and forth between the picture and her.


    The flower she drew is long stemmed and bushy at the top, almost fluffy in a way only a flower can be. A flower keeps coming to mind, but it''s not purple, it''s yellow. I roll my jaw about as I move my eyes closer to the purple-haired root. Carefully, I test and see if there''s anything special about the way it feels.


    I spot a slight bit of yellow on her head... The flower I keep thinking of, it''s a dandelion.


    "Your name is Dandelion''lhia?" I ask as she smiles in nearly tearful relief.

 V2 Incline 31: Champion Nin

    She dries her eyes of tears as a hand tilts about in the air. An eyebrow rises as I shift my gaze back to her hair. Everyone else''s matches their name and some even have colours included in their name. So why did this aelenvari not match her name?


    Never heard of a purple dandelion before, maybe there''s a breed of them somewhere up here?


    "I know it''s not your name, going by your hand. But, would you be fine with me just calling you Dandelion for the moment?" I ask as I dismiss any attempt to try and figure out the specifics of her name. This is not something she finds easy to answer, however, she''s in deep thought over it and I start to wonder a little. Do the aelenvari really take their names this seriously, am I going to get her in trouble by calling her Dandelion?


    Eventually, she nods cautiously and a finger goes to her lips.


    I nod as I look back at the entrance of the tent, I should be quiet around her, then. When we get out of here, there shouldn''t be any trouble, but, for now, I''ll be hush. More so that I can see someone entering the tent. Though, I smile instead as Vapooliar comes into view.


    "I''m here, what is it you wanted to talk about?" they ask as she comes to a stop at the end of Dandelion''s bed. The aelenvari smiles at her impromptu doctor as she once again does something with her breezy, emerald magic.


    "I wanted to talk to you about your patient," I start to answer as I gesture to our mutual centre of attention "Dandelion."


    "Who?" Vapooliar goes as her magic dims and vanishes. I again point at the woman in bed next to me.


    "The root right here." I tell her as I frown my confusion at the agitated eyes of Dandelion.


    "She''s not of the dandelion, though, there are no purple dandelions." Vapooliar explains plainly as I keep my eyes on the chalkboard.


    "She''s the one saying her name is Dandelion, or close to it, anyway." I explain as I pick up the blackboard to show her. Vapooliar inspects it before taking her attention off it.


    "So, you want to bring her along with us?" Vapooliar asks as her head tilts slightly, "Is there any particular reason why? If you don''t know her real name, then, you barely know her. I understand the life she will continue to live once we go, but, I fail to understand why that means she is coming with us."


    "You saw how badly injured she was when I brought her to you! Look at her! She''s barely recovered since then as well." I clarify for her, though, it is not my intention to treat her as if she''s stupid...


    "I did say I am not a healer, Nin." Vapooliar reminds me.


    "I know... I''m not having a go at you because of that. I''m just saying that she could die if we leave her here." I say, hoping she properly understands this time.


    "And? Her life is not my responsibility, Nin. Death is a normal thing, Undwote will take care of her if the unfortunate does happen." Vapooliar rather callously remarks. I stand up as a palm covers my face. I get that she''s a fighter, she''s seen her fair bit of blood... But, this...


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    "You best be ready to leave a bit later, then. I am not leaving Dandelion here just so she can be killed!" I snap, knowing full well the urgency that drives the woman in front of me. Her eyes widen and she steps back slightly, her hands flexing between open palms and fists. She looks around aimlessly as a shaking hand touches the end of the bed.


    "No- Fine." she goes as she lowers her head and rubs one arm with the opposing one. I can only apologize in my head for what I am doing, but, I don''t want to prove Vadei right. Even when it didn''t come to her words, I still tried to make all those people stay back at the hive. I should try to at least help one person here...


    I am not a horrible person, am I...?


    "That''s all I wanted to talk about, Vapooliar." I tell her with a quiet, depressed tone as I sigh towards the end. She nods as she starts to turn and leave.


    "I see... So, it''s me, you, Vadei and this aelenvari going to Thrurstradtur." Vapooliar explains as she reaches the flaps of the tent.


    "The other three aren''t coming?" I ask and she lingers.


    "No... They plan to make their way back to the Theocracy, as far inland to Thurn''s Forge as they can get." she explains as her mind drags her down even further.


    "I thought the reason those three are even here is because they didn''t want to go back to all of that stuff. You did thoroughly hammer it in that there are those machines nearby?"


    "I don''t know why they have changed their minds, why they want to return. Maybe they want to see their families again. Maybe they aren''t going to fight again, they just want to go home, like you." Vapooliar explains as her lips curve down. Quietly, she ponders whatever is blasting through her head and she leaves. I nod to myself as I sit back down and my attention returns to Dandelion as she draws. It''s that seed again.


    "I don''t understand." I say and Dandelion throws the board down. She looks to me with pain-filled eyes and she aggressively smacks her leather-covered chest. Her mouth looks as if she is gagging and pained breaths break out of it.


    "M... Muh... Mine!" she pants before breaking into a violent coughing fit. She takes the board back up and quickly starts to add things to it. Setting the scene, it all seems strangely familiar and then it hits me. She''s on about the seed on that pedestal in Rose''s tent.


    Wait... The root that burst out of the cupboard when I first woke up here is her!?


    "You want me to get it for you before we leave?" I ask as she nearly breaks down crying as she nods endlessly. Her eyes suddenly glue themselves to the tent entrance and she covers her mouth as ghostly whimpers leave it. The tent opens up again and a familiar colour of hair loudly taps into view.


    "My love!" Rose calls out excitedly as she jumps onto my back, hugging me from behind. She pulls herself in tightly, smushing up her breasts against me and her lips find my cheek. Dandelion starts to panic as Rose giggles at my side.


    "Hello, Rose." I answer uncertainly as her grip dies all of a sudden. Stepping away from me, she puts some welcome distance between us.


    "You didn''t call me..." she starts to say as her eyes keep bouncing between me and Dandelion. I groan quietly as I decide that now is probably the best time to drill something into her head.


    "Rose, please do not call me that. I am not your ''love,'' I do not love you. Never have since I''ve met you." I firmly and bluntly clarify for her as my human fingers move ahead. But, she seems to ignore everything I''ve just said and she makes that hand cup her soft cheek.


    "I understand it might be strange, but you must be patient with me, my love, you will understand soon enough." she explains confusingly as she kisses the hand she took up. I snatch it back and wipe it down, much to her confusion. My eyes land on Dandelion for a moment and when I look back at them, the softness in hers is gone.


    "Look, in a few days time, maybe less or more. I am leaving with Dande-" I start to explain before I shut up, remembering that Dandelion might get in trouble if I call her that.


    Rose''s eye twitches as she starts to flex her fingers, move agitatedly and find no words, "Wh-What did y-you just call her?"


    "I said Dande." I answer as I shake my head and look away.


    "You were going to call her Dandel''Iiha, weren''t you?" Rose accuses as her brow sets and her skin burns. A dangerous feeling emits from Rose as she trembles with fury and I cover my eyes as her bulbs try to blind me.

 V2 Incline 32: Champion Nin

    "What, n-"


    "YES YOU WERE!" she tearfully screams up in my face, begging for a hug as she does so. I take a few steps back and she stumbles down onto her knees. Anguish strikes into her hands and an aggressive breeze spins about the tent, disturbing all of its sides. Those same hands drag their fingers down and fists form.


    She turns dim and quiet.


    "A-And... W-What do you mean by leave with her...?" she asks quietly as she looks up at me in a pitiful manner.


    "As in, me and Vapooliar won''t be staying here for much longer. We thank you for looking after us but it is time we mov-" I try to explain before she charges up towards me, latching on with a face bright with fury.


    "AND WHY DOES THAT THIEF NEED TO GO WITH YOU!?" Rose roars with all she has, putting me on edge. What''s gotten into her!?


    "It''s none of your concern!" I sternly bark as I try to delicately push her off of me. She goes in the direction I want her to go, but she just turns her viciousness towards Dandelion. She leaps at the bed-ridden aelenvari, clawing and pulling at whatever she can get.


    "FIRST YOU STOLE THE GILDED-BARK FROM ME! NOW YOU TRY AND STEAL THE CHAMPION FROM ME TOO!? MY CHAMPION!?" Rose howls as she yanks at Dandelion''s already broken bulbs. The poor root cries as she''s assailed without end. I step in and nearly throw Rose to the ground and I block the red-haired woman from further attacks. Plant green light builds up in her hands as I glare right back at her sneer.


    "I swear to you... If I so much as hear a single howl coming close to this tent!" I threaten as the light in her hands grows in violence. The Ivy-Mother snarls before her expression softens to misery in tune with the dying light. She boils up again.


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    "I SHOULD''VE KILLED YOU THE MOMENT I FOUND YOU ON THAT LOG! MAYBE I WILL CORRECT MY MISTAKE!" Rose declares as I step straight into her magical attack. It explodes right under my chin, mostly destroying my clothes and blasting the tent up and over. I breathe slowly as my chest stings before I shove her down with my bug arm.


    Flexing its claw, aelenvari soldiers charge at us from all sides and surround me and Dandelion. Their bladed chains snap straight and some even start to glow shades of grass and pine. A couple help Rose up as she continues to sob and sniffle. She silently pleads to me before erupting at Dandelion who is hiding behind the destroyed bed covers.


    Straightening her posture, she snatches a staff from one of the soldiers and she strides to a stop against me, "Step aside, Champion, this root is under arrest!"


    I glare at her hissing as I find myself helpless to intervene on Dandelion''s behalf as the soldiers snatch her up. One of them slams the leather hood back on and nooses her with their barbed chains. Rose vanishes with them, but she lingers towards the back of this group. Her back falls down as she sends one more gaze my way, I growl before she disappears, crying pathetically as she does so.


    Watching them initially, I move my head about until I hear a click. I growlishly spit out what annoyance remains and turn around in the hopes of finding Vapooliar. Maybe she can help me make sense of whatever has just happened... Or, she''ll find a reason to just go now as Dandelion is now headed for a prison cube, or whatever these damn creatures have!


    Dammit, dammit...!


    Dammit!


    "Where''d you go..." I mutter as I ruminate on Rose''s lunacy and this whole situation. What laws are so stupid that they make that damn woman lose her bloody mind!? A name. I was going to call her tower-falling Dandelion!


    I find myself groaning and aimlessly wandering up the cliff''s ramp and I stop at the top of it. Looking out to the well-walked forest valley ahead of me, I head on until I am just before it and slam my rear onto a big rock. Tapping my foot again and again, I keep going until my body demands I smash it into the ground. A shower of dirty debris explodes into my face before I lean against a support pole of the closest tent.


    "Great, just damn well great." I remark as ruminations infest my mind.

 V2 Incline 33: Champion Nin

    I''ve been bothered a few times since I plonked myself on this rock. All the way into the night this has been going on. My mood has not improved at all, it''s only been getting worse. Everything that''s been bothering me has made the rounds in my head these past hours.


    And now, a very specific, detestable aelenvari is walking up to me under the light of a soft glow. Remorseful eyes, like a child who has done something horrible to their mother but they still want a hug before bed. Mine narrow and hairs stand up aggressively as she scoots next to me so her head can fall onto my neck. She tries to nuzzle some kind of calm into me, but she just backs away when she sees my eyes.


    I keep my hands together, dangling above the ground, supported by my open legs. I try my hardest to crush my turned arm, maybe one thing can go right today. But, I don''t, I come to a sighing stop and release the bug limb. The lights from her head start to vanish as I maintain my gaze on the night-fallen forest.


    She sniffles as the sounds of tears disturb the quiet. Her hands grab onto my arm and she starts to tug at it, desperate for my attention. A long, drawn-out breath drains out through my nose and I turn to face the puffy-eyed rose. She wipes her eyes to dry them, only for more to come out as she hunches over to try and hide them.


    "P-Please don''t go..." she weakly mutters as she grips my arm as tight as she can. To make a silent point, I easily break it free of her clinging hold. My features soften as I look at that face, I can''t really find it in me to stay angry given the state of it. I look down at the wet trails running down my arm.


    I barely know her, so why is she so desperate for me to stay? I''ve never shown her anything particular to justify this. She barges up to me, drags me to the ground and takes my first kiss. Her attitude towards me keeps flipping like a coin forever on the gambling move.


    "No! I am leaving with Vapooliar and the others when we are ready and that is final. You will give back Dandelion and you can get back to your normal life!"


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    "Dandel''lhia again... Always with her all the time... Champion... How can you not understand that I love you with all my heart?"


    "What''re you talking about, Woman!?" I snap interruptedly.


    "I-If you stay here, everything you could ever want will be handled! You will eat the finest foods, wear the greatest, softest clothes...! Anything that needs intimacy I can take charge of and..." she argues as she reaches down for my crotch with one of her hands. I trap it where it is and squeeze until she starts to pull back with a shaky gaze.


    "What''re you... No, no! I do not care." I firmly bark, but she doesn''t understand even a simple no...


    "Why...? Why do you not care? I have done everything I can to make sure you are as comfortable as possible. I''ve spent days in distress trying to figure out how best to please you..." she sobs as her tears come out harder than they ever have. A loud sigh leaves me as the urge to at least give her an explanation makes itself apparent.


    Stupid as it seems.


    "Look, Rose," I start to say as I hand her a tatty remnant of the shirt -she- destroyed, "I am thankful for what you have done for me and for the care you have given. But this place isn''t my home. I want to go home, I cannot do that by staying here!" I try to make as clear as possible for her.


    Though, I am already doubting it will work, a mere moment after saying it!


    "Then... Then I will come with you! Our flower will come with you! We can have you become the new Gilded-Bark, the ultimate authority in our flo-" she says before I put a finger on her lips to shut her up. Become the new Gilded-Bark? What!?


    "No... No, I''m not getting involved in any of that." I tell her as I stand up, shaking my head at how difficult this is. Seriously, it should just be a simple explanation, a simple answer! No, I am not staying, I do not love you! Get it already, Rose!


    There''s no point in me continuing with this if she''s just going to keep...


    "I will step down as Ivy-Mother! Someone else can fill the role and I can stay by your side... Please! I''ve... I''ve worked too hard to reach where I am just for the man I love to once again turn their back on me!" she begs with barely-kept composure as she chases after me. Reaching the cliff, I stand there as she tries to get close.


    "Just stop it, Rose... Just stop it." I tell her, shaking my head at the distraught woman. A noise rumbles in my mouth and I leap off the ledge with her tears echoing after me. I strike the ground like a bomb and slowly stand up as I try to be baffled by my strange strength instead. Clicking my tongue as I make my way to where most of these problems started, those damn tournament grounds!

 V2 Incline 34: Champion Nin

    Walking up the wooden stairs, towards the thunderous bangs, I reach the grounds of the done and dusted magic event. A very empty feeling of joy fills me as I climb on over into the abandoned seating area for the pompous aelenvari. All across the cleared-out valley are the left-behind tools I either lifted, pulled or threw about. Even that humongous one that nearly killed me is still there, all over the place in a hundred, thousand pieces.


    Vapooliar must''ve broken it for me before it landed right on top. Speaking of, here she is, making a bigger mess of the place by throwing and or chucking what remained at the mountainside. Smaller weights blur towards the stone giant and reappear as a vicious gust of splinters and iron shards. The metal is holding together a lot better but even the mountain is feeling her strength.


    "Something bothering you!?" I call out to her even though I most likely already know the answer to this question. Vapooliar does not answer, but she does turn to me. She appears right above me and I fly back high and fall onto the ground as a magnificent boom blows by.


    She laughs gently as I lift my head high enough to nod in understanding, fully aware I deserved it. Groaning, I wrestle some control back over my magic and get up out of the dirt and wood mix. Facing upwards, she smiles down upon until I start to chuckle lightly. She lands near me and I then shove her in revenge, to which she just laughs and puts me back in the ground.


    "No, nothing is bothering me now." she smiles as she pulls me out of my successive crater. Walking after her as she flies up and over, we meet back up on the chairs of this extensive podium. Vapooliar lets out another innocent laugh as she shows off the face of a trickster.


    "Wonderful." I answer tiredly as I drop down onto the chair next to her. Mental exhaustion abounds in my mind because of a variety of reasons. Frankly, it''s a miracle I found Vapooliar in a better mood than I thought she would be in.


    "But, what''s bothering you?" she then asks as she moves over to the barrier in front of us. She swings her feet over on the other side of it with the dim signs of magic emanating from them.


    I lean forward and bang my head intentionally on her seat, "The Ivy-Mother has taken Dandelion for some reason."


    "Did she do anything she wasn''t supposed to?"


    "More like, I did something I wasn''t supposed to..." I mutter as I go over in my head as to how it is my fault. I was the one who spoke about our plans to her, I said Dandelion''s name... Seriously, that damn name just set her off!


    "It must''ve been quite something, she has a lot of patience with you compared to everyone else." Vapooliar remarks as she leans backwards slightly.


    "All I did was say we''d be leaving soon with Dandelion and she went ballistic!" I screech through harshly clenched teeth as my arms wave in the air.


    "I see..." Vapooliar says before pausing, "Have you ever seen her with another man, by any chance?"


    "All the time, it''s her job to be involved with them, no?" I ask as Vapooliar starts to get a bit heated in the face.


    "N-Not in that way... As in, a lover. Have you ever seen her with anything like that?" she asks with a hesitant tone as I blink in recollection. The only thing I can really think of is me for some reason, but, again, I do not love her. She just started leaking honey on me every day and then she smacked my lips right on with a kiss in this very valley!


    "Not that I am aware of." I grumble as I look towards the ground and Vapooliar starts to roar with laughter as she looks out to where I was looking just now.


    "I think you might have accidentally sent her the wrong message when you beat the Gilded-Bark." she points out as I slump my chin onto the barrier, looking up at her somewhat. Rumbling my moaning throat on the wood, my hands repeatedly tap-slap my legs.


    "I didn''t make any declarations of ''If I win, marry me, Rose-sweerui!'' I never, ever did any of that!" I tell her as my head swings side-to-side but when I look at her again, she just smirks.


    "The fact you know her as that means someone has had their eye on you for a little while now." she smiles as I thuderously groan against the wood again.


    "Cultivated by the flower... The irony." I mumble, sitting up once I am done.


    "It''s been entirely accidental on your part, Nin, so try not to let it bother you. It''s obvious, I know, but, see, the aelenvari are not like us when it comes to intimacy. Especially petals such as Ivy-Mother Rose''lhia. They''re very blunt-"


    "Seems like an understatement... Blunt." I interrupt with a scoff, but Vapooliar carries on without a care.


    "-with it, their desires are far simpler. For women, it is as simple as seeing a male far stronger than what they have currently. You may have seen a lot of lovers change hands during the sports event. When you defeated the Gilded-Bark twice the way you did, you confirmed to her that you are the best one to... Give her a son."


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    "Despite the fact we are two different species...?" I question, failing to grasp how that works at all.


    Vapooliar reddens slightly, "Rumour has it the aelenvari have their origins during the Time of Liquid Mountains, when a lonely man found a peculiar plant. Most species have their origins within the influence of a human man and his... Seed. Since these ancient days, however, the aelenvari have developed into looking more like us because of repeated sexual involvement. Losing their green skin and developing proper mouths, for example."


    "I don''t want to ever meet the guys who decided to just shove it into whatever caught his fancy. New species from completely out of it whackos, and here I thought I''ve heard it all." I comment as I shake my head and Vapooliar''s brow rises.


    "Are there no other... Species like us, magic-capable... Human-like species back in your home city?" she asks after spending a moment to think about the wording. I shrug at her question as seeing what Heiya and her old man are, Vadei''s strange, uncanny similarities and now this with the aelenvari. There''s nothing like it in Tobaballe at all, or anywhere within the Civil Mountains as far as I know.


    Humans, only them, well, there are rumours regarding the Red People. But they might as well be a myth.


    Shrugging again, "No, just humans like you or me. Vadei''s people are there too, but, well... I don''t think they''re meant to be, given her hatred of me and everything I am."


    "She has mentioned slavery a bit, yes..." Vapooliar comments as she frowns and rubs an arm. She looks away and seems to reminisce, but, shaking it out, she returns her eyes to me.


    "So... To get back to the problem, the reason Dandelion is now under arrest is because Rose-swe-," I interrupt myself to try and end that habit, "saw her as competition?"


    "I do not know specifically, but, maybe. It could be because she''s a root solely."


    "But why would any of that make her act the way she did? Even you said before that the aelenvari men have lovers, not lover. Surely this reaction is absurd even by their standards."


    "I don''t know the specifics, Nin, sorry. But, not all petals and stems like to share, not all of their men like to have it all. If that makes sense enough, for you." she tries to clarify and I sigh.


    "Great... High-ranking aelenvari ''loves'' me one-sidedly to the point of selfish obsession." I mutter before placing my lips into the gaps between my left hand''s knuckle bones.


    "You are quite popular in the flower, amongst the aelenvari. You are seen as the most likely one to give them boy-carrying seeds." she explains and I take it in two ways, though, I continue to show the least enthusiastic response.


    "So, what, I give the Ivy-Mother a baby boy to distract her and we just run off with Dandelion?" I suggest more so as a joke, but, Vapooliar''s fluster returns in force.


    Frankly, it seems like something that shouldn''t bother her that much, as, well, she had no problem sharing a bath with me. A wet, white silk dress on a bare chest pressed up right against my naked top. She was glad to see me, sure, but, it''s easy to remember that moment out of context. I guess, her lower half is considered immodest to show as Vapooliar always seems to be self-conscious about it.


    So many cultural oddities that make me glad that I am on my way home, normal people everywhere!


    "Th-That... That might actually work." she says before she steps out onto the open air. Dropping to the ground with a dull thud before turning to face me. She gestures for me to follow as I lean on the barricade.


    "I don''t want to." I moan.


    "Come here, would you?" she asks as I lethargically rise to attention before I hop down after her. Stumbling to the floor after landing, she helps me back up with a smile.


    "What do you need?" I ask as I let go of her hand.


    "When you recovered from this event, did you feel as if your grasp on your internal-magic had grown? Maybe even a little of your external?" she questions as my mind blanks out on her questioning. I nod regardless, however.


    "Would you mind sparring with me, then? I know there''s not a reason for it like when I was trying to teach you back in the mountain camp. But, would you mind? If sparring isn''t what you want, then, think of it as me trying to train you a bit more. So you can be safe as we travel to Thrurstradtur." she asks and explains all fiddly.


    I shrug at her request as I''ve got some energy to burn, "Sure, why not."


    "Wonderful! First one to declare that they give up loses!" she exclaims joyously as her body snaps into her well-practised posture. Like before in the mountain, I fail to emulate it but at least this time it''s not life or death.


    "I give up!" I declare as Vapooliar seemingly waits for me to make the first move. Her expression is priceless and her form vanishes. She''s rambling under her breath and I smile.


    "Why!?" she wants to know, her tone dripping with disappointment. She was so eager and excited for a chance to punch me in the face... I don''t know whether to laugh or worry.


    "You need to change the rules, I am far weaker and slower than you. I''m pretty much always going to be the one saying it." I clarify for her, making sure she understands that I am being serious here and not joking, unlike before.


    "I will go easy on you!" she promises, in theory.


    "No, I am changing the rules to something that works for me... Instead of me having to make you go ''I give up,'' I just need to land one solid hit on you, deal?" I propose and she turns silent to contemplate it. She does not answer me vocally, but her return to proper posture and that serious stare is enough for me. I nod back at her as I try to take this seriously myself.


    The quiet feels obnoxiously heavy with how long we are holding our posture. I am trying my best to copy her, but my best is piss poor in comparison to what is lax for them. She hasn''t done anything in too long, so I want to guess that she is giving me the right-of-way in deciding when. I charge at her, breaking the silence with my right fist cocked back, ready to go for her.


    The ground explodes at her feet and she skids backwards in a straight line, the same distance I started with returned.


    She vanishes from view with another gust of wind booming over me, reappearing for momentary flashes before another boom. One comes from behind and I spin around swinging, finding nothing with my knuckles. Shaking my head in an effort to keep my focus with all these bangs going off around me. I start to flinch as some come a little too close for comfort, tearing off what little of my shirt remains.


    "Scared are we!?" I cry out over the warping, visible air and she comes to a perfect stop. Bearing a cocky smirk on her face, she crosses her arms.


    "Of you? Laughable, give it a few centuries first." she replies rather apathetically despite her prior smirk. She launches straight for me and I dive for the ground as that blurring shape stays in my vision. Dragging my numb body up, I clutch my stomach as it wobbles but I manage to keep it calm.


    I am certainly not out for the count!

 V2 Incline 35: Champion Nin

    My mouth trembles hingelessly as I pant with narrow eyes on her now stationary body, their fingers beckon me. A collection of four daring me to succeed where I have only failed up until now. I''ve chased images and the past so far, the present always comes on erupting air. Everything intentional has missed and failed, so what do I do?


    Glancing up at the night sky, I steamily groan with all I have before ending it with an ''aaaaaahhhh!''


    Leaping into the cold air with all I can muster, a memory of the thunderous skies of Anvil-Peak enters my mind. She arrives behind me with her usual alien swiftness and grabs the back of my neck with a full hand. Holding me out towards the closest of the nearby mountains, she tuts. We descend slowly towards it and she tosses me onto the mountain.


    Rolling all the way down, I get stuck on a rock as my face goes into moss and rare, high-living grass. Awkwardly moving my turned arm so I can try and stand or even sit up, it slips into the spongey rock. It leaps for a close-by patch of mountain soil and I try to calm myself down. There''s no one up on this mountain but me, what happened with Vadei isn''t going to happen here...


    Vapooliar can keep herself safe in these circumstances, she''s a strong woman, the most powerful I''ll ever know. With a heartful of desire for victory and a headful of stupidity, my right arm comes back to my chest, then, it grasps the rock. I squeeze the stone outcrop as my left hand reminds me of how something like this should feel. Firm, hard, unwavering and near-eternal.


    Memories of that rust-armoured bug come back to me, but, oddly, this also feels instinctual, like it''s the natural way to do it. The inclined ground rumbles with a noise I cannot hear, only feel. A part of the mountain bulges and then shoots out into the sky in the shape of a flat-faced cylinder. It happens again, again, again, again!


    A lethal, spaghetti mass of night-lit terror heads for Vapooliar and she is taken aback. One loud and proud laugh erupts from up ahead,


    "Ha!"


    An explosive cacophony creates a shower of rain made up of dark orbs that fly up and fall down, whistling with strength. My creations draw life from their mother and they chase after the flying soldier.


    Vapooliar''s shadow reappears briefly again and again before mighty crashes destroy the worms. Pressing against each other, they crack, bend and shatter into debris. Unlike the monster whose image lingers in my head, my weapons made of Oungicorcer''s creations are sluggish. I watched that beast just shift solid masses through one another, but I cannot, mine do not.


    She bursts into existence right in front of me, bathing me in emerald power as the last of my worms destroy each other. Her hands are twitching, with that marked palm of hers moving particularly threateningly. Our eyes meet, a slight, shard-shaped flash veins into existence in her eyes, the colour of her magic. I now have my opportunity, she''s just waiting right there for me, my one solid blow on her!


    With high energy and excitement, I throw myself at her, yelling with the gibberish of a lunatic. She stops me before I even get off the ground, then, I am driven back into it with painful force. Wide eyes try to take in the bared teeth above as a crushing grip continues to push me against the earth. Rumbles shake into my ears as the last of the abused mountain collapses around us.


    She''s refused to restrain my right arm.


    I just need that one solid blow. It''s dirty and foul, I know she hates this arm nearly as much as myself. But, to win I need to use it, I must exploit her crippling disgust towards this vile limb. I throw it up at her, plunging it into this water-like covering flowing off of her. She is alight as if gasoline was insidiously poured on her, only, it howls like the wind and blows with astounding pressure.


    The bandages hiding my hideous arm are ripped off, revealing a carapaced, three-digit claw going right for her. She freezes completely as it comes -for her,- that dreaded sight she can never forget. One blink and fury is all she has, my arm is back in the ground with a burst of yellow flying out of it. I turn to my new wound as it registers in my head after the longest instant moment of my life.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! SON OF A-!" I scream as my left snaps onto my caved-in, bleeding wrist. Hissing, I try to hold in as much of the noise as possible but I can''t. It breaks free of its restraint each time and the puddle of blood grows and grows. Soaking the ground the length of my arm and beyond all ways.


    Vapooliar breaks away from me, "I''M SORRY! I''M SORRY! I''M SORRY! I''M SORRY! I''M SORRY! I''M SORRY! I''M SORRY! I''M SORRY! I''M SORRY! I''M SORRY! I''M SORRY! I''M SORRY!


    Taking me into her arms like a child, she snatches up my arm as she continues to apologize. Her magic gently hums as it seeks out my mouth and nose, my wound glows and the pain starts to vanish. Energy fills it and all its aches and lethargy go extinct for the time being. A horrible, nasty wound disappears at the click of my fingers.


    I move away slightly as I clutch the blood-covered, but unharmed arm. I hate this arm so very much, everyone I know right now does. But, for that one moment, that briefly eternal moment of pain-filled screaming... I didn''t want anything bad to happen to it.


    The steps on the grass grow quiet after they become greatly distant. I blink towards her before falling onto my back with a neither blank nor a busy mind. Notcing how she can''t keep her attention straight, how she fails to banish the jitters, I smile. Does she understand I am trying to tell her it is alright?


    Nothing is making sense right now... All this strength and power, Anvil-Peak is real, I am turning into a monster. Breathing in the light of this, indomitable woman heals grievous wounds that left me a chunk lighter. It''s so easy to laugh, or, to cry.


    "I give up..." I tell her as I hold out my still-normal hand so she can help me back to my feet.


    "Sorry..." she squeaks once again as I shake my head at this pointless, needless regret. I put my normal arm up to her and continue to shake my laughing top.


    "No... I am the one who should apologise. I know how much you hold this limb in contempt, but, I still used it. I didn''t think properly for that moment and I paid the proper price for it. I am sorry, Vapooliar." I explain to her as I try my hardest to scramble together some kind of a cover for it. However, there''s nothing for me to use, my shirt is in tatters and my bandages are gone.


    I decide on hiding it as well as I can in the dark of this peculiar night and we look around at the mess.


    "How... How do you know that spell?" she asks as she eyes the offending limb with uneasy footing, "Did the Earth Shaman teach you in the time I was unable to..."


    I shake my head, surprised she even suspected such a thing, though, with how in my head that thing is, I was certainly inspired by it.


    "I don''t have an answer, sorry, Vapooliar. Everything with this limb sort of just happens when I touch anything that ends up as pebbles. It feels spongey and all these other feelings come into play so easily." I explain as I wave the arm about seeing as she won''t let it hide in the dark.


    "How long has it been doing that?"


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    "I guess, technically, ever since I escaped the hive, when my arm first became this thing..." I answer after little thought about it. The rock never felt like sponge when I still had my right arm, only after I broke out into the open from the depths.


    Vapooliar nods with grim curiosity and shuffles back slightly, "Well, this is a first for me, if that matters. I have never heard of or read about a human using the casting techniques of the osibindah."


    "Techniques? I just touch the ground with this arm and it feels all spongy." I say, though, I refrain from making an example of it.


    "Magic techniques are a lot different from say, how I might punch or kick you. It''s all unique to the experiences of the caster. Only they can truly grasp why it''s the way it is, or, those close to you." she tries to clarify for me.


    My bug arm flexes its three digits as I draw blanks on why I should be able to do this.


    "The people at Suhurlodst might be able to make proper sense of it. Their reputation for magical curiosities and the minds to figure it out reach the whole world over. A human using osibindah magic techniques? You''ll be a very interesting point of study."


    "I, we, are not going there so I can be someone''s essay." I joke with a small smile, hoping she''ll return one herself so we can move past what has happened.


    "I know, I know... I''m just making it clear that we will have an easier time making use of the school. So long as we take advantage of what you specifically can offer their knowledge-lusting greed." she clarifies as I nod in understanding. I suppose it makes sense, but...


    "Will they be able to put my arm back to normal?" I ask, hoping she knows enough about this place to tell me yes. Please, Vapooliar, tell me that the answer is yes! Please...


    She goes quiet, her face sullens, it shakes from side to side and I look at the ground. I was hoping for that yes so badly. The nightmares about this arm would finally have an end in sight. I can stop keeping half my arms in reserve because I am paranoid over how this one behaves...!


    "We will have to see, Nin. I don''t think there''s ever been a man like you before." she answers with little confidence. Her subtleties betray the obvious, she wants to give me the answer I want, but can''t in good faith.


    "Oh, stuff and drop it to the ground. I am an Effort a whole floor." I bitterly as I hate the idea of being called unique right now. Oh, so this is what it''s like to long for normality... This is not something anyone should be a standout sight for!


    "If it''s any condolences, Nin, even if they cannot return your arm to normal. I have heard rumours of men of medicine who can replace it with something automotive." she pipes up at and I try to smile at it, I really do. Having a mechanical arm would be fun, but I want my arm...


    "A doctor and a mechanic at the same time, eh?" I question as I close my eyes and try to lose myself in the fantasy of what it might bring. Maybe I could get a well-polished arm made of brass or bronze, something brighter than this almost ebon shell I now have. Three digits flex and bring me out of my dreaming.


    Vapooliar sits down, her bare knees raised with her arms locked around them, "Is there anything else you want to do?"


    I blink at this out-of-the-blue question.


    "Answer some of my questions?" I answer as her confusing action lingers in my head as I speak. She floats back towards the seating area and I follow her in the loosest sense.


    "Why did you go all the way over there?" she asks me as I lean against the wooden walls of the platform. I huff a small amount of joy out.


    "Why did you move so far away from me?" I throw back to her and she shakes her head before coming right over. I drop my head back against the wood and glance up at the moon.


    Noticing how close she is, I turn to face her right as she leans on me the same way she did when she fell asleep the other night.


    "Do you just like this side of me or something?"


    "So, what do you want to ask me?" she asks, ignoring my little quip.


    "What exactly are you?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "As in, what it was you were or maybe still are at heart. It''s easy to say soldier, but there''s clearly more to this, Vapooliar. Everyone around you gives you this air of respect that simply is not anywhere else." I explain to her as I recall the way she is treated. She might as well be a goddess, here in this flower, everyone gives her their full, undivided attention. The children entertain themselves watching her and there she is so very often... Just floating along in the sky in a way no one else can match.


    "I was a Valkinvar... Was... Feels so strange hearing this. I never thought I''d ever have to say words like this." she tears up at and I hold her gently.


    "Things don''t go as we foresee it, we have that in common." I point out as I jostle my arm up her tricep.


    "I was not a soldier proper, not like the trio of Ironcoats I came here with. Or, the flexible guard force as is the case with the aelenvari thorns. What I was, was a warrior for the Grand Temple of Waionr back in my home mountain-state of Thurn''s Forge. The leading city in His country, Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy. An ecclesiastical order tightly tied to the armies of my home, its territories and allies."


    "So, outside of fighting, what did you do? Waionr is the God of War, sure, but he''s not just that, obviously. There''s his savage side from when he was first born, according to the legends. There''s that myth where Undwote took him to find the Beast of Pride. That other one with the God of Law where he hammered it in the values of boundaries in all kinds of conflicts over mere games Waionr could not win."


    "Yes, I like that story a lot, when he became Honourable War, more than just the god who knows all of war and how to wage it." Vapooliar tells me as she smiles visibly over at me.


    "Yeah, see, you know, so, what else did you do other than fight?"


    "Oh, well, ceremony, ritual and... And..." she trembles and tears up, "Preparing ourselves for the day we died in battle. So that we might go on to fulfil our duties as His wives. All this time I''ve spent preparing to be finally married to him and now it''s... It''s never going to happen."


    I blink as I try to reassure her. Wives? I''ve never heard of any such stories about Waionr. The only people I know he tends to are the war-fallen dead.


    His obligations to them and how they lead to his closeness with Undwote...


    "What do you mean by that, exactly?"


    "Mean by what?"


    "Being Waionr''s wives... Why would a god take on multiple mortal wives?"


    "I don''t understand... Were you never properly taught about Waionr?"


    "What...?"


    We stare at each other, both under the impression the other does not actually know what they''re talking about.


    "You really are an odd man, Nin Urtuan. The gods and goddesses made everything clear about the divine origins of the world and its people in the Tomes of the Three Arks. So that we should not forget them and the truth of our world." Vapooliar says to me, though, she does not seem sure of it.


    "Something wrong?" I ask as I notice how she can''t stop looking at the moon.


    "They say we sleep so that we ignore the fourteen, evil gods trapped within the moons. Everything was taught to us so clearly and everyone understood. Then that heretical empire came to be, contradicting everything and all our beloved ancestors knew." she admits with a low-placed gaze as she tries to hide from the domineering lunar eclipse of Jhrarda the Mighty.


    "Those people that have you worried?"


    "The war I have been fighting or... was, yeah. Those men and all the people of their arrogant union don''t believe in the gods and goddesses like they should. What they did was reject it all out of hand for some made-up refuse of a story about the Mighty Moon." she explains vaguely.


    "Should I change the topic?" I ask as she seems to be getting quite disturbed by the current discussion.


    "I don''t mind, I did say I would answer your questions, and I will."


    "Alright then, what''s a mountain-state?"


    "A city-state based out of a mountain settled long ago, during the Time of Liquid Mountains."


    "And what was that thing you just mentioned?" I ask, the name being quite the hooker for how strange it sounds. Liquid Mountains... Did everything melt or something?


    "As I understand it, going by what I was taught during my few grand-cycles in school. In the ancient past of this land, so many millennia ago, something saw this continent flooded through magical means. Rumour having it that a great, maritime empire from the desert west is responsible. All of the valleys, craters, caves and tunnels, taller than the smallest mountains and a threat to the greatest of them. It all became flooded and the only safety was to be found on the barren-topped mountains. I am glad those who came long before us found a way to survive and that is all I want to know about it."


    "So why ''Liquid Mountains'' if it was a flood?" I ask, noting the peculiarity of the name and the event that happened. She shrugs at me.


    "Don''t know, sorry."


    "That''s alright, so, this place we''re going to, it''s also a mountain-state?" I ask and she nods before she starts to smile a bit.


    "It''s technically two while also being one. The Valkinvar also used to dwell in the Ringed City of Suhurlodst, many years ago. So long ago."


    "Good time to see how they once lived, then." I point out, smiling. Maybe this trip can offer her some closure or something close to it.


    "Apparently the Valkinvar used to be divvied up into groups based on the main species of bird of our land. Rather than the Four-Winded Ordoars that we... They currently have." she comments and I nod along.


    "Even cowardly cluckers?" I question, smirking a little.


    "There''s a tale about that. During a siege of an island mountain-state, a mysterious weapon was deployed... The name escapes m- The God-Bot! To defeat it, a member of the... Order of the Clucker... Heh... He stood up to this ancient weapon, enveloping himself in a spell representing its ancient ancestor, a beast known as the Tyrant Lizard."

 V2 Incline 36: Champion Nin

    "This is a stupid idea, why did I end up agreeing to this idea at all? Seriously, how!?" I ask myself in disbelief as I wander up the closest thing to a main street the flower has. Thankfully, I''ve sorted out my clothing situation since last night. But, again, this damn plan!


    I''ve got to break Dandelion out of her prison... By making it abundantly clear to Rose that I ''love'' her and that I want to have a family with her... This feels so foul as an idea, tricking someone with something as sincere as that. Gods get me out of this mess, something put an end to it.


    Coming to a stop, I rub my face a little before that palm holds back all the moans and groans in the world. Pacing around in an endless, small and tight circle, my mind buzzes with doubt. I need to go through with this to make sure Dandelion is safe...


    I. Need. To!


    A very audible groan comes out once again as I redirect my walking efforts back into a straight line. The taps going up and down my leg turn into harsh grabs as I try to fight off this cold feet-like sensation. Coming up on some thorns, I turn and walk up to them slowly, they watch me curiously. Stepping past them, I start to look around as they carry on with their jobs.


    Staring closely at one of the cages, a brow rises at how artistically complex they are given their purpose. Each one is a mass of bending, swirling steel pipes covered in small knife heads styled in the manner of actual bush thorns. However, the one I am looking for is nowhere to be seen for the moment. Maybe it''s a good thing too, these cages are designed to keep you awake at the dead centre or you''ll be cut bloody.


    There are a few roots in these things, though, none of them show any signs of having purple hair. Vile as it is as well, Dandelion can easily be spotted because of her injuries. I pass by a whole row of these small prisons, but I do not see anything that I want to see. She''s just not here.


    "Problematic as she is with... Well, everything. I''d rather be dealing with her at the moment." I mumble as I continue to throw wayward glances at the aelenvari guards. One nearly scares me as she walks by with a heavy-topped, machete-headed polearm. She pays me no mind, thankfully and I start to leave so I can go and handle Rose instead before I overstay my welcome.


    I hope she buys into this plan, I''d rather not cause any violent trouble trying to do this.


    If I am to get anywhere good with this plan, I need Rose to be on my side for it. Though, I hate the idea completely as it requires me to play with someone''s heart. I always hated the idea of exploiting others, back home, anyway. Guess I''ve been done dirty myself too many times.


    To play with Rose''s heart as if it is something so easily tuned as a...


    Tuts sing out of me as I move closer and closer towards the familiar, fancy-shaped, rose-red tent. The one who started this whole mess is inside, the key to opening the way out of here is her. This so-called lover I unintentionally caught. I nudge the intrusive petals as they try to seduce me out of my way and come to a slow stop in front of Rose''s home.


    Room?


    A cold shiver sticks to my skin as I move an entrance flap aside. Slowly, I head inside and my eyes first land on the pedestalled seed in the corner of the tent. Dandelion''s unborn child is right there, I need a way to get it out of here. My eyes turn towards and meet the shaking woman on their bed.


    She trembles tearfully as I take each sluggishly slow step closer. Flexing her hands out in front of her, they thrash about as she goes through bursts of ruminating spite. I say nothing, not one word is uttered, no greeting or statement of concern. Just one more breath as I sit down on the other side of her bed, my back to hers.


    She falls off the bed suddenly and I turn around to see what''s wrong. Shuffling over to her side, I watch as her hands continue to move about with jagged twitches. Groans and sighs fill my head alone as my still human hand reaches out for her rose-red hair. Carefully moving it into the messy softness, I gently rub her scalp as I try to think of anything, something to say.


    "So is your hair naturally like this or do you have to put a lot of care into making it look like this?" I ask as I play with a portion that looks like and holds together as if it is actually a petal of her namesake flower. It has the feel of one as well, it''s quite an odd experience and I can''t help but rub my own, although lacking head of hair for reference.


    "This is its natural shape when it is looked after..." she quietly answers as she starts to curl up and tug on her bed sheets.


    "Your hair is meant to look like this? Alright, that is rather impressive. Can you tell me how to make my hair do that?" I awkwardly joke as I show off my relatively long hair, for me anyway. It''s been too long since I''ve had it shaved down, it''s nearly as tall as my fingers are wide!


    "Stupid human... I can''t teach hair growth..." she answers as she sits up before wiggling close to me. My hand continues to rub her head and play with her hair. I glance down at one of her legs as her hand goes across it as she stretches out.


    She stands up slightly and turns around before falling down onto me. The tears come back again and she clings to me tightly as my turned arm drums her bed. I somewhat return the hug she is begging for and fall forwards as she drags me down. We hit the ground with a soft thud and her face is nestled up against my neck as the floor comes to mine.


    With a fast-beating heart, I try to move but her arms, wrapped around my neck, keep me still. Doing as she wants for the moment, one of her knees makes its presence known in a place of importance. A little too close for comfort... Her smile starts to develop strangely as it rubs at my little friend.


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    Jumping up to my feet with her clinging on, I stumble backwards onto her bed and she takes full advantage. With my arm awkwardly stuck between her chest, she presses her breasts around my wrist. Her mouth finds my cheek but does not kiss it and her head bulbs light up, warmly. She giggles quietly as she tickles them on my short, prickly hair.


    She moves her torso up and her rear drops onto my thankfully clothed crotch. Running a hand on her barely covered chest, it then straightens out in a particular direction. Twisting about, I see the seed again. I frown at what it is she wants out of this.


    "My love... Nin... Do you see it?" she gently asks as she falls down onto me once again.


    "I do, the seed." I answer as I try and wiggle my way out of this.


    "Please... Put one inside of me, I''m begging you... Just one... I am only asking for one." she begs tearfully as she holds her flat, toned belly. Coins of the most desired mint peek out often from her rose, silk dress.


    "Bit hard to do that if you are on me, no?" I ask, chuckling to myself as my head goes into the quilt covers, against the bed springs. Giggles leave her once again as she wipes her eyes and her lips come close to mine.


    "I will do all the work, then, my Champion. Pleasing you will bring me all the pleasure I could ever want." she whispers sultrily as her tongue laps gently at the edges of my cheeks. The thin layer of sweat coming out of my pores lingers on her tongue, and she teases with increasing energy.


    "Aren''t we being a little hasty here...?" I question, taken aback by how fast everything is going. I just walked in a moment ago to start with this, didn''t I!? Some breathing room is going to be appreciated, whatever divine man or woman might be reading my thoughts...


    Her eyes suddenly widen and she stares at her dress, "You''re right!"


    She drops off and drags me up, slamming her arms onto my back, she nearly throws me out of the tent.


    "Huh?"


    "I WILL TELL YOU WHEN YOU CAN COME BACK IN!" she squeaks squeamishly as I hear the ropes on her tent flaps tighten with a hangman''s grip.


    Looking around at the gathering crowd, I sneer at them as many start to gossip up a larger crowd. Turning around, I try to keep my thoughts to myself and I search for the spine I seem to be missing. Booming laughter erupts from the nearby throne and the Gilded-Bark takes an interest in what is happening. Thankfully, this takes some of the attention off of me.


    With my fists colliding over and over, I balance between my heels and toe tips. So many eyes, nowhere to hide from them, a lusting woman a wall sheet away. Is something wrong with me? I feel like people would generally be quite eager to get in this tent.


    "N-Nin... You can come in now!" Rose calls out with a very out-of-character shyness as the tent starts to come loose. I blink at what was said as this is her of all people. The woman who had no problem sleeping next to me, naked, on the first day we met. This same woman who gave me a big ol'' kiss right on the lips in front of nearly everyone in the flower.


    Her!


    I growl at my active friend as he awakens to fulfil his duty. Taking in a sharp, anticipatory breath, I lift one of the flaps up and step back into the tent. Cheers erupt from behind as if this is a concert for some high-floor singer. My eyes remain closed with my lips keeping themselves as straight as a steel beam.


    One eyelid opens slightly and I catch the briefest glimpses of Rose, my mouth opens as I blink. Honestly, I do not know what to think of this outfit she is wearing. I actually quite like it but it''s also oddly strange for what it is. It''s so modest compared to her usual clothes, somehow.


    With a heart putting in a lot more hours, a hand strokes my chin, then neck. Man''s greatest bindle grows proudly and all that I can really think about with Rose is one word. Sexy. There''s just no other way to put it.


    Pressing to her skin and clinging to her form, it accentuates it all and despite her shaken nerves, she works it well. I force a step back after realising I am leaning forwards. Cackling in my head are the whistles of teenage boys hoping to make those thoughts in her head a reality. I like what I am seeing.


    A new set of tubes made of a pinkish metal, covered in the engravings of another golder one, all the way up to her knees. Thin red fabric presses down on and hides her thighs behind a crimson shadow and dangling, decorated cloth hides an eyecatcher. Flowing out the way slightly, my eyes lock onto her hips instead as it is revealed how open her new outfit truly is. But even her hipbones are without covering.


    Red and black lingerie with all kinds of traits hugs and presses about her body. Thinner straps break out to other places and I keep second-guessing her chest. Have her boobs gotten bigger? I feel like they have!


    Leaking golden ichor, as is normal with them.


    Forcing my eyes to meet hers, I pass by her burning red cheeks as she shuffles about. My hands come together in front of me and I start to nod as I look for any distracting sights I can find. Pin her down... Pin her down aggressively.


    "You... D-Do you like it?" Rose asks as she keeps on noting how my eyes struggle to focus with hers.


    Screaming in my head, I stick to the plan and go for it, "The only thing that can make it better is if I pin you down and assert the divine truth about me and you to the world!"


    She smiles as her hands go behind her back, knees rubbing together as she glances at her bed. Her smile deepens and she starts to nod. Taking it in stride, she comes up to me with a maintained gaze and her hand hurts as it touches my face so very gently. With the other merely waving in the direction of our mutual interest.


    "Hmmm... Well, then, I guess I better tidy up my bed. It''s a bit of a mess, as you can probably tell." she explains with a dangerously sweet tone as her tail sharply jabs where it shouldn''t. My face scorches with a blazing inferno spreading about my blood as she just so happens to present her shapely rear... A perfectly shaped keyhole for a key I own is on display...


    I gulp a small ball down and cough.


    One foot steps too far towards her and my still-clothed crotch falls against her, collapsing her body. She turns her gaze and smirks towards me, licking her lips after biting them gently. The soft, plump cheeks I am struggling to find the will to take myself off of smoosh their way to domineering my mind. An urge to slap rings out in my head with a phantom thwack.


    Dancing around me, she puts me onto the bed once again and a thinly gloved hand tests the last of my strained defences. A little metal rectangle comes into view and it slowly moves away. One hard click at a time. I raise my hand.


    "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Stop!" I snap with near-incoherent sharpness as I rocket to my feet. Planting a hand on my trousers, I resecure them as adrenaline of all things is forced throughout my body by my heart. Putting some distance between us, Rose is left perplexed and mood broken.


    Her nervousness returns and she struggles to speak, "But... You came here to..."


    "I know! I know what I came here to do..." I try to state firmly as I clutch a nearby cupboard so I can have some stability for my wobbling legs. Smiling victoriously, blood retreats from my women-slaying sword.


    Rose''s expression sours.


    "You''re not here for me... Are you?" she asks bitterly as the colours of a disturbed, forbidden forest light up around her. It is a very focused power, all aimed at me...


    My one clump of brain shorts out.


    "No... No, I was hoping to speak to you about-"


    "DO NOT SAY HER NAME!" she screams as I hear Undwote''s Pack of Seven howl for me from within her furious magic.

 V2 Incline 37: Champion Nin

    "Now hold on a min-"


    "WHAT DOES SHE HAVE THAT I DON''T!? WHAT DOES SHE HAVE!? TWO LOVES SHE HAS TAKEN FROM ME WHEN I AM BETTER THAN HER! MY NAME IS FULL, I AM THE IVY-MOTHER! YET...! Yet..." Rose screams before she loses the strength to do so, her magic vanishes. Toppling to the floor, tears burst out once again and I frown as I look away. Rubbing one arm, my lips tilt as I stand here, listening to her crying.


    I need to get her to focus and reassure her that it''s not what she thinks it is when it comes to Dandelion. Something to make sure she understands me fully... Taking a step closer, I drop to my knee and pick her up so I can see her face. Going for it, my lips land on her cheek and the familiar wet puck rings out.


    The crying stops.


    The closest hand lingers on that freshly kissed cheek and a small smile engraves itself solidly. Our eyes meet as her tail wags from side to side. Leaping up for me, I fall onto my back and she repeats what happened not that long ago. An excited, passionate tongue makes use of my baffled, surprised mouth and she breaks the kiss.


    Blasts of sweet breath enter my nose as she pants out of her wide-open, upwards-curving mouth. It closes to a smile and the tip of her nose comes to mine as she giggles. My fingers move to trap her wiggling tail and she glances back at it as her hips sway. She comes in even closer.


    "There... Do you understand that my eyes are only on you?" I lie as I mentally thank the part of me that made it a kiss on the cheek. She already took my first literal kiss, but she''s not taking my first -personally chosen- kiss, she''s not having it! I have no idea how my life will go in regard to it, but I want there to be some romantic meaning to it.


    Rose''s bitterness returns in the form of a pout as she moves back so I can sit up, "Putting a seed into me would be much better..."


    "I can do that... Later... Now, the root you imprisoned?" I ask with a somewhat hopeful tone as she settles down on my lap. Fingers playing with the laces of my shirt so she can loosen me up. Though, rather oddly as well, she''s straightening my collar out.


    "Yes, you want me to free her so you can leave with her..." she snarls as her burning bulbs touch my forehead. One of her soft palms caresses my face as her expression droops miserably.


    "Y-Yeah..." I tell her as I try to play along by rubbing an exposed part of her leg. Putting my fingers under the strap and tickling the bit of skin they hid.


    "I need some form of proof of your loyalty to me, my Champion. You need to fill me with certainty, seed it into me." she blatantly explains as she kisses my human palm as one of her hands tests the fastens of my trousers.


    "Ro... Rose-sweerui, look at my eyes, are they broken?" I ask and she moves back.


    "No?"


    "Yes, they work, this root is completely scarred from head to toe. That''s not attractive, why would I care about her?" I actually honestly argue. Rose looks away embarrassed as her fingers fiddle with my shirt. Clumping it up into her palms, she tugs away at it by the fistful.


    "I know, I know! I... I just don''t feel comfortable with this. I don''t..." she tells me as her head falls forward and down.


    "And you want me to put one of these into you so that you can be comfortable?" I ask as I point up at the seed on its cushioned pedestal. She frowns at me, her suspicions are obvious and she is clearly thinking about it. Releasing my shirt, she throws it at me and then nods.


    "Yes..."


    "Can I hold the one up there, then?"


    "W-Why?"


    "Well... If... If I am going to be a father of a beautiful little... Seed. I need to get used to holding it, especially if I am going to put so many into you... I have a responsibility as a budding father." I say to her as my eyes lock onto the seed so it doesn''t just look like I can''t maintain my gaze on her. These lies are all so blatant and clear to me that I really cannot trust the idea that she''s buying into it. But, when my eyes finally turn to hers again, I see her smile and energetic tail. A quiet song just barely escapes her closed mouth.


    She rubs her hair and hides her blush, "I''ll get it for you!"


    Her sudden step up, however, sees one of her tubes smack me in the face, not that she notices. I can''t say I care either, I feel no pain because of it, but, I care very much for the seed I am now getting. I''ve held it once before briefly, but, now, I feel like I can hold it without possibly breaking it. Weighing the firmly ridged object, I keep my hands to the thicker, bulkier bottom.


    A child is meant to come out of this thing? Seems so peculiar.


    "Now, as I go and solve one problem, look at that pedestal. It''s going to have yours on it soon." I lie at the end as I quickly make my way out of the tent.


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    "My love!" she calls out just before I reach the flaps. I turn to face her and she hands me her staff.


    "Huh?"


    "They''ll know you go with my authority as you leave my bulb." she explains before pecking my cheek. I nod my head slightly as I shake the staff so its decorations can swing and jump with their little dings. Hurrying out of the tent, her giggles follow me and the crowd steps aside before they start to swarm Rose''lhia''s tent, thankfully.


    Wandering aimlessly, I try to find anything that looks like a prison. Spotting some guards eventually, I head towards them and their eyes focus on the staff. They snap to attention and I walk on by without any issue. Many cannot help but indulge themselves with the sight of the seed.


    "Maybe this way, maybe that way..." I mutter as I reach what must be the very top of the flower, or its rear. Most of it seems to be much more of the same old petals portion, only more militarized. This place is filled with scantily armoured aelenvari and many of them appear to be ''witches'' as everyone seems to call them. Light moving like the wind is as common as they all are.


    A chunk of them are dancing or practising for something, their bodies flowing with the glowing air. Their movements are smooth and repeated with anything pale green or similar. But, as the deeper emerald gusts come blowing down from the mountains, they fight it off. Barbed chains slash the light apart and glowing baubles develop along the rivets of the weapons.


    Noticing me, they start to flip and slide around my immediate circumference. Magic halts the weapons way too close for comfort and they back away. Free of being a totem for whatever it is they''re doing, I start to back away close to someone that can obstruct future attempts. Their skill is quite impressive, though, the control they manage to have over these whips and chains is astounding!


    Gods would have it, as well, I spot Dandelion and the cage she is being held in. Walking up to it, with Rose''s staff presented as loudly and as obnoxiously as it can be. The surprisingly heavily armed and numerous guards for the one cage step aside without issue and I tap on it. Alerting the injured root within, she looks up at me whilst being mindful of all the spikes on the bars.


    Looking at the seed, she starts moving forward and tearfully reaches for it before stopping. Her hand stays at her side as the guards watch us but she''s struggling to keep herself still. She wants to hold -her- baby. I frown as I look for the lock and I think I open it properly.


    Almost as if it is a living thing, the metal moves and slides out of the way, compacting itself into a spiked wedge.


    "Well, come on, then." I tell Dandelion as I help her up off of the ground of her former cage. She desperately insists that I keep the seed in my grip and we start to move away from the guards. Dandelion comes to a stop and her eyes linger on the currently empty throne. She suddenly turns to go elsewhere.


    I follow her with haste as I start to get confused.


    "What''re you doing?" I ask as she bursts into a thoroughly gilded and decorated tent. She rummages through it with obvious familiarity until she finds a book. Snapping it open, she starts to write something down with contradicting purpose. Neatness does not come with erratic panic.


    Picking up her namesake flower from a nearby pot which also has an oak sapling by the looks of it, she snips the top off. Slamming the book close, she crushes the flower''s petal head and steps away from it. She sobs and looks around. Shaking her head, she rushes back outside and I chase after her.


    Catching up with them, I try to grab her arm so I can guide her properly. She latches onto the arm with the seed and strokes her unborn baby boy. As we enter the safety of the eyeless trees, she takes the seed into her arms. Hugging it tightly, she nearly collapses as she tearfully kisses it countless times.


    "Th-T... Thank you for saving my son!" she tells me as she gets in my way, violently coughing right after. I nod and smile as she bounces the hard little thing in her arms. Gesturing for us to continue, we leave the flower behind and find a growing pile of stuff. Vadei kicks a pebble away and groans at us.


    "About time you got here!" she moans as she eyes the staff as I stab it into the ground for the time being. I fiddle with one of the bags in our pile and ponder who''s going to be carrying it, there''s quite a bit here. It seems easy enough to assume that I am playing pack wagon, again. As I did back at the hive with the guns as we left.


    "Where''s Vapooliar, is she gathering more things?" I ask as Dandelion hides her seed in one of the bags. Her head keeps rising as she shows her sensitivity to the potential wrath of the aelenvari around us. Once packed, she refuses to leave that bag alone and she hugs it in place of the seed directly.


    "She''s got a few more things to get, some tools, her sword, Ho." Vadei answers as her ears focus on Dandelion. Her eyes, however, remain on the staff.


    "I''m going to need to return this..." I mutter as the words I''ve said to Rose linger in my head. I don''t want to, but I don''t also want to prove my word to mean nothing. Gods damn me, indeed.


    "That''s the Ivy-Mother''s, isn''t it?" Vadei asks and I nod.


    "Rose gave it to me, presumably so I can get Dandelion out safely."


    "She''s the one who imprisoned her, though." Vadei remarks.


    "About that..." I grumble as my promise echoes in my head again. To get away safely, I need to go and get her pregnant... Very least, put in the effort.


    "Well?"


    "Rose thinks Dandelion here was trying to... And I... I need to prove that it''s not the case by having... Having sex with her." I explain, clicking my tongue at the end as I wobble the planted staff. Vadei continues to stare before a snort escapes, then a cackle. Roaring with laughter, she falls to the floor as her feet fail to keep still.


    I snarl at her behaviour, but, noticing this, she only does it more, now with a raised finger.


    "Alright... Alright...! I''ve had my fun." she claims breathlessly, though, she still continues to cackle as she gets back up. Rolling my eyes, I take the staff up and out of the ground and walk away.


    "I''ll be back soon." I grumble as I head back for Rose''s tent. If I don''t do this, Rose will just come after us with whatever she wants. There are worse fates, admittedly, some might even say I am just whining. But, I don''t want to just get some woman pregnant, I want to love them when I do it.


    Motrtha''s teachings haven''t mattered to me for so long, but, now, it feels weird to go against them. Goddess of Love and Motherhood... It''s right there in her title, love before the mother. In and out as quickly as possible.


    Maybe the gods won''t notice my insincerity...


    "What to do with you, though?" I ask my bug arm as it dangles aimlessly, hitting whatever it can. It tightly clenches a tree as I pass by and I snap the piece of wood off.

 V2 Incline 38: Ivy-Mother Roselhia

    "Our honey does work on humans... It is safe to give it to them..." I mutter in remembrance as a golden string breaks between two of my fingers. The three stems served their purpose and those two human thorns had a lot to say about the experience. A small smile comes to my face as I fail to keep still on my bed. Squealing close to my clean hand, I try to show some restraint.


    My body demands to be cared for but I want my love to be the one to start us off!


    If only this one concern would just get out of my head, but, maybe it''s good that it stays up there. Whatever he is doing with Dandel''lhia... He gave me his word and a taste of the affection he has for me, but, letting him near, her. It''s so infuriating seeing that damn woman appear near anyone I''ve set my eyes on!


    The gods and goddesses must be actively spiting me which makes no sense as I have served my duty faithfully!


    I am breaking no divine laws by seeking out a lover, in fact, I am very much encouraged to, more so than any other woman. Every Ivy-Mother of the Ahnelges prior to me has been allowed to share their body with a man. So why am I the one who is seemingly cursed? Whatever comes up, the slightest thing, it will take them away.


    The erratic glowing of my true-voice vents my frustrations and I sit up, now miserable and shaken. Taking up the glass of wine I poured for myself, a hefty chug leaves it. Wiping my mouth down, I clean my honey-sauced fingers as well and mix them in with the wine. Forming a knuckle with my other hand, my cheek goes against it.


    "Maybe I can feed it to him with my fingers... Or, he can suckle it from me like a babe as that is what my first-time lingerie encourages..." I ponder out loud as I recall what happened when I gave him honey-mixed wine. The stems never slept with those humans and drank wine at the same time, so I can''t be sure what happened. Though, as he ran off, maybe he was shocked or scared about how potent a well-bred petal''s honey is?


    That makes the most sense to me.


    The familiar, ringing sound of my staff comes in through the bulb ahead of an approaching shadow. Tapping my finely-crafted tubes together, my smile returns and I laugh quietly. All this worrying and it amounts to nothing. He''s coming back for me, he loves me!


    Growing nostalgic as I try to get myself ready, I recall short and humorous memories about how frustrated he once made me. Not that long ago, when I first spilt honey onto his back down by the lakeside waterfall. I tried so hard to push him away but I only pulled him closer to the point of loving asphyxiation. I watched him surpass the Gilded-Bark and just wash them away out of my mind.


    My Champion, my love, he''s so firmly in my heart now that I can''t stop myself from being bashful near him. I feel like a small, young girl again training to be an ivy-mother, listening to my predecessor, watching the men prove themselves. A strange, foreign time where all I could think about was pleasing the Gilded-Bark. Peculiar dreams of his seed swelling up my belly.


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    But now, I have fallen for a human, one of the first mortal creations of the gods and goddesses. They whom command Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra, the Mountain of Wind. The greatest mountain in the world whose power breezes about us daily without a care. It''s funny, actually, my love can barely control these seemingly delicate lines of magic air.


    It''s intoxicating being near someone with such raw, natural power.


    If only he didn''t put up whatever act it is he is putting up, there''s so little he knows, if his words really are true. One day, I will finally manage to teach him to accept this strength and he''ll become so much more. Those strange dreams I had after reading stories of mythical and legendary men, might finally be real. He may even live up to being the one who unites all aelenvari under one flower.


    He who was born with seven, blazingly divine, true-emerald petals.


    He''d make us into a renewed people if that were the case. One not dwindling from consequences millennia in the making. My sons would grow up looking like me, with no flaws, growths or bulbous, trunk-like skin. They''d be strong and healthy, just like their father, my dearest love.


    An end to our wilting, a chance to regrow, fruit and blossom!


    My head shoots towards the flaps of my bulb as the ringing of my staff becomes immediate. The way the winds pass through my staff''s charms and how its base taps against our marble floor... He''s keeping his promise to me, my love is keeping to his word. The Thief has not stolen from me once again!


    He loves me, not her! Me!


    Nothing stops my renewed tears and I go down to my knees, waiting for him to step into my home. I sing a joyful tune with my words as my true-voice adjusts itself to set an appropriate luminal tone. With my tail hopping about, he walks in and sets the staff down. But, I need to be careful, all this power, it''s choking my mind.


    I... I want to lunge for him and make him truly mine!


    We''re both nervous, clearly, but it is my job as his woman to coax him into something prouder, "Welcome back, my love!"


    Keeping my confidence up, I hope to pass it on to him as he stands in front of me. Wrapping my arms around his legs, I place my head against his evilly covered-up crotch. Paying attention to the way his external-magic flows, I listen out for the way his heart pumps. I look up at him as he looks down at me.


    The bright light that makes up his form, it''s so beautiful, so true to the will of the gods and goddesses. Only the Valkinvar is better than him, for now. This Man of Wind is going to fill me with his power. I am going to be made a mother through his desires for my body!


    "I guess I am here to do... To do... My promise! You know what I mean..." he lets out shakily as I pull myself up to as close as I can get to his eyes. I could have never imagined this when I was younger but, before I make love to my Champion... I speak to him with words.


    "Do not fret or worry, just let me guide you." I explain as I twirl him around, undressing him as I go. Placing kisses against his soft, lightly-haired skin, I exploit his uneasy footing and get him onto my bed. The shirt comes off and I drag my flowing nipples across his magic-rich chest. I smile down at him as I push myself up, then, I drop down.


    Our lips meet and open so that my tongue can taste this gorge-worthy mouth of his. A lovely, wet noise rings out as I break away, a thin trail of saliva remaining between us. Moving my chest further up, it drips down onto him like morning dew and his gaze struggles. Two choices are here for him, both as good as the other.


    I slip a hand around his head and move it up, "Do not worry, my love, just drink my sweet honey and it will all come naturally..." I whisper with a tone that makes my desires as clear as the open blue sky. I want him inside of me, it''s about to happen. My first seed will be developing in my belly!


    My love twitches and his grip, particularly his right hand, tightens.

 V2 Incline 39: Vapooliar

    "He''s still there?" I ask Vadei as I come back with some more supplies.


    "Keeping a promise to the top bitch is serious business." she comments with a smirk as she scratches at a small stick that she has.


    "We need to go, whatever he''s doing, it can end now," I say as I start to float upwards, " You two should start moving what you can carry onto your backs."


    Flying away from them, I watch as the aelenvari flower gradually grows its vibrancy of colour. Ever the plant-minded people as well, they''ve made an effort to set themselves up in the way they call their caravans. Spotting the core of the flower''s power base, I descend to the ground and look around. Initially, I glance back at one of the sort-of shops the petals have access to.


    An inhuman roar fills the air and magic flares up.


    Snapping my gaze towards the Ivy-Mother''s tent, a womanly, pain-filled scream escapes it. A bloodied body shoots towards me and I carefully catch it as the details become clear. Widening my eyes at the mauled, rose-haired aelenvari, I quickly hand her off to the responding thorns. The Gilded-Bark leaps into action before I do and he tears his way into the tent.


    He roars back at whatever got in there and it snarls its bloodthirst back. Red splatters out into the open and the first of the thorns to go in scream. Metal and bone crunches as the marble floor of the flower warps. My heart beats like a drum as I wonder where Nin is.


    A figure comes into view as another hole appears, Nin chitters as his turned arm twitches about. Yellow eyes spot me and he comes for me. Unreactive, he grabs onto and slams me into the ground. Smashing his fists harmlessly against me, my mind catches up properly.


    No, this is a bug...


    Grabbing onto his head, Nin''s hexagonal-patterned eyes widen as needle-teeth force their way through his gums. Clotted blood sprinkles onto my skin and his attempts to kill me remain constant. I slap away his turned arm and kick him away so I can get back up. What''s going on!?


    I launch for and catch him just as he leaps into the air again. Slamming them back first into a nearby mountain, his claw latches onto my face and I start to panic mentally. Gritting my teeth, shards of stone break away from the mountain as his skin continues to darken black. A glare hardens as this monster possessing Nin becomes increasingly blatant with its takeover.


    "Nin!? NIN!? CALM DOWN!" I try to call out to him in the event this may be something better than what I am seeing. Nothing comes of it, he continues to snap his jaw and thrash away for my face.


    A firm smack catches me unaware and I fight him back against the mountain.


    "NIN!" I scream tearfully at my friend as my grip seems to loosen, strangely. Tearing like thin fabric, the black carapace is revealed as I unintentionally help shed the monster. Chunks of now-pointless human flesh pop off and the beast roars. The creature exploits my relaxing grip by rearing back a haymaker punch.


    I regain control of myself in the open air and the mountain follows after me, this beast at the head. Taking the mountainous blow head-on, I crash against the other side of the valley. One after another, his stony blows tear apart my clothes and bounce off what little armour I have. A cry of emotional pain leaves me as it starts to become clear what I need to do.


    My friend is vanishing and what he is being replaced with is viciously attacking me. I can''t do anything to bring him back. Tender memories are coming back in force and I can''t calm myself. I try to stop him from attempting to hurt me, but I can''t muster the strength.


    I curl in on myself as something breaks open and bursts to life.


    An osibindah''s jaw staples itself to the very bottom of my neck, bracing itself on my collarbone. More and more of what was once Nin vanishes and the monstrosity his body has somehow been harbouring asserts its truthful nature. The realisation snaps inside my mind as it becomes clear that Nin is gone. He''s gone...


    Maybe there was never even a Nin, these yellow eyes are not new to me.


    My magic explodes from me and its rocky weapon shatters like thin ice across the sky. The monster flies off with it and the sky erupts as I chase after it. Delivering my first punch, I clear the immediate clouds from view and follow it up. A flurry of further blows sends it crashing to the ground but it still gets back up.


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    Corrupted magic guides two pillars of rock to crush me. Catching one in either palm, I keep my bent limbs steady as grim laughter fills my head. This thing is no earth shaman, even with its magic. With a screaming heart and mind, I throw the earthen weapons away and dive.


    My right-hand latches onto its neck and I squeeze, drawing out the yellowish blood of the bug. Dragging it up a nearby mountain face, I smash it through whatever outcrops are along our path. Each step shatters and deforms the ancient stone and we break into the air again, far away from the flower. The mountain feeding the lake comes into view.


    Screaming with all the anguish I have, I empty my system as I throw the creature into the mountain''s peak. Driving after it, I force it to the open air again as boulders and shards of ice follow through after us. Just as quickly as the mountain lost its head, I aim one of my armoured high heels for this creature''s head.


    I will crush it.


    I will see it smeared into the bloody mud!


    This osibindah dares to wear the skin of my dear friend, even with tatters of him remaining, I will see it through. The ground explodes as the beast twists itself to absorb the impact. Blood bursts through the torn skin and its legs snap into their proper, disgusting bug shape. Feeling queasy, I back away off into the distance and watch as it gathers up magic.


    The creature''s continued roars fill the gaps in my ears where all this moving rock does not. My growing desire to see this thing die leads to me flexing my marked palm. I no longer want my memories of Nin soured by this creature. He saved me from things like this twice, but I could not do the same for him...


    "DO YOU HEAR ME, BUG!? GIVE ME BACK MY FRIEND! GIVE ME BACK NIN!" I demand furiously as I knock aside some of its magic-infused stone and charge. My shin smashes against the still bandaged right arm and it bends inwards as it caves slightly. Shoving its back up against another mountain, I follow through with as many punches as I can. Each explosive blow digs into and deeply wounds the blameless mountain.


    More screams of rage leave me as I halt my attack in the midst of razor-pebble rain. Screaming once again, I tear off the most human-looking part that remains and I explode backwards. Scraping into the soil and stopping, I glance down at what I took off. A portion of what was once his face is now nothing more than a sheet of crimson-stained skin.


    A mask with nothing to hold it together...


    "Nin..." I cry quietly I let what little remains of him fall to the shredded grass. My dear friend, the man who saved me when I was at my weakest is gone. I don''t know if he ever really was real, but, I want to believe. There was a man there, even with this insidious problem growing within him.


    My marked palm flexes and I call for something I had hoped to abandon.


    "Do not worry anymore, Nin, I will not let you suffer anymore." I explain with a wavering smile as I mentally nod at what needs to be done. No more pulling my blows as my mind loses focus. I need to put an end to this. The magic in my marked palm comes to life and I feel my sword tremble in the distance.


    This thing, this ''it'' far ahead perceives weakness.


    Its magic floods the opposing side of the open field and the mountains contort as a tidal wave of rock starts to form. Initially, I believe that the osibindah''s magic will reach me first. But, as I bend into the arriving force of my sword, I reverse it outwards in a great, hurricanous swing. Decimating its attack and sending it cascading its way, the bug resorts to charging me head-on as I recognise my blade.


    My heart cannot take it...


    Somehow, losing my precious friend seems to hurt me more than anything else. I never felt like this when the news about my parents'' death came more than sixty grand-cycles ago. All the brothers and sisters-in-arms I have seen come and go have never left me feeling this way. It''s Nin that makes me feel this way, a wonderful man who''s tried his best to look out for me.


    Shaking my head clear of thoughts, I weigh the edged steel in my hand. I could stab myself, disembowel myself and it wouldn''t hurt even the slightest compared to what has happened today. That sword from that man with the glowing, emerald hair never hurt like this. But watching my friend fall apart and become this hurts so much.


    Swinging my blade down to my side, I look down the length of its core, eyeing either lethal side of the weapon. I sigh and blink slowly.


    "I know... I know I said I had abandoned my role as a Valkinvar... And I know I told myself I would never hold this sword again no matter the issue. But I don''t want to see you like this anymore, N-Nin... If this is really what became of you." I tearfully explain as the osibindah continues to close the gap.


    It''s foolish to charge anyone with a sword barehanded. This thing is even more so the fool for approaching a Valkinvar with their blade. A sword like this is designed to protect me until I am ready to go and meet my former husband-to-be, was... Something like this beast is not going to get past such a steel-engraved promise.


    "Undwote, if you are listening, please do not take my friend to what lies beyond as if what is happening now is truly him." I beg of His Holiness as tears continue to quietly roll down my cheek. My magic comes out in force and whisks them away into the swirling vortex around me. Dressed in the stained glass colour of my wind magic, I take up a traditional pose of the Ordoar Imdvarce.


    Both hands on the handle, blade facing away, raised above my head and shoulders. Legs spread apart with a back leaning ever so slightly forward. The moment I want to move, the blade will adjust. Be it to swing or impale, I will see this thing die.


    A single, steady breath leaves me.


    Rupturing the air around me, everything else blurs except the suddenly slow monster. An apology forms on my lips as I swing my sword down, from the top right to its opposite, lower left. Coming to an explosive stop only a few halfmans away from the falling apart body, my senses dull.


    Raising my blade high, I shield myself from the disturbed debris as my magic washes over the area. I drop it and look back at the two pieces of the black carapaced corpse. My knees wobble and I fall to the messy ground. Eyes lock onto the few remaining pieces of human flesh and blood.


    "I-I''m sorry... Nin..." I let out as I cover my mouth weakly.

 V2 Incline 40: Ivy-Mother Roselhia

    "P-Please don''t leave me..." I cry as I grit my teeth towards the pain all over my body. Crying only makes it worse even though it''s all I can do. My body locks up as best as it can and I howl as my eyes continue to flow. Someone lends me what magic they can, but it''s not enough.


    Wherever I am, this isn''t my bulb, there are no comforting rose-coloured bed covers. My love isn''t holding me as a new day greets us, the first day of our growing child. None of it is here, I am being looked after by caretakers far away from my homely bulb. A sharp ache shoots through my head.


    Clutching my skull, I cry as pain inside and out screams in agony, all through one faucet. I feel the urge to get up despite all of this, though. Cold dread freezes me in place as memories flash in my eyes. A moment of bliss and safety turned to bloody horror so inexplicitly and so very suddenly...


    Each image drags more and more tears out, I sniffle as my fists tighten on the quilt.


    "You''re finally up." a grim, flat voice points out as that aura of magic makes it clear who. The Valkinvar is here...


    "C-Can... Can I help you... Valkinvar?" I ask as my caretakers put me back into bed properly. They increase the amount of magic they''re giving me, but it barely dulls anything as they''re weak and I hiss as I try to keep still. One of them wipes my eyes dry for the moment and their hands gently restrain me.


    "Your tent, what happened in there before I caught you." she gets straight to the point. A roar echoes in my head as the parts of me my love first started to crush flare up.


    Barely being able to glance down at my hands, I try to reach my abdomen as I silently beg that at least something good might''ve come of this...


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    "I was going to become a mother..." I acknowledge as I move my hands slowly away from my empty belly. I am not going to be a mother, my love is gone, he''s gone...


    "What did you do?" she demands to know as I shirk away at the accusatory nature of it. Something other than pain flares up inside of me.


    "I embraced the man I loved is what I did!" I hiss as I pick up on the subtle way her sword grip changes without flinching. The Valkinvar''s badge of office, given unto them for War itself.


    She sighs before her head hammers the pommel once, driving its impossibly sharp tip firmly into the ground, "Please... Explain, what did you do? Why did Nin... Why did something try to kill you?"


    I freeze up as mere words cut into me finer than even that edge ever could. Staring down at my chest, I look at the teeth marks on my left breast. I pleasurably mistook it at first, but then I felt his teeth sink in. He had tasted my honey and something happened. A finger goes along the partially healed, heavily bruised skin.


    "I... I... I don''t..." I fail to answer as the tears break out again. It all happened so fast, we were happy, our love was about to be proven.


    No...


    That''s why he left when I gave him the wine, that is why he was trying to leave!? He knew if he stayed, I''d be in danger! My efforts to show him how much I loved him made him... I...


    Focus becomes extinct in my mind. Nothing stays still, even with the pain roaring at me to keep still. My inability to keep my emotions in check, to hold myself together turned my love into a monster... The warnings were all there, but I didn''t pay attention.


    I assumed the Thief when all my love wanted was to keep me safe. I gave him honey in a glass of wine and he shoved me away before he vanished for the night. He warned me that night. I did not listen and learn.


    Distraught screams leave my mouth as I break down crying. My voice quickly becomes hoarse and my true-voice blows its fuse. Caretakers try to get me to calm down, they try to soothe and heal me, but I don''t want it. I fight back against the grips they apply to my injured body.


    "MY LOVE! I''M SO SORRY! I''M SORRY!"

 V2 Incline 41: Roselhia

    Standing before the Gilded-Bark, I rub my arm as I fail to keep my eyes anywhere near him, "You will need to find a new Ivy-Mother I can''t do this anymore, I just can''t..."


    I turn to look into the pair of holy fires behind me.


    "Why, Rose''lhia?" is all he asks as he seems to join me in looking at the flames. If this were another time, what I''ve just said would be unthinkable. I wish I was still that version of me, but, I can''t... I can''t keep wishing others luck with their love-filled endeavours when I keep being denied it myself.


    It''s funny, once upon a time, hearing what I just heard, I would''ve collapsed swooning all over him. Lashing out at them with lustful violence so that they could make me a mother. Something I am apparently not destined to ever be. The one thing I''ve only ever wanted, to be the thing half my old title is.


    I fell in love with a human... What was a human man. Someone who lifted what no other man could, he who fought off what even an army of thorns struggled to handle. I was so close to having a son to call my own.


    I sigh as fists form, "What right do I have to be an Ivy-Mother? I guide everyone to something I will never find or have. I know my duty, I am fully aware of the responsibilities everyone in this flower, our garden-mont and beyond have. But, what''s the point when I will never bear a soft smile towards my little golden apple as he sprouts from the ground? I don''t have any right to wear this dress or hold this staff... I am a disgrace for even being near any of it!"


    I make sure to simmer down before my anger gets the best of me, it is wrong to damage such a sacred staff as that of an ivy-mother...


    "I see..." he answers as he stands up and walks over. His points hit the cracked marble loudly and my chest starts to hurt. A hand lands on my shoulder and he starts to pass over some of his magic for the sake of my undeserved well-being.


    I try to shuffle out of it, but his fingers tighten their grip.


    "I will not allow you to leave the role, not yet, anyway... If this is what you desire. I will give you time to calm down and recover so you can think this choice over properly. It will be some time before we can start moving again and I will ask again once we return to Ahnelges. Then, I will hear your final choice on the matter, Ivy-Mother." he tells me before he walks off to continue helping with the repairs and supervising.


    With the help of the ivy-mother''s staff, I hobble on through the flower without a care. My heart died recently and I ignore all the pleas spoken out for me. Reaching the open space beyond the Roots, I glance up at the decapitated mountain. The Valkinvar''s battle had shattered its peak and boulders of ice and rock rained down.


    I do not know how many have died since that battle, but all the men have rallied together to help us. It''s our responsibility as women to take care and handle this, but, they will not have it. All around the flower, even amongst the roots, they''re clearing debris and tending to the wounded. The young are protected and the elderly are cared for.


    It feels so strange, even now with my heavy-ladened mind. We keep the men safe because there are so few, but when the trouble started, they were the first to rise. Just like in ancient times, when so many gave their lives to protect us. They need to stop so that we might have sons still...


    Looking over at the Valkinvar and her group, I approach them as Dandel''lhia hides behind the larger bags.


    "Vapooliar... What do you mean we are going to go past that mountain!? We said we were going that way! The other way!" the oxfuine exclaims as I look up at the now empty thorn graft. The Gilded-Bark has finally stopped looking for someone who has been here the whole time.


    "I would like to say goodbye to Nin." the Valkinvar answers, a name that leaves us both worse off for hearing it.


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    "Goodbye!? He''s dead! He''s been dead since before he even left the hive with you before you joined up with me and the slavers!"


    "No!" the Valkinvar nearly snaps.


    "Yes! You had your opportunity to say goodbye to that monster now let''s go!"


    "Do not try and convince me that the one who saved me in that hive is one of them you filthy mutt!" the Valkinvar growls at the weak creature and she backs away with a raised tail and ears.


    "Can... Can I come?" I ask weakly as I lean against the ivy-mother''s staff. The Valkinvar snorts to herself as she kicks a short trench into the ground.


    "Come where?" they ask as they turn to me with immense magical pressure pouring out. I close my eyes so that its dangerously beautiful glow does not blind me. It hurts to be so close to such power, directed like this, it only provokes my nasty wounds.


    "As far as the mountain he was once captive in. The place where he saved you, Valkinvar." I explain as she seems to ease up on the strength of her presence. I just want to try and get as many positive memories of my love as possible, seeing as he is now with Undwote in the mists. Held by him in his rocking chair as it goes back and forth with soothing momentum.


    "Fine." she huffs as she starts to walk off with nearly all of their supplies. I follow behind as quickly as I can given my current state. Pushing so far as to aggravate my wounds just to get up the mountainous ramp leading up the cliff.


    I hiss as I take the final, agonising step off onto the flat ground.


    "So... Valkinvar... How did you two meet?" I ask once we enter the still-forested valley leading to the hive.


    She sighs before her blade, which she has been dragging through the soil, comes up to her face. Her grip tightens audibly and the blade drops into the ground. With aimless eyes, she looks around at everything. Sighing once again.


    "He... He saved me from them." she admits as she tries to hide her abdomen.


    "He must''ve been quite the sight!" I try to smile at but the human just stares towards me. Though, I do find it odd that someone as powerful as a Valkinvar needed to be saved by my love. But, that only makes him even greater!


    "He was a very welcome sight for teary, sore eyes..." she explains as her mind likely becomes occupied with the memories of his heroics. Whatever he had to do to save the Valkinvar, he doomed himself, it seems.


    "Why''re we back here...?" the oxfuine whines as we come up upon a mountain which has mostly collapsed. Works surround it and the thorns'' attempts to get inside are still manned even now. Though, they''re steadily pouring back to the flower in order to keep it safe.


    The Valkinvar starts to plant her blade at the old, collapsed entrance of the mountain.


    "What''re you doing?" the oxfuine asks.


    "I don''t know... I''ve had many thoughts go through my head as of late. I do not know if I deserve to still hold this. I have failed in my duties." the Valkinvar explains with words that hurt me deeply. My grip on the ivy-mother''s staff shuffles about as if I have sweaty palms.


    "I can understand feeling like that, I feel the same." I briefly glow in response with my true-voice as the Valkinvar leaves her sword alone.


    "Keep the sword, then." the oxfuine comments.


    "Why?" the Valkinvar asks as she shows trouble leaving the blade behind.


    "So you can stop incidents like this from happening again. You may be a Valkinvar but you can still get stronger, if it is Nin you feel the need to apologize to, then do it through your actions. Go where you wish, but work on yourself so you never have to see another monster form from something you or someone else cares for." the tailed creature explains and I ponder this wisdom for the moment.


    "I am no longer a Valkinvar... I''ve told you people so many times!" she nearly shouts as her fists drop sharply.


    "Give new meaning to the sword, then. Change your meaning to be built off of the man who saved you in this mountain. The man I came to fall in love with..." I tell her as my eyes linger on the ivy-mother''s staff.


    "New meaning in life..." the Valkinvar mutters as her marked palm covers the decorative pommel of the sword.


    I walk up to and hug them.


    "Honour his memory, do not let that beast define him for you." I whisper to her as I listen to myself carefully.


    "His memory..." she repeats as she steps out of the hug with only her sword still on her person.


    "Good luck with your efforts, Valkinvar. Whatever god or goddess might be able to help you here, make sure to seek them." I tell her as she disappears from my sight, around the curve of the mountain''s base. I briefly glance at Dandel''lhia and sense her seed on her person. Looking down in defeat, I make a quick prayer for the unborn child so that he might grow up healthy and strong.


    Hobbling away, I leave them to whatever they might choose to do from here on out. However, as I disappear back down the forested valley, my steps become increasingly aimless. I do not know what I am going to do from now on... I don''t want to help others find love when the ones I love keep being taken from me.


    "Nin, my Champion... My Love." I sniffle as I hide my eyes.

 V2 Incline 42: Vapooliar

    "What a strange hole you left behind, Nin." I comment as I finish sliding down the dark, earthy tunnel. My hand flashes with the light of the wind and the darkness is banished for now. It is as quiet as a crematorium of Undwote down here, but still, I clench my sword, keeping it at the ready. A cloud of dust gently explodes up with each armoured step I take.


    There are no tools at all and the very earth is drained of its magic.


    Noticing a piece of metal, I pick it up and cover it with the same hand as I realise it is a piece of my old, ruined armour. Completely devoid of what made it so strong, to begin with. No form of arcane power that I know of can just drain something of its magic, leaving it so brittle it becomes dust. What did Nin find in these black depths?


    Had the osibindah come across some kind of magical artefact? Or, rather, had they found what diggers and or historians discovered prior to their deaths?


    As impossible as it might be to believe, knowing the osibindah tend to prefer quiet mountains to settle down at initially. It is entirely possible they overwhelmed a prior camp or something here. The ancient weapon that the bugs are simply too stupid to figure out was handled by those who could do it. Either way, there''s no way something so ancient that it was buried this deep underground should be capable of turning someone into a bug.


    I can''t wrap my head around it, there''s a notable gap between making large war bows with ballista bolt-sized arrows and draining magic...


    Spotting a small blue glow crawl about, I move to it, "Or perhaps it wasn''t a tool at all."


    Keeping a careful distance, I watch as the air seems to turn dusty as my magic fails to lighten up the insect''s surroundings. That glowing, dark blue shell flutters open, partially revealing its skull-like shape. Using my sword to scoop up some dirt, I fling it at the small thing. A cloud of powder settles down.


    "You used a skull-beetle to get out of here..." I ponder as my blade strangely starts to cackle with small bursts of blue fire. Drawing back slightly, I shake my head and correct my prior thoughts. Not fire, magic violently filling out an environment in which none exists.


    The insect starts to scuttle away into the dark until I can no longer see its little blip of light.


    "Nin, what did you do?" I ask quietly as I look at the piece of armour I found. It''s starting to make sense, my armour was able to keep him safe for a time. But, whatever happened to him in here, it was only delayed or enhanced. That little insect was Nin''s tool, and he carelessly pushed on up until he was free.


    That osibindah arm still bothers me...


    "Why didn''t he turn into an osibindah on time, Sudden Induction, perhaps?" I ponder as I walk into a large, empty chamber with a chewed-on bone-covered floor. One of them snaps under my magically-greatened weight and nothing but me reacts to it. Frowning in thought, I try to understand what happened with Nin, but I don''t think I can. All I know is, that, if I wasn''t weak that day, he would''ve never been captured.


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    I failed to kill the Earth Shaman and he paid for my mistake with his life, in due sinister time.


    Sealing my eyes shut to stop the water, I try to keep a hold of myself, there''s been enough crying so far. But, as the moments pass, dread and regret just keep building on top of each other. So high and so heavy, ready to fall over at a moment''s notice, a mere passing breeze. My failure to save him is why he became a monster...


    "I''m sorry... Nin... I''m sorry..." I cry as I cover my face. Sobbing briefly, fists form and my body trembles.


    My magic flares.


    "DAMN IT ALL! I COULDN''T EVEN SAVE ONE MAN! I FAILED THE ARMY! THE ZAPHADREN-VALKINVAR! MY HUSBAND-TO-BE! ALL I''VE DONE IS FAIL! FAAAAAIIILLL!" I scream with all I have as my magic devastates the chamber. A tornado forms, littered with rock, bone and dirt. The vortex focuses on my sword and I dash for the closest wall. Smashing straight into then through it, going onwards many hundreds of halfmans through the deep underground.


    My breathing is all I hear as I calm down.


    I wish I could have done something... I wish I did do something! Yet... Yet... Here was what I have to live with. A path where the one who saved me, a former Valkinvar and bride of Waionr... I want him to still be alive, not a corpse of one of those damn bugs!


    Sliding down onto my rear, a shower of dirt follows me as my arm carves through what remains of a nearby wall. Placing my head on my knees, I ruminate some more. All these frustrations simmering and boiling cyclically through my head. I''ve lived for so long, I used to plunge a knife close to my heart with such regularity, but I cannot keep calm.


    Everything I knew is gone.


    Worse, it is still here in this world, but I cannot ever go back to it and now, the one I was going to walk away from it all with is gone too. He''s gone, I need to go out on my own, for my own reasons, I can''t just tag along with someone else. I don''t know what to do... This scares me...


    My life seemed so immovable up until recently. I was a member of the Ordoar Imdvarce, a Valkinvar. Proud warrior and bride of Waionr, the God of War and Honour. I lost it all in one blurry flash of terror in the dark.


    My chance to find something else, gone.


    "When I do see you again, Nin, my friend... I hope you will remember me." I sigh as I stand up and head on out. I do not intend to cut my life short out of grief, but coming down here for such meaningless thinking has left me miserable. At the very least, I am fully aware of what I need to repent for.


    Vadei, this supposed Dandelion and the unborn child she''s bringing with us.


    All three of them owe their lives to the actions Nin has taken since we met him. I can make up for my failures with him by at least keeping them safe until they''re ready to go out on their own. I will make sure Dandelion fully grasps what was done for her. This child of hers will as well, maybe even as soon as they are capable of retaining clear memories.


    Vadei will learn in time to have a less spiteful mind towards him, I do not know, but I will try.


    "Don''t worry, Nin, I will keep them safe." I promise him as I finish climbing out of the hole he dug so very, but not so long ago. Flying up into the air, I quickly head back to the other two and land before them.


    "Can we go?" Vadei asks as she forces herself up, contesting against the weight of her bag.


    I nod.


    "About damn time, let''s go, I hate, hate! Being near this place." she explains as I tightly grip my sword for a variety of reasons. Glancing cautiously up at the sky, sensing out as far as I can, I shake my head. Following after the other two, I begin what may be a duty that lasts for some time. Keep these three safe, for his sake.


    I smile, ever so slightly and nod as I get to it.

 Peak 2: The Gilded-Bark

    "Gilded-Bark, please, y-you''ve done enough!" one of the petaled-thorns glows to me as I hoist another chunk of debris onto a wheelbarrow. Turning to face her, I stare them down as I curl up a bicep and pat it.


    "There is work to be done." I answer as I take more pieces of shattered marble. Filling the modest transport up, I grab the handles and start to push forward. Heading towards the necessary petals, I hand it over to them so they can recover what they can.


    "Is it wrong for me to feel happy this has happened?" I hear one of my fellow men ask another as they dually lift up a boulder as tall as me.


    "I get what you mean, this all feels so right." the other nearly laughs as they urge each other onwards to get the fallen piece of mountain out of here. Nodding to myself, I leave them be as I swing a large barrel over my back. Tightening the ropes around it, I walk on towards the bulb we''ve been keeping those who escaped the osibindah hive.


    Walking on inside, all the little children look up at me as I put the barrel down. Cracking it open, I start to hand out supplies. Dicipling some of the children as necessary, their remembered good manners see them well fed. A small hwardgon child takes her food last and my gaze follows her.


    She sits down, but her fingers linger on the container. She looks around with what appears to be a held-back request. Setting the barrel''s remains aside, I go to them and sit down. Initially, they pay me no mind as her fingers idly scratch at the box.


    "Are you alright, little one?" I ask them as I open the little package for them, just in case that is the problem.


    "Nasty monster..." she answers as she shuffles about nervously, her mouth an upside-down curve. I place my thick-skinned, calloused hand on their head and stroke their spines in a downward motion. The little spikes tickle my palm as I move it back up to repeat the action.


    "They''re gone, the monster was defeated." I remind her as she looks up at me with wide, unsteady eyes. She stands up and wobble-falls onto my arm.


    "Human monster..." she whispers close to my ear and I pay close attention to her disappointment. Helping her back down so she doesn''t fall off of the carved log we share.


    "That''s right, we found you with the Champion, didn''t we?" I question, but she carries on staring.


    "I saw him... The monster..." she explains as she puts her food to the side, still having not touched a morsel.


    "It''s okay, little one, the Valkinvar got rid of it." I try to say as warmly as I can, but, she doesn''t seem to like knowing this.


    "I liked that human... He was nice." she tells me as her little, almost black snout sniffles. She scratches a bit of her arm and I look over at the other children.


    "A few people did, a few people really did." I comment with a nod as I stand up after ruffling their head.


    They look up at me as I hand them back their food box.


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    "Make sure to eat this up, you hear? Can''t have you getting weak because you''re being silly." I explain to her as she slowly starts to chew on a small piece of vegetable. Leaving the children be, I sigh to myself as I look in the direction of the Ivy-Mother''s bulb. My seed is missing, I don''t know where it could have gone, but no one has found even its crushed remains.


    Walking away back to my bulb with a heavy frown, I offer what help I can to those around me. The men get pats on the back and quiet encouragement whilst the women are encouraged, often forced to go back to resting. They''re too used to keeping us safe and handling everything, but, this time, we will handle it. Those who need to mourn will get time to do so, no matter the workload we have right now.


    Gesturing a thorn to relax as I pass by them, I head on into my bulb and clutch my head. This headache I have is getting worse and I might need to rest for the moment. That thorn from earlier was probably right, I do need to take a minute. Just like everyone else.


    Falling onto my bed, I sigh as its wide girth, meant for two, is occupied by only one. Rolling over slightly onto my side, I look out across my bulb and all the things I have done to it over the years. Little bits of decoration chosen by my love, my precious Dandel''lhia and me in preparation for our child. Surveying the room further, my eyes land on a table at the far end.


    Blinking, I sit back up and walk over to it, picking up the oddity once I arrive. Stroking the leather cover carefully, I feel out the decorative picture as best as I can. Then, opening the book to the page it is bulging up at, my mouth opens a little. I stare at the yellow-stained paper and slowly pick up what is there.


    "Dandel''lhia..." I breathe as I suddenly feel too weak to stand. Stamping one point down as hard as I can, I keep myself upright as my eyes turn to the written down message. It''s her handwriting, how could I ever forget it? I''ve seen it too many times, far too many sweet letters from her for me to lose my memory of it.


    ''It''s not safe for me here, I am taking our son with me. The Valkinvar will take care of us. I am still alive, my precious Oak.''


    Pinching the brow of my nose, I slam the book shut with one hand and put it down again. A thoughtful noise escapes my mouth and I glare, then smile warmly. She''s alive, my dear, Flower of Ihtuntar is still alive. But what is so dangerous that she needs to escape with the Valkinvar?


    Does she doubt my strength and that of our flower? Can we not fulfil our duties as protectors? What dreads her so much that she needs to run and hide? She''s only ever been safe until she was taken...


    "Awooooo!" something chilling echoes.


    Looking up, I feel a disturbance on the wind and head outside into the open. Many have stopped what they''re doing and looking out, beyond the top of our flower. Walking to my throne, I take up my spear and grasp its shaft firmly as I walk out to meet whoever is arriving. The sound of armour fills my ears with echoes coming from both directions.


    Meeting a strangely familiar figure, I plant my spear''s base into the ground and stand tall. Thorns, wild-seers and meadow-maidens join me and the lone figure keeps on looking about. Lifting up his flat cap, the strange man dusts it off as he also straightens out his coat. Perfectly white hair makes itself known and I notice a pole-like object made of wood and dark iron.


    Gripping my spear tightly at the sight of the gun, I have my troops move around the strange individual as he puts the flat cap back on. He turns to us and stares as he picks up his weapon again. The front flicks down and he loads two mostly red, gold-capped objects into it. With a clear snap, he makes it clear the gun is loaded.


    "Put the weapon down, Human." I warn as I take up my spear and point it at them.


    "AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" something howls in the distance, but it sounds almost immediately close. I turn to face it with my spear, whatever beast it might be, but find nothing.


    Turning back to where the man is-


    Was...


    I stare at the empty spot as a patch of ice starts to melt under the heat of the day. Strangely, I laugh quietly, as if I have just seen a close friend for the first time in a long while. A frown overtakes me as I recall how I also have never had such a friend.

 Base 3: The God of Death, Friendship and the Cold

    "There, there, little one, it''s alright." I tell the scared human soul as they scramble and panic, their back up against the wall. Holding out a gentle hand, I wait for them to understand that I mean him no harm. Atarifuge, one of my hounds eagerly swings its tail as he waits with me, a song of happy pants escaping over a drooping tongue. Appearing in and out of the shadows that make up his body in this limbo beyond mortal life.


    I glance around briefly as I recall that my brother, Waionr, might end up passing through here.


    "WHO ARE YOU!? WHERE IN THE GODS NAMES AM I!?" the soul screams as they finally realise there''s a path away from us. Watching them fall down, confusion overwhelms them as my powers start to cycle their age backwards. All those decades of life he has endured are no more, he is back to being a small child with none of the scars he accrued before death. This terrified screaming of his changes in meaning, now, he wants his mother.


    A sweet, sweet mother that may or may not have already been visited by me.


    "Shhh, shhh." I coo as I pick the small mortal up, holding them close to my divine heart. Bouncing them up and down with well-practised care, I gesture for my hound to follow us out of this cave. With this one in my hands, the last of the humans phases up to the surface with me. Keeping him protected in my soft palm, we appear on the foggy surface and my excited hound leaps for the base of my rocking chair. Eyeing the misty replica land as we approach it, I check on the child one more time.


    Making sure they see my smile, I go down onto my chair with a satisfied moan. Joints crack and pop as I secure the soul on my left leg, gently vibrating him as I find a good rhythm. His little expression softens as he gets used to the new circumstances. But, his grip on my unbuttoned vest remains as tight as it can be.


    Lowering my right hand, I rub its index and middle fingers against the thumb and a wet tongue meets them. Rubbing his furry head, this fine pelt of shadow brimming with loving warmth moves against my palm. My hound moves away, his nose suddenly active as a serious demeanour takes over his canine features. Waving him off, he chases after the mortal in need of my care and my focus returns to the one currently in my arms.


    I wonder who will come back to me first, him or one of the other six?


    "Now, would you like to tell me your name?" I ask with a sweet and soft tone as my powers subtly work into his mind. If it was possible to do my job without, I would prefer to do it. But, unfortunately, it is not possible, I need them to be as honest as they can be with me before I recycle the power clinging to their spirit. Forcing them to be honest is better than letting them suffer because they cannot let go of what happened in life.


    "I''m... I''m Enl Veh!" the child answers, blinking a few times as they catch on to the presence of my power. Their confusion will not be alleviated, but I know what is bothering him, having done this for so long and forever more. They feel like they are speaking as if they are still an adult, but it''s all coming out with the voice of a child. All of the mannerisms too.


    "Nice to meet you, Enl, I am Undwote. I am here to talk to you." I greet as their eyes widen as far as possible. Awe at first, after all, they''re talking to a god, how can you not be amazed at speaking to something like me? Yet, they also know what my name means and it brings them to tears. They fold in on themself and hide their eyes.


    "Am... Am I dead?" he dreads to ask finally.


    "I''m afraid so, Sweetheart." I tell them as I place my flat cap on their head. Ruffling their hair through it as I firmly fit it on.


    He whimpers.


    "It is okay, I will be here for as long as you need me to be." I say as I pull them in for a gentle hug as the mists around us start to change colour and morph into a recently very familiar sight. The human city of Tobaballe, quite a few recent souls I have had to save from the corruption of the osibindah are from here.


    "H-Huh? Why are we now here...?" Enl asks as I lean the chair back as we glance up towards the highest point in this impressive city. Once an old fort built back when my eldest brother, the God of Creation wandered the world through his chosen one. A mortal man then named Thunder. Since that time, though, this land has seen very little, almost no magic come near.


    That has not stopped the people of this city from dominating the land beyond, though. From their ring of mountain-peak-reaching towers, the people of Tobaballe have come to lord over a chunk of the Civil Mountains. Trapping them within the bountiful river lands filling out the space between the ancient, stone constructs. Not that it really matters, since my brother Iderim-Ovi went missing, the lands around the Civil Mountains have been still wastes.


    "Look on at the mirages around us, do you recognise what is going on?" I ask of Enl as our position in the city changes from the ground floor to what is known as the Family Floor. The part of the city set aside for all of the children in the city so that their parents are not burdened further in this hard-work-obsessed metropolis. And, once they came of age, they join their elders at the bottom, spending the rest of their working life climbing the ladder of physical and social merit.


    "It''s when..." he starts to say as he reaches out for the memory, "I was a child, just before me and a friend, Gil Gaesh was his name, left for the lower floors."


    I glance towards the pair of hazy figures messing around in the distance. Egging each other on, enjoying the company of one another, ignorant of their life ahead but welcoming it anyway. I cannot hear a thing these memories speak, but the soul on my leg can hear it all as clearly as the day it happened. He looks down and his eyes linger on the floor, a long sigh leaves.


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    "We made a promise that we would help each other out and get as high a floor as we could get each other too. Not straying too far from each other to ensure we could still help each other out..."


    "And what happened from there, Enl?"


    "We kept our promise for about the first ten floors, but then we started growing more distant... We were going up slower than the others from our age group and even started falling behind those who were younger! We got more selfish, we didn''t help each other out as much and then I guess that is when it just ended between us... We were going up the floors quicker on our own and then when I started to lag behind due to my own limits I didn''t know what to do..."


    A hand moves to rub his back as he tries his hardest not to let it get to him. Gently nodding as we rock back and forth. Even without my divine powers, I understand what he means. So much guides the decision-making of mortals that one could almost call it gambling with life. Enl''s friend would have to be an incredibly rare, almost fictional man to stay so loyal to him in a city that pushes you to be the best -you- can be.


    Why keep going on with someone else when you can find new equals who can help you better?


    "Did you try reaching out to your friend in an attempt to make things better?"


    It looks like Enl wants to shake his head and deny it all, but, with my powers forcing the truth out of him... He can''t help but nod with all the vigour in his body as his eye spill without end.


    "Yeah... Yeah... But it was too late by that point, he was just more focused on the new friends he had made and his new circumstances, so all I got was a meaningless ''good luck'' and was left at that!" he explains as more and more anger comes to the forefront, with outright malice taking over as he lashes out at the blurry figure. I wait for him to get it out of his system before carrying on.


    "Do you blame him for how your life turned out?"


    He turns quiet and looks down, "No... No... It was clear why he left me behind, we both knew. I was just hoping that maybe my friend, the one I had known for so long would at least lend me his hand one more time... And it hurt, it hurt seeing them not extend that hand that he and I had held out so many times before."


    Nodding, the world starts to change around once again. Now, we are in a small room with an unhealthy-looking figure resting in it. The tired, jaded individual is clearly Enl and his eyes are facing a small barred window. As is typical for the architectural style of this city.


    "What about now, can you tell me what is going on?"


    "I''m just sitting down in my room, my... Home." Enl tells me, ashamed of where he clearly was at this point in his life. A blurry noise suddenly bursts into existence and Enl''s old self rushes up to his feet, fury in his eyes. Our view changes to him out in a hallway, with a small figure in his arms as he roars with all he has. But, he doesn''t attack the one he''s holding, he carefully watches as the rest of the group abandon the one who was caught.


    "Your experiences with your lost friend made you tender to see the same happen to others?" I guess as Enl keeps his eyes focused on me and not the brutal attack happening before my immortal eyes.


    "I don''t know... Those fresh grounders just kept annoying me and pestering me at my home and one day I just snapped and chased after them. It''s too hard to explain properly, but this isn''t me being petty, it''s not! I had enough of their behaviour, I had enough! But, no one was ever willing to help me... So, slamming that one unconscious against a wall... I lost it when I saw the rest run away, not one of them showed concern for the one I had just hurt." they tell me with a dry, flat voice as their eyes simply blink at nothing.


    "And what happened from here?" I ask as the mists start to change around again, bringing us to a new chamber.


    "I got arrested." Enl answers just as it becomes clear that this is a courtroom.


    It''s nothing too special as the accused man was of one of the lower floors. But, like all places like this, it is dominated by an eye-like symbol blocked out by what looks like a shield. The calling card of one of my younger brothers whose calling is to reach a conclusion of truth and justice. Even with his eyes blinded, all lies will be pierced and no attempt to block him will persist.


    One of the most still active deities in the mortal world with the men of the courts serving as his priests. The same symbol is plastered all over the courtroom, each one of them crafted to perfectly focus on the man under trial. A shrine dedicated to the God of Law is right before the figure of the mortal now on my lap. Something maybe to talk about, the next time I see my lawful brother.


    A hazy figure paces about the holy courtroom as he and some others discuss the committed crime. Ensuring that the documentation he is holding was properly inscribed with the events with testimonies from both parties. Whatever is happening, the pace starts to pick up to an unnatural blur. Enl lashes out at regular intervals throughout, possibly giving insight into the attacked individuals lying or Enl being unable to accept what he did.


    The memory slows down and a peculiar figure walks into the courtroom. Clearly a she, with a figure that still holds true even in this hazy place. Interestingly, many of the souls I have spoken to recently know this figure and she is very clear compared to everything else. A woman called Iishar Ho.


    The room changes once again and we arrive in a place I have seen many times. The personal quarters of the Spire-Lord Iishar Ho, a place layered by a subtle strangeness. Magic is quite involved here, even with the distinct lack of a guardian-mountain guiding its power to this land.


    "What about now?" I ask the soul of Enl as we watch his former superior propose to him the same deal I have had communicated to me a few dozen times now.


    "What I thought was my chance to finally get out of my misery..." he admits with a sigh.


    "And you took it," I say, to which he nods, "A chance to maybe get back on equal terms with your old friend, or, maybe to spite them?"


    A small, short-lived noise comes from his throat as he opens his mouth again, "She said she had a way I could sort my life out... And I guess I just really wanted to get back with my old friend, I had been so lonely since we last spoke and everything had just been getting worse... So, I took her up on it..."


    I rub his back as he slowly slips into a depressive tone, one not fit for a child. Even if he is an adult turned into one by the grace of my divine might. Sitting back into my chair, getting back into the rhythm of its rocking, more of his life flashes before me. Stroking my chin as I take it in, Enl cosies up to my gently heaving chest and I continue to comfort him.


    A sudden blackout occurs as some armed hazy figures appear. The familiar, evil presence of the osibindah comes back as we reach the last of Enl''s living memories. I start to frown as one of the greatest difficulties in my unending, conceptual life makes itself clear. Stealing away his body, their strange form latches onto his soul so that it may take away the power it contains.


    An oddly clear figure appears in the last moments of the osibindah''s stolen life. A human wearing the armour of someone dedicated to the God of War. A small little insect in his hand, a product of the mythical machine named after the hound I sent away recently. That human put this poor soul out of its misery.


    "Interesting." I remark as I start to think over all that I have seen so far.

 V3 Incline 1: Undwote, God of Death

    "So, Enl, are you alright now?" I ask the human soul as we finish going through all of his memories. Moving up off my rocking chair, I let him down so he can walk around for a little while longer. Quietly, he looks up at me, nervously clutching onto my flat cap. My incomprehensibly elderly eyes remain soft as he considers his words carefully.


    He knows what is going to happen.


    Accepting the returned article of clothing, I place it back onto my scalp. Nodding in thanks at the young man as he starts to return to the age he had at the point of death. Then, he starts to act the same way as a heavy breath departs his mouth, "Yeah, I am ready, Undwote."


    "It was nice to meet you, Enl Veh. Thank you, for being so open with me." I say as I pat him firmly on the closest shoulder. Smiling at me, he vanishes from view as the final part of my purpose is enacted upon him. He didn''t feel like he got very far in life on his own, but, now, I am sure he knows that the strength he was capable of and had can make a new life different. I smile and pull out my smoking pipe, glancing around for the tail of the mist all around.


    Taking hold of the paradoxically physical object, I stuff it into the end of my pipe. Huffing a few clouds from it and sending them out on relaxed breaths as I start to walk. Grabbing my gun by the strap, I sling it over my arm. A gentle tune comes to my throat as I continue to find nothing but the wonderful wilderness.


    "Think I am done around here?" I ponder as the mists are processed through my burning pipe. Looking around at the world my siblings made so long ago, I start to reminisce about the good old days. A lot of this replica limbo is just grey, endless and misty. But, up in the sky, there is some colour, the Orbital-Halo as the mortals have come to call it.


    My family''s home.


    I lazily wave and glance skyward, "I wonder if anyone saw that."


    I start to wonder which of my siblings likely did see me wave if any of them did. Even though I am the God of the Cold, my mind is ablaze with so many possible ideas as to who might have seen me. Chuckles start to leave as it becomes quite possible that the only ones who saw me is my fourteen-minded brother. From his lunar prison.


    I hope he saw me wave, a little kindness his way will do him well after all this time. His treachery and behaviour might have bound him up there, in those fourteen cells... But, as his brother, I owe it to him. Not just because I am also the God of Friendship and I cannot help but to do so because of it.


    Barking catches my attention and I return my gaze to a level view. Rather bemusedly, the hound barking is Atarifuge, he didn''t leave that long ago so he must''ve found quite the trove of souls earlier. I think a few treats are in order when we head back home later. A familiar power, however, leaves me slightly lacking in step.


    "Let''s hope my loyal hound, though, is not digging through what belongs to Waionr." I remark as I head off in Atarifuge''s direction. Simply walking through the mountains and the air until I reach an open, ruined field. I run my pipe-holding hand through the colourless trees and find my sight filled with tents. Signs of idle nomads.


    I wave a hand at my beloved hound as it plays around in a waterfall-fed lake. Noticing me, they bark happily and near enough gallop my way. Launching up onto my leg, the shadowy canine pants and wags as I rub his head. Awkwardly moving about on his hind legs, his head comes to my belly for a one-armed hug which I am more than delighted to give.


    "Come on, show me what you found." I tell him with a clicking tongue as I let go. Eagerly, he rushes off to find the tragic treasure I deal in because of what I am conceptually. Oddly enough, my hound does not head towards the aelenvari flower which I can see has plenty of dead for me to attend to. Maybe for the best as well at the moment, I can see many marked out by the God of War.


    We go through another mountain and arrive at an open place with only one soul present. A battle between two powerful beings happened here, yet, oddly, this soul is marked out for me. I don''t often get to see souls like this as many turn to Waionr for guidance for obvious reasons. There is something foul with this soul, though.


    "Ah, I see, you poor thing." I comment to the osibindah-corrupted human as they notice me. Roaring, they lash out in my direction, charging me down without a single danger signal of theirs working. Atarifuge steps aside, growling whilst I check my rifle, calmly. Pointing the barrel the right way, the foul spirit gets within arms reach.


    A flash of fire and smoke!


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    The osibindah falls down dead and a human stumbles into the foggy open. Settling my gun down, I go down onto my knee as the mortal looks around, confused and terrified like most are. My powers work their way into this young man like so many others and I feel familiar as I do so. I open my mouth as I recall why I feel this way.


    "Of course, you''re the one who put all those other souls down." I remark as I pocket my pipe as the young man turns into a child. Quickly picking them up, I bounce them in my arms as their emotions get the better of them and we head on over to a nearby boulder. I don''t have my rocking chair with me at the moment and it''s a hassle to summon it. So, I will instead make do with the small stones here, we can play with them as we talk.


    The sky shakes with the Almighty''s power.


    "UNDWOTE!" boomingly calls the omnipresent owner of this strength, frightening the now young soul in my arms. Granted, any mortal would feel this way, hearing and feeling such fundamental dominance over all. I look skyward as two forces collide with each other, one of perfect, plain crystal and the other a glowing mass of never-the-same colour. The Equilibrium.


    "Yes, Father, how can I help you!?" I ask back with a raised voice as I place caring hands over the ears of the child-shaped soul. The small thing clings to me desperately, whimpering all the while.


    "Get up here! You and your actually loved siblings are coming with me on my ship!" Father explains and a concerned frown settles in on my face. I have a very good idea as to what He wants me to do and it pains me to see Him do this to Himself. Why can''t He just listen...?


    "It will have to wait, I am currently dealing with a soul!" I explain as I know Father is denying the effects His omniscience has over Him.


    "And there''s another soul out there that needs your help far more!" Father barks.


    "Not true, I am afraid, Father, this one holds priority and the many others out there!" I argue.


    "Do not argue with me!" He snaps firmly as the soul I am holding suddenly vanishes. Left in a state of controlled anger, I curl a hand up as a long breath is quietly snorted. I really do not like it when He interrupts my duties... Especially in-progress ones.


    "Give that back, Father!" I snap as I stand up in time with howling, freezing winds. Taking on a more grim appearance of cold and fear-inducing death as I further step out into the open. Not that it really matters, He is the underlying bed to which all concepts are derived from. I cannot erase Him, but He can make it so nothing ever dies again.


    Even tangential, non-sensical arguing of the meaning.


    "I am keeping this until we are done with the trip!"


    "We can''t just bring a soul with us! It is irresponsible!"


    "Soul? All I see is a living mortal passed out on my aftcastle!" He goes and my eyes widen in shock as I register that. He restored the soul back to a state of living!? No, no... This is unacceptable!


    "Father!"


    "Son!" He replies back with, clearly not taking my protests seriously, not in the slightest. Either because He is my father or because He knows eternally how much control He has over everything. Even with this indescribable dampener He has placed on His own power.


    "Give the so-" I start to raise before I suddenly find myself on the family ship with my body now the form of a child. Dressed in my usual attire, but, as per His will, suited to one a child in form.


    "Shhh, you are scaring my little Sunshine." Father gently scolds as He rubs the head of my youngest brother, the one who supposedly died when all the stars were blown out. Little, forever afraid Ihtuntar. Noticing the soul, however, I make a dash for it, only for the mortal to vanish from right in front of me as I fall down with a bang.


    Grumbling, I get back to my feet, dusting my trousers off, "Fine... If this is how we are doing this... Once we are done, you will give the soul back to me so I may deal with it in the proper manner?"


    "I will ensure it goes back to the world of mortals, yes." Father assures me, but, even then, my eyes narrow as I try to comprehend every possible thing He could mean. Him and His semantic games have always led to the undesired result once all is said and done. Though, while I am here, I guess I should visit Waionr and have him erase this mortal from the databanks as it were. Just in case.


    I do not want my brother to have a soul that I should be taking care of, he will understand.


    "Fine, but, can you send me back now, then? I would like to bring my hounds back to me if I am to be stuck with you for the time being." I moan as I dig around my pockets for my whistle.


    "Oh, I suppose." He tells me as I am sent back to the misty, recreation of the mortal world. Though, still in my child form, rather annoyingly. Rubbing Atarifuge''s belly as I am now barely taller than them, I place the whistle to my lips. Letting out a hearty blow, its song rings out across the world in an instant.


    From the northern or southernmost pole to the deepest mine, all the way to the core of the planet.


    Tapping a quiet, impatient rhythm with my right foot, me and Atarifuge wait for his fellow pack members to arrive. Six forms soon erupt from the shadows and I step out towards them for the sake of it. Glancing up at the largest of my hounds, a mastiff beast of a creature, I stroke his chin. Admittedly, as I am now, I feel almost intimidated by such a large, shadowy creature that Father often likes to refer to as my personal horse.


    It''s a joking intimidation, admittedly and there is a lovely thing about being shorter than this hound in particular.


    "Now, let''s see, just to make sure you are all here and not at all to spite Father... Atarifuge, you were already here. Hadeshstation, bit hard to miss you, Big Boy. Segaansallis currently has Apothriox wrapped around him, very unbecoming of a hound, but fine. And Inteneshgal, Stadhelia and Perspluotco are all here as well, good. Good..." I let out, with the last three named hounds charging me down so they can bully me with licks and nuzzles.


    I try to laugh to spite my annoyance, but, I can''t and I get up with a straight face as I pat the trio, "Sorry mortal soul, it seems you will be stuck with us for a short time. I can only apologize in advance if I can''t bring you to peace."

 V3 Incline 2: Nin

    A groan leaves me as I wake up, the kind that is typical of someone who wants, but mostly needs a little more time in bed...


    "This... This isn''t Rose''s tent..." I find myself saying as I sit up on the source of comfort I had been inexplicitly put on. Strangely as well, despite knowing how confused I am, I can''t seem to find the capacity to express it. Everything feels blank and irrelevant. Staring down at my two human hands, my mind starts to slow.


    My hands, my actual hands!


    "Ok, seriously, what''s going on, what happened?" I pointlessly ask as I fail to force my memory through the blackness currently occupying it. Why can''t I remember anything up to a very specific point? I remember doing a thing of importance with Rose, giving her what she wanted so I could safely get Dandelion out... No, that''s not important, why am I in a wooden building with no idea of how I got here?


    Looking around the neat, but simply decorated room, my head comes to a stop as I spot a creature. With four legs and a coat of darkness, this thing made of shadows moves its head. I blink uncaringly at the sight as my mind acts the exact opposite, and again, I cannot figure out how to be shocked. The creature''s tongue rolls out as it pants with what seems to be a smile on its long face.


    "Shadowy creature... You are one of Undwote''s?" I guess as I clench the quilt tighter with something I once knew only through murals and stories staring me down. If I am able to see this creature, then that means I am dead. Then, where is the rocking chair I know the God of Death has, where is the smoke and mist? I can''t be dead if these things aren''t also around, right...?


    Rose must''ve given me something strong and Vapooliar had to drag me somewhere. This is just some creature native to these awful, strange lands. Simply inspiration for Undwote''s myths. I am staying in someone else''s home by the grace of their charity.


    I''m going to get up, go out that door and find Vapooliar, Vadei or Dandelion lingering around!


    This lack of care for my situation is concerning, but I can''t seem to be anything but apathetic to it. Maybe this is for the best, I seemed to have had a good night''s sleep as nothing is damaged. The bed is fine, not a mess at all. Got over those nightmares pretty quick and easy, then.


    Would like to smile at this, though...


    Shaking my head as I stand up, my mind passes over the fact I am in my old work attire. Boots, overalls, it''s all here and all nice and clean. As if nothing bad ever happened to me. Hm.


    It was all a dream and I just woke up from it? Vapooliar, Vadei, the bugs, they''re all not real? I guess this place makes sense for a room from a somewhat modestly high floor. However, that does not account for the creature in the room, nothing like this has ever existed in Tobaballe.


    Reaching for the doorknob, the creature emerges from the crack in the door. Looking down at it as the thing nudges me back into the depths of the room, I try to push it away. Yawning or something, it then lays down to block the door. Kneeling beside it, I start to rub its great long belly.


    "Do you want me to wait?" I ask as the shadows making it up reveal their soft texture to my curious palm. Must be a magical feature of the animal, but, again, why is there a magical creature in Tobaballe? The golden liquid I saw Iishar drink, of course!


    Getting up, I head back to the bed and sit down on it as I hum out my thoughts. A decent amount of time just goes on by and the shadowy creature picks up on the muffled noise heading this way. It responds with vigorous barking and shoots up to bounce about. Watching the door open, a variety of more shadowy animals walk in along with a strangely, albeit well-dressed child.


    Short, white hair that reminds me of snow and I rub my arms as a chill takes hold.


    "Ah, you are awake, that is good. I can only apologize for your current situation, you poor thing." the boy says with a tone that sounds way more refined and dignified than a child should have. Doesn''t sound like he gets to have much fun, must have quite strict parents. They take out a smoking pipe, but, I do not move to take it from him. Odd, so very...


    My hand slowly reaches for the back of my head as he sits down in a simple, four-legged chair by a small table.


    "No, keep him like this, it is probably best until we can explain the situation to him." this boy says to literally no one before he takes a puff from his pipe. The chair is now somehow a rocking chair and it is going back and forth. One of the shadow things rubs against his legs. It looks a bit like a sausage, curiously enough, what, with its long belly and all.


    "Who are you?" I ask the boy as I continue to watch the odd behaviour of the smoke coming from his pipe. It''s rising up like normal, but it''s all cloistering in the upper corner of the room into what looks like a dense web.


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    "Me? I am your caretaker." he answers with a small smile and an expression that seems to hint at currently ongoing frustration. I tilt my head as his words repeat in my head, my caretaker...


    "Never had one in all my life, certainly don''t need one now." I retort as he glances my way, then towards the corner as if someone is there. Is he the kind of kid with an imaginary friend or something?


    "See, that''s the thing, you don''t have one anymore, you are dead." the boy speaks matter-of-factly.


    "What...? I am clearly alive." I nearly want to laugh out even though I cannot.


    The boy shakes his head, a tint of sadness in his eyes, "No, Young One, you are dead... And once we are done here, I have a duty to put you to rest in the proper manner."


    "No... I am clearly alive." I assert in denial even though I seem to know that this boy is not lying to me, somehow.


    He clicks his tongue and the seven creatures rise up and form a regimental line, "Tell me, how many hounds here are made of shadow?"


    Looking at the creatures as all seven look directly into my eyes, a non-existent blockage appears in my throat. There is one absurdly bigger than the rest, there''s the small and sausage-like one. One is very fluffy looking while another seems to lack a tail completely. Three of them seem to be the same outside of their shades, different tones of darkness.


    "Seven..." I answer as a frown firmly settles in. Keeping up with the looking from side to side, I take in as many different details as I can regarding these ''hounds.''


    "And who is accompanied by a pack of seven shadowy hounds?"


    "Undwote." I answer as something I dismissed instantly comes back to my mind. It''s all here, the pack with seven members, the thick-smoking pipe and even a rocking chair from nowhere. Even the clothes this boy is wearing are starting to remind me of the art and sculptures I have seen before.


    "Yes, I am Undwote. God of Death first and foremost. I have other duties, yes, but they are largely secondary, though I am more than happy to discuss them with you... Given the uniqueness of your situation right now."


    "Wait... If you are Undwote... Why don''t I care...?" I ask, confused, even though none of this emotion is being shown. It''s scaring me and not even that is coming through. Why is my face stuck straight!?


    "My loving and uncaring brother here is keeping you in check emotionally. Thank you for that, by the way. He is doing it so we do not have to worry about any complications your realisation may bring. Given you are a mortal who now knows he has died earnestly and truly. Again, I am sorry but your situation could not be avoided, no matter how hard I have argued the precariousness of it."


    "Is this brother particularly small or something?" I ask as I try to find this brother he spoke of to no avail.


    "No, he is about the same size as me... When I am not in this state." they answer fine at first before the chewing of the mouthpiece becomes particularly loud. His brow sets and eyes narrow as a bit of the smoke finds its way out of his nose. The boy then turns to an empty spot in the room and I follow his eyes.


    "And his name is...?"


    "Apahthein."


    "The Apathetic One?"


    "Yes, that is him, do you believe in him? It is somewhat important you do, Mortal."


    "I do...? Never seen much reason not to." I answer with a shrug as I start to blink rapidly. Is something there?


    "Keep looking." Undwote harmlessly scoffs quietly. A strange mist clearly forms, with the face of a person hidden within it.


    "Hello." it greets uncaringly as it keeps its attention forever on the move.


    "Hi... So... Uh... Undwote... Why am I here?"


    "That is difficult to explain as there is quite a bit to unpack from the carriage. For now, I am going to advise you just let it slide. Hopefully, you won''t have to keep living like this for much longer." they explain nebulously and rather concerningly.


    "I''d like to think being alive is rather good..." I say as my hand grips a leg to test the feeling of warmth pumping through it.


    "If you never died, I''d agree wholeheartedly. But, you did, sliced into two by one marked by my war-focused brother. Honoured by the concept as he so is."


    "No scar?" I ask as I peek beyond the buttons of my overalls.


    "No, as you weren''t in your body when you died. You turned into an osibindah." he explains, sorrowfully.


    "I was turned into a bug...?" I say as I stare down at my right arm, the one that should not be the way it is right now. I guess, this boy is telling the truth, I know my arm turned. I felt everything that had changed and I wanted to get rid of it. There is an odd feeling now, having four fingers rather than half the amount.


    Looking at my clothes again, I frown... I must''ve died some time ago, before I even left the mountain. Maybe before I even met Vapooliar and the others at the camp.


    "I am afraid so." the boy nods as he seems to restrain himself from coming over.


    "Why am I not upset over this...?" I ask as I try to force something out. Anything...!


    "Apahthein is manipulating your ability to be emotional."


    "Can he not!? Not now..." I beg as I turn to the formless sibling.


    "Ease up a little, then, Apahthein. Enough so that soft emotion can make its way out." Undwote, the God of Death, says to Apahthein, the God of Apathy.


    Tears quickly form in my eyes as the features of my face depress as far as they can go. Tightly clenching the bedsheets, I try to take it all in. My mind fills up with one word and one face. Sorry and Vapooliar.


    It repeats again and again.


    That''s right, I was right on top of Rose and I was about to... When something happened, Vapooliar would''ve come in to save the day. She would have seen me become one of them completely. Poor Vapooliar, I know how badly the hive affected you but I...


    If she thought of me as a friend and was the one to kill me...


    The one who killed me was blessed by Waionr, it had to have been her. Sure, that description applies to any soldier, but, it could''ve only been Vapooliar. As a bug it would all come out without restraint, this power that saw me lift a towering set of weights into the sky. The mountains I have scarred forever with that strange, spongey rock magic.


    "As I am not a mortal, I am not too sure on if it works. But, would you like to move outside of this cabin? My experience with humans and other like-minded species over the aeons I have existed for leads me to believe a breath of fresh air can help calm you down." the God of Death tells me as he gets up and offers me a hand, silly as it might be. A child offering his hand to a grown man who is currently crying with all he has...


    Ignoring him, I cover my face as tremors strike my body.

 V3 Incline 3: Nin

    "So why am I dressed like this?" I ask as I miserably approach the door out of here. Undwote grasps the doorknob and looks back towards me with a ponderous glint.


    "When you stopped being you, that is how you were dressed." he answers as he turns the knob so we can leave. But, first, his Pack of Seven rushes out onto what must be wooden decking, going by the sound.


    "So, where am I exactly?" I ask the pipe-smoking child as we then walk out into a strange open space, reminiscent of a tunnel.


    The door closes behind us with a modest thud, "You are on my Father''s ship, the Vightorhian."


    What sounds like lightning is coming from over the side of the ship. Strings of blue brighten up the edges in an aura of the same colour, yet, on the vessel itself, light is normal. As if the Orbital-Halo is up in the sky on a clear day like I experienced with the aelenvari. I know I have never been on a ship before, but this looks very different to what I have heard.


    There are pole-like towers, but no wind-grasping sails mounted to them. I cannot even catch a hint of oars on the synchronised move, it''s just those tendrils of what must be magic. This thing is more so crawling its way through this subterranean tunnel than sailing. Watching the ship''s means of propulsion some more, I watch as it slings out at a forward angle, steadily moving the other way.


    The process repeats again and again across a dozen different arcane ropes a side.


    This is quite the grand water-goer as well, as it looks like the distance is far enough that I would exhaust myself running from end to end. Walking, not running. It''s not as wide as it is long, though, thankfully. With the room I was in only being neighboured by a dozen other doors.


    One door, in particular, stands out. A mixture of plentiful decoration and the fact it is at the exact centre of this wall I am facing. There''s a small sign above this door, but, at this angle, I cannot read it properly. Though, if I step closer, I feel like I can read it, which surprises me as being able to read something is a first.


    "This all seems rather empty." I comment as my eyes pass back over the open space of the top deck. They land on him just as he starts to pet one of his hounds, leaning over the side of the ship as he does so. A trail of smoke flows away from his pipe and mouth before he sounds off with a heavy-breathed snort.


    "There''s no crew for this ship as Father handles it all from up there on the helm," he explains as his now free left waves limply to the nearby set of stairs.


    I nod as I spot another set of them even further on what is my current left.


    "Everyone else is usually in their rooms doing something, most often their divine duties. Or, it''s the kitchen or craftsman area." he explains further as he gently pushes himself up and off the edge.


    "So are all the gods here or is it just you two, those seven and your father?" I ask as I gesture to everyone I have referenced, giving a general area at the end of my sentence.


    "Not sure if all my brothers and sisters are present, but I know a few are here. But, it is in the realm of possibility that Father brought all of us here. Some might have just decided to stay secluded in their rooms or are intentionally hiding themselves away in other areas of the ship. As Father can be a handful at times."


    "I heard that!" the God of gods in question remarks. I blink as that sounded as if He was right next to us, but He isn''t.


    "Counting on it." Undwote grumbles as he knocks some ash out of his pipe bowl.


    "So... Which of your brothers and sisters do you know are present?" I ask, hoping I might be able to meet them so I can occupy my mind with something nicer. Even with a god invoking their power against me, I still feel miserable knowing what I do now. I am dead, it is as simple as that...


    A bit of child-like wonder might do me some good, like how I was when I saw Anvil-Peak for the first time. Now I might get a chance to meet the Thunder God himself, he might be here! The one I am craft-bound to, the one you hear so much about growing up. All the stories of heroism and gallantry, the source is maybe only a short walk away.


    "Let me think... Ihtuntar, God of the Sun, is up there with Father. Or, was, rather, he... Nevermind. There''s Waionr and Thurnmourer, God of War and God of Creation. My ever so slippery sibling, Jaadagoren. There''s the ever-opposite duo of Aahtha and Motrtha, the Goddess of Pleasantries and every kind of pleasure you can think of. Motrtha, as I am sure you are aware is ironically the Goddess of Motherhood. But, don''t let her know I said that." he explains, smirking with sinister brotherliness.


    "I have a feeling you are not even halfway done." I say as he seems to prepare himself for another round of names.


    "You''d be right. The God of Life-Within-Water is here, Oceniater. Avanvenger as well, God of Vengence. Be mindful around him, he can be petty. Then there''s Sraacdchammu who I believe is over there somewhere, exercising, keeping his form up, pointlessly. Clohniq is downstairs with the eldest making clothes, probably. Oramvaleood is likely talking to him-herself over some plight of morality. Well, if I keep going, even I might die listing off every sibling." he jokes at the end, smiling a little as I nod along.


    "I am fine meeting your whole family, not much else for me to do, anyway." I say as I lean about to try and find the God of Masculine Form. Might as well and try and be a bit envious of what the perfect man looks like in person. Who knows, maybe he''ll pass a compliment my way for how strong I got. I don''t really care at this point...


    "It would be impossible," he huff bemusedly, "I am having trouble remembering them all even with my never-ending age and wisdom. A wealth of knowledge so vast you would not even be able to comprehend its scale even if I sat you down in a manifestial library."


    "How come you don''t know everything, then? You live forever, you have literally all the time in the world to learn." I ask, slightly curious as to why a god would have trouble recalling something.


    "Technically, we all do know everything. But, in reality, no. Father does not like it when we are true to our nigh-omnipotent selves and he often shackles what we can do. Only Chaos and Order get out of this mollycoddling, but those two are a unique case compared to the rest of us." he explains as he rubs one of his hounds by the snout.


    "I always found that odd... That Chaos and Order are just named after basic words, unlike the rest of you." I say as I recall some mythological trivia, barely.


    "Well, they are really called Cuhayos and Ordoar, but those two words literally mean Chaos and Order. So, as mortal tongue developed, so came different words." Undwote explains as I look up the stairs that apparently lead to his father.


    "Why not just call them Chaos and Order from the get-go, then?" I ask and the God of Death shrugs casually as he teeths the mouthpiece of his pipe.


    "Go up and ask Father yourself, then, He''s right up there. But, my personal theory as to why He changed their names the way He did is because He wants to hide something. Strange as it might sound, Father was a former mortal. Despite His eternal age, He has never seemed to let go of that. His past still haunts Him, even though His family keeps trying to help Him. Though our love isn''t enough it seems." Undwote rather miserably finishes with.


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    "Well... I guess I will go an introduce myself? Or does everyone already know who I am...?" I say as I start to get bogged down in my wondering. Undwote taps his pipe on the ship''s side and puts it away into his vest.


    "No, no one here knows who you are, in theory. I was never able to do what I needed to do with you so we are not formally met either. You are still a mortal soul I found wandering a youthful battleground." he explains to and I nod down at the small god.


    "Okay, then, uh, I am Nin Urtuan, nice to meet you two." I greet, looking at Undwote and then Apahthein who is showing an impossibly rare moment of interest.


    "Same to you, then. As you know, I am Undwote and this is Apahthein, say hello again, Brother." Undwote says then encourages as his cloudy brother seems to float away.


    "Hello." they go as they disappear into the wind.


    "Now these seven are Atarifuge, Segaansallis, Hadeshstation, Apothriox, Inteneshgal, Stadhelia and Perspluotco." Undwote explains as he pats each of the hounds in turn. The one who''s been with me since I woke up, one with a pointy face and one who is the largest by far. One with an elongated body and the three who are mostly just different shades of shadow.


    Like a deep darkness, a shadow bathed in light and a fairly typical one.


    "This is a lot of names to remember... Feel like I am going to end up using nicknames for everything." I say, shaking my head slightly as I start to regret not taking up religious philosophy. I am now in awe of the priests who have to memorise each god and goddess as part of their recitals.


    Undwote chuckles lightly as he reaches for something, "You best find a way to remember their names or they won''t answer unless you blow on this," a small whistle spins around his extended index finger.


    "Well, guess I am doomed." I say as he puts the whistle away and then gestures them off.


    "Can''t be worse than your current situation, now, let''s go meet Father. As He is the one responsible for your current predicament." Undwote explains as he starts to ascend the steps up to the back of the ship.


    My boots hit the wood as I walk after the deceptively young-looking diety. With each step, the sound of someone humming a rather instrument-sounding tune becomes louder. Thinking back to the names Undwote gave me, the first name sticks out. The God of the Sun and Stars, Ihtuntar.


    The Dead God.


    "So... Uh... I thought Ihtuntar died? Like, wasn''t that the reason the Orbital-Halo was made? It was a memorial for him?" I ask Undwote quietly, just in case this is the sort of question I shouldn''t be asking. The God of Death turns to me and frowns deeply, his focus shifts about and it becomes clear he is thinking.


    "No, Ihtuntar did not die." he answers slowly.


    "Then why...?"


    "We gods cannot die unless our concept disappears. For example, as I am the God of Death, the very concept must vanish before I can die. Though, ironically, that would keep me alive, me dying. However, with say... My sister, Motrtha, if all forms of motherhood in every conceivable fashion were to vanish, she''d disappear." he explains.


    "Ihtuntar is a special case?" I ask as I awkwardly tap the handrail.


    "Yes, I guess you can call it that. When what happened, happened... His dream and what he wanted to do with the mortal world died. All traces of everything he made within all of the universes we created are gone. Stars are but a word now, a synonym for the betrayed, the backstabbed, the gone. Though... To get it off my chest to someone outside of the family, while I do not want to blame Father... It is His insistence that we be in these limited, child-like states around Him that prevents Ihtuntar from moving on with it. If my younger brother is always a small child, he will always be a terrified, small child."


    "I''m sorry I asked..." I say with uncertainty.


    "Do not worry, Nin. I try to honour my younger sibling by being optimistic, as, did you know, he is actually the God of Optimism? Maybe he has his own reasons for staying uninvolved with the mortal world now, but, I hope he tries again."


    "So the Orbital-Halo..." I say, to get the topic changed, if only slightly.


    "Yes, we built it so that the last mortal world would still have light while being protected from the nothing it is settled in. I am not talking about space, your world exists in a backdrop of truly nothing. No dimensional walls or time to place it in, nothing." he nearly spits with some aggravation in his behaviour. Little jumps and a firm grip.


    "Why not just... Fix everything, then? Have Thurnmourer be what he is and just... Fix it." I say and Undwote''s mood falls even more.


    "After the betrayal of the... Fourteen Moon Gods," he starts of with, rolling his eyes as a distasteful tone spits out but one name of the Fourteen, "Father banned our involvement with mortals. To prevent something like this from happening again. I blame myself, somewhat in this regard. The Fourteen... Ah, they said no at first, but, we should''ve let him get involved when he did show interest. That envy that built up within him fourteen times over has done none of us any good."


    "So... I am walking on eggshells talking about Ihtuntar and the Moon Gods?" I ask as I carefully watch his mellowing expression. It is rather interesting to hear a god''s side of things when it comes to myths and the stories I was raised on. But, it''s also clear that even these ancient beings have their limits on certain subjects.


    "Nothing is stopping you, if that is what you are asking. You are already dead after all, a soul given temporary form once again. An outlier if there ever was one to use as the accompanying example to the dictionary definition." Undwote explains and I nod, slowly.


    "So nothing bad will happen if I ask?"


    Apahthein''s influence over me trembles ever so slightly.


    "I can offer you no certainty, Nin. Just know that my Father''s ire can be troublesome in a way nothing else can be." the God of Death warns as we take the final steps up the stairs, coming near-enough face-to-face with the father of all of reality.


    Surprisingly, He is quite human looking and He doesn''t seem to be that much taller either. The clothes He wears are unmistakenly foreign in design but they have a slight similarity to them. I swear I have seen something like it in my ancient history textbooks back from when I was in school. Rimmed and squared by golden threads, a largely lapis lazuli set of robes covers Him from head to toe.


    A few polished silver buttons here and there along with a plethora of many kinds of gemstones.


    His skin is pale with an almost blue undertone that seems to draw out a reddish tone from me, somehow. With eyes that look like a cloudy sky and hair that makes me question if it is the blue or grey that is dyed on. The towering hat He wears hides his hair mostly, but, this thin, jaw-rimming beard of His that ends on a sort-of goatee gives me some insight. A very strange mixture of blue and grey, almost like a precious stone of some kind.


    Blue granite, is that a thing?


    Something moves near the leg of the Equilibrium, revealing itself to be a small child. With eight balls of light orbiting him harmlessly, this kid''s clothes strike me as dangerous. And bright. So, very, very bright.


    His hair is something else, though, an abyss of pitch-black speckled with dots of white and other colours. Bright, colourful clouds are spread over some patches like weird birthmarks. All on a small package of tanned-esque skin with a pair of burning eyes. Two swirling masses of yellows and oranges that I can almost seem to hear burn.


    The Father of All opens his mouth, "Well, well, would''cha lookie here mah boys! We got ourselves a wayward mortal!"


    "Because of you..." Undwote grumbles as he pulls out the smoking pipe once again. His father spins the wheel carelessly and the younger brother starts to hide behind the captain''s legs once more.


    "Uh, hi." I go with a slow wave.


    "Nice to meet ya! Now, what in the bloody flying fuck are ya doin'' on me aftcastle?" the God of gods asks with continued, aggressive enthusiasm.


    "That''s enough now, Father. I am bringing the mortal up here so he can be properly introduced to you. Seen as you insist I not be allowed to finish my job before dragging me along!" Undwote goes as he steps closer, blasting a cloud of smoke up at the wheel-holding god.


    "Right, sorry, Undies." Equilibrium smirks out as Undwote growls quietly before stepping back.


    "...I... I am Nin, Nin Urtuan." I say awkwardly as I watch the two go for each other''s proverbial throat.


    "Nice to meet ya, I be this miserable sod''s Pa. But, as you probably already know, you can either call me Equilibrium or, maybe even my old name, Kyarverin!" Equilibrium... Kyarverin goes. The Father of All starts to nudge Ihtuntar away from his leg.


    "No..." he sweetly whines.


    "Don''t worry, he won''t do anything. Say hi, Sunshine." Kyarverin encourages quietly against his ear with playful shakes.


    "H-H-Hello..." the boy stammers before retreating to the safety of his father''s legs once again.


    "Well, you have any questions for Father?" Undwote asks after he taps me with the mouth-end of his smoking pipe.


    "Maybe later, I think you can answer most of my questions for now." I say as I continue to pick up on the tension between the two divine beings. The God of Death smacks his lips as he nods once, firmly.


    "Come on then, I will give you a tour of the Vightorhian." the God of Hasty Walk-Outs tells me as I follow him back down the stairs.

 V3 Incline 4: Nin

    "Up front, the prow of the ship. From there is one of the ways down into the interior of the ship. My brother, Sraacdchammu also happens to be here by the looks of it." Undwote explains as we walk along the length of the vessel. His small hand gestures eagerly towards what appears to be a marble-skinned man in only his underwear. Some kind of dark, metallic skeleton also frames this god in the closing distance.


    Whatever this divine man of men is doing, I feel like it can be easily mistaken for dancing. He drums his chest with clenched fists between shaping his body into many different athletic postures. Each one clearly needs a finely toned body before you even attempted to do it. I wonder what he is like as a person, I was never really someone who attended his gyms nor did I worship him.


    In life...


    I shake my head clear as we come to a stop near the peculiar-skinned god, "Hm, oh, hello elder brother!"


    The giant of a man waves down at us as he comes to a thudding stop. This god even offers me the same kind of smile and wave and I can''t help but return it. This god is bloody huge...! Definitely the kind you''d love to hide behind, but hate to be in front of when he wears a scowl.


    "Sraacdchammu." Undwote greets, "This is Nin, he''s the soul I told you about earlier while he was still getting some of that awkward shut-eye."


    "The one who was turned into a puppet for that thieving species?" he asks as he looks down at me with a frown, making me shuffle backwards slightly. I wince noticeably with a slight jump, the words tender in meaning.


    "That''s the one!" the God of Death chirps with a break in his voice that leaves him smirking at it.


    "Well, it is nice to meet you then, Nin. As you heard just now, Scraacdchammu is my name. Now, come see me later if you can, assuming you are able. The ship was not really built with mortals in mind." he tells me and while his offer is serious-in-tone at first, he lightens up at the end. My eyes watch his fingers as he drums the ribcage that is likely on top of his actual ribcage. Assuming gods have ribcages...?


    "So... Uh... How come you are made of rock and metal? I thought you were meant to be the god of... Well, this." I ask, gesturing to my own, flimsy, skinny arm as a reference. Honestly, I am sure I just insulted a god.


    "I am made up of the same components as mortal men, yes." he answers, smiling as he leans on a nearby crate.


    "You do not look like flesh and blood..." I say as I fail to keep a steady gaze.


    "We both have blood, but neither of us truly have flesh. I still remember the days the first humans were born when Thurnmourer stumped his thumb hammering a mountain together. Seeing your very first ancestors crawl out of the clay like that was quite interesting." the God of Masculine Form reminisces with a huff.


    "Father threw quite a fit seeing the first mortals..." Undwote quietly comments as his brother nearly laughs at him.


    "How dare you share your power with mortals!?" Sraacdchammu mimics in a big and ''scary'' manner.


    "Took a while for him to get that it just came with being human. Being able to call upon the divine forces of creation, or, magic, as they have come to know it as." Undwote explains as he fiddles with his pipe as it comes out briefly from his pocket.


    "So how is magic, then, Nin? Your body doesn''t seem to know what to do with it!" Sraacdchammu chuckles as he leans closer to me, though, remaining at a respectable distance.


    "You can tell?" I go as I look at my left hand before I start to remember how it felt. Magic has been a mixed bag for me, it was so terrifying at first. It still scares me, knowing that I now can... Could?


    I shake my head again.


    "Well, it''s been nice meeting you. But, what were you doing, right before we got here?" I ask as I get my mind back on track.


    "Preparing myself for the usual that happens when Dad calls on us to spend a few nights on this ship." the god explains nebulously.


    "How do you know days are passing? This is a cave and the only light is... Whatever is happening up here and the sparks over on the sides." I ask, gesturing to each of the things I have yet to wrap my head around.


    "Clocks." he answers with a simple smile and now I feel a little stupid.


    "So, where are we anyway, you two?" I switch over to so I can quickly get to forgetting this feeling. Glancing about, I focus on the strange, almost sparkling rock up, down and around.


    "We are in the Orbital-Halo itself." Undwote goes with a matter-of-fact tone as he joins his brother on a crate. The white-haired boy hands over his smoking pipe and the nearly skull-faced man inspects it.


    Staring about, flabbergasted at the fact I am in the Orbital-Halo, Sraacdchammu opens his mouth, "So, I assume you are taking him across the ship in a bit of a Z to meet everyone else?"


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    "That would be right." Undwote nods.


    "Well, when you get to our queens of the kitchen, would you mind telling them to put my dinner in one of the microwaves? Going to be busy and I''d prefer to eat once I have exhausted myself." the muscle-bound god asks as he bounces his eager feet over and over.


    "Sure, no portions at all." Undwote quietly laughs as he snatches back his smoking pipe. The younger, larger brother then ruffles his white hair and shoves him off.


    "Just try." he threatens ironically.


    "Come on then, you, down we go." Undwote tells me as he briefly grabs my wrist to bring me along. Sraacdchammu gets up and stops us by grabbing my shoulder, turning me slightly.


    "I mean it, come find me when you can, I''d like to talk to you about your pre-death situation." he tells me firmly as I focus on the strange feeling emanating from my pressed-upon skin.


    "I''d rather not talk about it..." I say as I look away towards the cavernous walls of the Orbital-Halo.


    "Trust me, stuff like that comes out much better when someone listens in." he nearly whispers as he clearly urges me to reconsider. I frown with increasing bitter aggression.


    "It doesn''t matter, I am literally dead! Once you lot are done with whatever it is you are doing... It won''t matter if I can get it out of my system." I let out before snapping out of his grip, stumbling forward before I catch myself on a firm leg. I''ll go and meet everyone Undwote is willing to introduce me to.


    "Well, I''ll be there anyway, so do accept my offer, please!" Sraacdchammu insists as my head vanishes beneath the planks, one step after the other. My nose suddenly bursts to life as all these different kinds of smells inexplicitly assault me without warning. Turning back to the top of the stairs, I blink as I distinctly recall the smell of clean air just now.


    Down here has a familiar scent, metalworking, every bit of it. From the shards becoming lethal powder in the air to the chemicals burning your nostrils at the slightest touch. Then, from the far end of the long hallway, the smell of sweet, nutritious cooking. So many smells, some exotic and tantalising, others familiarly disgusting.


    "So what''s down here, exactly?" I ask the small God of Death as I try to protect my nose from the barrage of nasal pleasure and pain. I feel sick, almost, even though I am dead.


    "Workshops for those who''d like to use them. With one way into the kitchen at the far end, but, we''ll keep heading down before visiting there." he explains, raising my spirit, though not literally.


    Thurnmourer has to be on this floor, he has to be, the God of Creation is probably hammering away in a workshop!


    The god my former profession was linked to and the fact he''s always struck me as the coolest god. My weak spot for the mental image of a man wielding a bolt of solid gold on a plane of glass flashes in my head. A boulder crackling with thunder and lightning as monsters and abominations are smashed apart. The first and foremost hero of all the stories I heard growing up!


    I blink as I notice what covers the full length of the ship, all the way to the other end on both sides. Lots and lots of big artillery pieces on little four-wheeled cars, chained up to the walls. Undwote mentioned that Kyarverin handles it all when it comes to crew... So it must be quite something to watch it play out, guns firing off with no one manning them.


    "Why the guns?" I ask as I poke one to see if there is anything else magical about it. Maybe it is like that weird light gun Heiya showed me how to use before we tried to escape.


    "To fight back with." Undwote surprisingly answers.


    "What kind of ship filled with gods needs guns to fight back with?" I question as I really want to know the answer to this. Should I be worried...?


    "Father mostly. He likes yelling out which broadside to fire, how many, what type of shot he wants. That sort of stuff." Undwote explains calmly with little gestures, bringing me out of my growing sense of worry.


    "Oh. So does that mean the workshops make a lot of ammunition for these?" I ask as I notice the racks with filled, spherical slots. Other means of storage are little pyramids of four, with three on a base and one crowning the top. A fingertip touches one of the cannonballs and I am nearly vocal about how smooth they all are.


    "Not as much as you might be expecting, my brother mostly just cleans them or bowls with them."


    "Bowls?"


    "Bowling, a game where you roll balls to knock down a set number of pins." he clarifies for me.


    "It sounds like a game we... I used to play back home in Tobaballe, but we call it Knockdown." I point out as something else comes to mind, and, as is natural, I suddenly have the urge to play it. A small smile comes to my face as I remember the fun I used to have with people from the other towers. We''d change up the play area in so many different ways with rubbish and scrap.


    "You''ll have to show me how your people do it, then. We''ll be on the ship for a while now, so playing a few long games won''t hurt anyone. Well, assuming no one messes around with the cannon shot and hits someone on the head." Undwote goes as he rolls a partially loose ball around its incomplete casing, almost like a globe.


    "If we are meant to roll the balls on the ground, how is anyone getting hit by it?" I ask as one of my brows rise. If I was still a normal human, without this seeming curse of magic, it might''ve made me wince, hearing that. But, I have a memory of being shot right in the head nowadays.


    "I forget who it might have been, maybe it was Ihtuntur as he might as well be forever a toddler. But it would seem, whoever did it, they let go too late and the ball went soaring across the sky. Hitting Jaadagoren right in the back of their head while they were talking to someone." he explains, laughing a little as he gets to the part about the ball flying. He even animates his explanation with action and soaring noises, ending in a comedic crash.


    "Did it hurt?" I ask, making the God of Death come to a ponderous halt. He starts to chew his smoking pipe mouthpiece as his eyes narrow at nothing.


    "I... Don''t actually know. Father enforces and insists on us being in a limited state regardless of if He drags us along or not. And, it was thrown by a god and made by one after all, but, at the same time, we don''t really feel pain in the way a mortal might."


    "If you don''t feel pain then why is the answer not a simple no?" I question, not really getting what he is going on about.


    "It''s complicated, far too complicated to go into given your state of mortality, yes, despite your lack of a living body as well."


    "I''d ruin myself on a metaphysical level by getting an in-depth answer on if a thrown ball hitting the back of a god''s head hurts?"


    "Yes." he goes, nodding with the laconic answer.


    "Alright, I will just take it as yes but no." I shrug out as I start to pay attention to how hot it is now getting. Is this it, maybe, is this where I am going to meet my craft-god? It has to be, the way the metal rings out its song our way with a drumming hammer eliciting sweet cries.


    Bang, bang, bang, a rhythm like thunder!

 V3 Incline 5: Nin

    Coming around the thick, likely oak post, my eyes widen as golden light flashes. A towering figure huddles over a small chunk of abused, but holding-on iron. Though I can see him clearly, each thundering blow lights him up with a fine, electric outline. Short-lived volts arc across his skin, scorched harmlessly black by the never-ending process of blacksmithing by this god.


    Thurnmourer, God of Thunder and Creation.


    A solidly built hand grasps the white-hot item off of the anvil and dunks it into water. Steam blasts into the air and it rumbles as it all becomes a thundercloud at the mere touch of Ancient Thunder. It all starts again as the blackened limb places the cooled metal back onto the anvil. Bang after bang with sparks flying everywhere as the impurities are slammed out of the in-progress work.


    "You will probably have to wait for him to finish if you want his attention. Once he starts working on something... Madman, even getting stabbed in the back won''t stop him." Undwote lets out with what I can only recognise as awe. My mouth opens slightly just as a small jolt of the Thunder God''s power arcs into my spectral saliva.


    Jumping back away as the strong feeling almost burns me, Undwote urges me back. An invisible wall keeps the strength of the first god away and Undwote blows against the hot air. The breath of the freezing god clashes with the fires of the forge. But no mist comes of it, as if something has decreed it so.


    From my newfound spot of safety, excitement suddenly explodes to life in me. It''s him! He''s right there! Thurnmourer, my craft-god!


    Tanned almost black by settled soot and burnt air, very little seems to cover him. A welding-like mask hides his face and equally blackened gloves hide his hands and wrists. I am able to catch a slight glimpse of his hair, coloured like a rumbling sky full of storm clouds. On his front, a nearly recognisable apron of brown leather that has been sprinkled with now dry molten metal.


    Curiously enough as well, and I am shocked that I have only just noticed it, but... My mind has tricked me, there is no hammer, everything that is being hammered. He''s doing it by hand. The metal bends and screams as one fist of iron and the other of steel comes for it.


    When the right one doesn''t get it, the left one will. A baker of ores and alloys, making loaves of weapons and armour. Meals only for the God of War and snacks for the God of Cities and the Home. The Thunderous Blacksmith shuffles about again and returns to the trough of water.


    With his power volting it an almost pure white, the water in the lengthy bin lashes out onto Thurnmourer''s arm. Undwote smirks at me as my brain fizzles out trying to comprehend the sight. Light pings ring out in a well-woven pattern with all kinds of tings to compliment it. The kind of instrument only a god can play.


    What is with this water, though? It wasn''t doing that the last time Thurnmourer quenched the metal... Why is it lashing out for him now as if it is alive?


    A pair of eyes and a mouth appears on the water.


    "Hello, Und-Und-Undwote!" the water stammers as it slips off of the Thunder God, leaving him to go back to his work. The water then forms the naked likeness of a familiar, uncanny man. With nothing dangling, fortunately.


    "Oceniater! Nice to see you are doing well, would have thought you would have been swimming off the ship." Undwote says to the now-revealed water god. They shake their head and fall apart, leaping for my once-turned arm. If it wasn''t for Apahthein''s power, I''d be panicking with vicious flicks of the hand as this living liquid continues to swallow me.


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    "No, no, no, no, no! Thurnmourer wanted my help making a piece of some machine he is building. As he was insistent on me doing it I assume he must be making a new species!" the thing on my arm explains as bubbles rise and pop from what seems to be his centre. With each pop, clearly spoken words come out.


    "That will be interesting to see later then, I eagerly await him being done." Undwote muses as he tries to get a good angle on the Thunder God''s in-progress work.


    "Can you get off me, please?" I quickly go as I try to gently fling him off.


    "No." a single large bubble comes out of the living water.


    "Get off!" I say, raising my voice as my flicks pick up in force.


    "I don''t wan-"


    "Off." Thurnmourer interjects as he stands up from his workplace, revealing just how much muscle his divine flesh holds together. That piece he was holding seems to be resting in the forge fires, going by the strange, spherical shadow. He claps his hands three times, each one growing with bombastic fervour. A head made of water turns back to the standing creator deity.


    Oceniater complies immediately, taking all of his moisture with him.


    Thurnmourer steps forward and takes my chin into his stained fingertips. Moving me from side to side, he lets out a ''hmmm'' of thought. I breathe once and hard as his fingers leave my jawbone. It dislocates slightly and intentionally until I hear a click.


    "Certainly a surprise, Thurnmourer, bored are we?" Undwote comments as he picks up his watery sibling to go and put him into a bucket.


    "Human," Thurnmourer says blankly as he stares me in the eyes, he makes a confused noise, "I never made something like you?"


    "Father took him from me before I could properly deal with him." the God of Death tells his electric brother.


    "Useful." he remarks on the way back to getting back to whatever they were working on.


    "Undwote!" a female voice cheerfully calls out with a hummed song mixed in with it. I blink as I try to figure out where she came from, a brief glance at her heels says I should''ve heard her...


    "Clohniq." Undwote greets with a simple nod as I find myself suddenly wrapped in measuring tape. Nearly sliced and diced into spiritual chunks by the firm edges of the marked, yellow material.


    "Undwote... You know you love me...?" the goddess asks cheekily as I am left stumbling about as the tape vanishes. Unfortunately for me, the last of it to go is right around my ankles.


    "I do and no." he answers quickly and decisively as I turn to face the Goddess of Clothes. Just barely catching onto something to stop my fall.


    "Aw..." she moans as she dances past me with a soft, white-gloved hand catching onto my mouth. Turning me around with her as she spins to a stop with a beaming smile.


    With a beautiful, golden tan and a precisely cut set of bangs hiding the part of her face her wide-brimmed hat does not. Silver eyes sneak into view as a tune squirms about her mouth, she tips the black and cream hat back. But, oddly, unlike Undwote, her body is rather mature. Sraacdchammu and Thurnmourer are also not children...


    Did Undwote lie earlier, or is he actually a child, is death young?


    The gloved hand extends a finger to my nose, catching my attention, "Do you like my outfit?"


    She swishes her short dress about, showing off her pantyhose-covered legs and the tops of her brown boots. It all seems to be quite well-woven but my opinion ends there. I guess at worst I am disappointed it is not hugging her body tighter? But, that would go against the obvious, light breezy feel this all seems to have.


    "It has a lot of pockets?" I tell her, noting all the black-outlines on the cream dress. It''s really all I have to say. I... I don''t really have an opinion here, it''s all a bit random.


    "It does, doesn''t it? It has room for all my tools and even a hidden sheath for my sw-" she starts off happily with before stopping.


    Her posture becomes frantic and she rubs and tussles whatever she can.


    "Wait a moment! That is all you have to say!? It has lots of pockets!?" she exclaims.


    "Uh, y-" I start to say before she closes the gap, latching onto me in an almost intimate manner. Feeling the air going into her nostrils, she breaks away in but a moment.


    "Ah HA! Apah! No wonder he is not falling head over heels in love with my clothes! You''re interfering with his sweet, sweet mind filled with praise for me! APAH!" she blabbers before running to the stairs me and Undwote came down.


    A thud breaks down here, past the noises of the blacksmith at work.


    "OW!" the goddess yelps right after.


    "You have... A very interesting family." I say in a somewhat withheld manner. What am I allowed to and not to say!?


    The God of Death smirks, knowingly.


    "I do, don''t I?"

 V3 Incline 6: Nin

    Puffing up his chest, the God of Death waves me along after him. I do, though I refuse to stop watching the bucket as we walk away. Oceniater is mimicking my face. It''s making me shiver.


    "Sooooo... Who is left?" I ask to get the lingering reflection out of my head.


    "Waionr, Avanvenger and Oramvaleood." Undwote lists off as my hand bounces on and over the cannons. So seemingly endless in their mirror-matching bronze sculpturing.


    "What about the others? I know you said a few more names up top." I point out and he shrugs as he brings the pipe out again. He lights it with a match that appears and then vanishes without a trace other than a lil'' bit of lingering smoke.


    "Jaadagoren will find you themself, trust me on that. And Aahtha and Motrtha are going to be at the end of the tour so no point in counting them." he explains as some of the smoke from his burning incense wafts into my nose. Oddly, I can smell good food rather than whatever his preferred dried leaf is.


    "Okay, where will we find them, then?" I ask as I glance at the various marked rooms we are going by. Workplaces of all kinds, pottery, chemical workings, arts and crafts and even something simply labelled ''Chicken Coop.'' Whatever that is.


    "Down on the next floor, likely. The last two are often arguing amongst themselves regarding written law and the morality around it. Situations in general. Hopefully, we can stay out of it." he explains as he shivers at the thought of his dual-minded sibling. Siblings?


    "And Waionr?"


    "His room or one of the empty halls at the bottom of the ship with that lion of his."


    "The Beast of Pride?" I ask as I do not know what the animal he just said is. Then again, I didn''t know what hounds were either until he used them when the Pack of Seven were about. I find it interesting, as I am so used to calling these creatures by titles rather than their species.


    "Yep, that be the one." Undwote chirps.


    "So what is going to happen when we see Waionr, seen as I am dead... And all that."


    "Don''t worry about a thing, I can explain the situation to him later in private. For now, when we see him, I''ll have him remove the memories of you from his axe, Cenotaph. As, even though you are a soul with me right now, his weapon can still register it for burial honours of his variety. You are mine to sort out." Undwote ends possessively, making me let out a short, awkward laugh.


    As we reach the next flight of stairs, I glance through the open door on my right. Within is a beautiful, soft-faced woman with brown hair the colour of nuts. All in a tail that goes over her left shoulder. She doesn''t notice me, but, from a guess at all the cooking stuff in there, this is either Aahtha or Motrtha.


    Though, I am inclined to say it is the Goddess of Mothers. She just seems to have this motherly feel about her with the warm smiles and simple, but beautiful clothes. The kind a crying child can hide themselves in. Or, a husband can spin and twirl as he comes home from work.


    I head down the stairs just as her head moves, "So, what is this floor mostly for? There are more guns but the smells have changed again and everything seems rather narrow now."


    I glance down on my left, towards a small, circular table and the checkered board on it.


    "This is the recreational floor. Games, books, relaxing. All that." Undwote answers as he puts his smoking pipe away. Either was done with it or he is respecting the fact we are now in a much cleaner-smelling deck. But, I am struggling to accept that as the way smells are working here is strange...


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    "What''s going on with the smells? Every time we go down a flight of stairs I''m getting this sudden whiplash as everything changes."


    "Nosungril, God of Air, Smells and Fumes and other assorted lung chokers," Undwote answers quickly as he takes a few hard sniffs, "he does a lot of work to keep everything localised to its deck or room depending on the smell. You are unlikely to see him while also always seeing him. He likes to hide in plain sight."


    "Hello, Nosungril." I greet to an empty spot of air in the event he is nearby.


    "On the right track, there." Undwote remarks as he looks around, seemingly aimless with his gaze.


    "Well, at least I know why I have only ever seen him in text." I say as I recall my schooling years. We never had any pieces of art with him, only symbols and interpretations. But, having experienced it first-hand and having heard from Sraacdchammu directly about magic... Is it possible that Nosungril is the emerald wind that gave me the ability to use magic? He is magic...?


    We are throwing a god''s body about when magic is used?


    "We have all technically seen him, but we don''t see it as him."


    "How come?"


    "What are you breathing right now?"


    "I don''t know, I am sort of not breathing right now, I can''t even feel my heartbeat." I say, worryingly rubbing at my still chest.


    "Well, pretend you are alive, then, what would you be breathing?"


    "Air."


    "Exactly, my theory is that he literally is the very concept he covers and as such we have all met him since the day we are born into this existence by Father."


    I raise a brow at his words, "Don''t you mean born into this world by your mother, Motrtha?"


    "Motrtha is our sister, remember. After Thunder cried thrice, the Equilibrium made a mother to nurture the tearful storm." Undwote clarifies, quoting what I think was a poem.


    "Oh, right."


    "Our real mother, or the one closest to that moniker is..." he starts to say before he trails off, uncomfortable is one way to put his expression. Probably best to not push the topic.


    It remains quiet until we come across a spot in the wall where the doors stop repeating. Within, the sounds of a passionate but calm discussion. Three voices, two men with one stern and the other soft. Then, one female voice who is going far and above with her engagement in the talk.


    She could encourage a revolt with that degree of vocal force.


    "And it looks like we will be coming back later." Undwote goes as he hurries along eagerly.


    "Wait a minute, I just want to get a look at them." I say as I place a hand on the open, gently swinging door.


    "You''ll be joining us for dinner, look at them then!" he pretty much begs as he tugs at my overalls.


    "I''d rather not make a meal awkward staring at someone." I tell him as I open the door slightly so I can get my peek.


    "If they hurt a child, why shouldn''t the parents kill them? You cannot expect the parent not to overreact!" the girl exclaims as a hand rises and goes all over.


    "Because killing them is overstepping your authority as a parent protecting their child. It is murder, simple as the texts make it." the stern man argues.


    "Justice is not defined by the scripture!"


    "I see Enorcoustice in here." I whisper back to Undwote as he decides to peak in from down under.


    "So it is, I have no idea where the other one is, then. Well, let''s go!"


    "Hold on!" I tell him as I brush his hand off.


    "Except it is. All morals derive from the teachings of a people''s code of law. To corrupt your view of it based on personal experience is to admit oneself a criminal. Killing in the defence of something not at risk of being attacked is not justified in any legal sense. Such behaviour is the code of a soldier, not the commoner or the noble."


    The pair... Trio? Bickers as they go back on forth, shifting topics at an incredible rate to no effect.


    With Enorcoustice dressed in the style of an elaborately wealthy and gilded judge. He towers over the others with his strong shoulders and solid posture. Once again, he is not in a child form either. I look back at the little white-haired kid as it scowls at me.


    Returning my eyes to the view within, I look at the ones who could only be Oramvaleood. A strange-looking god and goddess evenly split between two sets of skin tones. Yellow-orange for the woman, dark blue for the man with a split, open chest, making them look like a weird ''x'' if I start looking up from their legs. Swirling, equally-matched energy of the same colours fills the gap between them.


    Only the female side has bandages pressing down on a chest lump which I can only guess to be a certain... Womanly part. A divine monoboob. I look away as the strangely-shaped god and goddess gets to me.


    "Taken in the sights now?" Undwote asks impatiently as he taps a boot rapidly, creating a tense, aggressive rhythm.


    "Maybe a shirt for Oramvaleood." I go as I close the door.


    "They do when they are actually in their child form like they are meant to be."


    "You are the only one who''s looked like a child so far." I point out.


    "Shut up... Ihtuntar looks like one too." the God of Death mutters under his chilly breath as we keep on walking.

 V3 Incline 7: Nin

    "So... Why are you the only one who looks like a child?" I ask as Undwote''s sulking seems to come to an end.


    "Because I am the -only- one who seems to follow the rules!" he nearly growls, throwing a hand up in the air.


    "But if everyone else can get away with it, why do you not?" I point out as I idly spin some kind of globe as we pass by it. The landmasses on it seem familiar, but I am not sure why. I have never seen a map like this yet the feeling of deja-vu-ness persists.


    "It doesn''t matter, they shouldn''t be like that."


    "Even the God of Law, though, was an adult when we saw him." I say and he comes to a stop. Stepping back from the frowning god, he sighs and shakes his head as a hand contemplates the pipe.


    "The hassle during dinner isn''t worth it." he grumbles and I nod ever so slightly, deciding to leave it at that.


    "So, what is this floor?" I ask Undwote as I stop by a door coloured a deep, brown-afflicted red. Lined with gold and other shinies, a single, glowing sign rests above the doorframe. The language is unreadable, but, it looks fairly simple. Each letter is fairly straight and linear by the looks of it as if a simple, two-dimensional building can be made with them.


    "Bedrooms." the God of Death answers as he tests the lock on one of them. A dark door with a smaller, square one settled in its lower half. Cold mists barely escape through the gaps under it like smoke in a house fire.


    "Can... Am I allowed to look inside a god''s bedroom?" I put out there, just in case the answer might actually be yes. I have no idea what to expect, maybe it will be fun and strange, or mostly the latter. Who knows indeed.


    "Not unless you are invited into them. Father made sure no one can enter another room without permission, except Him. But you shouldn''t be surprised by that sort of thing." Undwote answers as he lets go of the door handle, satisfied by its unyielding, untampered stiffness.


    "Invited how? I have to hear them say it, they have to physically bring me into the room?"


    "Anything that gets you into the room is what flies."


    "So I could knock on your door and if you say ''come in'' then that would be fine?"


    "Yep, and that is exactly what I will be doing now." he tells me as we approach a door that looks like it is made of pottery. Bronze decorated and painted over with grim, black imagery. A slab of stone is riveted on the upper centre of it, filled with swirling, glowing images. A name starts to form, one that I can read.


    Waionr, God of the War-Fallen Dead...


    Raising his right hand, Undwote knocks on the door and I start to feel tense. The door remains idle and unmoving and he knocks again, harder this time. The God of Death glances at his watchless wrist and a noise suddenly bangs from the other side. A burning roar of some kind, a gun?


    "Yes? a solemn, respectful voice asks from beyond the door. Undwote straightens out and cups his mouth.


    "Waionr, it''s Undwote, I have someone here that I need you to see."


    A long delay arrives and the sound of stuff being moved fills our ears.


    "You may come in." Waionr answers and Undwote eagerly pushes down on the door handle, opening it up. Covering my eyes as light suddenly bears down on us, I follow after my guide and the sound of my boots on wood vanishes. Revealing my vision as the door closes behind us, my jaw opens slightly. This isn''t a room, it''s an entire countryside!


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    Rolling hills of green grass and red, black-dot-cored flowers topped by thick slabs of rock. Flags of so many varieties flutter and catch the winds, a rainbow of heraldry. Carefully marked spots of rectangular, cornered earth and a breeze carrying thick clouds of ash. On some roads and paths further down, cloaked and armoured individuals tend to the endless graves.


    Is that what Vapooliar was meant to be, these are Valkinvar?


    Finding Undwote again, I quietly chase after him as I fail to keep my focus on him. Grand mausoleums and obelisks decorated with gilded names are everywhere. Strange pillars on wheels and machines converted into tombs. Out on the vast expanse of water in the distance are draped ships with some even burning in perpetuity.


    Going over another hill with Undwote, we find the owner of this place, a tanned, bronze-armoured giant. Bright as the sun I got the slightest hints of when I met Ihtuntar, I have never seen such an immaculate polish before. Maybe it is not regular bronze, perhaps it is like the divine metal thunder-gold? Some kind of war-bronze...?


    The God of War removes his helmet, decorated with a wreath of what seems to be scrolls, revealing his clean-shaven head. A pair of golden, consistently sorrowful eyes look towards us. Turning slightly, he reveals the rest of his ornate, muscle-shaped armour. Finely crafted faces cover the well-shapen bronze and their many expressions make me uncomfortable.


    But, compared to the great, double-headed battleaxe he is holding, these feelings are nothing. This strange attraction has spawned within me, a sense of dread towards its divinely forged edge of shining, copper-coloured metal. Like the slab on the door, glowing letters move about the mass of metal. And my name soon appears in full.


    "You have brought a soul to me?" Waionr asks, confused by my presence as he picks up the hefty weapon. Bringing its pommel to the ground, I shake as its power rumbles all the way up to my heart and mind. I cannot look away from my name as it glows powerfully on the axe... As the tales say, once your name is spelt out...


    "To get him off of your axe, Father is preventing me from processing him and I don''t want an accident to happen." the God of Death answers sternly as the divine soldier ponderously juggles his helmet. I step back slightly as Waionr''s weapon, Cenotaph, leans closer.


    "Soul, have you ever sworn a warrior''s oath?" the God of War asks with an unchanging, simple expression. Undwote glares and steps up, offended by the idea that I am stolen.


    "No, he hasn''t..." he answers as his whistle is held threateningly close to his lips.


    "Soul. Have you ever sworn a warrior''s oath?" Waionr repeats as he keeps his eyes on me.


    "No..." I say as I shake my head vigorously.


    "Then give me your hand." Waionr asks and I quickly do as I am told, handing over my right palm. Gulping, the God of War lowers his mighty weapon with one, steady hand. Its weight passes onto me even with the god''s grip and I tremble as I feel it cut deep. Slowly, the blade slices through my soul flesh and it rises away right after, my name fizzling out of existence.


    Staring down at the cut in my palm, I flex it and take in how the deep wound is as well as how it is not hurting...


    "It is done, I can no longer put you to rest." Waionr says to me directly, though, it is probably more so meant for Undwote''s ears. Watching the god carefully, he turns around and gets back to whatever it is he was doing in his... Room.


    "And that is that, time to go visit Motrtha and Aahtha." Undwote goes as he drags me back to the lonely door atop a hill.


    "I never got to say thank you..." I mutter.


    "For what, taking your name off his axe?" Undwote scoffs quietly, missing the point of politeness. I glance once again at some of the figures tending to the graves. If I ever get a chance, maybe I should speak to Waionr about Vapooliar? It seems unfair of her to not be able to get what she has tried so hard to get over one small thing...


    "Hm..." I let out.


    "Come on, let''s not dawdle." Undwote chirps as he drags me the rest of the way through the door. Closing it with a loud, resounding thud as I find my footing on the ship''s decking. I look around and blink, the transition being so taxing on my mind.


    "Yeah..." I go as I stare down at my right hand as a glowing line plays the role of a scar for the moment. Inspecting it closer, thousands upon thousands of bright, pale strings make themselves clear to me. Joining up together, an actual scar forms on my palm. From the corner below my index to the diagonally opposing one on the other side.


    Flexing my hand some more, I remain looking at the god-given mark.

 V3 Incline 8: Nin

    Arriving at the anticipated door, Undwote puts his arm up, stopping me from heading any further. I look down at him after trying to get a glance at whatever unmistakably divine beauty lies beyond the frame. The God of Death closes the door slightly and he gestures for my ear to move closer. I oblige him for the moment as his expression turns serious.


    "I will repeat myself, do not play into Aahtha''s games. Her existence is to pleasure and I sure as every god and goddess I call brother and sister out there do not want her to smell of you."


    I blink at the defensive sibling.


    "I''d also like to avoid smelling her on you." he adds on with a shiver before he opens the door up. Laughter comes out in closely entwined waves and it only becomes clearer as the smell of food is allowed into my lungs. This grand kitchen all feels very high-floor with polished, decorated sides and full spice cabinets. What catches my attention the most, however, is the fuzzy green creature who is half buried in a plant pot.


    "My, my, my... Aren''t we being a bit naughty, hmmm?" the goddess I saw earlier remarks to the creature as it hoots and howls excitedly. Shaking her bemused head, the goddess grips and tears off a long, firm yellow fruit or vegetable with a squarish black tip. Right from where its crotch is...


    "So who are these two?" I whisper down to Undwote whilst he is still near me. But, he seems to ignore me and instead focuses on securing himself in a tight space. He is too slow, however, and after lifting up her light green dress under that brown apron, the goddess rushes him down. Snatching the small God of Death into the air, bouncing him about like the child he is.


    "Undwote!" the motherly goddess cheers with a closed eye smile. Placing Undwote''s head against her restrained bust, she teases the impossibly ancient being with a loving hug. Gently laughing as Undwote struggles, the goddess attempts to maintain the position of his head.


    "Put me down, Mortha!" Undwote squeaks as the obvious becomes fact to me. But, before she does so, she sneaks in a fat, noisy kiss on his forehead. After Undwote stumbles about on his feet, she places a hand on her cheek, showing off an innocent smile all the while. The small, white-haired boy growls up at his physically mature sister.


    I blink, somewhat paralyzed by how beautiful she is, to put it so simply...


    Undwote glares my way after smacking my arm, "As for your question, that monkey in a pot over there is Pluuit, God of Plants!"


    Is Apahthein still keeping me emotionally docile at all? Did Clohniq do something to him, stopping him from doing so? Is this feeling within me so strong it can overpower the strength of the God of Apathy...? Motrtha, such a pretty name.


    "And who might you be, Dear?" Motrtha asks me after she straightens herself out. The small smile she beams my way is contagious and I return one myself, faltering as it may be. For a single moment, my dead heart comes back to life to let me feel a skipped beat.


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    "I... I-I... I am Nin, t-the workplace companion of your younger brother!" I struggle to let out as the humour about my death fizzles away quickly. I frown as I remember so blatantly why I am here, who has been guiding me about this ship... Death himself.


    A warm hand brings me out of my thoughts and my eyes meet her smile again.


    "Since when did you replace your puppies?" Motrtha asks the small, pipe-smoking god before some kind of power snuffs it out.


    Groaning as the final breath of the pipe wafts away, he smacks away a cheek-pinching grip, "Don''t be absurd you insufferable coddler."


    Motrtha jabs for his ear and pulls away, "Do not be rude to me, young man."


    "Stop treating me like a child!" the God of Death strops with a firm stomp.


    "If Dad wants His sons this way then I can only oblige Him. After all, as -the one- allowed to keep a mature form, it is my right." Motrtha smugly laughs as Undwote continues to hold back groans behind vein-throbbing frustration.


    "Oh if only my concept gave me rights to-" he starts to threaten before Motrtha blocks his mouth.


    "Now, about dinner, am I still making separate portions for your hounds or will you make them portions yourself?" she asks as she gets back to working on the overwhelming quantity of plated and bowled food. Placing my hands on the kitchen island, my right hand idly opens up at an awkward angle. Matching my left hand a little as I actively roll it from side to side.


    "You can do it, I don''t have time for that right now. Got this here soul to lead around." Undwote explains as he gestures my way. Catching a glimpse of her hair, I turn to Motrtha as she reaches out and opens my right hand the rest of the way.


    "It doesn''t hurt, does it, Dearie?" she asks as she runs a slender, flawless finger along the wound Waionr left.


    "No... No it does not." I answer as my arm nervously quakes.


    "Well, let me just get a bandage for it any-" Motrtha starts to say before heels loudly announce someone''s arrival.


    "Hmmm? What have we got going on in here?" Iishar Ho of all people asks as she struts in with dangerously revealing white lingerie. I blink in confusion as she sets herself up on a small, secluded table with crossed-over legs. Already dense flesh seems all the wider because of it.


    Feeling a little heated, I turn to Undwote as he growls at Iishar.


    "Un... Undwote, why is Iishar Ho here!?" I demand to know as I hear my heartbeat within my ear canals.


    "Aahtha. It''s my sister and it seems like she''s picked up on your desires-"


    "Not entirely..." the Goddess of Pleasure answers disappointedly as she looks slightly over at Motrtha, seemingly enviously. A finger slips down to the thick, white line banding her thigh and she tests the compressing stocking.


    "Close your eyes, block your ears, shut off your brain and clog your circulatory system with the mother of all blood clots, Human!" Undwote demands of me as my eyes keep heading Aahtha''s way. She giggles between my unstable glances and waves as she lets the laughter move that pair of dark-skinned, pleasure mountains.


    "But why is she Iishar Ho!?" I ask as I force my eyes shut.


    "Because clearly you had the hots for her when you were alive! Aahtha is whatever your heart desires the most. Just desire a figure of light and you''ll see her true self." Undwote explains as the taps of heels suddenly echo up to me from so very close. A developed body presses up on my backside.


    Hot breath blows near my ear...


    "So, Nin... I have reason to suspect that you are quite eager to be pleasurably distracted right now." she correctly points out as her gloves hands unbutton my ghostly overalls. Slipping ever closer to my bare, spiritual chest.


    "A l-little help?" I ask of Undwote as he groans at the goddess currently kissing my bare, spectral neck. Each wet outline feels so nice and it practically burns me alive with tantalizing shivers.

 V3 Incline 9: Nin

    "Now, now, Aahtha, leave the poor boy alone." Motrtha orders the mind-numbingly erotic goddess currently breaking me down. As if I am free of being drowned, I take in as much air as I can through hysteric breaths as my mind clears up. With my body settling down, I stumble about drunkenly and redress my dead body. My eyes turn Aahtha''s way as she is forced out of the room with the final laugh escaping her wet lips as her body lingers so clearly in my head.


    Even though it is just the body of my old, long-since Undwote-visited superior...


    Motrtha sighs my way as she comes over to put me down on a stall she has immediately pulled out. The scrape of the wood''s leg ends lingers in my remembering ears and I watch the far more modest beauty. She starts to go through the cupboards and draws with growing, quiet annoyance. One cupboard reveals a white box that she hastily glances over before she snaps back to it.


    The box with a plain, mildly faded green cross on an upright angle slides onto the island. Motrtha comes back around to me and she brings the box closer, clicking it open before pulling out the familiar item. One of her soft hands takes my freshly scarred one and pries it open, revealing the recent wound to my very being. It starts to vanish, hidden away under an increasingly thick composition of stretched-out fabric.


    "You don''t need to do this, you know..." I let out nervously as I adjust my seating.


    "Nonsense! You have a nasty cut so the least I can do is keep it safe so it can heal."


    "I don''t think it will matter if it heals or not..."


    "And why is that, hmm? An injury left to fester helps no one."


    "Well, I am already dead, I am not alive. Has Undwote not told you this?" I say as I look over towards the lingering God of Death as he idly sits on the stairs up to whatever rests above. The small boy ignores us before he vanishes up his former place of lounging.


    "I know what you are and I do not care one bit. I will not leave you on the wayside because of it. Now, you listen here, if you ever need anything, anything at all, Dear... Just come and find me!" she tells me, slowing down as she ties the final knot on my new accessory. I am suddenly enveloped in a gentle hug, though the recent run-in with the Goddess of Pleasure makes it hard to ignore what my head is against. So soft, so large...


    A beat comes through.


    I frown as the relaxing song lingers in my head. Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud. A calm, simple rhythm that never changes in the slightest. There is only warmth to be found here.


    "Can... Can I get out, please?" I ask with a sigh as I suddenly try to shake and pull out of her grip. Although, to no avail. A cheek-pincher latches on and pulls as my eyes manage to catch a glimpse of hers. She smiles unceasingly until one comes to me with her hand rubbing my head as it grows brighter.


    "Do you have any preferences meal-wise? I am more than happy to put up with another fussy eater." she asks and remarks joyously as she, unfortunately, leaves me be so she can get back to her duties. Whatever she is doing, it confuses me slightly as she is precisely measuring out holes on a golden-yellow square. Sawing them out as my mind slows down to comprehend the question.


    What would I like to eat?


    I... I don''t know, it is such an easy-to-answer question but the vagueness of the answer could lead to something vomit-worthy. Back in Tobaballe I never really had a choice, they just gave you whatever you were entitled to so long as you put in the Effort. And in the flower, Rose''lhia did all the thinking for me with my food, whenever I rarely found myself hungry.


    "Uh..." my brain smokes out as it fizzles under the strain of its failing capacity to function. What do I want to eat? Should I be mindful of her great workload and ask for little and simple? Should I turn the offer down as it won''t matter? What... Uhm...


    "Well, let me put it another way, then. What kind of food do you normally like to eat, Nin?" Motrtha asks as she proudly swaggers up to a cupboard, opening it up and pulling out the sliding compartments. Hard, square objects cover the steel-shine racks completely, so tightly packed that the covers would tear off as you retrieved them. There must be thousands upon thousands of recipes!


    I frown deeper as I try to think back to whatever made me the happiest. Some memories start to come to mind, sometimes when I was hurt, other times after I was full. There was always some room for it, pudding. Sweet, delicious pudding.


    "S-Something sweet, please." I answer, hoping it is enough for the goddess.


    "Sweet as in deserts? Theirs or meat sauces? Fruit?" she asks me as her head turns my way. I shut up out of embarrassment as that answer proves itself to not be enough.


    "I don''t... I don''t know..." I answer too hastily and by the time I want to correct it, it''s already too late in my head.


    "Well, I guess I will make a bit of everything for you, then." Motrtha says as she pulls out an aged book with strange, blockish writing on it. I am almost reminded of birds and the scratch marks their claws often, and frustratingly, leave on paint and paper.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Almost as if the goddess heard my thoughts, she moves over to a circular drum and pulls out a blatantly cooking bird. Nearly the whole thing as well and it looks so perfect, like I can just nudge its flesh off. Golden, cracking skin, sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper, tanned by melted butter. Pink, verging on white meat ready to leave a greasy trail on the lips and down your throat...


    "What''s that?" I ask as my tongue moves more than usual in a growing pool held back by my teeth.


    "This is what is left of a chicken cooked on a rotisserie." Motrtha answers as she effortlessly takes it off the spike, sliding it off onto a red-hued chopping board. She brings a bowl over, one filled with reddish-brown goop and this ''chicken'' sinks below the greenery-topped depths. A tap turns on by itself and the clear, rushing water wipes the divine''s hands clean.


    "I feel like I am not going to be able to recognise most of what is here..." I remark as I look around at everything on display. Either on a plate or bowl, prepped and ready or in a state of due process. One thing, in particular, seems to stick out, yellowed crust and a crumbling brown top. A ready sieve just beside it with snow-like dust.


    An edible bowl of black and purple orbs with juices congealing into a thick jelly. I have no idea what this is in the slightest, but I want it so badly. It looks so nice. I know for a fact this will settle well in my stomach, how could it not!?


    "If you eat your dinner fully, then I might let you have some of that blackberry tart, Nin." Motrtha explains as she suddenly appears by my side with an empty bowl. Placing it upside down, the beautiful desert is hidden away from my eyes. Never to be seen again until I oblige the standards of the First Mother''s words.


    Blackberry tart...


    I really want to try it, so I will do as asked. It''s being made for me specifically, anyway, so I think it will go down quite easily. However, knowing this, all of the strange foods start to stick out more. Does she make special meals for all her brothers and sisters as well?


    "So... How does everyone like their meals?"


    "Hm, let me think, as you are able to see here, Thurnmourer likes to be able to make things at mealtime. He simply cannot be made to not play with it, so, I make it so it is easier for him to build with, encouraging him to eat. In long due, messy time. Our younger sister Clohniq is much the same, but all I need is pulled meat or spaghetti pasta with her. Satiating that knitters desire within. Undwote always enjoys something that he can share with his puppies, Aahtha is a simple copycat and it''s always games with her as to who she wants to emulate... Thankfully, most of them aren''t fussy, they just want to eat. However, Oceinater won''t eat anything but live fish."


    "Why live?" I ask, tilting my head slightly.


    "He likes to be, in his own words, a fishbowl at the table." Motrtha lets out with a bemused but ultimately exasperated huff.


    "Right... That all that comes to mind?" I then ask as the memories of Oceniater latching onto my arm make me scratch the limb in ponder.


    "Dad is very strict about roast dinners at the end of the week. Bless his cold, deathly heart, Undwote usually helps me out on those days. I like to think it is because it is the day named after him." Motrtha explains, smiling.


    "Undsday, the Day of Death." I recall with a slight nod as our gazes share the view of a comically styled calendar with strange, simply drawn animals on them. Whatever it is they are saying to each other in that strange language, it makes Motrtha chuckle.


    I flex my bandaged hand and look at it, "How about Waionr?"


    "He''s on the demanding side, but it is earnest and thoughtful." Motrtha answers as she sprinkles one spice holder by hand while her godly powers do the same to a dozen others.


    "How come?"


    "He will only ever eat what is popular among those he has recently buried in his fields. I wish sometimes he would focus a little more on himself and choose something regardless of mortals. But, I am glad he cares so much for those he tends to after all the nasty business is said and done." Motrtha explains as I watch her pick up a flagon loaded with small little flags on thin sticks.


    "And what about you, what do you like to eat, Motrtha?" I ask her directly as I slowly find the courage to move from my stall. She stops and turns, slightly rosy in the cheeks as she hides her smile.


    "Well... I am just fine with whatever tastes good and was made with love!" she answers after a brief quiet that seems to leave her slightly perturbed.


    "Do the others ever make you anything?" I ask with a frown as my admittedly meaningless fury forces the words out. It sounds like Motrtha is always there for them and they take her for granted.


    "Not often, but, Dad makes me cakes sometimes. I don''t mind, though, I can''t expect the others to get involved too often if at all. It''s not in their nature, strange as it might be, Nin, we are conceptual beings. It''s why even at dinner, Thurnmourer is so frustratingly adorable with his food creations. The God of Creation must create." she explains as she longingly looks about the ship with her eyes lingering on odd, but likely carefully chosen spots.


    "Why not have Thurnmourer help? Push him in the direction of the kitchen. I know he''s a blacksmith and all, but, even bakers offer him prayer. Creation isn''t just hammer and anvil." I point out to her as remember an old conversation I had with an aspiring chef. In his humble little beginnings as a rations distribution worker. I was curious that day, about why he had a necklace dedicated to our shared craft-god, it seemed so strange back then.


    "I guess it has never occurred to me. I do like watching him build with what I make, though. He loves it to bits and I love him." Motrtha swoons as the first brother she ever had dominates her thoughts. She must have a special bond with him, being the goddess created to stop the crying of the youthful, thundering babe. Always more mature, but never older.


    I smile a little at my thoughts of the two, Motrtha has all the time in existence for her family. She can see them whenever, tend to them whenever, but, unlike me, I never really knew my family. Granpa and Ma were always reliable, they had to be as my parents were always so occupied with work. They spoiled me like their parents spoiled mine and others.


    Seems so strange that a mother can see her family, though, I guess technically speaking... Motrtha is not a mother...


    "Can... Can I help you out?" I ask as I try to shake my mind free of these dangerous thoughts. I have no idea how sensitive to such words she''ll be. I can''t even begin to imagine how frustrating it must be. At the very least, I can get the idea of being angry you have a job title, but not the actual job.


    My face heats up steadily until a cool hand lovingly caresses it.


    "Of course." she tells me with a smile only a mother can provide, yet, even then, she manages to be better than that. It would be enough to kill me with the force of the inputted ''dwaaaagh'' were I actually to be alive right now!

 V3 Incline 10: Nin

    "R-Right! What... What can I do, then...?" I ask her as I idly set myself up near a thing that seems to need a helping hand. However, her eyes are focused elsewhere on something else.


    A finger bridges her lower and upper lip as humming thoughts escape her mouth, "Can you... Can you go over there to that bowl of dough, please? Clean and dry your hands, then just squish it a whole bunch between your hand and the bowl. Don''t worry about mistakes, it''s for Apahthein and I do not think I have ever heard him complain once!"


    I smile as she laughs at the thoughts of her gaseous brother. Moving over to the named spot, I stare down at the ready-to-be-worked dough. Yet, even with her assurances, failure does not feel like an option for me. Just because the standard is low does not mean I am going to half-arse my attempt, menial as dough breaking is!


    So, all I need to do is mould the dough.


    Alright, I can do this. I can very much do it. I have no way of telling how well, admittedly as I''ve never cooked for myself in my life. The luxury of time was never there for me.


    So, I look over to Motrtha as she seemingly does something similar in another bowl. Stretch it out, make sure the white stuff gets on it, and fold. That is what I can see. So I do the same, albeit clumsily as I notice the mess my bandage is building up.


    With my left hand, I awkwardly push down on the dough which is probably the easiest part of the process. Its fingers sprinkle what dust they can and I tentatively pick up the stretched bulge. A hand not belonging to me joins in, filling in for where my right currently can''t. My body stiffens as the goddess helps me even though I am supposed to be helping her.


    "Good, good..." she coos as she leans away to grab something. A pale wooden board gently slams onto the side and she knocks a sieve over it, snowing it up. She guides my grip and the dough is dropped onto the board. I stare at her as she steps back a little to give me room to work.


    "Now wh-"


    "Put the dough on the board and make sure to get as much flour on it as you can. Keep stretching it out and carefully rub in the flour on the wet patches." she explains as I nod once and slightly.


    "Ok..." I say as I frown in concentration, only to panic as I accidentally tear a hole in the dough. I try to hide them but she just giggles and encourages me to keep on with the rolling and folding. Eventually, it starts to ball up and I am left with a powdered blob that is surprisingly smooth despite the folds.


    "There you go, now, roll it back down with this." Motrtha tells me as she hands me a round piece of wood. I stroke its smooth, sanded-down surface before I place it anywhere near the dough. Putting it down on top of my work, I gently start to warp it down into a flattish circle. Is this what she wants, a circle?


    Something presses up against my back.


    "Yes, just like this. Yeah, you''re getting it!" she cheers quietly as she guides me through the motions. Vanishing away, I turn and find her with two bowls in either hand. One holds a jiggling mass of sauce and another has what seems to be shredded cheese. At least I am able to recognise something in this kitchen.


    "I put these things on the dough?" I question as I dumbly stare at the bowl contents.


    "Yes, but, for now, watch carefully. There''s a specific order to it." she explains as she grabs onto a brush of some sort which she then puts in the sauce. Catching between the bristles, the excess lazily drips back into the bowl or onto the flattened dough. The rest is painted before she then puts the cheese bowl closer to me.


    I stare as she smiles, guiding my hand into pinching some of the worked milk. As if I am a crane for her devices, she moves my hand about, prying my hand open over the increasingly covered dough. She grabs one end of it and encourages me to do the other and we start to roll it over. This edible, wrapped-up carpet oozes some of its contents and I try to squeeze it back in.


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    "It''s alright, Dear, it doesn''t have to be perfect, remember that. Come over here and hold this for me." she reminds me before going off to a suddenly rattling pot. Seemingly doing so awkwardly, she cleanly empties the pot of its boiling water without the lid falling away. Even though all she is using to keep it there are two little thumbs. A pile of long and stringy food soon finds a home in an empty colander.


    "What is this?" I ask as I watch her move around further. It''s all so overwhelming watching her do it, I don''t think I''d ever be able to amount to much trying it myself.


    "Clohniq''s spaghetti." she answers as she turns a small knob, clicking a ring of blue fire to life. A peculiar, bottom-heavy spoon goes into a simmering pot and comes out with a richly coloured mixture of mince. Its smell easily fills out my nose canals and I watch with some bewilderment as she throws away bags of all things. She was cooking bags in this food...


    People cook bags?


    Her lips pucker as she tries the ladle''s load, "Nin, would you like to try some? I need a second opinion."


    "What is it?" I ask even though I am probably going to like it regardless of what it is. A goddess made it, the Goddess of Mothers made it!


    "The mince to a bolognese, try it!" Motrtha answers and encourages with an open smile. A small spoon makes its way to my mouth and I refuse to let it go as the rich meat lingers in my mouth. I almost don''t want to swallow and I am thorough with cleaning the spoon before it is pulled out.


    "Good..." is all I can think to say as my closed mouth hides the actions of a flavour-addicted tongue. Every little bit on my teeth, all of it, I want it all!


    "Is that all you have to say?" she asks with an increasingly cheeky grin as she leans in. Just as my tongue swipes the inside of my mouth, she pinches the outside. A gentle laugh escapes her as I jump ever so slightly at the unexpected action.


    "Well... No... I just don''t know how to articul-" I start to stammer out before my mouth is covered.


    "It''s fine, Dear, as long as you enjoyed it! Now, is there any grated cheese left from the pizza roll?" she asks me as I slowly look back at the revealed food perfect for Apathy.


    "Not really?" I answer as I glance at the scraps clinging to the edge of the glass.


    "Oh, that will do fine. Can you please leave it over there by the pot with the mince mixture." she requests and I do, with my eyes lingering on the pot as the rising, soft heat dislodges my brain''s coherency.


    "What''s next?" I question as I rub some fingers together, it all looks done from here but I barely helped at all.


    "We go upstairs and make sure the table is set and ready!" she cheerfully explains as she picks up the fuzzy-haired plant god in a pot on the way around.


    "Hoo, hoo! HOO!" Pluuit lets out wildly as he starts to twirl some of Motrtha''s hair. The goddess smiles down at her literally little brother and plays with his seed-freckled face.


    Following up after them, my eyes widen a little at the lavishness of the impossibly long dinner room, "So... It all looks fine."


    Moving to the edge of the grand table, I rest a palm on one of the chairs and look about. All of the spots to sit are different, each one is made of unique materials. The same goes for utensils and the table cloth is a patchwork of carefully woven colours. Gold, crystals, reds and blues...


    Pluuit is set down into a strange contraption that keeps him from rolling onto his side and he hoots some more. Fruit grows from his body and he starts to munch on it carelessly as his sister tuts. In between the Plant God''s snacking, Motrtha picks flowers from him. Decorating the table further with colourful, delicate things.


    There are quite a few flowers... A lot of red ones, Roses...


    "Nin, are you alright? You seem to be getting distant." Motrtha asks as she walks up to me. I turn to her erratically, surprised at how quickly she closed the distance that was just between us. A slight amount of red reflects from her eye and a face flashes in my mind. It''s not one I was overly fond of, but, even then I... I...


    When it all went foggy, that moment I probably became a monster...


    I touch my eye as my face suddenly feels wet. I stumble backwards and look around confusedly. I shouldn''t be here, Undwote should''ve... My gaze snaps to the chair near seven sets of floor-bound bowls.


    "Hey, hey! It''s alright, it''s alright. What''s wrong?" Motrtha reassures me as I am suddenly in her arms as I whimper.


    "I''m dead... I died... I became a monster and killed people... I am only here because I died... I shouldn''t even be here..." I incoherently mumble as the shaking water around my eyes blurs all distant items. My body heaves and rocks violently yet it remains so still as well.


    Why am I crying over Rose of all people? She''s... Was...? She''s just some thing that kept pestering me! She wasn''t my friend and her feelings are entirely one-sided!


    I don''t know...


    It''s all been so hard recently and I am tired but not even death is peaceful slumber. A terrible shift led to me going out into a place I should have never gone out to. I got stuck in that hive, inside and out and it all just built up... Then, when I finally get out, I''m on a timer before death...


    I died.


    "Shhh... Shhhh... It''s going to be ok, Nin. It''s going to be ok." Motrtha whispers as we rock back and forth, a loving prison enforced by her hug keeping me still.

 V3 Incline 11: Nin

    I quietly dip the spoon into the bowl filled with pale green balls, veined with dark chunks as if it is ore-holding earth. Touching my tongue, the clash of warmth and cold melts my food into a fine cream. A potently fresh flavour lingers as I move my tongue about to clean it off. Motrtha called it ice cream, mint choc chip...


    I sigh as noise starts to come into the kitchen from the outside.


    "So, the table is set, are you nearly done, Motrtha?" Aahtha asks as she walks in with Undwote who is holding whatever hound is the sausage-shaped one. I slowly open up for another spoonful of ice cream as the hound licks his master''s fingers as he plays with its shadowy nose.


    Keeping to myself, I hunch over a bit more as a tremor afflicts my breathing. A tired finger rubs my eye and I start to slow to a crawl. The want to eat is there, but I cannot find the will to actually do so. I''m pathetic...


    Breaking down in front of a goddess, delighting in treats as if I am a simple child. I guess I should try and make the most of it, just smile and enjoy myself however I can. But, I can''t, my mind is too distracted, all this ruminating is invasive and I cannot muster the force to repel it. There is no pesticide for the rodents known as Bothersome Thoughts.


    Motrtha''s hands land on my shoulders unexpectedly, "Yes, and Nin here was a big help!"


    I smile only on the inside as I idly grasp the square-rimmed bowl.


    "So how long left? These lot are getting impatient." Undwote asks as he holds up his hound in his small, child arms.


    "I was just about to start sending it all up. So, if you lot start moving the plates and so on to the lift and I will sound the bell." Motrtha explains as she moves away to put the final touches on the trollies. Her siblings get to it and the hound barks eagerly as it hops onto one of the empty bottom shelves. I blink as the ship shifts about to reveal the means up and a hand rubs on my head.


    Glancing over at Motrtha as she rears her head back by the door...


    "DINNNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEERRRRRRR!" she yells with kitchen-rattling force. I blink as my ears ring and I cover them as the pain settles down. I am still vibrating from her voice when she comes back to sit across from me.


    Looking away towards the empty pots and pans, my eyes focus on the lingering stains of forsaken food, "Should I clean up while you eat?"


    "Don''t be ridiculous, you are coming up there to eat with the rest of us!" she beams as she gets up, awkwardly hoisting me up as she does so.


    "I''m not family..." I say as the concept terrifies me. Eating in a public canteen is what I am used to, a place I can walk in and out of without issue. But here, this is for a family, -the- family, the one that rules all.


    "Nonsense, pure hogwash! You are our guest, now, come! Up you come." Motrtha orders as she drags me to my feet and towards the stairs.


    "Can''t I just do all the washing up and eat later!?" I ask her as I try to fight back against this immense yet gentle strength.


    "Nope!" she beams as a smirk forms, "However, I have no problems if you want to do all the washing up afterwards."


    I frown at her slightly stuck-out tongue as she loads up the last trolley. Helping her with the final dish, she rolls it onto the lift and sends it all up. From behind, she ushers me up the stairs and I hurry up, lest she push me down onto them. She blocks the way down once I am up and I move to hide at the back end of the dining room.


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    The already colour-decadent table grows as children of all shapes and sizes fill it out. Animals rest on the ground near their owners and a barrage of noise hits me. This is it, huh, the gods and goddesses of the world, sitting down for dinner. The lift bings yet every single trolley that was put on comes out at once.


    "Wh... Where am I sitting?" I ask as I fail to see any open spots along the vast table.


    "Anywhere you can find a spot is fine, Dear." she answers as she starts to wheel the meals to their intended mouthes. Cheers erupt sporadically and a mixture of forgetful greed and grateful voices precede hasty hunger.


    I remain where I am as I watch Motrtha ferry the food, she dances slightly as she does so. With her gently singing voice breaking through all the noise of the room somehow. All these smells and sights, she did all of this. It''s quite impressive.


    "Ey, ey, ey! What''cha doing looking at my sister for!?" a voice asks suddenly from behind. Turning to stare at the source, I am confronted by a strangely dressed, uncanny individual. My brow rises as I register how forced their tone is, they are covering up for something...


    "Jaadagoren, sit down!" Motrtha barks with held-back refinement on her way back.


    "Fine..." the now-revealed goddess whines as a clearly feminine tone comes through now. The Goddess of Mirrors, Trickery, Lies and Illusions and all the flavours of deceit imaginable. A trait that earned them the title, Goddess of Dragons as well.


    So says the story of the Mirror-Scale...


    "Don''t mind our little Shaolin Monk there, she enjoys her games. Now, sit!" Motrtha tells me before she gently shoves me in the direction of the table. As I walk down the table, unsure of where I can go, I briefly glance as Undwote shares out his food with his hounds. Some force is needed when one or two go for another''s first.


    "Excuse me, Nin, you can sit next to me!" a soft, polite voice suggests as I walk. Looking down at the little goddess, she smiles and pats the unused cushions. I stare a little as I try to comprehend why she seems familiar. Dark, bronze skin, a plain and thorough white dress and black hair...


    Aahtha?


    Looking around at the rest of the table, I simply nod as it doesn''t seem like I have much of a choice. Food slides into place and I wait uncertainly as some gods test Motrtha''s patience while others also wait. Footsteps come down the upgoing flight of stairs and the God of gods makes Himself known. A quiet Ihtuntar in His arms.


    "Alright, kidliwinks, dinner!" Kyarverin goes as He sets Ihtuntar down in a highchair. He stops and His head rises, a stern glare forming. Nervously, I try to shirk out of His view as a loud pair of hands drops down, shaking much of the glassware.


    "Daddy is angry." Aahtha whispers up to me as well as she can.


    "The ever-living fuck do you pricks think you''re doing!? I told you no grown forms on my ship!" Kyarverin barks hysterically as a bedsheet of all things suddenly strikes down a god at the far end of the table.


    "Sorry..." they go with a child''s voice.


    Looking around from my spot, the fact everyone is a child sticks out all the more. The gods and goddesses I saw earlier are all small and young-looking. With any specifics Undwote mentioned being a reality now, such as Oramvaleood''s double-neck-hole shirt. The only one who is not a child, is Motrtha.


    "Motr, sweetie, is everyone here?" Kyarverin asks His only mature-formed child as He sets Himself up at the end of the table. Each elbow in place, unyieldingly so on the mat-covered surface. The God of gods surveys the room with His eyes not even stopping on me despite how badly I contradict this place.


    "Let me see..." Motrtha mumbles as she looks around with a hand resting on what appears to be Waionr''s head. With the Goddess of Mothers having just taken off his helmet, setting it up on a post of the backrest.


    She smiles at me briefly and Aahtha giggles up at me.


    "Yes, Dad, everyone is here." Motrtha answers as she heads down to the other far end to sit down. Something that surprises me a little given how much she needs to move during meals. Would''ve thought she''d get the luxury of being close to the lift.


    "Good... Alright! Say your prayers you lot, Daddy needs His subservience!" the Father of All demands with childish sniggering.


    "We''re not praying to you, Father!" Undwote moans with a bitter scowl as he leans up and high.


    I start to wonder as the two verbally go for each other''s throats all of a sudden. How exactly does Kyarverin keep his children compliant? A belt or a ruler isn''t going to do much to beings like this. Though, I suppose being able to control every aspect of reality is the mightiest of cautionary tales to any upstart god.

 V3 Incline 12: Nin

    Watching as everyone tucks into their meals, my eyes briefly land on Ihtuntar as the Equilibrium feeds him. An arm nudges at me from my left and a spoon rattles on the immediate kitchenware. Turning down and towards Aahtha, she smiles as she moves her food closer to me. I look at my mostly untouched plate with a rising brow.


    "Soulie, may you please feed me?" Aahtha asks as she waves her spoon in my face. A small sigh comes out my mouth as my eyes pass by distant Motrtha as she smiles.


    "Fine." I mumble as I can''t seem to find my appetite for some reason, the utensil quickly finds a place in my palm as such. Briefly looking into the bowl that has been passed over, I conclude it must be fruit. The sweet smells and bright colours, the way some of them bleed juices of many colours into a single cocktail. I put the spoon in and it comes out with pill-like, green fruit and another green one, this time with a ring of black seeds and a whitish, circle core.


    Aahtha''s eager maw quickly takes in the spoon and she smiles up at me as she fights to keep the transport. Finally pulling it out, she laughs with a covered mouth that is actively breaking down its contents. It takes the goddess a moment to move through her take and she looks around as she holds her cheeks. One final gulp comes and an ''ah'' sound follows.


    "I would like to play a game, please." the small goddess asks after jealously glancing at some of the fun her other siblings are having with their food. Letting out a ''hm'' of thought, I decide to go along with it as this will help me learn what she is even eating.


    "Alright... How about this, then? Tell me what you want on your spoon and I will try and guess?" I suggest as I carefully try to separate the fruit into corners.


    "Strawberries! Just strawberries, please!" she requests with a slight bounce as her chair rocks back and forth. Noting how much she is making it do so, I place my hand on the back of it as to keep her steady. Though, grim curiosity makes me wonder if I should let go and see what happens when she falls.


    Glancing to her bowl, I hit my first roadblock as I take in how nothing in the bowl looks like a straw. There are no straw-shaped fruits, not even ones I can see as being able to fit on a straw. The spoon heads towards the green pill things I just gave her and she shakes her head, smiling. Watching her expression, she gives away little in terms of hints and she starts to giggle as she nearly stands.


    "Silly, Soulie, these are strawberries!" she points out with her index finger going towards this sliced-up fruit that whitens at its core and reddens on the edge. A fob-like shape to it and the signs of seeds embedded all over its skin, I hold it up before my observing eye.


    "I am not seeing at all how the name works here." I remark as I guide the spoon back to Aahtha so she can eat them. She quickly gobbles the fruit up and a delightful moan rumbles out of her mouth.


    "Orange, please!" she requests this time and I immediately go for the fruit the same colour as it. Though, why she said a colour this time is confusing, who names food after their colour? It''d be like calling white paint sugar or salt paint!


    She eyes me suspiciously as she eats the fruit, confirming my guess was right.


    "You''re cheating!" I am accused of with a serious, frowny face. Only for it to lighten up into a smile and warm laughter.


    "Maybe, I guess you better eat it all yourself, then, that way I can''t." I tell her as I hand the spoon back. She moans gently but otherwise takes it and starts to eat on her own again. Watching as she enjoys the meal made for her, I turn to that which was made for me. Motrtha made this with full confidence but...


    Shaking my head clear of the bubbling bad thoughts, I look out across the lengthy table for distractions. Landing on Thurnmourer, I watch with curiosity as a building forms on his plate. The golden-brown squares have been made into walls while thin, palish meat has been thatched into a roof. Clohniq leans closer to her brother and she starts to whisper. The God of Thunder nods eagerly as his sister starts to wrap up a brown ball the size of a modest stone with a string of spaghetti.


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    Thurnmourer snatches up a few odd things and chews them as his sister prepares her demolishing ball. The wreckerous food smashes down the walls of the oven-baked home and the pair cheer. With Clohniq tilting her head back before she snaps up at the dangling ball. She seems to otherwise ignore the lone piece of spaghetti before getting back into the messy thick of it.


    Looking around further, I notice how solemn and otherwise mature Waionr seems to be. As the others play, argue and eat their meals, he seems to be praying with each bite. A mass of yellow-hinted fur stretches behind him and as its jaw comes into view, so do four daggers of the mouth. What can only be the Beast of Pride purrs as it moves closer to its master, disturbing the children next to him.


    Whines follow suit and Waionr joins in with the petty squabbling.


    Otherwise fine, Pluuit continues to grow his meal from himself to munch on and I pass over Oceniater. The living water most certainly has fish swimming about him. My eyes fall upon Kyarverin again and I look slightly to his sides as the closest chairs are empty. Meals are prepped, but no one has come to eat them.


    One trolley even still has what seems to be fourteen plated and covered dishes remaining on it. I can easily guess who those will go to, but, what is with the empty spaces? Looking Motrtha''s way even reveals one more odd spot by her. The other closest god seems to be bothered by this empty space and they are anxious to move away.


    Maybe if I get the chance I''ll just risk it and ask either of the adults later. I am dead, after all, the worse that can happen only exists in my head. What reason is there to keep me... Alive for simple torture?


    Shaking my head, I stare down at my food as I struggle to lift up my fork. I still can''t seem to find the will to eat even though I ate the ice cream fine. It all looks nice and I can recognise a fair amount of it as there''s some kind of bacon and there''s eggs. My brow settles upsettedly.


    A hand touches my shoulder unexpectedly, making me jump, "M-Motr-"


    She places a finger on my lips, "You''re not eating."


    Turning back to my food, I look down and start to push my chair out. I don''t want to be here, I want to get away but she''s not letting me. The chair starts to rattle as I am increasingly forced to stress the matter. A soft gaze stops me and her face comes closer.


    "Alright, up you come, take it with you." she quietly sighs as I tentatively grip the plate. Following after her, we go downstairs and I quickly put it down. Awkwardly rubbing my arm as she looks my way with a towel covering her hands.


    "I''m sorry... I..."


    "It''s fine, Nin, I understand you have a lot on your mind. Just promise me you will at least eat some of it?" she asks and I nod as I grip my gut. Nothing is in there and it''s been a while since anything has gone there, but, even with that in mind.


    "..." I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.


    "Maybe you just need to work a bigger hole into your stomach?" she suggests with mindful playfulness.


    "Maybe..." I shrug, trying to take on her slight smile to no avail.


    "Well, come on, then, help me with the puddings." she orders with a tone likely sweeter than them all combined. Following her, the side is increasingly cluttered with metal and ceramic.


    "Here you go." I say as I start to hand her the things she seems to need to get started on dishing it all up.


    "Thank you, Dear." she tells me before she gestures to the tucked-away trollies held in reserve. Grabbing one, I bring it over and repeat the process a few more times. The Goddess of Mothers looks towards the still messy sides and yawns.


    "Should I handle these so you can get back to your family?" I ask her as the mess seems to draw all of the exhaustion out to the fore.


    "No... I will do it, you help me get everyone''s pudding up to them." she says and I step closer towards the dirty pots and pans instead.


    "Have your time with your family, Motrtha..." I mutter in answer as I start trying to organise the side so that there''s some sequence to it. I''ve polished enough metal decor to know I need some hot water and elbow grease here.


    "You... You don''t even know where any of it goes once it is dried!" she complains correctly as she comes over to stop me.


    "With how much there is for your family to eat... I''ll have time to figure it out." I tell her, offering an insincere smile that does little to hide my downtrodden mood.


    "Ok, I will leave you to it. Remember your promise." she tells me as the sound of plates and bowls moving picks up and then dies down. Turning the tap on, bubbly water flows out all nice and steamy. Noticing what seems to be a marked line in the sink, I let the water stop there and I slide the worst of what needs to be done into the modest depths. The displacement quickly adds up and I pick up a sponge so I can get to altering it back down.


    A plate rings behind me and I turn around to see that the goddess has gone back up to her family. However, presented cleanly on the island is my uneaten dinner with a slice of the tart on a plate next to it, a helping of ice cream struggling on top. Looking back to the washing up, I shake my head and dry my hands off. Pulling out a stall, my fork is soon poking the colder-than-before main meal.


    "Not bad..." I say after braving the strangely daunting first bite. It is good that Motrtha is such a good cook as it helps me to start eating the rest. A slow process it might be, but, it''s still quicker than what I was doing before. I sniff and rub my eyes as more annoying thoughts bounce about my head.


    Slumping down against my palm, a long sigh escapes.

 V3 Incline 13: The Father of All, God of Gods and Goddesses

    "Hurry up, you lot or we won''t have time for being tucked in." I half-heartedly warn my children as I lean on the wall on the other side of the main bathroom. With my ears currently open mostly in the event an argument might erupt on my ship. I will have no foul tempers keeping my little ones awake, not when there''s enough to already stir them all night. My plant-bodied son hoots quietly as his little monkey mouth chews on the special mint leaves he uses in place of toothpaste.


    Summoning a small watering can, I bemuse my son so he can wash out the lingering, wet flakes of leaf from his ceaseless molars. Two of my little girls walk out of the bathroom at the same time, chatting away tiredly as they do so. Aahtha, who is still in a form dictated by the desires of that stowaway mortal. And, Motrtha, so rarely seen as anything but a mature woman with the almost stereotypical likeness of a mother.


    I smile as my two little girls look adorable in their little nightdresses. Aahtha makes me glad as she is not letting her choice of pyjamas be dictated by the mortal. Motrtha, though, she amuses me as hers looks more like an old shirt of mine. Admittedly, it has been quite some time since I last wore anything not in homage to my old kingdom.


    That inheritance I never expected at all, being what came before it all. My head shakes purely within its own confines and my focus is on Clohniq''s additions to Motrtha''s nightwear. A small group of cartoonishly cute, sweetie-coloured kittens playing with yarn. Moving about the fabric with all the life one might expect of an actual playful kitten.


    "You two ready to go?" I ask and slow nods are my answer as they both rub their eyes. In synch, they also raise their arms up and I acknowledge their tired demands for pickie-uppies. Lowering down and bringing them into the curve of my arms, we rise back up without the usual cheering their morning selves might have. A version of me walks away from the bathroom and I listen out for which daughter is the tiredest.


    If only for my amusement later.


    My daughter of pleasure and pleasantries snores quietly as they tuck themselves in partially with the arms of my robes. Motrtha, however, is trying her hardest to keep those little eyes of hers open. She wants to be under her quilts before closing them, with me at the end of her bed or at the side of it. I won''t tell anyone, but, she''s my favourite because of it, she wants daddy to be there when she sleeps.


    She loves to see things through when loved ones are involved.


    "Well, this works for me." I mutter with a soft smile as Aahtha''s room comes into view. Using my powers to open her door, my smile grows as I see how it contrasts her as a conceptual being. She may be the Goddess of Pleasure with an identity dictated by the mortal her focus is on, but her tastes here are always for me. Not some slut-den so she can teach every mortal abound how to be polite and how to have the most exciting moments in bed.


    Her bedroom is a finely kept, noble place. Every bit as Victorian as it is Georgian, all done to remind me of where I came from. A rich girl''s bedroom from the eighteen-hundreds, a style from a home long gone. Aahtha is always a strange one as to how she came about, she is Pleasure, but, that does not just mean carnal desire.


    Softly spoken voices, well-made food and lively dancing, all of it contributes to her existence. She also gets extra points from me for being there to support me in pointing out the failings in the others. Losing them when she shows her unyielding endorsement of refined speech against me. Regardless, however, I put a small kiss on her sleeping head.


    Divine powers tuck her in and I turn to leave, stopping at the door first, "Nighty night, Aahtha, Daddy loves you."


    Using my free hand to close the door behind me, my other arm adjusts Motrtha, disturbing her.


    "H-Huh...?" she goes as her bashfulness lights her up. I glance first over at the other copies of me as they handle my many other children. Some of them, however, make me smirk as they need to play pack mule to the mass of equipment that god or goddess carries about.


    "You''re still up?" I ask my first daughter as I play with her arms.


    "Mmmmmmm..." is all I get from her as she slowly looks up at me. Blowing down at her, some hair goes up in strands, ruining its former, simple brushing. A sluggish blow to my chest does nothing and I smile again. Grabbing onto the door handle, I push down and we slip on inside with the darkness vanishing per my will.


    Glancing around at my eldest daughter''s room, I look down at her once I am done doing so. The first deity I ever knowingly made, despite being the Goddess of Mothers, despite needing to always be the mature one... Her bedroom is girly, pink and sparkles and fluffy toys holding onto love hearts. But it''s not for her, despite this being her bedroom.


    We pass by an empty cot with no baby doll in it, there has never been one there... She wants it for her own child. She keeps telling me about this desire, she cries over this contradiction in her existence. But, how she will go about getting what she wants, I do not know. Only her family exist on this ship and that is all it ever will be, a ship for our family.


    There will be no God of Fathers as I already sort of fit that role. But, making a creation purely so it can involve itself with another feels strange. Apahthein has come to mind regarding this topic, but even then, I will know. It''s just easier to tell my first girl that it is not possible.


    Clearing my mind, I pull the quilt away and put my daughter down on the bed. A smile stays on my face throughout the process and she starts to crawl with one last burst of energy. Hugging up to her husbando pillow, I frown slightly. She never wanted a sacred toy, she wanted a dream made physical...


    For a moment she cannot perceive, my eyes narrow at the depiction on the pillow.


    "You all set and ready, Motrtha?" I ask her as she moves her head onto my open palm, that pillow of hers in a tight grip. Through a mixture of nuzzling and nodding, I get my response. A story transfers from my hand and into her head with the power that does so taking on a colourful aspect. The catch being she needs to keep her eyes closed if she wants the whole story and the precious dreams that follow.


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    Remaining still until I am confident that she has fallen asleep, I then slowly move away. With the lights dimming as I get closer and closer to the door. I linger and frown as I watch her tightly hug that pillow with murmurs escaping her. This is going to boil over for the pair of us, but one of many things, really...


    ''Dad, why do you refuse to solve every problem here and now? With your -infinite- power.''


    I groan as the haunting words ruin my mood for the immediate night. The phrase is never the same across my children but it is always the same in meaning. If I love them all so much, why do I not solve everything? If I love -Her- so much, why do I keep letting this happen...


    Free Iderim-Ovi from his prison and make Her the way I want, the way she used to be before...


    "Goodnight, Motrtha... You know the rest." I say, hoping a little joking might sort my mood out but it doesn''t. Everything comes back together and I rejoin back into one being by the bathroom door. All these independent memories flash in my head and I smile at them. My children going to bed and how I went about it, it''s all there.


    Waionr goes into his little tent under the vast night sky with a horizon of funerary fireships. Thurnmourer''s inability to keep still and my efforts to insulate him from the power of non-dream creation. All these little differences that make them all as they are, something I will not have any other way. I slip my hands into the pockets of my kingly robes and I feel out the combined plant wealth of the Tigris and Euphrates.


    Reappearing in the kitchen, I start to indulge in one of my most recent... Hobbies. Drinking myself to sleep with an ever-refilling glass of rum, which, despite this amazing power, I still hate spilling it. I have an unending stream of bronze, caramel-tinted booze, fizzing cola and a squeeze of scurvy-begone and I hate spilling it. I huff in bemusement as the bowl of lemons Pluuit set aside for me enters my grip.


    "By the gods is this taking a while, no wonder she was so tired back then." the mortal complains as the familiar cling of a washed pot hits the draining board.


    "You are still going at it, Mortal?" I ask him as I turn slightly, unsure if I should take a sip from my drink. Eyes look over the cluttered sides and piles of thoroughly soaked drying cloths. A ghost of a smile comes to my face as he flicks his thoroughly ''aged'' hands-free of as much water as he can.


    "Yeah... Still going at it, luckily, no more is coming..." he starts to say as he watches me open up my ornate glass cabinet, "Right?"


    I shake my head before doing his extensive set of chores with but a wave of my hand. I gesture for him to come over and I decide on indulging myself while this peculiar passenger is present. I used to be like him, doomed to die and vanish from history. But, by my name that was some time ago, so very long, long ago.


    Maybe I have forgotten what it is like to think like a mere man, not even as a king, just a man.


    "Do you have any preference?" I ask nonchalantly as I decide to pick out my special rum glass for the occasion. A massive, carved gemstone as wide as my hand and deep enough to hold maybe a litre of the good stuff. I glance closer at it, eh, seven-fifty milis at worst.


    "Uh... I don''t drink alcohol." he answers as he waves his nose in response to the strong odour of divine ethanol.


    "I used to be like that, then a doctor came up to me and said I had emotional depression." I half-joke before throwing a random, suddenly appearing can at his face. He panics and flinches only for it to bounce off of him like a blob of jelly. I laugh quietly as he picks up the distinctly solid feeling of thin aluminium. Dressed in chilly condensation.


    "What''s this?"


    "Some cocktail, I don''t know." I shrug as I walk to the bottom of the stairs.


    Reaching them, I turn his way.


    "Come on then!" I snap modestly as his apprehension keeps him still. He learns to oblige me quickly and we head on up to the outside, right up where we initially met. No sound leaves my lips until I reach the side of the aftcastle and I sigh once I do. He didn''t follow me because I asked, but because I am a god, capital ''G'' kind.


    I levitate some water out of the cosmically-rich stream and ice cubes form as my fingers dance. Dropping them into my glass, they start to crack as if they had hit the pavement instead. The glass spins and the contents swirl under the observation of my tired eyes. I could make it so they weren''t but, what good is that nowadays?


    "So... Is there anything you wanted me for?" he asks nervously as the can jostles about in his clutching hands. I flick my finger and open the can, spooking him slightly with the popping fizz.


    "To talk, mostly. Satiate my curiosity and then you can go to bed or whatever it is you feel like doing. So long as you stay off the deck my kids are sleeping on. I know Undwote showed you what deck that is." I tell him and he nods in understanding.


    "Anything in mind you want to talk about?"


    "Yeah... There is one thing... If... If you made a big mistake in order to help another and due to some convoluted reasons. Due to some reasons, you ended up in a position where you can erase those mistakes. As if nothing ever happened at all, it would only exist in here, your head. Would you erase those mistakes?"


    His eyes widen and a healthy fear takes root as what is obvious to me halts him. A loaded question from -the- god? It''s no wonder he can''t get anything out, not even a thought. But, I do think for him instead, if I am so omnipotent, omniscient...


    Why am I asking him this?


    "I don''t know..." he answers unhelpfully, yet, I roar with laughter anyway.


    Yes!


    He doesn''t know what to do, or how he would go about it! It''s such a simple answer and it''s nearly driven me to divine tears. No right or wrong answer, no divine wisdom. Only the uncertainty of a mortal.


    "Pardon that outburst..." I tell him with a long sigh that I silence with a lengthy chug of rum. A burp ends my thoughts for the moment and I pat my chest as another plea for pardon follows.


    "It''s fine, Kyarverin... Equilibrium..." he answers uncertainly, his mind bouncing between all the things he knows I go by. I hide my gaze as I ponder that mutation of my old name, Kyarverin, which was never my name. My old mortal name, the one my mother gave me, the one I clung onto even as I was crowned in Neo-Babylonia under a new one.


    I gave up that name the day I destroyed everything my beloved held dear, all for vengeance for a country I never grew up in. My precious darling blossomed into the very essence of destruction because my efforts broke her. At the weak point of all reality, with all the great powers gathered for one final ritual of fundamental warping and tampering.


    When I first became the Equilibrium, the binding of Chaos and Order, two things meant to be separate.


    "I am so very sorry, Dear... So very, very sorry. I hope you can find it in you to maybe forgive me this time. I keep trying, I keep giving you time to calm down but you never do. Each time I go to make amends it always..." I mutter in a tone inperceptible to the mortal''s ears.


    "Can I ask you some questions? I am dead after all so I might as well play fast and loose with it." the mortal asks with a small smile as I catch a glimpse of booze on his breath. A hand rubs his jarhead haircut and I turn around slightly.


    "Shoot. Shoot through the cherry-red until the barrel melts away." I say, deciding to reference a gun even though I am looking at an actual barrel. Who knows, maybe I will learn an interesting thing or two about the remains of the universe my children made. Something I hate gazing upon as so much of what I once was has slipped in, the inspiration they were not even aware of.


    "Nice! Alright... Uh... What to ask..." the mortal ponders openly and I smile, hoping to enjoy the unusual moment in his extended life.

 V3 Incline 14: The God of Giants, Anatomy and Expression

    "Hey, Nin, do you have a moment?" I call out to the human soul as we happen to cross paths, or rather, he came upon me. A few days have passed since he first came to be here and he''s been ignoring me otherwise. Some modest remarking with Motrtha has revealed his mind is a mess, Undwote is not all that bothered about it, though. I find this unacceptable even if my deathly brother''s logic makes sense.


    Putting my book down, my powers somewhat force the mistreated mortal to me. I offer them a seat, but he refuses with a slow, hopeless shake of his head. A wave of my hand makes the book vanish and instead, a game appears along with some refreshments. A jug of Motrtha''s special apple mix always betters my mood, maybe a glass will help Nin''s too.


    "What do you want...?" he asks, tired of being pestered, tired of continuing to exist in a way he shouldn''t.


    "I would like you to be willing to have that talk with me now."


    "About why I died?" he questions with a shaking voice as a self-hating gaze watches his own nervous antics. Failing to sense Apahthein, I forgo trying to have Nin''s mood improved through utter detachment.


    "Yes, so, please, talk with me." I say as I gesture to the game and the drink on offer. However, his head shakes and I frown at what I had prepared. My powers make it all vanish and I rise slowly.


    "Is there... Is there anywhere quieter we can go?" he asks me and I keep my reaction on the inside. Does he fear that I am a cruel god? One that will encourage others to come to laugh? Without violating Dad''s word, I cannot truly understand the worries sinking into this mortal''s mind.


    "There is Hot Rod''s, an arcade-sports bar combo. While not literally quiet, there is lots of ambient noises keeping any words spoken hidden." I explain, though, he may not fully grasp what I have just explained. Mortal diversity makes it hard to tell, some still live their lives on the plains as nomads, others dwell in machines while some know only hand ploughs.


    "Bowling?" he lets out and I start to nod.


    "Yes, the ship''s bowling alleys are there." I say, smiling a little as it means Undwote has passed a bit of information on to this here mortal.


    "That will be fine..." he answers quietly, shrugging as his lacking will sees him swept up into my wishes.


    "Would you like me to show you around?" I ask as I speed up our arrival to the place in question. Nin takes a step back, in complete shock about the change in scenery at our new destination. A curving, bulging wall of orange-painted, plastic-looking metal with a fake car driving on the wall. One neon sign glows bright and proud, illuminating the words ''Hot Rod''s,'' an old memory of Dad''s.


    Some holiday place he used to go to when age still applied to him.


    "Might as well, I have no idea what an ''arcade'' is." Nin goes as we walk in through the wide maw of an entrance.


    "Well, on the right there, we have slot machines, no fun to be had in there. Further up, be it either via ramp or stairs we have the bowling alleys. Enough lanes for the whole family to load it up. On the right are pool tables and left of the initial half are the bigger game consoles. Racing games and the like." I explain, watching Nin closely to make sure the information didn''t blank his mind.


    "So there are more games through here?" he asks as we come near the left ''doorway.'' I nod as he takes in the fairly large room and all the flashing machines decorating its walls and centre. As Nin heads off to look at the games, I glance towards the sports memorabilia Dad doesn''t care much for. It bemuses me, it all being here, but, it''s his nostalgia, after all.


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    "How we liking it?"


    "Well... This is certainly something..." Nin mutters as he glances up at the ceiling to give his eyes a break from the epileptic show. His hand rocks one of the true-to-scale motorbike games and he nonchalantly pushes buttons.


    "I had the exact same sort of face you have right now when I first saw all of this." I decided to explain to the mortal with a warm smile. That day was one of the first that Dad started to treat us like his children, his family. We were no longer just things he made that day, we became sons and daughters. I fear, however, that sometimes that it never became the case.


    Dad may simply be stubborn, but, he also struggles to listen.


    "Toys...?" Nin goes as he finds the claw machines. He then briefly laughs as his hand messes with the air hockey table.


    "How about this game? I feel it will give you a vent." I ask him as I come to a stop by a large black machine with green lights and panels. Front-heavy plastic machine guns are hooked to the machine by thick, black cables and partially worn and abused chains. Tapping the big, red start button, the game starts up, exiting its reel of footage and scoreboards.


    Electric rock music plays as the name of the game flashes into existence, several bangs of light at a time. ''P.H.A.N.T.O.M UNIT'' the device goes before the introductory reel starts up. Skipping it with the press of a trigger, creating a little jpeg of a bullet casing as I do so. It''s been a while since I''ve played this one so my memory is a little shaky as to what it is.


    Some military task force comes to mind and strapped and booted men clad in black breach a building.


    "Attention all operatives, members of the Viper terror group are on the move again. Responsible for the bombing of Port Hudson earlier this month-" the game begins to exposit while I keep my attention on the enamoured human soul.


    "Alright, so while we have time, see this little switch?" I say to him while pointing to the bright orange switch attached to the side of the gun, "This determines fire rate which is how quickly you spend bullets. You have three options, single, burst and full-auto."


    "All that meaning?"


    "Single-shot, as in, one at a time. Burst is a small collection of shots. Automatic is when you want the walls to be filled with all the holes you want."


    "Alright, what is best?"


    "Whatever you feel like, if you like precise shooting, go for single, not confident? Burst. And if you, again, just want to see a hole-filled man, go for auto."


    "What one is burst?" he asks as he flicks the switch unendingly between the three, clearly marked symbols.


    "The one that looks like three tubes is what you want." I explain as I do it myself, solving the issue.


    "So I just point at an enemy and pull the trigger?"


    "Yep. Be careful though, sometimes the game throws hostages in the way and you lose a life if you shoot them."


    "Lose a life...?" he questions, shaking at the words.


    "How many hits you can take in the game, not actual lives like..." I try to explain, not sure how frail the eggshells are exactly.


    Nin nods slowly and grips his weapon as the game takes us to a cutscene of a black helicopter flying over a desert. A low-polygon African man holds a brick of a radio to his mouth and the screen switches to showing us a buzz of activity. Jarringly, the game switches from a pre-rendered moment to the actual engine and its first-person field of view. Our ears are greeted by the sound of digital bullets and the almost flashing mirage of rotor blades.


    Let''s go...


    Information flashes over our screen and a steady tune accompanies the spawning enemies. Their shots fly wayward all over the place before some start to blink red, thankfully, I cease them. Contrary to me, however, Nin is slow and he is struggling to take it all in. The life-stealing shot that just hit him even frightens him a little.


    He often forgets to reload and I nudge his gun away so that he does, "Stop that!"


    "Aim away from the screen to reload! Pay attention to the bar as it rapidly goes down." I explain as mine refills itself with lines of white pixels. Nin continues to die and the attrition starts to get to me at the worst point as the first boss appears. Thankfully, the mortal is learning and more so for me, I do not need to pay to play. Dad made it so all we needed to do is press the big red button.


    Only Dad ever did it the ''proper'' way, line of coins on the console frame and all.


    "What''s happening now?" Nin wants to know as the screen flashes red over and over after the early game, vehicle boss blows up. Our extraction helicopter spirals out of control and crashes into a dramatic fireball. Dust fills the screen and as it is wiped away, a word is revealed.


    Survive.


    I turn to Nin as he shows his enthusiasm and I smile at the improved mood. The game lets us know we can now flare in air support and it is the first thing he recklessly does. An NPC wishes us luck and a whole one terrorist is bopped about by the flashy light show. That lone enemy flashes out of existence before Nin cackles a bit at the remaining horde.


    "Let me handle the flares." I say as I use my powers to block his button.

 V3 Incline 15: Sraacdchammu, God of Giants

    "GAME OVER!" the console yells and I slot my controller back into the frame.


    Glancing over to Nin, my expression hardens, "Are you ready to talk, now?"


    "Fine..." he goes as he firmly places the fun times away.


    "I saw you were getting quite hot and bothered over those hostages in the game," I say and he steps back, trying to hide his gaze, "Before you became an osibindah, something to do with them happened?"


    He nods, "Uh... Well... Me and a few others spent our time trapped in a camp we made out of the wreckage of some brass-coloured vehicle. And well, they managed to escape but I didn''t."


    "They left you?" I ask and he shakes his head, though, not with much conviction.


    "I don''t know... Vapooliar, the one who fought off this bug in a suit of rusty, crushed helmets... She didn''t kill it, but the thing nearly killed her and I threw her away before it could. Only I ended up being swallowed into the caves deep underneath the ground."


    "That''s very impressive, Nin." I remark with a supporting nod, however, his face contorts and his voice hisses.


    "Impressive!? I just let myself get captured, experimented on! If I hadn''t been turned into one already by that point, it was then that I became what I became!"


    "No, not that, the fact your instinct was to save someone else." I point out, hoping the good deed will calm him down.


    "Not like it mattered..." he mutters.


    "And why is that? Saving someone else''s life is always something to be admired." I remind him in the event he is forgetting such a fact.


    "Because when I finally got out, you know, after days and nights of having to kill my... I passed all these different creatures, many of which were children. I could''ve helped, I had the strength to do so, a magic little beetle in my grip! But, I didn''t... You want to know what I did?"


    "What did you do?" I ask so we can move along meaningfully.


    "DO YOU WANT TO KNOW!? NOTHING! -NOTHING!- I MADE MY TUNNEL AND GOT OUT ON MY OWN, I TRIED TO FORCE THEM BACK DOWN INTO THAT HOLE!" he howls with increasing frantic distress. Moving my arse off the game machine, I walk up to him and place my hand on his shoulder. Hiding the rise in my fingers, I ward off my peeking siblings.


    They need to leave us be and let me handle it.


    "So you blame yourself for not being able to help them?"


    "No... That''s not it, because what happened afterwards is that everyone started calling me a hero. Champion Nin! Saviour of dozens and some unborn seed, bloody thing!" he seethes with heated blood.


    "Why does this bother you, Nin? You went back and did the right thing." I say, using only what I know right now.


    "But I didn''t... I ran away, when I couldn''t get them back into the hive, I ran. I leapt as high as these magic-rich legs could get me. Only to find myself facing the bugs again... It beat me bloody and nearly killed me then and there. Which, frankly, I should''ve let it done so in hindsight."


    "Do not say such things." I firmly say with a shake of my head.


    "Or what!? You''ll kill me!? I''M ALREADY DEAD, GOD!" he blares in my face and my expression does not change.


    "You may not be living anymore, Nin, but so long as everything up here works," I start to say as I tap his head before poking his chest, "So long as here still feels, you are alive."


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    "Hogwash..." he spits as he tries to overpower the divine power holding these arcade machines together. He suddenly kicks one of the motorcycle toys and it wobbles, unaffected but shaken.


    "Nin, from what you have told me, there is nothing to be bothered about. You helped these people at the end of the day."


    "I trailed behind them with bruises and bleeding cuts. I put them on a log after they had all fallen until their people found me. I did not save anyone... I didn''t do anything right that night but they all still called me ''Champion'' once I was awake."


    I nod as he sighs.


    "Then after all of it, all that praise... I die as a monster. Right after I was in the process of doing something horrible to a pestering, but ultimately well-meaning woman..." he groans as he walks around to some of the other machines. Following after him, we arrive at a claw machine filled with stuffed animals.


    "How about we work out some of this anger?" I suggest as I do a careless grab for a prize, ending up with nothing in the end.


    "So how does this one work?" he asks as he stares into the claw machine''s on-view bounty. I smile a little at reality''s greatest annoyance, a money-grubbing claw machine...


    Opening my mouth to explain, a joyful little thing bounds into the room, barging past me.


    "Oh! Oh! OH! I want to teach him how to use this one!" Clohniq squawks as she also knocks Nin down to the ground before her mouth just goes off on one. By the time the blurry, unintelligible mess of words ends, she is already holding a prize. Nin, who hasn''t even got back to his feet, frowns with a twitching nose.


    I help the mortal up as I stare at the back of my obnoxious, bratty sister.


    "Wow, so helpful." Nin remarks sarcastically as Clohniq shows off the stuffed octopus that is now in her hands. Made up of two colours, the currently external pink fur carries on it a blushing smiley face. While its blue underside likely reveals a grumpy mood. Clohniq notices our shared mood and she nervously chuckles as she switches the octopus inside out.


    I push her away by the head and she pouts before a huff of annoyance escapes. Needlessly dramatic in her departure, she storms off to back from whence she came. Or, rather, she''s now behind us, silently watching with a mouth loaded with back-seat remarks. Our elder brother then also happens to walk in, in a rare moment of showing interest in something other than his forge.


    The God of Thunder immediately sets himself up at the whack-a-mole and gets to it. Though, what he intends to do, I do not know. The high score is his, the scoreboard is full of his attempts and he''s already broken the machine once by playing it for too long. How in all of reality is he still entertained by a little squeaky duck hammer and heads to bonk?


    "So this is to go up... This is to go across-" I start to explain to Nin once the red button has been pushed.


    "And that is to move the claw itself!" Clohniq interjects as she suddenly climbs over my back to then desperately reach for the buttons.


    "Let him figure it out on his own!" I snap gently as I pull her back slightly, though awkwardly.


    My eyes return to the human soul as he tries to get the claw to go down onto one of the larger toys. One whose label has been pried open over the years of it being in there or maybe Dad is toying with us. Initially, it seems to work, one of the three hooks goes through the gap and the other two secure themselves well. The toy rises and nears the exit, only for the claw to suddenly jolt and drop the toy in an unassailable spot.


    "What in the actual...!?" Nin groans with a bullish snort as he is introduced to the pain of greedy arcade gimmicks. Dad is the one responsible, of course, he loves seeing us whine about the unfairness of it. He''s always keeping an eye on this room, making us suffer with our time.


    "No... Not like that, like this!" Clohniq goes as she barges past again, shoving him aside once again so she can win... Again. Grabbing my sister''s arm as she reaches for the prize, I hoist her up at an odd angle and gently smack the back of her head.


    "Hmmmmmmm..." Nin lets out lengthily as his foot eases the pressure his anger is placing on his mind. The human strokes his chin and leans towards the glass, eyeing one toy in particular by the looks of it. A goal is forming, one focused on a stuffed tomato with little leafy limbs.


    The control sticks click as they are wiggled about with the music playing as the conveyor belt moves slowly. The grapple stops and swings, steadily, it comes to a halt and then Nin stamps the call to action. A firm grip grasps the toy. It falls right on the divider.


    "STUPID BLOODY MACHINE!" Nin roars as he smashes its side, tilting the machine before the toy can fall back in.


    It goes down the shoot.


    "Yay..." Nin lets out, exhausted by the simple game.


    I smile at him as he pulls the toy out of the rewards bin and he feels its fuzzy fur. His mouth comes to life with swears and complaints and he starts to walk. Following after him a different way, I try to interfere with my brother by patting his electric back, though my focus is on Nin. Who, in his growing annoyance over the toy, cannot help but hold it tighter.

 V3 Incline 16: Sraacdchammu, God of Giants

    As we walk out of the arcade and towards the stairs up to the bar, a female voice oofs aloud. Looking down at the victim once I get up there, I find myself smiling at my little sister, Aahtha. She gazes up at Nin''s toy and her eyes widen with literal sparkles. Excited, she starts to bounce up and down.


    "Did you win that!?" Aahtha would like to know with her voice squealing as the toy is presented to her, "CAN I!?"


    Nin shrugs with an almost distasteful expression, "Might as well, no point in me keeping it. Even with how frustrating it was to win it..."


    "Yippie! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she cheers as she tightly hugs the stuffed tomato.


    "He''s going to need a name, Aahtha." I remind her as I place a hand on her small head. Rubbing it affectionately as she giggles and fawns over the new toy.


    "Mato! His name is Mato!" she decrees and my smile deepens before I nearly snigger in Nin''s direction. Thusly, the toy is named, Mato of the Arcade, First of the Free Fruit, Escaper of the Claw, Frustrator of Human Souls.


    Giving her one final smile, I leave my sister to talk Nin''s arm off about whatever and head over to my nearby siblings. Undwote happens to be in the area, pushing a small cart holding both Pluuit and Oceinater in its red, plastic hold. The monkey drops things into the water and hoots and bubbles clash against each other in the most normal of arguments. Undwote huffs freezing air and his tobacco-craving hand taps his pipe pocket.


    "A lot of you are appearing here all of a sudden, did Dad want something?" I ask my older, smaller brother before I play with his white hair to annoy him. I hiss bemusedly as the signs of frostbite briefly afflict my hand. My brother shakes his head after he looks at everyone else present.


    "We''re all here to drown our sorrows like the ancient bastard. This upcoming event is best served distracted. While none of us can see into the future as we can unaffected. We have all been through this enough to know how it will go down..." he moodily answers and I nod once he finishes.


    "Ever the pessimist, I see." I half-heartedly joke as this whole affair is far too depressing to fully joke my mind away from. How long has Dad been doing this to himself? How many times must he keep throwing his heart wastefully at the very incarnation of Spite?


    Undwote reacts lightly and a hefty puff escapes his lips, "We both know that''s not it, this is a problem with Him and Him alone. He doesn''t listen to any of us in regards to it, He keeps doing it, no matter how often we do this... This stupid thing is why He lets none of us be as all-knowing as we should be! I''ve had enough of these never-ending shaming sessions, it''s always the same. If it bothered Him this much then He should reverse the clocks and kill Sargon."


    I sigh as I recall Dad''s alter ego during the final days of the old Reality-Web. Taking on the name of a King of Akkad to cover up the plans that had otherwise consumed him. Destroy the people of Abraham so that Babylon might live. The Fall of the Tower of Babel never involved Dad, it just became His quest when a dead king latched onto His soul...


    Turning towards the small collection of air hockey tables, I consider going over to one. Maybe lean on it until someone decides to come on over and play. Anything will do, really, a distracted mind is the best kind. It''s all we can do.


    "Well, if everyone is coming to Hot Rod''s for the distractions, we best find a way to pass the time, no? Toddler forms and Little Tots football down by the shoe exchange counter? Down the steps for a pool tourney? Find some sticky toys and send them soaring to the ceiling panels? The obvious?" I suggest without even getting into the pedantry of the arcade.


    Undwote smirks lightly, "Whatever leads to the longest-lasting distraction and the most wins for me."


    "Wrong way, Dumbarse." I remark as he abandons our pram-bound siblings for the bar. Following after this daring, underaged drinker, I boost him up onto one of the stools. Motrtha smiles at us as she comes on over in her casual barmaid get-up.


    "Hello, Boys! Would you like anything?" she greets with the same usual heart-melting warmness that we all love her for. Our elder sister hums happily along to the opera music playing on the speakers but I do not recognise the language. This is not a mortal tongue and Dad is often quite punishing should we listen to music from before our existence. There''s only one language He gives us a lax attitude towards and it''s only when we visit... Her.


    "Basket of chips with grated cheddar and the punchiest chilli you have on stove." Undwote answers before some basic telekinesis sees Oceinater dive-bombing into the empty slushie machine. My brother lets ice rain and he locks our brother in there while Pluuit hoots victoriously.


    "He''ll put you in a fruit salad." I remark to my monkey brother as he innocently chews on his fingers. Or, the fruit growing from them, rather.


    "Pluuit, sweetie, may I have a lemon please?" Motrtha asks and our brother obliges so by growing out of his pot. Coming up to the bar as a gorilla, he presents his pot with a freshly grown lemon tree in it.


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    "And here I thought his brown nose was just bark..." Undwote snickers as Pluuit puffs his chest up proudly.


    "Thank you." Motrtha says as she starts to cut one of the lemons up for our glasses of cola. I draw a happy smile using the condensation soaking the wood before having a sip. The refreshing fizz bubbles down my throat before my eyes glance Nin''s way. He seems to be doing fine for the moment and Aahtha isn''t getting up to anything.


    "Anything for you, Sraacdchammu? Today''s menu has quite the steak and salad combo if I might say so myself!" Motrtha asks and chirps as she applauds her truly divine cooking skills.


    "I''ll hold off for now, might as well get something with Nin seen as I came in here with him." I say as I tip my glass slightly his way.


    "Oh, you mean -my- helper?" our sister jokes as she giggles quietly.


    "My soul..." Undwote grumbles under his breath.


    "Yeah, I wanted to talk to him about what happened prior to his death." I answer with a hushed tone. My sister frowns as our older brother pulls his moping gaze up.


    "You wanted to know how he came to be an osibindah?"


    "I just wanted to see how he was holding up. This is a very strange set of circumstances he finds himself in." I clarify before taking another sip of my drink.


    "That is... Probably for the best." Motrtha answers with a saddened gaze as she slows down with her idle chores.


    "He have an outburst with you, too?" I ask, recalling what happened prior to the claw machine. If anything, the reason he struck it was because his blood was boiled prior to that.


    "Last night, when I was decorating the table with flowers grown by Pluuit... We had already chosen roses that night but he... He started having a breakdown when he saw them and his eyes started going all misty and distant." my sister worrywarts.


    "Nin mentioned someone earlier, that might be why." I say.


    "He died near an aelenvari flower, so, stands reason to assume it was a girl called Rose." Undwote lets us know as he leans forward slightly to take something from behind the counter. Motrtha slaps his hand away and hands it over, instead.


    "I see..." Motrtha goes quietly as she looks down and through the glass she is cleaning, "Did you find a soul that went by Rose? Maybe you can let him know she''s ok, otherwise, if that is at all possible?"


    "I never got around to the aelenvari dead, I went off to handle him as he was an oddly isolated soul. Then, well..." Undwote tells us, ending on a wide, swinging gesture that makes its point quite well.


    My sister then flicks my head, "H-Hey..."


    "You didn''t push him too hard, did you, Sraacdchammu?" Motrtha asks with a deadly tone as her eyes come very close. Leaning back from my elder sister, I shake my head as my eyes widen with innocent disbelief.


    "I want to say no!" I go with quiet emotiveness as one of my hands rubs the back of my head. I have no idea if Nin is a ticking, emotional timebomb or if I am responsible. I don''t think I did anything wrong and unfortunately, my godly wisdom isn''t doing me much good here.


    "We will see, then." she tells me with a dangerous tone before her expression lightens up as if nothing was ever said. Turning, we see Nin and Aahtha approaching with my small sister currently munching on some sweets.


    I give the two a wave and my sister happily returns one as the sugar infests her holy blood.


    "Hello, Aahtha- Oh? Who have we got here?" Motrtha asks our polite sister as she notices the toy tomato for the first time.


    "This is Mato! Nin won him and gave him to me!" Aahtha answers once Nin helps her up onto a stool. With her handful of sweets going all over the counter before Motrtha''s powers herd them back together.


    "Now wasn''t that nice of him, I hope you said thank you." Motrtha teases, making Aahtha pout as this isn''t something anyone can reasonably put into question. A small, purple plastic bottle then arrives before the little goddess and she takes it up in a reserved manner. A silent ''thank you'' is displayed and she quietly gets to hydrating herself.


    I look down at Aahtha and ponder how well and eagerly she plays into the role of being a child. Unlike Undwote on my right who is nothing more than an old man in the wrong body. Looking beyond my sister and towards Nin, I watch his awkward demeanour. He is trying to occupy himself with anything but looking at a certain someone!


    "You hungry, Nin? You weren''t there at breakfast." Motrtha asks and points out as she hands him a menu. One whose words change to match the alphabet he is most familiar with. Though, nothing can be done about my foul feelings towards it. Cuniform, just like Dad''s tongue...


    Rather peculiarly, however, some of the words on the menu are not translating.


    "I don''t know what these are supposed to be." Nin points out as he shows me the menu. His closest index finger pointing towards each of the words currently acting up.


    "That''s a Smokey Mountain, it''s a burger topped off with a bunch of other meats and onion rings. Maybe salad if you want it." I answer and his head tilts.


    "And what is a burger?" he asks and I nearly laugh. To think such a present meal here would be a completely foreign concept to Nin here, even with how simple the food''s design is.


    Using some of my godly powers, I illustrate the concept of the burger for Nin, "Two pieces of bread and a piece of meat in between with basically whatever you want with it as well, be it sauces or more fillings."


    "So it''s a sandwich?"


    "...Yes."


    "Why not just call it a sandwich, then?" he asks and I shrug.


    "Ask our Dad. He''s the one who introduced them to us." I say, gesturing to all my present siblings.


    "Ok... Can I have this, then, please, Motrtha?" he asks her, his finger still positioned on the details for the Smokey Mountain.


    "Sure, Dear, I can get you one of those, anything to drink?"


    "Uh... Surprise me, I guess, you did well with that last time." he goes with genuine uncertainty as everything on offer is otherwise leaving him blank-minded. I watch closely as he does the same to Motrtha as she goes down the part of the counter that goes by the closed-up dartboard. His attention returns to the wood once she vanishes into the kitchen.


    Though, one thing I have never figured out is if Hot Rod''s has its own kitchen?


    "Do you like Motrtha, Nin?" Aahtha asks with a giggle and knowing smile. Undwote suddenly starts to choke on his drink and it spits out all over the side whilst I laugh. The soul crashes to the ground as his stool suddenly finds itself upturned by his jerking. I quieten down quickly and smirk as I become outwardly aware of the expressions the two have.


    Both are in shock, but how they spice it up adds to the thrill of this conversation!

 V3 Incline 17: Sraacdchammu, God of Giants

    "W-W-Why wouldn''t I!? She''s a goddess who plays an extremely vital role with everyone!" Nin finally manages to answer after a tense minute following his reseating.


    "No!" Aahtha goes as she leans closer to him, shifting into her adult form, "Like-like. Someone you''d cuddle up with on the sofa, watching the ToT?"


    "Why would I cuddle her!?" Nin blurts in disbelief as he struggles to look away from the suddenly perfectly voluptuous goddess.


    "Because that is what you do when you like someone." Aahtha reminds the human as she knocks the place his heart would''ve been thudding not that long ago.


    "I liked my friends! Doesn''t mean I cuddled them because I liked them!" Nin tells her, only for his gaze to shake as he realises the past tense he approached the situation with.


    "You know I do not mean that kind." she says as she wraps herself against the mortal, nearly smothering him with her inspired body, "The kind of like that leads to lots and lots... Lots... Of screaming."


    "Ok! That''s enough!" Undwote goes as his fist suddenly strikes the counter. I cover my mouth as my tickled fancy threatens to burst out rapturously. Nin, meanwhile, is burning up to the point only heart-pulled ash may remain.


    "What are you lot doing?" Motrtha asks as she hurries back with all of our food. A little girl laughs and Aahtha skedaddles off the stool before she rushes down the stairs with her toy. I nearly lick my lips at the food my sister is carrying in, but, Nin really wishes he could be dead beyond death.


    With the recently spoken words so powerfully imprinted on his mind, he cannot help but buckle under my sister''s gaze.


    "They didn''t ask you anything inappropriate, did they?" Motrtha asks him as she leans on the bar after putting the food down. Eagerly, I take up what should be mine and my hands rub together eagerly before my fingers flex impatiently.


    My sister, however, catches the smirk on my face whenever I look Nin''s way.


    "Hey! Hey!" I moan as she takes my food away and pinches my cheek with twisting fingers. The teased mortal groans loudly as my older brother mumbles to himself. Watching enviously as he eats his chips, I frown my annoyance as he goes about it strangely. He asked for chilli on top but he''s avoiding it completely!


    At the very least, he''s not taking a bite, putting it down and then pacing about...


    "Undwote... What happened?" Motrtha demands to know as my older brother digs into his food, trying to hide his gaze as he does so.


    "Nope." he goes as his own thoughts on the matter frustrate him.


    "Undwote..."


    "Not telling." he effectively repeats.


    Motrtha sighs her annoyance as Nin tries to keep his mind focused on the burger. Like the curious little thing he is, he carefully pulls up the top bun so he can look down at the contents. The other hand starts to peck away at the bacon bits in the melted cheese slice. He barely begins to nibble one before he goes back for another.


    "Motrtha."


    "Yes Nin?" she answers almost instantly.


    "What''s ''ToT?'' Aahtha mentioned it before you came back." Nin asks as he lets the bun go back down onto the meat pile.


    "ToT? Oh, that is the Tournament of Talent. Gladiatorial games made up of the strongest fighters from the mortal world. Dad offers them a chance to partake, though many simply stumble into the games after beating one of the six entry fights." she explains before her powers change the TV channels to the divine network that records these fights.


    "Oh, there''s a match on right now?" I ask as a familiar set-up comes into view.


    "Coincidentally, yes. Right here, Nin, we have the strongest and oldest of all mortals on show. Rohlandantyr, the One-Winged Swordsman." my sister explains as Nin nods along, most of his brain focusing on the food.


    "I don''t really get the point of him, personally. We''re in the games as the highest-ranked fighters but no one can get past him, it''s impossible." I grumble as it is sort of boring only being able to fight to a standstill with my siblings. Dad could change the rules of this whole thing, but, nope, we have to wait for someone to beat Rohlandantyr.


    Not even the king of that up-and-coming empire of mortals on the continent with the Wind Guardian wants to try...


    Glancing up at the screen, my eyes nearly glaze over as the victory tallies, ranks and other technical gibberish come up. Ranked at the one-hundredth and first position, the One-Winged Swordsman is a fine divider between actual fun in this thing. I am somewhat curious to see what my tally is compared to my other siblings, but, that''s never Dad''s focus. He likes to focus on the mortals when it comes to this.


    Three million enrolled combatants with the six elemental emperors serving as the entry exam. Jaadagoren likes to coach them as they''re dragons, but she might as well be useless as she''s too lazy to actually live up to her words. Though, the strongest of the six, the Wind-Empress, she has her master to coach her, the king at rank one-o-two. I wonder if Dad plans to do anything about that guy''s involvement with Jhrarda...?


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    I shake my head as the screen suddenly shifts over to a spotlight talk on the mortal ranked at one-o-three. I smile as Oceinater bubbles with excitement from the slushie machine. The spokesman for the ToT blabber excitedly on about the world''s largest slug. A small little thing that literally grew fat from strength until it swallowed the Water Guardian, now it -is- the esteemed link in the planet''s defences.


    "So who is heading for the chopping block?" Undwote wants to know as he leans back against the counter. A somewhat miserable expression on his face as he is reminded of one of the few souls neither he nor Waionr have control over.


    "It seems he is fighting someone from... Rank one-five-two..." I say as I read the guy''s stat line as Nin looks up from his meal with a greasy face.


    The screen shifts and shows two fighters, Rohlandantyr in his golden, angelic armour. A flat, rectangular-ish sword of light in his hands which in theory, can cut through anything, even concepts like us. Grim curiosity makes me want to push the topic with this unbelievably ancient hybrid. But, he seems to be too respectful of what we are to test that himself.


    On the other side...


    "Kuetaga, Realm Destroyer." Undwote mumbles as I try to keep in my snicker over the guy''s pine-cone-like hair.


    "I would start a betting pool, but we know who will win." I remark as Dad''s voice fills our ears. Like the pedantic little fight nerd He is, He starts to blabber on about the number of victories Rohlandantyr has. However, curiously enough, Kuetaga, despite his blatant in-comparison youthfulness has a vastly more in-depth killscore.


    A number so big it needs to be put down in the style of ''to-the-power-of,'' a relation to his title no doubt. I can only guess this means he''s from one of Dad''s personal realms of reality, the things He makes when He''s bored. Or, from back when He first became what He is... Like Rohlandantyr here.


    "I want the winged one to win." Nin remarks between bites as a whole solar system forms in a somewhat natural, albeit accelerated manner. Spiralling clusters of rock and gas come together and the view keeps on expanding. As does the realm of reality in which the fight will take place. Entire planets will be up for destruction, something Nin may have never imagined possible.


    "Heh, the mighty One-Winged Swordsman... This is all you are? A flying cripple in gold!? HAHAHAHAHAHA! I am disappointed! I have destroyed planets with flicks and genocided their inter-solar empires with my mere breath! You think a glowstick can best me!? THE REALM DESTROYER!" the ignorant fighter boasts throughout the void as the pair settle down on the empty space between physicality.


    I quickly look to Nin to make sure the volume has been properly adjusted for his ears as even the planets on screen are trembling at its echoes.


    Rohlandantyr does not speak, his bladeless hilt simply ignites. The First Man walks forward, slowly, as the counter to the match decreases. Zero. Rohlandantyr keeps on walking, his hilt with no light once again.


    "ONE-HUNDRED AND EIGHTY!" Dad roars into His mic as Kuetaga falls apart, cleanly bisected.


    "Huh? What happened? Nothing occurred but everything is now over. Why is everything suddenly two?" Nin lets out, confused, baffled and most importantly, disappointed. It nearly ruins his appetite, but, Motrtha''s cooking is just that good.


    "That was it, Rohlandantyr won as you hoped, it''s ju-"


    "You cannot see the actions of what occurred because you are too weak." Waionr explains in my stead as he loudly steps up into the bar area in full gear. My war-minded brother strokes his chin as Nin continues to watch that just-made realm of reality fall apart into many sets of two. Along a single, fine cut.


    "Someone mind explaining it to me, then?" Nin asks as Motrtha mutes the screen so Dad''s childish antics don''t disrupt the conversation.


    "He made a single slash across the width of an entire celestial collection. Slashing its star straight along the horizontal centre along with the rest of the planets and moons in its orbit. All at a speed so impossible to comprehend that you need to have been sired by Father to even have the slightest chance of picking up what occurred." Waionr waffles on grandiosely.


    "He went really fast and went slash." Undwote clarifies to the somewhat lost mortal with mildly humourous sound effects. Nin''s head shuts down and he goes back to his food, content with ignoring how strong we gods and goddesses are.


    "So... About what Aahtha was pestering you with?" Motrtha asks with a sly smile as she lingers in front of Nin, polishing the counter needlessly. The mortal meanwhile cannot take his mind off of the food, a pleasure so fine that Motrtha may in fact be Aahtha''s concept when she cooks.


    "Aahtha was asking me if I liked you enough to leave you screaming during cuddle sessions." Nin mindlessly answers as he continues to gorge himself on the Smokey Mountain. I chuckle under my breath as the thing that was embarrassing Nin so easily moments ago does nothing now.


    "Oh? Would you... Would you perhaps have any objections to such a thing, should I ask it of you?" Motrtha asks with half-closed eyes as she leans on one of her palms. One hand walks about on its fingers and she smiles innocently as she discovers that Nin can offer her what none of us can''t.


    "Uh..." I go dumbfounded as I hear something crack in Undwote''s grip behind me. A chilling aura creeps up onto my back and Pluuit limps away, hooting quietly as he wilts under the dreaded winter conditions.


    "Don''t see why not, you are perhaps the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Aahtha may reflect my desires, but being the most desirable woman in my view is not the same as being the most beautiful." Nin explains nonchalantly as he wolfs down more of his food. A few wet pops leave his mouth as he cleans his finger of sauces.


    My brother''s face comes by with the straightest expression in all of existence and eyes that might be able to kill.


    Motrtha, on the other hand, flushes red and she bounces back with a smile. She hides her face behind a hand, partially and the other twirls her apron. This must''ve certainly been a first for her, for all of us, actually. Being called beautiful by someone outside of the family, by someone she is actually able to interact with physically...


    "Well... If you really think that... Maybe you would like to come to my room later? I can show you just how beautiful I am?" Motrtha suggests with a girlish giggle as a certain flaw in her existence exploits this mess. One of her fingers idly draws circles with the water left by the condensation on our glasses.


    I nudge Nin harshly.


    "Huh? What you want?" he asks cluelessly as he looks around at all the expressions he is getting. He shuffles away, protective of what little remains of his food. Eyeing my sister carefully, she is entranced by his tongue as it cleans the juices and grease from his soul.


    "D-Did you enjoy your meal?" she asks after shaking her head suddenly. Too embarrassed to go on as smoke seems to emanate from her.


    "Very much so. Very... Much so..." he lets out blissfully as the full belly which he is patting helps him ignore us.


    "I... I''m glad you did.." Motrtha answers rather frustratedly before she departs. I watch her white-knuckle hand clench whatever she can and she retires from her barmaidly duties. I frown in thought as this is likely going to lead to a conversation with Dad.


    "Well, guess I''ll help myself!" I go with a clap of my hands before I lean over the counter to pour myself something fresh and possibly strong.

 V3 Incline 18: Eqkilibral, the God of All

    "No... I already tried that way before with her..." I mutter quietly as I lean back into my office chair''s soft cushions. A bejewelled finger lingers near my mouth as I try to think of every possible thing I can do. Anything at all, I need to try it and see if it will work... I place the hand on my opulent desk of dark wood, polished gems and scratchless precious metals.


    A long, drawn-out gust of frustrated wind leaves me, blowing around all the loose paper.


    Is there anything I can try that I have not done before?


    A hand strokes my chin as I close my eyes, oh how sweet her smile used to be. Before I tainted it with my cruelty and obsession. It''s my fault things are the way they are now. I keep saying that I am sorry, I''ve tried to explain it...


    "Should I try and ease her into our next meeting? Send the kids in first before I visit? Maybe I should bring her a present... Something, anything that can melt down this iceberg threatening my Titanic." I grumble in open ponder.


    I lean forward as firm knocks on my office door reach all the way down to me. Despite the precautions I''ve put in place to have an excuse to ignore the noise. The knocks are still reaching me, whoever is doing it is determined to get my attention. However, I''ve made the rules clear to all of them not to disturb me in my office unless it''s direly important...


    "Go away! I am busy, annoying cunt." I go, muttering the insult at the end so that they won''t hear it and hold it against me later.


    "Can I come in? I need to talk to you." asks... Motrtha?


    I blink and get up from my chair as this is not like her at all, she''s practically my enforcer with my privacy rules. With this being so outside of the norm with her, I open the first door and go down the long, narrow pass. Reaching the final door, I listen out carefully for any giggles or the telltale signs of a prank. Yet, as I open the door, a familiar shiver enters my ears.


    Tears.


    "Hey, hey, what''s wrong?" I ask her as she latches onto me. Returning the demanded hug, I stroke her hair as she shakes under the pressure of whatever is on her mind. She starts to push up against me and I bring her into my office, closing the main and then the next door with my powers. Bringing her to the depths of my office, I settle her down on one of the plump chairs in front of my desk.


    It''s a pointless chair, admittedly, but, I like the vanity it brings to the room.


    "I... I want to talk to you about the human soul you brought on board when you summoned Undwote here." she says as I go to sit back in my chair, only to stop short of it when I re-register her choice of topic. What on Earth is this all about? My first daughter is in shambles over a dead soul that is only around as a means to keep Undwote here? Eh...?


    "What about them?" I ask as I finally find the ability within me to sit down. A frown settles comfortably on my features as I start to wonder if Motrtha ever showed acting chops. There are two feelings within me right now, lack of amusement and concern. Either she is here over something trivial and it has somehow got her worked up or this is about...


    My first daughter looks around nervously with a finger twirling her hair and a blood-burnt face, "I... Uh... I..."


    Finding where the human currently is aboard my ship, I idly glare in his direction.


    "I would like to have sex with them!" she finally blurts out as all other systems crash.


    I raise a brow high and mightily as the possibility of a human soul seducing one of my daughters comes to mind. Not Aahtha falling to her undeniable base instincts as Pleasure itself. Not even somehow the womanly part- half of Oramvaleood. But, Motrtha, the one I made with the greatest degree of innocence.


    I start to cackle, then laugh. I roar in bemused disbelief as that human soul comes to mind in its entirety. That boy a womanizer? Yeah right, he reminds me of my days as a college student, what with the hopefully fire-retardant workshop overalls he has on.


    "No." I answer finally, with stern assertiveness as I do not have time to get into another one of these kinds of discussions with my daughter. We''ve been over this so many times and she''s slunk away each time with a disappointed sense of understanding... Why now? Of all the times to act like this, why when we are so close to seeing my...


    A fist clenches.


    Motrtha looks down, disappointed, trembling as she does so, "And... And why not?"


    "Because I sai-" I start to answer and she lunges to her feet, shattering my desk completely with the strength hidden in her deceptive body. My powers clean up the mess and put it all back together. Though, the ship continues to tremble under the sudden usage of her divine powers.


    "I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOU, YOU MISERABLE THING! WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO TELL ME WHO I CAN AND CANNOT MAKE LOVE TO!?"


    "Pffft, love... I made you, that''s why. I made all of you, even Thurnmourer despite what the epics and poems assert. What you will and can do exists solely in what I allow to happen." I tell her, leaning forward as I finish speaking. I sharply open a draw and fiddle with the paper contents inside to no real gain. I just need something to keep me calm so I do not get engrossed in this sudden outburst.


    What concept does she have of love of this kind?


    "YOU ARE PERFECTLY HAPPY TO LET AAHTHA TOY WITH MORTALS! YOU KNOW FULL WELL SHE''S TRIED TO BE INVOLVED WITH NIN!"


    "She is the goddess of pleasure, it is part of the job. I can''t do much about that without erasing her, like how I can''t stop your older brother from creating. Or Waionr from being involved in that which old men are feared more than young ones. Oramvaleood will always argue morals, Avanvenger will always hold petty grudges. It''s how just is, Motrtha."


    "AND I AM THE GODDESS OF MOTHERS... And yet... And yet... I have not a single child to call my own. So why can''t I at least let this human give me what I want!? So that at the very least, loveless as it might be, I am still living up to what I am meant to be, a mother!"


    "You are the concept of motherhood I fashioned to look after your older brother. All mothers look to you by the virtue of what you are. You fundamentally are the mother of all their children so long as they pray for good omens in your name."


    "RUBBISH! UTTER RUBBISH! DO YOU EVEN THINK YOU DAMNABLE IDIOT!? I AM THE GODDESS OF MOTHERS! MOTHERHOOD! BUT I HAVE NO CHILD OF MY OWN! I HAVE ONLY EVER BEEN A BIG SISTER TO MY FAMILY! EVEN THEN, SOMEONE ELSE''S CHILD DOESN''T BECOME MINE BECAUSE I''VE BEEN WORSHIPPED TO! MORTALS LIVE THEIR LIVES INDEPENDENT OF US, OLD MAN!" she screams with every bit of vitriol within her.


    I groan in disgust, "I don''t care, quit wasting my time and leave."


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "NO! YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME YOU STUPID OLD MAN! YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME! IF YOU WANT TO TREAT ME LIKE A DAUGHTER THEN YOU BEST START ACTING LIKE A FATHER RATHER THAN A PATHETIC PIECE OF SHIT!" she screams, throwing aside my desk and shattering it once again.


    I look in the direction of the tossing and turning papers as they descend...


    "Oh... No, I shouldn''t be surprised, should I? You are too focused on trying to win back someone who HATES YOU! SHE WILL ALWAYS HATE YOU AND HOW COULDN''T SH-"


    My grip tightens around her throat.


    Walking slowly to the closest wall as she chokes, I slam her against it. Her powers come out in force per my will, in their entirety, as do mine. She and her siblings think they grasp what it means to be omnipotent, but, I intend to show her that she knows nothing. And she claws at my hand, desperate to hold onto life.


    "Do not ever say something like that to me, Motrtha. If you keep acting this way..." my grip tightens as a woman with red hair flashes in my vision...


    I start to look down as my first intentional creation gags as blackness fogs her vision and mind.


    "IF YOU KEEP ACTING THIS WAY, I WILL ERASE YOU IN YOUR ENTIRETY! YOUR FAMILY WILL NOT REMEMBER YOU, THE WORLD WILL SEE NOTHING LIKE YOU! EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EVER DONE WILL NEVER HAVE EXISTED!" I roar with every bit of fury within me as all of creation vanishes. It''s just me and her right now, nothing else. She starts to disintegrate in my grip and her neck steadily caves in as there is less and less to hold me back.


    I look her in her tearful eyes and, I stop.


    Dropping her to the ground, all of creation returns to normal and my office is repaired again. I watch carefully as she whimpers and shakes. Hands and feet scrape the ground as she desperately tries to escape my office. I back away as her tears bounce about my head.


    Trembling to myself quietly as the door out refuses to budge, I wipe my eyes as they suddenly become wet. The sound of a crying child fills the room and I stand up. Moving over to the utterly terrified goddess, I pick her up and hold her close. I try to whisper to her to be quiet and I bounce her all I can but her tears won''t stop...


    What is wrong with me...? I''ve already once killed everyone I cared about in an apocalyptic war where the only winner is those who survive. I said those words to her, there is no escaping that. I seriously considered and tried to act upon murdering my first daughter.


    "Shhhhhh... It''s ok, Daddy is here, shhhh... It''s ok, Daddy is here..." I hypocritically reassure her with as I clumsily find a chair to sit down on. Moving her to my lap, I continue to hold her close as her tears are accented by violent coughing. I start to go quiet and I maintain my protective grip as my daughter continues to fear the anger of her father. Her awful, sinister father.


    The one that deserves to be hated by the one he loves, just as she said...


    I look down at my daughter and I see short white hair and amber eyes. My head jerks back as I fail to keep my quaking mind in check. This isn''t my daughter, this is... My dear friend from so long ago, my mind is casting such delusions on me now!?


    "Kone..." I mutter quietly as I recall what my actions had compelled her into doing just as my mind stops playing tricks on me. I killed my friend in a hug like this, they had turned her into a suicide bomber. With her consent. A word-activated bomb made in desperation as the great powers of the world fell to my machinations.


    I remember the event so well but the word which nearly killed me is all but forgotten.


    "I''m sorry, Motrtha... Daddy is very sorry for hurting you!" I tell her as I tighten my grip gently, kissing her forehead as I rub her small head. She starts to push away from me and I let her go, fully expecting to hear the door open and lock once again.


    Looking up, I see she is back in mature form and simply standing still, all quiet.


    She finds a chair and hides behind her dress-covered legs, "Sorry for saying what I did... I know she means a lot to you... I''m just angry..."


    "It''s fine, Motrtha, I know you all hate these trips. I had no right to act the way I did, even with everything going on..." I tell her, letting out the longest possible sigh afterwards.


    "If you wouldn''t mind... Can we actually finish the discussion? Can we come to an actual solution?" she asks me and I start to give ground to her as my guilt consumes me.


    The words bounce around my head as the strange request lingers, "You want the human to impregnate you so that you may actually have a child to call your own? An actual child that leaves everyone else as uncles and aunts... Myself a granddad."


    She hides her nod as well as her expression and I start to quietly consider it. I don''t know, I really don''t know. I am not under any circumstances making her a lover as that would feel strange. If my creations are my children then I''d just be allowing incest to take its disgusting grip. I can''t make her a child either as that would simply repeat her initial creation when I handed off Thurnmourer to her.


    No.


    She needs to actually give birth for this contradiction in her existence to be placated. But, as her father, I cannot endorse the idea of some mortal getting it on with so little actual feeling there. I groan as that boy comes to mind. My fingers drum aggressively as I refuse to tap into my omniscience to gain a better understanding of him.


    "Are you sure it has to be this human?" I ask as I look back towards my daughter, a tight clench on my immortal heart as I continue to see her terror.


    "No... No, no it doesn''t have to be him. It''s just, since we can no longer enter the mortal realm since the incident with the... Fourteen. I can only offer myself to mortals through rituals and scripture, all tied to mothers now and mothers to be. I cannot actually talk to or come to love a man specifically because of the conditions you have mindfully set in place. Nin might be my only chance to do this, he''s the only mortal I have ever been in direct contact with!"


    "I see."


    "Of all the times we''ve done this, when all the family comes here... This is the first time someone else has come aboard, someone from outside the family. Someone not related to you in the slightest! I know you have your issues with making a lover for me, so I started to hope that this might be my chance... A chance to have a father to give me the child I need to have..."


    I start to shake my head, "Motrtha, he''s a soul destined for the process all the dead go through. Undwote is going to recycle him into magic and spread it back into the world like a fresh helping of nutrients."


    "Then bring him back to life, restore his mortality so that Undwote cannot interfere! You alone have the authority, power and privilege to do that, Dad."


    "You want me to let him impregnate you then bring him back to life so your child does not grow up without a father?" I ask to make sure I am understanding this correctly.


    "No... No!" she incoherently rambles as she starts to swirl her divine powers about, creating a small amulet with it. One that looks oddly similar to a pearl necklace.


    "Why the trinket?"


    "To directly bless him with a fraction of my essence as the Goddess of Motherhood. He will naturally magnetise women towards him as my powers work into the minds of them. The children he will make will be blessed by me directly!" she explains, losing me to an extent. How is this any different to what she is going through now?


    "Motrtha, being a mother requires a man to pay a visit..." I say as my eyes shift about.


    "As a mortal, he is not strong enough to do that, Dad. He either needs to be promised to me again at the end of his returned life so that I may have a happily ever after, after he has grown in strength. Or, I directly place a portion of myself within him, making his children more than meets the eye."


    I nod slowly as I go over what she said before, "So, you will make women flock to him and he''ll... Hopefully, turn out to be greedy?"


    "This will only affect women who actually have any kind of feelings for him. It will turn them up a notch... Only by a little! Undwote mentioned he died near an aelenvari flower so everything should work out as he is young and you know..."


    I blink, "Who are the aelenvari, again?"


    "The mortals with their heritage tied to Pluuit. We have talked a fair bit about the near-extinction event they went through millennia ago because of one of the titans named after Undwote''s puppies."


    "Oh! The ones with the overwhelming female-to-male population."


    "Yes! Them!"


    "Now... About Undwote. I doubt this will go over well with him given it means revoking an already withheld soul in its entirety." I say and Motrtha shakes her head vigorously.


    "Oh, just forget about him. It''s one soul, one! His slight, petty frustrations mean nothing compared to us actually resolving something I have languished over since my creation."


    "Alright... Uh, I... I guess I can be fine with this." I tell her as I think it all over as best as I can. It''s bad enough that my daughter serves as a fill-in mother and I''d rather not leave her without a father for her child... Children?


    "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" she squeals over and over before she charges me to deliver revenge for my prior transgressions. I try to smile as she squeezes and she pounds a hearty kiss onto my cheek.


    "...Wait! How are you going to be giving him this essence of yours?" I ask with fatherly worry as she leaves as if she never heard me. She simply giggles on the way out as I start to look increasingly like a dumbstruck idiot. I shrug as I pray to myself that she keeps it to the confines of her room.


    I smirk a little as I start to get on with something unrelated to what I was doing prior to her arrival.


    "A granddad, huh?"

 V3 Incline 19: The God of Thunder and Creation

    "Is this... Is this really necessary? I''m literally dead. My safety doesn''t really matter." the human soul asks as he fidgets obstructively under the careful eye of my sister, Clohniq. The Goddess of the Thread is not infringed upon by his behaviour, however, and she continues to skillfully implement the threads I made. The mortal''s unchanged clothes steadily gain an increasingly metallic lustre.


    "My first sister passed on that the Lord of lords wishes for it to be done. Thus, I do." I answer as I continue to focus on making his overalls stronger, more resilient buttons. My right foot moves up and down in bursts of three, powering the whetstone as I shape the final portions of their circumference.


    I do not need to make a suit of armour, only something that can guarantee the safety of the mortal. But, I am finding this to be an impossible task within the depths of my mind. He is a finite being so recently departed from where he belongs. And now I am expected to see that he is still around after stepping into a battlefield meant for conceptual majesties.


    "Do we have to make it like this...? I want my first direct work for a human mortal to be something special!" Clohniq complains as she shakes the mortal about, venting her frustrations into his shaking mind.


    Looking her way, I stand up with the new pieces and get to work putting them on. Placing a finger through the gap of the overalls, I squish them into place. My power reinforces them and I do the same with whatever Clohniq missed during the threading. A lone sniffle leaves me as my sister moans and complains under her breath.


    "This is a request, not a personal piece. We match their demands." I remind her as my vision switches from seeing the true colour of the world to the view of materialistic bonds. Though it may appear to be a quick look over to everyone else, I am actually carefully taking my time. What is a moment for them is incomprehensibly slower for me.


    Arcane, physical, how it all interacted, I observed it all and it has my approval.


    "Change, come up top once you are ready." I tell the mortal as I walk off into the small room attached to my workshop. Closing the door behind me and locking it, my powers ignite the modest lantern dangling above.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Shaking my head as a shiver goes down my spine, I remove my welding mask. With thunder-crackling eyes, I look over the floating pieces of armour that give the impression of a mannequin. Reluctantly, I step towards the battle-tested armour and cloth as my currently worn attire vanishes. The armour starts to react to my presence and sparks to life.


    Thick, dark grey fabric suddenly appears on me and reality''s strongest magnetic bond attracts the armour. Each piece of highly decorated, golden metal is carefully guided to where it needs to go. Soon, I am left with only my chest bare of the finest protection and my eyes look on towards the incomplete piece. Golden bolts surge from me as a coat of brilliant, golden mail covers the plate-less area.


    Looking into the mirror on my right, I flex my matching side arm and stare at the warrior copying me. Angled plate accented by hard edges, covered in symbols of all kinds. The names of all those within my family, written in the oldest tongue of them all. The language given to mortals by our very names, Gods-Speak.


    While the mirror cannot show it as they are written within my helmet, I can still see the names of those I am at odds with. Hopefully, this may be the day I can carve at least one of these names on the outside. All Fourteen of my moon-trapped brothers, the Lord of lord''s Beloved, the missing Singular God. I want to see all of their names on the outside one day, I do.


    All of them, every single one of them from the humblest god and goddess to the highest and mightiest of us all. This armour is my faith in my family and I will show their names with pride. They will return that pride to me, seeing the confidence they gain from my finest defensive work. The Armour of the Thunder God.


    Metfamiunderod.


    However, my finest weapon will remain locked away in here until I can regain the trust of the stormclouds. If it should come to it, I will form lesser weapons if I am about to fight a part of my family. The Lord of lords maintains many enemies in this approaching, secluded realm of existence. But, he does not wish to see them harmed, merely held back for their own safety.


    Thunder rings in my ears and my power echoes out for all of the world to hear as I turn. Placing my hand on the door lock, I open it and step out into the open, crackling with power. May my enemies fear this noise and may my allies and family be blessed with safety as it booms. The Thunder God marches to battle so that his father may smile once again.


    If all is destroyed, then my other calling shall restore it.

 V3 Incline 20: Nin

    "What''s taking Undies so long?" Kyarverin calls out to no one in particular whilst I am fiddling with these new overalls. I watched Thurnmourer and Clohniq change and remake them, but I can''t figure out what they did specifically. It seems like nothing has happened, but, that makes no sense, the greatest craftsman to ever exist worked on them!


    "Gathering his seven hounds." a god hidden from view answers his father and a blatantly eye-rolling accompanied tone groans out.


    "Nin, can you come with me for a moment?" Motrtha asks, smiling as she finishes tying her hair up into a small, round bun. It''s a shame she''s done it up like that, but with how she and everyone else is changing their clothes, it is a necessary evil. Boots and cargo shorts with harnesses and a firmly fitted top.


    I rub the back of my head as I try to keep my eyes off her shapely body...


    Shaking my head slightly, I follow after the surprisingly eager goddess to see what this is all about. With rapid loud steps, I go back into the ship and look around as the Goddess of Mothers vanishes. Her giggling comes from behind a stack of tightly packed crates and I huff a smile of my own. Following the noise, I am suddenly grabbed and thrust against the hull.


    I panic initially, only to freeze to a calm as the softest lips I have ever felt before come against mine. My eyes can''t help but widen as the goddess presses herself up against my clothed chest. This isn''t the first time this has happened, a goddess latching onto me, but for Motrtha to be the one doing it...


    Regrettably, before I fall to the demands in my head to return the favour, she pulls away. Smiling deviously at me, her cheeks light up as my head otherwise empties itself of sense. I only have Rose as my point of reference with kissing, but. Wow.


    "Uh..." is all I manage to get out as she giggles, a hand linking up with mine as she presses up further. Something cold slips onto my wrist and I frown slightly at the beady sensation rolling along my left arm now. Motrtha moves away while holding my still bandaged right hand and I glance at the bracelet properly.


    "Make sure to keep this on your person -at all times- and you will always carry my blessing." she tells me with sweet quietness and firm authority at the same time. An index finger taps my nose as I continue to stare at the goddess'' gift.


    "And the kiss was because...?" I ask her and I am really tempted to add on ''Not that I minded it!''


    "Well... The cutest human I have ever met certainly deserves it." she explains, swerving on one set of tippy toes as her eyelids flutter. Coming up closer, she then sticks out her tongue as my face brightens up. I try to hide my features but she is a persistent hunter.


    "Thank you..." I can''t help but say.


    "Aw, look at you, all flushed! But, do you want to hear a secret?" she asks as a familiar grin takes over.


    "Uh... Sure." I tell her as she places the tip of her nose up against mine.


    "You are also the only human I have ever met." she enlightens, laughing to herself as she walks off. The previous embarrassment that left me feeling happy vanishes and bitterness fills the void.


    "Yay..." I sarcastically go as I follow the goddess up and out of the ship''s first internal deck. The view makes me mellow out, however, and when I arrive back on top with her, I look at my new accessory.


    Stroking my chin, I start to ponder as this is a bit strange, what good is a blessing from the Goddess of Mothers? Everything she is, is related to family, but, my family might as well not exist anymore. As, well... I''m dead.


    Maybe I am thinking about it wrong and this is simply a protective item? Thurnmourer and Clohniq also worked on my clothes so this must be some combination of various defences. But, to protect me from what, exactly? A little worrisome to think about, admittedly given where I am!


    "What the-" I go as I am thrown to the floor by a sudden, violent jolt. Stone cracking and metal being sent aside drums my ears numb and I wait until I stop shaking. Slowly pushing myself up, I frown at the unaffected gods as they act as if nothing happened. Many of them start to disembark and the sounds of trucks and other motorised vehicles start to honk.


    My vision narrows with no focus.


    "What in the...?" I go as my jaw loosens at how we have run aground right in the middle of a concrete city with open skies and no shoreline. Immense towers of grey and polished glass dominate the distant view as do green mountains which seem to surround the city. I blink miserably as I am somewhat reminded of home.


    None of it actually looks like home, but all these little things are adding up. Tobaballe is a city near the mountains, it''s a tall place with grand towers. The hustle and bustle of a mechanically-gifted metropolis. This literal dead man walking appreciates the slight memory joggers as much as he resents them.


    "Alright you maggots, fooooooor-mmmm up!" Kyarverian orders with a strange beat to his words as he paces about in a stiff, upright position. Oddly enough, I am reminded of Vapooliar as he does so, somehow. It is also easier to focus on him, rather than the overwhelming amount of gods and goddesses responding to his request... By their names, there is a lot of them!


    Tuning them out, I turn back towards the city and look down at it. Signs, vehicles and endless people on their way to work, school or whatever it is that they are up to this day. Oddly enough, none of them seem to care about the ship which has just run straight through the roads and buildings in its way. Wreckage and ruin are everywhere but no one cares, they do not give one single drop of a damn.


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    Is this all real or is it fake? Or are these people simply and tremendously used to ships appearing like this? How does that even happen? I guess I don''t have a right to speak given my current circumstances.


    "Oh, the lightning ball things are gone." I end up commentating as I notice the lack of blue light coming from the side of the ship. The exterior is completely redone and while I could ponder the whys, I do not want to. There''s daylight again here, I want to lose myself in it and wander around the towers. Glancing up at the giant birds...


    No, these are winged people flying from them. There''s a fair few, clearly heading off towards something in the distance. A place which for some reason leaves me full of dread. Anger is in one direction, somehow, I know that is what is that way.


    I shake my head clear of the strange feeling as I try to think of the bird people more precisely. Is this Rohlandantyr figure meant to be one of them, with the one wing being a species'' unique scar? That makes sense to me, but, his one wing also glowed a bright, luminescent white with a bluish tint to it. The ones in the distance are as black as the shadows they cast with their span.


    "H-Hey!" I go as something suddenly picks me up by the scruff of my neck with its mouth.


    "Alright, come along now, Nin." Undwote goes as one of his hounds barks down my neck with a mostly closed mouth. The wind suddenly rushes in my face and new ground is quickly found for my feet. I groan in annoyance as the shadowy animal drops me onto the tarmac-pebble-covered ruins. Groaning some more, the hound starts to nudge me away from the ship as everyone comes marching off in a way I have never seen them before.


    Undwote lands on the ground, a grown, elderly man with a gun in hand. Waionr and Thurnmourer and so many others come down with armour and weapons equipped. An endless line of assorted, all-powerful soldiers. The ship suddenly starts to be enveloped by tendrils and a massive plant beast emerges from its deck.


    It slams its two colossal fists against its chest as towers of snapping, flat-headed plants and thorny brambles appear. Looking around some more at everyone''s expressions and what they have, it is clear to me that a dangerous fight is about to take place. My eyes go back to Thurnmourer as the sky starts to cloud over, but, even then, his golden armour still shines. The kind that the stories spoke of when he saved the world again and again.


    Jaadagoren has a shiny, slithering worm following her and it quickly grows into a noodle-bearded serpent that roars fire into the darkened sky. The goddess who worked on my clothes, Clohniq, practices with her thin, narrow-tipped blade and a strap tightens next to me. Looking back to Undwote, all of his hounds step forward with equal size and shape, each in a set of almost smoking blackness.


    No more happy panting, only the constant sight and noise of teeth-baring growls...


    "Make sure to stick close to one of us, ok, Nin?" Motrtha makes sure I understand as her heavy-laden bag jingles and clutters as it bulkily swings with her steps.


    "I... I don''t think I really have much of a choice." I remark as I look towards the strange-skinned people in this place. Vapooliar and the others are, were, quite different to what I am used to, but, the similarities are there. These people, however, there''s a strange roundness to them, eyes that almost seem narrow and a tone of skin that isn''t quite a tan or it is ghastly pale.


    As none of them seem to care about anything that is going on, I move close to one and wave in their face. Only to instantly regret it as they shout a strange language at me aggressively. Motrtha hastens my retreat and I assume apologises in their tongue as we walk away. I move along with the goddess as one of the strange men grumbles what is likely to be an insult.


    At least now I know they can see me.


    "We probably have some time before we reach the school. So, would you like to look around with me?" Motrtha asks, somewhat confusing me as to why a school is now relevant. Of all the things.


    I stare awkwardly towards the towering god now behind Motrtha, the God of Law. Motrtha notices my gaze and turns to meet her rule-obsessed brother. She tries to be playful but he is having none of it and her hand is cast aside. Motrtha crosses her arms, unamused as Enorcoustice seems to try and stop her from moving.


    "His Lordship gave us a strict path to follow." the God of Law complains as he points in the direction everyone else is mostly heading. Many linger near the ship, however, even with Pluuit''s growing garden of chlorophyll-tinted violence. Motrtha jumps back slightly, a bemused hand touching her chest as she gently laughs at her younger sibling.


    "No, he gave that order specifically to those lot. Now, if you want to keep wrongly insisting I do things as you want them to be done... How about I don''t let you in on the surprise I have planned later?" Motrtha clarifies, then threatens as a finger points towards her father as he walks up and down the vehicles. Each one bounces and shakes under the stampede of divine, uncaring feet.


    The God of Law stares his sister down from behind his gavel-mask and the threat is set aside, "Those who are also to form the mid-guard are meant to follow and support him."


    "I''m not in the mid-guard, I am in the Nin-guard." she asserts as I am suddenly pulled down onto her closest breast. One that is all the more prominent because of her courage as she says the me-centric pun.


    "Battle is soon to arrive, Motrtha." Enorcoustice warns as he checks over the stone tablet he is carrying.


    "Then you best come with me and make sure your poor, poor, lovely sister doesn''t get hurt." she tells him as she leans in close with me still stuck on the front. I assume she is giving him baby eyes, but all I can think about is the eyes of a hungry baby.


    "Very well." Enorcoustice relents as Motrtha releases me, only to take my hand as she drags me away from the main column of gods. The God of Law follows us despite Motrtha''s hasty and slippy tactics and we come to a stop at a... Sweet shop?


    "What are these?" I ask her as I move as close as I can to a set of brightly coloured... Towers? Whatever they are, they are filled with equally brilliantly coloured balls, often with one half being mostly see-through. A silverish dial dominates the centre of the top-heavy machine, with some kind of slot being just about the knob.


    "It''s a gacha machine, do you want to have a go?" Motrtha asks as she pulls out a small purse before she hands me a circular coin with a square hole in the middle. I bounce the copper, doughnut money in my hand as I smile at the memory it gives.


    Doughnuts are nice, maybe this shop sells them?


    "So, into the slot?" I ask and she starts to nod with a joyful smile.


    "Yep, simply pop it in and then turn the dial clockwise." she explains and so I do as told, keeping it up until a solid thunk sounds out from the machine. A distinct, heavy, lock-like movement that leaves me open-mouthed and ''ah''-ing. I move aside as she pulls up a little flap and I take the half-blue ball she brings out.


    Trying to look into it, I gently shake the thing.


    "Well, go on then, open it!" she encourages as I notice the threading on the plastic. I twist it until I find the right way to loosen it up and the lid is set aside.


    "What... Is this, exactly...?" I question as she roars with laughter as I am left looking at a statue of a heavily muscular man doing a tight-knitted posture. A man dressed in pink and otherwise blatantly girly clothing.

 V3 Incline 21: Nin

    "So where exactly are we, this is still in the Orbital-Halo, right?" I ask either of the two deities I am with. I glance to my right as we walk by some kind of food stall packed with men in black trousers and white shirts. It smells nice and the general feeling of a lunch break is present.


    "This is a replica of the city Dad once lived in before he ever became a god. Before your world was ever made. It was even a long time ago before even I or Thurnmourer were born." Motrtha answers and I slowly nod with an open mouth. All of this is so ancient compared to my home yet it is so similar... This is actually amazing.


    "What''s this place called?" I ask as I spot a series of posters promoting what seems to be a festival. I have no idea what it is meant to be about, however as the sky has a deep bluish tint to it and is covered in white specks.


    "Begins with a K and ends in a U in a country starting with J and ending in N." Motrtha answers, smiling deeply as she does so. I stare at that smile until one comes to my face as well, bringing out a giggle from her.


    "Not helpful, but, it''s all interesting either way." I tell her as we come across a park that otherwise strikes me as an island. A single piece of green in the otherwise endless horizon of grey stone and flashing, colourful boards of light. Getting ahead of myself, I leave the other two and head into it. Smiling as I run a hand on a bush, I think back to that little potted plant I had back in Tobaballe.


    That was all the green I really had in my life for a fair bit of it. I imagine this is what it must''ve been like should I have stayed and gone up further in life. Yet, none of this compares to my time in the flower with Rose and the others. Despite all the problems, big and small, I was always outdoors in the open to the point it blurred together into the background.


    For all her annoyances and strange claims, the one thing I did love about Rose was being out in the open with her. Maybe it was because she is a plant person, but, she knew quite a bit about everything in the views we shared. The types of trees growing, the moss smothering them and the flowers blooming in the patches of halolight. Vapooliar had the one up on her, though, what with that nighttime trip to the mountains with all the snow and the high view...


    Even if I was only there because Vapooliar was terrified to the core.


    I shake my head as I find a thick-branched tree and I huff bemusedly at the thought of pulling a Vadei. Getting up there and simply lounging to my heart''s content as time goes on by and the bark imprints my skin. I assume such moments would be worried by my paranoia over my turned arm, but. I know it would be nice.


    A moment of happiness in the otherwise terrible present as I learned more and more about the horrors of the world.


    Looking over at a young, happy couple as they play around by a fountain, I smile a bit. This black-haired girl, pale of skin in her pink coat and short, black skirt is enjoying her boy in his white shirt and brown trousers. I wonder, if I ever did return the strange feelings Rose had for me, would I end up like that pair? Ignoring the world so long as I could look into the eyes of the other.


    "Nin! Please don''t wander off like that..." Motrtha tells me as everyone seems to vanish as the sky warps and contorts.


    "What''s going on?" I ask as I stare up at the swirling mass of purples, light and dark. It''s starting, I suppose.


    Suddenly, I am on the ground with Motrtha on top of me. A sickly yellow projectile in the ground I was once just on. Blinking slowly, me and the goddess quickly get back to our feet as the weapon turns to sparkles. Motrtha pulls me further away as her brother steps up to the fore as our assailants cackle.


    "Motrtha!?" I go as I cautiously start to watch the voluptuous, mostly human creatures in thin, frilly or tight clothing. Each of them holds a glowing spear, pink, blue and yellow. A pair of black wings arch out menacingly, casting darker shadows than what the sky is already making.


    Rohlandantyr''s kind are the enemy...?


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    "Fallen creatures, speak proudly of your crimes to me." Enorcoustice wants as he holds his stone tablet in one arm. His other hand lingers in the air as its index tips out to a point.


    The creatures laugh a chorus of sadism and throw their weapons in a multiplying barrage. All of the attacks halt, losing every bit of momentum, much to the shock of these creatures as they hover. Two grow resentful and add to the display of nullified attacks whilst the third sneaks about. I watch them along with Motrtha but I can''t find it in me to warn the God of Law.


    Why isn''t Motrtha doing so either?


    "If chasing our desires makes us fallen, then so be it!" the sneaking one declares as she lunges forward with her weapon.


    "A traitor''s death for you all." Enorcoustice utters before a resounding snap of rope fills the air. I jump back in shock as all three of them spontaneously hang from a gallow for each.


    "Motrtha... What''s going on?" I try to ask again as I cautiously eye the God of Law''s tablet as their listed sin becomes clearly readable to me. Selfish betrayal.


    "Mirages of Dad''s old enemies. This place is filled with them, again, stay close." she tells me as she holds me somewhat tight and close as we start to move out of the park.


    "This place is in his head?" I ask as I was never actually told if this was in the Orbital-Halo or not.


    "In a way." Motrtha answers.


    "No, not his memories. A spiteful recreation of them all." Enorcoustice clarifies as he seems to look off into the distance. Following his covered eyes as well as I can, I spot a lone building off on one of the mountains surrounding the city.


    "What is that? I have a feeling you are looking at it for a reason."


    "A church, the one the Portalmaker awoke in. Father found himself imprisoned thereafter he went on an unassuming errand with an ally." Enorcoustice explains and I nod, somewhat understanding his meaning.


    "So, what is a church, specifically?" I whisper to Motrtha.


    "A name for a place of worship for those of the-"


    "With danger out and about, we need to head back." Enorcoustice interrupts his sister with as he tries to turn us around.


    "Why exactly are we here?" I ask as I step away from the god.


    "Father wishes to make amends."


    "Maybe we might find something there, then? If this is all memories, spiteful recreation or not, maybe there is something we can find that is actually happy...? A reminder of the bond he once shared with these people?" I ask, hoping more so to keep away from the growing sensation of danger coming from the way we came. I can feel it blowing through my goosebumps like a vile breeze.


    "He may have a point, Enorcoustice, for all of Her attempts to spite Him, joy can be found here." Motrtha comments as her brother reads through a book that has more pages than it otherwise seems. Even with its already hefty load between the binds.


    "Father has explained to us what happened at that church. A friend died and a horrible power was unleashed."


    "No, a friend was made there and a lifesaving ability was unleashed!"


    "Whatever happened, that church is important!" I go, throwing my hands up, making the pair stop and look at me.


    Enorcoustice points an accusatory finger, "You won''t even know what to look for even if you do go there. How you''d even get these details to Father is even more of a flaw in this barely considered plan. First of all even, you''d need a guide and our attention is focused on helping Father."


    "Help me help Him!" I say as Motrtha takes one of my hands.


    "She did go there once all was said and done, Enorcoustice." Motrtha explains as she starts to pull me in the direction I am pushing for us to go.


    "Her memories of that place will be finding Father a porcupine full of magic swords. She will be more than happy to exaggerate the suffering of that memory."


    "She also found a new friend and was reunited with two others!"


    "We will not find anything, but your stubbornness will see us immobilized otherwise." Enorcoustice remarks as he snatches me out of Motrtha''s grip, slinging me over his shoulder.


    "Uh, where do you think you are going with him?" Motrtha goes as she follows after us, bemused by my situation.


    "We move with haste, now, come." Enorcoustice goes as he leaps into the air, and, despite my lack of a life to preserve, I still scream wildly.


    "Put him down, you''re frightening the poor thing." Motrtha casually remarks as she effortlessly keeps up with the god as the world becomes a blur.


    "I AGREE!" I snap as I continue to flail. Not only is this embarrassing it is wholly unnecessary!


    "NO! I will not risk the mortal''s slowness stopping us from trying something new. If there is a chance to end this cycle of self-loathing then we must try!" Enorcoustice states with surprising passion as I start to get used to the movement in my stomach.


    Sighing miserably as another building crumbles beneath the god''s powerful jumps, I glance around between the shifting colours. Lot of small buildings that I am not familiar with, boxy with angle-topped roofs. They are all mostly the same design and size with a few odd exceptions. Well, except for one building which otherwise glows with unnatural light.


    It''s a tower, there is a random, blockish tower all the way out here, gilded and decorated with wealth. A grand and vast estate with two open-top gardens on the roof. A bright shield suddenly comes to life as Enorcoustice''s feet strike it on the descent. I ponder the protective bubble as we fly away, only mild screams ruining the otherwise simple case of staring.

 V3 Incline 22: Eqkilibral, the God of All

    "Clohniq, Thurnmourer, Waionr, you three will follow me in. The rest of you will wait out here and move to secure the perimeter and the rest of this damn place." I tell my children as we reach the entrance of the academy I once studied at. Once I had finished my... Abrupt, visa application.


    This memory made me laugh once upon a time, falling out of the sky in a hamster ball, it was a different time. The kind I could sincerely smile in.


    Lingering my gaze on the closed bar gates, I follow the twists and decorations in the dark metal. Eventually, my eyes land on the flower-like symbol at its preeminent centre. Barely looking away from the water-droplet-accented familial mark, I start to frown as sorrow comes out. My family and Hers, the new heraldry I had commissioned out of amusement but, in the end, turned out to be sincere.


    "Now what, Daddy?" Clohniq asks me as I raise my hand as it glows a mixture of blues and blacks. Feeling nostalgic, I open the gate with the help of my snake, my good friend. Its collection of barbed, tendril tongues slither out of pitch-black discs and they break the lock. The gate slowly swings open.


    "Look around for a bit before Her maid, Okena comes to pick us up. They knew we arrived the moment we came ashore during morning traffic..." I look towards a window just as red hair vanishes from view, "Now, they most certainly know."


    Shaking my miserable head, I walk onto the grounds of my old school with my three kids. I try to find some joy in the fact that this place takes so much inspiration from my home''s imperial past. Despite how the three crosses never once flew on this island chain. No katanas being used by men in red coats, no siree.


    "Can we go up that hill, then?" Clohniq asks as the points to the high-rising slope of earth. The sports area is mostly around there, with the exception of track and field, which is out back.


    "Ideally we should wait in the main building." my poppy-loving son points out as he raises that cheap toy of his. Thunderchild has nothing to say and his hidden eyes are focused on the sky. When the moment comes, I trust his namesake will crash out for all to hear. I have my lapses in taking things seriously, but, my blessed accident does not.


    "It doesn''t matter either way. Leave Her be and I''ll deal with Her. The usual three cannot beat you lot so don''t fuss about it." I tell him, assuming he is on about us being isolated and getting picked off. Which, given Iderim''s condition, he might have a point... No, Iderim is gone because I was an idiot offering the wrong kind of olive branch.


    "I am saying this because it is polite, Father." Waionr clarifies as he steps aside the mirages of the old classmates I used to have. Despite how these lot are all faker than the people outside of these grounds.


    "Politeness? Sure, let me just get rid of the divine army I arrived at the head of..." I mutter sarcastically as I follow my daughter up the hill, leaving the other two behind. If Okena meets anyone first, it will be him whilst he is lounging about in reception. I very much doubt Lightning Rod will be met by anyone, but, who knows?


    "You know, Daddy, I never did ask you about this. But, what are you going to do when you do get Her to finally come with you? When this is all finally over." my daughter asks me as she childishly prances and dances up the slab steps. One at a time. Her rapier rings out with lingering taps as she plays the handrail like an instrument.


    "I don''t know, I never really thought about it." I say, looking away from her as I contemplate something I had long since given up on. Even though I still keep making the rounds to this place.


    "Then think about it now!" she goes as she lets herself fall onto me, using her head as a supporting prop. Gently nudging her off, she spins away and then under and over the rails. A confident smile dominates her expression as she gracefully lands like a ballerina on the steep grass incline.


    "I guess... I guess I''d finally get around to starting a proper family with Her." I say cold-heartedly, even as my insides lash out at me for such a remark. Clohniq''s smile wavers but it comes back.


    "Silly Daddy, you already have a family with us!" she corrects with a withheld frown as she tilts her head. If her expression is otherwise souring to a bitter state, I cannot see it as she hides behind that obnoxious hat for a moment. I sigh as I carry on up the steps, dropping down to the top of the slope.


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    "Near my first Christmas here... We had the school to ourselves for club activities. We were helping the student council do their shit over the holidays and well, I was sick of it. The snow outside was lovely, though."


    "Oh! I know this one!" my daughter lets out as she flips something over to then use it to slide down the hill. Watching her as she skids onto the stone, she laughs giddily before stepping off without issue. I huff bemusedly and summon her to my side with my powers.


    "Yeah, we sleded." I say quietly as my hands come together.


    "Dad... If this all makes you so upset... Why do you not just remake everything as it was? I wouldn''t be able to be sad, none of us would because we wouldn''t exist!" my daughter strangely goes as she comes closer.


    I smile and snatch her up for a big hug, "But I would know... I would. And, I don''t want to kill off my precious, dearest children!"


    "Hehe!" she goes as I tighten the hug and peck her on the head.


    "It''s out of the question, though, Clohniq. I''m done playing around with reality on such a scale like that. Ranting at that spider is enough for me right now." I mutter as I smack the grass next to me, forcing a rose to sprout as thorny as it can possibly come. Picking it, its defences crumble and I smell the familiar, beloved colour.


    My daughter presses herself up against me with a hangman''s hug, "Please stop blaming yourself for doing what you thought was right. You have all the power anyone could ever want but you do nothing with it. Use it, please, you know we all want you to. We''ve all brought it up. Make the world a better place for yourself, shift it all into perfection."


    My eyes start to water as I tightly grip her wrist, "I don''t know, Clohniq, I don''t know... I don''t want to force Her through anything more unwillingly. If that means She will hate me for a literal forever, then, I will have to accept that fact."


    Hiding my face mostly, I turn towards the bridge me and my friends met up on so many times before school. It was an awkward thing at first for me, the dragon and knight both eased into it far easier than I ever could. I was unsure of my sense of belonging and I didn''t know what to think of it. At least a little kitty treating me as a sweet bank helped me get over my worries.


    It wasn''t just the morning either, the evenings as well, when I went along with my beloved, red-haired beauty... She looks beautiful at any time of day, but, I loved to see Her at dusk the most. The way the light darkened Her hair and gave Her skin a golden glow. The fact that for all the money She had, She was willing to put up with my pykie shelf raiding.


    I smile a little at the yellow label discounts and the bemusement they brought me.


    "Dad... You need to make a proper decision. Either leave Her behind and focus on us, your loving family. Let''s take the ship and go on adventures, let us be a proper pantheon with you! None of us want to keep seeing you hurt yourself as you try to appease and entity of pure spite."


    "Spite?" I go as I wipe my eyes clean with my sleeve.


    "Dad, we literally know Her as the Crimson Destruction, that is all She is now. The only way this will ever end is if you act as what you are, the Lord that Rules All." she tells me with a stern stare as I keep my anger in check. With Motrtha so strong in my memory at the moment, I have a strong lock for my emotions right now.


    "I will bear your words in mind." I tell her as I stand up, gently moving her off so I can do so.


    "Please, Dad, don''t think... Just do." she begs on behalf of my whole family before we start to look at a small green bird. With feathers that steadily turn to cream as you reach the tips, my eyes narrow. It chirps and squawks and does all the other bird things as we walk once again.


    "Seems like it is time." I remark.


    "The First Knight''s familiar?" Clohniq rightly guesses as I place a hand on her. Gently pushing her over, she screams on the way down the hill.


    "Heh." I go as she screams no words.


    "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" she yells with a mixture of anger and knowing humour before she sprints up the steps. Instead of letting her knock me down, I pull her into another hug that leaves her embarrassed and moaning.


    "Oh stop this, there''s nothing embarrassing about a dad hugging his special little girl." I tell her as we swing from side to side, only stopping as the sound of armour leaves the building. Distinctly lacking the heavy thunks of a great battleaxe''s pommel, I frown.


    The Swordmaker Knight.


    Long overdue for cremation, this former pretty boy with his missing chest comes out into the open. I turn to my daughter as she adjusts her hat and grips her blade. She nods at me and we enter the tennis court. The gate rattles as it slams behind us.


    "I can leave him in your hands?" I ask.


    "Of course, Daddy. Just promise me you will at least try to end this once and for all. It''s not right for you to keep this up." she asks with a small smile and a set of eyes that refuse to leave me, even with the upcoming battle so blatantly presented.


    "No promises are made, little one." is all I can find the strength to say as my hands curl into fists. Walking up to the undead swordsman, I eye the massive hole I put in his chest and I study the tatty remnants of his armour. The way it''s designed, he wanted it to look as close as it could get to a tuxedo. A gentleman until death with armour to help prove it, at the very least, this final set did that.


    "Kyrvern, it is nice to see you again." he says, smiling gently as well as he can.


    "Iakb." I greet with a nod as my features otherwise stay void for the moment.

 V3 Incline 23: Eqkilibral, the God of All

    "The President is waiting for you, would you be fine with me escorting you, if only part of the way?" he asks kindly despite how he is looking at the one who put this large hole in his chest. Not by accident or as a reversible joke, but because I needed to steal the powers bound to his soul. His ability to create such fine conduits of demonic and heavenly power was very useful for my ritual. As my emotionally tormented existence proves so aptly.


    "If it puts Her and the club at ease." I answer with a small nod as he turns back slightly, swinging his arm gently as I am silently told to go first. A slight smirk comes to my face as these mirages act as if nothing is wrong, the pretty boy is still a pretty boy to them. The fact I am in my kingly robes of a nation far from what was here is ignored. To them, they can only see me as the student I once was.


    However, blank moments are spoken throughout this fawning. Many of them wave to me and offer a greeting, some slight, others greater. But, my name, my powers blank it out as I don''t want to hear it. Even hearing Iakb say it left me shivering...


    "Kyrvern." he goes, again, disturbing my mind.


    "Hm?" I go, turning to face him as we walk into the school.


    "So, she has grown into quite the woman. Has she been keeping up with her training?" the walking corpse of a friend I killed asks with only polite kindness.


    Even after everything I have done to everyone and him, he still speaks to me like this. He is still the same kind man I knew before even with what She has become. He''s still the friend who hears out those who have taken a drastically wrong turn in life. Though, how much of this is him taking heed of when he was once in that position, I do not know.


    "Clohniq is the Goddess of Technique, she was skilled from the get-go. Training is pointless for her."


    "But does she do it?"


    "Aye, she does." I nod.


    "That''s nice to hear, and pardon my saying, but I look forward to testing my blade against her."


    "Blades." I correct as I come to a stop by one of the clubs. Sliding the door open, my eyes linger on the contents inside of it.


    He chuckles gently, "Yes, sorry, sometimes I forget how many I tend to go through."


    "I am surprised you never felt the need to make a collection of them. Maybe boast a little of what you had which Greenstrip didn''t." I remark as he joins me in looking inside the old Kendo Club room. For a mere school club, it is quite storied with its lineup of trophies and prizes. Replica swords, gold cups, silver and bronze medals. A little armoury for all those of the club.


    Which, curiously, neither he nor Greenstrip were actually a part of despite their swordsman and girl statuses.


    "Well, I am the collection, after all." he rightly points out as he keeps a patient smile as I tear myself away from the sight.


    "Did you ever worry you might forget about a sword type?" I ask as I recall how many blades he can make. Pretty much everything bar the most sacred and unique of blades he had the capacity to emulate. Short of warping reality on the level me or my children can do, his imagination is the limit.


    "No, we often had it figured out what the fight might need. Besides, it all sort of lost meaning as I won the right to wield more legendary blades."


    "My daughter out there deserves only the best." I remind him.


    "Of course, despite our history, I hold no ill will towards Clohniq or any other of your children. You have my word, I will not act in a mocking manner towards her." he tells me and I nod at that, his word could ruin an economy with its value.


    "Oh, really?" I ask anyway, to test his sense of humour.


    "Accidental patronisation may occur." he tacks on with a chuckle as a small smile comes to my face.


    "I am somewhat surprised you think of them as my children. I often dismiss them as just being creations..." I let out as I think about how I hugged Clohniq. I can''t seem to get my head on straight right now.


    "Kyrvern, you may let your mouth get the better of you at times. Your mind might not keep up with it. But, your heart has always been firmly set on what you feel is right. Even with your notorious habits of self-doubt and self-flagency. It''s why I can''t grow to hate you for what you did, even with the influences in my undeath. I despise the actions you took, but, I cannot do the same with the man who took them." he tells me, patting my shoulder firmly.


    Coming out of the school''s main building, we arrive in an almost forest-like area. Off in the short distance is a Victorian-style clubhouse, the preferred architecture for demonkind. I never got why, but, it''s what they like, I suppose in the sense of we fight only for what we lack. The Old Building, as many used to call it.


    My Schoolside Home.


    "Have fun with your fight, you''re going to get your arse kicked." I tell him as I try to put on an uncaring expression.


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    "Good luck, Kyrvern, I hope you manage this time." Iakb says to me as I watch him head back the way we came. I wave to him as he waves to me and the door gently thuds shut.


    Left alone to stare at the daunting path ahead, my gaze shifts towards the trees. All of our little outdoorsy spots, I can recall them all, where we went during school hours and where out of them. The little clearings for lunch when the sun was out and the spots we did a bit of sneaky, cheeky magic. We weren''t supposed to and a certain Council President gave us Hell whenever she caught us.


    But, we kept it up anyway.


    There was sincere sense to it, though, ever since the original destruction of my kingdom all that time ago. Before even the men of Augustus sailed the sea or the armies of Darius set out from the Persian mountains. People often wondered why miracles were vanishing, but, there was a purpose to it. World wars unlike that which the mortal world can comprehend, in compliance with the Smoldering Council.


    The start of my walk is uneventful, but, when I hear the rustle of leaves and the snap of twigs, I stop. White fur slips into view and I struggle to figure out if I should smile or cry. Turning to the top step of the stairs ahead of me, I notice the owner of that pretty shine. Miss Rose Goggles Sweet Shop has quite the treat for me right now.


    "Hello... Kone..." I greet with a sigh as I start to wonder if I am allowed to keep looking at her. I do not know, after everything I have done, do I deserve to? At the very least, I am glad she is now bound in the form of a small house cat. It hides the injuries I dealt to her behind a soft coat of fur.


    She mewls with her unique style of smothered excitement and her ears stand, "Do you have any chocolate for me?"


    I don''t want to be involved with her, but, I can''t help myself, I miss my friend so much... I miss her small smile and easily broken stoic nature. So, I sneak a hand into my pocket and create one of her favourites. Something I am quite proud of as it is an import from my homeland that I introduced her to.


    "I do, yes I do." I tell her with a contradictory expression. I am smiling, but, my eyes are as sullen as they can be, rimmed with water.


    "Yay!" she meows as she bounces up and down with joy as her paw smacks at the golden foil wrapper. Carefully, I twist it open without putting my fingers on the easily broken chocolate. But, before she goes for the sweet treat, her purring head rears itself under my hand. She rubs me with all the love she can manage without even glancing at the chocolate.


    It takes me gently tapping her nose with it before she even nibbles...


    The packet is erased from existence as easily as it was made and Kone''s face shows off its new freckles. Inconsistent splodges of brown that smear and vanish in accordance with her sweet tooth-abiding tongue. When what is in my hands is gone, she cleans the pathway of any bits she can. Every tiny little flake is picked up.


    She comes around to my leg and rubs me, asking without a word for uppies.


    "Fine..." I let out reluctantly as I do as she wants with my powers cleaning her of chocolate. She purrs away in my arms as I gently carry on walking towards the Old Building. I want this moment to last forever, but, I know the longer I hold her... A finger idly disturbs her back.


    A spot of water hits her fur, flattening and darkening it.


    She just wants a simple, happy hug from her best friend but all I can think about is that moment. Back then, all she wanted was a hug, she begged me to come closer. And, I was forced to kill her, less she killed me. I felt how all of her internal energies were set to blow in that moment... And I acted.


    I realised that it wasn''t me she was crying for. She didn''t want to see me, really, I killed so many of her friends at that point. She was crying because it hurt to keep the bomb intact as it arrived at the target. The way I killed her, it let the bomb defuse safely, but, I was forced to see that expression of hers...


    Those eyes as the life vanished from them.


    "It''s... It''s time for me to go, Kone, you best get going too. Do you know who Waionr is? He''s at reception, he has a pet lion, I am sure you will have lots of fun with him." I tell her as she meows demandingly, she doesn''t want to go. Yet, she goes anyway, a slight spring in her four steps as she got to meet her friend again. Her dear, bestest friend.


    In the whole wide world...


    Looking towards the immediate building, I place my hand on the door handle. A ripple of destructive energy ripples through this isolated realm of reality. Pushing the door open slightly, someone else opens it the rest of the way and I barely let go. A smile is up in my face as I am left with unstable footing.


    However, it is only a slight glance to notice the signs of a broken, chain-choked neck. The way the flesh is seared by her own lightning. It all ruins an otherwise perfect body, one I once preferred over Hers as I was an idiot. Snow-like pale skin, destroyed forever more by me.


    Okena steps forward and gives me a tight, loving hug that I do not deserve. How these three have managed to get over my actions despite myself having not baffles me. Even with all the negative influences in their undeath as Iakb put it, they still found it in themselves to forgive me. I am a god now, but, even with the new packed schedule, my mind has time for them all.


    I jump slightly as a shock enters me as a sneaky kiss suckles my neck. She giggles innocently as I step back in her arms, though, not escaping them. Despite her otherwise serious-looking maid attire, she swings from me like a girl in love. Our hands soon lock together and her mischievousness vanishes for the sake of innocent blushing.


    "Kyrvern, it is nice to see you again. I have already made a pot of tea for the meeting and cups are out along with some cookies. I hope you like them." she explains before giving me a kiss on the cheek.


    "They''re called biscuits..." I correct, knowing she is teasing me with that colonial speak of hers. Familiar softness presses and brushes me as she steps outside with more exaggerated swinging than her attire would suggest.


    She winks my way, "Go get her, then, me."


    I smile at her stuck-out tongue as I continue to watch her, "Not going to get your broom?"


    The wooden stick in question is hidden quite badly behind the door.


    She laughs and carries on walking like the temptress she is, "Do not worry about me or you will keep forgetting what is important."


    Looking away as she messes with the orange ribbon holding back her lengthy ponytail, I close the door. Sensing out for her, I overhear the communication she received regarding my onsite children. Of all the gods for her to face, Thurnmourer is probably the worst one. A specialisation in lightning makes her easy prey for my firstborn.


    But, she is right, I am here, once again like I always am. I am here to speak to the woman in this building. To try and get somewhere with it, anywhere at all. Anywhere...


    "And, here we go." I say with a tremble in my posture as I slowly move to the meeting room. I keep delaying my approach as much as possible by trying to recall all the memories I have of this place. As many nice ones as I can so I can calm and improve my mood. But, it''s not enough.


    And, I reach the final set of doors keeping me from Her, right beyond them, the unforgiving love of my eternal, forever life.

 V3 Incline 24: Eqkilibral, the God of All

    Finally finding the strength to budge the door even the slightest, I get to it. Only for a wave of black energy rimmed with a thick, blood-red light to wash over me harmlessly. The power of destruction should''ve seen me annihilated utterly, but, I am beyond it now. Mortal powers and their rules are useless, but, she still lashes out at me with them.


    I stare at the outline of a woman with long scarlet hair that goes all the way down to her thighs. A mimicry of her old self, back from when we were all happy with what we had. Before I even became a king, when I was just a scared boy who fell from the sky. My memories do not matter right now, though, as she is nothing more than a mass of swirling crimson energy.


    "Hello, Sair, how are you?" I start off awkwardly as I gingerly close the door behind me as my powers restrain her. I can''t speak if she keeps firing off ineffective potshots at me. If she wants to vent some more, fine, but, I will at least speak. I too shall vent.


    "Why haven''t you died? Did you come here so I can fulfil what you only deserve!?" she spits out with a huff as she moves to sit behind her desk. Everything here was faithfully recreated down to the smallest detail. My omniscience also enlightens me to how even the dust was perfectly remade. Her chair squeaks as she sharply twists away from me.


    I guess, I can understand why, who''d want to stomach the sight of me?


    Keeping quiet, I move to the pair of sofas and the coffee table that separates them. Minding the state of the square carpet kept still by the heavy burden, I sit down and glance at Okena''s work. With my powers, I pick up the teapot and a cup and let it all orbit me as I get to making it the way Sair likes it. The name escapes me, but, I know it''s a fairly religious-affiliated tea.


    "Same as usual?" I ask her after some time contemplating if I am allowed to speak.


    "I don''t want anything from you." is my answer as I feel her powers flare up under my divine grip. Either way, I place the filled cup on her desk and I slide it over. Then, it''s merely a game of patience until she quickly grabs it to deny me the right of seeing her.


    A satisfied sip bounces about the room.


    "Okena really does know what I like." she remarks, depriving me of my part in making the brew.


    "Expected, you two have known each other for quite some time." I try to smile at.


    "And we could have known each other for longer if it weren''t for you faking your own death before us. Drowning her in the guilt that she might be the cause of it and then snapping her neck when we thought we caught the one who killed him when it was, in fact, you!" she growls out to me, making me sigh drearily. My cup of tea is transmuted into apple juice because I feel like it and I sip a portion from it.


    "I needed a way out of my oaths and promises, the ones you demons have bound to names, not groups. If I didn''t do that then my people would never get back to their homeland, they''d remain on that reservation belonging to your grandfather." I explain to her again as rub my tired eyes.


    "Then that shows how irredeemably stupid you are, Kyrvern. Kyrvern the Invalid, the Retard, the Impossibly Incapable. You could have worked with us so we could reintegrate your people back onto Earth, but no! You had to be impatient, you had to force it through in the aftermath of a terrible war. The Beast in the Gap was an evil you exploited to commit more evil!"


    I scoff, "Wait? I did not need permission from the foreign powers who laid my kingdom low. My people''s right to live in their land takes precedence."


    "Plain and simple, you are an idiot, Kyrvern. No surprise there, you rarely think before you act and you hide your problems until they explode into something far worse." she tells me as she finishes her cup of tea, tossing the glass aside before she tries to ruin her desk. All of it is protected by my superior strength over reality. The teacup settles back on the table with everything else.


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    "Perhaps I am, perhaps I am an idiot. But at least I am trying to make things better, at least I am trying." I say as my gaze lowers with my temper.


    "Trying!? If you were trying at all you''d give me your powers so I can fix the mess along with purging you from every bit of it!"


    "You know I can''t just give you my powers, Sair..."


    "And why is that!? Hm!? WHY!?"


    "Because I know exactly what you would do with them. It wouldn''t be only me you go after, you''d go after everyone." I explain to her as dark memories come to mind. That one time I actually contemplated letting her kill me. If that is even possible nowadays.


    Footsteps come closer and when I look up, my head turns with a fresh sore mark.


    "The only thing I hate with every fibre of my being is you, do not lie. All I''ll ever go after is you!" she drips out, soaking me in the venom born of her existence.


    "I know." I go, standing up with quaking legs.


    "Die for me, Kyrvern, let me tear your heart out a thousand times over." she whispers as she tries to claw a hand into my chest.


    "I looked into my omniscience, you know, I know how I can make everything good again." I remark as my front glows brightly with her malicious, ineffectual power.


    "You know how to fix all of this, do you? Hah, I''ve already been telling you the answer to that. It''s quite simple, die." she says, whispering the final word into my ear.


    "I do... I do, every step of the way. No detail left untouched. I know what I need to do, but, I will not follow through with it."


    "Take the plunge you piece of scum, follow through with it. Purge yourself from every second of time, every fragment of reality." she encourages with a liveliness I have barely seen from her.


    "No."


    "Why not!? You follow through with forcing your way to the end of the world, ruining all that was good with it for your own selfish reasons. You stopped being my lovable servant and became a tyrant that destroyed every world!"


    "Because... Even if you don''t anymore. I still love you, Sair."


    "Do not ever say that to me!" she lets out as the room is blinded by a nova of her unrestrained power. I frown miserably as I hold back the tears. No, Sair, do not ever say that to me...


    "I will not go through anything regarding you without your support. Even if you do not forgive me entirely or even more than slightly. Please, Sair, I am begging you, at least give me the opportunity to start doing something!" I plead as I hold out my hand as she shirks away in disgust. Touching me to hurt me is ok, but, me reaching out to her makes me nothing more than a plague in her eyes...


    You turn away from diseased flesh.


    Straightening my back out, I frown as my anger starts to build. I step towards her until she has nowhere else to retreat to and I trap her in the corner of the room. Reaching out for her, I place a hand on her cheek while she is stiffened up by her disgust for me. That pale skin of hers, her blue eyes, I can see them again...


    "Please." I say with all I have left in me.


    "Your love isn''t worth anything!" she hisses as I allow myself to be flung away to the opposing wall.


    Dropping with a crash, I land on my fist as I frown.


    "Even with the ability to give it all the meaning out there, your love is always hollow. It''s only ever been." she tells me before cackling as the energy making up her body distorts itself like a pack of sparks. All because my grip is loosening, I don''t want to restrain her power anymore. The room starts to vanish as this atom-destroying magic washes over me in pulses.


    She strikes me directly, then again and again.


    My love for her is hollow? No, it very much is not so, I love her so much and it hurts to see her like this... Yet, I can''t help but despise her back, right now, for this brief moment. I catch her next blow as a glare sets itself on my features like drying, molten stone.


    This thing, this Crimson Destruction flinches as I start to cut loose in an absurdly mild manner. Spite, Rage, Anger, Hatred, Destruction? I am All, I am Everything, I am the Equilibrium! Reality is a mistress I may mould, break, torment and build up to my heart''s loving or sadistic content without interference.


    All of this power, all of it focused on their, such limited mind.


    "The only thing I have -never- needed to consult my omnipotence or omniscience on is this one fact, Sair. My love for you is true, it always will be. So you best watch your tongue." I explain to her as the Old Building evaporates around us as we slowly rise into the air. She burns like a sun with all she has, but, one hand remains crushed in my grip.


    My children spot us, her creations spot us and the well-known beacon is lit. This remade portion of a world long gone hears the clarion call, the horns are sounding. Once again, it ends as it always does with violence that will shake this reality. And the encroaching thunderclouds made by my son will echo this call for all to hear.


    Let even the mortal world in its entirety hear of Thurnmourer''s wrath.

 V3 Incline 25: Nin

    "Can I get down now?" I ask the God of Law as we seemingly come to an end in our journey. Finding ground quickly, I put some distance between us as his lovely sister catches up. However, neither seemed to be able to take their eyes off the lonely building we came here to inspect. Looking it over myself, I furrow my brow as I notice how damaged and abandoned it clearly is.


    "Enorcoustice, do you see anything?" Motrtha asks as she moves around to the right side of the building. She vanishes briefly and when she comes back, it is only to present a distraught shake of her head.


    "I will look into the forests nearby, you two search the building." he answers as he marches off into the cold and dark embrace of the dark woods.


    What he is hoping to find among twigs and leaves I can hardly fathom. This church, however, should prove far easier to search as things are more likely to stick out. Easily pushing open one of the heavy doors that has clearly seen better days, it crashes to the ground. Blinking my wide eyes away, I look back to the broken hinge.


    "Well, as long as it is not a broken brick or a crushed piece of wood..." I remark quietly as I look over this absurd mess. Torn-up books and ripped-apart cushions, row-filling chairs snapped in two or merely moved about awkwardly.


    A muffled noise comes from behind.


    Turning towards Motrtha, I am greeted with a strange black barrier rimmed with a deep, crimson ebb. Gulping audibly, I watch as the beautiful goddess desperately slams against the barrier to try and get it to budge. Heading back to her, I break through without issue after trying to ram my way out. She breathes a sigh of relief as I blink her way.


    "It''s Her... This is Her power, I''m sorry Nin, but, I need you to be brave for me." she says to me as she tests how I am able to pass this barrier without issue.


    "Ok." I nod as I straighten my back out. Hopping back into the confines of the church before she gets a chance to open her mouth again, I start to look. Rubbing one arm as a cold breeze shivers me full of worry.


    "Well, well, well... What do we have here, a shitty, shitty, ever-so stinky piece of shit target!" a maniacal voice goes as familiar bangs bark out. I dive for cover and flinch as I do so, with five, poke-like sensations bothering me on the way down. Scrawling up to the lengthy chair I find myself behind, bright lights go off next to me. Wood and stone shower me aggressively.


    "Undwote better stay away..." I curse to myself as more bangs ring out. A hole suddenly appears on my left and rushing footsteps come accompanied with sadistic laughter. What do I do, should I charge back? Try and throw this chair!?


    A silver rectangle slides to my hand, its glowing top meeting my gaze.


    "AHHHHH! BUGGER!?" I scream as I throw myself out into the open as a bang of light lingers in my eyes like bubbling shampoo. More pokes are felt as I tumble about and I collapse on some of the stone, going right through its crumbling structure.


    A small barrel goes against my head, it clicks.


    "Ah, shit, now!? Stupid guns, this is why swords are better!" a blurry craze dressed in black and white robes declares as his small tube erupts into a glowing sword. He swings it right for me as curses and swears fill my head. The ''sword'' rolls away as the man''s disbelief is vocalised.


    Feeling the lack of weight from the man, I gently push him away, only to send him flying. Skillfully, the man reorients himself with a growl and a swift, mechanical click accompanies him. More pokes come and I cover my face as that furry midget appears in my head of all the times. I blink as the man becomes increasingly frustrated by his failed attempts to hurt me.


    "Oh, right... I''m bulletproof." I go as I rub my forehead. I still have all the strength I had when I was alive, it''s still in me. That same strength that lifted a tower of oak and iron!


    Wiping the last of the blurs and splotches of colour from my vision, I adopt a crude posture. Smirking, I snicker to myself as the bullets continue to feel like simple pokes and prods. The man''s expression hardens and he snaps into a stiff form as he holsters the gun. He sneers as I wiggle my fingers his way.


    "A castle, ey? Well, alright, got more than enough battering rams for you! Piece of shit!" he goes as he starts to throw whatever he can at me. Covering my face, a lot of it thuds away or shatters on my overalls. Steadily, I move closer to him until I can nearly grab the annoyance. He slashes me to no effect and runs off into the dark from whence he came.


    I groan as I pat myself down in an effort to clear off the glass shards and splinters of wood. Following the man with my gaze, I notice that he goes into a tunnel. All thanks to his glowstick. I scratch my short-haired head as I think about that word he kept using.


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    Shit, what an odd word.


    "Wonder what it means." I ponder in the open as I start to throw things about to clear a path to the far end of the church. However, as I get into the mysteriously vanishing darkness, I find no tunnel or escape route. The backend of this building collapsed some time ago by the looks of it and there''s only this shrine thing. A statue of a winged man with his face blown off on top of it.


    Pacing about, I find a loose stone and mess with it as I try to figure something out. A click resounds, spooking a shake into me and unlocking some kind of mechanism. I smile with starry eyes as the masonic engineering comes to life. The statue slides back and a dark staircase is revealed.


    "I want to do it again!" I childishly giggle as I start to gently stomp the loose slab. Nothing comes of it, though, leaving me thoroughly deflated of enjoyment.


    I frown as I let some seriousness back into my unlife, do I wait for the other two or go back to them? The barrier seems to be gone, going by the lack of black and red beyond the shattered glass. Yet, no one is coming down the main aisle my way. I am still on my own in this ruin.


    Muttering on the jog back, I pop back into the open and find Motrtha idly resting on a bench by the road.


    "The barrier is gone?" I open up with as she worriedly taps the side of her leg.


    She shakes her head, "No... It only activates in my presence, or, rather, the presence of the divine."


    "Hmmm..." I go as I look down at my recently altered overalls.


    "I''m worried to think that She is hiding something in this church."


    "There''s a tunnel at the far end, a staircase going all the way down." I explain with demonstrative actions. The goddess slowly, but sharply rises before grabbing me.


    "I need you to go down those stairs, Nin. Please." she begs and I nod slowly.


    "Much as this lunatic couldn''t hurt me, what if something in this place can?" I ask as I glance back at the church.


    "Use your strength, Nin! Your body is the same as it was when you died, all your magic is still with you. But, here, in this land of different laws, you are deceptively stronger here!" she tells me and I nod along as I think about simply stomping and punching my way to the treasure or whatever.


    "Motrtha... I don''t know what I need to look for. This is your family''s area of expertise..." I say as I glance towards the distant battle that has set the city ablaze. Giants are clashing and magic is exploding with destructive grandeur.


    The goddess pauses and thinks on it, a finger lingers near her lips and it straightens as an idea comes, "Chains, see if you can find them or a little toy piece!"


    "A what? A toy piece?" I question, baffled by why this is something I should be looking for. She does not answer and starts to push me back towards the church. The barrier surges to life and flings her away just as she pushes me to the ground within it.


    Rubbing my head as I get back to my feet, I look back at Motrtha as she silently begs me to go on.


    "Alright, beautiful goddess wants me to look for chains and a game piece. Or, either or." I repeat somewhat as I jog back to the hopefully still-open tunnel. When I discover its resealment, however, I am undeterred and I smirk deviously at my fist. Rearing it back, I drop it down as if I am slamming it on a desk and I shatter the staircase roof. Slipping back as more than anticipated falls into the dark depths, I look to my trusty boots.


    One step at a time, I kick the debris further down and out of my way until I can merely walk the rest. I blink and suddenly torches light my way, raising a brow at this, I shrug my shoulders at the strange gift. I won''t complain about being able to reliably see now, however, I am a little worried. What if they all suddenly blow out?


    Looking back up the staircase, my concerns are realised as some grow dimmer as I distance myself. Snapping a magic torch off, just in case, I keep on walking somewhat calmly until I begin to notice the great rends in the stone. Dangerous claws have passed through here, scarring the place for a good few hundred years at best. Freezing up, I swallow a heavy mouthful as I, unfortunately, do not hallucinate the noises coming from the dark.


    It sounds like the hive, I want to go back up...


    "No... No... No! Keep going, Nin, you beat them all once. You can beat them again." I tell myself as echoing, feminine screams lash out at me from the aggressive wind. Tightly gripping the thankfully present handrail, I keep my torch ahead of me at a slanted angle. If anything wants a piece of me, I''ll snuff the torch out in them!


    A path opens up on my right as the torch''s light reveals its edges. Turning to face it, I step through the square opening and gag at the foul air. Vomit threatens to spill into my mouth and I find myself glad I have somewhat of a resistance to the bloody now. The chamber this entrance leads to is thoroughly blood-soaked.


    Voices echo around me and images of unfamiliar people and places flash on the bloodied panels. My new best friend, Worry, accompanies me as I properly enter the foul room. The scent of copper and iron continues to crumple my nose and I gag slightly. A red glow is caught in the corner of my eye.


    Looking down at it properly, I bend down and reach for the strange red tube. No, game piece, this is the game piece I was told to look out for. A weird, crenellated thing that reminds me of an old tower. My thumb goes along the golden lines decorating it and I place a hand on the far end of the chamber.


    "AH!" I go, frantically waving my hand as the game piece burns a fresh mark on my skin. The dropped piece rolls like it should before it flies, zipping away on a string of same coloured light. The red string dissolves when I try to touch it and voices enter my ears. Not ones I know, though, I do not know them at all.


    I sniff the air as smoke fills my nostrils and I blink as I realise everything has changed. Dark, smog-filled skies and an ash-painted arena surrounded by strange towers and floating screens. One of which shows a red-haired woman with pale skin and blue eyes. She''s in some kind of white dress and she is full of heart-wrenching worry.


    "I''m going to be honest, Kyrvern, I wasn''t sure you''d come to help, but... Thank you, Sair will appreciate it, so will I. Now, let''s go beat this chicken up!" a brown-haired boy wearing two shirts says. One unbuttoned and clearly a uniform, the other a plain ol'' red tee.


    I stare at the young man''s scaly, reptilian arm and blink.


    "Who in Motrtha''s good name and looks are you?" I go with a slight crack in my voice as I notice how I am dressed somewhat similarly to him.

 V3 Incline 26: Nin

    An alarm starts to blare and the mysterious student transforms into some kind of armoured creature. Brilliant scales adorned with emerald-like marbles and golden spikes. Something caws and a wave of hot, ember-carrying air washes over us. Following the sudden, bright light, I blink worriedly at the giant flaming bird heading out to meet the red guy.


    A serpent suddenly coils from me, one with seven jaws protruding from one head!


    "I have no idea what I need to do... Hm, Kyrvern sounds like Kyarverin, somewhat. Maybe this is one of his memories? I am in the memory of a god? Do I need to find something or...? BLOODY DAMMIT!?" I ponder obliviously at first before a flaming lance moltifies a generous line next to me. Following the line of steaming orange, I freeze up a little at the devastation that exists further down.


    An entire chunk of the arena is just gone.


    Hopefully, I can leave the fight to this student, he seems to be able to handle it quite well. He''s ducking and weaving and delivering powerful blows which disturb the heat of the fire bird. I watch as the student suddenly stumbles out of nowhere, only to be surrounded by sparkles. He is nearly struck down, and the woman on the screen screams his name, yet, I hear nothing.


    I heard the noise of a speaking scream but not the name...?


    "Ah!" I go as a cross inexplicitly finds its way into my grip as the other student screams in burning agony still. I try to release the cross, but I can''t, my hand is not responding. Heaving with pain as the strange item continues to burn its way into my palm, I focus on the bird. A black, blue-rimmed portal appears on my right, another by the bird, so close behind it.


    I drive my cross-holding hand towards the fiery avian, only to find myself elsewhere.


    Blinking as I look around at a well-kept garden and a massive house that could only belong to a spire-lord or similar. Cluelessly spinning about as I look over my newfound, stinging wounds as well, I stop. That woman from earlier, the one with the red hair and white dress. She''s joyful now, joyfully teary and that student is back, all fine and dandy.


    "Kyrvern, thank you!" the woman goes as she rushes me down to give me the tightest hug she can. It''s better than the bird, but I still can''t help but be weirded out by it all. I''ve had enough of red-haired women latching onto me inexplicitly...


    Retreating to my mind, I start to think as I rub a freshly kissed cheek to the background noise of that student whining. Idly glancing at this strange, half-bird, half-Beast of Pride thing patiently waiting near us. Honestly, it''s probably the normalest thing I''ve seen since waking up in that bug hive. The woman starts to pull us towards it and she encourages me to touch it.


    Placing my hand on the feather-half, I suddenly shoot up from the floor. Blinking at the carved-up, bloodied panels once again, I blink some more. Slowly, I get back to my feet and shake my head as some mild aches hinder me. Her worried voice echoes in my head as I stumble out of the room.


    Finding the stairs again, I get back to going down them and wobble on the final step, collapsing down then and there. I groan in disbelief as I find myself presented by an army of men in white robes. All of them hold the same kind of guns and swords as that lunatic has. An annoyance that I am, unfortunately, still forced to deal with.


    "Oh, shit! How''d you get in here!? FUCK!" the crazed man swears from atop his leg-tiring altar, pyramid thing. At its top, another one of those crosses, only this time, there''s something dark chained up to it and it''s much larger. My eyes narrow as I recall what Motrtha said, are these the chains?


    "Plough through until I get all the way up there..." I start to say as I notice I am holding the game piece. I swear it flew off, but, whatever, I suppose. Moving one leg forward, I am met by a thousand poking sensations across every bit of my front. My patience is shredded far sooner than anything else on my person or about it.


    I growl.


    "OH, WILL YOU LOT CUT IT OUT!" I snap as I rush forward, barging past the robed men and turning them to dust. Smacking down as many as I can, I keep it up until the first step smashes apart under my stride. Falling into the collapsed stone, my hands uplift more of the steps. Looking up, I frown as bullets continue to pester me.


    Slugging up the steps as I catch my breath pointlessly, I eventually find the lunatic, "Shit! Shit! SHIT!"


    He backs away until there is nowhere for him to go but dangerously down. Grabbing them by their clothes, I tear them slightly. But, they hold together as I toss him down to the ground, fulfilling his greatest wish at the present time. Rather than blood, however, he splatters into dust and tiny specks of light.


    "You look immediately familiar." I remark as I look at the creature chained up on the cross. I groan as I spot the lock on the chains and glance back to where I chucked the man. Groaning louder, I gently toss aside the game piece, shattering it and disturbing the creature. It looks up at me and blinks in confusion as the eight shards glow.


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    "Who... Who... Who are you?" it struggles to let out with a raspy, water-devoid voice.


    Ignoring its question, I inspect the creature closer and I start to see similarities between me and it. There''s some human here, but, it''s clearly also something else, a bit like the aelenvari. Red scales, green lights and golden bone. It has to be something powerful, Vapooliar''s magic glows a similar green, if not the same.


    "Please... Answer me, you are not a spectre here to torment me..." it goes as I finish looking it over.


    "Uh, Nin, awkward baggage of Undwote." I answer and it perks up as soon as I say the God of Death''s name.


    "You are here with my brother!? BROTHER! I AM HERE!" it lets out, screaming with all it has before desperate tears leave it a shivering wreck.


    "The whole family is here, up the stairs." I say, smiling as more and more hope pulses through the creature. It strains the chains to get as close to me as it can and I step back.


    "Everyone...?" it shivers out and I nod, making it whimper with delight.


    "Yeah, just need to think of a way to get them down here, though..." I mutter as I turn back towards the way I came. The horde is now gone and a clear, well-lit path awaits my return.


    "Wait... You are a human, you are a mortal... Free me! Free me, Mortal!" it realises then orders. Initially, I throw my head back at the demand, but, thinking about how it spoke of Undwote and the others... It starts to become obvious. This thing is a god, yet, I do not recall any god with red-skin and golden horns.


    My mind is blurry for some reason, but, I recall a monster that the God of Thunder fought.


    "I... I may have lost the key." I tell, but, it simply shakes its head and fights the chains some more.


    "Break them! They cannot hurt you like they do me! There''s no way She could''ve ever known a mortal would end up here!" it tries to explain as it pulls with all the meagre strength it has.


    "Well, Motrtha, time to test your words." I comment as I hook a finger through one of the chains. Pulling, the dark metal pales and then snaps with a ping, leaving me smiling. Steadily working my way through the rest of them, the creature flexes and moves. Newfound freedom is quite intoxicating, I know that from experience.


    Yet, as I reach the final binding chain, I blink as my mind seems to unblur. Memories I was so sure of are now held in doubt and a name is coming to me. Thurnmourer''s feats of heroism, they are suddenly so very clear, the image of what he is fighting. This thing is it...


    I snap the final chain as a name comes to mind, Iderim-Ovi.


    The Singular God, the Crimson-Scaled Beast. The stories of Thunder and Lightning battling to save the mortal world. This thing is it. Iderim-Ovi, the god that wanted to destroy humanity...


    I fall onto my rear and nearly roll down the stairs.


    I have released the very thing that wants to destroy everyone. Everyone is now going to die because of me. I need to... I need to reseal it, now!


    A clawed hand keeps me on the ground and the god towers over me as its giant wings unfurl themselves. Sharp teeth show themselves as darkness envelopes me and it comes closer. The claws on the tips of its fingers become all the easier to notice. They''re pressing down and their points are about to-


    Iderim-Ovi hugs me tightly and whimpers.


    "Thank you, Nin. Thank you with all my heart and essence... I owe you a debt I have no idea how to pay back..." he cries as I continue to stay on edge. The god leans back and wipes his eyes and laughs.


    Unmoving, I meet them.


    "Oh... Right, human." he chuckles as he takes me into his clutches. Flapping his wings once, we break out into the sky, through the now-destroyed church. Crashing to the ground and dipping into the new crater, he lets go of me. Stumbling away, I scramble up towards Motrtha as she covers her mouth.


    "Iderim...?" she questions as the terrifying reptile shifts into a small hatchling.


    "Grah!" he chirps as he waddles into the grip of his crying sister. I try to calm down as I watch the reunited siblings catch up without a word. Only for Motrtha to suddenly turn to and march up to me. She grabs me harshly and pulls me close.


    "H-How...?" she questions as she continues to hold her brother close.


    "I..." I start to say before the world shakes with divine might as a mountain on my left shatters. Turning away from the goddess, I stare at the inferno eating up the remains of the city. The gods are still fighting with all they have against all manners of beast and creature. Everything breaks so easily, even that which you''d think cannot be broken.


    A giant with Sraacdchammu''s colour scheme flies through the sky with a purple snake in his grip. It howls and hisses as purple fire burns from its mouth. I bounce into the air as the pair crash and like a bundle of flowers, the God of Giants keeps its many fangs away. With a roar that nearly leaves me deaf, the god seemingly bests the beast.


    In the greater distance, a shining length roars as its mirror-like scales deflect blasts and spells. A pack of hounds follows it and they bring down some mountain of a thing together as shots ring out. Somehow, with each bang of Undwote''s gun, I feel cold. Everything feels cold and ice grows like a patch of rust might.


    "I think we need to try and get out of here or to your father..." I mutter as the God of Law comes back from wherever he went with a black feather in hand. The god notices the addition to our grip and he stiffens up. A pat on the head meets Iderim-Ovi before Enorcoustice turns to the dot on the horizon.


    The one that feels like anger whenever I look its way...


    "We go to the academy." Enorcoustice says as he points at the place as a crystal-like barrier shimmers around the building. Thunderclouds go off in the sky and I nod with a slight smile. If Thurnmourer is there then I don''t need to worry about Iderim-Ovi or anything dangerous. The God of Thunder is there!


    But...


    "How are we meant to get there...?" I ask in disbelief as more of the city is torn up by whatever divine powers are firing off in this split-second of a moment. If I never understood the phrase ''apocalyptical'' up to this point, I do now. There''s no way I can make it there, I''d discover what it''s like to die whilst I am dead!


    "The same way I got you here." Enorcoustice answers as he snatches me up.


    "H-Hey!" I groan as the God of Law sprints effortlessly towards the inferno spreading across one of the formerly green mountains. I cough as the smoke blows our way as beasts made of tornadoes are struck from the sky by a small, man-like figure.

 V3 Incline 27: The Goddess of Technique and Thread

    "Hello, you must be Clohniq, it''s a pleasure to meet you." one of Daddy''s old mortal friends greets as he returns. I stop looking out at the distant sky as my siblings fight Her minions and creations. Once the mortal properly steps into the tennis court, I draw my rapier and wait for him to come to a stop.


    Tapping my blade''s lonesome point on the green within the white-rimmed rectangle.


    "You are one of the swordsmen He used to know, no?" I ask as I look beyond the green and towards the reddish-brown ground surrounding it. Looking back towards him the mortal prepares our arena by setting aside the dividing net.


    "I am one of them, yes. The first and quite possibly the best he knew. My master, bless his name, was one of the finest in all of Hell." he answers as he finishes clearing up our battleground. Though, why he bothered I do not know, one slash and this entire court is likely gone.


    "Much as I should be taking this seriously, how about some rules? The kind that liven things up." I suggest and he smiles in response.


    "Very well, list them off to your heart''s content." he answers whilst I make sure my hat is strapped on nice and tight. Wouldn''t want it flying off and away during our fight, I might lose it within the mess currently going on. That''s only how it is now as well, this is all going to get so much worse before it even starts to get better.


    "The loser is the first to fall out of the green. We may not leave it for anything, no dodging, not attacking. We may also use only one blade." I say as I play with a loose decorative belt strap on my outfit.


    "That last rule only applies to me!" the mortal laughs gently as he looks to his dominant hand.


    "Not entirely true..." I boast with a quiet smirk as I effortlessly thread a needle into my sword. Sending it up into the sky with only a thin string keeping us connected, I start to sew. A familiar cross starts to form and I tug my rapier back to me. Sheathing my personal blade without a noise, my creation falls to the ground with rock-calling power.


    A sword in the stone in but a moment, something only doable by me, the Goddess of Thread and Technique!


    "May I?" the mortal asks as walks forward, clapping his hands as he does so. I shrug and step back as he lays his hands on the masterfully crude grip.


    "This is less than a minute''s work, Mortal." I remind him as he pulls the sword out with some difficulty. But, he does not let the smile slip from his face.


    "And it is still one of the finest blades I have ever seen. You should be proud, regardless." he explains, leaving me fidgeting with pride as the ground settles down back to normal. The mortal tests the blade''s power and the edges of the court are left warped.


    A volcano of power suddenly erupts from behind the school and two familar sensations leave me burdened with dread. My mouth curves down and my heart is left quivering as I am left disappointed. Daddy... Not again.


    Falling to our knees as a pulse shatters glass and quakes the land, my grip tightens.


    "How unfortunate, I had hoped for Him and Her to move beyond this." the mortal sighs as I hide my expression behind my precisely cut bangs and the tilt of my hat.


    "You and me both..." I whisper so quietly it might as well not even be noise.


    "Before we get started, might I know the name of your sword?" he asks, leaving me a little taken aback.


    "Huh?"


    "It very much looks like one to be remembered, as such, I''d like to know what I may best." he explains and I scoff at the closing remark.


    Turning my attention to my rapier, I look over my finest creation born of unfortunate circumstances. I like to make things, but, unlike my oldest brother, I am not compelled to create by my existence. Technique comes in many forms some old and wise, others archaic. Fresh, youthful genius and revolutionary shortsightedness.


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    It''s all one coin that I probably helped mint into the finest piece of sterling to slide over the counter.


    My blade is a thin piece, there is very little edge to it and it is more so an oversized needle. But, that is how I like it and others will surely be damned if they doubt it because of such silliness. Compared to the guard, my blade''s details are lacking, though, I have always felt like it is what I do with my tip that counts. Besides, with how I have designed the mechanism in the guard, I can''t have too much on the blade!


    Petal-like plates that allow me to hook and trap my opponent''s edge, or, I can merely defflect. The real beauty of it, however, is how it help feeds the blade with the infinite source of thread from within the hilt. As I have just shown the mortal, I can use this to create and implement my power onto the battlefield or within the duelling circle. And, maybe, I might simply swing my sword around like a chained weight or a rope dagger.


    Every bit of it done in decorative, silver and platinum-coloured metal. With an additional lustre added on by powdered blue and white gemstones having been mixed in during the original forging. The petals have polished ivory set into them and a little bit of thunder-gold thread was set in by my brother. So, even though I am no thunder goddess, I can still have a little bit of electricity to energise the fight!


    "It''s name is Bbinspootit, the Spinster Fatale." I finally answer as I am done seeing my smug reflection in the metal.


    "Spinster Fatale is the meaning of the name?" he asks, smiling in appreciation.


    I smile back and shake my head, "No, Daddy named it Bbinspootit, meaning Empire Builder. Some reference to his old life as a mortal, something to do with textiles and early industry. I called it Spinster Fatale but I kept his input. Switching his meaning for my own."


    "I assume the name is in reference to your trade and not..." he sneakily suggests.


    "I will sew your mouth shut for that." I giggle, making it clear I am not actually bothered by his word. How could I be? I''m an immortal goddess with no need to be married. Marriage is the thing Motrtha dreams about.


    "Before you do, may I name that which I find myself using?" he asks and I nod, shrugging as I do so. His appreciation for this display of showing off is a lot more than I care to know.


    "Hurry up, I only have so long." I impatiently remark before Daddy''s power erupts towards us again. Falling to the ground as it overpowers me, I notice how the mortal is still standing, if only slightly. Swinging the blade to his side after it is done protecting him, he smiles sadly at the discardable steel.


    "I Christen it, Hope for My Friend, or, Hope." he answers as his expression hardens. The blade swings to his side and disturbs the ground, leaving me hiding a little smirk.


    "A well thought out name." I comment under my breath as I watch him continue to quickly grasp the capabilities of the blade. He comes to a halt and a flashy display follows as his innate, prodigal ability quickly learns the sword.


    Shifting my pose to something slimmer and angled, I wait for the un-agreed upon signal. Daddy''s power ripples again, warping the ground and shattering the school further. Meeting the mortal''s charge, our blades sing as they find themselves swinging widely. The distance vanishes once again so that the tune of metal may accompany the flashing blurs.


    We dance and weave through each other''s swings and he barely escapes my developing trap. Walking away with a smirk, I look back at him as he cuts the final thread caught on his armour. Meeting his eyes, his sword''s tip glides over the ground, carving a curve even without touching it. We go for each other again as I feed a fresh line of thread into my weapon.


    He thinks he is safe, allowing me to thrust so cleanly for him and making me slip through the cavity in his chest is clever. But, I am more so, as he smacks me away and deprives me of my blade, I reveal the thread. He looks down just as I twist a visible coil around two of my fingers. Tugging on them, my sword comes around and back to me.


    He doesn''t get to swing Hope as I kick it out of his grip and send it flying. Catching his sword, I dash about the allowed parameters of the court and make walls. Bouncing between them as my blade matches my finger''s demands and requests. I create.


    Leaping into the sky with dozens of strings connecting to one set of fingers, I clench my fist. All the rock Hope has warped comes crashing down onto him, trapping him in an orb of stone. Held together by a web weaved by my sword. I land on top and plant Hope down the upper centre, sliding it right in front of him.


    Stepping down to the ground with a giddy tune on my lips and a happy step in my feet, I turn to face him. Breaking away a slot for him to see through, I am met with his laughter as I tilt the orb from side to side. No one has won yet, but, this mortal clearly knows when he is beat. However, I like to end things properly.


    "And here I thought I was being clever exploiting the hole in my chest." the mortal remarks as I steadily roll him off of the green.


    "I know all the tricks in the book." I giggle as I make sure he takes the first roll off of the green. Slicing open the chainlink fence marking the court''s boundaries, I place the mortal at the top of the hill. My booted foot nudges him down and it all shatters at the bottom. With the mortal flying out gracefully, his hand on Hope, ready to go again.


    "I am happy to learn as many as I can." the mortal goes as I run a finger on one of Spinster Fatale''s guard petals. Smiling at my oldest brother''s involvement, the electricity runs through my gloves and then me. A finger twirls my hair until I catch a lone, brown string of it.


    "So long as we avoid the others, I''d be happy to carry on." I answer as I effortlessly make my way down the incline. Then, he reappears with a wave of sandy rock following after the swinging arc of Hope. Coiling my blade back, I thrust to counter.

 V3 Incline 28: The God of War and Honour

    "No one is here, but, my calling gnaws so viciously at my mind." I say to myself as I watch the halls where imitations of long-gone humans walked. They were laughing and chattering without a care in the world other than when a teacher walked by not so long ago. A familiar purr and jingle of a bell hits my ears. I turn and find nothing, so I look down.


    A small cat, white-furred and amber-eyed.


    "Hello." it meows with a feline smile as it hops up onto my lap. I glance at my battleaxe, Cenotaph, as a name forms on it after four seconds of quiet.


    "Hail to you, Kone." I greet, tilting my weapon forward a little as she seeks comfort by me as battle continues to destroy the school and beyond. I am almost mesmerised by Kone''s double-ended tail and the way it gently swings. Sometimes, it limply jumps to another spot.


    "Do you have any treats for me?" Kone asks after they suddenly hop down from my lap. Only to then start scratching at my shin armour, eliciting all the irritating, high-pitches that they can. My face remains stoic and I narrow my eyes at the glimpse of the wound Father dealt all that time ago.


    I want Him to be happy, I want Him to stop hurting Himself like everyone else in my good family. But, I cannot hold the Crimson Destruction in anything but contempt, She is vile. Tormenting my Father is one thing, but to do so with those who should''ve been put to rest so long ago. Such cruelty, this emotional manipulation and the disgracing of the dead.


    A despicable entity to the core.


    Rising as Kone backs off, she hisses as nothing is caught on her nose, "No treats..."


    It''s clear Kone holds a special place in Father''s heart, his ancient, wounded capacity to love. He has told me of Kone in cryptic speak for some time, ever since I came to care for Par''tryont, my lion. He loved her so much, spoiling her rotten with as many treats as could be stuffed into her mouth. A sweet tooth with strings to both hearts.


    I drop to a knee, gently and place Cenotaph down, "Do you have any preferences for treats? My pet lion, Par''tryont, has a fondness for roasted pork with the crackling left on."


    A small paw goes to her mouth and she ponders the question. The signs of a watery mouth are increasingly clear and that pondering paw quickly becomes slobber-cleaning. My cat may be far larger than Kone, far more predatory in nature. But, I''d like to assume there is a mutual love shared between them when it comes to edible desires.


    "Sweets!" she maows loudly as she purrs at the memory of a flavour that refuses to leave her tongue. Father likely could not resist to greet His dear friend the way He always did, so, I have a feeling she is holding that recent treat close. I smile knowing this, it is nice to see Father show something other than forced sailor tongue and prickly abrasiveness.


    "Anything in particular?" I ask as her answer is quite broad. It can mean so much, tarts, cake, custard, fruity, biscuits, jelly, jams, doughs, chocolates, gummies. And, that is only such a skin-deep few for a selection! There are so many options and this vagueness is convincing me that as long as it satisfies a need for sugar, it is good.


    "KILL THEM ALL!" a much-despised voice screams during another burst of Father''s power. I narrow my eyes as I feel Her influence.


    Kone cries all of a sudden and she collapses to the ground with a painful whine. Her growls deepen and her size grows as she explosively becomes more like a tiger. I snatch up her broken collar just before these six, glowing orbs of a light blue hue burn and melt it down. A complex network of magical tattoos burned to the surface of her fur and deeper as if wax strips had been peeled.


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    "So our destiny has arrived." I mutter as I stand before the snarling big cat. Turning back towards Cenotaph, I shake my head at the life-taking blade. If I strike Kone while her name is spelt out, she will die again. I do not intend to earn Father''s resentment for all of eternity, even if he has the power to undo my mistake.


    I pity this poor creature, even as she bares her claws and teeth at me, ready to charge at but a twitch. From a happy house cat with unfortunate reminders scarred into her flesh, to a beast of war rippling with the grotesque. I cannot be fully sure of why Father allowed a portion of the Crimson Destruction''s power out. But, whatever the context may be, I need to try and save his friend.


    "Can you understand me still, Kone?" I ask her as she leaps for me, trying to violently tear me apart the moment she can draw blood. Gently pushing them back, I skip a wide circumference away. My experience with Par''tryont might help me here, my Beast of Pride is stubborn and aggressive when he feels he needs to assert. Hurting them does not solve the problem when his instincts get the better of him.


    Kone charges for me again and I catch her jaws on my right vambrace. My left hand does what it can to keep her front paws away, yet, my sister may be better experienced at the moment. I throw Kone away with soft-handed strength, right through the school building as my worries light up the close horizon. Blue fire trails after her roars and the spirit-burning power adds to the destruction of the grounds.


    Running for the manipulated friend, I narrowly avoid the six orbs as they go on wide, offensive orbits. Explosions ruin the earth behind me and the souls bound in my greaves cry in misery. Trees fall and dust flies as Kone roars. The time between her mystical fury shrinks rapidly.


    Flawless acrobatics and skilful, well-timed rolls see me through and I leap up for her. Catching them in my bronze clutches, we tumble out of control until she lands on her back. Stomping one firm foot onto her lower half, I keep her back set of claws down and away. A hand for the two in front treats them much the same and she continues to gnash up at me mindlessly.


    "Focus on my voice, little Kone. You will not be treated if you continue to act like this." I explain as she roars fire at my face. Blinking against the heat, I keep it away and she returns to trying to bite a chunk out of me. I go flying as all six of her orbs strike me on my right. Crashing on my feet, I watch as the tigress returns to all four with a twitch on her expression.


    "Swe..." she starts to go before her power and eyes flash a sinister crimson.


    I turn to the sky as the tiger charges, "I will rid her of your influence, Crimson Destruction."


    Bending into the cat''s leap, I fall to my back as four sabre teeth go for my neck. Catching her by each part of her jaw, I force them back until I can fit my foot under her belly. Pushing up with my lower half, they soar high into the sky. My divine hearing picks up on the sound of a splash.


    "Let us both hope fish are sweet enough for you, dear Kone." I comment as I leap after the out-of-sight feline. Cratering the forest floor, I react quickly to her ambush and glide her over the ditch. Rushing out of it, I latch onto her wet fur from behind and secure my grip. Flexing my muscles into hers, I ease her towards the water and bring us in.


    Steam and splashes fill the woodlands where they can and the cat''s aquaphobia sets in. Keeping them in my grip, I nearly crush her against the edge of the water. Resting on her, Kone shivers as Father''s efforts and mine break the influence She has on the poor kitten. They remain a beast of war, but, now, her energy to fight is gone.


    "Shhhh... Here." I tell her as I pass a fish towards her and I gently stroke behind her furthest ear. Letting them ease into the well-kept feeding frenzy, their mind remains occupied. Keep Kone focused on something else other than this imported evil afflicting her.


    "Pond fishie..." she purrs as I continue to stroke her fur. I smile slightly as I feel her size steadily and slowly vanish. Should Father want it, I will have a kitten to present to Him once all is said and done.


    "There''s a good girl, there''s a very good girl." I sing gently as I put my usually mournful talents to a different use. Today, I shall preside over a living life, not one in memorium.

 V3 Incline 29: Thurnmourer, God of Thunder

    Provocative giggling draws my eyes away from the fire-tainted heavens as thunder roars. Turning my gaze upon the maidly-dressed woman, I watch her shiver as my shadow is cast out over her. A golden bolt so quick to appear and vanish from behind me. The danger excites her even as she trembles increasingly so as she comes closer.


    "There is a serious deficit in your intelligence." I remark bluntly with little emotion in my freshly-forged words. She rests a pale-skinned hand against her cheek, under the tatty stealth of mocking laughter. Tainted power crackles along her long, delicate fingers with a light that is almost as pale as her.


    "What can I say? I love a challenge that leaves me roughed up at the end of it. To be lovingly nurtured afterwards once all is said and done..." she giggles at first before her sincerity takes over. She looks back the way she came, the way she met the Lord of lords.


    "There will not be anything left to nurture." I explain as she licks her fingers, shocking her tongue for cheap sadistic self-pleasure. A masochist that enjoys getting all of the bad out of her mind. Her trauma runs deep, too deep for a simple fix. Self-made defences so that she may laugh rather than cry.


    She jumps with fright again as thunder booms once more.


    Holding my hand up to receive my strength, a carefully placed net of traps and mines show themselves. Not of my efforts, but hers, she thinks she is being clever hiding her efforts behind words. I will show her otherwise and she will learn that blunt, clear efforts are needed. All these different kinds of magic go off.


    Tainted lightning, fire and ice explode towards me, all of it eager for my supposed death. The melting of my armour and the consumption of its tapestries. It all strikes me as if it was never fired to begin with. As the smoke settles, I watch her take a half step back, still smiling.


    "Now, this is the way I like it!" she laughs before her hands whip nets of tainted lightning my way. Such an imperfect display that it is broken as soon as the sky answers my call for its aid. All of her attempts blast away as I catch the golden lance striking from the sky. Holding the bolt in its interrupted path, she composes herself.


    "It''s such a beautiful colour, your power, God of Thunder. I once thought the greatest lightning could ever be was when I learned to accept all parts of myself. The angelic and the demonic, but, none of that compares to the divine, does it?" she asks and I shake my head slow and slight.


    "A mortal can never come to challenge a god." I lay out clearly, in the event she is genuinely baffled.


    "You remind me of Him... You know, Kyrvern, the way he called out to feelings only a woman can have. Streaking across the sky, surrounded by powerful magic with the land erupting around him. Battling whatever monster dared to stand against my Lady''s clan." she tells me, blushing as her heart throbs alongside the glow of my held thunderbolt.


    "I am not the Lord of lords, allow me to demonstrate why and how." I explain, shaking my head further as I think all the way back to the beginning. Before my family, before all of this, when all I could was cry into the utter nothing as a wounded man strolled ruined creation. I was born when the first act of renewal occurred, though I am Thunder, I am also Creation.


    I cried thrice for someone to come to me, to hold me in that forever dark. He was baffled, the Lord of lords, of All. He had no idea how I came to be. But, from that third cry, I found myself with a family to love.


    "I am Thurnmourer, God of Thunder, of Creation. I shall strike this bolt into this same piece of earth three times. On that third strike, I shall remake you, Maid of Sair." I explain and she howls with sulturious laughter. Her fear converts into excitement and the shivers are traced by her trembling, cackling fingertips. A heavy cloud of mist escapes her lips as she covers them, a demented gaze looking down on me.


    She flies up with a pair of disjointed wings, one feathered black and another leather-skinned the same. A web develops from behind like a spider weaving its source of life and protection. The cage she makes for me is flawed, like all else she has tried, only this will be her fall. A hole at its peak, a perfect fit for jagged gold and its heat and power.


    "I enjoy quite the relationship with your dad, you know? I once drained him of life right under the nose of the one he was supposed to marry." she explains under the false assumption that I can. I tighten my grip on the struggling bolt as she puts nearly her whole into her current preparations.


    A hundred magic circles come to life and it all comes for me, only to not and then to do so once more. Amplifying itself again and again, folding in on itself as tightly packed as it can be. The layers of magnification grow until I have only an arm''s reach to move. I bring the bolt down to my marked spot.


    The thunderclouds roar once and then the silence takes over.


    Looking into her wide eyes as she forgets to flap, I watch as she comes closer to the ground. Everything she alone could produce, against an unmoving target and it is gone. I bring the bolt back up, cocking my arm back into position. May the start gun fire or the ignition be pressed, then I shall strike twice.


    "Looks like I will need to call on help, I am sure you will get along with them!" the Maid of Sair explains with wavering confidence as she pulls out three marked sheets. Striking the three of them down with cracking whips, her help comes to be. Two large beasts in lamellar and plated armour, one blue, the other red. Both with hideous faces hidden behind white, porcelain masks.


    She laughs with all she has as her uniform burns away, briefly revealing a naked form. Black, gold-rimmed armour lustfully clings onto her as their dimensional locks come undone. Then, they burn and melt away as a serpentine creature made of her tainted power combines with it. As the light dies down, I look upon her final resort, a suit of primitive thunder-gold from the world that was.


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    Looking to my own armour, I flex my free hand into a fist and gaze upon its golden shine. Hers is nothing but a child''s doodle in comparison to my realised work of art. But, I honour the part it played in my life, for we are all but a figment of the Lord of lords'' mind. What he knew was remade through me at the dawn of creation.


    Her pair of bodyguards drop to a knee each and swear their oaths with the beating of their chests. Two suppliers of life force in its entirety and all it can offer. It all goes up to her, to this maid in dull, roughly-edged armour. Part of a pointless display to grandstand before that which has seen much greater shows of power.


    It all comes crashing down to me in a microscopic display of what the end of creation looks like. Moving forward, I strike the ground a second time, digging myself into a crater and filling the air with three screams. A single, great flap of her wings blows away the dust and a hiss leaves her lips. What remains of her power sparks from her as she heaves with growing frustration.


    "I''VE HAD ENOUGH!" she screams angrily as she and her beasts fire off what power they have left. Holding my still position, I let it all draw closer and I raise a hand. Creating an amplification circle greater than anything she made previously. The spell grows into a mighty dragon, ready to snap its jaws around me.


    Her emulsion of water, fire, ice, contradictory defensive magic, tainted lighting, demonic and angelic power. It comes for me, brought up higher than it could have ever been on its own by me. Bringing my arm back a final time, the sky roars with thunder. I strike for the ground.


    A third time.


    Stepping from my smouldering crater, my armour glows bright as the eye of the storm passes over. In this moment of true calm, I look around at the damage done, at all that remains of the Maid of Sair. Picking up a piece of melting thunder-gold, it hardens cold. I close my hand and it crumbles to the ground like seeds from the palm of a farmer.


    For all the flawed things she made in that moment she faced me, she made one thing perfect. Her terror was without compare to anything else she did. An angered groan rumbles out on my right, and, when I turn, a hand smacks me over the head. I bow in apology to my creator.


    "You just had to go overboard, Thurnmourer." the Lord of lords remarks as his power undoes my creation of destruction.


    "W-W-Well... I did... I did say..." the Maid of Sair tries to joke before she breaks down crying.


    "Now look what you did!" the Lord of lords complains as the recreation of the mortal vanishes. I turn my eyes to the throbbing orb of black energy rimmed with crimson. My power flares confusedly as I am unsure of how to treat it, of how to think of what it is.


    "We are done here." I state after observing the obvious. The unfortunate conclusion has come to pass. The most perfect Equilibrium will continue to live a life with a mind wracked with torment. If only I had the power to create the opposite, something better than this...


    "What?" He barks in question as His mind bounces between crushing and nurturing the orb.


    "Father... Why did you..." I fail to finish before I sigh as I take a step back. The Lord of All''s power bursts out with the utmost authority, ending all fights, all attacks and ceasing all strength but his own. Falling down nearly, I clamp my armoured thigh as I channel what remains of my strength so that I can stand. Barely.


    He smacks my head again, putting me to the ground with a resounding tut.


    "Again, how many times do I have to tell you not to be so extreme!?" he asks as I struggle to get back up. Barely turning to the sensation of four arriving signs of life, I frown at one in particular. I had almost forgotten it. Even though I should have never come close to it.


    The mortal is amongst them. My law-abiding brother. My first sister, my motherly sister. And...


    My eyes widen as a pair of red wings, once hidden in Motrtha''s grip enter Father''s hands. He holds them tight and I stumble onto a secure footing, barely able to get closer without help. The First Daughter comes forth and holds me so that I might stand. I take off my helmet and let it hit the ground like an unloved toy.


    He''s here, in the hands of a father with an expression only a reunited parent could ever have.


    Iderim-Ovi, the Singular God, God of the Ddrai''och. My younger brother, one of. I may have fought him in ancient mortal times for his singular guardianship of his people drove him to fight. But, I cannot hate my brother for that, I cannot even hate the fourteen trapped forever in prisons of my own making.


    I wobble closer to lay a hand on my once-thought-missing brother and stroke his scaly head. He looks my way, fearfully at first, but, he grows into my affection. The little reptile hisses with delight coming out on a forked tongue. I let him see my smile as I realise I can finally take one of the names on the inside of my armour and put it on the out...


    I can carve a name on the outside!


    Father turns to Motrtha, "Where... Where did you find him?"


    "I didn''t!" my sister exclaims before walking off, only to come back with the nervous mortal, "Nin here did!"


    Father steps towards the out-of-place human as more and more gods and goddesses come.


    "Where did you find him, then...?" He asks in confusion as He holds back the urge to spoil the answer. Motrtha takes our brother back into her hands and the Lord of All places His hand on the mortal.


    "The church..." the human mutters as he points a trembling finger towards a distant ruin. The pair vanish before our eyes once Father''s own gaze goes that way. The flaming city suddenly comes to life with joy and all kinds of positive emotions as Motrtha is crowded. Not for her, but, for him, our missing brother.


    I wait patiently until a flash of divine power reverts Iderim-Ovi back into his adult form. He laughs on his way out of the crowd and he comes and finds me as I wander off. Looking about the ruins, I start to fix things with idle waves of my hand. My distraction isn''t very good, however, and a pair of crimson wings stop me.


    "So, uh... How are you, Thurnmourer?" he asks with the nervous fisting of the opposing palm. I lean around him, slightly, observing the greater nervousness in my family. Returning my focus to my returned brother, I smile and hold up my hand. We clasp each other''s wrists and come in close for a pat on the back.


    "Much better, now that you are here with us again, Iderim-Ovi." I tell him, making sure my smile is clear for all to see as we put some distance back between us. No thunder cracks, no lightning flashes.


    "Oh... That''s good, very much so." he nervously chuckles as he rubs the back of his draconic head.


    My mind turns to the species he created, the unique circumstances of his existence. I felt that when he vanished, their miracles and ease of life vanished. All that time ago, when Thunder walked the earth with my blessing. His people will be able to have their prayers answered again.


    Though I am responsible for their downfall in that old war, I kept them safe as well. They still live on and my brother has something to go back to in the mortal world. Yet, I worry still, Iderim-Ovi has been made weak for some time. Will he be able to pass on his divine strength to his people like he did in that time long gone?


    Were it not for circumstances beyond my control, I would help him with all that I am. I cannot make him a great leader for his dwindling people, I cannot save them. He will need to figure that all out again. But, should my brother need anyone we are all here.


    "We should head back to them, I only took a moment away so that you would not be worried, given our history." I explain to him as I put a hand on my brother''s back, turning him around to face our family. Everyone here can help him, we will be there for him.

 V3 Incline 30: Nin

    "You found him here?" Kyarverin asks me with a quiet hush. One of His hands rubs the nearest parts of the church after the barrier evaporates in the face of His presence. I glance about with tired blinks, I''m getting a little tired of everything suddenly changing around me. We''re not walking, flying or running, it just changes!


    He certainly seems to be finding it amusing and I know He knows I saw that smile...


    We go into the church together, "Well, technically, down in a large chamber that starts over here."


    Kyarverin looks the mess over as we walk down the aisle. Something pulses from His hand and it soon clenches as narrow eyes turn towards the stairs. He steps away from the steps and His powers restore one of the bullet-holed benches. I sit down by Him at His request.


    "I see, was there anything guarding it?" He asks.


    "Not really, no, the entrance was hidden, but that is it."


    "And how would you describe the bullet holes?"


    "There was a lunatic, but, I''d hardly call him a guard. Just this annoyance who kept going ''shit'' over and over endlessly."


    "Ah, so he was here as well." the God of gods reminisces as I pat down my overalls again to clean off some specks of dust and splinters.


    "He had an army down there, dressed and armed much like himself. Though, I am not sure if this chamber on the way down how anything to do with it..." I add on, shiver-groaning as I rub my scalp at the thoughts of that chamber. Not an experience I am particularly keen to go through again if I can help it.


    "Chamber?"


    "Yeah, a bloody chamber with claw marks all over it. I went in and was suddenly in some kind of illusion, memories I think."


    "Elaborate."


    "I seemed to have been someone called Kyr-" I start to say before I am left unable to speak. It''s not hard to figure out why, but, the way He did it is weird. I feel like I want to simply shut up, despite how his fingers are pinched.


    "Do not -ever- speak that name in my presence." I am warned as He actually sets a grip on my jaw. It moves with joint-popping jolts before He lets go. I move it myself a little before I open it to carry on.


    "Alright..." I start with as I try to bear his demand in mind, "So basically, I was in the memories of someone, I wasn''t too sure what was going on. It kept switching between events. But, the first one involved some kind of arena. Giant... Flaming bird."


    "The wedding..." Kyarverin breathes as His head drops back.


    "The next one would be something to brag about if it was real... Heh, got a kiss on a cheek from a right beautiful woman. Maybe my past has me a little different to the feeling, but, she had lovely red hair. Really red hair, colourful and bright but not obnoxiously so." I chuff, not paying Kyarverin much mind as I nervously get it out.


    "She really is, isn''t she? Unfortunately for you, she is taken. Fortunately or not for me, she is mine." He answers with a hollow sigh before shooting up to His feet with bothered energy. He can''t seem to keep himself still in the slightest and His powers are quick to act. Destructive pops echo about the vast, acoustic wreck of a building.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "Do you...?" I start to ask as I slowly get up and move to the exit, minding my eyes as He continues to break things. He stops.


    "No, no," He quietly mutters as His face continues to droop, "Thank you, Nin. Thank you very much for what you did today. This is something beyond what I thought was possible to happen. A mortal of all things... Near enough a stowaway, and yet, you saved my son. The one I actually thought I lost..."


    "Y-You''re welcome..." I say as I remember something serious.


    "What''s bothering you, Nin?" Kyarverin asks as he firmly grabs my shoulder in appreciation.


    "So now what?" I ask, clearly scared for any who might be here to listen.


    "Right, soul."


    "Yeah..."


    "Up to you, Nin, your time with me and my family is up now. I remember the condition I set up with Undwote the very first moment you got to experience this once-in-an-eternity chance."


    "Thanks for the chance, I guess. Not really something I ever thought would happen, but, it''s not something I''d like to forget regardless. Actually meeting the gods, the heroes I grew up hearing and reading about. I''m glad I got this chance..." I tell him, hiding my face as I struggle to comprehend even finding his eyes.


    "My family really is something." the Father of All huffs pridefully as His chest swells with fatherly confidence.


    "It doesn''t hurt, does it...?" I ask as my eyes water a little in front of someone like Him of all people, divine or not.


    "I don''t know," He smirks, "you have plenty of time before you find out."


    "H-Huh?" I go before He gently smacks my head.


    "I ain''t letting Undwote getting to you too quickly now!" Kyarverin laughs as I struggle to find a place to laugh and breathe.


    "Wonderful... Wonderful indeed!" I go as I cover my face with both hands, cupping it in a pyramid-like shape.


    "So, Nin, what do you want to do with me and my family?" He asks as He opens His arms wide.


    "Sraacdchammu took me somewhere... Bowl..."


    "Bowling, you want to do something at Hot Rod''s?"


    "Yeah, that place, the whole thing, I want to do something there!" I laugh heartily as my excitement gets the better of me. So many things to do on His ship and most of it can be found there!


    "Could''ve made a better choice." Kyarverin yawns with a smile.


    "How so?"


    "Something more impactful!"


    "Well, I''m dead and I have never, ever heard of anyone coming back from being so. So, how about I make my last memory a good one? Go out with a full belly at the very least." I explain hopelessly with my final words being accompanied by a drumming of the named body part.


    Kyarverin looks away, "Yeah, sure, never heard of it either..."


    "By the way... Can we get out of here? Fun as it''s been watching you all fight, I don''t like being so close to an inferno." I remark, pointing my thumb back in the direction of the orange glow lighting up my back and His front.


    "Sure."


    "Stop doing that!" I nearly shout as I walk on the deck of the ship.


    "No." He answers, sticking out his tongue.


    "Shit..." I let out, copying how that lunatic said it when he was frustrated over something.


    "Oh? That''s not Tobaballian." the God of gods comments as he walks up to the steering wheel of His ship.


    "What does it even mean, anyway? That lunatic in the church kept saying it, as I said earlier, I think. I believe I heard it enough to have a grasp on it but, naturally, I''m not too sure."


    "Poo." He draws out with the o-ing of His mouth.


    "Poop." I repeat.


    "Yes."


    "As in toilet?" I ask to make sure I heard him right.


    "Sometimes, but, a lot of the time for some of us from that world, it''s a substitute for ''bad'' or ''awful.'' To add to it, if someone is extremely unlikeable, they''d be a shitty person. If the food on your restaurant order is bad, a shitty cook made it. Something bad happening to you? Exclaim the word out to the world!"


    "I see, well, thanks for explaining it." I say as He starts to walk off elsewhere.


    "Go into the kitchen or something, have a snack while everyone comes back aboard. I''m going back to the church, try and figure out what Sair did to the place. See if she did anything else." Kyarverin explains before I blink and find Him gone.


    "At least He did it to Himself alone this time." I comment as I quickly go down the steps before swinging around the decorative bump at the end. Speeding to the door, I try to remember the way to the kitchen through these doors.


    Maybe I''ll sneak a slice of blackberry tart whilst there is no one to tell me no!

 V3 Incline 31: Eqkilibral, the God of All

    "Of all the places to hide my son, my gift to you, why''d you choose here, Sair?" I ask the orb containing her essence. She does not reply in any meaningful way and her destructive obsession makes it pulse as if it is a club light. Walking down the kind of aisle I once saw my beloved walk down in a dress of shining white and pink, I look around. Idly repairing and dismantling the pews, windows, carvings and all that rests within this abandoned building.


    I arrive at the stairway leading down into the hidden ritual chamber. At an uneducated glance, it seems like such a strange nuclear bunker, a god''s greatest paranoid. Taking my first step down, I light up all the torches and change them to licking flames rather than proximity spells. Dripping water echoes up or down to me from somewhere and my feet deafen with regularity.


    Coming to a stop by a small chamber on my right, I walk into it with a frown. My oldest friend slithers his tongue out as if to laugh about old bad memories. It was the first time I ever met him, back in this chamber after I was captured on that mailboy run. Those who had chained me up wanted his power, but, they could not do so without killing me.


    Bashmu could not allow that lest he die too.


    "You replaced a lot of my body, didn''t you, you greedy little viper!" I hiss bemusedly at what was my greatest source of nightmares for some time. To be so vividly aware of the bloodshed your body was committing but to have no control over it. I might''ve even killed Sair and the others that night. Were it not for me already being riddled with desperate final impalements and full clips of priest-blessed bullets.


    The spawn of Tiamat may not be of the same stock as devils, but, holy power still works quite fine. All that changes is the divine origin of the light-affected energy. I frown as I think back to my decision to not allow such a concept to exist in the current world of my children''s design. Counteractive forces still came to be, but, not in the same way as they did as was the case during my mortality.


    "So... What was your reason for making a place like this, Sair?" I ask pointlessly as I rub a hand on one of Bashmu''s first acts after his release. To have never touched the physical world for two-thousand, five-hundred and seventy-nine years precisely. He must''ve been like a druggie at the point of breaking their addiction, only to be given such a bountiful dose.


    My powers flash through the chamber as my mind gets to work trying to figure this place out. Nin claimed he touched a game piece here and then started to experience visions of some kind. No, a memory he was actively involved in, taking the driver''s seat partially like a barely in-synch computer bed potato. Reversing the flow of time throughout this portion of creation, I watch Nin as he comes into the chamber.


    I end my influence over such a fickle domain and bend over to pick up what I pulled from the past. A rook piece, that which can go in a straight line for as long as it wants, at least, until the walls of reality stop it. A thing I once considered magnificent, the ability to either reincarnate the traditionally unmagical mortals or, an enhancer. Sair took me in like that, granting me great strength in both muscle and skin.


    "Despite my old piece being here, you never intended for me to find this place, did you?" I question Sair''s compressed form as I pull her influence from the stone and metalwork. My mouth slowly opens as pleasant memories come through my mind. Her first pisstake, mine, first kiss, first handholding, the near sexual misses, the love, the laughter, the joy... I blink and compose myself.


    Did she pull all of this out of herself so that she may hate me forever? Or, is this all the signs that she still does love me, that she is not so consumed by fire as my children would have me believe? I don''t know what I would rather have. But, I do know I do not want what I have right now.


    The chamber starts to vanish from existence as I step back onto the stairs. Heading all the way down, I look longingly at the great pyramid built underground. The man I based Iderim-Ovi on once fought his bloody way up those steps to save the girl crucified atop it. His Welsh power was quite explosive that night, so raw in its hatred for one black-winged woman.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I sigh and shake my head, it was a painful beginning, but, it galvanised us all into something stronger. All because one little high school student couldn''t keep it in his trousers when it came to a lovely if clutzy nun! Well, he could, but, barely. I huff a laugh as I recall how it was revealed that despite his debaucherous tendencies, he was actually incredibly disciplined.


    As his confidence grew, he had to be, lest he wind up in a lovely courtroom for less than savoury actions. My smirk widens as I remember how I frustrated him so egregiously once I became king. They said Prima Nocta was a myth, but, I quite happily proved that one wrong. Sair flashes angrily as she seems to pick up on my reminiscing.


    "I was quite the idiot, wasn''t I?" I ask her as I sigh in remembrance over how badly I strained our relationship doing that. Shortsightedness took me over for the sake of having a laugh, a mighty good and stupid one. Walking up to the pyramid, I notice something in the shadows and I pull it out. Screaming and kicking, the one most likely to fit the description of Nin''s lunatic comes face to face with me.


    "WHY YOU SHITT-" he screams before I silence him.


    "Let''s open you up..." I mutter as I pop open the hood and look into his finer mechanics. Not a real mortal, but a mirage, one that can interact with the world and those within it. Nothing special, but, he must''ve been made for a reason given how out of the way this place is. Sair was smart in putting Iderim-Ovi here as I only come here for her.


    Waving the annoyance out of time with fading, echoing screams, I lean against the stairs and stare up at the dark, cavern-like ceiling. Holding my hand up, the church and ceiling vanish in a blast of light that leaves a circle of retreating clouds. Shifting to a nighttime view, I slowly look to my left and blink at my delusion. My delusion of a smiling Sair, enjoying the starlight with me...


    Putting a hand up, I start to pinch the distant glows and a growing collection of marble-like orbs appear. Rolling them out across the ground, I gently allow Sair''s orb to join them and I sigh. All of them, my friends and companions from a time long gone. Their families and the rest of the world from there.


    Staring up at the spiral of glittering light, I look away as I acknowledge what they are. The souls of all those who died because of me. Even the kingdom I did it for ended up being destroyed again because I somehow came to the conclusion it was an acceptable loss. Strange how that came to be, that which I worked to save was an acceptable loss... The new friends and companions I built up as well, when I fell from the burning sky with that bronze mask.


    They all died, all of reality came undone until I was all that was left.


    Pulling out the orbs of my closest friends, those I betrayed to save my kingdom, I let them float in front of me. Sair, Kone, Okena and Iakb, their orbs dance in wide orbits and swirls and glow as they make sparkling noise. More orbs join them and I look into myself somewhat literally, in my hands, a steadily growing array of treasures and weapons.


    "Giving it all back won''t bring you all back..." I remark as I pick up a mostly blue, gold-edged blade. A one-winged mortal comes to mind and I wipe my eyes clean of any annoying build-up. I''ve been in denial about it for so long, even as I recreate so much of what I destroyed through what might as well be copyright-evading knockoffs. Blades that can cut anything, the power to create and all these other simple things...


    My fingers can''t seem to...


    "How many times do I have to say sorry and try...? Why does it never end? It just keeps happening over and over and I keep making things worse..." I cry as I hold the recreated souls of my friends and family close.


    I start to shake my head.


    "No... Iderim-Ovi, he came back to me. That mortal... He saved him when I had otherwise abandoned him. Nin... Nin Urtuan." I tell myself before my mind locks onto the mortal responsible for getting my son back to me. I open a one-way, undetectable view into his current locale.


    Placing a hand on my chin, I watch him as he keeps testing the memory of a goddess. Slicing just a little bit more tart for himself with each greedy pressing of the knife. The odd bit of fruit falls or jagged break-off in the crust? He takes it into his bowl.


    "It''s a start... I''m one up from before, one up from before..." I mutter as I stop watching him with the wave of a tired arm. Bringing my mind back to the here and now, I get back to looking into the details behind this place''s construction. I can figure it all out with less than the snap of my fingers if I wanted, but, I want some alone time.


    I glance towards the souls as Kone''s rolls towards me, independent of my actions.


    Clutching her gently in my palm, I try to force a smile, "How about you, what can you figure?"

 V3 Incline 32: Nin

    "So... Nin, anything, in particular, you would like? If Dad was fine in letting you stay here for a little while longer then I best make you the greatest meal ever!" Motrtha cheers as she goes about the kitchen with a bounce in her step. A child-like Aahtha giggles from her place on the kitchen island as she pesters her sleeping, plant brother.


    Placing a hand to my chin, I get to thinking, "Best meal ever?"


    Bit of a hard question to answer, really, it''s the same as it was back when I first got here. I simply do not know what I want, what the best ever is. Maybe I should let her make me something by letting her choose. I am sure I will like it anyway.


    Looking into her eyes as she comes close, I shuffle away a bit, making her smile, "Well?"


    "Uh... I guess I can''t die from the food being so good!" I joke shakily as she comes in close to place her head near my heart. Stiffening up, her presence feels so strange. I feel like I am in danger but I do not want her to go.


    "Maybe a fresh tart or something similar?" she asks as I force a cough as she swings away.


    "Y-Yeah- T-That can work. I''ll have some more tart, if you don''t mind." I tell her, wiping my eyes clear of that annoying build-up.


    "Pluuit, wakie wakie, I need some blackberries, please?" Motrha whispers to her irate brother as she takes him away from Aahtha''s antics.


    "Hooo..." Pluuit lets out as a limp, fuzzy green hand hands over the asked-for fruit.


    "Thank you, Dear." Motrtha tells him with a kiss before sending him up some chute.


    "Aw..." Aahtha groans as she crosses her arms. I glance her way and shake my head when she grins at me.


    "Aahtha, stop being such a you and go and get me a tub of vanilla ice cream please." Motrtha sternly tells her little sister.


    "Of course." the little goddess mocks with a squeaky attitude.


    The Goddess of Mothers claps her hands as she turns to face me, "A scoop or two of that melting on the warm, right-out-the-oven berries is just wonderful!"


    "I want some too, please!" Aahtha begs as she brings over a modestly big, white box that is already shining with a coat of thin ice.


    "Of course, but, only after Nin has had his, Aahtha. For until he leaves us, my little hero is the one getting all the attention!" Motrtha teases as she pulls me into a tight hug against her assertive motherliness. Turning my head just barely out of her grip, I frown at Aahtha as she makes her jealousy clear and upfront.


    Finally being released, I stumble back into something soft and dark-skinned, "She''s right, you know?"


    I nearly jump forward with a tightly clutched heart.


    "Aahtha!" Motrtha snaps firmly, making the Goddess of Pleasure revert to her child form.


    "Yes, Big Sis?" the little girl asks as I find a stall away from her, not that it matters as she quickly takes up the one next to me. Rocking back and forth on it until she nearly falls over.


    "Careful." Motrtha states as her divine powers plant the stall back on its four wooden stubs.


    Glancing at my wrist having seen that, I spin her bracelet around it and carefully rub one of the balls. Shiny little things they are, cold to the touch and with a metallic tint to it. I glance at the one who gave it to me and start to remove it slightly. She gave it to me for protection, but, the danger has passed now, so, do I still need it?


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    I doubt it can keep me safe from Undwote anyway, once my grain-thin amount of remaining time is gone.


    "Hey, Motrtha," the beautiful goddess stops and turns to me, her eyes coming to my wrist as I continue to roll it off, "Are you going to want this back?"


    She panics.


    Rushing towards me with frantic energy, she forces it back down my wrist. I lean away from her as she tightly blocks off my wrist from my hand. She blinks and steps back with a slight daze in her eyes. I frown as she nervously laughs it off, wiping her hands on her apron before tugging her hair''s tail a little.


    "No, no, no! You keep it, please, make sure you do." she requests with a slight shake to her words. I nod slowly as I nurse the lingering sensation of the pressure she was able to apply. Certainly the strength of the divine behind that innocent smile.


    "Right, sure, I''ll make sure I do." I tell her with a nod and an uncertain tone. I don''t quite get it, but, maybe this will actually keep Undwote away? I can''t see why she''d want me to keep on wearing a protective piece like this otherwise. The stories don''t paint Undwote as a cruel figure, but, no one can really check the accuracy of the portrayal.


    I frown and wrack my head to change the topic, enjoy what time I have left. Enjoy it all with a smile on my face and get through it without thinking about what comes next. Ignore the end, focus on the now. No death, only life!


    My simple life with gods and goddesses...


    "Bah!" I go with a huff, earning a look from Aahtha as she leans on my at-side arm.


    "What was it like meeting the god who wanted to wipe out humanity?" Aahtha asks idly, shrugging up against me.


    "Aahtha!" Motrtha goes.


    "I''m just asking him a question!" she whines back.


    "So, what does he like to eat, anyway? I''ve seen everyone else''s dinners and puds, but, not his. This is going to be my first evening seeing him at the table." I ask Motrtha, ignoring her sister completely, much to their annoyance.


    "Iderim-Ovi is eating on his own for a little bit." Aahtha mutters under her breath as she crosses her arms with a huff.


    "Yes, unfortunately, he wants some quiet before getting back into things. I guess I understand... He''s spent so long from his family that he needs time to get used to someone being there for him. I can''t imagine Dad will be very letting of it, though." Motrtha sighs before smiling at the end. I give my own and nod.


    "I hope you lot get to enjoy each other''s company again." I tell the goddesses as I point my smile towards Motrtha''s.


    "Thank you, Nin. Well, to answer your question, anyway, lamb. He loves it." Motrtha explains before she seems to remember something. A rack of meat comes inexplicitly sliding out of one of the fridges. A length that really should not be able to slide in and out of that thing.


    "He likes anything meaty, really, a bit slightly charred, too." Aahtha adds as she walks up to her sister in her adult form. Patting my chest, I glance away from the imitation of Iishar Ho as its lingerie-covered grace angles itself under the light. Didn''t see no curves or flawless skin catching it, no!


    "Oh, that''s right, you used to do all the cooking for him. Do it so often myself I nearly thought I did it!" Motrtha goes and giggles as Aahtha picks out the cut of meat for the other goddess to cook with. Keeping my eyes to myself as the click of narrow heels comes closer, a hand strokes my skin. I clutch Motrtha''s bracelet and mentally beg for its protection as I quickly pick up on what can only be divine power.


    "He liked to watch, too." Aahtha whispers as I shut my eyes, only to end up with a string or something in my hand. Overwhelmed with what I wish was only curiosity for the cloth, I shoot back as the bare, bountiful, bronze-skinned buttocks meets my gaze. The string is not a string, but a strap for an apron!


    "Uh..." I go as I look towards Motrtha as she merely watches with a pursed finger. A slight crease in her lips as she gently chews the bottom one.


    "All as I cook in an apron that only needs one, simple, little... Tug!" Aahtha whispers further as I feel the sweat bead from my skin. Her touch makes me jump and the strap meets resistance. Falling to the ground with a resounding thud, I groan through grit teeth at the teasing goddess. It''s not fair!


    Rose was one thing, but divine powers is just... Ahhhhh!


    I glare up at the teasing smile as Aahtha struts away as she ties the apron back up. Keeping my eyes mostly down as she walks away, I stand back up, only to be blinded by a flash of light. I hear my heart in my ears. My lips straighten and more than just my back feels stiffer.


    "Is this a little too much?" Motrtha asks as she curtsies with her similar, frillier get-up.


    "I don''t know... I think we need a real man''s opinion here..." Aahtha tuts as she looks my way as Motrtha gently beckons me closer with a rubber-headed spatula. I gulp at the knowing smirks that are burning me up more than anything else in all of the world and more. Motrtha brings her ponytail around and she slowly tugs at it, undoing it with a final strong flick.


    "Well... Shit."

 V3 Incline 33: Nin

    "Oh, that is looking wonderful, Nin, just make sure to press down on this b-bit a little more." Motrtha gently moans into my ear from behind as I force a rolling pin through the torn dough. So close her presence that I cannot avoid colliding with every married man''s favourite pillow.


    Her apron tugs on the hook of my elbow and it moves. She delights in the increased sensation of bareness and takes her sweet time pulling the cloth back over. Awkwardly, right up against my backside. I scream once again on the inside after glancing up at a dangling basket of flowers.


    I wanted to believe that my time in the aelenvari flower would''ve prepared me for something like this. But, it was no help at all! Both of these goddesses have powers affecting me unlike the needle-legs ever could and they''re more or less humans. There are no strange features to turn me off from popping a glance their way.


    The beauty of the divine really is just something else entirely...


    I nod my red face as my shaking, sweaty grip slips on the buttered baking tin. Her hand touches mine and fire blows through my hairs, bringing all my goosebumps out so they can scream joyously. Clutching my hand against my forehead, Motrtha slips a hand onto my wrist to bring it back down to the dough. Her hand holds mine so we can get it into the tin.


    "Steady, easy does it..." she whispers as the thumbles about behind me with the clear intent to keep my mind focused on what is there. Two, big and hefty...


    I widen my eyes and take a sharp breath.


    A bronze-skinned hand slips up to my chin as I rear my skull back with the intake. I turn to face the mortal-copying goddess as she slings the other arm around my spine-side. She smirks and winks as her alluringly shiny lips go in and then out again. A white-skinned hand stops her and the wet sound of a kiss lingers in my ears as my ribcage threatens to explode outwards.


    Aahtha grabs her sister by the wrist and she smiles deeply as she shows off her lip movements. Motrtha giggles at the steamy tickling before pulling the palm back along my shoulder blades. My hips shoot into the closed cupboards below as a pinch releases my bottom. The goddesses force my hips to gyrate as my mind blanks out.


    Aahtha once again tries to dictate the way I look so she can properly jiggle alongside her expression, "We need to be cooking!"


    "I''d personally prefer it if I could lock him into the oven myself and bake a little in there." the Goddess of Pleasure laughs out at her sister as she shows off the kind of legs Iishar Ho once had. I look down, past the stockings and thin-strap heels and to the floor. Dragging my eyes back to the tin, I slump my exhaustion even though the only thing working so hard is my heart.


    "We bake the tart." Motrtha asserts as I get a brief bit of freedom from her oppressive voluptisity. It quickly comes back and my arm is enveloped, the strained straps of the apron in the corner of my eye.


    "You better get that." Aahtha playfully snaps as she shoves the Goddess of Mothers away. On cue, a machine tings as its steady cooking noise comes to an end. A bowl vanishes from my left.


    "Aa-Aahth... Aahtha, I need that to..." I start to complain as she messes around with the dusting sugar. She ruins it by adding water to the mix, thickening it up into a paley muck. The sieve starts to be knocked, right over her...


    I watch closely as her dark skin contrasts with the near-perfect white of the runny sugar. Clumping up on the curves, slowly, ever so slowly slipping down the darkness of the middle. Splattering elsewhere as her giggles vibrate the pair of mounds. I clutch the kitchen side tightly.


    "Oops..." Aahtha coos as she steps forward. Motrtha rushes behind me with increased speed as her duties keep her otherwise occupied.


    "You got it down your..." I say somewhat, trailing off as I watch another line slip down.


    "Nin, mind cleaning this off of me? I''m such a silly girl." she asks with that knee-weakening smirk as she cups the lower curve of her boobs, pushing them up closer to my eyes. With the help of those narrow heels, they come so close to my face and I nod.


    "R-Right..." I go as I reach for a cloth without looking, only for a splash and squeal to ring out from behind.


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    "Nin! Can you help me up, please?" Motrtha cries as I am stuck in my sudden turn, legs wide open. The goddess blushes as her apron absorbs the unknown liquid that leaves her glistening. Feeling Aahtha behind me, I march up to Motrtha and offer a stiff hand. My mouth clicks before I swallow the build-up of desire with a resounding gulp.


    Two things start to stick out as the spilt liquid offers up the grand treasure of see-throughness. A gift that keeps on giving as the apron starts to cling and get caught more firmly on the shape of her body. Tightly taking her hand to combat the slippiness, I pull with every bit of strength I did not know I had. She ''whee''s'' as she comes up, slamming up against me, in turn, the kitchen side strikes my lower back.


    "Thank you, my hero." Motrtha coos close to my lips as her breath chokes out my nose and tastebuds.


    "Sure, sure..." I answer as she snuggles up between my neck and shoulder. Whatever it is she spilt, it starts to moisten up all the little crevices in my skin and she notices. I jump under her grip as she laps up the mess she''s passed onto me and I start to shiver. Wide eyes and clumsy breaths straighten me out and her arms wrap around.


    I need to hold my head... Feeling cloudy...


    A thud comes from behind and Aahtha''s legs drop down around me. One of my hands is kept away from Motrtha and Aahtha guides it to her thigh. Easing my fingers and thumb to place sincere pressure upon the thick, gently-tensed flesh. Motrtha''s words come to mind so dominantly. I am her hero, Aahtha''s too, most likely.


    A hero needs a weapon, like the Thunder God''s bolt!


    "Well..." Motrtha breathes as I realise what is happening. Locking my body up, she backs away slightly with burning cheeks and a pair of eyes that can''t break away from mine. Like me and hers, this beautiful pair of hazelnut jewels.


    She starts to return to being up against me, a gentle moan comes to my ear as Aahtha snuggles in. No efforts are made to unbutton my overalls and I cannot decide if that is good or bad. Motrtha turns her head, breathing all over me before a wet oval appears. The well-known squeak clogs my ears and her sister giggles as if she is ashamed of them.


    "A peck on the cheek? How uncreative of you, Goddess of Motherhood." Aahtha taunts her sister in a sultry tone as she snakes her head around. Only to be pushed back by a strong wrist and single, bullish snort. Motrtha straightens herself out and comes closer. Right up to my...


    My mouth moves with hers as the grip she has around my neck tightens, somewhat freeing me from Aahtha. I have a mind that is barely working, it''s all numb, only the... The tongue dancing on mine can be picked up on. Motrtha.


    A door opens loudly.


    The goddesses snap away, leaving me dumbstruck and disappointed. Looking around cluelessly, my eyes settle nicely as I get back to slowly working on the dough. Whoever is there, I cannot tell. I glance Motrtha''s way and frown as her divine powers cover up the view.


    "C-C-Can we help you, Apahthein?" struggles to ask as she serves as a second bolt to the door. However, as she comes to terms with the presence of the God of Apathy, she starts to calm down. His power sneaks into my mind and everything is clear all of a sudden. I sigh in relief as Aahtha switches back to being an adult.


    A barrier stops her from stepping closer and she huffs, displeased. Crossing her arms and sticking her hip out, she carries on huffing as I step away from the baking tin. Moving to the door, I peek around to the gaseous god and watch as his face briefly becomes visible. Fading in and out of my perception as I play around with the trick I learned in the build-up to my recent fun.


    "Father told me to gather everyone, the bowling game is set up now." the apathetic being explains, floating away before Motrtha slams the slightly open door closed. Her trembling hand remains on the handle and she steps away, an embarrassed air about her. She looks at the mess she and her sister have caused and then to me.


    I wave at her as she takes a calming breath, "Thank everyone it was the one who doesn''t care..."


    "Own it already, any divine being with a brain can tell you like him." Aahtha groans as her further attempts to get close to me are thwarted.


    "Well... Regardless. We better clean this mess up." Motrtha claps to as she puts her endless energy into wiping down her squirming sister.


    "N-N-No, d-don''t... Don''t!" Aahtha whines as what was meant for me vanishes. The goddess shrinks into her well-covered child form and she pouts up at her fill-in mother.


    "Clean up." Motrtha sternly orders as Aahtha snatches up the offered sponge.


    "So, we finishing the tart later, then?" I ask as I find myself with nothing left to do. Neither of them answer and the pair seem to be increasingly irate with each other. Nodding to myself slowly, I slip out the kitchen door and go into the hall. Walking for a few meters, I stop and hold my heart as Apahthein slips my mind.


    I groan, then laugh heartedly as it all crashes through my mind. If Apahthein hadn''t come along, I''d be going into Undwote''s grip devoid of the one thing people champion to lose! My laughs die down to cackles and the energy to keep on walking this lengthy hallway is always present. Smacking the top of a chair on the route, I start to understand maybe why the girls were looking angry before I left.


    "I am confident that was going to escalate into... Could''ve been a... Well, still got plenty of time to try and start a family of my own, maybe." I remark as my limited time left alive comes to mind. How long do I have? Is it worth it? Should I try to do something with this teasing or sense of intimacy the goddesses seem to have for me?


    It''s odd, Undwote is on my mind so much and not for his nice demeanour most of the time. The God of Death''s influence is so blatantly obvious I don''t need to figure it out. But, with my extra time around, somewhat alive, I have a chance. Everything in me wants to try and at least give it a go.


    I look back the way I came with widening eyes and a sense of danger pinging off inside, "Yeah... I get you, little disappointed buddy."

 V3 Incline 34: Undwote, God of Death

    "Father, we''ve been doing this for a few days now. Once this game finishes, can I go back to doing my job?" I ask Him with a strained voice as I slip on a pair of bowling shoes.


    "Kick his arse!" Father hollers at Iderim-Ovi as he stumbles about in a tiny football pitch as a child. One of my smaller hounds yaps away, ignoring the ball and trying to go for my brother instead. I smile a little at it, but, I quickly find myself steadily glaring at my progenitor. A slight bit of His clothes in my vision, then Him entirely.


    I backhand Him with reserved force, getting His attention, "Father."


    "Yeah, yeah..." He dismisses with a wave of His hand before He goes over to the game console. Pushing in the required letters, dozens more copies of Him do the same on all the other lanes.


    "So you say, but we both know your word means nothing. Honesty is a concept you have entirely separated yourself from." I remark with a scoff and scowl. All of the copies stop and turn to me, they stare.


    "Not sure why you would think that..."


    "Not sure why you would think..."


    "Not sure why you would..."


    "Not sure why you..."


    "Not sure why..."


    "Not sure..."


    "Not..."


    They all go, turning away to hide their so blatantly obvious smiles. Raising a hand, I send out a blast of freezing air to change this repeating sentence into mild screams. They all start to complain at me and I scoff once again. The edge of my mouth ticks up as the joy slightly soothes my worries.


    "It''s almost as if you have a history of it, imagine that. Dragging gods and goddesses away from their essential roles in creation and then you mess with what we look after!" I go, bringing my open, strained hands up. A series of flashes emanate from Father and He steps towards me, a lone individual.


    "Messing around? Laughable, I just solve the issues because I am an adult and I want to." He shrugs smugly.


    "No one here but Nin, a mortal, is an adult, we are all incompatible with the term beyond aesthetic." I sigh, annoyed. Clicking one of my hands as the other caresses my face, a hound comes up to me. Quickly finding his furry head, I stroke and rub it to get some of my frustrations out in a nice manner. Taking the hand off my scalp, I pat around for my pipe, only for Father to hand it over as He walks away.


    He goes over to greet the members of our family arriving in the latest drove of bowling players. How many are here because they want to be, I do not know, Father has not been very clear as to why this is happening. I get our missing brother has returned, His son, but still. Would''ve thought He would be elsewhere, sulking into a glass of rum given what He also failed to accomplish.


    I tsk at the fact we are likely going to be sailing this way again once I go back to work. Shaking my head at Him, I walk over to my returned brother as he gets tackled. He laughs heartedly as the small hound licks away at him and I let it carry on. Whistling once my amusement dries up, I start to rub and scratch the shadowy midget.


    "You adjusting alright?" I ask Iderim-Ovi as he picks himself up.


    "Yeah, Kyarverin''s been kind enough to let me access my actual power so I can kind of cheat this whole thing about me being captured. To me, it''s all a distant memory I am now struggling to remember. No nightmares keeping me up at night!" he cheers as I raise a brow at the way he detaches himself from Him.


    Hearing the voice of my greatest current frustration, I am reminded, "So, how come you aren''t taking advantage of the moment and talking to Nin? He''s the one with the honour of saving you."


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    "The mortal?" he asks and I nod.


    "Yes, he''s not going to be around for much longer in any capacity as he''s a departed soul." I explain for clarification, though, I trail off as my impatience comes to the fore.


    "I want to... But, that''s also the thing, I''ve figured out he''s a bargaining chip to keep you around. So, I''ve sort of come to the conclusion there''s no point to it. Don''t get me wrong, how can I not be forever in his gratitude, but, he''s human. A dead one." Iderim-Ovi tries to explain as I gently chew the mouthpiece on my pipe.


    Smirking a little, "Still hoping to genocide humanity from creation for the sake of your ddrai''och?"


    Iderim-Ovi flinches and grows to peak out over the bannister-like wall. The lack of crackling thunder makes him slump down with a sigh and I gently laugh as he glares. An oversized football comes for me and I smack it back his way. Striking him with a popping thunk that leaves the ball gently rolling off elsewhere.


    "Well, we''ll see..." he says quietly as he continues to listen out for Thurnmourer even though the hatchet should be buried at this point.


    "Your kind still comes to me, so you are aware. They''re still around." I explain while the topic is relevant.


    "Yeah, Thurnmourer''s mentioned that they''re still alive." he mutters with a half-attempted fist near his mouth.


    "I don''t see them often, but, they''re around." I somewhat repeat as I bring in some mouth-drying smoke from my pipe.


    My brother nods, "I want to try and focus on them, help them how I can. I did not make them, they made me, even with my capture, I am living on because they have not forgotten me. I need to return the favour. I am hoping Kyarverin will let me take an active role with them, bypassing the rules he put in place when..."


    "Mmm, that''ll be tricky. But, if me and Waionr can manage, I''m sure you can."


    "I''m not the god of death, unlike you, though, Undwote, I''m me. The singular god for a nearly-extinct species."


    "Father tends to be occupied, sprinkle in some relics and equipment and answer prayers from behind the camouflaging book and you''ll be able to help. With or without His agreement." I reassure my worrisome brother as I move forward to shake him by the shoulder.


    "Oh... Can I have my dead back as well, please?" he asks and I purse my lips and tightly knot my tongue.


    "Looks like the bowling is about to sta-"


    "Undwote! They''re my dead, I handled them before I was captured, you have no right!" Iderim-Ovi rightly goes and I groan.


    "Fine..." I moan as I bitterly chew on the mouthpiece some more. Already have enough issues with Waionr''s lot of the dead but now I have to give Iderim-Ovi a chunk of them too!? Well, I guess it''s a better deal than Waionr anyway. Ddrai''och dead been in short supply for a while now.


    In a strange way, Father''s Sunk Cost Fallacy benefitted me and I am not sure how to feel about it. My brother being imprisoned and locked away, out of our hearts and minds was a cruel boon for me alone. An entire species, one once powerful and mighty, their souls in the afterlife became my responsibility. Even if these souls always put up a fight.


    Ddrai''och really do not like most of this pantheon.


    "So, anything in particular you looking forward to once we are all allowed to get back into what makes us, us?" I ask as I eye Nin eagerly in a way that reminds me instantly of Aahtha on the prowl.


    "I guess I want to see if the sub-species are all still there. Crimson scales were always the most common so I have no worries with them, but, the whites, blues and golds concern me. I hope they''re still around." he says, looking at himself with a chuckle initially.


    "Fair dues." I say, nodding along as he starts to slobber a little.


    "I like to watch the colour contrast when they intermix and mate!" the little pervert can''t help but let out.


    "Ah, there''s the mortal you were based on." I huff bemusedly before I set aside his lechery.


    "White goes together so well with the darkest sha-"


    "Any idea where they currently are? Has Father given you the ability to begin searching for the ddrai''och?" I ask him with a mixture of curiosity and practical intent. With him back, I need to retrain my hounds to not sniff out the souls of this species. A rough no-go area would work for a little while, but, the tedious act of making them ignore the smell and aura of ddrai''och souls will be much harder.


    "Not yet, no, but, I am guessing they''re still around Thunlanann as that is where they had mostly settled prior to my bout with Thurnmourer. Either there or the other continent, across that bridge-like thing in his old forge." Iderim-Ovi theorises, leading to me having a bit of a chuckle. He has so many mortals who agree with him in regard to that innocent little descriptor. Current power in the region even made a whole city named after it!


    "Well, here''s to you getting it all started soon." I tell him as my head turns back towards the human soul as he idles about. He can''t help but glance Aahtha and Motrtha''s way for whatever reason, something is on his hidden-from-me mind. Maybe he''s just confused at how Aahtha has changed form for the first time since he arrived.


    More so a red-headed punk than the sexually weighty woman she was before. Iderim-Ovi peaks over at the bar and groans disappointedly, I raise my brow at him. Aahtha spots us and winks and Iderim-Ovi giggles to himself with a right cheeky grin. My expression widens in realisation, she''s actually dressing for the tastes of one of us?


    Pondering over a huff of smoke, I quietly remember as I glance to Father''s lovable yet intolerable head, "Right, based on an old mortal friend."

 V3 Incline 35: Undwote, God of Death

    "Going to admit... Thought Clohniq would have won." Nin comments as he continues to pick away at his basket of cheesy chips. Looking up from my own food with the scent of cheddar in my nose, I frown at him. I glance towards Father as He blabbers away with some hidden-around-the-corner family members. My foot tapping nearly strikes louder than the music coming down from the speakers.


    I''m so close to finally fulfilling my duty with Nin, he is nearly ready to be sent back to the world.


    "Why''d you think that?" I ask, not quite getting it as I have seen her lose games and matches before. I guess he thinks because she''s Goddess of Technique that she must just know the best way to win? Maybe I''ve simply seen others win so much at other things that it is a strange concept to me.


    I smirk a little.


    "Well, you know. Goddess of Technique and all that! Would have thought she would have, well, had a technique that would win her the game." he says, proving my initial line of thought right. We both glance over at the winner as Ihtuntar steps up onto a little podium. A rare, ear-to-ear smile on his face as he nervously picks up the handed-over trophy. I smile a little at how it may be possible people flunked the game so that we could see Ihtuntar wear a different expression.


    Or, Father''s playing favourites again, sabotaging our games.


    Now that I think about it, I was feeling a little strange, almost weak, whenever it was my turn on the lane. Almost as if He was equalising it to the extreme so that none of us had an inbuilt advantage, such as Clohniq''s perfect skill. Maybe I should''ve banked on the fact I am forced to be a child and kept the barriers up. Always would''ve taken some pins that way, at the very least, my pride be damned.


    Nin rises up, placing his hand on the table and I catch sight of a shiny piece.


    "And where''d you get that?" I ask, raising a brow as I sense the blatant connection it has to my eldest sister, Motrtha. I know I saw her giving this mortal here glances throughout. Aahtha was definitely gossiping something between them as well. What are they planning!?


    Why is Motrtha in on this...?


    "This? Motrtha gave it to me before we got off the ship back when we ploughed straight into that street." he explains with his tone becoming rather baffled as he continues to think about what is pretty normal for us. We sail in on the waters of the Orbital-Halo, then, we run ashore in nothing but concrete and steel piping. I guess there''s a point to it, however, why not just give that place a dock?


    Who knows with Father, who really knows.


    "Did she explain why?" I ask as I hide my suspective attitude in a sip from my cup.


    "No, I just assumed it was linked to Thurnmourer and Clohniq making my clothes stronger or something." Nin explains further as he digs deeply into his basket for a firm, but well-coated chip. The mortal then tugs at his clothes and tries to catch the light with them. I nod slightly at the signs of the fourth state of matter, Thurnmourer''s signature of craftsmanship.


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    Leaning back into my chair and its cushions, I think about how Motrtha might be able to add to such protection. Clohniq can weave the most perfect of cloth, Thurnmourer can create the greatest, strongest materials for it. But, Motrtha cannot, she may be a goddess, powerful in her own right... Yet, she is no creator deity.


    Maybe it was a way for her to keep an eye on him in the chaos of that place. I can understand it being hard to keep an eye on a mortal in a battlefield filled with gods. Especially with limited access to our true power. None of this answers the glaringly damning, however, why is it so blatant with her power?


    Motherhood.


    My eyes narrow to a tight angle as I turn to face my sister who is quick to pick up on my actions. She vanishes around the curve of the bar, heading off into the relatively quiet part of Hot Rod''s for the moment. Getting up, I move to give chase to my sibling who is clearly hiding something. I ignore the fact my food is snatched by one of my hounds the moment I leave.


    Getting to the top of the curve, I shake my head as my sister tries to play innocent.


    "Motrtha!" I call loudly as I stride up to her, fighting back against Father''s influence to return to my mature state.


    "Undwote! How can I help you?" she asks, hiding her face behind the act of polishing a glass.


    Failing to beat Him, I jump up onto a stall and reach over, grabbing her, "Why did you give Nin a charm so closely linked to you? Explain!"


    She places a finger to her lips and her eyes take on a clutzy makeover. Bringing her in closer to my scowl, I let one of my other callings steadily frost up her clothes. She continues to play innocent before then smiling smugly. My eyes widen and I push her away, falling to the floor and scrambling up back to my feet.


    "FATHER!" I roar with clenched fists as chairs and stalls fall as I barge up to Him. The festivities stop and many look towards me and the damned annoyance Himself. Father noisily slurps down a cup of raspberry-flavoured ice as He blankly stares back down. Clogging up His straw with my powers, He pulls it away from His lips.


    "Eeyup?"


    "Where is it!? WHERE IS THE SOUL!? What did you do with him!?" I demand to know through spiking and simmering aggression as I slam away at His chest. One, unfortunately, child hand-powered prod at a time.


    "Revived him." He answers as He looks up at one of the televisions playing some old sport from His old realm of creation.


    My eyes widen, "YOU WHAT!?"


    "Revived him." He repeats with a simple nod.


    "Y-You... You lying cunt." I growl as one of my hands flexes for my the power of my gun. I want to, I will load it and blow it right in His face!


    "Am I?" He questions, smirking as He summons a screen to replay a made-up timeline. One where I agree to this and for some reason go out of my way to amuse him with degrading clownery.


    "That soul was mine to handle!"


    "Calm down, Undies. It''s just one soul restored to the point he was at before death." Father rolls His eyes to.


    "DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT HE WAS BEFORE HE DIED!? HE WASN''T EVEN HUMAN!" I yell with all I have as the sound of metal and wood clicks in my other hand. The weapon loads without help and I quickly pull it on Him. I pull the trigger and Father spits out the unused shot at me. It rattles on the ground as I breathe my frustrations out, watching Him closely as He walks away.


    "Don''t know, don''t care, brought him back as he was and kept his mind the same as it is now." he tells me as he sneaks a thumbs up to happy and giddy Motrtha. A long snort leaves me as I tremble in fury. Then, something snaps inside and I calm down. Left alone in a state of unamused annoyance and seemingly never-ending headshaking.


    "Prick." I spit before my powers snatch one of the strong bottles from the bar''s rack. The bottle pops open and its set, glass maw comes for mine, the liquored gold running for it so nicely.

 V3 Incline 36: Eqkilibral, the God of All

    Kicking my feet up onto my desk, my chair sprouts new, supporting legs and I lean back onto them. Sighing with a mixture of misery and joy, I fail to laugh off Undwote''s anger towards what I did. He''s not wrong, my word doesn''t really mean anything these days. But, I also kept my word to Motrtha on an even greater issue, so I am not really all that sure.


    "I was never going to be a good king." I mutter as I take note of how all the little things continue to bother me. Floating up and planting my feet on the ground properly, I walk over to a cabinet tucked away in the corner of my office. Opening it up and fiddling with the lock as I seem to fail to remember why I came over here. Eventually, I lay a finger on a thick book.


    Pulling it out, I run my thumb over its spine, revitalising the faded colour in its now unworn leather. Opening it up, I stare blankly at the photos covering its pages to the absolute limit. Pictures of all my children as children, when they were first created and their first acts. I even went back in time and confused my ''younger'' self just to get one of Thurnmourer and that before creation was properly remade.


    Coming to a stop on the pages I set aside for Iderim-Ovi, I smile at the fact I can add more. But, when I turn to the next page, I see that I filled out what was meant for him with other memories. Before my powers can sort this, I stop. I glance at my hand as it glows with such masterful control over all.


    "Sair and the others, my collection of lunar idiots." I say quietly as I fix the book, giving everyone the room they should have. Yet, I can''t help but feel like I''ve already made a mistake doing this. Arhjor, Kuuin, Esatsym, Ngmannietdd, Omsukti, W''rrid, Jhrarda, Ametahl, Daeyhlos, Mahcoyol, Sinannan, Moanchra, Enzuoch... They''re all going to be stuck in those moons for some time.


    I try to laugh a little at the idea of it, their prisons being moons. I based them all off of Earth, each one being a different major geological period. Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Hadean, Devonian, modern-day and I want to pretend I don''t know why I did it like that. But, I do, I miss my home and all of those I came to care for.


    However, I cannot just leave all of this behind, this is my family and these are my children. Every single one of them from the greatest and most powerful to the most niche and easily forgotten. I am at an impasse, though, I do not want to leave any of them behind yet I must to satiate my own feelings on the matter. It''s tearing me apart that I cannot have the cake I want...


    "Is there anything I can learn from you, Nin? The first mortal I have ever talked to, someone completely separated from being a true know-it-all." I quietly let out as I close the photo album and send it off to a small chairside table. Pouring myself a diluted drink, I sit down on the chair and open up the timestream. Quickly going through it, I mindlessly consume the information with a dead gaze.


    Nothing stands out to me and I move to close my observatory, only to catch a still image. I look at it closely and my hand starts to shake. Setting my drink down, I stand up and bring the viewing port with me. Steadily smiling as I look at what I am seeing.


    A grey lunar orb, beyond the world and the Orbital-Halo I dwell in, only, it''s tainted by burning cracks. It is exploding outwards, shattering into a trillion shards, some tiny continental pebbles, others grand celestial carvings. One of the prisons for my fourteen sons, someone has broken it and Nin sees it in his future. No...


    The light of a Guardian Mountain blurrs the view and I turn on the sound. A dragon roars in terrible pain and I reorient the view around the creature. With a dark cloak trailing it, something grips onto the beast''s horns as planetary fire follows them. A man-sized entity trapping the awful breath of my daughter''s servile creatures.


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    "A witch doctor- no, plague doctor. Beak masks are theirs." I comment with a raised brow as I pause the future and clear up the image. This is Nin''s future, a small part of it, anyway. A lot of misery and joy like all other lives, some of which I can even see similarities in. Reminds me quite a bit of my old life, really, going out and playing hero, getting the girl.


    I stroke my chin as I think about what the shattering of a moon will mean. None of my children can break them and I am not ever going to touch them because of the condition I set. Yet, I miss my sons and it keeps seeming like they''ll never get out of those cells. Now, unless a mortal comes in and breaks them like what happened with Iderim-Ovi...!


    "Seems like once again, Nin, I owe you too much." I say as I consider what moon it was this fight seems to destroy. The one that looks so close to modern earth, the one I destroyed all that time ago. A book shoots into my grip and opens up onto the scribbled-over page detailing the details in case I forgot about them.


    Jhrarda the Mighty, it''s his moon, his cell.


    He can do it, he can break the others out of their prisons and a little bit of violence can follow. But, I will have my family back, all of it will be finally back, some happy coincidences will set me back to where I once was. I smile deeply as excitement makes me jittery. It''s all coming back, a full dinner table, all bedrooms will be occupied.


    Holding myself back from weeping, I drop the book and head over to my desk. Opening a draw, I pull out Sair''s compressed state. For some reason, I kept them all this time. As per usual, it flashes with anger and tries to break free like it normally does.


    "No, not this time." I tell her as I reinforce the locks sealing her in this state. Someone knocks on my office door and I start to shake my head. My powers over creation become active for the first time in a long time. Earth, I remake it as it was and I cast the souls of those from that world back to it.


    Sair. Okena. Kone. Iakb.


    All of them, all seven billion humans and the endless more of everything else!


    My door knocks again, "You in there, Dad?"


    "I''m going out for some milk!" I joke as I take in a deep breath after swallowing that drink I made earlier in one go. Staring the swirling portal to this remade world down, I slowly take a step towards it. My family will end up back together in this world, it is going to be whole again. But that''s just fifteen more voices telling me the same thing.


    Remake this old world and its people back to the way they were. That is what they will all say without a doubt, they all want me to go ahead and fix it without thinking twice. All thinking about it seems to do is make me miserable. I do not want to be miserable, I must go out and fix everything.


    For their sake, for all of their sake.


    Looking back towards the photo album, I smile, knowing how meaningful its contents are. I want more pictures in there, not just of Motrtha and Thurnmourer, not simply Undwote and his seven pups. I want Kone playing with Waionr''s lion, I want Sair to put them to bed with me. Okena, Iakb and all the others, they can play and grow with everyone else.


    "Oh, before I do so..." I mutter forgetfully as I pull something out of the future. I snicker at how stupid I find it to be and make some adjustments to it before I tap the beak mask. It fails to break and I nod confidently as I toss it all back into the present. Dark, crow-like attire, I like it, Nin made some good choices and some blatantly awful ones.


    Nothing like altering the present to change the current future!


    I huff bemusedly at the impact such a simple thing as a mortal has had on me. Taking a step towards the portal, I linger in orbit above a sight that once was a mere memory for me. Sol glowing yellow and bright, Mars on the bypass and the useless gas giants further beyond. My body shifts back to the way it once was and I slowly lean into the new mortal world.


    Fighting back against the uncaring pain of the void of space, I make myself a hamster ball as I close the way back to the Vightorhian and fall. Nostalgic reentry surrounds and the circumstances of mortality somewhat come back to me. I scream in terror and insane, adrenaline-junkie joy for the first time in aeons. The sky starts to appear behind and views I once only saw with misery in my heart are enjoyed for once.


    "Learn to love again, huh?" I remark quietly to myself as I cheat a little on this mortality thing. Sair''s smile flashes in my head and I comfortably lean into my flaming descent.

 V3 Incline 37: Kyrvern, the Mortal God

    "An LNER Class A4? Haven''t played with this in a long time." I remark with a bemused huff as I run a hand along its blue-painted plating. Running my palm up the curving shape above the wheels and pistons, I arrive at the slanted front, a royal crest set in atop it. Cheating a little with this attempt to live a mortal life for a little bit, I do any maintenance with but a flick.


    "I thought I might find you here." Okena comments as she walks in on me as I hide my divine powers.


    "You need something, Pony... Where''s the ponytail?" I start to greet before seeing the lacking hairstyle. Can''t use the nickname if she''s not wearing one!


    She smiles and dangles a brush at me, her finger through the hookhole, "I want you to brush it for me."


    "Coming." I answer, slapping the part of my legs right above the knees as I stand up fully. Walking up to her, she widens her smile and we leave my locomotive workshop together. Looking down at her neck, I feel strange. It''s no longer broken and scarred, she''s not like how I have grown used to seeing her.


    Oddly enough, however, the path she is taking me on isn''t to her room or a place with a mirror. Instead, she comes to a stop by one of the decorative pillars in this opulent display of a home. Walking past her initially, I turn to find out why she''s stopped, only to watch as she leans against the pillar. Crying.


    "I... I''m... I''m glad you''ve finally decided to do the right thing." she weeps and I frown before my eyes widen.


    "How... How are your memories intact?" I ask, worrying over what this likely means. Yet, I feel no destructive power encroaching on me while I am vulnerable. There''s nothing at all. In my panic, I checked this reality over, I dismantled it all and put it back together before even an atom anywhere could twitch.


    Her smile returns, "Because you can be so silly at times."


    "How many of you remember?" I ask, just to make sure.


    "Kone and Iakb seem to be the only ones who recall a thing. We assumed it was intentional on your part." she explains and I nod along as I offer my hand so she can stand back up. Instead, she leaps onto me for a passionate hug that I am happy to return.


    Snuggling my face near her neck, I lovingly nuzzle the soft, rounded skin, "I''m sorry for..."


    "Shhh, I accepted your apology for that so many thousands of years ago." Okena reminds me as she pulls out of the hug to kiss my forehead. She starts to giggle as my last finger holds of the hug vanish, something that is sped up by the zap of magic from her.


    "Where are the other two?" I ask as she gets started brushing her great length of hair without me.


    "The living room with the bar to the kitchen." she explains as she vanishes from view alone. Feeling out for her with my divine powers, I softly smile as I notice all the other people in my old home. Everyone is here, every single one of them and it''s the same all the way out there, across the horizon and beyond.


    Making my way to and arriving at the part of the house in question with Bashmu''s help, I waltz in on something. Whatever it is, the pair stop and look at me and I am restrained from behind by a blonde man. A white-haired shortie raises her fists and weaves in close, ducking and dodging skillfully yet so pointlessly. However, rather than sending my proverbial lunch flying, she merely bumps my tummy with a gentle knock.


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    "Idiot." Kone remarks as Iakb''s grip weakens in line with his ashamed laughter.


    "What was that about?" I ask before Kone smacks me over the head for real.


    "Don''t look at me, it was her idea!" Iakb pleads as he puts some distance between us.


    "Some gentleman you are, taking part in a jumped mugging." I comment at him as he struts away with his dignity unscathed. Turning down to Kone, I am met with her small smile as her eyes glow with wonder.


    "Idiot." she repeats, smirking with a simple curve. Grabbing her by the head, I pull her close to my body before putting a hand on her back. It slips over her bra strap and she thuds my gut, but, I continue. My hand lingers on her bare back, only a shirt away from my palm. No scars, no wounds, she is fine.


    What I had to do that day isn''t there anymore, but, I cannot be sure if this is real.


    "Kone, do you know where Sair is at the moment?" I ask her as I look over at Iakb as he playfully points out his filled-out chest. No longer a cavity I made tearing out that which his soul contained.


    "..." she stares.


    Sighing, I exploit my divine nature to create the perfect slice of cake.


    Kone remains stoic even as I let its freshly baked smell waft into her nose.


    "Tough customer." I say before I move to bite the lovingly and spontaneously created treat. She strikes me in the face hard enough to move my mouth away.


    "Yum." Kone answers with a deep blush after taking her first bite of the taken cake.


    "Use a plate." I chuckle as I use Bashmu this time to get one.


    "Sair is on the balcony reading." Kone finally tells me before she speeds off to eat her treat in isolation.


    "Thank you, Kone." I tell her, making her a few extra slices whilst my mood is high. Leaving her behind after ruffling her hair, I find where Iakb slinked off to and stand a bit away.


    "Seems like I named my newest sword quite well." he smiles out as I raise a brow.


    "New sword?"


    "Your daughter, Clohniq made it as a display of her power." Iakb whispers as Greenstrip comes into the kitchen in sweaty sports clothes. She pays us no mind and all but confirms Okena''s prior claim about it just being her and the other two that recall what I am now.


    "Ah..."


    "It''s a good sword, she made it well." Iakb compliments as he lingers a weak grip near an empty glass.


    "Who made what sword?" Greenstrip questions as her curiosity gets the better of her.


    "Iakb''s got a new legendary sword to his collection!" I expose loudly before running off. My omniscience reminding me of Greenstrip''s envy towards Iakb''s growing lot of treasure.


    "You said the next one would be mine!" she complains before my powers slip me off to the roof. Thudding to the ground, I take a shaky breath as I look out towards the open balcony doors. A soft breeze disturbing the light curtains covering it.


    Cautiously feeling out for Her power, I sense its destructive nature. I shirk back slightly afraid of what I am about to find, but, I persevere. Popping my head out into the semi-clouded but still bright day, the only black I find is on a coster, the only red, Her beautiful hair. She moves slightly and the first thing She does is smile at me.


    Smile.


    I smile back as my eyes start to water. I haven''t seen Her smile for so long and I have just stupidly made Her stop by crying like this. Backing away into the bedroom, I cover my eyes as She comes after me. She holds me close without a word until I am ready to speak.


    "I''m sorry... I... I don''t know what''s come over me." I tell Her as She offers Her sleeve for me to dry my eyes on.


    "Whatever it is, I''m here for you, Kyrvern." Sair tells me without the slightest bit of doubt in Her voice. I smile up at Her and then pull Her down onto the bed suddenly.


    "Hehe!" I go as I hug Her close.


    "Woah, woah, easy there, Ballguy!" Sair laughs back as I roll Her onto Her back, myself above. Grinning just before Her lips, She cups my face with Her soft hands as a blush shades Her cheeks so nicely.


    "What you reading?" I ask as I pull away from Her face, disappointing Her to the point of whacking me with the book She had forgotten to put down.


    "How to Handle an Idiot." She answers as we find ourselves tucked up at the top of the bed, each of us holding the other. Pulling Her in closer, I rest my head on Hers as She gets back to reading. My grip on her pillowy arm tightens as firm determination takes over my face.


    For all of my children and their sake, I will bring Sair back before them as their mother, not a recurring enemy. My family will be whole.

 Peak 3: Nin

    "Huh?" I go.


    Eh?


    "Huh!?" I repeat.


    Eh.


    I pat my chest, I pat my arms, I drum loudly as I look around at the night-covered land. Emerald winds, towering mountains, fourteen moons with one in full dominance over the others. I take in a deep breath and feel how everything is working properly. I smile with a chitter.


    Well, this is certainly something, was eating my perfect food without a care in the world and then... I''m here! A mountainous valley with for-once welcome signs of magic. I''m alive again.


    They, He, someone brought me back to life!


    "Oh... Oh! THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH!" I excitedly screech with every bit of air I can fit into my pair of breathing lungs. I rub an ear and dig into it as insect chitters keep sounding oddly close. Pulling the used hand away, I stare at its three digits and frown. Why do I still have this arm?


    Guess I am stuck with it... How annoying.


    I shrug with a smile and start to walk until a light suddenly flashes on my right. Covering my eyes with my turned arm, I blink as light marks continue to bother me. My skin seems to be quite the holiday spot for these things. Looking on towards where the light came from, I spot a small, blue disc.


    Moving up to it, my nose comes alive as a favourite smell is instantly netted into it. Such a fine, sweet scent and my hand can even feel the warmth it was baked with. I laugh gently and pick up the covered plate. Taking off the blue thing to confirm the treasure with my eyes.


    "Oooooo... Blackberry tart. Thanks, Motrtha!" I let out giddily as I seal it up again, triggering some kind of magic. I thank the Goddess of Mothers again in my head and move on with a joyful skip. Breathing deep chuckles, I slow down before my magic sends me flying. My strides are feeling off for some reason.


    Hearing rocks crunch under my feet, I stop and glance around as if I had raised ears. I calm down slightly and frown at the somewhat fresh destruction all around me. Shattered rock and torn up earth, it''s everywhere around here. I suppose this must''ve been where I was put down when I...


    "This definitely isn''t the place the flower was set up." I comment with some relief as that means they must''ve had an easy time, right? I am far away from where they had set up the flower. I can''t see the lake or the ramp and its attached cliff, I nod quietly with a slight smile.


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    They got me out of there, it wasn''t as bad as I''ve been thinking it to be.


    More chitters come out close to me and I protectively clasp my covered tart. Backing away towards the safety and shadow of the closest mountain. The way it''s broken, I can only imagine that Vapooliar is responsible. Yeah, this is definitely something shattered from the other side.


    I hide behind one of the larger bits of stricken-off mountain and clutch the stone. Peeking every now and then, the insect noises seem to stop as my mouth lingers open. Looking back up at the mountain, I turn to the moon and smack my head. Come on, think, is this the full moon that was out about the time we were preparing to leave the flower?


    Either way, find the flower, maybe the damage kept it stationary or the aelenvari were staying longer there anyway. Get back to them, ask which way Vapooliar and that headed off to, and, maybe, I can catch up with them. City... That city and the school, Thr- Thirstaten?


    "Well, shit. Eh, had bigger problems." I moan before I laugh as my death suddenly feels so light on my heart and mind. I literally walked out of being dead because I did a good deed. I heartily laugh some more and grip my oddly loose mouth. Gently squeezing it, I get back to walking.


    Got a lot of that to do, now that I think about it, but, at least I am not carrying all the bags. I will need to see if I can get something from the aelenvari, though, all I have is this tart. Magically sealed and preserved as it might be. Something as nice as this will only last so long with such shaky discipline.


    I smirk as I think about what can happen now, home. I can finally get back to going on my way home. I''ve got another chance at it, another chance to finally get back there. I slow down and frown.


    "But, home''s a bit shit." I mutter ponderously as I bounce the tart up and down. Hm, have plenty of time to think about it, who knows. Letting the joy come back to me, I start to tap out a little dance and head on over to the glint I spot in the distance. Smiling more at the reflective liquid, I head on over, intent on treating it like I am a child on a rainy day.


    Jump in the puddle, jump in the puddle, jump in the puddle and make it go splash!


    "Hehe, come on..." I start to cheer before I slow down, spotting the shadow in the water. Turning around with blatant paranoia, I steady my breathing. Gulping carefully, the chitters come back and I step back towards the puddle. I go down to look closer at it once I arrive at its deceptively close edge.


    A dropped dish fills my ears and I slowly raise my right hand, my turned hand. Bringing up my left hand as well, my eyes ignore Motrtha''s gifted bracelet and I flex all six of my digits. Testing the motion in each one, I focus and get them to move out of synch, unlike the other. I clench both hands into fists and look down towards myself as the moonlight seems to brighten.


    Dark carapace, all of me is...


    A burst of twisted laughter escapes me and I cackle as I stand up. My double knee joints offer quite the spring to my steps...! I stop laughing and clench my strange jaw tight, curling my arms up as my fists do the same. I can feel the blood fill out my eyes and heat up so quickly.


    I roar and howl.

 Base 4: Ivy-Mother Roselhia

    "How are you feeling, Ivy-Mother?" asks one of my Petal caretakers, their true-voice lighting up my candle-lacking bulb. They''ve tried their best to find me a substitute one while mine is being repaired. But, I wish she wouldn''t call me that. I swore off that title and role, ever since the Petal of our flower was damaged when...


    When my love... He...


    "Ivy-Mother!?" the Petal brightly goes as tears silently run down my face. Shaking my head and biting down on my lip, I retreat under the covers of my bed. It traps the scent of my bitter despair and exposes me to my battered body and its odour. The warmth of this comfortable cavern and my emotions do a lot to heat me up.


    Tubes strike the marble ground and I sigh as I come to terms with my solitude. I can only guess she left to find me something that would make me feel better. Maybe she thinks I am in pain and need something to kill and dampen the suffering. However, she will never find any such item, no story or even sensation can make me feel better.


    All I want, the only things I want is my love. My precious Nin. The man who proved himself so thoroughly by defeating that which never returned my affections. He is gone. My love is gone and only the God of Death shall ever feel his touch now and I am no priestess of Undwote.


    An Ivy-Mother owes herself only to three of the divine, and I''m not even that anymore. Motrtha, Aahtha and Pluuit, Motherhood, Pleasure and Plants. Any means for me to find any happiness is gone. I will not honour the goddesses with my love-making and the seed that comes of it, nor the god by planting my beloved child so I can watch him spring.


    I want one so badly and I deserve it so uncondi-


    A roar echoes across the flower, catching on the turbulent wind. My eyes linger on the fluttering entrance to the bulb. My ears chase the dying sound and bounce back the way it came. The source is either very powerful or immediately close...


    "Ah... Ah! Ah... A-Ah..." I let out as I get up and secure my bare points on the ground. Be it either the pain or the time I have spent resting, the act of walking is trying. This really is my first time getting up since... Since then. I do not even know why I am getting up.


    Maybe in the silent recesses of my head, there are whispers telling me the simple truth. If I wish to be with my love again, I must let this beast kill me. Our vibrantly enlightened souls would entwine where no unjust evil could take us apart. Love stronger than the thickest of forest-choking vines would make us eternal.


    Or, perhaps, in my misery, I want to see something squirm in pain. The reassurance that others in this mortal world suffer as much as I am right now. To watch as thorns tear it apart, to get that sadistic glee of knowing something shares my situation! Never again being able to see their precious lover...


    Taking a blanket with me and wrapping up my naked self, I poke my head out of the bulb''s entrance. Grip tightening ever more on the sturdy wooden poles as a bundle of thorns glow remarks between each other. A powerful creature has suddenly appeared in the sight of our wild-seers. They''re glowing that it almost popped into existence.


    From Nothing, Creation.


    However, there is one detail in particular that is capturing my heart and my mind. It all is happening in the same place the Valkinvar killed the corrupted form of my precious love. Empty of thoughts and able to recklessly harbour the pain, I slip out and run. A quilt trailing behind my displayed beauty as a dress might.


    The pain is catching up to me, however. With choking wheezes born from aggravated injuries, I slip into the remaining forest. Our flower is immobile while the repairs are happening, and it will not move while I am gone. If this is worth looking into, truly, I will have a home waiting for me.


    Each stab into the ground, though, it hurts so much and I''ve barely moved away from the flower. Were it not for my standards, I would be retreating to the disgusting safety of the Stem or even the Roots! The occupants of these places barely have the right to see me when I am properly dressed. Let alone one hooking branch away from true nakedness.


    If anything, it only fuels my drive to carry on and, like a man of old, I bite back the pain. I cross the night-shadowed lands and reach the lake. My body clings its way around, circumventing the looming corpse of the peak-broken mountain. Each time my bare points settle into the earth, the roars get louder.


    Whatever is desecrating the grave and sacred earth of my precious love... It''s unacceptable- Unacceptable. I will tear it apart myself!


    All I can think about is that, tearing it apart with every breath of magic in my body. The strength the petals have been using to heal me, I shall turn into a means to destroy. This pain I feel, I will distil it so very finely into the beast. A blood-red wine so fine.


    "Gods and goddesses, please lend me strength." I pray with the voice I spoke to my precious love with. Carrying on through the edges of the grounds my loved proved himself in, I grow flustered. Here he displayed himself to be the best lover I could ever want and have. My best chance at having a beautiful baby boy.


    A dark form crashes into the dirt. Snapping around to face the middle of the grounds, my back presses up against the stone of the mountain. My eyes shake and my true-voice dims to not even a speck as the moonlit creature rises fully. The height of nearly two full-grown men!


    The songs of safety break through into view and many forms leap forward to try and catch it. Likely even kill it. Their weapons whip and tear up the ground in elaborate displays of skill. Yet, not one goes in for the life-ending blow.


    The first one makes their move, highlighted by hands rich with forming spells.


    "KILL ME! WHY WON''T YOU KILL ME!?" the creature roars out again and again with each failed attack. Bladed saw chains wrap and come undone around its limbs, not a speck of blood covering their silver teeth. Magic, the colour of the Plant God''s fruits and labour, rips no chunks from the suicidal creature''s body. More and more, the creature throws itself at their attacks, breaking and dissipating them through sheer will and force.


    The thorns back away, disarmed through no fault of their own. Some yelp in surprise as it starts to rip their armour off, only to smash it to a blunted, folded pile upon its head. It''s so desperate to die it keeps forcing itself onto the broken chains. The creature throws itself onto the broken teeth of the chains. Rolling around with none of the imagery one might expect from someone like I would conjure in glass.


    Yet, the more this creature speaks, the more I find myself unable to shake a strange feeling away. Though I can clearly make out the characteristics of the hated Osibindah race. The magic aura that fills it out, it''s so very clearly human. Of the race born of spilt divine ichor and the clay it soaked. Bright and warm with the Orbital-Halo''s light, as fresh as that which departs the All-Coast Sea. This is no osibindah. The sickly, unwelcoming brown is nowhere to be seen. There is only prehnite''s glitter.


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    Never mind the subtler aspects of a creature''s individual magical aura. How the internal-magic reserves paint the muscles, how the external-magic flow places them in this world. I''ve seen it before. And, as the creature wildly charges for the remains of one of the great weights, I find myself blind no more.


    As it lifts the tower of iron and oak, I see how it is indistinguishable!


    Running with all I have, I move closer to the platform where he is trying to bury himself. The one I sneered at him with scorn and contempt. Where I prayed for his fall and the victory of the Gilded-Bark. I rush past the thorns and slip by their abrupt notice.


    The creature, no... My... He notices me and charges, the weight still falling. Taking me tightly into his arms and leaping us into the sky with ground-breaking force. The wind howls at our trespass and we bounce along the ground into the Petals of the flower. With a quivering set of lips, I return his grip, although he is trying to draw out our flower''s strongest with each roar.


    "KILL ME!" my love roars for once again as the Gilded-Bark jumps out into the open, spear in hand. Suddenly, my love spins me around, locking my neck into his bulging bicep. Almost choking on the armour muscle, I drift my hands up. I need to...


    "Rose''lhia!" the Gilded-Bark manages to flashbang out as his spear nears the perfect throwing angle. Our leader wants me to know that I am safe, but that is not what needs to be done. The one who needs to know everything is ok is right here. Holding me with the release of death being all he can think about.


    I need to hurry; I need to find the strength, otherwise the Gilded-Bark will plant his weapon, blade first. A thin tree with sap the colour of loved blood. I cannot let it happen. Thankfully, despite my wishes for the opposite, the flower still sees me as Ivy-Mother.


    No one out of all who are gathering with weapon and magic will strike. It''s trying to leave its body open for attack, but, with me here, they will not. To so much as hurt an ivy-mother is to be damned in life and excommunicated from all our beloved traditions and practises. Magical and religious. More importantly, birth.


    "You are her... You are her... Good." the creature whimpers as its grip loosens into erratic trembles. My heart skips a beat and I hide my smile against his shell. He was looking for me? My precious love has returned and was looking for me!?


    My true-voice lights up and I shutter it for the sake of words, "You... You know who I am?"


    What sounds like tears escape it, and its grip ends completely. Before the first arrow can fly, I spin and latch onto the tearful being. He hugs me back as tight as I can with him. A gasp escapes me as my words fail to form.


    "I''m sorry Rose-sweerui... I''m sorry for nearly killing you... I''M SORRY!" Nin lets out as his actions turn tender and gentle. Enough so that thorns can slip in and remove me from his grip. My injuries keeping me in place, I am forced to oblige while others wrap my love''s limbs in their bladed chains.


    Those holding me place me against the Gilded-Bark and their lead steps up, "Orders?"


    "Take my spear and kill it!" the Gilded-Bark hisses, his weapon becoming a great honour for the ranked individual. She eagerly takes the weapon and almost carries it out as my love whimpers between dire thoughts. He wants to die yet sought me out. He sought me out over dying!


    Moving out of our aware leader''s grip, I present my true-voice for all to see, "DO NOT TOUCH HIM! RESTRAIN HIM IN A BUSH, BUT YOU WILL NOT DRAW HIS BLOOD!"


    Half-way through forcing my way to block the spear-holder, the Gilded-Bark steps forward, strong and bulky arm up and high, "Ivy-Mother, that''s an osibindah! We must kill it!"


    I freeze up a little at that fact, though it is my love. That is the truth now. He has become an osibindah. Not one like all the others, but one nonetheless. Regardless of the challenge the gods and goddesses have presented me with, however, I still love him.


    I still honour Motrtha''s calling!


    "So you say, but name one that acts this way? What osibindah speaks to me with familiarity and knows our culture enough to refer to me as his Sweerui?" I try to argue and the Gilded-Barks scoffs with the throw of his hands.


    "It doesn''t matter how it acts, it''s an osibindah!" he argues back, an arm out and lurching back.


    "And I won''t let you kill him! Not until I have had the opportunity to speak with it!" I flash towards him with blinding spectacle. He looks away with narrowed eyelids and brings his gaze back. A sneer on his malformed lips.


    "From him to an it...? Fine, take it away!" he relents with a tired huff as he returns to his throne. His impromptu spear-carrier chasing after him so she can stow away the sacred weapon.


    Lingering where I am as they take the osibindah away, I flinch in pain. Clutching my bruised side, I smack my lips at the copper taste in my mouth. The eyes of the Gilded-Bark and I meet. He shakes his head.


    "Take that quilt back to your bed and rest. You''re not done healing!" he orders, and I brush it off to follow the visibly awkward thorns. However, while I am unwilling to listen, he has a true and poignant point. One that speaks to me through hisses and grit teeth.


    "Find me something to lie on." I glow to one of the uncertain-eyed thorns as the osibindah is put into its barbed bush. My attention remains on this creature of such peculiar familiarity. It only briefly turns away so I can kneel before its new confines and I set myself up cautiously, but close. Not for fear of this creature''s claws, but the steel spikes so intricately moulded into a single metallic form.


    For all the things this osibindah has, one detail remains distinctly the opposite: its eyes. His eyes. They''re still what I remember Nin to have. Not powerful enough to glow with magic, but, like all soil, the potential is there for plains of grass and even forest.


    "What is your name?" I ask it, speaking in words so he can properly understand me.


    He initially doesn''t answer, it only shakes with a chittering whimper that grows hotter, "You already know my name!"


    Its head slams against the bars, snapping the spikes and bending the already worming metal out. I almost jump back at the effortless shattering, but I manage to keep my composure. I do not intend for my silence to offend. But with each lack of spectacle that is my sultry tongue, he snarls.


    "NIN! MY NAME IS NIN!" he roars against me, opening his vile jaw to unveil what has been lost and what is gained. My suspicions finally settled, I reach out for my distraught love and place my hand on him. I brush what metal lingers on his invulnerable shell and tenderly guide my nails into the gaps in it. What sounds like a purr escapes him involuntarily and he moves back with something universal.


    Embarrassment.


    I smile deeply at my precious love and bid for him to return to my hand. Something he does with the eagerness of a haunted child and its caring mother. Were it not for the pain it would cause, I would giggle so sweetly at the thought. I would let myself be enthralled by the idea of doing this with our future child. So freshly sprouted from the nutrient-rich earth.


    I lean in, scooting closer as tears build alongside my growing sense of excitement, "Can... Can you tell me my name again?"


    I can barely believe it, my precious love is back, and he''s right here!


    "Rose... You''re Rose''Ihia! M-My Rose-sweerui... You are the one who mainly looked after me after I escaped that hive... You ran out and kissed me during that tournament... I tried to..." he lets out, almost sobbing as if he needs to justify to me why he is alive and real. Smiling, I use my magic to break the lock, much to the thorns'' surprise. My love comes out and holds me close and I return the affection.


    My love... My love is alive! All the gods and goddesses in the heavens and still wandering the Last Garden. He''s alive, he is back.


    They only have my gratitude, they need only but ask and I will give it. Anything at all! My tears wet the dark armour of my precious love. He may not have the soft tenderness of skin, fat, and muscle. But this is him... It is him.


    "I cannot even begin to describe how happy I am...!" I can barely get out as I lean away to wipe away the tears streaming down my face. Despite my previous reservations, gentle laughs leave my lips as my tongue wets them and I flex their plumpness. Yet, I cannot find it within me to move in and kiss him.


    It worries me, knowing that I am unwilling to move in and show my love but-


    "Ivy-Mother!" blinks a thorn as I become aware of how many are arriving. Perhaps because of the sound of shattered lock steel? Shaking my head, I put my focus on them while my body maintains the hug. Nin is so large compared to me now, it''s almost like how I would try to make the Gilded-Bark hold me in a time gone.


    "Stand down, I am fine!" I flash to a thorn while stroking Nin''s head. Slowly, I move him closer to my bosom to show the control I have over this situation. Though, I guess, one thing I am hoping for is that his love for me will extend into this bristling magic aura he is surrounding me with. A subconscious effect to make this power heal me faster.


    Thankfully, to have my precious love in my arms once more, it makes it so easy to ignore the pain.

 V4 Incline 1: Roselhia

    "Stepping down as Ivy-Mother... What has got into you, Rose''Ihia!?" the Gilded-Bark tries to flash in a fit of uproarious confusion. Keeping quiet and blacked-out for the moment, I carry on packing my things. Clothes, tools, memorabilia that I can get away with taking. All items fit for a petal of my supreme, full-name status.


    But, the feeling at the back of my mind continues to nag me, "I told you before that I am stepping down."


    "And we agreed it would be when we returned to the Garden-Mont!" he reminds me and I spin to face him, my tubes tapping sharply on the fixed marble. The repairs to our flower were finished a few days ago. Well, the Petal''s platform, anyway. Rather, the platform to his flower was finished shortly before today. I''m now leaving its comfort to live a life with a lover of another species.


    I am to become the very kind of aelenvari I''ve scorned for some time. So many foul words and flaring displays of my true-voice. And now, I am on the receiving end of it all. Gods and goddesses help me forget all about my life as an ivy-mother, I suppose.


    While I cannot truly say I understand the position of those who live among the humans and more. I am wiser to their thoughts now that I am to become one of them. To have a love who could provide you with a son more so than any males of the home flower. Much as I do not want to give credit to the idea, we should spread ourselves out for other species. Past evil does not mutate them.


    Besides, it''s such a thrilling and interesting experience!


    "I don''t understand, Rose''lhia. I''ve known you for some time. You are giving up all the luxury, love, and respect that comes with being who you have been. Ivy-Mother! It''s a role you''ve chased since we were little. You understood the destiny that came with your name from such a young age... And now, you are throwing it aside to live with an abomination so abominable it found no home in the putrid mess it crawled from!" Oak''endoor rants with almost clawing motions.


    "Do not speak about my love in such a way, Oak." I sneer, rubbing my departure in by referring to him as what he is without the title. I won''t even emulate the respect of the wind-people. This is all he is to me right now. Son of the Oak.


    "Your love? It''s an osibindah! There''s not a shred of proof it''s a human in any capacity. The one we once called Champion is gone. Only his feats remain in our memory," he insists, his finger stoking the fires burning away under my blood.


    "Of course there is. Open your eyes! That is the light of a human you see. Not an osibindah... And even then. You know firsthand what osibindah do to vulnerable women they can get their hands on. If my love were anything like one of those creatures, he''d have kidnapped me at the first chance. My gifts to the world would become a curse and I''d be melded to what these disgusting creatures call ''queens.'' He has done nothing that defines the osibindah and has been entirely cooperative with even the lowliest of thorns!"


    "And what about your duties!? The gods will not forgive this!" he dares to guilt trip me over.


    "Then you are nothing more than an idiot of the foulest kind, Oak. Can you not see that this is the gods and goddesses rewarding me for my piety? Bringing back someone, one so tightly involved with my loving heart. There is no other explanation!"


    "Listen to yourself, you''ve gone mad! We have no idea in the slightest as to how to explain this!" he growls, his body seemingly growing before me. Despite my wounds, I stand firm and let the strength of a woman''s body keep him at bay. The divine may swell their muscles more, but women were the first spell casters for a reason. Witches, we are the reason all magicians are known by that name!


    Spearing around, I snatch up the artefact I took off of my love earlier, "Then explain this!"


    "Jewellery bearing Motrtha''s symbology. A bracelet made in the Goddess of Mothers image, from -your- collection proves nothing." he lies.


    "Except!... It isn''t from the collection belonging to the ivy-mother. Nor is it a piece I have ever personally owned!" I point out, twisting the holy pearls about to show off the lack of my name. With a name as pure and full as mine, to mark my property with it is only natural. If this is mine, where is my name? Where is the engraving saying ''Rose''lhia,'' where!?


    Smug confidence settles into my expression, and he steps back slightly. His face twitches and he thinks about what he has been told. I won''t bother explaining other details. He knows full well my jewellery collection honours Aahtha, mostly. He doesn''t know the reasons why, but they do not matter any more. My precious love is not him.


    "This isn''t adding up." is all Oak manages to get out and while I won''t say it, I understand his annoyance. There is so little we know about how my love is back. However, I do not intend to let such a miracle go to waste. The gods and goddesses have returned him to my arms for a reason beyond any of our understandings.


    Sighing and letting some of my frustrations out, I turn to him with neutral posture, "If you want more proof. Go to your thorns, ask them about that mysterious object we found at the site of my love''s revival. The wild-seers are in tears at the sight of it. Joyful tears, I add. That object is holy, holier than anything we''ve encountered before."


    "I''ve felt it, held it. It has the texture of a porcelain plate!" Oak barks with the swift click of one hand''s fingers. Almost like he''s trying to burn off the memory of such a ''mundane'' object. I start to shake my head.


    "No... I''m done wasting my time here. Leave me be. Do not worry, I have already returned all that belongs to the ivy-mother personally for whoever will take up my old mantle. You will not have to fear me taking it for the sake of clinging onto memories." I tell him, my hand grasping the staff I had collected earlier. My magic flows through the conduit and it finishes packing my supplies, then it carries them. I move past Oak''endoor with a huff and knock the staff against his arm.


    I watch his narrowing eyes for not a moment longer than I have to. Making my way across the width of the flower, I go to my precious love. No need for my memory to find him, his power is so grand that I am but a moth to its flame. I hope he is done finding what he said he wanted to find. That conversation has left me sick of my former home.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Nin''s former reaction to having just the limb of an osibindah is enlightening, to say the least...


    Arriving into the bulb, I frown at what was entirely to be expected. He turns to me, shuffling nervously under the watch of the thorns armed with as much as they can carry. Gilded-Bark''s word, my love is to be nowhere without a means to kill him present. If my eyes go away for too long, they will try.


    "Are we leaving now...? I don''t want to spend any more time than I need to here." my love tells me despite what he proved the night we reunited. He has nothing to fear and has already defeated death once yet...


    Approaching him, I cup his chittering jaw and smile, "We will be soon, do not worry."


    Slipping his bracelet back on, my heart shudders and melts. I don''t know how to describe it, he just seems so much more beautiful with it on. A strong, reliable handsomeness that I can only feel. The lack of anything from the thorns, though, grounds my reaction to a simple blush.


    "Come, let''s finish getting you dressed." I tell him and I let my staff end the grip I have on my stuff. Giving my love my full focus, I dismiss the thorns out of my presence with what remains of my authority. Even a former ivy-mother holds sway, thankfully. It becomes far easier to move my love as the bulb empties.


    "Nothing here fits me, I''ve already tried. What''s the point...?" he sighs, his noises warping to the sounds of his insectish chitters. His frustrations display themselves and he throws many of the used piles about. As he stands up straight to heave the energy out through his breathing, I note his size. Before he died, he was not much taller, but now, he might as well be a giant.


    "I assumed you would be thinking more along the lines of what we did before." I comment, finding a box full of bandages. I had some brought here before he died in the event he wanted cleaner ones before... My head shakes the memory away. There''s no need to remember it now. He is back and I can hold him once again.


    Moving my mind away from it, I take up the lengthy black cloak this storage bulb has in stock. We can wrap his body in one layer and then cover it in another one. We will hide his form, though his magic won''t be. Not that I mind, I love being so close to such... Powerful flesh.


    It makes me feel hot.


    Squirming the sensation away, he takes the items into his hands, "Just like before, then...?"


    "Would you like me to help?" I ask, offering my slimmer fingers to the solemn man as he flexes his six digits. His face contorts at what must be a heated memory.


    "You''re going to need to... Even one hand... Claw... Was difficult enough." my love grumbles as he makes a point of overshadowing my delicate digits with his armoured, bulky ones. Even putting my fingers together in pairs is not enough. They''re that thick.


    I do not mind, however, this is what lovers are meant to do for one another. We complement each other, make the other stronger. Through thick or thin, grand or miniscule. Besides, a chance to slip a fleeting touch on the cracks to his muscles...


    Between the shel-


    Huffing the lustful amusement away, I get to work. Rolling the bandages around his limbs and torso, I cover up each speck of carapace while keeping it loose enough for movement. He flexes his arms and forces some bandages around, and I top the spots off. Yet, as I reach his head, I become baffled as to how I might handle it.


    The cloak has a collar, but the bandages won''t fit around without... What a conundrum. Tutting, I look back and spot a display for some masks. Perhaps?


    "Hold on, my love. We might have something, I am sure we do." I begin to mutter and I go deeper into the storage bulb until I find something elongated. Finding what I need, I return to present a long, elongated mask with a beak-like shape. Rather oddly as well, I swear I saw it sparkle.


    If I remember correctly, this mask was carved from a mysterious beast''s tusk. Precious ivory we never found a use for, but we traded for it when we last came into contact with a wind-people flower. I suppose it''s divine providence we never found a use for this natural beauty. But, now I have a use for it.


    "Mar Cro''s..." my love lets out and I blink at the slip in his voice. It changes to something I am unfamiliar with. It is the tongue of his people? His actual people?


    Moving around to his back, I help him slip the straps around his head. Unsure at first, I find what appears to be a good natural hook in his shell. The lack of complaints from him makes me leave it as is. And, refreshing my memory, I return to his front with a slight pose to accent my beauty.


    "What was that you said?" I ask, flicking my tail with a whip''s speed near his closest finger.


    "The man who founded my old home city of Tobaballe, he wore a mask like this." Nin explains, his voice muffled slightly by the mask. Rather amusingly, unlike before, the mask is creating an artificial means for him to have an exotic accent. The ivory is thick enough to keep the chitters hidden from my ears and it adds to his voice.


    "Are you going to take me there?" I ask, resting my front on some nearby silks while my rear sways. Oh, to make love in the splendours of his homeland. Tobaballe, what a wondrous place it must be to have a son like Nin come from it. What a son we could have within its walls.


    "No... No... I can''t go back, not like this," Nin is quick to put a halt to, "I am going to head to the place I talked to Vapooliar about... Suh..."


    "Suhurlodst?" I ask, interrupting his clueless tongue to get our conversation moving.


    "Yeah, some school or something... Maybe they have a means to get me back to normal. Vapooliar spoke a lot about how impressive this place is." Nin tells me, the optimism affecting his new habits as well as his old. Nodding in understanding, I slip in close to help him one more time. I make a point of using my aid with his cloak as a means to hug him. To press my honey-filled chest up against his strong, magic-rich back.


    He need only desire it and I will give him all my passion...


    My precious love starts to move away, his legs taking him to the nearest mirror in a few steps. He seems to like how he finds his appearance to be now. Or not, his twists before the glass come to an abrupt end. He starts to dig through the clothes, throwing them about without a care while one hand rubs his scalp.


    "Do you need any help?" I ask, otherwise content to watch the amusing sight.


    "Hat... I need a..." he mutters and the gods and goddesses grant him his desire. A wide-brimmed one that matches clashes not one bit with his already black and white scheme. A tight enough fit as well to not slip away easily. Only when he tries more than simple shakes does it finally fall.


    A small smile comes to my face and for a moment, a flash of pride overtakes his emotions. His mind, however, is quick to remind him of why he feels the need to be like this. It slumps his shoulders and drains the joy from his breath. I sigh quietly and cross my arms, my body resting on a tower of cushions.


    I only wish I can do more to help my precious love.


    "Are you ready to go now? If we are going to Suhurlodst. Then I can go and get us a map as well?" I ask and offer as, while I am familiar with the esteemed locale, the path is not something that is.


    "What happened to my plate? Did one of your thorns take it?" he asks and I move back slightly at the confirmation. I shake my last conversation with Oak out of my head.


    "The thorns retrieved it, yes. Nothing has happened to it, I can assure you of that much." I tell him, and he shakes with excitement. He dashes towards me- and catches my falling body. Laughing the fright out of my system, he pulls me back up. I guess I have to get used to his larger size... His osibindah form...


    He catches onto my expression-!


    "I''m sorry, Nin... I didn''t mean to..." I say, going up to him as he backs away with a timid display. I stop him and he lets me take both of his hands into mine. I need to work on this, I do. My heart loves him unconditionally, but parts of my mind and most certainly my body need to learn. Much as I abhor Oak right now, he is right. This is an osibindah before me.


    "Can we go and get it?" Nin asks, taking our minds off of the reaction. Nodding, I pick my staff back up and put my magic into an aura around my stuff.


    I smile and take his hand into my free one, "Come on then, let me take you to it and we can be on our way, my love!"

 V4 Incline 2: Roselhia

    "Do you need any help, Rose-sweerui?" my love asks me as I start up with my latest bout of exhaustive panting. I''m not doing a particularly good job of hiding my pain, either. With this failing aura of magic around my baggage, my answer is already set. The forest-inspired glow dissipates, and he steps forward to grab it with but an arm.


    He slings the light effort over his shoulder, and I can''t help it, my eyes grow.


    "What even is in here, anyway?" he asks as his grip adjusts to the sound of moving, personal treasures. Yet, I can''t get my head off of how easy he makes it look. I could barely lift it higher than my head with magic. And here he is, doing it all with only his body. I shouldn''t be surprised at all and still, it makes me giddy.


    Shaking the sensation away, my mind lets loose the easy answer, "A couple dozen single-piece outfits, twice that in multi-piece outfits, perfumes, jewellery, cosmetics, personally important items, paintings-"


    "Stop." he says quite firmly.


    "-point caps, tubes..." I finish saying, my exhaustive list barely even scratched.


    "Why and how exactly do you need all of this?" he asks, his bafflement quite clear even with his face hidden. The echo and mask bounce his words now have will take a moment to get used to. But, I can understand him fine.


    Though, regardless, his confusion is infectious, "What do you mean? Why wouldn''t I need any of these? I am still a petal even if I no longer live in a flower! Appearances and presentation matter!"


    An annoyed pout wobbles its way into my lips. I thought he would understand my situation, having been exposed to the life of the aelenvari. Though, I guess, knowing how little about the world my love knows... Such information will not stick clearly to his mind. Something to work on.


    "You- We do not even have the means to look after any of this. Besides! We are out in the middle of an empty valley. How in the name of all the gods do you need paintings...?"


    "Conversation starters." I shrug out innocently. He expresses his rolling eyes quite thoroughly.


    "And the outfit excessiveness?" he asks, the immense bag jostling with a weighty dangle.


    "Excessive? There is enough in there to last me until we get to Suhurlodst. Besides, having variety is important for pleasing you, my love. It would get quite boring seeing me in the same set of lacy red after all. Even if roses fit me well." I answer, giggling towards the end as my mind comes to life with all kinds of fantasies. Me and him, his human hands gripping my bottom. A sneaky squeeze bringing out a blush and moan...


    Human...?


    "Rose-sweerui..." he says again, sending a distracting, pleasurable shiver up my spine. My tail swishes about happily. I love hearing my precious love say my name like that. I love it so much!


    My heart jabs at my mind for the covered up thought, quenching my joy to the breaking point.


    "As long as you continue to look like an impressive piece of art. You will be fine in my now goggled eyes," he lets out and my cheeks flush a deeper red than my hair. He sees my beauty as being on par with fine art? Perhaps even the kind that ornate the grandest of temples to Love and Pleasure.


    I barely have time to think about his seductive words before he gets moving again. And although I can see him, a flash of fear goes across my mind. I cannot afford to lose him again! I know he''s just a simple distance away, but...


    Staying by his side for as long as I am able to is what will make me happy beyond compare. I owe my precious love so much even before he gives me the payment I am due for our relationship. If he is to give me children to nurse big and strong, for boys to spoil. I need to be there for him!


    Despite the pain, I make it to his side and wrap myself around his arm. Quiet settles in and I grow bored with it quickly. I''ve spent enough time in a world without his voice, his words. Hearing him, oh, how I yearn for it so desperately, but to have a topic worth talking about...


    "So... Uh, I understand if you don''t want to talk about it, my love, but what caused that scar across your chest? I noticed it back when I was dressing you, but I didn''t want to press the topic." I ask, my hand slipping across his bandage-exposed chest. Even through the layers, I can feel the inward curve. Long and downwards, from one shoulder to above the opposite side''s hip. A place where his steel-impervious shell has been broken.


    "I don''t know what caused it, frankly I did not even notice it myself..." he answers with stinging bitterness. Whatever caused it, he- we know it is related to him becoming an osibindah. Perhaps the Valkinvar is why? Strange as it sounds, such a powerful servant of the god, Waionr, seems like an easy way to explain it.


    But, I can tell he wants to move away from such a topic.


    "Ok... What about the gods? What were they like?" I ask and we wobble to a halt like a freshly shot arrow. I stare back at him, a smile growing as his no doubt loving eyes meet mine.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    "How... How did you know I met them...?" he asks, all but confirming what I felt was already sort of obvious. To come back to life after death, it''s such an impossible thing. Never done before. Of all the great people lost throughout time''s course, only he has come back. People we know are deserving of their return, yet do not. My love is the one who took the title.


    I know, I just know he''s destined for greatness and I will bear him a son as a result!


    "I didn''t know...!" I giggle out, tightening my grip on his body as a mixture of thoughts wash the sense from me. To think a woman of my age and physical maturity is bouncing up and down like a child right now. Still, to think the divine beings I have served so loyally now know my precious love. All that misguided suffering with trying to get Oak''endoor''s attention and I end up with the luckiest life in all of history!


    I am the single most happy and lucky aelenvari in all of the Last Garden!


    "Wait... Ah, shit. Gave it away myself, huh?" he huffs out, and he starts to mind the skies.


    "The Orbital-Halo is still up." I say, giving my thoughts on the matter, but he still shakes his head.


    "Well, it was something. I''ll tell you that much for the moment... Maybe soon, actually, it''s getting quite dark." he tells me as a stray cloud blocks the few stray beams of orange. The sky is clear, but the land is cooling down in its freedom away from the home of the divine.


    My love leaves my grip and starts to look around our immediate area.


    He twists back around, bag arm stretched out, "Of all the things you packed, are any of them shelter related?"


    I shake my head, lying with my body alone while a smirk crests my lips, "For now, I want to only worry about spending the night with you, my love. I want to be warmed only by your arms, if only for this night."


    Maybe this will make him happy, maybe, just maybe. If I can put us through situations where I show him how much I do truly love him... Maybe he will be able to accept the conditions of his life as they are now. The gods and goddesses have a grand plan for us and I can''t have my love be moody throughout it.


    My love''s cloak does a lot to hide his shrug, but putting my bag down need not apply, "Going to need a fire either way... Do you know how to make one?"


    Any sign of a smile goes away and I move my head about to the silent song of confusion. We just need to... I''ve tended to fires before, haven''t I? Yes, I put sacred incense and powders into already lit ones...


    Or I get given an already fire-kissed device to light something greater...


    I shrug.


    "No, I am afraid I do not. But, it can''t be too hard, right? Fire is one of the most common parts of any place where magic-capable species live! It''s a defining trait of civilisation in general, really." I go, dismissing the idea something so simple could possibly be hard.


    "Did you pack anything that we can use to start a fire?" he asks, and I freeze up again. I gulp as my skin turns cold from embarrassment. To be heated so much by it until now and to be met with its hideous other side...


    "No, I assumed you''d know how to make one." I answer quietly, looking away.


    My love pulls out the artefact, "Guess we will have to eat this then. As, well. I am now getting the feeling any food you packed would need cooking."


    "Nope, all ready to eat snacks!" I forcibly chirp.


    "No actual meals then?" he asks, his voice blank.


    "No, I was assuming you''d hunt us some as we have quite a long time to go until we reach our destination and..." I do my best not to mutter and I put some steps between us. His subtle, twitching anger. I can feel it even now.


    "And I don''t know how to make a fire so I would not be able to cook it... Pfft, me hunting," he grumbles, his head shaking without end as he takes my stuff to the edge of the valley. Our bed and pillow quickly materialise. Following after him, I carefully slip close and wrap myself in the confines of his cloak. We will ignore that conversation just now. Food and uncomfortable rocks beneath us. Yeah, think about that.


    Only that. Nothing more, nothing less. No thoughts of such recent words... I don''t even want to let my true-voice glow. He knows it is a way for me to speak.


    "So... What is it, my love?" I ask, focusing on the white-bottomed, blue-topped relic. Such divine power fills the material of what sounds so mundane.


    "It is a blackberry tart, Motrtha made it for me," he goes, his body shaking with a slight bounce. His chittering is so clear even with the mask on and it only becomes clearer as he takes it off. The first time I have ever heard an osibindah make excited noises, let alone considered. The mask and the hat fall behind him and roll away into a catching hand.


    A goddess''s cooking... My love has enjoyed the holy splendour of a goddess''s skill in a kitchen!? I... I have my work set out for me when it comes to pleasing my love, I guess.


    The lid to the dish, of which no one back in the flower was able to budge, slides off. Steam slips out and the heat of a freshly baked pastry catches on my cheeks as the smell bloats my nostrils. Whatever lives in my mouth is drowning. I...


    I cannot beat this.


    As a human-eyed being, Nin only sees the desert. But, as an aelenvari, with eyes so vastly different, I... I cannot compete. The magic within this sweetly baked delight is impossible. It should hurt to be this close to such food!


    There''s so much magic, so much in this ''blackberry tart,'' this so beyond simple pudding. These lands might not be the grandest city or the source of our magic, but it''s by no means light. This dish is so rich it''s disrupting the air of the land. Nature itself is bowing in submission.


    "Is this even safe to eat...?" I ask, looking away in worry as something this pure should be blinding. I can look safely but my body is begging me to run, to hide and fear its awesome might.


    "Oh-ho-ho-ho! Very much so!" he answers with a quick, eager laugh. I watch with growing fear as his jaws part to bite into hot pastry... Closer, so close... He bites into it and moans. His mouth opens, and a word comes out so incoherently.


    "My lo-"


    "THANK YOU, MOTRTHA!" he shouts with every bit of happiness sweetening his life. His jaws clamp down again and he ravenously wolfs down yet another bit. He licks his fingers clean, and he passes me a slice. It rests in my palms for a short, uncomfortable moment. I take the slightest of nibbles as mental prayers beg for my survival.


    I move the slice of tart away and stare at it...


    It''s good, very tasty. Perfect even. Rich in flavour, and I already feel stronger for it. The very definition of good food.


    My eyes feel wet, my lip trembles, and I sob uncontrollably.


    "Wh-What''s wrong!?" my love asks, his concern unnecessary. It only makes my tears worse and I start to pay him no mind. Like an animal, not one slight thought of manners or etiquette in my head. I eat.


    "Ish cansh jush nevah make anything ash good ash this!" I almost scream in emotional pain as I come to lament such a perfect piece of food. If this is the kind of meal he has grown accustomed to under the loving gaze of the Goddess of Mothers... Then what hope do I have with winning his heart with my own food!?


    I will never be able to match this, never!

 V4 Incline 3: Nin

    Tightly clutching my mask, I turn my head towards the sleeping rose-haired beauty. A long, tired sigh leaves me and I watch her shuffle about a lot. I do not recall her ever moving this much compared to before I died. Why is fairly obvious.


    It even seems to take pride in it, chittering louder.


    I know she told me that this is something that she needs to get used to, and I cannot blame her. The osibindah are well-deserving of their reputation as vile monsters. Even just acknowledging that fact makes me twitch inwards at foul memories. Small bones, too small for an adult, people eaten whole by body-stealing bugs. Gore splattered walls without end...


    Either way, I am not sure what to think of Rose-sweerui''s words. Either it''s a simple lie to make me feel better. Or, she is honest completely, as there is some credit to the idea that she cares for me. Who would leave behind so much for something like me if they didn''t? She did.


    My paranoia won''t settle down, though. I can''t help but feel there is more at play. She claims to love me, not in the way a human sees it, but as how an aelenvari does. This power I ended up with. That''s what attracts her, nothing more. You''d think someone nearly killed by it would come to abhor such strength.


    Unhooking my cloak and carefully getting up, I take my mask and head on down into the valley proper. I walk back the way I came, stopping short of a tree and spin back around. Again and again. Ha- claw grasping the mask tightly.


    If I ever had any confidence issues before about my looks, I most certainly have them now. Even my unassuming features, the kind I know no girl has ever praised behind my back, are better than this. A truly hideous, chittering face. I''m a slobbering monster right now...


    How am I even going to look after Rose-sweerui looking like this? The mere act of collecting food, I''ll have to do everything cloaked and wrapped up. I can''t care for someone if I am constantly having to make sure no one can see what I look like. It''ll only take one slip up for it all to go to shit.


    Hopefully... This school, this damn place Vapooliar spoke of, can help me. Gods, please!


    "For now... I should probably just keep this on at all times." I tell myself, holding the hard-form mask up in the moonlit road. Silence and inaction takes over, my eyes only able to lifelessly stare at the roots of some darkness-warped tree. I shift my jaw about and slip the mask back on. The claw that sets the bands in place lingers there.


    My left.


    Bringing it out, my right arm comes up as well and I compare the two. To think I was once so angry at having just one arm like this. Now everything is. I growl with growing viciousness, my chitters gnashing away at their jawbone bits.


    I want someone to blame. Yet, I do not know how I can blame anyone. To even be alive again is a miracle given to me by the gods. I can never turn my ire onto them, but surely they knew what I was when I died...?


    Am I too much of a god-fearing man to consider the idea? Or, too much of a coward to admit where the divine have slipped up? Am I only to blame? None of this would''ve happened if I refused Iishar''s offer!


    Rushing up to a tree, I slam my carapaced scalp against it. The tall oak or something snaps around me. As I pull away, splinters and chunks of bark fall from my head. Catching in the gaps of my muscle-lined shell.


    Focusing on how it''s catching in my bandages, I shift a foot up too, "Am I going to have to try and stay clean from now on...? I get the feeling these will be something to clean alright if I get them too filthy."


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    I don''t think trying to joke some ease into my system is going to work. The anguish keeps coming back stronger than ever. It always does. A never-ending circle of my predicament, for I am a monster that has the mind of a man.


    I... I don''t want to be a monster with the mind of a man. I want to be myself. I want to be what I was. I want to be a man with the mind of a man and nothing else!


    Nothing else!


    "DAMMIT!" I snap, lashing out at a tree.


    Its gutted trunk rolls across the blades of grass.


    "DAMN IT ALL TO BE LEFT AND ABANDONED BY UNDWOTW!" I swear, charging with all the fury in me towards the nearest mountain. I crash into it, digging into the stone with little effect on my person. My teeth grind against each other, my claws rend more out of the rock.


    Turning quiet, I look back the way I came. Collapsing onto my forward pair of knees, I weep quietly. Trying to get rid of my sadness, I crush pebbles in repeated, tight grips. Not even rock feels the same anymore, the spongy feeling my right arm once felt no longer exists.


    "I''ve lost everything and what little I gained when I first turned isn''t even possible now..." I lament as I fail to replicate anything I could do in the flower before I died. I stop and look up to where Rose-sweerui is still sleeping. My eyes shift down to my claws and their pebble-grained palms.


    Getting back up, slowly, I move over at much the same pace. Left claw clenching over and over again. When I get to her, I find myself to be towering in a way that feels wrong. She''s on elevation and I am not even in line with her. The closer I get, the greater the disparity is.


    I frown, thinking back to when it was but my right arm that had turned. How I used to be able to use my left arm to solve my problems, even though it was not my best side. It was a human hand. That is all that mattered. Now all I have are six claws.


    "Let''s... Let me see..." I mutter under my breath as I lean down and reach for her. Grabbing my cloak, I start to move it so it can cover her better. I''m not beside her anymore. My departure left half of her lightly dressed body exposed. She shivers as I secure the makeshift blanket and I clog up.


    Maintaining my state, I watch her sleep. Should I back off and leave her for the moment? Wait for daylight to come back? We''re in the wild and I am what I am now... Maybe it would be better for her if we went back to the flower, and I went on my way...?


    She moves, an arm reaches out of the wrap I put her in and she pats around for something. Me. It disturbs her, and she starts to stir. Her eyes open and she rises sharply and with a twist, she barely misses my looming body.


    She screams and scurries back, bulbs alight. I flinch back in turn, my limited control of my strength throwing me into a nearby tree. Clutching onto the broken bark and breaking more off of it, we calm down. Getting down, I plant my feet firmly as she puts herself back into the cloak-blanket.


    "Nin!? Was it just you!? I''m sorry!" she apologises without end until I come back into her immediate view. Shaking my head, she stops herself from getting up and we stare at each other. Looking away, I rub one arm.


    "I''m sorry..." I say, just in case. I was only trying to make sure she was wrapped up properly.


    "Are you alright, my love?" she asks, her bulbs bright enough to catch onto all the debris now decorating me. More than just the tree I was exposed to but a moment before.


    I nod.


    "I''m sorry if I frightened you. I thought something had happened. I... I didn''t know you were having trouble sleeping." she prattles on and I go back to her side to sit down. I can''t exactly lie my way out of this. Not a whole lot she can''t assume and not be right about.


    "I''m the one who woke you, don''t apologise... Rose-sweerui." I tell her as she still manages to offer me a hug, even with how on edge she is.


    "I couldn''t feel anyone at my side and..." she lets out quietly, her thoughts going to mysterious places.


    "Try and get more sleep. I''m not tired." I tell her and she shakes her head.


    "You should as well, my love. Let''s both go back to bed. We have a lot of travelling left to do before we even find a settlement, let alone Suhurlodst. Being tired won''t help either of us," she explains, giggling softly at the end as she lazily pulls me down. Moving with her cooing, she takes one of my claws into her hand and her bulbs die off.


    She shuffles around, her lack of comfort clear.


    "I think it will be better if you sleep on your own in the future." I remark and her hand grip loosens. Though, it stays regardless.


    "No... You are my precious love... I will..." she struggles to answer as a yawn reminds her of getting back to sleep. Almost as if to drill the point in, she forces herself closer with an affectionate snuggle.


    I shake my head, "Don''t worry about it, just get back to sleep."


    She says nothing. Gentle snores are all I can get out of her now. Freezing to as close to perfection as I can, I let her find a position that is comfortable for her. And, I acknowledge that I will not be getting to sleep anytime soon. Guess I''ll just keep an eye out for any threats. At least one of us can leave our thoughts behind this night.

 V4 Incline 4: Nin

    The Orbital-Halo finally starts to break through the early morning grey. With the first lines of gold settling across the valley''s length, from peak to face with a plank''s stiffness. Closing my eyes a bit, I focus them towards the vague orb-shape beyond the sky. A small wave forms in the motions of my lazy, free arm.


    "Morning, you lot..." I let out quietly, mindful of Rose-sweerui''s still sleeping form. Any joy in my expression goes away, and it mellows out into something miserable. I had a lot of fun while I was dead, more than I ever thought was possible. Me, of all people, travelling inside the Orbital-Halo with the gods and goddesses of All-That-Remains.


    Of all the things I want to forget or ignore right now, I hope that experience is never one of them...


    It''s certainly more than worthy enough to be remembered. My time on the ship especially and while that town was interesting to experience, reminiscing over a burning city is... Off-putting. There were cool and exciting things to watch, admittedly, the gods were fighting after all!


    But, again, the apocalypse made manifest. I''m worried it will stick in my head more than the good times will. Like how I can remember my time in the hive so clearly, but my time in Rose-sweerui''s flower is nowhere near as vivid. I don''t like it.


    Lights flicker to my right and a slender body moves, her voice groggy, "M-Morning, my love..."


    She shakes some alertness back into her system while also remaining snuggled up entirely in my cloak. Can''t say I blame her. The air has been without heavenly warmth for a whole night now. The nip is in it and I would like to get moving. Though, I guess now is the time to see how sternly her parents and people made her.


    "Anything you want to do about food?" I ask her, standing up and hopping down from our bed so I can get around to the bag''s opening. As she passes out of view, I hear rustling. Able to see her again, I watch her as she greedily snuggles up in my cloth. A minute passes and she forces her way up at an awkward angle.


    Not much longer and she finally manages to get herself upright. A constant caution about her bruised side dictating her movements all the way to me. She nearly collapses and smacks her lips, eyelids fluttering with forced blinks. A finger circles a general area.


    "I... Think I put some food here... But I want more tart..." Rose-sweerui lets out slowly, her motions changing to gentle pats. Her words bring flavour back to my tongue and I smile. Motrtha, what a cook indeed.


    "There is none. We ate it all, remember? Had to briefly soak you in water, you were that sloppy an eater." I huff in answer as to avoid my disappointment. No more goddess-made sweetness. She shakes her head back and forth with comical exaggeration. She''s denying it ever happened.


    But I do not think I will ever forget how she acted when she took her first bite. She was crying her eyes out and in a complete and utter display of ecstatic woe. The very best a cook could be. She tasted it. And she knows she will never match it in the slightest. Nothing to be ashamed of, admittedly.


    She slips a bit and I catch her. Minding our position, I scoop her up as gently as I can and hoist the bag. We descend into the open valley, which only seems to have small critters for the time being. Wild rodents and the out of view actors known as singing birds.


    I put the pair down and get to digging around the area she patted. Warm clothes land on top of me and I ignore it only for a second. Biting onto the curiosity, I scurry out and crane my neck around. And, right back into the bag I go!


    "Can you pass me one of my one-piece outfits while you are there? Something that won''t likely get dirty," the naked woman asks while her weight presses down on my malleable ceiling. Alright, this is definitely her belly on the other side. The pair of lumps to the left of my skull are in turn probably... Not that I mind.


    "Is this really the best time to be getting dressed?" I ask, my voice muffled by mask and a full bag of stuff. Slipping out with some things in-claw, I open more of the bag. My eyes watch as she gently sways back and forth, a smile on her face and my cloak wrapped around. She winks and peels it away to reveal more of her shapely form.


    Maybe I should empty the bag and repack it so she has a changing room...?


    "Naturally, this is the best time. I am before my precious love, with not another soul in sight. Surely you would like to catch a glimpse of me sliding tight-fitting clothing up my body? Just letting your gaze linger as my breasts get tightly compressed and my round rear stretches out the fabric?" she questions, a sultry smile growing while the distance narrows.


    The imagery paints itself across my mind''s eye.


    "I can guarantee you will not find a sexier body than mine," she carries on, running her hands along her curves and she stops, "In this mortal realm..."


    I quickly scoff at the tack on.


    She presses herself up against my back and squirms about across it. Though, one thing that is fairly easy to notice is how less eager she is with her actions. I know she''s only just woken up, but... There''s a lot of reluctance. I can quite literally feel it.


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    "Oh, just put this on! Do it while I sort something out to eat." I snap, getting some of my bother out in an unassuming bit of snippiness. Handing over her the first thing I get my hands on, she takes it without complaint. One quick wink and she swings her bottom out of view for the moment. Honestly, I have no idea if the clothes are a good choice. This all looks like it belongs in a High-Floor''s bedroom back home!


    My thoughts go back to Rose-sweerui''s nervous remark, the admission of humility. While Motrtha is certainly beautiful, Aahtha emulates what my body sees as the most lust-inducing. She took on the form of Iishar, of all people. Images flash across my mind, Iishar in colour-stretched leggings clinging to smooth muscle and fat, easy to fall underwear anchored on hipbones and breast up-shoving bras, dark-toned skin with a golden shi-


    I really do not believe I will ever get used to an aelenvari petal''s fashion sense.


    Metal dings on a bit of rock in the dirt and I turn to face her, "Do you like it?"


    She hands my cloak back to me, revealing her attire fully in the process. Her lingering grip presses the parts of the cloak that have been on her chest and rear. Oddly enough, the sensation is soothing. The warmth, anyway, not the knowledge.


    And, well, seeing as I don''t think she''ll drop the topic if I do not have a proper look. I get to it. It''s a single-piece outfit, like she asked for, so well done me. Very strappy, otherwise, like a skeleton built to emphasise desired flesh rather than support it. She could probably do with a strap going horizontally across her bust as the current two going up need only slip-


    That''s probably the intent.


    "The colours are unexpected. Normally you match your hair to an extent or have it done so in decorative, metal blossoms." I remark, noting its mainly grey colour scheme and the shiny, pine-inspired green.


    "Well, I was thinking of asking for something else. But, when I packed this one, I did so knowing we''d be going to one mountain of the wind-peoples. Grey to represent the stone of them. Emerald-like shades to represent wind magic and the plant life growing on the mountains." she explains as she comes closer and scoots by. In her hands as she comes out, a little, elbow-length cape that''s more her usual style.


    I blink at it as she ties a knot with a pair of fluffy pink balls.


    She smiles as warm as it looks, "And this is just to keep me toasty."


    "Could of also packed clothing that covers you more..." I mutter and she has no trouble hearing it. She strikes me with a quick jab and I meet her glare and sneer. It warps back into a smile, though, one blatantly damming back tides of annoyance.


    "I''m a petal! Not a stem or gods and goddesses forbid it... a root... As such, I will dress accordingly!" and some of this hastily made engineering breaks down spectacularly.


    "And what happens if your clothing is deemed inappropriate when we get to where we are going?" I point out, my brow rising into an arch. It settles down and I blink the surprise away. Apparently, osibindah can move their brows like I used to do with my old hairy ones. Huh.


    My attention of the world comes back in time to watch Rose-sweerui halt like I murdered her child, "They... They won''t do that! T-They can''t!"


    Her mind blatantly fills with the ''nightmare'' scenario of being forced into modest clothing. Physical behaviour is hyperbolic and all I can say is she''s in a state of abject terror. A straight face is the hardest thing to keep today. All because I am now imagining stern men forcing a screaming woman into a typical sun dress. Or even just slipping on a jacket or coat!


    "You never know, they might..." I tell her, hiding my amused whistle as she acts up more. Going back into the darkness of the bag, I let out my snicker and finally find the food. Some of it, anyhow. I sit down on my cloak and watch her panic about as I fiddle open one of bags.


    Dried treats, dried fruit, unfamiliar insects, some dried meat, even surprisingly artistic pastries. Trail mix, she''s basically packed a lot of trail mix by the looks of it. Mmmm, but this much dried food will wrack up quite the thirst. I didn''t feel any bottles or containers?


    "I know you packed water, Rose-sweerui, but what about other liquids?" I ask as I manage to get an orange-coloured bit of fruit between a thumb and finger claw. The points of which are digging into the juice drained snack.


    She stops with the drama and strides quickly to the other end of the bag, "I packed a few flasks of juice and some small bottles of wine for myself."


    "Which is which?" I ask as she pulls out six metal, cylindrical containers. Metal ringing seems to indicate more is still within the bag, too.


    "This is some of the juice. Three different kinds spread over a third each. I like all three, but if you don''t, I do not mind trading them for something you do when we find someone willing." she explains, putting all but one back. It enters my claw soon enough, but I am helpless to open it.


    "And what if I only like one of the flavours? That leaves you with the majority." I ask, joking more so than being serious. Though, my inspection of the drink container is quite the opposite. It''s a two litre one by the looks of it, so this should all last us a while if we are careful with it. Yet, at the same time, I''ve not got a single clue about how long we will be travelling. Is wild water even safe to drink...?


    I never tried with the lake...


    "Well, depending on why you might not like it. I can always mix two flavours together?" she offers, shrugging delicately as she helps herself to some of the food. I go by whatever catches her tastes the most, as I am not opening another bag with these damn claws. Not one bit of dexterity in them at all!


    Slipping the mask up, I pop a little into my mouth as I''m not particularly hungry, "Sure, that works. But where did you put the map?"


    She says nothing and moves to grab it, opening up when she''s back, "There''s a human flower this way. If we are lucky, it will have a means to get to Thrurstradtur quicker."


    I can''t help but shoot my head up, "What kind of settlement? Military? Fortified? Just a few houses? A town?"


    Too much of the first two and I''m being run through or shot up!


    "It doesn''t say. The map only shows us what is in the area. See?" she tells me, showing me the glowing sheet that moves to the will of her fingers pinching and spreading. Putting one hand up, I try to zoom it out further, but it refuses to do so. Guess I can''t use this to find my way back to Tobaballe. Well, at least for the time being, I can spot a path to follow on the way to Vapooliar.


    I assume so, anyway, I cannot read anything on this map.


    "So... How long would it take us to reach here?" I ask, using the mark on the map which I assume is meant to be us as our reference.


    She peeks over the map''s top and twists her neck, "I do not know, but, to get to where I was looking... The map says about a day or two at our current rate. Maybe three."


    "The map says?" I repeat in utter bewilderment. Guess I still have a long way to go in getting used to magic. Back home, most I ever did was reference metal panels showing the path around barely touched backrooms. Hidden passages and the like. Rest was simply ingrained into me.


    "Yes, it also says-" she starts to list off, much of it already slipping on by and through my head. I nod along anyhow.

 V4 Incline 5: Nin

    "So, when you were still an ivy-mother. What settlements did you normally go to?" I ask her as she plays with my hat. Her idle boredom inspiring me to take action against the quiet that has occupied us so far. Though, I have to admit, that quiet is still preferable to the complaints of sore legs. Popped her on our bag of supplies and she''s been thoroughly zipped since.


    "Well, I never went into any of them, as is our typical custom. For all the comfort they receive within the flower, the men are expected to handle such interactions. With the petals and stems, anyway. The rules were always lighter when it came to the roots being entranced by the males of other species. Not because they were exempt, but because... Well..." she explains, her sneer visible even out of sight.


    "So, where did you actually go?" I ask, repeating my not really answered question.


    "The flower itself usually went to trading towns or well-established settlements down here in the valleys. Maybe to the periphery of a mountain of the wind-people but never up it. Often times, we would follow the towns built on top of the cavern entrances to the Water-Veins so we could trade for more exotic, foreign goods. My personal favourite, however, is all the farms aligned with and or dependent on us. Most of our wine came from them, the wine I even have is theirs, in fact. One from quite close to my home garden-mont, even."


    Nodding along, I try to process what information I can with two bits sticking out to me. I''m pretty sure I''ve heard her talk about this ''Garden-Mont'' before, but ''Water-Veins'' is a new one. Guess it won''t hurt to ask. Not like anything else is out here?


    "Garden-Mont? What is that, exactly?" I ask and she lingers an arm just into the edge of my eyesight. I follow it to the nearby mountain and then onto the next one as I walk past the last. My brow cocks up and I focus on the greenery instead.


    "A garden-mont is the name for an aelenvari... What is the human term...? Lots of people live in one."


    "City?"


    "City, yes. Thank you. A garden-mont is an aelenvari city, to put it simply. One built within a hollowed out mountain whose interior is, for all intents and purposes, a garden." she explains, but the way her voice is giving way to a sigh...


    "There''s more to it?" I go and the bag wobbles slightly because of what must be happy movements.


    "It''s where we take our seeds to be planted. When a flower returns to the Garden-Mont, it truly becomes a place of natural beauty and wonder as we fill the soil with our unborn young. Thankfully, only the petals, stems and thorns are allowed anywhere near those parts at the core. Roots stay at the edges where the rock remains hard and strong. Better that than allowing them to corrupt the young with infertility and filth." she elaborates, her tone taking on its usual hostility at the mention of people like Dandelion. Or, rather, not like her as Dandelion had a child?


    I want to ask about the Water-Veins, but thinking of Dandelion''s seed got me remembering what I had to do back...


    "So... Before what happened... Happened... You and I would have gone to your flower''s Garden-Mont to plant the seed I would''ve given you?" I ask, my face burning up with shyness as I come to terms with the theoretical. My child, it would''ve been my child we- she would''ve ended up planting. A little boy or girl to call my own. Honestly, it''s a detail that possibly makes wasting my chastity worth it.


    But, still, I am somewhat glad it never came to pass.


    Rose''lhia''s hand gently brushes along the top of my mask and she sighs dreamily, "Yes, that is where we would have taken it. You would have helped me lay our precious seed into the very soil that once housed everyone in my flower. Me included. And, as time passed, we would see what flower or tree they would be born under. I hope, when we do finally consummate our love, my precious love... I hope it''s the latter."


    Her voice is rather sweet, and the giggles carry on even now.


    "And, if it is alright with you. I would like to be putting my seeds in such a place when you finally do start putting them inside of me," she tacks on, her lustful joy breaking up just enough. My jaw flexes open, bafflement silencing all but the chokiest of noises.


    "Them? You want more than one!?" I ask, twisting my neck to its limits so I could stare back at her blushing cheeks and wide smile.


    "Of course, I want as many as my body can take. I may have left my flower for you, my precious love, but I still have a duty to my species. To give them as many males as I can so they can live on and you will grant me many... I want you to keep filling me with them until my hips can no longer take it and they just break." she tells me, her hand tightly squeezing my head full of that seemingly warped sense of pride.


    I feel like with each press of those soft fingers of hers, my ears are venting hot air. All over the mere thought of a woman who wants to cripple herself with pregnancy. So many babies she can no longer walk and move half her body. Not that, that is much of an improvement to her current body.


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    "How would you even name them...? If you want that many, surely you''ll run out of names to think of." I point out, already running short of names to the point I''m slapping numbers on the thought-bound words.


    "Think of? Their names will be determined by where they are born." she reminds me and my mouth quietly ''ah''s'' at it. Nature will do it. Pluuit''s got it handled. But, even then, what happens when the gods give us repeating names of Daisy or something?


    "Right, right. I know that. But, as I am not an aelenvari and you are no longer part of a flower... Would that not...? Surely how the child would be named would change?" I try to get out of my mess of thoughts, and she squeaks.


    "You want to name our children with me!?" she demands to know, her voice breaking in a rather cute way. Seeing her like this is nice, hearing, rather. Normally, there''s so much pride that it''s arrogant and conceited. Narcissistic, even. So, hearing her be like this, it''s nice.


    It''s a good distraction from my current issues.


    "I mean, yeah, why not? Surely I have the right as the father in this -hypothetical- situation to have a say? The seeds wouldn''t just be yours, they''d be mine too." I point out, not sure if she''s going to take this the wrong way or even get it at all. Gods above, I didn''t even know magic was a thing until what must be within a couple of months now. Our cultures are so very different.


    I honestly cannot grasp leaving a child alone until it sprouts out of the ground.


    "I do not know if that is wise. It''s possibly even dangerous. We aelenvari have worked on these rituals for thousands of years. It''s always how it has been done. Never mind any of that either, the sentimental value it holds for me as someone who was raised in the Ahnelges Garden-Mont is... It''s immeasurable. "


    "Dangerous?" I let out, clinging onto that word for some reason as a strange noise fills our ears. It''s coming from the sky by the sounds of it, but it''s almost mechanical. A mixture of an animal roaring, gears moving and whipping sheets of cloth. Is there an aircraft flying nearby with a farm animal among its cargo?


    "Let me down!" Rose-sweerui goes, her voice instantly on edge while I simply look around cluelessly.


    "Hm?" I go.


    "Let me down!" she repeats, the erraticism growing. Minding her behaviour, I get down on my forward knees and start taking the bag off. A shadow flashes overhead and I move back slightly, my hands empty and body lighter. Snapping around, I watch an animal fly away, screams on the disturbed wind.


    "ROSE!" I shout, her terror filling the valley. Not lingering a moment, a growl bursts from my throat. Running after them, all the control I''ve been trying to keep vanishes. My strides turn into leaps. Grass flattens. Dirt explodes up, a rain of little stones and foliage.


    The gap closes between us.


    I can barely think of what to do. I can''t keep running after this creature. It''s rising too quickly. I need to get to its level before it flies too high!


    My head snaps about the edges of the valley. My mind locks onto where I can leap from. It will be my only chance. It''s the only place lacking stump!


    "There!" I let out as I rush for the jagged rock. Rose is what matters. The bag is secondary. Kill the creature if I have to, just save Rose!


    Forcing myself to slow down and panicking all the while, I turn to the mountain''s part. Climbing up on top of it, I launch at the creature as it nearly breaks the valley top. Barely, just barely. My claws dig into the back leg of the creature.


    Its roar becomes a cry and my grip turns slippery.


    "NIN!" Rose calls out, her fear clear as the bag shakes in the turbulent grip. She''s barely holding on right now. I need to hurry. Hurry, hurry. As if I need the reminder!


    "LAND ALREADY YOU SHIT!" I snap down at the creature as I finish climbing onto its back. Minding the gap between its two wing joints, I slip a foot in, scraping the skin apart. I secure myself against the other crescent-shaped wing and force my foot through. The blood splatters across the wind as does the creature''s howl. It veers onto an uncontrolled, leftward descent. Same side wing flapping out of control on a single joint.


    A small clearing comes into view, and we hit it. I fly off and hit the rocks without an injury to me. The creature is still sliding further along while an empty-topped bag comes to a halt. Snapping to my feet, I try to spot Rose. My worries turn to hope and I face the creature as it rolls around onto its six legs. Its serpentine body contorts and wiggles to its highest extent.


    Its mouth opens, and that mechanical noise becomes clear again. Something moves in the dark. I am able to catch the noises of Rose just in time. The creature lunges for me, its jaws moving as an industrial saw might.


    Catching onto the creature''s neck, I try to force it up away from me. I might be walking off a cracked shale-making crash, but I am not testing my claws near saw-jaws. Gods above, even sparks are coming out of its slobbering mouth! How does that even happen!?


    Throwing the beast aside, it hobbles onwards towards a small tree. Before it can run through it, its jaws snap, sawing right on through. I blink the wide eyes away and gulp. My claws near that... No.


    Rose-red hair comes at the edge of my eyes.


    "BAH! I don''t have time to be dealing with you!" I spit at the creature as it charges once again. A sloppy punch meets it and the lower jaw snaps with a resounding crack. My eyes widen again as the beast rears back, flailing lower jaw, drooling all kinds of crimson. Realising my strength, I put my feet at an angle and leap-charge.


    My arms catch onto its neck, and it goes over its back and right onto a boulder!


    Snap.


    Shaking my head at the dead thing, I give it one more kick to knock it away. Moving to the clearing''s edge, I spot her again. Rose... She''s alright. Alive.


    "Rose!" I call out, leaving the elongated, six-limbed flyer behind. Jumping down to her and rolling through some thankfully soft dirt, I arrive. She watches me, face red with terror. She reaches for me with a scraped up arm as her eyes start to break.


    "NIN!" she screams once as the tears come out in force. She latches onto me with all she has and her face buries itself between my shoulder and neck. I rest a palm on the back of her head and let out a sigh of relief. I''m glad she''s ok.


    "It''s alright, it''s alright..." I repeat again and again as I check her body over. Sighs of joy leave me at how it just seems to be that she''s simply shaken up. Her old injuries are obviously provoked, but nothing new has sprung up. She must''ve got lucky and hit all those soft clothes in that massive bag of hers. Oh, to think her choice was retroactively justified like this... Oh, to know that now.


    "Th-Thank you..." she whimpers, clutching me tighter.

 V4 Incline 6: Nin

    "You fine getting up here?" I ask the slow-moving woman as she continues to tail behind me, even as we approach this slope. Ever since the attack, she''s refused to get back on top of the bag. She really should find a way or let me take some of this burden off of her. All this movement is aggravating the injuries I-


    Back when I turned.


    "Ye-... Yes..." she lets out with a sharp intake. Her leg moves high, and it moves the injured parts in the wrong way. Shaking my head at the display she''s forcing her way through, I move to pick her up. With the bag on my back, I can safely hold her in my arms. Almost like a mother would carry a child with a palm on the back for support.


    She wraps her arms around my neck and snuggles closer, my head shadowing her from the sky''s dangers. Patting away gently, I mind how much bounce there is to my steps. Bad enough my knees are angling and my core-muscles are going inward. Don''t need to be crushing her in my monster-killing body, now.


    "So what was that creature, anyway?" I ask, observing her red-as-her-hair face. She gets her thoughts in order and moves away so her words do not muffle.


    "That... That was a sadroobell. It''s a predator known for snatching large, seemingly or actual heavy items. If one flew down at us like that, it was probably trying to find a mate. Some wind-people are known to train them to be supply carriers. At least, before their machines began taking over the job. Most often now, they''re simply pests for farmers and a main cause for lost livestock." she explains with a slight choke to her words. A sniffle dismisses any worries in her system.


    "I can''t even begin to imagine the kind of farmers that creates..." I remark in as light a tone as I can manage. Thinking back to my home, I cannot recall anything larger than a bird causing problems. The largest pest, in fact, might just be some annoying teens looking for one of their cheap laughs.


    "If we go back and bring proof of its death. We might receive a better welcome at the settlement on our path," she remarks quietly, and I mind the blood staining my bandages. Guess this alone won''t be enough. But, hearing this, I come to a stop and look at her more fully. My beak''s end lightly pokes her and I shake my head on the retreat.


    "Could''ve told me that earlier." I huff humorously and she gives a gentle smile.


    "Can you blame me?" she asks, her smile wavering at the memory, and I shake my head again. She scoots up my body and aligns her chest against my head, arms pressing it closer. As she finishes, she adjusts herself on her new shoulder seat. Tail slithering about my back.


    Noting her growing confidence, my mind returns to the lingering topic, "While the topic of these ''sadroobells'' is fresh, how many tend to be in an area? I''m going to have to try and think of something if they become too much of an issue."


    "Only a few dozen tend to occupy the same space. Even then, they are very isolationist, meaning you''ll only really encounter one at a time." she elaborates and I nod with some satisfaction, as luck will be on our side if that''s the only sighting.


    "How good''s their smell? One dead enough to scare the others off?" I ask, waving my claws about and kicking ahead my bloodied foot on the next step.


    "I''m afraid I do not know, my love. While powerful in my own right, the thorns, men or a gilded-bark would deal with them. I do not know much beyond what I have already told you," she tells me and I ''hmmm'' out the next thought.


    "Try blasting the next one with your magic staff." I remark, recalling the blur from her during that competition she coronated with a kiss to my lips. If she can shatter that much log and iron, she can break some bones.


    "My precious love, I left my role as the ivy-mother. The staff was not mine to keep, and I never kept a collection as well... I never foresaw ever leaving my position. Not like this. Besides, I''m no good to you without a staff. For all my power, I am not skilled enough to be without a conduit. Not to commit to anything impactful, unlike your Valkinvar friend," she explains, and I frown at the mention of Vapooliar.


    She really was something, wasn''t she?


    But... "What are the requirements for a conduit, exactly? Does it need to be a staff?"


    "No. It simply needs to be something that can ease the burden of magic transfer. An item you can trick your external-magic flow into believing is a part of yourself. Some rely on armour, others use tools. Staves are most often used for their scale and ease of decoration, which is two-purposed."


    Coming to a stop, my thoughts make a lengthy noise and break out into words, "What about a person? Can I be used by you?"


    My shoulder moves with her flinch, "A-Are you sure? That is quite dangerous. Having two sources of magic interact. I know quite well how it''s outlawed, even in the most open of arcane-minded places. For all my needs to interact with the flower, I never once dared to go beyond applying magic."


    "What makes it dangerous?"


    "It''s a complex process, one that requires the full willingness of both participants. It''s impossible if there''s any resistance. There''s a reason why it gained the name ''Intimate Casting,'' it just cannot be done without true love," she explains, her voice uncomfortable and her grip departing my body beyond what is necessary. I guess a certain fact of my life is on her mind? That makes sense...


    "I see... Is there anything else we could use as a conduit?" I ask, coming to a stop by a tree dancing in the soft wind. The branches rustle and I look towards her gentle grip.


    "A thick branch would work, but it won''t last long." she explains, her example of delicacy, however, destroying a poor, poor leaf. Poor leaf. Falling apart and not even brown.


    "Well, might as well see if it works, then." I go, moving her down and leaving her in a comfortable position on the softer contents of the bag. Going to the tree, I look at it with claws on my hips.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    How should I go about this? If I try to snap the branch too far from the start, it''ll be a twig. But, I also don''t want it to rain whacking branches onto Rose-sweerui either. Maybe if I go around to the other side of the tree to break a bit off? Circling back around to her, I mind the sky and its lack of bright colours.


    "My love, should we set up camp? We''ve... You have been walking all day," she asks, her words a tad exaggerative.


    "Are you even able to set anything up in that state?" I ask back, focusing on her instead of the tree.


    "I... Can... I can do it myself!" she insists, but I cannot help but take it as a lie. She clearly doesn''t like the idea of burdening me too much when I''ve already done so much. Yet, with her injuries, there''s not really anything to argue. She''s in no state for this kind of movement.


    She''s already moving before I can get a word out, and I shake my head. Leaving her to it for the moment, I decide to go on over the moment I hear any noise of pain. For now, I quietly ponder how to debranch some trees. What exactly will be effective?


    I guess I''m strong enough these days to simply uproot it and let it fall. Maybe I could shatter the trunk or have fun jumping up and down. Decisions... So many fun decisions.


    With a few clicks leaving my mouth, I dig a claw through the dirt and clasp the roots. Forcing it up with a soft heave, the dirt breaks and tears as the soon-to-be log falls. Reaching a catch in the earth, I force the tree an inch- It flies off into the distance and I blink as I swear all I did was give it a nudge...


    Rose-sweerui yelps at the crashing timber and I smile at the sight of splinters in the wind. What remains of the trunk lands on other trees, breaking many branches off. Quickly jogging over, I lift the mess up and pull out the bounty. My pile grows and grows with some cleaner cuts than others. Some have torn off like a hang nail might, some are not all too sappy either.


    Taking the loot back to the steadily forming camp supplies pile, I get to splitting sticks apart into three heaps. Combinations of size, length and thick-bottoms. I come to a halt at the agitated noise. My eyes lock onto Rose-sweerui as she hisses.


    Rising to my feet, she notices and the hisses turn to me quite aggressively, "No!"


    Halting, I stare at what has her helpless. So much to sort out and she''s paralyzed by it. Much as I want to put the blame on her pain. It''s pretty clear she''s used to having this kind of work done for her with not a delicate little pinkie of hers rising to the challenge.


    "Somehow, I still hear a resounding yes." I tell her as I move in and set her down somewhere comfortable. She fights back for no more than a second. With stroppy lips, she readjusts her sitting position and I get to work. Admittedly, I''m not much better than her. Tents and field set-ups were never my thing. But I''m working my way through it all.


    My history of construction and engineering back in Tobaballe is making this easy. Find the right part and my mind is filling in the rest through instinct. Lock the hooks here, twist on the threading here. Stake the ground with... With...?


    "Can you pass me some of those, please?" I ask her, wobbling an arm towards the stack of pegs and hooks. She hands some over and I carefully use my thumb-claw to dig them into the ground. I feel like I need to go harder, as I can barely feel the pressure, but my claw is sinking to the ground. The ropes are tightening.


    Finally sorted, I pick up the deflated bag with Rose-sweerui in its folds and drop her off, "You don''t have to move me in there... I can do it on my own."


    "Can''t have you turning that embarrassed pout into one of worsened injuries." I remark, my mind lingering a bit too much on the why''s they exist. Doesn''t matter if I did not have control of my body at the time. It was -my- body that did it.


    "It''s fine, my love! It''s just some bruising that will go down." she protests with a wiggle that draws a right nasty set of clenched teeth out. Her sharp breath whistles.


    Shaking my head, I sit down, and she moves closer. Her hand and my claw lock together and I frown at the thought. Such a simple thing and it feels so alien now. I don''t feel like a big lad. I''m a monster.


    "Bruises don''t hurt that much. Not even the worst kind." I point out, remembering all the injuries I''ve received over the years. Work or fights, it didn''t matter. Gods above, not even the tool-caused cuts near lethal chemicals or my many fractures have ever hurt the way she behaves.


    "I''m fine..." she lies with a moan, her body turning away slightly.


    "No, no you are not," I point out, moving a claw along her cheek, "And that''s fine. I''m here to help you, just like you have helped me. So, just sort out your stuff and get some rest, ok? We got quite a bit to get through."


    She clutches my digit and sighs. Silently retreating into the tent properly, I get up and she seals it shut. Standing around for a brief moment, I let time pass before I am confident she''s laying down. Turning my expression into a frowning one, I look skyward.


    Still a decent amount of day left, even now. Can''t imagine any wildlife causing any problems now. With how much I''ve been struggling to sleep since getting magic in my system, though. I imagine I will be pulling a lot of all-nighters. Gods help us when I finally feel I can close my eyes.


    "I guess this annoyance called magic has its benefits." I huff out into a shrug as at least it prevents the awkwardness of late night shifts and on-edge naps. Popping the rest of the camp stuff near the tent for now, I get back to my branches. With the care I might touch an exposed wire with, I scratch away at their bodies to straighten the crooked ones out.


    We can see tomorrow which ones are best suited for her. I just hope we end up with a reasonable amount to work with. Being able to defend herself is a priority now more than ever. Can''t always be there for her, or, to worry my mind with it, I''ll be too slow to save her.


    Spitting farts catch on my wobbling, stuck-out tongue and old lessons come to mind, "Maybe I should try and learn to cast magic of my own...?"


    Putting the stick down, I hold a hand out and try to feel for... Well, anything. My claws flex and nothing comes of it. Even a quick double-check poke on some loose stone evokes no more than a tap. No sponge feel, nothing.


    Grabbing a stick, I wonder if I need to use a conduit and still I get no response, "What can I try...?"


    I think over what I know about magic so far, everything from as early as that great blast that freed me to now. Everything Vapooliar had tried since I first saw her crying in that gore-smeared chamber. All my active experiences thus far have been my body first and foremost. Erratic changes in walking strength, the ability to break trees like they''re twigs.


    Lifting all that weight above my head to the point the ground itself is cracking open!


    Bringing the idle actions to a stop, I look at my right claw once more. My mind repeats the details over and over while I aimlessly shift my curled digits about. Not so close as to hit the wood, but enough to maybe do so if I lifted my arm a bit. Still, nothing is happening.


    Moving to throw the innocent stick away, a chunk falls away, and I blink. A perfect cut. A small smile curls onto my face. My claws somehow chop another bit off without ever properly clawing at it.


    "So, this is how you work?" I go, vocalising my main thought of the moment as I bring my palm up. Bringing the other claw close, I meet solid resistance, a slight gap away from the surface of my shell. Sharp resistance too. My bug hide is getting scratches!


    Huffing in amusement, I pick up another stick and angle my grip. Slowly making my way across its length, shavings peel away as if I am using familiar tools. Somehow, the inside of my right claw''s digits are bladed. Invisibly so, but with as much presence as a real carving knife!


    Ignoring the want to wake up or disturb Rose-sweerui, I get to giggling and notch away at more sticks. Their bark skin vanishes, leaving only smooth and pale wood for the eye to see. All growths, warts and other lumps are gone. Only brown circles mark their former place.


    Hehe!

 V4 Incline 7: Roselhia

    "My love? Where are you? My love...?" I call out as I leave the bulb. I was already eager to return to his side and into his arms, but now I''m desperate for his touch. Having already lost him once, I cannot go through it again. Where is he? Where did he go...?


    There''s a pile of carved wood and many trees that have been uprooted since last evening-


    My hands move close to my chest and tenderly collide and rub. With my knees almost doing the same, my points sink into the softened, dew-covered earth. I spot his cloak, hat, and mask lying on their own. Worry injects into me.


    "My love!?" I call out loudly, but still with some restraint. Picking up his clothes, I bring them close to my face for the reassuring comfort. The smell lingering in the fabric and interior swells my nose. Relaxing me only slightly and it makes me long for him more.


    The ground booms behind me and I twist sharply, minding my wounds. Excitement replaces the negative emotions and I watch him rise. His entrancing voice breaks the brief quiet and I drop his clothes. A slight hiss escapes me and I run as fast as I safely can.


    "Huh?" he lets out as I gently crash into him, my arms wrapping around his torso.


    "Mmmmmm!" I squeak without opening my lips.


    "Something wrong!?" he calls out as I come to terms with his exposed face. I return to the hug, my true-voice glowing softly. So I can both show my joy and hide his features...


    "No, everything is all right." I eventually coo, one of his hands slowly finding its place in my hair. He ruffles and I shake my head away to preserve its natural shape. A shiver goes down my spine at the feel of his hard, osibindah shell.


    He looks around, his body shuffling its shoulders.


    "Where did you go?" I ask, breaking the hug so I can see what he''s bringing up. My eyes look at his item and then back at his face. Is that a piece of the sadroobell''s jaw? He seems to have made a point of cleaning it, but I can still see how wet it remains.


    "You said about how proof of its death might be useful. So, I went and got it after sorting out some branches for you and made sure there was nothing dangerous in the area."


    "You left me on my own!?" I almost scream and flash.


    "Only for a short moment! I''ve barely been gone," he explains, hands as palm-showing as they can be.


    "That''s not the point!" I want to snap on my reproach. But, I find myself putting his empty hand around mine.


    "Uhm..."


    "Please don''t do that again, please..." I plead as I come to terms with how wet my eyes are getting. Never mind the risks of the wilderness. I don''t like the idea of spending time away from him so close to only just having got him back.


    "Alright, alright," he tells me in a tone that heavily hints at a lack of conviction to what I want. It doesn''t matter if I am asleep and he only does it then. The principle, it''s all that matters. Frankly, if I begin to have reason to suspect that is what he is doing, I''ll never catch another night''s sleep again. Not when such ideas are so poisonously seeded into my dreams.


    "My love..." I beg, my grip tightening, "Please..."


    My eyes keep the pressure on his, not leaving even for a blink. He sighs and slips away towards the bulb to grab his clothes and put them on. Even masked, I can tell his gaze is lingering on my hurt expression. His head twitches.


    "Oh! The pile reminds me. Look!" he lets out with growing excitement and he brings over one of the branches. Smooth enough in cut to almost be mistaken for a limb of furniture.


    Not knowing how to take the shift in topic, I try to put on a smile to match his joy, "It''s a nice branch...?"


    A short-lived laugh from me keeps the awkward silence at bay.


    "No, no, no, no! I did this using magic!" he lets out and my prior thoughts vanish down the smallest imaginary speck of dust. I perk up with the same kind of excitement and joy he''s showing. Only to stumble into a small pit of disappointment. I was never the one able to finally get a spell out of him. He probably picked this up during his time with the gods and goddesses.


    But these thoughts do not invade my expression. His learning to use magic is too good. Very good. Superb, even!


    "Can you show me?" I ask with my words while my heart screams its demands to watch. Maybe I had just the slightest bit of influence on him? I hope I have. If a simple carved name can appease the pride of builders and more, traces of me in his spell craft will suit me in turn.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    He presents his free hand, and my eyes focus on his palm. The usually oppressive nature of his unchecked aura is disturbed and a solid form appears on the inward curve of a finger. It''s like he''s coated the digit in a bubble of magic. He then uses it to cut into the bit of wood without ever properly digging his finger into it.


    While I am glad for him, I am disappointed. I cannot see any notable influence from me. No signs of anything an ivy-mother could teach him. Yet, still, I am proud of what my precious love has accomplished.


    His very first step in becoming a fully fledged witch!


    He''ll truly be able to live up to the future the divine imbued into his blood. My love for him grows, as does my love for the thoughts of the strong seeds he will put in me. Such steamy, passion-ridden thoughts come from such a simple step being taken. Growing stronger from here on out is all my love can accomplish and I will be able to watch it so closely!


    "Well...? Is this how it is meant to be done?" he asks, his finger clearing up of its arcane manipulation.


    "Meant to be? If that is how you figured out how to do it, then yes. Magic casting is not the same for everyone. It is much like life in that regard. It can be similar, but never the same." I explain, passing on the basics of how magic works. Something that not even spell-traditions and other lines of education can ever really ignore and get around. Despite my people''s conservative approach to training new ivy-mothers, we all add something new to what we are capable of doing.


    "I did it wrong?" he asks despite what I just told him and my head shakes clear and true.


    "No, of course not!" I speak clearly, so he is aware.


    Bringing up a hand, I let some of my external-magic flow from it.


    "You very much did it right. You just will not be able to rely on others for help if that is what you were expecting. Magic, despite my efforts and that of the Valkinvar''s, is not something that can be taught, like writing or sport. You may find a teacher, but they''ll never be able to do it as a conductor or elder might." I explain, using various topic references so that he might be able to grasp how truly unique magic is.


    "I sure hope I haven''t just cut off my nose to spite the face..." he lets out with low-tone worry and I almost laugh caringly. It''s cute he''s so bothered by the idea he''s largely on his own from here on out. What I''ve known for years is only what he''s just learnt. I wish I could help him more, but how he''s learned is so very different from how I first learned to cast.


    Tutored from start to finish, whereas he has only been influenced.


    Noting how it''s lingering on in his mind, I shift my head to his pile and repay the favour, "So are these all for me to try?"


    "Y-Yeah. I tried to make them as easy to grip as possible. Getting rid of anything in the way, you know, lumps and branches on the branch..." he lets out, a hand slipping under his hat to rub his head. Simply smiling, the awkwardness goes away. He hands me one over and I take it into my hands to find the best spot to grip. It''s no staff of an ivy-mother, but it''ll do.


    Finding my place on the magically carved wood, I let my external-magic flow through it. One hand comes off to catch the droplet of pistachio green magic. As weak as I can make it while my body heals. As the orb solidifies seemingly, the branch falls apart like long dead and dried driftwood. The loss of the conduit puts a sudden burden on my body, but it''s manageable, and I dismiss the weak magic.


    "Anything thicker than that?" I ask my love as one of my naked points takes up the role of pointing at what remains. A pale coating of shards and splinters of wood slowly turning brown as they drink in the morning dew.


    "That pile there is the thickest lot," he tells me as he starts to throw away the pile my last staff drew its lineage from. They fly off across the valley, bouncing or snapping on impact.


    Nodding in thanks, I go to the pile he pointed at and pick up one of them. I place the narrow end into the dirt to ground it and add some additional mass to conduct my power through. Its thicker end sways in the air as I get used to the weight throwing my wound-minding focus off. Turning to his pile as it vanishes more and more, I smirk a little and aim.


    He leaps away with a flinch as the pile explodes outwards. I laugh to my heart''s content and he stares back. One of my hands gestures to the pile I am by while I try to find my words. My true-voice glows, answering him, but I am fully aware he doesn''t hear me at all.


    "These ones will do." I finally manage to answer and I inspect the branch for any obvious wear and tear. Nothing is standing out to me and what I can reliably cast without a conduit is not picking anything up either. But, still, maybe I should use a thicker branch, just in case? What I am casting right now as tests are not particularly strong and would not stop a descending sadroobell at all.


    Finding what appears to be the thickest stick, I step a good distance away from anything else. Steadily, my magic approaches the glow and scale of what I cast to save my precious love back during the tournament. I''m certain I cannot cast such a powerful spell with such a meagrely crafted conduit. But its breaking form is giving me some idea of how powerful I can be.


    Grass flattens and whatever debris catches on the tails of my swirling magic orbit me. Focusing the power, I aim at one of the trees he didn''t uproot or damage. The spell lances from the branch''s thick tip and breaks as it full leaves my control. Despite the issues, however, my magic still finds its mark and guts it of its integral trunk.


    What I was aiming for would still fall if I were to do something this strong. Healthy oaks and thick iron aren''t breaking to this kind of power. But, a sadroobell or wild animal around here most certainly will be thinking twice about this strength. Now comes a different question: how many branches can we take and how do we carry them?


    This test just now is leading me to believe they''ll only be good for one proper spell each...


    "See''ya, I blimmin'' told''ing ya that there''sa some folk this way!" a thickly accented man whines as the sound of many feet comes to a halt. Turning to the sight, I spot and watch a young human man and his kelbalid companion approach. Nin comes to my side and I watch his eyes lock onto the four-legged reptilian. Or maybe he''s watching their weapons?


    A gun for the human, seemingly traditional javelins for the kelbalid.


    The pair stops and the human raises his hand, "Excuse me, you two! Have you perhaps seen a sadroobell flying down this way? Me and my dad are trying to hunt it!"


    "Me''ya and my''ah dad are trying to hunts it." the kelbalid mimics mockingly only to receive a gentle stock to the nose. The pair go at it quietly, their armour making the most noise as their erratic gestures move the plates about.


    "Do you happen to mean this!?" my love asks with a raised voice to break through their bickering.

 V4 Incline 8: Nin

    This human stranger''s pace picks up and his sprint proves to be short-lived. Thanks to my mask, I can watch his strange, four-legged companion of his. They''re not particularly thick legs, but enough to more than outrun a normal pair of legs. Not that he would need them. Those throwing spears would probably sever the spine of anyone he''s chasing.


    My attention snaps back to the human as I hear his harsh stop, "Yes... Yes! This is a fresh jawbone! H-How did you get it?"


    I hand him over the mouthpiece and he looks it over, fiddling with the still intact teeth. Guess my point of trying to preserve the saw-like structure was a smart move. Good thing his fingers are mailed and gloved, too. Those are some sharp little teeth he''s forcing around under his print.


    "I tore it off of the corpse of the one I killed yesterday this morning. This morning, I tore the bone off this morning. Killed it yesterday." I explain, repeating myself as I somehow end up confusing myself with my words.


    "Killing the da'' thing? Forgive me''a by quites the bit for the ignorance. But we don''t see any''a weapons ''ere even capable of the feat. It''s a da'' sadroobell!" the reptilian thing points out and I look at my blood-stained bandages.


    "I didn''t use a weapon. I just hit it." I explain, showing them off clearly to the pair. Finishing my one-legged hop, I reduce the clear view to the claw alone. The human nods in understanding and his eyes widen to accompany more energetic nods. He reminds me of the face I make when I finally realise how a machine back in Tobaballe worked. Years ago such an experience last was, when I first started working as a wall-engraver, even.


    "That explains the magic, then. You two are witches?" the human asks, a smile forming as wonder sparkles in his eyes.


    "Bah, bladdy maghick-ushing tossers." the reptile scoffs a bit too loud for an under-the-breath remark.


    "No." I answer, not even sure what a ''witch'' really is. Maybe Vapooliar or Rose-sweerui have explained it at some point. But, it''s slipped me mind since.


    "I would fit the definition, yes," Rose-sweerui says, catching the human''s attention.


    The human looks at me and his mouth begins to mutter, "You are not? Well, guess I will have to go to the Drowned Weed and ask about that when I get back to town then. Are you two headed there?"


    "Town? I know we are headed to one," I say and I turn to Rose-sweerui, "Can you get the map, please?"


    The rose-haired aelenvari is more than happy enough to go and get the item in question.


    "I am surprised it has taken me this long to realise how much taller you are..." the human comments and I watch in some amusement as he cautiously steps back. His reptile companion gallops up and squares his shoulders.


    "What ya being a pansy for?" he barks down, his height not too different to mine when he puts the effort in.


    "I know you. I don''t know him. Besides, you''re a skinny bugger," the human explains, drawing the seemingly easy-to-provoke lizard''s ire. I stare back at the scaled thing''s gaze, and he''s quick to break eye contact.


    "I''m surprised you haven''t introduced yourselves yet." I comment with a hidden smile, finding it a little funny that my scale is possibly intimidating. Odd day indeed to intimidate someone other than a child with my size. If only my transformation wasn''t how it came to be...


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    "Oh, sorry! I''m Hunter Futhans. This here steed of the watering hole is Hunter Shraymeaus." he answers and a laugh almost breaks out. Both are called Hunter? Well, that''s certainly an amusing coincidence. Getting my act together before my thoughts grow, I watch Futhans'' small, courteous gesture. His small grey, feathered cap rises with a tilt, showing off his short, blond hair.


    "I bet both being called Hunter must get confusing." I remark mostly to myself, but he hears anyway. They both do and both give me a strange eye.


    "Shraymeaus is my name. Did he not jus'' ''ear a word?" Shraymeaus complains, his arms finding his normal torso''s hips.


    "Hunter is our profession. Guess that means you''re not from around here. Or you''re from a right quiet place. Most Jhermonikra call themselves by their profession first. Actual name after." Futhans clarifies and I nod, my memories reminding me of the bug hive. Battcomm did the exact same thing. No, wait, not battcomm, that was his profession... Uh... Dammit.


    "My love, here you go." Rose-sweerui goes, taking my thoughts away from the lost name. Eagerly taking the redirection, I open the map and she helps me set it up.


    "Oh, seeing as she''s back. This is Rose''lhia and I am Nin Urtuan." I introduce us as, drawing a quick jab from Rose-sweerui for most likely not calling her by the honorific. Whatever, I guess, what if they think the honorific is her family name or something? I guess it''s a good reminder that I can show my annoyance with her by not involving that affectionate little title.


    "Nice to meet you two. Rose''lhia, Urtuan." Futhans says with a nod of his head as he passes us over. His friend, on the other hand, isn''t as polite.


    "So, gods above us and all... Whatsa ''Nin,'' exact?" Shraymeaus asks.


    "Oh, that''s right, what is it, if you wouldn''t mind? Never heard of such a profession." Futhans adds on and I become confused. Utterly perplexed.


    Oh, right, first names work differently for them...


    "Hm? No, that is -my- name. My first name. Urtuan is just my family name." I clarify and the befuddlement leaps from me and clings onto them.


    "Ah, right, foreigner. Tall and foreign... Well, guess there go my chances with Neeameth back at the local." Futhans complains and I frown at the closing mutter. Guess he has an eye on a girl who likes tall guys? Well, lucky him, we won''t be staying long. We''ll probably never meet.


    Rose-sweerui taps me to alert me of the sorted map and I show it, "This'' the town you are on about?"


    Our first proper stop on the way to wherever Vapooliar, Vadei, and Dandelion went.


    "Yep, that''s it, Tryhpeltzweig." Futhans answers, his nose going back the way it came once he''s sure of the map''s name. I nod along, pretending I know what any of this language means. Don''t think I''m going to be the best at remembering any of these place names. It all used to only be Tobaballe for me and now I''m travelling the world. Oh, I''m a foreign boy alright... Shit.


    "So then, ''ow about its? You two wants to come back with me and this one and his Pa? Initial accommodations on us if yer willing. Rid of sadroobell does our town a great service." Shraymeaus surprisingly offers and I turn to Rose-sweerui. I look back at our modest camp.


    "We haven''t even eaten or taken down our stuff yet." I point out with a lazy gesture and a well-timed growl of someone''s stomach. its rightward nature makes me want to guess it was Rose-sweerui''s and her turned away blush is all but confirming it.


    "Ah, right, sorry. We don''t mean to rush you. Is the food you have portable?... Travellable? I got some rations to share, if you want?" Futhans offers as he slings his bag around to open it up. Notably sweet-scented, marinated meat stains the air and burns its way through my mask on its way to my nostrils. It only gets stronger as Futhans unwraps the metallic foil.


    Looks certainly a lot more advanced than what I had access to back home. In fact, if I was able to make anything like this when I was there, I''d have gained a few levels to my name. Probably would have never ended up in Iishar''s deal, either. Well... No point in crying about it.


    "So, what do you think?" I ask Rose-sweerui, turning to her. She answers me with a head start on the deconstruction process and I move after her to take down the tent. She certainly seems more able to help now. Guess the good night''s rest helped ease the pain?


    "If we''re close enough to run into hunters and other wilderness-goers, it will probably be worth the haste." Rose-sweerui answers quietly as she takes the moment of covered light to hug me tight.


    "Make sure you eat up what they have to offer. It''ll help our reserves last." I tell her and she moves back to rub her arm nervously. Trying to get a smile back onto her face, I aim to ruffle her hair again. I succeed and she starts to fight me off, with soft giggles escaping.

 V4 Incline 9: Nin

    "So where are you two headed once you are done with Tryhpeltzweig?" Futhans asks me, or us, possibly. His eyes keep darting over to Rose-sweerui as she takes it leisurely on the back of Shraymeaus. Not only did she get changed into something scantier than before, she even dolled up the reptilian half-steed. All to at least make it more deserving of such a pristine petal such as her.


    I scoff within the confines of my mouth, keeping my want to throw out exaggerated gestures down.


    "Naw, I gots to say''a. I''m fine with da pretti thing''s lingerings." Shraymeaus chuffs, Rose-sweerui''s injuries all but forcing her to hold him like she would normally do so to me. Going to throw out a guess and assume he''s glad to have metal armour over his crotch. If I never got used to her lustful antics after so much exposure, I doubt anyone else will.


    Rose-sweerui turns my way for a quick air-kiss and then her mouth opens, "We are going to Suhurlodst, a dear friend of my precious love, is there."


    "Tah, ain''t I lucky''ey?" Shraymeaus chorts with clenched teeth. I roll my hidden eyes. Rose-sweerui returns to eating the portion of food Futhans offered and her ride''s additional offerings. I imagine she''s feeling like she never left her flower right now, having a pair of boys at her beck and call.


    "Makes sense. Had a feeling that might be the case. Now, I ain''t no witch meself, but you both seem capable enough for that place. Maybe even enough to make a friend of ours, Baltanthan, jealous. He really wants to go, but the travel expenses are a bit much for Ravineers like us. He''s also got his family preferring him to stay and hold down the shop." Futhans explains and I manage to follow along.


    "Tell''ya whats, he''s goin'' to have ta skip town hiding wit'' someone if he wants out." Shraymeaus adds on and the pair of hunters agree like it''s the obvious solution.


    "Speaking of friends," I start to say, focusing on the blonde hunter, "Have an aelenvari, woman with a tail and a human woman with short hair and big muscles been by your town recently?"


    "Can''t say, been a while since we''ve been able to linger in town long enough to spot strangers. What with the sadroobell mating season being about and our jobs being a fair bit busier than usual. But, if you plan on meeting them and you''ve taken the same path up till now. Then, they should have ended up going through Tryhpeltzweig. We''re on one of the main paths to Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst. Even if we''re not an official road or registered in the government logs," he explains.


    My mask hides my disappointment, but this is what I expected. I died the day we were supposed to leave, the day before at best. Then everything with the gods happened and then all that occurred when I was revived... Gives Vapooliar and the other two plenty of time to get an overwhelming head start.


    Guess it gives me more time to think about how I am going to explain my situation. None of them are going to be exactly happy to see an osibindah. Vapooliar, least of all with what happ- I just don''t want it to turn out hostile.


    "How many days away from this Thrurstradtur city is your town?" I ask, as it''ll give me a point of reference to work with. Not just for my reunion, but for our supply situation as well.


    "A few weeks on a normal pair of feet, unfortunately. Never mind the actual ascent up the mountain-state. You can reduce the time. But, that means contradictorily heading away from both Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst and Tryhpeltzweig to reach a government-ran town or place. So you can use their spiral-trains to then head back the way you came and to the city pair."


    I nod at his explanation and while I am familiar with trains, what is the ''spiral'' bit, exactly?


    "Spiral-train?" I ask.


    "Motorised vehicle with a bunch of magic stuff in it that rotates around a set path like this," Futhans explains, an arm imitating a rail line while he, well, spirals his other hand around it.


    "Is there a requirement to get on one of these spiral-trains? Beyond normal ticket fares and all that." I ask further as I recall the rules that gave upper-floor citizens of Tobaballe better luxury and space away from us grounders and the like.


    "They still doin'' that''a free ride with being a citizen?" Shraymeaus asks his companion and Futhans shakes his head.


    "No, think they did away with that a while ago. Not sure why, could''ve been a temporary law or maybe some company got involved around here. But, it''s now cheap fees for citizens, tariff hikes for anyone not a national. So that includes us Ravineers." Futhans clarifies and Shraymeaus lights up with an idea.


    "Well''a, I ain''t one to say''a no to a darlin'' like this here Rose''lhia. My legs can gallop''a you that distance just fine! Provided you got at least a few Teethed Efforts with you to make up for ta lost time." the reptile offers, but I am certain his offer hinges on Rose-sweerui''s continued usage of his back as a chair.


    "If I am to ride anything for a long time, it will be my precious love''s-"


    "Did you pack any of these Teethed Efforts!?" I interrupt loudly before she can finish, not that it matters. These two are old enough and smart enough to know where she was going. Shraymeaus is most noisy about it too!


    "I did not pack any Clockwork Proof of Efforts, no. I did, however, pack items that can fill in for such a role. But I am not a negotiator, so if I can get the best value out of them is..." she explains, trailing off as she brings me in for a hug. Both to hide the growing sense of disappointment and to nuzzle out some of that affection she was proud to let out a sentence ago.


    "Don''t worry about it, then. I''m sure I can find some work to get a bit of coin. More than enough time." I reassure her verbally while my clean claw shakes her furthest arm a little.


    "Well, if you''re willing to work. I can take you to the farmer who put out the request to handle the sadroobell. He can probably offer someone of your strength a fair bit of pay to handle his ryphurgok. Especially if you do not mind a creature that needs solid metal walls to keep housed." Futhans explains, and I let go of Rose-sweerui with a blink. Solid metal?


    "Solid metal?" I repeat, both my thoughts and his words being my inspiration. What kind of creature needs solid metal walls? No farm animal back home needs anything like that. A few lines of barbed wire are more than enough to deter all but the hungriest of them. And even then! Gods above, some planks or well-placed rocks will handle most of them.


    "Yeah, quite deeply laid as well, with further strut reinforcement on the outside. Ryphurgok can pack a mean amount of power if they get charging. Never mind how hard their beaks are because of their diet." Futhans explains further and I think I am able to recall the animal he''s on about. One of them took a shit in front of me and Vapooliar before we went to sleep the night she wanted to flee. A noise of acknowledgement bounces around my mask''s interior.


    "Bah, you talk''a about ''hem as if they''re dangerous. I can outrun one just''a fine." Shraymeaus boasts, one of his back legs kicking into the dirt and making a small splat of grass with it. Guess he thinks that''s impressive? Rose-sweerui''s eyes seem to almost demand I show off a greater kick. I ignore her want and her tail whips in time with her pout.


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    "You could outrun one if you went off to the side. If a ryphurgok gets going on a straight line, you''re trampled like everyone else is." Futhans points out and Rose-sweerui puts a finger to her lips, her bulbs initially lighting up over the pondered thought. She realises her vocalised thoughts being a glow and not words.


    "If I recall correctly, even outside of the laws of the usual wind-people settlements. The laws regarding these animals are still followed? With their grazing space left at a certain size so they cannot build speed. Cramped conditions and regular feeding keep them weighed down and too unable to run anywhere." Rose-sweerui speaks and I''m a bit surprised she knows this. What, with her previous answers from the other day about generally not being involved with towns and cities?


    "Yes, exactly." Futhans goes.


    "Sounds fun." I remark, setting aside my tangenting thoughts.


    "For you, probably''a! Actually, thinking about it. You''d fetch for quite a hefty pay. Savin'' the owners a lot on doctor visits and safety equipment." Shraymeaus concurs, and I huff quietly.


    "And how about you, Rose-sweerui? Any skills you have that can make some money?" I ask and whatever Shraymeaus quickly ends up chuckling about receives an utterly uncaring blast of magic to have it stopped. Rose-sweerui, undeterred by her suddenly hurt steed, carries on with her reaction. Something that''s downright allergic.


    "I''m not a root! Menial labour is beneath me," she irks.


    "Well, you''ll need to swallow your pride and work, then." I point out, our lack of money being more than a slight problem.


    "I refuse! I will not lower myself to their level!" she spits out with growing annoyance and the other two seem quite happy to enjoy the scene.


    "What about helping me, then?" I suggest, as I am sure I can find safer work that can involve her. When she''s done healing, of course.


    "No! My duty to you is to you exclusively, not another!" she argues against, anyway.


    "Why not try a temple or shrine, then? That was your role before, no?" I go and she still sneers at the idea of it.


    "Yes, being an ivy-mother was a religious role. But, I also did not do menial chores. I was in the highest position a woman in a flower can achieve. Even among my fellow Ahnelges ivy-mothers, I stood out and shined brightly." she explains, her chest puffing up as her face takes on increasingly vain attributes.


    As it becomes clear this is all I am going to get out of her, I sigh and shake my head, dropping the subject, "Fine, I will just work harder to make sure I have enough for both of us, then."


    A smile spreads across her face, an innocent giggle escapes and she displays her feminine body quite seductively, "Excellent! You can start by bringing back food that I can cook and I can tend to you... In other ways."


    Thankfully, my mask is hiding my blank stare. But even if she could, I doubt that would stop her swishing tail or put an end to that lusty smirk. Her expression breaks mine down and I smile a bit myself. Look at her, fine putting in labour to help me out, but she''ll draw the deepest, clearest line the moment someone else is involved. No matter how slight!


    "Nice to see you two getting along." a new, older voice says, taking the attention of all four of us. The calm expression he has turns firm and his walk becomes more of a march. His attention locked on Shraymeaus and Futhans.


    Futhans pats around for the jawbone.


    "And why are you not hunting that sadroobell?" the old man demands to know, though he doesn''t seem so far gone as to deny the chance for explanation. Futhans fails to get the bone, but I am fine with raising my claw the metre or so it needs to be put on display.


    "Because these two dealt with it." Futhans answers, his hands erratically pointing at my gore-stained treasure. What I feel is an awkward silence takes over. The old man''s serious expression cracks completely with a shatter that''s almost hearable.


    "To the local, then!" he cheers with a hearty laugh and a dry huff escapes me. The pair we met steadily calm down and they join in on the fun. Reminds me a lot of Tobaballe, really. The mood that took over when the bells and alarms ended people''s shifts. What was once a common daily occurrence is now a rarity.


    "Wait, Dad, won''t we get more pay if we bring back the whole corpse?" Futhans asks, clarifying their relationship. Though, now I''m wondering what about the corpse makes it worth so much. Oh, right, food. Wonder what kind of steaks can be cooked from that?


    "But the local...!" the old man complains to his son, his face slipping back to its professional sternness as he meets my eyes, "Can you give us an account of where the rest of the corpse is?"


    "I can take you, but not tell you." I answer, my mind not really able to comprehend how to explain the journey. Rose-sweerui''s sudden, tight touch brings my attention back around to her. Her head shakes ever so slightly while her eyes sparkle with either the forced start of genuine or fake tears.


    "Will your flower pickings here be fine on her own? The quicker we can get this done, the better." Futhans'' father asks and Rose-sweerui''s grip tightens even more. Any more and she might crush my arm into a bloody bit of flatbread.


    "No! I am not staying on my own!" Rose-sweerui snaps and I catch Shraymeaus'' face move all over with his neck.


    "Am I that forgettables?" he mutters to himself.


    "Rose-sweerui, it''s alright," I start to tell her in an effort to calm her down, but, it seems like either my death is still bothering her or the attack is... "I''m not just going to leave you out here to go and nab a corpse off the ground."


    She shakes her head with a teary whine.


    "Well, if she isn''t willing to stay put. Not that I can blame her, with those injuries and all. Guess we''ll head back to town and present the jawbone as initial proof. Or, well, you present it as it was your kill," Futhans'' father explains, and that seems to get something positive out of her.


    "No, no. That''s fine on the money bit. I never killed it expecting a prize. I did it to save Rose-sweerui. We won''t take it all. That way, you still get something out of today." I explain to the hunters and they seem happy with that arrangement.


    "Shall we get going back to town, then? We can speak more on the way there," the old man suggests, and I nod along as my mind gets going without me.


    "Wait, I have an idea," I tell him and my focus goes back to Rose-sweerui, "What about in the town? Would you be fine being left there? You''d be near guards, strong walls, and you could get something to eat and rest properly some more."


    Each word sees me lower myself more and more, so I''m not imposing over her. More so for my own sake, I guess. I don''t want to think she''s only agreed because I am big. A big scary osibindah monster...


    "I don''t want to be left behind..." she tells me quietly with a sniffle, her eyes spilling over with wetness.


    A long noise leaves me, my thoughts working overtime to try and figure out something. What can I do that can appease her mindset...? She likes grand things? What can I- Oh!


    Thank the gods for such quick inspiration.


    "But... But! If you wait for me in town and give us time to get the sadroobell body. You can smile so proudly at all the disbelief of all the people. Watching me as I bring that dead monster into town. You''d really be able to rub it in to all those other women that it''s your precious love doing it! They''ll just stare on in envy and you''d be able to run up to me." I tell her quite quietly and she latches onto the mental image instantly. Somewhat I am lying, as I am just trying to appeal to her standards. She wipes her eyes and lets me see them again, all giddy and bright.


    Her tail swings with tiring speed and her blush-carrying smile opens up, "Ok..."


    Her grip loosens, and she goes back to holding onto Shraymeaus fully.


    "So how far away is the town, anyway? I could get her there and you lot get a head start towards the sadroobell?" I offer as I pick up Rose-sweerui.


    "I''ll get headin'' to Tryhpeltzweig. I can make it back in no time." Shraymeaus insists while he relinquishes his soft package, regardless.


    "Not far, maybe another hour or two?" Futhans guesses as he looks up at what must be a local landmark.


    "I see. Is there any place in particular I can leave Rose-sweerui and our stuff at?" I ask, securing everything that I can in the bag while my grip is firm and caring with the lady of the hour.


    "There''s the Welcome Plaza Bed and Breakfast. You will be able to tell what building it is by how confused you get when getting past the walls of the town, as it looks just like the entrance to town." Futhans'' father explains, his description of the place perhaps more confusing.


    "Guess I will know when I see it. Futhans, if you take your father down the path we came, you''ll eventually get back to it." I explain to the blond-haired son.


    "Yeah, sure, I can take him. But how will you get back? Shraymeaus already has the head start, and he gallops quite fast, even for a kelbalid. Doubly so, given the luxury he''s had today." Futhans asks and I wish he could see my smirk. I roll my shoulders and test the spring in my double-jointed legs.


    "Easy, by jumping." I tell the father-son pair and me and my cargo leap into the air. Hopefully, this should cut down on how long it will take to get to this town. And, looking at the currently screaming woman, quite the earful is expected too. She gets not a moment to calm down before the next earth-breaking boom.

 V4 Incline 10: Roselhia

    "Please... Please do not ever tempt Undwote like that again..." I complain to my precious love, stumbling out of his grip. Collapsing against our supplies the moment he puts them down, I clutch the strong fabric tightly. Wherever the kelbalid is, he''s still a fair distance behind, as my love is certainly something. Even with the additional weight, he overtook the galloping root-like.


    With my stomach settling down, I glance up at the walls of the human settlement. The crashing arrival of my love spooked them and they''re on the approach. My love starts to move away and the knowledge of his departure shreds away at my resolve. I weakly reach out for him, hoping to make him second guess the plan.


    "Oh, stop your moaning. You can tempt whichever god it is that''s linked to pride when I bring back the sadroobell. See you in a bit, Rose-sweerui!" he tells me, launching off into the distance. His power blows my hair back and shakes the ground. Saddened at first, the noise of the surprised humans manages to get a smile onto my lips. Their acknowledgement of my precious love''s power is so intoxicating.


    "For- For the sake of ensuring the safety of... Of our town. I will need to write down your reason for the disturbance," the head of the humans says, and I can hear them all be taken aback by my refined, petal beauty. I can hear how loud he gulps and I stand up. Though my eyes do not see as theirs do, I know what has their attention. My firm, honey-filled breasts, my slim waist and how it widens towards my hips. Slender legs and flawless skin.


    All so easily rendered naked and bare if the humans just reached for it.


    Approaching them, I start to fiddle with his uniform, "I am staying here to restock on supplies for a little bit. From which I shall carry on my journey to Suhurlodst, human."


    While I regret not speaking of my love so vividly, part of a woman''s ability to entrance men is to simply be available. I can tell they all like what they can see and I know they want to reach that slight leap closer to touch me. My tail whips at the closest hand, hooking so gently they only know it''s there when it''s too late. Yet, despite my necessary flirting, there''s an uncomfortable truth I am struggling to suppress.


    All of these men are so minuscule compared to my love. His magic outshines them all, the difference between seeing the world from a peak and the ground. I can''t help but feel disgusted by how lacking these men are in their power. If the wind-people proper are petals, these lot are all roots. Every single one of them.


    Wind-people are humans and yet, I feel the need to draw the distinction when it comes to those here. I can easily understand why this place is not involved with the nation of wind-people we are so close to. Why would anyone of such prestige and power want to be involved with this...? The mountains controlled by the wind-people out scale the need for such lesser population. Unlike we aelenvari, this is not a necessary evil to be suffered.


    "Right... Right, got it!" the man with the tablet answers, his fingers shaking as they input the details. Turning back to my stuff with a finger on my lips, I show my wound off a little. Hiding my smirk within my mind, they all fawn over the bruises and signs of trouble. I point towards the bag.


    "Perhaps you lot would be so kind as to help me into town? The road here has been very dangerous and I am simply unable to do it myself at this time." I plea, showing off the shape of my body while keeping their eyes on the provoked wounds. Wincing at the pain, I get my posture back to normal as they start to move. All of the men move to handle the job, but one is quicker than the others.


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    Noting the parts of their armour that are thinner, I slip my hand to them and press down.


    Bodies heat up and energy fills their muscles, "Ca-Can I get some help?"


    Putting on a small smile, I watch them carry the supplies through the gate. Swatting at some bottoms with my tail, I trail after them and begin to overtake them. Reaching their front, I let my rear and legs direct them for the time being. My mind flashes images across my head, my assumptions guiding me as well as the echoes of those hunters.


    Oh... My love, please return soon with your quarry. Show those hunters what you effortlessly slew. Show the whole settlement. All to protect me, my precious love, me who he calls his dearest sweerui.


    I blink in confusion at how it feels like I am going through the town gate again.


    "So it does look a lot like the entrance." I dimly remark with my true-voice and I glance back the way I came. The trick on the senses is one-sided, however, and the back of the actual walls couldn''t be more distinct if it tried. I gesture towards a nearby table and the humans set the supplies down.


    Approaching them, I vent my disgust through my true-voice. I give silent thanks through kisses on the wind and I finger wave them on their way back to their posts. The lot do so with smiles on their faces and hopes on their lips. When it is a certainty that they''re far enough, I snort.


    As if any of these humans have a chance with a petal of my calibre.


    Going into the bag, I pull out some of the wine I brought and a glass to drink it from. Might as well keep my mind occupied with the sweet liquid made of Pluuit''s finest grapes and flavours. Drinking the finely made aelenvari nectar, I spot a human of a degree unlike those from a moment ago. One with a short shoulder cape, riding boots and a narrow-pointed hat and many empty holsters. Likely leather tanned from the beasts he has felled personally.


    Despite my lack of contact with human settlements, I am aware of what this man is. A valley-rider. One of the most notorious pests we aelenvari have to deal with. Unlike the thorns who helped me, a valley-rider needs to be of a certain make to succeed. Riding the wilds means they find my kind a lot and their circumstances allow for easy exploitation.


    I''ve heard the songs of the wind-people and how they detail the petal maiden swept off of her points... Though, should this human irk me, I''ll have plenty to complain about. Men of their kind are supposed to keep the roads safe. And yet, sadroobells and osi- wild osibindah have littered the path I took.


    "Why hello there, delicate one," the man greets, his voice brimming with confidence and experience. I can see his magic moving quite clearly and I move mine to counter its smothering. He definitely is the kind the songs speak of. Fortunately for me, I guess, he''s never impressed anything more than a stem. I just know.


    I wish he would leave without having to be told or having to guess it. His lingering might even convince me to drink my wine straight from all the bottles. I''ll slur and wobble my way to my love''s lips and I will kiss him dearly. Both so he can feel one of the greatest acts of love and taste the rarest of spices known only as Rose''lhia-sweerui.


    The valley-rider brings a leg up onto the seat and leans on the knee.


    "Can I help you?" I ask dismissively, keeping my eyes on my glass of wine. It''s quite entertaining to watch the liquid swirl in the glass. Watching all that magic-fermented sweetness. Delightful.


    I may no longer be a member of a flower, my flower... But I''ve had enough animosity built up over the years towards valley-riders. Complaints from the males at their intrusiveness. The problems caused by roots vanishing along with stems. Much as we try to educate our lessers, we are all but women and we crave the love of a man. But, regardless of my circumstances, I maintain the mindset I have always held.


    That of spite for those who would degrade us into being trophies, rather than lovers.


    "A rose with thorns? I always did enjoy ones like that." the valley-rider goes, a small glass appearing in my sights. He raises it with a nod and I meet it with my own, if only to be courteous. Oh, how I loathe this man already! I force a smile out at him and it turns genuine as one idea enraptures me.


    I can show him how small he is compared to my returning, precious love so soon!

 V4 Incline 11: Nin

    "Right up there?" Futhans asks as we come to a stop at the somewhat familiar place. Admittedly, my memory is being a bit shoddy right now. I''ve been banking on finding some blood trails and we seem to have found it.


    "Yeah, it crashed up there after I knocked out half of its left wing." I tell the young hunter, glancing around for the mess I made when I took that jawbone. I know for a fact I was trying to clean my claw a lot in the grass. My eyes move onto Futhans'' father as he inspects what seems to be the safest way up onto the rocky path. He hops up onto a boulder for a better view.


    "How damaged is the body?" he asks and I almost feel like snickering under my breath. A fair amount, I really want to answer. Just said I tore up its wing and the pair have seen the jawbone.


    "Outside of the obvious and already told... Not much? Body is still largely intact though it is bloody." I answer, keeping my tone serious while I wave a claw back at their sled.


    "So you''d be able to bring it down without the body falling apart?" the father asks as he tests some possible places to put his grip. The stone cracks and slips away into a small roll of debris. Despite being the furthest away, Futhans flinches the most. His father, however, merely stares with a thoughtful noise in his mouth.


    "Should be able, yeah." I answer, moving away from the pair so I can leap up without issue. I''m getting better at this whole magic thing, but not enough to say that I am confident. Confident enough to boast about it, anyway.


    "Well, be careful with it regardless. More intact it is meat and bone wise, more we get for it," the father explains and I nod in response. Sending myself into the air, I end up overshooting the area I was aiming for. Unable to adjust my trajectory, I hit the mountain face and its immediate area shatters like pottery. Grumbling to myself, I focus my magic into my claws properly and slide. Pebbles trailing after me as the cracks split smoothly down the way.


    "I wonder if you being fresh is particularly important...?" I ponder with quiet vocals as I look over the gory mess I made earlier. A frown starts to form as my self-reflection reaches far into my past. To think I took apart an animal earlier today. I killed it not long prior before that as well.


    Looking down to my palms, one thought lingers, ''All with nothing more than my hands... Claws.''


    Turning my focus away from my thoughts and palms, I stare at the corpse and take in the details properly. Six legs, serpentine body, leathery skin with no hair in sight and, of course, the saw jaw. Yet, oddly enough, I feel like I''ve seen stranger. What a strange ''somehow'' to have in my life.


    A noise escapes my mouth, one other than these new chitters I make. I cannot get a particularly good grip on this thing. This long, damn body with its drooping belly is nearly impossible to lift! I can''t get the bloody thing entirely above my head...


    Bah!


    "Guess I am wrapping myself in a dead body." I remark, coiling the corpse around my torso somewhat so I can waddle down. Maybe this isn''t a good idea. I cannot see where I am going and have no clue as to how far the ledge is. One wrong step and I am falling onto this corpse with a splat.


    Rolling the body up, I try my hardest to get at least one eye facing downward. A fairly hefty, difficult task because of my need to keep my body a secret, too. Regardless, I am able to catch the end of solid stone and I take the jump. As close to a gentle leap as I can get too...


    The dirt thuds and compacts underfoot.


    Letting the body slide off with a sigh, I look at the pair of hunters, "Here you go."


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Their four eyes widen as the creature''s skeleton forces some straightness to it. I help it straighten out fully, but try to avoid the mess I made of its head. Futhans starts poking the creature over and he seems fairly elated at how tough the muscle seems to be. His father, however, is making walks up and down the length of the creature.


    "How long do you think?" Futhans asks.


    "Easily more than ten halfmans, maybe thirteen at best," the older man huffs.


    "Wasn''t the one we were informed of half that?" Futhans recalls and his father nods in agreement, a smirk on his lips when he turns to me again.


    "Indeed. So, that means our friend here dealt with an even bigger one." Futhans'' father explains and his expression sours a little. Curious as to what he''s up to, I grab the leg he wanted Futhans to grab. A rear one. The aged man then shoves his hand straight into the slot in its crotch with a slimy squelch. Instinctively, I twitch suddenly.


    "Yep, I get that feeling." Futhans chuckles as his father pulls out the creature''s penis. A strange, oddly hammer-shaped thing. I barely catch a glimpse of a little notepad or something coming out of the old man''s pocket as I turn away.


    "You said it nabbed your aelenvari?" Futhans asks while I keep my eyes firmly on the mountains and trees.


    "Yeah, while she was resting on her stuff. We''re lucky the bag didn''t break from how sudden it was. She... She had been injured prior, so I didn''t want her straining her wounds and I put her up there." I explain, still concerned over her safety, even though it''s all past tense now.


    "Why didn''t you just heal her?" he asks, the question filling me with confusion. Yet, he himself is equally confused. He does not understand in the slightest. And I have no idea how he can think like that. How in the name of all the gods was I going to heal her?


    I''m no doctor, one in training or a student one nor a nurse or anything like that. Whatever Vapooliar and Rose-sweerui were able to do for me in the flower is beyond me. And, well, with Vapooliar being able to do it, it seems like such a far away achievement. She can do all sorts of amazing things that I can only dream of doing right now. So, any comparison between us is pointless.


    "How would I do that, exactly?" I ask, hoping he''d be able to pass onto me some helpful wisdom. It would help me a lot with looking after Rose-sweerui and myself for that matter. But, mostly, it would help me make up for what I did to her before I died.


    "You don''t know? All you got to do is put your magic into her. You are clearly stronger than her, as she is head over heels for you. Bulbs over points? At least, that is how it seems to me."


    "I don''t suppose you could show me how...?" I ask and he shakes his head.


    "No, I thought you would have kno- Oh! Wait, sorry. I forgot you said you were going to, not that you were from Suhurlodst." he goes, a hand covering his embarrassment as he steps back.


    "Can you two help me? Especially you, Futhans!" his father snaps as he continues to struggle the body away from us. The old man drops the body and goes off to the sled to sort out the straps instead, leaving us to haul it over. I send Futhans off to help with the straps and I let the pair guide me about once I arrive with the body. If any force is needed, I push and they direct it more finely.


    "Back to the town, then?" I ask as we come to a halt with all the strapping and folding of the dead animal. The pair of... Humans... Kick its parts onto the sled proper to prevent needless drag.


    "Quicker the better. If another sadroobell sees this, then it will come in for a go at hefting it skyward. This one will pass its dream of finding a lady sadroobell onto the other. Just a damn shame we need to go out on another trip to get that same one..." Futhans'' father explains, his tone taking on some bitterness at how they need to do a second tiring trip.


    "Why not just tell them it is, Dad?" Futhans asks and the old man scoffs.


    "Don''t be preposterous! We do it honestly. But I am sure they won''t mind paying more for us getting a larger one as well." Futhans'' father answers with a laugh and pat on the back, his work ethic respectable. He''s keeping to his word while also showing some cunning in regards to it. Hard work, but paying work.


    The pair then crawl up onto the beast and keep their guns pointed at the sky. The ropes and straps used to keep the body still serving as their seats for the time being. Scoffing at the assumption, I get to the front of the sled and pick it up. They give me what seems to be gestures of appreciation.


    "Forwards?" I ask the pair as I adjust my grip on the thick-handled rope. Walking regardless of their answer, anyway.


    "Yeah, keep going down the way you are facing, be quick enough and I''ll buy ya more than a few barrels," the father tells me as we move. I shrug at his offer, trying to recall what he''s on about specifically. Slambarrel...? Spring barrel? Does he mean kegs? No, wait. Swingbarrel, that booze thing the soldiers showed me in the flower before I died.


    Either way, I see how fast I can get going without causing them any danger. This Nin-powered sled will get them back quick yet!

 V4 Incline 12: The Aspiring Retail Worker

    "Baltanthan! Why aren''t you working!?" my hypocritical, fat, rocks-for-a-brain idiot of a sperm-well complains. All because I am spending but a few minutes of my double digit hours long shift sat on a stall. Bringing my drumming fingers to an absolute halt, I get up with a scowl. Almost tempted to slip and break this copper-decorated wood making up the counter''s edges.


    A red hot twitch runs down my face. I''m pretty sure these veins of mine have burst. I sneak in a glance back his way and my expression only grows worse. He''s sat there, like usual, drinking his gods-forsaken tea... It''s not even his first cup. He has an entire damn box empty right next to him!


    The urge to snap back clicks to life, igniting.


    "Because there is nothing to do! I have already cleaned the shop and no customers have come in since I last cleaned up, so don''t you even think about asking me to clean up again!" I tell him way too calmly for my liking. I''m barely restraining myself only because I know he''ll be hurling the lies on me until I''m drowning in them. At least I can live up to one of our ancestors, the ones who choked on the Ibenoroccon magic during the Time of Liquid Mountains!


    Yet, even then, he knows what I want to say and his mouth opens up. Sneering at him, I grab onto the door and slam it shut, with my fingers quickly sliding the lock on my side into place. I growl back his way. The day I can leave will be wonderful...


    But, until I can build up a great enough reserve of wealth, that won''t be happening. Never mind the fact he''s barely paying me any Workman''s Proof to begin with. A problem, he compounds with his insufferably pretentious and self-serving rent scheme. Extortion is putting it lightly. It''s more like borderline slavery.


    I mean... I don''t get it, I just don''t. What kind of father pinches every single coin he can from his own son? Who does that? What kind of father acts like some villain from a children''s story!?


    Finding my rusting nail, I slide my finger across it harshly and hiss at the familiar sensation. It''s quite the shelf here as well, one we keep our more expensive and limited stock. Potions, concoctions and some alcohol. Stuff that always seems to disappear without a record of sale despite there being no break-ins...


    I growl towards the locked door and recall the lack of complaints from his side.


    The warmth builds up on my finger, audibly hitting the floor, "Not today, not today..."


    Snatching up a piece of scrap from a little box under the counter, I roll it across the bloody finger. My expression mellows into one of disappointment as the metal rusts and breaks apart into fine orange and brown dust. Shaking my head, I rub the finger and hand clean of blood and rust on my trousers. Adding to its collection of stains that will never go.


    Lifting the counter entrance up, I go out and walk the aisles to idly move stuff about. It''s an odd thing. I''m at my happiest generally when I am moving things around and keeping them tidy. Not as happy as when I am properly practicing my magic, but it''s a close second. I guess it''s because it''s the one thing I can control in my life... A bunch of boxes and packets.


    The front door opens and its bell jingles, the sound of worn out breathing competing with it.


    "Excuse me, is this the magic-tool shop?" a clear she asks, despite the odd accent. Oddly electric. I try to ignore how absurdly muddy she is. My mood is bad enough.


    Eyes off the floor... Eyes off the floor...


    "Just as the sign that was just above you says." I remark plainly, heading back to my despair and misery with a tired heave. I was not in the middle of restocking the shop and quite frankly, I do not want to be doing so. It means going out back to... Him... Hearing his berations as he lazily grows more obese.


    Whatever my thoughts, this woman''s words are not particularly meaningful to them. She keeps spewing drivel that makes no sense. I can barely understand her poorly pronounced ''thank you'' between the random details. If I know anything right now with her, she''s holding a list and looking for something specific. Or more, she''s rechecking this once-soggy thing again and again.


    She comes around and freezes up at my expression. She turns timid and moves closer, putting the list on the counter with much care, "I''m sorry to bother you about this, but do you have any of the following?"


    I raise a brow at the handwriting and what is on it. The handwriting isn''t even the issue, it''s honestly lovely. Clear and concise, even with the problems of all the crumpling and the creases. The problem is that this isn''t anything a Jhermonikra might possibly read or speak.


    Gods above, this isn''t even their holy language Gods Speak. This is something genuinely foreign. Guess that means she''s come in through the tunnel that leads down to the water-vein port the town is built above. Getting real tired of people coming in through that place and not speaking a Jherikra tongue well or well enough at all. This isn''t a well-populated city, it''s a ravineer town!


    Stolen novel; please report.


    "I can''t read this, Ms," I tell her with performed politeness and I return the list to her. She immediately gets to fumbling about her filthy sack, pulled from under her equally filthy, torn up clothes. A book of all things arrives on the counter, one that has also seen lots of water. An illegal ship passenger?


    Putting the thoughts aside, I watch her go through the book. My expression remains unchanged even as she arrives at the right page. Its diagram barely holding any of the form it once had. But, thankfully I suppose, I can clearly tell what it is.


    An ''aura-container and measurer.''


    "Do you have this? It''s an aura-container measurer. It measures how much magic you have in you." she explains, not that I need to know this and I let it slide. Frowning at the image upon further inspection, I find myself surprised I even guessed it rightly. This is not for measuring our native magic. Too many wires and the weird, ball-tipped ears offer no practical purpose. Guess this explains the accent. She''s from way down south.


    Founding-Lord Brewbrt went there an awful lot, but the name is slipping through my mind. I guess it doesn''t matter. She might not even be from that far south. The bottom coastline of Jherikra is covered in fallen and quite large landmasses from the other place. Lots of far-off cities separated by the great waters of the All-Coast Sea.


    Lightning magic, she''s after something for that.


    "We do not have anything like what you have shown me. What we have is for our native element of wind." I explain, walking away for a moment to take a spare box we have back here. I put it on the counter and slide it over without much care for what happens to it. Compared to what she wants, though, this needs some time to take in people''s breath. Up to a half-a-dozen halfmans in range on this one as it''s fairly cheap.


    Not much need for something stronger around here, really.


    Outside of Founding-Lord Brewbrt, I''m the only one who seems to have gotten a quality reaction from this thing...


    "How does it work?" she asks, picking up the box and looking it over. Much like I was earlier, she seems to be struggling to read it but unlike me, she can get the gist. Ignoring the usual hammered in protocol and all the stuff with the counter-theft band, I open the box up.


    "Place the small narrow piece in your mouth and the glass circle with the brass rim against your eye, settling it there or hold it there. It doesn''t matter." I begin to explain, setting it up on myself as it probably won''t do anything with her, "Now, you just need to breathe in through it, not harshly, not strong, just breathe like you normally would."


    Finishing up, I show her the machine''s stated values and explain how to go about it with more than one person. Yet, despite my mouth opening and my thoughts processing it, I cannot focus on anything other than the result my pale magic created. Most around here wouldn''t give a damn. We''re a low population town in the ravines. But not me. I have aspirations to be more than a common man in the valleys and canyons.


    A ravineer, as so many demeaningly put it.


    I want to be a witch renowned for his strength. I want the capacity to act like a Valkinvar of the eastern side of Jherikra. A hero of old, told in length and recorded for eternity in the holy lands of the three Ark Cities in the west. Some great nobleman granted the privilege of building an estate on the face of the Wind Mountain itself.


    "Eck-eh... Excuse me," the woman goes, bringing my attention to the odd noises going on with the device.


    "Hm, an error." I remark, ignoring the odd sight beyond the shop''s front windows.


    "It seems to be having trouble reading something outside..." she explains, her body twisting slightly in that direction. She rushes off so excitedly that she forgets all of her stuff. My mind is too slow and the door rings again before my mouth so much as gapes. Shaking my head, I lift the counter up and take her stuff with me to the front until I get outside.


    In the midst of finding her again, I follow the eyes of the crowd and spot Futhans. He and his much more enjoyable and likeable old man are on top of a dead sadroobell. A giant of a man brings them in through the street, his presence almost oppressive with how much magic is spilling out of him. I blink in awe and my mouth opens at the sight.


    Whoever he is, he''s dressed in dirtied, bloodied bandages. A black cloak with a matching wide-brimmed hat. An ivory mask shaped like a beak hiding his face. But, even then, despite the strange attire, his magic is something else. It''s like that time Founding-Lord Brewbrt gave me a display when I was barely able to call myself young.


    The woman finds me, her relief and excitement see-able even through the mask of muck she has on. A collection of bluish sparks goes off between her fingers, their branches going towards the unknown man. Going by how messy the pair are, I guess they know each other? She''s certainly glad to have finally found him.


    At least, I''m assuming so...


    "Is this your... Uh... What was it... Aktomenoii-essumiai Getidais?" she asks, with no context whatsoever. A more perplexing thing to hear given how I can''t even recall what she has just asked. I am baffled is putting it lightly.


    My lack of an answer drives what must be embarrassment onto her face. She secures everything and runs off into a back alley, further confusing me. She does not know him? If she did, she wouldn''t be going off into hiding. Oh, of course she doesn''t know him. She asked me who he was, that much is clear!


    Shaking my head, I move my gaze beyond the crowd and towards the temple of lacking focus. I spit my frustrations at the unseen building and go back into the shop to get it cleaned up. Even out here in the open, that girl has left a trail. I am already dreading the mess she''s left on the floors I keep having to mop...


    Gods forbid anyone read the sign and not let their brains be caught in an avalanche of stupid!


    I sniff the air as I get back inside, "What a smell."


    It''s not like she''s walked through anything bad, it''s just... Why does it all have a lingering, burning smell? Is it related to the sparks? Is she perhaps going to Suhurlodst at some point...?


    "Suhurlodst..." I miserably mutter, my distant dream flashing before my eyes.

 V4 Incline 13: Nin

    "Right here?" I ask the pair of hunters, finishing my walk through the town as they give me thumbs. Turning back slightly, my eyes look over the crowd that has been following us since the gates opened. I guess a sadroobell must be something really impressive. But why are they largely focusing on me if that is the case?


    I try to distract my mind from the paranoia of so many eyes on me and retreat into my cloak somewhat. There are a lot of blocky stone buildings filling out the interior of the town so far. And, my mind is somewhat full of questions as to why the road within is so well-done and artistic... Yet, the outside is still largely well-walked dirt and hard ground.


    Futhans lets out a noise as he lands, "You want to wait here or come in with us so we can get paid?"


    "What will get me back to Rose-sweerui quicker?" I ask, pretty sure I have a rough idea of where she was.


    "Either or." Futhans answers, his hand wobbling.


    "Guess I will come with you then." I shrug in response and I follow after them as they move to a rather flat-looking building. One with a shining, corrugated roof that ends in little funnels which feed into many small pots. Each one blooming with all colours of plants and fruit-rich stems. My eyes have only a moment to follow some algae trails growing on the funnel ends.


    My hat gets knocked back by the top of the door frame and I snap it into place, my actions frantic. Futhans stares back at me and chuckles. I barely catch onto the noise of the bell ringing ahead of us. His father doesn''t seem to care at all, he just wants someone to serve his wants and needs. Ring, ring, ring, ring, ringringring rin-


    The bell is pulled away, out of sight.


    "A hammer''s work." I mutter as I look over what must be some kind of work notice board. Only, it''s covered in stone tablets that are marked fairly deep. Hard, angular writing, but not something I can really read.


    "Alright, you damn two. Let''s see what you dragged in," an old lady goes as she walks past us. She whacks my leg with something and I back away from the miserable woman. Oddly hostile to me in particular. What have I done wrong...?


    "Seems like she doesn''t like you," Futhans whispers up to me as his father leaves us be for the moment.


    "What did I do...?"


    "I''m going to assume it''s more of a what are you doing," he explains, and I straighten up, my claws fidgeting under the cover of my cloak.


    "Oh..." is all I can really let out.


    "She is incredibly petty. Don''t worry about it. She will find any reason not to like someone. Maybe your outfit set her off, or maybe you are so big you blocked her view of the other end of the building," he explains and I have a feeling like he must be lying. There''s no way someone can be that petty, right...?


    "Well, what does she hate about you two?" I ask, gesturing out the front door with a claw.


    "She hates how Dad smells of barrelswing. And, she hates how I keep my hair short," he answers, taking off his feathered hat to rub a hand through the crime.


    "Do you put up with her often?"


    "Fortunately, no, she spends nearly all her time in the back. So, it''s just a simple case to check the bounty board, see what animal is causing an issue. Grab the tablet off the board or mark our names on it. So others know we''re covering it and all. Then, well, we head on out when we can."


    "So, I assume the tablets have the requester''s name on it?"


    "Yeah."


    "What about going to them as well, seeing as they set it up?"


    Futhans starts chuckling with humoured evilness, "Oh, we will. We also score the additional payment of some nice and juicy bulderow steaks. Also, a bit more money if we sweet talk them. You know, be humble and all that, make them sure their cattle and birds and all that are safe."


    My mind tangents at the mention of steaks, but I am not sure what to think of a ''bulderow'' exactly, yet my mind pictures something grazing, anyway.


    "Speaking of payments, what sort of cut am I getting? Again, I did not really intend to get money out of this when I killed the sadroobell. But... Again... I did kill it." I go, somehow forgetting the important detail. Futhans blanks out and his head wobbles.


    "However much you want from the lodge bounty? Ranch is ours, however." he suggests and I nod, pretty much fine with that.


    "So I do your job for you because the creature snatched my friend and you won''t even share a rump steak? How impolite." I joke with a huff, watching his father come back in with the old lady. She hits me with that tool of hers again, muttering something on the way back. The audacity to not even try and play it off as an accident!


    "Money." the old lady goes, and she hands the father a small piece of what appears to be clay. She disappears and I hear the thunk of a hard-to-move lever. A hidden mechanism swallows the wall to our right, suddenly bringing it below. Revealing a room going on for ages and ages.


    Moving slightly forward so I can peek into the room, I let out a quiet whistle amidst my chitters. But, as I do so, I start to become confused and the scale settles in my mind as -the- question. I scurry outside and check the building''s size again. That room isn''t out here. It shouldn''t exist.


    Yet, it does... It really does.


    "Almost like Kyarverin''s ship..." I let out, my eyes widening in awe at the engineering feat. Only magic can be responsible. It''s all I can think of. Have a tower collapse under me, there''s no way the divine have built this. No god or goddess, for that matter, has ever come here for something so mundane.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    A static shock hits my system and I flinch.


    "Huh?" I blurt, looking around for the mindboggling occurrence. I definitely saw the shocks, a bit of pale blue, so very briefly. Looking around some more, I spot a shadowy figure hiding on a portion of a roof, their hand frantically moving. Shaking my head at the strange sight, I go back indoors.


    Just in time for Futhans and his father to come back out of the vault-filled room. The wall is spat back up to the roof and the little clay thing is returned. With a smile on his elderly face, the father claps his hands. They rub eagerly.


    "To the local!" he declares, his excited hands snatching away the large metal box in Futhans'' grip. The son barely manages to stop the booze-minded elder with a firm grab of the chest. His head indicates to me and the old man''s mind stops fogging up.


    "Ah, of course, how much will you be wanting?"


    "A biased half...?" I ask, thinking more so in the region of a percentage of about sixty. I guess half is fine, too. Looking outside as they begin to sort through the money, I recall my travel companion. I start to go.


    "We''ll give it to you later!" Futhans calls, clearly understanding where I am going even without a word said. Gesturing back in thanks somewhat, I scan the crowd for any sign of the aelenvari woman. It seems she is not here. What was it... Welcome... Welcome Plaza?


    Going back the way we came into town, I recall the peculiar detail Futhans explained before. My mind, however, remains on the crowd, as they''re quite the tight-knit bunch. I''m scared to reach out and move them aside for a plethora of reasons. I''m so strong now, since that emerald blast in the hive. Never mind the body I''ve had for what feels like a hated eternity, but is actually so very little time.


    One mistake and my secret is out... It might not even be my fault. It''ll only take a curious or annoying child to try something. Picking up my pace, I try to find Rose-sweerui quicker so we can go and get somewhere private. Hopefully, there''s a nice place around the edge of town she is fine with. A place I can maybe undress a little in.


    "Two gates? Thought there was only one- Oh, yeah, that''s right. Building looks like the entrance." I let out in confusion, the details returning to me as I align my focus on the bed-and-breakfast. A sigh of relief escapes me as I notice Rose-sweerui finger-wagging me closer. Moving up regardless, this man who is trying to get closer to her backs up.


    "Welcome back, my precious love... We saw you, you know. Felt you..." Rose-sweerui lets out in an almost forced tone. Like she''s trying to hammer the point in to this man. She''s certainly a lot more active than usual. My masked face turns to the man so I can try to take my attention off of the barely dressed beauty.


    "So you''re the reason this beautiful picking is out of my grasp?" the man asks as he pinches the tip of his hat to give it a raise. Returning the favour as best as I can, a small smile comes to his face. It passes to me, this style of greeting oddly humourous. His eyes go wayward for a second and he stares at... Nothing. Oddly enough, the old lady seemed to react like this as well.


    "Uh, I guess." I eventually let out, remembering he said something.


    "Nice to meet you then, strong man. I am Mounted-Captain Henipiotch of the Tryhpeltzweig Valley-Rider''s, more ceremoniously called the Enkererin Ordoar Tryhstahlen." he explains, his chest pumping up as he tells me this. In the air as well, something starts to contest with the atmosphere. I am not sure how I can feel such an effect...?


    Shaking my head subtly, my eyes linger on the symbolism stitched and dyed into what must be his uniform. In particular, the fluffy-looking rims of his hat and the shoulder-cape that''s fluttering on an isolated breeze. He winks at Rose-sweerui and she only sprawls over me more. His top seems almost a little too loose and it undoes itself enough to show off the edges of his pectorals.


    "I... Uh..." I stammer out as Rose-sweerui''s learned side tries to compel me to show off like him.


    She stops, her hands reminding her of what is under my bandages and cloak.


    "Uh, I am Nin Urtuan. Nin, it''s my first name... Not a profession... And this is, uh, Rose-sweerui. She''s a flower''s former ivy-mother." I explain and he catches onto that description of Rose-sweerui with a idolising whistle. Whatever is going on in his head, I''ve only encouraged it.


    "An Ivy-Mother?" he repeats to himself, slowly moving into a laugh.


    Rose-sweerui''s tail tries to make one of my claws tug at her garter belt.


    "You should come down to our lodge if you ever have the chance. It would be a pleasure to have you both. But, in particular... I''d like to see what the strong man who picked a fine rose is capable of," he offers, his arm reaching up to pat my closest shoulder with hearty, confident beats. He leaves, the sounds of his spurs alerting a pair of nearby girls who giggle at them. The local womaniser elicits quite the swoon on top of that.


    "A flower?" Rose-sweerui says, unhooking herself from me with an almost embarrassed tone.


    "What? That''s where you are from. A flower." I point out and she shakes her head even more.


    "I am of Ahnelges descent." she clarifies with the clear roll of her almost solid black eyes.


    "Sorry, I forgot, there''s been a bit on my mind..." I mumble, patting my claws together and rubbing them as a distraction. It''s not working all that well as a means to brush away embarrassment.


    Rose-sweerui giggles and comes back closer, a kiss sounding off on my mask, "I know. Do not worry about it. But I suppose it was nice that you introduced me as your dearest before him, though. Established it to him that I was yours..."


    The sultry smile on her face gives way to the more lustful antics, and she leans in closer. A gentle hand makes its way towards the easiest to touch parts of my hidden face. Then she backs off. An expression of annoyance on her face.


    "Still, it would have been nice if he never came to me. He was so clingy... He thought of me as something easy, I can tell." she wants to hiss.


    "Don''t worry, you have plenty of time to show him how difficult you can be. He even gave us the perfect opportunity when he gave us that offer to go to the lodge. For... Whatever he is."


    "A Valley-Rider." Rose-sweerui answers with the utmost disdain.


    "That." I go, pointing quickly.


    "Show off to him. Just like you did in front of all those other people. As you are doing now..." she demands, her face flushing up with sexual heat as I note the people still minding me. Rose-sweerui shivers in my immediacy and it makes her tail swish unendingly.


    "Easy there." I go, putting a claw on her shoulder to stop her from collapsing. Though, I suppose that''s what she wants me to do, and she pretty much drags me down with a slip. She giggles up at me and I refuse to play her game. Standing up, she slides down with a tap from each point.


    "Still, make sure to show off to him like you did back during the tournament against Oak''endoor." Rose-sweerui explains and I nod, otherwise I''ll never hear the end of it.


    "Big collection of iron and tree trunks here too?" I ask and she perks up in more than just mood. A pair of this becoming quite noticeable to more than just me. A nearby young man doing what must be his first job coughs awkwardly and heads inside with used glasses.


    "I like the sound of that... Now about where we will be staying..." she goes, her smile vanishing as her high expectations suddenly weigh upon me. Right... High-life upbringing...


    "Uh..."


    "I want the best this human flower has to offer, so you best have the means to get us there. I am not spending another night without a bed or a hard dirt floor underneath. Not while we are here!" she demands, her head held high with the snootiness I once only saw in high-floored people. Gods above, I miss the familiarity of home.


    "I''ll be sure to find you something..." I groan out exasperatedly, my eyes rolling out what amusement they can. Myself is no longer enough to satisfy her haughty needs, it seems. A petal once, a petal forever, clearly. Heading to the bag, I pack up what she''s brought out and heave it up.


    She looks back at me, smiling at me with a bite on her bottom lip.


    "You''re the expert on what fits your standards. Where to?" I ask, gesturing around at the daylight-covered town.

 V4 Incline 14: Nin

    "At this rate, it might take us longer to get everything ready than I expected..." I mumble to myself as I look over the money I picked up from Futhans before we got here. Luckily, we managed to run into him and Shraymeaus as I struggled to find Rose''lhia a suitable place. Gods above... I was even luckier to run into the leader of this town, and he offered us a room on his estate.


    Room is one way to put it... This is a whole house spread across the beyond of a single door.


    Massive damn place this is, filled with all kinds of treasures and ancient stuff. I''m not sure why he''s letting us stay for free, but mentioning that we''re headed to Suhurlodst had a positive effect. I guess this Founding-Lord Brewbrt has a wholesome memory of the place. A reassuring thing to know, given how welcoming he''s otherwise been. Rose''lhia was quite taken aback by him as well.


    She clung to me so tightly, almost like she was in a state of denial, and he laughed quite heartily. This place, though, it suits my preferences just fine as well. An estate as private as this will all but guarantee my ability to keep my body a secret. No one will be able to tell what I am, not in these walls.


    An unbandaged claw runs along my long snout of a jaw. The tips of my digits bump along my teeth. This bug mouth is not the easiest thing to keep closed. The perfume rich, moisture-heavy air of Rose''lhia''s taken bath is catching on my taste buds.


    A lot of this place reminds me of the brief time I spent in the Crown back home. Opulence and wealth everywhere with the money on top of it to maintain everything to a spotless shine. My reflection catches the corner of my eye, pulling them both towards it. I sigh, long and dreary.


    The severity of my current situation is impossible to think away from. It blocks out all other thoughts. Can I even go home now? When I got out of the hive and reached the flower, I spoke to Vapooliar about heading to Suhurlodst. She was convinced there might be a way to resolve the issue of my arm back then.


    If such hope exists for an arm... Surely it extends to a whole body as well?


    I really do not know, I have no way of confirming this information. Potentially, all I might be doing is simply heading that way so I could get back together with her. Back to the woman who became a dear friend of mine. All in so little time...


    Lightning strikes. Rose-sweerui screams. Snapping my eyes to the door, I flinch in place. The ground holds its form but the shelves nearby tremble at the held back force.


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    "Hold on, Rose-sweerui! I''m coming!" I let out, panicking about as I hurriedly get my clothes back on in a haphazardous manner.


    Another voice muffles its way through the door.


    "It''s ok, my precious love!" Rose-sweerui calls, slowing me down.


    The other voice squeals something, its pitch clearly female.


    "It''s alright, there''s no danger!" Rose-sweerui clarifies calmly as I clumsily finish my looks. Opening the door to the room between us, I trip. Bottles at my side rattle and shake. The door ahead starts to teeter open and only the glow of her bulbs prevents me from going into a frenzy.


    She smiles at me, gesturing me with an open palm.


    "Get yourself dressed again and come out here. Someone wants to speak to you," she explains, and I frown. Breathing out the sudden build-up of stress, I push myself back onto my feet. Tidying my mess a little, I make sure, most of all, that my mask, hat and cloak are on. Though the latter is on backwards and my bandages are not tight.


    Moving out into the open, I awkwardly position my body behind furniture to hide my exposed carapace. My bug claws grip the inside of the cloak together. Tightly, very tightly. I focus my gaze on the filthy woman surrounded by shattered glass and bits of broken wall. A patch of heatwaving floor and burnt carpet at her feet. The new breeze she''s given us does little to chill it.


    "Who are you?" I ask her as she hastily tries to make herself presentable. Not that, that is all that achievable with all the muck she''s soaked in. The heat is caking a lot of it up and it''s sprinkling down as she fidgets. She cleans her face up, somewhat, revealing pale skin, almost snow like in its whiteness. In her hair, the signs of a dark red colour break through the mess. It has an almost copper-like shine to it.


    "Ahem." the mysterious mud diver coughs and she straightens out way too poshly for someone of her state. Much as I spent little time there, the way the High Floors conducted themselves has stuck with me. Rose-sweerui also seems to pick up on this and she smiles. I guess this woman is fairly well off?


    Usually... Anyway.


    The girl rolls some words around her mouth, a peculiar warble to her accent.


    "I am Einervaene Bosphama. Lady-Heir to the Noble Clan Bosphama. Rulers of the Aegioto Cluster of Northern Eusorochii." she finally answers, some kind of panic attack overtaking her.


    My confused quiet only seems to make the issue worse. Lines of mud clear away in fine trails. They all start at her eyes.


    "I spoke... I spoke to you before my ferry was... Mother... My mother messaged you in the years prior to my voyage...? D-Do... Do you remember... Honourable... I''m sorry... I thought I had my Wind Tongue learned by now..." Einervaene struggles to get out as she moves to get her sobbing under control. Seems like she''s had quite the tiring journey. An eventful one, for sure. If any of us were familiar to her, a hug would be the least she can expect now.


    But, I am confused as to how I am to proceed. Completely baffled. I have no clue what way I am to interpret this. Rose-sweerui, however, she seems to have already made up her mind. And it is giving her a wide smile that is almost without end. My aelenvari companion looks back to me, almost proud of this meeting.


    "Right..." is all I can muster out of my system as this Einervaene finally brings back some composure.


    "I-I''m so-sorry." she whimpers, this noble upbringing of hers securing her emotions for the short-lived moment.

 V4 Incline 15: Nin

    "No... No, I am afraid you got it all wrong." I finally manage up the courage to say to this: Einervaene. My gaze focuses on Rose-sweerui and I shake my head, possibly dissuading any runaway thoughts she might have. It would be better if she didn''t start thinking that I''m related to the estate''s owner.


    "G-Got it wrong...? You mean I''ve just broken into someone else''s home!?" Einervaene repeats and then she turns hysterical. Cocking a brow, I ignore the mental disconnect from how she would''ve broken in, regardless.


    "The man you''re looking for is probably the owner of this place, though." I clarify and she seems to calm down.


    "How can you be so sure? Mother made it clear to me to look out for the strongest one in this town. That is you by a great margin!" she questions, her mind backtracking over who knows how many hours of travel.


    "Disappointing, as it is to admit, my precious love is not the strongest here. Focus your senses, my dear." Rose-sweerui explains, her tone awfully polite and kind to the stranger who nearly scared her half to death. I guess that means this Einervaene is powerful in her own right. At least on par with a typical petal from her former flower. Outside of Vapooliar, those were the only ones to truly receive anything close to good manners from Rose-sweerui,


    "F-Focus my senses..." Einervaene repeats, her frazzled nerves and quaking thoughts making it a near impossibility. However, she does seem to come to recognise something about me. A cute ''oh'' escapes her.


    It leaves me frowning, almost in offence.


    "Because strength is not the only way a leader gets chosen..." I find myself muttering within the confines of my mask. Venting that tinge of annoyance I am suddenly feeling. Like the shocks she came in with, it goes away. I almost wanted to throw an arm up, but I refrain from doing so.


    She might be a foreigner, however, I can''t be sure about her situation. Maybe the problem her ferry faced were osibindah. The way Rose-sweerui has been describing the ''water-veins'' up until this point makes them out to be deep caverns. Perfect for the bugs.


    An earth shaman could easily hide them in ways darkness cannot.


    "So... The... The person in charge..." Einervaene struggles to get out, her mind unable to bring the title and name to mind.


    "Founding-Lord Brewbrt." I go, answering her unasked question and ending the um''s and mutters.


    "The elderly wind-man who is letting us stay here." Rose-sweerui adds on, one of her hands fanning away at her flustered cheeks. I quietly and barely sneer at the action.


    "Does that make you one of his attendants, an apprentice, perhaps?" Einervaene asks and I shake my head instantly.


    "No, we''re just guests. We do not know each other. Well, anyway." I clarify, and she nods slowly. She starts to fiddle with the mud on her body as silence takes over. It quickly turns awkward. Feeling the current state of my clothes, I remember what I was going to do prior to this. I was going to clean myself.


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    I turn back the way I came, intent on using the bath real quick.


    "The pair of you stay here. I am going to finish cleaning myself. I''ll take you to the owner, then." I explain to Einervaene, going off before I hear another peep from her. Though, given her state, maybe she would like a bath more than me. Yet, when I reach the door, I nearly slam it shut and my back collapses against it.


    I raise my mask to the ceiling and groan, louder and louder. It comes off fully, hat and cloak following suit. Making sure the door is locked, the loose bandages finally slip off. I sigh again, free of the increasingly wrecked nerves.


    No discovery will be made about me, not tonight.


    Dragging my armoured feet along the floor, my legs go over the edge of the grand tub and they dive. The water''s displacement brings the edges higher, and it only rises more as I sit down. Muck dyes the top of the soapy liquid and I try to relax. But there''s a problem, and it is confusing me, for there is a thick fog of steam.


    "Not warm enough..." I am careful to say, the suds a little too close to my open jaw. Looking around at the cloud of water and the smeared up glass, I frown. Maybe it''s just me. It''s so steamy it''d be a waste to pour more hot water in. The concern washes out of my thoughts like the sadroobell''s blood does out of my carapace''s gaps.


    My body slides deeper, its hard points not giving way and sounding the scrapes.


    "Oh no, get off me God of Water..." I quietly complain to the steamy air. My mind tries to entertain me with memories of my time with the gods and goddesses of our mortal world. In particular, due to my circumstances, the God of the Life Within Water, Oceinater, comes to mind. That thing he did when I was walking around with Undwote was certainly a memorable moment. I cannot recall if I was scared, but, thinking about it now, I am off-put a little.


    Having an arm swallowed by living liquid, its form becoming similar to mine. Slipping off my fingers-


    Hand...


    Despite my best efforts, the memory focuses on what was true at that time. Though I was a soul, I had my body. My human body. I was more human as a wandering dead man than I will ever be again now.


    "Gods be damned..." I want to cry out, my claws covering my face. I can''t do it, I cannot trick myself into believing that the build-up of water near my eyes is mere bathwater. Rather than tears... Whimpers chitter out of my mouth and it only gets worse. Claws slipping away into a pair of splashes, I stare over at a flannel.


    Going for it, I try to end the spell of self-pity by working my frustrations out against the dirt. Against the blood that I have a feeling is more like what mine used to be. My eyes may be the same as they were when I was human. But, is my blood too, or is it that yellow the bugs have?


    I''ve had enough of their blood since I escaped the hive.


    Squeezing the washing-up chemicals into the cloth, I scrub my body harder. Any strange or awkward to get to place and I try to force the issue. My jaw clenches as my body tells me ''No!'' at the feel of carapace being forced away. I can''t even bend around to clean some of these places... The bug plates close it up...


    Either I will need Rose-sweerui''s help in the future, if she is willing. Surely she will be willing to help her... Precious love... Or, I will need to use this pay from Futhans'' sadroobell bounty to buy myself a sponge-on-a-stick. Something equivocal if sticks are in bad supply here. Rather, so I can get something that can handle my unnatural strength.


    Setting the flannel aside, I turn over to reach for a towel. Dragging it in with me, I drown the cloth meant for drying and soap it up thoroughly. The water runs off of it as it might come out of a tap. Standing up with it, I try my best to scrub the width of my back.


    "No drying, only soaking..." I mumble as the present contradicts my past with towels. Riiiiii-p. My arms fling around, two pieces of towel in either claw. Despite the flare up of fire in my blood, it is doused quickly.


    My shoulders lower, and I am otherwise limp.


    "Guess I need help from others from now on..." I say, realising my unfortunate future. Sobbing with a sniffle, a particular question comes to mind. What am I to do if I ever find myself on my own? The question repeats epileptically.


    My anger barks back to life, and I throw the towel pieces away with a wet splat.


    "Gah..." I breathe, heaving my emotions back under control.

 V4 Incline 16: Nin

    Coming back into the room, I sit down on the bed, ready to hear what Rose-sweerui has to say. In the inter-room travel, she told me something odd. She wants to keep this woman. Her tone almost made it sound like she wants a pet.


    I do not even want to ask if this is the norm for an aelenvari.


    "So... What do you mean by keep her?" I ask, my masked face looking over at Einervaene. She seems to have calmed down somewhat. An innocent smile is there instead of anything else. I guess that means Rose-sweerui has been delighting her with sweet words?


    Rose-sweerui gets up, her hands shaking as her voice squeals, "Yes, yes, yes! Look at her!"


    My eyes go to the aelenvari and then back to the filthy human. Still stood there on the burnt carpet, still caked in mud and muck. I return my gaze to Rose-sweerui and I blink. Not that she can see. Perhaps it is not the only thing she cannot see...


    "She''s filthy." I remark, unsure if this is a joke or if it is genuinely related to how aelenvari eyes work differently. There''s no way she can''t see filth. Her flower built that big bathing complex as a first thing priority!


    "Yes..." Rose-sweerui groans, something muttering out of her lips.


    "Come again?" I gnash back in a similar tone and she motions her brushing away of the tangent. The uptight woman pats her bedsheet seat and sits again.


    "She''s filled with a magic I have never seen before. Everyone out there, these human-roots, they''re all barely a vegetable worth remembering. You shine in contrast, a so much greater being with few who compare in my life. But her? This Einervaene... She''s golden!" Rose-sweerui explains, and the foreigner reacts with a flinch.


    "G-Golden!?" she squeaks, heavy thoughts breaking out into the open. She checks her hands, despair-rich tears rimming her eyes again. What sparks across her hands is more of a blue. Einervaene sniffles uncomfortably, her magic shamefully hidden away.


    I''d rather not look at this sort of behaviour, admittedly... Not while I am handling my own issues. I don''t want to impose, so I need to be cautious. Bring the conversation back a few sentences.


    "Are you fine with that, Einervaene? Sticking with us?" I ask the supposedly golden woman and she looks up at me, her thoughts derailed. The smile comes back, and it sweetly curves well, her cheeks creasing. She starts to nod, and it picks up in speed. She sniffles again, fingers coming together and pushing each other back.


    "With... With how my journey has been so far. I think being around someone as strong as you can''t hurt me, can it?" Einervaene tries to joke with a half-enthused huff. Whatever''s going on inside her head, it is much like what is going on in mine. I know enough to empathise with her position. This far from home and your life has been in danger? It''s terrifying.


    I don''t know what she''s been through and I''d rather not make a competition of it. Being trapped in a mountain-spanning bug hive is not boast material. Neither is dying and turning into one of the same monsters. Only thing really worth puffing my chest over is the fact I kissed a goddess. Or, rather, I was kissed by one. Two.


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    My chitters pick up with the heat in my cheeks. The memory vanishes.


    "So, I guess we can add that onto what we tell the Founding-Lord." I comment and Einervaene seems to be fine with this change.


    "That''s fine. He''s a close friend of my mother. He''s to serve as my guardian while he can. But, my intentions are to head to a place known as the Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding. I''m hoping to resolve an issue there." she explains and I nod a little, leaning towards Rose-sweerui as my mind blanks out the long name.


    "That where we going?" I ask the aelenvari.


    "Yes, my love, it is." Rose-sweerui thankfully clarifies. I lean back the other way and move to get up.


    "Right, well. Might as well get that out of the way. Let him know you have arrived and are safe. When you are ready and all that. I imagine he''s aware of what happened to your ferry or will hear about it." I explain, heading to the door out of here while one claw makes sure everything is secure. Even a single bandage flying around my body on the wind is enough to cause problems. Yet, Einervaene does not move from her patch of burnt carpet.


    Despite her earlier presumption and operations under it, she''s not willing to move. Words catch on her tongue, clogging her mind. Earlier, she was willing to try and get my attention from that rooftop. I think that was probably her, anyway. Nevertheless, she does not move.


    "Actually... I was hoping I could clean myself up. One embarrassing meeting is enough for today. And... I''m tired." she explains, looking away as she does so. Her hands try to play it off coyly, yet her mind is public enough with her worries. A moment to rest is finally here.


    "That''s fin-"


    "Great, I''ll hop in the bath with you and help!" Rose-sweerui declares, springing from the bed and up towards the woman.


    "You are already cle-" I try to interject and she plunges herself up against the foreigner. Einervaene yelps and Rose-sweerui moans with a giggle as her clean clothes and body pick up the new layer. One of muck. I shake my head with a sigh, watching Rose''lhia get all clingy with Einervaene. Poor girl is barely able to process it.


    "I won''t be long, my precious love!" Rose''lhia calls back, Einervaene ahead of her on a pair of ramming palms. The last expression I manage to spot is a smile of pure, newly found determination. The last action I behold sounds off with an exaggerated hip swing slamming the door. I am left on my own.


    "She''ll be awhile. Guess I''ll do it myself and inform the old man that Einervaene is now here." I say to myself.


    My eyes linger on Einervaene''s attempt at architectural redesign.


    "Maybe inform him of that as well..." I add on with a mutter, my uncertainty growing as I have no idea as to how he will react. He seems nice enough, especially given his involvement with helping Einervaene. The scale of her journey would require someone who can be properly trusted. Yet, surely this kind of damage is pushing the limits of his patience, no? Likely to infuriate him and all...


    Back home, it would most certainly have brought bloodcurdling anger. Top, middle, lower and grounder, it wouldn''t matter. People enjoy pretty carpets and those that make such things aren''t happy with their destruction. No one makes things this nice and is able to throw away all care for it. Not in my experience.


    This is all the sort of stuff I''d never be able to afford back in Tobaballe. I wouldn''t of been able to buy it, admittedly, barely being a low-floor citizen in that gone life. But, with the wages I saw, it never mattered. This stuff is so fancy and I feel bad seeing it get damaged.


    This Brewbrt owns the entire town, though. Apparently, anyway. Maybe it''s not all that much of an issue because of it. A whole town is a lot of money. I think. Still, I do not want to deal with another round of searching for places to stay like I have been doing so much today. Endless nitpicking by Rose''lhia as to what deserved her presence and what met her standards...


    Of all the people to be travelling with, why did fate waylay me with a snob? Guess I should be thankful she''s quite the looker, despite the difference in species.

 V4 Incline 17: Roselhia

    "O-Oh! The water is very hot..." the Golden Human complains, her testing foot shaking in the air vigorously. Slipping out of my clothes and letting the steam kiss the whole of my body again, I smile. Bringing a hand down from the rim of a breast and to the hip of the same side, I hear her quiver.


    "It''ll have time to cool down. Please, get undressed fully." I tell her, moving to the side where I left a pair of suction cups. Swishing my tail about and bending over without a care as to what she can see, I put the cups onto the tips of my points. The dangers of this slippery room vanish with no further thought required. Stretching my way back up, a finger catches gently on my lip.


    Jokester''s malice grows within me, and I watch this beautiful, golden woman back away. A pile of rags in her hands, ready to be thrown away at a moment''s notice. I stride closer, hips swaying, one hand free while another clasps the end of the bone. Idly, my free hand weight-tests my closest breast. Firm and ready to swell with honey, perfect for my love.


    But, compared to what this Golden Human is packing... I bite my bottom lip.


    "Have you no shame!? W-We... I! I do not have any bathing clothes! I will have to bathe like this! WE WILL!" the adorable human panics and I giggle at the strange standards of humanity. The body is a beautiful thing to be seen and enjoyed by close lovers. Yet, even a continent away, their standards are the same. Watching her back away, I move closer. Closer and closer.


    She lets out a cute noise as her back hits the wall, its pitch enough to survive the thud. An erotic growl builds in my throat and I slam a hand against the wall, trapping her in the corner. Our naked bodies collide and I moan gently at the feeling of pressed-up breasts. Her voice breaks and she struggles to make anything coherent come out.


    My face goes up to her neck, and I trail my moist lips across her soft skin. Nostrils flaring up as I take in her foreign scent. Despite coming up through the Water-Veins and spending years out on the All-Coast Sea. I can smell them still, the plants and soil of her homeland. So very nearly gone, but still there, waiting to be reinvigorated.


    A shame we will be washing away what remains of this smell. The muck that''s slipping off of her even now, it''s all that is keeping it in. It is a price I am willing to pay. Much as I adore this Einervaene for her exotic power, I cannot be having her look like a root before my precious love.


    Our cheeks scrape by, the heat in hers so very, very rich, "Clothes? Bathing is the one time where all the clothes come off. Apart from when two lovers mix their honey and nectar together..."


    Licking my lips and puckering them, my tongue trails along her neck. The taste of a golden woman lingers along with the filth she''s picked up. Naturally, outside of the lingering taste of salt, she''s not all that different from any other mortal like us. Though, the spark attacking my tongue right now. That is unique.


    I start to giggle, my previous words finding a contradiction in my mind. My statement was quite the white lie. One of the most important things I packed when I left the flower was my virgin''s lingerie. I will wear it when we finally consummate our love, when my precious love takes my virginity and gives me a seed. Our first child, my first child.


    "G-Get off of m-me!" Einervaene squeals, my distracted tummy rubbing, allowing her the chance to get away. She slips up on a floor mat and crashes down, a groan on her lips. Leering my naughty smile over her, I leap for the nearly naked beauty. Grinding my lower half to break her mind into one of submission, magic fills my fingers. Tearing away piece by raggedy piece, I strip her down.


    Her reaction to being exposed leaves me moaning passionately, my gyrations speeding up.


    Coming to a halt, one hand cups my chin, the other cupping its attached shoulder, "Don''t worry about what you''ll wear. I''ll let you borrow some of my clothes. They''ll be far more suited to a petal like you. Someone as beautiful and as bright as you..."


    Letting my sweet, rose-scented breath fill her nose. I push myself up and off. Extending the offer down to the stuttering girl, I put her on her feet. Keeping her stable as she adjusts to being reduced to her barest bottom.


    Holding her hand, we walk over to a small stool and I set her down on it. Much as I want to see her cleaned, I don''t want to make the water too filthy. My earlier needs mean I have to clear myself of mud and muck as well. Moving myself over the curled up woman, my tail lingers over the bath so I can get an idea of its temperature.


    Too hot.


    Picking up a soap-soaked cloth, I begin to wash Einervaene. Tightly grasping her closest arm as I wash her back, I am almost forced to restrain her. She''s quick to react to each touch I make and folds back in on herself at the first chance. I giggle close to her ear.


    The utter hilarity of seeing a human-petal have no confidence in her exposed, tender flesh. Getting her back cleaned up, I prod at the defences of her front. Noting one place I can go to, to force out her chest, I slip my tail down. It slithers along her back and right down between...


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    "EEEEEEEEEEPPPPP!?" she screeches, arms shooting out while her front bursts forward. Launching forward, I clasp her breasts with cloth-covered hands. The firm grip on her mounds locks her body up. Her voice jitters and breaks with each little bit of pressure I apply. She bites down on her fingers, moaning against them as I squeeze.


    I do believe this is the first time a human has ever been on the receiving end of my years of experience. So much time being taught on how to handle a woman''s body. So many years of applying that knowledge to the deserving members of my flower. The women who depended on me as their ivy-mother. Petals and stems, those with child and those preparing the make one.


    Humans may not produce honey like we aelenvari might, but the efforts are pleasurable all the same. For all intents and purposes, our breasts are the same. The means to a delightful end. The size difference between our chests is all the more pronounced. Her pair being in my hands...


    She''s bigger than me. Softer. Juicier. So much more room for a woman''s delicacy.


    Mine are firmer. At the very least, they''ll keep their shape far better than hers. Hers may be large and well-rounded in their shape, but there''s no strength to them. Yet, I am filling with worry all the same. Maybe now that my precious love has developed a harder outside as a result of his... Transformation.


    Maybe he''ll be more interested in softer breasts, like Einervaene''s?


    I can easily understand why. He was a human, so he''ll naturally have a bias towards their women. Just like I once never looked the way of any non-aelenvari man blessed enough to see me. I kept my heart on Oak''endoor despite his fixation on those named after... Golden dandelions.


    I look at the gold ahead of me.


    "A-Ah! Ah..." Einervaene whimpers, my fingers pinching her nipples harshly. The pain and pleasure mix well, my anger finding its vent. Letting go of her chest, the noble-born human collapses, her lungs desperate for air. I keep a hold of her trembling body, caressing her back instead.


    Resting against her, my cheek takes her shoulder as its pillow, "I must know, Einervaene. Are you attracted to my precious love?"


    Her eyes snap around to me and we stare deeply into each other''s gaze. She''s incoherent, unable to speak. She gulps with some force. Her back straightens out without me and her legs cross over, hiding her seedless pot.


    "No." she answers firmly, but it''s not good enough for me.


    "N. O?" I go, questioning her answer and bringing the exposed nerves back out.


    "I don''t... I don''t even know what he looks like... Why would I be attracted to him!?" she elaborates with uncertainty, my body increasingly looming over her.


    I know we do not see the same things, our eyes working completely different. However, I know fully that we do not need to see the same things to feel the same things. Even earlier, I explained it to her, how to focus her senses on what matters. The arcane strength of another.


    Humans were the first mortals, that is their accolade that no one else can have. From their historic times as the Claymen, they have changed and grown into what they are now. The impact on the world created us aelenvari. All other mortal races come from humanity in some way. When the blood of the God of Creation soaked the earth and soils, mankind arose.


    She has the lineage to understand things with a nuance that I will never fully grasp...


    "You say that, but your attention to him exists because you mistook him as the strongest. Your body yearned for his presence, you clearly have an understanding of who the best man is in these parts."


    "I... I-I-I I d-don''t like him! I just mistook him for my mother''s friend, that is all. I swear!" she insists, and I take the answer for what it is.


    "Then let''s keep it that way then, hmmm?" I suggest innocently, letting out some of my magic so it can pulsate so very close to her skin. My mind constantly refreshes the experiences I had with the Thief. How she obstructed my efforts with Oak''endoor and how she tried to steal my precious Nin from me as well. I can feel it. I am no fool. I know the truth of this woman underneath me...


    She''s stronger than me. Though the way she glows is not what I am familiar with, I can still tell that she is bright. Her magic is greater than mine. It is also exotic. When Nin learns to see like I do, I will not stick out. I will need to drown this growing problem-seed before it can sprout. Feed it to beasts as feed if I must.


    "F-Fine!" she squeaks, her body trembling as she covers herself up and shoots herself away. Letting her force her way out, I watch her move towards the bathtub. My tail tests the air again to measure the temperature. It needs some cold water.


    "There we go." I say, letting the cool tap blast out its load for a quick moment. She gets into the tub, crawling all the way to the other end. There''s plenty of room in here, a whole group could share it, even. More than enough room for my love to pin me against its sides. My pot all his for the taking so he can fill me with even more seeds.


    Heaving my initial arousal out, I feel my nipples harden. My face heats up at my thoughts and I feel my breasts, tweaking at the blood-filled flesh. To waste my energy, rubbing myself in anticipation of the nights to come with my love. I keep going, running a dry fingerprint over my...


    There is no honey leaking from them. They had leaked plenty before my love was lost to me. I know I still have the capacity to spill honey. Aroused activity at night helped me sleep when he departed. And yet, he''s back, stronger than he was before and more of a treasure than then, too.


    He can command his external-magic now and nothing is happening...


    Is this a result of his new form? Is my body still treating him as nothing more than an osibindah even though my heart and mind are not? It worries me deeply as I know I love him true. Yet, still, I cannot enact my love if my body refuses to give it.


    The confidence in my stance shrivels up, and I retreat into the bath.


    This is just a temporary problem. It''s all it is. I need time to adjust to his transformation, some more training, and I''ll forget all about it. It will drown in the envy of our lessers, as I am granted the right to be close to him and they will never be within spitting distance. I can only hope that will be the case. To be put into a situation where I... I cannot tolerate it, the idea of me being disloyal to my love.


    I will not tolerate it!

 V4 Incline 18: Roselhia

    Water idly splashes in front of the pair of us.


    "Pardon me if it is a rude question, but what are you, Rose''lhia?" Einervaene asks me, drawing me out of my pessimistic thoughts. A convenience I am silently grateful for.


    "You are asking about my species?" I ask, seeking clarity as my mind is half-attentive right now, and she nods her head up and down, "I am an aelenvari. Of the Ahnelges Garden-Mont variety."


    Admittedly, I cannot recall the details right now as to how to elaborate on this. Her imagination will have to fill in if it can. It''s been so long since I''ve seen a flower of another garden-mont, my freshest memories are all of my Ahnelges cousins. Though, with my loss of revered station and the granting of the freedom of movement with my love. I may see a foreign flower yet.


    "Is there anything interesting you can tell me about your kind?" she then asks, and I am quick to see the trickiness of the question. Anything can be interesting, it is simply a matter of the person one is talking to. The basics aspects of magic fascinate my love, so very strangely so, it''s childlike, even. I have long since lost the care for the topics but it changes nothing about him.


    "Well, that depends. But, I suppose as you are new to this continent, I can tell you about one of its most important moments. As it plays some part in the fact." I say to her, bringing the details to the fore of my thoughts with a sudden, aggressive splash. Einervaene scooches up and away, her eyes following the low-hanging wave.


    "The Time of Liquid-Mountains? I am familiar." she interrupts politely, saving me the trouble of making any off-hand remarks about the event. Simplified or otherwise. I guess we''ll have plenty of time to talk about it. This place is a vault of pre-horror artefacts. I can still see and sense trace amounts of the power of the ancient humans.


    "Good, in which case, I can get to the important parts. My species, the aelenvari, we have our origins in the humans trapped during that time. Our garden-monts, they were once the last hope of survival these people had. But, as populations dwindled for all manner of reasons, some grew desperate for a touch they could find nowhere else." I explain, smirking towards the end as she allowed her eyes to turn white with wideness.


    Einervaene''s curiosity gets the better of her and she grows attentive despite the deep blush, "Did they do something specific... Your ancestors? I have never heard of human-plant hybrids back home."


    "Not as far as I am aware, no. Like most other mortal races, one of the originals decided at some point to pump their nectar into our mother species. As time passes, we aelenvari came into existence, changing as more human blood was introduced into our lineages. Divine blood is truly special, even diluted by our limited lives." I elaborate with a gentle shrug, my tail turning the water in front of me around. So very slightly, a sense of depth grows on the surface.


    My finger hovers over the bubbles and steam, my tail whipping out for it. The living string wraps its way around the finger. It slips off shortly after. The filth on its hairs washing away as it snakes across the bottom of the bathtub.


    "I see... Thank you for that explanation, Rose''lhia." Einervaene goes, and I nod with a smile.


    A short quiet passes us.


    "Might.... Might I give you a nickname, Rose''lhia?" she then asks.


    "A nickname?" I respond, a brow of mine rising into a fine arch. I do not believe I have ever had someone ask me such a question before. I''ve asked my love to treat me with the honorific of ''sweerui,'' but that is all it is. An honorific.


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    I suppose my love''s preference for calling me ''Rose,'' rather than my full name, is a nickname?


    I cannot see any harm in obliging Einervaene''s request. She is my superior, after all, in terms of arcane beauty. Just like the Valkinvar my love spent so much time with back at my flower. Of course, compared to this golden woman, the Valkinvar''s divine husband-to-be kept any paranoia at bay. Einervaene is not sworn to a god, the ethics of it are not there. I must be careful.


    "Y-Yes, please... If you don''t mind!" she goes, her electric accent picking up quite noticeably.


    "You long for home?" I ask, figuring it out fairly quickly with how I am feeling so often as of late.


    "I am... See, I have been trying to learn the common tongue of Jherikra. But, I am not all that confident in it right now. I can hear it when I talk to everyone, my pronunciation is off and my accent is as ear-catching as my looks are for eyes. I''ve spent much of my time practicing. I''ve not had much else to do. But, I am still not confident about it. I am not sure either I will be able to remember such strange names either... I believe it will be easier to remember your names if I give them an Eusorochii flair... Only a little, if it bothers you!" she explains, her hands unstoppable in their ability to fiddle.


    "You want to name me in a manner that is easier to remember?" I ask, and she lights up quite sweetly.


    "Yes!" she goes, her body hopping up and forgetting its naked state. She catches on quickly to her exposed chest and I giggle, getting something like a laugh out of her.


    "Will this apply to my precious love, too...?" I ask, leaning forward with a slight glare. The possibility exists that she will start influencing him with something endearing. Her own equivalent of the ''sweerui'' honorific. If it exists, it is troublesome.


    "I... I don''t think so. Maybe... I don''t know..." is all I manage to get out of Einervaene before she hides her face.


    "So what do you want to refer to me as, instead of my actual name? I am named after the rose flower, if that helps." I ask, clarifying my name if she wasn''t quite sure. Assuming they even have roses where she is from. I have no clue as to what might grow in the metallic soil of her home. Pluuit surely has thought of something truly ingenious, however.


    "Oh, I see... I''m thinking... Rianta? Rianta-chira. It''s the name of a flower with petals coloured like your hair. They blossom in the rain, when lightning fills the sky and if the bolts strike the earth. They''ll sparkle like the night sky must have back before the Lunar Gods started their war." she explains and I smile, content with the meaning of it.


    "What does ''chira,'' mean?" I ask, sensing that, that is an honorific or something close to one. I suppose I can pretend it means what the ''lhia'' in my actual name means if I get no answer.


    "It is a title given to emphasise the cuteness or youthful aspects of a woman," she explains, her fingers coming together and pushing their nervousness out of her system. Smiling, I see no reason to turn it down and I am quite happy with its meaning. It sounds almost like she''s acknowledging my place as the love of my precious love Nin!


    My smile grows quite bit, "Thank you, I appreciate the compliment it brings with it, Golden Beauty."


    "I am glad you like it, Rianta-chira! But... Again... My name is Einervaene... Not golden... Anything." she reminds me with a stern tone, shame taking over her posture. The rigidity in her shoulders slumps away, her breathing muffles against her wrists. She looks down at the water.


    "You are golden though, so I will refer to you as such when it amuses me."


    "Golden? My skin is milky-white. Very clear, not golden at all!" she questions, her head shooting up as resentment taints her words.


    "I am referring to the magic within you." I clarify and she twitches at what she probably knew, anyway.


    "My magic... My magic is not golden... It''s bluish, see?" she tells me, her body sparking with static pops. My eyes widen and the water feels cold. I shoot out of the bath with a blast of abrupt magic and put distance between us. A surge of annoyance fills me as the heavy pants take over.


    I may not be familiar with lightning magic, but I am familiar with human technology... I am familiar with nature''s circumstances.


    "Do not cast that in water!" I nearly shout as she realises what she has done. She flinches, a fear-filled memory coming to mind. She freezes up and takes a deep breath, though her body remains shaking. Oddly, her arms act independently, recreating the memory through expressive drama. Someone or thing tried to drown her?


    "You do not have to worry! I can control my magic. It won''t cause any harm or interact with the water-" she tries to insist and her slipping focus lets it betray her words.

 V4 Incline 19: Nin

    Coming to the end of another lengthy hallway, I stop.


    "Maybe I will have an easier time finding the old man if I go outside? Come back in, start from the start. Lot of space I am unfamiliar with." I comment to myself, carrying on with my clueless walk through this estate. Some staff have offered their help, but I turned it down as I don''t want to be a bother. I''d also rather avoid being under their scrutiny for long.


    Maybe it''s the younger me still within, the attitude of ''I can figure it out myself!'' Back then, though, it didn''t matter as I was familiar with Tobaballe. I grew up in that city and got to experience a decent amount of it, like all children did. Here, I am lost. No time to learn it.


    Maybe I''m being too prideful...?


    Regardless, at least this borderline cavern for an entrance is easy enough to remember. There''s so much space and room in just this one part of the main building. Could probably tire myself out in a few laps of the place. Up and down the stairs, around the perimeter, doesn''t really matter.


    No sign of the old man here, either.


    Shrugging, I distract myself from the current tedium and walk up to an art piece hanging on the wall. Even though my body has warped into something incomprehensible, my mind is fortunately the same in all its aspects. In-depth thought is probably the best way I can keep my sanity right now. So, I use my mind to the best of its abilities and stare at the metallic piece going up along the wall by one set of stairs.


    I can''t read the text surrounding it at all. There''s no point in even trying. My eyes work fine, however. At the start of the piece, there seems to be a group that''s down on their luck. A barren wasteland all around them. An amused noise breaks my quiet chitters at the point of comparison it provides with my life.


    Me too, artistic buddy... Me too.


    Moving up the stairs a little, it seems to transition into a story of a place being built. The details of the geography are lost on me, but I feel like assuming it is this town. That feels like a safe bet. The end of the lengthy, tapestry like piece seems to imply a ruler being selected.


    Looking back over the journey, I can''t help but huff at how it is coloured. Not with paint or dyed fabric, not with gemstones or polishing. But, rust. Green copper rust, reddish iron rust and swollen aluminium corrosion!


    It''s enough to leave me wide-eyed, as this is some truly masterful craftsmanship. I suppose this is the sort of stuff I was expected to be able to learn if I wanted to reach a high floor. To have many, many frail pieces carefully wasted away so they could be put into a beautiful whole. Not one bit of colour is spreading anywhere else, not one flake of it.


    "Any guesses as to what it is?" a wanted familiarity asks, the sound of his cane accessory striking polished stone plates. Turning around to the calling noise, I mentally shrug at my first action. The man I am looking for, he went and found me, I guess. Suppose I should try to worm in as many ''thank you''s'' as I can for letting us stay.


    Even though I''m not all too sure why he allowed it. He brought me aside when we first met, inspected me a little. Rose-sweerui assured me it was nothing sinister yet, even then. I cannot let go of my paranoia. I know what kind of eyes this old man has.


    Brewbrt, Founding-Lord Brewbrt is a man of much experience.


    "A reference to this town?" I answer before my thoughts get a stronger grip on my behaviour. His smile grows, and he shakes his head. A soft laugh croaks out of him and he runs a hand into his slicked back, silver-afflicted emerald hair.


    "It is a reference to a settlement. You got that much right, Young Man." he tells me, the nickname remaining although he knows my name. He called Rose by her name. Her full name even, ''lhia and all. I guess it doesn''t matter, it''s not an insult.


    "Is it of a nearby city, then?" I change my answer to and he nods, walking down the stairs.


    "Not a specific one, our mountaintop wonders, in general." he tells me, his hand touching my shoulder and bringing me back down the steps. We stop at the bottom of them and his cane flips up to tap on metal with deep bluish colouring. Seems to be more so nitre bluing than actual rust. I''ve more experience using acids to pre-coat metals, personally.


    Looking closer, I see how the metal warps in shape, "Water?"


    "Indeed." he nods, the cane slipping down.


    "Why?" I ask, and his eyes widen a little. He smiles gently, nonetheless.


    "It is a reference to an ancient malice. How all of Jherikra was driven from the valleys, ravines, stump-high plateaus and plains. All that sort of stuff. My town of Tryhpeltzweig even, would be under water if it was around back then. Little is known about the specific time, but, more than four-thousand years ago... All of Jherikra was under the waves in a time known as the Time of Liquid-Mountains." he explains and I nod, not entirely lost here.


    "Ah, I''ve heard a bit about that. Back when I was staying at the flower I met Rose-sweerui at, mostly." I explain and Brewbrt gently laughs at the thought. I don''t need to wonder much as to what he might be thinking.


    "I am pretty confident I can bet a lot of my wealth that you had fun there. Seeing how strong you are and all. Especially given what you have between your legs, ey? I most certainly know me and my friends did back when we were still springing about like you. Oh, how time goes by," he chuckles out, his elbow nudging at my closest arm. Slightly bending with the force, I silently watch him come out of his reminiscing.


    It makes me think a fair bit myself and I quickly run into a problem.


    "I suppose some of it was fun..." I manage to tell him after some delay as bad thoughts fester. A fair bit happened that I was involved with. My cowardice when I escaped the hive. How I almost got Vadei and others killed when my arm acted up. The dirty trick I pulled against Vapooliar in our sparring match. All the damage I caused when I turned...


    "Try to keep your thoughts positive, Young Man." he reminds me, a gentle smack to the arm bringing at least a slight smile.


    "So while we are on the topic of the aelenvari..." I go.


    "Go on." he goes.


    "Earlier you mentioned Rose-sweerui being with me helped convince you to let us stay...? Better yet, I suppose. Why did you even let us stay? I feel like a burden getting into a place like this for free when I don''t know you all that well." I ask, other thoughts coming out along with it, changing the question.


    He shrugs and his mouth opens with a lip-wetting pop, "Because you are going to Suhurlodst, and, well. I''ve always wanted to give a helping hand to up-and-coming witches. After all, I was once trained in the halls of the Academy. Between the old hollow city of Suhurlodst itself, the name-lender, and the actually used city of Thrurstradtur."


    "Surely there is more to it than that?" I call out, something within me preventing it from being a simple nod along.


    "Nope, just an old man helping someone on his way. I know firsthand how difficult it can be getting into a mountain-state proper if you are from a ravineer settlement," he explains, his free hand running along the large scar he has over his right eye. While I''m not sure if the action and words are connected, a hidden frown is still present on my face. It''s quite the nasty old injury, after all. He barely avoided blinding himself, it seems.


    "But I am not from one of those." I point out, though I guess it doesn''t matter. I''m still not from around here and my guide is a woman with only limited exposure to these places.


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    "Even so, a gift from me to you. Once you are on your way, if this bothers you that much. You won''t have to worry about it anymore. But, while you are still here, try to enjoy my home and land for what it is, please," he tells me, his smile warm and welcoming.


    "Where I am from, gifts tend to be a means to an end. The set up for a favour to be redeemed later." I point out, almost muttering it. My mind fills with the times of struggle I have gone through and my stubborn refusal to accept help. I knew that if I did, I would be burdened by the need to pay them back. With how sudden that needed help could be, I found it safer not to bother. Selfish in the Tobaballian way of things, perhaps, but I also was not in the position to offer much help, anyway.


    Grounders have very little and I had a lot of work to get on with.


    "We do not do that here, I at the very least, so don''t you worry, Young Man!" his smile staying as he taps his cane against me.


    "So you were once a student at Suhurlodst?"


    "That I was, that I was. Learned me craft there from a tutor unlike some, something that is often viewed negatively up there. But, I think it has brought me enough easy living even if I did not learn it entirely on my own," he explains.


    "That''s odd, Rose-sweerui was quite enthralled by the idea to have influenced me and my way of doing it. Though it didn''t quite work out for her." I try to chuckle out at the end.


    "It''s not a universal disdain, but in a more professional environment... It is. Something I doubt your aelenvari lover will understand, given her upbringing. Magic is best learned on your own, objectively speaking if we keep it results-minded. It''s more fun that way, too," he explains, giving me a wink with his scarred eye and we walk some more. But not far.


    "I see..." I mutter, my attention going down to my rising claws. I try to keep them out of his line of sight and make the attempt to do what I did with the sticks. I manage and return to a full face with him, my claws both hidden again.


    "So what do you hope to learn at Suhurlodst, Young Man?" Brewbrt asks, and my blood freezes solid. Slowly, my chitters return, a little too loudly for my liking. I try to hide it with a tapping foot.


    I can''t really answer this properly with any honesty...


    "General knowledge, I guess. Home wasn''t the best place to learn magic. Rose-sweerui and a friend who is at or still heading to Suhurlodst have tried to help but... It is what it is. I need to catch up with her, though. Clear up a few details regarding plans we made when I come on home with her."


    "She? Oh no, Young Man... Oh no indeed. Are you sure that is wise with an aelenvari? I know they like swarming the good-looking men like me," Brewbrt jokes, his free hand waving and trailing along what I have a feeling might be a well-built body. His suit is way too tight for anything slimmer.


    "No... No, Rose-sweerui was quite fine with her. Besides, the friend I am going to see did not seem to like me like she does. Though, to be honest. Aelenvari are tiring and I wish sometimes she did not claim her affection."


    "You''d rather be alone?" Brewbrt asks, his brow rising.


    "N-No... I just don''t want to be constantly pestered by someone saying she loves me when I haven''t known her for long." I explain, sighing what frustration I can.


    "That''s aelenvari for you," he tells me in a knowing tone. Possibly having dealt with a situation like this before.


    "So is there a Founding-Lady of this town? While the topic of love is relevant." I ask, eager to move the topic off of Rose-sweerui in case she comes in looking for me. I''ve already seen how easily she can be set off by a misunderstanding. Don''t want another case of it.


    "No, not anymore anyhow. We got divorced fifty or so years ago," he explains, his eyes going to the usual finger. His gaze clearly lingers on the distortions that have scarred its shape. A promise made before the gods and it is gone. Motrtha, specifically.


    "How long were you married?"


    "Oh, two-hundred years, give or take. Some of the best years of my life, it was just a shame her family came first. I also had to go south to visit a friend for something -very- important," he clarifies, and Einervaene strikes across my thoughts. While fifty years isn''t all that long of a time, given how strange age circumstances are in this land... Gods above, this is confusing. But, I have to wonder if Einervaene is related here.


    "Why did you get divorced, if you don''t mind me asking?" I find myself wanting to ask.


    "Outside of my travel needs, which I just mentioned. Bad timing, I suppose. Something happened back home with her far-off family. As she came from a mountain-state and has that stone-rich blood, as they say... We both felt it was best that our marital bond didn''t get in the way. She kept in contact with her family for a long time, but I was always a mysterious figure to them."


    "Wow... That''s a personal question. I am now realising... Sorry." I let out, rubbing the back of my head and stepping back a slight step. He shakes his head and chuckles.


    "Don''t be. It''s nice to speak to someone interested. Speaking of, you got any plans for starting a family?" he asks, his cane''s tip swatting at the bracelet I got from Motrtha. Guess he saw it just now, before my arm slinked back under the cloak.


    "Uh, no. No, I don''t. And I don''t think I ever will at this rate..." I let out with a deep sadness. My current state as an osibindah has made me a monster. No family can be made when I look like this, when -I am- this. Thankfully, he seems to think something else on my mind is bothering me.


    "Don''t speak like that. You''ll be around for hundreds of years if you play your cards right, Young Man. In fact, why not go to the temple? I''ll let you borrow my keys so you can get some privacy with Motrtha''s shrine. I know it does me some good if I am feeling like I had just rolled down from the highest peak. To go and visit the temple, anyway, my problems aren''t really motherhood after all!"


    "Is the temple even open?" I ask rather stupidly, my claw already fantasying the jingle of the keys.


    "All hours of the day and night. Not staffed by the priests all the time, but I did not think it right to let people in need go without help. Men sleep, but the gods do not," he clarifies and I nod along. A laugh almost coming out of my system. If only he knew.


    "That... That would be nice, thank you." I say, letting a small smile form on my weird lips. Strange as it is, being able to do something as familiar as going to a temple to pray is nice. Maybe, given my circumstances, I will even get the chance to speak to them all again. Gods and goddesses, if that is possible.


    The keys flash in his hands and he stops himself from chucking them.


    "Oh! Shit... Right. Someone came to me a little earlier, an Einervaene... Bosphama?"


    "Einervaene is here!?" Brewbrt almost shouts, his body snapping to attention.


    "Yeah." I answer, his face suddenly up near mine.


    "Where is she now? Never mind the length of the journey, I''ve heard of what happened to the ferry." he asks, his voice a mixture of relief and worry that his body is otherwise not letting show.


    "She crashed through the window of our room, somehow. Broke the wall a bit and burnt the carpet and floor..." I explain, going quiet as my previous worries return. Brewbrt leans back and blinks. He sniffs the air and possibly picks up on the trace remnants of smoke. Huh, he lets out.


    He sighs into a huffing laugh, "Well, at least it was a guest room."


    "She''s having a bath now with Rose-sweerui, or, well, that is what they were doing when I left." I explain, possibly preventing any speeding off and an awkward conversation.


    "I see. Well, I''ll inspect the damage in the morning when you lot are up and about. Thank you for telling me she got here safely. The journey to and back from Eusorochii is not a short one in the slightest. I''ve been trying to help her and her mother for a while. Would''ve been... Would''ve been a real tragedy if something bad was to happen to her when she was alone."


    "Only bad thing that seemed to have happened was her being completely filthy. So she is likely enjoying that bath, at the very least."


    "I''m sure she is after having spent so many years at sea." he breathes, eyes wide in remembrance of the journey he seems to have taken himself.


    "It took her years to get here?" I ask, my bafflement coming out in force, and I have a feeling I heard this from Einervaene before. Even with how much I have travelled myself since first leaving Tobaballe... It can''t possibly have been more than a few months, right?


    How far away is this ''Eusorochii'' place? Or is the journey just that complicated? Was it not all that smooth of one throughout on top of the ferry incident? I guess I can ask her later if she is willing.


    "Oh, very much so. Her homeland is very far away and very high up in a way I am sure will leave you awestruck. Never mind the Water-Veins and the Lowlands, the Fallen Colonies and all that. Gods above, she must''ve felt like an Errakurd going that deep into the earth when she got onto the final ferry," he tells me with a dry laugh. I follow after his amusement, even though I have no idea what most of that information means. What''s an Errakurd?


    Oddly enough, the noises of the word sound almost Tobaballian, or at least something similar. Here we are talking about absurdly long journeys and the world is smaller than it seems. How odd it sounds so familiar. How very odd.


    "Well, I will see you later then, Brewbrt. I hope we don''t overstay our welcome." I tell the Founding-Lord, taking the keys properly.


    "Don''t worry Young Man. Just focus on getting your head in order and move on when you are able! But for me, I''ll be going to sleep soon. Knowing Einervaene is alright has taken away that which is keeping me up," he encourages, his smile depressing while a hand pats over his heart.


    "I''ll be sure to do that, then." I nod out, walking away slightly.


    "Oh, one last thing while you are here. The servants are serving breakfast for as long as the orbital-halo ain''t nearing its peak. So sleep in if you want. I am sure a good rest is something you will enjoy." he explains, and I ignore my thoughts about trouble sleeping.


    "What if I sleep past that timeframe?" I ask back, trying to keep my tone joyful.


    "Eat twice as much for lunch!" the old man laughs out, his restarted journey taking him back up the stairs. The distant tapping of his cane carries on for quite some time, even after his footsteps vanish from hearing distance. Once he is gone, it is truly just me. I am standing here alone in this vast chamber of an entrance with a key to the town temple.


    Rattling it in my claw, it forms a gentle fist.

 V4 Incline 20: Nin

    "Shouldn''t be too hard to find." I tell myself quietly, the irony of my recent experience not lost on me. Heading on outside, I find myself in a fancy flower garden. A bush of red roses at its preeminent centre. Lingering my focus on the pretty things, I start to think of Rose-sweerui. A chuckle builds up in my throat, afflicting my chitters with joyous taps.


    I should pick a rose for Rose!


    But, at the same time, I do not want to given how much that will probably mean to her. Given her name and all its meaning and all. Born under or around the rose, it doesn''t matter. She''ll find a way to blow it out of proportion. I know she will. At the same time, though, I would like to see the smile when I hand her a freshly picked flower.


    Leaning forward to sniff them, my mask knocks a thorny branch aside.


    "Try to remember you are wearing a mask..." I snark at myself, moving a claw ahead to pinch the stem of a flower. A relatively fine cut. Catching the delicate thing, I carefully cradle my palm around it, my digits not going too firmly down. Moving my focus away, I note how this is probably not the way out of the estate. So, I turn back and return indoors.


    Knowing I am probably not going to be going back in through another way, I leave the flower on a small table. Under a vase where it hopefully won''t be thrown away or sent off. Remembering the actual entrance, I head on out and go down the steps into town. The night sky above has encouraged quite the change in the way the place looks. Squares of light pattern themselves across the stone houses. Street lamps flicker in all but the back alleys.


    My eyes linger now and then whenever I see a noisy pair running down the streets. Night has brought with it a lot of quiet that wasn''t here before, so it''s all sticking out more. Even any arguments that are breaking out have a forced hush to them. My mind wanders, and my trailing claw doesn''t help as it glides along the public flower displays.


    How exactly is this thing between me and Rose-sweerui going to go ahead? She wants us to be together and I am even encouraging it by calling her by this damn honorific. But, I have no investment with her; I do not feel the same way. She''s just a friend.


    Maybe my future has something else planned for me. I might give the affection back to her in an equal or greater amount. I live in the now, though, not the future and I do not know what to do. If I keep up with the ''sweerui''s'', then I am just being cruel if nothing comes of it. I may not love her, she however does clearly love me. Or, at the very least, has a very open and favourably sexual opinion of me.


    Or, did, maybe...?


    "Eugh, aelenvari." I complain under my breath, shifting my mind from anything buggish in that instant. I focus on how odd it feels to walk through this town right now. Ever since I''ve left Tobaballe, I''ve not actually been in a developed space populated by what appears to be regular people. Vapooliar''s strength makes her almost something else and the aelenvari are so different it''s easy to forget. Even Vadei has her tail and fur.


    Compared to home, however, this place has an unnatural beauty to it. The skies are open. The only thing rising above my head is the mountains and clouds. Nights back home were barren of natural allure, the towering city blocking it out, mostly. Here, though, it''s not higher than a human hand''s worth of stories.


    Most do not even go beyond what a claw can show... Three.


    Even Brewbrt''s home is high only because it''s built on an immense construction attached to the mountain behind it. All these sights, each one a different shop and home and place of work. And, well, I have no work to get up for, no wages to earn. My time is free and I might as well spend a lot of it with Rose-sweerui. Maybe even Einervaene, if she is serious about sticking around with us.


    I hope she does and I cannot see why she wouldn''t want to. We''re both headed the same way, though, maybe not on the same time. Besides, she could use the company given her travels thus far. And I could use the extra person to balance out Rose-sweerui''s behaviour.


    Would be nice to travel with someone who probably had a more familiar sense of perception. Even if that isn''t really the case, I''m sure it''s understandable. Einervaene''s perspective and all. If it''s destined to end at Suhurlodst, then that is fine by me. Vapooliar will be within reach by that point.


    I huff, amused by recent thoughts. Who knows, maybe this Einervaene would be the one I actually fall in love with? Something interesting will happen regarding Rose-sweerui and that''ll be that. I try to laugh at the thoughts, following the trail of cartoonish humour rather than a grim likelihood.


    And I fail at the attempt. The cruel future is what my mind refuses to let go of. I sigh heavily. Guess I am becoming quite the pessimist as of late.


    A large, shadow-covered building comes into view, built against the mountain like Brewbrt''s home. Possibly carved deep into as well, somewhat. So far from home, one thing remains a constant in life: the will of the divine. I know I''ve found the temple. A Temple of the Divine Entirety.


    Laughter gently erupts from me as the stories take on new clarity. Some people doubt the truth of the texts as we all understand how one whisper is not the same to everyone. But, here we are, I am, rather. Standing before the proof that the gods did indeed say ''build and worship us the same, no matter where.''


    Moving up, I slip a key into the lock and luckily undo it with a satisfying click. Quickly noting the key, I close my claw. Quietly going inside, I look around at all the familiar trappings. A place so alike I can almost pretend I am still home in Tobaballe. Well, were it not for one thing anyway, something that makes me think of Vapooliar again.


    "She did say something about a moon, didn''t she? I guess this is the proof I need to stop doubting her. People really do worship the Lunar Gods out here." I mutter, walking towards the central, circular chamber within the otherwise squarish building. My eyes follow some decorative metal until it ends in a circular frame. The current dominant moon rests partially within. I guess the frame has a lens built in. The moon is so close and detailed.


    A distant art piece that so far in my life I have only been able to admire at a far off distance. Not much has changed, but now I can inspect it much deeper than before. The ceiling also has a handy display showing all fourteen of the moons. One of which takes the crowning first-amongst-equals. Without a shadow of a doubt...


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Jhrarda the Mighty.


    "I have no idea what that one is, actually..." I then remark, pointing at the one currently in view. The foreign script is certainly not helping things either. It''s not even the same from before as well, it''s something entirely new. Whatever tongue it is, it''s only present on anything religious. The wooden displays and signs are all in the typical tongue of these ''Jherikra'' people.


    Frowning in thought at the moon, I shake my head.


    "I ain''t here for you, Moon God." I say to the distant prison beyond the sky. Going off, I keep my eyes open wide for any signs of Motrtha''s stuff. Using my bracelet as a reference, I try to jog my memory of her typical symbolism and assorted details. A smile grows on my face. It grows wider and wider, firmly set and never to leave.


    Walking up to the shrine, I look at how the workers modelled her. The clothes aren''t accurate to what she wore on the ship at all. Not in that city, either. However, the face is scarily accurate. As if the goddess possessed those who hammered and chiselled to ensure no fault came of it.


    A quiet moment passes and I slowly raise a claw... Waving it.


    "Hello again, Motrtha... Th-Thanks for the tart." I thank the statue, my cheeks burning a bit. Am I talking only to a statue or is this actually a means to talk to her...? To be honest, though, I do not think I''d ever be able to use a shrine, temple or what have you without acting this way. Not with what I now know and have experienced. Not long with them all, but how does one forget talking to a god?


    It''s impossible.


    "I... I still don''t know why I have this..." I comment, wondering if I am going mad. Rubbing the bracelet she gifted me, I quickly frown at the ghostly image caressing my claw. Shaking my head clear of the surprise, I get down onto the floor and lean against the leg of her statue. My hat comes off, resting on my lap, and the temple keys fill it out. A heavy sigh escapes me as I try to find a hand.


    A small sense of closure, I guess... My eyes start to ache at the edges.


    "While I am thankful I am alive again, I must know if you can answer, why am I... This...? Why couldn''t you bring me back as a human? I''d be fine with the arm, really, but... Not this... Not this..." I choke out, sniffling as water runs along my carapace. At least some of this stress in my life is getting out of me in this moment.


    I''m constantly having to hide myself these days. I cannot do anything without being paranoid about the eyes watching me, and how can I not be? I look like a monster. I am physically a notorious predator of the deep dark. This is not living, it''s torture...


    I thought my revival was meant to be as thanks for helping the gods...? I rescued their lost sibling, Iderim-Ovi, I got him out of that church! So why... Why am I like this now!?


    A clear image of the motherly goddess appears before me. Shooting up to my feet, items in claw. My body''s fight-or-flight ignites and the fading woman smiles so sweet and innocently. I can hear her feet tap across the stone floor. Her hand reaches out for me and it caresses my masked cheek. The warmth, however, feels like it is touching my very flesh.


    The visage disappears, leaving an open letter on the floor. Blinking the confusion away, it comes back in force. The letter, I can actually read it. The writing, it''s Tobaballian cuneiform!


    Tears drip down my face without end and my claws twitch so much I feel like I am going to tear the delicate paper. It''s an apology. She does not know why I am like this. She''s letting me know she cannot do much to help. Even now, she might be in big trouble with the Equilibrium for doing this. Interacting with mortals is a sacred law that cannot be broken, possibly not even for me.


    The letter has more to it, though.


    A glowing light flashes on the paper, and I am overwhelmed with joy and sadness. A sudden surge of motherly sensations imprint themselves across my body. I can feel the warmth of her body holding me, her voice whispering how it will all be ok. I sniffle at the closure, even if it''s not the kind I am seeking.


    "Thank you, Motrtha... You are too kind..." I mutter, bringing my mask up quickly to clean up my face. Nodding and tucking the letter away, I get going to the other shrines so I can pay my respects. Smiling back at Motrtha''s statue, I watch it blush and return to its previous lifeless state.


    I am happier now. Some of my concerns are at least lifted right now. It''s also easy to occupy my thoughts with a guessing game regarding which gods and goddesses are which. Some are memorable enough to remember based on faces, others with their iconography. Makes me feel special knowing I can recall them based on their faces. I sort of feel like I know who they truly are.


    Coming to a stop at perhaps the grandest statue in the divinely unfocused temple, my smile returns. Rising high and shining with gold, a statue of the Thunder God fills my vision. Though it depicts a powerful being, I see more to it. His action is not in the destruction of an evil, but something greater. Creation.


    "Now... To give the proper respect to you, Thurnmourer. Saviour of All-Mortals. Though, I suppose I am actually doing this because you''re my craft-god." I dryly laugh, kneeling down at the base of the statue. Picking up the little hammer attached to the shrine, I set my awkward grip into something useable. The centre punch follows suit. My eyes quickly chase the metal going up to the roof. Lightning attractors and conductors await their chance to shine, should the weather be right.


    Though... I wonder if lightning is still dangerous to me, actually. All this magic in my system has made me practically invulnerable compared to what I was before. Luckily, I suppose, it''s nowhere near raining tonight, so I do not have to worry about my curiosity killing me. No sparks to test it, no volts to make Undwote see me again.


    Coughing a bit, I get my thoughts in order.


    "Three strikes it took you to forge the greatest defender," I begin to recite, "In thanks and to honour you, I shall strike thrice in turn."


    Placing the hammer above the punch, I strike it.


    "Once to get your attention." I speak.


    Striking it again, the mark I''ve made goes deeper.


    "Twice to honour you." I speak.


    Striking it the final time, I finish my physical prayer.


    "A third time to complete my thanks for you." I speak, finishing the prayer as a whole and putting the tools back. Quickly, I take the pen-like item and write my name on the divinely provided plaque. An abrupt laugh breaks the quiet again as my thoughts come alive with what may happen in the morning. A priest will come in and do his usual routine, only to be baffled by seeing my name. For once, someone here will not be able to read!


    Chuckling the thought away, I grab my things and make sure I am leaving the statue nice and tidy. Getting up and tapping my chin, I ponder maybe visiting some of the other shrines before heading back. But, deciding against it, I head back to the entrance, key in claw. I spot Undwote''s shrine and stop.


    A sense of nervousness wrecks my composure and I look on at the empty room it is in.


    "Sorry, Undwote, about not staying dead..." I feel compelled to speak out to the room, catching sight of the rocking chair in the corner. The God of Death welcomes all that comes to him on his rocking chairs. But, looking below it, I spot toys that have been left alone by it. Colourful things sprawled out chaotically. A playful child used this shrine last, I''m sure of it.


    God of Death, God of the Cold and so many other haunting, unenjoyable topics.


    Those toys help me throw away all those titles. I can only focus on one and it''s clearly coming back to me. One of his most well-known roles beyond handling the dead. He is the greatest friend of all mortal life. Undwote-Buhsfryind.


    Your Best Friend Undwote...


    Nodding my respect to the scorned god, I get going and leave it all behind.


    "Now, time to go back. What about you, though?" I tell myself, asking the key what it wants to do as I look at it. Should I return it to Brewbrt as soon as possible? Hand it off to a member of his staff? Should I keep it with me until breakfast in the morning? Or, as he joked, at lunch if I sleep in. Hm.

 V4 Incline 21: Nin

    I wonder if I''ll actually be able to get to sleep tonight? Have not had a whole lot of luck even before I came back to life as a bug. All this magic in my system. It''s doing something to me that is unseen until my patience starts to run thin. Gods, I wish it was just my new biology, but this problem is longer rooted than that.


    Either way, I guess... I can at least make sure Rose-sweerui and Einervaene get to sleep fine. Assuming the latter chooses to spend the night with us in our room. Rooms... House?


    Somehow, I manage to get my route back done right without issue and I straighten myself out. Hiding the letter Motrtha wrote for me, I present Rose-sweerui''s flower proudly. Touching the handle, I slowly open it up, cautious about how brittle my strength might make it seem. Stepping inside, I close the wood back up.


    So far, so good.


    Frowning at the lack of reception, my head snaps around looking for one of two things. Something jerks around out of sight, a right banging noise erupting. Confusion paints my face as the familiar sounds remind me of something. That dash to get the naughty deed out of sight before someone sees.


    "Anybody alive in here?" I call out, a half-naked aelenvari running into view. A smile forcing its way up her face and she sprints to me. I move my arms out of the way, saving the flower.


    "My precious, beloved love!" Rose says loudly, her body arousing suspicions more so than a hard one. The face full of relief is certainly hard to ignore, smushed up as it is against my chest. Her eyes keep meeting mine and this mask isn''t doing as good of a job as she is hoping it is. Something''s going on and I am probably not going to like hearing it...


    Am I?


    "Where''s Einervaene?" I ask.


    "She left! The golden-human had her bath and left!" the aelenvari lies.


    Zapping.


    "What''s that noise?" I ask, stepping further into the room with a cocked brow. Setting Rose aside easily, the buzzing grows louder as I trace her approach. Strange, electrical buzzing. Thudding. Thud, thud, thud.


    "What noise?" Rose pretends not to hear, her mask already slipping off to the ground to shatter. Despite the dark lenses hiding my eyes, she flinches when my gaze meets hers.


    "Rose..." I let out in a low tone, one permeating with chitters. Turning to the bathroom door further along, I figure out the source of the noise. Rose rushes ahead, blocking the door completely with a crude attempt at seduction. She''s even holding back her perfectionism with it to ensure the door is blocked. Utterly so.


    Now I know... So very well, I do know.


    "Have I ever told you how much I love you?" she asks, spinning one of her narrow-tipped legs about. The sways of movement close and open a view many would love to see. Not I.


    "Move."


    "I love you more than you could ever know! M-More than you can understand...!" she tells me, her words hurrying out into terrified squeaks as I lay my claws on her. Gently grasping her shoulder, I direct my energy into a simple motion.


    "Moving you." is all I have for her.


    Finding myself needing to pick her up, I do so. Settling her down, I go back to the door. She panics and her actions turn erratic. Not enough for her to chase after me. She already knows the jig is up. I open the bathroom door.


    Steam blasts across my face, filling out the room. I almost reach for a window before I recall the hole in the wall not far away. Wiping my lenses clean, they fog up again. Slipping the mask off for the moment, the vapour soaks my shell dripping wet.


    I step into the bathroom and turn towards the crackling of electricity. Einervaene is passed out within the empty tub. Blue sparks arcing all over her naked, spasming body. Each bolt adds to her severely pinkish-red hue.


    Whatever happened, she was lucky to have had her head catch on something. So, she''s not drowned. I hope. But... What happened...? How...


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "What happened!?" I ask Rose, putting my stuff down and vaulting into the dry tub.


    "WAIT-!" Rose screams, my claws grabbing onto Einervaene and picking her up. Rose goes quiet as she watches the volts harmlessly lash away at me. Admittedly, sharing her sudden scream. Running into an electric is not the smartest idea, results being good or not... I guess it doesn''t matter.


    "Still waiting for an answer, Rose!" I demand from her, Einervaene''s body going down onto a nearby sofa. Taking a decorative blanket, I wrap the thankfully sleeping beauty up. I''m not sure if I did anything, but the sparks have stopped. I guess the remaining water was drawing it out of her...? Whatever, she''s alright.


    "She shocked herself while showing off her magic..." Rose mutters, her hands coming together for a harsh rub. She''s clearly under the impression I am angry with her. Though, hearing this is something originating from Einervaene herself, my mood isn''t too bad. I could still get angry over other things, however.


    "And you left her in there!?" I accuse, venting my annoyance that way with a disingenuous accusation. How can I blame Rose like that? Covered in electricity!


    "I... I-" Rose stutters, our attention going to Einervaene as she moans herself awake. Snapping around, I quickly head for my mask. The straps slap onto the back of my head and I snuggle into its confines.


    "W... Wha... What happened?" Einervaene moans out in a mixture of all sorts of emotions. I hear her move up, and, despite being covered, she panics. More noises come out at me. She realises she has a blanket nearby as I turn back around. Masked up and with a hat on top. I barely manage to get a view of her tits. Not that I needed the sneak peek, I got a full view of the nice things when I got her out here.


    Einervaene starts to calm down, a hand covering her face as she realises how pink she''s turned. She looks at Rose, her eyes down and memories playing up. An awkward quiet takes over. The pair are clearly recalling a conversation.


    "You shocked yourself, according to Rose." I decide to explain, nodding towards the aelenvari as I collect the rest of my things. My eyes bounce between Einervaene''s growing blush and my travel partner. Rinse repeat until I am all ready with the few items I''ve collected.


    Rose notices the flower and approaches, a dainty effect to her steps.


    "Oh, this is for you." I tell her, handing it over. She takes it without a word, but holds it close regardless. The air sings with the sound of kissing lips. No flesh for them to touch, though.


    "Did you tell the human gilded-bark about Einervaene?" Rose-sweerui asks, her mind calming down and focusing on the flower instead. I almost want to smile at how her tongue has slipped.


    "I did. He will want to speak to you later," I answer Rose-sweerui, pointing to Einervaene for the rest of the sentence. Quiet takes over and I note how Rose-sweerui is steadily turning as pinkish-red as the burnt woman wrapped in her blanket. She''s not fairing much better, either. She knows I''ve seen what she''s packing, her eyes are even trailing to where my palms held her.


    Skin redder than Einervaene''s water burns afterimages across my vision. A body locks around me and squeezes tight. Nearby things tap and bang as Rose-sweerui pays no mind to where her tail goes. She''s clinging tight, a happy tune in her throat and a soft glow in her bulbs.


    I think she likes the flower.


    "Do... Do I need to give you two some p-privacy?" Einervaene asks me as she tries to manoeuvre her way to the door.


    "No, you can stay in here. Besides, you are still naked." I answer, a small smile forming as the blanket-covered woman leaps back the way she came. She falls to the floor, painful moans leaving her right before she screams. Her actions took the blanket away. Hands snatch it back up and she returns to the sofa. Scoffing, I shake my head at the show.


    Noting how much energy the two have, though, I move Rose-sweerui aside. She lets out noises of sadness and confusion and we go over so I can do the same to Einervaene. Rose-sweerui growls in jealousy while the foreign beauty squeaks at the arm wrapping around her. Moving us along, I take us to the bedroom proper.


    The sadroobell comes to mind, more specifically the talk I had with Futhans. Strong magic is supposed to heal. Not only will this help out with Rose-sweerui''s current injuries and anything gained. It should also deal with Einervaene''s less than ideal red-skinned tan.


    Having not said a word, neither are too sure of what is going on. And, well, Rose-sweerui is taking the time to be utterly scornful with Einervaene. Who, in turn, has learned not to mind her naked contact with me. So long as it hides her from the sneers of the aelenvari woman.


    Setting the two down onto the bed, I scoot in between the pair and bring them in. They both seem to grow quiet and a quilt is brought over us through no action of my own. Closing my eyes, I try to focus on my magic as the pair settles in. Rose-sweerui intimacy is fine, but Einervaene''s is distracting.


    Now that I am properly aware of how stupid I am, maybe this isn''t a good idea? All I have are these bandages separating my bug body from Einervaene''s naked one. So many small details for her to pick up on right now. My presumed perception of Einervaene''s horror is...


    I glance at Rose-sweerui as she sprawls herself over my front. Her bulbs flare up threateningly, hiding the sneer she''s wearing on her lips. This current behaviour might be to my benefit. Glaring all this bloody murder at the increasingly nervous window breaker will keep her distracted.


    "Try not to kill each other, you two." I remark as I try to reassure both of them with a slight jostle. They seem to settle down, leaving me to try and focus on what Futhans mentioned. I am incredibly confused about how I might be able to use my magic like this but... Apparently I can do it. I just need to focus on the fantastical idea of healing these two through ambience.


    ...


    Hm...


    ...


    Should I imagine myself wrapping bandages around them? Putting plasters on? Setting a cast? Wiping and cleaning a wound...?

 V4 Incline 22: Nin

    "I am very bored..." I find myself muttering as quietly as I can realistically be. Looking down at the pair of beautiful women who have been sleeping on me all night, I smile a little. Attention lapsing as I am right now, this mirror at the end of the bed is very tact in how it presents the good of my situation. But I know the real reason why they''re both here.


    One needs to recover from their water burns and seems to be doing alright. She''s lightened up, with much of the pinkish hue having gone by now. Rose-sweerui, in the other claw, she''s not doing as well. Her injuries are far deeper,deeper, with a far more haunting cause and history.


    My chitters become louder.


    At the very least, Rose-sweerui has not been all that fidgety in her time sleeping against and on me. Compared to our new friend who hasn''t been stirring all that much since falling asleep, the aelenvari has. She''s twitching, shivering at my touch if I move but a lone digit. For a time as comfortable as sleeping in bed, I''ve been awfully tense.


    Frozen solid again and again, so I do not end up bothering Rose-sweerui. Would rather not cause a repeat of what happened the night we left her flower behind. She''s keeping to her word, though. She''s keeping to her word of not treating me like a monster...


    My eyes shift to Einervaene''s side. I''m happy she''s getting better and healing up quick and well. But, I still cannot figure out if I have been able to successfully apply Futhans'' commentary about magic. I''ve had burns in general before. They tend to be gone quickly.


    Admittedly, I''ve never boiled my entire body like she did. There''s been a few small ones over the years... I guess they''re not a good thing to base a comparison on. Shouldn''t be too bad to extrapolate-


    A sweet, static-y yawn interrupts my pondering thoughts. Einervaene''s otherwise silent stirring is broken apart with sharp breaths. Guess that means she is still feeling a bit tender. Her weight shifts about as one part''s pain makes it temporarily impossible to use.


    She gets up fully and I keep perfectly still. Einervaene looks around, her buxom chest swinging around without a care. Her eyes lock on my face and she''s properly awake. Whatever caution existed before vanishes and she covers herself up, disturbing the comfort of the bed.


    My lack of movement makes her calm down, and the view becomes delightful again. She cannot see my eyes as I still have my mask on and I make a point of keeping the chitters quiet. What a weird pair of muscles to feel on my face... She leans towards me.


    Quickly closing my eye, I keep up the facade of my current fake sleep. I''m not sure how see-through my mask lenses are on her side, so better safe than sorry. Whatever the case might be, she''s convinced I am asleep. As a reward for my kept up act, another nice look at her bare chest and the pair of divinely inspired coins on them.


    Compared to Rose''s pair of sweeteroos, Einervaene''s are much more impressive. That lovely bit of extra meat is always a boon, bigger proportions in the best way possible. The way her much longer hair is able to come down and even hide them partially is a pleasant touch, too. Thank you, divine will and Mother of Einervaene, thank you for this milky skin of hers.


    Though, despite that, I honestly prefer Rose-sweerui''s hair when it comes to colour as its darker, more natural looking shade is nicer. Einervaene''s, now that I am properly paying attention to it, is practically copper wiring in its colour. I will be wise to keep these thoughts locked up. Can''t really be risking any form of bad reaction out of Rose-sweerui at this time. I really cannot.


    Yet, even then, neither of them could ever match Motrtha in her sheer beauty. Or even Aahtha, actually. Despite how the latter took on the form of Iishar, of all people. I wonder if my tastes have changed since then? Random thing to be curious about, of all the things to try and pester a goddess over...


    "Hard..." Einervaene cryptically mutters and I finally feel her hand pressing down on my wrapped up body. Double checking where her hand is going, I beat down my lecherous thoughts with the confirmation it''s not my best friend she''s on about. Gods above am I glad nothing has happened. He may be my best friend, but he''s a complete softy.


    Until his favourite topics come about in thought or view, then he''s as hard-headed as they cum- come.


    I snicker loudly.


    A hard bang hits the floor, and a yelp calls out, "Ah... Shit."


    Leaning up, I stare down at the wide-eyed, red-faced woman as she covers herself up. Body hairs all raised up, her breathing giving her nothing but an on-edge look. Shame about my immaturity, I was quite enjoying the sight. Even so, her well-being comes first.


    Pulling myself up further, I unhook my cloak and leave it to Rose-sweerui as she softly collapses into the bed''s centre. She fails to stir and snuggles up against the smell of me. Taking the chance to deprive Rose-sweerui of something, I hand the quilt properly to Einervaene. The foreign noble scowls a bit initially and turns timid.


    "Th-Thank you..." she meekly squeaks, snatching the covers and wrapping herself up in them. Even now, though, her body''s shape still shines on through quite spectacularly. Offering her a claw, I help her up onto her feet. Rose-sweerui makes a noise and Einervaene shuffles away abruptly.


    Guess I need to press the aelenvari for some answers after she wakes up. Maybe it will be a better idea to wait for the two are separate before asking such questions. Don''t want to have to worry about the two clashing while the other explains. I know firsthand how lies during a retelling can set people off, even with a third party involved.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    It''s a personal thing for me, especially when the biases are so flippantly worn by said third party. A man of mechanical skills and trades where there''s so many things only possible to do one way. Arbitrary nonsense just does mix well with me. That''s a good reminder, though. I need to mind my own preconceptions when hearing the pair out.


    Einervaene''s awkward shuffling catches my eye, "So..."


    I sit down on the end of the bed.


    "What are your plans once you meet Brewbrt? Going to go on your way?" I finish asking her.


    "That was the plan, yes. I would have got what I needed from him and taken some kind of transport to Suhurlodst." Einervaene answers with a small nod.


    "That still the plan?" I then ask, and her face gets red once again. If it wasn''t so cute, I might have a go at her for the reaction. Well, tease her for it, anyway. It will be nice to have her, though. More company is nice, even if it''s only a brief journey together.


    "I don''t know... I wouldn''t mind... I would very much like some company as I have been very lonely since I left home." she lets out, what appears to be tears forming in her eyes. They do not flow, they just make the rims of her eyes sparkle in the morning light. Yet, even then, if there is a way I can help, I''d be glad to. I can relate all too well to the fears and concerns of being so far away from home.


    "Pretty sure I asked this before, but, how about you join us two? Nothing wrong with more company. Especially as we are going to the same place, so getting some familiar faces can''t hurt, right?"


    "I... I don''t know, Rianta-chira doesn''t seem like she would like it. Maybe ask her?" Einervaene tells me and I look back to Rose, following Einervaene''s gaze. I guess that explains a little what this bad blood between the pair might be. An odd thing given how enthusiastic Rose-sweerui has been to the idea in the immediate past.


    Shaking my head a little, I dismiss Einervaene''s worries, "She''ll fold if I push her on it, don''t worry. If you want to come along, you are welcome. After all, I am the one carrying her stuff and doing most of the legwork, so my say is greater, anyway."


    "I guess that makes sense..." Einervaene perks up subtly at, her eyes going over to the bag''s general direction. Bloody massive thing to squeeze into this place, let alone the estate''s main doors. Guess it''s nice I can get to stuff easier as I had to unpack it, but... That means at some point I have to repack.


    "So, why are you calling her Rianta-chira? Seems like more of a mouthful." I ask, curious as to why this name is being used. I''m honestly surprised Rose so much as budged on letting Einervaene get away with it. Especially with how proud she is of being what I know she''s equated to as -the- Rose''lhia of her home flower.


    "It sounds more like a name from home..." Einervaene sniffles.


    Ah, that makes sense. I can get that. If it wasn''t for Vadei''s spit finger trick as well, I would have probably gone down the same route. But, as a result of her spit in my ears and that first drink back at the mountain camp, here I am. I can understand everyone so far up to a point. Actually, I''d be utterly useless were it not for Vadei''s disgusting trick.


    Lost and confused with no way to understand anyone at all!


    "That reminds me, I never did introduce myself, did I? Well, I am Nin. Nin being my first name and Urtuan being my last. Unlike you, my surname is nothing special." I tell her, chuckling lightly as I recall how she listed off the grand heritage of ''Bosphama.'' And here is I, Nin of Urtuan, a name so meaningless I don''t even know what it does mean.


    "M-Might I do the same with your name?" Einervaene questions and my eyes widen a little. Is ''Nin'' not simple and easy enough to pronounce on its own? Nih-nnn.


    "Sure...?" I let out, brow cocking.


    "Thank you! Well, it''s nice to meet you, then, Nin-kischu." Einervaene goes, her expression perking up as my thoughts settle down. Guess she just wanted to give me a fancy name title.


    "Kischu?" I ask, clinging to the honorific.


    "An honorific for men and boys, mostly." she explains, establishing how boring it must be. But, whatever makes her comfortable and helps a little with that home sickness.


    "Already have a short name. Guess it needs to be longer?" I quietly laugh out and Einervaene turns away slightly, her hand scrunching the improvised dress.


    "It''s a taught behaviour, sorry. Back home, they place a lot of emphasis on Us and Them for us of noble lineage. I guess it..." Einervaene clarifies, her thoughts clearly turning dark enough for a shake of the head to be needed.


    "I hope one day, then, we can see each other as just Us, then." I huff, knowing a little too late how the sentence can be interpreted. My unseen smile remains unseen, but hers does not and it makes me happier. It''s a sweet little thing, so positively curved. Her eyes even remind me of a baby''s, large and sparkling.


    In a way, it''s reminding me of Undwote''s shadowy hounds. Especially the smaller ones in that group of seven. I wasn''t there long, but I saw how they''d get things out of the God of Death. Rush and waddle up with puffed up eyes and watch the god be brought to his breaking point. I''m pretty sure I even saw one of the larger hounds encourage a smaller one to provoke Undwote on its behalf.


    The small, elongated belly one seemed to push his buttons the best. But, in a way, I can''t help but have the impression it''s the silly belly that did most of the influencing. Such a long thing, stretched over the ground like a hammock. On four waddling legs, stubby as they are energetic. Such an entertaining little animal.


    Looking down at my exposed bandages, I am reminded of something.


    "I don''t suppose you brought anything with you?" I ask the foreign beauty, my attention refocusing on her. Her current attire is better than what it was when we first met. Yet it''s hardly suitable for the outside. Maybe if this was an aelenvari flower, but it''s not. Thankfully so.


    "Only a few items. Most of what I packed when I first left home is gone." Einervaene lets out lowly and she shoots to her feet, rushing across the room. She picks up a small bag I wasn''t even aware she had, and she opens it up. A sigh of relief escapes her and she shivers at the escaping worries. Must be something quite important in there.


    "No fresh clothes, I take it?"


    "No, Rianta-chira tore my only clothes apart before we bathed. She was... Quite forceful in an admittedly pleasurable way." Einervaene answers, flushing both our cheeks with excitement. Blinking my wide eyes away, I focus on the crime.


    "You can borrow some of Rose-sweerui''s. She brought plenty. She won''t miss it." I explain, standing up and heading to the door so we can pop over to the bag.


    "Will any of it even fit? She is smaller than me..." Einervaene asks, her eyes looking away as her face burns up again. I guess even she pays attention to these kinds of details. I huff under my breath. Looking to the still sleeping aelenvari as she snuggles more against my cloak. I click my tongue.


    "You''ll be fine, trust me." I insist and Einervaene nods. So much of what Rose-sweerui has is designed to be flexible around the female form. This is all going to depend on how Einervaene feels about presenting herself.

 V4 Incline 23: Nin

    Leaving behind the quiet snores in the air, I close the door as quietly as it can click, "Well, let''s give it a go, then."


    "The uh... Lord Brewbrt should be willing to help me if this doesn''t work out." Einervaene tells me and I shrug, heading to the bag.


    "If you insist, but for now, we''ll keep it here. Best to at least borrow some of Rose-sweerui''s clothes and save him the trouble. Gives him more time to get it sorted as you''ll at least have something to wear." I explain and the thoughts stew noisily in her mouth. Soft lips part with a gentle gasp.


    "I suppose that is fine," she looks down and barely tries to reach for her feet, "But, what will I do about foot or legwear? Rianta-chira doesn''t have... Or does... I don''t know..."


    Rose-sweerui''s naked, boney points come to mind. Einervaene has quite the -point- there. I snicker under my breath. Putting it to a stop, I get my mind back on track and focus on what''s below Einervaene''s waist.


    "Well, I know there''s one thing we''ll need Brewbrt for, then." I say to her, patting on my own money container anyway, as I am probably not going to pester him for it. Besides, the sadroobell paid well enough. Shoes and socks aren''t going to eat into our newfound budget. Though, maybe I could''ve asked for more as a one off purchase, a long journey is not.


    Gods above, I miss the market system of Tobaballe. You could only buy up to a standard of your station, making things so simple. I only need a specific tool, nothing fancy, nothing unfamiliar. All I could choose from was so limited, no paralysis there, unlike now with Rose-sweerui''s haughtiness.


    Travelling with two beautiful women who will probably want to stay that way... Especially the latter.


    "Clothing is in that area over there." I tell the woman in question as she starts to prod at my future trekking haul. I find a comfortable spot on a sofa, ready to guide her about as she figures things out.


    Einervaene''s delicate grip does little to disturb the silence taking the room over. She handles them carefully and sets them all down equally so. The mighty, obnoxious bag deflates with each additional gouging made by our new friend. Unfortunately for her, she keeps finding more and more of Rose-sweerui''s tubes and similar.


    More and more piles form, each almost like a stack of pipes.


    As even more neat piles come of Einervaene''s digging, I look to the still-closed door and shake my head. Honestly, Rose and her packing habits. It really is something, seeing the bag''s contents near-fully arrayed before me. My imagination really cannot keep up with how much really has been in its fabric walls.


    "This is all very improper..." Einervaene mutters with a stiff expression, her cheeks rosy. In her hands, a pair of panties just barely patterned up enough to cover her private area. A bit amusingly, I can somehow call that one of her more modest pieces. I''ve seen skimpier... Far skimpier.


    "Yeah... Aelenvari of her stature prefer being borderline naked. I guess the natural body is the most beautiful thing to them." I explain, Rose''s treatment of the ''ugly,'' fully covered roots coming to mind. Not just her, either, the whole stem and up population.


    A frown settles in as my thoughts shift to the men and how they''re fairly similar in that regard. Clothing wise. They were all rather naked as well. So, does that mean my current attire bothers Rose? Or have her standards taken a sharp twist and bend around into something else because of what I am?


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    "I... I have to admit, rather crassly. But, uh... This looks like it all belongs to the costume department of a... I''m sure a priestess of Aahtha would like it very much." Einervaene tries to say, whatever it was she was trying to actually say melting away for a politer response. I''m putting my money on a remark about prostitutes or something.


    She looks away with her usual fluster and puts it down delicately, her fingers trembling. I have to admit, though; I share her thoughts on the matter. Somehow, the greatest whiplash for me in meeting the aelenvari is their dress code. I... I''ve just never seen anything like it before, not even in a Pleasure Club of Aahtha. Priestesses enlightening men to the joys of their debaucherous thoughts, the legendary sneaking-in goal of all young men.


    Even then, they dress in thin, clingy fabrics only, not in a lack of it.


    "Well, think of it like this. You won''t have to wear it for long if you don''t want to. Just until we are able to get you something new." I tell her and her head shifts my way.


    "But I like it..." I can barely hear.


    "Come again?" I ask, leaning forward.


    Her voice breaks into a squeak, face red with shame, "But I like it!"


    My nose blows hard.


    "It makes me feel like Aahtha is here with me... Making me the prettiest woman I can be." she almost swoons and I go into deep thought. Picking out clothes seems more like Clohniq''s thing. But I guess the two divine sisters would share a moment of shared passion if a mortal needed dress advice?


    Einervaene lets out a delighted noise, and something enters her hands. She holds it close, testing the softness and a few other aspects. Whatever it is, however, she''s hiding it. Otherwise satisfied, though.


    "Got something?" I ask and all I seem to be able to get is a nod and hectic brush away gestures.


    "L-Look away, please." she demands, her body shaking with something not called fear. Her smile has too much dripping anticipation for it to be anything else.


    While I know how much I have been growing numb to naked women thanks to Rose-sweerui and her kind. Einervaene does not know the extent of my memories. Complying with the request, I turn away. Honestly, it''s bewilderingly refreshing to meet a woman who doesn''t want me to stare. Not that I need another chance to see her goods, hehe.


    Shifting my eyes over to the broken window and wall, I lean up slightly to check the Orbital-Halo. It''s shining on down quite properly now, we''re well into the warming sensation of morning. Looking to the door, I get up, spooking Einervaene into falling. I laugh gently and she tries to chuckle her embarrassment away.


    Going on through to the other side, I leave Einervaene with the privacy she wants. Caution locks up my body and I stare at Rose-sweerui. It''s about time to shake her awake. But, I know how frightened she might end up being if even my bandaged up form shakes her up...


    Finding the strength to close the gap, I almost leap away at the first noise she makes. Gulping, I sit down on the bed and she instinctively flips around over to me. Her bare arm lazily drapes itself on me, a small smile forming on her face. A soft glow in her bulbs.


    Slugging a claw near her hand, she flip flops hers into the palm. Squeezing it shut by squeezing it herself. A smile comes to my face, putting me at ease. Using my thumb-claw to rub her backhand, she starts to stir.


    She picks herself up, eyes largely closed. Spotting the first signs of nipples, I look away, only to laugh at myself. Not only does Rose-sweerui of all people not mind me looking, I spent earlier looking at a more impressive pair. So, why does it bother me now? I can''t help but keep my mask up to block my view of the succulent chest.


    Half awake, however, and she''s still aware enough to catch onto my behaviour. She blindsides me with a sudden pounce, throwing us onto the floor. Her laughter fills the room. A tit smooched right up on my mask''s lens. A slight sparkle at its wet tip.


    Rose moans gently, moving my mask between her breasts instead and hotdogging the beak, "Morning, my precious love!"


    Her blissful tone comes to an end, and she curls up against me. Giving it a go, I try to reach for my cloak. So close, but so far out of reach. Pushing Rose-sweerui up as I move closer to it, she puts on a playful pout at my stubborn refusal to let her move my claw. Clicking the cloak around my neck, a wave of comfort shivers under my shell.


    Once again, I am fully covered.


    "Has she found anything she likes yet?" Rose-sweerui asks, her grin growing as she rises to her tips. She has little problem walking her underside right over me and I gawk at the confidence. Her small hand grasps the door handle, and she shakes her hips eagerly. Getting up after her, she frightens Einervaene within moments of the door opening.

 V4 Incline 24: Nin

    A yelp follows, and I bounce through the doorframe. Rose''s hands are already full of Einervaene''s clothed breasts. She tidies up Einervaene''s outfit, interrupting what the human woman was already trying to do. Rose-sweerui''s sly grin grows, her dominance over the poor girl sounding off with each tweak of the pleasure mound tips. Looking away, I cough.


    The noise dies off, Rose-sweerui''s giggling stopping the silence as she looks through the piles for today''s outfit. Copper hair comes into view, a milk-skinned body walking to a full-claim position. I guess Einervaene wants me to see what she chose to wear. Of course, as we predicted, there''s nothing on her legs at all, nothing for her thighs either and it''s an issue going up to her hips.


    Guess that explains the loincloth-like thing she''s chosen to use. Other than that, it''s all fairly modest by Rose-sweerui''s standards. The fluffy sleeves make me believe it''s a cold weather kit. Though I am quite liking the metal bits on the outside, they''re so well-woven on that I can imagine a fair few artisans turning down the task of working on it. Scarily complicated, all these patterns and chains and decorative nails.


    The signs of it being intended for Rose, though, are all there. Exposing Einervaene''s tummy for all to see is a knowingly too-short mini-corset not reaching far enough at all. Her top even has a wide open gap for the underside of her breasts to droop out of. The top''s tightness practically squeezing them out. Maybe Einervaene should avoid jumping...


    For the sake of her embarrassment not burning her up like the water did.


    Colours are simple and I have a feeling she''s chosen her main one for how stark its contrast is to her prior filth. Pure white, not a stain affecting it in sight, edged by strips of rose red. The metal isn''t much off colour either, being such a pale silver it''s almost diamond clear. Maybe it''s platinum, even?


    Guess it doesn''t matter, it''s a fine polish either way. Though, I do have to wonder about these fine carvings on the metal. At anything other than an intimate distance, they''re hard to make out with so little shadow catching on them. Looks like a mixture of symbols of Undwotian and Motrtharian symbols.


    God of Friendship and Goddess of Mothers and Love seems to be their intention.


    "White and red? I like it. Highlights your best parts." I remark, finally. Her skin and hair coming to mind most clearly for me. A hidden smile messes up my face while she looks away, a hand covering her mouth as her cheeks boil.


    A hand adjusts some of the spots with a clear snap of elastic.


    "It''s not too tight, though, is it?" I ask, noting how much she is doing it.


    "No! It''s fine... Yes, fine." she blurts out, laughing nervously at the sudden rise in her tone. Rose-sweerui leaps onto me and sprawls herself out, bra''d-up chest pushing to my mask.


    "My love, what about me?" Rose lets out, her confident tone not doing a good job of hiding her jealousy. Picking up on this, my mask aids me in the growing of a sinister smirk as I think about messing with her. Shrugging and making an ''eh,'' I start to move her off. Keeping my attention on Einervaene, I note how the human shirks at the unseen terror.


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    Getting in Rose-sweerui''s way, I start to laugh, making her quickly aware of what I am doing. Either way, she stabs her points aggressively, her face pouting. Rose-sweerui truly is so sweet right now with how green she is. And I''m not about the subtle green tone of her skin.


    "Calm down, I''m just teasing." I say, getting further in the way of the vicious aelenvari. She takes a moment to properly process the statement. She comes around and backs away with crossed arms, a glare maintained solely at me.


    "Don''t ever do that again!" she hisses at me, her tongue dripping with the toxicity of raw wild plants. She abruptly latches onto me, her noises pathetic and mewling. Her grip wraps around me and it tightens.


    "Sorry, Rose-sweerui, I won''t do it again." I sigh out, more so in my head. Was only joking... Hopefully putting a bunch of emphasis on that honorific she likes will make her calm down more. She seems to take it well and her grip loosens, a small smile on her lips.


    I guess this is that firm reminder I need to iron things out clearly with Rose. More and more issues and circumstances like this one will pop up otherwise. This isn''t the first time Rose has been blinded by anger at something that can be easily explained. Just like with what happened to Dandelion...


    Shaking my head, I head to the door, the two girls following after me. A quiet settles in and I can feel the discomfort it must be emitting. Einervaene picks up the pace until she is at my side. Rose emulates her, only tightly gripping my side as well.


    "Wh-Where are we going?" Einervaene asks, her eyes not daring to go beyond my front.


    "Something to eat. It''s morning and we''re all dressed." I answer and Rose-sweerui yanks me to a halt. Einervaene takes a few further steps forward and Rose throws my cloak overhead.


    Agitation flares up in my chitters.


    "What about...?" Rose whispers cautiously, her hand rubbing the edge of my mask. My mood cools dramatically.


    "I''ll set aside a plate or something for later. Having my food packed up so I can eat in private shouldn''t be a problem." I whisper back, and she puts my cloak back into order. My mind lingers on our shared worries and I focus on my stomach. I''m not really hungry, but keeping up with this behaviour can''t be good. I should at least try to snack on something.


    "My love, what do humans often eat at this time?" Rose-sweerui asks, pulling our minds away from what just happened. I eye the well-decorated hallway, not too sure how to answer the question. Breakfast is such a circumstantial thing, it''s not really set in stone. I can''t even imagine it''s much different to what Rose-sweerui might already be accustomed to.


    "I wouldn''t mind something freshly picked or slaughtered... I''ve only had that which has grown stale with exposure for months now." Einervaene answers quietly and I nod at the want. Not quite the same situation, but I am familiar with being last in line at the very busy public cafeterias.


    "Understandable on your part, Einervaene. But, Rose-sweerui, why the concern? Not going to like what Brewbrt has to offer or something?" I ask the aelenvari, and she shakes her head firmly.


    "No, no, of course not! He''s a human-petal. How could I possibly not like what he will have on offer? I''ve... I''ve just never eaten outside of my flower before. So, I was hoping, my love, you might know a little more. Given how you are one of the very best your kind has to offer," Rose explains, and I laugh on the inside. Einervaene''s confused noises bring it to a halt, making my core hurt.


    Thankfully, she asks no questions...


    "Can''t really help you much here. Honestly, I enjoy the idea of the surprise." I tell her, shrugging, as I can''t really get my brain off of my paranoia. It''s too consuming. Right down to the gnawed bone of it.


    "Why not? Shouldn''t you quite clearly understand this, my precious love?" Rose-sweerui questions, her face comfortably settling in with its new baffled style. A gentle sigh leaves me as I cling my thoughts onto the present conversation. It''s going to be another one of those topics, perfect. Annoying power, thank you very much!

 V4 Incline 25: The Runaway Noble

    The native servant finishes directing us towards the in-use dining hall. He opens the doors for us and stands aside, alerting the interior of the room to our arrival. The old man at the end of the grand table rises with an energetic smile. His arms open wide and he walks around to meet us intimately, his attention most thoroughly on me.


    Growing conscious of my choice of attire, I try to hide the exposure. I cover my chest. Hide my thighs and cross my legs. I return my arms to under my chest, covering the hole.


    "Ah, Lady-Heir Einervaene, so nice to finally meet you!" the Jhermonikra Lord greets, his name escaping me for this embarrassing moment, making it all the more so. Trying to return the smile and wave, my mind focuses on all that I am somewhat aware of what he has done for me. This is the man who has been in contact with Mother, the one who has been helping me. Of all the things I must do, I must find the time to thank him properly. Maybe ask about Mother, as well...


    Rianta-chira and Nin-kischu greet him and go on ahead. The Lord puts his arm around me gently and he starts to take me towards the lovely-looking table. If this is how normal it looks, then it is quite nostalgic for me as a noble. If it is to celebrate my safe arrival, then I am even more so thankful!


    Taking the walk as a moment to grow familiar with his choice of decoration, I note how metallic a lot of it is. Back home, as I am sure he might be aware of, wealth is often shown with a preference for plants and wood. With the very ground being made of unrefined ore, it is very common and lacking in that wonder. Well, unless it is gold. For the God of Thunder is above all else, back home.


    Taking in a deep breath, I focus on my thanks, "I''m... I''m sorry I did not meet up with you like I should have..."


    My nervousness gets the better of me, putting a stop to my thanks. I wanted to at least apologise for the silly way I vandalised his home but... He''s laughing, laughing heartily with a welcoming smile. His hand rubs my shoulder.


    "Don''t worry about it, my dear. I''m just glad you got here safely. I can finally send off that letter I''ve been waiting so long on. Oh, I tell you, I wrote that thing weeks before you got here. I''ve no patience at all!" he laughs, drawing a slight chuckle from me as a frown deepens on my features.


    "H-How... How is Mother? How is she?" I whisper in question, and his expression turns sullen. For a line of communication from here to Eusorochii to be maintained, he must''ve known Mother for a long, fruitful time. Maybe I might make use of it? If it is something I can be sure has a relatively quick response time... At the very least, maybe I can use it to contact Father and his colonial territory?


    Gods and goddesses above, please grant me this wish.


    "She is well. Stressed and exhausted emotionally, but well. She misses you dearly, to the point of regretting a choice she knows she cannot fault." he explains quietly, and I nod slowly.


    "It''s ok, much as it has been horrible at times, I cannot blame her. There is danger in me being..." I say, focusing on my hands as some blue sparks go across them. It will be some time before I get to see Mother again. A face-to-face interaction is so long away, so very long. It is upsetting.


    Mother''s Friend lifts me up by the chin, "Try not to focus too much on it right now. Come, let us enjoy breakfast. How have you been getting along with your unplanned companions?"


    Whispering a sniffle, I turn my puff-rimmed eyes to the other two. The pair are eating, one more so than the other. Rianta-chira is eating, picking away at everything she can see to try as much of it as she can. Nin-kischu, on the other hand, seems more interested in filling out a dish and then covering it. What an odd eating habit, I have to admit, within the privacy of my thoughts.


    I do not want to speak foul of either to someone, not behind or in front of. But, I also do not want to be so avoiding as to lie about a problem. A memory of Mother, along with our maids, comes to mind. Lessons in how to not only be a noble, but to become The Lady Bosphama myself one day.


    "They have been very accommodating. Rianta-chira helped me bathe last night and Nin-kischu helped solve my clothing crisis." I answer, making sure I keep up with the tact so I do not make clear what also happened. It was my own fault, anyway. I should know better, for the blood of an Eusorochii family runs through my veins.


    "Very good, very good. Now, I am not sure if you will like it, but when your masked friend over there pointed out your arrival. I had made sure my cooks understood to try and make some dishes closer to home for you. We have some experience in the matter as sometimes I yearn for the dishes of the Lightning-Mountain. Is that fine?" he informs me and I smile as we move closer to the other two.


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    Though, we end up sitting several seats away from them. More so on the end of the table than at its centre, like they are. Perhaps it is for the best, knowing Rianta-chira''s thoughts about perceived intimacy. One cannot ask the lord of the estate to bend to my wishes, much-anticipated guest or not.


    Besides, it will help us carry on talking together.


    "Uhm, I was actually hoping to try some dishes of Jherikra?" I ask, growing timid as I worry over if I am asking too much right now. He''s just told me he went through all this effort to prepare his home for my arrival. His staff are going out of their way to learn new dishes purely to make me comfortable!


    "Union? Theocracy? North? South? Continental-Colonial fusions? More traditionally Ravineer? Something from the non-humans like the aelenvari, kelbalids or even the hwardgon?" he barrages me with, shutting down my brain with this pull of the carpet. Such a simple question is not so simple, it seems. I do my best to prevent a blank-faced stare from forming.


    "Anything will do. I am afraid that I am too ignorant to answer anything specific." I end up telling the smiling man as his attention shifts to the food before him. Compared to home, some bits have familiar trappings, but the nature of different livestock and crops makes it more than meets the eye. And my nose and watering mouth. Though, the idea of being able to choose any of that is further baffling.


    As of late, since setting out from home... I''ve not really had a choice. Eating what the crew supplies has been my only option. And it has only become a more beaten in habit with each shocking turn of events in my journey. I lightly shiver at what I had to endure after the ferry was attacked at the journey''s end.


    Turning towards Nin-kischu, I focus on what he is gathering up from his area of the table. The clumsy way he grabs everything gives me time to have a look. He seems to be picking at whatever is the bulkiest looking foods. Stuff that will fill a stomach up quite well, which, given his size, makes sense.


    "Anything you might want?" Mother''s Friend asks as his gaze seems to follow mine.


    Watching Nin-kischu''s plate grow, a word catches on my tongue and comes out warped, "Hi- His-m."


    "No, I don''t think I can serve him to you," the elderly man jokes and I jerk back at what his tone suggests. A blush covers my face, and it only gets worse as his chuckles fill my ears. Hiding behind my hands, I peek through my fingers to watch Rianta-chira, who thankfully did not hear me. Her chat with her ''precious love'' is keeping her occupied well enough to save me from her scorn.


    "I-I kn... Know... Do you have any bird meat here? A-Any sweet sauces, perhaps?" I ask, redirecting my attention with ecstatic, nerve-wracked enthusiasm. Moving my eyes elsewhere, I spot what appear to be pancakes.


    "As your fingers are lingering on those pancakes I had the cooks make, I am assuming you want to make a sweetmeat roll?" he guesses and I nod rapidly. I know I just told him I was interested in Jherikra dishes, but I can let it slide for this. Mother''s Friend waves over a servant and they prepare me a plate with some of the required items on it.


    Waiting for them to be done, I watch Mother''s Friend as he leans back and enjoys a sip from some kind of handled bowl. Whatever it is, the name of it is escaping me even with all the time I''ve had to learn two different languages used by the Jhermonikra. I am also a little scared of embarrassing myself and I refuse to publicly admit to it. I either ate before with cutlery from my homeland or I was forced to work with nothing at all when times got rough...


    I''m not sure as to the order or mannerisms of what is before me!


    "Don''t worry about it, my dear. If you need any help, just ask. I know these tend to be rather small starters back in Eusorochii." Mother''s Friend tells me and I nod slowly as I decide to default on my recent habit of eating with my hands.


    "I... I think I will spoil myself. Make them bigger. Have them as my main dish." I tell him, slowly moving my lips into a smile and then letting out a short giggle. He returns it in kind, a warm expression on his face.


    Getting to it, I prepare myself some sweetmeat rolls and my thoughts turn expansive. I have no idea what I am going to be eating, but, back home, sweetmeat rolls were often made with pithachis. A bird known for being quite fuzzy feathered with fatty meat and a habit of roosting near sparkroots. I can''t imagine how dangerous it must be to catch such animals, going near what are almost exposed wires.


    Whatever I am about to eat, I can only hope it is as bulbous and juicy in life. Still, either way, I am looking forward to it, especially with how each pinch is filling out my pancakes. These are quite well made, too. Elastic enough to bend, thick enough to not tear easily the moment the sauce touches the delicate fluff.


    "So how long are you likely going to be staying here, dear? I know you are heading up to Suhurlodst for schooling." Mother''s Friend asks and I freeze up at the question. Nothing is wrong, but it suddenly feels daunting.


    "I..." I linger out, "Don''t know, not at the moment anyway. I hope that is not an issue?"


    "No, it''s fine, my dear, as long as you don''t run me dry of all my accumulated wealth," he jokes as I finish putting my food together. Finding my fingers a bit messy for my liking, I wash them off in a small bowl of water with a slice of citrus floating in it. Much as I am copying how bad I had it in my travelling, now I want to move away from it. I am no longer desperate for every bit of food. I have all I can eat right in front of me...


    My eyes water a little, stopping only when the doors at the far end slam open. Snapping my gaze to the man rushing into the hall, all panicked and sweaty, I stop trying to eat. Mother''s Friend stops what he is doing. His hands cleaned of all extra weight.


    "Founding-Lord Brewbrt...! The Rohberh''s ryphurgok have broken out of their pasture!" the man heaves out and with those words said, Founding-Lord Brewbrt rises to his feet.

 V4 Incline 26: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    Founding-Lord Brewbrt''s expression hardens quicker than that of a peasant whose home has fallen from the Eusorochii mainland.


    "I thought I told him to fix that wall so this did not happen!?" he questions rhetorically, venting his growing anger with aggressive steps.


    "He did, Founding-Lord Brewbrt. The guards reported something beyond the farm. Something seems to have spooked the animals when they were being moved. And they got out by charging down the ranch owners," the man clarifies as Brewbrt tightens up his morning suit, securing the buttons and straps.


    "Has anyone been hurt badly?" Brewbrt asks as his magic flares up in a quick flex of the hand. Bright emerald power that makes Rianta-chira swoon out of nowhere. Her quick to come out shame is just as loud.


    "Injuries are already confirmed. The streets are being cleared, but... We''ve no signs of some of the workers and reports of red on the roads. So, we''re assuming we already have fatalities," the man explains and Brewbrt nods firmly. He turns to me, his eyes softening only a little.


    "I''m so sorry, my dear, but we will have to carry on our conversation later. This matter needs my attention now." Brewbrt explains and I nod for I have no right to impede. This is the duty of all honest lords. In fact, I am glad such circumstances have occurred, for I can see Brewbrt''s character fair and true. He is a protector of his people!


    He stops above Nin-kischu, shaking a thought into him.


    "Young Man, might I bother you for some help right now?" Brewbrt asks, heading on ahead without much of an answer. Nevertheless, Nin-kischu energetically ends up on his feet. The masked man who has shown me much kindness already nods and follows.


    "I''m pretty sure this is the ranch I was encouraged to get work at!" Nin-kischu huffs, moving his arms about to stretch the tightness out of them.


    "Thank you, Young Man. I''ll be sure to make you end up with that job, then." Brewbrt answers and the two rush out of the hall. My eyes move to Rianta-chira as she gets up to give chase. Her pointed legs strike the ground almost like one would touch an instrument. Her body rises and is put back down as the guards of the Founding-Lord''s estate set themselves up.


    "Let me pass! LET ME PASS!" Rianta-chira shrieks out in the face of the guard. The man does not budge in the slightest, even as the beautiful lover emanates her magic. The guard holds his ground, his face grinding together under the arcane pressure. Rianta-chira gives up with a stressed whine and stabs her way back to the table.


    Her features twitch in annoyance, and she takes it out on the food.


    Frowning to myself, I get up from the table and move to a closer seat. She pays me no mind and I start to think about how I can use this moment. Perhaps now is a good moment for me to use in smoothing over our relationship? Whatever her reason is to go outside, maybe I can help?


    If I help her get involved with her lover, she won''t think of me as this threat she has so far been considering me as...?


    With a temper that fiery, surely that means she and Nin-kischu are lover joined in battle? Home has many stories of such people. The tale of the Burning Castle and the Lovers Craetees and Omogoe comes to mind most prominently for me. The name of the tale is fairly self-explanatory, but I''ve always enjoyed reading it. However, I do not truly know why Rianta-chira wants to be outside with Nin-kischu so badly.


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    Either way, maybe... Maybe I should help her find a way outside and make it clear to her I intend to be her friend. And not her enemy. My head bobbles up and down as my thoughts come to an end.


    "Are you ok, Rianta-chira?" I ask, moving a little closer to her. Keeping my gaze away initially, I wait for her angered breathing to come to an end. She lets out a tune and lights glow next to me. Turning towards the glow of her head things, I manage to make out her shifting eyes.


    "My love... My precious love!" she begins, her tone fit to burst out into a shout.


    She clutches the area near her heart tight.


    "My love... He is about to once again prove himself! But, these humans-thorns will not let me take such pride in watching him... I am his precious love as he is mine, and I am not even allowed to watch his glory! A chance for him to outshine the human-petal...!" she explains, her voice exasperated and accented with the crash of a fist. The silk-covered table bangs and its contents tremble.


    Frowning at this information and summarising what she probably means in my head, I look away. My eyes settle on what appears to be a series of doors that lead out of this hall and straight into some gardens. Some form of cultivated land within the estate, perhaps a small herb garden? Shaking my head, I stand up and pull on Rianta-chira, my gloves slipping back on.


    "I might be able to help." I whisper into her ear and her reluctance melts away, and she follows me. Our hands stay locked together and I bring her over to a window that shows the open courtyard. Her hand tightens, its nails angling between my bones.


    "Why are you showing me this...?" she bitterly hisses and I free my hand. Walking away from her, I go to a member of the staff nearby.


    "Excuse me, might you please open the doors to this area? We''d like to get some fresh air and clear our heads, please." I ask the man, and his eyes bounce from the guards and back to me. Suspicion narrows them further and his mind clearly replays Rianta-chira''s earlier display. He blinks and minds the keys on his belt.


    "Very well, I do and can help. Let me open it for you. Knock on the door if you want to come back inside." he explains, coming over and bringing out the keys. The doors click open and I nod in thanks, quietly letting it out in words, too. He directs us into the garden and closes the doors behind us, and guards rush around to cover the other doors. Blinking at the security, I walk into the garden properly.


    Neither of us stop to enjoy the flowers and small animals. In fact, Rianta-chira''s anger flares back up. Her head things try to blind me and she jabs at one of my breasts. Holding the injured flesh, I step back a little, minding my bare feet on the paved ground.


    "Now what?" she hisses, backing off a little. Her head spins around, taking note of all the guards who are not making any attempt to hide. They''re in plain view beyond the glass of the many doors and windows. The number seems to be growing and while I appreciate their dedicated to their duty, they will all fail in them. Getting outside is all I need.


    Hugging Rianta-chira tightly, she twitches at my mysterious affection but withholds anything violent. Thankfully. Getting my thoughts into order, I go still. I need her to do so as well...


    "Do not move around so much." I tell her and she does so. Even as my external-magic envelopes her, which I am sure must be frightening. I''ve never done this with another living being before. But, I''ve done it enough with myself. The one spell I know, a transmutation spell for transportation.


    I hope she doesn''t press me for technical aspects. I cannot explain them beyond the basics. All I can hope is that she thinks nothing of being torn apart into little pieces in a flash of light. God of Thunder, make this spell inspired by you ring true, please! We break down into a bolt of lightning, my senses still about me.


    Her screams warp on the air, and we streak into the clouds. Zapping across their underside, my sentient bolt form gives me a full view of the town. I can see the danger and sense the Founding-Lord and my new companion. I can also spot where we need to land... I c-can''t hold on for much longer.


    Spotting a roof with plentiful metal to ground myself on, I aim for it. It is our safest place to land. It helps me land accurately. I am quite lucky. I need this to land the two of us!


    So, I strike us down to the crack of thunder.

 V4 Incline 27: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    The crack of thunder sounds off. We return to physicality within the sudden flash. My ability to move, however, is rather impaired. In my isolation and the growing terror of my youth, I have developed a self-sacrificing means to cast magic.


    Blood magic...


    I lose the ability to move, to think in depth and to act upon what I am able to know. It''s a problem that builds up even during the spell''s usage. Thank the gods and goddesses I was able to find us this safe spot. I''m useless in a dangerous situation, but I can at the very least cover lots of safe ground at a moment''s notice.


    Is this what I get and deserve for not having a golden glow?-


    "My stomach feels funny..." Rianta-chira complains with a series of moans, her hands clasping her gut. Her narrow, dull-tipped feet things manage to find some stability.


    "It doesn''t... Last long... Don''t worry." I slowly answer, carefully minding the dullness throughout my body along with the spasms. Guess I forgot to tell her what happens initially, or maybe it''s just been so long. I''m getting better at casting, but not well nor quick enough. Though, I must admit to myself... Carrying someone else makes me feel strange.


    I can''t quite figure out if I am focusing on how my body has shut down because of the spell. Feeling a thing properly isn''t really something I can do right now. Perhaps I am just overthinking it. My worries about the state of my passenger dictating my thoughts...?


    "M-My points... I can''t feel my points..." Rianta-chira drools out, slipping towards the edge of the roof. Life injects itself into my arm and I lunge for the falling woman. My hand flexes again and again. Gotcha!


    Her wavy tail whips its way around my hand and wrist, choking its already limited energy out. She moans and screeches in an odd manner that isn''t quite pain. As if a feather is being brought along her... Rather, a feather is being brought along the softer parts of my feet.


    That must mean...!


    "S-SORRY!" I yelp with all I have, pulling her back in. My head refuses to stay still, even with my locked up muscles. Rianta-chira''s mixture of pleasurable moans and nervous screeches is too much. As she stands upright again, I let go, and she collapses with a shiver. Her body and arms covering her tail. All to a trail of small tears leaving her eyes.


    "D-Don''t d-do th-that!" she barely gets out, her curling up intensifying. All to keep her tail hidden away from my hand. It''s not even hard or calloused! My hands are still soft and I''m wearing soft gloves made to her standards...


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    Her deep blush isn''t helping me either.


    "I said I was sorry!" I remind her, moving once again, only to drop to my knees with a bang. Unable to feel the thud entirely, I crawl the immediate distance I have to cover. It somewhat annoys me, as the uncleaned mess up on this typically untouched roof piece is getting into the white. These clothes aren''t mine, I''m borrowing them and dirt and small plant life are getting into the fibres!


    Green and brown and other muck... Eugh...


    Moving my eyes away from it, I look out towards the town as its screams come clearly to me. We''re out here to possibly see Nin-kischu and The Founding-Lord Brewbrt. Thankfully, due to my education, I can recall what it is they came out here to deal with. A rampage of Jherikra''s prized animal, the ryphurgok!


    Strange, bulky creatures with thick grey hide, camouflaged almost perfectly with the mountains and their stone. Mouths open up like X''s and guttural, booming roars escape the four-legged beasts. Again and again. The creatures smash all they can get their flat feet above.


    Others peck away at the road, eagerly swallowing the chips of rock they break away with birdish enthusiasm.


    "Where is he..." Rianta-chira mutters to herself, joining me at the edge of the roof to look at the ongoing chaos. Worry fills my eyes as I watch the guards of the town try to get people out of the way. No one tries to stop the creatures, not when they''re on a straight path. All run aside, not even the strongest looking among them or even those of grander biology.


    Children wail.


    Snapping my attention to the noise, toys and loved ones are forcibly abandoned in the heat of the moment. A reptilian individual gallops around, snatching up who he can to clear the roads. Rubbing my hands together, I try to vent my worry as more desperation taints the streets. Guards are having to keep their backs to the stampede to hold people back.


    One child slips on through, the force of the tremors bouncing the road bringing him down.


    "GET THAT KID OUT OF THE WAY!" a guard yells, his need to hold the line preventing him from rushing out. A ryphurgok''s attention snaps to the noise, its head moving with smooth turns. It squawks abruptly, a caught pebble flying to be crushed in the snap. Two forward feet stomp. The beast charges.


    Slow... Slow. Gallop. Groundbreaking gallop!


    A voice screams inside my head. It demands I get up and do something despite my magic''s effects. I try to get my body moving again to that degree, but it won''t budge. It''s been too soon since the last cast. I need to do something before that child is-!?


    "SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!" a familiar voice blares, his magical power drowning out all other senses in the street. The road cracks beneath him like it does the ryphurgok. It gets too close. They''re too clo-


    Shutting my eyes at the resounding bang, I flinch at how quiet it is now.


    Rianta-chira gawks excitedly, her body whipping itself back to life. Her tail strikes the gap between my eyelid, forcing one eye open. Moving away from her tail, I look at the very thing she wanted to see. My mouth opens a little at the sight of the man holding back the beast.


    Her precious lover, performing a great deed...

 V4 Incline 28: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    Nin-kischu''s grip adjusts, and he moves.


    Heaving the beast into an over-the-spine roll, he slams it into the ground. The once charging animal bounces with a distorted bark and goes limp. Its beak parts, showing the life its strong body still has. Nin-kischu plants his foot on the creature, restraining it where a concussion cannot.


    The saved child gets up, their body shaking. The pole-armed men lose formation and get back to clearing the streets. A small little thing a child is, and they''re watching the one who saved them from so close. Nin-kischu must be a giant to them. He already is to me!


    A very thankful mother snatches up her child, scolding it as much as she peppers it with kisses. The child watches Nin-kischu for just a second longer. Their wails break the silence and they look at the ground, broken by both chargers. They might not quite understand death, but they grasp what would happen if their hero had not arrived.


    "Did you see that!? Did you see what -my- precious love did!?" Rianta-chira cheers excitedly, her body bouncing up and down with no memory of her prior sluggishness. Even devoid of whites, her eyes crazed sensation rings wides clear to me. She shakes this energy viciously into my still recovering body and I lose myself in the sight. Why is there something so mesmerising about seeing a black cloak suddenly exploding outwards...? The force of the collision blowing air up as high as here.


    Is it the shadow it casts, perhaps? Or perhaps the mystery it unveils about my hard-bodied roommate? His legs are shaped so strangely and his back is not easily mistaken for muscle. It''s almost like he''s wearing a rock.


    The downed ryphurgok swings its head around at the ground and him. It notices what I can, and it tries to get him. I giggle quietly at how Nin-kischu moves his foot to avoid the creature''s renewed pecking. It must think he''s a rock!


    Unlike me with all this back and forth, back and forth, back and forth...


    "Rianta-chira, please stop!" I let out at her. All this shaking is getting in the way of my body''s post-spell recovery. If I can focus on Nin-kischu''s bravery, I must be getting my senses back. With returning senses comes an all too familiar feeling of where we are. A narrow roof.


    "Then answer! Do -you- see!?" she demands to know, her nearly bare chest rising with pride. Were her breasts any larger, they''d snap the straps on her bra and send the cups flying. My aimless mind would be watching the soft fabric grasp air and not tender mother flesh.


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    "Yes! I see what your love is doing!" I tell her, my tone increasingly exasperated as some stomach pains twitch back into me. Rianta-chira''s face lights up more and more with the widest of smiles. A giggle escapes the rosy-cheeked woman. With a little bit of envy hatching inside of me as I watch her ignore her own pain.


    It''s almost like I am up here with a child. Like I might''ve been in my kiddish youth when my favourite celebrity swordsman, Toolykaiteri, won yet another contest. Sword or arrow, it mattered not to him. All that mattered to me is that a man I saw as handsome had all the more reason to hold his head above the clouds.


    Almost like I was once able to to try for with how so many famous lords yearned for my future hand. Not for themselves, but for family and country. Their sons would take it and bind it with the God of Thunder''s beloved metal. Thunder-Gold.


    I was to be something important before it became apparent what... A blue spark veins across my vision.


    Blinking harshly, I remind myself that I can see. Meaning to move my mind away from the past before I make myself upset, I turn my focus to the Founding-Lord. Or, rather, the absence of his presence... He left with Nin-kischu, a little ahead of him, I imagine. But I still cannot see him. Maybe I should sense for him-


    Silvered-emerald!


    The gods and goddesses answer my thoughts, drowning us in his emerald light. Wind howls, filling up a street on the far edge of town. In the impressive spirals and waves, a few dozen ryphurgoks ride the wind without a thing in their heads. Their statue-like idleness is so easy to mistake for...


    Rianta-chira coughs loudly, her head things glowing so brightly as if to blind out that which is more striking. She mutters almost viciously, her eyes practically glued to Nin-kischu. With such weight as to lock my eyes in the same direction. Her words repeat without end, clogging up my canals. He is better, her precious love is better. That is all she seems able to say and I''m finding it rather sweet, somehow.


    To have someone stick by you like this, putting your efforts up as the greater set purely because she loves him... Someone who loves you that much, huh? Mother has gone through so much to take me here. A man I barely know is helping with that process and...


    "Einervaene! Einervaene! EINERVAENE!" Rianta-chira lets out with growing intensity, screaming in my face in no time at all. Shaking my head about and clearing it of miserable thoughts, I look at her. My ears ring with her voice. I swear, I''m hearing too much of it since we landed here.


    "What...?" I ask, unable to get my mind onto anything right now other than the bother her tone is bringing. She latches onto me, her hands gripping my soft body tight. The needles beneath my skin press down and the weak sensation in each muscle acts up.


    "They started moving that way. Get us closer!" she demands, her arms moving into a back-breaking hug. Quickly weighing my options, I try to consider my current state. Her shaking gets worse, as does her grip. She keeps demanding I take her...


    I shouldn''t, not in this state- Move us closer!- If I do as she wants, we''ll get hurt... Move us closer! Do it, Einervaene, move us closer! Let me gaze upon my precious love!


    Love, love, love-


    Performing the spell again, we shoot up like her excitement wants. The magic catches on my unstable body. The spell fails and we strike down too early. We reform to our normal selves at top speed. We strike the ground.

 V4 Incline 29: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    My vision is hazy. My ears are ringing. Patting my bruised arms about, I try to reach out for Rianta-chira. I cannot find her... She''s been flung away from me at some point.


    Hideous crying.


    Crawling around with shaking limbs, I see the dark-shaded body of the one entrusted to me. She''s screaming and crying without end, her arms clutching her side. I see no blood, even with my wayward eyes. All I see is the under-skin shadow.


    The ground makes us bounce. I hit the ground with my front and force my palms back onto the road. Grey at the end of the street moves, another grey thing appears between blinks. The ground quakes with all it has. Ryphurgoks are coming to squash us and it''s my fault...


    I''m sorry, Mother... I''m sorry.


    No pain comes, only the light vanishes. The sudden darkness is warm. Rianta-chira is whimpering right next to me? My eyes open and blink at the man blocking out the sky. A bandaged man in a beaked mask is keeping us safe!


    "This isn''t so bad, once you get used to it," Nin-kischu remarks, my body becoming all too aware of the dull thuds travelling through him. Even with him above, the road is cracking as two great, powerful weights hammer down onto him. He''s going to-


    "Wha... What... What are you doing...?" I barely manage to get out, the strength just not there yet. I stare at the masked face, only a finger''s length away from my nose. I worry about his wellbeing. Once his body fails, it will be Rianta-chira and I that die afterwards. With all the abuse he is getting, he cannot possibly hold out, no...?


    "Saving you two, obviou- Hey! Stop it!" he tries to answer before snapping up at the animals. They adhere to his order and come to a halt, confusing us both. What''s going on? If the beasts can be commanded this easily, why is this even happening?


    Nin-kischu''s body jerks forward, a song of sharp pecking taps sounding off.


    A breeze slips in under us, grasping us with caring firmness. Silvered-emerald light brings us up into the air and up onto a balcony. The animals go on further ahead, the Founding-Lord''s control that fine. Shaking my head, I try to avoid the annoyed expression he is bearing down on me.


    "I thought I told you to stay inside!?" Brewbrt questions, his annoyance being taken out on Nin-kischu. Our initial saviour is bounced onto his feet. A spring which carries on without end. His back shakes and shakes. Did the abuse he just went through hurt? Why... Why is he also laughing?


    Moving my focus away to the one I got hurt, I reach out for her, "Rianta... Chira..."


    As my mouth slurs, Brewbrt puts her upright and off of her wound. He turns his attention over to Nin-kischu and back down to the rose-haired beauty. She who loves our saviour so much. He saved us from my mistake.


    "Young Man, do you know how to apply your magic to a wound?" Brewbrt asks him.


    "Uh... No..." our saviour answers as he comes over to look at the still crying Rianta-chira. I briefly catch sight of blood on the hands of the Founding-Lord. Like the magic of my homeland and ancestors... Guilt and sadness strike across my heart and mind. This is my fault. If I was just firmer with Rianta-chira, if I was more patient...!


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    I enabled this. I did it to help her. All so she wouldn''t hate me or view me with vile suspicion. Now, now I''ve only made it worse! She''s seriously injured now because of me.


    The thoughts worsen, drawing small tears out of my eyes. Here I am, in her borrowed clothes. Her very generosity and kindness and... And there she is, injured so lethally by my own inadequacy. My filthy blue-coloured magic!


    Windy light covers us both, healing us mostly of the pain I inflicted.


    Brewbrt gently knocks my shoulder, "Alright, you both should be fine for now. I''ll go and round up what is left in the town. You, Young Man. Get these two back to my estate. After that, come to the east side of town. It''s where the farms and that are."


    The elderly man flies off, leaving us in a short-lived vortex. The escaped creatures trail behind him from within his arcane grasp. Bringing my head back down, I rest my body. All his magic has done is put my mind''s focus back onto the spasms toying with my limbs and sense of control.


    "Any injuries on you?" Nin-kischu asks, a bandaged finger going along my face and neck. He seems to pick up on my twitches and what are probably very visible muscle spasms. Shaking my head, I inform him that my answer is a no. Brewbrt has solved anything that might be wrong with me in the way Nin-kischu is probably thinking.


    He nods and picks us both up carefully. The rush of wind disturbs my clothes and the road barks with its cracking surface. Our carrier runs us through the damaged streets. As we travel, my senses grow in strength, making his harsh turns all the more apparent.


    We skid to a halt at what must be the Founding-Lord''s estate and my insides slop forward, rolling back. He puts me down first and only because I am not holding onto him. Rianta-chira is clinging to him like a child, her lips letting loose with freely spoken sniffles. She does not want to let go of her love.


    Am I responsible for this clinginess? This need to feel safe...


    "Rose-sweerui, enough. You''re fine now. I have to get going." Nin-kischu orders sternly and she listens without much resistance. Watching her head, she tracks the bandaged man as he disappears into a cloud of dust. The sudden exertion he made, it damaged the ground more than any of the beasts had. What kind of untrained power is he hiding under those clothes?


    I never went on to do much in my formal magic education, not the practical side of it, anyway. But, I do know that men have better internal reserves than a woman like I or Rianta-chira might have. Yet, even then, I can''t help but be baffled by all this power. It seems like the kind of strength that would come without someone who can cast a spell. In spite of it all, though, I have yet to see him use one once. His control over his external flow is perhaps the worst I have ever seen.


    Most certainly at his level!


    Is he a kind of witch that only cares to train his internal-magic reserves? Or, perhaps... Perhaps he is from the lands closer to the tallest mountain in the world? The source of the magic for all Jhermonikra. He''s not untrained, he''s just so grand that this is a microscopic display?


    I should pick his brain for details later, I suppose. Although my heritage is strong despite my failings, we are a family of the edges of Eusorochii. The closest I''ve ever been to the great storm at the centre of my flying homeland is purely in paintings and words. Even then, my imagination can only whisk up so many ideas about the people of the interior. Nin-kischu, potentially being someone like that, is making me very curious.


    Footsteps rattle down the stairs behind us. A pair of disgruntled guards stare down at us, their arms crossed or tensed up. I guess these two were some of the ones watching us prior to my disaster of a spell? I suppose I owe them all an apology for allowing the very thing they were there to prevent.


    "And where did you go off to? Thought we had you locked up," one of the pair complains with at least some attempt to make light of the situation. If the circumstances were different, I might even find it in me to laugh a little or offer an awkward smile. Mother made sure I got along with our castle''s staff, guards included.


    But, even with Rianta-chira''s healed state, I cannot find it within me. I look to the ground and keep my eyes facing. Not one noise comes out to disturb my thoughts, not even my breathing. All so I can better contemplate my actions...

 V4 Incline 30: Nin

    "Oh, lookie here. Seems I missed one." I remark as I turn the corner. Grabbing the building to help me slow down, it breaks wide open. My arms fly about and my legs dig in instead, creating a trench in the road. Curses to the gods fill my head and I flick my claws with a gnash.


    Just one more annoying thing to linger on my mind. And will this damn tickling across my back stop already!? I have no idea what''s going on around there and I am increasingly feeling like I need Rose-sweerui to have a look at it. It''s been way too sensitive since Brewbrt came along and solved that problem from before.


    Maybe all that pecking and stomping hurt a lot more than I am letting on? But, how do I not understand how much pain I am in...? Magic. Of course it''s going to be this bloody magic in my system!


    The squawk of the escaped animal brings my attention back to where it needs to be.


    "O-OOOPS!" I let out, a silly noise catching in my shrinking neck. The creature stops eating the piece of wall it had probably broken down. A wide foot scrapes into the road, throwing back a cloud of brown dots. Its first steps are like heavy jumps and the rotation of its ''shoulders'' smoothens.


    Right for me, right for me!


    "Better than more walls and road!" I want to squeak, my legs spreading out along with my arms. The creature is smarter than I give it credit for and it ducks, barrelling right into my leg directly. Flipping into the air, I somehow latch my claws onto its neck or head. Clinging on for dear life, the rodeo begins.


    My mouth blurts incoherently as my lower half smacks the animal''s back. I keep failing to lock my legs around its backend and keep on smacking. Letting go, its arse smacks me away. I roll along the ground, not a bothersome scratch registering on my nerves.


    Scurrying up, the animal catches me off balance and knocks me right onto the road. Its front logs-for-legs rise up and smash. Again, again, again. The road rises above me with each motion of the hammering limbs.


    Somehow, much like all the other times I''ve embarrassed myself today, it''s not really hurting. Oddly enough, it reminds me of someone flicking water in my face. There''s no pain to it, but the act can still cause an annoying flinch and shutting of the eyes. Finding a moment, I put my arms up into a guarding block.


    I''m not sinking as much into the ground, but, still, I am not getting any higher. The longer this goes on, the more the road is becoming pure powder. It''s getting into my bandages. Having enough of my snug fit in the stone and dirt underneath us both, I try to focus.


    Managing to get my claws onto its soles, I put an end to its determined effort. With what feels like a light shove to me, I throw it over and up onto its back. I drag myself upright with a groan, my body raining with dusty pebble sweat. My body shivers to knock the rest out of my limited attire.


    I snap a claw up, "Stay!"


    The animal continues to roll about on its back, almost as if it''s amused by it. The heavy bloody thing squawks without end as its mess of debris crunches underspine. My ears catch onto what it''s doing before my eyes do. The animal lands right back on its flat feet.


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    Actually... Would that still count as a leg? These things have no defined feet or hooves, for that matter. Just a thick, flat-bottomed leg that looks like it''s skinned with tree bark.


    I guess it doesn''t matter; I suppose. I still need to take it back to the farm it broke out of, after all. So, I pick it up to ignore all the fuss. And, somehow, it''s more docile than it''s ever been. Surprisingly so.


    The animal has gone completely still, a gentle chirp escaping its mouth. Does this thing, rather, do these things like being carried? Chirps are noises of enjoyment, aren''t they? Whatever, I just need to be very careful and keep away from anyone and anything.


    Stick to the centre of the road without the slightest deviation!


    Yet, even like this, I still seem to be getting too close to things. It keeps trying to peck anything it can get its jaws on. Adjusting my grip on it, its thankfully thinner back legs still somehow block my vision. Stumbling about from here on out, I jut my neck on over to the open air.


    Thankfully, some of the people brave enough to be out here are willing to point me the right way. I can''t offer them much as thanks, but I hope they know so through some mind-reading trick. Magic can do so much, for this one moment, it can do that too. So says my imagination, anyway.


    Finally spotting the signs of Brewbrt''s windy magic, I arrive under him as he loudly counts animals. Each one is in his magical grip and enjoying the ride with the same sort of stiff bodied chirping as this one in my arms is. Moving my grip about, I prepare myself to offer it up. I cough into my mask to prepare my voice.


    "Missing one?" I ask, and he takes it up into his arcane grip in a blink. Rolling my shoulder about, I get over the speed at which he did it. Brewbrt lets out a lengthy ''hmm.''


    "More than one, it seems," he tells me as he moves all the animals into a claustrophobically tight pen. Not one of them can move anything other than their heads now. Frankly, get some butter and I am convinced the middle ones will pop out should the pen tighten its perimeter. A quiet huff escapes me as my mind thinks of other scenarios.


    "So... Uh... Any idea how they might''ve got out? This gate over here doesn''t look damaged at all?" I ask, wandering around what I am assuming to be the farm''s entrance. I don''t know, I''ve never really been near a farm before. Closest I ever got to one, in a clearly re-collectable memory, I was riding a massive vehicle.


    Fiddling with the metalwork, I sway the sturdy door back and forth. It has all kinds of reinforcement. It''s practically steel plating for a tower or tank. Thinking about it, actually, maybe I would be better off as thinking of it as a wall. This thing along is half a forearm thick!


    I am honestly baffled and stuck between being impressed and concerned. Who on All-That-Remains wants to look after these animals...? Metal this thick is for skyscrapers. Gods above, I''m pretty sure the towers of Tobaballe have thinner reinforcement than this!


    "Mind your feet, Young Man. Whatever happened, we won''t be able to ask whoever was at the gate." Brewbrt grimly speaks and my eyes shift down. I hurry back, red, soaking the bandages on my feet. I walked into bloody pulp without even realising it. The crimson is barely tellable with how much it''s been mixed into the mud.


    Brewbrt flies into the field and raises a hand at me, shaking his head. I carry on trying to follow after him and realise his meaning. Going back a little, I stare after him. Gently kicking the gate, my mind slips to thoughts of how it looks when it''s fully set up.


    "What do you want me to do now?" I ask as he goes on into the muddy field. His magic stops him from slipping when it shifts abruptly. Pebbles forcing their way through the dirt with a filthy crunch and pop. All over the ground is like this, clear holes and signs of stomping. A certain locked up crowd being most likely responsible.


    Brewbrt stops, his eyes catching something. He looks back to me, the narrowing of them clear even from here. They relax and he pops his hands on his hips. One rises to brush me away.


    "Head back to my estate, please. I''ve got something to look at right now. Thank you for your help, Young Man." Brewbrt tells me and I slowly nod. Looking back at him as I keep lingering my thoughts on what he just did. Why did he narrow his eyes at me...?

 V4 Incline 31: Nin

    Slipping down from the mountain rock, I put my body up against the barn house. Brewbrt wanted me away from here, but I took a long walk instead. Those narrowed eyes are not sitting well with me. I need to see what he saw.


    "Seems like you won''t need to." someone remarks to another or an unseen group. Ducking myself down, somewhat retreating into my cloak, I ally the black fabric of my cloak with the night. Whoever is out of view, they carry on and I spot an opening I can make my way through. Crouching a bit, I jump.


    In the sky, I watch the noise of my launch catch their attention. Thankfully, I land in slippy mud. Picking myself up and ignoring the clumps on my clothes, I squelch ahead. Unfortunately, there''s no light of any kind illuminating the field. A moon is out in force tonight, so I suppose I need to wait.


    Carrying on ahead a little bit, the clouds start to move and I track the rays of moonlight. A pale wash illuminates the biggest details of the valley-like region. It carries on down to the buildings and the edge of the field. Something catches on the light, but not entirely so. Moving ahead to touch it, I feel nervous all of a sudden.


    There''s a grip on this lengthy object, something is in the mud, too.


    The light finally reaches us and clouds chase after it, blocking it out again. No matter, I''ve seen what my claw is on, what is under my feet. I step back forcibly, falling onto my backside. Though my lenses are clean, they''re stained with the new memory.


    It was a man who had his front completely torn open by a large, lance-like projectile...


    "Ok... Was hoping to avoid these things again..." I speak, my body shivering as something pumps into my veins. The last time I saw such projectiles, I was escaping the hive. There are bugs near this town. Brewbrt narrowed his eyes at me. He''s had plenty of time to see my body, covered up or not.


    A centuries old man with experience fighting in the wilderness!


    "No, no... Calm down." I demand of my paranoid self as my arms flail about. Something crunches in the distance, and my head snaps around. Frozen solid eyes slide to every possible sight. A glare settles in and something breaks in one of my claws. Magic edging the inside of the bug digits.


    "What do you mean you''re familiar with the problem!?" a farm worker calls out loud enough for me to hear. Though his question is not meant for me, I treat it as such. Divine providence.


    A delay sets into my thoughts, "Yeah... Yeah... Bugs... Very concerning ones..."


    My quiet voice does little to disturb the night, and I look around for any danger. Not only do I have to worry about that which I never want to come face-to-face with again... I''ve now also got to deal with the nosiness of everyone who lives in this town. No doubt, people are going to find out about this the moment daylight returns.


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    All the suspicion is going to go to me... The mysterious stranger with an unknown body!


    "So, I guess we won''t be getting our favour from Porhsod." someone in the distance remarks, the fence suddenly rattling. Getting down into the mud, I keep my shadow down.


    "No, doesn''t seem so. Founding-Lord Brewbrt''s going to be taking this straight to the valley-riders, no doubt. Get them involved with this issue and then they''ll go deal with some osibindah." another man says, his understanding all but confirming my fears. Even the people of this town know what the osibindah are. It will only take one to be all too familiar and close to me to...


    Even if they don''t, Brewbrt is going to go to me about this. He''s already asked me once to help with a problem. He''s going to ask for my assistance. How am I going to help, even then!? I''m not a trained fighter!


    The mud pops as I shiver, too loudly for my liking.


    "Oh, do you think that witch who helped out with the sadroobell problem will help?"


    "Really? Him? He did an awful job handling the state of the town."


    "Bah, leave him alone on that. He helped out Founding-Lord Brewbrt and saved a good few lives. Certainly enough for me."


    "I guess so. He''s quite strong, anyhow. Pretty sure we can actually feel him out here, even."


    "I know, right? Ha." the unseen man laughs, driving terror deep into me. How do they know I am here? How do they know I am anywhere near them!?


    "Having him out there with the valley-riders lets Founding-Lord Brewbrt stay here, too. That witch will bring the muscle, the valley-riders, the training. If the issue is big enough, too, Founding-Lord Brewbrt always has the Town-Guard."


    "I... I don''t know about that, I mean..."


    "Oh, don''t be like that. They barely get enough time out of Tryhpeltzweig anyhow. It''s basically easy pay and free booze!" the farm worker laughs with a tap of the metal. Further down, the animals catch onto the noise and blow up with their squawking. Taking the moment as I catch onto the human laughter, I rush out of the field and towards a mountain.


    Clinging to it, my experiences with the osibindah infest my head. I can barely manage to keep my thoughts lightly on anything but them. Looking at the ground does nothing. Rubbing parts of my body to generate sensation is useless.


    He cannot force me. No one here can force me to do anything. I won''t allow it. No underhanded anything will make me act. I will not!


    If this is a settled hive like the one I escaped from, I... I...


    My heart hurts, it''s going too fast. I can''t even finish a thought. It''s becoming tedious to breathe. Snapping my mask off, it smacks against the rock. My chitters grow louder with my haggard breaths.


    Be quiet... Be quiet, you stupid things. Be quiet!


    "Be. Quiet!" I hiss, clenching my jaw tightly and even trying to tear them off. A laugh turns to a whimper. Childlike sobs escape me and I fall onto my backend, spine against the rock. I thrust my rolling shoulders into the stone, breaking some of it. Mutters of ''not again'' escape me without end, my mind filling with the sounds and smells of what I wanted to forget so desperately.


    The nightmares...


    The crying...


    The death...


    The smell...


    Its rusted metal dangling.


    I do not want to experience any of it again. I will not. I will never experience any of it again. I won''t do it!


    Lashing out at the ground, I gouge a hunk of earth into the air. It smacks against the metal walls of the animal pen. Pants continue to escape from me, my eyes finding nowhere they can calmly settle on. Gathering my things, I scurry up to make sure I didn''t break anything.


    Pebbles dribble through my trembling grip. My three-digit claws. Osibindah claws. Osibindah claws.


    "Vapooliar, where are you...? Where are you!?" I cry out, staring at my mud-caked palms. She''s strong, very strong. She can deal with this problem in no time. I can''t. She''d make me feel safe again... She''d make me...

 V4 Incline 32: Roselhia

    Letting out a heavy sigh, I remove my eyes from the door and dimly remark to myself. The conversation across the table comes to a halt, and I glance up at the impressive specimen on his way. I try to not focus on the man''s magic. He seems to somewhat be aware of this and the glow dies down. Though, there''s little he can do to off-set his internal majesty.


    "You are worried for him?" he asks and all I have to offer is a nod. My love left one night and has not been back for several days now. A bed which should be occupied by his warmth isn''t and... I''m not sure what to do. I left my flower for him and he''s gone.


    There''s no way I can go home with what I have done.


    "Try not to worry so much, my sweet. He''s still around," the human gilded-bark explains, and my eyes snap up. A wave of magic emanates from the man and I just as quickly feel it come back.


    "Y-You can sense him?" I ask, desperately trying to follow where the pulse went. I cannot. It goes too far out. Though I may have once been an ivy-mother, I am nothing to those in my life right now...


    "I can. He''s still well within the range of Tryhpeltzweig''s roads and so on. Again, try not to worry. He''s fine and on his way back," the man explains and I nod slowly, a dim thanks with my true-voice giving him what I now owe. He nods, a slight smile distorting the way his magic looks to me. I sigh at the beautiful sight and clench a hand tight, wishing for my love''s quick return.


    "So... Uh, about the clothes?" Einervaene asks, her quiet voice trying to find a moment to be assertive.


    "Clothes? Oh, right," the human gilded-bark repeats to himself, his head turning down towards her bare feet. Something about questions towards Einervaene''s lack of shoes and socks. My love would''ve taken us to do that. With him gone for the time being, I suppose I can only idly linger near this conversation like the Orbital-Halo does to our world.


    "Y-Yes... Rianta-chira and Nin-kischu were kind enough to lend me some spares they had but, well..." Einervaene explains, her clothes unchanged even with my permission since the ryphurgok incident. I''ve been telling her that it''s fine for her to wear something else. But she''s been insistent on looking after the first outfit she chose. Even if it meant having to be naked while it was being washed, which, I have no understanding as to why, but she hates exposure.


    How can she? She''s gorgeous in such an intoxicatingly exotic manner.


    My eyes join in on the staring, as do Einervaene''s own eyes. All down to her bare legs. Her reasons for it being an issue, though, are not the same as mine. Our concerns are not mutual.


    She''s a human petal, one far superior to anything I can possibly be within a few years at best. While I am willing to accommodate her based on a variety of factors. My precious love''s own insistence being chief among them. Her exposed flesh is a danger. Not only does she have a glow I can never have, she is so much greater than me.


    Her tender, soft body being for my love''s eyes will tempt him!


    Hand-filling breasts that go beyond the palm. The narrow slimness towards her hips and the outward curve that then lets you slide down her legs. A tight, well-honed body that is still soft despite all she has gone through. Her form''s far closer to that of the divine, especially consider my love''s involvement with them...


    He has seen what a goddess looks like, and it is not aelenvari. It is human-like, just like his tastes more so might be. Especially with how his return has turned out. With all that resentment towards his osibindah form, he''s going to want to hold something so much closer to what he once was.


    "And you were hoping I''d be able to help you get some shoes or boots?" the human gilded-bark enquires, a short laugh escaping him as he gets back into his chair. He relaxes into it with a lengthy lean.


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    "I was hoping more along the lines of the funds to get at least two outfits... Nothing fancy... That way I can return Rianta-chira''s clothes in quick, due time." Einervaene struggles to not mutter to him. She quickly looks my way and our eyes just barely miss each other.


    "I see no problem with that. It might have to wait, though. With the incident with the ryphurgoks and all. So I can''t particularly comment on if any of the shops that do clothes chose to stay open. The more expensive ones might have. They were, after all, in the part of town the ryphurgoks did not reach. And, well, damage. But, again, I''ve not paid particular mind to some of this. My council has been dithering about with it," the grand human explains, his shoulders shrugging.


    "Really? Those creatures seemed to have got quite close to your estate!" Einervaene speaks back, her surprise bringing some noise back to her front. Though, it seems she is forgetting where the importance of this flower is. Unlike what an aelenvari might do, these humans have built themselves around a core, rather than a more sensible staggered line.


    Problems that ideally should only be seen by the human-roots can reach as far as the gilded-bark''s very throne!


    I am a little confused, however. Why would the supposed petals of this flower not want to be living closer to the gilded-bark? I''ve never taken part in it, but I am quite familiar with how vicious it gets between petals at the first chance to change bulbs. What they were once proud of vanishes in a moment when you can get closer to me or Oak''endoor.


    Eugh, humans, and their baffling ideas.


    The gilded-bark of this flower raises his right arm, gesturing about the same way, "Better part of town is that way. They only got close to my house because it is right in the middle of town. And, as such, any problem that occurs is in my direct line of sight. More so if you go all the way up to my tower. Even more, given what I''ve heard about your little adventure."


    He chuckles a bit as Einervaene''s posture takes on a timid shape. I consciously rub the place my healing wound is, but choose to focus on the other details. What I wanted, I got. I got to see my precious love show himself off in front of all these humans. All but one saw him and Einervaene''s presence... That was probably more to my detriment.


    "I suggest we get going to this place and do our searching there, then. If the gilded-bark is willing to help us out with your problem." I tell them, getting involved for the sake of refocusing my thoughts. Though, the mere idea of us ever going anywhere near stems and gods and goddesses forbid... Roots... For essentials, it makes me feel unwell. I''d rather have my love turn into a beast again and have his talons ravage me crimson.


    Petals, the human petals are all we go to!


    "But... Wouldn''t clothes from there not last very long...? I-I... I have a bit of experience with how quickly clothes meant to be pretty last in the wilderness and on long journeys." Einervaene insists and I shake my head, rising up with a sharp tap of my bare points. Moving on over, I place myself against her sitting down body.


    "We buy more than just a couple of outfits, then." I sternly inform her, moving away slightly so I can get her onto her feet.


    The human gilded-bark laughs quietly, his head visibly shaking, "Let me go get you some money then, or maybe proof I sent you? I can have them send me a bill later. It''s not like I can run from the debt."


    The man gets up and leaves, his thoughts leaking out through excessive mutters. Left alone with Einervaene, I pick up my efforts to have her get up. This changes a little as I start to drag her back to our current place of residence. Much as I am fine with occasionally walking around without tubes or suction pads, I refuse to do it outside on unending stone.


    "Rianta-chira! Can you not hold my hand so tightly?" Einervaene complains as I take the moment to get some annoyance out of my system. Not that she can probably tell with how I am speeding ahead of her. Though, maybe I should slow down? She''s creating an awful lot of drag with her slower movements and its angling me in the wrong way.


    It''s dangerous for me to walk like this even with tubes, let alone without. Thankfully, the plentiful, soft and plush carpets of this wondrous bulb give my points some grip. I also have furniture to put my free hand on for extra stability. The walls are helpful, too.


    Much as I do not resent my life as one of the aelenvari, I do sometimes wonder about having actual feet. The weaknesses of a tip against a foot are quite clear when done in strict comparison. Outside of soft soils and earth, my kind struggle to walk in a reliable manner when bare-pointed. Anything that does not part easily will forbid our narrow tips from securing a hold.


    Gods and goddesses forbid we walk on anything with holes like those accursed grating paths...


    Oh, of course, we''re in a human flower. Maybe I should switch my tubes to something wider-ended? I would have to change my whole outfit to match, though. Well, the luxury of being able to walk upright on my own is more than enough motivation.

 V4 Incline 33: Roselhia

    Putting the blinds over my true-voice, I dig around my supply of tubes with a ''hmm'' occupying my lips. What goes well with the outfit I want to wear while still having the practicality that I want? Should I forgo the quality I sort of need to put in my life and focus entirely on the vanity? Decisions, decisions.


    Picking up one part of a pair I most often use for wet and slippery floors, I test their grip on my palm. Though, moisture... Maybe I should wear a coat or dress with under it? I could use this opportunity to buy some human clothes. My precious love might look at me more eagerly if I wear the clothes of a human petal?


    He would compliment me on my looks, my sense of style. His hands would come close, ready to cup my supple body and its lust-inducing curves. He''ll barely be able to control himself. I''ll be irresistible to him!


    "Hehehehehehe!" erupts from me, my steamy thoughts developing at an exponential rate. I am a genius. I''ve been so used to presenting myself like I normally would within and amongst my fellow aelenvari that the obvious has passed me by. My love was a human, a human male. It''s not that he doesn''t find me beautiful or alluring, the standards he is used to are just so different.


    I should be imitating the styles he grew up around to get his attention!


    But... I do not know what human petals I do know of wear to distinguish themselves from others. Let alone what the people of his home wore. I''ve never been there. Are they rather reserved in how they dress!? Do they value the idea of treating the body like a present, with its slow unravelling being the sexiest kind of seduction? If that is the case, then it''s no wonder I can never get him into the right mood for what I want.


    Yet, doing that would hamper my ability to get into the mood...? If I can''t get into the mood myself, it''s all pointless-


    "Rianta-chira..." Einervaene lets out, her voice quaking.


    I turn my attention towards her, only to be met with tears.


    "I''m... I''m s-sorry..." she finishes, the details of her mind unable to bring anything to clarity for me. My pleasant thoughts are driven away, forcing me to confront something I cannot figure out a reason to care for.


    "For what...?" I dare to ask, quickly minding my body to make sure I haven''t hit her. No, that can''t be it. I''m too far away and if I had, where was the appropriate noise? Being unable to decide if the pain is great enough to cry over is an odd trait of the person to have.


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    "F-For causing you t-that injury!" she explains, her tone bordering on a sob-soaked yell. My confused expression straightens out and I look down at my hands. I... I am not sure what to say to that. Sure, sure, an accident occurred that provoked my wound, but I asked to get closer. Everything that happened was at my insistence, not hers.


    It''s hard for me to focus on the pain, anyway. The gilded-bark of this settlement healed my wounds to an appreciable degree. And, even then, my love saved us. My precious love kept us safe, taking blow after blow in order to do so.


    Besides, he also displayed other heroics, giving me a long-lasting memory even with how recent it is. There''s nothing to hold against her. Yet, if I were to explain my injuries and their actual origin, my love would be in danger. I will not act to his detriment.


    "Do not worry about it, Einervaene, my dear. Everything is fine. The human gilded-bark healed me." I tell her, my voice soft and calm. Like the sorts I took with children destined to join me in the petals of the flower. Still, I can''t help but rub the side where my injury is.


    Pulling the hand away, I shake my thoughts clear. The less I think about the worst day of my life, the better. I do not want to consider that evening. I thought I had lost my precious love and that it was my fault...


    "No! It''s not fine! I nearly got you killed!" she frustrates, her thoughts unable to be like mine.


    "Word of importance: nearly. The efforts of my precious love kept us both alive. Don''t think about what might have happened, only what did." I point out to her, lingering my eyes on a pair of rose-gold tubes. I had nearly just put them back into the bag. I think... Yes, these are the ones.


    These are to go with some clothes that I treat with more care than anything else...


    "Just think of how my precious love, my beloved Nin saved us both..." I let out, my cheeks warming up as a perfect image of my first time lingerie fills my head. Oh, to have my love fill me in a different manner. My knees rub. A click of excitement makes me shiver.


    This is what I will wear when I finally give away my virginity to him. The day I start my ascension into motherhood, honouring Motrtha through not only prayer, but true action. If I still was it, it would''ve been the day I fulfilled my duties as an ivy-mother... I am impatient for this day to come, more so with my love''s death having once happened.


    But, I understand quite well that my love will let me feel such pride and joy when he is finally secure with himself.


    "Think of him...?" Einervaene mutters, her voice too close to what I don''t want it to be. My ears twitch and my head follows it with a sudden shoot up.


    "Not too much!" I scold, leaving her blank-faced with a slight backward-going angle in her spine. She straightens out, a curve coming to her lips. She begins to laugh, from giggle to hearty echo.


    I frown at this change of emotion. She recognised my threat quite clearly, yet now she''s laughing. She''s mocking me...? No, this is her way of asserting a challenge. She is trying to assert that she will not obey my commands regarding -my- precious love!?

 V4 Incline 34: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    "H-Hey, slow down... Slow down! I can''t count if you keep- I don''t know how much we have..." I struggle to get out in-between Rianta-chira''s pulls, tugs and shoves. Sometimes, she''s not even touching me and I''m still having to rush ahead because she''s pacing a leap out of reach.


    Muttering incoherently, I stare down at the bag of money we had been given. It''s reasonably weighty, and there''s one detail that is alluding me and my ability to figure. Why is the bag square-shaped towards the bottom? Is it because of the coinage within or because the bag was framed as such?


    I know the money of this land, or this part of the continent, is rectangular. But, the rims are too thick to be caused by the money. I''m reminded of the rib-like supports of a wagon top, where the cloth goes over and around to form a canopy. This seems a little much for a bag of money, however.


    I... I never really handled any finances back home, but I know a bag was always just that... A bag.


    "It doesn''t matter how much we have, anyhow. We have enough always because of this!" Rianta-chira points out, her hand poking out the decorative piece of metal that Brewbrt had also given us. It reminds me of a noble sigil and how its stamp or presence often accomplished a lot. Back home, anyway...


    "Still, I''d like to be sure we use our funds properly." I try to speak up, but she seems to have not heard me.


    "And, I do recall that his exact words were something along the lines of if the money is not enough. Present this and it would be passed onto him so he could handle the rest. But, still, he was insistent on us keeping any proof of purchase on our persons." she reminds me, her eyes going all over the place while mine keep meeting those who note my bare legs. I try to shuffle out of view and my want to get this over with thins my patience.


    "Does anything look like a footwear shop to you?" I ask her, minding my feet as the path changes in texture. My toes flex against the new material. From smooth stone to something granular, with what looks like crushed geodes mixed in. A natural sparkle that twinkles under the light of day.


    My feet might not be getting sore or turning red with pain. But, I am starting to get a little uncomfortable feeling all these dull edges against my heels and more. While it is a somewhat obnoxious sensation, it helps me keep my mind off of other issues. I can also seamlessly swap my focus to the tasty and enticing smells all around this part of the town.


    Compared to the ships I have been on and the muck I''ve forced my way through, it is relaxing. Very much so. So many high-quality items are on display. Items of exceptional craftsmanship, even with the limited scale of this town. I can only imagine how much better things will get once I finally arrive at the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding!


    My knowledge is limited about the land of Jherikra and its people, the Jhermonikra. But, I''ve heard a lot about the city as far away as home. Many of the families I had friends in talked openly about sending their children there. If this grand city, one of the supposed Great Seven Peaks, can reach that far with its reputation, then... It will surely be an experience to remember!


    However, with my mind moving onto such grandeur, I can''t help but feel I am forgetting to appreciate what matters now. The simple, small joys of walking through a busy and thriving market street like this. All that I am exposed to right now is the work of one man: Founding-Lord Brewbrt. If I needed more proof of why Mother trusts him, I can find it with an attentive mind, walking into a place like this.


    Rianta-chira suddenly veers off!


    Following after her, I eye her head things as they flicker, "I''ve never been into a human settlement before now. Only ever near them, most certainly nothing like this."


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    She moves on with her thoughts and we stop in front of a sweet little plant shop. All across its front is an array of enticing colours and almost perfume-smelling flowers, far-scented even over here. Moving a little closer to one, I nearly giggle at what else they have on display. Now, if my Emerald Tongue... Stone Tongue, whatever... If any of these are right, this sign here is telling me...


    ''Feel free to delight yourself with our produce!''


    Taking it up on the offer, I pluck a small, red fruit covered in seeds from its heavy-dangling home. Popping it into my mouth, the solid thing melts in an instant. My eyes widen at how quickly I feel bubbles distort the pool within my mouth. I barely have anything to swallow and let out a breath of freshened, tart air.


    "Rianta-chira, you have to try..." I start to exclaim, stopping when I notice how enthralled she is with an item on display. A pot of all things. Specifically, a highly decorated piece made of white porcelain and painted with dark naval blue patterns. I''m a little confused as to why it has her attention so much.


    Even more so when I notice how she''s cradling her stomach, as if she is pregnant.


    Did I hurt-!?


    "Uh, excuse me! Miss! Miss Aelenvar? I''m sorry, but that''s not a birthing pot!" a shop worker insists, her behaviour erratic and hurried. Nothing else occurs, though. For all of Rianta-chira''s entrancement, there has been no touching. Rianta-chira smirks, her interests driving her to test this woman''s patience with a quick positioning.


    "Birthing pot?" I ask, confused as to what this is meant to imply. I... I don''t get it. The shop worker latches onto my question, her face lighting up.


    "Yes, pots that are made specially for pregnant aelenvari! We get many who come through here, not attached to any greater group. Is your friend here interested in buying one? She certainly looks like she''s still at the age where she can do her part!" the shop worker exposits, her arm enthusiastically doing a curled-up swing. Rianta-chira blushes deeply at the thought, her tail becoming a whip as her back straightens.


    "So this is how those who have left flowers handle their children..." I barely hear her whisper as she tries to crush her hands with the other.


    "We have plenty of pre-made ones, or we can put you down for a custom order. So we can truly mark out your beautiful red rose hair on the clay. Blessings of Motrtha, Aahtha and Pluuit all naturally coming along with it on top of any other god or goddess of your choosing." she explains, her smile growing as Rianta-chira puts one hand along her petal-like hair. Her lips part and she wants to let something out. She suddenly turns my way and shakes her head.


    Whatever hook the employee of this place thought she had, it''s not strong enough. For a reason beyond us both, Rianta-chira turns the idea down and walks away. The worker''s smile vanishes, and she becomes visually disappointed. I frown and try to bow in apology.


    "Maybe another time? We have some more important purchases to make right now. We''re not using our own money, see?" I softly explain to her and a small smile comes back.


    "Of course, that is perfectly fine. I will be sure we are ready to handle such a customer as her. I can already tell she is quite the special lady!" the woman answers, her voice picking up at the end and a sharp tap marks Rianta-chira''s halt. Nodding further in thanks and apology, I start to leave after Rianta-chira.


    While I am interested in learning more about her kind right now, we have a focus to stay committed to. Though, Rianta-chira can''t seem to keep her focus on anything but the pots right now. I... I guess we can come by later, if we have money left over?


    This should, without a doubt, ward off any paranoia she has about me regarding Nin-kischu! I''ll have helped her secure a home for her baby-to-be...! If I am understanding this all correctly. Is it meant to be a plant given to the baby when they''re born?


    "A seed for all to envy in that pot... I can parade my son across all of the world in my precious love''s strong arms." Rianta-chira struggles to say as her face burns hotter than even the warmest of days. But, her initial details only confuse me more. Seed? What seed?


    Rianta-chira stops and turns. Her hand grips my front and pulls me in, a snarl taking her features over, "No buying anything expensive!"


    I flinch back and nervously giggle. She lets go, and we get moving again, leaving me with my thoughts. Yes, yes, I think I will try to do something to make her happy. I''m not fully understanding of her issues with me, but Mother always told me to keep myself under control when dealing with problems. This is good training for when I return home and take up my position as The Lady Bosphama in due time. Long away as it is...


    Shaking my head a little, I focus on the money again, "This is all intended for me to get new clothes..."


    She catches onto my mutter with the twitch on an ear. She leans in, hissing. I watch her back away, her head things flashing to life as her nose snorts. Blinking alongside my heart''s steadying pace, I get back to why we''re out here.


    I still cannot see anything that looks like a shoe-centric shop, or even one for clothes, for that matter!

 V4 Incline 35: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    "Well, how about here? These are clothes that go with your current selection." Rianta-chira asks about an out of view shop. Turning away from the hyper-active entertainer as he''s overwhelmed by children from all over the town, I follow her. Catching up, I turn my head towards her and follow her view. A single, sudden movement sends me reeling back.


    "This is a wedding dress shop!" I tell her, a cold sensation drilling shivers deep inside my body. Why has she brought me to a wedding dress shop!? How can I be from a different land and know what this is, but she does not...? Is she daring me to provoke her? Surely that must be it. There''s no way she doesn''t-


    "Oh? This is how humans prepare for marriage? I felt it was just appropriate because of how the colours matched your current choice. See, look, pristine white shoes and stockings to match. Fishnets, floral patterns, lace, and garter belts. One-piece and two and more." she realises and I try to calm down as she seems to lose herself in the implication of this place. I guess she must be thinking of herself in something from here, herself and Nin-kischu going through the ceremony at the temple.


    I need to be careful and avoid saying anything that can be seen as me trying to push her on the topic...


    "I wonder how a human ceremony differs from something I might''ve handled back when I was an ivy-mother?" Rianta-chira asks herself, her tone longing for more than one thing.


    "I cannot imagine it would be much different from how it is everywhere else. The gods and goddesses have been quite good at keeping us uniform, to an extent. So, you know, buy the dress you like and have your bond be made eternal in the temple of your choosing. Or... Well, do it straight in a place dedicated to Motrtha." I try to add, depending on my experiences travelling and how consistent some things have so peculiarly been. Only the divine could create such similarity across otherwise unique peoples.


    "Wedding dress..." Rianta-chira mutters to herself, her head things flickering excitedly as a finger lingers on the glass. She tries to imitate the mannequin''s pose but cannot really do so without feet. Minding the clothes myself, I use the glass to look at my reflection. I guess she''s right that what they have on display in here does match what I am currently wearing.


    But, the problem here is that I intend to return this outfit to Rianta-chira, not keep it...


    Besides, it might be best if we move away from this shop. The more she thinks of Nin-kischu, the more I am going to end up thinking about him. In a way, I am regretting the fact I am doing my shopping with her. I feel like I cannot win.


    She does not want me to think about him. At all! But all she does is talk about him or think about him. It all goes back to Nin-kischu. Nin. Nin. Nin!


    If she keeps going at it, then Nin-kischu will simply stay in my head forever and ever. I will end up drawing her ire anyway! It''s bad enough that looking at Nin-kischu makes me feel strange, even before he saved our lives. There''s something so very strange about him that''s making my gaze linger more than it normally does...


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    I know for certain it''s not the secret of his bandaged-up body, it''s something else. Yet... What? It cannot be love or anything like that. I barely know him. Maybe it is some form of mystery about him? The unknown requires a lot of thought and ponderous time to truly figure out.


    I really do not know.


    "Einervaene?" Rianta-chira questions, her finger tapping against my head. It knocks me right out of my thoughts, and my eyes sprint around, regaining their focus. Calming down, I follow her attention towards where it is going.


    "Y-Yes?" I almost cough out, but, thankfully, I manage a graceful recovery. Hopefully, she does not catch on to what I might''ve been thinking about. Maybe... Just maybe, she was also deep in thought.


    I note her rising hand, "A shop over there also seems to sell legwear meant for humans. Is this what you were hoping to find?"


    She uses her other hand to grab my closest one. Getting dragged after her, the aelenvari''s hand quickly finds the glass with tapping glee. She''s right. This is, in fact, what I am looking for. Well, the principle of it, anyway. It seems to be rather specific in what footwear it covers, or specialised, rather.


    A lot of the items on display appear to be combinations of items rather than singular objects. The shop has shorter-heeled shoes not covering all that much with long socks, stockings and similar. Then, there are also boots which seem to be a mixture of many other things. Some are solid bottoms, others are long heels that I imagine would hug my leg all the way to the thigh.


    My eyes linger on them...


    I quite like this design, actually. The pair on display, even. It''s quite pretty and there''s a lot that can be put on it for further decoration. A blank canvas with so many straps and essential stitches to build mixtures around. They will not work with the outfit I currently have on, though.


    Colours do not match, but maybe they will have such a pair? Only one way to find out, I suppose. So, I best get to it!


    Yet, despite my wants, I''m not moving away from the glass to look inside. I''m still staring. The ones on display are black leather, perhaps, with a polished metal base that patterns out over the toes. There do not seem to be too many details on the shoes themselves, but I think I could work something in if I had the tools or materials. It''s quite shiny, otherwise, a good sign that they''re well polished and thus cared for.


    "They even do stuff for aelenvari..." Rianta-chira mutters to herself, her tail barely appearing in my vision before she disappears into the shop. Looking back at the glass, a small smile forms on my face. I can see her through it. She''s going over to a small section that I can just barely make out!


    A pile of metal tubes fills the space. Next to them, dangling on racks, sock-like pieces that have been stuffed to show off the patterns and styles of make. The ends sparkle with their metallic caps. Rianta-chira quickly finds a pair she likes, and she moves the likely rose red pair about, testing them in all manner of ways.


    Huffing at the sight, I finally get myself into the shop. With an alert hop, I get away from the entrance and its prickly doormat. The main carpet is not all that much better either, even with its carefully cleaned look. Thick, rough and coarse fuzz that needs to only be a little sharper to cut open my heels and soles. Thankfully, this shop is not so busy as to have lost all its soft spots. Bright and vibrant, they do a lot to match the goods on display.


    Finding a stand, I reach out and try to touch one of the pairs.


    "I think I have an idea what you are in here for, Sweetheart." a gentle, elderly voice says. Her quiet shuffling reaching my ears even as I flinch away from the shoes.

 V4 Incline 36: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    What appears to be the owner of the shop approaches. A warm smile decorating her large but not obstructive body. Composing myself, I mind that her eyes are on my bare legs. I look down and then back up, a nervous giggle coming out.


    "Yes... Uhm... Do you perhaps have a different colour of these?" I ask, looking over at and pointing towards the boots I was just staring at before.


    "Those ones? I believe I do. Are you after ones that match your current clothes? They are very pretty, by the way." she asks, her compliment making me a little puff-cheeked. They''re not my clothes, so I''m not entirely sure why...


    My head turns a little to Rianta-chira''s way.


    "You should make sure to look after them. White''s not an easy colour to clean," the old lady teases, her fingers gently pinching my cheek out of nowhere.


    "I really should... I am borrowing these clothes from the one who came in before me." I explain to her, a limp hand directing her eyes in hopefully the right direction. Turning down to where I can clearly recall the stains on the clothes, a short-lived frown comes and goes.


    "The aelenvari? Oh, she is certainly the looker. Yet, knowing them, whoever has caught her eye has got a very poisonous beauty," the old lady hushly comments, her body quickly disappearing through a door.


    Following her initially, I come to a stop as I remember my place in this land. Here... I am not Lady-Heir Einervaene Bosphama. I''m, well, just as this old lady put it. A pretty girl.


    Thankfully, I''m not left with my thoughts for long and she comes back with a box, "Why don''t you go try them on now, Lovely? You don''t have to worry about your lack of socks. My husband specially makes them to be as if you have them on, anyway. I can guarantee you''ll have no issues. As someone who has been wearing his shoes for years, I can most certainly tell you that they''re long-lasting and comfortable!"


    Looking down at her feet as she lifts her dress a little, she kicks out her spouse''s pride. Coming to a stop, she laughs until I reciprocate it even a bit. We head on over to a small area and she pulls a curtain door behind me. Meeting the eyes of my mirror self, I find myself doing nothing but holding this box.


    The spotless glass starts to change in the interior. I can feel it. A smile is growing on my face. Sitting down on the plump chair provided, I open up the box and get ready to... My feet are dirty.


    Moving my lips about uncomfortably, my mouth opens to try and get a message out. It turns out I never needed to bother. A hand quickly pokes through the curtain, a wet cloth and a small bowl in her hands. Taking the items, the old lady groans a bit on her way back to being upright.


    "Clean your feet first, Lovely." she tells me and my mind switches up the words.


    "Th-Thank you." I tell her, it coming out somewhat messy. Getting on with my task, the water rings out of the cloth and I intensely drag out every bit of filth caught on my feet. My scrutinisation pays off and I quickly move onto drying my feet off. My toes enter the darkness of the interior of the boots.


    Meeting some tightness at first, my thoughts fill up with imaginary and quite exaggerated tests of pulling strength. Though, even with what feels like a most certain inconvenience in the future, the old lady is right. These are indeed quite comfortable to wear! Even with such a narrow and tight-fitting rear, it''s actually amazing.


    They''re hugging my legs with a soft warmth while also keeping my feet on a straight path. I really like them, and I would like to be vocally honest about it if I can muster the vocal strength. For the moment, however, I would like to see how they look. So, I turn to my closest friend who is only a mirror away!


    They''re white, much like my borrowed clothes. But, the metal parts themselves are either an unknown red material or carefully painted as such. It''s quite thin plating, too, so thin I am having a hard time discerning the meeting of shoe leather and metal sole. I think I can see a pattern cut into the metal, as well?


    But, it''s so shadowless it''s hard to tell if my eyes are acting up or...


    "Ooo, magic lighting." I remark, the metal seemingly picking up on my external-magic flow. I try to think that the soft blue light is just how it is meant to be, rather than a reflection of my cursed arcane power. The shop owner''s husband must''ve put some kind of magical engraving into the material.


    Admittedly, I am quite impressed by it. Maybe there''s more to it than just a light show? If there is, I should go outside and test it. I might end up crippling our ability to buy these boots if I test my theories within such small confines. To say nothing of potentially damaging the shoes themselves.


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    Looking at the mirror again, a flash of sadness disrupts my features, an echo in my head, "It''s a shame I can''t show you how I look, Mother. I know you quite enjoyed helping me try new outfits... You always were a bit controlling, weren''t you? Heh..."


    Leaving through the curtain, I am met with the sound of clapping. Vigorous, energetic clapping. The old lady has been waiting for me to come out this entire time? It''s quite embarrassing to know this, actually, and her cheering is not helping at all...!


    "Oh, gorgeous! You look beautiful, Lovely. Go on, strike a pose!" she tells me, her encouragement becoming physical as her glee makes her hands tremble before she calms down even slightly.


    "A pose!?" I squeak, looking back at the mirror. Looking at my gloved hands, my fingers twirl about as my head slowly thinks of something. Slipping one digit into my copper-coloured hair, I twirl it round and round. Somehow, though, somehow... My thoughts turn to Nin-kischu, his hat specifically.


    My face is burning up, and I would like to cover it. I feel as if my best pose would be best served with a hat, a large, wide-brimmed hat. One that can hide my face and top-half I were to take it off and face it away from myself.


    Like a portable room divider! Something I can just use to give myself some privacy. To give me and someone else a little bit of it. Me and...


    "Oh, that will do just fine, Lovely." the elderly lady comments, my blush growing as I realise I never finished what I had in mind. Her laughter fills the shop, and she briefly takes my hand to take me back the way of the counter. It takes only a blink for my ears to fill with the clitter clatter of some dull-coloured bronze and the machine it makes up. A flat brick...? Pops out, she then hammers in a signature or something.


    "I''m sorry... What is this?" I ask, holding the toasty warm piece of clay or something. The old lady points at my closest thing to a pocket.


    "I see you have Brewbrt''s ''get items for free piece,'' will you be paying for the shoes yourself or handing it over to him?" she explains and I look at my bag of money. I guess it doesn''t matter. Either way, the bill is for Mother''s friend to take up.


    "I''ll... I''ll pay myself for now..." I tell her, putting the bag onto the counter with a hefty bang. Though not an intentional one. Moving one set of fingers inside, I read the small tablet and bring out the requested number. As close as I can get to it, anyway. My counting mutters seem to be accurate enough.


    "Excellent, thank you, Lovely. Will you need me for anything else?" she asks, her body subtly gesturing towards Rianta-chira. We watch her still fiddle with what she called ''tubes'' and similar. Turning back to the old lady, I shake my head.


    "N... Maybe, we still have to get more stuff first. But we are probably going to end up here again, anyway!" I explain to her, smiling as I gather up all my things. The smile grows and grows on my face as the sound of narrow heels clicking accents my walking now. A pleasurable shiver goes down my spine as I take in the world from my new height.


    All the troubles of the last few months of my journey are now gone!


    Rianta-chira picks up on me leaving and hurries after me. My smile almost becomes permanent as the sound of metal tapping against stone fills my ears from two angles. From the side and below! No grains, no nothing between my toes.


    "We better have enough money left!" Rianta-chira complains, my hand stopping her from heading the way of the plant shop. She moans quietly and the bag of money jingles in my other hand. The money isn''t for her needs at all, but I am doubting we will run out by the time I am done getting my own stuff.


    "There''s plenty, see?" I comfort her with, showing off what I- we have left. There''s barely any digging done to the former shape of the bag''s contents as well!


    "Can I go buy something now?" Rianta-chira almost demands, her tone impatient as she is fidgety to go the opposite way.


    "I am not here just to buy these shoes. You know that." I grin out at her, tapping my new sources of comfort and doing a hair-twirling spin in them. Keeping my balance the whole time, I almost end on a dancing end. One of the many benefits of my high-birthed raising. My posture is very stable, its fineness having been well-drilled into me. In turn, it makes stability a natural thing for me. It probably helps as well that I have some dance classes committed to muscle memory. As is proper for a lady-heir of Eusorochii!


    "Hurry up, then! There are so many goods here that my precious love would love to see on me." Rianta-chira insists, her eyes widening as a joyful sigh slumps her body. The smile on her face passes onto me as I simply cannot find it within myself to hate what I am seeing. I am quite partial to such happiness. It makes me so giddy, unexplainably so.


    "Then we best get going." I tell her, beginning my walk down the rest of the market street.


    "What do you need now?" Rianta-chira asks with a groan.


    "Outfits." I answer, my expression straight as I try to focus on the contents of the shops.


    "Just borrow some of mine!" Rianta-chira insists with a sharp hand movement.


    "As much as I like -some- of your clothes, Rianta-chira. Most of it is very inappropriate to be wearing in public. This alone is what I chose for how modest it is in comparison..." I explain, a hand consciously rubbing the exposed undersides of my breasts. It moves onto the gap still on my upper thigh and up to the hip. With these metallic nails on the gloves... It''s so ticklish to touch myself like this.


    "No, they are not, far from it. A petal should always have her body on display! Besides, didn''t stop you from wearing one of my outfits, did it?"


    "I wore this because it was probably the modest you had!" I remind her, my justification seemingly having slipped her offended mind.


    "Modest clothing belongs on stems!" she insists dramatically.


    "Then, I guess I am a stem." I shrug.


    "You are clearly a petal! Your magic is strong, so you are almost guaranteed to have a son if you were to give yourself to one of the males of my kind. To say nothing of how exotic you''d be to them due to your golden aura!" she tells me without a single hint of awareness of what she''s truly just said. It''s more than just me that is now rosy cheeked. Bystanders are too. Something that only makes me shakier and redder.


    "Th-Thank you...?" I let out, unsure of how to process being quite literally told about how my sex life will turn out. Her tone and expression seem to hint that it''s a good thing, but I really cannot be sure. Again, though, she insists I am golden despite how my magic actually looks... If only everyone back home had her eyes, I guess. If only...

 V4 Incline 37: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    "What about here?" Rianta-chira says to me as we come to a stop in front of another shop. However, unlike what has come before, this place is not the product, but the means to make. A fabric shop!


    Exploding with excitement, my heart comes alive with old passions that I''ve not been able to work on. If I can just get the tools I need, possible with this money, even... Then I can simply make my own clothes. A wardrobe full of togas, kimonos and other forms of flowing robes, just like I used to wear back home!


    "YES!" I scream, speeding up towards the glass so I can glance in towards the treasure trove. My hands come close to my chest and clench up against each other. With wonderful sparkles in my eyes, my fingers dance to the inexplicit tune on my lips. Unable to hold it in, I giggle and skip inside, my fingers quickly dancing amongst all the soft fabrics.


    Luxurious native silks. The fluffiest of cottons. Shiny and durable muscles of sail ships made from flax. Traditional linens and alike. Fuzzy-topped velvets and satins...


    I love it all!


    O-Oh!?


    There''s even a section entirely dedicated to the tools one might need to work with such materials. Everything I need is here, everything I need is here...! I just need a metal worker and everything is set. Everything I need is here!


    "Hehehehe!" I giggle out as my arms fill at speeds quicker than my lightning form can travel. My arms grow heavy with hundreds of sheets with my arms drooping with their unfolded length. Rushing about all the sections, I juggle the items about, filling my arms up even further. I catch a glimpse of Rianta-chira tapping inside of the building.


    She becomes the focus of my desires.


    "Can you help me carry some of this!?" I ask her as nicely as I can while also still being too full of energy to stay still. My companion immediately reacts with a scowl.


    "I am no root..." she mutters loud enough for me to hear, her glare burning hot. Her hip snaps out into the open, her hand settling down on it while one leg moves out. Thigh exposed and its surprisingly developed muscle tensing up. The air cracks at the whip of her tail.


    "I never said... I''m not trying to imply you are...? I would just like some help carrying this so I can get more. Then I can make us both outfits with it!" I explain, trying to keep my confusion as that alone. Whatever offence might be brewing simmers itself out of my mind. Her posture shifts and she approaches, her body still tightened-up with a fighting spirit.


    "Outfit making? What kind...?" she asks, her face coming in close so that her breath washes over me. My face flushes up with its heat and my nervousness does little to prevent confrontation. Her curiosity-filled eyes demand answers.


    "Ones you''d find back in my homeland... You know... T-To-Togas... Kimono..." I mumble, trying my best to perform my usual antics when I am uncomfortable. Though, with all this fabric on my forearms, I can''t quite get the right position to do it properly. Rianta-chira takes a single piece of fabric and folds it about without the slightest bit of difficulty.


    "What''s a kimono?" she asks, her head tilting as she checks the way the fabric shines in the daylight. She steps away to get a better look. I follow after her as best I can.


    "It''s..." I begin to let out, quickly finding myself stumped with how to explain it, "It''s a type of long, flowing robe. It can be worn on special occasions or more casually if you are part of the nobility or senatorial class."


    "That sounds like something that covers a lot... Not fitting for petals." she eughs out, her face contorting with disgust.


    "It doesn''t have to be covering! Some like to have the front be completely open and it to push on their chests a lot like this. Priestesses of Aahtha tend to wear it like that. Tight-fitting but revealing." I explain, doing my best to move my hands about to get to my breasts. Forcing my palms onto the cups of my top, I push and squeeze to aid with her visualisation. A stranger''s eyes meet mine and my stop burns my body to ash.


    What I am doing is clear to me, very clear... But, I''m doing it in full view of other customers.


    "So it can be done in a way to have an open view of one''s panties?" Rianta-chira asks without a care, her boldness driving out a sharp cough from someone out of view.


    My face turns an even deeper crimson, "Y-Yes..."


    "I see," she acknowledges, her body shifting about as she slides a finger over a general shape she seems to like. Next, she surprises me and my load lightens. Blinking at the loss of burden, I try not to overthink at how seemingly simple it just was to get her to help me.


    I guess it must be really normal for her to be wearing anything that would be explicitly erotic for me. Pure bedroom stuff in the open public without a care in the world for who sees. Well... Unless Nin-kischu is there, then all who see are to know she has an owner. A lover.


    S-Should I even make something like that!? All the kimonos me and Mother wore were always fine things. Comfortable, all-covering but not oppressively overheating or restricting to movement. What Rianta-chira wants is practically for a comforting woman or the special, private night you have when you get married! Nowhere near casual wear as she thinks of it!


    Shaking my burning head full of cool air, I empty my thoughts. Diving back into my supplies, I grab more fabric, measuring it out in my head to keep it occupied. Guesses and similar fill up my lapses in thought. My pondering comes to an end and I linger on the concept of patterns and pictures.


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    Am I going to want to be mindful of that? My old outfits used to have birds, flowers and even countryside inspirations. I guess I can paint them on myself at some point in the future. But, with a professional likely on hand here, I should probably take it to them.


    "Einervaene, are you perhaps going to be wanting any patterns on these sheets?" Rianta-chira asks, the question bringing a sudden breakdown of my thought process. How... How is she reading my mind...?


    "Maybe, why?" I finally manage to answer.


    "This shop offers a printing service." she informs me, a sample cloth in her hands from somewhere. Though, I must admit, I am loving this sample in particular. It''s invoking the same kind of imagery found on a temple wall. Almost tapestry-esque with how it means to tell a story.


    Finding a way, I barely get it into my hands for a closer inspection of the print. Doing my best to test my primary two concerns, I manage to pinch it with a finger and a thumb. Rubbing them together, the fabric keeping them separate; I smile. It''s neither coming off easily, and the cloth is maintaining its feel in spite of the dyes and paints. Almost like it was sewn in with it.


    Marvellous, just... Marvellous!


    With this kind of detail on even a simple sample piece, I am quite hopeful I''d be able to replicate something from my homeland. Native animals of all kinds, if I can describe them right. Maybe even meadow of thunderclap blooms! I always loved sneaking out to watch them flinch at the sounds of a storm. Beautiful flowers, they really are.


    Though, with the image in my head not likely being what will end up in theirs... I am happy to settle for an artistic interpretation of such blossoms!


    "Di-Did they explain how they do it?" I ask my companion, wanting to know if it''s a separate service. If I need to buy my sheets first, then do it or if I can get away with doing it in the same transaction. I guess I can only hope it''s not a long process as I really want to get to curing my homesickness. I didn''t think it was this bad, but to suddenly end up with the means to resolve so much of it...


    The quicker the better, that is how it will work out.


    "No, they just told me about it when I wandered near and I went to tell you." she explains, her shoulders slightly rising.


    "Right, I see. Are... Are there any colours you might want? I imagine you''ll be wanting a rose red like your hair. I can make something a lot better with more colours to work with, however." I explain to her and her ears flex with what I want to imagine is excitement.


    "A petal making me clothes that my precious love might like...!? Hmmm..." she lets out, squirming away with the sound of a tune in her throat. The light of her things guides her back and a new assortment of greens, reds and pinks decorates her. The same colours most of her observed clothes have, in fact. I suppose I was smart in thinking she''d want a rose red. Most of her stuff has it. Is she that vain with her hair, then?


    I mean, it''s certainly pretty and well-kept, with such a fascinating style to it. But wouldn''t going too hard on the red in her clothes draw eyes away from her hair? Though, admittedly, even now she is pretty explicit with how she prefers eyes going to her chest or rear. She''s even taking the moment to tease a young man going by, by using her tail to flick away her scarce rear coverings.


    A little surprising to see admittedly given her obsession with Nin-kischu. I suppose that is the point, though? Tempt someone to chase after her, only to fall into the arms of her lover. The chaser sees what it is up against and runs away. Or maybe she was in her head?


    "Anything else?" I ask with a thought-resetting shake of my head.


    "No." Rianta-chira answers instantly, walking off with much the same speed. Following after her, we arrive at a thankfully empty counter and I unload what I can. A shop worker comes out to meet us and his eyes widen at the scale.


    "Making anything interesting?" he chuckles, getting to the counting part with surprising skill and depth perception given the task. He moves onto adding on the various tools I grabbed and putting them onto the tally. Prices rattle out of his mouth, the total growing exponentially. Gripping my money bag tight, I wonder if I might need to dig into the value of the medallion thing.


    The register clocks a final number.


    "And will you be wanting to use our printing service on top of it all?" he asks, already bagging everything up with much the same skill. He''s really been at this a while, hasn''t he? And at such a young age, with little magic flowing from him to indicate a visual deception.


    I hold up my now free fingers, my brain flicking on so I can count how many sheets I''ll likely have printed. How many I want to keep plain remains at the back of my head. I''m going to have a full wardrobe from this shop alone. Perhaps I will need to make a bag, actually? One like Rianta-chira''s-


    Oh, of course.


    "Yes, please. I would like to use the printing service."


    "I''ll be sure to get the owner, then. They can take you through the steps and then we can charge you the final total once you are done," he explains, his eyes catching the presence of the Founding-Lord''s mark. Left alone with a not so chatty Rianta-chira, I look around and smile at the customer coming in behind us. She has a much smaller supply of material to work with compared to me.


    Returning my attention to Rianta-chira, "So, what are you planning to put on yours?"


    She hears me with the twitch of an ear, yet her attention is elsewhere. Her hands draw shapes on the sheets and I can barely make them out. A sharp-tipped oval? A gemstone?


    Rianta-chira suddenly shakes, her eyes blinking without end.


    She turns my way, her interrupted thoughts forcing themselves back together, "Oh...? Oh, symbols of good luck and love, I guess."


    Her fingers return to shaping out symbols in a slow, ponderous manner. I can make out what seems to be honouring''s for the Goddess of Mothers and the Goddess of Pleasure. Everything that is likely to wish her good luck for her relationship with Nin-kischu... I guess I should pass on that luck in turn, then.


    "I will probably just have some animals or plants on mine. As that is what is normally done at home." I say, shrugging a little as I try to prevent an awkward silence from falling between us. However, she seems all too interested in losing herself in how she wants her kimono to turn out. Something is on her mind... A little too much, I''m imagining...


    "Have you ever worn anything long and flowing before, Rianta-chira?" I ask, bringing my fingers together and squeezing them. She blinks, her eyes suddenly taking on a sullen aspect.


    "I... I... I used to wear a red dress. One covered in metal decoration. But... But I was not allowed to keep it as it was the outfit for something I am no longer. I gave up the right to wear it so I could be with..." she explains, her sadness barely choked back as memories flood the eyes that I cannot see.


    "What was the dress like?" I ask, gesturing about my body as to what its shape might be. She shakes her head at my actions and starts to aid my imagination herself. In only a few strokes, I get many details about this important, meaningful piece of clothing.


    "It started here... And, went about this far down... Ending at the distance before the tips of my points," her fingers gesture about her neck and shoulders, going down, "It had some openings along here and here..."


    She stops rubbing areas around her chest and back. She reaches out and clutches for something that is not actually there. Some kind of stupor breaks and she lets out not one more noise. She sniffles, her eyes clearly rimmed with water.


    Her head turns away, and she leaves the building, vanishing out of sight.

 V4 Incline 38: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    Somehow, I catch up with her, "Rianta-chira, what''s wrong?"


    She fights back against my grabbing, "I... I don''t want to talk about it... Not here... Not..."


    "What about your sheets? Are you not going to pick a pattern for them?" I ask, trying to keep her around by taking her mind off of whatever is bothering her.


    "I''ll... I''ll let you pick for me..." she whimpers, echoes of running and tears filling my ears thereafter. Standing still, I frown back the way of the shop door. Should I go after her further and try to resolve what ails her? Or, am I better off trying after I finish with the shopping so I don''t cause problems for others?


    I... I do not know.


    Indecision has me frozen solid at the worst possible time since arriving in this town. If I don''t go and see if she is ok, then I''ll feel bad. This is clearly related to the line of questioning I started. Yet, at the same time, I should be mindful of my place in this land and with her. We are still largely strangers with little near a week of being aware of each other.


    If I could, getting Nin-kischu might be my best option as he can...?


    Shaking my head, I force myself back to the counter to resolve our purchase. The man on the other side doesn''t seem to be bothered and I get to offering up what I need to. A door opens and closes, an elderly man coming out into the open with an almost visible smell. Q-Quite a strong one!


    "Well, this is certainly a lot to work with. Got something special planned, perhaps?" the elderly man asks, his voice raspy like it had been scraped out of his body.


    "Hm? Oh, yes, I am going to be making an outfit," I tell him, putting my aimless mental energy into some nods, "Maybe two..."


    Turning my head in the direction I assume Rianta-chira went, my thoughts flicker back to her.


    "What kind of outfit are you hoping to make?" the old man asks as he sends the younger one off to sort out the other customers. The elder starts to pick up the sheets and I take some off of his hands to help out. I follow along until we arrive in the backend of the building and my eyes burn instantly. This room smells awful, even with all its magical ventilation and I am feeling light-headed already. The smells are so strong... I almost want to cancel my printing request and leave with blank, plain sheets.


    Though, tired of explaining what I want to make already, despite only doing it once, I desire a lie, "Dresses for special occasions."


    "Ah, very good choice. I can only wish you luck when making it. Now, time to make them right beautiful," he goes, his equipment slipping onto the perfect grooves in his worn skin. His fingers cracked and painted with all the dyes he has touched over the years.


    "Thank you." I answer cheerfully. Even with my good mood being ruined by the thick, lingering flavour in the air. Maybe I should try to keep small talk to a minimum and ensure my answers are laconic? As far from verbose as I can be, really.


    "Now, do you have something specific in mind for the patterns? Or, are you fine with what I have on display here?" he asks, a book entering my hands and I quickly open it up. Pictures decorate the pages along with stuck-in examples of how it looks on every possible for-sale fabric. The examples don''t go beyond being basic colours, however, I am not having a hard time imagining mixtures and combos.


    Though, I know three colours and patterns quite easily.


    "With these three colours..." I start to say, pulling out what material Rianta-chira had picked, "Can you put on these patterns, please?"


    My fingers go across all the flowers on display, along with other kinds of greenery. Moving onto the next set of sheets, I point out several of the more symbolic prints. Ones associated with the gods and goddesses, largely. Satisfied I have covered all of Rianta-chira''s requests, I move onto my own sheets.


    Waiting for the old man to finish up with filling out his notebook, I prepare to explain. He puts the pen down for half a second and a torrent of information washes from my mouth. His head nods along and without missing a beat, the pen twirls back into his grip. He writes it all down flawlessly.


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    "I could crossover some of the printing presses and their parts. But, I don''t think I''d be able to do what you describe fully. Seems like something I need experience with to do properly." he explains with a shake of his head and I nod, as it is fine. I was expecting such an outcome to begin with. Still, it''s a shame, I was really hoping to be as authentic to home as possible.


    "Are there any animals or plants you have that fit close enough to what I have described?" I ask, trying an alternate way of looking at it.


    "Creatures with small, wiry limbs and short fuzzy hair? I''ll have to go see," he questions and then tells, wandering off the moment his lips close. Left on my own in the stench of the dye room, my nose crumples in pain. He comes back with example sheets, animals and plants I am not familiar with all over. But, they all somewhat match the shape I am looking for.


    "Hm, will... Will you perhaps be able to make their colouring more metallic?" I ask, and he nods.


    "I can do that," he answers, the motion ending.


    "That is good... I will have these sheets done like that, then. With these ones... Being the plants. These being the animals, please." I clarify, sorting the piles out myself.


    "Yep, now, this will take a while, so," he starts to say, a mechanical spinning disrupting the bubbling of vats, "When this starts going off, your order will be ready. And, as a precaution, please leave the total cost of your purchase here if you don''t intend to burden Founding-Lord Brewbrt. In case you spend the money in the meantime while you wait."


    "I think I have already paid." I answer slowly, double checking my memory before I deceive myself with a lack of truth to reality.


    The old man chuckles, "All good, then."


    "Is it a common problem that people make orders they cannot pay?" I ask, curious to see if there''s more to his words. Eyeing the device he gave me, I refuse to fiddle with its clock-like parts and keep my interest purely visual. What an egg-shaped tool.


    "It is, yeah. But, luckily, the shop is one in the part of town where it''s easily sorted. Customer can go and bring in their annoyed parents if they''re young. The older ones can burn their lungs running back to their personal vaults or the bank," he explains with a slight shrug, some kind of safety precautions occupying his hands for the moment.


    "How about the other parts of town, do you get customers from there?" I ask him, wondering what it might be like if they came by.


    "Not often. It''s pretty rare. Don''t think I''ve had an unknown face come in here for years. We sometimes get those who''ve just had a recent big payout, however. The hunter types, the ryphurgok ranchers if they''ve made a big sale to some group. But, admittedly, those last ones ain''t coming by anytime soon. Given what has happened." the old man laughs out rather darkly.


    "I see. Will you be needing me for anything else?" I question, more eager to get out of this smell before it stains my -borrowed, white- clothes a smoker''s yellow.


    "No. No, I will not need you for now. Come back when you can, just make sure to keep an eye on that there clock. Don''t want you getting spooked, having forgotten about it. But, it probably doesn''t matter, anyway. You don''t blend in a whole lot so I might even be able to have someone fetch you," he explains and I frown a bit.


    "I don''t follow...?" I let out at the last part, clueless about it.


    "You aren''t Jhermonikra, and you came in with an aelenvar. Sayings of sore thumbs and all that," he explains with a shrug as I move to leave. Nodding my head in understanding, I head on out and leave the foul-scented room behind. Rushing out the door, a deep breath of fresh air fills my lungs. I step even further out into the open street, eager to lose any lingerings of that room.


    "Never before have I wanted to taste you again so soon..." I breathe, my shoulders slumping with eager relaxation. Washing my mouth with it, I fake a spit and blegh. Emptying my mind of one problem, I fill it with another and get to trying to find Rianta-chira.


    Unfortunately, I only have a single point of reference to work with...


    Problem now is, is well, people change directions. She could very much not be heading the opposite way while I was in that printing room. Putting my hands together as I walk, my thumbs rub against each other. I need to find her soon before Nin-kischu gets back if he is on his way, especially with this being so soon after her injury.


    Spotting a man who seems to be observant, I approach, "Excuse me, have you seen a woman with rose-red hair and not much clothes come by here? An aelenvar?"


    The man stops with his task of washing a window and stands up. The food contents of the shop are somewhat easier to see now. The smell, though, I am enjoying it so much more than the printing room. Bakeries always smell so divine, it''s a wonder why there''s no god or goddess of bakeries specifically!


    "Aye, someone did come by... Went down that way, towards the flower gardens," he informs me, returning to his work with the tip of his hat.


    "Thank you." I tell him, passing on and then stopping. Looking back, I glance down at what is left of the money given to me. We still have a fair amount left and given how high the Orbital-Halo now is, I guess lunch is on the menu now. Those around me certainly seem to agree and a few outside-dining places are getting busy.


    But... If I get food first before I find her, will Rianta-chira hold it against me? Is she petty enough to allow a rift to form over that? Or is this a pointless thought to have given her concerns regarding Nin-kischu?


    Besides, food can help calm her down. I know a good meal has helped me in times of sadness before. Again, though, she might take it as me more so caring about sweets then checking in on her. But, again, I am not her friend, not much of one right now, anyway. Again, why am I overthinking this!?


    I do not know, and it''s frustrating me...

 V4 Incline 39: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    "Let''s hope she likes this kind of cake, I suppose." I say to myself before returning to my otherwise quiet walk. This box isn''t too heavy, but I keep stopping to look at it. I''ve no clue if she''ll like it, and I most certainly do not know if I will. It looked pretty, so I bought this one. The cake is pale with icing and has an oddly shaped, red fruit with little chutes on it. Seeds rest in them, they apparently pop.


    Or so the baker insisted...


    A burstberry, I think he called it? Apparently, the name comes from the process of harvesting them. One cannot simply pick them from the plant, you have to carefully take away all leaves and root connections. Or, it will shoot all of its seeds out at a supposedly cutting speed.


    He also told me his son was temporarily blinded when he forgot to pick them properly. He didn''t have goggles on and when it went pop. Right into his eye! While the boy has my sympathies, I also find it a bit funny that such dangerous fruit is on such an eye-pleaser of a cake.


    Reaching the flower gardens, I look around for anyone who sticks out and catch onto the sound of tapping. Double checking that it''s not just someone''s heels, I spot Rianta-chira''s unique hair. Speeding up, I catch up to the misery stricken woman as she aimlessly walks. She sniffles and turns to face me, my hands presenting the cake.


    "I got us some lunch, Rianta-chira." I tell her, smiling clear and bright in the hopes it will cheer her up. Even if only a little. I blink and properly take in the state of her face. Wet, puffy.


    She looks away and goes to a tree, huddling up against it, "Am... Am I a bad person... Einervaene?"


    Trying my best not to be stumped. Each hiccup from her is all the more daunting. This is quite a heavy question to be throwing around, especially to someone like myself. I am not a well-known friend of hers. Not one with a close relationship... Yet, in doing her this kindness, I will find myself with what I have been without for some time now.


    Going down onto my knees, I settle my things about in front of us both, "Can you please explain it a little more?"


    "More...?" she lets out, her eyes wayward as her mind tries its best to get into order. She looks away and then up to the clear blue sky. A long sigh escapes her.


    "Well, what brought on this question? I asked you about the dress, you talked a little. And then you got upset. We are not all that familiar with the past of either, so I am confused as to what happened."


    "I see... Am... Am I a bad person for leaving my flower to stay with my precious love...? I was something very important in my home. Something too important to simply throw away, and I did. All to be with my love..."


    I frown as my thoughts think of home. I get her, I really do. Mother sent me away because she believed me to be in more danger within the walls of our castle than out on the open water of the All-Coast. While I trust her, I really do trust her. There have been times I have questioned such a choice, whatever it is that scares her, we could''ve faced it together.


    And, well, here I am now, on a journey to undo what seems to be the cause of it all.


    "Why do you consider staying with someone you love so dearly to be bad? It''s a beautiful thing to want to be with someone like you do." I finally answer and not even a hint of pride smiles itself upon her face. Her eyes only quiver.


    I shuffle a little closer as she seems to find the tree she''s on to be uncomfortable. Letting her lean on me, I try to accommodate her over my own wants. It''s a surprising thing to have happened, but I feel like I am getting used to it nice and easy. Oddly, it''s surprisingly natural.


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    "As an ivy-mother, you have a duty to your people... My people... A responsibility to be there for the mothers-to-be. A responsibility to the children and how they help the flower grow. And... And... I left them, I left them without my guidance, something we aelenvari desperately need. The Gilded-Bark insisted I get myself together, wait for the right time to put down my staff... I spat on that request, blinded it out of the conversation. I have deprived them of their ivy-mother and all because I want to be with someone... I was selfish, unforgivably so."


    "They will grow without you, no?" I suggest, defaulting to the idea that she must be on about a city or something. A lot of her terminology doesn''t process right for me. I can only assume its meaning. She left her hometown, having been its head priestess or something, all for Nin-kischu?


    I can make a lot of guesses, but nothing compares to the actual answer-


    "NO!" she snaps, her face suddenly in mine as her head things burn my forehead.


    I lean back away from this aggression and she retreats the opposite way.


    "No, it can''t! We need an Ivy-Mother to look after our children as they grow! Tell me, do you know what it is like, to be a part of something so much and being forced to watch it die off year after year and being able to do nothing about it!? I thought maybe if I stayed with my love I''d be able to help my flower, give them the sons they needed to get back to how we used to be so very long ago... AND THEN- But I can''t do that anymore because I am here with a love who..." she rants tearfully, her body breaking down into a heaving mess.


    Blinking my confusion away as she curls up, I try to orient the information the right way.


    "What happened...?" I ask her, my concern bluntly adorning my features. Did Nin-kischu do something foul? Did something that he could not do occur? Is this journey to Suhurlodst the cause or coincidental?


    "No... I won''t say... I won''t... I won''t betray the one duty I still have!" she snaps, and while she moves back, I raise my hands to show my lack of threat. I can''t quite get what is going on, but maybe it is for the best? I do not know, I really do not. Yet, I also cannot stomach the idea of knowing she is bothered this much and that I can do nothing.


    "So... Why leave with him? Why not stay there for as long as you can? If helping your people means so much to you... Why did you leave?" I ask and I regret saying it, as I feel as if I am being unfair. Given my situation, do I have the right to ask anyone why they have to leave the familiar?


    "Because I love him! I love him and I want to be with him!" she reiterates, and I try to nod in understanding.


    "Why do you love him?" I ask, perhaps a little too sharp-edged. Regret burns up my insides and my shoulders close inwards. I am pushing far deeper than I have any right to...


    Yet, her mouth opens without a sign of anger, "Because... Because he is strong, the strongest I... The strongest I had seen back then. The strength to give me many sons and turn back the decline the Pestilence brought unto us..."


    Pestilence...? No matter!


    "Then how have you failed your people?" I ask, latching onto this clear, golden lifeline!


    "Huh...?" she goes.


    "If your duty to your people is to provide them with sons. Then, by being with your lover, you continue to allow that to be a possibility. This future you''re dreading, it is going to be one with sons. Teeming, filled with them! How can you say you have failed your people when you will have a... An entire farm of seeds!" I explain, filling in with such a strange sentence at the end.


    Thinking of babies as a farm is... Strange. Very strange.


    "I''ve failed them because I am not there to perform an essential service... I am not there to help them. I cannot guide them, nurture them or build them up if I am not there. My duty isn''t just to rear- It wasn''t that alone. As an ivy-mother, I was a part of a long line of sacred wisdom passed onto me by my forebears. By leaving, I have cut off such an important link!"


    "Unless you are the only ivy-mother in existence, it is not as severe as you are seemingly painting it. You left with the with the intent that your love for Nin-ki- Nin. You left them so that your love for Nin might help them. You haven''t left them where it matters, you can still help them. Body and spirit." I try to convince her with and it seems to find some ground in the mystery of her head.


    "How...? How am I there for them when I am not even living with them? How am I there for them when I got rid of it all just so I could stay with my love!?" she asks.


    "Because if Nin is as strong as you say he is... And, if you truly do love him with all your heart and more... Then... Then..." I begin to say, unhelpfully trailing off, "Then, as long as you keep making new sons to bless our world with. To impress the gods and goddesses with... Then, you will always be serving them. If the problem is that your people are dying off, then your duty is to keep making them sons."


    "As long as I keep making new sons..." she repeats with a whisper, her hands clutching her belly while her cheeks take on the red of an innocent blush.

 V4 Incline 40: Roselhia

    "Yes, yes, Rianta-chira! As long as you two still love each other, and you continue to have more children. Ensuring they grow up, you can send them back to your people. Allowing them to grow from you love much as your sons will have by that point. I admit... I don''t know much about your kind, but, as you said, you were an ''ivy-mother,'' I think I understand that a little. At a certain age, a child must be on their own to truly grow. You''re not abandoning anyone. You are letting them stand on their own and allowing them to find their place. So long as you keep showing them that you care, they will keep growing. You have not failed anyone until you give up!"


    Looking away from the golden human, I ponder her words. She is right, a child must be allowed to become independent if the mind is to move forward. Even I at some point, so youthful and lacking in confidence where it mattered, even I needed that push... At one point, I was a jittery thing, barely sure of myself as I pursued my duties.


    But, by going on at it, I was all the stronger for it, just like I will be now.


    The flowers of the Ahnelges Garden-Mont do not have to fear, none of them do. My efforts will not be feeble and I will ferry many a son to bolster them. I will support them to the end. My love and I, we will keep going until our bodies return to the clay from which all mortality came from.


    "So long as I have plenty of children, so long as my womb remains active... I am not failing them." I assure myself, locking my heart in the thickest chains to bind it to this idea.


    "... Yes...?" Einervaene says, her tone a little off as an awkward smile takes her over. Either way, I wish to move my mind away from such vile thoughts for the time being. I have said my piece and have heard the wisdom of someone who matters. My stomach quite agrees with my thoughts.


    "A good mother must be well-fed, then..." I utter, smiling back at her as I open up the box and take in its sweet aroma. Nimbly, I snatch away what appears to be the thickest slice and I devour it. A squeak escapes the human. Her body a little stiff as I undoubtedly shock her with my appetite. Using my thumb, I wipe the icing off my lips and trail my tongue up it.


    Though her surprise is not unjustified, even my own standards are being set aside for the time being.


    "You are certainly going for quite a lot of it..." she breathes in disbelief as another slice enters my hands. Though I know I am slower in eating this bit, I am not doing so by much less.


    "Unfortunately, my precious love... Introduced me to a quality of cooking so exceptional that I will never be able to enjoy any other meal... All food tastes bad to me now." I let out, short of breath as what is nebulous to her, comes back to me as if it was just now. All the hope I thought I could muster about my own skills slips away from me. More and more of it pools invisibly around us. She, however, has the innocence of only knowing mortal cooking.


    I pity and envy her at the same contradictory time, yet I know I never want to be her.


    "What was this food, then?" she asks, her teeth sinking in to take a modest bite out of the slice she chose. A rough, jawline-edge comes out of what was a creamy topped delight.


    Wiping my mouth, I fight back the inexplicit waves of drool, "A tart..."


    "A tart?" she questions, perking up at the word with no real idea as to how wondrous it really was. Golden crust that flaked so well into the thick, curdling fruit... Soaking every-


    "Walls of firmly holding pastry. The juices seeping in like the rain does to the soil but not making mud of it. Even the atmosphere itself trembled at its extravagance!" I let out, reminding myself I was only in my head a moment before. My jaw goes limp as the memories overwhelm me. Aahtha bless me, I might as well be a corpse right now, driven to my state by the unending pleasure of phantom tastes and scents. If only I could be so certain that my death would lead to what my love experienced in his time amongst the divine.


    It''s not fair, it''s not!


    "Why not get another one then if it is that good...?" she asks and my emotions flare with raw anger. If only it were that simple, if only if the task of having more goddess-baked deliciousness was that simple. Even if it was, it would be all mine, even my love would have none. The sweet tooth I have born of that dessert, it will burn the world down!


    "I can''t... My love had the only one, and it was made entirely for him...!" I want to cry for while I love him all the more for sharing a divine artefact with me. I also hate him so much for it. I can never enjoy food again now. The memories, they will never go, not while I live. Not while I live at all.


    "Why not ask him to get some more, then?" she asks further, still not getting at all.


    "I can''t!" I cry with all the heart-exhausting melodrama I can.


    "Why...? Did the person who made it die?"


    "More like you have to die and get lucky to get it..." I mutter viciously, sneering at what food I do have. Getting back to eating, I catch onto her sigh and following smirk. If only her thoughts were right, I have no secrets to hide. The truth is cryptic and too strange to accept bluntly... But it is what it is: the truth.


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    Finishing up with what I have, I find my appetite ruined by all these thoughts of superior cooking. She follows suit and we rise up, ready to go on our way. Sorting my clothes out, I eye how mine look on Einervaene again. They do fit her quite well, even with the likely tightness she is experiencing.


    Her mouth pops open, "I think I have everything I am going to want. Is there anything you are specifically going to want?"


    I look down towards the bag of trade materials.


    "I will get what I need on my own..." I mutter, carrying my bitterness on into words and action as I snatch the bag. She shrugs her shoulders and pulls out a small item. My long ear twitch as the subtle tick of gears within. This is new. Did she acquire it from that fabric shop?


    "Can we keep it to the same street as the printers, then? It will make it easier to get our stuff for when we head back to the estate. Then, I can get started on making your outfit!" she explains, gently clapping at the prospect.


    "Oh, yes, of course. Of course... No, then, you will stay with me. That way, what you end up making me will pay heed to what I now get." I explain to her in turn, taking her hand so we can hurry on out of here.


    "Can''t... Can''t I just use your clothes as a reference point? The ones you already ha-?"


    "No!" I interrupt, striking my head high.


    "But-"


    "No! If I am to receive clothes from a golden-petal such as you. It must be done in a human-style. That is why I must get human clothes to accompany it. My precious love will know how this display shows my loyalty to him. He will understand that I am fine with moving on with my life, heading to places he is more familiar with." I explain as the stone road sings with the tap of our legwear. Minding my mostly exposed lower half, my thoughts are in the right place.


    I stab my points down, bringing us to a halt.


    "Women''s underwear..." I whisper with a speeding heart. The kind of lingerie that will no doubt draw out my love''s earnest want for my body. I will present myself to him and watch his-


    Einervaene nudges me towards the shop, her giggling clinging to my burning cheeks, "The style of we humans is quite flexible, you know?"


    "Flexibility!?" I go, offended at the idea I want diverse styles, "What I need is something distinctly human in its design!"


    Moving up to the glass, determination hardens my face yet makes my body more energetic than ever. Bouncing my body, my breasts defy the bra that constrains their buxom beauty. My rear sticks out in mock preparation for how I wish my love to position me at lustful night''s time.


    "Well, forgive me for any unintended offense, but the only thing I can think of that fits that description... Is something like these?" she tells me, her voice and face drawing my attention to her high-heeled boots. A strangely alluring mixture of the human foot and the tipped shape of an aelenvar''s points.


    "Mmm." I let out in deep thought as I move closer, leaning down slightly to inspect the curve.


    "But, you can''t wear something like this," she giggles, her mind not paying me too much attention.


    "No... I can... I very much can..." I realise, thinking of myself in a different manner. Rather than having feet slip into a form to hold them, I slot my points into a brace that imitates a foot''s shape! Grabbing the top of her boots, I force a yelp out of the giddy woman. My strength keeps her in place, and she struggles to straighten herself out.


    "Please, do not do that!" she tells me, her voice still broken as I let go.


    "I must... I must wear human-style clothes to be more in line with what my love wants from me!" I tell her, my mind filling with images of an item that may not actually exist.


    "Yes-"


    "I need tubes for my points. No, I need point-tips that connect to a structure like those have. Ones that imitate what I still have, going to my thighs and all. I cannot do without that which eludes to the erotic." I explain, my thoughts coming out without much clarity, even to myself.


    "Like a fancy sock...?" she questions, the concept lost on me.


    "Yes, like a sock!" I let out loudly, "What''s a sock?"


    "The extra layer between shoe and foot. They help stop abrasion between one''s skin and their footwear. They also help keep feet warm," she explains, and my mind defaults to the many pairs of point-tips I have. Those are what I tend to wear when I can be sure I am not likely to face the realities of the outdoors. With how low the metal ends are on point-tips, the fabric is ruined so easily with filth.


    "But wait... If I can make a frame, the initial portion may be tube-like while the rest has the features of a point-tip''s cloth!" I realise, pondering the many places I might need to go to in order to make such a complex piece of clothing. Again, I have no idea if this is something humans have ever thought of before. I mean, how could they have? What kind of petal wants to imitate a human foot!?


    Well, here''s one!


    "We best go and find a skilled metal artisan, then. An armourer, perhaps? I know nothing of metal working itself, but I am familiar with working cloth together with it." Einervaene explains to me as I wander around for the first hint of such a place. Of course, she is right, an artisan, given time and measurements... They''ll be more than capable of making me the first realisation of this dream. A dream of locking my legs around my love''s strong back as he thrusts into me... I''m getting so very hot thinking about it. Oh, how he will love me all the more for making him feel like I have such a subtle beauty as feet.


    Giggling my misty thoughts back into their rooms for outward calmness, I breathe deeply.


    "Then, please, will you help me find such a worker? For my dream to become a tangible reality, I need someone whose fingers know how to work the finest silvers." I ask of her, heading on regardless of her presence at my side.


    "I can most certainly do that, sur-" Einervaene starts to answer and we freeze up at the feeling in the air. My l-love!? He has come back!


    Letting a smile take over my face, I hold myself to a composed state as he walks down the street towards us. His magic flares up at everyone who looks at him and they shirk away. They''re all bowing to his majesty. Even I, his beloved, even I am quaking with anticipation.


    "My love...!" I breathe as he comes to a stop.


    I note how tense his body seems to be, even so, I ignore it.


    "I need to talk to you about something." I tell him, thinking of so many different things that have been on my mind today and as of recent ones. What to focus on, though? What I discussed with Einervaene over lunch? The shop with the birthing pots? How I felt when he vanished a few days ago...?


    He steps closer and I straighten out in shock, his arm around my waist already.


    "It will have to wait... I need you to come with me to somewhere more private," he tells me, the details awaiting their freedom from the nosy and intrusive.


    "Of course-" I start to answer and the air rushes through my hair. The shock of the ground breaking barely shakes my nerves. He protects me from the breaking of the rock as we land on the mountain. We''re not too high, but high enough that our whispers are impossible to be caught. I meet his masked eyes, my chest heaving from the rush of it all.

 V4 Incline 41: Roselhia

    "M-My love, wh-what''s going on!?" I ask my precious one, my words breaking apart as I struggle to speak. Flashes of my true-voice blinding him. Having become all too aware of where we are, I hug him tight. His hands dig into the mountain''s rock, crunching and cracking it.


    "We... We need to leave now!" he explains, his voice as exasperated as it is seemingly excited. While his words and tone are not so, the way his unfortunate body parts act is hard to ignore. Chittering. Like a child gnashing on a bone in imitation of a monster.


    Blinking, I get my thoughts in order, "N- Leave? We just got here, we- I still have things I need to do!"


    "I don''t care... We need to go now, none of your shit matters!" he practically hisses, the beak of his mask almost spearing the rock at my side. Gulping at the feel of his osibindah shell under-bandage, my touch lightens.


    "Why?" is all I can ask, my emotions unable to pick amongst themselves who controls my mind right now.


    "The animal rampage, the one from earlier. Osibindah are at the heart of it! They attacked the farmers somehow and spooked the things..." he harshly whispers despite its lack of tone. My eyes fail to blink and my ears grow all the more attentive. An already notable noise from him becomes more pronounced. Everything that he is, is all too noticeable now.


    My heart thumps violently as my mind fills with thoughts of the parasites. I fear for my love and how his condition will make him a target. If one drop of suspicion manages to dilute its way into the thoughts of anyone in this settlement. They''ll suspect my love to be involved.


    Will they suddenly gain an awareness of his hidden shape? The strange noise one might hear if they stand too close? My love has no way of hiding himself completely. Someone''s going to figure it out. Is this it, the end of our journey?


    No.


    As his precious love, as he is mine, I have a duty to him and I will see us through if he''s wavering...


    "My love, calm down. My precious, beloved love. My precious love..." I whisper to him, tightening my grip once again. I hug him with all the love in my heart and gently hum a song to him. His noises abrupt themselves, his confusion so clear to me. The tension in his body eases.


    He knows I love him.


    "Do not panic. All you have to do is continue to act like a man. No one will ever think you are in league with the parasites if you continue to do so. No one will suspect a thing at all." I explain, sweetly kissing the part of his mask with the slots to help him breathe. My intoxicating breath fills a heavy intake of air.


    "I... I don''t care about any of that... I''m not going to remember the people of this town. What I want is to never be near one of those damned holes! I will not go near another one!" he lets out, his tone rising with each word. Intervening, I put my hands on his head, forcing one of his to leave the mountain to hold me. Bringing our eyes inline with the other''s, I smile.


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    "My love, my champion, do not worry. You earned the right to hold your head high. So many were saved on the day we found you. Humans like those below, aelenvari like I am and so many more. You defeated the osibindah before, you -can- and -will- beat them again!" I tell him, my heart elating with every bit of confidence I can pass onto him.


    If I cannot inspire any form of hope within him, then... I am lost as to what to do. I will do my best to encourage him to fight. To get him to stand proudly over the parasite rather than whimpering in fear at the thought of them.


    "They''re not mine to fight. These people can deal with it!" he snaps, and I shake my head. My true-voice glows softly and while I know he can not hear its beauty, I know he can still see it. The light it shines with, the warmth it emanates.


    "It must be you."


    "Me!? Do you even hear yourself Rose!? Do you!?" he questions, his head moving in erratic, jagged movements. His head returns to a still position, one of its lenses turning to face me fully. While I cannot see as he can, I know what he wants me to see. All the rage and hatred in each line of red, not even the tint of glass or my vision, can hide that.


    I remind him of the firm and fair grip I still have on him, "I do hear myself, same as I do you... And I think it will be in your best interests to fight them off. To wipe them out if need be. It will bring you nothing good if you stay scared of what you have become, my love. Take out all this anger for their kind while you have something to prove. Not to me, not to the world or your fellow man. But to yourself. Prove to yourself that you are above the memories and nightmares."


    "You can''t make me..." he childishly snivels and I hold him close. Though I am still a virgin, for this moment of trying hearts, he is my child. One I will help to grow strong and powerful, more so than he can possibly imagine.


    "I cannot force you, my love. Do not take my words the wrong way, now, but all I can do is to be disappointed. Disappointed by the fact the one who saved me from that sadroobell, from those ryphurgoks... And he''s scared of some... Bugs." I tell him, unfortunately feeling the need to taunt him. Though my heart quivers at his snarl, my face remains the same as it has been up to now.


    "Oh, brilliant idea. But, problem... What if I find a magic one? I barely beat back the one I fought before. Even then, that was only because it used no magic!" he growls, and I smile.


    "Because you took away its staff." I point out and his head goes away from me.


    "Staff...?" he questions and I show him one soft hand of mine. My magic brightens our day, and he looks into the mist of swirling forest greens. So weak, so far removed from its greatest extent.


    "Remember? Remember what I told you about my own magic?" I ask him, reminding him of our conversation back in the wilderness.


    "You can''t cast very well without it..." he remembers with a slow nod and the adjustment of his posture. Yes!


    "Yes, my love, exactly! You, on the other hand... Oh, you on the other... You are not weak without spells. You are so very strong even without them, and now you are beginning to tap into its potential. Of all the people I''ve known, my love, you have only been second to one person of true note. The Valkinvar of the holy city if Thurn''s Forge!" I tell him, reminding him of his friend and he goes completely silent.


    Gentle chitters start to come back out of him. His mind is abuzz with thoughts, and I know he is considering every word I have spoken. Nothing has been lost to him. He ensured nothing would slip and that his focus would never leave. We stay up high, his body relaxing as the ponderings bear fruit.

 V4 Incline 42: Nin

    "Ah, Young Man, I''ve heard you were back." Brewbrt greets, his sentence ending peculiarly. Did he have something else he wanted to say? A cut-off thought? Or, more likely, a withheld one...


    Looking away from the shrine of Motrtha, I catch the silvered glow of his emerald hair in the temple''s darkness.


    "I did not take you for the kind of man to spend time with the First Mother." he comments, coming to a stop near me. Moving my head away from Motrtha''s enshrined hand, I stand up. Moving my jawbone about, I try to lock it up to hide my natural habits. In a busy street I might get away with it, not in a place like this. Not in a chamber where echoes come back.


    I gulp, "I didn''t think I would have, either. But life has led me to some peculiar places over the past few months. I am on a course that makes old comforts impossible to find. Only the newly discovered ones are within reach."


    Brewbrt seems to get where I am coming from, and the glow in his eyes outlines his soothing expression. He nods in understanding and offers his own little prayer to the Goddess of Love and Motherhood. A simple gesture, one that mimics the cradling of a child, then a bow. As Motrtha did when she came into existence to nurture Thurnmourer, crying in the nothing-before-creation.


    "Aye... Aye, I can understand that, Young Man. I can understand that very well," he says, his arm gesturing me to follow. We arrive at the shrine of the Civilised One. Italcihom, God of Cities. Of Home...


    Blinking harshly, I try to return my mind to this god''s other focuses. All things towny, crowded and man-made. Lots of overlap with the God of Thunder for Creation is what leads to Cities. I suppose Brewbrt honours him as he is the head of a town? Makes sense to me that he would hold Italcihom in high regards because of it.


    With a mixture of paranoia and religious understanding driving one foot back, my mouth opens, "Would you prefer if I leave?"


    He clearly knows something about the ryphurgok incident, something about me. What he did at the end of all that trouble, he wouldn''t have done it if he did not know. Yet, rather than allowing me to leave with an answer as beautiful as ''yes,'' he shakes his head. Staring at his raised hand carefully, I try not to let my worries tremble my form.


    Shifting my weight between my feet, a claw goes behind my head to rub it. Brewbrt''s eyes lock onto the shape of my bicep, hard from shell and not hard-worked muscle. My other claw scrunches up my cloak, hiding my legs. I retreat as much as I can behind it.


    "No, no, you stay. I''ve been meaning to get your final word on what I asked you before, anyway. Now that you''re back and all."


    "Regarding the osibindah?" I question, cutting straight to the meat of the topic. A slight wideness to his eyes comes about.


    He nods while sighing, "Yes, that issue."


    "I... I will help. Someone won''t let it go otherwise."


    "Rose''lhia, was it?"


    "Yes, yes, it was her." I answer, huffing at the laughter that starts to come out of the old man.


    It begins to become a dry chuckle, "Aelenvari are good for that, fickle when proven wrong wholesale. But very assertive in encouraging your strength whilst they maintain faith in you."


    "Well, she is certainly very much something. I''ll give you that much." I breathe, barely able to avoid a single amused huff. My thoughts focus on the red rose-haired, needle-legged woman. That unbelievably gorgeous woman. Such a strange thing, so very different but so similar as to still agree with the taste of a man that has not known of her kind for decades.


    While she has had a habit of being quite annoying with her frankly slutty antics... I am still glad she chose to come along with me, even if it means I am exploiting something I don''t believe in. I may not love her, but I appreciate her being a familiar face for me to talk to and be with. She genuinely wants to see me improve, even with how her uptightness would give off a distinctly lesser impression.


    "So, Young Man. Your help. How far does it extend?" Brewbrt asks as we move again. We arrive at the shrine of Defiance to the Moons. The God of All-Defenders, Guareroisncer. My eyes leap about the many worn shields that decorate the edges of the statue. Are they Brewbrt''s old ones or do they belong to the guards of the town? Hm.


    "As... As far as it is needed, why?" I answer, moving my mind and focus away from the distraction by staring off into the dark.


    "I am growing concerned. The valley-riders have found nothing to hint at a nearby hive. Only tracks that suggest movement. Lots and lots of tracks. Yet, too many out of nowhere to simply be a hive."


    My heart begins to hurt, a cold wave freezing up the rest of my body, "Maybe they''re still looking for a place to establish a hive?"


    "I have pondered that, yes... But if that is the case, I am left to wonder what drove them this way. I''ve been alive long enough and have dealt with them enough to know how sneaky they are. So long as they are able, they will flee beneath the earth, not above it," he says, his hand snaking towards one of the Guardian God''s shields. Worry plasters his face in moments and he brings his hand back, tightening it into a whistling fist.


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    The wisps spawning out of it spook me, forcing the distance between us to grow a step.


    "I... I may have an answer to that." I tell him and he looks my way, expression stern in a way I''ve only seen from Vapooliar. I suppose, given her profession, it is a soldier''s gaze. A veteran''s grimace.


    "Tell me," he demands. I nod slowly.


    "The flower Rose came from, they stopped a few days'' trek away. Specifically, they did so to purge a hive in search of seeds and missing people. They''ve probably been so thorough that..." I point out, recalling all the details about the upset to the hive''s ecosystem. But I can''t find it in me to talk about my own efforts and that of the initial escape.


    "Oh? That is calming. Somewhat. But is there going to be any means for you to know if this is the same hive of osibindah?"


    "I am not versed in bugs, I am afraid. I don''t think there is really anything I can point out to make that clear."


    "What if we were to find the earth shaman of the hive? Would you be able to figure out then?"


    "If it is still alive, then... A top, a shirt, vest, tunic, whatever. Clothes made of rusty, crushed helms and threaded with about much the same." I explain, my hidden eyes growing distant as memories flash in my head. Gnashing jaws, the feelings of pain across my body. The rush of it all. A fight for my very life.


    Never mind what it made of my countrymen. I still do not know why they turned out like that. Why the earth shaman never killed me is all the clearer, now that I am what I am. It wanted me to turn out like them, a warrior for an evil cause. Thankfully, I got out of there before the creatures could enthral me.


    All thanks to that little insect with a skull-shaped shell.


    "That is not good at all. If that is your detail of remembrance, then I cannot risk sending the valley-riders out. They''d be slaughtered in a faceoff with such a bug."


    "I did beat him... Once... I think... He ran off, but so did I, I guess." I mutter, my want to at least get the truth out being a bit too loud. He clearly hears me.


    "You beat an earth shaman of such infamy? You laid the Eater of Towns low?" Brewbrt asks, and my head shakes instantly.


    "N-N-No, no, no, no. An eye of his alone. I know I did not kill him. I... At best, all I did was scare him off."


    "Hm, how did you beat him? With a weapon I have yet to see, a spell that I''d love to spectate?"


    "No, no... No, all I had at the time were my c- hands." I answer, coughing as that ''c'' catches too harshly in my throat. What in the name of the gods is Brewbrt going to think about a man calling his claws what they are!?


    "HAH! HAHAHAHA!" he roars, his mood changing in a way I did not anticipate.


    Stepping back, he notices.


    "Oh, hohoho. Don''t mind me. I''m just an old man, happy to hear tales of the young acting just like I used to."


    "Uh... Heh?" I let out awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed.


    "So, anything else you want to elaborate on?" he asks, his mood changing again.


    I recall what I spoke to Rose about, "The earth shaman cannot cast magic without his staff. At least, that seems to have been the case."


    "That is very helpful to know, actually. In fact, it opens up the possibility of the valley-rider option again."


    "It does?"


    "Yes, yes indeed. There are many good shots within the local valley-riders. Have to be out here with how easy it is to find trees and rocks. Many have chosen to settle down in town, as well, so there''s more to be called upon. Just give them the window and they''ll shoot his damnable staff right out of his filthy claws. Then you go in and finish that fight."


    "You make it sound easy..." I mutter, thinking of what it was like last time. The earth shaman beat me within a hair''s breadth of my life. I do not know how I survived that night, not with what I had to do on the way out.


    "Nin, listen carefully, from an experienced old man to a youth like you. Very few things in life are easy, especially not fights. But nothing is more helpful to future ones than easing the worries away. Fights begin inside of the mind. A confident fighter is a victorious one."


    "To let go of all concerns will just get you killed. Overconfidence is lethal." I remark to him about a topic my mind is not centred on. It''s not the same at all, but I''ve seen enough people become a workplace fatality trying to rise higher back home. The climb of progress in Tobaballe cannot be sped up, it must be done day by day.


    "Then, it is a good thing you are still cautious, no?" he goes, almost confusing me with how it brings me out of my thoughts.


    "I guess... So, am I to assume you will be wanting me to be going out soon-ish?"


    "First light if you were the soldiering type, but tomorrow after breakfast is just fine." he smiles.


    "Guess I will hold off on breakfast." I dryly remark under my breath.


    "Then I''ll spill you and your friend out onto the streets until you come back with the head of an osibindah!" the old man laughs with a bouncing chest.


    "You hope we will find them soon?" I question, not particularly eager to spend extensive time with strangers chasing bugs. Not when it''s so easy for them to try to kill me and go back with a lie.


    "Of course, but not so soon. I want you to mostly use tomorrow to get to know who will have your back. Only the important ones. You''ll know which ones by how extravagant their cloaks are compared to the rest."


    "I understand. I''ll try and get along with them." I answer, Brewbrt''s arms suddenly guiding me out of the temple. We reach the exit and he puts his hand on the door, turning back to face me.


    "Don''t worry too much about that. Just... Don''t make them glad to be rid of you," he warns and my claws curl into fists. Is he aware of what I might be thinking or is he suspecting they''ll figure out what I am? But, again, does Brewbrt know what I am? Does he...?


    Guess I won''t know. He''s already gone. Putting my claws to the closest palm, I scratch my shell. My circumstances drown out all other thoughts. It''s impossible not to think about them.


    Do I need to be more careful for now...? It''s bad enough being near one pair of well-trained eyes. To be near so many more which have been explicitly trained for spotting and taking out fine targets on the move... It''s a terrifying thing to consider.


    Will I be safe going out with them? It''s too likely they''ll know what I am if I spend too much time with them. Especially when their instincts are so attuned to what we are fighting. They''ll see the imagery, one of them will. How I match their shadows, the posture of the osibindah... Someone will find out.


    When I meet them, perhaps I am best off keeping it short-lived and simple? A basic ''hello,'' not going over or away from it. I need to keep it to things that keep me away from them. Though, my time with Rose has shown me some people can be quite clingy, outlier though she might be.


    Glancing up at the night sky, I mind the light of a still busy street, "No sense in staying here, I guess. Maybe I should go back to the room or...?"


    The tapping of my feet accents my thoughts. They start to linger in the centre of the temple. I start to move back into its confines, hoping to seek out a few more words of comfort and reassurance. The sound of drunken laughter fills my ears and I snap my attention towards it, the door squeaking as its metal is abruptly strained.


    "A joyous night out, huh?" I remark, shrugging my shoulders and walking after the noise. I was on about being homesick earlier. Maybe seeing an old, familiar behaviour will help?

 V4 Incline 43: Nin

    Turning the corner, I nearly walk right into someone!


    Having felt my near-impact, one turns, it''s Shraymeaus, "Oi, oi, oooooooooooo-I!"


    Backing away, claws raised slightly, the hunter''s group of drunken friends face me. Futhans stumbles out into the open and smiles. His arms fly up and motion for a hug. He clings to me abruptly and seemingly sobs.


    "H-Hey! HEY YOU! Why... Why are you so tall...? Why!?" he demands to know, his weak, booze-blooded grip not doing much to shake my person. His friends move to catch him, his leg suddenly giving way. He is back upright and shoving them away. I swear, I can perhaps only whistle and I''ll have him on the ground.


    "I just am," is all I have to say as the drunken crowd gets rowdy over my silence. Shaking my head, I try to at least derive some amusement from this display. I did choose to come this way, after all. Though, maybe it''s not a good idea to be here? I''m already being clung to...


    "No!" Futhans moans, collapsing onto my front. His weak fists batter at my chest.


    "Tell''a us!" Shraymeaus demands, his back quickly finding itself occupied with riders. His complaints evict him from the conversation and he tries to knock his friends off. The small group treating him like a spectacle.


    "Speaaaak! I want to know why my beloved... Why -my- Neeameth will her eyes on you when we go..." Futhans moans and groans, his body falling against me again. I nearly jump in panic as his fingers catch on my bandages and I hoist him up right properly. Though, knowing how sloshed he is, it''s easy to let the paranoia slip my mind. Futhans'' lungs explode with the sound of a paved road smacking him.


    Huffing, I step over the man and head towards an empty bottle on its merry way. Leaning over, I pick the damn thing up and have a closer look at it. Doesn''t smell like anything I am used to. The glowing letters and symbols on the bottle''s base, however, catch my eye.


    Raising a carapace brow, I ponder a single idea. This is a magical bottle? What, what could magic possibly do for alcohol? Make him easier to understand or something? I guess he''s been particularly clear...


    "We get going?" Futhans asks as he push-ups his way back to his feet. Rolling my eyes, I almost throw him the rest of the way and catch him as he falls. He knocks his fist on me gently and stumbles ahead. Erratically, he searches the street, one devoid of his group.


    Guess that means that Shraymeaus, in his attempt to clear his back, had galloped off. Watching Futhans carefully, I shrug my shoulders and get to following him. Now, I wonder, why does a bottle of drink have magic in its glass? Did the police get too tired of translating drunkard one night and make it law that all must be able to speak clearly?


    Admittedly, it is a funny thought to have. Would certainly solve a lot of problems back home when the bored are out and about. Hard enough to understand some people as is already. Don''t need something else, making it worse.


    "Let''s go already! I want to see my beloved wife-to-be!" Futhans complains, grabbing my cloak and ineffectually dragging me. A quick laugh leaves me as well as a complaint of my own. Moving myself into a position that won''t see him smack his teeth on the curb, I watch the streets. I want to see how alike it is to home. Gods be good to me, some things hopefully never change.


    "Hold on, hold on! I''ma coming." I tell Futhans as his efforts pick up. His grip slips and I stride forward to catch him and then hold him steady. He goes back to leading me around like a child with some rope. Or maybe I am more of his pet right now? His yanks are certainly aggressive.


    No, that can''t be right, it''s his nose sniffing out the closest pub!


    He turns and smacks my mask, "Do... Do you have any money?"


    Blinking at the man up against my right lens, I try to shake my head. He stumbles back, his head carrying on the shake until he stops himself. A headache seemingly having him crippled for a moment. He picks himself up like nothing happened and starts to slap his side with one hand, the other coming to me.


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    "No. No money. Sorry." I answer, keeping his open palm away from me.


    "That''s alright... I... We stole my pa''s drinking money when he passed out on a bench before I found you!" Futhans laughs and I keep my appalment as nothing more than snickering.


    "You left your drunk father alone on a bench and robbed him?" I ask, struggling to contain myself.


    "No... I made sure he was safe and went to get an adult! But... Now I need one. Shraymeaus and the others are gone..."


    "Why would you need an adult? Aren''t you an adul-" I try to entertain myself with and noises roar out of the man.


    "Because I can''t go outside when it is dark and be on my own! Ma''s rules! I can''t be doing bad by Ma, I won''t," he whistles as he leans against me. Pushing him back to his feet and steadying him again, we get back to walking. I roll my eyes and shake my amused head.


    Bang, bang, bang! The containers at Futhans'' feet fly away with each kicking step. He''s barely stopping himself from tripping and rolling- And he''s on the ground.


    "You alright?" I ask, heaving him up once again and trying to put some of the containers back. He spits on one of them, kicking it away and hurting his foot in the process. I withhold myself from repeating my question and instead smirk a right delightful expression.


    "Me!? You are the one covered in bandages!" the man hisses, holding up his hand with what I want to assume is meant to be an intimidating force. Though, he''s not quite steady and true enough for that to really work. He would probably be better off without the shaking legs and unending blinks, too!


    "At the rate you''re going, you''ll be needing them, not me!" I tell him, holding him firm so that I might parent the loveable rascal for the immediate night.


    "I''m thirsty..." he says.


    "Which way, then? I''d like to get you sat down or something." I ask, the man slipping my grip. But I do not see him run ahead. He''s still at my side.


    "Hold on... Hold on..." Futhans mutters as he lands on his bottom with a thud. An extensive groan accents my next breath and I pick him up. I bounce him up and down in my grip, ignoring his wheees and squees. His clothes are holding up surprisingly well to my casual manhandling of his person.


    "On a seat is where you are going to sit!" I speak mildly loud at him. An ''O'' spreads across the man''s flexible mouth and he nods silently. Now, as I don''t trust him and his clothes are fairly sturdy, I keep him up in the air. Walking ahead with my luggage, the grown man makes childish noises, his tongue mimicking an engine.


    Finding my way around the nightlife of the town, I try to find any hints of a pub. Should I be on the lookout for sounds and crowds? Or the smells of drink and vomit? Or do I let Futhans here direct me?


    I try to pull him off the stone pillars he''s grabbing for whatever reason.


    "NO! NO! NO! Here we go!" he declares, unwilling to budge on the subject. Putting him down, the man suddenly latches on wholly. His hips pistoning the worked rocks. I blink.


    "I thought you wanted to go into this place?"


    "I DO!" he shouts at me, his actions stopping.


    "Then quit humping the building!" I let out anyway, the sounds of four legs skidding on a road.


    "LADS! I FOUND OUR BOY!" Shraymeaus roars, bottle in hand. Slapping Futhans along, we get out onto the street.


    "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" a crowd of men on the first floor holler. Looking down, I see how the pillar is actually a support for this balcony. Returning my eyes to the previous sight, I get a quick view of someone being pulled back from their overhang. Nearly rained a man, I suppose!


    "Hold on... I can do this..." Futhans groans, his ability to climb the pillar already unsalvageable with how bad he is. He fails once. Twice. A third time. A fourth and then a fifth. Shraymeaus doesn''t even try to help, he only laughs.


    One man above leans down to try and help. He reaches and reaches with the help of his friends. They drop him, laughing the whole way. Staring down at the man rolling off of his head, Futhans finally gives up. My eyes roll in the heaviest manner they can.


    Futhans gives it one more go, a groaning drunk now his footstool. His friends reach down for him, but the gap is too great. Filling in for the rest of it, I handle one of my issues for the night. Leaving me with this drunk stranger to deal with, just him.


    "I''ve no clue who you are. But I assume they are your friends. So, back up you go." I moan, picking the man up and slinging him over my back in a clean motion. Somehow, I don''t knock him out more than he already is.


    "Hard... Hardy... Bed..." the stranger moans, already snoring down my spine. Blinking back the sudden torrent of bad memories, I adjust my grip. I do not know why, I just suddenly started thinking of my time in the hive. Here I am, moving this man about like I was being moved into the hive by my captors.


    Putting the man down, I shake my head clear of the thoughts. No, now is not the time to be thinking of that. I should not be thinking of anything like that. No. Not now...


    Shaking my head again, I pick the man up for a final time.


    "Underarm it is, then..." I mumble, the chitters within my mask sticking with me all the more.

 V4 Incline 44: Nin

    Minding my head and hat, I walk into the pub with my man-shaped handle barrel. While it''s noisy enough outside, entering the building, it''s smashing into my ears a whole lot differently. Groups sing back and forth while others bang on tables like drums. Revelry is everywhere to be found. It''s even making a mess of the floors. Ew.


    Letting my mood perk up at the sights and smells worth focusing on, I do my best to make my way around. It''s hard enough being as large as I am now, never mind the luggage I now possess. All this dodging and weaving around the dozens of oblivious drunks. I might as well be a one man choir with how many apologies keep leaving me.


    Finding some freedom from the crowd, I pop out with my man in hand, hitting his head on a barstool. Tutting at the groan coming from him, a girl laughs in my immediacy. My head turns to meet a tall, petite woman with long blonde hair. Well, sort of, there''re a lot of clearly brown patches even in this well-secured candlelight.


    "Well, hello there. Ain''t see you around here before." she greets, her smile settling down into a smirk with a bite on the bottom. Her eyes quickly dance from my feet and up to my hat''s top. She rests a hand on her hip, letting what remains of her body lean on the nearby wall. Blocking off my ascent upstairs.


    Great... Well, maybe that wicker-looking wall decoration will give her enough of a splinter to give me a chance.


    "First time here, first time in the town, too." I say to her, setting my luggage down on top of an empty, decorative barrel. I jab his falling head towards the wall. Eh, if it''s bruised in the morning, he''ll blame the earlier drop or some other one. Putting my focus back on the rather unremarkable woman, I scoff mentally.


    I guess being around the aelenvari has had some effect on me. This girl ahead isn''t ugly per se, but having so much experience now with proper women. Comparatively, she is. Not even just the aelenvari, either. Iishar''s quite the looker, I''ve seen goddesses too, Vadei and Einervaene.


    Even Vapooliar has her own charm, despite the history her body has.


    "Beak and cloak and lots of wrapping? Oh, I wonder... Ah, you that one who came in dragging a sadroobell?" she asks, her expression lighting up more than it already was. If I could blush, I feel like I would be right now. It feels so odd to know that my name has gone through the town. Or, at least, the idea of me has.


    To have this happen in Tobaballe would''ve been a miracle, but I will accept the boon here too. Yet, still, it does not feel right to hear this. The sadroobell was an easy kill, really. The ryphurgok incident was mostly Brewbrt''s handling, too. I guess I''ve yet to grow out of my rusty anklets...


    I suppose I need to get used to this kind of talk, anyway. Everyone so far has been really impressed with how powerful I am. Whatever happened to me in the osibindah hive, it seems to be a good thing. I''m not the strongest, but, I''m sure being near Vapooliar again will turn many eyes in this Suhurlodst place.


    "Y-Yes, that would be me." I tell the unknown girl, remembering I still have a conversation to be involved in.


    "Certainly made a reputation for yourself...?" she remarks, her voice trailing off as she stares at me.


    "Nin. My name is Nin." I answer, flipping that switch in her head so she can carry on.


    "Nin, huh? Well, I am Neeameth. Nice to meet you." she introduces herself as and my eyes widen. Though not because of the finger she''s temptressing over the tip of my beak.


    "Neeameth? Well, I can say I''ve heard a lot about you, too. Quite recently, in fact." I remark, this meeting feeling all too much alike destiny at the moment.


    "Perhaps about my good looks?" she confidently questions and a flurry of images go across my mind. I snort over the noise of the pub and its partying and it shatters her. Freezing up with the laughter carrying on in my head, I stare back at her fouling expression.


    "I''m sorry..." I say, minding my manners, "It''s... It''s just I''ve got a bit of involvement with nicer women. Especially given my current company."


    "Current company? He doesn''t look like much to me," she snorts back, her nose turning up at the drunk I am travelling with. Looking back at him, I shrug, as it means she''s at least willing to brush it somewhat off. Either way, she seems to enjoy trying to get her eyes around me. Which, I guess, makes Futhans'' complaint all the more clear.


    Neeameth is quite the tall lass, compared to everyone here, anyway. And, well, here I am, taller than her by a good head and more. Wider, too, and not because I have a belly ready to jiggle. Futhans wasn''t kidding when he said she likes taller men. Neeameth must like the idea of being the small one for once.


    "Oh, him? No, no, no, no, no... He is not the one I speak of. The one I am speaking of is quite the darling, I am willing to admit out of earshot. Rose-haired beauty that likes to dress as if the world''s her bedroom."


    "Rose hair... Aelenvari?" Neeameth asks, her voice breaking out into laughter, "I know it''s fairly obvious from the clothing remark, but still!"


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    "Yep, she is... She most certainly is." I answer, trying to go along with the tall girl''s humour.


    "A strong one?" she then asks, a finger on her lips as she likely considers a chance to rid me of my companion. Well, much as I find her annoying, Neeameth, I cannot allow that. She''s my guide out of here!


    "She''s a former ivy-mother." I answer quick and simple and Neeameth''s face crinkles and burns. A harsh swear barks out of her and some drunks tell her off. She snaps at them, putting the quiet into them when it comes to us. Her face calms down when she looks to me again, though her eyes are strained.


    "So what you doing in this town, anyway? Would have thought a foreign boy like you would go somewhere with better sights than this town. It''s a lovely place, mind you, but surely a little boring, no?"


    My eyes dart to the corner of my lenses so I can catch some of the alcoholic joy, "Seems rather lively to me."


    "Bah, ryphurgoks getting out has always been an issue. S''why you got a few pieces of work needing a roll down the mountain in this town." she says, shrugging her shoulders and flapping a hand dismissively. Getting over her misinterpretation of my words, I focus on the oddity of her response. It''s common..?


    "It''s common?" I go, repeating my lingering thought.


    "Not as much as it used to be, but they get out quite often. Though, admittedly, to be truthful... They tend to just be small cases. Big ones barely happen. Think what happened not that long ago was a first for many here. The ranches always hire extra hands when new cattle come in and the gates tend to be barred for extra safety. Whatever happened recently wasn''t normal."


    "What a time for me to arrive here, then." I comment, looking in the general direction of where all the animals got returned. I try to not let the osibindah cross my thoughts, but, in trying to avoid, I run right into a head full of them.


    I sigh out my frustrations into the cover of the pub''s ambience. A few nights of sleep and aimless wandering has not got it off my mind. Most certainly not the repeated mentions of the topic. Never mind my back, it''s been acting up since the pecking during the ryphurgok incident.


    Bloody cracks!


    "I guess you could say that... The Founding-Lord, bless his heart, honest! But he''s been sending us out so much that it has been exhausting. First drinking period since then! Even then... I am giving up on some needed sleep just so I can get a good drink!"


    "You are a valley-rider?" I ask, connecting comments from the spoken of man and her together.


    "And a part-time barmaid. Dealing with this rabble is quite the excuse to exercise, you know? Not quite the same as going to a gym. Works the muscles better, in my opinion."


    "Feel like you need to pick one or the other." I comment, on about her jobs specifically. Seriously, working more than one, it''s a nightmare to consider for a Tobaballian like me. One alone was a daunting climb up the social ladder. Two? No, no, no, no!


    "Well, then it is a good thing it is none of your business," she says back, smiling.


    "You say that, but I have it in good confidence that. That if I make it my business, you''ll bend pretty hard to my demands." I joke, nearly stalling on the punchline. She giggles at me, her eyelids coming half down. She retreats back a bit, her back going into the corner as she bites her lip again.


    "I most certainly wouldn''t mind that at all. Especially the being bent bit. Ideally, over something!" she lets out, giggling even more as she takes the moment as an excuse to put a hand on me.


    "Well, get drunk enough and I might just drag you around like this prick." I say, moving back to pick up my drunkard so I can get going. Really should be getting him back to his lot before a problem comes out of nowhere. Going ahead, she trails me.


    "So, you going to be in town long?" she puts forward and I answer truthfully in my head alone. No, I want to be out of here. Now!


    "I got some work to do. But, no, I don''t think I am likely to be in town long." I answer as we spiral up the stairs. Keeping my drunk man above my head, I manipulate his limp body carefully as other drunks also use the stairs. A bang echoes up after us and Neeameth giggles quite evilly. She didn''t... No...


    "I suppose that is a shame. Anything likely to keep you around?"


    "The job going to shit." I gruff with a hidden snarl.


    "What is the job, anyway?"


    "You''ll find out soon enough."


    "You coming back with more sadroobell? Showing off how toned you are under that strange dress of yours?"


    "No, and no," I answer quickly, breaking out of the first floor''s crowd.


    "What about-"


    "Neeameth! Marry me!" Futhans interrupts as I dump his friend on an empty balcony chair. His group comes to life with shoves and cheers, egging the heartbroken man on. Even out on the street, Shraymeaus is rearing onto his back legs to join in!


    "No." Neeameth is quick to stab into Futhans'' soul.


    "But why!?" the drunk cries, falling onto his knees and grabbing her put forward leg. In fact, she seems to have anticipated it. She''s looking at him almost like a little brother.


    "Too small, you know this. Come back when you are more like Nin over here. He has it all." she answers, bringing me into this with way too a suggestive tone in her voice. Suddenly moving away, I ensure her hands find no purchase on my back. Both to keep my identity safe and to subtract myself from any brewing problems.


    I can look over Einervaene''s interactions with me. She''s not from this land. But Neeameth is. Not only that, she''s one of the valley-riders I will be going out with soon. She''s the kind of person I need to be avoiding the eyes of.


    Besides, personal reasons up and over the balcony... I don''t think Futhans would let me get any form of interaction with Neeameth. He''s already upright, chest puffed and shoulders squared. Last thing I want to be involved in now is a drunken pub brawl.


    Especially when I know I can handle being -shot by a gun- and this lot probably can''t...


    "Let me steal your height. Give it to me!" Futhans demands, his hand jabbing at my cloak-covered chest with all it has. He stops, his eyes lingering on his injured finger a little too long.


    "Find a smaller person and steal it off of them. They won''t be needing it." I sarcastically snort, leaving him stupefied.


    "But... Short people have no height...?" Futhans baffles himself over.


    "Not much, but they do have it," I tell him with little nods here and there, "But, I won''t be here or there to see any of it because I best be going now. It is getting rather late and I have issues I must attend to."


    "Aw, really? Can''t you stay a little longer?" Neeameth playfully moans as I take the express route down into the dark street. Shraymeaus rears with a reptilian neigh and goes off on one at me for spooking him. Turning my eyes up, I watch Futhans fail to get his crush.


    "No, don''t particularly want to either!" I answer loudly, shifting around and speeding off into the darkness. Slowing down, I let my thoughts catch up with me and think of what I am currently calling ''home'' for the moment. I don''t want to think of it like that, but I don''t know how else to comprehend it.


    Brewbrt''s?


    The room?


    Just a plain old simple ''going to bed?''


    Questions of the century alright.

 V4 Incline 45: Nin

    Breaking out onto the open road, Rose-sweerui''s bulbs light up, "So... To repeat what you said to me earlier. You met some... Root... Last night, who was coming onto you, and you want me here with you to keep it off of you?"


    Looking down her way, I nod.


    "Yes, yes. That would be a very useful and helpful thing for you to do. At least, while we are still in this town. I don''t want you following me out until we''re leaving proper." I clarify, adding on the warning in case she really is considering stalking me when we''re out hunting.


    "A little disappointing that I cannot come and watch you prove yourself. But I am glad to know you value my companionship enough to have me ward off someone else!" she beams out, her innocent smile flanked by the reddest pair of cheeks I''ve ever seen. Her tail swishes enthusiastically, and I watch it for a short spell. Looking at her smile again, one finds its way onto my face, too.


    Turning my attention away from her as we make the final approach, I glance around. I find a banner fluttering above a fairly thick-looking, metal reinforced wood door. Made up of primarily a dark grey that seems to be inspired by the local mountains. A thrice-ended brass and typical brick coloured core takes up the middle. Like little branches, I assume it''s meant to represent the town and its layout.


    Within each of the three arms is an item. What looks to be a gun, a spear and a... Leg? Not a human one, though. Blinking around, I find what appears to be stables for their animals. Ah, they have those insect creatures!


    Vapooliar showed me them the night she took me to see snow or about then... The name is slipping through my mind, unfortunately.


    But the leg in the banner is probably referring to them. Which, I suppose, means the images are meant to be representative of the valley-riders'' main equipment pieces. The spear and gun are easy enough to grasp the meaning of. After all, I''ve been shot at by guns and people have held spear tips to my throat before.


    Moving my mind away from such bad memories, I try to focus on something more neutral. The stables are quite big; I guess. Reminds me of the workshops and garages for vehicles back home. And, from what I am able to glimpse from here, they''re set up much like them, too. Rows upon rows of tools and parts and other bits of heavy-duty equipment.


    "Is there anything you need of me before we go in?" I ask Rose-sweerui, putting my claw on the door and applying a little bit of pressure. The heavy thing moves as if it was a hollow bit of cardboard. My chitter bits snap on their drumming bone.


    "Well... As I am here on your behalf. To keep you safe from those who might seek you... I would be enthralled by the idea of you doing the same for me," she answers, her eyes fluttering as I get a pearly smile on top of it. Her hands come together, tightening up at the top of her arms and putting more force onto her chest. Like how they move up, my eyes do the same.


    "But, I thought you liked being the centre of attention?" I ask her, a little baffled now that my mind is back in order.


    "Only when I have something to show off!" she insists, and the middle sticks with me.


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    "You always show off." I mutter sarcastically and she giggles.


    "I know." she glees, her arms wrapping around my closest one as if I am taking her out for the night.


    "Oh, what will I do with you?" I practically whisper to myself.


    "Shall we go in then, my precious love?" she asks, stepping ahead and pushing my claw forward.


    "Yeah, we can do that. Getting bored with what I can see out here." I say to her, applying my efforts with a gentle push. The ease with which the thick, metal-reinforced oak opens annoys me to the point of an eye twitch. I miss the days of effort being needed on the small things... Am I the only one in the world who experiences this problem? I''ll probably end up going insane hearing the dismissive minds of the world.


    Rose-sweerui''s posture snaps into something with more taunt to it, its elegance more so tarty. We''re now the centre of attention for all the combat dressed men and women in this building. Whatever laughter and talking I can hear, it''s the vestiges of what has already died. The door thunders on its slamming return.


    Trying to look around in an effort to ignore the crowd''s gaze, Rose-sweerui delights in it.


    Keeping my attention on the walls and the cavernously high ceiling, my mind rambles on about the decorations. There''s quite a lot up here. Whatever the script is, though, I cannot read nor even see clearly, for that matter. Thankfully, I don''t need to be able to read to focus on the rest. More banners of different kinds, smaller ones of what is out front. Armour pieces, weapons, and displays for animal bones of all kinds.


    I almost want to laugh. What seems to be an intact sadroobell skull is the centrepiece for one part of the d¨¦cor. Bet I could certainly spice this place up if I could get back my whole skeleton from that hunter place. Make a right impressive display with the full thing on hand. Well, depending on how people find the lack of a jawbone to be, anyway.


    Though, with the competitive spirit on mind right now, I have to wonder. Does Futhans and the other hunters have a rivalry with the men and women of this place? It seems like there''s a fair bit of overlap with what the two groups handle. Though, one is beasts first and foremost and I am suspecting a lot of these displays are gruesomely human in source. The metal spikes on the wall don''t seem to be metal either... More like armoured points.


    I glance to Rose-sweerui, who thankfully hasn''t seemed to notice the hidden barbarity hidden amongst the finer tastes.


    "Well, well, look who it is! What you doing down here, Nin?" Neeameth calls out cheerfully, bringing some noise back into the quiet place. Whatever has their attention, some finally get over it. Again, they''re not looking at me, but what is around... Neeameth is chuffing over what I''ve somehow brought in with me.


    Rose-sweerui takes a step ahead and blocks my front, sprawling over me almost defensively. Guess I don''t need to tell Rose-sweerui that this is the one she needs to look out for. Honestly, were it not for Neeameth''s calling of my name, I''d have missed her. What must''ve been her barmaid uniform being gone and all. Now she''s dressed up for combat, or, at least, the anticipation of it.


    "Told you before when we met, work." I answer, moving into a position that''s more comfortable for Rose-sweerui. Maybe it will help her act more intimately? I hope so.


    Neeameth''s eyes meet hers and I think I''ve cut myself noticing that.


    "I suppose this is the one you were on about? The one who is dressed for, in your words, discreet, filthy places?" Neeameth asks, her attempts to spread discord not panning out. I ignore the lie. Rose-sweerui guffaws, her back straightening out so she can stride up to the human. Though shorter, she''s not lacking in fighting spirit.


    "The mere fact the gods and goddesses have granted me a body worth showing off like this is telling enough. But, what about you, Root? You sure are quite lacking in your coverings." Rose-sweerui snarls, her ears angling in such a way as to seem bladed. Her tail whips aggressively behind her, just waiting for the moment to strike a body.


    "Where''s the man in charge?" I ask Neeameth, hoping to draw myself and my travel partner out of a petty fight. She latches onto my request, handing resting on a sword that''s probably feeling a little enclosed right now.

 V4 Incline 46: Nin

    "The currently Unmounted-Captain Henipiotch is up in his office. With Founding-Lord Brewbrt." she answers, her hand unable to decide where it likes to be. On a pommel, or in the air. Her eyes, however, so easily mistaken for a dull blue rather than a jealous green, lock on me.


    "Take me there, then. Please." I request, snapping Neeameth''s attention away from the flower girl entirely. She blinks and quickly thinks my question over, her thoughts ending in firm shakes. I gently nudge Rose-sweerui out of my way and she returns to my side.


    "Listen, much as I love the assertiveness. Heart-killing combination, I must emphasise. But I can''t just take you up to that meeting. I will be interrupting not only my commander, the one who owns and runs this building. I''ll be getting in the way of the matters of the man -who owns- this town and its immediate countryside." she explains, only to be caught off guard as I take a step forward.


    "It''s a good thing I am meant to be there, then." I say, taking another step closer to her. She steps back slightly and I meet her move with an inverted copy.


    "Could have just said so from the start..." she gulps, my height and size different settling in, in a more impactful manner. She takes further steps away and sweeps a guiding arm out. Nodding, I follow after her and ascend the stairs. Rose-sweerui''s first point rings out loudly.


    Turning to face and shaking myself loose of her, I raise a palm, "Doesn''t look like the stairs here lead anywhere but a single room. It''s probably better for you to stay down here."


    "My love?" she questions, her posture stiffening up as she resists looking back towards the crowd of valley-riders. One of her hands touches the other arm, lingering on the warmth I probably passed onto her.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be back soon. I just need to speak to them." I tell her, offering her a quick set of claws to rest her cheek on. It''s gone too soon if her following whimper means anything. Her expression quickly scowls at what is probably an out of sight smirk from Neeameth.


    "But why can I not accompany you?" Rose-sweerui asks, her body trying to pull her in.


    "So you don''t get any bright ideas from the meeting. Ones you can use to try and follow me." I explain with as firm a tone as I can manage.


    "Do you trust me so little...?" she huffs, and I am left uncertain. It sounds like there is genuine hurt within her tone, but it''s muddied by how she''s brushing my words off with humour.


    Still... Just in case, "I trust you very much, Rose-sweerui. Just not your need to show-off and cheer for me."


    "I can''t help it if you''re so worth showing off, my precious love," she giggles, worming up to me with seductive slithers. She pecks the end of my mask, leaving it probably glossy. Nodding a final time at her, I turn around and Neeameth''s eyes catch on something. I guess that does indeed confirm that Rose-sweerui put something on earlier.


    Neeameth remains quiet and I follow her up and around the blocky turns of the stairs. Though much of this place is fancy, these stairs are nothing special. As if simple metal stairs were a sacrifice needed for a more impressive thing. Which, I suppose, is what this room is.


    Reaching the door, I withhold myself from opening it. I look over the edge and down to Rose-sweerui as she continues to ponder a place to sit. Feeling a bit bad for how I left her, though, I click my tongue. Well, better to keep her on my good side.


    "Make sure to look after -my- ivy-mother petal well!" I holler out to the entire building and I most certainly hear Rose-sweerui''s points dance. That''s definitely elated giggling down below in the interrupted great hall. Opening the door, I step in without a word to my guide and close it.


    Two pairs of eyes meet me, both with a withheld laugh on their smiling lips. One is an old man I am growing increasingly familiar with, which might be bad. The other is that man from the day we arrived. Guess it was a good idea even more so to keep Rose-sweerui out of here.


    Walking into the lavish room further, I glance out the glass wall and towards the vast display arranged above the entrance. An observation deck of sorts, I think. One certainly equipped to handle all manner of guests. Particularly those of the ''Captain''s'' opposing sex.


    "Oh, I am so disappointed. You do not bring in with you the delicate rose? Woes upon you," the young man whose name has slipped me says. He stands up with a bottle and an empty glass, filling it on the way. He offers the freshly filled crystal my way, and I shake my head at the offer. I can''t be accepting anything like this, not while I am what I am...


    Even more so when I consider why I am here.


    "Don''t bother, Mounted-Captain. Nin here is too scared to eat before a crowd of more than himself." Brewbrt jokes, my habits at mealtime give him plenty of material. Bit like my plates before I leave to eat, I love to pack them well. Strangely, the food at his place is filling, somehow. Like how Motrtha''s tart was.


    "Well, if he wants it, it will be here for when he has the desire. Try it, please. It''s very good stuff, ran down one of the longest peaks in all the country. Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst''s very dual-government keeps a supply for special occasions, I hear." the Mounted-Captain tells me, his elaborations drawing out some kind of reaction from Brewbrt. He''s doing the usual ''nah, nah!'' routine, but I really cannot tell if it''s sincere or purely joking.


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    A coaster thuds with its new glass load and I find myself a seat to sit on. There''s a bit of a problem, though... Most of these are very fine, cushioned chairs with plenty of space to recline on. Trying to visibly brush it off as me not wanting to get them dirty, I find a stool instead. What my cloak can''t hide, I can use the wooden frame instead for.


    "Not very used to comforts, are you?" the Mounted-Captain somehow picks up on. I mean, he''s technically right, but not in this context.


    "I don''t follow?" I ask anyway, curious as to how he''s picked up on this. Nothing I''ve said or done explicitly says this to be the case, so, what?


    "You tread with the caution of a man intimidated by wealth," he elaborates, his hand gesturing out to the glass and beyond, "We were watching you come in, your eyes found a lot to see."


    "I was being stared at by everyone." I answer and he smiles.


    "Naturally." he goes, sipping his drink and eyeing me up further. Hiding myself some more, I try to keep my focus. For now, I need to avoid spending so long before a gaze as trained as his. Brewbrt is one thing, but he''s old. This Mounted-Captain, however, he''s clearly in his fighting prime from what I can tell. Not so young as to be ignorant of the tricks, but not so old as to be aching at the joints.


    I''ve no doubt he''d spot a scurrying insect within a pile of mossy stones.


    "I admit, though, I once spent a lot of my life working to have a home like this. Recently, however, I''ve been, I guess, blessed with not having to worry about it. Too much travelling." I say, keeping my mind off of the impending silence.


    "Well, good luck in your efforts to get comforts like this in your life. But, for now, your experience in the rough and harsh is more valuable. Not to me alone, either." the Mounted-Captain points out and Brewbrt nods along.


    "Yes, Nin, as you are already aware. We''ve picked up on the trail made by the osibindah." Brewbrt adds.


    "Yeah, you mentioned. We were heading out today, weren''t we?" I ask, looking between the pair for any sign of a nod.


    "We, as in, you and Mounted-Captain Henipiotch. Along with the rest of the Enkererin Ordoar Tryhstahlen, yes." Brewbrt corrects.


    "Oh, Founding-Lord Brewbrt, where ever did your former life go?" Henipiotch questions, a slight nudge in the corner of his lips as he sips again.


    Brewbrt ignores the remark with a straight face, "Any more information you might be able to pass on with the recent scouts having come back?"


    "We seem to have found a small group. It might be worth following them and seeing if we come across a larger one," Henipiotch explains, a map on the centre table receiving a quick gesture.


    "Caution. Caution if that is how you wish to go about it. Keep yourself as loose as possible. An earth shaman will decimate you if you are too tight in your formation," Brewbrt warns as he traces what seems to be a narrow path. I blink at how the contents of the map move about. I''ll never get used to that. I miss when they were static pieces of parchment.


    "Naturally, Founding-Lord Brewbrt. But that is why our masked friend is coming, yes?" the rider points out, bringing their attention to my shuffling self.


    "It is, and I hope he keeps the courage stoked in him by his dearest." Brewbrt says, nodding at me and I emulate the motion. Though much slower. My mind weighs heavily on me, the echoes of my companion filling out the space.


    "He will, a real man fighting on behalf of his woman always stays true," the Mounted-Captain lets out, rising to his spur-accented feet. He finishes the contents of his drink and slams it down. Almost as if he wants to roar, he lets out the feeling brought on by the seemingly strong liquor. With sharp jingle jangles about his boots, he heads over to a framed gun.


    One right over a right tattered suit of armour.


    Murmuring out some noises, I try to focus on the bugs, "What happens if the earth shaman is not what I know? Do we have a way to single them out if they''re there?"


    I can barely fight and I am not trained in magic well. I am no Vapooliar, not a Valkinvar. There''s no sword or weapon to fill out my grip. No blade that I can use to end the fight swiftly.


    If the earth shaman is able to cast anything spell-like, we''re... Well, we''re dead.


    "We do. Me and my fellow valley-riders are trained in magical detection. As part of our basic duties. And, as long as you keep your distance, we should be able to pick them up and send you on your way," Henipiotch explains, and I frown at this. I need to keep my distance...? Isn''t that a bit contradictory to why I am here?


    "Would I be in the way?" I ask, tilting my head as a bird might.


    Brewbrt chuckles softly, "Yes, yes, you would. You are powerful, Young Man, especially out here. But you are blatantly untrained and your power is raw with an obvious lack of refinement. You have no control over your aura or the way your external-magic flows. I''ve had a few folk complain about how you hurt to be near."


    "Yes, if you were being hunted, we''d find you no problem. And, we''d try to bring you down with special munitions as such information warns freely. But you are not being hunted. You are on our side. And, as such, you are a most ironic camouflage to our enemy," the Mounted-Captain explains, and I try to ponder their words for whatever they''re worth.


    "I understand, I guess. How far back are you going to want me?" I ask, not really sure how far my unseen problem is.


    "How far can you jump?" Henipiotch asks, his eyes following the length of his weapon''s sights towards the map.


    "Jump?" I repeat.


    "Yes, I want to have an idea of how far back I can have you. In the event I need you to respond to a sudden threat that requires much more magic indulgent muscle."


    "I could probably jump from a defensive wall to about... Half the way into town?" I answer, my mind coming to life with all manner of contradiction and second guessings. A claw scratches the bottom of my mask. I''ve never measured how far I can jump since the changes happened... I''ve sort of taken it for instinctual granted.


    "Standing or running?" the armed man asks, his eyes looking up as his head tilts. I guess he''s thinking over some of the math like I am.


    "Sta... Running. Yeah, running is probably the safest bet." I tell him, my eyes blinking without end. All the memories I can conjure about my jumps are vague and faded, not really enough to be used empirically. Not even an average distance is really coming to mind. I jump and I go far.


    "Now, how about your riding skills?" Henipiotch asks, his feathered hat returning to his head. He tilts it into order in front of a mirror and blows a kiss to the reflection. The smug glass answers so perfectly, like what he probably thinks of himself. Well, his ego clashing with Rose-sweerui''s would certainly be interesting.


    "Riding what?" I repeat, to get my mind back on track. While also being unsure how to take the question.


    "A juperse, obviously. You surely must have seen them on the way to this fine building. With how much you were eyeing the building and all, I''m sure you saw our order''s standard as well? That which stands as a testament to our history and focus."


    My head shakes vigorously even without the considerations my new strength might bring.


    "Oh... In which case, the answer is none. None at all." is all I have to say and the pair of men smirk with shaking heads. I guess that settles what I am doing soon, then. I''m getting riding lessons.

 V4 Incline 47: Nin

    The Captain comes back with a list, "Looks like you are in luck. We''ve got a few old juperses on their way out. We''ll let you use one of them and perhaps you''ll give it the honour of dying in the wild and in action. Certainly makes the burial rituals for the old girl easier. Any awkwardness about it and I''m sure the gods will forgive us for it."


    I nod slight and slow at this information. Though, I must admit to myself... Is this a good thing or not? Being told I can be somewhat apathetic with an animal''s wellbeing is a strange thought to have. Then again, meat for dinner has to come from somewhere.


    Brewbrt finishes up with his idle drinking, "The Mounted-Captain and I shall discuss the rest as we leave, Young Man. For now, you just get your thoughts together. Tighten the courage you have. You may need it soon."


    A hand stops the door from opening, "You make sure to drink that now, you hear?"


    I nod again at the Mounted-Captain''s words and let the pair leave without a word. A loud thump marks their out-of-sight departure. In the language only a closed door can speak, I know that I am alone, with some peace and quiet. Quickly glancing out across the valley-riders'' building, I look back to the drink.


    Though I am alone, out of peeking sight... There''s a sense of dread within me. It''s gnawing its way out so very painfully. So very slowly.


    "Either I leave you, or... Drink you." I mutter, moving my stare closer to the drink. Despite not feeling thirsty earlier, my mouth is now starting to feel a little dry. Picking up the glass with delicate care, I try to secure my three-digit grip and shift over to using both sets of claws. Swirling the liquid around its container, I keep eyeing the door.


    Crossing the distance, I secure my foot against it.


    I cannot smell the drink, not with my mask on and yet, I do not want to take it off. But, after some deliberation, I slip the beak up. Just enough so I can open my mouth properly. Hastily, I gulp it down, spilling a fair amount on my chin and neck. Scrambling to get the mask back down, I nearly spit the rest out. I put the glass back on the table.


    "Blegh." is all I have to say as I process the strong flavour of this almost stinging liquid. It''s not strong enough to force a cough from me, but it''s not a pleasant feeling either. I have to somewhat wonder how those two could tolerate it. Now, I am finding myself angry over what I have just done.


    Despite all the pain and misery of my life, I''ve never tried to douse it with alcohol. Yet, here I am. Risking the safety of not only myself, but Rose-sweerui too. I am jeopardising my chance to see Vapooliar and the others again over this... All over a drink I didn''t like...


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    Putting a claw on the door handle, an annoyed huff rattles out along with my chitters. Going down the stairs and leaving the isolation behind, I find my aelenvari friend standing rigidly. The Mounted-Captain is awfully close to her. Whatever he needed to talk about clearly wasn''t all that interesting.


    Approaching from behind, I flick at Rose-sweerui''s tail. Her currently short temper nearly sets off at me as she gives me her attention. Her lips shift to a smile and her body returns to life with all the energy it can. She clings to me, pushing herself against me with as much grinding as she can manage.


    "And here I was, hoping I put on a better show this time. For a rose this fine, one can only aim for the best." Henipiotch jokes, any wilting about his soul coming out with an unbothered smile. I try to share the smile, though it''s not like anyone can see. His attention shifts elsewhere and I follow after it.


    Physically doing the same with him, we come up to a table with a large map rolled out on it. What appears to be the town is marked out on its right side. I can''t really tell which side of the town it''s meant to be basing its perspective on. Perhaps, though, that should be obvious with where I found the signs of osibindah. The map is going beyond the town, anyway.


    "They are going out this way?" I ask, a strange image appearing in my head. It''s an osibindah, yet I am also looking at myself. I shake my head clean of the picture as Rose-sweerui''s grip adjusts. Guess she can tell I am tensing up.


    "No, I am just seeing if it''s possible to try something. Sending a team out to perform a wide manoeuvre in the hopes we can pinch them to a pop," the Mounted-Captain explains as his fingers come and part in order to change the map. Six motions later and he starts to tap a nearly incomprehensible line. Quite the narrow pass he is focusing on.


    Rose-sweerui hums a sweet, quiet tune against my chest. Her body bounces up and down in a pattern as she does so. Confused as to where this is coming from, I look down at her. She gives me no answer with her lips other than a smile. Whatever she is saying, it''s all in the gentle glow of her bulbs. Until I learn what her point actually is and learn this esoteric language, I can only make up its meaning.


    She wanted me to be brave last time... So, I''ll assume that''s what she''s saying. She wants the man she... Loves... To be brave.


    "What''re you so happy about?" I whisper to her anyway. Her hands squeeze my claw and it''s all I get from her. Somehow, she closes the intimate distance between us even more. How, I do not understand, yet, I know she has.


    "Now, as we are heading out soon, I suppose you should go and get an old skitter. Don''t worry, one of my men will show you to one of the ones mentioned before," the Mounted-Captain tells me, his words catching mine and Rose-sweerui''s attention. The hat-wearer winks at my friend and she clings to me with a disgusted scowl. As he walks away, I spot some glass and watch Rose-sweerui relax in the reflection.


    Gently nudging her about, we get going outside. She clings to my arm as if we''re on a romantic date, and I even hold the door open for her. Her blissful sighs block out all the noises of the armed men and women as they mount up and arm themselves further. Me and my lovely companion linger out of the way as they pull animals of war and burden around. My eyes lock onto the nearest, approachable looking valley-rider.


    "Excuse me, your captain mentioned helping me find a... Jup... A mount?" I ask the rough-skinned man as he grooms his stubble. He looks around and nods. His spurs shake and rattle, a hand waving for me to follow.

 V4 Incline 48: Nin

    Nodding as the helpful valley-rider gets back to his business, I hold the jupurse''s reins and stare. Though I am tall enough and athletic enough to leap over the creature and land on its back. The man recommended I use some form of step until I am used to the motion. I''ll also put less strain on the animal.


    However, given how much it is moving, I may be best off with a full on clamp for the damn thing. For how old it''s supposed to be, it sure is hopping around with a maddeningly vast reserve of energy. Rose-sweerui giggles as I try to keep the animal secure. She moves around to take the reins from me and puts her hand on the animal.


    Her bulbs light up as she stares into the animal''s aimless eyes. Whatever she is doing, it calms down and attracts an awful amount of attention from everyone else. The valley-riders watching us keep gesturing about ourselves and I try to follow their fingers. Rose-sweerui is countering my aura with her own?


    Letting out a noise of thought, I get back to what I should be doing. Exploiting the calm, I step up and over the creature. Settling myself down as gently as I can, I try to keep my cloak over my legs. Rose-sweerui giggles as she looks at my new height. She sighs out a smile and holds the juperse''s head closer.


    Her smile grows, and she turns around, becoming my guide within a moment. The motivations driving her behaviour, however; I have a feeling are butt-heavy. With her tail flicking at my claws, it catches my attention. From there, it''s an easy ride of watching the motions, marked by the peak of hips and the bare skin jiggle of her soft body.


    The town goes on by slowly, its noises distorted by the many valley-riders coming out of the settlement. Guards have the streets cleared and many offer small tokens of safety to those of us settling out. Yet, even with the usual practice these people probably have with each other... All eyes are on me once they are able.


    I have many reasons to cite my guesses from, but nothing I can call a fact. The large man in a dark cloak and beak mask, higher still even with everyone else boosted by mounts. Though these men and women have spears, guns and all kinds of pole blades. I stand out more than any feathered cap or inlaid steel.


    There''s an uncomfortable air about those riding alongside me. Am I really that disproportionately powerful compared to everyone else? Does me being on a beast of war really sell that idea to those who never quite got it before? I guess it makes sense. Anyone can stand up to a police officer with his baton.


    Far less are willing to rise up as the tank rolls in from behind him, even those with drunken bravery.


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    Entering the shadow of the town''s wall, I look up to the top of it, partially meeting the gaze of those up there. Blinking slowly, I catch the edges of what must be heavier weapons facing the farms and ranches. All above is the sound of metal boots banging across the stone. The heavy snap of locks coming undone.


    Wincing at the growing light, the town''s thick gates open up. The maw of oak and iron yawns out Waionr''s craft, but not me. Rose-sweerui pulls me aside and I put a claw up to stop my head smacking a structural support. Looking at her, I watch her expression lose its sense of pride.


    "Please stay safe, my love," she mutters quietly, her eyes so full of sad emotion even with their shape devoid of anything but blackness. The joy she was laughing with earlier cannot even be forced out. She releases the animal and moves onto putting her head as close to my claw as possible. Leaning down for her sake, the insect-like creature I am on bobs up and down. A buzzing squeak coming out of its front.


    "Make sure you stay here." I remind Rose-sweerui as she clutches tight. Her breathing staggers, and she nods. Gently, her points sound off her steps back. She looks around for a locale, the guards growing our gap.


    "I promise, I''ll be waiting at the temple!" she tells me, her body too far for anything but a raised voice. Nodding at her, I tip my hat in turn and focus my attention on the road. The juperse, with what feels like a trained instinct, rides on ahead without my input. Returning my eyes back to Rose-sweerui, I try to keep them on the increasingly anxious woman. Were it not for her luxury of being near the front, she would be lost to me. But...


    The gates close with a heavy snap of its locking teeth.


    All the juperses pick up in speed, the sound of the gates moving faster than even the furthest galloper. Almost like it''s a command in and of itself, the permission the creatures need to get going fast. And, even old as my one is, fast they are. My grip tightens tremendously, even with the bewilderment of age lingering in my thoughts.


    It doesn''t take like for the gallops to be great hops of unending springiness. Even with my inexperience, I can tell what youth looks like for these creatures. Those of the greater valley-riders are almost gliding with each leap. But mine might as well be bumping along.


    Taking the opportunity, I try to guide my animal along a higher point in the road. As the road expands into a surprisingly open valley, many of the riders disappear into the woodlands. Whatever race Shraymeaus is, many people like him join us out of nowhere, backs loaded with javelins. Further ahead, I spot a group heading our way, not the direction the rest are taking.


    The Mounted-Captain stands out, even amongst his decorated men and women. He perches his juperse on a large rock, the approaching riders focusing on him. What can only be a report is handed to the man, and he looks them over. The head shakes from both parties make it clear nothing of note is here. We still need to find the bugs.


    Henipiotch spots me, and he takes his hat in hand, taking it off in a wide wave. Oddly, his motion brings a lot of attention to the glitter of his pistols and sword. I awkwardly raise my hand in turn and the likely smirking man rides off. Frowning in thought, I bring one claw up and flex its three digits. Careful now... Careful, Nin.

 V4 Incline 49: Nin

    Sighing from boredom, I find myself wishing upon an insidious shine in the sky. We''re just moving and stopping. Moving and stopping... If it weren''t for my juperse, I feel like I would have already fallen asleep by now. The joys of animal riding are not as persistent as I hoped. It''s already grown thin.


    "Over here!" a man in the woods calls out. With those two words, everyone else dismounts, weapons in hand. Blinking at the speed of their reaction, I get down to follow. They''re already deep into the trees... And now out of sight completely. You''d think it was them with the magic bodies, not me.


    A frown comes to my face and I shrug. My legs need a good stretch. Get some limberness back into my body and all. Turning back towards the jittering creatures I have been left with, I watch them. Jumping up and down like hyperactive children, they all are.


    "Not very welcoming to the definition of elderly, are you?" I jab at the one I''ve been riding. It''s going up and down, much like the rest. Though, compared to the others, its posture is very lax. Its long snouted expression one of satisfaction. Its fellows might as well be high with barrel loads of energy supplements.


    Idly glancing at my hand, the juperses all make a break for it and I react as slow as before. My wide eyes go away and I turn towards the twig-snapping in the woods. A shadow too big to be a man rushes through the spires of ash and beech. I gulp as a new sound becomes clear to me. Chitters.


    Locking my jaw tight, I confirm that it is, in fact, not me...


    Making my way slowly to the treeline, I clench a fist tight, some magic about my curled claws. I spot it, the osibindah prowling around under the shade of the canopy. Dropping to the floor at a moment''s notice, my ears open as wide as they can be. Hopefully, I can avoid the creature while I am on my own. The riders need to get back... If they can get back.


    My panicked breathing is making the whole ''staying quiet'' bit hard to do. Digging my claws into my leg, I try to keep my mind occupied with something other than the monster. Though, I am only making my situation worse. I can feel it, I can feel-


    Crack.


    Blood spurts onto my palms, and the grass out of sight rustles abruptly. The chittering is very close and around the curve of the trunk. Sneering at the blood, my fists tighten. I''m struggling to keep anything close to a rational thought process here.


    A bang.


    The bug drops dead with a thwip, a yellow hole in the side of its head. Barely holding myself down on the ground, I get up and shake my head to the sound of heavy pants. Looking around, I spot a valley-rider coming closer, a smoking barrel grazing the tip of grass. My claws flex.


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    "Ha! Ha! Got him." the man cheers.


    "Undwote protect you..." I curse at him when he gets close enough. Turning towards the dead bug, my sneer grows and grows. I can already feel the boiling blood hissing out of the hole in my leg. Hiding the wound, I use the moment to cover up my true nature. I raise my foot, malicious strength tensing up in my muscles.


    The bug''s head explodes viciously and the ground craters. Stomping again and again, I find myself with nothing to stomp. Hoisting its body up, I throw it into the nearest tree and watch its spine bend. Everything splatters, shell, bug gore and tree!


    Mindful of my company and, in turn, my chitters, I growl instead as my body shivers.


    "Woah! Calm down, it''s already dead!" the shooter blinks as he reorients himself out of the impacts I let reverberate into the land. My focus snaps towards him and he backs away with his hands raised. His attention shifts around me and he takes his gun again. Following his eyes...


    The harshest glare I can manage forms.


    A group of osibindah are sprinting over on a distant ledge. The crack of firearms echoing after all of us. Growling again, I walk to the clearest looking path in the woods. Minding my footing, I sprint.


    Explosive footfalls tear up the earth, and the bugs grow as the distance shortens. Going up the slope to them, I overshoot and fly towards a mountain. Crashing into it, I leap back out through the still raining shards. The resounding boom struggles to keep up with me, even as another erupts around me as I land.


    Spotting the bugs, I pull my way out of the fragile ground. Galloping back upright, I follow after the ones most isolated. I overshoot again and throw myself into the ground. Snapping my way back up, I come face to face with the uncaring-


    Blinking myself to a stop, I watch the osibindah carry on without a care. I am right before them, ready to kill them, and they''re staring at me as if nothing''s wrong? Even with bullets still sounding off!? Wh-Wha-


    "What the...?" I let out, my thought unable to complete itself. One of the bugs offers me its palm like a normal person might after you fall over. Taking its claws into my own, I squeeze it with a satisfying pop. Lashing out at the other docile monsters, I tear them into a bloody mess. My halt is abrupt, and it''s still showering with sickly yellow guts.


    Stumbling around with no injury, I collapse the ground. My claws cover my mask, adding to its bloody filth and subtracting from it all the same. I flick my arms clean of some of the muck. My eyes... My eyes?


    "You''ve got to be kidding me... Come on... I''m not a gods-damned..." I weep, striking the ground. I think back to my time within the mountain. Even back then, when I was trying to escape. The one I came across saw me as a friend, not a threat. The only time they''ve ever attacked me since my arm- Was when the earth shaman called for it!


    These bugs think of me as a friend, or whatever it is they think of me!


    "HEY! YOU GET ''EM!?" one of the valley-riders hollers from the top of the hilly incline. Looking up their way, I do my best to clearly nod for them. It''s all I can say on the matter. Getting up slower than some of the leaves I knocked off their branches, I let the men catch up.


    Are... Are we done or do I...? No, there''s no question about it. I must fight more.

 V4 Incline 50: Nin

    "Any more of them?" I ask one of the riders as he approaches. He shakes his head, leaving my expression blank. My heavy breaths echo all about me. It''s all I can focus on. Wandering away to the new sound of confusion, energy builds up in my wobbling legs.


    Thunder strikes the way I came and the wind whistles past me as I soar away. Crashing back down, I leap for the nearest mountain and deform all that I touch. Stone is now but dough to me, flaky pastry dough. So easy to break and what little resistance there is needs only a little push to go...


    "Dammit. Dammit. Dammit!" I repeat as I survey what lands are not blocked out by another mountain range. Any hints of the bugs, any at all. My chittering gets worse. It keeps speaking to me. There is a bug. He''s right here, even within my head. My head snaps to the side, a sore mark growing on my palm and cheek.


    Annoying noises.


    Yes, Body... I know I am one of them... Yes, I know that these wild bugs even seem to consider me to be one of them... No. No! No; I do not need to be reminded of it. So this body of mine best shut up. Shut up!


    Biting back the headache, I growl the pain away and end it with a damning sigh. I cannot see anything up here. The wilderness is shockingly... Too overgrown. Releasing my grip on the mountain, I allow gravity to put me into a sprint.


    Reaching the bottom, I cannot find any casual confidence to direct my steps. No quick hop to end the process. All I can manage is to jaggedly cleave a boulder out of the stone giant. I cannot tell if the ground is dusty or if the rock has found a way to shed its coat of millennial dust.


    Valley-Riders come into view, their mounts coming to a halt so they can come down. At the head of them, I spot Neeameth and, although I do not know her rank, she appears to hold authority. Either way, she''s the only familiar face I''ve seen in a little while now. Though, I do not care to deepen my understanding of her.


    She gives me a wave that I do not return and her eyes fall on the mess I am soaked in, "You certainly showed those rightfully unlucky things..."


    Neeameth turns away in disgust. But, even with it clear that she''s not a fan of the gore or where it came from... It''s hard not to think that it''s focused on me. The kept secret for the moment is, some of this blood is mine. Mine.


    "You didn''t need them for anything, did you?" I ask, forcing some humour into my tone to try to calm myself down. I don''t think it''s working. More, I need more to destroy. More to hurt... These extreme emotions are still in me. They need an outlet.


    "Well, if we could track them, we could''ve got something out of it. But having them be dead is fine in and of itself. We''re here to exterminate, after all." she explains, shrugging away any complexity from the topic. A piece of bug falls off of me as I wander to keep my body busy. She takes the moment to spit on it.


    "I saw that most of you went the opposite way. Did you find anything there?" I remark, focusing my mind back to the many points the riders went off in their smaller groups.


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    "Just more tracks, lots of them. It is definitely a hive on the move, so we are hoping to figure out a way to intercept. Naturally, we''ll also need to rally the others." Neeameth explains, a hand going to her stuck out hip.


    "Intercept as in shave away at it or just..." I try to ask, going quiet as my claws put on a show of gestures. Thankfully, she seems to understand either way. I guess it''s pretty easy to imply absolute destruction even with a briefly shut off head.


    "Redirect it at worst, which it tends to be in my experience," she remarks, presenting an interesting question for me to ask.


    "You have dealt with migrating hives before?" I go, letting the thought out and my eyes go wide as she shakes her head. Huh? Huuuuh...?


    "Not personally, no. This is the first time many of us have actually taken part in such an operation. We''re all sort of fusing together our patrol experience. But, there are many document tablets on the matter we''re currently involved with," she explains as if it is meant to assure anyone of anything. Yet, the riders with her seem plenty confident. Or maybe deluded is a better answer?


    "...A bit of reading wouldn''t be experience, though." I point out, my head tilting slightly as my eyes narrow and blink.


    "I''d rather not attend a training course for dealing with these things moving about." she sneers, almost sarcastically. Her attention focuses on the puddle of blood that is still able to form around me.


    "So now what? We head further this way?" pointing towards the direction of my mess, then, my hand points the way they came, "Or that way?"


    "Given how, we only found tracks on our side. Heading that first direction you pointed in might be our best option. At least, until Mounted-Captain Henipiotch calls us back. Though, on that topic, we might be best off rallying together, regardless. If we knock out too many stragglers, the rest will congregate in response." Neeameth speculates and one of her fellow riders steps forward.


    "The time it takes us to rally, the bugs can do the same. Hitting them while they''re isolated may be our best option." he points out and I start to tune out, not really able to contribute.


    "Mounted-Captain Henipiotch was quite explicit with us needing to be together in the event the earth shaman is found." Neeameth counters with and the man nods in either agreement or concession.


    "If there is a chance to go back, maybe most of you should go back? That way, if it is urgent..." I try to add, trailing off as my feet move around.


    "Losing track of you would be fairly bad in and of itself, Nin. You are our strongest muscle. If we''re deprived of you at a dire moment, it will cost lives that could have been spared Undwote''s pack."


    "And what if the earth shaman is just over there? You wouldn''t stand a chance as a small group. Even with me here, you''d be collateral." I point out, gesturing in a random direction that looks like it has good hidey spots.


    "We will sense it before it comes near," she tells me and I look around my person as so many others have before. I cannot see what they can see, nor can I feel it. But, Brewbrt and the Captain were quite explicit with the whole I am ''untrained'' bit. A fact that cannot be contested. A clumsy athlete is clear to everyone, even the clumsy one himself.


    "Not with me near. Your leader made that very clear when we were back at your place. If I am near you, you lot will suffer in your magic tracking. As I -will- interfere, despite my best efforts not to." I tell her, getting the thoughts out of me and into them.


    She sighs, "That is true. It is quite a fuzzy sensation. Being near you. Oppressive in a way I am disappointed to admit is not the fun kind."


    "Then let me go ahead, just a short distance. If the earth shaman is that way or even remotely close by, then me being isolated might get it to come out. And, you know, you can shoot it." I suggest, and her quick smile vanishes as her mind lingers on the scenario I have created.


    "Are you sure that is wise?" she asks. I shrug, some of my anger coming back out in my hidden expression.


    "I was never a wise person." I tell her, my memories over-flooding me with every idiotic thing I''ve done. Not even throughout my life, just these past few months.

 V4 Incline 51: Nin

    Neeameth lets out a deep breath, her hand shaking her rifle higher up into her grip, "You lot, spread out and make sure the area is secure. Me and the big boy over here will go and check out what''s over that crest for a short time."


    One or two of the riders shrug their shoulders at the others. A few more shake their heads and comply, despite the remarks towards the marks on their uniforms. They must be her seniors in this valley-rider group or whatever it is? Why is she taking charge, then?


    "Time to see where you are hiding, then. You damnable bugs..." I let out, heading ahead of her with initial speed. Adjusting my cloak again, I hide the wound on my leg. Equipment rattles and bangs until it is right next to me. Offering the source of the noise a quick glance, I catch the tail ends of a pout. We climb the hill and reach its top.


    Going down into the unlooked forest, our footsteps slow down to prevent any crunching or twig-breaking. Neeameth breaks away from me to secure a vantage point, and I delve into the thickness of the woods. Sighing with some relief, I ease up on the cautionary covering of my body. Finding what appears to be an old road, I frown.


    There''s an old tree that has long since been uprooted blocking it. A boulder at some point was put into the crater. The roots are providing some shelter for the oddly placed stone, and I go around to it. Digging my claw into the earth, I gently heave the rock out of its ditch.


    If I start making noise, will I draw the osibindah towards myself?


    "Now if I was a bug, where would I be?" I ask, my mind sarcastically answering it for me as I throw the boulder away. Whatever idea was in my head, there''s nothing in the crater. Tree smash apart and leaves scream in the wind as my handiwork crashes down. A noise of thought comes out alongside some chitters.


    Sneering at myself, I slap my face again at the damning noise coming from my jaw. Somehow, it works. My body gets the message and my jaw bone things lock up. Keep quiet. I need to keep quiet. If someone hears me and there are no bugs around...


    Moving close to some trees, I try to control my breathing as a noise lingers in the wind. Chittering from something that is not me. It''s not me! There''s-


    My eyes narrow as the noise gets louder and louder. Closer and closer in a distance, not crossed by me. Making quick work in changing that, I leap out and sprint to the noise. Skidding up the ground as I halt, I find nothing and click my tongue.


    Turning around with an attitude, I-


    It''s right here. Another osibindah, and it''s standing right in front of me. Not just any bug, even. One of the spotted ones, the ones that were nearly always made of my people. My fellow Tobaballians.


    I am not trapped like I was in the hive. Not lost in the depths of the dark maze of an underground. I am free to run and flee. Free to fight, free to act!


    Yet... I am doing nothing. I''m utterly lost in the brownish spots peppering its mossy, pale, and green shell. My eyes follow its patterns all the way down its abdomen and then its legs. Coming to a stop right on the rings of rusted iron lodged near its ankles. I blink and my heart races, a hostile heat growing.


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    Though this one is docile with me right now. This is very much one of the ones I kept having to fight in that arena. That which stands before me is one of my... One of my turned countrymen.


    Fists are quick to form as it starts to jitter closer, a sinister innocence to its brainless eyes. Yet, I cannot find it within myself to kill the horrible creature. I do not want to kill another one of my brethren. Somehow, I''m even thinking I might be able to call out to it, to the man or woman it once was.


    I do not want to break this thing''s body open again and find another human skeleton underneath... No...


    I must be going crazy, thinking I might be able to speak to it, "Hello...?"


    The bug chitters meaninglessly at my question.


    "Wh-What floor are you from? I''m a grounder, same as you!" I ask, pointing out the details that still linger so evidently on its legs. It doesn''t even look that way, it just angles about at all the shitty rocks.


    I start to step closer.


    "What is your name!?" I nearly cry out, demanding such a simple answer. I grab the creature with my claws and pin it on a tree. Even with me shaking it violently, it does nothing. Nothing!


    It''s just chittering much like I am. Looking at me with a tilted head as if it knows me as a friend... How can it even recognise my current form!? How is it doing it!? Do I smell like the bugs...? Am I letting off something that I cannot see like this damnable magic aura!?


    "WHAT!?" I roar at the creature.


    I go quiet and sigh miserably.


    "What is your name...?" I whimper, bringing it forward to gently smack it back on the bark, "Please tell me it! Please..."


    My voice takes on a heave, and I keep trying to shake a response from it. I know the bugs can speak. I can, the earth shaman even spoke to me before I became a bug! So why cannot this also clearly special one do so too!? Why am I-


    "Woah, you managed to catch one? Impressive." Neeameth remarks out of nowhere, sliding into view. The bug goes berserk. The creature roars and roars, thrashing its arms out with all it has. Neeameth keeps going forward at first, only to be struck by a loose arm.


    Sense knocked into her, she remains on her knees. She starts to whimper to more than just a cut eyebrow. I can''t hear anything other than these two. The bug is roaring and fighting; the woman is meek and afraid...


    Be quiet... Silence!


    "BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" I scream with all I have, my arms suddenly slipping. Unable to comprehend why my arms are crossed over each other, I blink. I blink at the pile of gore in front of me. Loud, erratic, hasty breaths escape me, barely hiding the chitters still ongoing from my own damn jaw.


    I turn to face the still woman. This soldier-type turned emotional wreck. I blink and see Vapooliar for a flash of a second. She was like this when I found her, someone as powerful as her. Shivering and tearful...


    Yet, unlike with Vapooliar, I do not move to comfort Neeameth. There''s probably more to it, but I cannot think beyond the rationale of what I am right now. Maybe a bit as well with how I am soaked in fresh bug blood again. No one likes to be covered in blood.


    Still... "Are you ok?"


    She starts to calm down a little, the sound of galloping filling the area. It''s the group from earlier. They must''ve heard me or sensed something was off. One of the riders helps Neeameth up to her feet, and he even has the gall to send me a foul-eyed look. I sneer at him and turn it onto the bug corpse, all squished and pooled in yellow.


    A long, intense stare locks me up, preventing any further action. Bending down, I start to break apart its legs. Silent tears go down my face and I hold the pair of iron anklets in my shaking palms. Dropping down, I scrub them viciously clean of any blood, wiping it all off into the grass.


    Upturning much of the dirt, it sticks to me like brown sugar on a pudding. Gods above, if only the reality was something this sweet. I can at least eat my misery away with good, tasty food. Being left to my thoughts like this, I can''t focus on anything but...


    I want these ankle bracelets cleaned. Cleaned of the bug filth. Cleaned and, in my safekeeping, out of that bastard earth shaman''s claws! They need to be cleaned to a shine... No bug on them...

 V4 Incline 52: Nin

    In another, not that far gone but so seemingly ancient time... My claws... Hands... Would be too close to the fire. I''m like her, like Iishar. I am doing what she showed me back on that day. Only not even my clothes are burning away. Is magic a gift for its strength or a curse for the uprooting it has done to the norms of my sanity?


    But, not is not the time to be left thinking about problems like this. Now is the time to be hunting for the abominations known as osibindah. We''re to hunt what I am. There''s an irony here, one only I can enjoy as I am all that knows, out this far, anyway. I am out in the dangerous wilds with riders armed with guns, swords, and spears. All to hunt what I am.


    I need to hide my true nature, yet, for all the pleasures of not being in gory clothes brings... I have to hide. This truth is to be my reality. No matter how hard I plea or pray for it to be different.


    A weary sigh leaves me, my eyes shifting from the flaming lick of heat and to one of the iron anklets. Whatever filth remained on the worn, air-scarred metal is now gone. Burned away in the fading orange light of its hardening core. While I am glad to have this memento of home back in my hands, something I lost as far back as my first night in Rose-sweerui''s flower. Thinking of home has me annoyed, it''s reverting my thoughts back to the topic of before.


    This isn''t right, such heat should burn me. My skin should sear and scar, the meat underneath tender and juicy as what fat covers it pops and crackles. Yet, that is not what is happening. I feel more inclined to believe a cool breeze will make me shiver than the likelihood of this fire making me flinch with an excited... Ah!


    I know it''s not the bandages getting in the way of the heat, they too, should burn. Candle wicks that coil around me, unveiling my hideous form to all. It has to be the magic in my system. I''ve learned so much about osibindah biology in my time as one to know it cannot be anything but magic. A witch''s strength.


    Regardless, it is an odd thing I find myself longing for. Perhaps I have already gone mad despite all my ruminations and sleepless nights thinking about it. The capacity to have a burning piece of hot iron simply... Burn me. I cannot even close my eyes and see my old pale, browned skin.


    I can only see what my open eyes still see to this day-


    "Something on your mind, Rose Picker?" a familiar voice asks and I look over at the Mounted-Captain. The officer finishes swaggering up to my isolated spot. His sturdy posture collapses, making it not much of a lonely place anymore.


    "Much... Much. Nothing I am telling you of. Though, Mounted-Captain." I tell him, adjusting my cloak''s position and hiding the anklet beside myself, in the shadow cast by the bonfire. My claw drops it onto the other one I have back there, tinking the night with a noise it won''t likely hear again.


    "You are not one of my riders. You don''t have to refer to me by my job. You won''t draw my ire for the lack of respect. Besides, Rose Picker, having a more casual reception with you may enable me to snatch away a certain..." he lets out, his voice far too relaxed for what he is suggesting. Either way, he chuckles at his humour, devoid of a response from me that he can work with. The spurs of his boots fold inwards, the forward motion of his legs along the ground locking them in. I bring my own feet within my cloak''s protection.


    "And I have a name my parents gave me. So it would be nice if you used it. Flowerless Man." I half-joke. As, while I don''t mind the nickname and somewhat relish in the jealousy of the man... I want to hear my name. My Tobaballian name. The one memory of my home that no one can take away from me so long as my spirit remains.


    "Very well, Nin, if you request it."


    "Thank you." I answer, bringing us into a long quiet of only hearing the cackle of the orange light as it dances. He clicks his tongue and smiles.


    "You forgot my name haven''t you?" he brings up out of nowhere.


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    "Eh? No... Your name is..." I answer, caught off guard by the peculiar question. I thought we were going to enjoy the silence!?


    "Go on," he grins, throwing my thoughts off again.


    "Yeah, I forgot it." I say, giving up with the attempt to placate him.


    "Henipiotch." the man extravagants with a kissing motion. Yet, despite all his looks and confidence, I doubt Mistress Wind is swooning for him when there are far more beautiful voices being carried by it.


    "Henip." I shorthand, earning a slight glare from the proud foreigner.


    "So, is something on your mind? You have not spoken much since coming back to us. And Neeameth has me concerned. While I am aware, I am not here with grizzled and scarred men and women. They''re still Valley-Riders of a Ravineer territory."


    "I already told you I am not interested in speaking about it." I dismiss, turning away slightly.


    "What is on your mind can stay in your mind. But. When it comes to one of my riders, -you will- speak," he explains to me, straightening my back out in a way only an experienced disciplinarian can do.


    "I don''t know what there is to say, then. I grabbed a bug. She was scared by it. I killed it." I answer, almost shrugging at the hard-eyed rider as his tilting hat gives the pair of whites a strange lethality.


    "She''s hunted osibindah before, she isn''t going to just get scared by one." he speaks and I am almost left without word. I do not know Neeameth at all. I don''t know what he expects me to say.


    "I don''t know what you are expecting from me, then. I don''t know her." I tell him, getting my thoughts out into the open.


    "A little more details on what happened is what I expect," he points out and I sigh as I finally start to feel heat. Though a different kind.


    "I had a bug in my grip. That is all there is to it!" I snap bitterly, turning my head fully away as murmuring antics take over my mouth.


    "Do not lie to me. I just now. And a few others before have seen you fiddling with something. What is it?"


    "Just a bit of metal." I answer, turning back to him with a glare I oh so hope he can see. Quickly snatching up the called out accessories, I protectively clutch them.


    "Just a bit of metal," he repeats, his tone making me angry.


    "Yes... And it is none of your concern!" I answer, withholding my temper from putting another hole in my legs.


    "It is when that bug is a threat to my home. I''ve seen its shell, Nin. I know full well that is not a normal osibindah," he sits up, putting some strength into his posture and hissing with a boiler hot sigh, "I need you to tell me what you know about that type. It is clear what you took from it has something to do with it."


    A sneer develops on my face and I get up to move away from the insufferable captain, "It''s stronger than a normal one. That''s all you can get from me."


    Leaving with an annoyed huff, a lone noise from his lips hooks me right through my invincible shell.


    "That one, in particular.... Is someone you knew, isn''t it?" he lets out, my instincts suddenly satiated. I grumble and turn around slightly.


    "I did not know them! I didn''t know any of them... And that''s what hurts so much." I growl, so many blank faces coming to mind. So many names no longer in my mind.


    "Even if you do not know them. It is as clear as ever that you are familiar with them. With where they are from," he speaks, "And, Nin, I am not your enemy. Calm down. I can understand if this is a touchy subject for you. Crossing into what I''ve already told you, I will respect the privacy of... But I need you to speak to me."


    "There is nothing to speak of!" I snap down at the unfazed man.


    "So you have said, so you have said." he repeats, calling my bluff with a slow and steady rise. He crosses the distance and meets my sheltered eyes.


    "Then quit pestering me!" I tell him, jabbing at his chest hard enough to at least make him recoil.


    "Not until I get a proper detailing of why Neeameth is currently sobbing to herself in her tent," he reminds me, working off the poking and chasing after me at walking pace.


    "The bug scared her. That is all there is to it!" I bark forward and his hand reaches out in the shadow of the many fires. It pulls me around to watch crossing arms and a shaking head.


    "I''ll take your word for it, then. And, luckily, or, rather, unluckily... Depending on how you see it. We are too far from town, too close to official borders. So, I can send her back to town, and you too if you wish," the Mounted-Captain strangely says, his will to carry on vanishing in the face of my stubborn resistance.


    "We have only been out for a day." I monotonously drool.


    "And all we have found are isolated pockets on the move which we are dealing with. If there was or is an earth shaman, then it is long gone by now. The thing has given us the slip and probably by tunnelling under earth. Maybe a hwardgon mercenary or criminal or something will riddle it to death."


    "So when do you want me to go back with Neeameth?" I ask, not caring for the details.


    "As early as you can, get her into our building. Let our staff take care of the rest while me and the others go through one or a few more sweeps of the area. Just to make sure we get them all." he explains, tipping his hand and striding off with the slamming of his spurs back into position.


    "Fine..." I answer, shaking my head and walking off into the dark for some proper peace and quiet.

 V4 Incline 53: Nin

    "I''m... Sorry... Sorry you had to see me like that. It was unprofessional of me," Neeameth tells me, looking back at me as I otherwise silently ride my elderly juperse. Doesn''t seem like it''s going to be passing away anytime soon. Most certainly not if we''re both riding at a gentle trot.


    Acknowledging the end to the quiet, nature-sounding trip, I pay more attention to her. I''ve spotted a few look backs over the course of our journey, but now I will focus. She''s clearly been meaning to say something all day since we first left the camp. We left bright and early, too. No doubt, her words or some variation of them have kept her up at night.


    "I don''t really care if it is professional or not, Neeameth. It''s just not something that I can find myself to be irked by. Whatever is in your head, is in your head. Same as I. Getting back to town, that''s all I care about." I explain to her, somewhat hoping we might return to the quiet. Though, my hopes of shooting down any further talking have failed. Her eyes say a lot, as does the energy in her lips. It''s a bit hard to try and look away when I can anticipate what I don''t have the energy to tell her to ''shut up'' over.


    In this moment of future sight, a word clings to me... Irony.


    "No, no... Please, hear me out. You had an osibindah in your hands. Your hands! How you did it, I do not know. It was probably a spell or something. But... But me being there... I ruined it. I''m sorry. Whatever you were trying to accomplish, we''re not short an osibindah prisoner."


    My mask covers a most baffled of eyebrow raises, "It doesn''t matter."


    "Except it does! And all because I couldn''t keep it together hearing roars like those again..." she whimpers, her finger stroking at the swollen mark near her eyebrow region. There''s something off about this girl. Memories have her in tears, but constantly stroking a very sore gash is somehow getting nothing out of her.


    "What do you mean by that? This ''again'' you''re speaking of?" I ask, finding myself guilt tripped over the idea of trying to dismiss her about it. Or, maybe, in a rare moment of luck, I''ve found a reason to seek some kinship with her. We''re both victims of the osibindah. I wait in the silence that occupies the air between us.


    Her lips part with a sigh, "Me... Me and my family were attacked by some osibindah... When I was very young. I guess I just never got over the way they sounded."


    "Henipiotch said you have fought them before?" I ask, not meaning to imply that her past is one such battle.


    "At a distance!" she blares instantly, spooking our juperses a little, "... Never up close like that... I thought after all this time I might have been used to such sounds. But, I guess I was wrong about that... Getting hit the way I did must''ve knocked some common sense into me."


    "Certainly better than me, either way." I remark not quiet enough.


    "How...? You went up there and killed several without issue." she asks, her finger swinging in the general direction of the blood still staining parts of me.


    "The only reason I am out here, Neeameth... Rather than halfway to Thrurstradtur. Is because someone had to convince me to go. Even then, I could not do anything until I worked myself up." I answer, thinking of Rose-sweerui and what will probably happen when I get back. We''ve not been gone that long, so I doubt there is much to expect. At the temple, she said, she will be waiting at the temple.


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    "You were just going to run when you heard there was osibindah...?" Neeameth clings to and I nod first, a laconic answer brewing in my lungs.


    "Yes." I answer firmly while my eyes and features become sullen with weakness. I just demolished what pride I have right there. Went right out and admitted to being scared of bugs. So terrified that I was cowering at the mere thought, let alone the sound or the sight of them. Thoughts...


    "But why? You are so strong! Strong enough to kill them with your bare hands!" she points out as if I am not already aware. I''ve been aware since the day I-


    "Because I spent far too long in one of their hives-" I let out, my rash thought finding itself in silence as quickly as it came out. If she knows about my past, she''ll be able to connect the dots regarding all the strange things about me. The secrets I want to keep.


    "You are a former prisoner of theirs? And I thought I had it bad..." she awkwardly laughs, my lack of an expression to see throwing her off of her already rickety path. The air is suddenly tense now with all these nervous feelings.


    "I don''t want to speak about it..." I say, forcing my verbal legs through the mire.


    "I-It''s nothing to be ashamed of. It is far more common than you think for people to have escaped osibindah hives!" she says in a tone that is... Inspired? Am I hearing her right? Is my short-term memory really that bad?


    "You are speaking very highly of people who were captured." I point out, my tone flat with... Confusion. It''s all there really is right now.


    "Because I always thought they were the bravest people out there! I am terrified of osibindah as you saw, but those people... Those people not only fought them at distances I could not even have imagined! They also fought their way out of their hives!"


    "And hearing what I just said has made you rethink that?" I ask, quite bitter with paranoia.


    "Quite the opposite...! If anything, it makes me feel a little better about myself. Knowing that there isn''t as much distance between us as I thought. You are one of the strongest people in town right now, yet you are scared of them!" she rambles out, laughing quite heartily at the end as if my failing is her strength to throw the weights off her mind. I raise a sharp, angled brow.


    I have a distinct feeling that if the circumstances were different, my fuse would have sparked away in an instant. I''d lash out and have red to add to my yellow stains. Thankfully for all parties, these are not those circumstances. Gods above, I would certainly feel it in my soul if it were.


    "Well, I am glad to be of some help." I snap sarcastically, getting some of my annoyance out. Bringing my elderly beast to a halt, I get down from it. Looking on at Neeameth as she talks to herself and cluelessly keeps riding ahead... I smirk when she notices. She rides back with an embarrassed expression and comes to a sheepish stop.


    "Why''d you stop?" she asks, getting down with the rub of her neck''s backside.


    Shrugging and standing still, I idly gaze at our surroundings. Walking off without explanation, I ascend the steep incline and properly make my way up one of the valley''s mountains. Surveying the surrounding land, I take a deep breath and think of as little as I can. Not quite nothing, but letting my brain cling to all the details of the world is good enough.


    Though... One little detail is starting to surface in quite the spectacular manner. How much riding time do I have left before I get back to town? I''ve no knowledge of the local terrain, nor a map to contextualise my place. There''s no way to answer this question.


    The only way is to simply not waste time and get going. So... I best get going then. My claw releases the rock and I find myself in a run.


    Leaping out of it and crashing down, I try to make my way back to the beasts a steady one. They jitter and shake at the presence of my magic, and I mount up. Noises leave Neeameth and she rushes to mount back up. Her juperse noisily slurps at nothing.


    "What was all that about-?"


    I interrupt her expression by galloping off with all this old animal can muster.


    "Hey! HEY!" she begins to shout, catching up with my slower animal.

 V4 Incline 54: Nin

    "Just you two...!?" one of the gate guards lets out as we close the distance to the town''s walls. Minding the position of the Orbital-Halo in the sky, I grumble under my breath at the time this sped up ride back has taken. I suppose it puts into perspective how long we had to be out for and how far. Not that I was paying much mind with how my focus was on the osibindah, myself, and the wild ones.


    I snap my focus back to the guard as Neeameth intervenes to prevent what seems like an imminent alarm.


    "The rest are fine, we just left ahead of them due to... Reasons." she explains, her tone much improved since this morning. Though still notably grim in its aspects.


    "We''ll explain to Brewbrt the big details. But the bugs are gone for now." I add to prevent the way she ended it causing any issues. Though, my casual saying of the town leader''s name has created quite the flabbergast. I''ll call it a win. Being offended over a lack of tact is better than paranoia over giant killer bugs.


    I glance again at Neeameth as she gets over her own surprise and she gives me a little smile. Seems like all of her talking has got most of her concerns out of her system. Admittedly, towards the end, as the familiar trappings of the road came into view... I actually started to enjoy her rambling, but I guess it''s pointless anyway.


    I''ve got to go see Rose-sweerui and then we need to talk about getting on our way. Einervaene as well if she is truly set in wanting mine and Rose-sweerui''s company. I have my concerns, what with her being a stranger and all, even with us basically bunking together. But, her being a foreigner should make the situation palatable. It''s hard to know.


    "Ah, well, we hope to see them soon, then!" the gate guard says with some jitters still. He returns to his duties, and the gate opens up shortly after. Riding through with Neeameth, I watch her fiddle with a few items that she then hands off to the guards on the other side. I''ve no clue what those items are at all. Whatever they are, they must be important, going off into the small building attached to the wall and then not coming back.


    "So... What will you do now?" Neeameth asks as my eyes slide up and over to the pointy, shiny tip of the temple and the very edges of its main dome. Our juperses slow down to a sluggish trot and we catch some eyes of the townsfolk. Looking around, I note how well and ongoing the repairs to the town itself are. The roads need some work. I doubt filling holes with gravel will help in the long term. Brewbrt''s home takes my focus a few beast-powered jumps later.


    "Probably go back in there. Or, over there." I tell her with a lazy gesture. Longingly looking at either building, I yearn for the comfort of being out of the public view and somewhere private. A proper bath will be nice about now. A weird one where I do it with all my clothes. We can all come out bubble and squeak.


    "Must be nice to be given such a nice place to stay." Neeameth whistles and I shrug.


    "It certainly was nice of Brewbrt to let us stay. But I can''t say I particularly like being there." I tell her, lying at the end as it is the town, that is very much the issue. Not so the living-like-a-high-floorer. Though, it does feel off... I haven''t worked for it, there has been no earning or such.


    "Why? He has the best quality stuff in town. Thanks to his ownership of all it''s-within-the-walls property. And, as part of his taxation policy, he gets first dibs on all the highest quality goods that have been made or gathered." she blabbers on and while I have a ''well done'' in the chamber for the accomplished man. It''s... Still a shrug from me. Tobaballe, born and raised I am, that''s not going away anytime soon. No death or rebirth is going to change that.


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    "Because where I am from, this would not have happened. Not unless I could pay for or earn it. Thing is, I am getting all of this for free. Just because I have a lot of magic. It''s... It''s not what I am used at all." I let out with some bitterness, though I am not sure as to what it is directed at. Does living life as I have since met Rose-sweerui entitle me? I keep getting it easy because of something I never worked towards. I didn''t wake up one day and commit myself to being up... Magicman?


    The proper term is escaping me.


    Even then, I have issues built up from my time at the aelenvari flower. I''m not sure what it is, but it feels like hatred. Hatred to the idea people are charitable to me over something so arbitrary in the scheme of life. I have no clue in the slightest if this is Tobaballian in me speaking or if it''s my actual thoughts. A city where provable, genuine merit is the only way up seems to be the unpopular way of life in this land.


    "Pfft, what a load of nonsense. What are you really complaining for? Just enjoy it!" she teases, dismissing my entire thought process with a winking smirk. As if the gods are remarking this as well to me, we pass by the entrance of Brewbrt''s home. I glance around at the mountains with a shiver in my breath.


    "I''ll enjoy it when it is not all rooted in a place I never want to return to." I say, thinking of what mountains now mean to me. They''re the lairs of the bugs. Osibindah could be crawling under and around me at all times, only a mountain''s hide away. My words kill her smile.


    "You got this powerful because of your time in an osibindah hive," she points out and I nod instinctively.


    "I did, and that is all I will say on the matter." I let out with an accompanying sigh. How would I even explain it even if I wanted to!? It all started after one of those freakish things tried to swallow my entire body into its own! Then... That light, that saving emerald light that led me to Vapooliar.


    "Well, now that we are back here, we can stop talking about osibindah! So how about I buy you a drink as thanks?" she offers and my eyes blink as my head turns.


    "Thanks for what?" I ask, lost for multiple reasons.


    "Thanks for killing those osibindah...?" she lets out sketchily.


    "You best order a whole round for everyone in your group, then. I am sure they all offed at least one." I point out, scoffing at the offer.


    "I mean sure... But... No... No! Just you!" she struggles to get out as her face suddenly finds itself unable to present itself.


    My brow rises at her stammers and I tut with a right vile smirk, "Cheap Neeameth."


    "Hey!" she snaps, her voice thick with offence.


    The girl surprises me and leaps down from her juperse so she can draw her gun fully.


    "I am not cheap!" she insists, a barrel pointed at me.


    "You are pulling a gun on me because of this?" I let out, unimpressed by the threat. I''ve taken bullets to the head before. But, then again... It''s a gun. It doesn''t look primed to fire, though, so it''s a joke...?


    I want to take it as one. Yet, still I am scared that a gun is aiming for me. It''s still a gun regardless of what about my life has changed. Growing up around them and knowing what they can do still has a healthy respect rooted in me.


    Neeameth cackles. She guffaws. Her body bends over and backwards and she waves me off. The gun goes back into its socket and holster. Buttoned and fastened under leather belt.


    "I''m sorry, I was going to challenge you to a duel for the sake of my honour! But, then I remembered you''d probably beat me at anything I challenged you to," she explains and I go back to questioning if her motivations were really to joke around.


    "I can''t shoot a gun, so you''d probably win that." I point out, not wanting to test the reality and to keep up the fa?ade if this is it.


    "No! The best part of a gun duel is seeing the challenged or challenger fall down after being shot. The rush you feel after having shot faster! But you''d just walk through it as if nothing happened!" she giggles and swoons, the crazy parts of her mind spilling out for the public''s imagination to latch onto.


    I think on her last sentence and how it went with my second meeting with Heiya on that mountain, "Point taken."


    "Still, anyway... I won''t hold you. You get to doing what you need to do, Stud." she tells me and I choke.


    "I-I beg your damn pardon!?" I go, watching her laugh and she slaps my juperse''s rear to put it back into motion. Going on further than her, the temple comes into view. And, as a little flower told me... Here she is, waiting.


    The rose-haired beauty lights up emotionally and literally.


    "COME BY FOR A DRINK!" Neeameth screams from down the road and I raise a claw in acknowledgement as I get down. Rose-sweerui leaps into the air and I flinch, arms coming up.

 V4 Incline 55: Nin

    Catching Rose-sweerui as gently as I can, I find myself going into a spin to put my energies elsewhere. Though she is giggling and snuggling up against my gore-caked body with all the ''love'' she has, my grip is light. I want to put some pressure on her but am not confident enough to do so. Too much application and I... She''ll-


    "My love! My love! My love!" Rose-sweerui sings, kissing along my beaked mask and even tempting what little shell I do have coming through. She is mindful of what her actions are doing and stops, giggling still as a smirk takes over her lips. Putting her straight down on the smooth brick, she taps away and dances right back around. Her weight goes against my arm and she breathes joy into each squeeze of my form.


    "C-Careful! You''ll ruin your clothes..." I meekly let out, watching as she picks up more and more of the mess I''ve found myself in. She steps away, legs crossing tightly while her arms do the same over her behind. Her tail jumps up and loops around her wrists. With a tug, she frees a hand and runs it along the mess I warned of.


    Her expression mellows out of its joy and she stares at the pile of blood-dust on her finger''s print. It goes right into her mouth with a pop. Blinking harshly, I watch her savour the disgusting filth. She stands proud and struts around me, a moan of pleasure on her lips.


    That same wetted hand slips onto my crotch to no vaunted reaction, "Ruin? I am covered in the scents of your conquests, my precious love."


    She pulls herself up my body, showing off how developed her body really is under that seductive flesh. A peck on the cheek rings out and she walks out to my front. Her head turns, showing a slight shine in her eyes from what is above and not attached. She blinks a held darkness, a smile blooming with roses on her bulging cheeks.


    "Did you handle all that opposed you?" she asks and my head tilts from side to side as her tail whips at where her hand just was.


    "The earth shaman was not out there. The rest you can see here for yourself." I tell her, gesturing at what stains me. Moving away with her at my rear, I rummage into my light baggage to pull out the anklets.


    "If this was indeed the parasites Oak''endoor sought to eradicate... Then, that earth shaman was hiding from you. You, my love. That abomination feared you! You wrought terror into what keeps so many up at night!" she lets out with excited shivers and while I want to buy into her veneration, I cannot. My mind is too occupied with what I now have.


    "This might seem strange... Rose-sweerui. But, do you remember when I asked you about missing jewellery?" I ask her as I look over to the steps and then up them to the gilded temple. Rich in both the wealth of painted onto its bricks, solid rock and that something special that is intangible. Safety from judgement.


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    "Believe me or not, my love. But, I do, yes. That was the very day you woke up after spending so long in my... Comforting embrace." she answers, a giggle escaping her bitten bottom lip as her thighs squirm against each other. Withholding a knowing huff of amusement and exasperation, I go up the first step. Offering my claw to her, I pass on one of the anklets.


    "I... I found them. Not mine... Not mine at all. I just... I just wanted to keep these close." I explain, holding the one I do have as if it will crack at any moment. With my strength, it probably will if I am too harsh or scared. What once needed blades of steel and jets of fine-tipped inflamed gas is now a leaf to me. One that has blown in from the world above and got caught in who knows where of the Ground Floor. So eager to break at the slightest touch of pressure.


    "Are you sure? This is so lacking..." she lets out, her disgust for the magically lacking clear even with how much this means to me. Taking it back from her, she''s almost afraid to be dirtied by the rust that colours it so. With a wipe of magic, she cleans her hands of the offending memory. My eye twitches at the disrespect and my mind forces it down deep.


    She loops her arm around mine and I step up further to the temple''s doors. We arrive before the god-marked metal and wood and I put my free claw upon it. Spreading my three bandaged digits across the surface, I can''t help but compare them to the images carved and moulded into the material. In their image, did the drop of blood into the birthing clay make us... Such simple commonality and I have lost it all.


    Rose-sweerui''s hand covers the back of my claw despite how far away it is. Her straining comes to an end, and I let her envelop it. I look closely at the soft smile as she rolls my claws into a malformed fist. She looks me in the eye, not at my lens, at my eye. I can somehow feel it.


    "Worry not, my love. Your thoughts may be your own, but I am a growing prodigy when it comes to figuring them out. If you need me, I shall be here for you. At your side and ready to hear you without a twitch of dismissal or ember of contempt. You are my precious love, as I am yours. One day, we will see that promise made true in a place like this," she says to me out of nowhere and she pulls my suddenly weak neck down so she can plant a kiss on my forehead.


    Straightening out, she smiles and skips down the temple steps in a way only one of her kind might be able to. With a final striking leap, she spins into a stroll that takes her away from me. My blinks of confusion find encouragement from my uncertain scratches on my hat-shaded head. She turns back my way with a wave.


    "Come by very soon, Nin. I have a surprise for you, Champion." she almost taunts, knowing full well I do not particularly mix with the title. Blinking as she disappears further, her behaviour grows increasingly exaggerated as her figure loses its finer details. All but the sway of her hips and well-shaped, exposed buttocks. She''s a master of depth perception and she only stops when I can see no more.


    I frown in thought over her words, already spoiling the surprise. Experience is quite the means of foresight. Her surprise is probably something lust-driven. I take the reins of my juperse and pull on it, walking us off towards the valley-rider building. My steps slow to a silent stop and I look the way my companion went, a trailing thought chittering out...


    "You know what? I look forward to it, Rose. I look forward to it." I mutter, putting the anklets away and, hopefully, the miserable thoughts that come with it.

 V4 Incline 56: Nin

    Finishing up with the handling of the juperse, I step away from the animal''s caretakers to leave them to it. Some other riders still here keep looking at me, and I want to assume they''re gladdened by my departure. Though I have to wonder why they are here. Unless not everyone came out in force a few days back?


    "Whatever, I suppose." I speak, letting my lingering thoughts out as I walk. Boots strike the ground behind me, quickly and quicker still. Turning to face the source, Neeameth fills the reflection of my lenses. She skids to a halt, smile on her face, her body relatively unburdened by equipment. She offers a wave and I glance back towards my mount of the past week or something.


    "So, your captain mentioned earlier that you kill off the oldest ones. Or, at least, that seems to be what he implied. He seemed inclined to believe the one I rode would die on the journey. Do you perhaps offer them up? The juperse clearly has time left in them yet is still believed to be at their end." I ask her.


    "Not that I am aware of. Why?" she questions, her mouth muttering as she collects the information. Her head turns elsewhere, towards where healthier, younger ones are. Some workers patiently move other juperses about, the springy creatures causing problems still well within their worth. Neeameth scoffs quietly and I turn after her.


    "As I am leaving at some point in the near future, I think one would help. I won''t have to carry everyone and everything. It would also help it get a death in service, I guess." I explain, recalling the rituals that will apparently happen when a juperse dies. Sounds like dying as an aid would be better than being slaughtered out of sight.


    "That makes sense. Would you like me to ask Mounted-Captain Henipiotch if that is possible?" she offers and I begin nodding.


    "It would be muchly appreciated." I say, thanking her and ending the nods.


    "But, he won''t be here for a while... So, drink?" she asks, her huff leading into a grin. I let the huff pass onto me and I change my head motions into shakes.


    "I''ll keep you company for a little bit, sure." I answer, keeping her at my side as we walk the fancy part of the town. I mind the fine and polished architecture and let it stew in my mind. When I get home, will I be able to use this information? Is there anything here so unlike back in Tobaballe that it would simply be truly inspired?


    "Great! Wonderful. What do you want, then? If we don''t have anything at the chapterhouse, we can just go to one of the other places in town." she goes on, clearly having missed or ignored my head motions.


    "Don''t worry about me. I won''t be having anything." I tell her, louder than usual. With my osibindah body so in mind, it will not be safe for me in any circumstance to go out and have a drink. Much less one so public.


    "Seriously? You can have anything, you don''t have to worry about it," she insists, what rattling there is on her person proving itself to be a purse.


    "It''s fine, just get yourself something. And I will speak to you for a little bit. Assuming Rose-sweerui doesn''t find us. In which case, I''ll be off." I explain, hoping that Rose-sweerui will, in fact, be driven to the kind of desperation that will drag her out to drag me in. That desire within her to have me see her surprise. Oh, gods above, please... Please not let her be disciplined with this kind of thing, let her impatience rise higher than the mountains.


    "You love her that much?" Neeameth asks, her steps lingering tightly together as her face loses its lustre. Noting the lack of a companion at my side, I turn around to face them.


    "Love?" I repeat quietly, my prior desires stiff-spining me with caution.


    "Yeah... Do you love her so much that you''d abandon people for her?" Neeameth asks in a strangely awful way. That choice of language can be taken so many ways from the seed of its dictionary birth.


    I close the distance between us to ensure a low voice, "No. No, she may say it a lot to me. But... I cannot say I return the same feelings. Not honestly."


    "That is certainly a surprise." Neeameth goes, her eyes widening, her lips curling a little up.


    "Hm?" I go, turning back the way we were heading as a bounce returns to her steps.


    "Well, with most people that I have met. Especially my fellow valley-riders are very quick to move on to an aelenvar. Most certainly the ones that they have caught the eye of. Easy as some might be under their thick leathers."


    "Sounds more like they are just in it for the emotionally cheap sex." I want to sneer, some of Rose-sweerui''s thoughts on the matter rubbing off on me. Or, maybe it''s my own thoughts on the matter. It doesn''t really mean much either way. Much as I don''t want Rose-sweerui to be so blunt with me in manners of sex...


    She''s been quite open with me. When we arrived in this town, when Henipiotch first caught her in his gaze... There''s been a distinct lack of comfort with Rose-sweerui. Despite her attitude, despite her choice of attire and intimate knowledge of posture and movement. Casual, heartless sex is a sin for the aelenvari, an evil of great power.


    For all their power, mortalkind has one triumph over the divine. The ability to have a family, the weight a child makes in a mother''s belly. Though Motrtha is the Goddess of Mothers, though she has an elder brother in Thurnmourer. A father in Kyarverin. Younger siblings of both kinds in all the others... She''ll never be a mother, not without mortal involvement. So I have so fantastically learned in my time as a wandering soul.


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    Sex is not for pleasure, sex is not for desire. It is for love, childbirth. The aelenvari cannot afford it to be any other way. For all of Rose-sweerui''s sultry visual aspects. She is an innocently sweet thing at heart, much as her namesake distilled into water and perfume.


    Spotting a low, speckled stone wall that can fill in for a bench, I sit down on it. My thoughts weigh heavily upon me and I feel increasingly tired, thinking more about them. So many different things, so many things recently learned and committed to memory. I know not what will remain and what I will throw away, I really do not.


    Clicking my tongue, I hide what I can under my cloak as Neeameth goes down at my side. Oh, how I could enjoy this breeze and the well-kept flowers behind me if I wasn''t a bug. But, being in a form where I cannot truly rest until I am in private is... Something. It is really something.


    "I suppose it might seem that way. But many do end up sticking with the aelenvari they have ''found'' once a baby is on the way. Regardless of how difficult some might be, we all walk to the temples. The aelenvar they''ve gifted a child to will most certainly have sought Motrtha''s blessing by that point."


    "Yeah, well, no baby is going to keep me with Rose. Once we reach the point where she can''t come along, that is going to be it." I answer quickly, not giving my words much thought before they came out. Though, who knows, really? The day I give her a child will either be the day I am not myself or the day I do really end up loving her.


    "A very cold way of looking at it, but I wouldn''t be surprised if you changed your mind," she comments, her eyes surveying all that the open stores have to offer. Her purse bounces up and down like a ball, yet she cannot find the energy to move. She''s not thirsty, that much is clear. She wants an excuse to spend time with me.


    "Mmmm." rumbles out of my quiet-in-the-right-ways mouth.


    "It''s a lonely world out there, Nin. You are a fool for not taking full advantage of what she offers." Neeameth tells me in a tone that is lost to me as her words linger in my head.


    It is lonely, yes. I''ve seen firsthand and am living a life of true loneliness right now. Through no fault of my own, knowing fault at best. I am alone.


    I am far from my home and far away from those who understand the mind I have been raised into having. Those who might comfort me and hold me close have all had to give something up to be with me. In time, they''ll all go. Rose-sweerui will soon wander back to her flower, Einervaene will go home and I will find myself up on maybe a mountain. A world so empty and full at the same time staring at me from all angles.


    Snow will crunch under my feet, and moss will stain my bandages. The fires I will huddle around will have only one body blocking their heated expansion. That is the future that awaits me if I do not do something to prevent it. Yet...


    "I am not interested in exploiting someone''s emotions." I let out, not sure of what I really want. Being alone is not new to me. This loneliness, however, I do not know how to handle it.


    "But you wouldn''t be exploiting her. She is willingly giving herself to you and will try much to make it work. Aelenvari are not humans. Remember that. Love for them is not as in depth as what we might call it." she says, interrupting my dark thoughts before they make me turn too inwards. I am silently thankful for her obnoxiousness in this regard.


    "And that is the problem, Neeameth. For me, it would not be love, it would just be a means to be lustful." I tell her, pointing out the crux of the problem as this distinct difference in philosophy and biology. It will only be exploitation, in my view.


    She laughs loud and clear, "Never took you for a romantic. Fine dining and quiet walks under one of the moons high in the mountains. Blades of grass in hands'' reach, snow under your toes as you brave the snow-belt for a view to die for. Oh, a girl such as me can still think of so many cute ideas."


    I sigh long and tiringly, resting my head on an open palm and driving my elbow into my leg, "I do not know what I would call myself. If I am a romantic, I do not know. I just do not like the idea of a fickle relationship. Though she keeps saying it, I''ve not done anything to truly earn her love. We''ve not spent years together as friends. No hardships have really happened to bring us close and lay it bare that we will be there for each other..."


    My voice slows itself into quiet. Am I being honest with myself?


    "Did you not keep her safe from a sadroobell?"


    "She was calling me her ''precious love'' before that for most of the time I''ve known her. From my perspective, it''s only been a handful of months. Maybe not even two. I''ve lost track of time since leaving home. For a while now, really. One day, I woke up in her flower and she simply came onto me, physically affectionate from the get go. Then, after a tourney, she started saying she loved me."


    Neeameth perks up at my description, "So... You didn''t find yourself sheathed in any particular way? You are technically free despite the aelenvar you are with?"


    I ignore her first question even as a steam fogs my lenses at the mere image of Rose-sweerui''s soft lips-


    "I guess, not that it really matters." I answer, frowning my thoughts back to some normality. Though the glint in Neeameth''s eyes does not escape me.


    "Well, of course it does! You are travelling all around the continent. You are going to -need- companions." Neeameth points out and suggests. Unfortunately for her, I already have an option for the plurality of ''companion.''


    "For now, Rose-sweerui will do. I have someone else in mind, but her mind isn''t made up, I don''t think." I say, thinking of Einervaene and the uncertainty of her position. Yet, despite my efforts, the lack of a spoken name seems to have given a wrongful impression.


    "Perhaps me, then? I know the land quite well when it comes to being within the lands owned by Founding-Lord Brewbrt. And, I''d be able to supply you with juperses! As I am in a position to abuse my priority-serving status as a valley-rider when it comes to buying animals." she explains, her talk of position exploitation driving her to mad laughter.


    "I''ll think about it." I say, thinking back to what we talked about at the start of this recent reunion. I hope she hasn''t forgotten about my interest in acquiring an animal for help with the cargo and transportation. Though, I think my hinted at refusal of her offer has gone completely wayward as well.


    All this talk of lust and romance and all... Neeameth''s eyes on me are only because of my height. Even now, she makes it clear her attraction is base and possibly only reinforced by our recent interactions because she wants them to be. She keeps looking up and up, measuring the distance between my head and hers. If I ever brought her along as well, it would not settle well with Rose-sweerui.


    The two would be in perpetual battle with each other over my attention.


    "Well, just remember I am here to help if you need it-" Neeameth begins to let out and my rise to my feet interrupts her.


    "I''ll bear it in mind, thank you. Now, I''m sorry, but I best be going, as you can plainly see." I tell her, letting my situation with all this mess throw her nose off of my trail.


    "Oh... Oh! Of course, please. Please don''t let me keep you, Nin!" she lets out, unsure at first before she laughs what she can out.

 V4 Incline 57: Nin

    Arriving back inside of Brewbrt''s home, I let out a lengthy groan and my body slumps. A bath or shower isn''t far now, whatever it is Rose-sweerui wants to show me, that''ll give her more time to work on it. I can just... Clean myself, scrub myself clean of all this filth and more.


    Hearing speedy echoes, I try to figure out where they''re coming from. A familiar distinction sticks out and I can''t help but smile. Excited running and chatting. A beaming smile on a certain someone''s face not long after.


    "My love! You are back... But a bit too early." she squeals initially, and she physically turns ironic to her secretive behaviour. A huff escapes me and I look slightly to her side as Einervaene finishes her struggle to catch up. The foreign beauty gets her metallic-shaded back into order and she joins in with the smiles. Oh, I wonder how Neeameth would react upon meeting the window-breaking clutz?


    "Hello, Einervaene, how have you been?" I ask, and she flinches at my focus.


    "I have been well..." she answers, her cautious eyes flickering between me and Rose-sweerui.


    A blur goes off behind Rose-sweerui, it''s her tail, "We are nearly done with the surprise!"


    She wiggles and giggles without ending, bouncing up and down like a child with a present in sight. Whatever her secret is, she wants me to see so very badly and there''s a circumstance we both benefit from. Nearly done. Time for me to clean myself, if only quickly or so. Gods above, though, her eagerness might make her barge in with whatever this surprise is.


    "You best not let me see it, then. I need to have a bath or something." I say, and she meets my first step immediately with absurd aggression. Rose-sweerui backs away, a delicate nature in her posture.


    "You need to find another room for that. I''m not kicking you out or doing this because I hate you. I just want this to be a true surprise. No chances of it being spoiled at all." Rose-sweerui tells me as she shifts around through expressions of embarrassment and nervousness. She ends on a pout and moves closer to me, her hand cupping my chin. Her fingers stroke me gently and I take it as a silent apology as she steps back.


    "That''s fine. It''s fine." I say to the pair, frowning out of sight as I try to recall where I might be able to find some privacy. I''ll probably try my luck in one of the unused rooms and using the bathroom in there after I lock it up. Really, it would be nice if they just hid the surprise, whatever it is, but no point in holding resentment over it. Well, maybe a little for making me find a new room to bathe in.


    "I hope I have done a good job with them. Working around Rianta-chira''s legs has been an... Interesting experience. I kept worrying about how I would fail to remember she has no feet...!" she laughs with lacking confidence and her expression goes down. Her fingers come together and pull at each other. Sparks come off of them and fizzle out in the air.


    "Sore fingers?" I ask, noticing how red they are. Is this a nervous habit or something more concerning? Rose-sweerui''s fingers are fine, so I''d hate to find out that one has been mushing the other along.


    "A little. I''ve had to do a fair few practice knots to make sure the leggings fit on tight enough. Accounting for all these dauntingly simple changes and keeping to my native style..." she says, trailing off as she eyes Rose-sweerui''s bare points as they otherwise perfectly balance the aelenvari.


    "So how long would you say you have until you are done?" I decide to ask, pondering how much time I have in the bath. A good hour or so should get rid of most of my filth. Maybe a few more if I want my clothes to be soaked and washed clean of the blood and muck.


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    "Probably..." Einervaene begins to let out, one hand tapping three fingers of the other, "Three days?"


    I blink.


    "You are almost done... According to Rose... And you got three days of work left?"


    I blink again, my confused claw expressions coming to an end.


    Einervaene looks away with a growing red face, as does Rose-sweerui herself...


    "I''ve been quite picky-"


    "Rianta-chira has been quite demanding-"


    The two trail off into a muddled mess and they look at each other and then away. Even with the other out of sight, they somehow emulate each other. The pair put their hands together and squeeze them. An awkward silence comes with a heavy blanket for us all to dwell under.


    "And what have you been asking that makes it take so long?" I call out Rose-sweerui for and her body tightens. It''s like I''ve caught her stealing a treat, one she''s barely hidden behind her wrist. If I was her father, I''d be only one demand from seeing it.


    "I have only been asking her to make sure it is something you like!" she insists, and my head corrects her. She''s only been asking her to make something - she likes- and then thinks I, in turn, will like. My mouth curls up quite evilly as I take these thoughts beyond that.


    "Oh, you''ve been making sure that this surprise will make you very much a covered woman? Barely showing off any figure and skin at all? You know, something that makes it all that much more fun to peel off and undress you out of." I tease, moving over to one of Brewbrt''s decorative armour displays and emphasising my point with its complex articulation.


    My grin becomes a toothy smile as Rose-sweerui''s body tenses up further. She stammers and turns to Einervaene, who moves away with a frightful back-step. The pair look to me, their plans supposedly in ruin. Rose-sweerui''s eyes start to water and she clutches her head with a strained growl.


    Putting a claw on her, I rub her head and left my laughter come out properly. The pair blink at me until the gears in their heads finally get to work. Einervaene surprises me with a light growl and glare and she throws it away as quick as it came. Rose-sweerui continues to stare at me with a trembling shiver.


    "I..." she chokes back, her genuine panic blocking up most of the thoughts in her head.


    "Oh, don''t be like that, Rose-sweerui. You silly girl. I will like it however you prepared it." I tell her, letting my laugh grow louder as my claw works its way deeper into her hair. The desired effect takes some time to blossom, but it comes. Seems like she''s worked herself up by quite a bit.


    "Should I go and find some tissues?" Einervaene asks as she gets a proper glimpse of Rose-sweerui''s face. Shaking my head on the aelenvari''s behalf, I guide her closer to the woman who might be joining us soon. Will probably be best off sending the pair to get themselves and this surprise sorted.


    "Yeah, go on and sort her out. And then we can go and do something later. If you two are not too shaken up by my joke?" I offer and Rose-sweerui''s bulbs light up for some reason. I want to make an assumption, but it''s hard to tell. Nonetheless, the pair seem to perk up at my offer and they hurry along.


    I''m glad it''s turning out like this. Rose-sweerui is on her way to a fast recovery regarding the humour. And, Einervaene seems to be growing increasingly comfortable around us. Or, well, Rose-sweerui, anyway. A project like this probably helped the pair set aside any issues they had, make them forget or something.


    Offering a little wave, I wander off to find myself a spare room. I walk by several doors and eye the staff cleaning them out or using them properly. Guess that means Brewbrt lets some of his staff live here? Makes sense, I suppose. How many bedrooms does this old man need, anyway? This estate is a town within a town!


    Whatever, I suppose, as long as I can find one that I can briefly borrow. Passing some more doors, I flick and tap on the doors to test their locks without coming off as weird. Finding a room far away from anyone else, I find myself stopping at its door for another reason. The awkwardness of my claw on the little turner for the lock sticks in my head.


    This academy better be worth the effort. I hope... No; I want them to sort my body out. If they can- Get me back to normal so I can go home without issue.


    Turning the way I came, my head tilts in thought. A long sigh escapes me. It''s a good thing neither is here to hear me. I cannot say for certain how Einervaene might feel. But, Rose-sweerui, I know she''ll be far worse than she was a minute ago if she so much as hears anything about us two separating.


    "It''s all a while off, anyway." I mutter, going into the room and locking the door behind me. Getting into the bathroom, I start to strip and, with a twist of metal, let the steam rise.

 V4 Incline 58: Nin

    "So... Are you two finally ready to show me your new outfits, then?" I ask through the door, leaning on the frame and putting some weight on the wooden obstacle. Feeling the resistance, I cross my arms and do my best to do the same with my legs. I can''t really say I''ve gotten used to these double knee joints and their strange shape. Old habits cannot be recreated with osibindah limbs.


    Gods, if these two say they need another day!


    "Just- J-Just one moment-! Heehee! My lo-VE!" Rose-sweerui squeals with all kinds of bangs and struggling resounding out to me even through the blocking surface. Leaning away with a widened expression, I scoff some of my amusement out. I offer small nods to any members of Brewbrt''s household staff coming by. More thumps, more squealing and the latest maid dashes off, a hand over her lips.


    "Hold still!" Einervaene calls out, almost as if she''s a soldier. A cry of pain yelps right out of her and I flinch at the sound.


    "Don''t touch there! Only my love can go there!"


    "I can''t put it on if you don''t let me-"


    "STOP IT!" Rose-sweerui screams, the gap at the door''s bottom flashing with her bulbs'' light.


    "Just. Let. Me. Get. It. Up. There!"


    "Nooooooooooo!" the flower girl cries and wails in a long, almost humouring manner. Yet, regardless, my claw impatiently moves closer and closer to the handle.


    "Rose, calm down!" I bark as it increasingly sounds like she might seriously hurt Einervaene. These are definitely kicks I am hearing and with her legs being what they are- A body slams up against the door.


    "She''s not allowed down there! Only- HEEEHEEE! Y-You are!" she answers, her face probably pinned on the door.


    "Let her sort it out or -I will- come in and -ruin- the surprise to do so!" I tell her with a sharply raised voice. I get a series of disgruntled mumbles for a reply.


    "Fine... Just this once!" Rose-sweerui relinquishes with an aggressive stomp. However, I find myself doubting her words. She''ll bend to my will if I am stern enough with her so the chances of her... Reluctantly letting someone put their hands near her... Where ever she is on about. I can''t fathom it.


    "Honest to the gods." I lie so brazenly as to cause my body to ache in pain. Shivering the feeling away, I note how silence has taken over the room. Not total, but, compared to before, anything less is basically complete silence. Some hushed whispers manage to reach me.


    Excitable is the flavour of the tone.


    "You two done in there?" I ask the pair as my pressing of the ear knocks my hat off. Dropping down to get it back on, I grip the door handle just as quick to mind my balance. It unlocks without permission. Hopping up, I get myself back in order as the darkened room reveals itself.


    I step in and turn on the lights, noting the damage to the place before I so much as even focus on the girls. I shake my head with a sigh, as this will probably have to be brought up to Brewbrt. Can''t imagine he''ll feel about another room being trashed up by Einervaene, somehow. Though he''s probably got a heart of gold with her.


    My eyes settle on the four rosy cheeks, "Well... What do you think?"


    Einervaene''s lips seal tight and I close the door as Rose-sweerui nervously gestures for it to be. Finding the closest bed, I plop my behind on to it and look on at their work. I can most certainly say that I am impressed, very impressed. But, with a close of my eyes, I look away.


    "So, who wants feedback first?" I ask and the woman at Einervaene''s side is instantaneous with her answer. The excited, child-like manner in her voice catches my attention.


    "Me! Me! Me! Me! Me! Me! Me! Me! Me!" the aelenvari goes, her voluptuous body bouncing up and down. So much so that Einervaene has to get involved to stop the outfit from falling apart under the strain.


    "Well, alright then." I say as I put my focus on her entirely. Einervaene bows out of view, a lingering finger securing Rose-sweerui''s clothes one last time. She otherwise seems content to look at herself in a mirror, so blatantly lacking the vanity of the other woman here. My final glance catches the telltale signs of reminiscence in her eyes as her now free fingers trace patterns and symbols.


    Putting a claw to my chin, I take all of Rose-sweerui''s outfit in. Foremost, I''m actually surprised she even agreed to having this much fabric being put on her. It''s for all intents and purposes, a wearable sheet, if the wrap around creasing indicates anything. Yet, despite her wearing what I would''ve thought she''d be vehemently against wearing...


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    She''s still managed to find a way to make it match her usual tastes for lingerie and erotic underwear-like clothes.


    Bright and patterned, the fabric is at its heaviest on her back, leaving her front almost like a cake in its paper. A sweet treat one needs to only slightly peel out of its home to get to. Only a baker makes something I''d get to enjoy once. With how Rose-sweerui can just put it back on, I can enjoy the sight of legs, crotch and bellybutton all I want. Should I ask.


    Much the same can be said of the top. There''s nothing there to cover the very peak of her body. Only enough to keep her breasts settled in private comfort. The heaviest the outfit gets is in this extravagant bow around her waist alone. And, with how softly it is tied together, I imagine only she or I need tug it for it all to come falling down.


    Rather curiously, though, her tubes or whatever she calls them are unlike anything else. Tipped with a decorative, polished wood, like a small piece of fine furniture and hoisted by smooth silk rope. A kind of netting tightens as it goes up to her thighs, securing the things properly. She notices where my attention probably is and does a little tapping dance, letting the hollow wood caps ring out.


    Shifting my focus up to her smile, a bit of her hair ends up covering an eye, and she brushes it aside. I smile and take a quick glance at the outfit''s colours and am satisfied with them matching her usual tastes. Leafy greens, rosy pinks and reds, and symbols of love and maternity. It''s all very much an outfit for Rose-sweerui.


    "It fits you very well. I like it." I tell her, nodding and speaking in such a way that my smile is communicated clearly even without it being out in the open. In fact, I''m almost a little upset that I cannot show her the smile. She''ll like it very much.


    Nonetheless... She''s beaming, "Thank you!"


    Huffing at the little dance she starts to sing along to, I turn my attention to the outfit''s creator.


    "All of this was made by you?" I ask Einervaene, gesturing back to Rose-sweerui and then to her own clothes. She knocks herself out of her thoughts and meets me with a spontaneous smile of pride. It grows an embarrassed blemish, and she looks away, fingers fiddling.


    "Yes... I wasn''t able to make the sandals for Rianta-chira. Or myself, though. We needed to find a carpenter for that. I... I don''t really know how to work wood." she admits and I shake my head as that alone does nothing to knock away what she''s already done.


    "A divine job. Either way, you should be very proud of this." I say, a quick laugh leaving me as her face turns brighter than the lights that flashed under the door earlier. Finishing up with my sincerity over her reaction, I get my thoughts in order and focus them on what she''s done for herself.


    Quite notably, hers is more covering than Rose-sweerui''s, yet it still has its tempting aspects. While the aelenvari''s might give me a full view of so much, Einervaene''s clings so tightly to her well-developed form it gains its own sense of charm. A memory flashes before my eyes. One of receiving a present when I was still a child, one with a vague shape of something I really wanted... And I just needed to open it to confirm my growing sense of excitement.


    Unfortunately for my inner sense of perversion, there will be no presents being opened today.


    Outside of the main differences in form and design, Einervaene''s is obviously more modest and revealing in a practical sense only. While still having a sense of refinement about herself, there''s a cut in the fabric to allow one leg some degree of mobility. Going as high as her collarbone, a few extra bits of decoration keep it largely hidden. And, with Rose-sweerui so close, the sleeves of the two outfits sticks out.


    Whereas Rose-sweerui''s are longer in width, becoming almost wing-like, Einervaene''s are longer like traditional long sleeves. With my attention going back to Einervaene entirely, I note how she has more of a proper belt as well, as opposed to Rose-sweerui''s ribbon styling of one. Spotting Einervaene''s gloves, I wonder a little about how worn her hands must be. Did she want them intentionally, or is she being mindful of how worked her fingers are?


    Shaking my thoughts off of that, I note the colours she has chosen. A lot of metallic shades, much the same as the outfit she first borrowed from Rose-sweerui. Reds and whites, or silvers, I guess? Her belt is a bright, vibrant gold that seems to be threaded masterfully by different shades of it. All the pictures and symbology she has, however, are lost on me.


    Lots of lightning and clouds and animals I cannot figure out. There''s definitely the distinct shape of a bird in there, yet it''s all fuzz ball-y with little stick legs. Birds that are all flying away. I glance higher at Einervaene''s expression and see her eyes shift despite her lips being an upward curve.


    I can''t help but pity her...


    I am looking at an art piece made by someone who misses her home so much. My heartstrings are twitching and being pulled on in a way Rose-sweerui can never do. Without a doubt, Einervaene''s mind is not in a good place right now. This project has probably only exasperated these thoughts. She''s desperate for anything that will remind her of home and she''s put so much of that energy into every stitch.


    Rose-sweerui steps into view, her expression one of clear uncertainty and possible jealousy, "So... Whose do you like more...?"


    Yet, despite all of the problems Rose-sweerui''s eyes might cause. Her focus always narrows on Einervaene''s face and hair. Never her clothes. Always her exposed flesh and body.


    "I''m afraid only a divine revelation can lead me to giving that an answer." I dive out with as to avoid any volatile jealousy and insecurity.


    "No...! You must give an answer!" Rose-sweerui strops and she clamours onto me. Her hands grab one of my claws and she tries to entice an answer with a practical showing of her advantages. I laugh her attempts away. However, I appreciate the view of pushed-up breasts on my chest.


    "And I will not." I shrug, shaking my head a little.


    "My love!" Rose-sweerui whines as she shakes me. Intentional or not, her outfit slips down, revealing more halolight-kissed skin. Her fingers slip around me and I tense up as she triggers my back''s recent issues.


    "Einervaene?" I go, withholding my own squeal as my back acts up under Rose-sweerui''s misguided attempts to please me. Stop! Stop! Stop!


    "Hm?" the foreign beauty lets out.


    "I understand this might be a bit sudden- But would you mind leaving the room for a little bit? I got something I need to show to Rose in private." I ask, and she flushes up and nods quickly. Rose-sweerui grins, not knowing truly what I want. Ah, dammit!

 V4 Incline 59: Nin

    "I-I... I-I''m just going to go and show Lord Brewbrt m-my one. Does Rianta-chira want to sho- I can wait for her... Never mind." Einervaene shakes and stumbles out, the door closing in an embarrassed shelling up of her expression. Rose-sweerui''s grip somehow becomes less aggressive with the lack of an audience and she smiles down at me.


    "Do you want to show off?" I ask as I try to get undressed, and, yet again, she misreads my intentions with her aid coming in tears and pulls. Grabbing her, I put a stop to the physical side of it, but, whatever battle I have to find to control her mind... I surrender already.


    "When I am done tending to you, my precious love. Then I will let others bask in my impregnated beau-"


    "I''m not after sex." I blunt force into her ears. Her expression wavers and then it returns with a smile.


    "Of course, but your affairs will always come first." she tells me, giving me some space and then clamouring back onto me. Her rose petal hair steadily loses form as she continues to rub up against my body. Words are a lie, it would seem.


    With a tail prodding at me, I manage to finish getting unchanged in relative peace. Moving off of the bed to pile my things, the mask and hat come off. Einervaene, for some reason, comes back into the room-


    "Oh, good, you are here, I want to talk to you ab-" Neeameth of all people says and Rose-sweerui crashes into the door. Shoving the woman back out of the room. The safe sound of a lock allows my body to move again. Shaking at first, I blink at how easily I nearly got outed. What in the name of the gods does this girl want!?


    "Whatever it is, it can wait! Please, go away!" I snap, my adrenaline coming out in a little more than just some mild annoyance. I vice lock my jaw as my chitters get out of control. Too loud, they''re too loud.


    "It''s important!" Neeameth insists as Rose-sweerui digs in to put her body''s muscles to work. Though, I am thankful to be able to point out to her that the lock alone is enough.


    "It will have to wait!" I snap again.


    "Being in a room on your own with an aelenvar lover is hardly important!" Neeameth scoffs dismissively, her voice carrying the shrug she''s no doubt emoted.


    "I am not here to do that or any shit like it. I need someone I can trust to look at something while I undress!" I explain, a growing desire to throw my life away for the sole purpose of smacking this annoyance.


    "If you are shy about showing off your hot sword, I can promise you I won''t joke about it!"


    "Go away, already!" I let out with as much harshness as I can. Thankfully, she finally seems to get the message and footsteps sound off on the other side. Groaning and sighing, I throw my backside onto a nearby comfort. Clenching my core, I force my way back up and Rose-sweerui comes over, an edge still to her posture.


    "So, what is it you wanted me to look at?" she asks me, a smile growing on her face. No doubt when I mentioned the word ''trust,'' whatever, I suppose. Turning a bit, I show my back off. Lights flash. I guess that means I need to guess her reaction proper. A gasp, she flashed a gasp...


    I settle for a subtle sigh rather than a facepalm.


    "Can you give it a look, please?" I ask, fiddling with some cloth to get this energy out of my system. I''m already undressed, so it''s not like I can throw that stuff around to deal with my anxiety. One annoyance''s rudeness nearly cost me my bloody life. Gods above, how am I not already treating this with enough caution!?


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    The lack of noise and movement on Rose-sweerui''s end catches my attention. I look over my shoulder and into her eyes. They shift from mine and to whatever is going on with my back. She seems to shuffle away. I frown as a hand places itself near the sensitive parts.


    "Well, what is it?" I ask, keeping my temper in check. When one paranoia starts up, the rest, without a doubt, follow on after. She finally gasps in shock.


    "It''s all cracked and shattered..." she explains, her fingers prodding at one such crack. I can''t really discern much. All I can do is flinch. Anything more and I''d be ready to jump up and shake about.


    "Ticklish...?" I mumble, unable to pinpoint an idea of what the sensation is. All I know is that I am sensitive back there for the time being.


    "How... How did you get hurt like this?" Rose-sweerui asks, her body slithering around to my front so she can hold me close. Welcoming the warmth, I linger my thoughts in it for a second. Her outfit is quite soft, has that new clothes feel to it.


    "I''m not entirely sure what caused it. My back has just been acting up since the animal incident. The ryphurs or whatever they are. When I covered you and Einervaene up and they started pecking at me. After that is when this sensation started happening." I explain, recalling to the best of my ability when the first load of back-induced flinches happened.


    "The damage is quite precise, where it hasn''t grown, anyway. It was certainly the pecking." she explains, the luxury of a mirror not being something I''ve been able to use thus far. At least, not when the problem has been in mind. Little hard to focus on some back discomfort when I have things like what just happened to worry about. Why am I even justifying this to myse-


    "Yeah, I gathered..." I mutter, rubbing a claw along my long, tired face.


    "You need to be more careful." my friend warns as her bulbs glow warmly. Eyeing the signs of her own injuries, I find myself wanting to chuckle. She backs away, unsure of how to act. Grabbing her suddenly, I crawl us up onto the bed and rest my head on the pillowy end.


    "I''m the one who needs to be more careful?" I ask, visibly smiling for once as she returns the expression. She snuggles up closer and breathes across my bare chest. Doing my best to watch, she doodles something down there, possibly into the condensation. She goes back to cuddling and twists around so her back is on my chest.


    "You are strong, my precious love. Not invincible." she cautions with a sigh, her hand rubbing along one of my carapace-covered wrists. Curiosity sparks within me and I relax the limb, letting my plates part enough for her to reach in. She invites the chance for new exploration wholesale.


    And... Nothing comes of it. Her fingers and nails cannot evoke anything from my exposed tenders.


    "Well, that answers that." I say, trying to figure out what the problem is with my back. Maybe it is because it''s not meant to be exposed or is not used to touch? Like an armpit or the inside of a foot. Or, well, my older human feet. Doubt I could make my current ones evoke anything but a stomp.


    "It did not feel the same?" she asks, twisting slightly to see my head. I shake it, rewarding her peculiar effort, and she rolls back into a comfortable position.


    "No, not in the slightest. I guess the implication is my back is not meant to be exposed. And, with the cracks and all, any pressure is too precise. A natural alarm, I guess." I ponder as I get caught up in my head. Is it right for me to call my non-shell covered parts skin? They look like raw muscle, yet raw muscle would most certainly act up if exposed. Guess I''ll never find out, what with osibindah biology being a cause for alarm at the local doctors.


    "I am not strong enough to heal you, my love. I might be able to soothe the pain or help with your recovery. But, unlike you with me, I cannot heal you. But I am unsure if that will cause you issues." Rose-sweerui suggests and I am already declining the idea.


    "It will probably be best if we just let my back heal as is. No more letting animals peck me and all that." I explain, huffing at my not particularly funny humour. Rose''s hands go across my arms, tenderly touching whatever she can with a lot of precision to her movements.


    "If we simply leave your back alone, it may make it worse." she worriedly warns, her back grinding up closer to me.


    "I guess the best option is for you to make sure nothing is where it shouldn''t be." I point out, holding one of her hands at the first opportunity. She lets out a noise of agreement and breaks out of my hold. Her grip relinquishes and she surprisingly tidies up her outfit. A pair of her fingers wiggle in succession and I sit up.


    "Try to keep still. And, of course, forgive me for any problems," she sweetly explains, a finger tracing the limits of my wounds. She quickly pops off and comes back with a strong smelling item. With the familiar click of a make-up container, I blink at the mental image of my back. She better be willing to wash it off, too.


    "Carefu-" I start to warn and I flinch at the first touch!

 V4 Incline 60: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    "Come on now... Come on! Just wanted a conversation with ya, Nin..." the woman who went past me not too long ago complains. Bringing myself to a halt, I raise a hand slightly to catch her attention. She looks me over quite quickly and turns the way she came, realisation all over her face.


    "If it''s not too much trouble, I can pass on whatever information you have to him?" I offer, and her expression tightens up with an evident decline. Admittedly, her reaction is confusing to me. She wants to speak to Nin-kischu, but Nin-kischu is quite the private individual. Outside of Rianta-chira, he confides in no one. Not to my limited knowledge, anyway.


    "Dammit," she swears with the sound of a mock spit.


    "It will be best if you follow me. I need to be somewhere, but I can explain the situation in the meantime?" I change my offer to and she shakes her head. Taking her continued walking as a sign of acceptance anyway, I keep my gaze on her.


    "Can''t I just wait for Nin to be done?" the woman questions and I shake my head.


    "Nin-kischu is extremely private. Whatever he wants to do in our temporary accommodation, it will be done first. Until the issue is dealt with, any interactions with him are out of hand." I explain, a bit of sadness to my words. While I understand Nin-kischu has a right to his privacy... I just want someone to talk to. I''ve been alone for too long and there''s just something about him that makes me feel welcome. Oddly enough, I''d call the feeling magical.


    "This a common problem, then, Moody?" she asks back, and my eyes wince at her degree of perception. Is my bother really that obvious? I thought I largely had my ''stiff upper lip'' sorted by now...


    The woman laughs and I become all too aware of the warmth in my face.


    "I-I cannot really say. All I know is that he prefers solitude whenever he is getting unchanged. Often locking himself away for that very purpose. The only one ever allowed close to him in such moments is Rianta-chira. She''s the only one he seems to want around him at those times."


    "The aelenvar?" she asks, brow cocked in an arch, a smirk on her lips.


    "That is what she is, I believe, yes. Her real name is Rose, but I-"


    The woman huffs another laugh, putting an end to my over-answering, "And here I was under the impression that Nin wasn''t all that interested in her. But, oh, look at him! Trusting her enough to see him all stripped down."


    Mentally shaking her words aside, I try to get us back to my original offer as it''s not my place to comment, "So, the information you wanted to tell him? You''ve yet to decline my offer."


    For once, I find myself to be the one lacking red cheeks, "All... All I wanted to do was ask if he was free to do something later. T-Together, you know?"


    "You wish to court him?" I surprise myself with as I never thought myself capable of such bluntness. Her cheeks grow so red I find mine flushing in response. If only a little.


    "I just want to know him a little better is all..." she mutters, hand messing up her brown-stained blonde hair. Turning away to look out of a window as she nervously mutters away, I find myself frowning. Over such an odd thing, too. Here it is, again.


    Someone with an interest in being close to Nin-kischu... Is Rianta-chira being that possessive of him an encourager for those around him? Or is it all... Him? The feeling he gives off, that desire he seems to plant in women.


    I mean, it''s only three people I know of, but-


    "What leads you to want to befriend him?" I practically force out to get my mind away from such ramblings.


    "Well... I am hoping for a little, just a little, more than befriending him. But, if you must know... I like feeling small and he does that. He does it really well." she explains, her smirk becoming more of a little girl''s cheery anxiety. I smile at the reminder of such a sweet trait.


    "He certainly seems able to make anyone feel small." I concur, thinking of how I first found and, in turn, mistook him. All that magic overflowing from his system and the size of his body. Were it not for the reminder of what a real, all-powerful lord looked like in Lord Brewbrt. I''d still be falling for it.


    Yet, even with Nin-kischu''s lack of arcane refinement, he still has his physical imposition.


    So many times I have had to look up to get to as close to full eye contact. I think earlier, when he was telling us his thoughts about the kimonos I made, that''s been the only time I''ve had to look down a little. The closer I get to him when he stands, the more I must crane back to see. I have considered maybe just keeping my distance when talking to him... But that feels quite rude, so I never followed through with it.


    "I mean... I understand if it might seem a little hollow. But, honestly, it can''t be anymore hollow than how that aelenvar ended up liking him, no? All it takes with their flowery kind is some big magic- Oooooh! Magic-y...!" she questions, going over topics I''d rather keep my hands clean of. Yet, I still feel myself compelled to at least say something. Though, every second it takes me to think of a response... I feel jittier with each tick of it going by.


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    "There''s nothing wrong with having an interest in someone because of a trait beyond their control. However, I think... Just... Only get close to them if you actually do wish to care for them?" I tell this woman as my thoughts abruptly shift to my homeland. I was in this situation, once destined to be married off to a powerful family, like my own. I remember one name clearly to this day, if only for the problems that occurred when its family head came to visit. The Lord Burspharosa.


    An image of Mother flashes before me. It''s not uncommon for the daughters of nobles to marry purely for political reasons. Although Mother loves me like I do her, she did make a point of trying to make me understand the practicality of reality. Yet, it was all but one step to why I am here and not back home...


    We find ourselves walking out to the main entrance chamber, "Well, here''s to hoping Nin is free, then. And we can actually do all that!"


    The woman waves and starts to leave and I frown, my mouth parting slightly.


    "So, should I tell him you want to spend some time with him at some point?"


    "No... I got something else planned now," the woman answers, a look and grin on her face that leaves me feeling daunted. I find myself with no confidence in regards to it. She abruptly leaves, a jokester''s evil chuckle about her.


    Blinking and shaking my head, I return to my prior task and its set of thoughts. I want to show my outfit off to Lord Brewbrt and see what he thinks about it. He should find a lot to like about it. What, with his involvement with Mother and his knowledge of my homeland?


    I mean, I hope he does say he likes it. I''ve put a lot of effort into my outfit and to hear him say he doesn''t like it will be quite frustrating. I''m not particularly qualified to remark about the man. But, with how much he has helped me and Mother, I feel a strong kinship with him, regardless. I owe him too much to be dismissive of his thoughts.


    And... Maybe this time, I''d be able to hear what is outright preferred without having to worry about Rianta-chira? Nin-kischu''s tongue was held back without a doubt when he judged is. While I understand Rianta-chira''s feelings... There are times I want to be seen as the better of all those I am being compared to.


    Yet, while I would be happy to receive such a compliment. Easily made envy makes me fear such praise. I am not sure if I can handle such targeting. While Rianta-chira does not strike me as cruel or malicious, she''s surprisingly kind and open with me on most topics. But, once -he- becomes involved... She changes. It''s like I am talking to a whole new person. Or, rather, maybe it just exaggerates her usual behaviours.


    A smile forms on my lips, somehow, "I wonder how that would go, actually. Spending so much time with her and her insistences seems to be having the opposite effect."


    I giggle out the humour I find in my quiet commentary. For all of her attempts to keep me away from him, all it has done is make me think of Nin-kischu more. Yet, I cannot say if there''s anything romantic about this attraction. It all seems like it is simply a case of ''think about it enough and that is all you will think about,'' and all the problems it entails. My upbringing and recent years, however, has given me an appreciation of what Nin-kischu can offer me.


    The desire for safety and a companion in long travels...


    I shake my head and try to clear my thoughts as I open yet another door. I know it is often said that being around those who are vigorously interested in a topic will get you invested in it, too. But, Nin-kischu simply being a good friend will do me well for now. A good friend that looks out for me in this strange and largely unfamiliar land. In time, if he is still with me when we go back to my home, I can repay the favour and guide him.


    Though, I would have to get to such a point before I even see that-


    "Well, look at you!" Lord Brewbrt calls out with a smile as I finally find him, or, rather, he finds me. Clearing my thoughts, I focus on that wide smile and the eyes that shine with nothing but evident pride. My face burns so red it turns white hot.


    "D-Do you like it...?" I rather stupidly ask.


    "Like it? No. No, I love it almost as much as my memories of adventuring," he laughs out, his hands landing on my shoulders and shaking them. Keeping myself upright, a shaking, embarrassed smile from me matches the width of his. His hands fiddle with my outfit a little, and I notice a few creases.


    "Thank you!" I squeak louder than I need to as he steps back to take in the full view. His finger spins and I emulate the movement with my whole body. My feet cross over and I bring my fingers together, tightening them to the sound of stretching gloves.


    "So this is what you have been working on?" he asks through a series of nods. His eyes and gestures shift their focus towards the various animals and plants I have had printed on it.


    "Yes, I also made Rianta-chira one. But she is being held back because of something important." I explain, and the elderly lord nods.


    "Well, I hope it won''t take too long. I wouldn''t actually mind seeing an aelenvari petal''s take on a kimono. Even if I have some idea of it already," he lets out genuinely, a chuckle ending his sentence.


    "You remember what they are called?" I ask, wide-eyed slightly at the fact he remembers such a thing about my home. It must''ve been decades since he last came to Eusorochii. And, in such a small fraction of that time, I''ve already forgotten so much about my home...


    "Of course, my time in Eusorochii was very memorable," he says, "You know, it has been said that the Land of the Lightning Mountain is the cousin land of the one of Wind?"


    "I have not, no. This isn''t a recent thing, is it? I''ve been out of the loop..." I try to laugh out, but it only makes me miserable.


    "No, no. It''s quite an old saying though. I have to believe it''s more politically driven than anything," he answers, his mind going to a place I cannot fathom.


    "Perhaps it is because of a necessary need for cooperation? Large portions of Eusorochii are known to fall into the All-Coast Sea. Eventually washing up on the southern coast of Jherikra. I briefly stayed within the general area of the colonies." I ponder and he nods, if only a little.


    "Perhaps, but unlike the two poles so close and so far from each other. Our two peoples are the same in one regard." Lord Brewbrt comments and I am left a little blank on the concept.


    "So does that mean the lands of Fire and Water are the same?" I ask, wondering if that means there''s a connection between the two left over lands.


    "No... By the gods no, they are far too different." he skirts around with.


    "Ah, ok." is all I can think to say.


    "Hm, is that a conductor plant?" he then asks, shifting the topic to something else entirely. Following his finger''s direction, I find the branch-like plant he is pointing to. One on my sleeves.


    Shaking my head within it, I drop the topic he had, "Yes, it is, and over here we have..."

 V4 Incline 61: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    ¡°So, is this a recent interest, or have you always had the fingers for sewing and weaving?¡± Lord Brewbrt asks as he leans back into his chair to take a sip from his glass. His wetted lips move away with a clicking pop. Shifting my focus away from the fireplace, I adjust my position so I can enjoy the chair¡¯s cushioning. All so I can smile back at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long going one. Mother taught me at first as part of my upbringing. However...¡± I start to answer, only to linger at the shift of reminisce to justification. I know it isn¡¯t the case now, but I know that once upon a time I saw it as nothing more than a part of the boring stuff of my childhood. Yet, in the time since I left Eusorochii, my want to do it has only grown as it¡¯s one of the few things I can do still.


    So much has been left behind, but not the skills I¡¯ve learned or the memories I gained.


    ¡°But, as a result of leaving home, it¡¯s become one of the few things you have to keep you connected to it.¡± Lord Brewbrt figures out, the wisdom of his age shining brighter than the golden lightning I am damned for not having. I nod quickly as my position on the chair changes again. Putting my legs out, I let the extensiveness of my efforts shine in the fire¡¯s tidal light. Patterns of dye of fabric, my effort and others all.


    ¡°Y-Yes... Yes. I once never enjoyed it, then I came to appreciate what I could do with it as time passed by. Yet, now, for a few years now. It seems like the only thing I can do to feel happy.¡± I explain, bringing my gloved hands together and making my fingers dance. Slipping away from the grip of the other palm, I hold up one of my sleeves and look over its craftsmanship.


    ¡°I know I¡¯ve said it before, but, it¡¯s good work, Einervaene, you should be proud.¡± Lord Brewbrt reminds me and I can¡¯t find it in myself to smile this time.


    ¡°It would be nice if I could make something without thinking about home. I¡¯ve tried so hard over these past few years since the first ship first let slip its moorings... And, still, I cannot stop.¡± I explain, my frustration boiling well even without the heat of my magic or even this ornate fireplace.


    ¡°You should never let go of that sort of stuff. Never do that.¡± Lord Brewbrt tells me, his voice shockingly stern. I flinch and blink, letting my thoughts go away with a nod. Somehow, I feel the want to cry in my eyes. Though it does not escalate.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I answer, quietly.


    ¡°Your mother sent you here to keep you safe. Remember that and hold it dear to your heart. Einervaene. There was no abandonment or neglect. She¡¯s gone to great lengths to keep you safe, especially by getting into contact with me. I will, in her good name, keep you safe as well. Whatever it is you need to do, feel free to do so. But, for the love of all the gods in the Orbital-Halo so high above All-That-Remains... Do not ever think you are alone. Even now, even now... You¡¯ve found yourself some unlikely companions.¡±


    ¡°Nin and Rose¡¯lhia.¡± I say, saying their actual names for once as this moment of vulnerability storms across my mind.


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re a colourful pair, compared to everyone in this town. But, I have a good feeling about those two. Especially that young man. There¡¯s a secret he has which makes or breaks people. It says a lot about his character that he¡¯s offered you the kindness that he thus far has,¡± Lord Brewbrt explains, and I nod some more. Looking away, I hide my surprise at how passively inquisitive my elderly friend is. With it on my mind only an hour or two ago, it is quite surprising to hear. However, I cannot find it within me to return my gaze to Lord Brewbrt and instead trail up a decorative pillar.


    One surprisingly mindful of Lord Brewbrt¡¯s past within my homeland.


    ¡°You think it is a good idea for me to journey with them to Thrurstradtur?¡± I ask, minding the art painted across the domed ceiling of this room. Lord Brewbrt¡¯s chair creaks gently, indicating his joining in.


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    ¡°I do. The pair will get there, and they have the means to keep you safe. While I would prefer I did it myself, circumstances keep me here for the time being,¡± he explains as my gaze lowers in time with the emptying of my lungs.


    ¡°That¡¯s... Understandable. You don¡¯t need to explain the concepts of a ruler¡¯s responsibility to me.¡± I say, standing up and walking over to one of the closed curtains. Ruining the mood that my host has aimed for, I look out at the daylight-shined town. Workers are still going about sorting out the prior damage, children are playing and others are going about their business.


    Footsteps approach and I shuffle aside to give Lord Brewbrt some room in looking at his town, ¡°Though I have the valley-riders, they¡¯re not entirely enough.¡±


    ¡°I know... Mother has... Had...? No matter. She has the entire Bosphama domain at her beck and call. She¡¯s one of the strongest nobles in all of Eusorochii. I know that much. Remember it, rather? Yet, for all her power, she did not feel like she had the means to protect me.¡± I say, finding my eyes sinking with depressive misery. With but a touch on my shoulder, Lord Brewbrt squeezes some confidence back into my spirit.


    ¡°When a net has to be cast far and wide, there''re more chances for problems to slip in. Our eyes are marvels of divine accident, but they can only observe so much. Even with age and wisdom refining their strengths.¡± Lord Brewbrt explains, and he points out something in the streets. Doing my best to follow his finger, he uses an airy line of his silvered emerald brilliance to direct me further.


    ¡°A young man?¡± I question, watching the barely detailed image in the distance put something on or near his face. There¡¯s a sense of familiarity in the back of my mind, but I cannot recall.


    ¡°A shop clerk, to be exact. One with a lot of growing resentment.¡± Lord Brewbrt says, and I frown at his words. Is his point that problems out of one¡¯s control can lead to them overlapping with other problems? A cascade that entangles a web so well it becomes invincible to all but a blade that can cut it? I¡¯m pretty sure Mother once told me a story about a cursed knot that was quite physical, with a great warlord of old cutting it so bluntly. His actions circumventing the means the original knotter had intended.


    Through unexpected means can so many problems be solved¡­ And, in my case, the safest thing that could be done was sending me off. To keep me safe from one thing, she had to send me out into the danger of another. I very much doubt that Mother was thinking like that when she made the fateful decision, however.


    How can anyone who loves their daughter so dearly think straight in moments like that¡­?


    ¡°The people of the castle always seemed to love Mother, though.¡± I recall, thinking of all the smiles and joy I used to be able to get out of everyone. If there were any such problems, surely I would¡¯ve learned or figured it out in my time alive? I may be young for one of rich-arcane lineage, but I am still close to my fifties.


    Though I might not feel like it, I am older than many of the people out there in this town.


    ¡°People wear many masks, Einervaene. Some more literally than others, like your friend, Nin.¡± he laughs, guiding me away from the window. Smiling a bit at his joy, I try to cling to it and the hope that it brings.


    ¡°I suppose he does, doesn¡¯t he?¡± I ask with a quick laugh of my own, imitating the beak shape I¡¯ve grown used to seeing. I really do wonder what is beneath it, what that peculiar sound he lets out is caused by. But I will respect his privacy. If he wishes for me to know, I will learn.


    ¡°He has a lot going on in his head, too. He spends a fair amount of his time alone in the temple. Perhaps you would be well off to do so as well?¡± Lord Brewbrt suggests, and I stew in my thoughts some more.


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost my sense of practice when it comes to religion, I am afraid.¡± I point out, my years of travelling not doing much to help my sense of belonging. Involvement with anything I cannot bring along with me is not really an option these days. Or, rather, of days past.


    ¡°Well, how about we go by and pay the shrine of Clohniq a visit? Do you still remember her divine rulings?¡± Lord Brewbrt suggests, aiming my direction towards the door out of this room.


    ¡°I do not-¡° I start to answer and the room turns dark, only his magic keeping us in the light, ¡°... No.¡±


    ¡°My apologies!¡± Lord Brewbrt laughs, his hand opening the door and bringing us back into the light as a dead fire smokes away in its confinement.


    ¡°It is nice watching how you treat your magic.¡± I comment sweetly, amused by how wind magic contrasts with the power of lightning. So many things that I can do that no one here can, and vice versa. While I might forget the nuances of home, even with my accursed colour of magic, I still know how the storm works in the clouds.


    ¡°And I am sure the people of my town will love watching you as you come with me to the temple! A good display of one¡¯s technique and skill for the Goddess of Clothes.¡± Lord Brewbrt tells me and I suddenly recall the goddess. Ah, right, she¡¯s the one whose markings permeate a lot of the tools I used to make these kimonos.

 V4 Incline 62: Shop Clerk Baltanthan

    "Why did I not jump at the chance to throw out an excuse? Maybe then I wouldn''t be here cleaning up this- ... Mess." I grumble, barely holding myself back from exploding as the limits of my patience become fit to burst. It''s hard not to have one of the rusting pipes out back come to mind. A rumbling snort eases the building pressure on mind, and the mop smacks across the floor once again.


    Do the gods take my cynical hopes and dreams seriously anymore? Or have I been so sarcastic with them that they might as well be bloody pulp? Like all those pathetic annoyances who got trampled not all that long ago. Gods above, I hate them all.


    Every single one of them pretentious, entitled, insufferable- The bell rings. My eyes straighten out, as do the arches in my posture.


    "Ah, good, the grumpy one is here." Futhans'' crush says, coming in through the door fully. Sighing as my tasks are once again interrupted, I set up an additional barricade of mop and bucket. One that''s not likely to ward off anyone. I''ve seen it happen too many times. I put the sign out and they drag their muddy boots right over my clean -wet- floors. Brown prints. Brown prints... Brown prints!


    Forcing a blink, I get on with attending to the interests of someone else. Though, I do find myself a little surprised, as Neeameth never really comes here often. If at all. Bit like the rest of her galloping kind in their out-of-mind building. She''s even dressed up in her valley-rider gear, so, I am not sure if this is in a professional capacity.


    This shop has never supplied them with tools, they get their stuff elsewhere.


    I suppose I better try and see if I can sell something to her and her group. Otherwise, the fat bastard, wherever he is, will be roaring down my ear canals about not getting him enough sales. Yet, I am glad for every bit of failure this shop faces. As glad as an evil man is that Undwote forgets his victim''s soul.


    Finally reaching the counter, I lift the top up and withhold myself from slamming it down. It bangs anyway. Any excuse to break this place, any excuse at all... Give it to me. I hate it here. I hate it!


    "How can I help?" my soulless form asks and Neeameth''s mood drops as hard as the fat bastard would should I shove him down a cliff. Her hands come up onto the counter and I look beyond them, to her sheathed weapons. I wonder if she''ll let me borrow a pistol so I can shoot myself? No, no! So I can shoot the fat bastard and every one of his supporting piles of excrement.


    "First, is it possible to keep this purchase private?" she asks and I find myself, quite simply, perplexed. What kind of shop does she think this is?


    "We don''t hand out details to others if that is what you are asking...?" I ask anyway, to make sure I am at least somewhat on the right track here.


    "No! Can you make it so this never gets out?" she reiterates, and it''s still as unhelpful as before. I blink a blank expression into existence. Not a whole lot is going on in my head.


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    "We don''t record information that would link back to buyers...?" I say, her words still not making much sense. I''m hearing her loud and clear... But... I don''t even know.


    She sighs with quite the amount of exasperation, "Never mind."


    "Ok." I go, not moving. A hand goes into one of her many pockets.


    "I am looking for something like this, got one?" she asks, handing me a small notetablet. Taking the enchanted clay in hand, I read what has been hammered in.


    My brow settles into a thoughtful frown, the details filling out my empty head quite easily. She wants a voice recorder, yet she has written the details down as if it''s a complex, artisan-crafted item. I honestly want to laugh at her¡­ Then at Futhans, for having a crush on such a clueless girl. This item isn''t rare, expensive or out of the ordinary. It''s most certainly not Ancient Jhermonikra technology.


    It''s a toy, right behind her and neatly packed, ready for her use.


    "Uh, yeah, right behind you." I finally answer, pointing at the items in question. She spins, an ''O'' on her lips and a devious snicker right after. In the moment of lacking eyes, I flash a private smile to inject some joy back into my day.


    "Is there a limit to how much these can record?" she asks, one in hand and another teetering in the grip of another. I glance to my side to make sure the bastard and his vile spawn and collective are not here. They are not.


    "No, they can handle a good few sentences. Perfect for tricks and pranks." I say and I cheer on the inside as she settles on only one of the toys.


    "Magic really is something, isn''t it?" Neeameth asks with a chuckle.


    She''s making me want to groan in despair. I really want to. We live in a land where the winds blow with an emerald glow so often. We''re so very close to one of the greatest schools for magic in all the world! Suhurlodst itself is within maybe a few weeks to a month''s worth of well-packed foot travel from here. And, here I am, serving people who are surprised by the most basic of concepts as tools.


    How do people even make it in life...?


    "Not too much recording, then?" she asks again for clarification and I give a quick nod.


    "Yeah, don''t go more than a few sentences for simplicity''s sake." I repeat, and she digs into her purse.


    "That''s fine. I don''t think I will be needing more than a single one." she tells me as if I care.


    "Anything else?" I ask, as my job otherwise forces me to.


    "No, this will do. How much do I owe you?" she answers and I tap a tag. My answer on the product.


    "It''s on the box." I tell her, noting her initial confusion. Her eyes widen slightly and she flips the item around to look at the little piece of flat stone with a price cut into it. Moving over to the cash register, I get to putting in the details and money rattles across the counter.


    "There you go," she says, leaving with all due haste.


    "Your change!?" I call out, watching her speed off. She''s already out of sight, forcing me to follow after her if I want to get her back into view. Death will grab me before I put in that effort. Waiting for the Pack of Seven to sniff my soul''s location out will be a bearable wait compared to another shift anyhow.


    "KEEP IT!" she screams, going back out through the door and almost slamming it shut. Feeling the need to collapse against something so I can huff and puff some mental exhaustion out, my eyes twitch. She left so quickly I didn''t even register the purchase properly, let alone sort her change. With a gnashing growl, I heave the counter up and grab an item to properly clock it in.


    Thank the gods this awful place doesn''t use a system that cascades problems like this. I amaze myself, really. This place is terrible, it is horrible. And, somehow, I can always think of ways it can get worse. I always can...


    "Gods, please, give me an excuse to get out of here." I click with growing anger as I go to finally sort out the floors. My eyes paranoid of everyone who walks the street beyond the front-of-shop glass.

 V4 Incline 63: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    "Jean shorts?" Rianta-chira repeats as she holds the article in question. The quality of its make doesn''t seem to really fit her pallet, but the scale otherwise does. This piece in particular would barely cross over both of her... Um, cheeks.


    "Yes, that seems to be what they are called." I say, putting my hands through a rack of similar clothes. They all seem to hold the same trait of being trousers made of the same material. A bluish fabric that has been intentionally eroded in some places for a natural blend of white. Probably made of some kind of cotton-blend, I would guess. I can''t say it''s really for me.


    Much as I am not into Rianta-chira''s idea of clothing style, I am more than willing to agree with her choice of material. With how my last few months at sea and river have been, fine clothes are so nostalgically warm for me. It''s a comfort I am amazed I was able to let go of. But, I guess it makes sense when I think about it properly. If all I have is nothing... How am I supposed to move away from it?


    Well, at least now, that is not the case. I have people looking out for me and people to do things with. Lord Brewbrt and I went to the temple, and we carried on our conversations and I ran into Rianta-chira. Our host graced us with some funds and told us to enjoy the town. So, here we are.


    I am glad Rianta-chira otherwise seems to be enjoying our trip through the many shops. Though, I am worried her intent desire for such fanciful clothes does not bring our host to financial ruin. He might joke about a ''petal''s'' tendencies. But, all jokes have their truth to them, somewhere.


    "Einervaene, does your home have anything like this?" Rianta-chira asks, drawing me out of my head. Following her fingers as they part vests and sleeveless tops, I try to recall any similarities. I don''t think so, no-


    Rianta-chira''s pace jumps.


    "He-Hey!" I call out, almost having to chase her as she fiddles with something that has grabbed her attention. A pair of shorts made of a jean-like material with suspender straps coming out of them. Despite how loose the hips and width of the shorts are, they lack the means to be belted. As if it naturally implies the straps are to be the means to fasten?


    I''m pretty sure I''ve seen similar clothes in Rianta-chira''s supply. I guess why that is why it has caught her attention so well. The item is quite revealing in and of itself, with a natural, easy means to take it off. It''s no wonder, really.


    "Well?" Rianta-chira goes, making me blink.


    "Huh?"


    "My question. You''ve yet to answer," she clarifies and I blink again, caught off-guard. I... I thought she lost interest and didn''t care because she went off!?


    "R-Right, the question... No... N-No, it does not. Nothing like this here in this shop. Though, I would say there''s a similarity it how easy it is to remove. While modest, a lot of the work goes into belts, strings and ropes. We''re all like presents ready to be unwrapped!" I answer, trying to answer the question in an amusing way.


    I stare at Rianta-chira as her brow rises, her bottom lip sinking to the pressure of a gentle nibble.


    "Presents, hm?" she repeats, her tail slithering about where it shouldn''t go. Doing my best to politely swat it away, she giggles at my behaviour and walks off with her usual confidence. A behaviour that only grows when a handful of hard-working men cross by during their own shopping trip. They leave her be with joke scenarios on their lips and I find Rianta-chira smirking.


    "H-Heh, sometimes, when I was younger, it felt like the only thing I was a present for was the bathtub." I try to joke, but her head is still elsewhere.


    "Sorry, human roots, but you''re too inferior for something like me," Rianta-chira giggles as she focuses on a display of more revealing clothes. My words still seemingly lingering in her head. She picks up one such piece and presses it against her body. She drops it, a sneer of disgust on her face. Her sharp turn almost tears up the carpet.


    Worriedly moaning, I try to tidy up the mess she left. Something catches my eye and I glance back at the petal lady. Leaving her be for the moment, I go over to inspect the item closer. Such a soft-looking item.


    "Oh... Oh, wow. This is very soft." I remark, putting my hand through the pink, fluffy fabric. Like a well-groomed pet, one so pampered it probably never even played outside in the filth. What is really amazing to me, though, is how I haven''t even taken off one of my gloves. It must really be something for the hands if I just pull one of them off!


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    "Is something meant to be worn with this?" Rianta-chira comes out of nowhere asking, spooking me. Flinching and banging my leg, I get myself together and face her. She ignores my reaction and gets to pretending she is wearing it.


    Noting the way it has an accompanying, matching belt and crossover, a response clicks away in my head, "It does not appear to need anything else, no..."


    I glance at a nearby shop sign to get some clarification. Apparently, it''s a ''bed robe,'' so, yeah, nothing is really needed with it. Bed doesn''t really have a dress code beyond the individual''s comfort. With how many nights I''ve been sharing a room with Nin, though... I prefer to have something on. It feels scandalous to have even a shoulder slip out overnight in the tossing and turning.


    I mean, I always liked to wear something, even back in the near limitless privacy of my home. But, I can understand why someone might prefer to be naked in bed. In fact, I know of several who do that and one right now who is quite proud of that detail. Though, I must admit for the sake of my conscience, I''ve yet to experience unbearably warm weather, which forces lighter clothing.


    A bad storm can often overcharge and heat the metalwork under the floorboards back home. Natural lightning is free, easy heating, but it lacks regulation. I don''t think much can really be done to keep a god''s creation in check, however. Thankfully, all I need to worry about here is the wind.


    Nasty storms often gave rise to many problems. Those who can''t afford to keep their homes spotless even get their houses called ''Charred Frames.'' Blacked with soot by all the lightning and the power within the bolts. It''s easy to be envious of the Jhermonikra when all they have to deal with is gales. Winds the mountains block the worst of. In that regard, I suppose our two lands are quite similar. It''s just stormless to an absurd, comparative degree here.


    "Ah, there you are!" a barely recognisable voice calls out. Looking away from the clothes, I see that it is that woman from earlier. The one asking about Nin-kischu.


    "What do you want?" Rianta-chira snaps, her patience thin and her demand clear. I think I am best off not remarking about this hostility...


    "To ask you something," the woman explains, a click on her tongue as her posture emphasises her armaments. Rianta-chira cares little and even taunts the human by striding a step closer. Her tail sways gently while a finger bends at the edge of her lips. She tries to provoke the human by slapping at her sword''s guard.


    The woman secures her weapon, gripping it tight.


    "Well...? Spit it out in your horrid tongue, then!" Rianta-chira scoffs as she turns away, her tail yanking at an unprotected article. I shuffle back as her look of disgust passes by me on its way back around to the woman.


    "If you were to knock on the door. Where your ''precious'' love is. What would you say, assuming he wants privacy?" the woman asks, something clicking behind her back. I glance at Rianta-chira, her ears having twitched.


    "What would I say?" she questions, her confusion much the same as mine. It''s a very odd question. Has something happened to Nin-kischu?


    "Yes." the woman goes.


    "My love, it is me. Can I come in?" Rianta-chira answers, her tone off and shoulders rising as the awkwardness of the question registers. The woman smiles, taking off with a smirk.


    "Th-That was odd." I struggle to say without whispering it. Rianta-chira lets out a noise of distaste. Her fingers gently direct my attention back to the clothes.


    "Just be glad she is gone. That root is beneath us, most certainly you. Now, which one would you say is better?" Rianta-chira asks as she presents me with a bunch of fresh pieces of clothing from somewhere. Blinking at her blindsiding preparation, I shake my bafflement away.


    "I... I quite like this one." I am slow to tell as my thoughts get back into order. She eases the clothes about, fluttering it in some magical wind with the smell of an undergrowth to it. I take another sniff. It''s surprising to know that wind magic can have a scent.


    She passes it on to me and encourages me to show off how I might look in its form. I must say, I am thankful for the opportunity. I love this about clothes shopping. I do not have to buy it to imagine how it might look on me. Clothes are so easy to imagine on what we are so intimately familiar with.


    Finding a mirror, I sway in time with my reflection some more until I spot the tell-tale signs. Holding it out in front of me, I see the gaps that would show off one''s stomach, toned or otherwise. The tips of their hipbones, shoulder blades as they roll and how it would stretch over the curve of one''s bottom. My face flares up, red once again, and I shakily hand it back to her with an equally unstable smile.


    "Y-Y-You want this?" I ask, happy to have this robe-like lingerie back in her hands.


    "I''m not sure, really." Rianta-chira ponders as she joins me in the mirror''s line of sight.


    "W-hy?" I almost choke on as she fits into it without any regard to who might''ve just seen her. She puts her owned clothes into a neat pile.


    "It is clearly similar to what I usually and am currently wearing. But, it is also something I''d expect from... Well, a stem," she says, her thoughts pondering away with or without me. I nervously smile at a member of staff as her eyes linger on the price tag still on Rianta-chira.


    "If... If it''s not to your taste, why go for it?" I ask, and she becomes elated with something.


    "Oh! OH!" she goes, her head things glowing bright. She blushes as she realises I am not hearing any actual words from her. She strips. Again.


    "Y-Yes...?" I meekly ask, shutting up in the face of her blooming idea.


    "Go- GO! Go and take it to my love and see if he likes it!" she encourages, shoving me out of the door with a member of staff catching on. She forces her way on them and urges me even on from the door. Getting my head together, I rush off with a naked woman barring people from chasing after me.


    Ask Nin-kischu if he likes it!?

 V4 Incline 64: Nin

    Hearing a knock at the door, I get up and head on over. Putting one foot securely by it, I grip the handle to try and make sure no one can just walk on in. I double check I have everything on, just in case. Yes. Got my mask, hat, cloak and all the bandages going round and round.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I ask, a familiar noise eking out its existence.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Einervaene. C-Can I come in? Rianta... Rianta-chira has something she wants me to show you.¡± Einervaene explains and I get to opening the door as I am safely clothed up. I wave her in and sit with my legs out of the way, cloak wrapped up.


    ¡°So, what is it she wants me to see?¡± I question, a little baffled as this is a first. Rose¡¯lhia¡¯s always been the kind to just show me it herself. Often showing herself off if it¡¯s a matter of clothing, like this seems to be. Einervaene¡¯s face turns, her cheeks spotted red.


    ¡°She... Uh... Tried this on and... Um.¡± Einervaene¡¯s face heats up further. A thousand words in a single picture.


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± I let out, taking the underwear set into my claws. My mind goes empty. It¡¯s nothing special by her standards and I honestly cannot tell what it is that I am supposed to be remarking on. Does she want my thoughts on the style or the quality of its make? Einervaene or literally any other woman will be better here.


    Only thing I can say for certain is that she will need to lose the stockings as proper feet are the audience.


    ¡°Tell her... Tell her that I like it, but not to cause any trouble.¡± I finally answer, handing the clothes back, and Einervaene can¡¯t help but let out a noise. She struggles to fight back a smile and breaks down a bit further.


    ¡°I wish she listened to that extent.¡± Einervaene all but gasps as she struggles to find the air for her words. She puts the clothes down near the door and I mind the foreign beauty as she gathers some other things. I get back to the task of sorting out all these clothes and the bag.


    ¡°Actually, adding to that, try to stop her from grabbing anything new. We¡¯ll be heading off soon, so I need to make sure the bag fills properly. Especially if you¡¯re still interested in coming...?¡± I explain, meeting her eyes as she watches me sort through another pile of panties. Einervaene wipes her cheeks gently, almost as if she¡¯s embarrassed on my behalf. She doesn¡¯t have to be. I¡¯m plenty flustered as is touching so many skimpy bras.


    Rose-sweerui¡¯s tendency to touch me half-bare makes it not all that much effort to¡­ Fill out the cups, imaginatively.


    She smiles, ¡°I would be happy to. But, uh, you haven¡¯t put away my usual outfit, have you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve kept it separate. Should be in your usual spot.¡± I explain, offering a quick digit for a direction.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be swapping outfits. Running over here in this kimono is not advisable!¡± Einervaene wants to giggle over and I huff. Yeah, Rose-sweerui certainly has that kind of motivation on someone.


    ¡°Give it to me when you¡¯re done, ideally folded up neatly. I can pop it in with Rose-sweerui¡¯s so that they¡¯re together.¡± I explain, setting aside my companion¡¯s fancy new outfit and its assorted bits. I mean, I probably was going to leave it for last anyway. Those wooden whatevers disrupt the packing process too much.


    Lingering on some utensils as I assign the smaller pockets and spaces properly, I think back to home. My old toolbox, or, rather, the ones I borrowed, I never had to put much thought into their storage. There were miserable sods who handled all the quartermastery themselves. All I had to do was follow the paint and chalk and make sure I hadn¡¯t lost anything.


    I guess one redeeming thing about this storage torment is that I can, well, punch clothes down. Not that it¡¯s really an option. These claws are horrible for neat folding. Too much air is getting caught in the clothes and it needs to be forced out while there is still a place for it to go. Gods, maybe we should buy some cases or crates before we leave? Will make it look lighter, too, in the event more sadroobells are in the air.


    Would be more of a hassle to carry, though... My tongue clicks. I¡¯ve carried enough awkward loads to know how straining such abrupt distribution can be. Having two hands for a bucket is one thing, having to carry three, two barely having two fingers each is another thing entirely.


    ¡°Einervaene¡¯s been travelling for a while. She should be palatable to carrying some of her own stuff.¡± I ponder openly, a door clicking shut.


    ¡°What was that, sorry?¡± Einervaene asks as she finishes getting her hair in order. I chuckle on the inside, realising I might¡¯ve forgotten to remark on any changed hair dos.


    ¡°Oh, nothing, was just muttering.¡± I lie, cautious of the idea she might be willing to say ¡®no¡¯ if I say it now. Should probably force it on her at a later date. A little while out of town, perhaps? That way, she can¡¯t really argue with any alternative.


    ¡°Ok. Well, here you go, Nin-kischu.¡± Einervaene beams and I give her a nod as I take the kimono and its bits. She takes the outfit but lingers. I turn to look at her and note the way her eyes are.


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    ¡°Something wrong?¡± I ask, and she shakes her head.


    ¡°A woman asked us a strange question earlier. I thought that meant something bad happened,¡± she explains quickly, taking a step away.


    ¡°Mmm. Well, I¡¯m fine, as you can see. Must¡¯ve just been that, a strange question.¡± I shrug over, Neeameth crossing my mind given what she tried earlier. Well, if it made Einervaene worry like that, she must¡¯ve been acting in an official capacity. Or it was another valley-rider doing their rounds. Soon not to be much of our problem, anyway.


    ¡°Yeah... Well, uh, I best get back to Rianta-chira. I¡¯m not sure how well she¡¯s handling being... N-Naked.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s probably guffawing over something like ¡®You¡¯ll never be able to appreciate these tits!¡¯ or...¡± I go, chuckling a bit at my imitation and Einervaene simply smiles.


    ¡°I can imagine that, something about you thrown in.¡± she¡¯s nervous to giggle over and I nod along.


    ¡°Oh, can you bring her here, actually, if you can?¡± I ask and Einervaene gives me a quick nod and then a wave. Raising a claw, the door closes behind me and I get back to work.


    Filing the essentials near the top of the bag this time, I find myself wanting to pinch my brow. Food has not been the easiest of things to deal with since losing my proper hands. An osibindah jaw is not much for clean eating and drinking, either. Guess I can fit some practice in?


    Shrugging, I nab a bag and a flask and pop my bottom onto the nearest seat. The mask and hat come off, as do the bandages, to an extent. I eye the door with a ¡®hmmm¡¯ mixing in with my chitters. I get up and pull a small chair over, blocking the damnable thing with my new seat.


    As carefully as I can manage, I open the bag and unscrew the flask. I stare, almost hopelessly, as I mind how my claws feel right now. The amount of digits I have is the same. It¡¯s been the same for an unfortunate short while now. Three a limb, six in total. And, I still can¡¯t get used to it...


    Gods, damn it. How am I supposed to do anything with finesse when my digits simply won¡¯t allow it? Three sausages a limb and they don¡¯t even have the decency to be actual sausage. All I have are these flesh-thick things coated in cumbersome natural armour. Even making a fist is a challenge with how the plates come together.


    ¡°Mmm... Maybe if I...?¡± I ask myself, putting the food down and cupping the underside of my awkward jaw. Tilting my neck a bit, I slowly pour some of the flask¡¯s contents down my throat. My tongue dances in disgust and I nearly cough it all back up. Ah, stick a bug right back into its hole. This is some of Rose¡¯s wine!


    Following the sensation of a drip, I stare with growing agitation. Correction, not wine, runny red dye. I try to use my cloak to rub some of the bandages clean, but I get nowhere with it. Grumbling a noise out, I strip down out of the rest of my bandages and toss them.


    Almost as if to taunt me, the red mark stares back at me. Gesturing whatever swear I can at the pile of rags, I move onto the food. At least something of use came out of the drink test, anyhow. I can drink without it being too much of a mess. If liquid can do me fine, food will go down as well.


    Doing my best, I pour a small pile of dried fruit out across my palm and free up my other claw. Thinking at first to just tip it all into my mouth, I dread to wonder if I can make these digits work. Going about it however I can, I pinch a clump or individual pieces of food until my palm is clean of it. I blink and sigh at how much effort that was given how little I actually had access to.


    ¡°I wonder if those two are nearly done and close?¡± I question myself to stave off my growing frustrations. I hope we leave soon. Head on out to this Thrurstradtur place so I can get my old body back. I can¡¯t be dealing with this anymore. Everything is so hard now. Anything that needs precision is¡­


    I might as well be an invalid. A cripple! A good for nothing bug-


    ¡°DAMN IT!¡± I bark, tossing the closest thing off of its footing. Disturbing a curtain, tt smashes on the wall, denting it.


    Great... More broken stuff.


    We¡¯ve been here in Tryhpeltzweig for too long. Quite some time. I can¡¯t be doing this anymore. I want to be free of this constant caution. Much as I appreciate the niceties of Brewbrt, all good things must end.


    Getting up, I set the chair aside and walk to the disturbed curtain. Going beyond it, I open myself up to the edges of the balcony and take in the fresh air. Slinking out of view, the door knocks. Is that...?


    ¡°My love, it is me. Can I come in?¡± Rose-sweerui calls out with an odd noise to her voice. Shrugging over how it must be the door being in the way, I head on over. She¡¯s back quicker than I thought she would be, too. Perhaps she was chased half-way and Einervaene met her there? Should be quite amusing to hear about.


    Anything to put an end to my foul mood...


    I look down at my body and mind how my heart feels. With how much stress Rose causes me, would be nice to get one back on her. Give her a spook and all that with my body. Can even close the door right after and dress all up in time before someone comes!


    ¡°Is anyone else out there?¡± I ask, just to be sure as I run a scenario through my head. All I need to do is grab her, pull her in, and only let it be a blur. Maybe I should spook her inside the room, make it all dark? Where are the lights... Ah, here!


    I frown as I note the lack of a response. This is, odd. Normally, she¡¯s quite quick to give me an answer. Unless she has Einervaene making sure the hall is clear? Given the recent run in with Neeameth, that is wise, actually. But, still, shouldn¡¯t I have heard her? Bah, whatever.


    Guess I should still play it safe and make sure I am not in the open. Hide around the corner of the door and all. Slam it shut when I give her that good old jump scare! Something, anything, to have a little fun right now.


    A grin forms, and I cackle as some heavier steps start to come. Guess Einervaene also had to scout with all of Rose-sweerui¡¯s shopping. Poor girl. Anyway... I¡¯ve got a laugh to have!


    ¡°Alright, you can come on in now...¡± I let out with a sneaky snicker as I let her handle the door, mostly. Setting myself up in the shadows, I put a careful spring into my legs. The door opens, spreading light across where I put my bandages. Closing my eyes in the initial anticipation, my chitters get the better of me and mix with my giggles.


    I jump out and grab onto her!


    My eyes open- Shit. Shit. Shit!


    This isn¡¯t Rose at all!


    The panic in my eyes stares to meet the ones filled with terror. I just leapt at a complete stranger. Why is Neeameth here? Where is Rose, I- I heard Rose!


    She screams. Neeameth screams with all she has, hand going to her still holstered gun. I catch sight of another individual. It¡¯s not any of the other two either. It¡¯s a guard.


    Both reach for their guns, all the noise growing.


    ¡°OSIBINDAH!¡± the guard roars and I throw Neeameth out of the room and to the wall. Turning as the first shots rip into the room. I smash out onto the balcony, leaping.

 V4 Incline 65: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    ¡°Can we finally go and get one of those pots now?¡± Rianta-chira asks, as if I haven¡¯t just had to apologise profoundly on her behalf. Turning back to where we come from, I watch with a quake in my core. So many people gathered over Rianta-chira¡¯s scene... Oh, why does she have to be... Her?


    ¡°No!¡± I go, minding how much I am carrying. Not only was she causing so many issues in the last shop, we still end up with all this shopping. And, right after telling her that Nin-kischu wants to speak with her, she wants to shop more...? Somehow, I don¡¯t smile. I smile.


    I start to laugh quietly. For all the stress I feel like I am being put through, I¡¯m actually having fun. A lot of it! Things are very exciting with her around.


    It¡¯s a pleasant change compared to how it has been over the past few years. If I had to run then, it was because I was about to miss my ship. Or there were monsters or bandits or something. At least Rianta-chira remains a constant friendly face. If a little temperamental and specifically obsessed.


    No more complications in my journey for now. We¡¯ll get ready and head on out when able. I won¡¯t have to run and hide. I can simply enjoy the blissful moments and relax. Forgetting about whatever stresses I happen to be putting up with or be under at the time. Even though Rianta-chira is demanding in attitude and tone, with her extravagant needs and all.


    It¡¯s still lighter on the heart and mind than what I¡¯ve had to put up with since leaving home.


    ¡°Well, I want one.¡± Rianta-chira scoffs, her head shaking while her lip narrows up.


    ¡°Do you really need one?¡± I ask, not quite remembering why it enthralled her before. Seeds and planting? That¡¯s what plant pots are typically for. We could cross the All-Coast Sea together right now and still see plant pots used the same.


    ¡°They are for holding my future son. The worker there said so!¡± Rianta-chira says, her tone going as high as her aggressive shrug. My head moves slightly as her words jog my memory. Ah¡­ Now I remember the details clearly, along with what else happened that day.


    ¡°I know they said something along those lines. But, do you really need something bought for them...? Would it not be better to make it yourself or leave them in a much more special place?¡± I point out, trying to appeal to some sense of sincerity here so we can stick to our actual goal. Nin-kischu wants to speak to her. We can¡¯t be wasting time doing more idle shopping. Fun as it is. Not when he¡¯s got a task to be doing that¡¯s crucial to our journey!


    Though, I am worried I have said the wrong thing to Rianta-chira. I have limited knowledge of her kind and am probably worse off compared to Nin-kischu. Even he has remarked about certain confusions and he¡¯s known her for far longer than I have.


    ¡°But what if I give birth as we travel? When my precious love and I are by no means to create a garden. One so very crucial for the safety of our precious seed? A pot like these would solve that. It would not be a problem anymore.¡± she explains, as if it makes total sense. I blink.


    ¡°And... W-Why would you be moving around on an adventure while pregnant!?¡± I question, flabbergasted by the concept until I find myself abruptly laughing. Is this some fantasy of hers? To be more vulnerable than she already is just to paint Nin-kischu in an even stronger light? Actually, is... Is she boasting to me?


    Some big talk, it most certainly is. Honestly, would have thought I would¡¯ve heard it all back home. Nobles bragged all the time back then when I was there. Even the staff of Mother¡¯s castle did the same, if on a humble scale.


    I stop and turn, realising my shopping partner has stalled.


    ¡°Uh...¡± Rianta-chira lets out, thoughtfully. The other people of the town passing us by without a care.


    ¡°She¡¯s actually...?¡± I mutter.


    ¡°We might be moving to a new home. One that is perfect for us, my love and I. Our future son, too. But we are a little too slow in getting there, and I cannot hold on. The greatest gift he could ever give me is about to come out... And all I have is my precious love to protect me as I endure my first trial as a mother.¡± she swoons, losing herself in the mental imagery. It creeps into my head, too, and I scratch my head as I heat up a little.


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    I smile, thinking of something cosier and more relaxing. A warm bed, a steaming drink of broth or soup nearby and a hand to hold. A huff escapes me as I feel my cheeks burn with a girl¡¯s dreams. It¡¯s quite easy to understand why she is so easily enamoured by the concept. The love of a strong man at its finest, when he is all you have to depend on. His power being all that keeps you safe-


    Reminding myself of our real circumstances, my smile shifts to one of teasing anticipation, ¡°You would have been with a child before reaching your perfect home? And here I was thinking with all this pickiness you¡¯ve shown me... That, you know, you¡¯d have better standards.¡±


    Rianta-chira gives me a short-lived glare and huffs, striding off. Giggling behind her, I give slow chase. Her naturally pointed legs tap sharply, as do my high-heels. Other noises disturb my focus and I shift my eyes towards what I thought was just a normal crowd earlier. A part of the usual hustle and bustle not worth thinking about... Apparently not.


    Why are so many people gathering outside of Founding-Lord Brewbrt¡¯s estate? What is going on? There¡¯s a lot of worried chatter- Gunshots ring out from within the building. Screams escape the crowd and some instinctively leap back. Those who are eager to leave have those eager to fight replace them.


    Rianta-chira drops what little she does have across the floor, her mouth covered by her hands. She¡¯s struck by immeasurable panic, her fully black eyes cautious of everyone around. Her legs won¡¯t stop shaking. She¡¯ll collapse at this rate.


    ¡°Rianta-chira!¡± I call out, barely reaching out for her when she decides to rush into the crowd. She gets in too deep for me to pull her out and her head is flashing bright to blind those in her way. A large man collides with her, his mouth a storm of curses. A pocket appears in the crowd, a sting of magic lighting up her hands.


    I lose track of her, no matter how much I try to raise my head above the crowd...! How can I lose someone making so much light? I step back and clutch my head. Why is there so much magic in the estate... Flowing so aggressively?


    Should I use my magic to break into the estate to make sure Brewbrt and Nin are alright? I can do it right now. I have the reserves and haven¡¯t used anything until now. Alright, I¡¯m going to smash into-


    A dark form barrels right out of the estate, dragging bricks and d¨¦cor along with it. People duck for cover and I get blindsided by some such people. Forcing my way up, I crawl to my feet in time to watch the mysterious thing rise to its full height. Its posture is so blatantly alert.


    It¡¯s some kind of insect, taller than most people here. One woman screams. Pandemonium erupts across the town. Everyone is running for cover, trampling anyone they can to find it. Anyone with a weapon reaches for them, ready to target the creature. Shifting my eyes away to a roof, lightning strikes.


    Clutching onto the metal decoration, I secure my footing and look at the street. Rianta-chira, where are you!? Where is she...? There!


    ¡°RIANTA-CHIRA!¡± I scream, watching the creature rush right for her. It grabs the rose-haired woman and leaps. This creature¡¯s jump is so powerful is shatters the street. The building quakes under me. Tremors are reaching this far!?


    Snapping my focus after the creature and my kidnapped friend, bangs flood my ears. Each leap makes the world bark, each gun makes the world roar. Buildings collapse and the town gains craters with each leap. In so little time, this creature has destroyed more than what the ones from before did!


    No, I need to focus on what is happening now. Not what happened before. I need to get moving. I need to save Rianta-chira before I lose her.


    B-But... Where is Nin-kischu!? He was in the estate last I saw him. He should have had no reason to leave. Better yet, where is Lord Brewbrt!? I know he¡¯s not the kind to stand idle as a beast tears his home apart!


    No, no, no! If those two are not available... Then it is up to me to save Rianta-chira. To save my friend, it is my job- They¡¯re getting too far away, though!


    I can¡¯t cross that kind of distance safely even as a lightning bolt... I¡¯d barely be able to control myself-


    ¡°TO THE GOD OF THE DEAD WITH IT!¡± I shout, gritting my teeth and charging my magic. Striking into the sky, I warp around my sky-bound position to orient myself. Finding a breadcrumb trail of craters, I follow along. Sparking and striking as I dive up and down the cloud cover.


    Feeling my focus waver, I strike to the grass below. I roll through the mud and fauna, blackened and not. I give my body no time to recover and hobble to my feet. Chasing on foot with growing numbness, I hack at the feeling in my stomach.


    I feel so sick. Everything in my body is failing, my casting incompetence is- I have to save her. I have to save Rianta-chira from that creature!


    My next attempt fails and I fall flat on my face.


    ¡°Th... The...¡± I struggle to let out as I lift my fuzzy vision up. A black dot arcs across my view, so close to leaving it. No... I must.


    My body fails to convert properly, leaving me in the clouds as an aberration. Half-human, half lightning. I can barely keep myself in the sky with all this weight that should not be. The creature is stopping!


    ¡°I-¡° I try to cry out in defiance, and I fall without my desire to do so. All I can feel is my twitches. My body won¡¯t stop twitching. My eyes swell shut, hiding my oncoming death from me. A boom from below breaks into the world once more.

 V4 Incline 66: Roselhia

    ¡°My love!?¡± I call out as he comes back my way. The twitching form of the golden-human in his arms. Einervaene. She was chasing us... Why? Why would she even!?


    She must¡¯ve followed along with the reaction of the other humans¡­ Thinking my love is a monster- She¡¯s here to kill him!


    ¡°Get rid of her!¡± I plead, getting up to try and force the twitching body out of his grasp. His jaws lash out at me, a guttural rumble coming from his throat as he brings his head back. Blinking slowly, I clutch my chest as my heart quivers. I slip and fall as a new feeling overtakes me. Without realising it, I look down at my dirt covered hands, and the imprints caused by my crawling.


    My love¡¯s eyes soften and he whimpers.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± he cries, his free hands coming up and clawing at his head to no avail. Every time he tries to hook his chitin, his fingers slip. Panting heavily, I get over myself and go to him. I hold him.


    ¡°Shh... Shh... It¡¯s okay... It¡¯s okay...¡± I say, my uncertainty so abundant I am struggling to find a place to put it. My eyes shift the way we have come. How long will it be until those human thorns ride after us in force? Will we even be able to lose them? Their leader may be insufferably invasive to me, but he¡¯s able to pick out a petal.


    The skills to find strength and beauty are there-


    ¡°Higher ground... Higher ground...¡± my love mutters as he secures me and the golden human in his arms. My instincts demand me to secure my body. Arms, legs and tail wrap around him tightly, however they can. My love leaps into the sky, the ground breaking so easily behind him and in front of me. Closing my eyes to the point it hurts, I reassure my grip as the winds turn comparatively still. And far bitterer.


    Stone cracks and crumbles. My love puts us down on the cold floor and I look out the cave¡¯s entrance. Using my true-voice, I let it sing in order to keep us in the light. Yet, though it shares the colour of my rose hair, the dark shades it so. Making it so much more crimson. It shines in my love¡¯s eyes and his chitters bounce about the cave. The cold is not what makes me shiver.


    ¡°Should I...?¡± he asks himself as he prods some rocks that he can no doubt move and block the entrance with. He stops, turning towards me again. His direction seems to be me until it is not and he falls to the ground, back along the cavern wall. My love hides his shaking head behind two clutching hands. A growing growl within.


    ¡°Wh-What happened!?¡± I work up the courage to ask. Bringing my points close to my chest, I tuck them in with another shiver. Never mind my fears, my love has brought us up quite high. I am not dressed for such an occasion.


    ¡°That damn girl... That stupid shit called Neeameth!¡± he seethes, his fingers- claws cutting into the stone. He gets his grip on one piece and pulls it until it snaps right out, little flakes still falling. The rock comes before his face and enters both hands. Snap.


    Nin¡¯s grip tenses, crushing the two pieces further. He drops them and I look away so my mind can focus. That name, this Neeameth...? A human comes to mind, a particular one of recent aggravation...


    ¡°What... What did she do!?¡± I ask, some anger within myself as I consider such sacrilege towards my love. I do not even allow Einervaene the opportunity to enter my love¡¯s heart. She¡¯s my better, Einervaene is my better. But no one else in that town surpassed me... Not one woman!


    A root dared to force her pathetic self on my love!? My love... -My- precious love!? How dare she...!


    ¡°She... Used something to make it sound like you-¡° he starts to explain and I gasp. His head snaps up, his eyes boring deep into mine. I flinch back towards the stone, not giving it any mind as I scrape my head on it.


    A meek noise escapes me as Nin rises.


    ¡°Care to explain...!?¡± he demands to know as his dark form looms over. His jaws opening up with trails of saliva between them. Rows of needle teeth with cruel inward curves. Those mouth things further behind, unending in their vile noise.


    I bring my hands up protectively and shake them vigorously, with as much life as they can hold. Tears fly away from my head as my head does much the same. He backs away, if only slightly. M-My chance to...


    ¡°I didn¡¯t help her, I swear!¡± I cry, fearing for my life as I struggle to understand why I cannot see the man I loved before me. All I see is an osibindah again. All I can see once again is that monster. Neither in my head nor in reality, it¡¯s the same shape and form. Those growls that keep entering my ears.


    My wrists enter his grip and I flinch, remembering another such touch. When he... When he turned. When the nightmare began, when he was supposed to bless me with a child. He was supposed to make me a mother, and he became this creature!


    But... What I am fearing does not come.


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    ¡°You stupid aelenvari... You stupid, stupid aelenvari.¡± my love lets out quietly as he holds me close in a gentle grip. A hand goes through my hair, stroking it as my arms try to push him away. His arms keep me secure, even as my tail wraps around a wrist to pull. I find myself sighing against his chest, its familiar power all I really have right now.


    More trembles affect me, and another sigh escapes, prying my mouth open, ¡°What now...?¡±


    I¡¯ve never been in a situation like this before. Never one where I¡¯ve had so few to rely on. A situation where I am in league with the very enemy of all the collectives I know of. I am at a place where I have nothing... Nothing.


    Not a thing.


    My body comes to life with frantic panic as a single image fills my mind, stuff. Stuff. Stuff. Stuff. All of my stuff. All of our stuff. Important stuff. Unforgettable, unacceptably in-abandonable stuff!


    ¡°YOU NEED TO GO BACK!¡± I scream against his face.


    ¡°Why...?¡± he asks, his bafflement unacceptable.


    ¡°My clothes! You need to get them!¡± I tell him, panicking to my core as I realise immediately where my haste has made me slip. What I said was wrong. It¡¯s not my clothes being lost that bother me... It¡¯s my special outfit... The one I am to wear during my- Our first time!


    ¡°What...!? No!¡± he nearly bellows, that snarl returning.


    ¡°NO! NO! NO!¡± I scream against him, holding him tight.


    ¡°-¡° I give him no chance to speak.


    ¡°You need to get it, you must. I don¡¯t care if you lose most of our supplies. There¡¯s one specific outfit you must get, do you hear me!?¡± I tell him, recalling all of my left-behind authorial voice as I stick up to the fear holding me back otherwise. His head moves back and his scowl softens. He looks away to the exit, then around the cave.


    My love sighs his exhaustion, ¡°What one? I might as well try to get our stuff back, anyway... I packed most of it before that shit came in. Besides, if we¡¯re chased out of here because of how I look... We aren¡¯t getting into our destination with me like this... Are we?¡±


    I struggle to smile with him, and I put a hand to his cheek. Nodding with a tearful sniffle, I find myself unable to process his words. My love is a monster. The man I love is only here in spirit now.


    No... I need to focus on my tender touch and how it reassures my love. Our worst fears have come to pass, and he needs to remain strong for both of us. A future with no one at my side is an unbearable concept. I¡¯ve already lived that part of my life in a position of power. I won¡¯t be able to handle it on my own.


    ¡°Do... Do you remember the outfit I was wearing when you... Before you became an osibindah?¡± I am scared to ask, the topic is so tenderly raw. My wounds, even with the help of the gilded-bark of the human settlement. They¡¯re still there, still aching from the depths of my bone-marrow.


    ¡°The one with the rose-gold tubes?¡± he asks and I nod energetically, a slight smile on my face as he recalls more about it.


    ¡°Is... Is that all you can remember about it?¡± I ask, trying my best to try and lighten the mood somehow. Somehow...


    ¡°I remember more, that... That¡¯s just something that sticks out to me about it. I-I-I¡¯ve been a bit busy on o-other memories.¡± he quakes as he speaks, choking on his thoughts. All so overwhelming, so mutually overwhelming.


    ¡°Do not worry, my love. I cannot be mad or angry. Especially when what followed was something so rare it could only possibly be a legend.¡± I tell him, recalling how he came back to life. Pushing myself forward, I plant a confidence-blessing kiss on the side of his head. My love spent time with the gods and goddesses themselves. Those we worship, he dined with them! He even brought back a gift made by the goddess my body has grown so beautifully to honour.


    ¡°Get that outfit, get what I can of mine,¡± my love repeats to himself with a nod. I nod alongside him, smiling some more.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind if you could get my kimono and the other things... But focus on those two outfits. They are what is important. It¡¯s very important you come back with them.¡± I tell him as he gets up to move, leaving me alone in the growing dark as my true-voice dims.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, Rose... I¡¯ll try...¡± he lets out as my lips turn downwards. It¡¯s too taxing to keep them any other way. My love shifts his direction back towards us and an arm points. I turn to face the still twitching golden woman.


    ¡°What about her?¡± I ask, moving away in disgust at what is no doubt going to be a source of further trouble.


    ¡°Stay close to Einervaene. It will keep you both warm and safe. You... You will be better as the one to explain the situation. Better than I ever could as I right now...¡± my love explains and I watch him exit the cave. He lingers on the mountainside, his eyes facing the far away ground.


    ¡°Good luck, my love... Try not to get into a fight... I don¡¯t want to lose you again.¡± I tell him as tears form in the corners of my eyes. They flow slightly, becoming so cold so very quickly. I wipe my face clean and do so repeatedly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back,¡± he assures me with an over-the-shoulder nod. His next step makes him drop out of sight and all that lingers in my senses is the noise of his fall. The image is within the confines of my head. I sigh and turn back to face the largely motionless Einervaene. A frown forms as I shiver again.


    Crawling up to her, I wrap my body around hers and snuggle what I can into her clothes. Sharing her attire somewhat, I settle for what comfort I can get against her soft body. Keeping our bodies tight together, I run a hand across her arm, farther up one of her sleeves.


    She¡¯s emitting lots of little sparks. Each one a sudden prick of warmth that keeps me coming back for more. Even with each bit of pain they bite me with. I suppose she made a good choice taking one of my cold weather outfits back when we first met. It¡¯s coming in to comfort my life with such unexpecting grace now.


    My tubes go along Einervaene¡¯s body, drawing out more of her magic than I thought it might. One leg kicks out into the air; the voltage having nowhere else to go but back through me. I consider maybe removing the mainly metal piece of clothing. It is probably for the best. Metal is naturally cool as well, and such a sensation is not wanted right now. I¡¯m pretty sure I can feel the warmth in my body draining into them.


    Yet, removing my tubes would take off some thin layers of clothing that I do have. That would only make me colder than I am already. Besides, ruining my clothes for such a short-term issue is... Unacceptable. No, no, I refuse to think of it any further.


    ¡°Get back soon...¡± I mutter to my shortly gone love. My eyes flicker shut as I feel the want to sleep overtake me. Snuggling up closer than I already am to Einervaene, I fight back the urge to breathe with my mouth. I even keep my head under her nose so I can have some of the stream. I shiver again.

 V4 Incline 67: Nin

    "SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!" I roar with all I have between punches. Smashing away more and more of the snow-covered stone, I quickly find myself slipping forward. I catch myself on the weak rock and make it crumble some more. Pushing myself upright with a flare of agitation, I find myself with nothing more to punch.


    Loud blows of steam leave me as the mountain peak violently falls apart, trailing off into an avalanche. Taking a couple of steps, I follow the cloud of powder as the rest of the debris consumes it. A snort forces its way out my nose. I want to drop into what''s left of the snow and ice up here, shove it in my face and linger in it. Even watching the effect I have on the land is not doing much to release this energy out of me.


    I give out one final annoyed kick, returning to my journey as stained water drips from my foot. Pulling myself up some more mountain, I vault over an awkwardly grown tree. The mountain range starts to part enough that I can look past it and its siblings. There are a fair few lights dotted around the night-covered land. One, however, stands out.


    Tryhpeltzweig, the place I have to get back into...


    "I should have just told her no and kept on moving." I mutter with a hop to cross the gap between a pair of peaks. My claws dig in and I crawl around the foot-space lacking place. The process repeating over and over, all the way back to town. Well, a peak nearby, anyway. Overlooking it from what I hope is a respectable distance.


    This is a bad idea. How could anyone possibly think it isn''t? There are swarms of light-holding dots in the town, ones rapidly leaving the town too. All those valley-riders I set out with not that long ago are all hunting me. Thankfully, none of them seem to be aware that I am here. Gods, I have no idea if my magic is going to rat me out.


    But, being here now, if I do nothing, then my problems will only get worse. Exponential, compounding growth is certainly something I want to avoid. Still, having someone to help me when I am in trouble is a great stress relief. Watching every single person out to kill me isn''t.


    "Hang back, otherwise I''d interfere with their ability to sense magic..." I remind myself for no good reason as my thoughts return to the captain man. Henipiotch. He was quite confident about his brag before that brief trip from before. Perhaps he even knows I am up here. He did give me a measurement which lingers on in my instincts. Gods be willing and kind... I am just jittery and it''s not my instincts.


    Still, if I can find a way, I could lead them on a wild and pointless chase. My location alone is all the assurance I need to know I can cross some mountain ranges to lose them. Though, if Brewbrt left the town to hunt me is hard to tell. So, perhaps I can circle back and sneak my way in...? It might drag Brewbrt out after me.


    There''s way too much risk to all of my options, but risky is all I have right now. All I can do is try to stay optimistic. Go in, get back Rose-sweerui''s things and my stuff and go on our way. Maybe, even, with how on alert everyone is, I will blend in that way? Can I bank on the idea everyone feeling unsafe will shadow my person?


    It would make it easier to sneak into town... But... One need only present me with a mirror to smack down and all hopes of a stealth approach. Still, I shake my head, not having the time to think about this any further.


    Smacking my mouth together, I go down the mountain and speed up. I leap for the final distance and gouge open the road right in front of the wall. My mind contradicts my body, its worries all over the place while my body knows what to do. I roar with all the animalistic fury I have in an effort to get them to focus on me quicker-


    Bullets pop into the surrounding ground. Galloping disturbs the dirt on the far side of my crater. Hunkering down against my cover, I watch lights down the valley road grow in intensity. It worked.


    Perhaps too well...


    I''m pretty sure all the riders have switched their direction to here. Hundreds of bullets must be flying around right now, spotlights hungry to shine on my shame all about. Some rounds scrape me, doing a whole lot of nothing. Some closure comes to me as this strange comfort returns. I am bulletproof. I am bulletproof.


    I''ve got some leeway and a sense of safety. Now, I just need to hope my back can hold up to everything firing at me properly. Roaring once again, I slap on that certification of them properly being on my tail. Coming out of my crawl, I run and jump all around the valley. My overtake of the riders brittles their charge, warping it the other way.


    Their juperse buzz quite horribly in unison, the stampede''s direction changing sounds almost painful. Dozens of dots of orange flash. So many bullets, too many even. The faster riders are even managing to keep up enough to hurl javelins. Hopping aside one, it impales deeply into the stone, an ominous glow on its shaft.


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    Something thwips into my back, drawing a warm sensation out of me. Snarling at the harsh, obnoxious pain, I withhold my urge to pull out the splinter. Please, please let that just be my exposed back bits!


    Grabbing hold of a mountain, I climb with all due haste and a bullet smashes through a rock. Growling over something, my eyes snap to the skimmed off chunk of my arm. They have bullets that can hurt me... How am I supposed to tell them apart from the hundreds of other cracks in the air!?


    It''ll only take them one lucky shot to the face if they have rounds like that. Flinching under this realisation, the stabbing sensation vindicates my fears on my left backclaw. Yellow bug blood flows out from under the cracked and raised carapace. I flick the same wrist, knocking the bullet out, along with some of my destroyed claw.


    It hurts so much... But it won''t stop me!


    Heaving up, I leap away into a dark forest to get out of their lights and keep weaving. These trunks will help keep me safe. No need to be as nimble as Vadei or as fast as Vapooliar. Smashing through what trees I can, I try to mind their collapse so it''s blocking where I was. I want them to chase me, not get too close, never too close!


    Uprooting and shattering even the thickest of the trees, I safely scramble up another mountain and slide down. Jogging to a stop on the thankfully quiet road, I spot a sign. While I cannot read, my way back with Neeameth has taught me something. These characters, whatever they are, this slab of text means Tryhpeltzweig.


    "Thank the gods!" I heave out, all this adrenaline in my system making it a struggle to say much of anything. Turning my eyes along the road, I switch around to look the other way. No one is coming along this way, it seems. Better to not take any chances, though. Hobbling towards the town, I force my way up against the very edge of the walls.


    Shuffling under some of the few trees near it, I watch my chitters. Not hearing anything up top, I consider some possibilities. Either they''re preparing a trap or all that shooting called everyone over to the other wall. Well, whatever, as long as there are less up here right now.


    Digging my claws in-between the brickwork, I hurl myself skyward. Shifting my pose endlessly, I settle for a placebo of getting down quicker. I flinch at all the bricks that break my landing. Rather, what my landing breaks. Spotting one of the town gates, I nod at its secured lock.


    Keeping it intact will save me from being swarmed should the riders return. Still... I better get into the shadows now. Now. Slipping down one alley, my erratic haste breaks too much.


    Lanterns shine at me from where I had entered and shouts follow with more gunshots. Leaning into the forward wall, I bring it down and stumble into the home of a terrified family. They scream and cry, the father reaching for anything he can grab. Their fears amplify my own and I rush away through another wall.


    Yet, it''s helping, in a way. The guards are breaking off to make sure the people are ok. If I make it seem more like an attack, will they spread out further!? Well, I better hope so.


    Demolishing through what I can, I try to avoid who I can. But I simply cannot be cautious in a situation like this. I keep seeing red in all the dust and mess blurring past me. Coming to a stop at the other end of town, I leap back into the wilderness. A brief barrage of shots hunting me.


    Luckily, no bullets are firing down from the walls. I have time until they man them. Slowing down to take it easy, I find myself short of breath for the strangest of reasons. I sigh at the mess in my head and shake it away, running into another mighty and explosive jump. A trail of craterous footprints for them to follow build up.


    If only I knew the area enough to try and lead them towards another town or something!


    Make them think they have to ride with haste to warn a not-really-about-to-be-attacked settlement. No maps or knowledge for me, however. Just so much clueless jumping before I hide away in a mountain to catch my breath again. Something flickers before my face and I watch it vanish with a sudden shiver. Weird light...


    My breathing feels heavy. All of my exhaustion, worries and fears, all of it is in each gasp for air. Bringing my claws around, I survey the damage the special bullets caused. I wince and hiss at the mess made of my left backclaw. It''s not hurting too badly, but I cannot tell what is causing it to be so... Different to the sight.


    Is my osibindah body like that naturally or is all this magic coursing in my body the cause? It''s not enough to hurt me into bawling, yet I feel the urge anyhow. My mind shifts to a dream... No, a memory.


    "Should have just ignored Iishar''s offer. Just should have stayed the course. The one all of us had to use to go to get up those towers... Wh-Why did I-!?" I struggle to complain properly as these frequent thoughts return once again.


    It would have all been so fine compared to now. All I had to have done was not leave work early that day. I could''ve also forgotten about the whole offer altogether. At the same time, a part of me is telling myself to shut up. Shut up and get going!


    This is my life now, so I need to keep going.


    Nodding in agreement with that side of me, I still feel knots in my gut, regardless. Knots that are keeping me from moving as the side I agree with demands I move. I feel sick... So sick and tired right now...


    "Keep on moving... Keep on moving... Keep on moving..." I chant in repetition, over and over. Backing the words up with slow movements, I clamour for the outside with gentle, nerve-wrecked twitches. Steady and slow, hour-devouring levels of slow. Looking towards Tryhpeltzweig again, I note the night and how it compliments my body.


    "Hang in there, Rose-sweerui. Your precious love is on his way..." I whisper into the wind, a quick prayer bringing life back to my slow body. I know I''ve been gone too long. Just hold on, please. I''m coming back for you... I am.

 V4 Incline 68: Nin

    I cannot find a way out of my confused mess of a head. So many raw emotions are bubbling away at the confinement that is my body. So eagerly violent to break out into the real world. Yet, I still do my damndest to focus on the one important thing that will see me live or die.


    The idea of a small magic aura, an obscure one, a quiet one...


    If it''s working or not, I have no idea. But, I''m still hoping with all I have that this is making me less detectable. To indulge in sociopathy for the moment, the destruction I caused should keep most of the guards away. Stick to the shadows and I should be fine.


    Maybe?


    I hop over the town wall and duck into a nearby alley. Making my way through the town with no time to spare. Looking through the gaps in the buildings, I see the guards and the army of townsfolk with them. Thankfully, this part of the town is quieter than where I was before. I guess the damage to the roads from before tonight and what I''ve done is keeping people away.


    Whatever the reason, little is stopping the town from being alive with activity. People are moving supplies about and the injured or those who are too small. Of all the things that have happened, I have galvanised a community. They''re all out in force, helping each other out regardless of where they live. My claw lingers on a building corner and I stop.


    It''s... Interesting to watch, given how cutthroat I know Tobaballe to be. So few have anyone to depend on that we might as well all be on our own. It''s strange. I feel a yearning for what I see, but I cannot tell if it is because I''m now an osibindah. I am the source of the terror, after all.


    A living questionnaire with only one question, and only a single answer for the point to be made...


    Shaking my head, I get back to my other priorities and slip through more back ends. A garage enters my sights. I find what appears to be a weak point in the nearby main building. I press my claws against it, snapping it down and going through the hole. For the moment, trying to move through a building might be my best option. Just need to pray that no one investigates the noise.


    A lock to a door made of iron bars comes into claw and I yank it. Flinching at the ping, I add to my prior prayer regarding noise. Moving on ahead and making it look like I haven''t slipped in, I find myself inside of a shop. Not risking it with the main lights, I stick to looking about with whatever ambience I currently have.


    "Oh, it''s one of those..." I nearly laugh so my misery doesn''t fracture my psyche. Neeameth had one of these things in her hands when I grabbed her earlier. This tool is what caused me to mistake the whole situation before the door opened. Though, perhaps I am making excuses for myself.


    I should''ve never been so stupid as to allow such a vulnerability to form. I do not know how I even came to have this learning experience. It''s fairly obvious that I should be keeping myself dressed unless I am in a securely sealed building and or room. Though, now, I''ve got a strange thing to consider in how I can trust no one''s voice.


    Turning blood marbled eyes to the shop display, I narrow it at the items. All because of this stupid tool, it''s all because of this that I am now skulking about this place like a criminal. It''s enough to make me just want to scream with all I have. But breaking these tools in my claws will have to do for now.


    "Thrurstradtur is going to be so much worse than this." I moan in realisation, moving on with my life as the last item crumbles out of my palm. Still, I cannot help it. I''m continuing with my thoughts of what is happening right now. This is all happening because of a magic tool... And I''m heading to a place right full of them and perhaps worse.


    There''s no way I''d be able to keep my true appearance a secret in such a place!


    "So you''re the one who''s been making a mess of the town." a young man dryly comments from behind. Twisting around, I almost jump straight through the roof and beyond. I barely manage to stop myself and the shelf is now scarred with my effort. Even now, though, my body still feels like it is running with all it has. I''m grounded physically, but moving in my head.


    Wh-Why am I waiting for him to call the guards!?


    Staring more at the young man in front of me, somehow, he grows the courage to approach. His eyes somehow sparkle in the barely light. Flinching at some of the noise from elsewhere in the town, I frantically gesture for his hushness. A claw in front of my lips to shush him.


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    Yet, as a lack of action comes from him, I find myself curious. His expression is bland. I am an osibindah! And his face is so bland...


    "You''re that man that was dressed in the beak and cloak, aren''t you?" he asks, my eyes widening as my jaw drops. Even the chitters stop!


    "How did-"


    "Thank you for confirming it," he huffs in interruption, a cocky smile finding its place on his lips.


    "Tch..." I let out as I take on a more aggressive posture. Should I kill him? One soul of a stranger to save my own from Undwote again? Should I simply run? Lose the guards and all that again!?


    He raises his hands at my movements, "Don''t worry, I''m not here to cry ''Guards! Guards!,'' in fact... I want to make you an offer."


    My eyes widen again, his words as shocking as they are surprising. I cannot, for the life of me and Rose, let my guard down. My instincts, however, are cautioning me to listen carefully. Surely there has to be truth to this, as it makes so little sense not to call the guards if he wanted me dead. Captured at an impossible best.


    "I''ll hear you out..." I mutter, looking over at the entrance of the shop. Slipping by to the end of an aisle, I watch with caution as lantern light leaks in. It''s colandering through the metal grating protecting the shop. Too much is in the way to spot me, anyway. I sigh as my nerves settle for the moment.


    "You mentioned Thrurstradtur just now," the young man reminds me, his interest clear.


    "I did." I nod.


    "And, as you are staying at Founding-Lord Brewbrt''s estate. You are most certainly going that way, correct?" he asks, his local knowledge deducting the same answer back out at me.


    "I am... I think I still am, anyhow." I say, my uncertainty coming back as I step on some ruined produce. Where one place can have these kinds of tools, more will.


    "Well... You best hope you still are!" he threatens with sudden viciousness, his hand coming all too close to what looks like an alarm. I nod again, my temper flaring up over his snarl. This is most certainly a threat, not an offer. No offer has that kind of stipulation.


    "Get on with it!" I snap, fists curling into existence.


    "Take me with you..." he begs meekly.


    "Huh?" I let out in confusion, not through troubled hearing.


    "I want you to take me to Thrurstradtur. You''re my one chance to get out of this god-forsaken pesthole! In exchange, I''ll help you get out of town," he quickly tells me, a hopeful smile on his face as he nods with all the uncertainty in the world. Somehow, it''s relieving to see someone more nervous than me. How, though, I have little clue as to why.


    "I can get out of town on my own just fine..." I point out, minding my bullet wounds. Flexing one claw about, I mind the streets again. Admitting in the privacy of my head, however... I''d rather not be chased and shot at.


    "B-B-But- But! You also came back. Twice. So -you- are here for something. I -can help- you get that out," he says, a pointed finger coming awfully close to my chest.


    "Unless you are allowed to go near Brewbrt''s home... Then you aren''t helping in any capacity." I point out, turning to leave and to get going. I stop as I hear him take in an obvious gulp of air. Twisting around, a growl leaves me as I watch this arm-shifting shit before me.


    He stops, holding his hand out as an initial formality before he remembers what I am, "Deal?"


    I sneer and snort, "Fine."


    "Alright, follow me," he says, his largely moody expression vanishing altogether as he finds himself free of his thoughts. He''s almost giddy, just like that. So careless about everything around him with an eager habit to damage what he can. He reminds me of a child, even, one so eager to get home with the knowledge a present is awaiting them.


    "So, what is your plan, exactly?" I ask, the caution in my tone inflating with each step I follow him with.


    "You wouldn''t mind killing him, would you?" he asks back, not hearing a word from me. Turning my head to follow his finger, some fat old man snores away on a seat. Shaking my head, he shrugs and ponders, knocking over a candle. Ignoring the spilt fire and wax, I close the door behind me.


    Watching the young man work at something, I discover that I am to be putting my faith into boxes. Lots and lots of boxes. With how little effort it is taking him, they must be empty ones. Though I am beginning to doubt the security of this plan. Once more, I mind the signs of light as it breaks into the back alley.


    "You are going to dress up in these. And get on this here cart. From there, I can wheel you either onto the premises or next to them," he explains, a slight shrug in his shoulders. Looking over one of my own, I sniff at the smell of smoke. Guess we''re sticking to the plan either way. Certainly not him at risk should it fail. He can probably make any lie he wants...


    "Tempting Undwote''s pack an awful lot with this." I remark, glaring down at him as he prepares my brief set of clothes. Cardboard and wood, wonderful.


    "I like to think you are the one tempting him more. You know, being a parasitical, child-eating, women-raping monster." he scoffs and I growl, fists tightening until we both hear a crack. I am none of those things... None of them!


    "Let''s just get this over with." I sigh, rubbing my brow, as this really is my safest option at the moment. Uncurling my fists, my claws screech along my palm shell, scratching the plates. I glance at the disruption of my natural shine. Whatever the reason is, I am so polished without effort and I cling to it amidst all the stress. At least I won''t ever have to buy soap again.


    There''s insignificant joy to be had in that idea...


    "Make sure you are in those crates and boxes properly. You know what will happen. And, well, try not to squirm," he tells me as I settle into my new means of motion. He continues bringing out more boxes and crates. Heavy ones with actual stuff in them. I grumble as the weight presses down on me and squeeze my head towards one of the cracks. If he''s left it for me to breathe with, I''ll never know.


    Still... "Get going."

 V4 Incline 69: Freeman Baltanthan

    "Not so hasty now, Osibindah." I warn the monster as it twitches under the stores I have covered it up with. A quick round of inspections and I make sure everything is nice and secure. It''s not a problem if any of it gets broken, especially not now. I eye the growing light in the shop and smell the smoke of freedom.


    The divine owes me this one grave sin. They owe it to me. Now, if the transport gets too damaged, everyone will ward me off on the grounds of looking suspicious. Though, people are probably willing to turn a blind eye tonight. Still, moving poor quality supplies around might get me stuck in a stop and search.


    Rolling my joints about and getting in a few stretches, I let this fresh energy in my body settle in. Now, off I go on my journey of shipping this towards the centre of town. I''m on my own, so I better get going now. I hook myself up and get everything into my hands, a long breath leaving me as I try to work with what little I do know.


    I do not have a high reserve of internal-magic, I''ve not had the environment to grow in for that. All I have is my self-taught external-magic flow to stifle. Though my magic is a little useless here, as I never practiced it for the sake of enhancement. It was always for the sake of rusting metal.


    Thankfully, my body is fit enough for the task and the wheels are well-looked after. All these years of manual labour around that miserable shop have given me some muscle. Simple grit and determination will have to do. I will finally reach the place of my dreams, the Great Brass Sundial herself...


    Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst!


    Keeping the joyful thoughts in my head, I exert my grunts and get rolling. Swearing under my breath, I get some momentum going and the force needed slips away. Now, being the smart lad I am, I need to stick to some quiet roads. Too many stops and I''ll exhaust myself in the middle of the crowd, all too aware of the oppressive feeling in the wagon.


    Finding myself on a messed up street, I silently thank my cargo for the wreck and ruin. Unfortunately, I find myself having to slow down as a crowd of people leave a building. Bloodied woman in hand. My eyes narrow as one thoughtlessly tries to rummage through the wagon.


    "Hey! Hands off. Don''t touch that!" I struggle not to shout at the man as he goes through the things. I can''t have people taking off the osibindah''s cover. Not now.


    "Look around you! Can''t you see what''s happened!?" one woman accuses, fingers flying in the air. I unhook myself and smack away the man as he fails to listen.


    "I said do not touch!" I snap in his face, meeting his retaliatory glare head on with a growl.


    "We need these supplies, anything we can get! Can''t you damn well see what has happened!?" the man raises his voice over and I snort. This soon to be no-longer-a-neighbour is not worth the trouble. Especially not when all they ever do is complain with their petty entitlement.


    "Find somewhere else to get supplies. These are not for you!" I firmly tell, getting the wagon into motion and using its bulk to get me through the annoyed crowd. Out of spite, a few hands snatch whatever they can and I speed up. Whatever, anyway. I''m leaving this awful Ravineer town soon!


    None of them will stop me physically. None of them shall infringe upon my thoughts and force anything else on me. Strong winds are blowing my way right now. And I''ll be dead before I stop to get along with them.


    Finally breaking free of most of the crowd, I breathe in the freedom that it comes with. No more people to worry about now. Just the odd lurker around the bend of the road or building corner. My eyes shift to the night-time visage of Founding-Lord Brewbrt''s estate. Out of everyone here, he''ll probably be the one I miss the most.


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    He was the one to get me interested in magic, after all. He even offered me a lesson or two a fair few years back. Nothing impressive, but enough to have a long-lasting impact. One that I will finally be able to make use of.


    Reaching a crossroad, I mind where most of the town guards and others alike them are. I shift our direction towards the least looked after side at the moment. It''s dark enough right now that someone would have to be fairly close to see what I am up to. Plenty of time to hide should they be coming my way, too.


    Still, I''m helping an osibindah of all things into the walls of our town founder''s home. I knew before tonight that my plans to get to Thrurstradtur would be a rough one. However, I think the gods can forgive me for not having the foresight to think a monster would be my partner out of here. Were it not for the fact I can feel the effort this is taking, I''d surely be dreaming.


    Looking out of my head, I spot some debris that I most certainly am not dealing with at this moment. This is going to get annoying. If I have to take too many detours, my chance will slip. I turn back the way I came and watch the rising fire. No. I am getting out of here.


    I have a choice. Either I risk being called out by what guards remain as I sneak in with this care... Or, I try to get as close as I can to the mountain serving as the town''s spine. My cargo can climb the mountain there and vault the wall. I should be able too, if the osibindah is not willing to offer a hand.


    Either way, both options run the risk of me dealing with guards. Which one lets me allow my cargo to ditch first, though I do not know. At least if they find him, I can hide fine. The attention will be off of me, anyway.


    Enough for me to steal an animal and a wagon... Maybe enough money for a spiral-train out of here.


    "No. Wait. Someone has a supply depot nearby..." I remember suddenly adjusting my course to get to that place. Finding the building, I turn us away from it to then reverse back towards it. The few guards nearby can''t even give a care about this. Now, I just need to start unpacking some of these boxes.


    "We there?" my cargo asks as his quivering and shaking disturbs the supplies. Taking off what I can, I do my best to form a wall between me and the open street. Enough to hopefully let the osibindah slip into the shadows of the nearest alley.


    "Yes. Now, get going. Let''s go!" I snap with a forced hush as I help the creature up to its feet. We stumble ahead and bang on the metal curtain door of the depot. I wince at the pain and the bug scurries off of me.


    "You alright there?" a guard calls out from the other side of the street.


    "Quick! Quick! Quick!" I repeat to my cargo as it aimlessly looks about in a panic. Shoving it the way of the alley, it grabs me and we end up in the slim line of forest behind the building. Thankfully, the guard didn''t seem to catch wind of us as we got out of there. Maybe he''ll buy into the idea I went inside...?


    Still, the bug is getting on my nerves. It''s being hunted by everyone in town but me, and it freezes up in fear!? How in the name of all the gods did this thing cause the trouble it has? How in All-That-Remains did it do that?


    "Grab on," the bug orders, its claws digging into the mountain with resounding cracks.


    "Grab what!? Your back is covered in spikes and cracks!" I point out, not sure what is wound-caused and what is meant to be there. I shiver at all the yellow gunk on its back.


    "Well, if you want to come with me then you''ll make do!" it barks, letting go of the mountain so its height can tower over me. Flinching, I find myself intimidated. I try not to let it show, but the truth of the matter is quite simple. Much as I want to be snarky, I''ll have to put a lid on it, considering that this thing is a dangerous predator!


    "Just make it quick... I am not sure how long I can hold on to your back, given the circumstances." I whine, my apprehension growing as I get closer.


    "If you want quick, then tell me if there are any guards," the bug says, hoisting me up by my feet and smacking me on the wall. Clinging to it for dear life, I withhold the desire to swear with all I have. I do not like how casually it can pick me up and hold me up like this. I do not like it!


    "A little higher." I whisper down to him with a seething harshness as I can barely glance over the top. The phrase repeats endlessly on my lips until I''m finally able to pull myself up the rest of the way. Getting my good look at the estate''s interior, I gesture to come back down.


    "Well?" the bug asks, its claws going back into the mountain so we can climb. My eyes linger on those limbs as my mind goes blank. I''m pretty sure I read somewhere that Founding-Lord Brewbrt hand-carved the mountain to be a bit flatter. Reinforcement and all that to stop break-ins. But none of that seems to matter to this bug''s claws.

 V4 Incline 70: Nin

    "Alright, we are in... Want me to hide or will you prefer I stick around?" my helping hand asks as I look around, a frown growing. Going by my activity within this place, before the incident with Neeameth, I''ve grown accustomed to the usual sights. There should be guards out about, especially with what I have done. Yet, there is none to be seen.


    It has me worries, this place should have patrols around every corner. And, even if it''s not armoured and armed, there''s plenty of staff working alongside them. There is not one person to be seen. Except for the estate''s main entrance, it seems like no one is here.


    "Stick with me for now. This might evolve into a situation where we just have to get out of here. With what ever we have, it doesn''t matter." I caution as I take the lead in trying to trace my steps. My memories are so hazy, even with how recently this occurred. So many corners turned and walls broken through. The only part that is clear to me is when I could grab Rose-sweerui.


    Uncertain is one very mild way to put how I feel right now. Being out here, though, it''s making me realise something quite embarrassing. Especially with the situation I am in... I never got used to the building. I stuck to our room or the path to the dining hall.


    We''re lost.


    There are perhaps some familiar places, but only if I can get higher to double check. However. It all leads to me being in full sight of the guards. I can''t be getting spotted before I even have something in claw!


    "What about going up to the roof?" my help asks, his hand gesturing over to a well-trimmed tree.


    "It''s a bit exposed, no? Especially considering my height." I question, self-conscious at the worse possible time.


    "There are angled roofs. You just need to be mindful about what it puts you in view of." he points out further, his index moving up and down as I spot one such angle on one roof. Still, even with these angles and the black of night, there''s barely any cover for me. I''m not the most stealthy body in town.


    "What I would do to borrow Waionr''s crown..." I mutter as I settle for breaking in via one hole I made during my escape. Gods above help me...


    If I hear so much as a footstep or breath in the wrong direction, I''m bolting it back outside. Maybe I should put my help in front so I know what is his noises? I guess it doesn''t matter, it''s all good so far. Too good, maybe.


    "So where is everyone...? You kill them?" my help accuses as we go by more and more empty rooms. My stomach quivers at the acknowledgement. Everything''s always louder when there''s no one else and it is at night... Always louder.


    Still, it''s been fairly empty. My posture adjusts, turning more casual even with the edge still lingering in my mind. Everything feels electric, but we''re fine for the moment. I need to stay cautious and there is nothing to be cautious about!?


    "No... I was... I was very mindful to get out without hurting anyone..." I answer, putting some of this nervous energy into something other than bone-rattling. I shake my head as echoes of hours-old noises damn me with their insidious rumination. Gods above, why did you even try that, Neeameth!?


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    "Consider me a bit of sceptic, then. You''ve got quite a bit of blood caked on you," my help comments as we enter a small kitchen. I glance around at the shelves and in-progress food on display. Anything to keep my eyes off and away from the remarked upon feature. I feel awful seeing all this.


    All over the counters are incomplete meals, once-cooking meats left to get stodgy with grainy, white fat. Covered up dishes that have turned cold even with the help of the culinary sciences. There are even ovens that have gone dark from a lack of fuel-minded maintenance. I clutch my tummy as it continues to shake with all my worries.


    If I had just kept myself dressed, then I''d be in a seat next to Rose-sweerui... Brewbrt and Einervaene would be there, too. We''d all be enjoying a meal, though, myself more their limited company. I would be having dinner at this time, not running around scared for my life.


    I...


    "A bite to calm the nerves..." I let out with a sniffle, my lungs suddenly struggling to do their job. Finding something that''s largely put together, I scoff it down. Other foods enter my claws, smushing together long before they even meet the moisture of my saliva. A mixture of meats, vegetables, fruits, eggs and other stuff. Even a cake.


    "We are here to get something of yours and you are wasting time eating...?" my help scolds, his disgust firmly locked on my animalistic jaw. My brow settles depressively and my eyes feel hollow. I stop eating and relinquish some of it.


    "Be quiet..." I want to shout, but I keep it buried down in the muffled quiet. Putting my claws into a bucket of water, I wipe my claws clean of juices, crumbs and spices. I try to find something to snicker at when he snatches a few things himself. My head shakes and I let the pettiness go. If I need something to calm my nerves, he probably needs it too.


    "Sorry. I''ll, uh... Give you this one," the help comments, what appears to be a sweet with a dark filling in his hands, "Wish this was warm, though."


    I nod in agreement as a lot of food simply tastes nicer warm. It would probably help me relax more as well. The fact it''s all cold is only reinforcing my misery, as I am why it is in such a state. But, enough about food, we need to get moving. I''m not here to eat. I am here to grab my stuff and the bag, along with whatever else is essential.


    My jaw moves around, an uncertainty brewing as I recall that Einervaene''s stuff is in the bag. I doubt she''ll be sticking around with us, not after seeing my true form. Maybe there is some hope, though. A hope that if I can get dressed again and hide my body, I can make up a lie. Stick to the lie and keep my face eternally hidden. Let it be that familiar ''face'' that she knows so well.


    A bandaged man with a beaked mask...


    "It''s starting to get familiar." I tell my help as we come across some cracks and bullet holes. If these are here, this is most certainly one of the halls I ran through earlier in the day. I guess now we follow the damage and track my path?


    Grabbing my companion, I force him ahead of me, "H-Hey! Knock it off!"


    "Get up those stairs and check for guards. Anyone at all, for that matter." I order as I take a few looks behind and around. There are still no signs of anyone.


    "No, no guards. Place is empty of anything living," he answers, coming back down the stairs.


    "Well, this might be a bit easier than I thought it might." I jinx as I follow him up the stairs. With how my life is turning out right now and not that long ago, though... Jinxing something is the least of my worries. Still, even a candle can set light to a gas store.


    Actually, superstition can eat shit for all I care. Nothing else to say on the matter. Well, think about, rather. Why am I even treating my thoughts as someone else? I have a helping hand right ahead of me!


    "So... You want to get to Thrurstradtur?" I ask, staving off the uncomfortable quiet of this wrongly empty place.

 V4 Incline 71: Nin

    "Smells like someone wet themselves." the help comments, fingers pinching his nose. My jaw tightens as an expression slides over my eyes. An unfortunate, damning memory.


    "That is because someone did." I answer, stepping over the marks with a forceful blink. The sobbing woman won''t get out of mental sight! My claws delicately rub at my eyes, and to no surprise, it does nothing. It''s all too fresh in my mind to go.


    Perhaps... Perhaps it is compounding with how I met Vapooliar. She too was terrified of the osibindah despite her strength. I am too.


    That feeling of how we might die, it''s so barby. I can barely manage to linger my gaze anywhere near the door to the room. There''s too much here to ignore. Stains of what I was doing before, the smells of fear and gunpowder. Bullet holes, foot and claw marks. It''s all here.


    What isn''t here, however... Is all of our stuff. Rose-sweerui''s bag is gone. Everything I failed to pack is gone too!


    "You after this?" my help asks as he points out an oddly neat pile. Gulping, I nod and he hands over my mask. Taking it into claw with some relief, I find myself fixating on how much more I need. My clothes are all still here, that is it. This strange set up is making me more paranoid than anything else.


    We''ve walked into a trap. There''s no way this can be anything else. Only Brewbrt and Einervaene really know about Rose-sweerui''s bag and its contents. The latter is with my aelenvari companion. The former is unaccounted for and powerful. Only Brewbrt would even have an idea of why I might try to get back here, if he thought of it at all.


    Which, clearly...


    Does this mean I will have to fight and run away from him? Am I even capable of doing either task!? I barely won against that osibindah earth shaman when I escaped the mountain. Rose-sweerui has since clarified to me that a staff indicates a flaw in magic casting ability. She herself has this same problem to an extent. Not Brewbrt, I have seen nothing to show that problem.


    Brewbrt does not need a staff...


    He''s like Vapooliar. He is powerful and capable enough without one. Never mind how his magic has altered his appearance. It doesn''t matter who first told me, Rose-sweerui, Vapooliar or Vadei... His hair is a pale, silverish mixed with a shade of emerald glow that saps my confidence.


    Vapooliar only had a few lone strands of verdancy in her otherwise brown hair. And she made a complete mockery of me in the practice fight we had. That''s not even considering how my greatest feat of strength, what Rose claims to love me for... She did it without breaking a sweat!


    Oh, gods above, it''s even worse compared to then.


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    I do not have the ability to use that stone magic anymore. The spongy sensation I used to find in rocks is gone. I cannot feel it now, even with a paranoid squeezing of some of the building''s bricks. Not even my originally turned arm is finding that sensation. I''m doomed.


    Undwote, without a shadow of any doubts, is going to see me again.


    My head shakes, shivers rocking my body. My gaze hardens as my eyes settle on my clothes. There''s no other option. Springing and surviving the trap is all I can do now.


    "Alright... Help me get dressed." I tell my help as I get started, the shaking in my body somehow suppressed. I can still feel the hollowness of whatever bones I still have. But I''m not quivering at the very least.


    "I''m not a maid." my not so helpful help scoffs. I look up from my increasingly wrapped up feet and glare.


    "You best start acting like one, then. Because if -you- want to get out of here and -come- to Thrurstradtur... Then, you best help me hide this god''s forsaken body of mine!" I hiss at him, my teeth clenching uncomfortably tight with force.


    I give him a minute to lose the wide eyes, and he comes over to help. We make quick work of the sloppy job and I put on the finishing hat and mask touches. I can worry about properly sorting out my bandages once I get back to Rose. I need to hurry, anyhow.


    She''ll get seriously weak if I leave her in the cold for too long. Einervaene is the same in that matter, too. Without the Orbital-Halo coming up and over, it''s only going to get chillier for the pair. Gods, they might not even be alive anymore... I''m taking too long.


    My ears open more than they should, "Undwote... I better not hear one dog from your Pack of Seven."


    My growls become rumbles as the mask settles on properly. Flexing my carapace-covered muscles, I fit into the rest as equally well. Gesturing for my help to follow, we head out the room and look out the window, down to the front gate. No sign of the bag out there, it would seem.


    "So, what now-" my help starts to ask, our paranoia proven in an instant.


    Flinching away from the erupting emerald light, I watch it rise through covering claw. All around Brewbrt''s estate, like a new wall, so much more massive than the brick. A little wisp blinks into existence, its form hard and solid. It smacks my chest up, its bounciness gesturing for us to follow.


    "If the Founding-Lord knows we are here, why hasn''t he just killed you!?" my help demands to know and all I can do is shrug. How am I even supposed to answer a question like this!?


    "Nice to see you are confident in your survival." I say, clinging onto the me-centric focus, even if it exists with good cause. Still, a bit of sarcasm to alleviate my erect sense of terror.


    "Well... I don''t know... I''m not the one causing mass destruction to Tryhpeltzweig!" my help almost screams as his skin shines with spontaneous sweat. Gulping, the wisp batters us again.


    "You are now my accomplice, though." I point out to him, heading on off down the hallway to get to the main entrance. My help barely keeps up, swears driving his legs more than energy. We slide out into the open, a sudden gust knocking us away. My lungs empty and my back shreds open on a barrier of razor winds.


    Thudding to the ground, another crash follows shortly... I barely have an idea of what is going on. All I can grasp is my survival instinct. Run, run, run, run, run. Run. Run with all I have!


    It''s the only part of my mind not fuzzy... Shaking my head erratically, I struggle to find my footing. Two things come into view, the power of the arcane highlighting them for my concussed vision. The bag... And, him.


    "Hello again, Young Man." Brewbrt greets with killer severity, his fists curled and glare sharp. Somehow, with heavy breaths, I throw my arms up. I''m ready to fight if I must!

 V4 Incline 72: Nin

    "Is Einervaene alright?" Brewbrt asks, winds howling with stone-cutting pressure as his fingers curl. The whistles in my ear sharply rise with each lashing of his house. Each curl of the fingers brings his power closer.


    He walks closer to aid his strength''s approach. Stepping away in turn, it does little to stop my body from glowing because of his threatening aura. My eyes shift to my side, a knocked out companion on the ground. He ain''t getting up to help me, not with a head gash like that.


    I nod to answer Brewbrt''s question as my legs wobble, "Just kill me and get this over with... We both know what I am..."


    My lungs abruptly empty, forcing me to gulp in some of the barbed breeze. I can feel blood in my throat, I can feel it warming up most of my back. It''s dripping away, staining more and more bandages, a sickly yellow that keeps getting darker. Life-sapping moisture revitalising the marks of prior injuries.


    "And where is Einervaene?" Brewbrt asks, his expression mellowing with familiar warmth. Odd. The kind he greeted me initially with, back on my first day here. The kind he swung his arms open for Einervaene to cuddle. Shakily, my left arm rises, pointing at my initial way back.


    "With Rose... Out of sight." I say, struggling to get the details out of my head. Another cut slices open the floor. The magic seeps in, eroding it away into a blade-filled trench. Balls of light explode, fireworking across my vision. None get too close.


    "I don''t know where your aelenvar friend is. Or is calling her a ''slave'' more accurate?" he is right to point out, though, his speculation is uncalled for.


    "Rose is not my slave...!" I growl, his hand flicking out with a disc of arcane power. It shatters on my shin, knocking me forward face first. The pressure in the air drops me harder than this height should. Putting my claws out wide, I try to push up. I can''t.


    "Is she okay?" he asks, that dangerous glint to his eyes returning. Some kind of weapon forms in his hands, between the fog of magic majesty.


    "I don''t know..." I try to answer at first, only for the magic''s viciousness to grow, "-I was running away with Rose! She followed us with her magic and, for some reason, fell from the sky!"


    His power''s encroachment slows to a cautious slither, "You did -catch- her?"


    I nod slowly, "I did... I did. I left her with Rose in a mountain cave. High above the valley, so nothing''s likely to catch them unaware."


    "I see." Brewbrt lets out, a dark form bursting out from elsewhere in his increasingly broken home. The swirling mass of magic breaks away into a mass of silver-tipped strings. Revealing... Rose''s stuff. Our stuff, what I am here for. All packed and ready to go.


    "What...?" is all I can really say as it settles down a safe distance from us both. Though still close to me. Brewbrt''s hands light up and it becomes hard to breathe. Taking the hat and mask off, I reveal the already spilled secret. Only to find easy breathing greeting me. I meet Brewbrt''s curious eyes, his magic backing away to a palm.


    "Is this why you are actually going to Thrurstradtur?" he asks, his magic going out to form a three-dimensional figure. A bare osibindah, one howling skyward. It doesn''t matter if it''s me or some ravenous bug. The image is all the same to me. It''s a monster.


    "Not entirely... I''m trying to reach someone. But I was hoping the people at Thrurstradtur would be able to help me." I explain, a glare taking over my brow as his eyes soften with his expression. He smiles, his might dying down.


    "Well, let us hope the God of Luck shines his light on you, then." he says, most of the danger gone. Just like that. All this intimidation and life-threatening and now he''s... Letting me go?


    "You are just going to let me go...?" I ask, getting my perplexing thoughts out into the world. He hears them well and true, making it clear I am not going crazy. However, there''s still danger to his motions...


    "No, not yet anyway. For now, I need to know something. Regarding the daughter of my friend. Einervaene." he asks, a trigger finger aiming its way up to my head. I flinch as it shines brilliantly with swirling emerald. There''s too much of that damn colour. The colour of power.


    "Well, ask, I have all the time in the world now." I shiver, my body turning cold as I otherwise realise my tone.


    "You won''t have any time if you fail," he reminds me, his finger firing off and blowing a grand hole to my right, "But, let me get started, can you protect her?"


    "Protect her...? Why would I..." I ask, blinking erratically as I take the moment to mask up again. I hate knowing my face is out there for the world to see. It must stay hidden.


    "Because I am willing to let her go with you," he says, his hand reloading. He brings it back up, the angle of his aim closer to me.


    "W-Why!?"


    "She has taken a liking to you and your aelenvar friend. Enough that she was willing to hurt herself to try to rescue her. The one who calls you her precious love," he explains, making fairly good sense of why Einervaene did what she did. No doubt about it, she saw my form and how it made others feel. She saw me grab Rose and make a break for it.


    "Letting her go with me is a bad idea..." I say to him, as it''s clearly not obvious enough to him. He shakes his head, smirking a bit.


    "No, actually. What you are puts you in a hard situation. You''ve had two choices so far. Either fall into spite''s grasp. Or cling to what humanity remains. Fundamentally, you have currently or will develop the traits of a protector," he tells me, his centuries of lived experience not filtering very well into my head. Let alone my panic-shocked one.


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    "..." I gulp a rock of saliva down.


    "Now, it would be a bad idea... If. You fail to prove yourself to me. I am not in a position to travel with her. Not now. It''s an even worse idea to send her out of town alone. She needs companions. Friends. Gods above, she''s spent years alone, I cannot stomach the idea of even one more day of it." he says, his duty to Einervaene''s mother as bright as anything he''s tried to wound me with.


    "What do I need to prove...?" I ask, minding the pain already wrecking my body.


    "You need to prove if you can protect her!" he goes, his magic returning and lancing to me. I leap away with speed I did not know I have. Falling onto my rear, I wonder if I''ve tricked the God of Thunder into thinking I am a lightning bolt!?


    "I CAN''T PROVE ANYTHING IF I AM DEAD!" I shout with all I have at the enigmatic old man as more magic forms in his hands. The rims of which crackle and detonate in their razor vortexes.


    "THEN! LIVE!" he calls out, his mouth not moving like a shout. But the world shakes with the force of his words.


    More magic comes from me and I scramble up. Each blast I barely avoid sends my body into more of an overdrive than it already is. Missed blow and missed blow fill my body with dread. The reaffirmation that I know being hit will see me dead. A corpse!


    To make it all so much worse... In the flash of a moment I have to catch my footing, I see whirling pits of death. Each missed shot is changing into a blender of the arcane. I''m barely avoiding the blasts and now I am getting fresh cuts!


    Finding myself trapped by all the magic, my body starts to go limp, "As I said... I guess it was true... Undwote... I am coming back to see you."


    My mutters must be louder than they seem. Brewbrt shakes his head, disappointment so clearly spread over his face. Somehow, it does something to my heart and mind... It''s... It''s making me angry.


    I am more than just angry; I am pissed with all sense of inhibition gone. So very morally lacking. This man is trying to kill me... Kill me! And he is shaking his head at me!?


    The blasts seem to have stopped. Getting myself properly upright, my shoulders rise as my claws arc. I smash my chest. Drumming it again and again with a spread of my arms.


    "WELL!? GO ON, THEN! KILL ME! Kill me...!" I demand, claws flexing as I try to think of something. Anything.


    He clearly believes that I can live through this... Somehow, so impossibly somehow. That I have a chance. But what am I going to do!?


    Looking around at what remains of the estate, I spot a pillar still largely intact. I figure out my idea. I need to try and do what Rose taught me back at the start of our journey. I need to give my body greater size, an extension to focus myself through. Something big, something like that pillar.


    It has to work, it must!


    I need to live and get back to Rose-sweerui. I need to make sure she is safe. I will see her again, and Vapooliar, and Vadei and anyone else who will be gladdened by my name! Live.


    "Ready?" Brewbrt questions, a lone spear taking the light to an extremity not seen so far. I flinch at its flaring power and punch down my quivering gut. Shifting my legs, I mind the shaking and trembling of perhaps the whole town. The ground is warping to the tyranny of the wind. With specks of it becoming little more than sand by the time they whirl a mere once.


    Each rotation, every spin. It booms, the edges eat away at the ground and explode. I can''t hear my thoughts anymore. It''s all simply the power of Brewbrt''s wind.


    "Undwote seems pretty close..." I whimper, lapsing in my determination to live. Shooting to the pillar, I break over his lingering power and cut my feet along it. With a wet skid, I hoist up the masonry and focus. My magic comes out as I want it to. My power is ready to serve!


    With all the strength I can, I focus my arcane fury to meet his. Brewbrt relaxes, a clear smile and huff moving his lips. He flicks his wrist with nary a care and death approaches. Like all sane people, I panic. Panic threatens to explode my brain into mush.


    Every curse I can think of leaves me. Every noise imaginable, every jitter. The spear breaks apart the pillar, sending me reeling. In a last moment of desperation, I clap my claws together and-


    Catch it!? Eh!? How am I- Pain!


    So much damn pain!


    Roaring it out, I feel the caught vortex drill through my grip. My palms shave away and my arms break at the whipping circumference. Cracking and chipping. The tip pokes into my gut. I''m maintaining my grip!


    How am I maintaining-!?


    Feeling for certain that I am going to die, I roar one last time as I feel it come in. Yet, I throw the spear aside instead. The spear eats into the earth, tunnelling out of sight with only its blinding glow staying in view. The sound of the exploding magic reaches us first.


    The shockwave throws me to the ground and I slide down into the falling ground. Brewbrt grabs me and pulls me out of the swallowing earth. My bloodied back slides along the ruined floor. Slicking it with blood. My blood, not one drop of his. Not even punched out spit.


    "That is your current best?" Brewbrt asks, somehow already looming over me again. Struggling to find a way to grip the ground with such bleeding claws, I slump. My blurry eyes can barely make him out, even this close. He''s close.


    I try to grab him and plunge my thumb-claws into his eyes... I stop. Staring with abrupt clarity, I do nothing but look at my ruined claws. They''re not even hand-like anymore. It''s all just a pair of paintbrushes. Soaked in bloody paint.


    Brewbrt glows, and it passes into me. I breathe his magic in. The pain starts to go away and I watch my body repair itself back to a functional state. Stumbling back to my feet, he turns away with a nod. He healed me. Like he did for Rose and Einervaene back during the stampede...!


    "I hope Undwote forgets about you when you die..." I literally spit at him as he walks away. Though I am healed, there''s still blood sticking to my tongue. I spit again to get some of it off.


    "And I hope you find the help you want. On top of that, I want to see a meaningful bond created with Einervaene. The daughter of my good friend," he tells me, his smile wide and only slightly less confusing when compared to his wave. It''s too friendly for what has just happened.


    "Bleh..." is all I have for him and I turn to get my help off the ground. Seeing how the bag is packed much neater than how I did it, I exploit the new room. Stuffing the human into the top of the bag. Which, somehow, is also packed with plenty of new and additional supplies... Stuff I know I didn''t pack.


    Everything we would need for our journey. Everything I worried about before and during Rose''s and my journey here. What a weird old man Brewbrt is... What a weird old coot.


    "I mean it, Young Man. Really, I do. Good luck. You''ve got an interesting life ahead of you. Just... Make sure to heed my next words carefully. Please, do not kill off any bonds of friendship that you have. It''s a lonely enough world as is," he tells me, the bag settling onto my back without much trouble. Thank the gods he healed me and sorted out my back.


    Both barely old wounds and newer.


    "Oh, also... You might want to hurry," he tells me, and he winks. Another smirk appears on his face. I blink in confusion and flinch as his magic returns. It explodes in his face and he flies back into some debris.


    It exploded in his face!?


    My head empties and my legs run with all they have as the barriers all drop. Leaping out into the town, I barrel my way through the safest path. Harmless bullets shoot after me like the good old days. I leap the town wall and it stops.


    "Undwote, leave me alone! Undwote, leave me alone!" I can''t help but cry out as all kinds of noises chase after me. Barely making it in time, another bullet zips into the dirt on my left as I stumble heavily. I''m finally home free!


    High on all kinds of exciting feelings and chemicals. I can barely pay attention to the world around me. Jumping and running is all I can really focus on right now. Jump far. Jump fast.


    Jump!

 V4 Incline 73: Einervaene

    "That wasn''t very pleasant..." I let out as I awake to find myself in darkness. My body''s all numb and cold. Shivering in the chilly air, I recall a lovely thing about my magic. A coat of sparks sizzles across me and I find myself toasty warm. Finding my feet, I head toward the night sky.


    My spasms seem to have ended. Which means a lot of time has passed... My thoughts return to the urgency that brought me out this far. I was chasing after-


    "Rianta-chira!" I almost scream, spinning around in a panic. She isn''t here. Better yet, why am I in a cave right now!? Someone must''ve found me and put me in here. Or is this the home of that monster?


    No, it can''t be that. I am too close to the exit of the cave if this is the monster''s hideout. But... Just in case, I slow down and keep my ears open. If this illusion of safety breaks, then I will be ready.


    Hopefully, I will be able to find signs of my friend. I pray that she''s safe. She has to be. She must be.


    I cannot forgive myself if she''s not. She''s the closest thing I''ve had to a friend in years, and I do not want to go back to the loneliness I left behind. I left all of that behind the moment I broke into their room! I may have lasted that horrible, multi-year journey on my own...


    But having a friend is an impossible high. You just don''t part from it willingly. A gunshot echoes down the tunnel. Not hearing any impact in the cave, I rush to the exit and grip for dear life. How high up am I!?


    Putting myself on the ground, I catch my erratic breath. More gunshots echo. Shouting voices start to reach me, too warped by the distance to be clear in my ears. I move closer to the edge and try to spot someone.


    There''s a crowd there in the light-disturbed dark. Maybe they''ve seen Rianta-chira!? I hope they have, they must''ve. I move closer to the mountain''s edge and get a clearer view.


    Wait... I recognise one of those figures. It''s Nin-kischu...? He''s out here with that big bag of stuff he was packing earlier. The one with all of Rianta-chira''s stuff in it.


    The group down there are all pointing guns at him. Other weapons too. Nin is in pain. He''s on the ground clutching his leg. They shot him?


    "STOP IT!" screams a familiar voice, a pair of lights in front of her head. It''s Rianta-chira! But, why is one of the men holding her hostage? If she''s safe from the monster, then why is she someone''s captive!?


    Kidnappers in league with an inhuman monster...?


    I can do something, I need to do something. Can I do something? I cannot tell how many there are and they''re all armed. However I help, I need to remember that I am no fighter.


    But, maybe, just maybe... If I can get rid of the ones threatening Nin-kischu the most, he can deal with the rest? I cannot waste anymore time thinking about it. I need to get on with it and save these two!


    "Gods and goddesses, protect me." I mutter, getting back to my feet and spotting a cloud. Transforming into a crackling ball of lightning, I weave through the sky. I am counting maybe a handful of armed men at most. But some more might be in the trees and I don''t have time to linger...


    Focusing on those closest to Rianta-chira, I nod my thoughts at the plan. If I can free her, then her love can safely handle the rest. Pointing my sparking determination, I strike. Striking through one gunman, I reform my body and tackle the next one. I shock my body full of power.


    Rianta-chira stumbles free and I target another gunman. They overcome their shock and take aim. It''s getting riskier, but I keep charging and shocking even as bullets return. Unable to reuse my spell, I mutate into a lightning-woman. Routing some gunmen away, I safely collapse.


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    "MOUNTED-CAPTAIN!" one of them shouts, the rush of boots and gear above.


    I watch in despair as they rally around their leader. Nin-kischu rushes over me and takes out a couple. He ditches the bag and more bullets hit him deep. My eyes linger on the strange colour of his blood. The blood of the gunmen only makes it stick out more.


    The pain drives him into a fit of rage and he tears many more into bloody chunks... I choke on the upheaval in my stomach. Clutching it with my body spasming from magic over usage, I feel like I might vomit. I manage to keep it down as the bullets ignore me.


    While I have killed before, I always have left them black and charred. I''ve got used to the smell of burnt meat. Not the excessive blood and terrible screams. Another wet tear between the bangs of guns.


    I empty my stomach across the grass. Blinking the pain away, I spit out what bile remains and shake to my feet. The gunfire has stopped. Are we...?


    "So the picked rose is poisonous it seems..." what I assume is the Mounted-Captain says to Rianta-chira. She kicks the man along the ground, ignoring the spit of blood. She spears the man back to the dirt and stands over him. Her body shakes and I watch the odd sight of her curling fists.


    "Do. Not... Ever! HURT MY LOVE!" she screams, stabbing at the man with her stake-like legs. She forces her next leg in, pinning the screaming man as he tries to reach for a weapon. Rianta-chira''s hand erupts with a vicious mass of swirling green. She smothers the man''s screaming face.


    My stomach acts up again as he bloats, bubbling and popping all over. I flinch away, some of the blood almost reaching me. The man''s not even screaming anymore. He''s only letting out wet gurgles and spasms.


    I avoid his face as Rianta-chira picks herself up. My expression is blank and I can feel my skin turn pale. I blink repeatedly. I fell on the ground...?


    Sitting there quietly, I ignore the death around us. I sit here. Not sure what to do. I...


    I''m surprised Rianta-chira is capable of such violence. She''s still filled with rage even now. Soaked in blood that''s steaming from her emotions more than the bodies it was taken from. Somehow, I bear to look her in the eye.


    A groan forces our eyes apart and hers snap away, "My love! Are you okay!? Are you okay!?"


    Trailing my eyes after her, I watch as she collides with the injured lover. Fortunately for us all, I am not paralysed, so I get up. Wandering over to the pair, I wonder if I am able to help them in any way. I should see if I can help. It doesn''t matter if he bleeds yellow, I just need to try.


    Rianta-chira whips around, hissing me back like a wild animal. I raise my hands, stepping back as her magic builds. She knows I...? No, no attitude, I need to keep calm.


    "It''s alright, it''s alright, I might be able to help..." I tell the pair, and she turns away to await an answer. Nin-kischu nods, beckoning me to come closer. I have no tools to help him with, but lightning magic has natural traits I can exploit. If I can just get it right, I should be able to magnetically pull the bullets out.


    Doing my best to beat down my fear, I get to work. I''ve barely practised this way of using my magic and now I am using it on a living being!? Oh, something going to go horribly wrong... I know it will!


    Rianta-chira puts a bloody hand on my shoulder, "Calm down."


    Watching the white fabric of my clothes stain red, I nod slowly. Breathing in deeply, I pair two of my fingers together and alter the charge over a wound. The dial feeling in my heart turns and I move closer to the shaking in the air. Bullets systematically escape their entry wounds, and I collapse backwards on the final one.


    "Einer... Einervaene..." Nin-kischu says through labouring breath. His hands roll over the bullets, rattling and flicking them.


    "What do you need...?" I ask from my spot on the ground, a sense of exhaustion otherwise rocking me. I can barely find the energy to turn my head to get a good view of him.


    "Me and Rose-sweerui will be heading out now... You want to come with us? Brewbrt gave me his blessing, if that means anything," he asks me, his explanation sounding rather strange. Rianta-chira cuddles up to him, the stress of the moment making her cry into his arm. Watching her still, I start to shuffle over.


    I would like to do this too.


    Reaching him, he seems to be fine with me holding him close, "Yeah... I''d be fine with that..."


    I choke on my breath and shake. Today has been a rather rough one. I was hoping to be rid of such experiences, but I suppose I am a fool for thinking that. Though, I guess, if the Founding-Lord, Mother''s Friend... I guess if he has given his blessing, I do not need to head back to Tryhpeltzweig.


    The situation is giving me the impression we might have to go without saying goodbye, anyway. It''s... It''s a shame. He has helped me for so long, as far back as when I first set sail technically. It''s unforgivable that I go without saying goodbye. Still, maybe the safety of these two matters more.


    My two friends. Rianta-chira and Nin-kischu, they matter more. Yeah, they do... I will go with them and we can all get to Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst together!

 V4 Incline 74: Nin

    "My Love, is something bothering you?" Rose-sweerui asks as I continue to linger behind the pair of women. It''s not the bag, I just have stuff on my mind. Though my injuries, however patched up, are still an issue. From where the pain is, some shots must''ve hit me right in the joints.


    Really impeding my ability to move... Bugger. Shit a brick. So damn many of them.


    I suppose I am lucky that this is all so spread out. Having an arm ruined so much I need to tear it off is certainly something. Rose-sweerui slows down to meet me, and she puts her hand on one such arm. She tries to apply some magic to it and I remember she asked a question.


    I gently grab her and let us stop so I can get another bothersome thought out, "That is the first time I ever killed an actual person... And I killed multiple in quick succession. Everything else... It was always monsters."


    "You were only protecting yourself from those who want you dead!" she reminds me as if I can forget. I sigh and my eyes cross the growing distance between us and Einervaene. They stay facing forwards as my mind ticks away.


    "It doesn''t matter why I did it... I... Did it. That''s all that matters." I say, my voice hollow as we walk again.


    "We are still alive, my love. That is all that matters. Just forget about it," she encourages, a gentle grip on my elbow.


    "You say while still being soaked in their blood... While I am, too." I point out, a bath sounding real nice about now. Yet, Rose doesn''t feel the same. In fact, she sticks her head up. Full of pride to the point she''s glowing.


    "I am soaked in the proof that I protected you. The blood on you is that same set of proof." she tells me, giving insight into her view of the world. I blink as her fingers dance up to my chin, a delicate tickle singing on my chitin.


    "She also did a fair amount of that." I point out, literally doing so to get the focus on Einervaene.


    "She only played a small part." Rose dismisses, her handing coming down for a wave of the same make.


    "I''d be dead without her intervention." I make sure Rose understands as I wobble on the leg that was shot. If they had any more of those anti-magic-people bullets, I''d be dead. Were it not for that monologue, Einervaene wouldn''t of had the time.


    "No, no Undwote would not be seeing you again. You would be making him too busy with them. As you did." she...


    "You are deluded," is all I can say, my face getting close to hers. I set aside some pain and put the distance between us.


    "I am, aren''t I? I have done quite a few things most of my kind would never do. And that is just fine by me," she tells me, rushing ahead and backpedalling to show off that smile. She plants herself firmly and catches onto me with a tight hug and giggle. The bag muffles and Rose stops. She backs away.


    The panic in the bag continues, and my eyes widen a little. Oh, right. Help is in there. He''s alive? The bullets didn''t get him? The bag is surprisingly intact, actually...


    "When did I get so far ahead...?" the clueless lightning woman says, the muffles loud enough for her to hear. I let out a quiet huff and focus on getting the bag down. The moment it touches the ground, a body comes crawling out with all he has.


    "Oh, yeah, that''s right..." I mutter, letting my earlier thoughts express themselves as our escaping baggage yells whatever he can.


    "WHY WAS I STUFFED IN A BAG!?" he demands to know as he gulps in most of the world''s air. All-That-Remains-Is-A-Lack-of-Air. He stops, eyes hopping between the girls, and he backs up.


    "You two, this is..." I begin to say, shutting down as I realise I have never heard his name. Help, he may have been, but his name, it most certainly isn''t.


    "Baltanthan." he answers, straightening himself out.


    "Right, Rose, Baltanthan. Baltanthan, Ros-"


    "Rose''lhia to him," Rose interjects, a sneer already on her face. I quickly stare at Baltanthan, already aware of the problem. He seems to know enough, too. He''s more than happy to meet her with a glare.


    I''m getting too used to calling her Rose.


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    "Demanding and insufferable, got it." Baltanthan spits, the aelenvari''s head-bulbs flaring up.


    "Don''t," I tell Rose, putting a claw on her and then turning to the last one, "Baltanthan, Einervaene. And so on."


    "Nice to meet you." Einervaene greets, her expression taking on an aspect of confusion. I even know the kind, how smart of me. She''s trying to recollect the familiar, but forgotten.


    "Certainly look a lot different when you are not shopping while covered in filth," he comments with a nod.


    "Ah! Now I remember, you are the one I spoke to about that magic detector!" Einervaene perks up at and I start to ponder. Does this mean that Baltanthan played a part in why Einervaene broke through that window?


    "Yes, yes, that would have been me. And what about you? You still haven''t told me your name, Bug," he asks, his foul attention turning to me.


    "It''s Nin." I say to him, a twitch of annoyance in my claws.


    "Bug?" Einervaene repeats, her eyes clearly lingering on the yellow bug stains.


    "Please... Do not panic, Einervaene." I say to her, a long sigh escaping me as I take my hat and mask off.


    "Wait. So that thing I was chasing was you!?" Einervaene lets out, her face glowing with embarrassment as she steps to have a closer look.


    "You aren''t bothered?" I ask as she continues to show curiosity, of all things. I... I was not prepared for that. Though, I suppose she''s never seen an osibindah before. She doesn''t know.


    "I am a little surprised to see it was you. And admittedly, I think I might be a bit biased against you now... Due to how everyone reacted to seeing you. I''m s-sorry... But, but! I have never seen one of your kind before. I know Jherikra is supposed to be filled with many more species than the other lands. But I did not expect to see an insect-like being."


    "You should be lucky it was me you met, then." I comment and Baltanthan snorts, a mutter escaping his lips. My eyes shift to him, sharp points most certainly gripped by the colour of my eyes.


    "This... This is why people were attacking you?" Einervaene is hesitant to ask and I nod.


    "Yes... I am now known as an osibindah. They have a reputation for..." I try to answer, my words escaping me as Baltanthan''s expression occupies my view.


    "Raiding, pillaging, and burning towns. Raping women, devouring children. And, most importantly! Mutating men into more of them that will do the same until the mountains turn to sand," Baltanthan comments with all the snark he possibly can. I growl at him and it makes him scoff.


    "I see..." Einervaene says, her thoughts clearly lingering.


    "We should get going." I say, reaching back down for the bag.


    "Well, it''s nice to meet you then. I am very glad you have shared this secret with me!" she greets with a smile and a quick bow of courtesy.


    "Nice to meet me?" I question, blinking at the strange retread as I mask up.


    "The true you!" her smile unwavering.


    "Well, that has gone easier than I had hoped for..." I comment, resealing the bag and hiding myself fully. Rose slithers past my efforts and snatches up a map, her legs taking for a quick hop. The map whips open and she lingers noises in her mouth.


    "Well, the good news is we are not far from Thrurstradtur!" she exclaims, tail swinging.


    "If you say good news, then there''s likely bad." our new cynic points out and I''m inclined to agree.


    Rose shrugs, "I am speaking in relatives with the distance. And... Our quickest route might be to climb the mountain by hand. Rather than by taking the roads."


    "Why would we need to avoid the roads? Nin-kischu hid who he is quite well before." Einervaene argues and even then, I cannot agree with her. The key word she said is ''before,'' I am not hiding anymore. The fact I even needed to tell her about...


    "He might be able to. But, at the same time, it is both a very busy road and one with frequent checks. That much I know, these mountains are much different to other settlements. How do we even know if a thorn might overstep their authority and demand my love undress? We would be repeating the evils of last night again. In worst circumstances!" Rose aptly puts it, leaving me with little need to voice my fears.


    "That is fair. But, maybe we could take the roads ourselves while he climbs independently from the rest of us?" Einervaene suggests. The idea clicks with me and I nod. I can certainly climb a mountain, I can most certainly.


    "He''s the only one strong enough to carry our stuff." Rose reminds her and I mind my wounds. That is certainly a point and a half. With all this blood caking up my body, I''m probably going to struggle.


    "Is there a way we can split the load between us?" Einervaene asks as her eyes shift to the bag that not only has all of Rose''s stuff, some of Einervaene''s. But, now, we even have the new stuff added by Brewbrt!


    "Only if we destroy some of my clothing..." Rose quite bitterly suggests, a shiver rocking her form.


    "So we do that, then." Baltanthan shrugs. Rose glares so hard she almost forces magic out into the open.


    She looks away, huffing, "No, we find another means."


    "Brewbrt packed us quite a few new things. Maybe he''ll have packed us more bags?" I suggest, though, I haven''t had the time to look through how our contents have been altered. Still, I need to get Rose onboard with the idea. Me going on my own would be safer for these three.


    "If there''s a sewing kit in there, I might be able to reduce that bag into a bigger one." Einervaene suggests and we all turn to her. She flinches, clearly not expecting the attention. She puts up a wiggling smile, going a bit red.


    "Regardless of how we spend our time, we need to get moving." Baltanthan says, his eyes turning the way we came. I nod, minding my experiences with the valley-riders. We may still very well be within their expedition range. We killed a fair few, their leader included. They''ll want my blood.


    "He''s right, we should get moving. The closer we can get to Thrurstradtur, the more time we can spend thinking up plans." I say, taking the lead with the movement while glancing around at everyone.


    "Fine by me, let''s just get going already!" Baltanthan goes, his feet already springing him to the front. Rose comes back to my side and clings to me, face against my arm.


    "We better not destroy my stuff..." she moans, a cute whine following it. She slips her hand into my claw, squeezing it gently. I try to return the gesture. I suppose I''ll always have her, somehow.

 V4 Incline 75: Nin

    Finishing up with the latest observations, I pick the bag up once again. My wounds grind my flesh and the other three hear the roar of my vocal engine. Einervaene offers me a hand and I wince a little more as I adjust my weight. Damn bullets. I got healed by Brewbrt, only to get shot up again!


    "Should I keep an eye out on our surroundings? It''ll give you time to rest." Einervaene offers and I shake my head without much thought to it.


    "No... I don''t think that is a good idea, no," I say, the sensation of my claws lying to me. There''s nothing in them, but I remember.


    "Why? I can get up high into the sky and get a clear view of where we are. And quickly come back down and warn you if needed." she explains, and the logic is hard to argue against. However.


    "You also can''t do it for long. The moment problems start, you might get seriously hurt. So no," I tell her, gesturing for the other two to come along now so we can get moving again. We''ve been lucky with the lack of valley-riders, but complacency and a lack of attention started this mess. Not even my unmasking, my original capture by that spike-backed shortie.


    "I can do it if I work my way through the issues!" she insists, and while I commend the determination, I am hiding my amusement.


    "Einervaene. Last time you nearly died if I did not catch you. The offer is appreciated, but please, don''t do it." I insist right back, as her stubbornness irks a smidge of my heart.


    "B-But you are fast! ... Just catch me each time!" she says, her tone firm even as she backs off, that usual cute colour to her cheeks. My glass-hidden eyes shift to Rose-sweerui as her eyes otherwise blow the warning horn. I hold my jaw shut and breathe out until some air starts to leak from my eyes. A quick noise of joy escapes me.


    "Still, not fast enough." I say, wincing at the sudden pain in my chest area. A claw lingers on the stretched-for-too-long wound.


    "Do I need to sear them shut again?" Einervaene asks as she comes to inspect the growing wet feeling on my chest. It''s not much, just a broken scab, but enough for the attentive woman to notice.


    "No, it''s fine. It just hurts a little." I dismissively say, moving my arm away and setting my chest somewhat still. At the very least, I can make my back stiff to stop my front from stretching, however many ways.


    "How about I try and properly heal you? I am not sure if my magic is better than yours. But, at worst, I am the second strongest here and not far behind you. I might be able to do something if we stay close..." she offers, a cute smile wobbling her lips as she bridges her fingers together.


    Coming to a stop as my mind gets active, I find myself blinking a bit excessively. I''m the only one right now who cannot properly see or feel magic. Am I going crazy that it is something I can do? Is Rose-sweerui influencing me with her way of seeing things? Is that even possible...?


    I am not mentally equipped for these kinds of thoughts. It might be a normal thing for magic users such as us. It must be. Even the spell-less valley-riders have the means to detect magic. It caused me enough worries, any who!


    Well, at the very least, with this journey, it ends in a school for magic. I can count on Thrurstradtur to be insightful! Maybe I''ll even take the time to finally learn my magic properly. Though, given my primary goal, it might only be a somewhat accomplished task.


    "Nin-kischu?" Einervaene asks, bringing me out of my head with a gentle touch as well.


    "O-Oh. Sorry. I suppose you can give it a go." I tell her as I swear she shimmers a golden hue as I focus on an odd feeling. I start to feel fuzzy, like she''s straightening my hairs out. Not that I have any, anymore.


    I blink as Einervaene snuggles up closer, lodging herself between my body and an arm, "Is this fine?"


    I nod at Einervaene and then try to find Rose-sweerui. Only, I discover that she''s timid all of a sudden, speeding off as such. The confusion furrows my brow. She''s normally quite confrontational about this kind of closeness, especially from a woman. Did Einervaene''s prior remark wound her pride with how she can''t really help me?


    I really cannot tell and I am worrying about how this will blow up...


    "Give it some time. We''ll see if it is helpful." I reassure Einervaene with, anyhow.


    "I am fine with that..." she says quite quietly, her eyes going away. Her hands find the bracelet I got from Motrtha and she''s familiar enough with the markings.


    "Is this a gift from your mother?"


    "No, it''s from... A friend." I almost choke on. Motherhood is certainly related. Just not in the way she expects. Besides, is referring to a goddess as my friend a good idea? Is it even accurate? She smooched me a fair few times, admittedly. I''ve got a real source of pride with that!


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    For all the bad luck I''ve had these past few weeks, and more since leaving Tobaballe... Motrtha really did give me enviable experiences that no one else can hope to have! It''s so baffling to think about, even now. Me, a mortal, getting a right bit of tongue from a conceptual entity from the dawn of time. It makes me huff with externally confusing amusement.


    "Why would your friend give you something so entwined with motherhood?" she asks, her small smile growing quite considerably as she ponders who knows what, "Is it perhaps something you are meant to give to someone else?"


    "I honestly could not tell you." I say with a dry laugh, and she surpasses it with a livelier one. And, well, it''s true. I cannot say what I will do with it in the future. Motrtha insisted I keep it on and that is it. Maybe at some point I will figure it out as Rose-sweerui enjoys it when I have it on. Though, that might just be her appreciation for the holy given her past.


    Or maybe it''s a really powerful item? A goddess did make it, after all. Who knows? Who very much knows?


    "So... Have you ever thought about being a father?" Einervaene dares to ask with wayward eyes and I blink and flinch.


    My surprise meets her head on, "Can''t say I have to be entirely honest. It was just not something I could focus on back home."


    "H-How come? Family was a very common topic for me back home. Who to marry, what your family stood for, where they came from and so on?" she goes on about, her face too red for how serious her words are otherwise. Does she...?


    "My home puts a lot of emphasis on proving yourself. Until you reach a certain level of prestige as it were, you''d not even be able to support a family. Not that it matters, I suppose. Children don''t live with their parents most of the time. At least, ones from the lower floors." I explain, cramming what I can without feeling like I am overwhelming her. Our upbringings couldn''t be any more different, really.


    She''s like if someone was born into the Crown and stayed there!


    "That sounds awful. Why would you separate a child from their family?" she asks, a hand moving to cover her mouth.


    "We weren''t separated, we just did not live with them. They could still visit and do stuff with us and we could keep steady contact with them. But, I can understand that it is quite distant. Especially when the better-off families could keep their children in their homes." I clarify, trying to make it sound softer. Though, I have my doubts as she seems pretty made-up mind wise.


    "Either way, I don''t think I would have been able to do anything like that. I was barely able to make it through the early portions of my journey to your lands..." she almost whimpers, this talk of family affecting her deeper than she''s letting on.


    "You still miss them?" I ask rather stupidly.


    "Of course I do! They are my family. It''s just, I don''t understand how a people can exist where their children... Spend so long away... From their mother... -''s! and fathers. It''s... Awful." she sniffles, her mind a clear mess.


    "Well, if there''s one benefit, I can clearly say. It toughens us all up, for one thing. On top of simply establishing how it works back home. How it should be."


    "Should be?" she struggles to digest, her head tilting.


    "Yes, as it should be. Nothing good ever came from just being given something. If it is not earned, then I will not have any respect for it." I recite, the Tobaballian in me, probably speaking more than the Nin I should be.


    "There''s a few stories of people from my homeland not respecting what great wealth they own. And they most certainly have earned it at some point. So, I cannot agree with your philosophy of life." she says to me and I find myself shrugging a bit.


    "Your example sounds like the dullness of repetition. Eating fine food so often will make it seem average. Barely eating at all will make you even consider spat out seconds." I point out, thinking of the times I and many others have found themselves more hungry than they can afford to be. Finding your feet is a struggle when you first set out to join the other Grounders.


    "I know that... But my point remains the same. Just because it is not earned doesn''t make it of less value. All that changes is an arbitrary way of getting it." she says.


    "Why would I value a donation of money more than the wages I earned?" I question, one having intrinsically more worth than the other.


    "Because it means someone cares for you and wants you to do well! Surely the kindness alone makes it valuable? I would have most certainly not made it this far without Lord Brewbrt''s help. I am immensely grateful for what he has done for me," she says to me, a hand over her heart.


    I shake my head, a cautionary message lingering in my thoughts, "You still had to do it yourself, for the most part."


    My mind wanders backwards, before any of this ever happened. Before the visit to the Crown and Iishar''s offer, before any of it. So many broken friendships because people could not keep up with each other. A common occurrence in Tobaballe. Thankfully, I suppose, my friends back home were not all that close.


    So, I''ve not much to worry about with hurt feelings and wounded egos. No rifts to worry about and while not the best, I had a place to fall back to. Unlike out here, where I''d be lost without Rose-sweerui''s kindness. Still, enjoying people''s company is enough reason to continue to try and associate myself.


    "But... Now you contradict yourself." Einervaene lets out, her thoughts coming together.


    "How?" I ask, my thoughts having gone the opposite way. I''ve lost track, to admit to no one.


    "Because your kindness to me is what ensured me helping you. The fact you are a good person saved your life in a way." she argues and I think about it. What she says is... Dauntingly incomprehensible.


    "I am not a good person," is all I can think to say, and I shake my head. Einervaene''s expression sours and her grip tightens.


    "And why is that!?" she asks quite loudly, enough to get the attention of the other two.


    "What kind of good person looks like this? What kind of good person needs to hide behind a dark cloak, stern mask, and filthy bandages?" I ask, though I am probably not saying this right. I know my current state of existence is far too complex to...


    "Don''t judge yourself on the actions of other members of your kind. You are you, not them. And what I have seen is a good person who is willing to risk their life to keep others safe. On more than one occasion!" Einervaene insists quite passionately, and I am taken aback by it, though my mind lingers.


    "My kind, huh..." I repeat, not sure what it means anymore. Am I am what I am physically? Or what I remain as mentally? What am I...?

 V4 Incline 76: Nin

    Blinking on a rock, I find myself once again thinking of words from the other day. There''s a fundamental truth to it all that I cannot really ignore. Nin Urtuan, of the city-state of Tobaballe. Right at the very edge of the Civil Mountains, forming its gates. He''s a human, was.


    My people were the humans of those lands. Magicless entirely, at least for the most part. A hard-working people. I know I am so little of that these days.


    Just a bug cursed to always hide, always run... I look up as Einervaene approaches, a sweet smile to her lips. She waves at me and I offer her a spot on the down bag. She finds somewhere where its contents are soft and pillowy. Almost sinking into it when she finally goes down.


    "Would you like to change the topic of your head?" she asks, her wisdom certainly something when it comes to my mind as of late. Then again, I''ve not been a quiet ruminator.


    "If you want, I don''t mind particularly what we talk about." I huff, fed up with the endless overthinking.


    "Well, okay then... What is your home like? Looks-wise?" she asks and I regret giving her the answer that I did. Maybe there are some things I''d rather avoid. Like tangents about my home!


    "Do you have bird cages where you''re from?" I ask back, a common saying about Tobaballe spontaneously remembered. As a bird cage keeps your avian from danger, as does Tobaballe, keep man from the wastes.


    "There are, yes. Though, I imagine that compared to Jherikra, they''re far stranger. The needs and wants of my homeland''s birds being so different. I doubt I''ll hear anything of lightning-chasing falcons over here, for example." she explains, her magic sparking to life as she giggles over who knows how many memories. I bet, as someone with a Crown-upbringing like hers, she probably had flocks of birds as pets.


    "Why not explain one to me, then?" I ask, curious as to how dangerously such falcons live. I imagine they''d be a pretty expensive thing, something that chases storms is no doubt fast. The catching costs alone... Never mind the patience needed.


    Her hands make a box-like shape, "A common style of cage that I know of. Has a frame like this, with bars holding a central orb up. The bird will generally rest in there, safe from harm and from endangering us."


    "That doesn''t sound like a cage at all." I say, the concept of an orb at its core sounding extremely off for such an otherwise simple construct.


    "Of course it is a cage! It has bars for the most part, that''s what makes it a cage, no?" she rightly asserts, losing herself in her own self-doubt and thought habits.


    "Well, cages for birds from where I am from don''t restrain them to one spot. I mean, I guess it technically does. But, you know, they''re free to move around. Sometimes, they even have little swings." I almost giggle over, my thoughts jumbling up over the silly topic. I manage to get some laughter out of her as my claws imitate the motion of the swing.


    "So, your home looks like a birdcage?" she asks, setting some of her bangs aside and she crosses her legs. My eyes dash over the stretching softness of her exposed thighs. Only to end up on her bare tummy and then her under-boobs. I settle on her face, a little surprised by myself. Rose-sweerui needs to try hard to get this out of me.


    I shake my head clear of thoughts and get back on topic, much to her bewildering amusement, "Yes, we''ve even nicknamed the city the Bird Cage on occasion."


    "So this mask then fits you very well?" she giggles out some more, her body leaning forward so her hand can reach its end. My head moves along with exaggerated nods even as she barely touches the beak''s tip.


    "Much as it helps me hide my... Features. I actually chose it because the founder of my home wore a mask like this. It was actually quite surprising to find something like this in Rose-sweerui''s flower. A world apart but similar enough to converge." I explain, moving my head back and leaving her with a brief, cute pout. It shifts to a huffing smile and I look away. Some birds happen to enter my field of view and I watch their wings flap.


    Red and black, they appear to be?


    "What was this leader''s name?"


    "Mar Cro''s." I quickly get out, a fountain coming to mind. A glare hardens across my brow, my memory swift to focus on a certain woman. I should''ve never listened to Iishar.


    "I don''t think I can repeat that." Einervaene laughs, and I blink as I realise how I shifted to a Tobaballian sounding word. Huh, I''ve been speaking so much of what Vadei did to me that I was forgetting the sound of my home. Such a subtle shift you barely notice, I guess.


    "You won''t need to, fortunately. As no one around here is likely to talk about him other than me." I say with a hollow voice and an ending huff.


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    "Is your home very far away, then?" she asks, and I shrug. I do not know the answer. All I know is that my home comprehends none of this. Even someone like her might as well be a myth. What I am now but a legend.


    "No, I''m... I don''t know how far it is, actually. I just know I am the only one here. At least... An alive one." I tell her, pointing out one of the rusty iron anklets dangling from the bag. The pair I took from a bug.


    "What is that? Old... Jewellery?" she asks, her tone wavering as she struggles to comprehend its function. Maybe she''s trying not to offend me, too. She certainly seems abruptly on shells.


    "It is the mark of our station. This goes on our ankles. Or would''ve for me. And it is made of a simple pig iron. One that you legally cannot maintain to a good enough degree." I explain and her brows cocks with a question.


    "So it is intentionally left to rust?" I nod at her question.


    "Yeah, I am a little surprised we do it as it leaves this orange-brown powder on your legs. But, I suppose it is a good memory keeper. Probably helps keep track of criminals, too. Gives you an idea of where they''re from and all that."


    "Is this what your poor wear, then?" she asks further and my head sways from side to side.


    "Technically yes, technically no. While people of the lower floors of my home wear this. This is actually what is worn by those who have moved up at least a few. I used to have a pair like these, but I lost them." I explain to Einervaene as my eyes go off to follow the still strangely distant aelenvari. While I hold no ill will over it, my loss of home has made me clingy to anything that will remind me of it.


    "So if you were to go up more floors, what would you be wearing then?" Einervaene asks, snapping my attention right back to her.


    "If I was to go up high enough, I might get a golden necklace. But, that is very high up. I''d be more likely to end up probably with a polished steel thigh band or something." I say, though I am not particularly sure where I would''ve ended up. As my life right now shows, a lot can happen in only a year. Not even that... Months.


    "I''m sure you could have got to gold!" Einervaene cheers, her optimism appreciated. Though, I find it hard to share. After all, maybe doubts I rarely or never expressed are what motivated me to listen to Iishar on that fateful day. I start to laugh to move my mind away from the topic of her.


    "Oh, no I wouldn''t have," I loudly laugh, "I''d probably give up like most when I am allowed to brace my knee. As that is when you can really start to live a comfortable life."


    "How much better would it be, getting that high up socially?" she asks, her legs uncrossing and her knees coming together. She rests her weight on a pair of flat palms and rotates gently.


    "Well, when you are below having a rusty anklet. You have to share a building with a few others. A stitched-together family. Your reward for good service is a similar room, only you have a bed with a metal curtain to keep you isolated. Work the hours and you get... Privacy. Aside from that, when you reach the knee, it''s more like a proper house. What Tryhpeltzweig has, though, less magical."


    "Would you not want to get a better home for your family?"


    "I mean, sure. Sure. But, I think I would be too worn out by that point to care. For a lot of people, it''s their first chance in a long time to finally kick back and relax."


    "I suppose that is fair. Mother used to tell me about how my grandparents were like that. When the title of The Lady Bosphama passed down to her. To Mother. Their working years were over. Grandfather didn''t even want to spend time in the Senate like he would''ve been entitled to. They just slept, ate and drank, enjoying life for what it is," she explains and I raise a claw, shaking it as if it is a nodding little thing.


    "Actually... That as the topic. When should we set up camp for the night?" I ask the metallic-haired woman, and I glance around to spot the other two. Baltanthan''s already asleep, enthralled by a light nap and an acceptably comfortable tree.


    "Well, we are keeping up the movement to stay out of the way of any riders, no?"


    "Yeah." I nod.


    "So maybe we should find another cave or something? Like where you left me..." Einervaene suggests, a shiver shooting through her body.


    "I suppose that makes sense..." I mutter, joining in with the wayward cadence.


    "Now we just need to find on," Einervaene says, hopping up to her heeled feet to look around, "You won''t have an issue with me going up for this, will you?"


    "As long as you are patient about it and don''t just go all over the place." I say, cautioning her choice as I neither want to nor am in a position to keep being a net for her. She starts to wave, a smile shaping her lips.


    "I understand. See you in a little while, then!" she says, disappearing into the sky with the flash of blue lightning. A curve comes to the ends of my mouth and I enjoy trying to trace her impossibly fast path. She disappears over a mountain range. I blink and sniff burning grass melding with the air.


    She walks back to us, a wobble to her steps and a shake to her pointing arm, "There is an open area in that general direction."


    "Well, it is high up." I say, going to our stuff and picking it up so we can get moving to this place.


    "Will we be stopping now?" Einervaene asks, a hand clutching the opposing arm. I linger my eyes on her and she nods with a closed eye smile. She''ll be alright.


    Moving away, I head to my former luggage as he''s the only one who''s not aware. Up close, I find little in the means of disturbance to his face. His nose crinkles at the change in smell, but not much else. Priming a claw against a thumb version of it, I adjust the pressure.


    I flick him!


    "OW! What!?" Baltanthan yelps, a right nasty look to his face as he hops to his feet. He tries to bring up his fists but then brings them back to his sides.


    "We''re going." I explain, huffing my amusement as he starts to swear under his breath. Just clear enough for me to hear, but not much else. I approach Rose-sweerui to make sure she understands fully if she''s only been half paying attention.


    She''s always too many steps ahead, however. I stop trying to catch up with her and frown at her self-imposed isolation. Not being noticed is so very different when it''s by someone who''s normally willing to look. Though my blood does not boil or even simmer. Perhaps a single bubble, nothing more.


    "We''re going to go and set up camp in the..." I start to say, turning quiet as I feel like it''s not worth it. Rose stops, looking back my way, though not properly. She nods only a little and carries on walking.

 Base 5: Last Day on the Move

    "DON''T BRING IT TOWARDS ME!" Baltanthan yelled as I ran through the valley with a smile on my face. A large, three-legged creature with little clipper-like claws chasing after me as I did so. It was formerly not chasing me, in fact, this animal seemed to be quite fine with my presence. Until I broke one of its legs, that is.


    So now here I was letting it follow me closer to our camp while Baltanthan panicked from his hiding spot as this creature attacked. And with a few hops and dashes, I avoided it all before finally moving in for the kill as I had gotten it near my helper. So, with one final dash, I went underneath the creature which had lost sight of me as a result. Then, I jumped.


    I jumped and shot straight into its gut and was rewarded with a shower of blood as it all just ruptured as I forced it up. Crashing back down to the earth with a cheer before then getting crushed by the dead animal. My laughter erupting from under it as I forced it off. Then my joy just disappeared as now I was left thinking of the cleaning I''d have to do.


    "Nin, please bear in mind you need to learn to kill things in a cleanlier manner!" I sarcastically told myself as I began to think about past hunts. How I started off not really knowing what I was doing to how confidence in it slowly built up in me. And, as a small bonus, it seemed to have dulled me to the concept of death. But, not enough to make me become a psychopathic slaughterer.


    Just enough to make me not squirm at the sight of blood and to make me more tolerant of my past actions. The actions I was forced to take back when we were first on our way out from that town. However, that wasn''t why I was thinking these thoughts, the reason was to do with the blood on me. The blood I would have to clean off.


    Sure, everyone was fine with it at first, we were on the run after all in the early days of our journey. But now? Now we had been at it for a while and everyone, mostly Baltanthan, were a lot more comfortable with calling the other out on something. Be it filth and muck or just something as simple as how one conducted themself.


    The latter had been quite interesting to see as we were all from different cultures. Rose was an aelenvari brought up in their most luxurious ways, Baltanthan was just the son of a common shopkeep. I was from the bottom of my society and had matured somewhat in the situations I had been in since leaving my home. And, well, Einervaene was like a mixture of me and Rose, brought up in the best but had developed substantially in the wilds beyond her home.


    "What even is this thing?" Baltanthan asked as he came down to join me in the crimson grass. His face, unlike mine, however, had not grown used to seeing gore. So it was just plastered with disgust and sneers.


    "Not sure why you are asking me." I tell him, subtly reminding him of our past talks while we were out on a hunt for meat. I had no practical knowledge of this land beyond what was passed on to me so I just went after whatever. Sometimes to my benefit, sometimes not.


    "It didn''t squirt you with anything, did it?" he asked as he became mindful of what had once happened prior. As, due to my ignorance of the land, I thought it was fine for me to be squirted by the tail-thing of another creature as it didn''t seem harmful. And, well, the night following that was filled with me sleeping away from the others as I was an insect magnet during that time. Crawling annoyances in such number the grass went black with carapace.


    Sure, it was fun for a little while... But, they did not find insects in their food to be funny.


    "No, no squirts this time. Just blood." I answer as I pick away at any bits of flesh stuck to my clothes.


    "Clean yourself off, anyway, at some point." he told me anyway as he began to look the animal over for parts we might be able to take for food.


    "The quicker we get this done the cleaner it will be." I tell him as he kept his attention on the top half of the corpse. Baltanthan being quite picky regarding the cleanliness of his food.


    "We can take as long as we need, insects aren''t going to be crawling up this high." he said as he patted the corpse.


    "I am not on about them, I am on about the underside of it."


    "It''s touching bloody mud and grass..." he said with disgust.


    "We can clean it off."


    "You don''t wash meat in water!"


    "You''re the one who complains about us not getting the better part of the animal!"


    "Which is entirely your fault because you cannot kill anything without making a mess of it!"


    "It doesn''t matter if it has a bloody demise, you can still clean it off! A blade of grass isn''t going to kill you!"


    "There shouldn''t be a blade of grass on it, to begin with!" he said to me, leaving me with nothing but a roll of my eyes as I tear the animal apart. Some smaller pieces soon dripping blood onto him while I held a larger piece above me. Having torn off some skin from the animal to cover the bloody stump I made with my tear.


    "Anything else?" I then asked him as I stared at the increasingly torn apart animal.


    "Do you want anything else? We got small bits and big bits, not much else we really need."


    "Well, our map did show we were pretty much a day away from the base of the mountain we wanted to go to. So why not take a little extra for celebratory purposes?"


    "We''re really that close huh?" Baltanthan said quietly with a smile. We were nearly there, the entire reason he came with us on this journey. The city of Thrurstradtur built atop the mountain we were so close to. But, now that I thought about it...


    "How''s our long-lasting food? Do we have enough?"


    "No idea, but, we can just smoke a few strips of this animal and move on from there."


    "I suppose that is true. How are the bags for you three coming along as well?" I asked as we began to walk away.


    "Einervaene made them without much issue. If they hold up, however, we do not know as so far we have just been having you carry them in the bigger bag."


    "I hope you didn''t tear apart that bag too much if at all."


    "I mean, we can just abandon some of it, no? It''s not like we won''t be able to get new ones later."


    "It depends on what you get rid of, I am sure you know what Rose is like." I tell him as we turn the corner and arrive near where we were staying.


    "Do I need to get a bath ready!?" Einervaene said down to us as she looked at me and my bloodied clothes.


    "It would be appreciated!" I reply back with before beginning the journey up to the camp. Luckily with this camp, unlike our other ones, the way up wasn''t so steep so the others could walk down on their own. Provided they were careful. And while Rose was capable of it, she was very insistent on being near me going up or down.


    She could just say she was scared to go up on her own, but her admittedly cute pride in this case kept her from admitting to it. On the topic of her, though, I would not be surprised if the moment I finished getting up here she would then just run into me. With those thoughts in mind, though, I stepped a little to the side and let Baltanthan go ahead of me while I looked at what should have been our destination.


    "I wonder how long it would take me to get up that..." I comment as Baltanthan also came to a stop to look at the mountain that held Thrurstradtur at its peak.


    "Easily a few days the way we are going." he commented as he pointed out towards the barely visible road spiralling around the mountain.


    "Now is that a hopeful guess or an empirical one?"


    "Could not even tell you, not that it matters. I''d just be getting more and more excited as we got higher up the mountain." he said just as the sound of distant machines filled our ears. And in the distance, we saw one, the vehicle Futhans mentioned on our way into Tryhpeltzweig. Spiral-tram I think he called it?


    "Say, how different do you think entry would have been by one of them?"


    "You''d see the deepest depths of the city first, but, I''d rather walk up. That way we can see Suhurlodst, too."


    "We''re going to the Academy anyway, so why''d you want to see it on the way in?"


    "Not the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding, the Ringed-City itself!"


    "Ringed-City?"


    "No point in explaining it now, I''ll tell you what I know when we are actually there."


    "That''s fair, looking forward to any other sights?"


    "I don''t know of any others beyond the great gnomon that dominates the city of Thrurstradtur."


    "You barely know anything about the city you have been this excited for?"


    "Technically I am excited about a professional environment to learn magic in." he said with growing giddiness as he let some magical winds flow from him.


    "Why do you want to learn magic there, though?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, I learned how to do this," I say to him as I do my little magic trick, "on my own, you clearly learned that on your own. So why go to a school for it?"


    "The same reason anyone goes to a school, sure, I could learn the basics, but that place has more knowledge than would have ever occurred to me."


    "Makes sense."


    "It also helps they have some of the best equipment on the continent for such learning."


    "Why this one in particular?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Why do you want to go to Suhurlodst the most? What about it makes it stand out the most?"


    "It has the full backing of its neighbouring mountain state capital, backing from many more people outside its home nation along with the support of the royal family of the Seven Peaks!"


    "Lot of prestige then?"


    "Yes. It is also the closest one that I know of." he answers before tacking on the rest. A quiet chuckle leaving me after he said that last part.


    "I wonder if I''ll actually learn anything..." I then muttered with no actual intention of starting a discussion.


    "Why wouldn''t you? It''s an academy, being there means you''re going to learn."


    "Well, that''s the thing, I am going there because a friend of mine who should be there said it was the best way for me to get back home."


    "And why''s that?"


    "Could not tell you, Baltanthan, I just know she said something along the lines of they had the means to get me home again."


    He laughed, "And here I am going there to get away from home."


    "I just hope it won''t be too difficult to do."


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Nothing ever is, so don''t get your hopes too fanned."


    "Oh, trust me, I can fan my hopes all I want and it will still turn out better than what I have been through before." I tell him while thinking of my turn into an osibindah and my death.


    "If you say so, Nin."


    "And I do." I tell him as I start to walk again. Taking one last glance at the mountain before reaching the top of the one we were on. Or, rather, the highest point we could safely set up a camp.


    "Another great meal for us, my love?" Rose said with a smile as she saw me arrive.


    "Hopefully, I don''t exactly taste what I kill before bringing it up."


    "We have a lot to work with, so I can''t see it tasting awful and going by how rich it looks... I know we aren''t going to have to boil it like that ryphurgok you brought us once."


    "Yeah, that thing was hard as rocks. A nightmare to chew."


    "So what is it?"


    "I had this talk with Baltanthan and the answer is the same, I''ve no clue."


    "What did it look like?"


    I moved my claws about, "Four legs with a roundish body and clipper-like claws." I say to her with my claws moving on to trying to mimic the claws of the animal. Which I found innocently amusing.


    "Round body and clippers..." she repeats to herself.


    "It was also very friendly before I attacked it, if that helps?"


    "Was it? In that case it might have been a bulcli."


    "A bulcli?"


    "Yes, a bulcli. I myself haven''t seen them much but they are quite useful for dealing with trees and they are herbivores."


    "That thing preferred plants? Looked like it was a butcherer of smaller animals."


    "Yes, did you happen to bring one of it claws back?"


    "No, I am afraid not as they looked a little too... I want to say solid, like, more bone than meat."


    She laughed, "They are actually quite soft and meaty on the inside. A bit like you in a way." she says with a smile as her fingers poke at my increasingly naked form. Rose having had come over a short while ago to help me undress.


    "At least we know that for any future encounters."


    "I don''t think so." she tells me.


    "Why?"


    "Because we are so close to the mountain-state of the wind-people, and I for one, would like an actually presentable meal."


    "I thought you liked what I made for you?"


    "I do, my love, I do! I just also want food from someone who can actually cook." a sly smile on her face before she giggled at me. A quiet laugh of my own following suit. But, it was more like a bemused series of quick breaths.


    "So at what point am I going to have to separate from you lot?" I then ask her. Drastically changing the tone of the conversation and her temperament.


    "Hopefully not until the very end..." she says bitterly while looking away.


    "But what is the end? When we first see that road that goes up the mountain clearly? When we see our first guard? Someone not in our group? Upon arriving at the mountain itself?" I ask her as I scoot around so my face could look directly at hers.


    She looked down at the grass, "I don''t want to talk about this..."


    "Rose, if we ignore this then it will just be a repeat of Tryhpeltzweig."


    "Only if you show your face!" she nearly screamed at me as she got in close.


    I sighed and briefly looked away, "Rose, we have no idea how these security checks are going to go. For all we know they are going to want us to strip completely so they can use some kind of machine I have no clue about to look inside of us!"


    "That doesn''t mean you have to leave! You can just go around these checkpoints and meet us back on the road!"


    "Rose, no. I am not going to put you three in danger just because you prefer to have me around."


    "Then I''ll go with you and those two can go up the road on their own!"


    I looked at her in a deadpan manner, "You can''t even put on thick, covering clothing without making an issue of it. You''d freeze to death!"


    "At least I would die in your arms!" she shot back with.


    I stood up in frustration, "I am not going to be responsible for your death!"


    She stood up in challenge, "Then ensure I live!"


    "You stupid woman!" was all I could come up with before letting out a large huff of frustration. Yet, this insult did not make her angry, she just came over to me and hugged me.


    "I know I am." she tried to say in a joyful manner to get the tone of our talk back to what it was before.


    "Right... So, moving on, have you and Einervaene been up to anything of interest?"


    "I cleaned some of your stuff, we talked about clothes again... So not much. More of the same really."


    "Alright, did you learn anything interesting?"


    "I did, actually! Did you know that in her homeland, large pieces of clothing or decoration on the shoulders is strictly forbidden unless you are an on-duty thorn?"


    "I am not from her homeland so no, but, very interesting."


    "Yeah, apparently, the reason is due to the fact their petal-thorns, hopli... Something sounding like that, wear their shields on their lesser arm right at the joint. So, in order to make them stand out more, no one is allowed to wear clothes that might make them look like one."


    "Not sure why you''d wear a shield on your arm if you weren''t a soldier anyway." I said to her with a smile.


    "I said something similar and she said it had to do with how the Lightning Mountain holding their continent together lets off so much of it that people need to wear protective outfits a lot of the time."


    "How anybody wants to live in a place like that is interesting..." I mutter while trying to think of what a lightning plagued land would look like. I imagine it''d be very burnt.


    "And, as I got curious about the kimono she made for me, I asked how clothing like that came about in her homeland as it doesn''t seem to be anything like what you would expect. And, apparently, that style of clothing developed in response to the lightning-peoples just getting tired of wearing thick, armour-like clothing all the time."


    "That is interesting..." I said quietly as I leaned back a little.


    "Is there anything you can tell me about the clothes of your people, my love?"


    "Not much different from what everyone here seems to have. Sure, some styles vary but as a whole, the differences are rather superficial and meaningless."


    "So a very boring history?"


    "I guess it is." I laughed out to her just as the final bandages were taken off by my claws and her hands.


    "So, do you have any plans to take me to your home? It must be a very impressive mountain-state if it produced someone as strong as you."


    "I am not from a mountain-state, I am not a ''wind-person'' as you like to put it. I have told you this before."


    "And I have called you out on this lie before." she said with a smile.


    "I''m not lying!" I tell her in light-hearted frustration as I got up again. Shaking my body about before moving to see if that bath was done.


    "Your back is looking a lot better." Rose commented as she followed me while holding my clothes.


    "Is it? Give it a feel," I say to her, barely reacting as her fingers rub intentionally slowly, "I guess it is."


    "Now you just need to remember not to let a ryphurgok peck at you so much."


    "Try not to lay in the middle of a road as they stampede then?" I joke back to her, a wide smile on her face as she thought of her response.


    "But then how would I be saved by my precious love?"


    "Urtuoi-kischu, where''s Baltanthan?" Einervaene asked in frustration as she came stomping over to us.


    "He should be by the entrance, why?"


    "He''s been practising his magic again on our tools!" the lightning-user said in frustration as they threw their hands into the air.


    "Try not to murder him, then." was all I had to say on the topic of the other male in our group ruining our tools. I never had much issue with it as we had been able to restock our supplies sometimes from a merchant we found or smaller little settlements dotting the way here. In fact, one of those settlements is what led me to the bulcli as we had been asking around earlier in the day.


    "That is fine, I''ll just make him unable to walk!" she said as her hands rubbed together. A flash of sparks appearing after she then clapped.


    "You better not!" I said to her, hoping she was just joking out her frustrations. And, I had to admit, I was quite surprised to see this side of her, she was normally so refined and well-kept. Yet, apparently, all those days and nights and so on, on her own have left her very conservative with money and her resources. We had much to spare yet she was scared of potential futures involving the lack of food or goods.


    I hope at some point, we or I will be able to get her to realize she is not living on limited amounts anymore. I can still remember our first meal on the road quite well, how her face went red with fear and rage as I kept arguing with Baltanthan over how much to eat. How she relented after a little while when you made it clear she did not have to partake. And, with that in mind, that I would have to eat much smaller portions from then on out for a few days and nights.


    It was a very fun experience seeing a few more sides to those two, more so Einervaene, but, Baltanthan had grown on me a little. He may have been a grump and consistently moody but seeing him perk up at the mere mention of a school and city was something. Rose didn''t get along with him, though, always making comparisons between me and him that made things difficult. She really needed to treat him more like Einervaene.


    I mean, sure, she has explained why she speaks to him that way and I understood where she was coming from. Having experienced it all back when I was staying with her back when she was still an Ivy-Mother. But, even then, I wish she at least tried to get along. As, well, I couldn''t help but think this only contributed to Baltanthan''s foul mood and the likelihood of him possibly selling us out.


    Sure, he had a debt to me because I got him this far, technically. But, I had a feeling he was also likely to sell us out if his opinion of us became too foul. Hopefully, I was just being paranoid and pessimistic. Yet, given what has happened to me, I just couldn''t help but linger on thoughts of doom and pain.


    It was a grim mindset I wanted to be rid of and I could not have possibly made it clearer. But, my life at the moment was a mess to keep it in simple terms. A mess that just wanted me to stay in the muck until I could not be asked to get out the muck anymore. My time with Rose and so on, however, has made it very clear to me that others will be needed to get me out of the muck.


    So I needed to make sure I always had them by my side for as long as possible so I could get as far as I could. The mindset I rejected back in Tobaballe, actually... Because I did not want to worry about the pain of having to lose someone because we couldn''t keep helping each other get out of the muck. Speaking of muck, however.


    It was bath time.


    .


    .


    .


    "Look... All I am saying is that, maybe, just maybe... Your coastlines are better off with us there..." Einervaene said drunkenly after she finished guzzling down another bottle of drink. Turns out, magic bottles that make drunkards coherent speakers is commonplace in this land!


    "How is giant lumps of metal falling onto our land better!?" Baltanthan bites back with as he too chugged down a drink. A bemused smile on my face as I watched the two argue while Rose just laid against me. Having knocked herself out with our alcohol supply long ago. Never would have taken her for such a lightweight, to be honest given how often I saw her drinking. Maybe aelenvari drink was just weak?


    I had to admit, I don''t remember a particularly strong sensation when I drank what she offered me at her flower. In fact, I found it rather tolerable for a drink designed to make you numb. And I don''t normally go for drinks like that. So, it must have either been very weak or just not a drink at all but rather pungent juice or something.


    "Because now you get to enjoy the products of our people!" Einervaene said as she raised her bottle at the native of this land.


    "Well maybe we don''t want them..." he slurred back while rocking back and forth.


    "Why wouldn''t you want our stuff? It''s the best!" she argued back with wounded pride.


    "Clearly not because you keep fighting wars to keep your stuff there..."


    "We fight those wars to make sure you people can enjoy it!"


    "You don''t need to burn cities and towns to get people to enjoy your... Bug! What is that word you use?"


    "Don''t drag me into this." I chuckled while sipping from my straw. A straw that saw me receive no end of ridicule as drinking with a jaw like this was just impossible. Either lap it up from a bucket, get messy or use a straw.


    "AH! That''s the word... Exquisite!" nearly choking on my straw when I suddenly breathed in upon hearing that. Hacking it back up before looking at him.


    "Everyone uses that word you idiot!" I tell him as it became clear even with the literal magic of those bottles brain functionality declined when drunk.


    "No... That''s the word you use, I know because it ends with an ''it'' sound."


    "That is true, that is very true, problem is, lots of words end like that!" I tell him while sorting myself out.


    "Name me three..." his hand rising with three protruding fingers.


    "Don''t put him on the spot like that just because you are wrong..." Einervaene said as she crawled over to me before draping herself on me. My body leaning about as she began to push down on it. Her gloveless hands drumming against my carapace as she giggled and made all kinds of playful noises. All before she then came to a stop and just hugged me.


    It was rather odd seeing her this affectionate, actually. If Rose wasn''t asleep then I''d be having some peculiar issues to complain about. Yet, I was left wondering why Einervaene was acting this way. She was aware of what she was so happily hugging, right?


    "I''m not wrong! That is the word he uses!"


    "Urtuoi... Kissyou... Prove him wrong." Einervaene barely gets out as her mouth glides near my cheek. Soon catching her by the breast when she slipped. A nervous chuckle leaving me as she then rolls off me with a smile on her face while her lips make all kinds of expressions.


    And I think it is safe to say that I should not give her any drinks from now on...


    "The actual word I use i-"


    "Hey, can I have this?" Einervaene then says as she shoots up and takes the bracelet Motrtha gave me. A look of confusion going on to her face as now she just seemed baffled as she looked at me. But, baffled about what? I had just looked behind me and there was nothing there so unless her brain was acting too fast for her...?


    "I''ll take that," I then tell her as I put the bracelet back onto my bug wrist before turning to our human male, "Shit. Shit is what is the word you are thinking of." correcting him.


    "I don''t like that word, too short." was all I got out of him before he fell backwards and hit his head on something. And, one dramatic telling of pain later, he was sleeping like a baby.


    And now, it was just me and Einervaene... Who was now swooning over me again...


    "Come with me..." she told me as she began to lazily pull at whatever part of me she could grab. Playing along with her as much as I could while dealing with the sleeping Rose.


    "Slow down before you hurt yourself." I tell the stumbling girl who was being lit up by little sparks of blue as she stumbled towards the entrance to our camp.


    "I won''t... I''ll just go up if I fall!" she tells me while clinging on to a rock for what seemed to be dear life.


    "I am sure you will," I tell her as I let her lean against me so I could at least hold her steady, "So, what did you want me here for?" I then asked her.


    "I don''t like heights..." she mumbled.


    "That''s a lie." I say to her, how could she expect me to believe that? Right after making reference to her magical abilities!


    "I don''t! Mountains are all lonely and that..."


    "You said heights, not mountains."


    "Same thing! Mountains are tall, tall is height!"


    "I guess that works..." I respond with while raising my brow.


    She then hugged me tightly, "Promise me you won''t let me be lonely..." she mumbled into me.


    A small smile on my face while I rubbed a claw carefully through her hair. It was surprising in a way, Rose did not like it unless she had either initiated it or was aware of me beforehand. Yet, Einervaene, she just did not care about my buggish features. I know she knew about the osibindah just enough, Baltanthan made sure of that with his constant insults of the same type...


    But, it was nice to see someone who was not bothered by my osibindah body, it was very nice.


    "We''ll see, we will see." I tell her as I sat us down on a rock just outside the entrance because now it seemed like even she was falling asleep. And once she was snoring away on my lap, wrapped up in my arms, I was left looking at that distant mountain. Eyes following the lit up outline of the road and the distant vehicles coming into the mountain or up it.  Coming to a stop once I could not see machine or road anymore.


    Well, with the exception of one thing, a blurry golden shine that just barely made it through the clouds this calm night.

 Incline 1: Two Groups, Two Ways up the Mountain

    "Come on you three! Hurry up or I''ll find a way to drag Waionr into this!" Baltanthan barked out at us while he was sat on a rock. Rose did not take kindly to this and got up to confront him. Leaving me with a bemused expression when Rose stopped halfway. We were in a hurry as it were and it turned out Rose wasn''t very good at packing.


    "You two made sure to take all metal items away from him, didn''t you?" Einervaene asked me and Rose with a scowl as she came over to help the aelenvari. A claw gently tapping my masked chin shortly after as I tried to remember if we did that. I did not know, actually. So I decided that lying was the best action for now.


    Besides... As long as she doesn''t find out before I go off on my own, we are set because she won''t see me for a short while!


    "Yeah, yeah." I tell her with a wave of my left claw before slowly standing up with all the additional weight I had. Or well, the seeming weight, I suppose? I did barely notice it after all. Something not helped by our recent reduction and redistribution of the goods within the main bag.


    "So what is this meant to say?" Baltanthan asked as he tapped the symbols that had been sewn into a thicker piece of material than the main bag that had been put on it. A mocking sad face coming from me as I noted the lack of any new decorations on my bag.


    "Baltanthan," Einervaene said to him as she finished up with rose, "Rossie-chira." she then said while tapping the one on Rose''s bag. And I guess that answered the question; they were name tags.


    "None for me?" I then teased her with.


    She went red slightly, "Well... I didn''t think you would need one as you had a different bag entirely and..." she said before entering a state of incoherent mumbling. A laugh leaving me as she did so.


    "Don''t worry about it!" I tell the metallic-haired woman as I move to the exit of our camp. A few empty bottles being kicked around by me as I left.


    "Is it acceptable for us to leave the area like this?" Einervaene then asked us all as her eyes looked on in embarrassment at the pile by where she had spent most of the night just gone.


    "No one will know, now go! Let''s go!" the other male of our group of four impatiently let out as he began to prod us out. A Rose soon entering my arms as we reached the top of the slope. A smile on her face as she snuggled against me tightly, confident in the idea of a safe journey.


    "Fast way down or slow?" I then asked no one in particular as I came to another stop.


    "Preferably fa-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rose began to say before stretching it out into a scream after I lept away from the mountain while holding her. The crash I made upon landing not doing much to cover the noise of her screams. My laughter on the other hand? That did the job well.


    "I-I''m s-sorry!" I barely got out between hysteric laughs as Rose lashed out against me in anger.


    "Don''t do that!" she then scolded me with as my laughter helped her calm down. Somewhat, maybe, I couldn''t really tell while I was focusing on my fit of chuckles. It did not take long after that for a lightning bolt to follow us as well.


    "Hurry up, Baltanthan!" Einervaene then joked loudly up at the loneliest member of our group. The smile she then gave me specifically only making my laughter come back while Rose stood proud and pouted at me.


    "You want me to come up and get you!?" I then asked him as I watched him take his time. A series of unintelligible words being all I got from him. And all the girls then got from me was a shrug as I processed it.


    "Go get him anyway." Rose demanded after having her rather short patience fuse burn out.


    "Is that really the wisest idea? He''s already at the halfway point." I retorted back with while taking into account the way the path was. It got very rough at the halfway point so coming into grab him might cause a serious accident.


    "He''s a root, wisdom is not needed in dealing with them." she spat out venomously.


    "Fine." was all I could be asked to respond with before I leapt the distance and came to a running halt at the bottom. An expecting gaze on the man when he finally reached the bottom along with a raising of his arms.


    "Let me go quickly." was all he had to say before I grabbed him and went back to the other two.


    "Let''s go!" Einervaene spoke cheerfully as we were all now ready to start heading to Thrurstradtur.


    "Which one of you has the map?" I asked them as I went slightly ahead of the group so I could more readily check the lay of the land as we went.


    "I packed one in everyone''s bag, even yours!" Einervaene answered with a sprinkling of pride.


    "And which one is the map relevant for the remaining distance?" I asked, blowing away that sprinkling of pride as she now tried to figure it out.


    "All of them... All of them are relevant!" she then said to me in annoyance while I smiled behind the mask. That period of confusion she went through before answering hitting me in just the right spot in terms of enjoyability. Both in how the trick worked and it was nice to experiment with what caused Einervaene to lose her posture. It was fun to do this to Rose, too, but it was a little easy at times as it basically boiled down to me being involved.


    "Whose bag is the lightest and roomiest then?" I asked everyone so we could get to one of these maps quickly.


    "Ironically considering how bloated it was before, yours." Baltanthan said with a jab of his hand. Something that led to me unslinging my bag and rummaging through it while I walked alongside them.


    "There we go." I let out before unfurling the map and going through the phases of remembering that I can''t read it. As such, I went to pass it on to someone else but Rose just kept it in my hands and came over. With that now being my situation, I was forced to pick her up so I could keep on walking without issue. Which, going by her expression, must have been her plan.


    Certainly an interesting one... Annoy me and worry me with the idea of tripping up over her because of my further-reaching strides...


    "Keep on going forward and..." she quietened down before looking up at me, her head-bulbs lighting up before she looked down again, "Make a right at this mountain, the start of the road is just a little beyond there."


    "What mountain? We are surrounded by them!" Baltanthan moaned as he emphasised his point by spinning around with his hands held out wide.


    "The largest one before the greatest one, obviously you stupid root!" Rose spat out at him, nearly literally was it not for my body being in the way.


    "And by the God of them, which one is that?" he shot back with, growing increasingly sick of the aelenvari.


    "Rose, let me have a look." I asked her as I fiddled with the map. I couldn''t read it, but I could use it. A thought that I did not think made much sense...?


    "See, that one." one of Rose''s slender fingers pointing the mountain out on the map. A slow nod coming from me as I looked around to see if I could make out any other landmarks. I could make out something, but I wasn''t too sure. So I had Rose get down before flying off and jumping from low peak to low peak.


    A frown settling in on my features on the way down along with a light pebble rain.


    "Well?" Einervaene asked as she approached. A small boulder soon smashing into my back while I was trying to figure out why she moved so close to me.


    "Oh, that''s why." I commented while moaning a little at the dull sensation my back was now experiencing.


    "You really need to be more careful when using your magic, you know, you don''t have to break everything."


    "Says the one who met us by smashing through a window."


    She looked away, "I was tired and a ball of lightning."


    I snorted in amusement, "But, to get back on topic, it seems to be that one right over there if you can see where my ha- claw is pointing." I tell her.


    "I think I see it. And now that I also see it so clearly from the ground..." she let out as we now had a much better view of the mountain Thrurstradtur was on.


    "Hey, Baltanthan?"


    "What?"


    "Does that mountain have a name?"


    "No, next to none of them do. Why?"


    "Just got curious is all. But, now that I know, why? We''ve been past a few with distinct shapes and stand-offishness."


    "If we gave a name to every pile of rocks on this continent then we''d never know where we were because there are so many we''d be repeating names until we die!" he told me, his annoyance being founded in that tone of his. A tone that just screamed the idea of ''how do you not know such basic information?''


    "No need to be so snappy." was all I had to say to him after that as a quiet enveloped us as we got closer and closer to this mountain in particular. A strange sense of nervousness filling me as the path became increasingly well-trodden to the point we could even see distant groups. Most importantly, however, we were now fully in the shadow of the mighty mountain that glowed with golden light last night. And I was so close to seeing Vapooliar again...


    Maybe that was why I was nervous? I was just so excited to see her again and get it all over with? To get onto the path that would send me back home, the path that would let me put all of this aside and relax as it were. I wanted it to come so badly yet I gulped it down with a heavy heart.


    It was not going to come quickly, even if I assumed it all went so well from here on out. The distance to travel itself was still something that would take weeks upon weeks upon weeks... It might even be several years until I see Tobaballe again! And, that worried me, it worried me a lot as I wasn''t sure if I could keep my memory of home alive long enough for that...


    I did not want to develop a horrendously wrong mindset of what my home was like, but, I guess, misremembering was better than forgetting...? I did not know the answer to that if I was honest... But...


    "Humans really are incredible..." Rose muttered in awe when a sudden noise took me out of my thoughts. It was almost, vehicular? No, it was!


    "Now that is impressive..." I said with a loosening jaw as a mountain of metal flew over us with jets of pure emerald leaving its underbelly. The light, unfortunately, obscuring most of the vehicle with the exception of this protrusion based from its rear. Or, what I assumed to be its rear as the vehicle otherwise seemed to have a cog-shape to it...?


    Even worse than not being able to get a good look at it, however, was the fact it soon disappeared. Right over a nearby mountain peak in but a moment! And with such a sight having been in my eyes, I felt refreshed. An adrenaline rush purely for the optimism within me!


    Such a sight having been seen, however, my mind found itself trying to force its inclusion into my plans to get home. If I could not get one of that design, another would suit me just fine. Of course, I had no idea if I would even be able to purchase one as surely one must have had to be whatever was a high-floor equivalent here to buy it. Or, to put it into terms Rose would use, would I have to be a petal to buy such a machine?


    If no rank minimum was there to stop me, how much would it even cost? Would I become so obsessed with trying to get one so I could go home that I spent more time trying to get it than it would have taken me if I did not see it? I was extremely confused right now because of it. Thankfully, I could get my mind off of the topic by just looking ahead.


    And it turns out I was wrong because now I was looking straight at some kind of legged vehicle with a set of jagged, solid metal wheels. They even went inwards and made the vehicle taller as it went on to the now clearly busy road up the mountain. I don''t think I have ever seen this many people, actually. We must have been at the tail end of a double-digit thousand total at the very minimum!


    "Where am I even going to go...?" I muttered in disbelief while taking in the scale of it all. There were just so many people going up that I was not confident in the slightest that I would be able to get up there without being spotted.


    "If we go to the back of this... Queue... Then we might be able to find a quiet spot for you to disappear up?" Einervaene contributed quietly as her eyes lingered on a small group of men in brass armour. They were even carrying those fancy magic guns we used in the hive back when I first met everyone. It made me a little nostalgic, actually, despite it not being that long ago.


    "Don''t think we have a choice in that matter." Baltanthan said cautiously with an extension of his finger. The finger guiding our eyes to the sight of a rowdy woman trying to force her way into the people going up the road. Only for her to then be shoved off and sharply gestured towards the rear of it. Which she reluctantly went towards with a scowl.


    My eyes going to Rose after seeing that as I knew that could happen to them if she couldn''t keep it together, "Let the other two do the talking unless necessary, please?" was what I then asked of her.


    She nodded and smiled, "Of course, my love, if you believe that is for the best." she tells me without a single issue. This surprised me a little as I was at least expecting a jab regarding Baltanthan... What was she up to...? Was I wrong to not trust her right now?


    I honestly couldn''t tell as I was just so swept up by the scale of it all, even being someone who lived in a densely populated city!


    "There seem to be machines that can take us in even from here." Einervaene points out as we began to walk towards the end of this near-endless column.


    "No, we walk." Baltanthan tells her which caused her to look at her feet.


    "Can''t we at least take one up some of the way if it is possible? We''ve been walking for so long and the terrain of this land is not suited for long walks." Einervaene complains while moving her feet about.


    "My flower and all the others move around quite fine without issue." Rose tells her with a shrug. A snort coming from Baltanthan when he heard that. One that Rose did not rise to challenge... I was somewhat impressed, actually.


    But, that did not stop her from gently growling and sneering at him.


    "On that topic, though, shouldn''t you be quite used to long journeys?" I ask her while moving closer to the trees that still stood at the base of this road. And, from there, I just looked on at all the other ways to this mountain which were much more well-used and even paved! Was this likely to do with the borders Futhans mentioned before?


    What defines a mountain-state and a ravineer town and all that?


    "I still spent most of it in some reasonable comfort. I wasn''t always dressed in filth like I was before I met you." she informed me.


    "Even then, surely you did a lot of walking? You said it was a multi-year journey."


    "Not really." she muttered while considering how strange it actually was to spend most of her journey on what sounded more like mobile hotels.


    "Well, if your feet are hurting, would you like to hop on up? I have no issues with carrying you for a bit." I offer to her while Rose seemed to back away the moment I made the offer, "You can get up, too." I then offered to her, but she turned it down with a gentle shake,


    "It''s fine, it''s fine." was all she sighed out before moving ahead a little.


    "What about you Baltanthan? I got a space next to me if you want it?" Einervaene then offered to the named member of our group.


    "No, I''m fine walking."


    "Really? I thought you would have wanted a little break so you could spend more time focusing on the city."


    "I could fall over, nearly dead and I would still enjoy it!" he declared to her.


    "You don''t look like you are enjoying it."


    "Because we are not there yet."


    "We nearly are, though, so shouldn''t you look more excited?"


    "No."


    "You really should, it was nice seeing you smile back on prior days."


    "I''m not going to compliment you." he then said which confused the now raised up Einervaene.


    "I... I wasn''t looking for compliments...?"


    "Good."


    Einervaene sighed as she sprawled herself out on the bag, "What about you, Urtuoi-kischu? Are you excited over the fact we are finally here?"


    "Admittedly, I am more worried, but, all these vehicles are nice to look at. Very brass, though." I answer before commenting on the hundreds of vehicles we had passed by.


    "That is true, a lot of them have been brass, copper or gold-like colours." she said as she let her hair fall down as she leaned over the top. Her upside-down face not being far from a potential pecking should I have wished it.


    "It''s called having pride in your home." Baltanthan then said in a defensive manner.


    "I didn''t mean any offence, I just found it interesting." Einervaene then apologised on behalf of both of us. Even though I did not see a reason to apologize. If he wanted to act up over an observation then let him. We can bruise him for it later.


    "Why are you so defensive about it, anyway? Thrurstradtur is not your home from what I gather." I add in while making reference to his little town which he seemed to be offended by.


    "It soon will be, so don''t ever bring up that backwater with me again." he nearly snarled out. This contempt for home he had upset me for some reason. Maybe it was because I was desperate to get back to mine yet he was so eager to leave his all behind?


    "So, Einervaene, anything you want to talk about?" I then asked my passenger after looking at her.


    "Well, let me see, I could speak about what I know of the school we are going to."


    "That would actually be very helpful, so explain away." I tell her as she smiles at me.


    .


    .


    .


    "Alright, you three, down." I told the aelenvari, the other man and our only human female as I collapse onto my own rear. A mixture of moaning and laughter leaving me as I stared up at the night sky. It had taken us the rest of the day just to get around this mountain and far enough away from the crowds for us to safely separate.


    "Are we going to rest here for the night or...?" Rose asked as she sat down on me, my cape serving as a blanket for her briefly.


    "It''s up to you lot, the quicker we get going the better off we will be I say." I tell them while sending my head all the way back to look up the stone giant behind us. My hat falling off shortly after as I had bent my head too far back. But, now that I was aware of it, should I take my mask and hat off for now? When I was on the mountain, that is.


    I might lose them if I kept them on climbing up that thing...


    "There are places we can rest on along the road up, so let''s get going." Baltanthan groaned out as he forced himself up once again.


    "I take it all our money is with you three then?" I ask while turning my head to Einervaene who had just refused to get off the bag and was still laying there.


    "Yeah... I put most of it with me and Baltanthan."


    "I have some?" Rose asked as she fiddled with her bag.


    "Yes, I gave you some because there just wasn''t much room left in mine and his, but, well, I thought you might want to get something. You know, food, drink, that sort of stuff."


    "We have such items packed, Vine."


    "I know, I know. I just thought maybe you''d want something fresh? Back in Tryhpeltzweig, I had many talks with the Thurnaimarhos and he mentioned how he was quite fond of these places and all."


    "Well, if a human-petal is suggesting them..." Rose said with a linger in her voice before she shook her head and handed the money to Einervaene.


    "No, keep it!" she said as she tried to give it back.


    "No, I insist, it will be better for you to have it as you''ll be more tolerant to whatever root serves us in those places."


    "Uh... Okay."


    .


    .


    .


    "So can we get going?" I tell them as they exchanged items before the o-so tearful farewell to our bug protector.


    "Hold on, let me just... Rossie-chira, come on!" she said while tightening up her bag before calling out to the insufferable one.


    "Right..." was all she had to say before we finally got moving! And I was very excited for it as we were finally heading back to the main road! We could finally start heading up properly and we were going to do it all under the lights and sounds of the city and the airships that buzzed around it!


    "Quit making those noises you two, we''ll be able to get to an inn on the road."


    "Are there even going to be rooms available?" Einervaene asked in disbelief as she looked at the crowds around us. There wasn''t much else to look at right now so I was following wherever her gaze went.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "Of course, these places were built with the busy road in mind, these places will be huge, probably better than the backwater I came from alone! So you hear that aelenvari? We''ll find grandeur fit for you alright." I explain before targeting the supposed lover of Nin.


    "Where is Rossie-chira...?" Einervaene then asked in worry as she came to a stop. Something that caused me to grab her and push us through to the very mountain itself so we weren''t in the way of anyone.


    "Don''t stop and look for her, we got to get moving!"


    "Don''t look for her...? We can''t just leave our friend in this crowd!"


    "There''s only one way to go! We''ll see her again, not hard to miss her!"


    "But!"


    "We stay the course!" I tell her sternly as I let go of her. Quickly stepping in front of her to prevent her from going anywhere before rolling my eyes and nabbing her hand. If my words weren''t going to keep her on the road, my actions would!


    "Her bag!" she then suddenly said as she shot past me with her superior strength, easily making her way through the crowd afterwards. Then, once she was done cultivating a batch of insults to be thrown at her, she was back by my side. And I was left somewhat jealous of her, here she was, seemingly a pushover yet she was indeed magically gifted.


    "Alright, come closer to the side." I nearly hissed at her as we retreated from the crowds.


    "See, her bag!" she told me with a voice full of worry as she shook it in front of me.


    "She must have left it there, we can''t go back for her." was all I had to say after gesturing to how the straps were. There was no way she just dropped it while being grabbed like Einervaene might have been thinking of.


    "But...!"


    "If she is no longer here then we have to let the bu- him deal with it." I told her firmly, quickly switching out the usual word I referred to Nin with before I fully said it.


    "We need to look for her..." was what I heard her mumble before I dragged her onwards with little resistance.


    "It''s out of our hands now!"


    .


    .


    .


    "All quiet now, so up I go." I commented before digging my claw into the mountain. Briefly stepping back in surprise when I couldn''t even get my claws into the stone... This stone was much tougher than the other ones I have dealt with. I did not know why but I felt like just saying ''it was magic,'' would have been a valid answer.


    Yet, despite this issue, I was still able to get some grip into the stone, but it was clear I now had to focus more on potential grab points. My old ways of just forcing individual claws in would not work with this mountain it seemed. But, a rhythm was soon found and I was just going up and up the mountain with a small smile as it just felt more exciting. Maybe because I would need actual effort this time?


    This also worried me, in a way, if I was to need more effort on my part then doesn''t that make the size of the mountain an issue? Like, an exceptionally huge one? I couldn''t exactly stop on the climb to rest so if I could not do it in a single go...


    "My love! My love! Where are you!?" I barely heard from down below which caused me to stop and swing about. One of my feet loosely dangling in the air while the other anchored my moving body that a single claw held stable. A frown forming once I saw Rose''s headlights brightly shining down below. An irritated roll of my eyes preceding my leap down.


    "Why aren''t you with the others...?" I asked her as I approached her. Not really taking note of how the ground was not warped and destroyed as it usually was by such a leap down.


    "I told you remember? I was going to go up with you!" she told me with a smile as her head became more visible as her lights dimmed.


    "And I told you to stay with the others!"


    "I am not leaving you on your own!" she told me as she came closer and tried to pull me closer. But, as I was in no mood for her antics, she had to come to me as my body did not bow to her whims here under this circumstance.


    "Go back, Rose, let me get up there and we will see each other then. You can spend all the time you want with me when we get up there and meet back up." I said in an effort to plead with her. To try and get her to go back to the other two so I was not being dragged down by her.


    "No."


    "Why not...?"


    "Because I will stay with you. Besides, I gave my bag to the others." she told me, her expression turning sheepish towards the end.


    "You idiot... You invite Undwote to us." was all I could say to her as she held on to me with unceasing firmness.


    "I invite Oungicorcer so that he may bless you with strength I will invoke from you!"


    "The God of Mountains!? I don''t see how he will help me climb one of his creations."


    "Not that aspect of him, the other five, fire, water, wind, lightning and darkness. Five of the magical aspects."


    "You came all this way to help me get stronger...? You idiot! We are going to a place for that! I don''t need you risking your life to do it!"


    "It''s not a case of need, I want to." she told me as she stepped back and looked up at me with a smile that held no ill-will towards me. A long sigh was all I could do right now, a long sigh that just went on and on before I just shook my head lots. A motion that became smaller and quicker, like a coin coming to a stop.


    "Fine... Fine..." I began to say before dropping down and putting my bag down. Unfurling it as much as I could before then opening it up.


    "You can''t be serious..." Rose let out in that high and mighty tone of hers.


    "Get in." was all I said and that was all I needed as now I was just waiting for her to get in.


    "What am I going to do in here?" Rose asked me as I put the bag back on my back. My head soon turning to face her, a smile of my own forming.


    "Yes, now, make sure you are warm and that you had a full meal before because we are not taking the leisurely route." I told her as I put my claws into the mountain once more. My anger helping me to drive them in like the bolts put into a steel plate that goes on to form a ship or building.


    "You know, my love, it is nice to have you back to myself as we travel. Just like the old times." she told me after a short silence of climbing.


    "We have spent more days travelling as a group of four than I ever did with you and even then it was not that long ago!" I told her while patting the area above me. All to test out potential areas to climb up along. But, as my mind had mentioned that, the idea of ''long ago,'' I was now thinking of my climbing race with Vadei. A small smile forming as I was not having to worry about any spongey sensations as I went up and up.


    "I still miss it..." she mumbled from her bag.


    "Can''t say I share the same sentiment." I responded with while my mind lingered on what happened while I travelled with her. It was so much closer to when I had turned, so all I could really think of during those times were how she acted around me. I know I must have thought of it before, how she was growing more tolerable to my current form. But, I know she still reacted badly around me.


    She was never going to get over it by the looks of it... So I would have to just stop being bothered by it myself.


    "Why not? I was there for you and you were there for me, you saved me and I was grateful, you began your journey into being a skilled witch. A lot of good happened in our travel time."


    "Yes, but at the same time, and I sincerely mean no offence. But, since I have met you I have nearly murdered someone, I myself have literally died, I got turned into a monster and I was chased out of town."


    "I understand those bother you my love, but none of them are tied to me explicitly, I was just there for the events." she correctly pointed out while caressing my head.


    "I know, but, sometimes it just feels like you are a bad luck charm."


    "Now that''s just made-up nonsense." she laughed out, a smile forming on my face as she laughed.


    "Then let''s see if you bring me any good luck up this mountain."


    "I can''t say for certain if I do, but I bring convenience!"


    "And what convenience is that?"


    "I can pass you snacks and compliment you with spirit-raising love as you climb!" she cheerfully exclaims from her bag. Soon stopping so I could somewhat watch her disappear into the bag to rummage about it. A piece of dried meat in her hand once she came out once again.


    "Thank you." I said before taking the meat from her with a gentle bite. Leaving the meat to linger in my mouth so I could just suck on it as I could not really eat properly in this situation. And, well, I''d rather chew it before swallowing as I did not want to enter a coughing fit in this place of all places.


    "So how much distance are you hoping to cover anyway?" she yawned out as she seemingly found a comfortable spot to slink into.


    "Three days they said was how long the road would take, didn''t they?"


    "Yeah..." she said with a muffled yawn.


    "Well, including this night with the coming day, I am hoping for at least half the distance to be done."


    "Good luck..."


    "Going to need more than luck at this rate." I said while looking at an aircraft that was lingering about an area far to my right. It wasn''t near me by any means, but if this was a guard vehicle then that might spell some issues. And now that I was aware of that machine, I was aware of the noise above me, it seemed I was getting close to the road.


    So how was I going to get around it...? I could leap, but would that cause me to get spotted by the guards and people on the road? Would I have to follow the road up rather than just going in a straight line? By the gods, this was getting complicated alright.


    If I still had my mask and hat on, I might be able to slip into the crowd and then sneak off into any trees and keep on climbing. Reality had the conditions the other way, though, for my hat and mask were off and my buggish features were exposed to the whole world to see. Yet, it was also firmly nighttime now, so would the road not be quieter? That machine was shining lots of light after all.


    "Maybe if I timed a leap with the passing of one of these vehicles...?" I asked myself as I got to what felt like the underbelly of the road. And, to my surprise, it sounded no different than it was when we first got here. Maybe I should not have been surprised? This was a capital city no?


    One built with few ways in so the few ways in would always be crowded, no? Well, either way, I still needed to get past it all so I was just left lingering where I was while pondering a way through. And while I had my head turned to the bag, I wondered about it. For if I was to make this jump, might the bag snap?


    I could not exactly grab it and hold it to make sure the bag did not snap. So, maybe I just had to have faith in the idea it would hold, it had held thus far and this bag was designed to carry much more. And with one click of the mouth later and the gulping of my meat, I was on the move again. Not like before, though.


    This time I was just moving up and down in the build-up to what would follow. I would go through with my ''leap over the road'' plan, all I needed to do was make sure I would actually meet the mountain above. Which is why I was practising my angle and looking around every now and then. And with a final gulp of worry, I went up.


    .


    .


    .


    "Did we walk into Undwote''s grip or something!?" Baltanthan swore as he rubbed his arms in an effort to generate warmth. I had offered for him to come closer to me and share in the warmth generated by my sparks, but he had refused.


    "Why did it suddenly turn white anyway?" I asked as I watched my breath turn to steam as it left my mouth. Repressing any urges to act like a dragon unlike this little kid walking near me with her parents.


    "It''s because we entered the gods-damned snow-belt." he told me as he carefully avoided a shiny patch on the ground. Everyone seemed to be taking it more carefully now, in fact, railings were now present on the road as to before where everyone just kept their distance from the edge. The guards had even begun to rely on floating platforms over the previous method of walking besides the crowd between checkpoints.


    "So this is a snow-belt..." I muttered quietly while looking at what I could through the thick cloud cover that engulfed this area of the mountain. The crunch my boots made against it was satisfying to hear, even if I could barely hear it over the nice of the many hundreds of people within only a few dozen paces of me. I had looked on up at Urtuoi-kischu many times as he leapt between close peaks, and it was nice to finally experience what he must have taken for granted. Maybe I could ask him about how it was regarding his climb up this mountain?


    Everyone here was moving so carefully so he must have been moving slower than a slug!


    "Yeah, I am not doing this, we are going to an inn earlier today." Baltanthan told me before he wiped his red nose.


    "Ok, when do you want to get to one?"


    "Maybe after the next checkpoint? If we are quick about it we might be able to get a decent room."


    "The rooms have been great, though, the staff kind and welcoming...?" I said as I got confused by his last statement.


    "I mean a room that is plenty warm, unlike our last few stops, getting a nice, toasty-warm room is far more important this time."


    "How are we going to get ahead, though? The crowds are not moving fast and we are not in a vehicle."


    "We don''t need the crowd to move fast, you just have to want to get somewhere warm!" he told me as he began to gesture for us to just beeline through the crowds and shove as necessary. Something that I was very unsure of as we had seen many a trouble causer be sent away by the guards or dragged off by them.


    "I don''t know..."


    "It''s not illegal to shove past someone, so let''s get going!" he told me as he moved to grab me before one of the guard platforms suddenly stopped above us.


    "Attention, those within the designated square will be brought forward for increased inspection." they said as me, Baltanthan and everyone remotely close to us was suddenly lit up in glowing square.


    "Damn it..." Baltanthan swore.


    "Don''t be like that, we were told before that they did this as a precautionary measure."


    "Yes, but why did it have to be us...?" he snapped at me as the platform landed and opened up so we could all get on it. Sticking close to the freezing man as he muttered insult after insult while I just went along with it quietly. I was rather curious about this procedure, actually, and I was also happy at the idea of getting out of the cold as it meant I could stop using magic. Something the child near me seemed to be disappointed by.


    "No! Keep doing it!" they whined before their father reigned them in.


    "Sorry about that, she just really likes seeing witches." he told me with a smile as he kept her close to him.


    "That''s quite alright, I don''t mind entertaining her if it helps her keep calm if that is the current issue."


    "Hear that, sweetie? Witch is going to let you play with her for a bit." he told his daughter as he sent her forward a little. Her small body bouncing around as I held out my hand and thought about doing the most common practical joke amongst my people.


    "Hello, I am Einervaene, nice to meet you." my gloved hand raised before her, ready to shake it if she understood what to do.


    "Hello! I''m Oyeihfee!" she said with a smile, her hand, however, did not rise to meet mine, "Why are you holding your hand out?" her head tilting as she asked it.


    "For you to shake it." returning her smile with my own.


    "Ok!" she said before she grabbed it by the fingers and moved it about. A frown developing before she pulled her hand away and looked up at her father.


    "Your hair has gone all funny." he said with surprise as his daughter moved to play with it. Laughter coming from her as she realised her hair had begun to stand up for what must have seemed like no reason to her.


    "Attention passengers, please exit the security platform and spread yourselves out into your travel groups." the man seemingly piloting the platform ordered. Soon waving goodbye to the little girl and her family as me and Baltanthan found ourselves on our own again. Somewhat, anyway, we were not sent off into a room, we were just standing inside a different type of checkpoint building or a different floor of the ones we had previously gone through.


    "You two, with me." a new guard said as he walked by with some kind of thin, metal block. And following a gesture to stop, we were scanned by some kind of device then prodded a few times by another one. Worry filling me as the guards near us discussed something in private while constantly looking at me specifically.


    "You, in here." a guard told me as another moved his weapon to be directly facing me. A nervous jitter taking me over as I walked into a small room and sat down on a plain seat while being harshly stared down by a guard.


    "Name."


    "Excuse me...?"


    "The name you gave us at prior checkpoints, say it."


    "Uh... Ein... Einervaene Bosphama."


    "Thank you. Now, the reason you are travelling up to the capital of the Uhroppess Republic?"


    "To attend the Suhurlodst Academy and meet up with a friend?"


    "We have an issue then."


    My blood ran cold, "P-Pardon? That can''t be right... I know I said something along those lines to the guards of previous checkpoints."


    "And yet, one of the men who brought you here reports you entertaining a child, why would a children''s entertainer go to a school specializing in arcane engineering and the pioneering of combat-focused witchcraft?" a small grin forming on his face before he broke down laughing with a few other men in the room. A laugh I tried to get into my system but I was just too scared too.


    "Ignore my colleague, Einervaene Bosphama, he is just having some fun. Everything matches up, you are free to leave the room." another guard told me while he handed some kind of datasheet to the one who had apparently messed with me. I was still worried, admittedly, but it was nice knowing it was just that. A joke and little else.


    "Baltanthan!" I called out as I got back to him, glad I could seek counsel amongst a familiar face.


    "Why are you so happy to see me? You weren''t gone long."


    "I just am, okay?" I said to him before going quiet and calming myself down. My eyes looking around as everyone began to go back to their groups before a soft warmth washed over us.


    "You may now arrange lodgings at the connected inn if you wish, thank you for your time. We hope your journey remains safe thanks to the Thrurstradturian Guard of the Road and it is in our interest you carry on compiling until you are out of our jurisdiction, thank you." the most decorated of the armoured men present said as we were ushered down the path. Some of us were confused and scared, but most of the people here were quite used to this, it seemed. They must have been natives to this city?


    "Well, this has gone better than I had expected." Baltanthan comments with relief as we moved on from the dull and practical set out of the previous building and into the gilded stonework of the inn. Sweet smells and the heat of plentiful fires doing a lot to get me back into a peaceful mindset. And while I was distracted by all the gorgeous patterns on the carpet, I accidentally ran into Baltanthan.


    Rather, walked into him.


    "Sorry!" I said frantically as I came back to my senses.


    "Wait until we have a room first before you get tired." he told me as we went down the stairs. The heels of my boots echoing throughout the local area as we looked on at the sea of clothed tables, sofas and other furniture pieces. It really was amazing how vast these inns were and I still hadn''t gotten over looking at them as we travelled them.


    They were small towns in and of themselves!


    "Should we get a meal first?" I asked as I looked up at a display that seemed to suggest they had some kind of fruity cake and creamy soup as their main dish of the day. Or, special, as I have come to know it as. I found the name a little odd, though, the dishes weren''t special, just plentiful, so why were they called that? Back home the main dish of the day was called just that, the main dish of the day.


    But here they call them specials... What an odd people these Jhermonikrans were.


    "I''d rather get a room."


    "Then why don''t you get a room, and I get us something to eat?"


    "Maybe I want room delivery." he contested, clearly looking to avoid any help from me.


    "I can get you something that won''t make a mess of the bed from here, no?"


    "Just get yourself something, I''ll find you later and tell you where the room is. Or, who knows, maybe I can get the staff to do it." he said with a refreshed sigh. The stiffness in his posture melting away as he walked towards the reception counter at the far end of the great hall.


    "Alright..." I said in disappointment as I found myself alone in this gargantuan building. A finger twirling about my hair as I wandered towards the scent of food while looking at the main entrance of this place. It was odd, looking at those doors, actually. There were lots of people using them but it still felt incredibly empty as many doors were not getting used.


    But, the meals and dishes prepared on the valley-long set of tables, however, did not look odd. It looked enticing and my stomach was growling just looking at the array of foods presented. I almost felt intimidated as it was almost endless, and all of it was fresh and juicy when applicable. And despite the intimidation, this was one challenge I would not step down from as I wanted to devour so much and become fat!


    Actually, that was a lie, I wanted to keep my current proportions but I would probably eat so much I''d become fat anyway! If the food was truly delicious, then maybe such a problem would be forgivable... But, it depends, as some of it still felt like something I wanted to avoid. So many foreign dishes just like the other inns...


    "I guess I should be extra thankful to you then, hmm?" I said to no one here as I made reference to my previous host in Tryhpeltzweig. The one who had enabled me to get this far, to begin with. His cooks made me food that was like food from my home and he went out of his way to replicate familiar comforts. And now, I was in a place that accommodated the comforts of another people...


    Yet, I was willing to give it a go, it only made sense I started eating the foods of this land! Even if I did it at a slow and steady pace...


    .


    .


    .


    "I told you Rose-sweerui, I told you. Yes, I told you." I growled out through the harsh and cold winds that bitterly bit into me as I climbed this particular part of the mountain. My head constantly turning back towards the bag as Rose was suffering badly in these conditions, even with her pocket of warmth. So I was trying, I was trying as hard as I could to get up this part of the mountain but something about it made it so cold. I could barely feel any part of my body and it was slowing me down.


    Grips I was formerly sure of I had become paranoid about and my inability to see through all the snow only made it worse. For I could not see any specific details anymore, just vague outlines. But, I was not going to let this stop me and I had been cultivating something within me that had only grown since I got lost in this cold. My body felt stiff and frozen, but the blood that my heart pumped flowed freely despite it all with esoteric heat.


    So with it, I was able to slam my hands into the mountain and drag myself up with pure force of will and the strength my steadily weakening body held within it. Sometimes this strength barely moved me, other times it would be as if I was lifting myself up with a lonely arm that bore the entire burden I put on it. This strength was fickle, however, and the icy stone fell apart often before slipping free. Causing me to desperately cling to the mountain for dear life so I did not fall down into the depths I had climbed out of.


    "Hang in there, Rose-sweerui, hang in there..." I heaved out while hoping the god responsible for our current detriment was not near. Was he actively making the situation worse, did he want me to return into his grasp so that he may finish what should have happened to me? Was he that uncaring as to drag in the lives of others into a debt I might have owed him? It did not matter in the end, I just had to get the one who calls me her beloved out of this cold.


    A cold I thankfully knew had an end for some of the mountains I climbed and looked upon did indeed had snowless peaks. And an end this mountain did, so this being in my mind only helped me go on and on up this frozen misery. Panic filling me as the noises Rose had been making throughout had properly died off. The clattering of teeth and the subtle shaking of the bag was gone, it had gone silent...


    "ROSE!?" I shouted out to her before sending a reinvigorated fist into the ice that we were in front of. Even with the loss of decent vision, I could tell it blocked a tunnel and the blast only helped highlight it. For now, I was resting in the snowy mist that briefly filled it before it all settled down. Only what was coming in through the entrance keeping any movement.


    And once we were in, I took it all off, my bag, what clothes I could, and I opened the bag in such haste as to tear it. With Rose in my sights, I then crawled against her and hugged her tightly while making all our stored supplies a cacoon for us. Keeping my mouth open and breathing all over her face in hopes the warmth would get her moving again. Which it seemed to have done, for now, she had her eyes opening again.


    "It''ll be alright..." was what I chose to say right now to the shivering aelenvari whose hand sloppily placed itself somewhat inside of my dry jaw. The winds having taken away any saliva in it and blocked the rest up with frost.


    "M... My... Love..." she barely got out with a ghost of a smile as her eyes fluttered, the telltale signs of her going in and out of being conscious. My eyes locking on to the barely visible cloud of steam her mouth was producing before I then looked at my mask.


    "Make sure not to lose this, okay?" I said to her as I put the mask on her face along with a few small pieces of clothing I could stuff in there. Or, along the rims of the mask. My plan to get her to stay with me, to keep her alive. I would pray for it to work but I was so caught up in the idea of keeping her warm I did nothing regarding it and I just kept fiddling.


    I laid her straight and wrapped her up before balling her up while surrounding her with everything that might keep her warm. I moved the bag to my front and placed her exposed portions against me so her face was always near mine and I made sure it was tight against me. From there, I stood up once again and kept moving around in this tunnel while I thought of something. Doing whatever I could with my magic to help in this but for some reason, I just couldn''t make heat with it.


    I could only make this little extension of my fingers...


    "Do anything, anything at all, Rose-sweerui if this hurts you." I tell her desperately while putting a hand against her and performing my magic trick. I was hoping this expansion of my hands in a way would help trap more heat on her head, but, I just wasn''t sure. I did not want to apply pressure in case I killed her but at the same time I was unwilling to just let her head remain in the open. And then, in a fit of rage where I kicked at some icy stones.


    I got an idea... The same one I had been using for a while...


    Jump.


    Jump as high and as far as I have ever gone before.


    No, go beyond it!


    "You are going to be okay, do you hear me?" I tell her slowly as I moved out into the open, my free hand holding the mountain tightly as I got out as far as I could. From there, I tried to reapply what I could do with my hands to my feet and just kept thinking over and over of explosive forces. Of items that sent themselves flying with kinetic energy that had snapped them in two or more. I just kept thinking of it all while my legs got lower and lower.


    A few rapid breaths left me before I did anything else, my efforts to hype myself up they were. It was all I had left and I would wring out their value completely. So, with one final thought and breath, I launched up with an explosive boom that sent the surrounding snow away along with these clouds. A brief path into the air, a brief path into snow-less pastures.


    I soared higher and higher, hoping, praying to whatever god or goddess that would hear me would keep us going up. And when I fell back down, I did not panic, I just sent my arm straight into the mountain and dislodged it due to it holding back all that force I came down with. A scream of pain filled the air as I hanged just above the potential graveyard. Miserable laughter devolving from the scream as I happily cried out my remaining pain before seething the rest of the way up.


    Having freed my arm but not realigned it before I moved again. And soon, thankfully so soon, I was rolling on grass with soft, warm soil under it. A delicate Rose on top of me as I laid there on the grass, a distant light illuminating us while I kept my eyes on the soon to be demasked woman. A woman who was alive thanks to my efforts!


    Albeit, barely conscious.


    "Keep... Kee..." I tried to say to her before just getting her off of me and standing up, quickly placing myself against a tree before grabbing my arm. Clenching my jaw against a nearby branch before sending the arm back up into its socket with barely muffled pain and watering eyes. The branch soon having the flakey, splintery remains of it spat out of my mouth before I rushed back to her. Back to Rose.


    A woman who had put me through all of that with her stupidity to come along. A woman I now held on to with joyful tears while rocking back and forth as her body came alive again. The winds of this mountaintop seemingly seeking us out so they could heal us. Or, maybe it was just that rule Futhans told me, where strong magic heals weaker magic.


    It had to be... The mountain''s reserve was so great it could heal and breathe new life into those who went to it. Maybe this was why it was a member of the Great Seven Peaks I heard talked about. Because it was so magnificent in its power it just attracted the weary into its grasp with its healing breezes.


    "My love, we are here." Rose told me as she took the mask off, colour having returned to her face as she stumbled out of the bag. Even though her body was still too weak to stand on its own, so I was there with her. Supporting her as our eyes fell upon the distant majesty we had came up here to see, to begin with!


    Thrurstradtur!


    A city that seemed so close yet it was deceitful, for it was actually so big that it always seemed close, a mountain of brass and gold on top of another... A city whose highest point pointed straight into the glowing sky that flowed with the brightest emerald winds I had ever seen. All of it to the backdrop of a distant purple structure from which one could barely see a metal ring that orbited the world! No clouds were in the way...


    Just magic...


    "It''s beautiful, isn''t it...?" Rose asked me as she seemed to pull me away. Her tone seemingly off when she asked it.


    "Of course it is... This thing is a marvel! It outshines Tobaballe''s best in ways I can''t even describe!" I told her with eyes that were unable to remove themselves from the great wedge at the centre of the city. The main attraction of it all. And, I swear this was real, but, it seemed to be very slowly moving in a circle.


    And now that I realised it, it was following the moon currently eclipsing the others! We were in the middle of an alignment!


    "Want to see something better?" she asked me as she tugged at me with increased ferocity. The kind a child would use when they brought their parent to see the unmistakably cool view...


    "What the..." I found myself saying as I moved on from the city and towards a greater sight that made me go back and correct prior thoughts. For brighter, more plentiful emerald winds were now in my sight, and it was all around an impossibly huge mountain that must have been a lifetime away in distance yet it seemed so close...


    And it just went higher and higher...


    "The source of all wind-magic in the world, the heart of the wind-peoples, the tallest peak in the world and the home of the capital of the Union..." Rose began to expose as she stepped away from me and cried, "My love, this is, in the oldest tongue of them all, Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra! The Great Mountain with the Greatest Size and the Greatest Air of the People! Your people!"


    My arms soon wrapped around her after she said that to me as I felt like I needed to hold on to someone for support. And she clearly needed someone to cry against as she was just bawling with a degree of joy I had not seen before...


    And, for some reason, my body seemed to scream for it, like it recognised it as my home? That was all I could describe the sensation as.


    "Tallest mountain in the world, huh..." I muttered as I finally gazed at its peak, but a finger scrape away from touching the limits of the sky!

 Incline 2: Masked Ones Shall not Pass!

    "Alright, calm down." I nearly laughed out at the still crying aelenvari whose tail wagged back and forth while I stroked their hair. Her eyes still being glued straight on that mountain in the distance, the one that would never be forgotten by the world.


    "No... It''s too beautiful to stay calm about..." she barely got out after many failures. It being particularly interesting how she only succeeded once she stopped looking at the mountain. Her face having to be firmly placed against my body before she even started getting words out.


    "I mean, sure, it is very impressive with all that magic and stuff, but it''s just a mountain." I said while knowing full well I was downplaying the sight immensely. Because, like her, I needed to keep my gaze away from the mountain otherwise I''d be entranced by it.


    "Very impressive? My love... My sweet, precious love..."


    "Hm?"


    "You know how I have told you before about how my kind don''t see things the way you do, how we see the world in a more magic-focused context?"


    "I do."


    "Well, try and remember that before you tell me to stop crying at the beauty of Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra."


    "I take it that it is the purest magic you have ever seen?" I asked her to which she nodded happily. Like a bride at her wedding just after or before the kiss that sealed the bond.


    "It is... And it annoys me."


    "How come it annoys you?"


    "Because like with that food you gave me after you came back to life, it has ruined my perception of the world forever! No longer can I guess what the gods might be capable of, no longer can I just guess what the Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra is like. I have seen it and experienced it!"


    "So you are worried you will never be able to enjoy anything ever again?"


    "No... I am worried this has warped my sense of reality so much that I am going to be nothing but detached from it all."


    "Well, just keep your mind on me then? Not that you need the advice for that."


    She smiled a little, "And what could you offer me that the taste of that desert could not? What can you display that the Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra cannot do much greater to an impossible to describe degree."


    I huffed out some joy-filled air as I tried to think, "Well, I am the one who brought it all into your life. Besides, we were both there together when these joys came about. So I''d understand very well what you were going on about."


    Her hands tightened their grip as she slowly looked up at me, "I guess so, I guess so..." she said quietly as her forehead went against the tip of my nose.


    "So," I then said after we spent some time in silence, "Want to stay here for a little longer or go somewhere where the other two can find us?"


    "Let''s build a home and start a family right here..." she said with a grin before laughter came out, she knew full well it wasn''t going to work!


    "Now you know we can''t do that."


    "I know, I know... But, let''s just keep ourselves here, before Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra for a little longer."


    "You don''t have to keep saying the full name of the mountain, Rose."


    She went back, a clear sensation of offence having gone through her, "Not say the full name? It is the single most important place in the land, it deserves the respect of its full name!"


    "I''m just saying, it''s a bit of a mouthful, no?" I tried to tell her to show I meant no disrespect, but, it seemed to backfire.


    "So? A little bit of effort on the part of everyone in this mountainous land is a fair price for the great gift it gives us!"


    "Great gift...?" now I had done it...


    "As I told you before! It is the source of all wind magic! Every wind that breezes through the meadows, every gale that tears apart cliffs! They all originate here! Your power comes from that mountain, Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra!"


    "I don''t know where my power comes from..." I sighed out as she straightened herself out and went through a proverbial step-back to observe the situation.


    "Did the witches of your home not teach any of it to you?"


    "We don''t have witches back home."


    "Don''t lie to me, your power cannot be cultivated in a witch-less home!"


    "I''m not lying! I have told you before, Rose! This power I have was not something I was born with, magic is nearly non-existent in my home! Dammit! I only just found out that the Anvil-Peak was a thing for real before I arrived in that hive..."


    "The Anvil-Peak...?" she said in confusion while her tail wagged excitedly.


    "Yeah, the mountain where Thurnmourer-"


    "I know what it is! I''m... Just surprised to hear you say that you have seen such a sight..."


    "She believes I have seen the forge of the Thunder God but she has a hard time framing that my home isn''t magical..." I sarcastically mumble to myself while she looks on at me with some awe.


    "Can you describe it to me, please, my love?"


    "Well, you know, as the name is, its top is shaped like an anvil, it has near endless thunder clouds all around it and it is just a forest of golden lightning bolts. And, at the base, a lake of molten gold that foams with the lightning that drives down into it."


    "It is close to your home?"


    "I am not sure, it took us at least a few weeks to get there when we initially set out on this journey to find something."


    "That is not far..." she mumbled, my mind pondering if she was contextualising what I had just said in more aelenvari-familiar concepts. Large migrations and lots of walking. The opposite of what I knew it to be which was large vehicles and a warehouse of supplies on the move.


    "A few weeks travel is hardly close."


    "No it is close, but, if you are that close to such a divine spot... Then it is no wonder you are so powerful yet raw with your magic! You have been close to the gods since your birth, my love! Their power seeps off onto you!"


    "Debateable..."


    "Which makes it make more sense as to why they brought you back... You are the member of some kind of chosen people!?" I had no idea what she was now going on about but I suppose I could not complain. As, after all, I was now experiencing one of the most passionate and loving hugs I had ever gotten. I felt like the treasured stuffed toy to the young child that was called Rose.


    "A very vivid imagination you certainly have." was the best I could come up with as I sat there and enjoyed the affection.


    "I am only stating likely theory." she retorted back with before she stood up. My own legs bringing me up shortly after so I could follow her as she turned her attention to the city of Thrurstradtur.


    "Something the matter?" I asked her as her mannerisms seemed to have just changed without much influence.


    "Do you promise me you will bring me to see the Anvil-Peak one day?" her eyes focusing on the top of that large wedge structure that dominated the view we had.


    "We will see, Rose, we will see."


    "You do not know the way?"


    "Yes, I am afraid so." I told her while thinking more so on the fact I had no intention of taking her with me back home. There would be no place for her there, her existence is just too contradictory to the norms of Tobaballe. No life exists which is smarter than a human, no such concept as magic. She could be killed just by the paranoia she would incite!


    "Then we can learn the route together!"


    I laughed a little to hide my nervousness, "I suppose we can, I suppose we can do that, yes..." I said to her as I also looked away. Not really wanting to look her in the eye when I was thinking of how I was not going to do that... At least, not go through with the final goal of it.


    "What about you? Are there any sights you might want to see that I know of? I have been to many places thanks to my travels with my flower."


    "I don''t really know where you have been."


    "I know the selection I would have would not compare to your experiences in the slightest, but, I can show you smaller settled-flowers of the wind-people with great statues and grand designs with explicit magic use... I can even take you to my garden-mount, maybe even inside it if luck permits it."


    "I wouldn''t mind seeing that last one, that is your home, is it not?"


    "My home is with you."


    "No, as in, your home-home, the place you are from, where it all started."


    She tilted her head, "I think I understand...?"


    "Well, regardless, I would be very happy to see it Rose, maybe on a different trip, though? I would not want to be shown somewhere special to you and just ruin it by talking non-stop about the Anvil-Peak or..." a digit of mine waggling off at the great mountain in the distance.


    "Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra." she told me.


    "That''s the one! Honestly, I am surprised you even remember such a long name..."


    "It took me some time to get used to, admittedly, I never was one for speaking with words. But, perseverance saw me get it right."


    "What language is that, anyway? I can''t understand it." I said while rubbing the side of my head. Remembering what I was told following the incident with Vadei stuffing her spit up my ear canals.


    "It''s from the first tongue, Gods Speak. Sometimes called the Origin Language or the Language of no Magic."


    "Gods Speak... It''s the language mentioned in the myths of when the Fourteen Moon Gods betrayed the others?"


    "Yes, the words derived from the names of all the gods seen by the first men and dragons as the gods and goddesses battled around them."


    "I liked those stories, back home we had this large decoration that had an engraving of the Defender God standing watch with his legs positioned against two mountains as a trail of people walk under him."


    "They are more than just stories, my love, it is all real and the proof exists even in the most minute places."


    "I kind of gathered that after meeting the gods themselves..." I chuckled out to her, a smile coming from her in response.


    "Who knows, maybe one day, our children''s children will learn the stories of the man who returned from the dead."


    "Ain''t that something, but, to go back a little, you mentioned that Gods Speak was sometimes called the ''Language of no Magic,'' what do you mean by that?"


    "The fact it was a language made before Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra came alive when the Lone Lancer as the greatest wind-people who live on Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra call them charged down it on a hand made of emerald light."


    "A lone lancer? Never mind, carry on."


    She nodded a little, "See, when Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra lit up the world with its beautiful light and strength, it began to change all those who lived in this land. Their words were no longer just concepts derived from the custodian of it. It took on the features of the magic itself."


    "Oh... Is that why Einervaene sounds a little, different? Because she is from a land with a different magic source."


    "Yes, my love! You understand it well."


    "Alright, so elaborate, what does this Windy Gods Speak not share with the regular?" I asked her out of genuine curiosity and the need for an answer. Did that thing Vadei do to me do a little more than just make me able to understand her?


    "Ikra mon." Rose said while angling her arm and holding her palm upwards.


    "What?"


    "Land and people." she then said with no gestures.


    "Land and people is what it means?" I ask to which she nods.


    "Yes, but what can you tell me about them? What was the main difference you heard?"


    "Would you mind repeating the Gods Speak?"


    "Ikra mon." she said so again, the gestures repeating as well.


    "It sounds, blunter...?"


    "Well, what sounds different as I speak right now?"


    A claw went to my chin while I thought on it all, "It sounds like... You are almost singing in comparison?"


    "That is correct, that would be the influence of Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra''s power. It influences your voice with what it makes."


    "What about the other languages influenced by magic? Einervaene for example?"


    Rose pointed at the city of Thrurstradtur, "You''d be better off asking the people there, I am afraid, my love."


    "I suppose that is fair."


    "Do you have any other questions then, my love? I will try and answer them as best as I can."


    "Actually, can you teach me a little more of that Gods Speak if you can? It''ll give us something to do while the light of day is gone."


    "I can teach you what I know, if that is what you want." she told me as she came closer once more.


    "But, honestly, I have no idea of if it is nighttime or not, this... Purple is not something I am used to." I comment as I look up at the sky once more. My eyes finding it very hard to look away from all the magic that was up there with such paradoxically see-through density.


    "The sky is much different up here, isn''t it?"


    "You can say that again... Down there it is nearly black with only the light of the moons really being visible yet up here it is like a whole new sky..."


    Rose giggled, "So, what is it? Looking up at the night sky or me teaching you the first language ever to exist?"


    "A bit of both is fine." I say to her as I laid down against a tree. The city of Thrurstradtur directly in my eyesight with all but the mighty mountain being seeable. And soon, I had a beautiful woman lying on my bandaged up chest who would teach me parts of a new language.


    .


    .


    .


    "So any idea where it will be best for us to meet back up with the other two?" I asked Rose as I finished putting my mask and hat back on. The bag I carried her up the mountain with soon being slung over my shoulder. My eyes lingering on Rose as she happily hummed to herself as we had just finished watching the orbital-halo rise over the horizon. It was a nice sight.


    But, I had seen many nice sights recently so I don''t think it meant much. Yet, there was something interesting to me about how that was the first time I ever saw it properly rise in the distance. I guess I had just spent so much of my life in the shadow of something that such a common and guaranteed occurrence never came up. I am glad I had this opportunity, though.


    "We''d likely see them again near the exit of the road that spiralled up the mountain. Assuming we had not lagged behind them, in which case it might be better to head to our destination that we set out to go to originally." she said to me with her index finger pointing towards the old-looking structure that seemed to go around the walls of Thrurstradtur. Did Thrurstradtur even need walls, though? It was on top of a mountain with a single meaningful road up. Seems like you''d just need some barricades on the road rather than actual walls for the city.


    Unless it had to do with how the large structure at its centre circled around and followed the orbital-halo? It was there to support it and the city in and of itself was a giant machine to track the divine-made device that gave us day? A question I could get answered once we got to the Academy and met up with Vapooliar again. And at the same time, it was a question I could answer myself right here.


    "That''s right..." I found myself saying as I looked at the city, my mind focusing on the short-haired woman I met in a bug hive. The one who controlled those little emerald wisps as we left it, the one who supported me in the build-up to our escape. The one who was there when I finally got out myself. I was nearly back with her and I could see if she was okay...


    "Come on, we may have climbed up the mountain, but there is still quite a lot of walking still to do as we are so far from the main road!" Rose called out to me as I had lingered behind her.


    "We? Woman, I''m the one who climbed up it!" I hysterically told her as I caught up to her. A laugh coming out of me as I dealt with her absurd wording choice.


    "Hey, I provided the support you needed to reach the top!"


    "You certainly did something..." I grumbled while rubbing the arm I had dislocated getting her out of that cold. Yet, it was meaningless because this magic cleaned it all up and healed it. I never had felt better after a breath of fresh air! Which made it all the more noticeable as we got closer to the city, it started to feel more controlled. Something I had no idea how I knew.


    But, it might have been because I felt like something was tugging at me as we passed by the city. Like an air duct sucking in air as you passed it or decided to put a hand against its slotted openings. It felt like that, so it left me a little worried, was my uncontrolled magic about to bite me in the most tender of parts? Did I need to start thinking in a way like I did when I snuck into Tryhpeltzweig?


    "My love, does it make you curious as to how the snow-belt works? With how everything up here is so lush and wonderful?"


    "Hm? Sorry, I wasn''t paying attention."


    She pouted a little before smiling softly, "We, you, climbed up and through the snow-belt, a place covered in frost and snow. Yet, up here, it is as if there never was a snow-belt." she told me as she skipped through the gap between a pair of trees.


    "That is peculiar, yes." I said to her while gazing off at the fields of green that went all the way up to the city. My mind was a little confused for a bit as it was lingering on farms for some reason despite there being none in sight. Or maybe that was why it was lingering on the topic...?


    "Do you perhaps think this is a side-effect of the efforts of the wind-people, or do you think the snow-belt was always like it?"


    "Like what?"


    "Just a small strip near the top of the mountains."


    "Ah, sorry, but, I''m afraid I don''t really have an answer."


    "It doesn''t matter if you do, conjecture is fine, it is all I have as well." she grinned out to me to which I huffed a laugh out.


    "If that is the case, then, given how everything is very different to how it is back home, for me at least, I''d have to say it was likely always like this. With pleasant fields on the mountain tops hidden behind a frozen barrier. A naturally occurring wall to put some perspective on it."


    "I like to think the wind-people are responsible, it makes them seem more impressive."


    "I don''t think you need to make up reasons as to why they are impressive." I say to her as I came to a stop and looked at Thrurstradtur. Why would anyone need to reinforce their pride when what they had to call upon for it was something like this? A city that followed the path of the day bringer! Something I am sure most other peoples only had little tools for, not an entire city!


    "I''m not! I just find it the most likely answer."


    "If you cannot confirm it, it is made up." I told her with a grin to which she tried to gently shove me away.


    "So what are we going to do when we finally get there?"


    "Try and find Vapooliar seems like the best option." I tell her.


    "The Valkinvar is going to be there?" she asked to which I nodded with a growing smile. One I tried to keep amidst the battlefield of my mind that was filled with both optimistic hopes and pessimistic dreads. One of where I met her and she would listen to me carefully and be fine that I was back with her so we could go through our plan. And one of where she looked on at me as nothing but a monster...


    "Yeah, she''s going to be there..." I began to say before I stared off into the distance at a flying machine that was headed straight for us. Many had flown by us as we walked, but this one seemed to be coming into land...? Or was it just someone doing a drive-by and splashing you with the big puddle they saw to put it into another context?


    "Should we start running?" Rose whispered to me as after she followed my gaze to that approaching vehicle. My head looking about after she said that before I just shook it in response before speaking again.


    "There''d be no point, where would we go? This is a pretty flat place even with the small woodland area we just went through."


    "But what if it is something we should be concerned about?"


    "Running would only make the problem worse." I tell her as I frown upon seeing the vehicle release a couple of smaller machines. Too small they were to hold people, but they were much faster, perhaps they were like a motorbike? The other vehicle like an open-trailer lorry or hauler?


    Well, that was what I was going to think before they zoomed past and then around us with glowing circles popping up on their rears. A sudden group of armed men appearing around us before they then moved to hover by us as the larger one came to a stop. My hands bringing Rose in closer as I stared carefully at all these magical weapons. The strange vehicles concerning me the most as those magic circles had not disappeared.


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    "Citizenry identification, please." one of the men asked me in a gentle but still stern voice as he came forward and lowered his gun. A small device in his hand as his eyes kept glancing around me. A click leaving my mouth as I realised that my magic had proved to be a means to drag us out into the open before armed authorities. And considering my recent history with them, I was a little jittery.


    Something they did not seem to like...


    "Let''s try this a different way, Thrurstradtur or Suhurlodst?" the guard then said as he noted my behaviour. But, it seemed like he was hesitant to order the others to lower their weapons. Maybe I just needed to come off as unthreatening? Was that it?


    "Can... Can you lower the guns...?" I asked cautiously while slowly raising my hands. Stopping when the sudden noise of mechanical parts moving filled my ears. Those guards back at Tryhpeltzweig had weapons that could nearly kill me, these guys must have had much worse all things considered...


    The eyes of the guard narrowed as he looked at my claws, but, he did not seem to catch on to anything, "Put these on." he said as he then tossed something to me. It was like my old ankle bracelets, but distinctly more magical.


    "Alright, just lock them onto my wrist?" I asked as I moved them about, to which he nodded which then led to me putting them on properly. And, all of a sudden, I felt, weak, very weak, collapsing to my knees weak. My strength had not disappeared but I felt extremely nauseous. Something Rose did not take kindly to as she suddenly took on an aggressive posture that I had to take her out of.


    "What did you..." she began to say before I put my claw on her.


    "It''s alright, I am fine." I told her as I stood up, looking carefully at the foremost guard who was now looking at me expectingly.


    "Sir?" he said in a clear reference to how I had not answered his question or shown him the identification.


    "I am from neither and I have nothing on me concerning identification." I tell him, to which he responded to by gesturing the largest of the aircraft down. The machine hissing as it opened up upon landing, my gaze focusing on the insides of it.


    "Both of you, please step onboard and you will be sent off to the necessary facilities." we were told as he waved us in. Rose''s tail soon keeping itself close to my back as we went aboard it before sitting down. Our stuff resting on my lap while Rose herself just leaned against me with a scowl. And, just across from us on this vehicle, I had a pair of guns pointing at me.


    It did not take long for a digit of mine to begin tapping against my leg so I had the means to vent the nerve-wracking sensation going through me. My eyes blinked a lot more than they normally would as well, especially given how I was so close to armed men who had an open view of me. I could not hide my body all that well, and while my carapace was hidden under the bandages and cloak... The distinct shape of my body could not be hidden.


    So I was left having to listen to the quiet whispers of the guards as they made bets and debated amongst themselves as to what I was. They did not have an issue with the fact we were not humans, but, it did seem like they took issue with the way I was dressed. The word ''suspicious'' and references to the concealment of items was something I heard them say a lot. Of course, I was hiding nothing, but there was no way they''d take my word for it.


    So, as I had nothing better to do and Rose seemed to on edge to converse with, I just decided on looking at the armour of one of the guards.


    It seemed to have been a mixture of metal plate and cloth, with the general layout of it all being relatively light on the plate. The feet were only covered at their top while the legs were covered only at the shins and upper front with a bit going towards the thigh. Hands and arms were in a similar state, back of the hand, a strip along the forearm and a small piece just about the shoulder. The chest was probably the most protective piece, though, just one big piece that covered it all but the back seemed to be exposed.


    I couldn''t get a good look at the helmets, however, as they were all taken off before the ones that got on, got on. But, if I was to make any guesses from what I could see, they had little flaps at the side, so they must have had ear and neck protection. Or would it be cheek protection for the ones most positioned at the side? I guess it didn''t matter, either way, the face seemed to have been completely exposed otherwise.


    Colours seemed to match the city itself as well, lots of brass and copper colours with some darker sections seemingly outlined with black paint or something. Possibly a form of oil? It looked very greasy in those decals that sometimes glowed a very and I meant very soft blue. The cloth portions, however, were just a shade of brown, I guess to put more emphasis on the plate armour?


    A short while after I made that observation, the vehicle shook, so I guess that meant we landed? And once I was done looking at the armour of the guards as well! Which thankfully, they never caught on to thanks to the dark lenses on my mask hiding my eyes. So now all that lay ahead of me was a different problem entirely.


    What was going to happen...?


    "Where have you taken us?" Rose asked the guard with a more controlled tone than I thought she might have spoken in normally. And while she asked and spoke to them, I just looked around the large chamber we had landed in. Though, I suppose hangar was the correct term as this place was otherwise loaded with aircraft.


    Not many guards, however, so had we perhaps just been dropped off in a civilian area? Yet, I was thinking I might have been more comfortable in a military building as this escort we were getting seemed to make us talk of the town. Or, talk of the hangar, rather. I did not like it at all, in no small part to the various bits of baseless information I heard spring up amongst the onlookers.


    It did not take us long to get to a more meaningful place, but, it seemed that we had attracted the attention of a small group of well-dressed individuals. Ones that seemed to command some form of authority here, were they perhaps the men we were being sent to regarding our lack of identification? Those who would punish us for our climb up the mountain? Assuming they knew or would find out about that climb...


    "Who''s this, State-Guardsman?" asked a man with greying hair and a short beard as he looked at me after completely ignoring Rose. Something I had a feeling I might have had to console her about later if I was guessing her response correctly.


    "We do not know, Head of Oddity House Frihdeicalkbr, he had not produced any citizenry identification and by their own admission, he was not of Suhurlodst." the guard explained to the now named and titled man. A title I found odd, admittedly, Head of Oddity House...? What kind of title was that even?


    This man, this Frihdeicalkbr then approached me directly, "What is your purpose for being up here?" he asked me with an inquisitive stare. His eyes almost immediately falling upon the sight of my claws and brick-like feet. Parts of me I tried to hide upon seeing where his gaze was headed.


    "To see a friend at Suhurlodst..." I told him nervously while also processing how the man seemed to become very happy at the mention of my destination.


    "Well, let''s hope we can keep you around longer then. May I perhaps come along and observe the procedure then take him to the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding?"


    "If that is the case, yes, it will save us some time on the tabletwork. However, if issues arise, it will be a firm no."


    "Of course, I understand completely." Frihdeicalkbr told him as he began to get a little more hands-on in trying to see beyond my cloak. Something Rose, thankfully, was able to put a stop to by just being her usual, assertive self.


    "Thank you." I whispered to her while we both kept an eye on Frihdeicalkbr who had grown a very peculiar grin. Had I perhaps been too loud? But why would he take on such an expression from a show of gratitude...? Was it more to do with that he found the idea of an aelenvari travelling with me interesting?


    Were we an entertaining gimmick to him?


    I guess I would have time to think on it later, as now, it seemed like we were being put through some kind of test. A few prods, scans and jabs later and we were now before a desk of some description looking at the guard who guided us here.


    "Names and occupations please." he said with a confused frown after muttering about the lack of information on us.


    "First name is Nin, last name is Urtuan." I told him while being mindful of how Futhans thought my first name was a job.


    "First name...?" the guard said in confusion before he then shook his head. I presume he just went ahead and put my two names together as one. He then looked up at Rose and repeated his prior question.


    "Rose''lhia." Rose told him.


    "Noted, no occupations for either of you?" the guard said to us with a raised brow.


    "No, she gave hers up before we set off on our journey to here and I am not too sure about the circumstances of mine in this place."


    "Circumstances?"


    "I am not... A wind-person, as Rose here would put it."


    "I see, and, would you care to explain why none of you show up on the database controlled by the Guard of the Road?"


    "We uh... Well, I, climbed the mountain rather than walk along the road."


    "I see." the frown on the guard deepened as the sound of moving weapons filled my ears.


    "What''s going on...?" I then asked as I began to panic at the sight of approaching guards.


    "We are just going to pat you down for anything illegal."


    And in my haste, I flung my cloak up, "I haven''t gotten anything, see!?" I told him not really registering what I had done which left him sterner in gaze.


    "Take the mask off." he then said which left me cold. Rose was soon pressing up against me under the imminent likelihood of us having to go on the run again.


    "He can''t! It''s religious! He cannot take it off unless you want to occur the wrath of the gods!" Rose tried to ward them off with, but it had no effect.


    "Neither the Founding Pantheon or the Faith under the Mighty have any documented uses of beak-like masks in their religious attire. It will be removed or you will be under arrest and you will face the charges you have accrued." he explained as he stood up and held out some kind of pistol at me. Rose was becoming increasingly aggressive and I was unable to stop myself from shaking...


    But, then, it just became clear... There was no getting out of this situation, so I just held Rose tightly and turned her around, "Rose, it''s going to be alright, just move over there, away from them." I told her as I began to slowly move her away.


    "No it won''t be! IT WON''T BE!" she said with increasing hysteria even though she did as she was told.


    "Can you guys not be trigger happy...? Please?" I asked the guards awkwardly to which the one in front just gestured for me to get on with it. Clearly indicating that as long as I didn''t try anything there would be no shots fired. And so, with shaking claws, I began to take off my hat and mask. Tightly clenching them in shame as the guard ahead of me looked on in bewilderment, clearly knowing what I was but still not doing anything.


    "Now isn''t this interesting indeed." Frihdeicalkbr said as he began to walk around me at rapid pace. Likely to keep away any potential shots from the magical guns pointed at me.


    "Sir, what do we do?" one of the guards behind me asked.


    "Head of Oddity House, will you be taking this Nin into your care?" the guard ahead of me asked. My eyes, however, were not looking at him, they were looking at Frihdeicalkbr as he had grabbed me by the chin and was staring intently into them.


    "And what if I don''t?"


    The guard put some thought into it, "It will be killed off here and now."


    "YOU CAN''T DO THAT!" Rose screamed at him as her own magic began to flare up.


    "I''ll take her too," he said with a pointed finger before he let me put my mask and hat back on. And now, well, it seemed like my life was in the hands of this man. But, I was glad somewhat... I did not have to run away...


    But...


    There was no way this would end up well, me being osibindah was likely just going through all of the guards like the water behind a collapsing dam.


    "So... Uh, thank you for your help?" I said to the man who just got me out of an imminent execution.


    "Don''t thank me, I won''t be having you think I did this out of the kindness of my heart." he told me with cold pragmatism. A pragmatism that left me with a dangerous amount of curiosity within me.


    "Then why did you do it...?"


    "Because you are an osibindah, the first one ever to be documented with your level of docility and compliance and intelligence and I plan on seeing what makes you tick."


    "If you think you can experiment on me, you have another thing coming." I growled out at him which left him just sending an unamused expression my way. Not even caring for the sounds of moving guns I just heard as this was far more serious. I would not turn myself into this mans care just to be cut open!


    "Experiment? Well, yes, but not in the usual way. You are, admittedly, far too valuable to just cut open or put through a maze, so, instead, I will make you a student. Clearly you need the education, but that is beside the point." he said to me before he then gestured to the magic flowing out of me and around me. That same magic that was still getting tugged at by something in the direction of Thrurstradtur. Or, possibly the city itself.


    "So if you got me out of that situation because you were curious about me, then why did you let Rose come too?"


    "Because I get to test just how strong an aelenvari''s love is." he said while staring intently at Rose who took a step back in shock. Her eyes looking at me with an expression that seemed almost pleading. Was she worried that she would lose interest in me? I mean, I can''t say I''d be bothered by that.


    I did only see her as a friend, after all, a good one, if an overbearing one that was far too open with me for my tastes in some areas. But, as long as she stayed my friend, then I did not see an issue with her getting interested in someone else. Yet, for now at least, I should probably try and reassure her or something at the very least. Because, if I was remembering it properly, this had happened before at her flower when I was in that sporting event she set up.


    "So we are heading to your academy then?"


    "The Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding, yes. But, I would like to know who it is you were going to see there before what happened, happened." he asked me as we came to a stop. My head turning to look on cautiously at the guards who were following us through the building while I thought of an answer. Was mentioning Vapooliar a good idea?  Maybe I should just mention Einervaene and Baltanthan so we could get back together.


    Yeah, that was probably best for now...


    "I am not sure if she has got there yet, but it is a young woman and man by the name of Einervaene and Baltanthan."


    "A Jherikrani name and an Eusorochiian one? Well, Eusorochiian and Jherikrani one as you gave me her name first, not his."


    "Uh, yeah." I said after he was done with his ramble.


    "Hm, can''t say any Eusorochi have arrived at or joined Oddity House recently. So, I guess we are heading to the Plateau Gate to see if they are there." he then said as he began to move again. Following him until we reached a garage of some description from which he then guided us to some land-based machine. It seemed to be a car, but, its magical aspects made me unsure if calling it a car was correct as it was the same in purpose but not really design. We were gestured into it shortly after and were speeding off just as quickly.


    "So what is Oddity House?" I then asked him while we had some privacy. Well, that might have been untrue as we were already being followed by armed aircraft and more of those things with the magic circles. And, well, it made me uncomfortable because being in a situation where I was viewed as a threat just hurt. I was not an innately violent person and yet I was being stalked as if I was...


    "It is one of four student divisions with the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding. It is there for all non-human students and students not from the Jherikra continent."


    "Why would you have a segment for different species and foreigners?"


    "Because, for example, if you look at your aelenvari lover''s legs, you will see her biology is adapted to handling magic differently. As such, we have a different set of facilities set up for them."


    "And the reason non-Jherikrans go with it?" I asked him while rolling that word, ''Jherikran,'' in my mouth. I swear this land was called Jhermonikra so hearing it be called something else was odd. I could probably ask Rose about it later, though.


    "Because if you come from another one of the five main continents, your magic will be different, as such, facilities that are not the norm which we have the most of will be best suited for you or them. More so if you are of mixed-race, even if those rules also apply to a learnt pureblooded Jherikran as well."


    "What happens if you are mixed-race?"


    "Your magic takes on both traits of the parent lines. For example, you probably won''t ever meet her, but, the lady in charge of the security of Thrurstradtur was born from an Errakurdish mother and a father from the lands of the dark mountain. As such, she has a mixture of dark magic and fire magic at her disposal, it is quite interesting to see it as it is so contradictory."


    "I assume the contradiction is that fire is the most well-known source of light?"


    "Correct."


    "I guess you are right about it being interesting then." I mutter while trying to think of how such magic might work.


    "Was she ever a student at your rooted-flower?" Rose then asked.


    "She was not, no, she was largely self-taught and instructed by those at the school she went to, to learn how to use a sword."


    "Do you have many hybrid users like that at Oddity House?" I then asked him.


    "Unfortunately, no, most of them are at Exceptional House, who, admittedly, I have been rather jealous of as they inducted quite the student recently."


    I perked up but managed to hide most of it behind my cloak and mask, "What sort of magic does she have?"


    "Wind magic, but, what gets me is how much inspiration she seems to have taken from the Valkinvar who used to actually call Suhurlodst their home. In fact, the Ringed-City was built by them." he said which left me smiling behind my mask as that basically confirmed Vapooliar was here. It wasn''t inspired... It was!


    "What is different about Exceptional House then?" I followed up with as he had not explained the other student segments yet.


    "It is the section of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding for native Jherikran students who did exceptionally well in the entrance exams, one the aforementioned student broke all the records in. Traditional House being where they go if they just pass it without issue. Mechanical House if they are seeking more engineering-based arcane education."


    "Are there any other Houses?"


    "None, though, admittedly, there has been talks of establishing a fifth by dividing mine into two."


    "One for foreigners and one for non-humans?" I asked him, personally thinking my guess was probably quite obvious.


    "That would be correct. We''ve been getting a lot more non-Jherikrans as of late and Oddity House just isn''t equipped for such diversity as it originally was just a frequently updated measure to deal with any children from a minority of imported specialists."


    "And these entrance exams, am I going to have to take them given the situation I am in? I did not exactly get a choice in the matter." I say to him with a frown.


    "Yes, yes you will still need to take the entrance exams."


    "And if I fail?"


    "You will be executed for your crimes."


    "How can climbing a mountain be a justifiable reason to execute me!?"


    "It isn''t, but they won''t likely treat it as such, they''d just mark it down as monster hunting or pest control. Which, in and of itself is a sham to the legal system of our associated Republic, but, you won''t find any legal aid given what you are."


    I slowly slid down my seat in despair, "Great... Just great."


    "Chin up, you have a very impressive reserve of magic so I can''t see you failing."


    "What even is in this exam?" Rose then asked him with a glare as her hand moved to hold my claw affectionately to reaffirm my self-belief.


    "As long as you are not going to be doing any arcane-engineering, it will just be a test of your magical capabilities. Any spells you have begun to develop and so on alongside a few reading and writing exams to make sure you are properly learned enough."


    I gulped in worry, sure, I might be able to do the magic... But I can''t write or read Gods Speak or its wind-blessed descendent language! And there''d be no way I could learn it all before an entrance exam! It''s impossible, I might as well just kill myself right now and save the guards the trouble...


    "Would we have to do it upon arriving at your rooted-flower?" Rose then asked him, her hand having allowed her to figure out my sudden worries.


    "No, you are given a three to five-month period to prepare using onsite equipment. We are aware many coming in won''t have the most refined magic so we give them a period to refine it." he explained which put me at some ease. That was enough time, wasn''t it? I could learn enough in that time frame if I put my mind to it... Yeah, I just needed to briefly go through some time where I was just learning... I could do that...


    "Are there any limits to what we would be able to use?"


    "Nope, the entrance exam build-up period is also treated as a taster term for potential newcomers so we let them have at it and it also lets them see if the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding is right for them. A system that has worked out quite well for us so far."


    "But I won''t have the option of just deciding it ain''t for me and leaving."


    "No, I am afraid not, but, with the stakes clear to you, you should have the drive to finish it well."


    "Yeah, sure. I will go above and beyond because otherwise I will be shot dead for having the body of a bug..." I sarcastically spat out at him.


    "I am no psychology expert, I admit, but, Nin was it? You have an aelenvari lover there. If it helps, try readjusting your goals so that you are doing it for her rather than yourself." he said in a much softer tone as he brought the vehicle to a stop and got out. Looking at Rose before I did anything else and just staring intently at her worried face. A smile soon forming on her face before she hugged me.


    "Don''t worry my love, I won''t let them kill you. I will help you however I can." her hug ending after she said that to me. A slow nod being my response before I got out.


    "Oh! And I nearly forgot, but, I''ll have to look into it considering your situation, but, we also allow score sharing if you sign up to the entrance exam together."


    "Our scores get added on to each other?"


    "Yes and no, if one of you does well enough to cover the passing grade for both individuals, then you both pass. However, if one fails too much, only the one with enough gets in."


    "Why only if you sign up together?"


    "Because magic is defined by the experiences of the user, some people have theirs defined more by their close bonds. Either way, you now know, so let''s get those friends of yours."


    "What is the passing score?" I then asked him, hoping and hoping it wasn''t anything absurd.


    "Seventy out of a hundred made up of averages from all your tests which are also scored out of a hundred. If you score sixty-one or higher, we offer the chance to redo some of your tests to get it up."


    "So that means as long as me, Vine and the human-root can get more than seventy, we can fill in for any of your deficiencies, my love." Rose whispered to me. I hope she was mostly thinking on the language issue rather than the magic one. I think I can pass that one on my own, but I don''t know. All I have to show for it so far is this thing I do with my fingers...


    "Okay..." was all I really had to let out right now, my mind was just too bothered to think up anything else. So, for now, I just followed my new caretaker of sorts as he went into the main building for the gates we had arrived at. Plateau Gate he said, so I guess the idea was it is the last gate before the top of the mountain where the city was. And, now that I was at the traditional start of the way to Thrurstradtur...


    Well, I was scared more than anything. The wonder of the sight was gone and now all I could do was see it as the world''s longest executioners road. And I was also just angry with myself, I went through all that effort to get up the mountain only to be let down by my own incompetence regarding magic. There was no dismissing it as anything else but incompetence.


    I knew full well I had barely any time to learn it but I was now being presented with a situation where I might die again. And, frankly, the possibility of being killed off for no justifiable legal reason left me bitter and cynical. Or, rather, more so than usual. I had a lot of things to be bitter about as of late.


    "Hopefully we can get to the others before this gets out of hand." Rose commented with a sneer as the stalking of the guards was attracting attention to us. A lot of bad and negative attention because they were also uncomfortable with the fact guns were raised. I just really wished right now the crowd would disappear as they were making this all worse. Luckily, it seems what we came here for was found.


    "Rossie-chira, Urtuoi-kishchu! What''s going on?" Einervaene asked me in confusion as she looked around at what was happening. Baltanthan, however, was currently having some form of discussion with Frihdeicalkbr. From what little I could hear over the murmurs of the crowd, it was about how he would not be required to follow us. The previously mentioned fact of him not being eligible for Oddity House likely being the case.


    He had no issue with it, though, in fact, he breathed a great sigh of relief and nearly hopped for joy before disappearing. And, going by how quickly he was out the door, I could only assume he was going to enjoy the walk there while we drove. I was fine with that, I doubt his foul mood would have made mine any better. Besides, Einervaene would at least listen without interruption or snark.


    "And off we go, assuming I got the correct two?" Frihdeicalkbr asked us, to which I nodded before we then left the building and returned to the vehicle.


    "Can I know what is going on now?" Einervaene asked in worry as she uncomfortably watched those aircraft follow us again.


    "Your companion here was forced to let slip the fact he is an osibindah," Frihdeicalkbr told her, "As such, the various security forces of Thrurstradtur are on alert regarding him. How high up is aware, I have not a clue, but, it shan''t be long until the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding is forced to address the issue in tabletwork."


    Einervaene looked on at me with pity in her eyes, "This wasn''t because of me or Baltanthan, was it?"


    "No, no it wasn''t..." I tell her quietly.


    Her face went to rest in her gloved hand, "Will we have to worry about what happened in the town we left?"


    "No, they aren''t within the legal jurisdiction as far as I know..." I mutter to her while trying to recall what I heard from Futhans.


    "This has happened before?" Frihdeicalkbr asked us, either because I was too loud or he has too keen a set of ears.


    I nodded in reply but Rose was the one to answer, "It has, a root," she said with venom-laced words, "stuck her nose where it shouldn''t have been and we were forced to leave on more violent terms."


    "A ravineer town, was it?" he then asked to which I nodded again, "That''s good, assuming they are listening in, they can''t hold that against you."


    I frowned and nearly snarled, "You sure are prepared to go through a lot just to satiate some curiosity..." I told him with a rising temper.


    "Indeed, but, you are a very exceptional situation, a very exceptionally special one indeed. But, to change the topic a little, what ravineer town was it?"


    "Tryhpeltzweig." I answered.


    "Tryhpeltzweig... Hm... Ah! I remember now, the residence of one of our former students who made quite the reserve of wealth before he left."


    "You know him?" Einervaene asked him, it being clear she wanted to try and get on to a different topic. Away from the issue I was currently faced with.


    "I do, he was a student I sometimes looked into whenever he came back from some jobs he took on as part of his education."


    "He is older than you, no?" Rose then asked while my mind was suddenly thinking of how Brewbrt did look much older.


    "He is, by a few centuries, in fact."


    .


    .


    .


    "Vine, have you seen him?" Rossie-chira asked me while I sat at a table set up just outside the guest house we had been assigned to since we arrived at the academy. It wasn''t our main dwelling, we''d be moved to that later, but, since we arrived here, we have barely seen Urtuoi-kischu and it worried us. More so Rossie-chira, but, I can''t help but feel worried for him as well as he is my friend and he seems to be getting increasingly bothered.


    At least, that is what I assumed from the few times I have been able to see him.


    "Attention all students. Attention all students. Please make way to the King Kaishelin Debate Chamber." the speaker system throughout the Academy then began to repeat several times before stopping.


    "Would we go to that...?" Rossie-chira asked in confusion as I looked on in the distance at all the students suddenly on the move. If I wasn''t bothered by other things, I might have been impressed with how it was a small city''s worth of students. Some of which were travelling by magic or other means.


    "We are students as far as I am aware, either way. It seems important so it will probably be best for us to go." I tell my friend as I got up from my chair and walked alongside her. And while I did not know where we had to go, the horde of students did work very well for getting us a rough idea of where we would have to go. But, after a certain part of the trip, it became clear without them because the building was very distinct.


    Almost like a little mountain...


    Rossie-chira then stopped, "Can''t we go find my love first?"


    I sighed uncomfortably first, "We aren''t going to find him in this crowd, besides, even when this wasn''t happening, we could barely find him, remember? You nearly collapsed from exhaustion when we did it on our first days here."


    "You know I can''t just leave him on his own..." Rossie-chira nearly cried out as she looked on at the guards which had begun to populate the grounds of the Academy since we arrived. They even set up a base or camp of some description on the grounds of the Academy which seemed a little excessive...


    I pulled her in close and hugged her, "I know, I know. But we need to just try and keep positive about it, once this is all done and dusted we can get on with what we came here to do and forget it ever happened."


    "Positive...? There''s nothing to be positive about." she whimpered out as I stroked her hair before she returned the hug and cried harder. And while it wasn''t really an appropriate thought to have, I was glad she was opening up to me more and more. It was very assuring to know she was willing to see me more and more as a friend.


    "Well, let''s just go to this thing first and then we can have another look for him? They have no issues with us using magic on campus so long as we aren''t endangering anyone with it."


    "Okay..." she said with a slight and very brief wag of her tail. A ghost of a smile appearing on my face before we began to walk again. My curiosity soon being stoked by how we were all being segregated by our associated House before we all went in. And, to my surprise, I was soon next to a girl with a fluffy tail.


    "What''s this all about? I have studies to get back to..." she complained bitterly while her claws tapped against the rest of the chair she was in. My head and focus going forward when she caught sight of my staring, but, she did nothing about it beyond maybe complain in her head. Yet, even with this girl offsetting the tone, something felt very off about the fact this building was all focused in on one spot.


    That podium at the centre... I could only pray it wasn''t going to be used for anything that could be called nefarious. Someone would soon go on to it, however, and it was the man who took us here. The one I had forgotten the name of as he had pretty much disappeared since we arrived.


    "Quiet please." he said with an absurdly loud voice. A mixture of magic and the shape of the chamber likely echoing his voice.


    "Finally..." the girl next to me complained.


    "Quiet! Now, thank you. As I am sure you are all aware, these past few cycles and or days have been quite hectic with the current addition of Thrurstradturian security forces setting up on the campus of the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding. You will now find out why. So, I now present to you the cause of it all, a new student of ours, one Nin Urtuan." he explained which left my heart sinking as he stepped aside.


    "I''m sorry, what...?" the girl next to me growled out upon hearing that name. Her eyes going wide along with what must have been the eyes of everyone else as Urtuoi-kischu nervously stepped up onto the platform. There was no confidence in him at all, it was like I was staring at a child being called out...


    "My love..."  Rossie-chira whispered in disbelief as the chamber suddenly rose up in uproar with our section possibly being the quietest area. I assume it was because of how it was mostly filled with people like me, people who did not know of the gravitas of what Urtuoi-kischu was. That by no means meant it was quiet, though.


    My face soon sank into my hands as I took it all in... My friend was right there looking like he was about to break down from the pressure and I could do nothing... He just had to be on his own and take all this nonsense...


    "WHY IS THERE AN OSIBINDAH HERE!?" was the cry of outrage that shook this room with eardrum bursting force... A cry I don''t think I would ever forget.

 Incline 3: An Abrasive Entry

    "So I am not allowed to wear my old clothes...?" I asked the council in front of me with a frown that held on to all of my despair. Small, timid expressions and movements also came from me as I barely held firm before the onslaught that was the demands of these people. And while their stares were pitiful compared to what I just had to endure, it was still unnerving.


    "You are only allowed to wear them when you are not within the boundaries of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding. However, you are also not allowed to leave until you are done with an entirely theoretical exam passing." a well-dressed man said in an emotionally devoid tone. But, it was one still filled with contempt as seen by the fact he wasn''t even willing to look at me when he spoke. It was subtle, but I could see how his eyes looked off to the right.


    "But why do I have to wear this...? You have just stated this is prisoners attire!" I said to them while I gently, but still angrily shook the outfit about. Its various metal pieces making high-pitched sounds as they rattled and clanged against each other.


    "Because for all intents and purposes, you are one. One irrefutably destined for the executioners drop." another one of these men in front of me said. A sigh leaving me while I stared intently at the dark blue outfit. It felt wrong, it was so similar to my old overalls back home, yet, here, this was the attire meant for a man destined to die. Or, well, as they saw it, an abomination.


    "When am I going to have to put it on?" I then ask with a quick look at my current clothes preceding it.


    "Now, and be quick about it." the same man who just spoke told me as they all began to leave. Soon leaving just me and the many guards they had brought with them into the room. A slight twitch of the snout coming from me just before I began the process of undressing. I was making a lot of mistakes as I did so, mistakes I hadn''t made before.


    I wasn''t sure what to do... I could hear their contempt with every second I had my carapace exposed like this and it was making me rush through it. And I nearly tore the clothes I was given in my rush to put them on. Not that it mattered, this outfit was clearly not designed for my body and the fact it dug in so deeply proved that.


    "Now what?" I asked once I was done putting it all on.


    "You save us the trouble and use this to kill your-"


    "We take you to your dorm." a clearly higher ranked guard interrupted before the other finished. Yet, it was clear to me he intentionally chose to interrupt it once the statement was nearly done. Slowly nodding in response before I then followed them out of the room.


    .


    .


    .


    "GO BACK TO YOUR CAVES, BUG!" someone shouted at me before a rock was thrown at me with such speeds it just shattered upon hitting my face. The force causing me to stumble a bit which then led me to one of the guards guiding me who then hit me back. A firm slamming of my foot stopping me from moving about anymore. A firmness I had to try and keep as I walked as they were not letting me stop either.


    "Keep moving!" the guard most directly behind me ordered as the rear of his rifle slammed straight into my lower side. A brief glare forming in my eyes before it disappeared upon seeing the smirk the guard had when he caught sight of it. His hands flexing about his gun doing a lot to remind me of just how little justification he would need. A frail path I walked indeed...


    What made it worse, however, was how they gave me explicit orders not to raise my hands ever during this journey to my future home. So that meant I just had to take every single bit of abuse literally thrown at me as I walked. And even with all these stones, little magical bolts and other items hitting me over and over to the point of drawing small amounts of my sickly yellow blood... The words were bothering me far more.


    Mostly because I had no means to act out the anger that was boiling inside of me, I had to stay calm and collected in a loose sense. Otherwise, they''d shoot me here and now, they''d kill me and the world around me would cheer for my death. A death I had done nothing to deserve other than being a monster that I did not decide to be. In a way, I felt nothing but anger towards Frihdeicalkbr.


    ''Here, let me keep you alive so I can study you and expand our knowledge!'' Yet, he was nowhere to be seen and I know for a fact he was a part of those who decided this for me. Under what principle did a man come to me saying he''d help me for his own selfish, knowledge-seeking goals... Only to then disappear and leave me in a situation where everyone did nothing but provoke me!? What right did he have to do this to me!?


    I suppose it was pointless to complain at him, though, in my head or otherwise. Even if he made a strong claim in favour of me, there would be no way he could push through the meaningful stuff when everyone else is against me. As presumptuous as it may be for me to do, I don''t think many here were willing to look on at me from a pragmatic mindset. Of course, this was just me making baseless guesses...


    "FIRE!" someone then shouted before a large bang rang out. Sudden jitters from me leading to a mass wave of laughter all directed at me.


    .


    .


    .


    "Ah, good, you are now here." Frihdeicalkbr said to me as I finally left the gauntlet of abuse I had to travel to get here. Briefly lingering on the doorstep to the brick building I would be staying in to look on at the crowd that made me miserable. They had dispersed somewhat, the attacks had stopped as well, but, I had a feeling that was because of the building being in the way now. Nothing to do with them being done with me, a hurtful prospect.


    To see a building be treated with more respect than an individual who was capable of processing it all...


    "The guards aren''t coming in?" I asked him with some relief, outright glad I wouldn''t be in their maliciously incompetent hands any longer for now.


    "No, no they are not. As long as you are within the dorms, a lecture or an arcane development facility then they are not allowed in. The compromise we were able to come to regarding their deployment on our grounds."


    "Is there going to be an issue with me running?"


    "Running?" he said while raising a brow.


    "As in, running to the dorm, to lectures to the facilities and so on. You saw how it was out there!" I explained to him before jabbing a claw at the window which gave a direct view of the horde. A flash soon entering in through that very same window before someone ran off holding a device of some description. A camera perhaps? Assuming they had those here...


    "Yes, you''d be able to run. But, you''d likely have to avoid any guards which would likely be impossible."


    "I see..."


    "Anywho, I am here to show you around the dorm you will be staying at, this one right here. I''ll lead you to the various means you will have to get familiar with and into, but for now, I will just be showing you around and explaining certain features." he said to me before he tapped the back of his hand on a decorative piece of metal that had a soft blue glow. The telltale signs of magic being involved.


    "Am I on my own here?"


    "Surprisingly not." he answered with surprise in his words.


    "What is surprising about it...? Wouldn''t my friends want to share a dorm with me?"


    "And they are, what is surprising is that..." he said before he began to count his fingers and mutter numbers, "six, I think? Other students decided to stay here rather than request a dorm transfer upon hearing of your stay here. An oxfuine, another aelenvari and her son, two Ibenorrocons, an Errakurd and a Mogolwali."


    Oxfuine and an aelenvari? That, admittedly, made me perk up a little as I was hoping it was Vadei and Thistle... Or whatever her name actually was... It got a little confusing given Rose''s involvement before I died.


    "You mention seven but say six?" I then questioned him with.


    "She came with a seed and it hatched, sprouted, whatever, during her time here."


    "I am a little surprised kids are allowed to stay..."


    "Oh, speaking of kids, you aren''t allowed near any of our childcare facilities, but, I''ll explain where they are later with the map I have prepared for you."


    .


    .


    .


    "I am surprised by just how much magic there is in everything." I mumbled while looking at the walls. Having recently just been made privy to just how much of this building and the Academy as a whole uses magic circuitry to do even the most menial of tasks. Or, rather, as Frihdeicalkbr put it, it was something called ''runing.'' He didn''t explain much as apparently, they had lectures and resources on it.


    But, as someone who was mostly taught in engineering trades, it interested me as it sounded a lot like fancy electrical circuits. Which, otherwise, did not exist here. Everything was pieces of metal with a concentrated stream of magic going through it which caused the blue glow. Though, it did not always come in blue as sometimes they imported foreign supplies of magic for other purposes.


    Like the lights above me... Apparently, they had an equilibrium going on in there. Pieces of metal conflicting with each other to produce light and darkness with it all being determined by the switch I was now looking at. What really got me laughing, though, was how the darkness you got when the lights went out was not natural darkness...


    One did not actually turn the lights off, they just dimmed them in favour of darkness and playing with it was fun. A good if measly distraction to my current issues.


    "Who''s there?" I then found myself asking as Frihdeicalkbr had left the building a while ago. But, he had also said at some point everyone would come here to greet me, well, greet in a loose sense. They''d actually just be made aware of the fact I was now here... But, who could this have been?


    There was a lot of movement and sharp noises so I really wasn''t able to put my foot on it. And it was a good thing I did not either! Turns out, all that noise was coming from the aelenvari child I was informed about. One that had just wandered in front of me and was now staring at me...


    I felt like moving away from it, but it just kept waddling closer to me. It was slightly impressive it could move around so much, but, even then, I was not allowed near the childcare places. So didn''t that extend to the children of the students here as well? I did not want to take chances but this kid was testing my patience.


    "No, no, no... Go over there." I said to it over and over before being driven into a corner by the unrelenting assault of its curiosity. Freezing up as it began to pat its deformed arms against me before opening its mouth and lighting up its equally deformed head bulbs. I really needed to ask Rose about that at seen as all I had seen were deformed male aelenvari. Assuming I hadn''t asked her before?


    I couldn''t remember.


    "Little one..." someone with a raspy voice called out with from down the hallway. Panic washing through me as the only light was the dim lights of this aelenvari''s head bulbs. A panic I was to share as when the owner of this voice came into the room and saw my outline... She just bolted towards the child and then back to the way she came in by.


    Tears in her eyes as she looked on at my silent form while I became upset at what I saw. It was her, the aelenvari I helped save back at the flower and here she was now looking on at me with fear. Fear she didn''t even show towards Rose when she was near her. There wasn''t much point in me staying here, so I just left, ever so carefully avoiding her so I could go to my room.


    .


    .


    .


    "How many eggs do they have...?" I found myself saying in the middle of the night while lying in my bed. My mind was full of simmering annoyance as dull thuds echoed about my room every time something splattered on my windows. I had tried telling them to leave me alone, but it nearly ended up in me having more rocks thrown at me. Someone had even set up a device that keeps whispering insults through my window, so that didn''t help.


    I wasn''t even sure how they found my room, Frihdeicalkbr gave me his word no one was told about which room I had been assigned. That only staff knew... Well, now that I thought on it, I just felt stupid, it was clear who let it out. One of the teachers did, one of the teachers who wanted to keep their students informed about where the monster was.


    But, I couldn''t sleep like this, I thought I might have been able to given how noisy it could get sometimes during my travels. Yet, apparently, it was not to be. I could not close my eyes and ignore the sounds. I felt exhausted but clearly, it was the wrong type.


    "Maybe I will just go to Rose''s room." I said as I gathered up my pillow and blanket before heading to the door. Only to sigh when the door refused to open. I tried to find the lock and then when I could not find it. I was reminded of the fact I was told my door was to be locked on the other side.


    I was stuck in here...


    "Or not..." I muttered as I turned to the window. Turning on the lights and then getting to work on a means to dull the noise. Maybe using the blankets on the other beds would help? There were quite a few empty beds in here.


    A house meant for many yet occupied by one...


    .


    .


    .


    ''Yeah, that''s right, move aside grounder!''


    I tried to joke inside my head as I walked to a lecture that I might find interesting. I initially thought I might be able to bring my spirits up by making light of the people avoiding me on the pathway, that it was all because I was better. But, this lie, laced with irony as it may have been, did nothing to help. After all, I had no one to share the joke with.


    The people around me, on the other hand, had plenty to share their jokes with and it was like I was walking through a field of glass. Each step shattering the delicate blades which made sounds of cruel laughter rather than the usual smash and crack. I couldn''t even go to a less used path, guards wouldn''t let me. So I was only able to be herded down the path of most resistance.


    "Maybe I should leave soon... No, I have to wait for someone to let me out..." I began to mutter before going quiet when I realised I could not make such plans. Well, I might have been able to, but, I would need to find Rose as she let me out today. Find her, get some more details about how it all worked and maybe see if she can get me out first thing before going back to sleep if she wants? But, she hadn''t seemed herself.


    She seems to be getting a little distant for some reason? Maybe she was just getting stressed out and needed some time on her own? That would probably be fine, so it might be best to leave her be for a little bit. Let her get used to it all and hold out until then.


    I''ve been through worse. Yeah, none of this compares to the hive! I can make it through it all and I will! And I will hold myself proudly when I do.


    "Excuse me! Here, have a copy of the student newstablet!" some girl said to me with a smile before she went off to another student. A brow rising as I looked at what I had been given before it settled back down. My curiosity being gone in but a moment when I saw what was on the front of it.  I could not read it, but the message was clear.


    A picture of me and a bunch of symbols that seemed to imply how the people who make this want me gone...


    A small, half-hearted smile formed, "Hey, I''m famous..." I sarcastically mumbled before hiding the item behind my map. I''d have Rose or something look through it later. Maybe there was actually something useful in it. But, before I did so, I turned a few... Pages?


    All in order to look inside it.


    "I wonder what this is?" I commented while looking at what seemed to be a menu page. Was it the food that was on offer today for meals? Frihdeicalkbr did say free meals were provided at set times.


    .


    .


    .


    "Hey, you, Thing!" a guard suddenly said as I approached the building the lecture I was interested in was at. Coming to a stop as he said that and looking over at his sneering face before putting my hands together to express my nervousness.


    "What do you think? Pat him down?" one of the guards suddenly suggested while the others near me prodded and jabbed at me. One of them even snatching away my map and the tablet thing before carelessly tossing it to the ground.


    "Yeah, I think so, arms up." the first guard then said which left me confused. Frihdeicalkbr gave me a full rundown of what the guards were going to do and what they could do. Not one thing he listed said anything about pat-downs or body searches.


    "You aren''t allowed to do this..." I tried to comment before I was struck in the jaw by the end of a gun. Getting struck again when I moved my hand to rub my jaw. And now I knew not to move my hands and just take it as any efforts to do so was met with the butt of the stock.


    "Not allowed to do what? Hm? Got something to say? No? Then shut up." one of them said before spitting on me. A couple of them roughly dragging me back up to my feet before they then began to prod me. I felt like a dead animal in a way surrounded by curious kids. No restraint on how hard they prodded. Just so long as they got something to happen to the corpse like blood spilling or a muscle twitch.


    "It''s clean. Now what?" one of the guards says with clear disappointment.


    "What about that littering it has just done, can''t let it get away with that." another said in a mocking tone which left my eye twitching. My mind filling with thoughts along the lines of ''just walk away.'' Which, I might have done, had I not just had a gun forced up against my mouth the moment I tried it.


    "Pick your rubbish up, Thing." he said before spitting at me.


    "You put it there..." I told them.


    "Did we?"


    "Nope, I don''t recall it at all."


    "You are an awful liar, you know that, right?" one said before I was suddenly and violently sent to the ground by the sudden yanking of my head.


    "Crawl to it and pick it up." one said before an armoured foot slammed into my gut. It didn''t hurt in the slightest, which might have been bad as now I was just getting kicked again and again before finally being left alone.


    "Pick it up!" one sneered up from above before I just went along with it. Crawling on my claws and forward knees to pick it up. Nearly growling when it was kicked away further. Something that kept happening until it got near a tree.


    Then, a shot was fired near me, with my following shakes and hysterical panic causing laughter to erupt behind me as leaves and burnt branches fell. One branch even got stuck on my head as I stared intently at the laughing crowd that had formed.


    .


    .


    .


    "The leaves in my clothes are annoying..." I said as I walked through the mostly empty hallway. Carefully eyeing all the rooms I passed as everyone was refusing to leave the doorway until I had passed. Each passing gifting me with whispered insult after whispered insult before I finally reached where I wanted to go.


    "And as you can see from the diagram I have posted..." a teacher was saying to the students in the room before he stopped when I came in. A look of disgust coming over him before he gestured me towards the very corner of the room. Something I complied with without issue as hopefully this corner was far away enough that I could not hear the student gossip. Soon looking on with curiosity at what was being shown.


    I could not read the notes, obviously, but, it seemed to be about magic and the magic aura. I think I heard it be called Internal and External at one point by either Rose or someone else. Carefully jotting down what notes I could in Tobaballian in hopes of maybe being able to piece it all together later. It was awkward because my hands were not made for writing.


    In fact, I was contemplating if I should just use my claw to write with as the means I was given were all slabs of earth and stone. Very magical stone going by how it formed shapes largely on its own, even converting what I was trying to write into another language for some reason. It was very annoying having to go back over my notes every now and then. But, soon, maybe I will be able to write in this language.


    "You! Stop interrupting my lecture!" the teacher down at the front demanded to someone. Something that caused me to raise my head up to see what was going on. Only to be confused by the fact it was directed at me rather than the students coming in making all this noise.


    "I''m no-"


    "Do not speak back to me!" he suddenly said to me before sighing and placing his face against his palm, "Well, let us see if you have been paying attention, what is the difference between External-Magic and Internal-Magic?"


    I think I knew this? Yeah, I think I did, "Internal-Magic is what your body holds while External-Magic is..." soon being at a loss for words before I gestured around me.


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    "Can I now have an answer from someone who is not clearly younger than twenty." he then sneered out at my expense. Was he calling me a child?


    "Yes, Lecturer Brutano. The difference is, simply put for our learning disadvantaged students, is that one is magic stored within the body to reinforce its structure while external is what it lets out and controls."


    "Thank you!" this Brutano said with a clap before he stared at me and at the people making noise because none were willing to sit near me, "Get out of my lecture." he then demanded of me.


    Something I just went along with, making sure my hand was tightly on the handlebar at the side. Just in case as many were sticking their legs out and intentionally guiding them towards my legs.


    .


    .


    .


    See, it would have been nice if I could pick out something to eat without issue, but, it seems that the people of this place didn''t want me eating either. I had barely joined the queue and people were already shoving past me and hitting me as I waited. And once the queue moved a little, impatient shoves would find their way on to me. All I could do for now until I left the queue was to just tap a digit on the nearest surface.


    Vent the anger just a little...


    But, by the gods, by every single one of them was I getting angry and increasingly pissed. I was just standing here and I was getting shit from these people! To make it all worse, I wasn''t even obstructing the main queue! There were multiple ones these people could go to but many chose the one I was in just to flick or shove me!


    I could, in theory, hold firm and let them bounce right off of me as I knew I had a sturdy body for the most part. Yet, I just went with the flow, moving slightly with every body-on-body collision I had to go through. All until I finally reached the end of the queue after the significant bloat it went through. All rooted in spite towards me.


    "Sandwich?" I quietly muttered to myself upon seeing what was on offer, a lot of it eerily familiar. But, I suppose one shouldn''t have expected a nigh-infinite array of potential foods. Good cooking tended to gravitate towards the same ideas in my experience. A well-travelled experience at that!


    "Yes! Sandwich!" said someone behind me in a mocking tone. One where they bit on their tongue a little to interfere with their voice so it came out more like a braindead person. Yet, I was done here, for now, so I could just leave and go into a corner where I''d likely be left alone in this place. And I was left frowning at what I was seeing.


    I could not even get to a seat in the corner of the room because people kept legging it to where I wanted to sit to take all the seats! Then, they''d just insult me, swear at me and deride me until I left! Just to do it all again! It didn''t take long for me to realise I was being corralled into the centre most seats. So I just went along with it and slumped onto the table.


    A sandwich in my claw that I soon had to protect from all manners of disgusting projectiles.


    .


    .


    .


    I really, really hoped this would be the one place where I could get away from all the insults and mocker and abuse. But, no, turns out I was wrong, I couldn''t even use the library without some kind of problem coming out of it. I was not allowed to say anything and I had to wait absurdly long times just to get what I wanted as the staff here just found any excuse not to help me. I tried to get a book on my own but I was threatened with immediate expulsion from the building...


    So here I was, stuck at the front of an impatient queue once again waiting for the book I asked for to come. Something that took equally as long as well because I do not know much about magical theory so had a hard time explaining what I wanted. It didn''t help that the librarian or whatever she was kept sneering and making mocking mimicry the entire time I was talking. But, finally, my stuff came and I could go hide as well as I could.


    "Keep yourself within eyeshot, Bug!" a member of staff hissed out at me before I even made it past the first hastily vacated table. One I sat down at with a sigh before I began to pick apart what I could from the diagrams in the book. I suppose that was one good thing about me not knowing how to read this language, it made me think more. Helped keep me mentally fi-


    "Why do you even let it in here?"


    "We have to, so take it up with the next Council of Suhurlodst Academy Staff Convergence."


    "Oh, I''ll make sure to alright. Get this thing back where it belongs."


    "Good luck with that, you''ll most certainly need it given it was someones stupid idea to make it so an overwhelming majority is needed to get anything done."


    "But, why would we change it? It has worked out quite well for us!"


    "Look at what it has put on our doorstep!"


    And that is when I just packed up and left, "Hey! You can''t take that!" a member of staff sharply said to me as they stormed up to me.


    "Then why don''t you try and take it!" I growled out at them after suddenly making them drop to the floor in terror after I aggressively went up to them. Maintaining the growl and rage-filled stare for a little while before just leaving when my mind just suddenly went calm. Like an overflowing steam pipe that had suddenly been shut nice and tight. And once I was out, I went on a search for an outside table to sit at so I could carry on with my work.


    Hopefully in peace because my time to get this education up to par was disappearing rapidly and I still hadn''t touched on anything magic-related! As such, I was getting worried because of it...


    .


    .


    .


    "Oh, hi, Einervaene." I said as I greeted her with one of the rarest things in recent times. A smile.


    "Hello, Urtuoi-kischu, how have you been? I''m sorry I haven''t been able to see you as much recently. I have just been very excited about all this place has to offer." she said cheerfully while she turned her arm to lightning before it turned back.


    "You are able to keep it up for longer?" I questioned while staring at her now twitching arm.


    "Yeah, turns out, I had nearly committed a form of proverbial suicide with my magic as I had been using the wrong means to cast it. I am still casting it incorrectly, but, I have been getting better. See!" she explained before showing me her arm which had already recovered from its twitches and spasms.


    "That''s good, means I won''t have to catch you or go over you to keep you from being squashed into a road." I joked to her which led to her looking away in embarrassment.


    "So how has your magic come along? Hopefully, soon, I can show off how well I have done in changing how I go about casting it."


    I frowned, "I''ve not had the time to, been a bit busy." I tell her before rubbing my jaw while looking at the pile of books I had to get earlier.


    "You are not doing any magic training?"


    "No, thought I''d learn the language first but it has been difficult to do so."


    "I assume it is because of...?"


    "No, well, yes, in a way. I haven''t had any teachers willing to help me out with it and it is just so different to what I am used to." I tell her as I show her the tablet I had been using to jot down my notes before showing her a book so she could compare the texts. Maybe in the future I could teach her some Tobaballian?


    "Einervaene! Einervaene!" someone called out cheerfully as they ran to us before then came to a stop after turning the corner that kept us separate. Their eyes staring intently at me before they took a step back. They didn''t insult me, they apparently had no reason to, much to my surprise. But, they weren''t even Jhermonikrans or whatever it was to be fair...


    They were the same people Einervaene, Eusorochiian I think was the word.


    "Alright, listen carefully, okay?" Einervaene then said with a sigh as she scooted a little closer and made sure I was looking at her.


    "What is it?"


    "I don''t want you to take this personally or anything, but, is it alright if we don''t see each other while out of our dorm?"


    "Y-Yeah... It''s fine." I said in understanding while I finally took in the fact we were getting stared at by so many different people.


    "Again, please don''t take it personally, okay?" she pleaded to me before letting out a little smile after I nodded in understanding. Soon sitting there quietly after having watched her leave me on my own. After that, it was a slow transition to moving on to my work once again and even then, I was just too distracted to focus on it.


    .


    .


    .


    "A challenge?" I repeated to myself while looking at the man who had just come up to me with his friends while I was talking to Rose on our way to something. I dunno what, she had just said she wanted to take me to something.


    "Yes, you and me, in there. Magic duel, you in?" he said with a smile as he gestured his hand towards a large building to my right. Was I to guess this was some form of arena? Like, a more permanent version of what Rose had set up back at her flower when I was still somewhat human.


    I looked at Rose, "Do you object?" I asked her as I thought this might be helpful in some way. These people had been nothing but respectful since we had met and had even chased off those that would cause issues. Who knows, maybe, just maybe, if I can show myself as being more than just a bug, I can negate the insults to some extent...?


    I hope so, I very much hoped so.


    She shook her head and smiled, "I have no issue with this at all, Nin." she said to me which left me tilting my head a little. She hadn''t called me by my name in a while. Maybe she was seeing how annoyed I was getting as of late and was willing to say my name? At least for a short period.


    "Alright!" I said with a small smile, "When does it start?"


    "Now, if you''re up for it?" he said with a confident smirk which left me nodding, "Excellent! Let''s go." he then said before patting my back and guiding me towards the building.


    "So what will we be doing in this duel exactly?" I asked him with some uncertainty as ''duel'' to me usually meant using a weapon. But, I did not know how to use a weapon, but, he did say it was a magic duel. So maybe he and I were the weapons to be used in the duel?


    "Just letting off a few spells and so on, nothing fancy, just to see what you got." he said as he nudged my side a little before he looked at his friends and laughed. Not at me, but what was around me, the magic I had not learned to control yet. Were they impressed by it? It seemed to be the case that they were going by how enthusiastic their reactions are.


    "Well, alright, I''ll see what I can do." I tried to say back to them with equal enthusiasm before I began to get bogged down in my thoughts. What could I even do? I did not know any spells of note nor had I really expanded upon what I had learned previously. Perhaps I could learn on the fly or just adapt what I knew?


    I had no means to tell if he was more experienced than me so hopefully, it would just be a small and short thing. Something where two inexperienced starter-uppers had a go with each other to see how good they actually were. A means to learn where they could improve. A means to establish what they can do better next time.


    "That''s the spirit! C''mon, if you haven''t been in here before, you are going to love it!" he exclaimed before his friends all ran ahead while he stayed with me and Rose.


    "Hurry up, Rose!" I then said to the aelenvari who had been moving rather slowly down the path to this place we were now getting to the entrance of.


    .


    .


    .


    My arms trembled as I tried to get back onto my feet before a sudden force thrust me back into the ground. Said ground exploding out all around me after I was kicked into it by a lying shit flying about on little whirlwinds. A growl soon left me as I shot myself across the field and stumbled back to my feet. The jeering of the crowd filling my ears as I was attacked over and over.


    Turns out this wasn''t a duel between two inexperienced students, this was just a scheme set up by one of the more experienced students! One from Exceptional House no less! The very best had lulled me into a false sense of security when I should have been paranoid about them and they are now using me... Using me to get meaningless fame!


    "You can still get up, Bug?" he laughed out cruelly while taking in the cheers directed at him. A real attention seeker alright...


    "If you actually tried... Maybe I wouldn''t be..." I told him with a sneer before spitting out the large amount of blood I had been holding back. Another thing worthy of note, turns out you can get quite violent in these duels so long as you were not using blows aimed to kill. If you were? I did not know, I assume you got hit with criminal charges...


    Not that assuming anything would help me right now. My clothes were in tatters and I was struggling to stand up and only stayed up because of my anger. An anger that was boiling out into such quantities that I was just one tiny thing from just going berserk. And it looks like I would get that push I needed to do so...


    "So, Rose-sweerui, any plans tonight?" he then said with a smirk which suddenly left me dead on the inside. Had she been a part of this plan? Was that why she was acting funny these past few days and being so distant...? Was that why my actual name suddenly found itself being used over all others?


    She wouldn''t even look my way... Just like the moments before she stole my first kiss... Just like then, when she came out of nowhere and said ''I love you!'' Or, something to that effect, it did not matter much to me...


    I wasn''t even going to voice my anger, there was just no point, instead... I ran, I ran as fast as I could go. I cratered the ground under me and I scarred it forever. I charged with unrelenting fury and I roared to the orbtial-halo and brought my right fist back.


    Yet, I missed. I missed him completely and was met with a body-wide numbness and a complete lack of understanding as I was now on the other side of the arena... And all I saw was Rose slowly walking up to that man...


    "Rose...?" I spat out in confusion before my anger just stopped along with my ability to stay awake.


    .


    .


    .


    "Do not leave the bed." a nurse or something told me after I tried to move from the bed I had woken up in. Not even bandaged or healed for some reason... I had just been left in it to potentially bleed out!?


    "Why should I stay in it? You haven''t even done your job!" I snapped out to her as my cracked and mangled arm shattered the bed''s railing.


    "Do not make me call the City-Guard in here!" she snapped back at me, clearly unintimidated by my sudden show of force and aggression. Either she was an idiot or she had just seen it enough not to care...


    "Then get on with it and do your job." I snorted before blasting my recent breath through my nose.


    "If you can''t tell, I am doing it right now!" she told me as she moved a few tubs and other items. She was just looking for things to do so she could avoid me... She was even going towards the students that were just coming in and sorting them out before me! Yet, as I could do nothing, I stayed on the bed and I twitched out what anger I could. I should have been used to this now, but I wasn''t for some reason.


    But, maybe it was because I was so full of rage towards what Rose had shown herself to be... Just a fickle thing that was looking for any excuse she could to get away from me. She had made that abundantly clear with her actions... It was clear to me she regretted leaving her flower with me...


    It was all just so clear and I was left calming down in the wrong way, instead, I just found myself quietly crying to myself. Crying to myself on a dirty, filthy and disgusting bed caked in dried blood and soaked in freshly spilt blood forced out in my anger. It was all just there. unignorable pains that acted up due to the smallest of movements, annoying itches and stinging sensations...


    The pain in your mind that just never went away... It was all there and it was all I could think about before I caught sight of something in the distance. A building where finely dressed people were entering and leaving, all dressed in or wearing the clothes or colours of the gods... The signs of a temple.


    I wasn''t alone... I still had Motrtha to go to for help!


    .


    .


    .


    "Would be better off going to the temple next time for medical treatment." I complained while slowly wandering towards the temple within the Academy grounds. It was a little interesting to see such a building here, but, as magic is a thing, I guess the gods play a more important role as their blessings are actually active in these parts. But, soon, I was forced away from my slow wandering and put into a hurried jog as it had begun raining. Hard.


    "At least I won''t need a shower..." I soon joked out as I came to a stop again as it would seem I would not get indoors before I got fully soaked. So, I just went with it. I walked in the pouring rain that was coming from somewhere in these cloudless skies above and let it soak me. Occasionally using my wet claws to pick away at the dried blood on me and my rags. Somewhat enjoying the sight of my yellow ick just flowing away.


    If only it was more than the blood that got washed away...


    And soon, with a small smile on my face, I had crossed the distance between the hospital place and the temple and was now approaching it! I could finally seek some closure from the goddess who had been giving it to me back in Tryhpeltzweig. The one who defied her Father''s rules to send me little messages to keep me in a positive mindset. Yet, it seems the door was getting closed to stop the rain from coming in.


    "Hey!" I called out to them as I waved, hoping they''d at least keep it open as surely a place of the gods was open to all without issue? I could at least escape the insults here, right...?


    "Go away, Bug." the man at the door spat out before he closed the large and decorative door shut. My curled up fist soon banging on it.


    "Hey! Let me in!" I called out through the increasingly more aggressive rain. Letting my actions challenge its noise until I began to slow down and add my own water to the rain.  A sudden depression washing over me as I tried to get into the building. And before I broke down, I sighed longingly for simpler times.


    "You can''t do this..." I whimpered out in hopes they''d at least take pity on me before I turned away and left for my dorm. My brick-like feet, my osibindah feet, dragging canyons through the grass and mud as I did so.  What point was there in getting out of this rain...?


    What point was there...? I deserved any illness I got from it. Any bad ailment it would encourage and so on. I deserved it all.


    .


    .


    .


    "Get going, Bug." said the guard that had just shoved me into the mud before he left laughing along with the others. But, I did not move from my spot, I just kept whimpering as mud found its way onto my tongue. Its horrendous and earthy taste soon being spat out in disgust as I finally got moving again. If you could call it that, I was just stumbling from spot to spot.


    I was exhausted, so damn exhausted that I felt like I was just going to flop over dead because of it yet, unluckily for me... I did not. Undwote did not find a tired and upset bug wandering through his mists. All that found me was the pile of rubbish someone had just dumped on me as I passed their window.


    And I did not respond to it, I just kept walking and walking until I finally saw the dorm again. The prison I had slept in for weeks upon weeks. The shitty little prison cell I was relegated to because I was a filthy bug... It was interesting, in a way.


    I once saw prison cells as places with no exit, a place where one could have no hope of moving out until they had paid their time to the government. But, all it took was sleeping in that bed of mine to change my perspective, the ability to be seen and see made it all worse. I was an attraction to these people... A gimmick to be laughed at and abused.


    I just wanted a sealed room with no ways out or in so I could at least have some peace. To wake up one morning and not have to worry about when I was going to be let out. To sleep one night and not do it to the sound of insults being played on fancy machines and items banging on my window. I wanted to be left alone.


    Yet, even as I longingly looked off in the distance to the lands beyond that ring-shaped ruin this place was built behind. I did not feel hopeful, I just knew that if I went out towards that place I would just meet the guns of the guards. The guns that would grant me my final rest to the one god who wanted me the most. The one who was denied my soul...


    But then I shook my head and went inside with a sigh, not even bothering to close the door just so I could hear it rattle because of the winds outside. Just so I could watch the rainfall so clearly while listening to the joys and laughter I was excluded from elsewhere in the dorm. Just so I could remind myself of why I had my old mindset of friends being pointless. Of how they would turn their backs on you when it got rough to save themselves.


    "Apparently even saving their lives means next to nothing these days." I mumbled as tears rolled down my face as I thought about all that I had done for those three. Baltanthan not so much as he had pretty much disappeared after I had been caught by the guards. But, he was involved all the same. I saved their lives, made sure they were safe and fed and taken care of.


    I worked to make sure no monsters would hurt them... I put myself at risk to make them full and happy... I got shot apart to ensure they could have a future... All that effort and for nothing.


    It was all just pointless wastes of time!


    And yet, even as my mind became swollen with hate, my body did not act. It had just had enough, it just had, had enough of it all. It wanted to give up right here at this door. But, my mind would not let it...


    .


    .


    .


    It was a slow process, me getting up, that is, just one full of slow movements and lots of quiet thinking and stewing. Listening to the set-up mockery machine and glancing at the unmoved door before I finally got out of bed. Shuffling over to the door and staring at it intently. Just hoping someone would come and open it.


    Yet, I was soon to feel like an idiot for a draft of wind that had passed through the door nudged the door forward. Someone had opened it for me, they just had not made it clear the door was open. So, following me letting out a sound of understanding, I went and put on a new set of clothes so the other one I was wearing could be washed. And maybe I should do my bed too, it was filthy after all...


    But, filth by the large for me now was meaningless as I had become very acquainted with it as of late. And even with that in mind, I still went and took apart my bed to be cleaned up and then I shuffled out of my room to put it in for a wash. Walking down the empty stairwell and heading towards the washing up equipment and then sorting it all out. Turning my attention to getting something to eat before then seeing Einervaene leaving with her hand up waving.


    Only, it wasn''t for me, it was for someone in the next room over and she didn''t even acknowledge me when she went past. So I just lowered my head a little with a frown, more miserable than I was when I first got up and out of the room. And with that having happened, I was suddenly left feeling like there was no need to eat anything even as my already deprived stomach growled. I then stopped and thought on anything else I might need to do before I went.


    There was nothing that I would need to do, I had done everything of note since I had gotten up so I might as well go. So I did, I left the dorm and headed on out into the outside world beneath the bright light of the orbital-halo. I didn''t bother looking at my map, I had been everywhere I had needed to know about so I knew where it all was. I even made sure to avoid that arena so I would not get put into more games.


    Not that it stopped people trying to recreate that what happened before when I got put into the medical place. Before it became clear to me that I wasn''t even allowed into the temple to tend to my spiritual needs. But, it was fine, if I had been allowed in I would have caused problems for everyone else so me not going in was good. The insults I was getting now, too, they were just scared and needed to get it out of their system.


    And then I came to a stop on the side of the path under a tree that bore the marks of the guards making sure I understood my place well. Why was I even heading to a lecture right now? I was just going to be asked to leave again and for a justifiable and good reason. So, I might as well spare them the trouble and just head on to the library to get what I need.


    I can learn on my own, I had been doing quite well learning on my own as well. I even had the excuse to make sure I was doing well because the other students or guards would destroy my notes and means to make them. So I got lots of information firmly stored in me because I was truly made to learn them. So I was getting a crude kindness in a way!


    "Why are they still letting it walk around...? That thing could just lash out and rape me, you know that right, Doltlerf?"


    "Yes, of course, I know, Mohninka. But you know we can''t do anything about it. It''s protected by the law, the very thing that should let us just kill it."


    "It''s looking at us..."


    "Just ignore it, guards will shoot it if it tries anything."


    A single digit of mine soon rubbing at my nose before I looked away in confusion. I swear I heard my name be said...


    "Get moving, Bug!" a guard then soon said to me before spitting at me and nudging me with his gun. Nodding at him in thanks before I began walking again, it was very nice of him to make sure I stayed active. Help keep my mind off the bad stuff that would otherwise distract me and it would let me focus on my work! And focus is something I needed as that deadline was coming closer.


    But, would it be best to not try and let them deal with me? I would just cause more problems if I stayed here so if I did everyone this favour I would be remembered more fondly! Not that it mattered, I was going to be killed off because I am not remembered fondly. So maybe I should just give the guards a reason here and now?


    Take away the build-up and cut the rope that kept this place in suspense...?


    I frowned at this, despite how good of an argument I made for it, I could just not convince myself to do it. I could not enact this plan that would benefit everyone here. I could not figure out why either. It was like my mind was lying to me.


    Explaining it and why I should do it while not letting me do it. But, I suppose I had all day and a few more to contemplate it. Shouldn''t take that long to think of an indisputable argument to get me moving towards that end result, should it...?


    .


    .


    .


    "Where is he?" someone in the other room said with a growl in their voice while I tapped my claws against the exceptionally well-carved wood. Only myself being present to enjoy my self-made music as everyone else was in other parts of the dorm, rightfully putting space between me and them.


    "Where is who?"


    "You know who I am on about!" they growled out with greater anger before they were then likely gestured an answer. Leading them straight to me who had begun to move away from the room before they then got in my way and stopped me. And it turned out this person was Vadei. But why would she look for me?


    She hadn''t looked for me before...


    "Okay, answer me this very carefully. Who are you?" she asked with narrowed eyes and slightly bared teeth while I nervously kept my distance. Even if she made she to keep that distance small.


    "I am Bug... I am Osibindah... I am what is left of one Nin Urtuan." I mumbled out in response. Having nearly just answered as saying I was ''Bug'' but switching it out for what was actually said.


    "Where are you from?"


    I then sniffled as I began to think of why I came here to begin with before my eyes began to feel like they would water, "I am from Tobaballe..."


    "What do I call you?"


    "You call me Ho... The last name of Iishar Ho, one of our Spire-Lords. Tower-Ladies?" I said to her before clawing at my shell as I couldn''t quite figure out the answer towards the end. Seems like I was just forgetting some of the information I should have known well to the point of it being nearly unforgettable. Yet, I suppose that was the catch. It was only ''nearly,'' not flat-out impossible.


    "So it is you... How in the... By... How are you alive...? Let alone yourself...?" she then said in an utterly flabbergasted tone while she looked at my eyes. The last signs of my former humanity that might as well not have existed anyway. After all, I was a bug now, bugs had no need for humanity.


    "Funny story..." I said as I patted my claws together before picking up a knife from its holder. Making silly little sounds as I slid it harmlessly across my chest before then doing the same to make blood. Finishing it all off with a sudden limpness and tongue roll out.


    "You actually died...? So Vapooliar did, in fact, kill you?" she said, seeking clarification which I nodded to.


    "I did, I then met all the gods and goddesses after Undwote brought me aboard his father''s ship. Did you know, it has no sails or oars? It just has these four things that shoot lightning." I told her before making finger gestures for it.


    "Are you drunk?" she then asked before she sniffed my breath, recoiling away in disgust before she then put some distance between us.


    "I am not... I have not even had a glass of water today..." I mumble to her before looking at the place where I could get both right now. Only to look away from it and back to the knife I was holding. It was a large knife indeed, one that had a slight glow to it from the magic it had on it altering the way it cut. The blade was warm too, so maybe it was to slightly cook what you cut?


    A fancy blade indeed... Nice and strong with plenty of gripping space to land a firm hand. It was even narrow in point so I could easily use it for more than just cutting. But what would I use it on...?


    "N-Nin... Are you alright?" Vadei then asked me in what must have been the first case of her ever actually showing genuine concern for me as her eyes watched the knife I was waving about. I shook my head in response as my eyes began to let loose tears I had originally not even noticed before I then looked up at her.


    "I don''t know..." I told her as my tone lost its form and turned into a more childish one.


    "Hey... WAIT!" she then screamed out before the room we were in was suddenly filled with shards of broken knife along with rattling items. All from the force I had used to try and punch that knife straight through my neck. And while she looked on in horror while backing away, I stared tearfully at the knife before I dropped to the floor and started sobbing.


    Curling up into a ball while carving apart the flooring in an effort to get together some shards to try and kill myself with but none of it worked. Then, I did what I thought I would never do again in all my life. Something I had never thought would even be a thing. I don''t think I even had ever actually done it given how detached I was from my family due to how growing up in back home worked...


    "I want my mummy..." I sobbed out in tears while hiding my face. Occasionally lashing out at anything near me. Soon crawling away into a quieter part of the building while that spiteful tailed creature watched me. Likely wishing the same thing everyone else wanted of me here...

 Incline 4: To Meet the Hopeful Blue

    Yes, yes indeed, I could get used to this very much for a few reasons. The first one and most enjoyable one was that because of how his body sank into the bed, I rolled closer to him and if I was awake I could roll up and down. A second reason would be that he was so large and firm in body that there was no chance of me ever falling off of the bed! One of the final reasons was also related to his size, there was just so much to cuddle up to!


    "Wakey-wakey, low-tide!" I told him as his eyes slowly opened up before his head slowly turned down to face me. His reaction being rather mild as he quickly became more awake and just stared at me from then on out.


    "Who are you...?" he asked me slowly and cautiously before he looked up and over at the wide-open door. The door I brought him through last night when I had found out he fell asleep in the basement of our dorm! And seen as he looked like he was having a rough time, I thought I would sleep with him to help him out.


    "I, low-tide, am Larishazza Sl''Ayiysab! But you..." I began to say before tapping a golden caramel-skinned finger against his nose, "Can call me Lari!"


    "Hello..." he yawned out to which I giggled at as it gave me a full view of his mouth, "Larishazza... Go away..." he then said which left me pouting up at him.


    "I said you could call me Lari!" I said to him with joking anger and a wide smile as I began to fiddle with his mouth and my hair. Giving him various forms of facial hair with my dull blue hair.


    "Go away..." he moaned as he tried to retreat underneath the blanket. His attempt failed, however, as he was so big that I was able to get covered by the blanket as well and light it up with my bodily features. The light glow my hair had and the same glow my eyes had. A pair of beautiful eyes he seemed to lose himself in before he just got out of the bed.


    "Oh... Come back here, it''s cold out there." I told him as I wrapped myself up like a newborn Thunder God being coddled by a yet to be named Goddess of Mothers.


    "Why is it quiet...?" he said with uncertainty as he began to bash at his head with his hands.


    "Oh, there was this noise I kept hearing so I used some magic to block it out!" I said without showing him the magic as I did not want the noise to come back. Instead, I just manipulated the magic I used to let some sound through. But not as it was being produced, only as how I wanted it. Little joyful bubbles going pop!


    "Can you go now please?" he then said as he nervously took a few steps back, accidentally hitting the desk he was in front of. A giggle left me before I unwrapped myself and spun up to my feet, making a pose before then shaking as I faced the cold. His face looking away as I rubbed my formerly smooth and now bumpy skin to deal with the cold.


    "Can you come here? Or I will go to you!" I tell him as I move over to him while swinging side to side before pressing myself up against him. Smiling softly as I felt the warmth his body had on it and soon rolling along it so all of my sides got the warmth. It was like I was playing a game about being food, a kebab in particular!


    "Please stop..."


    "Okay!" I cheerfully respond with as I spun away and then held my arm. Bouncing between my tippy-toes and the very back of my feet while looking on at him.


    "I don''t have any of your clothes, do I...?" he asked in confusion after a brief quiet between us, his arms digging into all the places he kept clothes looking for mine.


    "Nope! Mine are all accounted for! I just like sleeping without any on!" I tell him as I tap my foot a few times before wrapping myself up again. Smiling happily as I felt warmth return to my body with greater haste than it was before.


    "Then why are you here...? Have I been bothering you in some way...?"


    "Nope! I just found you looking a bit down so I am here to cheer you up!" I told him to which he immediately became defensive. Not in an overtly aggressive way, but, he was defensive nonetheless. Something I did not like in the slightest so I was going to change it!


    "I don''t need cheering up... I am fine..."


    "I do not like liars, so come on, I am starving!" I tell him as I grab his hand and begin to guide him towards the kitchen. Much to his surprise as he was trying to fight back against me but I would not let him go. I found that particularly funny, a little woman like me was tugging along a big man like him. And I doubt he did not find amusing.


    "H-Hey... Let go..." he said as he tried to grab various items to halt my advance through the dorm. But he would not have his way as while I danced along the path to the kitchen, I left patches of magical water that would not let him grip. And soon we were both in the kitchen surrounded by the others who were all looking on at who I brought.


    "Hello!" I greeted cheerfully with a wave at the quiet group of people sitting at the main table while I kept a firm grip on my breakfast partner''s hand.


    "Lars, why are you...?" my just slightly older sister asked as she got up and walked over to me. Her short hair contrasting a lot with mine, especially given how she also had hints of frost in hers. A consequence of her hanging out with our resident pillow-man!


    "Why am I what?" I asked back cautiously as I watched one of her hands approach, but, it became clear she was pointing at my new friend.


    "HE-!" I then screeched out when she suddenly changed course and used some ice magic on me! Me! Her precious, sweet little sister! And this cold was the lingering type so I was now bouncing around trying to ignore it.


    "Put some clothes on, Lars." my sister said.


    "Indeed, harlot." the extremely dressed Quinshuu commented as he took another swill from his glass of raw milk.


    "It''s a good thing my sister is here, otherwise you''d boil alive like a lobster!" I joked to him as I danced on over to the man so easily bothered by my lack of clothes.


    "It would be even better if you wore clothes." he said before he left to finish his meal elsewhere, leaving just me, my sister and my new friend in the kitchen. A new friend who seemed to be uncomfortable with my sister''s presence.


    "Don''t worry, she won''t stick her hands on you!" I told him in an effort to comfort him before weaving out of my sister''s way when she tried it on me. And thankfully, she missed this time but she was truly relentless. It got so bad I was soon taking cover behind my new friend as his frame was so big that my sister was unable to reach around with both arms. He even intervened on my behalf and moved my sister away.


    Something he seemed to worry about but she ignored the action and just returned to her meal before looking at him, "So who''s this?"


    "I don''t know..." I muttered sheepishly as I had not asked for his name.


    "Well, ask then, and remember to actually introduce yourself properly in future." my sister commented as she made some ice cubes in her drink. Drinking it all up and letting out a refreshed sigh shortly after.


    "I did! I introduced myself fully as Larishazza Sl''Ayiysad!"


    "Introductions need both parties or people to introduce themselves! Like this!" she said before she got up, "Hello, I am Tiyanat Sl''Ayiysad, sister of Moron Sl''Ayiysad, who are you?" pouting at her the entire time before pointing a finger at her to shoot some water at her. Water she then froze and powdered up before it even got to her...


    It then became quiet as my new friend looked on at her cautiously, "Nin..." he then mumbled, an adorable nervousness overtaking him when he let out a loud click afterwards.


    "See? That''s how you do it, Lars." my sister then said smugly as she went back to her meal while I maintained a hard stare at my sister. Soon letting out a huff before going towards the kitchen sides so I could make me and Nin something.


    "Is there anything in particular you want...? Hey! Get back here!" I began to say before skipping over to him to bring him back into the kitchen. Letting him sit down before doing anything else after that point.


    "Please leave me alone..." he muttered as I kept a firm hand on his back, preventing him from leaving.


    "Not until you have eaten!" I say to him as I drummed his belly before going back towards where all the food in our dorm was kept. Singing a lyricless tune as I went through everything while pondering what I might have wanted to eat for my morning meal.


    "I''m not hungry..." he said just before his stomach then shook with greater force than the guns of an old battleship from more ancient times.


    I tapped his head, "No lying!" I gently scold him with before putting some things I knew how to cook before him, "Anything?"


    One of his fingers then slowly and reluctantly raised itself and poked the thin meat slices, then the veg, then the eggs, then the fruits that go well with savoury. He pretty much wanted everything which left me in a precarious situation as I did not know of any meals that consisted of all I had set out. I looked at my sister for help but she did not seem to have an answer or was just lost in thought over something else.


    "Tiya." I then said which led to her looking over at me, an expression on her face that awaited an answer.


    "Hm?"


    "Any ideas?" I asked her while gesturing to all the food.


    "I forget the name of the territory, but why not make them a Full Whatever Breakfast?" she suggested which left me happy. And, it was a good suggestion, that meal she was on about did indeed involve most if not all of this depending on the eater.


    "Excellent! I shall start cooking immediately and you can make sure he stays to eat it!" I tell her before I go back to singing my lyricless tune. Completely ignoring her protests and likely leaving her sighing as she went along with what I asked of her. Using my magic every now and then to either keep the food moist and flavourful or because I was too lazy to turn the tap knob. It did not take me long from then on out to be spinning my wrist about with mechanical speed that spilt nothing as I got the rest ready.


    And soon, the room smelt absolutely divine as now all one could smell was frying meats, veg and fruit and all sorts! My finger soon bounced about as I predicted where a bubble of fat would burst, something I kept up before a bit of scolding fat flicked itself at me. Yet, even with my retreat from the snapping and popping, I was still involved with it all. An involvement I kept to the very end when I presented the food to Nin.


    "Here you go!" I say to him as I take a fork and quickly nab a deflating, red-in-colour fruit before popping it into my mouth. Letting out a drawn-out noise as in my attempt to taste my efforts I had burnt my mouth on the juices. Juices that were now being washed all about my mouth and scolding more of it. It was like I was putting out a fire by sending it to the rest of the village!


    "Heh..." Nin barely let out as he watched me jump about before my sister held me still and placed cool mist into my mouth. Largely negating the pain I was feeling with my happiness at Nin''s brief and quiet laugh dealing with the rest?


    "Well, go on, try it!" I say to him as I dance closer to him, leaning against him with a wide smile as he moved on to the food. Something he took a long time to do as he was extremely paranoid about it all which left me bothered. So bothered that I borrowed his utensils, hopped up onto the table and began to feed it to him. Taking little bites here and there to show him it was good food.


    From crispy and juicy meats that bled tasty fat into the juices of the fruit and veg and their oily coverings. To the dry slices of bread and carbohydrates that soaked it all up into one yummy package that would fill him up no doubt. I even fed him pieces of it all mixed together as filling for these slices of bread, little bite-sized sandwiches that would let him eat it differently. And as the plate emptied, it could be cleaned thoroughly with those same pieces of bread.


    "Full?" I asked him as I suckled on a spoon that I had previously used to scoop beans onto his plate. But I got no answer from him, only silent crying before a loud bang as his head struck the table.


    "What do you want!?" he asked through his tears as his body began to move into a more protective posture. One that worried me and left my sister feeling uncomfortable as she was too far to really do anything and she was never one to get involved.


    "To make sure you have a wonderful day!" I tell him while stroking his head, moving my arms back in each time he swatted them away.


    "No you don''t..." he said through gritted teeth, "You''re just going to set me up for... Something..." a gentle hand soon moving on top of his shortly after. A softer smile coming into place on my face as I slowly stroked my thumb along the back of his hand. Not letting it go until those fists of his uncurled themselves.


    "Yes I do and I will prove it to you!" I tell him just before he sits back up, his face hardening in an attempt to make it look like he was uncaring.


    "Fine..." he muttered just before his stomach rumbled again leading to me open my mouth in shock so another laugh could leave it.


    "So I guess I know the answer to my previous question!" I tell him as I began to make even more food. Fruity porridge, dried out fruits and plain flatbreads, lots of sweet stuff. I even just covered some nuts in honey and let them cook for a bit to make the honey a lot thicker and seemingly butter-like. And as the dishes were done, I fed them to him until he just refused to open his mouth anymore.


    Then, he burped as one of his hands rubbed his belly affectionately while the other tried to clean away anything stuck in his teeth. I had tried to clean it for him but he just lashed out at me so I redirected the water towards a plate to clean it slightly. From that point onwards, I just waited while humming another, different tune which involved a bit of noise from my nostrils as well. Soon watching as he began to swill water around his mouth sloppily to clean the rest to no avail.


    A glare in his eyes as he turned to me, "Can you help me clean my teeth please..." he said before looking away in anger. Clearly frustrated by the idea of having to rely on another or at least some emotional mixture including it.


    "Certainly!" I say as I take his hand and begin the return journey back upstairs.


    "Take that damn blanket off!" my sister said to me loudly just as I went through the doorway. Carefully and precisely hopping up the stairs to make a specific tune once we got to them and lingering a few steps ahead of Nin as we went up. Doing that until we finally got back upstairs to which I then threw the blanket off back onto his bed, leaving me exposed in the process. Grinning at him after I spotted his eyes looking at my naked body before slipping away into the room I used.


    And, having left the door wide open, he followed me through before he occupied himself with my various pieces of memorabilia from home. Going over to him to see what had him curious once I had put on barely anything in the eyes of Quinshuu. But, he was just full of himself, we were in a bright and warm land with cool breezes and lots of open space to dance in! So my traditional dancer''s attire was more than covering enough!


    "That''s a model of the walker-city me and my sister come from." I inform him as I watched his fingers carefully move the legs about. Briefly taking it off of him so I could turn it on and let him watch it move.


    "You come from a walking city?" he asked quietly while tilting his head at the toy as its dozens of legs moved up and down in a mesmerizing pattern. A pattern that was caused by how many layers to each side there was and the various pieces of decoration. Something I found myself lost in until his hand stopped it from walking off my desk.


    "Why thank you!" I say to him as I turn it off and put it back, "And yes, I do, specifically the Walking-City of Ayiy."


    "Your name comes from the city?"


    "Only some of it, the rest is to do with the role of my family and the generation it is from. The first bit being that we own the city while the last part has to do with it being rather young in the grand scheme of things."


    "How peculiar..."


    "What is?"


    "Most of the girls I know to any degree come from fancy backgrounds..." he muttered before he moved to leave. Only to stop when he saw the little shrine I had dedicated to the centre of my people.


    "Is that a slug...?"


    "It is indeed, one that ate a whole mountain!" I giggled out to him as we moved towards one of the smaller washing rooms. A washing room intended for the more private individuals living here. Which, admittedly, was practically just Nin here if I was to make any guesses. All the better anyhow as it meant we were pretty much always guaranteed a room as this dorm was very big.


    "Thank you..." he mumbled as moved his tongue about his mouth after I had finished washing it. He was cautious around me using my magic to do it, but, I got it done regardless of his concerns. Something I could tell he did not mind as now his mouth had stopped moving about. Unlike before where it kept moving in order to get rid of various stuck foodstuffs.


    "No problem, I am here to help! Now, anything you want to do here or do you want to go outside?" I told him before I then asked about his plans for the day. Something he immediately showed allergies to as he backed away and shook his head without saying a word. A finger soon began to pat my chin as I looked outside. The weather was wonderful so it couldn''t have been that.


    Was it perhaps linked to the noise I had to deal with back in his room? Would we have to deal with more of these noises? That was very fine by me, I knew many places we could go that were quiet. I could even be louder than these noises!


    He stood there quietly and uncomfortably before he then spoke, "I need to get back to my studies..."


    "Then we go to a lovely meadow outside!"


    "No, I can do it here."


    "Nope! You do it with me!" I say as I began to drag him about again with no resistance coming from him other than sounds and whines full of pleading. But, as we got closer to the door he began to fight back as his breathing became much, much louder.


    "NO!" he shouted at me before snapping his jaws near my face, an unfazed tilt of the head being my response to his sudden panic that followed.


    "Hey... It''s alright." I tell him as I let him sit down and return to rubbing his body affectionately while maintaining a smile. Once again pondering how I might be able to help before his head came out again.


    "There''s no point... The guards will just keep going after me even though I haven''t done anything wrong." he explained nervously while I tilted my head further and further until he was done.


    "Then how about this, we make a game of avoiding them?"


    "A game...?" he repeated with a confused tone.


    "Yeah, you get points for every guard avoided and the more stylish it is, the better and I will be sure to be near you the whole time to help out if you get stuck!"


    "Running fine..." he mumbled but it seemed to be that he was recounting what was said to him prior.


    "So how about this? We go back upstairs, and sneak out through a window and then we can move about on the rooftops until we are forced to get down?"


    "Forced?" he repeated with uncertainty.


    "By our lack of roofs to move on, not by guards." I clarified for him as I began to move around a lot more. Impatient and excited for this game that would surely put some adrenaline into my veins.


    "Okay..." he muttered as he got up, greeting him once he was done with a toothy grin before guiding him back up the stairs. Dancing along the area before finding a window that we could safely get through.


    "I''ll go on first and help you up." I tell him as I put my hands on to the upper part of the window frame and then swing through it. Using the momentum I had put into my swing to get my feet all the way up to the roof. All before then using my arms to snatch him up with a bit of my internal-magic being used to get us up the rest of the way. A quiet snigger coming from me as Nin looked about cluelessly, having not been mentally prepared for the swing.


    I helped him up after I was done laughing, "Over there..." he mumbled with a raised finger. Going up onto the tips of my toes so I could then see where he was pointing and nodding happily before I got off his back. Returning to being in front of him and putting some distance between us before I then left to another roof with a splash of magic water wetting where I formerly was. Waving him over and dancing backwards and forwards while I waited, bouncing my hips up and down as he checked his path.


    And then, when he overshot my position, I jumped up after applying some magic to a nearby chimney and caught him. Landing back down on the roof I had leapt to just moments before by sliding down a magical slide made of water. Placing him firmly down before I went on for a greater distance. Laughing in joy as I spun about as a mess of wet lines appeared behind me.


    "Hmm... I can''t give you many points for that as I had to come and get you." I told him as he looked down at his feet and held his hands together.


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    "I can''t do it..."


    "Jump? You just did, silly."


    "No... Jump without jumping too high..." he said to me before performing light hops. My head bobbing up and down as I watched him jump a little before he came to a stop.


    "Alright, give me your hand for a moment."


    "Claw..." he muttered in an effort to correct me, but I ignored it and held his hand.


    "Now firmly grip my hand." I say to him, hoping this would give me a good understanding about how good the control of his internal-magic is. And, lucky for him, I would be here to help him out as I had now found out about how good he was with it.


    Soon walking away and pondering with a finger to my lips while sliding around a little, "Quit thinking of a way to say it softly and just say I am bad at it..." he bitterly said to me before I went back to him.


    "What place were we going to go to?" I then ask him as I now had an idea of what we could do today. We could go to one of the magical training facilities near the dorm and have him practise!


    "The library so I can-"


    "Nope! We are going right over there instead!" I say to him suddenly before spinning around him and turning him to face the building in question. A blocky building compared to the rest of the buildings within the Academy but it was by no means ugly either. It pulsated with magic all about it and one could see all the pretty patterns carved into the stone slabs and metal plates!


    "I have never been there before and there are no rooftops near it!" he pointed out with worry in his voice. Worry I responded to by gently tapping his cheeks before then leaping back over that which we had just jumped over with him by my side.


    "Don''t worry, I will help you out!" I say to him as we repeated the process of jumping until we had reached the final rooftop before the building in question. Myself proudly standing in the open while he hid behind the various extensions on the building roof such as chimney pipes. My hand soon waving him over so we could get over the final distance.


    "No! I''ll break the roof if I jump that far!"


    "Then only jump as far as you want!" I tell him cheerfully as a ball of water formed at the edge of the roof. A ball that soon popped with a splash as my straightened out toes punctured it. The pop of the water orb having sent me flying across the field before I then landed in the grass. Much to the surprise of nearby students who were confused as to why I just landed here.


    My arm once again waving at Nin who had not left the rooftop yet and with this crowd here it seems like he wasn''t going to. Yet, he still seemed to work up the courage to move and had soon just hopped down from the building, quietly waiting by a bush. And while he likely wanted to remain out of sight, I had to bring him into the view of others so I went up to him and brought him out.


    "Hey, focus on me, listen to me." I say to him before I began to gently sing what I had been singing earlier. And while I was not able to manipulate my voice like some of the singers of this land due to my water magic not being particularly compatible with it. I could compensate by just singing louder or moving closer to his ears so he could focus on me. Something I helped further with by keeping his eyes focused on mine.


    So, as we walked into the building, his face was entirely on me and he was able to somewhat ignore what others were saying. And once we were in the door, the guards that were coming over to see what was going on had to stop. Which I found to be most interesting as it meant that I could steadily quieten down. A smile on my face as we once again found ourselves on our own.


    "Now what...?" he asked as his arm was coddled by one of his hands while his head refused to stay focused on one spot. I said nothing and just smiled before then bringing him through the building so he could at least look at it all. It was a very interesting sight this building was so I wanted him to enjoy what seemed to be his first time through it. Even going so far as to use my magic to block the paths of others so I could get him through uninterrupted.


    And when I brought my magic barriers down, I snuck a wink in at the people I had bothered before catching up to Nin again with a grin. Once that was all sorted, I left him on his own a short distance away from me so I could register a room for us. Them once that was sorted, I went back to him and brought him to the door to the room. Or rather, the portal, something I was very much looking forward to.


    "Okay, so push that button, then that one, then that, then that one, that one and that one!" I tell him, barely controlling my excitement before the sounds of machines filled my ears. Soon taking a step back so I could get a more complete view of the way these portals worked and letting him enjoy it to. So I did not speak as a result, I just kept looking at his face then the machine and back again. It was very sweet to see his eyes light up upon seeing the portal work.


    "What... What is this...?" he asked me with amazement in his voice as he cautiously approached the portal. Then, with a laugh escaping me, I shoved him straight through it and followed him through. Letting the laugh out fully once I had reappeared with him in the magic training room. The laugh dying off when I saw his frightened form on the ground, completely unsure of what just happened.


    "It''s alright, Nin, it was just a magic portal that brought us to a pocket dimension where they keep all the magic training equipment." I explained to him, keeping it all simple so he could understand it well. Only, that failed as he seemed to have no grasp of any of it.


    "Portal... Dimension... Just like the ship..." he mumbled, it being clear he had once again just recounted memories.


    "Ship?" I questioned him as it seemed he did understand it all.


    "Special ship." was all I got out of him before he wandered off slightly. His voice soon echoing throughout the room as we had set up nothing to fill it out.


    "Alright, let me see." I said to myself as I began to fiddle around with the various consoles that dictated what you got in your training room. Moving my tongue about as I breathed out to make many noises as I did so. Running off to bring Nin back and then guiding his finger to the various activation buttons and switches. Grinning widely at him as amazement once again filled him as various things formed suddenly.


    The equipment I had set up was nothing fancy, it was all very basic and very unmagical given how fancy the room was. Just some basic brick walls, climbing sets, weights, all the sort of things one expected from a gymnasium or other forms of basic physical development. He then looked at me expectingly, standing aside slightly so I could then guide him through it all. Which I was very happy to do.


    "So, going by what I have learned, I feel like it is best right now for you to go through some basic physicals right now. Just to see what we can improve on and then we can start working on that."


    "But I already know how to control my strength!" he said as he pushed a summoned brick wall over by sending it flying. Its shattered remains sprinkling all over the place with one piece even harmlessly pinging off of my forehead. He then pushed against another and did nothing to it.


    "Now just push it over." I say to him in order for him to understand my point better. But, he couldn''t do it, he always sent it flying away with a little jump.


    "You better not laugh..." he nearly growled out after he tried again on several other brick walls, failing each time to just simply push it over.


    "I was never going to, I will just show you something first." I tell him as I go up to a brick wall and lean on it with my arm holding all my weight, it did not move. I then went to the next wall over and did the same, only to slip up with a laugh as I had sent it flying away. I then got up and did it again, this time falling on top of the wall and chipping it because it was not stronger than my body.


    "You just pushed it, though...?" he mumbled in confusion.


    "Yes, that is the point, Nin, you just got to push it, if it helps, try thinking of how you want the object to react when you push it. It''s what I did when I was younger."


    He then stopped and looked over at me, "How old are you...?"


    "Forty-two." I say to him with a smile as I was quite proud of what I had accomplished at my age. But him? He seemed to be bothered by it, "What about you?"


    "Around twenty..." he mumbled, something I was surprised by as the average age for this school was about thirty for the newest students. And I was only so much older because I had spent most of my time back home doing my magic training. Along with various other things that interested me or were expected of me as the daughter of a noble house.


    "You are twenty and were accepted here? That is amazing!" I said in awe to him but no embarrassment came from him like I was expecting. Just his hands suddenly clawing at his head.


    "I wasn''t accepted here because I am good with magic..." he nearly cried out while trembling, his body soon collapsing to the floor as he sniffled for a short while. A short while I cut even shorter by coming over to him and comforting him.


    "Then we will make sure you stay because you are!" I say to him with a smile before pulling him back to his feet so we could carry on with the little training session. Letting him cheer up by watching the brick walls reassemble themselves thanks to the guiding hands of the magical systems this room and the portal-linked building had. Bringing him back over to the walls so we could do a little more practise with them before I tried doing it with other pieces of gear. And a few smashed walls later, we were ready for another piece of equipment.


    "I just want you to run and jump for this one, like this." I explained while removing the more flappy and wind-catching parts of my outfit before then running along the designated path. Not using any water magic to jump this time and doing a flip in the air just because I enjoyed doing them and landing on my feet. A little hop coming from me just before my final stop. Waving him along as I moved out the way.


    Soon sitting down on a solid construct made by me so I could watch Nin as he had a go at it. Somewhat seriously nodding at what I saw as he began to run down the strip, but he was extremely awkward in doing so. Constantly slowing down whenever he reached a certain point with it ending with him jumping from a standing point rather than a running point. He was able to do a normal jump, however.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, Nin, where did you learn to control your magic?" I asked him before looking on in concern as he suddenly soured in mood. A lot more than previous issues we had encountered.


    "I couldn''t do magic until I woke up in a nest filled with..." he began to explain before he started gesturing at himself.


    "You couldn''t do magic until you were born...?" I said in confusion, the answer I had come to not making much sense. Turns out, it was wrong too as he was now shaking his head side-to-side with a grimace on his face. Clearly, he was having trouble with how to think of an answer so I found myself going towards him. Intent on making it clear he did not have to explain if he did not want to.


    "I was not always a bug, you know..." he mumbled, tilting my head before backing up slightly so I could listen, "I was once just a normal man working the usual time to feed himself and then one day I met this little thing that shot me and then I woke up in a cave where something tried to eat me and then BOOM!" he explained before roaring out the last word.


    "I think I understand." I softly said to him as he suddenly went quiet and began to get tearful.


    "No you don''t... How could you!? How could you understand what it means to know something bad happened, to have your body slowly turn into a monster to the point your friend has to kill you so you don''t hurt others. Only to then be brought back as this because of some nonsense with gods..." he quickly said before crying in full.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t laugh at you or insult you." I say to him with a soft smile as I pull him close to hug him and rock him back and forth. And once I felt like he had gotten enough of it out, I squirted some water in his face which caused him to smile just a little before he walked away.


    "So... Uh, Lari... Why do you keep being so nice to me...? Surely you must have heard about what I was before this morning? I have been here for more than a month at the very least!" he said as he threw his arms up into the air in frustration.


    "Because I don''t like the idea of living so close to someone I could help but did not." I said to him, something that seemed to set him off.


    "Then were you all the other days!? HM!? WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I WAS BEING TOLD TO KILL MYSELF!? WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I WAS BEING SHOT AT!? WHERE WERE YOU!?" he roared into my face after he worked himself up into a rage. A rage I intended to bring him out of by just holding his hand.


    "I had been busy, but, now, I will only be busy with you." I told him with an honest smile accompanying it. But that on its own was not enough to get past his growling exterior and I had to keep the smile up as his eyes stared intensely into my own. The click of his jaw being ever so close as I got a full view of all those teeth he had. Thin, plentiful and very sharp, clearly intended for shredding someone bloody.


    "Can we get back to the training...?" he then asked with a sigh as he suddenly switched moods.


    "Don''t do that." I told him firmly.


    "Don''t do what?" he asked in agitation.


    "Don''t just suddenly switch your moods like that, don''t tighten it close like a pot full of boiling water. Leave the lid open, let the water out." I elaborated to him as I rubbed his cheek while he maintained a glare. A snort leaving him before he put some distance between us.


    "The training?" he impatiently asked.


    "Yes, so, from what I have heard you say, it seems to be that you learned to handle your magic in a very particular way. You were scared and confused and as such your body learned to handle it two ways, when it was active to let it all out, to keep it all in when you were calmer and so on." I began to explain.


    "I''ve jumped high plenty of times when I was not scared..." he said as he crossed his arms.


    "I never said you only used magic when you were scared, I said that is how you learned to use it. So, I believe the best thing to do is to get you more used to casually using it, so you can knock a brick wall down without breaking it." giggling towards the end to lighten the mood even if he did not take kindly to it.


    "And what if there is no way for me to learn it like that?"


    "Then we try and add in an additional step to your body, think of it like this, you have your calm state where you can run normally and then we have your in-use state which is what you use when doing magic. What I want to try and do, at worst, is to make it so you can only use some of your magic rather than lots at once or more."


    "I think I understand... When I got here, I had to put a lot more effort in than usual because I had to keep... Someone... Alive through the cold."


    "Good! So we have a point of where we can work from, do you think you can explain it or is showing it likely going to be better?"


    "Probably showing it."


    "Got it!" I said to him before I skipped back over to the controls for this place. Messing around with it some more and increasing the magic within pieces of equipment I felt would work best. With this increase of magic, they''d be heavier, stronger and all-around upgraded compared to what they were before. But, before I went back to it, I made sure the safeties were engaged as the magic I put into it all was tougher than even I could do.


    "Nothing happened...?" he commented with a scratch of his neck.


    "Another ability for us to work on as well, but, yes, it has been changed, try knocking those walls over again." I explained to him before sitting back to watch him. Smiling in response when he began to nervously chuckle before getting frustrated at his inability to even budge the wall. And then he did what I told him not to do.


    "What did I tell you?" I questioned him as I got back up.


    "No, it''s not that... I''m just, remembering something." he explained as he began to replicate some kind of memory through his actions. It seemed to be that he had carried something heavy and was forced to drop it.


    "You are familiar with this aspect of internal-magic?"


    "I guess I am..." he said before he went back to the wall, soon shaking his head with a light growl, "No, I can''t move it."


    "Alright..." I say to him as I went over to the wall and began to tug on it until it had begun to move again. Slightly, ever so slightly, but these movements quickly built up into transferring enough force to bring it down. Only, he managed to stop it from crushing either me or him, even if he was swearing out his breaths and trembling. And without missing a beat, I dashed to the console and lowered the magic settings so he could then toss it away.


    "Good enough for you?" he groaned as he collapsed while moaning in pain. His body likely having gone into overdrive to support it all.


    "Have you ever done something like that before?"


    "What... Do you... Mean...?"


    "Lifting up a weight your body normally can''t handle." I clarified to him before his expression fouled.


    "I did, once. Back when I was still somewhat human... I was in this tournament that ended with me going unconscious because of how much I had to lift."


    "How much did you lift?"


    He sat up with my assistance and panted before gesturing, "Probably a set of weights made of full trunks and giant iron bands and spikes that probably could fill out this place?"


    My eyes widened, "Impressive, well, now that I have heard that, I think I have a good idea of how I can help you."


    "How?"


    "We just have you go gently through the motions as it seems you are just so used to going above and beyond for it all."


    "Didn''t you already point that out?"


    I smiled, "I suppose I have, now, come one, we''ll go for a jog." I say to him as I pull him up to his feet. Giggling as I dangled from his arm as his vastly greater height meant I could reliably swing from it. At least, until I fell to the floor because he yanked his arm out of my loose and relaxed grip. Yet my giggling did not turn to pain when I hit the floor with a thud, I just giggled some more before getting up.


    Once again returning to the console so we could modify the room with all of it disappearing shortly after in favour of a marked out course. I felt like we would be best in just having him doing basic exercise rather than anything me and my sister did. He needed to develop a nuance in his ability to regulate his magic and a simple jog might be best for it. After all, he struggled to run, so if we can figure out the means to get him moving fast without overapplying, we can then move on.


    "How long will we be doing this?" he then asked me once we had reached the start line of the course. My eyes initially focusing on his stomach before I looked up and grinned at him.


    "Until you are starved!" I say before then running off ahead of him, quickly putting the distance between us. Something that led to him chasing after me with explosive force so he could question me about my statement. But, every time he got close to grabbing me so he could get down to it, I avoided him and tutted at him with a smile. He was supposed to be jogging, not lancing through the air and jumping!


    "Hey! Wait! I am trying to speak to you!"


    "Catch up to me by doing as you are told then!" I say to him joyfully as I reversed course and spun around him before going ahead again. Soon getting a lot of distance when he came to a stop before slowly going again. Slowing down myself and running sideways as I was now opposite him. I was not a teacher at all, but, keeping him along what I thought was best seemed like the best action to take.


    And as I passed his uncertain form again, I smiled at him and gave him praise as he was getting better at it. This then kept on going and going until I then had to avoid his sudden attempt to catch me. Something I intended to enjoy, even if he was deviating from what he should have been doing. Yet, apparently, this was actually going to work as this addition of a visible goal was helping him!


    "Yes, just like that Nin! Keep it up and you might actually catch me!" I told him in order to cheer him on. Tapping his body every now and then when he got close in order to provoke a little more effort from him. The less he thought about it might have been better as this was meant to be a natural response the body did. Like flexing a finger, ideally, you should not be thinking about it as you did it, you just did.


    "Got you!" he exclaimed just as his hands were about to grab me before I slid away from him, causing his body to overexert and launch away. Standing still with a smile as I watched him carelessly get back to his feet before he looked at me.


    "Got who?" I said to him with a grin before he started chasing me again.


    .


    .


    .


    "So how long is it going to take to get me used to all this?" he asked me with worry in his words as I cleared out the room for we had been here for quite a while. I may have not been exerting myself heavily, but I was a little stretched thin for energy just because we had been doing it non-stop throughout the day. Very impressive as he did not even look tired or exhausted and he was the one putting the effort into it!


    "A few weeks maybe? We might be able to get some other stuff into it but magical control tends to come naturally for most while you seem like you never learned it."


    "Because I haven''t..." he moaned before he began to mumble some numbers before nodding as he looked about in a panic.


    "You are very concerned about the time it takes, are you near your entrance exam deadline?"


    "No... Still have a lot of time... I am just not sure if I can get it all done as I have to do so much in what is actually so little time. I thought I might be able to stay focused and just do work, work, work... But, I don''t think that actually is possible even with my circumstances."


    "Circumstances?"


    "If I... I... If I fail I will be execut-" he stuttered out on the brink of tears before I interrupted him.


    "But you won''t fail." I say to him seriously with a determined gaze.


    "You don''t know tha-"


    "You will not fail!" I say to him, having interrupted him again before I stepped closer to him. Staring intently into his eyes before he starts looking away nervously.


    His finger then tapped his leg, "Can I turn it off?" he then asked in an effort to change the subject.


    "Sure!" I tell him as I step aside so he could properly tidy up the room before we left the training facility. Where to next, however, I did not know, as there was still much I wanted to do today. Then again, I always did find excuses to stay away from homes and places of stay just because I liked doing things, not within such a small space.


    "How do I do it...?" he then asked sheepishly after cluelessly staring at the console.


    "See that one?"


    "I would if your finger wasn''t in the way..."


    "Just flick it."


    "Your finger or the switch?"


    "Why not both at once?" I said to him with a smile as I lightly giggled at his joke before my finger was then flicked up by his hand.


    "Don''t push me through it this time..." he then warned me as the portal out opened up as we moved back towards it.


    "No promises!" was all I had to say before I pushed him through it. Chasing after him and grinning at his body that was slowly getting back up before it got up just as the portal closed. The reflection his body made when it came into contact with the light of the portal also disappearing. Much to my disappointment as it was nice seeing how the magic looked on his polished form.


    "Is it alright if I go back to the dorm?" Nin then asked me as he looked away from the shutdown portal. A long and fearful sigh dotted with stutters having just left him as he looked that way.


    "Do you want to carry on our game then?" I ask as I got close to him, trying to egg him on with little gestures and motions.


    "How are we going to get to a roof from here?" he replied back with a little smile to which I just smirked at him.


    "Easy, we barge into another room and go through that one."


    He stepped back a little, "Anyway without getting seen?"


    "We barge into and go through an empty room." I said, expanding upon what I had said just before. Something he reluctantly agreed to with a nod before I then took him somewhere else. Peaking through every hole I saw on the way to find an empty room and smiling in joy when I found the room we would be using. Quickly entering it and opening the window up fully before going through it.


    Holding my arms down so I could then pull Nin up to the roof with him, in turn, picking me up off the floor, or roof, rather. And soon, I was at the edge of the building trying to find our dorm amongst all the identical-looking buildings. Imagining myself as walking on the ground before figuring out what one it was. Then, I used my magic to solve the prior issue we had.


    "Take my hand!" I say to him with building excitement that worried him. A tightrope made of magical water having just appeared by my feet. And, with reluctance, he grabbed my hand and we zipped off to another building with him making loud noises when we started. Then, when we reached the other roof, I slid to a halt while he carried on until he had a gentle crash.


    "Don''t do that again..." he complained as he got up and shook his head clear of powdered tile. A little splash of water from me cleaning off the rest that had stubbornly stuck itself on to him.


    "Now, let''s go!" I say as I  jumped a building over. Using my time on the raised ground to observe what Nin had been able to implement. Nodding in satisfaction when it became clear he had improved greatly since before so long as he was motionless before the jump. Yet, despite his newfound skill, I had to catch and grab him a few times.


    "How many more to go...?" he asked after a short while to which I put a hand to my chin and walked. Letting out a noise to indicate my pondering before suddenly dropping down, much to his shock.


    "None!" I say to him as I look up at him from the very same window we initially left through. Bringing the water platform I had made for myself up to his level so he could get on before losing myself in the distant view. The orbital-halo had begun to descend and the sky was a different colour due to it. I really liked it all, especially how the orange conflicted and mixed with the purple that made up the upper atmosphere.


    "That thing moves a lot." he then commented as his eyes looked on at the city we were near.


    "Was it always like that?" I then commented as I looked at what he was looking at. The giant structure at the centre looked like it was sinking into the city!


    "This time yesterday it was, and the day before that. And so on." he said with a smile.


    "You like watching it?"


    "I like machines."


    "I figured you did." I said with a smile as I remembered how much he seemed to enjoy looking at all the magic circuits and machine pieces. From the most basic to the more refined, it had him interested.


    "What sort of things do you like looking at?" he then asked me as he turned his attention to me. A smile growing on my face as he kept his gaze on me.


    "People smile." was all I said to him as I patted his cheek before going back into the building. Prancing around for a bit before aiming to collapse on something soft, stopping myself with a sudden jerk to the walls, however. I was all sweaty and dirty because of our work today and I was about to ruin this comfortable item with an unpleasant stink.


    "You alright?" he asked me as his hand began to harshly pat my back. But, as he was not stronger than me, I did not budge and just smirked at him.


    "Nice try, but, if you need me, I shall be showering and cleaning myself up!"


    "Can''t you just wash yourself with your magic? It''s water magic, isn''t it?"


    "I''m not washing myself with magic I can not control the temperature of. I like warm water thank you!" I say to him before disappearing from his view and heading to one of the washrooms. Not really minding what one I went into. Turns out, I had gone into a private one like I intentionally went into earlier with Nin. And soon, I was looking at myself in a mirror, smiling at the caramel-skinned, blue-haired girl that was smiling back at me.


    This girl in the mirror was also soon naked and singing just like me with the sound of the running water blending in perfectly with my voice. Not because I could sing so well that it was woven into my voice, but because the language I sang in was influenced by water magic. So as such, it sounded like the noises water made when it was going through pipes or along a coastline or down from the sky and into the earth below. Just like how everyone here sounded like they were whistling or blowing to some extent.


    "Quinshuu doesn''t sound like anything, though." I then commented as I thought on our light magic blessed dorm mate. But, I suppose it made sense, light did not really have a sound, yet, he still sounded distinct. Maybe because it influenced behaviour more so than how you spoke? I guess I could always ask him later.


    Nin was similar in a way, he did not sound like he whistled, he had those little clicks of his and a much larger mouth. He even just sounded like someone who was from a completely different land to most others here. Which, I guess made sense as he was not sure about his magic so maybe he was from a very isolated place?


    So many interesting questions I could ask him, but right now I just wanted to sing as I manipulated the water flowing and dripping off of me. Moving my hips back and forth while my fingers tapped against each other and forced the water about. I even began to rub my hands along my naked body as I flexed my body down while maintaining the shaking of my legs and hips. All to let to water runoff me in a different manner.


    And then, when I was done, I summoned a pole of solid water to spin up on to get out of the shower. Using my magic to manipulate droplets on the shower handle to turn it off and looking at the mirror I had kept clear with my magic. I may have not been able to control steam, but, I could stop a mirror from getting steamed up! So now all I had to do was ignore the droplets I left on the glass.


    "Do I still have it? I think I still have it." I said to myself before giggling at my reflection. Soon laughing at myself for a different reason when I realised I forgot both a change of clothes and a towel. Then, with a giggle sealed in my lips, I dashed out of the washroom and past anyone upstairs to get to my clothes and a means to dry myself. The sounds of shock and surprise at the naked beauty running by bringing even more joy to my face.

 Incline 5: Two Broken Bridges

    "Like this?" I asked the teacher while blue lightning left my hands, their individual arcs shooting straight back into my arm not long after leaving. Meanwhile, a set of measuring devices I had been hooked up to were keeping an eye on how I was casting this magic and they had been a great help. Because with these devices the teachers could point out and explain in detail what I was doing wrong and despite how short a time I had been at this place... I had already learned so much!


    Once I would lose control of my body after using magic or just parts of it so long as I kept the spell localised. But now? All I had to worry about was a loss of sensation rather than any spasms or unresponsive and twitching limbs. So as such, I was very happy with my progress.


    I had even managed to make a small group of friends who were also from my homeland. So, because of them, I was able to get a more intimate and local opinion of how I was doing. Which, in all likelihood, made my efforts go along a lot more smoothly as despite this Oddity House being equipped and staffed by trained individuals. They still did not seem to have a full grasp on foreign magics and tended to speak and act in terms of how wind works.


    Yet, sometimes these descriptions by them would work, for it was wind driving the clouds that lead to lightning. So, provided I was able to translate the context in my head or in writing, I could work with it, but it wasn''t a guarantee. Which is why I was very happy to have made friends from my land and people, they could fill in the gaps the teachers could not. I was also quite surprised to know many of them came from lesser nobility within the borders of land owned by my family!


    "Yes, you are doing wonderful work right now, Student Einervaene. How much longer do you think you can keep it up for?" the teacher complimented which left me smiling before I moved on to thinking about his question. It was a bit hard to tell, I was not feeling like I was losing control nor was this taxing on my external-magic flow so I could not tell. But, it was very uncomfortable to be casting like this, it was like a constant pins and needles sensation.


    "Probably about... Now?" I say to him, stopping my magic right then and there as I finished the sentence. The sound of notes being written filling my ears shortly after as I waited there, still hooked up to the machines. Soon getting out of them as one of the assistants took it all off of me and directed me away from the machine. My eyes looking over at the teacher as he came over and handed me something.


    "What I have just given you is a copy of all my notes with annotations on what you could do to improve. And the other one is regarding that uniform request."


    "They accepted it?" I asked him in excitement as I began to think about the fact I might be able to get something useful done to my clothes. Well, rather, I would be getting clothes that looked like the ones I had grown to like which I borrowed from Rossie-chira.


    "Yes and no, the Council of Student Refurbishment turned it down, but, an individual within Mechanical House has shown interest in making it."


    "Oh," I let out, slightly disappointed I would have to put a little more legwork than expected into it, "Is there a reason it was rejected? You did say I had a valid enough reason to make the request as we had outlined."


    "I know, I know, but, according to the Council of Student Refurbishment, they felt it would be too short term to justify."


    "Too short term? There''s no telling how long I will be stuck casting and using my external-magic in a sacrificial manner!"


    "The notes I have compiled and your progress seems to have convinced them otherwise. Which, I can understand, you have made some exceptional progress these past few weeks even with your stated time of how long you have been doing this."


    I smiled again, slightly embarrassed by the praise, "So who in Mechanical House will I be looking for?"


    "The document I have given you gives you all the necessary details, Student Einervaene. But, I will encourage you to get to it as soon as possible, being a fellow student, they might not be so patient regarding it. Mechanical House can be very easily distracted at times with their projects, collective or individual."


    "I think I have time today, so would that be a good time?"


    "As I said, the sooner the better."


    "Noted, but, out of curiosity, do you know of any collective projects Mechanical House does?" I then asked him as I readjusted my grip on the tablets I was handed. What he just said having caught my eye, or rather, ear. Soon moving for the exit but lingering so he could answer.


    "Sorry, I don''t pay much attention, but, I know about now they are working on this year''s Inter-House Talent Conflict arena. It should be very interesting to see that."


    "Inter-House Talent Conflict?" I repeated in confusion, having not heard of it.


    "While we, the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding do not have a dedicated timetable for terms and so on with it entirely being unique to each student, we do have one exception. That being the Inter-House Talent Conflict which happens about two to three weeks after the end of the exam period dedicated to the main bulk of our student influx. You''ll hear more about it later in the year, but, essentially, it''s a rather violent sporting event where all our up and coming witches can test how skilled they have gotten if they want."


    I backed away slightly, "I think I will probably just watch if I am honest." I tell him before gesturing goodbye and heading out. Pondering it in my head as I left the building I had been in for the duration of that session. I know magic training often led to people becoming fighters, but it was not an inherent and pre-determined outcome. Some did it for leisure and others wanted specific skills tailored.


    I, for example, was training in my magic so I could be more respectable when I went on home and so I could exert more authority. Because being skilled in magic ultimately meant more respect directed towards you due to it being such a hard thing to master. Even though the scale of this school might contribute to one becoming divorced from reality. Witches were rare, and frankly, it was amazing I got to travel with a small group of them of various skill levels.


    But, speaking of that, I should also find some time to speak to Urtuoi-kischu again! I had not had the time recently and while it was cowardly of me, I did not want to be involved in his... Issues within the confines of this place. I know it wasn''t right of me but I needed this education to go smoothly and being with him in public might ruin that...


    So, even with these issues, I wanted to make sure I could be there for him from time to time. Even if it is a sudden drop from what we did before, but, a decline was to be expected. We were freely travelling before, so one should not have come here expecting the same amount of hanging out and such. Yet, that did not excuse me from the idea of spending time with him and having fun and all that.


    He was my friend after all and I was his so as such we had a responsibility to each other. I just hoped I could get back to the dorm at a time he was there for a long while. At the very least long enough for us to share a meal together so we could catch up. Or, maybe, I could take advantage of the fact a lot of this school revolved around the student self-determining if they took part.


    I could just skip a day of work and so on, relax for a day and just spend it with him? That would be something I would like to do, I would even like Rossie-chira to be there. It could be just like our mealtimes back in that town with the Thurnaimarhos of it who I also hope was fine. We did leave on quite messy terms after all.


    But, now that I thought of her, I was left worried somewhat for Rossie-chira as I had seen her spending a lot of time on her own. Something she did not normally do, normally she went along with Urtuoi-kischu whenever possible and was very clingy with him. Something I got a full lesson in several times over as she was very protective of him. But now...?


    She seemed a little different, I myself may not have seen Urtuoi-kischu enough these past few weeks but she seems to have not either. Had they had a falling out? No, that couldn''t have been it, even when either of them got angry with the other it smoothed out quickly. Rossie-chira was easily pushed around like that, not in the bad way, though.


    She was just quick to relent or quick to accept apologies from Urtuoi-kischu. Yet, one thing I found a little funny was how now that I did not have her constantly trying to ward me away from Urtuoi-kischu, he came up in my thoughts less often. So I managed to succeed in doing what she told me to do! But maybe that was the point, to go away from him so I would not think on him often?


    Yet, that seemed to have backfired as now I was thinking about him a lot and the smile and brief laugh I just produced proved it. I had good reason to think about him this time, however, a lot has happened since we had gotten here. A lot of stuff I could not imagine being good for him. And with those thoughts I found my smile disappearing as I remembered how I felt when he was revealed to the entire Academy.


    Even now I don''t think I could describe it, it was just so much to take in, all that noise, all those curses and all those screams. Even being in the privacy of our dorms did not let us escape from it all as we were all given personal rundowns on how Urtuoi-kischu was to be treated. How he was meant to be locked into his room at night, signs to keep an eye out for... It was all so draining to have to deal with it.


    And that was just me, someone who was not the target of it all!


    "Maybe it would not be a good idea to get too blunt with my questions then? Keep it as off-topic to these problems as much as possible?" I found myself vocally thinking as I turned a corner. A short sigh of exhaustion leaving me as I focused on how much longer I still had to go before I got to the part of the Academy with Mechanical House in it. And upon doing that sigh, I found the topic of Urtuoi-kischu being put aside so I could just quietly complain about all the walking. Then, I looked up, into the sky and then focusing on all the students that were flying.


    "Maybe I could do that at some point, figure out how to fly like they do? Rather than how I used to do it." I commented while watching someone recline comfortably on a solid gust of wind that carried her about. Smiling once again as I tried to imagine how comfortable that might be. But then I found myself thinking on how I would use my magic to fly. Flying after all was considered both a badge of honour and a badge of skill.


    It was by no means an easy to learn or basic skill, but, it was seen as the benchmark for all those who wanted to be called ''witch.'' And there was some irony to such a type of spell being a benchmark achievement needed to really advance in this life. Depending on how you learned your magic and what influenced you as you learnt it all... You could end up completely locking yourself out of the ability to fly as your mind might not be able to process a means...


    And while I did not want to inflate my ego or come across as arrogant, even in my own head, I was certain of one thing. Flying would be an achievable goal for me for I was of a people whose magic came from the sky. And even in my inexperienced state, I had developed a spell that would let me ascend to the sky! A spell that I must have surely improved upon since learning new casting techniques?


    "I should actually see how close to being able to fly I actually am!" I soon beamed out with an open-mouth smile. Quickly setting aside my former goal as I went off towards an empty stretch of grass. Nearly collapsing due to the amount of breath I needed to take in again once I had finished running to this field of green. And even with a red face and strained set of lungs, I kept looking up with a smile.


    Then, once I had recovered enough, I stood up again and flicked my wrists about. Setting aside everything I had been carrying a short distance away just in case this became a messy attempt to fly. And once it was all sorted, I closed my eyes and took in a few calming breaths. Making sure I was focusing entirely on what I had been taught before I even attempted anything.


    "Just like usual, you know how to do this..." I said to myself nervously, even though it was meant to reaffirm my thoughts with confidence. A contradiction that had me looking about with a frown before I got back into the determined mindset. Then, I began to feel it all, my body warping and transmuting and the sudden lightness that followed. Yet, a problem soon arose in that I felt myself being pulled apart!


    So, in a panic, I cancelled the spell and fell to the slightly singed ground before flailing about. Soon calming down as I took many, many breaths to calm myself down before getting up and crawling over to where I had put my notes down. Stuttering out a sigh as control returned to my body before I began to write down what I had experienced. Staring intently at it while trying to think about what went wrong.


    The answer I felt like was most correct was that this spell of mine was built around ascending to the clouds. Something I could not do here as there were no clouds unless you went to the edge of the plateau and headed down the mountainside or the spiralling road. But, as I sat there pondering, I felt the tug on my magical aura which I had briefly lost control of. Perhaps the machines within this place and the neighbouring city had interfered with it?


    If that was the case then I was left even more impressed by those that were flying overhead as that meant they beat the pull of an entire city! They had such mastery over their own internal, external-magic and subsequent aura that they could win against the machines of this place! Yet, now that I was made more keenly aware of the magic-hungry city we were so close to. I found myself writing down a note regarding the teachers, that I should ask them for more details.


    Maybe I could get insight into how the city''s magic systems worked or maybe I could get tools to help me against it. Personally, I would prefer the first option as tools can sometimes be curses that kept you from developing. But, if it came to it, I think I would be willing to set aside any ambition so I could learn to fly. Flying in of itself was so prestigious a spell-type that it would hardly be a sore spot.


    Assuming I never met anyone who had learned to fly despite all the challenges, but, to meet such an individual would have been an honour! A witch of such skill and prestige could be tolerated to some extent. Like how it was easier to forgive the arrogance of a higher noble back home. Or the lack of manners from a commoner.


    You just learned to accept common problems without fail after a certain point.


    And soon, I got up from my spot on the ground, having decided to give it just one more go out here before carrying on with my day. Maybe, just maybe, I would do better this time as I had a better idea of what to expect from it all. Or maybe I should have just stopped here and now before I seriously hurt myself trying to contend with the magic-swallowing city near us? And despite this counter-thought that warned me, I moved on with it anyway.


    I could just imagine everyone''s faces if I came to them saying I had been able to fly for just a moment!


    So, with a smile back on my face, I gave it another go and turned myself into lightning with the usual sounds accompanying it. Nothing good came from it, though, I just ended up repeating what had happened earlier. And once I was back into my actual body, I lay on the ground and clicked my tongue. A shake of the head following the moments of silence that followed but preceding my return to the real reason I was out here.


    "I hope that did not cost me my chance with Mechanical House." I commented as I went back to where I was going after grabbing my stuff. Holding a finger up as I walked so I could inspect how the lighting arced off of it outside with a weak will controlling it. I had not used much magic outside since arriving here, so it was interesting to watch it head to the city. And when I concentrated on it, the lightning straightened out and headed roughly where I wanted it to go but with some pullback.


    Having just seen this, a new thought came up in my head. Could I use this as a means to measure my progress? To see how well my magic could stand against the city that tried to take control of it? I was not sure how I could document it, but I felt like it was a good way to measure my finesse and so on.


    Perhaps I could even push some extra stuff from this individual in Mechanical House in order to do so? Like, maybe use my body to influence him or just my personality? I felt more comfortable with the latter if I was honest. Using my body seemed more like something Rossie-chira would do.


    It could not have been a lack of confidence, though, I knew very well I was beautiful and I had a high opinion of my looks and wished to maintain them. Yet, despite this, I was unnerved by the idea of say, placing an arm between my breasts or accentuating certain body parts. My clothes would certainly help that as they were otherwise designed for it going by Rossie-chira''s personality. But, one core idea stuck with me, maybe it was because I was raised to be more refined?


    Being a refined woman tended to not encourage lechery such as taking advantage of a gap in my clothes to let a headrest on my bare underboob. I was even becoming redfaced from just the thought of it alone! A thought was all it took to embarrass me. So how would I ever go through with it for real!?


    "Let alone what Urtuoi-kischu might thi-" I began to say before stopping myself so I could frown. Why did I just think of him, why? He was just my friend, he wasn''t my parent or a guardian of mine, he did not raise me. So why was I concerned about what he might think alone?


    Either way, I soon rubbed my face with a gloved palm before huffing out a laugh. This wasn''t the first time he appeared in my thoughts at the most random of times and I had no idea why. He wasn''t a human so it could not have been the fact I was attracted to him or falling for him. Yet, I had to be honest, being near him had this strange presence to it, like something compelled me to be near him.


    I even have vague memories of a moment when I was near him and he suddenly seemed less... I did not know the correct word at all. I did not want to say attractive or handsome or anything like that. But, all I know is I took off a bracelet while drunk or tipsy, rather, noblewomen should never be drunk!


    "I guess I can enquire about it here, I suppose." I then said with a shrug as I finally arrived at the section of the Academy dedicated to Mechanical House. And it was, well, it smelled, it smelled of strong mixtures of oils and other chemicals. A very harsh set of smells all in all now that I was here. The place was even more developed in general!


    Lots of metal pathways and painted on guidelines and the amount of wall-mounted medical kits and other forms of health and safety were abundant. And I really wish I had something to block my ears with too, it was very noisy here. Bangs, clangs and booms just kept vibrating throughout the air and I had to keep a loose jaw there were that many strong shakes! So, having taken it all in, I was very glad to have made it into the building I should be at.


    And when those doors closed behind me it became very peaceful. The smells were suddenly clean and the noises were dulled or gone. I even found myself quietly laughing at the idea of bringing a scented candle next time if I ever had to return here. Would certainly make it so I wasn''t rushing through the factory-like area of the Academy!


    "Hey! Who are you?" someone called out to me from a chair on wheels as the group he was with stopped playing some kind of game on them. Some kind of game involving a stick, balls and what I assumed was a net of some description? But, it looked more like an overturned bin now that I got a better look at it.


    "I am Einervaene, I am here regarding someone taking interest in something I submitted to the uniform people?" I recall with some confusion as I could not remember the name right now. Too many distractions overwhelming my mind and senses.


    "Einervaene... Uniform... You lot got any ideas?"


    "Einervaene!? Hold on!" someone called out from a little further on before they stumbled out of a room. A room that spat out several coils of wire and tubes wrapped in various colours of thread.


    "Are you the one I am meant to go to?" I ask as I stepped around the people playing the game. Slightly unsure of how to react when I heard a sudden wave of comments regarding my legs and rear. One even sounding smug about the fact I had walked past his sitting form which gave him a pleasant upwards view. It felt like I was embarrassed from being praised, to be honest, like how I felt with the teacher before when they complimented my learning speed.


    "Yes, yeah..." he said as he began to kick everything back into the room. Soon going along with where he was pushing me before he closed the door shut with a loud bang. And I wasn''t sure what to do after, I was just standing here and he was scurrying about. An item or two in hand before he got up to put it away before he repeated the process.


    "So what is it you wanted me to speak about? I know you stated interest in my request but the teacher mentioned other details."


    "Yeah, I showed interest in it. Wanted to do a little work on it as practice for other things I am making." he said as he gave up tidying this place, kicking a barrel away with a huff before he sat down. His wheeled chair not getting far before he had to kick more items out of the way.


    "Thank you for doing this, then." I say to him as I stepped a little closer with what I had before putting it by him just in case. His hands soon going over them before he stopped on the tablet with the details regarding him.


    "Alright, I have one condition."


    I frowned, I was hoping to get it as I wanted it, "What is it?"


    "I want to do it in black, not white."


    I tilted my head slightly, "Is there a reason for that? I wanted it to look as similar to this as possible." I explained to him. Gesturing to the outfit I had gotten from Rossie-chira back in that town we left.


    "Because one of your statements was you wanted runed metal attached to this new set of clothes and as you elaborated that... Lig... Lightning was your magic, copper would be best and copper does not work with white."


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "Can''t you just paint over the copper? Electroplate it or something?" I then asked him as this just struck me as a very strange change. There were ways to get past this annoyance of his so why did he not move to take them?


    He suddenly looked frustrated, "Look, do you want my help or not?" he then said to me. Something that made me want to frown as it was little better than a threat. A minor, insignificant threat, but a threat nonetheless.


    "No, it''s fine, it''s fine. Is that all the changes you wanted to make?"


    "Yeah, I can find everything else by just going to the necessary places. Are your measurements included?" he said before asking.


    "Yes, I made sure to measure them with a friend."


    "All measurements?" he then asked as his eyes stared intently at my chest. A chest I soon moved to cover with an item that I was fiddling with.


    "Yes, we made sure all possible measurements were written down."


    "Good," was what he said before he ploughed his chair through the mess of this room, "Copper... Lightning magic guiding... Black fabric... Uh... Yeah..." he then mumbled as he pressed several buttons. A few moments marked by clicks and taps filling the room before the main event. Then, it soon all came alive with a sudden magic flow as he went back to cleaning. But, it was mostly around this single machine.


    I assume he was clearing the space around it so he could get to it. But, I really wished this place was just clean, to begin with as the mess was really annoying me. Maybe it was just my upbringing and the lessons that came with it. But I just did not want to be here in such a filthy place.


    The room then suddenly became silent and he perked up with a smile, his hands soon opening up a machine. Soon after coming out of that machine with several pieces of black clothing rimmed with decorated copper plating and wires. Then, the items were in my hands and he looked at me expectingly. I looked back at him intensely.


    "Well, put it on."


    I blinked, "Excuse me?"


    "Put it on, I need to see if it fits fine."


    I blinked again as my grip tightened, "Excuse me?"


    "You deaf? I just spoke clearly."


    I started glaring at him, "Get out." I ordered.


    He moved his head back, "You can''t just kick me out of my own workshop." he grumbled.


    "I can when you suddenly want me to get changed in front of you!" I nearly shouted at him as I grabbed him and shoved him out. Shocking him on the way out before locking the door behind me with a sigh. My eyes soon looking about uncomfortably as I was completely unaware if any surveillance equipment was in here. But, as I wanted to be done with this room, I took in a deep breath and got to it.


    Making sure I did not let my exposed body linger as such for long and going about it methodically. Taking off what I could and replacing it before going on to other pieces of clothing and switching over to it. Slightly panicking when I got to my lower body and upper chest as my body shape had to be contested with. Yet soon, despite my rush and mistakes, I got dressed again in the new outfit.


    A small smile on my face as I felt the warmth of the freshly sorted out fabric. But, before I opened the door again, I looked for a mirror while holding my newest clothing addition. A prideful grin soon appearing on my face as I put a wide-brimmed hat on my head. Tilting it down slightly as I stuck a hip out and rubbed a leg before this room''s mirror.


    "Can''t wait to show the others!" I said with lots of giddiness before moving about in the outfit. Making sure it was all to the proper standards before then picking up my older outfit. A smile on my face as I looked on at it before my lips tightened a little. I really did not want to give it back to Rossie-chira...


    I just had gotten so used to it and had learned to really enjoy this outfit and it was very special to me! I hadn''t had it for long, granted, but a lot had happened in this outfit and it held a lot of meaning. As such, even though I really should have returned it, I did not want to. Maybe Rossie-chira would not notice, but only time would tell.


    "Thank you for your help and by the gods... Clean up that place!" I said in thanks first before letting out my annoyance. Leaving behind the one who had just helped me with a smile on my lips and greater bounce in my step.


    "We have changing rooms you know!" he then called out to me, but I just ignored him as my eyes widened. A sudden flow of air leaving my nose as I got rid of that embarrassment. Suddenly looking down to make sure I had everything before nodding as I left through the door. Going back into the noise and stink of Mechanical House.


    "God of Air, please safe me from being a potential carrier of smells from here..." I prayed in worry, marching off quickly to escape the industrial landscape. I did not want my show-off moment to be ruined by the smell of oil! But, I might have been willing to ruin it with the smell and sight of dirt now that I thought about it... This outfit was designed to help me guide my magic after all, maybe it would help me do what I tried before?


    I hope it did!


    .


    .


    .


    I looked through the window of my room with a frown that was quickly turning into a glare. What I was seeing was bothering me somehow, it just bothered me so much. Nin was currently on the roof with some girl with a sapphire glow. A glow far more intense than mine and possibly even Vine''s! But I just was not sure why it bothered me.


    I had given up on Nin, he just wasn''t strong enough and another had caught my eye, one who had proven himself superior. He even showed me far greater affection than Nin ever did! He was actually responsive to my love. Seigunfrei had just as a whole shown himself to be better for being a future father.


    Our son would be strong and lack the impurities my blood might have given him...


    "Ninno! No! Like this!" laughed out that sapphire-aura''d woman as she let her magic fill the air. The sudden loudness of her voice bringing my eyes back to their general direction which it stayed before they disappeared. A gentle growl leaving me as I shut the curtains and stood up with my arms crossed. An almost protective manner which I found odd.


    And when I moved to leave the room, I did not head downstairs or towards one of the others. I went straight towards the one Nin had left through earlier with that woman. The ruckus they were making getting louder before I heard Nin''s disgusting parasite feet land on the floor. It being slightly dulled as I was lingering around the corner of the door.


    Sneering at what I heard before I then tried to go elsewhere but I was not quick enough. Because soon my tail reacted aggressively to a sudden hand going near it and that woman danced past me. A wave being directed at me before she disappeared into another room. Quiet footsteps behind me signalling that Nin had left the room.


    "Hello, Rose, how have you been?" Nin asked me softly and nervously, yet, despite that, I did not scoff at his pathetic state. I just hid my frown and kept my back towards him before speaking.


    "I''ve been fine, I am just going somewhere." I told him as my mind suddenly became full of thoughts relating to Seigunfrei. I should just go to him and stay with him for the night, hopefully that would reaffirm my thoughts. Get them focusing solely on the one who was better and not the weakling behind me.


    "Where are you going?" he then asked me which left me slightly annoyed. Why did he care? He wasn''t my love, he had no right to know. Yes... He had no right!


    "It doesn''t concern you." I told him sternly as I began to leave.


    "If you don''t want me coming along, that is fine... But I just asked you where you were going Rose... You''ve been distant lately..." he told me quietly, a slight whimper in his voice as he likely thought of the old me. The one that comforted him in the valleys of this land and in the hidden groves up in the mountains. The one who helped soothe his fear and...


    "And I have been distant for a good reason, osibindah." I spat out at him before hurrying off away from him. The sudden flare-up of anger disappearing quickly as tears for some reason began to form in my eyes. Tears I nearly clawed out as they had no right to be there! Or did they?


    He was an osibindah, after all, I was just scared... Being scared of such an osibindah was the right thing to do. An osibindah that had saved my life on several occasions and had done more than anyone else. An osibindah who was willing to get shot at and nearly die to get my most important stuff...


    Stuff I now had securely stored away in my room...


    Dammit!


    There was no reason for me to be thinking of him, he was weak! I had no reason to care! None at all! So why won''t he get out of my head!?


    A magic-covered fist of mine soon slamming into the wall beside me and leaving barely a scratch. All because I just wasn''t strong enough to, my magic was not potent enough to affect items so pure in magic. Items I once saw as the rarest luxury in life as we aelenvari rarely went up into the cities as a flower. Only on our own if we left them...


    And as I stood there, the tip of my points attempting to dig into the floorboards as I did so, I went quiet. Shaking my head before straightening myself out before I began to move away from the stairs. Coming to a stop once more when I saw through the open door a more welcoming sight. A petal who shone with golden light.


    With a smile now forming on my otherwise bothered face, I walked closer to the main door and waited for her. Returning her large and excited wave with a more modest one of my own making as she came closer. One of my brows rising as she got closer for there was something new about her this time. She had a strong frame to her now, something was taking in her magic and focusing it along specific routes.


    Her fingertips, the rims of her breasts, along her arms and legs and the base of them too. All of it had a harsh, stern route to it, with hints of the pale blue one might have seen throughout this place. Had she implemented something new to her outfit? I would ask but I was getting the feeling she would explain away once she stopped before me.


    "Do you like my new outfit, Rossie-chira?" she asked me with her excitement made clear through her voice too. My smile grew larger as I watched her move her body about with confidence once she came through the door and stopped in the hall. It was nice to see her acting more like a petal rather than a root. And even if I could not see what was truly different about this outfit, I did like what it did to her magic.


    "I do, I do very much." I say to her as I held her hand and ran a finger along the concentrated magic. A shiver going down my spine as it gave off the impression that she was much stronger than she actually was. An interesting detail that I was sure could have easily tricked a stem desperate for a male if she was actually one. Rather than, well, a potential competitor to my own desires.


    But, perhaps I was lucky to have her now. My interest in the osibindah had died off and now it won''t be as much an issue anymore to see her with him. Yet, as a friend of hers, could I truly just let it happen? To let an osibindah taint her petal-like quality?


    But that made no sense... That parasite was strong in body and arcane reserve, he would only ever grant strong sons and daughters. The latter being more misfortunate than the former, but, humans were different. They had not suffered a devastating loss of their male population, so a daughter was equal, not lesser.


    "Is something bothering you?" Vine asked me as one of her fingers prodded my upper cheek and squashed something. A wetness covering it as she withdrew her finger, tears? Indeed they were, I had been crying again as I stewed in my thoughts.


    "No, I am fine, Vine, I am fine. Go and enjoy yourself, I just have to do something." I told her as I ushered her along. Having put her back into her more joyful mood with the sharp tap of her high-heeled shoes signalling her departure from my immediate presence. Yet, instead of heading out, towards Exceptional House, I lingered some more.


    Quietly following her until the meeting I was curious about happened. When she saw that parasite again.


    "Urtuoi-kischu! Look! You like?" she asked in a joyful tone as the sound of her moving and spinning about filled my ears. Only for it to then be drowned out by the sudden shattering of wood and growls.


    "You haven''t spoken to me for weeks... You have acted like I don''t exist... And the first thing you say to me... IS HOW YOU LOOK!? HOW YOU!?" the parasite said with growing rage as it became clear he had moved closer to intimidate her. Yet, even as my friend was threatened by the parasite, I did not move. I just sneered and insulted him in my head.


    Her voice was shaking, "I... I haven''t..." she stuttered out, likely bending to the pressure his presence put upon her.


    "Look at you... You can''t even give me an answer..." the parasite growled before the sound of a body hitting the floor then came out of that room.


    "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" Vine shouted back in anger, a clear sense of hurt in her voice as heavier footsteps became distant, "What did I do...?" I then heard her whimper out before it became clear she had broken down crying. And I did not come to comfort her, I just sneered once again at the thought of the parasite and moved to leave. Shaking my head as one phrase lingered in my mind...


    ''Of course, that is what was going to happen!''


    He was an osibindah, an untrained weakling, a spineless, cowardly weakling. Just like roots, but at least roots understood that they were weak! They didn''t try to act beyond their station unlike him! His entitlement would bring him nothing but problems.


    And as I walked along a path, a twitch forming near my right eye, I found myself suddenly upset again. So upset that I felt the need to just sit down for a bit which I did once I found a place that wasn''t filthy with moss or dust. Then, as I sat there, I found my face resting in my palms while my tail went limp. Its largely boneless mass just flowing in the wind as my head found itself going to a sight I could never be angry or upset around.


    Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra.


    "Why did such a sight have to make me think of him..." I then moaned out miserably as my head collapsed gently. The means that I use to speak with my true-voice rubbing along what my head rested on before my arm lifted them up a little. And now I was left wondering something regarding it. If I was no longer spending time with a magically untrained parasite, why was I still using words?


    I had a far more beautiful means to speak and I could even maintain some privacy with it! Yet, for some reason, they just did not light up like how I wanted them to. It was like a coup had happened within them, a coup that had the sole desire of stopping my true-voice from being heard. And I did not know why that was happening.


    I had never heard of an aelenvari losing the ability to speak with their true-voice before...


    "Why hello there!" I suddenly found myself saying with sudden upbeatness as I looked down at my leg. Something had walked into it and it was a male! Not just any male, an aelenvari son! In fact, I was so overjoyed at seeing it that I might have cried had I not had other details on mind.


    And as I moved to pick it up, a croaky voice called out to the son near the tips of my points. A voice that sounded eerily familiar, yet, it felt odd hearing it now for some reason. Well, that is, until I turned around to see who the voice belonged to. And to my surprise, it was her, the one I once saw as nothing but a thief of two former interests of mine.


    "I-Ivy-Mother!?" they said in fright as they backed up after having picked up the confused son. A solemn frown on my face as I looked at the scarred female before me. One I had done so much to cause grief and harm to.


    I looked away before answering, what she referred to me as was a tender spot for me, "I am no longer an ivy-mother, Dandel''lhia." I said to her. Slightly bemused by the fact I was able to say her name right despite what I had done to her hair. That dye was still there and her hair was still tainted with a false colour. A false colour that even interfered with my magic-seeing eyesight.


    I wonder why she had not taken the means to get rid of the dye? The wind-people surely had the capacity to do it, no? Or had she just not wanted to? I guess I would only find out if I asked her.


    "I-I''m sorry, I got to go." she said to me, her voice threatening to give out.


    "What''s his name?" I then asked her, having stopped her from leaving with just that one question. A sign I still held my former authority as an Ivy-Mother to some extent. Or, maybe, she was just scared of me, the one who had her hurt so badly.


    "Spruce''endoor, his name is Spruce''endoor." she said shyly, she even said his name with uncertainty. No confidence at all. What an odd thing for a mother to do...


    "He came out of his seed when you had just arrived here?" she nodded in response after I asked that. Then, she finally worked up the courage to leave and went away from me while I kept my eyes on her. A small smile on my lips as I looked at that rather healthy son of hers. I guess Oak''endoor was properly suited for his role as the Gilded-Bark of our flower.


    And then my thoughts fouled again as that parasite somehow became involved with them again, much to my annoyance. But, I figured out why quickly as I remembered what happened before he savagely beat me to near-death. Back when he still held some claim to the idea of being a human, when it was just a curiosity that afflicted his body. Back when he was going to pollinate my womb with a son of his own making...


    Even though I was angry at the idea of that parasite being on my mind again, I found myself blushing. A clear and warm flow of blood going throughout me as my tail came alive again at the thought of the memory in question. A time where I was so close to being made a mother with a developing seed within her. A memory I could never hate even if I loathed the participant.


    "I left it at the..." I began to say with still red cheeks, looking back the way I came as a specific outfit filled my thoughts. The most special and important of outfits for any aelenvari deemed worthy enough of a males attention. And perhaps, it was also my most ironic as it covered much more of my body than I normally wore when dressed casually or professionally. But, despite its importance to me and the process of my first time, I did not move to go get it.


    If I did, then perhaps I could have sealed my future with Seigunfrei. Made it clear to my heart and mind once and for all that Nin was not my love. Yet, despite that being the case and my mental yearning for the forgetting of that parasite. I made no moves to go back and get it.


    To rush back to my room for it, to tear off my current outfit with little care before delicately putting that one on... To then either hide my body until I saw Seigunfrei again or to rush around with my genitals exposed. And once I would have found him, to get his desired body part out and to let it ram into me or to secure it under me until I was full of its liquid warmth. But I did not do that, I just walked towards Exceptional House, ignoring it completely.


    And even as my mind screamed at me to do it, I did not. The thoughts were just ignored and I put more and more distance between me and that outfit. The one Nin risked his life to get when we left that rooted-flower below. And I did not know why much to my frustrations.


    Thankfully, I did not have to go the full distance to reach the one I wanted to see as he was walking along the path I was headed. So, with him being in my sight, a firmer smile came onto my face. One that would hopefully stay there without faltering. And, to make it all better, I felt ecstatic upon seeing such a pure, emerald aura within and around his body.


    "Well, well, look who it is." he said with a smile as he noticed me and stopped. His arms opening up to me as I picked up the pace and leapt into his arms. Spinning around before I could plant my points into the ground again before my face moved up. A brief kiss following that before I leaned back.


    "It''s rather coincidental I found you here, I was just looking for you." I told him which led to him huffing out some of his amusement.


    "Unfortunately, I will have to hold off whatever it is you want, got to go talk to someone first." he explained as he released his grip on my body. But, he kept my hand firmly connected with his, something I very much enjoyed. It was nice to hold a hand that did not engulf mine, one that was soft too.


    "That is fine, I have all night to get what I want out of you."


    "You want to stay around mine again? By the Mighty Jhrarda. I knew you aelenvari had a thing for the tender and physical but you might as well just move in with me at this point!" he laughed out as a grin formed on my face. My tail lingering around his lower half and prodding at it so I could tease him.


    "Am I perhaps detecting an offer for me to stay with you for as long as I live?" I asked him with that same grin he caused to form.


    He chuckled lightly, "Even if I wanted, they would not let me, the Council for Student Dorm Distribution, that is. You are a potential student for Oddity House, after all. Meanwhile, with me, I am an enrolled student of Exceptional House." his chest puffing out towards the end as he took pride in his place in the Academy. That was perhaps one thing I liked a lot about him, he understood what he was and had no issue with showing it off. A fine petal if he were of my own kind or had moved to stay with a flower.


    "So even if I was to successfully enrol, I would not be able to stay with you?"


    "No, afraid not. However, there are no rules against you just staying with me each night so long as you don''t move into my dorm."


    "It''s an issue when you remove an obstacle but fine when I keep a particular issue in place? Such a  strange system." I said to him with a bemused tone. Yet, for some reason, my mind was filled with sighs of relief and loud thanks to the gods above. I was glad that there would be something to keep my intentions with Seigunfrei in check...


    "Something wrong?" Seigunfrei then asked me as his hand squeezed mine harder. Not harshly, far from it, in fact, it made me appreciate him more. Seeing such mastery over his internal-magic that he did not have to be cautious while touching me.


    "No, no. I am fine, what gave you the impression I wasn''t?"


    "I just asked you a few questions and you completely blanked out. So, again, you sure nothing is wrong?" he asked me with a concerned tone before he looked over in the direction of my dorm. Even if he could not see it.


    "Yes, everything is f-fine." I said at first clearly before stuttering out.


    "Has that osibindah been causing you issues? Do we need to go to the Council of Student Dorm Distribution and get you moved to another dorm so you are further away from it?" he said as he came to a complete stop and pulled me close. My body freezing up in panic when I heard what he said. No, no! We could not do that!


    "No, he hasn''t done anything. It''s just... It''s just a little bothersome having to be so close to everyone else when they rightfully confront it."


    "Rough time relaxing there? I guess that explains why you want to come to my dorm so often. It is very far from the osibindah after all."


    "Y-Yeah."


    He then kissed my cheek after bringing it up a little, "Alright then, when I am done here, we''ll head back to my dorm and I''ll ensure you have a very relaxing night." he told me with a suggestive glance. A smile returning to my face as my tail moved in accordance with it.


    "That will be wonderful, thank you." I told him just as he went inside the building he had apparently wanted to go to. As it was within the gap between the four Houses, I could only assume it was directly related to the Academy heads. Their gilded-barks, ivy-mothers and other important positions and so on. But, of course, they weren''t what I compared to, wind-people weren''t as sexually inclined as we aelenvari.


    It was probably something mundane but still ultimately necessary. Like how the less engaging and by far worst parts of being an ivy-mother was given to someone else to do. Something I usually gave to a petal so close to being a stem or the lucky inverse. And it was a good thing I did that, giving some of my tasks to others.


    Otherwise, I would not have been able to spend as much time with Nin back when we stayed at my flower...


    "Can I just go one moment without you coming into my thoughts!?" I muttered out quietly with a distinct harshness. Nearly snarling at a nearby piece of decorative stonework at the entrance of this building before I calmed myself. Sighing once more and tapping my finger impatiently while looking at the machines some used to fly. A particularly large one hiding just beyond the great central tower in the city in front of me.


    It was an impressive sight indeed, a mass of metal that could likely destroy this entire plateau if it was to crash. Held aloft by what seemed to be six devices that shot out pure, untainted emerald light that kept it all up. A great display of magical strength, and thankfully, one I could count on not having to get involved with. Unlike then, when he lifted up that immense weight...


    When I had to intervene with a magic blast that nearly drained me into a state of unconsciousness... Back when he proved himself to be far greater than the one who had caught my eye before. And it frustrated me, looking at this distant machine. Because even when it was something like this, it always went back to him.


    To that damnable parasite!


    Soon getting up in frustration before moving to someplace quieter, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" I soon screamed at a wall before I collapsed to my knees. Crying into my hands as my heart seemingly battled with my mind and the rest of my body. I gave up on Oak''endoor when I saw someone stronger, all aelenvari did this until they had their first child! At least, most of the time.


    Yet, somehow, despite having been exposed to so many males of the wind-people who were far stronger than Nin... He just wouldn''t get out of my head and I did not know why, I never had these same doubts when I gave up on Oak''endoor! So why was I having them now!? It made no sense!


    "I don''t love him... Do you hear me!?" I seethed out in anger towards my chest, towards the heart that pained me so. A strange tremble coming from my chest before I began to shake my head some more in disbelief. What was wrong with me? Why was something I should have loathed and despised staying so firmly in a place where a desire of many years did not...?


    There was no reason for it to be like this, there just wasn''t any reason! Seigunfrei was stronger, so much stronger! It was clear when he walked beside Nin on that day and it was made abundantly clear when Nin lost. So easily did he lose, not one hit was taken by Seigunfrei and he toyed with Nin.


    Toyed with him! He couldn''t have made his superiority anymore clear!


    "Rose-sweerui! Where are you?" Seigunfrei called out to me from the other side of the building. But, what he said made me angry for some reason.


    "Don''t call me that... You have no right to call me that..." I growled out as I focused on the honorific he attached to my name. The honorific the male lover gave to his female...


    And then I blinked and trembled in frustration some more. I was his female! So why was this making me angry... Why...?


    "Alright, hop on." Seigunfrei then said to me as he picked me up after he had sped around to my location. Clearly having followed my magic signature like the skilled witch he was. And then, I was silent as he carried me through the sky, in his arms. All the way until we reached his dorm which he then put us in through the window.


    Just like Nin did with that woman with the bright and beautiful sapphire-aura.


    "Hey! Calm down, what''s wrong?" Seigunfrei then asked me as he set me down on the large and spacious bed he had to himself. In this room that was just his, a room that he had gained through talent and strength.


    I, however, did not say anything, I just latched on to him and kept my lips against him. Placing them against him time and time again as he tried to back away, clearly more concerned with what I had just done. But I would not let him dig into that, I would not let him know. So I came at him with as much passion-making love as I could.


    I kept it up until he relented and just went along with it, his hands soon having a tight grasp on me. My breath shuddering every time our lips parted, but not from how good his tongue, lips or touch made me feel. But rather, because I could barely hold in the disgust I had for myself. I should not have been doing this with him...


    It wasn''t right.


    "N-No..." I said to him quietly after we had moved on to his bed. His partially naked and exposed frame being right in front of me. Rimmed by muscle that contained such gluttonous quantities of magic from the greatest mountain, it was indeed. Yet, even with such a temptation before me, I did not want him exposing my body more.


    And thankfully, he relented with a frown and a sigh before going down beside me.


    "You''re a strange woman, you know that?" he said with a small smile, even if he was mocking me. But, I returned the smile before snuggling closer to him, holding myself tightly towards him. Taking deep breaths through my nose so I could take in the scent around him, tainted by his aura and external-magic. And even though his hands were on me with confidence and care, I did not want them there.


    Something I found so odd... They were on my rear, one hand for each side. I should have enjoyed it so much. To feel such a strong son-giver on me, just one word from putting one in me.


    Yet, all I could think about was apologies and anything even linked to the concept.


    ''I am sorry...'' just kept playing through my mind over and over, like a monotonous task devoid of all joy.

 Incline 6: Rebuilding a Bridge and Cautiously Looking On

    "Tiyaaaaaaaaaa!" I called out to my sister, dragging it on so she would be more likely to hear it. Spinning around on a doorframe just before she came into my field of vision.


    "What do you want, Lari? I am busy right now." she said back to me in a grumpy tone. A grumpy tone I would have wanted to fix had I not been focused on someone else right now.


    "Have you seen Ninno-Nin? He was not in his room or on the roof."


    "Why would he be on the roof...? Never mind, but yes, I have seen him. The Head of our House was speaking to him about something." she told me before her finger pointed in the direction he was supposed to be in. Her finger having been extended artificially because of her ice magic.


    "Thank you!" I responded back with before I went down the path she had laid before me. Coming to a halt when I finally began to hear the signs that he was nearby.


    "My progress is awful...? Yeah, no shit, no teacher wants to do their job when I am around. Everyone mocks me and attacks me and you expect me to just get through all that and still have a healthy development in my ability to read and write this gods-forsaken language of yours on top of magic!? Get out of my sight you piece of shit!" I heard him growl out angrily to what must have been our House Head.


    "I don''t care what you are dealing with, I made sure the City-Guard cannot bother you within the confines of a building. So the least you can do is actually ensure your enrollment!"


    "DID YOU EVEN JUST LISTEN TO ME!? NO ONE WANTS TO HELP ME YOU DENSE PIECE OF IRON! IN CASE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN... I AM AN OSIBINDAH!" Nin roared out with enough force to shake the nearby walls. Walls I was currently pressed up against.


    "You are running out of time, so make sure you get a passing grade. I won''t remind you of what will happen if you don''t." our House Head said to Nin calmly and flatly before he walked off. Likely leaving the building and perhaps it was a good thing, too.


    "YOU JUST DID!" Nin had then shouted after smashing what must have been the table in that room they were in. But, I did not let it at all bother me, so I made sure my smile was clear and present and I went into the room. Joyfully waving at the man trembling in anger and fury before he steadily calmed down. A half-hearted wave coming from him before he sat down.


    And broke the chair because he went down on it too hard.


    "I think you can get adjustable chairs from the Academy if you ask nicely." I teased him with before I dropped to the floor and crossed my legs. Maintaining that smile I had until his expression had lightened up. Even if I did not like how he was like an underwater volcano in calm seas. Just because the water was calm did not mean he wasn''t ready to go off again.


    "Not like they''d give me one..." he muttered quietly before looking away with a blast of hot air leaving his nose.


    "So, are you not likely to get a passing grade?" I asked him as one hand of mine moved to rub one of his. Shuffling slightly closer just in case he wanted to answer me in a quiet tone.


    He shook his head, "No... He even has... Concerns... That I won''t even get a passing grade even with the joint application thingy this place does." he explained somewhat sarcastically at first before getting serious. My spare hand rubbing my chin as I thought on that last bit.


    "Joint application?" I repeated to myself, "Ah! I remember. The score sharing you can apply for before you do your exam. Have you already applied?"


    "No... The people I might have applied to it with don''t care anymore. So I am on my own."


    "I don''t believe you." I said with a tilt of my head. His own snapping up slightly at the misinterpreted comment of mine.


    "Are you...?" he began to say as his eye twitched.


    "No, I am not calling you a liar, I just think you are wrong about no one wanting to help you."


    His head looked down, "Yeah, right. The people whose lives I had saved on several occasions want nothing to do with me anymore. If I can''t even keep them on my side what chance do I have!?" he said to me while getting increasingly upset.


    "I don''t think that is the case, I think they are just busy and stressed out. Just give them some tim-"


    "TIME!? I DON''T HAVE ANY IF YOU CAN''T TELL YOU STUPID GIRL!" he then roared in my face which left me frowning. His teeth having got dangerously close to my face.


    "Please don''t shout at me." I told him quietly, notably upset by what he had just done. An upside-down smile having formed in the process. And thankfully, he was quick to notice it and apologize for it, not verbally. But with a small gesture, one that was enough to put a smile back on my face.


    "So what do I do then? Hm? What do I do... Because even with your help regarding my magic, I am not going to be getting anywhere anytime soon."


    "Do you know how many people can be signed on together?" I then asked him as I did not know. Me and my sister were going to sign up together later in the year as per the wishes of our family. But, if I can, maybe I can attach us to Nin? Or him to us if we can''t get too many people on board.


    "I don''t know, I assume two because Frihdeicalkbr''s example was two lovers going here together. Something about how their magic was designed to bounce off of each other in his example."


    I let out a long noise of thought, "Wait right here, okay? Do not even get up!" I tell him before springing to my feet. Dashing off along the route the Head of our House likely went before finding myself outside. Going into a brief moment of just thinking before dashing off again. Sliding to a stop along freshly made mud, stopping right before my target.


    "Can I help?" he asked me as his eyes focused on where my magic was most concentrated.


    "Yes, the... Joint point thing for the entrance exams, how many people are allowed in it?"


    "The system was designed for two-people."


    "Oh..." I found myself saying as my expression almost became foul.


    "But, there is no limit to how many people can join and share points. It just wasn''t added to the legislature."


    "So as long as I can get someone to agree to join in then I can bring in lots and lots?" I asked with growing excitement.


    "Ye-" he began to say before I shot upwards into the sky. A light shower of bright blue water raining down from me before I landed. Large splashes of water coming from me until I went back inside with a large smile on my face.


    "WE CAN HAVE AS MANY AS WE WANT!" I yelled in happiness as I came back to the room Nin should have been in. A trail of slightly muddy footprints having followed me on the way in. A sheepish grin overtaking me as my eyes met my sister''s as she was just by the entrance.


    "Clean this u-" she began to say before I locked the door behind me. Humming a tune before a bewildered and floor-based Nin as my sister banged on the door. A frustrated sigh leaving her before she disappeared.


    "As many as we want!" I then repeated to Nin with a smile.


    "Right... And who is willing to help?"


    "Me, obviously!"


    "At this rate, I am going to need more than just you."


    "What about that sparkling you look at a lot?"


    "Einervaene? No, she is one of the ones I was on about earlier." he said to me grouchily.


    "Alright, that''s two, now, let me just ask my sister!" I said to him, opening the door and going up to my sister so I could get her in on it. Only to slip up on some ice and bang my head.


    "OW!" I cried out as I clutched the back of my head.


    "Now you know not to run around soaked in your magic!"


    "You''re so mean to me..." I cried out with fake tears before getting up and going up to her.


    "What?"


    "Can you please join me and Nin in sharing our exam points so he can get into the Academy and not risk being shot for doing nothing? Remember, a noble is meant to always be generous in both wealth and effort! You have a responsibility to help those less fortunate than you!" I began to ramble on as she looked on at me blankly.


    "Alright." was all she had to say. Something that left me making a noise as my mouth opened wide in joy.


    "Thank you!" I sang out before dashing off to another part of the building in hopes of getting others on board. Then, when that was done, I would solve Nin''s issues with Einervaene and get her on board. Soon hopping to a halt as I found two others I could ask regarding it all.


    "Put some clothes on." Quinshuu commented while he sat at the kitchen island alongside Tiya''s Errakurdish friend. The one who had helped her learn ice magic, even though he was a user of fire magic! I had no interest in the theory, I just found it funny my sister learnt cold magic from a hot source. His name was Omb Ur-Nace and he was a big boy with a big gut.


    "Can I ask you two something?"


    "Is it related to food?" Ombbo chuckled out before he took a bite from a pastry he had in his hand. Its fatty juices dripping out onto his chin before it then hit the napkin he had on.


    "It will be if you accept my offer." I said to him with a grin.


    "Very well." Ombbo said as a curious hand drummed his belly.


    "What is this even about?" Quinshuu then asked as he got up and walked over to me. His body stern in its movements until he loosened up upon stopping in front of me.


    "I am looking for people to help Nin pass the entrance exam by sharing their points."


    "Sharing points?" Quinshuu repeated.


    "Yeah, you don''t lose any, your spare points that go past the passing grade just get added on to the one who might not have passed and it helps them get through."


    "I see, and who is Nin?"


    "My friend! You are usually drinking your milk when I make him breakfast." Ombbo clarified to him.


    "Ah, the bug."


    "So will you two help?" I then asked.


    "Sure, be nice to see what a bug might find tasty." Ombbo said to me, reassuring his previous answer. Quinshuu, on the other hand, said nothing, he just moved to leave.


    "I will see him first, take me to him." he ordered, something I was happy to comply with.


    "You aren''t going to cause any issues are you?" I asked him before I began to guide him, however. I did not want him causing any trouble with Nin.


    "I seek to inspect him, to see how he compares to the stories and tales the others of this land have of his kind. I wish to see if he is worthy prey."


    "I just implied that I did not want you causing issues."


    "Relax, Harlot, I do not want to fight him. Not now at the very least." he explained before he began to follow my water trails. And soon, we were in front of Nin and he was in the process of getting up.


    "Well...?" Nin then asked expectingly as Quinshuu began to walk around him. Much like how a more nimble predator might circle something it might be able to kill.


    "So, do you live up to the tales I hear of your kind?"


    Nin looked about nervously, "What tales...?"


    "Of how settlements were swallowed into the earth. Of how a formerly triumphant battle turned into a disaster because of a well-timed ambush. The tale of the creature so determined to survive that it lives on despite efforts to utterly genocide it."


    "No..." Nin said with a lack of certainty, however, he was slightly jumpy at the first bit.


    Quinshuu then turned to look at me, "You want me to help this creature become a student here, at no detriment to myself?" he then asked with that same hard, seemingly blank stare of his.


    "You can only benefit from it." was all I really had to say and it was true! You did not lose points to another, you merely had your disposable points added on to a struggling someone.


    Quinshuu breathed in and out deeply, "I will make my decision, after seeing what he is capable of."


    "You want to fight me...?" Nin asked hopelessly.


    "No, I want to see you fight what you have hunted before. If you are in need of being polished or sharpened, I have no issue with that. But, I wish to see what your kind is capable of with my own eyes." he said as he walked closer to Nin. His unyielding stare making Nin back away despite the size advantage he had.


    "You are going to be disappointed..." Nin then muttered.


    "I will be the one to determine that, not you. Besides, if I wanted to be impressed, I would seek demonstrations elsewhere."


    Nin''s brow went down before he began to walk away, "So is that everyone we are likely to get?" he then asked me as he came to a stop. However, he quickly backed off into the room upon seeing something beyond me. And, as I was curious to see what caused him to do that, I turned around.


    The soft-tail and the mother, it was.


    "Can you two come here for a second!" I then called out to them with a smile as I skipped on over. Bouncing up and down as I stood before them. Much to the delight of the child in the hands of the mother on my right. But, the child was easily distracted and soon wanted the soft tail waving near it.


    "What do you want?" the one with the soft tail asked me cautiously. The mother, however, did the opposite, she straightened up and gave me a soft smile.


    "I am here to ask if you two will be willing to help me with something."


    "Don''t you have a sister you can ask?" the soft-tail said to me, her tone implying certain things I wasn''t going to focus on.


    "And she has agreed to help, but, I need more help with it."


    "What do you need help with?" the mother said with a raspy voice, a quiet cough leaving her shortly after.


    "You two aren''t bothered by Nin are you?" I then asked the pair, the one with the tail getting who I was on about. But the other did not get it, she seemed a little confused.


    "Nin...?" she whispered to her companion.


    "Bug." was all her companion said, something that was more than enough to make her back away shaking her head. Her hands clutching her son protectively as she began to panic.


    "Hey, it''s alright." I then said to her as I went up to her and held her close. Humming a gentle tune as my magic aura wrapped around them to help ease them. My gentle tone along with a strong magic presence should have been able to keep her calm. Luckily, it did.


    "So what is this about the H- Nin?" the other one asked while I was cradling the mother and her son.


    "I am looking for people to join the entrance exam point-sharing thing."


    "We wouldn''t be able to, anyway, we signed up with someone else."


    "Oh..." I found myself saying in disappointment before dancing away a little. My mind stuck on the topic as I was hoping to get a wide variety of people. Not only would Nin be more likely to pass, but, so would everyone else!


    "Have you tried asking those from other dorms?"


    I shook my head, "No, it would not work, it seems Nin is not very popular. I was lucky so far, I guess." I said with a shrug. My face rather blank as I tried to think of people who I could get on board to help us out. Then, I remembered we had at least two potential people.


    The friends he had a falling out with.


    "We really have to get going..." the soft-tail then said before I then sprang in front of her.


    "Wait! I want to know your names first!"


    "I''m Vadei and that is Dandel''lhia, now, if you''ll excuse us." Vadei said to me as she tried to get past me. But, I would not let her, I just kept scooting in front until I had said my name.


    "And I am Lari-" I began to say before a loud bang caught my attention. That bang bringing me back to Nin who was once again in a state of violent anger. Quinshuu, however, was looking on with that same stare. Had he provoked him while I was gone?


    He better have not!


    "Hey, hey!" I said to Nin as I came up to him and brought his face towards mine. A smile on my face contrasting the glare on his until it warped into a more acceptable expression.


    "Now what?" he then asked me before I turned to Quinshuu.


    "Can you go and get us a training room prepared? We''ll be along shortly." I said as I grabbed Nin''s hand and brought him upstairs. Coming to a stop once we had reached them before I then moved away. Knocking on a door before opening it and walking out as no one was there.


    "You are looking for Einervaene?" Nin asked me, his mood fouling again before he went into his own room.


    "Do you happen to know where she might be? I want to speak with her."


    "I don''t know... Why would I know or care for that matter?" he said to me, agitated. His door soon being closed by him personally before I heard the bed creak loudly. I smiled a little, just at the joke in my head. I would never smile at his frustrations, not these kind, anyway. Yet, I was not here to laugh at jokes made in my head, I was here to help.


    So I went back to Einervaene''s room and looked about for anything that might be a useful or telling clue. Soon letting out a ponderous sound as I found something rather quickly. It was a notetablet, and it was filled with details regarding the ability to fly and Mechanical House. Then, with a rough idea of where I would need to go, I leapt out the window.


    A splash of water indicating my arrival to the ground below before I danced about a little. Slowing down until I reached a standstill and going completely still with a blank face. I had gotten so used to leaving through the roof with Nin that being on the ground felt odd. I even had to spend a little time trying to get my bearings!


    Which was rather embarrassing, actually.


    But, I got an idea of where I would need to go after some deliberation. Even using some of my magical water to serve as a guide in hopes it would pick up on the lightning-magic she used. I assume so, anyway, all of her notes were written within that context and I did see some Eusorochiian stuff in her room. I just hope she had no issues with me, our two people did have a notable history.


    "Okay... Which one is her...?" I soon found myself saying as I tapped my finger against nothing. Having found several Eusorochiians on my way to Mechanical house. But, luckily, only one that was trying to fly. And I really had to put on the emphasis that she was trying because she was not doing very well.


    "Oh? Am I bothering you, sorry! I''ll just move..." the distracted woman said to me after I had approached her. Her eyes red and puffy and movements all over the place.


    "Are you by any chance Einervaene?" I then asked which got her attention instantly.


    "Y-Yeah... Can I help you?" she then asked me as she slowly stumbled upwards. A smile on my face as I soon felt strange sensations go over me when I started to hold her. She must of been letting off a lot of magic recently as it was like one of those false gum toys.


    "I am here to speak to you about Nin-" I started up with before she forced herself away from me.


    "What about him..." she said to me bitterly, notably upset about something. Was it related to that ruckus I heard after I left Nin to shower on that day? Couldn''t remember what day, mind you, but, I do remember the ruckus. A formerly happy Nin being very angry when I next saw him.


    "I am looking to ask if you want to sign up to the entrance exam point share, to help him pass, obviously." I explained to her which then caused her to shoot up in worry.


    "Of course... The entrance exam... Me and Rossie-chira did say we would..." she began to say before she started crying. Clearly again going by how her face was when I found her.


    "Is Rossie-chira another one of his friends?" I asked but she turned away from me.


    "I don''t know what any of us are to him anymore... Rossie-chira wants nothing to do with him for some reason and Urtuoi-kischu seems to think I have been ignoring him... I haven''t! I have just been busy! I haven''t..." she said before she curled up into her knees and whimpered. My hand soon rubbing her back gently so I could calm her down.


    "I don''t think so, I think he has just been lonely lately and he isn''t sure how to word it."


    "He worded it quite well from what I have seen..." a glare likely forming on her face as she turned away from me.


    "He also likely did not mean it, you must surely understand he is under a lot of pressure right now. Have you ever been through a lot of stuff at once and found yourself getting angry easier?"


    She went quiet and put more distance between us, "I have..." she then said to me quietly.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Then you understand, come on, let''s go back to the dorm, he can apologize for what he had said and then we can help him." a smile growing on my lips as I reached the end of my sentence. Hopefully, I had won Einervaene over and she would be willing to help us out. If not, then... Well, I guess I would have to give it another go.


    Einervaene then looked off in the distance, mumbling something, but, then she suddenly gained fortitude in her words and her attitude changed, "Alright, let''s go see him... I want to see my friend."


    My finger soon helping hers clean her eyes as my smile passed on to her, "Great! Let''s go!" I said to her as we began to move away from here. Her posture, however, remained nervous so I did what I could to try and get the anxiety out of her. Be it just smiling at her or trying to tickle her.


    "S-Stop it!" she giggled out as she smacked my hands away. One of my fingers catching itself on the copper in her clothes by accident. A sharp shock travelling through my fingers as a result of this.


    "Ow!" I let out as the lightning reacted with the water-influenced magic I had in and around me. A web of blue lightning arcing around me before it disappeared. My eyes wide in amazement before I giggled.


    "You are Ibenorrocon?" I was then asked once I was done enjoying the way her magic reacted with mine.


    "I am indeed!"


    "Would I perhaps be able to borrow you then at some point? I need to try something with someone with good water magic control."


    "Sure! But, it might have to wait until after the entrance exams." I told her, however, I made sure to make it clear to her what my priorities were. As such, a frown formed on her face and her mood lost its former joy.


    "You''re really dedicated to helping him, huh?" she asked me quietly before looking away.


    "I was never one for standing by idly when others were sad. So, here I am, helping him get back on his feet." I said with a small smile as I twisted a foot around.


    "Did... Did you know Urtuoi-kischu before coming here." she then asked me to which I shook my head. Her mood only getting worse as a result.


    "Something bothering you?"


    "I feel like me expecting an apology from him is wrong..." she muttered quietly to which I raised a brow. If Nin had hurt her feelings then he should apologise!


    "Why?" I asked anyway, I would like to hear her reasoning after all.


    "He''s my friend... One I haven''t known long, admittedly, but, we have done quite a bit together. Yet, here you are, someone who was not or might not be his friend and you have been more of one to him than I have since coming here..."


    "You have been busy, you can''t always expect to be there for him."


    "No... I know... But I should of at least tried to be there for h-him. I saw what it was like when we first got here, how he was when all that... Happened. Yet, I told him, despite being his friend... That... That I did not want to be seen near him..."


    "I see..." I quietly said in response, my eyes widening slightly after I heard that. It was such a horrible thing to hear, but I would not judge her for it. I can understand perfectly fine why someone might try to distance themselves from someone so infamous. Someone so despised with such vigour.


    "M-Maybe I sho-" she stuttered out as she tried to leave.


    "No. You will still come, you will apologize to him, he will apologise to you. And you can both be friends again!" I told her loudly before grabbing her hand and running. Laughing as she stumbled about, barely able to get herself sorted as I dragged her along with haste. Her words not even being registered before we got back to the dorm.


    "I... I need..." Einervaene panted out as she bent over somewhat. Her form seemingly stiff as she did so.


    "Can you not bend that much?" I then asked her as I dropped down backwards. My body forming an arch for the right side of something before my head bent down further. A smug grin present as I looked at her from an upside-down view. A small smile coming to her face before it then disappeared again.


    "No, not much. But, my current attire isn''t very flexible either."


    "It''s to do with the metal?" I asked as I hovered a finger near the copper again.


    "Yeah, I can explain the details later if you want."


    "That would be nice, but, for now, let us go and see him!" I loudly declared as I shot up and pointed at the door. Taking wide strides into the building and shortening them down as we got closer to Nin. Then, once we got to where he was, I knocked on the door.


    "What?" he called out grouchily, "You can let yourself in, you know that." he then bitterly added in reference to his door and lock.


    "It''s just me!" I said rather trickily as it wasn''t just me. But, at the same time, it was just me, because who else could I be... But me?


    "Let yourself in then." he then said in a rather nonchalant tone, clearly not caring if I came in. Soon, however, he would very much care. He''d care a lot and I''d get to see him be happy!


    "Do you have the key?" I then whispered to Einervaene as I failed to grab it on the way here. She shook her head rapidly before hurrying off. The key bouncing about her hands as she rushed back.


    Then, after letting her prepare herself, I opened the door.


    "So what do you... Want..." Nin began to say before Einervaene followed me in through the door. Her posture showing how nervous she was while Nin had risen to his feet with a snarl behind his lips.


    "Nin, calm down, she is just here for a couple of things."


    "Those couple of things best be a want to be shoved away and a fist to the gut!" he threatened as he marched closer. Something that caused the poor girl to be frightened enough to back up towards the wall. And, with that, it was clear I needed to be more assertive.


    "Sit down!" I then ordered him like a scolding mother, firmly planting both hands on my hips after getting in his way. Letting my magic aura and external-magic flow do most of the talking even if it made me uncomfortable. It felt wrong to treat him like this. But, it was needed for the current moments.


    "Why is she here?" he then asked me after sitting down following a snort of annoyance.


    "To apologise and be apologised to."


    "Apologised to? Excuse me? She is getting no such thing!" he responded back with, barely keeping himself from smashing something. Another problem for another time that was, his violent responses...


    "You shoved past her after being incredibly rude and mean to her." I told him before crossing my arms.


    "Aw? Did I be mean to her? Did I make her sad? Did I shove her? Aw... Too bad." he mockingly said in a childish tone while performing certain poses. His mind likely a torrent of all his memories of abuse by the staff and students of this Academy and whatever the guards do.


    My first response was to make myself more intimidating to get him to watch his mouth, then, I sighed, "Nin, do you like what the guards and everyone else do to you?"


    "What do you think?" he replied sarcastically before looking away, his gaze only looking down at me.


    "If you don''t like it, then why would anyone else like it?"


    "Why should I care what others think? They all condemn me for crimes of bugs who can''t even think for themselves! People whose bodies were taken over like a puppet is stuffed full of the puppeteer''s hand!"


    "That doesn''t make your actions right Nin, even if they are easy to understand."


    He growled some more, "I''m not apologizing..." he grumbled while glaring at the woman who has been silent since we came in.


    Until now, "L-Look... Urtu... Nin... I''m..." she sniffled out as some tears formed, "I''m sorry I said those hurtful things to you. That I''d rather be seen nowhere near you and so on... It was not right of me... You are my friend and you have done so much for me and it was not fair for me to just abandon you like that in your time of need..." she said at first clearly, albeit frequently interrupted by tears and eye rubs. But, she became quieter towards the end, sizzling out like a candle wick going into the melted wax.


    "Bit late n-"


    "Nin!" I sternly said to him, that action making him seemingly lose his anger before he then walked off. Not out of the room, I would not let him, but, towards the window.


    "I''m sorry for what I did as well." he then sighed out, not even looking at Einervaene when he said it. But, even if I was to try and force it, it likely would not have happened as shown by the fact his fists curled when he said it. Maybe later I could get a proper apology from him, but not now. Right now there was too much resentment in him.


    He was just too angry...


    "Well, now that, that is done, let''s go!" I then said cheerfully in an effort to change the general mood of the room.


    "Where were we going to go again?" Nin then asked as he clearly remembered what it was.


    "Quinshuu the Excessively Dressed was going to test you, remember?"


    "Right... But where?"


    "I dunno." I said to him with a shrug before I opened the window.


    Nin then smiled slightly, "Time to see if I can learn I suppose." he said before going up to the roof. My eyes soon focusing on Einervaene as she waited there, still crying. An arm rubbing the other one before it tried to throw her hat away in rage for some reason.


    "Hey, hey, none of that now, let''s go and have some fun." I coo to her after having interrupted her moment of anger. Her body gently swaying about in mine as I hugged her tightly until she calmed down. Then, when I deemed her calm enough, I grabbed her hand and brought us both to the roof. Much to her shock and more literally, mine.


    "Ah!" I squealed out as what happened earlier happened again. Only this time for longer and this time Nin got to see it too.


    "What was that about?" he asked as he carefully inspected what remained of the lightning webbing before backing away.


    "That, my good friend, is what happened when two magical auras largely incompatible with each other cross paths." I explained from the floor, or roof, rather.


    "Oh... Alright..." he said to me with his confusion clear. It once again making it clear that he did not understand magic very well.


    "And here is what happens if I do it to you!" I cheerfully said, hoping to get something to happen with his... But nothing did happen, nothing at all, didn''t even get my water making misty gusts.


    "Nothing is happening..." he pointed out with a raised brow.


    "What element are you, anyway?" I then found myself asking as I had never seen him cast magic. Only use what was in his body.


    "Couldn''t tell you. Could not tell you..." he said as his mind went distant, a curious action following it, however. He was pressing his hand against some of the brickwork on the roof, but, nothing came of it. Nothing at all. So I could only wonder what it was about.


    "W-What about if I try?" Einervaene then asked as she cautiously stepped closer to him.


    "Yeah, whatever." he said with notable hostility, but, it was still nowhere near as bad as when we were in the room.


    "Alright... I''ll be careful, alright?" Einervaene said to him, her words clearly showing she thought something awful. Something I frankly did not want to hear.


    "Get on with it." he nearly snapped at her, causing her to jump. Lose spine, however, she did not, and thusly, we got to see the result of what her own aura would do with his.


    "Wow, you''re boring..." I joked as I noted the amazing nothing that happened as a result of it.


    "If my theory is correct, you won''t get anything anyway. Lightning doesn''t do anything to rock."


    "Rock?" me and Einervaene both found ourselves saying at once.


    "Bugs use some kind of rock magic in my experience." he said with noted distaste.


    "But do you?" I then asked him as I got up.


    "Not since I ended up like this."


    "So you don''t use rock magic." I said with a smile, wanting to make it clear, or, well, at least encourage something. That something being that I wanted him to distance himself from the idea he was a bug. He wasn''t, he was Nin.


    "I don''t know what I use." he sighed out before heading towards the edge of the roof. Or, well, near it, he did not want to be seen after all.


    "Any of you two know which way we are going?" I then asked with a knowing smile. Their following gazes making me break out in laughter before I went about to figuring out where we would need to go. And soon, I was hopping over to another roof and waving them over. Nin would go on to jump awkwardly, but Einervaene did not jump at all, she just stayed still.


    "Just jump?" she then asked as she cautiously peaked over the roof.


    "Yeah, don''t know how to jump?"


    "I know how to jump!" she started off loudly, "I just don''t jump far..." she then said quietly. A roll of my eyes then preceded my next actions, actions that involved jumping back over and picking her up. Then jumping back over again!


    "You are very soft." I commented which led to her going completely red in the face.


    "I''m sorry for making you get me." she said to me after I put her down.


    "No worries! I''m here to help, but, how come you didn''t jump?"


    "I have not trained my internal-magic very well if at all. Mostly because I have been able to travel without jumping far like Urtuoi-kischu sometimes do. I used a spell, but that spell can''t be used up here."


    "How come? Is the city getting in the way of it?" I asked as I pointed over at the brass city.


    "I think that plays a part, yes, but not an entirely correct one. It seems to be more of the case that the spell relied on clouds and well..." she explained before looking up at the cloudless sky.


    "What was the spell anyway? Did you climb along them?"


    "I suppose? I technically transmute myself into lightning and shoot back down from the clouds."


    "That sounds quite cool! All I do is manipulate water into objects I use to have fun with!" I tell her as I showed off a few small, well-rounded orbs. Orbs I then I threw so we could watch them bounce like a pebble before they popped when they got too far away. My external-magic control not being good enough to reach as far as they did. Well, here at the very least.


    Magic was very hard to control up here in comparison to the safety measures our ships had. Safety measures they desperate needed otherwise the ship would blow up along with its occupants. Magic got very dangerous in magicless areas like the open waters of the All-Coast. Something I quite enjoyed seeing as you could tell when your magic left the safe areas as it would erupt into an arcane fireball.


    "Your magic is more impressive if I am being honest..." Einervaene said as her arm which she had just used to show off her own abilities went limp.


    "Why does it do that?"


    "Because I ended up learning to do it sacrificially rather than how you would do it. So I need to switch over to the proper way. Which, is what this new outfit is meant to help with. But, I have also found new ways that it can be useful."


    "Ooooo..." I let out with a wince upon hearing the first part, "Well, good luck to getting out of that mess. Personally, I never did any sacrificial magic casting but I know it can be quite bad if it doesn''t get dealt with." I said to her before looking over at Nin. Hoping to see if he had anything to contribute to the conversation. But he was on the other side of the building just watching his fingers.


    Then, he shook his head and turned around, "Can we get going now?" he asked impatiently. His foot tapping the roof aggressively but still gently.


    "Sure!" was my answer before I grabbed Einervaene''s hand again and then Nin''s. Following it up by just dragging them through the air as I propelled us through it. Large splashes of water following every landing until I finally brought us to a training centre after a series of jumps.


    "A little warning next time..." Nin grumbled before he hopped down into a bush. A smile on my face as I watched Einervaene regain her footing.


    "An agile one, aren''t you?" she commented as she finally got some steadiness into her legs. Her hand warding mine off as she too got down. But me? I jumped into the sky first and landed with such force as to soak them both in water.


    "P-P-Plea..." Einervaene said with much difficulty as she fell to the floor in a series of spasms. The amount of water she got soaked with having mixed badly with her own magic. And, well, I had just shortcircuited her.


    "Don''t worry, I got her." Nin said as he went to grab her before going inside quickly with me following her.


    "Let me see..." I said as I tried to pull as much water as I could off of her. My eyes steadily widening with worry and embarrassment as I watched her continue to short-circuit.


    "Do the training rooms have a means to dry her off? We mostly used them for physical tasks before."


    "Yeah, they have the means, let us find Quinshuu quickly, however." I said to him before running ahead. My eyes open as far as they would go as I looked about for any possible means to indicate which room Quinshuu had got for us. Luckily, I found it quickly, unfortunately, it was at the far end of the building and it was crowded so Nin was having to get through everyone.


    So, in a brief panic to get him over here, I shot out some of my magic to wall him off from everyone. Then, I scooped him over to me as quickly as I could which led to me nearly being crushed against a wall by his body.


    "Are you alright?" he asked me as he had stopped himself by planting an open palm somewhat into the wall. And I was indeed fine, so I looked up at his face and smiled. Something he followed up with by looking away with embarrassment, a new thing for him.


    "He''s just in that one." I pointed out to him, gesturing to both the sign he had personally left out and the one handled by the Academy. And I don''t think I had ever seen him to quick to move away from me. But, I had a slight idea as to what might have caused it which made me happy. Yet, soon, I was quickly frowning when I looked down the hall.


    "Please don''t be what I think it is." I muttered under my breath before going through the portal. A smile having been put back on my face before I slid along the pitch-white chamber.


    "What took you so long, Harlot?" Quinshuu called out to me as he got down from the device he must have been using to pass the time. Or, going by the burning targets in the distance, what he had used to train. But is training not a means to pass the time.


    "I was getting someone and solving problems!" I cheered out as I went over to him. First getting lost in the strange way his eyes were behaving before paying attention to what he was going on about.


    "What do I need to press to get something to dry her off?" Nin then called out from over by the console. So, I went over to him while humming a tune, happy to help and happy to get away from Quinshuu as I had not listened to him at all. So, he would have to explain to Nin personally what he wanted to do with him.


    "Press this, that, this, that, this, twist that, turn that, flick this and then bop this one right here." I told him while doing it all for him and not letting him watch. He would have made a comment, but what he wanted soon appeared and he was quick to put Einervaene over there. And yet, despite how angry he was at her, he still showed delicacy and gentleness when handling her.


    "Now, what is it you wanted from me?" Nin then asked Quinshuu as I walked passed him. Heading straight on towards Einervaene so I could make sure she was okay and ensure she lived up to her end of the bargain. I wanted to know what she was doing earlier and how her clothes supposedly worked so bad!


    "Sorry for getting you wet." I sheepishly said as I joined her in the red glow of this machine. Its warmth soon getting into me with it leaving me nostalgic. I felt like I was on a pearly white beach back on my home continent. The halo just letting it all out as it passed by us in its orbit.


    "It''s fine, at least it wasn''t my fault this time." she said with a smile as she clearly entertained herself with old memories.


    "This happens often?"


    "More than I''d like it too, especially if I am around others."


    "Sounds more like it is a good thing it happens around others, that way they can help you."


    "Yeah..." she said before looking on at Nin. A twitch of her lips happening before she looked back at me along with the subtlest of relaxations.


    "So... What were you going to say before? About your outfit?"


    "Outfit? Oh! Yes, I was going to explain what I had discovered regarding it, yes?"


    "Yes!"


    A smile came to her face properly this time, "So, as I said, my magic involves me transmuting myself into lightning. But, with this outfit of mine, that I originally intended as a means to help me cast magic in general. It turns out I can transmute myself and maintain a physical form!" her body nearly moving up and down in joy while my mouth opened to express it.


    "So you can turn yourself into a lightning woman!?" I nearly yelled out in excitement as now I really wanted to see her do it.


    "More like a lightning blob, outside anyway, I still have not gotten over the effects that Thrurstradtur has on me. But, once I start casting properly, I believe I will be able to do it just fine!"


    "Well, in here, the city can''t affect you, so how about it then? Let''s see it."


    "Maybe when I am a bit drier... I don''t want to even imagine what would happen if I went near water like this."


    "Fair, but, have you ever considered training in or near water? If water affects you this badly then surely it would be a good idea to...?"


    She frowned and moved her body closer together, "I... I think I have aquaphobia, so I don''t think that will work."


    "A fear of water? Then why are you not terrified of me?"


    "Well, it might not be entirely true to say that. I think it is less a fear of water and more so a fear of using magic near lots of it. I nearly drowned once when I was travelling, see. Our ship got attacked by these creatures with hooves and..."


    "Ah, no need to explain further, I understand." I say to her as I rub a hand on her. Making sure all my magic was safely tucked away and under control when I did so.


    "Thank you."


    "But... Now that you say it, maybe I should help you get over it? If you can start coming along to when I am helping Nin then we can start trying to get your magic under control near water?"


    "I think that is a bit too big of a step for me right now."


    "We don''t have to put you in a lake or anything, just a puddle maybe, we can keep going until no lightning goes across it. Besides, you have high-heeled boots, you''ll be fine in a puddle." I tell her as I tapped the copper base to her black boots.


    "I''ll think I will pass on that offer for now." she answered, still displaying that same nervousness. Her hands and fingers soon moving all her clothes about to sort them out and to air them out.


    "You can pass on that if you want, but you won''t pass on training with us!" I tell her as I jokingly grab her firmly.


    A slow nod coming from her soon after, "I will see what I can do, I''ve been spending a lot of time with various teachers for feedback. But, I think I am ready for a more solitary experience so I can visit then?"


    I grinned as I moved closer, "As long as you are there for him." I said which led to her going slightly red as she looked over at Nin.


    "So you wanted to see my spell?" she then said suddenly as she shot up to her feet. A dry laugh leaving me as she left the drying machine and walked a notable distance away from Nin and into a quieter part of the room.


    "Yep! Do you want me to do anything first, however?" I then asked as I went over to the console.


    "Some walls please, just enough to hide us..." she said as her fingers got pressed together. Small sparks going between them and off of them.


    "Sure, I can do that." I said with smirk as I carefully looked at where her eyes were looking before I brought the walls into existence. Letting the wall that stopped her view appear last just so I could have some fun with it later. Then, I hopped over the console and ran through the gap so I could see her again. Skidding to a stop before then running up the wall to flip as otherwise I would have crashed.


    Not that it admittedly mattered, these walls were low in magic so I might have actually just gone straight through them.


    "I am fully dry, yes?" Einervaene asked initially as she looked about her body. The copper plating on her gloves being carefully inspected each time it went over something.


    "Nope, not getting anything." I said to her after I was done trying to tug any of my magical water off of her.


    "Alright, here I go..." she said with a gulp before she casted her spell. And I was left shocked, not literally, but the emotional kind. She was made of skin and bone one moment but now she was a crude outline of a well-developed woman made of light-blue lightning!


    "Wo-oh-oh-oh!" I said as I shot closer towards her so I could look at her more closely. The sound of snapping and crackling filling my ears as I heard all those bolts that made up her new body arced about. But then a mischievous glint went into my eyes when I noticed some peculiar details. She was naked, and not just because her clothes converted with her, this form of hers was a one-to-one of her naked self!


    She even had little points on her chest right where her nipples would otherwise be.


    "So, what do you think?" she then asked me, completely unaware of how detailed her new form was to her body. Yet, her actions did draw my attention away from the more erotic aspects of her new body. Instead, I found myself properly looking at the copper frame of her outfit which had not transmuted. It was like a skeleton now, a skeleton mixed with a net as not bolts went past the copper.


    "Very impressive, but, what is the main purpose of this spell?" I then found myself asking while thinking of how my magic developed. I liked to move about and dance, so my magic became a beneficiary to it. Giving me means to enhance my dancing with spectacle and give my body more ways to move about.


    "I never really thought about it. It was just something I figured out recently." she said to me with a shrug as she moved her feet about. The tap of her high heels causing bright orange and yellow droplets to shoot out from them. The sight of them causing her to become stationary so as to not create more of them. Sounds were different too, less so a tap and more like two severed but live wires being jammed together.


    "Do you think you would ever be able to modify this spell?" I then asked as I walked around her. Nearly being tempted into pinching her bottom were it not for my prior experiences with my water and her lightning.


    "I figured it out while failing to fly. So I guess I might try something along those lines."


    "Ah, a beautiful maiden straight from the realms of Thurnamourer." I complimented while thinking of her dancing through the sky. And, while I knew it was a stereotype my people had of hers, I couldn''t help but imagine it as a certain kind of dance. One where the pole was replaced with golden lightning bolts and the building was the dark cloud backdropping it all.


    "Well, one way I might take it is a means to protect myself and others. I never really did much fighting on my way to this land. But, a lot of fighting did happen around me and I usually just ran away. It''s only been recently that I ever tried to fight and even then I just sort of..." she explained to me before a wave of concentrated bolts left her palms when she stuck them out.


    "Now that you do that, have you considered how you might try and use your magic to heal others? You are quite strong so there will be lots of people you could potentially heal up."


    "That''s a fair point." she said while looking at her hands. A few more pulses leaving them before she let them fall to her sides.


    "I will be honest, though, I have not a clue how you might be able to heal someone with lightning." I giggled out while thinking of what many of my countrymen do. They usually just rubbed water onto a wound or poured it into a cup or glass. And, from what I knew of this land, they just let it be breathed in.


    "Some of our most famous healers do it like they are stitching someone up with a thread and needle."


    "Peculiar way of doing it." I found myself saying as I tilted my head.


    "I find it rather normal, I even practised sewing to get an idea of how to do it. But, I also just like sewing and making clothes."


    "You''ll have to find the time to make me some then!" I said to her as I moved to check on Nin and Quinshuu. My eyes soon looking on with curiosity as I watched on in amusement. It seems that Quinshuu was putting Nin through the paces against various forms of animals. Some of them were rather frightening as one had a rotating jaw that worked just like a saw!


    "It looks like he needs some help..." Einervaene commented as she came to stand behind me. A safe distance away, but still rather close.


    I smirked, "Then go help him with that new form of yours." I said to her.


    "Are you sure? This is a new spell of mine and I''d rather no-"


    "Go!" I interrupted, nearly moving to shove her out before switching out at the last minute. Just barely avoiding the shock of a lifetime when she shot out towards him. A series of barely contained laughs building up in me as I watched the naked lightning woman run off to help Nin. I would be enjoying the following moments quite a bit by the looks of it.


    And as I had plenty of time, I initially walked after Einervaene. But, she ended up going straight for the monster rather riskily and was put straight into its path when Nin had moved away. His confusion at Einervaene''s form preventing any kind of warning when the monster moved to snap down on her. And then it seemed like she had been bitten into two pieces.


    However, much to the benefit of my heart, she was fine and was instead now in a state of fifty-fifty. Some of her body having returned to normal while the core of her body stayed as lightning. Lightning that then surged through the saliva of the monster and shocked it black. The smell of burnt flesh filled the room before the creature then disappeared as it was just a construct.


    "You alright!?" I called out while holding my chest. A pale-faced Einervaene giving her response in the form of a nod before she collapsed to the ground panting.


    "I... I need to be more careful in future..." Einervaene said as her gloved hand went against her lightning boobs until she calmed down.


    "Why did you interfere!?" Quinshuu then demanded as he went up to her before backing away in disgust.


    "Putting an end to your insanity is what she did." Nin commented with annoyance as he went up to the light-magic user. His head then doing a double-take on Einervaene before he just started staring. The previous laugh I had building up again as Einervaene looked on in confusion.


    "What? Some of my body is made of lightning, so what?" she commented with an embarrassed pout.


    "Yeah, it is. You are made of lightning, and so are your bare breasts and a more private area." Nin said while nodding over and over again before looking away.


    Einervaene went redder and redder until she stopped the spell, clothes having returned to her body fully as well, "Ca-Ca-Can we p-please change the subject?" she then asked in embarrassment before fidgeting. Her efforts to hide her chest and lower half not being enough and she would just not stop moving.


    "So... How come only part of your body turned back proper?" I then asked once the laughter was out of my system. Much to Einervaene''s dispair.


    It took her a while to respond as she needed to compose herself first, "It''s because the spell involves me transferring and focusing my magic along the copper. But, as it got severed, my body went back to normal."


    "So if we cut the copper about here," gesturing at a finger, "then you''d otherwise maintain a full lightning body so long as there were no other severs in your frame?"


    She nodded, "That is how it seems to work, yes."


    "Well, I know one thing we can certainly improve on then, having seen that."


    "What is your suggestion?" she then asked me as she stood up.


    "We make it so you are not giving us such an accurate showing of what you look like underneath." I chuckle out through a closed and bloated mouth. This laughter easily bringing back the red to Einervaene''s face as she started to become annoyed.


    "Well, as long as Urtuoi-kischu enjoyed it." she then said with a pout, seemingly unaware she specified Nin himself who was looking at her again.


    "Can''t say I did, lightning isn''t really attractive, you know?" he said with mild amusement.


    "I am ashamed of the fact I ever met you." Quinshuu then commented harshly as he turned his back on Einervaene and began to walk off.


    "Where are you going?"


    "I have seen enough from the one you want me to help."


    "And will you help him?"


    "I will, because I wish to battle a more confident version of him. To battle him and defeat him so I may return to my tribe with one more story to pass on." he said before stumbling when he bumped into the console.


    "I think he might be blind," Nin then said as he walked over to me, "So how many does that make it?"


    "Well, there''s me, her, him, my sister, Ombbo... Me, him, her, Ombbo... My sister..." I began to say over and over again. Not sure if I had gotten all of them named.

 Incline 7: A Test Run, Just for You

    "Yeah, yeah! Just like that!" I said to Nin while looking at a data console we had created earlier to help with his training. The screen before me being lit up with various numbers and symbols and other mind-dulling pieces of information. All the while, Nin was within a large glass chamber surrounded by moving panels that glowed as he used his magic. The screen also giving me keen details about what he was doing with his magic.


    Then, it all just disappeared, "Are you sure you can''t give me more help than this? You and everyone else is just giving me vague suggestions and stuff about feelings... I need something more practical to work with!" he complained after he put a stop to his magic.


    I nearly sighed, "Nin, I know it is difficult, but we can''t have you being too influenced by us otherwise you will never become a great witch." I said to him, smiling at the end after I tried to raise his spirits.


    But he would have none of it, "I don''t want to be a great witch! I want to live! To be able to get the chance to go home!" he complained loudly yet still softly before he fell into a sitting position on the ground. His hands soon cupping his face while I got rid of all the machines.


    "Is that really it, huh? Just so you can get home?" I asked him as I sat in front of him. Staring intently at the saddened man before me.


    "Yeah..." he let out after a short period of nothing.


    "Then how about we try and have your magic be influenced by it? To give you that constant push of what you want to do?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "What did you use to do at your home? What was your job? What annoyed you about your family?" I asked, laughing a little towards the end.


    "I was a wall-engraver, I worked with metal and made pictures with various tools."


    "You were an artist?" I said with some excitement as what he said sounded like that. Well, a statue-maker was probably closer to what it actually was. But artistic efforts were still art!


    "No, just some lower-floor labourer. I just copied what those above handed down to me. Most of the time, however, I just polished and cleaned the panels."


    "Maybe that is the problem then." I said to him as I leaned back on to my arms.


    "What is?"


    "We are all trying to speak to you with the usual witch terms and that but you were brought up with a practical mind. You need something more tangible to work with."


    "That is what I have been saying, yes." he sarcastically commented as he sat up.


    "Can you show me that spell you made again?" I then asked him as I took ahold of his left hand. Carefully looking at it as I sensed a magical presence solidify and push out slightly. Smiling slightly at the ticklish sensation it gave my hands as it tried to cut through them.


    "It''s not really anything... I just thought about how to cut some sticks and then it happened."


    "That''s it!" I then said as I hopped up onto my feet.


    "Hm?"


    "Just think of a tool that you can use to get yourself out of certain problems!" I said before running off to the main console. A wall and a chained iron ball soon appearing near Nin. The wall wasn''t particularly dense but that ball was!


    "Hey... What are you..." he muttered to me as I locked that chain around his leg, carefully inspecting it before leaving. Wouldn''t want it to dig into his leg because of its superior internal-magic making it too heavy.


    "Reach for the wall!" I then told him as I began to gently smack the block of cement and brick. Quickly stopping the slapping, however, when it became clear I was loosening one of the bricks.


    "I can''t." he simply said after trying to move the ball closer.


    "Now try and reach for it with your magic!" I clarified to him so he clearly understood my intent. An eager smile on my face as I watch on, anticipating so many ways he could reach the wall.


    "Reach for it with my magic..." he quietly muttered before he began to reach for it like he did before. Only this time, his magic was slowly forming and extending out towards the wall. He was so exhausted by the attempt, though, that he just fell down onto his back. Rather hilariously too as he forgot to dispel the magic so he suddenly jolted to one side when it speared the floor.


    "Progress!" I cheered as I came closer to him. Grinning down at him as he looked up at me with a slight glare before he whacked me with his magic. Well, he would have whacked me, were it not for my superior external-magic flow and control dissipating it all.


    "Eh? It felt like I snapped something? Like a plank of wood going breaking when you just hit a pole with it." he explained while looking at the hand he used. The magic extension he made indeed being jagged now as my magic had broken it.


    "That''s because my magic is just better, but, don''t worry about that too much. That won''t really matter unless you get into a fight."


    "Seems like it matters a lot then." he commented before he began to prod at the chain he was clamped to. His magic causing the iron rings to jangle and dance about as they went near it and got stuck in their loops.


    "Oh! New idea!" I then said what must have been out of the blue for him. No pun intended on my part, though, I was fully aware my hair was blue and a lot about me was too. And once I got to the console again, the ball went and the wall was made weaker than it was before.


    "So what is the idea...?" he asked me after I moved over to him to then gently push him towards the wall''s front. A grin on my face before I then sent it at him with a light gesture. The signs of a laugh appearing as I began to chuckle at the brick-dust covered man.


    "Try to catch it without breaking it." I then explained to him through my chuckles, giggles and light laughter. Then, once the wall reappeared, I did it again and my joy just kept on rising. Because he couldn''t do it, the walls just kept breaking into two main pieces and dozens of little ones. So, soon, I slowed down as the humour had also run off, too.


    "Without breaking... I don''t think I can do that... I might be able to stop it, though." Nin said in a surprisingly calm tone. It being surprising as he would have normally gotten angry or frustrated at this point. But, I suppose him knowing I meant nothing harsh with my laughter kept him calm. Or, maybe it wasn''t annoying him as much as I thought it would.


    "Send another your way?" I then asked him as he looked down and moved about, a quick nod coming soon after. So, with that answer there, I sent another wall towards him. Watching carefully as it broke apart before getting to him this time. His magical extensions having stabbed through the wall before it reached him.


    "No... Platform... Shield... Panel... Door... Bin lid..." he began to repeat quietly to himself. At first, I understood what he meant, but then he mentioned things that were not traditionally thought of as flat. But, in time, I understood what he was aiming for as now I could see the signs of his magic moving more freely. A wide barricade soon forming once he got a hang of it.


    "Last one and you are out!" I then joked before sending another wall towards him. It wasn''t actually going to be the last wall, but, I was wondering something at the time I did it. Maybe it would encourage him to do better? Or, at the very least, make his body understand better.


    "Well, it''s something." he commented apathetically after the wall was stopped by something. Its damaged frame soon collapsing down much differently than the prior walls. Something had indeed stopped it. It was stopped by a barrier!


    "Well done!" I said to him as I skipped over to him, keeping a smile directed at him until he was infected by it. My own growing much wider when one came to his face.


    "I didn''t really do much, though." he said before he rubbed his neck with a hand. A strange noise leaving him just after he did so as his magic once again caused him issues.


    "Try to remember to decast the spell."


    "Yeah... Put the tools away into their box." he said to his hand, it subsequently becoming less bound in magic as a result.


    "At the rate you are going, you''ll be right set for our extra points to bring you across the finish line!" I cheerfully told him. But, unfortunately, it seemed to make him sad, or, bothered at best. Even if I hated thinking like that. Being upset was never something that should have had a better option.


    The only good option was not being upset at all!


    "I''d rather make it through the exam on my own merit." he said before looking at the wall and becoming distant.


    "And you can improve after the entrance exam on your own merit and the merit of your friends! But, for now, let us handle as much of your burden as we can." I said to him as I put my hand on him. Rubbing my finger along his skin and slightly wetting it with my magic just to make him notice more.


    "Friends, huh," he mumbled before looking down with a frown, "To think I once thought like most of my countrymen did. That you were better off on your own for as much as you could do." he said with further mumbles. His eyes suddenly watering up before he wiped them dry.


    "You don''t have to worry about anything, Nin. Your friends are here for you. And you will be there for them, just like a good friend should. So don''t feel bad about them helping you, being their friend means you have earned it."


    "Right..." he responded with before he stared at me. His eyes following my head as it moved from side to side. A smile coming back to his face as he moved to looking at my own.


    I then moved, "Now, that''s enough of that, let''s get back to work and make you even better at magic!"


    "What do I even have left to learn? I have no idea where I even am to be honest. Am I on track? Am I undereducated? Am overdoing it? Personally, I hope the latter but I can''t dismiss the other options."  he began to ramble on with uncertainty before I put a stop to it.


    "Like everyone, you have so much to learn, so don''t worry about it!"


    "Normally learning doesn''t involve a gun barrel if you fail..." he remarked before I moved closer to him once again.


    "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm." I let out in his face.


    "What idea do you have this time, Lari?"


    "Trying to think if it is possible for me to have my exam earlier than I previously wanted." I told him before letting out another noise of thought.


    "Won''t that cause issues with the point sharing?" he asked me as his hand fidgeted about. Shaking my head over and over as I picked it up.


    "Don''t you worry about that, leave it to me!" was all I was willing to tell him on that. So, in order to change the topic, I moved us over to another part of the chamber. We had another set of things set up over here so we could now start using this.


    "The race track again?" Nin said just as I crossed the start line.


    "Yep, I want to see if you can finally catch me now!" I tell him as I slowly move away from him before breaking out into a sprint. Laughing the whole while as he chased after me, his progress clear as he was no longer struggling. He was actually able to run without having to enter phases of slowness like he used to when we first started.


    "Shit, shit..." he then said, proving that he still had some kinks to work out. A boisterous laugh from me, however, got him back on track and he was soon catching up. If it was because his legs were longer than mine or if he was just faster because of magic, I did not know. Or maybe it was because I was not going all out in order to make it more fun?


    Who knows indeed!


    "Oh, you''re so close, so close! You''re so close!" I teased him as my heart began to pump harder and harder. He was right behind me now and his fingers were missing me narrowly each time. And soon, I was twisting and twirling as I ran in an effort to shake him off. However, much to my joy, that failed.


    "Got ya!" he called out as he landed a firm grip on my arm, causing me to lose balance. And now we were violently but safely rolling along the floor and were soon becoming increasingly entwined.


    "Looks like I have you!" I giggled out when we finally came to a stop as the end result was me being on his gut. A gut that kept rising as he laughed himself before he then went quiet when his head turned away from me.


    "L-Looks like you two are having fun." Einervaene said as she approached us with her eyes looking at me wearily. A certain awkwardness about it as her eyes kept looking down at Nin''s gut and my bare legs wrapped around his sides. A small smile coming to my face as I got up off of him before I then went over to her. My hands grabbing her before I then put her on to Nin instead.


    "Get her off of me!" Nin then complained as Einervaene went slightly red, a small, cute smile on her face as I kept her on.


    "C-Can you let go?" I was then asked by the woman I was holding. Something I complied with once I pulled her off.


    "So, how''d it go?" I asked her after Nin wandered off a little and she calmed down a little.


    "How did wha- Oh! Yeah, it went well." she answered, my question having been about the lecture that she went to earlier in the day.


    I then pulled her in a little closer as to make sure Nin didn''t hear, just in case, "Would you mind helping him out for now? I got to go do something." I asked her before leaving slightly. Making sure to keep on moving just to pressure her into accepting.


    "Yea-"


    "Thanks!" I quickly let out before running towards and then out of the portal. A frown forming just as I sighed upon leaving the portal. But, my usual tone was quick to come back as I put some distance between me and the portal. Luckily, the one I wanted to speak to was just outside the building. Admittedly, however, I would have to run to catch up to them.


    "Can I help you?" they then asked as I caught up to them, a growing smile having been killed in its crib before I spoke.


    "Yes, hello, Head of Oddity House Frihdeicalkbr, is it alright if I ask you something?"


    "I assume it will be about the entrance exam again?"


    "Yes, yes it will be."


    "It best not be too much then, you have perhaps a week or just over left until our mutual interest will have to take it."


    I was quite taken aback by that, "Wow... Time sure has gone by quickly..." I found myself saying as I looked down at my sandaled feet.


    "So what can I help you with, Larishazza?" he then asked as he directed me towards an outdoors table so we could properly discuss the topic.


    "Well, two things really. Am I perhaps able to take my exam earlier than Nin but still have my excess points be added on to his score?"


    "Yes, that will be fine. And, given how little time he has left, you are probably in the best period to do such a thing. And the other?"


    "Yeah... Is it possible I might be able to have Nin watch? Please, he really needs this and he is likely never going to calm down over it unless he gets some kind of taster of it." I asked him nervously. My fingers digging into my palms harshly as I looked on at the man before me. My mind full of ideas I could use to change his mind should it not work. Or the minds of those not present if it became an even bigger issue.


    "Have him watch? Just yours?"


    "Yes, just mine."


    "Well, as I have your desire for it, I might be able to. But, I don''t think we have ever had a request for a potential student to watch another as they take the exam."


    "This will be the first time then?" I suggested, placing a lot of hope into it as I really wanted Nin to succeed.


    "Will it be both segments or just the physical?"


    "The physical is what I want him to see. The writing and reading and so on I can explain to him pretty well. "


    "No exam is the same, just so you are aware, Larishazza." Frihdeicalkbr told me as he put a hand on the table. My eyes looking into his before I then looked away with a nod.


    "Just as long as he is aware of what it is like. Even with me being with him, he''s still having various issues. So, as long as I can dull a few of them, that is good enough for me!"


    "Alright, I will see what I can do. After all, I have my own reasons for wanting Nin as a member of my House proper."


    "Thank you!" I said as I nearly leapt up in joy.


    "But, one thing that has caught my attention as of late is just how contradictory you seem to be."


    I suddenly felt a cold sweat, "Can we not talk about that, please? I keep it private for a reason and I don''t want him ever hearing about it."


    "You are certainly twisting your own arms hard, aren''t you? I am not the one you need to worry about." he said to me as he left. A harsh sting those words had just left before I looked off in the distance. Small waves coming from me whenever I saw someone familiar pass on by. But, they were familiar for less than wholesome reasons.


    "He has a point, I suppose. The reason this problem exists is what I will try and use to keep them quiet about it." I muttered quietly as a gust of air left my nose. Soon heading onwards to another part of the Academy in search of my sister just so I could get my mind off of it. I could see how she was doing and if they were all going to be ready for the big day. A big day that will see my efforts succeed or fail.


    I wanted to think with certainty that I would succeed and that Nin would live on for many more years. But, it seems like his pessimism had taken root in me, or, maybe I was just worried myself. He had gone on to be a good friend of mine since I started helping him out and I guess I did not want to see him go. I''ve left a lot of friends behind before, but never because they died...


    And I didn''t know how I would handle that if I was truly honest with myself.


    Luckily for my mind, however, Tiya had just come across me, "What''s wrong, Lari?" my sister asked as she came up to me.


    "I was just lonely." I answered with a grin as I brought my head up to look at her.


    "You''re not with Nin?"


    "I left him with Einervaene so I could speak to someone else about something."


    "About the exams I take it?" she asked me to which I nodded.


    "Yeah, the exams. But, I am surprised about one thing..."


    "What''s that?"


    "It''s already been half a year or so since we arrived here." I said to her as I leaned against the wall and looked out across the Academy. My eyes briefly trying to focus in on the ruins this place owes part of its name to.


    "You wouldn''t be surprised if you spent more time looking at a calendar."


    "Which one?" I then joked to her. A little jab at our confusion when we first got here as this land had two more calendar types. One about the moons and another that just counted how many orbits happened in a normal year. Why they didn''t just stick to the normal one still eluded us.


    "You know which one." she said to me with a smile of her own as her breath fogged up the nearby area. A finger of mine soon playing around with her relatively short hair before I pulled it back to then hold on it. Her hair was covered in thin layers of ice and frost and it was clear she was practising her magic even now.


    "You know I never liked looking at dates and calendars."


    "Yeah, you like everything to be a surprise. Even if some parts of you don''t." she commented before a cold finger prodded my chest. Right where the heart was roughly.


    "Don''t touch!" I said to her as I slapped her hand away, not liking the cold she always puts on me.


    "So were you just lingering now or did you want to talk?"


    "A bit of both, really."


    "Well, I am all ears then. If you get me a drink." Tiya said with a grin.


    "My own sister wants bribes before she listens to me? I thought you were raised better."


    "Not my fault you just go on and on."


    "I let you speak!"


    "Not often enough." she said before we both started giggling. But, then, we stopped as we had nearly parted ways unintentionally.


    "There''s a drink machine over there." I said with a gesture.


    "I don''t want something in a can or bottle, I want a cup on a table with a slice of cake."


    "You want cake now too!?" I moaned as I slumped over jokingly before catching up. But, now that we were headed this way, I might as well grab something for the others. But what if the others had joined the others!? Would I need more than two sets of two items!?


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    "What has you worried now?" my sister then asked me as she noticed my head moving about.


    "I''m not sure if getting Nin and Einervaene something will exclude anyone else who might have joined them."


    "Just get something for the entire dorm then." my sister said with a shrug.


    "I''m not made of money!"


    "Everything we get is paid for with Dad''s money, so don''t start." my sister pointed out before we arrived at an on-campus money machine.


    "Oh, sorry, I forgot my ID." I said sheepishly, hoping she''d buy it. But she didn''t buy it, as such, she would not be buying any of it either.


    "Put your finger on the machine!" she told me sternly as she let a chilling mist appear near her hands.


    "Fine!" I complained back at her as I put my finger into the machine. A few beeps leaving it as it read my magic signature before my bank profile appeared. Fingers lingering near some of the options as I tried to think of how much I might need. I did not have pockets so I did not want excess change on me.


    Yet, charity was always an option, so maybe I should have gone over what I would need.


    "Now, feed me." my sister demanded as she leaned over me after money entered my hand.


    "Patience!" was all I had to say to her as we carried back on towards our desired locale. A relaxing sigh leaving me and my sister as we entered the building. A barrage of tasty and warm smells having just swarmed into our nose the moment the door opened. It only getting stronger the deeper into the building we went.


    "Alright, bring me my cake and drink, I''m going to speak to Omb." my sister said as she went off.


    "Ombbo is here?" I said as I looked around. Soon smiling and waving when I saw the large Errakurd at the far end. A laugh in his belly as he just kept on eating. A few others around him encouraging it onwards as they made bets to see how much he could eat.


    But, he always won as his magic was entirely built around eating. I think I even heard from him once that all this fat was actually a means to bolster his magic. So, if he was going to get into a fight... He''d come out muscle-bound as all that fat would be gone.


    I think it was also said he would have been a part of Exceptional House had he not been Errakurdish. So he was quite the impressive witch, probably the best I would ever see unless I spent more time with Exceptional House. Which, given the situation with one of Nin''s friends, might actually happen. Unfortunately, my visits there haven''t brought anything meaningful and that friend is unlikely to see Nin again soon.


    Now was not the time to worry about that, though, now was the time to think on how I would please Nin. What kind of cake would he like? Would he particularly mind? Would he prefer more cake over a specific one, he was quite big?


    "What''s taking you so long?" my sister complained as she came over to me.


    "I am trying to think what everyone might like."


    "It''s cake! Just get them something big."


    "But maybe they don''t like certain ingredients. Maybe they don''t like cake at all."


    "No one hates cake." my sister said with a shake of her head.


    I turned to face her, "You said the same about those cheese melts you got all the time back home, but, what happened?"


    "The place shut down because it wasn''t popular enough..." she quietly muttered in disappointment.


    "Exactly, just because you like it doesn''t mean someone else will."


    "It''s not my fault everyone back home is so used to dried out foods or cold and creamy foods. Besides, it being hot was never a good excuse. People are quite happy to cook meat by an open fire!" my sister said as she began to ramble on about how unfair it was. A little laugh leaving me as I finally began to pick some cakes and drinks. But, rather than go for slices, I just bought small and whole cakes. Options would be there, then.


    My sister, however, I got her a slice as I knew what she liked. She had grown quite fond of this alcoholic cake made using the moss that grows on those downslope breweries. Personally, I gagged at the thought of it, moss was not something you put into a cake! Dried out fruits on the other hand?


    They worked very well!


    "Here you go." I told Tiya as I began to leave, magic construct holding everything as my hands were full.


    "Thank you!" was all I got from her before she went back to her friend and mentor. Soon shaking my head as I watched her immediately forget about what she got from me in order to watch Ombbo. Her magic being used as a means to provide water to him should it have got stuck in his throat. Which, happened quite a lot, even as I left.


    "Right, back to the room." I let out before I started dancing along the grass on my way back. My magic constructs following after me while I cautiously balanced what I was holding. Unfortunately, I had to stop dancing once I finally reached the training building again. Paying attention mattered a lot more here as the halls were bustling with experienced and not-so witches.


    "Hm, how am I going to do this?" I found myself saying as I eyed everyone passing by. I had a lot in my hands and on magic but I would not be able to get it all through. Casted magic messed with portals badly so it would not even unlock until I put the cakes and drinks down! But, I soon found what I guessed would work.


    That being, just gently scoot it along the floor until the item went through the portal. So I kept this up until I could hold the rest without issue. Then, I went on through, freezing up when I nearly put a foot down onto one of the cakes. The plastic cover having made a loud pop as my foot went down, somewhat smooshing its toppings as well.


    "What''s all this?" Nin commented as it became clear he had been lingering by the portal on this side while I was gone. Or, at the least, he had come over when he saw the portal become so active.


    "Can you move what is by my foot?" I strained out as my stiff body began to ache.


    "Right, sure." he said quickly as he began to pull it all away from the portal before he took what was in my hands.


    "Thank you..." I let out as I dramatically fell to the ground while staring at the cakes with a frown.


    "So, again, what''s all this?"


    "Oh! I went to get cake and drink!" I said as my head shot up from the ground with a wide open smile.


    "Ah, why''d you get so much, though? There''s four of us here, including you."


    "Four?" I repeated before spotting Quinshuu in the distance as he shot a beam of light from his eye at a target. His left arm having been extended outwards like a gun barrel.


    "Yeah, Quinshuu came a little after you left. He hasn''t done anything with me, however. He just started shooting beams at targets."


    "I can see." I said as I got up with help from Nin. My head looking around before I used a construct to get what I wanted up into his face.


    "For me specifically?" he said before I shook my head.


    "Yes and no. At first I did but later I decided to split all the cakes equally just in case you didn''t like a particular one."


    "I don''t think us four can eat all this, looks like you bought out a bakery." he joked with a quiet laugh before he began to sniff some of the cakes. A strange glance entering his eyes as he looked at them.


    "Something wrong?"


    "I just find it odd." he nebulously said as he began to head over to Einervaene with me.


    "What do you find odd?"


    "Eh, forget it." he said before he went back to intensely staring at what was gotten.


    "You''re back!" Einervaene called out as she sped up to approach us. One of her arms going behind her as she came to a stop near Nin. Her eyes looking on greedily at all the cakes and drinks.


    "One of you get Quinshuu, we''ll take a break to enjoy this." I told the pair near me as I began to input the proper commands. A clothed table soon popping up that would soon be decked out in covered cakes. Some untouched and fresh as can be, one nearly squashed under my foot. Luckily, the drinks were all fine.


    "So what did you actually go out for?" Einervaene then whispered to me as Nin was the one to go.


    "To speak with our House Head, hopefully, it went well." I answered with a frown and the nervous biting of my inner lip.


    "About the exam?"


    "Yeah, it''s happening very soon... I think for all of us in our dorm, actually."


    "No, Vadei and Dandel''lhia both had theirs weeks ago, they passed too!" Einervaene corrected with a smile. Clearly happy for the pair of them, which I was too. But, I was curious as I never saw them often, they frequently headed out to Exceptional House.


    "So it is just us lot then... All for Nin." I whispered before looking up and over the cakes. Smiling slightly as I watched Nin begin to argue with Quinshuu. The two did it quite often, but it never went beyond annoyed tones. Their upbringings just made them contrast so much, Quinshuu was a former nomad, well, now he was, he wouldn''t be for long.


    And Nin, well, it was clear he was brought up in a crowded space. The way he decorated his room with all the little things I gave him were always so carefully managed and clumped together. It''s like he has never had a room to himself! Well, that might actually be the case as I shared his bed often just to comfort him.


    I even teased Einervaene on occasion as she spends a lot of time helping Nin out. Since our initial talk with her, anyway, now she seemed to have inverted her former ways. She had her new friends on limited visits and hangouts while Nin got all the attention. But, I was under the impression it would balance out once Nin was in the clear.


    "Has everyone else been keeping up with their studies? What if we-" Einervaene began to mutter nervously before I shoved a bit of cake into her mouth.


    "We''ll all pass, don''t worry." I said with a smile before I suckled my icing covered finger clean.


    "This all from the food court then?" I was then asked by her as she helped herself to the cake I just shoved in her face. A joyful moan leaving her as she lost herself in the food. It being clear she needed to do it to get her mind off the prior topic.


    "I don''t know, I don''t remember anywhere in this school by its actual name." I lightly chuckled after telling her that. A warm liquid soon going down my throat before I balanced out its bitter flavour with a cake slice. One light brown in colour that was stuffed full of orange coloured fruits and topped in a slightly green cream.


    "You remember it all by the rooftops, don''t you?" Einervaene said as a little bolt of lightning arced over the cake covers. Clearly an imitation of how I and Nin move around the school. And, despite his rough start, he was winning the game we started when we first started doing it. By quite a large margin too as I just couldn''t stop myself from greeting people sometimes.


    "So what flavours are which?" Nin asked as he finally came back with Quinshuu. The table shuddering as he let his frame drop down onto it. And, as I was a smart girl, I made the table strong with magic so he didn''t snap it in two!


    "Why not just go in blind? It''s more fun that way."


    "No, it isn''t." Quinshuu remarked as he fiddled with the cups in an effort to see if anything was just raw milk. It was like all he ever drank for some reason. He was even patting the table down for some reason.


    "Here you go!" Einervaene then said as she got up and helped him sit down. Her own eyes looking into his before she frowned and shook her head.


    "Eugh, mixed with something." Quinshuu complained as Einervaene sat back down and had her arm transmute. It turning back so it could twitch giving me the quiet notification about what had happened. Quinshuu was a sacrificial witch?


    "So where''d you end up going?" I was then asked by Nin after he chose a cake.


    "Just to get something to celebrate your progress with!"


    He blinked and his expression flattened, "We''ll celebrate all you want when I actually pass." he said quietly before a small smile formed.


    "Indeed we will, indeed we will." I responded with as I carried on working to keep his mind stress free. He would need it, we all would, in fact. Not only did we have the usual demands expected from an exam, but we also had another piece of baggage attached. I don''t think even I could stay truly stress-free throughout such an ordeal.


    But, I had my means to deal with it all, I did have a means.


    .


    .


    .


    "Nin...! I want to die!" I dramatically cried out before falling into the arms of the man I had been working so hard to help. His progress becoming clear to me as I felt his body correctly adjust to the amount of pressure I put on to him. No longer was he overexerting on what he did not need to. No longer was he prone to brief flight when moving fast.


    "That bad, huh?" he nervously asked as he helped me regain a footing on the ground. Even if I kept playing it up and staying limp in his grip just so I could feel more of his progress. Progress possible because of the support I gave him. It made me indescribably happy to see this.


    "Yeah! They kept complaining at me for moving too much, but I don''t like being idle!" I let out, finally revealing the truth of the matter. Something that led to Nin dryly laughing before he let me fall to the floor.


    "Guess it will be fine for you to die then." he joked before holding out a hand.


    "You better not be like this at my funeral." I told him with a grin as I shot up back to my feet with his assistance.


    "Your funeral? I like to think you''d be attending mine more likely. Because you are trying to imply I would let something happen to my friend." he said to me, his body straightening out with pride after he said the last word. A toothy smile being my response before we moved out of the way of other examinees. We hadn''t shared a room, everyone got portal''d to their own room. But we did share an entrance.


    And one thing that made me even happier than I already was, was the fact I did not need to sing for him. Just his eyes focusing on me was enough to keep his attention off of the annoying noises we now heard. Well, heard indeed, but clearly? No, no we did not.


    "We have a little time off for the moment, but then we can move on!" I then told Nin as I took his hand and brought him outside. Falling down onto the grass and letting my body warm-up under the orbital-halo. Nin''s knees soon appearing next to my head and then under them when I moved on to them. The orbital-halo being replaced by the shade created by his skull.


    "Having fun down there?" he asked me as one of his hands cautiously moved to stroke my hair. A hand I soon encouraged to do so by forcing it on to my head.


    "I am indeed, and I wish it would not stop."


    "Do well and I might do it again." he then joked as his head briefly turned to the other building we would have to go to. A large, arena-like complex that would be used to test our various magic abilities. Abilities we clearly defined in the previous part of the exams just now. Along with a few other basic literacy and language-related things.


    But, it was mostly magic ability and spell describing and detailing. What the spell was, what kind of casting we used to make it. What it would be used for, how we actually used it. That sort of stuff.


    One thing I was really excited about, however, was the one spell that truly defined who I was. A spell I would be very glad to have watched by Nin. It wasn''t an impressive spell when I practised. I wasn''t really able to practise its scale in a shower or around others.


    Yet, it would very much be when we reached the final moments of the exam, the upcoming practical one. I would get to show it off, all my efforts displayed to the entire Academy if they were in on it. But, especially to Nin, I would give him a show he would never forget, I would give him the greatest magic show ever! And I would also show the best dance I would ever do for now.


    It made me feel all kinds of things, excited, scared, worried, happy, eager, so many contradictions were in me. But, I was sure and certain to beat back all the mindsets that encouraged failure. Like the people going on to join the Royal Navy back home in the Grand-Kingdom. Failure was not an option, only exceptional display and by the gods would I display only exceptional skill and passion!


    This wasn''t just a test for me, it wasn''t just some exam to become something else. It was to make a stand about what I was and to bring another into that place too. I had sworn my efforts to the life of another alongside a fellowship of others. Like-minded in purpose or unique, we all worked to do the same.


    I was just merely the one who went out first, the one to rile up the crowd. The one to make it clear that the means they have given us would ensure our friend kept on living. That he kept on being given the means to show the world what he could do. So he could finally begin to heal from the problems that plagued him.


    Problems I intended to see through before tossing them off the mountain so they could plunge to their dooms. The sky was the limit and Nin needed help cutting off so many ballasts before he could get up there. And even if I could not cut all of them, I would lighten his load by bringing him up with me. So even if we could not go to the moons and back, he could at least be free to go almost anywhere.


    And now, well, it would be nice if he stopped slapping my face!


    "Lari, the speakers just asked for you."


    "The exam has started!?" my shock clear as I shot up like one of Einervaene''s lightning bolts.


    "N-No, they just asked for you specifically. Full name and all." he clarified before he got up.


    "Which way!? Which way!?" I repeated over and over to him before following his arm that rose to guide me.


    "Don''t go so fast that I can''t keep up!" Nin called out to me as I slipped and slid all over the place until I reached a building. An isolated building off the main path with the Oddity House Head just outside it.


    "Is Nin with you?" I was asked, but I did not give a response as he soon came into view.


    "Ah, you." was what he said in response to seeing Frihdeicalkbr.


    "Indeed, who else would it be? Either way, good news for you," he said while pointing at me, "Your prior request was granted, Nin may observe your practical exam. However, there is reason to believe you might be graded even harsher. Not all members of staff here hold my opinion on our rarest of students."


    I nodded, "So is this the building we''ll be using?"


    He shook his head, "No, it was just somewhere off on the side. Somewhere quiet. You''ll both be following me now, however."


    "Right." I said in acknowledgement before turning to Nin. A bright smile on my face as I worked to keep his morale up during this walk to the building. A walk that seemed to drag on longer than walks in this place usually took. And even with all the stuff I did with Nin, my heart pounded harshly.


    The water that was coming from me wasn''t even magic, it was the beginnings of a profound sweating! Yet, Nin''s smile was able to make my body seem like it had gone back to normal. He may have been a source of my stress right now. But, that smile I helped make more common calmed me a lot.


    "Good luck." he said quietly and softly before he pulled me in for a hug. Something I did not expect him at all to do as he was normally averse to starting the physical aspects of our friendship. And as I smiled and broke off the unfortunately brief hug... I moved my hands about like a net, catching the love he gave to me and placing it close to my heart before going on ahead.


    Briefly turning around once more to watch as he disappeared into a portal before I was then sent to an open field. A field of barren brown earth surrounded by equally land in colour stonework. But, it was very decorative even if it all just blended together from the point of view I was given. I wonder if that was the point, though?


    All this blandness was a means to keep the attention on me, the one who would display their might? I guess that was fine by me, reminded me of the places I was inspired to dance at. They were open buildings that, while decorated and colour vibrant, always were open for one purpose. So the dancer was the decoration of note, to say nothing of how they dressed so openly compared to the average person.


    A woman formerly wrapped up in light robes would become free and barely covered even at their most private places. A man would be similar to, but they were often not the centre of attention. It was the women who got the attention at these dancing places. I understood why, but I often couldn''t as well, I just focused on how they moved.


    Moves I began to show off each time I was asked by those above to display my skills. I would use their tools to show my skill over my internal-magic and I would let loose as I moved on to the next one. Doing what I could to enjoy my time in this place, from trying to imitate my training with Nin when I ran. All the way to copying what we did on the roofs.


    So much of what was keeping me calm now was rooted in why I was here earlier than expected. Nin''s presence kept me going and it kept away all the distractions that would ruin the moment I was about to enjoy. The moment they would all enjoy and what would give me an abundant harvest to share with him. Soon he would see it all and I would be exceptionally happy.


    "Now, Examaniee Larishazza Sl''Ayiysab, show us what you got. Let us see what spell currently serves as the peak of your efforts." I heard ring out through the arena. A sudden and strangely loud order that did not flow well like the others did. As such, I had lost my prior rhythm and was cluelessly looking about. My body surrounded by flowing sapphire magic while the arena was soaked with water.


    "Watch closely, Nin." I soon quietly said before I began to steadily move on to singing with a boisterous tone that echoed about. Carried on by bubbles that held some of my sweet tune for later where they would then pop and let it out. And as I sang, my body moved again, feet went forwards and backwards while my hips shaked. Fingers would burst orbs of water and each stamp of the foot shook the ground.


    The water I had let out before also jumped up into the air like rain that went up, a means to observe my music. And as it picked up, I began to move with far greater distance before I began to use a construct to get about. A large figure soon forming out of the water that was serpentine in nature. Its roar being an amplification of my singing that let it reach further before it burst in the sky above me.


    And then I came to a sudden stop while breathing harshly. A copy of my dance appearing in the well-controlled downpour I was now under. Soon after it all fell down, one final manipulation of it came from me as many spiralling towers went up into the sky. Their majestic mass just suddenly disappearing into wind-like sapphire light that went back into me.


    My body taking on an almost divine-like aura as my magic calmed down from a raging storm into a calm, open sea. A faint shade of blue existing all throughout the arena as my magic calmed down. Then, I fell down laughing as I finally let all the stress out. My body having developed ghostly aches all about it.


    "I am done, Nin... Now it is your turn." I said to no one yet someone specific before a grin formed. My eyes looking up intently at the open roof as I began to ponder. Had those outside the arena seen and heard my efforts? Or was the engineering genius of this Academy only giving the allusion that was the case?


    But then, cheering. The place filled with cheers that just kept on coming and then when I got up, I saw something I hadn''t noticed before. This entire place was full of people who had been watching!? And well, I found tears forming as I suddenly lost my spine.


    I had not expected so many people to have been here. Why were so many here? Had this been a part of the conditions Frihdeicalkbr had to deal with? That if Nin was to watch others would too?


    Or was this always going to be the case!?


    I did not have an answer but I was happy. So happy indeed. I even felt like my heart would give out from embarrassment as my face went a deep crimson like Einervaene''s often did. And, now that I found myself looking on at the crowd, I saw that even she was there.


    In fact, it seemed like a lot of Oddity House was here in general.


    "LARI! LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" I heard someone call out from the side. It was a bit blurry seeing them, but, their sudden cloud of cool mist made it clear who it was.


    "Did you like it, Tiya?" I cried out as I began to move away from the open field of the arena. I appreciated the praise very much but this was just too much. There was just so many people in there. So many souls who had been given a sight that would last them a lifetime.


    ''Did I do well?'' was something I then wanted to say to Nin as I saw him rush out in front of me. But, I just couldn''t stop crying and I was soon in his arms again as he sang praises of me over and over. A smile nearly being welded permanently onto my face as I heard it all from him. It just hit differently for some reason when I heard it from him.


    Everyone else''s was just as valuable but seeing him so joyful following my efforts was something else. I could have only assumed he was with the Academy staff as I performed so to see him so ecstatic made me proud. My dancing and singing made him forget all that pressure he was likely under in that room. The pressure I must have put on to myself as I was just so relieved.


    "C''mon you little baby, let''s find somewhere quieter." he nearly laughed out as he picked me up like a child before he took me away. Away from the stadium and to someplace quieter. I thought maybe he would take me to our dorm just so I could collapse into a bed. Instead, I found myself in a training room after the distinct feeling of being portal''d happened.


    "Why''d you bring me here? I am done with my exams, I don''t need to train anymore!" I limply cheered while in his grip to which he laughed before putting me down.


    "No, you still got a few more days before you get laid off, Teacher Lari." he said as he looked down at me. Having just flopped onto the floor again after he put me down on the floor.


    "Alright, nothing too intensive then? I''m exhausted." I panted out with a breathless laugh before slowly getting back up. Almost corpse-like my next few movements were. As they were all slow and needlessly laborious.


    "Well, I''m not too sure how much effort on your part it would take. But I wouldn''t mind seeing that part of the exam where you were asked to do something with your aura. To make it as defined as possible I think the staff and such said." he asked of me before his hands began to imitate my aura.


    "If that''s the case," I began with a grin before getting up, "how about you make sure the area I am in is low in internal-magic? Then you can get a real show."


    "About time I actually got to use that thing." he remarked as he began to push and twist objects on the console. And he was right, he was pretty much never using it during our training sessions. But, admittedly, maybe he should have given he was still learning the language of this place.


    "You all good there?" I then found myself asking as I approached him.


    "Yeah, just finding where everything is..." he muttered before I felt a sudden vacuum in the area. He had just successfully made the low-magic area but he had also put no safeguards in place. I wouldn''t tell him, though, I wanted to get a more visceral reaction from him. One truly in awe of what magic can do!


    "Sit or linger about here!" I then ordered him after pulling him away from the console.


    "Alright, alright, calm down." he said to me as I let go. And, to my anticipation, his posture was relaxed and showed no signs of fortitude. He was no wall at the moment, just a blade of grass. He would bend so easily!


    I grinned to the point my cheeks began to hurt a little, "You ready?" I mockingly asked to some extent. Revelling in his ignorant look about before I got a thumbs up from him to start. But, before I did so, I calmed myself down which was rather hard to do. We just had my practical and now this bundle of joy would come undone soon!


    My heart had indeed proven its worth recently, but, for now, I needed it to shut up as I needed my magic calm. It needed to be non-intrusive to the low-magic region otherwise I could set it off before I was ready. Yet, even then, it would still be immensely enjoyable to experience as it would all come together. In spite of the problems, though, I made it to the middle of the mock town he had made for me.


    A bland and undetailed town, but, it had all the important details like thick walls and solid structures. Things that were the most satisfying to see go up in arcane flames. The most enjoyable of all was about to happen! Pure destruction!


    "And just one more time, you ready?" I asked him once more as my body began to move. A final nod coming from him as he unbalanced himself leaning forwards.


    And then, boom.


    The area around me lit up in a fireball-like explosion that tore away everything around me. Cemented walls were deconstructed back down to bricks before being broken down into shards. Glass just flat out shattered into razor-sharp dust. And I dropped a good distance as the floor gave in to the power of my actually modest display.


    A distinct pale blue and purple mixture lighting up the entire chamber as it roared about. And soon, Nin''s yelps of surprise filled the room as the results of the magic discrepancy washed over him. Harmless as it was as this wasn''t some world-shattering aura I had. I was no Elemental Emperor Dragon after all!


    "That wasn''t what I wanted to see again..." he said in shock first before breaking out into laughter. His first action being to up the magic density of this place before he came back for me. A fit of my own laughter having me in a state of paralysis as I looked up and then down at his jumpy form. The true scale of my destruction becoming very clear once I was brought out of my crater.


    "So... So... What do you think?" I finally got out as my chest shook about with what was left of my laughter.


    "Probably the most vivid display of magic I have seen since... Since I was in the hive." he started off with excitement at first before he killed it off. Almost near-instantly which I did not like at all. Joy should last for longer! Not be dealt with, with such efficiency!


    "Don''t mind that now, Ninno, just focus on the show you''re about to get." I told him while tapping one of his cheeks. Refocusing his mind back onto me before we sorted out the details on the console. And now, with the area more like how it was during the exam, but still weak enough for me to really show off... I ran away.


    I ran away from him and took up position, bouncing up and down on my heels and toes. All the while watching him as he cautiously took up position. A brief giggle leaving me as I watched this. There would be no reason for such actions this time around. Yet, I was fine with letting him carry on with it.


    "Ready?" I then asked him after he came to a stop.


    "Yes, I am ready to be caught in an explosion." he sarcastically retorted as he stepped back again.


    "Prepare to be disappointed then!" I replied with as my aura began to light up the area again. This time, however, there was no explosion, only a dull sapphire glow that lit up all around me. And soon, it became like a desert at mid-orbit, only instead of heatwaves, it was arcane water. A calm and relaxing display that warped the other sources of light near me into twisting and turning about.


    "Beautiful..." I faintly heard from Nin as I closed my eyes and hummed to myself. The calming sensations I was feeling causing me to end up dancing again as I just couldn''t stop myself when I was like this. Letting my aura out always made me happy and calm as everything just felt so natural. Like I was home again or at the edge of the All-Coast in a resort.


    And, despite my want to rest and to recuperate from what I did in the exam. I found myself once again doing some of what I had done in that exam again. Just moving about and singing as my magic filled the area before I became quiet again. My eyes opening once more when I found myself having wandered into a wall.


    "You''re in my way." I said to the wall that had interrupted me. My aura suddenly taking on a violent aspect that sent everything flying away. A forceful but much gentler eviction of obstructions than what happened just earlier now occurred. With walls being knocked over and what was built to sturdier standards just sliding away as if they were washed away in a flood.


    Nin then laughed, "Remind me not to interrupt you when you are dancing."


    "Oh, I''ll make an exception for you, Nin!" I replied with as my aura went away. My smile no longer being hidden by the elaborate magic display.

 Incline 8: It is Finally Your Turn

    "Yes! Just like that, Urtuoi-kischu!" I said to my friend as he carefully began to claw in his words. Having just previously given him a sentence to write down in Jhermonikran. Now, I was hoping we could move on to him writing with the actual tools next. But, he had been very assertive of the idea of him not writing like that.


    His claws could not hold the tools properly and he had just gotten used to writing with his claws. I had warned against such a thing as a tablet from a magically denser region would leave him unable to write at all. But, I just could not get past his stubbornness regarding the tools. He was just completely unwilling to use them so it might be that we just have to stick with this.


    And, in my frustrations over it, I looked over to Ayi-chira who was sleeping in Nin''s bed while we worked. I just wish I had the abilities she had, that ability to influence Urtuoi-kischu and so on. He was like a puppet near her, she could influence him meaningfully so well. Yet, that line of thinking also made me sad.


    For was it because of my prior, self-created problems regarding Urtuoi-kischu that led to me not being able to... Open him up like she could, was his unwillingness to listen to me perhaps my own fault? Or was he always like this and I was just blaming myself needlessly? I doubted it, there was no way my actions had not played a role.


    "Clohniq show me the way..." Urtuoi-kischu then moaned in frustration as he leaned back into his seat. A seat which we had to get custom-made for him as otherwise, it would have just snapped. Even with the training he has been going through in order to control his magic better. Something he had made a lot of progress in!


    "What''s the problem, Urtuoi-kischu?" I then asked him after bringing my chair closer. Cautiously moving it so the scraping noises would not awaken Ayi-chira. I had even taken off my boots and was just moving about in socks! Something that made me feel weird, honestly.


    I had gotten very used to high-heeled boots since I went shopping with Rossie-chira in that town.


    "Just tired and frustrated. Nothing to concern yourself over." he simply stated before resting his head in his arms and sighing. My head turning towards the window shortly after as it was quite dark out.


    "Do you think you can go on for a little longer or would you prefer to stop?"


    "I''d rather keep going... I am not normally done by this hour with Lari."


    I frowned, "Right... Perhaps we could go outside for a bit then? Maybe the fresh air would do you some good?" I offered to him. Mostly out of a selfish desire to get some alone time with him but also because I thought it might work. Maybe having him get a bit of blood pumping would actually help him learn better?


    "Fine." was all he said before he left the room. My hand putting down my tablet and writing tools before I followed him. Not bothering to put on my boots before I followed him through the window he went through.


    "A little help?" I called out to him as I held out my arm and extended each finger on my hand. A quiet yelp leaving me as he suddenly heaved me up with him. And a few seconds of stumbling about later saw us on the roof of our dorm. Yet, instead of feeling happy that I was up here with him, I felt bothered.


    He was just so moody right now, he wasn''t saying anything and he didn''t even look like he was enjoying it! So, I thought I might as well try and at least act with some confidence... So I walked up to him. And I sat down.


    "So... How was your day?" I asked him while I fidgeted about. I was very uncomfortable for some reason.


    "Same as most." was all I got.


    "Have I been able to help you well enough?" I then found myself asking, a red tint going across my face shortly after.


    "Guess we will see the day after tomorrow."


    "Is there anything I can do to help you calm down? I know you have been struggling to sleep these past few days."


    "Try months..." he bitterly commented before I heard him move, my blush growing as he had turned to face me.


    "Y-Yes...?" I asked him while moving away slightly out of nervousness. But, that glare of his showed me that I should not have done that.


    "Why are you so easily embarrassed by me?" he then asked, something I was not expecting at all. So, I sort of freaked out a little and moved away some more before I calmed myself.


    "I''m... Not... Yeah, I''m not easily provoked by you..."


    "I said embarrassed, not provoked." he clarified with a faint chuckle.


    "Same thing..." I told him with a pout.


    "I guess so, I guess so indeed." he said before rolling back onto his back. An arm of his soon pulling me in close with my reaction causing him to snicker.


    "W-What''s this all a-about?" I asked as my soft front was pressed against his hard shell. That bracelet of his having been trapped on my thigh while his claw reached back to his gut.


    "It was getting a little boring up here."


    "I see, s-sorry..."


    "Don''t apologise, Einervaene. You''re the reason I am not bored." he told me before he let go, snickers still leaving him. And while I slowly nodded at this, going up onto my knees as I did so. I found my gaze resting on that bracelet of his again.


    "Would you mind if I had a look at it?" I asked as one of my gloved fingers began to prod at it. Nearly spinning it around his wrist as I did so.


    "No, you can''t have it."


    "So I am not allowed to look at it?" I asked him as his laughter had me confused. Did he make a joke or was I not allowed it and he was just being cruel? I guess it must have been the first option as he soon handed it over to me. And, once again, that feeling happened, one of where Nin just seemed duller in my eyes.


    "Why are you so obsessed with that bracelet anyway?" he then asked me as he brought himself closer. A very sudden surge of curiosity driving me to put the bracelet on shortly after. And, when I did, Nin moved back slightly, his eyes staring intently at my body.


    "Is there something on me...?" I asked him as he was not one to suddenly stare at my chest, legs or rear. This embarrassment I was feeling only getting worse when his claw moved slightly closer before he then brought me in for a hug. He wasn''t saying anything and neither was I, but, here we were. Me on his lap as he tightly pressed my body against his.


    "Can I have my bracelet back?" he then asked in confusion as he let me out of the hug so I could stumble back a bit. The signs of a smile appearing as I nodded rapidly before giving it back to him. What was that all about? Seriously, he had just held me like how a pair of intimate lovers would embrace!


    "Where did you even get that bracelet...?" I found myself asking once my embarrassment had gone. Well, that would have been a lie, it never really went. It just calmed down and I don''t think it would ever go. Not until I spent some time on my own to process what had just happened.


    "A friend..." he vaguely said as he put it back on after eyeing it. A shrug following shortly after he pondered a thought.


    "Must be one special friend." I quietly muttered before I looked back at him as that sensation had returned. That one that made my stomach feel weird along with my heart and mind. A queasy sensation one actually wanted to carry on.


    "She is indeed," he then commented before he headed back inside, "You coming?"I was then asked. But, I shook my head and gestured to the roof. He then came back to me which left me with a thundering heart.


    "Ah..." I barely let out before he then left again, his mouth mumbling before he went back down. And, to my surprise, my lips had shaped themselves somehow. But, placing my fingers against them clarified to me what they had tried to do. I was prepared to kiss him?


    Not only had I dreamed of such moments, but I had also tried to do it for real? That was a lot for me to take in, admittedly, and, if I wasn''t scared of what Rossie-chira might do. I would have probably been able to come to the answer in my head instantly. Yet, I did not, I just sat there while rubbing my lips.


    An odd heat suddenly filling my body before I just fell down with a smile. A small, sweet smile that was hard on the mouth as it made it all tight.


    "Maybe I should speak to Ayi-chira about this when I can..."


    .


    .


    .


    "Aim for her tit!" Ayi-chira nearly shouted as she cheered Urtuoi-kischu on from the sides of the chamber. Her choice of words causing me to stop which in turn caused Urtuoi-kischu to collide with me. His controlled aura having given him the means to get an actual grasp on my lightning form that I had been working on a lot. Specifically in order to make it more modest but even then, I still looked naked.


    And, well, Ayi-chira''s choice of words had made me exceptionally embarrassed as there was indeed a hand near my... As she put it, tit. But, thankfully, Urtuoi-kischu could not bear to keep his hand near me as the lightning was causing him too much pain. Yet, that also made me feel bad as I guess I just did not like the idea of scaring him off.


    "Can you not encourage that behaviour!?" I found myself saying to the Ibenorrocon as she laughed while the Nomad shook his head.


    "Perhaps you should not be so exposed then?" he said as his eyes stayed focused on my opponent. Urtuoi-kischu who was once again idle as he thought on what to do.


    "Ninno! What did I say!" Ayi-chira then said before a small water orb smacked into his face. The sudden halt to his train of thought causing him to snap his jaws in the direction of the blow. Only for him to then calm down when he properly registered the water. My normal body soon appearing once again as I decasted the spell.


    "Well? Do you think you are getting better?" I asked the towering bug as I passed him over a bottle of water. My body moving back slightly when he tore off the lid and just dumped it all down his throat. A lot of it spilling out onto his overalls while he smacked his jaw over and over.


    "Bit hard to tell, little too much hyper-lethal voltage flowing through me when I do it." he sarcastically restored before shaking his hand. A hand that soon passed on its excess static on to me which caused me jump slightly.


    "How is it you are still hurt by shocks and that?" Ayi-chira asked me as she came close. A series of giggles locked behind her closed mouth.


    "How is it you can still be drowned despite being able to flood an arena?" I then asked her as my body straightened out before I moved closer to her. A slight mixture of my jealousy towards her and general national rivalry driving me to do it. That same smile she always had on being what I had to put up with.


    "You''re both pretty now break it up." Urtuoi-kischu then commented as he passed by before grabbing me. And while he just wanted to get back to training, I was left with a red face. He had just called me pretty, he had just declared that he saw me as pretty!


    "R-Right." I said in reply as I prepared to cast my spell again. My body quickly transmuting back into lightning that was contained entirely in my near-naked form. His own magic warping and moving about as we did a repeat of what we had been doing. We would start slowly, with him prodding at me before then bringing it up into a much faster pace.


    Both to make sure he was able to maintain control of his internal-magic, his external-magic and his aura too. And like how it went last time, he was unable to tolerate the pain he felt when his hands touched me. A task he was finding increasingly easier as I was lost in some other thoughts while we did this. His sudden roar of pain bringing me out of these thoughts.


    "Shit! Shit! Undwote go away!" he growled out as he bounced around the room while waving his hand about. Ayi-chira laughing did ease my worries a little, however, Urtuoi-kischu had not shown this kind of reaction before during our training.


    "Are you alright!?" I asked as I went back to my normal form. A sudden pain in my heart happening when he tried to avoid my touch when I went over to see if he was alright.


    "Oh, you''re back to normal..." he pretty much panted out as he continued to make sharp breaths while whipping his hand about.


    "Sorry!" I said to him as I saw how badly his hand had been burned by me. But, it was soon getting better as this place was the only place in Suhurlodst that actually had unrestricted healing. I did not understand why the healing in this place was so restricted. I only knew it was essentially treated as a commodity and as a means to control.


    "Do you even know how strong your voltage is!?" he asked me in a rather high-pitched tone, clearly shocked by how potent my magic is. And well, he was also shocked.


    "I... I never found out, no... I just assume it is as powerful as lightning..." I mumbled in embarrassment as I rub a high-heel boot along the floor.


    "Alright, alright. That''s enough for today... Enough indeed." he then said before he began to walk away. Something that provoked me into following him so I could carry on speaking to him.


    "Are you sure? Your exam is tomorrow. Are you sure you don''t want to get everything ready? To make sure you are ready?" my fingers coming together as I asked this. I was very worried for him, he had been going nonstop this past week and now he just wanted to stop? It seemed a bit sudden.


    "Einervaene, look at the clock." he then told me, and, I listened. I went and looked at the clock before looking back at him with a nervous chuckle as it seems like he did indeed have a point regarding it. It was nighttime now, we''d be having to go to sleep soon as it was an early start.


    A quiet and brief laugh leaving me before I spoke again, "We really have been going at it for a while, haven''t we?"


    "Indeed. And, like you said, Execution Day is tomorrow." he said with a grim chuckle before he sighed long and hard.


    "Urtuoi... Nin... We''re going to get you through this, okay? I''ll help you here and hopefully, you can pay me back later." I said with a smile as I remembered our prior talks regarding how I got here. How I ended up deciding on coming to this land and all that.


    "Pay you back? Lari is doing it unconditionally." he said with a grin which caused me to pout.


    "I don''t care what that slime-covered desert stick does." I mumbled grumpily.


    "You two don''t get along, huh?" Urtuoi-kischu then asked me quietly after he moved a little closer.


    I sighed before answering, "No, I get along fine with her... It''s just..." I began to say before a hand touched my head. One touching his too.


    "And under the gaze of the Equilibrium, First Amongst All. We declare that Motrtha shall come into your life this night!" Ayi-chira recited while giggling before she forced my head closer to Urtuoi''s. And while I ended up slipping down and landing against his body, he had locked up when Ayi-chira did that. My face burning all the while as I knew what those words were. They were part of a marriage ceremony!


    A marriage ceremony!


    "Do you mind, Lari?" Urtuoi-kischu then asked of Ayi-chira as he took me off of him and got up. A giggling Ibenorroccon running about as she was chased after by the one who made my heart feel strange. And well, while I had some time to myself, I found myself getting up and leaving the chamber. A sullen expression developing before I left the building entirely, soon heading onwards towards the on-campus temple.


    A tender grip from me forcing the door to the temple open once I arrived there. Silence greeted me, however, as it was entirely empty and devoid of caretakers and people expressing their faith. And once I was done staring uncomfortably at the large section dedicated to the fourteen moons, I moved. Going straight over to the Goddess of Mothers, the one who seemed to be connected to my feelings for Nin...


    I may have not had much time with it, but, coming here every now and then has made me realise something. The runes and writing on that bracelet of his are most certainly ones that belong to this goddess. And there was most definitely strong magic internalised within that bracelet! Yet, it was a little pointless in a way to be here.


    I could not exactly speak to the goddess of note to seek clarification. To get an answer as to why my heart fluttered as of late when I was near Nin, more so when he had that bracelet on. So, instead, I just intently stared at that statue of the Goddess of Mothers, the one who comforted a  newborn Thunder. And then, I put my hand on the statue''s face, cupping its cheek shortly after.


    "Do I actually... Do I actually..." I began to say before I found myself being stumped over and over again whenever I tried to speak it aloud. I had known him for what must have easily been more than or close to a year... I have known of women older than me falling for men in a shorter period of time... Yet, I was just not sure if this is what I thought it was.


    Rossie-chira had clearly already shown a major investment with Nin on a personal level. And he in turn had shown a great amount of interest in Ayi-chira. An interest that didn''t seem to going anywhere soon. Yet, in my confusion, I found myself getting frustrated.


    "There is nothing that condemns more than one wife or concubine, here or back home... So why is this so frustrating to think about?" I muttered before putting a set of spread out fingers onto my face. And then, I stepped back a little as I swear I just saw that statue develop a smile before giggles left it. Perplexion spreading about my features before I just shook my head and moved to leave.


    "Keep going at it, he''ll notice." a voice then clearly said to me as if it was right next to me. A frightened jump being my response before I then smacked the wall before getting stuck in a gap.


    "Who... Who is there!?" I then demanded to know, trying my best to sound intimidating before I then saw a ghostly image. An image of my... Mother!? Why was I seeing an image of my mother!?


    Pregnant no less!?


    "No... Is that...?" I then found myself saying in disbelief as I finally got up again, the image becoming much clearer somehow. It was not my mother, it was a much older me! How I ended up figuring this out was rather simple as a mirage of Nin in his old outfit was now holding this woman. This future version of me was being held lovingly by Nin and she was also clearly pregnant!


    And then it just disappeared, yet, I was not disappointed to see it go. I was just filled with joy and happiness as my bare belly was rubbed by my gloved hands. Me and Nin together with me clearly in the attire of a Ruling-Lady as they might get called here in this land. That is what I saw, I saw a future where my efforts proved true and these feelings of mine were made clear.


    "Now if only I had the confidence to actually admit it." I then joked, proverbially cutting my wrist with that comment as it admitted my greatest problem right now. I just could not bring myself to think of it as or to call it what I clearly saw. That being love. I just could not do it, there was just something that bothered me and it wasn''t Nin not being human.


    "Don''t you be going anywhere now." I then remarked to the statue before leaving the temple. Those giggles once again being heard before I got out of the building, a small smile on my face before I went away from the building. My intentions clear as I moved with haste to our dorm so I could hopefully speak to Nin some more.


    And, hopefully, maybe... And this was embarrassing me a little... Hopefully, I would be able to find an excuse or reason to sleep in his bed again. As, while it was an embarrassing one for me, my first night with him and Rossie-chira was a fond memory.


    Somehow.


    I guess it had to do with that bracelet of his yet at the same time, I must have just been really happy to be in kind arms again. Having just gotten off of yet another ship and other forms of travel as getting here was so exhausting... That night was bliss once I was done being harmed by my own magic, it was. To just not have to worry about all the worries my travels put on me.


    He even made me like the idea of travelling again as his companionship made it much more tolerable. Even Rossie-chira helped with that, actually, and Baltanthan too! Even if Rossie-chira often displayed intense jealousy when I was near Nin and even with her threats. Baltanthan was the same, those threats he liked to make and his seemingly never upbeat mood.


    Despite it all, I enjoyed travelling with those two. And I hoped dearly I would get to travel with them more. Hopefully to my homeland too! So, as Nin came back into my sights as I got closer to the training building again; I just smiled.


    .


    .


    .


    "You lot are looking happy." Nin said to the rest of our dorm who had just finished with their exams. Both practical and theoretical and while I was technically in the best position to help them, I did not. I just smiled, happy with the fact I did mine before as I was not interested in going through that amount of stress again. It even helped Ninno keep calm like my smiling always did.


    "This better be worth it." my sister groaned before she threw a snowball at me which I had narrowly dodged.


    "Don''t worry! It will be! And soon, once Ninno is finished, we can all gather here once again to celebrate!" I said cheerfully while throwing my arms out and about the room as I danced. But all I got as a response was groans and moans as everyone puttered out. Quinshuu was even sat perfectly still as he had blinded himself in his test.


    "I''d rather do it by the main entrance to this place. Preferably on top of it." Nin commented as he idly walked about.


    "Why the main entrance, what''s wrong with our dorm?" I asked him as I spun around.


    "I have my reasons." he said before walking elsewhere with me following him shortly after.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "So," I then began to say, a more serious expression on my face, "Do you want me to go there with you or do you want to go on your own?"


    He leaned on a nearby wall and sighed and moaned and groaned and made all kinds of noise, "I don''t know... Just want it... Just want it to be done with." he said before he began to dig a nail into the wall. A small smiley face having been left in it briefly before the building fixed itself.


    "Well, I guess I''ll come with you, then." I said to him as I took ahold of his closest hand. Singing into my mouth gently so I could get his full attention. My smile growing when I saw his after his eyes found themselves staring into mine. A soft gaze once again being visible from my friend as we began to leave the dorm quietly. We might as well have gone now, while the Academy was somewhat dead as all the examinees calmed down.


    But, to make extra sure that Nin himself had calmed down, I would take him across the roof. Let him enjoy himself and to ensure my joy distracted him from the paranoia he had. Something that seemed to be working quite well as he obsessively followed me across the roofs of various buildings. My laughter guiding him if I ever left his sight and a splash of water greeting him when he found me again.


    "C''mon, keep up!" I told him before leaping a great distance away and spinning along the ground to land. A large splash of water coming out of the ground until I fully stopped myself in the freshly made mud. Then, he leapt after me, the concentration his magic just went through viewable even from here. And then, unlike me, he just landed with a booming thud.


    "Help." he then squeaked as his legs had just gone straight into my mud. His mid-thigh being about how deep he went. At first, I just laughed at his predicament as this was something indeed hilarious. His magic just stabbed him straight into the ground!


    "I-I-I-I''m s-sorry." I barely got out to him as I began to pull him out. My magic in the mud being redirected towards his legs so it could loosen him out. And then, he just slipped out and we rolled along the ground together before we stopped. His hand having just narrowly avoided my head when he stopped right on top of me.


    A song in my throat as I lay there under him while he was so close to being on top of me. His usual signs of embarrassment being shown as his jaw made all kinds of rapid noises. And, as I was in a teasing mood, I began to guide his head forward towards mine, something he was letting just happen. Then, I giggled and brought his face straight down onto my flattened out chest.


    Hugging him tightly while giggling some more before he shook me off. His expression showing slight hints of annoyance as began to blink and move around a lot. But, I brought him back to our original task as we really shouldn''t have been messing around. Every lost bit of time would hurt how long he would have to show off how much he had learned!


    This mud in his clothes and on his skin too... So, using some of my magic, I began to soak his lower half before extracting all the mud I saw. And frankly, I wish he had brighter clothes on as they were already dark and the water just made it darker. So, well, I probably ended up missing a lot of the mud.


    "There! Presentable again!" I declared just before we reached a valley made by armoured men. Not even my efforts could keep Nin occupied now, there was just too much noise. There was just so many people here and it was completely contradictory to my exam. There was no love here, only hatred and I did not like it.


    So, much to my shame, I began to wave at Nin as I moved away, slinking away so I could watch him go in elsewhere. But, I would not let him go in on his own so I moved some of my water off of his clothes and closer to his ear. Then, I tried my hardest to replicate my singing with captured air. And even if it was a bad replication, he at least calmed down as seen by his shoulders going down.


    "Good luck!" I called out from my spot just as he disappeared behind those doors. A small nod coming from him just before the door closed with the crowd going away shortly after. I suppose they would be back, though. Where, however, was the real question, would we have to avoid our dorm later?


    Yet soon it was quiet compared to before, at least, and when it became that level of quiet. I went into the building myself, hoping to get in with the staff so I could watch. I hoped Frihdeicalkbr had sorted this out and I could come in without issue. Yet, even then, with that in mind, I waited a little bit to see if he would show up.


    And, thankfully, he did, "Ah, Student Larishazza, I take it you are here to observe our mutual interest in turn?"


    I would have smiled having heard what he called me, but I was focused too much on Nin, "Yes, am I allowed to do so?"


    "It has been, the price, of course, you saw before."


    "So that''s why they were all there..." I muttered with him nodding in confirmation.


    "Yes, in exchange for Examinee Nin to be let in to watch, I had to make the entirety of Oddity House come too. This time, however, it will just be you coming to us, no one else."


    "That''s good..." I said while nodding over and over.


    "We will, however, need to wait for a short period as Examinee Nin will have to do the written exam first."


    "Yeah, reading, writing... Spell describing..." I began to say as I remembered what I did. The first two were boring but the last bit was somewhat enjoyable. However, I still worried for Nin, his spells were not complex. So I worried he would lose points here because of the likely simple descriptions...


    "That last one is where most of the points come in. So, let''s hope he can explain a few in-depth or so many he just nets many basic sets of points." Frihdeicalkbr said before he began to gesture me to his front.


    "That''s what I am worried about. We''ve had a lot of trouble getting him to learn magic. It''s like he has never touched it before."


    "Yes, I have been observing your actions in the All-Purpose Magic Development Centre."


    "Is there anything you might have noticed we can help him with later?"


    "Outside of him actually attending the lectures once he becomes Student Nin, rather than Examinee, no. I am afraid not. His magic may have origins in wind-based magic but he has also adopted a very rigid form to it. I assume it is due to his osibin-"


    "Nin is human." I then corrected him after otherwise listening politely. A small nod coming from him before his eyes stared intently at mine.


    "Of course." he then said with another nod.


    "As you were saying?"


    "Yes, his magic, to put it as simply as I think I can. Is well, not wind magic if that makes sense. It''s the external application of his internal-magic reserves. I have a few theories as to why, but my favourite is that he suffers from Sudden Induction."


    "What was that again?" I asked with a frown.


    "It is when a low to non-magic holding entity is suddenly exposed to high concentrations of it and survives. And due to a few details that I won''t describe. Its power goes far beyond the average natural magic user and their body is confused."


    "That might be it."


    His brow rose, "He has admitted to it?"


    "He has said some kind of blast happened before when he was stuck in a hive with bugs." I said before shuddering at the thought. So many small creatures with little legs going all over you.


    Our House Head then began to laugh openly, "Oh, this will be good when he finally becomes Student Nin!" a smile of my own appearing as I heard his joy.


    "Does this information perhaps help him pass?"


    "It might, it might. If I can prove it to them, then maybe. Being a beneficiary of Sudden Induction does alter how we score our students, see. I won''t give you the details due to you being non-staff but know that it gives Student Nin a firm leg to stand on score-wise."


    "Would me explaining what happened to him perhaps help?"


    "I think it would clarify some things, but as a whole no, you would need someone who was there during the incident to testify. Or, even better, what inputted all that magic into him. Because whoever did must have been strong as despite his lack of wind characteristics. What is in him is very pure, far beyond even some of Exceptional House''s intake."


    "Well, that''s going to be hard then..." I then quietly muttered as the one thing Nin didn''t tell me was that. He mostly focused on what happened to him specifically, what he went through and that. He mentioned people but never said their names. Not that it mattered I suppose, the odds of them being here would have been something.


    "Either way, we best get seated, wouldn''t want to be late."


    "Has the practical started already!?" I then asked in surprise. Had we been talking for however long!?


    "No, no, no," he clarified before he held the door open with an outstretched hand, "I just want to get my spot." he told me as sat down in an unmarked seat. A cushiony, velvet-covered chair with lengthy armrests and many hidden parts. Magical and mechanical.


    "I''ll be over here if you need me." I told him before I then sat against the large, what I assumed to be a glass panel. Leaning my head against it so I could stare intently at what was in the arena this time. Not only was the arena itself a different shape this time, but a lot more physical related items were also present. It even had a centrepiece to it.


    A large dark and likely metal bar surrounded by thick logs on either side. It looked heavy, very heavy, I was not even sure if I could lift it and I was stronger than Nin in both magic types! Then again, I also did not lift heavy object often. But, my inability to sense the internal-magic of that item worried me.


    It could have been very deceptive in how heavy it was, yet, the sudden appearance of more items took my attention away, "Why are objects still appearing and... Disappearing...?"


    "Remember the spell describing?"


    "This is all being custom made to what he is describing?" I then said with widening eyes as I saw what Nin was making. Even if he was likely unaware of what we going on in this place. I guess that even explained why the ground was so well-suited to my dancing when I did my practical...


    "Indeed it is," he said as he came over, an arm resting on the glass, "And going by what I am seeing he is going for the Excessively Manly approach as it has been nicknamed."


    "How so?" I then asked as I turned away from the glass.


    A small smile on his face appearing as he thought on the answer, "Because males of all magic-capable species have an easier time with internal-magic compared to a female. Just how biology is. So, as such, a lot of the less spell-confident examinees just treat it as a weightlifting competition." he explained before laughing briefly.


    "There''s so many men in my dorm that I sometimes forget witches are mostly women." I said with a laugh of my own as I remembered my old lessons. The ones that clarified the more biological aspect of magic.


    .


    .


    .


    "Well, Undwote, nice seeing you again." I quietly mumbled as I put down the various writing tools I had been forced to use. My claws having been used as a weapon against me should I have chosen to use them. Imagine that, me, the only osibindah in the world capable of human emotion and thought and I die because... Because I used my claws to write!


    And it frustrated me to be entirely honest, I just wanted to write in the easiest manner. Yet, I was hampered in my attempts and forced to write like a normal man might. As such, I had to drastically simplify my descriptions to almost baby-like levels just to get it done in time. I even just threw the dice as it were and made crude doodles to accompany it.


    Angry it made me, all the other ways these people have used to break me down was just not enough. I also had to humiliate myself in an effort to pass a test meant for adults. But, given my treatment here and some of the insults, well. They might not even consider most people here adults, just children with beards and breasts.


    It was over, though, this part of the exam was now over so I could relax somewhat. And I had a lot of emphasis on somewhat as I was not breathing properly. I was stuttering out breaths and I was trembling with anticipatory fear. I did not feel well at all.


    I would say I felt sick, but I was not, I was just terrified, terrified of what was most likely going to happen. Originally I went into this room with confidence, Lari having helped raise my spirits a little. But this one test had broken and ground me down into fine powder. Just waiting to be blown about by whatever plan these green-breathers had.


    "Make your way to the following arena, creature." the Examiner told me with a sneer as they chucked some kind of tablet at me. A wood-rimmed object with a reddish centre made of what I assumed was glass. I would tap it harder to confirm it, but, I did not want to break it. I had already briefly lost control of my magic in that test just now.


    Nearly broke my chair and fell to the floor while being stared at by hateful guards and staff. People who would most certainly begin laughing so hysterically if I was to have done that. Children when it suited them, mature adults when they wanted it another way. I had dealt with people like this before, but, not with so many guns pointed at me.


    Not with a risk of death being associated with them.


    "Floor two, portal eighty-nine." I mumbled as I finally arrived at the portal I had been assigned or something. The small tablet briefly being held before my left eye just prior to me slotting it inside a machine. The portal lighting up brightly and openly near-instantly after I did that. With some wonder returning to me when that had happened.


    These portals still got to me, I had to admit, a door so strange and alien and seemingly complex. Yet, it was so common, the only place to my knowledge that had none were our dorms! Everything had these magical constructs somewhere. A room of many possibilities lying beyond each portal.


    But, no wonder was waiting for me beyond this one, no unguessable secret. It was my next test, the arena I would use, just like Lari had done. And this time instead of dazzling a crowd, I would fight for my life. Presumably showing off all I knew about my magic and hoping it impressed them enough.


    However, it did not even impress me, my magic that is. It was simple and crude compared to everyone else''s. Quinshuu shot light from his fingers like a gun at the expense of his sight, Lari''s sister made icy mist! Einervaene could turn into lightning and shoot it out as well! And Lari, well, Lari sang and danced and enhanced her beauty to new heights...


    What could I do? I could make a means to poke something further away or to support a heavy load. I made poles of magic... Gods damned poles!


    They manipulated elements and constructed things with it and I made unseeable extensions of my limbs. Lari had told me she could indeed see my extensions and that, but I could not see them. If I could not even sense magic properly unless it was blowing something up then what chance did I have!? There was no hope and I was a fool to try...


    Maybe I should stop being so cynical, though, the practical had started and I was doing it. As such, I was worried these thoughts were crippling my will to carry on. That they were going to make it much harder than necessary to do this. After all, why bother when the voices just keep saying I was and will fail?


    "C''mon, sing for me..." I nearly cried out to Lari who I knew was watching. My hand wiping away any tears before I then moved on to the next part of the exam. And then the next and so on and so forth until I was nearing the end. A monotony of physical exertions that used very little magic to my knowledge.


    Now, I know they did say internal-magic influenced all physical actions, yet, even then, I was just running! Just lifting weights and throwing heavy objects or rapidly moving about heavy objects while guiding another. It all seemed so dismissable until I finally reached the last thing my last test had mentioned. The spell that would truly define what you would bring to this cursed place.


    This cruel and hostile academy...


    And what I had chosen was a repeat of my most defining memory that was not about my death or hive stay. That time I lifted dozens of logs a side bound together by iron poles with it all being around a greater pole. And like last time, it made me nervous as I stood before it with the judgement of others on me. I do not know if I had gotten stronger, but, last time I barely lifted it.


    I even nearly died until that magic blast save me, and this time, well... There would be no vague saviour. Vapooliar wasn''t here and there were no aelenvari witches adoring me to do it. It was just me and me alone.


    So if I screwed up then that was it, I would die once more and this time it would not have its moments. No games with the God of Expression, no watching the God of Thunder make things at dinner. No Goddess of Technique wanting a compliment or a Goddess of Pleasure ruining my tastes forever. And there would most certainly be no Goddess of Mothers to comfort me and love me unconditionally.


    And as I slowly moved my bracelet about, I thought of him, the one who was denied my soul. Undwote, the God of Death. The one who walked the misty limbo that copied our world. He who found all dead with his pack of seven, the ones who gave us his holy number of seven.


    I did not want to see him again, however, despite fond memories of him and his pets. I did not want to see him just to know I would be going to wherever he put souls away to. I wanted to carry on living and speak to Lari more and all the others. Especially Lari, however, because since coming here I have realised one thing.


    I actually liked her, not like how I would a friend, but rather, it was the one thing that made me grow tired of Rose. What I felt for her was love and I would like to tell her about it, I wanted to actually be loved. Not lusted after or just cared for. I wanted to tell her that even if I was unsure about it...


    That at one point I would be able to tell her ''Lari, I love you.''


    So, with a little smile on my chittering jaws, I moved towards that old memory brought back again. I stretched my limbs and looked up at what seemed to be a glass panel. One that was surely see-through and have her behind it. So, just to relax a little, I then chose to wave at it.


    Maybe, just maybe, I was getting one back too, "Examinee Nin, move on to your final display. And be done with it." the voice in the speakers said at first professionally. Until, well, they made their wishes clear with that final clear.


    "Indeed, let me be done with it." I replied back with before I then went under the centre-bar. A glare forming as I made sure my feet were spread far and apart yet still firmly placed. And as my claws flexed about on the iron bar, I filled up with emotion. So many kinds and all of them ones that would help me lift this bar.


    Anger, fury, rage, joy, happiness, want, desire, good or bad... They were all there and I would use them to make my mind ignore the pain and the rest of it. I would lift this object once more and I would prove myself triumphant! I would see Lari''s smile again and put up with her forevermore!


    So, with a start-up roar to encourage me onwards, I began to exert my strength. Straining almost immediately with my legs and arms trembling as I went up. My eight knees in particular feeling the strain badly as they did not seem to agree with this weight at all. Yet, I kept on going up and I kept on pushing it up.


    A grin of sorts making its way onto my distorted, pain-filled and blood-flushed face as I did so. But it did not come because of that, the fact the ground was cracking made me grin like that. Then, with a single triumphant heave, I lifted a leg up and slammed it back down with the ground fracturing further. I then did it again and again until I had waddled a short distance.


    But, then, it suddenly felt much heavier and I could feel something was wrong. Had someone tampered with the magic in this thing!? Were they trying to crush me or make me break my legs!? By the first three Thunderstrikes, I would not give them the satisfaction.


    So I moved on to what I had been learning with Lari and put my body into the best state it could be. One that utilised my internal-magic to its fullest extent while my external-magic also helped out. At first, it was minor and not noticeable by me, but then it grew to greater heights and became very seeable. The weights felt lighter and I now had supports!


    For I had shot out my magic and was now using it to create structural supports! My drive to get home, like Lari had told me, would win this day for me. For I was using all I knew about Tobaballe''s towers to help out with the weight. I spread it out along my arms and legs more evenly and even made rests to use!


    And just before my magic felt like it would go out, I tried to recreate what I did back at the flower. I would successfully throw this thing away this time and I would be standing at the end of it! But, this one slip up had me roaring in pain because I had to suddenly put my magic into a single pole on my back. Or, rather, what it might as well have been, a pike.


    "Ah! Ah! Ah! DAMMIT!" I screamed out in pain before I then got back into it after stumbling back. I then threw it away once I had mustered all my remaining arcane strength. And I watched it crash into the dry earth of the arena with a tremendous boom. Its form collapsing as it could not hold itself together like this.


    "Did you see me, Lari!?" I then called out to the glass panel while panting in pain. That burden now no longer putting itself down upon me. I was free of it and now all I had to do was be like her. I needed to hope for a future where I lived for I had given it my all and was pleased.


    Now if only I was not full of the urge to flop over and scream.


    .


    .


    .


    "And are we all done scoring what has just been displayed by Examinee Nin?" one of my colleagues asked the rest of us. My legs tapping the floor ahead of me while I waited for everyone to give their answers. A series of nods, brief speaking, hand gestures and other forms of acknowledgement coming from everyone at this table. A quick finger going up being my response.


    "Good, now, let''s get this creature out of the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding and go back to normal." a different staff member commented, his opinion clear to me. And, unfortunately, not enough of my equals, lessers and superiors held my opinion. They did not want Examinee Nin here and were in full support of our legal compromise with our neighbours.


    "And as is my role, I will present his scores on their own before we transition on to the average." I then explained as I stood up. This being my job as he would be a student of my House should he succeed. His success was not wanted by some, but I maintained a firm belief in its likelihood. Student Larishazza had put together quite the safety net for him so that should get him through.


    As, unfortunately, without those shared scores, he would not pass. For the results he himself got were very disappointing as we could not rate him highly at all even with nit-picking. No amount of pondering the meaning of the scoring outline would get him higher. His descriptions and writing were crude and simple and his magic was basic and unrefined.


    There may have been no magical education level below our own but this did not mean we took on the blatantly unskilled. It was a travesty pure and simple. He may have used magic but he failed to get even a few points in entire scoring brackets. The lack of complex spells, signs of exceptional expertise in a particular magic type, nothing!


    We just got displays of basic magic distribution and the usage of internal-magic to lift an impressive weight. Well, impressive for the average magic-capable man of the outer to near-middle of the continent. If this was an armed forces training centre then he might have done well, but we were not one of them. This was a magic training academy, we needed our potential students to show the ability to cast spells!


    "Enjoying the results, Oddity House Head Frihdeicalkbr?" I was then mockingly asked as a fist formed on the table. An annoyed tint in my eyes as I looked on over at the man who just passed comment on my beliefs.


    "And how does it feel knowing an osibindah showed better magic usage than you?" I then bit back with, knowing full well why so much of our staff was men. They were pen pushers and data-handlers. They weren''t witches for the most part. Just feeble creatures passing judgement on the quality of their betters.


    "Better magic usage? Hah! If he had shown that he''d not be going to the execution wall!" a wave of laughter erupting out from him while he pointed at the display.


    "This is not his final score, you know that, right?" I informed him as I rolled my eyes with a few buttons being pressed shortly after. The scores of all but one of the students contributing to Examinee Nin''s final score being shown. A greater display forming as they all came up. Their names and a few basic details as well.


    Student Einervaene Bosphama of Eusorochi was there contributing what her transmutative spells got her. The Sl''Ayiysab sisters who dazzled their examiners with their fine display of aquatic magic of the liquid and solid variety. Quinshuu Wuun whose skill with his magic, despite his casting methods, won him a few useable points. Then, finally, Omb Ur-Nace who did the most to help, even with his limited display as he was insistent on using little effort.


    For some reason.


    Yet, as I looked up higher to the final tally, I was a little worried. Examinee Nin was now just two points away from going beyond the finish line and the final student was not here. He had insisted on handing the results in personally but what if his results were not good enough? He was attempting to get into Traditional House and they had by far the highest failure rate.


    Them being the House for the average student after all.


    "We didn''t get enough points...?" I then heard a heartbroken voice say quietly behind me. My attention going to the woman behind us while the table went into a state of uproar as arguments broke out. One side determined to enjoy Examinee Nin''s failure while the other displayed issues with law and disappointment.


    "I am afraid so, Student Larishazza, you did not get enough." I told her flatly as she began to tear up before rolling up into a ball.


    "No... That can''t be right... Everyone was cheering when I did mine... Everyone liked it and we got all this help and it still wasn''t enough?" she exclaimed before her red face left her legs, watermarks all over her cheeks.


    "I made sure to recount several times. I''m sorry, Student Larishazza, but if something doesn''t happen then he will be executed."


    "Then I''ll just stop them!" she said to me in defiance as hints of anger began to appear on her face. Frustration just dripping out of her every time I looked at her before going back to the door.


    "C''mon, hurry up." I then muttered impatiently at the door to this room.


    "Why do you keep looking at the door...?" I was then asked by her, something I did not answer as it began to move. A little bit of excitement spawning inside of me as that must have been him! No member of staff would be bothering us at this time so it must have been him!


    "Yeah... This looks like the place." the man behind the door said before he walked in. The loud tap of his staff making everyone quiet down before he came to a stop before the table.


    "Why are you here? Who is this?" one of the members of staff asked as he shot up. His gaze, like nearly everyone else''s, being intensely focused on those tablets he held. For they all had the necessary parts on them to be inputed into our table''s circuitry. He could upload something, that something being his scores!


    "He is Student Baltanthan of Traditional House." my fellow House Head, Ttonis clarified as he too stood up.


    "House Head Ttonis," Student Baltanthan greeted with a small nod before he looked about, "Where can I put this in...?" he then asked before I went over and showed him. The signs of a smirk on my face as I looked at this young man. Did he offer us not only enough points to pass but enough to get us beyond the passing minimum!?


    "Wait! Hold on!" someone then interrupted, his brow sweating as he realised what this meant.


    "What is the meaning of this!?"


    "We can''t add in scores now!"


    "Yeah! It''s against the rules of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding! Rules we swore to uphold!"


    "We have broken no rules!" I then declared to them firmly, shutting them all up instantly as I threw out another tablet. It being a document on our laws and rules and codes of conduct.


    "As some of the students like to put it..." one of my supporters began to say with a smile as he rolled his tongue, "Read it and weep." he then said firmly.


    My smirk fully coming out as the scores were added on to Student Nin''s. Now he sat on a safe score of seventy-one. He would not be executed by our neighbouring mountain-state because of dubious legal twisting. He would no longer be put through what he has been experiencing since he got here!


    "You traitor!" one of the teachers then accused Student Baltanthan of which made him incandescent with rage.


    "Traitor!? I have betrayed no one! If anything I have freed myself of the burden that damn bug put on me by taking me here! I had a dream growing up you know, a dream that involved being a witch who came from this place. Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding is where I wanted to learn! But, until he came along I may have not had that chance too! Yet, here I am, Student Baltanthan, no longer Shop Clerk Baltanthan! No longer Ravineer Baltanthan, but Student Baltanthan!"


    "Be quiet!" someone then said in an effort to interrupt him.


    "No, I will not be quiet! I will make my point clear! A point of how I will repay this debt I owe to a bug. I have just started a dream that was only possible because of him and I intend to thank him for it. And if helping him survive your shambles of a deal with Thrurstradtur then so be it!" he explained to them. Repeatedly dipping in and out of the likelihood of just shouting it out at the closest of Student Nin''s detractors.


    And then, he was thrown to the floor by a grateful woman, "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" cried out Student Larishazza over and over as she hugged the floored Student Baltanthan. Laughter coming out of me as the disappointed law-twisters left the room in droves.


    "Student Baltanthan," I began to say as Student Larishazza finally let him go, "As someone has just made perfectly clear to you, thank you for what you have done."


    "Yeah, whatever, just glad I am not going to be dealing with this any longer. No more disturbed nights because of my debt to him." he sighed out in annoyance before he rubbed his eyes.


    "If it helps, I can make your upcoming nights very easy to rest in." Student Larishazza then giggled out as her foot twisted about after she went against him. His arm having been pressed against her mostly bare front before he pulled back.


    "Ehhhhhhh... No thank you, I''d rather just say hello to him and the other two and gloat." he explained with a gesture before he went to the glass. A common gesture used for swearing coming from him as he began to tap the glass.


    My attention returning to Student Larishazza after I finished enjoying Student Baltanthan''s antics, "Now, would you like to hand Student Nin this or would you like to prepare something more special?" I asked her.


    "Special? What do you have planned!?" she asked me as she hopped about cheerfully. Her tears now having been long gone as Student Baltanthan had been soaked by the rest.


    "Well, join us and we''ll go over the details." I tell her as I point to the table where my supporters were still seated. Be it either because they held issue with Student Nin''s treatment or had my opinion of the situation. They were here and they had helped me get Examinee Nin into the annals of history. To be replaced by someone else entirely.


    And, I was overjoyed, for now... I could enjoy Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding''s first osibindah student!

 Peak 5: I Live on!

    "Why hello there, old friend!" I cheerfully greeted to the open chest that had been dropped by earlier today. It also came alongside my confirmation of my success in the exam but I was more interested in the chest. For within its thick metal and wooden hold was anything I had on me that was not declared Rose''s. And it was lucky I had my bracelet lied about, otherwise, I''d just be putting it on now!


    Either way, I was just really glad to have a pile of bandages in my hands again. Yet, I did not put them on as I was mostly disgusted by them. Were they always this filthy? They were stained with blood, muck, riddled with damage and so on.


    "First thing to do is laundry, got it." I then said in confirmation before I began to pick up everything, then opening the door once it was all in hand. A giggle leaving me as the door had also been quickly replaced so now I could leave on my own! I was no longer bound to some stupid rota and various bonds of trust! I had the ability to self-determine when I wanted the door open again!


    "Make way coming down!" I let out happily as I hopped gently down the stairs until I was downstairs again. Shrugging when it turned out that no one was actually on the stairs and then moving on into the kitchen. A sudden force putting me into the wall when I turned the corner.


    "What did I hit!?" I heard Einervaene question suddenly as footsteps began to flood the area. There were signs of panic also being heard as I removed myself from the wall. Staring intently at the chest that fell apart in my hands like a weak cardboard can holder.


    "Best apologise!" Lari then demanded of the copper-haired woman as I looked up at them before laughing.


    "I don''t think that will clean them." I said through the laughter as I began to gather it all up. Carefully inspecting the mask first, however. If that had been broken then there might be an actual issue. But, couldn''t I get one made like how Einervaene got an outfit made?


    "So how are you feeling, Chitter?" I was then asked by Omb as he came over with a brush to deal with the mess.


    "You don''t have to do that..." Einervaene tried to say before she was waved down by him. Her sense of responsibility however made her very nosey over how Omb did it.


    "It''s fine, just some wood and metal. Besides, smoking meat with wood is good and this wood won''t disappear." Omb said with a hearty chuckle as the pan he brought filled up.


    A few chitters leaving me before I then said anything, "Chitters? That''s a new one... Jiggly..." I began to say before just going with what came to my head for a nickname.


    "I suppose he is!" Lari then said as she began to prod at Omb, much to his pleasure.


    "Oh, stop it you two." he said with some embarrassment before he left after patting my back.


    "So what is all this then?" I was then asked by the sapphire-haired beauty who had helped me get to this point. A brief nervousness flushing itself through me before it went away.


    "This is what I was wearing before I was forced to wear this..." I said to her before saying it to myself. A frown on my face before I then tore off the prisoner''s attire.


    "Oh my, Nin!" Lari cheered while Einervaene went red and looked away.


    "Have some decency... There are children who live here." Einervaene mumbled.


    "A child, now, Big-Harlot, get changed or get out of my sight." Quinshuu corrected before he then demanded. His arms crossing over while he shook his head.


    "I am suddenly inclined to not get changed." I tell him as I drop everything and start to stretch. Mostly doing what one might have done in front of a mirror to show off their muscles. The sudden series of gasps I then got when the Grouchy Nomad left making me stop.


    "Where... When did you get all these scars?" Lari then asked me as she took my hand and rubbed it.


    "I''ve had them for a while..." I say to her as I rub two related to my death. That one Vapooliar must have given me and the other from Waionr. Personally, that latter one confused me, how did a cut my soul get transfer to my actual body...? To say nothing of how this one felt strange altogether.


    "Your back is looking much better." Einervaene commented shortly after as she looked at where I was pecked.


    "I wanna see." I said as I began to try and lean my head over my shoulder. A giggle leaving Lari just before my back was made wet and then dry.


    "Here you go!" she said with a smile as she held in her hands a solid and wet reconstruction of my back.


    "Still healing...? Well, alright..." I commented in confusion while staring at the outlines of where beaks got into my back.


    "I think it has healed, it just stands out more." Lari said to me as her fingers went across my back.


    "How can something that has properly healed stand out?" I asked her, which, oddly, made her go quiet.


    "I think she means your carapace has changed shape a little." Einervaene then offered up as clarification.


    "Changed how?" I counter-asked with.


    "Correction, colour, it''s gotten a bit paler."


    "Then why is the magic replica thinner at parts...?"


    Lari looked away embarrassed, "It''s water, I can''t do colour so I made it thinner to emphasise colour."


    "Should have seen that coming." I told her with a laugh before picking up my stuff again. Nodding out a thanks to Einervaene after our hands briefly touched collecting all the bandages. Soon moving on to my task once again while those two followed.


    "So when''s the party?" Lari asked as she danced ahead of me. Einervaene seemingly more focused on it than I.


    "Party?" I asked her as I began to sort everything out. My cloak and bandages soon going into a washing machine while my mask was left alone. I might have to do that manually by the looks of it. Or not going by the magic in Lari''s hand.


    "You know, to celebrate everyone in our dorm passing their entrance exams!"


    "Everyone here passed?" I asked her as I gave her the mask and some soap or something. Her magic quickly becoming filled with bubbles before she then began to clean my mask. The washing machine having been turned on as well so that was thumping away. Well, for an absurdly short time.


    A few blinks of my eyes being directed at the machine before I began to fiddle with it, "It''s meant to be that short, but yes! Everyone passed! I, you, Tiya, Ombbo, Quinshuu, Einervaene, Rose, Dandel''lhia and Vadei! All of them! So let''s celebrate!" Lari demanded with a cheer as I was given back my soaking wet mask. Sniffing it first before then leaving it by a window to dry out before I then sat down.


    "Well, I did have some plans for tonight or whenever..." I mumbled while rocking in my chair. My mind focused on the drama regarding the Thrurstradtur guards leaving. Some students were being hysterical about it while I was ready to laugh my throat to death over it. I even planned on going to the big arch at the main entrance to this place and doing it on that.


    "Oh? What''cha doing? What''cha doing?" Lari asked me while hopping up at down before she then leaned on me to do it. A smile on my face as I moved along with the vibrations she was sending through me.


    "Bit of climbing, not too much." I tell her before then remembering something when I looked at Einervaene.


    "Yes, Urtuoi-kischu?" she asked me as I stood up.


    "What was the time Baltanthan wanted to see us?" I asked her as I remembered the one who apparently secured my future. Lari had been in joyful tears when she got back here and spoke to me about it. She was sobbing so much over something that never came to be as well. Which, oddly enough, made me very happy and very giddy.


    It felt nice knowing someone was that upset over such a thought, she was a true friend of mine.


    "Not long from now, should we get going then?" Einervaene asked back with as she began to leave the dorm.


    "You coming?" I asked Lari as I followed the lightning maker with my carapace fully showing. It made me nervous, but I wanted to really enjoy the guards leaving.


    "No, I''m fine, I am going to do something while you are gone!" she barely explained before dancing off. Her hands having slapped Einervaene against me on her way out and a shock going into me as such.


    "I''M SORRY!" Einervaene screamed out in my face as she went on top of me after I dropped down due to the shock.


    "APOLOGY ACCEPTED!" I shouted back at her as she got up after realising what she just did. The getting on me part, not the shocking me part.


    "So are you not going to...?" she asked while looking away and looking back sometimes. Her eyes focused mainly on my main scar along the chest.


    "No, I have plans that are best served by being... Naked." I explain to her before slowing down mentally. Was I truly naked as osibindah didn''t really wear clothes full stop? Nothing was freely dangling and this carapace was like an outfit in and of itself but even then... Was I naked or just clothesless?


    "It can get quite chilly out there, are you sure?" she asked me as she looked at the dormant washing machine.


    "No it doesn''t, besides, you can''t say much Lady Clevage." I tell her as I poke a claw dangerously close to her skin. Right at the underside of her front where her breasts hanged out from.


    "I... I... I ca..." she began to mumble while she just kept on heating up. An entertained huff coming from me as I got her moving shortly after.


    "Focus now." I tell her with a gentle slap before I stopped at the door. Nervousness of my own filling me as I stood there. I was about to go on a full display of my osibindah body to a public that could easily kill me... And then, with slow nods accompanying it, I went outside.


    Nervously laughing to myself awkwardly as lots of eyes suddenly focused on me. Lots of chittering leaving my mouth while I stuck close to Einervaene as we walked across the academy. And it was odd now, here I was with my full body on display and no one was saying anything. Days prior they were happy to make fun of me, mock me and deride me and so on.


    Yet now they did nothing but stare... Maybe they were still registering my success and were just in shock? Or, perhaps they now had to treat me nicely as I was a student and not a potential corpse? I hoped it was them finally leaving me alone, but that was too optimistic.


    "Is that Rossie-chira over there?" Einervaene then pointed out with a finger. My head following it and watching in confusion as what seemed to be Rose sped off.


    "It was Rose over there." I corrected under the assumption that was her. They were a bit far away so I guess it was a guess made by Einervaene. She was likely right, though. Not many here with petal-like hair the colour of red roses with narrow, needle-like legs and a tail.


    Or a preference for skimpy clothing.


    "Are you perhaps going to want to speak to her now that your... Issue is dealt with?" Einervaene asked me with how she did it confusing me. Why was she dodging the topic of my potential execution? Was she trying to be polite or something? It didn''t really matter now, I was going to live!


    "I''ll leave it for now, let her come of her own accord." I told her as I began to briefly think on what was once my closest companion. Even if it was a rather one-sided closeness from her. I may have been in a better mood than usual but she had hurt me badly with her words. As such, I still had some resentment towards her which stayed my initiative.


    "Do you still harbour any ill will towards me over when I was like that...?" I was then asked out of the blue by Einervaene.


    "A little." I joked with little cues that it was a joke. But I then made it clear when she started to look upset. And I did so by moving to tickle her a little before then being shocked off.


    "Sorry!" she immediately let out while I shook my hands.


    "How did you pass your exam with that level of control?" I joked to her while thinking on how she has become... I want to say unstable around me but that gave the wrong implications. Perhaps jittery was a better description as she seemed more like that? I did not really know, either way, she was embarrassed as per the usual with her.


    That happened a lot as of late so maybe I needed to find out why? Or, I could get a third party involved to do it for me as I might not get a meaningful answer. Just more stutters and red faces. Which, admittedly, I would not mind, it is what made teasing Einervaene fun.


    "This is my first time ever coming here." I then commented as we came upon the entrance of the grounds of the Traditional something. Having also passed the small army by the main entrance as it was clear the guards were getting ready to go. But, there was easily lots of students there too, no way that was just guards brought here to watch me. That was clearly too many!


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "It''s a lot denser than our part of the academy." Einervaene commented while she looked at the rows upon rows of dorms and buildings. It was like being in a city again! Not even Tryhpeltzweig was this heavily developed and that was an actual town! All this urbanisation even made me yearn for home as it was just so close in feel.


    Well, maybe not too close as I was now getting the usual responses I got here. Insults, rubbish being hurled at me and so on. Pretty much the usual I had been dealing with but much more of it. Yet, most people here seemed too scared to act.


    "You''re making them nervous. Get in." Baltanthan said as he suddenly appeared from a doorway. His aggressive hands ushering us inside before he then slammed the door and rushed upstairs. A shouting match happening between him and what sounded like a dozen women or something. I would call him lucky but I don''t think he likes people at all.


    "So, enjoying your stay here?" I then asked him as soon as he came back to us with a red face and aggravated sigh.


    "I was hoping that these Aahtha Zealots would be gone now. Instead, they linger and now they are breathing down my neck over you being here. Better yet, why''d you come naked!?" he explained before he picked up on the aggression and got in my face.


    "I''m not naked, I''m just clothesless." I replied while smiling, a chuckle building up in my mouth while his eye twitched.


    "Exactly what being naked is you damn bug." he angrily mumbled before he collapsed into a chair. A long and tired sigh leaving him as his head turned to Einervaene. A wave from her being met with a half-hearted gesture from him.


    "So why''d did you want to meet us here?"


    "Where''s the snobby one first?" I got in return. Something that led to my own sigh coming out while Einervaene moved forward.


    "She and Urtuoi-kischu have had issues develop. They aren''t seeing each other anymore."


    "I thought you said you weren''t dating." I was then accusingly asked.


    "We weren''t!" I told him loudly while Einervaene looked away embarrassed. Her lips making movements but she did not say anything.


    "Sure, but this is fine by me, the tolerable one is here and the one I need to clarify to is also here." Baltanthan began with before I took the opportunity to tease.


    "Hear that Einervaene, he needs to clarify something to you." I said to her with a chitterish laugh.


    "Not her, you!" Baltanthan began as he stood up, "I want it to be made clear to you that you are alive because of me coming to help you and that I now owe you nothing!"


    "Why did you owe me...?" I asked while tilting my head, genuinely having no clue what he was on about. Was this some kind of thanks regarding the hunts we did while travelling here? I can''t recall an instance where I saved his life at all. Maybe it was just something that happened and it stuck with him...?


    "For getting me out of that low-altitude ravine town!" he said, filling me with enlightenment with that short answer.


    "Ah... In which case... Thank you?" I told him while moving to rub my carapace-covered neck. My equally armoured claws sliding along the smooth shell as I did so. Then, I just turned to face the oven as it was cooking something and I was frankly lost.


    "Thanks are not needed, just wanted to clarify this to you so don''t get any ideas!"


    "Alright, alright, but why did the others have to be here...?"


    "Because, ultimately, they still played into my arrival here. So, as such, a thanks is owed to them too." he further explained with various gestures.


    "It was no trouble, really, Baltanthan, we were travelling together. It was only right I helped out." Einervaene said to him while showing a very modest level of bashfulness. An amused gust of air leaving my nose over that.


    "Even so, I can now live the dream I have wanted to enact for so long." he said quietly while rubbing a rusty piece of metal. Looked like some kind of bolt by the looks of it. One rusted orange and brown so it must have been an iron bolt.


    "Well, I suppose I should thank you too, Baltanthan, and I mean it. What you did literally stopped me dying." I told him before patting his back with a smile, one being on his face too. A particularly smug one at that too.


    "Great, in which case we are done here then!" Baltanthan exclaimed before he moved to the door. A gloved hand from my big-chested companion stopping him.


    "Baltanthan, this is the first time we have seen you since we got here and were separated all those months ago! At least spend some time with us, come to our part of the Academy even!" Einervaene offered while tugging at his arm enthusiastically.


    "No, I got studying to do. I want to take part in as many magic-focused clubs and events as possible now and I want to experience it all! Got three free years here anyway, plenty of time to get settled in as well." he said while continuing to ramble on about various things. He talked about what clubs interested him and how he might do these contracts the Academy offers and so on. He even went on about Mechanical House and doing stuff there.


    Einervaene giggled at this and tugged some more, "Then think about it like this, you are just studying with us to figure out new ways to handle your magic. After all, we have a light user, me, Urtuoi-kischu and his more physical approach. A fire, water and ice user too!" that last one getting his attention real good.


    "Ice magic...?" he asked before he brought a notetablet out of his pockets. And by the gods did he have a lot of pockets. He even found ways to stuff them all fully too!


    "Come with us and find out!" Einervaene told him as she began to leave along with him.


    "Fine, I''ll go. I''ll go and see what all the fuss is about." he said while nodding eagerly before a sudden surge of upwards noise happened. Lots of bangs and loud whispers.


    "Is he gone now!?" someone called from upstairs.


    "NO!" Baltanthan shouted back before he slammed the door with me still being in the building. He and Einervaene having left it when he closed the door.


    "Baltanthan!? What about now!?" a different voice called out before it was followed by screaming. The women upstairs having panicked when they saw me standing there, chittering away.


    "Not as bothersome as it used to be." I said with an odd expression on my face. I was both smiling slightly while also frowning. Not really something that went well together at all. Like melted cheese on bread. But, I had also lied as well, it still bothered me, it bothered me a lot.


    Perhaps it was just how I dealt with it now that made it seem like it was less of an issue?


    "Bug!" Baltanthan then called when the door suddenly opened in my face. A loud bang ringing out as it shook after having hit my blocky foot.


    "Try not to close the door on me this time." I told him with a mocking headshake before moving on out with them. Just sort of listening to the pair talk while I looked around some more at all the buildings. Looking up at the roofs and all the way down whenever we passed a narrow staircase made of stone.


    "Hold on you two, I got to go do something." I then told the pair all of a sudden once we left Baltanthan''s part of the Academy. Racing over to the big arch at the entrance and climbing up it with a wide grin on my face before making myself known. Laughing maniacally at the guards as they left the Academy grounds in long but thin columns. An uproar of boos and insults being directed at me as I carried on laughing down at them.


    "NO! THAT DOES IT! I AIN''T LETTING THAT THING LIVE!" someone from the guard columns shouted in rage before magical bullets began to be fired at me. A squeak nearly leaving me as I got away from the quickly interrupted stream of shots. My head taking its time before I peaked over. A brow soon being raised as I watched some other kind of guards drag the shooter to the ground.


    "Where have you guys been...?" I sarcastically asked as I watched these guards completely ignore me and take the rest away. All except that one that fired at me who was now shouting in rage at how he committed no crime and other rubbish.


    "That kind of behaviour is unacceptable! Take him away, you two. To the Lawbreaker''s Containment with him!" some man dressed in lots of silvery plate armour with a big sword ordered. A frustrated shake of his head coming from him before he looked at me as I came down. An intense stare being what I got from him and the men he commanded. And I was uncomfortable with these men, they said and did nothing but stare with beady eyes...


    Surrounded by darkness... A bit like the ones I met with Vapooliar in that mountain after she showed me those airships.


    "So you''re the one we were borrowed for?" the armoured man asked me in amusement while he paced around me.


    "Borrowed for?" I asked while staring at his sword. Mentally swearing I had seen that kind of fancy and overly large kind of blade before. I even swore I knew that armour as it looked oddly like Vapooliar''s shattered up set. Well, admittedly, I might just be conflating needlessly.


    "Yes, the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding wanted to use the guaranteed discipline of these Men of Joint-Skill under my command to ensure nothing like that would happen."


    "Right... Well, thank you." I said while looking away in embarrassment. Only returning my gaze when he began to laugh.


    "Just doing our job, Student Nin."


    "You know my name?"


    "Of course, bit hard not to know the name of the only recorded osibindah student in all of Jhermonikra!"


    "I see..." I said while returning to intently staring at his equipment. My ears even picking up on a few whispers from the other students still near us. Some were sad I was not dead or dying while others kept saying a particular word over and over. A word I had strong associations with to some extent.


    Valkinvar, what Vapooliar is or was...


    "Something wrong?" I was then asked as this man looked down at his armour to see if anything was wrong with it. His attention soon going to the pure emerald cloth he had on around his waist and lower torso. And I was talking, like, really pure emerald cloth, it looked like glass yet clearly wasn''t!


    "Is that meant to be...?" I then asked him in an effort to get my mind away from Vapooliar for the moment. A claw pointed directly at a picture of a large mountain that dominated others in scale. Our eyes also moving to face the mountain in question.


    "Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra? It is indeed that mountain most blessed by Mighty Jhrarda." he explained with a smile before he bowed his head after looking at the sky. Or, rather, where the moon known as Jhrarda likely was.


    "Why do you have that kind of symbolism?" I then asked while carefully noting how these guards looked. They had neither the same equipment, posture or colours as the men from Thrurstradtur. So were they perhaps a different country? Vapooliar did mention a war of some kind.


    "Because we are the specially created micro-army based out of the Royal Jhermonikra Air-Navy Airship Illustrious that is charged with guarding The Second Up and Coming Royal Heir Lathamethurn." he explained with pride and happiness and a large smile.


    "Interesting, well, I guess I will see you lot around then...?"


    "Heirguard Galanmarck is the name." he said after catching on to my gestures.


    "Right, see you later, Galanmarck!" I said before scurrying off. His head having shot back in surprise when I said his actual name rather than his job first. I don''t think I will ever get used to saying peoples jobs first alongside their name. Felt weird and I was not going to do it, but, for now, I had a dorm to get back to.


    So I ran and ran and then jumped up high in order to get around easier. It was also just more comfortable leaping about the roofs of these buildings and so on. Lari really had done a number on me if this was the case as it was just so much more enjoyable that it was hard to describe. I was away from all the problems of the academy and all I had was my focus and momentum.


    Momentum I cast away like nothing once I finally got back to the dorm I had been staying at. A brief sense of confusion filling me up as I noted how spacious this place really was in comparison to Baltanthan''s House. Confusion that stayed and warped into another kind when I got inside as my mailbox was marked. I gave the others permission to get rid of any spiteful mail directed at me yet this was here.


    Not even stone either, this one was written entirely on paper and rather well as well! So, with a growing sense of curiosity, I moved to open it.


    "Ah, Nin, someone dropped that off for you not too long ago. They did it in person and were insistent on just you reading it."


    "Haven''t we been over this, Tiya," I started off with as I turned to face Lari''s sister, "Even if they say just me, still inspect it!" I told her while shaking the letter.


    "I thought about doing that, but she was just too insistent about it. She promised it was not any kind of taunt or threat and so on. Just a request." she explained while raising her hand.


    "A polite request to kill myself no doubt." I muttered before reading it, my expression softening as I got through it. Nothing like I had just foretold at all, it was just a simple request to meet at Suhurlodst. At a segment called the Nest of the Hunter-Bird. And at the bottom of the letter, it was signed...


    Signed by Vapooliar...


    "Well?" I was then prodded with before I began to rush away from the dorm.


    "Tell the others I got something to do! It''s very important!" I called out to Tiya just before I properly raced off away from our dorm. Soon slowing down however when I read the letter again. It was insisting on me coming at night, when it was dark and so on. But it wouldn''t be dark for a while yet so I guess I would have to linger.


    Yet, instead, I chose to go back to Tiya, "Ignore what I just said, I''ll be staying here for a bit." I said while breathing as if I was panting. But, rather, I was both shocked and surprised and nervous. Vapooliar wanted to see me, after all this time I would finally see her again! Yet, I was what we once fought to escape from...


    I was a more developed form of what caused her to enter a state of hysterics when near... And as I rubbed my left arm, about where she had crushed it, I shivered. Was I just walking into a new way to be killed...? Vapooliar didn''t just hate osibindah, she was terrified of them from what I had seen from her!


    Gods help me...


    .


    .


    .


    "Now seems to be a good time." I mumbled to myself as I snuck away from the music-filled dorm. One filled with laughter and joy so I could wander off into solitude and anxiety. All so I could see someone important again, someone I have been meaning to see for a long time. Yet, even as I walked, jumped and ran there in various orders...


    I just could not shake off certain feelings about how it might play out. I have not seen Vapooliar since I said I would deal with Rose back at her flower... And she has not seen me since she cut me in half. From shoulder to hip in what must have been one clean cut. And as I thought on that, my hand went across my exposed scar.


    I had not put on the bandages or mask again, but, I had put on my cloak and hat again. Just so I could potentially hide my form from her when I finally saw her again. She hated my left arm being the way it was, it was clear she would hate my body being like it too. Not even my voice was safe as I just could not stop the chitters.


    "Undwote stay away," I started off with a stutter in my voice before moving on to a prayer I hadn''t used in a while, "Loyal Pack of Seven I tell you: begone! God of Death, I tell you to remember your other calling, that of Friendship..." I began to say before remembering it would not work here. It was one used for someone else dying. Not for yourself.


    Either way, I guess it didn''t matter as now I was here at the place I was asked to be. So far away from the Academy named after this ruin I was now at. I was surprised I even got out here without issue. I just kept expecting airships to run me down!


    But, I was just too nervous now, so I turned to move away before I heard footsteps. Moving back in fright as a shadowy figure moved through the darkness of the ruins. A soft green glow about them that went on to go away as they stepped out into the moon''s light. And I looked on with widened eyes at what I saw.


    A woman with tanned skin and short, brown hair with a green tint to it with her eyes being the same. Her figure was slender and gifted yet it was still very clearly defined with refined muscle. It was the body of a warrior and the way the air changed around them made it clear. My magic training having made me much more sensitive to her aura and external-magic.


    The magic that saved me so many times... That of Vapooliar, my friend.


    "So it is true." she quietly said with hurt in her voice before she stepped away slightly.


    "Vapooliar... You don''t have to worry, this isn''t a trick, it is me! I am Nin Urtuan! We were in a camp together for a week or so with a tailed-woman called Vadei and a pair of slavers! They were furry and had spines all over their backs and..." I quietly said at first before I began to pick up the tone and speed along. Listing off as many details as I could to get her to listen before she raised her hand and silenced me.


    "I don''t need you to tell me that, I never doubted it for a moment when I saw your face."


    "My face?" I repeated in confusion... What about my face...?


    "Your eyes, those are yours. I could never forget those eyes. Nor can I forget the face they are now on." she said to me as her eyes focused intensely on my chest and its long scar.


    "I see..." I respond with while slimming down my posture. Nervously rubbing my claws together before I then watched the simply dressed woman strip down. Her body standing proudly under the moon despite its exposure. And as I did not know how to react, I turned away, trying to hide that view from my sight.


    "And now I know it is not an osibindah in that head of yours." she said as she turned around and showed me her back. One of her hands eagerly moving about as if it wanted to grasp something. Was... Was she waiting for me to give her an excuse to cut me in two again!?


    "Is there a reason you wanted to see me after all this time...? Why now? If you saw my name or heard it why didn''t you come sooner!?"


    "I was not ready to, that is all I will say."


    "Okay..."


    "And I fear this may also be the last time I will ever speak to you like this." she then went on to say. Something that made me flinch and regain some confidence in my movements. At least, until I saw a more aggressive posture from her...


    "But why...? You''re my friend! I am your friend!"


    "A friend I was forced to kill because he turned into a monster." and then it happened, tears began to form.


    "I''m not..." I tearfully mumbled while stepping back slightly.


    "Yes, you are. You are a monster here to make a mockery of me. I don''t know how you are back or if you even really are Nin. But he is dead, I killed him. I had to..." she said coldly at first before she too began to break down.


    "I''m not here to do any of that... I just want to see my friend..." I tell her with the chitters in my voice sounding so much louder now. Her magic ever more imposing and scary.


    "Goodbye... Nin." she then suddenly blurted out before she shot off into the sky with a boom. The force having brought me down to the ground as I was not prepared. And as I lay there, on the grass, watching her magic trail get smaller and smaller. I just cried, I just laid there and cried without stopping even as my claws tried to block my eyes.

 Base 6: The Truth about Home

    "My legs are numb." Lari idly commented as I leaned on her legs while Einervaene in turn leaned on mine. Our observable formation was a little triangle. With each of us each being on someone else''s legs.


    "Why are we doing this anyway?" the woman on my legs asked as she rolled over and pulled herself up. Her head having briefly gone down into the gap formed by my other knee.


    "We are waiting, remember? A lecture about magic in a magicless environment was going to be happening today. And, well, have you looked around? Not much else we can do." I explain to her before she then went up to look around. A slow nod coming from her before she went back down to my leg, having seen the large crowd we were near. All of them impatiently waiting for the same lecture.


    "Can''t we do something else? I don''t like waiting..." a blue-haired beauty commented afterwards with my head going up and down. It soon settling down once she stopped moving and stretching her legs.


    "This is the first time one has happened for apparently months and I have too much involvement in this to just let our spaces go." I sternly told her while leaning on to her legs with stiffer resolve. All in an effort to get her to stay still while we waited in the mid-orbit halo with no cloud cover. Just like every other day up here on this mountain.


    "They have a schedule up! Let''s just do this another day." she complained.


    "No!" was all I had to say on that before I stared at an airship going by. Its shape was oddly familiar for some reason and its appearance made everyone cheer. Right before it was all then drowned out by a sudden swarm of smaller airships zooming by.


    "Oh, it''s here..." Einervaene lazily said as she got back up. A hand going over her brow to block the skyward light as she followed it.


    "C''mon, we might as well follow it, get a little peak." I then said to the pair before picking them both up and dashing off to a roof. A surprised yelp from one of them while the other cheered quietly. The three of us soon looking down onto an occupied square in the ground. A loading area of some description by the looks of it.


    "So that''s what that square is for." Lari then said as she moved to lean on a rooftop wall. Her rear swinging and bouncing about as she became more and more active. My eyes which were thankfully hidden behind a mask looking at it every now and then. But, then I properly focused on what was beyond it as it became way too familiar.


    "Where have I seen these things before...?" I said to neither of the women I was up here with, confusing them both. But, I very much doubted their confusion matched mine as I stared intently at these white tube things.


    "I''m gannaaa ga laak aaaraund, Paps!" someone down below said before they skipped off. Their small frame dressed in dark clothes catching my eye as they went inside. The sudden sounds of adoration also leaving the building we were on shortly after.


    "What was that?" Einervaene then asked us, or, well, just Lari in this case as I had snuck off. Her confusion being the last I heard of her before I entered the building to chase after that individual. Was that who I think it was? I knew only one person who sounded like that and she was also carrying about a gun.


    A rather particular gun.


    "Oh, you''re so cute!" I soon heard as I walked deeper into the building, soon finding myself in a small cafeteria. And at the far end of it was a small, furry thing enjoying the attention with a wide smile. But, once I was fully in the room, a certain quiet replaced all the former noise.


    "Well, we hope you''ll stay around!" the girls gathered around the small thing said before they rushed off. Insults and wary glances being quietly directed at me before I went up to the now lonely thing.


    "Whaaats the big ideaaa? I waaas aaabaut ta get free faad!" they complained before they crossed their arms at me. My claws pulling out a chair to sit on before I then leaned back into it, my cloak falling down as I did so. A curious glint soon entering her eyes as she looked on at my limbs. A sense of caution soon replacing it.


    "Heiya?" I then asked her after trying to remember her name. Several going through my head before I then remembered it by thinking of how she shot me. Twice.


    "Yes...? Thaaat''s my naaame." she confirmed as her little fluffy hands gripped her gun. Not that it would matter, really. She shot me before and it did not hurt me if at all. And, well, I doubt she has the kind of bullets the people at Tryhpeltzweig had.


    "Does the name Nin Urtuan mean anything to you...?" I then asked her, a look of confusion being what I got immediately after. Then, a shake of her small head.


    "Na, nat reaaaly. Why?"


    "Alright... Let me try this a different way... Do you remember being stuck in a little camp with a smoke cloud and a small group of people? Your dad I think being injured for most of it."


    "I think...? Me aaand Paps get stuck in lats af plaaaces." she explained while maintaining a thoughtful expression.


    "There were two humans and a very prickly oxfuine. It was an osibindah hive we were trapped by."


    "We?" she repeated while stroking her chin, her eyes widening shortly after.


    "You remember?"


    "I remember the prafit me aaand Paps maaade when we sald same humaaan saldiers ta the Unian."


    "That all?"


    "Yaaa."


    I then sighed, "Would have thought being stuck in an osibindah hive would be a bit more memorable..." I grumbled quietly to her.


    "Why yau caaare aaanywaaay? Yau aaaren''t humaaan ar axfuine."


    "I was, once." I said to her before getting up in frustration. This clearly wasn''t worth the effort. But, then, I found myself stopping, not because of sudden determination or anything. But, rather, I now was being climbed on with my mask soon being taken off.


    My response was at first delayed but it came, "Yau''re aaa ''sib!?" she then said in shock as she fell off of me.


    "I am." I sarcastically said as I put my mask back on. Her eyes staring at me intently as wide as they possibly could before she started to stutter.


    "I... I think I remember naw! There waaas aaa Vaaalkinvaaar trying ta saaave aaa humaaan!"


    "Yes, do you have an idea now?" I asked her once more. Signs of irritation in my voice as my face heated up. I felt like I had just been shamed publically by that mask removal. Yet, it was impressive she got it off so quickly.


    "Nin Urtuaaan waaas it? Thaaat''s aaa Tabaaabaaaliaaan naaame, right?" she asked as she came closer with a strange smile.


    "Yes, you shot me before the Anvil-Peak."


    "Waaaah... Thaaat''s pretty slim-spined!" she said as she moved closer to me.


    "So why are you here exactly, Heiya?" I then asked her as I sat down again. This little furry girl moving all about me as she fiddled with my limbs.


    "We''re maaaking aaa delivery ta the Aaacaaademy!" was my answer.


    "Must be something then, it seems like our lecture depended on its arrival."


    "Yeaaah... We weren''t aaable ta get the laaast few in since the incident yau mentianed!" she explained.


    "Osibindah problem that bad?" I then asked her with a slight shiver. Whatever happened with her is how I got into this land so if the way she came was filled with...


    "Naaah, just aaa bunch af pissed aff wyverns." she clarified to me but I did not understand. What in the name of Aahtha''s perfect body was a wyvern?


    "Is that similar to an osibindah...?"


    She looked at me as if I was stupid before then mumbling in understanding, "Na, aaa wyvern is aaan ill-bred draaagan." she explained to me, her accent or whatever it was making it hard to even understand that.


    "Right." was what I then said to her as I pretended to understand what she said.


    "It''s why aaall thase aaairships flew an by. Ta stap thase wyverns fallawing us." she explained once more, and once more I nodded.


    "Are you staying around for the lecture your delivery was for?"


    "Narmaaaly, na, but Paps need ta taaalk with the Aaacaaademy, so maaaybe this time, why?"


    "Want to watch it with me and my friends? They might be interested to speak with you as you were there when I was trapped in the osibindah hive. Something I have talked to them about." I then offered to her to which she began to hum. A long hum of thought coming from her before I then got a reply.


    "Whaaat raaace aaare they?"


    "Race...? Uh, one''s water and the other lightning." I answered with a frown as I had forgotten their national names. Or maybe she meant their species?


    "Ibennarracan aaand Eusarachii? Sure!" she said as she quickly figured out what I meant. Her gun soon being slung on her back as she started following me. Impatient gestures coming from her before I got up myself. A quiet trip following it as I guided her out of the building before then stopping just in front of it.


    "Up we go!" I then said to her suddenly as I yanked her up and landed on the roof. Her gun going off once we had landed. Seems like she had grabbed it and tried to shoot me with the shot having garnered a lot of attention. Mostly from the ground as that is where most people were.


    "Who''s this?" was the first words I heard as Lari slid over to us and picked up Heiya. Her eyes and mouth wide with joy as she stroked her fur.


    "See, this is haw yau treaaat aaa laaady!" Heiya said to me with a slight glare, something that led to me sniggering.


    "God of Law as my witness, you are no lady." I fired back with before she threatened to actually fire something.


    "Hello, I am Einervaene Bosphama, who are you?" Einervaene then greeted as she came over to us.


    "Heiya, we just caaame in an the aaairship." Heiya said back to her as Lari put her down. No greeting coming from her until Einervaene''s firm hand made her.


    "Ow! Oh! I am Larishazza! But Ninno calls me Lari and this abuser calls me Ayi!" she then greeted while rubbing her recently pinched skin. Einervaene''s nickname getting a brief stare from her.


    "Hella!"


    "So why did Urtuoi-kischu bring you to us?" Einervaene then asked her as she looked at me before looking down at her.


    "He waaants me ta came ta the lecture yau lat aaare gaing ta!"


    "I also wanted to talk to her and bring her here as she was with me at the hive when the... You know happened." the copper-haired and blue-haired women both nodding in understanding.


    "What did Ninno look like as a human!?" and "What did Urtuoi-kischu look like as a human!?" both came out at once shortly after. A small smile going to Einervaene''s face while Lari just laughed.


    Heiya shrugged, "I dunna, smaaaller? Haaairier?" was all she then said. Two sounds of disappointment coming from the other two.


    "Guess I''ll just have to fantasize something then..." Einervaene commented quietly with a slight blush. The stare I gave her was clear even though it was hidden behind a mask.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "So! So! So! So! So! How did you and Ninno meet!?"


    "I shat him...?" she answered with uncertainty before her eyes looked at me again. Was she doubting I was in fact the same Nin? I mean, fair, not exactly the same shape now was I? Wasn''t even the same species...


    Lari looked on with confusion, "She shot me with a dart or something." I clarified to her while tapping my chest. I was sure it was a dart, I remember complaining about a sore chest on my first day at the camp. Someone said it was a knock-out drug or something, maybe Vadei? She passed a lot of comments there.


    "Why would she shoot you with a dart?" Einervaene then asked as her body stiffened up slightly. A sense of mistrust having likely just been sown that very moment.


    "Becaaause I''m aaa slaaaver-" Heiya began to say before a sudden wave of magic flooded the area. A bright sapphire light emanating from Lari as she kept a wide smile directed at Heiya, her eyes also being closed.


    "You''re a what?" she then asked as this sudden outburst from her began to concentrate around Heiya. It only stopping when I moved in to interfere with Lari going any further. This event thoroughly shocking me as I have never seen Lari this angry before.


    "It''s alright, it''s alright, let''s no-"


    "Don''t tell me it is alright when she is a merchant that makes her profit off of the misery of others!" Lari interrupted with a gentle but greatly intimidating tone. My large frame coming in on itself as I flinched away from the terrifying sensations she was letting off. It felt like I would drown in this magic!


    "Larishazza, that is enough. If this is related to the laws of your home then remember we aren''t there." Einervaene then said with a gulp. Lari''s magic quickly dying down before her face twitched slightly. Her anger made all the clearer as I had only ever really seen her be happy.


    "Do not act like it is okay, you two. You will soon be given reason to not trust her." Lari then told us straight before she disappeared. My eyes tracking her movements before I was left sighing in disappointment. I had no idea this was likely to happen at all. But, she had a point I suppose, Heiya was to blame for my current state. At the very least, she was related to it, even if she helped me live.


    "So do you still want to come to the lecture?" I then asked Heiya once her hands had moved off of her gun. Said gun trembling in her hands as she blinked over and over again. A familiar sight for me as I have been terrified to that degree on several occasions.


    "Na, thaaank yau..." she mumbled quietly before she went to the edge of the building. Her posture and actions displaying just how desperate she was to get back down.


    "Alright, come on, Einervaene, lecture is going to start soon." I told her while frowning, soon picking up Heiya to take her down. And then after I did that, I took Einervaene''s hand so I could help her down.


    "Is she going to be alright?" Einervaene then asked me as Heiya scrambled out of my grip and disappeared. The sound of sniffles having been heard by us both just before she got out of my grip.


    "I don''t know, her ''Paps'' is here, so he''ll handle the rest most likely."


    "Alright, well, hopefully, Ayi-chira is fine too. I have never seen her like that before. Is it possible that she...?" my head turning towards her as she got to the end. Thoughts of Vadei soon coming into my head as she said it.


    "I don''t know about her, but, Vadei, the woman with the fluffy tail in our dorm, she was a slave. Sold to my people by Heiya''s ''Paps'' most likely." I told her which led to her looking at the building cautiously.


    "Was she likely going to go see this lecture?"


    "I don''t know, but, I will probably tell her about it just in case. Assuming she is not aware that is."


    "I guess we are lucky she is not too great at magic then...?" Einervaene nervously laughed out before we went inside. A slight smile on my face as I tried to not get too negative with my mood.


    "Yeah, I''d rather not be that close to an active aura again."


    "So are you excited for this lecture, Urtuoi-kischu?"


    "I am, I am hoping it will shed a little light on to why I survived the hive."


    "Wouldn''t a lecture on Sudden Induction Theory be better then?"


    "Maybe, probably. But, ever since I watched Lari use her aura in the training building. When she had everything around her set to low magic density, it has just stuck in my head for some reason. Don''t know why."


    "You think it might be related to how you became...?"


    "Indeed."


    "Well, let us hope it sheds so much light as to blind you!" she tried to say cheerfully in an effort to keep the mood light too. But, it was clear she needed some help, and my sarcasm could do it!


    "No thanks, it''s bad enough seeing Quinshuu get blinded so often." a giggle being my initial response. Something that led to a smile developing on my face as Einervaene moved on to laughing.


    "I''m sorry... I don''t know why I laughed so much at that, it''s a serious problem he has." Einervane then said as she straightened herself out.


    "You laughed so much because you have experienced it." I clarify before shaking her arm to imitating its twitching. Soon taking on a more dramatic personality as I began to carry her about much to her surprise.


    "W-What are you doing!?"


    "Oh, Einervaene! I''m sorry! I''m sorry we didn''t stop you from being so bad at using magic! I am so sorry you are now a cripple!" I dramatically cry out as I swing her body about. Her counter-reactions ruining the joke a little but she was still laughing in embarrassment anyway.


    "Put me down!" I was then demanded to do with a chuckle getting stuck in my throat as I did so. A shake of Einervaene''s copper-haired head being directed at me once she sorted herself out. Her hat in particular needing the most attention.


    "So why do you have a hat now? You never had one before at Tryhpeltzweig or before you went shopping with Rose."


    Her face went a little red, "Well... I thought yours was... I thought it looked good on you. So, I wanted one of my own..." her fingers pressing together as she explained her motives.


    "First time anyone has wanted to copy me, so thanks I guess." I said with embarrassment of my own before I stroked my bandaged neck. The bandaged claw I used feeling much different than how it would if I was clothesless.


    "D-Do... Do you like my hat?" she then asked me as her hands nervously clutched its sides.


    "I do indeed, seems to make your outfit stand out more. Not sure why..." I said with a tilted head. My eyes looking at her high-heels at first before they moved up and across her revealing outfit. My eyes coming to a stop right at the collapsed tip of the black hat.


    "I hope it sticks out for a good reason." she said with a partially hidden smile before her blush went away. The sounds of moving crowds having gotten our attention off of each other.


    "Lecture seems to be starting now, we best get moving!" I say slowly at first as I lean on the corner of a wall. Soon taking Einervaene''s hand so I can then drag her through the crowds. Satisfaction going through me as I bullied the bullies in order to do what I want. Felt nice to stand up for myself.


    But, I did not want such behaviours getting firmly settled in me as it was still bullying. So, I started thinking about other things, like how I felt very relaxed right now. And how no one was complaining about my shoving. Einervaene even had a flat expression despite me having just taken her hand.


    "Are you alright?" I asked her with an oddly flat tone.


    "Yes, thank you for getting us a good seat towards the front. We have a good view of the display in here." she explained in a flat tone as well. I wanted to raise a brow at it yet for some reason I did not do so. It was like something was preventing me and everyone else from making emotive responses. Which made it seem like everyone was bored out of their minds.


    Or, rather, I guess it was like watching an unfunny joker... You just stared at them blankly, not sure what to do. But, as I was curious as to why we were all like this, I wanted to test something. So I moved a little closer to Einervaene who was already sat next to me.


    "One of your nipples is showing." I whispered into her ear carefully. Yet, her response was not one of embarrassment like it usually was with her. Or, well, a woman in general. Instead, she put a hand on her breasts and felt them.


    A blank expression on her face when she turned to me, "Can you sort it out?" she asked with a straight face. And instead of choking on nothing and feeling heat go to my face at this bold request. I just stared back at her.


    "Sorry, I was trying to see why everyone is so unresponsive." I clarified to her with the same emotional blandness.


    "That makes sense, I was wondering why I felt so calm and relaxed."


    "Do other lectures do this?"


    "Not to my knowledge, no."


    "Alright everyone, please quieten down. Now, I understand some of you are new here and may not understand why you are like this. But, trust me, it is for your own good as students. Now, please get your tablets ready as you''ll need a few notes for this." a lecturer explained as they entered the room. Their eyes not even passing twice over me like most lecturers did since my induction here. This academy they had tried so hard to keep me out of.


    One thing I found funny, however, even if I just could not laugh right now. Was how despite this clearly magical in origins emotional interference... Hearing someone go on and on about theory made my mind go blank. So not only was magic making me emotionless, information overload was too!


    And I was disappointed I could not laugh at it, but I was more disappointed once we got to the display. The lecturer had set off some kind of bomb in the area in front of us, a small one. Not particularly big or dangerous but it was still an explosion. Orange fire and black smoke and so on and so forth.


    "Now observe what happens when this magicless object is inserted into a locale with notable magic density in comparison." and when he said that the explosion was magnified beyond belief. It went from a bush of fire and smoke into an entire hedge of it. Only this time, it had those signs of magic. Like Lari''s display with all the purples, whites and blues.


    Even like how that blackberry tart from Motrtha behaved...


    But, I can''t say I was expecting what followed that display, something bigger was brought in. One of those white tubes with the dark glass on it was soon brought in. And then, it opened up, a confused and scared human male having been released from it. And then I actually felt some emotion for I saw something about this man that shocked me...


    On his ankles were a pair of rusty iron bracelets... Just like the ones I used to have, just like all lower-floor Tobaballians had... And I found myself standing up and moving closer to the display. Much to the vocalised and unemotive annoyance of those behind me.


    "What''s going on...?" I asked in disbelief as I looked at the lecturer. My claws moving about as I waited for a response. If this was a lecture on magic reacting to a magic-lacking thing then were they about to...? No, they wouldn''t...


    No one could be this cruel and heartless surely...?


    "We are going to inject magic into the area and see how a species capable of using it reacts to the change." and once he said that my eyes widened and I moved towards him in an effort to stop him. A loud scream stopping me as this man suddenly began to look like he was burning up on the inside. Like a fire had been lit in him before he suddenly just exploded.


    And I froze up, my eyes locked on the damning fireball that filled the area the man had once been at. Eyes that stared even harder at the strangely scorched bones that remained in the crater. Or, rather, what remained of his bones. Scorched black mostly with odd blue lines.


    A growl soon erupted from my mouth as this dulling sensation I had died off as I became angrier. But, I did not lash out at the lecturer, I just smashed a fist into the glass in front of me. Charging out of the room afterwards and sliding about. My claws having to dig into the ground so I could keep on moving.


    Thankfully, that strange phenomenon was isolated to just that room so now I was actually displaying my rage. And now all I had on my mind was Heiya and her gods-damned Paps! I would ensure both of them could never be found by Undwote! They had some explaining to do and I would get my answers!


    I WOULD!


    Because if I was understanding this correctly, then what I just saw was one of my countrymen... A countryman they must have brought here as he was in their shipment earlier... The very same types of packaging as we had at that camp in the mountains! This was all their fault!


    My death! My time in that damned hive! Me having to put up with all this shit from the past year! All of it!


    "I''LL KILL YOU!" I roared at them just before I smashed through the doors of the building. The wave of shock travelling far faster than the splinters I made shower from the immediate sky. And once I was outside I was turning about sharply and quickly. Intent on finding those little things and choking them for all they were worth...


    But I did not know where they might be, had they already left the Academy...? Better yet, should I not be hunting down the staff of this place!? They were the ones buying my countrymen so they could be turned into bombs! It was them displaying my people as mere curiosities.


    "DAMMIT!" I then roared out in frustration before slamming a foot down into the pathway, cratering it as a result. A snarl leaving me in response to the complaints being directed at me. Yet, I did not focus on them, I just ran off to my dorm while damaging as much as I could on the way back. One final roar of anger leaving me just after I slam the door to our dorm shut.


    The sounds of someone being spooked being heard just before they marched out in frustration, "What''s going on out here!? Keep it down!" Vadei snapped before she noticed it was me. Her posture losing some of its assertive edge just like that.


    "Vadei..." I muttered as I remembered why she was here too. What she had been through before we got here.


    "What do you want?" I was asked by her just before she started fidgeting. Something that would not stop until I let go of her after grabbing her shoulders.


    "How much do you know about Heiya and this place? Her connection to this place!?" I asked her with a dangerous stare that saw my eyes open wide. The blood that pumped through them becoming more pronounced as my anger grew again.


    "Heiya...? The slaver? What about her?"


    "She just delivered a shipment of my people here to be MASSACRED IN A LECTURE!" I began somewhat quietly at first before I yelled in fury. Vadei, however, seemed to revel in it a little. Something that would not benefit her if she kept it up...


    "Ah, such a shame, your people are being sold as slaves. Pity." was all I got from her before she tried to leave. At least, until I went right up to her and sent a fist right past her ear and into the wall in front.


    "Don''t you walk away from me...!" I growled into that very same ear as her hair stood up. Her ears going down shortly after before she turned around. Her body moving as far back as it could while my shadow coloured it.


    "L-Look... Nin... There''s nothing I can tell you."


    "Then how about this then?" I asked as my tone took on a higher pitch, "You help me as we are in the same boat and you help me hurt them bad..."


    But she disappointed me, "We can''t... The Academy would just come after me, us! And we would just endanger everyone around us!"


    "We can deal with them another time, for now... For now we just stop them getting what they want and stop them from taking my people here to die!"


    "And how would you do that!? The moment they hear of this they are out of here and we get a jail cell!"


    "Then we go now... We go find those two and we stop them!"


    "They''ll just find new slavers to take their place, they aren''t even the only ones!"


    "Then we get them to take us to Tobaballe and make it clear they are to never go near there again..." I tell her as my anger pulsated. The mere thought of my home being so openly explored infuriating me to no end.


    "No... We are just doing this for your home!" I was then told by a crying Vadei as she slinked back.


    "Of course, why would I do it for someone else''s? I am here because you have a history with them!"


    "No! I am not helping you unless we also help my people enslaved at your home!" I was nearly shouted back at with. But, my presence and magic just made it too intimidating a prospect for Vadei. I then sighed deeply, she was right.


    What right did I have to demand help from her to solve a problem my home had... Only to ignore how that problem affects her too?


    "Fine then, Vadei. I would like you to help me find those two, we will then have them take us to Tobaballe as they clearly know the way. And, once there, we will do two things. Free your people and sever mine from the grasp of this godsless Academy!" I reclarified to her. Having shuffled around what we or I would do.


    A small smile formed on her lips now, a slight sign of psychopathy too, "Good, I''ll help you then if you keep your word." she told me with bared teeth.


    "Remind me, how good is that nose of yours? I remember it being very sensitive."


    "Let me show you." she said before she went out the door.

 Incline 1: After Those Two!

    "What''s all this about, then?" I found myself asking as I got up from the table I was at. The meal I was formerly enjoying having to be left alone to grow cold and stiff. A frown quickly forming at the urgency of the noises getting my attention. The speakers were going off, staff were wanted and wanted now.


    So, without delay, I moved on out and headed to the nearest portal. I could get to where I wanted to go from there and get this over with. And, in my hand was a small piece of magically altered glass. Small and red in colour, it would help me get to where I needed.


    "Sorry, Students, but I must use this before you." I said as I forcibly moved some students out of my way. The item I was holding having gone into the portal so I could redirect it to another recipient portal. And, to show that was the case, the magic cast by the portal took on a reddish tone. Any complaints I was getting died down after that.


    And like that, I was in a council room with dozens of others also suddenly appearing near and around. Gossip had already begun to spread amongst them but I would have no part in it. So I just sat down in my chair and familiarised myself with the problem. A mixture of audio and pictures before me.


    It seems Student Nin was up to something alongside a Student Vadei. They had openly discussed within their dorm a plan to interfere with our supply of no-magic humans. We had already suffered a shortage due to a mixture of war and failed prior deliveries. So, to hear that a student was willing to interfere must have worried some.


    But why was Student Nin heading an attempt to interfere with our interests? What reason does an osibindah have to interfere... But, then I heard it, I heard him say it clearly and repeatedly. The lecture that started this response from him, he called him ''countryman.''


    "Why has a Council of Concern been summoned? If something is getting in the way of our research... Deal with it." one member of staff asked as he finished up listening to a recording. His shoulders rising as he made it clear what his position was.


    "Because, Lecturer Vaernroe, we have reason to believe there might be something that can benefit us here." a well-dressed woman said to him as she highlighted key details. Ones I had just picked up on. Ones those still arriving would have to pick up on as we could not just wait for them.


    "It is because Student Nin is claiming affiliation with one of our tributaries, that of... Tobaballe?" I said to the woman that had just spoken. An argument forming in my head just in case I needed to get him out of a lethal punishment.


    "Indeed, which is why we called this Council of Concern. See, a suggestion was made by one of my colleagues within the Department of External-Magic Usage and Studies. She suggests that we let Student Nin do as he claims he will." and once she said that, uproar.


    "You can''t be serious!? He has outright stated he will interfere with our supply of research material when we are already suffering a severe shortage!"


    "We have other means of collecting and other tributaries." she said to the angered man.


    "That isn''t the point!" that same man responded with before I stood up. A few finger swipes allowing me to take command of the information being presented.


    "If I can have your attention, fellow staff of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding. What we have here is an even more unique opportunity than Student Nin himself. Provided we can get the means to observe the event, we might be able to get insight into how he came to be. Just think of it, in exchange for losing a few lectures on how something is overwhelmed with magic. Instead, we can get a lecture on how Sudden Induction Theory might play a role in creating human-minded osibindah or even more." I said to everyone present while showing off details regarding the tributary of Tobaballe.


    "There''s nothing that even points to Sudden Induction Theory being the cause of his state!"


    I turned to look at the one who just spoke, "True, somewhat. We don''t know if it is a main cause or if it is a cause at all. But, thanks to the efforts of the Department of Student Observing, we have a few interesting details. What Student Nin has frequently been caught saying in his assumed privacy is now shown in front of you."


    "Meeting Undwote and the other gods...? Yeah, sure." a noted worshipper of the Mighty Moon, Jhrarda, commented snarkily.


    "Your biases aside, it presents an interesting component. But not the only one, as seen here," I say as I point out another recording, one that implies kinship with Student Vapooliar, "Here it suggests a potential involvement from the one the aelenvari call Time''s Pestilence."


    "And here it suggests from another student that it was because of her, and I quote, ''delicious, potent and plentiful honey.'' So we have no real way of saying what caused what." I was told.


    "Which is why we let him do this, we observe, we see if Tobaballe has done something creative with its fools gold." I tell him while opening up another possibility. Had Tobaballe perhaps done something with what we were giving them in exchange for no-magic humans? Had their low to no-magic environment given them the means to perform what we could not? The Time of Liquid-Mountains was following a war involving such a superpower after all.


    One based out of this very continent. It was why our magic was more than just wind-based like how the Grand-Kingdom was so water-based. This land used to be lacking in elemental magic in high quantities and as such, it was all raw magic. Recovered knowledge of which we used to this day, even here.


    Even in how I got to this Council of Concern, to begin with.


    "So now that the situation is presented, should we vote on it now?" someone then asked as they stood up from their seat and gestured to a clock. A live recording of what Student Nin was up to playing alongside it all.


    "Yes," the woman from earlier said as she stood up again, "All those in favour of letting Student Nin run amok in order to research his condition cast your vote. All those in favour of maintaining our supply of no-magic humans can cast theirs too."


    And interestingly, once the votes were made visible, a clear bias was present. Most voted to allow Nin to do what he wanted in order to research how he came to be. A very interesting situation given how much noise was made earlier about it. But, I laughed.


    "And how many of you voted just because you didn''t want an osibindah on the grounds of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding?" and the response was a field of raised hands. Something that made my laugh boom with renewed vigour.


    "I guess we are done here then?" one lecturer asked as he compiled his tablets.


    "Yes, you may all leave unless you have further issues you want to discuss with another member of staff." her eyes looking over at me as I quietened down.


    "Now we just need a means to get the observation equipment to them."


    "Do you have a suggestion, Head of Oddity House Frihdeicalkbr?" she asked me as she came over to my seat.


    "We let them take an intentionally left open airship. A long-range one, of course. Hopefully, in his state of anger," I say as I looked at the raging student as they smashed something in rage, "He won''t find anything wrong with an unguarded airship. But, to make sure we can get on with it. I propose we involve two more students."


    "Involve more students? How is that going to help?"


    "Because Student Nin trusts these two and won''t suspect a thing." I tell her as an image of Student Einervaene Bosphama and Student Larishazza Sl''Ayiysab appear.


    "And you''ll get these two involved how?"


    "I can strong-arm one of them into doing it, but the other? I''ll probably just notify them of Student Nin''s plans and she''ll hurry along worriedly."


    "This Student Einervaene Bosphama, she is Eusorochii?"


    "She is, so, we''ll even be able to sweeten the affair to others by getting a lightning magic-user very close to the Anvil-Peak." I tell her, speaking loud enough so those around might hear it too.


    "You think it might alter her magic?"


    "No, I just want to see how it affects her personally. How it makes her feel to be near such a powerful and pure source of lightning magic. So holy and divine..."


    "I will assume this feeds back into the capabilities of Mechanical House?"


    "It would, I doubt she will be stupid enough to try and interfere with the Anvil-Peak on her own. But, she''ll likely enlist many a student and staff member in Mechanical House to satiate her curiosity."


    "Despite our deal with the Tobaballians, we can''t actually refine thunder gold. it is just too dense with magic in such a strange way. It''s why we call it fools gold, what we give them that is."


    "I know, I know. But, who knows, who knows what an Eusorochiian might get that we do not."


    "Should we get started on getting those two involved then?"


    "Yes, bring them both up and we can set out to get them involved with Student Nin''s affairs and get us involved too. Also, notify the hangars, have them keep one of our cargo airships vulnerable. Explain as best you can. I''ll handle the two fine young women here." I tell her while gesturing towards the images.


    "You know, I was looking at the recordings of what Student Nin has been up to recently. You''ve been implanting a lot of subtle hints to get him to that lecture."


    "Have I?" I asked with a smirk before walking off with a chuckle as I acknowledge that I was called out. But, it was true, I had been keeping a very close eye on Student Nin and when I heard a shipment got through... Well, I wanted to put his words to the test. I wanted to know if he really was from Tobaballe.


    After all, it did not take me long to find out his name was indeed common in one of our tributaries. And frankly, despite it being possibly the least interesting part of it all, I wanted to see Student Nin''s reaction. His reaction to finally figuring it all out regarding his home. Because, everything he describes also coincides with prior shipment issues.


    Issues such as one of our airships going missing after they got into the Theocracy''s border regions... Nin was destined for a lecture just like what set him off into a fit of rage. But, it seems like he was destined for greater acts as he just kept on going through it all. It may have been over a short period, but Student Nin was living an interesting life.


    He had survived Sudden Induction somehow and to a level beyond what we used in our live tests. He claims to have seen and met the gods to his friends in private. It was also backed up by how he showed odd behaviour near some of their shrines. He spoke to them with either madness or familiarity.


    Either way, the powerful signatures of magic we suddenly detected within the temple recently. It all coincided with his visits there and his worship. Something was definitely interacting with him and I wanted as much clear information as possible. But, for now, I would be getting two women to go along, not learning about Student Nin.


    "I think I will strong-arm Student Larishazza first, well, assuming she is done with her current affairs..." I say to myself while looking into a small observation portal. One that was well-hidden but gave a clear view of what she was up to. However, no sound as otherwise, I''d get weird looks. As, well, she certainly enjoyed the company of other men to put it simply.


    She enjoyed it very much.


    .


    .


    .


    "When we get on our way we need to discuss your anger issues." Vadei commented as we lingered near the edge of a dorm. Her nose moving about excessively as she tried to pick up on the scent of our targets.


    "My anger issues?" I repeated as I cleaned brick dust off of my carapace.


    "You''ve done nothing but work yourself up into a fit of rage and breaking things." she elaborated.


    "Again, my anger issues? All you did last I checked was make snarky comments and insult people at every turn."


    She looked at me, baffled, "I had reason to be like that! I was stuck in a camp relying on the help of the people who enslaved me and someone from the people I was enslaved to!"


    "I had no involvement with your employment!" I retorted back with, choosing my last word carefully to annoy her. But, when she snarled at me I just sighed.


    "Let''s just get back to finding those two..." she grumbled after she had turned away from me. Her face soon rising and facing a particular direction once she had caught something.


    "Found them?"


    "I can''t tell, there''s too many people here. Too many smells to deal with."


    "Well, give me a sniff then." I said to her, remembering that I had held on to Heiya and she had been on me. Vadei, however, just gave me an agitated look.


    "How is that going to help!?"


    "Because I had briefly held on to Heiya when I took her up to a rooftop. Maybe her smell lingers on me, you can use that to pick hers out easier, no?"


    She looked away with a stretched out face, grumbling all the while, "Fine, get here and let me sniff you..." a small laugh leaving me as a result of that.


    "I''m sorry..." I said to her as I calmed down. Her face having also gained a red tint as a result of my recontextualisation of her words.


    "Right, I think I might have an idea now. Come on." she ordered as she slipped away from the building. Myself following not far behind as her head turned to face the smell as we walked. Sometimes moving with greater speed whenever she found a pungent spot. Albeit, I couldn''t smell any of it.


    "Are they or she in here?" I then asked once we came to a stop just before a building. I wasn''t sure what building it was but the lack of students near it must have meant that it was not a student building. It must have been a staff building if that was the case. Which I guess would make sense, they were making a transaction here...


    "The smell gets stronger in here, so yes. But should we wait? Teachers might be in there!"


    "I can''t say I care about annoying a few teachers..." I growled as I moved slightly closer to the building with curled up claws.


    "I''m not going to be able to convince you to be patient, am I?"


    "Not in the slightest..." I tell her as I looked down at her from the small staircase.


    "Fine, you go in first and I''ll try and keep an ear and nose out for trouble. But, do it quietly, we need to be able to catch them, not spook them!"


    "Noted." was all I had to say before I then gently forced the door open. Cautiously looking about before letting Vadei in after me. Closing the door and focusing in on the sound of Heiya''s accent. A claw rubbing Vadei''s head gently as I passed by her, much to her annoyance.


    But, before I moved about, I tested the floor to make sure my bulk did not make much noise. And when I was satisfied with a certain degree of speed, I moved along. Placing myself against the door where those two pieces of shit were just beyond. My chitters becoming slightly louder.


    "Did yau heaaar samething, Paps?" Heiya then asked just beyond the door. A question that made me spring into action and charge through it. A loud bang and squeal filling my ears as I grabbed her by the neck and hit the wall with her. And then, a different kind of sound and a bunch of odd feelings on my back.


    "That wasn''t very smart of you, was it?" I asked Paps as I looked at him and the smoking barrels of his gun. A few large but thin spikes having got stuck in my cloak and bandages. In response, I tightened my grip on Heiya''s neck, causing her to squirm about and beat at my arms. Then, all of a sudden, this Paps dropped all his weapons and raised his hands.


    "Don''t hurt." he pleaded as his eyes focused on the struggling Heiya. His rate of breathing shooting up when I let Heiya''s drop to near zero. It seems like that so long as I had Heiya in my grasp I could get him to do whatever I wanted. But, just to test the strain, I let Heiya choke for a few brief moments.


    I wanted him to see this little piece of rubbish struggle...


    "DON''T HURT!" he then shouted at me just before I let my grip loosen. Heiya''s body rising and falling as she took in many panicked breaths. Her eyes watering up as she looked at me with trembling lips.


    "Paps..." she whimpered out while looking at him.


    "Get the weapons away from them." I ordered Vadei as she finally came in with a snarl of her own. Her hands soon being packed with weapons that she tossed into the corner of the room. Heiya''s gun having to be snapped off by me with Vadei then clearing her of any others. So, to let her do all that, I moved away from the wall and dangled Heiya about.


    "What want?" I was then asked by Paps as his eyes tracked Heiya''s position. My back shaking about until Vadei used a gun to smash those spikes off of my clothes. That gun then being pointed straight at Paps once she was done.


    "I want you to take me to Tobaballe. The home you people took me from." I growled out to him. But, much to my annoyance and rage, he just shook his head over and over.


    "We no know way."


    "LIAR!" I roared at him with my grip tightening up again.


    "W-W-We... D-Dan''t!" Heiya then struggled out as her little hands tried to pull my grip apart. But, it was pathetic, to say the least. I was not even registering her attempts in any manner! It was like a baby was trying to do it!


    "You best start explaining then!" Vadei then said to her as she violently jabbed her gut with the gun''s barrel. Her gun''s barrel. A gesture from Vadei soon making me loosen up my grip as otherwise, I wouldn''t have.


    "We anly ga aut ta set lacaaale! Iishaaar Ha meets up with us there!"


    "Iishar Ho?" I repeated while looking about with a frown. No, that doesn''t make sense, why would she...?


    And then, well, I realised it, I figured out what had happened. That display she gave me, the one involving her strange strength. Perhaps even why the goldhands were the way they were. They had been selling out their countrymen for magic givers of some kind...


    "So that''s why you were with her..." Vadei muttered quietly as she looked at me now with sorrow. A mixture of regret also appearing shortly after before I made her jump with fright. My magic was now bubbling out of me while I was twitching in rage.


    "Fine then, you will take us to that place, take me to the Anvil-Peak and then we can go on from there..." I quietly told Heiya as my mouth chittered over and over. Intentionally being loud with them this time until I got a sign of confirmation from her.


    "Yes! We do! Let go!" Paps then said as he moved closer slightly. But, I got him to back off with another growl directed at him.


    "First, tell me how you plan on taking us there."


    "We can fly! We fly!" he said to me while gesturing with his hands. I was going to look out a window, but I could not see any airships nearby. So it was sort of pointless as I could not ask about that one. But, I could ask about what they came in on.


    "Can you pilot the airship you two arrived on?"


    "Yes..." Paps said with some uncertainty which pretty much meant he was lying.


    "You don''t sound particularly sure."


    "Not many. Too many needed!" he explained somewhat, but, this made sense to me given my old profession. Sometimes one needed a team to use certain tools just to make sure items were out of the way and so on. A few other things too, but it was usually carrying and so on.


    "I guess you''ll just have to make do with the two of you then." I said with a frown as I just shrugged off concerns. I had a bone to pick with these two so I might as well overwork them in the process.


    "Where are we going to find an airship exactly!?" Vadei then asked me with a harsh whisper for some reason.


    "One landed by the building I did the lecture in... We should be able to take that one."


    "Would they have not brought it in for maintenance, though?"


    "I suppose that is fair, guess we''ll be stealing a stored away one, then." I grumbled as I began to move out of the room. Looking at Heiya harshly before dropping her. Watching intently as she scurried over to Paps who then embraced the crying girl tightly. His hand stroking her spines carefully for some time.


    At least, until I interrupted this oh so sweet reunion with a stamp of my foot, "Stick close or one of you dies." I threatened them with before I let Vadei take the lead. Myself following our captives who were right behind Vadei as she left we left the building. The guns having been left in the room.


    If we needed a swift means to kill these two then my claws would do just fine indeed... I had experience in killing things and people casually so doing it with intent would be more than doable. What wasn''t doable, however, was finding where the airship might be located. And, well, we ended up getting lost on the way much to mine and Vadei''s annoyance.


    I even made sure my claws were keeping those two muzzled up just to make sure they didn''t call for help. Not that it would matter, I suppose, I was a big scary osibindah. People were going to get involved with any suspicious thing I did regardless. So I guess we just needed to avoid people in general.


    "Nin, over there!" Vadei then pointed out as she caught sight of an airship lying about.


    "Is anyone near it?" I asked her as I tried to see if anyone was working on it.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    "No, it seems to be alone now, those who were doing stuff have walked away."


    "Guess we will have to be quick..."


    Vadei giggled slightly, "We''d have to be quick anyway, we''re stealing an airship." she told me in a clearly excited tone. A slight smile of my own appearing as that was indeed true, but it quickly disappeared so I could focus. This was it, I was finally going to start heading home and all it took was me dying and escaping death row...


    "I''ll get us four onto the roof of that building, we can plan from there." I then told them as I made sure the two slavers were in my grip. Gesturing for Vadei to get on to my back once we got close to the building.


    "Can I have a heads up before you jump? I want my grip to be secure."


    "Make sure it is tight then." was what I told her as I crouched down before launching up into the sky. A boom following us before I made a loud bang when I hit the metal roof panels this place had. Slight dents forming as a result of me hitting it at such speeds.


    "Okay... Maybe more than a heads up..." Vadei complained as she held and rubbed her ears. A claw of mine staying near her to ensure she did not waddle off of the roof. It going straight back to Paps once she had stopped moving about.


    "Right, let''s get this over with, then." I told the three of them as I brought two of them closer to the airship. The other one following close behind in a crawling-like manner. Yet, despite her otherwise human shape, Vadei moved about on all fours seamlessly.


    "There''s nothing out there on the landing pad." Vadei pointed out as she briefly tried to lean over. It being brief because the moment she saw the height she was at, she retreated. It didn''t intimidate me, but that was because heights sort of have become dull to me.


    "But what about inside the building is the question, if someone catches us then we''d surely not get what we want." I said to her while trying to think of how we could observe the inside of the building. My eyes quickly falling upon our prisoners as I had no qualms about their health and safety. To some extent, them dying because they cracked their skull in a fall would not be helpful.


    "He-!" Heiya nearly squealed out when I suddenly tightened my grip around her neck again. Hoisting her over the building edge and holding her there before then dangling Paps by the leg.


    "If you want her to live, you''ll give me an honest layout as to what is in this building." I told him while choking Heiya more to prove a point. Panicked nods coming from him before I then roughly lowered him down.


    "No one there! No one!" he told me, but how could I believe this!? We had just seen people working on this machine. There''s no way the building was now empty and devoid of anyone.


    So, I tightened my grip on Heiya, "Don''t you lie to me now..."


    "Not lie!" he nearly yelled out as his head bent up to look at Heiya''s face. A face that showed her struggle to breathe very well, even if it was covered in fur.


    "Alright, let''s see if Heiya here sings the same tune." I grumble before bringing them both back to the roof. Inverting the process and letting Heiya dangle upside down while Paps struggled to breathe.


    "It''s true! Na ane is in there! It''s empty!" she said to me after she got a series of coughs out.


    "Down we go then, hold on." I sarcastically told the two slavers before I secured them in my grip. Looking at Vadei first to see how she wanted to get down.


    "No, wait, hold on, I can probably get down myself. I''ll wave if the place stays clear." Vadei explained before she disappeared down the side of the building. My masked eyes watching her as she slowly went down the building. Her sharp nails serving as little hooks as she went down. And once she was down, she spent a short while watching the inside.


    Then, like she said she would, a wave came, "Down we go then." I muttered as I sat down before scooting off the roof. Flinching when my landing made a loud bang and broke some concrete. But, I had no time to waste here, so I just rushed towards the airship alongside Vadei. Both of us hiding against these tracked claws holding on to the airship.


    "Are these a part of the airship?" I asked the slavers as I looked at the airship. The one that came in did not have these on it but given magic was a thing, I wanted to take no risks.


    "Na, laaanding claaaws! Helps keep them staaable when laaanded!" Heiya clarified to me as I held her up to it.


    "Right, can they be taken off from inside the airship?"


    "They aaare aaalreaaady aff! Apen!" she explained further, something that made me nod and smile.


    "All aboard then." I said to Vadei before we then went up a ramp into the airship. Letting the two slavers guide me to the control room before I did anything else.


    "Nin, are you sure these two will be enough?" Vadei then asked me once we got inside. And she had valid reason to, this room was filled with machines and dozens of chairs. All we had was two slavers so did we have enough to truly pilot this thing? Or were most of these secondary functions we could do without?


    "We''ll see, you''re swifter, Vadei. Go back to the entrance and keep an eye out. If someone tries to stop us, come back and I''ll sort it out." I told her to which she nodded before she went off and disappeared. My eyes returning to the slavers as I let them go and gestured for them to get started. But, from here on out I wasn''t sure what to do. I was unfamiliar with this machine and I wasn''t sure if they''d try something.


    Yet, I also did not want them both to leave my sight so I sort of just had to linger about near the centre. Watching them both carefully as they worked a machine I had no idea how to work myself. It was nerve-wracking to say the least, I was likely being watched by the academy somehow... And, well, we also had all this to deal with regarding the machine.


    But, to my relief, the only noise I then heard was the purr of this machine. Its engines clearly coming to life as all the machines lit up and began to make noises of their own. A soothing rumble going throughout the airship as two loud clangs also rang out into my ears. That must have been us leaving the grip of those claws.


    "VADEI!?" I then shouted down the way I had come aboard to make sure she was on.


    "Yeah!?" she called back in a much quieter tone. Her frame coming into view as she rushed into the control room.


    "Don''t worry, I was just making sure you were on board." I explained to her before I collapsed into what must have been the captain''s chair. Or something to that effect, I wasn''t sure if airships had captains.


    "Slavers, which one of these gives us an idea of what is going on outside?" Vadei then demanded of the pair as she tried to familiarise herself with the equipment. Something I paid attention to as the more familiar I was with it the better we would do.


    "The screen with the pictures aaand bright calaurs!" Heiya clarified as she rushed about trying to do all these different things as we went up. Paps was doing pretty much the same until they both slowed down and breathed a sigh of relief. Likely indicating that we had gotten out of the initial part. But, something had caught my attention.


    "Strange thing..." I muttered as I stared at these strange controls near the chair I was on. It was a box of some kind that had just risen out of the floor in front of me. Was it a joystick or something? Either way, I did not want to touch it as something was off about it.


    "Wait... Something is wrong." Vadei then commented as she looked at the screen she was directed to. My body soon rising to look over her before I then frowned at what I saw.


    "Someone is coming after us, something blue." I noted as it was clear someone was chasing after us. But who was chasing after us...? And why were they blue? Was it because of the magic they used...?


    No, wait, it couldn''t be...


    "Where are you going!?" Vadei asked of me as I began to rush off.


    "Get them to open the entrance ramp, I want to look at this myself."


    "No ramp! Go to open section!" Paps told me as he began to point at a side door which must have led elsewhere. But, I went that way anyway so I could see what it was and I was hit with a sudden breeze when I got outside.


    "NIIIIIIIIN! WAIT!!!!" I heard a familiar voice yell. And I was frankly shocked to see that it was Lari. What was she doing here!? How did she know what I was up to!?


    Had she been following us since the start!? But, now I wasn''t sure what to do... I had no intention of bring Lari into this yet here she was yelling for me. Her face red as she chased after us.


    Did I help her or ignore her...? She was my friend, a very good friend and a woman I had greater feelings for. Would it be right of me to leave her here? Or did I just drop her and ignore her?


    "No... Gods preserve her..." I then mumbled before I went over the railings of the airship. Nearly sliding off the airship had it not been for me grabbing onto a pipe of some kind.


    "NIN!" yelled out Lari once more just before she stumbled.


    "YOU NEED TO JUMP!" I yelled down to her as I tried to stretch out my arm as best as I could. Somewhat worried about how I might send myself off as that pipe was creaking. Was I applying too much magic to it!? Wait, of course, my own magic!


    And with that suddenly in mind, I began to try and cast a spell. A spell that existed because of Lari and soon it was there. An extension to my grip in the form of a long magical plank for her to grab on to. I tried to bring it out as much as I could, but I wasn''t able to get it that far. Yet, thankfully, Lari could jump far enough that what I had was all that I needed.


    And now, she was hugging on to me tightly after flipping over said magic extension. A smile on my face as I heard her wind-muffled laughter before we slowly went back aboard. Her laughter soon filling the control room before she collapsed into the captain''s chair. Heiya in particular reacting with uncertainty once she was in here.


    "Why''s she here...?" Vadei asked me as she approached us, a small wave coming from her when Lari waved to her.


    "She has a point, why are you here...?" I then asked in confusion as I stared at her. Taking careful note of how she was dressed more than she usually was. Not massively so, but it was noticeable as she was like Rose in a way. Preferred loose and open outfits as opposed to what most around her wore.


    "I couldn''t find you so I followed your magic signature and I felt that you were on here..." she panted out before she wiped her face down. Oddly enough, she tried to hide her face as she did so before she then sprung up.


    "Right, are you looking for something...?" I then asked her as she looked about in a panic.


    "Shower, bath, anything like that here?"


    "With beds." Paps then pointed out as he pointed down the central doorway.


    "Thank... You..." Lari said cheerfully at first before she noticed Heiya. But, she did not start an issue, instead, she rushed off down the main hallway.


    "Must be desperate for a toilet or something." I mumbled before I then sat down again with a sigh. Gesturing Paps back to the front before staring oddly at Vadei. She had just walked past me and gained a sudden blush. But, she said nothing about it.


    Did Lari accidentally pee on me or something...? I couldn''t see any slight yellow patches, but, there was some kind of wet patch. But, I guess it didn''t matter too much, she was a water witch. She made me wet quite often with her antics.


    "I''m going to have a look around, get an idea of where everything is." Vadei then told me before she left. Her tail swooshing about as a slight smile appeared on her face before she disappeared too. I guess she was just happy about finally being on her way to help out her family and such. I know that was on her mind a lot since I met her.


    And here I was too, smiling as I was finally on my way home, after all this time. All the pain and suffering I had to go through was finally coming to an end. Familiar trappings would soon be around me and I could try to go back to living a normal life. Yet, now that I had seen Lari again, I wonder...


    Would I miss any of them? Would I truly feel worse off because I just abandoned those who looked out for me in my time? I may have had a falling out with them, but both Rose and Vapooliar did a lot for me. To say nothing of Lari''s efforts and the progress I had made with Einervaene in my time knowing her.


    I just did not know, first I was excited to finally be on my way home but now I was moody. Was this going to be worth it as when I got home I would have no friends... Iishar, who I thought was truly sincere all this time was the reason I was here. Her greed and deceit are why I was now a monster notorious for raping and plundering.


    "No, can''t expect any of them to stay with me..." I muttered quietly as I stared down the way Vadei and Lari went. Sighing before I returned my attention to the two slavers in front of me. Getting up and moving closer to Heiya and paying close attention to Paps. As he had flinched slightly when I had moved towards Heiya who in turn had jumped a bit.


    "Yes...?" the small girl before me asked as she turned away from the machines in front.


    "Will there be any more problems from here on out?"


    "We shauld be getting cammunicaaatian fram the aaautharities af the mauntaaain-staaate... But nathing is caming thraugh. They likely aaalreaaady knaw this is aaa stalen aaairship!" Heiya pointed out worriedly as she tapped away some more. A clear tremble noticeable in her hands while she also tried to hide her neck.


    "Then you two best be prepared to get us away from any pursuers." I told her before walking off. The thoughts on my mind being about a possible boarding action. Would we be forced to make it violent or would we get away just fine? I guess we will have to wait and see.


    "We can''t! Need more crew!" Paps then exclaimed as he approached me.


    "Well, we don''t have any, you two will have to do. Now, get back to piloting this thing." I told him before looking over to Heiya. Watching with a slight smirk as he scurried back over towards the machines. A quiet sigh coming from me shortly after. This was... Different.


    I may have had an extreme bone to pick with the pair of them, but... This wasn''t me, I know I used my body as a means to intimidate semi-often. But, here I was actually threatening to harm and enacting it to leash someone with fear. This just wasn''t me and I did not like it.


    I couldn''t even think about this pragmatically, it was just me being cruel that came to mind. Yet, now, something else came to mind. Something was making loud bangs deeper in the airship and I wanted it to stop. So I went down the hall and tried to figure out what it was.


    "Hello!? Anybody there!? I fixed the item!? Hello!?" a voice I swear I knew asked over and over as they banged some more. My eyes slightly widening while I shook my head. Another person was here? Wasn''t doing a good job of making this a secret escape now was I?


    "Alright, who is... This..." I began to say before I quietened down when I unlocked the door and saw the individual behind it. It was Einervaene, Einervaene was on board this airship and we were now staring at each other.


    "Urtuoi-kischu? Thank you! I thought I might have been forgotten by the maintenance crew." she explained as she left the room before stopping again. A frown forming on her as she paid more attention to the airship.


    "Yes, we are flying, but, why are you here? I left you in that lecture!" I asked of her as I moved closer. It wasn''t making much sense that she was here, let alone Lari!


    "Well, when you left the lecture I tried to follow after you but then someone came to me for help. I then was brought aboard this airship and asked to fix something. And, well, it seems like they locked me in that room..." she explained before rubbing her head in embarrassment.


    "Well, alright then," I said before leaning on a wall, "Well, you are stuck with us then. We are leaving the academy on this stolen airship to go back to my home."


    "Stolen airship...? What did you do!?"


    "I just said, we stole this airship so I could get back home."


    "But why now!? I know you have said that you missed your home but why did you suddenly steal an airship!?"


    "Because, Einervaene. When we were in that lecture, I just did not expect to see someone from my home be put on display and then murdered just so some arrogant students could get a better grade on their test!" I said to her with growing anger before moving to punch the wall ahead of me. Except, well, I stopped the punch as this wasn''t something I could just damage in a fit of rage. So I just needed to bottle it up, for now, maybe find a rock to throw later.


    "You want to help your people...?" Einervaene then asked to which I just nodded. A small smile appearing on her face before she nodded herself. A quiet breath leaving her that sounded like the word ''ok.''


    "In terms of who is with us, we have me, you, Vadei, Lari, and the two slavers." I then explained to her. The first two names bringing some excitement to her face while the last bit washed it away.


    "Why are those slavers with us?"


    "Because I do not know the way home, nor how to fly this. So, in an effort to get both sorted. I forced them into working under threat of death." I said to her before looking away when I said that last bit. It just did not sit right with me, to make someone work under threat of death. But, this hug I got from Einervaene did soothe my mind.


    "Then let''s get to your home so we can help your people!" she said to me with a smile as her eyes looked longingly up at me.


    "You''ll lose your hat if you look any higher." I then told her right before using my beak to get her hat off. A laugh coming from her as I was gently shoved by her before she put it back on. Sounds of disgust soon coming from her when she rubbed something off.


    "What is this...?" Einervaene asked me as she looked at my chest and the wet spots. Some kind of wetness with a slight white tint having stained her clothes.


    "I have no clue, I thought it was water from Lari when she came on board, but it must be some kind of... I don''t know actually. I assume I must have got it on me when I went outside of the airship to get her."


    "Must be a lubricant then because even with this small amount the smell makes my head feel funny." she said before she rubbed it off on me again.


    "That wasn''t very nice."


    "You can''t seriously expect me to wipe it on my own clothes, can you?"


    "You could have just gotten a tissue or something." I said to her with a shrug before she shook her head with a huff.


    "We best go clean you off then, we don''t know if something bad will happen if we keep this stuff on you."


    "What about those two, though, can''t trust them to just pilot the airship on their own." I pointed out with a raised claw. Her head briefly facing the control room before it went back to me.


    "Then we can just have Vadei here look after them." she said as Vadei approached us with a confused look. A sudden blush overtaking her when her eyes saw Einervaene''s fingers before she then just zoomed past us.


    "I guess cleaning ourselves will be fair." I said to Einervaene as we walked down the ship. Our eyes looking about for a sign or something to indicate a shower or bath. But, one thing I did notice first was how big this airship was. I guess I wasn''t paying attention when we stole it but it was like a more cramped dorm.


    Everything one might need for travel was here and it was all well-stocked by the looks of it. You had two main chambers of sorts just loaded with beds and most of the airship was divided into two parts. And, going by what I was reading when we walked by it, it was all over women and men. Yet, interestingly enough, the women section was far more luxurious.


    "Guess I am sleeping on that side of the airship then." I jokingly told Einervaene as we finally arrived at the washing areas. Her lips taking on a slight smirk as she moved closer to me.


    "Even though it is clearly marked as the women''s area?" that smirk staying on her face before she moved away. Slightly blushing as she did so.


    "Eh, we''ll see how many rooms your side has first. Depending on how this might go, the men''s section will be for all our new passengers if all goes according to plan."


    "You will put your people there after saving them from slavers?"


    "No, we''ll put Vadei''s people there after getting them free from my people." I awkwardly explain to her as I undressed slightly. Watching in concern when Lari dashed out of the washing area in a panicked state. Something that was not common for her at all. So I guess I will talk to her about it later if I can...


    "So what will we do about spare clothes?"


    "I''ll probably just let mine dry, nothing dangling so no clothes is fine for me."


    "Alright, what will I do about spare clothes?" she asked again while rephrasing it. A slight blush forming on her face as she twiddled her fingers.


    "I dunno, put on a towel and just linger in a bed?" I answered for her, a shake of her head being my response. All before she straightened her back out, took in a deep breath and then grabbed my claw. Dragging me in after her much to my lax surprise.


    "Don''t get the wrong idea, I am just going to help you." she explained, clearly embarrassed which contrasted my calm state completely.


    "Alright, nothing I haven''t seen or done before."


    "Wha...?" Einervaene exclaimed as she went redder.


    "When we travelled to Thrurstradtur, remember? We sometimes just had to put up with each other being there when we washed ourselves." I clarified to her. But, admittedly, Rose had also just dulled me to the idea of it. Not Lari, though, she always gave me privacy when showering or bathing.


    "Right... Well... Undress... Yo- me...." Einervaene squealed out much to my joy as it was just fun to tease her. But, maybe I should try something new this time? Maybe I could really embarrass her and have a good laugh. I knew she was just struggling to get a sentence out, but I wanted to be pedantic. Like, really use the fact she said ''me'' the clearest.


    "Alright, hat first." I said as I then threw her hat across the room. A claw then sneaking into her gloves each side before I slowly took them off.


    "EH!? W-W-W-What a-are you..." she tried to get out as I moved my claws closer to her chest.


    "And now," I began to say as my claws opened wide just before her breasts, "The loincloth." I suddenly said before going down and pulling it straight off. A clear sight to what it hid greeting me on the way back up.


    "W-Wait!" she squealed out again just before I sat down and put her on my lap.


    "Now these boots of yours." I said to her while carefully taking them off. Tickling her feet with the ends of my claws once I was done. Laughing all the while before I moved up again as she trembled with a red face.


    "STOP!" she then yelled out in a squeamish tone as she turned to lightning somewhat just to get me off. Soon rolling about in pain after that and having her standing over me while apologizing.


    But, I forgave her and finished the affair with roaring laughter, "Oh, Einervaene, never change." I barely got out between the laughter. It lasting for quite a while, much to her annoyance before I then just chuckled.


    "If you''re going to do something like that at least be sincere..." she very, very quietly mumbled under her breath before I got up. Putting some distance between us two before I properly stripped down myself and turning to face her. Her body turning away from me as her face maintained its crimson colouring.


    "I''ve seen it all before, Einervaene. I am pretty sure you were naked our first night together too."


    "That''s not the point, now sit down so we can get this over with." she said to be as she began to pat and shove me around. At least, until I sat down.


    "Why the rush? You were the one who brought me here." I snickered out before a gentle shock went across me.


    "Stop it."


    "Fair, I''ll change the topic then. How badly do you want to shock yourself?"


    "I beg your pardon? I don''t understand."


    "We''re in a steamy bathroom... You don''t like magic and water...?" my claw rolling about as the gears in her head did too.


    She looked away with a slight blush, "Well maybe if you stopped being you then I wouldn''t be taking such risks."


    "But you love me bei-" I began to say before getting sudden surge of lightning against me. A brief scream coming from me as went flying across the bathroom. The loud thud I made being drowned out by what came after.


    "NO ONE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT LOVE! I NEVER GAVE ANY HINTS LIKE THAT...!" Einervaene screamed in panic as she looked about. Magic coursing all over her until she calmed down and realised what she did. Apology after apology once again coming from her as I sat up with a grumble.


    "I''ll be sure not to take showers or baths with you again, noted." I said to her with a groan as I recovered from that sudden magic attack.


    "I''m sorry! I don''t know what came over me!"


    "Apology accepted, so long as you cool it with the abuse." I somewhat laughed out while dealing with the pain. Like how a young adult might do a stunt with a toy but badly hurt themselves. So they just hobble while wheezing a laugh of some description out.


    "I''ll try..." she nervously said while stepping back a little.


    "No, do, I don''t want another shock." I clarified to her before properly sitting down before a steamless mirror. My jaw moving about slightly as I watched Einervaene carefully hide herself behind me.


    "Try to keep still, otherwise I can''t get between your plates." she told me to which I just waved it off. I was fully aware of that, had enough experience with Rose regarding it.


    "I understand I am bulky, Einervaene. But, if you don''t want me seeing anything private then why not just wear a towel?" I asked her while keeping my head facing forward. Not really wanting to provoke anything more from her for now.


    "If someone important to you is sharing a bath with you, you must copy how they do it..." she tried to say matter-of-factly. But it was clear she had no real reason so I just went along with it. In fact, now that it came up. I could shift the topic to her home.


    "So now that you are tagging along unintentionally with me and Vadei and so on. Are you perhaps going to do anything with what you learn on our trip?"


    "What do you mean?" she asked just as she squeezed out a flannel along my shoulder. The soapy bubbles likely going all the way down my back and onto her breasts. I may have not been as sensitive as I used to be to touch, but my magic training gave me an idea. I just could feel her magic press against mine, it felt nice.


    It was probably a weird way of describing it, but, when Einervaene was happy or enjoying herself. Her magic always felt like it was excitedly trying to meet up and play with mine. I did not know if it was emotional or just magic-science in general. But, I liked it, either way, it was like a fuzzy massage.


    "Well, I personally am headed home to solve an issue there. Vadei is coming to solve an issue with her family that is going on there. Is there anything you hope to learn that could help you with your problems at home? It is why we met, after all, something made you want to come here."


    "I can''t say I wanted to come here, but I have certainly received reasons why it was a good idea to come." she said without answering the question. Her body gently pressing against mine while a happy sigh left her. A bracelet soon entering my eyes as pondered something about it. Only to forget it when Einervaene moved back to cleaning me.


    "You never answered the question." I then asked her after a brief mental blackout.


    "I don''t really know what I will learn or if I will be able to use it. My problems are family-related like Vadei''s, sure. But, mine are also not so clear cut. Traditions of blood and heritage are my main concerns along with conduct. I just don''t know if I can use any of it."


    "Well, if you need any help, I am right here to offer it."


    A quiet laugh left her, "Thank you... Nin."


    "Oh?" I said while turning my head. Only to get a palm to the face that made me freeze solid.


    "Good pet." Einervaene then mocked while patting my face. The fear of being shocked having been fully settled within me. Something she must have caught up on.


    "So... If you don''t mind me asking, what is the main issue for you? I know you mentioned your mother at some point but you saying heritage and blood and all that makes me wonder."


    "You know how my lightning is blue?"


    "I do, I have been assaulted by it several times."


    "You deserved it, but, anyway, it''s because it is blue that my mother has been accused of adultery and that has put her position at risk."


    "So you''re looking for proof that you are not a bastard child?"


    "No... I am trying to ease the burden on my mother as I am not sure if my presence damns her to greater scrutiny... But, I am also hoping to see if I can make my lightning golden or at least some degree of yellow."


    "The more like Thurnmourer''s lightning the better then?"


    She nodded slowly, "Yes, the closer it is... It''s something to do with the stories of how the noble clans came to be and all that. Too much to explain in one go and to say nothing of my own ignorance."


    "Your people believe they are descended from the Thunder God?"


    "More so we copied how he made his mighty hammer. By gaining the trust of the thunderclouds."


    "Alright, so your blue lightning makes everyone think you betrayed that trust then? Only this time it wasn''t to send a mighty lightning bolt into the heart of the Singular God?"


    She laughed for just a sec, "Yeah..."


    I looked down to the floor and sighed, "Well, if you ever need any help making your lightning golden. You know where to find me." I mumble while knowing inside my head that it was a lie for all intents and purposes. Once I was home and done with Vadei, what reason did I have to help? I was doing all this because I wanted to go home... I don''t even care if I live like a hermit, so long as I am near the Civil Mountains.


    "Thank you, Urtuoi-kischu, your offer is very much appreciated. I just hope I can repay your kindness with my own." she told me as he leaned on me again. Her hand slowly making its way to my claw before it stopped just before my bracelet. Tender brushing from her fingers lightly moving the bracelet about.


    "Don''t worry about it too much, I''m not a loan predator or that. I won''t demand it from you until you are ready."


    "That''s good then, I probably won''t be able to go home for a few years now. I have so much I need to do back at the Academy with you and Ayi-chira and all the others."


    "Yeah... Back there with those lot..." I said while looking away from the mirror. My tone quiet as I thought on how hollow those words were. I was glad she was pressed against my back, too. That way she could not see my eyes being shifty.


    "So... Uh... Urtu... Nin... This might seem like an odd question and a completely out of nowhere one. But, what sort of women do you like?" I was asked by the beautiful, copper-haired woman behind me. I was thinking of just saying that she was my perfect woman just to tease her. But, having been with Aahtha and Motrtha, I don''t think I can honestly get it out. Motrtha was just so kind and loving but Aahtha''s form reflected your tastes perfectly!


    Or, in this case with Aahtha, mine.


    "Dark skin, short white hair. Modest measurements. Kind and motherly with the capacity to erotically tease." I said quietly while trying to remember the Pleasure Goddess when she teased me. When she and Motrtha were completely ruining my senses with a dopamine overload.


    "Oh... I see. Well, with the men I like, I like them strong and honest. Kind and stern. But, I also like them being fine with not always being strong, I am fine with being allowed to be there for them when they are upset or broken." she explained to me while hugging me tighter. I looked away from the mirror again when she said that.


    "Well, good luck with finding a man like that." I told her as I got up, somewhat embarrassed by what I heard from her. But, I was also not comfortable with it. To hear this while wanting to admit myself to Lari... Well, it certainly made me want to do a double-take on it.


    But, to say nothing of how some of Einervaene''s description was hollow...


    "I would say thank you, but I already have found them..." she quietly said with a wide smile and bright blush. Her body still down below as she stayed on her knees while I stared at that face. That pretty face that was so sincere and heartfelt... And looking at it made me disgusted with myself, it made me indecisive and frustrated.


    Maybe I should just make it clear to her here and now? Or should I just ignore the issue as I was likely never going to see her again once we got near to Tobaballe...? Gods grant me the wisdom I need here... Please...

 Incline 2: Getting Used to Intimate Air Travel

    "Did Nin properly understand me when I..." I began to say as I leaned against my raised and open palm. A long dreamy sigh leaving me as I looked down the deck of the airship and at Nin. My smile consistently changing as he did something minor or greater. He wasn''t even doing much yet here I was, just happy to watch him.


    "Did Ninno understand what?" someone then suddenly asked into my ear, causing me to jump. Sparks flying off of my body as I wobbled about while clutching my chest. The laughter that followed it all clarifying to me that it was Ayi-chira. My smile quickly being done away with in favour of an annoyed frown.


    "W-Why were you watching me!?" I demanded from her as I took on a straighter posture. Moving closer to her with flaring nostrils. Increasingly annoyed by her laughter.


    "So I''m not allowed to watch you but you can watch," she began to say before she forced me into looking at Nin again, "Ninno here?" she finished off with. A smile somewhat coming back to my face as my face also heated up.


    "I... I wasn''t..." I tried to say but I just could not finish the sentence. The fact I was caught red-handed in the act was just too embarrassing!


    "Yeah, you were!" Ayi-chira teased in a drawn-out manner. Her hands prodding at my cheeks before I swatted them away. Her giggles keeping my attention on her as I glared at her. But, my trembling lip and red face made it hard to be intimidating.


    "What do you want anyway!? Surely you have something better to do!"


    "Nope! The slavers... Are doing all the hard work so I am just left alone to wander! But, there just isn''t much to do here." she said, going from contempt at first to a more cheerful tone and ending it with a shrug.


    "So why does that mean you have to bother me!?" I asked of her before slowly crossing my arms. Looking away while still looking at her.


    "Beeeee-cause! I want to know about what you," she said while pointing and poking me, "and him," her finger quickly moving over to Nin, "were doing after I saw you enter the bathroom!"


    "It was a bathroom... What else could we have been doing!?" I let out quickly and in a higher pitch than usual. My face becoming a very bright red by the end of it all.


    "Going by how you are looking at him, quite a bit." she suggestively said as her finger went down the front of my clothes.


    "N-Nothing happened!" I said to her before stropping off. Stamping my feet down hard and letting sparks fly off of me as I did so.


    "Did he say something to you? Did you say something to him? C''mon! Tell me!" I was asked by the persistent Ibenorrocon. A frustrated growl leaving me just before I stopped inside the airship''s kitchen. A kettle being put on once I was still.


    "Fine, you want to know so badly!? Fine!" I nearly yelled out before slamming the door shut as hard as I could. It having to be slammed again when the prior just made it bounce. Ayi-chira even jumped a little when it banged close.


    "I do!"


    "When we were in there, I was washing his back and I asked him what sort of women he liked and then I just blurted out what kind of men I liked and I confessed to him!" I said to her while making her back up towards the door. Yet, even as I did so, she kept that Aahtha-blessed smile and stayed joyful.


    "And what did he say afterwards? Did he accept them and say he felt the same?" her smile widening as she began to push back. Her actions soon leading to me nearly stumbling over a stool when I was moving back.


    But, I looked down in frustration before I answered, "No..."


    "He does not feel the same way?" her smile disappearing when she asked that.


    "No... No, he just didn''t answer!" I said slowly at first before speeding out an answer to make sure it wasn''t misunderstood. I did not want my slow answer causing Nin unnecessary suffering because I was too stuttery to clarify!


    "Were you very direct with it? Like, did you specifically say you wanted to do romantic things with him?" she asked me after sitting down. Any joking tones and behaviour having completely gone away.


    "Admittedly... I have been wondering if I was being too subtle..."


    "That might be the case, but, trust me, Einervaene," Ayi-chira said to me before leaning closer, "sometimes they need it to be more blunt and confrontational." she said as if she had experience in the manner.


    "You have asked men out before...?"


    She then went quiet and looked away, "Yeah..." her behaviour clearly nervous, "Yeah, I did it a few times back in my homeland."


    "I see, how blunt are we talking? Like... A very direct saying of it...?" I asked her as shades of bright red returned to my face. My mind quickly filling up with scenarios of where I directly admitted it to Nin. Some even being rather dramatised like it being in a battle or something. Like it all just came to a stop just so I could tell him and then kiss him deeply...


    "Sometimes, yes, sometimes indeed. In fact! Why not even give it another go? Repeat it to him!"


    "I... Don''t think I could. It took everything to say what I did yesterday and I just couldn''t say it again more clearly even after I said it. We just ended up talking about other things." I say to her before slowly slanting over and cupping my face. A long breath leaving my mouth as I tried to bottle up this embarrassment I was feeling.


    "Then I''ll help! I''ll get his attention and then guide him into a place where it is just you and him and you can just go at it!" Ayi-chira said to me just before she hopped up onto her feet. Arms stretched out wide as she hopped up and down in excitement. Yet, here I was, glaring at her with suspicion.


    "Just me and him? You not watching or listening in the slightest...?" I probed her with, my worries confirmed when she began to panic a little.


    "No..." she blatantly lied while looking away and balancing on her heels.


    "You better not!" I then told her firmly. Some of my magic crackling about the copper frame in my clothes to emphasise it. But, I wasn''t sure if that would work, honestly. Ayi-chira was much, much more powerful than me...


    "I swear I won''t! I''ll hide my soul and everything just in case!" Ayi-chira responded with, her hands making the gesture for her statement. Her claim that should she break this promise that she shall hide her soul from the God of Death... So that she is cursed to walk alone in the misty world forever.


    "You better..." I grumbled before I began to leave the kitchen. Not bothering to do what I had originally intended just so I could escape the advance I was getting. Those verbal spears urging me on...


    Shortly after we went topside again, I could hear him, I could hear Nin, "Swear she was... Ah!"


    "N-Nin I w-want to talk t-"


    "It''ll have to wait, sorry, have you seen Lari?" he asked me while looking about, his eyes clearly not lingering on me. Something that only contributed to the anger I was feeling. He just wanted to see Ayi-chira... That should have told me all I needed to know but I wanted a clear answer.


    "No, it''s important!" I challenged back with as I tried to step forward.


    "It can wait, now, Lari, come on. You two Einervaene." he told us while gesturing to Ayi-chira who had apparently been hiding behind me. So, as we were walking with Nin to where ever he wanted to take us to, I glared at her. I glared the finest daggers I could at her as she had gone back on her word!


    But, that gaze she was giving me reeked of technicalities, "You never said it!" she whispered before quietly giggling. Giggling that soon stopped when Nin came to a stop with us just outside the control room. Vadei was here too, so it must have been important as it was clear she was waiting to listen.


    "What is this all about?" I then asked once I had swallowed down the topic I wanted to bring up just before.


    "It''s about the two in there. I believe it should be in our best interests to at least elevate some of their work." he explained before he opened the door slightly. Letting us all have a look at the pair of slavers as they jumped up and started working again.


    "It was your idea to work them like this, to begin with!" Vadei told him with a hiss.


    "I know, but, they are the only two here who know how to pilot this thing. If we overwork them to the point of collapsing then we are just going to suffer severe problems."


    "So you want us to learn how to fly this airship just in case?" Ayi-chira asked him.


    "Yes, should worse come to pass, we can at least fly this thing ourselves. We might not know the way, but, if we know how to fly it we can bring it to a town or something. Get directions or something."


    "I don''t even think we can learn to fly this, you just don''t learn details like that in so short a time." Vadei tried to point out to him.


    Nin''s hand raised itself at her in a non-threatening manner, "I know, I have worked on heavy vehicles before. We just need them to ''hold our hands'' as it were. Nothing big, maybe switch in and out regarding who does what but just be there to interact with the two."


    "It will also help us keep an eye on them, too. I don''t trust them to not cause us issues..." Vadei said to Nin who nodded along.


    "They''re slavers, they will likely be making plans this very moment. Trading lives is, thankfully, not an easy profession so they will have experience in getting out of bad situations." Ayi-chira then said in an uncharacteristically annoyed tone. Nin and Vadei nodding along when she said it while I kept still.


    "Right, are we all in agreement then?" Nin then asked as he put his hands together with a modest clap.


    "I have no problems with it, Nin." I said with a nod while Ayi-chira pouted before slowly nodding. The only one who did not have a response yet was Vadei so everyone was now looking at her.


    "Don''t give me those looks... Not like my vote matters now." she mumbled in agitation before entering the control room.


    "I guess she is taking the first shift or whatever." Nin said with a shrug before he started to walk away. My hand rising to try and stop him while my mouth opened up even if I did not speak. Thankfully, he stopped and looked at me.


    "I''ll leave you two to it then!" Ayi-chira commented before dancing off with returned cheer. A red tint coming to my face as I stared up at Nin''s masked face. Gulping my nervousness down as I watched him.


    "Not sure what that was about, but, Einervaene, a word if I can?" he said in Ayi-chira''s direction before he gestured me to follow.


    "What would you like to talk about?" I asked him as we started to walk. Surprising myself by not tripping on my words as we became isolated from the rest.


    "Now, you were brought on board to help fix something, yes?" he then asked me. A sudden surge of disappointment filling me up as a result of it not being what I was hoping for.


    "Yes, a small item. I don''t know what it was but they just needed someone to conduct lightning through it and to fuse a few pieces together." I clarified to him before he then tapped his hand on a wall.


    "Right, now, I may not have the training to be a mechanic of any kind. But, if I was to guide you through the process, would I be able to rely on you to maintain this airship should the worse come to pass? You are the only one with the skills to maintain this thing should on-board tools not suffice." he explained, a wide smile coming to my face when he mentioned how important I would be. He would be relying on me because of something only I could provide!


    "That''s f-fine!" I told him while nodding happily. A quick laugh leaving him before he then left. Something that made my smile go as I still needed to speak to him about... But, I guess it can wait. He has just explained that we had a lot to sort out.


    So, I guess, I can go do something on my own for the moment. Yet, I just could not get him out of my head. Nor could I get the details he mentioned when we bathed together last. They just stayed in my head, constantly lingering.


    A Modest build, short white hair and dark skin...


    "But what does he see as modest?" I quietly asked myself once I found a mirror to look at. My hat having been put aside so I could somewhat pose before the mirror. A frown on my face the entire time as I went over my body parts. I pressed my thighs and moved them about, exposed my rear and even groped my chest.


    And even once I did all of that inspecting, I could still not answer if I fit the bill in that regard. Yet, now that I thought about it more and compared myself to others. I just did not fit the bill. I was frequently made aware by my fellow Eusorochiian friends of the superiority of my chest...


    And when I also thought about it, more of the men at the Academy stared at my lower half... My body was always the centre of attention so surely that meant I was not modest in shape? Maybe that was one of the reasons he liked Lari so much? Her skin was reasonably dark and her body was practically flat compared to mine!


    "Not much I can do here then..." I mumbled in disappointment before I moved on to holding my hair. Carefully clutching the lower pair of golden hair cuffs I had and tapping them. Should I perhaps do away with them and start cutting my hair...? But I quite liked my hair yet Nin clearly preferred short hair...


    To say nothing of how mine was nowhere near his preferred colour, but, I suppose I could dye it. And, when I was done looking in the mirror, I collapsed onto a nearby sofa to moan into a cushion.  Why couldn''t have his preferences been closer to me...? Either way, I suppose it didn''t matter, I was still on a sofa moaning.


    "Wait... I can still get tans can''t I...? I should be able to get his attention like that!" I then said to myself as I got up again. My hands initially going to my hat before I pulled them back. I would not need a hat if I was going to tan myself! I needed as much of my skin exposed as possible!


    So did that then mean I would have to strip myself down to expose more skin...? Just the thought of being caught naked by him made me stutter while my face was burnt red. Yet, despite that, I was smiling at the thought of it. To be potentially seen by him at what might be my most beautiful...


    "Okay! I just need a place to do it then! Hopefully, we are above the clouds so I can get more light soaked into me!" speaking my thoughts out before I began to haphazardly undress. Reducing myself to my bra and underwear before I got outside. Quietly sneaking off to a more isolated part of the open deck before then sitting down. Frowning as I just sort of sat there.


    Maybe I should try and get a chair or towel or something? It wasn''t very comfortable to sit here, let alone lie here. It was also quite nippy as well. So, maybe, this was just a bad idea in general...?


    Well, either way, me hearing his voice certainly made me dismiss these concerns.


    And now, I was just lying there with my eyes closed while I let out a gentle stream of magic. I was not sure if that would interfere with my attempts to get a tan and so on. But, it would help keep my body warm as I laid down on this decking underneath the orbital-halo. A gentle smile on my face as I envisioned Nin''s reaction to my tan.


    "And what do we have here?" Ayi-chira asked me which caused my smile to disappear. Soon bringing myself up onto my legs and rear before glaring at her. My arms covering my chest as I did so.


    "Just trying to get a tan..." I muttered to her with a pout. Her eyes looking up as a result of that statement.


    "Why?"


    "Because Nin said he likes girls with darker skin... And without a tan I am rather pale..." I said to her while looking down in disappointment.


    "I am sure Nin wouldn''t mind being in a relationship with you just because you had no tan." she said to me with a no-nonsense attitude.


    "You don''t know tha-" I began to say before I was pushed onto my back by her before she sprawled over me. Her hands and fingers happily exploring my body while her face came close.


    "Besides, I am sure this body of yours would be more than enough to catch his attention." she whispered in my ear with a sultry tone. Sparks coming off of my skin with increased intensity before it became enough to get Ayi-chira off. And then, I was just laying there with a red face and nervously clutched breasts.


    "Don''t do that!" I told her before I tried to hide my face. Laughs and giggles being all I heard come out of her mouth.


    "You need to have more confidence, Einervaene! Forget about what he told you were his preferences and make your features his preferences!" she said to me with confidence. Her tone implying that she knew a lot about this sort of thing.


    "I can change his preferences...?"


    "Yes! You just have to be upfront about it and make them addicted to you!" she said with a cheer before calming down. A modest blush on her face as she became still.


    "Addicted...?" I repeated while moving my head slightly to the side. What was even meant by that? Did she just lack a better word for the situation? Or was it quite literal and I needed to do something specific...?


    "Yeah, you know," she said while looking away with a strange nervousness about her, "get him to enjoy your presence so much he wants to just be with you." she clarified. Something that left me saddened as there was no way I was going to do that. She had already done it to him and I likely helped make that happen!


    And all because of my prior words to him...


    "I-I d-don''t think I can..." I said with a sniffle before tears started to come out.


    "Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Don''t start crying, we''re talking about you being in love! You should always be happy!" Ayi-chira tried to comfort me with before she came over and hugged me. Her hands once again feeling me up as she did so, but, I just did not care.


    "Yeah, love that will never be returned by him at this rate because he is too interested in you!" I nearly screamed in despair before calming down slightly. Looking away as I was rocked back and forth by the Ibenorocon.


    "Interested in me? Pfffft, we''re just good friends!" she said to me in an attempt to brush it off. But I wasn''t having any of it, it was clear Nin liked her!


    "No! He clearly has his eye on you! You do pretty much everything together and he is always at his happiest when you are with him!" I said to her before forcing myself out of her hug.


    Then, she sighed, "I know he does... I know... I just don''t want to reject him should he finally ask the question..."


    I then calmed down suddenly, "Y-You aren''t interested in him?" a slight bit of hope having been put inside of my heart.


    She shook her head before cautiously looking about, "I''m just not the kind of person who can do committed relationships like that... Maybe I could tell him it has to do with him being... what he is... But I just would not be able to. It would not be fair on him should he discover what I like to do when I am not with anyone else."


    "I see, so... Is there anything I could possibly do to get Nin''s eyes on me rather than you...?" I asked her, my own selfish desires coming to the forefront when I did so. Yet, despite how clearly selfish it was. It brought a smile back to Ayi-chira''s face when I said that.


    "There might be, but, it will take some practise to do it."


    "Do what?" I asked her as we both stood up. My eyes soon watching her hand go down before her hips began to bounce. Her body quickly moving around before I was then being groped from behind.


    "It''s quite simple, really, I teach you how to dance like an Ibenorocon and put this body of yours to good use. I never got particularly lucky growing up, but you did. So you can do so much more than I!" she said to me with her emphasis being her chest being pressed against me. It didn''t take long for me to feel the rest of her chest either. So I understood her point quickly.


    I still gave her a shock, though.


    "I did tell you not to do that again." I said to her with a small smile before she began to giggle.


    "Then let''s get you dressed and we can get started!" she said to me as she grabbed my hands with hers before running. My stumbling about not being as bad as I was not in heels this time. But, her strength certainly was enough to drag me around.


    "Dressed into what!? Neither of us brought a spare set of clothes!"


    "No! But while I was exploring the airship I found a small workshop with tools to repair uniforms! We can make something!" she explained to me which left me smiling widely myself. I knew very much how to make clothes and I was thinking of the last time I did it. How Rossie-chira smiled when Nin finally saw us in our clothes. A far more modest outfit than what I was likely going to make this time around!


    But, that was fine! I was just in such a good mood now! Nin may not have his eye on me at the moment but those who would likely be in my way were now gone! Rossie-chira had a falling out with him and Ayi-chira just said she was not interested!


    So even if it took me some time then I''d be able to experience that future! That future I saw in the temple where I had a child in me and we were back home and he was my husband! A future where all my problems were solved and I could just enjoy my life again with my family! Both old and new!


    "So what are we making anyway!?" I then asked her as we ran deeper and deeper into the airship.


    "We''ll be making you your own dancer''s outfit like what I have!" she said to me with a bright smile. Confirming in my head what I might have to work on. But, admittedly, I was a little stumped. I may wear more proactive clothing as of late but I was still a modestly-minded woman!


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    But as I looked about this workshop I was brought to, I noticed some things, "It doesn''t seem to have much to work with." I said quietly while messing around with a spool of thread.


    "There''s enough! We won''t need much anyway, however, we''ll just discuss a design for now." Ayi-chira explained as she cleared a desk and gently slammed a tablet down. Her body hopping up and down on a stool once she was done.


    "I guess I''ll hear what you have to say, then." I said just before I sat down. A frustrated look from her soon being directed at me.


    "Ah! Why''d you have to be dressed like this!? No, wait, I can sort this out, where are your clothes!? Nevermind!" she began to ramble before she dashed off out of the room. Leaving me alone in it and on a stool, mostly naked. A few sparks soon coming off of me as it was not a heated room.


    "I guess I can try and draw a few sketches..." I muttered before rubbing my body to pat down some goosebumps. Placing a large needle near my lips and patting it against them while I thought on what I could do. Ayi-chira''s outfits had a few things consistent about them. So I guess I should use them as a basis.


    Similar to Rossie-chira in a way, it was revealing and distinctly erotic, however, it did it in a different way. While Rossie-chira''s clothes were tight-fitting and built around spots that caught the eyes of men. Ayi-chira''s was far looser and made frequent use of loose segments that bagged around her limbs. They even had trails that one could follow along when she was dancing, which was probably the point.


    "Maybe it is just because she is slimmer than me, but..." I began to say quietly to the tablet before me. My hands having just sketched in a few images of what her bra''s and panties generally looked like. They were not loose and did not seem easy to take off, unlike Rossie-chira, but, they were revealing. They even had metal frames sometimes...


    But, then, I was struck with an idea, struck so much I might die from it as it was that sudden! I could try and create a fusion between my current attire and what Ayi-chira has right now! And, using my lightning magic, I could steadily add on metallic elements to it. Now if only I could narrow down what I wanted.


    One of my sketches was a design with loose flaps of cloth and lots of metal chains and jewellery pieces. Another leaned more towards Rossie-chira''s lingerie-style clothing mixed in with some of those flowing pieces. While this other one I had was just a cloth bra with a knot at the front and a long skirt with a fully open front. I had so many ideas and I just wasn''t sure which ones I would look best in...


    "FOUND THEM! FOUND THEM!" yelled Ayi-chira as she suddenly came running back in with my clothes. She even had my hat which I had initially left nowhere near the rest. It all soon being shoved into my hands once she was in here proper. I even nearly fell off my stool!


    "Get off!" I had to tell her firmly once I got off the stool safely. As she just kept trying to force the clothes onto my body. So, once she was off, I started getting changed again, but, it was not a quick process. Those copper frames I had in this outfit made it stiff at parts and it needed a certain method to get it on.


    "There! Perfect! Now, let me see..." Ayi-chira then said once I was done putting on my clothes. Her eyes lingering on my high-heels first before she looked elsewhere. A frown on her face as she got very close to my chest before prodding it. In fact, she did this with quite a few parts of me.


    "Well?" I then asked her as she began to draw something. The way she stuck her tongue out in disgust after her eyes saw my designs bothering me greatly. If she had a problem with my designs she could at least explain the issue... Rather than being a child and vomiting at them...


    "I am thinking that, ironically, despite your impressive body... We should go for something less revealing... Have it fit more with your usual style." she said to me before looking at the gap in my top-half that showed off my underboob. Coming over to her as she urged me closer so I could then see her design. It was an interesting one if I was to say. Compared to mine, it really was more modest.


    Well, if we ignored how the legs and arms were completely bare. Only a bracelet for each leg and a ring for each hand. Not much at all but the majority was all on the main body and hips. It even involved some metal parts in the design.


    It had a pair of decorative cloth strips that formed a V-shape and went over my breasts. Ones that came out from the middle of my crotch and then rolled over my shoulders. Likely going back down in a similar V-shape manner. And, going by how there was an extension down below, Was this likely meant to be one piece of cloth?


    My face went a little red at the thought of it, just a piece of cloth covering my breasts with a bareback... It would not take much at all to make my breasts come loose if that was the case. But, if this was a dancing outfit, wouldn''t my chest being loose be detrimental...? How would we even measure the required length of this cloth?


    Because, frankly, I did not trust Ayi-chira enough to sensibly fit such a cloth on. She would drag us down into a fight just because she wanted to play with my chest! But, outside of that, there was also this stiff-looking piece that went on to my hips. I guess they were to make my hips look more rounded?


    But, now that I had seen this, I had been given a new idea, "Hand that over for a moment." I asked but in reality, demanded of Ayi-chira. Immediately after doodling down a new design that took some inspiration from that hip piece she made. Unfortunately, I had to keep her off of me as she was moaning and complaining.


    "No! My one is perfect!" she moaned before her eyes widened once I was done with my new design. It kept the hip piece, but this time it lightened it up by cutting a hole about where the hip bone is. The cloth was instead replaced by a corset-like piece that would securely cup my breasts from the side. Yet, would also push them up and make them seem even bigger!


    I even took some inspiration from my Rossie-chira inspired pieces and put on a pair of garter-belt suspender leggings! And then a pair of gloves as well as I didn''t want to be too naked... Even if it was for Nin to see and hopefully be aroused by... I still had some decency to maintain!


    "That one, that one!" Ayi-chira cheered while bouncing up and down with her finger out.


    A laugh leaving me before I said anything, "Calm down!" I said to her before she began to rummage about.


    "But what colours!?" she then said in a manner that almost made it seem like she was panicking.


    "Well, how about red and black? It contrasts your blue and gold." I said to her as I came over. The tapping of my heels being very relaxing as it felt weird moving about earlier with no heels.


    "We could just keep your current colour scheme to be entirely honest...?" she then said to me with a ponderous tone. Her fingers drumming about her mouth while I just looked down. I suppose that could work, but it was a little dull in a way, no? Nin might not even notice much of a difference!


    "The copper is only here because of my magic, this outfit won''t need any magic being used with it."


    "It might! I use magic when I dance, so why not try it with yours?"


    "Your magic was entirely developed around your love of dancing, mine was developed out of a want to go up." I said to her just before transmuting myself into lightning. This spell having been an adaptation of my older one as I lacked clouds to use at the Academy. Quickly going back to normal and watching as Ayi-chira played with a piece of rope.


    "You can still conduct your magic, though, right?"


    "Well, yes, obviously, magic control applies to everyone regardless."


    "No, I mean, conduct it through metal, like, we could add some bits that dangle and you can let them, you know, spark up!" she clarified while moving her hands about. Little bits of water coming off with each flick.


    "I see, I can''t say that is a good idea." I then said to her as I imagined myself doing that.


    "Why not? You can turn yourself into magic! It can''t be that hard surely?"


    "It is when you take into account how embarrassed a dance routine in something like this would make me!" I pointed out to her as my face went a little red. My thoughts already full of images of me being ogled by Nin.


    "Oh, yeah, that''s right, confidence issues." she mumbled quietly, but not quietly enough.


    "I don''t have confidence issues!"


    "But you''re so easily embarrassed?"


    "I''m so easily embarrassed because I was brought up to be a decent, modest woman with grace about her and everyone around me acts so inappropriate all the time!" I let out in one big, frustrated go. My breathing full of trembles as I began to flood with annoyance.


    "We do not!" Ayi-chira retorted back with loudly.


    "Do not? There have been several points since I started doing this with you that you have groped my breasts!" I said to her while grabbing them myself and moving them about. Her eyes focusing on them before she pouted and turned away.


    "Show off." she muttered which then made me even more frustrated. Why did she just try to change the conversation topic!?


    "I am not! I am proving a point!" I said to her before failing in an attempt to scream. Soon just sitting down with a sigh before playing with some of the tools in this room. A smile on Ayi-chira''s face as she danced about slightly.


    "So can we make the outfit now? I can start teaching you how to," she began to say before she began to dance erotically, "dance!" she finished off with as she sprawled herself out on a table.


    "Fine, let''s get this over with." I said to her before crossing my arms and looking away. A gust of air leaving my nose before I relaxed. Images flashing in my mind of me finally getting Nin''s attention. Maybe it would catch his eye to such a degree that he even...


    "Focus!" I was then interrupted with before a light tap hit my head. An intense frown soon being directed at Ayi-chira as the images disappeared from my mind. I was quite enjoying those dangerous thoughts and she went and ruined it...


    "Hold on, I need to undress so we can accurately measure my body!" I tell her as I began to undress again. However, before I had even gotten a glove off, I made sure the door to this room was sealed shut. Getting back to it all once I was satisfied by that being done. Wouldn''t want anyone walking in now, would we?


    And I was even feeling a little nostalgic, even if it was not with Rossie-chira. But, it was almost like when we made kimono''s together! A very precious memory of mine, in fact. Just spending a few days making clothes with someone after years alone on the seas and roads...


    .


    .


    .


    "So are they behaving?" I asked Vadei quietly as I walked up to the idle woman. Her legs and arms limply hanging over the sides of the captain''s chair. All the while her tail just gently brushed about in front of her. Briefly flickering towards me when I spoke.


    "Yeah, they think I did not hear them but I did. The little one wants to escape but the father says no."


    "Father?"


    "Yes, the one called ''Paps'' is Heiya''s parent."


    "Hm, I guess that explains why he was so reactive to me choking her."


    "Should have just snapped both their necks and be done with it."


    "Understandable, but, if I did that, then how would we get home? Well, how would I get home." I said to her before correcting myself. A shift in her eyes having been caught by mine just before I made the correction.


    "It would just take longer, besides, we know the Anvil-Peak is on the way there. So all we would need to do is find that."


    "It was still a short while travelling there from Tobaballe. If we don''t get the start direction right when we get there we will still get lost. And, to just call out to Undwote before we did it, we might end up in another land full of magical monsters and arrogant shits." I say before ranting out my aggravations at a potential chance of getting lost.


    "Not much happens in the lands around the Anvil-Peak, tracks should be quite easy to find."


    "How would you know that?"


    "I went through two trips in that barren wasteland, Nin. One to your home to become a slave, the other away from it to be re-educated as a slave. Thankfully, however, that second trip was interrupted."


    "Right..."


    "But I mostly remember just because I was in a cage both times. You are a lot more exposed to the elements and outside of its dustiness and general barrenness... It''s a calm place."


    "Desolate and calm? Heard of stranger combinations."


    "Such as a human''s mind in that of a bug''s body?" she said to me with a small smile. Snorting in response to it while I thought of my own jab.


    "More like something with a soft tail and a bad attitude."


    "Hey!" she said somewhat loudly before her ears went down, "I''m pretty sure I apologised for it..."


    "Don''t worry if you did. It doesn''t really matter at the end of the day."


    "It might not matter to you, Nin, but it matters a lot to me. I was hostile to you, regularly insulting you and demeaning you and it turns out you were not playing a part in my enslavement. You were just another slave that was seemingly a free man."


    "To think all I needed to do to stop the insults and being called a ''Ho'' was go... Oh! Stop it! I''m a slave too!" I began to say before changing my tone of voice and bouncing about at the end. A soft giggle coming from Vadei before her eyes moved down to my neck. A brief quiet happening as I stared at the two slavers.


    "So... This might be a little forward, but, what was it like to try and kill yourself?" she asked me with sullen eyes that stayed focused on my neck. The place where I tried to stab that knife into my throat, most likely.


    "I don''t really know, I have sort of forgotten about it."


    "You just forgot about trying to kill yourself...?" she asked me in disbelief after shaking her head about. My own head looking behind as Lari was guaranteed to be that way.


    "There are some people that can just do that..." I said with a small smile hidden by my mask. My heart thumping loudly as my gut felt weird.


    "Well, I hope you don''t mind being banned from the kitchen then. Can''t have you trying it again." she joked, something I did find funny, actually. But, I wanted to see how well I could tease her.


    "Shouldn''t joke about that, I could have died." I tried to say with a dead-serious tone. But, I failed, as I burst out into chuckles by the end of it.


    "Wouldn''t be the first time..." she commented while rolling her eyes. Something that made me laugh harder.


    "I regret saving you that one time in the aelenvari flower." I sarcastically commented before returning my attention to the slavers.


    "I quite liked it, felt nice feeling safe for once. Even when I was travelling with Vapooliar, I just never felt as safe as I did then." she told me with a small smile and tail wave.


    "Don''t get the wrong idea, I only did it for the chance to stroke your tail." I tell her as my claws began to fiddle with the air near it. Yet, she was quite happy to let it brush against my bandaged up claw. Only to then take it away while smirking.


    "So how has your magic come since then, Nin? We may be in the same dorm but we don''t do much together." I was asked by her. My eyes looking down at my claws before I thought about my spells.


    "Not much, really. I can''t do anything with rocks and that now, but I can make what I guess can be called magical poles or extensions." I said just before letting one sprout out from my claw.


    "Personally, I really wanted to learn some more fighty spells. Like, I guess it was just because I was angry about some things. But, as I spent time at the Academy it became clear I would not be able to learn spells like that."


    "How come?"


    "Because of how we oxfuine are raised in our packs. We are taught rituals that are pretty much our magic lessons so my body is pretty much hardwired to more ritualistic magic."


    "So you can''t really learn much beyond that language thing you do with your spit?"


    "No, I can do a few things, it will just take time. For example, I have been trying to see if I can apply my saliva spell into a breath spell. So, I can just breath on someone rather than kiss them or spit in their drink to get them to speak my tongue. Or just a tongue I know at all."


    "Nice to see I got the better option then, back at the camp."


    "No, you didn''t. A kiss from me would be unforgettable."


    "I''m sure it would be." I said to her with an enthused huff.


    "I would say I would prove it, but you aren''t getting a kiss that easily."


    "Alright, fine! Never wanted one anyway." I joked some more before I was lazily kicked.


    "But, yeah, I am hoping to do something with those spells. I have made some progress, but, I also need to learn some more languages to make the best use of it."


    "Fair, anything else you have been able to do?"


    "No, outside of that I have only really been able to put some magic on to my claws here and make them somewhat decent weapons... And then there''s just what I have been trying to do when I get down on all fours."


    "So, just a lot of stuff involving your body and that?"


    "Yeah, but, sometimes, when I am watching Vapooliar do her spells. I just get jealous."


    "Is she doing alright? Vapooliar that is." I then asked her with a sigh. My recent memories of the woman with soldiery manners not being good ones...


    "She has seemed foul of mood recently, but she''s been a little fouler since she, you know."


    "I suppose that is fair." I replied with while a single claw went across my chest scar. The scar that proved I was cut into two.


    "And what about Dandel''lhia? I notice her seed hatched."


    "Yeah, she''s doing alright. She wouldn''t know magic if it weren''t for this Academy, though. But, she has learned some spells in order to look after her son. But, she does worry for him and is easily scared."


    "Well, as long as she is doing alright. But, I think it might be safe for her to go home now that Rose is no longer at her flower."


    "She came here with you, didn''t she?"


    "Yes, when I came back from the dead... As this... She wanted to stay with me and all that. It was rough at first and we did quite a few things together in our travels. But, it all sort of fell apart up here. Back at the Academy."


    "Aelenvari fickleness?"


    "Indeed, but, she seems to be distressed over something. Of course, I don''t know what given how she avoids me as if I have a curse of some description."


    "It might be because she still harbours feelings for you." Vadei said while raising a finger at me.


    "And how would that be the case? Aelenvari just go after the strongest male they see, right?"


    "Yes and no. I got curious with Dandel''lhia as she shows no interest in any of the men at the Academy. So, I looked it up and it turns out when aelenvari..." Vadei began to say before she blushed slightly.


    "Have sex?"


    "Don''t say it so loud!" she snapped at me before nodding, "But, yes, when they, you know... They become a lot more loyal. It''s why they have special outfits for their first time as it is meant to be a sign of transition. Of course, they can still switch to new men and that, but, they often find themselves wanting their old one back."


    "Except me and Rose have never had sex. Well, never went through with it technically. But I died shortly after I nearly did."


    "That might be why then, the process was started and she has just clung to you somewhat. Of course, there might be another reason, after all. If you two were travelling together you surely did a lot, no?"


    "Yep, I saved her from a sadroobell, from valley-riders holding her hostage. I saved her special outfit, took her up the mountain the Academy is on in a bag. We saw the big windy mountain for the first time together..." I explained before growing sad with each word. We had done quite a bit together and yet she still just left me alone in that place before Lari came along...


    "If that is the case then, she probably is trying to hold out hope for you in a strange, aelenvari way."


    "Wouldn''t that be nice." I bitterly commented as I also started remembering her sudden change to hostility over adoring... Love. Even if it was more akin to lust.


    "No, I am serious. If you did all those things with her then she likely sees you as the better partner. She just isn''t capable of saying she wants you to improve so you can take her back."


    "So I can take her back? I didn''t give her up." I groaned out as that made it sound like it was a choice of my own making. Her abandonment of me.


    "I never said you did, but, sorry if it was implied. Like, even though I hate her as she is a horrible woman. Vile and vain and all other kinds of behaviours I hate... For yourself, try to bear it all in mind. At some point, you will have to address it."


    "Sure." I then said to her in what must have been a surprisingly calm tone. But, that was because I knew I would not have to. I was never going to see her again once I got home.


    "At the very least, Nin, even if it does fall through. You will have people there to care for you and help you out." she said to me as one of her nails gently stroked my bandages.


    "I suppose I will, I suppose..." I said while looking down slightly. Nearly sighing in frustration as I began to think once again about my lonely life in Tobaballe. Friendship was a convenience there, a childhood dream. But here, in these mountains, it has very much mattered.


    And I was going to throw it all away just so I could have a chance to go home...


    .


    .


    .


    "M-Mistress..." an underling called out to me in a meek tone while I was focused on something else. My mighty talons currently in the process of restraining another underling. All so I could just exert myself over them. Something I always did quite enjoy doing.


    "I do believe I told you... NOT TO INTERRUPT ME!" I said with growing anger before I roared out stone-melting fire at the offender. Laughing at them when they flinched away. Just barely missing the fire I let out. An annoyed expression soon on my face as I faced them.


    Kicking away the underling I was messing with earlier so I could focus on what this one wanted, "A-Apologies, Mistress... But, it''s important."


    "Of course it is important! Because if it wasn''t? Well..." I told them as I walked up to them. Letting my magic flow out from me in a more aggressive manner as I did so.


    "O-Of course, Mistress... Your m-meal, Mistress, it is ready." I was told by them. Something that led to my eyes twitching in anger as this was not important at all!


    "What did I just tell you!?" I told them with a snarl, black smoke steadily leaving my mouth shortly after.


    "T-To inform you when your meal w-would be ready, Mistress..." they said with a meek tone as they backed off some more. Their body having prostrated itself so much that they were dragging themselves back.


    I then calmed down and laughed, "I did, didn''t I? Well? Go get it!" I commented then ordered before returning to my makeshift throne. Smiling deeply as my throne groaned and moaned as my spikes dug into their scales.


    "Thank you, Mistress." the underlings making up my throne said as I relaxed on them. A smaller creature soon hopping up into my arms once I had sat down. A rare child of mine it was. I was feeling generous one time and so here they are.


    I may have hated how weak it was, but it was still my child. So, I gave it bits of nurture every now and then and lots of favouritism. The underlings I had may have hated it too, to the point of tearing the father apart. But, nothing was going to happen to it, not on my watch.


    "Mama..." it quietly said to me as it crawled over my scaled-covered breasts and pale skin. A small smile on my face as his little tail swished about. Gently nibbling the end of it when it swung too close to my lips. Lips which soon puckered his little face in kisses.


    "Enjoying our stay here, little one?" I asked my son as I moved to pick him up. Gently bouncing him up and down just so I could hear his laughs. The laughs of the child I did not name. He was too weak to be named.


    A frustrating affair that was, to have a son which was weak. For myself to have unbroken horns and an army of pathetic underlings. Each one trying their hardest to win my affection through the wrong means. If they wanted anything other than pity, they needed to win.


    "No, Mama. We are moving around too much." he moaned as he snuggled up into my neck. His little, twig-like horns tickling me slightly as he moved about. My hands forcing him to settle down after a certain point.


    "I know we are, little one, but we will keep doing so until we find those two hwardgon. You may not understand it right now, but in time you will." I said to them while stroking them with one set of claws. The other set clenching deep into the flesh of my throne so I could vent my anger.


    It may have been an underling that those two hwardgon stole from me. But that wasn''t the point, the point was that it was mine! It was my underling! MINE!


    And I would not rest until they were both dead. Either turned to ash, mixed in with the slag and lava my fire made. Or, the most useful of all, falling apart in the depths of my stomach... But, speaking of my stomach.


    "WHERE IS MY FOOD!?" I roared out impatiently, scaring my son in the process who scurried away. A snort leaving me when he did so. The sounds of hurried movements coming from the entrance of our current home filling my ears shortly after. A pair of bickering underlings holding on to my meal soon appearing before me.


    "Here!" they both said at the same time before growling at each other. Their actions nearly destroying my meal before I went over to them. Slapping each one into the walls of my cave and going back to my throne. A large piece of bubbling meat in my claws as I did so.


    And before I took the first bite, I licked my lips and made them wet with saliva. A relaxed moan leaving my mouth when I took that bite shortly after. The lingering taste of blood that hadn''t burnt away, the way the melted fat just stuck to my mouth... It was wonderful.


    "Little one?" I soon called out after taking a few more large chunks off. Soon getting into the process of taking another chunk off before they came back. Their body displaying much restraint if zero patience. And when the latest chunk was swallowed, I moved the meat aside so they could get on my lap.


    "Thank you, Mama." my son said to me as I began to direct their little head. Towards each of the areas I would not be able to eat from. Near the joints, just before you got to the bone and that and so on. And even if I could eat bone just fine, I preferred juicy meat over splinters.


    "Ah, ah, ah!" I began to tut out as I pulled their head away. They had tried to nibble at the areas I wanted to eat from. But, that was my food, he got whatever I left for him! So, when I was truly done, then I let him go for it.


    It was just a shame for him then that I wasn''t done with this meat, then. We had been hiding from the humans so we had been forced to fast for a few days essentially. Me and him got food priorities, of course. But we weren''t exactly leaving bones on the floor as our bellies were fat...


    "We''ll just have to wait out here, I suppose." I found myself muttering as I thought on the human defences. Those hwardgon had been travelling on a machine recently, but, they got too close to a human nest. They chased us off and we were unable to get anywhere near the hwardgon. Now, well, we had to undergo the humiliation of hiding near them.


    It made me bitter, see, if I was a dragon, then I could have taken the humans on. I could have burned their city down and the entire mountain! I could have had more than just a small army of underlings! I could have had a nation of them, each citizen loyal to my power!


    Each of them just clamouring for a chance to lay with me... Or, maybe, I could have been tamed by a greater male who wanted more land himself. And my vulnerable lands were just ripe for the taking by him. Just before he then dominated me and made me feel feeble and meek!


    It made my flesh burn hotter than my fire just thinking about all of it. Alas, it was all just fantasy and I was just wyvern not worth looking at. Meek and feeble in all the wrong ways... There would be no one for me to call ''Master'' any time soon.


    No chance to lay egg after egg with each one holding a strong son or daughter. Instead, I just had this rump on my lap. Nibbling away at a bone I held before him. His strength insufficient to even get his own food.


    "MISTRESS!" some underling shouted after a loud crash echoed from the entrance. Someone had come in abruptly it seems. But, was this shouting from the one who arrived or a guard at the entrance? I suppose I should see what it was, though.


    "Go on, little one, finish it elsewhere." I then told my son before taking him off my lap. Getting off my throne and walking away from it so I could see what the issue was. Staring at the panting underling before me with great apathy before rolling my eyes.


    "Mistress!" he wheezed out before he steadied his breathing.


    "What?" I quickly snapped out, not pleased with such a pathetic sight before me.


    "They''ve left the human''s mountain! The hwardgon!" he explained in excitement. Something that led to me developing a smile as if this was true...


    "And where are they now?" I asked him as I moved closer.


    "On an airship, moving in the direction of the great canyon!" he explained.


    "And which one of my underlings found this out, then? Was it you perhaps?" I asked them in a sultry tone. My mood having been improved enough that I was willing to lie with one of them. But, only the one who found it out, of course.


    "Me! I did! I di-" he began to excitedly say before the breath attack of another underling killed them. Blood splattering across me when their wind magic popped a hole in his head.


    "I did!" an injured underling said as he hobbled into the cave. A slow nod coming from me as I noted the blood covering me. Blood caused by the loss of an underling to another underling... With magic that could have hit me.


    Even if it would not hurt me.


    "And there goes my willingness." I commented with a straight face before breathing a torrent of fire at the offending underling. His screams filling the cave before they just suddenly stopped. The only sound from then on out being the snapping and crackling of his flesh. An annoyed huff being the last noise I made in the cave before I went outside.


    Going up onto the mountain peak and perching up on the quickly evaporating snow. Steadying myself on the slowly melting stone with a smirk forming on my face before I roared out into the sky. My wings unfurling themselves with smoke and dancing embers following them. A nose that twitched endlessly as I smelt the air.


    Their scent soon entering it as I paid more attention to the land around me. I knew which way they were, which way they were headed. Now, all I needed to do was rally my strongest underlings and set out to get them. Yet, should I perhaps go for my weaker ones instead?


    I wanted them alive so I could make them suffer and the stronger ones would just kill them... It was my vengeance that need satiating, not their desire for my loins! At the same time, though, if they were to die. I would just be overjoyed that I''d probably let them have at my body anyway...


    But my preferences did come first, so weaker underlings it was! Now all I would have to do is get them and set out. So, I began to flap my wings and descend towards the cave entrance. Letting my magic flow aggressively as I hovered there.


    "UNDERLINGS! ALL BUT THE STRONGEST OF YOU WILL FOLLOW ME! I SHALL HAVE MY VENGENCE!" I roared out to the cave. A series of pitiful roars being my response before dozens upon dozens of them swarmed out. Each of them flexing their claws and snapping their jaws before I went ahead of them.


    A mighty orange boom filling the sky as I shot ahead of them. A trail of fire following me as I flew towards my prey. And as I smiled in anticipation for the coming slaughter of those two hwardgon. I began to think...


    What were these other smells...? The hwardgon were near an interesting variety of other prey right now.

 Incline 3: Air Raid

    "SO LISTEN CAREFULLY! ALL OF YOU!" I roared out to my underlings as we came to a stop atop a mountain. Its snowy peak melting alongside the stone underneath as I perched myself on it. My magic also making the air hazy with many seeable, colourless lines going about me.


    My eyes carefully watching my underlings as they either came to a stop mid-flight or moved to perch. A smile soon on my face once I was sure that they were all ready to listen to me. But, just before I spoke, I turned my head towards the target of ours. It was so close and just wanting to clarify some things angered me...


    They were so tantalisingly close to being dead at my hands. And, so luckily for me, there was no one and nothing near them capable of defending them. No smaller machines that could just fill my underlings with fatal injuries. No greater one capable of scaring even me off.


    All that was there was that lonely machine with no strong magical signatures on it. Nothing stood out and the only one that did was so shakey that it was laughable. It made one really question the dominance of humans at the end of it. But, despite their personal weakness, there was strength there.


    Just not here.


    "LISTEN UP AND LISTEN WELL! DO NOT DESTROY THIS MACHINE! MERELY KILL ITS DEFENDERS AND THEN BRING THE HWARDGON TO ME! UNLESS I SAY OTHERWISE... YOU WILL FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS AND ME PRECISELY! NOW! FOLLOW!" I shouted out to them with a roar before launching up into the sky again. The mist of embers that I left hiding the molten rock I left behind. And soon I was parting clouds as I returned to the skies beyond them. A clear view all around.


    But, while I was up here, I was going to enjoy it. So I let some of my anger go just so I could enjoy the sensation of beating my wings. Blasts of heated air and black smoke coming from me with every grand flap I made. And, sometimes, I would dip into the clouds and leave again.


    Laughing all the while before I would come to a stop when I was by an open patch of sky. Carefully looking down from the spot I found just so I could stare. Stare at the machine carrying my prey and those aboard it. So clueless to my presence despite my draconic ways.


    That was one thing that annoyed me, actually. How the humans forced this inane idea out that your magic should be controlled. Restricted and hidden away from those around you. The exact opposite of what a dragon or wyvern believed and practised.


    Magic was our power, it was our gift and our privilege. It is what made us stand out from the rest of the world and it is what made us, us! Jaadagroen may have played a greater part in us of draconic origin, but, the result was the same. Species capable of using magic were chosen.


    So humans just infuriated me as a result of it. Why would they not make it clear that they were gifted? Why did they train themselves to bottle it up!? If they truly were the greatest of all races then they should prove it openly!


    Instead, they did not, and that would be their undoing...


    "That one right there, they are mine." I said to my underlings as I unfurled a claw out. It pointing straight at the one that stood high above the rest. The only one with any kind of magic flowing out of them. So, naturally, the only one worthy of my strength.


    .


    .


    .


    "Give that back!" I called out to Lari as she pranced about the deck of the airship. In her hands, both mine and Einervaene''s hats. Beside me, Einervaene. Who was also annoyed at Lari taking her hat.


    "Yeah! Ayi-chira! Please, this isn''t funny, we have more important things to do!" Einervaene said in an effort to plead with the blue-haired woman. She had been doing this a lot lately, Lari, that is. She keeps doing stuff to get me near Einervaene. And, frankly, it worried me a little.


    Did this have to do with what she told me in the bathroom...? I really wish it wasn''t because I just did not want to confront it. Because, frankly, I was very paranoid about how that would play out. Would rejecting her spiral out of control...?


    I did not know. And I did not know why Lari had just stopped either. It''s like she was suddenly bothered by something. So, I guess my hat can wait for the moment.


    "La-" I began to say before something very hot slammed into me. Forcing me through the airship and air until I stopped in the ground. Ground that had suddenly became molten and burnt. And I screamed in pain as I properly registered the flaming fist in my gut.


    "SHIT!" I yelled out before I groaned in pain. One of my claws soon tearing off my mask so I could look at whoever attacked me. A glare quickly forming as this disinterested looking creature suddenly became curious.


    "You are alive?" It asked me in a haughty tone as I recovered from the punch it gave me. My eyes flinching away the entire time as the heat I was in was unbearable. How hot was this thing!? God of Fire, please remove your blessing on this thing!


    "YOU WON''T BE!" I yelled out in anger at the creature before I recklessly charged at it. Slamming my bulk into its near-equal one and just coming to a halt. Panicking as I was then picked up and tossed away. Stinging sensations all over my body along with distinct handprints.


    "HAHAHAHAHA! You stupid... Human...?" It initially laughed out maniacally before it came to a stop to look at my face. A short-lived expression of confusion appearing on its face before it shook its head. Meanwhile, I was looking about trying to figure out what to do. I couldn''t beat this thing in a fight! To say nothing of the heat!


    "Lari!?" I then called out in panic as I turned away from the creature idiotically. Staring up at the airship in disbelief as I saw it disappear. Blasts of green surrounding it as one side burned brightly. I needed to get back up there.


    But, I don''t think I would be right now as I had just been smacked into the ground. A faceful of dirt before I was forced to eat it when a set of talons grabbed me and pushed. And as my arms flailed about in an effort to get myself out. I was let go off, more of that laughter filling my ears shortly after.


    "You''re pathetic, creature." I was told before I was kicked into a mountain. My breath having been lost in the way there. Let alone when I rolled down it after smashing into it. So I was just left coughing when it was all over.


    I couldn''t fight this thing... I needed to get out of here... Let Lari deal with it... Her water magic would make us win.


    "Don''t follow!" I called out to it before I ran off. Jumping as fast as I could between mountains in an effort to lose it. Yet, even that would not work and it just sped into me as I travelled across the valley. Those long, curved horns just barely missing the opportunity to stab me as it hit me again.


    "I''m going to kill you!" It told me before it roared fire towards me. Fire I just could not get out of the way of in time. So I covered my body with my arms like a scared child. Screaming in pain as the fire rolled over me and cooked me.


    At least, until I brought up some kind of barrier with my magic that directed it around me. Hysterical laughter being my response from then on as the barrier went away. Laughter that quickly died off when the fires went away. Leaving me a somewhat clear view of my attacker.


    "So you aren''t as pitiful as presumed... Eugh, I hate that about humans and the lesser species. Always hiding your power and restraining it..." It muttered in annoyance before its right claw lit up with fire. And I was left somewhat enlightened, now that I focused somewhat. It became clear to me, this was all the power it had... And I was hiding mine...


    "Noted..." I responded with as I backed away. Urging my body to let out magic as the ground behind me became rougher and bumpier. A soot-black mountainside soon pressing up against my back. Indicating to me very clearly that I needed to fight or run...


    And just before it leapt at me to take another swipe at me, I brought forth my trusted magic. A long pole of magic I could hopefully use as a weapon to hit this thing with. I could avoid the burns and potentially kill it or something! But that laughter was unnerving...


    Was it not enough!? Was it just going to break like it did when I played around with Lari!? No! It won''t because I was not playing around this time!


    "Waionr grant me strength..." I quietly said just before I moved to fight this creature.


    .


    .


    .


    "Get inside! I''ll hold them off!" Ayi-chira told me as she gestured me away from the deck. Just as another blast of wind sliced into the airship.


    "THEY''LL KILL YOU!" I shrieked back at her as I stumbled about. Contrasting greatly with her calm demeanour where she seemingly danced about.


    "I''ll be fine, now, get inside!" she repeated to me just before she helped me up. A blast of magic from her putting out the fires caused by whatever took Nin. Then, more blasts of water magic which began to interfere with the attacks hitting the airship.


    "Vadei!" I called out into the control room as I stumbled in. Each hit the airship took making me stumble as it would shake us violently.


    "What''s going on!?" Vadei asked me as she rushed out from wherever she was to meet me. Her body jumping when something smashed into the front of the airship. Its scaled arm and long claws tearing apart the machines near it as it tried to reach for something.


    "Wyverns!" one of the slavers growled out just before I rushed over to the arm. My body transforming into lightning before I then grabbed the arm. Holding on for dear life as I was violently tossed about before it went limp.


    "Wyverns!? What are you talking about!?" I asked as I placed a hand to my chest after returning to normal. My heart thumping powerfully inside me while my eyes lingered on that burnt arm. The arm of something I killed without much thought.


    "You! Put hand in there! Get defence on!" the elder slaver then demanded of Vadei as he began to slam her. The spooked woman growling at him before she started moving towards the main chair. Her hands going to her head as she looked about with uncertainty.


    "WHAT DO I DO!?" she cried out in tears while looking about with a red face.


    "Hand in there!" the elder slaver repeated as he took her hand and put it into this machine. Her screams soon filling our ears as she clutched her arm.


    "IT''S STABBING ME! IT''S STABBING ME!" she repeated over and over while crying. Her body naturally trying to pull away which only made her cry more.


    "Hold her still!" I was then ordered before the slavers went back to controlling the airship. My arms soon wrapping around the scared, tailed woman so I could comfort her.


    "Shhhh, shhhh, shhhh! It''s going to be alright, just, do as he says." I say to her in as motherly a tone as I could do. Making sure I was holding on to her tight to keep her still and getting her into the chair behind us. One of her arms soon tightly holding on to her tail as she sat on my lap.


    "It hurts..." she cried out while looking about in confusion. Her head occasionally shaking and twitching before the airship rumbled. A bubble of light surrounding us before various other lights lanced out from the airship.


    "You''re doing great, you''re doing great. Just keep doing whatever it is you are doing!" I say to her in an effort to keep her calm. Looking over at the slavers as they went into overdrive and pressed and flipped away at the consoles. My eyes soon lingering upwards to these screens that had suddenly appeared. Lari clearly portrayed in them along with a few wyverns.


    "Beat them, beat them..." I began to mumble over and over as I watched these somewhat human-looking creatures attack her. Only to be filled with relief as she effortlessly danced around them with smooth twists and sharp movements. Glowing water following her every move as she infuriated them. Their blows missing and magic overshooting and she did not even attack!


    At least, until she started to throw small orbs at them. Some going straight through their bodies and precisely crippling or killing them. And then, she began to actually strike the wyverns and was killing them quickly. The final one having its head crushed after she kicked its head up and then slammed it back down with the same leg.


    Her body soon washing itself off as she turned around and waved at us. A sigh of relief going through me before a loud bang was heard just behind us. The snapping of jaws making it clear one of them was still around. So, I urged Vadei off of me, despite her desperate attempts to keep me around.


    I then gulped down my fear and stood before the damaged door. Watching it with uncertainty as this creature tore it off and charged at me. An orb of wind magic in its mouth before it collapsed to the ground suddenly.


    "Sorry!" Ayi-chira said to me as she rush over to me. Another orb of water leaving her fingers just as she passed by its head. A bloody hole appearing and adding to the pool of blood now on the floor. And now that she was here, I went back to the chair and stayed with Vadei.


    "What''s going on, you two!? You know what these things are!" I then asked the slavers as the magic bubble lit up around us over and over. Clear signs that it was being attacked by these wyverns. Some kind of gauge and measurement even appeared before us and it was steadily getting smaller.


    "We maaay haaave pissed aff same wyverns befare aaand they haaave been chaaasing us..." Heiya admitted nervously before she went back to work.


    "Great!" Ayi-chira said in frustration as she brought her arms up before bringing them down again. Her eyes looking on with worry at the deck of the ship.


    "How bad is it?" I asked her, having somewhat of an idea as to what it might be that is causing the issue.


    "Outside of where Nin was taken... Most of it is just fine slices or cuts. We should be able to patch it up with the tools onboard."


    "What about Nin!?" I then asked which made her freeze up.


    "We can''t help him..." she quietly said while looking away.


    "Can''t help him!? You beat the ones out there! We just need to beat the rest!"


    "WHATEVER TOOK NIN HAS LIKELY KILLED HIM ALREADY!" she then roared out in tears. Something that made my heart feel like it had stopped.


    "You don''t know that..." I muttered with a trembling lip.


    "Did you not feel the power of that creature!? It''s too much for him to handle and we need to keep this airship safe which we can''t do if we go out to help him!" she said to me.


    "NO! HE MATTERS MORE THAN THIS AIRSHIP! GET THE SHIELD DOWN! GET IT DOWN!" I first screamed at Ayi-chira before I turned towards Vadei. Grabbing onto her and shaking her in a fit of rage just to get a chance to help Nin out. But, Vadei was too terrified to do anything and she just shook her head over and over.


    "EINERVAENE!" Ayi-chira then shouted at me after she slapped me. A sharp sting going across my face before I placed a hand against the wet mark on my face. Magic was involved in that slap...


    "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" I then yelled at her before I turned into lighting and charged her. Sending volt after volt into this annoying Ibenoroccon before she blasted me away with her aura. And then I was just staring in anger as she tried to sort herself out.


    "Calm down... Please..." she asked me in tears before she slammed her head against the wall of the airship. Slowly getting up and then just dashing outside onto the decking of the airship. Leaning over the side of the airship railings and desperately looking for Nin. But all I saw was a mighty blaze down below.


    There was so much destruction...


    I needed to get to a better viewpoint, just somewhere where I could dive off the ship... But, then, I stopped and I bent over to pick up something. My hat and his... I then just cried into it before angrily staring at the shield protecting us.


    "I''ll kill you... I''LL KILL YOU!" I said quietly at first before yelling it out. A bolt of lightning leaving my hands and going through the barrier. And then... I was filled with a sense of relief as that could only mean one thing...!


    I could get out of here and save him! I could save Nin!


    "Don''t do it!" I was told as a particular someone came running out to stop me. Just before I then leapt off the airship, summarily passing through the barrier. And then, as I felt heated air wash over me, I turned into lightning and went into the clouds again. Arcing across the gaseous water until I saw a fight down below.


    "NIN!" I screamed out like thunder before I then shot down towards the figures in the fire.


    .


    .


    .


    Did that thunder just say my name? Or was I just hearing things...? I might have been because now I was completely and utterly screwed... I was about to die, again...


    Turned out my magic wasn''t going to be of much use and now I was about to be cooked alive. At least until this creature was then struck by lightning which drove it into the ground. Like I have so many times throughout this fight. And there was only one person I knew with lightning magic...


    "Einervaene...?" I mumbled in disbelief as I slowly got up. Her screams soon being heard just before the sound of rocks smashing was heard too.


    "Another one? And here I haven''t even finished with the last! But, enough playing around. I am done here." the creature began to say before it just flew up and away. My eyes tracking it towards the airship as I felt its power grow more violent. Was it going to destroy it...? It was, wasn''t it!?


    It was going to destroy my only way home...


    "I WON''T LET YOU!" I roared up into the sky as I watched fire engulf the airship. That bubble around it disappearing steadily as it did so. I needed to hurry and I needed to get up there now!


    So, I crouched down a little while trying to breathe out my pain. Growling long and hard as I let my magic gather up inside of me. And then, I went up with a bang that shattered stone and knocked over burnt trees. The air around me rippling as I went up before it too made a bang.


    My magic soon extended out from my right leg, which I had cocked back. And while I was growing ever surer of the idea I might miss. I was not going to let this be how it ended. I would get home!


    I WILL GET HOME!


    And then, another bang filled my ears as I managed to hit something. Hard shards of something hitting me as I flew off before crashing on a mountain. The cold snow feeling ever so relaxing on my burnt and tired body. The screams of that creature filling the air.


    "UNDERLINGS! GRAB HIM AND PULL BACK!" It then ordered before I was then picked up and brought beyond the clouds. Something being screamed up at me before my eyes just sort of closed. Yet, I hadn''t fallen asleep or anything... I was just sort of in a tiredness limbo...


    And it carried on like this until I felt myself, strangely, be put down gently. A soft and warm touch surrounding me before I was then brought deeper into some kind of cave. And after a short while of having something cuddle me... I woke up and showed as much confusion as I could.


    My eyes quickly shooting themselves open when I saw what was huddled up on me. It was that creature that had attacked us and yet here it was... Sleeping on top of me and peacefully snoring away. A soft warmth emanating from it as it slept there.


    However, much to my building fear, my chitters seemed to disturb its slumber and it woke up. I was borderline about to scream in terror before it just started licking me with its long tongue. From face to upper chest. That fear and terror quickly making way for the confusion that I let out just after.


    "Ehhhhhhhh...!?" was all I could say or get out at all as this happened. A soft, gentle laugh leaving the creature before it looked at me with a familiar gaze. What it would likely call a loving one but I saw as blatant lust... What had I done?


    What had I done!?


    This thing had been trying to kill me and now it was just lying on top of me. Like Rose would have once upon a time before we got to the Academy. Thankfully, it stopped licking me and it began to get off of me. Only to seductively stretch itself out before me.


    Admittedly, if I wasn''t terrified and quaking in my boots, I might have enjoyed the show before me. As, it turns out, despite the blatantly odd and strange scaly and reptilian portions this creature had. It was a very voluptuous and beautiful thing... With its human-looking parts being soft and bountiful in all the right places.


    "I take it you are impressed by what you see, hm?" It asked me as it came back down on top of me. Slowly dragging its enormous breasts across me before it put my face in them. My uncontrollable chitters seemingly contributing to the soft moaning it was making. Thankfully, it backed off again.


    "W-Where am I...?" I asked It. Yet, I was under the impression I might not get an answer. I don''t know why, it must have just been my fear talking...


    "You are in my... Your cave, Mate." It began to say before it stopped itself. A loving sigh leaving its mouth after it called me ''Mate.'' And while I did not show it, inside I was fuming with frustration as this meant... Yeah, it could have only meant one thing...


    This was going to be Rose all over again...


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "What do you mean by... Mate?" I then asked It as it returned to laying on me. Bringing, admittedly, a much-desired warmth as this fear was making me more suspectable to the elements. Her own body shivering before one of its reptilian claws rubbed its head. Dried blood falling from it as the claws passed over.


    "You broke my horns... That means I am now yours to do with as you please. Any desire you have, my body will satiate." she explained just before she rubbed against me intensely. One of her claws slowly picking away at my clothes and tearing them off.


    "Noted, can you get off?" I said to It before I started to slowly get up as I was free of her once more. A long sigh leaving me before I was then hugged from behind with arms and wings. Her large breasts that were very much greater than Einervaene''s cushioning my back. Her giggling entering my ears shortly after.


    "Mate, just to make it clear, I am available whenever you want me..." she told me with evident lust in her words before her tongue licked me again.


    "My name is Nin..." I then told her as I stepped out of her grip. Something that surprised me in that it wasn''t as strong as I thought it was going to be.


    "So the man who broke my horns is called Nin..." she said slowly as she walked up to me, her hips swaying side-to-side as she approached, "The man who can use me however he want is called Nin?" she finished with as she stopped just before me. Her eyes nearly in line with mine which bothered me somehow.


    I guess I was used to being the very tall one, not the slightly taller one...


    "Yeah..." I quietly said as I resisted the urge to back up.


    "Well, Nin, my mate, the one you will be making scream is called Salahma. Remember that, I might want you to say my name when we have sex." she explained with a smirk before walking off. Her thick tail guiding my head so it was pointed at her rear as she walked off. Even if I was looking away. But the laughter she was letting out certainly got me to look at her.


    My body freezing up slightly as I was had seen those orange eyes of hers looking back at me. She had been watching me look away... Was that bad? Was this going to anger her?


    "Don''t worry, as long as you are assertive around me, you won''t have to worry about a thing." I was told just before she went away. These words having a different meaning to me as I had just felt sharp stings throughout. Painful stings they were, lots of them there was. In pain I would be for a while now...


    "Why am I not healing...? Isn''t she stronger than me? Ah!" I questioned while looking down at my body. An incredible sensation of discomfort filling my gut as I stared at the burns on me. It had made my otherwise black-ish carapace pale and goopy. Had she melted it in our fight...?


    I need to find a means to heal myself, though, if I don''t get these injuries sorted then I am... Well, the meaning might change a little as she had been quite blunt about why I was here. But, I was screwed if that was the case. Screwed in two ways.


    But, I suppose I can handle it for now, just play it safe and the others should find me. Perhaps, going by how this place was just filled with magic aura''s... I could just let my own magic out? Let it be a great torch to guide the others closer and closer towards me...?


    Assuming they are still alive, I don''t recall much of what happened after I landed on the mountain top. Had the others been killed? Was Einervaene likely dead? I remember she came down to help...


    "Einervaene!" I then let out suddenly as I sprang into action. Panting out the pain as I went on a brief dash about in hopes of finding her. But, I just couldn''t keep it up and I slowed down so I could hiss. The pain having built up too much.


    And, unfortunately, it might be the case right now that I have to linger around this Salahma. Maybe her magic will help me heal up. Of course, it was unlikely going by my current state. Or maybe that just meant I was her near equal?


    And that she only beat me because she was more skilled with magic...? No, that couldn''t have been it. I felt feeble before her and my attacks did nothing but that last one. When I broke her horns...


    When I was filled with nothing but rage at the prospect of losing my chance to go home. I had it in me, but, would I be able to get it all out? I was going to die in that fight yet that power just did not come out. I thought I had gotten over this issue with Lari but maybe it was a little more complex?


    I then suddenly jumped as a jaw loudly snapped itself near me. A chorus of mocking laughter following it as I straightened myself out. As I did so, I became timid and looked at the mockers with tightly-knit movements of my claws. Cautiously keeping an eye on them as they moved closer.


    Their green scales and colouring making it clear that they were a lot different to Salahma. Maybe it was because of their magic? She was orange-reddish and used fire but these creatures coming up to me were green. So did that mean it was all wind magic...?


    "You best watch yourself, one slip up and the Mistress will be mine!" one threatened me with before another thing started attacking it.


    "She''ll be mine!" it said before more and more started joining in. A fight quickly breaking out between them as they all debated one thing. A thing that was likely going to be getting very angry if I was to guess...


    "STOP FIGHTING UNDERLINGS! AWAY! THE LOT OF YOU!" Salahma roared in anger as she came on over towards us. Her body pressing up against mine as these underlings of hers dispersed. An annoyed growl in her mouth before I got another lick.


    "Are they always like this?" I asked her as I watched them watch me with envy and displeasure. A very unnerving atmosphere if I was to say. It being clear they would likely kill me in my sleep. Maybe that is why Salahma slept on me as well?


    To stop my assassination...


    "Only whenever someone gets a chance to get inside me." she whispered to me as her claw grabbed my private spot. Thankfully, my osibindah biology saved me as theirs was locked away behind carapace. Well, at least until they wanted to use it. Something I ended up discovering when showering one day...


    Lari just sort of appeared in my thoughts and it popped out... But, thankfully, that was in private, away from her. Even more thankfully, I was too scared to get those kind of thoughts right now. Even with such an impressive bust consuming my arm.


    "Someone has been inside you before?" I then just sort of asked without much thought.


    She backed away as if she was embarrassed, "I got desperate and I let an underling... Actually, little one! Little one!? Come to Mama!" she then began to call out. But I got the meaning even if she did not elaborate much. She got horny one day and did it with one of these underlings.


    Though I suppose now she would never be horny!


    "Heh..." I ended up letting out as I just sort of thought of a means to at least alleviate my worries.


    "What''s funny!?" Salahma asked me, her tone making it seem like she thought I was laughing at her. Well, I was, just not at what she had said.


    "Nothing..." I squeaked out before chittering rapidly.


    Her glare coming very close to my face as I did so, "Mama!" something then said to get her attention. Her expression milding out as she turned to face it.


    "Hello, little one." she greeted in a calm and apathetic tone as she bent down to pick it up. A little creature like her in her arms as she turned around to face me. It was closer in look to one of the underlings, though. Green scales and all that with the human parts being distinctly boy-like.


    "Hi." I said with a small wave as I stared at the nervous creature. Not really sure what to make of it as it felt odd looking at a half-reptile half-human thing. Even if Salahma''s attractive body helped me ignore it, it still bothered me. Which, I suppose I had no right to do given my body...


    "This is my son." she explained before a loud snap filled my ears. My eyes becoming practically glued to the limp body now in her hands. Everything about me had frozen up. I did not even follow the body as it was thrown away.


    The sounds of tearing flesh and crunched up bones following it...


    "Tha... Th... That was your son!" I barely got out at first until I just forced it out. But, this cruel thing before me, this Salahma. She just walked up to me as if what she did was erotic!? She was now trying to seduce me after murdering her son!?


    "Was, now I get to have many more sons and even daughters with you. I hope you can last a while, because I am going to be very busy with you." she whispered into my ear with her hot breath being followed by her tongue. If I could still do it, she''d probably be tasting nothing but my sweat. However, instead, she just tasted my carapace and the flesh under it.


    A taste she seemed to quite enjoy as even though it did not feel nice for me, mostly because I was scared. She kept guiding her tongue between my carapace and slobbering over my twitching flesh. If I was not terrified, I might have asked her to stop. But, for now, I was just going to let it happen.


    Thankfully, she was done quite quickly, so I could relax a little. Well, I say that, but, the reality was clear and blatant. I would do no relaxing around here, especially given what I just saw. So I could only pray the others got here quickly...


    By the gods... Someone save me, I can''t get out of this on my own. Running would see me butchered and that assumes I could run! I was too injured to do anything right now...


    Actually, how did she expect me to have sex with her when I was struggling to walk!? Actually... Maybe this was my opportunity!? To see if I can convince her to help me heal with her magic, or to at least take me somewhere where I can!


    "Salahma..." I started off nervously as I began to walk with her. My eyes sometimes moving to the edge of their sockets. It was clear we were being followed.


    "Yes, my Nin?" I was asked back with just as she pressed herself up against me again.


    "So you want me to have lots of sex with you, yes?" and the moment I said the breeding word. The underlings began to, well, squawk in fury.


    "QUIET!" Salahma roared at them before doing a complete tonal shift, "Until your back breaks and my hips dislocate." she whispered as her tongue prodded my mouth.


    "How am I going to do that exactly, like this...? I am in a lot of pain right now and I can''t exactly do well in, you know if I am..." I said to her before gesturing to my various burn marks and points of melted carapace. Screaming in my head as I was hoping so badly that she would take it and heal me.


    "You make a good point..." she said ponderously before she then picked me up and rushed us to somewhere. A cloud of grey puffing up into the air around us before she then went on top of me with a smirk.


    "Wha..." I let out in utter confusion. Some disappointment as well as it seemed like she was not going to heal me.


    "We''ll just do it here then! You can rest your strong, fertile body on this soft ash and I can do all the work... Don''t worry, I don''t mind, so long as a child is in me once we are done." she explained as she slowly went back and forth on my crotch. A slight blush appearing on her face as she leaned back.


    "I''ll bear this in mind, but, give me some time to at least heal, okay?" I then asked her in hopes of getting her off of me. Only for her to then stop moving before she then slowly moved her claws up. And, once they had passed her breasts, the scaley bra-like parts of them disappeared into flickering embers. Her darkly coloured nipples protruding outwards once her claws were out of the way.


    "Are you sure?" she asked me as her tongue rolled out of her mouth and slithered down. Its end so very close to flicking away at the hardened bit of flesh at the tip of her breasts. Her claws soon pressing into them to squish them and elicit pleasure from her. Those moans adding to that question of hers...


    Are you sure?


    Yes, I was sure, and I was going to answer.


    "Not now." I told her before flinching back slightly. Expecting this to suddenly get forceful, but, no, she obeyed and moved off of me.


    "Of course, sorry for pushing you too far." she said to me before rubbing up to me with a soft purr. Embers once again flashing about her breasts before she went off. Those scale bra things back before a growl came from her. Not her mouth, though.


    "Hungry?" I then ended up asking her, just so I had something to get my mind off of what just happened.


    "I am... But are you? You come first!" she said to me as she walked away and stopped. Her eyes looking at me with anticipation. Her body just as eager to go and do something.


    "I''m fine..." I said to her with a mutter, "Let''s just get you something."


    "We don''t have to do anything, the underlings, your lessers can do it." she explained before she began to guide me elsewhere. Towards what must have been closer to the entrance as the air felt stronger this way. Or, as I was soon to find out, no. It was because the underlings were fighting.


    Something that infuriated Salahma but not enough to make her shout so close to my ear. So, instead, I had to stay quiet as a burning sensation went over me. Her aura was doing the shouting for her and I was now wishing she had just shouted. As I was in a lot of pain right now while I was in this aura...


    I felt like I was being cooked alive! Yet, all this behaviour I had seen from Salahma made me keep my shouts in. I did not want to be perceived as weak in a place where the weak were clearly killed off! Something that would happen to me if I did not clearly show myself as strong...


    But how was I going to show myself as strong when I was currently struggling to stand!? How can I even act strong when my body is covered in burn scars and melted carapace!? The best it seems that I could do was just not react to the pain. But even then, I was still twitching and raring to swear to the orbital-halo above.


    "Now! Bring us some food!" Salahma then said with a booming voice before she turned to me with a smile. Her aura having died down in intensity before she then brought us to a... I don''t know what it was. Some of those underlings seemed to have shaped themselves into a piece of furniture.


    And I was quiet the entire time I was forced to sit down on it. Trying my best to ignore the growls coming from the underlings before I was then sat on. Or, rather, sprawled out on as she wanted to cover each bit of me. I also hope it was not to annoy the underlings under me.


    I did not want any part in these power struggles, I just wanted to get out of here and go on home. Of course, how I would get home now was an issue... I saved the airship, I must have. But, how would I even get back to it...?


    My body is in no position to handle the strain of a long journey now. If I come across more valley-riders, I am dead. If I find another earth shaman, I am dead. To say nothing of getting away from this place!


    What was I even going to do...? Seriously, what was I going to do? I guess I could pray for help, but how would the gods hear me? They can only clearly hear you near a shrine or a holy artefact...


    "Right..." I then let out as my head went down slightly. Unintentionally, putting it directly before Salahma''s face as she looked up at me. Her face doing all the expressions I have seen Rose try before. I was even having to put up with some erotic grinding from her.


    She was really relentless in this, wasn''t she...? She might have been even more eager than Rose was back in her flower... Which was probably a bad thing. My body was not strong enough to resist.


    At least with Rose, I could gently force her away. Salahma, however, would roughly force me as close as she could. She''d probably snap my back in two in the process as restraint doesn''t seem to be something she knows. Let alone understands.


    "I wonder what you want to do with that arm?" I was asked suggestively as I was forced to pull it out from under her breast. Her lips being chewed on as I had to exert myself just to slide it on through. And I was just going to pretend I never heard that squeak she made when it just went past her. Having caught on one of those scale bra things as I got it out.


    "There you are..." I mumbled while looking at my bracelet which was thankfully fine. Even if the arm around it was all messed up by my prior fight with Salahma.


    "What''s that little thing?" I was asked by Salahma as she carelessly prodded away at it with her tongue.


    "It''s a gift from a friend." I answered with before she then moved to take it off of me. Her eyes narrowing as she looked at it more intensely. Something that left me uncomfortable as that was mine... It was a gift from Motrtha, she said it would protect me...


    And I really would like some divine protection right now...


    "These are symbols for the Goddess of Mothers... Why would you have something like this?" she then asked me as her face showed her anger. And I most dearly hoped it was not anger directed at me.


    "I just said it was a gift from a fri-"


    "More like a lover." she interrupted as she rose up. Her chest becoming clear for me to see before her claws rested themselves on my chest. Steadily pressing down on them to the point it began to hurt in and of itself.


    "No, it was just a fri-"


    "No she isn''t, if she gave you this she wants to be a mother." she quietly told me before leaning down.


    "You don''t know what you''re talking about..." I quietly said while looking away. My left eye watching those teeth of hers carefully as they got closer.


    "Possibly, but, in the event that I am right. I will give you all the reason in the world and beyond to want me instead." I was told before her tongue came out and went over my face. A thin trail of saliva having been left by it before she smiled. Her mouth soon gently suckling on my carapace. A grand contrast of how we felt, she wanted to have sex, and I was terrified and scared for my life.


    "Can I have the bracelet back?" I asked her, mostly thinking she was going to say no.


    "I suppose, you do seem a lot better with it on." she whispered into my ear. A frown forming shortly after when she said that. Another time that has been said by someone. Maybe I needed to look into this more seriously...


    It can''t be coincidental that another woman has said these kind of things with the bracelet on. But, if what I was thinking about was correct, then... Why did most people I come across hate me so badly? Or did it only do something to those who had a positive view of me...?


    But then why did Rose abandon me if that was the case? Why did Einervaene before Lari spoke to her? Was I just overthinking this? Did they just think I looked better with it on...?


    I probably was overthinking this but I would rather overthink than think on my current problems. Even still, knowing what Einervaene had said to me, maybe I should look into it. See if I can ward off the problem of her opening up to me by... Just proving it was because of magic or something.


    But what would I do if she kept up with it? What if these feelings existed despite the bracelet? What would I do then? Would I just have to take it head-on and unfortunately have to tell her the bad news?


    Lari was the one who I had my eyes on. And, while Einervaene was a loving, beautiful, sexy woman in her own right... She just did not make me feel the same way as Lari did. Lari was there for me at my worst and made me better, I can''t just ignore that.


    Can I...? Can I ignore it and just let my feelings for Lari slide just so I can leave Einervaene happy? But why did I have to compromise myself just for someone else? Hadn''t I done enough sacrifices for two lifetimes!?


    "Undwote find me already..." I then moaned out against Salahma''s face.


    "You won''t need him to find you, but these lot might!" she said to me with a purr before she turned around to snap her jaws. A large portion of meat quickly being flown in before Salahma snatched it. That same meat being offered up to me tenderly the next moment just afterwards.


    "Thank you..." I said to Salahma quietly before I went to take off a strip. Something that made her look at me with confusion before she then just bit into it. A bloody chunk coming off as she moved her head back. A sight that made me uncomfortable as while I knew cooked meat was easier to tear...


    It was just very nauseating to see it eaten so viciously. Especially when the spilt blood was being licked off of me and her face with blissful moans. And, if I was honest, the sounds following the death of her son... Well, they had put me off of meat if I was honest.


    But, I was hungry, very hungry, so I ignored it and ate. Taking slow bites while also tearing off little strips while she kept taking chunks. A relaxed expression on her face before she began to suckle the bone with a blush. It was clear what she was alluding to, but I just could not enjoy the thought of it.


    Even if she did not quite pick up on that. Instead, she just brought the bone closer to my ear so I could hear it more clearly. The way her wet lips smacked together and the way her tongue went about it all. And, of course, the pop at the end when she took it out of her mouth.


    "Tasty..." she whispered into my ear just after she was done with that bone. And following that she began to look down with a smirk and move a claw down. Her body paying close attention to the envy our chair was letting out. A knowing smile being directed at me that I wish she did not.


    I was doing that a lot recently, wishing. Wishing for so much but I really should know by now it would get me nowhere. I just had to do it myself. So maybe for now I should try that.


    "Excuse me." I wheezed out in pain as I got up, her body clinging on to me for most of the way.


    "Where are you going, Nin? You haven''t eaten much! Nin?" she began to say as I hobbled towards where the entrance must have been. A disappointed expression on my face once I got there. This cave we were in was at the top of a mountain just in line with the clouds. I could not see a way out and I could not test a way out either...


    "Someone, please..." I muttered before I collapsed to the ground. My eyes flinching and twitching as the pain just felt much worse now. It hurt a lot and so much of it would just not go away. I needed a strong magic source...


    Like when I reached the top of the mountain Thrurstradtur is on... Or like how when Vapooliar or Einervaene healed me after a fight. Practice or to the death... I just needed someone or something that could heal me...


    "Why are you out here? Stay close to me in future." Salahma said to me. None of her care being directed towards my injuries but rather if I was near her or not... A detail that infuriated me to no end. Yet, I could not let it out as I was too scared.


    Too scared of a potential death and further injury, "Can you take me higher, please?" I then just sort of asked her while I laid on the floor.


    "Okay? Yes, I can!" she answered unsure at first before she became confident. Her claws quickly holding on to me before her wings took us up. Relaxing winds in my face before she then put us down on some water. Or, well, melted snow by the looks of it.


    "Thank you." I said to her once I was in a somewhat comfortable position. My claws did need to dig in, though. She wasn''t just melting the snow, the stone was becoming sloppy as well. Something that surprised me if I was honest. I was putting up with that kind of heat when she hugged me...?


    Magic really has changed my body, hasn''t it? There once was a time a heated pan made my skin burn and scar. But now, now I needed to be hit by someone who casually made stone start to melt slightly. That is what it took for me to be burned nowadays.


    But enough on burns, that seemed to make my injuries hurt more. Instead, I wanted to focus on the clouds I saw. Unfortunately, it was nothing but clouds and I could see no land beyond some more mountain tips. Or, they just soared straight past the mountain.


    I did find some enjoyment from this, though, if I looked carefully, I could just make out Thrurstradtur. And, of course, the big mountain whose name I can never remember. Now if only the winds coming from it reached here. I needed some strong magic near me to heal and it seems like Salahma didn''t want to help...


    "So why did you want to come up here?" my attacker asked me as she tightened her grip on me. Her head soon resting on my upper chest while one of her claws fiddled with one of mine.


    "To get away from them." I somewhat lied with a quiet voice. My eyes focusing on the smoke that left her mouth after she laughed. A hearty cloud of smoke from a hearty laugh, great.


    "Why? You are so much stronger than them. My horns being broken by your strength is proof of that."


    "Last I checked they aren''t covered in burn marks and melted bug shell." I bitterly commented. Her response making me particularly angry. She looked at me to roll her eyes...


    "These injuries will heal, don''t worry about them. I haven''t spent so long with a fine set of horns just to lose the one who broke them."


    "Ignoring the pain itself, it is very difficult to move because I have fused together body parts... This won''t heal on its own."


    "It will, now quit your moaning or I will treat you like an underling if you want?" she said with a slight growl. My silence satisfying her to the point she rewarded me with a nose rub. If I wasn''t scared for my life, I''d probably have been sarcastic about it. But, well, I was very much scared for it.


    I then sighed and loosened my grip on the stone, "Why did you attack us?" I asked her as I slid down.


    She tightened her grip on me and pulled me closer, "Those hwardgon on your machine. They had stolen something valuable from me. But, I have put it aside because I now have something so much greater." she explained as her tongue licked at me again.


    A very slight sneer on my face as she did so, "And what did they take from you?"


    "An underling of mine, proof of my power. An attack on my draconic pride."


    "Draconic?"


    She then suddenly got embarrassed, "Yes, I know I am a wyvern... Not a dragon. But that''s just the word for it, okay!?" her tone getting increasingly defensive.


    "I can''t say the difference matters much to me." I said to her as I genuinely did not understand the finer aspects of it.


    "It matters to me, though... It matters a lot... I am strong, I know I am. But... I am just strong amongst the weak..." she then said to me as she put her mouth next to my carapace. Her ember-filled breath feeling particularly warm.


    "I think I get you." I commented after some thought. Memories of how easily I was beaten in that arena coming back. When that fight first started, I thought I might have been able to win. I was so disproportionately strong up to that point...


    With the exception of Brewbrt, of course. But he was an exceptional, exceptional exception in my life at that point. So was Vapooliar, I suppose. I never bested her in anything regarding strength.


    Unless I wanted to be dishonest regarding what happened when I escaped the hive. When I beat that earth shaman by driving a broken leg into his eye. Of course, I couldn''t be dishonest about it, it mattered too much to me. I knew full well I only won because it lost its staff on the way down the mountain.


    Yet, now that magic was on my mind again, "So how come you never let your magic calm down?" I asked her.


    "Undraconic. I am strong... We who descend from Jaadagroen are strong... We must make sure our strength is always present. And you will need to learn that, too." she explained before she stared intently at me.


    "You want me to just let my magic flow uncontrollably?" I asked her as I returned the stare. Moving my head back slightly when she pressed her near-human face on my osibindah one.


    Her warm breath going over me before she said anything, "Yes, please do so. Let me get used to your strength." she said with anticipatory excitement. A ghost of a smile forming as I thought on it. I had been working for nearly a year to not do that...


    But, fine, "This better?" I asked as I felt my body relax in a non-physical manner. And, it felt odd, I had gotten used to having a finer sense of control with my magic. But now I was just letting it all out. It was odd and out of place.


    "I am surprised you broke my horns if I am being honest." she said to me with disappointment. Just before she transitioned from a pout to an eager smile.


    "Maybe I am just keeping some of it in? Just letting it out isn''t what I have been taught to do."


    "Then I guess that your mate will have to teach you the right way of doing things." she said before she licked from my chin to the tip of my snout.


    But, I could see this being useful indeed, "I implore you to teach me well, then." I told her while I focused on the others. Would this help them find me easier? If I just let my magic flow they might find me? Were they familiar enough with my magic, though?


    "There is a lot I will have to teach you, some of it you will learn on your own, though." she said to me as she moved my claw closer to her breast. Forcing it to take its weight and squeeze it.


    "That sounds more like a learning experience for us both." I replied with before I tried to move my hand off of her breast. A mixture of reasons in my head as to why I wanted to do so. Yet, interestingly enough for me... I just felt uncomfortable touching such a place with an osibindah''s claw...


    "Why are you not eager to have your way with me? I am pure-skinned, voluptuous, fertile, busty... And, as some humans have said, sexy. So what is holding you back? I have already made it clear I want you, and that you can do, anything to me." she said as she pressed herself tighter against me. As if to emphasise her willingness to have sex with me.


    "I just have things on my mind." was what I said to her as I did not want to say what it actually was. Just because I was not close to her, she had no right to know. I did not know her or care for her. I hated her.


    "When we were fighting, before I left you under the assumption you were weak, I was attacked." she began to say, something that made me want to snort in annoyance.


    "When the lightning struck you?" I said, knowing she was probably on about Einervaene.


    "Yes, she was desperate to help you. Just like I would be if you were defending me. Are you perhaps still thinking of her? Have I not won you over?" she asked me while frowning. Those questions made me want to frown, too. Mostly because it made me think of Einervaene''s confession.


    "No, you have not won me over. I did not break your horns intentionally."


    "Wether or not you broke them intentionally is of no concern. It just matters to me that you did, but, if that is the case, then, I have some work to do, don''t I?"


    "What are you planning?" a slight glare forming in my eyes.


    "Nothing, admittedly, I am just curious. If she is keeping your mind off of me, then, well, I guess we will have to make it obvious where you are?"


    "You want to fight her?"


    "Not just fight her, I want her to submit to me. If you want more mates, that is your right, but I will have your attention, not her." Salahma declared to me with confidence.


    I looked off in the distance after she said that, then I looked at my aura, "Well, let''s hope she comes then." I commented for different reasons. Maybe, just maybe, I could be the one saved this time. I didn''t have to save myself or save another, they can save me.


    Einervane and her majestic lightning that boomed across the sky to strike Salahma down. Vadei and her snappy barbs to distract this wyvern and gash open her pride. Lari to douse all her fires and make the burns go away... I wanted that to happen so bad.


    So I looked at the confident wyvern who looked at me with lust. And I made what should be my final wish for the day. I wished she would die a horrible death at their hands. That I could finally be on my way home again.

 Incline 4: Lightning Saviour

    A pair of dark-coloured lenses, cracked and broken. Long and pointed frame that barely had any of its old colour left. To say nothing of the warped form caused by the heat it had barely survived. This was the mask Nin was forced to leave behind in the ash.


    The mask I am possibly never going to see on his face again because I could not save him. I just needed to get down here quicker, I should have ignored that conductor and gone down. I should have done it the moment Nin was taken off the airship. I should have leapt down to help him.


    Instead, I wasted time in that room, electrocuting one wyvern to death and getting scared by another. Every bit of time I wasted saw Nin get increasingly beaten up and now he was gone. I came down too late. And now he was gone...


    "Einervaene, come back up to the airship. You''ve been kneeling there since you found it..." that blue-haired coward and betrayer said to me quietly. If I hadn''t dried my eyes out before this moment. I''d have probably wiped them away and glared at her. But the lingering heat had made it impossible to cry, so I just looked up at her.


    A dead expression on my face as I stared long and hard at that solemn expression she dared to have. Nin was gone because of her and she wanted to act like she had a right to be sad!? It was her fault! She was outright encouraging us to not help him!


    "Get away from me, you cowardly, spineless, two-faced coward! GET AWAY FROM ME YOU COWARD!" I said at first quietly before I suddenly flared in temperament. That one word lingering on my thoughts and tongue the entire time.


    "I''m not..."


    "YES, YOU ARE! NIN IS GONE AND YOU DID NOTHING TO HELP HIM! YOU REFUSED TO HELP HIM! GET AWAY FROM ME!" I screamed at her before I burst into thunder and lightning. This display of magic making her flinch away as I returned life to the cooling lava. Only to turn back to normal instantly so I could avoid damaging Nin''s hat and mask.


    The only two things I had left of him now that he had been taken away from us. I don''t even know why I did not follow them. They were going through the clouds and I can travel along them! I could strike them as bolts of lightning and arc about!


    There was no reason I should not have gone and saved him in that moment, yet, I did not. I instead laid about on the burning ground with a dizzy head and a subtle twitch in my body. I screamed after him, after the one I wanted to open up to clearly... But I still did nothing.


    I called Larishazza a coward yet the more I thought about it, I was likely just as much of one. Did I not go after them because I was scared of that wyvern? Of how its fires scorched this valley into a blackened, ash-covered pit...? No, that can''t be right.


    If I was a coward I would be on the airship, I would have listened to that coward. I would have not fallen from the sky with Thurnmourer-inspired fury and struck that wyvern down. I saved Nin''s life in that moment and had the injuries to prove it... So I couldn''t have been a coward myself!


    Yet, Nin was still gone and I did not act in those final moments... I just panicked and screamed like a child. And now I was still wasting time like that. Screaming into the area around me and at those in front of me. I was doing all of that rather than moving to go and save Nin.


    What was I doing...? I had an idea of which way they went and I could easily cross great distances with my magic. It had gotten much better this past year or so. I barely twitch when casting and it flows with greater efficiency... So why was I not doing anything?


    Why was kneeling in ash on top of burnt earth sobbing? Had I accepted the idea that Nin was dead and my body and mind just did nothing? Or, was I what I feared? A good for nothing coward like the one in front of me?


    "I told you to go away!" I growled to the crying girl in front of me as her palm tapped the knuckles of the other hand. Leaning forward slightly as some lightning arced about me.


    "I... I..." she stuttered out before she just then ran off. Quickly disappearing into the sky before she likely hid away on the airship. A snort leaving me just after she disappeared.


    "I suppose I should see if Vadei is alright..." I then muttered as I stumbled to my feet. Failing to move after that point as my eyes locked on to all the signs of Nin''s battle. From the ground he shattered in his final moments. To all the signs of where he had likely been struck.


    There was a lot of places like that, places where the mountains were more deformed. Places where the ground was carved up and showed off some still brown earth. Even the very rare patch of green where he used his magic to block an attack! And around those spots I saw bits of his body that had been shattered off.


    Little flakes of carapace fused together with torn bandages that just fell apart if you touched them. And, as I started to slowly move, I felt where his feet had been. I could see how they contrasted with the dreaded talons of the wyvern. That fiery raider...


    "They would not have come had it not been for those two..." I then commented as I thought about the slavers. Nin was gone as a result of their problem but he was the one who brought them. The one who forced out their aid so he could go home. So he could save his people from people like them...


    Could I blame them? This attack was because of what they did at some point but, Nin did bring them. Yet how could I blame Nin for his own capture? He was fighting with all he had!


    I did not know what to make of it at the end of the day, so I just went up into the clouds. Moving about the smoke-corrupted clouds before then flinging myself out. Roughly landing on the airship with a thud that I did not make an issue out of. And, slowly getting up once I had spent some time still.


    A depressed sigh leaving my lips before I went to look for Vadei. I do not know where she might be so I was hoping she hadn''t left the chair... I did not want to risk running into that coward so I hoped she was there. Luckily, she was, just not in the chair.


    "Einervaene!?" she called out as I walked in, a gladful smile on her face as she came up to me. A bloody bandage wrapped around the hand that went into that machine.


    "Is it alright?" I asked her as I tried to get my mind off of Nin for just a moment. Letting some of my magic flow off of me so I could help Vadei heal as I waited for an answer.


    "It''s getting a lot better now that you are..." she said as she watched me hold her hand. My fingers carefully prodding away to figure out where the injury was.


    "It isn''t causing you too many issues, is it?"


    "Well, it gave me a fright when it happened, but, no, it hasn''t been too in my face."


    "Has anything strange happened to you since then?"


    "I... Don''t know. I feel like that blade somehow connected me to the airship," she muttered while rubbing her ears, "Like, I can''t really do anything with it. But, I just know some things about the airship now. Almost as if it was my body in a very strange and convoluted way."


    "I see..." I whispered before I let go of her hand.


    "Oh! It has also given me a good idea on how to work this machine. So if issues do happen, we can get rid of these two and avoid situations like..." she began to say before her eyes went to the two dead wyverns in here.


    "They hadn''t been cleaned up?"


    "We''re all a bit too shaken to really do any cleaning... So we have just sort of ignored it all." she explained, her eyes soon going down to my knees.


    "Don''t worry about it, I''ll see what I can do to help fix the airship." I quietly said to her before I turned around. A nervous shuffle being heard from her just before a screen suddenly popped up in front of me.


    "He was still alive you know." Vadei then suddenly said as this recording played over and over again.


    "How could you possibly know that?"


    "I know it sounds strange, but look. Just before they disappear into the clouds, that orange wyvern is showing affection to him."


    "Affection...?" I let out in disbelief, "She tried to kill him! Probably did!" I said to her, barely stopping myself from yelling, shouting or screaming.


    "I already said it sounded strange, so I did some digging. I tried to find at least something on the airship and it has a list of advisory tactics regarding wildlife and other potential threats. Now, read this. And then watch what Nin does in this."


    "Female wyverns become passive when either their mate is killed or their horns if they have them, are broken." I said aloud before looking at her.


    "Watch what Nin does!" she then said with some excitement. Her hands moving my body somewhat for me.


    "That kick of his shattered her horns..." I mumbled while staring intently at the frozen image. One of Nin surrounded by his own magic just as he shatters the horns. And while they were not moving in the image, I could just imagine how they broke apart.


    "The horns of a female wyvern are a sign of if they have found a mate or not. If Nin broke it then it is possible she let him live under the impression he wanted to..." she began to explain before she went red slightly. But I did not go redfaced at all. I just tightened my knuckles before I reached out for the image. That image of Nin just before he was taken.


    "What about which way they went? I have an idea but did they change directions?"


    She looked down and away, "I don''t know, they went above the clouds before they disappeared."


    I let out a tearful sigh and put a hand to my face, "So we have lost him!?" a sense of dread building up in me.


    Her nose sniffled, her eyes widened, "No! No! My magic, I have been working on enhancing my senses! I might be able to at least get a hint that way!"


    Her hands soon reaching for Nin''s stuff which I reflexively hid from her, "Right, sorry." I then said once I brought it back to her. Watching as she sniffed away at the hat and mask before taking a step back. Watching with some curiosity as she swished the smell about her nose. Like how you might taste a new drink at a social event back home.


    "I will need to go outside and do a little detective work." she then said before she moved to leave the room. Her body suddenly coming to a halt before she flipped some switches and pushed some buttons.


    "What was that about?" I asked as she guided me outside by my hand.


    "I was just locking the airship in place so those two could not mess with it." she explained with a jab of her head.


    "I guess that is fair..." I let out quietly, a smile nearly coming out as I remembered Nin''s words regarding those two. I don''t know why it was going to nearly make me smile. I guess it is because it showed me he still lingered about in a strange way.


    "Nin landed on a mountain afterwards... Can you remember which one?" Vadei then asked me after she looked about in confusion. Her head turning from one viewable peak to another until she lingered on one. Its snowy cap was missing.


    "That one most likely." I told her as I looked at how it was just barely below the clouds. I could, if Vadei was fine with it, transport us both there so she could do whatever it is she wanted to do. But, she then looked down at the valley below and went pale.


    "How did he even survive all that...?" she then muttered with a shiver as her eyes likely lingered on cooling rock. Or, perhaps she was staring at some of the fires that still raged down there. Not as bad as they were prior, a certain someone had put them out mostly...


    "Don''t focus on how he survived it, focus on how we can help him survive for longer." I say to her before taking her hand. Suddenly transforming us both into lightning and striking us down near where Nin likely had been. A dazed Vadei having to be held closely by me as she got used to her sudden reappearance.


    "Warning next time..." she slowly said before she covered her mouth. Her gut suddenly jerking at that moment.


    "Sorry, I''m just in a hurry at the moment..." I apologize while putting two fingers together and pushing them. Some lightning going between them before Vadei moves on. Her nose got to work as she moved closer to the peculiar outline on the stone. It was comparable to a tan line, that mark was, the stone Nin had been on was lighter.


    "Okay, some good news and bad news."


    "Bad news first, not like it can get much worse." I say with a miserable sigh.


    Her eyes looked at me intently before they moved on, "I can''t get a good track on Nin. The smells he lets off have been too tainted by smoke and fire. And, well, we''re up here so what smell likely lingered was blown away."


    "Right..." I begin to say as I looked down, my legs trembling as they grew weak.


    "But! I do have a strong enough lead on these wyverns. There were so many of them going towards him after he broke the horns of the main one that it practically stinks of them up here!" she tried to joke while waving a hand in front of her nose. But I could only smell the wind and all the smoke and ash it carried with it.


    "So you''re hoping we can find him by following their scent?"


    "Yes, if what is presumed is true. They would have taken him straight to their lair and she would be keeping him reasonably idle at that lair."


    "And if Nin has tried to escape?"


    "Forgive me if this comes off as wrong, Einervaene. But, I think in this case, Nin''s injuries are good. It will keep him still and we can get to him."


    I looked away and rubbed my arm, slightly uncomfortable with thinking that, but, I accepted it, "I understand. Which way?" I then said as I straightened out.


    "That way, but it is likely going to change course over time, so... I''m coming with you, to go after these wyverns."


    I was taken a little aback, "Why are you willing to help me to such a degree? This is more than enough for me. I can soar the skies and keep and eye out for his magic signature or that of the wyverns."


    "Because he is likely to be my best chance to saving my pack and my family. I might have learned some more magic since I got back to this land. But it is not enough and I do not mean to offend, but, the rest of you aren''t likely to help me with this. Nin is why you are here, you aren''t here for me." she explained as her ears slowly went down. Her head moving back as a disturbed whine gently left her.


    I smiled, just a little, "Don''t worry, I will help you. It is only fair I do so given what you are doing for me." I tell her as some tears began to go down my cheeks. Tears that quickly went a little grey as they picked up on the ash in their way.


    "Alright!" she exclaimed as her ears went up, some joy returning to her, "That way!" she repeated as she held out her free hand. A little nod being my response before we then went up into the sky to travel along the clouds. Crackling and striking about until I brought us down once more. This time on to a flatter plateau-like area just so we had room to move.


    "Can you still smell them? Are we still going the right way?" I asked her as I walked around a little. Stopping so I could stare at a pair of birds that were watching us. Only to watch them as they hopped off their branch and gently blew away using the little flaps on them. They did not fly straight, but rather they went a little up and a little down. Just bobbling along.


    "Yes, a little off. Hm, when you take us up... Bring us down every couple of peaks if possible. That way I can keep us on the right path." she explained to me, stopping at one point to gag once more.


    "Should I give you some time? This is twice you have nearly thrown up." I asked her cautiously as I stepped away a little. A spark of annoyance going across her before she went up to me to fake vomit. My body flinched at this before I realized it was fake.


    She laughed quietly, "Just give me a moment to breathe and we will be good. I don''t think I am going to let my guts spill, but, let''s not test it, ok?"


    "Alright, ready?" I asked as I took her hand once again, watching her free one as it moved.


    "That way!" she declared once her hand stopped moving. And so, it started all over again, we went up and then down. Up and down. We lingered about so she could catch her breath and redirect us.


    And it went on like this for a long enough period that even I ended up exhausting myself. My magic had been made weak as it became increasingly empty. We nearly even ended up stranded on a narrow-tipped mountain that was all jagged. But, luckily, I pulled through and got us just a bit out of the way.


    Instead, we were able to come to a stop at one with a lonely tree on its peak. Healthy and strong despite its solitude and harsh conditions. And we would be relying on this tree to serve as our means to rest this night. So here we were, lying on a tree as night came.


    "Einervaene, look!" Vadei then suddenly said to me as she slowly sprang up to her feet. Her hand jabbing wildly in the direction of a mountain that glowed. An orange light lighting up the area around it before it disappeared.


    "Could it be...?" I mumbled quietly as I struggled to keep my eyes open. The lids to my eyes being forced back as I saw something come out of the mountain. Something with smoke and embers leaving its wings. And in its claws was what we came for.


    "It''s him!" Vadei hissed as she began to hide herself.


    "Nin..." I said quietly as a smile formed on my face. A glare soon overtaking it when that wyvern blocked my insignificant view of him.


    "Don''t get any ideas, Einervaene, just rest for now. When day comes and you have eaten something if we can get you something. Then you can go in and save him."


    "Only me?" I repeated with a slight smirk just brimming with cockiness.


    "I can''t fight that! Only you can and possibly Nin if he is able to help..."


    "It''s alright, now that I see what their lair is like, I have a plan." I say to her as I lazily point to the clouds. They blocked the entrance to the lair and were only just recently parted by that wyvern.


    "You think you might be able to beat it by staying as lightning, like how we travelled?" she asked for clarification to which I nodded. That is how I was going to try and do it. I have not met anything able to stop me in my lightning form and I doubted this wyvern could either. So I just needed to draw it out and keeping cutting and chipping away at it.


    Or, rather, striking and shocking it, "Lightning may not seem as bad as fire, but it is hotter. She will be the one getting burned." I breathed out as we watched this wyvern rest on the peak of its mountainous lair. Something was clearly in its arms as it lingered about there. That thing was clearly Nin. And while I can''t say I saw him, we could see his magic aura.


    "It still shocks me in a way, you know? The fact Nin once had no magic."


    "Hm?"


    "I mean, look at him, he used to have no magic and now his magic glows that brightly." Vadei commented while pointing her finger. And she was indeed correct. While that Wyvern lit up the area with a fire-like light, he lit it near-equally up with a pale bluish aura. I was surprised it was not green to some extent, though.


    "He was very lucky to get that magic." I commented after some time being quiet. It was not as shocking to me as it was to Nin. But, that lecture we went to did make it clear how magic affected the magicless... How did he survive that?


    "It depends, whatever saved him from dying to whatever gave him all that magic also made him into that. Or, at least, helped."


    "I can''t see the unluckiness. He survived is all I see and he became so much stronger because of it..." I said with what must have been a twinkle in my eyes.


    Vadei looked at me more intensely, "What has he done that makes you like him so much?" she asked me as her cheeks went slightly pink. Mine, however, just went red.


    "I don''t really know... He''s just been very kind to me for most of the time I have known him and I guess I have just been very clingy with him and the others. After having spent so long on my own..."


    She smiled, "Oh, so you don''t actually like him, you were just starved for affection?" Vadei teased as she moved a little closer.


    "I won''t say that... I have known him for anywhere up to a year now. Maybe a month or two less. But, men and women forming relationships has happened in less time, no?" I said in an effort to deflect Vadei''s digging.


    "Yes, but those are very casual relationships. Here you are trying to save his life from something that could easily kill you!"


    I looked away in embarrassment, shrugging slightly, "He has saved my life before, he has healed me when I was hurt and he took care of us for weeks on end in the valleys. It''s all just these little things building up." I explain to her. Not even bothering to touch on my obsession with what I saw in the temple that one night... What I saw that night was mine to know only.


    She laughed, "Einervaene and Nin, perching on a peak! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"


    "Shut up!" I quietly said to her before she started giggling away.


    .


    .


    .


    "Nin...!?" I let out in shock as I clutched my torn open side tightly. Barely able to call up the magic I would need to sear the injury shut. The tears in my eyes near-instantly boiling away as they touched the heat. This wyvern was just too powerful!


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    And now, Nin was fighting, but he wasn''t fighting against the wyvern. No, he was fighting me and he was hitting me relentlessly. Shattering my teeth, breaking my bones and grinding away at my spirit. One already aflame with disbelief at this revelation I was confronted with.


    "Don''t say my name, only she can say it." he told me coldly before a harsh backhand struck me down. The stone below shattering as my already dazed head slammed into it. Bloody dribble soon came out of my mouth as my eyes tried to close. Even if I would not let their swollen forms do so.


    "My dear, my love, what should we do with her?" the wyvern taunted as she slowly approached Nin. Her arms wrapping around him before she moves to fake-bite him. Her hot breath more noticeable due to the smoke that left her mouth.


    "We have already broken her body, so I am thinking we maybe break her spirit, hm?" Nin explained before one of his hands reach for the wyvern''s lower jaw. Their lips becoming so close to each other before I began to shake.


    .


    .


    .


    "Einervaene!? Are you alright? Einervaene!" Vadei said to me as she roughly shook me about.


    "What!?" I responded with as I shot up, a chilling cold all over me. I had been sweating heavily by the looks of it. This was the kind of cold you only felt if you were wet.


    "You were... It looked like you were having a panic attack!" Vadei explained to me. Clarifying what it must have been like from her perspective.


    "It''s alright, I... It was just a nightmare. Some self-doubt being dreamt about..." I say to her as I slowly stood up. My initially dazed state slowly going away as I stared at the mountain Nin was in. The place he was being held hostage was right before me. But was I ready to do this?


    My magic might not have fully recovered, let alone my body...


    "Do you still need to rest some? It can only end badly if you just go in there."


    "You can''t seriously be asking me to be patient when he is right there!? I can save Nin right now!"


    "If you go in so recklessly you will just get killed and Nin will never get saved!" she told me bluntly. The passion that had built up in me suddenly being put out when she said that. She was right, if I was not ready... Only the worst would come.


    "How am I meant to rest more, though? It is surprising enough we haven''t been discovered given how exposed we are!"


    "We are at the mountain where Nin is being held, Einervaene. We can go down below, below the clouds and rest there, at least for a little longer." her finger sharply prodding at where the lower mountain would be.


    "And... How much longer would you say we would have to rest?"


    "For the rest of the day, no longer. Get something to eat if we can. Then you can go on up. We can meet up again at this mountain. The tree here makes it stick out."


    "That long...?"


    "Einervaene... You need to rest some more. If not yourself, at least, give Nin some time to recover."


    "Alright, are you ready to go down then?" I ask her after sighing. A nod coming from her before I took her hand. Striking us down into the ground and also hitting a lonely creature on the way.


    "Here I thought it might take a bit longer to find food."


    "It helps to have a birds-eye view." I say with a very light sprinkling of smugness. That was one advantage I had that very few I knew had. My ability to just get a near-limitless line of sight at a moments notice. To become one with the sky.


    "Time to dig in then, I suppose." Vadei slowly says with a shrug before she then began to pick away at the cooked animal. Her sharp nails substituting in for knives and forks as she took it apart. Meanwhile, with me, I was extremely hesitant. Eating with my hands was extremely undignified!


    "Hold on, let me find a stick..."


    "A stick? You cooked it enough that it just falls apart! Whatever this is," she says before putting another piece into her mouth and chewing, "Slightly tough." was the comment that followed just after.


    "I''m not soaking my gloves in grease and blood." I say to her before I snapped off a branch from a nearby tree. A nervous glance briefly going up just in case a wyvern was above.


    "That branch has just stained your black gloves pale green with moss..." Vadei pointed out as blood went down her chin. Blood that soon went onto her arm as she wiped it off.


    "Moss cleans easier." was all I had to say before I began to stab into the dead animal. Carefully moving the branch about until it brought off some meat. And once it was out again, I held it carefully in front of me before I started to take careful bites. Not wanting my chin to be smeared with blood like Vadei''s.


    "Poshie..." she then huffed out with a snort before she focused on her meal. My mouth moving about much slower than hers as she just devoured portion after portion. I, on the other hand, was cautiously avoiding the bits on the branch itself and treating it more like a cobbed vegetable.


    "Mannerless commoner." I shot back with, something she didn''t take kindly to.


    "Hey!" she let out as she glared. An innocent look on my face as I looked back at her.


    "What? Just saying what I see." I tell her before I hid my smile behind my food. Taking a little bite out of it to hide the smile more.


    "Just what you see? Alright, I understand, saggy chest."


    "I beg your pardon!?" I let out as I dropped my food and stood up. Taking great offence at the mere suggestion.


    "Well, why else would you have such tight clothing? To hide your sag!" she said, once again pressing down on that button of mine.


    "They do not sag!" I firmly stated, barely restraining myself from kicking my foot into the ground.


    "I bet they do!"


    "They don''t and I''ll prove it!" I told her before suddenly going quiet and red. Her sudden outburst of laughter making me feel even more embarrassed.


    "I can see why Nin likes to do this." she says with a chuckle before she goes quiet.


    "Nin doesn''t lie about my breasts..." I mumbled with a pout before I sat down and hid my face.


    "No, not that, just teasing you in general! You need to relax a little, Einervaene. Not take everything so seriously."


    "I don''t take everything seriously... I make plenty of jokes."


    "More so that you are the joke." I was told before a gently shove was applied to my knees. Knocking me over but not revealing my face.


    "Well, this joke is about to save your chances at seeing your family again..." I muttered into my knees.


    "And I will be very grateful when she does." Vadei told me with a sweet smile as my head finally left my knees.


    "Have you had enough?" I then asked as I returned to trying to eat something. Vadei''s head waddled about before she ate a little more. A smile on her face as her cheeks showed off how stuffed they were.


    "Stuhffey birhd!" she then said strangely as she kept staring at me with a full mouth.


    "What...?" I said as I blinked at the fluffy-tailed woman. Just before she began to steadily swallow all that food in her mouth.


    "Stuffy bird! It''s a game I used to play when I was little. You would fill your mouth with food and say those two words! Whoever had the fullest mouth wins!"


    "But why stuffy bird...?" I asked with a series of blinks.


    "I don''t know," she said to me with shrug, "I always assumed it has something to do with how we stuffed birds when we cooked them. A more childish version of how our mother''s competed to get the most filling bird on the dinner table."


    "We never really ate the bird as it at my home, we tore it apart and soaked it in sauces. Usually wrapping it up after."


    "Sounds sickly."


    "It can be if the sauce is too sweet or oily, but if done well, it is very nice. On that topic, though, I am more conscious of food now. It''s all very simple here compared to back home. It just gets cooked and a lot of it is just the raw food on its own."


    "Yeah, the people of this land tend to prefer strong flavours on their own. So like, rather than a complex lunch, they''d take some cheese and a pickled vegetable or something."


    "Sounds like something a commoner would have as they cannot afford the spices necessary to make good food."


    "Good food is food made with love. Even if the cooking isn''t actually as good as you think it is, just the fact it was given to you because someone loves you makes it all the better."


    "I don''t know about that, my Mother loves me dearly but her cooking is awful." I respond with a shiver. Remembering the times my Mother and I tried to make stuff. Only for it to go horribly wrong because we normally had staff make our meals. Even now, Nin and the others are the ones who cook for me...


    I might help out, but they are the ones doing the cooking at the end of the day.


    "Such a poshie..." Vadei tutted out with a little smirk before I glared at her again. A smile replacing it before I stood up after putting down my food.


    "I best get going now..." I said nervously before I suddenly stopped after taking a single step.


    "Wait for your food to settle, first, eating before a fight will only hurt your chances."


    "I can''t just keep waiting..."


    "You can''t even walk, you''re too nervous. Einervaene, sit down. Calm down. Then, go. Go save him then."


    "But...!"


    "Sit down."


    "Fine..." I mumbled before I went towards the mountain and leaned on it. Frowning as I felt the stone and its subtle warmth. I could only hope it was a steam vent under the rock rather than that wyvern... Because if I let the idea it was the wyvern settle then my worries for Nin would only get worse.


    "So, does your family own any land where the Jupirochii live?" I was then suddenly asked by Vadei.


    "We own some land, more towards the East coast, though."


    "Ah, my pack and that come from the west, near the canyon we are headed to. I just got curious as talking about food made me remember that despite we oxfuine technically being from the Land of Wind, the Great Land or the Land of the Greatest People as some like to call it... We don''t have much in common with the humans of this continent. More so yours."


    "That''s very interesting to hear. I guess it might be because we are more outgoing as a people?"


    "I am more inclined to believe it has to do with some of your floating islands falling into the ocean and getting washed ashore to this land."


    "As I said, outgoing." I told her with a small smile. Making light of how sometimes our continent got smaller bit by bit. To the point some of our people became a new one entirely by virtue of their detachment from the home continent. But I suppose that is why we had good relations with the Jhermonikran people.


    There was a hybrid culture between us we could communicate and learn through. Our bridge into the land of wind and mountains.


    .


    .


    .


    "I really wish she came with me..." I ended up muttering as I slowly climbed up the mountain. Forgoing the use of magic for now so I could sneak close to the entrance. But, unfortunately, it seems like I might just have to use my magic to get us the rest of the way. As the mountain was getting much steeper than before.


    So I let go of the mountain and thrust outwards, briefly flying through the sky as a human. Only to then fizzle upwards as I shifted into a more dangerous form, that of lightning. Lightning that bounced about the clouds and leapt out of them like a fish in a river. Unfortunately, my landing was rather rough.


    It pretty much confirmed an earlier hypothesis I had made when we were in safer lands. Back at the Academy, when I tried to see if I could fly. I thought that maybe clouds caused my issues and that strange pull I felt. Performing that jump nearly replicated that entire process.


    "At least the clouds are nearby..." I breathed out with wide eyes as I let my body calm down. I would need to find a way to drag the wyvern this way if I was to win. My lightning body may have been, well, lightning. But I was worried about my copper frame.


    Copper on its own melted quite easily so it might cause that form to be completely useless! So, the gods be willing, I should get the inevitable fight to move this way. All so I could become one with the sky and strike with impunity. So I could win and save Nin!


    "Alright, let''s go!" I then said with a brief smile as some confidence filled me. I had a plan and I was feeling nice and refreshed. Two of the main things I needed to worry about were in a grand condition. I could and would win!


    But then I stopped as I was getting up, I had nearly forgotten about the lesser wyverns... I know I could kill them without much effort, but would they interfere? When we were being attacked they had no problem swarming us. So would I get swarmed here?


    I suppose my lightning form would have to solve that as I was nearly impervious in that state. How could flesh ever hope to hurt such divinely-linked magic? How would mere winds stop the light of thunder? There was so much in my favour!


    But, I had to be mindful still, arrogance was what I wanted to exploit. Not something I wanted to be used against me. To exploit me and get in easy blows I should have otherwise been able to avoid. Then again, I did not know how to fight beyond just shocking them to death...


    So much of what I have faced up until this point has been weaker than me. The creatures that attacked my ferry years ago. Those humans I saved Nin from. All the animals he might have needed help with as we travelled together. All of it was my lesser and I was about to face an equal or superior.


    I may have not fought her for long, barely at all, actually. But, I knew full well I needed to have a strong sense of conviction here. Strong convictions that saw me go beyond my limits and fears. This would not be a quick fight if I was to win...


    "Enough!" I then sternly declared as I stood before the entrance to this wyvern''s lair. I had spent enough time contemplating how it would go! I needed to make it a reality now! Nin''s freedom and life depended on this!


    So I walked on into the cave, straightening myself out and beating down my fears brutally. Letting my aura flow out well so it was grand and majestic. The loud tap and click of my metallic high-heels calling out alongside my magic. And it became clear they acknowledged me as the lair went quiet.


    The wyverns that were previously making all this noise had gone relatively quiet. And as I stood a bit deeper into the lair, I gazed upon them all. A strange stranglehold popping up into my stomach as I looked at them all. Their teeth bared and wings rising.


    "So you''re the one I have been told about?" someone then called out to me as a different kind of magic filled the area. Fiery and hot it was, I was already starting to sweat just by being this far away from her! And, if we were on grassy land, I had no doubts it would be marking her steps with black marks.


    "Told about?" I repeated just before I saw Nin hobble into my line of sight. His body barely clothed at all. Making it all the easier to see the nasty scorch marks and burns he had received. Something that made me angry.


    And that anger transferred itself into my external-magic which lashed out against her aura. Dozens of delicate but aggressive bolts of lightning stabbing at her heated surroundings. Her smug smile only making it worse. That taunting laughter did not help either.


    "Einervaene..." I then heard get croaked out by him as his body rose a little before he flinched in pain. A sight that calmed me for just a second as concern filled me up. Only for it to boil away once my eyes settled themselves on the fire-using lizard.


    "So here is how it will go," the wyvern began to say as her claws stroked Nin''s chin carefully, "I am going to make you submit to me. I will break your body and make you declare your inferiority before my mate! You will hand over his affection to me and you will be tossed aside!" she declared to me with a snarl. A strange sense of relief slightly coming out in me. At least she wouldn''t kill me, for now.


    However, I had other plans for this night, "No, how it will go is I kill you and I save Nin!" I tell her as my lightning flashed out brighter than before. The darker parts of the caves taking on a light-blue glow as my power flushed them out.


    "Fine by me!" she chuckled out as she stepped forward. The ground around her melting as her power became more aggressive. And I moved back slightly, I needed to be as close to the entrance as I could get just in case. Only to then be smashed into a wall as that movement had set her off.


    Our fight had begun and it was starting off with me getting severe burns on the neck. I only just avoided screaming out in pain by turning into lightning. Well, rather, I hid my screams behind hers as her grip disappeared. A growl soon coming out of her before she tried to slash me with her claws.


    Only for them to bounce away as they hit the dense concentration of magic that was my body. Yet, in that moment of shock for her. I learnt something too, that had actually hurt me! Those claws and their magic had hurt me despite my lightning form!


    How was that even possible...? I was lightning!


    "Tch, so that is how it is going to be..." she slowly said to me as I stood there with a surprised expression. And then, I was grabbed by the wrist and slammed into the ground. Cratering it in an odd fashion as if I had been flattened. Only to form back up into a human-like shape within a moments notice.


    That had hurt too, but why...? Could an attack so long as it was magical hurt me? Could the internal-magic of the environment hurt me too if it was dense enough? Why hadn''t this occurred to me!?


    "AH!" I then let out as a sudden punch to my gut made me lose focus and return back to normal. A vicious smile likely on the wyvern''s face as she suddenly charged me again. Her magic ablaze before I sent her away from me with a blast of my own. But it had only done that, just keep her away.


    "Don''t run! We aren''t done yet!" she laughed out at me, tormenting me as I ran away from the lair. Fear driving my actions before I came to a sudden stop at the edge of the mountain. Panicked words incoherently leaving me as her laughter got louder. Her magic more defined in the darkness of the lair and the night.


    "That is true..." I slowly said as my eyes kept looking back at the clouds. Jumping towards them just as she charged me again with that aggressive speed of hers. Her claws nearly grabbed me too, but I was too fast for her. And instead, she was struck by lightning that dug into her.


    And what followed was absolutely cathartic. She screamed in pain and clutched her hand as it spasmed slightly. And while I could laugh from the clouds, I chose to keep leaping out of them to strike her. But as this went on, she became more aware of where I was.


    Which did not surprise me as I was bright lightning making the sounds of thunder. But, perhaps there was a way I could make this work? Drag her down below the clouds so my magic worked better. Maybe if I turned human and fell?


    "No! Not now!" I falsely said as I turned back to normal and fell out of the sky. The sights of an eager smile appearing just before my face in that moment. One nearly blocked out by fire and smoke. Yet, even though her speed shocked me.


    "Got you!" she said to me in that moment.


    My smile shocked her more, "Other way around!" the thunder cried out after I returned to the clouds. Her body entering a state of paralysis that opened her up to more strikes from behind. So I kept hammering away at her as she was shaking. With bright flashes, booming thunder and righteous screams, I kept hitting her.


    Only to then be caught off guard when she shot up beyond the clouds when I hit her back. Dragging me up with her until we had gone beyond the peak of her lair. An enraged expression on her face before my face was covered by her claws. Those same claws drawing blood as they settled in on my skull before we shot down.


    All the air leaving my lungs as I was smashed straight into the mountain. Sprinkles of burnt stone rolling down onto me as my skin cooked under her grip. I wanted to scream but I sounded more like I was choking. There was just no air in me to scream out!


    I could not even cry as they just turned to steam before they even left the ducts! She was boiling the insides of my eyes without even trying. To say nothing of how she choked me more with that toxic breath of hers. Ember-filled smoke as black as the sky beyond our world''s magical shell.


    "I think that is enough now..." she growled out before she began to drag me inside. Her grip settled on my hair as it used it to pull me in. And she intentionally was lazy in her grip. So my back kept hitting her heel-spikes and getting lashed open!


    And the closer we got to Nin, the louder my screaming got as some air got back into me. But then I went silent again as she swung me over and slammed me down. Nearly knocking me out with that single, painful blow. Yet, she quickly moved away from me...


    And back to Nin, "I have beaten her! I am the stronger one!" she said to him affectionately. Only for her to step back when she saw his glare and anger. Something I barely saw as my eyes were struggling. I couldn''t keep them open.


    "He... Won''t... Ever love you..." I spat out at the wyvern, infuriating her enough to make her come over to me. And then, she prepared a leg which she then slammed down onto my arm. Snapping it cleanly in two so easily. And I screamed until my throat started hurting as much.


    "EINERVAENE!" I heard Nin say in worry before a claw grabbed my face.


    "SUBMIT!" the wyvern screamed into my face with smokey breath. Some of the embers getting caught in my skin and burning it. All the while I breathed in that smoke. My broken arm making my breathing all the quicker and harsher.


    But, in that moment of terror and fear, an idea came. Smoke was gaseous like a cloud... My spell to turn into lightning only worked if I was below clouds. Barely if I was above...


    "I... I... I want you to die..." I weakly muttered as my still useable arm touched her face. Just near where her razor-sharp teeth were. And as I annoyed her with my weak grasping of her face. I used my spell.


    .


    .


    .


    What was going on!? What had Einervaene done!? What was she doing!? What was going on with Salahma!?


    Those were all the questions going through my head as I watched the sight before me. That wyvern that had cooked me alive was burning from the inside out. She was violently spasming and Einervaene had disappeared in a flash into Salahma''s mouth! The glow of flames no longer leaving her mouth!


    Instead, it was like lightning was forcing itself down her throat and choking her! Surging into her soft insides and tearing them apart! Her body was even treating it as such, with her claws slicing away at her neck. She even reached out to me with smoke and tears coming out of her eyes...


    And then, it happened. Salahma collapsed and Einervaene was seemingly spat out. All that magic quickly shifting back into its true shape. The heat Salahma let out quickly going away too.


    The human woman that had just appeared cried in pain, but the wyvern made no noise. It just laid there, not moving meaningfully beyond twitches, smoke leaving its eyes, nose and mouth! Had she done it!? Had Einervaene won!?


    "MISTRESS!" all the lesser wyverns suddenly cried out as their anger acknowledged the idle woman. But, before they could do anything, I learned something in that moment. I learned to ignore my pain and I reached out for her. I grabbed Einervaene and I ran away with her in my arms. Leaping away from the mountain with a boom before then going into the clouds.


    And just like that, I was through them and I remembered something crucial, "SHIT SHIT SHIT!" I began to repeat over and over. I had forgotten that this was a mountain and about my current state of injury. So, well, it looks like we were now rocketing towards the ground to die.


    "It''s okay..." the woman in my arms barely got out before we suddenly went up again. My body turning into lightning alongside hers before we came down again. It felt almost instantaneous and it was making me want to vomit. So I held Einervaene close and choked on nothing.


    "Please let''s not do that again..." I told her with a shudder before I collapsed properly. My back leaning against whatever we landed by after I put her down. Only for her to then lean on me again while panting. The signs of tears present as she shivered against me.


    I knew how to heal her, so I was now going to try something and hoped it worked. I put one claw into her mouth, confusing her while I also let my magic flow out. And with my free claw, I began to carefully feel up her arm. Looking at her uncomfortably before I began to make my grip firm.


    "What are you...?" she began to weakly whisper past my digit while I grew increasingly nervous.


    "Bite down, I cannot guarantee this will feel nice." I warned her before her teeth gently went down on my digit. A single breath going into my lungs before I then squeezed. Clenching my teeth harshly as Einervaene''s threatened to bite my digit off. Her screams shaking my arm while I tried to heal her.


    And, it was like I was once told by Futhans back when I was in his town. If I let my magic flow out and focus it, I could heal someone. Unfortunately, it seems like I could only give Einervaene a slight heal. Just enough to get her arm sorted out but not fixed.


    "Make sure to give them back, okay?" I then joked before I began to take my bandages off and wrap them around her arm. Grabbing whatever I could to at least frame it so the arm would not go back to its prior state.


    "The sticks and stones or the bandages?" she then joked with a wide smile and flowing tears in her eyes. All before she then seemingly leapt against me to hug me. Her tears soon flowing down my back as she hugged me tightly. A smile coming to my face as I hugged her back.


    "Thank you for saving me, Einervaene." I then told her as one of my claws stroked her messy hair. Somewhat straightening it back out as I did so. But, she did not say anything else to me after I thanked her. She just kept holding me and crying.


    And so it was like that for a short amount of time. Us two, in the dark under the night sky somewhere in either a mountain or valley. Just holding each other and letting it all out quietly or noisily. With lots of little movements or heavy hiccups.


    "Don''t ever do that again..." she then let out with a sniffle. Her eyes having been dried out on my exposed fleshy bits. Tickling them slightly as she did so.


    "I can''t just leave your arm snapped like that." I said back to her as I looked at my crude work. Frankly, I was surprised I was able to apply bandages like that in a medical situation. But, I suppose wearing them so much has given me some degree of skill in putting them on!


    "Not that! Getting kidnapped by wyverns!" she corrected with a pained laugh before she gently shoved me. Only to then collapse against my chest and rest her head under my chin. Her still soft hair pressing up against me, filling in the gaps between my carapace plates.


    "I''ll see what I can do about it, then." I told her as I grin came to my face. But, to be serious, I was going to heed that. I did not want to be held hostage by a psychopath again. And now that I thought about it...


    Was I just cursed or something? Both times I have been on an airship I have been imprisoned by magical monsters! Yet, it also worried me a little. Despite what Salahma had done, I was a little dull to it all.


    It just did not stick in my head as well despite it only just ending... A certain moment stayed fresh in my mind but the rest just seemed to be set aside. As if my mind only had enough room for one period where I was a hostage. I was still thankful I was out of it, though.


    "Nin... Can I talk to you about something?" she then asked me as she got up slightly so her face was in front of mine. A nervous glint coming to my eyes as I was very certain I knew what this was about. Here we were, just us two and her heart and body had been through a lot. She was confident in this moment...


    "Sure, let me just..." I began to mumble before I moved back against the stone formerly behind me. Leaning against it and having her lean on my side so we could be comfortable.


    "Can I ask you about it now?" she nearly said with a stutter as her face went pinkish. Not really the red she normally went when she was embarrassed.


    "Sure." I just said as I thought on how to avoid what was about to happen.


    "I know I sort of said this before, but... I think I wasn''t clear enough about it... So, uh, Nin... I... I... I would like to try out a relationship with you. Not a friendly one, you know... A romantic one! I would like to get to know you better in a more intimate way! Nin I..." she began to say while moving about back and forth. Her blush deepening as her fingers pressed themselves against whatever. Only for her to stop when I faked a snore.


    And I was nervous the entire time and felt like I needed to just jump off a mountain. I was so unforgivably rude in this moment that I don''t think I can look her in the eye. Well, later, when I am done pretending to be asleep. And that noise she made when I let out that snore, it hurt.


    "Oh... Well, I guess it can wait for the moment." she said in a surprisingly relaxed tone before I felt her breath. Then, a high pitched noise as her face pressed up against the side of mine. Had she just kissed me on the cheek!? She had, hadn''t she!?


    That alone nearly made me give up the attempt to pretend I didn''t hear this. But, I kept it up, I kept it up and died on the inside. She was hugging me and lovingly spreading herself over me before she then went to sleep herself. And I then opened my eyes and stared blankly ahead.


    I wanted to swear and run away to hide to swear some more. But, instead, I was stuck here. Under a woman who had saved my life and opened up to me about something precious... And I ignored it because I didn''t want to tell her no.


    And then I looked down at the bracelet I was given back on that ship when I was just a soul. Could I solve the issue if I just took it off? Confront Einervaene about it with it off and see if she was still able to say it? But was that even right?


    She had just, once again, declared to me that she did in fact hold me in particular regards. She was happy and wanted to share that happiness. Yet, here I was, so desperately trying to undermine it because I wanted to love another. Could this seriously be justified?


    "Ah, should have just died in Salahma''s custody..." I so very quietly moaned out loud as I clutched my face. Frustrated breaths coming out onto my bug shell covered palms while I kept my eyes shut. A sense of anger boiling away inside me and bypassing the lid of the pot the longer this went on. I was so close to just shouting, but, I calmed down.


    I calmed down and I looked at Einervaene. I could just tell her no, just get it over with. A clean-cut and snap, no jagged edges left behind. Or, I could accept her feelings and drop what I felt for Lari.


    But that just once again frustrated me, why did I have to argue with myself over this!? If I did not care for Einervaene with the same degree of affection... Then why did I have to undercut myself!? Or would it have been possible to accept her but still chase Lari...?


    A sort of middle ground where I guess nobody wins but we all get something? No... That was preposterous. It was cruel to them and cruel to myself.


    I just needed to be blunt and clear with Einervaene... Make it official with Lari and guide her towards someone else. She had her whole life ahead of her, a life she wasn''t going to be spending with me. Especially not given how close to going home I was.


    "Whatever decision I make, please forgive me..." I whisper in apology to the sleeping beauty. Trying my best not to disturb her as I stroked her hair. A sharp cutting-like sensation going past my heart as I heard her purr as I did so. And while my grip was tender, my teeth were grinding harshly while my mind was a battleground.

 Incline 5: Filling in on the Details

    "Vadei! Come on! I said I was sorry!" Einervaene said to the aggravated woman ahead of us. A woman whose head was going down while her shoulders were squared up. She was very clearly annoyed and I found it amusing. But, one thing would be preferable...


    "Can you not try and make up with her while I am carrying you? I don''t want to be caught in the middle!" I told my saviour as I adjusted my grip on her. Slightly wondering if I still needed to carry her at all as it had already been quite a while. And, thankfully, we were both letting our magic intermingle so we could heal up. Now if only it worked a little better.


    "Both of you, be quiet!" Vadei then barked out as she suddenly turned around. Her intense glare mainly being focused on Einervaene, but still going to me on occasion. And the roll of my eyes only made her focus on me more.


    "She''s the one who forgot about you, don''t start getting angry at me." I told her with a slight curve to the edge of my mouth.


    "I didn''t forget about her!" Einervaene clarified with a huff from above. My chest briefly rose as I let out some air with a smile becoming more prominent.


    "Then why did I have to find you!?" Vadei accused her as she also pointed a sharp nail just before her face. Or, well, as close to her face as she could get. It felt nice to be the tall one again. It was very nice indeed.


    "You didn''t have to! We were going to go look for you!" Einervaene claimed.


    "No, you woke up, woke me up and then eagerly tried to take me back to the airship." I lied. Mixing my chitters with gentle laughter as I was then attacked by my passenger.


    "No, I didn''t!" Einervaene nearly shouted in my ear just before she stopped herself. She even stopped herself from using her magic which left me sightly annoyed.


    "We need to talk about your anger issues when we get back." I tutted out before both of the women I was with stared at me.


    "My anger issues!?"


    "Her anger issues!?"


    I snickered some more after that and watched as they both stropped off. Well, Vadei did, Einervaene just refused to look at me for a little bit. But, then, once she calmed down, she went back to what she had been doing prior. That being using my head as a cushion of some kind, couldn''t imagine it was particularly comfortable.


    "So how much longer anyway?" I then asked Vadei once she too had calmed down a little. And I really meant a little as she was still holding on to what had happened. Her supposed abandonment at the hands of Einervaene. But, I could not say I held her to a strict standard.


    She had just saved my life and been badly hurt in the process. So, wasn''t it only natural a few things escaped her thoughts as a result? Now if only that wasn''t the only thing to escape her thoughts. If only one other thing did too...


    "I don''t know." Vadei eventually mumbled out with a quick shrug.


    "Fair..." I let out slowly before I looked down at her hand, "Need some help with that?" I then asked while I pointed at her hand. A hand she tried to hide before she shook her head.


    "Just let your magic flow out some more, it''s not like she can stop you." Einervaene then mumbled out near my ear. A slight shrug came from me before I began to do just that. Only to then watch with some bemusement as Vadei got annoyed by this. She was annoyed I was healing her hand and getting rid of her stinging scratches.


    "I just told you I did not want your help!"


    "I wasn''t told anything." I corrected her with before she then jabbed my snout. A slight glow on her nails when she did that. I suppose this was going to be her way of hurting me when I annoyed her? She would need to do better than that!


    "Besides... How are your injuries anyway? You''d think we would not have someone putting strain on them!" Vadei began to ask me before her tone rose as she faced upwards.


    "They''re getting better, slowly, it will probably take a few days to be fully healed, though. Thankfully, after I went to sleep, most of the pain became more of a dull throb." I explained to Vadei, and, by circumstance, Einervaene too. And when I said sleep, I meant when I actually went to sleep, not my fake snoring...


    "If you say so..." she began to slowly say as her eyes focused on my burns. A shiver noticeably going across her as her furry parts suddenly stuck up.


    "I know it looks bad, but it is not that bad." I told her with what I could muster up for a shrug.


    "I just watched puss or blood come out of a burn on your leg, so forgive me if I doubt it a little!" she responded back with while gagging.


    "Be glad you only saw it and you aren''t the one bleeding and pussing." I said to her while I looked down at my legs. Feeling slightly disturbed by the injuries as I looked at them. But, I calmed down as well. Because, if you focused, you could just barely see my body healing up.


    "Indeed I am, but, I am more glad you are back."


    "So I have gathered."


    "I am being serious, you know? Nin. Now that you are back my chances to save my family are up once again."


    "You only saved me because of that? Harsh."


    "I didn''t...!" Vadei began to say before she went quiet. A slight redness going to her face as she got frustrated.


    "Oh, jolly, another one." I said in response to seeing that, moving Einervaene about slightly as I did so. A light tap hitting my head just after once she caught on to its meaning.


    "It might have to be delayed, though." Einervaene began to say as her head rose off of mine.


    "Why?" I asked.


    "Airship was damaged," Einervaene then clarified, "so unless we can repair it on the move."


    "I am fine with waiting, I''m sure Nin is too."


    "No, I am so impatient I will rather see the airship break down on the way." I joked with a flat tone and expression.


    "But, yes, when the wyverns attacked. At least until we got that magic barrier up, the airship did receive quite a beating." the woman on me explained.


    "How badly?"


    "Most of it just seems to be fine slices in the plating and decking, but, the side in which you were taken down from. That will take some time, and, possibly, it will have to be ignored."


    "Ignored? We don''t even have an idea how the airship works! We can''t just leave it unattended, it might have been gutted for all we know!" I began to say as my instincts flared up at the mere mention of ignoring the damage. I did not like how that sounded at all.


    "No, we do have an idea, actually." Vadei then said with a prideful smile as she stood up straighter.


    "Why...?" I let out with some disbelief, slightly discouraged by Vadei''s confidence. She was not an engineer, mechanic or anything even tangentially related to machine knowledge... Let alone magical machine knowledge!


    She then waved her much less injured hand in front of us, "Back during the attack, some things happened and now I have access to information about the airship!" she explained.


    I slowly nodded as I took it in, "I guess that explains why I felt iffy about seeing that machine..." I began to say as I thought on my first time in the captain''s chair. When that strange device came out of the ground in front of it. That little open space inside of it so openly displayed...


    "So, yeah, I am now the expert on our transportation so leave it to me!" Vadei declared before puffing out her chest. That grin of hers baring out all of her teeth while her knuckles went on to her hips. Fingers, palms and elbows going outwards.


    "Alright then, Expert, I will leave it in your hands once we get back there. Assuming we get back there in any reasonable time frame." I say somewhat sarcastically at first before I looked up at the sky. Paying careful attention to how the orbital-halo had already gone past the centre of the sky. It was already noon and we did not seem like we would get any closer...


    "Don''t worry about time to travel, Nin. Give me some time to rest and I can use my magic to get us the rest of the way." Einervaene said to me as she rubbed my scalp. Her attempt to reassure me fell flat, however.


    "Would it not be ideal for you to not be using your magic to heal me, then?" I asked her as I looked up at her. A nod of acknowledgement coming from Vadei before she began to take weight off of her feet.


    "I just want to enjoy at least one day of travelling." she beamed out with a smile before she tightened her hug. Her breasts enveloping the back of my head and neck as she did so. At least, until I came into contact with the copper frame in and on her clothes.


    "I want to get back to a bed..." Vadei then mumbles bitterly as she realises she was at Einervaene''s mercy. Her desire to spend time with me would ultimately dictate our travel time it would seem.


    "I think it can be said we both agree on that." I also mumbled while Einervaene happily hummed away. My eyes once again focusing on Vadei as she took weight off of her feet. And then, I just decided to hoist her up as maybe it could entertain us a little.


    "Hey!" she exclaimed as I did so, but she did nothing else beyond that. Einervaene, however, did make her grip firmer and I guess protective?


    "Put her down, she can walk fine!" Einervaene said as she tried to force Vadei out of my grip.


    "I''d say you can walk fine now." I told her as I suddenly let go of her leg. Letting her slip down slightly as a result.


    "No! Fine!" she let out as she squirmed. My grip apparently being that important to her maintaining a lazy lifestyle on my back.


    "So do you want to be put down?" I then asked the oxfuine in my other arm. Already guessing her answer when she curled her tail up and hugged it.


    "No." she said just before leaning against my chest like a baby. Her body all curled up and compact as she rode the Nin Express.


    "That settles that, then." I said to Einervaene who just moaned out her displeasure. A small smirk on my face as she did that.


    "It scares me a little how large you are, Nin." Vadei then commented from behind her tail as she stared up at my chin. And I guess she was right to some degree. She had pretty much compacted herself so that she could fit into a single arm.


    "And I quite enjoy the size difference, that Salahma was weird to stand near." I said back to her.


    "Salahma? That wyvern had a name?" Einervaene then questioned.


    "She did, and that was it. She also had a child but they did not have a name. But, hopefully, they find Undwote soon." I began to say before I slowed down while thinking of the child. That poor thing was torn apart by feral beasts just because I was near it...


    "The child, I hope?" Einervaene asked as her head moved down near my left eye.


    "Yeah, I''m on about the child. Poor thing was killed by her because apparently, I would have given her better children." I explained with the two women I was carrying gasping quietly.


    "I like how it was an unequivocal good that I killed her then..." Einervaene commented as she rested her head once again. A slight nod came from me before I began to mentally ask Undwote for a favour. Assuming he could hear me, and that favour was a very simple one...


    Just let that child enjoy itself, just for a bit...


    .


    .


    .


    "Well, alright then." I found myself saying as I walked away from Einervaene and Vadei. The former of which had just struck us down from the sky once again. Thankfully, the issues it caused your stomach really went down after a while. Or, rather, after you did it a lot as we had just been doing.


    "You left quite the mess before your kidnapping." Vadei then commented as she briefly sped up to get next to me. A slow nod came from me as my gaze panned the area. She was indeed right about that. Ash of the white, grey and black variety covered the entire valley near the airship.


    "How common are wyverns exactly?" I then asked Vadei cautiously. This recent experience with one has left me particularly paranoid of more.


    "More common than dragons by an order of magnitude. But, not that many when you compare it to even aelenvari who are considered a dying species." she told me which left me in a state of pondering. The Rose''s flower wasn''t exactly quiet or lacking in people to fill it out... So what did she mean by they were a dying species? Had it something to do with the overwhelmingly female population?


    Probably, wouldn''t be surprised if I was forgetting something Rose had already explained.


    "Do they tend to congregate?"


    "No, they''re very territorial. The one Einervaene killed was probably even encroaching on another''s territory."


    "Interesting. No, wait, if they don''t congregate then why was there so many in the lair? There was easily several dozen."


    "They come together under two conditions. Males trying to get with a female, or, a male taking over the territory of a lesser female or male. Sometimes both."


    "Very knowledgeable about them, aren''t you?" I then commented as I shook my head a little. Finding it slightly bemusing how a slave, something you''d expect to be lightly educated if at all. For her to be the one to have all this knowledge, I found that amusing.


    "I did a lot of reading before we went to save you." she told me with a shrug and a smirk on her lips.


    "So I guess you also played a big part?"


    "I did indeed!"


    "Well, looks like your debt to me is settled then."


    "Debt...?" she repeated in confusion.


    "You know, when we did that race in the aelenvari flower, I saved your life."


    "That doesn''t count." she then mumbled as she crossed her arms and looked away.


    "Oh, no, how unlucky of me. I get to call in a big favour at some other point." I began to say with a laugh before her ears went up.


    "Fine, it counts! It counts! I owe you nothing!"


    "Rude." I quickly put out before I turned towards Einervaene. She seemed out of it all of the sudden. Had she used too much magic in recent times? She did beat Salahma, heal me and travel about and all that.


    "Einervaene, do you need to rest for a little bit?" Vadei then asked her once she had copied my actions. Her own eyes looking out at the lightning-magic user.


    "No... I''m fine, I''m fine." she replied with as she suddenly shook about. Then, she hastily came over to us and just as hastily grabbed our hand and claw. And, once again, in what seemed like a near-instant moment. We were somewhere else, this time the airship.


    "Finally..." I then let out with a sigh before I began to walk off. Hoping to find Lari to see how she was doing. She had not come with those two so maybe she was asked to look after the airship? I''m surprised I never asked about her while we travelled, actually.


    "Wait!" Einervaene then said to me as she reached out and grabbed me.


    "What is it?" I asked her in concern as I turned to face her. She seemed out of it all of a sudden, had something happened while I was gone? Something other than the attack that is.


    "We just need to get ourselves cleaned up and that, these bandages are getting dirty and we need to stay clean!" she let out in one go, something that left her short of breath. It was almost like she was panicking slightly.


    "Uh, alright, Vadei, let Lari know we''re back, would you? I''ll do as me mother says." I began uncertainly at first before I finished up with a little joke. Going on with Einervaene once that was said. Frowning as neither of them reacted to my attempt to lighten the mood.


    "Where is it... Where is it..." Einervaene began to say over and over before she then dashed into the washroom with me. Myself going in with a slight stumble as I was not expecting this sudden rush from her. I was also not really expecting her to suddenly strip naked and let out a frustrated sigh.


    "Are you alright, Einervaene?" I began to ask her while I slowly undressed myself. Letting her help once she came over with a forced smile. And the fact she took her time with me left me with greater concerns.


    "I''m fine." she said with no hesitation at all with a distinct firmness.


    "No, no you are not." I corrected her as I moved forward and away. Turning around so I could look her in the eyes to see what this was about. And it must have been something serious because she was not even moving to cover her fully naked body.


    "I said I am fine, now, let''s start getting you cleaned up!" she repeated with an added on expansion. But, despite her sudden barrage of little shoves and guiding hands. I stayed still and stationary. Gripping her uninjured arm and getting her to stay still.


    "Einervaene, please, tell me what is wrong." I said to her as I made sure my grip stayed firm. The frown I had only getting worse as she struggled in my grip. This wasn''t like her at all...


    "Fine! You want to know what is wrong? I don''t want you going anywhere near that cowardly water-girl!" she then said to me with a sudden flare of anger. Her magic arcing out around her in a particularly dangerous manner given our current locale. It was even potent enough to make me let go of her so I could wave the pain out.


    "Don''t worry, it''s fine." I had to tell her as she suddenly became aware of what she had done. But, while she fiddled over me and said apology after apology. I thought about what she had said. Had Lari been against saving me or something, was she worried for those two?


    I would need her side first before I could really say...


    Einervaene then just came to a stop and leaned on me and it was clear she was crying, "Can we just focus on cleaning ourselves, please?" she pleaded as the top of her head pushed against me.


    "Alright, for now, no more talking about anyone else." I gently uttered to her as I rubbed a claw on the back of her head. Keeping it up until she calmed down and moved off of me. A small blush and smile on her face once she moved off.


    "Great! I''ll prepare a stall for you!" she expressed happily with closed eyes and hands put together.


    "Alright, let''s get on with it, then." I said to her with a nod as I turned my gaze away from her naked form.


    "It''s alright, you know. I am not bothered by you watching." she commented with a pout while her rear was stuck up in the air.


    "I''m good." I quipped out quickly while balancing on my heels. Intentionally keeping my gaze away from her as I tried to keep it appropriate. We were just here to sort out our injuries after all. And, well, I did not want to be aroused and feed into her feelings for me...


    I wanted to sort it out and clarify it all but it would seem I would need to deal with another issue first. But, I suppose, dealing with this Lari issue would be the only thing I would have to do. Because depending on how you looked at it... Me getting home was the most important thing.


    If Einervaene woke up one day and could not find me then I suppose that could be the solution...


    "Do you not like what is in front of you then? I''ve been told many great things about my body. Lots of the other students like to watch me, you know." she began to say to me suggestively as she came up to me. Her body having pressed up against me delicately just as she finished up.


    "I can''t say I have anything bad to say, no, I just want to focus on dealing with my burns and that." I explained which left her bitter.


    "Fine, I suppose that is fair." she said with an aggravated mutter before she took my claw into her hand. Guiding me to a stall just afterwards and sitting me down. A clear sign of her annoyance being displayed as she just tore off the remaining bandages.


    "Don''t destroy my clothes...!" I jokingly let out in an effort to at least lighten the mood. Keeping a loose to stiff form just in the event this does suddenly go sour.


    "We got more in the doctor''s room or whatever it is." she told me with a huff before she began to intimately wash me. Gently going over my injuries and letting her magic flow so she could negate any potential pain.


    "Are you sure that is a good idea?" I questioned as I paid attention to how her aura behaved. It did have some electrical aspects to it but it was not very explicit with what it did have.


    "It''s fine, the water isn''t even in a great enough quantity." she said to me just before she poured a bucket over my head.


    "And what about now?" I then asked as I kept my eyes on the steamy mirror in front.


    "Want to find out?" she threatened with a smile before her arms wrapped around me. Was this part of the hopingly hollow joke threat or was it not? I hoped not.


    "I''d rather see if you can take a bath without electrocuting yourself." I said with a humoured huff as I remembered our first night together. How I had to take her out of the room she turned into a sauna because she used magic in a tub.


    "Oh, sorry, am I interrupting something?" a familiar voice then asked as she came in. It was Vadei and she had already prepared her dress for the event. A simple, plain, white towel that she had wrapped around her torso. However, she was not expecting Einervaene''s bold outfit.


    "Yes, yes you are." Einervaene said with a slight growl as she got off of me. But, she did not go farther than that and she just smiled.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Can you two please focus on cleaning?" I then asked as I myself rose up. Instantly towering over the pair of them with not a piece of clothing on either. Einervaene gained some redness to her cheeks but Vadei did not.


    "Oddly enough, I can''t say it is weird seeing you like this. But, it is uncomfortable." she commented just before she sat down on the stall next to mine.


    "Yeah, yeah, I''m a big scary osibindah! Going to kidnap you and everything and keep you in my dank earthen lair!" I sarcastically replied with before I went back down onto my stall. Shaking my head the entire time.


    "I can think of worse places for a first date."


    "I didn''t mention-" I began to say before I got interrupted.


    "I know you didn''t, lead-head." Vadei let out with a roll of her eyes.


    "It''s a good thing too, no dates with anyone." Einervaene said loud and clearly as if she was a strict mother.


    "Aw, really? I was hoping I could ask a certain lightning-magic user out on one." I sniggered out, something that caused me to get a hard smack from Einervaene. Not one with magic, though, but, I suppose she was somewhat aware of my soaked state.


    "Sorry..." she then meekly muttered as she went back to scrubbing me down.


    "So, Nin." Vadei then began to say as she turned to face me from her stall. Her hands seemingly leaving her towel to fall intentionally.


    "Yes?"


    "What would you rather touch?"


    "Eh?" I let out just before she began to list off what would be included in this.


    "My tail, or, Einervaene''s saggy breasts?" a smirk forming on her face as her eyes went to the woman behind me.


    "They aren''t saggy!" Einervaene let out as she suddenly stood up.


    "I dunno, they''re dropping down quite far..." Vadei further commented as she let her eyes go down Einervaene''s front. All the while, I just listened to the whole affair while taking brief glances.


    "That''s because they''re big and voluptuous! Aren''t they, Nin!?"


    I nearly choked on my spit, "Don''t start dragging me into this!" I said back to my copper-haired saviour.


    "But you have felt them! You can offer an outsiders opinion on it and get her to stop slandering me!"


    I stared at the pair quietly, watching as Vadei giggled while Einervaene seethed in annoyance, "They are big... Yes... So they naturally go down, sag if you will... But not in the bad way..." I slowly told her as I leaned back.


    "See! He doesn''t think so!"


    "He literally used the word ''sag'' to describe them!" Vadei said back to her as she got up. Her towel falling down as she did so. And then, the pair clashed against each other, like how a thug might get up close.


    "You are very lucky you helped me find Nin!"


    "And I am very lucky you saved him and gave me a chance to see my family again!"


    "You''re welcome!"


    "And so are you!"


    The pair both began to say to each other in what have must been the most aggressive thank yous I have heard.


    "Can we get back to the point of us being in here?" I asked them, more specifically Einervaene. But, we seemed to be doing a good job in keeping Einervaene''s mind off of... Whatever happened between her and Lari.


    "You still haven''t answered the question." Vadei then said with a sly smirk as she broke off from Einervaene. Her tail, covered in little specks of water, being brushed towards her front. Her hands soon coddling it while Einervaene caught up.


    "Yes! Nin, give us an answer!" she demanded of me as she came up to me. Her chest aggressively shaking about before she stopped before my turned head. And while I wanted my eyes to stay focused on her eyes, what was down below kept catching them. So I gulped with uncertainty before saying anything.


    "I don''t think I''ll be able to give a good answer, you know. Burnt carapace and all that." I told them as I showed them my palms. Only for that to come undone as there were no bad burns there. They were all mostly on my body and limbs.


    "Then how about I let you feel it again, just to let you know?" Vadei suggested as she walked in front of me. Her tail swaying straight into my face before she held it before me. A knowing grin on her face as her eyes tracked Einervaene. Meanwhile, on my face, my eyes just glared at the tailed woman.


    "If you''re letting him feel yours, then he has to feel my chest!" Einervaene declared loudly and openly before she knelt beside me. Both of my locked in place arms being tugged at so their hands could grab their offerings.


    "Not doing it, nope. Won''t do it, na-ah." I began to repeat over and over as my body rocked side-to-side. The pair of women failing to make my arms move at all despite my injuries making it harder. But, they did not give up and instead found new ways.


    "Does this work?" Einervaene asked as she just chose to wrap my arm up with her chest.


    "Go on, admit my tail is better." Vadei suggested while she also carefully put her tail tip into the gaps of my carapace.


    I then stood up, knocking the two away easily before I just walked away, "Argue it between yourselves." I told them while shaking my head with a slight smile. Had I really just walked away from that? Two beautiful women seeking my approval on something so inane? I really did, hadn''t I?


    "Ninno!" someone then quietly cheered out as I closed the door behind me. A slow body wrapping itself around me to hug me as I turned to face it. And when I heard that, my smile grew a little more and I returned the hug.


    "Hi, Lari, I''m back." I told her happily while paying careful attention to how slow she was moving. It felt like she was reluctant in this whole affair like she had something on her mind. Luckily, I had an idea about what it might be.


    "Yeah... She brought you back..." Lari said with a tearful shudder before she tried to pull out of the hug. But, I would not let her and I kept her in a tight grip. Securely pressed up against my body with a concerned gaze just above.


    "Do you want to go somewhere else so we can talk about it?"


    "No..." she said through what have must been a bitten lip as her crying became louder.


    "Don''t be silly, come on. Let''s go somewhere quiet and talk about it." I said to her as I began to rock her back and forth. Only to slightly jump myself when something suddenly slammed. It was the washroom door, had the other two been watching?


    "No!" Lari repeated again. But, with a sigh, I picked her up and moved her to another room. Intentionally choosing the medical room as it had lots of bandages within its holdings. And I set Lari down on the bed before moving on. Quickly coming back with whatever I was able to plunder from the cupboards.


    "Do you want to do something or are you fine there?" I asked her just before she grabbed up what I had. Gently settling me down on the bed where she had been before she got to work. A quick laugh leaving me once I saw myself in the mirror.


    "What?" Lari asked me with uncharacteristic shyness as she held her hands close together.


    "Look, I am actually wearing these properly now!" I said with further gentle chuckling. My claw stretched out as it pointed at the mirror I was clearly displayed in. And, she too smiled, clearly understanding my joy.


    "Let''s not make it a habit, okay?" she then asked as she applied some more bandages and plasters. A lot of them taking on darker colours as her magic lightly soaked my body. But, unlike a normal wetness, this probably helped as it was like a painkiller. A subtle sign at how much better she was at this magic thing when compared to me...


    "So, Lari, to keep it serious. Can you tell me your side of what happened earlier? While I was gone?" I then asked her. Making sure my claws were firmly set on her arms to make sure she did not run away.


    Her tears started to come back and she tried to get out of my grip, "I..."


    "Lari, it''s alright. I promise I won''t get angry at you." I had to tell her in order to reassure her.


    "You promise...?" she meekly asked with a slight flinch. And in answer, I slowly nodded. Yet, it did not seem to be enough.


    So I spoke it too, "I swear on my right to go home, I will not get angry with you." swearing on what have must been the most important thing for me right now.


    "Okay... Back when it all happened... I told and encouraged Einervaene not to go down after you as I thought you were dead... I refused to help you and told others to do the same..."


    I frowned but kept any anger away, "How come?" I asked her while keeping my grip light.


    "You know how you can sense magic?"


    "Yes, this was something you taught me to do better, Lari." I said while trying to cheer her up.


    "Well... When I sensed the magic of your attacker... I thought it would have been pointless to try and help you because I thought it would have killed you... So I wanted to focus on keeping the other four safe. Mostly Vadei and..." she explained before she tried to lighten her mood with a joke. But, she went quiet just before saying the name of my saviour.


    "I see..." I said to her quietly as I considered it all. Watching with subtle despair as Lari seemed to become scared of me slightly. Was she assuming the worst right now!? I did not want her to think that!


    So I hugged her tight and I hugged her close, "B-But... I nearly got you killed..." she choked out before crying like a baby. A little baby I was quite happy to hold and nurture into a state of quiet.


    "You were focused on the other four, besides, I am alive. Whatever happened then can be ignored and set aside. It''s alright, Lari, I am not angry." Told her while gently shaking her about. Patting her back with as caring a touch as I could muster while she just cried away.


    "B-But she is! Einervaene hates me!" she wailed out as her face buried itself between my neck and shoulder.


    "She''s just a little high on all these different emotions. Give it time, Lari, give it time."


    "H-How can I give it time when there are so few people here...? I can''t give her space on this tiny airship..." she mumbled out once she finished most of her crying most. Every few words being accented by a sniffle or stumble as she caught her breath.


    I sighed before I replied, she had a point there, "Then I guess we will have to be a bit rough. Sometimes the best way to fix an injury is to just snap it back together." I said to her while mainly thinking of dislocated limbs. But, Einervaene''s broken arm did also come to mind.


    "She''ll just keep walking away from me or ignoring me..." Lari warned with a moan while looking at the door to this room.


    "Then I''ll anchor her somehow, was there anything you two were doing together before this all happened?"


    Lari looked at me cautiously before she looked down, "There was a few things... I was going to teach her to dance and we were going to make outfits and all that..."


    "You wanted to put on a little show? Just you and Einervaene?"


    "I think Vadei might want to join too..." she then said, but I was a little iffy with that suggestion.


    "Are you sure that is not you trying to distance yourself from Einervaene?"


    "No! I mean it! Maybe she does want to join in!"


    "Alright, fair, fair. How about this, then, you go talk to Vadei about it and I''ll talk to Einervaene. If Vadei doesn''t want in, then fine. But, I''ll force Einervaene if I have to. But here''s to hoping I won''t. Let''s see that show you wanted to put on."


    She smiled, "Okay!" that usual behaviour for her returning in that brief moment. That face I loved so dearly.


    "But first, let''s finish with this." I then told her as I sat back down. Gesturing to my remaining injuries that were still exposed. A happy nod coming from Lari with her then wrapping me up. Little jokes and prods coming from her throughout the process.


    She was steadily coming back to her usual cheerful self.


    .


    .


    .


    "Einervaene, a word?" I said as I approached my saviour who was currently fixing the ship. But, she was also doing it in such a way that it made it clear why she was doing it. She was trying and failing to keep her mind off of something. And it seemed that me coming along basically set her off.


    "What!?" she snapped up at me with a mixture of anger and sadness. Was this perhaps related to the washroom door slamming earlier?


    "I would like to talk to you about La-"


    "Oh, so you want to talk about nothing then? Quit wasting my time." she said with a snort before she dragged her finger across the metal. Filling up the hole a wyvern attack had left but also distorting it unnecessarily.


    "You''re wasting your own time by acting this way, Einervaene. Now, please, will you hear me out?"


    "Why should I hear you out then, hm? Why!? You never heard me out when I had done something to you! SO WHY SHOULD I HEAR YOU OUT!" she ranted out to me before she then shot up to her feet to shout. Lightning crackling off of her in an oddly calm manner before she settled down. Well, settled down was not the right description. The fire was just not bursting out into an inferno for now...


    At first, I was a little confused by what she said, but then I remembered what I did to her. Back at the Academy not long after she met Lari for the first time. My brow steadily lowered itself while my body straightened out. Even if I could not word it right, I know for a fact these two situations are not comparable.


    "If you just went through all that effort," I began to say, pointing at the arm I bandaged up, "to save me, then why would you not listen to me? It is clear I mean something to you. And you mean something to me. So, again, please, listen." I said to her while trying to keep myself calm.


    "Alright then! Why should I just let you prattle on about that coward to me then!? I saved you! I SAVED YOUR LIFE! SHE WAS WILLING TO ABANDON YOU TO DIE!"


    "I know you saved me, and I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am, Einervaene." I said to her as I put my claw on her shoulder. My eyes moving about as I felt the lightning surge into me. But, I ignored the pain and kept my hand there with a steady grip on her shoulder. Watching as she brought her head down until her face was hidden. And then, I felt her body jump lightly before water fell.


    "T-Then why are you so kind to her even when she was willing to let you die...?" she asked me once her red face came back into view. This time, tears were flowing again and they were taking little zaps with them.


    "Because, at one point, she saved my life too. It may have not been with bravery and might like what you did so recently. But, she did save my life. The least I can do is stay calm and hear her out."


    "I saved your life too, though... I stopped that man from shooting you..."


    "I know you did, Einervaene. But I was alone for a long time at the Academy before Lari came along. I will not abandon you, Einervaene, so please, hear me out." I said to her, blatantly lying at the end given my future plans.


    "Fine... What do you want to talk about?" she said with a relenting sigh as she looked away with a sneer. Some tears still present as she did it.


    "I am of the impression you and Lari had something planned for me? A dance? And that you were going to make some special outfits for the occasion?" I said to her, adding on detail after detail. And I was happy to see her face light up. And I was also saddened by how quickly it dimmed out again.


    "We did and we were..." she tried to correct me with a set of bitter words.


    "I would very much like to see it then. I would like to see you two dance for me." I said to her with a smile and slight nudge. Gently rocking her body to the side with that little gesture.


    "Okay..." she muttered before she then slowly came closer and stood there. My smile grew to be much wider before I then gave her a hug. Holding her head with one claw while the other rubbed her back and patted it.


    "Do you want to wait a bit before you start getting this dance sorted out then?" I asked her just in case. I was already doing a lot of this on the fly after failing to plan for it. Now I felt like easing her into it would be better. Forcing the pair might cause more issues...


    "I don''t know." she mumbled with a clear sense of no-direction before she went back to her repairing. A smile still on my face before I pointed at her prior job.


    "Need some help?" I asked her just before she went to sort out another hole. Waiting for an answer and kneeling down when I got a slow nod. And then, I took her hand into my claw and let her put a finger out. Performing a few motions in the air before we moved on.


    "How is this helping?" she asked me as her head turned away towards me. Something I fixed by turning it back with my free claw.


    "Keep your magic focused and move steadily. Don''t dig your fingers in, just let it slide." I explained to her as I brought her finger closer. Letting her magic build up before I then felt her jump. It seemed like the sparks had given her a fright of some description. But it was alright, I was here to comfort her through the process.


    And clearly, she liked it, "How''d I do?" I was then asked by her as I let go of her hand. Her head having turned to me again while I focused on the signs of her weld. It was a little dark at points, but, it was cleaner. So, as such, it was vastly better.


    "Much, much better. Now try not to let the temperature spike if possible, burned metal is weaker than that which is not. Don''t worry either, there are plenty of holes to patch up. Plenty of time to try." I explained to her while giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.


    "How long did it take you to get used to this, back at your home?" I was then asked by her. I wanted to be smug and say not long at all. Instead, though, I blew my mouth up and chuckled.


    "I never welded back home, I just listened to others." I answered, taking much joy in how her eyes widened. And I took even more joy from how she smiled and rubbed her fingers together.


    "So we can both learn together?" she asked me while her eyes went between her fingers and me.


    "Indeed we can, so how about we get to it?" I offered to which she nodded with an embarrassed smile. And that is what we did, we kept going at it. I myself guided her on some while she did other holes on her own. We got a lot done, however, there were also a lot more.


    But, they could wait as it was not getting dark, something she too was aware of. So we moved indoors and headed on down to the cafeteria. Settling down near where the food would be served by a chef if this airship was properly crewed. Watching the two slavers cook all the while.


    Vadei must have sent them down here, which I guess made sense. Since the attack she seems to have grown a lot more knowledgeable of this machine. She even came out while we were practising Einervaene''s welding skills. Mostly to show off but it was what it was.


    "Can you guess what it is they are cooking?" Einervaene asked me as she leaned on my slumped down shoulder. Staring intently at the much more relaxed slavers as they actually seemed to be enjoying themselves. Then again, I can''t say I am surprised. They have been working under the threat of death for the most part.


    "Human." I then joked, ultimately to myself as only I would get it. But, apparently, Heiya heard it and she grinned as she turned over some kind of meat.


    Einervaene went pale, however, "H-How would you know that, you''re joking, right...?" she asked me. To which I turned to her with slobbering jaws and an active tongue.


    "No... I haven''t had human for so long... It tastes so sweet and juicy, you know." I told her as my head went closer to her arm. Pulling back shortly after and breaking into hearty laughter while she got confused. At least, until she figured it out and got annoyed.


    A slap coming from her as punishment, "Don''t scare me like that!" she told me off with. But the laughs kept coming from me as I was enjoying it far too much.


    "But, no, I don''t know what they are cooking. I have no idea what anyone is really cooking nowadays." I then said to her with a shrug and slightly trembles of laughter. Calming down shortly after.


    "If we got Vadei to lend us some information, I might be able to cook something from my home." Einervaene told me as she stared at the empty serving trays.


    "She has that kind of information?"


    "I assume so, the way we found you was through a library of some kind that detailed potential threats to the airship."


    "So you are hoping it also has information on potential food sources?"


    "It''s a good thing she mentions that, actually." a voice then said from a speaker or something. That voice clearly being Vadei''s.


    "Go on, explain then." I asked as I spun around to face the roof. Not really having an idea of where the speaker itself was. Assuming there was one and it wasn''t some hidden magical contraption.


    "I was having a look about and there are several listed supply depots we could go to. Towns and cities with the capacity to handle airships coming into them."


    "Ah, alright, you want to grab something to make sure we have enough for the journey?"


    "Bit of that and just general sightseeing."


    "We''re on an airship, Vadei..." I droned out with a roll of my eyes.


    "I know! Doesn''t mean I don''t want to just wander a market or something..." she mumbled into whatever she was using for a mic.


    "Anything else?"


    "That and it might help us find a route around the no-fly zones."


    "No-fly zones?" I asked as I got up.


    "Doesn''t say why, just that the Royal Jhermonikra Air-Navy won''t let anyone into these areas. But, it is apparently getting smaller day-by-day."


    "Oh, in which case, see if you can get us a route that goes by it." I then said with a shrug.


    "Why...?"


    "Want to see some military airships I guess. Nice little sight before we go somewhere rather barren, you know?"


    "I command this airship, I say where we go." I was then told before the room went silent. And then, I went back around to look at Einervaene.


    "Any place you likely to want to go before we leave this continent? We probably have more than enough time for it." I said to her as I thought on Vadei''s words. Maybe it would be nice to just go visit a town? No masks-off, though... Wasn''t being chased out again, no I was not.


    "A trip to a market is fine with me."


    "YES! TWO TO ONE!" Vadei then cheered through the speaker system. Something that led to both me and Einervaene breathing out a smile.


    .


    .


    .


    "So what kind of room is best for you, then?" I asked Lari as she quietly stood about near me.


    "Ideally we would want some room, but you having a nice spot to sit in too would be nice." she clarified to me softly as her hand drummed a table.


    "So you are sure you and Einervaene are ready?" I then chose to ask her as I noted her reserved behaviour. I was successful in getting the two to get back together to do this but it was a sloppy job. Both often mentioned how something was off and how Einervaene lacked patience. And, perhaps, it was a good thing Vadei got involved with it, a more neutral third party.


    At least, I hoped she kept herself neutral as I did not want her stoking the fires of either side. But, I would trust her for now, I needed to learn to trust them all. So this would have to be my starting point regarding it. So now all I had to do was see it through.


    "We are ready, yes. I have taught the other two the moves and they are confident they can perform them well. I just hope they don''t have an issue with me taking the lead..." she said to me as her face went down. My claw having to halt the process and bring it back up.


    "If you need to lead them, then lead them. Just see if you can let them have a moment where they are the centre of attention."


    She smiled, "I will have to see, losing myself in the dance is my favourite part."


    I tapped her side and rubbed it, "Go on then, get them ready, I''ll be in the captain''s chair for the dance. I''ll make sure it is all tidy and that as well, should offer you plenty of room." I told her before I watched her nearly run off. A small smile on her face as she moved along to get her part done. And my digits were soon tapping my upper leg as I headed off too.


    Nervous chittering filling my ears before I finally got to the command area of the ship. Loud clicks then came out of my mouth as I looked about. It felt a lot smaller than I thought it was going to be so that worried me. If they were on rocky talking terms then even a slight nudge would set them off.


    "I''ll just chuck these all over here, I suppose." I said to myself as I began to move chairs and other items out of the way. Yet, as I stood there with the final two chairs, I got the urge to put them back. It was odd to see this place like this. All these machines for the airship were intended to have legs or chairs under them...


    But, I put aside the petty need for things to be a certain way and sat down. Waiting for anything to happen in regards to who was in here. Looking up shortly after as the lights were suddenly dimmed with the exception of a select few. And, admittedly, I could not tell if those few were made brighter.


    I felt like they were...


    And then they all came in dressed in new outfits with only Einervaene having anything on her feet. Vadei and Lari were both barefoot but they also had something different too. They both had flowing and loose pieces of cloth attached to their arms and legs. Einervaene, however, had what looked more like chainmail instead.


    I could only guess for her and Lari at the very least, their outfits were made to incorporate their magic. But, while I quite appreciated the effort that went into these outfits, how each one was unique. Einervaene''s being more reserved and tight while Lari''s was loose. And Vadei''s was a lot more revealing but her tail had also been decorated.


    Something did bother me with it, Vadei and Einervaene... They both had clear injuries still present on their bodies. And, unfortunately, Einervaene''s outfit was ruined by her arm bandages. But, still, they were standing before me with eager and nervous smiles.


    So I gave my approval to them through word and gesture, "I am already wowed, care to make me even more so?" I asked the trio. Something that got a smile from each of them. Vadei, however, seemed to have got her smile by seeing the other two smile.


    "So, as I am sure you are already aware..." Lari began to say.


    "But, today, we have been preparing to show you..." Vadei added on.


    "A dance done in an Ibenorrocon fashion!" Einervaene finished off with before some kind of fans appeared. Her magic crackling across their feathery bodies as her legs bent and hips moved forward. Music soon coming from somewhere after Vadei rather clumsily put some on. Unfortunately, I had no idea what kind of music this was, but it had clear beats to it.


    So I guess it was made to serve as a guide for their hips as they were all bouncing in synch. Their sides jabbed out and their legs moved about along with other parts. Vadei and Einervaene hid and revealed themselves with their limbs moving wildly. Meanwhile, Lari would weave around them and skillfully adapt her movements to theirs.


    Each one of them even took on a different kind of eroticism with the help of Lari. Who served somewhat as a guide for my eyes. With her lingering on the edge of the light gesturing to either Vadei or Einervaene. The pair of them having seemingly gone dead in the eyes as they focused.


    Vadei had her tail dance about behind her while her front faced me and she turned to do the other side. She held it delicately and moved about it as her chest and legs were thrust about. And then, once Einervaene''s turn came, I became enamoured by how her magic was worked into it. Little sparks danced about with her and traced her movements.


    Her narrow tipped heels serving as anchors while her hips went out and about in wide arcs. Those feather fans in her hands opening and closing so she could add something extra. And she even fluttered them as they went down in time with the slow conversion of her body. A woman made of lightning standing before me until she then went back to normal.


    And then, finally, Lari came out to take the centre stage and small wisps of water appeared. Gently being kicked up by her as she swerved her foot and slammed it down. The other two even got involved and caught the moisture on fan or tail. The pair of them moving away slowly as Lari''s dance became more intense.


    Then, suddenly, Lari dropped to the ground and sprawled out. Something that initially made me get up in worry before I saw her movements. This was all part of the act so I settled down. Even if I did not sit back down.


    Instead, I focused on the woman I loved in a way I never did to the other two. I pedantically observed her as she began to bring herself up. It was like watching a fish out of water, at least, until she got firm footing. And when that happened, I was entranced as the water hid her as she steadily came back up.


    Then, it all ended with all three of them sending water out with their own twists. Lari just went all out while Vadei spun her tail around. And Einervaene, well, she apparently decided to shoot a lightning bolt at the wall. Something that had humorous consequences.


    "AH!" she yelped out in shock as she seemingly overdid it. The smell of burnt metal in my nose as all of us stared at the big black mark on the wall. That music Vadei put on still playing until she turned it off.


    But, to break the ice, I started laughing loudly until those three got involved. And with that, I successfully saved Einervaene from dying of embarrassment. Then with that done, Vadei began to put everything back to normal and I was suddenly swarmed. It got to the point I felt the need to retreat back to the captain''s chair.


    "Well!?" they all pretty much asked at once as they crowded me.


    "Well..." I breathed out while trying to avoid their gazes, "Where do I even begin? Where do I begin?" I said while tapping my chest with a nervous fist.


    "How about starting on the part where you just couldn''t keep your eyes off of these?" Vadei cheekily suggested as she grabbed Einervaene and squashed Lari between them. The face of the best dancer being mostly hidden behind barely covered breasts.


    "What about your legs?" Lari then pointed out as she made some room for her mouth between the milk-holders. A small smile coming to my face before I then had legs struck up in front of me. One mostly bare while the other had a tight boot on them. And they only showed off how tight they were as I moved my eyes along.


    "I enjoyed your dance very much, you all had something to add to it."


    "Yes, yes," Vadei then drolled out with a mimicking hand, "but which one of us was the sexiest?"


    "Uh... The best was probably Lari-" I said in an effort to change the topic back to dancing.


    "Larishazza? Have you seen her?" Vadei then asked in disbelief as she began to bully Lari. Her hands aggressively patting her body and pointing out how petite she was in comparison. Yet, for some reason, my thoughts were more focused on how Vadei was the way she was. She was a former slave, wasn''t she?


    Felt like that should have come with certain connotations...


    "Fine, you want an answer on which one I found sexiest? It was probably you then, Vadei, or do you need reminding on how skimpy your outfit is in comparison to the other two?" I then answered with a frustrated sigh. Something that left her quiet and blushing heavily, a small, smug smile on her face. Even if that smugness was often hidden behind the more open embarrassment.


    "Aw..." Einervaene then let out in disappointment.


    And I knew full well why, "Don''t worry," I started to whisper to her, "your outfit is the best." and that at least did something. As now she was smiling herself and standing a little prouder.


    "LAST ONE BACK INTO THEIR NORMAL CLOTHES HAS TO CLEAN UP!" Lari then shouted out which saw the other two dash off. A wide grin on her face before she took off her wavy parts.


    "I was beginning to wonder why your''s didn''t look too different." I commented as I realised that she was just in her usual attire the entire time.


    "We wanted to get it done soon and we also did not have the resources for more... So Vadei ended up wearing what I would have."


    "That''s good, fits her better." I said with a shrug. Smirking at the pout I got as a response before I then started putting chairs and such back.


    She then sighed as she looked at the exit, "I still have a while to go before she starts trusting me again."


    I stopped what I was doing and nudged her, "Don''t worry about it too much, to use myself as an example. I managed to start being happier around her again. It will come soon, and then, you will have a moment that makes you forget all your issues with her." I told her in reference to how she fought to save my life.


    "Did Einervaene happen... Did she happen to tell you something important recently, by the way?" Lari then asked me. Something I felt was a little out of nowhere, well, at least until I thought on it. Was Lari aware of Einervaene''s feelings for me? Was that why she kept trying to get us two near each other before Salahma attacked?


    "She did." I said as my face hardened.


    "And...?" Lari asked with an elongated voice as a smile came.


    "She still waits for an answer." I said to her as my mood soured.


    "Just say the Y-word to her, Ninno! It can''t hurt to give it a go."


    I then moved my left arm up and took something off it, "Do you happen to feel any different?"


    Lari became confused, "Am I supposed to? Why did you take your bracelet off? Oh! Can I wear it for a bit?" she asked as she reached for it.


    "No, it''s mine." I said to her with a forced laugh before I put it back on. A very subtle expression of my frustration going into the first chair I moved. A clear mark of anger having been pressed into the steel frame.

 Incline 6: To Ruin Good Times

    "Alright, Vadei, what is this about?" I asked the tailed woman after I had arrived on the bridge. Her call to the rest of the airship had been completed with my arrival. Even if I did not want to be here as I never even finished breakfast. Which is why I had a bowl in my claws.


    "I found one! I found one!" was all I got from her as she happily bounced about in her chair. And a lot of emphasis was to be put on it being her chair. She had pretty much asserted herself as the captain of the airship. Much to my petty annoyance as up until now, I had been head...


    "You found a place for us to land?" Einervaene then asked as several magical screens appeared. Within the confines of those glowing borders, they had a structure of some kind. Or, it was a town and it just looked like a single building. Either way, it meant she had found people.


    "Technically yes! But, to elaborate... It''s a town for us to roam about so we can get off this thing!" Vadei let out in an exasperated tone before she collapsed into her chair.


    "And how are we going to afford it...?" I asked her while staring intently at her. She had made it clear days prior she wanted to shop first and foremost. But, well, as this was a stolen airship, we did not exactly load it with money.


    "That''s alright if they have a banking system here where the main building is based at Thrurstradtur. I should be able to access my bank account!" Lari cheered before she began to pretend shop. Something she kept up until someone gave her a smile.


    "Well, alright then, where do we land exactly...?" I put forth while staring at the screen some more. I could not see any landing platforms like Suhurlodst had. So did that mean we would have to hover near or go down below?


    "What''s that pinging?" Einervaene questioned once the mentioned sound started happening.


    "It''s a pending communication, hold on. Hello?" Vadei answered before she then answered in a different manner.


    "Damaged airship, are you in immediate need of repairing?" a male voice asked clearly.


    "No, we can handle any of it, we would just like a place to land."


    "Confirmed, please follow the airtug and it shall assist you in your arrival. Welcome to Gifpzie, we hope you stay to enjoy the festival dedicated to the Pleasure Goddess Aahtha." we were informed before Vadei moved away from the chair.


    "FESTIVAL!" she then cheered as she began to hop up and down with Larishazza soon joining in. The pair of them skipped around in circles as they chanted.


    "Festival dedicated to Aahtha?" Einervaene repeated quietly with a frown.


    "Either local tradition or it is that time of year again." I said with a shrug as my mind returned to Tobaballe.


    "We are this close to the year ending? I didn''t expect time to have flown by so quickly."


    "Again, it might just be a local thing. But, yeah... It''s certainly been quite the year. To think it all started back in the Month of Thunder for me."


    "And you''ll be back for it too!" Einervaene giggled while I watched Vadei return to her seat.


    "Shame I did not return in the Month of Law or Morality then." I bitterly commented as I thought about how I got here. How I was tricked by a superior and sold into a deal that would have seen me die horrifically. All so a bunch of sadists with bits of green about them could pass a test.


    "Come on Nin, cheer up! If it''s a festival dedicated to Aahtha then now is the time to enjoy yourself!" Einervaene said to me as came closer. Her hand grasped my upper arm so she could gently shake it.


    "I intend to either way. But ''how'' is the question. Pleasure comes in many ways." I told her with a shrug. And while my tone made it clear I was not in a particularly serious mood. My mind was pretty much the opposite. How was I meant to enjoy the festival if I was forced to hide my body?


    "Perhaps you can enjoy the pleasure of my company then?" Einervaene asked cheekily with a bright smile and darkened cheeks.


    "We''ll see, put yourself first." I said to her before I finished my breakfast. Using my long tongue to clean up anything stuck between my teeth. And, I went back to looking at the screens solely so I could inspect the town. It was built on a mountain top and it was very blocky.


    It was like someone had taken a brick and a pile of sand and gently the first on the latter. But, unlike a brick, it wasn''t dull in either shape or colour. This town was covered in bright lights and gardens that came out of it. To say nothing of all the decorations likely related to the festival.


    "Shame." I then commented once our airship dove away from the town. The screens must have been a real-time display so now all we saw was mountain. At least, until we arrived at the hangar or whatever it was. Two loud bangs filled the air shortly after something likely grabbed our edges.


    "Airship crew and passengers, we have secured your vehicle in vices. Please power down and secure yourselves for storage." a voice calmly boomed from within our ship somehow.


    "Storage?" I repeated with some worry as that would mean a slow departure. Something I did not if we had a repeat of Tryhpeltzweig... But these worries would have to wait for now. As, thankfully, I could enjoy some mechanical sights for now.


    Dozens of small vehicles of some kind with openly displayed riders zipped about. Small cargo either in mechanical or fleshy hands and arms. We had a bridge of some kind attaching itself to our open deck space as well. And I could also see a bright light in the immediate distance beyond the airship.


    That must have been the way we should go when we got off as everyone else seemed to as well. And, despite this being described as a town, it was very busy. Lots of people and machines going away from us and towards us. There was even an animal or two.


    "Let''s go!" Larishazza then cheered as she held her arms out and ran out the door. A laughing Vadei right behind her who took Einervaene with her.


    "Hey! Don''t run off..." I began to say before I just shut up. None of them were going to hear me now and the airship was turning off completely. I wished they weren''t so eager to disappear... We needed to talk about our other passengers.


    The ones that could not be trusted...


    "What do?" Heiya''s father asked me as the pair approached me. Their actions made it clear they understood what I was thinking.


    "I don''t want to stay here, so I guess you two are coming with me." I answered while I stroked my chin. How in the name of the currently celebrated goddess was I to keep an eye on these two? Did I strap them to a rope or belt or something...? Or do I run the risk of them leaving as it was not like we needed them anymore?


    "Caaan we enjay the festivaaal?" Heiya asked me quietly while rubbing her little hands together.


    "Don''t see why not, come on then." I said with a shrug before gesturing them outside. Making sure I was fully dressed before I too left. And once my mask and hat were both securely on, I grabbed the pair. Then moved on to the bridge, which, to my initial shock, detached itself from the airship.


    "Life detection." Paps seemed to clarify as he stared at my skitterish body. Initially not hearing him as going outside just flooded us with noise. Mechanical bangs, cheerful shouting, distant music, these two little annoyances... It was overwhelming given our prior circumstances.


    Honestly, sometimes I began to doubt my former life as a wall-engraver in a densely packed city. I have spent so much time travelling with little groups recently that I had gotten used to it. So, going into places like this were oddly frightening. But, I suppose I also had other reasons to hate crowds now.


    "Caaan yau put us dawn?" Heiya asked of me, to which I complied. But, I did not let go of them and instead, I changed forms. Now, I looked like a parent guiding two brats.


    "Greetings, Sir! Welcome to Gifpzie, would you care for any compliments or a map of our town?" a woman asked me as we got closer to the bright hallway.


    "Uh, sorry, I don''t have money on me at the moment." I told them as I did an odd thing given our history. I sought comfort from these other two by gently squeezing their hands...


    "No worries! A blue-haired woman gave us your details beforehand, she set forth the funds to purchase anything you might want to grab!"


    "I''ll take the map then." I said to which she nodded and happily gave it to us.


    "Anything else? You still have money for food or beverage, or would you prefer the money just handed over?" she asked me once one of the slavers had unfurled the map.


    "You two want anything?" I then asked the pair as I pulled their arms up a little.


    Paps was the one who answered, "Big food, big drink." he said in his usual mix of thick accent and simple language. His finger pointed straight at Heiya who was staring at what these people had on offer.


    "Certainly, here you go, precious!" she said as she retrieved some kind of bottle and paper package. A small wave came from her before we left with our stuff. But, we couldn''t really do anything as my hands were occupied and they both only had one each. So, I brought them to the side and let go of them once they were in front.


    "She caaalled me preciaus." Heiya said with a smug smile before she began to suckle on the bottle. Her mouth soon smacked together as she tore into her food. Blissful moans came from her once she did. I would say she was overreacting, but we had been cruel to them at mealtime.


    No good food for our hostages after all.


    "Festival here." Paps said to his daughter as he gestured at where a lot of it was set up. And, oddly enough, despite their circumstances... They treated me like a strange just watching you in the street.


    "Stop hiding the map!" I said to him with a quiet growl. Snorting once the map was revealed to me so I could look at it more clearly. A long noise of thought left the walls of my mouth as I stared at it.


    "I waaant ta da the shaating campetitan!" Heiya said eagerly as she began to point at something. And indeed, what she was pointing at was the marker for some kind of gun range.


    They both then looked up at me, "Sure, we can even be nostalgic about it." I heaved out alongside a shrug before I stood up properly. Taking their hands once again before we began to head into the bright hallway. It seemingly getting brighter in that initial moment when you walked out of the dark hanger.


    And somehow, despite it not being a heavy industrial zone, it was far busier in here. With walkways being completely packed alongside various kinds of shops with brightly lit signs. Something that struck me as a little much given how it was almost white in this hallway. Couldn''t see any of the signs properly...


    "Maybe it will be a good idea to find the others... Somehow." I said to myself with a loud click as I saw price tags everywhere. A shudder went through me as I grew paranoid about our monetary situation.


    .


    .


    .


    "So what should we do first?" Larishazza asked us with evident excitement as she sprung about. Her feet leaving traces of water magic on the stone path and garden walls as she passed by them. And the stone even reacted to the magic and gently glowed as it went across it.


    "What is there for us to do, for starters." I say to her as I shake the map about. Staring at the water-magic user after she took it from me and rolling my eyes afterwards.


    "Dances, ranges, cook-offs, prize hunts, games and food and every possible thing that could make you happy!" she answers as she pushes it out towards us. The local population caused a dense field of wind magic that actively made the map go out. If had been any larger than Larishazza would be slowly sliding away!


    "So it''s mostly like a normal festival then?" Einervaene asked as she looked closely at the map. Her head soon turned away so she could see what we were near. That being mostly shops as we had only just left the entrance to this town. One of, at the very least.


    "Yeah, only difference is Aahtha will be mentioned a lot and she will clearly influence a lot of the decoration." I clarify to her as she points at the map.


    "Should we just have a look around first or should we just get straight into it?" she then asked before Larishazza jumped in.


    "Straight in!" she declared as she stuck out her hand while balancing on a single leg.


    I smiled first and nearly laughed, "This is just a map, so let''s find a schedule or something. We might not want to be stuck in something and hear a call-to-arms as it were."


    "Wait, hold on, it has a timetable or something here." Einervaene then pointed out as she gestured to where Larishazza''s hands had been. They were blocking some key details it seemed.


    "Not a very detailed one, though. But, it does give some details of note. For example, it says that at the mid-point of the day, there will be a team-based hunt. One involving halo light and mirrors."


    "Is it a race then?" Larishazza asked as she crawled under to look at it.


    "It doesn''t specify, just says prize hunt." I tell her as I trap her between my legs. Watching her squirm pitifully and intentionally beneath me.


    "What sort of prize?" Einervaene asked as it became clear her mind was going places.


    "Doesn''t say, but, it would surely have to be something related to Aahtha, no? It does start at the Temple of Equals after all."


    "But a temple of equals is designed to honour all gods."


    "Doesn''t mean they can''t have an Aahtha-themed event start there."


    "I suppose..." Einervaene mumbled as a finger went near her mouth.


    "We still have some time before it anyway, see, the clock has about three positions before it reaches mid-cycle." I then said to her as pointed up. No point in worrying about this hunt for the moment. Other things were around for us to do after all.


    "Hurry up! I want to do something!" Larishazza then moaned from below as she slapped me with limp-wristed efforts.


    "Get up!" I told her as I stepped away from her and made a decision for her. I wanted to do something near the bakeries and gardens! I could smell from here but I wanted the smells to be so much denser!


    "Oh, this one is pretty." Einervaene said all of a sudden when she came to a stop. Something that forced us to stop so we did not risk being separated.


    "What?" I called out to her before I saw what stopped her. And then, out of curiosity, I moved a little closer as I could not smell it. I was right next to this flower with glass-like colouring yet it was not smellable... Odd.


    "Are you alright!?" Einervaene then asked in worry after the flower burst open and spat on me. Initially, I was unable to respond as I was suddenly light-headed and stumbling about. But, after that brief moment, I came to a stop and was suddenly confused. That flower now suddenly smelled like me and had the same colour as my fur...


    "And stolen..." I said to the flower as I picked it and put it in my hair. I wasn''t sure why, but maybe it was just the gimmick of the flower that made me do it. This flower was now a me-flower and I wanted to enjoy it.


    "I don''t smell, do I?" Larishazza then suddenly asked as I noted this sudden smell influx. It seemed like she had set several of these flowers off and now the immediate area stank of her. It wasn''t an awful smell by any means, but it was a little much.


    So I hid my nose and mouth and laughed as I walked by, "Just a little." I giggled out as we walked away from these flowers. Yet the smell would not go away despite how far we moved. And it wasn''t because Larishazza was following us! It was because Einervaene had begun to put them in her own hair!


    "What are you doing?" I found myself asking her as her coppery hair contrasted with the blue flowers. Her fingers diligently worked non-stop to try and make her hair as suitable for them as possible.


    "I''m just putting some flowers in my hair..." she answered while looking away.


    "But why ones that smell of her?" I loudly asked back while stabbing a finger at the woman in question. My eyes widened as I watched Einervaene grow nervous.


    "They smell like the All-Coast..." she said to me while looking away. Larishazza, for some reason as well, was looking away with a frown.


    Only for her to then improve in mood, "Look! Over there! It''s a make your own ice cream!" she said as she hopped up and down. Her arm practically waved at the crowd there, the stand and the animal displayed near it. With said animal being fed bits of grass by happy and excited children.


    "I guess we could do with something cool, it seems to be a bit humid here." Einervaene said, her agreement clearly only existing to get out of the questioning. But, fine, ice cream was ice cream...


    "Ah, hello you three, you here to enjoy some self-made frozen delicacy?" the man running the place asked as he stepped out. His large belly jiggled as he smiled at us while patting his hands down. And it was clear he had been busy, he was covered in milk and flavouring stains.


    "Indeed we are! What do we do!?" Larishazza asked as she went to a stall and sat down. The narrow, tall seat spun around rapidly when she got on it.


    "Well, first, we got to ask Hammia here if she''ll bless her milk for us."


    "This all comes from her?" I asked as I too sat down.


    "Indeed! Every bit of ice cream I will sell today came from this mighty fine animal of mine." he says as he rubs the bloated creatures head. But, it wasn''t bloated because of overfeeding, that was just how it was. A sack-covered animal that evolved to survive slipping down mountains... Not really sure how it learned to get up mountains at all, though.


    "Mrrrrrraaaaaahhhh!" Hammia let out before it bit down on more feed a child was offering it.


    "Interesting." Einervaene quipped out as she stared at all the machinery near us.


    "Alright, so how much do we owe you then?"


    "Oh, as it is a festival to one of the goddesses. I''ll let you have a small portion for free. Especially if you use it to bring a smile to someone else''s face. It''s my, pleasure." he explained, his head nodding at the end before he broke out laughing.


    I smiled and shook my head, "I think we''ll take more than a small portion then." I said before I put some money out as Larishazza dumped it all on me. This wasn''t even when we arranged something for Nin, it was as soon as the bank gave it to her!


    "This is enough for four large portions." the man repeated as he counted the blocky money.


    "Yeah, we have a friend who is a bit behind, so we''ll get it for him."


    "Oh? Him?" he repeated with a smile once he caught on to that word.


    "Ask her for the details." I then deflected away from me while gesturing to Einervaene.


    "Well, I wish you all the luck with your friend then." he said with a loud laugh as Einervaene boiled up. Her face was soon being buried in her hat so she could hide behind it.


    "Don''t worry, ice cream will calm you down." I tell her while gently patting her back. Moving my hand away, however, when I felt a subtle shock go across me. It wasn''t much, just a static shock, but I knew it was a warning.


    "Oh! We can use magic on the machines here and make it more unique!" Larishazza let out as she began to fling water everywhere.


    "Indeed you can, so how about it you three, want to show me what you can do with a tub of ice cream?" the owner asked as he lifted up a reasonably thick piece of wood before he let us in. His hands and body guided us towards the machine in question before a slot opened up.


    Something that caused me to jump as it was far too familiar, "Oh, no, no, no, no..." I repeated over and over while waving my injured hand ahead of me.


    "Ah, I see, you have one of those kinds of airships. Don''t worry, nothing will hurt you." the man said in understanding before he put his own hand in. His face not even flinching as the machine came to life. All before it squirted out some slightly green and soft cream. And then he showed off his hand.


    "I... I think I''ll wait for those two to go..." I muttered nervously before Larishazza dove in and hummed a tune.


    "It tickles." she giggled out before the machine let out what looked like half-melted ice cream. Only, it wasn''t, it just looked like it as it took on her magical properties. So it looked like I was staring into a tub filled with a coastline.


    "Interesting..." I commented as Larishazza put a spoon into it which made the ice cream suddenly stop moving. It now looks much more like ice cream, only blue with a bit of yellow.


    "Wait! I didn''t pick any flavours..." Larishazza then says as she held the ice cream tub.


    "Don''t worry about it, the machine can alter flavours if you wish. Just pop it into that oven-like bit." we were informed by the man. All the while, Einervaene stared at the machine.


    But, for now, I focused on the grinning Larishazza, "Oh, I have an idea!" she sang out before she put it in. Her hands going to work as she pressed various buttons before she stepped away rubbing them.


    "What did you do?" I asked her to which she just smirked.


    "I prepared a surprise!" she vaguely informed me with before she took it out and tasted it. Her smile grew even wider before she sealed the tub shut.


    "Einervaene, something wrong?" I then asked the other one as she continued to stare at the machine. Walking up to her just in case she wanted to whisper the answer.


    "I don''t know what flavours Nin likes..." she mumbled which reminded me of the fact we bought four tubs.


    "Just get him something sweet, I''m sure he''ll like it."


    "But I haven''t really seen him eat sweet..."


    "He''s eaten honey before, get him a honey-flavoured one."


    "But is that really something he likes?" Einervaene questioned as she kept on making herself more worried.


    "Just get it!" I told her firmly, something I kept up until she nodded.


    "C-Can this one be honey-flavour please..." Einervaene then asked the man quietly.


    "Sure, what kind?" he asked back and Einervaene froze and looked over at me.


    "Whatever one is not overpowering but still flavourful." I said with a shrug as I really didn''t know much about honey variations.


    He smiled, "Sure, I can do that." he said before he went about sorting it out. And while he did that, I returned my attention to the stationary Einervaene. Briefly watching her hands like she was before she moved.


    "Alright, let''s try and do this." she uttered quietly before she suddenly turned into lightning. Her new form had made her the centre of attention for this brief moment. And once that was done, the crowd around the ice cream stand cheered for her. Clearly impressed by her display of magic or it might have just been the spell that got to them.


    I had to admit, it was a strange experience. You got so used to seeing people use magic at Suhurlodst that you forgot what most people could not do. Magic may have been present in all the people of this land but so few actually used spells. But, to bear it in mind, that few were still quite the number.


    And with how technology was progressing... How it made using your magic so much easier. I would not be surprised if even the common individual could cast minor spells. Like, perhaps my current arcane talents would be a new bare minimum standard in the future?


    "C-Can we go somewhere quiet?" Einervaene then asked me, her face slightly red as she realised her circumstances.


    "Right, sure, we got what we want." I said to her before making sure we had Nin''s ice cream. Only, we had forgotten one thing, my ice cream. And, well, I did not want to use that machine with the hand slot... So I just scooped up a pre-made flavour and left.


    "Enjoy the festival you three!" the stall owner called out to us with a wave. Something Larishazza returned while Einervaene and I focused on leaving. But, I did offer a small gesture of farewell. Just not as grand as the grown-up child next to me with blue hair.


    "WE WILL!" Larishazza screamed back before she began to dig into her ice cream. Only to stop and clutch her head after she went through probably a quarter of it.


    "Stupid." I commented before I looked at the map again. Ignoring the pout I was getting from Larishazza as she returned to her ice cream. An expression she kept up until I looked at her and that spoon in her mouth. And then she just smiled and went back to doing what she was before.


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    "I think we should start heading towards the temple now." Einervaene suggested once she had finished being her.


    "We still have plenty of time, it can wait." I said back to her.


    "But look how crowded this place is, we might get stuck in the queues and not get anything done."


    "So why does that mean we should head to the temple?"


    "Because that way we can still make it to the big event but also look at everything else on the way." she said just before she twirled some of her hair.


    "Hm, fair." I replied with a pop, folding up the map slightly before putting it away again.


    "Where to? Where to!?" Larishazza asked me as she let her head direct the way her body walked. A risky endeavour considering how crowded this place was. Yet, somehow, she was able to not hit anything with the top of her head.


    "What about that, that seems like it could be fun." I then pointed out when we came by something with a rather small queue. For some reason, it only had a few pairs lined up for it.


    "Hey! You three! Would you like to partake in this pad-hop race? We just need one more team to have a full set!" a member of staff for this event asked us while we got closer. I was intending to read the sign they had up, but this would do.


    "What do you do in a pad-hop race?" I asked first just to clarify anything for the other two. But, admittedly, I had never heard of this either.


    "Simple, we tie you up here and here," she said as she gestured to her wrist and then her ankle, "and then we have you make it across this pool by running on the lily-pads!"


    "And if you fall?"


    "You get wet!" she said with a giggle.


    "Do you have to stay on the lily-pads?" Larishazza then asked as she skipped over. Her blue hair made the staff member become all excited as well.


    "If you want to win, but with you I suppose only because it is fair!" she giggled out while twirling this bit of blue in her own hair. As if she was trying to impress her hero or something.


    "Alright! A challenge though..." Larishazza initially started with excitement before she looked at Einervaene. Her mood took a sudden dive in the process when she did that. And I was stuck in the middle of it as the pair was awkwardly staring at each other.


    "Come on you two, give it a go, you might have fun." I said to them in encouragement. I may have put on the outward appearance of kindness, but it was mostly because I was sick of it. Before we did that dance days prior those two kept bickering. I needed to help them get over their animosity.


    "This is too much water... I can''t!" Einervaene tried to warn before I started guiding her. Having just taken away her items and loose clothing so the pair could go ahead.


    "Enough excuses, win that race!" I ordered her and Larishazza by extension as I left them in the line. Smiling cheekily as the members of staff got them sorted before they guided them up. The pair soon standing awkwardly on a platform near what seemed to be seven other pairs? I could not really see.


    "Would you like a seat?" I was then asked by a member of staff as they waddled over to me.


    "Sure, might as well." I said to them with a shrug in part because I didn''t want to hold all of this.


    "Just make your way over there and join the families of the other contestants." they explained, nodding in acknowledgement before I went over. But, I felt awkward myself now as I was on my own. Everyone else was in their groups but I was on my own. To say nothing of how hearing the f-word made me sad...


    But, I just reminded myself of how close I was to seeing them again. How close we were to saving them. So I just needed to set it aside and try to enjoy myself for now. I would hold them in my arms soon enough.


    For now, "YOU TWO BETTER WIN!" I shouted out to the team I was watching. This shout of mine also set off a reaction that got everyone else cheering for their teams. And despite the situation I was in, being the only one cheering for my team. I kept on going even if I was getting drowned out.


    And then it started with a loud bang and metallic clang. A gun had been fired to signal the start and the platform they were on collapsed. All of the teams subsequentially fell down onto the lily-pads below. With not even my rooted for team getting to their feet quickly.


    Everyone was just shaking and trembling and one team had already fallen into the water. And in that moment I saw just how hard it was to get back on. But, there was also another problem. Einervaene was getting spooked by the lack of stability.


    She was sparking off bits of magic and the water was occupied by staff and contestants...!


    "LARISHAZZA! KEEP EINERVAENE OUT OF THE WATER!" I screamed out to them in worry. Something they thankfully heard and acknowledged. Gone was the awkwardness from before and instead it was replaced with determination. Her expression was hard and did not falter.


    She was trying her hardest to keep Einervaene out of the water but it was not enough. The bondage they were put into was preventing Larishazza from doing anything complicated. And as the race went on it only got worse as the lily-pads moved or were overturned by staff. It got to the point the pair stopped, fortunately, they also had the lead.


    "Einervaene, listen to me." Larishazza said to her. Something I only heard as I was enhancing my hearing.


    "I want to get out...! Can someone let me out!" the worried lightning user cried out.


    "Einervaene!" Larishazza said sternly as she held her close.


    "What?" Einervaene said with a gulp as her heels were not helping her here. They did not offer much to grip with and she was slipping.


    "Follow my lead okay? Just copy what I do." Larishazza said to her while nodding. The worried one nodded shortly after she got some stability in her legs. And then, Einervaene was thrown onto the next lily-pad and the pair spun about. With Larishazza''s toes reaching out to the next one as she too spun.


    And from there, with the guidance of Larishazza, the pair began to spin to win. Each rotation landed them on a new lily-pad until they reached the end. Right next to this much larger one with a blooming flower on it. Yet, on that final one, it was Larishazza of all people who slipped.


    But, they stopped as Einervaene used her heels to her advantage. Having stabbed them straight into the thick green body of the pad so she could anchor herself. And from there, she leaned back until Larishazza collapsed on top of her. Laughter came from both of them before they squirmed up to their feet.


    Just in time too, for another team had managed to catch up to them. As they had used magic to propel a pad straight to it. Their hands desperately reached for something inside of the flower. Only for them to then stop as my team got their hands on it.


    And my reaction was boisterous, "GET IN!" I screamed in triumph as I began to shake the barricade before me. My team also cheered as an alarm went off. And once they were back on dry ground, I charged them while holding all our stuff.


    "Look what we won!" the pair nearly said in unison, causing them both to smile at each other.


    "What is it?" I asked as I stared at it. It looked like the lily-pad flower but it was also made of glass or something. Was it a piece of jewellery or was it just a trophy? Going by how I was now watching another be put in by the staff. I was willing to guess it was the latter option.


    "It''s our trophy, see!" Larishazza said as she gestured to the inscription that appeared when it was put near light.


    "Einervaene and Larishazza..." I repeated what I read for their names were now shadows on the ground.


    "Alright, I call dibs on the next trophy we win then!" I told them with vocalised determination and expressed envy.


    "I want to show Nin." Einervaene then said as she took hold of it and smile at it.


    "Where is Nin anyway?" I then asked pointlessly as none of us actually knew where he was. We had left him back on the airship and had been going about the town.


    "We''ll run into him later, now come on! I want to have more fun with my friends!" Larishazza said as she dismissed the topic and held our arms up. Her jumping body sent slight shakes through the limbs in question.


    "Fine, the temple is this way, let''s see if we can find anything else we can do." I said.


    "Let''s see? You make it sound like we''ll find nothing!" Larishazza told me with a smile.


    "You know what I mean!" I shot back with, a tone of mock annoyance being how I did it.


    .


    .


    .


    "It''s a very good thing freebies are so common here." I mumbled with a growling stomach. A bag full of snacks in my claw. Now if only this town wasn''t so crowded. Damn that Pleasure Goddess and her festival, I wanted to eat something!


    "Paps! I waaant ta try thaaat next!" Heiya exclaimed with joy as she started climbing. Her arm wildly gesturing at something once she had climbed up to a higher spot. Not that it really helped her father as he was carrying everything they had gotten. From Heiya''s shooting trophy to their own snacks and goods.


    To say nothing of the pickpocketing they had been doing throughout the day. We had no money of our own so they have improvised with it. However, on the principle of the matter. I refused anything they offered to buy.


    I did not want to be entertained with money gained through foul means. I also did not want them buttering me up so they could potentially squeeze a deal out of me. They were my prisoners and I intended to keep it that way. Now if only Heiya kept still...


    "A demolition game?" I said once I saw what it was Heiya was pointing at. Personally, I felt like I should really not be getting as surprised as I was. Yet, somehow, the games of this festival kept surprising me with how complex they were. So much magical machinery compared to festivals back home...


    Like, I was willing to bet everything I had and my life that if this was the Month of Thunder. Then there would be entire factory complexes available for even kids! And to contrast that with how it was back home then it would be excessive. All we would have would be a screwdriver, hammer and pile of scrap.


    But, as I thought on this, I began to wonder somewhat as well. Could I make my home better with all this technology? Even just the minor stuff like the toys! It could help improve our situation greatly.


    Yet, did I want to actually help my home? Did I really want to help Tobaballe? Despite how familiar it was and how desperate I was to return... I hated it there, I genuinely hated it there compared to this land...


    Here I have made friends with people who are willing to fight to save my life. I have a quality of life that is unparalleled compared to back home. I would not have gotten close to this standard until I was old if I was in Tobaballe! To say nothing of how magic has steadily become more exciting for me.


    No longer was it entirely this terrifying power that scared me. That was all mostly gone, instead, it was something I could appreciate. It made me feel strong rather than weak and I was so free with it. I could leap the length of streets in single bounds and shatter boulders!


    It was like the fantasy of a child come true!


    "Nin! Nin! Nin!" Heiya repeated over and over as she hit my mask. Something that caused me to leave my thoughts and get back to reality.


    "What?" I asked her as I stopped her hand from hitting it again.


    "Hald aur stuff sa me aaand Paps caaan plaaay." she told me rather than asked like she should have. But, that wasn''t the big issue. The big issue was that she was expecting me to let them both leave my sights.


    "In your dreams, Heiya, do not forget why you are here, to begin with." I told her as I moved my face closer to her. Letting my chitters be a bit louder to emphasise an obvious point.


    "I knaw. I just waaant ta haaave fun with my Paps." she replied with while hiding her throat. Seeing that, I shook my head and sighed.


    "Fine, but let''s move over there first. I''m not carrying it all." I tell the pair as I take Heiya''s hand and guide her down. Collapsing down onto a chair and carefully following their movements to the game. Not even staying sat down during the process just so I could lash out at them. Assuming they did try something like runoff...


    But, maybe Heiya''s pride in having won that shooting competition trophy will keep her near. She really liked that trophy or maybe she just liked showing off. The staff there did make a big deal of all the records and that. She didn''t even take part in a kids game, it was blatantly intended for professionals!


    Now if only I could hear what they were talking about... They were clearly enthused about it, well, Heiya was anyway. Paps was just gently hitting her whenever she seemed to make an elaborate suggestion. He hit her a lot from what I have seen.


    Must be a very protective father, then. Perhaps it has something to do with the lack of a mother? A lack of a ''Mam'' as I am guessing she would be called? I do wonder a little.


    But, it was also something I could live without knowing as it was just, well. A rather irrelevant piece of information that just did not matter. Well, it would probably matter quite a bit with those two. Just not for me.


    "Oh, look, they''re actually playing the game." I muttered while I put my claws together. Losing sight of the pair only because I was quite enjoying the other sight. The staff were quickly assembling a small tower for them to bring down. I assume it was built with some kind of magic magnets?


    It all just sort of slotted itself together. But then something happened, a list of some kind with big bold words. Which meant I could actually read it! So why not, why not see what it was about?


    And it turns out it was a difficulty selection of some description. Easy, normal and hard were the options. The three options seemed to offer a different set of circumstances. If you chose easy, you got more, something, while as you went up you got less.


    I was willing to assume it had something to do with how you brought the tower down. So it must have been how many explosives you got? No, that was absurd even for this magic-filled festival. Giving bombs to children so they could demolish something, no one was that insane.


    Right...?


    "They didn''t..." I then found myself saying as I watched the pair of hwardgon leave the tower. Everything had been set in place and then there were several explosions. Their large fireballs going out towards the crowd and doing nothing... Fake explosions...?


    The tower was going down, though. It seemed like they set all their bombs on one side and it collapsed down that way. Well, with the exception of the bottom as that just flung away and hit the barrier. At least they had the foresight for that, the festival staff, that is.


    "Yau like it?" Heiya asked me with a smug expression as she showed off a machine of some kind. It must have been her trophy and it was doing a replay of how they brought the tower down. Bright red letters on the bottom declaring that they had ''demolished'' the tower.


    "Fancy." I ended up commenting before I let them take back their stuff.


    "Where now?" Paps then asked his daughter as finished taking most of it.


    "We caaan''t da aaanything right naw. Mast claseing up becaaause af temple event." Heiya explained while pointing at most of the games. They were indeed telling people to wait and that. Some people were annoyed, but most suddenly jumped and ran off. As if they all forgot something.


    "Temple event? What''s happening at the temple?" I asked her just in case. If this was a period of prayer then I would like to partake in it. Even if Aahtha was not a goddess I normally did anything with. Then again, I have been more willing with most deities now.


    I presume it must be related to the fact I have well, spoken to a few of them. In-person hanging out and all that. It certainly put a lot of emphasis on why faith was important. After all, if you actually met them then any naysaying heathens were proven wrong completely!


    No more second-guessing and all that. Not that I really doubted it much, to begin with. I more so pondered if I should just involve myself more with Apahthein. Given his area of influence is basically just be lazy.


    Gods know I could use the rest most of the time.


    "Aaa treaaasure hunt!" Heiya answered as her eyes went wide. So much light being caught up in them that they became lights of their own.


    "Sounds like the perfect excuse for you lot to run off, so no." I told them to which she just moaned in disappointment. Her little arms crossed over as she snarled up at me. She must have recognised that I was not going to budge on this.


    "Just walk then?" Paps asked to which I shrugged to. Nothing wrong with doing that, we can just go for a walk if they wanted. Might even find the other three that way then. Knowing Larishazza, she probably was taking part.


    And now that I thought about it, Vadei probably was too as she was quite the tracker. Admittedly, she probably wasn''t that good at it. All she did was track me down after I got stolen away by a firey monster after all... Nothing impressive about that.


    "Hello." a little boy then said to me in a quiet tone as he waved some little device at me. It was glowing and making little pings and dings. Was he lost? Or was this a toy he wanted to share...?


    "Hi." I said with uncertainty as I looked down at him.


    "Priest is doing a game and he said to look for someone involved with the gods. And my thing is noisy near you. Are you what I am looking for?" he explained before he asked me that question. I was raising my brow at this but I was now curious. Had Aahtha influenced this event to involve me somehow?


    "I might be, would you like me to come with you?"


    "Yeah, Priest says we win something if we bring it back to the temple." he says with a nod before he holds out his hand. So, with a slight smile forming, I took it into my claw and let him guide me. Maybe this would be fun? Just sort of getting dragged into a game because a goddess made me a piece of it.


    "Come on you two!" I then told them as it would seem like they would be partaking in the hunt now. Something Heiya seemed particularly happy about as she ended up skipping over to us.


    "Your hand is soft..." the child said once he took Heiya''s hand as well. Maybe he thought she was what he needed as well? I could not blame him, I did tell the pair to follow.


    "Thaaank yau!" Heiya said to him with a smile as giggled at his thumb rubbing her backhand.


    He laughed too, "Your voice is silly!" he said to her before he began to charge on ahead. But, as he was just a child, it did not amount to much at all.


    .


    .


    .


    "I am having no luck figuring this out..." I commented as I stared at our instructions for the treasure hunt. It had started earlier than expected so now we were playing catch up. But now we were at a complete loss. The instructions implied the temple but the priest said it had to be brought to the temple...


    "Maybe it is Nin?" Einervaene then whispered to me. Something I immediately scoffed at as that was ludicrous. Why would it be Nin? The instructions clearly meant something holy.


    "Why would it be him? Everyone else clearly thinks it has something to do with the temple."


    "I''m just saying, if we think about it, the instructions say to bring back something that knows the gods well. He has met them!" she whispered loudly.


    "You don''t believe that, do you?" I asked her as I shook my head. Sure, Nin came back to life as an osibindah. But that did not mean the gods were involved! Why would they turn him into an osibindah for starters!?


    "Even if I do doubt it, Vadei, it doesn''t change the fact that if we don''t take this option then we lose the treasure hunt!" she points out before she looked around. Her body stretched itself out too, probably to give her just a bit more height. Not that she needed it given her heels.


    "Fine... You''ve successfully appealed to my love of the material." I tell her with a roll of my eyes. Starting up the same spell I used to track him down before. And once I had a rough idea of where he was. I got my little group moving.


    Now if only this festival wasn''t such an assault on the senses. It was much harder to track him here because there was so much else in the way. At least with before the smells that stood out did in fact stand out! This time, however, it all blended together to an infuriating degree.


    But, if I ignored the frustrations brought on by this ordeal, it gave me some hope that we could win. No alarm had gone off so no one had won yet, which meant the temple idea was wrong. And the hunt was already going late into the latter half of the day. So, gods and goddesses be willing, we would find Nin soon before anyone else catches on.


    "The temple?" Larishazza then pointed out as my magic brought us towards the start. But, in a brief moment, I saw him. I saw that bug towering over the rest of the people in the area who were confused. Everyone''s trackers were going off but no one could figure it out.


    And Nin was moving closer to the temple so did that mean he was also playing? If so, did that mean we could relax? The reward would get shared between us, no? Nah, I wanted to win this!


    "After him!" I hissed to the other two as I sprinted off towards Nin. Finding whatever gaps in the crowd I could and moving through them. And, unfortunately, I had to use my tail as a distraction on occasion. But, so long as my lust for victory remained, the embarrassment would stay away.


    Yet, just as I was about to grab Nin''s shoulder, the alarm went off. He had just won the treasure hunt...


    "So what did you win then, hm?" Nin asked while looking down. Confusing me before I realised he was found by someone else.


    "I don''t know, the Priest never said so. I hope it is food, though. I have been playing a lot today." a little boy said back to Nin. The priest who started this whole race came into view shortly after.


    "Aahtha said you''d be coming." he warmly greeted Nin as his arm touched his. A bitter expression formed on my face before everyone who did not win was forced out. A quiet growl then left me before I went back to the other two who had already met up.


    "Who found him first?" Einervaene then asked me as I collapsed onto a fence we were near.


    "Some little boy..." I moaned as I moved my tail closer. Stroking it harshly to try and get it clean of any muck those it touched might have put on it.


    "Well good for him!" Larishazza declared with a smile as she sprung up. Her eyes locked on the temple as it began to glow.


    "I wonder what is happening in there..." Einervaene muttered as her eyes followed the beam of light leaving its domed roof.


    "Whatever is happening in there, it must have ended." I then point out as the doors open wide again. That same little boy ran out with a smile on his face and a large bag in his hands. Then, Nin came out too before he wandered off into an alleyway. Likely to avoid all the discussion about him that suddenly bloomed into being.


    "Let''s follow him!" Larishazza then said as she grabbed mine and Einervaene''s wrists. Pulling us along in an almost violent manner before we caught up with Nin. And those two slavers who were with him for some reason...


    "Why are they here?" I bitterly asked him as I approached the pair. My teeth bared and magic flowed into my claws as I did so. But, Nin''s hand stopped me and gently kept me away.


    "Because you three ran off before we figured out where to leave them. So, in order to keep an eye on them. I brought them along and let them have fun."


    "Let them have fun? Do you need reminding of why they are with us at all!?" I snapped out at him as I moved my face near his. Snapping my jaws together so I could show off my canines. Only for him to take off his mask a bit and show off those rows of needles he had.


    "No, he has a point, Vadei. We did just leave him behind with them." Larishazza pointed out before she started patting Nin down.


    "I did not win anything if that is what you are looking for." he pointed out as he gently grasped her head and moved her off. Only for her to start doing it again until he let out some kind of laugh or chuckle.


    "What happened in the temple, Nin?" Einervaene asked while her eyes looked over at something else.


    "Some prayers were recited and I was told to give a reward to the winner, but, I am not sure why I had to. So, here I am, with no snacks now." he explained with a slow, agitated shrug.


    "What about the temple lighting up then? The beam of light that went up to the halo?"


    "Lights? Only lights were the candles in the temple."


    "It must''ve been an outside only thing, then." I commented to Einervaene once Nin had said that. Then, I looked about as noise returned to the town. Or, well, more noise as it was likely all the stalls and games were opening up again.


    "So what games did you three play then?" Larishazza asked Nin as her issues with the slavers were put aside. Instead, she just focused on the trophies those two had.


    "Shooting games and a demolition game." Nin answered while pointing at the two trophies.


    "You only played two games?" Larishazza asked him.


    "No, it''s just that for the most part, she just wanted to shoot things." Nin said before he gave a brief gesture towards the younger slaver. That prideful smile they had irritated me to an indescribable level.


    "Well we played-" Larishazza began to say before I blocked her mouth. If she started we would not hear the end of it given how much we had done.


    "Nin! Me and Larishazza won this game on giant plants in water and this was our reward!" Einervaene said excitedly to him before she showed him the flower.


    "Fancy, this actual gemstone or glass?" he asked as he likely looked at it wearily. His claws were holding it very cautiously.


    "I don''t know, but watch this!" she told him before she let some of her magic light the area up. And then, hers and Larishazza''s names ended up plastered on the nearby walls.


    "At least we know who it belongs to, then." he said to us with a light chuckle before he stared at what we had.


    "Oh, that reminds me! We got you this!" Larishazza told him as she took his ice cream from me.


    "Can you open it for me?" he then asked with a meek tone. Clearly embarrassed by the fact he couldn''t open the tub given his lack of decent digits.


    "Sure! Want me to feed it to you too?" Larishazza asked him with a wide smile as cool mist left the now open tub. The magic in the tub has kept it frozen solid throughout the day.


    "I''ll have it later. For now, I want to find a good spot so we can watch the..." he said before he came to a stop.


    "The light show?" I then said to him, not really caring to recite the whole title as Jhermonikran''s like to do.


    "Yeah, that thing they''re doing at night." he said before he looked up to the sky.


    "We have plenty of time before that, so do you want to go do something until then?" I asked him as now that we were a whole group again. We could do everything that detail entailed.


    "I''ll probably just watch like I did with these two." he said while pointing at the pair behind him.


    "Well, at least that solves us keeping an eye on them." I say back him before I began to leave the alleyway. The other five were right behind me before I pulled out our map so we could go and do something else.


    "We haven''t done anything in this part of the town." Nin said as one of his claws tapped the upper part of the map.


    "We haven''t either, but it''s mostly just small games up there." I tell him while pointing out their details. That area was pretty much food stalls and food-related games. Instead of fancy trophies, you got snacks and treats. Which, admittedly didn''t sound too bad...


    "LOOK!" Larishazza then shouted at point-blank range as she began to tap one spot.


    "DON''T SHOUT SO CLOSE TO MY EAR!" I shouted back while clutching said body part. A wordless sorry came from her before she started touching the map again.


    "Photobooths! Let''s get some pictures!" she said while hopping up and down. Yet, somehow, she kept her arm straight and firm in the same spot.


    "Eh, surely there''s something else?" Nin said in an uncomfortable tone before he looked away.


    "You won''t have to, you know, Nin!" Einervaene told him while rubbing his arm. A soft smile being directed at him which only seemed to make it worse.


    "No!" he told her with a surprisingly aggressive tone.


    "Alright, alright," Larishazza began to say as she put her hands up, "How about this then? Just one photo with you? Mask and that can all stay on. Just one where us four are all in it together?" she said to him while trying to ease him into the idea.


    His body was stiff but it began to relax alongside his breathing which steadied.


    "Fine..." he said with clear reluctance as he looked away from Larishazza.


    "Yay!" she quietly cheered before she took his claw and led him. All of us were now on our way to the part of town with the photobooths. We passed many shops and were surrounded by many tasty smells. We even had to keep bringing people back who stopped to stare, me included.


    But I was justified! They had lots of meat just being spun about on spits! How could anyone not want to just stare and drool at such sights!? It was spit-roasted meat!


    Einervaene might have wanted to ignore it, though. If only because her eyes were locked entirely on a clothes shop. And, admittedly, they did have quite a few cute outfits that were easy on the eyes. Their prices weren''t bad either all things considered...


    "Photo time!" Larishazza suddenly called out as she hopped around near one of the machines in question. The two slavers had been put into their own so we four could have our one picture.


    "Wait, who goes where?" I asked as we gathered around.


    "Nin goes in the middle and the rest of us trap him in!" she said with a grin before she dragged Nin in. I myself climbed over her and him so I could be on his back. Einervaene, however, went around and sat on his right.


    "Don''t you say something before a picture is taken in these? Or you do something funny at the very least?" Einervaene asked us as her face went red. Her body being so close to Nin''s after all.


    "It''s a matter of taste." I said with a shrug from up on high.


    "Yes, and our tastes will be to pose around Ninno and say... Friends!" Larishazza explained while grinning sheepishly.


    "Friends? Fine..." Nin sighed out as he looked at her. A certain level of regret for some reason is mixed into his words. It was clear he was still reluctant to be here so I was getting curious. He was still dressed up so what was the issue?


    "Alright, girls, pose!" Larishazza told us as she smooshed her face up against Nin''s mask. Something Einervaene ended up copying while also just hugging him. Meanwhile, I just got my tail out and hid behind its tip. Letting only my eyes show.


    "FRIENDS!" we all then shouted out loud with the exception of Nin who just mumbled it. And then, the machine went off and the photo was taken. A picture of said picture appeared before us so we could look at it beforehand.


    "Here you go, Nin, look after it." Larishazza told him as she handed the actual one over. My body slid down into the middle as he squeezed out. But I was worried because he was just quietly staring at it last I saw him. Yet, for now, I was a little too involved with these photo''s we were now doing.


    "Okay, now, let''s pretend we are all sleeping!" Einervaene then suddenly said as she grabbed my tail.


    "Hey!" I let out loudly as the stronger woman began to treat it like a blanket. Something that set off so many triggers for me given its importance. I shared my tail in naps and sleep with people I cared about dammit!


    .


    .


    .


    "Nin! Nin!? Nin, where are you!?" one of the girls called out as I hid away in the dark. My rear was firmly placed on the edge of a garden that was seeing next to no use this late at night. In my hand, that photo we took and in my eyes... Tears...


    I did not want this reminder, I was going to leave them and now I had a reminder. A reminder I just did not want to get rid of for some reason. And even if it was risky, I had my mask and hat off just so I could cry openly. It wasn''t fair, I just wanted to go home and then this thing had to exist...


    "Nin? Is that you?" Einervaene asked me as the sound of her heels became louder. Yet, oddly enough, the sound was not so sharp. I did not turn around to look at her, but when she entered my eyes, I was surprised. She was not in her usual clothes.


    Instead, it was just a simple white dress that also went blue as you went up the dress. It also had dark blue rims and flower designs also went across it. And instead of her high-heels, she had something closer to sandals. Still high-heeled and all that, but it was a lot subtler and more open so her feet were exposed.


    "What''s wrong?" she asked me as she sat down close to me. Something I refused to answer as I put the photo away into my hat.


    "Nothing." I told her as I went over to the edge of the garden. Staring out into the dark land below before she came over. Her own eyes looked up at the night sky as she moved closer. Most of her weight clearly being applied to me as she stood there.


    "I won''t push it then, Nin. But, the light show is about to happen, put a smile on just for that then?" she asked me as she turned to face me. Her hand guided my face towards her when I refused to move.


    "We''ll... We''ll see..." I told her with frequent tremors and stops. And then, it just sort of became quiet. It was just us two standing around in the dark until distinct sounds were heard. All of a sudden, light.


    Loud bangs and colourful lights lit up the sky.


    "It''s started if you could not figure it out." Einervaene teased with a grin as her face took on a green shade. Something with green light in it had just exploded right in front of us. And then purple, orange, brown, yellow, blue, pink and then white. The white one was particularly entrancing as it just lit us up.


    "Beautiful..." I let slip while looking in Einervaene''s direction. Even if I was looking at a distant sight.


    "You''re not too bad looking yourself." she said back to me with a smile and rather subtle blush for her. And while she was smiling at me, I frowned. I knew what was about to happen. And, given what I have learned, it is time I gave her an answer.


    "Listen, Einervaene." I said to her while straightening out my form. Moving slightly closer to her in the process. But, it would seem she misinterpreted it and had closed her eyes. Lips open slightly as it became clear she was expecting the unlikely...


    "Oh, sorry." she told me with a darker blush once she realised I wasn''t going to kiss her. But to her, it must have been something more akin to she was just too hasty. Not that I was not interested...


    "As I was saying, Einervaene, I believe there is something important you have been trying to tell me?" I said to her as I raised my left arm. Taking off the bracelet I got from Motrtha and letting it hit the ground at that moment. And it hurt deeply to see Einervaene''s expression change the way it did.


    She started off with that sweet smile and an eager love waiting to be let out. But it suddenly disappeared and she became confused before she became visibly frustrated. Her mouth moved about as if it wanted to say something but nothing came out. It was clear she was coping by thinking she was just embarrassed.


    "Nin, I... Nin... I..." she let out before she went quiet and put some distance between us. Her eyes went down to the bracelet I dropped.


    "You want to say something along the lines of asking me out, don''t you? How you have these feelings you just want to admit?" I said in a rather flat tone which I probably should not have used.


    She slowly nodded before she shook her head, "No... That''s not it... Why can''t I say it!?" she exclaimed loudly in frustration. That anger soon gave way to tears as she bashed at her head.


    "Einervaene!" I said firmly as I put a stop to that. And at that moment I regretted what I had done. She was breaking down crying while showing nothing but confusion and loss on her face.


    "Why can''t I say it...?" she said once more as she looked up at my face. Her body came closer as she tried to reignite it. Like a match that kept going out.


    "Because you never did feel it." I told her cruelly as I took a step away. Gesturing once more at the bracelet.


    "You mean to tell me..." she said as she caught on to what the implication was. That this bracelet was interfering with her emotions for some reason.


    "Yes, you never felt that way, Einervaene. This bracelet just twisted and messed with what was already there." I told her with a sigh before I began to walk away. Content only with the idea of leaving that bracelet behind. In spite of how valuable it was at the end of it all...


    But, her hand reached out and stopped me, her eyes wide so she could aide her plea, "I don''t care! Whatever that bracelet did! I don''t care! I was truly happy when you had that on... I don''t care if I am not wholly sincere to you with it on! I just want to feel like I have someone!" she cried out to me as she tried to tug me back to her.


    Yet one firm move from me was enough to free the arm from her grip, "I won''t, Einervaene. I won''t willingly force you to have a better opinion of me. I won''t force something-"


    "Nin! I am telling you it is fine, I want you to do it! I am fine with it! So please," she told me before she tried to put it back on my wrist, "put it on!"


    "No..." I told her as I shoved her away. Watching as she stumbled and fell down to the floor before leaving her there. Making sure to grab my stuff before I waited by a corner. Unable to tear myself away from the sound of her crying.


    And while I tormented myself by staying near the woman I broke the heart of. I put my mask back on and then my hat too. I hid it all behind this mask. Every bit of anger and despair.


    I hid it all before I then finally worked up the strength to walk away from the garden.

 Peak 6: Goodbye, Land of Wind

    "Alright, Captain, are we there yet?" I asked Vadei as I spun my chair around. Once again breathing a long sigh when I saw her outfit. No thanks to Larishazza''s encouragement of course.


    "Do not speak unless spoken to." she said back to me with a stern voice and stiff posture. She then stood up and put her arms behind her back, keeping that stiff posture as she did so. A slow methodical walk followed this. One full of flair and theatrics.


    "Consider this a mutiny then." I stated as I too stood up. Tightly gripping a piece of metal I had found earlier and holding it like a sword. Waving it about before me as I saw her magic move about.


    "You dare rise up against your captain!?" she asked back as she stuck her right arm out, shoulder cape moving out with it. A steady tinting of her sharp nails occurred the longer I mutinied.


    "I do!" I told her as I charged her with my pole. Hitting her in the arm just after with a loud bang.


    "OW! There wasn''t any need for that!" she then initially screamed out at me before she waved her hurt arm about.


    "You were actively using magic! A light tap should not have hurt that badly!" I said back to her in disbelief. The idea that actually hurt her sounded comical to me.


    "It did! Look at what you did!" she told me as she shoved her wrist in front of me.


    "I see the sleeve to your leather jacket." I deadpanned out to her before she then jabbed me with her nails.


    "Hah, got you." she said to me with a grin while I just walked away shaking my head.


    "So as I was asking, are we there yet?" I spoke once I had put that piece of metal away with a careless toss. A series of high-pitched clangs and bangs came out from under the table I put them under.


    "The No-Fly Zone? Yeah, we''re getting pretty close. But, technically, we are also already there as this place once was in it." she answered before she elaborated a little. Once again putting up with her antics as she showed off her airship knowledge.


    "Alright, I''ll be having a look outside, then." I said with a shrug before I left her. Only for her to follow me through the door to the outside.


    "What are you hoping to find exactly?" she asked as I rested my wrapped up arms on the closest railing.


    "Signs of war."


    "Not sure why anyone would want to see that unless they were a psychopath or an anti-war activist."


    "Mostly because of Vapooliar. She''s or was a soldier and as such we talked about it every now and then. The entire reason you lot left the aelenvari flower was even related to it."


    "You want to see the kind of war she fought?"


    "Yes, at least to satiate my curiosity about the scale at the very least."


    "Does the scale matter, Nin? War is war. You''ll find fire and death either way."


    "It probably does not matter at all. But, I was often confronted with her being distraught over her failures. And she is just so much stronger than any of us here and likely at the Academy. So I want to see what kind of war leaves her unwilling to fight..."


    "It might not just be the war that has her unwilling, Nin." Vadei told me while she stared intently at me.


    "I really wish you didn''t just use me as a point of reference for where I saved her from." I sighed out before my head went into my palms.


    "Sorry... I just felt like it was an easier way of doing it."


    "Don''t worry about it, Vadei. Don''t worry about it." I told her in a calm tone while my face shifted to one of anger. Brief memories of the last time I spoke to Vapooliar going through my head and before my eyes.


    "Vadei! Vadei! Have you seen the rest of my sewing supplies..." Einervaene began loudly before she went quiet upon seeing me. I didn''t even bother lifting my head up as I already know what she was doing. She was walking away and would just wait for a moment for me to be gone. She had been like this since I stopped wearing the bracelet.


    "Okay, this is getting annoying. What happened between you two!? You haven''t spoken to each other or done anything together since the festival!" Vadei asked as she likely grabbed Einervaene and tried to bring her here. Only, she wasn''t strong enough to move her and just fell down when she was pushed away.


    "Don''t mind our issues, Vadei. You wouldn''t get it."


    "I probably wouldn''t given how you two both refuse to talk! But, I don''t know Nin! Since we left you''ve started annoying me a whole lot more, bug!" Vadei lashed out with before she walked back into the control room. A snarl left me just as the door closed. If she wanted to refer to my current being with distaste then I would happily show her the way down...


    But, now that I acknowledged the ground, I became curious. So I steadily and slowly went over the railing and fell down. Slamming straight into the somewhat rocky earth below with a boom. Another boom followed it as I got out of the hole I dug in that fall.


    And after that, I decided to sigh some more before I started walking about. Occasionally looking up so I could see the airship get further and further away from me. At least, until Vadei likely noticed I wasn''t on board anymore and slowed it down. But she would need to bring it to a stop at this rate.


    There was a lot to be found in the grass and trees now that I got a closer look. Pieces of metal clearly torn off of something. Long, thin cuts were scarred into the nearby trees and some even had missing chunks. Guns, spears, swords and armour was what I was finding.


    "No bodies..." I commented as I picked up a three-pointed hat made of thin steel. Using one of my claws to fiddle around with these red lenses it had dangling from it. The rattling of the chain mask it had as well was unavoidable as I messed with it. I even found some brown hair stuck to its inside.


    So what had happened here exactly? The tracks I was now seeing seemed to indicate they were travelling forward, if at a slightly left disposition. Or maybe this was a different group that caused these tracks? These leftover weapons and armour pieces were not great enough in quantity...


    Perhaps they were just leftovers from some who had just had enough? At least, that was my impression until I fell into a hole. It was a rather peculiar hole in that it was compact at the edges. Like a heavy demolition ball had been dropped into it.


    "Huh, more. Was there a battle here then?" I asked no one as I got out of the hole I fell into. Nearly falling into another had I not secured my footing. But once again, I found something I felt like was an oddity. All these holes were carefully positioned like they had been put in through a grid or frame.


    Now, however, as I looked about, I finally began to notice bodies. Or, what was left of them at the very least as the very edges of all these holes. Like in the place I was standing now. They all had bloody marks on them and messy pulp filled with metal.


    And even though I was familiar with gory ends thanks to my involvements with osibindah. It made me feel a lot more queasy seeing red blood being what stained the remaining grass blades. So, not wanting to be here anymore, I left towards a mountain and climbed it. Digging a claw in so I could get a more distant perspective.


    "Yeah, that''s a grid alright..." I muttered while looking down at the craterful valley below. But, from here, I caught sight of another site. One that had been built into the mountain and blown apart by something. Not by whatever caused the damage to this valley, though.


    Whatever did all of this was precise about it, that distant building was destroyed in a far rougher manner. So, being the suicidally curious individual that I was, I moved towards it. Coming down onto a stone walkway with a thunderous crack that destroyed what was under me. And, had I not instantly stabbed a claw into the mountain, I''d have to climb up again.


    Now that I was here, however, I could inspect what this place was. And by the looks of it, it was some kind of bunker or fort. Not being a military architect I could not tell the difference. But its purpose was defensive first and foremost, I gathered that much.


    "Grim... Waionr find you lot soon." I said when I looked to my left upon entering the grey building. Mangled corpses were decorating the wall with large pieces of stone stabbing them still. Each one of them dressed in a coat made of metal chains with those same hats. Luckily, depending on how you looked at it, a map was intact.


    So, I grabbed it and picked it up along with a few other things that were intact. Weapons, armour, fancy pieces of cloth and the map, of course, were all in my claws. Now I just needed the means to get them back up to the airship. Prickly as she might be right now, Vadei might be able to enlighten me.


    Once again, luck was on my side here, as there was a tunnel that led up to a platform of some kind. But, I was going to guess it was not intended for an airship as it seemed to be rather thin. Perhaps it was intended for a Valkinvar like Vapooliar then? She was quite fast so she could just leap down and crash into an attacker from there.


    As I got up there, though, having travelled the damp tunnel with its wet, gravel floor. It became clear that wasn''t the intended purpose as the entrance had equipment by it. Viewing glasses if I was to say anything about it. Maybe I should grab it too?


    Nah, I already had a set of full claws so I would be better off focusing on the airship. That vehicle in question hovering just beside the platform. So, bar the railing, it was not much of an issue to get back on. My newfound load, however, did complicate things.


    "What''s all this?" Vadei asked me as she came out and snorted at me. Her arms crossed over while her tail stayed stiff.


    "I was hoping you''d be able to answer that." I mumbled while I separated everything across the decking. Keeping the map in my claws, however as I would likely pick it up again anyway.


    "Weapons, banners and armour..." she said to me as if I was stupid. Something I did not take kindly to but I was more curious about it at the moment. So I let it all slide.


    "And the map?" I asked while a digit tapped it.


    She approached and inspected it carefully, "A defence layout for a city belonging to the Theocracy."


    "What theocracy?"


    She rolled her eyes and looked up while mumbling, "The Waionr-Chosen something something Theocracy of Thurn''s Forge."


    "Vapooliar''s home?" I guessed as she was quite closely associated with the War God by her own admission. Even if it distressed her greatly to discuss it.


    "Yes, but, I am not sure of how well it fares now. Last I heard the war was still in its eternal stagnation."


    "What do you mean?"


    "The Theocracy basically attained unbreakable positions after a certain point. The Valkinvar prevent the Union''s own witches from breaking that stalemate so the war went nowhere. Two powers just going at it for what I think has been more than two-hundred years. I don''t know."


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Two-hundred?" I repeated in disbelief.


    "Don''t quote me on it, I am not a specialist in warfare nor the history of this war. I am just reciting what I have heard."


    "So if the borders haven''t changed then, are we near it?"


    "No, we actually passed the old borders a while ago."


    "That never surprised you?" I asked her while taking into account her stated information. If the lines of battle in this war had not changed in a couple hundred years at the least. Then why was she not shocked to find out the borders were changing fast?


    "I don''t care for the war, Nin. I am not a citizen of either nation. My people live south of the Theocracy''s old southern border."


    "Right, so the map, you said it was a defence layout for a nearby city?"


    "Not those exact words, but yes." she said to me, clearly growing tired of me.


    "Take us near that city then. I want to see it." I ordered her, much to her unspoken annoyance.


    "Fine." she grumbled as she went back inside. Leaving me out here with all this stuff. Stuff I quickly brought in so it would not get lost. Even if I was going to leave it alone anyway once we got near my home.


    "Does this airship have a larger map that shows the old borders?" I then asked her as she summoned screen after screen. Going through each one before it was either enlarged or sent away.


    "No, only local maps."


    "Can you show me the borders then on a drawing or something?"


    "No, because I have never seen the whole map of this continent." she told me which left me somewhat disappointed. I was hoping it would be able to contextualise what we did have as a map. How far south were we? Or were we north? Stuff like that is what I wanted to know.


    "Is all that red the No-Fly Zone? It just stopped covering that city." I pointed out once I noticed something on the map. A rough layout of some kind of settlement built into the valley and partially on a mountainside.


    "Obviously." she snarkily remarked before she suddenly halted the airship.


    "Why''d you stop?" I asked her before she just stabbed her arm out towards the windows. And when she did I got an idea as to why she stopped the airship as a far larger one was in front. It was one of those ones too, the kind I saw with Vapooliar when she came back worried. When she was so urgent to run away.


    There was, of course, the one in front, but as it moved out the way, we saw dozens more. Some just idly hovered about while others flew away. And then there was one, in particular, that was getting pounded over and over. All by some kind of guns I could not see and likely would never see.


    That airship I was watching then unleashed a barrage of its own. Hundreds upon hundreds of what seemed to be whitish-blue orbs that zoomed out of view. And when our airship moved around to see the damage. I saw it again, that same grid formation where the craters were perfectly aligned...


    "So that is what it was..." I muttered in disbelief while staring at all the destruction. Freezing up slightly when I saw little dark figures moving about the newly created ruins. Each of them was clearly in pain or disoriented.


    "I am getting us out of here." Vadei then sternly said as her face went pale. I did not object to this and we were soon turning away from the city and going the other way. My curiosity had been satiated and we had seen the results. I had seen what had Vapooliar so utterly terrified.


    .


    .


    .


    "Is that airship still following us?" I asked pointlessly as I walked along the decking with Larishazza. The airship in question being so blatantly still there made my question irrelevant. But, I suppose having a conversation starter worked.


    "As far as both of my eyes can tell, yes! That flying machine built somewhere in this land is following us." she said with a mock professor attitude before then smiling.


    "Genius observations, Professor." I said back to her as I stared at the broadside of the airship. It towered over ours to an incomparable degree. And it would probably tower over it more so if we stepped out of line. Because I can''t imagine we''d get out of the way of several thousand guns...


    I had tried counting them but I always got lost doing so. Either because of a distraction or because the airship was so large. As such, that size made my eyes go funny and I lost track of which had been counted. Splitting it down into segments did not help either as it was just so large...


    "I hope it leaves soon, Nin... I don''t like having a warship follow us like this." she then told me as she nervously gripped the railings. I nodded in understanding as we had seen how these things worked. Our journey through what should have been the Theocracy was filled with war.


    Every valley had some kind of struggle happen in it or have happened in it. It made me wonder why they still fought, these soldiers of the Theocracy. This Union had the overwhelming advantage with those airships yet they kept on going. It made me curious as to what kind of war this was...


    What kind of war drove people to such desperate lengths as to fight for every bit of grass? No war recorded within the Civil Mountains back home had ever been so destructive. In fact, one could argue they were largely ceremonial after a certain point. The established cities were so strong you were never going to get them unwedged.


    "Vadei is the one most informed here, we should go and ask her." I told Larishazza as my hand gripped her shoulder. A clearly nervous shake was inputted into her in an ironic attempt to reassure her.


    "Let''s go ask her then!" Larishazza declared as she spun out of my grip. Taking my claw into her hand just after before she pulled me forward. The control room doors made the usual movements and noises and we were then inside.


    "Here to ask about that airship?" Vadei guessed while she tapped away.


    "Yes...? How''d you know?" Larishazza said with surprise before she giggled.


    "Because it''s the only thing anyone is really been talking about lately." Vadei said with a disturbed sigh before she let her palms hold her face.


    "I can get the other two to take over if you''re tired?" I offered to Vadei as I approached her.


    "I''m not tired, just stressed out. We have several thousand artillery pieces pointed right at us and a strict flight path. One mistake and every effort we have done up until now is pointless!" she nearly yelled out as she leaned back into her chair.


    "I can still get the other two, either way, I''m sure they could do with something to do seen as you have made them useless for the most part." I told her with a slight smile that quickly went away. That lack of a smile on her own face did not help mine last.


    "No... I''ll stay here... Those two would probably try and work out something with those Jhermonikras across the cloudy sea..." she bitterly mumbled before she glued her eyes to another screen.


    "How far do we have left to go anyway?" Larishazza asked Vadei as she moved in closer. Her fingers gently scratched the chin of an otherwise unbothered Vadei.


    "Not far, we are nearing the canyon. You know, I am astonished by how quick this thing is." Vadei explained before she revealed her admiration for the machine.


    "Care to put it into perspective?" I asked her as I assumed she had the capacity to do that. It wasn''t hard to tell we were moving fast but how fast?


    "I won''t be able to put up a map, but I can show our recorded distance travelled and time and that." she explained before some more screens came up.


    "This is how far we have travelled?" I asked after I read the large number.


    "It is, but, bear in mind. This is with us in an airship, so the distance is much less than it would be on foot. And even with the issues of the mountains largely gone. It has still taken us a couple of weeks to get here."


    "Do those couple of weeks include our various stops and the Salahma incident?" I then asked, just to be sure.


    "Yes, they are included. Now, just try to imagine doing just all that by walking, not using an airship." she then let out with a tired voice as her eyes went wide. Mine did too once I figured out what the time to travel might have been.


    "It could have taken us years..." I muttered while remembering how long it took us to get from Tryhpeltzweig to Thrurstradtur. And that was just to the bottom of the mountain! It still took Einervaene and that a few days to walk up it!


    "I don''t think that long, but, yes... Without this airship we would likely still be within viewing distance of Thrurstradtur''s mountain." Vadei said to me while Larishazza moved away to think about something.


    "What''s on your mind?" I asked her as her thumb and index finger cupped her chin.


    "Just trying to think about how long my ship ride to this land was." she explained.


    "A few years maybe? That is how long Einervaene''s trip apparently took."


    "But my home is much farther away, so it will be more than that." Larishazza pointed out while her fingers made two different sized gaps. I guess it was to help us picture how different the scale of their travel was.


    "Well, the next set of measurement past a year on its own is sets of them, so unless you plan on telling me you were a child before you were told to go to big girl school..." I argued to her just in case she was being serious.


    "No, not that long, maybe a year longer? I don''t know. We spent a lot of time island hopping in our travels. Me and my sister, that is."


    "Well, either way, we know the lands the gods made for us so long ago are big." I said to both of them as it seemed like this topic was coming to a close.


    "Wait, hold on you two, I am getting a message." Vadei then said to us as a loud beep began to fill our ears.


    "Airship pilot, maintain your current heading. We are in no need to escort you anymore but will still open fire should you deviate." someone emotionlessly explained to us through the message. And, the airship did indeed stop escorting us. So I decided to go outside and watch it. But to do that, I had to climb a little so I could view it without issues.


    "I can see how they plan on firing at the very least." I commented as the wind made my cloak flap about. A claw moved to the top of my hat to keep it in place. Otherwise, I did nothing but watch. I watched as it stopped following us and became more like a distant wall.


    One so ladened with guns that we had no hope of ever escaping its clutches. It may have looked like it was getting smaller as we put some distance between us. The suddenly stronger wind made it clear Vadei was speeding us away. But, we would not get out of those sights, no...


    "Hey, Ninno! Come look at this!" Larishazza called out to me from below. So, seen as it was her asking, I slid on down to meet her. Walking up to her once I had gone down as I slid down at an angle.


    "Is that a marching army?" I questioned while staring at the distant flickers of light and gently swaying line of silver. Well, it looked like silver from here but that was likely without a doubt steel. The metal of all serious endeavours.


    "No, not that! That!" she told me as her hand moved my beak to move my head as well.


    "A giant bridge?" I said as I stared at the truly massive structure in the distance. So large was it that even this distance made it seem like it was so close.


    "Yeah! Look how big it is!" she said with wide-eyed amazement as the halo lit it up. Its imposing shadow helped it stand out in an otherwise reddish environment.


    "I assume this is the canyon then." I mutter as I turn my gaze down. A dark abyss was what awaited me and I saw no end to it at all. There just was no end to it that I could see. And, thankfully, I lacked the curiosity to test its depth.


    "The edge of Jhermonikra..." Larishazza said while I began to look to my left. Somewhat looking at her in the process but I was meaning to look out towards my home. To her, however, it was just an excuse to be herself and smile.


    So I smiled back after taking off my mask, "Say, Lari..."


    "Lari? You haven''t called me that in a while." she said with a grin. And it was true, it had been a short while since I used that nickname for her. But, I felt like I had reason to. She had no love for me beyond being my friend so a nickname felt inappropriate.


    But, maybe just here, it would make a distance, "If I can... Would you... Would..." I began to say before I went quiet. A claw gently gripped my hat as I began to move away.


    "Would I...?" she asked as she watched me move away.


    "No, never mind. I''ll leave you to it." I then told her as I walked away from her. In that moment I had wanted to ask her if she wanted to see my home. But, I also remembered that I was going to leave them all behind. Home was getting closer, I could finally have a normal life again to an extent...


    Old Nin the Hermit...


    That is what I would have to be, much to my displeasure. There was no way I could just go back to being a wall-engraver. Especially not considering what I had to do regarding Iishar. I needed to stop her trades first and foremost...


    No one should be forced into being a living experiment, no one! But now came the question of how I was going to go about it... How was I going to get away from everyone? The lands around the Anvil-Peak were flat and featureless for the most part.


    "Unless...?" I then asked myself as I gripped the wall of the airship. Perhaps I could get the others to camp outside for a night and abandon them... No, I couldn''t do that. I was already cutting them out of my life, such cruelty didn''t need to be enhanced...


    This indecision angered me, it all just kept playing through my head. And, unfortunately, thanks to our earlier talks. I knew I did not have time to just let it slide and be forgotten. We would be home soon and it would all be over.


    Perhaps I should find some private time with Vadei to talk about it then? Her family was involved in this so she deserved to know about my plans. At the very least anyway. But if I could not convince her, what would I do then?


    She would know my plan and spread it to the others and nothing would get done! I could not just go home in those circumstances! I would be even more tightly involved with everyone else and that infuriated me! So to let some of it out, I just decided to slam my fist into the wall and dent it.


    "HEY! Don''t damage my airship!" Vadei called out to me through a speaker. Something that made me snort before I went somewhere where she hopefully would not bother me. I did not know where that place was, to be honest. But, a quiet place was a quiet place.


    And once I got into that place, I went against the nearest wall. Letting out a long, tired, frustrated sigh while my claw touched my face. It clamped my jaw shut so I did not have to hear my chittering. Then, I just slowly slid down the wall until I thumped to the floor.


    "I would see if prayer might get me the help or answers I need, but..." I began to say as I lifted up my left arm. Anger went across my face as I focused on where the bracelet used to be. I don''t care if it was some sacred gift from one of the goddesses who help rule our world. It was the tool of a manipulator I would have no part in it.


    If Einervaene and the others start to hate me and find me unbearable without it on. Then fine, I would suffer through that. But I would not and will never ever take part in something so indescribably immoral! If someone wanted to say they loved a bug like me then it can be done through other means...


    Yet, if I cared so much about authentic love from another. Why was I so determined to go back to a home where exploration was the norm? Where most friendships ended without a second thought. All because they were founded on the mutual exploitation of the other...


    I could not answer that question, admittedly. But, maybe, just maybe, I would figure out the answer soon. Or, maybe I was wrong, friendships didn''t break so easily back home. They just had no time to mourn the loss as I did right now.


    "Great..." I then found myself muttering as I felt water come to my eyes. It seems it was time for me to be pathetic again. More time for self-loathing than anything else. But, this all did make one thing clear, it made it very clear.


    The need for me to just distance myself from these people was great, its time near.

 Base 7: To See the Thunderous Mountain Again

    "Einervaene! Stay inside!" Vadei called out to me urgently as our airship shook about. The sky around us was booming and pure magic nearly carved us open. I hadn''t been told what was going on, but I wanted to see it myself.


    "Get us away from this storm!" I called back to her before I stumbled outside. Tightly gripping the nearest railing and letting my draw drop at what I saw. A lone mountain surrounded by a sea of molten gold. One crowned with a partially blocky and partially sharp head.


    This was the Anvil-Peak! This was one of the holiest sites in the world and I could just sense how it was! I have never seen such pure lightning magic before, even the arcs that kept my homeland together weren''t so pure! I could barely describe it and I just kept getting goosebumps every time a golden lance struck by.


    If it wasn''t for the fact I was more disciplined than a child, I would have probably tried to reach out for it. Just so I could get the briefest of understandings as to how pure this magic was. But, this magic wasn''t the only reason I was so excited. Down below, at the base of that mountain, the molten gold sea!


    That was all thunder-gold! Gold filled with so great a quantity of this lightning magic that it far surpassed even the greatest steel mill! One of the softest metals out there had become probably the strongest in all of existence... And I was staring at a molten sea of it...


    If I could just find a way to drink or eat some I could solve my own magic probl-


    "EINERVAENE!" someone shouted out to me before their large hand grabbed me and swung me indoors. A loud groan of pain left me while my head spun about. A sense of anger came to the forefront as I realised what had happened.


    "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" I shouted in fury as the sensation that magic gave me became dull.


    "Saving your life is what it was." Nin told me as he sat down and repeatedly jabbed his arm forward at Vadei.


    "I know, I know!" Vadei said back to him as the airship suddenly tilted to the left. A speed that did not even allow the footing stabilizers to activate. So, while I was standing up, I fell down again and rolled across the ship until it did sort itself out.


    "Bring down! Bring down!" the older of the two slavers called out as he and his daughter rushed about. Vadei on her own clearly not being enough to handle this situation.


    "Alright, until that storm has either passed or, more likely dulled down, we''re staying close to the ground." Nin ordered as he stood up and shivered. His head then twitched about as he looked at all the lightning.


    "If we stay close to the ground then we risk setting off an explosion with our engines!"


    "What do you mean? This place is covered in magic!" Nin retorted back with as he turned towards Vadei.


    "Na, she is right, it''s why we chase this aaareaaa far aur deaaals. The maaagic is anly in the sky aaand gald!" Heiya explained somewhat as she and her father began to guide Vadei down to the ground. A loud boom soon shook its way through the airship as well. But, their calm faces suggested it was something else.


    "Was that our magic reacting with the ground?" Larishazza asked from her seat as she tightly clutched it. It seems she was not a fan of this part of our journey.


    "No, it was me turning the airship off." Vadei explained as she got off of her chair. All the lights and computers turned off just after she did so.


    "It''s alright, I got it." I said to everyone as I let some of my magic out. Holding up my arm as high as it would go so I could serve as our living torch.


    "No." the older slaver told me as he rushed over to me and slapped my arm down. His face showed no reaction to the shocks he just got. But, what he did do was start handing out little tools.


    "Maaagicless lights, yau aaall need ta keep maaagic ta baaasicaaaly nathing." Heiya said to us as she used a manual means to open our doors.


    "Why are you all looking at me?" Nin then asked as he got up from his chair and helped out with the doors.


    "Because you are someone who has either had magic for just a single year or under one. If you use magic at all when we go outside then you risk catastrophe!" Vadei commented worriedly as she got up close to him. Her hands frantically gesturing in his face to emphasise her worries.


    "Are there any tools we can use to restrict our magic?" he then asked while looking at the two slavers.


    "Na, there might be, but I daubt yau''re willingness ta use haaandcuffs." Heiya told him as she orbited around the osibindah.


    "Great... Okay, give me some time alone, I will try and get it under control, you lot go make a camp or something. Ideally away from the airship just in case, something does happen." Nin said to us before he went through the door he brought me back in through. A loud bang and shudder then went through the airship frame shortly after he disappeared. The signs of blue fire just flickering through the open door.


    "He''s going to kill himself at this rate." I commented with a frown as I felt myself becoming more relaxed. He was now going off on his own so that meant I wasn''t forced to share a room with him. I could just let whatever frustrations I had about him flow out of me. Even if I still did not understand why I was so annoyed with him.


    It was all to do with that stupid bracelet he has refused to put on since our talk in the garden...


    "And, hopefully, he won''t kill us too!" Vadei said to me while she looked like she was remembering something.


    "One at a time?" Larishazza then asked as she slowly came up to me. Her question likely was about how we get off this haphazardly parked airship.


    "That would probably be for the best." I answered her with as I remembered the lecture that set Nin off. The root cause of our journey beginning the way it did back at the Academy. How magic reacted with little to no magic individuals and environments...


    "Next, go." the father told me as his small hands began to shove at my thighs. I resisted the urge to kick him away and instead focused on getting down. Tightly gripping the rope ladder the others had apparently used. Just barely avoiding catastrophe when my heels nearly hooked me to the rope steps.


    "Yay, we made it!" Larishazza nervously cheered while her feet became grey from all this gravel and powdered stone.


    "Now watch as those two steal the airship." Vadei growled out as the two slavers did not appear for quite some time. Initially leading to some worries about what might happen. But, well, we also had not seen them because they were about as tall as children. So when we did see them again, I smiled just a little.


    A smile that quickly disappeared as I saw blue flashes in the distance. Nin was still trying to get used to using no magic again. Or, he was enjoying himself as I swear I also heard laughter in the distance. Well, I assume it was laughter, the main noises I heard was thunder and lightning.


    "We make camp there." Heiya''s father said to us as he got down with his daughter. His small, furry hand gesturing over at the nearby pile of rocks. If it was actually meant to be a mountain then it wasn''t a very funny joke. Yet, we went towards it anyway.


    "So, what was earlier about?" Vadei asked me with a tone that sounded like she really wanted to mock me. Soft and quiet but still loud enough to be heard.


    "I was just..." I began with nervously as I looked at my copper frame, "Testing something." I told her dishonestly while I worried about my clothes. These were designed to aid my magic so would they cause any issues in this land of dust and nothing?


    "I don''t think you should be testing how to kill yourself. Nin''s body should tell you why that is a bad thing." she snorted out while keeping her tail high and away from the ground.


    "I wasn''t testing that..." I mumbled as my mind went back to what I thought before Nin brought me back inside. That thunder-gold might be the solution I was looking for! The solution to my impure lightning magic... If I could just digest some then I might be able to make my lightning golden!


    I could solve all of the problems my mother faced with a single display! No longer would she risk deposement because of mere claims that I was born from the seed of a commoner! I could save my mother and finally be able to go home, knowing that it was safe for me... But how would I even consume some of that gold?


    The mountain was too dangerous to just be walked up to, especially given my type of magic... It could tear me apart and make me a part of that storm for real! Just like the tales back home of how cocky and arrogant witches were permanently turned into lightning for the land''s use! It might be false, sure, but who was I to test such a risky hypothesis?


    "It''s alright, Einervaene, I think I know what you felt when you saw that mountain." Larishazza said to me as her hands shook one of my arms.


    "You do?" I asked back as I tried to think about what could possibly make her think that.


    "Yeah, when I first saw the all-coast it just left me entranced! There was so much of our magical element in one place that it just called out to you!"


    "I don''t think the quantity of lightning is what catches my attention..." I said to her while thinking about my homeland. Each metallic piece of land was held together with the others by lightning. Lightning was an everyday occurrence and part of life back in my homeland. What wasn''t, however, was a site belonging to a god and his leftover magic.


    This holy site was perhaps one of the single most important holy sites in the world for me! It was where Thunder itself crafted our world and his greatest works! That mountain was even one of his first works! This entire land was his workshop by circumstance as well!


    "Can we just focus on sorting camp out? I don''t want to be sleeping on dust that stains my skin, clothes and fur!" Vadei commented with a moan as she failed to find a dustless rock.


    "We''re all just going to have to learn to ignore the dust, Vadei." Larishazza said to her with a smile.


    "Easy for you to say, you have been filthy since we stepped off that airship!" she loudly retorted back with while pointing down at Larishazza''s increasingly grey feet.


    "Ooops." the grey-footed woman let out with a giggle as she kicked some grey powder at us.


    "Stop that!" Vadei snapped back with as she tried to run away from the dust-kicker. A smile came to my own face as I watched one of them run in fear while the other just enjoyed herself.


    "I wonder what we will be eating..." I then let out with a curious mumble while I looked about. There was no other life out here with us, no plants or animals. So what exactly would we be eating or would we just bring some stuff off the airship?


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Believe it ar nat, nathing." Heiya answered as she looked out at the empty plains of grey.


    "What do you mean?" I asked in disbelief, unsure if she was joking as her expression was stern in its aspect.


    "Aaas in, we will nat be eaaating aaanything during this trip, naw." she reclarified to me as she turned around to face me.


    "We can''t live off of nothing..." I said to her while leaning my head forward.


    "Me aaand Paps haaave been here regulaaarly, we knaw much mare aaabaut it then yau." she told me while gesturing to her father. Maybe if this was something else it might have made me go quiet. But she was saying we would starve on our way to Nin''s homeland!


    "You want us to starve!" I loudly said to her just to make sure I was getting through to her.


    "We eaaat ta supply aur bady with mare maaagic. If yau aaare in aaa law-maaagic enviranment, yau wan''t need to eaaat aaas much ar drink far thaaat maaatter." she explained to me with a little smile.


    I looked up and over at the other two while I thought on it, "She''s not telling any jokes, is she...?" I asked Larishazza and Vadei. My tone showed off just how confused I was right now.


    "Couldn''t tell you!" Larishazza answered as she hopped up onto a flat rock. Her feet soon tapping about its smooth and abrased surface.


    "She''s being honest, and, as much as I hate thinking on it. Certain experiences give me an idea of how long we can go before we starve..." Vadei answered before she growled at Heiya. And, despite Vadei''s inability to use magic here, Heiya was still scared enough to back up.


    "Would it be the same for all of us or would we all need to eat at different times?" I then asked as I was assuming how strong you were played into how long you could go.


    Vadei nodded, "Yes, we would all have to make the call on our own. So, we should see if the airship has anything intended for travel and is fine cold."


    "So should someone or some of us go back into the airship to get rations?" I asked while walking back towards the airship. Not initially to volunteer for it, but rather, to just bring their attention to the airship. And perhaps it was just me, but the lack of any systems being active on the airship made it seem like it had died.


    "We should have a look, yes, but we will need to be careful." Vadei said as she began to climb the rope ladder again. Her hand took mine before she started going up so she could likely bring me along.


    "Aw, I wanted to go." Larishazza complained from her rock as her tapping picked up in intensity.


    Vadei swung from the rope ladder and extended one arm out, "Keep an eye on those two." she then ordered before climbing up again. And soon she was impatiently waiting for me as I carefully moved up. My heels not exactly being best suited for this kind of climbing. Or climbing at all, actually.


    "H-Hey!" I let out when Vadei''s impatience brought her to drag me up the rest of the way.


    "Be slow on your own time." she commented before she opened one of the doors with a groan.


    "Be careful! Little blue embers were appearing around you!" I commented when I saw those little flickers she let off. It becoming abundantly clear that putting too much effort into our actions could be dangerous.


    "It''s alright, my magic is weak anyway." she laughed out in a rather miserable way before she disappeared into the darkness. A light soon turned on as I entered in after her. My own light that I had gotten earlier went on too.


    "Are you sure you know the way to the kitchen?" I asked while shining my light around the near-black control room.


    "Yes, we have used the hallways many times." Vadei sarcastically mentioned as she headed down the main hallway.


    "No need to be like that..." I mumbled in embarrassment as I only knew the way because of the signs. I never actually learned the layout of the airship, I just followed the signs.


    "Do not worry, Einervaene! There will be plenty of time to make fun of you throughout our journey!" Vadei said to me with a giggle before I swatted at her tail. Smiling myself when she jumped forward with a squeal before she hugged it.


    "Do not worry, Vadei, there''s nothing behind us." I said to her before dull thuds echoed about behind us. Sharp taps followed it as something seemed to touch metal.


    "W-Who''s there!?" Vadei called out as she shone her light down the hallway. Her body clearly became stiff as she did so.


    "Okay, that''s enough now, Vadei." I said to her as I shone my light on her. An odd feeling built up inside me, however, when I saw she was not making any noises.


    "I''m going to close the door behind us..." Vadei then said as she nodded, turning around before then smacking into something. Her light quickly illuminated an open jaw filled with dozens of sharp teeth. And when she screamed, I screamed too and we both ran back towards the control room. Loud laughter chasing us.


    "Now that''s just harsh." Nin said as his laughter boomed out towards us.


    "I''LL KILL YOU!" Vadei shouted at him as our lights lit him up. He wasn''t wearing any of his clothes so he must have been waiting for us. But when did he get back? He had only just left to try and sort out his magic control!?


    Either way, I guess, it did not matter... I was probably going to hang back now...


    "Don''t worry about me, you just go on ahead." I then said to her as I nervously clutched my arm while looking away.


    "No! You''re staying with me!" Vadei told me with an annoyed tone as she continued to look at the still laughing Nin.


    "B-But-" I tried to protest before Vadei shouted.


    "IT''S NOT THAT FUNNY, BUG!" she shouted at him which only made him laugh louder.


    "It''s... It''s exactly what made it work." he said as his laughter came to a stop. At least, until he broke into a fit of chuckles.


    "Eugh..." Vadei huffed out as she dragged me along with her. Using herself and my own body as a means to shove by the laughing man.


    "Anyway, what you looking for?" he asked Vadei as he walked past me and ignored me. And, fortunately, in that moment of him getting closer. I was able to slip out of Vadei''s grip so I could put some distance between me and Nin.


    "Just some rations for our journey, not that you''re getting any." Vadei answered as she sneered up at him.


    "It was just a jumpscare, no need to be like that." he answered back with as he smiled a little.


    "Normally the one giving jumpscares isn''t a kidnapping monster that hides in the dark for real!"


    "Vadei, there was no need for that." I then said when I saw how Nin''s smile disappeared instantly. But he did not get angry, instead, he went quiet and sighed before stepping back.


    "No need for it? He was hiding in the dark and intentionally playing into what he is!" she told me as she turned to face me. Her light dashing about the room as she flailed her arms about.


    "It was just a joke, Vadei." I told her without looking at Nin. Which felt odd in a way, I was frustrated with him. Yet, here I was, speaking on his behalf over something so trivial...


    "Well, then, get others involved with your jokes!" Vadei then snapped up at him as he frowned at the floor.


    "I''ll bear that in mind." Nin quietly said to her before she disappeared into the airship. Without a doubt towards the kitchen and so on to look for food we could use.


    "D-Don''t mind her, Nin." I then said to him nervously as I looked away into the dark room to my left.


    "Not possible right now." he said before he moved away and came back with his clothes.


    "It would be best to put them on in here so you don''t get dust and that on them..." I informed him just in case he didn''t realise how dusty it was outside.


    "Keep that light on me, then." he told me as he began the process of rolling those bandages around him. A process he was still doing when Vadei came back with a bag and a huff.


    "All done?" I asked once I saw him stop messing with the bandages. A large fluttering of air came my way as a swoosh also went into my ears.


    "Now I am." he told me as he walked past, his cloak brushing against me before he went outside again. I did not want to go back outside, though. So, instead, I walked deeper into the airship. Bringing my light up every now and then so I could see the directions and signs.


    All before then falling onto the bed I had been using and briefly bouncing on it. A sigh left my lips just before I picked up Nin''s bracelet from my makeshift desk. I ignored all the drawings that I knocked down as right now they did not matter. Only this little piece of jewellery did.


    "I hope Nin puts you back on..." I said to it while frowning as I thought about how it made me feel before. Even if it did alter my feelings for him, it didn''t feel unnatural, I felt fine while he wore it. Besides, he did say it enhanced already present feelings, didn''t he? It''s not like he was making me insincere.


    Yet, was it actually sincere at all? If it was sincere, then why did I struggle to let out those three simple words? A one-letter word, a four-letter word and then a three-letter one. I have tried pondering it before but I came to no conclusion of note.


    If I did actually have those feelings then I should have just been able to say it, right? Maybe it was just the shock I was going through that made me unable? My body had been so used to feeling like that, that I suddenly had doubts when it was gone? Yet, I also remember another thing.


    It wasn''t that incident in the garden, but rather, one on a roof back at the Academy. When I wore this bracelet after I asked him if I could. He instead grabbed me and held me close and I was so sure he would have... So maybe if I wore it myself...?


    "No, it would only be a lie..." I said to myself before I came to a quiet halt. Was this the same kind of feeling that drove Nin to take it off, to begin with? If I felt this way too while thinking about it, then maybe I should just apologize to him. Say sorry about how I have been avoiding him and just let it go...


    But, for some reason. I could not even compel myself to do that either. That vision I saw in the temple. That vision that seemed so real of where I was his and he was mine...


    If he got this while he was with the gods, and I saw a vision in one of their many houses... What right did we have to deny its purpose? It was clear they intended something for us. And we couldn''t just ignore the wishes of the gods!


    And yet, I just left it there before I left. I left it on my makeshift desk under my drawings and left it. We would not see it again until we came back to the airship. Something that might take a while or no time at all.


    Either way, I hoped I would be able to at least not strike up further issues. Nin and Vadei were already going through so much right now and I didn''t need to make it worse. I did not want to repeat what happened back at the Academy if I can help it. A friend should never do that...


    If I can''t show myself as being someone who is actually there for them then what right did I have? What right did I have to say Nin was my friend, that Vadei was my friend if I just left them alone? If I was their friend then I have a responsibility to help them just like they did with me. But I should not act as if it was currency, that I only help if they have paid me before with kindness.


    I just needed to give it to them.


    "Even if I don''t have the strength to help them right now, I should at least give it a go." I quietly said to myself as I walked the dark halls of the airship. A small smile nearly being formed with my lips were it not for my doubts. I had many doubts in my head at the moment and I just wasn''t sure how to let them out. But, they also might never come out, we''ll just have to wait and see.


    Which was potentially going to be the case as my head seemed to empty itself when I got outside again. The atmosphere in the camp did not look good from what I could see. Nin was silent and still, perched upon a rock. And Vadei was unstable, her movements increasingly paranoid.


    "Einervaene! Help me!" Larishazza called out from down below as she tried to cheer at least one of them up. Her antics for the moment not doing much if anything at all.


    "Hold on!" I said back to her before I tried to get down the rope ladder. But, in my haste to get down, my heel got stuck and I fell. It did not hurt at all because of how much magic I had in comparison to the gravel below. But it was still humiliating.


    As now I was tossing and turning and squealing with a foot stuck in some rope. My hair and arms increasingly stained grey as I moved about. At least, until Nin came over and held me still by the shin. And, once I was free, he dropped me to the floor and let out a bemused noise.


    It was something but it wasn''t particularly enthusiastic. Not that I did that because I was trying to help Larishazza... It was a genuine accident and none of that was orchestrated... And now that I realised that, my head felt like it had started burning.


    "Should''ve taken a picture too." Nin then commented as his joy became a little more pronounced.


    I, however, crossed my arms and huffed in annoyance, "At least someone enjoys it." a pout soon formed on my lips just after.


    "Thank you for the reminder why I don''t want to sleep here!" Vadei then said as she tried her best to stay away from dust clouds.


    "You''re welcome..." I bitterly say to her as I stared at my stained hair. Steadily and slowly picking away at all the bits of gravel that had been caught up in my knots and braids.


    "Yay, people are happy again!" Larishazza then cheered as she sprang up to her feet. Arms and legs wide apart as she bounced with joy.


    "Save it for later, Larishazza, we still have a long way to go." Vadei said to her. My eyes watched her as she steadily stopped being so active and more still.


    "How long do we have to go anyway?" Larishazza asked as she turned to Nin who shrugged.


    "I could not tell you. My first time down here took a short while, and that was using these big hauling vehicles. Not fast by any means, I suppose but it was still motor transport."


    "So the answer is that we have a long way to go?" she asked again with her usual smile.


    Nin huffed in amusement first, "Yeah, but, if it means anything. While I was practising my magic control, I noticed how it sent you for a violent tumble but didn''t hurt, like at all."


    "So it was annoying more than anything?" I asked him with uncertainty.


    "Pretty much, of course, I am not sure if it will apply to you lot equally. But, it seems as a general rule, we are more dangerous to those around us, not ourselves." he explained before his eyes faced Vadei and the two slavers.


    "You''re suggesting we get to your homeland quickly by... Exploding there?" Vadei then asked as she raised a brow.


    "No, not at all." Nin clarified as he raised a palm.


    "Sa, waaalking it is then?" Heiya then asked as her little hands caressed her little feet.


    "Indeed, walking and talking as we cross a featureless plain of grey."


    "That will give us plenty of time to play games then!" Larishazza cheered before she began to list off games.


    "I... I don''t think we''ll be able to play most of them." I then said in order to make her stop listing them. It was nice to see her so enthused about it I suppose but we''d barely be able to play any of them.


    "Sure we can, we can just change the rules!"


    "But then no play." Heiya''s father said as he frowned at Larishazza.


    "Good, I don''t want you to play." she said back to him with a disgusted expression.


    "He meaaans, thaaat yau wauldn''t be plaaaying thaaat gaaame aaanymare. Yau''d be plaaaying samething else." Heiya clarified on behalf of her father who was nodding in accordance.


    "Still don''t want you two playing..." Larishazza told them with a huff before she crossed her arms.

 Incline 1: Once Again Taking an Airship

    "What''s got you in such a grumpy mood?" Vadei asked me with a brief laugh as she moved away from the campfire. The ruckus caused by the girls of our group went down once Vadei became focused on me. And when she came over to me, I focused on her as she did me. My expression was unchanging before I looked away from her.


    "Nothing, but, if you have the time, I would like to speak to you about something." I told her as my mind pieced it all together. What I had been thinking up since our fire first lit up and the darkness came in.


    "Can it wait? I''m on a roll here with a firm and steady lead!" she told me as she puffed out her chest.


    "CHEATER!" Larishazza shouted at us from the other side of the campfire. Something Vadei took no notice of as she brushed it away with mocking arrogance.


    "Do you want your family to wait?" I asked noticeably quieter. A sudden stiffness took over Vadei at that moment. The teasing and messing around with the others was set aside. She was now instead looking at me with caution and a small bit of anger.


    "Fine, what is this about?" she asked me sternly as she began to walk into the darkness behind me. Following after her once I had made sure the others were not going to follow us in turn.


    "As I already said, your family." I clarified to her as I moved closer to the airship. A claw gently moved across its metallic body once I was there.


    "And what about my family!?" Vadei nearly growled out as her head, ears and tail rose in aggression.


    "I''ve had a look around, Vadei. Earlier while I was sorting out my magic and back when I was just idly wandering around."


    "Get to the point!"


    "Just about to, see, one thing I have noticed is the gravel and the air. You can tell, can''t you?" I said as one of my digits rose up into the space above.


    "There''s no wind, yeah. Now, again, get to the point!"


    "The lack of wind means there is nothing to cause the hauler tracks to be covered up or warped." I informed her as I remembered my reaction to seeing signs of vehicles passing through. I was shocked and surprised, but, most importantly, I was optimistic. So long as the winds near my home didn''t appear earlier than expected, we had a path to follow!


    "You want us to follow the tracks back to your home?" Vadei asked as she stepped a bit closer. Her previous aggression disappeared as she suddenly became excited.


    "No, what I want to do is to take the airship there. Just me and you."


    "Excuse me...?" she then asked with a rather conveniently quiet yet still harsh whisper.


    "The reason the slavers are with us is no longer there. The other two weren''t even meant to come along, to begin with, and..." I began to say before I went quiet. It seems like even after stewing on the idea, I still couldn''t say it.


    "You don''t want them to be able to drag you back to Suhurlodst...?" Vadei then asked with her eyes wide open. A display of nervousness accompanying those words and slight gestures. Gestures I responded to with my own sluggishly slow ones.


    She then tried to say something else, but I stopped her with a raised claw, "This was always the intention, Vadei. I get home, I stay home. You save your family, then, you take them back to your own home." several loud bangs ending my sentence as I patted the hull.


    "No! I''m not helping you abandon your friends! No! I am not doing that!" Vadei told me as it looked like she was about to yell for the others.


    "What matters more to you, Vadei!? The safety of your family and people or how the others would feel if I disappeared!?" I loudly asked her in order to make her stop and pay attention. Carefully watching as her mood dimmed and her ears fell. A whimper left her mouth before she looked up at me with a glare.


    "How do you want to do this?" she then asked me as she moved closer. Much closer, almost right up in my face actually.


    "Simple, when the others go to sleep, turn on the airship and we get out of here."


    "If we turn on the airship again we''ll set off an explosion that would make them aware of what we are doing!" she told me with clenched teeth as a sharp nail of hers went up near my right eye.


    "Not if you start it up in the air." I informed her while I curled my arms up and tightly clenched my fists.


    "That would still cause an explosion!"


    "But not one the others would be able to get involved with." I said while holding up a single digit. If I could get the airship high enough, all they would have to go on would be a loud bang. Not a trail of bangs highlighting the airship. And, thankfully, the cloud cover was too dangerous for Einervaene to follow us in.


    "Alright, when we doing it?" she then asked as our attention turned back to the camp.


    "We''ll wait for the others to get to sleep, assuming they do get to sleep, however." I say with a frown as I remember how little time I spend sleeping sometimes. All this magic I have had in me since just before I met Vapooliar has made me rather energetic. I often fall asleep because of boredom most of the time!


    "We might be able to convince them to get to sleep for now. We haven''t even spent a full day in these magicless lands."


    "Then we best get back to the camp to convince them, then." I tell her as I begin to head back towards the camp. She quickly caught up and when we entered the light again, she pretended to yawn.


    "Tired already, Vadei?" Einervaene asked as her eyes looked over at the spot Vadei went to. A spot she had previously tried to desperately brush clear of dust and gravel.


    "Yeah, so quiet down..." she said with more fake yawns before she smacked her lips together. And while she was doing that, I plopped down beside her and closed my eyes.


    "Aw... I wanted to mess around some more..." Larishazza moaned before she then fell to the floor and then my lap.


    "What are you doing!?" I asked with shock and surprise as this would interfere with my plan to get home. I couldn''t have her sleeping on me! Not now of all times, I might have not minded it but this wasn''t going to work!


    "Getting ready for bed." she cheerfully answered before one of her fingers touched my snout.


    "Get off." I nearly squeaked out as I was afraid of this stopping me from getting home in a reasonable manner. She, however, took this a different way and left me be while giggling.


    "I''ll make sure you get some privacy." she giggled out before she laid down somewhere else.


    "That''s not why..." I complained before sighing, my eyes briefly catching Einervaene''s gaze before I faked my sleep. Only to open my eyes again to see that she was still looking at me.


    Einervaene gave me a small smile before she gave me a half-hearted wave, "Sleep well." I barely heard her say before she too went down.


    "Right..." I answered a bit late as I kept my eyelids nearly closed to mimic the image of me being asleep. And, as it became darker and darker, quieter and quieter... I opened them up properly again. Slowly and carefully standing up and prodding at Vadei just to make sure she didn''t actually fall asleep.


    "Is it time?" she asked me as she quickly got up to her feet with my assistance. A series of nods came from me as I looked about.


    "It is, find a way out and be quiet about it." I nearly mouthed to her before I began to move across the gravel. Its crunches and pops making me wince with each step. But, thankfully, our campfire was quite big, so, its snaps and crackles kept my noise indistinguishable.


    Then, once I was clear of the camp, I ran along towards the airship along with Vadei. She seemed to have climbed the rocks we were by to get out of the camp. And now, she was climbing up the rope ladder before she then stopped. The pair of us expressed our confusion as she looked back at me.


    "How will I let you know I am ready to turn on the airship...?" she asked slowly before she looked back at it.


    "You don''t, you just turn it on as quickly as you can and I''ll meet up with you again." I told her as I placed a hand on her and guided her up. Sort of just forcing her along gently so we could get this other with. I was already beginning to feel doubt creep in every time my eyes went near the direction of our camp.


    Of the place where the woman I longed for was... The place where my close friends were... The place where the friends I was about abandon were... That place where I would leave them, never to see them again...


    I even was starting to shudder as I moved under the airship. And rather than thinking about how I could lift it up safely, I was bordering on tears. Despite how important getting back home was to me, I just could not compel myself to do this. I was shaking and trembling and I was about to scream my frustrations...


    But, I did not scream them until I was ready, and once the first tear was out. I let my magic flow and distort the area around me violently. Then, in that single moment as I crouched down to build up energy for the jump. The land around me exploded with a blue fireball consuming it.


    And I began to soar high into the air with an airship in my grip and way. And as we got higher into the sky, I tightened my grip on whatever I could. Pipes, loose parts, even turned off and exposed segments. Thankfully, however, Vadei also turned on the airship and it suddenly jolted to a halt.


    "I''m sorry..." I muttered as I felt tears fall down my face as I dangled in the sky. Tears that had no time to stay as I suddenly fell down onto the airship...?  I quickly figured out what had happened, however, and I move to the edge and grabbed on. Just as quickly moving back to the process of dangling in the air as the airship flipped over again.


    Then, I climbed the airship and rolled over the railings. My heart thumped loudly in my ears as I needlessly panted on the decking. A certain tailed woman soon appeared over me with an agitated stare. A huff left her just before she disappeared again.


    And once I got up, I followed her in, "You best start praising me or I will kick you off this airship." she then demanded as she threw herself into the captain''s chair.


    "For turning on the airship or helping me get back on?"


    "All of it!" she nearly yells out with wide arms. Those same arms dropped down so she could drum away at the chair with her nails.


    "You''ll get your thanks once I get mine for helping you save your people."


    "Then you''ll be waiting a long time." she snarkily snorted out while I looked out at the dark sky. Our airship gently rumbled through it as it set off the magicless air in our way.


    "Keep us moving for now, I''ll go down to check if we are on the right path once day breaks."


    "And what if we miss the tracks by that point!?"


    "We keep an eye out for a mountain range instead, one with a city shaped like a bird cage." I told her as I leaned forward. Sighing the entire time as my mind shook about with fear and anxiety about what would happen and what I had done.


    .


    .


    .


    "HEY! HEY! WAKE UP YOU LOT! WAKE! UP!" Larishazza practically screamed in my face while violently shaking me.


    "W-What!? What!?" I repeated over and over as I came to realize Larishazza''s state. Her face was stained with tears and red with fear and worry. Her movements were jittery and unstable and she had more trouble than usual focusing on one thing.


    "NIN AND VADEI ARE GONE!" she answered with a howl while pointing at where they had been the night before.


    "No, they haven''t, their tracks are there..." I replied slowly with as I held out a finger at the large footsteps Nin left.


    "THEY''RE ONLY TRACKS! I TRIED FOLLOWING THEM BUT THEY DISAPPEAR!"


    "Alright, alright, calm down, maybe it''s just Nin playing a trick on us, hm?" I said to her while gesturing my palms at her. I needed her to calm down as this wasn''t helping my rising panic either.


    "HE''S NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!" she screamed into her hands before she locked them together. Various knots were formed out of her fingers as she dashed about as well.


    "Hold on, Larishazza!" I said to her as I started to follow the tracks. Only to stop in confusion when I saw that the airship was gone as well. A large burning crater in the spot it should have been in... And as I put my hand over my mouth, it dawned on me.


    They didn''t did they? They seriously did not just abandon us in the middle of a wasteland...? Our supplies were untouched, sure, but... What had they done?


    Had they just moved on elsewhere just for the moment and would return? No, that made no sense. If this was just a temporary thing then they would have discussed it with us. They would have told us...


    "Was that why I heard them being loud last night...?" I then questioned myself as I stumbled backwards in shock. Collapsing shortly after as I just did not know what to do... Why had our friends just abandoned us? If this was a plan, why hadn''t they told us...?


    I couldn''t figure any of it out and I was becoming increasingly enraged the longer I thought about it. And as I became angrier, I became more violent. I lashed out at the gravel and dust and kicked it about in a violent tantrum. Then, once I had wandered away from the camp enough...


    I screamed into the sky and let all my magic out at once. Getting caught in a ginormous explosion as a result of this sudden magic outburst. And once that rage was let out like that, I focused skyward before I then tried to turn into lightning to get into the clouds. But, as I surged upwards towards the clouds, a golden bolt swatted me away.


    A blow that sent me screaming back down to the earth below. Disaster only just being avoided when Larishazza caught me in her arms. An explosion enveloped us both once she crashed into the fragile earth. Large, shattered apart shards of firmer rock shooting up as a result, even if the explosion eroded them back down.


    "Let go of me..." I cried out in despair as Larishazza then dropped me without a care. Tears in her eyes as she looked about once more. And tears would come to my eyes too, but I could not wipe them away. As otherwise, I would get dust in them, a paltry issue compared to Nin and Vadei''s abandonment of us...


    And it sort of stayed like this for quite some time. The pair of us just cried in despair before finally calming down. How our feet forced the gravel together and apart is the only sound coming from us as we went back. Back to the camp, the one we set up together as a group, that is where we went. And, well, where else would we go?


    The Anvil-Peak? The far end of this wasteland? Back to the great canyon? Without the airship we were lost...


    "They''re gane?" Heiya asked us as she approached our slowly moving forms. Larishazza paid her no mind and just went elsewhere to sulk. Leaving Heiya my problem to deal with should I have chosen to do so... But, I was going to deal with her, I was too angry and I needed someone to vent out on...


    "And the airship too..." I let out with an exasperated sigh as I threw my arms up in the air. Shuddering out a sigh into one of my palms as the hands came down afterwards.


    "Aaare we still gaing ta fallaw them ta Tabaaabaaalle?" she then asked me and just before I shook my head in frustration, I changed my mind.


    "No... No! We''re going to find those two and demand an explanation from the pair of them!" I declared loudly as I clenched my fists together. Glaring off into the distance, even if it wasn''t the way they were headed.


    "Find tracks. Follow." Heiya''s father then explained as he walked up to me with supplies already on his back.


    "If they stole the airship how are we going to find their tracks!?" I nearly shouted down at him whilst glaring at him. Nearly moving on to shouting when he shook his head and gestured me to follow. While Heiya pointed it out once we reached the edge of the camp.


    "Aver there! See?" she said as her short arm and small hand pointed out the distortion in the gravel. Not where the airship was nor where I and Larishazza landed. But, rather, at the long serpentine trail heading off into the distance.


    "They head straight to Nin''s home?" I asked with a notable angered emphasis being put on Nin''s name.


    The pair nodded, "All way to front gate." Heiya''s father said while nodding.


    "Right, you two gather up our stuff, then, I am going to speak to Larishazza." I ordered them before walking off towards the woman in question. What I considered my former rival for Nin''s love soon entered my eyesight shortly after. And, well, she was in the most pathetic state I had ever seen her in.


    Wailing away pointlessly like a child...


    "We found a way to follow them." I tell her as she pays no heed to my presence.


    "Leave me alone..." she tells me as her face disappears further into her arms.


    "I do not intend to leave you on a dusty rock in the middle of nowhere. Now, get up." I sternly told her as I grabbed her by the elbow. But I readjusted my grip onto her bicep when it proved too awkward a place to hold.


    "No!" she whined.


    "Get up!" I told her once again as I yanked her up. Holding her awkwardly when she refused to stand at all.


    "Get off me!" she said as she weakly tried to get out of my grip.


    "Larishazza! Get up and quit acting like a child!" I then said to her before I tried to thrust her back down.  But, her legs stopped me from putting her down and that glare I got from her unnerved me. Anger was not an expression I had ever seen on her face before. And it looked like a murderous intent hid behind it.


    "Leave. Me. Alone." she said very slowly to me as she pushed me towards the rocks behind myself.


    "No, not u-until you come with us... You deserve to hear an explanation and apology too." I explained with the slightest stutter as her grip tightened on me. Only for it to loosen as she collapsed on to me to cry again.


    "Had I done something wrong...? I thought Nin was my friend... I thought they both were..." she cried out while holding me close. All while her teeth chewed away at a now bloody bottom lip as she did so.


    "We both were led to believe that, now, come on... We need to catch up with them or we''ll miss them entirely and be stuck out here in these wastes." I explained while giving her a reassuring hug. Even if I did not believe I could reassure her in a time like this. I couldn''t even reassure myself, I could only make myself angrier...


    "I hope I can figure out why they did not want to be my friend anymore..." she said with a sniffle. Something I think gave a keen insight into what she was like. She was accepting no other reason other than self-blame... She detached the idea Nin and Vadei could ever do anything bad to her completely...


    But, I felt the same way I guess, "I would like that too..." I said as we stopped hugging each other. One of my arms rubbed the other before we walked towards the slavers. Even though I would be cursing their names from now on... I was still confused as to why they did it.


    What compelled them to just abandon us...? We were coming along with them to help them. I certainly proved that when I nearly died in my efforts to save Nin! I was nearly burnt to death when I went to save him!


    So why was he able to just leave us so easily...? Had this been his plan all along? I mean, now that I thought about it... I was only here by circumstance because I was asked to help fix something on the airship...


    For no real reason as well! They could have asked anyone to do it, so why did they pick me? Was there some kind of orchestration to this event? There had to have been...


    But why did he want to leave us on our own? We were with him now so we could help him! Did he not want our help? Was he afraid we would do something?


    His lack of speaking to us about the whole affair was not helping me figure it out... But, the more I thought about our time together. I just couldn''t keep up with the idea he abandoned us out of spite or cruelty. There must be something else to this whole affair...


    Maybe I was just trying to make it seem like he made a mistake when it wasn''t. Or, maybe, despite the rage I was going through earlier... I did not genuinely believe he had done anything wrong in some strange way? That he was just thinking he needed to do this on his own...?


    It was frustrating to think about and I quickly found myself growling into my closed mouth. While the slaver, father-daughter pairing stared up at me the entire time. Something that oddly enough, calmed me, or at least distracted me. And, thankfully, they were also all done with gathering up our stuff.


    "We go?" the older of the two asked as he held up a bag to me. With Heiya doing the same to Larishazza.


    I looked at my blue-haired friend before answering, "Yes, let''s go and drag them back so we can get an answer." I answered before sighing out my frustrations.


    "I''d rather not drag them." Larishazza quietly clarified as she quickly went ahead of us once we set off.


    "Follow tracks." Heiya''s father loudly stated to the distant woman who then glued herself to said tracks. Many of their ridges and near-perfect ridges collapsed as she stepped on them. Their state only got worse as my heels speared into their remains as well.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "This shouldn''t take long, should it?" I then asked, hoping we would not be walking in such a boring land for eternity.


    Heiya''s father briefly laughed before his daughter spoke, "It will taaake aaa lang while." she initially said with a smile before she groaned upon looking down. A mumbled complaint about how her feet will be ruined by the time we reached Tobaballe came after. Which was valid I suppose, probably more so for me seen as I was an idiot still in heels...


    "Might be better off taking them off..." I then thought aloud even though I did nothing with my footwear.


    .


    .


    .


    "So what is exactly the plan for when we actually get back to your pit of despair?" Vadei asked me while she tapped her chair.


    "We go in and save your people and then I handle the issues regarding mine and you just go on home?" I said back to her, slightly confused as to where this was coming from. Hadn''t we already discussed what we were doing?


    "That''s what we are doing, not what the plan is."


    "Oh, right..." I mumbled before going quiet.


    "You don''t have one?"


    "More like I don''t actually know how to plan one. The area all your family and that are, to my knowledge, is not a place we were normally allowed. The defences and so on just do not exist in my head... So, no plan."


    "Great..." she lets out with a frustrated sigh before she taps away at some screens.


    "But, we do have one advantage now." I said while looking down at my hand.


    "Less than four fingers is not an advantage."


    "No! My strength given to me by my magic! I can use it to climb the mountains near my home. We can have a look about without putting the airship in harms way."


    "This airship has shields strong enough to withstand something that melted your body and armour that survived you suddenly sending it flying up."


    "It also has armour that got torn apart by bugs, no?" I commented as I swear this was the same type we once camped out in.


    "The osibindah earth shaman used giant pillars of rock to slam the airship straight down into a mountain. Of course, it would get torn up!" she tells me matter-of-factly while also rolling her eyes.


    "Either way... Airship will likely survive whatever my home can throw at it?"


    "Most likely."


    "But your family are unlikely to?" I asked while thinking of the idea of just landing in that farming area they were all in.


    "If we were coming after them just after they got captured... Maybe they would come out unharmed... But not now, not when they have spent so long in magicless lands..." she explains with a quiet whine as her gaze goes down.


    "So we would need a distraction?" I put forward while pondering the gates I could pass through. Or, at least, could when I was younger and not working.


    "What, you gonna charge straight into the city or something?"


    "I was thinking more of parking the airship beyond Tobaballe''s walls. I climb into the holdings of the Civil Mountains and then cause issues. I mean, look at me! You already hate me because of it, think of what people who have never seen an osibindah will think."


    "I don''t hate you, I just find you irritable." she corrected with a smirk leading me to scoff at her.


    "But yes, me big scary osibindah. It will work as a distraction, especially well when I prove that they need to send in the Goldhands or something."


    "The magic-capable guard of your home?"


    "I assume so, they became known as goldhands for a reason."


    "Then why doesn''t your home, you know, go up in a fireball?"


    I frowned, "Maybe they have somehow set up areas where magic is able to be used? Or maybe it''s just tech they have with some internal magic? My first exposure to magic was a casually lifted statue after all."


    "If that was the case, I wouldn''t have had to keep my magic under control when I was a slave."


    "Again, tech maybe? Or... All that gold...?" I said to her before thinking aloud. Reminding myself of how pretty much everything in the upper levels had different degrees of gold involved. Even what they ate...


    "It might be, I think I do remember someone mentioning thunder-gold when I was being sent back as it were." she told me before snarling towards the end.


    "That would make sense, Heiya and that did say the magic around there was unique in that it had a very... Tight area of influence." I began to say before waving my hands close together.


    "Alright, we have established how your super elite guard might be able to use magic, but how does that help us get them to go after you?" I was then asked by Vadei as her chin rested on her open palm.


    I put a claw to my chin and stroked, "We lure them out with magic? I go somewhere quiet and just let a small amount out? A bluish explosion is sure to grab their attention, no?"


    "It''s probably the best plan of action we have..." she says once more with a sigh before slumping back into her chair.


    "Vadei, I know it is probably a bit stupid all things considered. But, I promise you, we will get your family and such out of there and make sure you are on your way first. The issues of my home are my problem, but your issues are linked with mine. So you have my word that I will help."


    "You''ll have to forgive me if I doubt your word at the moment..." she says to me with no notable hostility. Even if it still did irk me either way.


    "Then don''t doubt my words, believe in my actions." I ultimately pleaded to her with as I sat down on a deactivated console.


    "Let''s wait and see, shall we?" was all I got from her.


    So now, in an effort to change the topic, I looked down at my seat, "So how come most of this stuff is turned off? It was all on when we were flying by the Anvil-Peak."


    "The magic in this place is thin and nearly non-existent. I am having to keep us at an extreme height even for this airship just to keep magic flowing into our systems."


    "So you have turned off all non-essentials?"


    "More so I am figuring out what can be turned off without issue for now. We still have plenty of stored magic, we just don''t have a particularly good input of it."


    "Will the batteries manage while we sort out the situation with your family?"


    "I admittedly don''t know, I have a prediction on screen, but, I am still uncertain if it is right given our circumstances."


    "And how much is the prediction?"


    "A few weeks worth of fuel, so, enough to grab everyone and fly back up, and, of course, any waiting time."


    "Can''t you just turn it off while we save your family?"


    "You would have no means to communicate with me, so I would need to keep it on and ready to go."


    "Are there no tools on board so we can?"


    "There are, they''re just not fitted for your head and would not likely survive your distraction or your general movements."


    "Then how are you going to keep track of me?"


    "Remember how we picked up how Larishazza was approaching us when we first left?"


    "Yeah."


    "I can use the airship''s sensory equipment to track you. And, apparently, this airship was given a module that lets it record data related to magic and that. I have everything I need to watch you. Just not communicate."


    "So we do it all in my own time?"


    "Unfortunately..." she groans out while paying attention to my brief smile.


    "Don''t worry, I will try to be quick about it."


    "You better, I understand you are here because this is your home, but try not to go sightseeing."


    "That''s one thing I cannot promise. I have been waiting for quite some time to get back home and despite my feelings towards aspects of it... It is still an exciting experience that just needs satiating."


    "Again, you better not get lost sightseeing." she repeated with a firmer tone while leaning forward.


    "Don''t worry, I may be excited about finally getting home, but I am also very eager to deal with a certain woman you used to love referring to me as."


    "I didn''t love calling you ''Ho,'' I just wanted a personalised insult." she commented while looking away slightly.


    "Wasn''t a very good one, I have to admit. Up until now, I have had no negative connotations with her name. Now, though, maybe."


    "Well, make sure you make her suffer alright. Make them all suffer for what they have done..." she growled out as her nails dug into the chair.


    "My anger is exclusive to those involved in the exchange of my people with Suhurlodst. Which, so far, only includes two to my knowledge. Iishar herself, and some other guy who apparently pet named your kind as floofs." I clarified and explained for her, watching as she shivered at the end part.


    "I know the one you mean, it''s why I ended up getting shipped back."


    "What did you do?" I then asked her as she stoked my curiosity.


    She flicked some of her nails up, "I did a little carving and biting." she maliciously grinned, making sure to show off her canines the whole time.


    "What did he do to you?"


    "Oh, nothing much, just touch my little sister inappropriately and myself in a similar manner because that creature had a fetish for our tails." she explained while protectively stroking it.


    "You brutalised a man because he touched your tail?"


    "You already know I do not like people touching my tail. Both because of my personal feelings to it and how we are raised. Our tails are special and they should only be shared with those we hold in special regard."


    "So I can go and touch your tail? You did offer it to me once." I asked, leading to her face going just slightly red.


    She looked away first, "The circumstances for that were different."


    "Yeah, I could just walk into any part of the aelenvari flower and take what I want while you were constantly refused basic manners. You had nothing of value but I had access to all the things you wanted and needed." I said with a shrug and smile. Making light of what was likely a humiliating offer on her part back then.


    "Shut up." she quickly barked out after.


    "But, yeah, don''t worry, I am sure I''ll be able to figure out which one you are on about and deal with him when I can."


    "No, if anyone is going to deal with that creature, it will be me. Especially if I find out he violated my sister or any of my family in the meantime since I was last in your decrepit pile of piss and mortar!" she exclaimed with a slammed down fist at the end.


    "First come, first served."


    "Then I guess we will be wreaking havoc in your homeland together then and then we can save my family!"


    "It''s a date."


    "I didn''t..." Vadei groaned out while I smirked some more at her.


    "But, no. Focus on your family, focus on getting them out safely. I''ll handle the spire-lords and all that." I told her, something she nodded to without much resistance.


    Then, after a brief quiet, she spoke again, "So what are you exactly going to be doing once you get back home and this is all done? After we''re done freeing my people, you''re not just going to be able to settle back in. You''ll be a mercilessly hunted criminal!"


    "Don''t worry about me, I have experience in that regard." I answered with a saddened frown as I stared at my barely visible reflection. The face of the monster that terrified me staring right back at me. Imitating every movement I made no matter how slight or hidden it was.


    "It seems rather odd that I would be setting out to free my friends and family, only to leave one a prisoner the rest of his life." Vadei then commented as she stood up and walked over to me.


    "It will probably do me good, since being in that small camp with you, Vapooliar and those two little midgets... I have gotten rather comfortable with the idea of solitude. Lots of people just don''t do it for me now, if they ever did that is."


    "You don''t have to do it, you know. You don''t have to return to Tobaballe just because."


    "It''s my home, Vadei."


    "Home is where ever you make it. You just want to go back because it is familiar and all you have been exposed to since I have first seen you is the unfamiliar."


    "Or, instead of giving me a lesson in philosophy and psychology, you could just accept the fact I want to get back home?" I said back to her with a raised tone.


    She shook her head and sighed, "Nin, do you seriously want to tell me your life would be better off in that city? From what you have described it is a place that grinds you to the bone doing nothing but work and you only actually get to enjoy life when your hair goes grey."


    "Your point?"


    She stood up, "You may have an osibindah''s body, but you still have the soul of a human. That has allowed you to make friends who care about you, friends I hope I can consider myself a part of. Think about it, life may not be as easy as it once was with the aelenvari, but you have everything you need and friends to support you through it."


    "Be quiet..." I bitterly muttered as she brought back old arguments I kept beating down in my head.


    "No, quite frankly, I think you need the second opinion! You''re throwing away and cutting yourself off from people who care about you just so you can die in a hole in a place that has never cared for you and will forever hate you!"


    "I said... BE QUIET!" I started off irritated yet quietly at first before I went into a brief charge and yelled in fury. Vadei flinched away with wide eyes and nearly fell over. She said nothing else and quickly scurried off to captain''s chair. An unsteady shiver went through her as I passed by and went outside.


    And with a need to vent anger out, I enacted something that could help me deal with it. I slammed a fist straight down onto the airship railing and snapped it. One part still stayed on, but it was clear it was deformed permanently for the time being. And, despite just breaking it, I would put it somewhat back in place before walking once more.


    "Who in the name of all the gods does she think she is? It is not her place to question my reasoning... Her place is to be thankful that I am even helping her at all!" I ranted out loud to myself as my claws twitched about. Yet, even as I flexed my angered form around, I did not lash out at anything nearby. Instead, I tried to calm myself down by going on a little walk around the airship.


    Unfortunately, however, every room I went by seemed to make me increasingly bothered. Each room gave me a memory of something I had done in the rooms with the others. Be it just talking to them, sharing a snack or playing around with them. And in a few cases, I was helping them fix the airship or make something out of the bits they found.


    Despite this just being an airship we stole so we could get back home... It already was loaded with small, happy memories calling out to me. Each one making the same argument as Vadei just did and I have done before... You are happy with these people, so why give it up?


    Yet, for some reason, I could never quite make a good argument for why I was. I tried arguing it from a selfish standpoint, like how many back home would do it. But I had long since changed from that sort of life. My friends now were people willing to nearly die to save me, not just people I joked with and insulted.


    I was actually happy with these people, not just mutually miserable. We might have not enjoyed doing all the same things. But, what we did share mattered. Einervaene wore clothes I helped her make and look after.


    And, well, Larishazza was a woman who had just captivated me since the beginning. When I thought I was all alone and that seeing Undwote again was the best course of action. Her childish antics might have been unbearable at times, but she was so sweet. And I left her alone in the middle of a wasteland with no explanation...


    Just like that, as if I were someone who moved to a higher floor at the expense of someone else. So I guess, in a way, despite all that has happened to me, I was still a Tobaballian. Someone more focused on what benefitted them. No regards to others being paid their due...


    Perhaps I could just go back with Vadei once her people had been saved? Once mine were no longer in danger of undergoing what I nearly went through. But, again, everything I have done since even the camp where I met Vadei properly... It has all been in a single effort to get back home...


    I couldn''t just stop on a whim, not after I have already put so much effort into this journey. I nearly died, had died, nearly died several more times. All in the name of returning to my homeland. To the city I was born in, that birdcage shaped meatgrinder.


    How could I just drop it all because it made me sad to leave some people behind? Surely me actually feeling comfortable was more important than just another friendship? Yet, was this really just another friendship? One saved my mind and the other saved my body from potential death.


    One could not just say this was the same standard to which all friendships were measured... What I had with those two was special and meaningful. Yet, again, I once thought that about Rose and she abandoned me for another. When I needed support the most from her, she just up and left me to wither away.


    Even Einervaene did the same when it got rough. So what''s to say it won''t happen again. What is to say I won''t find myself on my own again? To be told so finely that I should have gone off to Tobaballe...


    To have broken off the friendships myself and saved me the torment. To protect me from their imposed solitude by just making it myself... Now if only it was an actually quick affair. And not one that left me wandering an airship, bitter and disgruntled with it all.


    "Give it time I suppose. I got over never seeing my old school friends. I... I should be able to do the same here." I said as I sat down on a chair in the cafeteria. A doodled on piece of paper soon entered my grips after a short while. Something Larishazza must have done at some point. Or, perhaps not, because it was an outfit outline.


    So that must have meant it was one of Einervaene''s drawings. And now, I became curious, because the drawing was one of me, so I headed off to another room. This picture was not me in my usual bandages and cloak, though. But, rather, in a rather normal-looking set of baggy robes.


    At least, I assume it was robes, it was certainly something from Einervaene''s homeland. It had that particular elegant simplicity to it. Where the means to make it were simple, but the way it was done was fine and precise. Each piece being a canvas for the artistic talents of the maker.


    Yet, now that I was in the room Einervaene had been using for her clothes making. I found out that what was in my hand only existed on this paper. Just like the dozens upon dozens of other pieces of paper. Each one a design for me, her, Vadei or Larishazza.


    There was even one for Heiya and Paps surprisingly enough. But there was also something else of note. Large scratches and tears across the wall and crude notes jotted down where ever there was room. Some were her letting out grief about what happened when I took off my bracelet, others were more innocent.


    Just her complaining about how she had all these ideas but not the material to make it.


    "I suppose it doesn''t really matter if I keep any of this, does it?" I then asked myself as I took off my clothes. Leaving my mask on a desk while folding up my cloak and resting the hat on it. The bandages, however, I just sort of spread about in the corner.


    And now, I was naked once more, just an osibindah with the eyes of a human once more. It would probably mean little to her, but I suppose this act of kindness should help. She could maybe make some of these ideas now that she had the material. Or, at least, little miniatures of the ideas.


    But, if I was going to leave behind a kindness for Einervaene. Surely I should also try to make sure Larishazza had one too? It may have frustrated me that even with the bracelet she did not have feelings for me. But I still had feelings for her, she was very important to me and to just leave her out...


    No, I would not do it... So now I just needed to figure out what she might like. What she might want. Yet, I knew the answer to that and it left me sad again.


    She wouldn''t want a parting gift. She would not want a little gesture from someone she would never see again. She would want her friend to be with her. To laugh and play with so she could enjoy life with them and all the other friends she had.


    However, I could not give that to her. I could not give her, her friend back. Her friend wanted to go home and she wasn''t coming... So, with this in mind, I sat down and tried to think.


    But I could not think, there was just too much in my head. Too many regrets regarding her and the other one. I could not get myself to forget about them no matter how hard I tried. Like how the earth was always touched by water, like how lightning always struck down...


    I could not properly detach myself from either of them. Two cases of where they had both saved my life. I would carry those thoughts in my head forevermore. And I despaired at what that would bring for me...


    Restless nights caused by nightmares filled with their tears and anger. A distracted mind that just kept trying to tie myself back to them. A heart that would keep aching at how I rejected its right to love. That is what was coming for me right now if I stayed the course.


    But, I could change my mind. I just had to go back to Vadei now or later and tell her I wanted to go back. Back to Suhurlodst so I could stay with my friends. My beloved and appreciated friends...


    Ones I would spend months trying to repay the kindness they have given me. Ones I don''t even think I could repay at all actually. I mean, how does one repay the right to life? How do I repay someone who rebuilt my will to go on?


    Every joy I would experience from those points on were rooted in their actions! Just like how every moment of sadness and anger was too, even if they were not actually involved. It would always go back to me crying with a broken knife in hand in the dark. It would always go back to me lying there in fear with a burnt and melted body.


    I owed them so much and they barely owed me anything when you got down to it. I have not saved their lives, I have kept them safe, sure. But not once have I ever saved their lives like they had mine... And now, once again, here I was, crying my eyes out as indecision took over.


    "Nin, can you come back to the bridge, please?" I heard Vadei gently ask through the airship''s speaker system. Initially, I did not want to listen to it and just ignore it. To stay in this growing pit of misery I was in. But, as I did not want to be on the floor moping, I got up shortly after.


    I then slowly moved back through the airship until I reached the open decking. And, it would seem like Vadei was watching me as now the airship was turning around for some reason. Then, once I was done being confused by why we had suddenly turned around. I saw why we had turned around.


    "Tobaballe..." I let out quietly as I saw the very, very distant sight of a city wedged between two ends of a mountain range. My home, I was finally within viewing distance of my home again, even if it seemed deceptive. I couldn''t make out much given how far we were. But the crown of the city helped outline its tall towers for us.


    The great clock that dangled in the centre, I forget its actual name, but it was helping me so much.


    "Nin, again, bridge please." Vadei asked once again with more urgency this time around. And I didn''t question it or ignore it this time. I just went straight for it and walked to the bridge. Perfectly aware of what we might have to speak about in this moment.


    .


    .


    .


    "Get off your grounded backsides and help me!" our superior called out as the measuring tools of our station went haywire. There had been fluctuations before, sure, but none like this. What made this one odd was how the data was so focused. Normally it was spread about but this one clearly highlighted something.


    "Any bets as to what it is?" one of my colleagues asked while I focused on making sure nothing broke. Eternally long sheets of paper just flying out of the machine as I did so. Unfortunately, it was also an unavoidable circumstance that we would damage some of it. There was just so much coming out at once!


    If I was on my own then I might have been laughing maniacally at it all. Pure joy and intellectual ecstasy keeping me going as everything fell apart. But, I was not on my own, much to my disappointment. I was stuck in a team that operated on a somewhat strict shift system.


    "HEY! Ea''enk!" someone shouted at me. And with this sudden understanding that I was being spoken to. My body sharply turned around and my neck snapped towards the speaker. Paper piling up around me as I stood idly about.


    "Get the Spire-Lords on the line, they''re going to want to know about this!" someone instructed me as they covered the bottom end of a landline. Then, with a frustrated huff, I kicked the paper out of my way, tearing some of it. But, I was out the room before I could be complained at and I was soon dashing to the communications room. Why I was going there, though, was a mystery.


    I wasn''t some new inductee or apprentice on his first day! I was a veteran of this facility! Two years I had worked here and I was being asked to use the telephone... What a load of rubbish, a complete waste of my talents!


    Yet, despite my complaints and annoyance, here I now was, in a busy room. One filled to the brim of panicking people going back and forth. Thankfully, however, the landlines to the Spire-Lords were in a sound-proofed room as to not disturb them. So I slipped the keys into my hand, and I opened it up.


    "One day, oh one day." I sighed with relief as it became quiet the moment I closed the door. The glass panel shows off all the chaos of the next room... But letting in none of the noise! It was wonderful!


    "Goldhand Comms Room Security Detail, state your purpose?" I received as an answer the moment I picked up the telephone.


    "Magic Observation Station, Lord''s Foresight, we have a worrying anomaly. Something is coming straight for us." I basically guessed as the glass gave me a good view of the presented data. It was very clearly outlining something like I saw earlier.


    "This will be passed on, hold." I was then told before I heard a thud come through my telephone''s speaker. Their phone had been put down, but it wasn''t off as it were. As such, I got to listen in on all the talk on their side. Which was briefly entertaining before it got picked up again.


    And the voice that came through certainly made me tighten up my posture, "Spire-Lord Iishar Ho, explain what you see."


    It was her, the one who had her fingers in every single bit of our magic research and industry. One might have thought she founded all of this, but no, she just took it all over. With surprising zeal, one might add. But, my thoughts had no room for these thoughts, they needed data!


    "A flying object operating at a height well beyond what our aircraft are capable of, measuring several dozen meters in either width or length is fastly approaching us. There was also a very brief period of it having a much greater signature on its right side." I explained to her only to be met with silence and a thudding phone.


    "Drop a few floors down." I then cursed her with as I put the beeping telephone down. Mumbling to myself as I left the room and went back to my department. Groaning some more when I got back as all the data had been neatly piled up and tidied. Not one single roll of it left for me to peruse before we presented it...


    "Well?" my superior asked me as he charged down the stairs. His body nearly flying off of them and into me in the process. And as I leaned away from his face, I sneered slightly.


    "I informed the goldhands, Spire-Lord Iishar Ho was then informed as well." I told him to which he started nodding over and over again.


    "Right, so that means she is now likely on her way. Possibly with the others who are more military minded." he said as he tapped his knuckles into one of his palms. A clear nervousness was displayed before he then sped back up the stairs. And, with a roll of my eyes, I went up and followed him. Because despite my recent task of absurd unimportance, I was one of the higher-ranked people here.


    And it still made me excited to think about that! From grounder to a high-ranked scientist in a top-secret facility at the edge of the Civil Mountains in just a few decades! Truly a worthwhile position to have reached! So long as I avoid my higher-floor superiors who love to rub it in how lesser I was...


    "So what is the theory you lot have?" I then asked just to see what they came up with. I did after all offer only my own assumptions to the Spire-Lord. I wasn''t handed an official consensus and likely because of the urgency. But I wish I did get one, now if this proves to be a flook it is my head on the patio!


    "An aircraft from beyond the Anvil-Peak." he informed me before he threw a paper plane at a bin.


    "What kind?"


    "As in purpose such as military or civilian or type as in helicopter or plane?"


    "Either or, really." I clarified before sitting down in front of his balls. Picking one up so I could roll it about my palms while he leaned back in his chair.


    "If prior handlings by the Spire-Lord Iishar Ho are anything to go by. Civilian and possibly a freighter of some kind? It''s hard to tell as we only get rumours of the stuff these people have beyond the mountain."


    I scoffed, "Beyond the mountain."


    "What?"


    "That mountain happens to be one of the greatest discoveries we have ever made and you refer to it as just some mountain? It''s the Anvil-Peak! As in; the mountain Thurnmourer used to build the world!" I exclaim while flicking my jagged fingers about.


    "Still a mountain..." he mumbled before he stared at the red landline on his desk.


    "I doubt she will give you a heads up, she never does." I tell him as he was likely worrying about her arrival. Every visit from her was always so petty yet stressful. She might not come for anything at all but she still gave us a strict rundown on workplace ethics. Which, was a bit rich coming from someone whose average dinner was a grand feast on gold furniture.


    Served on gold cutlery made from the gold around the Anvil-Peak...


    "I''m more worried about the little pet project she has linked us to."


    "Project Gladiator?" I said without missing a beat. I mean, it was pretty obvious it was that. She comes back one day, not with a new test subject to put in the outer farmlands. But rather, she comes back with a menagerie of different species to test the combat capabilities of. And despite being an observation facility for measuring the Anvil-Peak...


    We were now being used as a backup facility for the main Project Gladiator facility...


    "Believe it or not, no, not Project Gladiator. Project Fire Trail."


    "Ah, that little sub-division of Gladiator." I said while nodding my head as I remembered that time she came in pissed. I remember it more so because of that admittedly. Rather than the more concerning fact that our power supply was converted into a potential natural disaster! She had us hook up a draconic being so it can be used as an electricity source!


    Sure, the edge of the Civil Mountains was the best place to test it! But nearly all of our budget now went towards that damn thing! It burned through our power cables absurdly quickly. So quick that research and development can''t even give us decent prototypes in time!


    "And now that we have this being picked up, we''re likely to be dumped with even more work." my superior moaned as he collapsed down into a sighing wreck.


    "If you just put your foot down and admitted that we would need new facilities, this wouldn''t be a problem."


    "Do you perhaps want my job then? You can look her straight in the eye and tell her no! You can look that magic addict in the face and tell her she needs to be patient!"


    "Oh, if you''re offering. I would love to delegate all the menial tasks away from myself." I said with a smirk as I imagined the change in work. So much time for research and observation, no little tasks like coffee fetching.


    "Of course you would." he said to me with a groan before he looked at a clipboard. One that he soon slid over to me once I put his ball down. And going by how he then picked it up himself, he might as well just taken it from my hand...


    "Why''d you hand me something from Project Gladiator?"


    "So I can get at least some sympathy."


    "Why would you need sympathy? All it is, is that we''re running out of test subjects." I said with a shrug.


    "Yes, but with so few deals taking place now. She doesn''t like to be reminded that her little weapons project is not doing so well."


    "You say that but she keeps bringing it up as if it will suddenly get better."


    "That''s the point!" he exclaimed in frustration.

 Incline 2: Welcome Home, Native/Slave

    "You''re still quite the distance away..." I found myself saying as I held out a claw before me. Its digits stretched out as far as they could, but I could not even touch the stone of the mountains. We had spotted Tobaballe days ago but we were still headed towards it. But, I suppose that is what happens in featureless environments.


    Distant things seem closer than they actually are...


    "Nin, can you come here, please?" Vadei then asked me as she stuck her head out the door of the bridge.


    "What do you want to show me?" I asked her, even if I had a sneaking suspicion she wanted to talk about a certain topic.


    "This." she told me as she tried to tap the holographic screen that just appeared. It was the mapping systems of the airship that I was being shown.


    "I see the Civil Mountains, what about them?" I asked before she then zoomed in on a certain spot.


    "I think I have found a place we can drop you off at. You won''t waste time climbing for long and you can just get straight into the confines of the mountain range."


    "Right." I said quickly before I began to stare intensely at the spot she had highlighted. It was rather peculiar for a mountain area. It looked just like a pathway one could use to walk in and out of the area I called home.


    "So, as we discussed before, I can keep an eye on you using these, and then I can get a good idea of when to move on to saving my family." she then explained as more screens appeared. I ignored those ones, however, and just moved my gaze towards her.


    "That''s fine, get them out as quick as you can and be on your way. Of course, if you find the others, give them a lift back, too." I told her as my gaze moved towards my palms. Palms that constricted slightly as I still could not stomach the idea of it. Maybe I would once this was all over, but not right now at all.


    She then sighed, "Are you sure about that, Nin? Are you sure you want to go through with this?"


    And then I groaned, "We''ve been over this, Vadei..." I frustratedly let out at her.


    "Yes, and each time you make yourself angry and never finish the discussion! Nin, you are talking about abandoning your friends in favour of a life as a criminal. You can''t seriously expect me to be on board with it!?"


    "What I get up to is none of your concern!" I snapped at her after my head jolted up.


    "It is when I care about you, Nin! You are my friend and I refuse to just leave you behind like that!" she told me with cheeks flushed red with frustration.


    I looked away initially before speaking, "No you''re not, I''m just a means to an end for you. A way to get your family back. Now quit arguing the point and just do as I say."


    "Excuse me? I beg your pardon? I do not think of you like that at all you rotten liar! You are my friend and I sincerely consider you to be one!" Vadei nearly yells at me as she suddenly becomes aggressive. Her weaker, slimmer form tried to then push me around, but she couldn''t move me slightly.


    I couldn''t even look her in the eye, no matter how much she tried to position herself before me, "Just do as you''re told, Vadei. Get me to that point, and think of a farewell in the mean time." I told her with a dismissive gesture. Something that only angered her more.


    "No, I will not!" she nearly yelled at me as I walked out the door. Her frustrated screaming was barely heard above the winds I now felt and heard. But, it was there. She was shouting at the door, calling me all sorts of names.


    And, if I had to be honest, now might have been the time to get moving. Because what point was there in me staying here? Me and Vadei were not on good terms right now and my goal was so close. That one, single goal I have had since I spent my first night in that camp with Vadei and the others.


    All the way back before I met even Rose and discovered what her people were like. Back when I was still human and still had human elements... It felt so long ago when I thought on it. But, it was only about a year or so ago when this all started.


    "If I find out that Thunder is not being celebrated, then I guess I can say it took me under a year, then." I tried to joke to myself to at least lighten the mood. One little, bad joke, however, was not enough to change my mind. It was not enough to just get me thinking differently. I was still ladened with regrets and anger and sadness about what I had done...


    But now was not the time to mope about or to cry, it was to finally get back home! So I steadily climbed over the railing and leaned forwards while my arms went back. I tried to smile at what I was about to do, but nothing came. The only thing that did come was the rush of wind and that familiar noise once I let go.


    And then, all of sudden, I was surrounded by a mighty explosion. Its bang reverberated about me louder than usual and the ground was scarred. Scarred more in a single moment than it would ever be without my involvement. Then, once the bluish-purple explosion died down, I brought my forward right knee out of the earth.


    Childishly admiring the destruction my drop had caused before getting back on track. I had a goal I needed to keep in mind and so I ran. I let the land behind me feel my newfound power as I went back to my birthplace. I outrun the devastation and launched myself towards the nearest mountain when I was close enough.


    "I will need to be very careful!" I nearly screamed in excitement as I saw the damage my magic was causing. Rather than just digging into the mountain, I made it and its neighbours tremble and crumble. An avalanche of grey appeared above me and it surged past me with no damage being applied to me. Once I might have been terrified by that, the power I had being so alien.


    But now? I was enjoying it as much as I could. Because, unless I made it a habit to run about these wastes every now and then. I would never get to use my magic again as I would destroy my home. But, that was fine, if I used it up playing about, I could soon reintegrate into my home.


    Vadei feared for her family because they had spent too long in a magic-free environment... So, logically speaking, if I spent some time here too, I would see the same fears come to my mind. Or, I could just mess around on the outer side of the Civil Mountains and drain my magic now. Yet, that also provided one problem, what if I needed my magic to cross the mountains?


    If I used it all up now then I might not be able to make the journey! Yet, my current body did offer one advantage of note. It was built of sturdier stuff and it was stronger! Even if I did use up my magic then surely I would make it anyway!


    "It would also keep her from following me..." I then mumbled once I saw the airship again. The last of the rubble I created had slammed past me. She was shepherding me carefully even if from a great distance. If her tools measured me by using my magic as a point of reference, then I just needed to remove it!


    So, I let go of the mountain and ran down it like I would a steep hill when I was young. I laughed and cackled as the running freed my mind briefly. Each step was catastrophic to the mountain as well! I left deep, gashing craters in the weak stone and more and more fell down after me.


    Then, when I felt the ground below explode once more, I looked up in anticipation. Laughing the whole time until I began to think of a toilet of all things. How it flushed away all of the waste with a sudden burst of water. And at that moment, the sky lit up in a magical firestorm as I just let it all out.


    Screaming with eager anticipation as I just felt all that power come out of me until I felt exhausted. No boulders from above hit me and nothing touched me. I was destroying it all as it travelled while also going deeper into the earth. And as my screams came to an end, I collapsed while laughing, staying there for a bit.


    "Much better..." I said with heavy breaths as my body ached and grew tired. Far more tired than I had ever been since coming to Jherikra as some called it. I tried to use one of my spells, but I could just not get it to form no matter how hard I tried. And it made me smile like a maniac.


    But, I also regretted it slightly as it was a painful experience getting back up. I was now covered in aches and sore body parts and stuck in a hole. My magic had blown apart a vast crater during that little show. Thankfully, it was so vast as to reasonably steep for most of it, the only sudden dips were the very edge.


    Once again, however, I was very thankful for the fact I had a bit of magic left. Like that last bit of energy you have before you go to bed that only exist to get you in it. So I roughly flew out of that hole and headed to the mountain. Barely reaching its base before I collapsed with a smile.


    "We''re nearly there, so nearly there." I said as I looked behind me. That path was still there and it stuck out quite a bit. It was also, however, completely messed up by my fun. I could still see it, but it would be harder to use it.


    But I was fine with a challenge, especially when the reward was me finally getting back home! I might never be able to walk the streets again, granted... But at least it was all familiar to me. Who knows, maybe I could even rob someone for their carpets and blend in a little easier!


    Of course, that was if I could stop giggling at the potential fun I would have being the tallest bug alive. The small things like that are what I would have to learn to enjoy. Having a drink or going out for a meal was just not possible anymore. Not that I did them at all, to be entirely honest.


    Now was the time, however, so I stopped thinking about fun and slowly got up. It was almost nostalgic in a way, dragging yourself out of bed to get to work. Having just exhausted yourself the day prior doing what you were about to go do. That is what moving at the moment felt like.


    It hurt, it was annoying, it would ruin my mood and I wanted to complain for hours on end. But, I kept on moving and I kept on climbing and using what magic I could to help me. Then, soon, after spending a lot of time getting used to mountain climbing... I got to that pathway, a bit I hadn''t destroyed, that is.


    "Make the clock bang its bells loudly, Tobaballe. Nin Urtuan has returned." I triumphantly said to myself as I began to follow the path. Keeping my hand on what seemed like a random metal railing as I walked. Not really putting much thought into why it was there or why this path was clearly man-made. I just walked and walked until I found something.


    At least, until I once again found myself needing to sit down. It turns out, suddenly flushing all my magic out in order to safely travel into my home was a bad idea. But, well, I also had yet to see anything bad come from it. I was just moaning about how much I ached.


    "Oh, hello?" I then said when I noticed something in the immediate distance. Confusion fueled my curiosity and I dragged myself over to what I saw. It was some kind of hidden mountain complex. A very active one by the looks of it going by all the staff walking about.


    Staff that was now suddenly terrified when the guards began to shout and bark orders. Confident in my magic, however, I sort of just stood there as the guards sorted themselves out. But, I was quickly on the move again when I felt a dull pain spread throughout my scalp. They had just shot a bullet at me and it was made of gold?


    "Ah, so it''s going to be like Tryhpeltzweig again..." I worriedly commentated as I tried to run away from the gunfire. Yet, even now as I received a reason to move as fast as I could. My adrenaline did nothing to lower the aches I was feeling in my body. So I was less so running and more like hobbling about as if I hurt my leg or foot.


    "Escaped Gladiator located, moving in." I heard someone say before a goldhand suddenly appeared before me. A speed that seemed to surprise everyone else but oddly enough, they seemed slow. And now that I had trained my ability to sense magic, they really did not seem all that impressive. In fact, I was willing to go with the idea I could just sort of slap them aside.


    "Ah, shit!" I then moaned out in pain as my body began to experience some kind of cramps. Sudden and growing fields of stiff muscle began to lock me in place. And, it wasn''t the goldhand or a guard doing it. It was just my body giving up and now I had a fist coming towards me.


    All most as if to mock me, this fist was coming in very slow from my perspective. But, that did not mean it did not hurt in the slightest as that definitely hurt more than the bullets! My cramps, however, prevented me from swearing out my pain and I was instead trembling in pain while loudly groaning.


    "Target is secure, it has seemed to have immobilised itself." the goldhand explained to someone over a large blocky radio. Something that felt so... Dated to my eyes now, especially given the fact I have seen and used magic-based tech.


    "Make sure it is restrained by us as well and bring it to me." a woman ordered him in response. And then, well, he followed his orders and put me in a set of large cuffs that left me numb. Something about them seemed to make it so they interfered with my magic... Which, perplexed me because Heiya said these things didn''t exist.


    So why did my homeland have them if magic was not really a thing here? Did this lack of magic play a role in their development? Did it allow them to understand how to shield themselves from it? I was willing to bet that was the case.


    "Move neck, move!" I demanded of my locked up body as thankfully, my tongue could still move. But, my words were muffled, unfortunately. And, to make it all worse, this locked jaw I had was giving me an itch. As if my body needed to make its little annoying chitters that I despised so much.


    And then, as another goldhand came over to me, I saw her, I saw the one who caused everything, "This is new." she comments with a frown as she crosses her arms in front of me. Not right in front of me, but enough to make it seem like she was in control... Now, see, if my magic wasn''t drained...


    Oh, ho, ho... I''d tear her apart and then rebuild her just to tear her apart again. For now, however, I would have to settle with violent trembles and muffled growls. My locked up body prevented me from doing anything. To say absolutely nothing about these cuffs and the goldhands restraining me.


    "What is this creature? This isn''t registered in Project Gladiator!" a scientist of some description then commented from a catwalk above as his footsteps echoed about.


    "Is this likely what was picked up then?" Iishar asks the scientist as she decided to pace about me.


    "Does this look several dozen metres in size?" the scientist asked back with some snark as he got up in my face. A small light of some kind was shoved straight into my eyes afterwards.


    "Was it at least the thing responsible for those recent tremours?" Iishar then asked with much less patience as she intimidated the scientist away.


    "Possibly? It has only just happened, we have had no opportunity to collect data!"


    "Whatever, get this thing to the Gladiator facility. We need to be able to see if we just got lucky or if we can truly fight these things off should more appear." she ordered the others while I just seethed with rage. But, as she turned away from me, I couldn''t hold it in anymore. I just had to at least scream that one word...


    "IISHAR!" I roared out before flinching about in pain as I had just forced my jaws to open up. And it left her eyes wide with shock along with everyone else''s.


    "Gladiator, now!" she then repeated sternly with my feet grinding along the stone path as I was pulled away. My eyes locked on an unnerved Iishar Ho the entire time before we turned a corner. And from then on, I just growled to myself and put up with it. I needed to let my body recover from whatever this problem was...


    .


    .


    .


    "Dammit, Nin! Why did you have to do that? Why couldn''t you have at least gotten inside first!" I nearly screamed at the machines in front of me. Slamming my clenched fists down onto the machine as I had lost Nin. My sensors and equipment could not pick him up as he had purged the magic from his system. Now all I had was a blurry and undetailed outline of him that quickly vanished.


    I wanted to scream and shout some more, I nearly even cried but, for now, I just moaned in anger. A series of hiccups left me as I tried to just vent the anger out. But I just couldn''t, whatever Nin was doing was endangering my family! I may have not wanted him to stay here but there was no need for him to hide himself like this!


    I needed his help to save my family and now I had no idea of if he had done something to help them! So, after a few moments of just waiting for the tears to flow, I got up and walked about. Pacing back and forth with a hand on my chin as I tried to just think of a new plan. Without Nin to distract the guards, I would need to find a way to kill them or move them...


    This airship had defensive measures, but no offensive ones. It was designed purely to be defended by an escort or onboard garrison. Problem was, I had no armed garrison and the closest thing I had to escorts were all gone! And, as I noted that, I screamed in anger once more.


    "YOU STUPID BUG! YOU STUPID BUG! IF MY FAMILY GETS-" I began to scream out before just stopping. My eyes firmly locked on the map the airship''s equipment made. And then, I lingered the tip of my claw over a spot near the entrance. Hidden away but not too hidden.


    "If I can safely get the airship here, I can go out on my own and do it myself..." I breathed in tearful relief as a plan started to come to mind. And then, my claws began to light up as I reminded myself of my offensive spells. Not that I might need them as my magic had grown since returning back to my home continent.


    So I quickly hopped back into command of the airship and brought it down quickly. Nin might have not done his distraction, but surely that magic blast caught their attention somehow? He did carve up a mountain after all. And, admittedly, having seen it, I was shocked by how powerful Nin had become...


    The incident that taught me not to use magic in places like this was enough to blow out a house. Not enough to bring part of a full mountain down! It also made me paranoid, because I was a lot stronger than my memorable example now. If I let my magic go out for even a moment, I could risk devastating all the places where the slaves are!


    I could kill my family and old friends by mere proximity and accident!


    "Gods and goddesses, watch over me and guide me carefully." I let out with a whimper as I finally got the airship to where I wanted it. That descent was needlessly complicated by me having to ignore warnings and other stuff. I just needed to force the airship down and then turn it off. Speaking of...


    "I want to go back to magic-filled lands..." I complained as I picked myself up after we suddenly just dropped and slammed into the ground. A shakeup that saw me briefly fly about the airship and hurt myself. The land around me might have not hurt me, but this was steel made in the lands of Thrurstradtur. Magic was definitely in this metal plating.


    "Rope ladders, rope ladders-" I then began to repeat over and over once I had picked myself up. If I was to suddenly guide everyone out to the airship. I would need them to be able to get on board it. It was just a shame I could not use the airship''s main walkway without causing magic issues.


    But, as I remembered the fact that I was not near a camp anymore, I went back and turned it all on again. Growling at the sudden warning blaring in my face as I readjusted the airship and opened it up. And, thankfully, my ability to regulate power meant I did not make a crater like Nin did. We were just on burnt and torn up earth is all...


    "What rooms should I put them in, though?" I then questioned myself as I spun around and looked down the dark hallway. Ideally, I would want a location where I could keep them all safe from excess magic. And, of course, magic blasts caused by a certain reaction. So, at the very least, that crossed off me putting them on the side to my right.


    As, if I was remembering correctly, that was the side the salamander took Nin down from. The side we, unfortunately, were not really able to fix all that well even with our stops at mountain-based settlements. And while it probably was not all that interesting, that meant I was left with the bedrooms and the cafeteria as potential safe spots. Pretty much the only rooms they would need to use...


    "I best go make sure the other essential rooms are safe." I then commented with a frown as I took a torch and walked about the airship. Inspecting every single room for ways to keep my family and so on safe with. Unfortunately for my worrying mind, however, all there really was were the doors and walls... So I would just have to pray and hope it was enough.


    "I promise you, God of Airships if you are real, or, Oriesee, of course, if this is your domain... Revered goddess... I will pray for you everyday. I will make you dependent on my faith alone, I swear it." I potentially pointlessly promise in my paranoia as I go back to my chair. Collapsing into it and shivering as I tried to remember any prayers for her. But, unfortunately, I just could not think of any as I had never had a reason to pay attention to her! I was never someone who cared for metal, it was just a shiny rock to me!


    But, despite all this pressure, I was able to get a hold of it and beat it down, "Cmon, Vadei, you can do this. You are stronger than anyone in this city. Even if you can''t use spells, you won''t lose to them!" I tell myself as I move my arms back and forth. Hopping straight back up and running out the airship before I lost heart once again. And, with a casual hop, I was off the airship and in the gravel below.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    From then on out, I was just running as fast as I could without copying Nin. I ran until the night came and I skidded to a halt before the simple wall that once trapped me here. Compared to what I had seen since returning back to my home continent, this was nothing. It might as well have been nothing as well.


    Just pressing against it made cracks appear as well as magic reactions. So, with that in mind, I moved away from the wall and sort of just stared at it. Did I climb up the wall itself or did I use the mountain as an aid? If I was to be careful with my magic, then the mountain might be preferable.


    "But neither side is really suited to magicless climbing." I point out to no one as I tried to think of climbing methods. I was a good climber, I knew that, compared to a human anyway. But climbing under these conditions was something else. Such a natural part of my life had to be suppressed and ignored for this to work.


    Yet, I still nodded to myself and also urged this body of mine onwards. I still went up to that wall and placed my hands upon it. Carefully testing how much strength I could apply before the signs of magic appeared. Which, so long as I didn''t go through a sudden panic, would be easy to handle.


    Just stop and remember what I had to do. That is how I would deal with these potential magic blasts. So, with it all in mind, I began to climb up the mountain and the wall at the same time. Even if it was a bit awkward as the edge of the wall was carved straight from the mountain.


    As such, I sort of had to split my legs wide just so I could touch the gaps between the large stones. And, apart from the occasional tug as my toeclaws got stuck in the gaps. It all went fine, I even managed to get right onto the wall''s top so I could pull myself up. Now if only I did not come on to a spot with a sleeping guard...


    "I hope your dreams are pleasant." I then whispered to the guard once I had calmed myself. Punching my sharp claws straight through his collar and neck and letting him die. Yet, even as the warm blood washed over my fingers and hand, I kept it there. There was a strange satisfaction about having done this, but I still felt sick either way.


    I know I have killed before, but, there was something a little different about doing it to a human. Their faces were so alike those of my kind and I guess that just disturbed me. All their expression were alike what I could make and I was friends with several humans... Yet, either way, I tried to focus on the satisfaction of the kill.


    These people were holding my family hostage and I would not stand for it! And now with this one guard out the way, I tried to hide him. He was on the edge of a likely quiet post so maybe they wouldn''t find him. But, just to be safe given the circumstances as to why I just killed him.


    "Dammit... Which one was the one I was locked away in...?" I asked myself as I had failed to remember the layout of this place. I remembered how it was all positioned, but I could not tell warehouse from ramshackle house. It was all just sort of blending together, especially in the dark... Yet, I would be having to thank someone as just then I heard a baby cry.


    I didn''t even have to use magic, my ears were just that suited for this moment! I could direct them towards the sound and then sneak into where they were! As such, this had me smiling as now I knew where to go. But now I just needed to get there through the fields of crops I once would''ve sown.


    "Don''t mind me, I ain''t here for harvest, in fact, I don''t think you ever will be..." I sniggered out with a whisper as I got down from the wall and snuck through the crops. Lowering my body as far as it would go so I could just prowl about unnoticed. My ears guide my movements through what is about to be the old food of my family. Yet, I did not arrive at a house, first, instead, I found a warehouse.


    "Eugh, I hate having to do it, but, it will help me blend in..." I complain as I put on the baggy sacks I used to wear after pillaging the warehouse. Of course, I did not take off my actual clothes as I had no intention of leaving these behind. It would ruin my entire aesthetic of being the airship''s captain, something I wanted to show off to my family!


    But, then, someone banged on the door and and I assume demanded to know who was in there? I did not speak Tobaballian and what I likely did know was long since forgotten. So I quickly snatched up a blanket or something and answered the door. Messing up my face first with dirt, though so I would not be suspected.


    "Sorry, I was cold..." I said to the guard in apology. Something he did not understand at all and I did not understand his response either. I was willing to assume it amounted to something similar to ''Get back to your hut!'' or at least something like that. Yet, his sudden grabbing of my shoulder suggested otherwise.


    As such, I was prepared to kill him if I had to, even if I was likely to kill him later. In fact, why not kill him now? It would save me the trouble of doing it later. And, he was even kind enough to give me a reason!


    Because instead of doing what I thought he might do, he decided to whack my tail with a stick! So I just shoved my claws straight into his face and into his brain. Shivering initially at the gore before growling at his corpse. A foul mood was displayed on my face until I got to where my family might have been.


    "W-Who''s there?" someone unfamiliar to me asked in a worry as I heard large amounts of shuffling about. Humans might not have been able to hear or smell me as I snuck about, but these weren''t human. They were oxfuinei, my people!


    "Relax, okay, relax!" I said to them as I held up my palms at them once I got in. Spooking them all with the blood on my hand until they all calmed down.


    "What have you done?" a tired-looking woman then asked me as her weak body lept at me. Her hysterical gaze locked entirely on my bloody fingers.


    "I killed some guards, I''m here to get you out of here! I just need some information first!" I tried to explain to them before offering up a display. A very brief show of how I had magic. Not that it might have been needed as they all looked like skeletons! I could feel barely any magic in the lot of them!


    "What kind of information?" the largest amongst them asked as his hand moved others behind him. His tail along with his ears all raised up in an aggressive and protective posture.


    "My name is Vadei, I am of the Agaudi pack. I was one a slave here, just like you lot! I just need to know where the others from the Agaudi are." I practically pleaded with them as I tried to restrain myself from panicking. I was so close to finding them again and I just couldn''t keep it together.


    "The Aga-" a young woman began to say before her mouth was covered.


    "Quiet, we can''t just give information to this woman! If we''re caught helping her they''ll kill us!" he rightfully warned the others as he reminded them of their valued lives. But, I just could not take it anymore, I wanted to see my family! So I just could not stop myself from suddenly crying and falling to my knees. Tail shoved out before me as I went up to this man.


    "Please tell me..." I just barely managed to get out as I hold my tail out towards him. This sudden gesture shocked all of them as I had just submitted completely before them. In fact, it shocked them so much they all moved away just so they did not touch my tail.


    "They''re in that direction! Look for the shack with an elderly man holding a baby!" that same woman from before told me as she ecstatically pointed me in the right direction. I direction I suddenly sped off in until I found what I was looking for. Yet, it left me heartbroken when I found it for that elderly man was my dad...


    "Dad?" I asked in disbelief as I dropped down to the weak-looking man in front of me. My hands carefully cupped his face as my sudden noise woke the others up.


    "V-Vadei...?" someone then asked slowly as their nose sniffed and sniffed as they rapidly became awake.


    "Mom, what''s wrong with dad?" I asked without even looking at the woman who said my name. How could I ever forget that voice? There was no way I could forget that voice! Yet, despite the joy of knowing she was alive even if she was not fine... I just couldn''t take my eyes off of Dad...


    "W-Why are you here, Vadei? How did you get back here?" my mother asked me rather than answering my question. All the while her hands began to hug my tail as I was keeping her off my main body.


    "Mom! Answer me!" I tell her with frustration as one of my fingers tried to find a pulse. A weak one ever so thankfully being found when I did so.


    "One of the people here died in childbirth because there isn''t enough magic here. Your dad has been trying to keep the baby alive with his own magic supply since and he has taken a turn for the worse." she explained as my dad finally responded to my presence and that of the crying child. He said nothing, however, he just stared at me before crying. The most impossible to see smile soon coming to his face as I started crying.


    "Dad, hold on!" I begged of him as I tried to carefully drip feed him some of my own magic. But I wasn''t skilled enough to get it to him. Nor was it actually safe enough here to do so... I couldn''t even heal my own family in this damn city!


    "Vadei?" was then suddenly repeated throughout the building as everyone else finally got up. But, not one of those that did was my sister...


    "Mom, where''s Conquei?" I then asked as thoughts of that bastard came to the forefront. It must have been him, it had to be! He took her while I was gone and learning magic in that stupid academy!


    "The humans took her along with others to be personal assistants..." Mom told me with her voice shuddering towards the end. And I was willing to bet that shudder came from her disgust, not her frail form.


    "Okay... Okay..." I say back to her while nodding over and over. I then quickly return my attention to Dad while trying to think of something. He was clearly too weak to move on his own and this likely extended to several others...


    "Vadei, how did you get back here!?" Mom then asked again as she tried to get my attention once more.


    "I got here on an airship..." I told her before being relieved by the fact I had the foresight to let the main ramp down.


    "Where is it then? Why didn''t you bring it here!?" Mom then asked me, a confusion I would have to settle now. I did not want to get into an argument like this so close to meeting up with her again.


    "For the same reason I can''t heal Dad, okay?" I told her with a notable firmness in my words before I nearly fell backwards. I wasn''t even tired and I was already exhausted right now...


    "How far away is it, then?" I was then asked by someone else as they made their way to the head of the group.


    "Not close, but it is not far either, are there any carts around here? Something we can use to carry the sick and wounded and anything else like that?" I told them all before asking them. Looking about rapidly whenever I heard a sound. Hoping at least one of these noises was someone about to speak.


    "We have hay carts." someone then finally said as they gave me a rough size of them with their hands. And, unfortunately, they were not particularly big. So, if we had too many sick, then I would not be able to save them all... And I don''t think I could make the choices required if we could not...


    "Alright, how many guards are there? Are there still not many? I don''t remember there being much last time." I then asked them after briefly looking at my blood-covered fingers.


    "A few dozen maybe?" I was then told with my body shooting up in that moment.


    "Vadei, wait!" Mom called out as I left the hut they were in. A determined glare coming to my face as I began to sniff the air and block out noises. Using what magic I could to see what guards were near the way out and the path to it. And they were right, there wasn''t all that many, I don''t think there were even more than twenty!


    And just like that, I was off, back into the fields and around the buildings, I would go. Slicing open necks with my claws or crushing throats when there wasn''t enough room to swing. And as I killed more and more of the guards, the remaining ones grew suspicious as a lot of those I killed had lights. Lights that were suddenly not moving at all and their calls and hollers made one thing clear.


    Time was not on my side right now and I needed to be quicker about it. So I started getting reckless and just charged them rather than sneaking around to kill them. And very soon, I was done, with the exception of a single armed guard. Thankfully, when these walls were designed it seemed...


    They never took into account the possibility of a sudden massacre on this side of the wall. So this one guard had no alarm to sound. However, that didn''t stop him from firing his gun wildly into the air, much to my anger. Yet, despite this sudden build-up of frustration, I did not waste time mauling his corpse.


    Instead, I went out of the gate control and looked down at the waking up slaves, "GATHER WHO YOU CAN! PUT THE SICK INTO CARTS! I AM GOING TO OPEN THE GATES!" I yelled down to them before I went back in to try and open them. But, it needed a key and passcode of some kind and I knew neither. So, with a frustrated huff and paranoid twitch, I vaulted down the wall I once climbed.


    "Please don''t be too damaging, please..." I begged of my body before I went up against the gate itself. Right in its centre where it seemed to be the weakest as that is where it joined together. I had one more concern, though, was I strong enough? I was not showing any grand strength back in Jherikra even with my stronger magic...


    So how would I know if I am strong enough to open this gate? Why couldn''t have Nin been more sensible and rational before!? If he was here then I''d... No, he wasn''t here, it was just me and I needed to be the one to do this!


    "I''ve met paper bags stronger than you." I then taunted the gate with before I tried to pry it open. But, without using my magic, I could not make it budge. So I tried to let as much of it out as possible just to get it to move. Yet, even as the air around me ignited violently with magic, I did not move it at all.


    And as much as I did not want to do it, it became very clear as to what I had to do... I had to just let it all out and cause the air around me to detonate. Even if it risked killing my fellow oxfuinei... Either I saved them all, or only a random assortment of some.


    I would not leave them here, however! I would not!


    "OPEN!" I then screamed as the air around me blew up in an arcane fireball. With the wall shuddering violently and falling apart while the gate just bent inwards. But, ever so thankfully, it had bent inwards enough that I could just bend it some more. So I did that to both sides and waved my arms in the air.


    "FOLLOW ME!" I called out to my fellow as the distant city came alive as alarms suddenly went off. The headlights of vehicles also appearing as the gate by the city also opened up. And what followed was utter panic as those I was trying to save surged past me aimlessly.


    "WHAT''RE YOU DOING!? DON''T ABANDON THE SICK!" that same man who refused to answer me earlier demanded of the fleeing crowds as he tried to pick up those he could. But it was clear I would either have to fight off the approaching reinforcements or grab some to save... If I did not stop those vehicles, however, the others wouldn''t make it to the airship.


    So I found the scent of Mom and then her actually, "Mom. guide them that way, take them towards the left, do you hear me!? The left!" I called out to her before running at the vehicles as fast as I could. Yet, even as I charged forth to save my family and people from the humans, I avoided letting my magic spill. I had a wall to stop it last time, this time I did not, however.


    "VADEI, NO!" Mom screeched as she watched me charge the vehicles. Vehicles that seemed to speed up at the sight of me charging them.


    "COME ON!" I yelled at the closest one before I yelped out in surprise when the vehicle slammed into me. Yet, even after being sent flying a few dozen metres by that thing. With Mom screaming for me in the background to it all. Despite all of that, I was fine...


    My body was strong, I was strong! So, with newfound confidence, I grinned as I got back up to charge them once more. My magic increasingly flared off of me until I got near the vehicle again. And just like that, the area around me was consumed in another arcane fireball. If it was weaker or stronger than the last did not matter.


    What mattered is that those who would chase us had now been consumed by magic. They would not be chasing us so long as they were terrified of what had just happened. And, with that done, I went back to my bewildered people with a wide smile. A cart soon in my hands as I began to lead them all out of there.


    "FOLLOW ME!" I declared to them once again as I charged ahead of the tired group of escaped slaves. And there was easily a few hundred here and they were just the ones who could walk! So, well... The airship was about to get very full. However, they were not me, and they could not keep going as I could.


    "How... Much... Further?" one asked as he violently started coughing before he collapsed into the gravel. His hands keeping away those who might check up on him.


    "Vadei! It''s alright, we''ll try and get them moving a bit more, just bring our salvation to us!" Mom told me as she shoved me ahead after making me relinquish the cart. But I did not charge forth like she just urged me to. Instead, I went up to her to give her a tearful hug.


    "I''ll be as quick as I can, Mom."


    "I know you will, my little Va." Mom told me before she gave me a kiss on the forehead. A shove from her came shortly after we broke the hug. And then off I went after spending the initial moments looking back at her. And once enough distance was made, I leapt into the sky like Nin often liked to do.


    My magic propelled faster than I could run and further than I could normally jump. And towards the end, I was feeling ecstatic once again. If this is what it felt like to be Nin most of the time then I can see why he enjoys jumping around so much! To just feel the air blow through my tail like this was an experience alright!


    But once I saw the airship again, my intentions returned and my focus hardened. I raced aboard once I was close enough and I bashed into things as I skid about the lifeless halls. Moving to take off my sack before realising it had been destroyed by all the magic... Unlike my leather captain''s jacket which stayed intact.


    "Don''t worry, Mom, Dad, I''m going to show you what your little Va has become since you last saw her." I said as I started getting the airship back online. Letting the vibrations caused by its engines setting off the nearby air rumble through me before I brought her up. And just as quickly afterwards, I brought it down and made it as open as possible.


    Running out onto the decking and waving at the cheering slaves who could now see their freedom! We were all so close to being rid of this city once and for all and I just needed them to get on! I just needed them all to get on and get into a safer part of the airship! So I then went back inside and started turning it all off before going back inside.


    Chucking lights down to them as they slowed down in confusion, "Get on before I turn the engines back on!" I told them which made it clear to them. I didn''t have time to go into a magic lecture but the oldest knew what I was on about. Those who had seen me fight knew why I had done it.


    "Is that everyone!?" Mom called out to the others as she made sure everyone got on board.


    "Where''s the medical stuff!?" someone then cried out to which I made sure their lights guided them. And soon, Dad and that baby were in my arms and I was dashing ahead of everyone. Fully intent on giving my Dad the best spot in the medical bay. A room we hadn''t really used since taking this thing as everyone could just sort of heal each other.


    And, unfortunately, the facilities within seemed to assume that too... There were beds, but barely anything else. All we really had were respirators connected to the airship''s power supply... Wait, of course!


    "It''s alright, Dad, I know how this all works, I can help you." I told him as I began to hook him up to the respirator. Making sure it was all attached before reluctantly leaving him. And as the final few got inside after climbing the rope-ladders. I turned it all back on.


    Closing each door as fast as I could before then bringing us as high as we could go! And from that moment onwards, the airship was full of cheer as they all sang about their freedom. Then, I just sort of cried to myself in relief. A screen appeared before me so I could happily and tearfully start sending magic air into the sick and weak.


    "Vadei..." Mom then said as she likely followed my smell to the bridge. And, like me, tears were in her eyes before she charged at me. And soon I was against her chest once again as if I was a little pup. Tears in my eyes as well as we just cried against each other.


    "I did it, Mom... I saved you all..." I whimpered out to her as I broke down like the pup she was treating me as.


    "Yes, you d-did. Yes, you did..." she told me as she cupped my cheeks and nodded her head up and down. But, soon my eyes went back to the screen I had used to sort out the sick. I believe I could do the same thing with everyone else... Just use the vents to apply a very fine amount of magic into all of them.


    "M-Mom, hold on." I then told her as I left her grip and scurried about to sort everything out. Collapsing once more into her arms once it was all done. All that effort had finally paid off and I just couldn''t stay upright anymore. And, like what I often dreamed of when I was alone, I was soon on Mom''s lap as she coddled me like a pup.


    "I''m so proud of you!" she let out before she began to pepper me with kisses and hugs. Embarrassing me heavily once I noticed some of the others had wandered towards the bridge. Which, admittedly, did not come as a surprise given how I was now getting a warning about the occupants... We had far too many according to the data I was getting.


    "Thank the gods and goddesses you lot only really need magic at the moment..." I let out with a sigh once I got out of Mom''s arms. Prodding her laughing form away whenever she tried to embarrass me some more. Thankfully, our supplies would last for the time being as all we needed was magic for this lot. Something that did concern me given how often I would likely have to turn systems off...


    And with Dad hooked up to the respirators...


    "Is something wrong, Vadei?" Mom then asked as she cluelessly looked about at all these screens. Screens I only understood because I got my hand stabbed by a machine. And I should probably make sure no one touches that machine as well.


    "It''s just, Dad, Mom. I have to keep him hooked up to a source of magic and there''s just none to take in..."


    "Can''t you get us to a source?"


    "No, Mom, there are no sources of magic, there''s barely enough at the maximum altitude of this thing." I told her before throwing my arms up in frustration. My tail soon entered her loving hands shortly afterwards.


    "Vadei, it''s alright, you held it together getting to us, you can keep it together for a bit longer." she said to me with a soothing voice while stroking my tail delicately.


    "But I am the only one who can save Conquei and I am also the only one who can pilot this airship! It''s too dangerous to just leave this thing on should I leave it..." I explained to her while hiding the device that could make a new pilot. They had no way to understand why one of them was getting stabbed. They''d all panic no doubt!


    "Was there no one else who came with you...? You didn''t come on your own, did you, Vadei?"


    "There were five others... We... One forced me along with him before he vanished and the other four were left behind." I lied as I didn''t want to be shamed by my mother... I didn''t want to hear a speech from her about how I abandoned others in order to save them.


    "Are you able to find the other four? Get back to them so they can help you?"


    "I don''t know, we''re so high up and we might not even be able to detect them through the storm." I explained before then bringing up a recording for her to look at. A sudden golden tint filled the room as images of the Thunder God''s lightning struck about.


    "What about avoiding the storm, going under it?"


    "The same reason the airship was turned off when I got all of you on board. This machine becomes a flying bomb."


    "Are they strong like you, Vadei? They could survive it, no?"


    I looked at her and then down, they were strong indeed... And the two that weren''t strong would probably get murdered onboard anyway. So yeah, maybe she was right. Maybe I could just land near those lot if I was able to find them.


    "And if they don''t?" I then asked, just to make sure that Mom was actually certain about this.


    "I trust my little Va to get us and them through it safely." she said to me as she put her faith in me.


    "So... Those are my options then. Carry on with a timer to save my sister, or go back to the others to get help..." I muttered quietly while looking back at Tobaballe. Either I risked the deaths of those that were left in the city or risked the lives of those on board.


    "Vadei, Vadei! Shhh... It''s going to be okay, alright? It''s going to be alright." Mom said as she started hugging me once more.


    "Alright!? I''ve just broken you lot out by attacking the very city Conquei is in! If I leave now then I might risk Dad''s life and the others hooked up in the medical bay!" I cried out as I left her arms so I had the room to move. To express this stress through action as well as words.


    "Which is why you should find the others, get their help." Mom said while she gestured for me to calm down. My tail reflexively moved away from her as I was so on edge at the moment. I wanted to get this stress out, I didn''t want to make the choice...


    "No, I don''t want to be responsible for either of their deaths! I WON''T!" I screamed at her before falling to the floor to bawl.


    "Vadei, I understand a lot is on your shoulders right now, but you don''t need to keep it all to yourself. Go, find your friends, Dad won''t just die on you because you have to turn the airship off for a little bit. He''s a tough old hound, he has lasted weeks upon weeks before you came." she said to me as if she was singing. A gentle soft hand, went back and forth by my ears until I stopped shuddering and crying.


    "Okay..." I said slowly before I got back up and went back to my chair. A slow start to it all before I then finally got us moving again. And with every moment we moved, I also looked at the visual feed I was getting from the medical bay. The airship power input and battery supply were also to my left.


    "No, put these away." Mom ordered as she tried to wave the floating screens away. Something she seemed to be taking a while doing even if she was doing nothing. I assume this had something to do with her lack of magic. Her body was desperate for what it could get and she thought she could scoop it up.


    "I need them." I contested as I just watched her continue to fail to dismiss the screens.


    "I might be weak at the moment, Vadei, but I am not blind. Stop worrying about Dad and focus on getting this airship to where it needs to be. And, if possible, spend some time with me." she explained before she smiled at me. Her brittle claws gently pinching my cheeks as she annoyed me into submission.


    "Fine, fine! I''ll give you and everyone else a tour!" I complained before making sure all the doors to the outside were firmly locked. I didn''t want any issues coming about from one of them getting outside.


    "Just me is fine enough." Mom said with a cheerful tune and spring in her step as she wrapped herself around me. A blush came just as quickly and I was soon awkwardly walking about trying to direct her.


    "Well, for starters, this room is closed because we got attacked by a salamander and we were never able to get it fixed."


    "Alright, and what about all this, then?" Mom asked as we went past the damaged room and moved closer to Einervaene''s makeshift workshop. Something she immediately took an interest in when the door opened up. Revealing both Einervaene''s myriad of drawings and Nin''s clothes.


    "This is where one of them spent their free time."


    "Well, she''s quite talented, then."


    I frowned, "How do you know she is, well, a she?"


    "Most of these are all designed around a single body, a woman''s body." she teased before she then found a design with me on it. Something she shoved in my face while laughing as I grew embarrassed.


    "Yes, it''s me, get over it..." I mumbled before I pouted at her. Trying to get her to move on to a new room but she just kept finding more and more designs with me on it. And with each one that came, I grew redder as more people started to take notice. I could hear their laughter and their joy and Mom just kept going at it.


    "But they''re so cute! I mean, look at this one! It''s like you''re all small again and dressed up for the cold!" she said as she started comparing me to a drawing where I had a fluffy coat on.


    "I will murder you, Einervaene..." I muttered under my breath before leaving the room in frustration. Using this moment to see if I could force Mom to move on into a different part of the ship by going elsewhere. Which, thankfully, I was able to, but, I also could not get her to let go of those damn drawings...


    "Aw, this one is really cute too! I can''t wait to meet this Einervaene and talk to her about making some of these!" Mom squealed out as she tried to make her gathered up pile neater.

 Incline 3: Please, Help Me!

    "The lightning swatted me away, it swatted me away..." I pondered out loud sluggishly. Thinking about what I could do to distract myself from the boredom that was this journey. There was nothing but grey dust all around us and we had exhausted most conversation topics. And, to make it all worse, Larishazza was not in her usually joyful mood.


    So I and the other two did not have her antics to help alleviate at least some of the boredom. Instead, in recognition of this problem, I thought about what happened when I tried to chase them. The storm had not only struck out against me as if it was protecting itself. I could also swear that I heard it speak, even if this was something I never picked up on.


    I understand that it is the storm of the Thunder God, that this area is his domain. But, was this storm also the one he once befriended? Was that storm the Loyal Lightning the stories spoke of...? The Loyal Lightning that accompanied Ancient Thunder until the Fourteen-Headed Beast broke their bond?


    If it was, then I guess that explained why I seem to remember it speaking. Why it swatted me away when I tried to give chase. It might also explain why its magic did not spill out into the world around it. That storm was a living being granted life by the gods in a time long past.


    Yet, as I thought on it, my mind went back towards my home and prior thoughts I had. I wanted to see if I could somehow gain the power of that storm, of its thunder-gold. But, if it was a living being then just trying to take it would make me fail. It would not open itself up to me, regardless of what I needed its power for.


    "How would I befriend lightning...?" I then asked myself before I came to a stop. My legs had gone straight into the back of Heiya who had herself slammed into Larishazza.


    "Something coming." Heiya''s father then said as he walked ahead. Gesturing at the distant lights in the sky far above us. Whatever it was, it was clearly magical as those lights were the reactions one got in a land of no magic. Was it the airship? Had we perhaps judged the pair too soon?


    "Nin, Vadei...?" Larishazza then croaked out as her eyes looked up at the sky. The object in question rapidly descended towards us as we came to a stop. And then, with a mighty bang, it crashed not too far from us. A storm of dust and gravel blew straight towards us as the magic reactions cleared up.


    But, what we saw was not Vadei or Nin calling out to us. Instead, it was many creatures like Vadei who then disappeared inside. Something seemed to scare them all off back inside, however. And, just in case, I looked around and tried to see if anything was coming.


    The answer to that was no and it cleared it up. Nothing scared them off, something just told them to go back inside. And, going by how it was not moving, I think it was clear they wanted us on board. So, again, was this our airship?


    "That''s the..." I soon commented when I saw the large gash in the side of the airship. The spot where the wyvern had snatched Nin from as well as smashed him through.


    "IT''S THEM!" Larishazza then let out with desperate joy as she charged at the airship. And, just like that, she was gone as she quickly reached it and climbed up it. Disappearing inside of the airship before we had even crossed half the distance she had. Yet, as we approached, Heiya and her father got extremely cautious.


    "H-Hello?" I then greeted as I kept my eye on the two slavers. Looking up once we got into the bridge, nearly smiling at the sight of Vadei before I frowned. A glare quickly came up as I looked at her nervous form. A glare of her own being directed at the two slavers.


    "Alright, the others are here, where''s Nin?" Larishazza then asked Vadei as her hands rubbed themselves together. First, however, Vadei seemed to make sure all the doors into the bridge were firmly locked. Something I felt like she did to delay the inevitable. But that was the thing with the inevitable, it always came.


    And when it did, she couldn''t even keep her eyes on us, "Nin is... Nin is not coming back, I don''t know..." Vadei admitted. The answer wiped away any joy Larishazza might have regained while my simmering anger just went.


    "What... What do you mean he won''t be coming back? What happened!?" I asked as I approached the nervous tailed woman. Watching carefully as she kept her eyes focused more so on a screen than us.


    "Alright, alright! I''ll give you your answer, can I just get the airship back into the air, please?"


    Baffled and unaware of why she wanted to do this, I ignored it, "No! I want you to give an explanation and apology!" I demanded of her as I put my foot down. Something that seemed to set her off into an even worse state.


    "Please! I promise I will explain everything! I will shame myself to no end before you, just please get out of my way so I can get the airship back into the air!" she said with desperation, her actions being equally desperate. And then, all of a sudden, someone came into the room and she looked oddly familiar. Like an older version of Vadei, a more sickly version as well.


    "Please, fair-one, please listen to my Little Va. She will speak to you about what has happened, if not, I will on her behalf." she said, establishing pretty quickly as to what she was while Vadei herself kept trying to get past me. Something I let her do as seeing her own mother hit a soft spot for me. I was then mouthed a ''thank you'' before the outside boomed once more.


    And at that moment, all this nervousness that seemed to plague Vadei went. Or, at least, most of it, she still seemed worried for something. But, I was likely to hear about what the worrying thing was soon. First, however, I wanted an answer concerning Nin.


    "Alright, we''re in the air again. Answers, now!" I demanded as I approached the seated woman. Stopping when her mother interfered with my advance.


    "Please, give her some space. She''s got enough to worry about." her mother asked of me with subtle scolding as her firm but gentle grip kept me still. Something I just obeyed as I longed for that same kind of behaviour from my own mother. Or, well, any kind of behaviour really, I just wanted to see her again...


    "Vadei, where''s our friend?" Larishazza then asked glumly as she moved directly in front of Vadei.


    "He''s not coming back, I don''t know where he is now."


    "But why is he not coming back?" I asked her as I became hurt by the suggestion we weren''t important enough to Nin to make him want to stay. Assuming the worst had not happened...


    "I don''t know why, he never really explained it to me. He just... He just wants to go home is all I can really say." Vadei said before she looked down at the floor. While her fingers dug into her knees in the meantime.


    "His home is in Suhurlodst, with us!" Larishazza then declares angrily as she suddenly becomes full of life.


    "He would beg to diff-"


    "Well, he''s wrong! His family all share a dorm in an academy on top of a mountain! Between a great brass city and a ruin that goes right around it all!" Larishazza tells us as she suddenly approaches Vadei. And with her mother holding me back, she is unable to go over and stop her.


    "It won''t matter anyway! He disappeared! He''s flushed all his magic out so we cannot find him! I don''t know where he has gone!" Vadei explained defensively, her eyes showing signs of tears. Larishazza, however, just grew increasingly frustrated.


    "Then we overturn every rock! We pillage every building until we find him! We''ll hunt him down and drag him back with us!"


    "No! I''m not wasting time looking for Nin when he has already made it clear he doesn''t want to be found!"


    "HE''S OUR FRIEND!" Larishazza yelled in rage directly into Vadei''s face. Something that made her flinch back into her chair before she started crying.


    "It''s alright! It''s alright!" cooed her mother as she suddenly left me alone and went to her daughter. A tenderly and motherly grip soon enveloped Vadei and I grew envious. I wanted to see and experience that again...


    "Family in danger?" Heiya''s father then asked as he stared long and hard at Vadei. A rather soft expression on his face before he looked at his own daughter.


    Vadei''s mother glared daggers at him, but, she nodded an answer, "I''ll show it to you two, but I don''t want you anywhere near him!" she then spat out at Heiya and her father. Her agitated and angered form soon guided me and Larishazza out of the bridge and into the airship. A horde of their kind awaited us as it was clear they were trying to listen in.


    "She has blue-hair." a little child then said as he began to point at Larishazza as we passed by them. This horde spread itself out as if they were never there as we went deeper into the airship. And as we got further in, it started to sound more like a small village, actually. You could hear some kids playing and you could hear others speaking.


    "You''ve been told to stop playing with that!" Vadei''s Mother then reminded someone as we passed by them. Her soured mood frightened the young individual who jumped up in fright.


    "The medical bay?" I questioned before she opened the door. An assortment of injured and sickly individuals was revealed to us at that moment. And, the crying of a baby drowned out all other noise as well. Yet, soon, we were brought before a bed with an old man hooked up to a machine.


    "This is the reason why." Vadei''s Mother said as she moved beside the old man. One hand on one of his while the other went to his head. A gentle kiss was applied to his cheek before tears started forming in her eyes.


    "Who is this?" I asked, watching as Larishazza moved closer as well. Wet marks from her fingers appeared on the man as she gently caressed him as well. A healthier glow appeared where she touched before it just as quickly vanished.


    "It''s Vadei''s other parent and her husband." Larishazza answered, looking back to the bridge first before looking at Vadei''s Mother. Someone who smiled and nodded at Larishazza as she wiped away the tears with her tail.


    "This is why she was so desperate to get us back into the air...?" I then questioned as my gut began to hurt. In my anger and the want it gave me to demand things of Vadei. I had potentially caused harm to her father...


    "Yes, Vadei has tried to explain it to me, but, as far as I am able to grasp, we need to be up as high as we can be to get a supply of magic for my dear love. And, of course, everyone else here."


    "There isn''t much magic going into them, is that because there isn''t enough?"


    And, oddly enough, Vadei''s Mother laughed just a bit, "No, thankfully that isn''t the case. No, instead, the problem is that we can''t give them too much magic. We have all been in a land with none for so long that it is as if we were never from a magical land, to begin with."


    "So are you all Vadei''s family?" I then asked while looking around. I know Vadei had mentioned at points she has been enslaved by the two we left behind. I believe she also said this was why she was here alongside Nin. Because he could help her save her family.


    "Only a few of us are her direct family, some are close cousins or distant and others are from different packs altogether." she said before returning her attention to her husband.


    "Did she manage to save all of them? Are we able to leave you be so we can find Nin?" Larishazza then asked in a rather pushy manner. Her movements were as erratic as they were sharp.


    Vadei''s Mother began to tear up again, "N-No... My other daughter and a few others are still enslaved within the higher portions of the city. Now, I know my daughter might be anxious to ask you this herself." she began to say as she left her husband be and walked away a bit.


    "We''d probably help her anyway." I began to say before Vadei''s Mother just dropped to her knees. Tail tip pointed directly up at us.


    "Please help us! I want to see my daughter again! I don''t want to finally hold one of them again just to lose the other!" she begged as she shook her tail about. The few of her kind that were watching suddenly became a lot more stern in their expressions as well.


    Larishazza approached her without dropping her current expression, "If it''ll make you happy." she then said softly as she began to gently caress the tip of the tail.


    A wide but nervous and tearful smile soon appeared, "Thank you! Thank you..." Vadei''s Mother said as her chest heaved out stutters.


    "So are we going to help Vadei first or look for Nin first?" I then asked Larishazza with Vadei''s Mother putting more effort into her plead at that moment. Something Larishazza just could not remove her eyes from when it happened.


    "We''ll find her daughter first, then... Then we can find Nin and then we can spend a lot of time asking questions." Larishazza said with a nod before she stood back up. Her hand pulled up the mother who then straightened herself out. Primarily focusing on her tail which seemed to make her lightly blush.


    "Okay, now that, that is out of the way. I don''t believe I have properly introduced myself, my name is Wastla, I am Vadei''s mother as I am sure you know." she said, a small grin coming to her face as her eyes closed a bit.


    "I''m Einervaene, and this is Larishazza." I then greeted, doing it as well on my friend''s behalf as she still seemed to be in a mood. A mood I hoped she would get out of as this wasn''t like her at all.


    "Oh? You''re Einervaene!?" Wastla then asked me in a cheerful and familiar tone. The kind of tone my own mother made when she found someone who could embarrass me. Which, if Nin was ever to meet her, would probably be him. That is if we remained friends or became something more...


    "I am, why? Has Vadei mentioned me?"


    "She has!" Wastla answered before she opened a cupboard near her husband. And then, all of a sudden, her arms were full of drawings. My drawings, in fact, each one of them being one of Vadei or a body part of hers. A bright, mischievous smile was now on Wastla''s face as she held these.


    "You like them?" I then asked her as I wasn''t quite sure what to do about this. I had a very firm understanding of what might happen. But it was something else to be confronted with it. It was a mixture of awkwardness and the urge to smile.


    "I do, especially these ones!" she said as she showed me the ones her more animalistic body parts inspired. Primarily amongst these, a suit of fluffy pyjamas that would make her look more like an animal. Well, if one was able to look past the intentionally made cuteness aspect of it.


    "Well, I''m sorry to disappoint you then, but, I don''t have the material to make most of these." I then awkwardly laughed out. Yet, Wastla did not suddenly become disappointed, she just kept enjoying the drawings.


    "That''s fine, when we finally get home, I can make them! If I have your permission to keep these, of course." she said as her smile beamed so bright you''d forget she was just tearfully begging for our help.


    "S-Sure, they''re just sketches I did to pass the time. If you want them, take them." I tell her before I smile at the fact someone liked my designs this much. And, that made me curious about my journey to this land. I had made a few drawings in that period, so had that resulted in others taking them for their own? How many places had been influenced by me!?


    "Thank you! I''ll be sure to put these to good use." she told me as she put them all back in the cupboard. And then, her smile gave way to a frown which directed me towards Larishazza walking off.


    "Hey! Where are you going?" I asked my friend as I suddenly went after her. Catching up with her quickly and following her into the washroom. Frowning myself as we walked into the surprisingly empty room. And then, she began to look at the airship''s water supply in the room near the entrance.


    "I want to see if I can help them..." Larishazza answered with a quiet mutter before she began to sense for magic.


    "You want to see if you can make it so that the water is able to safely heal them as well?"


    "I want to try... But I don''t know if it is a good idea to do so." she tells me as she cautiously moves away from the water tank.


    "Can''t Vadei alter the contents of the water more accurately? We can get her input if that helps." I then explain to her. Something she slowly nods at before she suddenly walks off again. And, once again, I would follow her through the airship until we saw Vadei again. Who, had not really changed much in mood since we last saw her.


    "O-Oh... Can I ask you guys for something?" she asked nervously from her chair while holding her tail.


    "Your mother has already brought up your sister." I tell her quickly so we could get it out of the way. Something that made her smile briefly before she got confused by Larishazza''s actions.


    "What is she doing...?"


    "She''s trying to alter the magic contents of the water supply. She thinks she might be able to help make everyone better."


    "Th-That''s right! You''re a water user, aren''t you?" Vadei said as she jumped out and rushed over to Larishazza. Interrupting her efforts and refocusing them by bringing up several screens.


    "I think I am." our friend would then joke before she stared long and hard at the screens.


    "I can''t alter the properties of the water beyond heating it up or cooling it down. This airship has nothing in it capable of adding or removing magic from the water. It can collect small portions as we travel in order to refill its tanks, but as this was made by wind-magic users..."


    "You''ll need me to put compatible magic into it?"


    "Y-Yeah, I can put some magic into the vents and that, but I don''t think it is having much effect as I have so little magic to work with. So maybe, if we do something with the water we can give everyone a bigger boost to their magic reserves!" Vadei explained with hopeful excitement as she fully got into it. Making it all the clearer how much she was worrying for those around her. Especially given how endangered two of her family members are...


    "Alright then, let''s go help your family and friends!" Larishazza cheerfully chirped before she began to take Vadei to the washroom.


    "What about these two!?" I called out to them while pointing at the slavers. The way the others looked at them made me particularly concerned. Even if neither of them was particularly close to me.


    Vadei frowned in annoyance before she suddenly gained a mischievous grin, "Bring them! We can test the water contents on them!"


    "Well, you heard her." I then told the short duo who seemed happy to go along with it. As I am sure they are more than aware of their current situation.


    "You wait. I handle." Heiya''s Father told his daughter as he protectively held on to her. With the father, in turn, seeking my protection as we went past the freed slaves. Various growls were directed in my direction but not at me. Yet, they still bothered me either way as they were all still so close...


    "Alright, you two, go in." I said while ushering them in. Closing the door behind us and shivering a little at the experience I had just gone through. It wasn''t me getting growled at yet it still bothered me!


    "So, yeah, try not to make it go beyond this bar." Vadei then said to Larishazza whose arm was once again in the tank. A screen was also before her face with it being clearly marked with a warning as well. A guide for how much magic Larishazza should try and get into the water. Meanwhile, the two slavers were getting ready, with the elder taking up the centre while the younger hid.


    Then, all of a sudden, a loud blare came out from somewhere. At first, I had no clue what it was, but looking at Larishazza made it clear what. She had passed the warning threshold the moment she tried to apply magic to the water. Then, all of a sudden, Vadei shot a showerhead at the father, soaking him partially.


    "Lower the magic levels." Vadei ordered as she kept the shower head pointed at the slaver. Who, interestingly enough, seemed to be a bit bemused by what was happening. I guess he was expecting worse seen as he had warned his daughter. And, when said daughter stuck her head out in confusion, she got soaked as well.


    "AAAH!" she yelped before hiding her face to the backdrop of a cackling Vadei. And, for a moment, it felt like Nin was still here as that is something he would very much do.


    The alarm went off again, "Come on... Go lower..." Larishazza complained as she focused on the screen completely. A soft blue glow came off of her arm as she jiggled it about. Though, I had no idea if that was just her moving it or if it played a meaningful part. And, once again the elder slaver was shot at with shower water by a joyful Vadei.


    "How about just extracting the magic? Put some in, then slowly take it out at the same pace." I then offered as advice. Kneeling beside her so I could get a better view of the screen.


    "But that will take a while." she complained impatiently while also pouting.


    "A while that will save lives, Larishazza." I reminded her with a small smile.


    "Okay..." she said quietly and slowly before she supposedly gave it a go. And, as we stared at the measurement, we could see it go down. But, as she said, it was going down slowly. So slow, in fact, that despite offering the potential solution, I wanted to rush it.


    "No hurry, no hurry-" I began to mutter over and over. Much to Larishazza''s annoyance which she directed at me with a close-proximity stare.


    "Shhhhhhhhh." she then let out at me in time with the metre which then made a happy bing.


    "PERFECT!" Vadei then cheered before she began to just let the shower shoot out at the two slavers. Something she kept up until she could be sure both were fully soaked. And, she even nearly went for me until she remembered my magic type.


    "Careful!" I warned while holding an arm out while Larishazza freed hers. A loud clang filled our ears once the tank was secured again.


    "So will I have to do this again?" Larishazza then asked as she looked at the red marks on her arm.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Most likely, their bodies are so desperate for it that they are likely to take it all in."


    "It better last until we are back then." Larishazza said as she crossed her arms. Her words very clearly referred to a certain friend of ours. One who we would clearly be spending some time trying to find.


    "So where was the last time you saw Nin?" I asked after taking note of Larishazza''s attitude. It would be nice if we could be done with it as it does scare me. Nin was strong, but she was far stronger and her acting like Nin when he gets angry was not something I wanted to see.


    "The last time I saw him was on the airship before he jumped down. The last time I knew where he was, he was going up the mountain, here." Vadei explained as she summoned a recording for us to watch. A large and mighty flare of magic lit the screen up before we then saw a fuzzy outline of Nin.


    "So we follow him through that way then?"


    "It would get us nowhere, if Nin didn''t want to be found, do you think he would linger there?"


    "We might get a hint, no? He is making quite a few stops." I comment while gesturing at how often he stopped. If I was to guess anything, his sudden eviction of all that magic had left him drained of energy as well. Something he is likely to never recover given his location... Which, if we weren''t quick enough...


    And as I pondered my friend, another watched, "He could be in the same state as your dad." Larishazza then said as she spoke what I was thinking.


    "So that just means we have to find him quickly while also trying to find..." I began to say before looking over at Vadei.


    "If... If I was to guess anything, he won''t be able to go out the way he came in. And, I''m not saying this to be selfish! But, going for my sister and the rest before Nin might be what we have to do. Unless one of you wants to go out past the city to get a headstart?"


    "I''ll do that, then." Larishazza says before she begins to leave for some reason. Why I couldn''t really grasp as we hadn''t even started heading towards the city Nin is from.


    "A-Are you sure? We have no idea what is out there." I said in order to contend with this statement of hers.


    "There''s no magic out there, nothing will be able to hurt any of us. Especially me seen as you are all so weak in comparison. Besides, I am better with my magic, I can find him and we can drag him back if need be." she explains rather bluntly in an almost demeaning way. And as I frowned at her, she walked off to another part of the airship.


    "Moving on to another topic... Uh, as you can see. We are pretty packed right now. So you might not be able to get a bed." Vadei explains while rubbing the back of her head. The two slavers meanwhile started drying themselves off as Vadei had lost interest in soaking them.


    "Do we even have enough supplies for this many people?" I asked her while thinking about how many faces I had seen. Sure, the airship was quite well stocked for us prior. But the prior I am on about just involved six of us, not more than a hundred...


    "I did get warnings from the airship''s systems about that. It is very much an issue, but, so long as we are careful with our supplies and not being wasteful. We should be able to make it last until we can stock up."


    "Wouldn''t money be an issue at that point? Larishazza might have paid for our time at that festival, but a few friends having fun is hardly comparable to feeding a village."


    "Given the state these lot are in, we could just hunt some weak game in the outer continent." Vadei offers up as a solution. Something I could agree with as me and Nin did have some experience with that. Well, more so him as he and Baltanthan did most of the hunting and food-fetching. Me and Rossie-chira usually just handled the camp, more so me that time, however.


    "We would be unlikely to need anything else then? We do have a lot of injured so perhaps so bandages or something?"


    "I think with these lot..." Vadei began to say before she looked at the showers once more, "Magic is the best thing for them. Granted, I''m not a healer or anything, but, magic did quite well for you and Nin, no?"


    I rubbed my arm that was formerly broken, "Yeah, but me and him were able to bounce off of each other." I explain before smiling. Even if I did not feel the same way as I once did about Nin. That memory of me saving him was something that made me smile a lot. The time we spent together afterwards also stuck itself quite firmly in my head, too.


    "Well, in the meantime... I beg of you, don''t draw anything with me on it, please! Mom has been showing off each one to me at regular intervals. All she can talk about is what kind of event would make me want to dress up like that." Vadei bitterly and joyfully grumbles which is something that gets a few laughs from me.


    "You are making a very sound argument for why I should make more." I tell her, giggling at the end as I wanted to see more of Wastla being a mother to Vadei. In fact, I was happy to help her pester Vadei as much as she wanted.


    "No!" Vadei moans before she checks the door. Her ears twitched at the slightest sound she heard.


    "You haven''t seen your mother for so long and you want to avoid spending time with her? Vadei, I''m shocked!" I say while putting a spread-out hand on my chest. Showing off my bemused expression to Vadei as she took offence.


    "I have been spending all the time I can with her! It''s why she is able to freely travel the airship like you guys!"


    "She''s even keeping slaves of her own." I say mockingly, possibly going a bit too far by making a slavery joke.


    "I just can''t trust them to not get themselves blown up outside!" she justifiably points out, fully aware that we all knew about the magic problem.


    "Calm down, I''m just teasing." I tell her with a smile before quickly rubbing her hair.


    "Don''t do that!" she moans as she uses her nails like a comb to smoothen it out again.


    But, then, I got all serious once more, "So what is your sister''s name?" I then asked her as I never had any siblings. The circumstances of my birth, or rather, my magic, scared my mother away from any more pregnancies. That was one thing I wanted to change about her, actually, to free her mind from the anxiety so I can be a big sister who spoils her siblings!


    "Conquei, her name is Conquei. She looks similar to me in terms of the colour of the hair, but her eyes are a darker grey compared to the silver of mine and she also has shorter hair."


    "I''ll try to remember that when me and you save her then, but, what is she like? I presume you two are quite close?"


    She then sighed and looked away, "Given how worried I have been for her, you might be surprised to find out we never were that close. She preferred playing with the boys while I preferred the more girly things."


    "Really? I always thought you were quite tomboyish with your behaviour."


    Vadei snorted in amusement, "The oxfuinei definition of girly."


    "And how does that differ?" I ask as I put on a smile, curious about what that might entail.


    "Like, it''s hard to explain. Some of it seems to be pretty much the same, you know, motherhood, keeping of the home and all that. But other aspects are quite different. Seen as our noses and ears are a lot better, just competing with them is seen as girly while finding good spots to nap is also girly."


    "Having a nap is girly...?" I giggled out while being baffled by such a fact.


    "Yeah! It''s the process of putting yourself on a pedestal and then having the men try and get your attention."


    "No men have come for you then?" I joked as I realise that Vadei does nap a lot when she can.


    "Shut up..." she complains while looking away.


    "But, I think I understand what you''re getting at. Outside of being a mother and keeper of the house, it''s mostly a life of relaxation?"


    She shrugs, "I guess, relaxing isn''t exactly girly or feminine for us, but being active is very much something the men and boys do compared to us."


    "That doesn''t sound too different to what I have seen in my time at home and on the move. The heavier duty labour is typically considered something for the boys while refinement and magic is considered more girly." I explain to her.


    "Isn''t magic being more of a girls thing always the case? Like, the term ''witch'' is technically a female word despite it always being used on anyone who can cast spells."


    "Back home, it was more of the art of casting that was considered feminine. Being able to control magic, however, is masculine, somehow. I''m not too sure how it works. I guess it comes down to where the magic is from. Self being feminine while the land about you is masculine." I try to elaborate for her.


    "Ah, alright. But, yeah, to get back to my sister. She was never really one for acting like what she was despite Mom and Dad''s nagging related to it."


    "She''s the kind to do something just to spite someone?"


    "I guess, you tell her no and that just encourages her to do it more. The only time we have gotten her to stop anything is when Dad has just gotten sick of it."


    "He puts his foot down hard?" I asked, hoping I could at least censor or blunt Vadei''s response.


    "He will ensure he has terrified her before leaving her alone."


    My eyes went wide, "Oh."


    "Yet, despite all of that. We still love her as she is family, after all, despite all the problems she has caused me... The reason I ended up meeting Nin was because I stood up for her. She acts tough but she cracks very easily." Vadei admitted as her ears went down alongside her tail which went completely limp.


    "Nothing surprising to hear about that, now, let''s start our reunion a little better, hm? Let''s get your sister and the others and be on our way."


    "Sick of the gravel already?" Vadei then joked, something that set me right off given why I was walking in the wastes.


    "Don''t even start." I told her with a forced smile before we moved on to another part of the airship.


    "You two! Stick close if you want to stay alive." Vadei then growled to the slavers who were quick to follow. And very soon, they were huddled up against us as it wasn''t long until we found Vadei''s new passengers.


    "What are we going to do with them exactly?"


    "I want to kill them." Vadei answered as she kept her head facing forward.


    "But, if it weren''t for them, we wouldn''t be here as you''d have never had your hand... And, well..."


    "I wouldn''t even be here at all had these two not enslaved most of the people on this airship?" Vadei questioned with a very straight face.


    "Yeah..." I croaked.


    "Don''t worry, we''ll wait for Nin to get back here. As, quite frankly, I don''t think he will say no to Larishazza given her..." Vadei began to say until we found her in the cafeteria. Right behind the counter with a smile on her face and a bunch of children around her.


    "Yeah, I can see why Nin can''t say no to that smile." I joked with a small one of my own as we watched Larishazza play with the kids. Her face was covered in powder and other things while others watched them.


    .


    .


    .


    How long was my body going to be in this state? It was still locked up and I know that I have been here for some time. But, I had to admit, it was somewhat amusing at first. I was an experiment, one whose shell was impenetrable!


    At least, until recently when they started using tools made of gold... That damn thunder-gold from the Anvil-Peak''s molten sea of it... With that, they have been able to extract my blood and cut pieces off. For now, though, it was just that, a little test here and there.


    They even seemed to have caught on to the fact I was once human. Something that has now led to me constantly getting a faceful of curious scientists. Some proposed foreign species doing this, they were right. Others seemed to think it was just magic that did this, oh, and how I wished they were right.


    I was not the only one here, however, there were quite a few other species. Most notably, this creature with a mostly red colour scheme from what I could see. And only really because they were hooked up to all this armour and other bits of heavy metal. They also stood out because she was constantly screaming as shocks were sent through her.


    "Oh... That''s better..." I groaned in pain as I finally moved my mouth a bit. It seemed that wanting to speak so much has allowed my mouth to move. But, it also seems to have locked up other parts of me a lot more. So I likely just relocated what magic I had left in me.


    "Alright, Gladiator-27, let us see how you are doing." one of the scientists mused as he moved about my cell. A bunch of blocky devices in his hand that made all kinds of clicks and ticks.


    "That''s not my name." I then told him as I tried my best to follow his movements.


    "Oh, ho, ho! It does it again." he happily commented before noting it down on paper.


    "It will kill you at the rate you are going." I pointlessly threatened with a sigh. Mostly wishing these magic-restraining chains would get taken off. They were not helping my current situation and unfortunately, these people weren''t idiots. They had probably figured out my lack of magic and kept them on because of that.


    "Assuming you get the chance, Gladiator-27. Gladiator-12 is still reigning supreme and she is likely to tear you apart instead." the scientist told me without any concern. This lack of concern was then emphasised by the fact he stabbed me with various tools. And, as it was getting past my shell, it hurt, it hurt bad.


    "Stop that!" I tried to roar before I ended up straining my jaw. And, as I could not shudder or move in discomfort, I found myself relying a lot more on heavy breathing.


    "Ask her, instead." was all I got before he walked off. His hand gestured over to Gladiator-12 before he disappeared again. Then, an alarm sounded and the entrance to my cage opened. Even the chains came off just like that... And, as his words would imply, the cage to this other experiment opened up.


    We both staggered out of our cages but for different reasons. I was in pain because I was an idiot who vented nearly all their magic. They were stumbling because they had some kind of electrical system hooked up to their chest and crotch. Why there, I would never know.


    Yet, given the name I was given, I had a feeling that I would need to fight. So I tried my best to properly position myself. Even if I was seemingly frozen in place, every part of me carved deep into everlasting stone. My legs worked, though, so, as long as I could build up some momentum...


    This Gladiator-12 did not charge at me, though. Instead, she collapsed before me and looked up at me with tears in her eyes. And then, she shook her head violently while holding her armoured hands up. She was backing away in fear despite the fact she was nearly as tall as me but also larger.


    Maybe it was just the armoured plates she had on her arms and tail, but she was a big one. Large-chested and shapely with the figure but also similar in ways to Salahma. Instead of toes, she had long claws that had been carved into a little and she also had a pair of small horns on her head. Finally, from what I could see in this badly lit arena we were in, I could see her reddish skin and bright green eyes.


    "Don''t worry, as long as you don''t try anything..." I told the scared creature that was panicking more and more. Until, then, all of a sudden she collapsed into a fit of spasms and screaming when something shocked her. Blue lines arced off of her during this and she cried even harder. And then, she got up and said something.


    All I heard properly, though, was a single name, that of the Singular God. All I could understand her say was the name of the god I once saved in a church. Did that mean she was one of Iderim-Ovi''s people? The red-scaled creatures he supposedly fought on the behalf of before Thurnmourer beat him?


    "So this is how it is going to be...?" I slowly asked as she got up once the shocks ended. And just like that, while it was clear she was still reluctant. She was now ready to go at me with both her held weapons and her attached-to-the-tail one. I could not fight like this, however, so I tried to retreat.


    She said something again just as she charged me and pinned me. Her large hands pushed down on my head once she brought me to the ground. It was not a steady grip she had at all, she was shivering and whimpering the entire time. Like she did not want to see my face when she killed me.


    "Now would be a good time to still have that earth magic." I commented as I tried doing what allowed me to speak to my arms. And, surprisingly, it worked. I was able to move them again and I easily overpowered her applied weight. Then, when I got up again, she just spun her tail right at me and gashed open my gut.


    If I hadn''t moved my magic to my arms, I would be roaring in pain a lot. But I had moved the magic away, so my mouth was shaking violently while my hands clutched my cracked open belly. And, just like that, my tolerance for this creature vanished. If I wanted to live and get rid of Iishar, I would have to kill this thing.


    Now if only I could figure out how to spread what magic I had left more evenly. I could then move somewhat decently and not be stuck in pain and be a statue. Those shocks my opponent was getting, however, did offer me some hope. If I could get them into me, I might be able to get some magic!?


    Assuming they were magical sparks, that is... I was mostly assuming that as this creature seemed like one that could use magic. It was too big for it not to be, right? Those armour plates were thicker than a construction vehicle''s plates!


    Now if only it wasn''t whimpering the way it was. This thing was terrified of what I might do and what it had to do. It made me want to kill it a bit less likely as that was a new expression for me. Most things I have killed looked at me with anger and rage...


    They genuinely wanted to kill me, this thing? No, it did not want to be anywhere near me. Let alone trying to kill me! Luckily, for the pair of us, a new alarm went off.


    Several goldhands came into the arena just then as brighter lights went on. Their hands alight with magic as they steadily moved in closer. I did not resist their grip like my opponent, however. She was struggling bad and ended up decapitating one with her tail.


    "This one is calm, handle it." they said before most of them tried to restrain my opponent. And, interestingly enough, they moved me to a new cage near the creature. Possibly because they were bleeding men trying to secure her. And, frankly, I wish she would calm down, the goldhands had a very healthy touch...


    I could feel my body taking in all that magic like a man who had been baked alive. Each drop of it relieving some of the dryness the baked man''s throat had. Yet, as I was now being moved right next to her cage, perhaps I would be able to speak to her. To plan with her even if my goal was selfish...


    "Th... That... Could work." I struggled to get out as my gut continued to bleed. Focusing my magic around the injury seemed to help. But it did nothing beyond clotting the blood. Which, admittedly, was better than nothing.


    There were no chains in this cage either! So I could at least sit comfortably this time. Assuming I did not get chained up at a later date. They also just finished with that other creature as well.


    Because a loud bang echoed throughout the area as it had just lashed out at the cage. It did not damage it, however, which made me slightly curious. Were these bars actually quite tough or was it something else? A lot of the metal here did have a slight brown shine to it.


    "Thunder-gold alloys?" I asked out loud before looking at my neighbour who had broken down crying. Something that made me grimace uncomfortably as the lights had also dimmed. This atmosphere reminded me a little too much of a certain place. So I tried to see if I could do something.


    I knocked on the bars between us to try and get her attention. Knocking on them a bit louder every time until she looked over at me. And once I had her attention, I raised my palms at her, hoping it would calm her down. Because she still looked like she wanted to tear apart others.


    The blood still stained her weapons well and its coppery smell filled my nostrils alright. My yellow blood was still on her tail blade as well. Mixed slightly with the colour red from when she decapitated one of the goldhands. With that sightseeing out of the way, though, I gestured her over.


    She would come over, in time, it took her a while, but she was now here. Just before the double set of bars separating our cages. Then, I gave her a wave to see if she understood it. And she did, but the fact her armour hadn''t come off made her bang it on the bars.


    "Nin." I then said as I patted my chest. My claws make various sounds depending on if they hit shell or soft bits. I would repeat this until I felt like she understood it.


    "Liadanann..." she quietly says once her hidden finger points at her face. Her filthy, filthy, tear-stained face. One that was quick to focus on my gashed open belly. And I assume what followed was an apology, she seemed like she was apologizing as she was wincing at the sight.


    "It''s fine, do not worry." I say to her as I put a thumb-claw up while trying to make sure my smile was seen.


    .


    .


    .


    "Maybe we should keep these two together?" one of my colleagues asked as he wrote up a report regarding the dead goldhands. A frown developed on my features as I stared at the camera feed. Were these two bonding or something? Were Gladiator-12 and 27 able to speak to each other?


    See, if Gladiator-27 had been put in its correct cage, we might be able to research this. But, no, it was hurriedly put in a cage near Gladiator-12 because of her usual behaviour. Which, really should not have happened as they were empty for a reason. That reason was she kept killing her neighbours.


    "Unless, it''s because those other creatures couldn''t speak?" I thought out loud as I leaned past my colleague. Staring deep into the camera as the pair kept at it. Doing whatever it was that they were doing. Our newest one seemed to be drawing something.


    "Quite possibly, isn''t that the reason we kept Gladiator-27 alive?" he asked as he spun away from the computer.


    "There were many reasons, but the fact it spoke the Spire-Lord''s name is one reason alright." I tell him before moving on with my life. This wasn''t my department at all and its head would likely moan if I kept snooping in it. But, maybe just one more visit down into the main complex... Just to see what was going on.


    "Will you need a security escort?" I was then asked as my keying in of the password notified the main computer.


    "No, that would probably set them off. Besides, we have lost enough goldhands already." I tell them before the door closed behind me. With my nose taking in sterile air no longer but rather a filthy stench similar to a farm. A very peculiar farm as there were many different smells mixed into all of this. But, I stopped once I reached the walkway.


    There was no way I''d be able to sneak near them if my feet were banging and banging. So, perhaps, I might just have to hope I would not interrupt their conversation. Maybe they would carry on with it? Or, they''d stop like two girls gossiping about someone right next to them.


    If they did not mind my presence near them, then, all the better. If they did, then, I might as well leave as I would not be able to learn anything from this encounter. Which, if that turned out to be the case. I might just pass by another place before heading back to my facility.


    "Can you move closer to the light?" I heard the insect-like one ask the prized captive. Something that it did not seem to understand at first until Gladiator-27 began to explain it. Then, it did move over to that spot. But why, that is what I was about to find out.


    From what I could see from my vantage point, it seemed that Gladiator-27 was inspecting 12''s armour. The steel-gold alloy we fused onto its arms and tail once it had proven itself a capable warrior. Even if it seemed to go through bursts of reluctance when we did not urge it to with violence. This was a nearly two-point-five-metre tall, naturally armoured creature with dagger-like claws and it was passive?


    Yeah, right.


    "Come closer." Gladiator-27 then ordered as it slowly moved closer to Gladiator-12. Its own claws reached out for the shock harness on the other. But, Gladiator-12 reacted to that violently and moved away. Smashing the bars near it in order to intimidate Gladiator-27 away.


    It was not scared, however, it moved with caution, but it was not scared! Or maybe I just could not tell as this thing was not human. Or, at least, not fully human as the biology department here had found signs of human DNA. But, that might have just been something it ate, a slightly concerning detail.


    Now, however, it seemed like Gladiator-27 had broken the trust with Gladiator-12. It was now refusing to go near the other and as such, I had no reason to be here. Maybe this was an orchestrated plan, but, I also had no real want to wait around. We had plenty of time to research them both, after all.


    "Alright, have fun you two." I told them casually before I headed back to the entrance. Keying in the passcode once more before waiting this time for someone to open the door. A reason why they say not to go in here undeclared as you could end up locked in. An odd safety measure I never really got.


    "Woah, only a brief time and you already stink." the one who opened the door for me joked before I nudged past them.


    "Woah, only a brief touch and you already reek you disgusting thing." I said back to him in a harsh tone before I headed on my way. Pulling out a little piece of paper and then a lighter once I was outside. And then, my hand came back out with a pinch of dried out plant stuff. Good old and reliable river weeds, full of nice and intoxicating gasses waiting to be burned.


    And once it was all made, I put the freshly made cigarette to my lips and lit it up. Taking a long drawn in breath from it before huffing it all out. Smiling slightly as I tried to decipher steam from smoke as I was now outside. Standing about the wind-swept mountains and their bitter landscape.


    "Okay, Project Fire Trail. Which way did I have to go to get to you..." I pondered out loud before I started aimlessly walking. Occupying my mind with useless speech as I followed the large power cables going about the place. Each one boiling to the touch and emitting waves of visible heat distortions. I could even relight my cigarette on them!


    Which I did, briefly when I was done with it or rather, forced to be done with it. Despite the place being a mountain-placed sauna. They did not like anything warm, hot or heated really going into Project Fire Trail. Which was a shame, because I liked to be inside a warm building after travelling a cold mountain path.


    "Doctor Ea''enk, what do we owe the pleasure?" the Department Head asked as I walked through his door. Shivering more the moment the doors closed than when I was outside. And when I saw the blue faces of those working here, I shivered some more. How anyone is willing to work in a place colder than a freezer baffled me.


    "Nothing much, Department Head, just here to have a look around." I tell him as I started walking into his facility. Annoying him both because I had just arrived here to walk around and the fact I don''t bother learning anyone''s names. I don''t even know the name of my boss!


    "We''ve talked about this! You can''t just keep coming here unannounced! You aren''t a Spire-Lord!"


    "No, I''m just your younger senior from the parent facility and as such hold all the rights to do so." I tell him as I headed towards the heart of Fire Trail. Sticking close to the cables like everyone else here does before I reached the main chamber. Having passed a highly guarded room just before I got into it. I really wished we never had to use that room...


    It was our failsafe room that was more guarded than the main chamber where the dangerous animal was. A direct link to a magic-based superweapon that, in theory, should completely kill everything in this mountain. How, I did not know, I just know it always had a highly-decorated group of goldhands near it. It would be nice if it was just a killswitch for our easily-angered guest, but it wasn''t...


    It just had to be a barely tested bomb with a theoretical explosive yield of twenty kilotons... Surprisingly, much weaker than that blast that preceded Gladiator-27''s arrival. Which, knowing Spire-Lord Iishar Ho, we''d be seeing a potentially stronger bomb get installed. Once we figure out how it made that much power, of course.


    "It''s a good thing the security for this thing was provided by Iishar''s dealers, no?" I asked the Department Head who had followed me all the way here.


    "Maybe we can go to them and get you a lesson in manners." he scoffed out while I kept my attention on the living furnace before me. Even with this machine, us draining it and all the coolers near us, it was still hot enough to cook a man alive. I was only able to avoid so much of the heat because I kept to the edge near the coolers.


    "Remind me, if this thing was to break out, why is the failsafe so close to the creature itself?"


    "Ask the architect, something that I am not." he told me before he tried to grab me to drag me out.


    "Don''t touch me." I tell him before his hands go on me. Keeping my attention on what was before me and watching others as they took data samples. Mostly just temperature and how well the machinery was holding up. But, crucial data all the same.


    "Well, if you''re so worried about the failsafe system we have in place, let me remind you we have a big maintenance overhaul coming up soon." he whispered into my ear which left me shivering in fear. I always hated these events, the issues here always spilt out to the other facilities. And, we always had casualty paperwork to handle. Not because the creature escaped, but because its power was that intense without the safety measures we had in place...


    It quite often got to the point that we had to just drag in cheap workers from the lower floors. Just so that we did not lose our actually good ones to the dangers of this place. But, thankfully, with each overhaul, we are seeing subtle reductions in how dangerous it is. Like one or two fewer deaths each time. The Spire-Lords saw that as progress, though.


    But, then, I thought of a comeback to his snark, "Well, it''s you who will be killed should it get out." I said with an attempt at a shrug. Heading back out once I had, had enough of standing before this creature. Because, oddly enough, despite how powerful and dangerous it was, standing before it seemed to make you just a bit healthier. Perhaps it had something to do with those goldish pills we got?


    The workers we called in to be killed off in order to get Fire Trail modified dropped dead in peculiar ways. They always had these blue lines about them not long after they enter. And, if they are especially unlucky, they blow up and set off a chain of them. Which, is very terrifying, especially the first time that happened with our old engineering team.


    All of them just gone in but a single moment. How the people beyond the wastes ever learned how to harness this power was truly baffling. To be in a land where this strange terror was everywhere. How could any civilisation develop if everyone kept blowing up!?


    "Spire-Lord Iishar Ho!? To what do we owe the pleasure?" I then found myself saying when I nearly ran into our main patron of sorts. With the woman in question immediately baring down on me when she saw me.


    "There''s been an incident back at Tobaballe. Something magical in nature has attacked the front portion. Stolen all of our workers from the farms there." She quickly explained to me as Fire Trail''s Department Head came by. And, like me, he reacted pretty much the same way.


    "Spire-Lord Iishar Ho!? To what do we owe the pleasure?" he unintentionally repeated.


    "Gather up all your development teams and meet me in the main conference room in the main building. Me and the others want defence solutions and we want them now!" she ordered which sent us all off running to gather up the necessary people.

 Incline 4: To Climb to the Top for Her

    "So that is Nin''s home?" I idly asked no one in particular whilst leaning towards the glass. Longingly touching the glass as I worried for my friend and where he might be. And, while I looked at the distant city. I tried to think of what might be there that makes my friend so reckless.


    I could understand if he had a family there that he cared deeply for, but I couldn''t see that being the case. Nin was peculiar compared to most of the people I knew, he was very cynical with friends. Sure, I have met and known many cynical people, those who have lost hope or are shown mostly the bad. But Nin was slightly different, it was as if he was raised like that, to not value friendship...


    How someone could do that, I could not figure out. Every year we had an entire month dedicated to celebrating our friendships! Every year we paid homage to the God of Friendship, Undwote, and we honoured our friends. So how could Nin have been raised to be so paranoid of close relationships?


    It did not make much sense, but, then again, a close friend just running off didn''t make much sense either. Neither did my circumstances either if you thought about it. But, I never did like thinking about that sort of stuff. Not outside of the moments I was doing it, anyway.


    "Hey, it does look like a birdcage." Einervaene then said as she came close to me and commented on its shape.


    "Nin has mentioned that?" I asked her upon turning to face her.


    "Yeah, back near when I first met him. Not long after I found out about his... Condition. We talked about our homes. And, well, he told me to think of a birdcage to get an idea of its shape." she explained as she sat down on a chair. Meanwhile, I was on the top of the machines she was in front of. My legs crossed over into a squarish shape.


    "Did he mention much else?"


    "If he did... I can''t remember. But, now is a good chance to remember it, no?" she initially sighed out before awkwardly laughing at the end. I smiled at her like I often did and went along with it.


    "Make sure you learn a lot, then. Because I will be bringing Nin back quicker than you can turn into lightning and meet the clouds." I then told her as I turned back towards the glass.


    "Yeah, maybe I can even find some of the things Nin has worked on. He has said he was a wall-engraver or something."


    "Yes, he has said something along those lines. An artist in all but name." I said while nodding.


    "But, what if you can''t find Nin before me and Vadei are done with finding her sister and the others... Should I turn back and help you?"


    "No, don''t worry about me. I will find him. I will find my friend..." I tell her before looking down at my palms. Looking deep into all of the lines on my palms as I started to go quiet.


    "He''s not just your friend." she then told me sternly, something that saw my head turn to her again.


    "A... You... You are right, Einervaene." I said while looking up and down her body. A sigh then left me once more.


    "If you want to try and find him on your own, fine. But, he''s not just your friend. Not just mine. He is a friend to all of us. Mine, yours, Vadei''s. And, of course, everyone else who is not here right now. So, please, Larishazza, if you can''t find him, let me help. Two people is always better than one." she explained to me after getting up and putting a hand on me. A hand I intently stared at as she said what she did.


    "Your offer is appreciated..." I, for some reason, reluctantly let out before I put my hand on her wrist. Soon holding her hand in mine whilst she smiled at me. A smile I would return for the time being.


    "Alright, you two, can you come over here, please?" Vadei then asked from the other side of the room.


    "Okay, just give me a moment." I said to her with a smile as I slowly uncrossed my legs. Intentionally falling on to Einervaene as she walked off in order to get a laugh.


    "Walk there on your own!" she laughed out as I lazily clung to her before falling to the floor. A floor I did not move from yet still giggled on.


    "I can''t!" I joked to her.


    "Yes, yes you can." she then said as she gently kicked a bit of lightning into me. Something I reacted to exaggeratively in order to get more laughs to come from them. And, as I came to a stop, I leaned on Vadei''s chair to see if what she was looking at concerned me. It did not, she was just looking at some numbers and other things, a little picture of her daddy in the corner.


    "So, what do you want to talk about?" I asked once Einervaene had arrived in the space around the chair.


    "The plan of entry." Vadei quickly answered as a large screen appeared. One filled with soldiers, scientists, workers and other things. Lots of machines with guns, lots of men with guns and lots of guns on their own.


    "Your handiwork?" Einervaene asked as her eyes focused on the large craters along the path to the lonely wall.


    "It is, and, by the looks of it, they''ve taken it very seriously."


    "Is this going to be an issue? None of these weapons are magical, are they?" I then asked, just in case. I know this is meant to be magic-less land, but still, I didn''t want to be reckless.


    "Some might be, but, I have no idea how dangerous they are. It''s not magic like you can do, it''s just magical materials. Thunder-gold specifically." Vadei tried to explain before she got Einervaene''s attention.


    "They can refine thunder-gold?" she asked in disbelief.


    "No. We trade her and it. They give us no magic." Heiya''s daddy explained as he came in out of nowhere. A man whose presence and words quickly made me foul of mood.


    "Oh..." Einervaene let out as she became disappointed...?


    "Well, thank you for the explanation, now go!" Vadei then snapped at the man who walked away towards the front of the bridge. HIs little hands soon tapped away at one of the machines as he went on with his business.


    "So the point is, some of their weapons might be able to hurt us?" I then questioned while frowning. I was hoping to just get in and out of the city and move on to the countryside. But if they had weapons that could injure me or Nin then this is a lot more complicated.


    "I think the main concern is more along the lines of, they can hurt Nin if they wanted. As I said and showed, he flushed all his magic out in one big go. There''s no certainty that he is strong enough to survive these weapons right now. Not until we can give him some magic." she explained as one of her nails lingered near her teeth.


    "What about how common they are, do the people with these weapons stand out?"


    "They do, actually!" Vadei said with some cheer as she began to mess with the screen before us.


    "The ones with glowing hands?" Einervaene asked while she pointed at the picture we were now shown.


    "Yes, those are the ones with magic capabilities as far as I know. ''Goldhands'' is what Nin calls them." Vadei answered as another screen came up. One that showed off magic signatures by the looks of it. And, indeed, these goldhands did show up slightly on it. Just barely, however.


    "Alright, we just slap them out the way." I then casually commented as we could all see how weak they clearly were. In comparison to us, anyhow.


    "You say that, but, we''ll all be working under the restraint of not using our magic."


    "You''ve saved most of them, no? Surely magic is somewhat okay to use now?" I asked while staring at the troops in our way. Those who would try and stop me from finding my friend and bringing him back.


    "Yes, but I still have some I still need to save, and, I don''t think Nin will be particularly appreciative if we blow up his home!" Vadei explains loudly to which I nod in embarrassment. It was a very careless suggestion for me to make...


    "So we just need to mostly ignore all the guards and soldiers and vehicles and pretty much everything?" Einervaene asked after she listed off most of the obstacles that could shoot at us.


    "That is the case, it would seem. I know we can use magic to some extent, I did to save most of my family. But, you two are much stronger than me. There''s no guarantee you''ll be able to be as... Subtle, as I was." Vadei tried to explain before she slowed down at the end. She was clearly aware of the irony of her last few words.


    "Then we drop down before the city and practise a bit?" I then offered to her.


    "No, we need to do this quickly. In and out and then we can get moving once more..." Vadei nervously declared while looking at the small picture of her daddy. Something I couldn''t take my eyes off as my slowness might lose me a friend... And, that was something I was unwilling to accept.


    "Then we best get going, I want to go back to Suhurlodst with all my friends." I told the pair as I began to walk off towards the airship''s railings. Waiting for them to follow me to the outside and join me in the breeze.


    "At least let me lower the AIR-" Vadei began to explain before I grabbed her and leapt off the airship. Laughing wildly as she screamed maniacally in my arms. Arms flailing about as she screamed and screamed until she went quiet. A large arcane explosion then suddenly erupted around us with my magic keeping her safe from it.


    "Slowpoke." I joked to Einervaene who had struck herself down to the ground as a lightning bolt.


    "DON''T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" Vadei then screamed into my face as she grabbed onto my clothes. A wide smile on my face as I watched her breathe in and out harshly and rapidly.


    "She has a point, Larishazza." Einervaene commented quietly as we watched Vadei tremble and collapse into the ground. Only for her to start violently coughing when her breathing brought in some gravel and dust.


    "Pffft, she''s fine." I said with a grin before jumping over her as she recovered.


    "I''ll leave you behind again!" she threatened as she got the last of the coughs out.


    "No, no you won''t because you need me to look after the showers." I told her while poking my tongue out. I didn''t mean it in a particularly serious way, but it was true. I was the one who was needed to look after the water.


    "Shut up..." Vadei bitterly mumbled as she began to walk towards the city in the distance. We may have just jumped from the sky and crashed down magnificently. But, we were still quite a distance off.


    "I suppose we should get going then?" Einervaene then asked as she went next to Vadei.


    "Sure, I''ll see you guys again when I find Nin! I promise you!" I tell the pair before I move to run towards the city.


    "Try not to get caught up asking things of him, Lari, just bring him back!" one of them told me, but, I guess it didn''t matter who. So, I stopped and turned to them. Smiling at them while they smiled at me before I then ran off again.


    "You better be easy to find, Nin!" I stated to the open sky and approaching city. Picking up my pace until I was partially gliding across the barren land with the help of magic. A trail of explosions followed me all the way there until I slowed down. The words of the others are cleanly etched into my head for now.


    I may have not been able to see it either at the moment. But, I could tell with some predictable foresight that they could see me. At the very least, they could see the destruction my magic caused this land. If it wasn''t already such a barren place, I might have regretted my actions.


    Then, when I got close enough to the city, even if I was still a grand distance off. I began to feel different explosions around me that were not magical. The people of Nin''s city had started firing on me. Their explosions, however, were all being swallowed up by mine.


    None of them would hit me directly either, they would all go around me. And, as I was using my magic right now, I got a unique perspective of it all. My power made my senses better and body stronger. As such, I saw brass cylinders of all kinds fly past me very slowly even if they were not actually slow.


    The explosions they created worked in a similar manner. They expanded slowly and were consumed before they blossomed fully. And, as I got closer and closer, more and more munitions began to go near me. Thousands of small little ones and some even arced down from the sky. Most, however, would continue to be these large ones.


    Yet, there was also a few odd ones coming straight at me. Devices that seemed to scream as they came down by the dozen. And as I finally reached the wall, I felt it crumble under my feet as my magic erupted over it. Like a drowning tide lashing out at the coast.


    "Have any of you seen my friend?" I asked cheerfully as the run here was very fun. My answer was not words, though. It was all of these guns being directly shot at me. Each bullet, shell and so on harmlessly hitting me and doing whatever. It was a very interesting experience if I was, to be honest.


    I don''t think many can claim they stood before a firing army and survived its anger. They were even nice enough to halt their attack and let all this smoke clear up. And what I saw bothered me as I could see some men suddenly run away in terror. Some stayed, however, and they resumed their attacks with desperate fury.


    Something I had to ignore while being mindful of how little magic I could use. So, I started running again, not as fast as before, though. I ran and ran until they became concerned for their own safety while others were suicidal. Their recklessness pointless as it was ineffective.


    But I did not scoff at their attempts. I had no idea how to conceptualise the terror they must have been feeling. My life has always involved magic, its strength was something I knew. The people of Nin''s home, though?


    They knew nothing about this power and it showed. I did not even have to fight and many were already running away in fear. It even got to the point the ones in the vehicles began to back up while the goldhands took charge. People whose magic was so weak I could barely sense them...


    And I was very good and sensing magic as it played a lot into my dancing hobby. But this was something else. They were moving about as if they were frozen and there was no aura. No external-magic flow that I could sense.


    Even the blows I let the goldhands land did not nudge me from my spot. They wailed away at me with unrelenting determination and nothing came of it. I was not here, however, to fear for their safety around me. I was here for Nin, so I began to nudge them aside, at least, that is what I tried to do.


    But they just flew away and broke apart whatever they hit. Some were even unlucky enough to just splatter across the mountain. And as that happened, I became a lot more worried about my magic control. So I tried to stay calm and just walk through it all.


    At least, until I needed to climb over the wall a lot of the normal soldiers had rallied behind. And as I got over the wall and landed in the city. The panic and terror these people felt became so very clear to me. They were savagely going at each other in their attempts to run.


    People were crushed under stampedes and children were left abandoned. Those who stayed broke down and begged for their lives as I walked by. And even though I had no reason to be scared, seeing all this made me terrified. I did not like any of this, I was not here to attack them yet the response was chaos.


    So I tried to be quick about this, I tried to find my way out of the city and into the lands beyond it. The countryside to Nin''s homeland, the fields he once ran in as a youngster. I needed to get to them and move on to find him. I both wanted and needed to escape this place.


    To at least free the city of this unintentional fear I sent through them. And I somehow managed to find it through the crowds of terrified citizens. I found the other gate and its accompanying wall... But, it was all the way up at least a few dozen floors...


    "Climb rocks? Climb stairs?" I began to loop out as I turned around and glanced around. Nervously moving on to a quieter spot that my presence had helped make. This nervousness would continue to stay with me as well until I was up and away. I could only hope, though, that my use of magic had not devastated the city.


    Nin would never forgive me if he found out about it... He would never come back with us. He would not believe us if we tried to explain it to him. The only story he would hear is how we tried to destroy his home!


    Yet, at the rate they were going, these soldiers might destroy it as well. It got to the point where I was actively having to seek all these projectiles. So many have been fired off by the uncalm with so much more going all over the place. Slamming straight into those great towers that defined this city.


    I needed to both mitigate the destruction my presence was causing and direct it elsewhere. What was required of me was to reach this gate so I could get out of it. A gate they had left open as the terrified people of this city tried to run through it. Me being here, though, made it worse, I just bottlenecked it.


    "Move, please move!" I begged of them before deciding to run to the wall''s edge. And once I was there, I vaulted over as quickly as I could. Running like a madwoman into the farms surrounding this side of the city. Going on and on until I found a great river that seemed to take me far enough away from them.


    And I then collapsed against the body of flowing water, not because I was tired... But because me just going through that city had made it a warzone. Just running and walking and climbing had devastated it so much... I just needed a moment to breathe, to get the screams out of my head so I could focus on why I was here.


    As I calmed down, I moved into the water with my eyes shut. Fingers slid just across its surface while my mind focused on something. Nin. That was what I thought about.


    My friend who has been living an unlucky life, yet, despite it all, he keeps his human heart. My friend who has gone through so much cruelty and apathy. The one I found crying in the basement of our dorm building with a broken knife. The one I tried to make strong again by being there for him as much as I could.


    I then opened my eyes, with water going down them because I was crying, "Where are you Nin?" I asked. My magic gently pulsated about in a contradictorily destructive manner while my mind stayed focused. Even with my body being so deep in that which my magic takes inspiration from, I could not find him. I could not feel him at any point along this mighty river, past or now...


    Yet, I did not lose hope and instead found myself thinking of my sister. Of the way the mountains behaved back in the land of the Jhermon. How the snow stayed in a certain spot and wrapped around some of the mountains. These mountains had none of that, there was no snow.


    So perhaps I could make some? I may have not learned ice magic as my sister had, but I had been around her enough. I had watched Omb teach her how his fire magic worked enough. So maybe, if I just sprayed a fine mist, I could let my frozen magic blanket the mountains?


    I could make snow and find Nin that way if he is still in the mountains? But would I still find him if he had taken shelter? Letting my magic spread itself like that was not as helpful as this river was. I could feel farm animals drink from it at the far end of it, just before it went to a lake.


    "I can feel the water in a lake is pumped away somewhere... Hot..." I then said as I scrapped my last plan. This heat I was feeling, there was something magical about it. It was a weak signature, admittedly, be it my fault or theirs. But, I could perhaps follow it?


    Nin doesn''t use fire magic, yes, but, maybe they might know? Nin does stick out as he is quite tall, so maybe they have at least caught a glance? A sound at the very least? I know Nin can be a bit noisy on his own, he doesn''t like the quiet...


    I wasn''t going to find him by lounging about in a river, though! So I started moving along it, swimming with the currents and using gentle bursts of magic to speed through it. Even if those gentle magic blasts sent water flying out the river, draining it very briefly. At this point, one might even be sceptical of why I thought of them as soft magic usage.


    It clearly was not reacting softly with this land yet this was as low as I could reasonably make it. I know others can do better than me, but this was the best I could do. All I could do for now until we got out of this land. A land we had no place in because we were such a danger to it.


    And, then, as I thought about that, I intentionally crashed into a rock, "I guess it makes sense as to why Nin flushed his magic out like he did." I comment with a sigh before going back along the water. Watching all the different kinds of river fish swim out of my way before they likely were killed by my magic. I wasn''t even trying to be fast, I was just sensing my way down the river.


    And soon, I was feeling rubble bang against me as I went along the river''s path. Was I now damaging ships and boats? Or were these pieces of various bridges I had destroyed? I hoped it was neither, but it seemed unavoidable.


    This land was so fragile compared to all the other places I have been. And me and my sister have gone to many newly established colonies! Ones where their magic is slowly being inserted over time. And, as such, you''d think you stepped onto an island of glass!


    "Please be okay, Nin." I then said after I leapt out onto the river''s sides. Digging into the land harshly before I came to a stop in the mud. My eyes lingered on the way I came before I looked away with a shiver. That rubble I had been encountering was fishing villages I so carelessly zoomed past...


    I just wanted to get out of here with my friend...


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


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    "Can''t you leave those behind?" I asked Einervaene as she kept up with me. The pair of us moved about more cautiously after having seen Larishazza''s approach. She was getting fired at by the people of this land so ferociously... Her own magic was as equally damaging as all those shells and bullets.


    As such, we were moving far slower as to not set off our magic. We were even being constantly reminded to do so by the line of black we followed. A near-endless strip of burnt earth that had been eviscerated by magical power. It would make you forget it was even water magic that she had!


    "No! These aren''t just some random boots I can buy somewhere else! These are the ones I had custom-made to work with my magic!" Einervaene complained as her grip tightened on the boots. Her feet were barer than mine as we kicked up stones and dust. So why she took them off baffled me. Surely she preferred the awkwardness to the uncomfortable nature of just running on stones?


    Then again, even though I still had sandals on that were perfectly fine. I could very much feel as the stones were shattered and crushed. We were making them into a finer powder than they already were! Just a show of how even our efforts could not hide what power we had...


    "Then just get them made again!" I told her as my frustrations made my concentration slip. A slight bit of magic flared out as a result. Something that seemed to be more than enough to get the guns firing again.


    "I THOUGHT YOU WANTED US TO AVOID THIS!?" Einervaene screamed back at me as she began to run in a jagged line. Yet, even though we were now being shot at, I could tell something was off. Far less was being shot at us... Had Larishazza...?


    No, she couldn''t have! There''s no way she would intentionally ignore what we advised when it came to Nin! She knew very well what the stakes in this were! So, unless the guard broke before her dancing backside...


    "My ba- EEEEPPP!" I began to apologize before I yelped in surprise. A large shell had just zipped past my ears and they were ringing. And it would continue to be like this for the pair of us. We were not in any real danger, but so much of this surprised us.


    Unlike Larishazza, we were not being so blatant with our magic and that meant everything was faster. Our own senses were not so excessively beyond what this realm was capable of. A bullet still sped past like a bullet, an explosion still staggered us. And, most importantly, they still set off our survival instincts like usual.


    Even though the occasional dull and quick, poke-like feeling reminded us of how harmless it was. These shots did nothing and barely stopped us! Then, we finally reached the outer wall of the city and we hid. Well, I hid, I have no idea where Einervaene had gone...!


    Until I then figured out she had gone to the other side of the wall...


    "VADEI!" she yelled out to me, her voice quickly being drowned out by all the gunfire. And I could only assume it was being split between us as I was being shot at too. The ground shuddered and broke and flew about me. Yet, I was safe, something I oddly enough did not like.


    Now I think I understand why Nin was so reactive to when he first got his powers. Stuff like this would have made him a pile of burnt blood before! Now it just zooms on past as if nothing had happened whatsoever! A boom here and there and all that came out of it was messy hair and ash on my clothes.


    "Dammit... Just... Dammit..." I muttered in annoyance as I began to get frustrated at the mess. Occasionally pushing my luck by sticking my hand out to catch bullets. And, then, I went flying into the distance violently as a shell had struck my hand. But, luckily, Einervaene had used her magic to help me recover.


    "Vadei!?" she cried out as she looked me over until I pushed her away. Shoving her away before I then shook my head in confusion. Sneezing shortly after as all the harsh smells were becoming very bothersome. My nose was stinging as if it were burning!


    "We need to get past all this without bringing it into the city..." I comment while looking at the towers we could see from down here. Which was probably about half of them if a little less. They were quite tall after all.


    "H-How? Just look at what happened to the place I was just at!" Einervaene pointed out while she frantically gestured at the smouldering crater she left. Molten stone clearly marked it out as I could even see a cherry-hot scar in the ground. One that led directly towards me.


    "Going by how my hand is completely fine," I began to say while flexing my palm, "we just break it once we get close to them?"


    "W-What if we kill some of them?"


    "They''re shooting at us!" I deadpan to her.


    "I know, I know..." she repeats over and over to the backdrop of exploding munitions, "It''s just with Nin and this being his home...!"


    "I''m sure he can understand quite fine if a few guards die, so long as we don''t destroy the city itself!" I tell her while prodding at the mountain again. Maybe I should climb it and sneak past them? Leave Einervaene to handle the vehicles and guards and all that? It would certainly help me plan better...


    Not being chased by all the guards as they would be focused on her, not me...


    "Would it best to take on of their guns then? Magic is too damaging in this land!"


    "Do whatever you want!" I tell her before I start climbing the mountain once more. Using my magic more openly as I left her behind.


    "Where''re you going!?" she called up to me as I went higher and higher with a quickening pace. Both because I wanted to save my sister and because I wanted to avoid falling again. As this mountain was falling apart each time I touched it!


    "To save my sister!" I reminded her as my expression became far more serious. There was no room for humour now even if our approach might as well have been a slapstick comedy. I needed to find my sister and see if I can get any others out of this place! Then, we just needed to run as far as they could while avoiding the danger of the soldiers...


    "O-Okay! I''ll see what I can do here!" she told me before I then heard the guns pick up in intensity. Briefly looking down at the destruction down below before leaping from the mountain. Crashing violently through the walls of one of the towers and getting up. Screams quickly surrounded me as they all fled at the sight of me.


    A cruel snort then came out, "Yeah, that''s right." I said as I began to sniff the air. All this violence had practically everyone going down the floors. So, I think it made it easier to sniff out my sister. Or perhaps not as I still only smelt human odours and mechanical ones.


    Perhaps I needed to get higher in this tower? From what I remembered, we were basically taken all the way to the top. Which this view out the window has shown to be quite a while off... Now, I could either climb again or run about the stairs and other parts...


    I was leaning towards the safer route which did not have a risk of falling. Or, well, as high a risk of falling given the current situation with the excessive gunfire. Something that I could still hear even while in this alarm-filled building. And, if all these retreating and panicking humans meant anything...


    "They might be taking her with that fat bastard when he runs himself!" I realised as a possibility before I ran as fast as I could. Snapping doors off their hinges and also likely breaking the bones of whoever I touched. Be they panicking people or surprised guards. It also helped put into perspective as to why such fear was all over this city.


    We could just run into it and demolish it without even trying! The last time I was here I was trying so very hard to be careful and even then... Now, though, that same restraint just didn''t exist for the moment. I was just letting out all the anger I had for this city.


    And no amount of screaming or crying was stopping me from carrying it on. I was even enjoying it to an extent as these people had caused mine so much harm! They deserved every bit of it a hundredfold! For every one that died in their abusive watch, I would terrify a thousand more!


    I would make sure we were scarred into the memory of these people! A reminder to their leaders to stay hidden behind their mountains forevermore! And even if Nin hated me for it, I would learn to cope. For the state my dad was in could never be forgiven!


    "Come on... Where are you!?" I asked while moving about, sniffing the air harshly and keeping my ears on the move. She had to be somewhere in this city, somewhere at the very least! They couldn''t have taken her out of it, could they...? If I was to discover she had met a lonely fate then...


    "M-Master, where are we being taken to?" I faintly heard as I broke down another set of doors. Something that was quickly covered up when gunfire was unleashed upon me. The barking of orders barely being heard over it. Then, just like that, I was over there where the armed men were.


    And they screamed bloody murder until only one was left alive while I panted at them. His fear settled in quickly even if he did not react to it very much. I did not move to kill him like I did the others, though. Instead, I opened his mouth after licking one of my fingerx, and I spat in it.


    "The others like me, where are they!?" I demanded to know as he freaked out over what I had just done.


    "W-What do you mean!? WHAT ARE YOU!?" he responded with before he shouted as he began to unload a small gun onto me. Each shot uselessly went off of me while I started to growl. It may have not hurt but it was still a loud bang near my ears...


    "Answer the question." I told him simply before I positioned a claw next to him. Slowly pushing it into his neck and watching as his breathing sped up. Sweat streamed off of him as if he had just gone for a shower.  He stank of blood, more, however.


    "I... I saw more things like you at some point on the upper floors... I swear I don''t know anymore! I don''t have the right to go up to those floors!" he told me as he began to react more and more to the idea of dying.


    "Useless!" I quickly snapped at him before tossing him aside and moving on. And I tried to ignore him as I walked away. But all those little pokes I felt on my skin made me angrier and angrier. Not enough to go back and intentionally kill him, but enough for me to set off some magic.


    To decimate the hallway we were in and hopefully him. And, apparently, those who were on the higher floors as well. As I should have expected it really. Everything here was weak and so were the floors and ceilings.


    But, at the very least, I had a pathway to the higher floors now. A path I exploited well until everything began to be made of gold. At which point, everything actually began to take effort to destroy. Not much, but it was an improvement over before.


    Then, I was suddenly charged and forced against a wall. A gold glow appeared in the corner of my eye while I tried to resist. And, as I got the upper hand and pushed back against my attacker. He yelled and yelled to those behind him.


    "Conquei...?" I let out in confusion as I saw what looked like the tail of an oxfuinei disappear through an automatic door. With a sudden scream coming from the man as I crushed his hands, I tossed him aside. Sniffing the air with renewed vigour before I charged. Smashing through what I could as I started to smell familiar scents.


    I was then briefly stopped by a sudden hail of gunfire that caused me mild pain. Stinging like sensations were now going across me and skin was coming off. Enough to draw just a bit of blood but not enough to seriously harm. So I growled out what pain I did feel while looking at the crumpled bullets.


    "Thunder-gold..." I muttered to the backdrop of suppressive fire. Panicking slightly when an explosive of some kind then rolled down near me. And, when it went off, I felt like I had just been punched and shoved into a hot shower. But I recovered quickly even if it did hurt a lot more than prior attacks.


    The smell of my sister, however, was disappearing. Even if it turned out to not be my sister, I could not risk losing it. I had to find her and save her! She needed to see Dad one last time just in case...


    "OUT OF MY WAY!" I screamed as I charged out towards the attacking goldhands. Being far more reckless with my magic so I could just slaughter them. And as I went into another room, I went past a grand mirror that let me see my new make-up. The famous blood and gore brand.


    Then, I finally found them or at least someone else. And my presence made everyone panic as they knew what that meant. Their precious little goldhands were nothing before me! And so were they!


    "WHERE IS MY SISTER!?" I roared before I tore down a gilded pillar, shattering it with so little effort. And when I got no answer, I began to throw the rubble towards the terrified crowds. The swarm of Tobaballian nobility...


    "V-Vadei?" I then heard someone say and then I calmed down. It was her... It was Conquei! My sister was alright, she was alright!


    "There you are!" I exclaimed before I moved to give her a firm hug. One that could potentially snap her spine if it was enthusiastic enough. But, as I went to get her, something stopped me, another goldhand had charged me. And we both flew out a nearby window with not a sound leaving me.


    The gods and goddesses, however, were on my side, they supported my efforts! For this goldhand had just sent us crashing towards this giant clock instead! And soon, I was thrashing him about like a doll. And like a doll I did not want anymore, I threw him away, listening to his screams as I secured my footing.


    "How am I meant to get back up now...?" I asked myself from the top of the clock while I stared down at what I could see of the front wall. The occasional flash of magic highlighted where Einervaene was likely at. And she was a messy fighter by the looks of it as now this city was choking. Black smoke and fires filled its streets.


    Something that reminded me of how important it was to get the others out of here. If I took too long then they''d all burn alive in the inferno we caused. Or, perhaps, this was all as a result of their own guns... I hope it wasn''t, I wanted the damage to originate from me!


    Just like just now when I leapt towards a tower and blew apart that annoying clock. Sending what little remained plummeting down below while I crashed through another wall. Growling once more before I charged up several floors again. Going and going until I arrived back at that prior point...


    "Conquei...? Where are you!? CONQUEI!?" I let out as I started panicking. Only to then hear something go off.


    "Vadei... Help me..." my sister cried through a speaker as it was clear she was getting roughed up.


    "You little bastards... Undwote will never find you!" I cursed them with before I carefully sniffed the air. Gently moving in the direction of the smell until I reached a prepared line of soldiers. Each of them just as quickly unleashed their munitions against me. And, like last time, I hid behind a wall.


    Steadying my breathing before I went out and cut them down. Stabbing them and tearing them apart with my claws and teeth until I was practically bathing in it. And even through the smell of blood, I could smell her and some others. And I could see them once I tore off the door.


    Then, I saw him again, the man who I injured before. The one whose injuries led to me meeting Nin. Who in turn led me back here on a journey we pushed through with our fury alone. And, now?


    I was ready to kill him because once again he had his hands on my sister... Fear had consumed him and the others who were here. Be they guards, workers or just the well-dressed. Many in gold paid for by selling off others...


    "It''s okay, Conquei, they won''t hurt you." I told her as I began to focus some magic into my senses. And as the world slowed down and certain actions became highlighted. I began to move forward. Cutting down some while moving others out the way.


    And, like that, I had my sister in my arms again, her precious tears soaking my arms as everyone ran away. They had no chance of standing against us and they knew it now. Then, in just a few moments, it went from the sounds of battle to the sounds of cheering. I had done it, I had finally done it.


    "Come on, you lot, let''s get you home." I told them as I picked up my sister and let her ride on my back. Compared to the others down below, these lot were a lot healthier. Possibly because all this gold was magical... Or, maybe, they were just looked after better.


    Their outfits seemed to suggest they were up here for more than just display. They just better hope they did not go too far with my sister at the very least. I might be able to ignore the plights of the others just barely. But my sister was the tipping point, hurt her and I would kill them!


    "W-Was this all you?" one of those I had just saved asked as we began to speed down a tower.


    "Somewhat." I answered as we went past several holes and cracks. Some of it was from my magic, possibly, but this was a different tower. So it might be but it also might not be. And as we got to the lower floors, it began to get far noisier.


    "What''s going on? Did you bring an army or something!?" my sister asked in fearful amazement as her grip tightened.


    "No, I brought a storm-in-a-woman." I joked to her in an effort to soothe her while I kept an ear open. Einervaene was causing quite a scene but if she kept it at the entrance then we would not be able to get out.


    "H-Hey! Where are you going?" Conquei demanded to know when I suddenly put her down. Zipping out into the burning streets littered with corpses and moving on to the battle. Quickly joining up with Einervaene who was slowly making her way through everything.


    "Hurry up, Einervaene! I found them!" I told her as she gets finished gently tossing about a vehicle.


    "Oh, hello, Vadei." she greets in a calm manner before delicately flipping a tank over. Cutting down a few soldiers in the meantime before I just let myself get shot at.


    "As I said, hurry up!" I urged her as I also shoved her slightly.


    "Hey! You said to be careful with the city!" she countered with as she moved into my face. Guns still firing around us as she did so. With her body barely reacting to the bullets she was peppered with.


    "You''re causing more harm by letting these guns keep firing!" I pointed out before then violently pointing at the inferno beside us.


    "Oh... Give me a few more moments then!" she tells me as she begins to rush about and deal with whoever she could see. At least, until they all just gave up and ran away. It seems like we had also established ourselves as being immune to their attacks as no more bullets were fired.


    "CONQUEI! OUT HERE, NOW!" I called out to my sister and the others as I briefly jogged over to them. Staying behind as they began to file out into the streets and out into the destroyed farmland. So destroyed was it you might not even be able to call it farmland anymore. Not that it mattered I guess, we were back in the endless wastes again soon.


    "W-Who''s this?" Conquei asked as she huddled up next to me, seeking my protection once again. A smile came to my face and it refused to leave as we walked.


    "This here is my subordinate, she''s new at this." I joked as I kept a tight grip on my sister.


    "Subordinate!?" Einervaene repeated with an agitated pout as she clutched her boots tightly.


    "Why are you helping us?" she was then asked by another.


    "I''m helping my boss..." she sarcastically answered before glaring at me.


    "She''s helping a friend out." I clarified while I let my smile give her one too.


    "Where are we going then...? This is just wasteland!" we were asked as we walked along Larishazza''s destruction. And as we did so, I kept my eyes facing upwards so I could see if the airship was close enough... Maybe a certain duo would be willing to bring it down for us...?


    "Gods damn you Larishazza...!" I then swore under my breath as I remember what that blue-haired ball of excitement did. Dragging me down into this wasteland before I had been given a moment to lower the damn airship... Now, if we did find it, it was beyond my reach!


    And I was the only one who could pilot it decently!


    "An airship!? The wind-people are helping you!?" someone exclaimed to Einervaene as she had clearly answered them while I was muttering. And, she looked at me awkwardly.


    "No... We, uh, stole it." I told them which didn''t bother them all that much.


    "Oh, alright." one of them said before he began to speak to some others.


    Then, I stopped all of a sudden and looked back at Tobaballe which was still close, "This is everyone, right?" I asked them while putting a lot of emphasis on that one word.


    "If you have already saved those who were in the farms, then, yes?" Conquei answered slowly as she looked back as well. Uncertainty clearly in both of our minds as we did so.


    "What about Larishazza as well? You got done with this a lot quicker than expected." Einervaene pointed out as she came closer to us. I then let go of my sister and faced the city. Sniffing the air a little as if to argue to myself how helpful I would be.


    "Uh..." I began to let out as I looked at her, "Are you able to get us back to the airship? I can bring it down and get these lot on it before we then go and have a look."


    Einervaene frowns at the distant clouds, "I can try." she admits with a shrug.


    "Alright, let''s put some distance between us and them, first." I say as I began to move away from my sister who was following me somewhat.


    "Where are you going!?" one of the others asked in shock while I had my arms raised up at them.


    "Don''t worry, we aren''t abandoning you, we are just getting the airship back down." I told them before I ran over to Einervaene who had already moved away. Nodding to her slowly while gently nudging her further and further away from the others. Then, just like that, we were not ourselves anymore and were soaring up like a struggling drowner.


    "Are you alright?" Einervaene then asked me once we finally got on board once again. Much to the surprise of those locked within the airship.


    "I... Hold on..." I began to say before I held my mouth over the railing. Breathing over it for a few minutes before fully recovering. Slowly walking away from the railing while holding my stomach until I got to my chair again. Yet, despite my slowness of body, I did not let it slow me down as now the airship went down too.


    And in what was likely not that long a time, we were back on the ground near the others. We made sure they were all on and then I had the airship go back up without me. Because now I wanted to make sure my Mom knew about this. I wanted her to see both her daughters at once!


    "Mom!? MOM!?" I called out loudly with the aid of the airship''s speaker system. Initially dashing about the bridge until she came rushing in.


    "Oh, you''re back, Va, does that mean...?" she asked hopefully while I smiled brightly. Nodding so fast my head blurred until she stopped it.


    "Come on!" I then told her as I began to drag her through the airship. Letting her nose grow wider and wider with every sniff until her tail became furious. And as we pushed our way through the other passengers, we heard her.


    "Vadei!? Where are you!?" she called out amongst the noise of all the other families finding their loved ones. And when I could, I snatched her up by the arm and was drawn into a Mom-dominated hug.


    "CONQUEI!" she practically screamed as she began to drown my sister in kisses. Choking both of us out with her arms while our tails met in the middle.


    "Mom!" my sister cried out as she snuggled against Mom''s tail. Only for her to then break it, her eyes going all over the place as she tried to smell for something. Then, Conquei ran off, but, we weren''t confused as to why.


    "We best go make sure he is alright too, don''t want her crushing him, now, do we?" Mom joked through some tears before she gave me another hug.


    "S-Stop it!" I happily complained as I returned the hug. Feeling as she steadily broke down into more hysterical crying as we walked.


    "I-I''m s-sorry..." Mom said as she wiped her eyes with her tail on the way to the medical bay. And, once more, she leapt at her other daughter and hugged her while Dad looked at both. He smiled with what strength he could and he held out his palm. And roughly, it pointed at me.


    "I... I am proud of you, Va..." he croaked out before going into a fit of violent coughs. Something that had me worried until he stopped to weakly smile.


    "It was n-nothing..." I chuckled out as I rubbed my embarrassed head while trying to act as if I wasn''t. Getting roped into another hug because of it and laughing away as the women kept on hugging. But, I left the hug once more to focus on Dad who was still in a serious state.


    "L-Li... Little Va all strong now..." Dad barely got out through his equipped healing systems. Stroking him quiet while I held his hand. Watching as Mom and Conquei both kept going at it until they also calmed down.


    "What now, Vadei?" Mom then asked as I stood up and started moving away. Much to my disappointment as I wanted to spend more time here.


    "I need to find my friends. Don''t worry, I''ll be back!" I told them before I disappeared, "Love you!" I then added on before properly leaving.


    "Love you too, Little Va!"


    "Good luck!"


    "..."


    I heard them all say as I went back through the airship, meeting up with Einervaene once more, "Do we go back?" she asked me while I walked by.


    "Of course, we get in differently this time, though. We both know how last time went." I tell her as I take ahold of her gloved hand. Smiling a little at the fact she now had her boots on again.


    "How differently?"


    "I''ll ex-" I began to say before she interrupted me by just yoinking me overboard. And, like when Larishazza did it, I was screaming until I went off on one when we landed.


    "Please, you were a lightning bolt for most of it." Einervaene told me with a smirk as I complained loudly about what she just did.


    "That''s not the point!" I told her while jabbing a claw at her.


    "Looks pointy to me." she joked while staring at the tip of my claw. Something that made me snort in amusement despite my mild anger.


    "Well, anyway, moving on. Tobaballe, we aren''t going through it this time." I tell her while pointing at the distant smoke clouds.


    "How do we get beyond the mountains then?"


    "Take us up then just hit us into one, I can''t care less." I tell her with a wave of my hand before I clutched my stomach. Frowning at the way it rumbled before I took Einervaene''s hand again. Appearing once more in another location and this time actually letting my stomach out.


    "Hope you plan on cleaning that up." she says as I spit out what bile remained in my mouth.


    "The gods and goddesses can clean it up." I tell her dismissively with a wave of my hand before I began to sniff the open air. Frowning into the distance once I saw how many of Tobaballe''s people had been scared into the countryside. It was a field of people, not crops or grass... Just a mass of people that kept growing.


    "What are we going to do now? You can see the trail Larishazza has left even from here!" Einervaene points out as her finger guides my eyes. From the walls of this city and all the way to a river, there was destruction. Craters and small fires dotted the path she probably took.


    "We climb down and avoid all those people is what we do. Then we just try and catch up to Larishazza, wherever she has gone..." I mumble whilst keeping my eyes on all that destruction. Even while trying to keep it under control, she had still done all this... We needed to get out of this land and maybe all this damage would convince Nin too...


    And, possibly, it would do a better job than I when I was stuck with him. I do not think I got through to him at all during our final moments together. Before he leapt off and flushed out all his magic... Now, I could only hope he was close to Tobaballe as this land was truly vast...


    It could potentially take us days or weeks to cover all this land even with our magic! I mean, it was probably tiny compared to the distance we had already travelled back in Jherikra... But still... This needed to be a quick affair and we were likely going to take a very long while.


    Time neither of us had...


    "Should we head to that river?" I was asked by my friend as I walked up a boulder jutting out from this mountain.


    "Why?" I asked as I turned towards her.


    "Can you make it out, the destruction?" she clarified while I faced the direction she was looking. Placing a palm over my brow while trying to catch sight of it. Nodding very slowly once I saw black clouds in the distance. Ones that weren''t blowing in from the city behind us, that is.


    "Do you think she might have gotten a lead as well? That goes on for quite a while." I rather pointlessly ask as Einervaene had no way of knowing if it was the case.


    "Maybe she let it help her magic? She does use water magic." she offers as an answer which satisfied me enough for now. We can ask for further clarification when we catch up with her. But, given the path of ruin we can see, we might take a while. Avoiding more battles was a must for us right now, surely?


    "We best get moving, either way, try and find a way to follow her while also catching up with her at a reasonable rate." I say as I hop down from my boulder in order to travel down the mountain again. And I paid an odd amount of attention to the fact the mountains had no snow on them. They were just stone from what I could see with the odd plant lower down.


    "What about if we find Nin before her, do we try and talk to him or do we get Larishazza to him?"


    "Unless we plan on restraining Nin if we find him, it is probably better to let Larishazza in on it if we can also find her."


    "I''d rather just have him sit down so we can talk..." Einervaene commented sadly before she looked down at the ground.


    "Nin isn''t in a particularly good state right now... I don''t think he will listen unless Larishazza is there."


    "Unfortunately..." Einervaene says with notable annoyance.


    "Now, come on nose, get us to either of them." I tried to joke in order to bring back the happiness I felt prior. To go from this and that to my current state was something. One moment I was ecstatic about my sister and crying with my Mom. Now, I was somewhat moody again as we looked for the other two.


    And, while I hated the idea of it, I did wish a little that we just came up here with those two at first. Let Nin get it all off his chest before we departed for my homeland so I could be on my way. Instead, we were now wandering to a moving destination that could go anywhere at a moments notice. To say nothing of the anxiety I had built up due to Dad''s state...


    We needed a better supply of magic and all this time we wasted just spent more time endangering him. He might have lived so far, but I did not want to see him another day like this. It made me enraged that he was like that. It infuriated me that so much time was being lost over things outside of my control.


    All I could really do at this point was pray and damn. Damn Nin for his stupidity and Dad for his protection of that baby. Yet, I would also pray that I found Nin quickly and got Dad the magic he needed to survive. For a few more years until he died of other causes at the very least!


    I didn''t want this to be for nothing...

 Incline 5: Beastly Breakout

    "Liadanann, remember the plan." I sort of pointlessly told my neighbour as our cages opened up again. It seems like we were expected to perform once again for our captors, something they asked of us often. Yet, oddly enough, they had kept me in that cell next to Liadananns. Perhaps because it saved them precious goldhands?


    That seemed like the most obvious answer.


    "Yes..." my neighbour then gave as an answer while nodding her head. And like that, she was out of the cage without her thing going off. Unfortunately, however, we would both need it to go off if we wanted to get out of here. They had yet to implant a device like that on me, so this would have to do.


    It was one of the only magic sources in this mess of a place, the other being the goldhands she kills so often... She has also so far been uncooperative in regards to letting me touch any of that stuff. I put a claw near her and she freaks out, she freaks out bad. And while the cut she made on my gut had settled down, I have gained a few more because of her.


    Those thunder-gold blades were not to be messed around with right now. So, I needed to use what I have learned about her in order to get her to open up. I either needed to overpower her or trap her. I just needed to get those volts to surge into me as well!


    "Undwote, stay away, please." I muttered while looking about at those who were watching us. Scientists who were on their breaks or actually working, that is what they were. Clearly, I have done something to grab their attention now. Or, maybe they''re just bored, hoping my lopped-off head would entertain them.


    And then it began while Liadanann waited before me. She screamed and collapsed while that device went off. Just as quickly, it would turn off again, much to my frustration as I wanted to reach for it! I wanted to feel that magic come into me and make me strong again!


    I would need to wait on that magic boost, however, because now she was lashing out. With some restraint, which I was thankful for. But it was still a near-equal giant trying to bisect or decapitate me! Those blades weren''t going to shatter on my shell after all!


    "SORRY!" she cried awkwardly while trying to impale my gut onto her blades. It was nice that I could teach her some words, but what would have been nicer is... Well, I dunno, maybe not a potential gut with a blade in it? Maybe instead, she could stop trying to kill me?


    "Opening. Opening. Opening." I repeated over and over as I frantically shifted my magic about. Freeing up stiff areas of my body so I could get them to budge in the right direction. It was a very risky process as I hurt myself just as often as she did. And, by the gods, was I thankful she was not sending many killing blows my way.


    "Hey! Hey! Watch this!" I then heard someone from up above laugh out just before Liadanann collapsed again. And she was in pain, I could hear as her voice just snapped into choking. I was watching as she spasmed and convulsed while digging at the ground for mercy. She cried and cried but that machine kept on going.


    "Thank you human cruelty." I said with utter seriousness as I leapt at her. Tightly gripping the collapsed creature I have come to know as a ddrai''och. And as I grabbed her, she began to lash out at me despite the pain she felt. She was in enough pain and must have feared what I might do.


    She slammed those arm-mounted chunks of metal against me. Taking out chunks of my sides while I roared in pain whilst holding her. This lightning did indeed hurt but I could also feel it settling into my body. As such, her blades did less and less damage over time until I could not bare it any longer.


    "SHIT!" I roared as I stumbled away from her with a loose and limber body. Clutching these bloody sides of mine tightly as she began to get up. The machine had turned off just after I let go. And while I was at her mercy, I watched with fear as she approached me.


    Her tail was carving a canyon into the ground and her arms were going up and down. Those bloody blades drew ever closer to my crippled form. Until something I did not expect happened. She knelt down near me and began to attack the machine.


    Setting it off once more but this time she screamed against me. Letting as much of it as she could surge into me until she just went limp. If she had just killed herself in the attempt to help me, then I did not know what to do. If she was alive, then I''d be happily taking her out of here.


    "Come on you stupid bug! Take her spot as our champion!" one of the men from up top complained as he threw something down at me. And as it shattered against my head, I smiled. I did not even feel that and my body was only mildly throbbing now. Like how the dry throat was briefly happy with that initial chugging of water.


    With this new confidence in me, I started to move my body a bit. Some stretching here and there until a snap echoed throughout the room. I had snapped the chain on these cuffs and was quick to take them off. Each one broke apart further until those magic restraints were off.


    "No, I don''t think so." I answered before I leapt up at them, much to their shock and terror. And just like that, they all began to run and panic, beating on the locked door that kept them in here. I did nothing to them, however, and I just made way for the exit. Letting the animal in whatever cage I knocked them over into kill them while I reached the door.


    And with a slight bit of effort, I slammed that locked door into the wall it was mounted on. Crumpling it down nice and flat and forcing it out through the concrete. A choice that had bullets go against me time and time again with seemingly unending ferocity. At least, until the ammo drums and clips had to be changed...


    "My turn..." I would say to them before I began to lash out at them. Craving their blood despite their status as my countrymen until I was left panting in an alarm-filled corridor. Yet, before I could turn back for Liadanann, goldhands would come. They would come and tackle me after shooting me up with more dangerous bullets.


    Each one dug partially into my body while their punches made it tremble and shake. They went at it and at it until I mustered the effort to retaliate against them. And with one claw on the neck or head, I began to crush them in my grip. Slapping the last one down into the ground before I brushed myself off.


    Dozens of pings sounded out around me as the golden bullets hit the floor. Once I was done dealing with them, I tried to find a new source of magic as well. Until I heard Liadanann''s screams again, so I would instead charge back down to her. Going past her at first until I got back to her.


    "YOU AIN''T GOING ANYWHERE!" one of the scientists screamed spitefully as something chewed on his insides. And in his bloody hand was the device used to control the machine on Liadanann. I would at first try crushing it to turn it off, but it only made it worse.


    "Do not take this personally!" I begged of Liadanann as I gripped her again. Clutching onto the machine tightly and crushing it steadily until I could tear it off of her. Seething in pain on her behalf as it left a bloody mess as I took it off. It had all kinds of needles holding it into her breasts and lower parts.


    "N-Nin!" she cried out like a baby as she reached out to me before crying some more. Her trembling body stopped me from doing anything else. Those metal blades were quite restricting as well...


    "Hold on! Let me get these-" I began to say to her as I reached for the various blades. Only for her to stop me with tearful eyes and rapid shaking of the head. Then, she growled and glared intently at me and it became clear what she wanted. So I nodded slowly before then helping her up slowly.


    Noting with peculiarity as she held on to me even after she secured her footing. At least, until she realised that her weapons were impeding my movement. Voices other than the screams of devoured scientists would catch our attention, though. And, just like that, my prey came before us with wide eyes.


    "SECURE THE FACILITY! GET FIRE TRAIL''S CONTINGENCY READY IF NEED BE!" Iishar Ho yelled before she suddenly ran off. And the guards she left behind went absolutely nuts with the idea of shooting us dead. Liadanann tried to hide behind her weapons, but there were too many gaps and they hit her mutilated breasts. Each bullet that made it past evoked a pain-filled shiver from her along with whimpers.


    And this would continue until I got up there and helped them die or killed them. Once I was done, my former neighbour would look longingly up at me until I helped her up. A rather awkward affair given her injuries and weapons. Then, she began to try and tap a machine of some kind.


    I made a few gestures, "Open them all?" I asked alongside those movements. She would nod in answer and I mouthed an ''ok'' before touching the machine. Slowly trying to figure out what did what until they were all opened. And like that, those monsters also started coming after us two.


    At first, anyhow, once we got through that door again that I smashed open, they would run off. Charging down a hall until more screams and bullets could be heard. Some of these creatures would even collapse dead before they turned the corner. Goldhands quickly being sighted afterwards as they came along with larger weaponry.


    "Oh, that''s not good." I comment while taking Lidanann by the thunder-gold weapon. Taking explicit note of how their weaker pistols could still hurt me. These guns, though, they weren''t pistols, they were most certainly not. Those things were bigger than the guns I have seen before.


    And once they were set up, it was as if they actually brought a buzzsaw instead. One creature they had locked up, some kind of long thing with lots of thin flesh just fell apart! Those bullets went straight through it and deep into the wall behind it. A little cloud of dust formed alongside it.


    Not as big as the one I made, though, as that one was made from an entire wall collapsing! That hole also helped us avoid the goldhands as it seemed to bring us into an office room of some kind. Perhaps an extension of the computer room I bloodied before I grabbed Liadanann? It was also about now that I wished we had a map...


    "Where are we? Where are we!?" I would ask twice in frustration as we moved about the room. My clenched-up fists tested the strength of each wall until it became clear there were no more rooms.


    "Fight!" Liadanann then said in Tobaballian of all things as she raised her weapons. Her tail lashed out at the innocent wall behind her whilst she tried to encourage me. But that would have to wait as now guns were firing on us again. Then, the area next to me just suddenly exploded with it burning my open wounds quite nastily.


    "Fighting it is!" I harshly whispered for some reason before we charged at them. Tearing each goldhand apart one by one until we were in the clear. At least, briefly in the clear as more were coming. Liadanann, however, to my surprise, would lead the charge out of this place.


    Her body may have some decent armour given to it by her weapons. But this was suicidal! Those bullets could hurt me, there was no telling what it might do to her completely torn up front! And as last time showed, those were not good at stopping bullets!


    "Or..." I soon found myself trailing out as I looked about at her handiwork as she led us elsewhere. It didn''t matter if she was exposed when she wasn''t giving them time to respond! And surely we''d run out of goldhands to face soon, right? They were rare in Tobaballe!


    And I have already seen her kill dozens in these past few moments alone! But then, we were both blown backwards by a sudden and powerful detonation. One that caused the building before us to collapse in on itself. The debris made it rather clear as well that we were inside a mountain, too.


    "Nin?" Liadanann said worriedly as she began to adopt a more timid stance while inspecting her wounds. Wounds that she seemed to ignore briefly before she shuddered and winced.


    "Alright, let''s see..." I muttered with a blank mind. Not too sure what to do until I looked back at the dead goldhands. And, the echo of further gunfire made it clear more were in here. Perhaps there was also another way out?


    In hopes of finding one, I began to guide myself and her towards another part of the facility. Going around in what felt like circles until I found a sign pointing at something useful. And I smirked as we went into the room as it was a ventilation facility of some kind. One with large and obtuse tunnels made to extract and bring in a livable airflow.


    I could not get a good grip, however, the material for these tunnels and tubes was too weak. My claws just tore straight through them no matter how I tried to use my magic. It was, however very straight when it went up. So perhaps I could jump up or climb through another means?


    In order to test the last idea, I punched a hole into the tunnel. Inspected the other side before shaking my head on the way out. The nearby walls were too far so I would not be able to just break it intentionally. So I needed a new idea and I needed it now...


    "You find something?" I asked as Liadanann''s curiosity had broken me out of my thoughts. She was looking around and was now fiddling with a toolbox. Somewhat in her hand, a crowbar which she soon dropped. But, maybe that was the idea I was looking for!


    So, I began to draw out my knowledge of magic in order to try something. I began to create a very weak and fragile version of the spell I learned with Larishazza. The one that ultimately failed me against Salahma. And I adjusted it using my newfound knowledge of finer magic control which I had learned over these past few days.


    Liadanann then said something in her own tongue which I did not understand. But, I was going to assume it was something like ''tool'' or ''crowbar'' as that is what I did. I had changed my magical extension into a giant crowbar. It was, though, still quite weak, so I had no idea about its reliability.


    But, I was not in a position to be demanding perfection from my spells. So I stuck my arm up and stabbed it into the upper tunnel. Slowly and steadily dragging myself up while carefully putting my feet through the walls. Each step bordering on either just tearing straight down or being an unsteady step.


    "Alright, your turn." I said down to my fellow escapee as I did that spell again from my new position atop a mostly concrete shaft. Urging Lidanann forwards before I then pulled her up, dragging her the rest of the way. And, ending up with her on top of me when her sudden reactions to pain worried me. I don''t think I scraped her along the shaft, but she was quite bulky at the front.


    She quickly got off, though, so it might have just been a more random kind of pain. Either way, we were now in view of another place. One with what I assume was a lovely view of the outdoors. One I would not particularly mind getting to right now.


    Thankfully, the shaft was increasingly made of concrete, mountain stone and thick steel as we went along it. Then, when we finally reached the end, I let Liadanann have the honours of busting it down. She was happy, very happy and it looked like she was struggling not to cry. And I was very fond of that smile of hers, maybe because I got her situation somewhat...


    Being trapped by another species not your own, one that was cruel and abusive... Deep inside a mountain surrounded by monsters. Yet, unlike my own experiences, someone was there to see it through. Liadanann would be going home without needing to sacrifice herself as I had to with that insect...


    Yet, she did not run for it and enjoy her newfound freedom out here. She just looked at me while I became confused by other things. Was my magic so weak right now it did not trigger the whole explosion thing? Or was there something else at play here...?


    "Hold... Hold on, no! Stay!" I said to Liadanann as I moved around the mountain until I could see another building. Staring intently at it as I watched goldhand after goldhand rush about it. They also had some kind of... I had no idea what they were, they were giant metal men or something, very blocky and sluggish...


    And then I saw her again, Iishar...


    .


    .


    .


    "Are the golems ready!?" I asked the technician impatiently while tapping my boot up and down. Letting its golden bottom clang for all to hear as I hugged my arms close to my chest. This situation was getting worse and worse by the moment. Luckily, we might have something that could ease the problem.


    "No, Spire-Lord Ho, they are not, we haven''t even gotten these out of the testing phase! This technology is still very new to us!" he told me as he hurriedly stood up. His arms were maniacal as he swung a clipboard about with little care to my proximity.


    "Then consider this the field trials phase, we don''t have time anymore!" I told him before I put my gloved hand to my face. Breathing into it harshly as I considered what was happening. Project Gladiator had just for all intents and purposes failed and the home city had been attacked again! The goldhands and their weapons have failed and our options were drying up...


    The technician looked like he wanted to protest but he relented, "Fin-" he began to say.


    "IISHAR!" roared a distant creature that has been on my mind a lot. And as I saw it in the distance moving so freely, I felt my heart stop. How had this thing escaped!? We blew the entrance!


    "GOLEMS, ATTACK!" I then ordered with a scream before my personal guard began to escort me out of here. Several of them lingered behind so they could shoot at not one, but two creatures! But once the golems came to life, it seemingly ended with so little effort...


    "THESE WON''T SAVE YOU!" the creature roared out while clearly recoiling in pain at the magic blast the golem''s shot out. Like all magic we had access to, it was based on thunder-gold. So, unlike the incident preceding this creature''s appearance, it was safe to be exposed to. In the right circumstances, of course, which this was not.


    "Spire-Lord, go!" one of my guards demanded of me as I was dragged away from the battle and shoved into a vehicle. Watching what I could from the window as more and more began to join the battle. Yet, despite the initial hope, those golems gave me... They were quickly torn apart once those creatures got near them.


    One with its claws and the others with weapons we fashioned as it had lasted so long...


    "Take me to the main armoury." I then ordered the driver as I glared at the road ahead. Watching as it changed from rough to paved in but a moment as he silently followed my orders. And, as the Civil Mountains filled with the echoes of alarms and battle, I moved towards a large building. One that housed something we had been working on for a while with the utmost care.


    "Facility is on lockdown, turnback..." the gate guard began to say before he saw me, at which point he opened up for us. Such was the power I had and the authority that my position held. Even in situations like this, we override everything!


    "Is Defender out of maintenance?" I then asked of the closest engineer or technician as I marched towards the thick steel door. Holding my hands behind my back as it began to open to the backdrop of panicked workers.


    "I-I don''t know!" I was told which left me in a foul mood indeed.


    "NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" I yelled at him as I impatiently slipped through the opening doors. Breathing a sigh of relief once I saw that Defender was, in fact, fine and as ready as it could be. Albeit, the lack of certain parts on it had me worried. This was meant to be the most revolutionary weapon we had next to the Magic-Exposer yet it was incomplete...


    It would have to do in this case, though, my home was under threat on multiple fronts. The city-states around us may have been reporting similar problems, but they had their eyes on us. Our city has been gutted by an unknown force and they saw the wounds it left. Even the reputation our forces had may not be enough to keep their weapons holstered...


    "Alright... Armour is fine, additional limbs are fine, main rifle is fine... Alt-form cannon is fine, flight systems are a no... You will just have to do, Defender..." I muttered while looking through all the chaotically arrayed technical data. Bouncing between various white and black boards as I quickly gathered all the information up. Then I began to strip naked without a care in the world that I was being watched. Feminine embarrassment had no place in this time.


    Then, with my body exposed to the cold, I shivered before I rashly rushed to the pilot lockers. I used the strength gifted to me by the various thunder-gold laced foods and other things and tore one open. Taking out the black, skin-tight bodysuit before then attaching various parts to it. Each one was covered in various sockets and empty holes, all of them gold while the main body was silverish.


    "Do your jobs!" I ordered the technicians around me as I hopped into Defender and let it attach itself to me. What I wore was a suit designed to hook me up to this machine, to treat it as an extension of my body. Far more complex than the golems that were also piloted, but also far more deadly. This thunder-gold was truly something and this machine was largely made of it for both armour and munitions.


    It was not a single-colour machine, however. Its darker, blue-steel components contrasted a lot with the varying purities of thunder-gold we had used. Despite my requests, we have not been able to get a very consistent delivery of higher quality stuff. I had tried altering prior logistics, but even that left me with an inconsistent machine.


    "This will certainly do." I said to myself as I moved on to testing the machine''s link to me. Watching through various screens and small hatches how it was working out. I could feel it too! I could feel how this machine I have tested before reacted to my movements...


    It truly was as if I had grown into a metal giant powered by divine ore!


    Then, I turned on Defender''s speaker systems, "Send out a call, rally all available troops to the signal of Defender." I ordered the few of my personal guard who stuck with me. Letting them get on with their new task while I finished up with getting Defender online. Rolling my shoulders about along with its own once I was done.


    And as I bent this machine down to pick up its main rifle, I nearly growled anger. Errors were already cropping up on my displays and now was not the time for them! I needed this machine to function until we had the problem here contained! Thankfully, I was not alone in my efforts so those who would fight with me can fill in for my current faults.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    With this acknowledged, I would march out to face my opponents just as more troops drove by. Then, a damaged golem came rolling down the sloped road. One I stopped with Defender''s right foot before I picked the golem up. To me inside Defender, it might as well have been a toy.


    It was not, though, so I would aid its return to battle before I did one final check. I made sure I remembered how to work this machine and I charged up the main gun. Feeling its magical power course through the entirety of Defender whilst I tried to line up a shot. Then, when I believed that I might have an opening, I fired the gun.


    And the world around us lit up and took on a golden colour as a thick beam of light shot out. Something that caused Defender to dig into the ground and be forced backwards while it also trembled. When the gun went quiet, however, I was left disappointed by what had happened. The gun had left a large searing hole in the mountain, yes, but I had also missed.


    "ERROR!?" I would then scream in fury as Defender notified me of the fact the gun had now failed. I was now down a powerful weapon and practically crippled power wise. Had I overcharged the weapon or was the engine for Defender too weak!? Was it not fueled properly!?


    "IISHAR!" that creature would roar again as it slammed an arm into the front of a jeep. Ejecting its occupants across the mountain while making the vehicle attempt a flip.


    "DIE!" I would simply respond with as I began to fire off Defender''s lesser weaponry. Forcing the escaped gladiator into hiding as bursts of thunder-gold machinegun fire scared it. I would need to redirect one arm to the other gladiator, though. Our most prized one was likely more dangerous given its thunder-gold weapons.


    I then let out a gasp of shock when I suddenly lost connection to one of Defender''s arms. That other creature had somehow carved open its limb as if it were a suicidal teen. Growling at first until I began to charge the creature in order to make sure I gunned it into mincemeat. Something that I was no longer able to do when the ammo drums suddenly burst open.


    "NO! NO! NO! GOLDHANDS!" I would call out as I suddenly backed Defender away in order to lose the busted machine guns. And as I tore them off, more and more troops began to pour into the area. With aircraft soon making runs across the area before they began to fire very brief bursts. It was a meagre aid I could not complain about...


    The winds these mountains experienced tore our aircraft apart if they went too high! So if these creatures were to be killed then it was a ground-pounders battle. And as I was one of the few with the means to decently harm these creatures, I began to get more reckless. My guns were failing one after another so I needed to be more brutal.


    A brutality I emphasised through metallic fists that would send the closest one flying. With our most esteemed gladiator quickly being knocked out of the fight when I took her tail and used it as a sling. Our newest gladiator, however, would prove to be an issue. No matter how much I knocked it about with Defender, it kept getting back up as if nothing had happened.


    It was even starting to show signs of heavy magic use as the air around it was set alight. This arcane fire would lash out at Defender like it was a new combatant and it shielded it from lesser munitions. It would roar over and over again until its fist collided with that of Defender. And the destruction was immense as it led to the mountain fracturing under the creature.


    "WHY WON''T YOU DIE ALREADY!?" I yelled at the creature with my voice being as loud as it could be.


    "I WILL NOT DIE AGAIN! YOUR LIES WON''T LEAD TO MY DEATH AGAIN!" it cryptically roared back as it began to climb onto me. With its claws digging into the weaker steel parts of Defender before it would tear them off. But, my actions would save Defender from its mad fury as I was able to toss it off. But the damage was great and I would be forced into the last resort...


    "Defender, your alt-form better not fail me..." I said with a panicked tone as I began to flick switches over and over. A mechanical snap was then heard and Defender dropped dead as the cockpit moved about. And when it was done, I gripped the altered controls and started firing what was hopefully a much safer weapon system. Defender shook slightly with each burst and it rumbled with each cannon shot it fired.


    The mountains would light up with fire and shrapnel as more and more troops joined us. The destruction on a single point would keep on growing until a blue light began to stick out. This light was coming from arcane fire and then, all of a sudden, Defender would be overturned as I was suddenly slammed against the walls. I would scream in pain as my head went about and slammed various parts.


    And, when it all stopped, I tried to get Defender to move again but it was now dead. Our greatest machine was now inoperable and I was stuck in it. Something would come for me and I think it might have been a golem as I could see thunder-gold in the light. But then, I saw it, I saw the face of Gladiator-12...


    "HEL-"


    .


    .


    .


    "Told you, Undwote. You were never going to see me again..." I muttered in pain as I got back up after using some magic to set off an explosion. And then, terrified screams filled the air as it became clear a woman was being eaten alive. What I also saw was Liadanann''s rear stuck up in the air as she clawed away at that machine. The screams of Iishar Ho coming from within it.


    Then it all just stopped and it went quiet with nothing but our breathing disturbing it. At least, until Liadanann started to slam her blades against the machine furiously. I would move forward, however, as she soon collapsed off of the machine with a blood-soaked mouth. She had killed the woman I wanted to take revenge on...


    I had been denied the right to avenge my own death by this ddrai''och... And, somehow, I was thankful for it and I was happy. I would smile and then laugh until I was brought back to reality. We may have dealt with some soldiers, but so many still remained.


    "Come on woman-eater, let''s find somewhere safer." I told her as I picked her up and ran as fast as I could. Crushing stones and ruining roadside objects until I got us into the crags of the mountain.


    "Nin..." Liadanann would say in pain as she heaved over and over as I put her down. Her front was completely torn up and stained with both blood and stone dust.


    "Okay, let me see what I can do..." I began to mutter as I tried to focus my magic, but, I would also stop. I confused her and I confused myself by backing away from her. It took me a little while to get it, but, my body was slightly moving on its own. My mind said one thing while the body did something else and it scared Liadanann clearly.


    "Nin!?" she would cry out as I disappeared over the mountain to return back to the roads. And like a starved animal, I would scrape away at anything in hopes of just finding a stale piece of bread. This digging would find me something too! It was some kind of cable that burnt the ground it touched...


    "There''s a source of magic!?" I would say as I tried to figure out where it was coming from. Taking what I could from its ambient heat before then suddenly stopping in fear. This magic was hot... And, well, I don''t have a good history with magic that burned...


    Liadanannn, however, needed my help, and if I was to help her, I needed to help myself. I needed to get magic into my body and this source would help me. I just needed to find it and let it flow into me. To just let it heal myself so I could go on to heal another.


    Yet, as I walked, I moved on to running as more bullets would come my way. I may have just battled various metal men, but my patience grew thin. As did the energy I had to expend which was being lost rapidly. That crude spell I performed as well did not help things.


    "Come on, come on, get into my sights!" I would pant out in worry whilst taking cover behind a boulder. Frowning as bullets and grenades and other things destroyed the land around me. Another facility was in sight but I could not tell anything about its importance. Barely anyone was near it.


    Maybe because me and Liadanann had killed them...? No, that could not have been the case. There were no tracks into this facility. No frequently used ones, that is.


    It was a blatant trap if it was indeed one, but I would have to push past that. I would have to ignore the risk to myself and just go for it. So I did, I left my cover and I ran as fast as I could. Barrelling past those who got in my way and getting lodged into a wall at the end.


    "Come on now, don''t laugh!" I told myself in frustration after initially taking it on the chin. Yet, my attention would quickly be focused on other things as I could now feel the magic clearly. These tubes and cables that ran about this cold place were glowing with magic. And as I followed them, it got stronger and stronger until I found somewhere else.


    A chamber that was guarded by thunder-gold covered doors and other forms of thick metal. It required some effort to tear open and the alarms it set off hurt my ears. But the magic flow I felt when I got inside was worth it and it made me so relaxed... I could feel it already working wonders on my body.


    I was, at first, moving towards this rumbling device in the middle of the room. But I stopped when I saw the eyes of a wyvern look at me through them. It would roar at me before it just sort of stared at me. I would, however, focus on the cables near it, how so many of them were not plugged in or that.


    "Had I interrupted a check-up or parts replacement...?" I asked myself as I tenderly picked a cable up. Carelessly tearing it open and letting the magic blast into my face. It was scorching hot at first, but it slowly and steadily began to feel softer. Like how a hot shower seemed to simmer down as you got soaked by it...


    I needed this alright and I was ecstatic about it all. The numbness in my body was gone and I was no longer stiff. I could move normally once again and my wounds were closing up to some extent. But, it also hurt in a more peculiar way, a way I had nearly forgotten.


    Because I felt like how I did when I was in the cave with the osibindah. Before I was freed from them by a magical blast that tore it all up... It reminded me of all that, at least, for a moment until I felt nothing. No pain, no nothing, just a soft warmth in my hands.


    "Hello!?" a familiar voice then asked as something began to echo through the water tanks...? Then, all of a sudden, Larishazza popped out into one. Her face lit up with joy once she saw me before she broke the tank to rush me down. And I was then on the floor with confusion on my mind while she cried a little while screaming with joy.


    "L-Lari!?" I let out once I managed to get my thoughts straight. Yet, while my mind was confused, my body was heartbroken for it knew what would come up soon. The topic of how I facilitated their abandonment in those wastes... But, how did they get here so fast!?


    Or was I in that place with Liadanann for longer than I thought?


    "Nin! I''m sorry if I have been a bad friend! Please don''t run away like that again!" she spewed out to the point it was nearly incoherent. Yet,  I still somehow managed to understand it.


    "W-What? You haven''t been a bad... What are you doing here? How did you find me!?" I began to ask her as I was under the impression no one would have been able to follow me while I lacked magic. And there was just no way she just blitzed on over to me in the last handful of minutes...


    "I was following the magic of that..." she answered slowly as her voice trailed off once she saw the machine.


    "Oh, o-okay, coincidence then..." I said as I nodded my head. Trying to get her off of me and failing as her grip was too strong. And, maybe, her tears were as well. It was clear she was absolutely shattered by what I had done.


    And I was hoping so dearly I would not have to see the results of my actions...


    "Nin... Why did you do it?" she then asked me as she slowly gave way. Allowing me to move even just a little while her arms stayed wrapped around me.


    "I... I..." I tried to answer but nothing was coming to my mind or mouth. So I tried to shift the topic onto another one. I wanted to just get this over with and deal with it however I can.


    "Nin! Answer me!" she begged and demanded at the same time as she shook my body. That trembling lip of hers and her eyes being all that I could see. My own eyes refused to budge anywhere else and all I saw was that face she made.


    "I''m... I''m... sor... I need to go!" I tried to say before changing the topic onto something else. Desperately moving out of her grip before trying to run back to Liadanann. I don''t know why I ran away from the woman I loved. But I did.


    I ran away from her and was in turn chased by her tearful form. And I kept looking back at her not because I was concerned over her catching me. But so I could see her face as it warped about with confusion and anger. She had no idea why I was doing this and it only made things worse.


    "NIN! PLEASE! YOU''RE MY FRIEND!" she reminded me before she started snivelling as we ran. She would stumble and fall and then get back up to chase me again. Then, she would just drop to her knees and hold her hand out towards me. Her eyes were wide open as she cried and begged for me to come back with her arms.


    She just wanted a hug from her friend, a soothing hand in her hair. Yet I had none of that to give her and just kept on running. Nearly breaking down into tears myself until I was able to find Liadanann again. Who, initially, reacted violently with a sweeping swipe from her blade.


    And, once it harmlessly bounced away from me after clanging against my shell, she calmed down. She would come up to me slowly and look at me in confusion before she reacted to her injuries again. And as I brought forth a trembling claw to send magic into her. She moved away and growled at someone behind me.


    "Lari..." I would mutter as I turned around as well. Staring up quietly at her while she looked back at me. At least, until she was forced to look elsewhere when Liadanann attacked her. I had no idea why she did, but I had to stop her from getting killed!


    If my freshly rejuvenated body could survive her weapons, then Larishazza would have no trouble! So I dashed in between them and roared in pain when Larishazza''s reactive spell hit me dead-on. All to protect Liadanann who I did not know that well at all. But she had helped me and that was enough.


    "Who''s this?" Larishazza would then ask me in a surprisingly calm tone as she was quick to figure out why I stopped her blow. And while she did not say anything to me about my new injury, she did flick some water on it. Healing it straight up before she then repeated the process on Liadanann. Who, still treated her with suspicion and aggression.


    "This... This is Liadanann, she was my neighbouring cellmate." I told my heartbroken friend as she took on a confused expression.


    "Cellmate? She''s a criminal? You''re a criminal?" she asked with a forced smile as she tried to keep herself in check with humour. Maybe she was thinking I had abandoned her for another friend...? One who I have never mentioned as such it might make things worse...


    "N-No, I was captured by my countrymen after I let all my magic out." I nervously explained to Larishazza as she paced around us. And I tried to stay between Liadanann and her, but she was too fast for me.


    "You''re naked," she would say as she pointed to Liadanann''s blood-caked body, "she''s naked, you''re naked too!"


    "Right..." I would let out as I looked back at Liadanann.


    "What is this place?" Larishazza then asked as she hopped up onto a rock. Her palm covered her brow and she would survey the area with a tune in her mouth. A very loud tune as well...


    "I don''t know, some kind of secret base in the Civil Mountains run by my home." I told Larishazza honestly before she hopped down. A hand held out towards the ddrai''och behind me whilst she beamed a smile.


    "Hello! I''m Larishazza! I hope we can be good friends!" she would say with her eyes looking at me during the last bit. And as she began to show her sadness, Liadanann would speak up.


    "Liadanann, Nin..." Liadanann told Larishazza as she pointed at herself before she pointed at me. This language problem made it so she likely had no idea what was going on.


    "I know who he is, silly!" Larishazza giggled out in a forceful manner while Liadanann awkwardly huffed a laugh.


    "Alright, you know each other now, can we get going to someplace else? There are people shooting at us." I would tell Larishazza while no one actually shot at us. But, there were the sounds of various vehicles in the air. Some likely higher in the air than others.


    "Will I get answers...?" Larishazza would ask me glumly as her body went limp. A depression-like state took her over as she begged me to give her something. Anything at all that might soothe her mind... I had no answer for this question, however.


    So I just sighed and turned around, "Let''s just get going..."


    .


    .


    .


    "WHAT!?" I yelled in shock after hearing what had just been announced. Not only had Defender failed to stop the breakout, but a Spire-Lord had also been killed. And, as if the God of Death wanted to ice our cake of doom, we were now reeling from the fact Fire Trail is under attack. One of the escaped gladiators had broken into the main chamber where that beast was!


    "SCREW YOU GUYS! I''M GETTING OUT OF HERE!" one of my colleagues shouted in panic as he tried to get out the door. But, everyone was now panicking without restraint because the announcement of Fire Trail''s situation only meant one thing... The Magic-Exposer would have to be activated and unless you somehow got away. We''d all be dead...


    Now, I can''t say I was overly sentimental about my home or its people, but if any of these creatures escaped... If any got out of these mountains and into the lands below then we''d be doomed. Every city-state would be torn apart by these creatures! And if our best weapons could not stop it then there was no chance our rival cities could survive it!


    "Dammit!" I then said before I violently kicked a chair away. Tearing off my nametag and reading it as I took heed of how I was the last one here. Clicking my mouth before I paced out of the building as it quietened down somewhat. Slowly trailing the crowds in their frequently clogged hallways until I just broke a window.


    I screamed in pain as the glass cut me but I also did not focus on it. Nor did I focus on the ground that sent strong shocks into my legs. All this pain would have to be ignored and that is what I did. So much adrenaline was going through me and my mind had a singular purpose.


    I was not going to survive if I let these creatures out of the Civil Mountains. So I might as well die on my own terms with heroics to match even our founder! I would have the legacy that I so desperately wanted. Even if it was vastly different to my previously planned version of it...


    "Hey! I need a car!" I demanded from a nearby straggler as they held on to their tools while following the screams. My injured hand quickly bloodied my coat in the meantime. Glass was crunching under my weight as well.


    "Don''t we all!" was all I got from them before they finally dropped their tools and moved on.


    I would snarl at him at first, but petty grudges would not save Tobaballe, "Ea''enk, I don''t care if you nearly die doing it, you will get a car." I told myself in order to hype myself up on it. Moving as quick as I could until I saw one that had fallen off the road. It wasn''t destroyed, but it must have been abandoned after being smashed off the road...


    Luckily, the keys and all that was still there so I would hop in and start her up again. Carefully turning the car around before slamming down on the acceleration. Smashing the horn over and over in an effort to not run anyone over while I drove past the battlegrounds. Nearly throwing up as I saw all the blood and gore while also gagging at the bumps in the road.


    It was all burning, everything... The weapons we made to fight magical beings in case they attacked us... They had all failed. Neither Defender with all its might did anything nor the golems that were spawned from its creation.


    Not one of the goldhands succeeded so it wasn''t just a tech issue either. We were genuinely doomed at this point if I could not set off the Magic-Exposer. That was one of our strongest weapons, if not the strongest now given Defender''s state... If it failed then I did not know what we would do.


    My home would burn and it would be the end of everyone within these mountains. Either food for a monster or a bloody stain as our attackers rampaged further on. The last few days had been nothing but calls to action. A new addition to a string of bad events.


    Maybe I could cut that string here and now, maybe I could tie it up with a great event. One that signalled to all that we had saved our people even if they did not know... Or maybe it would fail too and I would die worrying about my home. Yet, I wanted to have faith in the creation of my countrymen.


    I may have not helped make the Magic-Exposer, but I had seen it work. I had seen it devastate a mountain with a grand ball of bluish-white fire. I knew firsthand how it bent the people of this land to our will, how it scared off our rivals. And now we would see it go off once again.


    "GROUND FLOOR!?" I would then swear as the car suddenly smashed straight into a blue-haired woman. And I nearly pissed myself at how she remained chipper despite having a car around her torso. But that was nothing compared to what was behind her... Gladiator-12 and Gladiator-27 were both right there!


    I nearly collapsed in terror but they would walk past me without doing anything. At least, while Gladiator-27 was near me. Once he had passed on by, Gladiator-12 tried to hit me with her tail blade. Something that had barely just missed me.


    "No, no, no! You can''t go that way, monsters!" I would babble out in terror before I got back up and ran as fast as I could. Going on and on despite hearing one of them speak in my tongue. I kept on going until I found a spot to hide. And there I would remain for a few moments before I ran once again.


    Slowing down as my prior injuries got the best of me and collapsing before Fire Trail''s building. Nearly smiling in relief as I saw the salvation of my people. Within the walls of this slightly damaged building was the Magic-Exposer. Right at ground-zero if the wyvern ever escaped...


    But, we would not need it for that creature. We would need it for the ones that were on their way to my home! So I hobbled inside of the building while panting over and over again. Running a bloody hand across the heated walls until I found it.


    The room had not been touched and I tried to use my pass to get the door opened. But it was denied! The blood on my hands had set it off in the wrong way and now the alarms were blaring. And, for some reason, a goldhand came running towards me with his gun in the air.


    "FREEZE!" he yelled as he nervously held that gun at me.


    "ARE YOU MESSING WITH ME!? PROJECT GLADIATOR IS RUNNING AMOK AND YOU ARE TRYING TO STOP ME!?M YOUR FACILITY HAS ALREADY BEEN BROKEN INTO!" I yelled in fearful fury at this man as he twitched under my words.


    "Orders... Orders were to only respond to issues regarding the Magic-Exposer..." he would nervously explain as his eyes went back and forth between gore and damage.


    "A GLADIATOR HAS KILLED A SPIRE-LORD AND YOU''RE CONCERNED OVER SOMETHING SO PEDANTICALLY STUPID!?" I would yell at him as I moved closer to him.


    "Stay back!" he would tell me as the gun trembled some more.


    "OR WHAT!? YOU''LL SHOOT ME, UNLIKE THE MONSTER WHO ATTACKED YOUR FELLOW GOLDHANDS!?" I would remind him as it became clear that he was a cowardly man. One who was unfit to have the name or powers of a goldhand if this was his response to danger!


    "I..." he began to say with a gulp before he moved the gun to his temple. And when he did that, I punched the gun in rage and heard it bang so close to me. But the goldhand was still alive... And he had a clean card we could use to get in.


    "If you want to kill yourself so badly, do it with style..." I belittled him with as I snatched the gun from his loose grip. Thrashing the hand I used to punch it about, seething some of that pain out with a groan before I carried on.


    "Alright... Alright..." the goldhand began to say as he opened up the chamber to the Magic-exposer. And what we saw made me feel calm all of a sudden. An odd contraption it was... A glass box with a core that glowed brightly...


    It was big, bulky and rectangular on the outside with a shiny metal rim covered in rivets. Inside, there was more glass and a series of mechanical hammers. Some were not in the box, many were on the outside just in case more needed to be smashed. And, the glass that held the magic was ball-ish in shape, more like an egg than anything.


    An egg with either two straws attached to it or a single spear that went straight into it. Nothing but the magic was in there, it was a complete vacuum. This device was not going to go off unless we made it do so... And this gun allowed us to skip right past the fancy sequence of activation.


    "What''s your name, goldhand?" I would then ask the coward as he nervously stared at the device. He would be confused at first, but he would look at me and nod a couple of times.


    "Enum, my name is Enum." he would tell me whilst carrying on with the nodding.


    "Well, Enum, thank you for your help." I told him before I forced my finger down on the trigger.


    .


    .


    .


    "Behind me, now!" Larishazza suddenly told us as something erupted in the distance. A large blast of magic soon followed as Larishazza erected a barrier. One made of something you did not think would stop a blast like this. Yet, it did not strike me as all that much.


    Liadanann was terrified of the sight, but I was a little numb to it. I guess I was a little too prideful about the explosion I made before my capture. Something that only became more clear to me when I saw the destruction. Everything had been hit by a blast of magical origins, but, a lot remained.


    "What was that?" I would ask whilst I kick about a cooling piece of slag. Sending it off into the distance while my cell neighbour trembled.


    "Someone used a spell?" Larishazza tried to answer until something far worse came on by. Something that concerned Larishazza enough to bring her barrier back. And, from within the safety of this water, we could see the world around us melt and boil. A distant, thunderous roar would reach us as well as something shot into the sky.


    "The wyvern..." I would say as I watched it hover in the air before it shot down to us. With the mountains near us warping like jelly as it landed.


    "You there, osibindah..." the wyvern began to say before it caught onto something. Apparently, I stank of something it was familiar with. Something that caught its attention and changed it. From furious destroyer to desperate pleader...?


    "Yes...?" I would ask it as I made my way through the bubble. A display of recklessness that only made Larishazza bring the barrier over to me.


    "Mistress Salahma! Where is she!? I can smell her on you!" it would ask with a hopeful glint in its eyes.


    "She''s dead..." I muttered quietly, hoping it would not hear my satisfied words.


    "Dead...? Yes... That would explain the smell, that is her blood I smell!" it began to say slowly before it let its aura flow off of it. The mountains would be deformed further and its strike against the barrier would send visible shockwaves into the sky. Bright and fiery shockwaves that lit up the sky and surged on evermore.


    "Yeah, she''s dead! And I''d make sure that murderer would die again!" I firmly tell the flaming lizard. Finally letting out some of what I felt when I saw her kill her own son... Just because she thought I might be able to give her a stronger one...


    "Why you!" the wyvern said with a growl before it began to tear at the barrier to no avail. Larishazza''s magic was both too powerful and too perfect a counter to its fire magic.


    "Take the barrier down, Larishazza, we deal with him now."


    "No!" was all she would say.


    "DAMMIT LARISHAZZA! LET ME DEAL WITH HIM BEFORE HE ENDANGERS MY HOME!" I would yell at her in fury before the wyvern suddenly stopped.


    "Your home?" it would say with an evil grin before it disappeared into the sky. And when that happened, I panicked. I panicked like I had never done before and I ran out after it.


    "Nin!" Larishazza would call out as I slipped and slid over the molten rock. Ignoring it all as much as I could while trying to get up the almost grease-like mountain. And, like grease, it made it so hard to get a grip and I just kept falling down until it cooled. At which point, I would charge up the mountain and shatter it in an effort to catch the beast.


    But even with my magic and the explosions it caused, I could not get high enough and this monster went higher. Yet, it would at first head in the wrong direction, it would head to another city instead. This, at first, made me slow down in my chase, but it also made me realise something else. If I did not make it believe that these cities were my home, then Tobaballe might actually burn!


    "NO!" I roared out dishonestly yet still sincerely as I charged carelessly across the grass. Tearing up the forests I was so familiar with growing up and following the shadow left by its wings. The bluish-white of my magic contrasted greatly with his pale flames. I would see embers rain down from above as I ran.


    I would put out the fires these impossibly hot bits of glowing air caused. Only to destroy the land around me myself as I tried so desperately to catch up with it. But I could not fly like this monster, I could only run and jump while also flinging my arms about. Begging my body to generate some kind of projectile spell before it did too much damage.


    I might be able to put on an act right now, but I do not know if I will be able to maintain it. The city we were approaching meant nothing to me and I knew little of it. I could not sympathise with its inhabitants watching the oncoming danger nor would I work to save them. I wanted only to stop this monster before it found my home.


    That is all that mattered right now. Not making sure Liadanann was okay and had recovered slightly. Not giving Larishazza an answer to all of her questions in order to comfort her. Nor was it going back to make sure Vadei''s end goals were met.


    All I wanted to do was save my home from destruction. My precious, precious home that I have gone through too much to get back to. Only to watch it be destroyed in the blink of an eye... I would not see that happen, I wouldn''t!

 Incline 6: To Save None of Them

    "STOP IT!" I would yell at this beast as my fist sent him flying across melted streets. Our first few blows had already completely demolished this city and barely anything was still standing. Each blow we would then exchange did nothing but tear up the ground. I was trying to stop him but he was catching on!


    "This isn''t your home, is it?" It would ask as it took notice over how little I reacted to the city burning. How much apathy I displayed towards how this creature killed so many just by flying by the city. The city was on fire long before we started fighting like this. It only made it clear why I needed to stop it finding my home.


    And, why would I even answer a question like that!? He was already so much faster than me so if I gave him any hints then I would be too late. My home would be a molten mess like this, its people would be ash and my magic would destroy even that. You could barely even tell a city once existed here!


    "I''ll kill you just like your precious Salahma..." I lied with a stern display of my teeth. Only to get a smug smile from him back as he showed his. Along with those claws he so happily swung about in the air.


    "No you won''t, weakling... I felt how you took my magic for your own needs. You were never going to beat me even in that cage!" he taunted just before he rocketed straight down at me. A blow that would see us dig into rapidly excavated earth before I went flying off. I still did not know how to fight at all and I had no sense of direction. So before I had even gotten my bearings, I was being assaulted by a fire spell.


    Yet, despite my fears of fire magic that Salahma gave me. It was quickly becoming apparent that this wyvern didn''t have her strength, it could not beat me. His blows were definitely there, but I barely felt them. Only a dull pain existed, one that would bruise later but largely be ignored.


    With more confidence in me now as a result of this understanding. I would try jumping for him and narrowly missing him each time. His taunts only made me angrier until I finally grabbed him when he got too cocky. And I would drag him down from the sky and back down to the burning earth below.


    The explosion this made, however, would interfere with my attempts to battle him further. Its shockwaves sent me flying and I was soon in his grip once more. Receiving a faceful of fire while I was still in his claws until I pried them off of me. Tearing off a scale or two in the process before I fell to the ground with a booming thud.


    Growling into the sky as my magic destroyed the fields and forests around me. And as he charged again, I jumped onto him and held onto him until we crashed again. Decimating a small town in the blink of an eye. We would both roar at each other as he freed himself.


    Harmlessly swinging at each other until one of us got the upper hand. Sometimes it was me, sometimes it was him. Either way, no real damage was done to either of us. We just destroyed what was around us more often than not.


    I did also try going for his horns as it sort of worked on Salahma. But he would just laugh in my face as I tore them out slightly. Unfortunately, I would lose my grip on them when his curled up fist went up into my jaw. My many needle-like teeth tore into my tongue in the process as they were forced to bite down.


    "AH!" I would let out as blood was also spat out. And while I clutched my mouth, the wyvern clutched its head.


    "Come on, tell me where your home is, osibindah!" It demanded as an answer. Something that would only be answered when I grabbed his head after a sudden dash. And to return a favour, I curled up my free claw and punched his face. Listening to his pain before I tossed him aside.


    "I need to vice him...?" I asked myself before our bodies collided again. I had actually hurt him while I held on to his body during the attack. But any attacks we got in that sent the other flying did nothing. Perhaps it was because our magic was destroying anything that might break our flight?


    It was quickly becoming the case as even he was moving away from tosses and grappling. Instead, he was grabbing onto whatever he could in an effort to slash me open with burning bone. I would try to avoid what I could, but with both of us trying to hold the other steady... It was a difficult thing to do.


    And he soon got sick of the fighting that went nowhere. So he just flew off and headed to the next city. Something that made my heart pound far more than those claws tearing away at me. I would try to chase him, but all this debris was slowing me down.


    "MY SPELL!?" I would yell mid-sprint before I slung my arm back. Sending it out in a downwards arc while casting my newly evolved spell. Just barely missing the wyvern at first, but getting just a bit off of him. Something that shocked him enough to drop down closer to me.


    When he did drop, I would leap up. I caught him and spun around in the air until I landed a solid blow on its chest. Something that made the air part around us and then the grassy fields below. A mighty boom would signal our return to the ground and I would keep at it.


    Savagely lashing out at the reptile until it suddenly exploded with power. A display of magic that would blind me and leave me open to his own counter-attack. And I would be smacked about and lose a few carapace plates in the process. However, the burns he would leave seared most of my injuries shut.


    But all this fighting quickly got them open again. I was also soon able to tear off a horn and use it like a dagger. One that would be briefly lodged into its leg before he grabbed my head with his foot. He would rocket us into the sky before he rapidly spun around and around.


    "I HOPE SALAHMA''S SOUL KILLS YOU IN THE MISTS!" this wyvern told me as he let go of my head. Sending me crashing into the ground with no means to get back at him. And I would be left alone in a smouldering crater as he flew off. I could only hope it wasn''t in the direction of Tobaballe as well...


    And when I finally got out of the crater, I came face to face with another friend I had abandoned...


    "Nin, what''s going on!?" Vadei asked me as she and Einervaene rushed up to me. I would not answer them, though, instead, I just panicked and tried to figure out where the wyvern went.


    "Everything is burning..." Einervaene rather stupidly pointed out. Something that set me off for some reason.


    "A DAMN WYVERN IS ON A RAMPAGE!" I so obviously pointed out with an enraged roar before my magic blew up the area around us. And my rage would pass on to Vadei as it had sent her flying. Were it not for Einervaene as well, she would be quite the distance away.


    "Do you mind!?" Vadei asked as she came up to me with a glare in her eyes. Einervaene, however, looked at me with worry and wide eyes.


    "A wyvern!? Like the one-" she began to say before I interrupted her with lots of nodding.


    "I think it might be the one that caused her to chase after Heiya and Paps." I then said as I remember a few things Salahma told me. Something about how those two stole one of her underlings... Now if only it wasn''t one that burned the land into such a devastated form...


    "Have you seen Larishazza?" I was then asked before I tried to run off towards the wyvern.


    "Lari...? She''s in the mountains where that cloud is." I would tell whoever asked as I started running again. Briefly looking at the remnants of that explosion from before until I focused entirely on the salamander.


    .


    .


    .


    "Should we go get her!? Nin isn''t going to pay any heed to us while that thing is out there!" I asked Vadei after watching Nin charge off into the distance. Towards the growing wall of fire that had replaced the golden fields and green riversides.


    "Can''t you just help him!?" Vadei would ask back as I looked at the sky.


    "No, I can''t! The clouds are all gone and my spell needs clouds to work!" I tell her while noting how the closest clouds were just too far away. I could go up and strike back down quickly, sure... But, the distance was so great I''d lag behind such a fast target. To say nothing of how its magic hid it as it moved!


    "Alright, fine, get us to the mountains over there, there are some clouds still along there." Vadei pointed out before I grabbed onto her body.


    "Okay!" I answer just before we turned into a pale-blue lightning bolt. One that went across the sky in such an obnoxiously destructive fashion until we reached the cloud. I would then turn us around and bring us close to the sensation of a stronger magic aura.


    "Larishazza!" Vadei would call out once we became ourselves once again. But we would both stop at the sight of the one our blue-haired friend travelled with. A large creature with red skin and bright green eyes with a completely torn up front that was a paler red... A bloody red...


    "What''s that!?" I would ask as all but Larishazza became defensive. The golden weapons on this creature meanwhile moved about as it prepared itself.


    "Does anyone speak the language Liada speaks?" Larishazza then asked as she looked at us with confusion. Somehow maintaining a somewhat innocent attitude in spite of all the carnage she was surrounded by.


    "Language?" Vadei would repeat as she approached the creature. Her hands cautiously raised before her as she got closer.


    "What''re you doing?" I asked before Vadei suddenly spat at the creature''s mouth. Her fingers going against its ears just as quickly. Something that caused the creature to chase after her in anger.


    "WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR!?" it asked us with a yell before it came to a stop. Confusion replaced its rage so very quickly.


    "Uh, hi." I said to it with a wave. Something that would get it to wave back as it looked on awkwardly.


    "Wh... What did you do...?" this Liada asked Vadei with slight disgust as she took on a prideful stance. She also smugly looked down at her claws while the rest of us were confused.


    "Just using some of my magic to help you speak our tongue and understand it." she would say before she began to approach Larishazza.


    "What about Nin?" I then asked which got everyone''s attention. Even that of Liada''s so does that mean she was a friend of his...?


    "That thing appeared and he chased after it." Larishazza would say which got this Liada angry.


    "We should help him!" she said as she smashed her weapons together before she was stopped.


    "Not with those injuries you aren''t!" Vadei told her as she stared intently at the large-chested creature. At least, until she looked away with a blush as Liada was naked. She was completely naked bar those weapons.


    "But, Nin saved me from the humans, I owe it to him!" Liada told us as she looked down at her injuries. What kind of injuries were these anyway...? There were so many swollen holes in her chest and her...


    "You don''t have the magic, anyway, Liada." Larishazza would point out as she went up onto a rock to survey the land.


    "Liadanann!" she corrected in annoyance before she backed off away from her. An aggravated mumble came from her while I joined Larishazza on her rock.


    "I can get you to him, quickly." I tell my friend as I keep an eye on the clouds.


    "Do it." was all she told me before I then took her hand into mine.


    "I will!" I tell her just before we shot up into the sky. Soaring far beyond the tips of these mountains until we reached the clouds far above it all. So far had we gone that my magic had become less reactive until it was too dense for me to even move. And as we turned back to normal in the sky, I screamed while she laughed.


    "THIS IS GREAT!" Larishazza somehow said to me clearly as we fell down to the ground again. Losing my hat in the process whilst I held on to her hands as the air tried to go against us. At first, it was like we were falling through a thick liquid, but it soon went and it exploded. And just before we hit the ground, I would turn us into a bolt again.


    Flinging us across an old road at the edge of a raging forest fire. I staggered back up and tried to find Larishazza. But all I felt were traces of her magic as I saw water fall from the sky. Little raindrops that blew up upon contact with the dirt as she disappeared.


    "Wait up!" I called out to her as I got back to my feet. Groaning at the loss of my hat before shaking it out of my head. All that mattered right now was helping Nin with his problem. A problem I had lots of experience in dealing with!


    So I tried something a little different as all these fires were getting in my way. I would turn into a bolt and quickly turn back to normal. I would keep casting my signature spell and cancel it mid-flight until I got to them. Nin was trying so hard and Larishazza was helping him too.


    But this wyvern was keeping its distance from both of them. Especially Larishazza who was much more capable. Her magic was being flung at it and was creating the occasional hole in its wings. And as her strength became more apparent, I would have to get involved.


    For it was increasing the distance between itself and the ground before it carried on breathing fire. It was too far away for those two, despite how desperate Nin got with his jumps. This was my fight now and I shot straight towards the wyvern. Locking it in between my legs in a surprise grapple after striking it as a lightning bolt.


    "Stop hurting my friend!" I demanded of the wyvern before I turned into my lightning form. Letting my legs conduct shock after shock through the wyvern until it was completely paralysed. It crashed into the ground shortly after and I would get off in the meantime. Landing into a freshly scorched patch of dirt before returning to normal.


    "Gah... There are three of you now!?" the wyvern said as it got back up. Only to get a kick in the face by Larishazza and a fist from Nin. A combination of attacks that left it stunned at first before it caught the next two blows. Nin was going as hard as he could but Larishazza was holding back...


    Was she still clinging to the idea of not being so destructive here? Now was not the time for that! We were out of Nin''s home city, we didn''t need to hold back! At least, that is what I was thinking until I was pushed back by a fireball.


    One that had just burnt away everything despite it being so weak. I could now quite easily grasp while Larishazza was being so cautious, but still! This fight had been going on long enough already. So I would charge them all and grab on to them all.


    Sending us quickly into the sky in the form of a lightning bolt and evicting us over the mountains. If we needed to be more destructive about this, then we can do it where no one can get hurt but us! Yet, as a result of my rushed attempt to move the fight, I had immobilised the other two with stomach issues. So now I was being attacked by the wyvern.


    And I screamed and wailed under each blow it sent at me. I had no instincts for battle and it was hitting me with unrelenting aggression. Each blow would hit my head or body and I did nothing to stop it. I couldn''t even focus on getting a spell out as I was just panicking.


    "Please stop..." I would pointlessly beg after I finished rolling about from its most recent blow. But it would not, instead, it took in a deep breath and snarled at me.


    "You smell of her too... You smell of Salahma''s sweet and intoxicating breath. It''s almost as if she is still here..." the wyvern spoke in a creepy tone before it grew angry once again. A booming roar would be let out in my face yet no smoke would wash out onto me. No cloud for me to grab onto so I could beat it like I did Salahma.


    "GET OFF ME!" I would then scream as I turned into lightning. Quickly getting up and making an attempt to beat it down with lightning-covered fists until Nin came at it again. And he did so by slamming me aside in a bloodthirsty attempt to tear it apart. Yet, they would disappear again as the creature got free and flew off with Nin on its foot.


    "Nin!?" Larishazza called out as she stumbled to her feet. My eyes, however, stayed focused on the mountain tops that had just disappeared. It was almost like they were melted candles, ones that just lost a chunk of wax to the lit candle wick.


    "No, hold on, let your body recover first!" I would then beg of Larishazza as she clung onto me. Moving my body as if she was expecting me to suddenly turn into a surging bolt of lightning.


    "Einervaene! Get us back to him!" she begged back as I freed myself of her grip.


    "Hold on!" I repeated while panting and heaving as my heart pounded inside. I could hear them battle, even from here, but it''s not like I could do anything right now. I can''t just leave Larishazza out here!


    "Fine, you go on ahead, then, I''ll go around and meet up with you. Just make sure Nin is fine." she then tells me before she runs off while clutching her stomach. And I would watch her at first, watch her stumble and fall. But I would focus on what mattered and go back to the battle. Interrupting a swing of the wyvern''s tail and grabbing it.


    "OUT OF MY WAY!" Nin would roar at me for some reason before he tore me off the tail and tossed me aside. Something that left me terrified as I had thought he would appreciate the help. But he was getting increasingly reckless and desperate in his attempts to stop the wyvern. And soon, very soon, he would be running before just stopping.


    We could see his home from here and the wyvern suddenly rocketed off towards it. Then, as if it was never there, it suddenly vanished in a ball of fire. Something that made Nin so very, very quiet as scorching winds washed over us. I would reach out to him but he made no reaction as the land around us burned.


    "N-Nin...?" I would ask in a pointless attempt to see if he was okay. Stumbling back in fear when his magic just suddenly came out again. Tearing away at the ground and flinging me aside into the nearby mountain. And despite how far away I was now, I could see him just because that aura of his was so massive...


    It was a mountain in and of itself and then it came, that roar. A roar I don''t think I could ever forget because that wasn''t him. That was something else and it terrified me because all it was, was rage. The desire for blood.


    And I would helplessly watch as he suddenly appeared in the distant ruins with everything flying up behind him. Ahead of it all, a shockwave that showed no signs of weakening. And what little of the city that survived flew out into the air before breaking apart. Little pieces of stone would ping against me as I stood up while boulders shattered about me.


    The wyvern would run some more and the pair would disappear once again into the distance. Before, then, all of a sudden, another explosion happened in the distant air. Did Nin hit the wyvern as it flew away, or, had it... No, they didn''t hit the airship, did they...?


    "Vadei..." I would mutter as I quickly turned around and went into the skies once again. Hopping over to where she was likely to be and crashing down next to them. Staring up at her with fear in my eyes while she looked confused.


    "What happened...? Did you beat it?" Vadei asked as she looked down at me. This Liadanann would do the same but she seemed to be looking out for Nin.


    "I... I don''t know! But... Nin... We failed to stop it..." I began to say before I began to choke on my words. Tears soon began to appear around my eyes and I would start crying uncontrollably. But I had no clue as to why. Was I blaming myself for the loss of Nin''s home...?


    Was I enthralled with the idea that Nin would hate me because of this...?


    "You mean?" Vadei muttered as she looked off in the direction of what seemed to be a road. I would nod, but I don''t know if she properly got it.


    "Where is Nin, then? I want to see him again." Liadanann then asked as she brought me back to my feet. Her firm grip on my arms was more than enough for me to focus on her instead of my thoughts.


    "H-He''s out in the wastes somewhere... He chased the wyvern out to those parts." I told them as I calmed down and stood on my own. Keeping my eyes on Vadei until she gestured for me to get us over there. And that is what I did, I took her hand and Liadanann''s and I sent us flying over to the ruins of Tobaballe. Just in time to find Larishazza who was wandering in confusion.


    "Where''s the city?" she asked while looking about at all the destruction we had caused. And I would point to the molten gap between the mountains. Where only a few charred corpses were at the edge of it all.


    "It was there." I tell her with a sniffle as Liadanann groans as she gets up again.


    "Can someone help me get these off?" she then asked as she bashed the weapons against each other. Larishazza would move to help her and her water magic would pry it apart. With some of it being used as a means to heal her injuries until she interfered with it.


    "No! I want Nin to handle this..." she mumbled while backing away with her free hands. Vadei, meanwhile, would pick some of the gold up before she offered it to me.


    "What is this stuff anyway?" I asked as I felt my magic react to it oddly. As if it was rejecting it somehow.


    "Thunder-gold, the humans used it in nearly everything." Liadanann answered.


    "This isn''t thunder-gold." I told her with a frown, somehow knowing this from just magic reaction alone.


    "Yes it is, it has magic in it and it is gold, this is the work of the Great Thunderous Destroyer!" she said as she spat at the weapons before rubbing her hands and tail.


    "Destroyer...?" I would repeat in confusion before our attention went to the city again.


    "I think it is about time we went back to Suhurlodst now." Vadei then said as she began to walk off. An uncertain smile on her face as she passed by the signs of destruction.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Why''re you smiling?" Larishazza would ask her and Liadanann as both of them seemed to take joy in this sight.


    "This was Nin''s home!" I would add on, something that got both of them to take off their smiles. An angered expression, however, would take over Vadei''s features.


    "This was also the place where I was enslaved."


    "These people tortured me..." Liadanann quietly added on as she touched her injuries slowly. Twitching in pain as she brought her claws away from the holes in her chest.


    "Nin is your friend! Don''t take joy in his loss! Especially not one such as this!" I told them, nearly enraged by this lack of empathy. This got them both to keep quiet, albeit, they initially snorted but they became quiet.


    "What do we do?" Larishazza then asked me as we walked through the ash and rubble. A frown on each of our faces as we did so. I tried to keep my eyes off it all but this was a city after all... There was so much destruction we had to go past.


    "We make sure he is okay..." I tell her while looking off into the distance. On the ground was a large display of magic that was quickly getting weaker.


    "Alright, get us over there." Vadei said impatiently as she grabbed onto me. Larishazza would too, but Liadanann would be very slow to do so. And then, once I had regained my focus, I shot us over to where the magic was. We landed with a grand explosion of magic and saw firsthand what the area was like.


    The wyvern had been torn apart and the landscape was completely destroyed. And, in the middle of it all, a very, very quiet Nin who was just staring at the ground. He said nothing and he did nothing. Not even reacting to when we came over to him.


    "Ninno?" Larishazza would say as she put a hand on him. Something that seemed to stir a response from him. But all he did was grab my leg and just sort of wait.


    "Airship? Do you want to go back to it...?" I asked him before I just assumed an answer on his behalf as he said nothing. Yet, when I tried to get us near the airship, its shields would flare up and send us away. And when we were able to safely get back to the ground...


    "Why are the shields active!?" Vadei suddenly asked as the rest of us recovered from the fall it brought us into. She would repeat this question over and over with growing anger until she began to lash out.


    "Vadei!" I would say as she began to claw at Nin. Each slash she took carved yellow lines into his magic deprived body. Something that would not stop until me and Larishazza gave him some of our magic. This would keep him safe from Vadei''s rage and Liadanann was kind enough to grab her.


    Her vastly greater size and strength easily kept Vadei struggling yet still for the most part, "WHY ARE THE SHIELDS ACTIVATED!?" she snapped out at Nin as the airship suddenly began to descend until it was close enough for us to jump on.


    "Keep her still, I''ll get him up there and come back." Larishazza said before she took Nin onto the airship with a single leap. Her magic caused Liadanann some stress as it sent many bits of gravel at her. I then tried to heal her up, but she reacted the same way as last time.


    "No, Nin can handle that." she repeated to me while heaving her chest up and down in pain. She would keep twitching in pain and Vadei took advantage of that. She would put her hairs into the wounds and make the stinging force Liadanann off of her. And then, she went onto the airship, leaving me down here with Liadanann.


    "Where is your home?" I then asked as I did not like the quiet right now. It also helped that I had never seen or heard of anything like her before. Yet, for some reason, I felt like I did know what she was.


    "Deep underground, I... I am fine with coming with you lot, though..." she answered meekly with a lot of nervous behaviour until I calmed her down. Holding my hand out for her and smiling until she took it. Bringing us up one last time just before Larishazza was about to come down again.


    "Can I have some help!?" Larishazza then asked me as she took me by the hand and dragged me to the bridge. A scared and angry mob on one end while an unreactive Nin was on the other. The slavers just by him at the various computers.


    "Whaaat haaappend?" Heiya asked us as she nervously looked up at Nin. Her father was even moving over to her to protectively hold her while the mob of Vadei''s people yelled and yelled.


    "WHY''S THERE AN OSIBINDAH HERE!?"


    "KILL THAT THING!"


    "GET RID OF IT NOW!"


    They would say as I moved over to him in a protective manner. Not wanting to have a repeat of how it went down at first when we got to Suhurlodst. I would try easing his worries by rubbing his head, but he still did not move. And really, all I was doing was easing my own nervousness.


    But then, all of a sudden, Vadei came charging down into the bridge with her claws alight with magic. And she went at Nin in a crazed frenzy until I managed to stop her as she barked over and over. Tears in her eyes while all of her face twitched in rage. It wasn''t difficult keeping her away from him, but what had caused this...?


    "MURDERER!" she would then scream past me before she broke down crying. Her body fell down before Nin as she tried to pathetically claw at his closest foot. And all she could say was that one word over and over again. All before she then curled up and cried into her tail.


    Nin would then sigh before he straightened himself out, he would then walk away. With the mob suddenly going quiet and parting before him as he went past them. And the few that did not shirk away were knocked aside with so little effort. It was almost like they were never there.


    I and Larishazza were split between who we should focus on, Vadei or Nin. But, all of a sudden, Liadanann would get involved. Blocking us off completely from the mob before she turned to the two slavers. She would growl at them but otherwise did nothing until they left for the decking. I would watch her, at first, but then Vadei pulled up a screen and cried more.


    "Is he...?" I would find myself asking as I recognised who was on the screen. If only because Vadei had spent so long watching it on our way here. It was her father, and all of the displays were saying the same thing. The number zero or nothing at all.


    Vadei would then nod before she started crying once again, "What did Nin do?" Larishazza asked. But all we got was an indecipherable technical document.


    "When the beast and Nin collided with the airship, it set off the shields and the sudden magic caused a reaction in that one in the bed?" Liadanann questioned with certainty as it became apparent she could somehow read this. Vadei would nod slowly whilst continuing to sob.


    "It gave him a heart attack and as no one was able to help him due to the panic... He died..." she barely got out before she cried once again. And soon, blood was coming from her tail as both her claws and teeth went past the fur and towards its fleshy part.


    "You... You can''t blame Nin like this." I would say at first until she suddenly jerked up.


    "HE COULD HAVE GONE ANYWHERE IN THAT FIGHT AND HE BROUGHT IT HERE!" she screamed in my face before she ran off. Leaving me with just Larishazza and Liadanann who were both quiet.


    "I''ll... Uh... Do you want to get some clothes, Liadanann?" I started to say, originally intending to go see Nin. But, now was not really the time, he might just need to be left alone. Especially considering how I might just shift the topic to what he did prior to the fight...


    "I''m good." she would tell me as her eyes narrowed.


    "No... We need to get you into something." I tell her as I start gesturing down the centre of the airship. Maintaining a frown at her until she reluctantly started to move forward.


    "I''ll see what I can do." Larishazza informed me before she began to follow the route Nin took.


    "Well, if you''ll follow me, I can take you to my workshop... Well, not really..." I awkwardly mutter to the large woman who was ducking occasionally as she walked. She wasn''t taller than Nin, yet, she was larger thanks to her tail and horns.


    "Whatever." she told me rather passive-aggressively.  I wasn''t sure either, I have done nothing to her since meeting her. So why was she so distrustful of me? Was it perhaps because I was human?


    "I''m not from... Tobaballe, you know." I pointed out with a meek tone, hoping that would at least ease her somewhat.


    "Makes no difference to me, human. Now stop talking." she says to me while looking down at me. Both literally and figuratively by the tone of it.


    I would then do as she says, at least, until we reached my workshop, "Here we are." I would say with some forced cheer before I went to the desk I had been using. Tapping my hands awkwardly against my legs while she focused on Nin''s clothes. Something that seemed to calm her down if I went by the way she smelt them.


    "These are Nins?" she asked me as she picked up the mask and put it on her face. The echoes of a relieved sigh would then come just after she put it on partially.


    "Yes, those are his clothes. Albeit, I am not sure why they are here." I let out in confusion. Some of my curiosity was satisfied as I had wondered why Nin was naked prior. And now that I acknowledged it in a calmer environment, I couldn''t help but blush. He may have not had that bracelet on but it was still him naked...


    "Would... Would he have any issue with me using these?" she asked as she tenderly picked up all the bandages. Uncertainty on her face as she tried to keep them from getting tangled.


    "I don''t see why he would, they''re just bandages and a simple cloak." I begin to say before I stopped when I remembered why he wore such clothing. It was all to hide his form from everyone else... Something he might want to do given the current crowd. But, maybe he has grown used to it...?


    I either assumed that and made his state worse by giving his stuff away without permission. Or, I go and ask him just to make sure. Yet, I doubted he would say anything to me if I was to ask. Especially not given what has just happened.


    "I... I would like something to be made using this." Liadanann requested before I went to get some measuring tools. But when I went up to her to do the measuring. She became defensive and struck me with a harmless blow.


    "I can''t make you some clothes if you don''t let me measure your body." I say to her, mildly agitated about being hit by her. And, if she was strong enough to hurt me, I might be a bit more than just agitated.


    "Guess." she snorted out.


    "I can''t just guess your measurements, so either you calm down or do it yourself." I tell her as I stick out a hip while dangling the tools before her on my finger. Nearly tapping my foot impatiently until she dropped her guard.


    "Be quick about it." she grumbles as I start to move around her. Making many mental notes of how much material she would need. How wide the main part would need to be. How tight it should be and how tough and so on.


    I would look at where we kept our dancing outfits before saying anything else, "There isn''t enough material for me to make much, so is this alright?" I ask. Showing a quickly drawn image of her body in a pair of suspended overalls. I can make the main body with Nin''s cloak and use bandages for the actual suspender part of it.


    "Will it have lots of pockets?" she asked, something that surprised me as I was expecting this to really just be a temporary thing. Why would it need lots of pockets?


    "I... I can add some on, but I would have to cut the legs short." I say whilst looking down at the way her feet-claws were. How the largest one curved up and came back down. A natural sickle.


    "I am fine with that." she says with a nod before she sits down. Shooting straight back up when she set off her injuries in her... Private area.


    "Again, we can heal that up for you." I tell her as I look on with worry. Was this an extension of her lack of trust towards us? If so, it was pretty stupid...


    "No, Nin can handle it." she tells me as she backs away with a glare on her face. Sighing and shaking my head before I got to work as quick as I could. It was a simple affair, making this outfit. No patterns, just recycling old material into something else.


    But, still, I found myself wanting to add a little extra to it. So I started to take what bits of metal I could so I could then haphazardly apply them. The end result as I got closer to finishing it was a mess of different metallic colours. Something that would very much bother the more pattern inclined.


    I then sighed once I was done, stretching it a little to test its strength before handing it over. I would sneer a little at how she snatched it from me. But I was glad it held up as she rushed to get it on. With the material not even tearing as she put her clawed feet through it.


    Nin''s magic must have strengthed the clothes over time. Or, maybe it was me as I have had to repair it a few times. The patchwork nature of the cloak gave that away. Or, well, the patchwork nature of Liadanann''s new suspender overalls did.


    "Hm, nothing for narrow tools..." she would then cryptically say as she tested the depth of her pockets. Using various items around the room to fill them out before she took them all out again. And, she would seethe in pain quite a bit as well. The clothes clearly irritated her breast injuries.


    She was even spilling blood over her new outfit already. And the ones a bit further down gave the wrong impression... Something that made me feel a bit awkward. Awkward enough to just clap my hands and stand up.


    "Uh, well, you hungry?" I then asked her to which she gave a stern shake. Looking away didn''t seem to help my awkwardness either right now...


    "Einervaene?" Larishazza then asked as she stepped into the room. Her eyes briefly looked at Liadanann before she went back to me.


    "What''s wrong, is Nin alright?"


    She sighed and shook her head, "I don''t know, he''s never been like this before. Normally it all just comes out!" she tried to joke while putting on some fake anger. But her laughs were uncertain and she quickly went quiet.


    "Where is he now then?" I asked, just in case I might think of an idea that might help him out.


    "He is in the bunk area meant for men, but, he''s kicked everyone else out. Locked himself inside."


    "So we will need to get Vadei if we want to get to him without breaking the airship?"


    Larishazza nods slowly, "Seems to be the case and with her reeling from recent news..."


    "We might not be able to be there for either of them." I point out before shaking my head slightly. Vadei at least had her mother and younger sister. Nin, however... He needed someone to be there for him, even if he is not asking for it.


    And we would just need to keep quiet on the questions we wanted to ask both of them. Sure, what they did to us was a grievous shattering of our bond. Of the trust we had in one another. But one has just lost his home and the other a loved one...


    Now was just not the time for us to talk about it. And perhaps, we would never get the opportunity to do so. All that time walking has certainly calmed my mind and what has just happened is a distracting affair. So maybe I had to either find an opportunity or just forgive them, no questions asked.


    "Well, I''m about to go check in on Vadei. See if she is being looked after and..." I admitted as I got up, moving out of the room and matching Larishazza''s pace. Liadanann, however, did not follow us. I did, however, catch sight of her going the other way.


    "So what happened in the mountains? What was that explosion?" I asked her as I recall what it was like seeing the mountains suddenly go off. What at the time I thought was something other than magic. But, when I got there, it became clear it was magic, not particularly strong magic. It was something, though, going by the scale of it all.


    Then again, even Vadei was able to carve apart buildings in this land... That is how destructive magic was when it was taken out of a land filled with it. And it certainly gave context as to why people back home were cautious about where they were. The peculiar nature of our magic mountain meant its strongest bolts could be anywhere.


    "I could not tell you, but, just after, that wyvern would appear."


    "So it was the wyvern signalling its arrival?"


    "No, the magic that went off at first was much too different. It felt like watered down wind magic, but that wyvern is well..." she said to me before trailing off.


    "A user of fire magic." I would say to her, finishing her sentence off with what I felt was most appropriate.


    "Yeah, I think it might have been a bomb made by these people."


    "A magic bomb in a magicless land?"


    "Well, think about it, Einervaene, they have magical weapons and magic users. Or, well, had these two things... They must have made a bomb using a high-concentration of this fake thunder-gold."


    "I suppose that makes sense. Does that mean they likely set it off to kill Nin and our new friend here, or do you not know?" I ask, putting some aggravated emphasis when I spoke of Liadanann.


    "Don''t know, but, if I was to guess, then yes. I wasn''t with Nin or Liada by any bomb at the time. So they must have just set it off as we were preparing to leave the mountain." she answered while looking away. A notable amount of sadness had taken over her features as she did so.


    "As long as none of you were hurt badly, then."


    "No, I was able to get a barrier up. It''s how I ended up getting the feeling it was modified wind magic. The way it reacted with my magic reminded me of how the magic of most of the students back at Suhurlodst worked."


    "Well, we''re here now, anyway. So I guess we best steel ourselves." I then brought up once we reached the medical bay. And it was packed with several families as well. Most if not all of the people in here must have met the same fate. But how did a shield turning on kill these people?


    I guess we would have to ask Vadei about it, or Liadanann if I hated myself. But, for now, I would just have to hate the fact we couldn''t beat that wyvern earlier. All these people were dead now due to our incompetence. And an already strained friendship might as well have been cleanly broken now that this had happened...


    "Vadei, are you and your family doing alright?" Larishazza then asked as she stepped closer to the bed her father was on. And, by his sides were his two daughters and his loving wife. Each of them clearly heartbroken by what has just happened. But, only Vadei reacted with any aggression.


    "WHAT DO YOU THINK!?" she would yell before returning to her father. One who she desperately clung onto while keeping her ear on his chest. And each moment she failed to hear a heartbeat only made her more anguished. If it wasn''t for the fact the body was so magic-deprived, I might have been able to...


    Yet, I doubted that would work either way. I was not a healer by trade nor was I someone trained in first aid. Nin had handled most of that stuff the last time a major injury happened. And as I clutched my once-broken arm, I looked away.


    Even though Vadei was grieving right before me, I couldn''t help but worry for Mother. She was in a position that saw her nobility slowly eroded away and now she was on her own. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to her while I was out here. I wouldn''t even know what to do if I came home and found out she had died in my absence.


    It did not even matter how she might have died, it would leave me much like Nin I''d suspect. Broken and quiet with next to nothing being done but the efforts I took to be alone. And maybe I should not worry myself like this, but Vadei made it hard. To see a parent again so soon, only to lose them again so soon...


    It was a firm reminder of how quickly the God of Death would walk on by with the Pack of Seven...


    "If there''s anything we can do, just let us know." I then spoke as I wanted to get out of my mind. The mind that was so worried for my own family.


    "YOU CAN''T DO ANYTHING!" Vadei shouted back.


    "Vadei!" her mother would say to her sternly as she wiped her tears away, "Thank you, your offer is appreciated."


    I nod, smiling just a bit at her attempt to put on a kind face, "Is there anything we can do right now? It seems like we have a lot of work on our hands..." I say as I surveyed the room. My heart tightened with every corpse I saw. With every miserable family I caught sight of, it made it hurt...


    "I''ll... I''ll let you know..." Vadei''s Mother said with a nod before she started crying once more. Her hands went straight to her face after she picked up her husband''s ring hand.


    "We''ll leave you be for now, then." Larishazza said as she takes my arm and guides us out of the room.


    "Now what?" I ask with a sigh.


    "I guess we can try and keep ourselves occupied." she tells me with a slow shrug before she looks down at a nervous child.


    "My mummy really liked what we made for her last time..." the little child told us as she looked up at Larishazza.


    "Did she? Does she want to eat some more?" Larishazza asks with a sweet voice as she goes down to her knees. Keeping her eyes in line with that of the child as she occasionally looked at me.


    "Yes... She has been worried since the big bang, I want to help her calm down." she explained as she began to jump up and down. I guess she was explaining how the airship was struck while we were gone. She wasn''t smiling as she did it, so it must have been that.


    "I know a few people who could use cheering up, should we make something for them too?"


    "Okay... But mummy comes first." the child explains with innocent selfishness as she takes Larishazza''s hand. And then, all of a sudden, she would take mine and begin swinging between us.


    "Look at you go!" Larishazza would say to her while I just went along with it. But, the child''s happiness was infectious and I would be smiling for a bit until she let go to run off. Her little ears were the first I saw of her when she popped up behind the counter with a bowl.


    "Hurry up!" she moaned impatiently as we got closer. And Larishazza would just dive through the counter gap. I, though, sort of just walked around and went in the way she did.


    "So what did you make last time?" I asked as I watched them run about and gather up various things. However, anything sharp would be taken up by Larishazza. And, she moved much more carefully when they were in her hands. Soon after as well, more children began to appear.


    Some of them clogged up behind me while others looked over the counter. And, to my embarrassment, I did not start moving out their way until their little fingers started touching my exposed thighs. It tickled as well so I found myself giggling as they all began to cluster around Larishazza. She also laughed back at me as she began to set up little work posts.


    "Do you want to help?" my friend asked me as she lingered by an oven.


    "Briefly, I would like to go see you know who." I told her once I got next to her. Staying quiet just in case saying Nin''s name out loud scared the children. After all, the people here weren''t very open to the idea of an osibindah being on board...


    "Sure, we can make a bigger portion and hand it to you so you can then give it to him!" she quickly tells me before she goes over to the children. And off she went, explaining to each of them what they would be doing while she got started on it. The child who first found us followed her around as she did so.


    And when something was finally made, she couriered it around the kitchen. A little assistant to Larishazza as she instructed each grouping of kids. Then once they reached the end of the process, they went back to do it all again. Each time as well, Larishazza would let the children do it more on their own.


    Except maybe one or two who were stubbornly independent from the start or consistently in need of help. Sometimes, I think they just wanted Larishazza to do it with them as their faces would just light up. It even made me a little nervous as I was just standing around. At least, until I spotted a child stabbing their dough with little metal pieces.


    "What are you doing?" I asked them gently, smiling a bit as they reacted hastily. Their arms quickly covered up the dough before they opened up.


    "I was trying to draw a picture..." he answered as I leaned by him. And when my chest was cushioned against the kitchen side, I began to touch the metal.


    "What''re you trying to draw?" I asked as I tapped the metal bit of my gloves on them. Letting little clangs fill our ears as he became lost for words.


    "I... A bunch of dots!" he would then answer as he put another piece of metal inside.


    "Hm, want to see something fun?" I then let out as all these bits of metal gave me an idea.


    "Okay!" he said with a nod.


    "Watch this then!" I tell him as I begin to let little bits of magic arc about the metal. Concentrating very carefully as I directed the magic about. Then, once I had an image in my mind, I made a moving picture in the metal.


    "Hewwo, I''m your bwun!" I would childishly say while hiding my mouth.


    "HELLO BUN!" the child would suddenly shout in joy as they waved at the moving face made of lightning. And as he was waving, I suddenly changed the image to a hand before returning to the face.


    "Who am I fwor?" I would pretend to ask on behalf of the incomplete bun.


    "My tummy!" he would admit while patting it.


    "Is it cwomfwortable in thwere? I wike cwomfwortable twummies!"


    "Yeah!" he cheerfully informed the bun.


    I would then make an actual smile before I then made the face disappear, "You hear that? The bun is going to enjoy you eating it!" I say. Unaware that other kids had come over, curious as to what had happened. But the screams of another would grab all our attention.


    "Someone help me! The dough is alive!" Larishazza would exaggeratively scream as her magic manipulated wet dough. Making it seem like it was indeed alive. And, attacking her of all things.


    "Get this off!" I would then nearly squeal when she suddenly threw it at me. Its wet and sticky mouth chewed on my cheek until she took it back. And all the laughter that surrounded me made me very red.


    "First lot are done!" a child would then say as a bell went off.


    "Coming!" Larishazza chirped out as she smirked past me. Glaring at her in the meantime until she came back with a bun covered in a sweet white sauce. And, in the middle, a little red fruit.


    "Looks yummy." I complimented before looking for an expecting child.


    "Give it to Nin if you can." Larishazza whispered as her tone went quieter. I would nod to her before disappearing. Not even getting a ''goodbye'' from the children as I practically snuck off elsewhere. And I was somewhat wishing I stayed in the kitchen...


    The tone of the place shifted drastically as I headed closer to the bunks. Especially the men''s one where the few who were near it were in a constant state of aggression. And the others who passed on by practically ran on by if they got near it. It made me feel awkward but I was willing to look past this as my friend was just on the other side and he needed my help.


    "Nin!? I brought you something!" I told him after knocking on the door. But he would not answer and I was left frowning as I could not even hear him moving.


    .


    .


    .


    "Move." I would demand as I approached Einervaene. Nearly shoving her out of the way as I brought up a different means to open the door. Unlocking it through my exclusive privileges granted by my status as the airship captain. And I would lock it right behind me after slipping on in.


    Glaring intently at Nin with fists soon forming as I walked in front of him. Snarling at his stationary form and showing off my claws. But this attempt to scare him went nowhere and he stayed still. No noise was sent my way or care given to me.


    "You''re pathetic..." I spat out at the incompetent bug whose failure cost me my dad''s life. If he just took that wyvern seriously then none of this would have happened. My family would be all here and we could be on our way. And this little thing could have been left behind like it wanted to be.


    "I know, weak too." he said back to me with a blank tone. All while those bug claws of his came together and squeezed.


    "SHUT UP!" I scream in his face as I get right up in it.


    "Why?" he asked with a shudder.


    "Why do you think!? No one wants to hear a filthy bug!" I explain to him. Combing my brain for any insults I could throw at him.


    "Then what do you want?"


    "To see you actually succeed in what you once tried to do!" I tell him as I put my magic-enhanced claws straight to his neck. And his lack of a response only angered me more.


    "Might as well, everyone is gone..." he muttered before he broke down crying. And as if he just flicked a switch, I suddenly changed. No longer angry, instead, I just came to a realisation I should have known beforehand.


    "All of them...?" I weakly asked as I stumbled backwards.


    "None of them made it out... Not neighbour or family..." he barely got out before he buried his face into his hands and fell to his side. And as I watched him break down more and more, my body also became limp. Then, I grabbed a chair so I could sit on it. Huddling my legs close before looking down at them.


    "I lost my dad because you didn''t kill it quick enough..." I sobbed out myself. As if I was trying to keep my own feelings relevant when it was far worse him.


    "I lost everyone because I didn''t kill it quick enough..." he then told me as he stopped crying loudly. He just sort of stayed on the bed and covered himself with a thin quilt. Staining it with ash, dirt and dust. Even his own blood...


    "Right..." I mutter to him before sighing out what emotions I could. Wiping away some of the tears on my tail before then getting it up. Walking over to him to then offer it to him. But he would refuse it and just stay still under the quilt.


    "I''m sorry about your dad..." he somehow managed to get out despite my prior words. Somehow, despite what I had done to him since this all happened, he had managed to offer me condolences...


    "I..." I started to say before I just started shaking my head and crying once more. Running off towards the bridge in order to collapse into my chair. Then, two screens appeared before my eyes. One with an image of my family grieving, the other of Nin in that same bed.


    I couldn''t even be asked to sneer at the two hwardgon in front of me. I just felt... Jealous of them. She still had her dad while mine was gone.


    A good man who was in that state because he saved a baby... And this evil creature was still alive along with his daughter!? How was this fair!? What gave him the right to live on!?


    "HOW IS THIS FAIR!?" I would then scream at the roof before crying some more. My dad was now in Undwote''s arms yet hers was not. Mine was a good man who gave his strength to help a weak newborn... He sold people for mere profit...


    It made me angry and I did not even know what to do. What could I even do...? Killing them wouldn''t make me happy. It wouldn''t help Dad...


    He was dead and they got to carry on living. They have done what they have done and they still get to see another day. And the last I ever properly saw of Dad was him thanking me... For getting our family back together.


    I then turned on the speaker, "Mom, make some room... I''m coming back." I whimpered out before I started walking. Putting the airship on a low-altitude course back to Jherikra before leaving. Clutching my face once again as the tears came back in force.

 Peak 7: Returning to the First Mother

    "You, human, Nin is looking for something." Liadanann said to me as she gestured a finger in my face.


    "My... Alright, where is he?" I began to say before I changed the topic. I was getting sick of Liadanann''s attitude towards me. But, if Nin was finally ready to move and talk again, now was my moment. A moment where I could just be there for him to help out.


    "Near the beds-"


    "Thank you." I interrupted her with before I went off towards the stated area. Coming to a stop by the door and keeping a light grasp on its frame. Watching at first as Nin ravaged the room looking for something.


    "Where is it... Where is it... Where is it!?" he would mutter quietly and repeatedly. Something that at first made me frown until he suddenly stared at me. At which point I tried to smile but then he suddenly went up to me. And I recoiled backwards as I did not know what this was about.


    "What''re you looking for?" I asked him before he began to tap his skull. He looked about and glared before he then came to a realisation. Then, he shoved past me and went into the room me and Larishazza and Vadei had been using. And I instantly heard both items being thrown about and screams.


    At first, I could not get into the room as several of Vadei''s people came running out. Either then going on to run for their lives or to hold their ground outside the bunk room. And as so many women were running about scared, the men came on by and held onto their loved ones. I would then go into the room and close the door behind me.


    "Nin, what are you looking for, maybe I can help? Have you lost anything?"


    "Lost? No, you have it... You had it... You might still have it..." he let out quickly as he flipped mattresses over and threw chairs about.


    "Have what...?" I asked at first before I started frowning. Was he looking for what I think he was? Was the bracelet on his mind right now? Did he think it might help somehow or was this about something else?


    Just in case, I began to reach for where I put it, "Give it!" he would then say as he spotted my movements. And, in an instant, I had been thrust against the wall, nearly denting it with his claws prying my hand open. Then, also in an instant, as I watched him put it on with haste... I no longer felt angered by this sudden aggression, instead, I blushed and tried to hide my face.


    He had put the bracelet back on... And he was now stroking my face very delicately. I gulped and felt weak in the knees. However, I did little else until he suddenly brought me over to a bed.


    And my face started burning intently as he just pulled me close. Something I did not react slowly or reluctantly to. I just went up to him and sighed in relief. Tracing a finger on his chest as I felt my heart become light again.


    I smiled every time I breathed in his scent and his touch relaxed me completely. All the stress from before was seemingly gone for this moment until he suddenly brought us up. And his grip changed somewhat. No longer tender, it had become greedy and was clasping onto me protectively.


    "Where are the others?" Nin asked me as he held onto me from behind. His upper body arched over my head while I was pressed up against his legs and...


    "Vadei is either on the bridge or with her father, Larishazza might be in the kitchen and... No, it''s fine, I can help you!" I answered at first before getting greedy myself. If Nin was suddenly willing to wear the bracelet again, then I had something I wanted to do.


    "Why are you trying to stay still!?" he would then ask me as I began to gently shock him until he let go. And, I turned around and leapt on him, shocking him a bit more until he fell to the ground. My smile grew wider and wider while my face got redder.


    "I would have preferred to say it before at that garden but... Nin, I-" I started saying until the door was suddenly banged on.


    "HEY! BUG! GET OUT OF HERE!" a man angrily demanded as he banged on it some more.


    "Nevermind, I''ll find them myself." he explains before his torso shoots up. Bending my back slightly backwards until he picks me up by the rear. And as my legs tightened around his waist, I seemingly choked as I felt his hands on my...


    "N-N-Nin!" I tried to let out before he just marched out of the room with me in his grip. Something that surprised those around us and left me even more embarrassed. It got to the point that I tried to hide myself. He was just so boldly carrying me in front of so many and I...


    "Uh, Nin, what''re you doing?" Liadanann asked us as we ended up going by her. Something that made Nin stop before the obviously jealous woman.


    "Your injuries are not healed, why is that?" Nin asked her as he stepped closer to her. An intense gaze likely baring down on her.


    "I... I... Don''t trust the humans to give me the necessary magic safely..." she admitted to him despite the glare she was directing at me. Yet, it bothered me little as I was mostly focused on enjoying Nin''s touch. The way his body felt against mine and how it warmed me up even more.


    "Alright, come, we''ll sort it out." he told her as he suddenly shifted my weight into one arm. With the hand no longer on my rear taking Liadanann''s hand. Something she struggled against until Nin brought us into the shower room. I would then be let go of and gently pushed deeper into the room.


    "Nin, what''s this about?" I asked while already having an answer in my head. There was only really one reason he might take anyone to a shower room. Either he wanted to clean someone or have himself cleaned. Which, admittedly, he did need even if most of the filth had been put on his bed.


    "Get undressed, both of you." he orders us as he begins to block up the door. Locking it up tightly before he would then turn to face us two. Neither of us had undressed ourselves, however. We just stared at him with wide eyes and red cheeks, well, assuming Liadanann could blush...


    "E-Excuse me?" Liadanann asked in protest whilst she also slowly let her overalls peel off. Something that caused her some pain but Nin would just shoot over to her and take her chest into his hands.


    "Does this help?" he asked with a coo as magic began to flow from his hands as he caressed her swollen chest.


    "E-E-E-E-EH!? Ah!" Liadanann stutters out with shocked surprise until she began to relax. And soft moans soon left her lips as Nin applied magic straight to her injuries. And I got jealous for a couple of reasons. One, I had known Nin for longer so why was he so willing to do that to her, and two, was he only doing it because hers were bigger?


    "U-Uh... Nin, I have some soreness about here." I lie as I have a finger point at my right breast after I took my top off. Only having it halfway off before he let go of Liadanann.


    "Hmmm..." he would let out ponderously before he brought a pair of stalls over. Liadanann was then put down on one and his back we left open. He would take up her breasts into his grip again while his back began to have some magic build-up in it as well.


    "This is quite complex, Nin, when did you learn this?" I asked him as I slowly went up to him. Cushioning my chest on his smooth back before I felt a bit of magic flow into me pointlessly. And I was still jealous as I was having to do this on my own while she got his active input...


    "In the place where I met Liadanann here," he answered before he forced a louder moan from the red woman, "with barely any magic in me, my body was hard to control, so I had to focus what magic I had left."


    "And that has allowed you to better control the flow of your magic?" I ask him as I ponder potentially giving it a try myself. Of course, I should probably look into it before I tried something like that. Because it was clear this wasn''t some casual training on his part but rather a thing he learned trying to survive. And to have your body suddenly deprived of magic, well, Vadei''s people showed what happens with that.


    "I guess, this better?" he answered me first before asking Liadanann something. And, curious, I left Nin''s back alone and moved around to look at her. For starters, she was moving her legs and arms about a lot, but, the bleeding was gone. A lot of it had seemingly closed up, but there was still a lot of swelling.


    "It''s... Better... But this might need to be a regular thing." she tells Nin while smirking at me. Something that made me glare at her before I sent a shock at her. And she reacted with fear and terror when that happened.


    "Woah!" Nin would let out as he kept her still.


    "KEEP HER AWAY FROM ME!" Liadanann screamed as her toe-claws scraped at the floor tiles. But Nin''s grip would just not let her move at all. She was forced to stay there until she calmed down and I grew nervous. Was I about to get a scolding and a dismissal...?


    "Alright, Einervaene, be careful. But, also try to remember this is a shower room." Nin tells me in a calm tone as he soothes Liadanann. Mostly with more groping and massaging and that would alter her rate of breathing. She would slow down and calm down as well until she was just smiling gently. Twitching every now and then as Nin''s grip adjusted itself.


    "It is, isn''t it?" I sarcastically said to him in response to that last part. Having waited a little bit at first while he dealt with Liadanann.


    "Can you turn on one of the heads please and do my back?" I would then be asked by him before he made light of his inflexibility.


    "Of course!" I would gently say back to him as I began to gain an eager smile. Taking a bottle of soap and squirting it over my hands before turning the shower on. Letting some of its water flow onto Nin whilst I began to put some soap on my chest. Moving nervously at first until my chest was firmly placed on his back.


    Sliding up and down much to my joy while he focused on Liadanann. The white soap bubbles would steadily change colour as they were washed away. And soon, I was wearing a shirt of bubbles that collected in force around my bottom half and top. I then wrapped my arms around him and just rested my head on his neck.


    "Thank you for putting it back on, Nin." I tell him before leaning forward slightly and giving him a kiss on the cheek. Even if my last opportunity to admit that I loved him in private failed. I could rest easy knowing he had it on, and maybe, I could finally get it out. I could finally give my heart the rest it needed.


    However, Nin would suddenly turn upset at that moment. His gaze would lock onto that bracelet before he would then shake his head. He would look back at me and smile before he pulled Liadanann in closer. I would then be gestured in closer by both him and my jealousy.


    "No, thank you. Both of you, for being willing to put up with me." he said as he held Liadanann tight while I had to get myself involved with this.


    "I-It''s the least I can do seen as you saved my lif-EEEEEEY!?" Liadanann began to say before she squealed. Nin''s body trembled in that moment and I would hear him snickering. And right between the tips of his fingers were one of Liadanann''s nipples.


    "Okay, that does it!" I then say as I force myself between them.


    "What!? Just playing around..." Nin admits before he looks away at the distant wall.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Yeah, and not one bit of it involves me!" I tell him while grabbing my chest and pushing it up before him. Letting it jiggle before his eyes while Liadanann slowly got up to her feet. The distinct tap of her claws filled my ears before her hand straightened me out. Not because she was now stronger all of a sudden, but because I wasn''t expecting it...


    "Can you blame him? I am much more suited to his scale, after all." Liadanann giggles out as her hands go onto her hips. And while her tailed lashed about behind her, she put her chest forward against mine. My pale and milky skin contrasts quite a bit with the pale red of her front body. Not only did she look down upon me with her greater height, she made me feel small!


    I was once the one with the largest proportions on this airship... Beating out Vadei by a few little distances while Larishazza was no opponent whatsoever. And now, I was suddenly overtaken by a giantess with a mostly red body. But, perhaps I had one advantage over her, Nin was formerly human...


    "Please, Nin grew up with human women!" I tell her as I go up to Nin and huddle up next to him. Guiding his hand back to my rear before Liadanann growled.


    She would scoff first, "Those very same humans that locked him up in a cage for me to potentially kill? I doubt he has any affection left for human women... Especially given how one was behind our imprisonment." she snapped at me before enveloping his arm completely with her chest. And she pushed it further down onto him to show their size off even more. It made mine feel small and I felt a lot more aware over how they did not fully envelop his arm like hers did.


    "No, still like human women." Nin would confirm with a simple nod.


    Liadanann scoffs some more, this time in disbelief, "Well... Just be aware you''ll never find anything as bountiful on people like her." she arrogantly declares while hugging Nin tightly. Something I responded to in kind before moving my head towards hers.


    "Don''t even try, Red, I can see the swelling, they''ll be all flabby and flat within the week!" I tell her before she suddenly got angry.


    "Why you-" she said as she raised a hand before Nin''s arm caught it.


    "Ah, ah, ah! That goes here." he gently chastises her with before he returns her arm to hug him. A quick little sigh leaves him before he happily chitters away. A sound I had grown quite fond of as his happiness fed back into me and made me happy.


    "What''cha doing?" Larishazza asks as she moves into the shower room. A wide smile on her face as she looks at Nin. Nin, however, then lets go of both of us, races over to her and pulls her into a backbreaking hug. Something she laughs loudly at before he rests his cheek on her petite body.


    Upsetting both me and Liadanann because we had just worked ourselves up over our large chests. And here Nin was now enjoying a flat one more than ours... And the fact she was enjoying the attention did not help matters. In fact, it reminded me of why I conflicted with her so much prior.


    "Oh, be quiet." I grumble before crossing my arms. Intentionally pushing my arms against my breasts in the hopes it would do something. But Nin paid no heed to either of us and stayed focused on Larishazza. At least, until he put her down with a frown.


    "Something wrong? Wait, don''t answer that." Larishazza joked quietly before Nin started smiling again. Larishazza would laugh some more as well when she uses her magic to slip out of his grip.


    "Well, to answer your first question, I was helping Liadanann with her boob problem." Nin bluntly tells her which leads to the red-skin becoming even redder. His body had also turned around in order to gesture at his handiwork.


    "I didn''t have any such problem..." she grumbles before going up to Nin once more with Nin''s gesturing arm slowly snaking down. Her large body seemed just a little smaller when she stood right next to him. And, then, all of a sudden, she just plants her lips right onto his and pushes him towards a wall. Larishazza laughed in excitement but I just got angry.


    "HEY!" I yelled as I went towards her. Feeling some of my magic build up until Nin forcibly moved her off of him. A glare at first on his face that wiped the cockiness straight from Liadanann''s face. Yet, he calmed down before just pulling her in for a hug.


    "Do not ever do that..." he would tell her and probably me by extension as well. But, I could not for the life of me figure out why,


    "Can I ask why?" Liadanann asked with muffled words.


    "I... I just don''t want to be kissed on the lips by another." he said with agitation that I did not understand.


    "Is anywhere else fine, Nin?" Liadanann then asked hopefully. Which, oddly enough, Nin nodded in agreement to.


    "I''ll let you know if a line is being crossed." he said before I then came up to him and put my lips as close to his lips as possible.


    "HA!" I would say to her just before her cockiness returned.


    "I actually got one on his lips, human." she would remind me with a haughty laugh.


    "What''s... What''s going on? What happened?" Larishazza then asked in worry. And I assume it must have been related to the fact Nin now wore that bracelet again.


    "Nin''s put the bracelet back on." I whisper to her with a smile which made her frown more.


    "He what!?" she lets out in peculiar disbelief while watching him play around with Liadanann. Something that made me jealous but made her concerned and upset.


    "Nin, can we talk?" she asked before I brought her attention back to me.


    "Why''re you so worried anyway? He''s moving again, he''s able to relax, let him have this." I tell her. In complete disbelief myself as to why she would take issue with this.


    "No! He''s bottling it up, this is him ignoring the problem! Nin! Please, if we''re going to handle what happened to Tob-"


    "QUIET!" he roared at Larishazza as he suddenly shot towards her. Something that shocked everyone present as he was now bordering on tears. Twitching about in anger which he enhanced with an aggressive posture.


    "Nin, I didn''t mean anything bad by it-"


    "I said, be quiet!" he said to her through clenched teeth. Yet, despite his clearly displayed anger, his eyes showed something else. He wasn''t angrily demanding... He was begging.


    Larishazza gulped while her mouth went agape, "Okay... If you need any help, I''ll... I''ll be there for you, okay?" she says to him while forcing out a small smile. And Nin''s tone just shifts back to how it was. With his hand coming in from behind to grab my breast before he pulled me in. I would then also change my tone.


    "That''s better." I giggled with a sultry tone as his jaw massaged my neck. A relaxed sigh came out due to both of these actions. And, like before, me and Liadanann were fighting over his attention. Larishazza then left quietly and I watched her as she lingered by the door.


    Frowning myself before the loss of Nin''s hand on my chest changed my priorities. Something I responded to forcibly as I took advantage of Nin''s loss of balance. Landing right on top of him and rubbing my body against his with a jealous Liadanann above. And, despite how much she tried to pry me off, her size was not very telling of her strength.


    "Make some room!" she begged as she tried to move around me. But I had spread myself over every part of Nin. Keeping a tight grip on his arms with my legs locking around his while I also enjoyed his smile. Unfortunately, I was having to restrain this urge I had to just go forth and kiss him.


    I loved him so much and I was finally able to build up the emotion to say it to him again. To honestly declare to him what I felt and how I could say it without stopping. Memories of that night were no longer going to bother me. Yet, I still feared for the day he might take it off again.


    He has already shown a willingness to remove it and if Larishazza was right. He only had it on right now to serve as some kind of distraction. Which, hurt a little, I did not want my feelings to be treated this way. But, I could also not be so selfish and put myself above Nin, not now.


    "Nin..." I would begin to say in order to get his attention. Watching with the sweetest smile I could muster as his gaze went to meet mine.


    "Yes?" he would ask as I blocked out Liadanann and her attempts to get me off.


    "Promise me, when we get back to wherever you''ll find the time to have a little alone time with me?" I ask of him. Hoping that if I get him to promise it, I will have my moment to admit my love. I could get it off my chest and see how he truly responds to it. No more playing around like now, I could chase after the dream that vision put within me.


    One where he lords over the land formerly held by my mother with the help of my name. With a beautiful child in our arms and no more of these dangerous adventures that left us so exhausted. Even if I would not have minded a few more times where I could save his life. To make it clear to him that I would be there for him like he would be there for me.


    "Fine! I''ll just go back to fixing this piece of rubbish." Liadanann then said before she stropped off.


    "Fix it? You''re a mechanic or something?" Nin then asked as he moved my head to the side. Something that annoyed me but I did like how his hand felt on my jaw. And I would not be surprised that I would become addicted to it if he was to pull me in for a kiss like the stories had. Where the maiden has her chin in the grasp of his firm fingers...


    It made me blush madly just thinking about it, but what was new about that? In a way, I quite enjoyed how much I blushed while he had this bracelet on. It was a constant reminder of how much he cared. He spent the time with me and he has learned stuff about me because of it.


    "I am, but it would be nice if I had more tools to work with." Liadanann then complained before Nin suddenly shoved me off. Something that had Liadanann smiling wide while I looked at him in disbelief.


    "Seriously!?" I asked as I started to gather my clothes. Not even bothering with drying off as the pair had quickly disappeared. And going by the sudden rush back on Liadanann''s part, she had disappeared too quickly... Because only now had her clothes been taken into her hand.


    It didn''t take too long to find them, though, it was just a simple case of following the opposite. Vadei''s people would avoid Nin and Nin could be left to his own devices. In this case, however, I did not want to leave him alone. I wanted to spend time with him and keep the power of the bracelet in me.


    If I had to be clingy then so be it!


    "We''re going to have to redo these welds... They are awful." Liadanann told him while he nodded at her. The pair of them being right before the work I did before Nin spent some time to teach me about it. And, as such, it made me a bit angry as I did the best I could with what I had.


    "Well, I''m sorry." I bitterly told her before Nin went up to me and took my fingers.


    "We didn''t use tools, we used her magic." he explained while giving me a reassuring shake of the shoulders.


    "Should really use the proper tools for the job." was all Liadanann had to say before she inspected it some more. And then, she began to run her fingers around her various pockets. Tapping them before she looked up at the signs above. A sigh left her very slowly before she turned to Nin again.


    "The place where we keep the tools?" he asked to which she nodded. Nin huffed a laugh out before standing up.


    "What?" Liadanann asked as she moved some of her red hair about.


    "Nothing concerning you, just remembering that I don''t actually know where it is."


    Liadanann moves closer to him and takes his arm into his, "Then I guess you best help me find it." she said to him. And I just pouted at the fact she once again took control of where his attention was.


    "I can''t imagine it would be far from your workplace, should it, Einervaene?" he then asked me, something that caught me off-guard. Entirely because I was focused on Liadanann, not him.


    "Uh, yeah." I would say to him after registering what he had asked.


    "There, much better." Liadanann would say as she began to rummage through the various tools. Various groans and sighs would come from her while we watched her pick and drop things.


    "Guess we''ll have to remember this room."


    "There are a couple of rooms we have yet to use ourselves." I would remind Nin as I only ended up in that room by circumstance. I wanted a place to keep my drawings and to work on clothes. The room I used just so happened to fit the criteria I had regarding it.


    "Perhaps you''ll want a drying room?" he then asked with a smile as he flicked at my still soapy skin.


    "Well, I wouldn''t mind finding one together?" I offered before Liadanann ruined the moment.


    "Who or what made these tools?" she would ask while awkwardly holding the smaller tools in her hand.


    "No one here, I can tell you that much." Nin explained with a shrug before Liadanann focused on the larger machines.


    "I guess I can try recycling some of these pieces then..." she grumbled before she began to force many of the tools into a heated machine.


    "You''ve used these machines before?" I asked as she was using a lot of this with surprising familiarity.


    "No, I have used stuff made by my people, however. And, some of it does have a similar layout. But that is probably because the profession is centred around efficiency and the most effective shapes tend to correlate." she explained in a somewhat lengthy manner before Nin stepped forward.


    "And what exactly are you doing?" he asked.


    "Recycling the smaller tools into a smaller selection, but one more suited for my hands. Are you perhaps going to want some custom-made tools?" Liadanann would then ask back as she grabbed Nin''s hand. And she would mess with his few fingers before frowning at them.


    "Not the best, are they?" Nin joked as he moved them against where Liadanann intended to move them. Four digits, each of them thick and blocky.


    "I''m surprised your kind would even learn how to use anything that wasn''t a stick."


    "You''d be surprised at how unique I am compared to my kind." Nin said before he looked at me sadly. Something I tried to counter with a reassuring stroke of his hand. In a way, he was speaking about both his old body and his current one. A human in the body of an osibindah.


    "Osibindah, correct? That flaming creature from before said so." she said before she went quiet at Nin''s sudden twitch. A portion of bloodthirst from what had happened not so long ago?


    "Uh... You lot, would you mind coming to the bridge with me, please." Vadei then said as she slowly came up from behind. And, wow, she looked tired.


    "You alright?" I would ask at first but she just gave me a blank stare and a slow gesture.


    "Can''t you tell us through the speaker?" Nin questioned as he started to follow her. But she would say nothing and we would be slowly trailing behind her. And as Liadanann seemed incapable of minding her strides. I moved aside so I did not have those claws scraping my boots.


    And then I realised what had happened, and I growled at her before we then arrived at the bridge. Larishazza was already there and the two slavers were too. By her chair as well, her mother who looked just as tired. Even if she tried to keep up the impression that she wasn''t.


    "Can we know now...?" Nin would ask as Vadei''s mother protectively took hold of her daughter. Yet, she did not do so in a particularly obvious way. I only caught on because this was the sort of thing Mother taught me about it a little. To get an idea of how to handle situations.


    Admittedly, being around Nin has made me wonder if those lessons had been forgotten.


    "I have decided on a change of plans." Vadei said nervously. Both her own tail and her Mother''s were in her grasp.


    "I?" Nin repeated, only to get a glare for his trouble. Just another reminder as to why Nin should stay in his attire... At least, when he is meeting new people.


    "Y-Yeah... I''ll stop at the closest human settlement, be it in the ravines or mountains so I can let those two go. Then, I will be taking the airship back to my homeland... So we can properly bury Dad and the others..." she explained.

 Base 8: See Ya, Let the Door Hit You!

    "I would help you pack your things, but, you know." Nin shrugged at me and Paps whilst one of his women held onto him. I wasn''t quite sure what to think of it if I was honest. Those two were close one moment and then the other they were distant. And now, they were back to the way before. Maybe that is just how relationships are, I guess.


    I know I have fallen out with Paps on several occasions only to start messing with him again. They must''ve had an argument that I did not see or hear. Or maybe one of them was putting up a front. It seems odd that the lightning-user would go from an enraged storm to a gentle and frequently cooing rumble.


    "Well, aaas lang aaas we caaan see eaaach ather aaagaaain!" I sarcastically tell him while throwing a rude gesture his way. Sticking close to Paps while also occasionally looking outside whenever I could. It had been a short while since we started moving again and now we were back. Back in the land of the wind-people where our home was too.


    Albeit, deep under theirs.


    "No money?" Paps asked as he likely tried to see if he could strike a deal. But, I doubted that he would be able to get any deal done. The people of this airship hated us and they had made it clear over and over. Unless Paps was able to go after one who buckled easily, then we''d get nowhere.


    Then, I had a blue-focused idea, "Psst, Paps." I whispered as I got closer to him.


    "Not now." he tried to tell me while pushing me back slightly.


    "Blue-hair!" I tell him after getting my mouth around his paw, just as the woman ran off.


    "Good luck with that, Lari hates you two." Nin scoffed before he went after his toy. I briefly heard her giggle and his footsteps before it became quiet in this room. A rundown little room we had been forced into once the oxfuinei had come aboard. And, by no fault of our own was this place messy.


    "If we haaave aaany chaaance, Paps, it is with her." I tell him, egging him on towards my idea as I stepped closer to the door. Smiling at his agitated breath before he started leading the way towards a singing woman. And soon we were greeted with the sight of blue-hair whipping about alongside little tails. Well, to them they might''ve been little, to me they would fit my backside just fine.


    And before we could even start speaking, we were approached by her, "Shouldn''t you two be going?" she asked us with closed eyes, a smile and a head that did not look down.


    "What''s going on?"


    "Yeah, keep dancing!"


    The children moaned as they slowly began to come near us. They may have not understood why everyone hated us, but they did emulate the adults. The nervous and anxious ones, that is. Only like one or two of these children tried to act tough.


    "Money, please." Paps bluntly asked Larishazza as she seemed to recoil.


    "Money?" she repeated before her lip buzzed to life with a laugh. Some of the children copied her but a lot also did nothing.


    "Yes. Help daughter." Paps told her as he pointed at me.


    "Ms Larishazza, they asked nicely!" one of the children then said. A little girl who could not have been more than a couple of years even by the measurements of her own kind.


    "N-No, we can''t." Larishazza tried to tell them as her voice began to break apart.


    "You helped our parents!" another said and I began to put on a fake sad face. I clutched my stomach and held my arm. Pretending I was both sick and hungry.


    "See! They need help!"


    "Please!" a bunch of the children then said together as a pro-Us faction formed.


    "No! Our parents don''t like them!" one child countered with.


    "I don''t like you but it doesn''t mean others shouldn''t!" another said as they pointed at them.


    "That''s because you''re stupid!" the offended one shot back with before a shouting match started.


    "Alright everyone, quiet please!" Larishazza said as she spoke up and let some magic flow. A gesture of power that asserted her authority clearly to the children and us in turn.


    "Pleaaase help..." I weakly groaned to her while I leaned on Paps.


    "Fine!" Larishazza groaned before she shivered her head up to the ceiling. A forced smile on her face as she snatched us both into her grip and dragged us onwards. And soon, we were presented before the ramp off the ship before she disappeared. And, we waited for it to both open and for her to come back.


    "Thaaanks!" I let out with a wry smirk as a glare came to her features.


    "Don''t! I''m only doing this for them!" she said with an aggressive jab against my chest. One that sent me stumbling and brought Paps forward protectively. I was in no danger right now, but he was always like that. Always looking out for me even if I did not need it.


    When I did, though, I was very appreciative of his efforts and strength. There were just some things I could not handle on my own and having him there reassured me. I was a good shot, sure, but sometimes I just wasn''t good enough. I needed someone to cover me as I would them.


    So maybe, I should move away from the whole slavery business. Being in a profession that sells people did not make you many friends. Especially when you frequently made use of manipulative tactics to get extra produce. Reputation was a scary thing at times.


    Not that we were a particularly out-there duo. Back in our home city, maybe, amongst people with similar attitudes to life as we. But out here, it was a rare thing indeed to be surrounded by so many who knew our faces. To despise them as well...


    "We''ve aaarrived." I let out when a sudden thud fills the airship. Then, just after, another thud comes about along with a wave of other noises. And once the ramp was properly down, we were ushered out roughly. Nearly tripping up in the process as it was that rough!


    "Alright, alright, bank or a cashpoint... Where are you...?" Larishazza muttered as she dragged us about. My pride wanted me to interfere but my mind knew full well I couldn''t. I had no bullets or balls designed to kill a magic user. To not even start with the lack of a gun, and to make it worse, I didn''t have my gun!


    Speaking of my missing tool, one that I loved so dearly as it was mine. One I fashioned myself and steadily built up over time. We really would need to head on over to Suhurlodst and hope we could get our things... I was not looking forward to learning the body of another rifle or musket anytime soon!


    "Over there." Paps then pointed out to our carrier who quickly sped over to it. Surprising many around us and soon below us as she quickly began to leap great distances.


    "HEY! NO JUMPING AROUND LIKE THAT!" a security guard chastised as Larishazza came to a halt near the machine. She did not acknowledge the warning at all and just stuck her finger into the machine.


    "OW!" I would then squeal out once a heavy box hit my head. Paps would go over me and growl while I nursed my growing bruise.


    "Now, get out of my sight." Larishazza ordered before she flared her aura out. Something that left me and Paps shivering in fear as well as scaring off everyone around us. And, if I wasn''t so scared, I might have laughed at the sight. Of angry guards storming towards a half-naked woman and then running off...


    "Fine." Paps said to her dismissively as he picked the money and me up. Quickly shoving my way out of his grip and moving out of the airport with him. It was nothing like that other town we went to. The one I got all those trophies from.


    The trophies I had to leave behind for a plethora of reasons. But, the main reason was just that they had all been destroyed... Yeah, I get the oxfuinei hated us but did they really need to do that? Those were precious paps-daught memories!


    "Whaaat da we facus an?" I asked Paps as we left the rather simple airport. Hopping up onto the brick-rimmed grass patches and getting down every now and then. Something I carried on with until actual roads started forming.


    "Travel." he tells me simply before he sneaks a map into his hands. Something he had an easy time doing as our size made us slip under their line of sight quite easily. Probably one of the few advantages we hwardgon had up here on the surface. Or, rather, near-surface as was so often the case with the wind-people.


    "Thaaat entaaails aaa lat af things, Paps." I reminded him as he unfolded the map. My eyes were quick to catch onto the signs detailing a blacksmiths quarter. But he was focused more so on the area with the coaches, wagons and other things. This wasn''t a particularly advanced town by the looks of it.


    Especially when one looked back at the airport as it was just a frame really. It had all the essentials, sure, but it was nothing like that other town. Even the buildings showed more signs of hands-on maintenance. But if this was because of it being a small town at the edge of the continent or a ravineer town was up for debate.


    "They no leave." Paps then pointed out as he brought my eyes to the skies with his words. And he was indeed correct, the airship Nin and that stole had not left. They must be getting supplies then because Vadei was making little exceptions in her travel plan. She was not budging on what she wanted to do.


    And perhaps as a sign of her plan, there were quite a few set-up stalls manned by oxfuinei. Familiar but still bizarre goods were displayed on most of them and much of it had foreign influence. In a way, it reminded me of what that Einervaene woman drew. If slightly different to some extent, but, the influences were all here.


    Speaking of those influences, maybe I could find and buy or steal a certain gun part? The lightning-people made very interesting rifles that shot their rounds far faster than any other. They even had largely non-magical guns that shot heated orbs at you. Maybe I could put them onto my own musket?


    You know, modify it a little so it could either shoot these orbs or super-charge the normal rounds. I could think of many, many advantages that would offer me. I would save money as I would not need custom-made anti-magic rounds as much. As, well, the bullets and balls would be charged with magic as they exit the barrel...


    "Heiya!" Paps barked whilst I was getting lost in my thoughts. Apparently, we had arrived at one of the shops that had caught Paps'' eye. At first, I thought it was a travelling supplies shop, but going in made it clear it was a second-hand goods place. Not sure why we would be here, though, everything would be awful!


    "Ah, hello! We don''t get many of your kind around here often, can I help at all?" the eager, balding owner or something asked as he slowly stood up and came over. The amount his face contorted might''ve tricked you into believing he was elderly or something...


    "Travel stuff." was all Paps had to say to him as his gaze hardened. Yet, despite our size, Paps'' confidence and sternness managed to shake the man''s resolve.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Anything in particular...?" he''d ask before the silence convinced him of an unspoken answer, "Right, bit of everything." he then spoke with a clap of his hands. And off he went, giving Paps a tour of the place while I found myself lingering about. I would pick up some items and inspect them before inspecting the shop.


    I would not have called it a particularly big one, but it did have its blind spots. However, just walking out of here with something would not be a boringly easy task as there was a bell. A bell that would go off if I went through that door. And that door was right in front of the counter so staff would chase us.


    One was even sneaking peaks at me!


    And, in turn, that would lead to the guards coming after us if we were unlucky. But, I was willing to bet the guards would not care about some petty theft at a second-hand goods shop. Yet, my cockiness would soon dissipate when I saw something in particular on display. It was a small circular device made of dull, grey metal.


    "Aaa music plaaayer?" I would ask no one but my own excitement as I picked it up. Smiling intently as I discovered that it even had a pair of earphones connected to it. Not cheaply wired or connected ones either, fancy magi-tech ones I could just keep in my ears without holding the device. Now, if only we had someone who had the kind of music I was looking for...


    "Who in all of the mountains is Serelv Preslav?" someone asked with a roll of their eyes as they walked into the shop. The ringing of the doorbell did not even come close to the attention grabber that was that name, however.


    "I have no clue, none at all, but that hairy little midget was certainly enraged when we said we ain''t heard of them!" the friend of the other man said with a scoff. Something that at first made me angry before I grasped the implications of what he had just said.


    "PAPS!" I would then suddenly screech with girlish excitement as I suddenly began to hop up and down. Tightly holding onto the music player while that name went through my head over and over. Serelv Preslav... The sexiest hunk of hwardgon to ever grace the mortal world with a voice that could have only been divinely gifted!


    "What!?" Paps would at first say with worry all over his face. But, when he saw the device in my hand and my expression, he groaned. He knew full well what I was thinking and it made what I was about to do even easier.


    I held the device close to him and put on my best pleading expression, "Paaappy... Yau knaw haw yau lave me sa, sa, sa much...?" I began with while making my voice sweeter.


    "No." he instantly groaned out despite the twitch his eye just made. He loved it when I called him by his old nickname as I guess his mind was stuck in the past.


    "But, Paaappy, it haaas been sa stressful aaas af laaate aaand I dan''t knaw if I caaan cape with it..." I told him with fake tears as I began to emulate something my younger self might''ve done. Then, I let my grin grow to absurd proportions as he bought every word and brought me close. His firm arms hugged me tightly and I could feel the thoughts rumble in his throat.


    "Fine, one." he then said to me with a smile as he put some money in my hand. His other hand patting me out the door before he handed money over to the member of staff. And soon I could see none of it as I was fanatically looking about for any signs of a music shop. One that sold the music of the crush I have had since that first concert of his I saw!


    Then, I heard it, some of the lyrics to one of Serelv''s songs, "Great First Mother, my head burns, burns, burns! From my heart, it comes! All the way to my soul! It was a girl, girl, girl, girl! She''s gonna set me aflame! So hot will she burn me that I can go on no more!" his sweet voice sang with a distinct echo to it. He wasn''t here in person, but this was still enough to set me off. And I would run off squealing to the man running a small stall.


    "Naw, whaaat we gat ''ere?" the hwardgon man running the stand asked me as I lost myself in the music. Dancing about before the stall and living out my fantasies in my head before I came back to my senses. An electric squeal came out of me as I jumped up onto the stall.


    "HAW MAAANY CAAAN I GET!?" I excitedly demanded as I slammed my money before him. Quickly presenting the music device as well just so he knew what kind of input I needed. And even as I caught him flashing that salesman''s smirk, I did nothing to prepare myself.


    "I dan''t think yau cauld even aaaffard ane..." he told me with a dismissive shrug that just killed me.


    "Eh...?" I let out in disbelief as my hands suddenly became protective of the money and music player. I soon began to shake my head rapidly as I tried to figure out what was going on. I knew, but for some reason I just could not get it out of my head.


    "Came baaack when yau gat the right aaamaunt." he told me as he waved me away while looking down on me. Something that snapped me back to reality and made it clear as day what was happening.


    I then snorted in rage when I saw a price tag on one of his Serelv discs, "Nat enaugh, huh?" I would ask as I circled around to where he was. Growling at a steady rate before cracking my knuckles.


    "HEIYA!" Paps would then bark out, something that caught me by surprise. And I would move away from the swindler with my eyes facing the ground.


    "Keep thaaat little runt an aaa leaaash!" the salesman mocked before he started to laugh. And then, I smiled as I watched Paps suddenly move forward. I had no problems with the word, but Paps? No, he had a lot of problems with the word ''runt.''


    "What did you just call my daughter you brittle-pined punk?" he would snort out to the salesman in our native tongue before suddenly punching the stall. Something that frightened the man as his fist had gone straight through the wooden boards making up its shell.


    "N-Nathing..."


    "That''s what I thought," Paps said at first before he suddenly slammed the salesman''s nose downwards into his own stall. Barely holding back a fit of laughter as Paps snatched up a bunch of music before dumping it in my hands. He would then take the money back as well, but now I had so much more music than I could have bought anyway!


    Such a win!


    "Runt-raiser!" the salesman then barked out in pain as he held his bleeding nose. Something that made me stop and smile as Paps suddenly turned around again.


    "I don''t think I quite made my point clear, do you?" he asked him aggressively before he sped around to then drag him off of his chair. And to the sound of another Serelv song, Paps brutally beat the salesman up. I tried to enjoy the song but the sound of bones breaking made it hard to enjoy it.


    "Oy, what''s going on here!?" a human guard asked as he came up to the stall. A glare likely on his face as he went around to kick Paps off of the salesman. And going by his lack of care towards the assault that hwardgon had just faced... We might be able to get out of this with no trouble!


    "Nothing." Paps gruffly answered as he walked away from the scene of the crime. His normal demeanour had returned as he put his arm around me. We walked away and I was very amused to hear our native swears be directed at the apathetic guard.


    "Yau caaan laasen up, yau knaw?" I pointed out to Paps as his protective hold kept me from distancing myself. He did not listen to me, though, instead, he brought me to a fountain and sat me down on it. A soft look in his eyes as he looked right into mine. He even cupped one of my cheeks lovingly while I just felt awkward about this.


    "Not a runt." he would say in the tongue of the wind-people while shaking his head. I would slowly nod as I realised it was another case of this... Of where he projected his own offence onto me in order to coddle me.


    "I''m fine, Paps, reaaally." I try to tell him while moving away, but his grip was too strong.


    "You strong. Heiya is strong girl. Not runt." he told me as tears began to form?


    "Aaagaaain, I''m fine." I say before he pulled me in close.


    "My Heiya. Strong girl." he repeated as he began to sniffle. Something that made me sigh as his overreaction reminded me of the truth of the matter. I was indeed the runt of his children, one who had quite a few problems at birth. It did not bother me at all but it bothered him a lot.


    Maybe more so now given how I was the only family he had left. All my brothers and sisters, his sons and daughters had died at one point or another. So had Ma, they were all gone. So I guess he did not like being reminded of how frail I supposedly was.


    Yet, thinking of my lost family did indeed sour my mood, not that it affected me negatively for long. As the moment he saw my frown he suddenly shot his head up and looked for something. And, once he found it, he dragged my gaze up towards that place in question. It was a sweet shop of some description.


    "Treat?" he asked me with an uncharacteristically bubbly voice, the kind of voice you used on a toddler...


    But, I wasn''t going to turn down sweets or that, "Sure..." I said, wanting to get this little thing of his over with. I wanted to get onto listening to my newly acquired music. Well, it wasn''t actually newly acquired, I had gods know how many copies of every single Serelv song back home. At each of our homes in fact, from the most modest safe house to the main place itself.


    Again, I wasn''t complaining, I quite welcomed the fact I could listen to quality music again! No other piece of music I have heard ever really came close to Serelv! I have tried listening to Tobaballian stuff, that was just depressing and the wind-people stuff was too grandiose! It always tried to have a bigger meaning about heroism or something...


    Not Serelv, though, it was always personal and under-the-earth, perfect for a young hwardgon woman like me! He sang about issues I could grasp with a voice so sweet it would leave your mouth broken. And that was to say nothing about his looks which were so good I could burn myself on them. His finely kept spines, his solid face, those full lips...


    They all just came together to make the single-most perfect singer out there!


    "Oh, hello! How can the Sweet Basin serve you today?" a waitress asked as she began to guide us to a table. Not that I was paying much attention, I was too busy looking at the cases. Admiring each image of Serevl I had and getting weaker and weaker as time went on by. He was just so handsome!


    "What want, Heiya?" Paps would ask at first before he had to get more direct. A finger of his soon jabbed my nose and brought me back to reality. Much to the amusement of the waitress who clearly understood what I was doing. Something that made my face burn before I suddenly buried my head.


    "I dan''t caaare." I shrieked in embarrassment with a groan as I sought the protection Serevl''s faces could give me. My darkening cheeks could be hidden behind all kinds of material. Unfortunately, however, I could not keep her laughs from going into my ears. I could not stop my mind from bouncing them about like a child with a new ball.


    "Two milkshake." Paps then told the waitress with a firm chink ending her laughter.


    "Of course, what flavour?"


    "Heiya?" Paps asked as he shook my arm. Something I reacted with hostility towards as it might reveal my embarrassed face.


    "I dan''t caaare!" I repeat as my fingers and toes curled together tightly.


    "You choose." Paps told the waitress as he also likely bore two holes into my head with his concerned gaze.


    "Of course, I''ll be back when I can!" she answers before skipping away with a giggle in her mouth. And, when she was gone, I slowly brought my head up and tidied up my music. Initially, I moved to put a disc into my music player before Paps stopped me.


    "Alright?" he asked as his hand kept a firm grip on my music player. I tried to pry his fingers off of it but he kept a firm grip that would not budge. I''d probably need a crowbar or something to get it off of him.


    "I''m fine, reaaally." I tell him while impatiently tapping the back of his hand.


    "You talk to me? You can." he needlessly clarified as his hand switched over and grabbed mine. The rough fur on his paws rubbed against my softer fur shortly after.


    "Haw maaany times da I need ta repeaaat myself...?" I groaned out before my head collapsed onto the table.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll keep you safe." he said with a small, rare smile.


    "I knaw, I knaw..." I admitted with a smile of my own as he did indeed do that. He did keep me safe and make me feel safe. But, I still wouldn''t mind him easing up a little. He very much became a burden to my life with his overprotective attitude.


    "Thank you for waiting, here you go!" the waitress declared as she came back. A wide smile on her face as she looked down at my scowl. I growled a little at her before she left. And a straw was soon in my mouth as I needed to distract myself for the moment.


    "Sa... Whaaat is the plaaan, aaanywaaay?" I asked Paps once I had stopped draining my milkshake away. Holding back the urge to react to a brain freeze in the meantime.


    "We go home." Paps answered before he took a sip from his drink. His mouth made harsh slaps after he tasted it. He then shivered with a slight gag before he went back at it. I could not tell if he hated it or if it was just too sweet for him or something.


    "Whaaat aaabaut aur stuff!? The stuff we haaad ta leaaave behind!?" I pointed out as I suddenly became worried for my musket. I put too much effort into that thing to just abandon it to whatever fate the wind-people had in store for it. Something that was likely not worthy of the history and quality of that gun...


    "Mail it." Paps pointed out with a shrug and my panic disappeared. It was really that simple, huh... And now that he mentioned it... We had lost stuff there before that the Suhurlodstians were quite happy to send back to us...


    "Akaaay... Where will we be gaing...?"


    "Real home. Time for rest." he mumbled as he suddenly gagged some more. And going by how his nose took on a slightly different colour, he had sneezed a bit out. That made me giggle a little while he cleaned it with his sleeve.


    "Fine by me." I admit with a relieved sigh, quite happy with that plan. We go back to our main home and just live life slow for a bit. No more kidnappings or dangerous shipment runs. And, of course, we could be nice and comfortable in our own lands.


    However, I can''t say we''d be enjoying the people all too much. Both of us were kind of recluse by nature. We didn''t really interact with anyone beyond the basics. And, well, I was fine with it like that.


    Couldn''t exactly enjoy the feeling of a gun taking down a beast or rumbling in your arms while chatting. Their voices would just get in the way and it would stop you from praising the gun. After all, it was doing so much work for you that it just deserved a lot of it. You could not do that with others, they''d be mocking your praise the entire time.


    So it was just better to do it on your own or at worst, at a distance from another. Which often became the case when hunting, as, well, you often tried to steal another persons kill. Not that such a thing was possible, at least, not until they tried to take your game in a quick snatch-and-grab. But, frankly, that was often more enjoyable than hunting, shooting the sneaky little thief...


    "Guns still needed..." Paps muttered as he finished his milkshake. He sounded like he was choking and I quickly finished off mine. Grabbing up my stuff before following him out the door and trailing behind him as we walked elsewhere.


    "Try nat ta buy the cheaaap anes." I told him as I shivered at the memories of cheap, temporary guns we had bought before.


    "Wind-people good. Stuff quality." Paps said back with a dismissive wave before we reached the blacksmiths quarter. And as if the gods were on my side, we walked in on a building burning down with the street blocked up.


    "Really now?" I asked him as we stood before the dying inferno. They may have not had water magic, but they did have some means to manipulate water here.

 Incline 1: Welcome Home, Vadei

    "Do we have everything?" Vadei asked me once again as her fingers slowly moved about. And when each sluggish flick of the fingers was done, the airship followed suit. Almost as lethargically as her.


    "Again, yes, we have everything you asked for." I told her from my seat just before she sighed again. The frown that had become so typical of her as of late moved slightly, but it did not go anywhere. She was stuck in an eternal state of depression. Something her family could not help her with from what I have seen.


    "Va, you need to sleep, come on." her mother encouraged as she shook her daughter about. But, Vadei stuck her nose up at the idea and got out of her grip.


    "I''ll sleep when we get back home..." Vadei snapped up at her with barely any energy before she began to lean forwards. Then, she went back up all of a sudden as she forced her eyes open.


    "Vadei, get some sleep." her mother repeated as she began to stroke her cheek after she put her head on her belly. Vadei would then shiver before she just started crying again. This was something that had happened quite a bit as of late. So much was going through her head and it just exploded out every now and then.


    Thankfully for me, Liadanann came onto the bridge with her tools, "Nin, can you come here for a moment?" she asked me with a smirk as she dangled a wrench from her finger. Hips stuck out while her tail swished from side to side.


    "Going to show me your latest attempt at vandalism, are we?" I jokingly asked her as I moved to leave the bridge. Watching carefully despite not wanting to at how Vadei''s mother held onto her protectively as I passed on by. Nearly sneering at her before Liadanann''s smile took the sneer right off of my face.


    "Improvements, they''re called improvements." she told me as she spun around and slithered her thick tail across my front.


    "Most of them have done nothing to help the ship." I say as we go by some of her strange additions to the ship. In this case, a strange and peculiar set of lines she had etched into the hull. Which, admittedly, was all the cases from what I have seen. All lines that have been etched into our precious airship.


    "Because it is not done yet!" she once again reminded me as I raised a brow at her.


    "And when will it be done, exactly? We''ve been at this for weeks. Emphasis on the ''we'' given how you like to do it as a pair." I ask while smiling a bit at her growing grin and what should''ve been a light blush. She wasn''t as prone to looking like she was blushing as the others, but she had many tell-tale signs. First of which relates to her tail as it gets all wiggly when she is happy. Her toe-claws also get quite active when she is praised or our relationship is mentioned, as well.


    "I could not even tell you, but, I will know when it is done!" she informs me as she confidently sticks her chest out with a tool held above her head. I nearly moved backwards, however, when her swollen chest bounced into me. And it had predictable results as she too went backwards while softly moaning and groaning before she stabilised herself.


    "Is it about that time of day again?" I asked with both a knowing grin and a sense of concern. Her reluctance to accept help from anyone but me has caused some complications with her healing. Being stuck in a cage as she was had also caused some issues. She had to be fed steady, small amounts in a comfortable manner otherwise her body would reject it.


    An odd kind of spell she developed in order to mitigate the damage of that harness. However, if it did anything but make the issue worse is something else entirely. Thankfully, however, we got along and helping her out wasn''t too hard. In fact, it was quite an enjoyable affair!


    "Indeed it is." she nodded with a sultry grin as she grabbed her straps and lowered her top. Exposing a big, juicy pair of crimson-tipped, pale-red mounds covered in dozens upon dozens of little darker red lumps. Each one of them was the sign of her former captivity and I was working on getting rid of them. The injuries on her lower half, though, might take longer as I was unwilling to touch that place.


    Not because I might hate the feeling or be grossed out by it. But, rather, I did not want to go that far with her while Lari was at the centre of my mind. Maybe if I finally let go of her, maybe then I''ll check there. But, for now, she can just apply the necessary makeshift medicine to the injury.


    Whatever it was that Lari had tried to make so Liadanann could heal down there. It was quite difficult to make, as well. Not so because the ingredients were uncommon or hard to find or troubling when you refined it. The issues came entirely from Liadanann''s want to be near me...


    She won''t accept the gel if she knew Larishazza made it on her own. So, I needed to hide and pretend that I made it myself. Thankfully, for her own good, she does not have an acute magic sense. So she has not picked up on its watery and arcane nature.


    "Well, I''m waiting, handsome." Liadanann reminded me as she moved her chest up and down a little. Something that made my nostrils flare open as I moved in to help her. And, slowly and carefully, I took hold of them and moved her against the airship before massaging them. Listening to her breaths and moans carefully as I started to let my magic flow into her.


    I had found it quite funny how seriously I took this whole affair. Even with my increased willingness to play around with the girls, I still kept my priorities in order. If I was doing it to heal them, I did it to heal them. I did not play around with it and just focused on that.


    Of course, this did not mean that Liadanann was treating it like I was. She was buckling under my grip and putting her arms around my neck. Her weak body was so desperate in its attempts to get me closer. And maybe it was a good idea, I could breathe magic onto her, after all.


    One of the many benefits of being in a land full of wind magic. But that also made me wonder why she couldn''t just apply magic to herself with a hairdryer or something. Like, I clearly understood why she preferred this way of doing things, her body moved the way it did for a reason. But, still, she could be far further along with the process if she just did more of it herself.


    "Alright, we''re changing positions." I then complained when her reactions were getting in my way. So I spun her around and pinned her against the wall. My claws weren''t slowed down by the sudden pressure I was applying to them and my legs kept her tail still. And, maybe she preferred it this way, her lower body certainly wanted to try and make it so.


    "Come on, Nin... You know full well that machine also damaged better places." she cooed with a sigh as my claw tips traced the lumps on her breasts. Gently pushing down on each one like a needle before moving along. I did not know if the process helped, but it made sense in my head. After all, I was focusing the magic right on the injury rather than slathering it about her chest like lotion.


    Speaking of lotion, however, "And you know full well that I gave you a routine regarding that." I remind her just before she suddenly shivered and gasped.


    "B-But... Your claws would feel so much better..." she pointed out as she slowly licked her lips.


    "This is for your health, Liada." I say, using that nickname that Larishazza often uses despite the protests.


    "Mmmmm... But so is getting these feelings and thoughts I have of you out." she giggles before I began to test her breasts. Bouncing each one up and down as if I was juggling them in order to test the magic.


    "How do they feel?" I asked as I exposed her front to the air and the view beyond the airships railings.


    "G-Great! Oh, how I wish Iderim-Ovi would grant you his reckless confidence so you did more!" she told me, but I ignored everything but the first word to come out of her mouth.


    "Perfect, we''ll do it again later and then I''ll come by before you go to bed." I explain as I let go. Enjoying the way she pouted as I helped her cover her breasts up.


    Then, I let her press up against me when she was dressed again, "Won''t you anyway, it is my turn to share your bed, no?" she asked me with a cheeky smile as my claws went down to her hips.


    "There''s no schedule or rule with my bed, Liada. We have been over this." I remind her with a little chastising slap. Given where the slap was, however, it might as well have been a sexual tease. She certainly took it that way.


    "There should be, I am getting tired of that girl." she gently growled into my chest. The sudden suction I felt on my chest was also followed by her suddenly calming down. If I knew my smell was that helpful in keeping her calm, I''d avoid showering or washing myself! Alas, that would be disgusting.


    "What there should be is harmony between you two as I am getting tired of you two arguing." I pointed out only to get a scoff as a response. So, in order to make my point clear, I pinched her skin.


    "Ow! Ow!" she repeated over and over until she forced her side out of my grip. A slight whiteness now tainted her skin and she rubbed it tenderly.


    "You two have done nothing to either, I don''t need you two making up reasons as you go along."


    "Well forgive me for struggling to find common ground with a human!"


    "The ones who''ve hurt you are gone," I begin to say before I felt a sudden surge of controlled anger, "all gone..." I finished in despair before I shook it out violently. Letting her sudden yelp fill my ears as I grabbed onto her and pulled her in for a hug. Purring with my chitters as I kept my head nestled near her neck.


    "Alright, I''ll give it a go..." she answers uncomfortably as I hug her. Why she was uncomfortable, however, I could not tell. Was she not a hugging person? That couldn''t have been right all things considered...


    "Good, and when you two learn to get along, we can just enjoy ourselves without issue." I answer with a chirp as I hop out of the hug. Moving against the airship until I was looking at the spot where her tools were.


    "Right, the improvements." Liadanann then admits while rubbing her head as she kneels down before falling onto her hip. Her claws began to move some things out the way but it seems that she mostly wanted me to look at it.


    "What am I looking at?"


    "N-Nothing, I just need you to apply some magic to this spot." she mumbles in embarrassment while looking at herself.


    "Alright." I let out as I do what was asked of me. Watching with minor curiosity as the patterns she had been making lit up before going dark. I followed the magic as it travelled across the metal but I could not sense any real changes. Maybe I had to put more in?


    "No! That was fine, that is all I wanted to show you." she sheepishly tells me as I moved to put more in. But, she steadily starts to look away nervously.


    "What did you do?"


    "N-Nothing..." she tells me while scooting away.


    "What did you do!?" I repeated louder before she smirks and gets up. Only to run off into the airship with a laugh booming from her lungs. Then, I swear I could hear someone screaming at another point in the airship. And I swear it sounded a little like Einervaene...


    I didn''t rush after Liadanann, but, I wasn''t slow about it either. I got up with a sigh and I followed her tracks. Which, thanks to her toe-claws, actually were a thing as she left these short-lived scratches on the floor. And I say short-lived because it was more of a smudge mark, really.


    "NIN!? NIN!?" I then heard Einervaene call out in panic to which I sped off in the direction of. Then, I came to a confused stop when I found her on the floor moving her hands about aimlessly.


    "Yeah, I''m here." I told her as I put her hand into my claw. Growling slightly at the sudden shock she sent my way before she crawled onto me. And she patted my body down in the process. Almost as if she was blind...


    "I... Everything has gone blurry." she explained as she calmed down. My touch must''ve been quite something if it made her calm down this quickly!


    I frowned, firstly thinking of Liadanann''s work, "Alright, explain to me what happened. How did this happen?" I asked her as my grip became firmer. If this was what I was suspecting then I''d be having words with Liadanann.


    Then, oddly, Einervaene suddenly blushed, "I... I was rubbing my eyes after having used a bit of magic and I shocked my eyes..." she muttered with an increasing squeal to her voice.


    I started chuckling, "Oh... You stupid girl, stupid girl." I said between chuckles, much to her further embarrassment.


    "Sh-Shut up!" she said to me as she held onto me tighter. Not that it would help as my mockery filled her ears, not her sight. But, that would be enough for the moment as I needed to find Liadanann. And, maybe, if I brought Einervaene along then I could try and see things get patched up between the pair.


    But, where had Liadanann gone? I had lost track of her given the sudden case of Einervaene bringing back an old favourite. It made one thing clear, too! It wasn''t just in baths or showers that she could shock herself!


    "Alright, come on. Get up, Einy." I said as I stood up, making up a nickname on the spot as we rose.


    "Einy...?" she repeated in confusion before a warm smile went on to dominate her face. Her hand even took on a more tender grip when we started walking. I think I could even hear her humming a delicate tune as I guided her about.


    "Oh, it''s back." I then commented when I saw a magic pulse travel through Liadanann''s things again. Was it perhaps decoration she added onto the ship? Decoration based on what she has seen back at her own home? Or was I still right to assume something worse?


    "Niiiiiiiinnnnnnnnn!" she called out with a singing voice. Something that made Einervaene move closer to me in a more protective manner.


    "Go away!" she said as she swatted the empty space before us. But, as this meant she was getting in my way, I just moved to pick her up by the rear. And when I started walking again, one claw was clasping the right cheek while the other claw was on her thighs. Each spot was tender and soft and had a certain spring to it.


    Both spots made Einervaene as red as the woman we were looking for too.


    "Why''d you run off?" I then asked once I found Liadanann again. Seems she has taken up residence in the male bunk space. And as soon as I entered, the few oxfuine still in here left with haste. Not that many were here, it seems they''ve learned to avoid Liadanann as well.


    "You were following me!" Liadanann countered with as she sashayed on over to me and Einervaene. A strained smile came to her face, but it steadily went away as she shifted her focus to my face. And then it came right back when Einervaene began to spread herself over me.


    "At first, but that still doesn''t answer why you just ran off after I did whatever it was you had me do."


    "I had you apply some of your magic to my runes..." she complained with a pout, and, interestingly, her disappointment sounded professional. As if she was upset I did not grasp the intent of her work despite my prior background. Which, did not come as a surprise, everyone I have explained this to took it with a grain of salt. Why is it so hard to believe that I was nothing special before all this bug stuff!?


    "And the runes do what exactly?"


    "They just circulate your magic around the area... It makes me feel safe..." she admitted as she kicked her right foot''s largest toe-claw along the floor. Clawing up the carpet in the process until I got in close and put a stop to it.


    "Alright, one moment, Einervaene." I told my current passenger before I put her down so I could properly address my old cell-neighbour. Taking her into my arms and putting my claws through her loose, red hair so I could soothe her. Feeling as she steadily opened up to the gesture and returned it in kind.


    "I know they aren''t humans... But they all look so alike them... You''re the only one who doesn''t look like one!" she explained with growing frustration as her grip tightened. But, I made sure to keep her a little distant so we did not aggravate her injuries. On the topic of that, though, I might need to get Einervaene to soften her outfit a bit. I know it might be difficult given our resource limits but I am worried about Liadanann''s injuries.


    "Liadanann, I get that you''ve been through a lot. Possibly for longer than I can grasp. But, please, no one here will hurt you. If you want to be near me, that is fine, but this paranoia needs to stop." I said to her while holding onto her as caringly as I could. I do not want her to misinterpret my intentions so maybe if I kept up the caring tone she would get it...? I hope so, I don''t think explaining my personal experiences would help.


    "They violated my most precious spaces with a machine that shocked me viciously until I complied... Don''t just tell me to let it go..." she sobbed as her arms moved to cover her chest and crotch. In another situation, this might have been a beautiful woman covering up her shame. But, this time was only slightly like that. I knew from the way she slept that it still disturbed her.


    "Don''t worry, Liadanann, I understand that more than you know." I admit to her as I move our bodies over to a bed. Even going so far as to take on a blank expression as I thought on my current body.


    "Then you should know why I need this... Why I needed to make a way for your magic to always be near me..." she said to me slowly as she slowly slid down until her head was on my crotch. She even moved one of her hands onto my claws so she could keep it on her cheek. She also tried to smile through the tears but she was struggling. It seems speaking of it was enough to make her spots ache a lot despite our recent check-up.


    I sighed out a noisy thought before I brought something before her, "Then, how about this, keep this with you." I said before I covered her face with my hat. Hearing a quiet laugh come from her before she took it off her face.


    "I''ll be fine with that." she tells me before her body began to move up. But, she stopped just short of my face and instead went around to my cheek. I got a little kiss from her and she was soon back on her claws with her tail moving about. A little hat that struggled to stay on now complimenting her looks.


    "You know, it''s a good thing you have your clothes made out of my old ones. The hat fits a lot better." I say to her as I watch her try and balance the hat on her horns. Watching with a small smile as she became frustrated by how it stayed on. And even though I took some joy in it, I was cautious as I suspected this was her just trying to vent some other frustrations out.


    "It doesn''t fit at all!" she stropped before nearly throwing the hat to the ground.


    "Well, we don''t need it to fit on tightly, we just need it to stay with you." I said to her as I had a go at it. But, my blocky six digits spread across two limbs weren''t the best for this. And, I was not surprised at all. I had to master wrapping myself up in bandages just to get changed!


    "I-I can help with that." Einervaene then spoke as she slowly got up and moved to rub her eyes. Something she stopped doing before she even started. A light chuckle left me as a result as she would often get briefly paranoid of her magic after moments like this.


    "Does she have to...?" Liadanann asked me with displeasure as she sneered in disgust.


    "I''m the one with the sewing expertise, so yes!" Einervaene snorted before she snatched the hat. Something that made me glare at her but I let it happen regardless. Yet, as punishment for that act, I did not help her as she stumbled out the room.


    "Come on, we''ll go sort it out then we can go find something else to do." I told my red-skinned friend as we got moving once more.


    "Once this is done... Can I show you how my rune system works?"


    "If you want, it''s not like there''s much to do aboard this airship." I joked seriously as I was indeed running out of things to do. Sure, teasing the girls was fun and all, but I needed something else to do and all the airship fixing was done! All thanks to Liadanann as well...


    Selfish one she was...


    Liadanann then giggled, "I could always teach you how to play a game I made up with all the spare nuts and bolts we have."


    "As long as it is not something that frustrates me to the point of death."


    "It''s not that bad!" Liadanann gasped in fake-shock before we finally reached Einervaene''s makeshift workshop. Something that took a while longer than I thought as, well, she was partially blind.


    "Can someone grab me a needle and some strong string, please!" Einervaene loudly asked as she plumped her rear onto a stall. Her drawings then swished about behind her as she flailed about.


    "One hat, one needle, one strip of bandages."


    "I said string." Einervaene repeated with an attempt at an annoyed tone. But I could see that smile of hers. Even if she and Liadanann didn''t get along when they interacted... She did try to make a relationship work.


    Or, maybe she just liked the gesture of me using one of my bandages as it was more stuff that smelled of me. Who knows, I suppose only she did unless she explained it to me. And while Einervaene slowly got to work, I looked back at Liadanann as she played with my bandages. Carefully I would watch as she fiddled with them.


    "These have been through quite a lot..." she would mutter as she held them under a light. Sometimes she would frown and other times she would seemingly smile at the stains. Maybe she was both worried about the injuries and fantasizing about them? Or, maybe there was just a funny picture I had not noticed.


    "Yeah, I know, they need to be replaced, really." I then say as I watch the near-equal giant sniff some of the various patches of colour.


    "I don''t think so, they all have a story to them. This bit here, for example, it was closed up after something shot it. This bit is burnt and this bit is just muddy." she said, showing off both a love for story and her knowledge of what things did to cloth.


    "And that story ends with them being replaced." I then added with a grin as I watched Einervaene finish up her work. And soon, I had a modified hat in my claws. One that I generously offered to my friend who took it with a smile. And even if she could not get it on properly, the fact the little bandage string kept it dangling on her made her smile.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "And my story has just got a lot more interesting, thank you." she told me while sending off glances towards Einervaene.


    "Thanking me? Oh, ho! No, you got to thank our sewmaster here." I told her before I gave Einervaene a firm pat on the back. Then, I caught her by the breast with my other claw as she quite literally did not see it coming.


    "Erh..." Liadanann let out before she started to moved towards the door. And I got a very good idea when I saw that.


    "Well, I''ll leave you to it." I loudly dismissed before I picked up Einervaene and slammed her on her desk. Making her legs wrap around my torso before vibrating my jaw up to her torso. A mixture of shock, squeals and gentle moans filled my ears.


    "W-What...?" Liadanann let out as I put on the impression I was going to go a bit further with Einervaene than I had before.


    "Just making sure Einy here gets the appreciation she deserves." I purred into the woman''s ear as little sparks began to shoot out her skin. And while my grip kept her still, she was shaking with so much anticipation that she might as well have been a running motor.


    "All I did was not thank her!" Liadanann tried to counter my actions with as if it didn''t paint her in a bad light.


    "Exactly." I whispered as I made it clear my lips were going near Einervaenes.


    "Alright! THANK YOU FOR THE HAT!" Liadanann then shouted in Einervaene''s face before she started dragging me off of her. Something I let her do while my mouth let out cackle after cackle.


    "Calm down, it was only a joke." I told the angry redskin as she wailed on me with her hands. And then, I was suddenly struck by a magical bolt of lightning that paralysed me.


    "A JOKE!?" Einervaene roared in fury as she suddenly shot up with her hands dripping with voltage. Each little bolt of her anger even seemed to be directed at me as they all sparked off her and then went to me.


    "If it was going to hurt this much I wouldn''t have!" I explained through laughter as I spasmed slightly at the feet of two buxom women.


    "You''re such moon-tongued beast!" Einervaene nearly spat out before she stomped off away from my laughter.


    I then slowly got up as the lightning began to dissipate out of my body, "Come on! I already made it clear beforehand I wasn''t going to do certain things!" I explained as my laughter came to an end. A blissful sigh was the last noise I made as I calmed down.


    My body then shook slightly when a hard fist bashed against my arm, "Don''t make those kinds of jokes..." Liadanann chastised shyly as that fist took my claw into its grip.


    "No." was all I had to say as the grin came back before a brief laugh too.


    And, in a bid to forget what happened, Liadanann tried to make it about herself again, "So... My runes, you wanted to know about them?" she asked.


    "Yeah, explanation, demonstration and all the other good stuff and that game if you''re still up for it?" I told her as I listed off what she could do.


    "Runes first, that will be more fun!" she says as she suddenly perks up at the mere implication.


    "Well, go on then, how do they work? You had me insert my magic and now it follows you...?" I tell her before commenting on the glowing lines on the walls.


    "Indeed, the runes I used are tracking ones and I linked them to my blood. Then, with your magic being injected into their completely independent magic circuit, I now have the means to keep your power always near me!" she explained while puffing out her chest.


    "So as it is on its own, it won''t interfere with the airship in anyway?"


    "I don''t know about that, it won''t say, cause us to suddenly crash, but it might interfere with finer details like sensory data." she admits with a casual shrug while rubbing a finger on one of her runes. A small smile on her face as the magic went past her red finger like a river did a bridge''s support pillar. If it had one, of course.


    "Might as well be no issue then, as, well, I doubt I will miss the truly dangerous stuff with my magic sensing."


    "You know, I wouldn''t mind running some experiments on you, you know?"


    "We just got out of one and you want to run some...?"


    "Not like them... No..." she told me with clear discomfort before she perked up, "I just want to measure your magic and take some notes on it! As, I''m sure you can tell, I''m not exactly a user of magic..." she told me as she brought my pointer-claw across her palm.


    "You can always learn how to cast spells and that, you know? There''s plenty of magic to go around." I point out as we stroll outside. A green wisp blowing by as we turned away from a mountain that was in our way. And, just below us was a herd of creatures I was unfamiliar with. But, from what I could see, they were rather normal compared to what I have seen here before.


    "So there is..." Liadanann admitted with some amazement as she tried to reach out to the nearby magic wisps. With one of them even seemingly acting as if it was alive as it went across her extended arm before flying off. She giggled before bringing her arm back to her side.


    "And even if we have some trouble with teaching you spells or any of that stuff," I begin to explain before facing her towards her work, "we can always fashion you something that might work." encouraging her to find a solution with her current knowledge. And, it should work, shouldn''t it? Vapooliar''s sword had magical runes in it, her palm too!


    "Which is why I would need to experiment on you." she clarified slowly while also nodding slowly.


    "That is fine, so long as you try your best at it." I reaffirm her with vocally before giving her hand a little squeeze.


    "I don''t think I have ever done something without trying my hardest. Like, even this system I put the utmost care into." she explains while slowly stroking the pooling up magic.


    "Now that''s a lie, everyone half-asses something every now and then."


    "I''m not lying, I''m being serious!" she says before looking up at me with an offended frown.


    "And I''m cute and fluffy." I say back to her, not believing her at all.


    "No, no jokes, Nin. I''ve never really had the room to perform a half measure when doing my work. We could not afford mistakes back home..."


    "You had it rough?"


    "Let me put it into perspective for you... This airship and all its passangers?"


    "Yes?"


    "That is all we know of my kind. It could possibly be that the ark I was kidnapped from is the only holding of my people left in this world!" she explained as her grip tightened.


    "A single airship is all you have...?" I question with some disbelief as I assume this ''ark'' must''ve been one.


    "It''s a lot bigger than this tiny little thing, but, yes... Last I heard, all of my kind could be found onboard that one vessel. A testament to the brutality of the vile Thunder God." she bitterly comments while sneering at the mere thought of Thurnmourer.


    "The gods haven''t been here in... Well, only they know how long." I tell her.


    "Yet our god, our most honourable, dependable Singular God. Our Father, Iderim-Ovi... He has not answered our prayers. He''s answered none of them...! You know why...? Because that thunderous bastard slaughtered him because he tried to protect his people!" she nearly screamed as she aggressively approached me after leaving my grip. I stared back at her and tried to think of something...


    "I don''t think this airship has a shrine or anything... But, try calling out to Iderim-Ovi with this." I say to her as I put my bracelet-wearing wrist near her face. Watching with a frown as she shot her head away from it as if it was cursed.


    "You better not be mocking me, Nin..." she growled while keeping her glare directed at Motrtha''s symbolism on the bracelet.


    "I''m not, just, try, okay?" I say to her as I hope she might be able to get the religious closure she needs. If Liadanann was indeed a member of the people of the Red Beast, the one Ancient Thunder stood up against... Then she should be able to speak to him, no? I did save him from that church after all back when I was just a soul.


    "This is stupid... Hello? Can anyone hear me!?" she comments before making loud requests of the bracelet. She nearly moved to walk away in frustration as well before suddenly stopping. Then, she started crying like a child who had just broken down in their parent''s arms. I was a little shocked, to be honest, and I did not know what to do at first.


    Thankfully, I soon did, "Are you alright?" I asked her before she suddenly leapt at me and hugged me as tightly as she could.


    "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Thank you..." she began to shout in joy as she peppered my face with kisses. I take it that whoever answered her showed her or explained to her what happened in that church


    "Again, you alright?" I asked again as I smiled at the relaxing woman.


    "Somehow... The most surprising bit of that is seeing you as a human... Not what you are now..." she says to me, giving some insight as to what it is she has seen. Then, all of a sudden, my bracelet began to glow and something dripped out from it. And we reacted at first with fright but, when it was done, there was a single crimson scale on the ground.


    "Well. Uh, I got nothing." I said as I tried to pick it up, only to watch with a pout of my own as Liadanann laughed at me. She instead would be the one to pick it up and the scale would change slightly. Crimson chains shot out of its top until they formed a hook at the back. Gold slightly rimmed all the chains and some had little green gemstones settled into their loops.


    "Maybe I should use that bracelet of yours more often." Liadanann giggled before she lifted up her hair and offered me the necklace. And I was surprised by how easy I found it was to put on her despite my complications with my digits...


    "Any idea what it is...?"


    "It''s a talisman of prayer." she told me as she picked it up and held it before her smiling lips. A quick kiss was then given to the scale before she let it rest above her impressive bust.


    "So did he give it you so you could pray to him...?" I asked in some confusion while cautiously keeping an eye out for any peculiar drippings.


    "He did... He told me to ask him for his help whenever I needed it and he would help me however he could. He even said the necklace would give me power...? I''m not sure what he meant by that, though."


    "As in magic power?"


    "I would not know how to use that, though." Liadanann reminds me with a shrug before I grabbed her arm. Standing behind her and fiddling with the limb until a green light surrounded her. But, it wasn''t like the magic we saw fly about us. Instead, it had a more fire-like behaviour to it. Either way, it had Liadanann laughing in anticipation.


    "Well, plenty of time to learn." I say as a smile forms before I let go of her arm so she can mess with it herself. Watching carefully with an excitement that was only overshadowed by her own until it suddenly went. A projectile of some kind shot out of her palm and the results were interesting. Mostly because it spread itself out on the mountain it hit and did nothing of note.


    "There''s our first lesson, I guess." Liadanann lets out with an excited tone as she shakes her arm back to normal.


    "One way to do it." I then comment after seeing her handle her magic like that. If only it was so simple back when I was learning my own magic. But, given how this seemed to come directly from her patron god... Well, I don''t think we can apply the prior rules to it.


    "Any idea what it is doing?" I was asked as Liadanann started to lean over the railing. The mountain her magic shot out towards was getting distant but her spell was still there. At least, until she started waving at it which then caused it to vanish.


    "Again, simple." I would say as I vocalised my thoughts about the issue. It would be a nice change of pace to learn someone else''s magic, but it would have to wait. As right now, Vadei was dictating our course. And, when you looked down, you could see the signs of distant villages and settlements.


    Also, if you looked carefully, with magic enhanced senses, obviously, you could make out tails. So, that could only mean we were getting close to Vadei''s home or we were in the land owned by her kind. If there were any major political players in the area I could not say, it might''ve been an obvious for me. But, to repeat an obvious fact, Vadei wasn''t human.


    Rules could quite possibly be so very different. Or, I was just overthinking things and there was just a city-state around the corner of the next mountain. But, now was probably a good time to go back to the bridge. To hopefully get some questions answered or details explained.


    Assuming she was up for it and her mother or sister would not get in the way. Her mother probably would, but the sister I have barely seen around. So I assumed she was taking it just as bad as Vadei. Then again, I like to think the reason I barely saw her around was the fact I was a nice big osibindah.


    "Oh, yeah. Shit." I then spoke as my expression straightened out and I became slightly rigid. Certain memories flashed through my head and across my eyes as I stood there. Thoughts of Tryhpeltzweig haunted me in these moments. Paranoia of a second Suhurlodst made me shiver with fear...


    Enough to catch Liadanann''s attention, "Nin? What''s wrong, you suddenly seem bothered..." she asked me with a sweet voice as her hand went to my cheek.


    "Just living some memories I''d rather not."


    "If it helps, I can return a favour?" she said to me with a smile. But, I would return the smile because I already had that someone. Her name was Larishazza and she was the woman I loved so much yet could never say so... If it was because I knew the answer or was just scared to hear it, I did not know.


    I didn''t want to make our relationship awkward with a random admission of love and desire...


    But, as I did not want Liadanann to develop problems with Lari either, I was prepared to lie, "An offer which I accept."


    "Is there any way I can help now then? I do owe you quite a few free offers of help, don''t I?" she asked me with a laugh at the end. I smiled slightly and shook my head at her offer.


    "I need to treat getting help as a currency? I might be going broke, then." I said, adding my own little touch to her words.


    She giggles at me and slaps me lightly, "I''m sure we can arrange a bulk-buy, lovers discount and all." she said as she moved onto a more sultry tone and moved her mouth about my neck.


    "Lovers? Now, I appreciate the adoration, but, Liadanann, you''re playing the game a little quick, no?" I jested with not much seriousness. I was quite into the whole bodily teasing thing at the moment so long as it did not escalate. But, I was a little serious, I had only recently met her. Well, recent when compared to the others here.


    But I knew what was responsible for any exaggerations in her feelings. Not that I had much of an issue with it. I was rather joyous at the idea these feelings actually existed inside Liadanann''s heart. And the less the bracelet was needed, the better.


    "My parents did teach me to be blunt, as did my old profession. Besides, you''ve done quite a bit to make any woman want you. Much to my annoyance." she explained as her arms wrapped around my neck. Her ample bust squished up against my chest as my claws moved towards her tail.


    "If saving a woman''s life was all that was needed to get her love, then I am surprised planned incidents don''t occur more often." I say as I think about our new passangers. They all hated me due to what I was, yet none tried any elaborate plans. Surely one of them was taking advantage of the women''s fear, no? Not that I would, but still.


    "It''s more than just that Nin... I''m sure you remember how we first met?"


    "Balling your eyes out at me?" I answer with a smirk before she snapped her razor-sharp teeth at me. A grin of her own formed as she backed those throat-rippers away from my face.


    "Yes... But, to keep it serious, please. Up until then, I had no kind voices enter my ears. No calming touch," she explained slowly as she became distant, "maybe I am just being a bit weird, making a deal out of nothing. I could undercut it as you just being in the right place at the right time. I could explain the variables and the pedantic annoyances of it all. But... I do have feelings for you either way, even if I do or don''t know how to go about it. The bottom line is that you make me feel safe, Nin."


    And, for a moment, I felt like I was speaking to Vapooliar again for some reason, "And I can only hope you can make me feel safe, too." I started to say to her before a kiss on the cheek interrupted me.


    "You best be a good teacher, then, after all, I have no preference for a human teacher." she tells me with a smirk as her warm breath drowns my nearest ear with its heat.


    "I''ll have to be quite the teacher, then, because Einervaene already has the lead in the keeping me safe department." I inform her with a cheeky smile as I watched her expression sour.


    "That human makes you feel safe!?"


    "Indeed, comes along with the title of Wyvern-Slayer." I joke with a made-up title.


    "My work is cut out for me, then." she confidently declares before something catches my eye.


    "Oh, no... This isn''t good..." I muttered down to the lands below as I caught sight of rolling devastation. But, as Liadanann''s eyes were not particularly laced with magic, she could not tell what I was looking at. All she likely could see was green plants and grass between endless grey spikes.


    "Wh-Where''re you going?" she asked in worry as I got out of her grip and moved towards the bridge. Ignoring her for the moment so I could then see if Vadei had seen it. And it seems like she has indeed seen all the destruction below. But, she did not react, at least, not until I entered her field of view.


    "Your kind have been here..." she tiredly explains with a miserable frown before a whimper came out her mouth.


    "Can you lock the doors first?" I request of her as Liadanann comes in after me. And, thankfully, Vadei complied and now it would just be us three for the moment.


    "What do you want to talk about?" she asked as the airship came to a stop before a mountain she had apparently been driving us directly towards. And noticing that gave me quite the fright as sometimes the old me still came through. The fears and worries of a young human man who could cut himself on paper.


    "You know why." I tell her as her gaze slowly shifts towards the projections of destroyed villages and ruined farms.


    "Osibindah have picked the area clean." Vadei says as a long tired sigh leaves her lips. I would frown at this, however, as it was becoming clear how bad her state was. She had grown pale and her hair was losing its colour. To say nothing of the way her lips and skin seemed to be cracking and how thin she was getting.


    "Now, I know I asked for-"


    "I will not be eating anything or drinking anything, I am fine."


    "No, you''re not, Vadei." I point out as I move closer to her. Moving down to a knee and staring her right in the eye. My dull blue full of concern looked right into her bloodshot silver eyes that let out nothing but misery-driven apathy.


    "I am... Your kind won''t want a corpse, so I can just flop down right next to..." she began to say before she started violently coughing.


    "Hey, hey!" I said as she did so before I grabbed hold of her. Her body was by no means powerful, so I barely felt the vibrations her coughs caused. But, did not need a layer of unobstructed skin to feel or understand her pain.


    "Let go of me..." she then said as her arms weakly pushed me away. She even tried to claw me, but they had turned brittle due to her lack of nourishment. They quickly broke on my carapace as a result. And I would have to take her chin so she would look at me.


    "This isn''t your home, is it?" I asked her in the hopes we just found an unlucky village. But the way she smiled in a demented manner before her face contorted into a state of dry crying worried me. It must''ve been if she was now beating herself up over it.


    "Why does everything go so wrong in my life, Nin!?" she then asked me with a wail as she tried to pull me into a hug. Something I let her do as she really needed this by the looks of it.


    "It hasn''t, it hasn''t..." I repeated to her in as soothing a voice I can.


    "YES, IT HAS! DAD IS DEAD AND NOW I COME BACK AND FIND... This!"


    "If it helps," I began to say before gulping as I remembered Tryhpeltzweig again for different reasons, "then I can go and check for signs of a hive. Me and Einervaene and Larishazza! We can all go purge those monsters from the area and save your home!" and the way I ended it seemed to cause a lot of strain in my voice. Maybe because it was so sincere...? I didn''t really want to think about it...


    "You want signs, there they are!" Vadei reminded me as she stuck her weak finger at the enlarged screen. A clear view of what had happened to the village below. The farms were filled with giant holes and the signs of manipulated stone filled the area. I could even catch a glimpse of a harsh, dark line or two, their bolt-like arrows if I was to guess.


    "Unlock the doors, Vadei, I want to speak to my friends." I then said as I gestured for Liadanann to stay put. Then, when I got to the doors, I patiently waited for Vadei to do as I asked. Only to come back to her when she made no moves to do so.


    "There''s no point... It will just be like with Tobaballe, they will just get out only to turn into a monster like you!" she laughed in anguish before breaking down again. Yet, when she mentioned my home, I found myself filled with flaring anger.


    "Open. The. Door." I slowly growled out as my magic began to pour out so close to her face. Watching her was like seeing someone suddenly gain all the energy they needed. Her tiredness seemed to go and she quickly opened up the door for me. My magic would slightly calm down after that, but this anger I felt would not.


    And, for some reason, I felt determined. So determined that I was convinced I could charge through a valley of golden blades with no magic. No matter how many slices I took, no matter how many limbs I might lose in this valley. I would keep going, that was the strange anger-determination cocktail I was digesting right now.


    "EINERVAENE! LARISHAZZA!" I then roared out once I entered the halls of the airship. Footsteps could be heard but for all I know they were just the scared oxfuinei. Each one of them shivered in fear whenever I saw one and Vadei''s mother collapsed as she tried to get past me. Yet, despite seeing a terrified mother at my feet, I did not lower my magic aura to something safer.


    I kept it going until I saw the faces I wanted to see, "Has something happened!?" Larishazza asked in worry as she quickly helped Vadei''s mother get away from me. A few seconds later, Einervaene would show up as well with a hobble. It seems I caught her as she was trying to get her heels on.


    "We''re above Vadei''s village, problem is, we got a bug infestation." I explained as I walked away from them. Forcing them into following me outside where I would then carry on.


    "Bugs as in...?" Einervaene began to say with a notable uncomfortableness about it. But, I nodded as my anger was focused on something else. I did not have the care to get annoyed by her dodging the issue.


    "So we are going to go and try and solve the problem?" Larishazza then asked as she curled a hand into a fist and showed off her determination.


    "Indeed, we''ll sort it and rescue who we can." I tell them before recklessly hopping off the airship. And, probably creating a needless bit of damage to the landscape near the village. But, I was also filled with a soft pain after doing that. My knees were hurting quite badly for just a little bit.


    "Nin... I could''ve taken you down, you know..." Einervaene commented from up top as she nervously looks down at me. A slight wobble in her movements as her eyes blinked harshly.


    "When did you get here...?" I asked as some confusion took over. I didn''t hear the sound of a lightning bolt coming down... Did I?


    "Before you, we both did. Lightning bolt, remember?" Einervaene points out with a smile as I take her hand in order to get out of the crater. Stumbling past her at first before I was stopped by her grip. Something I returned so I could stabilize her in turn.


    "Now, let us get to work..." I muttered as I began to walk into the ruined village with the other two. Almost instantly bending over to pick something up when we passed on by what looked like a simple wall. What I picked up wasn''t hard to figure out, it was a muddy toy. A stuffed one that had gone slightly hard due to the mud staining its outside.


    "That mud has been freshly upturned." Larishazza commented as she leaned over my shoulder. I blinked a few times and looked up at her.


    But, Einervaene beat me to the punch, "How do you know it has been a recent thing? It''s mud." she asked in confusion while looking about for other signs of recency.


    "Remember? I jump in the mud a lot back at Suhurlodst." Larishazza clarifies with a smile before she skips off towards a destroyed home. A cloud of steam soon washed over her after she shot some water at a building. Even more, once she moved onto the other small fires she could see.


    And that gave me some hope, it made me feel slightly at ease, "Wood was still ember-hot, we must only be a day or so after this all happened!" I say with slight cheer before I focused exclusively on the roads and paths. Tracking the brick-like tracks before confusing myself into a stop. My own feet were getting in the way of this.


    "No, don''t." Larishazza then said to me as she grabbed my curling up claws and patted them open again.


    "I wasn''t going to punch anything..." I mumbled in agitation before she took the lead on the track following. I would go on to linger behind a little and just sort of watch her. Initially, wanting to see if I could find Einervaene before stopping. She was still blind, can''t exactly go far, can she?


    "A lot of these tracks all circle around to here..." Larishazza began to explain before she brought herself over to a giant pattern in the dirty road. Actually, no, it wasn''t a pattern, it was all the foot-steps congregating into a single column. Whatever happened here ended with the osibindah dragging their victims off into this direction.


    "Our best bet is to follow these." I tell her as I began to slowly walk alongside the markings on the floor. My stomach also began to get upset as we walked. Stores were burst open with their contents just lying about. More toys and pieces of clothing just left about.


    Even a few corpses of those who tried to defend this village from the attack. And, to my delight, a few of the attackers were dead as well. But the number of corpses was clearly shifted in favour of the osibindah. If that was good for me or bad, I did not really want to find out.


    "Should we go and collect Einervaene? This all leads to the land beyond. Wouldn''t want to leave her, would we?" she asked with some humour to her tone in an attempt to alleviate the mood these ruins let out.


    "Alright, go find a roof and point out coppery hair for me." I say to Larishazza before helping her up onto a roof.


    "That tickles." she comments as my claws go across the inside of her foot as I let go of her.


    "And I''ll tickle you a lot more if you don''t find her." I threaten with a non-threatening smile before moving on to try and hear her stumbling about. If her eyes were still messed up by her accident then it would be quite simple to find her by noise, no? If not, I could always just run back to the place we entered from and find her there. Because again, she most certainly couldn''t have gone far.


    "I see her, she''s bobbing up and down in the fields for some reason and having a grand time." Larishazza explains with a smile as she slides down off of the roof. And what she said confused me completely.


    "Bobbing her head up and down?" I ask again.


    "Yeah, like this!" she says before she starts imitating something odd. Was she trying to be a person being carried over another''s back?


    "Oh no..." was all I could say before I ran away from Larishazza. Panic began to overtake me as I shot my gaze about until I heard Einervaene''s laugh.


    "Nin? She probably just found an animal or somethi-"


    "EINERVAENE!" I roared out to the land before me before that distant laughter suddenly turned into screaming. And I shot off the moment I heard that happen, but, I would slow down a little when I saw a blue flash. The smell of cooked flesh soon wafted on over into my nostrils and I calmed down. But my panic returned when I saw the burnt corpse.


    "Nin...?" Einervaene let out in confusion as she crawled away from me. I dropped to my knees and held out a claw for her to reach out for.


    "Yeah, it is me this time." I tell her before she takes my grip and latches onto me.


    "I was confused as to why you didn''t make my heart flutter." she admits in embarrassment yet without any fear for some reason.


    "Do you not understand what just happened!?" I asked her with panic in my voice as I grabbed onto her shoulders harshly.


    "I know, it''s why I screamed a little at first. But, my magic just starting up did a lot more damage than I thought..." she explains with a distracted tone before Larishazza came up to us.


    "Okay, I think that makes it clear we keep you near." Larishazza says to Einervaene as she gives her head a little nudge.


    "I''m not a chi-" Einervaene began to pout before I took her hand into my claw. Carefully guiding her out of this crop field until we reached a pasture with a mutilated farm animal still inside.


    "These entrances are quite close to the village..." I said to the pair as we approached several stone circles in the dirt. Peculiar grey stone that was perfectly settled in between the tall grass and other plants.


    "There''s a few of them, see?" Larishazza commented as she walked around before she went behind me.


    "Indeed, I do see, now, let me try to-" I began to say, intent on lifting the stone or breaking it, only for it to open up before me. But, rather than letting out a noise of surprise, I shivered out how it reacted. I was an osibindah in body only... I was an osibindah in body only...


    "Incoming!" Larishazza declared before her feet suddenly forced me into the soft, stinky dirt.


    "Was that necessary?" Einervaene asked on my behalf as she helped me up while I was still out of it after she stumbled in. And as I stared deep into the tunnel, I began to breathe more raggedly. I was keen on just grabbing the pair and running away as fast as I could. The echoes I was hearing also did not help as those two could hear it too.


    "In and out with who we can find." Larishazza clarified as the two women steeled themselves before I did. And when they did not hear my footsteps, they looked back at me with worry. Only for the earth to then suddenly shift with the pair disappearing before my eyes.


    "NO!" was all I could roar out as I suddenly charged forth and desperately clawed at the stone in my way. But the ground opened up under me and I would roll down it until I reached the end. Each bump I took on the way served as a fresh injection of fury and wrath. The fuel I needed to bring myself up and lash out at whatever was causing this.


    "Son or cousin...?" something chittered through the dirt that was falling apart around me until I was suddenly exposed to a sight I never wanted to see. A writhing, pale and sickly mass made out of fused flesh and bone. I wanted to throw up when I saw this as it was thoroughly disgusting in the most sincere way possible. This thing in front of me was an egg-spewing creature made out of tortured bodies.


    And the longer I stared, the more clear it became that these were exclusively female bodies. Each one of them seemingly frozen in terror with the few limbs that remained weakly clawing out from the creature. It wasn''t even exposed faces I saw, it was only the vaguest outline as some kind of skin covered each of the mouthes. Yet, something disturbed me a lot about what I saw...


    There was no main head on this thing... It was inside my head... This thing was inside my head! I did not want it to be in there, it had no right!

 Incline 2: Charging Straight In and Out!

    "H-How are you in my head!? GET OUT OF IT!" I asked in terror while slowly backing away from this monstrosity. Breathing in deeply and letting it out even harsher as my limbs steadily got weaker. This thing wasn''t doing anything to me. But, the way it so easily spoke to me inside my head, it broke me.


    "Do not fear," its voice began to say in my head with the echoes of painful screams, "if your home has been lost, I shall let you join mine, dearest cousin." the voice explained as my eyes leaked.


    "No... I don''t want to. I won''t!" I told it before bashing my head between my claws. Collapsing down with a shudder as the voices failed to dissipate. They just got louder and louder each time. The screams too, the longer it was in my head the more screams I heard. I just wanted the quiet that I hated so much in places like this.


    "Join our home, dearest cous- AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" it began to say again before I suddenly crushed it under the weight of my magic. Screaming from the floor before breaking down into tears as a sudden wave of buggish roars filled my ears. And at that moment, it seemed like pandemonium had been created. The weight of the oncoming rage was shaking the tunnels.


    "I want to go... Home..." I began to say before my mind began to fill with a different terror. One of fire and melting stone that always was out of reach. It was all too much for me to handle right now. So I just roared in fury and hammered away at the ground, just daring the bugs to come.


    All I could soon think about was anger and I just kept on roaring until my throat became dry. With my rage quickly moving on to being expressed with snarls rather than such boisterous noises. And when the first bug came into my sights, I charged at it. Smashing straight through it in a shower of gore and moving on to the next one I saw.


    I tore them apart with my hands, piece by bloody piece. I smashed what fell down with my feet and made it into the finest bloody mush. I barrelled through them as if they weren''t there. I killed and killed until I had brought myself to a dark tunnel littered with clean bones.


    "MOMMY! MOMMY! MOM-" I heard a child scream out in utter terror before it quickly shifted to pain. There was also a noise that made my stomach churn and tremble. It was a sudden, wet noise that kept on going without pause. And as I just wanted the noise to stop, so I charged towards it and tore down a wall.


    Leaping at the first bug I saw and the next and the next. Cracking all of their skulls wide open until I was the only one left standing. A pool of yellow and red blood at my feet while my magic lit the area up. And when I saw what caused the screaming, I covered my mouth and suddenly switched my magic to a more gentle flow.


    Shivering and crying until the little, terrified children in this chamber went quiet. But they still made noise, some were crying, some were whimpering, others were still in pain. The ones that made no noise, however, made me gnash my teeth with rabid fury. Yet, as the crying picked up, I began to emulate it more before I collapsed yet again.


    "BE QUIET!" I would yell at the children before I clawed away at some blood-soaked mud. Twisting apart nearby bug limbs until I was just scraping my claw tips against one another. And with each breath I took from this foul place, the sicker I became. Until, my body just seemed to have enough and I went numb, at least, for a little bit.


    "W-Wh-Where''s mommy?" probably one of the youngest asked me as they clutched onto a likely dead sibling. And, when I saw that lifeless body, I scurried on over to the younger one and took them away. Letting them scream into my arm and wail against me before my stroking somehow got them to be quiet.


    "Okay... All of you... We''re going to play a game..." I said to them with uncertainty as I treated this little girl like a toy. A toy for a little kid scared of the dark...


    "Game?" many of them would repeat with uncertainty as they moved away from me. Some, however, would squeal right on over when one of those strange, bulbous, wiggling things came by. And when I saw it, I hopped to my feet and clawed at the dirt ceiling until it was hidden behind it.


    "Yes, the game''s called... Friends and Hole Finder..." I muttered as I got my thoughts in order. The ones that terrified me were set aside and what I needed to do took the forefront. I needed to get out of here and find the other two. I needed to rescue Einervaenae and Larishazza from the osibindah hive, just like I did myself a long time ago...


    "I-It''s not safe with you..." a child then mumbled before I nearly ran them down in a fit of rage.


    "I WILL KEEP YOU SAFE! I AM THE SAFEST PLACE HERE!" I roared straight into his face. Blowing out my scorching, fury-tainted breathes as he suddenly started breaking down into a fit of crying. Upon seeing those tears, I would move back and put the child I was holding down. I would shake my head and stumble away from them.


    I couldn''t save them, I was too much of a coward to save them from a place like this. They''ll just have to follow me out like the others did last time... I did not have the strength to save these kids... I didn''t!


    All I might be able to do is hide them behind walls of dirt and hope for the best. But, as I moved to claw up at the dirt above me once again, I stopped. I stopped and looked at the mess I caused and I tried to stand myself up straight. I did this, I killed these monsters and my magic had healed those it could even if so many were now irreplaceably scarred.


    It was as I thought on this that I began to treat this with more rationale. However fleeting it might as well be given even the most distant echoes made me jump. Yet, somehow, just by chittering my jaws a little louder, I could drown them out. So now I only heard what was closer.


    And there was so much pain and suffering close to me. I could hear more screams, more cries and more fear. I heard the crunch of bones and the squirt of blood, the howls of pain that suddenly went silent... I heard it all.


    "Wait, right here... We will play the game in a bit." I told the children before I ran away from them. Charging down the hallways of this evil place and silencing it systematically. Some were just people like I used to be, others were broken far more than I''d ever be. I interrupted vile acts in progress and prevented more from happening.


    Each time it got quiet, I would hear more, I would hunt down more. Until I was panting to myself as I stumbled across a dry dirt wall. So many specks of brown stuck to me as I walked along the walls sluggishly. Nearly crossing the line and collapsing once again before I reached a dead end.


    "Undwote, take your time, I beg of you..." I pleaded of the God of Death before I tiredly turned back around. Going the same routes again until I reached another dead end filled with the fleshless dead. A slight bit of anger kept on coming back each time as well. I just wanted it to end but each step revealed more that I did not want to see.


    Yet, somehow, I found myself stumbling back to the children I left behind last time. And I only knew it was them because the little girl I picked up before was amongst them. A frail little thing with a distinct set of scars around her eye. Each one was as narrow as one of my disgusting osibindah teeth...


    Or, rather, those of the ones I slaughtered when I found them here. If they were snacking or feasting, it did not matter, they were dead. That is all that mattered. But, to make sure it was true, even if most were completely gutted, I crushed them with forceful scrapes of the foot.


    And when I saw the little boy again, the one I roared at with such hatred. I knelt down before him, and I held out my hand. Waiting patiently for him to take hold of it as I relaxed in the relative quiet. There was still dreadful noises coming from this place, indeed there was. But my rampage has silenced enough of it for now.


    "I want to go home..." the little boy cried as he hid his face behind his tail while his eyes focused on mine. In fact, a lot of the children here focused on my eyes rather than my body.


    "Yours are not the same..." one quietly pointed out while apathetically shoving a piece of osibindah skull my way. A slightly popped eye dangling from its somehow swollen eye socket.


    "They''re not..." I told them with a shiver as thoughts of that thing sprang to mind. Even though it got into my head, even though it spoke to me as if I was one of its own. I have done nothing that made me alike one of its own. Any of its children that I saw, I killed without thinking about it.


    Gone were the days of when seeing the skull underneath the bug''s wracked me full of terror. Now, all it did was fill me with a mixture of wrath, anger, fury and rage. All the same thing, really, but I was not sure what else to think of when I thought about what I have recently done. I tore them apart, limb from limb and ground them into the muck below that I made with them.


    I then shook my head as I took a hand into my claw, "Come on, we got a game to play." I reminded them as I began to seemingly drag the children with me. Looking back with a frown at how some still breathed but did not move. Not even the tears of their friends and siblings got them out of those spots.


    "NO! We can''t play without them..." one of the smallest amongst them cried out as he stood still by what was likely an older sibling. And going by how the sibling had their eyes firmly locked on the open front of another child... I could only guess as to what was going on inside of their heads. And, with uncertain worry, I scratched my cheek before looking at the hand...


    "Of course..." I mumbled before I quickly moved away from the kids. Worrying some with thoughts of abandonment before my magic encased them. And with a firm tug of the wrist, they stumbled about as I brought the whole chamber with me. Pulling it through the tunnels and picking up whoever else I could on the way.


    Yet, with everyone I found, the magic had to be warped to greater sizes. It drained me more and more and my mind felt like it was suddenly about to break. I trembled and stumbled but the spell stayed up and active and I kept on moving until I reached a grand chamber. Similar to the one I once fell down in saving Vapooliar but damning myself.


    "Drone, what is happening!? Why has the Queen gone silent!? What has happened to mother!?" a bug somehow asked me with fear in its voice as it stepped out of the dark and into the light. My light, the light of my magic that burned so bright behind me. But what was in its hands worried me. A crude staff made of mud-caked wood...


    Something like that could only mean one thing, and that was that I had come across an earth shaman! And with this sight before me, I backed away in fear, much to its confusion. I panted and panicked until my own magic stopped me from moving. Looking back at it also terrified me, for it was a great big sign showing off how I would not be able to fight right now.


    "Drone!" the earth shaman barked as it stomped on over and placed my jaw within its claws. Somehow, as well, despite it having no fire magic, its touch burned. No matter how thick my carapace got, I somehow felt every bit of its claws as it held on to my face.


    "The Queen is dead!" I blurt out without granting myself the right of deed. I couldn''t fight right now, not while my magic was focused so much behind me! I had to try and get past this earth shaman as is... Yet the mere idea of an earth shaman made me shiver, but to have one up close!?


    "Dead...?" it slowly chittered out before it stepped backwards. Its claws tightly clenched its staff before it glared at me.


    "What do you want...?" I barely squeak out under the pressure of being presented so vulnerably to the beast.


    "Move aside, drone, I must see for myself if the hive is doomed." it ordered just before shoving me to the ground as it used its own magic to bypass mine. And as I laid on the ground, panting and heaving what fear I could out of me, I turned to the direction it came from. There was no light that way but it would take me far away from this earth shaman. The further I was from it, the better.


    In fact, the further we all were the better. The last one I met could beat Vapooliar! I barely beat it because it lost its staff! And there was just no way I could get that staff away from it in this state! I needed to get topside fast and soon or there will be nothing but a Pack of Seven waiting for me!


    "How did this go so wrong? How did it go..." I began to say as I tearfully brought myself up. Even with all the bursts of rage I have gone through, the slaughter those episodes entailed. I still broke back down into the mindset of a scared little boy. I thought I got over my fears of the bug, yet, somehow, here I was with a barely functioning mind.


    .


    .


    .


    "Larishazza...? What happened?" I asked my friend as I slowly stood up in the darkness we now found ourselves in. Clicking my fingers and getting some light into the area while blinking away some more of my self-inflicted blindness.


    "Here, let me help with that." Larishazza said as she forced a wet fingertip against both my eyes. Initially, I reacted with surprise and backed away as getting jabbed in the eye hurt. But, that was before I came to the realization of what happened.


    "Thank you, I really should''ve asked for that earlier, huh?" I asked back lightheartedly while I let my eyes adjust to their old state. Frowning intently once it became clear that Nin was not with us. And, going by the sounds, he was not exactly on his way either.


    "To answer your question, the ground beneath us swallowed us and it has been throwing us about for some time." Larishazza answered with a casual shrug before she began to play with her hair. Little bits of dirt and stones peppered the ground below as she tried to clean it. And I could only shiver once I saw the state my braids were in. They were ruined, completely and utterly ruined!


    "Now what do we do? I can''t sense Nin and this place is giving me the creeps." I ask with worry before shivering at the sounds of the echoes. I don''t know how old they were, but, some of these roars were unsettling. To say nothing of the other noises and muffled words I could hear. And, if I could hear this, Larishazza likely could too, if not more due to her stronger magic.


    "We go back up." Larishazza informs me while pointing up.


    "Up? You just said we''ve been thrown about this place." I say in confusion before realising too late.


    "We''re underground, silly." my friend laughed out before smiling while I groaned.


    "I know... I know..." I let out with slight embarrassment that went away just as quickly.


    "But, yeah, up. We go up and up and up until the halo is lighting our way again." Larishazza says as she walks off down a tunnel. And even when I lagged behind, she kept walking into the darkness without a concern about her. No visible concerns, anyway, or, rather, no serious ones. The fact she kept making childish noises whenever the ground made squelching noises proved that.


    "Should I try and just shoot us out of here? My lightning bolt spell only goes up to the clouds on the first part. It would get us straight out of here if it is strong enough..." I begin to say before her frowning made me stop.


    "Lightning bolt spell? We really need to get it a better name, in fact, we should all do that. We should name our magic!" Larishazza giggles out, completely ignoring my question and offer.


    "We don''t need to name our spells, we can cast them just fin- That''s not a concern right now!" I replied to her at first before attempting to shift the topic away from it.


    "But, no," Larishazza laconically answers at first, "we don''t know how your magic reacts underground, do we?" with that question then asked, I began to think of an incident prior. When the ferry I was on sank and I was forced to get off it as a bolt of lightning. I don''t remember much after that, as I hit my head when turning back to normal.


    "It works underground... I found out years ago." I clarify to her only to frown when she still shakes her head at my offer.


    "Still no, either way, we won''t find Nin if we just shoot straight outside when he is probably looking for us."


    "But what if he went back to get help?"


    "You know Nin isn''t like that."


    "Right..." I let out as I imagine Nin''s likely response and how relentlessly violent it probably was. Or, is, going by how he is probably looking for us right now. And, frankly, thinking about it made me want to get captured as then I could go and rush into his protective warmth.


    "Someone''s happy." Larishazza says with a coy grin as she pokes my cheeks before dancing off a little.


    "I..." I began to say before I stuttered my mouth shut. Turning a little redder with each giggle that then came out of her mouth.


    "Like, I know I don''t like what Nin is doing right now with you and Liada, but, have you said it to him yet?" Larishazza then asked me as she washed the ground ahead of us. Her nearly bare feet likely picked up on a lot more than just slimy wetness.


    "No, I haven''t." I quickly answer as I become frustrated. It had been not too long ago when she first started encouraging me to do it, and when I nearly did it... Nin then just had to start having issues with the bracelet. What it did to me was not his concern when I said it was fine.


    Yet, he took it off anyway and it briefly soured our relationship to the point you''d forget I ever felt that way for him at all. But, he then comes and puts it on again and like a switch, it was back to normal. I longed for him just like before and he maintained that distance just like last time. I only wish the distance didn''t stay there, what would I have to do to get his love focused on me?


    Saving his life did nothing of the sort as even then, he kept his eyes on my cheerful friend. Perhaps I needed to do more than that? Maybe I still had to pay back the emotional debt I laid upon him when we first got to Suhurlodst? I would be fine with that, because how could I ever forgive myself for what I did back then...?


    If I could, it would probably be a while off, but, for now, I can make it up to him. By putting up with his teasing and all this sexual probing until he recovered from the loss of his home. Even if I, admittedly, rather hated it as it all felt so hollow. But maybe that was just the bookworm in me complaining.


    "Why''d you stop?" I then found myself asking as I felt my chest press against her arm. Yet, my bulk did not move it forward and I instead bent around her light-brown skin.


    "What in the name of... What is that thing?" Larishazza asked me as we came across some kind of oversized slug. The sticky bone that dangled out its mouth, however, left me uncomfortable. Yet, it was not because it was a bone, but more so because it ate it so sloppily.


    "I assume it is some kind of cleaner...?" I put forth as an answer after watching it dig around for some more bones after it swallowed the other one. But, when I saw the bone it dug out, I lanced a bolt of magic straight through its centre. Killing it in that instant and letting its fatty body bubble and pop from a distance as I calmed myself down.


    "That was a quick change of behaviour." Larishazza commented before she knelt down by the still bubbling creature to take the skull out its mouth. It was such a small thing and if I had not spent so long near them, I probably would not have known it belonged to them...


    "Something here has been eating children..." I muttered in enraged horror as sparks began to fly off of me. A deeper instinct inside me had been set off by this sight and it seems like the same had happened with Larishazza.


    "Then might I suggest we go feed them something else?" I was asked by my friend as her magic began to behave strangely. The earth was eating it up and it soaked the walls before they suddenly dried out again. Yet, Larishazza did not look concerned as she did it, so this must have been one of her spells. Or, the retooling of an existing one, not that it mattered.


    "Will you be fine down here on your own?" I then asked as I pondered going back to the surface just so I could clean top-down. She, on the other hand, if I went through with this, would do down-up. So many of these creatures would not escape and we would be glad about it.


    "I''m more worried for Nin." Larishazza admits uncomfortably as she rubs her arm and looks about. I sighed at first and nodded in understanding, but, I had some ideas.


    "The magic in this part of the continent is weaker, yes? So, these creatures should be rather weak as well, no? Just, go nuts and when you find one that does not bow down so easily, that is your worries gone!" I explained in hopes it would calm her worries.


    "Nin already looks so alike these things. There''s no way I''d be able to tell unless I made sure to get up close to each of them." Larishazza says.


    "You won''t feel fluttery on the inside when you are near him?" I then ask as I try to think of more ways we might be able to tell who is Nin. Maybe giving his clothes to Liadanann wasn''t the best idea...


    "No, I won''t. He''s my friend, sure, but, I don''t feel for him the same way you do." Larishazza admits rather nonchalantly with an uncertain shrug. Part of me felt happy to hear that, but, the rest was worried she might saw him in half with a jet stream of water.


    "Well, good luck, I''ll see you in a little bit then?" I questioned in an effort to shift the topic. All while I thought about casting my spell.


    "See you up!" Larishazza cheerfully hummed out before she skipped down the dark tunnel with a handful of water orbs. And, as I watched her disappear into the darkness with her body outlined by her aura, I moved on. Shooting past her as a lightning bolt and striking my way through anything that got in my way. Be it dirt, stone or bug flesh and this kept on happening until I saw the sky again.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Down I go!" I let out as I turned myself to a person again before I reached the clouds. And I slammed back down the ground with a thrilled smile on my face before I was forced to confront the destroyed village. The sight of this destruction did a lot to remind me of what I needed to do. So I traced my steps back to the stone circles and tried to get back in.


    But when the circles failed to open up suddenly as they did for Nin earlier, I frowned. Was it just a coincidence that opened them up before or was it something else? Either way, how I would get in now seemed to be the same regardless. I would have to blow a hole into the earth and burn my way through.


    "Guess I am going back up." I comment with a small shrug as I idly look up to the clouds again. However, I would briefly halt my actions while looking for the airship as I couldn''t see it. It didn''t really matter, I suppose, but, it was good to check. Especially given our history with flying predators.


    For now, though, I would focus on the predators from beneath the mountain. And I was soon back inside their tunnels once again with a flash of light. A shower of molten stone and burning dirt falling down around me before I moved on into the depths. And each time I heard chitters or the sounds of a slimy creature, I struck.


    Cooking some to a crisp with a mere tap of the palm while others were impaled on searing digits. If one of them got too close to me, I just transmuted my body into the sky''s wrath and walked on without a care. Those that were far away I shot towards as a lightning bolt before switching back to normal. And, in some cases, I turned straight into both lightning forms in succession.


    Charging through some as a lightning bolt and leaving gaping, cherry-hot holes in their sides. Before then dropping down as a woman made of lightning and crushing their rapidly burning bodies beneath me. Yet, after a while, when it became clear it wasn''t too dangerous, I stopped doing it. Mostly because it made me a little too self-conscious about my weight whenever I crushed one under me.


    I know I wasn''t fat or overweight or even slightly chubby or pudgy. But, if Nin and possibly some of the others found out about it... I''d be laughed at non-stop for just dropping myself on these beasts to kill them. And I did not want that, I wanted to be treated seriously as a great slayer of vile beasts!


    Not an overweight ball that hit with enough force to loosen an island from our mountains grasp...


    "HELP US! PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP!" I heard a man scream after a short while of travelling and killing. Then, when I heard it, I rushed on over as quick as I could to find out what the problem was. Even if it was pretty clear what the problem indeed was. But, when I got there, I was a bit confused by what I saw as there were barely any bugs.


    Even less when I got done shocking those that came at me to death. So, I tried approaching one of the villagers likely taken from Vadei''s village. I cut one of them loose by suddenly chopping a lightning hand down on the glossy black frame. Pulling him out of the rest as I watched the frame bleed some kind of foul-smelling liquid.


    "A human witch...? From Eusorochii!?" the villager questioned before we were interrupted by strange sounds echoing from the small tunnels behind the frames. Whatever it was, some of these men immediately started to panic and the one I freed had to be forced still.


    "Don''t come all out at once..." I muttered under my breath as I raised my arms and spread my legs slightly. Slowly applying what I have seen before in fights before forgetting all about it as I ran about shocking peculiar bugs. They were peculiar in that they had no real bodies to speak of! It was like they were skeletons made to surround you!


    And I tried my best to kill all of them, but dashing about a room of this scale was taxing. Unfortunately, even my change in tactics wasn''t enough to save all the men here. As some were soon screaming in terrible pain while their mouths were muffled by something. I even got a clear view of what was going on after I tore away another man from an approaching one.


    These things seemed to just eat them alive! These bugs ate grown men whole! It made me nauseous but I did not relent. And, thankfully, soon, some of these bugs began to pull back as I made it clear it was not safe for them.


    "What in the name of..." I soon began to say in disgust as I watched one man I failed to save convulse in the frame. And, out of a sick curiosity that I would likely be ashamed of until I die, I watched this man die... I watched his proverbial shadow spasm inside of the beast before he went still. Then, he suddenly roared at me and scurried off into the dark when the frame let go...


    "Which way is the way out!?" I was asked by one man before he was suddenly grabbed.


    "OUT!? OUR CHILDREN AND WIVES ARE HERE! WE NEED TO FIGHT!" another yelled at the one he just grabbed. And, very quickly, a fight broke out between those who wanted to escape and those who wanted to save their families.


    "Enough!" I boomed out like thunder as I slammed a lightning-covered boot to the ground. That was all it took to get their attention, and that was fine by me. So I then moved and picked up some of the frame and broke and messed with it. Soon slamming a makeshift spear into the arms of one of the men while glaring at the rest.


    "Wherever you need me, I''ll be there." the newly-equipped man told me as he tested the spear while some others went and grabbed weapons. But, there was nothing of quality here, only whatever I cut off from this strange biological contraption.


    "Come on, we don''t have much time, these things eat children!" I told them as I repeated what scared me the most about these things. But, as I looked around this area some more, I came to a realisation about Nin... He had been in a place like this before and if we go by how that other man turned... He was like that because no one saved him during such an event.


    And it made me yearn for his touch once again, or, rather, it made me want to feel him in my arms. I wanted to comfort him so very badly, having finally truly understood his predicament regarding his body. But, if he was like that, then surely there''s be others like him, no? Those who can still be saved in their minds...?


    This was probably one of the worst times to be ignorant about the creatures of this land. So many different kinds of lives were at risk right now. I had the capacity to help these people but I also wanted to try and fill out my knowledge. To see if I can save even those who I thought I had failed prior.


    "I can smell some of them, this way!" one of the men soon declared with a firm beating of his chest before he ran off. Quickly, he was followed by others and I would move to catch up with them, just as quickly overtaking them as well. And this was all in spite of my choice of footwear! Yet, I would try and keep in time with them as I could not smell anything but the foulest of stenches in this place.


    Frankly, I was surprised that I had not thrown up yet or started feeling queazy. So much of this place was just unsettling and demanded wholesale torching. Not just any torching either, only the finest incendiaries would do for a place like this. And going by what Nin said about Brewbrt''s town and our departure from it, there were many places like this.


    And it made me sad, for it meant that this beautiful land was often tainted by the presence of such foul things. A pleasant valley or view could be ruined in its entirety by the paranoia these creatures would make. It probably even explains why all settlements of notable size were fortified to the extent they were. With things like these lurking below...


    "KILL THEM ALL!" a husband roared as he shoved his makeshift spear into the back of a bug crawling over a crying woman. And when I saw how her legs were parted, I froze with the kind of fear only a woman knew. I would then steadily get angrier until I just let loose a storm from both sets of my fingertips. Whatever had shells over its flesh was struck down and cooked blacker before I stopped.


    Heaving out heavily as I calmed down until I felt something familiar. I could sense a rather strong concentration of magic and it was getting closer very slowly. The people around me could feel it too, it seemed, so it must have been using a spell. Or, rather, Nin was using a spell.


    But if that truly was Nin, "Stay here, watch the way we came in and any other ways in, I''ll go have a look." I say before letting my magic drain out into the surrounding women. I did my best to heal them of any injuries, but, my magic could not heal the kind dealt to the mind or soul. Only their husbands and families had a chance at doing that.


    "W-Who''s there!?" I heard Nin call out with a terrified voice that made my heart sink. So, when I heard it, I charged on down until I saw the great shine his magic let out. And I went straight towards him and held onto him tight as he suddenly broke down.


    "It''s alright, Nin, it''s alright!" I said to him as I tried to soothe the man I loved. But, the way he was shivering and shaking made it clear just this would not be enough.


    "One... One... One of them was inside of my head..." he whimpered as he buried his face into my arm. It even nearly brought tears to my face as well, seeing him in this state. It made me worry for him in ways I could not begin to describe even if I was given all the time in the world to ponder it.


    "There won''t be any more monsters in your head, Nin, it''s okay... It''s okay." I said to him in a tone I emulated from my own mother. But, given how it has been a while since I''ve seen her, I might be taking more influence from Vadei''s mother. It would not surprise me given how often I like to be around her just to see her be a loving mother to Vadei.


    "W-Where''s Lari...?" he then asked me in worry as he tried to escape my grip. But, for once, I was able to overpower him as it is clear he has been expending quite a bit of his magic.


    "She''s alright, she''s clearing out this place from the b-" I started to explain to him.


    "LARI!" he suddenly roared before most of his casted magic returned to him. And I was forced to watch him break free of my grip and run off into the depths of the hive. A vast collection of survivors was left behind in his wake. I would have gone after him, but this sudden burden prevented me from doing so.


    And very, very soon, I was forced to move aside as lovers came back together and children cried into their father''s arms. Those who found most of their family instantly turned around to try and get them out of there while the others became more desperate. Some even went charging off on their own like Nin had done before they got here. But, unlike with Nin, I doubt these men would survive unless I went after them in order to help them.


    Yet, how was I going to help them when I still had to handle all these other survivors? Each child and woman Nin brought here only increased the issues of us lacking weapons. I was lacking a solution for this problem and it was bringing a great amount of stress to my mind... I left one group so very vulnerable if I went to help another...


    But, I would just have to risk it, we had cleared the way here, hopefully, it would stay that way. So, with a nervous step towards the darkness, I ran off in the direction Nin went in. This way, I can get more of the men who ran off this way to come back if we saved their families. Yet, as I got closer to the sounds of them, it got worse and worse.


    "I''LL KILL YOU ALL! YOU HEAR ME YOU DAMN BUGS!? DO YOU HEAR ME!?" I heard one man howl as he slowly hobbled out of a small entrance holding a small body. And as I lit up the area with my magic, I saw that the body was a lot smaller than it should have been. It made me feel so very sick and I went past the bloodthirsty man as if he was never there. I just wasn''t sure how to handle something like this...


    And in a twisted way, I was thankful for the magical presence I sensed deeper in the hive. It was an unfamiliar aura, but, it was something for my mind to focus on. There would also be no problems with what I did with it either. As the closer I got to this aura made it clear it was one of those bugs.


    A relatively powerful one by the feel of it, yet, I very much doubted it was more powerful than me. I have slain a mountain-melting wyvern after all. This was just some bug living in the dirt beneath my boots. Some parasite that preyed on the weakest people they could find, and, I was not weak.


    "I will be having words with you." I called out to the magic-using bug once I reached a grand chamber that had been blasted open wider. The faint sensation of Nin''s magic was all over this place and a lot went up into a hole above us. I could only assume that meant Nin actually was brought into this place after we were separated.


    But what could have caused Nin to unleash such destruction here? I could see no bodies beyond what little remained of the bugs at the entrance I had just walked through. Everything else was just, gone, pulverised into the walls around us which had been set into a firmer state by his magic. He had actually let loose so much magic that he made the land tougher...


    It was an impressive feat, but, I still had to remember that we were on the edge of Jherikra. I also had to remember what I was currently about to fight as it had now acknowledged me. And, I was a little disappointed, this one actually had an aura of peculiar magic about it, unlike the others. But, it did not look particularly special at all, it had a staff, sure...


    Actually, that was a very useful thing to note, "Suitable material for a new queen." the bug then said to me in a creepy fashion. And, it may have been dark, but I could see how its jaw moved in accordance to those words. Like an animal that had just spied a filling meal. Unfortunately for it, however, I had no intention of being its new queen, I had far grander titles waiting for me at home.


    I did not respond to its words, instead, I flung a bolt of lightning at it and watched as stone blocked it. Then, I steadied myself for the ground began to erupt and distort as giant cylinders began to come at me. Before they slammed into me, I would turn into my alternate form and let them melt around me. Then, I would use my aura to make the melted stone explode away, only to be shocked at how quickly they came back together.


    And no matter how many bolts I seemed to fling, I could not get past its defences. Yet, all these probing attacks made one thing clear to me. My lightning form was either hot or magically potent enough to near-instantly melt his controlled rock. I could just charge him if I wanted!


    So I did, I ran through what I could until I was near him. At which point, I reached out my nearest gloved hand and held it out for him. Only for the bug to shoot into the sky on a pillar of stone which I ran into. And, eventually through.


    "Get down here, you got a lot to answer for regarding what you have done to my friend!" I called out amidst getting struck at harmlessly by stone constructs. Nearly snorting at the bug as it began to test new ways to get past my defences. But our strength was just too different. It would not beat me like this, and it also seemed like it knew that...


    "Very suitable, but, too strong." it commented before it brought itself over to the chamber entrance. At which point, it began to strike away at the dirt and rock. And the land about me rumbled as it suddenly began to collapse in on itself. I tried to turn into a lightning bolt to get out of here, but, I only went up!


    I couldn''t just leave this bug around, so I had to cancel the spell and travel on foot. And, as I desperately ran for the creature which was slowing me down with more stone... I thought of an idea that might backfire greatly. But, I needed to find Nin again, and that overpowered my worries.


    "No! No! No! No! NO! NOT NOW!" I acted out as I intentionally exited my lightning form incorrectly. Letting my body spasm out as it returned to normal and getting caught against the flat-faced charge of the bug''s spell. And I was sent flying with a painful thud which hurt more on the landing than the blow itself.


    But, the plan had worked, the bug had caught notice and had moved its pillars to protect me from the falling debris. They then began to harshly pull me over to its waiting form which was looking at me suspciously. Yet, its caution was not enough and it still approached my immobile form as I panted in fake exhaustion. I was worried that it would see through my plan, though.


    "Damn you... I''ll kill you for what you have done to my friends..." I coughed out for real as all this dust dried out my mouth.


    "There is still great power in you." it observed just before it touched my breast and began to feel the magic concentrated in it. The bug would realise too late, however, that I was still able to fight. And it would roar in sudden pain before it exploded into a cloud of ash that let loose little blue sparks.


    "Why''d our biology have to be this way...?" I then asked the gods as I began to rub my hand along my clothes. I did not want whatever stuff that bug had on its claws on my clothes. Especially so near a place that should have only been touched by Nin. With this bug dead, though, I began to return to my original goal of finding Nin.


    .


    .


    .


    "Oh, okay, you like it rough, do you?" I laughed out at the weak creatures that were attacking me. I was too strong for them to hurt me, but they had gotten the jump on me as I walked in the dark and now... Well, uh, they seemed to be trying to rape me. My magic, however, kept them away and I was forced to look at some rather grotesque sights.


    I would kill a few, but, I had to be careful as I was also protecting some people I had found. These sudden bangs that were echoing throughout the tunnels also had me worried. As they shook this place down to the foundations. And with each bang came more violent results down here.


    Cracks, loose rocks, new tunnels or chambers being revealed. That was what was happening with each blow I felt the distant tremours of. So I had to pick up the pace to get these lot out of here. But, my magic wasn''t really made for this.


    I had improvised my fighting style out of my dancing style and that basically meant no protection. I could make shields, sure, but that was again, an improvised spell meant for something else. They were constructs meant to help me spread the joy of dancing! Not means to fight horrible creatures!


    "Are you sure none of you knows how to use magic!?" I asked after clearing a tunnel with a large ball of water magic. And it was quite the tunnel as I did not even hear the water burst until a while later. But, in regards to my question, I got the same answer as before when I found them. A big fat no...


    It made me want to roll my eyes, but, I kept on going either way. And I would kill as many as I could before I let out a sigh of relief when it felt like I was done. Only for me to then get jumped by a bunch hiding on the roof above as we entered a new chamber. My quick thinking, however, managed to save those I was guiding by keeping them separated with a wall of water.


    "Get off!" I groaned in annoyance as they began to pile onto me. Certain body parts were even coming out during these brief few moments. But, something else was quickly approaching, and it made me smile despite my predicament. And in but a moments notice, I was in the arms of someone I could call friend.


    "ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?" Nin screamed and cried as he protectively hugged me while I cleaned myself off. I didn''t answer with words, though, I just smiled and returned the love my friend was handing out. Maybe I should have, though, because it seemed that my quietness was making him more worried. As he was completely baffled to see me smiling when he pulled me before his teary eyes.


    So, I remedied the issue with a simple uttering, "Don''t worry, I''m alright, Nin!" I tell him as I smile brightly. Keeping up the smile even as I began to flick small pebbles past him and at slowly approaching bugs. And as he settled into the idea that I was fine, he began to turn into a similar state.


    "Can we get out of here...?" he then weakly asked while shivering and looking about in a paranoid manner. It was also interesting to note that the tremours had stopped as well. So, either, it was him, or Einervaene. And, just this once, I wanted to think it was Einervaene confidently strutting her stuff that caused the ruckus!


    .


    .


    .


    "What point is there...? I brought you back here so we could put you to rest but..." I began to say to Dad before I started crying again. And the fact all I felt was his cold touch only made me cry more. I don''t even know why I was talking to him. I''d get no response and no closure, all I could do was imagine things he would say.


    But... I have spent so long away from him and not interacting with him that I have all but forgotten how he behaved. I can remember things he has done with me and the others, yet, even then... I still could not figure out how he might answer my questions and cries.


    "Maybe, I just need to go find you myself." I then let out quietly and miserably before getting off of the bed. And, despite having an idea, I was reluctant to move away from the bed. Maybe it was because I felt so weak as of late and so tired... I could not tell as all I could think about was Dad...


    About how I would never hear him call me Little Va anymore. How I would never get to sit there smugly as Conquei got scolded for her lack of feminity. Or the reverse where I was getting scolded for my foul behaviour. Not one thing I did with him would ever happen again...


    "Please come back..." I pointlessly begged as I wiped my eyes with my messy tail. The beauty it once had, the care I once put into it. It was all gone and I just could not muster up the effort to look after it anymore. I just couldn''t care in general, I suppose.


    And soon, I finally mustered the emotional, mental and physical strength to leave Dad behind. I left him alone and slowly made my way down the airship and back to my chair. I got many worried glances on the way, and some even tried to stop me, but I refused their offers. Even when I fell down into a fit of coughing and gagging, I refused.


    I denied every bit of help offered to me until I got all the way to the bridge again. Where, to no surprise, Mom was waiting for me. And the moment she saw me was chaotic as she just threw me into my chair. A harsh but gentle hand rubbed my scalp and she barked her orders to someone.


    Then, when I woke up again after going through a series of flickering eyes. Before me was a steamy bowl of something and holding it up was a Mom who loved me so much... So very much... Then, once again, I began to cry at the mere thought I might lose her soon too.


    All it took was a one-in-a-million chance for Dad to die and now that we were home... We could see how much danger was present in the area. Osibindah had come and they were tearing our home apart in the hunt for whatever it is they wanted. Be it food or bodies to steal...


    If Dad was gone just like that, then what is to say that the moment we land that Mom won''t go to? That Conquei who I had to go back a second time for won''t just vanish for a second time...? I wanted to go home, and now that I was here, I never wanted to land there... It was too dangerous for them...


    "Vadei, please, listen to me, you need to eat!" Mom''s begging soon registered in my ears and I looked up at her.


    "Excuse me..." I politely asked between a new set of coughs. Attempting to get up before the mere presence of her hand put me back down. She wasn''t going to let me go anywhere so I needed to be smarter about this. But, I just couldn''t think of anything as my head would just start pounding harshly.


    "Mom, can you help me with something, please?" Conquei asked as she came in, likely holding something. But, that only made Mom''s grip on me tighten.


    "Can''t it wait!?" she asked back surprisingly harsh as she tried to tease my mouth open with the sweet smell of the food. She failed in that task and the spoon just hovered before my cracked lips.


    "Thank you..." my sister let out quietly when Mom just walked off with a stressed huff. Leaving me alone in my chair with a bowl of warm food. Something I quickly set aside before I began to slowly set the airship down as to not alert anyone. But my lack of sleep made it feel like we were suddenly jerking about and it worried me.


    Yet, I managed to succeed in my task and the airship landed without an issue. Now, I just needed to quickly get off the airship after giving it a timer before it would go up again. If Mom and Conquei could die so easily if we were not thorough, then I''d have to clear this place. I was stronger than them, I did save them after all.


    So, I could save them again, surely? I just needed to get off this airship quickly. But, upon reaching the outside spaces, the timer had already finished and the airship had begun to rise. So I swallowed my fear and just fell overboard.


    "DAMMIT!" I screamed after slamming into the ground below. Just this small drop had hurt so much and I was clutching my body as I cried my pain out. Then, when I was done crying over something so insignificant, I finally managed to get up. Each step, however, was accented by the huffs of pain I could not help but let out.


    And when I looked up at the distant and blurry airship, I smiled a bit. Because now that they were up there, they were safe. I could fight these osibindah attacking my home and make it safe for all of them. And, maybe, just maybe, I could go see Dad again before Undwote takes him...


    "Come out... Bugs..." I weakly croaked as I bounced between trees with painful thuds. Not even paying attention to how my claws were steadily whittled down by the bark. Then, when I ran out of trees to hold on to, I fell to the ground. And I led there quietly in the grass as my mouth tried to suckle what moisture it could.


    Then, once again, I cried as I began to regret my plan. This wasn''t going to work at all, not at all... If I could not even get past Mom of all things in this state... How was I going to stop osibindah!?


    How was I!? Dad would have hated me throwing my life about so recklessly like this. He would have hated it and the moment I would find him again... He would be angry with me, my last moment with him would be anger, not joy...


    "Please come back... I have been an idiot..." I cried as I rolled onto my back and reached out for the distant airship. But as I watched it rise higher and higher, I got angrier. And this anger was soon converted into the strength I needed to get back up. And I kept on moving once I was up again, a glare on my face as I slowly hobbled over a low cobblestone wall.


    Then, I went over the wall slowly and gently hopped down from it while hugging my tail with one arm. It was very cold out here even though the halo shined brightly down on me. Even the little sticks that snapped under my feet seemed to hurt more than they should have. Yet, even with my precautions, none of it got easier.


    It hurt to move, to think, to see and to hear, everything about this slow journey was pure misery. Not even the thoughts that drove me were any better. It was just a mountain of bottled-up grief and anguish. Mom and Conquei seemed to have gotten over it, but I have not for some reason...


    All I could think about was Dad''s cold hands and increasingly colourless fur. That bed he was in was all that seemed to matter to me right now and I just didn''t know what to do. But, thankfully, I found something to distract me from Dad, at least for a moment. Because I was able to find our old house which was still miraculously intact.


    I guess that was one benefit to living at the edge of the village closer to the woods. The mountains were further away so the osibindah would be as well. It was quite dusty, however, merely walking past the broken door set my nose off. To my displeasure, as well, my face stung intently as if I had sneezed out razor blades or something.


    "Still here? Mom, I thought your cooking was better than that." I commented as I stared at the cold fireplace and the large black pot. A dusty stew full of new things was still in said pot and it had congealed into something else. It still looked like a stew, mind, but, I would not want to eat it at all. Even with the completely empty stomach that I had...


    I soon moved on, though, to a different part of the house and came to a stop before our bedrooms. Me and my sister shared a room just like Mom and Dad did with the other one. It wasn''t a large house by any means, but it was my house. Our home... That was all it needed to be to be better than all the other places I have lived at.


    "You better not be trying to scare me..." I mumbled miserably when I heard chittering coming from behind me. It was probably just Nin coming on by to see why the airship had come on down. So, I went out to meet him, only to freeze up when I saw yellow eyes, not blue. But, I did not back away in fear or try to fight.


    I just stared at the frail-looking osibindah as it stared back at me and swished about its stolen tail.  Then, it moved to grab me and pick me up to which I sighed weakly. The joy I had previously found by going inside our home was now gone and I was being carried off. Death was awaiting me now and I could go see Dad again!


    Yet, even with how much I hated my life right now, no matter how much I just wanted it to end. I could not help but feel a growing sense of dread as I was carried off by this bug. And soon, I was forced to say goodbye to the light of the halo as I was brought into a tunnel. To my surprise, however, the bug did not spear me on anything disgusting...


    It just left me alone in a small chamber alongside a couple of other people from the village. Each of them was somehow in a better state than I was... It did not confuse me, however, I knew exactly why I was like this right now. Nor did I really linger on my fate, I just felt so tired right now and I just wanted to sleep...


    So I did, I slowly, somehow, managed to get to sleep while being watched.

 Incline 3: Please, Save My Daughter!

    "Nin!? Larishazza!? Where''d you go!?" I called out into the dark tunnel I stood before after toasting another bug. Initially looking on in worry at the dark space before me until I just walked off with a sigh. I had gotten lost after fighting that magic-using bug and I did not know where to go. Following noises certainly didn''t help either as it just led me to more bugs.


    But, the bugs were becoming increasingly less common as of late. It should be quite obvious why that is the case, after all, I have been killing quite a few. A few more had been killed by the other two and a small group had been speared by angry fathers. Yet, I had a feeling that wasn''t entirely the case because some tunnels were just warped by recent stampedes.


    Were the bugs now on the run now that the important ones had been killed? Admittedly, I hoped this was not the case as creatures like this deserved only death. However, I cared more about finding the others than seeing if the bugs were running. My dear friend Nin needed my help, he needed it so very bad.


    "YOU TWO!?" I then called out again as loud as I could when I found another dark and empty tunnel. Yet, still, I did not get the answer I wanted, so I was forced to delve deeper into the tunnels. And like the last time I went deeper, I noticed more signs of movement and past battle. Until, finally, at last, I heard the echoes of speaking in this drastically quieter prison.


    "A human!?" they would call out in shock when I finally found them. And despite finding something that was not a bug, I was left bitterly disappointed. My face showed it off quite well but I can''t help but think they missed that detail. After all, given the place we were in, anyone should develop a foul mood.


    "Yes, have you seen another, blue hair?" I asked the head of this small group of sick and wounded as they hobbled on by. Contemplating just grabbing one until I got an answer.


    "There was... A strange smell further down that way..." one at the back of this small group answered before they disappeared from the light my magic produced. And, it wasn''t much at all, but, it gave me a hint that I was on the right track. So I followed the path they just came from and followed the footprints with sharp points at the end. Then, finally, I heard her cheerful voice, I heard her laughter and I followed it as well as I could.


    Until, finally, I stood before them, "Einervaene! There she is!" Larishazza cheered as her magic lit up and revealed the great number of people she had saved. Yet, in my jealousy, I was assuming it only looked like so many because of how narrow these tunnels were. But, when I saw Nin, I could only smile and I went up to him in order to hug him. Which I did to the backdrop of Larishazza urging something specific from me.


    "You smell smokey." Nin mumbles against me as I stroke the back of his head before the confused victims of this place.


    "Well, I''ve been busy if you cannot tell." I say with a small smile as I let go of him. Soon attempting to brush off some ash. Albeit to no avail.


    "Thank you..." he then cryptically spoke as he leaned on the wall and sighed in relief. A slight stutter in his voice and breath before it went and disappeared. I would, however, try to comfort him regardless of how short that little stutter was. All that mattered was that he was okay.


    "He''s been cheering up a bit lately." Larishazza whispered into my ears as we both watched our friend as he reacted to noise.


    "Did the bug with a stick bother him that much?" I asked back with a whisper, catching his attention instantly while Larishazza only became confused.


    "Bug with a stick?" she asked back clueless about what I meant.


    "Did you kill the earth shaman...?" Nin then asked me hopefully as he straightened his body out and got in my face.


    "If that is what the one with a stick was, then, yes, I made him pop into a cloud of black ash!" I told him with some pride as his smile grew wider and wider. And, it was only really after he put me down and stopped hugging me that I realised it was an odd thing to be cheerful about. It was not odd enough, however, for me to linger on it in my mind.


    "So why did the bug have a stick?" the still out of it Larishazza asked as she steadily started moving forward again. And, in turn, the people she had saved followed after her as her magic kept them safe and on the move.


    "Because these things can''t use magic." Nin answered as he pressed his foot down on a dead bug harshly. Mixing it in with the mud more than it had been beforehand.


    "What kind of magic do they use?" Larishazza asked.


    "Some kind of rock magic, but I have never heard of a mountain that grants earth magic?" I answered then asked as a sidenote.


    "Because there is no Rock Mountain." Larishazza laughed as I questioned the common knowledge of our world. There was only six and there would always be only six types of magic, seven if we counted raw... Lightning, wind, light, dark, fire and water.


    "So this is all just wind magic...?" I asked in confusion as I tried to figure out how wind magic granted one control over the earth... How would it even do that? Were those strange stone constructs full of air bubbles? Was it just a bit of rock being moved by an unseeable spell...?


    "It would have to be, raw magic, from what I remember in my history lessons, does not work like this. And, well, we already have the obvious lack of a mountain supplying the power." Larishazza says with a shrug before she kicked something down a tunnel.


    "Wouldn''t someone have to teach them?" I then asked her as I thought about my own spells. Sure, I didn''t have a teacher for either but I had circumstances that enabled me to think of these ideas. Bugs, however, just would not get these kinds of experiences. So there should be no logical reason for them to learn a spell.


    "There is not much point in asking me, this is the first time I have ever seen these creatures." Larishazza tells me as she gets a strange look from Nin.


    "What''re you talking abo-" he began to say in protest before she suddenly became hyperactive and ran away.


    "Hey, don''t run off like that!" I chastised as I caught up and grabbed her by the arm. Only to be brought along with her as I had forgotten in that brief moment that she was stronger. At first, I flailed about with a determined grip until I let go of her. Then I found myself with Nin, pressed against a barrier of water.


    Instead of flowing from her like a flag did its pole, I was instead being pulled after her on her magic...


    "Lari!" Nin called out as he tried to stop her by getting his feet into the ground. But, each time his feet got into the earth, her strength pulled them right out again as if it never happened. This would carry on as well until we were finally outside and sent flying into the air. And as we both got up with an annoyed expression on our faces, she laughed and laughed.


    Then, her spell disappeared and its occupants slowly disappeared into the village as if nothing ever happened. At least, until one of them screamed when they saw Nin, which in turn made him run off. Larishazza, however, urged me to go to the airship which was still floating high above the village like it was before. So, as I watched Nin with concern, I turned into a lightning bolt and then crashed onto the deck of the airship.


    "Vadei, we dealt with the problem..." I began to call out as I walked onto the bridge of the airship. Only to find her mother in a state of utter panic which she turned on me the moment I walked in.


    "WHERE''S MY DAUGHTER!?" she screamed into my face as her fingers wrapped around the copper frame on my top. She then attempted to shake me about but nothing came of it.


    "Vadei''s missing?" I asked before she started to nod her head and cry.


    "I went to help my other daughter after getting frustrated with her lack of eating and... When I came back..." she began to explain to me as my heart started to hurt at the sight I was seeing.


    "Is she not in the medical bay with your...?" I asked, in the hopes she was just overreacting and forgot about that small detail. But, the way she shook her head made it clear that was not the case.


    "That was the first place I looked... Then I tried to find her smell but I couldn''t..." she wept before collapsing against the chair her daughter spent so much time in. I held out my hand at first, but then I brought it back to my side and sighed.


    "Is it possible she got off the airship at some point?" I then asked which set her off into an even worse state.


    "I don''t even want to think about it..." she cried as it became increasingly clear she was thinking that Vadei had committed suicide. At first, I was unsure of how to act, but then in came Liadanann who snorted her nose at me.


    "Are you able to find out if Vadei got off the ship at some point?" I asked of her before having to step in front of her to get in the way. She growled but my firm stare got her to back down out of this mood. Me being stronger than her was not an undiscovered detail...


    "I am..." Liadanann reluctantly answered before she moved on other to the machines by Vadei''s chair. She then began to tap away before a diagram came up with some numbers on it.


    "Can you explain it for us?" I asked her as I moved closer to Vadei''s mother as she looked at the diagram too.


    "It''s a graph detailing the altitude of the airship over a period of time. A basic bit of info needed for the maintenance of craft like this." she explained with a notable amount of smugness to her words. However, despite how much it was annoying me, I focused on what was important. I focused on the mother who wanted to hold her daughter again...


    "So at this time, then, Vadei lowered the airship to...?"


    "Near-ground level, and, if we go by this, it appears that she got off."


    "Got off?" I repeated as Vadei''s mother stood up and moved forward slightly.


    "Can you get the airship down?" she desperately asked Liadanann before she nearly collapsed in defeat when she shook her head.


    "I can get you down." I told her nearly instantly after seeing her strength waver. And, she looked at me with tearful eyes and pleading lips. She was clearly ready to beg for help once again.


    "Please..." she begged as she choked back more tears. As I watched her cry, I could not help but have my gaze anchored on her. I myself, also nearly cried as I remembered the last time I saw my mother. She was in a similar state, begging me to help her in her own way...


    "Okay, okay. Come on, let me help you." I tell her with a small smile as I guide her outside. Slowly preparing the spell and letting her ready herself however she could. I tried to reassure her with the gentle applying of pressure to her hand, but I don''t think she noticed. So, I just waited until she looked my way, and I smiled.


    "Please hurry..." she whimpered as her ears began to go down.


    "Don''t worry, it will be okay." I tell her just before I cast the spell. And when we reappeared, I held onto her delicately as she reacted the same way as everyone else. Then, when she was done throwing up whatever she had eaten prior, I helped her up. I then held her close until she began to feel better, at least physically.


    "That''s a smell I haven''t..." she began to say before she started crying once more. And, in order to stop her from hurting herself, I followed her as she began to move forward. Helping her over obstacles or moving them out of the way until we reached a small building. One that was mostly made of wood but also held up by a tightly packed stone base.


    She then escaped my grip and rushed off to the inside of this building before wailing like a child, "Is this what I think it is?"


    "It is... I only wish this first time back would be us all here together..." she answered tearfully while nodding. Her fingers, meanwhile, began to turn white as she held onto a mug of all things tightly. But, my eyes were more focused on the broken down doors I was right next to at the moment.


    "Was it a violent incident?" I then asked out of the blue as I guessed it might have been related to their enslavement.


    "It doesn''t really matter, it happened." she shrugged with a series of hiccups as well.


    "There is something that does require your attention, though. So, shall we?" I asked her with a smile as I knelt down beside her. Waiting until she smiled just a little before I brought her back to her feet. Letting her sniff the air before she went deeper into the house. Not that there was much distance to cross to do that.


    "She was here at some point!" Vadei''s Mother exclaimed as she carefully sniffed the air before she started to panic.


    "Bugs?" I asked without missing a beat to which she showed off as much of her panic as she could. Then, I took her hand and had her lead me to where ever Vadei might have been taken. Even if she could only get the slightest hint, then that would be fine by me. So long as we found the tunnel she was taken into.


    "It lingered here for quite a while...?" she said in confusion as she began to get down onto all fours. And, despite how awkward I thought that might''ve been, she moved about rather fluidly. Just like Vadei actually when I have seen her moving about like that.


    "Out into the trees?" I asked once we reached a low wall we had crossed prior.


    "No... Down it." she explained as she perched on it and fiddled around with some loose stones. Then, all of a sudden, she went off sprinting.


    "Don''t go off like that!" I said to her as I went after her. And I followed her all the way to the end of the wall which had very notable footprints near it. They were the kind only those bugs could make and there weren''t many of them. But, they were still clear enough to give us an idea of which way to go.


    "She''s in there..." Vadei''s Mother told me as she slowly approached a not so well-hidden tunnel. Moving ahead of her and keeping a palm raised before me just in case. Then, when I saw a bug, I shocked it to death without a second thought before the end of the tunnel was also reached. This place was not that deep at all.


    It was a mere scratch compared to the gaping cavity of the other place we had been to! But, with my attention having briefly gone away from Vadei''s mother, I ended up losing track of her... At least, until I heard a very audible gasp come from my left. Sort of behind me as well.


    "DON''T YOU EVER DISAPPEAR LIKE THAT AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR ME!?" she lovingly shouted at her daughter as they slowly turned their gaze up at me. Around us were a few more of their kind, but, they were quick to leave when the smell of burning flesh wafted in. And I moved aside just a bit because I did not want to lose sight of what was before me. I just wanted this jealousy I had for Vadei to eat me up...


    "I had it under control..." Vadei weakly said with a cough before her starved body reminded us of its state.


    "You stupid girl... Look at you... Come on, we''re back home now, I can cook you up something nice!" Vadei''s Mother cheered with a tearful smile as she picked her daughter up. Slinging her straight onto her back and stumbling until she sorted it out. Vadei had no reply, however, as she fell asleep the moment she was put onto her back. Her tail even sort of entwined itself with her mother''s as she began to slowly carry them off.


    "Do you need help?" I asked her as I began to prepare myself to take Vadei off of her hands. Yet, she refused, quite aggressively too. Which, hurt a little more than it should have but there was nothing I could do about that...


    "No... Sorry, I just, want to hold my daughter..." Vadei''s Mother said to me as her ears went slightly down at the tips. Then, when we were out of the small hole in the ground, I destroyed the entrance. There was nothing else in that place either, so I did not have to worry about anyone being trapped inside.


    "So what will you do about the osibindah problem? Me and my friends won''t be here much longer I presume." I say to Vadei''s Mother with a sigh as it would bother me not seeing a loving mother again. I was doing all of this to help my own mother, but, to see another loving parent like Vadei''s...


    "The only thing we can do after being away for so long with no income. We just rebuild and hope for the best." she tells me with a sigh full of worry.


    "Is there no one you can go to? Surely there''s an army or militia you can turn to for help?" I asked as certain ideas began to form in my head. So long as I had the means to get stronger and make my magic better... Maybe I could find a way to set up a place of residence here? Help keep the village safe and all that...?


    "There are towns belonging to the wind-people here, yes, there''s also, of course, the local lord or lady, but, there''s no guarantee they''ll rally for a single village of oxfuinei." she explains with some bitterness as her grip on Vadei tightened.


    "What if someone of noble birth asked for aid?" I then asked as I tried to ponder an idea that might work.


    "Instead of being told to leave at the gate of the castle, you''d get a meal and a bed before being told the same thing. Not that it would matter, you''d need a representative from our village. Not that anyone is likely going to want to go. It''s just too dangerous now to leave our homes like this."


    "I see... Is there no other way?" I asked, surely there was at least something?


    "Unless you and the blue-haired one are willing to work for free, no." was all she sighed out in answer. And her paranoia was as clear as could ever be. If it happened once, it''ll happen again.


    "You don''t want Nin''s help? He''s very strong." I argued as I felt like she was underestimating him unfairly.


    "I''d rather avoid getting help from an osibindah, different or no." she snapped back at me which reminded me somehow of the fact he went off somewhere to hide.


    "Vadei has been kept safe all this time by him, he''s part of the reason why you even got a chance to go home!" I pointed out in defence of the friend I loved so much. That bracelet be damned, this was all possible without it!


    "He''s also the reason my husband is dead!"


    "Don''t you dare lay that at his feet! That thing he so desperately tried to stop destroyed everyone he cared about in an instant! Your home may be rebuildable, but his is not!" I told her angrily as I stomped closer to her with sparks shimmering down my hair. She did not flinch, but, she was quick to change her tone to that of fear and regret.


    "I... We don''t want or need the help of a bug." Vadei''s Mother told me before she scurried away towards her old home. And I stood there with a frown, watching as she disappeared into the building after she followed the wall back. Which, admittedly took a while, but, when she was done, I disappeared into the sky. Only striking back down to the earth when I saw blue hair down below.


    "You''re back!" Larishazza cheered from atop Nin''s shoulders as her sandaled feet dangled just above his palms. And, occasionally, his fingers would go up and prod at them as they swung back and forth nearby.


    "So, Vadei went briefly missing." I tell them with a shrug as the issue had been dealt with now. So, it wasn''t really a necessity to put much seriousness into it even if it was a serious problem.


    "How did she go missing...?" Nin asked in confusion as he grabbed Larishazza''s feet to stop them moving.


    "She lowered the airship for some reason. I assume her lack of food and so on is messing with her head a little. She should be fine soon, anyway. How have things been on your end?" I said to them before shifting the conversation in their direction. The way me and Vadei''s mother departed left me a little sour in regards to talking about it. And, I can only hope it isn''t something she''ll pay much mind to.


    "Not much, Nin got a little jumpy and we have been sorting it out since then." Larishazza said as she freed her feet with the help of water magic. With her also intentionally kicking some of it towards me with a smirk. And, to my annoyance, I jumped a little as I had recently used a spell.


    "Are the bugs dealt with, then?" I asked them as I noted how they were pretty idle regardless.


    "Don''t have a single clue."


    "Neither do I." Larishazza then Nin said as the latter watched the stone circles carefully.


    "Well, alright, what now?" I then asked the pair as now we weren''t really doing anything. Not that I minded. So long as Larishazza gave me a nice bit of Nin to be with. Far more than she, of course, it was me after all that had greater affection for him.


    "We wait for Vadei to get better, I suppose." Nin says as he starts to get up before he moved into the shadows of branches and leaves.


    "I assume you''ll want a new outfit?"


    "That is probably for the best." he mumbled with a sigh as I came over and took ahold of his hand. Drumming my many fingers along his comparitively fingerless hand as we just sort of stood there.


    "Well, until the shops are open again, I suppose everything is free?" I joked albeit with a sense of uncomfortableness about it as I was talking about theft... The owners were back now, so I can''t really say I was looting an abandoned town. Not that I was okay with the idea of that either.


    "Ironically, given what has happened, they''ll probably be locked up again the moment everyone decides to get out of that field." Nin says to me as he points out the great group lingering in the trampled crops. Many of them seemed to be looking up at our airship. Yet, without Vadei, we could not get its occupants out to meet those on the ground.


    "Speaking of that sort of stuff, though, do you want to camp down here for the night or go back aboard the airship?" I asked him, somewhat hopeful I could share a tent or something with him. I had grown a little tired of the gimmick the airship''s beds had. And a tent offered quite a bit of privacy if it was small enough...


    "I... I''d rather not sleep near a hive again." he said with a shiver as his gaze turned up towards the airship.


    "I suppose if we can clear it off, it will also give you a place to just, relax." I point out as some of the benefits the airship had become clear.


    "I''m not a loner, I don''t need a distant airship to relax." Nin joked as he moved my hand a bit closer to his outer thigh.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "You know that isn''t what I was suggesting it for..." I said to him with a bemused tone as I rolled my eyes. Then, I quickly brushed my hair over my shoulder as my cheeks went a little warm. There wasn''t a real reason for it, I was just happy right now.


    "Speaking of suggestions, however, you might want to get them into the village. There''s no telling what might happen given what us three have done recently..." Nin says while bringing his attention back to the gathered crowd far away. A few others were occasionally joining it, but, from what I could see... They were not welcomed additions.


    "Will you be alright on your own?" I asked Nin as I moved my hand out of his very slowly.


    "I''ll be fine, just make sure they are. I didn''t go through all of that just to see them not even try afterwards." he sighed in frustration before he dug his foot into the ground. With one small pebble flying off into the distance as he held onto his head. But, before I left, I gently touched his cheek and showed him a small, sweet smile before I went off. I also needed to catch up with Larishazza as she went ahead just before.


    "So what do we tell them? Please get back into your homes or you''ll go underground again!" Larishazza joked as she pretended to be scary. And, while that did not amuse me, the fact she was able to be so chip and cheerful did. We had just been inside a place with freshly devoured children and she still tried to keep the tone light. I worried for her but also hoped she would never change.


    "Until we can say for sure that the bug problem is dealt with, that might actually be what we have to do." I answer seriously while running my gloved hand along an old fence. Maybe now that the place was saved, it could finally recover. We brought back who we could from both Nin''s home and the hive. It might be enough, it might not, there was no way for us to tell...


    Maybe they just did not have the time or resources to repair the village anyway, like... Vadei''s home still had its doors kicked in and the signs of a struggle were still all there. In fact, a good chunk of the damage to this village might have been the slavers rather than the bugs. They might''ve actually only come because the village was so vulnerable as well...


    But I was mostly guessing at that point, "Huh, so that''s what the place is called, Pawbefore." Larishazza commented as we went by an old but still colourful sign. It may have been faded and a little broken, but it was still easily read enough.


    "Pawbefore..." I read aloud before looking up and stretching my neck out. The village didn''t resemble a paw so was it someone''s name? I know many places back in my home were named in honour of someone.


    "Oh, look at this!" Larishazza then said to me as she chucked something at me. With a dull thud, it hit me just before it did the same to the ground. She laughed a little and I finally reacted to the piece of wood that had hit me.


    "A heads up in future, please." I say to her in a supposedly calm tone.


    "I did! I said something before I passed it along!" she complained with a stuck-out tongue while my supposedly calm expression cracked.


    "Be quiet..." I mumbled with a pout as I picked up the piece of wood I did not see coming at all. I can turn myself into lightning and think as fast as it yet I missed a piece of wood... Me, the one who beat a stone-melting beast of vastly greater power missed this!


    "So anyway, read it." Larishazza insisted as she watered some flowers in the meantime.


    "Founded in 3850 E.A, okay. Why did you want me to look at this?" I asked in some confusion as it was just a date. Not even a particularly distant one either. It was only about a century ago by the main calendar system used on this continent.


    "I just found it interesting that this place was founded in the same year that the eldest of the Moon-Guy''s sons was officially gifted with his titles." she admits with a shrug while I continue to look at the piece of wood without much enthusiasm.


    "Moon-Guy?" I repeated with some bemusement as I found it funny she did not use the official name. Which, is surprisingly short given the traditions of this continent. It was such a peculiar outlier as well given how the humans of this land were.


    "He has something to do with one of the moons, so, there!" she tells me with a shrug as I continue to shake my head in amusement.


    "Just you wait until we get back to Suhurlodst." I tell her with a wry grin as I concoct a plan to embarrass her like she so often does with me.


    "They''re not even the same country!" she swings out at me as if she were drunk before she skips on ahead. And, as I catch up, I realise that it was because we had reached the stone circles once again.


    "So just advise or demand them to secure themselves in the strongest buildings?" I asked as my mood changes and shifts away from the prior fun we had.


    "I don''t even think we''d need to be firm about it." Larishazza admits with a shrug before she uses her magic to toss aside one of the stone circles. She then briefly hops down into the exposed tunnel and hops right back out while shaking her head. I assume it must mean that no one was on the other side trying to escape.


    So why did she not repeat it with the others...?


    "As for us two, should we set up a camp this way? The hive is this direction, but, as I mentioned before, Vadei was taken to a rather small one that way on the other side of the village." I bring up while thinking about the safety of the village.


    "I thought we were going back to the airship at night?"


    "No, that''s just Nin if he wants. We don''t have his issue, remember?" I tell her with a whisper as we got within spitting distance of the crowd.


    "Your attention, please?" Larishazza then called out as we stopped by the myriad of tailed people. Some were just filthy, some were bloody, many alive and many dead. All of them likely happy to no longer be in that hive, even if a lot can''t say so.


    "What''re we going to do...? We can''t keep our home going like this. We''ve lost too many!" one of the healthier but still tired-looking men asked as he stepped forward. A full family in his arms, much to the enraged envy of some who were still weeping over corpses.


    "That airship up there, it is piloted by a friend of ours. Her name is Vadei, we have just come back from rescuing a good number of your people from enslavement." Larishazza starts off with, bringing smiles to some while others just grew angrier. Why they grew angrier, I could only guess, but...


    "So now we have more mouths to feed, great!" one of the hive survivors bitterly comments as he tears up one of the trampled crops in this field.


    "We have food on the airship, and we can easily get more without leaving this place unprotected. But, please, until our friend has recovered enough to land the airship, can you please find any building you can and stay there until then? Me and my friends will try our hardest to help you, but you need to be patient."


    "PATIENT!?" another individual roared as they scurried up to their feet and charged on over. They were desperate, all of them were...


    "Yes," Larishazza started off firmly as she approached them and began to rub healing magic into their skin, "patience is what you will need. Help is coming, some of it has already arrived. But, we just cannot risk the safety of those that remain."


    "Then get us on board that machine! Away from the ground where those monsters are!" a lucky mother begged as she held onto her children. All before the crowd just in front of us erupted into more begging and chaotic demanding.


    "Please, there isn''t enough room!" I tried to point out before I shirked away in the face of the desperate crowd.


    "Your safety can be found in us!" Larishazza called out to them confidently as they all went silent in the face of her now visible power. And, despite how brightly it glowed and high turbulent its waves were as it pulsed from her... It was a warm feeling it left, like a relaxing bath after a long walk or hard day at work or training...


    Those that needed it were nourished by the magic, and those that needed it less began to lose their ailments. It was the perfect tool to calm these people and one I very eagerly took note of. As, well, I was sure the nobles back home did similar things in times of disaster. When wilder magic showed off its power, they showed off its nurturing side as well.


    And, in an effort to reinforce her point, I used my most complex spell, "As far as we know, the leadership of this hive is gone. Dealt away with easily as if it were never a problem at all. So please, trust in our capabilities." I asked of them while holding out a limb made of blue lightning. Child and adult alike were enthralled by our display and you could see the results. Only the most hardened still needed convincing. But they went into the town alongside the others.


    "I don''t suppose your magic can..." one kneeling and grieving father asked as he held onto his dead son. And, as much as I wanted to say yes, I was forced to shake my head with a sigh.


    "I''m very sorry... But..." I tried to tell him before my voice gave out and I was left awkwardly looking down at him. I then turned back to normal and knelt down beside him. Putting a hand on his shoulder as he took it, at least from what I could see... He took it well.


    "Don''t worry about it then, my little pal here is going to have the greatest friend he could ever ask for soon." he said before he began to cry openly before he began to join in the mutters speaking of the God of Death. Of how the Pack of Seven would find them and they would join the Eldest Friend in a journey to what lay ahead.


    "Does your village have a House of the..." I began to ask before I stopped just before I spoke a certain word.


    "We do, it is not built to handle so many at once, though." someone answered me as they approached from behind. He was an elderly man with grey fur and a long grey beard as well. His body was frail and ancient compared to most here and it surprised me. How did he at all survive in that hive...?


    "How many can it handle then?" I asked as I stood up, briefly watching as Larishazza helped who she could move into the village.


    "Most of our deaths, before recent events, came from failures at birth or the odd accident here and there. So, we''d only be able to do a handful of adults at a time. The pups, however, should be fine to go at once." he explained as he pulled out a necklace with what looked like a misty cloud on it with seven misty paws hooked on by little silver loops.


    "You are the one in charge of the dead?"


    "No," he tried to laugh, "that honour goes to Undwote and his younger brother. I simply help them be found by him. To be truly, found by him and to go sooner." he explained as he walked on over to a child who had been left behind. He then helped them up and brought them in close in order to nurture their fears away.


    "Is there any way we can help with this? We have brought many living people but a few have unfortunately not made it." I told him as his smile stayed despite the reluctant information I handed to him.


    "You can help me with those who have been abandoned in this field. Pains me as it does, the dead will not go anywhere until we help them. So, for now, let us just help those that still live. Our modest temple has survived both terrors from the deep and slavers, it can hold them." he says as he gathers up more children. Leaving me to get those who can''t walk alongside Larishazza who had been listening in.


    "So, uh, I''m Einervaene and that is Larishazza." I then introduced ourselves after taking a child too many off of the aged man''s hands.


    He smiles in thanks and looks me in the eye, "I am thankful for your help then, Einervaene. I''m Simar, Priest of Undwote." he says while continuing to usher children back into the village. We follow on with what we can carry, but, we might have to come again.


    "Don''t worry about those ones, I can get them moving." Larishazza quietly says to me after she follows my gaze to the still-living but unmoving children. Not one of them even reacted in surprise when they were they carried back into town by moving water platforms. Even when they were put back down...


    "Are you alright?" I asked one of these children, and, possibly, it was a pointless endeavour. After all, if a child was not at least interested or surprised by the sight of magic, then, why would they answer? They had all been for a lot and some might not even recover if they don''t get the help they need...


    The child I spoke to then slowly looked up at me before they reached out to touch me, "Soft..." was all they would say as they seemed to calm down. But, what they did next worried me as many suddenly began to panic at the sight of a small little insect.


    "It''s alright, it''s alright children. It''s just a fuzzbug." Simar tells them as he picks up the insect which suddenly begins to dance in his hand. He would smile at it before he then place it outside on the leaf of a bush by the temple door. It even seemed to beg for his attention as he turned away.


    "That... That wasn''t just children not liking insects, was it?" I asked him as we came back inside the temple.


    He frowns and shakes his head, "No, unfortunately. It may have been my only time seeing the osibindah, but, from what I have heard, a fear of anything bug-like is quick to follow. Especially in those who aren''t quite old enough to understand."


    "Is there anything we can do to help with that? The way some of these children have reacted to this whole ordeal, they might never get over it."


    "We''ll just have to wait and see," he tells me before he strokes the ears of a child, "as they will have to learn themselves that most critters won''t hurt them, not like an osibindah would. It is probably best to not avoid the issue either, help them focus it on that one word. That one creature."


    "Right..." I quietly mutter as I began to think about Nin once again. I thought about how that advice might be applied to his own fears and problems. I was fully aware he was no child, but, maybe the same advice applied regardless of age? But, I just did not know.


    I did not have a fear of things like bugs or animals or heights or everyday items and that. My fears were entirely focused around my lack of knowledge regarding my Mother''s safety. I feared for it so much that sometimes I wondered if my willingness to put up with Nin''s teasing was a distraction. Like how him teasing me was himself offering himself a distraction from recent events...


    "So, will you be trying to at least handle a few of the dead?" I asked as I arrived at the main room Undwote was associated with. A quiet room with a stone floor, a pelt carpet, a warm, roaring fireplace and an ornate rocking chair. There wasn''t much consistency between temples in my experience, but they were always like this. A small, comfortable room for the dead to rest in.


    Simar moved into the room and stared long and hard at the many rocking chairs, "Not until that machine brings back the rest of our townsfolk. It would not be right to bury so many sons, daughters, wives and husbands without at least one member of their family watching."


    "What about the ones that are completely gone, then?" I asked with a sorrowful tone as my mind thought of Mother again. What would happen to her if I was not there to witness her own burial when it happens? As, well, unfortunately, as long-lived as some of us are... We are not immortal, only the gods and goddesses were.


    "Then we at the temple will do, and we will be very careful to call on all members of his Pack of Seven. To pass on into Undwote''s arms with no one to be there for them on the way out... It''s not right." Simar explained with quiet tears as he put his hand on a crib intended for the deceased young.


    "Will you be alright for now, then?" I asked as I looked back to see Larishazza signalling that everyone was back in the village.


    He smiles and nods, "With you two to be there for us, very much so. And, tell the distant one that he has our thanks as well. And may all of the Equilibrium''s children be there for him." Simar tells me as he performs various religious signs before waving me off as I leave. We both wave back to him and I try to make a note regarding what he said about Nin. How he knew about Nin, confused me, however, he was hidden for most of this was he not?


    "So now where do we go?" I then asked Larishazza as I closed the temple door behind me. And while my friend ponders something to do, we hear a loud bang thud from the door.


    "Not through the barred door." she jokes first with her eyes staying on me until I smiled back.


    "I can think of three things, either, we go to Vadei and see what we can do to help her get better. Or, we can do something regarding Nin, be it new clothes or just going back to talk to him." I say as I lower three stuck out fingers before I then put that arm behind my back.


    "Which way is Vadei''s home? I haven''t been there yet." Larishazza shrugs out as she skips on ahead before she runs up a wall only to flip off of it. At first, I was a little distracted by that display of energy and athleticism, but, I regained my focus shortly after.


    And I would point a hand up at the airship before speaking, "It''s probably the closest house to that. It''s only a small one, probably a handful of rooms on one floor." I say as I try to recall details about the home I briefly visited.


    "Alright, I''ll go ahead and see if I can find it, you try and help Nin with his nakedness issue, we can''t have you getting distracted by oogling his piece." Larishazza explains with a flat, casual tone before tapping my face in the prelude to her running off.


    "Yes, I''ll make sure I- HEY!" I began to say before I caught onto what she meant at the end. A display of flustered fury came from me while I withheld the urge to curse the blue-haired woman. Then, I would cross my arms and snort out some air like a farm animal. Grumbling to myself as I walked back into the village to see if I could get the supplies I needed.


    All we really needed was a spool, can, or general packet of bandages if he wanted more of the same. Then, I would need a new cloak and hat, as Liadanann was happily using either or both of them now. The mask, however, I knew we still had just fine. So I guess I just had to hope this place had a small clinic or something.


    However, with all the damage this village had seen and the cramped conditions of what was left. I could not figure out if any of the places I was looking at had what I needed. And just idly wandering left me a bit uncomfortable so I tried to play it off as a patrol. Not that anyone was paying mind to me as they all had bigger concerns.


    But, I was able to find some unused houses with the tools to make clothes by them. And I ended up rightly guessing that there was some stuff to work with in these places. However, as I saw the state of the people in this village, I began to feel an ache in my arms. Then, soon, I had nothing as I gave it all away to those who needed it instead alongside some of my magic.


    "Guess we can wait for a merchant to come or something instead." I say out loud with a reluctant sigh before I went over to Nin in a flash. Crashing down right beside him in but a moment and quickly moving away from the scorch marks I left.


    "Is it all going alright?" he asked from the floor as he tapped a stick against his leg. Legs which he soon parted open as I decided I wanted to sit between them. And when I was on the ground, I leaned down onto his back and looked up at him. Smiling up at him as my hand awkwardly rubbed his face.


    "We managed to get them into town without much issue. Now it is just a case of waiting for Vadei to get back up and running so we can clear the airship." I tell him as he gave me an expression of doubt. Something that left me a bit confused as there wasn''t anything to doubt, was there?


    "You both used your magic, so how was that not much issue?" he asked which left me nodding in understanding.


    "Oh, that incident, it was just making it clear we could protect them." I tell him as I sat up, leaned on an arm and slightly turned around. He then put a hand into my hair and stroked it tenderly.


    "If only we had a way of showing them my memories of what you have done." he tells me with a smile as my face started turning dark red.


    "It wasn''t that impressive..." I mumbled dismissively while holding a tight, curvy smile on my face as I stroked one of my braided tails.


    "If you say so, my hero." he jokes with a knowing tone as he prods my body with one of his fingers.


    "I could get used to that..." I mumbled some more before he got up and brought me with him.


    Holding onto him tightly as I felt his hand go through my hair and down my back, "And I need to get used to that spell you just used." he said.


    "You want to go back to the airship?" I asked him presumptuously as that was the only thing I could think of that would encourage such a statement.


    "I would like to see if Vadei is alright, if that is fine with you?"


    "S-Sure, I can do that." I tell him with some uncertainty as I wasn''t expecting him to put my preferences first. But, with that out of the way, we both suddenly reappeared by Vadei''s home. And I made sure to strike the dirt path as to not damage what might''ve been their garden. Overgrown as it may be.


    "Yep... Still need to get used to that." he complained as he stumbled away while holding his gut.


    "Sorry..." I let out to his amusement.


    "Are you even able to remember the last time you felt like this when you started using that spell?" he then asked me as he patted his stomach back to normal. But, I was sure that would have just made it worse.


    "I don''t think it ever made me feel sick, just weak and, well, shaky." I tell him as I thought about all the issues my fits caused over the years. From just making me suffer a hard fall to the incident that Nin had to save me and Rossie-chira from. And, strangely enough, it felt like it was so long ago despite it only really being nearly a year ago?


    "Guess you wouldn''t be able to tell if your stomach felt like it was about to burst if you were going ba-duh!" Nin joked as he suddenly began to twitch his arms and make silly noises.


    "I''ll pick you up and drop you from the sky..." I mockingly threatened as my face went red due to the teasing and mocking.


    "Don''t do that, it actually hurts to drop from that height here." Nin tells me somewhat seriously before I smile and shove him on the way to Vadei''s house.


    "I''ll keep it in mind." I tease before I enter the house first somewhat reluctantly. Then, I knock on the wall in order to announce our arrival.


    "No! You! Out! I Don''t want you anywhere near my home!" Vadei''s Mother barked out at Nin as he stood on the porch. What followed was an intense staring match as Nin looked down at the aggressive mother. But, nothing came of it as she quickly backed down and got on with what she was doing.


    "Right, you heard her... I''ll be in the woods... I guess..." Nin tries to say in an unbothered tone before he slowly moves away. At first, I watch him in concern, unsure if I should go and speak to him. But, I decided to hold off on it for the moment so I could go see my other friend. The one I had to save the life of after finding out about what she had done earlier.


    "How''s she holding up?" I asked Larishazza as I knelt beside her as she furiously scrubbed away at a big black pot.


    "Magic deprivation, I''ve set her up a glass of water with my magic, but, she still needs to drink it." she explains as she tries to use a focused blast of water to clean off some muck stuck to the pot. And soon, she was walking off outside to empty the pot before she came back in and carried on.


    "So we can just let some of our magic flow into her?"


    "We always could have, but, there''s no telling what will happen if we just force her to accept it."


    "But what if it gets to the point we do need to force her to accept our magic?" I asked quietly as she came to a stop with the scrubbing.


    "It won''t." Larishazza told me as she put the pot down and gestured me to follow. She then brought me before our sleeping friend and gestured to her face.


    "She looks very tired." I say as the pair of us watch our friend as her quilt rises and falls. And, as it was still light out, I could see all the little patterns on the bedding. There were a few brown, yellow and green stains and the main white body of it had faded. But, all the animal patterns were still there.


    "She''s had that bedsheet since she was just a pup." her mother then informed us as she moved in from behind and went over to her daughter''s head. A soft smile was also present as she gently played with her sleeping daughter''s hair. She did not stop, even when Vadei''s sleeping form moaned and tussled. But, eventually, her attention did return to us two.


    "What stuff in here is hers?" I asked in an effort to break the tension that might be forming. And I assumed it worked as Vadei''s mother immediately sighed out a smile and looked about.


    "It''s hard to say if I am honest, they often had to share toys and clothes. But, there are a few things unique to them." she answered before she began to rummage through a small chest of old, worn-out toys. Then, she pulled out an old stuffed animal and the results were instantaneous. Because Vadei''s nose suddenly came alive as did she in a half-asleep stupor before she snatched it away. Her mother, however, only laughed a little and smiled deeply as her daughter snuggled back under the covers.


    "Is that her personal dolly or something?" Larishazza asked with a giggle as we watched Vadei''s tail wrap under her before it forced its way out before her face. And, lodged between her sullen face and matted tail was that same old toy.


    "It''s Mr Goodsleep." Vadei''s Mother giggled out as she wiggled a finger near the toy. And her giggles spread to us as we watched Vadei try and protect the toy in her sleep.


    "I assume it is something that helped her sleep when she was younger?"


    "No, the name actually came when she accidentally knocked out her little sister after throwing it at her head." she laughed out as if she shouldn''t. Larishazza, however, had no restraints and was quickly having a joyful fit. I, however, was far more reserved and just smiled at it, unsure of how to feel about that. It was, after all, a story of inter sibling abuse, no...?


    "How... How did a stuffed toy knock out her sister...? Are there rocks in it?"


    "No, it''s very much a soft toy. Me and my husband made extra sure it was after we found our Little Va panicking at the fact her sister was apparently... Dead..." she started off with a smile and laughter before she started going quiet. She tried to keep the smile, but, the mere mention of a certain word was enough to kill it entirely.


    "Anything else you can tell us about your Little Va?" Larishazza then asked as she tried to bring back the joy.


    "Maybe later, I just need to be sure she is okay." she muttered as she stroked her daughter''s cheek. Something she kept up until Vadei began to stir properly. However, she did not move and just laid there, holding onto her toy.


    "Why are you all watching me...?" Vadei asked tiredly as she slowly began to hide the toy under the quilt cover. Something she in turn brought closer to her face until only her eyes could be seen.


    "Vadei... Please..." her mother suddenly began to say as she started crying, "Please, drink up..." she begged as she brought the nearby glass of water closer. It had a notable tint of blue to it and I could sense it quite easily. In fact, it worried me a little, as, what if it was too potent...?


    "Okay..." Vadei said as she sat up slowly with our help before she started to drink. At first, it was just little sips she tried to pass off as enough. But, with some encouragement, she was gulping the glass down and then coughing a lot.


    "Are you feeling alright?" Larishazza asked as she took the glass from Vadei''s grip and hovered a palm over it. Vadei slowly nodded and then the glass was refilled before her. Yet, Larishazza was withholding the glass for some reason.


    "Give it..." Vadei weakly demanded as she started to desperately reach out for the liquid.


    "Drink it with more care." Larishazza requested as she finally handed it over.


    "Just give it..." Vadei demanded once again before she started drinking. Yet, as it was a creation of Larishazza''s making, the water did not move as it normally would.


    "I can keep doing this, you know?" one friend reminded the other while Vadei''s Mother looked on in concern.


    "Vadei, please, just do as you''re asked." her mother reminded her as she gently squeezed her body against that of her daughter''s.


    Eventually, Vadei complied and started drinking it with more care, "I take it the bug problem is sorted...?"


    "We think so, but, we have no way of telling." I say as though I have dealt with the magic one, and we have all killed many of them. We just did not know what would happen now. How could we? There''s no telling how many people are still trapped in there or bugs we have forgotten about.


    "As long as enough are dead... That should be enough to get them to move..." Vadei weakly explained with uncertainty as she looked down at her empty glass.


    "Now, Vadei, I understand that this might be a bit selfish to ask, but, how soon do you think it will be until you can bring the airship down?" I then asked her after carefully inspecting the state of her body. You could literally see a wave of good health go over her as the water went into her gut, after all.


    "Is the temple alright?" she asked back before she failed to stand up. Her mother would catch her first, though. So me and Larishazza slowly moved back while watching our restrained friend fight against her mother''s strength. Which probably gave a lot of insight into how badly Vadei had been treating her body as of late.


    "The building is untouched from what I have seen, and Simar, the priest in charge of Undwote''s affairs is too."


    "That old man is still going?" Vadei asked in some disbelief as she scoffed at the thought.


    "However, Vadei, given the state of the town and its... People... It might take a while before your Father might be-"


    "NO! I SAVED HALF THIS TOWN! HE WILL GO FIRST! HE WILL!" Vadei suddenly screamed in rage as I explained the situation regarding how the burials might be.


    "Vadei..." I said with a frown as I watched my friend turn berserk at the mere suggestion she might have to wait for closure.


    "Hey, no! I told you that you could not come in here!" Vadei''s Mother then said to Nin who had apparently snuck in. But, he gently moved aside the angered parent and stood before Vadei with a frown.


    "You don''t get to make those kinds of demands... His time will come when it comes." Nin said to Vadei as the rest of us went quiet.


    "Were it not for me, everyone in this stupid, backwater, forgotten little village would be dead! I saved half from enslavement! And it was me... It was me who..." Vadei explained furiously before she started to slow down into a state of tears.


    "And they won''t care, Vadei. They''re all in need of the same kind of closure. Just be patient until then. And, if it helps, try to remember that advantage you have over me." Nin told her before his tone suddenly became bitter and fists formed. Yet, it was enough to make Vadei turn quiet and look away.


    "Mom asked you to leave..." she then said as she kept her gaze down. However, Nin moved closer, much to the growing anger of Vadei''s Mother.


    "Just hold on a little longer, okay? We''re all here if you need someone to just talk to or even beat on if you can''t say it." Nin tells her with a smile as he holds a hand near her. Which, surprisingly enough, Vadei soon rested her head against.


    "Can you lot leave us two alone, please?" Vadei then asked me, Larishazza and her own mother as Nin took the hint and got comfortable.


    "Very well, let''s leave her to it." Vadei''s Mother said with a forced tone as she got up and started to walk off. Her sharp claws quickly pinched both mine and Larishazza''s ears as well and she dragged us out. I, however, was left by the door after it was closed and I was left frowning at the implication.


    "Nin isn''t going to hurt her!" I tell Vadei''s Mother as despite what Nin has done for her daughter... She did not trust him at all. I get that we came at the wrong time given Nin''s state, but, she was only here because of him!


    "I will not leave my family alone with an osibindah monster!"

 Incline 4: Fixing You and Them All Up

    It had been a little quiet since Vadei asked me to stay, she had not spoken up once the door closed. Nor did I really feel like prodding it from her or getting it out in general. I was quite fine to just sit here for the moment. But, when she showed signs of wanting to talk, I looked on over at her, intent on listening.


    "Earlier... When... Um... Earlier you said I had an advantage over you... Why did you say that?" Vadei asked me as she looked on over at me with a sad expression. Why she had this expression could have been for any number of reasons. And I was confident it was likely related to her dead parent. Her mood has been consistently foul since that day, after all.


    "Because I know you''re not fond of me. So I brought it up with the idea it would put you at ease." I tell her with a slight shrug. Having long since lost my care for her anger and rage towards me. It was just sort of expected at this point. How quiet she went when I said this, however, was not expected.


    And I was left a little baffled at how quiet she was now, her expression said a lot. It did, however, not say anything I thought it would. She was regretful and uneasy and more than just her face made that clear. So I sort of leaned closer, just in case I was about to mishear what she was about to say.


    "That''s not true... I don''t hate you at all..." she admitted as her chest started to convulse as she also started crying. I was a little shocked by this reaction and behaviour, but, I still tried to do something. So I scooted a little closer and put my claw on her shoulder. Only for her to suddenly launch at my lap before she continued sobbing.


    "Sending different messengers to me, you are!" I said lightheartedly, hoping the lighter tone would calm her. But, she was far too serious at the moment for jokes or teasing.


    "It''s true! I don''t... You just... Always seem to remind me of the bad things..." she told me as she shivered against me.


    "I remind a lot of people about bad things." I tell her with a sigh, looking briefly at my left claw as it was the first sign of problems. This was the limb after all that turned into that of a bug''s first. It was the arm I tried to ignore all throughout my stay with Rose at her flower.


    "For what it is worth Nin... I''m sorry... First it was you being from Tob-" she started to say before she cut it short as my body tensed up, "Then everything with Dad happened... I just don''t know what to do..."


    "Sometimes, a lot of us don''t know what to do. I certainly didn''t when I first got here. I most certainly didn''t when all this happened." I say to her as I thought about my arrival to this land as well as my transformation. Both were stressful events that still affect me to this day in a borderline brutal fashion. One changed my understanding of the world while another changed the perspective I was looked at by most.


    "I know, but... I just started taking it all out on you when you had done nothing..." Vadei said with a whimper as she moved her head along my upper leg. It was almost like she was nuzzling me.


    "It was probably for the best, I mean, look at how I''ve turned out. I put this damn thing back on of all things." I said to her with a loud, boisterous, and, most importantly, forced laugh. And when I was done forcing out this false joy, I sighed out my misery.


    "Yeah, I''ve noticed." Vadei comments as she moves one of her dry hands near it. Watching as she plays with it for a bit before she moves off of me. She doesn''t get out of her bed, but she does sit up in it. She sits up and just stares at the other end of the room.


    "So why did you want me to stay in here anyway? You have your mum to talk to now." I ask Vadei after turning to look at the far end as well. I also looked at her face every now and then, hoping to see a smile. Yet, there was never a smile for me to see whenever I looked over. It was always the same expression.


    "She wouldn''t get most of it... But, you would as you were there for quite a bit of it..." she mutters as her hands open up before her.


    "Then why not take the time to detail it out to her?" I asked the tailed woman.


    "You can only fill her in on so much... It would just be easier to speak to you about most of it seen as Vapooliar and Dandy are not here." Vadei answers with a sigh.


    "Dandy is the aelenvari with the sore throat, isn''t she?" I jokingly asked in an effort to get a smile. But, still, none came and I was left wondering about my crush. How could Larishazza muster the willpower to exert a smile from someone? I was struggling here with someone I was familiar with!


    "She has some bad neck and throat injuries, yeah." Vadei says as she slowly nods in confirmation. And, even though I had not done much with her since before my first death. I still liked to know that she was okay.


    "Do you happen to remember that race we had back at the aelenvari flower?" I suddenly brought up.


    "The one where your other half nearly killed me?" Vadei bluntly put it as her gaze shifted over to a crack in the wall. And, interestingly enough, the coat of fur on her back began to stick up.


    "Yeah, but, as we know, I saved you. But, that isn''t what I wanted to talk about, really. I wanted to talk about why I helped Dandy as you call her." I say, getting her attention and confusion in equal measure.


    "She did mention a human had helped her get away from Rose when we were still travelling to Suhurlodst."


    "That would have been me, and do you know why I did it? Purely to spite your ungrateful backside." I try to laugh out to the confused oxfuine.


    "I... I don''t follow."


    "You spoke about how what I did wasn''t saving someone because I was just sorting out my own mistakes. And, to get back to something more recent. I want to prove you wrong once again, I want to save you like how I was once saved."


    "Prove me wrong...?"


    "The most recent reason you said you hated me. Your dad... I want to save you from whatever it is you are going through, I don''t want to see my friend like this. Especially when I know what it is like."


    "And how do you know what it is like?" Vadei asked rather stupidly before I took her hand.


    But, I did not want to chastise someone who was so tender at the moment, "Trust me, Vadei. If you want my help, you just need to ask. It doesn''t even have to be a polite request, you can demand if you want." I say to her before I slowly stand up. It was about time she got back to resting, surely?


    "W-W-Where''re you going!?" she asked me with a distraught tone that made me freeze.


    "To leave you to get some well-earned rest." I answer as I kneel before her with as soft an expression I could.


    "Can... Can you stay with me until I can get back to sleep? I don''t want to sleep on my own anymore..." she said at first with whimpers before she just let it all out into more tears. And, I would smile as I took her squeezed-up hands into my claws.


    "Sure, that''s fine. Do you want me to read you a bedtime story too?" I said to her with sincerity before I undercut it with a little teasing. But, she actually started to nod in agreement. She did, in fact, want to hear a story...


    "Yes, please..." she mumbled quietly as she slowly moved under her quilt again while keeping her top up. Then, when I had moved around to her head, she dropped it down on me after planting her pillow on my lap. And I understood very well that I was sort of stuck here now. If the goal was to get her to sleep, then, I would not be getting out when it was met.


    "Alright, so, what kind of story do you want to hear? I''ll admit, I don''t actually have many stories of my own making. And, I''m not too sure that you''d want to hear about the tales of how the gods did their thing way back when." I explain to her before she starts fiddling with my bracelet.


    "Why not tell me about how the gods actually are?" she requests before snuggling into her altered bed. One of her large, open ears even turned so it was more in line with my mouth. At first, I prodded it a little and played with it. But, same as with all prior teasing, I got nothing from her beyond annoyed reactions.


    "Well, I guess I can do that. So, let us start with the day I died. You know pretty much all the details for that. We were going to leave, you, me, Vapooliar, Dandy and Seed-"


    "Seed? Oh, right... Her son..." Vadei interrupted before she went quiet again.


    "But, yeah, it was us five, ready to go, but, there was a catch I wasn''t too comfortable with."


    "You had to bribe them with... Sex... Didn''t you?" Vadei inquired before I sighed and nodded.


    "I guess you can call it that, but, unlucky for everyone involved. Incredibly so for me, the interrupted transformation I was going through had finally finished. I became an osibindah freak and since then I was always one. Well, not while I was a soul, at least, I still had my old body then."


    "The one you had before you died?"


    "Technically, yes, it was one I had before I died. But, I''m talking about my old body, the one I had before Heiya shot me with that gun of hers for the first time." I told Vadei as my tone became more mumbly and annoyed towards the end.


    "So what was Undwote like?"


    "About what you''d expect, really. Friendly god, very kind. But, I saw a side of him I did not expect. Because his dad, the Equilibrium, likes to have his children have the body of children. With a few notable exceptions."


    "The oldest being in history likes to see his children look like children...?"


    "He does, to the annoyance of Undwote, for example, who spent all his time as a child. So I only ever really saw him like that."


    "Were the Pack of Seven pups, then?" Vadei asked me as she started to move up. But, I would ease her back down as that defeated the point of going back to sleep.


    "No, they stayed the same. There were some who were a lot smaller than the others. And, they''d only ever go to you if you said their full name as well. That was something Undwote mentioned."


    "Did you only really meet Undwote?"


    "No, I easily met a dozen over the week I was there on that ship. Oh, yeah, they all lived on this ship that clung on to the walls of this tunnel with magic lightning or something." I suddenly added on as I remembered the ship... Vightorhian, that was its name. And I was slightly surprised to remember it given how it was probably only mentioned once. Maybe a god was reading my thoughts right now and helped me...?


    "Did any of them stand out to you? Like... I know it might be a silly question but..." Vadei asked before she mumbled herself into an embarrassed state. It was almost as if she was expecting me to insult her over it. Well, I wasn''t, because, well, some actually did stand out!


    "Probably the usual ones, Thurnmourer, Waionr and the like. Motrtha also kept my attention for quite a bit too. Oh, and then there was Ihtuntar purely because, well, didn''t expect to see him."


    "The God of the Sun is alive...?" Vadei rightfully asked in confusion as she moved to reach for something. But, as she needed to be getting to sleep, I reached over her and got it instead. Turns out, it was a book on the gods, which I only knew because it was sort of written in the wind language. And, I say sort of because it also seemed to be fused with another language I could not read.


    Vadei, however, seemed to read it just fine, "Yeah, I know, books and that say otherwise. But, no, Ihtuntar is alive. He''s just... Odd."


    "How so?"


    "He was always in the form of a nervous child when I saw him. And, going by what the gods told me, he''s been like that since the, you know. Moon problem."


    "I''m a bit confused as to how he is alive..." Vadei mumbled before closing the book and setting it aside. I guess she only wanted it just to reaffirm what she knew about the Betrayed Artist.


    "Don''t think much on it, he''s a god. He works completely different to us. Speaking of that, though, they are also quite similar in a lot of ways. Particularly at dinner."


    "You tasted their cooking?" Vadei nearly drooled out as her barren stomach exploded with rumbles.


    "I did, and I miss it every day. Rose did too, only a single dish, however."


    "How did she try it...?" Vadei asked as she began to get annoyed at what I just told her.


    "Motrtha gave me a goodbye present, the best-tasting desert I will ever have in my life! One of many, as you are aware." I say as I move my wrist about. I even drooled slightly at the memory of that blackberry tart. Gods I missed Motrtha''s cooking...


    "Did you get along with Motrtha? Or was she just being herself?"


    "Believe it or not, I think she had a thing for me. Got a few kisses on the lips from her." I sighed out dreamily as I tried to remember the quality of her mouth and touch. But, it made me a little miserable too, because there was no way for me to remember such quality well. Even if it stuck to the forefront of my mind so much every now and then...


    "Now you''re just lying." Vadei says to me which led to me looking down at her with an offended expression.


    "You weren''t there, you don''t get to call me a liar."


    "I do when you start saying rubbish like that..." Vadei mumbles as she begins to properly fall asleep.


    "Sure you do. Still want me to carry on, Sleepyhead?" I then asked her as she opened her jaw wide to yawn.


    "No, I''m... Fine..." she answers as she goes to sleep once again. But, with her head on my lap, I was left unable to do anything.


    "Now what do I do!?" I mouthed in frustration at the fact I couldn''t just leave now. She was sleeping right on my lap! Moving would just wake her up again! But, some options did exist.


    And I took one of them up nearly instantly, and her head soon felt it. The steady, rhythmic stroking of her reddish-brown hair that started over again when I found a knot. If she was awake, I might have forced my way through the knots. But a sleeping Vadei would be pissed if I did that.


    But, I had something to do at the very least...


    .


    .


    .


    "How''s the cleaning coming along, Larishazza?" Wastla asked as she sighed out a mixture of frustrations after she slammed down a basket full of dirty clothes.


    "Slower than I expected it to go." I tell her with a firm gaze carved into my features. And, in my hands, a black pot that I was scratching the insides of just to clean it. My water wasn''t enough it seems to get rid of some of this very old dinner.


    "You can use the fireplace, you know, boil the water."


    "But that would take too long!" I complained, much to her bemusement.


    "You don''t have to watch the bubbles form!" she says back to me as she starts to move some wood into the filthy pit. A short-lived cloud filled with specks of black even came out towards us when the new wood was put in.


    "Alright, does anything else need cleaning?"


    "This whole house does, but, some of it will just have to wait while my Little Va sleeps..." Wastla tells me before she sends a glare in the direction of Vadei''s room. She even began to aggressively snort in that direction. And I knew perfectly well why, but, I did not bring it up. Even if it bothered me that she viewed Nin like that.


    "What can be done, then?" I asked as I leaned away from the metal pot. I kept one hand in to fill it with water before then pulling it out. Then, I flicked it dry. All because I liked the limpness the motion put into my fingers.


    Wastla lit the fire with a match before she looked up at me, "Laundry, mopping, and, while it is not really a priority... I would like to see my flower garden glowing with colour again." she tells me before taking on a distant tone as she looked outside.


    "Putting new doors in is too noisy, I take it then?" I joked with a wide smile as my eyes looked down at the broken wood. It was in a sort-of neat pile now, but it was all still in the house.


    "Hammers and nails do make a lot of noise, yes." Wastla informs me with a steady nod.


    "I dunno... Can''t we just push them in?" I ask her as I emphasize it by pushing some dents out of her kitchenware. Thankfully, I didn''t just poke the dents outwards and break them further. I was actually able to fix them to some extent!


    "No, I can''t do that. Besides, there are other parts of town that need your strength." she tells me before she lets out another sigh.


    "Where do you even keep your tools and that? If you don''t have any, I have no problem filling in for them." I ask then say.


    "They''re in a chest under the house... My, Husband... He kept them hidden from our little ones so they didn''t get any ideas in the forest."


    "Is the forest back there particularly dangerous? Well, before the current bug problem." I ask before adding on a little clarification. It was probably not needed, but who knows. Who knows indeed.


    "It was never a bad one, no. You had the occasional bit of wildlife, but, this small bit of land has always been quiet, really. Perks of it being reasonably settled, I suppose."


    "Were you never concerned about your daughters getting lost in there? Even from here, it looks like it gets dark quite quickly as you go in." I ask as I lean to the side a little and using my enhanced eyesight to see how deep I can go.


    "It''s quite a loose forest, what are you on about?" Wastla asks me which makes me realise I was using too much magic in my eyes. So I stopped and started laughing at the fact I had tricked myself into seeing a different situation.


    "Sorry... I was looking too deep into it!" I joked as my laughter came back in force.


    She laughed a little too, but, her tone did not really change, "But, no. We never really worried for them getting lost. We could always smell them and find them. And, did you know, we oxfuinei have such a good sense of smell that we can tell if a family member is injured on the outside?"


    "Eh?" I let out as I find out about this fact.


    "It''s true, we get very intimate with the smell of our pups after they''re born. So, when they start smelling off, we can tell when something is wrong." she explains further.


    "But, wouldn''t you mistake her just playing in the mud or something?"


    "No, because mud and trees and that, they are smells we learn to ignore as we know them. But, when smells we don''t know are near our pups..." she explains furthermore as she starts to glare in Nin''s direction.


    "So, do you prefer your daughters to smell like themselves or do you prefer them to have perfume or something?" I then ask her as I looked at some stored away herbs and roots. They were all wilted and dull, but, I had no idea if that was meant to be the case. If not, I guess we might go spice hunting at some point!


    "I don''t mind them testing their boundaries, but, of course, figuring out how much to use is the issue." she says with a smile.


    "They tended to just dump it over themselves?"


    "Once or twice, but, even then, with how good our noses are, anything but the smallest drops might seem like that." she tells me as she playfully brushes a hand near her nose.


    "Then, does this cause issues when cooking then? There are quite a few pungent smells out there."


    "No, when it comes to the kitchen. That is when we just let the smells just fill the air. You can always tell it is dinner time or that the men are coming home from work at a certain time of day." she explains with a blissful sigh. Her mind was likely filled with old memories and her growing distraught might have indicated that. She was probably thinking of her husband once again, I mean, how couldn''t she? They loved each other, clearly!


    Maybe I should try and shift the topic away from it, then? I wasn''t too fond of sitting near someone as they silently grieved. I wanted to help them however I could, but, sometimes I don''t know how. Just getting a smile to come wasn''t enough sometimes.


    Yet, I still wanted to try, "I know it is an obvious thing, but... You miss him a lot, don''t you?" I ask her quietly. Watching with a growing frown as she starts to tear up and nod.


    "I... I don''t know what to do without him... We''d been together with those two since day one and now..." she whimpered as she likely looked about at his stuff.


    "Of course you do! Just... Maybe thinking about it like a long days work will work? You''ve raised and nurtured those two on your own, right?"


    "He always came back on those days... But, now..." she sobbed further as it became clear that way of thinking about it did not help her.


    "They''re both grown up, though, Wastla. The burden is not as heavy anymore."


    "Just because they''re older doesn''t mean I''m just going to let them go at it... Vadei may be a woman now but she is still my Little Va... And Conquei is still my frustrating Conqy Bonk..." she says to me as she wipes her arms against her eyes.


    "Maybe it is best then to just let them go? To free yourself up for more than just being a mother?"


    "Only... Only someone who has never been a mother would say that... You don''t get it." I get told by her before she goes outside. Still sobbing loudly until a loud bang is heard as she is soon screaming into the air. But, as I still wanted to help, I got up and followed her to see what I could do.


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    "Listen, Wastla, I know I am not a mother. I probably will never be at the rate I am going, but just give it a go? It might help. Just think, they''ve both been on a long adventure without you. They''ll do just fine."


    "One of them spent months away from me as a personal toy for some obese human while the other had to claw her way back to us just to save us..." she spits at me as her mind fixates on what might''ve been too casual a use of the word ''adventure.'' Yet, I was willing to stick by it. It was an adventure for one of them at least!


    "And in that time, they both went through hardships without you, they''re both still here! One is turning into the daughter you always wanted her to be while the other has become so very strong. She''s learned new magic, she can pilot that! You can rest easy knowing you don''t need to keep being there for them." I say with as much enthusiasm as I can. Only to quieten down as Wastla slowly approached me with a blank expression.


    She then sighed and trembled before me, "I can''t rest easy, not while one is using her grief to kill herself while the other doesn''t so much as say a word to anyone anymore... I need to be strong for them. They need me... My Little Va, my Conqy Bonk, they need their mummy to be there for them." she says as the tears come back in force and a hand covers her mouth.


    I look at her uncomfortably at first before I approach her, only to get lanced at and hugged, "It''s going to be alright. You don''t have to worry. There are people here to help." I say in as soothing a tone I can while returning the hug.


    "No... I need to focus on my daughters..." she moans back despite how ravenously she was seeking affection.


    "And if you keep going like this, you won''t be able to help them at all. Give them some space, let them handle a little bit on their own. Let me and my friends handle some more, and, of course, you can take on what is left or as much as you can."


    "Okay... I''ll trust you lot with this..." she mutters as she starts to wipe her eyes clean again. And, when she is done, I smile at her until she returns it. Then, when she lets go of me, we start to head back to the house. But, I catch her attention again when I start watering the flowers on the way back in.


    "There, there." I say to the messy flowerbeds as I gently sprinkle water over them.


    "I''d be careful with that, if you get Vadei''s flowerbed wet, she''ll get annoyed." she lightly scolds me with a small smile as I keep flicking more water out of my fingers. Looking back at her with a growing sense of curiosity as well.


    "Oh? Which one is hers?" I let out with a subtle devilishness. Moving my gaze about rapidly until a raised finger and its finely filed nail pointed me in the right direction. And, I was a little surprised to see it. Mostly because it was clearly intended to be an outline of something.


    "She spent quite a lot of time working on it. I think she was nearly done with it as well before we..." Wastla explains before she goes quiet at the end.


    "Well, I am impatient and I don''t want to wait for her to explain it. So, let me see what a bit of life-giving magic water can do!" I enthusiastically cheer as I began to fill the dried earth before me with fresh, potent liquid.


    Then, Wastla began to tear up a little again, "So it is what I thought it was." she lets out as the flowers start coming to life again. Revealing a portrait of their family in the process. And, I could only assume it was based on an older photo as what seemed to be Vadei was quite young. Her sister as well was wrapped up in the arms of Wastla, so it must be quite old.


    "There''s a lot of talent here I can''t really describe..." I let out in awe as I stared at the well-planned flowerbed.


    "She''s spent years on it. And, see, if you look about, you might be able to catch a glimpse of other, out-of-use flower patches." she points out as her hand goes about the open area behind her. And, to see if I could see them all, I hopped up into the sky and gasped as I saw them. But, I did not land with a splash as that would have been very rude. The door was also still, obviously, open, so I did not want to soak their house.


    "Even then, with having just seen how many there are. I''m still impressed by the planning involved with this. Are all the flowers local to here?" I praise loudly before moving on to more questions. I quite liked some of these flowers, so, maybe, I can raise a few of my own. And, if we can convince her... She can make more of these with us being shown off at Suhurlodst...


    "Some are not, no. She used to save up all her pocket money just to buy flower batches from the travelling florists on the way to the cities. She''d then cut them open with the precision of a surgeon just to get their seeds. Or, as she got older, she''d plant them separately." Wastla tells me before her gaze stops at a small wooden item out in the garden. She then walks on over to it and taps it, only to frown.


    "What''s that?" I ask after skipping up to her new position.


    "It''s the house my husband built for all the bees Vadei''s flower project was attracting. But, it seems they died off or moved on." she explains with a sigh after she opens it up to reveal dark patches of flaking honeycomb. A few dozen bee corpses also fell down as she pulled it out.


    "Well, here''s to hoping you can get the bees to come back!" I say as she puts the piece back into the greater structure. And I loved the smile she gave me as the thought crossed her mind.


    "The bees will, unfortunately, have to wait, we have more important things to deal with." Wastla says as she then goes back inside of the house with me following. I then sat back down with a quiet thud and looked down at the pot we left to boil.


    "See! I told you it takes too long!" I complained as we both saw the lack of bubbles in the large black pot.


    "No worries, there''s still plenty to do." I get told as she carefully dips some towels into the heated water. She even throws in a few utensils and other small tools before she hands me one of the towels.


    "What do you want cleaning?" I asked as she began to just start rubbing down parts of the house with the wet towel.


    "Floors, walls, anything really. If the towel gets too dry or cold, just come back to the pot." she explains before she lets some frustrations out on the mess she was near. I, however, took this opportunity to go back to Einervaene so I could speak to her. And I smiled back at her when she had a smile come to her face as I came by.


    "I take it she''s feeling better?" Einervaene asks me while looking past me and at the other active cleaner.


    "I''ve managed to help with her mood a little, but, this will be a long affair. One that I''ll have to be very dutiful about." I tell her as I start prodding at her lower half with the edges of the wet towel. Grinning slightly at each little annoying nudge I managed to get in against her.


    "You were sure not to make too many promises, right? We''re only going to be here for so long." Einervaene reminds me as I came to a stop with the teasing and cleaning.


    "We''re going to be here a while, though, aren''t we? This place is a mess."


    Einervaene then sighed, "I know we said we''d help, but we do have an academy to get back to."


    "So what if we lose our spots in the Academy? There are people who need our help!"


    "If we stopped somewhere because people needed our help, we''d be failing everyone and getting nowhere." she says to me rather cynically as she looks down at her hands and knees.


    "And I''m not saying we should despite how fun that would be. I''m saying it because our friend won''t come with us if we don''t." I whisper into Einervaene''s ear. I was also fairly sure Wastla heard that as I heard her suddenly stop in the other room.


    "You''re still thinking about that then?" Einervaene asks me as she frowns when the memory goes through her mind. Back when Vadei called us all to the bridge to explain her new destination. She also made it quite clear she did not want to travel anymore. She just wanted to stay at her home village.


    "How could I not? I didn''t know Vadei very well before all this, but, I feel like we''ve learned to get along quite well since I ran after them as they left Suhurlodst on that airship."


    "We all did. We were the only company either of us had for weeks and then when the wyvern attacked, we had to rely on each other a lot more." Einervaene explains to me. It may have only been a trip on an airship, but it was the trip we all learned to be great friends on. And in my case, I learned how to be a better friend to Einervaene here.


    "It still surprises me how eventful it''s all been so far. All we did was sneak out of school!" I laughed as I leaned back onto my hands. I even created enough distance to start teasing Einervaene with my tapping feet, as well.


    "Where would the fun be if it lacked events? Sure, I nearly died in one of them, but I achieved so much when I defied those odds!" Einervaene said with pride before I began to rub her head.


    "Yeah, you really did go above and beyond that day." I tell her as I ruffle her hair.


    She started laughing and swatting as I did so, "Stop that!" she complained half-heartedly before she went quiet.


    "Oh, I hope I''m not interrupting." Wastla says nervously as she approaches us.


    "Not at all! In fact, I could start speaking about the part your daughter played as well!" Einervaene said which hooked Wastla into it instantly. Her ears just shot up into an attentive stance with so little effort!


    "Please do!" she says excitedly as her hand moved under her breast and went near her heart.


    "Well, see, when we were travelling on the airship, before we found you lot. This is where all the damage came from as well, by the way." Einervaene began to explain.


    "So, yeah, we were flying along, having fun, then, boom!" I let out as Einervaene laughed through her nose.


    "Yeah, it was a simple day at first. Just us lot trying to pass the time by messing about, but, then came along a bunch of wyverns. A very powerful one as well which snatched Nin down to the valley below." my friend explained as Wastla''s gaze took on a disinterested look.


    "And my daughter?" she asked as she tried to nudge the talk towards her child.


    "I... I don''t remember what she did." Einervaene said with a shrug.


    "Isn''t that when she learned how to fly the airship? I sent you two inside, didn''t I?"


    "Oh, yeah! She was on the bridge in her chair and one of the slavers did something that gave her that large scar on her palm and backhand." Einervaene explained once the memories came back to her.


    "She was injured by those fiends!?" Wastla let out in a shocked tone.


    "No, the airship did it. It has something to do with the technology used to build it..." Einervaene explained nervously as her gloved hand started rubbing her neck.


    "The builders of that vile machine best hope I don''t find them then..." Vadei''s Mother snorted out as she lifted her gaze up at the idea of them.


    "Don''t be too hard on them, Wastla, they did build the airship that allowed your daughter to save you, after all."


    "I couldn''t care less, their machine tore open my Little Va''s hand! Surely they could''ve made something that did not need to do that..." she mumbled in annoyance before I gestured for Einervaene to carry on.


    "But, yeah, Nin was fighting the lead wyvern while Larishazza fought off the lesser ones. I dealt with one or two and Vadei was now piloting the airship through the battle. It stayed like that for a little as well. But then..." she said before she looked at me as a sore point in our history came up. I would not have gone so far as to admit I was wrong... But, what I did was unacceptable either way you put it.


    "Don''t worry, you can mention it." I say calmly as I accepted the fact I allowed myself to be scared at that moment. I let fear cloud my judgement when a friend was taken...


    "We came to realise how powerful the lead wyvern was, and Nin got taken away by it because he did something to it that impressed it or something." Einervaene says, completely avoiding the thing I said she could talk about.


    "And, Vadei here helped Einervaene track down where our friend had been taken so Einervaene could then beat it!" I finished off in a cheery voice while shaking Einervaene about. Smiling even more as she began to get embarrassed by the praise.


    Wastla, however, was left distraught by that, "My... My Little Va helped save that thing''s life...?" she questioned in disbelief before she just left. She also did not go into another part of the house either. From what I could hear, she ran off outside.


    "Should we?" Einervaene asked as she began to get up.


    "I don''t know, Nin has helped her daughter so much yet she still can''t trust him..." I mutter as I tap my fingers against the floor. The prior joy and pride that filled the air were now gone. And it wasn''t likely to come back in the near future. Maybe we would just have to give it time.


    It was probably all we could do regarding Nin''s current situation...


    .


    .


    .


    "Morning..." I said quietly as I slowly shuffled into the main room of my home. Just as slowly moving down onto my rear while tightly clutching my quilt. Then, I just sort of stared at the firepit and the pot on it.


    "Morning, Sleepyhead! Dinner isn''t ready yet." Mom told me with a smile after she kissed my forehead.


    "Dinner...?" I repeated in confusion while watching her face.


    She smiled at me and giggled, "No, it''s still morning, my Little Va didn''t sleep in that much." Mom clarified as she came down next to me. She then gave me a big hug that pulled me in close enough to knock me down. And, when she let go, she had to push me back up as she brought me that far down.


    "Where are the others?" I then asked as I looked about. I was surprised to not see Nin as I know I fell asleep on him. I intentionally did so because I did not want to be alone. So I was very confused as to why I did not sense him leave.


    "They left a while ago." Mom tells me happily as she goes about doing chores of varying kinds. But, when my stomach made a booming complaint, she changed her priorities. And I was given a warm bowl of her special breakfast stew.


    "Thank you." I say as I take the bowl into my hands. Letting its warmth spread through me and leaving the spoon alone as steam wafted into my face.


    "Now, it doesn''t have what I usually use in it, but, I hope you enjoy it either way." Mom informs me as she strokes one of my ears before she goes back to work.


    "I don''t think I''d notice anyway." I point out as I carefully began to eat the hot meal. Prodding the spoonful I had against my tongue and mouth just to make sure it wasn''t too hot. And, when it had cooled down just enough, I scoffed what I could from my bowl before slowing down. It may have been a meal with a hot broth, but I still wanted something else to drink with it.


    So I picked up the glass of creamy milk Mom had set aside on a nearby table. At first, however, I hovered my hand near the glass in question until Mom confirmed I could have it. And she did so by shaking a half-empty glass at me. I would probably have to snatch hers, though, because mine was also pretty much gone in a moment.


    I missed having glasses of creamy milk in the mornings, I really did. I had tried to replicate it before at Suhurlodst, but the milk wind-people use tastes funny. It''s sour and thick while this stuff was runny and warm when done right. But, having a glass of creamy milk made me curious about something.


    "Is the ranch still open, then?" I asked as I wondered about its state considering recent events.


    "No, none of the shops are. Barely any of the houses too. That was from our drinks cellar." Mom answered as she put a claw to her lips and pondered something.


    "Wondering how no rodents got to it?" I asked while cautiously looking at what was left in my glass. Not that there was much point as any icky bits are now likely in my stomach...


    "I am, in fact, I''m surprised I haven''t found any little pests about the house. I guess that means someone has been looking after the place?"


    "Why would they leave our house like this then?" I asked as I turned my gaze towards the broken front doors.


    "Someone does not mean a person always." Mom told me with a smile as she brought a jug over and filled my glass again. Then, with a sweet smile on her face, she left a little white trail in my stew.


    "Thank you." I say before eating up more of my breakfast. Looking up once again when I was nearly done as I heard someone.


    "Finally awake, are we? I''d stay in bed, to be honest." Larishazza joked as she flew into the house. A loud thud also announced her arrival when her bottom hit the floor. Then, shortly after she came in, a lightning bolt turned into a woman in the distance. The smell of smoke also came over into our noses and caught Mom''s attention.


    "Maybe I should create a gravel patch for you if that is how you move about." Mom commented as Einervaene walked in with a growing redness in her cheeks.


    "Sorry... I''m trying to be careful." she muttered as she played with her hair.


    Mom, however, just giggled at it, "As long as you don''t start any fires, it''s fine. We have to sort our garden out at some point anyway and you''re sort of helping with the grass." she says as all of us looked at the long grass in our garden. Then, we looked at a little bird as it hopped out of the grass before flying off.


    "I''ve noticed that this morning, birds are easier to spot now." Einervaene said as she kept her gaze on the disappearing animal.


    "Yeah, osibindah tend to scare off most wildlife." I explain before putting down my empty bowl. And, at first, I just stared at it before I then suddenly filled it up again. Then, I just repeated the steps I performed before I kept it flowing into my belly.


    "Smells a little bland." Larishazza comments as she sniffs the big pot before me and her.


    "You''re a human, don''t start commenting on the smells of my cooking." Mom said with a huff as she went on past us with a basket full of freshly cleaned clothes.


    Larishazza then pouted, "I''m just saying..." she mumbled before giggling.


    "So how are you anyway, Vadei? It''s nice to see that you''re eating again." Einervaene asked as she shuffled a little closer to me. Mom also stopped what she was doing to look at me as I chewed on a soggy plant in the stew. Normally I don''t like the veggies in stews, but, as I was so hungry, I did not care this time around.


    I stopped eating and sighed before I made any answers, "I don''t know..." was all I really had to say. And it was true, I really did not know what to say about how I felt. Clearly, I felt better as I was willing to eat now. But I still did not know.


    "Well, don''t scare us like that again, do you hear me?" Einervaene jokingly threatened as she nudged me through the quilt that kept me warm. I would, however, snarl at her for that as she burst my bubble of warm air. The brief cold sensation I then had to put up with was very annoying.


    "Oh, and when are you going to be ready to pilot the airship again?" Larishazza then asked me as she carelessly leaned over the pot. She was not even bothered by the heat as she touched it!


    "Larishazza!" Einervaene snapped at her as she pulled her back.


    "Sorry." Larishazza mumbled as she fell backwards onto her back. Until she began to bring herself back up onto her hands.


    "But, yes, that is one thing we will have to discuss later." Einervaene sighed before she muttered something incoherent at Larishazza.


    "I was piloting my airship while starving myself. I can work it at any time I want." I told them which got them eager and ready to go.


    "So I can just bolt us up and get everyone off of it?"


    "No." is what I told the lightning-user as I ate another spoonful.


    "Why not?" she asked me back, confusion all over her face as she did so.


    "Because I know what happens to my gut when I do that spell with you." I say as I protectively hold my bowl. Not that anything would happen to it, of course. It was just to give emphasis to my point, really.


    "That''s fair..." Einervaene says while trying to hide the slight tint in her cheeks.


    "So, what''ll we do until then? Sit and talk?" Larishazza asked as she began to hop between hands.


    "Looking about the village will probably be best." I say as I think about the state of my home. If animals such as birds were coming back then the osibindah were gone. Be they on the move or all dead, it didn''t really matter. It just meant my home was safe for now.


    "Yeah, that is fine. Maybe I can find some fabric to work with." Einervaene comments which has Mom come running in.


    "I do hope you have your priorities in order regarding something like that." she knowingly grins at my friend as her hands clutch a small pile of papers. Einervaene smiles and giggles a little while nodding at it as well.


    "Of course, if I am able, I''ll do as promised."


    "What did you promise?" I ask warily as I began to grow increasingly suspicious of the two.


    "I might have-" Einervaene began to mumble.


    "I''m going to be playing dress-up with my Little Va again!" Mom said in a rather patronising tone as she pinched my ear gently and wiggled it. And that left me sighing and groaning as my fear had come to life. The thing I had been dreading since Mom first found those drawings on the airship...


    "Don''t worry, I''ll let you in on it more than her." Einervaene pointlessly whispered to me from across the room. Mom made no signs of acknowledging it, however. Not that it filled me with any relief regarding it.


    "Where is my jacket, though?" I then asked as I rubbed my arms from inside the quilt cloak I was wearing.


    "I put it in for wash, as it was quite dirty. But, admittedly, I don''t know how to wash something like that." Mom answered me with as she disappeared briefly. And then she came back with it and it was completely fine. But, that was probably because it was made up in the mountains. So its magic is probably greater than any sponge here.


    "Give it." I demanded as I thrust my arm out into the biting cold of the outside. Holding my arm up with dogged determination before shooting it back into my quilt cloak when I got it back. And soon, I dropped the quilt as my fluffy captain''s jacket was back on me. I was cold at first, but, it warmed me up quickly.


    However, rather than going outside once I was done eating, I slowly went back to my room. Mom had put me into pyjamas at some point and I couldn''t go outside like this. So I dug about for a pair of leggings and a long skirt before then getting them on. And, then I just waited until I was warm again.


    Finally revealing myself again when I was no longer cold, "Alright, let''s go have a look around." I yawned. Initially, I struggled to move far as I still felt quite weak. But, with the help of my friends and a conveniently placed stick, I was able to get out of the house.


    "Are you likely going to be back for lunch?" Mom asked me in a tone that seemed to imply I was going around a friend''s house. I did not like how it sounded, but, I missed Mom very much. So I put up with it as it had been so long since I had heard her even do stuff like that.


    "Maybe." I answered back with uncertainty as I wasn''t really sure what the time was anyway. Besides, I had a lot I wanted to go and see in our village''s modest market square. And, before I left, I also got a hug from Mom and was waving as I slowly disappeared down the road. And I meant slowly because the other two were getting bemused at how long Mom was waving back.


    "Alright, this is too slow, I''m going to carry you." Larishazza complained as she tried to weave her arms around me. Yet, all it took for her to stop was a single unamused moan.


    "Larishazza, if you''re bored, you can just run on ahead." Einervaene offered to our hyperactive friend. Who, did not like the suggestion at all and she became all stroppy.


    "Run on ahead!? Run on ahead!? Ahead!? On my own!?" she loudly and dramatically responded with as a hand went to her near-bare chest.


    "How''re you not cold?" I asked as I hunched my body closer together. I even moved my tail around to my front so I could snuggle into its fur. But, that just made me realise how badly I have been looking after it because it was very prickly. It was not soft and that annoyed me as it was too bothersome to keep warm with.


    "Because it is nice and bright out?" Larishazza replied back with as if I was going insane. And all I really could do was look at her in confusion.


    "It is quite warm, Vadei, I think you''re just a little bit ill." Einervaene then put forth as she tenderly touched my closest arm.


    "Heh, a little bit." Larishazza chuckled out when she heard it.


    "So... Have either of you two seen Nin today?" I asked in an effort to change the topic. And, to see why he wasn''t there when I woke up.


    "He''s up on the airship, I took him up there last night." Einervaene answered.


    "That long ago? I must''ve slept very heavily." I let out with some surprise as I thought I would''ve woken up at such a time.


    "You''ve been in bed from the early evening to the late morning, so yes." Larishazza informed me as she skipped up onto a fence. And, seeking some entertainment, I tried to push her off of it.


    "That long?" I say with more surprise.


    "You''ve been avoiding sleep and food. I''m surprised you haven''t started a famine through sheer desperate gluttony!" Einervaene said humorously as we turned a corner and made it onto the main village road. Follow it and it''ll take you all the way through the village and right back out towards another one if you kept on going. Sometimes, we did that when we were younger. Just sneak off down the main road to another village or town.


    Of course, Mom and Dad did not like us doing that when we were younger. And now, Mom would scream bloody murder if we went down that road. If it was the osibindah or her paranoia that would drive it more, however, was up for debate. Not that it mattered, Conquei was still on the airship and I was too weak to do much of anything.


    "Hm, still quiet." Larishazza pointed out as we went past a few abandoned buildings. The temple, however, was being swarmed as it looked like a riot was going on. And, it made me upset to see it in such a state. Because it reminded me a lot of yesterday''s talk with Nin...


    "I can''t say I''m surprised, we still have half the village on board, don''t we?" Einervaene pointed out as we went by a shop that was actually open. But, I was probably stretching the definition of it being open as the place was a mess. Walls had been smashed and the shelves had been broken into dozens of smaller segments.


    "I don''t think all of them are from here." I said as I remembered the initial period when I saved everyone. I like to think I got familiar with quite a few people here, from the farmers to the various grocers. But, when I loaded up the airship after I broke them out, so many were unfamiliar. Some were obvious with their regional colours being different, others made it clear by the groups they made.


    "So we''ll have to take them home then, no?" Einervaene asked me. But, I shook my head at that as I had a plan in mind.


    "No, once I''m... Never mind, forget it, I''ll explain later." I started off at first before I moved on and changed the topic.


    "Ah, hello, Vadei, here for some flowers?" Mrs Sweetfur greeted as we went near her shop. It wasn''t her actual name, it was just a nickname we gave her because she always smelled so sweet. Not today, though, she smelled very earthy today. And I didn''t need to ponder why she smelled that way.


    I sniffed the air idly as my mind went blank, "Maybe another time..." I told her sadly as I looked back at the temple.


    "Oh, don''t worry, Dear. I''ll make sure there''s enough for everyone. You won''t have to worry about any greed either." she told me with a smile as she tried to keep her shop tidy. So much stuff had been damaged that she was finding new things that had broken. Hangers were snapping, pots were cracking...


    "How bad did it get after the slavers came?" I then decided to ask her as I looked at how some of the buildings weren''t broken into. They were just genuinely abandoned. Boards and all.


    "About as bad as you''d think it would get, really. Children lost their parents and vice versa. Workers were gone, some shops were completely gone and the same with entire households. After that, many just moved on elsewhere. So, if you were to go down the main road when it is safe again, you''d probably find some old neighbours if you''re lucky."


    "So are we not likely to recover now that the osibindah have been by?" I asked the older woman. Frowning as she sighed and held onto her face.


    "I don''t think anyone could really answer that. I''d like to say we''re a stubborn town, but, so many have been broken this past year. The sudden shock of those slavers coming by, then, the stay in that hole in the ground. Push comes to shove one more time and this village just won''t be a thing anymore." she explains as her eyes get a little watery.


    "Is there nothing that can be done to help out?" Larishazza asked as she slowly moved closer. And, she managed to surprise Mrs Sweetfur by doing so.


    "Oh! I''m sorry! I wasn''t expecting our saviours to still be here. I was under the impression you two would''ve gone off."


    Larishazza smiled, "Did we not say that we''d stay and look after you?"


    "Again, sorry... I''ve been a bit preoccupied." she said just as something fell down and smashed from within the shop. And just like that, her smile was gone and she collapsed against the wall and started to sob. Then, before I could do anything, she went inside and closed the door. That decorative sign that so welcomingly said ''Open'' got switched around as well.


    "Einervaene, I want to go back to the airship now." I then told my friend after I finished looking at the state of my home. I did not want to see my home fall apart. It deserved some happiness to be brought to it now...


    "Are you sure? It hasn''t been that long since you ate." she asked me as she gripped my hand softly.


    "I can always eat more later." I said to her, trying to sound brave about it but still dreading the pain I would feel. And the moment I rematerialised, I felt that pain and I was forced to see my desperately needed food before me.


    "You alright?" my friend asked me as she rubbed my back as I finished vomiting what I had so recently eaten.


    "Where''s Larishazza?" I asked before I spat out some of the bitter bile left in my mouth.


    "Hold on!" Einervaene let out quickly as she quickly disappeared and reappeared.


    "Water please." I asked the moaning water user as she managed to keep her stomach contents inside.


    "Sure..." she said with an out of it tone as she held a hand near my mouth. At first, I only used it to swish my mouth clean before I spat it out as I had with the bile. The next lot, however, I swallowed just so I could fill out my stomach some.


    "Thank you." I mumbled in appreciation as I started to move towards my chair. Slowly, I sat down in it and looked at Nin as he relaxed in front of me with that red friend of his. He gave me a wave before he was then forced to keep his attention on that red creature he found.


    "So you''re going to bring us down?" Nin then asked as he kept the body on top of him still with gentle affection.


    "Yeah... You two!" I answered Nin before calling out to my other friends.


    "What is up, Captain?" Larishazza asked in a peculiar tone as she swaggered on over before she leaned on my equipment. Einervaene had to pull her off, but, so long as those three were all here.


    "I''m going to reiterate myself just so we''re all clear... Once we land this airship, it''ll be the last time I ever fly it. I''m staying here from now on. I''ve done what I need to do." I start to say as some tears come to my eyes. But, I couldn''t say why they had come...


    "Don''t worry about it! We''ll just come and visit when we can!" Larishazza says to me as she reassures me with a soothing arm rub.


    "I''ll remove any locks I put on, so you idiots should be able to figure out how to go about it... You can all go back to Suhurlodst then and finish your magic education." I said to them with a sniffle.


    "That''ll be good, I can finally do more with this thing." a voice said from Nin''s direction.


    "Liadanann, quiet." Nin said as he moved her off of him and moved closer to me. He then smiled and kneeled before me.


    "I mean it... You lot can go whenever you want..." I told them as tears went down my cheeks. Tears I tried to hide with my tail that Nin would not let cover my face.


    "We know, but we want to stay a little. Make sure our friend is alright." he tells me as his hand goes on top of mine. The other two even moved in closer and tried to get in their own gestures of affection.


    "Okay..." was all I could really let out before I sobbed some more.

 Incline 5: Getting Everything Ready for Dad

    "This is taking a lot longer than I thought it would..." I comment out the valley I stood high above. Turning my head left and right as I watched many travellers move about down below. Then, with yet another sigh of impatience, I leapt into the sky as a bolt of lightning. Surging through the clouds until I saw a sign down below.


    At which point, I struck down into the road with a thunderous crash that put a crater into it. And now, once they had gotten over their shock and surprise, the people nearby began to complain. I found myself turning red and apologizing over and over until I somehow focused on the sign. I left the land of Vadei''s people awhile ago, and, right now, I was just searching.


    I was searching and searching without rest until I could find a well-developed city or town. We just needed one that was connected to the main bank of this land. That way, Larishazza could make a hefty withdrawal and we could buy what was not at the village elsewhere. But, it was taking a long time.


    I must''ve already been to a couple dozen towns by now and I was getting a little exhausted. The magic here was far weaker than usual, sure, but I was still travelling weeks worth of walking distance! I was doing all of this over a couple of hours as well! I wasn''t just doing this to go sightseeing!


    "Come on be a town with a bank...!" I begged as I went up into the sky again after reading the directional signs. If I could not find a bank in this town, then I''d just rest for a bit before heading back before I went too far. I may be able to go into the clouds and see down from them, but what I could see was... Well, it was barely anything given how vast this land was!


    And with tired dread in my heart and mind, I landed in the town I was just directed to. And, once again, I left a crater when I landed. This time, however, I did not dwindle on the fact I had done so. I just stumbled out of the crater with a groan before holding up the picture I was given. Larishazza had described to me the symbol of this bank and I needed to find it.


    You''d think, though, that given the importance of this bank, that it would be easy to find. But, no, not at all, not at all indeed... It only operated within the legal borders of the mountain cities. Independent towns had their own, unconnected banks with few exceptions.


    "Excuse me!" I called out to a well-dressed woman in silver-like cloth with various gemstones sewn in.


    "Yes...?" she answered back with as her brow raised itself. She even took a few cautious steps back as I thudded on over to her.


    "Is this a bank belonging to the Beranqver Money Storage and Redistribution Group?" I repeated with clear stress in my tone. I had been asking this question all day and I was getting sick of it.


    "We are." she quickly answers before I collapse to my knees with a laugh booming out of me. Then, I quickly disappeared and made a note of the surroundings in my head. I would need to know these details when we came back after I got something to eat at the very least. But, first, I went back down to that sign.


    "You again!?" one of the same people complained once more as I tore up more of their road.


    "Schaheeir, got it." was all I said before I then went back into the sky once again. And as I was getting to my limit right now, I was also only partially a lightning bolt. I looked borderline deformed right now! And, when I finally got back to Pawbefore, I just laid in the burnt dirt.


    Groaning in exhaustion and tiredness for what must have been quite some time. As sounds I did not hear at first would suddenly appear along with a smile hidden by blue hair. I neither returned the smile nor paid much attention to the woman above. I just heaved in as much magic from the air I could.


    "Here, let''s give you a nice cold shower." Larishazza giggled before she shot a stream of chilly water at my back.


    "HEY!" I barked out in a scream as the water both mixed with my leaking magic and froze my back off. My eyes even rolled back some as I seethed the pain of being electrocuted out of me. And, unfortunately, I was too tired to fight back. I would have to wait for any revenge.


    "So did you find but one of many banks?" she asked me with a smile after she pulled me to my feet. She even supported me as I wobbled about in exhaustion.


    "Oh, I found a bank. But, don''t ever mention it in a plural context again... Don''t!" I ordered her as my mind filled itself with screams of annoyance. All that travelling, all that speedy, near-instant travelling and I barely found just one of those things. In all my time going about this morning and noon, I had only found one...


    "We''ll be going later, then?" she asked me after I stumbled out of her grip to collapse against a worn bench.


    "Yeah..." I say with a bouncing head as I moved on to just staring at the town. I looked at the buildings as they were getting repaired and I looked at the people. The mood of the place had improved greatly since we landed the airship. With said airship being placed on the hive entrances for good measure.


    The misery that was enveloping this place had been broken partially. Vadei had done it, she had to some extent, saved her home. As, with so many lost families having returned, many felt their sadness alleviate. But, some only came back to be miserable as their families were lost in the time they were gone...


    Enough, however, felt joy at seeing parents, siblings and children return! Young, old, it did not matter. It was enough to smack some life into the town and it was being shown clearly. The boys and men were rebuilding and the girls and women were cleaning.


    Shops had reopened and were in use again, the streets started to smell of great pots of cooking food. It was a much nicer place to be in, and, I was happy for them. I was also proud of myself to some extent. As, I did technically help save some of these people, even if I could not save Nin''s people...


    "You know, I''m surprised by how many of the out-of-towners decided to stay." Larishazza commented above me as she leaned on the back of the bench.


    "I was too... But, I like their reason. Or, well, some of the reasons." I say with a smile as Larishazza took on a knowing grin.


    "Maybe you can watch some of these young men as they try to get Vadei''s attention? Might ease your worries away regarding your own confession." my friend teased as she gently smacked my cheek.


    "I will drop you from the sky." I hollowly threatened as I moved up slightly. But, with a smile made from my lips and with ears full of Larishazza''s laughter, I collapsed again. I needed this rest, I really did given how much magic I had used. Yet, as I found myself looking at the airship again, I frowned.


    "Nin''s not going anywhere, you don''t have to worry." my friend laughed out at me as she flipped over the bench before landing in it.


    "No, I''m just... Worried for him. The people who were onboard know he''s a... I just don''t want him to be stuck inside the airship. Especially given how popular it is with the children." I let out with a sigh as I felt my heart feel a pain that wasn''t physical.


    "No amount of warnings and memories of it apparently bothers these kids." Larishazza points out with a shrug. And while I was aware of it, I did not want to address it as it wasn''t really my concern. At least, until an osibindah not called Nin got involved.


    "I just want this plan of yours to work. So he can get off that thing and walk around again. I don''t like the idea of him staying in the shadows when he helped save these people in two different lands." I said as I slowly got up.


    Then, my friend got up, "It will, trust me, so long as Nin is certain no one saw him dressed up in his usual raggedy attire." she nervously chuckles as she rubs the back of her head.


    "From what Vadei has told us, he''s been... Clothesless, since before he jumped down to vent all his magic out." I recall to Larishazza.


    "Yes, but, surely someone made a guess as to why there was an outfit lying about but no one ever used it?"


    "I wouldn''t know, it was left in my workshop after all. Some of it still is, even."


    "Does a beak-shaped mask on its own really count as some of it?" I was then asked by her.


    "Technically, yes. It is part of the outfit, so, you know. It is some of it." I said with uncertainty before I smiled as Larishazza giggled. She was just trying to run circles around me it seems.


    "So what is your plan anyway? You have all these drawings of us in outfits, but, Nin doesn''t have any drawings, does he?"


    "He does... I''ve just, not put him in them." I say with some embarrassment as I scratched the skin near my lip.


    "If they''re of him, why are they drawings of outfits for him? All of Vadei''s have sketches of her with them!" my friend points out to me. Something that makes me sigh out a mixture of regret and sadness.


    "You know when Nin took off the bracelet... When we went through a rough patch?" I asked her.


    "Did you get a bit presumptuous...?" she asked back.


    I sighed again, "I did, I thought, seen as he was so adamant about taking it off, how my feelings only existed because of it... That the man of my dreams would be someone else. But, Nin put it back on and my love came back. So now I have drawings of him but not depicting him, just a featureless outline of a human man."


    "One that is built as firmly as the mountains of this land." she nodded with a smug smirk as my face went a little red at the mention of it.


    "I can have standards..." I mumbled as I was now forced to put up with Larishazza''s mockery of my featureless, muscle-bound drawing. Personally, I''d rather they love me and I love them, first and foremost. But, I guess seeing Nin''s strength over the past year has made me develop a taste for strong men. Or, maybe it was always there and Nin was just catching my inappropriate gazes.


    Not that I ever really had them, I was sure I was not hypocritical in my daily goings. After all, the teasing is bad enough, so to just hand out a new means to be attacked worried me. No one would take my requests seriously if I stooped down to their level. Yet, either way, they never took my requests for the teasing to stop seriously either.


    It was a pointless battle that I thought in my head. One fought between the pride associated with my upbringing and the little voice who just goes with it. I was the daughter of a powerful woman, one of proud noble blood and golden lightning. I needed to act like it, to carry it with me wherever I go!


    "Vadei''s standards will also be put to the test it seems." Larishazza then giggled out.


    "You''re awfully involved with the romance of your friends." I point out as I turn my body over to face her fully. Crossing my legs over each other near the end as my cheek went into my open palm. A smile on my face as I looked at that attempt at an innocent grin.


    "I like seeing my friends happy." she answered with a shrug as she tucked her legs up onto the bench.


    "Well, I do too, so how about it then, who have you got eyes on if Nin is one you supposedly have no interest in?" I asked her just to see what I could pry out of her. But, as she closed her eyes and widened her smile I got a feeling that I would not get a solid answer.


    "I have my eyes on quite a few people, I''m indecisive like that." my friend told me before she jumped off the bench with her hands. And, then, I was watching her laugh all the way down the hill we were on. Her magic has created a path for her to slide down on. But, as I looked at that trail of water, I got an idea.


    "Teach you to suddenly runoff." I giggle out as my gloved finger moved close to the water before a quick volt shot out of me. And, from my vantage point at the top of the hill. I watched as a small surge of electrical power travelled down until it hit her feet.


    "AH!" she screamed as she suddenly went flying before she crashed into the ground. My mouth then burst open with laughter that I hoped did not sound cruel at all. I really hope it wasn''t taken that way as it was only a joke.


    But, as the worry and guilt built up in me, I rushed down after her, "Are you alright!?" I asked worriedly. Only to find myself laughing it away as she pointed her finger at me and laughed back.


    "Even... Even when you''re trying to get back at me it is so easy to turn the tables!" she said before and after laughing some more.


    I kicked the dirt before replying and hiding my reddening cheeks, "One of these days..." I bitterly commented under my breath before my stomach rumbled.


    "Thanks for the reminder, actually." Larishazza then said as she brought herself back to her feet.


    "Has Wastla and her daughter made lunch, then?"


    "More like half the village." Larishazza huffs out in response as she begins to guide me back to town. And, I was very much looking forward to it as a lot of this stuff reminded me of home. So, I was betting the food might too as well. Not that there''s anything bad with the food of this land, I just preferred my native cuisine.


    "Is that wise given the state of the place?" I asked as I thought about how there was unlikely to be any supplies coming in any time soon.


    "Yeah, because while you were bolting about, I was going on trips to their neighbours to ask some questions. When I wasn''t having some fun, that is." she tells me with a grin she tried to hide as she turned her head away from me.


    "Aren''t you always having fun?" I asked her with a tilted head as the idea she was never having fun baffled me. Sure, I''ve seen her be bored before, but, she just did not stop having fun. She had far too much energy and not enough places to waste it!


    "What can I say, life is made for having fun!" she sings out as she jumps and performs a few spins.


    "I guess that is one of the things life is there for." I let out in agreement.


    "Yes, and one of those other things you are thinking about is filling up this belly!" she chants as she begins to smack her bare gut.


    "Such a child..." I laughed quietly while shaking my head just as we got into the village again.


    "Ah, Einervaene! I thought I smelled something burning!" Wastla said as she came over to us while holding a plate. Behind her, a large collection of tables covered in various plates, bowls and dishes.


    "I''m trying..." I moaned, much to her enjoyment.


    "So, any luck with finding a wind-people settlement?" she then asks me as we did talk about this prior. Both because it would help her village recover and because it connected to her desires with Vadei. She really, really wanted to see her daughter all dressed up and beautiful. Something I''d be happy to help with when I can do so.


    Those around us would too, apparently, "Seriously, how do I get her attention?" a young man of this village moaned before another interjected. Wastla was listening in and she was soon giggling after she heard them go on.


    "Yes, I did manage to find one. A town called Schaheeir has what we would need to get access to Larishazza''s wealth." I tell her.


    "Never heard of that town before, I take it you travelled reasonably far?" she admits before she asks.


    "Far is an odd concept for me." I say slowly as I think on all the travelling I have done since I''ve left home. Being at Suhurlodst is perhaps the longest I have ever gone without moving somewhere else a week later! And I was still quite surprised by it now that I had done it. I know I have spent years travelling...


    But, to finally spend some time in one place for an extended period of time really put it into perspective. I was a long, long way from home and I would need to get very strong if I ever wanted to get back there quickly. While I had the patience to get to this continent... I don''t think I would have it on the way back to mine.


    "Well, it is good to hear you found what you went out to find. Gods and goddesses know we can do with the help your riches can provide us." she says as a relaxed sound came out of her.


    "Do your people even use the same money as them?"


    "No, but, it is still considered a valid currency just because of its universal use in most human settlements." she explains.


    "So, if we got to a city made by your people, we''d be able to find a merchant who would take it? As I assume it would not be a good idea to use it in some small village where the people will never likely see a human town?" I ask her, seeking more depth to my knowledge for now.


    "That would be correct, yes. But, unless my Little Va plans on taking that machine, it won''t be a practical affair."


    "The nearest city is too far away for a simple day trip?" Larishazza asks as she starts to get more involved with what me and Wastla were doing.


    "For you two it might be, but, for us in such a... Backwards village, it is not." Wastla tells us, with her also looking at the grounded airship near the end. She might not show it all that much, but she was very much in awe of the machine.


    "So we can just plan something later, now, something more important. When''s food time?" Larishazza impatiently asks as she moves her hands about aimlessly. Then, with a sudden and sharp twist, she brings them to a stop before Wastla''s face.


    "When it is done." Wastla simply states before she leaves Larishazza in a state of despair.


    "But I''m hungry!" she moans as she collapses to her knees. I then roll my eyes in mild amusement as she continues to bawl on the floor.


    "So where is Vadei at the moment?" I then asked the mother of said friend.


    "She''s out by the... Woods... That way." she answers after sniffing the air deeply.


    "C''mon you, you can go find some berries or something." I tell Larishazza as I start to gently nudge her with my boot''s tip. And her pathetic swatting was not going to make it go away.


    "Fine..." she moans as she sluggishly stands up before she runs off in the pointed at direction. And, somehow, she doesn''t cause a mess as she went straight through all the working men and women. No pots were dropped or planks, somehow.


    "How has she been anyway? Even with all that happened when she landed the airship, she still seems to be quite out of it." I say to Wastla before a frown comes to my face as she sighs.


    "She has not smiled once, you know. I haven''t been able to make her smile even when I cook her favourite foods or do her favourite things. I could brush her hair a certain way and I still get nothing. She''s polite, still, don''t get me wrong, but... She''s just out of it." she tells me and all I can do is smile a little as I thought on it.


    "She must''ve really loved her father then?" I ask, but I got no worded reply. Only a little nod before our talk ended with Wastla walking off. My smile disappeared as I watched this as I did not like it one bit. It bothered me more than it should have when I saw Wastla bothered or upset...


    But, again, I knew why I acted this way, I''ve known since the day I met her, really. Vadei allowed me to have a connection to this woman, as lacking as it might be. It still allowed me to have talks with someone who had a motherly aura about her. It let me dull the pain I had towards my own loneliness.


    A loneliness that, unfortunately, neither Larishazza nor Nin nor any back at Suhurlodst could fulfil. Only Vadei''s mother could help with that pain as she was the only one who has held a babe in her hands. She''s the only one who helps fill the void that this borderline exile of mine had created. Yet, there was something the others could do for me.


    With each day that passed, I got stronger for many reasons. Many of which they give me, be it either to just tease Larishazza... Or to be able to protect Nin in the future from more mate-seeking wyverns. Each day I got stronger, each day my lightning got closer to becoming golden.


    To proving those who try to depose Mother wrong... That was the end goal of my strength for now. Even if everyone about me has created new goals that stretch far beyond this one I came here with. Mother, however, took priority.


    That was a distant goal, however, a distant goal I hope I did not miss when I finally was ready to come back. For now, however, there was a far closer goal and it was related to Vadei. A dear friend of mine who was going through a lot right now. A dear friend who needed people to be there for her as she handles a hidden war in her mind.


    "So this is one of the things you mentioned is considered feminine?" I said to my friend with a smile as I approached her as she rested on a branch. And, hidden somewhat in the immediate distance around her was a few little boys holding flowers. It was a sweet sight to see them like this, but, I could not help but laugh.


    Vadei needed more than flowers if she was to glance at you for more than a second. And, while I did not want to vocally or obnoxiously brag it out to these kids... I was fine to think of such details. As one of them was a good friend named Einervaene!


    Vadei let out a long sigh before one of her arms flopped down, "Yeah, but, I just want to rest, really." she clarifies as her eyes slowly move towards me and Larishazza. Who, I was quite surprised to see as she was just sitting there quietly. Which, was not like her at all.


    "Surely you''ve slept enough?" I asked jokingly as her gaze moved down towards her hands.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "I don''t know. I''ve just been tired a lot recently." she quietly sighs as her miserable eyes briefly met mine.


    "Have you been making sure to eat properly?"


    "When I''m hungry, yeah." she says in a nonchalant tone as Larishazza continues to stare quietly.


    "Do you perhaps want to go do something then?" I then asked as I looked about the somewhat quiet woods. There really wasn''t much to do but maybe napping on a branch was more enough? I really could not tell as I have barely engaged with these people. Their culture was a mystery to me.


    "Not really, no. As I said, I''m tired and I want to rest..." she said before turning around.


    "Perhaps you''d like to talk to Nin?" I asked just in case. She has spoken to him in private before after all. Maybe she might want to again and she can feel better as a result? I did not really know right now.


    "If he wants to talk, he can just come find me."


    "You know why he''s staying on the airship, Vadei." I remind her. Watching her sit up slightly with a frown before she then slowly got down from the tree.


    "Weren''t you supposed to be doing something about that?" she enquires rather aggressively as she moves closer to me. Yet, despite me being far stronger than her, I did give ground. I don''t really know why, I think the tone she used had affected me somehow. Or maybe I was just a passive person?


    "I''m on a break right now, finding a town with a bank Larishazza can use took longer than expected." I explain to my friend.


    She then sniffed the air after moving closer to the exit of the woods, "Fair enough." she says after likely catching the scent of the big lunch set-up in the town.


    "So are you just physically exhausted or magically drained?" Larishazza then asked as she suddenly dangled down from a tree. Something that made me jump slightly as I last saw her idling on the ground.


    "A bit of both, really, but, my external-magic is also quite lacking as you can probably see now." I answer as I shake my hand pointlessly before her eyes. She would be able to see my lack of an aura just fine without me moving any body part.


    "Alright, drink from my hand." she casually states as she awkwardly shoves her dripping hand before me.


    "I''m not drinking from your hand." I tell her as my face tightens up and moves away. She wasn''t serious, was she? I''m not degrading myself in such a manner.


    "Drink from the hand so we can sort Nin out." Vadei lets out impatiently as she tries to force my head closer.


    "Get off and no. If you want to give me magic then get a glass or mug or som-" I told Vadei at first. Moving on to rambling out some details before a hand suddenly slipped into my mouth. And I froze up in disgust as the water coming from her hand both leaked out and went down. Then, I started coughing when some of it went down the wrong chute.


    "There, magic for you to use." Larishazza tells me with a grin as I return a glare after the coughing ends. But, she was indeed right, she had passed on quite the sum of magic. Even if a lot of it was dripping down my chin. Something I put an end to by quickly turning into my lightning form.


    I would then turn back to normal before speaking, "Well, obviously you have to come, Larishazza, but what about you, Vadei?" I said before asking my friend as she did something with her long skirt. I then watched her pat it down in order to get rid of the little pieces of bark that had rubbed off onto her.


    She then looked down at the ground, towards a small group of flowers, "Did you happen to see a flower shop there?" she asked as she became nervous.


    "I did not see one, no. I just focused in on the bank they had there. But, it was a large town, one with some kind of river running down one part of it. It might be a farm for flowers?"


    "No, that sounds more like a downslope brewery... But, okay, I''ll come along." she explains before nodding alongside her words at the end.


    "So why do you want to find a flower shop? Your mother mentioned how flower merchants come through here already and you already have a shop for them here too." I asked her as I was assuming this was related to her father.


    "I want his flowers to be special..." she answers with a shudder and a quietness that bordered on whispering.


    "Then take my hand, and we can go find a flower shop, together!" I say with a smile as I take her hand into mine. Larishazza''s hand, however, I ended up fighting with as it was trying to get near my mouth. She gave up on it, though, so I could happily take her hand.


    "Shouldn''t we move a little?" Larishazza asked as she stared up at the canopy above us. And, she had a point, if I went up as a lightning bolt in this, I''d start a major fire.


    "I was going to..." I let out as I tried to hide my reddening cheeks from the pair of them. But, with one at either side and one being rather inquisitive, I could not. So I had to let them see my embarrassment which only made it worse.


    "Move a little more!" Larishazza teased.


    "Shut up!" I told her before we went into the sky at my behest. And, at the speed of what I was, we went back along the path I took to get back here. All the way to that sign I kept creating craters by because I was less cautious when landing here.


    "I SWEAR TO THE GODS WOMAN!" someone on their way back from a nearby town screamed at me once he saw my face.


    "What!?" I mockingly called back before I took us straight to Schaheeir. This time, however, I brought us down before its gates as I wanted to conserve magic. It took a lot more effort to drag more bodies along, after all. And the distance was still quite great.


    "Very well organised town." Larishazza comments as we walk off the scorched dirt and moved onto the paved road. It was certainly not on the scale of Thrurstradtur, but it looked bigger than Tryhpeltzweig now that I saw it. It also looked far more normal than Gifpzie, but, I can''t say that was a high bar to jump. That town was a cube on a mountain top, after all.


    This town, however, looked like a cookie-cutter set down into a space between the mountains. Rimmed by all sorts of farms and pastures squeezed between stone giants and a sprawling town. The walls were quite sharp as well, as they turned in hard angles rather than curves. I could only guess it was related to the many weapons on the walls.


    The density of the defences also seemed to build up around the gates. Which, when you looked back, made sense. The gates were all settled on roads that went out into the valleys. They also seemed to have some kind of arcane structure set up within the walls.


    Curiously enough, this magic seemed to focus itself on the ground and mountains. And, with my recent experiences with the osibindah and one of their hives. I likely correctly guessed it had something to do with them. A clever means to protect the town from things that use the earth as their weapon.


    "Why did you stop us before the gates? We''re going to have to check in now." Vadei moaned as she kept her hand in mine while Larishazza skipped on ahead.


    "It''s not like Thrurstradtur, don''t you worry." I tell her with a wave of my hand as we approached the walled town.


    "Say, you wouldn''t happen to be that Eusorochiian that came by earlier, are you?" one of the guards asked me as some kind of machine detected my magic.


    "No, this is our first time coming here." Larishazza answers for me as she squeezes between me and the guard.


    "It was reported that they were on their own." a guard whispered to the one that asked me the question.


    "Eh, we''ll write it down anyway. No causing any trouble now you three. Especially you, Oxfuine." the guard said as he pointed his finger at my friend. And we were both equally confused by this sudden accusation but Vadei did not engage with it. She just moved back slightly and moved her free thumb along her fingers.


    "I''ll be sure to do so." she mutters uncomfortably as I protectively move in front of her.


    "Wonder what that was about?" Larishazza pondered out loud as she walked backwards in front of us two.


    "Probably something stupid we had no way of knowing, now, I assume you''ll be able to find the bank no problem?" I answered before asking.


    "You not coming?" my friend asked back as she tilted her head.


    "No, I''m going to make sure Vadei here can find a flower shop."


    "You would need my money to buy something from it, though?" Larishazza let out in confusion as we went on ahead.


    "Then come find us after!" I tell her loudly as now quite some distance had been put between us.


    "I can''t tell if what I am smelling is a flower shop or just decoration." Vadei admitted with a frown after we had passed a few buildings with such decour.


    "Is there any that smell particularly potent? A flower shop would have a lot of flowers in one place, no?" I inquired in order to see if my encouragement could jog something out of her. If not, then we can just enjoy the sights for a little longer.


    "The downslope brewery has a flowery smell to it... Oh!" Vadei says to me before she seems to become excited. She was suddenly full of energy.


    "Can you smell a flower shop?" I asked as I went along with her motions.


    "No! I just remembered Dad treasured his human alcohol, and, if this one smells of flowers, I can give them to him before we give him to Undwote!" she lets out excitedly before she comes to a stop when she repeats why she was here.


    "I like it, it''s a good idea that references something he did in his life. It''s a meaningful parting gift." I say with a smile in an effort to cheer her up.


    "Yeah... Parting gift..." but she seemed to be too focused on a dark detail about it. And, how could she not? She loved him and his death has really messed with her.


    "Are there any flowers in particular, though that he would like?" I asked in some effort to get us to stay on topic but to get her thinking of something else.


    "He quite liked lily flowers." she tells me as she looks up at me.


    "How come?" I asked so we could keep her thinking of happier times. Of details that she could smile at regardless of the present.


    "When I was little, I was playing in a tree by a pond and the branch I was on broke. My dress got caught on it and I nearly drowned. But, Dad saved me and I ended up with a lily flower on my head which I gave to him. It was his Saviour''s Hat." she laughed quietly as she touched her dress.


    "So should we see if we can find a lily flower, then? We can then take it to the brewery on the other side of town and mix the two together somehow!" I suggest joyously as I try to think of other means of finding such a flower. If the shops here did not have them, then I''d likely have to go and look for a pond or similar.


    "Okay," she replies quietly before she lifts a finger up, "there might be a flower shop that way." she then informs me with.


    "Does it smell flowery over there, then?" I ask her, just to make sure she was sure about this choice. She did mention prior that she was having trouble smelling such a place out.


    "No, I just smell water."


    "Is Larishazza on her way already?"


    "No, water as in a pond or something. There''s a garden or park here." she clarifies as she leads me towards the smell. And, once we had gone through a few streets and across many internal roads, we found one. There was a distinct humidity in the air as well so I made sure to keep my magic under control. One slip-up and I cause issues no one wanted to see.


    "Wall Park, made in commemoration of the brave men who laid down their lives defending Schaheeir from an army led by the Oxfuine King Mitiastiff." I read aloud when we got near a sign within the park. And, when I was done, I looked at my friend to see if she knew anything about it.


    "Don''t look at me, I''m just a country girl from the countryside." she comments after raising a brow at words that spelt out the King''s name. It also seemed to happen only a few years after Vadei''s village was founded. 3856 E.A being the date this incident happened. So I guess it also explained why the graves near the park were quiet.


    Everyone who knew these people were either dead or had moved on either literally or emotionally. But, perhaps it also explained why the gate guards passed a comment at Vadei? Their history had clearly been defined by a distant war. For me, it must''ve been distant, but for some here it might have just been their younger years.


    How magic affected the body really confused me at times. Age became such a fickle thing because of it. To make a most obvious comparison right now, because I was stronger than my friend here. I was the one that looked longer even though her mother had told me that she wasn''t even twenty!


    I guess it also helped make another thing clear to me, the idea that I would just outlive my friends. Nin was strong, sure, but, he was from a land with no magic and a new species now! There was no telling how long he''d live for. And the elders in Vadei''s home were only in their late forties from what I''ve heard!


    But, now was not the time to think about that. It was not the time to think of when I would lose close friends and loves. No, what I needed to do right now was focus on the now. The here and now with my friends as they were.


    All that age stuff was for another time.


    "Look, there are some lily flowers!" I exclaimed out loud as we walked through the park. And the moment I pointed it out, Vadei was already bringing us over to them. But, when we got there, she was hesitant to reach out for one. In fact, she seemed almost terrified by the idea of it.


    "I..." she stuttered out while her hand kept itself suspended in the air.


    "What''s wrong? It''s only a flower, I don''t think anyone will mind." I tell her as I reassure her by shaking her by the shoulder.


    "No... It''s..." she slowly got out as tears started to appear once again. And I sighed at this. She was struggling to let go so I picked her up and moved us over to a bench.


    "Would you like me to pick it for you?"


    .


    .


    .


    "No it''s..." I began to say, offended at the implication her words had. I was strong enough to pick it on my own. Dad''s Little Va was going to see this through. This was my responsibility and I would be the one to do it.


    Yet, I could not move, seeing that lily flower had done something to me. I was frozen as if I was about to die, yet, I was safe as I could ever be. My strong, courageous friend was right next to me, how could it possibly be fear? What was there even to be scared of!?


    "Here, would you like to carry it?" Einervaene asked as she handed me over the flower. And, I felt angry when this happened.


    "I WAS MEANT TO PICK IT! IT WAS FOR MY DAD, NOT YOURS!" I suddenly screamed at her before I hid my face. Yet, I had not angered her, I only ended up drawing a hug from her. One I did not return at all as I carefully held the flower. All while I steadily watched as my tears pooled up between its mostly pink, red-spotted, white-rimmed petals.


    "It''s alright, Vadei. I''m sorry for getting ahead of myself." my friend said to me as her soft, gloved hands patted down my back fur. It even tickled slightly as some furs were getting trapped between the small gaps in the fabric.


    "Let''s just get this over with..." I muttered bitterly as I stood up and forced my way out of her grip. And I knew full well I wasn''t strong enough to actually force my way out. She was just standing aside for Pathetic Little Va...


    "Vadei! Slow down!" she called out to me as I walked at a strictly fast paced. Then, I broke out into an open sprint and hid in an alleyway so I could be on my own.


    "I can''t do this..." I whimpered to the flower that I contemplated throwing away. But, each time I even moved to do anything with it but carry it... I just froze up again. So I was left staring at it with an indescribable frustration.


    I had failed him, and I would have to live with that for the rest of my life. Yet, he would not want me to give up on what I was doing either. He''d want me to see it through to the end. To get it done.


    After all, he was much the same. He never really cared for presents on his own birthday or his anniversary. He only cared if you put thought into what you did get him. No matter how simple it was.


    It''s why I always liked his presents more on my birthdays. He always paid so much attention to each thing I talked about and all my interests. He kept them in his mind no matter how bad our money situation was or how long he''d be working. Even if it was just a fleeting interest, he still invested his time into figuring out something.


    And here I was, with one final present that would mean so much to him. And I couldn''t even muster the willpower to go and give it to him. I did not want to see that day come... I should just take his body and hide it somewhere safe.


    "No, I can''t do that... He''d be so alone if I did that." I whimpered as my body shook. Nin''s story and life had given me a new respect for the gods and goddesses. I was never apathetic to them, to start with. But to know that they really were real made me worry for Dad.


    Moving his body would mean he was wandering the mists for longer. It has already been so long since he has died as well. Undwote must''ve been chasing him all this time and each time I would be making it harder. The God of Friendship needed to find him.


    "There you are! Don''t scare me like that!" Einervaene said as she came up to me after finding me. I didn''t even really think about how she managed to find me. I just slowly stood up and walked past her without saying a word. I didn''t even speed off again.


    I just kept walking as she asked me some questions which I ignored and did not answer. There was no point to them, what happened had happened. And I had a lily flower to take care of. Fortunately, my other friend had arrived to distract Einervaene.


    "Found you!" she cheerfully declared as she finished her series of hops and bounces. A light, rain-like effect follows her all the way here. Much to the annoyance of anyone older than ten-years-old.


    "Where''s the money?" Einervaene then asks her, and, as Larishazza did not do anything. I assumed that she was going to get the money another way. Or, she had a very good explanation.


    "I''m not carrying it about until we need it!" the blue-haired girl declared as she flexed her hands.


    "You better not say because it is heavy..." Einervaene said in what seemed to be a needlessly bothered tone. If there were other means to get the money, then there''d be no problem.


    "But, it is..." Larishazza giggled out as she collapsed to the ground with deceptive motions. She even used her strength to keep up the facade when Einervaene tried to force her to her feet.


    "Get up! We got to get moving!" Einervaene demanded as Larishazza''s eyes moved over to my lily flower.


    "Ooooooooooooo!" she let out as she hopped to her feet, "A water flower!" she then cheered.


    "Yeah, it means a lot to me and... Dad." I said before I sighed before mentioning the one I got it for.


    "That''s good, the best kind of gifts are always-"


    "The ones that have the most thought put into them." I interrupted while keeping my eyes on the delicate plant. Despite what we had just done to it, it was still strong-looking. And, soon, Larishazza likely made it stronger.


    "There, now it will be fine on the way back." Larishazza told me as the flower suddenly felt heavy. I could feel what she had done to it. In more ways than just the fact it suddenly felt denser. She herself even looked drained now.


    "Thank you." I muttered quietly as I moved the flower into both of my dipping palms. Holding it in an open position was all I could manage right now. I was not going to hand it over to either of these two. I would carry it alone...


    It was my gift, after all...


    "Alright, so, the brewery is not far, shall we get going?" Einervaene asked as she pointed at the artificial, alcoholic river going down the mountain.


    "We going to get smashed!?" Larishazza joked with distinct tiredness in her voice.


    Einervaene then snorted, "You couldn''t even handle a cup of juice in that state."


    "Could too..." Larishazza mumbled back in reply as she leaned on Einervaene for support.


    "Honestly, stop being so reckless with your magic. I get what you have just done, and I like it, but seriously. Come on now." Einervane complained.


    "It was for a good cause so I don''t care!" Larishazza confidently said with an equally confident smile as her head went side-to-side.


    "Yes, but now if I need magic for the trip back, we would have no means of quickly refilling my reserves!" Einervaene explains loud and clearly.


    "Well, find one then, Lightning Bolt." Larishazza says with her usual cocky grin.


    "Alright, then, get off me. You can find your own way back." Einervaene orders as her prior concerns were used against Larishazza.


    "Now that''s just cruel, and right after I was so generous. Harumph I say! Harumph!" Larishazza says back to the annoyed one with a sharp pout.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll weep for you." Einervaene sarcastically comments as we finish walking to the base of the brewery. And, going by how many people were here, it was a popular site. There was even a makeshift waterpark made for adults. As it seems they intentionally let the downslope crash at the bottom.


    "So what''re we doing here?" Larishazza asks as she stares mostly at the adults playing in the alcoholic rain. I, however, stared at the body of liquid until my gaze reached the very top. Right when it is just mountain water at first. To some extent, I might have giggled at that fact.


    Dad''s prized drink from the humans was just flavoured water run down a messy mountain. He even liked it unsieved if I remember correctly, so that meant he enjoyed dirty booze water. Yet, I could not even muster a smile at such an amusing revelation. I just continued to frown with a miserable gaze.


    "Alright, do you want to wait here or do you want to start heading up while I help Larishazza with the money?" Einervaene asked me to which I used actions as my reply. I started going up the mountain slowly and with the support of the stair railings. They were a mixture of manufactured metal ones and ones carved into the stone.


    And, to my right, there even seemed to be some kind of challenge route. If I was in better spirits, I might have taken it as I enjoyed climbing. It was something Dad had taught me after I fell into a hole. He always tried to make sure I knew how to help myself just in case.


    Even if he was always there for me and helped out regardless if I could do it on my own. Even when I was about my current age, he still held out a hand for his daughter if I fell or tripped. And I really wished he was here right now to offer such help. I wasn''t strong enough to hold onto the railing and move this flower.


    To say nothing of the pressure that came with being at the front of a growing queue of impatient people. Some barged on past me and others just stared their annoyance into my skull. But, I really wanted to not care. They were here for a drink and I was here for Dad.


    Even as insults and pinches came my way, I chose to ignore them. But, I still moved over as far as I could when the option arose. I was suffering bad enough without people violating what I treated with care. But, as my hands were occupied, my tail was forced to endure a lot until I finally reached an open spot.


    "Still not at the top..." I muttered as the stairs had finished at a building that had been set up on a carved-out section. The rest of the stairs up to the top of the brewery were locked off and blocked off. Even the mountain itself had a multi-layered fence to stop people from going up. And, it would seem I would have to live up to the gate guards warnings, I would need to cause trouble.


    I was not going to reach the top of this brewery if I did nothing. Luckily, the guards this place had were neither armed nor seriously equipped. They were just burly men in simple uniforms keeping the crowds in order. And, they were all over there by the main entrance.


    So, it was a simple task to wander into some partial isolation so I could ponder a plan. And, to make sure I wasn''t causing any suspicion, I sat down near the end of this carved-out section. If my magic was strong enough, I might be able to use my claw spell to cut into the fence or door lock. Or, I could climb around the edge of the fence.


    Main problem with all these plans, however, is that I''d be easily spotted. I was not energetic enough to move through this quickly. I was slow and sluggish right now and not even my tail being pulled at did anything. I just did not want to see it through yet I also did.


    "Please, help me, Dad." I said to the flower before I caught something sparkling in it. Some of Larishazza''s water had not been absorbed into the plant''s arcane biology! I could bolster my strength with it! So, that is what I did, I drank what I could from the flower in order to gain strength.


    It wasn''t much, but it was enough to make it seem like the flower had changed weight again. This time, however, it was because I was stronger, not the other way around. Then, I slowly got up and looked at the fence and gate once again. And, when I sensed an opening, I cut open the fence with my claws.


    Not enough to tear it off, just enough to bend it around before I snuck through my hole. A hole I had the foresight to close up again in case they wanted to see where I got in from. And, I would have to rely a lot more on the strength of one arm for this bit. I could not safely get up this mountain if both hands cupped the flower.


    Yet, despite how much it hurt to carry such a heavy thing, I kept ongoing. Crying in both physical and emotional pain as I slowly dragged myself up the mountain. Each step and stone grabbed on the way being one more step closer to my goal. Even the cries of alarm behind me did not stop me.


    I just kept on going until I reached the top of the mountain. I also probably spent longer than I should have staring at the guards fumbling with the gates down below. I was running out of time and I needed to get this over with. And, I then tried to slow them down by crushing the lock into its slot.


    I did not do much damage, but it was surely enough to make sure this door was secure. It would take a lot more effort to get through now. And, with that small bit of peace in my mind, I carried on moving towards the downslope''s source. Carefully moving over various pieces of equipment and stone blocks until I was standing above the water.


    I was here now, all I had to do was place the flower into the stream and let it flow all the way down. I could then pick it up from the bottom or save it if I got too worried for it. Magic coursed through this flower now, a lot of it. But that did not mean it was no longer a flower.


    Yet, oddly enough, its tremendous weight, for a flower, gave me confidence. It put me somewhat at ease that it would just break its way through the obstacles. Even then, however, I could not muster the will to let it go. And I just quietly stared at it to the tune of a controlled river.


    "So, how''s it going?" Einervaene asked me after she suddenly crashed into the mountain. Larishazza was also with her, but there was no money with them. Not that it mattered I guess, I forced my way up here. And now, so did these two.


    "I don''t know if I can do this..." I quietly said as I let my tears drip into the core of the flower.


    "Of course, you can! You made it this far." my friend encouraged as she held an arm around me. The other one soon joined in as well but she was just as equally seeking support for her weak body.


    "Einervaene, they''re coming." Larishazza then pointed out.


    "Alright, help her, okay? I''ll hold them off." Einervaene said to our friend as she walked off. The sound of men being shocked unconscious or dead followed just after. It didn''t matter how Einervaene dealt with them, we weren''t coming back to this town again, after all.


    "So what''s the problem?" Larishazza then asked me as her arm went around my back and onto the other shoulder. It then coiled up and played with my left ear and hair. Her other hand, however, went down to my wrist and held it gently.


    "I don''t want to do this, okay!?" I let out quickly and harshly as my frustrations boiled up.


    "Then why did you come all this way?" she asked me bluntly as her head leaned on me. And while she could not direct my body, she was encouraging us to rock back and forth.


    "Because... Because... It''s what Dad would have wanted if I was to get him something." I wept as my body slowly curled in on itself. I tried to hide my face with my tail, but, her hand moved to stop it.


    "Then see it through. Make him happy in the way only you know how." she told me before she moved to more properly hug me.


    "I- I- I ca- I can''t do it!" I stuttered out tearfully as I held onto the flower still. Yet, now I was testing how strong it was by attempting to crush it. Thankfully, however, Larishazza''s magic proved true and the flower was unchanged by my attempts to crush it.


    "Yes you can, Vadei. You very much can." Larishazza whispered to me softly as her hand moved onto mine. And, soon, Einervaene came over and did the same with the other.


    "Vadei, it''s alright, we''ll make sure it stay safe, okay? You''ve done enough, let us help." my other friend offered with a sweet tone as they both massaged my hands. And, eventually, despite the fit of tears I was also enduring, I lowered the flower. I lowered it into the water and I watched it somehow stay afloat as it raced down the mountain.


    Then, true to her word, Einervaene used her magic to destroy any obstacles in its way. Despite what it was she was doing, making sure my gift for Dad survived was more important. And so it kept on flowing down the mountain to the backdrop of melting metal. The people down below screamed but I slowly started to smile.


    "Thank you..." I let out before I returned the hug to my friend. Clutching onto her tightly as I continued to shake and shake in her grip.


    "You''re welcome." was all she said before she started to run her hand through my hair. Then, all of a sudden, she nudged us down into the water and we were soon racing down the slope like my flower. Even Einervaene joined when we got near her. And I was soon surrounded by the joyous tears of my friends.


    I even started to smile as we chased after the flower in increasingly more alcoholic water. The colour began to change but it was a lot different now. The machines that did whatever were now gone so we were going down something else entirely. Dad''s flower, however, kept on going with the last reserve of this brewery''s finest.


    And, just before it hit the very end and was sucked away. Larishazza mustered a drop of magic to get it flying. Then, with a heavy thud in my lap, I caught it before Einervaene took us into the sky. We kept on going until we crashed down onto a lonely mountain with a hidden garden of its own making.


    After all that, though, I just kept quiet. The other two were discussing how much fun that was. Einervaene was regretting what she did among other things. But, I was happy to have my gift for Dad ready.


    "I just know you''re going to love it, Dad!" I whispered with a smile and sniffle as I held its strong-smelling form by my nose. I did not like the smell of alcohol, but this was his last present from me. One final comfort before Undwote takes him elsewhere for the time of his life.

 Incline 6: Finally Sneaking Him in

    "Alright, Nin, give it another go. Do it like last time!" Liada told me in encouragement as I took the time I had to try some things. One thing that has stuck with me as of late is my lack of an arcane arsenal. I have just been punching and charging things. Salahma for example made it clear my spells were rusted stiff.


    It was a necessary task for me to get stronger by making my spells better. So, per Liadanann''s input, we have been testing spells out on the environment away from the village. For the most part, I have just be whacking or spearing things from a distance. But, what I did before meeting Liadanann had stuck with me.


    How my magic was seemingly so much stronger in the magicless lands. I was devastating mountains and demolishing the countryside! So, I was trying to also see how I could make my spells work with it. And, just now, I think I had it figured out as I saw bluish-purple fire!


    "There''s the thing, though, Liada, I don''t know what I did last time!" I exclaimed to her rather joyously. As, while I have not been able to get it right, it has been fun trying. Mostly because my anger was immediately flushing out into the rock or tree I just broke.


    "How can you not know!? It''s your magic!" she says in frustration as she seems to choke me with her hands.


    "Magic is a lot harder than it looks, Ms Free Spell." I dismissively say back to her while waving her down. But, as a result of jabbing at the gift of her god, she used it on me.


    "Hold your tongue in that regard." she snorted out after I had paced about into that pale green barrier of her. It was quite strong for a spell from someone with little magic. But, its divine nature explained why. This was a tool given to someone directly from a god, it wasn''t from a shop shelf.


    Yet, oddly enough, once I had finished rubbing my sore face after it smashed into that barrier. I found myself entranced by a sight in the distance. It wasn''t anything spectacular or eye-catching under normal means. Yet, it got my eyes stuck on them anyway.


    It was a hollow log that showed signs of having been turned into a nest. After that, I looked at my hand and summoned my overly fancy magic plank of wood. And I inflated its size while breathing funny, it helped for some reason. My results could not be seen from the outside, but, I could feel it.


    The space I had just created felt funny, and I did not know how to describe it. I knew the space was hollow, but, it also felt delicate. Or maybe I was just too focused on making my magic double-sided. Yet, I was going to try it out anyway.


    "Just in case." I reminded Liada as I carefully moved away from her. Waiting until she had created a blast shield in acknowledgement before carrying on.


    "The tools say the mountain is still the best spot." she informs.


    "This is too fragile to really bother with that. I''ll jus-" I began to say as I made a quick jab at a nearby tree. Only to have the spell violently explode in my face as the vacuum I had created exposed itself. It was nowhere near as violent as prior cases had been, but, it was something.


    "Easily a few bodies worth of distance." she comments without her usual professionalism as she moves on over. She mostly focused on what my spell had done to the grass and trees. But there was also some showing off in regards to her body. Something I ended up encouraging when I tapped her round bottom as I moved next to her.


    "Going to need to practise this one." I say as I stare at my free claw as she gets up properly. Leaning back into the claw grasping her in the process.


    "That was not the intended reaction?" she inquired as she leaned back in a manner that more openly displayed her cleavage.


    "It was, it was just such a strange sensation. I made me break the spell prematurely."


    "Are you able to draw what your container looks like?" she asks me after she catches on to the unspoken details.


    "Don''t think I need to, it''s just really a cylinder with an open bottom." I tell her as I use the spell normally again. Yet, I found myself trying to make that spell again despite the danger Liada was put in by it.


    "Would you be able to change its shape?"


    "Yeah."


    "Would you be able to maintain its form against a firmer target?" she asks with a smile as she regrettably leaves my grip.


    "Sure, if I can find someone to spar with. This isn''t really something I can practise on rocks. It would generate bad habits." I point out as I watch her go behind the barrier again.


    "Well, fire off that spell and..." she begins to say before she looks up at the sky as it starts to rumble.


    "HELLO!" I call out as I wave the hand that had my spell in it. Bringing in another explosion into a brief existence as my concentration slipped. Which, left me laughing as if such a casual greeting messed with the spell... It would be useless in a fight, utterly useless!


    "What''s going on!?" a tired-looking Einervaene asked me as she stepped forward with worry. The other two were right behind her on the floor dying as well.


    "Magic practise." I laconically inform her as she calms down before smiling.


    "We did it, we sorted out Vadei''s problem to some extent!" she then cheerfully tells me as she stands tall with pride. And, it does seem that Vadei had brought something with her.


    "I thought you left to get me new clothes?" I then ask her as I notice the lack of it. They had been gone for a few days so I was expecting them to be hauling a lot. Like, maybe they had also gotten supplies for the village too! But, nope, not at all.


    But, it was fun as usual watching Einervaene break down into blushes and stutters. And I made sure she knew I was enjoying every moment of it. All the way up until she started to hit me with clenched fists. Not lightning or sparks, though, which was odd as that was how she always hit back at me.


    "So how come you guys took so long if you weren''t hauling lots of things?" I asked as I gave Einervaene some space and peace from the playful mockery.


    "I was going about a few days ago looking for a town with Larishazza''s stated bank and I had nearly exhausted myself looking for it and getting back, but after I came back, I spoke to Vadei and Larishazza and we ended up going back there with a new plan, but complications with it led to even more changes and Larishazza ended up giving away all of her magic and I was left with no means to reliably refuel on our way out of the town we had just antagonized so we ended up camping at various points until we now made it back!" Einervaene lets out in one big go before she violently recovers from it.


    "Larishazza gave away her magic?" I asked with a raised brow while also looking away from Einervaene. And, I was left completely confused because I could sense her magic quite well. I could see it too but not her.


    "Boo!" the girl in question let out as she hugged my arm while giggling in a half-asleep state. And, now that she was here, I could see that it did indeed happen. She had drained herself dry and was now swinging about like a drunkard.


    "So what did you do?" I asked Vadei specifically as I effortlessly picked up the weakened Larishazza. Smiling widely as she snuggled against my body for a reason I twisted in my head. She was probably trying to absorb my aura, but, I wanted to think of it in a different way.


    "I got Dad a present." she tells me with a sweet smile as she delicately holds a flower up. She was also struggling to hold it up so it came down shortly after. Either way, I was smiling as I felt my heart go funny. A very sweet gesture to see, one that anybody could likely sympathise with.


    "And here I have just been practising magic." I tell her specifically, but all three of them by intention.


    "Oh, is that why there was that strange disturbance in the air?" Einervaene asked me as she looked down at her boots. Or rather, she was looking at the results of my spell trials. The more recent three, in fact.


    But, before I answered her, I looked over at Liada, "Can you note that down? Put something down along the lines of ''can be easily sensed'' or something!" I tell my very helpful assistant who got right on it. I don''t know how much she has written and how much of it I''ll be able to read, but, notes were helpful. It gave me an idea of what to look out for while not also using the spell. Very useful should these get too dangerous...


    "Hello!?" Einervaene says as she stomps into view, clearly bothered by that. If it was purely jealously or the thing she had going on with Liada, though, I did not know.


    "Uh, yeah, the disturbance was me using a new spell. Or, well, the makings of one. Or the alterings of one, I still haven''t quite figured it out." I tell her while scratching my chin with a lone claw.


    "Oh? What sort of spell is it?" she asks me as a childlike curiosity settled in.


    "I''ve been trying to replicate the effects of zero magic places coming into contact with magic." I tell them.


    "How would you even do that...?" Vadei asks as she sets the flower down. It even made a very small dust cloud as a result! Something which gave an idea as to how Larishazza''s magic had changed it. And, I was thinking of a certain small statue again.


    "I''ve been hollowing out my normal extension spell."


    "But, wouldn''t that just leave you with the magic in the air?" Einervaene asks as she steps forward. Her mind clearly had trouble wrapping itself around it.


    "I''m going to say no as the results say otherwise." was all I could say while shrugging.


    "No, he''s emptying his own magic. So, there is no magic air to fill it." Larishazza adds as she rubs her eyes.


    "That''s right, you make a lot of bubbles, don''t you?" I comment and rhetorically ask as I breathe out a laugh.


    "Yeah, they''re fun to play with. But, as they are made hollow, they don''t do the booms. But, I wouldn''t be able to make the booms anyway as my magic is too in tune with the world to do something like that." the crush in my arms explains while drifting between sleep and being awake.


    "It''s quite impressive, though, Nin! I''ve never heard of someone using magic like that!" Einervaene exclaims with awe as she approaches me like an embarrassed schoolgirl. It seems even she likes to show off some things about those she spends time with.


    But, I was more focused on her words, "Really? I''m just hollowing out another spell." I point out in order to get across the simplicity.


    "No one''s done it before to my knowledge!" she exclaims with more pride.


    "It probably has something to do with where you''re from..." Vadei points out with growing worry as she says it. It wasn''t difficult to figure out why. I had been enforcing a strict no talk policy on... A certain topic.


    But, this time, I did not react, "That might be the case, actually. Good thinking." I tell her as I nod along with it.


    She smiles at that, "So what else have you been doing? Or has your remodelling of the mountain been it?" she jokes with a quiet laugh. Something that gets the other two smiling like crazy.


    "I briefly had to put up with your mum chewing my ear off." I tell her as my mouth straightens out. That was not a fun experience unlike what I was doing now. And all because Vadei wasn''t home for dinner...


    "Did something happen?" the tailed woman asks as she stands up with her flower.


    "Your mum is worried about you, so go back home and declare your return before I have to hear another series of shouts." I rumble out of my throat as my annoyance makes itself known.


    "Okay, and, Nin." Vadei said as she walked by before she suddenly hugged me.


    "There, there?" I said in some confusion as I wasn''t expecting the sudden hug.


    "Thank you for the help you have given me other the past year." she quietly says against my chest as her tail curls up around us. She didn''t even react to my hand gently touching the soft fur. And, I was annoyed by my body once again. Because the carapace that covered my appendages blocked most of the soft fur.


    "Don''t worry about it, Vadei. Friends are meant to be there for each other." I tell her while trying to figure out what to do with Larishazza. She was squished right between us two right now.


    "Keep still, it''s soft." she orders with a relaxed sigh as she moves away from me and towards the tail. But, Vadei quickly brought it away from her and swung it around to my other side.


    "My tail." I teased to the friend in my arm while the other arm held the tail. Larishazza pouted while Vadei blushed and smiled.


    "But, yeah, I best get going. Is there a path I can walk down?" Vadei spoke as she began to move away. But, first, I put Larishazza down and beckoned her towards Vadei.


    "Yeah, it''s not hidden or anything but it might be a bit stoney."


    "That''s fine, see you later." Vadei said with a cheerful wave as she disappeared from our sight with Larishazza slowly limping after her.


    "See ya," I wave back before turning to Einervaene, "she''s certainly in a better mood." I comment as I properly take in the way Vadei had acted. She was no longer crying, sad, or foul of mood. Well, she might still be bothered, but, it was showing a lot less now.


    "She has been since we got that flower." Einervaene explains as she walks up to me and takes my arm. A blissful sigh comes from her as she likely does something to annoy Liada. How did I know this? She was growling.


    "So she is coming to terms with what has happened? Gotten all of her despair out and all that?" I ask my friend who gives me a peculiar look before she looks down.


    She then looks back up quickly, "It appears so. But, even if it hasn''t and this is only a temporary thing... I promise her that I will be there for her every step of the way. Which is a little hyperbolic, I know..." she sweetly says before she ruins it with pedanticism.


    "Shh, I get it." I chuckle as my closest thumb claw covers her soft lips. Something she kisses as a strange joke. A joke she kept on giggling at before I shook my head as I looked away.


    "Would you like to keep practising your magic, then? Maybe I can help as I can actually use it." Einervaene offers before she speaks loudly on the finishing details.


    "You''re not as unique as you think you are, Human!" Liada points out angrily as she storms out with her talisman glowing.


    "A toy?" Einervaene scoffs with a giggle as the taller, bustier woman finally towers over her.


    "Damn you Motrtha..." I laugh out quietly as I looked at my left wrist. Yet, I was forced to also keep an eye on these two to make sure nothing came of this. But, it seemed that Liada''s bodily size intimidated Einervaene out of her prior behaviour. After that, Liada backed down too, happy with what she had achieved.


    But, my efforts to heal her have led to the gap between her and the other one going down. No longer were her breasts so gigantic in comparison to Einervaene''s. However, that did not mean they were matched. It was clear who still had the larger body.


    "So how badly did your travels exhaust you?" I then asked Einervaene as I calmly snatched a breast into my grip. Something that shocked her red, gave me a tingling feeling and got Liada stern gazed. But, I wasn''t doing this for perverted reasons, oh no! Liada had actually taught me something with her body and healing process.


    Magic pooled naturally into a woman''s chest for one reason or another. So, it was like if I wanted to check an arcane pulse. Just put a claw onto their breasts and you can get an idea. And in the currently assailed woman''s case, she was running low.


    "A l-little warning next time..." Einervaene complained as she lingered a hand near the touched boob.


    "Warning? Ha, you were begging for that kind of attention back on the airship."


    "That was in the privacy of a bedroom!" she contested


    "It was on an overcrowded piece of metal." I pointed out.


    "Be quiet..." she then mumbled as she struggled between being a well-raised lady or a swooning girl.


    "So, anyway, magic. As you''re running low, I take it we''ll just be looking at mine?" I ask as the claw I have been using moved about.


    "I can still discuss what I want to try and do with my magic." Einervaene clarified as she sat down on a rock I hadn''t destroyed. Or maybe I did and it was just a finer shaped chunk of stone?


    "Let''s discuss it, then." I say as I drop down onto the floor with a loud thud. Quickly leaning back onto my claws once I had landed on the ground.


    "W-Well... Um... We... I don''t know where to start." she stuttered nervously before she started to laugh it out.


    "Okay... Your lightning bolt spell, any ideas with that?" I ask her, starting with the first spell she ever showed us. And, frankly, the more I thought about it, the funnier it was. Her entrance back in Tryhpeltzweig was not indicative of a lady at all. But, maybe all that muck she had on her made her forget!


    "Well, I''ve been thinking about it a lot, my fight with Salahma and... No, just Salahma." she starts to say before she loses track of it. Had she fought someone other than Salahma? Must''ve been a while ago, then.


    "You went into her mouth, yes." I pointed out with a smile as I remembered it quite vividly. Both because I was happy to see that vile monster die, but, also, it was quite a way to die. Einervaene was forcing herself down her throat using that sulphuric smoke breath of hers... It was a gruesome way to die, regardless of what she was.


    "I was thinking more so about the moments of the fight that kept us outside." she clarified for me even though I felt like it was clear it was a jokish answer.


    "You''ll have to explain then, I was inside." I joked.


    "Well, before she brought the fight back inside, I kept changing into a bolt and back to normal. And, I''ve been thinking about..."


    "How to keep the process going without turning back to normal?"


    "No, I was thinking how I could keep the spell going while staying me, if that makes sense." she said rather confusingly. That spell required her to become a lightning bolt, no? How would she do anything like it if she stayed herself? That seems to be a rather drastic change to the spell.


    Actually, it was its own spell altogether, "I''m not following."


    "Alright, let me see if I can explain this..." Einervaene began to say as her fingers drummed along the frame of her outfit.


    "Perhaps what you are looking for is a means to keep some of yourself away from the rest of yourself so you can bounce between two points?" Liada offered up in a rather calm tone given who she was speaking to.


    "I don''t think it is possible to have myself in two places at once."


    "Well, that is what that suit of yours does, no? Keep yourself in two spots?" Liada asked, making it clear where she was coming from.


    "No, the frame in this outfit just allows me to contain my magic into this form." Einervaene clarified verbally before she gave a physical demonstration of the spell it let her do.


    And, that got me curious, "Have you ever tried that spell without the frame?" I then asked her.


    "No, because originally, it was just a means to stop myself from being pulled apart above the cloudline." Einervaene told me as she gave the clouds above a relaxing smile.


    "So is there no way for this frame of yours to be adapted into a more useful piece of equipment? It was clearly made rather hastily." Liada says as she lingers her gaze on the various pieces of copper.


    "I probably could change it if I went to the maker of it, but, I would need to then figure out what I want it to do. I made this outfit with the mountain problem in mind. The spell came about as a happy accident."


    "Oh, what about if you only turned part of yourself into lightning, like, keep some of your clothes around?" I suddenly asked as I started thinking of her boots being left around.


    "How would that help?" the wearer of said boots questioned in confusion.


    "Well, it anchors you to a stop to go up and down on?"


    "That''s stupid." Einervaene dismissively says to me before she suddenly gets worried when she realises the tone she used.


    "No, he might have a point, just not in that context." Liada suddenly adds as she uses her talisman. As such, we had two barriers appear. One on the ground and one somewhat in the sky. Regardless, she had an area set out for her upcoming demonstration.


    "If you have the means to focus your magic on one spot, you could leave it there and go into the sky and then go back to it continuously." Liada explains as she has her fingers touch the higher one at different spots. All while always going to the centre of the bottom one.


    "So I would say, plant a staff into the earth and treat it as a lightning rod?"


    "If a fight is what you are speaking about, perhaps something smaller?" Liada pointed out as her hand went to her chin. And, I could see why, I couldn''t think of anything that could be used like that either. A staff seemed like the only viable option unless Einervaene wanted to do something else?


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "It would need to be an exceptionally strong material, then, something small won''t handle the magic well. It''s why staves are the standard for witches globally if they are casting complex spells. It lets them slide some of the burden off of their body and into another item."


    "Heh." I suddenly let out as I remembered my first use of magic with Rose. Trying to sort out a staff of my own from those many, many branches I snapped off.


    "Then, perhaps find a way to only transform part of yourself into lightning? Let yourself be the anchor alongside a staff."


    "Or... I could focus myself through one with additions in it that allow me to control how far I let myself go through it!" Einervaene lets out all of a sudden as she jumps to her feet.


    "So, what, stick a chain on a stick?" I ask with a bemused huff as I watched Einervaene get excited by her revelation.


    "I''m sure the boys at Mechanical House can figure it out better." she says with a shrug.


    "Okay, then. That''s one spell, what about the other one?" I ask as I wanted to see a little more of this Einervaene. She was bemusing to be around as well.


    "I think that''s enough idea think ups, for now. If I overwhelm myself with ideas, I won''t ever get a new spell to take shape."


    "That''s fair, before I started to use magic, I noticed I spent more time thinking on it a lot of the time."


    "You''re doing quite well despite the handicap!" she then compliments me with as she smiles.


    "I''ve... Had a lot of encouragement." I let out in a way that was likely to be misunderstood. She might take it as that she has been there for me and helped. But, rather, I was talking more so about the various conditions I have been subjected to. Everytime I get into a near-death, or, in one case, a post-death occasion...


    I want to try and make this new power of mine work. And while it has been more than a year since my time on the mountain. I still felt odd whenever I actively thought about it. I''ve spent so long just imagining magic being a thing rather than experiencing it.


    People like Larishazza, Einervaene, Rose, Vadei, Vapooliar. Anyone I''ve met, really who uses magic. It''s always been a thing for them. And, with Vadei''s recent words, it becomes clearer how out of place I am.


    Even if she is wrong, that my former life as just a simple low-skill artisan had no part in this. That my recent developments in magic were not a result of it. But, rather, something else I just can''t quite figure out... I still did not belong here.


    Yet, now I knew for certain that I had to make myself a place in this land. Thankfully, as well, the hard parts of my current body were over. My friends were fully aware of what I was and they chose to ignore it. I had people I could walk side-by-side with as I found myself a new place.


    "So, anyway, Nin." Einervaene began to say.


    "Hm?"


    "Given that we... Failed in our task, would now be a good chance to ask for some details on how you want your new outfit to be?" she finished as the heel of one of her boots went into the dirt. And as she fidgeted, I watched her shoes dig up the earth below.


    "I haven''t really thought about it. I don''t think I''d have any ideas to offer, anyway. Last time I wore something that wasn''t bandages and that cloak Liada is now wearing, I was in prisoners attire." I joked as I thought back to an uncomfortable time. Yet, it was the day it ended I was able to focus on more now. Or, maybe that was just my brain getting sick of horrible thoughts.


    "Well, I assume you''d want something like that anyway." she says as her head tilts to the side.


    "Oddly enough, I like the bandages to some extent. But, they can be a frustrating thing to deal with. So maybe a top or shirt of some kind for my middle at the least?" I put forth as Liada sits down between us. Her crimson hair was soon around my claws as I moved to stroke it.


    "Okay, thank you. I''ll see what I can do." she says as she moves closer as well to get my other claw occupied. And, despite how easy it was to crush both their skulls. They still bickered down below.


    "On the topic of clothes, however. How are yours holding up?" I said before looking down at my red-skinned friend.


    "They''re sufficient for the moment." Liada answers with a rather unimpressed tone as she delicately clutched my old hat.


    "Does this mean I can have it back?" I asked teasingly as I slipped two claw tips on the hat to pinch it away. Smiling alongside Einervaene''s giggles as Liada hopped up to protect the hat.


    "No... It''s mine..." she says aggressively before settling back down.


    "Well, that''s enough lounging about here. We should be going." I tell the pair as I begin to move towards the path Vadei and Larishazza took. Leaving them both disappointed as it meant I was no longer soothing their scalps with affection.


    "What are we going to do, then? We went out here because there was nothing back there." Liada reminds me as she crosses her arms and raises a brow. And I turn and raise an arm while making a noise.


    "Well, I''ll probably be smoothing design details out with Einervaene as my new outfit is sort of a priority here. You, however... I''ll get back to you on that." I explain before I lose track of my thoughts at the end.


    "I''ve no complaints." Einervaene comments as she smiles during her catch-up skip.


    "I''m not standing around as the human makes clothes." Liada complains as she follows us.


    "I don''t think I said you have to stand around." I tell her as I walk backwards. And I quickly decided not to as my feet were not flexible.


    "Well, what else am I going to do? You were very insistent on us at least trying to get the grieving one to come along. So that means I can''t familiarise myself with the technology on the airship."


    "I did, however, say, not to fly it. I don''t see how that means you can''t do anything else."


    "Because everything else works in tandem with its core purpose, small brain!" Liada barks in frustration as she walks ahead. Yet, the way her tail rubbed on me as she did so indicated other things.


    "Why not help Vadei''s village get back in shape, then? You like to do practical labour. There''s a source of practical labour."


    "Fine..." she lets out in disappointment.


    "That''s that sorted, then. So, Nin, how would you like to do this?" Einervaene asks as she leans in closer.


    .


    .


    .


    "Feels weird having only my limbs wrapped up." Nin comments as he moves his arms and fingers about. And while I was happy to see him dressed up again, I was also extremely tired. I didn''t even wait for my magic to revitalise itself before I went out shopping with Larishazza...


    "You''re the one who wanted it like that!" I complained as I smashed my fists onto the table. Knocking over some of my new supplies in the process. And, as such, I moved about to pick it all up while complaining about it.


    "I know, and, again, thank you." he said as his hand gently patted my back. And I found myself giggling as my cheeks turned slightly red.


    "Maybe we should make sure your outfits are destroyed more often!" Larishazza comments as she looks at my face. She was faring much better than I, but that was because she had been spending the last few days snoring away.


    "So, what is the plan to avoid suspicion?" Vadei asked quietly from her spot at the edge of the room.


    "Suspicion?" Nin repeats.


    "Y-Yeah, if you just come off the airship, the people who''ve seen the real you will spill the details to the rest of the village. It will be a nightmare to sort it out!" she elaborates for us as she starts to stand.


    "So, what, we pretend he''s a friend from out of town and he is here to make sure the osibindah are all gone?" Larishazza puts forth as her head sways from one end to the other.


    "That could work. We could even just have it being that I know none of you and I am just a traveller." Nin adds on to the prior statement.


    "What kind of lonely traveller has your kind of power?" I asked as I held my aching head in my hands. Yet, none of them answered, they just looked at me and stared. And it was during that I collapsed and tried to hide my face.


    "Rela-" one of them began to say.


    "SHUT UP!" I moaned as I tried to hide my embarrassment. I always seemed to do this. Walk straight into the things that got me teased.


    "Don''t worry, Einervaene, but, I might need your help with this one." Nin tells me as he rubs my back. Something which eventually eases my still pink face out into the open.


    "Why?" I asked as I stared at his masked face.


    "You can get me a good distance from town. It will let me walk with a more convincing stride, I think. Because I''d be sick of walking by the time I get back." he explains before cracking a bad joke at the end.


    "I see... Okay... Let''s go." I sigh out tiredly as I get up. Only to fall on him as I had been ignoring how tired I truly was for a while now.


    "Easy there, don''t worry, I got you." he tells me as he begins to guide me out of my workshop. And, as he did so, a small smile appeared on my face.


    "Have you found it yet?" I ask him once we are on our own.


    "The little bit of magic you''ve left in the clothes?" he answers as if the thing I was alluding to was never hidden at all.


    "Yeah." I say with a smile as I sense the minute piece of lightning magic dance across him. Any metal pieces on his clothes had been used to wipe up any blood I intentionally drew. Liada''s work on the airship had inspired me to do that. Now I could sense him to some extent.


    In a way, it would help prevent another situation like where Salahma stole him. I needed Vadei to find him, and I did not want to risk lives needlessly should it happen again. So, with that bit of magic in him, I could reach out and see if I felt a tug. A very slight arcane gesture telling me where he is.


    "I hope it helps keep me safe, then. More magic there is in something, the stronger it is." he then comments. And, I never actually considered that when I did it. I was just focused on being able to find him. But, he was right, that magic I put there had more purposes.


    So long as its vessel was not destroyed or damaged too much, that is. Thankfully, it was not a single piece of metal I did it to. I did it to all the buttons, hooks, staples and bands this outfit had. It was like staring at a rough outline of a person made of my magic.


    Yet, that made me sad, as even like this, when I concentrated it so finely for someone I loved. It still looked blue, my lightning was not even transitioning into a white colour. It was still the lowliest colour for lightning out there. A vile, disgusting blue.


    "Why the sudden foul mood?" the one I wanted to admit to so badly asked me as we made it outside. And, under the light of a full moon, I huddled up next to him. Unsure of myself as other things began to weigh on my mind. Was my magic ever going to become pure?


    It''s been months since I learned to stop sacrificing bodily control for spell use. It''s been months since I proved myself capable enough to be enrolled into a high-end academy for magic. I''ve slain a wyvern that those stronger than me could not. Yet it was still blue.


    "It''s, nothing..." I say in an effort to slip his attention off of it. And my eyes began to water slightly as I held onto him.


    "I know it''s not that, Einervaene. Come on, open up. You know you can tell me."


    I sigh before saying another word, "I know I can... There''s nothing I could hold from you, even if I wanted... I just..."


    "Are too tired to really think of how to say it?" he asks, completely wrong about it. But, it offered an opportunity.


    "I''d think that would be obvious, I''ve been flying about the skies days-on-end." laughing out this lie just so I could avoid talking about it. I did not want Nin to see me as weak, especially after I''ve proven myself capable of defending him. I don''t think I could take it if we ended up like before. Where I abandoned him to the beasts at Suhurlodst.


    Thankfully, however, he seems to have forgiven me for it. Just like how I forgave him for his abrupt disappearance in the wastes below the Anvil-Peak. At least, I felt like I had forgiven him. So much happened in so short a time after Vadei picked us up.


    We found out that her people needed saving, chiefly among them, her family. We eventually found out that Nin was desperate to go home. But, I could see right now the results of that failure. And I did not want to lose his confidence...


    Even if I was worrying over my weakness right now, I know for a fact I will stay weak without him. I just can''t go back to the way it was before where I was alone in my travels. I want to have special moments with Nin, I wanted to be annoyed by his teasing. And, of course, I wanted to have fun with my friends.


    "Alright, when you''ve had a moment to sleep well, we''ll be talking about this when we can." Nin assures me as he pulls me into a tight hug. And it was in that hug that I realised that I had been crying silent tears while I was in my head. I had become so oblivious to how I was acting as I was just too focused on other things.


    "I wish that moment would come soon then." I told him with a sniffle as I returned the hug before sighing. But, this hug had another purpose, he was feeding some magic into me with it. And once we had spent enough time hugging, I felt confident to use my magic. We could go and enact this plan of ours the moment he gave the word.


    "Would you like to come meet us then, Stranger?" I joked with a slight smile as I looked up at his head. Taking in the difference in our sizes while I waited for an answer.


    "Drop me off somewhere nice, at least?" he requested with his own smile. It was something I laughed quietly at before sparks started to come off of me. Then, in but a moment, we were both entirely made of them. And we were soaring high into the sky before we went the great distance.


    And with a crash and boom, we came back into being, "Oh." I let out with some surprise as I realise where I landed us. I had caught something shining down below, so I thought that would be nice. Turns out, it was someone''s terrace farm. And the farmer or farmers down below had caught sight of it.


    "HEY!" they shouted up at us before I was left laughing just before I left.


    "HEY!" I barely heard Nin shout after me as he quickly caught on to what I had just done.


    .


    .


    .


    "When I get my hands on you, woman!" I cursed as I trudged through the forest by the road. Even though I was dressed, it still felt safer to be in some form of shadow. It was also amusing to spook those who were cautiously watching me. Especially the many oxfuinei travelling the road as they always tried to sniff me out.


    Even now, I couldn''t help but snicker at the many bits of fun I have had. It also made me thankful that Larishazza had shown me various ways to have fun. I was never a people person, that was always the case. But, I very much enjoy taking a little something out of everyone.


    It made boring treks like this one tolerable as I had something to do. It also made me realise how much I hated being on my own while on the move. Up until now, I have always had a companion. Even in my worst states, there was someone there.


    But here there was no one but the short-lived friends I made along the way. Thankfully, the village did not seem to be too far as I was now catching sight of some landmarks. Namely, the mountain range that ended right ahead of the village. How I knew it was that mountain, however, was a mystery.


    "BECAUSE THEY''RE EVERYWHERE!" I suddenly screamed at the gargantuan stone objects. Mountains were just baked into this land like an overly fruity biscuit. You could not escape them unless you went towards the canyon. But, was a canyon just not the incline to a land-sized mountain!?


    Complaints about mountains, aside, however, I was finally able to see the village. All the way atop the hill the road went up. But, I held my ground and I crossed my arms. And I was content to just look at the village from a distance.


    "So very different to life in the city..." I quietly uttered as I began to lower myself down a tree. Keeping my oddly-shaped osibindah back against it while flexing my legs about. And when I was done positioning myself, I just carried on taking in the view. I then smiled as I caught a glimpse of people outside.


    I may have not liked being involved in why it was like this. But the fragile peace I helped give this small village made me happy. I was able to save someone''s home from a danger that would engorge itself upon it. I had help, sure, but my part in it was clear.


    Perhaps now as well, I could apologize for any foul actions I did to those I saved. Or maybe me saving them was enough and I could just drop it? I did not really know. I guess I would just have to let the gods decide for me on this one.


    They would have to let it all flow out for me and I would go along with it. Just like how I went along with the paths their distant battles had created. Legends often spoke of shockwaves so vast and so distinct that they carved the earth. Were these lands perhaps where most of that occurred?


    Jherikra did mean Greatest Land, after all. Was it referred to as such because of its association with the gods? It probably was, so much stuff of note was near this land. The Anvil-Peak, the now empty but still great canyon that once cooled thunderous metal.


    Perhaps, I could be, as I have heard it be said, perhaps I could be Jhrerikra one day. Great man of the land. Perhaps I could be that, someone who became great through their courage and strength. Someone who confronted the evils that scarred them and saved others from their fate.


    Or, maybe I could think small like the village Vadei was from. Just live life as easily as one could, stepping up only occasionally to keep it safe. It would certainly make a change to all the adventuring I have pretty much been doing. From simple wall-engraver to witch-in-training at what seems to be the main magic school place.


    Yet, oddly enough, I was warded away from that idea by the boredom of it. I have fought my way out of monster hives with magic insects. Bested the best of a sex maniacal, nomadic people and stole the heart of their most beautiful without trying. I won something from a great man from the prior generation who had a sacred gift he needed protecting. I was able to triumph even when the world wanted me to fail.


    "If I keep on going, there''s no telling where I might end up!" I cheered as I got up, yet, I also dreaded those words. For with all these stories came something I was the expert one. The only expert in the world, in fact. I knew what it was like to die and to lose oneself to a corrupting monster.


    Maybe there were others out there like me, cursed individuals who have tasted divine love. Or, perhaps I was alone in that experience. I could either assume it or seek out the potential answer that proved me wrong. And I would both enjoy it and hate it with every bit of passion in me. However, I was thinking too far ahead now.


    A village needed help from a strong man and one was right here. So I started to move towards the village again. Not partaking in any revelry or conversation on the way down. However, I did meet the wandering gazes of curious farmers as I made my way into the village.


    "Hey! Stranger! Take my advice, get out of here. This place will bring nothing good." a bitter man told me as he held onto a rosary detailing its allegiance to Undwote. So, I could only assume he was one of many we had failed. Be it our slowness or ineptitude, it did not matter.


    "How come?" I asked as I approached him, somewhat spooking him with my size. But, I was intent on keeping the agreed-upon act up. I was a stranger from out of town, so I just had to, unfortunately, avoid the others for a bit. Who knows what kind of slip-ups our familiarity would cause.


    "Vile osibindah have recently gutted our village for all it was worth. Not that it was that valuable to begin with. Not one official from the Lord who''s meant to be looking after us after the slavers came... This village is cursed, that is all that you need to know."


    "This village has been around for a few generations, what do you mean?" I asked him which got me a scoff as the initial response.


    "You don''t know a damn thing about this place. Now, if you value your life, get going. There''s no telling when the bugs will be back."


    "I know enough about this place to know that isn''t true." I tell him as I lean on the fence keeping me out of his garden.


    "And what do you know?" he asked with a sneer as he approached me with a growl as well.


    "I know that there are two very powerful witches here. As well as some kind of aid from a mountain-state."


    "No, it''s just those two witches, unfortunately." he admitted with a sigh as he backed down.


    "So you need help?" I then asked him which surprised him to some extent.


    "I... I have nothing to offer for your help. Besides, there''s nothing to help."


    "There are farmers with verdant fields and children playing, seems like you got plenty of things that need help."


    He scoffs again, "Well, if you''re so insistent on wasting your life here, go speak to one of the bigshots on the far end. Give them some help with the lifting or something, I don''t care. Just leave me be."


    "Alright, enjoy your day." I say to him as I give him a brief wave on my way further into the village. I also let out a groan in my mouth as pretending like this felt off.


    "Yeah, you too..." he said to me rather quietly before I heard him go back to his prior business. Which, going by how active the small temple they had was, was likely religious. But, I knew that already as I was aware of the series of funerals that had been going on. Yet, somehow, the priests at the temple kept the will to keep doing it.


    To keep exposing themselves to despair and the suffering that came with loss. Over and over again until the temple closed its doors for the night. I also knew that, that was the worst time of day here. Those who still wanted their loved ones buried got into frequent arguments.


    "Now, to keep it up." I then muttered as I turned towards the reconstruction work. Steadily moving closer and closer until I found myself nearly running into someone.


    "Excuse me." Einervaene sweetly asked with a knowing smile as she held up a large piece of wood.


    "Sorry, need any help? Man back down the road says this place needs some labourers." I ask her as a smile comes to my own face. I may have wanted to keep up a facade to build up believability. But, speaking to someone I knew made it a fun endeavour. It almost made me want to joke about it with her.


    "I''m sure someone can guide you to a house that needs fixing up." she tells me as she casually swings an arm behind her. The other one was occupied with the effortless load in her grip. And, it felt odd, mostly because the heavy lifting was usually left to me. But, granted, that was probably as light as a feather to both of us.


    "So how''s the reconstruction been going?" I asked, this time, however, it was not related to my act. I just wanted to know how it has been going from the perspective of someone who had been doing it.


    "We''re focusing on the most damaged buildings at the moment. Thankfully, we don''t need heavy equipment as me and my friend are here to take care of it."


    "Einervaene! Get moving!" Liada barks as she comes on stomping over with a pile of papers in your hand.


    "Yes, sir." Einervaene muttered snarkily under her breath as she walked off. And, when she had moved enough, I was being shoved to the nearest wall.


    "And you, pick up some planks or step aside, you''re in the way!" Liada demanded of me like an angry foreman. But, then, her expression shifted and she gave me a grin and brush of the tail as she went elsewhere.


    "You take work too seriously." I comment as she walks off, huffing as she stops and looks back at me.


    "And you''re not working at all." she chastises as her fingers gesture at the damage.


    "Alright, alright." I quietly laugh out as I move to a pile of lumber. Waving to Larishazza from under my new cloak as she hummed away sawing a tree apart. What she was using, however, I had no idea as it looked more like she was just being her. But, upon closer inspection, it became clear that she was using a hair of hers.


    "Saw, saw, saw, saaaaaw!" she sang each time she twisted one way. And, when a chunk of unwanted wood fell off, a child would collect it and put it on a pile. A pile which was in turn added to a cart and taken to what seemed to be a public kitchen. It wasn''t even a fresh-looking one, so it must have been part of the village anyway.


    "Redskin in charge said to find some lumber?" I recalled to Larishazza once I had caught her attention. But, as she was easily excitable, she briefly forgot the act we were putting up.


    "HELLO!" she screamed into my ear as she latched onto me all of a sudden. Thankfully, however, her choice of greeting did not give away the plan. Only her absurdly out of place reaction did.


    "I want a hug!" one child suddenly demanded before all of them began to demand it. And Larishazza was only more than happy to hand them out. She even teased some of the shyer boys with quick kisses on the cheeks. And when she put them down, they all had red faces and twitching hands.


    "Go ahead and take whatever you need! There''s plenty more trees for me to work with." Larishazza quickly tells me before she gets back to playing with the children.


    "Got it, thank you." I say before I pick up a bundle she had bound together with more of her hair. In fact, she had pulled out a few strands and kept them in a box as if they were tools... Well, I have to praise the thinking, but, it was so weird to look at. A small box of hair strands was helping to rebuild a village.


    At least Einervaene was likely just applying some magic to fuse metal together. And Liada was probably bringing tools off of the airship! But, then we had Larishazza using hair... And I could only repeat prior thoughts in my head.


    Now, I had other things I should focus on, like what to do with this lumber. So I held it above my head and walked about until I found Liada again. And I had to wait for a bit as she was currently doing something on that paper of hers. I could get her attention, but I also wanted to see what she was doing.


    They were construction plans by the looks of it. Heavily edited and crossed out ones, however. And, if I went by the way she sighed and fidgeted, she was dealing with material problems. I can''t imagine it''s a case of not enough, we mostly needed wood.


    But, her drawings, on closer inspection, seemed to be too complex for what we had. So, I think it was fair to presume she had gotten ahead of herself. She let out as much as she could and now she was constantly remaking it. I can''t say I understand the feeling, I was never the making type.


    Despite my old job...


    "Something troubling you?" I asked her as I put the lumber down and sat on it. Staring at her as I leaned forward on my open legs.


    "I''m not used to working without some kind of machinery. Everything back home was mechanised to make up for our population deficit..." she admitted with a frustrated sigh. And when she said it, I dropped the continuation of the act just to see if I could help. I would rather not see her stressed out because of something like this.


    "Larishazza and Einervaene fit in for most of that, do they not?" I ask her while I gently fiddled with the tight hair chain the former made.


    "Using her hair was my idea, but that''s not what I''m on about. I''m on about actual machinery. Forges, factories! But, this is a backwards village without even a rudimentary blacksmith." she let out as she threw the paper down. So, I then leaned further down to pick it up. Maybe I should compliment her on it? It looked pretty good, but, I was no architect or engineer.


    "Why not start over but just build it around what you do have access to?" I proposed, assuming a brief moment to step back from it all would help.


    "I''m not starting over! I put too much work into it already!" she replied loudly, but, I felt like she was exaggerating. There was a bit of time invested here, sure. But it was both a small drawing and the notes were a line or two here and there. It would not cause many issues if she had to restart.


    Besides, the villagers seemed to know how they wanted their houses and businesses done. Some even seemed to be taking advantage of the damage in order to get the girls to build more. And I only picked up on that I was familiar with the idea of renovating. It was part of my old job after all. You go in, clear an area, and build it back up, something we often did in communal areas.


    "Food!" a woman then called out from the tidier part of the village. And when she did, some walked, but many ran as if they''d not get any.


    "Smells good, perhaps something to eat will calm your mind?" I offer as I got up. Holding out a claw to help her to her feet-claws before nudging the lumber to the side. If I was not going to be doing anything with it, there was no point in leaving it on the road. However, when we got to the food, I declined a portion.


    That would mean taking off my mask and that defeated the point of having it. So I just moved on into the shade and let the girls gather up around me. Looking at Vadei in particular as she walked about in a simple dress handing out bread. A fresh dose of cheer even came to her lips when she saw me.


    "You came just in time!" she told me as she handed me a bread roll despite my protests. But, as I felt its warmth in my hand, I found it hard to decline. It even had the letter ''N'' on it to denote it was my one. At least, it looked like an ''N,'' it was Vadei''s language after all, not Wind-Speak.


    "I''d be fine coming later." I say with a hidden smirk as she flattened her dress and sat down before us.


    "Conquei, over here!" Vadei then called out in a notably duller tone. And soon, we had a girl who looked similar to Vadei, but with much shorter hair. She was dress similarly, too, but, she did not seem to be used to it. Vadei had to sort her clothes out before she sat down.


    "Thank you, Vadei." her sister quietly said as she took a bread roll apart and mixed it into her food.


    I seemed to make her uncomfortable, as well, "Something wrong?" I asked her simply before I watched her twitch.


    "N-No, nothing." she tells me before diving into her bowl to occupy herself. But, she burnt her mouth as a result and Larishazza had to intervene. She was a lot calmer around her, though. In fact, her issues seemed to lie with me. Did she...?


    "I hope you don''t mind me finding somewhere quieter." I then said all of a sudden as I got up and moved away from the group. Leaving my bread roll behind so I could ponder alone on a fence. Vadei, however, followed me with my roll in hand.


    "It''s not your secret that bothers her." Vadei tells me as she puts the roll in my hand again.


    "You are really insistent with this, you know?" I exclaim as I shake the piece of cooked flour about.


    "Because I made it for you." she tells me as her ears dip slightly.


    "Well, as we''re further away and around a corner." I say before cautiously exposing my mouth. However, I did not nibble to roll, I just slotted it into my maw. Chewing only once I got the mask back on. And while I could feel the steam its heat caused, it did not bother me at all.


    "Well?" she asks as she leans in a little closer.


    "Meaty inside was a nice touch." was all I really had to say as it was just a bread roll outside of that.


    "Thank you, I caught the bird myself."  Vadei tells me with a small smile as she grips her dress.


    "Vadei? I need your help with something." her mother suddenly said as she abruptly got between us.


    "What is it, Mom?" Vadei asked as her expression lost its joy. Something which seemed to make said mother angry.


    "Don''t think that just because you are wearing that, that I don''t know it''s you!" she sneered at me as her tail wrapped around Vadei protectively.


    "Mom, there''s no need for..." Vadei began to say before she shirked away when her mother glared at her.


    "Listen carefully, Bug, stay away from my family. And when you can, get away from my home." she growls to me before she takes Vadei away.


    "Well, that ruined the moment..." I quietly let out as I started to focus on what she had called me. Sometimes I could ignore it, other times it just bothered me a lot...

 Incline 7: Getting Her on Her Own

    "How about now?" Nin asked as he held up the pre-made frame of a house still. Unlike everyone else in the village bar our friends, he had no trouble at all. In fact, now that my magic has been coming back, I''ve been able to do similar stuff. I just don''t like to do so.


    I was quite content to just enjoy a normalish life at the moment. Even if a certain event had yet to come. But, it would come, and until then, my friends would keep me occupied. Unlike before, I was willing to be patient about it now.


    It still bothered me and thinking about it still got me upset, but I was easily distracted now. If I felt like I was shifting back towards how I was on the airship. Before we went and sorted out Dad''s last present from me. I would just come and find these lot, or, just one of them was fine.


    We could talk about everything we have done together. We could talk about the things that worried us and console the other as they spoke. We could even have some fun as we were the only ones here able to use magic. Well, magic of any notable scale as everyone here could do a certain spit-related spell.


    And, when it got dark and the Orbital-Halo disappeared for the night, there was still stuff to do. Quiet strolls in the nearby forest or trying to spook the other over the bugs. For the most part, however, we just walked talked. Sometimes, however, I went on my own with Nin.


    We steadily opened up with each other and we caught up. He told me about his time before Suhurlodst, and I answered his questions about Vapooliar. Who, I did wonder about from time to time. I may have not treated her like it, but, surely she was my friend, no?


    I owed her many apologies, just like I did Nin. But, if the gods were happy to abide by my wishes. We can all just move on from those moments and work on making it better. It made me happy.


    And, even though it hasn''t really been that long since the loss of Nin''s home. Since the city of Tobaballe, a place I despised so much was destroyed. It felt like it was a long time ago. And being with my friends made me happy for the first time in a long time.


    "V-Vadei..." I heard my little sister call out nervously as they hid behind a building. And, upon hearing it, I turned to the noise. And, when I saw her, I moved over to her to see what she wanted. And I made sure we were on our own as she has changed since Tobaballe.


    The cocky, snarky brat she used to be was gone. If Dad was still here, he''d be shocked out how reserved and docile she has become. It worried me a lot when you knew how much she had changed. A most obvious trait as well was how she treated her hair, she let it grow now.


    No more short bangs or shaved down sections of it. She let it grow and she made sure to keep it well-brushed. Her tail was also brushed well. However, she was very protective of it, more so than anyone had a right to be.


    I hope she is okay, she doesn''t really talk to anyone now. But, she''ll still pass on information if asked and come near those she knew. But, everything about her mannerisms now made one thing clear. Her time in that city had left her broken, she still carried the mindset of a slave.


    Something I only knew because it was a behaviour they once tried to drill into me. Obedience, compliance, docility and submission. Those are the behaviours they tried to hammer inside of my head. But, I was able to copy my sister for just a little bit.


    I was able to stand up for myself and set myself down the path to saving them. Yet, seeing her was just another reminder of how I could have done things better. If it wasn''t for the fact her state kept me in a moody state, I might hang around her more. Just to see if she was alright...


    "M... M-Mom wants to speak to y-you." she stuttered out like a young child as her tail slightly moved towards me. Only for it to shoot back into her arms when she realised what she had done. And it pained me to watch her shirk away from me with paranoia. It hurt a lot to see her like this.


    We might have not got along before it all happened. Before we were all suddenly dragged out of our home by slavers. But, she was still my sister. She was still the one I shared a room with for years.


    "Okay, thank you for letting me know." I tell her with a smile that disappeared quickly when she ran off. She wasn''t lonely because those around her had abandoned her. She was lonely because she didn''t think she had anyone to speak to. But, I can only hope she knows her big sister will hold her if she just asked.


    She did not even have to use words, she just had to let out one tear. One contextless, out of nowhere tear was all she needed to let out for her sister to help her. So I can only wish she''d let me see her cry more often. I want to be there for my family and make up for our time apart...


    I needed to be there for them, because with Dad gone, there was one less of us around. One less person who understood what we were on about. And that is why I felt so happy around my friends as well. They got it, they really did get it.


    But, for now, I had to focus on finding Mom as she wanted something. So I sniffed the air and tried to separate the lingering smell from her actual smell. Yet, even as I tried to filter out her location, I still headed on home. I still walked along the low cobblestone wall and stretched my neck to see into the house quicker.


    I did not find her in the house, however, the cellar wasn''t open either. Instead, I found her out in the small field of grass we called a garden. I found her on her own, drinking something with drooping ears and a still tail. Some excitement came to her, however, when she caught my scent.


    "You wanted to speak to me?" I asked her with a plain tone as I moved into the perimeter of our home. Standing before her until I found myself complying with her gesture for me to sit down beside her. And, when I did, she pulled me down and rested my head against her. It surprised me, just not enough to get a visible reaction.


    "I just wanted to see how my Little Va was doing." she said in a rather peculiar tone that had something odd about it. I could only really compare it to how when I got in an argument with her and she was suddenly really nice to everyone else. Of course, this was for a clearly different reason. The way it sounded worried me, however.


    "I was fine until Conquei came by." I answered, referring to how her state left me worried.


    "She didn''t do anything, did she?" Mom asked as she looked down. And I shook my head as she misunderstood my statement. Conquei didn''t do anything wrong at all. But, I can''t blame Mom here, us not getting along was the norm, after all.


    "No, I''m just worried for her." I admit to Mom as I watched a little insect climb to the top of a blade of grass. Wondering every now and then if the winds that rattled the piece of greenery would ever knock the insect down. But, it held on, despite the trouble it might be facing. It kept on climbing until it reached the top.


    "We both are, but, I asked you here so I could speak to you. So, what have you been up to?" she asked me as her nose was used for more than just smelling.


    "I''ve been with my friends, helping them with the reconstruction of the village." I tell Mom as if it wasn''t obvious. It was either that or I was here, at home. The only other thing I really did while they were here was join the other women in the communal kitchen.


    And, after my words, Mom''s grip tightened on me, "Vadei, I hope you have been doing what I have asked."


    "Despite what you are currently doing to me, no, I''m not a child. I am not obligated to do what you ask." I tell her with neither hatred nor annoyance in my tone. I was just meaning to make the situation clear to her if it had been lost on her.


    "I''m still your mother, Vadei. And I would like you to do as you''re told."


    And when she said that, I moved out of her grip, "I''m not staying away from my friend just because you tell me to."


    "He''s not your friend..." she nearly growled at me. And that was the moment I decided to go away. What right did she have to speak about my friend that way!? She did not know him!


    "Don''t ever say such a thing to me again." was the last thing I said to her before I walked away. Watching her initially with a flat expression before the makings of a glare came along. It brought me no joy watching fury build up in her. It did not make me happy, knowing the threats she was likely to come out with meant nothing.


    What it did was make me upset, it made me angry and annoyed. Nin was a good friend and he did not deserve this kind of reaction from her. He''s already made it abundantly clear that he was not just some bug. He was a good man dealt one of the worst hands out there.


    I hated what she was doing, she was trying to stoke my fears of osibindah and have them apply to him. I pointed out how she was wrong over and over but she still did not listen. She was aware of Nin''s part in saving her life from slavery. How he also fought to save our home from the bugs. Yet, she still spoke of him in such a foul way.


    It was not enough for me to start disliking her, not trusting her or even hating her. But, I really had, had enough with these accusations of hers. And I was worried for Nin, all it would take is one comment from Mom and he''d be on the run. They''d all be on the run as they would not be able to stay here anymore.


    They weren''t in danger, but, I wasn''t worried about that. I just did not know if I was ready to say goodbye to them yet. I wasn''t going back to Suhurlodst once they were on their way. So I wanted to enjoy my last few days with them.


    I wanted us to part on a good note, and, if they ever came back. I wanted to be able to recall those good times. But Mom''s attitude put that all at risk! If she let one-word slip about Nin, she''d ruin it all.


    We would never see each other again and our last moments would be awful. If Nin''s words really have rung true, this would be a repeat of something he has handled before. And even though I was different back then, I had seen the results at Suhurlodst. He put on a joking facade a lot now because otherwise, he''d keep trying until the knife didn''t break...


    There might have been a time where my own worries made me cruel. Cruel to the point I would laugh it off without a second thought. But, Nin has given me many reasons to care now. And even if he hadn''t, seeing him put that knife there that one night shocked me.


    It was just so sudden when it all happened. And even now, as I watched him mess around and play how he could. I couldn''t help but think about what it would take to make it happen again. He''s already quick to anger over the mere mention of his home after all...


    "Hey! Vadei! Help!" Nin called out as he tried to swat away Larishazza as she dashed around him and jabbed him with her fingers. Of course, she was laughing the entire time and making silly noises. And, it made me smile for a moment too. She was so childish at times but I only found myself enjoying it really.


    "She''s on my side as you can tell!" Larishazza let out when she caught onto the fact I was too busy watching the pair.


    "Why won''t somebody help me!?" Nin moaned with a strange cry as he tried to manoeuvre his large torso away. He was, however, saved by the eventual firm hand of Liadanann who did nothing but work.


    "The pair of you, cut it out!" she demanded as she got up in their faces. I could not see Nin''s face, but, I had a feeling a smirk was there. Larishazza, however, I could see, and she was acting like she had done nothing.


    "So where do I put this bucket of nails?" Einervaene then asked as she quietly stood around waiting. She had been watching the pair as I had, she enjoyed it too. But she was also mostly waiting for Liadanann to notice her.


    "Into the designated spots!" Liadanann nearly yelled in Einervaene''s face before she stomped away to another part of the village.


    "What spot...?" the confused woman asked as she continued to hold onto the bucket with uncertainty.


    "Just leave it by some other supplies, I''m sure someone will take a few." I answer for her as I make them aware of my return.


    "So what did she want?" Larishazza was quick to ask as she leaned her head on my shoulder. Her wide-open eyes stared intently at my face as I tried to look back at her.


    I did not want to answer this question, honestly, however, "Nothing important." I told her before sitting down. My body reacted with some surprise as well when the planks I was on shook. Nin had copied me and was letting out a relaxed groan as he sat there.


    "I really wish they weren''t taking advantage of us..." Nin complained soon after he finished his groaning.


    "Can you blame us? It''s not every day we get some free labour capable of rebuilding our village and growing it." I say, not bothered one bit by how many new additions these three have helped make. I''m not sure how much Liadanann has helped, though. She seems to just walk around with paper being bossy.


    "I can and I will. There''s not even enough people here to fill up these buildings!" Nin complained as he pointed a wrapped-up finger at the front of these new buildings. They weren''t properly connected to the main road like the older shops were. So they stood out a lot more and if one headed out to the mountain before us. You could see the village had grown a lot on the left.


    The right side, however, had not really been touched. As those at the temple have made it clear they''d do it on their own. Not out of pride, but rather, from what I knew of them. Humility is what made them do it.


    If you wanted to find people equally as thankful compared to me for these three, it was there. Everyone was thankful, sure, but, it was those at the temple that refused to push their luck. I did not know why, no one would think bad of them for it and no god or goddess forbade it. So I was a little curious as to why they did it all on their own.


    They gathered up the orphans staying with them, and they painted their fence. They fixed the playset they had set up in an empty patch of grass. They covered up and filled in the cracks the main temple had. And it was all just them lot, and I had no idea why.


    "I don''t mind doing all this work. Putting some muscles on this body." Larishazza joked as she curled up her biceps. She even did a few poses that showed off how toned her body actually was. She wasn''t like Vapooliar, but you could tell from a glance she was an active person. Assuming you did not catch her dancing or hopping about the place when you saw her.


    "Eh, I suppose it is something to do." Nin let out as his eyes settled on the building they had been working on. It was quite a big one, it even had a large segment set aside for what looked like a garden.


    "Did they say what this was for?" I ended up asking as I couldn''t quite figure it out. These buildings could be anything, really, but, this one seemed different. Its size most certainly made it clear, but, there were also other details. Like how due to the lack of a wall, I could see a box of old toys in the corner.


    "You''d have to ask Liada, she''s the one who has gone around asking people about what they would like." Nin answered as his finger picked away at a plank of wood.


    "Alright, I will." I say to him as I got up to go look for her. Not that it took long at all as she smelled very peculiar. Not in the bad way, she smelled very distinct is what I really meant. After all, like Nin, she stuck out in my nose, moreso, actually. She was something entirely new while Nin smelled like osibindah, unfortunately.


    "Great, just great. I just had to listen to him about these stupid drawings." I heard Liadanann complain to herself as she scribbled away on her paper.


    "Am I interrupting?" I asked first when she looked up at me.


    "Yes, but not in the bad way." she sighed out as she threw down her writing and drawing tools.


    "That''s good, would you mind if I asked you something?"


    "As long as it is not about this." she told me as one of her fingers slapped itself onto the paper.


    "That building the other three are working on, what is it?" I asked after ignoring the way she treated the drawing. If she did not want me probing, then I''d oblige.


    "It''s a school. Most of the parents and the... Priests... Requested it." she answers, and, were it not for my surprise at it, I''d be annoyed at her tone towards the end.


    "A school?" I repeat as I looked back at where I had come from. Out of all the things here, that was perhaps the one place I could have used when I was younger. We didn''t have a local school so me and my sister were largely taught by Mom or Dad. It might have been one of the reasons Conquei got on everyone''s nerves so much as well.


    None of the other pups went to school either, so they just followed what their parents taught them. And in the case of some of the boys, they learned carpentry or hunting skills. And Conquei just preferred it to being stuck inside in the quiet doing little tasks with her hands. Not that I really enjoyed it either, but, we had plenty of time for playing.


    It''s not like we had a strict schedule or anything. We just did it when either Mom or Dad felt like it as they were mostly preoccupied. Dad had his job on one of the farms and Mom had all her chores and us two to worry about. But, we were pups back then, doing anything but playing was boring.


    However, I did sometimes wish I could have gone to school. Because it would make Mom''s life easier and we could have done something new each day. But, unfortunately, the only school nearby was in another town. So we only saw one if we went along the main road for a day trip or something else.


    Dad did often let us tag along, after all when the farm''s began to sell their goods. Money couldn''t really be made here, so they shipped what was left elsewhere. That money in turn went into our few shops which brought some more people into our village. But, we oxfuine were a close lot.


    We liked to stay with our clans so we often avoided travelling on our own. It just felt unnatural to leave on our own and join up with another. Thankfully, I was able to avoid most of the uncomfortableness during my travels. And it probably helped that I recognised those three as my friends, not a means to start over.


    "So do you know who''s going to teach there?" I asked once my gaze returned to Liadanann.


    "No, nor do I care. If they wanted one built, they probably have a plan already." she answers with a shrug. Leaving me on my own to contemplate an answer inside my head. And I just went with the assumption that they''d rotate parents in and out to teach skills pups might need. Assuming they weren''t working alongside the parent.


    If I had a brother instead of a sister, for example, Dad would probably have taken him to the farm. Or, the pup of a hunter would be following their dad as they tracked game. But, for us daughters, we''d probably end up in the school anyway. Less burden on our Mom''s after all.


    Which made me smile to some extent, as Mom had done that a few times. Just shoving me and Conquei onto Dad so she could enjoy the breeze or chat with the other moms. Not that Dad minded, he enjoyed spending time with us... And I enjoyed it too, despite how different it was to our time with Mom.


    "Is there anything else you have planned?" I then asked her, leaning closer to her drawing so I could see it better.


    "No, we''re actually nearly done. I''m just trying to see what I can sneak in." she sighs out.


    "Why would you want to sneak stuff in?"


    "Because this place is just so lacking... I don''t like it." Liadanann admits.


    "I hope you don''t change too much, this is still my home." I say to her half-seriously. I was grateful for the things these lot were doing, but, some of these changes might cause issues. After all, some of these buildings might motivate greed from others. Squeeze out more taxes and all that nonsense...


    "At the rate things are going, I won''t be able to change much at all. You just don''t have the tools I need for the job." Liadanann says before she draws a large cross over her paper.


    "Well, good luck with whatever it is you plan on adding." I say with a slight nod before I returned to the others somewhat. I did not go to them directly, instead, I went straight into the building so I could look around. I stopped and picked up some of the toys and I looked at the barren rooms. It was unfinished, clearly, but, I liked what I saw.


    Our village had been through a lot and here it was, getting a little better. It made me selfishly smile a bit as well because it was my friendship that did this. The people I made friends with had greatly helped out my home. I just wish that I would not be thanking them under such sad circumstances later.


    But, I did not like to think on that day, I wanted to enjoy my time with them. So, I left the under-construction school and went back to my friends. Standing around and just smiling until I felt like I had an opportunity to get involved. I did not mind how long it was I had to wait.


    I just enjoyed their company too much, "I''m done for the moment, can we do something else?" Nin let out as he began to slack off on his work.


    "To the forest!" Larishazza would declare randomly, but, no one had any objections to the suggestion.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "If you''re headed out that way, I know a few good spots." I tell them as I move to the front so I could lead the trio. Returning each smile they gave me as we headed out into the shadows of the trees.


    .


    .


    .


    "Why won''t she listen to me!? Why doesn''t she get it!?" I found myself asking the only person present, that being myself as well. I tried to warn my Little Va about the danger she was exposing herself to, but, she brushed it off. Surely the death of her father would make her more aware of how easily life was lost!? So why did she not care...?


    How is it she was not grasping how worried this made me? That thing was an osibindah! He was one of the creatures that had just so recently attacked our home! He was not to be trusted in any capacity!


    "What do I do, Dear? Neither of them are listening to me..." I then said with a sniffle as I looked at the wrapped-up corpse of my husband. We were still waiting for our turn to get him buried, so he had been left in our bed. Though, I suppose it was now just my bed. And I certainly felt that every night since we put him there, as it was always so cold near him...


    Yet, despite how much the sight before me bothered me. How distraught and anxious it made me, I tried to keep a cool head. I needed to think of ways to make sure my daughters were safe. One just needed to speak to me and the other needed to heed my concerns.


    But how could I do that? I needed a moment where they would just be forced to speak with me. But, if my little Conqy Bonk isolates herself all the time, how would I get her attention? If my Little Va was always near her friends, how could I keep her attention?


    I was stuck in a mental marsh that just never seemed to end. At least, until I noticed a coloured envelope bearing the seal of the lord who ruled these lands. It wasn''t anything special on its own, but it helped jog my memory. And this would probably be the only time such an envelope filled me with joy.


    Because it reminded me of something I once spoke about with Einervaene. She asked me about means we could seek help, and I explained the folly of it. Folly or no, however, it presented me with something I could do. If I got her and that bug to go off and seek help for our village, I could have my time with Vadei.


    I could finally have a moment where I could get it into her head that she was too careless. But I needed to go about this with subtlety as just speaking about it would expose it as false. Yet, that envelope once again offered me a solution. If I just kept it on me, I could get an innocent lie going...


    It did not make me happy, knowing I had to lie to get my daughter''s attention and time. But, it was a necessary evil to make sure she was safe. I needed her to be away from that thing. Her father, my husband, he would have wanted this.


    He would have wanted her to be safe and well...


    "Don''t worry, Dear... I''ll make sure our daughter handles your passing. I''ll make sure she grows old and lives a good life." I tearfully smiled at him before I kissed his cold lips. I covered my face as I normally would as tears began to flow in force. I missed him so much and each day I was forced to see him in this state.


    And, when I was nearly done crying, I went and hid the envelope. I put it under the carpet near the spice cupboard as only I really ever went there. Then, when it was properly tucked away, I went outside. Slowly sniffing the air until I caught onto the trail of my youngest.


    I started walking towards her after that, Vadei was too hard to get to at the moment. I had just so recently seen her go into the forest with her friends after all. That creature too, unfortunately. It would be impossible to speak to her without finding myself overwhelmed.


    So, if I wanted to put my mind somewhat at ease, Conquei was the only one I could help. And, hopefully, or, unfortunately depending on how you looked at it. I could at least pressure her into staying so we could talk. If she would talk, I did not know, but I really, really wished she would.


    I don''t like how she is at the moment, she''s changed and not in a good way. She hasn''t become the daughter I and her father tried to nurture her into being. She''s been forced into that by the cruelty of the humans that took her. I wanted my daughter back, and this might be the first few steps towards it.


    And, when I found her, on her own, shuddering in what seemed to be fear, I stopped. I just did not know what to make of it, she was fine, fine and alone. Yet, she still acted as if some beast was about to grab her. She still curled in on herself and tried to hideaway.


    "I don''t think you''d fit in there anymore." I joked as an opening, hoping it would bring some ease to my daughter. She, however, had no response for me other than a fearful stare. I would never do anything to hurt her and yet, she gives me that look. So, the best I could do was open my arms and gesture for her to come closer.


    "Mom..." she would quietly whine she eventually moved her head onto my lap as her tail tip covered her face. And, when I felt like she had opened up enough, I started to stroke her hair. Slowly running my carefully filed claws through her similarly coloured, brownish-red strands.


    "What''s wrong? You know you can tell me." I asked softly. Changing up how I stroked her to see if it would coax out the words I wanted. I wanted to know what bothered her so I could help her somehow. I might never get it all, but I could at least try.


    "No..." she tearfully trembled out as she curled up into an even tighter circle. And, when I heard that, I stopped trying to coax an answer out of her. I gave up and just tried to make her feel comfortable. There was no way I was going to get an answer out of her like this.


    And that annoyed me to no end as it meant I could only watch her suffer. I cannot do anything if she does not tell me what happened in that dreaded place. I could ask those who were taken with her, but, why would they tell me? If my daughter, once brash and confident was now an emotional wreck.


    What''s to say those who also went with her had not turned out the same. Admittedly, I did not actually know the answer to that. I''ve been so focused on my daughters that I have been neglecting my part in the village. Not that I really had a part that was not focused around these two.


    Yet, as I thought on the time I have spent with them, I ended up singing quietly, "One little ear, so soft and wavy." I sang as I gently pinched one of Conquei''s ears.


    .


    .


    .


    "Oh, you lot, before you go." I called out to Vadei''s group of friends after they came to pick her up after she finished her breakfast. It was time to implement my plan, so I also had the envelope in my hand.


    "What''s that?" Einervaene asked as Vadei frowned at it. And, I tried to ignore the towering shadow of the bug, but, it was hard to do so.


    "Just some mail from the lord of our lands, but, it opens up something. We just need someone to go to Hachrain, the city where he resides." I say.


    "So we have a way to get help for the village?" Einervaene asks excitedly. It seems the detail I was worried about her remembering had been forgotten. In the moment or before, it did not matter.


    "Yes, I believe you are our best hope too. You can quickly travel, with help, and get help for our village." I say with a smile to her, briefly gesturing at the bug as I did so.


    "Hm, what about me?" it would ask after it noticed the gesture.


    "You''re... Big, you can help intimidate." I say slowly, and, it seems they mistook it for a joke.


    "Okay, bolt us up." he says as he suddenly grabs Einervaene. The movement surprised her and the two were soon out of sight. The envelope no longer in my grip as I had handed it over. If they did get help, that would be wonderful, but, I just wanted time with my daughter.


    "Aw... Now I''m stuck building on my own..." the blue-haired one complained before she ran off towards the sound of playing children.


    "Why did you just like that?" Vadei asked.


    And while I was shocked on the inside, I did not display it, "I wanted to speak with you." I answered as I gestured for her to sit down beside me.


    "You mean slander my friend who you insist so much about but don''t know anything about!?" she nearly snapped as her arms crossed over each other.


    "No, I don''t want to talk about... Your friend. I just want to see how you are doing." I tell her openly as she cooled down slightly. And it was a struggle to refer to the bug as anything but it.


    "I''m probably going to be bored for the rest of today." she comments as she looks away with a largely blank expression.


    "There are things you can do with me or your sister."


    "But I want to be with my friends..." she insists as the makings of a glare get directed at me.


    "I''m not saying you can- Hey! Vadei!" I started to say before she started to walk off.


    "What do you want!?" she asks me as she turns around to look at me as I moved to give chase.


    "I''ve told you, I just want to see if you''re alright. Please, just tell me."


    "I''m fine, just a little bored is all." she says to me with a plain tone. Even as the words she used stung harshly despite it.


    "Vadei... Please..." I call out as I watch her walk off. Holding my hand out initially before I let it fall to my side. My plan had failed, and she was insistent on not speaking to me.


    "M-Mom... I''m g-going into the f-forest." my younger daughter revealed to me as she slowly left the house.


    "Okay, Conquei, stay safe..." I sigh out as my hands come together. I wanted my daughter to reassure me, but she didn''t. So, when I was sure I was on my own again, I quietly cried to myself. What was I going to do about Vadei if she was not willing to speak to me?


    What was I going to do!?


    I suppose I could just try and occupy my mind. Go over and clean up the house once again. Yet, I knew that I would still think of my daughter during that. So, once again, I was clueless.


    Yet, I went ahead and tried to do some chores while I waited for my daughters to come back.


    .


    .


    .


    "Dinner''s ready..." I quietly mumbled to myself as I finished dishing it up. But, I did not eat any of it. I just carried on being quiet and stared at the empty spots around. My husband was not ahead of me, Conquei was not on the left and Vadei was not on the right


    I was on my own, just like I had been all day since my plan failed. I had even left the doors and windows open, hoping the smell would bring one of them home. But, no, it had not done anything of the sort, by the looks of it. At least, that is what I was too willing to assume before I heard footsteps by the door.


    It was Conquei, and she let her nose guide her weary feet. She even still sat down in her usual spot, and that eased some of my pain. I loved it so much that she still did that... I just wish she would speak to me...


    "T-There you go, Dear." I tell her as I move some things I know she likes closer to her. And I tried my hardest to not react openly when she flinched at my actions. How could she not trust me...? I was her mother, I would never hurt her like the humans had!


    Despite that initial reaction, though, my youngest daughter still sat down to eat. And I tried to eat some myself in an effort to enjoy the moment. However, I wasn''t sure if I could when Vadei eventually appeared. Something was very wrong and a face I did not want to see again was back.


    She was starting to look a little too like how she did on the airship. So I tried to get rid of it by offering her some of the food I know she liked. I even gave her a bigger portion of it, hoping it would do something. Yet, I did not get one smile or word of thanks.


    She was borderline ignoring me and if it wasn''t for the fact the food was here. I would not have been surprised and would have been very hurt by her going elsewhere. What I had origionally intended as a light-hearted meal had already been ruined. And, somehow, not a single word had been uttered.


    So I took a sip from my flat cup and scrunched my face up a little at its contents. I did not want to have to resort to doing this, but, I needed something to ease my mind. It used to be how I did it, after all. I just, had a drink to calm myself.


    And this time, I used some of my late Husband''s human-made stuff. It was still not to my liking, but, it made me feel better. If only because it reminded me of when he tried to feed me the stuff before. He liked that, watching me try his special drinks only to spit it out over the floor.


    Unlike all those times, however, I kept it in, "I actually managed to keep it down for once!" I say to my daughters, hoping that such memories could at least bring out a brief smile. But it did it for neither of them, in fact, Conquei shuffled away from me. Vadei did nothing, she just played with her food.


    And I went quiet again. I went back to eating my food slowly and the silence was deafening. It wasn''t quiet because we were having a peaceful meal. No, it was quiet because of things I had done and things I could not solve.


    It was perhaps, the worst kind of meal one could have. Especially when the people here were my daughters, two I loved so very much. And it hurt very badly knowing my part or lack of it contributed to the mood. And it left me sighing once again, knowing that.


    Then, when I had, had enough of the silence, I tried to strike up conversation, "So, have either of you two done anything interesting today? I can''t say doing chores again is very-"


    "Be quiet..." Vadei suddenly interrupted as she slowly dragged a utensil out of her mouth.


    "I''m just trying to have a conversation..." I tried to blow off with humour as my chest suddenly felt off.


    "No, you''re not." Vadei comments.


    "You are not me, so don''t pretend you are." I say with clear frustration in my tone as my daughter continued to stare at her plate.


    "I''m not pretending anything, just saying what I know." she says.


    "And know little you do." I tell her as my tone raises and her fist suddenly hits the table.


    "I know damn well more than you!" she nearly yells as her body takes on an aggressive posture.


    "DO NOT HIT MY TABLE!" I shout back at her as my ears shoot up and tail rises. Yet, unlike my daughter, I had no magic to show off. So when a spell began to form, I felt scared. She was preparing a weapon against me...


    "THEN DON''T SEND MY FRIENDS OFF ON FALSE ERRANDS!" she shouts back, and, in that moment, I suddenly rose up to my feet. Knocking the table in the process and it sounded louder than it should have.


    "THE SAFETY OF THIS VILLAGE IS NO FALSE ERRAND YOU STUPID PUP!" I dismissively shout down at her as she begins to growl.


    "Then why did you send two of the people who protected it to do it!?" she asks me accusingly which was enough to make me freeze in surprise. And I quickly found myself moving back towards the wall as she growled some more. Only for her to suddenly calm down before she sat back down.


    "Conquei...?" I would ask first as I notice that my other daughter had gone missing. And, had it not been for the sounds of rummaging taking place in her shared room, I would not know. I was too clouded in the head to just sniff her out as Vadei overwhelmed it. But, it was enough to make me calm if one could really call it that...


    Then, all of a sudden, Vadei''s utensils hit her plate, "I''m not hungry..." was all Vadei said as she left.


    "No, finish your dinner." I tried to order her as I immediately began to get worried.


    "No."


    "Eat it!" I reiterate as I stand up. My paranoia getting the better of me as I began to see memories of her starving body. The last time she was emotionally distressed she got like that. And if I had pushed her into that boundary once again...!?


    "No." she repeated as she walked off.


    "VADEI! LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER AND EAT YOUR DINNER! DO YOU HEAR ME!?" I yell at her as I suddenly approach her. But, I stopped at the start of the hallway that lead to our bedrooms.


    "How many times do I have to repeat things with you?" she asked me as I started to break down crying. Openly wailing like a baby when she closed the door behind her.


    "W-Why won''t you listen to me... YOU STUPID GIRL!?" I whimpered before suddenly switching to screaming. And, after that, I just couldn''t let any more words out. So I somehow got back to my feet and pick up my husband''s alcohol. I then rushed to the cellar to grab more of it.


    I needed something to keep my mind occupied and this was all there was. I couldn''t just rant to someone, neither of them cared or would listen. My husband was dead and I would never find comfort in him again. So I took various drinks and went off into the forest.


    Hiding in what seemed to be its darkest part before I started to gulp some down. And I quickly began to cough it back up violently when its burn made my throat convulse. And when it stopped, I just drank again. Repeating the process until what booze did make it inside made the reaction stop.


    "Dear, w-what I have I done wrong?" I asked no one as I stared at a tree. It might have been dark, but, I knew where I was. This was a special little place me and my late husband went to when we were younger. It was the night we made Vadei, in fact.


    In hindsight, it held one part of the trifecta of my best memories. One was the day I first kissed my Husband-to-be. Another was the night Conquei first came into my belly. And one, was when Vadei came into being as well.


    I guess once could say, the day I first held them should have held that spot. But, I liked to think of it as I always held them from the first day in my belly onwards. Yet, now, I was not even able to hold either of them. One was scared of me and the other hated me, that was only way any of this made any sense.


    I''ve only been doing right by them yet one ran off scared and the other refused to listen. She was letting her guard down around an osibindah! Conquei might have lost her backbone in that damned human city, but at least she rightfully feared it! Vadei, however, she treated it as a friend.


    A friend! No, she was deluded and did not know what she was talking about. She had spent so many days starving that she had messed her brain up. I mean, she was captured by a bug exactly because of that!


    She came up with this stupid idea in the heat of the moment! A moment that only came to be because she was starving herself and refusing to eat! Despite how much her loving mother insisted, no matter how obvious it was. She still refused to listen even back then...


    "Please tell me what to do, Dear, I don''t know what I can do... I don''t know what either of them need from me..." I sobbed as I spilt a bottle on the grass before me. Violently chucking it away after being frustrated by the simple act. Yet, that just made me cry even more as it was something that belonged to my husband. It wasn''t mine yet so recently I had demanded someone show respect to my stuff...


    Thankfully, so very thankfully, human-made goods were literally made of sterner stuff. So the bottle was still intact when I looked at its moonlit form. And, my anger would start to run out of me. Only to be replaced by misery and depression.


    The nearby pond as well showed me what I looked like. And I did not look like a loving mother. I looked like a hideous, raving lunatic. Yet, I also looked like Vadei in a way, my expression was just like hers.


    Miserable was all one could describe it with. My face was one full of misery and despair. And, as I acknowledged how lonely I was at the moment, the tears came back. My precious Little Va needed help and I cut her off from it...


    "Why am I like this!?" I asked myself with flowing tears as my claws began to cut into my skin. And it wasn''t until I felt the blood flow that I stopped doing it. I would then just sit there, quietly. I ignored the drink I gathered and even the harsh stinging on my forehead.


    Then, I sighed and fell down to the ground. I stared quietly at the grass before me until I heard a noise. It was too heavy to be anyone from the village. And, having been frightened earlier by my daughter''s actions, I wasn''t able to show courage here.


    "Oh, it''s just you." a voice I did not want to hear said as it stepped out into the moonlight. With it came the smell of a monster and it towered over me. There was no point in wailing, nor was there any point in calling for help. If this thing wanted me dead, all it had to do was kick forward.


    "Wh-What do you want?" I asked it as I began to crawl away from it. Yet, I also tried to protect my husband''s property. If only because it made me feel slightly safe knowing it reminded me of him. Not that I needed it, I''d probably meet up with him soon.


    "Vadei asked me to find you." It told me, and, when I heard my daughter''s name, my ears rose.


    "Why didn''t she come herself!?" I nearly spat out as I began to snarl. If this was my daughter showing she was paying attention, I was not amused.


    "She said she doesn''t think she can speak to you right now without you getting irrational. I know it is because of me, so, here I am." It said as it slid down a tree until it thumped onto the ground.


    "I-I''m the irrational one!?" I gawked before nearly laughing at the mere suggestion of it. She considered this thing a friend and she accused me of it! She accused me!?


    "Her words, not mine." It said.


    "And what are your words, hm? Will you laugh at my pathetic state!?" I growled whilst also shivering in fear. I hated this creature and I knew it would only speed up the way to my eventual death.


    "I want to see if you''re alright. Vadei isn''t in the best of places right now and she feels lonely without you."


    "And what do you know of my daughter''s suffering, bug!?"


    "Because she''s told me about it. She told me yesterday, the day before that. Since the day we arrived here. Since the hour I came back." It explained to me. And I hated how it was the one to do it. I did not need my daughter to speak with this thing. I needed them to speak with me!


    "Oh, she''s telling you stuff is she?" I bitterly mumbled before I took a sip. Nearly coughing it back up afterwards, however.


    "I won''t be here soon. We said we be here until she was feeling better. And, for the most part, she''s set for it to be all done when... It''s your turn to go to the temple." It said before finishing with a sigh.


    "Hurry up and leave, then." I commented with a snort.


    "For Vadei''s sake, please don''t do this." It then said to me. And I found myself going quiet once I heard that. For the sake of my daughter, I should be kind to this monster!?


    "All I have been doing is acting for her sake... You''re an osibindah..."


    "I know I am, but, look into my eyes. What kind are they?" It asked me as it removed its hat and mask and exposed its hideous head.


    "A bu-" I initially was going to comment before I properly focused on Its pale blue iris'', "Human eyes." I eventually commented.


    "I''m not an osibindah up here." It told me as it tapped its head before it moved a hand to its heart.


    "Then why are you one!?" I interrogated him with.


    "I don''t know, a lot happened and now I am one."


    "Oh, do explain, I have all the time in the world." I slurred out before I had another drink. I needed something to keep the laughter down.


    "When I first met your daughter, or, saw her, rather. She was being dragged away into a cage. I was sitting in a hauler with someone who I should never have trusted. After that, I did not meet her again until I got out of a hive, just like the one we cleared out recently."


    "And the point of this story...?"


    "Your daughter met me as a human, she doesn''t see me as an osibindah, at least, not anymore. She helped keep me alive just as much as I have hers."


    "Oh, I''m aware, her arguments for why I should trust something like you rely on it."


    "I''m not asking that you trust me, I just want Vadei happy." he told me as one of his claws moved over a knee.


    "I''m trying..." I whimpered out after he said that.


    "I know, I don''t think anyone, not even her can say you''re not trying. You just need to have some faith in her decisions."


    "YOU''RE A BUG!" I shouted out after that. If having trust in her decisions meant being comfortable around this thing...


    "Her decisions let you be a family once again." he said.


    And I stopped, I stopped being angry and I cried again, "A family that is broken beyond repair..." I let out with clear despair.


    "Right... Wastla, is it?"


    "Don''t say my name..."


    "Alright, anyway. My name is Nin Urtuan. I went along with your daughter so I could go back home. And, the reason I am here is that I failed to protect my home. My home is gone. And it is my fault."


    I said nothing horrible in return and just tightened my grip on my clothes, "And why does that mean you have to come here?"


    "Because I d-don''t want to see my friends feel the same way. I want them to enjoy their homes. Their families." he struggled to get out before it all just surged out in one go.


    "And I am making my family worse?" I asked him.


    "No... But you might." he cautioned as he hid his face. A brief glittery shine also appeared by his eyes before they were hidden away.


    "Then how do I stop it? I don''t want either of them to hate me... I''m trying, okay!? I really am trying to help them..."


    "I know... And, while I can''t say much regarding the other one. I know, at the very least, that, with Vadei, you just need to trust her. She''s spent so long trying to save you, she''s not going to make a decision that puts you at risk!" he argued passionately as he steadily rose to his feet.


    "Okay... I''ll try..." I let out before I uncomfortably held out my hand for him. If I was to trust my daughter''s choices, I could start here. With a simple request for help so I could get to my feet.


    "Okay, good. Now, let''s get you home so Vadei can stop being so worried." he says to me, encouraging me to go on ahead once I had gathered up the drinks.


    "Can you put these back in the cellar, then? I want to speak to my Little Va..." I ask of the man I had been insulting so recently.


    "Sure, now, go." was all he said before I rushed off. My hands held up the lower part of my dress and I rushed back home. Coming to a panting stop, however, just before I left the forest. This drinking I had been doing was making it hard to stay upright.


    But, I made it out of the forest and back to the walls of my garden. And I walked back into that garden, smiling slightly at the sight of my home in the dark. Then, I sniffed the air, because I smelled my daughter. It was a smell mixed into a drink we normally only had on special occassions.


    "I-I made some t-tea..." Vadei admitted as she sat at on end of the table with a steaming tea pot in front of her. Her ears were down and her tail was almost dead. She was shivering and her face was red. In many ways, she was a mirror.


    But, I ignored the tea and I walked around the table. I sat down next to my daughter and I hugged her. I stroked her hair slowly and kept my lips near her face. I hummed the first song that came to mind and I quietly cried as she cried more openly.


    "I love you, Vadei." I eventually said after I kissed her head. Making sure my grip was tight as well once I had done so.


    "Love you too..." she said with a hiccup at the end before her hand slowly went to the table.


    "What tea did you use?" I asked as it has been so long since we had any. Normally, we had it as a regular end of the week thing. We played a game to decide which one we used. Not that we ever had much of a selection anyway.


    "I don''t know..." she giggled out strangely as her nail dug slightly into the table.


    "Oooo, a mystery tea." I cooed before I took a cup and brought it near my nose. It was one of those things I liked to smell at its strongest. I was also hoping that the smell would remind me of what it might have been. Alas, it had been so long that the name did not come.


    "I don''t know if I did it right... Normally it was you that made it."


    "It''s perfect." I complimented after taking a sip. However, I left out a comment regarding her mixing of the leaves. She had put multiple types in there. But, that just did not matter right now.


    "Would you like some milk, Mom?" she asked as her hand eventually reached for the small jug.


    "Sure, Dear, I''ll have some." I say as I look outside when I see something move in the dark. Nin had just left the forest with my husband''s drinks. But, I wanted to focus on my daughter. The one I had in my arms right now.


    And, to do so, I lowered my arm and put it forward. I let her awkwardly fill my cup with milk and I watched it warp the colour. It was no longer clear now. It had taken on a more full appearence.


    Truth be told as well, I did not like milk with my tea. That was something Vadei preferred to do. But, I went along with it. Just because I owed her a lot and I had been very selfish recently.


    It wasn''t much, admittedly, but, a simple gesture like this was better than nothing. And I could tell that she appreciated it. Because she was clearly remembering how often I dismissed her during teatime. And I was totally justified to do stuff like that, her tastes in teatime stuff were horrible.


    "Simar spoke to me earlier, he said that they have time to bury Dad now." she told me as her head moved about on my chest.


    "That''s good, does Conquei know?"


    "Yeah... I do..." my youngest said as she hid around the corner and looked at us.


    "Do you want to come over here and give Mom some cuddles?" I asked her as I opened up my arms. She gave no verbal reply, but she did come and give me a hug. She even relaxed her tail and wrapped it around my front. Both of them did.


    "So what do we do with Dad, then?" Vadei eventually asked after we spent some time quietly drinking tea.


    "We''ll keep him in bed for the moment, he''s had a long day." I joked without so much as a smile or laugh of any kind.


    "I hope we''re quiet enough for him." Conquei added with a similar tone and behaviour.


    "I''m sure he won''t mind waking up and seeing his three favourite people in one spot." I tell them both before curling up my tail between them. Slowly watching the pair as they started to fall asleep like they used to when they were younger. And while I probably wasn''t going to sleep soundly upright, I did enjoy the way it felt.


    I loved these two so very much I did...

 Incline 8: The Final Rest for Dad

    "So how did you manage to get help from our local lord?" I asked Nin as my arm dangled down from the branch I rested on. Keeping my half-shut gaze in his direction but not really focusing on him.


    "You''d need to ask Einervaene about that. She was the one who did all the talking." he admits with a shrug of his shoulders. A stick was in one of his hands as well and he frequently swung it. And, with my acute sense of hearing, I could hear it distort the air. A sudden swoosh-like noise filled them each time he did it.


    At least, until the stick broke because it hit the ground. He would moan in displeasure but was quick to find another one. And he would start the process all over again. I think my arm sometimes moved in rhythm with it as well.


    "I guess it doesn''t matter, then. I''m mostly surprised you came back with an official letter." I said as I remembered when those two came back. It wasn''t long after Mom had vanished but I was too worried at the time to care.


    "If it means anything, we weren''t there that long so they might have already have had someone on the way." he tells me as he looks up after trying to swat my hand. But, when the stick got too close, I grabbed it. Gripping it tightly as he tried to pull it out of my hands. Ironically, however, he would have to not be trying for me to keep my grip on it.


    "You were gone for pretty much the whole day. How is that short?" I asked as a brow sort of raised itself.


    "I don''t know. I always heard it took a while with politicians and similar." he says after he relinquishes his stick to me. And, with it now under my control, I tried to hit him. But he grabbed a new stick once again and started duelling with me. Despite my awkward grip as well, I was intent on winning this fight.


    "I think they''d give you special attention if two powerful witches just suddenly crashed into their tea garden as a lightning bolt." I commented in the moments prior to him winning the duel.


    "It was actually by a fountain garden, I''ll have you know." he informs me before he shivers.


    "Einervaene get caught up in the water?" I asked as a small grin appeared. I even pushed myself up a little so he could see it more clearly.


    "No, she freaked out and shoved me in the direction of one of the statues. So now I have a debt to some lord I don''t even know the name of." he explained before he started to laugh out his confusion.


    "So... When the help does arrive, will you lot be going?" I asked seriously.


    "If they bring a bill, yes." he laughed out before he caught onto my tone. And the sounds of his amusement just vanished in an instant.


    "Are you sure you can''t stay a little while?" I asked him as I moved my body closer to the branch once more.


    "At some point, we will need to get going. I might hate nearly everyone there, but, I would like to learn how all this works." he tells me as his body begins to surround itself with a greater presence of magic.


    "But, still... Can''t you just... Stay? We stole an airship and have been gone for months now!" I argued as I began to get down from the tree. And I froze up slightly when he helped me down. I don''t know why, really, it was just a brief place to put my feet.


    "Larishazza''s sister is likely worried sick and Einervaene clearly has a passion for it. I get that you want to be with your sister and mother, but, you can always come back with us." he argues as his masked gaze looks me right in the eye. In response, my ears flattened and my tail went still. I straightened out my mouth and curled up my fists.


    "You know I can''t just leave them..." I say quietly as I remind him of why I wanted to stay here. I was finally home, my family had nearly all made it. I had accomplished the goal I have had in my mind since we first met. It was over, there was no need for me to go. Besides, our arrival here has made it clear it is not safe here.


    I needed to be here to make sure my home continued to stay safe. If the help that was on the way was only a limited thing, I would need to protect everyone. I may have not been as strong as Nin, as skilled as Larishazza or as dangerous as Einervaene. But, I had my own magic, I had my own fighting spell.


    I could protect them if I needed to... And they would need me to. The slavers made it clear ours was not to be a peaceful village. The osibindah were simply a reminder of that fact, to make sure we didn''t turn stupid.


    "Vadei, look, your village has been restored. We''ve built new buildings, started making the means to fight back if it happens again. New people now live here! They''ll be fine." he reassures me with.


    "No..." I began to say before I just went quiet. I wasn''t sure what to say. I suppose there wasn''t really anything to say...


    Nin then sighs before he puts a hand on my head, "Just make sure it''s your decision. Don''t do it just because you feel compelled to."


    "Of course, it''s my decision..." I mumbled as his hand went side-to-side on my scalp. It would mess up my hair and bounce between my ears. At least, until I moved his hand away from my head.


    "Anyway, then. Should we go find the others? I have forgotten why we''re here to begin with." he says which makes me smile slightly.


    "You only came here to speak to me." I remind him before my smile went away. Then, I sighed before I found myself leaning on him. And, I even wanted to bring my tail up so it could be between us.


    "Oh, alright. In which case, I don''t want to speak to you anymore." he said with growing chuckles. And, when he finished that sentence, I smacked both my hands on him. Frowning at him as a groan was swirled about my mouth. All he had to say for it was further chuckles and snickering.


    "I suppose we should get out of the forest anyway, they did say that as the Orbital-Halo begins to set, that is when Simar and the others would be ready..." I say as the joy his own brought to me suddenly vanished. The moment that had been on my mind so much was now here. Soon, Dad would be below my feet, and I would never see him again. So, I guess, I also wanted to use this opportunity to see him again.


    Just so it could be with one thing in my mind. That thing being I knew that he was not going anywhere for the time being. I don''t know why I wanted to have a moment like that. But, I had a feeling I did know, I just had no idea how to say or think it.


    "You want a lift or do are you fine trekking along the dirt?" Nin asked me as he brought himself up onto a fallen tree in one big step.


    "Uh, I... Okay." I began to say before quickly answering him. I was at first going to just walk, but, now might be one of the last chances I had to get a ride. Nin''s size made it a comfortable thing as my weight was more evenly spread. I also just liked it.


    It was a moment where I could just pretend I was a little pup again. Something to ease my worries as we travelled. Not that it would last for long, but, I appreciated it. It also let me enjoy the softness of my tail without causing me issues!


    This short journey, however, would be a lot better if he took a flatter route. All the bumping about was making it hard to just lose myself in the softness of my fur. His body was also hard and stiff mostly, so lots of movement was very uncomfortable. However, due to the shortness of the trip, I did not have time to voice any complaints.


    "Your fee is-" he began to say before I pushed at his mask on the way down.


    "Nothing." I finished for him before walking towards my home. And, unlike him, I actually used the door our garden had rather than just walking over said wall.


    "Afternoon, you two." Mom greeted with a small smile as we got into the house. She was still uncomfortable around Nin, but, whatever he did had put her at ease a little. I only wish I could pry such information out of them. Just so I could try and see where I was going wrong.


    But, I guess it was a good thing I could not get it out of them. It did not really matter and I would just be reminding everyone of something I did not want. So I distracted myself by going up to Mom and putting my tail in her face. Smiling at her while her face was blocked before she got it out of her face.


    I then sniffed the air, "There''s nothing cooking?" I questioned in confusion as I was under the impression we''d eat here. Somewhat awkwardly with Dad included so we could have one final meal.


    "Simar and the other priests said they would prepare a feast for the whole village as Dear will be the last one." she explains as a frown forms.


    "I thought we were going to..." I began to say, knowing full well that she had not forgotten about it.


    "I know, Vadei, I know. I just felt like, he would not want it like that. He''d want to taste the food for starters." Mom explains before she frowns harder at her joke at the end.


    "Okay... Is it alright if I still spend some time with him then?" I asked as this now changed what I was going to do. If our little, strange meal had been cancelled, then, I would like to spend more time with him.


    "Sure, just try not fight with your sister." Mom says as gives me a small smile.


    "Would you mind going away for the moment?" I asked Nin quietly after turning to face him.


    "Sure, I''ll see what Shocker, Fat Chest and Dancer are up to." he tells me with a wave before he disappears out the front door. And while I found myself watching him on the way out, Mom''s cough reminded me of my plans. So, I then quickly rushed off to her room and slowly entered it. Staring long and hard at my sister when I saw her laying next to him.


    "Remember that, Dad? That was a very scary moment, but, I had fun that day." she says to him as I occupied the other side of the bed. I even got into a brief fight with my sister over where our tails went. But, we settled on sharing his middle before our heads moved onto his chest.


    "Talking about things you''ve done with him?" I asked her. Something she tried to nod to on him.


    "I-I was j-just talking about when we went on that trip into the mountains. W-When we found that skeleton." she explained to me as her body quaked.


    "You mean the trip where you came running and crying back to us while we were picking flowers?" I asked back with a smile. I did not know if she''d see it the same way now, but, before, it was a good thing to poke fun at. Mostly because when I saw it I thought it was cool as skeletons are rare. Old ones, anyway.


    "N-No I didn''t..." she whined as her grip tightened on Dad. And, I laughed, I laughed loudly when I heard her say that. It was nice to know that some of her old self was still there. Even if it changed how she did it.


    But, as she continued to moan, I stopped, "You totally did, though." I teased a little more once my laughter ended. And I just smiled at her as she moaned a little more and hid herself a little more too.


    "At least I didn''t start crying because some mud got on my dress..." she nervously said back to me. She may have been my sister, and she knew it. But, it was unfortunate she reacted as if I was a slave owner. And, to try and remind her that I wasn''t, all I did was stroke the back of her hand.


    "I did that a lot, so you''ll need to be more specific." I tell her as she moves her hand closer.


    "I-I''m thinking... I''m thinking about that time I made a sling." she clarified with a notable stutter.


    "Oh, that. I was a little more focused on the fact you nearly took my eye out." I replied with false hurt. Making sure to hide my smile as she lunged up.


    "I did not!" she said loudly before she shirked away from me. But, I went up and pulled her down on to me.


    "Sorry, Dad." I said to my sleeping parent as I played with my sister on top of him. Only for a little bit, however. As, of course, we wouldn''t want to wake him...


    "V-Vadei..."


    "Hm?" I let out as I brought my face a little closer to hers. She may want to hide it, but I would not let her.


    "Do you remember when we were walking in the mountains and Dad made that p-picture with rocks."


    "The one with the naughty word that made Mom scream?"


    Then, my sister laughed, "Yeah, that was fun."


    "The twisted ears we got when we repeated the word weren''t..." I moaned as I touched my ears. A distinct phantom pain existed and it was bothersome.


    "Dad was weird." she then said.


    "We all are." I say back to her as I did not really have anything to say on it. Experience has led me to meet a few people one could call weird.


    "I-I mean... One moment he was serious, but another he would be taking it so lightly you''d forget he was an adult at all..."


    "Adults saying they''re all grown up and mature are just looking for cheap pride." I commented with a huff after she finished.


    "You must have grown up quite a bit then, being on your own for so l-long." my sister said as she started to stroke my hand.


    "I wasn''t on my own. I had my friends to keep me safe and annoyed." I started off seriously before finishing with a joke. I wanted to see if I could get more laughs out of my sister. She''s been so reclusive since I found her, after all.


    "W-Which friend do you like the most?" she then asked me, a question I found rather strange. Because I did not understand if she was asking if I just had a bias or had feelings for one of them? Granted, the latter question only had one potential candidate, really. And the answer was one of uncertainty.


    "What do you mean?" I decided to ask so I could get the confusion out of my system. And I prayed she did not mean anything romantic with that question.


    But, then she started to tear up, "W-Well, back in... B-Back in the place... T-They liked to talk about what their favourite w-was..."


    "Don''t ask questions like that, it''s not like that out here. A friend is not like what you used to be. Remember that, you aren''t one now." I told her in an effort to get the crying to stop. But, with how much she was now hugging Dad, it might have only been him that could have stopped it.


    "O-Okay..." she sobbed in a tone that sounded like a child who was disappointed in themself. As if they asked something and only proved themselves wrong.


    "Don''t worry about it, Conquei. Just, know this, one day, one day you''ll have friends like I have. They''ll have your back each step of the way and they''ll even save your life."


    "C-Can I just share your f-friends then? I d-don''t like going near people now..." she continued to sob as she curled in on herself. At least, until I leaned over Dad and got in the way of it. I held her and I made sure she was calming down first before speaking.


    "No, because they need to be ones you can relate to. A good friend needs to be there with you as you succeed and fail. But, remember this, okay? Just because you get to a rough start does not mean you cannot be friends. Do not think that just because you or they make a mistake that it means you are no longer friends." I explain to her as I draw on my experiences with my friends. From Nin who I once scorned and Vapooliar who I envied. All the way to Einervaene and Larishazza who I have known for so little a time.


    They''ve all helped to keep me safe and I was very thankful for it. So I can only plead and beg the gods and goddesses for a promise of immense importance. And that promise was them at granting my sister someone she could rely on. It didn''t have to be a group, it just had to be a good friend for her to have hold her.


    I was her sister, yes, I loved her very much, yes, but, I can''t always fill in for them. Sometimes, I guess, you just needed the extra bit of unfamiliarity before you could open up about something. I don''t recall any moments like that with my friends. But I had a feeling something would come up like that.


    After all, I could not really bet on any sense of assuredness with them. What was meant to be a simple escape from a mountain turned into an unpleasant stay with aelenvari. What was meant to be a trip home turned into a frightful adventure. Then again, life always had something to shatter your plans.


    I was lying on top of one such change of plans, after all, and I hated it. I really did and I don''t think I could describe how much I hated it. But, it was also a reminder of why it was important for Conquei to get that special friend. Mine after all helped me get ready to say goodbye.


    "W-Where are you going?" my sister asked disappointedly as she brought herself up. But, I did not leave the room and instead moved closer to the shelves. As that is where I have been keeping my final gift for Dad.


    "Just to show you this." I say as I picked up the heavy, magic rich flower. But, I kept it in my hands as I wasn''t sure if she could handle the weight. I was not as weak as I once was, but, it still made my hands ache.


    "I-Is that why the room smells of booze?" she asked as her nose scrunched up upon sniffing it. I smiled at first but I did agree with her. It had made the room smell like an alcoholic lived here.


    "See, Conquei. This flower is meant for Dad when we go to the temple. But, it''s also something special. As I could not have gotten it without the help of my friends." I tell her while stroking the strong and sturdy petals. It was almost like touching a thin piece of metal but it was as soft as well, a petal.


    "Because there i-isn''t enough booze around here?" she asked with a slightly joking tone as she wiped her eyes.


    I smiled and huffed a laugh, "No, but yes. The reason I am on about is because I was scared. I was worried... I didn''t think my gift was good enough and I was worried about its safety. But, my friends were willing to risk jail just to make it perfect." I explain to her before I settled the flower down on the bed. Cautiously watching as it sank into the quilt and creaked the frame as if a person sat down.


    "Y-You''re just making me jealous..." she moaned and that annoyed me. Because she was taking the wrong kind of information away from this.


    "Don''t be," I nearly snapped at her, "...Let it serve as a drive or something. Get a friend who is better than mine. Get two get three!" I cheered as I took her hands into mine.


    "I d-don''t know..." she mumbles in response.


    And I shake my head and smile, "Trust me, Conquei. You''ll only be happier as a result."


    "So... Will your friends be staying?" she asked me, and I became quiet as a reuslt.


    "N-No..." I struggled to admit after saying such things to my little sister. I was trying to encourage her to make some and I had just admitted to leaving mine to stay here.


    "I want them to come back then. That way I can show you that mine are better." she says unexpectedly with a small smile. She had even moved away from Dad and was now sat on the end of the bed.


    "Keep dreaming." I say as I shove her gently. And, for a brief moment, the old her came back. Because she shoved me back. And I went along with it as I had gotten a lot stronger since we were taken.


    "No, I will! I will prove it and you''ll be left sobbing!" she laughed before she suddenly became timid.


    "And all the best to you then." I coo as I hug her and bring her close. Scratching her head gently as I held her until I let go. Then, I put the flower back so I knew where it was later. It had been there pretty much since we got back, after all.


    "D-Do you want to see my gift for D-Dad...?" she then asked me after looking back at his sleeping form.


    "Sure, but mine is better."


    "N-No..." was all she said with a shake of her head before she disappeared. She then came back a few moments later with what seemed to be a piece of jewllery. It was by no means fine or well-made, but, I can only guess it had a lot of history. In fact, I was willing to assume I was mistaking poorly made for something that was actually old.


    "So what''s the story behind it?" I asked in confusion as I wasn''t quite sure why she would give it to him. So, I could only guess it was something I was not aware of at all.


    "Back when we were younger, me and Dad went for a walk on our own while you were recovering from an injury. We found an old building and inside of it was this. We found it together and I thought he would like it." she tells me before she tries to put it on his wrist. Until I stopped her, much to her confusion.


    "There will be plenty of time to get him dressed later." I tell her before I cup my hand underneath the ancient piece of jewellery.


    "Do you think he will like it?" Conquei asked after we put it on a shelf near my flower.


    "I do. It came from one of his best friends after all." I say as I smile at my embarrassed sister.


    "I hope he does... I won''t be able to get him anymore presents like this..." she says as her ears start to go down.


    "He will, Conquei, he definitely will." I say to her to reassure her and get rid of that anxiety.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Then, all of a sudden, Conquei shirked away from me, "S-Someone is c-coming..." she whined nervously. At first, I was confused by such behaviour as Mom was the only other one here. But, a quick sniff of the air made it clear a lot more were now here.


    "Hello, you two." a familiar old man greeted after Mom let him into the room. It was Simar, the Priest of Undwote for our village. And, if he was here...


    "Is it time, then?" I asked as I turned to Mom. She nodded before then letting out a quiet sigh.


    "Your Holiness, I understand if I am being a little..." Mom began to say before Simar started to leave the room.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll give you all the time you three need." he says with a smile before stepping out.


    "W-Well... Can you two keep him company while I get my husband dressed?" Mom asked of us before we both stubbornly shook our heads.


    "He''s our Dad too!" I pointed out as Conquei nodded at my words.


    Mom then smiled, "I know, I know..." she lets out quietly before we move to embrace her.


    .


    .


    .


    It had been a quiet affair, getting Dad ready for his trip to the temple. We made sure his body was clean and then we dressed him properly. Not in his finest clothes, but what we felt like were his favourite. And, it wasn''t much, but he was a man who had few interests outside of his family.


    We had dressed him up in a pair of old, but polished boots he often wore to work. His trousers and top were also old and worn, but they both had stains on them. With each stain having some connection to this family. Be it blood spilt to protect us, or sweat marks he got trying to feed us.


    We also gave him our presents before we loaded him into his open casket coffin. Conquei had put her jewellery onto his right wrist while I had put the flower in his hands. I don''t know what Mom might have done, but some others had come by to offer small things. Debts that could not be repaid, lost items, just small things in general, really.


    You also had the usual stuff such as more flowers and quiet prayers as we carried him by. Mom and Conquei both used a supporting frame to ease the weight they had to carry. But, thanks to the strength I have gained in my journey to save them, I did not need one. So I was at the rear, holding Dad up.


    And, I was very careful with him, because, for some reason that I did not know. I wanted my tears to fall onto his cold, still face. Maybe I just hoped they would elicit some kind of reaction. Maybe they would encourage some kind of return to the living...


    But nothing like that came, and instead, we carried him out of the house and around the village. All to the chanting of Priest Simar as he recited the words given to him by Undwote. He also periodically blew a soft but quite hearable whistle. His words were both quiet and loud.


    Some were to comfort Dad as we carried him to his final place of rest. Others were for us so we could let our pain out easier. Not that we needed such goading or encouragement, they were coming out fine on their own. And finally, the rest of Priest Simar''s words were to attract Undwote''s Pack of Seven.


    Their loud barks would get the God of Death to come so Dad''s soul was no longer lost. I could only hope Priest Simar''s prayers were loud enough. I did not want Dad to be lost. I wanted him to be safe.


    I wanted to at least make up for a failure I had a role in. I might have not been the wyvern that set the barrier off. But, I could''ve at least made sure Dad was safe in his bed. I should have made sure...


    "Vadei," Mom whispered, "Just a little more, my Little Va." she cooed gently as her tail went out towards me. And, after gulping down my uncertainty, we began to move again. And now that we were on the main road, a lot of people were now watching. I could not see my friends, but I did not need to.


    For once, I needed the people of this village to be here for me. Because they all knew Dad to some extent. And it was because they knew him a little bit that made their words stay with me. I just wished I could say they were saying it because of Dad, not me.


    However, it would all cease to matter as Priest Simar was now guiding us up the path to our modest temple. Then, when we got close enough, the other priests and priestesses made sure our path was clear. Unlike some of the people outside, however, they said nothing. And, because I did not want to cause a scene, I assumed a good thing on everyone''s behalf.


    Maybe it had to do with their god or goddess not being related to death. Maybe it was because they just did not know Dad. Perhaps it had something to do with it being a small building. Either way, they were quiet and said nothing all the way to us settling Dad down.


    A stone table of sorts is where we put him. And, with the guidance of Priest Simar, we took him out of the coffin. Then, we brought him over to the ornate rocking chair I had been scared of for so long. I did not want to be here, seeing this thing, I just did not want to be near it.


    "Now, can Wastla, please go to your husband''s side. Gently rock him asleep." Priest Simar gently instructed as he guided us away from Mom. Mom in turn headed to the rocking chair and did as asked. And, I was a little confused, why were we separated from Dad?


    "W-Whats going on?" my sister asked me with tearful nervousness as she shuffled closer to me.


    "And you two, daughters of the father." Priest Simar said as he handed something to us. He had given us two options at this moment. Either we could share a small booklet between us or we could have our own. And I think I made the right choice when I decided to take one for us to share.


    I could only guess one thing when I opened the booklet, it was some kind of prayer sheet. Because then, when we had it in our hands, Priest Simar rose his. His mouth moved slightly with a tune coming out of it. Something he kept up while he tried to entice words from us.


    "U-Undwote, hear our plea. Greatest Friend to all within the mists beyond. Pack of Seven Loyal Hounds. Take heed of our cry. For we have a Father and Husband to send unto you. Batteild is his name. Undwote, Friend of all. Hear our cry, please, we beg of you." we somewhat chant nervously. Neither of us was sure if we were doing it right but Mom was trying to encourage us.


    Then, Priest Simar began to gesture for us to follow along, "Great Friend beyond the mist. Hallowed be your name, Undwote. In both life and beyond. On this day, herald our loved ones to a place of love. Forgive them for their wrongs and do not judge them by ours. For yours is the Kingdom of the Dead as it always has been." we all sang. And, upon finishing, Priest Simar made a gesture eight times.


    Undwote''s holy number was seven, but, in this case, I think it became eight. For we were invoking him as well as the pack he led. And, when Priest Simar was done invoking them through gesture... Dad''s body began to glow softly.


    Silverish light filled the room and his face began to move before a soft smile appeared. And, for a brief moment as he rocked on his own, colour returned to his body. It was almost as if he was alive again and I wanted to run up to him. But, it happened so fast...


    Because when I finally mustered the strength to move, he was cold once more. Yet, the smile was still there on his lips. And, all of a sudden, a chilly grip gently pulled me back before a man made of mist walked by. This strange man then knelt by Dad and held his hand.


    He also turned the other one over so my flower could be held in it. And, it didn''t take long for this strange man to disappear. But, when he did, Dad had changed. He now looked like he truly was asleep and at peace.


    "W-What...?" I then let out quietly when I heard a whistle and barking. And it was only when we turned around that we noticed seven other misty figures. And I think I knew what they were, because that misty man was back.


    "Go, while they are here, take your loved one along the route they have prepared." Priest Simar urged as his eyes gently watered.


    "Vadei, grab his top, j-just like before." Mom quickly told me as she got us moving. And, once again, we were carrying Dad. This time, to his final place of rest. Somehow, as well, there was a fine bed-like coffin prepared for Dad outside.


    We put him inside of it and looked on tearfully as it was closed up. The misty man then took it away from us with the gentlest touch before he put it into the ground. Three flowers then grew from his palm. Each of them with petals the colour of our hair.


    "Let him know you will always be with him." Undwote asked of us as he stepped aside. And while Mom and Conquei moved ahead to give Dad their flowers. I found myself stalling and clutching mine close to my chest. I did not want to do this...


    I thought I got this out of my system, yet, apparently, I had not. I was still terrified of saying goodbye, and now that it was here...


    "Vadei, it''s alright. Don''t worry." Mom told me as she and my sister guided me forward towards the coffin.


    "N-N-N-No!" I barked loudly as I resisted them. Yet, despite my strength, I moved forward and the flower soon left my hand. And when it did, I wept once again like a baby. I did not want to, but I could not help it.


    "See you later, Dad..." Conquei said for both of us as the seven misty shapes began to slowly fill the hole up. Something they kept up until only a patch of freshly dug up earth was all that remained. And now, Dad was just another such patch alongside so many others...


    "Come on you two, His Holiness is likely going to want to see us." Mom told us as she helped us up before she wiped her tears. It was done as far as I knew. Undwote had come and made sure Dad was safe. And he was no longer around.


    But there was something off about the temple because it was leaking mist. It had not done that in the funerals before this one. So we were all very worried about what it meant. At least, until we heard someone speak from within it.


    "So when are they going to get here?" I heard Dad ask someone from inside the temple. It was as if madness had filled us all at that point. Because all three of us suddenly rushed inside the temple. It was almost like there was never a funeral, to begin with!


    "D-DAD!?" I shouted out with tearful excitement after we had stepped into an open field...? Yet, none of it mattered to any of us. Because as soon as our cries came out, we were all on the ground assaulting Dad with affection.


    "How''re my favourite people all doing?" he asked with a hearty laugh as we tearfully dug our heads against his body. And, being what she was to him, Mom had his lips occupied between joyful cries. But that did not mean me and my sister were neglected. Because our heads were both enthusiastically rubbed and patted.


    "H-How''re you here, D-Dad!?" I demanded to know once the initial rush of emotion disappeared from my system. Yet, even that kept on coming back because I just did not want to let go. None of us did and we were nearly fighting each other for space to hug.


    "A question better suited for me." an odd voice said. It was odd in that I had never heard it before, yet, it made me incomparably happy. And, at first, I was confused when I turned to face them. I also reluctantly let go of Dad just so I could see the man.


    "You''re..." I started to say as I quickly deciphered who he was from what he had on him. He was an old man with silver hair smoking something from a pipe... His demeanour was friendly and warm and around us were seven shadowy animals.


    "Your best friend? Yes." he answered with a smile before he huffed out some smoke. And even though I moved to block my nose as I had a feeling I''d hate the smell... I could not smell anything.


    Then, I got paranoid, "Why are you doing this?" I asked him as I remembered something I should never forget. Dad was dead, so why was he here right now? What did Undwote want from us?


    "A question I''ll answer later, for now, enjoy the moment." he insisted as Dad came up from behind and picked me up.


    "Got you!" he teased as his tail swished around into my face. I laughed and fought back against him so the hairs would not get in my mouth. But, once again, Mom took his attention and he was forced to let go of me.


    "So... Are you my best friend too?" Conquei asked Undwote as he sat on a fallen tree, stroking one of his hounds.


    "Indeed, because if I wasn''t, how would I know where you like getting stroked behind the ear?" the God of Friendship answered and asked before he started to stroke her ear. And, the moment she did, Conquei let out a shameless purr as her body twitched.


    "Hey!" I complained as I moved into to stop what seemed inappropriate. Only for him to then start wiggling his finger in my best spot. And I tried my hardest to stay reserved. But I just couldn''t help but whine joyfully.


    "Surely a pat from Dad is better, no?" Dad jealously asked as he took us into his arms. And, when he did, we were both happy, but for different reasons.


    "I don''t know..." I answered honestly as Undwote''s finger really did hit the spot.


    "So, is there anything we can do here?" Mom then asked the God of Friendship as he got up from his tree.


    "Indeed, I even took the liberty of preparing a picnic." he answers before he takes the lead. His hand soon emptied itself of a stick as well. With his Pack of Seven happily chasing after it as it flew away.


    "I could go for some food. Especially with my favourite people." Dad said as he took me and my sister into his arms as we walked. A smile on both of our faces as our tails swished about unceasingly.


    "I don''t mean to brag as well, but, I know you will all enjoy it." Undwote''s huffed confidently as Mom took some time away from Dad to walk by him.


    "So is it always mountains here too?" Mom asked him, her voice sounding a little bored with what we were surrounded by.


    "It can be whatever I want it to be. I just happen to like the world me and my family made." he tells her as he bounces his pipe in his hands.


    "Then, how about something new?" Mom asked in one moment before everything changed. It was still mountainous, but now we were in a half-cave. Walking behind and under vast waterfalls which lead into a colourful pit of flowers. I could recognise some even from this great height, but there were so many new ones too!


    "New enough?" he asked back with a smirk as the tunnel we walked along suddenly opened up to reveal gigantic wildlife as well. Armoured creatures with many legs, fast and agile creatures with high heads. Just like below, there was so many creatures I had never seen before. Each one a being of titanic proportions that meant they could squash a collection of villages!


    "I like that one..." Conquei let out in awe once she got close to the edge of a stone bridge. Her hands was extended out to one that looked very comfortable. In fact, in a way, it reminded me of our own kind because it had many fluffy tails.


    "No, that one is clearly better." I argued once I caught up with her. And my hand instead went out to direct our attention to something else. Large, like all the others, of course, yet it was also the smallest of them. And I liked it because it had trouble staying upright.


    Not because the great animal was injured, but because that was just how it was. It was like a long line of attached tubes that kept trying to get up. Only for it to fall down into the vast body of water below. Which it then climbed out of to try it all over again.


    "So, which way do you lot want to go?" Undwote asked as a split in the path suddenly appeared before us. Mom and Dad seemed to want to go right, inwards towards the flowers. But me and Conquei both wanted to go towards the white earth by the water.


    "Come on you two, Dad can decide." Mom said with a knowing smile.


    "Are you not seeing what is out there!?" I loudly asked back as if she was crazy. All to the backdrop of Undwote''s laughter and chuckling.


    "Compromise it is then." he would say before the world vanished and reappeared. No longer were we in a tunnel path, instead, we were going down a vast hill. One which led towards the white earth by the water, but was bordered on the other side by a flowery countryside. And there was, as well, oddly enough, a pair of carts of some description.


    "HAHA! YOU''LL NEVER WIN!" Undwote suddenly shouted back at us as he raced down the hill in one of these carts while we were distracted.


    "You two, in the front, tails down. Wastla, with me." Dad suddenly ordered as he jumped into one of the carts. Impatience all over his face when all of us stayed still, unsure of what to do. But his enthusiastic reminders and gestures soon had us racing down the hill. And, as he said, we kept our tails down while our hair flew in the wind.


    And we all laughed and laughed as we raced down the hill. Catching up with Undwote in no time, much to his surprise. And, despite all his attempts to get ahead, we were the ones he reached the bottom first. Yet, all of a sudden, we were all flying through the air before several splashes marked our landing.


    "Huh!?" was the first thing to come out of my mouth when we just as quickly washed ashore dry. It was almost as if we had never been in the water at all. The grainy earth below did not stick to me and it just fell through my open hands. Its warmth barely left me as the warmth of day kept it there.


    "Hurry up, Vadei!" Dad said as he and the others had already headed inland. They had left me in the white earth and I did not mind. But, I did want to be near Dad like everyone else. So I hastily stood up and ran through this white earth.


    Laughing as if I was a little pup again as my strangely bare feet impacted against the warm grains. With small clouds of it flying about me as I caught up with them before I then fell to my knees at the end. A wide smile on my face and laughter in my mouth. Yet, when I saw Undwote, the smile disappeared so quickly it was hard to describe.


    I was so happy right now, yet, what he wanted out of this worried me. Maybe there was nothing to be concerned about as the God of Friendship surely wouldn''t be cruel...? Yet, even when I tried to downplay it or ignore it, he was always there. Everything we had just done was because of him...


    "Sorry, you were taking too long." Undwote then apologised after I had suddenly found myself next to them all. And I was freaked out by such a change in location as I could still vividly remember not being here. I was over there, by the white earth!


    "R-Right, sorry." I said before I straightened out my dress and sat down. Carefully watching Dad while idly eating the berries arrayed before us. And, despite them just being simple fruit, I felt like I must''ve been on drugs. Because these were incomparably tasty berries.


    And the only way I could describe my nose''s state was by referencing something I had never had... It really did make me understand the odd saying I heard sometimes at Suhurlodst. When something was so good it was compared to sex... Yet, I hated thinking about it like that.


    However, I had yet to find any food that I hated. Because it all just tasted so good and I felt like I was already turning fat. What surprised me about all of it, however, was how there was still lots left. We were all scoffing it down as if we were starving and yet there was plenty left.


    "Wait... Hold on," Mom said before she suddenly let out a man''s burp, "Manners everyone." she finished with a smile. And everyone started laughing at her hypocrisy. But, her words did have some effect. Because now we were all eating far slower and with manners appropriate for the situation.


    "So are there any recipes for all this or did you just make it exist?" Dad asked with a laugh that we all added to. Even if some uncertainty was present before it went away like nothing.


    "I don''t think it would matter if I had a recipe, my sister is a very good cook, see." Undwote tells us before he hands us a tome anyway.


    "I''ve never even heard of some of these ingridients!" Mom let out with amazement as she quickly flicked through the massive book.


    "I''m not surprised, my brother, Pluuit makes most of it. Some of it has never seen a mortal plane and some of it is from one that no longer exists. Others are just extremely rare plants from your world and some of it is as common as a pebble." he explains as he picks up a few plants to serve as his examples.


    "C-Can... I have the seeds for some, then?" I asked Undwote as I began to think of my old hobby. Some of these fruits had signs of coming from flowers. So, maybe, I could have a go growing them in my flowerbeds? I knew how to take care of flowers, after all.


    "Don''t see why not, Father has never had any issue with us leaving things in the mortal realm." Undwote says as a dozen or so paper packets suddenly appear in front of me. And, interestingly, they all looked like they belonged to a specific farm. I could not read it, however, as the language it was written in was foreign to me.


    I don''t think the language was even native to our home, it had no similarities whatsoever!


    "Oh, wait, hold on, wrong language." Undwote then said before the packets suddenly changed into a language I could read. Yet, oddly enough, I did not care. If I was to introduce these flowers into the world... I wanted to name them!


    "So... What''s all this?" Conquei asked after she wandered off towards the white earth.


    "Sand." we were told by the God of Friendship before a pile of colourful tools suddenly materialised. We did not know why they were here all of a sudden, but, Undwote seemed intent on showing us. So me and my sister watched from the edge of the sand as he headed out to the water. And he went in as deep as his shins which he had recently exposed.


    Then, he bent over and filled one of these buckets slightly before he came back. He did not leave dry, however, so maybe that was part of it? But how did I make magic water make me wet? Or should I assume he already sorted that bit by making it normal again?


    "Water in the bucket, then, put sand in it and make it wet." he explained before he used one of the small shovels to fill the bucket with sand. And, then, he turned it upside down and slowly pulled it out. Yet, it came out looking like a building. That was also when I noticed how everything had a shape to it, these buckets were frames of some kind.


    "A sand house?" my sister asked as she picked one of the buckets up. She then put it down and went for another one that was blue. She then put that one down too, because she saw one that had a fancier shape to it.


    "Castle." Undwote corrected as he gestured for us to repeat the process. And while my sister went ahead to do it, I went back to Mom and Dad. Maybe they''d like to join in with the making of these sandcastles?


    "Do either of you two want to join in?" I asked Mom yet begged Dad as I stood before the pair. Dad at first refused, but Mom managed to get him to do it. So that left me happy, and, much to my sister''s jealousy. I came walking with Dad to the water.


    "So how does this work, Vadei?" Dad asked before Conquei came over and snatched up his attention.


    "You put water in the bucket-"


    "And then you go back to the- HEY!" I interrupted as she completely justified me doing it to her. But, she just shoved me to get my attention.


    "GET OFF!" she screamed as I thrashed her against the water.


    "Both of you! Pack it in!" Dad sternly warned above us before he splashed us with a wave of water. And, in a way, it worked, because the fight between me and my sister turned into retaliation against Dad. Just like that, the anger from before was replaced by a dogged determination to soak the other. All the way to the point you just got fed up and ran off.


    "VICTORY!" I screamed triumphantly before Mom came from behind and poured a whole bucket on me.


    "I''m sorry, what?" she asked teasingly before she ran away slowly through the water.


    "Get back here!" I demanded with a smile as I kept trying to slap water at her as she ran off.


    "No, you''ll just get me!" Mom argued with a loud laugh before she plunged into the water and swam off. And I was left growling as I watched her leave. She knew full well that I had trouble swimming... This wasn''t fair.


    "Don''t worry, I can help with this." Dad whispered on his way past me. My annoyance went away somewhat as room was made for my curiosity. Mom had gotten overconfident and was now doing back strides until she saw Dad.


    "Need something, De-AR!" she started to ask before she started to scream as Dad picked her up. He then waddled back over to me and kept Mom''s struggling form in front of me.


    "GET HER! GET HER NOW!" he enthusiastically shouted as he used his wife as a shield to be intentionally struck. And he held his ground all while I went to get a bucket. Then, with Mom in my sights, I began to scoop up and chuck water at her over and over.


    "VA- STO- ST-" she struggled to scream out as I practically drowned her in water. But a sudden, finger-like sensation striking my ear made me jump in fright.


    "Remember, pump this bit to make it shoot further." Undwote encouraged my sister who was holding some kind of gun. Just before I was then shot in the forehead by another stream of water.


    "Oh, looks fun. Get me one, Conquei!" Dad said as he shoved me into the water on his way back to the shore. Like that, Dad had turned from an ally into my enemy. The same happened with Mom, she was willing to forgive me so long as we got to the shore.


    "AH!" she quickly screamed joyously as she was beaten back by one of these guns. It was almost like she was not even interested in capturing these weapons for our own use. Not that the God of Friendship was going to let us do that as something suddenly floated by us.


    "Water fight!" he chanted from the beach before he was pelted by the swishing coat of one of his hounds.


    The machine he had given us reminded me of a catapult, and it was backed by a barrel of sorts. One filled with peculiar bags that must''ve been filled with water. At least, I hoped so. Because my nails popped one before I even got it on the catapult''s hand.


    When I finally got one on the device, however, I unleashed utter havoc upon those two. Because, despite their size, they went over quite a decent area. Assuming they didn''t just thud into the sand and not burst for some reason. I didn''t like those ones as it meant I was going to be shot at by my own failed munitions.


    Yet, despite having so many water bombs to shoot at them, I found myself coming to a halt. Because the sky was no longer blue, in fact, it had turned orange and purple. The water also seemed to have gone out for some reason. It did not take that long to get to dry land now.


    Even though the Orbital-Halo was gone now, however, it did not mean it was cold. Because Undwote had created a fire surrounded by benches for us to head to. He was also cooking something attached to a string on a stick. Yet, when he was done, he did not eat it, he just held it.


    "What''re you doing?" I asked him as the others got nosy around this blue and white container. Inside were some kind of metal containers. I think the wind-people settlements had things like this.


    "Just roasting a conker." Undwote answers, but his answer confused me further. When you roasted something, you often ate it as you just cooked it. But he was just warming it up for all intents and purposes.


    "Here you go, Dear." Mom said to me as she suddenly put one of those metal things in my hand. It was mostly pink and it had a pink flower on it with two red balls hanging from it.


    "Hm..." I let out curiously as I fiddled with the metal thing on its top. Moving my head back suddenly when it made a sizzling sound after I snapped off a section.


    "Can of drink, stop sniffing it already." Undwote told me as he shook his bemused head.


    "Right..." I let out after trying some of this drink. And I smacked my lips afterwards. Because it was a weird sensation. It was like someone took water magic and mixed it with wind magic.


    "Mine is a colour of a fruit I have had but does not taste like it..." Conquei informed us as she stared at a little puddle she made on her palm.


    "Mine''s a rose colour." I tell her as I copy what she did. Slurping it up with a grin once I was done comparing it to hers.


    "So, have you lot had fun today?" Undwote asked as he got up and took a huff from his pipe. And we all answered quietly while focusing on Dad. The God of Friendship smiled too before it all began to disappear.


    "Come on you three, come here." Dad asked with tears in his eyes as he beckoned us closer. We were confused as to what had just happened, but we were quick to catch on.


    "No! Don''t go!" I begged Dad once I was able to get him to myself somewhat.


    "Don''t worry, Little Va. It''s going to be alright." Dad told me before he kissed my forehead and rubbed my ears.


    "Dad...?" I asked with a whimper as he stepped away from us and towards the God of Death.


    "I love you, Dear."


    "Bye, Dad..."


    "DAD!? NO!" I let out with a scream as everyone suddenly disappeared into the mist that came from a certain pipe. And when I couldn''t see Dad anymore, I violently lashed out at the God of Death, determined to take that pipe off of him. I don''t care how long it would take for me to learn, but I would see him again!


    "Vadei, calm down." the God of Death asked me softly as he restrained me. And he did nothing to make it clear he was not gloating. Because he still smoked that pipe before me... My means to get Dad back was right before him...


    "GIVE HIM BACK!" I demanded after I spat in his face. Only for my rage to suddenly leave my body as if he had cut it out.


    "I''m sorry, Vadei, but, to answer an earlier question. I was doing it so I could ask a favour of you." he explained with regretful expression before he handed me a letter.


    "What''s this?" I asked while I tried so very hard to get angry again but to no avail.


    "It''s a letter for Nin that I want you to hand him on my behalf." he explained as his hand rested on my head affectionately. But I did not want it there, I wanted Dad''s hand to be there...


    "But, you''re a god, why can''t you do it?" I asked him as I felt like this was convoluted somehow.


    "Father has forbidden us from interacting with the mortal realm since the Fourteen turned on the Sun. I am only able to do this because it was part of a ritual regarding what I am.  And I did not believe it fair that I take your father''s soul and ask something of you right after. So, I gave you one last day with him. I gave you all, one last day with him."


    "Y-You should''ve just buried him and given me the letter..." I whimpered out tearfully as I had just been revitalised by the memories of Dad that made me love him so much. This strange way of going about things had completely reversed any progress I made getting over his death!


    "Please don''t hold it against me, Vadei. I know you loved him to a degree I can''t describe myself. But, don''t think of it as me taunting you or something so callous as that. It was not my intent. Think of it as one final day with him, when you thought those times were gone. I cannot bring him back, but, I can delay the inevitable and allow you to enjoy one final day with him." he explains before he began to disappear into the mist.


    "Give him..." I started to beg before I found myself back in the temple with Mom and Conquei. We were all dressed up again and Simar had seemingly not changed a bit.


    "If any of you three would like to spend some time by his grave before we finish, feel free to." Priest Simar told us as he made sure everything was in order.


    But I just shook my head and walked out of the temple, "No..." I said before I ran off back home.

 Peak 8: Not Following Through

    "She is eating, right?" I asked worriedly as I knelt opposite Vadei''s Mother. And, despite me just being around to talk with her, I couldn''t help but glance towards Vadei''s room. Since the funeral, she''s been only in there and no one has been able to get her out.


    Wastla sighs before answering, "Thankfully, yes, she''s just..." she began to say before she frowned. Her gaze then took on a reluctant aspect which made me confused. Did she not trust me enough to open up about it...? I could not see why not, it was only a funeral, right?


    "Is something wrong?" I asked her with uncertainty spreading across my face.


    "No... I''m just worried you might call me crazy..." she sheepishly admits which makes my brow rise into an arch.


    "I''ve seen a lot in my time from home, I doubt whatever it is will make me think you are deluded or something like that." I admit to her as I started to think of examples. I wasn''t going to explain it, but, it was assuring to be reminded of such things. I had seen my homeland from an outside perspective, a hulking collection of metal islands held aloft by golden bolts. I stood in awe before the Thunder God''s anvil on the way to Nin''s home!


    I''ve seen enough to know that what she had was not going to bother me, "The God of Death... Undwote... He, let us spend one final day with our recently lost family member... My husband, their father." she tells me as her eyes water while a smile grew on her face. She seemed to be happy that it happened, but, was still despairing over its end either way.


    "Nin''s done stuff with him too." I comment before taking a sip from my drink.


    She then laughs very briefly, "I suppose that helps explain his unique circumstances."


    "It is a reason, I believe, he was, after all, human once." I say before cautiously looking behind my back to make sure he hadn''t heard that. I did not want him to get touchy over it.


    "But, yes, Vadei is fine. She''s just been inactive." Wastla says, bringing the discussion back to her daughter. I was fine with that, as maybe she just needed someone to talk to in order to reassure herself about them.


    "I guess, so long as she is not acting like she was before, it should be fine..." I say with uncertainty as I was not really sure what to offer up. I''ve never felt what she has. I might, at some point, but, not now.


    "If you want to try talking to her, go ahead. I''ve learned well that she might need consoling from one of you three." Wastla says as her head gestures towards Vadei''s room.


    And, happy about such words, I bowed slightly, "Thank you for your trust, Wastla." I try to say as humbly as possible while hiding my smile.


    "Go on and get my daughter out of her room." she demands with a smile as she ushers me away from the table. And, when I got to her room, I knocked on the door.


    "Come in." Vadei said in what seemed to be a fine tone. But, when you entered the room, it became a completely different story as she looked awful. Her hair was a mess and she was building up quite the stink. Not enough to encourage her sister to find another place to sleep, however.


    "How are you feeling?" I asked first, and, with immediate hindsight... It was a stupid thing to ask.


    "Awful." she laconically answered before she place a fancy letter by her pillow. But, something was off about that letter, as it was brimming with an impossible amount of magic. So much, in fact, I dropped it in shock after I picked it up to inspect it.


    "W-Where did you get this!?" I asked her with wide eyes as I froze up by the fallen letter. I was not comfortable touching such a disproportionately powerful thing, yet, she was. And she quickly put it back on her bed before she looked at me with a blank stare.


    "In exchange for Undwote letting me spend one final day with Dad... He wanted a favour from me." she rather easily admits compared to her mother when our discussion lead to it.


    "I see..." I say with uncertainty before I sat down next to her. I was not sure if I could or was allowed to pass a comment on this. This was, after all, the action of a god. One of the most well-known ones, in fact. Would something bad happen to me if I said something unfavourable?


    I mean, it might as unlikely as it sounded...


    "I... I don''t really know, Einervaene. I saw Dad again, but, it only made me want him back once again. And, I don''t know if I can be angry at him. I was actually given a chance to see him again... The grumpy man who moved into a single room house... He lost his family to the osibindah and has been miserable ever since. He never got to see them again, as they once were... But, I did..." she lets out while staring at the letter.


    "I think you should just feel about it however you want." I try to comfort her with before she shakes her head in frustration.


    "No... I was given a special opportunity no one else here got. I saw Dad again... I saw him in a strange sense, alive! Yet, here I am, miserable and wasting away because I can''t let go of the fact it was all because he wanted something from me..." she cried out with no tears, only anger.


    "And what did he want from you, if you don''t mind me asking?" leaning in closer just in case she wanted to whisper it as surely this was an important letter? It was from a god after all!


    "Nin he said. Give it to him. I don''t know what it says as it only opens for him." she says as she hands it over to me. Likely to see me fail in an effort to open it. But, I was going to believe her, that magic in such a simple thing was strong, absurdly strong. I don''t think even a version of me at their strongest could even cut through it!


    "Would you like me to get Nin, then?" I offered, just in case that might help. Maybe she just needed the offending item gone and she would slowly go back to normal? I really could not tell with circumstances like this.


    "N-No... I''ll give it to him... When I feel like I can. I just don''t know if I can give Nin this letter." she admits with a sigh before she stands up and moves to the door.


    "Would you like me to leave?" I presumptuously asked her. I had not really spoken to her enough to convince her to leave. So I could only guess she wanted to be on her own again.


    "No, but you can wait. I''m going to go clean myself up and then we can go do something, I don''t know." she explains to me which leaves me smiling as it meant I had, in fact, succeded! And, when I stepped out into the hallway, I smiled at Wastla whose ears had perked up.


    "Thank you." she quietly says to me with a cupped mouth. I only smiled in response and moved outside so I could wait for her to be ready. Which, given her state and my knowledge of how careful we women are... Might be a while. So, knowing that, I went back inside to speak to Wastla some more.


    .


    .


    .


    "Alright, finish up what you are doing." I ordered with a put on tone. I was not feeling alright, but, I could at least try to put on the facade of it.


    "Do you not want something to eat before you go?" Mom asked as she jumped to her feet and came over to me.


    "I''ll have a dumpling if there are any..." I mumbled after some short-lived thinking.


    Mom then sighs, "I guess you can have my ones then as they''re the only ones done." and after that, I left the house with a small tub of them. Each one being quickly devoured with vicious vigour as we walked out of the garden.


    "Right... Which way was it...?" Einervaene let out in thought as she likely tried to remember where the others were. But, in an effort to cheer myself up, I just sniffed them out.


    "That way." I tell her while patting her back on the walk away from her.


    "Oh, thank you." she tells me once she has caught up.


    "So what have you guys been doing as of late? I''ve heard quite a bit of noise these last few nights."


    "Well, a certain someone has been trying to take your position as the captain of our airship. And, truth be told, I preferred the old one." Einervaene explains before she smiles at me with a slight smirk. And, it nearly brought a smile to my face hearing that. At least, until I remembered why such a situation was happening. I still did not get my regrets regarding this decision...


    Maybe I could ask Nin about it, surely he felt the same way back at Tobaballe? No, in fact, I''m pretty sure he did as that was a reason for our abandonment of the other two! He wanted to dispose of the emotional luggage that came with it! So, yes, when I had an opportunity, maybe I will ask him about it.


    "So do you have any idea about how long it will be until help from the city arrives?" I then asked my friend as I came to a stop. The moment the soldiers we would hopefully be getting arrived would mean they''d be gone. Maybe they''d be quick, or, maybe we''d throw a party... I did not know...


    "Unfortunately, no, we were given an estimate, but no actual date."


    "And where would the estimate put us...?" I asked with a distinct paranoia in my voice.


    "Let me think..." Einervaene pondered out loud as her finger twirled one of her tails, "In two days from now?" she then answered with uncertainty. But, either way, it made me freeze up in anger. That was so close...


    "Best not waste this time, then." I then say with my head held high before I took her hand. Dragging her along to the smell of Nin and or the others.


    "I think I see him!" Einervaene cheers as she excitedly points at the distant shadow in the sky.


    "He''s in a hurry..." I say as I began to move back slightly before he crashed into the dirt by the road.


    "Shit, shit, shit! They really did come with a bill!" Nin exclaims with mock fright and laughter before he turns and waves back to Einervaene. But, when I heard his last words, I found myself frozen again. What did he mean? Einervaene''s estimate was...


    "Vadei?" my soon to be gone friend asked after I dropped the nearly empty dumpling tub. And, for the first time since I cried myself to sleep after I heard Undwote''s request. I screamed in anguish before sprinting on back home.


    "V-Vadei!?" Mom let out in shock when she saw how quickly I had returned. And, she then stood behind the door as I screamed into the pillow before I broke down sobbing. I wasn''t ready for this... Yet, once again...


    The day had come so suddenly...


    "I''m going to be alone again..." I whimpered out as my hand covered my agape mouth as my face went red.


    "No, you''re not, Vadei." Mom said to me loudly through the door.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "THEY''RE HERE, MOM! THEY''RE GOING TO BE LEAVING NOW!" I screamed at her before nearly running at the door. Stopping just short of it, however, so I could slam my palms against it.


    "The only ones who are here are your friends, now, come on. Get out of your room." Mom said before I aggressively forced the door open.


    "DID YOU NOT HEAR A THING I..." I began to shout in her face before I saw my friends looking at me from the other end of the house. They were confused and concerned...


    "Vadei, what''s wrong?" Einervaene asked as she moved closer. Yet, before she could get too close, I shut the door again. And I moved to hide under my bedding, intent on waiting for them to leave for the final time.


    "Vadei? Can you come here please?" they would repeatedly ask in one form or another. But, soon, it went quiet and I could smell the distance they soon put between us. And, when I felt like they had finally disappeared forever... I felt cold.


    I was wrapped up in my bed in a room facing the village. I was fully dressed and yet, I felt as if I was suddenly frozen solid. Oddly enough, it was warm outside the blankets and quilts. So I moved towards it with a sniffle and shiver before I moved to my door.


    My little sister, however, opened it, and she jumped back in mild fright before she noticed it was me. She said nothing, but she did make it clear she was not trying to offend. Not that I really cared either way, but I made sure she was aware of it before moving on by. I did not want to come back to a bedroom with her hiding in the corner...


    "What''s all this?" I found myself asking Mom before I looked outside towards the edge of the garden. I did not like what was there because I saw another oxfuine, dressed in armour and white cloth. It was a soldier from the city and if one was here, then there were likely many more.


    "It''s a collection of packed meals for you." Mom explained before she quickly assembled them into a package.


    "Why do I need packed meals...?" I asked in confusion as my eyes blinked over and over.


    "Because... My Little Va has places to be." Mom says to me before she pulls me into a tight hug.


    "I''m staying here..." I tell her as my eyes began to water again.


    She then sighs, "Well, at least spend a little more time outside, think it over. Okay?" she asks of me before she starts to nudge me out the door. Then, she closes it behind me, leaving me out in the Orbital-Halo''s light with no one to talk to. So, with a scowl, I started to walk into the village. Confusing many of the soldiers who had come as I was making sure they saw my eyes as I passed on by.


    Yet, I was surprised when I got to a more open part of the village. Because from there I could see that the airship was still here. Some soldiers had gathered around it, but Einervaene and Larishazza were speaking to them. And, going by Nin''s words, he had likely hidden himself aboard it.


    But, as they were still here, I moved towards the airship just so I could see my friends one final time. One of the soldiers, however, would stop me for some reason that made no sense. I did not, however, attempt to force my way past him as it was just not worth it at all. These soldiers were here to stay, for a while anyway...


    Provoking them only caused my family issues...


    "Vadei! Are you alright?" Larishazza asked after my appearance tore her away from the soldiers.


    "You know her?" one asked before she got in the face of that soldier.


    "Will you go away!?" she asked slowly and loudly before the soldier backed off uncomfortably.


    "Make sure to tell us if you see the vandal about." another said before they headed back into the village. And, while my attention was following the soldiers, I noticed how everyone seemed calmer. I liked to see that.


    "So, I guess this is it, then." I started off with once my gaze went back to my two friends.


    "The it of what?" Larishazza asked as her head tilted to the side.


    "You guys leaving..." I remind her as my ears fell down and my tail stopped. I couldn''t even bear to maintain a gaze towards the pair. It felt off right now...


    "Did we agree to leave now?" Larishazza asked, but, I wasn''t sure if this was a joke or genuine confusion.


    "It was discussed that about the time we''d get Vadei help in place of us that we would be going, yes." Einervaene reminded her which in turn made it clear to me. She had simply forgotten, just like I had hoped to do.


    "Oh, okay. Want to come with?" the blue-haired idiot asked me with a smile as she began to tug me towards the airship. And, as much as I wish I could just run off with her... I couldn''t. My family needed me, my home needed me...


    "I..." I couldn''t get out before I found myself stepping back towards the village with tears in my eyes.


    "We''ll come to visit!" Einervaene exclaimed in an effort to get a smile back on my face. But I just shook my head and carried on stumbling backwards.


    "I''ll miss you..." I told them before I sped off back home while trying to hide my tears. Yet, when I finally got there, I found a pile of my stuff by the door with said door being locked.


    "G-Go away." Conquei nervously demanded as I stood before the door with a letter in hand. It was one Mom had hastily made and it was filled with her demands. She wanted me to leave... She wanted me to go elsewhere.


    But, I had nowhere else to go...


    "Mom!? MOM!?" I loudly said over and over as I began to slam a curled up fist on the door. But I heard nothing but muffled voices. Yet, I did not stay here to be angry, I just walked towards the stuff and put it on my back. I did not know what was going on so I decided it was easier to just go through with it...


    But, when I got onto the main road, I saw the airship steadily rise before it headed off. And, with a sudden surge of panic in every crevice of my body, I chased after it. Letting my magic flow as much as possible as I desperately tried to catch up with the flying vehicle. Yet, I soon stumbled about and fell once I reached the top of the hill the road lead to.


    "W-Wait..." I called out pitifully quiet as I held out my hand, hoping to grasp the increasingly distant airship. I tried to walk after it for at least a few more moments, but, I was forced to give up. And I fell to the ground crying as now I had nowhere to go. Mom did not want me around for some unknown reason...


    After all I had done fo-


    "SHIT! SHIT! HOW DID THEY NOT!?" Nin screamed ecstatically behind me before he turned to me.


    "Wh-" I began to ask before he suddenly picked me up.


    "Did you miss the airship too? Don''t worry, I can get us on to it, no charge at all, stranger." he cackled out with a laugh before he charged us towards the increasingly closer airship. And soon, his laughter passed on to me and I hugged him excitedly as his steps began to boom like thunder. Each sudden jolt his explosive steps took shot the sadness right out of me.


    Then, we flew high into the sky once he leapt off the mountain he had been bringing us up. And, as we flew through the air, the wind rustled through my flapping ears and closely-held tail. I felt happy. For what felt like the first time in a long time.


    But, we soon began to fall back to the ground, yet, I had the full confidence that Nin could get us up there. It, however, turned out that he would not need to do any such thing. Because Larishazza was right on our tail and she was sending out magic to serve as steps for Nin. Her laughter soon joined ours as well.


    "THIS IS FUN!" she screamed like a manic child as she began to hop and bounce between solidified water and stone.


    "HOW FAST IS THIS STUPID THING!?" Nin screamed in response as the airship began to gain speed and move faster once again. And, unlike before, I did not dread it disappearing, yet, it still made me nervous. What if we did miss it!?


    "GRAB ON!" Einervaene suddenly screamed once she suddenly materialised before us. And, before I even registered it properly, the other two grabbed onto the former lightning bolt.


    "Nice to have you back." Nin then quietly said to me. His words, for some reason as well, managed to provoke my tears right back out.


    "Y-Yeah..." I tell him before we found ourselves on the airship once again. Not standing triumphantly over the fact we made it. But, rather, we were sprawled all over the place. With nearly all of us clutching our guts in agony.


    "STOP MAKING MY TUMMY DO THIS!" Larishazza demanded as I slowly got up before dropping my stuff. A wide smile on my face as my gaze locked itself on the increasingly small speck that was my home.


    "Thank you, Mom..." I uttered quietly as I moved towards the railing. Now that I was here, I could understand properly what she and Conquei had done. I just wished they went about it better as even now, I was still on edge and shaking. But, that might as well just be my current excitement.


    I could go on more adventures with my friends! I could go back to Suhurlodst and see Vapooliar and Dandel''lhia and her son again! I could become stronger and learn new ways to use my magic! Mom and Conquei would not see me again until I was the mightiest oxfuine witch to have ever existed!


    "Wastla wanted me to give this to you by the way." Einervaene said to me as she handed me over a wrapped up package. All the while, the other two stayed on the ground clutching their guts and moaning.


    "It''s flimsy." I commented as I moved the present around so I could try and guess what it was.


    "Well, open it!" my friend encouraged as her fingers gently grasped my hands as they held the pacakge.


    "O-Okay..." I say with nervous excitement before I used one of my nails to carefully tear into the package. Then, I tore it open with reckless abandon while letting the wrapping paper blow off into the wind. And my mouth went agape when I saw it, I also started to blush slightly. I was very glad about not being near Mom right now.


    "Now, I know you still have your old one, as I can see it right down there. But, Wastla wanted something that had her input." Einervaene explains with a small smile full of pride as I put on a leather flight jacket similar to my old one. Differences this time, was it had flower patterns on the inside, my name in my own language and a picture on the back. It was not entirely personalised to me and it made me happy and then sad...


    "Maybe Mom should''ve seen me put it on..." I let out in regret before a smile started to come back.


    "Don''t worry, I have." Mom said with a bright smile, and, I was shocked to the point of breaking down.


    "W-W-Why''re you here!?" I demanded to know before I latched onto her in order to hug her.


    "I''m making sure my precious Little Va is safe and sound." she explains to me and she hugged my shivering, crying form.


    "Mom..." I let out with a desperate whine before she let go and moved away.


    "Now, don''t come back until you can keep us all safe, you hear?" she told me before Einervaene took her back home in a flash of lightning. And, for the next few moments, I counted until my friend came back.


    "You heard her!" Einervaene says with a grin before we start to step over the other two. And, when they were behind us along with my home. I took a deep breath and prepared myself.


    "GET OUT OF MY CHAIR!" I demanded confidently as I hopped out and shot my finger at the redskin. She did not, instead, she cocked her brow and looked at me with disgust.


    "I''d like to see you try." she scoffs at me dismissively. And, with the challenge uttered, I marched up to her with a knowing smirk. She might have had her fancy magic necklace, but I had actual magic. So I just picked her up and roughly sat her down at my side before I took my rightful place.


    "It feels good to be back in charge." I say with a grin as I childishly bounce and shake in my chair. My snuggly new flight jacket tightly zipped up against me with a clean tail at my side.


    "HEY!" Liadanann shouts shortly after I made myself comfortable. But, despite how she flared her nostrils and inflated her size, I was not scared. I was not the weakest one here, she was. And, unlike Einervaene, crying to Nin would not work on me.


    "Alright, knock it off you two." I quickly commented just after Nin stumbled into the pride-bruised creature.


    "Where are we going!?" Larishazza asked no one in particular with her usual excitement. Even if her movements were tempered by her clutched stomach.


    "Where else would we go?" I asked her with a specific before I started to giggle briefly.


    "Somewhere where I can get a new stomach..." Nin moaned from atop Liadanann''s chest. For a moment, as well, it was almost as if we had two redskins on the airship.


    "I''m sorry! I didn''t me-" Einervaene began to profuse before she was interrupted.


    "Learn to not, then!" Liadanann snapped at her which in turn made the pair clash heads. Or, rather, gazes. But it was Nin who decided the victor, for his position kept taking Einervaene''s gaze.


    I then rolled my eyes before I began to go through everything. Yet, when their arguing began to encompass my immediate area, I was forced to shrink the data. Suddenly, I felt claustrophobic despite myself only being surrounded by arcane projections... Thankfully, however, there was enough to keep me engaged.


    "Huh, that long, really?" I let out quietly once I read the flight data. According to the airship''s in-built sensors and other machinery of relevance... We have been away from Suhurlodst for a few months. Granted, it all began to make sense when I looked into the stops we took.


    There was, of course, our stops at the towns, my home and the various makeshift ones we did. Interestingly enough for me, most of our stops occurred before I got stabbed by the airship. Which made me happy. Mostly because it meant I was just that good!


    "It''s very boring sitting here with so few people aboard..." I then let out once I put the data away. Quite frankly, I was astonished by how I was able to sit on this chair after Dad died. I spent nearly my whole day here each time if I wasn''t sharing his old bed. Then, with what must''ve been a learned reflex, I opened up a screen to show me the medical area.


    And, I felt calmer seeing that no one was in there. Dad was gone, much to my anguish, but, I was glad he was not injured in that bed. I was glad about many things regarding the airship right now. It was so much quieter...


    "WHY ARE WE SCREAMING AND YELLING!?" Larishazza let out in between the two conflicting women.


    "Correction..." I sighed out before I smiled slightly. Then, I got up and left the bridge and just wandered about. While I did so, I played with any loose bits and I looked at the strange engravings Liadanann had made. And, when I found some of it, I ran a nail along the welding marks caused by our efforts to repair the airship.


    It wasn''t just us that had been through a lot, this had too. Yet, I had no name for the vehicle that took me and Nin home. I had no name for the machine that helped save my family and village. It was just an airship to me.


    But, maybe that is all it needed to be. A reliable airship that could get what I needed to be done, done. It had done its job well. But, as it had helped me, I only wish I could thank it, as strange as that might be.


    "Ah hah! Got it!" Nin exclaimed when his hand grasped the end of my tail as I moved outside to the open deck. To my surprise, however, my tail did not move until I registered the shock of his touch.


    "Why do you have to..." I groan as I protectively clutch my tail for a brief moment. And, it soon found its way back into his hands. Only this time, he stroked it rather than grabbing it.


    "I don''t know." he shrugged out before he took the lead. He eventually brought us to the most damaged part of the airship. If he had a reason, I wasn''t keen on hearing it right now. I just wanted to stare into the distant setting of the Orbital-Halo.


    But, I would turn to look at him before I put a grin on my lips, "Any more outings planned?" I asked my friend as he clutched the edge of the airship.


    "None that are planned, but, that''s fine by me if I have you lot with me." he says after he takes his mask and hat off. A grin on his face with excited chitters leaving his mouth.


    "I''d like that." I said with a smile and slight blush.

 Base 9: Unexpected Complications

    "EVERYONE TO THE BRIDGE, NOW! I MEAN IT! GET HERE NOW!" Vadei screamed through the airship''s speaker system. And when we all properly registered it in our heads, we bolted out of the cafeteria. Larishazza was the only one who tried to keep her food with her but she quickly lost it.


    "What''s the problem!?" I asked immediately once I was done tearing up the floor when I came to a sudden stop.


    "That..." Vadei answered as her baffled face pointed towards the large screen she had brought up. And when I saw it, I felt like I had gone a bit cold because I was not expecting that at all.


    "Oh..." I let out with uncertainty as I stared at the contents of the screen. It was a crowd, a very, very large crowd and it was gathered at the hanger. We were never going to sneak back in undetected, so we decided on going in with our heads high. But, none of us could have accounted for this.


    "Why are there so many of them!?" Liadanann hysterically asked as this likely made her very uncomfortable. But, I would not say it to her face, because that was underselling it by quite the magnitude.


    "D-Do we stick with the plan?" Einervaene gulped out as she started to hide her face. The other one, however, did the opposite, instead, she went outside. And soon we were watching her land before the crowd with a dazzling display of magic.


    "Yes." I said quickly and simply as I screamed on the inside at what we were about to experience. But, once Larishazza''s magic had stopped blocking our view, I noticed something odd. They were cheering... They were all cheering...


    "Okay, any changes?" Vadei let out as her hand trembled on the button that would let us land properly.


    "We aren''t getting out of this..." I groan quietly before I found myself latched onto. Liadanann was practically shivering in fear and I would have to try my best to comfort her.


    "Okay, let''s go." Einervaene said once she had finished breathing in and out. She then went on ahead and was noticeably pale as we walked.


    "Wait!" Vadei let out as she chased after us as the ramp began to lower itself. And, like with Liadanann, those two moved closer to me as we exited the airship. It was there we truly grasped the scale of everything as well. Because the moment we stepped outside, we were barraged by sound and flashes.


    "COME ON, COME ON! GIVE US A GOOD SHOT OF HER!" someone with a camera screamed amongst others doing the same as Liadanann set everyone off.


    "Got anything you aren''t telling us!?" I loudly and awkwardly joke to my friend as she shivers against me.


    "G-G-Get us..." she couldn''t even finish before I heard whimpers leave her.


    "Okay, let''s try and get you to the dorm..." I told her, hoping it would reassure her. But, my plan was instantly grounded because the Academy''s security forces were hovering about. So, instead, we were forced to walk through the opening in the crowd. And, in a way, I felt like the Equilibrium and his fearful son, because Liadanann was acting like him.


    She was trembling under my cloak and she was shaking as if she was being shocked. It did a lot to make me forget my own worries, but, now all I could think about was her. To say nothing of the careless disregard some people had to my privacy when they tried to tear at my cloak. Liadanann was pretty much in tears before we had even got past the first few people.


    "YOU TWO!" I roared as I clutched onto my friend protectively before a magic barrier suddenly appeared. It had given us the room we needed to move and I took advantage of it. So I picked up my friend and ran with all the haste I could back to our dorm. I didn''t even open the door, I just smashed it down and dashed upstairs into my room.


    Which, now that I remembered this place, might''ve been a bad choice given its...


    "Why''re there so many of them!?" Liadanann managed to get out as she broke down crying before me. Before I answered, however, I took hold of her and held her as a stampede headed towards us. I wasn''t sure what we could do about it. So I waited for the others to arrive, well, with the exception of Larishazza.


    "My word, what''s is wrong with them!?" Einervaene asked us as she as lightning began to flow from her hands as she guarded the door. Vadei, meanwhile, made sure all the other entrances were sealed shut.


    "Come on now, quiet, it''s alright." I cooed to Liada as I moved her closer. Stroking her hair carefully and I made sure I could hear her in case she was mumbling.


    "I-I''m sorry if this is my fault..." Vadei was quick to whine presumptuously. Features, like usual, began to go down or stay still. But, there was no need for them to do so.


    "We don''t know what''s going on out there. Hopefully, we can squeeze an explanation out of the staff..." I say with uncertainty as I began to think of harsh their words were likely going to be... We stole an airship and interfered with their business, they were not going to be happy...


    "They were very... Aggressive in their curiosity." Einervaene commented as she turned back to look at me and Liada.


    "Yeah... Something is very wrong. I can get them knowing that we''d be coming, but, how would they know that Liada here was there? Were we scanned or something, Vadei?"


    "Not that I picked up, no!" she was quick to answer before her body lowered itself down in apology.


    "It must have been something we had no way of preparing ourselves against, then." I say as I turned my attention back to Liada. She needed all the help she could get right now as while I was nervous along with the others... She was terrified, she was, indescribably terrified. And it''s a shame I knew why...


    "So many... Humans..." she quietly whimpered as she trembled on my lap.


    .


    .


    .


    "Hey, guys!" Larishazza cheered as she skipped in through the front door with an orange glow following her. Thankfully, no one else came in after her. The crowds had gone for now, something must have driven them off.


    "Alright, now, where is she?" a curious man asked as he quickly proved me wrong with his presence. It was our Head of House, Frihdeicalkbr.


    "YOU!" I assumed straight of the bat when I saw the way his eyes sparkled with curiosity. But, he did not back down in fear, instead, he just smiled as his hands slipped into his pockets.


    "Me, now, where is she?" he asked as he got back to the point he wanted pursued.


    "I''m not telling you a th-" I began to growl out before he just brought up a screen. Yet, I did not move to grab him when he started to walk past me. I was fully aware of the likely consequences of something like that... And, as much as I cared for my friend, an instinctual selfishness kept me in check.


    "So you are what our device picked up." Frihdeicalkbr said as he sat down before the scared ddrai''och. And, were it not for her lack of magic, I''m pretty sure that mug she had would''ve broken.


    "G-Get away from me..." Liada let out fearfully before I stood between her and our Head of House. She was very familiar with the gaze of scientists and I would not let him provoke her.


    "It''s alright, it''s alright." Frihdeicalkbr admitted with open hands as he stepped back before sitting down awkwardly. He did it intentionally too. He brought his chair too close to the table and chose one close to the wall... He was making it clear he was not going to try anything...?


    "Have you got answers for what is going on out there!?" Einervaene jumped up to ask with a loud thud as her hands slammed the table.


    "I do, on the condition I ask our curious friend here some questions of my own." Frihdeicalkbr said before a growl left Liada as she contradictorily retreated closer to me. And, when she did, he made a note of it on the tablet he had brought with him.


    "What kind of questions?" I cautiously asked on Liada''s behalf as I happily went along with her attempts to hide behind me.


    "Simple ones, not particularly... Digging ones." he answered with a professional tone before he drummed his tools on the table.


    "Do you want to?" I asked my friend as she started to calm down slightly.


    "Will he go if I do? Will they all!?" she hysterically asked me with a tone that was too loud.


    "I will, and, I can create measures if you want." Frihdeicalkbr answers to my shock.


    "What kind of measures?" Liada asked with suddenly gained confidence as she practically rushed him down. Details he took note of as well when he had the space to.


    "Obviously, I can''t ban a student from parts of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding. But, I can implement an exclusion zone around the dorm for non-residence of this dorm and the neighbouring buildings. Small things like that, however, I can also not do anything about the Reporatation and Documentation Club." he tells us as Liada backs away towards me.


    "What do you want you know?" she asked him once she had regained her until recently, all but lost posture.


    "Let''s find out. First question, what is your name?"


    "Liadanann."


    "Hm, interesting pronunciation. Foreign." he comments.


    Liada then looks back to me, "There''s nothing wrong with the way I speak?" she asks me, hoping to get some support.


    "It''s fine, Liada, don''t worry." I tell her, but, she frowns when I call her by her nickname. Maybe it was just the pressure getting to her, because she has had no issue with it before.


    "Second question, what are you?" Frihdeicalkbr asked, interrupting my opportunity to reassure her.


    "I''m a... Dd... Ddrai''och." she tells him as she silently begs me to take her hand. But, when I do, the resulting notes Frihdeicalkbr writes down makes her let go.


    "I see, and, let me see. What sort of magic do you use?" he asks with a rather obvious motive. It was after all the same one that saw me become a student here. Which, in hindsight, I was thankful for as it meant I could live.


    "I o-only have m-my..." Liada began to say before she went silent as she clutched her talisman.


    "Supported caster, got it. Now, I think I can work with this. We''ll send tablet work for the rest." he tells us before he gets up. His gaze, however, was locked on me and Vadei as he moved to leave.


    "I take it..." I began to say as I believed I knew what that gaze was for. And he smiled before he brushed aside some of his black and grey hair.


    "We''ll talk about that, but, for now, make sure your new dormmate feels welcome." he tells us before he leaves before stopping.


    "Sorry... I broke it in the rush to get in..." I say as I watched his gaze focus on the splinters.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "Your magic has changed." he comments before walking off. Which, left me confused as I wasn''t sure how he picked that up from splinters and snapped doors.


    "Well, I''ma take a shower." Larishazza hummed out with a whistle before she started to skip out of the room.


    "Right." I let out with uncertainty as everyone started to calm down. But, my attention went straight back to Liada as she was fidgeting a lot.


    "What does he mean by dormmate?" my friend asked in confusion as her hand clung to my chest when I got close enough.


    "He means you are probably now a student here with us..." Einervaene answers for me as I was focused on stroking her backhand.


    "Student...?" our friend let out in confusion before curled in on herself and sighed.


    "Well, at least it means you get to stay with us without issue!" I nervously chuckle out as I watch her grow increasingly uncomfortable.


    "I better not have to deal with any other..." she began to say before a cold air began to spread through the dorm. And when I turned around to see what it was, I was greeted by the enraged face of a sister. One whose touch was covering the room in frost and she was on a mission. Thankfully, it took her past us, but, I had to tend to Liada because of it.


    Her lack of magic made her vastly more suspectable to the anger-driven aura.


    .


    .


    .


    "Going for a shower, going for a shower! I''m going for a shower in a place that is still!" I loudly sang cheerfully as I danced about the first floor. Using my magic here and there to slip on down the hallways until I reached the showers. And once I was in the shower room, I closed the door behind me before I felt something familiar. So, I opened the door again and peaked out it.


    "LARISHAZZA!" my sister roared furiously as she stomped up the stairs. A carpet of ice spreading out before her as she marched towards me. And I went pale as I stared at her as she approached me. Only slamming the door shut again just before she got near me.


    And I jumped away from it with a clumsy stumble, "Oh, yeah, that''s right..." I laughed out, terrified of what I was likely going to be on the receiving end of. Thankfully, Tiya presumed I stayed at the door, so she did not come barging into the wet, steaming room. Unthankfully, however, she was likely aware of this and I was quickly trapped in freezing ice while naked.


    "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" my sister demanded to know once she opened the door. But I was simply too focused on the fact I was turning blue and encased in solid ice. She must have been really mad if the ice was thicker than a wall!


    "C-C-C-C-C-OLD!" I squealed through clattering teeth before I was forcibly pulled from the ice and tossed at the nearest shower. Then, once I felt warm, steaming water, I curled up under it and cackled as if I had nearly died.


    "ANSWER ME!" Tiya roared down at me as the ice began to prod at my newfound warmth. Forcing me back up to my feet before I ended up stuck behind thin strings of ice made from the shower water.


    "I went out with my friends..." I told her as I tried to squish myself up against the wall. Only for her magic to suddenly disappear before she crushed me in the immediately following hug.


    "DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW MUCH WORRY YOU CAUSED ME, MUM AND DAD!?" she roared straight into my ear as her hug kept me still.


    But, she left me confused, "How were Mom and Dad worried?" I asked as I tilted my head at the red-faced beast.


    "YOU WENT MISSING AND THE ACADEMY STAFF HAD NO ANSWERS! SO I CALLED HOME AND TRIED TO GET HELP FROM THEM! WERE IT NOT FOR YOUR BANK TRANSACTIONS, THEY''D HAVE HIRED A WORM-RIDER TO FIND YOU!" she started to explain before she started to thrash me back and forth violently. And when she was done and my mind settled down, I nervously giggled.


    "S-Sorry." was all I really could say as I desperately pleaded on the inside that she would not use more of her magic. Then, when she let go of me, she walked away briefly.


    Her face soon found a palm to rest against and she growled into it, "What am I going to do with you, bloody idiot." she spat out before her magic suddenly froze me in place again.


    "AH! AH! AH! COLD!" I complained as I frantically danced about, hoping to break the bricks of ice encasing my feet. And I kept this up until I remembered that I could just use my own magic to blast it off. So I did, and I stood there quietly, ashamed by my lack of awareness. And that shame quickly shifted on over to thoughts of my family.


    I rushed after that airship so quickly back then that I had forgotten to tell anyone. And, my first thoughts when getting back here weren''t to make sure my sister was alright... It was to instead enjoy the crowd that had so inexplicitly formed before I went on to do other stuff... It was, and I was, as it was called back home, a water-hogger.


    Selfish...


    "Tiya! Tiya!" I called out once I had left the shower room and found her room. I could not sense her magic, but, I was assuming she was in here. Only to then jump up in shock when I felt a piece of ice form on the base of my neck. Right by where it gets a little bumpy.


    "Stop walking about naked." she chastises as she fiddles around with some kind of device.


    "I''m sorry..." I mumbled once the freezing sensation was gone.


    "So you should be." Tiya commented as she crossed her arms. But, she was not upset in the way I thought she might be.


    "I mean it... I just got so excited... Whenever it was and I lost track of everything..." I told her as I started to stroke my goosebump covered arm. A nervous gesture that soon evolved into me trying to return warmth to my body.


    "We know, we all know. Which is why Dad called off the idea of sending a worm-rider after you when we got news of your various bank transactions."


    "How do you even know about those? I did them in a bunch of different towns all over the place!" I exclaim as I took the tone as a means to chipper up slightly.


    "Same bank, runny brain. They just tell us when something happens out of the ordinary, remember? Or has you brain run out of your ears already!?" she tells me before she flicks some ice at my ear.


    "Hey!" I whined as I backed away from the aggressive woman.


    "Get changed already!" she then commanded with a harsh stomp before her misty breath chased me back to the showers.


    "YOU BETTER STAY DOWN THERE!" I scream back at her before I slammed the door. And, once I was on my own again, I dashed to the warm, running water. Turning on multiple and flooding the floors with steaming water. And I stayed there until this heat-starvation I was suffering from went away completely.


    Then, I went and got changed into a fresh set of clothes that had been gathering dust in my dorm room draws. It wasn''t much different from the usual, but, it was a lot finer in design. I was back at Suhurlodst now, after all, so I did not have to worry about my clothes getting wrecked. So it meant I could put on my cuter and or sexier outfits!


    "That''s better..." I sigh out with relaxed pleasure before I went back downstairs see if the others had returned. After all, it has been a while since I have spoken to either Grumpy or Ombo! The first one I just wanted to have some nostalgic fun with while the other I wanted to hug!


    "Ah! The sister is back!" Ombo declared happily as his larger-since-last-time body thundered on over. And, were it not for my pre-emptive jump onto his belly, he would have flung me across the room.


    "Hello!" I let out against his breast fat as I happily bashed my head on his jiggling body.


    "Haha! I was worried about you." he told me with a cheerful smile before he let me get down.


    "Eugh, why''d you come back with the same standards?" Quinshuu commented bitterly as his eyes carved deep holes into the Liada.


    "Stop looking at me..." she begged as she trembled under the pressure of Quinshuu''s magical eyes.


    "Impressive, you have caught a rare creature indeed. Truly, a hunter." Quinshuu complimented as his eyes turned to Nin.


    "Uh, thank you." Nin answered with uncertainty as Liada kept close to him in her time of uncertainty.


    "So what kind of food do you like, Red One?" Ombo asked as he approached the counter before laying out various tools. What kind was pretty clear, but, he had gotten out quite the array.


    "He has a point, you have been quite picky." Einervaene points out as I found myself smiling at her pickiness during our travels. All the while, I was sneaking closer to Vadei until I had forced her into a corner. She said nothing but I was happy to have squeezed her tail between me and her.


    "This is nice." I say quietly as she stares intently at me. She tried to push me away, but, I was just too good for her, so she let me stay.


    "You won''t be able to cook what I like..." Liada says as she eyes a spoon of all things curiously.


    "Stop that!" Nin immediately told her when she began to chew on the metal utensil.


    "I''m hungry!" Liada growls at him before she throws the spoon away in frustration.


    "You eat metal?" Vadei asked as her eyes widened slightly.


    "Yeah, but I haven''t had any for months now... Just bits of meat." she answers as her face goes against her palm.


    "I think we might have a solution to this problem." Nin then says as he looks at Einervaene.


    "What?" she asks before Ombo comes over and picks up the spoon.


    "You are not strong, so I don''t think I could safely melt this." he explains with disappointment in his tone.


    "It won''t matter anyway... It''s not gold." Liada groans before she leans back into the chair.


    "Expensive diet, huh?" Nin jokes before he gets what might as well have been a tap from her. A peculiar tap made with an elbow.


    "Is it a nesscary part of your diet?" Ombo asked with utter seriousness as he shook the building on his way to the ground so he could sit.


    "I don''t know... I haven''t really been hungry since I started travelling with Nin."


    "Then your body is getting all it needs right now from the environmental magic supply, then." Ombo professionally points out.


    "It doesn''t feel right not eating because I need to..."


    "I know that feeling, don''t worry." Nin tells her as he strokes her shoulders.


    "Oh yeah, you had the same problems, didn''t you?" Vadei asks as she sticks her head out from behind me.


    "Unfortunately, yeah." he grumpily says back as Liada''s head rests against him.


    "At least, today has me tired." she comments with a strange kind of relief before she stands up and takes Nin with her.


    "So how are we going to feed her when she does start getting hungry again?" I ask as I move over to Ombo to help him up off of the floor. Only to end up on the floor myself as his belly had bashed into me. But, I laughed it off as it was fun.


    "Why not ask the men of the deep earth to hunt for it?" Grumpy offers up as a solution before he drinks something that isn''t milk.


    "What you got there?" I asked him before he shot a bit of light magic from his own eyes and into mine.


    "AH!" I wailed as I stumbled back into the wall.


    "It''s a milkshake, I got him into them while you were gone on your trip!" Ombo chuckles out before he starts to put everything away.


    "Using a machine to slice up nature''s bounty finely is an acceptable drink." Quinshuu points out in his own, strange way before he gulps the rest down. A loud thud echoed out from the table before his chair moved and he left.


    "I think I''m blind..." I let out with despair before a pair of fingers open my eyes for me. A nervous chuckle then leaves me before I take a few steps back.


    "Are you sure? Do you want to take a step outside first?" Vadei asked me before something outside gave us a reason to go look.


    "What the..." Einervaene let out as we all rushed outside with Nin coming to a stop by the bottom of the stairs as we got to the door.


    .


    .


    .


    "Vapooliar?" I let out with uncertainty as I took the final step off of the stairs. But I was quick to go back onto them when I saw Vapooliar''s expression. Pure, hardened anger was all I could see and she was approaching us with dangerous intent.


    "Where have you been?" she asked in a rather quiet tone given her current feelings. And Vadei went pale as she was the main target of her gaze.


    "I-I... We..." she failed to get out before the intimidating, aura-emitting woman that towered over her.


    "Quit mumbling." Vapooliar demanded as she took another step forward. The pressure that surrounded her soon forced Vadei to the ground and she was quickly over taken by terror.


    "That''s enough!" I declared as I moved to step in between them. But I only ended up stopping and backing away once I got near the force the others were so close to. Not that me moving backwards mattered, because Vapooliar just moved to me instead.


    "Where has she been?" she asked me coldly while her presence alone kept me pinned against the nearest floor.


    "We went h-home... We went back to my home..." I told her with uncontrollable shivers. And my answer made me confused because she stepped back confused. Hurt all over her face before anger came back to it.


    "You promised..." she incoherently muttered just before she advanced on me again with what seemed like murderous intent.


    "PROMISE WHAT!?" I could help but yell out, terrified.


    "You promised that we would do that together, that I would help you! How can you have forgotten that!?" she clarifies and that only made me more confused. Was she seriously clinging onto a promise from last year!? One that was made while I was still a human!? When I could actually call her my friend!?


    "W-What...? You c-can''t be serious...?" I asked, completely baffled by this behaviour. She didn''t want anything to do with me since I became a bug! And now she was enraged that I didn''t hold onto a promise we made!?


    "And you weren''t serious about going home were you?" she asked, and her words made me feel colder than any of this magic of hers did.


    "Vapooliar, don''t..." Vadei warned.


    "Unless, something happened. You went home but something went wrong. A something I could have prevented. So, what went wrong?" she asked with a stern face but cruel tone.


    "I..." I couldn''t get out before thoughts of my failure drove me to silent tears.


    "Your home is gone, isn''t it? Something you did or something you brought with you did it." she quickly deduced before she looked up at the sound of approaching steps.


    "GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Liada screamed before some magic from her talisman forced Vapooliar away. Much to her shock and surprise as she was definitely skilled enough to tell Liada was nearly magicless.


    "What''s it to you, Ideric Beast?" Vapooliar asked through clenched teeth as I took the opportunity to return to my feet and get up the stairs. And, in a strange twist of fate, I hid behind Liada who in turn hid us behind her divine magic.


    "Y-You know what I am...?" Liada asked with some bafflement as everyone else up to now had no idea what she was.


    "Not formerly, no. But your answer tells me everything I need to know about your thunder-struck race!" Vapooliar nearly shouted before a shockwave of magic rushed through the house.


    And those words set Liada off, "HOW ABOUT YOU SAY THAT TO MY FACE YOU MURDEROUS SLAVE OF THE SKY!?" Liada roared as she slammed against the barricade she had created.


    Vapooliar snorted before turning to leave, "Don''t do that again, Vadei." she then cautioned our terrified friend with a calm, quiet tone before she left. The signs of her arrival and departure scarring the path before our dorm deeply. Then, when we were certain she was gone and the magic Liada had made was waved off. I started to hobble upstairs.


    "Nin?" Einervaene called out to me as the sound of my crying became the only thing anyone could hear. But I didn''t want to answer her, I just wanted to be left alone. Not that I had an opportunity to be alone as the girls all raced after me and got into my room before me.


    "Please, leave me alone." I begged Larishazza, Einervaene, Vadei and Liada as they all stood by my bed. But, when they refused to leave, I just cried more openly after taking off my mask. And I slid down the door until I was on the floor.


    "It''s not your fault..." Vadei tried to tell me as she offered up her tail to me.


    "YOU KNOW THAT ISN''T TRUE! ALL OF YOU KNOW!" I roared, scaring off the weaker two but leaving the other half unmoved.


    "It is not your fault, Nin." Einervaene told me as she held me on the left while Larishazza squeezed in on the right. Doing her usual thing of having fun with it by holding my head from above. And, once I had calmed down, the other two came back over. And they had me take Vadei''s tail into my claw, but I would refuse it soon after.


    I couldn''t stop my claws from shaking, so I was scared I would hurt her...


    "Just leave me be..." I begged them as I breathed with uncertain stability. Trembling quietly before I started to relax into their grips.

 Incline 1: A Little Time off

    "Was that really it...?" I let out in confusion as me and Vadei left the building we had been told to go to. In theory, this is where our punishment was, but, they didn''t do anything. They just sat us down and half-assed something. In fact, I even heard them ask why they were doing this!


    "Student Vadei, hold on a moment." someone said before we got too far from the building. And, just like that, I was left on my own. I didn''t go anywhere, because I would need her help to find the others. But, I was left wondering why they asked for her to come back inside.


    Then, after a little bit of waiting, she came back out, "Move." Vadei demanded of me with a blank expression.


    "Did... Did something happen?" I asked her as she stared at her palm in annoyance.


    "YEAH!" she let out loudly, "They took away my ability to pilot the airship! They stole my knowledge!" she complained in frustration.


    "How''d they steal your knowledge...?" I asked her, somewhat baffled by the claim.


    "All the stuff I knew about the airship is no longer there now! It''s gone! It''s like it was never there!" she nearly screamed in my face before she moved away with a long groan.


    "At least your hand isn''t scarred anymore." I tell her with a shrug, only to get a quick slap against my chest.


    "Yeah, but now I have a thing that is no longer there! I have this cool, personalised flight jacket, and no knowledge anymore of how to fly!" she exclaims before she drops down to moan.


    I looked down at her before speaking, "You, what, piloted that airship for a few weeks? Surely you could not have made that into your identity...?"


    "You wouldn''t get it..." she grumbles before I rub a claw near her ear to get a reaction from her. However, instead of getting my claws slapped away, she just leaned on my wrapped-up leg.


    "No, probably not. But, if it bothers you that much, why not get a job being an airship pilot? You could even buy your own one at some point." I advise her with a shrug. I was not really sure how to comfort her, if I was honest. It was just an airship, after all.


    "Eh..." was all she had to say in response.


    "I... I give up." I then sigh out in response to that. She was complaining about the loss of her airship ability thing, but she was not determined to return to that standard? I was happy to assume that she was just making a scene for the sake of it.


    "Wait, help me up." she asked before I moved on with my life. And, with an action I would regret, I did what she asked.


    "Are you in fact just bored!?" I demanded to know as she stayed in my grip, dangling from my arm. It was like I was not with Vadei for the moment, but, rather, Larishazza!


    "I just spent several hours doing absolutely nothing while hearing someone drone on about something they themselves did not care about. Yes, yes I am bored!" she explained after dropping to the ground.


    "Then find the others so we can not be bored then!" I demanded of the soon-to-be-tailless annoyance.


    But, before she did so, she scoffed, "What, scared you won''t be able to entertain me?" she taunts afterwards.


    "I will throw you down the mountain." was all I had to say to that as she took the lead. Playing it up dramatically as she tried to find the others.


    "I''m still not used to this. I want to go somewhere quieter." she complains as she spends several extended periods sniffing the air.


    "Well, if you can''t pilot an airship anymore, we aren''t going to be going someplace quieter, are we?" I pointed out before we got back into our part of the academy.


    "Oh, hello, Nin!" Einervaene cheerfully greeted as we bumped into her on the way in. In her hands was a package of some kind. But, I was not curious enough to try and snatch it or ask about it.


    "Whiny-Einy." I greeted before smiling at the frown she gave me.


    "So, what is it you two were called in for?"


    "Some kind of telling off." I answer, shrugging just after.


    "Wait, how come you didn''t have to attend it!" Vadei demanded to know when she was reminded of how it was only us two who had to go.


    "Well, in their words, I was a victim of the actions you two made on that day." she explains with a slight forward tilt in her posture.


    "Victim!? You had plenty of time to get off that airship! Your magic is all about moving somewhere quickly!" Vadei exclaims in confused frustration.


    "My magic is not about that at all. Besides, I wouldn''t have been able to get off safely." she tells her with a bright, teasing smile.


    "EUGH!" Vadei practically roars before she wanders off elsewhere.


    "So I take it you''ve been having more fun than us?" I ask my friend after watching the other disappear.


    "I wouldn''t say that, I''ve just done stuff. But, now that you are here, I think I can enjoy myself." she tells me with a light blush as she makes sure I could see her smile.


    "Ah, okay. So what have you been doing today? I''ve sat on my backside and drummed claws on a desk." I tell her before scoffing into a smile.


    "Just following up on some of the talks we had about magic when we were helping Vadei out."


    "So you came to a decision on what you wanted to do then?" I asked as I was pretty sure she came out of the talks undecided. Not that I could even remember what it was I suggested.


    She then looks away with an annoyed expression, "No, not yet. So I just went to Mechanical House to the one who made my outfit to see if I could get anything to come of it."


    "Doesn''t the academy handle any quote-on-quote, uniforms?"


    "Yes, but, I already went to him once, so I felt like it was best to go to him again." she explains with a held-out palm


    "So the results are in the box?" I asked, contradicting my earlier thoughts about it.


    "Yes and no. I have some notetablets in here and some sketches. There''s also some material samples he gave me to try out."


    "How are you going to test how your magic works on some sample pieces? You going to just let your lightning flow through it or something?"


    "No, it''s mostly for aesthetics."


    "Why would you need material samples then?"


    "So I can hold them against each other and pick a colour combination. Not that it matters, as he overruled my previous request when it came to colours." she explained before she rolled her eyes in frustration.


    "What did you want, then?"


    "Do you remember the outfit I originally was given by Rossie-chira?"


    "Wow, haven''t heard one of those honorifics in quite a while." I commented, diverting the topic completely off-course.


    "Well, I don''t know her actual name as I have only ever called her by that and I don''t..." she mumbles embarrassedly with her usual blush.


    "Don''t worry, I''m not teasing. But, her name is Rose''lhia. I used to call her just Rose, like the flower." I explain. Somehow managing to prevent my mood from fouling during this discussion.


    "Oh, alright, well, the outfit Rose''lhia gave me, do you remember it?"


    "The white and red one that was somehow skimpy yet made for colder climates?" I asked with a smile. And I got a quick giggle from my friend for the effort.


    "Yeah, that''s the one. Originally, I intended for my new, or rather, this outfit to be like it in colour. With the exception of it having enchanted copper built into it as you can see. But, he didn''t like the colour combination, so he made it completely black for the most part."


    "In hindsight, he probably made the best choice, even if his reasons weren''t related to them."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, in our time away from Suhurlodst, we''ve been what? Through so many places and problems that only the gods know. We''ve trekked wastelands, you''ve triumphed over a stone-melting beast! If you wore white in that, you''d have ruined your outfit long ago." I explained.


    "But even this outfit has seen better days. The copper is scratched and dented, melted in some places even. And the fabric is worn out and stained in other places!"


    "And if you were in white, all of it would stick out even more." I pointed out with a gesture. Watching her in silence as she silently nodded in understanding.


    "So what do you think I should have for new colours?" She then asked me.


    "I''m sort of used to the whole, black and copper-orange look if I am being honest." I tell her as I couldn''t think of her in any other colour scheme. And this was despite having seen her in different ones prior to this discussion.


    "So you think I should stick to these colours?" she asked with a light blush coming to her face.


    "I don''t really know, I''m not exactly a fashionista here." I joke, gesturing to my bandages and the top she made for me.


    She smiles at first, but she then goes into a state of thought, "Maybe I should ask Baltanthan, then? He only ever really saw me in my old outfit." she says before she turns around and heads towards the largest dorm section.


    "Why him? He probably won''t care." I asked before pointing out that Baltanthan usually liked to be left alone. Or, at least, not pestered and annoyed.


    "I just said why, besides, he''s our friend, we should go see him given our time away from here." she explains.


    "And how are you going to find him exactly? You aren''t Vadei, besides, even she doesn''t know his smell."


    "I remember his dorm, we can just go there."


    "Oh, lovely." I comment as I remember our last trip there.


    "Don''t be like that, he won''t mind."


    "Alright, and what if he''s not at his dorm? What then? We can''t exactly wander this place looking for him." I remind her as I swing my arms wide to gesture to the great space we were crossing. And this was just one of the dividing sections of the academy! We still had a few neutral areas and other open spaces to go through!


    "I''ll just go up and look, then." she tells me before she hands me her stuff and puts some distance between us. But, that distance could not have prepared me for what happened next as she just exploded all over the place.


    "Are you alright!? You didn''t piss off the Thunder God did you?" I asked her after dropping her stuff so I could rush on over. But, she was not in pain, she was just a little baffled.


    "Oh, yeah, that''s right." she comments quietly as her face went a deep red. And she quickly picked up her stuff and went on ahead without me.


    "Again, are you alright?" I asked after I caught up with the inexplicitly embarrassed woman.


    "Be quiet." was all she had for me.


    "What?" I let out, baffled as to where this was coming from.


    "Be quiet... I don''t need you encouraging me to do stuff I shouldn''t..." she mumbles quietly before she turns to me in shock.


    "Uh, okay." I let out with the same bafflement as before.


    "I''m sorry... It was my lapse in judgement..." she mumbles as she churns up some grass with her boots while her faces hides behind the box.


    "Okay." I said before I gave her a reassuring pat on the arm that was laced in uncertainty.


    "Again... Sorry..."


    "Can you tell me what that was about?" I asked with a raised brow.


    "It was how I learned to do this." she tells me before she briefly turned into a lightning-person.


    "How did what just happen teach that!?" I asked her loudly as I just could not see it.


    "This outfit was made so I could use magic but avoid that. But, it seems that if I still try to do my main spell, I can still cause the problem to happen."


    "See a teacher about it?" I offered as a solution she probably thought of long ago.


    "You know a teacher can''t help me with this..." she rightfully complained with a few sparks flying off of her for emphasis. Not that she needed to, it was an easily gotten point. One only had to spend a single day here after all to get it. You were encouraged to learn on your own with only the basics being taught by the staff.


    Which, I guess, made me question why such staff were even here if we had to learn on our own. Our experiences determine our magic and all that nebulous rubbish. But, I''ve been using magic for less than two years now while this place has existed for lifetimes. At least, the lifetimes of people from my homeland.


    "Yet, you still talk it out with us." I then pointed out when I remembered what we had just talked about. We had offered advice to her, so maybe a teacher would in fact be helpful?


    "Because the others are my friends and you''re... Nevermind. I''m just comfortable talking it out. Hearing a few ideas and all that. I''m still going to be thinking about it when I am not talking to you, obviously. But, you know." she rambled out with an initial pause at the start.


    "Honestly, if I am able to offer any advice. It would probably be best for you to just practise. Slowly ease into what you feel needs improving on. We have experiences we can reference, after all. For example, that fight with Salahma has taught me I need to have something to protect me. Or, at the very least, something that lets me do this." I began to say to her before I poked her with my magic. Smiling at the end as her previously frustrated expression made way for a short-lived smirk.


    "Stop it." she then demanded alongside a shock that travelled along my magic.


    "Huh, didn''t know you could do that." I huffed out, slightly impressed by how she conducted it.


    "Well, it''s not too different from my frame here. It is a magic path, after all."


    I then went wide-eyed and pointed a claw at her, "Then why not look into that? Use your magic reactively and shock your attackers?"


    "Because I would be exposing myself to a chance of death that I do not want." she answered before her head thudded in the air. A certain kind of gaze was directed at me when her skull came to a halt.


    "Fair enough, but still. It might be something to consider if you are going to use your lightning form in any kind of fighting." I tell her, thinking of how she initially used that form against Salahma.


    "Hm, I guess. It does keep a lot of threats away from me. And, from what I have learned back at Vadei''s village. It can do quite well against weaker foes by simple contact." she recalls which in turn makes me frown. I did not want to remember that hive if I was being honest...


    "And you could do that a lot better if you, spread yourself out if that somehow makes sense." I tell her before getting confused by my own words. Was I advising her to explode like she did just now...?


    "I think I get what you mean, but let''s focus on finding Baltanthan now." she says just as we cross into the lands of the main student population. And, the reception was a mixed one. Some were eyeing Einervaene just fine while my face garnered only disgust. It bothered me still, but, it was getting easier to tolerate.


    "We''re going to be finding him for a while..." I comment as I look down the many roads this place had. Dorm building after dorm building as far as the eye could see. In fact, there were so many the academy gave this place a unique luxury... Having its own shops and other essentials right on-site...


    "No, we won''t because I made sure to remember which number his dorm is." Einervaene tells me with a smile before she runs ahead onto a path. I, however, kept on walking on the relatively quiet road. And while she was getting lost in the trees and porch gardens, I looked at the paving. Smooth, grey stones of varying shapes in an almost random pattern.


    "So why do you remember this?" I asked her once she stopped at a dorm that I did not remember at all. Probably because it was just like all the others with a few exceptions. Not that these exceptions were particularly helpful, mind.


    "How do you not? He''s our friend, we should remember where he lives for the time being." she exclaims as if I had done something wrong before she puts her stuff down. A quick succession of knocks came right afterwards.


    "Coming!" I heard someone say behind the door before a scream came out of it when it opened.


    "Ah, that brings back memories." I joked before I frowned to express the hurt I was feeling. I was trying to make light of the bother it brought, but, sometimes, I just couldn''t. No rhyme or reason to it, it just happened sometimes.


    "Is Baltanthan in?" Einervaene asked. Clearly ignoring what had just happened before the door had been abandoned. And, yet, despite how easy it would be for us to walk in... She kept us outside waiting.


    Stop being polite just this once woman...


    "Oh, hello you two." the man in question said as he came by the door with a mug in hand.


    "We''ve been gone for a couple of months and all you have to say is that!?" Einervaene let out in shock.


    Baltanthan then went quiet before he took a sip from the mug, "Was I suppose to know you had been somewhere?" he asked with echoed words.


    "Yes!" was all Einervaene had to say.


    "Oh, okay. Nice to see that you''re back, then." Baltanthan said with an uncaring tone before he walked away from the door.


    But, because we had not been invited in, "Can we come in?" the annoyance before me asked.


    "Did I not just let you...?" he questioned before he rolled his eyes. And, once Einervaene got inside, I followed suit. Closing the door behind me and I rolled my eyes as I heard the panic from upstairs.


    "So, how you been?" I asked after dropping down into a chair while Einervaene sorted out her stuff.


    "Not much to say, been doing my classes and working on my magic." he answers as his gaze turns towards several jars of various metal nicknacks. Some rusty, others not.


    "Surely you''re doing something else? You look exhausted." I commented when I got a better look at the shadows under his eyes. But, all he had for me was a shrug.


    "I''ve been running on empty for a short while now, getting prepared for the Inter-House Talent Display takes a lot out of you." he tells me before he rubs his eyes. With his gaze briefly looking at Einervaene''s growing mess before it went back to me.


    "What was that again?" I asked as my mind had lost some details about this place. And, who could blame me? I have been on an adventure, after all.


    "Combat tournament for those who apply from any house but Mechanical House." he clarifies.


    "Oh, that could be fun." I say to Einervaene just as she finishes up making a mess of the table.


    "So why did you two come on by?" our exhausted host asked as he picked up a piece of metal. Before he dropped it all of a sudden as his trembling grip wasn''t the best.


    Then, when Einervaene came back up with the dropped item, "I wanted to hear your thoughts regarding my outfit and how I could improve it."


    "Improve it how, exactly? As you can probably see, mine is not much." he reminds us as he gestures to the simple, dull blue tunic he had on. He then threw his thumb behind him and gestured to what appeared to be leather armour. But, it was probably just a carrying frame or something. Like a tradesman might wear so he could carry his tools on his person.


    "I''m not looking for a professional opinion, I just want a friend''s opinion."


    "Friends?" was what Baltanthan chose to focus on before he scoffed.


    "Is there a problem with that?" Einervaene questioned as a cute glare started to form.


    "I dunno, just thought I''d have to do a bit more than just clean pots with someone for a few weeks." he quickly chuckled out which also got a smirk from me.


    "Hey, come on, we did some hunting."


    "You did some hunting, I just tagged along." he reminded me before I smiled at the bloody memories. And the ones that caused us other issues... In hindsight, it was only amusing, even if it wasn''t at the time.


    "Anyway..." Einervaene loudly said before she pushed some items towards him, "What do you think looks best?"


    "Just the colours?" he asked as he stared at the frame near Einervaene''s boobs.


    "Hey, eyes off my pair." I joked, hoping it would get something from Einervaene.


    "Yeah, they''re hi-" she began to say before she turned redfaced. And I started to howl with laughter as a pout was directed at me.


    "Shut up." Baltanthan said to me before he picked one of the metal samples up. And, this time, he did not drop it and his grip did not tremble. So, I guess he wasn''t trying to use his magic.


    "W-Well?" Einervaene asked with a still red face as her gaze kept going back to me. All the while, her hands visibly twitched by her sides. Though, one of them quickly went near her face so she could hide it partially.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Baltanthan''s hands then came together and then parted, "Is there something wrong with your current attire?"


    "No... I just wanted to improve it, so I thought I see if anyone wanted to see a new colour scheme..." Einervaene mumbled with barely understandable coherence.


    "Right. So, just stick with it, then? You don''t look ridiculous if a little... Slutty." Baltanthan said with no real restraint. Even if he did roll that word in his mouth before saying it. Not that it mattered, the fact I struggled to hold in my laugh got the blame put on me.


    "Quiet!" Einervaene snapped as her blush came back in full force. But, it was hard to take her seriously as I just enjoyed seeing her embarrassed.


    "But, yeah, I have no issues with it so make the choice on your own." he then said as he stared into his likely empty mug. And he put it down once he had decided it wasn''t worth getting the last few drops out.


    "Right..." Einervaene started with as she sat down, "So you have no problems with the way I look?" she then asked.


    "No, but I also don''t really care." he told her with a half-hearted shrug.


    "I was hoping for something more than just..." Einervaene said with a sigh. However, how she was expecting something more baffled me. Baltanthan never really had much to say when we travelled with him. So he was never going to comment much on her attire.


    "Look, I can''t offer you the advice you want. You''ll need to consult someone from Mechanical House regarding the features of your attire. However, you look fine. Beautiful even. So stop worrying about it." he said before he got up and went to fill up his mug again.


    "Okay." Einervaene said with a small smile before she packed up her things. I then took this as the cue to get moving as we had done what she wanted. We got Baltanthan''s non-existent feedback. Mission accomplished.


    "So that battle thing, where can you find information about it." I asked Baltanthan as we started to leave.


    "Anywhere really, it''s one of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding''s biggest events. It''s playing on the speakers and it has its own building in the middle bit of the academy grounds." he explains before he takes hold of the door as I stop in the frame.


    "A building for the event or information?" I asked as knowing this place, it could of actually meant a giant arena. In fact, I am pretty sure I might of had my shell cracked over and over in it. And just thinking of that moment made my body heat up with anger. It was perhaps one of the most embarrassing moments I have had since I was introduced to the school...


    "Information, obviously." Baltanthan clarifies with a roll of his eyes.


    "Well, see you then."


    "W-Wait... You''re taking part?" he asked me before I reached the last step.


    "I haven''t decided. But, recent events have left me eager to do something." I tell him, and, I was not referring to my recent adventure. I was on about how bored I was in that limp-wristed punishment me and Vadei received.


    "Nin!?" Einervaene called back when it became clear my lingering had put some distance between us.


    "So, yeah, see you." I told Baltanthan before I waved at him.


    But, I stopped when it became clear he was going to say something, "Now, if you do choose to take part. Just know I am going to make sure you know just how powerful my time here as made me... I want you to see the results of your choice." he dramatically threatened.


    I cocked a brow and smirked, "I could punch you through that wall and blow up your dorm right here right now. So you better have learned something good." I joke before a walk away sniggering. At first, I moved slowly, hoping I''d hear something from him. But, he had nothing to say and all I heard was the door close.


    "What were you talking about?" the still smiling woman asked me as she looked up to meet my gaze.


    "Tournament of some kind. So I''ll be heading to one of the buildings in the middle bit to try and get some information regarding it." I explain to her, initially trying to look out towards said section of the academy. But, due to how many dorm buildings there were here, I could not see them. I only saw more parts of this never-ending city of students.


    "Why would such a thing interest you?" Einervaene asked me with a tone full of disgust.


    "It might help me figure out my magic."


    "You can do that without resorting to such barbarity." she scoffs as her gaze moves away from me.


    "Don''t you come from a land where a garden is a sign of wealth...?" I questioned with a raised brow after figuring out her thoughts.


    "What does that have to do with anything?" she asked me with her offended stare bringing us to a halt.


    "Well, if something so simple is hard to get, fights are surely a common thing, no? You''d have warfare baked into you." I reason as I remember some of the information I learned while I was human. How some city-states went to war over a few farms or the rights over one of the twin rivers.


    "We have duels, but those are ordered, structured events soaked in a millenia-old culture!" she tells me as if those things really mattered.


    "You are getting oddly worked up over this..." I let out quietly as I watched her expression. How it flared up alongside her tone and how her posture went rigid...


    "I just don''t like fighting, alright!?" she loudly clarified, drawing much attention from those near us. Yet, even then, I was confused and concerned. There was clearly more to this sudden sour mood.


    So I made sure she was still willing to move and I took her somewhere quieter. Just so the onlookers would not trigger any kind of embarrassment. And, when I found us a quiet spot under a tree, I freed up her hands. I made her sit down and I did to.


    "Is something wrong?" I asked her as I kept a claw on her stuff so she wouldn''t try walking out of this. Not that it might do anything as this was just sample materials... But, hopefully, Einervaene was too thoughtful to just leave it with me.


    "I... I don''t like the idea of it, that''s all..." she quietly answered while looking down at the tips of her boots.


    "Any particular reason why?" I asked, hoping to get a little more to work with. As, if I could get a reason, I could discuss it with her. Not that I needed to as she did not decide if I could enter it. But, she was my friend, so I should at least try and help.


    "You don''t need to know..." she told me before she crossed her arms and sighed. And, I guess that was it. It was far too personal for her to be let out easily.


    So, I sighed myself and drummed my claws on my legs, "Okay... Are we going to return this, then?" I asked, making it clear the topic was being changed.


    .


    .


    .


    "Ugh, humans." I growled quietly to myself whilst clutching my talisman as I walked back to our home. Or, dormitory as I have been told it is called... Nin had been insistent that I walk on my own to lessons after the first few days despite my justified protests. We had already spoken to the strange, always-noting human about the special conditions.


    But, I still did not like it. I was so exposed to so many of these foul creatures and all I had was a talisman I barely understood. I had been practising with it, this place was apparently entirely built for this kind of thing. And, that at least made it enjoyable when it was a quiet affair.


    There was so much technology here I was familiar with and some I was not. They had small, controlled pockets of reality casually available to such casual rabble... Foreign magic was integrated into some of this tech as well! So I could at least try and figure it out.


    However, no one seemed to be able to figure out what my talisman did. And because of how special it was, it meant a lot more humans like those in the mountain were around... I hated it, it made me incomprehensibly uncomfortable. I couldn''t even be near them without feeling a sense of terror build up inside me.


    "Liada! Liada!" the blue-haired one called out as she danced up to me. Unfortunately, she was excluded from the rule most of this place had to follow. And, to my joy, I got to hear how much effort they put into enforcing that rule. Apparently, an entire ''club'' had been shut down because they kept trying to avoid it.


    "What do you want?" I asked her, borderline snapping the question out while I kept up my pace. I hoped she would take the hint and leave me be.


    "I wanted to know what you have done today and tell you what I have done!" she sang out before while also bringing me to a halt. She had danced straight into where I was walking and it made me jump with fright.


    "Don''t do that!" I growled before I regained my prior posture. A hand also went to one of my breasts as well when it began to itch. It was nearing that time of day when Nin was meant to help me. Which, thankfully, he was willing to keep on doing as I refused the help of this place.


    "So, so, so, so? What have you done?" she asks me with a bright, welcoming smile. Yet, even her attempts to make me warm up to her did nothing. After all, she was still a human... A vile, cruel people.


    Which, unfortunately, Nin seems to be on the receiving end of here. They might have been forced to stay away from me, but I could still hear them. All sorts of horrible things were said about him with open tones. How he stood for it, I could not fathom.


    I did not have the patience to handle humans, sure. But how could he tolerate such behaviour? He was mighty and strong, he should be putting them in place! Not walking around them like a scared child!


    "Hello? Anyone home?" the annoyance asked me as she got up in my face, interrupting my thoughts.


    "If I answer your questions will you leave me alone!?" I demanded to know before another human came near me.


    "She will if I ask her to." this one said with a tone that scared the annoying one off.


    "Thank you." I begrudgingly let out as I came to terms with the fact she and I were on the same path.


    "Don''t mind her, she''s just being friendly." she tells me as if I could not figure it out myself. Many things were beautiful so they could kill, after all...


    "Then she can be friendly to someone who doesn''t hate being near her."


    "Wow, someone hates her?" she lets out, surprised that I had such an opinion of her.


    "I hate all of you humans." I growl as I try to put some space between me and her.


    "You can''t seriously be this prejudiced given how different everyone is?" she argues as if it mattered. It did not, the scientists that tortured me were also different. Some were confident, others spineless. Many of their soldiers were like that too. All different, but, the same when I killed them.


    "Can you not see the evidence of what your kind has done to me?" I asked her as I showed off the swelling in my breasts. They were big, naturally, but, they had been bloated far beyond their actual size by the injuries.


    "My kind? So, what, you were enslaved by someone in the Grand-Kingdom?" she asked me as her hand did a familiar movement.


    "Grand-Kingdom...?" I asked as I had never heard that word used when Tobaballe was mentioned. I was familiar with what a kingdom was, our stories mentioned them. But the scientists never once said anything about it. It was always Tobaballe on its own!


    "Exactly, see! You don''t know the half of it." she calmly told me before her posture relaxed.


    "I know enough!" I snorted in challenge.


    "No, I am sorry, but you don''t." she said before she sat me down. A gesture that scared me as being here had made me more able to understand magic. I did not have a good grasp of it, yet, but I could now start to grasp how powerful the others were. It helped me respect Nin and cautioned me around everyone else.


    "And I suppose now you''ll prove me wrong, hm?" I asked her, trying to keep up the aggression. As I was hoping it would make her go away. It worked on some as they just did not like rude people. But, I could hardly care about rudeness when it came to humans.


    "Has my sister ever wronged you?" she asked me after she had flattened her skirt over her knees.


    "No... But..."


    "Has her friend, Einervaene, ever harmed you?"


    "She''s provoked me..."


    "No, she''s given you a taste of what you have given her." she corrected me with, somehow. She was not there during our travels, so how would she even know that!?


    "What''s your point!?" I asked the light-blue haired human.


    "Stop trying to prove something that doesn''t exist. You are not with the people who hurt you, Liadanann."


    "You just don''t get it..." I mumbled as I started to feel uncomfortable for a different reason.


    "I''m a foreigner living temporarily in a land not my own, one that does not have a good view of my people. Trust me, if you are nice to people, you won''t see what scars you from them."


    And, when I heard that, I got up and walked away, "As if that compares at all..." I muttered as I went ahead on my own. And, yet, I found myself thinking about her words before I got back to the dormitory. So, with growing frustration, I moved into Nin''s room.


    What does she know? What does she know at all!? I was completely justified in how I acted here... They were followers of a god who tried to destroy mine for the crime of defending his own...


    "How''re you doing?" a hearty voice asked me as it became clear to me that I had left the door open. Yet, despite this mistake, he did not enter the room.


    "Go away..." I told him as a snarl came to my face.


    "You don''t have to worry, I can''t even fit through the door, Ishea." he laughed out as he showed off how fat he was. And, in a way, I was entranced by it. Only the most powerful of our insignificant people were fat. Even then, they could not compare to how big this human was...


    It made me envious, for our people had to be the very peak of political power to afford such feasting. Yet, here there was a simple, joyous human who was well-fed because he wanted to be. He didn''t have to go days without eating because he couldn''t find a safe place to settle down. He didn''t have to go weeks without eating because magic was doing something to their body...


    "It is an impressive gut, is it not?" he asked me before his chuckling sent ripples throughout his covered up body.


    "I told you to leave..." I then reminded him before I tried to occupy myself with something else.


    "You''re hungry, aren''t you?" he asked me all of a sudden with a serious tone.


    "I''m not." I answer as I hold my empty, but not rumbling stomach. We ate to get the magic inside of our food, that is what the teachers here told me. And, because I was never a magic-user before... All this magic in the air was feeding me just fine.


    "You are. Your stomach is empty and your tongue is bland and barren." he said as he stepped away from the door, gesturing the whole time.


    "I''m not coming with you." I said to him with an aggressive snarl.


    "Even if you choose not to come now, you will come with me soon." he commented with a knowing smile before he walked off down the hall. And, with some cautious curiosity, I moved towards the door to see where he had gone. Then, when I saw him again, he was coming back with a small box in his hands.


    I looked into his eyes before saying anything, "What do you want...?" I cautiously asked as he smiled wide.


    "I listened well when you first came here. And I have acquired you the materials for a banquet!" he cheered before he flicked the hook on the ornate box around. And, when he revealed its contents, I felt my mouth water. Because within it was a jar of golden flakes... At least, I hoped so, I could only tell so much when it was inside of a jar...


    "T-This is for m-me?" I asked nervously as my body screamed to eat the precious metal.


    "I''ve been learning what I can, and I think I can cook you a meal that suits you." he informed me before he suddenly shut the box.


    "What''s the condition?" I asked him with a growl as such behaviour only meant one thing.


    "Ishea, I want you to join me outside for a meal amongst friends!" he enthusiastically cheered with a pump of his fists.


    "No." I firmly told him as the mere mention of others put some spine back into me. But, all that did was elicit a smirk from him before he blew a cloud of something into my face. It was finely powdered gold and I could taste its sweet purity... It was almost like I was putting on a show when I started to breathe it all in.


    "Come, more awaits you amongst the revelry!" he reminded me before he started to go down the stairs. And with each banging step, the sound got slightly quieter. A consistent reminder of how close I was to missing out on a meal I would enjoy and savour.


    "W-Wait!" I ordered him, growling with displeasure as I looked at his confident smile.


    "Ishea, I am an impatient man, you''ll need to move." he told me with a coy smirk before he disappeared.


    "I said wait!" I said again as I chased after him until I got near him. And, when I did, I followed him like a lost child. Then, with hesitation, I knelt down on the blanket that was spread out by a small clay kiln dug into the dirt.


    "Now, I will need you to wait while I get the rest of the delicacies I shall be preparing." he said with childlike glee before he practically bounced back into the dormitory. However, before he got back out, the two from earlier came around and sat.


    "Ooooo, Liada is outside! She''s outside on her own!" the annoying one cheered as she rocked back and forth on the ground.


    "Quiet!" the ignorant one demanded before ice scared the other off.


    "What do you want?" I asked the pair once they were done messing about.


    "Ombbo said he was making us dinner!" the annoying one happily informed me before she fell down onto her back.


    "Right... Amongst, friends..." I bitterly said as I was reminded of what the fat one had stated. This was meant to be a meal for others with my tastes primarily in mind...


    "Ah, wonderful! I have found another one too!" the fat one declared loudly as he came outside holding another human hostage.


    "Let go." this human with demanded as he was pushed over and over by eager palms. Then, upon gaining his freedom, he wasted it by coming down to the floor. He crossed his legs and leaned forwards on one of his knees.


    "Now, let us start." the fat one said with a soft smile before his sudden drop made me nearly fly up. Not because I was scared, but because he hit the ground with that much force! Then, he revealed the gold once again and unveiled that the kiln was in fact in use. For a strong, meaty smell wafted into my nose through the steam that was unleashed by the moved kiln top.


    "Smells good, Ombbo!" the annoying one complimented as she started to use her magic to manipulate the steam slightly. And the other woman did something similar, only she turned it against the annoying one. And it nearly got me to laugh as I enjoyed seeing the annoying one pestered in turn.


    "So she can smile without the bug." the recently taken hostage one commented before some water was squirted at him.


    "Don''t be so rude!" the annoying one chastised him with as her fingertip was flicked dry.


    "Do that again and I''ll hunt you, Harlot." the soaked one threatened with a straight face before he leaned backwards.


    "Not when you blind yourself on your own, silly." she said with a laugh before the man displayed a crack in his apathetic facade.


    "Friends, let us not fight like this, it is nearly done." the fat one said as he intervened to stop the bickering. Then, I saw it happen, I saw him use the gold powder in whatever this food was. I saw the dark, reddish-brown liquid take on a sparkle-like quality. With fine lines of golden powder forming amidst the steamy broth.


    "Is it done!?" I impatiently asked as the food started to smell better than before.


    "Not until all are gathered." he told me before he closed his eyes and breathed slowly. His right hand slowly rotated as well with a subtle, ruby glow surrounding it. The ground cooled down shortly after, so it was obvious what he had done.


    "But there''s no one else here!" the annoying one cried before rustling was heard behind me.


    "I guess eating counts as something to do." Vadei said as she came crawling towards us with her nose held high. And, when she sat near me, the swishing of her tail calmed me. Because it was a reminder of what she wasn''t. Even if her face might have fooled my instincts.


    "Where''s Nin?" the annoying one asked her as she flipped herself over the sealed up food. A dull thud marked her landing once she was done risking our meal.


    "I don''t know, I left him earlier as I was bored." Vadei told her, which in turn left me distressed as that meant he was a while away. I felt like he was doing it intentionally... He thought he was helping me by making me get used to the humans. But, he wasn''t, he really wasn''t...


    "Oh, that''s no good, then. Can''t you find him, soft-tailed beauty?" he asked with charming kindness as his large body began to move.


    "I could, but I don''t want to."


    "Then this smell you feel will never be tasted." he told her which made her reverse her tone very quickly.


    "Fine!" Vadei let out in despair before she got up. Hands were then offered to me, much to my surprise.


    "I''m not going out there!" I said to the pair as I recoiled away from their extended palms.


    "The commotion you cause will grab his attention, so come on." Vadei told me as she took my hand and used her greater strength to pull me up. Yet, she stopped moving and smiled up at me when she got me to my feet.


    "What are you smiling about?" I asked her as a sneer started to form.


    "Nothing at all." she answered with a dishonest smirk before we headed out into the greater school.


    "Now, you''ll have to pardon our harsh plan, but, making yourself known will help him come to the table." the fat one said as he made referential gestures to how everyone else was viewing me as a curiosity. It made me uncomfortable, and, for once, I sought safety amongst these two.


    "I''m not going to embarrass myself..." I warn just in case he wanted to be inspired by the annoying one. She always seemed to have obsessively out-there ideas in my experience...


    "You don''t need to, you just need to work your popularity."


    "What popularity!?" I demanded to know as the fervour I have been seeing was not popularity. It was the greed of knowledge-seekers.


    "A new species is discovered! One found in a distant land beyond the edge of the continent! Ishea, you are a curiosity worth more than all the gold in that distant city of clocks!" he told me with rambunctious applause before he swung an arm towards the distant city.


    "And I wish I wasn''t..." I mumbled before a feeling of safety washed over me.


    "Oh lo, lo, lo, what is this?" Nin asked as he opened his mouth wide to yawn. And, when I saw him, I rushed towards him and held him to encourage him to hold me. I wasn''t even doing it to annoy the one next to him which was often the case. I just wanted to hold him and feel some familiarity in an otherwise uncomfortable day.


    "Well, that easy." Vadei said before she turned around on her heels.


    "You don''t often come by with each other, what''s going on?" my rival for Nin''s affection asked as she stepped forward.


    "I have prepared the lshea a meal amongst friends, but the two who were missing are now back!" the fat one cheered as he took Nin''s hand and tried to snap it off.


    "Bit early for food, but, if it helps Liada here." Nin said as he combed his claws through my hair. A gesture that was soothing and relaxing despite the place we were at.


    "Nonsense! It is never too early for a meal with friends!" the fat one said before his pat on the back sent Nin stumbling forward into me. And, as such, I was soon looking up at him after having fallen onto the floor. A blush was growing on my face but also a cocky smile as I had also annoyed the copper-haired one.


    "Cut it out, both of you." she grumbled while looking away.


    "Oh, nearly grabbing your tit reminds me, Liada, I still need to help you with your injuries, don''t I?" Nin then asked me to which I nodded and laughed as his words annoyed the other one even more.


    "Haha! I love you lot!" the fat one guffawed as he casually brought us both back up to our feet. And I only got back up because Nin''s arms suddenly wrapped around me when he was picked up. Then, when we were back on our feet, I sighed happily against Nin as he made me feel safe. After all, he was the one who got me out of that place...


    A place he was somehow from... It made no sense, but, the words of my eternal Lord, Iderim-Ovi said it was true. I just didn''t get how Nin was nothing alike them. And, the more I thought about that detail, the more I thought on the words of the ignorant one.


    "Come on, Liada, focus." Nin said as he gently tapped my face. And when I regained awareness of the world around me. I looked slightly up at his face before nodding. The way back wasn''t much out of the ordinary, I stayed close to him and that was fine.


    Then, when we finally got back to the spot everyone had gathered at, I sat down again. This time, between my saviour and his friend, Vadei. It was a better situation than last time, but it was still one I wanted out of. Even if I was willing to tolerate it just for a taste of that gold-spiced broth...


    "Wonderful, everyone is here." the fat one chuckled out before he revealed the kiln''s contents once again. And, I smiled when I smelled the scent it gave off once again. It was something I had missed dearly, the humans from Tobaballe not knowing what I ate... Not that they intentionally fed me anyway.


    "Hey, what''s wrong?" Nin asked me the moment I started to violent gag at the memories I just remembered.


    "N-Nothing..." I quietly muttered as an answer before I rested my emotionally tired body against him.


    "She may have not said it, but, I know what bothers her." the fat one said as if he had any idea about what I was thinking. And, mere moments after he said that, he presented me with a bowl. A reddish liquid rested on the inside. One that contained many lumps of meat and some veg...


    But, what drew my attention the most was the golden lines in the broth. And, on top, unlike what the rest had, I had a small pile of powdered gold. Mostly untouched by the rest of the contents of the bowl. The sight and smell of the precious metal was driving me borderline crazy.


    Yet, I was hesitant to taste the food as everyone was watching me. Some of them were smiling or making silly faces. The one with shining skin was just not interested. And, the one who cooked this food looked at me with an expression of utter severity.


    "Go on, nothing is wrong with it." Nin whispered softly into my ears before his jaws quietly chittered against my head. It was a relaxing sensation. And, as he helped me calm down, I felt a peculiar warmth coming from the bowl. It was inviting me in...


    Then, I picked up my spoon, and I stuttered before I moved it near my mouth. And the spoon rested in my mouth for a few moments before I started to become upset. Somehow, this fat human, this gluttonous, greedy human and made me feel nostalgic. It was just like my Nan''s special soup in a way...


    "I think she likes it." Nin comments to the fat one whose serious expression made way for obnoxious joy.


    "Wonderful! Eat everyone!" he asked of the others as I lost myself in the meal I had been given. I even avoided chewing on the spoon as I just wanted to feel the flavour drown my tongue. But, all good things must come to an end. And I was soon out of this delicious food.


    "Uhm... C-Can..." I struggled to say as I was just expecting a denial from the start.


    "Of course, lseha! Eat til your heart can cry no more!" he cheered as he took my bowl and skillfully refilled it without wasting a single drop. And, despite how large and flabby his arms were, he somehow snuck in another sprinkling of gold powder.


    "Feels weird having metallic food..." the annoying one commented before I snapped my gaze towards her.


    "You just don''t know good food when you see it." I snapped at her before I retreated into Nin''s embrace to eat. He, however, denied any food offered to him and just held on to me. To my annoyance, however, he was using this moment to feed magic into my injured body. He wasn''t even doing it properly, we had a way of doing this!


    "Stop it..." I moaned to him quietly, knowingly smiling at what this meant for me. But, he just smirked back and kept it up, much to my disappointment.


    "Oh, randomly remembered it, but, any of you lot interested in this?" Nin said and asked before he produced a piece of stone. I could not read it yet, but, I was starting to learn this language. Yet, it came a bit late as now I was no longer helping with the airship.


    "Not this again..." the rival muttered before she got up and left abruptly. Much to the confusion of everyone else.


    "The Inter-House... Hm, a place to test your skills as a hunter?" the one with shining skin asked as he suddenly took an interest in what was around him.


    "Isn''t that the big fight thing where everyone goes kabow!" the annoying one said with a loud noise at the end with her also mock fighting.


    "Oh, that, I''ve already signed up." the fat one commented, much to the surprise of those who were with me on the way here to this school.


    "They... Let you in?" Nin asked in confusion as he looked the fat man up and down.


    He then chuckled, "Indeed they did, I have trained long and hard to prepare myself for the day such an event would happen!"


    "But I''ve never seen you anything other than eat...?" the ignorant one commented.


    "Then you still have much to learn from me, Tiyanat." he told her with a smile, much to the other''s embarrassment.


    "Tiya, how have you learned things from him but never seen him train!?" the annoying one asked the one with the freshly red face. A tone that only got darker after the question was asked.


    "You shut up!" she nearly shouted, but it only made her situation worse as her red face only got worse and worse.


    "So what is it?" I decided to ask Nin as the stone tablet was passed about. Its details were discussed seriously and trivially in a matter of moments.


    "It''s a tournament, uh... In a way... A more professional version of what we did when we met..." Nin started to explain fine at first before he started speaking in whispers.


    "I see..." I muttered before I remembered the words of one near me, "But, it''s different, isn''t it?" I asked.


    "It is indeed, under the cheering crowds and amidst your equals and betters seeking glorious combat and the fruits of honour!" the fat one answered in Nin''s placed with a raised fist.


    "Someone''s enthusiastic for a bit of violence." the annoying one said with a squeaky voice before her mouth got covered and frozen over. And, thankfully, that gesture sent her running off in search of warmth. To my amazement, as well, she did not think to use the food or heated kiln to do so...


    "Do remember where he''s from, Larishazza." the one who had sent her running away snapped before she shook her head as her gaze returned to us.


    "So where are you from?" Vadei asked as she started to carefully inspect how different the fat one was from the other humans. And, admittedly, I wasn''t blind enough to assume they all looked the same. I could see how they all had different tones of skin, hair and casual mannerisms.


    The fat one''s following laughter, however, meant another would answer, "He''s from Errakur. The Land of Eternal War, deepest of all the great peoples. Rulers of Fire and core-bound." the one with shining skin answered with a form of reverence.


    "Oh, Quinshuu, don''t say it like that." the fat one laughed out before he scruffled the hair of his shorter friend. At least, I assumed they were friends, the fat one had specified what this little event was.


    "Would I be allowed to participate?" I asked. But, it made everyone quiet when I asked that. Even the annoying one stopped what she was doing to look at me. Admittedly, this sudden change of tone bothered me. Was there an issue I was about to be made aware of?


    "Uh, Liada... Uh..." Nin stuttered out as one of his claws tapped against the earth below.


    "You are weak, rare one, you would achieve nothing but your death." the one with shining skin told me as his eyes began to glow. In fact, this behaviour seemed to spread to everyone but Nin. A silent lesson...


    "I would not die... My Lord would not allow it..." I mumbled as a counter, clutching my precious, holy relic tightly. My Lord, the Lord of the Ddrai''och would not allow one of his dwindling people to die. He was free now, free to protect us like the days before the Thunder Extinction.


    "Leshea, faith in the gods will not protect you from scorching fire or shredding winds." the fat one ignorantly tried to inform me with. But, he was wrong, my talisman, His talisman, it could keep me safe from Nin''s power. And I have seen first hand just how powerful Nin is, there''s no way my talisman would fail.


    "Okay, hold on for a moment. Can I speak to you in private?" Nin said to me before he took me away from the others. Then, when we got back inside the dormitory, I decided to let out my conviction.


    "I could do it, Nin. I could prove myself!" I told him as I clutched the talisman.


    "Prove yourself? Prove yourself to who?" he asked me, completely confused by what I thought was an obvious meaning.


    "You! The one who saved me from that... I will also prove it to myself! That we ddrai''och are not forever cursed to run from the world!" I clearly said to him with a raised head and straightened back.


    "I know I can''t stop you unless I can convince you, Liadanann. But, I need to make sure you understand this. I have never done this tournament before, just to be clear. But, regardless, you are weak. Your magic is barely there to the point Vadei is able to casually overpower you!" he spoke with a raised, firm tone.


    But, as I looked at a tool on a table, I was reminded of something, "I maybe weak physically, but what did our ancestors do when they found an obstacle they could not overpower?"


    "Run away!?"


    "No, they built something that could make them win." I confidently reminded him as I clutched the talisman that could be utilised in so many ways.

 Incline 2: Routines

    "Q-Quiet..." I groan at the blaring alarm I had set the night prior. Yet, it was also not the only alarm In had. Because my roommate was a dragon for all intents and purposes. And, if it wasn''t for the problems I would cause for myself, I''d choke her with a pillow.


    But, her noise did prevent me from going back to sleep. So I grabbed my things, piled neatly in a certain spot so I always knew where it was. And I went out into the area outside of the rooms. Then, slowly, I tried to get changed into my physical education kit.


    "How am I not used to this, already?" I asked myself after standing still for a few minutes. And I think it was a valid question. I''ve been doing this routine since I passed the entrance exam, really. But, here I was, tired and out of it with a pestering chill all about.


    However, it was not enough to make me retreat back into my warm bed. So I went down the stairs, careless of any noise I made on the way down. Then, I went into the kitchen and pulled a string out of my pocket. I made a knot with it, and then I grabbed a piece of cheap steel from a pot on the windowsill.


    And, as it was rolled about my hands, I watched as it started to rust, "Let''s get going, then." I mumble as the last of the initial morning grogginess left me.


    I grabbed the rest of my equipment, and I went to and out the door to our dorm. Shivering in the morning cold before I started to jog down the pathway of our street. And, like usual, it was quiet. A few others were up, but, initially, I was the only one doing anything.


    More people out for morning runs, however, were spotted once I got to my destination. A small shop meant for the students of Traditional House. And, like every other day, I grabbed a small meal and waited to be served. But, some were just not rid of the morning grogginess, and the queue moved slowly.


    "M-Morning, Baltanthan..." the woman at the till greeted as she yawned and blinked slowly.


    And, that yawn was infectious, "M-Morn..." I couldn''t even finish before I let out a long breath through my nose.


    "Still going at it?" she asked me as I became what bothered me only moments before. Thankfully, we had no short-tempered people here. As that would just make me want to combat their complaints with my own.


    "Yeah, the Inter-House Talent Display has yet to happen." I commented without my usual snark for a question like that. I was just too tired right now to really care.


    "G-Good luck with today, then." she yawned out before she waved me off.


    "Stop yawning..." I complained as I yawned on the way out with a small bag. Then, once I had secured it into my grip so that it wouldn''t bounce about. I started to jog again, this time with greater vigour as the problems of waking up vanished. And, for a short while, all I heard was my feet hitting the path.


    And once my final destination came into view, I slowed down before entering the large building. From there, I moved into its depths and put my food aside while extracting the drink. I then just walked about until I found my spot. But, before I could do what I wanted, I needed to prove it was me.


    "One slightly rusted washer." I said to the machine as I waved the magically-affected item by it. Something I kept up until I was finally allowed into the training room. Thankfully, as well, because I was able to keep this spot for an extended period of time. I could just get to it, no equipment had to be moved about.


    "Aw, little Ravineer still coming here?" the girl in the cubicle over mocked as she leaned over the low wall separating us.


    "What do you want, Rosheney?" I asked what had essentially become my morning routine bully. Not that I would ever admit it in the open. I wouldn''t hear the end of it if that were the case. But, she really did frustrate me.


    I hated the fact she found out I was not from a mountain-state...


    "To be able to train for the Inter-House without knowing some thing from down below is on my team." she told me with a smile that did not belong.


    However, I just rolled my eyes and got to it. As I can''t ignore her, I was too aware of her voice for that. But, I could at least let it fuel my desire to improve. So, there was that at the very least to make it bearable.


    And I could only wish for the kind of equipment Oddity and Exceptional House got. I had this little cubicle with some low-grade equipment while they had malleable pocket spaces! How was anyone meant to get on their level if all Traditional House had were these? But, for all my complaining, this stuff worked fine.


    I was not strong enough to make the most of anything more than it. So I tried to keep my focus and kept on going at it. I lifted the weights when I was using them. I used the fancy breathing devices designed to help magic circulation. And, of course, I occasionally looked on in jealousy at Rosheney.


    She was from Thrurstradtur, so her magic was naturally better as she was from higher up. But, as she was female, her real strength shined in her ability to cast spells. She could make small magic blasts without the need for a conduit or blood magic. Meanwhile, I could only rust metal because my early life boredom has somehow screwed me over...


    Then, she caught me watching her, and she smirked, "Oh, I''m sorry, Ravineer? Is there something wrong?" she asked me as her magic made itself known while she lifted some weights.


    "No." was all I had to say to her before I went back to stewing in my rage. And, deep inside of me, the machine swirled about my own magic while injecting more into me. In reality, it was a fancy breathing device. Possibly based on an ancient machine dug up by the Archeological Study and Relic Extraction Club.


    The same club my second alarm was a part of. I could ask about this machine, actually. It would have my ears bleeding and broken by the end of it. And, I would no longer have to put up with Rosheney''s comments.


    Because my ears would be broken beyond repair because my roommate never shut up about her club. I have really had it with her incessant blabbering about that giant glass chamber her group has found. I really have. How can she talk so much about something she knew next to nothing about!?


    "Heh, look at it go." I quietly commented with a smirk as I read the counter in front of me. I was able to break yesterday''s record by working myself up into a silent rage! Yet, I also regretted it as it made me easier to annoy.


    Which, a certain someone was certainly putting to use as she was an obnoxious one. So now my good feelings were making way for growing annoyance. Because she wouldn''t stop commenting about how well she was doing in comparison to me... Every day it was like this...


    I was sick of it, but, I also wanted to use it as well as I could. Yet, even then, I had my limits, so, I finished up with what I was doing and headed out to the range. Maybe today would be the day I could cast some kind of spell without a conduit. As, thankfully, I was able to avoid the fall that was blood magic.


    Even if the name was far more intimidating than what it would actually do for me. I used wind magic, so all that would happen is that I would be breathless. So why did they insist on calling it blood magic!? No blood was involved!


    "Okay, a target..." I mumbled to myself as I messed with the machine next to me. Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding, being the intuitive institution it was. Had a lot of insight into how magic developed and worked. So, they gave even us of Traditional House some arcane fabricators.


    Which meant I could create a target made of metal. But, with the small space I had to work with, it was only a small box I could make. And, once I was done setting up a target, I walked out onto the range and stood near it. First marking its backside with some rust to make sure my magic was working.


    A pointless test when you thought about it, but, it was a part of my routine with this bit. Then, once I circled back around to the front of the target. I spread my feet apart and held out my hand and breathed in deeply. I tried to concentrate on any unfamiliar feelings inside of me and I tried to bring them out.


    Yet, no matter how long I stood there with a trembling, claw-like hand, nothing happened. I kept up with it, however, for a few moments, but, someone followed me and set me off. Because she set up her own target and blasted it right from the start of the range. Meanwhile I had to move so close to the target in order to achieve nothing!


    "DAMMIT!" I roared at the metal box before I slapped it with a loud bang. But, even the process of the piece I slapped going orange before falling apart did nothing to calm me. In fact, I only got angrier as she was now howling with laughter.


    "You''re pathetic, Ravineer!" she cackled before she walked off. But that only made me angrier, as she only came over to enrage me.


    "Laugh all you want..." I growled out before I turned back to my box. But, because I had struck it out of anger just now, I had to reset it. Because I would not be able to tell if a projected spell worked properly like this. Yet, when I got to the machine again, I hesitated as now I was left wondering if there was a point...


    I was a ravineer in over his head right now. Most people here were either foreign students who came here because Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding was a great school. One of the best in the world for magic... Or they were mountain-born and got to feel the winds of Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra at their purest.


    I came here because I wanted to learn magic, but, what I had learnt up until I got up here barely meant anything! I barely made it past the entrance exams and was suffering from a lack of sleep during that time! I was a weakling from a forgettable town in a storyless intersection of mountains... Yet, despite that, I still made it.


    "I am a student, a student of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding!" I suddenly declared loudly, full of pride. My previous thoughts were still there, but this injection of optimism was what I needed to give it another go. And I did just that, I worked to prove people like Rosheney wrong. I worked so I could tell a younger me that it was worth it.


    But, this time, I moved closer rather than returning to my prior distance. If I was having trouble with casting a spell. Then I just needed to squeeze a spell out. And when something was squeezed out, you stayed close to the target!


    "There we go!" I let out joyously as I watched rust spread across the new box I had prepared. It wasn''t as damaging as my slap, but, it was something! And something was better than nothing!


    .


    .


    .


    "And if you want to come back up the Spiraling Road, just present your Token of Entry and you''ll be let in with none of the hands-on inspections getting in your way." the uniformed man behind his secured box informed me. And while I waited for him to be finished with my equipment, I moved the item between my fingers. It was a small circular thing, made of a brass-like metal like most of the things in this nation of deep-earth. Then, when I was done looking at it, I slipped it into an animal skin I had strung to me.


    "So this is the way to the hunting reserve?" I asked one more time just to make sure I was reading it right. I hated all this technology as it deprived me of the joy of finding it myself. But, in cases like this, it was much better to rely on the easily despised produce of men. I did not know this land, and it was too different to my own.


    This place was narrow, long and winding. I came from a land of crystalline plains that we never got too familiar with. I could ride freely back home, yet here, I was dictated to by the stone giants. This land of mountains was anathematic to my way of life.


    "Indeed, the Animal Congregation Centre for the Light Seekers is along the Thrurstradtur-Enfeort ring-tram route." he confirmed before my equipment was finally returned to me.


    "I see, thank you." I told him before I went outside to go see Lukhi. A small smile came to my face when I got outside as well. Because it has been so long since I have been able to ride him since coming to this land. I almost felt nostalgic as well once I saddled myself onto the partially gaseous creature.


    Lukhi had grown quite popular in the time I was inside that building. Because he was surrounded by curious children who were now obstructing my way out. But, much to my pleasure, the parents were not careless enough to let their children see Lukhi on their own. He was a foreign steed, after all, they would have no familiarity with him.


    "Shreychuo!" I barked in my native tongue before Lukhi reared up onto his misty rear legs before charging. And soon, we had put enough distance between the crowds and I that I could elicit greater speed. Speed that made me bring down my hood just so I could enjoy it more. For a moment as well, I felt the nostalgia of home come to me.


    The wind was sending my hair flying and Lukhi''s thunderous hooves provided a steady rhythm. And, not long after, I let my throat sing a soothing tone once I got into that rhythm. But, while I was enjoying the joy the sensation of the ride gave me. All these great stone pillars I rode by, the well-maintained roads and isolated groups of guards.


    It made it clear that it was only nostalgia, a necessary evil to make sure I did not vanish mentally. I may often dream of home, but I came here of my own volition. Our elders and shamans spoke of developed lands often. And I wanted to see one of them so that I may learn. Some of our tribe''s greatest riders, after all, went on an adventure before they led the charge of our people.


    I intended to do the same, or, at the very least, emulate such a journey. I was not married, yet, but when I finally did share such a bond. I would have many great stories to tell to encourage similar spirits. I hated these mountains, but even I could not deny the awe of my first sight.


    To head south from the tip of the world and along the rolling hills of northern lands. To then finally arrive at the borders of the land of the self-proclaimed Great People. It was a memory I wanted my future sons and daughters to have. We could even revel in our hatred of the mountains when they came back.


    "But, you''re not all bad." I told the divided, fractured land once Lukhi came to a stop at a cliff of sorts. Down below, an open field rimmed by jagged rock. It was a plateau of a lesser mountain, but, it was close enough to a field for me. To make it even better, this was along the route I was told to take.


    So I could ride down this cliff with no fear and enjoy that expanse of grass and flowerbeds. But, before I could do that, I had to bring Lukhi away from the cliff. Then, I ordered him back towards it until he sent us soaring into the sky. From there, the rest of Lukhi''s strength became apparent, and we gently floated down to the land below.


    And once we were close enough, the land echoed with Lukhi''s thunderous charge once again. A contradiction some might see, but for me, it was a thing to respect. I was never going to be able to fly on my own, my magic wasn''t good enough for it. But, I could at least feel the way a bird does for a brief moment on top of Luhki.


    Another familiar sound, however, would catch my attention as well. Because I could hear the faint sounds of distant throat-singing. So, with that in mind, I directed Luhki towards it while staying silent. Either, it was a partner to converse with, or, I would find lands to hunt in.


    To my joy, it was both, because I found a small horde gathering at one spot. We may have not built many permanent buildings in the far north. But, when we did, it stood out and I felt happy seeing it. Because I was now beholden to a vast crystalline dome of sorts.


    It had the misfortune of carrying the signs of wind-people hands and craftsmanship. But, it was close enough that I could not say it bothered me. And it seems I shared the common opinion, as once I joined the horde. I heard many praises and compliments between other discussions.


    "Hello, fellow rider, your face makes it clear you have only been here once." a square-jawed warrior said to me. He had split away slightly from the main body to come over to me. Why I could not figure out, but, I had no issue with it. A warrior as scarred as him would surely be an interesting conversationalist.


    "It is that obvious?" I asked with a small smile. I was pretty sure my face was mostly devoid of emotion. But, riding Lukhi put me into a different mood when compared to being up in that school.


    "No." he laughed out before I shook my bemused head.


    "So, this is the hunting grounds for our people?"


    "It is, but there is much more to it than just hunting. Depending on how used to it you are, it is either a blessing or a curse." he told me, something that made me frown.


    "The wind-people have filled it with their manufactured amenities?"


    "Yes, but that is because this place is seen as a place of entertainment."


    I cocked a brow before frowning, "They ruin the hunt in seek of cheap thrills?"


    "No, they only ruin it if your focus is not on your prey." he clarifies.


    I scoff either way, as I just wanted to hunt like I used to, "Well, so long as they stay out of the way." I then mutter.


    "Their absence can be counted on. They watch through magical means. They see us, but we don''t see them."


    "So you have been here many times before?"


    "Ever since I have arrived in this land." he tells me, which, leaves me a little confused.


    "Why would you spend so much of your time hunting? This land is not suited to our ways."


    "Because for some, the appeal of a light-blessed hunter is enough to spill coffers and shatter open vaults."


    I nodded at his answer, but, I felt some disrespect grow, "Well, I wish you well in your endeavours, then."


    "So what do you seek to accomplish here?" the greedy rider asked me before he pulled out a plant to chew on.


    "To no longer be cursed with blindness."


    "Ah, you made a mistake that you seek to correct. That is a good goal."


    I groaned quietly before I brought Lukhi to a halt, "I intend to be ignorant that this mistake ever happened. So, bless your hunts, fellow rider, but, I must be going." I tell him once we arrive at the vast building. And, to make it clear I wanted to be left alone, I pulled up my face mask and brought my hood up again. Those who were well-raised would understand what it meant.


    But, I had the misfortune of being so knowledge deprived when it came to this place. Because there was some more boring line-waiting before I could go and hunt. It was a very boring affair and I was glad when it was finally over. Because, once it was done, I could just sprint out into a forest and move on to enjoying myself.


    And, as much as it pained me that I could not ride Luhki during this hunt. It was, unequivocally for the best. If I could not hunt without blinding myself, then I endangered myself and Lukhi if I was to hunt from atop him. And I do not know what I would do if I lost my loyal steed because of my own incompetence.


    So, for now, I had to hunt on my own. I had to give up part of myself so I could come back to it better than before. Yet, it was not all bad. Because hunting on foot had its own thrills and joys.


    However, I would not be stalking large prey here, I was interested in the smaller things. Rodents and birds would be my desire for the time being. Their small size and the swiftness that often came partnered with such animals is what I needed. Because, they were harder to shoot, maybe the embarrassment of missed shots would purge me of my mistakes.


    I did, however, find myself despairing at the thought of getting rid of this mistake. I have tried to learn what I could from the school, but only I could teach myself to be free of it. It was not like using a bow or riding or cooking your well-won game. I had to figure it out for myself, it was an uncomfortable situation, but I was a rugged man.


    I was not going to back down from the challenge and I would see it triumphed over. So I was doing what I could to try and break away from it. Between failed shots, I sat and pondered while my vision recovered. Or, to calm myself, I let my lense crystal float between my palms.


    "Perhaps if I did it without it...?" I then asked myself once I stood up. My vision had not fully recovered, but, it was only blurry at the edges of my eyes right now. So I could hunt right now, and, instead of bringing my lense crystal to my fingertips... I just held up my arm and let that guide my shot.


    Unfortunately, however, not much came of it. But, I could at least take joy in the fact the bird I aimed for was now dead. A fine and small, but searing hole had been punched straight through it. I was now also half-blind as I had sacrificed only one eye''s eyesight.


    "Now, I must try and figure out how I can reduce it further." I commented before I fell to the ground and picked up the bird. And, with each feather that I plucked off while I stewed in my thoughts. An optimistic feeling grew because only losing one eye was better than two.


    .


    .


    .


    "So, what are we doing today, Omb?" I asked my friend, who, in this case, I had to treat as a teacher. He hasn''t done anything but eat since I met up with him and I was growing impatient. I had made a lot of progress in regards to my ice magic. But, he was growing increasingly confusing.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I''m going to eat and be full." he told me with a smile before he finely cut a slice of meat out of his meal. Not one bit of its fatty juices and sauce covered skin dripping down on the way up.


    "Not you, we!" I repeated before I groaned as my cheek rested against my knuckle.


    "I don''t know what you''re going to be doing." he chuckled out before he ate another slice.


    "Oh, you know. That thing we agreed to do since we met up on the ship to this land? That thing I had to pester you about for weeks and weeks before I got an answer?" I sarcastically let out as icy mist began to emit from my hands.


    "And what was that?" he asked me with a knowing smile before my head fell to the table.


    "Do you just not want to teach me anything today? You could have just made that clear!" I tell him, irritated by the waste of my time. And I made it clear by slamming my palms against the table. A thin layer of quickly-melting frost has been left behind.


    "Oh, I intend to teach you. But, we need to know that you are learning." he says with a serious tone as he puts him utensils down.


    "Oh? Am I learning? I don''t know." I trap off as mist comes back to my palms.


    "Not like that, Tiyanat. What I mean is, it is important for you to develop something on your own. I have passed on my knowledge of heat to you by working alongside you. But, you need to bear in mind that ice is not fire." he says to me with a respectful tone. But, his choice of words only made me think that he was treating me like an idiot. Of course, I was fully aware ice was not fire!


    "I can cast this magic fine, though. I don''t need to figure anything out." I tell him with confused frustration. Flicking my hand towards my sister as she played with the water in the sink.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed as her hands were encased in a block of ice. Ice Omb quickly melted with an increasingly rare display of magic.


    "Th-Thank you..." Larishazza cried out before laughing as she played up the pain she felt.


    "My pleasure, Cheerful!" he told my sister before he turned back to me, "But, Tiyanat. You need to remember where you came from. So it will be best for you to go train on your own. Independent of my influence."


    "Independent of it...? My magic has been irrevocably changed by yours! How am I meant to be independent of it!?" I asked him in an almost pleading like manner.


    "You''ll need to figure that out on your own." he told me with what was clearly the final thing he would be saying to me. As, once his mouth closed, he opened it up again only for a bowl of noodle soup...


    "Fine, then. I''ll do it on my own." I let out, annoyed by this unhelpful, so-called lesson. And, in a display of pettiness so I could get my frustration out. I froze his soup as it was going down his mouth.


    "Hm, interesting. Never had a slushed soup before." he laughed out when his magic quickly melted it after. But all I had was a groan which I made sure he heard before I stopped it once I got outside the dorm. And, I stood there for a little bit, unsure of what to do as my foot tapped the stairs harshly. Then, with a click of my tongue, I walked away from the dorm.


    He wanted me to go and do something on my own. So, surely, that meant I should head on over to a training centre, no? I should go there, set up some targets and freeze them? That''s all I really could do, no?


    "You frustrating Holeman." I groaned as my fingers flexed about and or squeezed my palms. A subtle behaviour that I kept up until reached my destination. It was one I wasn''t too happy to see, either. Because I found it more fun with Omb as we often did day trips down into the lands below.


    The progress I made became a briefly immutable characteristic of the land. We could walk past the places I froze and watch as the sights steadily got more impressive. Of course, my earliest days had no presence here. Because Omb first started teaching me while we were sailing.


    So the least impressive marks of my power were not the feeblest of them. But, they served the same purpose. I could reference them as we walked to a new place to train our power. Yet, I suppose that was his point, I was training our power, not mine.


    Stupid as a point it was, I think I was starting to unravel his meaning. Assuming he had a meaning at all. If he didn''t, I would scare him all the way back to his hole. If he did, well, a silent thanks would do.


    "Now, about you..." I muttered as I fiddled around with the controls of one of the fancy training rooms. All of it was mine to command but so much choice was paralyzing. However, I quickly figured out something I could do. Because thinking of the older me reminded me of what I used to do.


    I could not make ice so casually when I first started. I just made water cold or warm, not that it mattered. Water magic was always in tune, really, with its surrounding weather. Cold when moody, warm when bright.


    But, I have long since figured out how to truly alter its temperature. And, the result was my ice magic. Something I struggled with at first as solid objects, frankly, felt weird magically. I was raised to work with fuilidity.


    "So why did I do this? It was no issue at all?" I asked myself as I paced about the flooded training room. My steps were freezing the surface of the water and I solidified it all the way down to the floor. A pair of suddenly forming stilts for each step I took. And, just to prove nothing to myself, I melted the ice I was no longer on.


    And, I found myself getting annoyed again because I still did not know what to do. So I stopped using my ice magic and fell into the water. I then easily floated on my back once it had calmed down. It did not matter if I got wet, really, I could just heat the room up...


    Then, all of a sudden, I sat up in the water and fell to the bottom. My eyes just barely reached above the surface before I rose up. Was that perhaps what he meant? If Larishazza got unnecessarily soaked, she used her magic to dry herself.


    I, however, had Omb do it... I found someone else or something else to do it or I waited. I did not actually use my magic to do it. I did not call upon my knowledge of water to take it off my skin and out of the fibres of my clothes.


    "Okay, let''s try something else." I said to no one as there was no one but me. And, once again I messed around with the room controls and isolated the water. Now, instead of flooding the place, I had basically made a swimming pool. But this was so I could make a spot to dry myself while not getting wet again.


    Yet, as I was still wet from before, I gave it a go before using my newly set up tools. I focused on my hands at first, as I could focus the most on them. I could watch my progress and feel it better. The hands had a very important role in magic, but, not the most important.


    However, to my confusion, I had trouble feeling out the water unless I froze it. Which, made it very clear that this was probably what he meant. I couldn''t use my water magic anymore, really. And, to be frank, I was not sure how I was ever going to learn to use it again.


    I was determined to be a great practitioner of ice magic, so reversing that progress was off the table. Yet, maybe there was a way I could make this work. Ice was just frozen water, so what if I just manipulated the ice I made? But, as the frozen water flaked off of me, I couldn''t help but feel like I did something wrong.


    "Damn you and your mind-jogging thought experiments..." I complained with a sigh while my finger spun the pool water about. Even with this much water, I could not sense it unless I froze it or chilled the water. And, as I spun it about, I steadily started to freeze it until I had mostly frozen, but sludgy water.


    So, then, I tried practising with that as that seemed to be the closest I could get to actual liquid water. And, I copied my sister a little and danced about with the partially frozen water snaking about. An arcane grip directed it all over the room until my open palm made it explode into snow. Then, I groaned in thought once again as I was only making myself lost.


    "No... He had to have been messing with me... He just wanted to enjoy his food in quiet, surely?" I asked myself as I began to get ready to leave. But, when I got back to the console, my pride withheld me from further action. I just couldn''t muster the strength to push the Exit button. Then, I swore under my breath as I went back to it.


    This time, however, I just raised my hand and shot ice out of it. Very slowly and methodically transitioning it into sludge again. Then, eventually, I was able to have a stream of chilly water shoot from my palm. But, the joy of doing it made it become ice again.


    I did not care, though, I had managed to accomplish my goal and potentially learn the lesson. This experience, however, had given me an idea. What if I learned to go back to water magic but used it as a means to spread ice magic? I could fool others and easily practise it on my mentally-out-of-it sister.


    "Well, it''s better than nothing." I tutted out before I turned to leave once again. Only to then rush towards the pool and jump in it. Quickly getting out of it with a shiver and then just standing there. Dripping from head to toe with chilly water.


    And, with a slow breath and rattling teeth, I was able to take the water off. I had managed to do what my sister does so casually! It almost made me want to prance about cheering. But, I couldn''t help but think about how I did it.


    "I still felt out the temperature of it, not the fact it was water..." I commented as I shivered on the way to the console once again. And I was left humming in thought as I set up the means to warm myself up. And I was left even more confused as the heat source could not be felt out. It was, too warm if that somehow made sense...?


    I guess it didn''t matter, for now, I had some time to learn what I was apparently doing wrong. Maybe I would figure it out in time, or maybe I would not. It''s not like it is a crippling issue. Just one that has my mind abuzz with confused thoughts.


    .


    .


    .


    "Oh, that hit the spot just right." I cheerfully tell anyone who would listen at this most welcoming table. And, as always, a cheerful woman with dull, but still colourful blue-hair smiled at my words.


    "So will this!" she declares as she puts me through another round of her antics. But a swift hand of mine knocked her aim off course and instead, my student, her sister got soaked.


    "Larishazza..." I tut with a low, but in-serious tone. A knowing smile formed once she ran off, an annoyed sibling in hot pursuit. And when I heard her playful screams, I roared out a laugh.


    "Let me guess, same as before?" my student asks me as she leans past the door frame with a face full of bother.


    "If you''d be so kind." I answer as I slowly get up with the aid of a creaking table. Then, I head on out for the open skies outside. I did not want to linger as I knew full well what would happen if I did. I would enjoy myself too much with the antics of others.


    But, upon sudden inspection, I realised I had left too hastily. And I moved as quickly as I could back inside so I could get my wallet. I did not need it, in reality. But, it gave my fingers something to be dexterous with on my walks to the shops.


    "Heads." I predict as I flip a lucky coin I had brought here from my home. But, my guess was wrong and I instead ended up with the tail-end of the coin. I would have gasped in horror, had it actually meant anything of note. However, it only mattered so long as I followed through with the plan I set.


    That plan being, if I got the guess wrong, I could not eat any dessert during my trip. It saddened me slightly, but, it was for the best. Discipline was a core part of the warrior''s mind. And, if I slipped up in that regard, I brought shame to and undermined myself.


    Yet, it was not all bad, because there was quite a selection of food here to enjoy regardless. Juicy meats, thin and thick broths and potent booze. I could appease my desires with many small or a few great meals. And, to make it all better, I brought much joy to those around me when I ate.


    So many opportunities to eat with old friends and to make new ones. It was a great time to have and I enjoyed the repetition of it. There were no complexities beyond what everyone brought. There was only good food and even better company.


    "See ya, Ombbo!" Larishazza waved out to me before she narrowly avoided a block of ice. A block that went on to scrape my side.


    "I''ll see you at dinner!" I laughed back as the ice continued onwards until it fully melted. Its brief brush with me having taken away its form and replaced it. And, having just seen that, I became a little cautious. A little more reserved.


    I had to be careful with all this magic in me after all. Eating wasn''t just a source of pleasure for me. It was a core part of what I had in mind for the Inter-House. I wanted to impress whatever family member came.


    More so, I wanted to inspire awe and fear in the competing houses who came to watch. I wasn''t the only Errakurd here after all. There were quite a few hoping to find a new power to overwhelm the over. In fact, I was pretty sure sending daughters and sons abroad was increasingly popular.


    New ways of fighting, new ways of appeasing our people and the Honourable War himself. They could all be found outside of the very peak of our lands. And, while I looked forward to the day I would go home. I wanted to spend more time on the surface.


    Just so I could enjoy all they had to offer as it was so much more flavourful. The animals could be fattened and the fruits were moist! Delicate spices could grow and water flowed unimpeded. Sure, my home took its ideas of conflict beyond just fire and sword...


    But, it was another thing entirely to see the labours of the peaceful surface people. As shocked and awed they might be to find out we Errakurd considered them peaceful. It baffled them, it really did, especially my two good friends back at the dorm. Our place of rest and warm affection where both were found aplenty.


    And it made me laugh when I thought about it. I had once told my student, dear Tiyanat of the Sl''Ayiysab. But, the ease with which she set her mind on something made her misunderstand. She could not see what I was doing, only what she saw.


    "To be fair to her, however, there is a lot to see." I laughed out as I expressed the joy my thoughts led me to. And, shortly after saying that, I found another reason to smile with joy. Because I had now arrived at my favourite place in the whole academy. Admittedly, however, any place where good food was, was my favourite place.


    "There he is!" the baker cheered as I came in through the door with a smile on my face. And, when I got close enough to him as he came out to meet me, we collided. Our big, fat bellies rippled against each other before we clasped hands. The sound of our laughter bringing light to the otherwise joyous shop.


    "Mr Baker, oh Mr Baker. What have we today?" I asked as I let my nose suck in as much as it could. And, between blissful sighs as I smelled the warm bread, the toasty buns and icing covered cake. I grew envious of my recently returned friend. Her nose was so good at what it does, I only wish I could smell as well as her.


    I was content with what I could smell, though, it was already such a good experience. And while it could have been so much better, I was grateful for how it was. After all, there was such a thing as, unfortunately... Too much of a good thing.


    "What I have prepared for my best customer today is a fine special indeed. Risen flatbread made with wheat scythed from the northern plains beyond the Great Border Range. Dusted in dried fruit moss from the caves beneath the city of Hlenunt, and, of course, baked within the confinement of my special oven."


    "Oh, I grow ravenous already." I tell him as I pat my belly as I find myself looking at that thick, bulbous but hard-skinned bread. However, when he brought over a small, copper pot, I grew curious. It was such a modest vessel that I could not help be curious.


    "And here," he begins to say while also pulling out a lidded bowl, "A soup made using my good Ma''s recipe. It ha-"


    "No, speak no more. I know everything I need to about this soup." I tell him with a smile as I fell in love with its origins. There was nothing better than food aged by the experience of a mother over the years. Mine may have never cooked much. But, if she came hunting, she made a divine barbeque.


    "And the price, a compliment to my good Ma when you next see her." he jokes as I hand over the necessary amount of money for the clearly priced meal.


    "When I next see her is but an inevitability!" I tell him as I wave on my way out. A small container in my hands in which my bread and soup resided. Then, once the chiming of the bell ceased to be, I looked around for a bench to sit at. Or, perhaps I was better off looking for a table?


    After all, any spills could be cleaned with far greater ease than if they spilt onto me. Not that I had any intention of showing such lacking skill at the place of my meal. I wanted to and would savour every bite, or, in this case, spoonful. But where I would enjoy my food was another question entirely.


    The winds of the greatest mountain had given me a cool, steam-wafting breeze to work with. The Orbital-Halo was shining brightly and was barely obstructed by clouds. I could rest under the shade or have it periodically come by. But, the chirping of birds made my decision come quickly.


    "Such sweet little things you have there." I said quietly to the mother bird as she fed her chicks with food taken from across the academy. A latest edition of which was the flatbread I had bought. But, she never took it from my palm when she saw my offer. It was too hard, of course!


    So, I made way to break it down for her until it was something she could give to her young. Yet, she was a curious mother that was hungry herself, so she pecked the moss from my palms. And, I chuckled lightly as her beak prodded me until she took the rest of it for her chicks. Then, I dug in once I offered silent thanks to any god involved in this meal.


    From the Potted God for his fruit moss and the Companion God for his sacrifice. Then, I gave thanks to the First Mother for helping my chef grow the way she did. Because this soup was truly divine. I could taste every bit of nurture in the warm liquid.


    I could tell from what I have seen of the baker that this was made to his tastes. The way the veg was cut, the manner in which the meat was sliced. It all matched up with how he did it himself. And, knowing him, it was because the recipe told him to, not because he wanted to.


    "I really do need to see the woman that raised that man. Because, by the gods, that soup was perfect." I complimented once I came to the end of my meal. A half-soaked piece of softer bread that I had been given soon entered my mouth. He knew full well that the flatbread would neither last nor work for what was to come. So, a fluffier one had been given.


    And, because of his foresight, I had a bowl that showed no signs of soup ever being there. I was thankful for it, because such a fine meal should not have a single drop wasted. It was not the solid, left-over fat of meat staining the bowl. It was a mother''s lovingly prepared ambrosia and it just demanded to be eaten in its entirety.


    However, now I was left with a conundrum. I was carrying dead weight that I was not rude enough to leave lying about the academy. And the bakery was so, so very far away now. But, as I looked back at the bakery I recently left, I took on an expression of glee.


    Because I had found another place I could go to in order to seek more food. It was the perfect place to get a meal to fuel my journey back to the bakery next door! So, with an eager clap and freshly licked lips, I got up and went to it. But, before I stepped in, I looked at what was on display here.


    "Hm, cold meat sandwiches and fatty, sausage pastries. I think I will enjoy what is available here." I said to myself as I happily nodded at the food on display. Yet, before I went in, I made sure to bring out my lucky coin. And I flipped it with the head''s side being up in mind. And, with an ecstatic cheer to mark that it indeed was, I went inside.


    "Why good morning, what can I get you?" the confident man behind the counter asked me as he prepared another meaty roll before my eyes.


    .


    .


    .


    "Roseli, where are you?" I asked as I exited the bathroom of my student apartment. One hand in my pocket while the other span emerald magic around the fingers. I had only gone in there briefly to freshen up and she had already vanished. But, knowing what she did with the money she accumulated, I was going to enjoy the sight.


    "Why don''t you come and find me, my love?" she answered back with a whisper that I heard with my magic.


    "Find you? Well, if you insist." I say with a growing smirk as I began to hunt for a specific signature. And, when I found her, it was because she was speaking with those bulbs of hers. A sweet voice that could only be heard with magic.


    "You best find me quickly... These straps can only cover up my honey-taps for so long..." she whispered lustfully with her arcane voice. And, with a newfound eagerness, I picked up the pace until I found her. But, despite the tone and theatrics her voice had, she was just lounging about casually.


    I smiled and shook my head on the way other to her, "I think this will stay on fine." I tell her as I briefly hook my finger into her fancy bra. And, just as quickly let it go flicking it back towards her.


    "Stop it!" she giggled before she turned around and rose up to match me. But, being on your knees only did so much. So I picked her up and brought her over the sofa. Putting my lips against hers while her legs wrapped around me.


    However, much to the disappointment of both of us. I put her down as I had other things I had to attend to right now. I had gone into the bathroom to freshen up before I saw my friends, after all. The way she moaned in disappointment, however, was a good argument for standing them up.


    Yet, I had a disciplined mind, "Sorry, Roseli, but, already have plans." I tell her before I gave her a final kiss.


    "Then those plans can include me." she confidently said as her arm wrapped around mine and she pressed up against me. The intricate looseness of this lingerie-like casual wear of hers allowed me two things. One, to feel her soft body compressed behind the softer fabric. And, two, to feel what she did not cover up as it bulged out with greater force.


    "Well, I believe they already were going to include you, anyway." I laugh out before I shook my bemused head. Roseli was a clingy one, she liked to be around me. She most certainly enjoyed doing it as well when there were others who had their eye on me. But, what could I say?


    I looked good and I made sure others saw it too. So, it was only natural that someone would show off their prize. A good quality, well-made trophy always was worth displaying after all. And, our walk out of the apartment made that clear.


    My trophy rack was fit to burst at this point and all of it was from storied events that occurred in this place. But, Roseli might have been the first woman I have ever met that never cared for it. She always looked at them with an expression that said one simple thing. I have seen better.


    Which, unfortunately, brought the bug to mind as she had made it clear he was her last... Pairing... It frustrated me to think about that creature, because had I not proven myself? I was stronger, yet, Roseli always brought it back to him.


    It made no sense whatsoever, weren''t aelenvari meant to be cold creatures? They saw someone stronger and that was it? No more loving between the pair? Admittedly, I was fine with the idea of being proven wrong.


    It''s just, aelenvari had a reputation, they did. It was a rare thing indeed for them to linger on one lover. Not that I had any intentions of treating this as a mere excuse for sex with Roseli. It just, bothered me sometimes when it became clear how unwilling she was to forget the bug.


    "So where are you lot?" I asked the wind as I sent my magic out across the fields we found ourselves walking in. Unlike Traditional House, what we Exceptionals had was vast arrays of flowers and artwork. An exceptional landscape, for the most exceptional students.


    "By the Inter-House Information Handler. Something big is going down." I got back as an answer not long after.


    "The Inter-House?" I repeated in confusion, I highly doubted that it was being cancelled. Thrurstradtur would have to be at war for that to happen. And, my brief glimpse to the skies caught sight of no airships flying the Mighty Moon''s banner. Beyond the airship of our resident royal, of course.


    But, outside of that, I could not think of anything. Unless they were just walking in on a fight that was entertaining? But that made no sense either as staff would be there the moment it went off. There was a Suhurlodst Academy Guard, after all.


    So just what could it be? Maybe it had something to do with that new creature that caused a fuss recently? Were people just excited to see her fight in the Inter-House? Admittedly, I was keen to watch her too, as I had no interest in taking part this time.


    Yet, once we waded through the crowds upon arriving. I got my answer as to what was causing all this ruckus. The reason my friends went here wasn''t because of petty squabbling, it was because of an ungodly rumour. Though, now, it wasn''t so much a rumour as an unavoidable truth.


    "Nin..." Roseli muttered with a horrified gasp before she ran off.


    "Rose!?" I called out as I spun around at first. But, she had already left my sight and with so many people here, I''d not be able to find her.


    "How... How can they let the osibindah take part!? It''s bad enough it''s back!" one student cried out as her magic flared about her. She was not the only one saying stuff like that, either. Nearly everyone here was voicing such an opinion. With the exception of any Oddity House students who did not understand the rightful hatred and fear of the bug.


    "Hey, Seigunfrei, look at this!" one of my mates called out as he waved me other while also pointing at another bit of information.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me..." I groaned as I saw what the staff had measured him up as. The student who needed half a dozen added on scores was ranked this high!? What were the teachers and advisors thinking!? Having beaten him so casually, I could say right here right now he was not Exceptional material.


    Because that is what he had been measured up as. The usually wise women and men of this respected place had declared that bug Exceptional House material... How, I could only wish I could find out. But, the calmer side of me understood that they would have not made this call lightly.


    So what had he been exactly up to...? Was this perhaps one of the reasons Roseli had trouble forgetting about him? She was like a nervous child who was unsure if they had succeeded? However, in this case, it would be that she had lingering memories of his growth?


    But, that would have to wait, because my girl needed me to comfort her, "Move." I then demanded of those around me. And, when space had been cleared, I shot up into the sky on a pair of tornadoes before I dropped to the ground. A whimpering aelenvari just to my right.


    "I''m sorry... I shouldn''t have run off like that..." Roseli cried as she wiped her eyes. I did not want to scold her, however, so I knelt before her. Taking her partially gloved hands into mine.


    "R... Rose''lhia, is there something you want to tell me?" I asked her, concerned for her as this behaviour was so recently on the decline. But, since the bug had come back, she''s started getting like this again.


    "I''m... F-Fine... It''s just..." she began to say before it all fell apart. She couldn''t even form the sentences with her bulbs either. So it was clearly more than just some simple frustration.


    "Before we started dating, when you and... Nin, were together. Had he done something to you? Threatened you? Attacked you? Anything bad?"


    "N-No... He did nothing like that..." she whimpered as I brought her close and stroked her hair.


    "Then why do you have trouble forgetting about him?" I asked as I briefly put some distance between us. My hair and eyes might not have been emerald in colour, but, I was powerful in my own right.


    "I d-don''t know..." she told me before the tears began to fall again.


    "Do you think he is stronger than me?" I asked her as my hand moved towards her heart. Just in case her mind conflicted with the answer she might give.


    "No... You beat him with such ease I hadn''t expected..." she told me with a sniffle that left me confused. If this was as honest as could possibly be with her answer, then what was it.


    But, even if I had trouble figuring it out, I did have one solution, "Then, I shall take part in the Inter-House. For your sake." I tell her as I stood up and looked back at the building I had just come from. My attention quickly returned back to her.


    "How''s that going to help!?" she despaired as one hand clutched her head. Almost as if it was trying to claw out the memories she had of the bug.


    "Because, I think, for now, if I make it clear to you one more time, that he isn''t in your best interest anymore, it will help us. But, most importantly, it will help you." I tell her with some uncertainty as I really did not know how to help her. Maybe I could ask about, go on a brief day trip to a flower or the Aelenvari District in Thrurstradtur but...


    "Okay..." she then tells me with a smile before she gives me a quick, but still slow kiss.


    I then smile back, "Well, let''s go sign me up for it, then."


    "Actually..." she starts to say as I help her to her tips.


    "What is it? You want to take part?" I ask as bewilderment enters my mind. Roseli was not strong by any metric. She was, by personal admission, a priestess for all intents and purposes. She was not a fighter.


    "Yes, I do... I believe that me seeing you beat him, in person, will have..."


    "The impact that our last encounter did not?" I ask her as I remember how she came up to me during the conclusion of my last fight against the bug. She was not up top in the spectator''s seats like everyone else. She was in the arena, skillfully danced around as I beat the bug.


    "It might, I..." she began to say before I placed a finger on her lips.


    "Shh now, don''t worry about it. I''ll handle it." I tell her, smiling softly until she regained the confidence I found so attractive about her.


    "Okay, then, let''s get you ready to show off, then!" she said as she began to tug on my arm and bring me back towards the building.

 Incline 3: The Final Preparations

    "Can I speak to whoever is in charge of this?" I asked the human behind the counter. And while I utterly despised it, it was far more tolerable as of late. The gazes and the stares. But, that was inevitable given how often it happened.


    "And for what purpose?" she asked me slowly as she started to get visibly nervous.


    "Because I would like to take part in it." I told her with a loud huff of air. Getting everyone else to finally back down with the advice took longer than I thought it would. I made many arguments for it, from a practical sense and emotional one... But, they were dug in and entrenched when it came to their positions.


    "R-Right..." the human let out before she suddenly rushed off into another room. And, when the sound of her movement disappeared, a blast of voices came my way.


    "Student Liadanann!? Are you sure!?" one of the humans that came rushing out asked me. Yet, I did not give any answers until I had put some space between me and them. To have so many humans just rush out at once...


    "I am, I would like it to be done." I said with as much authority I could muster. If I chose my words carefully, they would perhaps relent with their needless caution?


    "I-I''m sorry, but, we must urge you to reconsider!"


    "Yes! A chance of death does exist in the event despite our precautions!"


    "We simply cannot condone this choice!"


    "Your words will not sway me. Now, do as I have told." I said with a forming snarl as dealing with this stuff all over again was anger-inducing. I could keep my cool with Nin because I cared for him. But, these were humans! There would be no cooled tempers!


    "Your magic isn''t even strong enough for us to consider such an action!" one of them pointed out. And I could only click my tongue as the others made a point of showing off. They made sure their magic swelled over me and tried to intimidate me out of it. I, however, would not be swayed by such displays of might.


    I had the blessing of the Lord! The might and power of the God of all Ddrai''och! The talisman I wore was proof of it! No feeble spell these humans could throw would scare me or kill me!


    "Alright then, how about this? You provide me the means to prove you wrong, and you back down and do what I want?" I offered up to them as maybe a bet would appeal to their curious sides. They have hounded me with questions whenever they could. So maybe this would make them fold on the issue?


    "We can''t possibly display such professional lacking!" one huffed with an expression that felt hollow. It was clear they said it merely to keep up appearences.


    "Well, think about it like this, human," I tell them as I start to gain some confidence which helped me approach them, "this talisman, gifted to me by Iderim-Ovi himself, blessed be His holy name. A power you have no way of knowing about. Give me the means to work it into something and you''ll be able to see its power. As well, how my people do things."


    "Now that is a very, very tempting offer, Student Liadanann." the human male in charge of the House I somehow was a part of said. And, with each sharp-sounding step he took, his curiosity became more visible. It was unsettling for me because I have seen that gaze from humans many times.


    The kind of humans I hated the most with an indescribable fury...


    "Then, will you take me up on it?" I asked him as I grew protective of my talisman. It was a holy item, sure, but, it was still a necklace at the end of it all... I worried that it might be simply snatched from me with a sudden tug and pull...


    "Is Mechanical House''s Head here?" he then asked as his attention moved to the other humans.


    "I am." answered someone sat down, a stone tablet in their hands.


    "Well, how about it then? Shall we share what our Houses can provide?" the human asked with a smile while the other stayed in his seat. But, when he sat up, his formerly flabby body seemed to tighten up. And, when he stood up fully, I was face-to-face with a bulky human male that was almost my height.


    He was probably stronger than me, regardless, but, having them match your height made it scarier. And, I found myself moving away from him as he moved closer to me. His gaze was unlike the others, in fact, it reminded me of my home. When I was working around the clock, I often saw that gaze.


    It was the gaze of an engineer at work, but, how he had a gaze like that here...


    "Very well, Student Liadanann, if you''d follow me." he ordered before I found myself following him unintentionally. However, as I inspected the man further, I began to reconsider my worries regarding him. It might have been more due to his present and pridefully displayed dedication to a certain god... It was unsettling to be so close to such items.


    Thankfully, however, the vast expanse that was his domain was calming. I could tear my attention from him and enjoy the sights of industry instead. This place was so much greater than the workshops my home had... And this was just a school!


    My home had everything it could be useful. There was little in the way of recreation. It was a vehicle made only for survival and the continuation of my people. But, this place, it was made for industry alone!


    Technology covered in magic and surging with arcane power was all about me. Humans at work swarmed the place and machinery thundered throughout the area. In fact, I could have sworn the place got louder when we walked through the main gates... But, I suppose it did not matter.


    "Student Liadanann, in order to make sure you fulfil your craftsman''s challenge to the best standard, I will relinquish my workshop to you between now and the start of the Inter-House Talent Display." he told me before he smacked his hand on something. And, within moments, the vast and grand chamber dedicated to engineering and manufacturing came to life. Forges roared to life and material came swivelling in on carts and hangers.


    "T-This is..." I began to say at first, my awe indescribable as I saw so much I was unfamiliar with. But, at the centre of this vast place was a shrine dedicated to Ancient Thunder. The first-born god had a presence in this otherwise to die for place. It was very unsettling, to say the least.


    "Pardon my curiosity, but, why do you fear the god whom your profession is tied to?" the human asked me as he rummaged about for tools and boxes.


    "My craft is not dedicated to him!" I spat out in answer.


    "All who make, honour Thurnmourer." he reminds me. Which while truthful, is not something I have ever done. I could only spit on the god who tried to kill mine.


    "Then I''ll make sure to make him something that will dishonour him and enrage him." I snapped as I began to stroll through the vast chamber this man called a workshop.


    "An impossible goal. But, I have given you this space not so you can toil pointlessly, but so you can achieve a very reachable goal." he tells me, which, makes me come to a halt.


    "You think I can do it? Harness the power of a holy talisman?" I ask him as I let out some of my uncertainty. It might seem simple in my head, but, the reality was probably harsher.


    "I have never seen such a thing happen. But, my curiosity fuels an optimistic fire. Let''s hope you can indeed match your words." he says to me before he leaves me alone in the vast workshop. Then, when the doors closed behind him, I rushed about looking for blankets. And, once I had found enough of them, I covered up the shrine and snorted at it.


    "You stay out of this." I growled to the God of Thunder if he was listening in on our conversation. But, I had no time to waste. So, I turned my attention to the greater workshop and I looked for clothes to wear. As much as I loved the comfort Nin''s old clothes provided...


    I needed something better than a pair of straps over my shoulders. I needed overalls and I needed steel caps and I needed... Yet, then, I came to realise something, none of the protective equipment was made for my form. It was a frustrating thing that made me growl.


    "Unless..." I quietly muttered when I took the talisman into my palms. Maybe I would not need protective clothing if I learned to control this better? I could learn quite a bit about it if I learned how to use it with vastly greater skill. To say nothing of the knowledge such skill came along with.


    But, to learn such skill, I had to find something to test my current knowledge on. So I started to rush about the workshop looking for blueprint paper. And, when I found some, I took the talisman off and carefully inspected it. Then, I measured it and wrote it all down before I put it back on.


    "I do know you can protect a vast area around me. But, can you protect only me as if you were a second skin?" I asked the holy relic before I looked around once again. I needed something that I could safely mess around with. Perhaps a simple metal hammer or wooden mallet would do? Or, I could heat up some water and dip my hand into it?


    The number of tests I could perform was staggering and it intimidated me into a state of silence. At least, until I had carefully gathered up all I would need for simple tests. But, before I did that, I let out the magic from the talisman and inspected it. If I wanted it to, it would stop in the air.


    It was quite amazing how in-tune it was with my thoughts. So, maybe, all I had to do was think of it as providing me with a second skin? Yet, despite how hard I tried, I could not envision a perfect frame around my body. And, most annoyingly of all, I could not figure out if the problem was my mind on its own or my ignorance of the arcane.


    Yet, it did not make me want to give up, as, I knew how I could solve that problem. I had learned it a long time ago, but, I displayed it on the airship. I knew how to make pathways for magic to follow. If I could not cast it how I wanted, then I would have something else do the telling.


    "Maybe I should find that human and bring him back..." I then said with slight embarrassment as I was unfamiliar with a lot of this tech. Unlike the airship we were on, this place had a lot more because of its size. It was not bound by the constraints of its static size. Or, I could use this as an opportunity to learn...


    To revisit the brief joy I had when I was younger. Seeing and being able to use new tools was always so fun! But, it was also that drilled a certain behaviour into my head... Resources were not to be wasted by the unskilled.


    "Yet, this is all the makings of humans. I don''t have to worry about wasting a single bit of swarf!" I tell myself with an eager, toothy smile. And, like that, child-like glee filled me before I rushed off to the fanciest machine. But, like a child, I kept getting distracted.


    .


    .


    .


    "And there they go again..." I mutter quietly as I watch everyone leave so they could prepare for this event. And as they spread out and disappeared, I tapped my fingers. Nin had taken no heed to my concerns and now he was at risk... This wasn''t something we should be trivialising!


    By his honest word, he was the way he was because he had died! Surely that would caution him against such reckless behaviour? Why was it not guiding him away from the fighting!? I may not be a master at it myself, but, it was clear he did not know how to fight!


    "I guess I can''t even curse your name..." I muttered with a sigh as some paranoia came to my thoughts. If I did anything but encourage this, would I hamper his confidence? Will his mind be distracted and would that get him killed...? I didn''t want to think about such a thing but I couldn''t help but do so...


    Yet, at the same time, encouraging him to fight would bring the same feelings. Should he fail, that is. I wanted him to be safe, but I also did not want to partake in this event... We''ve done enough fighting as of late.


    There was the fire-breathing, inbred, draconic beast I had to slay to save his life. There was the other one that destroyed his home... How he and Liadanann met even nearly ended in his death! It was too many times for me to be comfortable with it.


    But, as I had not been able to sway him in any way, I was left on my own for the day. Everyone else was swept up in the fervour that was this event. Or, they had plans to join it anyway. Either way, there was no way I could be heard in such a biased place.


    So, there really was no point in dwelling on this event. There was no point in staring out a window, a scowl on my face as I watched them walk away. Thankfully, I had things I should be doing anyway. I did not have to worry about stewing in my thoughts.


    Then, with a frustrated sigh, I got up and out of my chair before I walked out of the building. And, I felt lonely doing so. Because, since coming back here, we finally were able to go back to normal. We would wake up, have something to eat, freshen up and depart for our lessons.


    I loved doing that every morning. It helped take my mind off of why I was at this school, to begin with. I had other friends here, sure, but... Doing things we the people you''ve been through so much with was a different experience.


    We had little jokes we could tell each other, even if I often found myself embarrassed. But, that was all just part of the experience that was friendship and love. There were moments that made you uncomfortable but you just did not care that they did. You just looked back and smiled as it was all with your friends...


    But, now, I was alone once again. Only for the day, sure, but, I did not like it. I could not focus and I wanted to do things with someone else. Even walking on my own felt different when compared to normal.


    "Lady-Heir Einervaene? Is that you?" someone called out before a familiar sound filled my ears. Those light taps could have only been made by getas!


    "Do- Do I know you?" I asked the woman who had approached me. She was clearly from my homeland. Her hair was metallic, like mine and she was modestly dressed in our traditional robes. And, her red-faced gaze made me nervous.


    "I-I would be a bit worried if you did not!" she joked before she tore her gaze away from my exposed chest.


    "I suppose you will have to be worried, then." I laughed out nervously. Her gaze, while not having anything intimidating about it. Was still nerve-wracking as it reminded me that I was scantily clad. Even if it was in honour of a friend...


    "Hm, I guess it makes some sense, anyway! I''m the second daughter of Clan Aaedrii, Hycidna Aaedrii." she greeted before she took a rather respectful bow.


    "Aaedrii... You are one of Bosphama''s tribute clans?" I questioned, uncertain if I was remembering it right. It had been quite some time since I have had to think of anything like this. My memories of home had been largely in regards to Mother, up until now.


    "Indeed we are, Lady-Heir." she said before she bowed again.


    I smiled and held my hands up, "No, please, that isn''t needed here..." I squeaked out as this behaviour had caught the attention of others. In particular, any fellow Eusorochiians living here.


    "Of course it is! But, please, come, walk with me if you would be so kind, Lady-Heir!" she cheerfully offered as she made space for me to walk beside her. Not that it was needed, but, she did it anyway. The guards she was walking around with even helped her out. So, for a moment, I felt more important than I actually was.


    "So..." I began to let out nervously, "How did you know I was Einervaene Bosphama?" I asked her as I came to a stop. My magic itching to come out in the event there was something else to this.


    "Oh, because when I first met you, many years ago. I thought you were really pretty and I have tried my best to emulate it." she answered with rambles and many small gestures.


    "Remembering a single face you saw once is..." I started to say before I let my posture say the rest. There was something off about this girl and I was not going to leave myself open!


    But, then, her fingers formed a pale-gold net of lightning. Within the contents of which what seemed to be a memory played out. And, it made me embarrassed as I remembered the day it was showing quite well. It was on one of my birthdays and an animal got loose and ruined my yukata for the evening...


    "Okay, that''s enough of that." I tell her with a high-pitched voice as I try to interrupt the spell with my hands. But, feeling the lightning fizzle over my skin made my mood drop like a weighted man at the gallows. Her magic was weak, purely for ceremonial purposes and yet it had a golden tint... While mine was blue...


    "Is there something wrong?"


    "N-No... Nothing... What''s the occasion? Why is the daughter of a tributary clan here?" I asked her, hoping to get an answer as to why that was the case.


    "I''m here to bring back a recording of this tournament they have here! Father wants to see what my brother has been up to while he has been here!" she explained to which I nodded in reply. I guess it made sense for her sibling to be here. It was a very popular place to send daughters and sons for training.


    "R-Right, so, is that all?" I asked her as we came upon an active sight. The airship landing pads we had landed at recently were full to the brim. Airships of all kinds were arriving and quickly leaving. And, from the building, hundreds of well-dressed, proper families.


    "Well, I do have my own reasons, but, yes." she giggled out as she let her gaze wander towards a group of boys.


    "So, this recording you are after, what sort is it?"


    "Oh, it is just a visual recording of a student you want to be observed. Most of the people over there are doing it too." she clarifies as her hand gestures at the crowds I was just watching.


    "So this event is televised?"


    "Only to the lands within this country, which is why I am here. Because we aren''t from this country." she giggles out towards the end.


    "I see... Then... Can I ask a favour of you, then?" I began to ask as my mind immediately filled up with thoughts of Mother. If the woman I was speaking to was going to be heading back to lands ruled by my family... She could pass on word and proof to Mother that I was okay! But, that meant I would have to take part in the event itself...


    Because I could not go back home until I proved that I was not a bastard of any kind... My Mother was no common whore who sold her body out. And I would not suffer the continued existence of such rumours! I would see her free of her burden!


    "Oh, your expression got scary for a moment, but, okay, what is the request, Lady-Heir Einervaene?"


    "Are you, perhaps, no. Will you pass on a recording of me to my mother? To the Lady Bosphama?" I begged of this woman as I just wanted Mother to know I was okay.


    "Oh! You''re taking part in the tournament? How exciting!" she gleefully said as her fingers came to life and flickered about.


    "Y-Yeah... I am..." I muttered as I had now completely gone back on my position. I had pushed hard for Nin not to join and now I was going to just because of a video... It doesn''t even matter if it was for a good reason. I would still be mocked over it...


    "So will you be going in as a team or on your own?" she then asked.


    "Team?"


    "Yeah, my brother speaks of a system that lets you go in as a team? But, he''s not good with his words despite the lessons he often gets so he might have just signed up with his friends." she told me with a smile.


    "Right, so... My mother. Is she alright?" I asked her as my fingers came together and pressed against each other. Nervous sparks flying between them as I did so.


    She then went quiet and her guards fidgeted, "The Lady Bosphama has rescinded from public life."


    "What does that mean!?" I asked her as I suddenly took a step forward.


    "Since you left, Lady-Heir, her image has declined and more rally against her. It may be a peaceful rebellion right now, but, there are rumours..."


    "No..." I cried quietly as I started to tremble in fear.


    "My Lady, if I may..." one of the guards suddenly spoke up to the woman I was talking to.


    "Make it quick." she snapped in a sudden change of tone.


    "The Lady Bosphama has taken to ruling through regents and advisors. However, she goes through them quite quickly."


    "Alright, that''s enough." the one I was speaking to snapped as my despair became even more obvious.


    "Mother..." I said, on the verge of tears as I heard this.


    "Don''t worry, Lady-Heir! The Lady Bosphama is fine and well. She''s just taken a backseat to governance."


    And, as my heart could not handle it, I had no choice but to believe her, "Okay... I understand. Thank you for telling me this..." I started to say before I realised my fear made her name slip from my mind.


    "You ask favours of me and you can''t even remember my name!?" she jokingly exclaims with a pout before she smiles.


    "I do." I tell her, trying to get caught up in her laughter to ease my mind.


    "Hycidna Aaedrii, Lady-Heir." she reminded me with a small smile.


    "Of course, thank you, Hycidna." I tell her with a slight nod that made her smile wide.


    "Excellent, now, seen as you are a student here... Perhaps you can show me around in the meantime?" she asks me as her face takes on a lustful hint. And, ashamed as I am to admit it, I only knew it was that because I showed that expression to Nin on occasion.


    Stolen story; please report.


    "Sure, we will just need to head that way to the tournament building so I can ask about something." I say to her, covering up my true intentions. I just needed to get to that building and sign up quietly so the others would not catch on.


    "Oh, look at me. Hycidna of Clan Aaedrii is going on a prowl with the exiled Lady-Heir of Clan Bosphama!" she gleefully exclaims as we start to walk again.


    .


    .


    .


    "One, two! One, two! One two three!" I sang as I balanced myself along a rope that I had attached to two buildings.


    "Get down from there!" Tiya called out from down below. Her words caught me off-guard and I nearly fell. But, my feet hooked onto the rope and I was left smiling down at her.


    "Make me." I taunted with a giggle before the rope suddenly snapped like glass.


    "Owie..." I cried as I rubbed my head. Yet, I would soon start to laugh.


    "Just to make sure, how''s your head?" Tiya asked as she walked over with a misty hand.


    "It''s fine." I answered with a bird-faced pout before a dismissive aura went over my sister.


    "Alright, good."


    "Hey! You nearly gave me a lump on the rump and that is all you have to say for yourself!?"


    "You fell on your head." Tiya scoffed back to me. And I could only pout even more with a louder groan.


    "That''s not the point!" I say as I stamp my foot down. Only to then break out into a confined state of dance.


    "No, but this has a point." my sister commented with a smile before she started to jab at me with a stick.


    "Hey!" I yelp out as I nimbly dodge each thrust from the stick. And, as I was dancing around it, she tried to add ice to her relentless assault. But, I was able to avoid that as well until I came to a stop. From then on out, I cautiously watched her as she threw the stick between her hands.


    "So how come you haven''t been preparing for the thingie."


    "Because the thingie is going to be hard to practise for." I answer with a relaxed shrug before I weave under the thrown stick.


    "And how will it be hard, exactly?"


    "Well," I started as I kicked up some water to block her ice, "there''s a lot of people in the thingie, so I will have no idea what to expect."


    Her hand starts to idly wave about, "Then go and practise with people from the other Houses, then?" she says, but her spell did not go unnoticed.


    "I can''t do that, I''d get distracted." I tell her as I formed a barricade and kicked it away. The resulting blast of my magic hitting hers caused a mild air blast.


    "It doesn''t take much to distract you." she incorrectly reminds me before I somersault over a piece of ice she had sent wide. And, upon landing, I made a big show of it.


    "Tada!" I let out with one hand placed on my chest while the other lanced out to the sky.


    "Again, not much."


    "Ah!" I squeal when an ice cube suddenly formed under my clothes. But, in a show of stubborn defiance, I waited for it to melt. I stood my ground until I started to fidget due to the cold.


    "Larishazza, this isn''t a game." Tiyanat reminded me as she moved to sit down next to me once I had handled the ice cube.


    "I know, I''m not stupid." I reminded her in turn with dramatic flair.


    "You are quite often stupid." she tells me as if there was no wiggle room to argue.


    "Everyone is stupid on occasion." I say with a shrug as I try to brush it off.


    "And for you, that occasion is every occasion." she speaks before her head thudded into the air near me.


    "Meanie..." I groaned in response as I put my hand against my cheek. Resting the elbow down below on my leg before I looked off into the distance.


    "But, if you don''t mind me asking, Larishazza, why are you doing this?" my sister asks with a serious tone. One that I probably had to respect if I went by how she was looking at me.


    "Because it looks fun." I lied for no real reason. It''s not like the truth was going to cause issues.


    "You hate fighting, Larishazza. Despite you somehow knowing how to." Tiyanat points out, my lie clearly having flown right by her.


    "I wanted to keep an eye on Nin." I tell her with a sigh as I uncrossed my legs and leaned back onto my palms. There wasn''t anything behind me, so I had made some platforms to rest on with my magic.


    "You like to keep an eye on him, don''t you?" she asks me with a smile and an obvious intent. But, I was not going to fall for her ploy as I just did not feel that way about him. Despite a certain item likely trying to influence me into doing so. Yet, I was not so arrogant as to say I was just more mentally disciplined when compared to the others.


    I was very much not...


    "When I first found Nin, I found him weeping in the lowest floor of our dorm. He might be big and strong, but, he''s very delicate up here." I tell her before I tapped a bubble I had created. Despite how simple it was, it was hard to make bubbles. I had to make a thin layer of water and trap lots of air, something I could not control.


    But, then she jabbed at it with an icicle that snapped against it, "Yes, but, he''s clearly grown since then, thanks to you."


    "Stop it..." I mumbled with a blush as I let my pride get the better of me for a moment.


    My sister then huffed a laugh when she saw my face, "You''ve done quite well with him, haven''t you?"


    Yet, that made my face return to normal, "I don''t know." I admitted as I started to think about recent issues. Not so close to when we got back, but, all the way before we even got to Vadei''s home. I was never able to get anything done about that, Nin''s just been keeping it inside of him all this time...


    "Well, if you don''t think you have done well yet, then, I believe that you will." Tiyanat says before she puts her hand on my head. I was then pulled down into a hug that I quickly returned.


    "Ye." I squeaked out as I melted in the affection from my sister.


    .


    .


    .


    "Quiet, please." a member of staff asked me kindly as they walked by me as I tapped a claw on the table.


    "Sorry." I tell them before I go back to reading through what I had gathered up in the library. Which one, I did not know, I just walked into a library and asked for some tablets. As, despite our recent adventure across two continents, I was not that strong. The special measuring things even rated me as being on par with someone from Traditional House.


    That had bothered me a little, so while everyone else was training, I was looking for inspiration. My magic might''ve been bolstered by an offensive spell, recently. But, I was still mostly attuned to the spell we oxfuinei all knew. I could make people understand what languages I knew how to speak and help them speak them too.


    I mean, sure, it had its uses as it allowed me to meet one of my greatest friends. It also helped me sort of start up a friendship I wasn''t too sure about. Yet, Nin started off as someone I hated. So, maybe Liadanann would come to like me more than she currently does.


    Yet, that was all it could do, I just had to spit and that was the extent of my magic. In a life where I have had to dodge bullets and cannons, I do not know how just make something explode. And, that might never be the case as I was never interested in magic before. Probably thanks to what my first spell did.


    A younger me would''ve just exclaimed disappointment if that was all it could do. But, I had learned how to focus my magic on my fingers and their claws. So it was certainly possible for me to do better. Especially if I was to go home at some point to make sure it was still safe.


    Learning new magic, however, required experiences to guide your mind. Like how Nin suddenly developed his new and explosive magic. Or how Einervaene came to have her current attire. There was something in their lives that directed it.


    But, what I have been through in my life had led me to nothing. Because they did the fighting and protecting. And, when I did it, it was against a foe with so little magic that it was horrifying to face them in retrospect. The stories of powerful witches casually slaughtering towns were made a reality when I saved Conquei.


    However, to my annoyance, I had not learned any powerful magic because of it. So I was still stuck with what I had. And so far, none of the stories I had been reading had led me anywhere. But, maybe it was because I was growing bored and tired?


    "Uh, excuse me, Oxfuine?" a nervous girl began to say as she came out from behind a tablet case with something in her hands.


    "Can I help you?" I asked back as I made sure the place wasn''t suddenly crowded. Thankfully, it wasn''t, so I did not have to clear the table of my mess. And, I had made quite the extravagant mess.


    "So, uh, I apologize if this comes off as strange, but, do you know anything about the story of the Breath Taker?" she asked as she placed a hefty piece of stone down on the thick table. Yet, when she nudged it over to me, it did not take much effort for me to pick it up.


    "I might, can you remind me?" I asked her as I flicked through the not so literal pages of the tablet. Yet, truth be told, I did not know anything about this story. I had never even heard of it until now.


    "It''s about a witch from a very long time ago and apparently, she learned her magic from your people."


    "Okay." I say with growing interest as this might be the act of providence I needed to gain a new spell.


    "Apparently, your people know magic that can affect peoples words?"


    "That is correct, we can make someone speak a language we know if we pass on our saliva."


    "Saliva? Oh! That must explain why the witch was known to be a romantic type!" she exclaimed with excitement just before noting it down.


    "I still need some reminding, I''m afraid. What was the witch''s magic like?"


    "Well. back then, when magic was still quite new to the continent, back when the Emerald Awakening Era first started. People used to say the names of their spells as it helped them cast it, some still do, even."


    "So she used magic she learned from my people to stop others from casting their magic?"


    "Yes! You''re starting to remember now." she says to me incorrectly. But, I was the one who lied to her so I could hear her out. However, then I decided to quickly get out of this discussion so I could read the story on my own. So I had my ears suddenly turn as if someone was calling out to me.


    And, it was oddly difficult to make a conscious effort of something they did fine otherwise...?


    "Sorry, but, I have to be going. Someone is here for me." I say to the human as I grab the tablet after mixing it in with the others. And, thankfully, she was too reserved to comment on what I had done. So, she thought I had left it in the pile.


    "Well, uh, my name is Ryipandel, I''d like to carry on talking about it later?" she asked me as I disappeared.


    "Sure, nice to meet you." I waved at her dismissively before I disappeared. Yet, as I stood outside the library with the tablet, I did consider her offer. Maybe she could answer questions I could not get answered during my reading of the story. Either way, I really wanted this Breath-Taker to give me the inspiration I wanted.


    .


    .


    .


    "H-Hey! HEY!" the one I was fighting began to yelp out as I broke through their barrier. People had been coming to me, seeking advice for the upcoming event. Others had come to me to receive training as I was one of the strongest here. But, that was to the surprise of no one who knew what I was.


    Those I faced were all students, no older than forty in most cases. I was more than double their age and trained under the tutelage of the Valkinvar. And, despite proclaiming to no longer be a part of the group. My skills and knowledge had not gone away.


    "Vapooliar! Calm down!" a girl exclaims as she cautiously retrieves the friend she came here with. And, as she did so, I dropped to the ground like a cannonball against dry earth. The sound and motion of which frightened her away briefly.


    "Listen up, all of you. You came to me seeking help, so actually show a willingness to learn!" I demanded from them as I walked away from the prepared pitch.


    "I don''t think you quite grasp how strong you are." one of the boys commented as I sat down on a bench before I took a sip of water.


    "I am fully aware of it, I have been since I arrived here." I tell him as my mind suddenly flashes with memories of my worrying arrival. The guards along the road up to this mountaintop had cleared a grand path for me. And, when I was near the school, they treated me as if I was royalty. I did not enjoy that experience given Thrurstradtur''s association with the Jherikra.


    But, that experience also gave me a newfound respect for the advances of this nation. Despite my efforts to contain my power, they detected it anyway. Their machines treated me as if I was an untrained child firing off their first spell. It gave me both a goal and a well needed humbling.


    Because, if the Jherikra had weapons such as those airships I fought not long ago. Then there was a likely chance that they have gained new developments alongside it. But, it still perplexed me as to how they had such technology. In all my time fighting them, it was only in a recent surge have I seen so many new and fascinating inventions.


    Even the room we were currently training in was beyond what I could have imagined. The Valkinvar and I, once, trained in the air above the great Redstone Canyon. It was an empty space where one could master flight easily due to the circumstances. And, if need be, you could easily cross into the wastes to practise destructive magic safely.


    Yet, here, they did not need to take such precautions. All they had to do was open a pathway to another place and mould it to their liking. I was not sure of how expansive such systems were. But, I could easily envision its implications.


    But, I was not here to think about my awe, "Who''s next?" I asked as I stood up and moved back onto the battlefield. And, I was left slightly bemused by how the confident members of Exceptional House backed away from me.


    "I-I''ll give it a shot." a young woman said as she slowly stepped into the arena. And, when she was fully within the boundaries of it. It came alive and we were safely secured away from everyone else.


    "Roll with the punch!" someone called out to the nervous girl as she suddenly regretted her descision.


    "Quiet!" I snapped at the commentator before I walked up to my current opponent.


    "I-Is it too late to b-back out?" she squeaks as she flinches away as far as her immobile body could.


    "Yes, now, hit me with your best spell." I tell her as I open myself wide open for attack. I wanted to get an idea of where she could improve. I had been carefully memorising everyone''s flaws and was planning on working on them later. If they would accept my advice, that is.


    "Oh, uh, o-okay!" she says as glowing winds start to pass through her spread out fingers. And, then, she fires off her spell. And, as my actions suggested, I let it hit me. But, nothing came of it.


    "There''s a greater purpose to this spell?" I asked her as I did not feel anything that could be considered damaging. So I was going to assume it wasn''t actually an offensive spell like many here had.


    "You''re too heavy..." she whispers quietly. An answer that makes my brow rise.


    "I see." I say in understanding as I moved my gaze towards her arm. She was struggling to move it, so, I started to hover and went along with it. Her other hand soon came to life as the spell carried on forming. Then, I found myself flung into the air, in the middle of a suddenly formed storm.


    "Haha! Get her!" someone cheered as I idly waited for the rest of the spell to go off. Then, in but a moment, I was encased inside a cloud of magic that was trying to crush me. I simply shot out of the spell and landed before her with a frown.


    "Is it always that slow?" I asked her as I pointed out how long it seemed to take.


    "Huh!? It went off nearly instantly! I trapped you within a storm of my own making!" she nearly yelled out in shock and surprise.


    "Oh, sorry." I tell her as I come to realise I was still acting too fast for these students. Some were able to make me out as a blur, but, often, they only saw the pop. And, I would appear behind them suddenly. The last one I practised with failed to a similar action.


    "Sorry...?" she wheezed before she collapsed to the ground, "We came here to try and learn something, we even made it uncomfortable to be in here by maxing out all the metres we could, but, you''re just too strong!" the girl tells me with uncomfortable awe and fear. It was clear all of them were glad I was in the same House as them.


    "And you will learn something, just give me a moment to get my thoughts together." I tell her before I helped her up. I casually strolled away from them once I had done so until I was out of the magic room altogether.


    "I brought you some lunch." Dandel''lhia wheezed out quietly as she came to an abrupt halt before me.


    "Oh, thank you." I tell her as my eyes move towards her son who she was also carrying.


    "Has it been going well?" she asked me before she sat down on a chair in the hallway. She was clearly tired from carrying her son about. But, it was a necessity for her as losing him was not an option. This school was too vast, too dangerous for one so young.


    "Va-va." her son gurgled out before he began to chew on a biscuit shoved into his face.


    "Vapooliar." I remind him with a small smile.


    "Vapoo!" he laughed out before he went back to his food.


    "So has there been any luck with your search?" I decided to ask Dandel''lhia as she prepared our food.


    "No..." she quietly tells me before she hands me a portion.


    "Do not worry, you will find them." I tell her as she expressed her want to go home. Back to a place I did not want to go as it held too many bad memories... Even if an aelenvari flower is a mobile construct, I did not want to see theirs again. It would just lead to me being reminded about...


    "It will probably be best for me to head to our Garden-Mount. Wait there until it comes back." she tells me with a sigh before I got too lost in my thoughts.


    "But, you could potentially wait years at such a place." I remind her as that was quite the decision to make. One I did not think was very mindful of her son. He needed to see his father.


    "We would still be certain to find him, though." she chokes out as she carefully strokes her son''s scarred body. He had not been injured by anything here. It was just the result of an ancient monster.


    "A few years that won''t be good for your son."


    "Then fly us home!" she begged me once again before I shook my head. I just couldn''t handle going back to the place where I had to...


    "I am sorry, Dandel''lhia. The food is lovely, but, I have commitments to keep."


    "Okay, take care. Will you be by later?" she asks me with a smile as her son waved goodbye. Mushy, soggy biscuit all over his mouth as he did so.


    "Of course, especially for him." I say with a smile before I tap her son''s nose. Much to his amusement when I left a trail of magic for him to watch.


    "I still cannot seriously believe they let that bug join." I heard someone complain to their friend who fired back with a similar comment. And, when I heard that, I froze up and glared silently at the ground. Only to then start flying until I reached the building so many were looking at these days. Unfortunately, they were right, too.


    There, in big bold letters that had been clearly spat on frequently was his name. The name of someone who should not be here. Because I killed him, I saved him from the horrors of being an osibindah, yet, there it was. A name I could never forget no matter how much I tried.


    Nin Urtuan, the friend I was forced to kill when a delayed reaction came. To my horror and despair did I cut his tortured body in two. Yet, somehow, there was something here carrying his name. With all the scars I should have known about.


    Across that beast''s chest was a large, slash-induced scar that went all the way down to his opposite hip. It had stolen his voice and his eyes and it puppeted itself around as if it were him. To my anger, as well, it had managed to enthral my friend, Vadei. She had no idea what she was near yet...


    "Student Vapooliar, please, control yourself." one of the lecturers of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding asked of me.


    "Sorry." I say to him as I realise I had been letting my magic flow freely as I thought about the bug. Then, that having happened, I flew off into the sky above the school and waited. And, suddenly, my power would violently erupt from me as my teeth started to grind. Despite my efforts, that bug was in my thoughts once again.


    Those thoughts followed the same well-trodden paths as well. I considered various things about it, and I moved on to thinking about its death. I could not just kill it as it was idiotically made a student. But, this event, the Inter-House Talent Display...


    It came with a risk of death that all who participated were made aware of. Families were warned and they made sure to catch all those who were uncertain. So, perhaps, I could find a way to free Nin''s memory from that beast? It could go back to how it once was...


    When I was just trying to honour my friend''s memory... Rather than associating it with a creature that pretended to be him... That was the duty I was going to have to undertake, even if the others could not understand it. They weren''t there when Nin turned...


    There was no way that creature was Nin... I sliced him in two so he wouldn''t have to suffer!


    "Tears, again?" I asked myself as I rubbed my wet eyes. But, while I was up here, I just couldn''t find the will to keep pretending I was some cool-headed individual. So I cried some more before I whispered a promise I would make sure to keep.


    .


    .


    .


    "No, that''s not right." I comment with a sigh after I failed to cast the spell properly. I wasn''t failing so to speak, but, I was clumsily waddling about. The closest comparison I could think of was holding a heavy stick. You knew how to hold a stick, but its weight made it hard to do so.


    At the very least, however, I had managed to get some peace and quiet. No guards had flown on by and no one had followed me. So, I have been able to just cast spells endlessly and try to figure it all out. Or, well, that was what it was just a moment ago.


    "Why''re you here?" I asked the approaching shadow who quickly revealed themselves. A pair of lights lit up their face and the area around them. For some reason, Rose was here. And I was completely baffled as to why.


    Since a certain incident, she''s avoided me to the point you''d think she was a different person. To my surprise, however, I did not get angry when I saw her. Almost as if I had burnt myself out on the anger I felt towards her. Maybe because my mind was focused on other things...?


    "I didn''t come here to see you..." she nervously tells me while rubbing one of her arms. Yet, despite her words, she did not carry on walking. She just stayed there and looked at me with a saddened expression. Regret was clearly on her mind.


    "Then why are you here? Of all the places to go on this mountain, you come here. Right where I am practising my magic." I point out to her just to see if it made her slip up and admit something else.


    "Look behind you." she quietly muttered as if she was disappointed by my ignorance.


    "What am I looking at?" I asked her before she walked very close to me.


    "This is the same spot where you first climbed up the mountain. Where we both saw Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra for the first time." she informed me with a sigh before she moved away.


    "That''s... An odd claim."


    "I have been coming here quite often, Nin. I know where we first came up the mountain." she tells me as if she was hurt by my lack of belief in her words. And, frankly, I didn''t get why that bothered her. She was not interested in me anymore and this mountain was big, there was no way this was the spot...


    But, I would not argue the point, "So, would you like me to go?" I asked her as I was more than able to move away.


    Yet, her head suddenly turned in shock, "NO!" she cried out and that made me freeze in place.


    "That was...?" I began to say in confusion as I had no idea where this had come from. She turned her back on me and now she was demanding I stick around...? Where was the logic in this?


    "You don''t need to move for my sake." she sighs out before her face becomes hidden behind her hands. It was clear she was frustrated about something.


    "Okay, then, find a seat and watch the fireworks, I suppose." I tell her uncertainly before I get back into what I was doing just before. And, once I got my mind back on track. My right arm lit up in arcane fire as I showed off what I had developed since we left Vadei''s village. Then, I cocked that arm back and moved my feet about.


    And I thrust that same arm forward a moment later and aimed for the air beyond the mountain. A blue fireball erupted from my arm and washed over the immediate distance before me. Yet, when it disappeared, you would not have even known it was there. There was no smoke or embers, just an empty space being filled out.


    I found that humourous in a way. I had learned and developed a new kind of magic that impressed even Frihdeicalkbr. But, I was literally just throwing nothing at something and letting arcane science handle the rest. It was probably more complex than I thought, but, all I could think of was an air pump.


    One that blew up trees, granted, but, that is what helped me cast the spell. Like all my spells, actually, I just thought of a tool or item. This, in turn, also created some issues as I had to think of a tool first. If I could not think of a tool, the spell didn''t appear.


    It was an annoying obstacle to overcome as being bothered impeded my ability to fight. However, much to my gladness, Rose being here did not bother me. In a way, it made me happy as it reminded me of my first spell. And I have grown a bit since then.


    "Remember when all I could do was sharpen a stick?" I asked her with a huff of amusement as I wanted someone to talk to. Being on my own was one thing, but another being here made me want to talk.


    "I remember a lot of things..." she quietly answers to which I nearly laugh at.


    .


    .


    .


    "Where has she been?" I asked myself as me, Einervaene and Vadei walk through Mechanical House. Liadanann had been busy with something and we only just figured out she was going here. Which is why I was hauling Vadei about so we could find her.


    "Can we hurry up!" our captive demanded as she faked throwing up while covering up her nose.


    "Sure, just sniff her out." I told her while Einervaene smiled at my words. But, she was also covering her nose. I, however, felt a little at home. These were smells I was very familiar with.


    "My nose is going to be broken by then, blegh!" Vadei choked out before a trembling finger directed us around the corner. And, I quite liked walking through this part of the academy. Barely anyone was outside so I had no comments to be mindful of. Even then, everyone seemed to keep to themselves here.


    "It''s very quiet for an industrial park." I comment as I looked across a rare, open expanse.


    "They''re probably all working on the arena for the Inter-House." Einervaene points out to me. Which, I found to be quite interesting. Apparently, Mechanical House built the arena each time from scratch while the other houses punched each other in it.


    "You sure know a lot about it, Einey-Whiny." I say with a sly grin. Having found out about her joining up with us in the event.


    "Don''t call me that!" Einervaene whined as she tried to look intimidating.


    "Well, if you had actually gone off to do what you needed, I wouldn''t have to." I say to her.


    "You didn''t have to say anything like that..." the copper-haired beauty corrected with a pout.


    "Oh, we both know I did." I snickered out to her as a blush came across her face.


    "He has a point." Vadei gently laughed with a strange voice. And, when I saw her crushed nose, I understood why.


    "Fine, then, maybe I will go do what I came here to do..." Einervaene tells us with crossed arms. Yet, she did not, in fact, go and do what she said she would.


    "I think she likes us too much to leave."


    "Well, she certainly likes you too much." Vadei says to me with a shake of her head and roll of the eyes.


    "There''s no problem with me liking Nin the way I do." Einervaene retorts defensively as she hugs my arm.


    "Pair of you haven''t even shared a kiss and yet you want me to believe you ain''t overdoing it? Yeah right." Vadei snorts which makes Einervaene hug my arm tighter.


    "Try not to shock me." I tell the woman on my limb as I see sparks of agitation come off of her.


    "Sorry..." she quickly mumbles before her fingers press against each other.


    "Don''t worry about it, I think Vadei is just jealous I let you have all the fun."


    "Get jealous!? Don''t kid yourself." Vadei tells me before her tail starts to linger near my free claw.


    "Well, I guess you won''t mind this, then." I say before I pick up Einervaene and carry her as if she was my bride. This resulted in two reactions, a growl from Vadei and a series of stutters and a bright blush from Einervaene. It made me laugh and I enjoyed every moment of it.


    "And if you want me to keep guiding you to your daily boob massage, I suggest you stop it." Vadei tells me with a confident huff. Did she really think that would make me stop taking the piss? Well, I planned on proving her wrong so I just yanked her up into my other arm.


    "Have fun walking away now." I laugh out nervously as I realise I ended up picking her up by the aft.


    "You don''t have to be so light-handed, you know." Vadei comments very quietly before she snuggles up against me.


    "C-Can I just walk?" Einervaene asks as she struggles against my hand being near her rear.


    "Cool, more for me." Vadei says as she tries to clear her nose out with my stench.


    "You still only get that arm." Einervaene snorts once she is walking again. But, soon, I turned my attention away from teasing the pair as we came to a building. A very big one that seemed to be in use if we went by the noise. And I had stopped because Vadei''s nose was pointing at it.


    "So Liada is in here?" I asked as I put Vadei down so I could properly open the door. And, well, not knowing about the machines in here, I did not want an accident to happen. Nor did I want my messing about to be the cause of it.


    "That is where the nose says, so, I guess?" Vadei shrugs before she tries to block her nose again.


    "Well, look at you." I end up commenting to Liada once I saw her. But, when you took into account the slams of her hammer and the banging of metal. It was no surprise that she did not hear me. So I just waited for her to be done.


    Completely content with watching her hammer away at a piece of reddish metal. Then, a steamy sizzle when she plunged it into a barrel of something. Yet, I could not figure out if she was quenching in oil or some kind of magic chemical. There was a lot of fancy stuff in here, after all.


    But, I was baffled as to why there were so many sheets of cloth in the middle of the building. I guess Liada was practising with them or were they always there? Seemed very out of place regardless, I had to admit. But, what was I to say when so much of this stuff was foreign to me.


    "So, how long do I have left?" Liada then asked us when she slammed a helmet onto the anvil she was working on. A prideful smirk all over her face before her gaze gestured to a suit of armour. And, within it, she had placed her necklace that had dripped out of my bracelet.


    "Do you need more time?" I asked her, quite impressed by the fancy suit of armour she had made. And, I was going to assume it was based on something from her home.


    "To practise fighting in it, maybe." she pridefully told me as she moved up to us. The helmet in her arms and sweat all over her brow.

 Incline 4: Straight Into It

    "Going to be honest, was expecting a little more drama with the entry." I comment while fiddling around with this strange device they had attached to me.


    "I''m surprised Einervaene here is keeping her cool given how on display your hard, robust and defined body is." Vadei snickers at our friend who is trying her hardest to ignore the comments that were just made.


    "I''m sorry, what?" Einervaene says in a failed attempt to make it seem like she had not heard her. But, the way she was blushing and looking over at me made it clear she had. Even then, I was putting on a show just for her because it was funny.


    "So why are you naked?" Larishazza asks after she finishes idly skipping about this chamber we were waiting in.


    "Could not tell you." I lied as I tried to hide the fact I forgot to write down anything as equipment. As such, the staff running this event sent me in with nothing but my bare carapace and the device. Or, maybe they were just cruel and this was an attempt to embarrass me. But, I really have been through worse appearance-wise.


    As for everyone else, they were not dressed all that badly. Tacky, dangling elements were gone and it was all very professional. Everyone either had something new on that I had never seen before or they were holding new tools. It was just a shame I would not be able to really see how any of it works.


    Einervaene had with her a staff for some reason. But, I think I could gather its purpose from how much runed copper it was made with. Yet, its spear-like tip did confuse me. When did Einervaene learn to use a spear...?


    Vadei, on the other hand, was far simpler in what it might be. She was covered in bandoliers with various bombs of some kind attached to them. I was curious as to why they were see-through and seemingly full of water. But, again, I wasn''t going to be seeing it in action.


    Others, however, didn''t look too different. Rose, who was with us for some reason, was dressed as she normally was. Quinshuu, as distant as ever, had his strange brace. And the fat one was finishing off his fourth lunch or something stupid.


    Then, the clang of metal caught my attention, "Shouldn''t we be focusing on something, you lot?" Liada asked with an irritated voice as her armoured hand pointed up. And, when my gaze followed the finger''s directions, I was beholden to a vast map of the arena we were in. Or, rather, the maze we were to fight in.


    It did not have many details on it, but, it labelled key areas. Places to fight, pathways to get there, and, of course, how you won this event. Admittedly, I hadn''t paid much attention as I just wanted to practise my magic in a serious fight. But, we were charged with capturing an item at the middle of the maze.


    I wanted to believe it would be a simple matter, what, with us being positioned south of it. But, stealing that airship and travelling wasn''t a simple matter. Climbing this damn mountain wasn''t a simple matter. And, everything else in between was definitely no simple matter.


    "So what is the plan, anyway? There''s too many of us here to make one that works." Larishazza''s sister points out before she reminds everyone of the vast crowd around us. There must have been hundreds of applicants from our House here. And, likely, many times more from Traditional. But, I was not too sure about Exceptional House.


    Clearly, from the way the crowd was acting, they were on everyone''s mind. I could easily understand why everyone could. The strongest, most powerful witches in the school were all from there. At least, the ones who knew wind magic. And, if the rumour was true, Vapooliar was up in their start position too...


    "You know, Nin... It''s alright to say you''re nervous..." Vadei suddenly mutters to me while she holds her tail. Everyone else was talking away without me, so, I turned to face her.


    "I''m not nervous." I lie while watching her as she subtly trembles and shakes.


    "Ok, but I am." she answers quickly before she looks around, her ears lowered. A gentle whimper leaves her mouth before she scoots closer.


    "You can leave, you know? They did say there would be a delay to the start so you can get out if you don''t want to." I remind her just so she is perfectly aware of it. I would rather not have to visit her injured, bed-ridden body because she felt pressured into staying.


    "N-No, I''m fine here." she struggles to get out before she loudly sighs into the air.


    "Well, if it is any help, good luck with whatever fights you get into." I tell her with a small smile after leaning in closer.


    "Thank you..." she says back as her tail is slowly released.


    "Vadei, do you think your nose would be of any help here?" Einervaene asks as she comes over and takes Vadei away from me. And, as she did so, I watched with a smile. What did I have to be nervous about, I had my friends here to help me out!


    "Nin..." Rose suddenly whispers as she comes close to me.


    "You need encouragement too?" I ask her as she looked nervous too. But, I was mostly trying to keep the tension lacking. Our recent, rocky history could easily give way to needless conflict. And, well, we''d be getting enough of that soon.


    "When the bells ring, can you follow me? I think I can get us to the end." she whispers very quietly.


    "Then tell Einervaene?" I point out, which causes said woman to turn towards us.


    "N-No! The path would only work with us two." she clarifies, and I open my mouth in understanding before waving off my friend. I guess this path of hers must''ve been very cramped? Or, very exposed, so, less was better?


    "Alright, go on." I tell her with a slight gesture of my nearest claw.


    .


    .


    .


    "And so, students of Traditional House, as you can see by the map we have provided. This will be a long and arduous journey. But, if accomplished, a well-earned victory." someone told us from a podium after he had carefully explained all the details of this event. Our map had locations of traps, special rooms that offered aid and it told us which way the enemy would be coming.


    All-in-all, we had all the tools we needed to set up a good defence against any attackers. And, with our gargantuan numbers in comparison to the other houses... We most certainly had the reserves to handle it. But, did they have as much information as us?


    "Yes, Student Baltanthan?"


    "So do they have all this as well?" I asked, just to get this glaring concern made worse or beaten down.


    "No, only Traditional House has access to these resources in particular." he answered quickly before he accepted another question. And, it made me sigh in relief, because, we could work out a plan. So long as certain individuals did not try and show others up... A certain woman in mind...


    But, that would come later, so, I just looked at the list of people from the other Houses. We had thousands of participants, but, no list of names. The other two Houses, however, did, and it seemed to be ranked by some arbitrary number. With someone called Vapooliar being Exceptional House''s top ranker while some foreigner called Omb Ur-Nace was Oddity''s.


    As terrifying as Exceptional House would likely be to face, if our numbers were anything to go by. I was more concerned about Oddity House because of their variation. Everyone here knew wind magic, and so did Exceptional. But, Oddity pulled from five different lands with five different magic types.


    We understood how wind magic worked, but, we did not know what Errakurd fire was like. Nor did we know what the polar caps were like with their dark or light magic. Some might be familiar with those who used lightning magic as they seemed to intermingle with us Traditionals. But, I think everyone was terrified of any from the Grand-Kingdom just because of their history.


    It was called the Time of Liquid Mountains for a reason... And it wasn''t because fire or lightning had melted our continent. But, I guess I could take heart in that not many water users were considered a major threat. In fact, there was quite a relaxing details to be noted.


    Oddity House was varied in power as well, they weren''t just unfamiliar Exceptionals. Some were little better than us of Traditional House. So, we could beat them even in small groups if it really came down to it! Not that I probably could do that much with my magic...


    "Herd mentality it is." I tutted out quietly before I groaned into my right hand.


    .


    .


    .


    "Huh, quite far away, aren''t you, Roseli?" I asked one of two devices I had managed to get from someone in Mechanical House. They might have been the least involved with the bug, but, it had its haters there. So, it wasn''t hard giving myself a little ticket to finding him. And, with Roseli''s help, I could finally free her from the burden it placed on her.


    "Someone''s impatient to go." I heard someone comment before my eyes turned to our strongest fighter. I did not know much about her, no one did. And it wasn''t like she was reclusive or quiet as she has been training quite a few here. But, this Vapooliar was quite a mystery.


    Every record in the entrance exams was annihilated the moment she stepped on academy grounds. One or two of which were records I had put into stone myself. So while I was a little annoyed about that, I was more so impressed. She just came out of no where and has already earned a reputation as Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding''s strongest student.


    Even the prince from the Seven-Peaks Union was not considered as strong as her! And he had a natural, lush mane of bright emerald hair. Frankly, I could not see how we would lose with her on our team. But, it was also clear she was here on a mission that was separate from the event''s actual goal.


    Like me in that regard.


    "So, should we sense out which way has Traditional House? We could wipe them out and then just win by beating everyone!" someone laughed out arrogantly. I wanted to roll my eyes, but, a band beat me to it. And their music began to play.


    "Charge on forth, lone spearman before the destroyer. Charge on forth, lone spearman with courage alone. Pierce her throat and avenge your army. Break the army killer with but a single blow. Run her through, we beg of you, run her through, and we''ll be in awe of you." their lead sang gently as her fingers delicately went along her flute.


    "What in the name of all that is holy is that meant to mean?" the arrogant boy laughed out before he started to point and mock.


    Then, I stood up, "It''s a song sung in honour of an unknown soldier who slew a witch who had wiped out an army thousands upon thousands of years ago. With but a bronze spear did he kill her."


    "Someone''s learnt their song history." the singer complimented before she gave me a wink.


    "They''re just Trads!" he dismissively waved off, clearly embarrassed slightly by the famous song putting his confidence in doubt.


    "And just because you can cast a powerful spell does not mean you can take one back." I tell him before I give him a light backhand that sent him to the ground.


    "Was that necessary!?" he asked aggressively before something else took my attention away from him.


    "She''s on the move." someone said as everyone paused to watch as Vapooliar calmly marched into one of the hallways. A backdrop of ringing bells and banging drums marks the start of the Inter-House Talent Display.


    "H-HEY! THERE ARE TRAPS DOWN THERE!" someone warned Vapooliar before a grand explosion filled the hallway. But, when the fire died down, we all saw her for the kind of monster she was. Because she was not fazed by it in the slightest.


    "Well, you hear them?" I then shrug out to everyone else before I let tornadoes surround my feet. And, with a determined expression, I raced on ahead at blinding speeds. The safety of Roseli being all that was on my mind from now on.


    .


    .


    .


    "I am disappointed so far." I comment nonchalantly, probably cursing us in the process. But, I was only speaking my mind here. Since the bells and whistles told us to go and have fun. There has been nothing fun happening.


    We''ve walked and walked and have encountered no one. We''ve heard noises, but we have yet to see any of it for ourselves. In fact, Larishazza was treating this as just another walk. But, Omb seemed to be interested in something at the very least.


    "Shouldn''t we go the same way?" Tiyanat asked the jiggling giant as he walked away from us when we reached a crossroads.


    "I am assuming you lot have been blessed, so I am off to seek a curse for myself." Omb laughed out as he carried on walking.


    "Can I come with?" Larishazza asked him before a finger was waggled.


    "No, my friend. Find your own glory." Omb told her with surprising seriousness before he suddenly disappeared.


    "Did he just...?" Vadei began to say as we all froze up.


    "Yes, he was swallowed by the building." Quinshuu pointed out for those who were not paying attention.


    "Nin, this way." Rose whispered to me as she tried to move me by pulling my arm.


    "Can you get us out of here?" Einervaene asked her before one wrong step made her vanish as well.


    "I''m good here..." Vadei whimpered as everyone suddenly became alert. What had just happened to those two? I cannot see it as them suddenly being killed, it was far too quick for that. Alas, Rose suddenly triggering something answered that question quickly.


    "So that''s what it was." I said calmly after I got up once I had registered that I had fallen from the sky.


    "Nin!?" Rose called out from a distance which confused me greatly.


    "How are you over there!?" I asked her with a cupped jaw. I was on the ground, but she was all the way up on some kind of platform.


    "Are you able to get up to me!?"


    Then, I did a few practice jumps, "Yes, now, wait. And I mean it!"


    .


    .


    .


    "Why did even staying still make it happen?" I asked myself before I brought my tail around to my front. I was now separated from everyone else and I didn''t see a point in calling out for help. I could not smell anyone but I could smell someone else.


    "H-Hello!? Is a-anyone there?" this someone nervously called out as their equipment jingled and their staff tapped the stone. But, as I had an advantage for now, I started to crawl away. Both hoping they did not find me and that they were actually a friend.


    "HUH!?" I yelped all of a sudden when the dark room we were in suddenly lit up. A resounding snap-like noise filled the air as well as our screams.


    "ODDITY!" the girl I was trying to hide from screamed before I sensed the build-up of magic. But, no spell would come.


    "Had she only seen my shadow...?" I asked myself in confusion before I looked up at the lights. There was no way it could have been that because the light was above.


    "SUDDEN WIND BLAST!" she screamed before a pale, green bolt of magic exploded near me.


    "HEY! WATCH IT!" I demanded out of reflex more than anything.


    "S-Sorry..." she meekly apologized before realising our situation. And, the grip on her staff changed so that she could aim better. But, I had long since vanished into a nook to escape her. Which, might have been a bad idea as my bombs were scraping the walls.


    "Gods please, gods please, gods please!" I began to repeat when I heard her approaching from behind


    "Wind Slicer!" she declared before a blade of wind sliced the tip of my tail just as I got out.


    "I''LL KILL YOU FOR THAT!" I screamed back at her through the gap before horror went over my face. Pride aside, if I hadn''t gotten out of that gap in time...


    "Oh, I made her angry..." the girl whined as she began to stutter and hyperventilate.


    "You did far more than that!" I call back to her as I try to find a means to climb up the stone I was hiding behind.


    "T-Truce? I''m Aisriget, so now we aren''t strangers and we c-can be friends..." she cried out nervously from the other side as she clutched her staff.


    "I reject your friendship!" I call down to her before I throw one of my bombs at her in an attempt to knock her out. But, there was an advantage I had here.


    She needed to say her spell to cast it...


    "Ew! It''s all slimy..." she whined after I had missed the easy shot, "Sudden Gale Blast!"


    But, my quick flinch allowed it to miss, "You get right here and answer for my tail!" I bark before I hop down. Surging what magic I could into my claws before charging at her. Yet, what we found out terrified me.


    "Oh, hehe, this isn''t too bad." she says with a smile right before my face. She was strong enough to casually push me to the ground. Yet, a quick stab at her wrist made her drop her staff before I fell.


    "Get off!" I growled up to her as she saddled up on my gut. My hands restrained in hers while she clearly tried to think of something to do.


    "Just surrender, okay?" she begged of me, her words clearly referring to the time out rule this event had.


    "No." I snapped before I spat at her face. Hoping another disgusting thing would get her off of me.


    "AH!" she screamed before she started to gag. And, with the pressure eased, I ran out from under her. Sliding around before watching her cautiously.


    "So it does work." I comment with a cocky smirk as she looked at me in despair. She had just lost the ability to speak and lost her spell casting ability! Now I was the only one who could cast spells! So, I returned magic to my claws and charged.


    Slicing and jabbing at her with what little martial arts I had learned before being shoved aside. An unfortunate reminder of the fact that I was very much weaker. And, with my spell being made for such close range. I had practically screwed myself over.


    "WHAT DID YOU JUST DO!?" she screamed hysterically at me before she became amazed by the flaw in my magic. That was the first time I was actually able to use the spell... No one was willing to test it prior with me. For obvious reasons admittedly...


    "Someone help..." I squeaked before I dove behind cover.


    "Sudden Gale Blast!" she said once again before a hard-hitting gust of wind shattered the stone. A shower of pebbles rained down just after. Some scraped past me while others tapped the ground.


    "Gods, what am I going to do!?" I both let out in panic and prayer before I ran away. I was trying my best to block out her words. But the ground around me suddenly glowing green reminded me of her advantage. And one lucky shot sent me flying into a hard, rock edge.


    I hissed in pain before then collapsing down a level. Was this really it? One fight and I was already done for? Against someone from Traditional House!?


    No... Wait... I did have the means to go against her in a ranged fight! I just had to find somewhere to hide so I could change my bombs!


    So, I quickly got up and dove down into the maze-like area below and hid. Carefully letting my nose and ears guide me before returning up top. I then quickly unscrewed as many bombs as I could and shoved debris into the water-saliva mixture.


    "H-How are you back up there!?" my opponent let out in confusion before she let loose a light barrage. And, I ended up losing my bombs because I panicked.


    "Dammit..." I growl while leaning out to watch as she pulled herself up. And, instead of seizing the moment. I stayed still, scared of what might happen if I ran at her. Yet, eventually, I would muster enough courage to try and flank her.


    I would go far and wide before I sprinted towards her quietly. Leaping at her at the final moment and bringing her down to the ground. Then, I quickly rushed for my bombs before she brushed my tail. And instinct opened me up to a whack from her staff.


    "DON''T TOUCH THE TAIL!" I roared at her as I found myself with a primed staff right in my face.


    "S-Surrender, please!" she begged before I felt magic build-up at the end of the weapon.


    "Didn''t you hear me?" I asked before I began to spit at her with wild abandon, "Don''t touch the tail!" I repeated before I shoved her onto an activated bomb.


    "GET OFF!" she screamed before she suddenly vanished when the bomb exploded. I then fell to my side and shuddered in the next few moments.


    "I... I really need to find the others." I admitted before clutching my injured tail. And, while I was happy to have just won that fight. Somehow. I was terrified of meeting anyone else.


    Not everyone would have Aisriget''s nervousness, reaction to spit or spell casting ineptitude. So, I was best off just hiding behind the others as they tried to win this thing. Besides, if I was this badly hurt just fighting a Traditional House student, what good would I be elsewhere!? But, even amidst the panic and terror...


    I still found myself smiling at what I had just done. I had beaten a witch on my own without anyone else! I had done it! I had met the impossible goal of most oxfuinei!


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "But, I would still like to find the others..." I told myself with a nervous smile before I noticed how her staff was still here. Maybe I could use it to some effect later in the event? If not, it was a weapon to smackheads with! But, I ended up dropping it when something entered my head.


    I was not expecting it, but, I had an inkling as to what it might have been. I felt similar when I was stabbed by the airship thing a short while back. A sudden surge of knowledge had entered me at that moment. Knowledge of how to use spells pre-built into the staff...?


    "So she couldn''t actually cast spells?" I asked myself as I went through the knowledge that had just appeared. But, no, none of the spells this staff had was what she cast. This staff was basically a glorified poking stick, in actuality.


    Yet, I kept it anyhow. Having additional mass to circulate magic through was a good thing. And I intended to at least learn something before my next fight. So, I might have to copy Aisriget''s speech tactic.


    Just think of a spell and give it a name, right? No, there''s no way it could of been that easy... Magic wasn''t just something you could learn with some words! Right?


    I admit I was not really a witch, so I was probably wrong here... But, still, I was having some doubts as to if I could think of something to cast. I had never really considered such a means before. I normally just thought of my claws and words...


    "I guess I can practise a little." I eventually say with a shrug before quickly making sure no one else was here. Thankfully, I was alone for the moment. So I found some unscathed stone and stood before it. I then tried really hard to think of some kind of magic attack.


    .


    .


    .


    "Certainly are getting straight into it, this year." I comment before I write down some more notes. Having just seen where some of my students had failed where others had succeeded. It was a lot to take in, but, I have gotten used to it.


    "Yes, as much as this is a way to gather information about magic and our students. It is also a source of entertainment for many." I am reminded before a gesture points to those who came here to relax. Students trying to kill each other fulfilled many stress-induced fantasies for some.


    "So you had your students install those hidden magic redirectors so the fights could start quicker?"


    My fell House Head then laughed, "No, they decided on it themselves. They like to show off what they did."


    "Yes, I vaguely recall you mentioning it the last time this was all set up."


    "I also recall you being disappointed last time."


    "Not disappointed, just perplexed."


    "Perplexed that Oddity House somehow did not win despite their clear advantages?"


    "No, I was perplexed by how dull it all was. We have water magic, fire magic, lightning, light and dark magic! It should not have been that uneventful."


    "Well, I hope your students will perform more gallantly this time around."


    "I hope more so that they have an opportunity to perform at all." I comment as my eyes turn towards the roster for Exceptional House. They always had an impressive line-up of our greatest native students. But, this time was a little different with Student Vapooliar being present. She was tremendously powerful, after all.


    In some ways, it was rather suspicious, her power that is. But, we as a collective whole have not been able to figure out why. Some have argued she is a failed Valkinvar. Yet, that made no sense, the Valkinvar did not have failures.


    Only members or the corpses of those who tried to be one. It might be possible that she was inspired by them, but trained? Involved in any way possible? No, it just did not match up with how the famed Valkinvar acted.


    "So, who do you think will win?" the Exceptional House Head asks us with a smirk as he walks on over with a glass of imported wine.


    I roll my eyes before looking up at him, "Mine."


    He scoffs before answering, "I''m sorry, what? Do you not see my lineup? Record holders, the lot of them."


    "Exceptional House always holds the records." someone sat near me comments rightfully. Yet, the Boisterous House Head always kept his confidence and smile. Much to the chagrin of everyone else who ran a House.


    "Well, I guess we best set aside room for our trophy, then." he laughs before he falls into his seat. Not spilling a drop of his wine because of a well-time magic cover.


    "Not yet, it is an objective-based event, remember." Mechanical House''s Head reminds him before he leans closer to the screens. Normally, it probably would not have mattered. But, he was a big guy, so maybe he could make use of it.


    .


    .


    .


    "If it wasn''t a dishonest place, I would be in my element here." I comment before rising up away from the exposed tree root. The path I had taken had opened up to a vast forest. A rather humid one that drove me to strip myself of any thick furs I had on. I did not like it, but, a hunt called for flexibility.


    Then, all of a sudden, I heard a loud bang that sent birds fleeing into the air. It was clear that a fight was going on somewhere in this forest. Yet, I could not tell where as it seemed to echo about the trees. So, I dashed into cover just in case.


    "Follow my trail, foolish ones, I will trap you." I warn anyone who might follow my footprints before I start to sprint. Leaves and branches whacked and slapped me as I ran through the forest. Marks of moss and dew painted my skin in the process. Then, at the end, I use the mud to slide along an open patch before huddling against a rock.


    With calm breaths following the end of my actions. I relaxed and listened to the lying world around me. I could not trust it as I would normally. But, I would have to offer it my sincerest effort if I was to make it out the victor.


    And, after a few more moments of waiting, I was able to figure out where a fight was happening. Yet, the sudden bangs and pops made me wary of further movement. These spells sounded familiar. In fact, I am pretty sure I had seen them in use before.


    "Arfsgeer?" I ask the wind before a similar sound to what had come before came again. It was indeed him. He was an odd one because he spent his time hunting. A profession that did not seem all that popular here. Yet, even then, he stood out.


    From what I have seen of him, he preferred to be as quiet as possible. Picking off what he could with some kind of magic weapon that focused air. So, if I was not careful, I would not even see his killing blow. He was not a particularly strong witch, after all.


    But, he was a skilled one. As the forest was full of cries and confusion. Familiar flashes of light and damning fire filled the sky every now and then. So, Arfsgeer had certainly proven himself a capable hunter of men.


    So, I had to face him as something other than a man. A perplexing requirement, admittedly, but, the land would provide me with my means. As such, I began to slip into the mud.


    Slowly crawling my way through grass and reed while hearing the forest sing. Disturbed beasts guided me and the cries of the hunted warned me. I even managed to get a few kills in myself. But, to both gladness and despair, I knew I had killed no one.


    This was a game of elimination, after all. There were no trophies to be had. Eventually, however, it got quiet. It was increasingly just two hunters in these woods.


    "God of Game, guide my shot." I prayed before I slipped out from a tree I had long since moved to. And while my shot did not hit anyone, it did make the distant plants rustle. I had spooked someone, yet, another shot made that bush flash.


    It seems I had not taken out the hunter, but merely hidden prey. And, as such, I had lost my right to be called a hunter. Because now I found myself hounded all the way into the darkness. And, before I could even realise it, I was seething in pain for my side was bloody.


    "A fine shot indeed." I commented as I looked down with grim curiosity. Despite it just being air, it had punched through my side as if it were a perfect ball. Thankfully, a small ball. Like a sweet moulded treat from back home.


    Unfortunately, I was forced into a desperate decision. Either I risked losing my chance to win by exposing myself for a risky shot. Or, I traced my way to him with help from my injury. It clean and true nature meant I could figure out his place in time.


    Yet, I might not have had time because no good hunter stayed still. He made sure his prey could be found again. Or, he was unfindable himself. I, however, was willing to believe the last option.


    "May the best hunter win." I bless my opponent with before I run out into a brief opening. Dropping down into a hidden river and sticking to its sides. If I was lucky, I was on the side he would approach from. If not, I had a way to stop him.


    Yet, the sight of the clear sky made me nearly weep. It may have been a lie, but, it was a beautiful, open sky I was beholden to. The imitation of the holy home shone brightly and I was gifted a magnificent view. One that made me wish that Luhki was here for me to ride.


    And, having seen this sky, I knew that I had to win. For the sky was calling for honour to be presented before it. Arfsgeer might''ve been skilled, but, he knew nothing of a hunter''s honour.  Admittedly, many did not.


    I have even failed at times to honour the bright sky above many times. But, here I would not fail. I would best the one who had spilt my blood. I would see that this Hunter of Men vanished to where the others had.


    And so, I took out my precious tool. One designed to help me focus my magic, but, one that also could be converted. From a means to focus to a means to attack. I was now in possession of a bow with brilliant strength at the rope.


    But, now I needed a place to take the shot, and, I found it soon. Yet, I would not arrive quickly because I had to climb along the root-covered cliff-face. My injury put me at greater risk as well. However, I would not fall.


    And when I reached my destination, I waited in the open light. Calling out to the hunter with a proud voice before a shot pierced me at the breast. Yet, its clean nature only drove me to sing louder. And, I drew my bow in the direction of the shot.


    "One eye, for two." I said to my lense-tipped arrow before I honoured the Betrayed Sun with a star of my own. Brightly did it shine and loud did my opponent cry when he was blinded. And, like a sabre-toothed beast of the plains, I charged at the noise. One hand reached out while the other clenched my bow.


    Eventually, I felt my focus lense and it came back to me. And I spun around to let loose the final shot. Narrowly avoiding a panicked shot from my opponent. However, my haste made it so that I missed too. As such, I heard a knife be drawn.


    "Give me a moment, to recover my eyesight." I begged Arfsgeer before I collapsed down onto a rock.


    His knife then went against my throat, "Why would I do that?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him in his moment of victory.


    "You are a hunter, no? What good is there in hunting blind game?" I asked, appealing to a sense of honour that I hoped burned bright.


    "You will lay down your arms and accept the final shot like a man?" he asked as the blade eased away from my neck.


    "I will hold my head high..." I admitted with a nod before his knife was sheathed. I was then helped to my feet and left alone briefly.


    "Your eyes will clear up as your sight returns?" he asks me as I hear his weapon firmly settle into his hands again.


    "I will tell you the colour of the bird behind you when I can." I tell him before I blast him with a spell made from my returned vision. And, I smiled triumphantly while looking back at the spooked bird behind him. It was a red creature with a white face and a small, squarish beak. And, once again, I sought a tree for comfort.


    Because using both my eyes like that would leave me blinded for longer than usual. Yet, I was happy either way, because, I had bested a fine opponent. And, as he had a weapon in hand, my honour remained intact. Thankfully, as well, trickery was just as much a hunter''s tool as was his bow or mount.


    And, eventually, with Arfsgeer gone, I heard life return to the forest. For battle was coming back to the land and it disturbed it greatly. So, once my vision came back, I picked up my bow again. For someone had to keep the forest at peace.


    This was an element I was comfortable with, so, I had no problems lingering here. The skulls I would claim would suit me fine. No trophy made by machines would impress me. Tales to boast about, however?


    It made me smirk as if I had gone mad.


    .


    .


    .


    "Head of Oddity House, where are you going?" one of my colleagues asked when I got out of my chair and walked off. Surprisingly, however, they were persistent and followed me.


    "To check on my students." I tell her before I key in a destination at the nearest portal. And, we both rematerialised in the area where my students were seated. Several of them were enjoying themselves while others seemed to be worried.


    "Why are your eyes glued to the screens, then?"


    "Because I have students fighting." I remind her as I take advantage of the fact these screens only showed my students. And, currently, a lot of those from the far north were getting uppity.


    "If only he was mounted..." one let out in joyous awe before a few others laughed at the thought. I suppose they were referring to how one of their own had come to dominate one of the larger rooms. However, I grew curious as to if a student from Exceptional House would drive him out. But, the fact Student Nin had encountered no one also interested me.


    I could only assume he was holding the luck of the draw if he was safe so far. He perhaps, out of everyone in the Inter-House Talent Display had the biggest target. Yet, maybe it was what he was that drove others away from him. His continued survival, after all, saw a sharp drop in harassment complaints.


    But, he wasn''t the only one that would draw a lot of attention to themselves. And, I was very much worried about the other one. Both Student Nin and Student Liadanann were unique, exciting opportunities. But, only one of them was a previously unrecorded species.


    "What a perfect time to come by." I let out quietly as the magic screens pick up the increased interest in Student Liadanann.


    "I envy you, you know." the lecturer who followed me commented as screens showing Student Liadanann dominated the space.


    "Who wouldn''t? I get any and all students who aren''t human." I tell her with a smirk before my finger curls around my mouth. Chin soon resting in a claw-like grip.


    .


    .


    .


    "Nin... Please find me..." I let out quietly before a terrified breath drowns out my whisper. Ever since we all got separated by whatever magic was in this place... All I have ever been was alone. The sounds of humans were everywhere.


    I thought, maybe, having this armour would give me confidence. But, I was incapable of feeling safe at the moment. No matter how many times my magical shield protected me from the traps in this place. And, it did not help that so many of these places reminded me of that place...


    This arena I had stepped in, it was a filthy, dark and dusty place with high vantage points around the rim. It was basically a carbon copy of that place where I learned only despair. And, I don''t think Nin was going to suddenly come and save me. So, I was hiding and hoping I could avoid it all.


    "Shh, do you hear that?" a human girl asked what I hoped was only one other.


    "Scraping?" another asked. And, I froze up because this small space I was in was tight. I couldn''t help but scrape my armour or claws along the stone and sand.


    "This way!" a boy told the others before I heard them rush towards my position. And, in a state of panic, I let my magic activate so I could be protected by its divine power.


    "Is she one of ours?" someone asked as some of them started to prod my defences.


    "She?" the same boy asked with a scoff. But, I soon heard the sound of a slap and a shock-filled groan.


    "Look around you, drownedbrain!" one of the girls scolded before the boy began to mock her with mutters.


    "Alright, the rest of you back away, if this isn''t someone from Traditional House, we''re all going to get warped out." one cautioned before the ground began to tremble. And, soon, I was staring down a worm made of wind. Or, a tunnel made of it. It did not matter.


    All I could do was attack the spell that had snuck under my magic and try to escape. Yet, my awkward position only brought me out into an exposed trap. And, I couldn''t help but tremble in fear. All these humans had spells ready to be fired off at me.


    "Hey, hold up, isn''t that...?" one began to say as their hands moved down to their sides. And, just like that, all the magic began to disappear as what seemed to be cruel joy spread across their faces.


    "By the gods... It is!" one said excitedly before they all looked at me as if I was a toy. They all wanted to have a turn with me and I did not want that to happen... I could not let it happen! These humans would stay away!


    "H-HEY!" one shouted when I started to run away. Yet, I would soon plummet to the ground as some kind of magic rope had tripped me.


    "It''s alright, we just want to ask you some questions!" one asked me with a smile while I shook and trembled on my way back to my feet.


    "HELP!" I cried, much to the confusion of the humans as one of them had just proven no help was nearby. Yet, I still couldn''t help but try and call for help over and over. My magic was useless! They had spells that could get around it!


    "Woah, hey, calm down!" one said gently as she laid down her weapon before she slowly approached.


    "Uh, Sula, this is a fight, remember?" the boy asked the girl approaching me.


    "Nothing is going to happ-" this Sula confidently brushed off before I struck them when they got too close.


    "STAY AWAY!" I roared before I desperately tried to claw and slam my way out of the chamber. But, something was stopping me. Some kind of force was stopping me from getting a good grip on the walls. So I just could not climb out of here!


    "AH! You little-" Sula began to screech before she brushed herself off and breathe deeply.


    "Should we fight her?"


    "Yes, should we?" the boy asked with the greatest aggression in his voice.


    "N-No, it was stupid of me to get so close to her when she''s clearly terrified." Sula commented before she started to stare at me with a ponderous gaze. How dare she... I was not some curiosity! I was a living being! Not some science project!


    As such, I couldn''t help but growl and take on a more aggressive posture. I did not know if my armour would let me hurt these people. But, it should at least give me enough power to survive whatever they had planned for me. It had to...


    My Divine Lord gifted me a power to use, and this armour was to be used in conjunction with it. However, if I was not strong enough to use it, then I only brought shame to his name. I only made my people seem weak to the world... We were clinging on, but we were not weak!


    "Again, fight?" the boy asked as I started to act with increasing rabidity. If they wanted to treat me as the Tobabllians had, then I would do the same. If this place wanted to remind me of that place, I would teach them of what it taught me.


    "Come on... A weapon, give me a weapon!" I demanded of my god''s power as I started to hyperventilate. I did not want to stain this work of art with such bad memories. Yet, it was the only way I knew how to fight. A blade on the tail and a bladed shield on each arm.


    "Sula!" one of the girls nearly screamed before she fired off some magic at me as blades formed on my wrists.


    "G-Good..." I stammered out as a cold sweat covered me. This talisman could create weapons even though it made shields before. But, maybe the talisman wasn''t there to make shields. Rather, to create a defence.


    And, sometimes, the best defence, was an unrelenting offence.


    Either way, their curiosity turned to caution and a different kind of excitement. Even now, as I tried to land a blow on their faster bodies, I was still treated like a curiosity. Was I really that weak even with this power? What was I doing wrong?


    "Protect Meya!" one of them said to the others. But, that statement gave me something to work with. Was this Meya offering them some kind of advantage that their numbers needed? If so, it did not take long for me to find them amongst the humans.


    "Eh!? It''s chasing me!" this Meya squealed in an almost mocking manner before I was able to corner them. Despite the barrage of magic heading my way, the armour was holding up. The advanced machines in that workshop were doing what they needed to do. I may have felt the blasts that hit but they did not hurt beyond the impact.


    "GET IT AWAY FROM MEYA!" one screamed before I lunged at the vulnerable witch. Yet, rather than seeing blood appear when I hit them. All I saw was a blue flash and they just disappeared.


    "MEYA!" they would all scream before an unrelenting barrage suddenly came upon me. I was forced to create another dome shield around myself and I started to cower again. There was no way I could take out this many!


    "Ah..." I cried before falling to the ground. All this magic was irritating my old injuries and they seemed to hurt more than they should have. What was going to happen to me if this shield broke!? Were they going to treat me like the humans back then did!?


    I couldn''t help but wail for Nin, surely he would come and help, right!? Right!? I couldn''t do this on my own otherwise... I needed someone to help me...


    "Liadanann." the talisman then said with a clear voice despite all the explosions around me. I was also not baffled by how it made me calm. How it made me feel safe...


    "Yes...?" I asked the voice that I felt like I knew.


    "Roar." it ordered before the talisman started to glow brighter than it did before. Then, after a brief delay of thinking about what it meant, I did as asked. I took in a deep breath, and then I let it all out with as much confidence as I could muster.


    The shield that was protecting me began to break yet I could not stop roaring. I kept on going until I felt confidence seemingly pump through my veins. My doubts were gone and my mind was focused. Their attacks had not relented, but, I was not scared right now.


    So, I launched at the closest one with my bladed shield and I struck at them before swiping at another. Tail and claw did I attack with. And while my armour did crack and break under their barrage. It steadily got quieter.


    "Woah... So that''s what you are capable of..." Sula uttered as she slowly got up after my tail sliced along her gut.


    "SULA!" the boy screamed before he tried to lance me through with a close-contact magic blast. Yet, thankfully, I was able to make a shield in its path. So he instead went flying when it backfired on him.


    "No... Wait..." Sula panted out before I got the chance to leap at the fallen boy.


    "Quiet!" I told her before I struck at her until she disappeared in a flash.


    "You... Stupid creature..." the boy mocked as he spat out blood before he collapsed.


    "A bold claim coming from a human who tried to battle against the power of a god." I told him before I leapt and landed on his back. And, just like that, it was over. The humans were gone and I was safe.


    "Well done." the talisman said before a strange sound came from it. Almost like when Vadei interfered with me as I did things on the airship...? I was perplexed by how it ended, but, I was thankful either way.


    "Look at me, Nin. I can defend myself now." I confidently mutter with a small smile before I collapsed to the ground in pain. A strange message then suddenly appeared before me. It was asking if I wanted to quit?


    .


    .


    .


    "Worried for her?" I was asked as my hand rapidly pushed the same magic button over and over. And, she was right and I had no shame in admitting it.


    "One of our rarest, and the most irreplaceable student within this place is at risk of dying. I will not have it on my conscious should it happen!" I sternly tell her as I continue to insist on a course of action for Student Liadanann to take. Yet, despite my efforts, she declined. My hand then returned to my side with an unnerved shiver.


    "You couldn''t stop her from taking part."


    "Of course not, there was no rule she had violated up to this point. She has earned no exclusion from this grand occasion." I point out with uncharacteristic hysteria before I nervously put my hand on my mouth.


    She then laughed, "You know, Head of Oddity House Frihdeicalkbr, it''s rather adorable that your desire for knowledge makes you so caring."


    And her giggles annoyed me, "Caring? Please, I''m ensuring as well as I can that our future staff and students can make the most of this storied place." I scoff.


    She giggles some more, "Whatever you say."


    "Do go away, you are annoying me now." I lightly snarl, much to her amusement.


    "I''m not from your House, so no." she childishly said back to me before her tongue came out too.


    "Accept it already, dammit." I groan to the screens after deciding to ignore her. Yet, Student Lidanann kept on declining. And, instead, I was left watching her injured body slowly make its way to another arena. So, I was left paranoid that a member of Exceptional House might find her.


    Yet, there was as much of a chance as a friendly student finding her...


    .


    .


    .


    "So is this secret path of yours really this way? We did sort of get moved away from the original path." I asked Rose as my patience for all this walking reached its end.


    "J-Just, trust me, please. I know where we need to go..." Rose snapped in a peculiar manner before she pulled out that thing of hers again. It flashed gently quite a lot and whatever it was displaying moved quite a bit.


    "So what is that thing, anyway?" I asked mostly out of boredom as this path was rather quiet. Like, there were moments we walked over in-progress fights. Yet, this path itself was very uneventful. I mean, I could have hopped down at points, but, Rose said she had a plan.


    "It''s something I was able to get." she answered unhelpfully before she jumped in fright when I walked near her. It was clear she was hiding something, but, I did not know what to call her out on. Yet, I also just wanted to see what it was that she was leading me into. It could be useful to me, after all.


    But, it wasn''t like I was apathetic to the issue of her clearly lying to me. It did concern me as her encouraging me to do something, only to reveal her aid to the offender was not new. It was what made us grow distant, after all. And it was only since I got back that she has started speaking to me again.


    Yet, I was sure she did watch me on occasion even before I left for...


    "Rose...?" I asked in concern when she suddenly dropped to the floor when we passed into this peculiar room. It was rimmed by grooved pillars and it was as if it was built on a mountain. Clouds could be seen through the pillars and the dark stone floor below made us stand out. Because, for some reason, these clouds were like mirrors.


    "I''m fine... Just a little tired..." she panted out before she groaned in pain.


    "Okay, we''re getting you out of this place." I say with uncertainty before I pick her up and place her down outside the room. And, when we got out of it, she and I both felt better. Because for the moment we were in there, I felt weaker. Oddly enough, it felt like I had a blocked nose that applied to my magic.


    "Th-Thank you..." she breathed out slowly before I felt magic in the distance. Her device as well began to get a lot more active. So, whatever she had led me into was just about to start.


    "I have no idea what to do." I try to joke while I nervously shift my position about. I had no idea what was coming, so, I did not know what to do. Yet, I could guess that whatever was lighting up the distant hallway was not friendly.


    "GET AWAY FROM HER!" a voice roared as this distant magic suddenly rocketed forward even quicker than before. And, soon, very soon, I was watching a magic-covered foot come slamming into my face.


    "GAH!" I let out in pain before I went flying back into the strange room. And, as I got up, I began to realise just how hard I had been hit. There was a strange taste in my mouth and there was a painful wetness dripping down my face. I also couldn''t help but seethe as sharp stings kept rippling around my skull.


    "I''m-I-"


    "Don''t apologize to it, Roseli, it''s alright, I''m here now." this individual told her with heroic confidence that left me pissed. I may have been more focused on the blow I had just received, but, I remembered that magic.


    "You..." I growled once my vision cleared up and I saw his face again. That blonde prick was back again to humiliate me once more!? Well, I sure hoped he didn''t have a brain, because I have grown since then!


    "Back off." he casually warned before he struck me away again after I tried to charge him.


    "W-Wait!" Rose interrupted before she got between him and me. And, even now, I was confused as to what Rose was doing. I could get that she was in league with this guy, but, why was she interfering...? If she led me to him so he could beat me down again, why was she doing this...?


    "What is the meaning of this, Rose!?" I asked her angrily, barely holding back a roar. Yet, either way, she still jumped and collapsed in fright. And, whoever this guy was, that only made him angrier. But, it did not matter.


    I had no intention of losing this time so I tried to launch myself at him. Yet, I was intercepted each and every time I tried to grab him. He was just too fast and agile despite the relatively narrow space we were in. Any time I was close to taking hold of him, he spun or twirled around me.


    A kick was not far behind each time and I kept finding myself on the floor. And it only made me more enraged each time. Surely I had grown since the last time I fought him!? I made it into the school, didn''t I!?


    I fought and survived against Salahma, a powerful wyvern! I overcame the horrors of an osibindah hive once again! So why was he beating me so easily!? Why did I keep feeling shockwaves travel across my face!?


    "STOP IT!" Rose screamed before this guy stopped to comfort her.


    "Roseli, listen to me, this isn''t you. Okay? I''m here to help, just stay back and let me handle it." he affectionately told her before I heard a quick smack of the lips.


    "You shit..." I growled as yellow blood flowed from the cracks in my carapace.


    "Get back!" he warned Rose before my chin was struck and I was sent somersaulting.


    A loud bang filled the air once I crashed into the ground, yet, my retaliatory spell did not come out. Was I scared of hurting Rose? Why would I be scared of that!? She had led me into another trap where I would be humiliated!


    "No... That''s not it." I sniffled before I spat out some blood and caressed my jaw. He had sent me back into this room, and this room stopped spells being cast! So, I just needed to get him into this place and I would be able to...


    "Whatever you think you have planned, bug, it won''t work!" he told me as he kept himself in position so he could defend his whore. That traitorous, vapid whore...


    "Oh, I think it will!" I snapped before I made one last desperate charge. And, even though I was probably vulnerable anyway to him. I made sure I myself felt vulnerable. So that he would go for the blatant opening I left him.


    "Told you!" he said when he suddenly appeared behind me before his magic began to drill into my nape.


    "GET OFF!" I roared in desperation as I felt that magic did into my flesh. Yet, it was that desperation that drove me to grab his leg after suddenly flipping over.


    "Huh!?" he let out in shock before I threw him into the room, screaming all the while. For, despite me having landed my first blow on him... That magic around his feet still shredded up my claw. It was a cracked, bloody mess.


    Yet, its sacrifice gave me what I needed. He no longer had his magic and his sudden, clumsy fall made me cackle. He wasn''t so tough now, was he? He was just some witch who had a good spell, yet, it was now gone!


    "For my sake, I hope you don''t know how to fight." I try to confidently taunt, despite myself not knowing how to fight either. I may try my hardest, but, I just hadn''t learned yet.


    "I didn''t get into my position just with a few spells. I did not leave record for Student Vapooliar to break just because I knew how to fight with proper magic!" he taunted while waving me closer with a confident smirk. Yet, before I stepped closer to fight him, I looked back at Rose.


    And she was looking on at this man with hope... Why was she looking at him with hope!? I had done nothing to her!? I had kept her safe all this time...


    "SO WHY DID YOU CHOOSE HIM OVER ME!?" I roared while already knowing the answer. Her kind were fickle, she left that bark thing for me. And, she in turn left me alone in my time of need for him.


    All because the other one was stronger... Yet, I suppose it did not matter, I could ask her all I wanted when I beat him!

 Incline 5: The Exceptionals Come

    "G-GRAH!" I let out in pain as a fist hit my jaw awkwardly. The resulting pain made me stumble away. Until, I swung back at him, emptying out his lungs in the process.


    Then, he spat on me with contempt, "HIT HARDER, BUG!" he roared as he charged and slammed against me. And, for a few moments, I was on the ground facing an unrelenting assault.


    "How about I bite you?" I asked him a low growl before my jaws clamped down on his shoulder.


    "BLOODY BEAST!" he screamed before he started to punch me with an extended thumb. Each time he tried to gouge my eye out before I spat him out. The relief that this gave him also let me kick him off. As awkward as it was.


    "Feel like giving up?" I asked him before I struck at his chest. Only to be blocked by the swift raisure of his arms.


    He then countered with a couple of jabs before he swung under. And I fell to the ground once again as if I wasn''t more than two metres tall. Thankfully, I caught his leg before it fell down on me. And I swung him over in time with my roll.


    "COME ON! I DIDN''T KNOCK YOUR TEETH OUT!" I yell down to him before I grab him and hoist him over my head. But the shredding of cloth made it clear my grip was loose.


    "BUT I HOPE THAT DID!" he yelled as I stumbled back, clutching my snout. He had just twisted out of my grip and struck me with his knee!


    Yet, despite wanting to go at him again, I couldn''t help but stumble back, "I hate this taste..." I comment to myself quietly. A thick layer of blood had been mixed in with my spit.


    But, while I was focused on the daziness in my head and the blood in my mouth. He had charged at me again and was delivering a flurry of punches to my chest. Each blow broke and cracked my carapace until flesh was forced out. At least, until I was able to backhand him out of it.


    From which I then moved on to trying to run him down. His swiftness, however, made sure I would not draw blood. And, instead, my momentum was used against me. He bent me over and swung up.


    "GAH!" I choked loudly as bile and blood shot out of my mouth. I was then briefly in the air before a heavy thud rang throughout me.


    "Get up, I''m not done with you." Seigunfrei asked me as he took this moment to catch my breath while I shuddered to my feet. Even now, I was still losing. I admit, though, I took a beating before we got here...


    "You best hope and pray I am done with you quickly then, AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!" I told him with a low tone before I roared and struck him right on the forehead. Unlike how I would have taken it, however. He flipped back to his feet before he hit the ground.


    "I can see why she came to me instead of, YOU!" he told me before I received more punches and more kicks. He then took my shredded up claw and squeezed it. I collapsed while letting out a bloodcurdling roar. He may have not been using magic, but it burned all the same


    My other claw, though, was free so I grabbed the side of his head. Bringing him down as quickly as I could before dropping a fist on him. And while I hid the other, bloodier claw, I carried on slamming. Until he stopped me by the wrist.


    "Look at yourself compared to me, Bug! She will never go back to you!" he growled up at me. And his words made me look into the mirror-like clouds. And he was indeed right. He might have been bruised and cut slightly.


    But I was clearly thrown under a fully-loaded hauler...


    "KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!" I demanded when I got my arm free enough to grab his head. Loud bangs then filled my ears alongside muffled grunts. And, even further below, the ground cracked and split.


    "Get off me, bug!" he said slowly when he finally got free. And, despite all my fury coming down on him. All my weight and bulk, he was still lifting me up. So I relinquished my grip and kicked my way out of his.


    Once again stumbling backwards until I reached a pillar at the edge. And, for some reason, I felt tired, so very tired. My vision was struggling to stay clear and everything hurt. I was even starting to slip due to all the blood pouring down onto my smooth feet.


    "I... Will..." I tried to say before I fell to the ground with a resounding crash. Tattered breaths kept on leaving me at every opportunity until I saw his boots appear in my narrowed vision.


    "Just like last time." he commented before spitting down at me. And, then, as if it was the only noise in this vast chamber. I heard Rose''s tubes tap the ground rapidly before I heard two bodies gently collide.


    And, with anger renewing what energy I had left, I got up with a terrible growl, "I don''t think so!" I uttered. Charging at him once again, getting caught the moment I got near him and her. Yet, I kept on pushing us past Rose who fell to the ground in shock.


    "Th-That''s enough!" she cried from the floor while me and him shuddered back and forth. Yet, this time, I was able to overpower him by not letting him abuse my size. And I was soon bearing down on him with exposed teeth and vicious growls.


    "You heard her!" I hissed before I shot a sudden surge of strength down on him. Causing him to slip up and me to fall on top of him. I then lashed out with as much fury as I could muster. Striking at him until red blood splattered out each time his head flicked.


    Yet, I had not paid enough attention to my surroundings. And, instead, I came face-to-face with a spell made up of swirling, razor winds. I barely got away from him before the spell struck and was watching in terror as he got up. Yet, it became clear he had no intention in moving.


    "Roseli, behind me!" he barked as I quickly moved to the other entrance. And, a stalemate ensued with a terrified woman in-between us.


    "STOP IT!" she screamed before she broke down crying.


    "Roseli, you know why I have to do this, so don''t try to stop me." he told her with a soft tone that did not match his posture or state.


    "I know... I know..." she whimpered before he gaze slowly turned to me while I struggled to stand against a wall.


    "Stay out of the way..." I told her, but, she did not move. So I went to try and move her instead for some reason. Yet, that just made him sacrifice his magic to keep me away.


    "DO NOT LAY A FINGER ON HER!" he screamed as he swung over and over. Sometimes to my arms, sometimes to my body. They all hurt, and I showed it as much. Each time, he just kept pushing me further and further back.


    Until I felt my body seemingly open up when my foot lanced out to provide support. And, he was too quick to realise what had just happened. So I had to try and keep myself out here for long enough so a spell could form. But, he was too strong...


    "Nin... Please..." Rose began to say, and, he stopped and looked back at her in confusion, "Beat him... BEAT HIM!" she cheered on...


    She cheered me on...


    "Roseli...?" he let out in shock as his grip suddenly loosened. A mistake he would come to regret as Rose''s words had the opposite effect on me. And I cocked my arm back while he was distracted. It was then too late for him to realise why a blue light had appeared.


    Then, a bright explosion roared to life as I felt him leave my grip. And, for a brief moment, I knew he was in that arcane fireball. I then felt joy and happiness when I saw him lying on the ground. But, he was not out yet.


    So, I watched with concern as he picked his bloody self up before he snarled at me. Despite what he had just heard as well, he maintained a rigid form. He did not just lash out at me like I had been doing with him. Yet, what Rose said clearly still bothered him.


    He just wouldn''t stop looking at her as his body shuddered. And, once again, I charged at him. But, to confusion that only filled me afterwards. I struck him down with a solid swing to the head. A blow that sent him straight into a pillar before he fell down cold.


    "That''s it...?" I asked no one as I stared intently at his still form. Had I won? Did I, like, was this the moment where I triumphed? Where I actually won...?


    "Nin..." I heard a tearful, joyous voice behind me let out quietly before I felt something I haven''t felt in a long time. I felt the warm body of Rose as she tried to envelop me as much as possible.


    "No... Get..." I started to say, some anger still in me. Anger meant for her. But, I just couldn''t get her off of me, and, I fell to the wall and slid down it.


    "You did it..." she reminded me before her tears began to roll down my bloody chest. And, for a moment, I felt happy. Happy enough to forget what had just happened. Happy enough to just stroke her hair and breathe.


    "One fight is all I can do then, huh?" I asked her for no reason over than I wanted a reason to smile at a bad joke.


    "N-No, there''s a... Come on, my Love!" she said, calling me that name again. And, while it lingered in my mind, she pulled at me until I went along with it. But, I had to slam my foot down to stop myself just falling down again.


    "A little h-help...?" I asked her with a painful wheeze whilst clutching my side. All this pain was becoming increasingly noticeable and I was barely holding it in. Maybe I could just start swearing over and over. Yet, Rose''s touch made it bearable, I did not want her to let go.


    "Come on, it''s not far this way." she told me urgently as she tried to rush me down the hall Seigunfrei came through initially.


    "What''s this w-way?" I asked her before I slammed a claw on the way. The blood coating it, however, made sure I could never get a good grip.


    "Sei- He told me that, after he would somehow beat you," she started to explain before she laughed, "that he would take us here to recover."


    "H-How would he know that?" I asked, ignoring the details regarding their plot.


    "He asked the people who gave us these." she told me before she passed me the device. I then just dropped it and left it behind so I could focus on not falling over. Rose might''ve been offering me support, but, she was not strong enough to hold me, should I fall.


    "I would very much like to get there, then." I tell her with a nod as her tail flicks at me. The smile she had was soon to disappear as well, once she saw the blood on those fine hairs.


    "Don''t worry, my love. I''ll see to it that you can prove yourself once again." she told me, and, once again I found myself ignoring her words. I just wanted to pretend she was not that oblivious to what she had just said.


    "D-Down there... Is that it?" I asked her with a heavy wheeze. I really was on my last legs at this point and the energy put into me by combat was vanishing.


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    "Nin!? NIN!?" I cried in worry as my love suddenly collapsed to the ground. And, to my shame, the sudden weight made me drop him. Yet, even after I got my act together, I could not get him up. He was just too full of magic!


    I just did not know what to do, I could not move him yet the room was right there. Even if I could not get him to the centre of it, if I could just get him to the edge. Just like how it worked when he and the other were fighting... But, I should at least try, no?


    "Okay, okay... What can I do...?" I asked myself as I tried to think of something my magic might be able to do. Yet, because I did not come in with a staff, I had nothing to use as a conduit. Unless I risked our safety by trying to use him as it. And, I was rightfully hesitant towards such a plan.


    If he was injured like this, linking our internal-magic''s together could injure him or kill him! There was also the problem of me being so much weaker than him. Having all that power just surge into me... No, my safety meant nothing compared to his right now.


    If the risks were greater for me than they were for him, it was an acceptable outcome. So, I took his hand into my own, then, I knelt down beside him. I tried to comfort him as much as I could. Any shock might mess with the experience, after all.


    "It''s alright, my love. I am here to help." I whispered with a smile when I saw his eye flicker open and shut. Then, I became stiff when I suddenly felt his magic pass into me. It was absurd how much he had in comparison to myself. It burned and my body was not ready to hold such power.


    Soon, as well, I even started to feel sick as his stronger, vastly more potent magic began to evict my own. It was a peculiar experience because it hurt so much yet his magic kept healing the damage. I couldn''t even get tears to come out because of how the pain kept vanishing so quickly. It did not, however, stop the shudders and twitches I was experiencing.


    "AH!" I let out when I couldn''t keep quiet anymore. However, it seemed to work and I was slowly able to start dragging him if I put all my effort into it. Yet, my body was not made for this either. My stupid points couldn''t get a grip, even with the tubes I was wearing.


    So I was constantly slipping and scraping the stone floor. So close was I to just falling down each time, but, I was able to get him moving. Even if I sometimes stopped so I could change how I moved him. Then, another surge of pain shot through me and I nearly flew away from him.


    "R-Rose?" Nin croaked as he crawled up to me. A look of concern on his face as his blood rapidly clotted and the wounds closed. I had done it? I must have, because even I started to feel better.


    "It''s alright, my love, you''re fine now." I tell him before I rested my face in his hand. Stroking my own up his arm while he made a miraculous recovery before my eyes.


    "You fine on the floor, or do you want to get up?" he asked me as he begun to shake his head and sigh out his ease.


    "I would prefer your arms." I answer with a giggle before I shoot up into his greater grip. Hugging him tightly and making sure I could feel his heartbeat. I had missed this so much... I could finally feel it again, and, I could also sleep better at night now.


    I had gotten so used to feeling his chest thump with power at night. It was just one of many things that bothered me while I was away from my love. I had come to miss many things I had taken for granted before I made that mistake. But, he was willing to forgive me for it, no?


    Then, his chest moved away and he started to walk, "Would you mind taking a seat, Rose?" he asked me. His hand gestured down at a bench that must''ve been built before this tournament started.


    "My love?" I let out in worry while complying with what he had just asked of me. Was this the moment I was fearing? Would it all have been for nothing? The pain I have suffered during my time away from me?


    "Why did you leave me? I needed someone to be there for me... And... You just left. You left and guided me to one of the most embarrassing things I have ever been through." he asked me with clear hurt in his voice. And, even though he clearly tried to keep a straight face, I could see the subtle quivers it made.


    And, it hurt to hear him ask that, and I went silent, "I..." I started to say before I stopped.


    "Rose, come on, it''s not a hard question to answer." he told me with growing signs of frustration.


    "It is... And, well..." I started to say before I swallowed my pride and fell to the floor. Grovelling before him as if I was some root begging for mercy after they committed a crime.


    "What...?" he let out as I shook under his gaze.


    "I''m sorry, Nin! I really am... But, I didn''t know what to do! Since I met you, you have been one of the strongest people I have ever known. But to then see you in such a pathetic state... I felt embarrassed, I didn''t want to be near you and I-"


    "Be quiet." he said clearly, but not loudly. Yet, it might as well have been like that as now I was terrified. I was, for a moment, seeing him as only an osibindah while I was down here. And, to my shame, I flinched when his claw came to grab me.


    Yet, I found myself confused when its grip was gentle and it led to a hug, "Huh?" I let out with both words and my true-voice. And, the soft light they let out complimented his features well. Because his expression was not hard, it was soft and loving.


    "Just forget about it all. What happened, happened." he told me as he squeezed me gently. Then, his fingers snuck in a sneaky pinch on my rear which led to me smiling.


    "It''s not the time or place for something like that, my love." I pointed out before I moved my lips closer to his. Yet, my lips would find their place on his cheek, not his lips like they have done before. And, for a moment I saw hints of greater pain.


    It worried me because since I have met him, I have learned several things about him. One of which is how he hides his distress and his worries when they aren''t flowing out. Something very bad must have happened while we were separated and it worried me. I could not have the father of my seed refuse to share my affection in its purest form.


    Yet, I could also not just ask him about it as he would just avoid the topic. I also did not want to risk it all just coming out onto me. He never responded well to just being asked and poked. I had to show patience if I was to find out what was bothering him.


    "So, seen as you knew about this place, do you know which way is safe?" he asked me.


    "Why would I know that?" I asked back.


    "Well, Toothless back there told you about this, surely he told you about other things?"


    "Toothless?" I questioned, giggling at the nickname.


    "Come on, you saw my spell hit him! Surely his perfect jawline is a mess now." my love scoffed before he puffed out his chest. And, I would give the praise he wanted. After all, he had so very clearly won it.


    "I wish I never saw you that night, you know."


    "Eh?"


    "Because it spoiled me to the sight of how much you have grown!" I excitedly cheered while bouncing my tips up and down. Light taps filled our ears before I came to a stop. A smile on his face that soon cracked into a grin.


    "At least now I know as well what it looks like when it hits someone." he admits before his hand comes and lays claim to my rear again.


    "So... What kind of magic is that, anyway?" I asked him while trying to keep my love in check. But, with how firm his grip was, it was hard to keep my mind in order. I even had to resort to wrapping my tail around his wrist just to direct my mind into something else.


    "Elementless magic from what I have been told." he said to me, and, I gasped. Both because he was a teasing annoyance and because it was such a shock to here. He could use elementless magic? I haven''t heard of that ever being used outside of the rare stories I have been told.


    About a land long before Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra ever awakened. Long before even our most primal history as well. Back when my kind still bore some resemblance to the plants we came from. I was sure even our sacred Garden Mount was even near the ancient ruins I was thinking about!


    "Rose?" he called as he nudged me with his shoulder.


    "Sorry, my love. I''m, just in shock to see such magic in my lifetime. H-How did you ever learn it!?" I said before I eagerly asked him for the details. If by circumstance it involved me, then I would be ecstatic as my influence on his magic was always a goal I have had.


    But, he went quiet, "I think I know the answer, but..." he said before a tear came out of his eye that he ignored completely.


    His actions made me frown, but, I chose to ignore it as well, just in case, "So... What other spells have you learned?" I started off slowly before I let my lust for his experiences come back.


    "Well, this is the only spell I have made work. Everything else is boring, though." he answers with what I hoped was him just being humble. And, while I was shivering with joy at the power of these spells he was showing me, I could see what he meant. But, even then, to solidify his magic into a weapon was still a feat in and of itself!


    I could not even cast impressive magic without a conduit or help! Yet, here he was, casually going about it without a single thought about its grandeur! And, the room his words left made me desire him more. Because it was clear he wanted to grow to an even greater height!


    "So, uh, my love... Nin..." I began to say slowly when my mind failed in its quest to distract itself from his hand.


    "Yes-yes?" he said quickly alongside a tightening grip.


    "I, I am still a virgin, you know...." I told him truthfully while one of my fingers began to play with my loose clothing.


    "Wow, that is impressive." he said as if I was some loose slut.


    "Excuse me!?" I nearly roared while he started to laugh in my face.


    "D-Don''t hit me!" he said between laughs as my face turned red with anger.


    "You did not just imply what I think you did!" I said before I stamped one of my points to the ground with a sharp thud. I swear the Avenging God will grant me power if he did mean it like that!


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


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    "You have got to be kidding me..." I groan, exhausted like everyone else from the constant battling we have faced on our way here. Something about this place had picked off our numbers and placed others before us. Yet, thankfully, most of them were not exactly House Exceptional material. The confusion of it all even led to our own team firing upon us.


    "Does anyone still have a map?" someone asked before I raised a tired arm in the air. The item in question was soon snatched from it. But, I dismissed it with an annoyed gesture. I was just too exhausted to care right now.


    We had been running and dodging incoming spells for quite some time now. Even the arena we were last in had been left a smouldering wreck because of the quantity. I don''t even think I have been much use up to this point either. Not knowing how to cast a decent spell and all that.


    "Alright, next wave, go!" one of our stronger teammates ordered confidently. Thankfully, that stuff all sorted itself out quickly. So, no one was tripping over each other just to get the top position. It was held by our best teammates, after all.


    Which, unfortunately, meant a certain someone too...


    "You heard him, up you go, Ravineer!" she cackled before I was grabbed by the scruff of my neck and thrown out of the trench.


    "WHAT''S YOUR PROBLEM!?" I shouted down to her while she kept a smug grin directed at me.


    "Go on, get." she said as she gave me a little wave before a fireball exploded near me. And, as I wanted to at least be around until the end, I charged on over to a nearby wall. Then, I waited for anyone else to come, but, I was left watching the others. She had thrown me out on my own with no one else...


    Because I was now watching the others charge down a building filled with mostly Errakurds. So, when the spells began to focus on the larger groups. I slipped out of this cover and made my way over to a destroyed building. Breathing in what air I could while choking because of the smoke and dust.


    "Blegh." I spat before I ran once again, this time, barely avoiding a jet of fire that suddenly came out of a building.


    "THERE!" one man declared before he brought the building down with a sudden wave of magic. Yet, its collapsing frame slid towards us. And I was nearly crushed, having been the one close enough to get shot at initially.


    "MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!" another shouted before a lighting bolt struck him down in an instant.


    "FOCUS YOUR MAGIC ON THAT WATERTOWER!" was the order that followed before the sky seemingly became infected by a storm. Thankfully, all that magic evaporated the water before it got too close. So we just barely managed to survive electrocuting rain.


    "You, what magic?" someone asked me with a confident stare as he saddled up next to me. His thick, well-built hand rested on my shoulder while my mind kept wandering. And, I mean, how could it not? Everywhere was a battlefield right now.


    "I can rust m-metal." I told him with a jitter before another stream of fire shot over us. But, this time, that fire lingered about as if it was fed fuel.


    "Alright, I think we might be able to work with that." he said before he dragged me to my feet and through an alleyway.


    "H-Hey, hold on!" I let out as I started to struggle against his grip.


    "What?" he asked as he suddenly spun around and stuck himself to a wall. The distant sounds of violent splashes filled our ears as his gaze grew impatient.


    "If you are one of the elected leaders, shouldn''t you be back there!?" I asked him as this was an irresponsible way of going about things. We needed our leaders to guide the main groups. Not one useless kid from the ravines...


    "I''m not, I just need some help." he answered before we started moving again. Yet, I was following him as if I was being controlled.


    "So, what is the plan, exactly?" I asked him as it was clear my body had made a choice for me. We would be following along with whatever plan this guy might''ve had.


    "See that metal thing over there?" he asked me while carefully gesturing his finger around the wall.


    "How could I not?" I answered.


    "Enough of that, but, yes, your magic will come in use here if it is up to scratch."


    "You nabbed me without so much as checking how strong I was!?" I nearly yelled before some more foreign magic rained down around us.


    "If you can make the metal weaker, then that is all I need." he said to me as his eyes made sure mine were stuck looking into this. And, he had an effect on me, I didn''t know how to describe. I felt, confident that I could do this.


    "So what do you need weakening?" I asked as my fingers started to fiddle with the necklace I forgot to remove this morning. It was nothing special, just another bolt I had been rusting.


    "Going by its shape, we just need to cripple its legs and gravity will handle the rest." he explained with a clear voice despite the rain of muddy debris. Then, all of a sudden, the wall behind us exploded. And out came someone with a staff surging with lighning.


    "LOOK OUT!" I nearly screamed before he shoved me aside after I tried to get him out of the way. He met this Eusorochiian head-on and he tried to get around that staff. But, the reach the lightning user got was too great. So, I decided to get involved by charging up my hand with magic.


    And, when I got a moment to use it, I unleashed a wave of rusting magic. Weakening the staff to such a degree that it snapped when this guy missed and hit a steel beam. And, with that staff gone, my current companion slapped the guy away. A loud boom that should not have been that thunderous.


    "Thank you." he quickly said before he slapped an opening into the wall that we would go on through.


    "Wouldn''t it have made more sense to get more help!?" I ask him just before he jumped over a low-hanging wall. One that I had to slowly hop over as I was nowhere as athletic as him.


    "Too many and we''d get spotted."


    "I think we just were!" I point out, referencing an event he most assuredly has not forgotten.


    "She was a stray, always get a few idiots who go off on their own."


    "You mean like us!?" I asked him, increasingly hysterical because of how we were hearing less and less wind blasts. More of the magic was beginning to sound like fire, lightning and water.


    "You just disproved yourself." he told me with a straight face before we ran off again. This time, however, we came upon a fence made of metal wire. Yet, it was covered in some kind of plastic or paint. Either way, he was insisting I do something about it.


    But, whatever this material was, it was thick enough to hold it all together even after I applied my magic. It also only rattled violently when he tried to do that slapping spell again. Then, he disappeared before he came back with an enemy. And, I panicked when a cloud of smoke and embers came my way.


    "Move." he told me before he and this girl he brought got into a very hands-off fight. The pair of them both prodding the other with quick jabs and spells. Yet, the way this guy kept casting his spells gave me an idea. So, while she was focused on his continued assaults from his right, I charged from the left.


    Bringing her down to the floor and keeping her there despite her protests.  He even came in and helped and we managed to stop her from using her magic. I was then shown fingers that began counting down. And, when it ended, he ran towards the bit I rusted, yet, I was too slow.


    "GAH!" I heard him growl when he took the spell meant for me. Then, he shoved this girl at the fence who in turn melted it before a lucky spell took her out.


    "You alright?" I asked him as I really was not expecting him to save me like that.


    "It''s just there, get in there and bring it down." he dismissively ordered before he took up a position near one of the metal legs.


    "How much?" I asked him, even though I had already started to rust it as much as I could.


    "That''ll do just fine." he told me before he slapped it down. Yet, the tower did not collapse.


    "I''ll take out the other one!" I said to him before I weaved around and began to rust it. Yet, it started to fall towards us and we had nowhere to go!


    "COME ON!" he encouraged me after he came in and helped me catch it.


    "MY MAGIC NEEDS TIME TO GO AWAY!" I point out, terrified of the idea of being crushed. Yet, this only made him double his efforts and his growls filled my ears alongside the screeching of the metal. And the twang of whatever those wires above were.


    "Good job." he said before I received a pat on the back.


    "WHAT''RE YOU DOING!?" I screamed as he had stopped trying to move it.


    "Thanking you." he clarified before the metal thing suddenly jerked away from my hands.


    "Huh?"


    "There was another group waiting for a signal." he clarified before a bunch of accented screams went silent as the sounds of wind magic came back.


    "I''m not doing that again..." I pant out before collapsing onto a box. Sighing my fatigue out again while he watched me.


    "You might just have to, we have to push onwards in that direction to get to the goal." he tells me as he walks around the fence that would''ve trapped us moments ago.


    "I''m sorry, but, I can''t exactly go on here." I inform him before I wave him off.


    "Because you''re a pathetic ravineer who has no right to be a part of this institution?" he insulted out of nowhere.


    "Your plan relied on me!" I nearly shouted as my body filled with energy and I moved over to him. Slapping on his chest but not moving him.


    "And they will continue to do so." he said with a much kinder tone as a weak spell from him urged me on.


    "No, you don''t get to say that and ju-" I start to say before he shoves me to the ground. A conical-shaped projectile made of fire soared over mere moments after.


    "So, what''s your name?" he asked me before he got down to a knee to avoid some more spells coming at us from the village across the still green field. Even if it was rapidly being burnt down by fire and lightning.


    "Baltanthan..." I utter as I slowly use my hands to get back to my feet. And, I dropped down just like he did while his gaze became fixated on the distant village.


    "Michney, and, I need you to listen carefully."


    "W-Why?" I asked as I moved closer to him, confused about this sudden concern from him.


    "In the distance, can you see it, a mighty aura has just stepped into the arena." he told me, and, I went cold despite the fires burning around us.


    "Exceptional House!?" I uttered in shock. Words that he only nodded to before he tore a pipe out of the ground.


    "Most certainly, now, listen, get back to the main group, have them do what they can. Set up a firing line so we can whittle them down." he explained before he started to move in another direction away from the cover.


    "Where are you going!?" I asked him with a hiss before jerking away from a bolt of magic.


    "To see what I can do to help." he vaguely explains before he enters a full sprint and disappears into the burning woods.


    "Great..." I groan before turning around so I could head back to everyone else. If I was lucky, she would not be here and I could hopefully just get my message through. However, I had no confidence that it would work. Just taking this small village was a nightmare in and of itself.


    And it was by a miracle we have only been fighting those on our level so far. Then, all of a sudden, the ground shook and a shockwave washed over us in a tide of dust. It scared me, because I could also see the remnants of a spell linger in the air. A huge, towering cloud that went so high it flattened out in the clouds...


    "EVERYONE! EXCEPTIONAL HOUSE IS HERE!" I scream to them once I stumble back to where everyone else was. Yet, they were a little preoccupied with getting debris off of others. And, I was quickly pressed into service to try and get it off.


    "AH! IT''S IN MY LEG!" the girl under me screamed as men were directed about to use our internal magic. And, maybe a few instinctual behaviours as well. Either way, this girl was soon being dragged away in tears while leaving a bloody trail.


    "What''s this about Exceptional House?" someone asked me quietly after we had moved to another spot to free someone.


    "That explosion just now, it''s one of them!" I whisper back to him for some reason as my previously ignored news spread like wildfire.


    "W-What''re we going to do!?" he asked me with a shiver and quake in his voice. And, I could not blame him, how could anyone.


    "Don''t scare our teammates, Ravineer." a certain someone scoffed as she shoved me against a wall. But, while I was growling out my frustrations at her, she took command of the situation.


    "Fellow leaders, take a look around, this is what our power can do! On our own, we might fall, but together, even Exceptionals will fall!" she cheered. And, to my despair, she was joined by those who were just as cocky as her. Which, unfortunately, seemed to involve a lot of our leaders... She wasn''t seriously considering sending our best fighters at an Exceptional like this!?


    "WHAT''RE YOU DOING!? WE NEED TO EITHER PULL BACK AND LET THE ODDITY''S HANDLE IT OR DULL IT SO WE CAN FINISH THEM OFF!" I roar into her face. Enraged that she would want to do something so foolhardy.


    "Do not get in my face!" she snaps at me before she sends me flying with a push. A display of magical superiority that only got everyone laughing at me. At least, those who agreed with her. And, just like that, I watched helplessly as she halved our numbers...


    An Exceptional had taken to the field, and she was content to make us failures. And soon, I was left looking up at staff-holders and spell chanters. The lesser runts of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding that had chosen to take part. The worst of the worst as some might say.


    Even for a place as storied and revered as this...


    "What''re we going to do?" one person asked.


    "That spell still lingers in the sky!" another said with awful fear. Her shaking finger spreading into others as despair settled in.


    "WE NEED TO RUN FOR IT! GET TO THE END!" one cried before I grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to stay still.


    "No! If we march out like that, we''ll just get picked off by House Oddity as well!" I tell him just in time for another great explosion to happen.


    "TO THE OUTSKIRTS!" someone roared before more buildings started to collapse when the shockwave came by again. Yet, I could not find the courage to move, and, instead, I found myself trapped under brick and steel.


    "Hey! HEY!" I began to shout as it became clear I was one of many left behind in the chaos. Then, when I could only hear the pain of the newly trapped and retrapped. I fell to the ground and hid my face behind my hands. Maybe, if I was lucky, the Exceptional would ignore or miss us.


    "Someone, please..." I heard a girl cry. It was as if I could here her body convulse and bleed. All around me was just the sounds of pain. I just did not know what to think of it all.


    I knew coming in here would''ve exposed me to unpleasant sights as this was an arena of battle. I even thought I would be able to stomach it as I have seen what Nin can do. I''ve been with him as he tore apart animals so we could then eat it the coming night or that morning. Yet, hearing the voice of people made it different.


    "IS ANYONE STILL ALIVE!?" I heard Michney roar in question before the rubble began to move. Cries of thanks soon drowned out the pain as others began to beg for aid. And, soon, I was face-to-face with him again. Yet, unlike the others, I was just trapped, not injured.


    "I wasn''t able to do what you asked." I tell him with a rather flat tone given my circumstances. Yet, he did not seem to care. Instead, he just focused on getting me out until a gloved hand reached in for me.


    "I''m not done with you yet, Baltanthan. Traditional House still needs you." he confidently spoke to me as I took his hand and was pulled out. And, what I saw when we got out only made me want to get back in there. We were left with even fewer people who could help.


    "How many of us are there?" I asked when I noticed how others were beginning to file in.


    "Eight-hundred fighting witches." Michney answers before he begins the process of making us march out of this village.


    "N-No, hold on!" I complain before I slip out of his grip.


    "It can wait." he says calmly before he rests a leg on a pile of bricks.


    "No, it can''t. You ran off to do something, and now you''re back!"


    "I am, I am here to make sure my House wins." he says after getting on top of the rubble.


    "ARE YOU BLIND!?" someone roared up at him before all the injured began to remind him of their state.


    "I AM NOT, BUT YOU ARE! ALL OF YOU CAN STILL FIGHT! ALL OF YOU CAN STILL CAST AND CHANT! DO YOU NOT REMEMBER THE SONG!?"


    "THAT''S JUST A STORY YOU IDIOT!"


    "YES, A STORY OF HOW THE WEAK BROUGHT DOWN THE MIGHTY WITH WILL! WITH DETERMINATION! UNLESS YOU MEAN TO TELL ME EACH ONE OF YOU ARE COWARDS! BECAUSE I NEED BRAVE MEN! POWERFUL WITCHES!" he roared, shaming us all while provoking us all.


    "WE ARE NOT COWARDS! WE WON THE BATTLE FOR THIS VILLAGE!"


    "And now you will win the Inter-House Talent Display." he tells us before he hops down and walks off. Yet, he did not do so alone, because steadily, people were filtering in after him. I myself was amongst these people. I had been a victim of his leadership, after all.


    I had seen that he could, in fact, lead us to some kind of victory. And, even as a few spells flew by him, he kept his head high as a small army gathered around him. Quickly, I then made my way to the front to speak with him. Maybe I could at least get some details about this.


    "Wouldn''t it make sense to go with your plan, to hold the line?" I ask him before he tsks and shakes his head.


    "No, I went off to see what that spell was like. We would just get wiped out if we held the line in a town." he explains as we came up upon a ridge. His hand spanned out to the horizon that was dotted with vast craters. And, all I could see was a single person walking amongst the debris. No doubt the Exceptional who had done all this.


    "So what is the plan now?"


    "We make way for the arena exit. Bottleneck them into a place they cannot run from." he tells us, but, his plan took us straight past them...


    "That exit?" I asked him, hoping he would clarify it to be a different one.


    "No, that one." and his words made my fear right.


    "Okay, h-how do you propose we get there?" I ask him. Some despair made its way out of my dried out lips.


    "Under the cover of fools." he says before his pipe gestures to the group made up by her cronies... He was willing to let her group be wiped out just to beat one Exceptional...?


    "And when they are wiped out?" I ask.


    "You come with me, just like before." he tells me before he pats my back and smirks.


    .


    .


    .


    "SPREAD OUT! SPREAD OUT!" I roar in desperation to those I had come down here with. We had even ended up teaming with the remaining Oddity students just to fight this Exceptional. But he was just toying with us! Our escape was gone and now he was making a point of coming for us directly.


    "Pffft, can''t believe he chastised me over this. You guys are weak." this Exceptional scoffed before he suddenly appeared and made another group disappear. Each one going down with just one punch or kick from his armoured fists.


    "FALL BACK!" I scream before I let loose a few magic blasts at him in the hopes it would do something. But, his armour was not for show in the slightest despite its ornate nature.


    "Going somewhere?" he asked me casually when he suddenly appeared behind me. Yet, a quick turn around and blast managed to keep his hands away from me.


    "HELP!" I scream as an emerald orb more pure than any I have ever seen before forms in his hands. He then turned his back on me despite my desperate barrage that hit him each time.


    "And, up she goes." he casually says before the shockwave of his throw sends me to the ground. And, I froze up with terror before another shockwave sent me flying. The sky''s brief emerald light blinded me before specks of dirt and stone began to rain down. Thankfully, as well, that attack seemed to make him forget about me.


    So I scurried to my feet and ran as fast as I could away from him. My prior bravado was but a mere ancient memory now. So forgotten that it might as well have been a legend in itself. And, my reality was instead to keep falling into the mud.


    "Gods help me." I cry and sniffle while I hug my back against a trench someone''s magic had made before. Each explosion I heard from then on made me flinch while the power of it shook through me. Even after going through so much earth, it still held terrible strength...


    "MOVE! MOVE!" I heard someone confidently order despite what had just happened. And, when I peeked over the trench, I saw that ravineer and someone else leading those we left behind. They were pushing forward onto the exit. What I did next was obvious, I chased after them with desperate courage.


    Hoping, just hoping so much that I could at least force my way to the front, "No, you''re staying out here." the Ravineer said to me when his hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder.


    "GET OFF ME!" I scream before I found myself surrounded by others.


    "As he said, Rosheney. You will form up with us." my brother tells me before he brings me to my feet and gently slaps the mud off my face. And, I felt more so angry now. Because not only had that Ravineer embarrassed me by catching me, my own, weaker brother was now leading us...


    "ARE YOU BLIND!?" I roared in question once my rage caught up with my struck down pride.


    "No, unlike you." my brother chastised before he had someone sharpen the edge of the pipe he had.


    "We need to get out here..." I told him in a quieter tone while the Ravineer kept watching us.


    "Indeed, and we will head that way." my brother tells me after he rose up.


    "So, why the point?" the Ravineer asks before his hand is suddenly taken and cut on the pipe.


    "To break that armour." my brother tells him while he withholds a hiss of pain. And, while he did that, my brother used that stupid spell of his to hammer the blood into the pipe.


    "Blood magic runes?" I question as the metal began to rust slowly but still at a visible speed. Like how a liquid steadily pours down the side of a glass after you had a drink.


    "I doubt Baltanthan here will be able to get close enough, so, here''s something that might." my brother says before he rallies those near him to follow. Yet, because he lingered behind, I ended up being pushed forward by him. Provocative blasts thudding on my back as a weak spell kept me moving.


    "He''s not thorough." the Ravineer comments as we watch the Exceptional student march forward to the next village.


    "He''s overconfident." my brother says as his eyes slowly turn to me. A red sensation fired up in my cheeks when I met that gaze as well.


    "Do we even have the numbers to survive an attack on him?"


    "We do." my brother nods as he turns back to look at the others as they gather up at the exit. If no one else came through there, that was what would beat this Exceptional...


    "Let''s get this over with, then, before my heart gives out." someone I did not know commented before everyone started to run towards the Exceptional. Yet, my feet were rooted to the ground and my brother came back to get me moving. And, to my further embarrassment, he carried me to do so.


    "PUT ME DOWN!" I squeal into his ear with as much strength as I could before we suddenly drop. An emerald orb barely missing us before our path explodes at nearly point-blank. Yet, it wasn''t as powerful as all the others. So, the Exceptional must have been too close?


    "Alright, I''m game. Let''s see what you Trads have!" the Exceptional mocked with a howl of laughter.


    "Surround him, don''t get close." my brother tells the group before they start the attack. Yet, once again, I could not move as I was scared. I had seen up close how powerful this Exceptional was, so why were they still going after him!? And, as if to prove my point, screams and tearing flesh filled my ears.


    "COME ON! TRY HARDER!" the Exceptional barked with a thunderous boom before one of my fellow Traditionals soared over me. A brief flash signalling his removal from the event.


    "Dammit, DAMMIT!" I began to say before I charged out to try and help my brother. Only to then freeze up again when I made it up to the top. Everyone was gone, they were either crippled or whisked away already...


    "Get him!" my brother struggled to get out to me as he was choked by the armoured Exceptional.


    "Maybe I should look for some Odds. They got fancy magic, after all." the bored tyrant of the battlefield complained.


    "G-Get off my brother!" I struggle to get out before I let out a pathetic blast of magic at him. But, he just casually flicked it so it would explode prematurely. The finger he used wasn''t even so much as scratched!


    "Oh, you again." he comments before my brother is suddenly slammed into and buried under collapsing mud.


    "MICHNEY!" I scream before I am suddenly shoved to the ground myself. And, before I could even scramble even a slight distance away. His hand was already on my ankle.


    "Spin? Spin." the Exceptional asks before a loud metal clang fills our ears.


    "Keep your attention on her..." the Ravineer lets out, terrified as he backs away.


    "Hey, watch the armour!" the Exceptional complains before he tears out the sharpened pipe.


    "AHHHHHHHHHH!" my brother then roars in time with me also hearing a wet, slicing noice.


    "MICHNEY!" I cry again as I scramble to my feet. Only this time, I kept on going until I was next to his bloodied body. One leg gone because of that damn pipe.


    "Now, little Trad, you damaged my armour. So, I am going to have some words with you." the Exceptional said to the Ravineer before he too was picked up and choked. Yet, I did not care.


    .


    .


    .


    "GAH!" I struggled to get out as the coward she always was ran away with Michney. A limb left behind but a life saved under any normal circumstance.


    "Tell you what, apologize, and I''ll give you a quick disqualification, yes?" the Exceptional asked me as metals twisted and tore my skin. Each fleck of mud stung even more than the metal as they were rubbed into the wounds.


    "H-How about this for an apology!?" I said to him as I began to apply my magic to his body and arm as I struggled to get out.


    "H-Hey! HEY!" he roared before I was sent flying towards the exit.


    "Bugger..." I coughed out while I also struggled to fill my lungs. No one came for me either, I was just on my own with a pissed off Exceptional charging me. Then, in desperation, I held up my hand and tried to focus my magic on it. But, I wasn''t able to get anything to come, even as he stood above me.


    Steamy rage vented out of his helmet as his armour flaked and corroded. And, as if to mock me, he held up his own hand, and casually summoned his magic. Yet, he did not laugh. All I heard was under-the-breath insults and swears.


    "FIRE!" Michney then suddenly roared to which the exit behind me lit up with hundreds of spells. The sudden barrage interrupted the Exceptional and he was sent stumbling back a mere step. The tide, however, was quickly put under control and I was forced to bear the brunt of his aura. So powerful that it seemingly burned my skin and tore my wounds open even more.


    "Gah, annoying Trads." the Exceptional cursed while I fumbled through the mud for anything I could use to protect myself. He was so focused on the barrage right now that he had left me alone. Yet, it wasn''t like I could go anywhere. Either my own House would shred me to pieces or his aura would tear me apart!


    "HEY! FAILURE!" I then decided to roar up at the exceptional once I had covered a rock with my blood.


    "Quiet!" he said as he slapped me down. But, I quickly got back up and struck his helmet with the rock. Focusing all that rusting magic straight onto his helmet so I could break it on the next go. And I kept on going even as he began to beg for me to stop.


    And soon, I had a rock that had more of his blood on it than mine. A blue flash then led to me gently thudding onto the floor and I was left hiding on the ground until the barrage ended. It was a little too late in ending, in my opinion, but, the end came. Unfortunately, it did not take long either for House Oddity to come back.


    The Exceptional had been a mere delay to the greater conflict we were, in a strange way enjoying...


    "I need to make sure my head is on straight..." I quietly comment as I slowly get up and am barraged by cheers instead.


    "HE DID IT!"


    "THE EXCEPTIONAL IS GONE!" was mostly the sort of stuff I heard. But, I felt like it was premature. We had an Inter-House still to win, no? Yet, I can''t say I hated it, in fact, it made me look smugly down at her.


    The over-confident moron that nearly spelled doom for us all. However, I did feel some sense of concern for her brother. He, unlike her, was bearable. He, in fact, probably put me in the position to take that Exceptional out.


    "You alright?" I asked him as he shuddered and ground his teeth.


    "Just fine." he told me, a smile cracking into existence while his sister lost all concern.


    "Get going already!" she demanded before she sent him out of the event by pressing his tag.


    "Now what, Baltanthan?" someone then asked me as everyone suddenly turned to me for leadership. And, I did not know what to do. I was never a leader before. Yet, I knew why this might''ve happened.


    And I looked down disapprovingly at the suspect who just crossed her arms. I then turned back to everyone else as they gathered around or tapped out. Their injuries from the Exceptional too much to bear. Yet, some seemed willing to just power through it.


    "To the end?" I said with a shrug as I did not know what else to say. Yet, they all cheered and we ended up marching on down the arena exit. Maybe whoever else was still here would be content to fight the Oddity students. But we had a goal to reach before anyone else.


    And, now that I had something propping up my confidence, I was excited by the prospect of victory. It wasn''t just an intangible, maybe it''ll happen thing in my head. It was a goal I could actually see us getting to!


    I might''ve even been getting ahead of myself in my head by imagining us breaking through Exceptionals to get there! Either way, that battle left those of us left sure of one thing. The Exceptionals could very much be beaten, we just had to avoid playing it like them. We could not go fist-to-fist or spell-to-spell, so we had to be smart about it.


    Target their egos, target their pride and insecurities. Play it dirty or play it sudden and ferociously. A chance was there, we ourselves just had to keep our wits about is. Thankfully, that Exceptional''s power kept everyone in check.


    I might''ve just beaten one with their help, but we all saw what that one could do. This arena was kept to the same magic level as the ground everything was built on. So, if he was to fight out there, he wouldn''t seem weaker... And, that terrified me a little, knowing that is the kind of power Exceptionals have.


    Better yet, we were all just students, not actual, full-fledged witches yet... Very few of us would even compare to an actual war witch or any of the famous adventurers about the land. But, this event would be a step in the direction of becoming such things. And, maybe it is about time I started to think of a new goal.


    I had reached Suhurlodst, and now, I needed to become one of the greats!

 Incline 6: Giants Collide

    "LOOK OUT!" someone screamed behind me before another giant saw blade launched out of the wall. But, despite their worries, it shattered on my arm like thin glass on rock.


    "Why not just wait until I have gone ahead?" I asked them before my next step set off some kind of focused magic bomb. One that seemed to be trying to tear me apart by focusing its power directly into me. Yet, like every other trap, it was too weak to so much as bother me. I was not surprised, this was made for young students.


    Not someone who was once a Valkinvar...


    "We are on a timer, mind you!" one of the boys nearly shouted as those behind me switched between careful movement and trailing behind me.


    "And I have made it clear I am not here to win this event." I remind them before I set off even more traps. Only moving to respond whenever it was something designed to knock me off my feet.


    "And why not!? It''s one of the biggest events of the year! It''s the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding Inter-House Talent Display!" I was enthusiastically reminded by someone unable to wrap their head around my obvious ulterior motive.


    "If it means so much to your confidence and pride to win this, then go on ahead." I tell them before I intentionally start to set traps off to drive them off. It had worked, to some extent, but, they were not weaklings, these students. They were still the best this place had to offer, so quite a few kept up with me.


    So, I came to a stop and closed my eyes. Reaching out with an ethereal grip with a degree of skill many of them would not have for decades to come. And, when I found what I was looking for, I lifted a fist and punched down a wall. Standing at the hole''s side as the dust cloud dissipated.


    "What you want is that way, keep going forward." I tell them, the simplicity of my instructions confuses many. But, I left it simple because this was meant to be, as they loved to remind me, a talent display. They needed to win on their own merits here, not mine.


    "Then why are you headed that way?" one girl asks me as she fiddles around with the strings on her instrument.


    "Personal business, now go." I tell them one final time before I set off even more traps. And, that seemed to encourage the last few to leave me alone. Yet, just in case, I shot off down a tunnel at my fighting speed to put some distance between us. Hopefully, as well, the shockwave would warn them off even more.


    However, now I could say that I was lost. I was originally following the proverbial scent of foreign magic. As that would lead me to the one I most sincerely wanted to see gone... But, having done what I just did.


    The scent had spread itself out, and I could no longer make a good guess as to where that thing might be. A distant light, however, seemed to be the best route as I could feel a slightly familiar aura of magic. Undisturbed as it might be. In fact, whoever this aura belonged to was not threatened at all.


    They were enjoying themselves while not fighting...?


    .


    .


    .


    "Helllo? Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-llllllllllllllllllllllllllllll-oh!" I called out to the vast chamber I was in. And, I smiled when my voice echoed back to me. Then, I looked down into the strange square that was below me in this carefully put together room. Something also perplexed me, because, I had a feeling this place needed music.


    But, I was left crossing my arms and pouting before long. No one was here and I did not want to leave this place until someone had come. Yet, it had been a short while and still, no one had come since the wall snatched me away. I couldn''t even annoy my sister...


    "This is BORING!" I then spoke before I screamed in frustration. If I left here, I might miss one of my friends! So I could not leave this place until something interesting happened, at the very least... But no one had come yet!


    "AH!" someone then all of sudden yelped before they just suddenly appeared on the floor. A clear sense of relief went across their face when they found out their instrument survived the brief drop.


    "Hello?" I said with a small wave as I leaned down from the stage-like place to look at them.


    "What House!?" she asked me with an alert voice before light suddenly flooded the place. My answer did not even need to come as my hair gave it away. And my skin tone. And my clothes.


    Basically, everything about little, special, old, but not actually me!


    "Hello!" I repeated again with a smile as a bunch of others with instruments suddenly appeared.


    "Clarman!" the boy with the large, metal, barrel-like instrument let out when he saw the girl who had ignored me.


    "There''s an Oddity!" this Clarman, pointed out rudely. And, I cross my arms and frowned at her.


    "I have a name!" I said with a gentle stomp of my foot before they all suddenly set themselves up.


    "And we''re Dangerous Sound!" Clarman said to me without even asking for my name first.


    "Rude!" I said before I blew a raspberry at them, sick of them already. Only to then dance around a spell that formed out of the long whistle one of them had. Well, it wasn''t a whistle, but it reminded me of one!


    "A dancer, hm? Well, let''s see if this will help you escape." she confidently said to me before she started to play. And while she did not sing, it was clear she was really eager to. However, despite how seriously they were all taking it, I was quite enjoying the game-like nature of it all. Their attacks matched the sounds and beat of the music.


    So it made my favourite thing to do all the more fun because now there was a sense of tension! A kind of excitement you did not really get when dancing. Well, there was the entrance exam, but I was worried for my friend there.


    "Come on, give me a faster tempo!" I taunted them with before I laughed as I span around their three-dimensional, magical music notes. The guy who was on the large instrument, however, I had to use my magic to block as his spell made a big one.


    "You heard her!" Clarman sang before she furiously danced her fingers about while her ear listened closely to the instrument. And that stick thing she had, I thought it was going to burst alight! That was how fast she was going!


    "Oops!" I let out before I used my magic to block some kind of attack from under me. The one playing this strange box with keys on it was making the floor dangerous too! And, even as the spells steadily started to wear me down and sometimes scrape me. I was still having fun as it was still music.


    "NOW!" Clarman shouted before a large blast suddenly sent me flying into the wall.


    "Ow..." I let out seriously before I shook my bleeding head. A few tears in my eyes as that had interrupted my fun. I know I really should have taken this seriously, but I couldn''t help it. This was music!


    I had to dance to it!


    "AGAIN!" that same girl shouted before another such blast came at me. A smaller one from under blasting me towards it. But, I cut through the larger spell and crashed down with a magnificent splash.


    "Very well, I will take this seriously." I said to my not-present sister who would''ve likely been telling me off. She did not like it when I joked around during moments like these. And that blast that had hit me reminded me why I needed to take this seriously. The safety measures helped prevent death, they did not stop injuries from happening.


    "Dance until you drop, then!" Clarman told me before she conducted her group into a far more aggressive tune. One that had sudden spikes in pitch and an almost scary atmosphere to it. I was even worried that what I heard would hurt me too! Thankfully, it did not.


    So, any spell that neared me I could kick and dodge. The larger ones I had to dance in preparation before a stunning final move stopped them in their tracks. And, what I usually used to enhance my performance, the flicks of water. Had become my means to predict what they were going to do.


    The slightest disturbance on those bubbles of water and I spun out the way. Or, I stomped the air and let my magic build up. Soon, a whirlwind of violent water was surrounding me and it was growing. Each twist and turn only making it go faster.


    And, then, it exploded with even greater force than when it was spinning!


    "Are you alright!?" Clarman asked her band and clearly, her dear friends while I was picking myself up off the wet wall. They had set off another large spell, but, it just collided with mine and backfired on all of us. I hadn''t even realised they had done so!


    So I guess I still wasn''t taking this seriously...? Or, had my love of dancing blinded me to such a development...?


    Yet, now was my chance to interrupt this group and pick them off. I only needed a source of music, they needed each other. So, I first went for the one I felt like was the worst one. The boy with the drums.


    "ANZHUB!" some of them screamed in shock when I slid under the others and sent him flying. My feet having struck his own instrument and making it a weapon for me to use. Yet...


    Being in the air did not make him defenceless. And he picked up his drums before his landing detonated the surrounding landscape. An earthquake-like feeling soon began to rumble through the arena now as well. As each hard slap or rapid tap reverberates powerful magic throughout the place.


    "W-W-Woah!" I let out in surprise as my throat shook from all the vibrations and tremors. Then, I was suddenly flung to the ground when a powerful blast emanated from him. I was unsure if it hurt, but, it was disorienting. And I was soon trapped between his magic and the others.


    But that only made me dance with more skill and determination. I even began to spin in the air and somersault through the gaps in their magic. Each roll or hop brought me ever closer to the drummer who was calming down. So, maybe, I had to deal with the others first?


    Yet, he also kept making me want to get rid of him as all this shaking was upsetting my tummy.


    "Left, right, one, two!" I started to repeat over and over until I was close enough to hook my foot around his instrument slightly. Yet, that was still enough to send it crashing away from us.


    "Dirris!" I heard spoken before I was suddenly lashed at by enhanced strings. So fine that they cut into me like a sword or knife might.


    "AH!" I screamed in pain as I began to get tangled up in the potent string. But, once I was done shivering in pain and crying a little, I noticed they had to sacrifice their instrument to do this.


    "GET HER!" Dirris cheered as the others began to focus their magic on me once again.


    "Come on, come on!" I begged the string as I tried to break free of it. Just barely slipping out with a mixture made of my greasier blood and my limitless water magic. An unsettling sensation, however, filled me when I saw my blood in my magic. It was distracting and worrying.


    "GET HER!" one of them then shouted when I finally broke through the string. But, in doing so, I had dug it deeper and had gashed open my legs.


    "Some help would be appreciated..." I tearfully joke as I tried to clog up the wounds with my water magic. Yet, I was given no room to breathe and I was quickly back on the defensive.


    "KEEP HER OFF-BALANCE!" one of them sang before a blast of magic flew up from under me. Yet, I was able to flip over it before falling down when the impact made my wounds squirt. My vision was even growing hazy at this point...


    Too much blood...?


    "No, come on, I have to last so I ca-" I began to say to myself before another blast of magic crushed me against the wall.


    "AGAIN!" one of them shouted before my stumbling form was flung back against the wall. Then, I just fell down and silently cried as my magic wavered before it spilt out around me. With it, the colour of my blood that it was trying to hold back.


    "Aw... I wanted to do this with my friends..." I whined with a sniffle before I rescinded myself to being kicked out of the event. But, when I suddenly started to feel cold, I felt life fill me up and I shot up to my feet. Jittering about, hoping to find my sister somewhere ready to help.


    It wasn''t, however, it was just my body giving up. Yet, this might''ve been my sister helping me after all. Because I was no longer treating this with any kind of brevity. It might have been spilling, but, I could feel my heart pounding ferociously.


    I could do this... I could!


    "One final song for you." Clarman uttered before she tapped her foot so her group would gather around her. And, of course, as they did that, I struggled to maintain form. Because, if they were going to sing for me. I could at least dance for them.


    Their gentle tune started off soft, but, I could see the magic building up. This truly was their namesake. Yet, as the rhythm and power slowly travelled towards me, I began to move. One step forward, another step back. A slide to the side and a twist to bring it back around.


    And while my face contorted and warped with each bit of pain I felt, I kept on going. I kept on dancing until I was ready to start moving towards them. The main spell had yet to come, but, they were not just using one method to stop me. Smaller projectiles were also getting in my way.


    There was a pattern to them, a chorus as it were. And as they kept their song going, I figured it out. What started as me painfully trying to avoid attacks turned into a learned dance. One that dictated where I would go to be safe while I built up magic of my own.


    Each twist and wobble and swivel swirled that power around me while the chamber filled with green light. To counteract their own harassment as well, I started to call on the water I had spilt prior. My blood, corrupting as it may be to my water''s beauty, it was helpful. Because the blood helped me grasp onto it and manipulate it.


    Then, all of a sudden, a yelp, a scream of surprise and the stutterings of shock. That magic was interrupting them and the larger spell was growing slower and slower. The music even had to change because some instruments were called away. Yet, they could not stop my magic from building up.


    I may have wanted to be with my friends like these lot were. My magic, however, did not need friends to be strong. I used my magic to entertain them. And an entertainer had to be able to stand on their own!


    "Shkcias porll ala mewcika!" I thanked them in my own tongue before I leapt towards them. Twisting and turning with my gathered up magic swirling about me. And, I brought it down upon them before they could stop it. A booming crash then interrupted all of the music.


    And I heard the crashing of the waves once again as my magic flooded the area. A disturbing mix of choking and other noises one might hear from a drowning person also could be heard. So, I quickly dispelled the spell once I had heard enough of it. Then, I slowly started to smile as I was of the impression I had just won!


    But, the sound of coughing and choking quickly brought me back into a serious state. Yet, no spells would come at me and no magic could be sensed. Most importantly, no music. It was just coughing.


    "Are you alright?" I asked Clarman as she laid before me, weakly clutching onto the wall.


    "No... No..." she said before she spat out some of my magic. I was left frowning yet she was smiling once she had finished coughing.


    "Why are you smiling?" I cautiously asked her just before looking about. Was she smiling because the rest of her group were about to attack!? Was she just bait!? How did they come up with a plan like this!?


    "It''s alright, they''re all gone." she uttered with awe as she continued to smile. A small trickle of blood made it down her head as it became clear she had gone head-first against the stone.


    "I repeat my question..." I say, unsettled by the smile right now.


    "You are an incredible dancer..." she answers with a gaping smile as her eyes look at me as if she had fallen in love.


    And, I blushed as if we were, "Th-Thank you..." I beamed out while twisting my foot on the wet stone.


    "Truly, you are amazing... You beat us by learning our music... I couldn''t dream of a better way to lose!" she cheered before she flinched in pain. And, despite my sudden attempts to try and heal her. It being my instinctive reaction.


    She declined for an obvious reason, "Your music was nice too... When it wasn''t..." I said back to her, not wanting to be the only one being complimented. Yet, I could not ignore the harsh truth about that music. My legs and body were a torn-up mess now and it hurt badly...


    I could clot the wounds to some extent. But, there was no way I was making it through another fight. Especially if that fight lacked a rhythm for me to get used to! Even then, I was probably going to just get kicked out of the event.


    "Say, when this is all over. How about you come to Exceptional House and dance for us? We won''t try to kill you as well." she offered with a joke at the end. I even still giggled at it despite what it referred to.


    "That would be nice." I chirped as I began to shake my hips a little at the thought of it.


    "Anyway, you best get me out of here. I''m no good on my own. Our magic works best as a full band!" she told me, full of pride at what she and her friends could do.


    "Uh, I''d rather not play a role like that..." I nervously told her as the idea of just hitting her with magic to get her out was unsettling. It was like I was being asked to just execute someone!


    "Then, at least be the one to tell the entirety of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding that you earned this!" she said, encouraging me with eager flicks of her wrist. That device we were all given shook about her wrist as she did so.


    "Okay then." I relented as I moved closer to her wrist and held it in my hands.


    "That button there yes."


    "Okay..." I quietly uttered while my finger hovered near the button.


    "But, those words you said, what were they?"


    "I said ''thank you for the music'' in my tongue." I answer with a small smile. I did enjoy finding a moment to speak the tongue Mummy spent so long teaching me.


    "I see..." she sighs out happily, "Then, let me say it again, thank you for the performance. It was excellent!" she complimented once again. And, in a fit of embarrassment, I slammed my finger on the button and she just vanished like that.


    "Ow... Ow..." I let out as I slowly got up to my feet. Hobbling to the nearest exit as now it was clear I needed to seek help. I couldn''t just wait for it, so, hopefully, I could wander to my sister. I was familiar with her magic and she was with mine.


    So, maybe calling out to her with it would bring us back together. And, then that could roll into us finding the others! We could win this event and enjoy the victory party! And even if there wasn''t one, we could still make one ourselves!


    "I even know where I can get music for the party!" I giggled as my hand slapped the walls as I slowly moved down a passageway.


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    .


    .


    "This is, peculiar." I commented as I walked past all manners of people dressed in familiar yet strange clothing. Glowing pictures were all around me as well. With their messages clearly focused on many things. From an animal that reminded me of Waionr''s loyal beast to a bottle with a red label.


    If I did not have a goal in mind, I might''ve explored the world these students had created. Yet, I did have one in mind, so I just kept on going. Briefly flying every now and then to the surprise of no one. However, despite me flying, none of these people were.


    "They aren''t even acknowledging me." I said with a clear sense of shock in my voice. Even back in Thurn''s Forge, the home of the Valkinvar, people still watched us! They still looked up in awe as one of us flew by them or even walked by. Granted, I had none of my gear, but still!


    I was flying as if it was a natural thing and none of them even cared. They still continued to not even care when I dropped back down. The sudden force even cracked the pavement and they still kept on going about their fictional days. It was such an odd thing to be unnerved about as well.


    I guess, being a soldier, I was too used to people looking my way when I came in. The power of a Valkinvar turned the heads of even the most magically inept. We could control it easily and with great finesse, but, even then, you could still feel it! No one here, however, seemed to care or feel it.


    So, I decided on flying up and away from the streets. Primarily, so I could find the exit to this place, yet, to also escape the weird people. And, as I rose up higher and higher, I saw what this city looked like from up above. It was a very regimental place, one made on a grid of some kind and I could see its flaws clearly.


    Those vehicles they were driving were clogging up the streets and it clearly frustrated these people. Yet, they still carried on as if it were a normal thing to experience. Even the sky seemed relatively busy as there were these strange machine birds coming in all over the place. None came too close to this island we were on, however.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "A whole city, just for a school tournament..." I let out in awe once I reached a statue extending from a tall, square building. Most of the buildings were square, in fact, but this one stood high above them all. Its spear-like top makes it reach even higher. Unfortunately, though, I could only see more of this city or other ones.


    There was no out of place opening for me to go through... There was, however, a great aura of magic coming from the large strip of greenery in this city. This greenery was blocky too. like the rest of the city. And, that is where I started to float towards as maybe they knew the way out.


    .


    .


    .


    "This looks nice." I comment as I walked through a bright, moonlit field. It had flowers that had petals that shined like the single moon in the sky. The grass was translucent and had an eerie beauty to it. And the sky was just full of these little lights and bright patterns that seemed cloud-like.


    And, as I walked through this place, occasionally, I ran a gloved hand along the foliage. I began to feel as if my words did not paint the right picture when it came to this place. I had said it so casually when I had entered this place. Yet, I was completely enamoured by it all in so short a time.


    It wasn''t just the looks of this place either, everything about it was so calming! The gentle rushing of distant water and the sweet smell of the blooming flowers. If it wasn''t for the fact I had been separated from my friends and those who could keep me safe... I''d be enjoying it all to its fullest extent.


    However, as that detail came back to the forefront of mind. I started to realise a whole lot more that this place was not safe. Even if it did have everything it needed to be a relaxing place. Even a romantic one if I was still with Nin.


    But now I couldn''t stop squirming and blushing at the idea of Nin being here. A beautiful backdrop to a beautiful confession sealed by the kiss I have waited for patiently... Yet, I then came to a stop and grew worried. It was under a beautiful night sky like this that Nin took the bracelet off, it was a garden too...


    Of course, I shouldn''t be assuming things here, Nin clearly had a lot on his mind. But, still, it having happened, I can''t help but feel the ideal confession had been poisoned. At the same time, however, maybe it was that rejection that would make the eventual one all the sweeter. After all, it would mean I made him fall for me...


    "Oh, no, Einervaene, focus!" I giggled to myself while trying to hide my blush from the world around me.


    "Yes, Einervaene, focus!" someone suddenly said before a spell narrowly missed me. The jump of shock I went through having saved my life from a circle blade. One that cleanly cut through the earth and the flowers with ease before it headed back. As fast as it was here as it was going back.


    "R-Right... Tournament thing." I mutter with less visible embarrassment as I straighten myself out. Staff held firmly up while my opponent twirled their wrists and fingers. Razor-sharp hoops of bright, emerald wind magic on each of her limbs. And, I was growing very worried, because that magic looked awfully bright...


    Yet, everything here had a peculiar brightness to it. Even my own magic seemed to be turning white from how much brightness it had. But, I did not have time to observe her as she quickly attacked once again. And it did not take much for me to fall to the ground.


    "H-Hey, hold on!" I pleaded before narrowly avoiding one of her blades that had carved its way towards me. Just then, I barely made it back to my feet before some more spells came my way.


    "No, I quite like the advantage I have." she quipped calmly before she began to make wild gestures. And, I shot myself up into the sky with my staff. Getting a clear view of the spells as they all sawed back to her.


    Then, after dropping back down with the help of my staff. I thrust it up at her, hoping I could catch her with its spiked tip. Her magic, however, just reached her in time and she began to erode at my staff. Turning a once lethal pike into a smooth-tipped yet blunt stick.


    The quick changing of my body into lightning, however, prevented that magic from being turned on me. And I was left panting at her when she backed away in fright at the sudden change. Yet, she did not stop and quickly went back to throwing her magic at me. It was difficult, but I think I was able to avoid most of it.


    "Tsk." she tutted before her sly smirk was suddenly lit up by a green light.


    "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" I screamed violently when one of these blades suddenly cut through my arm. Yet, because I was made of lightning right now, the pain was only a brief thing.


    "Shock the shocker out of her shocking spell?" she asked before she started to overwhelm me with whistling blade after whistling blade. Thankfully, however, conducting my magic through my staff allowed me to counter some. But, I was also not skilled in doing so and some still made it through.


    Then, when it finally did come to an end, she shot some kind of gust at me. And all the plants she had torn apart were suddenly blown into my face. And, while I was too busy getting plant matter out of my eyes. She charged.


    Her pair of saws just barely missed my body but hit my arms just fine. The pain easily made me drop my staff. Then, I moved onto the back foot by her aggressive insistence. Her vicious swings just kept on coming.


    "NO!" I screamed just before one of them struck across my arm. The attack somehow disabled my lightning form partially. And, I became terrified as my main way to keep an attacker away had been compromised.


    "So all I have to do is cut along the dotted lines? Oh! I feel just like a kid again!" she cackled before she flipped away from me. A pair of her blades flew out of her hands before she landed gracefully.


    "M-My staff!?" I let out as I struggled to keep my human hand away from those blades. Yet, now, she was aiming exclusively for my frame. And, I steadily felt my body fall apart in a way I could never like.


    "Patchwork." she quickly pointed out before another gust got my face full of petals and stems. A sudden gasp then left me when I felt the continued presence of her blades in my gut. Thankfully, however, that area of me remained lightning. Even if my limbs were mostly not now.


    "H-Hold on!" I tried to plead once again as my gut roared in pain.


    "Win or lose!" she reminded me before I literally exploded. And, in the brief freedom that panic had given me. I realised that I had tried to turn into a lightning bolt...


    But, of course...


    "Annoying." she spat out as she got back up. That magic even clearly hurt her as she was covered in horrific burns now.


    "I know what I need to do now..." I mutter before I make a desperate run for what I could only hope was my staff. Yet, the closer I got to it, the more desperate she herself became. And as that happened, her attacks grew larger. Her body became more involved.


    What was once just little hoops of death became grand, hollow circles. They were slightly easier to predict given their size. But, it was also just as frightening because they came out not much slower. Yet, she was also keener to keep her distance now.


    "Come back!" I confidently ordered once I got my staff again. And, I aimed it up the moment I did. Shooting over to her with the help of its runes and exploding once again.


    "AH! S-Stings!" she screamed at first once she had finished retreating from the blast area. Yet, I was in no position to press the attack. The faulty casting of my original spell left me feeling sick and light-headed.


    Everything was going numb again!?


    "Huh...? I got over this!?" I frustratedly let out as I, thankfully, began to recover from a state of twitchiness. I, however, had no time to think about this, so I tried to run to her again. Only to see a splash of red before my eyes before a warm feeling covered my face.


    "Keep your neck exposed for me!" she taunted as I recoiled at the sight of my blood dripping so much. She had gashed open my wrist and it was just spilling out.


    "NO!" I defiantly shouted back before I plunged my finger against the wound. Welding my flesh shut once again with what little remained of my lightning form. And, I screamed to the gods for help as I did so.


    "So you''re not fragile as you look, big deal!" this girl shrugs before she begins to twirl a roped saw about on a magic string. And it was impossibly big compared to her other saws and blades...


    "How am I...?" I asked myself as I stumbled backwards. Tears in my eyes as I finally got the pain under control. But, I quickly found the answer to my problem. My staff.


    I had it made to offer me a means to use my lightning bolt spell, even without clouds. However, I could only go in the direction I aimed it at. And she had been making it nearly impossible to aim the staff. So she must''ve picked up on what it could do quickly...


    Yet, she was also now not keeping the pressure on me. She had left herself open. So, I slowly and painfully brought the staff up. Making sure it was aimed directly at her.


    Then, when she unleashed her magic, I used my own. And I easily avoided her vastly slower spell before I rematerialised by her side. Yet, this mistake of mine did not catch on until after I had grabbed her. But, it was too late to care by then.


    We both knew it, and terror quickly spread across her face before I turned into my patchwork form. A vicious and disturbing reaction followed as she was quickly electrocuted into a crisp. Then, with a resounding thud, she hit the ground. The smell of her burnt flesh ruined the once sweet air this place had.


    "Y-Yeah..." I let out once I realised I had won. But, the pain just came back and I fell down. Crying what tears I could before this girl slowly got back up again.


    "I..." she barely got out before she struggled to get a spell going. Yet, she stopped when I quickly rose my staff tip at her.


    "Lost." I finished for her before I shot through her as a lightning bolt.


    .


    .


    .


    "Excuse me, do you know the way out of here?" I asked the careless fat man as he gorged himself on the food from this city. And, oddly, the people actually acknowledged him as he did so.


    "Oh, do partake." he cheerfully offered before a thing was suddenly shoved in my face. Clearly, it was made of dough and had cheese on it. But, I did not want it or care for it. So I moved his greasy hand out of my face.


    He then laughed before he ate it himself, "Can you answer my question, please?" I asked once again. Hoping my continued patience would at least get him to casually throw out the direction at the very least.


    "Why leave? The food here is delicious!" he pointed out before he ate something else with equal gusto.


    "So it might be, but I''m not hungry." I told him as I watched a pile of empty containers build up.


    "Fine then, walk with me at the very least." he laughed out before he got up and moved. And, I quietly sighed, thankful I at least had a guide now. At the very least. Yet, I was doubting this guide as he dug into whatever he laid his eyes on...


    Bread, sweets, meat, cheese, drinks... His gluttonous maw no limits until we finally reached a place with no vendors. No shops for him to quickly glance at or pillage. It was just a street now...


    "Mechanical House have outdone themselves, haven''t they?" he then asked me all of a sudden as he watched a bird.


    "Yes, it is impressive." I honestly answered while still growing slightly impatient at how easy it was to distract him.


    "You should learn to enjoy it, then."


    That line made me frown, "I''m not here to enjoy someone''s work." I tell him. A glare then slowly formed as that creature came to my mind.


    "No, you are here to kill." he correctly said with his voice not missing a beat. He was sure he was right and he indeed was.


    "And how would you know that?" I asked him anyway as I was pretty sure I have not displayed my intent outwardly.


    "I''m an Errakurd, seeing the expressions of warriors is the natural order back home." he clarified before I saw him use his magic subtly to cook a piece of bread. Loud crunches then came from his mouth as he ate it.


    "Can you lead me to the exit or not?" I asked him again, putting my foot forward to show my growing impatience. I had no quarrel with this man, but, I would if he continued to be a dawdling annoyance.


    "I can, but-"


    "Take me, then." I tell him as I let my magic flow out around him slightly. Yet, when he shivered in response, I only saw the excitement on his face.


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    .


    .


    "How adorably familiar." I comment with a smirk as I walked along the ice I was making. Smiling every now and then at the vast expanse of water I was in. However, unlike my sister, I made sure I wasn''t taken in by the scenery. Instead, I focused on trying to get out of this place.


    And that brought me to another interesting sight because there was someone playing in the water. Yet, despite how their magic interacted with the gentle waves, it felt off. It was clearly not water magic, or, at least, not just water magic. Either way, it was probably safe to keep my distance until I could decipher their intent.


    "Hello there!" this voice cheerily greeted in a peculiar way. Their voice had seemingly jumped through all these bubbles and straight at me... Instead of waving back like my sister might have, I instead chose to prepare myself.


    "Oddity or one of the others?" I asked her as the air around me grew cold. A freezing mist emanated from me while this person overflowed with bubbles.


    "Not Odd-" she began to say before I launched a surprise attack. Hundreds upon hundreds of sharp icicles rained down on her. Yet, with a simple gesture, her bubbles intercepted them all. Her expression even reminded me of my sister.


    A childish pout...


    But, I did not let that stop me, so I kept launching various ice creations at her while also trying to dig a path. Her control over these bubbles, however, was simply too good for me to just dig through like this. Each one could easily intercept my attacks and block them. However, she could not retaliate by the looks of it.


    "GAH!" I yelped out in pain when a bunch of projectiles suddenly dug into my back. And, I suddenly slid away on a hastily constructed slope of ice. From this safer spot, I was able to see what she had hit me with. Bubbles...


    And, filled with a new paranoia, I kept my eyes on the water for any signs of bubbles. Only to then narrowly avoid a wind-lance that shot through my ice. It''s fine hole was easy enough to cover up, but, it made one thing clear. I was not safe if I just stood around.


    Thankfully, my new injuries were light, so I had no problems running and sliding around her. That field of bubbles, however, would not let me go close. Any attempts to get at her were stopped. Even if I made sure to drop an iceberg on her!


    "Grrr, dammit!" I let out before I avoided some more attacks from her. One nearly even came close to slicing my leg off along with a chunk of ice.


    "This could''ve been avoided you know! If you weren''t such a rude animal!" this girl complained with another pout before her bubbles began to descend upon me.


    And I countered this with the overwhelming force of my ice, "SHUT UP, LARISHAZZA!" I screamed more out of instinct than anything.


    "That''s not my name!" this girl complained as the attacks came to a stop, "My name is Caraimmer!"


    "I DON''T CARE!" I told her before I spun in the air and dropped another iceberg on her. Smiling with some anticipation as it was an absurdly huge one. Maybe, just maybe it would...?


    "I bet you don''t have many friends." she then commented out of the blue before a casual flick of the wrist sliced my iceberg apart.


    "WHAT''S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?" I asked with genuine confusion mixed with rage. This was a fight was it not!? Where did that even come from!?


    "I''m just saying you are being very rude right now..." she complained before she crossed her arms.


    "SHUT UP!" was all I could say in response as I really had no idea how to handle this. She was aware of what this was, no!? So, in an effort to remind her, I tried to break through a specific spot in her barrier.


    The ease at which she moved and created those bubbles, however, stopped that effort cleanly. And, I was left distraught because nothing I was trying to do was working... Big attacks were sliced up into frosty dust and smaller ones were just simply countered. But, I still had some ideas.


    So I slammed my hands on the water and froze a vast swathe of it. Then, I dropped down under it and hoped I could sneak closer to her. Yet, now I just had a clear view as to what her ice-slicing spell looked like. Thin worms that squiggled through the water until blood was drawn.


    "GAH! GA-" I screamed and coughed out as I suddenly found myself above the ice again. The sudden influx of water into my lungs was quickly dealt with. But, now I was completely at her mercy as my magic had lost its focus. All the ice was just disappearing while I tended to my new hole.


    "Ew." this girl commented as she began to move closer. At least, until she saw the hole she had made in my side.


    "Grrr..." I growled once I had gotten over the initial shock of freezing the wound shut.


    "I''m going to close my eyes, okay? I don''t... I don''t like the sight of blood..." she squeaked before she did, in fact, carelessly close her eyes. Yet, the way her magic moved proved it was not an issue. Her lack of comfort had led to her developing a fine sense of magic detection indeed...


    "Fine by me." I commented with confidence anyway. As, if she was now relying on finding me by focusing on magic. Maybe I could confuse her by focusing my magic on different spots?


    "Huh!?" she let out in confusion when her magic suddenly lashed out at the attack I was forming. A smirk then formed on my face before I slammed my fists on the water. The waves then froze over in an instant. And, I kept it up, making sure I had frozen it solid as far down as I could go.


    Yet, that just made her go ballistic and her magic was lashing out everywhere. However, she was still more vulnerable than she had ever been. And I intend to exploit that, so, while I had some breathing room. I created a spear from the ice and fired.


    "Gods damn you..." I curse when she intercepted it again. And, that action only made her focus on me. So I started to run again with her magic slowly trailing behind me. She had seemingly switched to a process of slow, all-out destruction!?


    This time, however, I decided to go all-in to the point of risking injury. If I just made the ice thick enough while she was destroying everything else... Maybe then I could...? I did not know what else I could really do.


    So, I dropped below the ice once again and shot forward with the aid of my magic. Twisting and turning around those dangerous air wires while building up a ram. Then, I surged upwards and briefly flew in the air above her once I finally broke through her barrier. And, with a mixture of frustration and glee, I dropped what remained of my ram on top of her.


    "OW!" I let out once I slammed back into the ice. However, I could find peace in the fact all those bubbles were now gone. It was just me, bleeding out on the ice chair she had carved for me. So, with this injury in mind.


    I tried my best to seal it or heal it, at least, until I heard a familiar voice, "La la la la la!" my sister sang with a clear twinge of pain in her voice.


    "Larishazza!?" I called out as I suddenly scrambled to the top of my floating chair.


    "That you Tiya!?" my sister called back with a voice full of her usual excitement. Yet, she did not leap into the sky or come running towards me. So, I grew cautious as this might''ve been a trick of some kind.


    "Yeah, that''s you alright." I found myself muttering anyway when I heard her yelp in pain as she tried to leap over anyway.


    "Oh, you''ve been in one too?" my sister asked when I finally got over to her bleeding body. She had even turned a ghastly pale as a result of all these injuries.


    "Never mind that, are you alright!?" I asked her as I turned my attention away from my injuries and towards her. It seems even she had come into contact with that girl from before. Well, I assume anyway, her injuries had a lot of fine and bloody lines...


    "I beat up some musicians..." my sister giggled with a delirious slur before she fell against me.


    "Sounds like fun..." I awkwardly say as I try to heal her injuries however I could. But, as neither one of us really outpaced the either. We were just sort of forced to rest here.


    "This place reminds me of home."


    "Just because it has water doesn''t make it like home." I remind her as I shake my bemused head.


    "No... Because the sky is sunny and the water is clear." she clarifies before I finally start to take in more of the details of this place. And, I could see where she was coming from. I could indeed see the resemblance to home.


    However, I still just saw it as a body of water with a distant beach far off. And, rightfully so, I was focusing more on my sister as she finally started to show her pain. Even though she was crying to, I couldn''t help but smile. I even stroked her hair to try and comfort her.


    "It hurts..." she whines before she starts to rub at her eyes.


    "I know, I know." I gently laugh before I wince at the hole in my side.


    "I think I made a friend, though..." she eventually admits with a sniffle once most of the tears were gone.


    "Somehow, I felt like that was going to happen." I say before she begins to fiddle around with a piece of ice.


    "I want to find the others..." she then says, her fears obvious as she suffers from her injuries.


    "Don''t worry, they''ll be fine." I tell her as I stroke my hair. I mean, how couldn''t they be? Having done what they have recently, there was no way any of them could''ve lost!


    "Yeah... We''re all going to win together..." my sister mumbled before she just suddenly fell asleep.


    I then sighed, "We''re in a tournament, remember?" I quietly said before I just let her sleep against me. I, meanwhile, tried to enjoy the bright day this place was modelled after.


    .


    .


    .


    "Across the water or along the pier." I told the warrior as I placed my hand on the bulbous tip of a guard rail. At first, she seemed hesitant, but, she quickly started to head towards it. However, she did not move so fast as to outpace me, even if she was flying.


    "Why won''t it...?" she let out in confusion once she came into contact with what should''ve been the way I got in. Perhaps it was a one-way door?


    "I believe it will not let you pass until you have asserted your strength." I tell her, having quickly pondered another way for this door to be opened.


    Then, a resounding boom shot past me, "This does not work either." she tells me as she turns around. The pier was now nearly gone as well and I was forced to take a few steps back.


    "I did not mean like that." I clarified to her as my expression set itself in stone. A serious determination filled me in the coming, nerve-wracking moments.


    "I am not interested in fighting you." she says, shaking her head as she did so.


    "You do not have a choice, warrior. Your goal cannot be reached while I still stand." I point out.


    "Very well." was all she had to say before she suddenly shot toward me. A single punch to my upper chest followed. Yet, it did not have the desired effect despite the pain I was now feeling.


    "Before we get into it, might I say a few words?" I asked the powerful warrior as she took in the fact I survived her punch.


    "I suppose..." she finally said after a brief quiet. It seems like something was perplexing her in those moments. A moral code that disagreed with what she wanted to do...?


    "I travelled to this land of mountains for one purpose. To bring glory to my family and home. I wish to prove myself not only to my people and to those who hold the line around the Fire Mountain! But to the world as well!" I begin with.


    "Can you stand against me, then?" she asked me with no mockery in her tone whatsoever. She was a warrior confident in her power!


    "I do, I do believe I can stand against you and everyone shall see. So, great warrior! Will you offer me a chance to stand before Waionr, the blessed God of Honourable War!?" I asked her loudly and proudly.


    "If you can stand against me." she answered before the air started to ripple with her power. A subtle yet still impressive shockwave then exploded from her. All the fragile glass near us shattered as if something physical had smashed through it. The water below even grew turbulent as her aura pressed down on it.


    "I will." I tell her before I unsheath my thumb from the inside of the fist I had made. A small, delicate fire was lit upon that thumb now. And, I brought it up to my mouth. Quickly sucking it in as if it were a morsel.


    Then, I felt it, I felt fire build up inside of me before I then let all of it out. With a maw that breathed fire and eyes that glowed like the Sun God''s lost sun itself! A display she did not find impressive. Yet, I had one regret, because the city we were in was now gone.


    "THEN LET US FIGHT!" I shouted to her before shooting toward her. The force of my launch had distorted the melting inferno the city had suddenly become.


    And our following collision broke it all down further. The ground was suddenly further away. The sea had become a misty cloud of sizzling steam. All to the backdrop of the city turning into waves of fire!


    Each further punch only reinforced what had just happened. With thunderous booms each time. We erased the memory of the city and warped the land. Yet neither of us were content to linger in one spot.


    So we broke off again and again and rocketed towards each other. Breaking apart the blazing tsunami our combined power made. And remaking it into many smaller ones that too were broken down. Even the sky eventually cracked as we steadily moved up.


    "YES! SHOW ME YOUR POWER!" I demanded of her when I finally scored a hit against her shoulder. Only to then receive a shin to my head that sent me to the ground. However, I got back to my feet and resumed the fight instantly.


    And we both unleashed a flurry of powerful strikes that flattened the earth further. Soon, we even let up on countering each other''s punches in favour of just striking at each other. Yet, despite how much magic-filled fat I had. I felt her blows as if I had none at all.


    Each blow struck me to the core. Leaving me shaken and eager for more. Yet, my excitement came to blind me. And she took hold of my arm.


    "Go down, it will be better for you." she calmly told me with little enthusiasm. Her free hand then pistoned over and over into my gut. The explosive force it came at me with extinguishing my fires while my body rippled itself apart.


    "I WILL NOT GIVE UP!" I yelled defiantly before I unleashed a blast of magic all around me. The force freed me from her grip and she was clearly left disoriented. So, I moved on to using the rest of my arsenal. And I made no point of being elaborate about it despite their scale.


    I wanted to win so I did not perform any theatrics. I instead trapped her in blazing pillars that twisted around like snakes. And while she was imprisoned. I gathered up the fire-infused earth and collapsed it on her.


    "WHA-" I started to let right when she suddenly appeared behind me. A sudden, uninterrupted blow to my spine sent me straight down to the earth again. And all the air left me just as quickly when she dropped on me with instantaneous speed.


    However, I freed myself with the quick manipulation of the burning ground. And I danced her about the air before I dragged her down below. She then continued to impress me when she punched her way out of the earth. One final punch came straight towards me.


    I countered it this time and my knees buckled as her strength rippled through me. It was not my failing strength that worried me, however. It was the fact that despite all my power being unleashed on her... A power I topped off just before we fought...


    She still looked at me with apathy. She was not threatened by me at all! Unlike a weaker spirit, though. I used it to fuel my aggression and I came at her harder than I did before.


    I broke through her guard and I sent her flying off. Following after her with a ferocious fire tail behind me as I hunted her across the sky. Breaking apart the smoke and cloud with each punch until I got a good grip on her.


    "DOWN!" I yelled before I stopped flying through the air. Instead focusing that power on bringing us straight back down. All the while, I roared my fire directly in her face as if I was a dragon. But, she was a dragon-slayer!


    And I could only just realise what had just happened before I was emptied of air yet again. This time, though, she never let it come back. What fire I could get out at this point was as pathetic as it had ever been. More like burning bile than a power gifted to me by the Fire Mountain.


    "Do you see the futility?" she asked me calmly before I punched her away.


    "HOUSE UR-NACE! SEE ME!" I roared to the sky as I started to call back all my power. Shining as bright as the Sun God himself before I made one final charge.


    "GAH!" she let out as my blow exploded in her face. All the fire I had brought back then suddenly reentered the world. A colossal explosion that reached far beyond the sky and beyond the limits of this city. And I was smiling the whole time.


    I had heard it! I had heard her pain! I was just given the divine sign I needed! I could beat this glorious warrior!


    "You cannot win." she whispered into my ear from behind me.


    "AGA-" I began to say before roaring in pain as my arm was twisted around my back. Then, she swung me up and over and brought my head below the earth. And her foot suddenly excavated me out of it. I screamed in shock the entire time I soared in the air.


    Until she interrupted my flight with an elbow that had all her weight behind it. And when I landed, all the fires were gone. Not even the smoke was left alone. For with such force it had be blown away...


    "H-How..." I struggled to get out as my eyes slowly turned towards my increasingly skinny body. All that power I had been building up was nearly gone... My clothes did not fit me anymore and I was left stumbling to my feet a naked man.


    She did not land on me, though. Instead, I was witness to the land erupting around her as she smashed into it. A gasp of awe left me while terror filled me. Yet, the drive to fight was still there.


    My loss would never be forgiven if I just gave up here and now while I could still stand! If I could stand before her, I could fight against her! So I just needed to get closer! Surely this was all a facade!?


    "One more step and you will not walk again." she warned as her posture relaxed while mine froze.


    "If I stop now... I will not be welcomed back..." I tell her as I start to burn off the power I had left in me. Something I kept up until I could more clearly see the actual shape of my body.


    "They''ll realise you could never win." she tells me in an effort to comfort my fears. Yet I did not want to listen. I could keep on fighting so I should! I needed to prove to her that this was indeed something I could win!


    My family would never forgive me if I just stopped because this warrior said so. No matter how great she was in her power and ability. I needed to keep this ongoing... Even if I only had enough for one more strike!


    "Do me the honours of one final attack..." I gasp before I nearly fall. And, when no answer came. I took her silence as a yes and I ran with all my might. The ground once again lit up with fire as I did so.


    Even as terror built up in me with each stride that brought me closer. Then, when I finally hit her. I looked at her with amazement as she took it standing. Unyielding in her stance with no ground given.


    And the following moments were quiet between us. She did not utter the slightest sound until the air cracked as her fist shot forward. It seemed slower this time. Yet, when it struck me, it was as powerful as it had ever been.


    Then it all went dark when I hit the ground.

 Incline 7: Finale

    "Ohohoho!" I let out with quiet eagerness as my hands came together. Something that went completely unnoticed as the room was alive with excitement and awe. We had just witnessed the greatest of Exceptional House go against our greatest. Yet, even in his defeat, Omb had envigorated the audiance with his power.


    But, I was not excited because of the fight, at least, not directly. My excitement came from something tangential to it all. How the arena reacted during their fight and the build-up to it. A true marvel of engineering that I would be sure to praise Mechanical House for!


    "Now," I started to ask as I brought all the screens to a halt, "can anyone tell me what happened?" I asked them nebulously at first to see if any were paying attention. There was a condition to being an observer after all. One still had to make an attempt to study.


    Even if we staff as a whole made a point of being lax in regards to it.


    "One of the best fights ever!?" one of the students who had been enthralled in the crowd''s energy answered. His ecstatic behaviour continued to show even as I shook my bemused head. And I could not fault that at all. It was an impressive fight, after all.


    Even I could admit that especially given how our dear Student Vapooliar used no spells. All of that power she showed, it was entirely her internal-magic. Even her flight capabilities contrasted with Student Omb''s need for firey propulsion! She really was fit to wear the badge of her house!


    "Is it perhaps something do with the arena?" one student asked with concern and nervousness. Yet, it went away when I snapped towards her with a grin.


    "Indeed it is, can you perhaps explain?" I asked her as some of that caution left her.


    "I don''t think I can, no... But, I was getting confused as to why the arena was so violently destroyed when their magic was not triggering any of the usual reactions...?"


    "You are on track, so don''t worry. Now, for those who haven''t figured it out. What you saw was an arena that replicated all the usual results of a near-zero magic environment without any of the usual problems." I explain to them. Some of them getting just as excited as I was.


    "S-So... That is how powerful they both would''ve been if we were to watch them in the distant lowlands!?" one student asked as they let out a laugh of their own.


    "Indeed! Indeed..." I told them as I chuckled some more. I just could not get over how impressive that one room was out of everything. Whoever was directly responsible for it would go far in their life! That might''ve actually been a technological breakthrough in and of itself!


    Even our training chambers, isolated pockets of reality separated from our own! They were created from understandings we gained over the years from our ancient, windless ancestors! But this wasn''t like that at all! It was made from the ground up by one of our very own students!


    "Head of Oddity House Frihdeicalkbr, come with me, please." someone then asked of me. And it ruined my mood completely as that meant I could not discuss this room any further.


    "Is there an issue?" I, however, asked without displaying any mild annoyance or anything similar. If I was suddenly requested to be elsewhere, there would surely be a reason, no?


    "I have not been told, I am onl-"


    "Here to get me." I finished for them before I took the portal key from them. Soon reappearing in the main council chamber for us staff to discuss things. But, this was the one for the Inter-House Talent Display itself, so, it would be rather unimportant.


    "Good, you''re here." one of a very small selection of staff we had here said as I arrived. But, I did not take a seat as her gestures suggested I do. If it was here, then it could be over and done with quickly.


    "Is there a disproportionately high amount of fatalities this time?" I asked them at first. We did have quite the line-up this time around, after all.


    "No, we are actually doing quite well with no deaths so far." someone answered as my expression turned dour.


    "This council was actually called because the student collective of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding has reacted very well to the recent battle between Student Vapooliar and Student Omb."


    And, with that, some joy came back to my face, "You want to make sure Student Vapooliar can keep showing her strength?"


    "Rather, the observing students of Mechanical House, Traditional House and Exceptional House want to see the rest of Student Omb''s dorm take his place."


    And that made me cock a brow, "None of them are on his level, you know that, yes?" I remind them as I call upon the list we made entirely to stroke egos, really. And I immediately searched up the strongest out of their listed group. Student Larishazza and Student Tiyanat were nowhere near his level.


    "It is what the students want." one says with a smirk as their eyes look towards the casualties list. Only injuries and potentially fatal wounds right now...


    "You wish to use this as an excuse to get rid of Student Nin?" I asked them as it was obvious as to why this might be the case. His acceptance never went well with many here and I quite remember his return in the data after that wyvern attack. Their disappointment at his persistence to live appalled many who looked at the data.


    And each time he reappeared in that data, their rage grew. Its only offset perhaps being Student Liadanann when she first entered the data. But, that reminded me of something terrifying... If they wanted Omb''s dorm to fight Student Vapooliar then...


    "Absolutely not!" I told them as I put my foot down. If I was brought in here then it was clearly because they needed my permission. I would not and will never put one of our rarest students in such a harmful setting. Not while I had the power to intervene.


    "The choice is not up to you, we brought you here to let you know a vote has been handed out to students seeking a greater thrill."


    "Then I will cease this Inter-House Talent Display in its entirety!" I angrily told them as my fist slammed into the table. Denting it and putting a fist-shaped warp in its structure.


    "Not without good cause you can''t." one scoffed.


    "The safety of Student Liadanann is most certainly a good cause. Not one of our founding tenets at all supports putting such a rare specimen in such a dangerous situation!" I told them with increasingly restrained anger. The initial reaction was unprofessional and unbecoming of me, but, the justification remained.


    "Then take her out!"


    "I HAVE TRIED!" I roared to them in a rare display of unrestrained rage. Something that made many of them lose their smirks as they all knew it relied on the consent of the student. I could not just take them out of the event if I wanted to.


    "What about if we only insert the parameters that exclude Student Liadanann?"


    "We can''t, we set down the condition of Student Omb''s dormitory before he even arrived." a woman said as her hand flicked casually at me. So, I slowly walked over to her until I was right behind her.


    "Then I suggest you take heed not to do so again." I quietly told her as I made sure my aura was condensed around her. This was completely unacceptable!


    "Head of Oddity House Frihdeicalkbr!" one of my seniors spoke loudly just after I made the threatening gesture.


    "You best hope for your sakes that Student Liadanann does not meet an undeserved fate because of your reckless hastiness with my students!" I tell them as I slam my palms down once again. Storming off to where I had been prior so I could watch their foolishness play before me. And, in fact, I made it just in time to watch it occur. Because each of the screens meant for my observing students was now saying what was about to happen.


    "That can happen?" one asked in confusion as I quietly growled at the message.


    "But, why is this happening?" another asked as we all watched the layout of the greater arena warp and twist about. New pathways had suddenly appeared in the arenas where everyone was. But, that was it, they were just pathways. They took no care as to the fact many of them were badly injured right now.


    Yet, I was not content to just wait for this to happen, so, I started an illegal process. We were not meant to be doing this as it came with the implication of undermining other students. But, I was not doing this to give aid or advice or tactics. I was here to implore a particular student...


    "Student Liadanann?" I asked the magic construct before me once I found a quiet room to sit down in.


    "Who''s- What do you want!?" the spooked student asked me aggressively as they walked their altered pathway. They had been in one when the change had occurred so it stands to reason that she went through a bumpy experience...


    "Press the primary button on your bracelet. Take yourself out of the event." I told her, laying it out as plainly as I could while keeping a sense of severity in my words.


    "Are you the one that kept pestering me earlier!?"


    "Yes, now please, hit that button. Whatever you felt a moment ago, it''s a trap. You have a high chance of death if you carry on, so, please, exit now!"


    "What happened a moment ago?" she asked me as it sounded like she came to a stop.


    "It has been decided by the rest of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding to put Student Omb''s dormitory in direct contact with Student Vapooliar who recently bested him."


    "So you want me to leave because they''re too strong?"


    "Yes."


    "And the rest of those going will include Nin?"


    "Yes."


    "Then I am going to make sure he is safe!" she snapped before I was left sighing as she tried to make me go away.


    "Student Liadanann, please, listen. Death is a very likely circumstance for you!" I told her. Putting as much emphasis on death as I could. Surely that very common, very rightfully placed fear would ward her out of this, no!? We could potentially replicate Student Nin''s circumstances.


    We could not replace her...


    "So what!? If a chance of death exists for me, it also exists for him! And I will make sure I pay him back for what he did for me!"


    "Then I will..." I began to say before I was left angered by my conclusion. There was no way I could get Student Nin out of something orchestrated to get rid of him.


    "You will what? Oh, right, nothing." Student Liadanann snorts before I exit the call of my own volition. There was no way I was going to get to her like this... And I also had no power to alter the arena myself...


    "I guess I am a pious man now..." I groan before leaning back into my chair. If I could not get this situation resolved, then it was up to the will of the gods. And, perhaps I could eek a favour out of them. Yet, there was also a chance I would not be able to...


    So, I then got up and quickly headed on my way to the nearest portal. The gods might hear me here, but they would hear me in their temples. So, I had to rush as quickly as I could to the area reserved for the religious aspects of our daily lives. If I could just get there quick enough!


    .


    .


    .


    "I know it is odd." I told my sister as I slowly guided her down this hallway that had suddenly appeared.


    "Can''t we just find another way?"


    "The other exits are all closed now and I am not dragging you across the water just to find another closed one." I tell her as she moans childishly against my ear. Yet, it wasn''t just her usual antics. So I could forgive her this time as she had some nasty wounds.


    "Can''t you just slide us down here, then?"


    "Neither of us can tell if this is a trap, Larishazza, to waste magic like that..." I say before we suddenly came upon a light. And, it confused me because moments ago it was just pitch black. So where did this light come from? Better yet, why was it slowly filling with smoke!?


    "Blegh." my sister let out after that thick stench hit us.


    "Okay, some magic is required." I comment quietly before I start to push away at the smoke. Slowly taking us through the exit and getting us below the thick clouds of it. There was something very off about the ground, however. It felt oddly familiar.


    Which made no sense at all until a sudden thought crossed my mind. Was this Omb''s magic residue that we were walking in? I guess it made some sense as to why everything was hot enough to cook food on. It even explained the strange familiarity about the place.


    "Ombbo! Ombbo!" my sister began to call out before I covered her mouth. Only to jump when someone suddenly appeared before us. And they were most certainly not him...


    "Why''d you have to do that...?" I ask my sister as I slowly start bringing us both back towards the exit. Something I kept on doing even as we went back into it. If this individual wanted to fight, we''d have a better chance surrounded by water...


    "How did you do that?" this girl then asks us in confusion as her pursuit met a very solid wall that kept her away from us.


    "D-Do what?" I ask as I slowly let my sister stand on her own in the event this was a trick.


    "Get through here." the girl clarified before she knocked on the invisible wall as if it were a door.


    "I just walked...?" I tell her as ice begins to build up around my wrists.


    "I guess that must mean there''s someone else here." the girl said before she suddenly shot off out of sight. And all the smoke in the area suddenly washed over us. Leaving me and my sister both covering our faces before we watched it carry on behind us.


    "Go find Omb now?" my sister asked as she placed her hand at the edge of the pathway exit. It made me uncomfortable as if that girl was truly trapped in there, she could be dragged in now.


    "Stop that!" I snapped on my way to her before I tried to sense where my teacher was. Yet, with all this residue, it was hard to find him. And, when I did find someone amongst the magic that wasn''t flying all over the place, it still couldn''t have been him. The way it felt, they were too small and too weak to have been him!


    "You look confused."


    "Omb''s not in there, but he has certainly gone through here." I tell Larishazza before I take a tentative step back into the arena. Then, a sudden step forward when she lunged onto my back.


    "Let''s go!" she cheerfully lets out before she cries in pain yet again.


    "Stupid..." I mumble quietly after I finally stabilise myself.


    .


    .


    .


    "IT''S ABOUT TIME I FOUND SOMEONE ELSE!" I scream at Einervaene after suddenly rushing at her. Heavy pants left me as I tightly clutched my loot from the one battle I did have to fight.


    "C-Calm down! You''re scaring me..." Einervaene says to me as she nervously looks behind her. Then, she suddenly jumps up in fright when the heavy sound of metal hitting stone fills our ears.


    "Where is he!?" Liadanann asked us aggressively as she tightly clutches a broken piece of her armour.


    "Nin? We don''t know..." Einervaene squeaks before she finally calms down.


    "What''s the matter?" I ask the armoured fighter as she hurries off without a care given to us.


    "That human with the messy hair, the one who reminds me of them, he''s just warned me that something bad is going to happen to Nin!"


    "So it is coming here?" Vapooliar asks out of nowhere as she suddenly appears next to Liadanann. An action that terrified all the colour out of her. Yet, her reactive aggression was not even acknowledged by my old travel companion.


    Something about her tone worried me, however, "I-I don''t know..." I answer on Liadanann''s behalf as she was currently in the process of backing off. Nothing but terror on her face that quickly spread to me. If she was in this place...


    There was no way we''d win...


    "Why do you want to know!?" Einervaene asked as she stepped forward. Her body a patchwork assembly of flesh and lightning.


    "Why do I want to know indeed." Vapooliar answered with a low growl as she subtlely clenched her fists. Then, she was gone again and I came rushing out in an attempt to pull Liadanann back.


    "WE HAVE TO GET TO HIM!" she screams at me as she struggles against my strength.


    "EH! CLOUDS!" Einervaene lets out with hopeful excitement before she just goes and disappears into them. And, whilst her actions had me surprised, Liadanann broke from my grip.


    "HEY! HEY!" I shouted as I tried to chase after her while blocking my nose.


    .


    .


    .


    "My love, all of them are gone." Rose told me as she came back from circling the room after that strange series of shudders and bangs.


    "So that one is the only one left?" I rather pointlessly asked given what she just told me.


    "It would seem so..." she answered. Thankfully, without any of the snark or snappiness that I might''ve given if asked the same.


    "Bask in this a little longer, then." I say with a shrug as I kick up my feet and relax against the large healing crystal. Only for it to suddenly flicker quiet, leaving us both in the dark. Until Rose turned on her light-bulbs, that is.


    "Nin!" she suddenly snaps with unwarranted aggression.


    "What?" I asked before her expression turned even more sour.


    "Why aren''t you listening to me!?"


    "You haven''t been saying anything!" I point out with an uncertain tone. Had this room suddenly changed what it could do...?


    "Oh, right, sorry..." Rose let out with embarrassment while making sure I could see her smile.


    "Yeah, you speak with those, don''t you?" I ask her before I bring a claw near one which she takes hold off so it does not go near it.


    "Yes, sorry..." she repeats before we start to walk down the only available doorway.


    And she quite happily takes ahold of my arm in the process, "Taking bets now."


    "There''s only one thing I can offer if that is the case." she sultrily answers as her hand rubs a thankfully sealed away friend.


    "Taking no bets." I correct myself with before we start to come across drifting smoke.


    "What''s happening in there?" Rose then asks me when we get close enough to look inside the next room. And, I felt a sense of dread build up inside of me. Memories were flashing through my mind and I quickly backpedalled away from the exit.


    "Whatever it is, I want no part! NO PART!" I nervously start off with before I yell in terror as dreadful thoughts start to plague me. Inside that place were burning cities and towns or something. And I had no intention of ever walking in a place like that again!


    Not after I failed to... Not after I...


    "Nin!?" Rose lets out in worry before I start to hear the quiet sounds of dripping water. Or, rather, tears.


    "No..." I say with a trembling voice before the exit suddenly exploded with violent force. An aggressive predator on the other side until it became clear who it was.


    "Get out here, bug!" Vapooliar orders as she tries to break down the invisible force keeping us separated. Yet, there was nothing she could do that would make me go out there. I just could not stand to see such a landscape again...


    The worst part wasn''t even the fire or the ruins, it was the quiet... Just like my home in the immediate aftermath of that beast''s actions... It was all so quiet. All of them were just gone, and this place was just like it!


    "Valkinvar, stand down!" Rose barks at her without much displayed fear. Her tail meanwhile couldn''t stop moving and it sought safety behind someone as weak as me...


    "Bring it." Vapooliar growled, albeit, not in challenge... She was referring to me when she said ''it.''


    "OKAY!" the lightning bolt that suddenly crashed down roared before Vapooliar suddenly disappeared from our sight.


    "I need to get away from here..." I barely get out as I scramble to my feet. Only to run straight into a defiant Rose who had preemptively got in my way. Yet, my fear of the sight behind me made me forget my strength. And she pushed me against the wall with a glare.


    "Have I not spoken to you about this before!?" she asks me aggressively as her bulbs nearly blind me.


    "WE HAVE NEVER SPOKEN ABOUT THAT! NEVER!" I roar at her as I start to break down and hear a different kind of roar.


    "It''s okay, my love... You know you can tell me." Rose asks as I slowly slip down the wall before I fall to my rear. My tearful eyes were then quickly hidden behind my claws as it all just starts to flash before my eyes. Why here and why now!?


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "I..."


    "Nin, it''s okay." Rose soothingly whispers before her soft lips touch my snout.


    "I failed to protect my home..." I then eventually sobbed out as the tears come out in force. And, despite what she tried to do, I heard that gasp of hers. I heard that disappointment and disgust...


    How could she have thought that just because I...


    "No, you didn''t." Rose tells me as her lips move away from mine. A smile on her face while I continued to show her my most pathetic side.


    "YES, I DID! IT BURNED JUST LIKE THE ONE OUT THERE! ALL BECAUSE OF ME!" I roared in her face. Making sure she could see each little needle tooth I had in the hopes it would scare her off.


    "I haven''t been scared of you in a while." was all she had to say before she snuggled up against me and nuzzled my neck.


    "L-Leave m-me alone..." I struggle to get out as the trembles in my body get worse.


    "I have no intention of ever doing that again." she reminds me as she clearly tries to reaffirm me by reminding me of a petty victory...


    "I''m not going out there, so go!" I snap so very close to her ear. Yet, she held her ground and kept on giving me affection.


    "Why? Your home never burned in fire, Nin. Your home is with me and all the others trying to steal you from me." she confidently tells me with a smile that somehow made me stop crying.


    "Wh-What...?"


    "Your home, it is with me and everyone else." she repeats before I suddenly scramble to my feet.


    "My home is with you and the others...?" I ask her as my body struggles to stay frozen. I don''t know what was going on. But, whatever she was doing, it seemed to be working.


    "It always has been since the day we met, my love." she whispers into my ear as she comes up behind me. And, when those words were spoken, I saw the distant flash of familiar magic.


    Lightning and water...


    "My home..." I mutter nervously before I slowly start to move forward. Then, I stopped all of a sudden before I looked back at her. Was I understanding this properly...?


    "Your home is in danger, my love." she says when she notices my hesitation. And, I don''t know how to describe it, but, I lunged out into the burning landscape and ran. Panting intensely while closing the gap between me and the booming power. However, I could not just run there.


    I had to avoid spells that had missed and breakthrough shockwaves. Whatever was going on beyond the fires I had to brave, it was terrifying. I have seen first-hand how powerful Vapooliar was. Yet, that was when she was terribly injured...


    Now, she no longer had those wounds. She was not being held back by anything but herself.


    "AH!" I heard Einervaene screech before lightning shot up into the sky once again. A flash of blue that was accompanied by the sound of something shattering.


    "Hold on..." I muttered under my breath when I finally came upon a canyon of sorts before the land they were fighting on. Then, I took a few steps back before I shot myself over to the other side. A leap that was quickly interrupted by something latching onto my neck. And I soon felt the ground again.


    "I have you now!" Vapooliar growled as she tightly clenched my neck while pushing me into the ground.


    "NO!" I roared in her face. And, it seemed to have triggered her fears. For I was able to shove her off. Then, before she had a moment to calm herself I struck her in the chest. Roaring in defiance as she soared away.


    Einervaene then came down and crashed into her with a whole storm! And as she backed off with a quick transformation. Larishazza and her sister trapped her in water that attracted further bolts of lightning. Yet, I wasn''t content to just stand around as they desperately tried to fight Vapooliar.


    But, what could I do...?


    "Hello, Nin!" Larishazza waved without a care in the world before she fell to the ground in pain.


    "Get out of here!" I urged her before her water exploded. A sudden force having struck me away from her.


    "SHE''S FOCUSING ON HIM!" someone pointed out before I was shoved against and through a ruined building. I did not even get a chance to recover before I was slammed to the ground.


    Yet, same as last time, my roar broke Vapooliar''s resolve and she backed away. And as much as I regretted targetting her fears like this. Them being so close to my own. It was the only way I could stand against her.


    It was the only way I could soften her incredible blows and impossible speed. Even now, as I slugged it out with her. I felt my body tremble and crack as her clearly sloppy blow hit me. Yet, even as she grew enraged before me, her fears kept her blows soft.


    "OUT THERE!" I roared in her face just before I sent her into the sky. With it quickly lighting up with thunderbolts. But, their creator would soon fall from the sky without even being struck back.


    And I quickly moved to catch her, "Nin..." she let out in thanks before she clenched her bleeding arm.


    "We need to get you..." I began to say as I quickly remembered the room from which I came from. It might be back on now! I could only hope so...


    "LOOK OUT!" she then screamed in my face before we suddenly rematerialised elsewhere. Our distant view is dominated by explosions and massive bursts of water and ice magic.


    "You are in no shape to fight!" I tell her before I forced to suddenly react to my hunter. And I was wrestling with her in the sky before I punched her away. Thankfully, Larishazza was just able to make a construct for me. And I whipped side to side until I was rolling along the dirt.


    What was immediately before me soon exploded as well. And I dug my heels in with the help of my magic. Groaning in excrutiating pain when I caught Vapooliar as she tried to tackle me. A lot of that pain was focused on my legs too.


    Very soon, the ground even started to give way and I was slowly ploughing the earth. Yet, help arrived soon after and I was just as quickly spat out of a cloud of smoke. Then, I just tried to get my bearings again. What Einervaene had just done was an experience alright.


    "Don''t worry, I''m here!" Liadanann let out with hurried panic before she collapsed from exhaustion in front of me.


    "Why is everyone trying to fight Vapooliar like this!?" I asked her as I clutched her shattered and broken armour. Something she had made so skillfully was a complete mess now...


    "Because unlike you, we have had to fight!" Vadei presumptuously snaps as she comes to a stop a respectable distance away from us.


    "I''ve fought too!" I angrily tell her as I most certainly did not dream my prior fight.


    "Get us out of here!" Vadei then snapped, her fears made her cut to the chase alright.


    "There''s no way Vapooliar will just let us g-" I start to tell her before a green barrier erupts around us just in time.


    "GET OUT HERE!" Vapooliar viciously screams as she slams harmlessly against my friend''s power.


    "Keep that up..." I sigh in relief to a smiling Liadanann. Yet, it did not take long for me to notice a draft under this shield.


    "I''LL KILL YOU!" Vapooliar screamed in my face before she suddenly turned that shield against me.


    "I DO NOT INTEND TO DIE AGAIN!" I inform her as I struggle to find a grip on this barrier. Not that it mattered, because Liadanann got rid of it just now. So I was now flying into the sky instead.


    Thankfully, lightning came by to save me and I was once again spat out. Yet, I was struggling to move about now. The problem Einervaene''s magic normally caused was still there. But, I needed it not to be.


    I could not hold my own and protect the others if I was on the ground clutching my gut!


    .


    .


    .


    How powerful was this girl!? I have been striking her over and over with my magic and she just kept getting up! I was more of a nuisance than anything... This shouldn''t stop me from trying, though!


    If I kept going at her, surely I would wear her down? I was lightning for some god''s sake! I was the fury of a storm in one attack! An attack that would not stop coming!


    And, it was even helpful. Because I needed to learn patience and this battle would teach me it. So, whenever I had a moment to do so. I struck down and took this girl into the clouds with me.


    If I could just get her to clutch her stomach and vomit or something! I could give everyone the room they needed to fight more effectively. And, maybe, I could keep Nin safe as this girl clearly had a thing against Nin! I just had to keep my focus.


    Not even the tiniest lapse in my judgement was acceptable in these circumstances! If I did not keep the pressure on her, Nin would be seriously hurt! Just then, as well, I had a breakthrough in my attacks.


    "D-Dammit..." she groaned as she clenched her stomach before she fell to her knees. I was finally having an affect on her!


    "Perfect!" I found myself saying with a smirk as I crashed down just before her. Sending her off in the resulting explosion before I held my staff at her. Then, with a moment finally here, I used its other purpose. And I launched an unrelenting bolt of blue lightning at her!


    Groaning and nearly screaming as I focused a never-ending bolt at her. Only for dread to fill me as it was clearly having no affect. Yet, my injury from earlier was there to remind me of my limits. And I quickly collapsed as it spurted blood.


    "Some help would be welcome about now..." I squeaked as I watched this witch rise to her feet. An aura of incredible strength pushed down on me until another met it. And, when she was distracted, I hobbled into the cover created by her power and I hid there.


    Who was this, exactly? They were clearly powerful yet I had never seen them before! And maybe it was a good idea that I ran away too. Because, unlike the girl, his power burned even worse than both the wyverns I have fought.


    "Warrior, I am not done with you!" they said before this girl just up and left! Was he perhaps stronger than her!? No, from what I have seen...


    "Nin...!" I let out as I tried to hobble out into the open so I could get to the sky uninterrupted. Yet, my injuries got the better of me and I fell to the ground. Terror filled me and I desperately tried to get back to my feet.


    "Do not worry, I am here to help." this man says to me before he helps me to my feet. His immense power then surged into me and my wounds vanished. A nod then came from him before he threw me into the sky. If I wasn''t in such a rush to find Nin as well, my screams would''ve embarrassed me out of the fight.


    Yet, I had a good cause to focus on. So I, thankfully, intercepted this woman before she likely found Nin again. And I must have been doing something right because she was getting annoyed by me! So maybe I was finally wearing her down!


    However, her attention went elsewhere, "A lot of power is in you, no?" she asked no one as she briefly looked behind her.


    "What do you want with Nin!?" I then demanded to know. This wasn''t the first time she has shown up to pick a fight... Only this time, I had good cause to fight back. I was allowed to do so too.


    "That... Is not! NIN!" she screamed with hysterical rage before she ran at me without any of the speed from before. But, when she made that mistake. I pointed it out by turning into my lightning form!


    "IT IS! IT COULD NEVER NOT BE HIM!" I shout at her when she grabbed my staff. Thousands of little volts surged into her yet she still pushed back against me.


    "NIN IS NOT A BUG!" she screams back at me as she starts to overpower me until she was on top of me. Yet, thankfully, her blows did not have the effect they might''ve normally had. It was still a painful experience, however.


    "GET OFF MY FRIEND!" Larishazza screams as she leaps out from the smoke and twirls this witch off of me!


    "Lari..." I said in thanks as she helped me up before a hastily made barrier was smashed against.


    "FOCUS YOU TWO!" Larishazza''s sister roared before she let the sky rain icy doom upon this witch.


    "I''LL TRY AND MAKE AN OPENING!" I shouted over the hail of ice magic before picking up my staff. Aiming it around the quickly failing barrier and reappearing on the other side. Lancing straight at this woman and pinning her to the ice until she growled in pain. Just then, the ice began to grow once again.


    My power only melted some of it until I was forced to let go. Lest I be trapped in the forming mountain Tiyanat was making. However, when I stumbled along the dry earth upon getting out. I did not relax.


    There was no way that would hold this woman! And, to prove me right, all that ice just suddenly exploded outwards before a blast of fire melted it. That man had come back and she quickly took the fight to Nin''s enemy. This did not mean I would give up, however.


    Even as Nin came running back to join the fight. My attempts to stop him, however, failed, and he quickly punched the woman.


    .


    .


    .


    "HAHA!" I laughed as I started to land blow after blow on the warrior with the help of my friends. Nin especially was quite a treat as he was the only one to trade blows as well. I even got to see his magic first-hand!


    "TAKE THAT!" he roared in relief as blue fire enveloped my immediate surroundings before the warrior vanished.


    "An impressive blow!" I cheered, much to his confusion before I went at the warrior again. Striking her with my finally revealed musculature and sending her deep into the melted earth. However, unfortunately, with so many of us here. We kept stepping on each other''s toes.


    My magic melted my students and evaporated the jolly sister''s water! However, the one I healed first was not impacted by this. And when I and Nin finally caught this warrior in a vice. She came in and lunged her staff upwards.


    "Careful!" I tease as the warrior starts to spasm in pain as all that lightning magic flowed into her. Yet, as if a switch had been hit, she suddenly stopped spasming and we went back to trading blows.


    "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" she roared before she faltered before Nin''s inhuman growls. Was this potentially it? Our key to victory was the age-old weakness of fear!? A shame, but a welcome one either way.


    "CAN ANY OF YOU AMPLIFY HIS VOICE!?" I asked as I made sure I was the one holding back the warrior.


    "I CAN TRY!" our tailed friend answered as she scurried in close under the cover of our newest friend''s shield! I would not be able to watch from beyond that glance, however. I needed to focus on besting this impressive warrior as she buckled in fear. And, I could only wish she bested her fears. So she had a prayer from me to the gods!


    A warrior had to best their fears if they were to be great! It wasn''t power alone nor was it savagery! It was their willingness to fight that made them warriors! So, I could only beg in my mind that she overcame this fear!


    "STOP IT!" she cried as she backed away upon hearing a monstrous roar. Whatever Nin and the other one had done, it had broken this warrior. Terror was covering her face and the prior confidence was gone. And I exploited it to the extreme!


    "NOW!" I shouted back to everyone before I sent her flying into the sky on a spire of fire! And, in its path, a rapidly growing iceberg of immense size was created. The skies even lashed out in challenge in the moments before that mighty mountain of ice broke! And when it did, Larishazza leapt into the sky and took hold of her unfrozen magic.


    Which she then used to drive this warrior into the former seabed which quickly found itself filling up again. Yet, the warrior broke free and tore apart what remained of the coast with a single blow. But, her strength was made to yield before Nin''s! And she was quickly put on the run again!


    Nin, however, did not pursue like the others... "I think we might be overdoing it..." he let out nervously before I forced him to keep ongoing. If his fears were at all correct, we needed to press forth now more than ever!


    "GO THAT WAY!" I ordered as I kept my pace slow so he could keep up with me. Then, to time it just right, I ran in a wide arc. Making a sudden turn that washed away a molten countryside before I shot towards her again. My power streaking behind me as the world before me erupted into a blue fireball.


    "Enough..." I somehow heard the warrior say before our well-timed strike hit her.


    .


    .


    .


    "Enough..." I repeated just before caught two blows coming straight for me. Fire and pure magic washed over me, yet, I held my ground. Even if my legs trembled initially before their power started to die down.


    "THEY DID IT!" someone pre-emptively cheered before two pairs of bloodcurdling screams filled the air. And, when the smoke finally parted. That joy left their faces and I was holding two bloody hands.


    "I SAID ENOUGH!" I roar with such force as to force all the smoke and clouds to make way for thousand of halfmans around. Then, I suddenly twisted in the air and sent the pair flying away. That beast''s claw still in my grip while the other had flown off. And as I took in their gazes, I crushed what remained of that torn off hand before I ran at them.


    Smashing straight through the hastily erected barricades until I had one of them pinned against the ground. But, not even the angle of my attack would slow me down. And I slowly flew up and struck down at them until their magic finally gave in. I then flew up and avoided lightning before I struck the earth.


    "This is not the real world..." I reminded myself as my body remembered that my fastest speed was far greater in here. Even if it was deceptive. And, to the surprise of the most annoying of them, I wrestled the lightning as it shot off.


    "HUH!?" it screeched before I started to pull its screaming form apart until a human was revealed. Yet, her body suddenly turning into lightning made me let go. But, its weakness was quickly made apparent. So I shot down and picked her up.


    Catching her just before she turned into lightning once again. And, once I got a good enough grip despite the minor spasms I was experiencing. I tore that copper frame right off her to the backdrop of raining blood. A scream so terrible then drowned out the thunder as she fell to the ground.


    The annoying piece of equipment I had in my hands still was then tossed aside. Then, I stared at the ones who remained. If I was to kill that beast. I would need to make sure these lot could not fight on its behalf.


    So I shot straight down into the rubble before them. The shock on their faces left them vulnerable. And I made sure to exploit it. But, I was still somewhat cautious.


    And that caution cost me my freedom as I was quickly ensnared in ice once again. I could even tell as I was starting to lose room to move in that they were putting more into it this time. But, I waited. If they wanted to provide me with so much cover, I would let them.


    Eventually, when it had built up enough, I began to rumble about until I could sense cracks. And, with one single push, I split their mountain apart into two clean bits. Surprising both of them before terror filled one of them. I had grown tired of her dancing and prancing...


    So I gripped her by the shoulder on one side and the arm by the other. And I pushed up. Her screams were all it took for more ice to come my way. But, I was no easy target.


    She didn''t even sense me having appeared behind her until it was too late as well. Her blood was soon splattered along the earth and even a few teeth. Yet, her rage drove her back up and she growled. This, however, left her even more open.


    And I drove her up into the sky before I pursued. Blow after blow ruptured the sky until we reached the limits of the room. Then, it became a case of who would break first. The room, or this girl.


    Eventually, however, I was left with her bloodied body in my hands. A fireball surged right up towards me before I forced its dissipation with the girl''s limp body. And, as I let go of her, I clashed with him yet again. Even crushing his hand had not been enough to take him out.


    "I''LL KILL YOU!" he boomed with his fiery breath before we fell to the ground again. All that water once again evaporated when we landed. Yet, he was not out yet. And I duelled him with my fists just as he did with me.


    Yet, not one of his blows landed. As I was weaving and ducking around each one. And it only got easier. As each bone I broke or muscle I tore only made him more sluggish.


    Then, with one final uppercut to the jaw, I sent him away. And his magic disappeared completely as he disappeared in a flash of blue. Now, I turned around and hovered into the sky. But, I did not head for him.


    Instead, I landed next to the bloodied body of the Eusorochiian. She even made one last desperate attempt to hurt me. Yet, crushing her hand with a swift stomp silenced any further actions. Even if it made her scream for help with such desperation.


    I could even hear it roar... It was coming for me once again. Just like in the aelenvari flower. It wanted to kill me just like it did then...


    "I do not fear you." I simply said quietly as I picked up a staff from the ground. Clearly, it belonged to the screaming girl. Yet, now it was my javelin. And I threw it at the beast when I saw him.


    Roars of rage quickly turned into roars of pain and I saw a leg separate from its body. From there, I slowly advanced on it as the last two who dared oppose me caught up to Nin. Yet, one of them was Vadei... And I could not bring myself to hurt her, not even under these circumstances.


    Yet, she was still in my way. And I saw all her fear and terror as I began to slam away once again at the strong, green shield. Yet, like last time, I quickly destroyed enough of the earth to get around it.


    And I flipped it over my head with the sound of crashing metal sounding behind me...


    "St-Stay back!" Vadei whimpered as the beast tried to hobble back to its foot.


    "Stay out of my way." was all I planned on telling Vadei before I rocketed past her.


    .


    .


    .


    "NIN!" I cried. I have feared for many things. Yet, now, I was fearing for Nin''s life as Vapooliar was clearly trying to kill him! And why wasn''t his thing working!?


    I have seen others leave from much lighter injuries! Why was he still here!? Had Vapooliar broken his!? No, she couldn''t have.


    "NIN!" I cried again as I started to try and copy the girl who I took this staff from. And I repeated what she said over and over again as tears streamed down my face. Pathetic blast of magic after pathetic blast. Not one getting past the sheer strength of Vapooliar''s aura.


    "Down." she ordered before I collapsed to my knees as her fingers dug into Nin''s neck. Sickly, yellow blood-soaked both his body and her hand. Yet, I heard no snap come. All I felt was terrible boom after terrible boom as she punched him over and over.


    All the way until his very neck flesh gave out and he was sent flying away. Somehow, though, he managed to get up again despite his injuries. But, Vapooliar soon brought him down again and his other leg was beginning to break as his magic idiotically kept him standing. That idiot...


    "NIN!" I cried again as blood kept on splattering from what was left of his jaw. But, unlike me, Liadanann had not given up and she was happy to charge her down. Despite my protests.


    .


    .


    .


    "Va..." I struggled to say before I basically vomited blood. Yet, my mere act of speaking made another blow strike me. And I felt an eye slowly pop out as my skull started to cave under the restrained attack.


    And, that made it all the worse... Vapooliar could end it right here... She could stop it all right now... Yet she was torturing me with as much pain as possible...!


    "GET OFF HIM!" Liada roared as jabbed straight at Vapooliar''s face. Her strange magic had as well drawn blood where mine had not. Yet, she quickly vanished when Vapooliar slapped her away.


    "You die now, bug." Vapooliar spat before she suddenly left me on my own. Yet, I could clearly see what was coming. That dot in the distance was growing and the power around it was immense. Then, something stopped it just before her fist killed me.


    "Thank you..." I barely got out as I started to cry as I stared at my potential death. Some kind of alarm was blaring and all kinds of bells were ringing.


    "TRADITIONAL HOUSE HAS WON THE INTER-HOUSE TALENT DISPLAY!" a voice roared with excitement. All the while, my limbs flailed helplessly about as Vapooliar''s built up power suddenly washed over me. All that strength that was meant for me...


    It was terrifying...


    And even in my most pitiful, broken state... She did not so much as see me as who I was. I was still a bug to her. Even as I cried very human pain and sobbed like any other might do.


    But, when all that power finally went passed me, I saw Vapooliar back down. I then watched as she became blurry. And, I was surprised I could see at all. Yet, despite my efforts, my claws could not turn on that device...


    I was clicking it with a body that ran on fear-filled adrenaline and it still wasn''t working. It only became apparent after as to why it wasn''t working. Yet, I couldn''t figure it out during the moment as I was too busy sobbing as smoke piled around me. Then, finally, that spell I had made to support my one-legged body finally failed.


    And I fell to the ground and was soon consumed by a pool of my blood. I swear I could even see the outline of a shadowy hound in the smoke as well.


    .


    .


    .


    "NIN!" I cry once more as I rush on over to him. Not paying even the slightest bit of attention to all the blood around me. The smoke in my nose or the soreness in my throat. None of it mattered right now.


    And, no matter how many times I pressed it, nothing was happening. Why wasn''t his thing working!? I saw it take a girl away who had a grenade under her! I''ve heard how it has saved people from being vaporised!


    So why wasn''t it doing its job!? Why was Nin still here!? Yet, I suppose it did not matter. If his one was broken, my one should still.


    "COME OFF YOU STUPID THING! COME OFF!" I screamed desperately as I tried to claw my own device off my wrist. Yet, despite all the magic I tried to focus on it. It would not budge. It was impervious to anything I could do right now...


    "Don''t." Vapooliar tells me after she stops me from reaching for the staff.


    "GET OFF! GET OFF!" I screamed as I tried to reach for the staff before I went quiet when she broke it. And, I did not know how to react to that... A chance to save my friend was just taken away by her.


    "Leave it."


    "I WILL NOT ABANDON MY FRIEND!" I scream at her before I shatter my magic-filled claws on her face. Yet, that did not stop me from using the other hand either. And even when all my claws became stubby, bleeding messes, I still kept hitting her.


    "Stop it." she says as she stops me from throwing any more attacks at her.


    "GET OFF ME!" I scream as I use her strength to position several kicks to her chest. Only to suddenly drop with a resounding thud.


    "Leave it." she says.


    "I JUST TOLD YOU, YOU STUPID, VALKINVAR! OH, WAIT! I FORGOT! YOU DON''T HAVE ONE IT TAKES TO BE ONE ANYMORE, DO YOU!?" I scream at her before I slam her chest. And even as I watched her features contort with anger. I still let mine show. Fear would not overtake me now, not now...


    "Why do you defend this thing..."


    "WHAT THING!? THE ONLY ONE HERE IS NIN! MY FRIEND!" I point out before I run down to his side so I could at least pass on some of my magic. Yet, even I knew in this state that my magic was not strong enough to even heal a cut on his body...  I was too weak in comparison...


    "Nin..." someone said as they desperately hopped over to us before they fell down. A fall that made them scream with such ferocity as to unnerve me where Vapooliar''s anger had not.


    "Larishazza?" I said before I helped her off of her broken arm.


    "It might... Hurt, but..." she began to say as she started to soak my wrist.


    "No!" Vapooliar said as she forced my arm away.


    "STOP INTERFERING AND GO AWAY! IF YOU WANTED HIM TO DIE SO MUCH, WHY DON''T YOU JUST DO IT NOW!? GO ON! MURDER HIM!"


    "I can''t... My chance has passed..." she spits out down to me.


    "THEN GO AWAY! YOUR MOMENT IS GONE!" I scream at her before she finally leaves, albeit slowly.


    "Ready?" Larishazza asks me with uncertainty as her eyes stay glued to Nin''s bloodied body.


    "Yeah... Just pull..." I tell her with a tearful gulp before I grit my teeth as I feel my skin tear. A light huff and stutter then left me as it slipped off along with a few drops of blood.


    "Uh..." Larishazza let out as she tried to figure out how to get it around Nin''s wrist or even a finger.


    "It''s too small..." I whisper in despair as my crying becomes more intense. We just went through all of that to get the stupid thing off and we could not even adjust it.


    "H-Hold on to the other side!" Larishazza tells me as her trembling arm shoots up before me.


    "I can''t!" I tell her as even her dwindled strength was enough to pull me about with ease.


    "JUST STAY STILL!" she yells at me. Her tears even seemed to take on a magical aspect.


    "YOU KNOW I CAN''T!" I tell her before I start to viciously smash the device against a piece of hot rock. Even that, though, did not do anything...


    "Grr... GIVE IT!" Vapooliar then roars before she snatches it out of my grip. With such force as well that she nearly broke my fingers. Yet, once it was in her grip, she started to pull at it. All kinds of warnings and alerts then blared as it began to show the strain.


    But, she got it wide enough and I thanklessly snatched it from her before I shoved it onto Nin. Pushing the button over and over until he finally disappeared to the safety of the hospital... And, I just fell to the ground after that. Crying and shaking until a boom in the air made me flinch.


    "Can all remaining students of the victorious Traditional House and the failure Houses please make their way to the original objective." someone then clearly and loudly said as the battlefield began to simply wash away. And soon, we were left with a peculiar sight as everything was just vanishing.


    "Tiya..." Larishazza let out in worry after I helped her to her feet. No one else was here... Liadanann, Nin, that guy from moments ago. Even her sister.


    They were all gone.


    "Einervaene!" I said all of a sudden as the loss of the smoke made her scent stick out all the more. Yet, when we got to her, I started to panic. She had several serious serrations that had gone deep into her... An odd pattern was there as well...


    "H-Help..." she weakly cried before me and Larishazza helped her up. Yet, that only made her cry and whimper more.


    "I know, I know..." I said to her, trying to soothe her with words Mom might''ve used if I hurt myself. Yet, nothing came of it and Einervaene kept on howling in pain as we agitated her wounds.


    "Where is he...?" someone I had not expected to see asked as she stopped before us.


    "Out of our way..." I spat out to the aelenvari before I tried to get my friend somewhere safe.


    "You need to calm down." the aelenvari then said as she weaved around us and made Einervaene disappear.


    "CALM DOWN!?" I shouted at her before she threatened me with magic.


    "Yes." she utters as I back away from her magic. Despite how much I had grown, even she was still my superior... That useless, pampered creature...


    "Can we just go?" Larishazza asks as she steps between us. And, as I stared at her broken, dislocated arm. I nodded and just kept ongoing. There was no need for any more fighting...


    It was all over now...


    And soon, we came upon many more students who were also on their way there. Some were as injured as Larishazza or even worse. Others were trying to ignore the sights of the wounded while some were even bullying the others... But, we had no interest in solving any issue we saw.


    "OH, I''M SORRY!? EXCEPTIONAL HOUSE WAS IT!?" someone cackled from high above as we finally reached the goal we should''ve headed towards. Whatever it was, it was glowing and shining brightly and anyone from that House seemed to instantly heal...


    "Ignore it." Larishazza whispers to me before she guides me down the final pathway out of this place. Then, with a flash of light, our surroundings changed and we were surrounded by uniformed people.


    "If you have no major injuries, go this way!" a man dressed in clear white spoke through an amplifier. And, as I was mostly fine, I just gave Larishazza a reassuring brush of my tail before I was then stopped by someone.


    "Name, please." a woman dressed in similar white clothes asked me as she began to unpack a bag filled with bottles...?


    "Vadei..." I say before I am suddenly handed one of these bottles and gently guided onwards. She then did the same with another student before I then found myself outside in the daylight. And, after taking a brief look around at all the gagging people around me. I unscrewed my own bottle and drank from it.


    Nearly spitting it out when I felt how much magic was in the water inside it. It was almost alcohol it was that bad... Yet, I managed to drink it all eventually and I just dropped the bottle. My pain might''ve been rapidly going away, but I needed some time on my own.


    Besides, it wasn''t like I could go and make sure Nin was okay... The main hospital building was surrounded by guards and it was clearly packed to the brim with emergency staff. So, after spending a few moments looking at a random window in that building. I hobbled back to our dorm.


    I was on my own for the moment it would seem...


    "Will he be alright?" the aelenvari then asks me as she uncovers her eyes for some reason.


    "I... I don''t know..." I say with a whimper as I could so clearly remember what he looked like before he disappeared. I was even still stained with his blood and the thick stench of it...

 Incline 8: Hospital Hospitality

    "So, from now on, we advise bed rest and not putting too much strain on your body." the doctor tells me as she looks through some information on a stone tablet.


    "Okay." I simply said as I did not really have the know-how to complain. Besides, the bed was very comfortable.


    "We are sorry, Student Einervaene. But, given what has just ended, we just don''t have the resources to focus on everyone. I hope you understand." she repeats in apology one more time before she walks out the door.


    "That''s fine..." I quietly say, too late for her to hear as the door had closed behind her long before I said anything. Then, as there wasn''t really much else to do, I turned and faced the window before looking outside it. I could not see much as the Orbital-Halo was nearly coming through the glass. Yet, I could still make out large gatherings of people.


    Perhaps they were preparing a party out there? I have heard that there are quite impressive celebrations for the winning House. And, as a participant in the event, I was invited by proxy. Yet, I probably would not go unless they others went.


    I wasn''t particularly interested in being surrounded by those high on their victory. Yet, I was curious as to see what Baltanthan had been up to during it. He was training for that event for far longer than we ever were... And, it was his House that won.


    So, who knows, maybe I would go on my own if it came to that. I should at least offer congratulations where it was due. But, I can see it being quite funny if he admits that he had been removed long before victory was assured. I, however, chose to presume that he had held on to the end.


    "Hey! Hey!" a muffled voice then began to say as the door to my room began to get thudded on. It was Larishazza and she was as cheerful as ever.


    "You can come in!" I tell her, slightly annoyed and confused by her constant knocking. Yet, it was Vadei who eventually opened the door and I smiled at the pair of them. I even kept my smile when Rossie-chira of all people stepped in with them.


    "I''ve made a new friend!" Larishazza chirps as she tries to play with Rossie-chira''s tail.


    Then, I briefly frowned, "Will you introduce them?" I ask as it seems odd that I kept on using that old nickname. I had grown used to using their actual names so just having Rossie-chira being referred to in that manner was odd.


    "Rose''lhia!" Larishazza answers while Rose''lhia just raises a brow.


    "I would think I would have had a greater impact on you, no?" she asks me as she approaches. And all I could was smile nervously as it was easier to do that than just ask for her actual name.


    "S-So, how have you been?" I then asked her nervously as I had not seen her in a long time. She sort of disappeared once she stopped being around Nin.


    "I have been very happy, as of late." she tells me with a dreamy sigh before she straightens her expression.


    "We''re going to go find Nin. You well enough to follow?" Vadei explains after she rolls her eyes at Rose''lhia.


    "I don''t know. The doctor says I should stay in bed and rest."


    "They said that to me to- OW!" Larishazza began to say before her jumping upset the injured arm and side.


    "Point proven." I joke as she pouts at me.


    "How bad is it, then?" Vadei asks as she moves closer and shows off her slightly bandaged fingertips.


    "Does it look bad?" I ask nervously as I start to feel a painful outline around my body. Whatever happened when I was caught, it was relatively clean, I guess. The precision kind as I very much still remembered all the blood...


    "You aren''t dying, so no." Vadei tells me with a smirk and shrug.


    "That''s quite an extreme point to work with." I tell her before I look down at where all the stitches and bandages were. All along where my frame was... I guess that meant I would have to make a new outfit. Or part of one, I guess.


    It was only along my torso where the pain was, my injuries from the other fight were dealt with. Maybe as far back as before the fight against that woman to begin with. And, as I was going to give Baltanthan congratulations. I should at least offer thanks to that fire-user as well.


    "So, will you be coming or not, Dear?" Rose''lhia asks me as she rests a hand on me. Some magic even started to pass into me but I don''t think it did anything.


    "I will need to see if I can..." I answered with some worry before I slowly exposed my legs. Yet, when I did, I hid them back under the quilt as my legs were bare.


    "You aren''t naked, Redface." Vadei scoffs in bemusement as I glare back at her.


    "I''m the only one dressed like this!" I squeak while Larishazza and Rose''lhia both laughed at me. And, I whined as they did so... This wasn''t funny...


    "We''re both dressed far more appropriately than you, Dear." Rose''lhia comments before she just pulls the quilt from me.


    "PUT IT BACK!" I scream before Larishazza spins away with my only protection. Yet, she invoked the God of Justice and provoked her injury for the act.


    "See, no problem at all." Rose''lhia then teases as she runs a hand up to where it shouldn''t have been.


    "S-Sorry!" I then squeak as she suckles her finger after I shocked it in response. Yet, the look she was giving me only made me turn redder.


    "Maybe learn a different way to do that?" she asks me with wet lips before she backs away giggling.


    "I hate you all..." I then let out as I slowly get out of bed before I snatch up a dressing gown to further cover myself with. However, I could still feel a draft come in from under me. And, as I walked about to make sure my injuries were fine with it. I took on a stiff posture with my legs barely moving at all.


    Outside of that, though, I was fine and everyone was ready to go. Well, everyone but Larishazza who had trapped herself between my quilt and her injury. So, I sighed before we helped her up. And, she did not learn her lesson at all and still kept on dancing about.


    "So do you know where Nin is?" I ask them once I close the door behind us. And, to my disappointment, Vadei gestured down the quietest part of the hallway. I guess it was fine if he wasn''t injured. But, if he was...


    "At least there''s no one in our way!" Vadei jokes as we make our way down the hallway. And, as we did so, Rose''lhia got some compliments while Larishazza made a point of getting smiles whenever she could. I, however.


    "Hey! Come on! Open up!" some guy joked before the others near him cackled as I walked by. And, as usual, I turned red and sped up until I was out of sight.


    "You need to have more confidence." Rose''lhia tells me with a slight shrug as she tugs at my clothes.


    "Confidence isn''t the issue..." I complain as I started to recall Mother''s teachings in my head. Loose dress was unbecoming of someone like me...


    "Oh, I think it is." Rose''lhia counters as she starts to prod my breasts. Much to the enjoyment of those looking at us. Or rather, her as she was barely dressed at all. The imagination was simply not needed with her!


    "Stop that!"


    "Yes, stop it, we''re nearly there." Vadei snaps before she comes to a stop before what was likely the most hidden-away door. We didn''t even have any windows now, it was just light from the lights now.


    "Hurry up." Rose''lhia scoffs impatiently before Vadei snaps her glare towards her. Everything about her had taken on a threatening persona and it worried me. Vadei wasn''t so thin-skinned as to just turn around like that because of impatience.


    "Excuse me, I need to see..." I say to my friend before I force my way past her so I could force open the door. And, when I finally got in, I felt tears build up once a gasp finally escaped the invisible chokehold around my neck.


    "Hello, Nin." Larishazza opens up with quietly as she quickly takes up a seat next to him. Rose''lhia, however, just went straight for the room on the bed. Despite Vadei''s protests to the action...


    "Nin?" I say as I slowly approach the end of the bed. Everything about this room was half-done. Nin wasn''t even dressed in clean bandages and many of his wounds still looked fresh...


    "M-Morning..." he eventually let out once he stirred from his pain-induced slumber.


    "W-Why aren''t you...?" I idiotically ask as I was just too focused on the state of his wounds.


    "S-Scary bug..." he answers with a surprising amount of brevity before his head suddenly rolls over to Rose''lhia.


    "What scary bug? All I see is my handsome lover." she says as she teases his lower jaw before he moves his head away from her.


    "It hurts." Nin eventually says as his shudders set off even more painful reactions around his body.


    "Is there anything we can do?" I ask while looking around at everyone.


    "We could try giving him our magic..." Larishazza says before she tries to drip-feed some water to him. Yet, he could never keep his mouth open long enough to get even a fraction of what he needed.


    "It will take some time, he did stand before a Valkinvar." Rose''lhia says but that term confused me. Was a Valkinvar a term for a very powerful student...? I swear I have heard that name before...


    "Why would one of them be here?" Larishazza giggles awkwardly before she goes quiet. I guess even she was having trouble keeping the mood light...


    "You know what they are?"


    "Ancient warrior order. We went passed their home city on the way to..."


    "Tobaballe?" Nin finishes, much to our shock as this was the first time he had said that word since...


    "Do you remember what happened, when we went there?" I asked, something that scared us all but Rose''lhia.


    "What are yo-" Vadei began to hiss before Nin started to move. An action that frightened us yet he did nothing when he stopped.


    "It blew up." he answers quietly before he pulls Rose''lhia in closer. But only by a bit as his injuries were not to be understated.


    "Y-Yes..." I tell him with uncertainty before he sighs and looks down.


    "So, what''re we going to do when I finally get out of here?" he then asks with a slight smile before he winces in pain.


    Larishazza''s stomach then grumbles, "I don''t know about then, but, I know what I want to do now!" she says with a smile before she starts to play with one of Nin''s fingers.


    "Yeah, that would be nice..." Nin moans before we all seemed to face Vadei.


    "Yes, yes, I know, I can smell it so I should get it..." Vadei grumbles before she gets up.


    "I was going to say because you have no injuries." Nin comments before Vadei shoves her fingers in his face. He then smiles at them which in turn makes her smile.


    "So, what do you all want, then?" Vadei asks as she resigns herself to being a food courier.


    "Wait, Larishazza..." Nin says as he looks at her.


    "Hm? Hm? Hm?" Larishazza repeats until someone makes her.


    "S-Shouldn''t you be checking on your sister?" Nin asks with a wince before he settles down again.


    "I did, she''s fine." Larishazza tells us before she starts to nod over and over again. That made me relieved, as while I did not know her all that well. It was gladdening to know my friend was not held up by her sister''s injuries. And thankfully, she was not grieving.


    "Ok." Nin mutters before he seems to fall asleep. An action that worried us before Rose''lhia confirmed it by trying to sleep herself.


    "What do sleeping people eat?" Larishazza then jokes as we all decide to give them space. Albeit, I was reluctant to do so as I would have liked to be in Rose''lhia''s place... Then again, I could only have the urge inside of me. She was far too forward with how she felt!


    .


    .


    .


    "Open wide!" I giggle heartedly as I moved a spoon near Nin''s mouth. An expression of agitation stared right back at me as I did so.


    "I hat-" he began to say before I shoved it right in the opening. Giggling some more as he wiggled the caught spoon between his many teeth.


    "No, I don''t think you are a hat." I tell him before I take the spoon out of his mouth.


    "You know what I said!" he snaps before his eyes look down at the bowl once again.


    "Oh, but you still want me to keep feeding you?" I ask.


    "You''ve handled this for long enough, now let me..." Rose''lhia starts off with confidence before she tries to push me over. Yet, her actions did nothing and she was left backpedalling slightly after that failure.


    "Hm, no." I tell her as I think about all the times she would just stay in Nin''s bed as he recovered.


    "Stop arguing and feed me." Nin demands before I happily go on with his decision.


    "Of course." I say before I start to feed him once again. Sometimes, I made sure to draw it out just to annoy Rose''lhia, even if she kept it hidden. Other times, I just messed with Nin as he has been pride-struck since finding out his injuries require us to look after him.


    "Alright, off the bed, please." Nin then let out all of a sudden. His body also twitched as if he had just awoken from a nightmare.


    "What''re you doing?" I ask him. A face full of concern then quickly turned to one of shock.


    "No! Nin!" Vadei began to say as she used her tail to brush at his injuries. A strange way to react, but, it slowed him down.


    "I just want to stand up for once... Now move!" he lets out with growing anger before he shoots out of the bed and stumbles.


    "Hello!" Larishazza chirps as Nin leans on her before he starts to show nothing but confusion.


    "Is something wrong?" I ask while taking careful note of all his new scars. The one on his leg stood out the most. It was such a big patch of pale, deformed flesh and shell. At least, compared to the rest.


    "I... I just remembered that my leg was reattached."


    "EXCUSE ME!?" I shout in shock before I turn red when I realise what I had done.


    "I''m surprised I forgot about that to be entirely honest..." Nin then shrugs as if my outburst hadn''t just happened.


    "W-W-What do you mean your leg was reattached!?" I asked him as I started to usher him back to the bed. We knew full well he wasn''t getting the help he needed, so we were filling in for him. So we just couldn''t risk anything!


    "Will you calm down? You''ve had no problem whatsoever with holding this claw." he complains as he shoots up his scarred hand before me.


    "What about it?" I ask once he stops trying to struggle against me. And, for once, I was confident in my ability to keep him down as whatever magic he had was going straight to his wounds. Nothing was left for his other functions. Something that was not the case for me.


    "It got torn off, just like my leg. Well, my leg was taken off because something was thrown at it..." he explains before I take ahold of his hand.


    "A-Anything else I should know about...?" I ask him as I start to make sure he was getting plenty of my magic and whatever the hospital staff had put into me.


    "No." he shrugs before I give way for him to stand up again. However, I was also being held back by the others. Something that I did not appreciate.


    "So, my Love, how do you feel?" Rose''lhia asks him as he seemingly practises how to walk.


    "I feel like I might fall ap-ART!" he starts to say before he falls down.


    "SEE!?" I screech at first as we rush to his aid. Only for sparks to start flying off me when he loudly cackles at our reaction.


    "Funny..." Vadei sarcastically says.


    "Inappropriate." Rose''lhia scoffs as she tries to help him up anyway.


    "Funny." Nin repeats as his body convulses with each chuckle.


    However, once he stood up fully, I made sure he got a healthy shock to his system, "No, it wasn''t."


    "I found it funny." Larishazza then says, to which Nin smiles once he is done flinching at my magic.


    "What now?" Vadei asks before Nin suddenly leaves the room.


    "Nin?" I ask once we had all filed out after him.


    He then stops, an uncertain expression on his face, "Where''s Liada?"


    "In here." Vadei says before Nin suddenly bolts off. I would''ve called out to him, but, I had a feeling we all quickly figure it out. Those of us who knew Liadanann, anyway.


    "Where''s he going?" Rose''lhia asks as she struggles to keep up on the smooth floor. She wasn''t wearing her tubes a lot recently as Nin had complained earlier during their little sleeping sessions...


    "To them." Vadei eventually answers once we reached a far more densely packed area of the hospital. And, when Nin forced his way through the doorway. Screams erupted.


    "Yes, yes I know." he grumbles as everyone starts to make way for him until he reaches a locked door.


    I then break it open for him just to prevent him from hurting himself, "Is she alright?"


    "She''s fine..." Nin answers with an uneasy tone before he slumps down into a chair.


    "Excuse me, this patient needs her space!" one of the doctors snap at us.


    "And she''s going to have your heads if she wakes up with a bunch of needles around her!" Nin nearly roars before he settles down as Liada seemingly stirs. But, all she ends up doing is moving very slightly towards Nin. An action I quickly became jealous of...


    It was sweet seeing Liadanann react like that to Nin''s voice... Now if only I was the one to be in that bed...


    "How many days has she been out?" Larishazza then asks once she is done observing Liadanann''s wounds. Many of which were still there. But, I guess that was because, unlike us, there was no telling how her body would react. However, I took some joy in seeing her massively deflated chest.


    No longer did it so obnoxiously eclipse my own bust...


    "Since the Inter-House Talent Display ended, she hasn''t..." the doctor began to explain before Liadanann finally did start to wake up. And, her immediate reaction was just as Nin said.


    "GET THESE OFF OF ME!" Liadanann roared in panic once she took in all the sights her room had. From the clean surfaces to the abundant machinery.


    Yet, Nin was quick to intervene, "Hey, hey!" he starts to say just before Liadanann nearly uses her talisman to do something.


    "Wh-Where am I!?" she asks him as she latches onto him.


    "Hospital. It''s alright, they haven''t done anythin-" he starts to say before a damning laugh could be heard.


    "I can''t believe such an opportunity came to us. A few sedatives and we were able to easily fill out what we couldn''t before!" someone laughed loudly from outside.


    "Th-They what...?" Liadanann asks slowly as her body starts to tremble. Yet, Nin made sure he had a firm grasp on her as her breathing picked up and tears started to come.


    "Get out!" he then barked at the doctor before he focused on consoling our violated friend.


    "I told them I didn''t want..." Liadanann began to recount as she shivered in Nin''s grip.


    "Can''t trust these shits at all..." Nin spits out as he briefly looks at his wrist. Something that deeply disturbed Vadei and Larishazza before we all focus on our friend. Hostile as she may be to most of us.


    "N-Nin, get me out of here... GET ME OUT!" Liadanann starts to say in panic as the bed begins to violently shake.


    "Okay, okay. Come on, we''ll go find a tree to sit by." Nin tells her just before a shield suddenly makes them drop to the ground. Liadanann, in her panic, had suddenly created a shield for the pair of them. And it had cut cleanly through the bed and immediate floor.


    We then watched in concern as the two disappeared through the doorway they just widened.


    "Did we forget about her?" Vadei then asks quietly as she starts to nervously rub her tail. And, while she did that, I put my fingers together and let little volts travel across and between them.


    "We were focused quite a bit on Nin these past few days..." Larishazza mutters as she tries to justify our mistake. Yet, her words only made me shake my head.


    "It''s still unacceptable." I sigh out as this was a major error on our part. Once we had confirmed Nin was safe... We should''ve made sure the rest of our friends were too. Larishazza at least checked on her sister, why didn''t we even so much as do something similar?


    I mean, I knew why... We just cared a lot for Nin. But, even then. We know full well how Liadanann was around people.


    So, I think we at least owed her an apology. If it came to that at the very least. Maybe she would not care to chase us up on the topic. But, we had to be prepared for the eventuality.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Should we get her something to eat?" Vadei then asks.


    "Meat and gold..." I recall while Larishazza loudly tapped her chin.


    "We can at least get meat, no. Wasn''t the menu today bird?"


    "Will they even let us collect another portion? We already went for our food." I point out before all eyes turn to Rose''lhia. As she had not gone once to get food as she was too busy hogging Nin''s affection.


    "Do you need something?" she asks with a polite tone as she looks at me and Larishazza exclusively. Something that made Vadei scoff before she likely disappeared after Nin and Liadanann.


    "Can you get food for Liadanann?"


    "No, never." Rose''lhia scoffs as she crosses her arms. Her attitude was similar to how she spoke to Vadei...


    "Liada needs help, though!" Larishazza reminds her to which she still scoffs.


    "Something as magicless as her doesn''t need help." Rose''lhia tells us before she moves to likely leave to.


    "Rose''lhia, please. Nin needs to be with her to make sure she is alright."


    "So I am helping my Love, not that thing?" Rose''lhia asks as her mood suddenly shifts. Her ears even twitched when we mentioned Nin being in need of help... Well, I guess it reminded me of what her strings were.


    "Yes." I nod with some subtle disgust as I did not like agreeing with that statement. Liadanann was our friend... Even if she was an unlikeable creature that kept lashing out at me. And, well, anyone who was a human, really.


    "Very well, I will ensure my Love! Is helped." she says loudly in clarification before she walks off.


    "She seems to be a very difficult person." Larishazza comments after a short while.


    "Aren''t we all?" I ask with a sigh before I look out the window. Tapping a finger on the glass until I saw a hint of where those two might have gone. Yet, it might have also just been other groups of friends seeing each other. Yet, there was a few that stood out.


    Girls would come running at boys as they left this place and they would leap into a kiss. A passionate one, too. And, it left me annoyed because I haven''t even mustered the courage for something like that. I still hadn''t even confessed my love to him yet...


    "Ooo, that one has good technique." Larishazza then comments when she suddenly leans over my shoulder.


    "Eh!?" I let out in shock after flinching at the sudden comment. And, obviously, she giggled at my reaction. Thankfully, it was short-lived.


    "Come on, let''s go find them!" she then says as she spins around before she starts to slide out the broken door.


    "Slow down..." I start to say loudly before the sight of frightened staff and patients made me quieten down.  I then marched on by while resisting the urge to apologize for Nin''s actions. Yet, I suppose there was a very good justification for it all... And that was a good reason as to why I lost Larishazza as well.


    Because, while focusing on how to resist the urge to apologize. I lost track of where she had gone and now I was on my own. It made me groan quietly. But, outside of that, I just kept on going until I reached the door to the outside.


    "My, my, Lady-Heir, aren''t we confident?" Hycidna comments with a clap when a sudden gust of wind blew up my patient gown.


    "DON''T LOOK!" I scream as I secure the loose clothing before pressing myself up against a nearby wall. Something that drew more attention than I wanted until Hycidna had her guards make a statement.


    "We have it all under control, don''t worry!" she coos as she comes in closer before she then offers me the outer layers of her kimono. Something I gladly accept even if I don''t wear it properly.


    "Th-Thank you..." I quietly squeak before her smiling facade begins to crack into laughter.


    "So, how come you stepped outside with so few... Coverings?" she asks with a quiet giggle and subtle raise of her brows. A tilt to top it all off too...


    "Don''t you start." I tell her with a pout before I get my emotions under control.


    "Okay," she giggles one last time before she wipes her eyes, "anyway, I''ve been looking for you since the award ceremony ended."


    "How long ago was that...?"


    "Three days."


    "I see... So, why did you want to find me?" I ask, feeling like I had just damned myself to further embarassment.


    "You wanted a personal recording, remember?" she asks with a brief giggle before I turn red-faced again.


    "Oh, how could I have forgotten this!" I moan before I slam a curled up fist gently against the wall behind me. The very thing I wanted that led to my injuries to begin with!


    "So, to reiterate. Take it straight to the Lady Bosphama?" she then asks with a straightened out face and serious tone.


    "Uh..." I let out before I glance at my bandages. My wounds were healing, but, the doctors still saw a need for quite a few of them.


    "Is that way to blunt? I can do it with greater subtlety..." she starts to say.


    "No, no, no! It''s fine. I just... I''m just worried she will get the wrong idea if the last she sees of me is..." I tell her before I rub a hand on the bandages.


    "I think we can add on to it. So you want to prepare an afternote?"


    "Yes! That will ease her worries..." I sigh out before tentatively taking the device from her hand. It was a weighty, cylindrical object. But, its weight might''ve just been my lack of magic right now. Then, I returned it to her.


    "Shall we head to the place I got this from, then?" Hycidna asks as she turns around and gestures.


    "If it is alright, I have a friend I would like to check on first. He suddenly had to rush off for someone else''s safety."


    "Oh, can I meet him? He sounds quite heroic." Hycidna purrs before she winks at some passing by native students. Maybe I should tell her that Nin wasn''t...? Yet, I wanted to also see if I could get back at her for the teasing she has done since we just met.


    Yet, I also wanted to be honest, "He is very heroic..." I quietly affirm while blushing softly. And, I was fine with this blush too, it wasn''t like the others. Because my heart also felt light as I thought on it. I was even feeling a little light-headed!


    "I do hope I am not able to take him, then." she laughs before she clicks her fingers. Her guards then swiftly fall into line and we start to walk. Yet, I felt awkward as she carried herself with a lot of grace that I had been taught to show. However, I had gotten used to a more casual style of walking.


    Travelling so much had beaten a lot of the behaviours out of me by sheer nesscesity. But, Mother also insisted I act less like a noble''s daughter for my own safety. I never understood then. And, I don''t think I quite do, even now.


    "So, how was your brother?" I ask as I start to remember why she was here. As I also did not want to dwell on my unfortunate past.


    "Terrible, just terrible." Hycidna scoffs before she holds up another one of the strange devices.


    "I''m sure he did not do that bad." I say as I try to stick up for him. Maybe she was just expecting too much of him? From what I experienced at the very least, it was not an easy thing to partake in that event.


    "He and those he was with were cast aside by some cutie at the head of an army." she starts off with another scoff at first before her tone takes on a dreamy aspect.


    "Hm? Army?"


    "Yes, the... Traditional House? They had rallied around someone and simply overran most they came across. Like a true haomplerai!" she sighs out once again towards the end.


    "It must''ve been quite the sight." I gently laugh as I try to imagine something grander than what I had seen. There weren''t that many people I had come across since the event started, after all. Then again, there was that strange relocation magic that sent us all over the place.


    "It was, surprised a lot of people to see such a grand display of courage."


    "Do you know who it is?" I then decide to ask.


    "That general was called Baltanthan." Hycidna giggles before my mouth turns agape.


    "Baltanthan? Well, I best make sure to congratulate him, then!" I question before enthusiastically recalling a past choice. If he had done that well, then, I simply had to make sure he was aware of it! It was truly impressive as I struggled with what I encountered.


    I even nearly died in the latter of that which I encountered...


    "You know him?" Hycidna asks with a sudden twist in her neck and stop in movement.


    "Yeah, he''s a friend I travelled with on my way here."


    "W-Well, then, you can keep your heroic lover, Lady-Heir. I want to speak with the one who kept her safe as she made the perilous journey to this country!" she stutters at first before lustful enthusiasm filled her body. The results were unladylike, yet, it was amusing to see.


    Yet, her choice in words for Nin had me blushing, "I''m fine with that." I giggle as I register the prospect of one less competitor for Nin. And, who knows, maybe Baltanthan would indeed enjoy having such a romantic opportunity! Hycidna was no common girl, after all!


    "Then you must lead me to him!" she loudly asks of me. Something I nod to as it was an amusing prospect. Perhaps I could even get payback on Baltanthan for his comments from before the event.


    "Only if the place for these is on the way." I then decide on as making sure Mother was aware that I was okay mattered more. Yet, I would probably show her the way anyway.


    "I''ll make sure it very much is." she seriously answers before she and her guards just rush on ahead.


    "You going to check the route?" I ask her to which I get a smile and wave. Which I took as a yes. Then, with her gone, I turned around and tried to find Nin. Which, thankfully, did not take long as looks of disgust gave me an idea of where to go.


    "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Liadanann screams hysterically as she retreats deeper into Nin''s embrace. And, at first, I kept on approaching, yet, Nin shook his head directly at me...


    "W-What did I do?" I ask in confusion while also staring at the shield surrounding them. Liadanann had carved quite a bit of space for them to settle down in. Yet, she was also very protective of people going near her protection...?


    "Nothing, just, keep your distance." Nin answers before Liadanann suddenly jerks in his grip.


    "NOTHING!? I TOLD THOSE HUMANS NOT TO DO ANYTHING! AND THEY DID IT ANYWAY! THEY DRUGGED ME AND STOLE FROM ME!" she roars in his face before she breaks down crying again.


    "Don''t worry too much, I''m not allowed close either." Vadei whispers once she is done coming over to me. She then strokes my new clothes before letting out a sound of appreciation.


    "Liadanann, I''m not a doctor. I''m not with them." I argue, hoping she would at least understand my reasoning.


    "I TOLD YOU, HUMANS, NO! AND WHAT DID YOU DO!?" she screams after she suddenly rushes at her shield and slams against it.


    "Liada, you need to calm down and rest." Nin tells her as he slowly brings her away from the shield.


    "Rest...? Have you not heard me...?" she tearfully chokes out before she curls up in Nin''s arms.


    "Liadanann, what they did was wrong, yes. But it was them that did it. Not us." I point out before her tail suddenly slaps the ground near her. A few chunks of grass flying up once her tail calmed down.


    "I will not suffer... ANYMORE LIES! JUST STAY AWAY FROM ME! ALL OF YOU!" she roars as her hand tightly grips her talisman. And, not wishing to see this turn worse. I just raised my hands and backed away, saddened by the turn of events.


    "My Love, I have brought you what you needed!" Rose''lhia calls out as she slowly steps out onto the grass. A clear expression of confusion on her face before she is suddenly face-to-face with a suddenly active Liadanann.


    At first, she seems to hate Rose''lhia, yet, she eventually eases around her, "Who are you?"


    "The lover of the one you are keeping prisoner." Rose''lhia snorts as her tail waves about defensively. And, with each sign she showed that she was not a human, Liadanann warmed up even more. Even if it was clear that Rose''lhia was not the kindest soul. Yet, given what Liadanann has just experienced, that was still incomparably better than...


    "You asked for her...? You...?" Liadanann begins to ask Nin who nods quietly in response. The shield then disappears and Rose''lhia walks closer. However, it all went back up the moment she joined them at the tree in the middle of it all.


    .


    .


    .


    "Thank you, Rose." my love tells me to which I smile. Then, I settle down onto my knees before I frown at the peculiar sight before me. Here was a spec of dirt, just, pathetic dirt... A root.


    But, in her hands, she held something I had not seen since Nin shared that desert with me... The magic in that item she held was beautiful and so strange! I had never seen anything like it before! Yet, I was left confused as to its existence...


    She was so weak, so fragile and forgettable. But, she had that. A piece of jewellery I could only ever dream about having. It had the clear makings of having been touched by the divine!


    "Where did you get that?" I ask this root as her hand attempts to cover it. Yet, like a light shined behind paper, I still saw its power clearly. What intrigued me more is, how it did not seep into the world around it. This talisman defied traditional arcane law and stood out all the more for it.


    "God gave it to me... He gave it to me so I would be safe..."


    "God?" I question when I hear such a strange way of referring to the divine. There wasn''t just one god. Even if there was a clear hierarchy.


    "Iderim-Ovi. The god of my people." she clarifies with a slight smile before she moves closer to my love. In response, I tried to snake in as well. Yet, she was a large individual and it did not take much for her to block my attempt. Even with Nin''s size, it was quite a damning experience.


    However, her lack of magic made it quite easy to tear down this false giant. And I got my space because of it. A triumphant smirk from me then met her glare as my love made sure the food I brought him was safe. Yet, he then began to give it to this root...


    One that was arguably worse than actual roots... They at least had magic. She was practically barren were it not for the land around her. As such, I became irritated as she ate the food slowly and cautiously.


    I got that for my love, not her!


    "You don''t have to worry, it''s not going to kill you." my love tells this root after he jokingly takes a small portion for himself. And, personally, I would have preferred to see him take it all. But, it was not my place to question his choices. Only make sure he was making the right ones.


    Something I was quite proud of doing as I have seen its results. From that human town all the way in the paths our flowers tread. I turned his fear into courage and I did it again so recently. And now my love wore the signs of strength on his body.


    He may have not beaten her, but, he held his own, however briefly against a Valkinvar! I may have seen him beat a certain someone, but, I would have returned to his side from just watching that fight. To stand against Waionr''s warrior-maidens... His future brides and tenders of the Field of Honour and Glory.


    And, I suppose, this root did also take part in this fight...


    "So, how was it, using your god''s power to serve something greater?" I then asked her as she came to an end with her wrongfully gained meal. And, I made sure to put emphasis on how it was not her power. I also snuggled up to my love more just to make sure she knew who I spoke of at the end of it.


    "Frightening... Even with how impervious it is... They can still get past it..." she tells me as her eyes turn towards the edge that rested on the grass. And, upon closer inspection, she was right. It only went to the ground, it went no deeper.


    "A limitation of the talisman?" I ask her, curious as to the implication of a god''s limits. Even if it was something I would not discuss aloud in fear of blasphemous speech.


    "No, mine... I''ve never used magic until a few weeks ago..." she nervously answers as the talisman suddenly glows brighter. Yet, nothing came of it from what I could see. At least, until I caught a glimpse at her feet. There was a brief flicker.


    "Yeah, isn''t that why you had the armour, to make it easier?" my love asks as he tries to reassure her with a shake of the shoulder.


    "I don''t know what good it did, though... All it took was one punch for me to..."


    "Don''t worry about what happened with... Vapooliar... Just say how the armour worked for you. Is it something you could improve on at all?" my love asks her as he clearly starts to push for her confidence to rise tall.


    "It was rough, yes, but I do not know what I could do."


    "You had quite the place to work in, why not ask whoever owned it?"


    "He''s a human who worships Thunder..." she then spits. Something I nearly gasped in shock at as I had never heard such contempt for the Heroic Storm. So much of the world owed its continued existence to the actions of Thurnmourer and his hammer, Mesofunderod.


    "My tributary god is Thurnmourer, Liada." my love points out to which she just looks away and sighs.


    "I know..." she says nervously before she reaffirms how my love made her feel safe.


    "But you don''t care." he says on her behalf to which she slightly nods.


    "Why is it an issue?" I then whisper into my love''s ear.


    "One of the stories is her god losing to him. Her people are in opposition to him." he quietly answers.


    "Did you see if that was still true?" I ask him, seeking more information about his time as a soul before the greatest of all beings.


    "They did get along, yeah..." my love says quietly before his expression lights up.


    "So there is no reason for you to not seek the owner of that workshop, no?" I then ask the root. Advice I only offered as it would let me see her more so as a god''s chosen. Rather than a root-like creature.


    "I can''t just..."


    "Yes you can, Liada. Remember, even if something does go wrong. You still have this." he tells her as he takes the talisman into his hand. And, when he did that, I seized the moment and gently reached out to touch the powerful artefact. For a very brief moment upon doing so, I felt entranced. As if I could leave Nin again without so much as a qualm about it.


    Yet, that sensation is also what made me pull away from it. Because I loved Nin, I really did. He was the one I was meant to be with... The one who would give me a son.


    It was not the Gilded-Bark who I had chased for so long. Who''s lover and son live upon this very mountain right now. It was not the human I turned to upon seeing that Nin was not in fact the best I could have. The one I loved was him, the one who first showed me divine food, who took me to the sight of Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra!


    "But, what if they take it from me...? I can''t trust humans..."


    "Then why is it still in your grasp?" I decided to ask her as her worries had one flaw. I had seen the curiosity held by these wind-people. It was as ravenous as the lust I felt for Nin on occasion. They would do anything for the fruit of knowledge.


    "Because..." she starts to say before she comes to the realisation quickly.


    "The talisman protected you. No harm has befallen you."


    "Yeah, and look, problem solved." my love then teases as he grabs her large bust with a jokester''s confidence.


    "That''s not a good thing..." she mutters before a pout forms. Which, made me curious. Had my love been regularly asserting himself over this root, perhaps? I suppose it was his right, yet, I was a jealous petal.


    "Surely your tits no longer needing my help is good?" my love asks her as he gently slaps one of her impressive glands. And, it made me gulp in anticipation as, by the gods, did they jiggle.


    "S-Stop it..." she moans quietly while also leaving herself open for more.


    "Anyway, to get back on track. Your talisman has kept you safe, Liada. You don''t need to..." my love begins to say before he gestures towards the shield around us.


    "Then why don''t I feel safe?" the creature asks him back as her faith in the power of that talisman detaches itself from it.


    "Because it is a perfectly normal reaction. But, remember, I won''t hurt you. Rose here won''t either. No one at our dorm will hurt you or try anything bad with you. We are here to help you. To keep you safe. Because even if you do have your issues, you are their friend. And you are most certainly mine."


    "And you are mine." I then tease as I crawl up to my love''s cheek and kiss it.


    "Stop ruining the moment." he growls through a closed mouth as the creature slowly stands.


    "Can you promise me that?"


    My love then goes quiet before he stands up without me, "I don''t know if I can, but, let''s at least give it a try no? You had faith in me back in that place. Give me a little more and I can promise something good will come of it."


    "F-Fine..." she says as the shield disappears and we are approached by an old friend and possibly a new one. And, even now, I was still in awe at how beautiful their strength was. Something only enhanced by their foreign nature. It looked so bizarre, and in the good way!


    "Is everything alright?" Einervaene asks as she reluctantly steps forward into the formerly barricaded land.


    "I believe it is." I proudly declare as my intervention had once again shown its potency.


    "Give Liada her space, and, good things will happen. Don''t you worry." Nin assures them before smiles start to form.


    "Now, now, now what, Ninno? We still need to wait until we can leave..." the one with blue magic asks as she energetically swung her body about. And, I could detect a certain hint about the way she moved. So, I moved closer, much to her amusement.


    "You are familiar with men?" I ask her very quietly, only for her to stop with a cold sweat suddenly drawn out.


    "Larishazza?"


    "Oh, nothing, just a very dark joke." she laughs off awkwardly before she seems to plead with me using only her gaze. And, reluctantly, I stepped away. I only want to know if she had any information to offer as my love was formerly similar. I knew much of how to please an aelenvari man, even if I had never done so before...


    But, my experience with the wind-people came from assumptions alone. That and stories and the second-hand ramblings of my former desire. Attrition through lustful intent was unique to our people. It did not take much for our attention to be called elsewhere.


    Much to my personal shame...


    "Well, anyway, I need a bed..." my love then says as he slowly yawns and cracks his jaw.


    "You''ve barely been up, lazy." the oxfuine scoffs as she walks around him before she swishes her tail at him.


    "His wounds are also opening again slightly..." Einervaene points out. And, upon hearing such words. I clung onto him and made sure my love was receiving all I could support him with.


    "Pretty sure it is just me being in need of new bandages. Speaking of, can I have yours? My style of clothes doesn''t fit you at all." my love jokes to which the golden-woman laughs quietly.


    "I think it does, it reminds me of you, after all." she compliments. Yet, to me, it stung as it reminded me of the fears I had regarding her. She had her eyes on my love and it had driven a wedge into my confidence before... In a way as well, my departure might''ve been little more than me giving up on my love...


    If someone like her could have his attention, what good was I? My magic was nothing compared to hers! A fear I often thought about before and will do so more now. Yet, I could also reinforce myself.


    The Wind-People had given us quite the place to learn magic after all. I would take what I had learned from all the Ivy-Mother''s I inherited the knowledge from and refine it here. In the land of the most magically-gifted people!


    For now, however, I just had to keep Nin''s eyes on me through other means. And, thankfully, ever so thankfully, Einervaene did not know how to assert herself. She was a restrained woman. Yet, she clearly had the teachings to be more than that.


    Yet, then was not now. And I intended to make the most of that.


    .


    .


    .


    "Come on... Wake up... Wake up..." I complained with a sigh to the two beautiful women on top of me. It wasn''t uncomfortable, but I would like to move even just a little. Yet, since a certain group of people decided to do a certain thing...


    I have had to share this already small bed with not only a nubile aelenvari. But a near equal in size ddrai''och with a tail probably as long as she was tall. Thankfully, however, I was a fidgeter and this impatience made me fidget up a storm. And I was soon barraged with quiet moans.


    "My love... You''re meant to put something else there..." Rose spoke as she spun around in my arm before she started to grind on me. And she did it all while still sleeping...


    "Yeah, my foot." I tell her as I try to wipe her out with a stare.


    "Nin..." Liada then shivered out before she finally started to stir. And when she did, it was amusing seeing her hair.


    "Need some time?" I ask while nodding my head at the knotted mess she now had.


    "More time to sleep..." she then said before she moved up closer. Only for Rose''s unrestrained strength to slap her away.


    "HEY!" Liada roared almost instantly. Yet, it only made Rose slowly rise.


    "Morning, my love..." Rose muttered before her lips went against my neck.


    "Good, move." I said without missing a beat as I shot up to my feet. Catching her before she fell to the ground. And then, I placed her down. Much to her disappointment.


    "You''re in a hurry." Liada comments as I flex my limbs about.


    "No, just didn''t want to be stuck under you two." I correct before I slow down on the stretches when a burning sting suddenly surges from my back.


    A reflex that had Rose offering what she could in no time, "I still don''t see how they can just ignore you like this."


    "You quite literally can." I tell her as her magic helps dull the pain before I then turn to face the window.


    "It''s quite early..." Liada calls out as she wraps herself up in the quilt. Which, came to no surprise. Sleeping naked did not tend to be a warm experience. It was, however, a wonderful sight to see.


    "So, I take it you have some plans for today?" Rose asks me as she reclines herself on the bed and moves her legs about. One of them soon pressed up against her body as well as her hips tilted up.


    "And what you suggest is not one of them." I snicker, much to her well-shown disappointment.


    "My love, at some point, you will have to submit to my desires." she confidently scoffs while keeping up the act.


    And, despite joking just now, I became serious, "No, I don''t think I will." I say with a quiet smile. A certain blue-haired woman then appeared in my mind. Then, she quite literally appeared.


    "Yay!" I heard her cheer, and I smiled and scoffed as she let herself in. Already dressed and ready for whatever.


    "You been watching us?" I nervously ask before I laugh out what I could.


    "Perhaps, I really wanted to jump on the bed." she giggles before she skips closer to me. I even backed up a bit as she leaned in.


    "Sounds fun..." I say as my heart begins to shudder at how beautiful she was.


    "Yes, I do like a bit fun." she then says after suddenly straightening out and backing away. She even put on a strange accent before she started to drum various things.


    "Well, can it wait til after breakfast?" I ask as I gently scratch my tummy.


    "Ye." she answers with a nod as the other two move about with ignored flair.


    "Very good, hurry up you two." I order with a smirk as I leave the two annoyed women behind.


    "My love!" Rose nearly shouts from behind as I head on ahead with Larishazza. Unlike them, I did not have a necessity to wear clothes. Granted, however, I doubt Rose would have any issues going out naked...


    "She really likes you." Larishazza points out with a confused tone as she starts to walk backwards.


    "She does, yeah..." I say with a distant voice as I was really hoping that did not put Larishazza off. I know my bracelet doesn''t seem to do anything... But, still...


    "How come I don''t see her around often, then?"


    "There was falling out that got resolved in the thing..." I answer quietly while I struggled to remember the embarrassing defeat I had from that guy the first time. Yet, I did not know why I struggled to remember it now. I used to remember it quite well. Then again, I also have no issue with thinking about Tobaballe anymore.


    I guess it can be quite a straightforward affair to change my mind. After all, Rose just had to clarify something to me to make the pain go away. She seemed to be gifted with that. Making someone move away from their worst impluses.


    While still gladly showing off hers.


    "That''s very good." my crush then nods before she slams against the door.


    "Careful." I say before I see how her arm was no longer wrapped up.


    "I don''t need to be!" she sings as she slides through the open doorway.


    "Over here!" her sister then called out from the other side of the empty cafeteria.


    "Where''s the food!" Larishazza complains before she slips up into her seat.


    "I was waiting for you as otherwise you''d complain about me picking something for you!" she snaps before she calms down and smiles at me.


    "Morning." I say with a nod before dropping down into my seat with a bang.


    "Looking a lot better now, aren''t we?"


    "Yeah, got some good nurses taking care of me." I chuckle, something she quietly laughs at too.


    "Yes, my sister has had to compete for the right to look after you. After all, you got quite the following." she jokes at the end. Her head positioned itself ahead of the body by resting itself on her hands.


    "I just hope they aren''t overdoing it. I''ve taken a while to recover, it seems."


    "Some progress is good progress!" Larishazza declares as she takes ahold of my hand.


    "That''s right, yeah." I say with a gentle smile before she starts to play with my fingers.


    "So, we waiting or can we eat now?" Tiyanat asks before she ruffles her shorter, paler blue hair.


    "Hold on!" I tell her as I raise my claw.


    "Betting on the nosey one." Larishazza quickly says before she puts forth her hand. And, within her palm, a single button.


    "Uh... I raise the bid." I say before I grab the strap to her bra. Ready to yank the metal bit off.


    "No." Tiyanat says before a piece of ice hits my claw. Yet, it was her sister that suffered.


    "Hey!" she complains as she jumps up at the cold. Only for her bra strap to snap as I still had a hold on it. My own body not being affected by the cold as it was covered up.


    "Well, that joke went a bit far." I comment with as straight a face I could while Tiyanat started to berate her sister.


    "But it''s your fault!" Larishazza snaps back as her modest chest dangles out before my eyes.


    "Surprisingly, disappo-" I begin to say before a water hose goes off in my face.


    "No one asked for your opinion!" Larishazza snaps at me before she quickly dries me off in apology.


    "I did." I correct while laughing at the rare sight. And then, we were finally joined by the other two. They had clearly been arguing all the way here as well.


    "My love, answer me this. What matters more, size or texture?"


    "Food." I quickly answer with a pair of slamming claws before I get up to get food. Whatever it was, I wanted to avoid it. And so did the people serving want to avoid me. Which I happily exploited as it meant I got a bigger meal out of it.


    "Stolen."


    "Hey!" I complain at my crush as she skips away with a piece of my bacon.


    "Can someone get me my food please..." Liada then asks nervously as she sits down next to me.


    "You can always have some of mine." I tell her with a sigh. Disappointed that I might lose out on the mountain I had made for myself.


    "Don''t worry, a good friend will get it." some stranger then said as he walked on by. And, to my surprise, it was that really muscular guy who I fought with against Vapooliar.


    "Now, hold on a moment." I interject as everyone stares in confusion at him.


    "Hm? Should I check to see if they would mind a few utensils going missing?"


    "He''s very handsome..." Rose quietly comments. Yet, I could see her bite her lip in the corner of my eye.


    "No, not this again." I snort aggressively as I pull her in. Yet, going by the sounds she makes after. That might have just been her intention.


    "You aren''t so bad looking yourself, lshea." he sends back to her before he claps his thick hands together.


    "Uh, Ombbo?" Larishazza then asks as she seems to imitate his mannerisms.


    "Indeed I am!" he laughs.


    "Eh?" I, Larishazza and Tiyanat all let out as we double-checked his body. Was this some kind of joke? The guy we were talking about was the fat bastard of fat bastards!


    "Yes, I know, I have lost a few." he says as he attempts to jiggle his rockhard set of abs. Only, there was not so much as a sliver of fat left on them. It was like I was staring at Sraacdchammu again.


    "No... That is him..." Tiyanat then confirms as she gazes at the magic likely trailing off of him. Yet, even then, I still did not see how she came to that conclusion. This guy''s magic had far less of an impact... Like, Omb was never an obnoxious type with his aura...


    But you could certainly feel how much magic his body had. Now, there was practically nothing in comparison! It was as if I was staring at a completely new person! Which, frankly, it might as well have been!


    "So, as I offered before. Shall I get you a meal, lshea?" he asks as his attention turns to Liada.


    "Yes!" she then said with surprising enthusiasm. Much to his expressed joy.


    "Wonderful, now, I''ll admit, it won''t be like last time as I am not the chef." he warns with a playful wink before he heads on over to the counter. His body likely being enough to cook all the eggs in that place if I went by how everyone stared at him.


    "Ombbo seems a lot more approachable now..." Lariashazz comments with a rare display of lust before she giggles on her way back into her seat.


    "Stay away, he''s my tutor." her sister bites with before the two try to blow each other up with glares.


    "Aw..." I quietly complain as I stare down at my own body. It was a strong one, sure. I climbed a mountain and through a deadly blizzard, after all.  Yet, my body did not lend itself well to showing off that strength.


    "Don''t worry, my love, yours is far better." she reaffirms my confidence with. Even if she was referring to my magic. Yet, that just ended up making my jaw drop open.


    "Where''d all your magic go!?" I then called out after my fist dropped onto the table.

 Incline 9: To a Long-Awaited Question

    "Come on! Come on! Come on!" Larishazza excitedly chanted while she also bounced about with no restraint. Not even her sister did anything to impede her so this must''ve been quite the something.


    "Alright, calm down." I tell her as I step away from the table after putting down the tablet I was reading.


    "What''s all this noise about!?" Vadei asks us with a clear display of irritation. All I could was shrug at her as Larishazza just kept on hopping about.


    "They coming or not?" Einervaene then surprisingly asks as she comes in shortly after.


    "Okay, now I am most certainly coming." I chuff before putting on my mask and hat.


    "If you are going, I suppose I am too." Rose sighs as she gets up and then sits on the table. Her pointed tips gestured at me while she also dangled her tubes. She clearly wanted me to put them on. Yet, I was not held back if I didn''t.


    "Come on, then." I snicker as I walk out the door without so much as stepping near her.


    "My love!" I heard her strop before she then came stomping out with them all secured.


    "So what is it you wanted to show us?" I ask before a bundle of metal things were shown off.


    "We got invites to the Victor''s Party!" Larishazza answers as she dances about with our tickets.


    "Even me...?" I ask slowly before I am then given the answer. These metal tickets all had our names on and I did indeed have one. Which, surprised me quite a bit. This felt like a dream...


    Even if I wasn''t one for parties. It just felt so unreal to actually get something like this. So, now I was quite curious as to how I was even given this. Did a machine make these or something...?


    "Why do we need these?" Quinshuu asks as he played with its reflection. Something he used to great effect once he turned it on Larishazza''s noisy direction.


    "To take the tram to the site." Tiyanat answers before she starts to giggle at Larishazza''s suffering. And, eventually, I blocked the light with my claw just so there would be some peace and quiet.


    "An off-site party?" Vadei says as the strokes her tail in a ponderous manner.


    "Any idea where it is?" I ask as I have never actually taken the strange trains they have going into this place.


    "Very far south." Einervaene vaguely answers before she suddenly rushes off upstairs.


    "What was that about...?" I ask in confusion before my ticket is suddenly shoved into my face.


    "THE DEPARTURE TIME IS SOON! WE NEED TO GET READY!" Larishazza screams in my face like a child in the final moments of a sweet shop.


    "WHY DO YOU TELL US NOW!?" I ask back with equal force. And, I was only met by an embarrassed smile.


    "I forgot." she giggles before she and everyone else suddenly vanished.


    "I guess I am fine, then." I shrug before I decide to go for a walk to where ever this train station was. Rather thankfully as well, the academy was now plastered with directions. And many were clearly on their way. Yet, the more I saw, the more I felt my confusion go away.


    Our house did not win the Inter-House, yet, there were quite a few people dressed and ready for a party. So, that could only mean it was an event where everyone got an invitation regardless of if they won or not. Which, went a long way in explaining my ticket. There was no way I was getting in if a person was handing them out...


    Actually, they might still try to stop me at the entrance... Wherever it is given we need to take a train. Suppose that could be amusing, having them throw me off of a high-speed vehicle. I''d certainly like to see them try!


    "Ah! My friend, walking on our own, are we?" Omb says as he quickly catches up with me after chatting away with some blushing girls.


    "Hello again, Muscleman." I greet as I look at his puffy trousers and chest-exposing vest.


    "Not got anything to wear?" he asks me after he finishes laughing at his nickname.


    "Never had the encouragement too." I shrug before he suddenly stops me.


    "That simply won''t do, come, back to our place of rest. The nervous beauty will make you something." he says to me as he starts to pat me back to the dorm.


    "It''s a bit late to ask Einervaene to make me something, no?" I ask him, to which he only laughed.


    "My friend, you do not grasp how long our journey will be." he chuckles before we walk into a hectic mess full of panicking women. Surprisingly, as well, Quinshuu was going all over the place too. Yet, he seemed to be preparing for an excursion into the wilderness more than anything.


    "Move." he hastily demanded before he loudly sang into the open air. Then, all of a sudden, the sound of hooves filled my ears and something skidded to a halt before our dorm.


    "What is that...?" I ask as I stare at the creature that looked like a cloud.


    "Luhki." Quinshuu answers as he starts to dress up this creature.


    "Lucky?" I repeat as I realise it is his pet or something. Which, made me interested. Always did want a pet. But I could never have one back at Tobaballe due to my low status.


    "Yes, now, I must head out before you. Save me the strongest liquor you have!" he says before he flawlessly mounts the creature. A prideful neigh then is simply roared out of the creature before he suddenly gallops away.


    "I think he just wants an excuse to ride her." Omb comments before he brings me back into the dorm.


    "Will he even make it?" I question as I had trouble believing an animal could match the speed of a train. Then again, once upon a time, I would''ve had trouble believing a lot of things I see now all the time...


    "Trust in his ability and her strength. Those two have travelled far together."


    "Bit surprised he is even willing to come."


    "He enjoys revelry. He just is passionate about his distaste for our friend''s excitable nature." Omb explains before he guides me out of the way as Larishazza comes running past. Her arms full of decorative bras and panties and all the other stuff she normally wears.


    "I am going to guess she is upstairs." I then say when I hear the gentle crackle of lightning. Somehow, given how noisy this place had suddenly become. Yet, the moment we made it upstairs...


    "My love, which do you prefer?" Rose asks as she steps out into the hallway with nary a single thing on her. I looked away slightly, but, I was never going to get out of this unless I made a clear descision. I couldn''t just wave her off.


    "Alright," I sigh as I cross my arms and at least put on an interested facade, "sway ''em in front."


    "I like this one, but I feel like it has too many pieces of amber..." she says first as she dangles what might as well have been chains of gems and other shinies.


    "How about this one, then?" I ask her as I move to bring forward a mostly white outfit with a reddish metal rim. Some gemstones were also fitted into the fabric as well. The style also reminded me of a flower, so I guess the gems were meant to be morning dew?


    "Are you sure?" she asks me as she brings it up to give me an idea as to what it looked like. And I regretted my decision as it left her chest completely exposed. Like, I was aware of her culture''s details, but come on!


    "And about this...?" I ask as a claw lingers around an exposed nipple.


    She then brings it forward so my claw gently pressed into it, "What about them?" she asks with a sly smile.


    "Get something else or cover it up." I breathe out humorously while shaking my head.


    "Of course, this isn''t the whole outfit. It has some bits that get attached afterwards." she explains before she moves to kiss my cheek. Then, I was beholden to her running off with a schoolgirl''s giggle.


    "Hard to believe she stopped coming here for a while." Omb comments as we turn towards where Einervaene should''ve been. And I waved at her as she jealously peered out from her room.


    "C-Can I have some advice..." she whispers against her doorframe.


    "Pardon?" I ask with a smile as I lean in closer. Smiling even more as she backs away with a red face.


    "I-I would l-like some advice... Please..." she stutters out while she anxiously gestures to various pieces of clothing. I was not familiar with most of it, so she must''ve made it in her free time. And long before we left the hospital, clearly.


    "What sort of style you looking for?" I ask her slowly before I pick up a familiar summer dress. Only to put it back down when I remembered the why it was familiar.


    "I d-don''t know..." she moans while her gloved fingers drum her legs.


    "Well, for starters, let''s move you out of this." I say with a shrug before I close the door on the bemused Omb. Starting off slowly until Einervaene was naked enough to slap me for my actions.


    "S-Sorry!" she eeps while I breathe out a chuckle.


    "Always so quick to take the violent route." I tut, much to her embarrassment. And, when she was done being stripped, she hid under her bed covers.


    "W-Well?" she asked me impatiently as she burned up.


    "I''ve bathed with you, Woman." I complain as she continues to hide herself.


    "That''s different..." she mumbles into her quilt before I hop onto her bed. Pulling down on it with enough force that she would have to tear it to cover herself again.


    "Go on, pick one." I say with a knowing smirk as she starts to panic and flail about. And, it was a challenge not to watch her chest as it jiggled so openly in front of me.


    "THAT ONE!" she screams before a pillow is slammed into my face and held there.


    "You won''t kill me like that." I joke while making sure she could hear my breathing. Then, the pillow dropped.


    "You know that is not what I am trying to do!" she sobs with a pout.


    "And I know what I am trying to do." I say as my eyes stare intently at those milk dispensers of hers. But, I would not get close to them, as instead, I got to see her lightning dispensers.


    "S-Sorry..." she lets out as I flop to the side after having been shot at.


    "Just choose!" I say through the pain and laughter before she finally picks something up.


    "Well!?" she asks as she hold a short dress in front of her body. It was a tight-fitting thing that went down as far as her upper thigh. At least, most of it did. As there was a V-shaped cut in the fabric on the right side.


    It had long sleeves that went all the way down her arm until it reached a pair of vambraces. But one of many metal parts with jewels set into their body. The other major metal part was around where her chest would go. With a metal frame for her breasts likely pushing them up and making them appear fuller.


    Not that she needed it, "Yeah, that will do." I say with a nod as I make sure to slide the deep pink fabric between my carapace. It was the only way I could reliably feel the fabric. And, I liked what I felt.


    "W-What about down here?" she points out as her bare legs start to gently kick at mine.


    "Pair of stockings and heels?" I answer with a shrug before she starts to nod. Then, she completely contradicts herself by happily putting it all on in front of me.


    "So, when you are done, can I perhaps have some help myself?" I ask as she seemingly starts to struggle getting one of the stockings on. And, I was left smiling as she started to lose the smirk and turn red.


    "C-Can you stop l-looking, please?" she nervously asks as her attempt to dress seductively falls apart. I hold back the urge to laugh and comply, turning back around moments later.


    "And my question?" I remind her as she finishes getting changed. Now, while I was waiting for an answer. I instead got to watch her sort her hair out and flatten out any creases.


    "What do you need help with?" she asks slowly as she slowly twirls one of her braids. A light blush on her face as her arms also pressed her breasts closer together.


    "Omb, who is on the other side of the door there, wants me to change my attire for the party. Not that..."


    "Of course! The journey there is going to take a while so I can do it there." she excitedly answers, interrupting me. But, I easily let it slide as I was just going to ramble at the end.


    "I guess that gives me time to think of something." I laugh as I stand up, intent on finding Larishazza so I can see how she is preparing for the party. Maybe I could even get some advice from her! Parties were definitely more her thing than mine. Especially given my current skin condition!


    "I can help with that if you want?" she offers with the same excitement prior before I turned her down. Much to her disappointment.


    "Well, okay, using what I have. Which is just this, offer one upgrade as it were." I tell her, clearly clarifying what she had to work with. She probably would just use her own supplies, but I did not want to be a bother. Besides, bandages was all I really wore nowadays. That and the jacket thing Einervaene here made prior for me.


    "Well, let''s see," she began to say as she started to pace around me, "your cape could be repositioned and trimmed an-"


    "Much obliged." I say with a grin as I interrupt her in revenge. A cute little pout was my response, but, she was happy enough with that. And, as I left her room and came face-to-face with a smiling Omb once again. I found Larishazza latched onto him with her hand going under his vest.


    It made me angry, seeing this, but, it ended quickly when Larishazza pulled something out, "Found it!" she giggled before she flicked it into the air and caught it on the way down.


    "You''re looking, peculiar." was all I could think to say as I saw what she had chosen to dress up in. Rather than her usual decorative bra and other things, she was wearing a simple yellow top and black shorts. A pair of heeled black sandals further down. I had to admit, it was surprising to see her dressed like this.


    "So you like it?" she giggles as she starts to prod around my jaw. Yet, the spot she prodded made me think she had found something. So, I started to look at my hideous bug face in the window to see what. However, I could not find it.


    "What were you poking...?" I ask her as I run a claw across my features. Had she found my equivalent of a blush or something.


    "Is there something else besides your handsome face?" she asks, and when she did, I started to chitter rapidly. And she started to poke my face, again and again, like just now. It made me happy, if I was to be honest. She helped me find things that at least helped draw further connections to my lost humanity.


    "S-So you are all set?" I ask her just because I needed to get my mind back on track. Couldn''t lose myself in her beauty just yet...


    "Mmmmhmm! Just waiting for Tiy-Tiy!"


    "That one is new." her sister then comments as she comes walking down the hall in a grey sweater and a short, black skirt. A pair of pantyhose of the same colour under that with, once again, the same colour for her simple footwear.


    "Well, uh, anyway, Lari, can I have your ear for a moment?"


    "No!" she chirps with a giggle.


    "W-Why...?" I asked in confusion while she kept on giggling. Yet, I did not let the answer get me down as knowing her...


    "I need my ears!" she then says as her laughter bursts out with great force.


    "Hilarious." her sister sarcastically comments before she snatches Omb and takes him away from me.


    "So, to get to the point as we don''t have long, is there anything you think I could do to look nicer?" I nervously ask. Stepping back slowly with a painful gulp when she slowly started to swing towards me. Her great strides came to a halt once she had me against the wall and her body against mine. And, for some reason, it was very easy to feel her body.


    It almost seemed to burn!


    "Maybe if we open up this a little, got rid of these, and, slanted this a bit." she quietly whispers as she starts to modify my clothes. With her magic pressing down on it every now and then to get it to the right shape. Then, when she was done, she took my claw into her hand and pulled me towards a mirror.


    "Hello." I said to myself once we got to that accursed object that reminded me so easily of what I was. Yet, this time, I did not see myself entirely as a bug. I was joking to myself inside my head that I was a handsome lad with a beautiful girl. I was making light of it all as she continued to alter my dress.


    "There, all done!" she declares as she uses her magic to clear away the shower steam. And, clearly, I could see what she had done. Her magic had polished my shell and made it shine, my bandages had been cleaned and braided and knotted. And, most obviously, she had opened up my jacket and given it a fine fold.


    "Thank you..." I quietly said before her hands took hold of my face. Yet, I resisted the urge to take her hand into my claw. I did not want to scare her off...


    "I heard you talking about the cape inside Einervaene''s room, so I have left it alone." she tells me with a giggle before she dances off once she had taken a grand bounty of whatever was arrayed in here.


    "Well, I guess we can head back to the thing, then." I quietly chuckle as I leave the bathroom and make my way to leave the dorm again. Only to have a mischievous thought cross my mind when I see Vadei''s tail lingering just outside her door. So, I slowly approached it, hoping the noise everyone was making would silence my heavy footsteps.


    Yet, before I could grab her tail, it swirled into the room, "Come in!" Vadei eagerly said. And, I obliged and went in. Smiling at the sight before me while she herself blushed like crazy.


    "Isn''t that Einervaene''s?" I ask with a smile, taking pride in the way she aggressively reacted.


    "SO WHAT!?" she screams before she crosses her arms. And, it did not take long for her to start swirling about in it again.


    "You look very nice." I tell her as she regains her blush while she dances about in the borrowed yukata.


    "You know it!" she declares, full of confidence before her boob nearly slips out of the modified top half.


    "Maybe don''t do that?" I ask with a laugh while she just smirks and moves closer.


    "Or, I could do it closer to you?" she asks me with a sly blush as her mouth opens slightly near my cheek.


    "Yeah, true." I calmly say before getting up to my feet and walking away. A smirk on my face as she started to throw out incoherent insults before she started to follow me.


    "I see it fits you well." Einervaene comments as she leans around me to see the attention-hungry oxfuine.


    "Yeah..." she quietly mutters before she does her best to cuddle up next to me.


    "Not walking you down the stairs." I tell Vadei before I take a couple of steps down. Bringing one of my legs back up and leaning on it while she continued to look at me nervously.


    "Please...?" she asks quietly as everyone starts to look at her.


    "Sure." I chuckle as I hold out my hand. Only for Larishazza to steal it so she could swing me down the stairs.


    "Whee!" she lets out while I froze up at the sudden burst of athleticism.


    "Up again..." I let out slowly once I had registered for sure that I was staying on the ground.


    "Thank you..." Vadei squeaks as she enters my grip while Einervaene jealously latches onto the other arm.


    "Congestion imminent." I comment before we reached the bottom of the stairs with no issue at all. Yet, when I got to the bottom of the stairs, I realised we were missing someone. So, I left the others be and looked about for a tail. And soon, I was greeted by the one I was looking for.


    "So you''re going with them?" Liada asks me with a disappointed sigh while she assembles a pile of pots, pans and other cooking devices.


    "You don''t want to go?" I ask as I quickly catch onto what she was probably up to.


    "Not even if you came with me..." she mutters as she brushes her tail on the floor in disappointment.


    "I thought we went over this, Liada?" I ask her as I reach out for her talisman. Letting her rest her forehead on mine while I held it up. And, while I did that, she let her hands go across my body until I pulled away slightly.


    "I know... But, I just..." she fails to answer before I bring her in for a comforting hug. One she is quite happy to return. Albeit, rather slowly.


    "Well, would you like me to try and bring back anything, then?" I ask her so I can at least offer her some closure for the missed experience. She did take part in the tournament after all. Besides, she was safe if she went. She had me and the limitless power of a god to keep her safe.


    Nothing would ever happen to her again.


    "There''s a thing called cake that I would like to try..." she answers with muffled words as she kept her face buried between my neck and shoulder. Then, when she finally moved it away, she slowly moved in for a kiss that I did not interrupt. Yet, I did not return it. So long as I did not return it, I kept my first kiss...?


    "Just a slice or a whole one?"


    "Whatever, so long as you give it to me." she says with a small smile before she moves to get back to whatever it was she was doing.


    "I take it you will be fine while we are gone?"


    "Yes, I''m going to be doing some cooking!" she answers with some embarrassed joy before her eyes glance over at Omb.


    "Well, try not to burn the dorm down." I joke as I wave goodbye before joining back up with the others.


    "My love? Where''d you go!?" I then heard Rose call out from upstairs. Which, meant only one thing. Stupid woman had been so enthralled with her imagination she did not catch the memo.


    "We''re all downstairs!" I call back before I turn to Vadei and roll my eyes. A reaction that elicited a giggle from her until Rose finally made it down the stairs. And, thankfully, the prior flaw I had with this outfit was solved. Because now she had a decorative, metal plate covering her chest.


    At least, just enough of it.


    .


    .


    .


    And that was that, for what it was worth, I was now on my own as Nin and them lot left. So, the first order of business was making sure this building was locked down nice and tight. I would not tolerate anyone sneaking in. Yet, if they did, I knew I could hold them off.


    The event that Nin was being rewarded for had taught me that I could fight. So long as I kept faith in the power of this talisman, gifted to me by God. His strength would keep me safe and I would make it through the horrors of my position. Yet, as much as I trusted my god''s power, I did not trust wooden doors and metal padlocks.


    So, I grasped the talisman tight and walked around near the windows. Leaning out against the glass in order to get an idea of the dimensions. Then, once I felt like I had a great enough understanding of the building''s scale. I summoned forth the power of the talisman.


    Smiling to myself as I had now secured peace and quiet for the foreseeable future. Now, I did not know when they would be back, but I could only assume they''d be back in the morning. A party was something you got drunk at, no? As exceptionally rare as they were back at home, I was familiar with them.


    Even if ours were never as casual as this. They were often solemn affairs, after all. What was, at the time, anyway, a vain attempt to call for help. Now, I know we don''t need to pray like that anymore.


    I could only hope, however, that my lowly, close-knit people knew this. I only found out through speaking to the Holy One himself with this very talisman. But, if he could speak to me through this. He could make a grand entrance in our modest temple aboard the ship I formerly called home.


    And, thinking about it made me both angry and sad. I don''t remember how I ended up in the clutches of those humans. I don''t even remember much about the days prior either. I just remember that cage and that device.


    "Even if the signs are gone..." I muttered as my hand moved to my chest. The scars in my mind were all still there, even if my body had been healed. I hated how that was the case, as I wanted Nin''s affection to heal me. Just like how his bravery and wit saved me.


    Yet, I could not complain about my circumstances now. No more restless nights because my special areas were suddenly throbbing with sore pain. No more did I have to potentially annoy Nin with my need to be healed. I could live my life somewhat properly now.


    However, I guess, it was humorous how I still lived in fear despite not being caged. It would be something if I managed to step up and face my fears. While I was completely on my own... But, I knew for a fact that, that would never happen.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    For now, I just had to show Nin that I could be fine on my own. I could also show that now muscular human that I could cook his food. Human, clearly. Yet, he offered me something not even Nin could give me.


    A chance to relive comfortable memories from before I was a prisoner. But, all of a sudden, a noise. Rapid tapping and cooing? Whatever it was, it had me on edge.


    I could''ve sworn I had made sure this place was secured...!?


    "Spruce, no!" a raspy voice called just as heavier taps began to fill the air. Eventually, however, a small, deformed creature came waddling into the kitchen. Its head things lit up with the same curiosity its black eyes showed.


    "Ah!" it cooed happily as it fell down near my tail. A chorus of joyous laughter then came out of it as it began to play with its tip.


    "Hello there!" I cooed back to this creature. A smile on my face as I moved to pick it up. Whatever it was, it was clearly a baby. And, going by how that Rose''lhia looked, it must''ve been a child one of her. But, its appearance made me concerned.


    "Oh, uh, c-can I have my son back?" his mother asked me as she nervously walked into the room.


    "Go on then!" I quietly giggled to the young boy as I passed him back to his mother. And she made it clear that they were the same species as Rose''lhia.


    "Thank you." his mother said as she began to bounce him up and down in her arms. Her thin, tendril-like tail whirled about as she brought it forth for him to play with.


    "So his name is Spruce?" I asked her as her gaze returned to me.


    "Spruce''endoor." she corrected before she sat down. And, when she did, I got a much better view of all her scars and injuries. Unlike Rose''lhia, her bulb things were crushed and her mouth and neck looked like they had been shredded. Which, confused me to some extent, had they not healed her as they did me? My scars were all gone, yet, hers remained.


    "Is his dad somewhere in the buidling?" I then decided to ask given how these two proved my incompetence at making sure buildings were empty.


    But, she shook her head with great sadness, "His father is lost to us." she said quietly.


    "I''m sorry for your loss..." I quietly muttered in response as I was familiar with lost family. News of deaths spread quickly back home. Our circumstances basically make it paramount to doomsaying.


    "He''s not dead. He''s just somewhere out there, and we have no way of ever finding him again." she clarified, which, made me laugh nervously.


    "I see, well, that is good, no? It means you have a chance of getting back to it!" I pointed out. I was hoping it would encourage her to try and go find her lover and his dad.


    "That day won''t come for a long time... I don''t have the strength to cross such distances. And neither does my precious little sapling..." she said as she protectively clutched the confused child. One moment he was allowed to play, the next he was being hidden behind stronger arms.


    "I suppose that could be true..." I mutter as I think about my home.


    .


    .


    .


    "It was very nice of them to give us all this space." I joke, hoping making light of it would ease Nin''s concerns. Everyone else but those from our dorm were avoiding this tram car, after all. Even our fellow Oddity House students who were normally not bothered by Nin. Of course, it was easy to tell that what Nin was had long since spread into everyone''s minds.


    Easiness they had around him had turned into caution, subtle or otherwise. Yet, for now, it did not matter, what mattered was that I finished making adjustments to Nin''s cape! Thankfully, these tram cars had very lovely tables for me to keep stuff on. And, somehow, despite how they twirled about these great stone lines, it was all stable.


    "Is there much point in filling ourselves up with spiral-tram service?" Tiyanat asks as her sister happily wafts a menu back and forth like a fan.


    "She has a point, Larishazza, I''m sure there will be plenty of food at the party."


    "A party that won''t happen for hours! We skipped breakfast dammit!" she swears before she slams the menu down with a pout. A smile came back in short order, though. And I smiled myself at her continued upbeatness. Despite her fidgeting and other pestering gestures born of boredom and anticipation.


    I then turned my attention to Vadei, "Is it holding up alright?" I ask her while putting emphasis on what I was doing. She was fully aware of my skill at sewing, so all she had to do was ask. Or, in this case, accept it.


    "Y-Yeah, it''s fine." she mumbles before once again, for what was the dozenth time this minute, pulling it up.


    "Stop pulling at it, then, you''ll undo the obi." I tell her while carefully watching how she behaved. She was looking at Nin a lot who was mostly looking out the windows. The mountains we once trekked through and flew over were just zooming past us. And, I had to admit, it was an entrancing sight, seeing the light from above break through the gaps in mountainsides and low-hanging peaks.


    "So... Where do you think we are going?" Vadei asks as she carefully moves over to the seat in front of me. Yet, once she was done doing that, the door to our tram car opened.


    "Baltanthan!" I call out happily as I get up to go meet our friend. And, when I saw him, I couldn''t help but gasp in awe at how well dressed he was. It was like he had someone weave gold and bronze into an ornate robe and cloak. One that was just covered with images that conveyed pride and strength.


    "Greetings Loser House." he jokes confidently before he puffs out his chest. And, behind him, was a whole tram car''s worth of people curiously watching him.


    "You''re certainly popular." I laugh out as he became the centre of attention for those in this tram car as well.


    "Hey, cheer up, shiny shell! Party is in honour of my house!" he then says to Nin once he made his way over there. Yet, Nin kept his gaze facing the window. He even kept it up long enough for Baltanthan to start getting annoyed.


    Which is when I got involved again, "So, what''s it like being in the winning House?" I ask him. Quite happy to nurture his pride just this once as he most certainly earned it from what I had learned.


    "Great, especially when it was you who took the treasure we were all fighting over!" he guffaws loudly before he dusts his knuckle on his chest.


    "So you''ve been having fun?" I rhetorically ask before giggling.


    "Indeed, the strangest thing has happened too..." he started to say before there was a loud commotion coming from the other tram car.


    "What''re they all doing?" Larishazza asks before her mouth drops open when everything around us seemingly disappeared.


    "WHAT IS THAT!?" Vadei asked in excitement as the suddenly see-through tram car revealed to us a grand statue that dwarfed the nearby mountains.


    "Segaansalis..." Baltanthan mutters as we speed towards the silent giant with a sword-shaped head. Another, greater one in his mighty arms that plunged deep into the earth below to rest. A great support for a greater work of art.


    "Now that is impressive." I mutter as I lose myself in all the ancient detail this giant statue had. Which somehow could all still be seen despite how old it clearly was.


    "What did you say its name was...?" Nin then asks as he gets up. His expression serious while his posture showed signs of curiosity.


    "Segannsalis, my roommate said that was its name. One of seven ancient constructs that, in theory, dating all the way back to the Dietic Age." he explains with clear awe. Which, made him fit in quite well.


    "That''s one of the names for Undwote''s hounds, though?" Nin reminds us all.


    "Yes, apparently, they all take their names from one of those things. Yet, their names do not translate the same way, somehow."


    "What does this giant''s name mean, then?" Nin asks as we all start to turn around as we speed away.


    "Sword-Faced Giant, I recall." Baltanthan answers.


    "Well, it is straight to the point!" I quip as that piece of art really did have a sword for a head. Yet, our tram seemed to be slowing down. At least, until we suddenly whipped around and started to ride up a mountain.


    "Hey, look! It''s Quinshuu!" Larishazza lets out excitedly as she points down at the ground just before the spiral-tram goes back to normal. And, she was right, Quinshuu was indeed riding under us.


    "We''re this close to the party!?" I then blurt out before suddenly rushing to the table again to finish up with Nin''s cape. I had no idea we were travelling that fast nor did I think we would be this close!


    "No, I looked at the route beforehand, we''re going into a junction." Tiyanat explains as we enter the mountain and start spiralling up it. Then, as if nothing had happened, we popped right out the mountain again. A flash of light then appeared at our window.


    "HELLO QUINSHUU!" Larishazza screams through the window she just opened. One that I quickly slammed shut as all that wind was blowing my stuff all over the place.


    "Help me pick this up!" I demand from her as she starts to groan. And, while she was picking up all the finer things with her magic. I decided to look at our friend on the outside as he enjoyed himself. Whatever that creature was, it was fast and its ethereal nature allowed it to avoid so much which might have otherwise slowed it.


    "He''s quite good on that." Rose comments as she watches the animal with interest.


    "It probably helps that Lucky is a strong animal as well." Nin adds in as he comes on over and watches as well.


    "That''s a cute name." I say as Larishazza dumps my stuff onto the table. A layer of water still on most of it. But, Omb was kind enough to dry off the spiteful wetness.


    "Thank you." I tell him before I get back to what I was doing before Baltanthan came in.


    "So, uh, can I have some help, you two?" Baltanthan then asks me and Nin after he grabs our attention with nervous taps.


    "With what?" Nin asks as I carry on modifying his cape.


    "Well, since I grabbed the treasure and that... I''ve, gotten very popular. And, well, as you two are well, I was hoping I could get advice on how to deal with it."


    "We''re what...?" I ask slowly as a blush forms.


    "Dating, you two are doing that, right?" he asks in confusion before Nin scoffs in amusement.


    "No." and the feeling that goes through me is anger. Yet, I somehow manage to hold it in, despite his thoughtlessness.


    "Oh, in that case, you have experience dealing with lots of attention, how did you get around it?"


    "I found someone who was always there for me." Nin says with a clear, open intent as his soft gaze turns to Larishazza. And, that made me angry, even if she wasn''t paying attention as she was playing some game with her sister.


    "Ow!" I then let out after intentionally prickling myself with the needle.


    "You alright?" Nin asks as his attention turns to me.


    "Yeah, I''m fine. Just got a bit distracted and pricked my finger." I tell him as I clutch it in a way as to force more blood out.


    "There, sorted." Baltanthan then says after he applies some of his magic to seal the tiny wound.


    "Thanks..." I say with an out-of-it tone as I then get up to go clean my finger. I even made a point of ignoring Larishazza''s offer to have her magic wash the blood away. Then, when I was on my own in the small little washroom. I just started to cry quietly...


    Even when she made it clear that she was not interested in him. Even when I have been trying my hardest and have made it abundantly clear to Nin... He still only has eyes for her... I tried my hardest yet apparently that wasn''t enough...


    Then, a knock on the door, "Einervaene?" Rose called out before she realised I had left the door unlocked. And, we ended up pressed against each other in this small room.


    "W-What!?" I ask her as I fail to wipe my eyes dry due to the crampedness she had created.


    "I was worried for you, I know what you''re doing."


    "Don''t be absurd... Just pricked my finger is all..." I lied, nearly choking on my words as the tears continued to flow. And, unexpectedly, she was able to get her arms up and around me to hug me.


    "No, no you didn''t." she correctly points out as she sighs against my chest.


    "I don''t know what to do..." I tell her as I start to weep more openly.


    "As much as it pains me to say it, Einervaene. But, you just have to learn to accept it, the man you love might not always have his eyes on you." she explains as she starts to frown. And, I guess it made sense... Now that I remembered it, she did act odd on our first journey together. Maybe she was me back then, and I her Larishazza...


    But, I could only wish I was her Larishazza, because then Nin might''ve actually... We might actually... That vision I had in the temple might actually already be a reality... But I wasn''t Larishazza, I was Einervaene Bosphama...


    "B-But, how can I get him to look at me like he does with her!?" I beg.


    Yet, she shakes her head and the comforting hug changes in how it feels, "You know I could never tell you that, not when I have had my heart out for him for much longer..."


    "Then just leave me alone..." I bitterly remark as I try to force my way around towards the mirror.


    "No, trust me, you will need to listen to me, Einervaene. The experiences I have will give you the wisdom you need to navigate the emotional turmoil you are in." she quietly tells me.


    "I don''t need to listen to someone who started chasing after someone else when things got bad..." I spit out.


    "We both turned our backs on him, back then. Do not act like you are above me in that regard. I might''ve taken longer to come back into his embrace, but you also helped pry open the way for his heart to be so tightly clasped by that beautiful woman." she reminds me before she finishes it off with a compliment towards her...


    "Go away..." was all I could say as I started to slump in defeat at how, yes, this was my fault. I left Nin to fend for himself when he needed help. And, despite thinking we had gotten over that rough patch. The truth is, we hadn''t.


    Nin had completely surrendered his heart to the woman who made him want to carry on living... It was all a problem of my own making. I could perhaps try to slide some of the blame away. But, it always came back to that...


    I would never be happy because I got scared once. I let myself be influenced by the people around me more so than my friend. One who was willing to help me get back home. To bring this exile of mine to an end...


    And, Rose was indeed right. I had to learn to put up with it and make the best of what I had given myself. Yet, I did not know if I was humble enough to accept such a meagre amount. Could I even hold myself back enough to allow Nin to make his own choice...?


    Or was I just going to force my own preferences upon him and shut him away even more?


    .


    .


    .


    "Well, this isn''t too bad." I comment with welcome surprise as I look around at the vast plateau we had been dropped off at. Then, as we started to walk away from the tram station, we were exposed to a familiar sight.


    "Why is one of those here...?" Vadei asks in confusion as we and a lot more people stopped to gaze at the warship hovering right by us.


    "I want to say it is here for security, but everyone here is already a capable witch..." I answer with a raised brow before we start to make our way around the place. Tables were set up with food and drink as far as the eye could see. Music was already blaring and people were crowding together to dance. Some even showed off by flying as they did so.


    "LET ME IN!" Larishazza cheered before she quickly disappeared into the mass of people.


    "I intend to join in." Omb adds before he snatches up Tiyanat and drags her into it as well. Her screams only being briefly heard before the party seemed to reach critical mass. Well, except by the table we chose. The reasons being so very clearly foreign to me.


    "So, what do we do?" Vadei asks as she taps her feet to the beat of the music.


    "I assume we enjoy ourselves." I joke as I get up. Quickly finding my arm occupied by Rose before she seems to lead me elsewhere.


    "Come on, my love, let''s go find a spot where everyone can see us!" Rose whispers with excited lust.


    "All ways the centre of attention." I quietly comment with a roll of my eyes. And, I also gulped louder than I spoke as she was indeed insistent that we got somewhere that stood out. I also did not know why I was letting her pull me around like this. One step and I could stop her with no effort at all.


    So why was I letting her drag me about like this...?


    "There, this should do." Rose tells me as she starts to dance with sharp, striking moves and swivelling hips. Like Larishazza, she did not let anyone forget that as a woman she was built differently. Only, unlike my good friend, she used me as part of her dance. Be it either posing up against me or swinging about my limbs.


    I couldn''t even get into the rhythm to dance myself as she just kept moving about me. One moment she would be grinding against me with obvious intent and another moment she was gone. And, perhaps, maybe I was too embarrassed to dance as I obviously got quite a few stink eyes. Except from the few other aelenvari here.


    They all seemed to look at us with curiosity, at least, when they weren''t adding to the mood of the party. Their bulbs fitting in very well with all the lights and flashes. It was as if their kind was built to party. However, their heads weren''t the only things adding light to this dark night.


    Spells were being shot off into the sky and a great skyscape of green, blue, yellow, red, white and blackish purple formed. But, it was here that I realised that I had a moment to show off. So, when Rose''s dancing took her away from my front. I prepared my spell and took advantage of the open space my body granted us.


    And I shot my fist into the sky! A gargantuan fireball made of pure magic soaring straight from the tip of my fist. For a moment, it blocked out all the other spells. And, the cheering grew even louder as a result.


    I even made sure not to let the circumstances of why bother me. I was just happy to be enjoying the party as much as I could.


    .


    .


    .


    "Hey, Vapooliar, care for a dance?" one of my fellows asked as I sat at a table. A straight, unamused expression on my face.


    "No, thank you." I told him, much to his brief disappointment before he snatched someone else up. Yet, as it all went on, I did grow curious. This was my first ever party. Back when I was a Valkinvar, we never did this kind of thing.


    Ever since I became a member, it was always war. But, maybe now was the time that I learned to stop acting like one? Yet, I felt a peculiar uncertainty fill me as I watched it all. Would people think less of me because I had no idea how to dance?


    I mean, I did not really think much of what others thought of me to begin with. But, it felt different here. Maybe it was because of how many were here? I did not know...


    "I see you are still here, perhaps I can take your hand to the dance floor?" a contradictory voice said to me. I felt like I should know it...?


    "Very we-" I started to say as I might as well use this as a means to get involved. Yet, when I stood up to face them, I came face-to-face with someone I could never forget.


    "Yes, I know, quite ghastly, aren''t I?" the tired-looking man asked me before he gently brushed at his perfect emerald hair. It was him... The one who defeated me during the battle outside of Giant''s Victory...


    "U-Uh..." I struggled to get out as fear started to fill me. I had no weapon or armour. Yet, this man, was fully decked out with a ceremonial sword and set of armour made for the Union''s royal family... Something I only knew because we Valkinvar had seized one set a long time ago. Before the war became a stalemate.


    "It''s fine, no need to be nervous. Come, we can find my younger brother while we are at it." he tells me with a smooth voice that quivered with discomfort. And, as much as being near him terrified me, I could not muster the will to leave.


    "Look! Look! Vapooliar is dancing with the Chosen-Heir of Jherikra!" I heard someone excitedly whisper before we suddenly became the centre of attention.


    "I apologize, I try not to let my family''s history influence the world around me." he jokes as his armour clanks as he teaches me to dance. Its finely polished steel and jewelled exterior shining ever so brightly under all the lights.


    "R-Right." I gulp as he uses his weight of presence to gently slide us through the crowds. Then, he spun me around into a seat effortlessly before he then placed his free hands on a younger man.


    "Eugh." they let out as they tinkered with something under the watchful eye of a...


    "Valkinvar..." I let out in disbelief as I stared at the armoured man. Someone who would''ve been my protector on the path to becoming a Maiden of Waionr once I died in battle. But, why was he here!? Why was he so casual around Union royalty!?


    WHY WASN''T HE TRYING TO KILL THEM OR CAPTURE THEM!?


    "Oh, you are familiar with this armour?" he asks me as my fear-filled eyes catch sight of his own as they widen slightly. Did he remember me...? The weapon he carried was that of a Valkinvar from the Ordoar Imdavarce. The same one that I was sworn into...


    "Galanmarck, despite your attempts to sand it all away, you still have the clear outline of it." the tinkering young man comments.


    "Ah, forgive me, hearing my brother''s Personal Guard of Royalty name spoken reminds me. We haven''t been introduced yet, have we?"


    "I-It''s fine..." I start to say before he comes over and keeps me still with a light grip.


    "Please, it would be rude if I didn''t. I''m Chosen Heir Under the Mighty Jhrartur. And this here is the armyless War Prince, and, my younger brother, Lathmetahlarn."


    "Still bitter about that appointment?" Lathmetahlarn jokes as he smiles up at his older brother.


    "Of course." he remarks with a smirk before he sits down next to me.


    "Great, now I can repay that bitterness with my own." the younger brother then moves onto complaining.


    The man who enabled my fall from grace then shook his head, "You built a room using freshly developed technology during Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding''s Inter-House Talent Display. This party is for those who fought in it and those who were key to the event happening to begin with!"


    "I don''t want to be here."


    "Yes, well, suck it up. Next time don''t make such a genius design and build it all on your own for a tournament second only to the Tournament of Talent in fame."


    "Which room did you build?" I decide to ask, hoping that showing some interest would throw off my fear. Or, maybe it was too late. This arm wrapped around me was practically a chain in an invisible cell!


    "The one you fought in against those Oddity House students." Lathmetahlarn answers as he puts down whatever it was he was tinkering with to look me in the eye.


    "Y-Yes...?" I ask him nervously as if he knew that, then he most certainly knew.


    "I still don''t know your name."


    "V-Vapooliar..." I say quietly while keeping my fearful gaze locked on the battle-ready Valkinvar in front of me. There was no denying it, he at the very least knew who I was.


    "Cute name, one destined to go out of fashion should this war end."


    "There is no should, little brother." Jhrartur corrects before he lets go of me.


    "I-I''m sorry, but, I think I hear someone calling me." I lie in hopes it would at least let me get out of here.


    "Apologies, don''t let us keep you." Jhrartur says to me before I race out the chair with surprising restraint. I could only feel the urge to fly away in the hopes I would never be found. Yet, that would just reveal what I was!


    "She''s Valkinvar, Chosen-Heir, is it wise to let her go?" I heard the traitor say as I moved into the crowd with desperate, held-back strength. Yet, hearing that made me stop and a cold sweat drenched me.


    "No, it is fine, I believe I broke her resolve just fine back when I broke their lines at the ancient gatehouse."


    .


    .


    .


    "Odd smell..." Vadei comments as I try to sort out her yukata. Her constant fidgeting and insistence that I alter it to be like Rose''s was causing it to slip a lot. And, if I did nothing, she would be showing off her chest for everyone to see.


    "Odd thing to say." I joke before I take another sip from my drink. Since we arrived here, I have done a lot of that... Yet, I was still able to keep my hands steady as I modified the yukata while it was being worn.


    "Never mind, guess I am surprised to smell that Vapooliar is here." Vadei says.


    "She''s the woman we lost to, right?" I ask just to make sure I was thinking of the right person. But, I don''t think it was possible to ever forget that kind of power. To see it was memorable itself, but I fought against it!


    "Yes, Vapooliar was the one who caused us to be in the hospital for so long..."


    "I''m surprised you can smell her through all that."


    "I''ve been getting better at dealing with lots of people." Vadei snaps before pouting.


    "And I am doing such a bad job at keeping this yukata up." I tease before she suddenly curls in on herself.


    "Don''t you dare!" she barks as I laugh before I let go completely.


    "Okay, now, dance a little and tell me how it goes." I tell her before I look enviously on into the distance. Nin''s magic had burst to life at some point in that direction and it has been ages since Rose took him...


    "Wew! I''m nearly beat..." Larishazza jokes as she reappears and slumps into a chair with a bright blush on her face. Her magic was all over her skin for a brief moment at well. So it was like she was sparkling in the night.


    "As much energy as ever." I say with a cold tone as she started to gulp down drink after drink before she shivered back to life.


    "Okay, I''m done having fun by myself, so, now, come with!" she tells me as she starts to pull me to my feet.


    "H-Hey!" I let out as she uses her superior strength to get me involved with the dancing. At least, until we reached the stage where several groups had been playing.


    "This is the one I was on about!" Larishazza says as she introduces me to a small band of people.


    "Hello..." I greet with some uncertainty as this was quite unexpected.


    "Ah, hello, you must be Einervaene! In case you haven''t been told, we''re the band that Larishazza here fought against before she went on to even greater heights!" the lead woman says as she steps forward to bow a little. A courtesy I somewhat returned before my gaze turned back towards the dancing mass so very close to us.


    "She looks like she is looking for someone!" one of the band members teased gleefully while they also played their instrument.


    "I guess that is true, we haven''t had a song like that get played yet!" the lead excitedly said before they all started to rush back out onto the stage.


    "Aw... I wanted to introduce them all in a really funny way..." Larishazza complains before she just looks at me with a bright smile. One I somehow returned despite how envious I was of her.


    "NOW EVERYONE! WE KNOW THIS MIGHT NOT WORK! BUT, IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE SPECIAL! BRING THEM TO THE DANCE FLOOR!" the lead from just now shouted over the crowd once they had interrupted the music.


    "G-Grab someone special!?" I let out in shock as a mad scramble seemed to fill the dance floor. All to the backdrop of a more comedic sounding tune.


    "Oh! Oh! Oh! Now''s your chance! Now''s your chance to say it!" Larishazza nearly screamed as she suddenly looked like she was about to blow.


    "EH!?" I squeaked as she started to push me around once again.


    .


    .


    .


    "My love, are you sure you can''t go on for just a little longer? Please?" Rose begged as I tried to leave the dance floor. That just yelled rule was something I did not want to violate.


    "No, I''m going to eat something now." I told her as I did my best to make my way through the crowd without issues arising. Yet, I soon came face-to-face with someone I did not think would take to me kindly.


    "Roseli." he said after he recovers from me accidentally running into him.


    "Oh, hello." she says apathetically while clutching onto me tightly. In a way that made her thoughts on any likely matters clear.


    "...Nin." he then struggled to say.


    "Yes." I said with a very slight nod as I wasn''t sure what to say. He kicked me bloody once upon a time. I returned the favour later down the line.


    But, his actions surprised me, "Congratulations on your win." he said to me as he held out his hand. A clear sense of discomfort on his face while his group of friends seemingly turned their backs on him.


    "Uh, thank you." I say with continued uncertainty as I grab his hand and shake it. And, to my surprise, he put in the effort and made sure it was a firm one. All before he then gave me a nod of respect before he tried to ignore me completely.


    "So, you have made your choice?" he asks Rose with a tone that seemed to remind me of a father for some reason. Which, made things a little weird given what he and Rose likely got up to.


    "I made that choice long ago... Disappointing as it might sound to you, I am glad I made sure to keep my virginity for the one I love." Rose says. Something that makes me grow heated and made my chitters come out with greater force and speed. She then giggled at my reaction.


    "Then I wish you all the best, then." he tells her before he walks away sighing.


    "D-Did you really have to say that?" I ask with a shocked gulp as somehow, her ability to talk about sex still surprised me. She was so damn forward about it!


    "Yes, now dance with me."


    "No!" I remind her before I groan with all my might as we reach the food. Then, I just start picking piece after piece up and eating it. Going back for another when I was done with the last.


    "Nin! Nin! Can you dance with me please!?" Vadei suddenly asks as she comes out of nowhere.


    "Pffft, as if he''d choose you over me." Rose snorts snobbily as I start to get grouchy while eating.


    "And why would he choose you exactly? I''ve certainly gotten to know him better than you ever could!" Vadei growls out as the pair clearly start getting confrontational behind my back.


    "See, over there!" Lari declares as she pushes a nervous Einervaene towards us.


    "N-No it''s fine!"


    "No, ask him!" Lari barks sternly as she suddenly takes my hand and puts it in Einervaene''s. But, when my gaze suddenly snapped towards them and showed my anger, she quickly backed off.


    "Enough!" I spit out before I walk away in frustration. Just dropping whatever food I didn''t finish over everything else. All before making my way to a quiet spot away from the party. From which I then punched the mountain in frustration.


    "Eugh, dammit." I growl as I pull my numb fist back away from the deceptively magic dense stone.


    "Nin, are you alright?" Larishazza asks me as she slowly walks up to me from behind.


    "N-No..." I struggle to get out as I realise that we are on our own. I could clearly see that the other three were all waiting back at the party as well.


    "Want to talk about it?" she asks me with that same, lovely and sweet smile she always seemed to have.


    "I don''t think I could..." I say as I start to hear the music change to something sweeter and softer. Whatever was going on beyond on the dance floor. It was something more magical than even spells themselves...


    "You want to dance, don''t you?" she asks me with a frown.


    "Y-Yes... With you..." I answer loudly at first before I nervously squeak out the last bit. And, I tried my best, but, I don''t think I could hide the terror that I was letting out. I know she probably didn''t have feelings for me. It''s what I gathered from an unforgettable test on my way back to Tobaballe...


    "But... You are meant to dance with someone special..." she says slowly before she suddenly turns pink. Her posture even starts to break a little and she seems to get uncomfortable.


    "It is probably best if you leave..." I say to her. After all, who could ever love an ugly bug like me? Why would the most beautiful woman in the world ever want to be with me? To dance with me in front of all those people...?


    "T-Then, come on!" she says with an unstable smile as she offers me a shaking hand. And, when I saw that hand, I seemed to come alive.


    "Okay!" I nearly roar before I take her hand and leap back into the party with her in my grip. Crashing down in the middle of the ongoing dance and interrupting it completely. At first, I seemed to cause alarm, but, everyone calms down when they see Lari in my grip.


    The most beautiful smile on her soft lips...


    "Sorry!" she says with a giggle before the music starts to come back with uncertainty at first. But, it eventually gave way and returned to the air. The magic I saw from the distance now involved me! It involved me and Larishazza!


    "I-I''ll be h-honest. I don''t know how to dance..." I nervously chuckle. Seemingly on the verge of tears as my shaking body tried to move. And, I could not keep my gaze on the woman I cared so much for...!?


    "Hey, eyes on me. Just like before. Just like we used to." she says with a smile as she brings my head down to hers. And while she was clearly nervous too, seeing her in this way helped me stay calm. It helped me move about with courage and strength.


    "Like this?" I ask, knowing that she was probably a good authority on how well someone danced.


    "Yep, just like that, now, give me a twirl." she tells me as she telegraphs everything she is about to do with grace. And, as she said, I gave her a twirl and brought her down onto one of my forward-facing knees. Of course, that was more her doing than my own as I was still struggling to keep up.


    "N-Now what?" I ask her as the music seemed to take hold in a different kind of way.


    "Shush now." she quietly whispers before she gives me a quick peck on the nose while everyone else seemingly went for proper kisses. Yet, I was happy enough to take that. So happy that I had no issue interrupting the music once again to leap us out of the party.


    "So, uh, Lari, I..." I begin to say, my body shaking with excitement as the chitters I was normally ashamed of showed off how happy I was.


    "Nin..." she then said with a sudden change in mood and expression.


    "No, I need to say this. I need to at least get it out..." I say as I shake my head. Yet, despite what her posture might suggest, she instead chose to stay. She was willing to at least hear me out.


    "Okay..." she let out nervously as I started to wave my claws in front of me. For some reason, it helped me to breathe.


    "Lari... For a... A very long time now... Uh... Look, what I''m trying to say is... So... I just wanted to say..."


    "Yes?" she asks me with a soft smile as she takes hold of my head and keeps me still.


    "I love you..." I tell her finally. And, she seemed to completely expect it, yet, she was shocked to hear it anyway.


    "Right..."


    "I''ve loved you since... I don''t know... But, I was in a very bad place once and I am only able to put up with it all because..." I try to explain through the tears before she comes up and hugs me tightly.


    "I know." she says before she then moves away and suddenly becomes distant. Much to my growing terror as I did not want to hear anything but...


    "So, will you be my girlfriend? I know it''s a bit weird given what I am but..."


    "Don''t focus too much on that, Vadei doesn''t care and she likes you despite what happened at her home. Rose''lhia doesn''t care and she really likes you. Einervaene once said these same words to you not long ago. Liadanann also really, really-"


    "I don''t care what they think, I''m asking you." I tell her firmly as I take her hand into mine.


    "Nin... I..." she stutters. And, the tears I was shedding started coming out for a different reason.


    "But you don''t..."


    "No! That is not it, Nin! Don''t be so stupid!" she suddenly snaps out before she flinches at what she had done.


    "You don''t need to say sorry." I tell her.


    "Okay, uh, Nin, I just need some space to think about this, okay? Now, listen to me very carefully." she says. Which, confused me, I was... I had been since she approached me just now.


    "Go on?" I say as I was confused further by her suddenly going quiet.


    "I need to make sure you are listening, okay?" she says as she starts to cry herself.


    "H-Hey, I''m listening!" I tell her as I do everything I can to make it clear that I was.


    "Okay, I''m not saying no. Okay? I''m not saying no. I just, need a moment. I promise you, I will give you an answer in a week at most. Okay? I''m not saying no... But please do not assume it is a yes either, okay!?"


    "Okay..." I quietly say as I let go of her hand. Making a quick gesture of prayer before her eyes. Something that only seemed to make it worse as she went redder with embarassment.


    "I-I''m sorry..." she says before she runs off towards a boulder. And, for a moment, I did not know if I should''ve chased after her. But, I eventually came to the decision that it was the right thing to do. My friend was upset about something, so it was only fair I made sure she was okay.


    "Yes, I know, I didn''t listen." I joke in reference to how she said she needed space. Yet, I got a response that I loved to hear. Her laughter.


    "I thought I told you to listen..." she laughs in between letting out what remained of her tears.


    "Want to go back to the party?" I ask her as she was clearly enjoying it.


    "Actually, no, I want to stay here." she says with a smile as she moves closer to the plateau''s edge.


    "LARI!?" I practically screamed when she suddenly dropped off the edge. And, my heart nearly burst out my chest when she suddenly started to rise on little droplets of glowing water. Her laughter calming music as she did so.


    "So, I heard that at parties here, especially ones with lots of witches, they have these things at the end. Where you show off your ability to fly and how good you are at it. So, I thought, maybe we should get a little practice in before it happens!" she explains as she does whatever it was she was doing. It wasn''t flying, but, it might as well have been.


    "I... Hate to break it to you, but, I can''t fly." I nervously chuckle as she starts to dance in the open air.


    "Don''t worry, then, I will catch you all the way until you can!" she tells me as her magic lights up her beautiful body.


    "Okay..." I utter quietly before I look at my hands. My magic made giant fireballs and I have been practising with making it more like a flamethrower. So, maybe I could convert its use? I think that could work!


    Well, I did anyway, because I was soon falling down a dark mountainside. Dull grunts left me each time I hit the stone until Lari suddenly grabbed my hand and threw me up. And, on the way down, she caught me again. The sudden snap of force nearly made her grip break, however.


    "See, told you!" she reminded me as she laughed while I just dangled hopelessly under her. A deep dark abyss below me while above me was the lit-up sky. And, I chose to believe it was mostly her magic that did it.


    "So you did!" I laugh myself as she slowly moved us back to the mountain. To which I was then thrown at.


    "Rude." I joked as I got back up. Preparing to give it another go as she lined up with wherever I might leap to.


    "Going for gold, Nin!" she cheers before I give it another go. Positioning my spell awkwardly behind my body but failing to generate any thrust with it. And, once again, I ended up in her grip and was seemingly close to a perilous fall.


    "A participation trophy will do me just fine." I snicker before she swings me at a different mountain.


    "Come on, plenty of time to practise!" she cheers as she holds out her arms for me to leap into should I fail once again.

 Peak 9: Repentance Comes

    "Ugh... Uggggh... Ugggggghhhhh!" I groaned as I struggled to keep myself slumped against the sink.


    "DAMMIT, HURRY UP IN THERE!" my sister screamed with such force that it was as if I was onboard a dreadnought. Not just any dreadnought, one from the King''s navy! With those thunderous guns that slammed down as the ship twirled about the All-Coasts!


    "Be quiet..." I complained, nearly in tears as I clutched my head and stomach. I don''t think I drank that much at the party... Nor was I particularly active after the initial rush around the place. I made sure to be with my friends after that...


    So I did not know why I felt so unwell, it was like I was being leeched of my strength! And it was most certainly not the bone-chilling cold that was seeping in from the door gaps! It was most definitely inside me. So maybe I just had to poke my dangly thing and force it out?


    "Ow..." I groaned some more before I fell to the floor. To make it all worse, I had no idea as to why I fell. Or, even when I did fall. I just seemed to wake up on the floor.


    "OPEN UP ALREADY! YOU''VE BEEN IN THERE FOR HOURS!" my sister screamed some more.


    "Alright, alright..." I eventually said to her once I got to the door and opened it.


    "ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?" she asked with a calm face that did not match her tone.


    "Be quiet!" I begged as I flinched away from her as everything she did just made my head hurt.


    "I AM!?" she clearly yelled before I started to stumble away before I struggled back into bed.


    "Ow..." I moaned as I started to cry from how much the noise hurt. But, even as I wrapped myself in all the blankets I could find. With my strangely weak magic even dumping further layers of clothes on top of me. I still felt cold, as if my sister had put me in a brick of ice!


    "Larishazza!?" my sister asked as she came to the door. And while she had quietened down, she was still intolerably loud. So, I threw some water at her and retreated as much as I could into my cloth cave. Desperation filled me as well as the cold, why was it so cold!?


    "HUGHEH!" I then blurted out as my stomach seemed to suddenly jump up. Instantly following that noise, I let loose the contents of my stomach. A sickly, brownish-yellow mess filled the room and polluted my carpet.


    "You okay?" my sister asked as the noises seemed to dull a little. Or, maybe it was because everything else hurt too much right now.


    "I n-need a drink..." I sobbed as I spat out what remained of the bile. Recoiling at the acidic taste before collapsing onto the edge of the bed. The hard, wooden frame dug into my neck and it seemed like it was cutting it! So, I tried to move away, but, my face was a mess right now...


    So I had to keep it away from my blankets or I would lose them to the cleaners!


    .


    .


    .


    "There, that better?" one of my friends asked me as I sat at the table, wrapped up in a warm blanket. Some joy had managed to return to my face. And it was because someone gave me some fluffy socks to hide my toes in. It amused me for some reason.


    "Y-Yeah..." I answered before carefully sipping on the water. It burned my mouth as much as the bile did on the way out. However, in complete contradiction to how that bile was. I could steadily feel myself getting better.


    "Is she going to need to see a doctor?" Nin asks as he comes downstairs with a bucket.


    "Blegh..." I let out as I recoil at the smell of my vomit.


    "Disgusting, I know." he jokingly answers yet I could not muster the strength to smile back at him. Maybe if I drank more of this water, I could, but, for now, I didn''t.


    "Well, if we give it some time, she might start to feel better, so there''s no point in rushing it."


    "I don''t know about that, being ill is a very rare thing in high-magic regions." Vadei comments as she pinches her nose shut while also stuffing it in a flowerpot.


    "I wouldn''t know, personally. My only experiences with illness were back at Tobaballe with what seems to be so long ago." Nin comments with a shrug before he goes outside to dispose of my bile.


    "Honestly, what did you do during that party?" Tiya asks me once she puts down a bowl of food made by Omb.


    "Party, clearly." the cook laughs out before he sits dead ahead to inspect my reaction. This time, however, there was a little more to it than just his need to know how people feel about his cooking. But, I have never hated anything he has made before.


    "EW!?" I practically scream in confusion. Horror was also clearly on my face as I had never hated something Omb has cooked before! Even he was in complete shock to the point that he snatched the bowl to eat it himself.


    "I... I don''t understand..." he says with clear and blatant despair. The food did not go to waste, however, so that could be seen as a positive, no?


    "This is becoming very serious." Tiya comments as I start to bite my lip and sniff the air. I don''t know why, but I was now craving a specific thing more so than any other.


    "D-Does... Does anywhere here do sandwiches? Like, not hard, crusty, too-big-for-my-mouth kind. Small ones with no crusts in little triangles?" I asked as my mind started to fill up with nothing but sandwich-related thoughts.


    "Shoved aside for sandwiches..." Omb groans as the table trembles slightly at his failure to feed me.


    "You, do you mean like the ones the cafeteria does?" Einervaene asks as she mimics holding such a small sandwich.


    "Yes! Yes, those ones!" I nearly yell as my body becomes full of unexplained energy. Yet, I also felt desperate as I wobbled to my feet.


    "Shoved aside for mass-made sandwiches..." Omb repeats before his head slams onto the table. Yet, I could not care right now. I had a hankering for food only the cafeteria could provide right now.


    .


    .


    .


    "I don''t think even I would eat Motrtha''s food with this much ferocity..." Nin comments as I tore through the supply of sandwiches I had been given.


    "I can see what you mean." Rosie says as she nods along with what he just said.


    "What!?" I ask them angrily as a piece of cucumber slips from my mouth. The sudden, harsh bite that I had just taken out of it allowing that to be done. But, they were not amused by it. They were shocked by my tone.


    Yet, how dare they hold that against me! I slipped up once in comparison to them! I was practically the goddess of how Nin might put it, this shit! I was the best goddess out there...


    "Larishazza, there''s no need for that." Tiyanat chastises before I turn to growl at her.


    "THERE''S NO NEED FOR YOU TO SHOVE ICE AT EVERYTHING EITHER!" I scream at her before storming off with the sandwiches. Initially, I angrily ate the sandwiches on my own. But I started to feel very lonely very quickly and anger turned to tears.


    "Is everything alright?" Nin asks me as he finishes following me the short distance out the cafeteria.


    "Peachy you impatient shit." I spit, much to his surprise.


    "Uh..."


    "Heh, speechless as usual." I cruelly joke before I stop in confusion. Why did I say something like that so easily...? That wasn''t me at all... Had I been brainwashed or something!?


    "Again, is everything alright?" he asks as he moves next to me. And, the moment he does, I latch onto him and nibble away at my sandwich. Aggressively reacting to any movements from his hands as I ate in my comfortable animal onesie.


    "Get me more!" I demanded very quickly as I was out of sandwiches.


    "Okay...?" he says reluctantly before I force him back down onto the bench I had brought us to.


    "Don''t go..." I complain angrily while tightly clutching his waste.


    "What." was all he had to say, which was just typical... Just typical...


    "Nin..."


    "Yes?"


    "Do you hate me...?" I ask him as I carefully take into account how he was acting. He was being so irrational right now... I told him to be patient and he has done nothing but...


    "I don''t think that is possible, no." he answers as his warm hand softly strokes my hair. But, I made it difficult for him to continue as I did not want my onesie hood down.


    "Pat." I ordered as I suddenly moved onto his lap so he could pat my head. So he could ruffle my hair and even hug me properly if I wanted it.


    "W-Well..." he says as my arms wrap around his shoulders while my body rested where his thing should be. Yet, disappointingly, it wasn''t.


    "Keep patting." I tell him as my somewhat restored magic bellows out around me. Purring like my precious feline pet back home as his hand ruffled my hair and gave me its warmth. It was such a comforting palm despite how hard it was physically.


    .


    .


    .


    "So, what''s the issue, Doctor...?" I ask the uniformed man while I sat on a formerly well-made hospital bed. Just like one Nin might have been in not too long ago. I even had my own just like everyone else did.


    "Well, first off, congratulations."


    "For what...?" I ask him before what he shows me horrifies me to my core. Did... Did I slip up that badly...? Why did it have to happen now!?


    "You''re going to be a mother. May Motrtha bless your future." he tells me before he starts to go to the door. Whatever he said to those on the other side, I did not care. I just, couldn''t help but be disappointed in myself... I was usually so good at making sure this did not happen...


    So why did I fail now!? Why did I fail right when I was paralyzed by the idea of eventually telling Nin no!? Actually, I wasn''t even sure if I could say no... It made me so happy to see him happy and it worked with other emotions too...


    As such, I was struggling with the idea of telling him no... Why would he want such an unapologetic slut like me as his girlfriend!? I have made no romantic commitments, ever! It always shot straight towards the best bit!


    But, now... I had someone tell me sincerely and them not be my family as well! He cried and told me that he loved me... Someone like me...


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    And that behaviour I once felt no shame in suddenly made me indescribably angry. I was pregnant with some random student''s child right before the deadline where I said yes... No... Yes!?


    "Student Larishazza, are you alright?" the doctor asks me before I let my head be hidden behind my hands. I did not want anyone to look at me right now!


    "N-No, I''m not!" I tried to tell him as my eyes started to water.


    "Don''t worry! It''s normal to experience these kinds of things. I can get someone who can go into it a lot better than I can if you want? Being a mother is obviously something I could never do." he explains before he makes a bad joke.


    "I... Just need some time alone."


    "Of course, got to think of a name, haven''t we?" he jokes once again before he leaves. And, when the door firmly shuts behind him. I start to sob uncontrollably.


    "Dammit, Nin... Damn you... Why''d you have to ask such a question!? You stupid... Stupid..." I started to say before I lost myself in the crying. There was no way I could explain this to any of them... My sister knew of my habits, she has done for a long time... But the others!?


    Not one of them had the slightest clue beyond maybe Rosie... Nin, though... It would break his heart as it dangled on such delicate strings... One wrong move and I would sever them forever...


    I needed to be so careful that it caused me pain just thinking about it... And it hurt more than all the vomiting and restless nights ever could. Especially now... I don''t know what I would do if I lost a friend like Nin...


    .


    .


    .


    "So, the week''s nearly ended-" Nin was saying.


    "I KNOW!" I roar before I cover up my mouth and flinch away from him.


    "Uh... As I was saying, the week is nearly done and dusted, so that means that thing is happening, no?"


    "NOTHING IS HAPPENING UNTIL I SAY SO, OKAY!?" I scream in his face before I back away, shaking my head desperately.


    "Larishazza...?" Tiya asks with a tilt of her head as she holds up a display for something we had all agreed to go to. I wanted to introduce them to my new friends that I made after the fight... They were performing in Thrurstradtur itself... In one of the grand music halls that our fight was actually in the replica of.


    "Oh, right, that..." I say as I clutched my goosebump-covered backhands before I started to shake and tremble some more.


    "No one has done anything, right...?" Vadei asks with a raised brow as now I think my behaviour was getting on their nerves. Yet, I couldn''t bear to look up at Nin as sadness was coming to his face. Was he catching on that this was because he asked me THAT question!?


    No! NO! NO! NO!


    It wasn''t!


    "I''m sorry..." was all I really could say as I slowly inspected the sheet of paper the performance was advertised on. As seen in the Inter-House Talent Display... That was what it said in proud letters. I was even told directly that they struggled to find us tickets because it was that much of a selling point...


    "Don''t worry, no one is mad. We''re just, worried." Einervaene tried to answer, but, the way her tone came across only made me growl.


    "Sure you are..." I hissed before I retreated into my arms and the darkness they created. Creating only a big enough gap so I could watch Nin as he chittered away worriedly.


    "So, are the plans still the same, or would you like us to change them?" he asks me as he reminds me of our agreement. We''d go into the city with whoever else was invited and have lunch with them before moving onto the music hall... They''d all get to know each other a little better before and then, we would do the same after...


    I could fuse my two groups of friends together into one big group... And lose them all because my mind could not decide if I was Larishazza or someone else. It needed to make a stand or I would force it to do so...


    I needed to deal with two main problems and make sure no one ever heard about it... But, how could I do that...? How could I get this handled before I gave Nin my answer!? I know I told him a week...


    But, he understood that it was a week from then, right!? So, in fact, I actually had more than until the final day of the weekend to tell him! He would get it, yes...? He wasn''t stupid, I knew that, but, confusion was not the same as that...


    .


    .


    .


    "So, and when we thought we had her finished, she gets back up and so gracefully dances us all to our doom!" Clarman tells my friends with upbeat laughter filling the small shop we found. It was something called a Pubman''s Singing Bar. Dirris, the drummer, was even singing along with the regulars of this place. Which, is because he was one of them!


    If I wasn''t so worried about other things, I might''ve been able to enjoy it. Maybe even dance to it with all the energy in the world... Just to let everyone know how excited I was to be here. How much I loved being with my friends...


    Yet, I found myself embarrassed as I couldn''t help but look at Nin when I was thinking about that. He stuttered and struggled, but he meant every bit of it... He loved me... Not as Clarman did, as she and her band loved my dancing and how well I could do it.


    Nin just loved me... Me... He loved me... Of all the people in the world...


    Thankfully, he could not see my blush as he was too busy staring his beak up at a projector. Some kind of sport was playing on it and I assume he was enjoying it. But, he also might''ve just been trying to ignore our unfortunate stalkers... It was hard work getting Nin into the city...


    The school begrudgingly accepted him for their own gain, somewhat. But, the city did not share that sentiment. He was just, a thing to them. But that wasn''t true at all...


    He was Nin, the scared young man I found in a basement one night... A broken knife in his hand before I took him to bed... Even before I got to know him, just hearing Vadei''s distraught words filled me with a certain desire. I wanted to see him enjoy life again in spite of all he faced.


    Yet, I did that too well and now he saw me as that reason... Not that there was anything explicitly wrong with that... When I was done with school, we could go to my home... No one cared for Osibindah creatures there!


    They''d be fascinated by him! Inspired and eager to learn! Being the people with a world-spanning empire did that... They learned not to judge the world for its differences because that made the job harder.


    As cruel as it might''ve been. And, admittedly... I didn''t agree with any of it... But, that stuff didn''t matter right now.


    "Right, Larishazza?" my sister then said out of nowhere.


    "Eh? Oh, yes." I answered with confusion before I dismissed it out of hand as I also did not care. I was so close to figuring it all out, but, I needed time...


    "You even paying attention?" she then asked.


    "No, I, got to pee." I blurted out before I quickly got up and disappeared upstairs.


    .


    .


    .


    "Where''d she go?" I heard Nin ask as they all stood in front of the busy music hall. I had snuck off before they got near the entrance. And, I made sure they had all the stuff needed to get in. I only had my ticket and mine alone.


    But, I would not join them until I had gone and made sure I had properly sorted it all out. I was so close to figuring it out... I just needed space and a map. So, with some regret, I made sure to enact my stealthy getaway.


    "She''s been going to the toilet a lot since that whole throw-up incident, she''ll find us." Einervaene correctly pointed out before I became too distant to hear them anymore. And, as I made my way through the moonlit streets of the city, I searched desperately for a map.


    "Oh, hey! Larishazza, looking good, going somewhere?" someone I must''ve slept with before asked as he and his friends stopped me.


    "Yes, now move." I snap as I effortlessly shove them aside and move on until I found a park. It was such an odd thing to find in such a mechanical city, but, it had what I needed. It had a map of the city and I could use it to figure it all out... It was a blessing, too, because it had absurd depth for a park map!


    And soon, I found it, a feeling of relief washed over me. I had found my solution to the problem and now I just had to get to it. So, I started to run as fast as I could. Loud taps and my exhausted lungs filled the somewhat quiet streets until I came crashing at the doors of the place.


    It was a very good thing that it wasn''t too far from the music hall. But, it felt out of place, it did. It was a vandalised building in an otherwise pristine city. I wasn''t sure what to make of it all, either, it seemed like someone was keeping a tally on the building''s walls.


    "Oh, hello. Do you have an appointment with Doctor Nasoalk?" the woman at the front desk asks me with disappointment in her eyes. Was she judging me...? She had no right to! She worked here for some god''s sake!


    "I-I don''t, n-no... But it is very important that I speak to him now. I... I need his help... I..." I told her somewhat.


    She sighs, "I''ll call him down, let him decide as we don''t seem to have anything." she explains as a sigh of relief shoots out of me.


    "Thank you!" I exclaim before I slam my backside into a chair. It was all going to come to an end. My mistake would be dealt with and I no longer had to worry about Nin... I could say yes if that is what I decided and I could just be happy.


    We both could...


    .


    .


    .


    "The doors to damnation have opened." I uttered quietly as I walked through a public observatory on the other side of the city. Phasing through the other visitors as I stared at all the magnificent displays. Human knowledge let us see so many things. Such as the magic eggshell our world was encapsulated in!


    It was honestly, quite fascinating.


    But, human knowledge was not always used for good. And now, once again, someone sought its dark power. Vile, evil power that should''ve never been made. Good holy men, and, thankfully, most of the world despised the practice.


    Yet, here in this city, this city defined by the knowledge of its great academy. It was seen as a potentially new frontier. The only problem with human knowledge was that... People got too excited to see how far it could go.


    And they lose sight of reality. Yet, I was here to make sure they did not. I would make sure that good hearts won. Even if I had to be so explicitly vile myself to do it.


    Yet, a headsman was not chastised in the olden days for his role in keeping the peace? Why should I feel shame and take their claims to heart? All they had to do was listen to me. To accept my conditions and it would all stop.


    "Hm? Hello, I''m Doctor Nasoalk." the reluctant but still complicit creator of evil introduced himself as. A greeting like this was one of many I had heard time and time again... Often from different men and women. Their profession was not one that stayed occupied for long in this city.


    And I was proud of that fact. Disappointed, however, in the continuedly filled void that was left.


    "H-Hi, I... I heard you can help..." the misguided soul who had come to his pit said. And I could only pray that she would see the light before it was sealed. I did not enjoy it... I did not enjoy avenging the dead, but it was a needed task.


    Someone had to stand up for those left behind by the world and their vile, beastly abandoners. Perhaps I could spread word of encouragement to her? Offer her the aid she needed to avoid the wrong choice? But, could I even do that?


    The women who stepped into that building had problems... Problems indeed...


    "Hahaha!" I laughed as the contradiction was funny. Here I was, enjoying one of the Thrurstradtur''s fine displays of knowledge. Yet, I was invisible and untouchable to the people here. Because my actions were the ones laughably considered criminal.


    "So, you do know what we do here, right? You have thought this through?" the vile murderer asks the madwoman.


    "I... Don''t know... There''s something very important about to happen and..." the woman cried as her torment came to the forefront. And, when I heard that reservation, I stopped. I stopped and reappeared before the building in question. Staring intently while silently praying.


    "My dear, make the right decision." I begged her, even if she could not hear me.


    "No, don''t come in here with that kind of uncertainty. Go!" the evil man told her in a rare act of kindness.


    "Yes, push her away, make her understand that she needs to..." I begin to say as that woman''s crying struck me to my core. She was lost and whatever held forth a light would ensare her! But, my reputation prevented me from directly intervening. Try as they might, Thrurstradtur''s government would never catch me.


    But they have gotten very good at figuring it all out despite my blatant advantage! It was worthy of some praise, in fact. Were it not so hilarious how off the mark they were each time! They would never figure it out, but, I had a role to play in this performance!


    "NO! I need to make sure he doesn''t find out... I need to..." this woman said as her magic suddenly caused my senses to fizzle. It took only a moment to adjust to it, but, it was an argument in its own right. It was not often a witch came to a place like this... So very rare it was...


    "Okay, okay, calm down. Come with me for a moment." he tells her as he drags her deeper into this vile place. Towards its only place of unfortunate good...


    "Forgive me, Packmaster of Seven, forgive me if I bring another to you." I say in advance as I sense them enter a specially designed room to Undwote. It had turned away many misguided women, thankfully. But, not all bought it...


    Apostates and foolish agnostics often tore past this unbeatable argument to life... Yet, I hoped she was neither. That she was just desperate and alone. However, the way she acted, it said a lot about her choice.


    She was ashamed...


    She was trying to hide it all...


    Someone was out there, and she did not want him to know...


    I did not get angry at its implications, but, it did make me curious. Enough to change how I might go about this if she made the wrong choice. To see this man for myself, I could? Or, I could just let it be and deal with it should she choose poorly.


    "Do you see why I warn you? I cannot have you make this choice if you aren''t ready. And I most certainly am not willing to put you under the risks this place has should you be unsure. There are no takebacks here!" he correctly points out at the end. Only, it wasn''t him that made sure there was no second chance. It was me that made sure the sowed seed was reaped appropriately...


    "I know what it is you do! I don''t need you to tell me! I just need it over and done with so I can go back and..." the woman cried as she retreated away from the room.


    He then sighs, "I''ll give you a bit of time. Make sure to look around and do it carefully. I will go and get the required legal documentation."


    And I snorted at that, "Legal..." I spit out as I anxiously tap my walking stick. Creating a delightful sound that only I could and would ever hear under these conditions.


    And, tick-tock! As the great attraction of Thrurstradtur turned, so to did time move. We got closer and closer until it came! The time for the choice to be cast!


    "Well? Student Larishazza? Are you sure you want to do this?"


    "I... I need to be able to tell him without making him worry. I need to tell him without making him think less of me..." she cried on her own at first before the accomplice at the front desk came and comforted her.


    "Trust me, you''d be genuinely surprised by how many people came here with that same mindset! Don''t worry! They sometimes come back here as happy families!"


    "And what about when they don''t come back here as that!?"


    "Well..."


    "They don''t." I answer for that despicable woman as I leaned forward. Digging my walking stick deep into the building below with metal-piercing force. An inflexible thing my walking stick was, yet, it only made it more impressive. In this city that stole the magic of others to keep them in line...


    "Okay, that is enough! I''ve made my decision!" the poor woman loudly declares. Causing me to jump in anticipation so I can then lean in and hear it clearly. There would be no mistakes, not that I have ever made any.


    "I beg you, do not make the wrong one." I say as I tip my hat and lose the smile my thoughts might''ve given me. This was as serious as anything ever could be. And I needed to treat it as such. No jokes, no snark and no jabs...


    Just me listening and reacting appropriately...


    "Please... Please get it over with. See? I agree on everything here! Just, get rid of my mistake so I don''t have to worry..." she cries falsely. And, I grew angry. How could she... Her own flesh and blood...


    She had been shown what it meant, these actions...


    "Wrong choice." I utter lowly as my blade pops out. With the full moon shining bright on its soon to be stained silver edge.

 Base 10: Return of the Infamous

    "Nin, is something wrong?" Vadei asks me as I continue to fidget at the edge of my seat. Right at the back end of this place. There was no one to my right and there should''ve been... Larishazza had still not come back from whatever it was she left to do...


    "Lari isn''t back!" I let out with clear worry.


    "Shhh!" someone in front scorned. Only for them to violently rock forward when my foot just barely fit before me. The sudden impact having both disturbed the row in front and severely damaged that seat.


    "Excuse me!?" a woman let out quietly yet harshly. A tone that seemed to disappear the moment I rose up to meet her. Initially eye-to-eye, but I quickly soared over her.


    "Nin!" Einervaene snapped just as quietly before I snapped towards the door.


    "Sir, please stop disturbing the audience." a nervous member of staff told me as I started to chitter louder and louder.


    "Tsk." I let out before I crashed into my seat. Snarling as the row I disturbed walked out of the room. An effect that seemed to nearly disturb the show. But, whoever was performing, this masked man, he was not phased.


    "Nin, it''s okay, she will be back." Vadei tries to soothe me with. A slightly louder tone this time as those in front had vanished.


    "You know I can''t... Not after the way she''s been acting." I say with a slight choke to my words. Was this my fault!? She has referenced it so many times... Yet, I can''t understand why she was behaving like this.


    She was too kind to just stew angrily over what I asked of her. She showed no signs of this behaviour even while she was drunk later in the night. In fact, it only seemed to amp up previous joy and merrymaking. Not a single sign of remorse or anger.


    Then, recently, that all seemed to change at the drop of a hat... Anger I had never seen from her. A degree of irritability I would''ve expected from Vadei... It was like someone else was forcing their way into her.


    To say nothing of how distracted she was back at lunch. Yet, her behaviour wasn''t the only thing that worried me at lunch. Well, it''s more hindsight now. But, that group, they had not performed yet...


    They were supposed to have been two acts ago according to their word. But, this pamphlet we got when we finally got in. It says that they were all the way towards the end. In the establishment''s words, ''the closing act to the mighty peak of the light.''


    A phrase that seemed to speak of this man going by how enthralled everyone was. However, his choice of music, no matter how talentedly he performed it on his lonesome. It did nothing to calm me. This music was designed to make you feel tense...


    Harsh drum beats and the sharp pull of strings. A strange, almost sinister beat to it all. I know I was just losing myself in the music as well... Yet this was just not right.


    There was something wrong... There had to have been something... Lari should be back by now. Regardless of if she gave a time or not.


    She had been gone for too long and this was unacceptable!


    "Nin? Nin!" one of them called out to me before I shot out of my chair. Stomping out to the bar just outside the performance chamber. And, in an effort to clench my worries. I snatched up someone''s drink and swallowed it.


    Glass and all.


    "He-" he began to complain before he likely froze in shock at my exposed features. There was no screaming. But, I could see that in the corner of my eye... The security of this place was on the move.


    "Nin? Nin!" Einervaene said as she came up to me and placed her hand on my shoulder.


    "Where is she, Einervaene?" I asked pointlessly as there was no way she could''ve known. She was one of the first in... I was the last one to come in. The last one who could have actually caught sight of her.


    "Nin, it''s okay. Just calm down. I know, the music is quite tense, isn''t it?" she tried to joke before I shifted my gaze towards her. And she leapt in surprise as our eyes met.


    "It''s not that..." I complained before I rested my face into my palms. Digging the sharp points of my claws into my head as the chittering got worse. What if this really was my fault!? She''s mentioned it enough for that to be potentially true!


    "You''re worried about her, aren''t you?"


    "And you aren''t!?" I may have presumptuously asked as she reacted by raising her hands.


    "I did not say that! It''s just..."


    "I''m sorry... Something just isn''t adding up."


    "Then ask her when she comes back?"


    "She should be back by now... Lari should be in there enjoying the show with us. But, no she''s..." I started to say before a glass was placed before me.


    "Drink, focus." the barkeep said to me without a sign of fear.


    "Y-You aren''t afraid...?" I ask. Just letting this confusion fill my mind in the hopes it might calm me down.


    "Not when you are worried for your bird." the familiar man answers while also encouraging me to drink.


    "Hey, weren''t you...?"


    "Serving your lunch earlier?" he asks back with a laugh.


    "Why''re you here?" I decide to ask as I tremble with a near-empty glass in hand.


    "I work part-time here when I am not full-timing at my place. I get to enjoy the music for free and I carry on doing what I love." he laughs out before he pours me another drink. A small notetablet even started to be filled out as he did so.


    "Sounds like you''re a dependable man." Einervaene compliments with a smile. Something that makes the man chuckle a little longer.


    "No, I just love a good talk over a drink." he says before he takes a simp from a tankard he had.


    "Can you find someone else to talk to, then?" I soon asked him as getting lost in this conversation was pointless! I needed to find Larishazza!


    "Nin!?" Einervaene called out as I suddenly shot off the stall. Carrying on until I left the building with a sudden temperature change hitting me outside. Screams from the surprised filled the air and I was under constant watch.


    "LARISHAZZA!?" I cried out into the somewhat quiet streets. Frantic worry all about me.


    .


    .


    .


    "Th-Thank you!" I cry to the doctor as I clutch my chest. It had been done. My mistake had been corrected and I could now head to Deadly Sound''s performance! Oh, I really wish I had not missed it yet!


    "E-Eh, Doctor?" one of the nurses nearly squealed as the lights flickered.


    "Hm, odd. These are all connected just fine to the magic network." he lets out in confusion before he taps a light.


    "How much do I owe you!?" I excitedly ask before he shakes his head with a sigh.


    "D-Don''t worry... Just, leave, please."


    "Oh, okay..." I say quietly with clear hurt. I was only trying to thank him for helping me... I know he clearly wanted me to choose otherwise. But, I couldn''t risk hurting Nin with my lapse in judgement.


    However, as he wanted me to leave, I just did so. The worry I had previously was now all gone. I had been freed from the potential terror that awaited me... I could now just focus on telling Nin how I felt!


    No matter what decision I came to! I would ensure we would remain the best of friends! Yet, before I could move forward. I felt a familiar pang.


    "Oh, right after we just solved something caused by you." I sigh as I chew my lip. Normally when I got stressed, I just went and found someone to hook up with. I did it quite often. And, the last time Nin nearly found out, it was just before we left.


    It made me laugh just a little knowing he nearly saw me for what I actually was. I never made an effort to come off as a pure woman. But, it was clear he thought highly of me. And this scorned upon behaviour of mine could destroy that...


    There was another way I dealt with stress, however. And that was to just spend time with my friends. Coincidentally as well, we were all in this city and ready to go! I just needed to reach the music place again!


    Yet, I was struggling to remember which way I came from. Maybe because it was dark or because it was an unfamiliar place. Either way, if I could not find a map, I would be perpetually lost. I guess I could ask for directions too.


    But, even the busiest cities turned quiet at some point, I suppose. I couldn''t blame them either. With how this place was made, your magic could no longer keep you warm. It was like you had none to begin with!


    It was a very annoying flaw in this city. I could not enjoy my magic as I ran or danced. I just had to lunge forward with powerful strides and hum. And, as it was a special occasion for them.


    I decided to hum the song I heard while I was fighting them! Because regardless of the pain it caused me, it was still good music. It was just a shame I could not really break out dancing in this city. There was no room between all the alleys and crowds.


    "Hey, it''s the park!" I let out once I saw a landmark that could guide me back to where I wanted to go! So, obviously, I skipped on over and tried to get a way back from the map I used last time. Yet, I was incredibly confused, because it said something completely different. Had someone graffitied all over it since I was in there...?


    ''You will pay!'' it read.


    "I don''t think you can." I tease as I look onwards at the quiet park. Giggling at my silly joke before I skip on ahead towards the place I should''ve always been. Yet, even out here, I could hear the wind carry the music and I just could not help myself.


    "Oh, my, young lady, that is quite inappropriate!" one well-dressed old woman comments. Yet, her face held a smile and her tone was not chastising like her words were.


    "If dancing to music is wrong, then I do not want to ever be right!" I declare as I weave my way past anyone in my way. Even without my magic, I was still a well-trained acrobat and a fine dancer. And, not to toot my own horn. But, maybe the best dancer ever!


    I wasn''t too sure if my dancing matched the music, though. It was quite sinister, whatever was playing. But maybe it was because a villain had been revealed!? I had heard of one man who showed stories as he performed.


    A lone man that was world-famous for his skill at arms in the proverbial sense. Just thinking about it made me get covered in goosebumps. Oh! I better not be missing it!


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "Mozzenbeet! I''m coming!" I gently sang as what was surely his music grew louder. I just couldn''t wait to get there! Actually, now that I remembered it as well, his world tours always ended here!


    Right here in Thrurstradtur! So if he was here, he''d be here for ages and ages until the next one was all prepared! I never got to see him back in the Grand Kingdom. But, here!?


    "I could see him whenever I want!" I giggle excitedly. And it was that excitement that drove me on and on until I came to a stop at a silent junction. Only one man was down this way, so I might as well take it!


    "Die." I then heard him whisper so clearly before my belly started to burn..


    .


    .


    .


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" the vile woman screamed in shock and horror as my holy blade went into her. And although this sword worked under the divine concept of goodness. I, its wielder did not. And I thrust it in deeper far more than was needed.


    "Foul woman." I spit as she clutches me with shock in her eyes. She had no idea this would happen just like all my victims. And how I enjoyed what I saw in her eyes. Regret, fear, terror...


    All the emotions her child would have felt should they have been allowed to grow and learn...


    "GAH!" she lets out when I finally let her slip off of my sword. How I did it, however, only made the hole on both sides wider. With it, more blood would spill and she would howl louder.


    "Run as fast as you can!" I tell her with a wide smile as she slowly starts to take flight. A clear trail of bloody breadcrumbs leading me straight to her. But, I did not follow it directly. I just paid attention to how her sinful blood painted the pavement and embedded stone.


    I could be anywhere I wanted after all. So I had my fun and reappeared before her everytime she turned a corner. Laughing each time as she tried to run away before I grazed her red skin with my sword. Bringing her closer and closer to her knees with each step towards a thousand cuts.


    "SOMEONE PLEASE! HELP ME! HELP ME!" she cried in terror as she started to smash her desperate fists against whatever she could find. Windows, doors and even garden ornaments. Which, I was kind enough to clean and put away properly as I slowly stalked her.


    "Oh, that''s a shame, they all think you are mad!" I laugh as she desperately latches onto someone. But, my control was so absolute that they did not see what I did. All they saw was a crazed woman howling gibberish. It disturbed them a lot, but not as much as it did her.


    "S-Somebody... Please...!" she cries before she falls to her rear after provoking her wound.


    "Put you out of your misery? Not yet, not yet at all!" I laugh just before I start to run. Kicking my armoured shoe tip straight into her face. Drawing more blood and frightening those around her. I was starting to let them see her wounds.


    Yet, I had to confess myself to being a liar. Because they just saw her attacking herself. And it made me laugh and laugh until I lost control. A brief lapse in my concentration that saw the floor become so slippery as to slide her off.


    "Whoops!" I let out innocently before I stopped her body as if it never got away from me. To her, though, I was too slow in my efforts to attack her again. And she got away. But, I smiled and reappeared in a completely different style of dress.


    "Sumbrudy..." she moaned through a cracked jaw and broken, bloody gums. And, she eventually clung onto my disguised form desperately.


    "By the gods!?" I gasp in mock horror as I protectively take ahold of her as she broke down crying.


    "Prease helwp mieh!" she begged as she started to try and keep her jaw together to ease the pain.


    "Hold on, we''ll go find the guards!" I tell her before I pick up most of her weight and take her through a dark alley. Smiling in the dark before suddenly slamming her on the wall. A small dagger in hand that I started to insert over and over. Cackling like a madman the entire time as as she gasped over and over.


    "HELP ME!" she let out with one last defiant roar as she started to slowly slide down the wall. Her eyes seemingly filled with tiredness rather than pain. And I laughed at her as she started down at her bloody hands.


    .


    .


    .


    "LARI!?" I roar all of a sudden after I heard that. And I repeated that roar over and over as those who were out here started to panic. It was not me, however, that seemed to have them scared. It was someone else.


    "No one is coming to help you!" a malicious voice cackled as I heard the familiar sound of a blade in the wind.


    "LARI!" I roar as I turn the corner. Smashing my body against the stone, brick and metal each time.


    "Oh, what do we ha-" the man with a wide smile began to say before I punched him away.


    "GET AWAY FROM HER!" I roar as I force him away in shock.


    Yet, his smile eventually came back and he seemed intrigued, "Ohoho? Now this is new indeed." he cackles before he taps his sword. And, in a moment, he was gone.


    "SOMEBODY HELP! ANYONE!?" I roar with tears in my eyes as I clutched Lari''s bloody body in my claws. Roaring and roaring over and over as her body started to feel so very cold. All the life it once had was just vanishing and I did not know what to do!


    "NIN!?" Vadei screamed before she came to a stop by the alleyway. A terrified gasp barely being hidden by her mouth as I sat on the ground clutching a bloody body.


    "SOMEBODY! HELP!" I cry again as I try to shake some life back into Lari''s torn up body. Thankfully, blaring sirens and the feeling of magic filled the air.


    "SECURE THE AREA!" an armoured soldier orders as the area suddenly filled with men.


    "LET GO OF HER!" what must''ve been an emergency responder yelled as they started to pry her out of my hands. I wanted to stop them, but, I just couldn''t summon the strength to stop them because of this city!


    "GET HER MOVING, NOW!" was the last I heard before my ears seemed to swell shut. I was left watching as Lari''s body disappeared with those men. All before I just seemed to lose the ability to look around once I saw my palms. They were so red...


    Soaked in her blood... The precious, nesscary blood of the woman I loved... The one who gave me so much strength and so much joy... This was her blood...


    Even as a familiar tail entered the corner of my vision, I could still only focus on the blood. How could they have done this!? Lari was the sweetest girl out there... She didn''t deserve this...


    "L-Lari..." I tremble out slowly as I brought those claws to my face. Smothering myself in it as I tried to hide my tears.


    .


    .


    .


    "Dammit!" I snap in Nin''s face before I scramble to my feet. Whatever was going on, Nin could handle himself! But, as much as it pained me to do so. I had to leave him here so I could tell Tiyanat!


    She needed to know what had just happened and I would make sure she would!


    "HEY! YOU! STOP!" one of the guards shouted at me before I slid under them. Narrowly avoiding his grip as I got back up. Slamming my feet down as hard as I could to put some more distance between us.


    "Let her go, you know she''s not the one we want!" another tells him as if this was a common occurrence!? What in the name of the gods had just happened!? I did not see it, but, I knew full well what had happened from all that blood.


    Eventually, I made it back into the opera house and I stormed into the main hall. Disrupting the performance where Nin''s earlier behaviour had not. And, as much as I hated all these eyes baring down on me. I hated this sudden cold sensation I felt even more.


    None of us could use our magic yet I was still somehow cold as I stared at Tiyanat. I had not so much as uttered a word but she quickly gathered as I silently stared at her. It must''ve only been a few seconds at most before she desperately ran out. The others, however, could only guess as to what has happened.


    "Did something happen to...?" Einervaene began to ask to which I nodded rapidly. A horrified gasp left her as her mouth was also covered up. And, I used my nose to try and figure out when Tiyanat had gotten. Nin was best left on his own but she needed someone to be there for her!


    "WHERE IS MY SISTER!?" she screamed at one of the guards while another quickly started pulling information up. A task that seemed to be rather difficult as she was lashing out ceaselessly at them.


    "She''s family, take her." the senior one said before he nodded at a few more guards.


    "Wait! Where''re you taking her!? Where''s our friend!?" I demanded to know.


    "I-Is she alright!?" Einervaene struggled to ask as a crowd started to form.


    "ALL OF YOU, BACK!" a large guard roared as they started to cock their guns at us. Which, in this city, would be fatal. No one but the city guard could use magic...


    "City-Guard Officer, Sir. What about the...?" I somehow managed to overhear as the crowd behind us grew more disturbed. Where they pointed suggested only one thing. But, I was too scared by the implications.


    Was Nin going to be blamed for this!?


    "IT''S HIM AGAIN, ISN''T IT!?" one woman screamed in horror. Yet, the way they all reacted as Nin was slowly pulled out from the darkness confused me. They were surprised to see him here yet they were focused on someone else.


    "RETURN TO YOUR HOMES IMMEDIATELY! MARTIAL LAW IN THE LOCAL AREA IS NOW IN EFFECT!" one man''s voice boomed through a device just before aircraft flew overhead. From what I could hear, it was more than just a couple. It must''ve been a whole wing or more!


    "What''s going on...?" I ask in confusion as this seemed excessive for what had happened to Larishazza...


    "My love! Over here!" Rose''lhia began to cry out as she tried to get past the guards.


    "He with you!?" one of them barked in question before Nin was shoved our way.


    "Move!" another barked. And we were all collectively forced into moving Nin through the city.


    "You lot students?" one guard ended up asking us to which we nodded.


    "In here...?" I ask quietly as we were suddenly corralled back into the opera building.


    "LOCKDOWN EVERY STREET! I WANT HIM FOUND!" a woman seemed to bark before the doors were slammed shut in front of us.


    "W-What''s going on?" Einervaene squeaked in fright before I put a hand on her arm. Yet, all of our attempts to comfort soon went to Nin. He had not moved or made a sound since we got him back. It was as if someone had broken him...


    "Nin? Come on, answer me!" I bark in his face after we put him down on a bar stall. And, behind him, the barkeep''s expression turned dark.


    "So he had struck again, hm?" he asked us, much to our confusion.


    "Who? Who has done this to my love!? SPEAK!" Rose''lhia angrily demanded to know as she looked Nin over with a surgeon''s eye.


    The barkeep, however, took a sip from his drink to calm his nerves, "Smiling Jhurack."


    And, the moment he uttered that name, Nin came to life. A vicious growl took over his features and his growled in the man''s face. We tried to pull him back, yet, we weren''t strong enough. His size was too great for us in our suppressed state.


    "Who is that...?" Einervaene asked nervously as the barkeep rested his hands on the wood.


    "The Uncatchable Killer." he utters while he cautiously watches Nin''s body tremble with rage.


    "Nin, you need to calm down." Einervaene tries to tell him with a soothing voice and gestures before he snaps his jaws at her.


    "NIN!" I shout in disgust as this was unacceptable.


    .


    .


    .


    "Hurry up! HURRY UP!" I scream at the men taking me to wherever my sister had been taken. If they felt the need to extract her like this, it must have been bad... And I couldn''t handle that. Dread and worry was all I could feel.


    I would need to make sure she is okay! Tell Mum and Dad about it! I would get stuck in the middle of a political crisis! And, if Larishazza has just been attacked, might I be too!?


    "Any signs of him?" someone asked over a device.


    "Negative, target is ignoring the sister." he responds before I am suddenly pinned to the wall as the guards raise the weapons.


    "Distortion detected!" one confirms before a smiling man suddenly appears/


    "FIRE! FIRE!" they bark before orange light starts to fill the street. Yet, somehow, that man''s laughter rang louder than the guns beside me.


    Then, another order came through, "PURSUE THE TARGET!" with aircraft flying by just after.


    "Larishazza..." I mutter as they start to move me again until we reach what must''ve been the nearest hospital.


    "Smiling Jhurack is not interested in the sister, repeat, not interested in the sister." the guard who lingered near me tells his superiors before he runs off with the others.


    "WHERE IS SHE!?" I roar nearly instantly after watching those men disappear.


    "She is in surgery right now, we cannot let you in!" a nurse tells me as the hospital staff starts to get in my way.


    "LET ME SEE HER! LET ME SEE HER!" I scream over and over as the mass of doctors and nurses pushes me back. All the way to the wall we went until they suddenly stabbed something into me.


    .


    .


    .


    "Larishazza..." I muttered quietly as I stared at my sister''s mutilated body. She was still alive, yet, for some reason, they weren''t doing anything. Her wounds had been cleaned and sealed. But they had not healed her...


    Wasn''t the magic of everyone withheld for things like this!? Why weren''t they pumping her full of it!? It could not have been because it would have been too much for her... I could see pressure devices right now!


    "Come on... Speak..." I cry as I start to tightly clutch her hand. I wanted to try and look at her while avoiding the injuries. But, she was covered in them. Stab wounds, bruises, cuts and broken bones...


    There was no escaping the horrifying sight of what had happened to her. Yet, the quiet I had woken up to quickly disappeared and a fight could be heard. But, I knew who it was the moment I heard him howl. Nin had come to see her...


    I wanted to be left alone with my sister... But, it could not be helped. I was not the only one whose heart had been touched by her smile. There were so many out there who loved her for the sweet dancer she was.


    Yet, I could not muster the will to go and tell the hospital to let Nin in. If someone had been this vicious to my sister... There was no way that they were just going to let it slide. I needed to make sure she was safe...


    I had to...


    "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Nin roared so close to the door before his natural strength broke the locked door. And, he became quiet the moment he saw her. Just like I was...


    "It''s alright... He won''t hurt her..." I tell the angered hospital staff as I stare down at my tear-covered hands.


    "Why is she still...?" he asks me once the doctors and nurses go away.


    "I don''t know..." I barely get out as I move closer to her head. Stroking her hair carefully before placing my face near hers. And it only made me cry more because she was still alive! There was no reason for her to be like this, still!


    How was I going to tell Dad about this...? Larishazza going on that trip was enough to make him threaten war. What was going to happen if he found out about this!? I needed to tell him!


    But, I did not want my friends to get hurt as he led a crusade against her attacker. It was an unavoidable escalation that I feared so much... I tried to keep her safe just so such things would not happen. I did not want to see more places lost to the violence our family''s love created.


    Maybe, the politics of it all would allow this place to survive. But, I did not know... Dad was so high up in the kingdom''s hierarchy that he could probably...


    "Don''t worry, Lari, I''ll find him... I''ll find him and k-keep you safe..." Nin cried, interrupting my thoughts. And, I was shocked at how intense his reaction to all this was. I know they were close but...


    I had no idea he would weep to this extent. Yet, I guess it was to be expected. Back at the party before Larishazza was ill... They spent it all together.


    Did that mean he...?


    "Nin... What is my sister to you?" I ask him as I could not see him letting this down.


    "She... She... Is... She is the hope that made me want to keep on living... And now she''s..." he started to say in tears before his rage boiled to the front again.


    "What''re you looking at?" I ask him as his eyes lock on the window all of a sudden.


    "Him... It''s his fault... It''s all his fault..." he growls through the ceaseless tears as his legs start to crack in his grip.


    "Smiling Jhurack..." I mutter in remembrance of what those guards had done. That laughing man... They used me as bait for him... But, he had no interest in me at all.


    Then why did he go after my sister...?

 Incline 1: A Distant, Useless Helper

    "So, as I was saying, Lord Sl''Ayiysab, you must simply attend that show in the Isles of the Depressing Lake." one of the nobles I was mingling with told me.


    "No can do, I''m afraid." I tell him with a small smile while he becomes confused.


    "But you showed such interest in it before?" he asks me rather loudly.


    "I did, but to get there I would have to pay the absurd tariffs your territory has!" I answer with a loud laugh. Eliciting one from him soon after once the confusion had made itself scarce.


    "Oh? Is a famous Lord of the Border light on funds?" one woman joked while I scoffed at her before looking around. I don''t think it was possible for me to ever be light on funds. I had all the direct taxation from this mobile-city as well as my colonial holdings.


    "However, if funds are an issue, I can make an exception? You would have no need to travel extravagantly if yo-"


    "Enough, I would be happy to pay my dues. I was just draining your oasis is all." I tell him with a smile before I pat his shoulder and walk off. Carefully directing some dates with my fingernails before I joined up with my wife again/


    "Use the date-scaple, darling."


    "You know those things are too fiddly for me in my old age." I respond before my smile gets me a scornful look.


    "Honestly, try to act like you belong here." she scorns just after before she opens it up for me instead.


    "Yummy." I comment with a laugh once I took the date out of her fingers. Smiling even more as I saw her blush at my childishness.


    "Darling..." she moans quietly before I let the childish behaviour stop.


    "Don''t worry, Rain. We''ve made it for some time without me changing at all. One small gathering won''t cause issues."


    "A few words can do more than a few issues..." she rightfully complains before I pull her in close.


    "As I just said, don''t worry." I tell her as I stroke her beautiful blue hair. The same hair she was kind enough to pass onto our daughters.


    "My lord! My lord!" one servant cried as he came running in. Actions that disrupted the party entirely. And, were it not for us turning our attention towards him. We''d never have known he was talking to us.


    There were many lords here after all.


    "And what prompts such a break of character?" I ask with some annoyance as this was unbecoming of a member of staff here. Or anywhere for that matter.


    "It''s Mistress Tiyanat! She wishes to speak with you urgently!" he explains before he starts to correct his mistake. But, before he could, I take ahold of his arm and stare intently at him.


    "Take me, now." I order as I let him feel the pressure of my hand.


    "Of course!"


    "What''s wrong!? Why is Tiyanat calling us now? Our picture-to-picture isn''t until the end of the week!" my wife asks him. Yet, all he could do was shake his head.


    "I''m afraid I don''t know, Lady Sl''Ayiysab! She just started to call while I was doing my duties and she was in tears!"


    "Ti-Ti!?" I let out with urgency as I picked up the pace. Leaving my wife behind in the rush to get to wherever it was that she had called.


    "In here, my Lord!" the servant tells me before my wife catches up with us. She might''ve been annoyed with me normally, but now was not the time to complain. So we both entered the room and were greeted with a horrifying sound. Tiyanat was crying without restraint...


    "Tiyanat? What''s wrong? It''s alright, Mummy and Daddy are here!" my wife tried to calm her with while she reached out for her. But, I had to pull her back as there was nothing she could do physically. This was just a way for us to communicate... We weren''t actually there for her...


    "It''s... It''s Larishazza!" she struggled to get out before the crying got worse.


    "What happened, Ti-Ti!? What happened to Lala?" I demanded to know as it had not been that long since her prior disappearance. She was fine when we saw her last, but a lot can happen in a short time...


    "She..." and my poor daughter was struggling to say anything, "She..."


    "Shh! When you''re ready, Tiyanat." her mother tries to calm her with as her hands scrunch up my clothes. She could not hold her daughter and it frustrated her...


    Then, when she was seemingly ready, "She... She''s been attacked and... She''s not recovering... Someone attacked her and she''s not getting better!" my daughter cries before I freeze up. What did she mean by that...? Why wasn''t she recovering...?


    WHAT GOOD WAS THAT SCHOOL''S REPUTATION IF THEY COULDN''T RESOLVE THIS!?


    "Was it just an accident? Something at school?" I ask calmly just to make sure that this was just her being her usual worrywart self.


    "N-No..."


    "Explain, please." I ask slowly, moving away from my wife and making sure I dominated Tiyanat''s view. I wanted her to explain it all now!


    "From... F-From what I have heard... A serial killer has..." she failed to fully get out.


    "I see." I say as I slowly move away from the screen.


    "W-WAIT DAD!" I heard her scream before I walked out the room. Regardless of their motivations, they targeted the wrong girl... My Larishazza, my Lala, she was not some ordinary girl. She was a Sl''Ayiysab!


    And I would show this so-called killer what that meant...


    "Darling!? Darling!" my wife called out, yet, she did not chase after me. So I was free to keep on marching and marching until I was out of the estate. From there, it was a simple task of casting aside the people filling the streets. Those who were attentive moved and those that weren''t were swept aside.


    Merely running or walking out in the streets was too slow... So I found myself inspired by an unyielding torrent of water. And I kept it up all the way until I reached the place so many people here worked at. Then, without the usual grand ceremony my visit would entail, I broke the doors down.


    "WHERE IS THE CITY''S GUIDER!?" I roar once the dust and leftover water disappeared.


    "Lord Sl''Ayiysab!?" one of the workers asked before I placed my hand around his throat.


    "DO NOT SPEAK UNLESS YOU CAN ANSWER ME!" I snap before throwing him down.


    "Lord Sl''Ayiysab, what is the problem!?" the man I was looking for asked over the speaker. And, a mere moment later, I was right next to him. Much to his shock.


    "Turn this city around and take us to the closest coast to the Land of Wind." I growl with a magnificent display of power backing me up.


    "O-Of course!" he nervously replied before I started to slowly march up towards my throne. There was nothing I could do now but be patient... Yet, when I sat down in it, I could hear the room creak and break under my power.


    "Darling!" my wife suddenly called as her face suddenly popped up. Tiyanat''s did too...


    "Dad, please, listen to me! I know you are overreacting right now!"


    "OVERREACTING!?" I shout with such rage and power that I could''ve potentially have destroyed the city''s ability to walk.


    "Darling, calm down." my wife tells me from the safety of our estate.


    "Okay, you have five minutes." I tell the pair of them as I let my aura weaken. And that was all I did, I did not let it go away. I let it stay so those near me knew I was in no mood to tolerate failure.


    "Dad, stop! I know that you''re just going to march here with an army! DO NOT DESTROY THIS PLACE!"


    "You care more about that school than your sister?" I ask her as this was unacceptable. What right did she have to tell me to stop!?


    "NO! I JUST DON''T WANT MY FRIENDS GETTING HURT! I DON''T WANT TO HAVE TO LEAVE ANOTHER PLACE BEHIND BECAUSE YOU OVERREACTED!"


    "Darling..."


    "Tiyanat... Your sister was attacked by what you claim to be a serial killer. But how am I meant to trust that claim? What''s to say it wasn''t an assassin!?"


    "BECAUSE LATER THE NIGHT LARISHAZZA WAS ATTACKED, THREE WOMEN WERE KILLED WHILE ONLY SHE LIVED! I SAW THAT MAN''S FACE AND HE DID NOT TRY TO KILL ME!" she screamed before she flinched away in fear at my gaze.


    "I see..." I let out lowly before I started to fixate on another detail, "And she isn''t recovering because...?" I ask her. I wasn''t expecting an answer, but if she was the only one who had lived... Then that made it all the more likely this was a message sent out to our family.


    But that was contradicted by the fact that Tiyanat was okay... Did this have something to do with Larishazza''s prior disappearance...?


    "Darling, she doesn''t know. Stop being so harsh on her." my wife tells me before she turns to try and comfort our daughter.


    "Of course, I am sorry, Tiyanat." I say with a sigh.


    "It''s okay... I know you''re worried for her..."


    "Obvious, no?" I sarcastically mutter.


    "Ahmedallin!" my wife snaps.


    "So, if I take things too far, what do you suggest, Tiyanat?"


    "At least give the doctors some time! Please! Keep your armies away from here! Not one drop of water is to come onto this continent, okay!?" my daughter snaps angrily before she drops to her knees.


    "Tiyanat, look at me." I mutter to my daughter.


    "Okay..." she quietly answers as she places her head on the desk she was likely at.


    "Tiyanat, show me your face." I say once it became clear she was going to sob behind her arms. And I had to wait a little bit before she did as she was told.


    "Darling, just say what you want to already." my wife tells me despite the annoyed glance I shot her way.


    "Is me calling upon the best doctors this land has acceptable for you as a first measure?"


    "I... no... If you can help Larishazza... Please..."


    And I nod slowly at my daughter as a lone tear stealthily escapes me, "Of course. I will use what I can to secure the very best. But, let me be clear. I will respect your wishes for a more timid response. However, should the worst come to pass? I will call upon one of them." the words at the end bringing shock to both of their faces.


    "Darling! You just agreed to-"


    "Mom... It''s alright." she says before my daughter glares intently at me.


    "Anything else?" I ask as a face like that only meant one thing.


    "You will not send one over, because this will work..." she tells me with a stern expression at first before she starts to cry once again.


    "Tiyanat..." my wife lets out while I feel my heart ache at the sight. I can''t even begin to imagine what this must be like for her... I have only heard of it and this was how I was reacting. She either saw it happen or the effects of this attack directly.


    It was a small detail, but I knew full well it had a far greater impact. It was nothing in comparison, but, I had no issue about wiping out a rogue nation. However, if I was to see the drowned bodies afterwards, I had issues stomaching it. So, like her mother, I wish I could be there for Tiyanat...


    Yet, I had some relief in regard to that. If she was this determined to keep me in check, then she must have made some good friends. Ones she did not want to see hurt by a ruthless manhunt ordered by me. As much as I could not care about them, their safety did affect my daughter''s view of me.


    And I did not want my family to be strained further by infighting... We had a cause uniting us for now. Yet, I feared ruining that more than the political backlash I might cause with my actions. His Majesty would not be happy with me, but he would have to just drink it up.


    The tide flowed where the tide flowed... And if it truly came to it, I would lead the tsunami.


    .


    .


    .


    "Ah, this is the good stuff." I sigh in relief as I hold both a beautiful woman in my arms and a fine glass of drink. Behind me, of course, was a display of my accomplishments. All manner of personally made gifts and more official kinds. I had no particular favourite, however.


    Because I was the culmination of each award. I earned each one and it showed. The woman I held knew it. The men who shipped in my drink knew it.


    "Come on, Stolpzhen, let''s get in the water already!" my woman of the day begged me as she tugged at her lewd dress. And, as per usual, those aelenvari really knew how to draw out a woman''s best aspects.


    "Oh, go on then." I say with a grin as I take her by the hip and give her lips a fleeting kiss. Then, when I was done enjoying her soft lips, I got up. Taking off my shirt before taking one final swing of my drink. A smile on my face as she laughed as she led me to the water.


    "I don''t suppose the weather will turn bad at some point tonight?" she longingly asked as we sat down in the mountainside pool. But, then again, what wasn''t mountainside in this land? I guess I could not complain. It was a splendid view that it gave me.


    And I got to enjoy it with all the aforementioned goodies my pride and skill have won me. Yet, there was one downside to it all. It had left me with a ravenous hunger for it all. Getting to the top on my own hasn''t exactly taught me to treasure what I can get...


    "No, got to enjoy what you can I am afraid."


    "Aw..." she moans in annoyance before she starts trying to take it up a notch.


    "Careful now," I tell her with an equally lusty grin, "the water is strong." I remind her before she slips.


    "Ah!" she laughs as she floats down to the other end of the pool. Before I could catch up with her, however, I hear footsteps for some reason.


    "Can I help you?" I ask the stranger who had walked onto my property. Under normal circumstances, this might''ve been a reason to panic. But this man bore all the decoration of a public official. And, well, no one had privacy when it came to them.


    I even found myself looking at the winds nearby as I thought that. Because no one truly had any privacy if they lived out in the open. A certain someone did not have so many songs written about him because he wanted them sung. The stories of red winds were lessons full of truth.


    "Urgent work." the man said with a frustrating amount of simplicity and detail deprivation.


    "I''m on holiday." I sardonically remind him as this was not my actual home. Merely my holiday home. My real home was locked away in a place no winds could reach.


    "I thought you said no one would disturb us!?" my daily take-home complained as she got out of the pool. Both I and this man received a glare before she then stormed off inside. But, not before I could get a light smack of her arse.


    "Yes, I did." I answer, yet, the words were meant for this incline-bait.


    "If you please, your office, Surgeon Stolpzhen." the man requested as he lifted his arm and gestured me into the house.


    "Honestly..." I mutter in complaint before doing as he requested. But, I made a point of taking my time. The weather was nice and I intended to spend as much time as I could in it. The gods made this grand construct beyond the sky for a reason.


    And by Aahtha''s good name, it was to be enjoyed in the accompanying of buxom women!


    "So who is the client?" I ask ahead of time as a visit like this meant deep pockets were involved. I was employed in a normal firm like everyone else. But, I had gained a rep for how freelance I took my work.


    "Lord and Lady Sl''Ayiysab of the Grand-Kingdom of Ibenorroco." he answers just as we reach the door.


    "Eh?" I let out as I freeze up in confusion. What did some snooty, soggy nobles from across the All-Coast want with me...? Did they not have a dozen surgeons equal to or greater than me? Well, I am happy that they came to me. As, well, it meant that I truly was the best.


    "I will explain or hand over the details inside. So, again, please, your office." he answers while I change my posture to a more professional one. It must''ve been quite the situation if foreign nobility was asking for my help. But, of course, I also reserved the right to decline. Which, the sight of an annoyed woman in a tight, easily removed bikini made me inclined to do.


    "I am sorry, this might take a while." I tell her as I move her fuming head against my refined body. And what she did made me smile as I felt a wet sensation and a distinct pop.


    "It best not take so long that I become bored." she gasps quietly as she fiddles with her prized goods.


    "I hope not!" I let out enthusiastically before we go into my office. And, before I sit down, I pick up a dressing gown. If they wanted to call me directly, I doubt they''d want to see me half-naked. Then again, what could they do if I sarcastically point out that I was supposed to be on holiday?


    "As said just now, your clients are the Lord and Lady Sl''Ayiysab of the Grand-Kingdom of Ibenorroco." he pointlessly reminds me before he hands me over a tube. One I initially struggled to open as it was some Ibenorrocoian device. Far more tedious than a simple tablet. Or, you know, regular paper.


    "So, they want me to fix up their daughter?" I ask him as I suddenly am exposed to the secrets of this invention. A projection made entirely of magic-influenced water. Something that did impress me as it was almost like I was looking at the actual thing. And, I had to admit from a glance that this daughter of theirs was in bad shape.


    Broken bones all about her, particularly in the jaw area. It was practically impossible to miss all the cuts and deep dagger wounds. But, one thing did not sit right with me. It wasn''t just a picture made of water that I had, details about her injuries and all that were here too.


    Someone had tried to sort her out before...? In Thrurstradtur too of all places. I would''ve thought that this would''ve been a done-by issue for them. Yet, here we were.


    "The medical staff at St. Bruttar Brief Recovery and Healing Centre have had no luck in trying to resolve her injuries. At some point, the parents found out and they have insisted quite firmly that the best of the best be called upon."


    "So you''re working directly with the royal family, then?"


    "I cannot give you any details regarding my work. Only what you will be doing." he asserts as I start to remember where I had seen all those details on his uniform before. If the heads of the Seven-Peak Union were concerned than this was a volatile situation. And, I had to admit, it made me uncomfortable being put in something like this.


    It was far beyond the issues I normally dealt with! I was a surgeon! A really good one! I was, however, not a politician or a player in their malicious games!


    "And if I decline to help them?" I ask while checking for any details regarding pay or just anything that looked like a contract. I wanted some kind of guarantee that I wasn''t being held at spellpoint here... People from the King''s personal staff did not just play messenger...


    "Someone better will be chosen."


    And that made me scoff, "Then why did you come to me first?" what kind of bluff was he making?


    "Because you fit the bare minimum." he replies without so much as a crack in his expression.


    "I beg your pardon?" I say with growing annoyance.


    "They wanted a skill surgeon, and His Lunar Majesty saw fit to send for you as you would be, of course, the cheapest option."


    "Well, you''re certainly right about me being the cheapest option." I growl before I slam my hands on my desk.


    "Of course, you aren''t the best." he says with a nod to one of my many trophy cabinets.


    "Why you... Fine, no monetary pay. Only that hidden smirk wiped off your face!" I snap before the magic in the device suddenly flashes.


    And, the man smirks, "You really are the cheapest option." he huffs with a slight smirk before he leaves my office. And, going by his direction, he was quick to leave my holiday home too.


    "And why did you flash?" I pointlessly ask the Ibenorrocoian machine.


    "I will ask only once, Surgeon. For your sake, make sure my daughter walks out of that building better than when she entered it." the man who suddenly formed in the water told me. And, I had to admit, he was quite the intimidating man. Even if this was just a magic construct. I could still tell he was a man of action in that kingdom across the great sea...


    "I assure you, Lord Sl''Ayiysab, I will get it done. Because the price of pride is always worth paying in full."


    "Be sure your petty issues do not interfere." he growls lowly before he disappears.


    "Great..." I let out after making a loud tut. Not only had I walked into that government official''s ploy by saving his boss some money. I was also under spellpoint from one of the most powerful men in the world.


    "So, I see they''re gone. And just in time too." the woman I brought in lets out lustfully as she starts to undress at the door.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "You will need to leave, I have work." I tell her without so much as a hint to the prior playfulness I spoke to her with before.


    "What...? I can''t believe this! ARE YOU SERIOUS!?" she starts to go off while I start gathering what I might need. If this was in Thrurstradtur, I would need all the necessary tabletwork. Identification and all that stuff.  Most importantly, however, I needed to get my tools which I rarely used.


    And, despite my prior complaints of being on holiday. I had brought all this stuff here recently or set it up a long time ago in anticipation for sudden, urgent work. So, at the very least, my professional caution was justified. And, if one bit of caution was enough, then I could do with a lot more.


    I was worried about this job, however. Despite all my skill as a surgeon, I had never seen a patient who was simply not healing. I''ve handled patients who were too strong, and in turn could not get enough magic to heal. But never one who failed to recover in a place like Thrurstradtur...


    Say what you will about that Academy, but it led to Thrurstradtur''s rise as the technology capital of the continent. If their system of taking people''s external-magic and their auras to feed back into systems like this wasn''t enough... Then I''d have my work cut out for me. And, of course, it would cause other issues regardless.


    This was digging into my holiday and work just loved to keep me around... Their heels would be most certainly dug in to stop me from getting my lost time back. Yet, if I was in another country... What were they going to do...?


    Besides, I have been meaning to go back to the city I learned my profession at anyway. I can get both a lovely refresher in their amazing technology and see the new stuff first! It was an exciting opportunity if you ignored why I was going. Besides, I could always find a lovely hotel and a bored maid to restart my holiday with.


    .


    .


    .


    "Trips down memory lane sure would be nice under different circumstances." I comment under my breath as the spiral-tram finally passes into Thrurstradtur''s vicinity. Thankfully, it had been a quick and quiet journey. Not that I had any doubts that it wouldn''t be. You have the royal family directly ask you for assistance, they''ll make sure the roads are clear.


    Yet, there was one glaring issue with that. I could not get to know some of the passengers a little better. So I was stuck with whatever staff was attending. A far more challenging endeavour when one considered their need for professionalism.


    This would not be so much of an issue, however, because the pretty lady attending me was being reeled in. Unfortunately, the amount of time it took me to get it all sorted meant it would only be a brief chat. So, I decided to make the most of it and I called her over. Smiling at her when she smiled at me.


    "Can I help you, Sir?" she asks as she slightly leans over me and rests a hand on my left shoulder.


    "Well, for starters, I think the ride has been a bit bumpy. So, I was wondering if you could test something for me?" I ask of her.


    "Oh? I assure you, Sir. Our company owners make sure all their spiral-trams are smooth, enjoyable rides." she answers with a wink as I guide her onto my lap. The tight-knitting of her short, thigh-length pencil skirt showed quite a nice shape too.


    "See? Bumps." I smirk as she settles into my lap more firmly.


    "Hm, I see, there is something bumpy. But I don''t think its the vehicle." she giggles as she gets up again.


    "Tsk, would''ve thought a skirt like that would make it hard to get up." I let out as she puts some distance between us.


    "Well, those who made it were very kind to leave this here." she points out as she takes my fingers to rub the small triangle cut in the skirt. And while I did not feel her bare skin, it was close enough with those black tights she had on. The slight colour shading from her soft, pale skin even broke through at points.


    One small piece of the allure that was the professional serving-woman. Just one of many blessings that the gods have given us. Particularly the goddesses as their teachings encourage this sort of stuff. It was no secret after all that outside of most circumstances, women were primarily there to look good.


    A balance I have not seen anyone complain about. After all, most of the ones I ended up taking home I did get through compliments. It was honestly hilarious how far a simple compliment went with most women. And to be honest, I had no interest in the harder-to-get ones.


    "Well, unfortunately, it seems we must part ways...?"


    "Elizana." she answers with a giggle.


    "Take care, precious breeze." I say with a smile after gently cupping her arse.


    "You know... I am allowed to come off and take a short break of a few days..." she tells me suggestively as she starts to show the cracks in her professional facade.


    "I''ll have to catch up with you, then. But, if we go by the time... Might I take you to lunch?"


    "Oh, but my mum prepared me something and it''s full of love..."


    "And I can guarantee that you will get plenty of love over these next few days." I tell her with a confident smirk before I move up to grab my stuff.


    "So, what''re you doing here, anyway?"


    "I''m a surgeon, here for a client." I answer simply and vaguely as I wasn''t sure how bad this might get if I spoke of it. It was just an operation, granted. But, given the circumstances of who the client was and who set me on this path... I did not want to put my skin on the line.


    "Must be something big going on if they''re calling in help, then."


    "You know I am not from around here?" I question as I know I did not say anything like that.


    "Well, why else would you get on back at Aztraht?" she asks, giggling as she did so.


    "Clever." I comment with a smile before I turn to leave.


    "Pick me up in an hour?"


    "Right here at the station?"


    "That would be best." she tells me with a smile.


    "See you then, beautiful." I compliment. Something that made her blush with such strength that I could see it through her make-up. And that made me quite jolly indeed. Yet, the sight I saw once I got off thoroughly got rid of that joy.


    "All arrivals must present identification and suitable justification! Any who do not will be sent back on their way with minimum reimbursement!" a guard loudly declared to everyone getting off the spiral-tram. Which, naturally included me. So I had to make sure I had everything in order before I joined the queue awaiting inspection. Yet, I was confused as well.


    I had not seen anything like this when I was last here. Nor had I heard of anything like this from my colleagues who still worked here. Which, maybe I could see a few. It would be nice to catch up with them. Maybe relive a few nights with the women.


    Which, frankly, might as well have been all of them given what I did needed spell-casting... A profession that women excelled at in comparison to us men. Spells were probably the only thing that was practical that women dominated. I mean, despite soldiering being a man''s profession, the Valkinvar are a well-known, mostly female organisation.


    Perhaps, however, were given what has been in the news lately.


    "Present identification." a guard told me as others raised their guns at me. Thankfully, somehow, I was relieved to see this be applied indiscriminately. Even those leaving the city were getting this treatment.


    "I''m a surgeon, I have been called in to help a patient. By order of the Seven-Peaks Union royal family." I tell them, whispering that last part while bringing out what that annoying official had left behind.


    "This about him...?" one of the clearly younger guards asked another quietly.


    "Probably." his elder answered before they made an opening for me far quicker than anyone else.


    "Make sure they''re made aware that you have arrived, Surgeon." the one who inspected my details told me before he nodded me off.


    "Of course." I mutter quietly as I left the station. Looking about the initial city with a smile on my face as I had missed this place. Of course, my eyes first went towards the single-most iconic part of the city. That over-bearing gnomon that helped one realise that the city was actually always rotating.


    But, unfortunately, I had to shake the awe out of me so I could find a hotel. Falling for those attacks on my pride meant I had to pay my own way in this case. Another bout of misfortune as well was that I had to pick some small, shabby one. I had to be near St. Bruttar Brief Recovery and Healing Centre after all.


    "It must be exceptionally bad if they have kept her there." I comment out loud as I started to think on such details as I walked. Yet, I was also getting distracted often by the food stalls and shops. I neglected eating so I could read up on this job and to flirt. But I had also promised that bird from before that I would have lunch with her.


    So, to what would be short-lived displeasure, I ignored the hunger pangs. I avoided those I could and I checked the nearby maps every now and then. Until I was finally in the area of said place of work. And, I had to admit, it wasn''t that bad of an area.


    It wasn''t particularly grand compared to other parts of the city. But, there was a comfortable beauty to this place. It was noticeably quiet as well given how it was light out. Yet, it did not take long for me to figure it out.


    This part of the city was filled with music halls. So there was likely a legal requirement for the quiet. Or, maybe, the people of this part of the city enjoyed the ambience of it all. Can''t say I blamed them, it was very soothing for the nerves.


    "St. Bruttar Brief Recovery and Healing Centre..." I read aloud once I reached my new and current place of work. But, before I did, I looked down at my watch to check the time. And, I was quite surprised to see that it was much too close to my lunch date. So I rushed on inside to get the meet and greet over with.


    "Hello, how can I help?" the reasonably aged woman at the front desk asks me as I approach.


    "Surgeon Stolpzhen, I''ve been called in about a particularly well-bred patient." I declare rather dispassionately. Showing off my required details once again while her eyes went wide.


    "You should''ve turned the offer down... Nothing good can come from helping that girl." she comments with a rather unprofessional attitude. Yet, the superstitious nature of it made me curious.


    "Comment anything like that again and you''ll be facing a disciplinary!" what was likely her boss snapped as he approached.


    "Surgeon Stolpzhen? I''m Centre-Manager Biossg." he greets with a firm shake of my hand.


    "Is there a reason for the superstition?" I decide to ask him once we were passed the doors. The damage to which was also a particularly curious thing. Did a wild animal somehow get in...? But what kind of animal would even get this deep into the city...?


    "The girl in question was part of Smiling Jhurack''s recent string of attacks. The only survivor for some reason." he tells me with a grim tone yet I could only tilt my head in curiosity.


    "So he is real?"


    "Very much so, and you have seen the proof." he tells me with a gesture towards the Ibenorrocoian device I had mixed in with my stuff.


    "Anything you can tell me as to why she has not been healed? Are you under-equipped?" I ask him. Hiding back my disgust for the idea that they might be completely unsuited to handling this.


    "No, as our name implies, we serve as a means to quickly get people back on their feet again." he clarifies with some distress before we make a turn into an observation room.


    "She is being operated on right now?" I ask as I catch a glimpse of blue-hair and a frustrated doctor beyond.


    "The government has put a lot of pressure on us to ensure she is looked after. Even if nothing comes of it."


    "I''ll have to look over your reports, then, maybe I can catch something you can''t." I tell him, referring to what might be the issue. If it would help, however, is another issue as I manipulated the magic personally. Part of the reason I gained my fame was because I was one of the few who could control absurd magic flows.


    A very precious commodity given how most with this kind of talent went on to become chapter witches. Because, after all, who would not want to be the hero of the land? Casting mighty spells and decimating the world around you? Who would want to say no to that power?


    Well, for starters, me.


    "I pray you have better luck than us..." he says as his eyes cautiously eye the damage to the walls.


    "Something is making work stressful?"


    "Indeed, the city''s least popular resident is very close to this girl. And it holds firery rage that keeps burning."


    "Then you can thank me for ridding it from your worries as well." I tell him as I leave my stuff here. They can put it where it needs to go after all.


    "In a rush?" he asks with a half-hearted laugh as he clearly needed the distraction.


    "Yes, got lunch with a lovely woman I just met." I answer with a quick salute before I rush out the building.


    .


    .


    .


    "Okay... I think I have a plan of action sorted." I muttered to myself as Elizana read something in the background.


    "I thought places like this were just meant to have you go in and go out...?" she ends up asking me after overhearing my latest words.


    "In theory, yes. But, for me, normally anyway. My job is to handle injuries an application of magic can''t handle on its own. Lost limbs and or severe wounds that need guidance to close. But, in this situation, I couldn''t tell you because I don''t know." I explain with a sigh before I put down my ribbon tool.


    "A problem with the place they''re at, then?"


    I shake my head in response, "No, I made a point of asking the centre-manager and checking the equipment myself. It''s all fine."


    "Then what is the problem...?" she asks me, her confusion as clear and as present as my own.


    "It is believed it may have something to do with who caused the injuries. That serial killer that is often the talk of the city."


    "Smiling Jhurack?"


    "Yes."


    "Hehe, you know, I think it''s a bit exciting that you''re confronting him." she says suggestively as she moves closer.


    "I''d hardly call me attending to a patient a confrontation." I chuckle as I play with her toes after she put a foot on me.


    "Well, if he is causing issues for the brief recovery and healing centre, I''d call that you confronting him. Telling the big, scary killer that you will be saving that patient''s life..." she explains with a flicker of her eyelids and a curve of her lips. And then, I pull her in closer until she was right on top of me. The tools I had previously been using clattering to the floor as she grinded about on top of me.


    "Well, if I am doing as you say, I might need something to help with my courage." I jokingly beg of her before I put my lips against hers. Initially letting her soft hands guide my head before I rose to my feet. Something that shocked and surprised her before she screamed excitedly once she landed on the bed.


    "You wouldn''t dare to ruin such a modest hotel''s bed, would you?"


    "Oh, I would. Especially when I get to enjoy someone like you in it." I tell her with a grin before silencing her with a ferocious kiss. Slowly and steadily peeling away at her clothes so I could get rid of some stress before the operation tomorrow. As much as I did not want to show it, I was worried after having read what I had.


    Having seen it as well, I have never seen such a malicious way of handling healing magic. It worried me deeply and for once in a long time... I was worried that I might not be able to do my job to its fullest extent. Failure actually seemed like a possibility.


    "Stop worrying and help me disappoint Motrtha!" she begs lustfully after shaking my head. Yet, the random sound of smashing pottery did not stop us from continuing.


    .


    .


    .


    "Centre-Manager Biossg." I greet as I walk into St. Bruttar''s Brief Recovery and Healing Centre once again. Hopefully, this would be the last time I walk in here as this was a place that was beneath me as a professional. Yet, I wanted to be rid of this place more so because of the mood within the place. The woman at the front desk wasn''t the only one with a superstitious air about her.


    "Let''s see this become over and done with." he said with an outwardly calm expression yet with a quivering voice. It was abundantly clear even he was feeling the pressure of what was going on. So much so that members of the city guard had been posted throughout the building. All armoured and fully-equipped to tear this place apart.


    Yet, I also could not help but guess that it might be them looking for the killer. Everything I have read since coming here suggests that they take his many appearances very seriously. At first, they didn''t seem to from what I have read. At least until some bigshot lost his daughter to this sadistic man.


    However, clearly, they have had no luck in handling this killer. For several decades the stories went back. For many of the city, it seems, he has just become a part of their daily lives. Many news articles had a pessimistic attitude about them.


    Defeatism in its purest form and this killer made sure to rub it in each time. Yet, maybe this was a moment for me to be more than just a skilled surgeon. Maybe I could be the one to put some light in this shadow-ruled city. The idea was an entertaining one, but, it was fantastical without a doubt.


    "Hm, so that''s the one who has caused all the damage." I eventually commented as I walked past the observation room. Inside was a small group of many different backgrounds. All of them were quite beautiful, the girls anyway. And one of them was clearly a relative of my patient.


    However, the one that caught my eye the most was the giant of a man covered in bandages. Not only was it a strange fashion choice, the Centre-Manager clearly hated him. Albeit, maybe feared him was more likely? It was very clear he made the atmosphere tense.


    Yet, so long as this man stayed on the other side of the glass. I could not care. Whatever his reasons were for causing such distress, so long as they did not interfere. I was completely fine with it all.


    "Is the equipment set up as I asked?" I immediately ask the clean and stressed people working already.


    "Yes, Operating Surgeon." one of them nods before they start to stand back.


    "Hm, nasty." I comment as I look at my patient carefully. As per the usual since I got here, there has been no improvement in her health. Jaw was still broken, and the cuts and holes were all still there. Thankfully, the bleeding had been long dealt with.


    Yet, I might require some help handling it as I was going to set it all flowing again. They had not been able to heal her, but that hadn''t meant they could not help her. The devices she was hooked up to, however, would need to come off. So all that was needed now was for the light to signal my start.


    "Blessed light in three, two, one..." I started to call out as I prepared myself. Some might''ve needed a few minutes. But the seconds leading up to an operation is all I have ever needed. However, something seemed different this time.


    I could already feel sweat on my brow...


    "Detaching equipment!" one of the assistants calls out before a gust of emerald light fills the room. And, with professional, well-practised skill, I caught the magic and swirled it about. Not to show off my skill at manipulation, but to get it ready for incision.


    "Clear the floor!" I gave the order just before I, for lack of a better term, blasted my patient with magic. One hand kept the magic flowing while the other carefully prodded at her injuries. With one brave assistant keeping a sedative mixture near her nose as I sorted it out. And, so far so good, her jaw was quickly fixed up.


    There were likely some fracture lines and cracks still present. But so long as her old skull shape was back, it would go back together in subsequent appointments. And, as I moved away from her head and towards her body, they changed the machines about. So now I had more room to move about.


    And I needed as much room as I could as leaning over her would be very dangerous. I had to make sure this magic went straight to the injuries and did not spill into the rest of her. If I let it do that, she could potentially die. And I had no intention of letting my patient die.


    "Preparing to seal the primary area." I tell everyone present as I begin to systematically close up her torso. Stab wounds were vanishing and the cuts were scarring over. However, as I neared the end of the operation... Something disturbed the flow of magic.


    "HAHAHAHAHA! I can''t have you interfering." a mad voice said right into my ear. But, despite the shiver it sent down my spine, I did not take my patient off the patient. However, something unexpected happened. And I was forced to back away and withhold all that magical power.


    "SEAL THE WOUND! SEAL IT!" I start to shout as I stumble away from my patient after a new wound was suddenly slashed into her. And, whatever that man did, it also woke her up.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" she screamed maddeningly as she started to spasm and contort as blood flew out everywhere.


    "LARISHAZZA!" someone roared from behind me as the wall began to leak interference.


    "HANDLE THAT!" I shout to the guards on the other side on the door before I move to seal the new wound. All to the backdrop of that sickening laughter that preceded each new wound.


    "SURGEON!" one of the assistants shouts before they suddenly shut off the magic.


    "GET ME MY TOOLS, NOW!" I bark as I prepare to switch over to a manual handling of the wound. If the supply of magic was somehow corrupted by the killer. Then I would have to make do with my tools. And, for the first time in a long time, I worried about my patients life.


    I have never failed a patient before yet these circumstances suggested I might...


    "Close, dammit!" I urged her wounds as my steady hand cleaned and sealed them up. Rapid, well-practised twirls of the stitches did some of the work. Chemicals for once in my career handled the rest.


    "Are you alright, Operating Surgeon!?" someone asked me as I stumbled away from the patient with a racing heart.


    "DAMMIT!" I roar before throwing my tools to the floor.


    "Get her cleaned up!" someone said before that laughter came back.


    "HAHAHA! Don''t interfere!" he taunted before that strange presence vanished from the magic about us. At the very least, she was in a far better state than when I found her. But she needed to be walking out of this room to see her friends and family!


    "Damn you..." I growl before I kick a trolley on the way out. And I ignored everyone during my stomp through the building until I got out back. From which I then screamed in frustration while I wiped the blood off my face. Eventually, I calmed down.


    At least, visibly, anyway. On the inside, I was still full of anger and annoyance about what had just happened. Not only did that confirm someone was interfering with this girl''s recovery. That killer was taunting and threatening me directly...


    "What happened...?" a distraught, female voice asks me as I breathed into my palms.


    As I did not recognise the voice, I chose to rise my head, "I take it you''re her sister?" I ask.


    She nods, "Can you answer my question..." she asks nervously as if something bad was going to now happen.


    "I don''t know!" I exclaim, "Whoever this Smiling Jhurack is, I assume that was him anyway. He is able to directly interfere with the magic supply of this place! I cannot do my job so long as he is here!" I explain to her with evident frustration.


    "Nin? Nin!? Where''re you going!?" this girl asks someone before the slamming of the door echoed all the back here.


    "I know this is a strange thing of me to ask... But, can you please make it clear to your father what has happened?" I fearfully ask of her as I worried for my own safety now. Not only had I effectively failed the job put forward to me by the King... I had a dangerous man breathing down my neck to get this done...


    Unexpectedly, however, the girl started to sob, "I-I''ll... D-Don''t worry..."


    "I am sorry..." I whisper pointlessly as she likely could not hear me as she ran off with tears in her eyes.


    .


    .


    .


    "So go over the details again with me..." I request with growing fury as I stared down the nervous doctor. He might''ve been on another continent, but, he knew well that, that mattered little. The might of our empire far extended mere beaches and coastlines.


    "The operation was directly interfered with by the killer." he explains with an obvious gulp.


    "I will take this information into account. You may go." I explain before I dismiss that face of his. And, if because she was patient or pure coincidence. An image of my other daughter appeared before me.


    "Dad..." she starts off with as she wipes her face clean.


    "I have already heard about what happened." I tell her, getting straight to the point. She knew the conditions for my restraint and that vile man chose to escalate the issue.


    "D-Dad... Please..." she begs as I walk closer to the glass. And I chose to observe the vast, ceaseless desert rather than my precious daughter. Someone who has become all the more precious as a result of what has happened to the other... My perpetually and eternally joyful Lala.


    "Let me ask one thing of you, Tiyanat." I start with, causing her to look up in shock.


    "No..." she says with a fearful shake of her head.


    "Don''t answer until I have asked. Now, did this man, the one who is holding my daughter hostage... Did he make it clear that it was something to do with our family? Was he taunting you...?"


    She shakes her head, "No... It just happened."


    "I see." was all I really had to say at that precise moment.


    "Dad, please, don''t make it worse!"


    "Stay safe, Tiyanat." I tell my daughter before I make a silent prayer to invoke well-being unto her.


    "Da-" she starts to exclaim before I had the transmission cut off. As much as I loved my daughter, I could not have her interfering. This killer... This Smiling Jhurack...


    While he had displayed nothing personal in the way he was going about this. It was still my daughter that he was holding hostage. It was still my own flesh and blood that he saw fit to toy with. Whatever his reasons were, he chose the wrong girl...


    "How long until we get there!?" I snap in question as I turn to the crew of my beloved city.


    "Estimated encounter within the next half-hour." one answers with a firm nod before a magic sensor is brought up. Like most constructs, it was made of water filled with holy magic. And to communicate its message, it rippled away from a glowing point. What I sought was close, and they were a capable one.


    "Prepare a path to the lower decks. I wish to speak to them on the sand." I tell them as I stop by my throne to change my shoes. Sandals and silks would not do in this situation. I needed to be fully covered in order to not offend them. Then, the sound of boots filled the air when I was done.


    And the normally bustling city and its inner workings turned quiet. With respect for what I was about to meet, the city was abstaining all it could. Not one disturbance was to be made while I met with them. And out of respect and fear for me, the city made an uninterrupted path.


    Unlike no long ago, I did not move with furious haste. I moved calmly and slowly, at a steady walking pace. From the clank of metal to the thud of stone and back again. I eventually made it to the lowest possible point in the city.


    And, once again, out of respect for who I was about to meet. My personal staff awaited me with a simple, chained ladder. I could not and refused to use any magic from this point onwards. And, when it hit the scorching sands, I climbed down the ladder.


    Then, as my boots hit the sand, I gazed up at my city. Frowning at the hiss and whine of machinery before I walked out of the shadows and into the sun. Carefully watching as the sand around me distorted and warped as something moved beneath. And, atop a ridge, I saw them.


    Which meant they could see me. And, to show that they could, a display of power was sent straight at me. With a thunderous boom did I deflect into the sand from which it would slide down. It did not take long either for this warrior to retrieve his message.


    A sacred spear for a holy warrior serving the filler of all seas and oceans. A Rider of Worms. Cloaked in clear, white, khaki and pearly sand coloured robes that hid all. And with a fine, golden and ivory spear in his grip...


    He was a formidable warrior. But he was incomplete at the moment which made me perplexed. It was rare to see such a sight. For the rider to be seen without his worm.


    It oft meant he was unbonded or it meant nothing at all. For the sake of my captive daughter, however. I chose to believe that this man was merely away from his worm. That it had been let out to play or hunt...


    Then, all of a sudden, this warrior dropped to his knees and held up his spear. A behaviour that showed this man was well-versed in the world around him. A respectable attribute but one that wasn''t necessary. The way he made sure his bare feet avoided the sand, however, only added to prior confusion.


    "I seek your aid, Worm-Rider." I tell him.


    "And what does a Lord of Isles seek from my spear?"


    "There is a man, someone called Smiling Jhurack. In the distant Land of Wind. He has attacked my daughter and has made a point of holding her as his hostage."


    "Understood." he lets out before he rises to his feet. Seemingly making an explicit point of the fact his toes were being dug into the sand. And, within moments, it started to rumble and explode outwards. I was eventually forced to cover my face as a roar filled the air and blew the sand away.


    "For the sake of my other daughter as well, make sure she is safe. And, if she makes a point of challenging your presence. In all but departing, obey her word." I tell him. Yet, it was his mighty beast that answered in his stead as he mounted it. Its larger, gaping maw letting out the terrifying bellow while its smaller one engaged in a peculiar behaviour.


    Like with all Rider''s of the Worm. The smaller head suckled on his sandless feet. And, with another tremendous boom and expunging of power. They flew off into the sky and parted the distant clouds.


    A departure so strong that the dunes were warped beyond recognition...


    "Please, deal with him." I beg quietly as I watched the duo disappear over the horizon.


    .


    .


    .


    "Hard day at work?" the hotel staff at the front desk asks me as I walk into the building. Given what I have had to put up with today, hard might''ve been an understatement. Yet, now I just needed to figure out what I could do. Was I allowed to leave or was I expected to defy this mad killer?


    He had done what should''ve been impossible... It was often said that if I had gone down a different path. I could be as powerful as a member of the Ordoar Staguiffmani. The Valkinvar that used their magic to cast terrifying spells.


    I, however, could not see it. I was a surgeon that guided tremendous loads of magic to heal. I did not wipe out armies or cities with flicks of my hands. I helped people and I did a damn good job of it!


    But, not today... Much to my perpetual frustration. I had built my reputation and pride off of a simple idea. That my ability to heal the sick and wounded was unparalleled throughout the land.


    Yet, here I was, undone by a single serial killer who had a city under a reign of terror. I wanted to just get it over with a leave. To say goodbye to this failure and to just pretend it didn''t exist. Besides, it''s not like news of it would go beyond this city.


    Or even this street for that matter. The news outlets were obsessed with drowning the people in a bleak outlook. Nothing was going to stop this man''s cruel actions. He was free to act however or whenever he pleased.


    "Hm...?" I let out in confusion as a lamp suddenly fell down off its table. When I moved closer to pick it up, I noticed the issue. Its leg had given way to prior damage. Most likely a couple knocked it over and failed to hide the damage.


    Yet, I was too tired to sort it out myself. Not that I was obligated to either way. I just put it back and brought out my room key. It had gotten quite late so maybe Elizana had already gone to bed.


    And that was perfect, because I was absolutely knackered. I just wanted to undress myself and collapse into the nearest bed. Even if it was a cheap hotel one. However, there was really nothing wrong with this place.


    It was cheap, but, it was well looked after and it was a fine place on its own regardless. One thing I particularly liked about the rooms was how they gave off a false feeling. The beds and that were on a wooden platform above everything else. So it was like a small, very modest house.


    "Yeah, she''s asleep." I comment tiredly as I walked under the bed. Having just heard the sound of someone moving. Yet, the sound of a soft splash made me stop. I quickly groaned in the dark and then tried to find a light.


    Yet, it went on without me doing anything, "Just in case you needed further encouragement to stay away, Doctor." a mad man laughed. A bloody sword nonchalantly waved at me while I froze up in terror. It was then that I realised that the liquid was blood. And it was dripping straight from the bed...


    "What did you do...?" I asked as I slowly backed away. Was he likely to turn that sword on me!?


    "Isn''t it obvious? No, wait, pardon me. I''ve made a good effort to hide that, actually. Just, remember these words, okay? Stay out of it." he rambled before he brought his malicious grin close to my face. And it only disturbed me more as I got a close look at his cut-open cheeks. His white teeth were fully visible.


    And it elongated his already lengthy, creepy smile with its curved pattern...


    "I... I understand..." I nod in understanding as that blade lingered near me. But, within but a blink, he had vanished. And I was left patting myself down to make sure he had not attacked me. Elizana''s body, however, was now before me...


    "Hello? Room ser- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

 Incline 2: A Final Warning...

    "Slow down, already!" I call out to Larishazza as we walked down a mostly empty street. It wasn''t like the city was empty. Everyone was just indoors enjoying meals or entertainment. But, me and her weren''t here for any of that. She just came up to me and said she had an answer.


    So I was very excited as a statement as cryptic as that only had one answer. And it was to what I had asked her not that long ago! During the party! And now, it was finally here...


    The woman I loved would stop with the suspense and we could be together. I also refused to look at this matter with any form of pessimism. I would not be presumptuous about a loss. I was only going to look forward to her reply.


    ''I love you, too!'' is what I was going to here. The Nin that once held a knife in his hands no longer had to worry. Someone had finally come for him... Yet, there was something that was confusing me...


    I could see her clearly, dancing and playing. She should''ve been her normal loud and cheery self. But, for some reason, I was struggling to hear her. She wasn''t even that far away...?


    "Lari, slow down!" I call out again before I move forward to try and snatch up her hand. I get that this was an exciting, tense moment. But, she wasn''t the only one feeling this way! I could barely hold it in myself!


    However, I became very worried when Lari''s hand just slipped out of my grip. It wasn''t like magic had been used or she was secretly coated in butter. She just phased straight through my grip...? Had Einervaene been teaching her new magic...?


    "SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Lari then screamed out of nowhere. And, all of a sudden, we were no longer in a open street. But a maze of tight alleys with blood-covered walls. Then, without much thought, I just charged forward.


    That was her voice! Those were her cries! And this was surely her blood! Yet, when I finally saw her...


    She was impaled against a wall... Blood flooded the ground around her and her smile was gone... And before her, was a man with a smile that could be seen even through his cheeks!? A bloody sword was also in his hand...


    .


    .


    .


    "LARISHAZZA!" I roared as my body suddenly lurched forward. Something weighty had also been thrown off. My bed was also straining from the sudden exertion. And it did not take long before I started to spasm about as tears formed.


    "This isn''t going to work, is it?" Vadei asked just after the lights suddenly came on.


    "WHA- What''re you doing here!? Where am I!?" I ask her as I start to fall out of the bed. Tearing apart the quilt and blankets until I was back to my feet.


    "N-Nin! It''s your room! Your dorm room!?" she reminded me as she stood before me. She was mostly naked for some reason yet she did not seem to care. Was this a dream...? Had the smiling man...


    No... That was the dream...


    But that still didn''t explain why she was here, "What''re you doing in here...?" I asked her. Completely confused as to why she was in here.


    "Seriously, Nin, it hasn''t even been an hour since we agreed to this..." she complained as she turned to the clock.


    It was decently late but not well into the night, "Agreed to what...?"


    "Well, remember, when Tobaballe was first destroyed? You started being a lot more... Aggressive in your appreciation for women... So we decided, you included, that we would rotate sharing your bed until you calmed down..." she started to explain, but it only made me angry. What kind of ludicrous plan was that!? I didn''t recover from my concerns about Tobaballe through lechery!


    "Calmed down...?" I asked her with a low growl.


    "Yes, Nin, calmed down. You are not eating properly and you aren''t sleeping well! The doctors are tryi-"


    And I interrupted her by activating a spell, "He is stopping them..." I remembered as a blue fire covered my fist.


    "Can you please be quiet in here..." Einervaene mentioned nonchalantly as she walked in. Clearly not tired at all. Let alone recently awakened...


    "I''m going outside..." I mutter before I try to get past my friend.


    "Nin, no, it''s too late for that. Go back to bed." Einervaene firmly told me as pushed back against me. And, I wasn''t sure how, but, she was doing a very effortless job. When did she get so strong...?


    "I''ll go get something to drug him with..." Vadei complains before she is let aside by a red-cheeked Einervaene.


    "Let me go..." I complain tiredly as Einervaene slowly puts me back into the bed.


    "Nin, I know that what has happened has bothered you a lot. But, you need to look after yourself..." she told me, her voice full of worry.


    "No... I need to make sure she is okay... She''s not safe..." I hysterically remind her as my eyes suddenly shot towards my window. I heard the sound of liquid splattering on glass, but it was only rain... Yet, despite that, all I could think about was when that blood suddenly covered the glass...


    When the doctor walked out and it became clear not even he could do anything. But there were guards in that building... Other doctors... I was watching...


    How did that happen...?


    "Nin... Nin!" Einervaene snapped gently as she held on to me tightly. But when did she even get into this position...?


    "I''m not tired..." I tell her as I also realise that we were both in the bed. All tucked...


    "I''m the one who is meant to be there, but, I think I will take my bed for the night..." Vadei commented before she left a glass behind.


    "Goodnight." Einervaene said to her.


    "Yeah, whatever, strap yourself in..." Vadei replied before she yawned.


    "Come on, drink it up." Einervaene tried to encourage cheerfully. But she was nothing like Larishazza. It felt all forced when she tried to do it. What even was this stuff, anyway...?


    "Wha..."


    .


    .


    .


    "Get off me..." I demanded from Einervaene as she snuggled up against me. Yet, as I was impatient, I forced my way out of her grip. Both waking her up in the process and making it all the harder to get out of bed. I was even partially kicked out of the bed for my troubles...


    "E-Eh!? S-Sorry!" she tells me as she helps me stand up again. But it also did not take her long to realise that her pyjama buttons were undone.


    "See you at breakfast..." was all I had to say to her before I left my room. And, from there, I slowly thudded down the stairs with a dry mouth. A headache was also coming.


    However, those were not what bothered me the most. It was with how quiet it all was... Larishazza should''ve been here to brighten the place up... She should''ve been dancing about, much to her sister''s annoyance...


    Yet, that same sister was quietly walking down the stairs. Formerly behind me, and now in front without so much as a complaint. It made me angry and I could not take my mind off of it. It was not fair in the slightest...


    And I couldn''t help but glare at Motrtha''s bracelet as that thought came by. Why did they let this happen to her!? What had Larishazza done to deserve this!? Oh, right, nothing!


    Even after I abandoned her to chase a land that no longer wanted me. She still came running after me to make sure her friend was okay. Every step of the way there and back she was there. Making sure I was okay along with everyone else...


    When Vadei''s fellow villagers were scared, she helped them. All she ever did was help people. Not once had she damned anyone in such a way as to be cursed. So why did it happen...?


    Why did this Smiling Jhurack do it to her? Why was he still keeping her under his terrible blade...? Had I done something to upset the gods...? If so, what!?


    I have looked after this bracelet for the most part! I have apologized for any grievances I might''ve caused Motrtha! I''ve paid my dues to Thurnmourer and his family! So what was it...?


    "No, Nin, eat your breakfast." Einervaene aggressively ordered as she suddenly appeared in front of me.


    "When did you...?"


    "You aren''t paying attention and your efforts to starve yourself ar- Just eat!" she started to explain before she shoved me away from the door.


    "Okay..." I meekly muttered as I moved away from the sparking woman.


    "Nin, I''m sorry. Just, please, eat." Einervaene quickly said to me as she sat next to me. And, soon, Liada came over with a plate of food. A look of anticipation in her eyes.


    "She''s learning quite quickly." Omb commented without his usual laugh or cheer. And I knew why indeed... He was Ombo, Lari''s good friend... They all were and they all clearly missed her...


    Yet, they were also worried for Tiyanat who was nowhere to be seen.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure she gets this." Quinshuu of all people says as he walks away with a tray.


    "Thank you, Quinshuu." Omb says to him before he returns to the table.


    "Morning, my love." Rose greeted as she finally introduced herself for today. Yet, when she leaned in to do her usual, strange behaviour. I made sure to block it. I did not need false affection when the woman I loved was in hospital...


    Rose might''ve said it a lot and only ever referred to me as such... But, Lari was the woman I loved. How could I ever love anyone else...? She was the only one who never saw me as anything but Nin...


    She was not conscious of anyone but her friends, unlike Einervaene. She was not disingenuously cruel like Vadei seemingly used to be. She was not fickle and shallow like Rose was... And she was actually willing to try and get along with others, unlike Liada.


    "So... We''ve been excused from our classes due to... So, are there any plans...? Maybe some sightseeing? A picnic? Just a walk...?" Vadei began to ask as she tried to disturb the quiet that filled the room.


    "A walk sounds ni-" I started to say I rose up. Yet, Einervane made sure I did not leave while food was still in front of me. And, while Liada was quiet about it, she was anticipating my response.


    "Any sights in particular?" Einervaene asks Vadei as her grip starts to bend me in a strange manner.


    "Einervaene." I say in order to get her to loosen up. But, what made her finally let go was when I jingled an empty bowl in front of her.


    "Did you..." Liada began to say before I walked straight out the door. A particularly harsh orbital-halo above as my bare carapace touched the wet brick. And, somehow, even the mud reminded me of the woman I loved... And I knew why even if it was such a strange thing...


    When she first found me, she could not get me outside unless we played our game. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop until we got near our destination. And each time she would soak the ground and spray mud everywhere. She then cleaned us off with her water...


    "Rain...?" I then asked myself before I realised that my nostalgia had driven me to tears. Or, rather, the fear I would never do it again with her had. So I tried to forget about it by walking. But nothing was working.


    I did not have a passion for the plants or the magic I saw being practised. And what I did see only reminded me of Lari more... Of all the things to cross my mind, this was the only time I wished that she was the only water-user here. It would at least make it easier to forg-


    "NO!" I roar in anger at my own thoughts. Much to the confusion and annoyance of the strangers around me. Yet, their comments and snide looks did not go unnoticed. And, maybe this was what I needed to distract myself...?


    I could certainly only focus on it at the moment!


    "Seriously, it''s bad enough they let that thing stay here... Let alone live. But can it at least dress up normally?" one prick commented with what they thought was quiet enough. Yet, strange as my body may be, my eyes and ears worked fine. And all the little comments I could once drown out or ignore were all coming back. It was surprising how many there were.


    "Oh, am I sorry, does my existence bother you somehow?" I asked one particular person with a snarl. And their group of friends backed away while they themselves went stiff.


    "Try looking in a mirror for an answer." he joked with a scoff. But, the heart just wasn''t in those laughing behind him.


    "And I have an answer for you right here." I say before punching him straight to the ground.


    "HEY!" one of his friends barked before a blast of wind was shot at me. Yet, it was so weak I that I could just power through it. I have been through worse. I have fought wyverns and earth shamans!


    These pumped-up brats had no idea! And I was enjoying making sure they knew it. For all their talk and laughter from before. It was me who was currently stronger than them.


    Me! The shitty little bug that once struggled to pass an entrance exam... Me, the shitty little bug who once broke down crying because their power scared them... It was me!


    "STOP IT! YOU''RE HURTING HIM!" one girl screamed as she tried to shoot me off the one I lashed out at.


    "AND YOU PEOPLE HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT ENACT AND WISH IT UPON ME!" I roar back at her before slapping her away. Only to get blasted into a nearby tree for my troubles.


    "If you wish to fight, do it in the designated areas!" a teacher barked at us. And maybe, I should fight them there as they sure were taking their time in easing this spell...


    "Yeah, alright, then! You want a fight, bug!? We''ll give you one!" the one I punched in the face spat out at me.


    "Fight? You can do that?" I taunted him with before I jabbed him with a claw.


    "YOU WANT TO GO!?" he roared at me as his magic started to flare up.


    "DO NOT MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF!" the teacher yelled before he started to blast small bit of encouragement at us.


    .


    .


    .


    "I suppose we are spending our time off looking for Nin..." the root who took my rightful place last night says.


    "You can do whatever you wish, my obligations, however, are too my love!" I tell her as I get up and strut ahead of her.


    "Fine by me, Ro." she sarcastically comments.


    "Excuse me!?" I ask her as that comment of hers enraged me. My name was Rose''lhia! A name I rightfully earned by being the purest and greatest of my generation! She had no right to refer to me like that!


    "BOTH OF YOU! STOP IT!" Einervaene screams as she slams her hands down on the table.


    "Learn your place, Root." I dismiss with a sneer. Smiling slightly as that root barks its dribble as I leave. However, that unfortunate encounter had left me annoyed. So, it was best I got rid of it before I went to find my love.


    If his own temperament was foul, it was wise of me to ensure mine was not. My love did not know what he was saying sometimes when he got angry. So, being able to avoid it was for the best. A meeker, reserved attitude was needed.


    Don''t look the angered beast in the eye as the thorns tended to say. Even the Gilded-Bark I once served spoke of similar things when he came back from hunts. If there was an animal stronger than you. Back away and make way for it, only rise to meet it under threat of death.


    Thankfully, my love would never put me in such a state. At least, now that he was back to himself again. It was him after all to some extent that hurt me before. My injuries were gone, but, the fear was still in my mind.


    But that was all in the past now, and I anticipated our future. Unfortunately, he could never come down this way. But, I really liked walking past the seedlingcare part of this place. It reminded me of the best part of my old role and it also was my future.


    I wasn''t sure who looked after these children, it certainly wasn''t an Ivy-Mother. But, I would not comfort a child as an Ivy-Mother the next time I looked after one. It would be because I was a mother! Motrtha would be my patron goddess and in my arms, a little god of my own.


    It made me so excited to think about such things. I wondered quite a bit about how I would be as a mother. Clearly, I would''ve been a good one. But that wasn''t what I was interested in...


    Would I spoil them like the little piece of holiness that they were? Would I be a strict mother who wanted them to be the very best? Would I let my love have just as much involvement as I did? There was so many possibilities!


    "No, Spruce''endoor, back here." a voice I once loathed with all my heart said. I wasn''t particularly sure why I could hear her as clearly as I did. But seeing her there with a child made me jealous. But, it also saddened me for some reason.


    And I couldn''t quite put my finger on it for the moment. So I just watched the Gilded-Bark''s son as he waddled about with the human children. It was somewhat frightening to watch this as well. Those human children were brimming with magic in comparison to him...


    It was no surprise that the wind-people shed our numbers so easily. What was once a task for us women since the Patricide. The men have retaken their role as emissaries and merchants for our flowers. At least, I assumed this applied to other ones.


    We saw each other rarely and only really near our beloved garden-mounts. But, it was once again put into perspective. Humans were the creations of the gods. It was their spilt blood during the Fourteen-Headed Beasts war that they came about.


    We aelenvari were a byproduct of this holy race... As were all species, really. Using magic was a trait of humanity that could be passed on very easily. Even the dragons, mighty as they were, took on human appearances.


    Magic was theirs by right, a divine right we could only begin to grasp. And within this right, came places like this where they fostered that strength. To my shame as well, I could still make a reason as to why I should leave my love. Yet, I just couldn''t, he was very special to me...


    I did not like how I kept looking at other men... It wasn''t something I meaned to do out of spite or some convoluted plan. I was just taught this way... It was also a natural response.


    But, my love would not hear such excuses. So I had to prove to him that I was indeed capable of loyalty. That, as the wind people might say, jhrater''er was not enough to sway me. No great-blooded man was to come between me and Nin ever again...


    And we would both prove this! Himself by becoming stronger and stronger while I kept my eyes for him alone!


    "Hey! The bug is  going all out in the arena!" a girl with similar magic to my love''s lost friend says as she runs by. Yet, she was talking to her own friends, not me. I was thankful, however. I now knew where he was!


    Yet, it left me feeling strange. Excited and terrified was how I could best describe it. Excited because this meant I could relive how I felt when I first fell for him! And terrified because a show of strength invited many challengers...


    And, despite the faith I had in him. I was not blind to the truth. This place, it was full of so many strong witches. Thankfully, the overwhelming amount were women, so I felt nothing but respect alone.


    I could not, however, resist the urge to watch him stand above all the others here. So I was running before I knew it with a lustful heat rising in me. Maybe he would have just enough energy left at the end... And, in a fit of passion, I''d have my son!


    Even if I was to leave out an important piece of my first time...


    "Oh, never mind that! Move!" I commented to myself at first before I barked at whoever was just in my way. And while they were all moving to seats afterwards. I kept myself bouncing in excitement at the lowest hanging wall. I wanted to feel as much of it as I could!


    I wanted to see and soak myself in Nin''s strength! Yet, what I saw disturbed me rather than enthralled me. I could not see him in this place. It wasn''t him I saw...


    All I saw, was an osibindah.


    The savagery he was displaying in this him versus all fight was unnerving. His roars, however, scared me more, because they were full of loss. He sounded just like the Gilded-Bark did when I sent off that thief elsewhere. And that could only indicate one thing really...


    And I was fully aware of it as well, "It''s supposed to be me that you loved..." I let out in despair. We were meant to be starting a family. But, once again, a thief had come along and stole my love''s heart...


    And unlike before, I was not in a position to start shifting things in my favour. I did not know who did this to that woman. And I wasn''t stronger than her anyway... She''d give him a far better son...


    Yet, maybe... If I showed him that I was better than her, he''d roar like that for me! He''d fight on like that for me! Yet, maybe if I started to help him now, he''d do that anyway!


    "My lo-" I started to say as I ran out to meet him in this fight. Yet, as I was running amongst others... I became a target of his latest spell.


    "Don''t be such an idiot." a familiar voice tells me as I start to feel their magic.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "What did you do that for!?" I ask him as he hovers there with a stupid expression.


    "Look behind you, Rossie!" he tells me before he suddenly spins around me to intercept my love.


    "YOU WANT TO GO AGAIN, HUH!?" my love roars at my greatest shame. Yet, the force of their blows threw me to the ground. My prior excitement was also gone... My love was not paying any heed to me!


    He was going to hurt me if he kept on like this, "Please, stop him!" I begged my greatest shame. However, I would display my terror openly when my love''s snarl turned to me exclusively. I had to make it clear I wasn''t repeating my mistake! I needed to show him somehow!


    "You need to get out of here!" my shame tells me as he effortlessly spins over Nin. A powerful blow was then struck against my love. With its blowing shockwaves making me lose my balance once again.


    "NIN! PLEASE, CALM DOWN!" I beg him as the misunderstanding only made him angrier. My shame, however, was having little trouble keeping him occupied. Much to my confusion. But, I had to focus on my love at the moment!


    So I tried to make it clear to him that I wasn''t interested in fighting. But every time I had an opening, I was suddenly blown away or brought to safety. My shame had no intention of letting me just speak to him. He needed to go!


    "WILL YOU STOP GETTING IN THE WAY!?" my shame roars at me as he twirled away from me as I started to blast him with magic. It was a risky move, but, by making it clear to Nin that I wasn''t against him...


    "My love..." I whispered from the ground as I watched him suddenly fall to the ground.


    "You will forever confuse me with how you act." my shame comments as he dusted himself off and cleaned a small amount of blood off.


    "What happened...?"


    "I got you out the way and put him down." he answers before I run over to my love.


    "My love!?" I nearly scream before he started to move on his own.


    "I''m not out yet..." Nin spits out as he struggled to get up. My attempts to stop this, however, only led to me being shoved to the ground.


    "Hey! I did not lose to you just so you could hurt Rossie!" my shame combatively tells Nin as the last vestiges of his magic burn out. My shame then sighs as I run over to Nin''s collapsed form once again.


    "Don''t worry, my love. I can fix this..." I whisper as I hold him close. Turning my nose up at all those who cheered for the wrong person. Had they not looked around!? He merely tired himself out on greater opponents!


    "Listen, Rose''lhia, I heard what happened."


    "So? It''s not your concern." I tell him dismissively.


    "I think it is when someone I cared about was just injured by the anguish caused by what happened." my shame tells me as he suddenly forces himself upon me. His magic healed my wounds while I glared up at him. It was not his place to heal me... My Love was stronger than him, his magic would''ve been better anyway...


    "If you are so insistent on helping me, you can carry him to where he can rest."


    .


    .


    .


    "My Love?" I heard Rose say as my eyes slowly opened up again. I had the dream again. Yet, apparently, I was too beat up to move. When I realised who was near me, however, it started to not matter.


    "Back for more?" I aggressively ask him as I rose to my feet. Even if I was struggling to stand and covered with open wounds. Part of me was even leaking out and staining an already dirty floor.


    "B- Nin, I''m not here to fight." he struggled to say at first as he waved his hands down at me. And, perhaps, it was for the best. When I lashed out at those people, a lot more got involved. Besides, I was wasting strength picking fights...


    To my disappointment, however, my mind was not occupied with pride or shame. The fact I held my own against a small group meant nothing. The laughter that must''ve happened when I fell did not anger me. I just felt empty and I knew why completely...


    I was getting angry just to cover up the hole Larishazza left. So, maybe it was just best that I visited her at the hospital instead. Maybe she has woken up or would later today. I could somewhat have some joy in my life again.


    "Why''re you still here?" Rose asks Seigunfrei  as he leaned on a wall in front of us.


    "To keep an eye on him."


    "And why would that be...?" I ask him with an aggressive chitter.


    "Because I am aware of what has happened. And, for what it is worth, I just wanted to tell you that you aren''t the only o-"


    "I don''t care what others think! All that matters is that it was Larishazza he chose to attack!" I snap as I suddenly rise. Having aggressively shoved off Rose in the process.


    "I am also here to keep a promise." he growls at me after I suddenly found myself pinned against the wall.


    "I repeat myself!" Rose tells him as she aggressively gets between us and him. Yet, it was odd how she did it. She stayed closer to him than me. But, I suppose it did not matter in comparison to another event.


    "With all due respect, Roseli, regardless if we''re still dating, I said I would look after you! And I intend to follow through with it!"


    "My Love is more than capable!"


    "He nearly hurt you several times just now!" he snaps down at her. And, as if to prove his point, she did not back away to me.


    "Just leave already." Rose comments with evident annoyance.


    "No, because I intend to speak with him." he clarifies before he nods in my direction.


    "What could you possibly want to speak to me about?" I ask with a snarl. And I had every right to. My experiences with this man were a bloody fight and another bloody fight! He did not like me, and I happily returned the view!


    "I am willing to offer any help I can. It clearly matters not to you, but I have known several girls killed by him. Some of which, at the time, I made similar promises to Roseli here. And I would like to at the very least avenge what I could not protect."


    "Oh, so brave of you..." I sarcastically drone out as my glare narrows, "And why is he still out there?" I ask. Jabbing at his chest as this failure of his led to her state... She was in a hospital, struggling to live because our Hero over here failed!


    Then, all of a sudden, he tore open his shirt, "BECAUSE I WASN''T STRONG ENOUGH!" he roared. A particularly large, circular scar existed near his upper, right arm joint. He could''ve easily had it healed...


    "And you still clearly aren''t." I scoff as I remember our last proper fight. One where he didn''t shoot in after I was tired out.


    "We will find out, I suppose. Now, I will not have it any other way. But I will be helping you." he tells me as he steps forward. And that was all he did, he held his ground near my display of aggression. Not once did he flinch even as my magic enveloped his area.


    "And what help could you possibly provide!?"


    "Unlike you, I have lived here. Actually lived here! Places where you can find rumours! Evidence! Anything! I can at the very least guide you to them if that look in your eyes means anything!"


    "W-What look...? My Love, you don''t intend to...?"


    "Kill that bastard? Tear him limb from limb!? KEEP THE WOMAN I ACTUALLY LOVE SAFE FROM A MAN TOYING WITH HER!?" I steadily progress until I roared into her face. And, at some point, she started to cry and shiver.


    "I... I see..." she weakly says as she backs away.


    "Now, first thing is first before you make the wrong decision, Nin, where were you on that day?" Seigunfrei asks me as he takes measures to console Rose.


    "We were..."


    .


    .


    .


    "So you lot going to order anything or will you just be occupying my chairs?" the owner of this place laughs. And, while I stared off at the building we were all originally going to go to. I found myself quietly crying under the safety of my mask. I knew something was wrong and I was too slow...


    I should''ve left the moment something felt wrong... I should''ve never let Lari go off on her own... Not while she was like that. For all I know, that strange behaviour set this psychopath off!


    "If you don''t mind!" Seigunfrei tells the man with a smile before he taps a menu. One jingle later and the owner left. So I could only assume that meant he bought himself some lunch. Probably Rose as well knowing the two slept together.


    "Nin..." Rose quietly says as she tugs at my cloak.


    "What?" I growl.


    "So, as you were saying, you had a meal here and went other there?" Seigunfrei asks me. And I nod as there wasn''t much to say.


    Yet, I still chose to speak, "Yeah, we were going to go see some group. Deadly..."


    "Deadly Sound? I know them, played around with one of them for a bit. But, never worked out."


    "Not surprised." I scoff.


    "Nin." Rose says with a stern, warning tone.


    "So did you see them?"


    "No, they were later than they said they would be... And we were invited here by them after Lari..." I say before I realise something. Lari was acting even worse in the build-up to it all. Right when we met Deadly Sound for a meal beforehand...


    Lari then disappeared and they were not on at the time they said they would be... Lari defeated them in the Inter-House...


    "My Love!?" Rose calls out in alarm after I suddenly rose to my feet.


    "THEM!" I roared at a display board before I started to assault it. It was them! This Smiling Jhurack! He was one of them or associated with them!


    THIS WAS ALL JUST AN ATTEMPT TO SALVAGE THEIR PRIDE!?


    "Hey! Wait!" I heard that annoying human call out before I just started running. I need to get back to the academy. They had to be there. And they would be answering my questions!


    Paying the price if I really needed them too...


    .


    .


    .


    "So you''re trying to find inspiration?" I ask Clarman as I sewed together something. I was doing it mostly out of frustration. Because everyone kept peeling away to do their own thing so we could not spend time together as friends... I guess I understood why, but, it bothered me nonetheless.


    "Yes... It wasn''t hard to hear about what had happened, so, I thought maybe I could conduct a piece to be a Get Well gift or something." Clarman nervously jokes before she looks back at her group.


    "Well, I will try to help however I can!" I enthusiastically say as I stood up with a smile.


    "It''s appreciated, Einervaene. I know we did come at you with this at a random moment, so I am sorry for that."


    "Don''t be! I''m sure Tiyanat would be glad to know people are there for her..." I start to say before I nervously chuckle. I didn''t mean it in a way that meant I wasn''t there for her... I know me and Larishazza had our issues, but I would never!


    "You alright?" Clarman asks me with a smile before I realise I had turned red from mere thoughts.


    "Yeah..." I nervously say as I start to press my fingers together. Only to raise a hand to block out the Orbital-Halo''s light. What was that in the distance? Was there a duel going on...?


    "Should we get someone involved...?" one of Clarman''s friends asked as we watched this magic approach.


    "Nin...?" I let out just in time for a more clear outline of him to appear. But, whatever was going on had me worried. Because I could also see aircraft from the city itself.


    "Those are City Guard airships... And is that Seigunfrei!?" Clarman pointed out as green tornadoes stood out amongst the blue fire.


    "MOVE!" I scream at them before a terrifying roar filled the air. I had heard that noise before... When Tobaballe was destroyed. But what brought him back to that state!?


    "GAH!" Clarman screams after a thunderous boom knocked me down.


    "WHY WEREN''T YOU THERE THAT NIGHT!? WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST HER!? WHERE IS HE!?" Nin roared down at a now bloodied Clarman. Yet, she was too terrified to answer.


    "STUDENT NIN! STAND DOWN NOW!" a voice from inside the aircraft soon shouted as a crowd started to form.


    "ANSWER ME!" Nin roared as he started to thrash Clarman about!?


    "NIN!" I scream at him as I tried to get between him and her. Her friends, however, were too scared to approach as Nin''s magic was out of control. Even in my lightning form, I could still feel a strange heat. It was like I was being boiled alive!


    "STUDENT NIN!" A teacher then thankfully got involved and sent him flying away. Mere moments later, however, he came charging back!


    "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" he roared before this Seigunfrei intercepted him and blocked his charge. A sudden bang, however, seemingly put an end to it all and Nin suddenly fell down.


    "Arrest that bug!" an armoured man ordered as he suddenly exited his airship.


    "NO! We will handle this as this is within our right." the teacher told them as he came over to drag Nin to his feet.


    "Why did you do it...?" I ask him pointlessly as Clarman cried behind me. She was badly injured, so we had to get her sorted. Yet, when I turned around, she was already being healed by the others. Hospital staff, however, were still here to take her.


    .


    .


    .


    "What you did was unacceptable, Student Nin. And to top it off, this is the second time today!" Frihdeicalkbr said to me before he slammed a fist on the table.


    "They''re responsible..." I growled to him as I struggled against these magic restraining chains.


    "Who are responsible!?"


    "FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FRIEND! TO MY PRECIOUS FRIEND!" I scream at him hysterically as I started to lash out despite the chains.


    "And your proof?" he asked me with a grim tone as he sat down in his chair again.


    "THEY WEREN''T THERE!" I screamed at him. How could he not understand this!? This happens after they fail to show up when they said they would!? WHAT MORE TO IT WAS THERE!?


    "A claim is not proof." he sighs out as I continued to struggle. Only to lash out more when someone entered the room. It was her, the lead of that group! The one behind it all!


    "N-Nin... It wasn''t us! I swear it! We just got the time wrong is all! We did perform! We can show you the record-"


    "STOP LYING TO ME! YOU WEREN''T THERE! AND WITH YOUR WOUNDED PRIDE! YOU TRIED TO KILL HER!" I interrupt before Frihdeicalkbr suddenly smashes a glass orb on me. Whatever was in it, it had that magic from a long time ago in it. That magic they used to suppress emotions... Unlike last time, however, I could not break free of it.


    "Look, I will make this clear for you! You are at the very edge of the mountain and it is starting to break! If anything like this happens again then you will be expelled from Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding! The protection your tenureship offers will be gone and you will be exterminated by the proper authorities!" my Head of House warns before he leans back with a sigh.


    "I can''t just leave this as is." I say to him with a calm tone as I tried to hype myself out of this state.


    "And you will need to! Not only is vigilantism illegal in Thrurstradtur! So is interfering with a maximum priority investigation! You will be killed, Student Nin!"


    "My life matters very little without her..."


    "HOW DARE YOU!" the woman shouts, "YOUR FRIENDS HAVE BEEN WORRIED FOR YOU NON-STOP! EVEN THE SCHOOL WHICH RIGHTFULLY HATES YOU HAS SYMPATHY AT THE VERY LEAST FOR YOUR SITUATION! STOP BEING SO SELFISH AND DON''T THROW YOUR LIFE AWAY!"


    "Student Clarman, that''s enough." Frihdeicalkbr tells her before he gently guides her out the room.


    "Selfish...?" I ask myself before I am left in here on my own. What was selfish about what I was doing...? I was trying to save my friend. The woman I loved...


    I wanted to help her, to save her. Like she did for me so many times. She brought back my will to live and made sure I would escape my unfair entry terms. Even if you boiled it all down, I was doing this for someone else.


    There was nothing selfish about that... But, I guess, for now, I had to bide my time, somehow. Maybe I just had to somehow go about this calmly...? Yet, I wasn''t sure how that was going to work.


    This was not something one could go about calmly... When that blood suddenly spurted on the glass at the hospital. I could tell I was being taunted... That man knew I cared for her...


    So was this a personal vendetta against me...? But I did not see how that worked out...


    .


    .


    .


    "CLARMAN!" I called out as she came out of the hospital, "I''M SORRY! I''M SO SORRY!" I cried as I just didn''t know what to do. Nin was accountable for his own actions, but, she did not come to me to be attacked! Let alone in such a malicious manner!


    "Y-You don''t need to apologize Einervaene. And, I know this basically ignores what happened. But, see? I''m fine!"


    "Clarry! You were nearly killed!" their drummer nearly shouted as he suddenly got up in her face.


    "Anzhub, I know, and I am rightfully terrified. But-"


    "But nothing! You can''t just let it slide like that!"


    "Clarman, it is okay to say that you have an issue with it. What he did was completely unacceptable!" I tell her, arguing on the side of Anzhub.


    "Einervaene, you more than anyone should be able to tell a lot is going through his head at the moment. Frankly, in hindsight, I can see why he thought we were to blame! A simple mistake on my part has opened up the idea that we were involved."


    "NO! Do not even for a minute try to contemplate that drop-bound boulder of lies!" Anzhub sternly warns as his finger spears the air before her.


    "Contemplate it? I just want to make it clear to him that we were not involved with the attempted murder of our friend!" she bites back with.


    "For the gods sake, Clarman!"


    "I''m the lead of our band, Anzhub! It is my responsibility to protect all of you! From lies, misinterpretation on top of the actual...!" Clarman reminds them before she starts to jab at the air with a frustrated groan.


    "She has a point... This isn''t the first time she''s made a point of resolving bad press." one I did not know the name of said. But, I believe I recalled her using a string instrument. Which, did not help me recall her name if I did know it.


    "Bad press!? She was attacked by that damn osibindah the staff stupidly let in!"


    "I was attacked by a friend grieving for his friend!" Clarman snaps.


    "No! Fine! If you want to die so much, go speak to that damn bug yourself!"


    "I already have for a matter of fact." Clarman comments with a sharp snort. Yet, she then turned a downtrodden gaze to me.


    "Is something going to happen to Nin?" I ask her. While I wanted to punish him, I was more so worried for him. That anger I saw... It meant nothing good.


    "The Head of House has made it clear that if Nin does not rein it in, he will be expelled from..."


    "I see..." I acknowledge quietly as she places a comforting hand on my shoulder.


    "I am confident you can get through to him. You''ve been there for him before. Through every kind of situation. Blood, sweat and tears built your relationship, it won''t break that easily."


    I smile a little at those words, graphic as it might''ve been, "Thank you for letting me know... But..."


    "Don''t worry about it! Just focus on making sure your friend is safe." she says to me as she starts to pat me away from them.


    "O-Okay!" I say before I start to head back to the dorm. I wasn''t sure where Nin would be right now. However, I could predict where he was going to end up. Eventually, he would come back there.


    Yet, I would prefer to find him before he got back. Just so I could talk with him alone. So I could try and make it clear what we were going to do... It was going to be hard, but him suddenly being separated from us all would be worse.


    I might''ve wanted to forget that period of my time here. But, it was the city we were so close to that wanted Nin dead first and foremost. It was their prisoner overalls he wore, their guards that tormented him for weeks upon weeks... Hostile as it may be at times, it was the safest place he could be.


    "Ah, Student Einervaene. I was hoping to find you." our Head of House greeted as I was walking along.


    "Is it about Nin?" I quickly asked as he was there when they took him in.


    "It is, so, if you would kindly?" he asks of me as he starts to physically guide me towards a quieter part of the school. I could only really see teachers and staff around here, so it must''ve been one of their areas.


    "Do we have a chance of stopping him from being expelled?"


    He sighs, "You have no idea how difficult it has been for me to keep him here... If this happens again, or even the slightest incident happens, he will be expelled. Pragmatic want for research only allows me to stretch it so far. And it quickly reaches the end when others are needlessly endangered."


    "I understand, I will make sure he and everyone at my dorm understand this."


    "I can only pray you are successful. Student Nin is excessively dependent on Student Larishazza for emotional support." he sighs, but, those words were hurtful even if it was not intended to be so. Why couldn''t Nin trust me as much as he did her...? I know we''ve had our ups and downs... But, where even she was too scared to go, I went and saved his life!


    "So he is in here?" I soon ask him when we reach a secured building. One that pulsated with the magic stuffed into its walls.


    "He will be coming out with an armed guard, so make sure you can do what you can to ease him out of here and back to your dormitory."


    "Understood."


    .


    .


    .


    "N-Nin! Can you come in here for a moment, please?" I heard Einervaene call as I fiddled around with a tablet. And, not wanting to be dragged into this, I put it down and went in. Frowning deeply as I had a strong, firm idea of what this was going to be about. Everyone was here...


    Even Deadly Sound...!?


    "Sit." Omb quickly tells me before his superior strength casually puts me down onto my rear.


    "Okay, to start with, Clarman..." Einervaene says nervously before she moves closer to Tiyanat. Who, seemed to be worried about something. It was obvious what it was, but, I knew from experience that one issue often let others in...


    "Alright... Alright. Nin... We were not responsible for what happened to Larishazza."


    "DO-" I started to shout before Omb''s grip slammed my jaw shut. He wouldn''t even budge even as I slammed my fist into him over and over.


    "Nin! Please!" Einervaene begged as she came over to help him keep me down. What was this!?


    "As I just said, Nin, we were not responsible. We had no involvement with it, okay!? We just got the time wrong. That is all." Clarman frustratedly sighs out. Yet, what reason did I have to believe them!? Did they have any proof!? How could this not just be them smoking their actions!?


    "It''s true, Bug. If you want proof, here." the large male grunts before the table trembles under a sudden new weight. Tablets, a pile of tablets is what he put there. And, they were starting to slowly show me their contents...


    That was Larishazza''s handwriting alright...


    "See? She wanted to have some fun with how we discussed it and we traded tablets! We both lost our train of thought over and over again, see!?" she desperately pointed out as I started to calm down... Okay, if this was the case, then I was wrong. But, that still did not separate them entirely...


    "Nin, they did not do it. So, please, calm down." Einervaene begs me as her grip starts to soften.


    And, at first, I growled until Omb''s hand left my jaw, "Duly noted..." I tell Deadly Sound. Let''s say I went along with this, that they and Jhurack were separable. All that did was was remove one target of my anger... It was all going to go back to he who wielded the blade, after all...


    "And, there''s one more thing, Nin..." Vadei explains uncomfortably before more tablets were put down. However, unlike the last lot, they were given directly to me. They were rules... A list of terms and conditions put forth by the school''s top lot.


    If I attacked another student like I did with Deadly Sound... If I used my magic beyond the relegated areas... If I interefered with Thrurstradtur''s law enforcement again... Or even left the ground of the school on top of many other details...


    I would be expelled, just as Frihdeicalkbr said. A target would return to me and I would be shot until dead. A final end that not even Undwote''s father could undo. My existence was a lucky circumstance to begin with.


    Rose then sits in front of me, her claws in her hands, "My... Nin... We need to make it clear to you. If you don''t get it for some reason... We do not want you to go after this killer."


    "Yeah! Larishazza wouldn''t want you to risk dying like this just to keep her safe..." Vadei tells me. Something that makes me snap my gaze to her. Because what right did she have to incite that name...?


    "And even then, Nin... Please, don''t go any further with this. They can handle it, okay? Just keep yourself safe so Larishazza can see her friend when she gets out..." Einervaene says before she is brought to tears.


    "That man is holding her hostage, you all saw that! What he did in the hospital!?" I point out as I started to struggle against Omb again.


    "People are aware, Nin... And, for better or worse, our father has found a solution." Tiyanat suddenly says as she stands up. Tears in her eyes before she looks down at me.


    "Well?" I impatiently ask.


    "Someone is coming to fix this... My sister will be back and it will all be fine... Just don''t make it harder on her and them than it needs to be!" she nearly screams as she points at my friends. Einervaene, Liada, Rose, Vadei... They were all nearly driven to tears by the current situation.


    And, I don''t know why, but, I felt depressed seeing that... And I lowered my head in shame... I was just going to be like them when I got here... And I did not want to fail my friends...


    I did not want to be alone again... And, unfortunately, going after that man meant being alone... Yet, Tiyanat''s words were comforting. If Larishazza''s dad had found a solution, then it would be solved...


    I didn''t really have much to go on in regards to it. But, I trusted the idea of a dad doing all he could for his children. Even if I never really knew mine to the point I struggled to remember them. More so, however, I trusted my friends...


    "I''m... Sorry..." I let out quietly as I hid my face in shame.


    "It''s okay, just promise me you won''t leave me alone?" Liada asks me as she quickly swoops in to take Omb''s place. And with this sudden freedom I had, I brought her in close.


    "I can do that..." I quietly promise as people started to leave until it was just me and those four. The four who have been with me at my worst moments. When I first became a bug, when I escaped that hive, when I was trying to get back to Tobaballe and all that...


    "We understand this is difficult for you, Nin... But, please, don''t make it worse." Einervaene pleads as I start to get swarmed by the girls. It was clear, abundantly clear that I was making the wrong choice. So, I took the advice their hearts were so openly suggesting. And, I pulled them all in closer as tears built up in my eyes.


    Lari would''ve probably wanted this indeed... For her friends to be happy and safe.


    "Now... I understand that it is not much, but..." Vadei began to utter quietly after she suddenly left to get something.


    "A flower...?" I question as the pot is put in my hand carefully.


    "Yeah... It''s a... Well, back home, we call it a Get Better flower." she explains before she twirls a claw near one of the petals. And, the plant reacted by shimmering with magic that jingled on the way out.


    "It''s a very relaxing sound..." I say as I hear what sounded like gentle bells ringing.


    "Mom used to steal these from my garden if something bad happened. She''s put them in our bedroom flowerpot and they''d help us sleep."


    "Thank you." I say to my friend as this might help. But, I had no way of telling if it really would given what had happened... Every night had been the same thing...


    That man smiling over her bloody body.


    "So, uh..." Liada suddenly began to say before she started to drag me to my feet.


    "You made something?" I ask her as I sniffed the air. And, I smiled slightly at her nervous nod and the way she scrunched her hand up near her mouth. It was very cute. But, it became somewhat funny when her toe-claws reminded me of how deadly she could be.


    "No one mentioned any gifts!" Einervaene quickly complains when she catches up.


    "This is just dinner..." Liada corrects with a stuck out tongue before she happily sits next to me. To her disappointment, however, Vadei came slinking up onto my lap.


    "Looks good." she says as her tail blocked out my face. At least, until she moved it over with a mischievous giggle.


    "Hey! Stop! It''s not for you!" Liada complains as she tries to shove Vadei off. But, as the gap between them was still so big... A gentle breeze was what we essentially felt.


    "Come on, open wide!" Vadei continues to tease after she shoves Liada away.


    "Not a child." I remind her before she took the opportunity to make a mess of my face.


    "Oops." she lets out with a snicker.


    "R-Rose''lhia!?" one of them then exclaims as Rose makes a point of licking the mess up.


    "That''s disgusting." I comment.


    "True, but, I can''t stand you being tainted by roots." she tells me before she casually flings Vadei over me.


    "HEY!" she barks as her claws start to fill with magic.


    "You two!" Einervaene interrupts with a stomp of her foot and flash of lightning.


    "Sorry..." Vadei mumbles.


    "So, Nin, is there anything in particular you want?" Rose asks me. And while it confused me, I was happy it was my name she used. None of that pretentious lie of hers...


    "Peace and quiet?" I answer as I let Liada get me something to eat. However, I had to make a point of it to Rose as otherwise she would try and stop her.


    "Honestly, I don''t see how you can tolerate these roots. They''re weak and unappealing." Rose scorns as she looks at the other two.


    "I guess Nin and I could ask the same of you." Einervaene jabs herself as she hugs me from behind. And, I had to admit, watching Rose flinch the way she did was new. It was so simple that it was genius!


    "W-Well... Uh..." she struggled to get out before Einervaene giggled and stroked her hair.


    "Don''t take it so seriously!" she quickly exclaims nervously as she likely catches up to her tongue.


    "Shut up!" Rose then snaps in my face as I cackle at her reaction.


    "Hey! What about my..." Liada impatiently complains.


    "Alright, off. I''m hungry." I tell Rose before I sigh at the food. I was hungry because I just hadn''t been feeling it. I knew that I needed to eat to stay strong. But, Lari''s state made it hard to focus while eating.


    I struggled even now, but, I could hide it at the very least amongst the bickering. Through what was playful and what was just mean-spirited. Liada''s food wasn''t bad, I just had a lot on my mind. And, thinking about this morning, maybe there was some truth to it...


    Well, just playing around with their boobs wasn''t going to solve it. But, spending time with them would help me keep my mind off of it. Maybe, though, I should seek some divine help. Motrtha has given me help before, maybe she would now to.


    Or, this help Tiyanat said was coming, I could pray for them. The emotions packed into such a thing would surely get the gods'' attention? They''d be willing to pass it on for me, right? I mean, I was in a funny position where I could cite some sort-of friendship moments with them...


    "So, Nin, I was thinking... Maybe you''d like to help me with something, tomorrow?" Liada quietly asks me while the other three got on with a fight.


    "Maybe I would, what is it?" I tell her with a slight smile. Letting mine grow as her face lit up.


    "Well... You know how I said that I have spent most of my life on board an airship?"


    "Yeah?" I just say rather than asking ahead of time. She would tell me what it was that was on her mind. No need to waste words guessing.


    "I didn''t get to do much in the way of recreation, none of us did. But, I heard some of the humans talking before about swimming in a nearby lake?"


    "You want to go swimming?" I ask her, leaning in a bit closer as this did interest me. Only problem was, however, that I did not know how to swim. Her situation wasn''t much different from my old life as a low-floor citizen, after all.


    "Yeah... Or, rather, I''d like you to teach me."


    I huff quietly, "We''ll have to teach each other, then." I inform her.


    "Fine by me!" she giggles quietly before she flinches at how close Vadei was.


    "Swimming..." she repeats slowly and loudly.


    "Swimming?" Einervaene says with some fear as she sparks reactively.


    "What an excellent idea!" Rose exclaims as she stands up and swivels her hips, "Believe it or not, I have plenty of outfits that go well in the water!"


    "I can believe that." I say with a straight face as I remember our journey to this place. I was stuck carrying an absurd amount of clothes. Her room probably had more stock than a clothes shop!


    "So, Nin, what do you say? Interested in seeing this body in a revealing, soaked one-piece?" Rose asks me seductively with no self-awareness whatsoever.


    Then, I look at Einervaene, "I wouldn''t mind at all!" I wink.


    "NIN!" she screams as as she suddenly turns red. Yet, she quickly lowers her guard and pushes her front out. She was certainly contemplating it.


    "Heh heh." I let out as Liada starts to frown.


    "Aw... I just wanted it to be us two..." she complains as she sticks her face between my shoulder and neck.


    "I''m sure, we can figure it out. Besides, Einervaene can''t go in the water, Rose prefers showing off and Vadei doesn''t like water." I tell her in order to comfort her.


    "I don''t hate wat-"


    "Skedah!" I suddenly let out after flicking a glass of water on her.


    "I''M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Vadei screams at me as I fall off the chair laughing.

 Incline 3: The Worm Rider!

    "Listen..." I start with a sigh as I impatiently tapped a claw, "Whatever is going on, I''m sure there are good reasons... As stupid as it sounds to me... But, can you just forgive her if she has done anything...? I don''t know what I would do without her..."


    And when I got no answer from my prayer, I pulled myself up to my knees. Wiping away what few tears did come out before I just stared at the statues. Sighing with explicit depressing sadness before I looked at the floor again. My claws were still clutched together, so maybe I still had something in me...?


    "Okay, look, if she truly has done something, lay it on me instead! Come on... Thought after what I''ve done that it must account to something!" I begged once more before I rose in frustration. Tsking at the statues before I sharply turned around and moved to leave. Only to stop before I went past even the first pillar of the temple interior. I didn''t hit it hard, but, it was loud enough to echo.


    My friends and I have had several extensive talks, but I just can''t stop thinking about it. Every day was anguish without Lari. Especially when one considered how she was under threat. And, I was forced by circumstance to stay here within this school...


    The man who had hurt her and was still hurting her was over there! In the great city of brass that hated me just like here! I should do something! Yet, Lari was not the only one I cared for.


    I may have loved her dearly unlike everyone else, but, I did care for them. So, I slowly started walking again until the Orbital-Halo brightened my view. And, before me, was the people of my dorm. All gathered together for what was formerly meant to be a private thing.


    "Hurry up, Nin!" Vadei called out as her tail wagged excitedly while she also hid herself protectively. Which, made her stand in complete contrast to Rose who flaunted about without a care. She lived for the attention and was enjoying every bit she got dressed like that. Einervaene, on the other claw, wanted some privacy as her body was burning up.


    "Should''ve whispered quieter..." Liada comments as she joins me after having gone to a statue of her god. She was very glad one was here. Yet, everyone else who used the temple was confused. They had no idea where that section came from.


    And, it made me smile to some extent. Such a simple thing I did has actually altered the world. I unchained a beast under a church. And, I freed a god as a result.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll make a point of spending more time with you." I joke with a smile. Just loud enough for the others to hear so Liada could gloat. But, before I could walk down the steps. I noticed a lack of blue hair.


    "What''s that...?" Vadei suddenly said, but, I ignored it.


    "Omb, where''s Tiyanat? She not coming?" I asked the missing one''s teacher.


    He then shakes his head, "No, she is worried about something."


    "Quiet!" Vadei snaps all of a sudden. Then, I felt a strange feeling in the air.


    "Wetness?" Omb mutters quietly as we turn to the sky. Something that everyone seems to be doing at the moment. Not just us either, literally everyone I could see was.


    "That''s magic, isn''t it...?" I mutter with some horror as an odd pressure was building. Whatever it was, it was approaching quickly.


    .


    .


    .


    "GRAND-GUARD INERISH, WE GOT INCOMING!" one of my surveillance men shouted as alarms started blaring.


    "Explain!" I order as I rested a hand on my sword''s pommel. Very subtly, but still very much nervously twirling its tail as I took it all in. From what I could see...


    "Large, unidentified water magic source on fast approach!"


    "Impact area?" I ask as this was perhaps the most important thing. Our city shields could take the blow. But, they did not extend to the Spiral Road or our neighbours.


    "Directly within Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding!"


    "Have they been made aware?"


    "Countermeasures have been picked up!"


    "Get a scout aircraft as close as you can. I want a direct feed to the anomaly." I order to all men present before I recline into my seat. Whatever measures the staff at Suhurlodst had, they would hold. Yet, I still needed an idea of how to respond to this event. This was a dangerous situation and it demanded it!


    Be this either some spell intentionally fired at us or the opposite. Be it a witch of exceptional calibre either. Or, perhaps both. It all determined how I would treat this event.


    For a brief moment, I folded my arms underneath my chest. Yet, I quickly shot to my feet once a human outline was finally picked up. Whoever this was, they were exceptionally powerful. And they were breaking the law in an exceptional way...


    The magic in use, however, made me cautious as to what was going on. An aura of this strength to have such a distinct water influence... I dreaded one of the many answers it could be. So I started to prepare an order to be sent out.


    "Target in sight, Grand-Guard Inerish!" I was then informed. And I felt my heart briefly stop as a clear visage of a spearman riding a worm filled the screen.


    "GET ME THE BEST MEN YOU CAN GATHER NOW! I WILL MEET THEM DIRECTLY AT SUHURLODST!" I roared to my staff before I made way to leave.


    "We can''t just deploy troops into Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding without the approval of Thrur-"


    And, growing impatient with their long-winded details, "That is an Ibeneroccian Worm Rider! Protocol can wait!" I snap at him before I start to run. All around me, my soldiers were reacting to the warnings and moving to get ready. And, in the immediate distance, I could hear the roar of airship engines.


    However, the sudden wave of magic that suddenly pierced our walls shook us all. And, with a cold sweat on my brow, I ignored getting the rest of my gear. We needed to meet this problem now! So I snagged along what men I could and hopped on an airship.


    "SUHURLODST, NOW!" I bark at the pilot before we hastily leave the hanger and zoom off. It was a rough, but quick ride and I was soon letting the wind blast me. And, in defiance of it, I shot out into it and came to a stop by some dormitory buildings. Then, I gulped nervously as I felt this power up close.


    It was a debilitating experience that felt heavy and crushing. I was quick to draw my sword but my magic did not follow. If I did, he would take me as far more a threat than otherwise. Yet, that creature of his made me tempted to draw it out anyway.


    And I might''ve done so had he not held it back with a soft bump from his spear. This creature was snapping its gaping maw at us with growing ferocity. Yet, this spearman was the complete opposite. He was calm and composed, he saw no danger ahead of him.


    "DROP THE SPEAR!" one of my men snapped, their fears getting the best of them. Yet, before one of them could accidentally pull the trigger under this stressful aura. And, all it took was for me to blink. But I soon heard the rattling of guns and the sound of scrambling, hectic men.


    "Why''re you here!?" I asked as I raised my own sword. My eyes widened in surprise when it was suddenly whipped out of my grip. And with that I let my dark fire come out in force. If he wanted to make a mockery of our safety, we would fight.


    "I seek the unharmed daughter of Lord Sl''Ayiysab." he calmly answered with a voice that pierced the chaos around him. Eventually, however, his magic began to recede and he suddenly turned. And he dropped to his knees and held aloft his spear in his palms.


    "So you''ve arrived..." an Ibeneroccian girl with short, dull blue hair said grimfully.


    "You know him?" I asked her as I picked up my sword. Only for it to suddenly slip out my grip and fly away. Almost as if it had been taken from me yet again.


    "My dad has requested their help in regards to my sister..." she answered quietly before she started to sniffle in tears. The man, however, kept his submissive posture and made no further movements. Even that beast of his seemed to bend in reverence of the girl.


    I know powerful families often sent their children here... But how one with this kind of backing went past me I did not know. Yet, those words he used. Unharmed...


    "Is this by any chance related to the recent string of attacks by Smiling Jhurack?" I ask with some annoyance as that killer was a long-time enemy of mine. He had run circles around me my whole career and was threatening its existence. If I could not get the confidence of the Council back...


    "He has been called in to deal with him... Yes..."


    "So, please. For the good of the Sl''Ayiysab name, step aside." the Worm Rider tells me as he suddenly rises. And the sudden shift of tone did not go well with me.


    "YOU CAN''T JUS- GAH!" I started to roar before I suddenly lost the wind in my lungs. And when I caught my breath, I realised that I had been forced away from Suhurlodst. A long trail of dug-up dirt leading all the way back there. And, on that small path of dirt between it, walked a bare-footed spearman.


    "Step aside."


    "NO! WAIT! JUST WAIT!" the Sl''Ayiysab daughter screamed at the spearman as she suddenly got in his way.


    "I implore you to step aside, your sister is in danger." he tells her as he relaxes his posture.


    "NO! YOU WOULD''VE BEEN EXPLICITLY TOLD TO LISTEN TO ME! AND YOU WILL DO JUST THAT!" she screamed furiously at him. Then, with a sudden drop, he offered his spear again. But, this time, its point was directly aimed at him.


    "Of course, my apologies. Lady Tiyanat Sl''Ayiysab." he tells her with a remorseful tone. And, while this was going on in front of me. I recovered from that sudden, shocking blow.


    "If he is here to resolve the incident with your sister... He will have to make a case before the City Council." I wheeze as I hold onto my sore gut.


    "And he will... He will obey every standard you enforce upon him within reason and he will save my sister!" she barks with growing fury as the air becomes cold. Yet, compared to this man, she might as well have had no power at all.


    However, upon noting that, I briefly smirked, "He will not be able to enter the city unless he surrenders his magic to the flow of the city. His... Worm, must also stay outside the city."


    "My skill at arms will be more than sufficient, I will comply." he tells me with a humble bow as his magic starts to flow past me. All this power and he was withholding it with no aid at all!? Thrurstradtur''s technology could suppress Suhurlodst in its near-entirety!


    How was he able to do this!?


    "Are you sure you can...? I know the stories often tell of grand spells and movements done in tandem with..."


    "Do not fear for me, only expect deliverance for your sister, Lady Larishazza Sl''Ayiysab." he tells her reassuringly before he twirls his spear behind his back.


    "Then, let us make way for the Witch''s Gate. We can announce your arrival more properly from there." I tell him as this Tiyanat Sl''Ayiysab worriedly takes a step back. Yet, she seemed to cheer up slightly when that man''s worm came to her side. However, it only perplexed me as it looked to be just a mouth with a body...


    "Within the limits of your mind, inform me of the criminal who holds Lady Larishazza Sl''Ayiysab hostage." he then tells me.


    "There isn''t much point until the Council gives its approval."


    "If it is so certain, then speak." he says as the taps of his spear suddenly become louder.


    "N-Not until..." I start to nervously say as fear fills me. He so casually disarmed me that I knew only death awaited me if I provoked him.


    "Regardless, my responsibilities to my Lord Sl''Ayiysab are greater than my respect for here." he warns. And, with a slow, shaky nod. My mind became set on how we would go about this. The Council had to agree to this request...


    "Very well, please follow me closely." I tell him as I use my magic to wave down an aircraft.


    "To taint myself like this..." the Worm Rider muttered miserably as he got on board alongside me.


    .


    .


    .


    "Assemble the Clockwork Council, now." I tell the head of the Gearkeepers. Impatiently crossing my arms as they stared back at me with a raised brow.


    "And by whos authority, Grand-Guard?" the man asks back with an unimpressed attitude.


    "Take a look in the main chamber, your answer is there." I spit out as this adherence to protocol was getting in my way. I had a job to protect this city and it was stopping me. I could not give the Worm Rider the right to enter the city without it!


    "I don''t see how..." he started to say before his expression straightened out. Then, all of a sudden, loud bells began to toll throughout the city. So many, in fact, that they could still be clearly heard even within Ihtuntar''s Gaze Catcher.


    "Make sure they arrive as soon as possible." I tell him before I move to leave. Only for my communicator to suddenly start going off.


    "Grand-Guard Inerish, are you there?" it started off with.


    "I am, what do you need?" I say as I head to a teleporter system. Using it to get back to my part of the Gaze Catcher before looking out the see-through walls.


    "The Seven-Peak Union airbattleship has moved into an attack position. How should we respond?"


    "Ignore it, it''s just reacting to our recent arrival." I tell them as I look out at the impressive machine. Thousands of magic cannons that could somehow wipe out areas eighteen halfmans wide... Nothing was left of where these cannons hit. Thankfully, our shields were very much up.


    "Royal-Custodian Galanmarck has also opened up a line, shall I transfer?" the female officer asks.


    "Yes, put him through." I say with a sigh as I would need to elaborate to him. Make it clear to their side as well. Frankly, I was a little surprised he did not launch into the sky to intercept the Worm Rider... The Union was not on good terms with the Grand-Kingdom.


    "Hello, Inerish, how have you been?" Galanmarck asked me with a traditionally disrespectful, casual tone. Which always meant he was worried about something.


    "The Worm Rider is not here for your royal pet." I tell him as I drop into my swivel recliner. Crossing my black-booted legs once I was comfortable. Then, I switched from just hearing his voice to physically seeing the man. He could not see me, but, I preferred it this way.


    "Then by right of treaty, I wish to know for the sake of His Royal Highness'' safety." he says as I watch him briefly expose the emerald-haired prince. A clearly marked target if there ever was one. Many could have their hair altered by the strength of their magic, but few were born with it like that... And it was telling how much power that prince had when so much of Suhurlodst''s background magic came from him.


    "I take it you are aware of a certain criminal blight upon my career?" I ask him just so I could vent some built-up frustration. That smiling murderer has eluded me for too long... The press ate it up and they were on his side for all intents and purposes. By undermining me they helped him...


    To think nothing of how we had so little to work with... Any leads we might''ve picked up lead nowhere. The suspects were all but proven innocent except for farce investigations that came as standard for stupid reasons. And to top it all off, he mocked us relentlessly by using his strange power to be so close and so far frequently...


    "Smiling Jhurack?"


    "Indeed."


    "So, I take it the Worm Rider is here in relation to the student who was recently attacked?"


    "Yes, a direct response from the father. A Lord Sl''Ayiysab." I tell him. And I did not quite expect the way he flinched when I said that name.


    "Border colony nobility..." he mutters with some disdain. Then, a knock at the door on my end.


    "Hold on," I say before I mute myself, "enter!"


    "Grand-Guard Inerish, the Clockwork Council has assembled and await your explanation." a female staff officer tells me. Unmuting myself once she had finished speaking.


    I nod at her and return my attention to Galanmarck, "I must go now, I had to call a council meeting in regards to our mutual interest."


    "Then may this killer be brought in and the vanquisher depart soon." he bids before his face disappeared. However, I choose to take a moment to just reflect on what could happen. Eventually, however, with a timid nervousness, I did get up. I did not let it show, however.


    It was bad enough that I had been so badly humiliated before that school by this man... The Grand-Guard of Thrurstradtur could not even fight one great witch? She could not stop one, petty criminal...? I could hear it all already...


    And it frustrated me very much. Perhaps I was too sensitive to this kind of embarrassment. Maybe I have just had enough of it... I suppose it did not matter, so long as I did not let it be used against me...


    But, I also had to uphold laws that allowed such vicious rumours to exist... A damning aspect of my career. I enjoyed the power that came with it so much yet the blocks were harsh and clearly labelled. I was kept low on the mountain of power due to historical lessons.


    I put these thoughts to the side, however, once I reached my destination. And, in a liberal use of disrespect for the people above me. I walked in through their special entrance and used their stairs. It bothered them and I liked that.


    The reactions, however, were all saved for the spearman at the centre of the grand chamber. Which was funny in its own way. A chamber built for royalty, used by a republic... And where the king''s throne used to be, stood a representative of the greatest kingdom in history.


    A Worm Rider of Ibenerocco.


    "Grand-Guard Inerish, b-begin..." the Administrator of Finance encouraged without his usual stiff expression. He may have not had his magic power under his control... But this soldier, he had a reputation that terrified us all.


    "Earlier today, the accused came forth within the limits of Thrurstradtur''s airspace. Violating several laws of great importance, he then landed within the grounds of Suhurlodst." I start to explain, sort of joyful I could be so casual right now. Wind-People and their insistence on such strict naming annoyed me...


    "I did not come here to face trial." the Worm Rider warned as his spear suddenly swung down and carved some stone. With it seemingly having never moved when I suddenly turned to him.


    "It''s just protocol..." I somewhat mockingly say as I was choosing it arbitrarily, "To get to the point, however. Worm Rider...?"


    "My name is unimportant. I am here on behalf of Lord Sl''Ayiysab for the one who attacked his daughter."


    "D-Didn''t you c-catch him, Grand-Guard!?" the Administrator of the Arts gasped in some shock as his fat body moved erratically.


    "No, as I said when we took him in, Surgeon Stolpzhen was another case of Smiling Jhurack setting someone else up. He was acquitted of all charges and currently resides within solitude by his own request."


    "Ignoring your incompetence so far, Grand-Guard Inerish," the Stroke of High Noon sneers, causing me to quietly growl, "perhaps you can see us through where she has failed, Worm Rider."


    "Do not associate me with your disputes." the spearman started to say before he was suddenly in front of my insulter, "Regardless of your decision, know that I shall go on to do my duty." and, all of sudden, I felt as if I was about to drown. At least, until I pushed back against this sudden force with my own magic. And, for a moment, I stood in awe as this man defied the city to command his magic once again.


    The Stroke of High Noon, however, held his ground, "Then you have our approval." he tells him before he strikes with the gavel which conveyed his supreme authority. The right to dictate the decision of the whole city... A king''s power...


    "You spoke of a surgeon, take me to him." the Worm Rider then asks of me as he relinquishes control of his magic again.


    "Of course." I say as I step aside.


    .


    .


    .


    "Just go home... Pretend none of it happened... Right...? Right?" I asked myself with an almost crazed tone before I looked at the walls. Sometimes, I swear I could hear his laughter. The people who looked after me even talked about it sometimes... I was not the only one who could hear him.


    However, I was concerned as to why I was suddenly being bothered. This was meant to be a solitude cell, no? Weren''t they supposed to leave me alone!? Was this just more of that killer''s tricks!?


    Had he come to taunt me more over that damned girl!? Did he want me to know that I had failed to save her!? Did he want to remind me of the blood he spilt on me!? I just wanted to go home and spend some time alone in my bed...


    Away from this accursed city...


    "Surgeon Stolpzhen, you are requested by Grand-Guard Inerish." a young woman told me. A sight which I immediately looked at with scorn. Since he dumped that poor girl before me, and framed me for her murder... No...


    "Leave!" I bark before an armoured man stepped in ahead of her.


    "Come on, let''s not keep her waiting."


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    "H-HEY! LET GO OF ME!" I shouted furiously as they took me out of the magic-isolating room. It was the only place where that man could not get in. I had heard nothing from him since going in there! They had to let me go back in!


    Yet, it was not to be, and, instead, I was forced into a room with a dark-skinned beauty. One I instantly turned away from as I did not want more blood on my hands. In doing so, however, my gaze caught a glimpse of a polished speartip under light. And I looked up at the holder.


    "Surgeon Stolpzhen, what can you tell me about Smiling Jhurack?" he asked as he stepped forward.


    "W-Why...?" I ask back as I slowly stepped away from the intimidating man.


    "You were the last to encounter the killer directly. Tell me what you know." he demanded as I smacked into the wall.


    "I don''t know anything!" I tell him.


    "Wrong."


    "I DON''T!" I shout as my hands rise to show my submissiveness.


    "What do you know?" he asked calmly, yet, I could feel that he was getting impatient.


    "Again, I can just let you go over what we have..." the woman says as she rests a cheek on her relaxed fist.


    "Answer my question." the man tells me as he stops moving right in front of me.


    "He has a sword and is somehow able to get where he shouldn''t be, okay!?" I tell him before I look around in worry. Surely he heard me and was going to do something now!?


    "Get in where he shouldn''t, how?" the spearman asked further.


    "W-When I was... Performing an operation on the Sl''Ayiysab girl, he... Directly took control of the magic I was using to heal her with and turned it against her. Forcing me to resort to tool-based surgery..." I start to explain before his tightening grip made me go quiet.


    "Thank you, Surgeon Stolpzhen." he says to me before he suddenly turns for the door.


    "And you are going...?" the woman asks as she slowly gets up. And, I was thankful that I was not the only nervous one here.


    "To save my Lord''s daughter." he answers.


    .


    .


    .


    "Around here?" I ask the Grand-Guard of this city as I walk about near a theatre. While it was highly unlikely that the killer would still be around here. All the reports having detailed Wind-People soldiers having been deployed. I might still be able to pick up on a trail.


    With or without magic, I could find my way and I intended to do so. Lady Tiyanat Sl''Ayiysab could rest easy as could both Lord and Lady Sl''Ayiysab. However, before I pursued the man I was asked to hunt. I would check in on Lady Larishazza Sl''Ayiysab.


    If this man was holding her hostage, I''d like to be able to confirm her safety. And, if it came to it, I would holler for my loyal pet for his assistance. We could both test how far this man''s power extended and what he could do. However, defeating him took a professional priority.


    I would not deviate from this standard and I would go all-out from the moment it begun. On my honour as a Rider of Worms and in the name of His Majesty. My spear was gifted to me by him, with the backing of the Royal Court. Of which the Sl''Ayiysab''s partook.


    I would save their child and humbly reserve myself to the dunes of Ibenerocco. Ready to be called up again should I be required. A time I prayed came soon for the empire needed all hands at arms. Such a vast prize required constant vigilance.


    "No magic traces..." I mutter with a frown as this was very unusual. All this magic in the city and there was not a slight linger? I understood how this place worked from personal experience. But even the people still kept some tiny control of their own magic.


    However, I could not find anything around this location. Faded blood stains were still here as were the brief signs of a fight. Yet, still, no trace of magic. Just more of the great collective I was increasingly familiar with.


    "Will you require directions to where Student Larishazza is kept?"


    "No, I can already feel her power." I reply before I jump from wall to wall. Flipping over a building roof and dashing upon landing. Vaulting and pole-jumping the distance until I fell down. With the murmur of the crowd nearby signalling my arrival to the ground.


    "Impressive..." the Grand-Guard compliments, yet, I could sense envy in her tone. It was not for me to judge, though. So I did not address it the same way that I did not acknowledge the hospital staff. I cast them aside and stood before the one I was meant to protect.


    Silently staring at her, at first, "Defender of Mankind, bless this girl. This daughter and friend. Guard her when and where I cannot." I pray to Guareroisncer. If anyone could be trusted to fill in for my failures. It would be He who held back the Fourteen from destroying an ever so infant humanity. And, to make sure my prayer could be heard, I left an artefact behind.


    Then, I stepped back out into the streets after observing the operating room. Neither here was there any trace of another man''s magic. All I could sense was Stolpzhen''s influence and those he worked with. A plethora of feint traces also existed in the observation room beyond the glass.


    But, still, nothing that felt malicious within where Lady Larishazza Sl''Ayiysab rested. I questioned somewhat why she remained there. But I quickly discovered my answer as the door ahead suddenly carved out an answer. I was not scared by this, only encouraged.


    "Grand-Guard, which way is this place?" I ask as I read the stone script.


    "It''s a residential area you can find by travelling along the outer wall of the city. I will notify all forces along the wall that you will be likely going along it." she tells me as I leave.


    "And which way?" I ask after I quickly ascend the city before spiralling down to the wall''s top.


    "Head the way you''re facing. You''ll know when you get there by the sight of a-"


    .


    .


    .


    "WORM RIDER!? WORM RIDER!?" I scream through the speaker as we near yet another hour of him having suddenly frozen still. The moon had long since come out and he had shown no sign of moving.


    "Pardon, the sight of what?" he asks me as he suddenly starts moving again.


    "What in the name of the gods was that all about!?" I ask him with a hiss.


    "So was this him?" he asks as I watch him suddenly turn to face the currently present moon of Sinannan.


    "We cannot..." I began to reply before laughter filled the control room. In response, I drew my sword as did everyone else present. Any weapon, really, was brought in. Yet, we were suddenly getting reports of laughter throughout the city.


    "Why, hello!" that damned voice said before it suddenly yelped.


    "In the name of Lord Sl''Ayiysab, I shall slay you." the Worm Rider casually told Smiling Jhurack as he engaged him. Yet, the mad killer was more than able to match the speed of his swings and thrusts.


    "Do not interrupt me like that!" he complained as he suddenly appeared far behind him. The distance, however, was soon closed and the Worm Rider displayed his physical might. At moments it seemed like his spear moved, but at others, it looked like it was in two spots at once. It was far beyond us to properly observe in real-time...


    "Get me a good view on that damned bastard. If this Worm Rider is our best shot, I want to help him however I can!" I order all present staff with a slam of my fist. Glaring intently on the somehow still amused Jhurack as he was put on the back foot. Did that have grave implications...? I could not see how the Worm Rider would treat this half-heartedly...


    Perhaps I had misjudged his character...? Or was Jhurack beyond a scale we could''ve possibly conceived. However, as usual, his tell-tale sign of activity was present. Magic sensors were malfunctioning and misreading what was going on.


    "Get me eyes in the air, now!" I send out to the hanger before moving closer to the screen.


    .


    .


    .


    "Oh, look at that, your own little guardian pets." he jokes as some aircraft start to approach. Unlike him, however, I did not turn my attention away from the battle. I know I have grazed him and delivered blows. So why was he still taking this as it was?


    Did I perhaps have to call back my magic? Escalate the fight in order to do my duty? I admit, my Lord Sl''Ayiysab was not a subtle man. He''d have blown this city up should it mean saving his family.


    But, perhaps I could save the embarrassment to His Majesty?


    "Why do you continue to run?" I decided to ask him before a loud clash of steel rings out around the city. His sword had caught my spear tip and his arm did not quiver.


    "I prefer the term... Dance." he says before he suddenly retaliates. And, to my surprise, I was now forced to back away. His relentless chase, however, I stopped with a flurry of blows. I may have only been one man, yet the illusion of a whole square of pikes lay before him.


    Like the cannonball that broke such tactics, however, his sword tip made it through. Until my fingers swiftly blew it away. And, with the opening that my actions had made for myself. I swung my spear''s rear spike at him.


    Initially, I scored a hit right through his jaw. At least, I thought I did, but the sound of gnawing drew me back. It confused me at first, but, I saw the finer details too late. For he was right on top of me.


    "HAH!" he let out as my shoulder suddenly burst open with an exaggerated flow of blood. And, then, I picked it up, he had started healing my wound just to gloat. A power that I had to admit was as terrifying as it was elusive. Normally, a witch played by a set of rules, he was invalidating it all.


    How could he change where he stood if he could also strike with an enlightened sword? How could his voice boom so far if he could become one with the wind? How did he freeze me still when his blows cursed one with perpetual pain? What exactly was he...?


    "Do not get ahead of yourself." I tell him as I swung around him to then thrust up. However, to my shock, no blood came as the sky boomed in response to my piercing blow. His hand just removed the spear and he balanced on it. And his foot soon found my face.


    "While you are here, I have a request for you as I cannot find him right now." he started to say as I jumped away. Twirling my spear about defensively and attacking each of his blows. What I could not grasp, however, is why new wounds opened on my body. I felt no sting from his steel, I just felt the wounds suddenly open.


    Suddenly, I then fell to my bloody, pierced knees, "If I must die to save Lady Larishazza Sl''Ayiysab, I will gladly meet Lord Undwote!" I tell him before I sliced my useless legs off. Bouncing about between my spear and hands as I reinvigorated my attack.


    "Embarrassing, start walking again, please." he says as I suddenly strike him with my bare foot. Hooking his head with a returned leg and plummeting against his face. The blow that should''ve mattered, however, missed completely. My normally true spear-aim drew no blood or sounds of pain.


    And, to my true embarrassment, I came to a halt as I took in the futility of my actions. If he got close to me, I tried to slay him. But, a new wound would suddenly open up and stain my garb further. The walls were dripping with several times my actual blood amount...


    "Good, good... So, the favour you will do for me..." he starts to say as he sheaths his sword. Yet, even as he presented himself so openly. I knew that I would not be able to harm him. So I gritted my teeth and stared as dozens of new cuts kept opening up.


    Where were the spells!? I could not see or sense any! What degree of mastery did such a low-minded man have...? And, for the sake of His Majesty''s empire, was there more like him...?


    "There''s a particularly unique student within Suhurlodst. I want you to tell him I want to see him!" he told me before he started to cackle in laughter.


    "GAH!" I let out as blood suddenly filled my mouth. It was as if I just swallowed many small blades in one go. However, when I looked down, I saw his sword was in me. From back to front.


    And, somehow, we were no longer on the wall of the city.


    "Off you pop, go." he encourages before he vanishes with a tap of his sheathed blade. However, I suddenly dropped down to my knees yet again. I groaned and moaned and tried to call back my magic. But, I was too weak right now to heal my broken body.


    And I understood what his method was... He wanted me to show adherence to my willingness to live... Unfortunately, I would have to play into his desires. So I slowly began to struggle onwards towards Suhurlodst Academy.


    .


    .


    .


    "You''re joking..." I let out in disbelief before I collapse into my seat. Around me, dark fires cackled like he would. And, I hid my face behind my hands. How could this have happened!?


    Just earlier, that spearman had struck fear into all those in the city and our neighbours! A bodyguard of Union royalty was scared! The city needed to be put under lockdown! Yet, that damned Smiling Bastard made little work of him...


    He put on a show with our help... And while we were also suffering from a mole in my staff. A problem I had yet to take care of because of Smiling Jhurack''s crimes. And, before I knew it, I was getting a call from those I despised.


    "Head to the Council Chamber, Inerish." spat the Stroke of High Noon. And I recoiled in anger before I abruptly ended it.


    "Bastard..." I growled lowly as this was now clearly going to be pinned on me. They wanted me to focus my everything on Smiling Jhurack whenever possible. Yet, they completely forgot that whenever moments like this happened. When the city got a full, public broadcast of a dreaded criminal winning against a great fighter...


    The press would eat it up and further tighten the noose around my position. After all, why''d they let that half-breed Errakurd take the position? She wouldn''t care at all about this city! Never mind the fact I have spent years here!


    I have kept them safe for all this time and one criminal was all it took... One smiling madman was all that was needed to turn the world against me... It made me snort in disgust. Perhaps I should just leave them to it, let them forever be tormented by one killer.


    Not my problem after all... I was the Grand-Guard of Thrurstradtur, such petty men did not concern me. My job was to watch out for dragons, survey Suhurlodst and stalk the Union''s intentions. One criminal was completely and utterly beneath me!


    "You called for me?" I asked with forced politeness as I entered with none of the disrespect I showed earlier.


    "Yes... Explain to us why a full broadcast of that fight, just made it into everyone''s homes!"


    "I don''t know." was all I had to say. Our equipment was completely separated from the citizen''s standard. There should have been no way for them to interact. So unless I have been lied to about the capabilities of my own workplace...


    "And how do you not know, Grand-Guard Inerish? That broadcast came from one of the airships you dispatched!"


    "NO AIRSHIP UNDER MY CONTROL HAS THE CAPACITY TO PERFORM A CITY-WIDE BROADCAST YOU IGNORANT FOOL!" I shout back at whatever administrator just spoke to me. Lighting up the chamber with my dark fire before I regained my composure. Something I made sure to do quickly to mitigate the already tremendous damage that outburst had done.


    "Then present your theory as to how it is done, Administrator of Communication Gobboels." the Stroke of High Noon says as he brushes it aside. At least, that is what it seemed like and what I hoped was true.


    "They would''ve had to have a direct connection to my facilities. It is Grand-Guard Inerish so firmly put, she does not have the equipment for it." he answers. Details I was very thankful for even if it was clear that he did not do it out of kindness for me. No one did kind things for another within these walls.


    "Then perhaps you''d like to explain why such a broadcast got out?" the Stroke of High Noon accuses. Words that made Gobboels flinch in disgust briefly.


    "It was my daughter''s humiliating death that brought the issue of Smiling Jhurack to the Grand-Guard!" he angrily admits in response to the question.


    "I know, but those who work for you don''t have that same badge of loyalty. Perhaps, Smiling Jhurack is even one of your staff?"


    "Impossible, if someone as powerful as that walked in here, we''d know! Not to mention with a face as distinct as that!"


    "Could he not just heal those strange cheeks of his...?"


    "No, scars form as a result of lacking magic during the healing process. His wounds are likely irreversible." the Administrator of Healthcare and Safety points out.


    "So, Grand-Guard Inerish, how do you suppose we will handle it now?" the Stroke of High Noon asks me with a reluctant sigh. And, from my position down below, I watched as he leaned back into his seat.


    "We''ve exhausted all options currently known to us. It may come to the point we have to spend in order to recruit independent witches."


    "Finance mercenaries? PAH!" the Administrator of Wealth comments with a sneer.


    "If you have a better idea where to spend our defence budget, I''d love to hear it." I quietly snap as I turn towards him.


    "Maybe we should just strip you of your rank and be done with you? One less pen pusher to waste our money! All rise?" he bites back with before he stands up.


    "Sit down!" the Stroke of High Noon orders to any who took the insult seriously.


    "As I just said, outside help is clearly needed. Failed as he might have, the Worm Rider was the closest we have ever gotten. My troops have accomplished nothing over the years. Yet he was at least able to present the hope he could be beaten."


    "He made a complete fool of the world''s most prestigious warrior group... A Royal Ibeneroccian Rider of Worms..." one of them reiterates to undermine my words.


    "Regardless! We are at our wit''s end and no solution is in sight within our walls!" I tell them all before I turn to leave.


    "You have not been dismissed, Inerish!" the Stroke of High Noon disrespectfully tells me.


    "Unlike you lot, I still have a job to do." I viciously sneer at every single man and woman in the chamber. Letting the door slam behind me as I made way for my office once more.


    .


    .


    .


    "Don''t worry, you can go to him." I tell the Worm Rider''s worm after it started looking at me for permission. If it was suddenly like this, then I was left fearful of what this would escalate into... A dead Worm Rider in the Land of Wind? It was not going to turn out well...


    If he had succeeded at the cost of his life, then I needed to speak to Undwote. Pass on my thanks to him before the God of Death took him beyond my reach. However, when I saw the worm rapidly return. I caught on to that, that was not the case.


    But I was horrified by the sight I saw all the same when the worm landed. For a moment, it looked like it had devoured someone whole. Yet, the fear I felt when the bloodied Worm Rider crawled out of his beast was different. How could he have lost...?


    What kind of monster had taken my sister captive!?


    "I... Am sorry, Lady-"


    "You need to get to the hospital!" I interrupt, urgently trying to apply what magic I could. But a man of this strength and power, I could barely affect his body! It did not help either that my magic was being sapped away by that city like it always was!


    "Of course, but, when the morning comes, please, come to me. I have important information that I need to tell you. And you will need to pass it on to Lord..." he tries to say before he starts to go quiet.


    "Worm, ride!" I order the beast as I slap it with freezing, but urgent strength. Thankfully, this animal was learned and it knew where it needed to go. And I quickly went back inside before I came back out with a cardigan. It was a very cold night that I was active in...


    Eventually, I reached the hospital and saw the worm hovering before a glass window. The Worm Rider must''ve been taken up there? The hospital staff were confused slightly by me also coming in. But, they let it pass when the Worm Rider intervened on my behalf.


    "When morning came, Lady Tiyanat Sl''Ayiysab." he answers with a heavy breath as a machine pumped him full of magic. I could hear discussions about finding a means to apply water magic to his body. But they had settled on just giving him a respirator hooked up to the main magic supply.


    "I''m sure the night is coming to an end anyway..." I tearfully joke as I start to consider how things will escalate from here. If a Rider of Worms had failed... What hope was there for my sister?


    "Please do not stain your face, I may have failed your family. I may have lost my pride as a Rider of Worms... But Ihtuntar has given us a light to guide us..."


    "The Sun God is dead..." I remind him, an evident truth all knew.


    "And even so, the night is going away." he tells me before he looks out the window. Not at his worm, but at the school beyond.


    "Did something happen...?" I ask as surely there was a reason he was alive? Did the madman spare him? Was this just an attempt to humiliate him...?


    He groans in pain before he looks at me again, "He asked me to find someone for him... I did not get many details, so I am sorry about that. But, I was hoping you''d might have an idea?"


    "Nin...?" I question quietly as I have overheard him on occasion. His nightmares, he was always just too late to save her. He laments that he did not do more than just punch that scum away from my sister...


    "It must''ve been more obvious than I thought..." he breathes before I see him smile and laugh quietly despite the pain. Admittedly, as well, I was surprised I only just acknowledged that he had been undressed. The traditional garments of our greatest soldiers were on a wheeled, metal table. Bloody and cut apart, just like him.


    "What did he say about Nin?" I ask, just going along with the idea that it might be him.


    "Not much, just that he wished to see him." he ominously answers.


    "To kill him?"


    "No, I can''t see that being it... To torment, that seems to be how this man works." he answers before he looks down at his legs for some reason.


    "Did you at least wound him...?" I asked, if Nin heard this... Then what everyone had done would be for nothing. That anger and rage would come back to the forefront and he''d be killed. If not by Smiling Jhurack, then by the Thrurstradturians!


    He shakes his head and clearly ignores the pain it caused him, "I landed blows, but drew no blood."


    "No..." I let out in defeat as this made no sense. How could you spear a man through or strike him with a metal chunk and draw no blood...? Was he that skilled he could heal himself soon after? Was that what he was saying?


    That his efforts were essentially futile...!?


    "Lady Tiyanat Sl''Ayiysab, worry not. For the sake of your family. Keep a strong heart." he tries to encourage as I start to cry again.


    "A WORM RIDER JUST TOLD ME HE COULD NOT SAVE MY SISTER! HOW CAN I KEEP A STRONG ANYTHING RIGHT NOW!?" I scream at him as all the worry I was filling up with suddenly came out. Father would bring damnation upon this city just like he did to a home of ours once before. War would burn the land and all for one girl...


    My sister, his daughter...


    "By trusting in this Nin. If you need to, go attend a congregation or pray in solitude. But, do not let your mind fill with dark thoughts." he tells me, displaying his solicitude for those he served.


    "But Nin isn''t you... He''s not a great fighter... Not a great witch... He''s just a boy heartbroken by the loss of his friend... My sister..." I tell him as I try to wipe away the tears.


    "Then he has room to grow." he utters.


    "What...?"


    "If he is not great now, then ordeal shall make him one. For the sake of his beloved friend, whatever this man has planned... He will pull through."


    "If he finds out about your defeat, though... He will be killed... He''s not like us, not human... Not in appearance, anyway." I tell him, showing some signs of how my sister has affected me. Where once I tried hard to keep the two separate because I have heard about what osibindah were... I now acknowledged that his eyes truly were the gateway to the soul. There was a man behind that insect-like appearance.


    And my sister saw it before anyone else really ever did... It frustrated me, really. Of all the people to be held in such a cruel state. It was the girl who could never stop smiling, the one whose greed for joyful friends was never-ending...


    Life was cruel, so very, very cruel...


    And it would be even crueler if I let him know. Nin could not know about this! He simply could not hear about this in the slightest... It was me telling him that the Worm Rider was coming that helped him settle down...


    Regardless of if he somehow did the impossible and actually stopped this man. My sister would never forgive me. She''d want to see her friend and I would have to tell her he died... Because even if he could win, I just could not see him surviving...


    A Worm Rider... By the gods above, a Worm Rider failed to stop this man!


    "Do not speak of this, at all." I then say as I rise to my feet with a heavy sigh. In the meantime, I would have to figure out how to explain this to Dad... Maybe another one was needed? A greater one...?


    Perhaps even he himself could come...? I know it was far-fetched given what he was, but... I just needed to stop this from escalating. I needed to stop it...


    "With all due respect, Lady Tiyanat Sl''Ayiysab, you cannot stop this from evolving." the Worm Rider says as if he just read my mind.


    "No, I will... My sister will see her friend again alive and well and we will not lose our friends to some vengeful warpath!" I sternly tell him.


    He just shakes his head, however, "You will slip up. This is too much for you to keep ahold of." he warns me. And, he was probably right. Which is why I was probably getting so angry at this. If I was a different person, I might''ve laughed at this clear vision I had as wrath filled me.


    This anger, however, gave way to weeping, "I know..." I admit as it was all just too much.


    .


    .


    .


    "Is Nin here?" I heard Tiyanat ask quietly in the other room. And while I showed no interest at first. It did stick in my head, the more I thought about it. So, I got up and moved to the doorway I heard them speak beyond.


    "Hm?" I let out curiously, only to watch as Tiyanat flinched and looked at me agasped.


    "N-Nevermind..." she muttered, full of frustration before she just went upstairs. Whatever it was, it was clearly bothering her enough to break her usual cool. I then turned to Einervaene for an idea about what it was. Yet, she had no such suggestion either.


    "Give her some space, Nin." Einervaene seems to caution from experience before she goes off to do something. But, now, I couldn''t help but want to look into it. She asked for me, yet, essentially ran off when she saw me? In my experience, it meant she was hiding something.


    "In regards to...?" I asked myself as a strange stiffness seemed to form inside my chest. I feared it might be in relation to Lari. Had something changed about it all...? I wasn''t sure if her help had arrived yet.


    There was that odd magic incident the other day, but she has not spoken about it. We never investigated it but when we saw her later... There was that odd creature. We all just sort of looked at it and then got on with our day.


    That, however, did not answer why soldiers were around here either. Members of staff were outraged at the trespass yet simmered down all of a sudden. So, perhaps, it would''ve been better to say her help had arrived...? She never once talked about a pet worm, thing...


    To not draw suspicion, however, when I went upstairs, I went to my room. Far away from Tiyanat''s in the building layout. She would not hear me and I her. However, her sister had taught me many skills in regards to moving about a building.


    And I was quickly on the roof of our dorm. Immediately after getting my footing, I tried to envision the halls. Slow, thoughtful steps preceded me sitting down. And, I spent a few more moments wondering if this was thereabouts.


    I did not really go near Tiyanat''s room beyond very brief passings. So I was not sure if I was in the right spot. However, her cries of frustration helped me answer that. I was in the right area.


    "If she doesn''t want me to know..." I then said to myself quietly as I rubbed my claws around each other. If me knowing was clearly a bad thing, then I should back away, no? But, a need to know also compelled me to stick around.  Eventually, the feeling that took me here won out and I kept my ears open for anything.


    "Well? Where is my Lala?" an accented, older-sounding voice asked Tiyanat.


    I could only assume he meant Lari, but, Tiyanat was crying, "Dad... Please..." she started to beg.


    "What!?" he asked with a loud, clear gasp as the sound of other disturbances also made it to my ears. And, I don''t know how I would describe it... But, something was starting to snap inside of me. She had mentioned her family had prepared something... I stood aside because I trusted that claim or feared where my actions would take me.


    "Dad... I know it sounds impossible... But, it''s true! Not even the Worm Rider could do anything!"


    "A nasty predicament..." the father lets out slowly with a loud, audible tap. And that sealed it for me. Twice now someone was meant to help Lari and they failed... But if someone that powerful failed...?


    "Now before you do anything!" Tiyanat suddenly and aggressively blurts, "There is one thing..."


    "Did the Worm Rider at least injure this scum? Weaken him enough for another to finish it!?" the clearly enraged father asked his daughter.


    "The Worm Rider said something to me in the hospital... The man who has done this to Larishazza... He wants to personally speak to a friend of ours... I don''t know why, but, there seems to be a mutual interest between them..." Tiyanat explains as my body stiffens up. Oh, so he wanted to see me personally? Yet, he defeated someone so powerful that it disturbed the whole school!


    As much as I hated hearing them, having been on the end of many vicious ones. I had heard very much so how it was said even Vapooliar showed concern when that power appeared. Her of all people... The great warrior who has always been so far ahead of me...


    So what was I meant to do...? What was I going to do!? This man wanted to speak to me! That killer who has haunted my mind since that night was doing this because of...


    Me?


    Maybe I could find out if I went into that city, if I did the thing I shouldn''t. But, as I stared at the city, having moved closer to it. I felt no intimidation at the sight. I felt only anger like I did during our return to Tobaballe...


    There was a clear and present threat to something dear to me and I had to do something... Yet, if I did, I would die. Gunned down like the soldiers always wanted to happen to me. I could not help Larishazza if I was dead...


    It frustrated me even more just knowing that. Tiyanat''s help had failed, and I was left having to worry about the woman I loved. But, I could not step out of this school... I couldn''t do anything...


    "DAMMIT!" I ended up roaring with a sudden, violent burst of power.


    "Nin!?" someone from below snapped. So, I just put on a liar''s face and leaned over. If they knew that I knew about the failure of the help. I''d never hear the end of it... We would get nowhere...


    "Hm?" I replied with, showing a frustrated, but rather casual expression.


    "What was that about...?" Vadei asked me as she stood at the dorm entrance holding something. And, soon after Einervaene came rushing out.


    "Getting frustrated at this spell..." I lie but to them, it was just a meek admission.


    "Why''re you practising on our roof anyway!?" Einervaene asks, clearly annoyed by what was likely a sudden tremble in the building.


    "Done it up here before..." I remind her. As, thankfully, I have tried a few things up here before with her. Granted, that was a long time ago in regard to my magic education. During the worst entrance exam I ever had to take...


    "Do it where you''re meant to do it!"


    "In the field so I can explode and reform?" I genuinely joke, even if I did not live up to how I usually did it.


    "Shut up!" she snapped before she went back inside. Vadei, however, just looked up in curiosity.


    "What sort of spell?" she asks as she seems to start to look around for a way to get up here.


    "Something that lets me reach out further..." I lie on the spot as I was not expecting to be asked this. I have not even really considered new magic since I started learning that explosion stuff. It did not seem practical to try and learn new magic in such a gluttonous way.


    "Maybe I have something that can help?" she jokes as she turns around and teases me with a few wags of her tail.


    Yet, my lies had led me here, so I needed to do it or dismiss her, "Clearly, I''m struggling here..." I remind her. Technically speaking of a prior lie rather than anything real.


    "And maybe you just need a goal you can actually touch?" she rhetorically asks with a wide grin as she starts to sway her hips with her tail.


    "Perhaps you are right..." I quietly say to her as I stand up properly. Placing one foot on the dorm''s edge before I hopped down. Breaking my fall slightly by grabbing that same ledge until I hit the ground with a thud.


    "Use the spell!" she reminds me as she runs off into the distance. And, here, I decided to stop calling it a lie. Maybe practising my magic would help it stay out of my mind. Just think and do everything I can to stay true to this goal...


    Yet, even then, it always came back to me... How could I use this to save Lari? That is what I kept asking myself as I went off to practise with Vadei.

 Incline 4: The Final Pleas for Help

    "HAH!" Liada lets out triumphantly as Vadei waddles away from her barrier. Her nose is clutched tightly as she slowly regains her bearings.


    "Not fair..." she complains soon after before she drops down and stares at her fingers.


    "Quit complaining." I tell her as I move to pick her up. Ignoring her aggressive reaction and staring her down as she glares at me.


    "Not so rough!" she demands as one of her glowing nails is shoved into my face. And, I couldn''t help but let out a sigh as I stared at her magic. It was so weak... What purpose was there in me trying to help it improve?


    She was weak and always has been, and I could not help Lari with weak people. Not even Liada, with that divine trinket of hers was a particularly skilled fighter. I was watching the pair go at it because of that! Liada needs a careful eye on her, as otherwise...


    "Alright, you go wait over there." I tell Vadei before I nearly throw her that way. Yet, despite how she reacted, I only gave her a guiding claw. It was not an attempt to actually throw her... Then, when my attention returned to Liada, I cocked a fist back.


    "Eh? WAIT!" Liada screamed as she clearly wasn''t expecting me to take over. And, that just made my point stronger. If this was enough to catch her off guard, me merely taking up a position... Then I could hold nothing but dread for how useless she would be...


    When it came to saving Lari, I needed the best. People who could be at their very peak with or without help. The news did come quick. I had been given a glimpse into how that ''help'' failed.


    "Keep it up." I end up telling Liada once I realised she brought her barrier down. Not only was that just a stupid move. I could not allow such behaviour to be encouraged. My experience has taught me much, and a shield needed to be kept up!


    "I''m tired..." she lied.


    "KEEP IT UP!" I roar furiously before forcing her to do so. Enveloping myself in an arcane fireball which my aggressive breathing blew away afterwards.


    "NIN!" Vadei snaps from behind me.


    I turn towards her, watching as she flinches slightly, "Get back to it." I tell her. Walking past her before sitting down by a target we made prior. Then, with a sudden wave of tiredness, I leaned against it. Cracking it slightly as I forced my body against it.


    "Nin... I don''t think this is going to work out..." Liada points out as she moves closer to me. Yet, rather than looking her in the eye like I usually did. I stared at those large, curved, big toe-claws of hers. They tapped when she was nervous.


    But, what did she have to be nervous about...?


    "What''s not going to work out!?" I ask her with snort. And she backs away with a harsh scrape.


    "I''m not learning anything... You''re just having me put up walls and..."


    "And what? Your power is to make walls is it not? Making walls is clearly what this power of yours is for!" I tell her as I start to get up.


    "No, do not talk to us like that!" Vadei growls as she asserts herself with a finger.


    "I WILL WHEN IT IS CLEAR YOU TWO THINK BEING ABLE TO PROTECT YOURSELF IS SOME HALF-HEARTED AFFAIR!" I roar at her whilst also suddenly approaching her. And, it was amusing, in a cruel way to watch her flinch back. For that assertiveness to go away. And, then, I just walked off and left the room and then the building.


    I collapsed onto a bench and impatiently tapped one of my feet. Staring longingly at the hospital before I started to become miserable. How could that man have failed!? I have heard the rumours!


    How powerful these people were meant to be. How they conquered the world and ruined countries on their own! These were meant to be the elite of the elite! Beyond that of even the Valkinvar who I once saw as the strongest!


    So how could he have failed...? Why did this now fall upon me to protect Lari...? It made no sense in the slightest... First Seigunfrei shows me that scar of his, and now that!


    Tiyanat may have been trying to hide it for some reason. But I knew all about it. The school even made a point of saying how some classes had to be suspended due to shortages... That man was so powerful he made the school blackout...


    A school dedicated to magic, the very best of these kinds of schools! And this Smiling Jhurack, the one who wanted me... He beat that man... He wanted to clearly fight me, and I was nothing in comparison to his previous opponent...


    "Are you alright?" Vadei asked me as she sat down next to me. She was clearly on edge, but, her intentions were clearly pure. Why else would she bring around her tail for me? Even if I did not receive the offering of my own volition...


    "I''m sorry, it''s just..."


    "You don''t need to explain that. I do not need to be smart to figure it out."


    "It''s not even just that, we''ve been through so much and somehow, we all still don''t know really how to fight..." I explain to her. And, to some extent, I was lying, it really was just about Lari. I would not have been so pushy about it otherwise. It was also true, I still did not know how to fight.


    At least, not like everyone else could. Vapooliar was swift and brutal with her fists and could be around you for kicks. Even Seigunfrei knew how to manipulate his momentum to bring you down. I only ever beat him through the savagery I put up in that magic-suppressing room...


    I guess, to some extent, it was a know-how in the art of fighting. But, not to the degree that counted. To think about prior thoughts about the ''help.'' He must''ve been a master of such skill he would need lifetimes to teach the nuance of it all...


    "Well, why do we need to know how to fight?"


    I then slam my fist, "What happened to Lari? What happened to your home? To Tobaballe!?" I ask her with wide-eyes. How could she ask such a stupid question!?


    "Nin, I just meant we should be avoiding these sorts of things, is all!" she tries to clarify.


    "But we can''t! We could not travel without being attacked! I could learn without being under threat of death! Everywhere is a reason we need to know how to fight!" I remind her. I''m sure I could bring up more reasons, but I chose to stick to things she could easily get.


    "I''m sorry..." she says quietly before she gets up and leaves. And just like that, an attempt to smooth things out went nowhere. Yet, I was thankful for that in a rather peculiar manner. If she felt the need to go, it meant I was right about this path.


    I just needed to find people who were able to stand up for themselves! Vadei wanted to avoid fighting because she knew she was weak! I was stronger than her, so the burden of protecting fell upon me! And, clearly, I could get stronger.


    After all, how it all was before I even set foot in that hauler... I was just some man who struggled to lift a statue! Now, look at me! I climbed this mountain and shattered stone!


    If Smiling Jhurack wanted to create a warning in regards to his strength... Then I would just find the means to gain such strength! And I knew several people who could help with that! Some I knew well, others I had only briefly fought with!


    Unfortunately, however, Vapooliar was completely off-the-table... What happened in the Inter-House made it clear how she felt about me. I just wished it wasn''t over something so inconsistent. Yet, there was someone greater than her that I could speak to!


    The people who also came from Lari''s home had been swarming the hospital! All to see the legendary warrior as he licked his wounds! Our dorm had become popular too, just so they could see that thing... I could only assume it was the status symbol aspect of it all that made it popular.


    It was just a mouth otherwise...


    So, with that in mind, I started to move toward the hospital. Only to walk into a barrier that could''ve only been made by Liada. Yet, when I turned to face her, to demand an answer. She just glared and walked back inside.


    "Better..." I condescendingly remark under my breath as that solved one of her issues. She could project the barrier further beyond than before. Yet, thinking about what I said to her, I looked back at where she was. Could I take it from her...?


    However, the moment I thought that my bracelet suddenly burned me. So, taking the hint, I brushed away the idea and went back to my route. It was a shame too, walls made could make a cage. A cage from which I could then rend that helpless killer apart!


    Unfortunately, it was just going to be a fantasy for me. The only choice I had was to head towards the hospitalised warrior. To get him to teach me anything, something! To lend some of his power if it was possible!


    He was the one who was told about the situation! It was from him that Tiyanat first learned about Jhurack''s interest in me. He had it all! Technique, knowledge, all that I would need!


    I could only pray that I could get any of this, though. That man came to her to protect her, unlike Lari. It meant he was subservient to the mist-intentioned girl. He would follow requests to keep me in the dark...


    And I just could not have that! I needed everything I could get, everyone! If he was not able to fight anymore, then I would take what I can! He would fight on in spirit!


    Right...? His pride surely would not allow for it to end the way it did? To lose to some killer that prowled dark alleys... Surely I could goad something!?


    So, before I walked into the hospital, I tried to calm myself. I would not convince anyone of this kind of stuff with openly displayed rashness. Thankfully, I had my mask and everything on! It would be hidden as well as suppressed!


    "Why are you here?" the blue-eyed man asked me. At first, I looked at the way his sand-coloured hair turned bright blue towards the end. But, I was quick to remember my reason for being here. And he wanted to know it too.


    "To speak to you about Smiling Jhurack." I answer, growling ever so slightly upon saying that vile thing.


    "You are Nin, then?" he asks, to which I nod.


    "Yes, I am, and I believe you were told something that concerned me a great deal..." I say as I slowly applied pressure to a nearby ornament. I barely made a dent in it, however. This room was strange in that it all felt heavy.


    Being near this wound-covered man was scary...


    "Technically, I was not. Lady Tiyanat Sl''Ayiysab was the one who made that conclusion. However, given how you have come before me with a clear, need-for-blood driven intent. I can see why." he says in a rather plain tone. Not one I was really expecting from someone with his reputation.


    "Then we can skip most of the point-making..." I say as I move closer to him. The adrenaline that his aura made pump allowed me to work up the courage for now. However, if that calm tone of his changed, I would be like how Vadei was so little time ago...


    "Lady Tiyanat Sl''Ayiysab made it clear to me that I was not to tell you about this. On her honour, I cannot aid you. Even if what she has asked of me is pointless now. Her intent remains the same regardless." he tells me, and that made me furious.


    "You were brought here to save Lari, no!? THEN HELP ME!" I growl at first before I roar at him. Yet, as was always the case, he had no reason to be scared. But, I quickly became so when he suddenly got out of the bed. Despite how severe his wounds still were, he made a point of approaching me.


    I was cowering before him yet held my ground, "If the Lord Sl''Ayiysab so asks it, I shall." he tells me before he returns to bed. Either because he was done making his point or the doctors were rushing on by.


    "Right..." I meekly muttered before I left, a cold sweat soaking my flesh and carapace. Just in time before Suhurlodst''s security forces came on by to remove me. Likely regardless of if I caused any issues or not. And even after I had left, as was the usual custom, I was continuously surveyed.


    Then, once there was some distance between me and the hospital. I sat down and thought on what I had been told. I could get help from him if the circumstances were different...? If Lari''s and Tiyanat''s father agreed to it...


    If that was the case, then I needed to find Tiyanat and speak to her. I needed to put forward a case! Perhaps there was something I could exploit!? Something she would bend over backwards to help accomplish!?


    But where was she? I haven''t been paying much attention to anyone recently... I''ve tried to put down that nagging feeling at the back of my mind, but nothing worked. The only solution was to embrace it to the fullest extent.


    I suppose I could start with the dorm, if not, Omb was always an option. The two were close, no? I know Omb tutored Tiyanat on something likely magic related. Regardless, though, he would make a good lead if I could not find her.


    So, I quickly got up and sped off back to our dorm in the hopes I could catch her. I wasn''t sure if I should be patient or hectic, though. Lari seems to be safe in a strange way, but, I have no idea what will happen to her. This Smiling Jhurack was very much so a madman...


    That made it clear I should be patient then, no? Just, lounge about and wait for Tiyanat to appear? I could give it a try... It would at the very least throw off the idea I was going against my prior word.


    However, hindsight made me callous towards those words. How could they have been the good decision, the right decision? Our friend was in danger and she needed our help! Surely they could understand that, right?


    Even if it might mean my death...


    But, how could they even argue such a point? Einervaene surged across the mountains to save me from Salahma... Even if it could mean her death too, Vadei has fought by my side before! Even Liada made a point that her magic would be used to help me as much as it could...


    So clearly, there was nothing truly wrong with what I was going to do! The only thing that had changed was that it was Lari''s life at stake and mine! But what good was my life if the one I loved was like that? It was already meaningless without her, so why would it not go back to that...?


    "Dammit... Gods damn everything..." I curse quietly, but still with a voice full of frustration. Then, once I finally got to the dorm again. I found myself staring at a mirror. And, taking note of my aggressive posture, I tried to relax it.


    Even as I felt hidden tears roll down my cheeks...


    "Nin, would you mind helping me with something?" Einervaene asked as she came in holding a few small things.


    "O-Okay." I say as I quickly remember how I had to keep away suspicions.


    "Thank you!" she says, beaming a bright smile at me before she brought me along with her. And, what I saw was interesting because it was such a grand assortment. It might''ve been related to how she liked to sew, but, there were so many things here. I could not figure it out at all.


    "You want me to wear it...?" I ask as I linger my gaze by some clothes.


    "No, just need someone to carry it."


    "I see- Wait?" I question too late as it was soon all dumped into my arms. And, she looked up at me with a smug grin.


    "Follow." she teasingly told me as she gestured for me with a wiggling finger.


    "Can I know where we are going?"


    "To one of the workshops in Mechanical House." she answers.


    "And they could not have helped because?"


    "They are helping me with something, it''s the least I can do so I can give them time to work on it."


    "And ''it'' is?"


    "Outfit changes, gear, that sort of stuff." she answers with a smile that had some mania mixed in. Was she learning a new spell? Or was Rose influencing her that much to the point of changing her thought process? I hoped it was the first thing that came to mind...


    A new spell could help, it meant Einervaene was growing. She would be able to hold her own and help me. She was probably stronger than me anyway. So that sold her well even without this recent development.


    "Can I ask you a question, Einervaene?" I then ask as I started to slow down. My thoughts then return to the greater topic at hand. One that has sown itself into such a vast field in my head.


    "You''ve done that already." she jokes with a soft giggle as she gives me her full attention.


    "Back when we were travelling to Tobaballe, why did you come to save me when Lari did not?" I ask her, and, the sentence stung in such a strange way. For me to acknowledge that the one I loved so much did not come for me that one time... She made it clear she regretted that choice, but still...


    Was I trying so hard for a woman that did not love me back...? That couldn''t have possibly been the case. Because only a few weeks later or however long it was between events. Lari then chased after me even as I tried to distance myself from her...


    It confused me, but, I was willing to believe it was just a mistake. As Lari said after we got back thanks to Einervaene. It was just a mistake. Even she could get scared after all.


    "I''m your friend, aren''t I? Friends help each other." she answers after a long pause of thought. And she put up an excellent point, friends did help each other...


    "So is Lari, yet, she stayed on the airship. And, I am inclined to believe Vadei would''ve to under different circumstances."


    "But she came, that is all that matters!" Einervaene tells me with a suddenly harsher tone.


    "I suppose... But, why did you do it? My other friend did nothing, but you did..."


    "Because I... I..." she starts to say before something starts to drag her down. She started speaking and then I got nothing at all from her.


    "Because there was something more to it." I comment idly as I bring up my bracelet. We were both already aware of its effects on the mind. How it seemed to amplify positive thoughts about another to extreme degrees.


    "Yes..." Einervaene admits uncomfortably before she seems to turn.


    "I''m not taking your stuff if you just walk off like that." I say, thinking it might stop her.


    "That''s fine, I can just take it myself..." she admits with sudden tears.


    "So what is this something more?" I ask her as I take ahold of her and move her closer. Not into a hug, just by the shoulder to stop her walking away.


    "You already know..." she tells me, choking on her words as she did so. And, I knew what she was on about without her having to say a thing. That moment in that town before we even got to the Anvil-Peak. She admitted her feelings much in the same way I did with Lari.


    Or rather, she admitted the feelings this bracelet encouraged and amplified...


    "So if you did that because you loved me, why do you get in the way of me wanting to help Lari?" I couldn''t help but ask her despite knowing how this ruined my plan.


    "Why do I need to explain why I don''t want you to die!?" she nearly screams in frustration.


    "You were willing to risk your life for the one you loved, why can''t I do the same?" I ask her, and that set her off.


    "BECAUSE I DON''T WANT TO SEE YOU GET HURT! BECAUSE IT IS A CRIME!? BECAUSE TIYANAT HAS ALREADY ADMITTED HELP IS ON THE WAY!?" she screamed at me as her magic lashed out around her. And I slowly backed away so I did not get caught in the lightning as much as I would have otherwise. However, despite all the reasons she continued to list of, I couldn''t help but notice a trend...


    "Because you hate the fact I will never feel the same way about you..." I spat out at her as I figured it out. She was so into the idea of me not helping Lari because she hated her! She envied what she got and never could! Despite knowing full well that these feelings of her were never real!


    Whatever the case, my mask was suddenly scorched, and she was furious, "Why can''t you love me...?" she asks before she runs off crying. And, I watched her with a glare, not even responding to the electric slap I got.


    "Back to my plan, then." I dismissively snorted as I turned back towards the dorm. I abandoned her stuff as in her own words, she could do it herself. And, I started to walk around in order to find the other two. However, I could hear neither as I walked about.


    Their rooms were empty and the kitchen smelled of nothing freshly made. So that could''ve only meant that neither of them were here. An annoying setback, but one I was easily able to overcome. So I sat down and waited for either of them to walk through the door.


    Hopefully, it would be Tiyanat...


    .


    .


    .


    "I didn''t know you liked fishing." Tiyanat commented as she watched me look around a shop for it.


    "No, you just saw me enjoy the fish." I joke as I tested the string on a rod. It didn''t really matter as I could always infuse magic into it. But, it was still a nice ritual to partake in before buying one. I haven''t fished for a long time, though.


    I used to do it a lot when I first left for this land. When my mind was full of uncertainty and worry. It helped me focus that negativity elsewhere. And, maybe I could help Nin do the same.


    Shopping for a rod that would work for him, however, was tricky. His hands were not like mine in the slightest. Where dexterity existed for me, only cumbersome did for him. So maybe a spear was better...?


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Or, maybe, we could try fishing at a river using gloves! Grabbing the fish as they hopped out the water! It would be entertaining as well as relaxing! It also came with a high chance of jokes in general.


    Obviously, none of these gripping gloves would fit him, so we''d have to break them. Or, I could buy a pair for myself and have Einervaene use her talents to make some? At least, that was the plan at first. Because by sheer coincidence did I see her in the distance crying on her own.


    "Can you speak to her? I''ll go speak to Nin." I ask Tiyanat before I most likely correctly assumed Nin''s part in this. Einervaene was never the kind to bawl like that because of someone else. She took what he had to say very seriously. So, it must''ve been him.


    I could be blunt about it... But, maybe I just needed to take him fishing to ease the tension first? I think that would be best. It would also help me too, because I missed my friend so very much.


    She was after all the one who made me quit fishing as a way to relieve my worries... Because she was there to keep them all away after we became friends. Her smile and laughter, I missed them both. And, so, deprived of that, I turned to fishing once more...


    "I suppose I''ll have to make a case to someone..." I then comment with uncertainty.


    .


    .


    .


    "Again, I would like to speak to you about something..." Nin said impatiently as we walked towards a nearby stream. Frankly, I was amazed I was even able to get them to budge. But, I could sense people were following. Malicious as they were, they seemed to be willing to stick to their word.


    "And you can speak to me all about it as we fish." I tell him firmly, yet, hopefully, not too provocatively. I overheard Einervaene''s confused crying, what Nin did was cruel. But, when he had that much anger in him, it came as no surprise. And it should come to him with no surprise that I was unwilling to forgive such actions.


    However, now was not the time. It was inconceivably better to wait until either Larishazza came back. Or, enough time had passed for this all to die down a little. Until then, however, we fish.


    "Why''re you taking me fishing anyway...?" he soon asks before I stop him from throwing away his gloves. It was a fresh pair, but, I tore them slightly to better fit his hands.


    "Get your mind focused on something else." I tell him plainly and that was all there was to it. We had tried to easy way buy having that sit down with him. But it was clear that he needed regular guidance. A trait that was as admirable as it was frustrating to deal with.


    I could honestly say, I loved how passionate he was about protecting Larishazza. However, I hated how enthralled he let himself become with his rage. He was not the only one who was angry. Yet, he was so unabashedly dismissive of everyone else''s feelings.


    Tiyanat was trying her hardest to get help that would not see us harmed. She was trying so very hard and it hurt my heart to see her this upset. Normally, like the ice I helped her use, she was cool-headed. So long as her upbeat sister was not involved.


    Yet, now, she was melting down to such an extent that her old self had simply evaporated. I was desperate to see it all go back to normal. But, this was not a situation we could simply charge at. This wasn''t the Inter-House nor some skirmish back home, beneath the continents.


    We were dealing with a criminal within a city. A very powerful city at that. Our attempts would make us more enemies than they would get rid of. We had to try and put our faith in others for now...


    "This is stupid, it''s a waste of energy." Nin scornfully comments as his arm suddenly flattens a fish.


    I shake my head and try to alleviate the mood, "No, like this." I joke. Catching a legged fish of decent size as it tried to hop over me. However, I quickly threw it away once those legs of its started to flail wildly.


    I laughed it off, but, Nin was not amused. I made sure he left the mask and that at the dormitory. It was the best way to keep an eye on his gaze after all. The gateways into his soul were crucial to my efforts...


    If he could see mine and I his, we could speak more frankly. He would have nowhere to hide. And, if it came to it, I would stand before him as he let it out. Unlike the others, I knew I could hold my own.


    I stared down a great warrior recently, Nin was not that great warrior. He may have been a friend, a good friend to our mutual good friend... But, he still had a lot to learn. And this anger showed it off quite a bit...


    "So, try and catch a big one, like that." I tell him as I try to keep the topic off of Larishazza. Maybe I could frustrate him into going along with it? I''ve seen Tiyanat do the same to Larishazza, after all. Then again, Nin was not her...


    "I''m not going to waste my time doing this!" he nearly shouts as his sharp finger swings at where he left his gloves.


    "Then what are you going to do? You need something to put that anger into. People are already hurting because of it." I tell him, making sure he knew full well that my tone was severe.


    "AND LARISHAZZA IS ACTUALLY HURTING!" he roared as he got right up into my face. And, I looked away and then down. Not because I was actually nervous, but because I knew he should back away if I did. Thankfully, my prediction came true.


    "And making it harder on your frien-"


    "Friends!? Please, that shit Einervaene has made it abundantly clear that she wanted this to happen to her!"


    "That''s not true." I correct with a glare. That was a very dangerous claim for him to make. He was actively making enemies of his friends...? It was inconceivably horrifying.


    "Then why does she refuse to help!? Why is she so insistent that I do not risk my life for Larishazza when she did the same for me!? She''s a hypocrite!"


    "She''s not a hypocrite, she just cares about you deeply."


    "Not a hypocrite...? ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING, OMB!? OR HAS ALL THAT FAT GONE INTO YOUR EARS INSTEAD!?" he shouts as his anger comes back to the forefront. And, were it not for me repositioning my legs, he might''ve shoved me to the ground. For his sake, I could not make it look like he had the upper hand.


    "Einervaene saved your life under far different conditions. There was no government to make you public enemy number one! There was only that beast!" I remind him as I started to push back against him. However, I was regretting my actions as I was playing into his anger. So I backed down and sat down.


    "Why''re you all so insistent on leaving Larishazza alone like this...? She needs our help!" he said to me with desperate pleading. And, I hid my faced and sighed.


    "I know she does."


    "Then why, as her friend, do you do nothing!" he spits. Then, in the heat of the moment, I punched him away with a flaming fist.


    "IT IS BECAUSE I AM HER FRIEND THAT I AM TRYING TO KEEP YOU AROUND FOR HER!" I roar down to him as he clutched his burning flesh.


    "Bastard..." he lowly growls before he surges to his feet. Yet, I brought him down again and cooled his wound in the water. I let him flail and struggle in my grip. But, I did not let him leave my side and I kept him wrapped up in my right arm.


    "Nin, you need to stop this." I tell him with a shaky, uncertain calmness. I had already failed to keep my cool. That blow I delivered might''ve just sealed his choice. I would have to live with that mistake should the worst come to pass...


    "Stop what? Worrying for my friend? Caring for her? Wanting to pay her back for all she has done for me!?" he nearly screams, but, instead, he drove himself to tears.


    "It is because you care for her that you should stop this. She wants to see you when she comes back, don''t disappoint her." I tell him with a gentle nudge.


    "And what if she doesn''t...?" he asks quite rightly as his hands dug into the earth. Even with our magic being sapped away, he was still able to crush the brittle pieces of rock.


    "She will, Larishazza is a strong girl. A tough one, she might be always smiling and dancing, but she can keep on rising." nudging him a little more until I saw the faintest sign of a smile.


    "Yeah... She probably did better than me in the Inter-House..." he reminisces.


    "You didn''t do bad yourself, beat one of Exceptional House''s best fighters."


    "With a handicap..."


    "Doesn''t matter, you still won."


    "I mean, me winning that doesn''t mean much when we look at how Vapooliar ruined us all..."


    "Yeah, we all fought as one, and we fell as one." I tell him with a smile. I liked that even if it was painful indeed. We were all there, all giving it our best even if it meant our loss.


    "Obviously, you lot all got wiped out one after the other." he jokes rather tiredly.


    "We still lost together." I point out one more time before I got up to my feet. We had fishing to get back to after all.


    "So... What kind of fish are around here...?"


    "I dunno." I say with a shrug.


    "You bring me out here to fish and you have no idea what we are going to find?"


    "That makes it more entertaining, no?" I ask just in time for something to slap me in the face as it jumped by.


    "He-" he began to laugh quietly before something larger tripped him up. With the help of his large body, though, I was able to kick a few fish out the water. Some, however, just hopped back in with those legs of theirs. Some even revealed wings as they glided off into the distance.


    "Have you ever tried to fly?" I then ask him, seeing these fish having put the topic in my head.


    "I... Did something with Lari at the party..." he answers quietly.


    "So that is what you two were doing in the distance!" I exclaim as I had finally figured out what they were doing. After the couple''s dance, they disappeared into the distance. I could sense Larishazza''s magic. But I could not figure out what was happening.


    "Yeah... Lari was distracted by something so she suddenly wanted to show me this new spell of hers." he explains before he slams a fist into the water. But, he quickly rises and does something with the falling droplets.


    "I don''t...?"


    "She was basically jumping over and over."


    I smile, "That sounds like her alright."


    We then both sit down for a moment, "What about you, then? Any new spells?" I decided to ask him. I personally have not seen a new spell come about for a while. That might''ve been due to how I was building up magic, though.


    Building up all that power but not really using it.


    He shakes his head, however, "Haven''t been able to focus on it." he comments before he shows me what he last developed. It was very tame compared to normal, but it was still interesting to see. Fire that did not burn at all. Fire that was made of pure magic...


    "In the future, you know, when you and Larishazza are happy together. You might want to consider making sure you have plenty of spells to protect her with."


    "Happy together...?" he questions with a sudden switch in his behaviour. The way those mandibles of his moved, they were suddenly excited.


    "Oh, would you look at that?" I point out with a snicker. The idea of such a relationship was there. But this very much confirmed that it was an actual thing.


    "Are you disappointed I have my eyes on her, then?" he asks as he tries to brush my jabs off with humour.


    "Hm, no. Very much a no. I got a sweetheart elsewhere."


    "Tiyanat?"


    "Hah, no." I tell him, much to his surprise. Frankly, everyone would probably be surprised if they found out. Me and Tiyanat did get on quite well, after all. And, with my actual body revealed, it was understandable how she might...


    "So how do I use this...?" Nin eventually asks as he tries to use a fishing rod I got.


    "That is a good question to ask..." I say as I try to figure out how his hands could work with this. They were not really the tool using type...


    "Well, these gloves are already broken, so why not break the string off and put it on a branch?" he points out before I snatch the rod into my hands.


    "No, I paid good money for this, I am not breaking it." I sternly tell him before I get to fishing. He seemed content to watch, however.


    .


    .


    .


    "LARISHAZZA!" we heard Nin roar from his room, a loud bang followed soon after. I sighed and then another did. I couldn''t handle this anymore... His obsession with my sister was making it hard to focus on other stuff.


    Every night since the incident, there was that same anguished roar. Each time it was the same nightmare from what I have heard. We''ve tried talking to him about it. Omb even came forth and said he managed to get him to calm down.


    But I was having trouble believing that as Nin was always on edge. It was as if this nightmare kept resetting his worries and paranoia. None of us could help him and it was clear everyone was breaking down. Vadei, Einervaene and Liadanann were all hesitant to speak to him...


    I couldn''t even just ask Omb for help. He was secluding himself more with that hobby of his. I may have not been alone, but it felt like it. To say nothing about my attempts to speak to Dad.


    Mom tried her hardest to intercede, but, he was determined to find a saviour. Thankfully, in a strange way, work started to slow him down. He may have held a lot of sway, but that only removed the burden for so long. So I just had to make the most of it.


    I tried speaking to the Worm Rider some more, but even he brought it back to Nin. He tried to present a case for me to even go to Dad to get him to help him... Smiling Jhurack was clearly interested in him so that was our way to beating him. Or so he argued.


    And, I argued back that Nin was too weak to beat him. I argued the same points as everyone else, that Larishazza would miss him dearly. I know I could count on the Worm Rider to honour my word. But, I could not muster the strength to tell him not to make that same case again and again...


    I was desperate to see my sister safe and sound. I wanted to see her again in something that wasn''t a hospital. I wanted to hear her laugh and smile again... I wanted my sister back!


    So, perhaps it was now, as I started to cry on this dark night that I found myself convinced. Even if it upset her, what was her life compared to his? Nin was someone who would not be missed. She could always make new friends...


    Our lives would be easier for it too. That rash decision of hers from last year could finally be swept aside. Yet, I could not compel myself to act so harshly. She would never forgive me if I let her friend die...


    She would not forgive me for letting our friend die...


    Yet, all this worrying and frustration made me tired. So I got up and went upstairs to my room. At least, until I went past Nin''s door. I just stared at it confused.


    Was it me that was crying in frustration or him? So, seeking an answer to that, I opened the door. I looked down at his sobbing form then looked at a mirror. Both of us were...


    "Gods damn you all..." Nin cursed under his breath as he tried to wipe the tears away. He hated us for not trying to help Larishazza. I was offended by the idea of it. Yet, could it be true?


    He was the only one to do anything when this all started. He tried to look before his mistakes cost him the supposed right to. I told Dad about it, sure. But even now, I stayed away from doing anything.


    ''Let others handle it'' was how I was going about this. But it was clear that others could not handle this. A mighty, formerly indomitable Rider of Worms lost to this man. And Nin here might be able to...


    He just might...


    "What do you want?" Nin asked me aggressively after he had managed to stop the tears.


    "Do you really care for my sister that much...?" I asked him. Nervously, I clutched my hands behind my back as he snapped his gaze.


    "What kind of question is that?" he asks back as he moves closer and towers over me.


    "I... I''m sorry..." I say before leaving the room. Closing the door behind me before I went off to my room. I sighed and pondered what I had just done. What was even the point of that...?


    I went nowhere with it and did nothing but stare and think...


    However, once I got into my room, I found myself staring at the worm. Its long, wide body could easily swallow many things whole. Especially men which it made a point of doing when they were untamed... But, when trained, they were renowned for the depth and complexity of what they could do.


    "Worm, open wide." I tell it softly after opening my window. And, the animal did so. It even reacted to the sadness I displayed with some buffoonery. I did smile at it, but it quickly vanished.


    Then, after some time, it closed its mouth and looked at me carefully. It was an odd kind of pressure that its gaze drove into me. Almost as if I was watching its rider walk by. His great power was shared to some extent...


    "Worm... My... Larishazza''s friend is in a room a few windows down... Can you go there, please?"


    .


    .


    .


    "No... No... I won''t let them stop me anymore... If he wants me, I will come for him... I will!" I growl in frustration as I started to get dressed. If no one would help me then so be it. I would save the woman I loved with or without them. After that, I had no idea what I would do with them...


    The way they have behaved, it was unacceptable. Our dear friend, their friend! She was being held hostage by a madman who could harm her without interruption! And they all just wanted to let someone else handle it...


    They hypocritically put my safety ahead of hers... It was her life at risk, not mine! And even if it was, it was clearly a fair deal! IT WAS ONLY EVER HER THAT ACCEPTED ME ANYWAY!


    Rose feared what I became and still does... Einervaene ran away at the first opportunity because she did not want to associate with me... Vadei has always hated me for such petty, dishonest reasons... They all were willing to turn their back on me...


    But I would not be like them, my friend needed help! So the consequences of it should be damned to despair for all I care! If this Smiling Jhurack wanted me, he could have me! I will tear him apart!


    "Nin?" Tiyanat called after knocking on my door. However, I did not answer, I could not have her trying to stop me... None of them would... I will save her...


    Lari will smile again, laugh again... I could hold her again and she could dance about once more. It would all go back to normal. It would all come back...


    If it cost me an eye, that was fine. If I had to lose a limb again then that was perfectly acceptable! If my last moments were to be saving her... That was fine...


    Even if I did not want to die again... I just wanted to see her be safe. She was all that mattered. If my reason to live was to not live with me, then I would join her...


    "Nin, please open the door." Tiyanat asked me just before I charged out the window. At first, that creature''s presence confused me. But I did not let it stop me. And I ran and ran with all I could.


    The drain on my magic would not stop me. The blurred voices behind me would not either. Not even the wall of this city would. That creature wouldn''t either!


    "NO, YOU WON''T!" I roar at it as it suddenly flew at me. To my surprise, however, it moved under me and threw me over the wall. And, with a thunderous thud and sharp pain in my legs, I landed. I panted heavily, but I quickly got moving again.


    Was there a way I could get Smiling Jhurack''s attention? Could I do anything to find him? Was he near Lari? Or was he elsewhere?


    However, these thoughts all came to an end when I heard that laughter. I could never forget that laughter. So I started running again. Charging past and sending what I could tumbling and falling until I reached an open space.


    And, atop a fountain, there he was. Without a moment''s hesitation did I charge. Reaching out for his leg before it suddenly kicked me away. I snapped my jaws at him and got back up.


    "Oh? How inhuman." he commented as he swirled around my every attempt to grab him. He was toying with me... He tugged away at my bandages and tore my cloak. My hat would be taken off and put back on.


    "STOP IT!" I roar in frustration before just barely missing his neck. My anger would briefly exert itself in a punch against a wall. That did not stop me, however, so I charged again. Finally grabbing him after catching him between a bench and me.


    "Now, I wonder why this is the case?" he asked after somehow escaping my clutches. And, with strength I could not resist, he twisted my arm and brought me down. Then, he played with my caught claw as I roared in pain. His cane even smacked at my knee joints.


    "I''LL KILL YOU!" I declare before his cane strikes my eye. I back away roaring in pain once again and he raises a brow.


    "Yet your eyes are like mine? Well, that is odd indeed." he mocked while tapping his cane in thought. On my next attempt to charge him down, however, he brought me to the floor. I was pinned and unable to move and he eventually took my hat off. Then, my mask.


    "GET OFF!" I demand while trying to rip him apart.


    "So that is why it did not work... You are not a species I could have ever predicted entering this city." he exclaims before he suddenly vanishes.


    "WHERE''D YOU GO!? GET BACK HERE!" I scream furiously after my clothes were suddenly put back on. Then, all I could do was scream in pain as dozens of deep slashes suddenly appeared about me. Pieces of broken carapace were falling off and a pool of yellow appeared around me. The pain was so bad I even stopped trying to reach out for him.


    It was too much, so many new wounds in so short a time. Each one was as painful as the last. It did not take long for my voice to break and I was spasming in pain. Yet, eventually, I was able to somehow stand.


    It may have hurt, but it did not even compare to the pain I felt when Lari was not around. I missed her so much and that fueled my last desperate bid to grab him. He was always one step too far, though. And soon, I fell down, unable to keep myself up.


    "Tell you what, be my new dance partner?" he offered as I flailed away at his feet. My own blood lubricated my advance from now on until he stabbed me. It was just one more wound, however. So I just stared up at his as his wedged that sword into my arm.


    "I... Will... Kill... You..." I tell him as I came to terms with the fact he had defeated me. Lari was going to die and I could do nothing.


    "Sure thing, Dance Partner, see you soon!" he told me before he vanished. I, however, struggled to figure out where I had reappeared at.


    "What...?" I soon let out as well as the injuries all suddenly vanished too. However, my mind still read it all. So they were most certainly there. My clothes were even soaked in the proof...


    However, despite that drive to kill him still being inside me. A different drive started to fill me. And I slowly trudged away from the city. A looming sensation of fear in each stumble I made.


    Why was I running away like this? Lari needed me... She needed me to save her... So why was...?


    "Somebody help me..." I weakly begged as I started to be seen by the few still up at night. And, I had a feeling I knew why some of them were running off the way they did. I could even hear joy in their voices as I came back covered in blood. The only people who even seemed to care were even all waiting for me at the dorm entrance.


    "N-Nin... WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" Einervaene screamed as she took ahold of me and violently shook me. Tears were in their eyes as well as anger. But, Tiyanat, however, she was disappointed in me. And how could she not be...?


    I came back without her sister... I only came back with a broken spirit and damnation for myself. It didn''t take long for them to all try and heal me, but, they caught on quickly. My injuries just weren''t there right now...


    They only existed in my memories and in the yellow-stained bandages.


    "How could you...? After everything we did to try and..." Vadei started to say before she broke down crying. Eventually, many of them just backed away. They were upset and furious.


    "I need to rest..." I muttered before I failed to even push one of them aside. They just pushed back in disbelief at my actions.


    "Nin... Run... Just run!" Einervaene begged me as lights began to light up behind us. The eagerness many had for my demise made it all the more believable they''d be this ready for it.


    "Osibindah, leave Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding!" someone proudly declared to a cheering crowd as armed men approached. Within moments I was being beaten away and forced away. Any pretence of civility disappeared and I started to run as fast as I could. It was Tryhpeltzweig all over again...


    They were shooting at me with all they had to kill that monster. Even the students around me were trying to slaughter me in their spells. Yet, I kept on going. I escaped each call to Undwote until I found myself at the edge of the mountain.


    "Wait for me, Lari..." I weakly said towards Thrurstradtur before I leapt down the mountainside. Sliding down it despite each cut and scrape I endured. Then, once I got close enough to it, I flung myself around. I slowly backed away into a cold, dark cave as snow screamed around me.


    I kept my breathing under control and I made sure to hold my magic in. Their eyes might miss me, but that wasn''t the only thing they had. However, I did not cry, I just tended to my wounds however I could. Growling into the openness of my mouth while keeping one arm ready to fire upon them.


    If I had to hide like this to save her... I would... Lari would smile again... I would make sure of it.


    .


    .


    .


    "Grand-Guard Inerish? We''re getting a sudden influx of..." my secretary said over a speaker to the backdrops of excited crowds. And, with a tired sigh, I got up and walked towards my office door.


    "What is this all about...?" I spat out in question to the cheering crowd of guardsman.


    "Word just came in-" one began to say before another interrupted.


    "That osibindah! He''s lost all the protections he had! They just openly declared it! We can finally kill it!" this one finished before everyone started to cheer. Even my secretary who was usually professional clapped gently with joyous intent.


    "So?" I asked them, putting an instant stop to it all.


    "So...?" one repeated before nervous chuckles filled the room.


    "Smiling Jhurack is still out there, with reports saying he was active this night against a vigilante, and you want to tell me that you care more for some bug that has caused us no issue?"


    "No issue...!? It''s an osibindah!"


    "Watch your mouth, officer." I dismissively commented as I started to get angry. I made sure to step out before them and made my intent clear. My hand rested on my sword pommel and my magic creeped out. I glared each of them in the eye...


    "With all due resp-"


    "With all due respect, you will do as you are ordered. You will focus on finding that madman, you will bring him in, and you will get your priorities in order!" I snap at all of them. Snorting as I shoved my head one way to get them to disperse.


    "Grand-Guard Inerish, I know we have our priorities, but-"


    "BUT NOTHING!" I yell at my secretary. From then on out, not one word came from her. And I walked off back into my office. I bridged my brow and then sighed.


    I understood very well how morale was in the toilet. How the men I was leading had lost all faith in the idea of capturing this man... Many came here to avenge family and lovers. Others were attach¨¦ to the prior lot.


    All, however, regardless of how long they had served within my guard, were invested in it. Every day of every hour we heard the cries for help and the orders. That madman had come back again and again for thirty years...


    Every year, more women died. And we have never been able to figure out why they were killed. Links we thought were present faltered time and time again. It was never where they attended or what they did...


    Our only link was that it was what they were... Which meant nothing. This man tormented us as much as he did the city as a whole. So it made sense, it really did...


    I knew that they all just wanted something they could feel good about. If they weren''t making sure our country was safe, they were failing again and again. Scandals were becoming so common that the government bloated itself justifying it. No one had faith in us...


    The job I was brought in to handle had left me despised. Every attempt had failed. So I could see why they wanted to go after one meagre bug... They could at least patch their degraded pride.


    However, I saw fit to ignore it in its entirety. If the bug caused issues of a particular note, I would deal with it. For now, though? I had to focus on the black star of our show...


    Smiling Jhurack...


    "Okay, let''s see who got themselves turned into an amplifier for this man''s reign of terror." I dismissively commented as I stored a cup of tea. Slowly, I drank it as I brought up all this fresh surveillance footage. A more thorough eye you would find nowhere else. Nothing could be done within these walls without me knowing.


    However, what I did not expect to see was how the confrontation ended. And, I paused it right as the madman took off the vigilante''s silly mask. It was the bug... Smiling Jhurack made a point of confronting that bug...


    "Why''d you do it...?" I asked the footage as I started to rewind it. Soon, I was leaning back in thought. No matter how you looked at it, he came out for that bug. This was unprecedented in the thirty years Smiling Jhurack had been active.


    Vigilantes always came across him during another attack. They''d get in the way of my men and witches and pay for it. We''d question them the following morning and collapse in our seats... Tired at yet another failure.


    But, no, this time, Smiling Jhurack appeared just as the bug came looking for him. But why? Did these two have a history? But how did a bug have a history with...?


    "Of course..." I uttered as I recalled Suhurlodst''s prior statements that got everyone riled up. A Student Nin was on his last legs and their tolerance for him had grown thin... This must''ve been Student Nin... And, if I remember correctly, he was there as well during the operation on that Sl''Ayiysab girl...


    It wasn''t much, but, it had my interest as a potential plan of action. Besides, it has been thirty years of failure, what was wrong with a few more testing something? If Smiling Jhurack wanted to make a habit of this, we would be ready!


    "Attention all members of the Thrurstradtur City-Guard! Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding has made an official declaration regarding one of their students. It is no longer enrolled, prior agreements are null and void. However, you will not, under any circumstances fire upon, hunt or any other such things if you are to come into contact with the former Student Nin."


    I could practically hear the roars of protest that had suddenly erupted. And now that I had made my intentions clear, I should call in a favour I was owed. Like with how Suhurlodst handled our withdrawal earlier this year. We too would need the complete obedience of those Union soldiers.


    "Grand-Guard Inerish?" questioned Galanmarck as he suddenly jolted awake. A smirk appeared on my face as I watched his tired expression suddenly appear.


    "That favour you owe me, you know the one, I''m calling it in." I say as I leaned onto the peak of my connected hands. Locking my jaw between upright, gloved fingers as it all played out in my head. We would draw Smiling Jhurack out with the bug, and, I''d catch him just like that! My reputation would be saved and it would all be over!


    "Right, and what do you need?" he asked as he suddenly lost every bit of tiredness. He adjusted the way he sat and took on a stern expression.


    "Every soldier you can spare. I want them all!" I tell him with a growing grin.


    "Have the Clockwork Council signed off on this...? It was a struggle just to get them to be willing to let a custodian regiment to guard His Royal Highness."


    "They will be more concerned with other factors to care. Besides, they have no power to interrupt me."


    "A coup...?" he questioned with some amusement.


    "No, that same problem that has been such a problem for so long..."


    "I see, then, I''ll see what I can do. I am more than enough to guard His Royal Highness, but I will have to transfer command authorities to you."


    "Do what you have to, I need their unyielding, ceaseless determination to follow orders." I tell him. Briefly recalling the training exercises I oversaw against those same soldiers. We used Suhurlodst''s facilities but I was very impressed regardless of where it was. The Council made a point of sending our best men, and they lost spectacularly.


    Smiling Jhurack''s reputation meant nothing to them. Gossip and the mood of the troops would not deter them. They''d be as absolute as I wanted my word to be. The perfect men for a control freak...


    "You better watch out, Jhurack, I''ll be bringing you down..." I promise with a stern glare as I looked out at the city. Then, beyond to the airship that loomed over Suhurlodst.

 Incline 5: Homeless Wanderer

    "Should... Be safe..." I weakly comment as I start to push away the ice that had sealed me in. However, I couldn''t tell if it was colder inside the cave or out of it. Not that it really mattered. I''d freeze to death if I spent any longer in this snow-belt.


    A more embarrassing end to my life then anything Jhurack could do... I would have died out here nowhere near my goal. At least, up there, I could die trying to save her! Larishazza...


    "Just a bit more..." I say in an effort to keep myself awake. Whatever drove me to climb through this place before, it must have not been here. Or I had simply lost the strength... In retrospect, neither reality made sense.


    The woman I loved, the one who meant the world to me was being held hostage. A blade was held above her and it could end her life at any moment. So why could I not draw on my fury as I did before? I know I had to hype myself up for this!


    "DAMMIT! MOVE! MOVE!" I started to roar at myself as my claws smashed into the ice again and again. To my growing, fearful disappointment, however... I was losing my way. Every attempt felt harder and harder until ice just could not be pierced.


    I did not cry, though, I just stared at how cold even my breath had become. Flinching often as bits of sharp snow shot about my eyes. But, as I went motionless, moving only in my mind. I started to feel for my magic.


    And I slowly moved one chilling arm behind and under. Desperately, I thought of something that could just shoot me out of this ice. And, with a boom, something came out. I rolled along the grass soon after but nearly rolled off again.


    "No... No!" I said to myself as I panted underneath the warm light. Rubbing and rolling across all the grass I could to brush off the snow before I slowly got up. At first, I held onto a tree, gently squeezing it as my blood flowed once again. Then, I started to walk once more.


    I stopped initially once I saw Suhurlodst, but I shook my head and turned to the other place. I stared at that city for a good few moments before I started move again. I hobbled at first, still shivering from the cold. Yet, finally, my body started to loosen up and I began to run.


    Stumbling and falling often as my weakened body was forced to endure this leech-like city. To my surprise as well, the patrol craft that caught me and Rose before... They ignored me, they just flew on by. Not even to just watch me...


    That was fine by me and welcomed wholeheartedly. The less things and people that got in my way the better. Lari needed saving... I needed to save her...


    Now that I was done surviving, my strength could go towards her. I would be her hero and pay her back... The debt that she was too kind to call in... I would have it resolved and I would have her back!


    "Wait for me..." I gasp as I started to feel tired and more importantly, hungry. There was nothing but grass, though, so what would I eat? I was too weak to hunt and that fishing spot was nowhere in sight... My eyes did catch something better, though.


    There was a small gate into the city, the guard who was near it just ran off elsewhere. I could get in through there! Steal some money or a snack and try to plan it out! I personally preferred that some food was sighted quickly...


    Yet, where guards did not see me come through, others did...


    "Hey! Hey!" someone called out before I stumbled into an alleyway. Eating was all that I could think about. I was desperate for food... Enough to even steal it from a child...


    Somehow, I withheld the urge to steal a sandwich from a child. I just watched pathetically as others walked about with their snacks. And, like a helpless child myself, I stared into what seemed to be a restaurant with a familiar man inside...? But, seeing no opportunity to eat, I walked away.


    "You look hungry." that familiar man said as the bell by the door ringed.


    "I couldn''t pay anyway..." I tell him as I continued to stumble away. Yet, before I fell again, he caught me and set me down on a table.


    "I think I can spare something for you." he kindly tells me as he knocks some fingers against my various bloody marks.


    "Thank you..." I struggle to get out as I started to take off my hat and mask. I didn''t care if anyone could see my face. All I cared for was that messy compilation that was suddenly put before me. Bits here and there from other meals.


    Meat that was shredded instantly off the bone. Some of which were crushed in my jaw while vegetables were lapped up. Any bread or dry stuff I had cleaned the plate completely of sauce too. And, by the end, I was gnawing on the few stubborn bits of meat.


    The man laughed and then held up his hand, "That''ll be twenty slabs, please."


    "What...?" I angrily asked back as the bone in my mouth started to crack.


    "Easy there, just playing around." he tells me as he sits down and wipes his hands with a towel. With this detail in mind, I just go back to gnawing. Throwing it down on the plate when I felt full enough.


    "Hey, Abbspri, come on in!" a bearded man said as he leaned out the door. And for some reason, he sang the last three words.


    "But one moment my fine chap! A man out here is in need of charity! Charity to that will invigorate him with strength!" Abbspri sang back as he shot to his feet. And even with me about, some onlookers did clap at that voice of his... A very deep, passionate one. But I had something else to listen out for.


    That cruel laughter...


    "Is he not coming inside?" the man at the door asked.


    "I am not-" I answer on his behalf before Abbspri stops me.


    "Oh, yes you are!" he sang in my face before he started gesturing at my plate. Which, reluctantly, made me follow through with his insistence. I could not pay so he''d be able to call the guards on me... This thief that stole his food as he might put it...


    The reaction I saw upon entering was about as much as I expected it to be. There was a fearful reaction and a clear change in the atmosphere. At least, until a wordless song began to fill the place again. Powerful yet pleasant screams bellowed out of the men on stage.


    "What do you want?" I ask him as I start to make sure that my hideous face was covered up. Yet, by his insistence, the mask stayed off. A tankard full of something strong was slammed before me and he encouraged me to drink it up. I was hesitant, but, as it was somehow making me feel warm, I drowned myself with it.


    Blinking a few times before shaking some of the droplets off. Wiping them off with an offered towel shortly after. I then tried to leave, but, he kept me here. He then went around to the other end of the bar and set himself up behind it.


    "What''s on your mind, lad?" he asks me as I start to sneer a little.


    "The same stuff as the last time I was here..." I tell him as I recall that trip with Seigunfrei. The one that preceded the ultimatum I am now experiencing the consequences of.


    "So, you did it then? You went out to try and save your bird?" I was asked, his eyes nodding at all my wounds and the bloodstains that covered me.


    "I went out and achieved nothing..." I spit angrily.


    "Don''t let it get you down, then, you''re here to give it another go."


    "Another go..." I repeat as that was indeed my intention. I was going to find Jhurack and tear him limb from limb... I''ve seen how he fights... I can go back into this better than ever.


    "Do not be so hasty, lad. Take a moment to think on how it went down."


    "Every moment I waste is time that the one I am doing this all for is left in danger!" I tell him as I suddenly slam a fist on his bar.


    "No, lad, listen. Calm. You need focus, this anger needs to be your drive, but it cannot carry you through this."


    "That makes no sense..." I mutter as it really did not. How, in the names of all that was divine, could I be driven just by anger... But not let it be there fully...?


    "Then let me put it another way, take some time to learn the city. Use what you can. He''s been around for thirty years, probably more. Birds of all types have never seen the sky again all over this place."


    "I will never learn the city as he knows it..." I point out to him. If that was really how long he has been around, then there was no way I could match his knowledge.


    "But you can, there''s a whole city you can just listen to and experience." he tells me before he briefly disappears to fill some drinks for the singers. And, when he comes back to me, he enjoys a drink of his own.


    "Alright, then..." I start off sarcastically, rolling my eyes at the idea, "Where should I start?"


    "The public squares. And, if you can, a certain musician whose is cursed to be involved with all this." he answers, a sorrowful tone coming about towards the end.


    "Who...?" I ask, curious as to who this was. If they were involved in this...?


    "The one you were listening to that same night." he tells me before he gestures outside. Towards that building where I watch Lari disappear into the dark night...


    "Jhurghdak?" I repeat as I read the name on the display. Was that it...? The man was accused because of a similar-sounding name...?


    "Indeed, but I would suggest going somewhere with a quieter mood first. One where you are less likely to blow up in their faces." Abbspri tells me.


    "If they''re going to get in my way..."


    "That''s what I am talking about, so, I suggest you head on down to one of the Chambers of Legal and Ethical Debate. Large, round buildings made of white stone. Cloud of smoke rising from the top of them."


    "What will I find there...?"


    "A soothing environment for you to ask your questions in peace. And also a free place to have your attire cleaned and fixed up at." he explains, seemingly joking at the end. Admittedly, however, that would be a very nice thing for me to receive. Einervaene could no longer be trusted, so I would not need her help with my attire.


    "Is there anything else I clearly need to know?" I impatiently demand as he was still insisting I stayed here.


    "Yes, now, I have no problems with charity. But, news travels fast here regarding you. You no longer have the protection of that there Academy. So you''ll need work to keep your pouches and pockets full."


    "I can''t be working when I have to save her..."


    "I''m not on about bricklaying or gardening, Witch, guild work. Monster hunts. Things that you can hone your craft in. Without the Academy you need something to keep you sharp. Besides, you won''t always be able to find Smiling Jhurack." he explains further.


    "He intends to toy with me... I will be able to find him..." I growl in frustration as I hear him call me that name again. His ''Dance Partner'' as he put it... He intended to draw this out for mere fun!


    "Which is all the more reason you need to learn." he points out.


    But I scoff and get up out of my seat, "I don''t need money and that arrogance of his will give me my moment."


    "I''ll make sure to keep the doors open for longer." he remarks as I leave. And, with a sneer, I walk away from the place as it grows louder and louder with revelry. However, after a few minutes of walking, I came to realise how right he was. I needed to learn this city...


    He suggested a place that discussed ethics and law. But I had no idea how that would help. It might''ve just been the name of the place. But how was discussing the morality of hunting Smiling Jhurack helpful?


    Was I supposed to make a case for why my vengeance was just? Was I meant to seek encouragement from those who have fallen victim to Jhurack? I did not need the encouragement to do this... Everything has fallen into place to make me only want to do this...


    Those I thought I could count on had turned their backs not only on me... But on Lari, too. She needed our help and I was the only one who came to her aid. They all backed away because they feared these men with guns...


    And, I just couldn''t help but glare intently at the nearest one as I thought about that. I had more reason than any to be scared of these men and their weapons. I was the one tormented by them for so long... Yet, in doing this, I noticed something that was off.


    Back when they were first leaving Suhurlodst, another kind of soldier was keeping them in check. Those same soldiers were scattered very thinly about the city from what I had seen. Unlike the ones in brass and copper armour, however, they paid no mind to me. Their black, abyss-like features did not even turn towards me.


    "Why are there soldiers from the Union of Seven-Peaks here? They should be out there!" one young man asked another as I walked by. And I suppose that question answered that somewhat. They were foreign troops. How they were meant to keep the peace, I did not know.


    They had a very useful trait, though. They kept the ones who hated me away for some reason. It was as if they were looking out for me. But they were probably just making sure the law was upheld.


    And, as much as I wished to scorn them all and distance myself from them. They all had a point in telling me about the illegal nature of my actions. These soldiers would become a problem once I found Jhurack again. But I needed to find a trail that lead to Jhurack...


    "Jhurghdak." I repeat slowly as I stared at that building I saw him in. Yet, despite him being a lead I could work with in theory. I did not move, because what kind of musician lived in the place they worked...?


    "BY THE GODS, IT''S HIM! IT''S JHURGHDAK!" a woman screamed before an excited crowd seemed to form around the building''s rear. And, with that in mind, I began to head there myself. Moving what I could aside until I finally reached a perimeter. The guards did not let me closer, but I saw him.


    I saw a well-dressed man with an ornamental cane and ornate mask that covered his face... The decor on that mask, however, enraged me. It was so alike Jhurack''s smile... As if it was cast from a mould of it.


    "Out of my way." I told the people in the crowd as I started to move out of it. This Jhurghdak had moved into an airship and he was quickly departing. Then, with as much strength as I could muster, I started to climb a small building. And I stared out at the departing aircraft.


    For some reason, however, my vision started to go funny and the city seemingly grew. I started to feel nauseous and moved to clutch my head. Yet, this peculiar feeling disappeared soon. So, after making sure I was alright, I started to run.


    I leapt the gaps between buildings and grappled onto the ledges. Throwing myself over low-hanging roofs before I rolled along them. Sometimes, I went down onto signs but I always went back up. There was still a lot I had to learn from Larishazza, but she had taught me enough for now.


    I could only smile in anticipation for that wake-up, tearful hug from her. To have her smile so brightly as I told her how what she had taught me let me save her... I know she probably didn''t need to see it or know it. But the idea of it alone made me happy!


    And it once again reminded me of how I needed to do this. I could not overstate how important she was to me... And I had to learn how to make that clear to others. If I could tell others about why I was doing this...


    "Of course..." I found myself commenting as I came to realise why Abbspri told me about those halls. If the law was to get in my way, I could argue passionately about why this needed to be done. I could reference how their soldiers have failed year after year against this man. I could appeal to those who have also lost loved ones to this madman!


    For now, however, I intended to focus on the man whose home I seemed to have arrived at. Or, rather, the grand hotel he was staying at. In a way, the decadence of it reminded me of my first time on the upper floors of Tobaballe. But the size of this building created an issue, how was I meant to get up there...?


    Its walls were smooth and fine. My magic was being sucked away at and I was weak from the cold. I suppose the best I could do was work my way up from within the building... Thankfully, this building had a few lesser ones next to it.


    "Give it back to me..." I demanded from the city as I prepared to jump once I got into position. Yet, my initial jump left me stumbling backwards once I realised how little I could muster. Within this city, I could not jump like I did in the valleys below. I had to go about this smarter...


    So I tore a flag pole down and looked for an opening. A feeling of nervousness began to overtake me, yet, I still leapt with that pole. And, I just barely reached an open window in this building. Fear filled me slightly at first.


    But, I was able to grab onto the ledge with my other claw before I pulled myself up. Then, from within the safety of this room, I groaned in pain. I quickly dashed out when someone was making noises in another room. Sighing in relief once I had turned a nearby corner.


    And, like before, I was reminded of my first visit to the Crown with Iishar. Unlike then, however, I paid no mind to the art and extravagance. I just kept on going up to the highest floor as that is where he must''ve been. And it was all the more believable once I saw soldiers guarding a single door.


    Looking outside the window, I could see that even more floors existed. However, that door must''ve been the only way up. Yet, with those guards there, I could never get past. So I smashed some glass.


    Jogging around the corner as they left to investigate. Yet, when I reached the door, there was no handle at all. There was just a set of buttons!? And they were clearly coming back after arguing about something...


    "Dammit..." I growled before the door suddenly opened. Before me as well, was that man... The one I chased to this building...


    "Going up?" he asked me softly even though it was distorted by that mask.


    "Yes, please." I tell him as I walked into the lift. Thankfully, the door closed before the guards came back. And, I waited for the time being. I was going to be better off asking him in his room.


    "So what have you come to see me about?" he asks with a tired tone.


    My response was as quick as it was violent, "How did you!?" I asked him. Keeping my claws at the ready as he grew uncomfortable.


    "This is not new to me, unfortunately." he answers before he gestures for me to follow.


    "What isn''t new!?" I demand to know.


    "Vengeful men coming to me for answers about that killer." he tells me, disdain all over his words.


    "Then we can skip most of the legwork." I comment.


    "Indeed, and the answer is no, I do not know where you can find him. No, I am not the murderer. No, I am not associated with him... No, I''m not guilty! No, I will not come with you again to be interrogated for no gain!" he said with growing anger before he reclined himself into a soft chair. His cane was between his legs while he stared at a vial of liquid.


    I could only assume it was alcohol. And, I made sure it never made it to him. This may have been run-of-the-mill for him, but it wasn''t for me. I wanted answers, proper ones...


    Not dismissive, frustrated rambling!


    "If all of that is the case, then why do they come after you!" I demand to know as I shoot up to my feet. If one word he said was true, if this frustration was genuine. Then why did the killer lead back to him!?


    "Because this madman likes to toy with people. As he is probably doing with you and all the other hundreds of vigilantes who threaten me for information! He runs circles around the security forces of this city and he only comes out during my tours here!" he angrily answers with violent taps of his cane.


    "And how would I know that you aren''t toying with me right now, Jhurack?" I accuse to see if any signs of a facade would drop.


    "My name is Jhurghdak! Jhurghdak!" he angrily repeats before he rises and takes off his mask. And, to my shock, I see a horribly mutilated face that was warped and bulged unnaturally. It was grotesque in all manner of speaking. Most importantly, however, this man had no capacity to smile like Jhurack did...


    "I see..." I mutter as this lead I had dries up in but an instant. There was no way this man was the killer with features like that. Smiling Jhurack wore no mask... His smile was iconic in how vile it was.


    "I''m sorry... You didn''t need to see that." he sighs as he stumbles over to pour himself a drink. A particularly strong one going by the smell. Curiously as well, this mist rising from it blew unnaturally towards the giant gnomon. He even made a point of offering me some.


    "No, thank you." I say as that would mean revealing my face. He may have been a hideous man, but I was osibindah. If he saw my face...


    "I showed you my face, you can at least be a man and show me yours." he tells me before his cane briefly flicks up towards my beak.


    "I have no reason to show it..." I say before I turn towards the great glass wall this room had. Right at the very peak of this hotel. An uninterrupted view of all the city. Even Suhurlodst to some extent...


    And I looked away after seeing that place.


    "You''re the osibindah student, aren''t you?" he guesses correctly, much to my shock.


    "Ok, how''d you!?" I angrily ask him before I aggressively approached him. Only stopping when his cane interrupted me. He then tapped my hands and legs before he gestured back at that damned school.


    "Travelling as much as I do, you tend to see a lot of things about this land. I know what your kind looks like, and who couldn''t know about the osibindah student that called itself Nin?" he explains as I start to get nervous.


    "This..."


    "Have a drink, Nin, it will calm your nerves. Oh, wait, my apologies." he starts to say before he suddenly brushes himself down. His hand then appears before me.


    "Right, nice to meet you..." I nearly squeak as I take this man''s hand and shake it.


    "You''ve been through a lot, haven''t you?"


    "I''ve been trying to find Smiling Jhurack..." I answer.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "You have fought him too, no? Failing just as the Worm Rider did?" he asks me before he groans in displeasure. I could understand why, if he was falsely strung together with Jhurack, then he''d be eager to see his demise.


    "I will beat him..." I tell him. Not even confident about such a likelihood.


    "Not with that attitude you won''t." he says before his magic explodes about the room. Items all around us were being carried effortlessly by the wind and the whole room was rearranged. I watched it happen and I still struggled to understand it.


    "Did you not like the view?" I ask him as he sits down on the recently moved chair.


    "So why are you doing this? Putting yourself in so much danger?"


    "Because the woman I love needs me..." I tell him as my fists tremble with rage. If I clenched any harder, I was sure to draw blood.


    "Time and time again, like all those before..." he reminisces before I move to leave. I can''t get anything useful out of this man. Unless I pushed further into the fact he was being toyed with too? We were both targets of Smiling Jhurack, so perhaps something could be done?


    "Is there anything you know about Smiling Jhurack? Something the public out there wouldn''t know?" I ask him, stopping my prior exit.


    "How do you mean?"


    "Just now, you brought up how the guards often came for you for questioning. Did they not connect any dots to you during these farces?" I elaborate for him. Watching with some curiosity as he smiled in his own strange way.


    "Well, for starters, he only comes out at night. Gone with the wind at a moment''s notice." he starts to explain before he clicks his fingers.


    "So I do have time to do as Abbspri said." I remark under my breath as I recall what he told me about work and those debate places. However, it also meant another thing, I had to realign my sleep schedule somehow... As it was now, Smiling Jhurack would only ever catch me tired.


    "You won''t ever find him, he''ll find you. Often when he takes another life to Undwote. But, if he is toying with you like this... You''ll probably find him without someone dying."


    "Their lives do not matter to me." I inform him, and why would they? I was doing this for Lari and her alone.


    "This woman you are doing it for, she is still alive...?"


    "She is..." I answer, glaring at this man for how intuitive he was. But, I assume he had to be good at noticing things when his performance was him alone. Dozens of instruments that all had to be played to perfection. He''d have to be able to tell all the minute differences between them to do that?


    "A very special case, then. This is a first, even for him." he says with a frown.


    "First time or not, he chose the wrong woman!" I declare with a growl.


    "No... Painful as it might sound, he chose the right woman. Because how could he humiliate everyone more, but make it clear only an osibindah could save them?"


    "Save them?" I scoff as it was such an absurd sentence. Why, in the name of all the gods and goddesses, would I save them? There were so few people who treated me like a person that it might as well have been all that damned me!


    "Not something you have to do, just what he is likely thinking."


    "So, is there anything else you might know about him?" I ask, desiring to switch the topic away from that delusion. Me, saving them? A cruel joke.


    "Unfortunately, no. Smiling Jhurack has become such a terror precisely because of how little people know. The killer that suddenly appears along with the pack-calling screams."


    "Does he have a preferred hunting ground? A family he made a point of hunting?" I ask him as everything started to dry up. If I was to have to wait for him, then so be it. But I needed to learn all I could!


    "No, in this city of several hundred million. From the top of this mountain all the way down to the bottom of its hollowed-out core. He is there. This city is his hunting ground, all its families are ones he makes a predatory point about." he explains before his cane points at that second drink he poured.


    "Fine." I admit in defeat before I drink it up. Coughing violently as the magic-dense liquid burned its way down my throat. However, I can see why he was so insistent on me drinking it. I did feel stronger because of it.


    "Frustrating as this has been for me. I do wish I could be of more help. So, tell you what... If you survive this coming night, make our talks a habit. I''ve been involved with him for so long that I can probably think of something at the very least."


    "I don''t intend to come back."


    "You will, Smiling Jhurack is beyond your reach right now."


    "Then I will chase him until he has nowhere left to run!" I declare before I stop at the lift door. The security guards came back to my mind for a second...


    "I''ll come with you, get you out of here without an issue." he says as he gets up. But first, he makes sure his mask is on securely so I by instinct do the same.


    .


    .


    .


    "Grand-Guard Inerish, you have been requested to appear before the Clockwork Council." my secretary informs me just as I left my office to see them anyway.


    "Wonderful." I say before I smirk at the device Galanmarck gave me. With this single item I could hunt that bastard down! Now if only the men employed under me would stop being so finicky around them. These Union soldiers would only do as ordered.


    "Get out of our country!" one of my men snapped at the motionless Union soldier. The ones within this grand building of ours had a unique job in comparison to the rest. Emblazoned with the symbology of Jhrarda the Mighty and decorated with emerald cloth. These royal troops would be my personal guard for now.


    I was no fool, I knew full well the friction this plan would create.


    "Fall in line, Guardsman." I told that man as I passed by him. He then did so with little complaint. But I could see those slight, childish behaviours once he was back in position. And, once I reached the door to that chamber of puffed-up annoyances, I straightened myself out.


    Whistling over my new guard before I entered the chamber. And I walked into a world of uproar with all kinds of complaints being levelled at me. How I wasn''t meant to bring soldiers into this room. Silly things like that.


    "How may I help?" I asked with a smile as those Union soldiers took up positions around the chamber. Many of the councilmen went quiet, intimidated into silence by those lone, yellow eyes amidst the black.


    "To think you would arrange a coup de tat over a mere criminal." one of them comments after he mustered the strength to speak despite the soldiers.


    "No, this is not a coup de tat. As much as I would love one..." I answer, muttering the last bit as I hated these politicians.


    "Then explain, Grand-Guard." the Stroke of High Noon asked with a small gestured.


    "I have brought them in to ensure our own soldiers do not ruin the plan I have created to stop Smiling Jhurack." I answer confidently. Only to snarl when some laughter was apart of the response.


    "A Worm Rider failed, how will those that drag their heels against Valkinvar defeat him!?" one of the administrators demands to know. But, the truth is, I did not know. We were painfully low on options...


    "They won''t, as I just said, they are here to make sure my plan goes along as it should." I start to explain before I reach out for a means to project my plan. However, as I wanted to rub it into their faces. I issued the command to do so to these men in silver armour and emerald cloth.


    With a smirk, I took the controls and then displayed the key player, "A vigilante?"


    "Yes, more specifically. The recently expelled osibindah student, Nin." I tell them. And, as expected, uproar filled the chamber once again.


    "You would trust our safety to a bug!?" someone complained with a violently slamming of their fist.


    "I trust our safety in the men who protect this city! I trust our safety in the exploitable moment this unorthodox method will create!" I clarify to them loudly.


    "Using an osibindah is too far..." the Stroke of High Noon comments.


    "Too far? With all due what little respect I think you all deserve. For thirty years we have tried to deal with Smiling Jhurack! Thirty years of your plans, of your ideas and your restrictions! It does not... WORK!" I tell them, yelling that last word.


    "The way we uphold the law has been revolutionised under Jhurack''s killing spree. Our security is renowned throughout the continent and even beyond!" one tried to argue.


    "Then why is he still here?" I ask them.


    "We could ask the same of you, Grand-Guard." the Stroke of High Noon counters.


    "Keep trying you sleezy old man, maybe a coup de tat might come about." I snort at them before I went on with my presentation.


    "So, as you were saying, Grand-Guard?" a calm administrator said as he made it clear he was actually interested in my plan. Or maybe this was just a professional courtesy? It didn''t matter, I suppose.


    "Smiling Jhurack has displayed a strange, unseen behaviour with Nin here. Unlike the vigilantes from before, he sought out him."


    "It looks like the bug is hunting him..."


    "He is, but pay attention to how Jhurack is acting, he is not going after any women like he usually does. He is going straight for our key player right here."


    "So you wish to use the bug as bait?" one asks with an amused huff.


    "If that is what it will take, yes. Oh, and the plan is already in motion so don''t even think about stopping it with one of your pathetic votes."


    "Very well, Grand-Guard... However, these actions you have taken... As said before, they are too extreme. If you want the Clockwork Council''s cooperation, you will need to make a promise of resignation!"


    "I don''t need your approval, had I not just made that clear?" I tell him before I turn to leave. Whistling for the Union soldiers before I headed to my command centre to oversee the final developments of the plan. I even made a point of having most of my staff briefly replaced by Union technicians. I had to admit as well, they took to this with surprising ease.


    "Grand-Guard Inerish, Vigilante Nin has been sighted exiting the Rising Glory Hotel." one of them informs me respectfully before they also handed me written down information.


    "I could get used to this." I remark happily as I took the tablet and went through it. It wasn''t much, but it detailed Nin''s arrival into the city and what he had been up to. Going by where he was leaving, that meant he paid a visit to that conductor. A typical behaviour for the vengeful...


    What confused me now, however, is that he wasn''t doing much of note. But, he was idly standing near a debate hall for some reason. Had he been given a lead we never got? Or was this something else entirely?


    "I suppose this is a good opportunity for some field work." I decide on the spot as I get up. I wouldn''t be needed here until darkness fell upon the city. So, I felt it prudent to understand what I could about our key player here. I only needed to get a general idea, and, these chambers were the best place to do it.


    If someone had directed him to one of those halls, they must be encouraging him to speak his thoughts. So, I suppose that meant I could direct the conversation towards that of vigilantism? I know it was a popular topic every time Smiling Jhurack came out. I could also force his inclusion into a discussion should they try to bar his entry.


    .


    .


    .


    "Two unfamiliar faces? We''re getting popular, aren''t we?" one of the attendants of this hall joked. Yet, no one laughed or smiled because they could not. The steam in this place suppressed all emotion. And it was telling when a shrine to Apahthein existed in this place.


    "Don''t mind me, I''m here to observe for now." I explain as I crossed my legs and pulled the towel up. And I really wish I could laugh in this place, because Nin was being hounded over his filthy attire. The steam made it all the easier for him to just ignore the requests as well.


    "Anyway, who wishes to put forth a topic for discussion?" the soft-bodied man at the podium asked. Several people rise up to offer their options. But, all turned to Nin when he followed along with them. If people were aware of what was under those blood-stained bandages, however, was a different question.


    "Yes, put forth your topic." the Ensurer of Apathy told him before he tapped a metal piece.


    "Right... Uh, doing the right thing even when others tell you it is wrong." Nin says with what came off as nervousness at first. But, I soon saw signs of anger when he reached the end. Of course, however, I was only seeing this all from his physical actions.


    You couldn''t get angry in here. Or be saddened by the topic. No past trauma would dictate your actions here. In fact, the Ensurer at the head of this assembly was purely a symbolic thing since this emotion-suppressing tech was made.


    "Would you care to elaborate for the assembly?" the Ensurer asked him.


    "The woman I love was attacked by Smiling Jhurack. She is not dead, unlike most others. But, everyone I know has tried to dissuade me from going after him."


    "And they''d be right to, vigilantism is illegal." someone pointed out.


    "Yes, I am aware, but the point remains that this criminal has been active for thirty years. How can that continue to hold weight?"


    "Because it would interfere with how the government kept the people safe." I answer. But, to be entirely honest, I wish my employers hadn''t been so rigid. This might''ve all been dealt with should I have been allowed to call in mercenaries or something. Witches with terrifying reputations!


    Maybe we could''ve caught Smiling Jhurack before he became strong enough to beat a Worm Rider...


    "But you haven''t kept them safe, the woman I love is lying in a hospital bed because of their failure." Nin retorts back with as he advances to the centre of the floor. A behaviour that caught the eye of many as that meant he was particularly passionate about the subject. But, how could he not be? This Larishazza Sl''Ayiysab was his flame after all.


    However, this behaviour made the Ensurer actually do his job for what must''ve been the first time in a long time. A revolutionary moment in this institution''s history, I am sure. Yet, what Nin''s words conveyed struck a chord for me. Even with this emotion suppressing steam.


    "Yet, your actions would still interfere with their plans. You''d do more harm than good. As with all vigilantes throughout these past thirty years." I tell him, which would be quite the humorous thing once I left here. He was the key player in my upcoming operation, after all.


    "Then they need to step aside." Nin boldly told us all which caused quite the uproar. For this kind of place, anyway.


    "Are, are you able to elaborate on that?"


    "Smiling Jhurack has made it personal. His behaviour has shown nothing but a desire to make this personal. I am not the one getting in the way of the government who has shown me nothing but malice. They are getting in my way." he told them with a clenched fist.


    "Such arrogance would only make the situation worse." someone argued.


    "How could you make it worse? From what I have heard, your daughters, sisters, mothers and lovers have been preyed on without fail for thirty years. Thirty. The situation is as worse as it ever could be. A different approach is clearly needed."


    "And do you have the skills to improve the situation? Recent and blurry as the details are, a powerful witch from the Grand-Kingdom of Ibenerocco failed to beat this man."


    "Hear, hear! An unskilled, rage-driven man would never best him!"


    "Do you not see the blood that stains me? The deep cuts that have torn my outfit apart?" Nin asks them as the steam slightly washed said bloody outfit.


    "Yes, we remarked about it when you came in."


    "Then, if you all can see it, you know that I have survived my last encounter with him! Be it by his own wish or another reason. I can go on to fight another night, I can learn what that Worm Rider could not."


    "It was a Worm Rider?" someone repeated before the discussion started to get out of hand. Dozens of smaller discussions erupted and it was clear Nin felt this endeavour to be pointless. So, I decided to get up and follow him as what was likely to be a den of rumours rapidly formed.


    "Do you really think you could defeat him?" I asked him as we started to enter the still steam-affected changing rooms.


    "I don''t know, but I can''t leave her like that." he answers as he turns to me. If I could, I might''ve smiled at that determination. That willingness to forsake his own body for something else.


    "And if you can''t save her?"


    "We will meet each other again in the misty world before Undwote finds us." he tells me before he turns and leaves. I would''ve liked to question him some more. But, now that he was getting closer to the exit, the steam was becoming less effective. That sense of bloodthirst would only get in the way.


    Eventually, after pondering what he had said, I started to dry myself off. I then redressed myself and left the building. Pulling out a communication device once I was outside. And, with a determined glare, I started the device up.


    "This is Grand-Guard Inerish, I require pick up at the detailed location."


    .


    .


    .


    "Any signs of Smiling Jhurack?" I ask my briefly employed technical staff while I idly stared outside. The sky was getting darker and nighttime was approaching. The view I saw was different than it was during the day, as it always was. And as per usual, I was unhappy with the circumstances.


    "None at all, Grand-Guard Inerish."


    "What about the vigilante?"


    "Vigilante Nin is still lingering around St. Bruttar''s Brief Recovery and Healing Centre."


    "Any word from them about the patient''s condition?" I asked, having put out orders to keep tabs on her since news of foreign powers amassing first came to me. It was a simpler time then. Just a bit of political pressure, no city destroying witches or bugs with the souls of men.


    "Nothing as well."


    "Do not waste time informing me if something does change, then. Just send the orders out to our native troops and your own." I tell them, sighing out at the end before I got up and left my command centre. I then headed into my personal washroom and stared intently at my mirror. I may have not really shown it, but I was nervous about this. I acted that way before the council for something that would likely fail...


    As much as I wanted to believe otherwise, as much as I wanted to trust Nin''s declaration... Thirty years has this man terrorised this city. And in this one, he accomplished the impossible. Anyone with a grasp of what a Worm Rider was would now amplify his reputation.


    What was once hearsay and rumour abroad in other nations and mountain-states was now a cause for war. It had far-reaching implications that I had to also find the time to look into. But, if Jhurack was now eager to toy with someone, I would never find the time to comfortably do so. Odd as it was to think about, if Nin was not this involved, I could just ignore it to some extent.


    Failure was expected of me and my confidence as a leader was waning. I made my name guarding the Dakrid Fortress deep below even the water-veins of this continent. I was a respected fighter and master of defensive warfare. Anti-spy actions in particular.


    My parents were so proud when they heard about my job acceptance here. Yet, now, it was the worst thing I could have ever done. I gave up a simple life for one where I became a pin cushion for blame after blame. It was frustrating indeed.


    "Let''s see how driven you really are, Nin." I say to myself in the mirror before I used my dark-fire to light a candle. It wasn''t a particularly nice-smelling one. But I was nostalgic for the sulphuric scent it had. Reminded me of home.


    However, I soon found myself attracted to the device I wore on my wrist. The beacon that segregated my power from the all-consuming pull of our city. Anyone with sufficient strength or these devices could withstand the city. But what about Nin?


    That footage I watched before did not show him using any spells. So that was an oversight on my part because he would not be at his best if he was too weak. Something that was likely the case. However, it was too late to rectify that.


    So I headed back to my chair after blowing out the candle and got caught up. Nothing of note had occurred so far, but that was likely to change very soon. One of the fourteen moons was making itself known and the last signs of light were disappearing. It would''ve been a nice view to watch hadn''t other things taken precedent.


    "Alert all patrols and send the order out to the hangers, I want all aircraft in the air."


    "Yes, Grand-Guard Inerish." they acknowledged before my orders began to repeat in my ears. And before long, dozens of airships were flying about after they deployed. Some began to bring in details of other crimes they had intercepted. Yet, the main attraction had yet to show himself.


    Not even the wind gave me any details. I wasn''t sure how it worked, but Galanmarck told me I heard his men the same way as I ordered them. The wind carried it all according to him. But I was no wind-person.


    I was Errakurd.


    Regardless, I made sure to whistle my intent to those Union soldiers. I could trust their relentlessness the most right now. And I even told them to serve as guides for Nin, should Jhurack lead him on. I wanted them to corral that scum for a swift execution.


    No courts or bars, I just wanted it all over with. To a degree, I was getting impatient. But, I could trust those Union soldiers not to be. The same could not be said of my own men, however.


    Like me, they were sick of this man...


    "We have reports of laughter." someone suddenly said. And I shot up in my seat with a glare coming to the forefront.


    "Where?"


    .


    .


    .


    "I''m sorry, Lari... I will save you... I just need time..." I said to her quiet body uncertainly. And it hurt me deeply that I could not be closer to her. This accursed body of mine caused issues wherever I went. I would only endanger her if I went near her for now...


    So I tried to get as close as I could to her room from the outside. It was an awkward affair, but I had a clean line of sight. It made me sad as much as it made me angry. That face should''ve been smiling or made me smile myself...


    "Is it time...?" I soon asked myself as I turned away from the glass. The sounds of gunfire and accelerating machinery could be heard. However, when I turned back to the glass. A message had appeared.


    ''Time to move it, Dance Partner!'' it said, and, with a growl, I dropped down and rushed away. Stopping only briefly to get an idea which way the sounds of battle were. I could not fathom how that message appeared while he was fighting. But that was unimportant.


    All that mattered was that he had made himself known again. In the dead of night as Jhurghdak told me. And soon, the sounds of magic guns started to be drowned out by that laughter. It sounded so close but he was nowhere near me!?


    "Oh, won''t someone dance with me properly!?" Jhurack whined before he cackled. The screams of men soon filled my ears and I was soon running past a bloody mess. Soldiers from this city were groaning in pain or holding their wounds. Yet that was all I kept on finding.


    "WHERE ARE YOU!?" I roared out to the city before a loud bell rang behind me.


    "Up here!" he declared before he flipped down onto the street ahead of me. And in but a flash, I was already charging at him. Missing at first before I had him pinned between me and a pile of still loaded supplies. Yet, he also disappeared just as quickly, and I ended up crushing some soldier.


    I could only growl at what had just happened, but he had not gotten away just yet! So I started to run once more. Climbing up onto the roofs with him before I carried on. Enduring the pain each quick attack of his did.


    Unlike before, he was only slapping me with that stick of his. No blood came out of me from his sword or whatever he used before. Yet, I could not keep my composure. There was simply no way I could.


    That laughter would not stop and his efforts to agitate me carried on. And, as I just could not focus under the barrage of pestering attacks. I found myself tripping up and running into things. And before long, I fell back down to the streets below.


    "DAMMIT!" I roared before I slammed a fist at the road I was getting up off. The lack of magic made it an even more frustrating experience as well. If I could just cast a spell... I could block his escape or catch him!


    I could stop those annoying whacks and chase him unimpeded! Yet this damn city was preventing me from so much as even trying to manipulate it! I could not save Lari like this! I had to do something!


    "Hey, up here!" Smiling Jhurack taunted as he hopped down onto a shop sign. And, right behind him, an aircraft was swinging around to fire upon him. But that man was mine, so I charged. I charged along the road and path before I ascended.


    Only to suddenly leap into the air and go past him!? Whatever had just happened, I did not let it dwell in my thoughts. And I violently spasmed about before I finally got off this airship I flung myself into. Seemingly as well, I damaged it badly when I leapt off of it.


    "Yes, that''s it! You''re doing better, Dance Partner!" he maniacally joked before he casually swung under and around my animalistic swings.


    "GET BACK HERE!" I roar at before I instinctively called on my magic. An arcane fireball then roared after him. Yet, he charged through it without detonating it and impaled me. But he would not hear me roar or scream.


    "Tsk tsk." he tutted as he skipped off of me, having left the sword in. However, when I tore it out, it suddenly reappeared in his hands.


    "Scared?" I asked him as I did my best to call upon my magic. Now was the time to show everyone that I had been learning. That I had managed to go somewhere with this young power of mine.


    "Only of these bullets behind me!" he answers before I am suddenly hit by dozens of magic projectiles.


    Yet, he was still there in front of me, so I charged once again. Only to have him turn my power against me so he could throw me at the soldiers behind him. And that claw that I intended for him crushed the head of one of the guards. Despite Jhurack even being behind me right now, those same men turned their guns on me.


    "DIE BUG!" one roared before he shot me directly in the face. Yet, suddenly, all their guns were slashed apart. And they were screaming in pain as blood showered about me.


    "Oh, how could you?" I was asked by that laughing madman. All I responded with was violence and anger. And it only got worse. Because no matter how close I was each time, he was still too far.


    He kept it up as well, leading me into groups of these soldiers and their aircraft. I could not care about their injuries at all. But I could still tell that he was manipulating me. Guns that should''ve been pointed at him were turning on me!


    "Partner, my Dance Partner! Would you take my hand?" he asked me as he came to a stop before the base of a large tower-like building. To my fury, however, my attempt to yank him to the ground failed. And he suddenly brought us to the top of that tower.


    "STOP RUNNING!" I roared at him as he suddenly and knowingly fell off the side of the building. And from my vantage point high above, I roared down at him before I jumped. With a mighty crash, I landed on the road. Carving a great hole into the brick and stone before I clawed my way out.


    To my confusion, however, even though he was right in front of them. The approaching soldiers were firing upon me. I didn''t have the time to explain or move them out of the way safely. So I barreled past them and kept on lashing out at Jhurack.


    "GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" I incoherently let out before I was tricked once again. I had him! He was in my claws! Yet, somehow, a soldier had replaced him.


    "You lack refinement." he chastised before he cracked open the reinforced glass near one of my eyes. I then hissed in pain as that extra hard material got stuck in my eye. A bloody, yellow tint overcame part of my vision. Soon after as well, he started to attack me more from that side as well.


    He brought me to the ground again and I tried to hold him off. But, he was too quick for me to act against. Each sharp slap against my body only left empty space when I tried to stop him. I was helpless until he suddenly just stopped.


    "Where...?" I questioned as I quickly got over how my eye had suddenly been fixed. Fortunately, I found him running away down the street. So I scrambled to my own feet and ran as fast as I could. Swinging into a small shop when he suddenly dived into one.


    Whatever he had done, it was me who broke through the glass front and terrified the occupants. He was nowhere in sight until I saw the door out back. He was laughing beyond it and I tore up the place on my way out. Despite the screams behind me, I could still hear his laughter above it all.


    Even as more and more men started to shoot at me or cast small spells. I kept on chasing him as fast as I could. No matter how many times he tripped me up or kicked me aside. I got back up each time.


    "I''m loving this fire in you! But can I fan it to be even hotter?" he asked before he suddenly carved Lari into the wall I was about to punch down.


    "STAY AWAY FROM HER!" I roared as I pulled back my brick dust-covered fist. Venting my magic out once more before I nearly filled the alleyway we were in with blue fire. And I did the same again when he was somehow right behind me. Then, full of anger, I lept into the air.


    "But she is only right over there!" he taunted just before he surged after me to deliver a street-ruining kick. And as I growled on the way back up. I saw him slowly approach me. A rhythmic tap filled my ears rather than his laughter for now.


    "You will not touch her..." I told him defiantly as my memories started to flash in my mind. I still remembered vividly how I found her. Blood all over her as he smiled viciously in my direction. I would not let it happen again.


    "Then watch me do so!" he cackled after he slashed both my eyes. Rendering me blind. I roared and flailed in terror. Confused by the sudden light I was able to see.


    "L-Lari...?" I questioned as I felt my arms grab nothing that I could actually see. And, if I could, I would''ve probably cried at the sight of her being so defenceless. With that man right above her with his sword.


    "Now do you see how easy it is for me? Now, dance better!" he demanded as my eyes went back to normal. And I stumbled back as the tears finally came out. In a fit of rage, I then started to tear off my clothes. I roared and charged once again.


    Swinging and lunging for him with everything I had before we suddenly reappeared on the gnomon. It was a slippery, gripless surface. Yet, thanks to my magic, I was able to force my way up. The explosive force sent me up the slope while he ran up it.


    However, I could not reach for him like this, and I had to run on all fours as we climbed the great slope. But, as it started to flatten out, I started to reach for him once more. Barely avoiding the attempts at redirection. And then, with a divine blessing suddenly coming my way!


    I caught him!


    I latched onto him with both my claws and we plunged off of the gnomon''s peak. He screamed and cried and I dug my claws in deeper. Roaring in triumphant despite the wind blasting in my face as we fell. Yet, then, all of a sudden...


    "Very crass." he casually commented before I slammed against the gnomon''s peak with a shell-breaking crash. And even though he was right in front of me, I could not call on my magic anymore. The city was somehow pulling on it again!?


    "No... No! NO!" I repeated over and over with growing frustration as he tapped his cane in front of me. A smile on his face as aircraft started to rise up to meet us. Yet, when they arrived, the soldiers who dropped down only turned their weapons on me. Those strange, faceless soldiers...


    Why could they not see him!?


    "HE''S RIGHT THERE!" I roared before I charged at Jhurack again with frenzied viciousness. Yet, he kept on hiding behind these soldiers and I had no chance of going around them. So I just punched straight through them in order to get to him. I lashed out however I could.


    With kicks and stomps that rang out into the night sky. With a gnashing jaw that snapped at him whenever it could. My bloody claws twitched and flexed near him. But no matter how hard I tried, those soldiers kept getting in my way.


    They retaliated near-instantly. I was slashed away at and punched and slammed at with their rifle stocks. I did not let it stop me, though. I kept reaching out for Jhurack as he taunted me amongst all the blows.


    "STAND DOWN!" someone then called out from above before they jumped down. Fire erupted around them, yet there was something off about it. It was dark, there was no light and it only made the night darker.


    "MOVE!" I roared back at her before I aimed for the madman beyond her. Yet, she slashed at my chest with a flaming sword. Gashing it open and searing it shut with that burning darkness. But, it would not stop me just like how those soldiers would not.


    So I tried to go for Jhurack again. But, for as long as he stayed behind that woman, I could not reach him. And the strength in me was starting to disappear. All this battle was taking its toll and I could no longer go on.


    But after what he did earlier, with that threat he made on Lari''s life. I could not just take it lying down. So I dragged myself back up with all my strength and roared again. Trying my hardest call forth my magic before it then suddenly came back.


    Yet, he was gone, and I was left howling in fury at this second failure. But the soldiers and that woman were all still here. And she in particular was briefly horrified by the appearance of my magic. And she slashed her sword at me once again.

 Peak 10: Changing up the Game

    "Is there anything you can find? I refuse to believe that he just became stronger like that!" I demand to know, clicking my fingers at the end.


    "I''m sorry, Grand-Guard Inerish, but all the data just shows Prisoner Nin suddenly wrenching his magic back."


    "Then explain why he is not using it here, or here!" I nearly scream as this was perhaps the biggest issue in my career so far. We had reports of Smiling Jhurack''s laughter, yet no sightings of him... What we did get, however, was sightings of Nin near several groups of injured soldiers and guardsmen! It wasn''t making any sense at all...


    I just could not understand what was going on nor how someone could look at this and blame me! I was even watching recordings of him suddenly gaining injuries out of nowhere! Why would he harm himself? The answer was that he didn''t!


    Not that those who wanted to see me publically humiliated would believe that...


    "Inerish-"


    "It''s Grand-Guard!" I corrected furiously before I turned around to meet this disrespectful individual. Only to be shocked and slightly scared at the amassed soldiers. With the lead one holding a pair of magic-suppressing cuffs...


    "Not anymore." the Stroke of High Noon said as he walked into my command centre. A largely unexpressive but still furious expression on his face.


    "YOU CAN''T ARREST ME FOR THIS! WE HAVEN''T EVEN FINISHED THE AFTER-ACTION REPORT!" I shout at him before several soldiers move to restrain me. The target of my anger, however, did not react to my advance.


    "And give you an opportunity to cover up the fact you threatened a coup de tat? To cover up that you let an osibindah run rampant through the streets of this city!?"


    "WHY YOU-" I start to shout before a rifle butt slams against my face. It in turn made my anger focus on that soldier. And I spat blood at him.


    "Take her away to the cells with that damn bug of hers." he snorts before they effortlessly move me out of my command centre.


    "LET GO OF ME! THIS IS AN ORDER! THEY HAVE NO RIGHT TO DO THIS!" I scream at them before I realise that I did not have that device Galanmarck gave me.


    "And someone get me a direct line to that prince! I want him to get these soldiers out of my city!" he ordered before the closing door took him out of my sight. Eventually, as well, it started to turn colder and darker. The lights took on a different appearance to mark their region and I was soo cast away into a cell.


    Yet, all I did was spit at them before they left, "When I get out of here..." I growl as I got up. Sneering at the cell door before I looked on over at the cell in front of me. I could hear chittering coming from it. Then, I heard laughter and sudden thuds.


    "Oh, now this won''t do!" someone exclaimed before they arrived at my cell door. Yet, before they even got there, Nin began to violently smash at his door. He somehow even broke it down, with it flying at mine before he roared.


    "I''LL KILL YOU!" were the words that came out of him.


    "Not like that you won''t, Dance Partner." Smiling Jhurack chastises before my own door was suddenly blown in.


    "What do you want!?" I asked him as Nin helplessly wailed on the immovable killer.


    He smiles at me before answering, "See, I just wanted to have some fun. Overheard your plan, and decided to mess with it. But, I wasn''t quite expecting this response- Shut up!" he started to answer before he slapped Nin away towards the wall. He did not get up after that blow...


    "And you are here because...?" I growled in questioning before he sliced off my cuffs. And the moment that happened, my magic sword appeared and I swung it. Grinding my teeth as his physical blade somehow held back one made of fiery shadow.


    "Because I am here to put on a performance! My partner needs time to learn, but the critics won''t let me finish!"


    "Whatever you''r-"


    "Planning? You''ll stop me?" he asked with an infuriating cackle, "I stopped your plan with but a bit of misdirection, you won''t stop mine the same way!"


    "I''m not helping you!" I tell him.


    "Oh," he starts off with before he looks back at Nin as he suddenly stirs, "but you are!" he exclaims before a bandaged fist suddenly comes at me.


    "WAIT!" I scream at Nin after recovering from the throw that punch put me through.


    "WHERE DID HE GO!?" Nin roars in question before I am suddenly pinned against the wall. One hand around my neck with unexplained strength. Somehow, his magic was coming through but mine wasn''t! The cuffs were off! I still had the equipment to keep my magic!


    "G-Get..." I struggled to get out to the growling beast before he just dropped me. I panted and coughed after I hit the floor. I needed water desperately, but there was none to be had...


    "Where are you...?" Nin growled before he walked out of the prisoner block. And, knowing what would happen if he continued this act, I chased after him.


    "NIN! WAIT! STOP!" I yelled as the narrow halls suddenly lit up with raw magic. And each time it did, I dropped down or rolled down into another hallway. Even these blasts would be dangerous with my inexplicit loss of magic...


    "JHURACK!" he howls before the sound of slicing metal fills my ears.


    "Oh no..." I exclaim as I start to fear the worst. Yet, when I reached the area I heard it, I only saw destroyed guns and knocked-out men.


    "Dance Partner, stage is this way!" Jhurack chuckles before Nin makes a run for it after him. Before catching up to them, however. I check each man I found on the ground. I made sure they were okay before I went after the pair.


    Coming to a stop at the command centre as alarms blared about the building. Jhurack must''ve gone into there as Nin was lashing out at the security doors. The halls boomed as if a thunderstorm had moved inside the building. And its lightning looked like fire!


    "OPEN FIRE!" an amassing of guards screamed before they started to shoot at Nin and me by extension. However, Jhurack suddenly appeared with a smirk and deflected each shot or destroyed it. And all I had to do was blink before each of those guards was suddenly on the ground. By instinct as well, I leapt back at the walls.


    "You can come out, he thinks I am in there!" he loudly and clearly says with no reaction from Nin.


    "What the..." I let out as I slowly got up. How could Nin not see him...?


    "That door will come down soon, see, I''m juicing my Dance Partner here up a bit. Yet, I don''t have enough to spare, so, you''ll need to take the lead role!" Jhurack laughs before a thunderous crash and a dozen screams filled my ears. And, at the drop of a hat, Nin suddenly collapsed and his magic was drained once again.


    "ARREST HER!" the Stroke of High Noon screams furiously as he moves out of his cover. However, none of the soldiers obeyed him and the room filled with their suddenly sliced-up weapons.


    "Smiling Jhurack knew! He knew about the plan, Stroke of High Noon!" I start off with as I march forward to profess my innocence. Regardless of how Jhurack might''ve set it up, I would not be tried because of lies! Because someone wanted me to be in a cell for failures out of my control!


    "I said... ARREST HER!" he roared without so much as registering what I had said!


    "Sit him down!" I bark before one of the men actually followed my orders.


    "Let g-"


    I grab him by the mouth, "Now you listen here! Can you not see how far Smiling Jhurack''s influence is? You just saw how he gave magic to Nin somehow and took it away! You saw how he made a complete mockery of our security! So you pay attention and you do it well!"


    "H-How is Smiling Jhurack here...?" one of my control room technicians asks before Smiling Jhurack suddenly appeared behind him. Yet, despite others looking that way, only I saw him. And he was smiling and wheeling his free hand about.


    "I don''t know, but however he is doing it, it is the same way our plan was ruined! He did not let you see him, but he could!" I tell them, gesturing to my soldiers at first before kicking Nin''s limp body in frustration.


    Then, suddenly, dramatic clapping, "Oh, marvelous. Now, let me cap it all off-"


    He started to say before I swung my sword at him once again. And, like last time, he blocked it with his own and smiled at me. He even winked at me mockingly before he suddenly phased past my sword. However, what hit me was a cane.


    So I stumbled back with a mixture of confusion and terror in my eyes...


    "As I was saying, I am going to cap this affair off! I want you to look around people! Mostly at this man right here!" he exclaims before he starts to harshly jab at Nin''s limp body.


    "FIRE!" a distorted voice said before an armed man suddenly appeared. He was then in turn slapped down with such force that his helmet broke.


    "I want you to put your faith in Nin here, just like your Grand-Guard did when she got real desperate. I want you to guide him like I will. I want you to be real nice to him! And, as a sign of good faith, I''ll even let you move that girl of his! Put her in a real nice place!" he cackled before he suddenly vanished.


    And I quickly moved into action, "GET THE WOUNDED OUT OF HERE! I WANT THIS BUILDING LOCKED DOWN!" I roared at them all before I grabbed the Union device. I did not whistle into it like I should have, instead, I blew into it like a war horn. Those Union soldiers would help us lock this building down... We''d become more impregnable than the Lunar''s Reach Palace itself!


    Then, during a very brief moment of reprieve, I looked down at Nin. I stared intently at him before I stopped some men from restraining him. I tried to think of something, but, I was too pressured to do it. So I shook my head and headed to where I needed to be.


    I would sort it out later.


    .


    .


    .


    "Why am I here?" I asked the men and women assembled before me. Looking at that dark-skinned woman briefly before I rubbed my head. Something had harshly struck me there several times recently. And I had a killer headache right now...


    "Vigilante Nin, by request of an unlikely man, you are hereby ordered to work with us." one of these men said. And I did not like how he worded that at all. I swear... If they said that man was him...


    "This same individual has also made it clear that Student Larishazza is to be relocated to a location of your choice. However, we shall not be accommodating her in the slightest. That responsibility falls to you..." one of them callously said. It angered me that they would talk about Lari that way. Yet, I was fine with it. I knew where I could get money to keep her well looked after...


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "That is the daughter of an Ibeneroccian noble!" one of them hissed before they were dismissed.


    "We expect results... Nin..." they spat before they stormed off. I stared at the door he left through before I looked down. I know it wasn''t much, but I could finally get Lari out of that hospital! I could finally see her in person and not through a window!


    "When can I do this?" I immediately asked the dark-skinned woman as she grinded her teeth at the door I was just looking at.


    "Whenever you want." she snorts before she straightens herself out.


    "Now, then." I say with a stomp of my foot. She then looks at me with an exhausted expression.


    "It can wait until the orbital-halo makes the rounds again." she yawns before she leaves as well.


    "Tch." I let out before I move to leave as well. If I did not have anyone to prove it, then they would not let me do it... Yet, I tried not to dwell on that. I just tried to be happy with the fact I was able to move her...


    At least, until I started to think on it some more... And, as if it was on queue, that laughter filled my ears.


    "You..." I growled as that smirking bastard slowly walked out from the shadows of this alleyway I was suddenly in.


    "Like the present?" he mockingly asked before I lashed out at him. Only to be smacked away and beaten to the ground.


    "Just a bit closer..." I warned as he stopped attacking me. Like when I ran away before, however, I lost the drive to go after him. It was all becoming clear to me once again that this was a hopeless affair.


    "Now, I want you to pay close attention, Dance Partner. This is going to be a very, very strenuous relationship. I need to demand perfection from you, you hear?"


    "Eat shit." I spit after removing my mask.


    "Yes! That''s it! Keep that fire burning inside of you! And, who knows, maybe your girl might just wake up again!" he tells me before he vanishes in but a blink. I snort angrily at him before I slowly move towards the nearest city gate. He did not come out of the city, so I could have a peaceful night out there. And I hated to admit it, but this once, I was thankful.


    And only because wherever he took me was near a gate that I could just walk right out of. Yet, I did not make it far beyond the city. And I collapsed into the dirt. Sighing in exhaustion as I looked out at the many blades before me.


    "I will save you, Lari... Just wait for me... Wait, please..." I begged her before my eyes started to close.


    .


    .


    .


    "V-Vadei...?" I asked as my friend suddenly jumped to her feet and started sniffing the wind.


    "It''s him... IT''S HIM!" she exclaimed to my confusion at first.


    "WHERE!?" I screamed as I got up to my feet too. Quite happily, I abandoned my stuff so I could chase after her as we ran against the breeze. Eventually, we came across a dark figure that stood out amongst the green grass and brass city walls.


    "NIN!" we screamed in unison before we ran into our slowly rising friend. At first, I felt like weeping out of sheer joy for the fact he was alive. But the callous way he disregarded us when he stood up reminded me of why I felt the way I did when he disappeared.


    "H-Hey! Wait!" Vadei complained as we followed him into the city. To our surprise as well, the guards just let him walk by... There was no way they weren''t aware of who he was.


    "Nin, hold on!" I demanded as I stepped in front of him. Using what strength I had to keep him still. A sensation of nervousness even filled me as I initially grabbed still open wounds.


    "Get out of my way..." he spat and growled before he started to push against me.


    "No! You''re in no condition to go anywhere! We have to let everyone know that you-"


    "Everyone? What everyone? The same everyone that was content to leave Lari to die!?" he hissed before he started to force himself against me. And while he did not overpower me, I let go all the same. Uncomfortable with trying to restrain such an injured body.


    "Let''s just follow him for now..." Vadei whispers uncertainly into my ear before I nod slowly. My throat had started to hurt for some reason too. It felt swollen and my chest was starting to ache as we followed Nin. And, circumstances repeated themselves as well.


    Because the guards were still not paying any attention to him. At least, not in the way we thought they might. Eventually, we started to walk a familiar street. And then, a familiar building.


    "The hospital..." I uttered as we turned the corner. And, I panicked once I saw the group of soldiers in front of the building. I rushed to get Nin out of the way, but he turned towards me and struck at the air. It made me freeze up in shock.


    "Stop getting in my way!" he growls before he slowly continues his journey. Some doctors even came out and guided him into the building once he got close enough.


    "What''s going on..." Vadei whined in confusion before an airship moved into the widest part of the street. And, out came a dark-skinned woman with reddish-purple hair that was dark in some areas and light in others. She noticed us quickly and then approached. I tried to straighten myself out, but I could not get over what Nin had tried to do...


    He had tried to hurt me...


    "And you two are?" the woman asked as she crossed her arms. Whatever was going on at the hospital even carried on without her.


    "We''re students at Suhurlodst, friends of Nin''s..." Vadei answers as her hairs start to stand up at the sight of the woman. Yet, I felt like that was an incorrect assessment. Then I felt it, she could still use her magic freely while we could not... It was a terrifying feeling to experience.


    "Hm, then you know the girl inside the hospital?"


    "Y-Yes, she''s our friend, Larishazza, her sister also goes to Suhurlodst."


    "Right, I will need you to come with me then." this woman says before that airship that had left so soon shot right back down. The woman got on and I felt like we needed to as well. But neither of us moved until she made an impatient gesture.


    "What''s going on?" I decided to ask once we were in the air. I wanted to be down there with Nin to make sure he was okay. But it was clear this was now a far grander issue than just Nin chasing a killer...


    "Your friend, by request of a vile creature, is not working for the city. A condition was made during these recent events, Larishazza Sl''Ayiysab is to be moved to a location of his choosing. But, as you know her sister, you can get me a direct line to the father of Larishazza... Lord Sl''Ayiysab." the woman explains with a stern expression. I looked at Vadei briefly, but, I tried to maintain eye contact with this woman.


    "Wh... What does that mean?" I struggle to ask, flabbergasted by the reality of it all.


    "Nin will now be routinely working with me to hunt down Smiling Jhurack. By that madman''s own request." she explains, a dissatisfied scoff coming out of her at the end.


    "No! Nin can''t do that!" I nearly scream as I start to recall how he looked just now and how he did the last time we saw him. He walked up to the dorm covered in his own blood... He left a trail directly to our dorm...


    "Your wishes are irrelevant in this situation. All you two shall be doing is taking me to Tiyanat Sl''Ayiysab." the woman explains as she rises in contrast to the aircraft''s descent.


    "He''s our friend! We should have a right in this!" I tell her firmly as I rise up to meet her gaze. A rising fury deep inside of me.


    "Did he not just try to attack you to get you away from him?" she recounts with a dismissive glance while I stood back in shock.


    "Y-You... Don''t act like you understand..." I try to say before she sharply turns towards me.


    "I don''t know it all, no. But I can see quite clearly that Nin has been backed into a corner. And Smiling Jhurack has been quite happy to take advantage of that." she accused just before she got off the airship. With a sneer, I followed and quickly gained the lead. Yet, I could not muster the strength to be rude as we moved into the dorm.


    "Guests?" Omb started to say happily before he went quiet upon seeing the woman. Strangely, he seemed to show reverence for this woman as she went past him.


    "Tiyanat, someone is here for you." I say after knocking on her door. Yet, without a moments hesitation, the woman opened the door herself.


    "Student Tiyanat. I am here to speak to your father." she declared, spooking my friend before I even had the chance to step in.


    "Don''t just barge in like thi-" I started to complain before a gloved hand raised its open palm before me.


    "For the sake of this country''s security, I need you to do this." the woman elaborated as I backed away with my wounded pride. I know I really should not be focusing on this. But this woman has been nothing but provocative!


    "R-Right..." Tiyanat says as she put down what she was reading before she nervously turned on something. It took a few minutes to turn on, but, when it did, she was furiously working away at it. A face then appeared. An aged man with bright blue hair...


    "Ti- Tiyanat... Is something wrong?" her father asked before he noticed the uniformed woman. His expression then changed from concern to pure malice.


    This woman, however, paid it no mind and performed a courteous bow, "Lord Sl''Ayiysab, I am here to speak to you about your other daughter, Larishazza."


    His expression then relaxed, "Well?" he asked with a glare.


    "The man who attacked her, Smiling Jhurack, has put forward some conditions regarding her safety."


    "I reject them all." he quickly answers.


    "Not those kind of conditions, Lord Sl''Ayiysab, he has made it clear he will not interfere with her transfer to a new place. However, it is all tied to a friend of hers, a Nin Urtuan."


    "Right..." he slowly lets out before he seemingly seems to rack his brain for information.


    "Dad, it''s the special friend she told you a lot about..." Tiyanat quietly clarifies for him.


    "I remember, thank you, Tiyanat. Well?"


    "For some reason, Smiling Jhurack has taken an interest in him. We have come to understand it is because he wants to establish some kind of rivalry with him."


    Tiyanat''s father looks at his daughter, "I suppose there is no time but the present... Tiyanat, if I trust your friend to save your sister, would you be more at ease?" he asks her.


    Tiyanat then starts to cry as she nods relentlessly, "Y-Yes... Please just keep your soldiers away... No more Worm Riders or..."


    "Of course, Ti-Ti." he cooed before he briefly smiles at her.


    "Well, that helps my situation." the woman comments under her breath before she sighs in relief.


    "Is there a way to keep in contact with this Nin, then?" he asks.


    "We can raise the idea to him... But, Smiling Jhurack has made a relentless mind with his actions."


    "All the better then. He will understand my intentions perfectly." Tiyanat''s father says before he nods quickly and sharply.


    "And, as you are the father, is there any involvement at all you want with your daughter''s relocation? We cannot move her out of the city for fear of her safety. But, we can take her anywhere you want within the limits of our walls."


    "I''ll let my present daughter be my voice in that regard. I am certain this Nin will have a good idea of where my daughter will be best placed. Now, I am busy, so I am sorry, Tiyanat, but I will need to go. Love you, Ti-Ti, your mother does too."


    "Love you two too..." Tiyanat sniffles before she slowly gets up and wipes her face. I offer her some help at first, but, she is quick to head downstairs.


    "That went well. Very well." the woman remarks before she heads on out to meet with Tiyanat. Likely by the airship, but, this is where mine and Vadei''s involvement ended...


    "Make sure he is okay too, alright!?" I call out to Tiyanat after we were stopped from getting on the airship again. Then, as we watched them disappear towards the city. I clutched my chest uncertainly...


    I did not like what this meant for Nin at all!


    .


    .


    .


    "It''s alright, Lari, we''re going to take you somewhere nice..." I tell her just after all the doctors and that leave for a moment. She was now ready to be moved to another place and I could overhear how they were figuring out what equipment to take. If they should contact another hospital or not...


    But, if it came to it, I would buy it all myself. I would work and work until all the money in the world was making Lari''s life wonderful. If the city was just going to throw her out like this. I would catch her and save her!


    Unfortunately, however, I had to move back slightly when the doctors all started to come back in. I wanted to be near her and cherish the moment... But I knew I had to let them work unimpeded. It was for her own good...


    I was just in the way otherwise...


    "Grand-Guard Inerish''s Airship is en route, would you care to be taken outside?" a guardsman asked me after I watched Lari''s bed get wheeled out of this accursed operating room.


    "I can find the exit myself..." I coldly answered as I remembered how these soldiers normally treated me. In a way, I wish I could say my actions from last night were not accidental. I hated these men and they hated me right back. However, despite this, I walked past him without issue.


    And I was soon staring at an aircraft that once caught me sneaking across the mountain. To my surprise, however, Tiyanat also walked out of it when it finally landed. Of course, she rushed straight to her sister without issue. And it pained me that I understood why I needed to keep my distance for now.


    However, she quickly returned to the airship as I was brought on board it as well, "How you been?" she nervously asked me.


    "Busy." was all I really had to say. And I made it clear I was not interested in talking by looking out at the city as we went up.


    "Now, as you are both aware of the situation, we can get into it. Where would you like her relocated to?" I was asked directly, even if the wording suggested that we were both asked.


    I was tempted to give a snarky response given how obvious it seemed, but, instead, I contemplated. I made sure to keep an eye on the city while I recalled what I knew about it all. Costs initially came to my mind, as I was completely light at the moment. Yet those thoughts died down quickly.


    "Jhurghdak..." I then idly let out as I found myself magnetised to the building. Lari showed a lot of excitement at hearing his performances. So maybe she would be safe being near a place he might practise at? She could sleep calmly listening to his music through the walls.


    "Will I be able to easily access these places?" Tiyanat then asked.


    "We can put in place measures to let the staff of your desired location know. They''ll stand aside and you''ll have a key to that very room as if you were a resident or the building owner."


    "Thank you... Nin, is there anywhere you think she''d like?"


    "There!" I answer as I leaned out of the airship. Pointing straight at the hotel I broke into in order to speak to that musician. And to speak of the damned man in question, I could see him looking out a window as we passed by.


    "Yes... That could work quite well." the woman remarked before she motioned for us to land. We all quickly got off and we soon entered the hotel through the front. A somewhat heart-racing affair for me given my recent history.


    "Grand-Guard Inerish!?" one of the guards exclaimed before the building suddenly took on a different atmosphere.


    "Which rooms can be quickly accommodated and modified?" this Inerish asked the woman at the front desk as she went stiff.


    "Uh... Any... Really..." she nervously squeaked before she began to do something. Whatever it was, it seemed to bring out someone higher up.


    "Well." he let out as he took in the situation. He then blinked as Lari was slowly brought in through the strange doors.


    "I will repeat myself, then, which rooms can be quickly cleared or filled up? Modified if need be."


    "If it''s the Clockwork Council asking then... We could even clear out the penthouse if need be!"


    "No, Jhurghdak can keep his privacy. Just get me a room that could be kept reasonably secure."


    "Of course! R-Right this way, please." they say as they march on out to us before they took us towards a lift. However, there was not enough room to fit Lari in one...


    "I''ll meet you up there." I tell them as I pick her up slowly and protectively cradle her. Holding onto her tightly, hoping and praying she''d at least stir for just a moment. Just so I could see even her eyes again... To my dismay, however, there was nothing.


    So I just stroked her hair carefully as tears started to well up.


    "I will save you, do you hear?"

 Base 11: An Old Calling

    "There he goes again... All for you..." I commented with a sigh as I walked up to the thief''s bed. Just like before with the Gilded-Bark, the man I was in love with was taken away from me. And while I could understand it better this time. I was still by no means happy about it.


    This woman was so beautiful... I might as well have been a root in comparison to her. It was no wonder she caught my Love''s eye. She was far beyond me...


    And even if I dug into other possible ways she ensnared his heart, she was still my better. My Love only ever smiled around her. He was at his happiest with her. I understood why and didn''t at the same time.


    "It should be me he goes to these lengths for..." I angrily mutter under my breath as my tubes tap against the polished floor. As I paced about as well, I once again naturally found myself looking out across the settled-flower. This city of Thrurstradtur as they called it. Yet, my gaze went beyond its hedges and off into the distance.


    I might not have been able to see it, but I knew it was in the direction I was looking. The Garden-Mount of my flower, my people. The place I had hoped to plant a seed of my own. One he gifted to me because he loved me like I did him...


    But that dream was going to never happen now. I had forsaken my right to ever go back there when I gave up my role as Ivy-Mother. I threw it all away for my Love so I could be with him. And I did it all for nothing...


    "Because he loves you!" I spit before I aggressively approached the bed she was laying in. For weeks now had she been dormant. Not a stir or sign of life that she once showed... And every other night, my Love came back bloodied and beaten trying to save her.


    It made me angry, it should have been me! It should''ve been me! I was the one who was there for him from the start of it all! It was me who helped him conquer his fears of what he had become! It was my love for him that gave him the strength to climb this mountain...


    "SO GIVE HIM BACK, THIEF!" I roar in the sleeping beauty''s face before I backed up. Looking up with uncertainty when I heard that someone else was in the room.


    "What troubles you, my Dear?" a man unlike any other asked as he stepped out from the shadows all of a sudden. I wanted to question where he had come from, or who he was. But just seeing him left me in a heated trance...


    "So... H-Handsome..." I uttered with a gulp before I violently shook my head. Blocking my eyes completely when I felt them come over and take me into their arms. Their touch was so intoxicating... It had such talent for pulling out the wildest, most primal form of love.


    But I did my best to push him away. I made a promise to my Love. I had to keep it. I can''t just go back on my word like this!


    "Oh, that''s what I like to see!" the stranger cackled before he stepped away from me. And, in but one confusing moment, that beauty from before disappeared. He was suddenly lesser than my Love... Yet, there was something very strange about the way he looked.


    I could see no outline to his power. My Love had a distinct outline, a shell that contained all that power... Yet this man, he lacked it in its entirety. He was an enigma beyond me.


    "What do you want? How did you get in here?" I demanded to know once I got control of myself again.


    "Did you know, in all my time doing what is right by this city. I have never had to kill an aelenvari?" he randomly told me. But that while his words were strangely reassuring. I was now aware that he was a threat.


    For now, though, I decided to trust in that declaration of his...


    "And why might that be?" I asked him dismissively as I sat down and cross my legs. Leaning my bottom forward while one hand traced the edges of my breasts. The other, took hold of a fine glass so I could get back to the drink I had poured myself.


    "Aelenvari are good mothers, unlike this girl here." he snickers maliciously before he walks over to the grand window.


    "Humans have their flaws, yes." I comment nonchalantly as hearing this failing brought a smile to my face. She was not perfect, and that meant I could usurp her wrongfully gained affection.


    "As do you, no?" he asks as he walks closer. The distinct sound of something dropping into my glass scares me. Much to his amusement.


    "Wh-What did you do!?" I nearly screech as I scramble to take it out of my drink. Only to slow down and become confused once I picked it out. It was a small seed from some fruit...?


    "Dropped a fruit seed." he cackles before he crunches into something that appeared in his hands. It looked like a yellow-skinned rolling fruit.


    I snort, unamused by the antics of it, "Get to the point."


    "I''ll leave this here, let you figure it out for yourself. Besides, got to dodge this incoming swing!" he cackles before vanishing all of a sudden.


    "My Love...?" I question as I look down at the dark streets below. Was this something to do with him? Was that the madman who he has been so determined to hunt in recent memory? Better yet, was there a way to make him help me?


    Make my Love care about me as much as he did this woman that man attacked?


    "Eugh, hate yellow." was all I had to say about the fruit, however. So I binned it and then headed to bed. I would need to get some rest before I could attend to my Love''s injuries. Or, rather, as it has been these past few weeks...


    Just linger in the corner of his vision as the wind-people reluctantly helped him out...


    .


    .


    .


    "I just don''t get why he did not care as I left..." I nearly sobbed on my way back to the magic academy. I have tried so hard for him, yet he could not care if I was around. If he wanted to turn the others away, then fine! But I was not someone he should be doing that to!


    For a moment as well, I came to a stop. Frustrated with how it has all turned out. I left my flower for this... I gave it all up for this...


    I didn''t regret it at the time, but circumstances made me change my mind... I wanted to just go back to the way it all was. But I also did not want to abandon my Love. I could never find someone to love again after meeting him...


    "But if I was to just go... I could not do it like this." I commented before I looked at that seed I took out my drink. I don''t know why, but I had kept ahold of it since last night.


    "Come on little one, time to go eat."


    "Yes, mama!" a familiar voice laughed eagerly. It was a beautiful sound. So I looked at its source. And I found myself overflowing with jealousy as I saw it.


    The first thief, the one I punished justly for her transgressions... She was there, enjoying her time with her son. Her beautiful baby boy... My lesser was doing all of that while I was...


    Here, alone...


    "Dandel''lhia." I said clearly, but not quite loud enough. So I just glared at that woman as she walked off with her son. Then I briefly looked into the building where all the other children were. She wasn''t the only aelenvari mother here either.


    However, she was the only one who had a flower to go back to... Her son still had a father who wanted to hold him. And while I did not love him anymore. And while I wasn''t an Ivy-Mother anymore...


    I just couldn''t let this stand!


    Time away from my Love would surely show how important I am to him, no? Being away from him before made him fight so bravely for me! He overcame his better I took me back into his arms! Maybe that is what was needed here too...?


    I could only hope so...


    So I looked on at the disappearing thief and her son. The son a younger, ignorant me should''ve carried. And while I was not the mother, I had a responsibility to this child. It was me who looked after him, after all.


    His mother gave all control over his well-being to me! And she has shown me how bad a mother she was... She hadn''t nurtured him into a proper man at all! She just doted on him ceaselessly!


    To say nothing of her attempts to return him to his father...


    "I, however, will not make that mistake." I whisper into the wind before I make a sharp turn for my current place of residence. Maybe my longing for the Garden-Mount was a premonition of sorts? A desire implanted in me so that I could help this sapling? There was no way it could not be!


    So I needed to prepare myself for all the troubles ahead! I needed to leave with that sapling as soon as I could so I could take him home. He needed to be raised within a flower to grow properly! Not fattened within a place like this!


    Our people needed more sons, he would make none when surrounded by the beauty of wind-people!


    .


    .


    .


    "Dandel''lhia, a word?" I said once she came out of her room. And I made sure that she had no room to go. No way to get out of this. She would understand and move aside or I would remind her of my supremacy!


    "W-What do y-you want?" she fearfully croaked as she recoiled against the door she just closed. It made me smile on the inside. She paid attention to the lessons I had taught her prior!


    "Your son." I told her. Yet, her behaviour suddenly switched.


    "I''ve told you to stay away from him!" she snaps in my face as confidence fills her body.


    "And you know this is no place to be raising him." I snort, unimpressed by her inferior strength.


    "That wouldn''t be an issue if it weren''t for you!" she growls.


    "For me? It is not my fault you stole him from his home!"


    "He''s my son!" she angrily reminds me as if I could ever forget.


    I snort once more, "He''s the Gilded-Bar-" I start to say before my cheek suddenly stings. A loud clap rings out into my ears while my face burns mildly.


    "STAY AWAY FROM MY SON!" she roars angrily as what little magic she has started to flare up.


    So, to show her I was not intimidated in the slightest, "You dare!?" I snap as I hoisted her up before slamming her against the door. Smashing her against it again and again with thunderous bangs until I suddenly stopped. The sapling was crying...


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "MAMA!" her son cried fearfully before I suddenly found myself knocked away.


    "Shhh, shh, it''s alright!" Dandel''lhia softly told him as she opened up the door to pick him up. And I grew angry as I watched her hold him.


    "Get your hands off of him, Thief!" I snap.


    Yet she holds up a magic-covered palm at me, "Come near my son and I will kill you." she growls.


    "You dare!?" I say once again as my magic suddenly glows brighter than hers.


    "Mama!" her son cried once again. And, as if he was a switch, our magics both died out.


    "Leave us alone... You''ve done enough harm, Root." she spits before she slams the door at me.


    "I AM AN IVY-MOTHER!" I angrily scream as I force the door open. Only to force myself to calm down when I saw his beautiful little face.


    "Then act like one..." she points out as she bounces her son up in her arms.


    "I am..." I meekly mutter under my breath before I sigh.


    "Go!" Dandel''lhia demanded as she protectively held onto him.


    "I know how to get back to our flower, you know." I then say. Both a truth and a lie, but, I did have a way.


    "H-How...?" Dandel''lhia questions as her son started to calm down slightly.


    "You''d have to be an Ivy-Mother to know what I am talking about." I bluff. In reality, I just had an idea which way our Garden-Mount was.


    "Then you owe it to me, the Gilded-Bark who loved me and the son our love created!" she mockingly reminded me as she aggressively rose to her points.


    "I owe it to him to make sure he knows what is expected of him..." I quietly remark towards her son as he looked at me with uncertainty.


    "Then fix your mistake!"


    "I will, once you give him to me!"


    "I am his mother, you childless failure." she mocks.


    "Yes, and what I great one you have been..." I remark sarcastically.


    "Oh? You know what it means to be one? I am sorry, but I see no signs of a seed having ever been here!" she tells me aggressively before she jabs at my stomach.


    "Why you..." I growl before I hear footsteps from behind.


    "Everything alright up there?" one of the men call.


    "It''s fine, just dropped something."


    "Your pathetic pride, maybe." Dandel''lhia comments.


    "Don''t worry, everything is alright." I tell whoever it is down the stairs. Holding back the anger that comment helped to create before I turned towards her.


    "So? Will you be taking me back home? Will you do your job, Ivy-Mother and make sure my family is alright?" she mockingly asks me while I kept my eyes on her son.


    "Family..." he ends up repeating for any number of reasons.


    "I will." I firmly declare. And while I was upset that it did not go to plan, I suppose this was fine enough.


    "Then, you best start getting ready." she tells me before I am pushed out of the room while my mind lingered.


    "Right, I need to make sure we are ready for a long journey..." I say as my mind focused on her son. I owed that sapling so much... Even if I gave it up, the mindset was still with me. In the name of the First Mother, in her name, I would perform my duties again!


    And maybe... I could figure out how to make my Love love me... If it was at all possible. I had plenty of time to think about it, I know but...


    This just all felt so sudden...


    .


    .


    .


    "Right, this should be helpful..." I flicker with my true-voice before I put the map away. I knew the direction, but the path there was more than just a direction. I also made a point of not letting that thief see it. I knew her kind all too well.


    They were petty and pathetic, they''d do anything to undermine me. So I would have to be cautious around her. Her stupidity would endanger the sapling otherwise. And I just could not allow that to happen!


    "H-How are we meant to carry all this...?" she complained as she looked at my bag.


    "You mean you." I correct as I smile down at her wide-eyed son.


    "I have a son to carry! I can''t carry that as well! Besides, it''s yours!"


    "Hmph, you''re the closest to a root here, Dandel''lhia." I sneer, jabbing at the incomplete nature of her own name.


    "I''m not carrying your stuff... You need to let some of it go."


    "As if." I snort before I force it all upon her. She had no right to complain anyway. It was barely anything in comparison to what I brought here! I was fully aware of the fact my Love would not be with us.


    "H-Hey!" she complained as I took hold of her son and cuddled him tightly. He was so warm and soft for a male! He was just too adorable to ever let go. And that smile of his made me warmer than any fire could!


    "Mama!" he cheered as I put him next to my face. Yet, it was abundantly clear that despite his giggles, he wanted her. I had no issue with that, but I could not risk his safety with her.


    "Give me back my son!" she demanded shortly after I started walking away towards our Garden-Mount. We had not even left the grounds of this place and she was already causing issues.


    "Do not be so careless with my property..." I sneer, unamused by this defiance on her part. We had more important things to do and she just kept dragging us down!


    "Give him to me!" she barks before I shoot some magic at the floor near her.


    "Pick it up and let''s go." I tell her, making sure she was fully aware of how little patience I had for this. And while I was making sure the sapling was alright. That he was comfortable and happy. That thief finally did as she was told.


    "You will give him back the moment we settle down for the night." she complained as we walked away from Suhurlodst. At first, we were just walking on our own as we kept to the grass around the academy. But we soon found ourselves on the main path into the greater city nearby. And regret started to fill me slightly as I looked back at that place.


    Was this really the right choice? Was this what I should be doing? I wasn''t an Ivy-Mother anymore... My Love needed me right now as he struggled against a mighty threat...


    Yet, at the same time, this sapling I held in my arms was all the motivation I needed to do this. He needed to know and see his father. He needed to be amongst his people so he could help save them. I may have not worn the dress or held the staff anymore, but it was all still in my head.


    I remembered all the rituals and even some of the women I talked to on the regular. I consoled them on their relationships and how to please the man they caught. Even before my Love first arrived into our flower... My life was by no means a boring or unfulfilled one.


    I was very much happy with what and where I was. There were just others who did not like that... And thinking along these lines reminded me of another thing. It was her that saw me leave my position as Ivy-Mother.


    It was her that my Love somehow got caught up with during his stay at our flower. She didn''t even deserve to come back home with us... So why I continued to put up with her, I did not understand. Maybe I could lose her at some point later, but now was not the time.


    "So how are we getting down this mountain?" I was asked as we moved to the edge of the road. Not too far from the grand gate that was teeming with wind-thorns.


    "We use one of those." I say as I gesture out to the machines I once used to get to that party with my Love. We had stuff to barter with so we could pay for our entry should it be required. Yet, I had to admit, I was still inexperienced when it came to how humans traded. I was never involved in it at any real point.


    And any shopping I did do with my Love and Einervaene has become blurred in my mind. So I suppose the best course of action was to simply hope we would not be left at our wit''s end. Yet, I was proud to say that I was an observant individual. My old practice did call for it, after all.


    "A family ticket to Zufatzdadru, please." a father clearly said to someone behind a glass panel. We were all queued up as well, so it made it easier to see who was in his group. And he was a trio so that surely meant we would qualify for that same category?


    "There you go, Sir, next?" they said with a nod before we were called over. And, I made sure to step in front of the thief as I would be the one to handle this.


    "A family ticket to Nahgart." I say as I recalled the town on the map that was closest to our Garden-Mount.


    "Right, Nahgart... I''m very sorry but that is not on our list of stops. Would you like me to find a closeby town, city or mountain-state?"


    "I-I see... Yes, that would be helpful." I answer as I was not quite expecting that. There were so many stone constructs leaving this mountain that you''d think they''d go everywhere near here...


    "Alright, let me see... Ah, here we go. It''s a mountain range over, but it is our closet stop near Nahgart. However, we warn against it."


    "Warn? How so?" I asked the woman as I held onto the sapling protectively.


    "Soldiers from the Seven-Peaks Union have been moving through there a lot. It would likely impede your journey."


    "A few thorns is no issue, can we hurry this along?"


    "Yes, sorry, here you go. That''ll be two Workmans Effort, please." and once she says that, I step aside to let the thief handle it as she had all our stuff.


    "H-He-" she began to complain before I boarded the machine ahead of her. Setting the sapling down in one of the plump seats before I sat next to him. And when his mother finally boarded, she was blocked from going near him.


    "Mama!" he cooed as he reached out for her as she reluctantly sat across from him. And while she looked over longingly at him, I played with his short, dull hair. Rubbing his head gently while he distracted himself with his mother''s scarred fingers.


    "These thorns aren''t going to be an issue, will they?" Dandel''lhia asked.


    "Why would wind-thorns stop an aelenvari triplet?"


    "Because we are still witches, Rose''lhia." she sighed. And I laughed at the part where she lumped me in with her.


    "So that is what you are calling yourself now." I dismissively say while I looked at her son''s magic. It was obviously weak and nearly non-existent. But he was going to grow up to be a very strong man. He''d be very popular with all the petals he will see.


    "Rose''lhia, please, enough. We''re really doing this, we''re going to our Garden-Mount. Can you set aside whatever this is for at least a moment?" she asked me tiredly. And I snorted at her because she had no right to tell me what to do. Not after what she has done to me over the years.


    "Then watch your tongue." I tell her as her son started to slap the table for some reason.


    "That''s not an instrument, silly." I tell him as I stop him from doing it.


    "Hungry... Where food?" he asks before he starts to slap the table again.


    "It''s alright, I packed some for you." his mother sweetly coos before she brings out a small bag from the bag she brought.


    "And I''ll be taking those." I say as I snatch it up. Smiling down at her son as his eyes lock onto the bag of food I had. It was a potent smelling mixture, but I think I knew what it was. After all, my former role in our flower meant I smelled similar smells often.


    "Ah!" he cutely let out as he patiently waited for me to start feeding it to him.


    "One!" I cheerfully said as I put the spoon near his mouth.


    "Nom!" he let out before he started to pull on the spoon.


    "No, let go." I told him before he started to laugh at me once I finally got it free.


    "Nom!" he let out once more as he started to get distracted by his mother''s expressions. He then started to slap the spoon away when I tried to feed him. With his little arms gesturing incessantly at his mother as he whined loudly.


    "Very well." I reluctantly said as I bowed to the wishes of the young sapling.


    "Ma-nom!" he started to say as he jumped to his points to take the food from his mother. I watched on with some envy before I just shook my head and looked away. Somewhat content to look out the windows as we started to move.


    "Now leaving, Thrurstradtur and Suhurlodst." a man declared through some contraption as the mountain rapidly distanced itself from us. Whatever regrets I was feeling before did not matter now. I could not do anything about it so I just had to go along with it. And, at some point, I got up and walked away from the other two.


    I kept on walking as well, all the way until I reached the end of this machine. I knew it was pointless, but I wanted to try and stay near my Love. Even as the place he was at grew further and further away. If there was a way, surely I would be running or flying back to that place right now...


    "No, it''s alright, I''ll come back for him. I''ll be done with what is expected of me, and he will be free to love me as he should." I say with a quickly fading smile. I felt like crying but I kept it in. I was not alone in the back of this machine. It was not something they deserved to see.


    Yet even then, I was not sure if I could keep it all in. Even as I understood why this needed to be done, I could not help but feel guilty. But I could just not argue against what I was doing right now. That sapling, the Gilded-Bark''s son...


    I needed him to go home for his own good.


    .


    .


    .


    "Mama, where we going?" Spruce''endoor asked me as he looked up at me from my lap.


    "We''re going to see daddy!" I told him as his eyes grew wide with excitement. And that was only the start of it, I had to hold him down to stop him from bouncing about.


    "Daddy!" he cheered with some uncertainty before he giggled at me and played with my face.


    "No, stop that." I laughed as I moved him away from my face. Holding him up before me while he tried to reach for the table that was just out of reach with his points. And that made me smile in anticipation. Me and my dear Oak talked a lot about Spruce''s first pair of tubes.


    We were going to make them ourselves after he could walk on his own. And that saddened me at the same time, because that time has long past. Yet, I kept his points bare so I could do that with him. I withheld so many of my desires just so my dear Oak could do them with me.


    And now we were going to be a family again! So we could and very much would be filling in for lost time. I just had to wish that Rose''lhia''s intentions were entirely pure. I could not doubt her want to help my son.


    Vile as she was, she showed nothing but care for children. She took her job seriously and for a while, once upon a time, I was grateful for it. But then she orchestrated my kidnapping by osibindah... She scarred me for life and tried to make my dear Oak forget me...


    Were it not for that human, I might not even known that my son was born. Concerned as I was for my own safety. I was willing to set it aside to some extent for my precious little one. And while I could not trust her with anything else, I could trust her with my son''s safety.


    I just wished I did not need to do so. If I could, I would''ve made this journey on my own. But I was never going to be strong enough. Even with the wind-people''s help during my stay at that mountain. And there was no way that Valkinvar would ever help me over something so insignificant.


    If that human boy was still around, maybe I would ask for his help. He did save me from the thorns following Rose''lhia''s spiteful requests, after all. But he just disappeared all of a sudden. I wish I could thank him at some point, though.


    For now, however, I would have to be content with what was going to happen soon. I''d be walking into our Garden-Mount and I would present Spruce to my dear Oak. He could hold his son for the first time and then me...


    "Mama?" my son asked as he started to stroke at the wet streaks on my cheeks.


    "It''s alright, my darling. Everything is going to be alright." I tell him with a smile as he continued to wipe away my tears. Then I pulled him in close for a tight hug before I looked out at the valley''s below. I yearned to go back to my old life for a while now. Even if I sat around doing whatever I needed to at our flower.


    We still went places, the immobility of the wind-people''s way of life always felt strange. Many of those I spoke to back there as well felt the same way. Yet, their families were there on that mountain. So it became a luxury they were willing to let go off...


    And that worried me. Was Rose''lhia willing to let go of her standards for this journey...?

 Incline 1: Unwittingly into Danger

    "Oh, look, Little One, we''re nearly there!" I excitedly whisper to my son as I shake him awake. Smiling down at him as he cluelessly stumbled to his points. It then took me a bit of effort, but I was able to get him to see it.


    "Town!" he let out after some thought.


    "Yes, well done." I praise before I pull him in for a cuddle and a kiss on the head. Giggling in response to his own sounds of joy before our attention returned to the glass. At first, I played around with his hand as it pointed out to the town. Sometimes grabbing it, other times provoking competition by extending my arm further.


    "No!" he complained as he tried to break my grip and reach out further than me.


    "Careful!" I tell him as I bring back my other arm to secure him in my arms. Letting him go once he was calm enough to be let down. And I knew I could trust him to stay in his seat while I talked things out with Rose''lhia. Yet, there was an issue with that.


    She was not here, she hadn''t been here for a while, actually. The last I saw of her, she walked away in the direction that I was facing away from. Yet, leaning out and twisting did not let me catch a glance of her. She would probably come back on her own, but...


    "Guess we''ll have to look for her, won''t we?" I ask my son as I pick him up, much to his confusion. And while I was entertained by the noise he made as he got into my arms again. I did not start playing with him, I only bounced him up and down for now. As for our stuff, I made sure it was secure before I walked after Rose''lhia.


    It took me a while to find her as well. And it was slightly uncomfortable walking through this machine as everyone stared at me. I may have not had the full name of a flower, but that did not mean I did not miss my beauty. These scars that had been cast into me bothered me a lot.


    Even if I could be certain that my son and my lover would have no issue with it. Eventually, I found the perpetrator at the end of this machine. And, from what it looked like, something was bothering her. Had my previous comments and comebacks affected her that much?


    "What do you want?" she asked as we came to a stop behind her.


    "We''re nearing the wind-people''s town."


    "Right, I suppose we will be getting off, then." she says rather impatiently before she moves to barge past me. Yet, she slows down upon seeing my son. She plays with him as she goes by, but I also saw that scowl as she departed. It made me uncertain, yet, how she acted towards my son eased that.


    "You want to stay up here or walk when we get off?" I ask my son as we followed Rose''lhia back to where we had sat down before. He didn''t seem to understand the question, however. So I decided to ask him again when we got off, but a little differently when we got around to it.


    "Pass him here, then." Rose''lhia demanded as the expected came to pass. I should''ve really seen it coming, yet I was still surprised when the demand came. And, with some reluctance, I handed my son to her while I got all our stuff down. Much to her malicious joy as well, I struggled to get it down as it was heavy.


    My points also did not help keep my balance...


    "Do you need some help?" a human man asked as he caught me and stopped the bag from falling on me.


    "She''s fine." Rose''lhia answered while my son stared curiously at the bag.


    "Yes, please." I correctly answer as I start to rise to my points while the gruff looking human got my bag down.


    "Not well suited to this kind of stuff, are you?" he asks jokingly as he tapped his foot against the floor.


    I laugh slightly, "No, I guess we are not." I essentially answer on behalf of my people as I try to put the bag on my back. Hopefully, there would be grass or dirt for me to sink my tips into. Even with my tubes, standing upright was a difficult task on this tough surface.


    "Well, as you are in my way, I might as well keep helping." he offers with a smile as his strong arms keep me upright.


    "Okay, I''m ready." I say with a nod as I accepted the help Rose''lhia couldn''t help but scoff at. Soon enough as well, once I felt the machine come to a halt. This man was helping me walk through the machine until we had a fresh breeze in our faces once again.


    "Take care now." he says with a smile as he tilts his flat hat at us.


    "Thank you!" I say as he disappears before I start to get my footing sorted. And, with some agitation, I watched as Rose''lhia raced ahead with my son. To add to the issue, I could not catch up with her without causing myself a floor-related issue. So I just sighed until I finally reached the proper outside.


    "Now we just need to get an idea as to what part of this town we are at..." Rose''lhia ponders as she enjoys all the glances her beauty brought in. However, she immediately recoiled away from that behaviour when a couple of witches flew overhead.


    "Those must''ve been the soldiers we were warned about." I comment idly before I started to notice the perfectly idle wind-people dressed in runed armour. The humans gave them a wide berth but that was about it.


    "R-Right, now that, that is sorted..." Rose''lhia said uncomfortably as she started to walk once again. Her gaze lingered on one of the wind-people, but their gaze did not linger back. They were seemingly stuck in the motion of slowly looking back and forth.


    "There''s nothing wrong with asking for directions, Rose''lhia." I say as it became clear she was clueless about where we should head to.


    "I don''t need directions, I am just enjoying what I see."


    "No, you aren''t." I correct as I start to recall the petal I thought I knew a long time ago. She was always picky about what she interacted with. It always had to be up to a certain standard. And unlike where we had just came from, this town was not as magically-rich.


    "Oh, what I would give to see that one at the Sweet Orchard..." I heard someone lecherously comment as Rose''lhia kept us on the move. I wish it was me that the comment was about, but, it was clear it was about Rose''lhia. I may not be wearing my thick leather trap anymore, but I wanted to hide my scars. So I was dressed a lot more than I used to be...


    Rose''lhia on the other hand, she got to keep on feeling like a petal. Even if she had supposedly given up on that life. It made me bitter to some extent. Having lost that part of my life to a petal I never had issues with before...


    But my son came first, so I simply could not focus on it. And I was certain that I could and would make it through this ordeal without making an issue of it. For the sake of my son, I had to. To my joy as well, he didn''t seem to mind being held by her.


    A few instincts he would use a lot when he was older came to bare as well...


    "Sorry, I''m taken by someone else." Rose''lhia jokes as she stops him from trying to expose her breasts. Yet, that might''ve also been a sign that he was getting hungry. So I needed to find a moment to step in before Rose''lhia''s... Different contents caused issues.


    "Rose''lhia, I''d like my son back now, please." I ask nicely for now as I settled all the stuff down at a place she could also sit at.


    "Why, for whatever reason do we need to stop right now?" she questions while fighting back against my son''s actions.


    "Think about it a little." was all I had to say before I reached out for him and he reached out for me. Then, I quickly went off with him to find somewhere that could be called private. While doing it so openly would not have been an issue at our flower. I learned quickly that the wind-people were a lot more reserved.


    So I moved in between a couple of buildings and sat down in what appeared to be a quiet garden. Then, I rolled up my top while my son tried to bring it back down. Yet, once he saw his meal, he was quick to stop and he got to it. And as he ate, I gently caressed his head while I looked around at the plants.


    I then smiled at the thought of him latching onto Rose''lhia''s breasts. Being childless for the moment, hers contained a different kind of nutrient. Most certainly not the kind you gave to a sapling like my dear little one here. However, it made me wonder when the contents of mine would go back to normal.


    I suppose that is a question Rose''lhia would have the answer to given her previous role. I guess as well, that, it was funny in a way. She was childless and I had given birth to a seed. Yet, I was going to go to her for advice on how to look after a sapling and what to expect from my own body.


    I could understand why I felt the need to go to her, though. Being an Ivy-Mother took more than just being a mother yourself. Despite half the title involving the word, a loverless petal could take on the job. Rose''lhia did do a very good job with it as well to my recollection.


    I guess to some extent as well, I just wished the smiling priestess I once saw her as was real. When I first found out I had a child with my beloved, I was overjoyed. We both were, and we went to her near-instantly to get her feedback. And she caressed my stomach gently while whispering loving prayers to Motrtha.


    She looked after me while she tried to help my little one turn out the way he did. Yet, the smiles and warmth she showed that day were not for me. They were for my beloved and his son. I was just an obstacle in her way...


    It was such a strange issue as well... She had a full name and was at the top of our flower. She commanded its full respect and full attention. An impressive witch as well to boot.


    I was, well, me, an incompletely named petal of a more common flower. But by finding love with our Gilded-Bark, I drew her ire. And I just had no way of telling how malicious it could be...


    "Mama!" my son complained, bringing my away from my thoughts.


    "All done?" I asked my sticky-mouthed sapling as he smacked his lips together. Smiling as I used my hand to wipe away what he had stuck around and on his lips. Giving it a little taste myself to check if it was still alright for him before I put my top down again. Giving him one little bounce before we headed back out.


    Rose''lhia, however, did not look bothered when we got back. Yet, I knew she was quite observant, so she probably saw the state of my hand and his somewhat sticky face. Unfortunately, she took him away from me again and I had to pick up all the stuff again. With some uncertainty as well, I tried to keep my dirty hand away from it all.


    "I believe there is a fountain or something near here." Rose''lhia points out. To the joy of my hand, there was. So I quickly washed it off while she played with my son. It was nice to see him happy, but I wish it was with me instead.


    "So, what is the plan? We head out of this town or do we wait it out a bit?" I ask her as my attention starts to turn skyward as a powerful noise fills our ears. And what I saw scared me a little as there was this large machine slowly making its way over the town. It must''ve been greater in size than this entire town as well!


    I wasn''t even the only one to look up, even the humans had their gaze caught by it. When I looked back down, however, I couldn''t help but laugh at my son. He was so eager to get on board that thing. And I just couldn''t bring myself to tell him no.


    It made him so excited!


    "Make sure you get as strong as those, okay?" Rose''lhia gleefully whispers into his ear as she points at one of those large spells. And, I had to admit, I would not know what to do if a man had that kind of magic within him... It was so pure and potent.


    "Rose''lhia." I say to catch her attention.


    "Yes..." she lets out slowly, annoyed by my actions, "I suppose we can spare some time to stay here. Of course, it will need to be a suitable place."


    "Of course." I answer, taking into account the needs of my son. Even if her words were more likely directed at her own standards. Standards we''d likely have to break if we were to stay anywhere in this town. We did not have the money or the goods to live extravagantly...


    "Well, get to it." she impatiently told me.


    "Right..." I sigh out as I dropped all the stuff once again so I could have a look.


    "Don''t just leave our stuff!" she snapped.


    "I can''t look for a place to stay if I am carrying that!" I complain, already tired from having to carry it this far. She had no appreciation for how heavy this stuff was in the slightest...


    "Well it needs to be ready for when we arrive, no?"


    "I can pick it up again once I found a place!" I point out, frustrated by her desire to make my life more difficult. She, however, had no consideration for that and just snorted at me. With a sense of bitterness in me as well, I turned around and left. Unfortunately having to leave my little one in her arms.


    It made me angry more so having to do this, but I went through with it anyway. But I made a point of first gathering up all the money I could so I could more accurately pick a place. My son, however, would take priority in my mind. So I left them with his needs at the front of my mind.


    "Okay... What would he like...?" I think out loud as I walked through the town on my own. With some nervousness present, I lingered around some buildings before I moved to another. Eventually, as well, I believe I was able to come across the place I should''ve been looking. However, the wind-people seemed to occupy a lot of these places.


    There was one place that seemed to be free, however. With many human children running about it playing and laughing. I was sure this must''ve been what I was looking for. So I moved in for a closer look.


    My scarred appearance seemed to scare some of them, but I was otherwise able to look without problems. And I liked what I could see for the moment as there were toys and constructs my little one could play on. If he felt like it too, he could play with the other children. Yet, I was also uncertain despite how well this place seemed to fit his requirements.


    I had never let my son out like this, I was very protective of him and kept him close. Even back at the wind-people''s academy, I was closely involved with him. I had really always been his source of entertainment. We did everything together.


    "Excuse me, is this a place me and my little one could spend the night?" I ask an elderly-looking woman as she finishes up putting something out.


    "Why of course! You best hurry, then, we got a puppet show starting soon for the little ones!" she cheerfully answers with a warm smile.


    And, happy with that, I smile back, "Thank you, I''m sure he''ll enjoy it."


    So, knowing that, I headed back to where Rose''lhia and my little one were. I got lost for a brief moment, but I was able to find my way back. And, with a smile on my face, I went to take my son back into my arms. Yet, Rose''lhia refused to hand him over...


    "Have you found a place?"


    "I have, and I want to take my son to it!" I answer, placing as much emphasis as I could on that one major detail. He was my son, my little one. It was my right to hold him, not hers!


    "Then who''s going to carry the bags if you have him?"


    "You for once!" I snap as my son practically leaps into my arms. With a smug huff, I then turn around and prepare to take him there.


    "I''m not carrying that." Rose''lhia tells me as she gets up and starts to walk after us.


    "Don''t just abandon our stuff!" I complain as I pull my son closer.


    "It''s not me that is abandoning it." Rose''lhia says with a roll of her eyes before she starts to demand through gesture that I give my son back to her... The nerve of that woman...


    I breathe harshly before I look down at my little one, "Fine, but wait for me." I warn.


    "No choice but to if you''re going to neglect telling me where..." she comments as I move to pick up the bag. Stopping briefly to sigh in frustration before I got to it and picked it up. I then made sure my frustration had been beaten down again before I stomped ahead. I even made sure I had our funds present so I could get it all out the way.


    However, when we got there...


    "This is the place?" Rose''lhia obviously asked with a sneer.


    "It''s a good place for my son to be at." I point out, hoping it would at least make her shut up about it.


    "I suppose." she mutters, so it at least worked to some extent.


    "That''s a lot of luggage." the boy at the counter commented as I squeezed through the door. Unfortunately, every other doorway was much smaller. So, without a doubt, I was going to be busy moving this all back and forth...


    "So what''ll it be?" an older one asks as they come on through a doorway beyond the counter.


    "Your bes-" Rose''lhia started to say.


    "A room with two separate beds if possible." I interrupt, wanting to get this other with so I could spend time with my son.


    "Don''t interrupt me." she complains.


    "Don''t push it." I respond with as the boys watch us with bemusement in their eyes. Thankfully, they listened to me and we were handed a key once the money was handed over.


    "Will you need some help with your luggage?" one of them kindly asks.


    "If you''d be so kind..." I answer with a low tone as Rose''lhia walks off elsewhere with my son. It was an infuriating action, but I made sure that it all went into my efforts to move the bags.


    "It''s alright, we can handle it." the younger one says as he puffed out his chest.


    And with a relaxed sigh and loud thud, "Thank you."


    Then, I immediately followed after them until I was outside. For a very brief moment, I observed the area I looked into before, before then finding them. However, she had placed herself right amongst all the other parents and their children as the puppet show started. And I couldn''t help but get upset as my son became overjoyed at the spectacle of the show...


    He was doing it with her and not me... That show I was excited to watch with him was not happening. She had stolen that moment from me and was not only greedily taking in his attention, but everyone else''s too. To make it worse, I would only cause issues trying to retrieve him...


    So I skulked to the back of the crowd until I found a place to sit. My anger and general appearance even made some people move away from me. And I just couldn''t help but feel bitter as I kept an ear out for my son''s laughter. Each laugh I heard was accompanied by her voice...


    She played with him and encouraged his involvement with the show. She even gave him the confidence to move ahead when the puppet show started interacting with the children. It was enough to threaten tears, but I was able to keep it together. At the very least, when my son received a gift from the puppets, he waved to me.


    "What you got there?" I mouthed to him as he held up his present before me with a smile on his face. Yet, it was Rose''lhia who he went back to once he decided he had enough at the front of everyone.


    "Something wrong, Dear?" the woman who told me about this show asked me.


    "I''m fine..." I lied as I did not want to drag others into my problems. Until we rejoined with our flower, this would stay a personal issue.


    "My boys told me about that little spat, are you sure?" she questions as she rests her rear in the spot next to me.


    "I don''t think you would get it even if I did explain it." I say as this was likely just an aelenvari thing. I couldn''t of expected a human to get it.


    "That treat over there isn''t his mother, is she? You want to be able to hold him?"


    "I do..."


    "I suppose it isn''t my place to judge how you aelenvari do things, but... Know it''s like this, try as that treat might, your little boy will always be yours. He won''t ever replace you in his heart." she explains as if she had experienced similar issues.


    "It''s not being forgotten that troubles me, it''s that she is a cruel creature..." I say very quietly towards the end.


    "Why would you travel with someone like that?"


    "Because she is the only one who can get us home to where we belong." I admit in defeat. If I just asked the Valkinvar for her help... I would have never had to put up with her.


    "Then that is all the better then, because once you are home, she''ll be gone." the woman tells me with a knowing smirk as she nudges me slightly.


    I smile a little at her words, "Thank you..."


    "Now, how about you come and help me with the food? I''m sure you''ll be able to help your boy much better than I can." she tells me as she gets up and holds her hand out.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "But I can''t just..."


    "Oh, stop it. Of course, you can, otherwise, you''d never have let your son into that treat''s arms." she dismissively says as I am pulled back indoors and towards the kitchen. Yet, I had to admit, I was unfamiliar with a lot that was here. I could cook, sure, but I had grown too used to the comfort of my lover.


    The luxury of that relationship was that everyone waited on me like they might have done with Rose''lhia. Or, rather, they waited on the Gilded-Bark whose pleasure directly involved me. But, I had started to learn how to cook once again so I could take care of my little one. Even if that large human who suddenly shrunk did a lot of the cooking.


    Liadanann, however, was a welcome change of pace as we could both cook together. With both of us not really knowing what we were doing for the most part. It was a fun experience, I had to admit. But this one felt more like a lesson than anything else.


    While this woman was kind with her words, she was very assertive within this kitchen. A simple mistake was met with hasty complaints and the loss of the job. So it was quick to turn into a clean-up each time I was handed a new job. Her son''s found it amusing, though.


    "Don''t worry too much, Mam''s always been a perfectionist with food." the older one comments quietly as he squeezes past with a tray covered in small bowls.


    "A little aggressive for a perfectionist..." I mutter as we watch his brother get struck with a spoon.


    "I did it right!" he complains before he is practically shoved away.


    "No, you didn''t you stupid boy, like this! Water the crust lightly!" she informs him as she takes over making the pie crust.


    That younger son then comes over rubbing his head, "Now watch this, don''t do anything and watch her go on."


    "Oh, gods." the older one laughs as they both take a backseat.


    "Aren''t we meant to be helping...?" I ask quietly as that was somewhat the reason she brought be back here for.


    "No, no, no! Just trust us, wait." one of them tells me before the cackle as their mother furiously picks up all the work.


    "There we go, well done you lot!" she cheerfully says as she comes to a stop and looks at us. Her apron was a mess while ours were rather clean in comparison. And, I caught on quickly as to why they found it funny. She was praising them so much despite having done nearly all of it...


    She became excessively narrow-visioned when she took over the role of cooking! Even I who did nothing but make mistakes she had to fill in for! I was getting praised too. Not in the same way as her sons, but, it was there!


    "Now, let''s all get this out there for them to eat!" she cheerfully declares as she starts to move what appeared to be sauces and condoments.


    "Does it go anywhere in particular?" I asked as I started to pick up some items.


    "No, just put it out on the tables that the... Boys! Sort it out!"


    "Yes, Mam." the older one says as he nearly slams several tables together before he let loose a cover for them. He seemed to have been well-practised in doing this as well because it was almost masterful in its fluidity. Truly, the only comparison I could think of were the thorns that guarded my flower. Their bladed chains required quite a bit of skill to use that always made me so nervous when I watched.


    "So do we just fill up a plate and sit down?" I ask for clarification as I was unfamiliar with this kind of meal set-up. Either I made it directly for myself and my little one or someone handed it to me. I had never been presented with such a layout before. Though, if I recalled, on our way up to that wind-people city we just left, there were meals arrayed like this there too.


    But the Valkinvar was kind enough to sort it out for me while I kept my little one''s seed warm.


    "Yes, but, get your little one first so he can get a little headstart." she tells me with a wink before I smile on the way out. The show had ended since the last time I was out here as well, so it was not that difficult to make my way over to Rose''lhia. However, she was still being as difficult as she always was...


    "Little one, can you come here, please." I tell my son as I gesture for him to come into my arms.


    "What is it?" Rose''lhia asks, however, once she stands up and moves past me.


    "Can I have him back, please?"


    "Answer my question." she demands without so much as twitching her arms.


    "We prepared the evening meal... I am here to make sure my son chooses something..."


    "We prepared? How ghastly." she mocks as she walks inside with my son. To my anger as well, but I wasn''t sure how to direct it, my son was more focused on his new toy... I couldn''t be angry at him over that but I was getting very frustrated right now.


    "Rose''lhia, give him back!" I nearly snap as I follow her inside. Only to helplessly watch as she took my son across the tables until he had collected enough on his plate. However, when it became clear that I was being ignored, I slowly sat down and waited for them. Nearly growling when I had to chase after them just to share a table.


    "Not hungry?" Rose''lhia asks my son after he proceeded to do nothing with the food.


    "I fed him not that long ago... Let him play for a bit." I say as I try to make the most of this moment to snatch him back into my arms. Yet, Rose''lhia''s perception and beauty gave her the distinct advantage. And I failed in my efforts to secure my son.


    "If he wants to, he will do so on his own." she scoffs as my hands start to curl up. Then, in a sudden moment of anger, I slammed a fist on the cloth-covered table.


    "HE''S MY SON! STOP KEEPING HIM AWAY FROM ME!" I scream at her, scaring my little one in the process.


    "Now look what you''ve done!" she accuses me of before I pick up my son and walk away with him.


    "What I''ve done!? Keep away from him!" I tell her before I take my son out into the quiet hallways to quieten him down. Bouncing him up and down gently as he tightly held onto his toy and cried. I repeated the same soft sounds over and over and tried to make him feel safe. I even tried spinning around a little to see if I could entertain him.


    But, instead, he showed me his present, "Mama look..." he said with a sniffle as he held the strange flat object in front of us. I had to admit as well, that I was unfamiliar with what it was. It reminded me of a picture frame, but I could see the feint magic inscriptions worked into the material. I was also not expecting the sudden flash it made.


    Yet, my little one''s laughter, once it went away, made me smile, "Oh, wow! It''s us." I tell him.


    "Mama... Me!" he said as he wobbled his arm over the magically created image.


    "And soon, Dada too!" I remind him as I brought his face closer to mine. Smiling gently as his head moved about against my cheek. His skin had rough, thick patches, but I could never be bothered by that. He was my impossibly special little one.


    "No room..." he uttered as he covered up the empty spaces with his hands.


    "Don''t be like that, there''s plenty of room." I tell him as I take it into my hand and point out all the spots his father could fit in. Then, I suddenly decided to take him to our room so he could have a look around it. But I was more so doing it because I saw Rose''lhia lingering at the end of the hallway.


    "I want to open it." he told me as I reached down for the handle.


    "Are you strong enough?" I question, doubting how strong he was.


    "Yes!" he moaned.


    I then smile, "Let me see, then!" I encourage him with as I lower him to be in line with it.


    "Mama..." he cried softly as he cluelessly fiddled around with the handle.


    "Like this, Little One." I tell him as I place his hand on the handle. Guiding it down for him and smiling as he puffed up his chest with pride.


    "Strong!" he exclaims in amazement before he then gets distracted by the room.


    "Careful!" I say as he escapes my grip and starts to waddle about our room for the night. Laughing gently as he stuck his limbs and head out while making silly little noises.


    "You can''t find me!" he cheekily commented after he went behind a curtain.


    "Oh no, I''m going to be very sad now..." I lie as I sit on one of the beds with a frowny face.


    "No!" he complains as he surges out towards my legs.


    "Oh, I''m not sad now!" I tell him as I pick him up and hold him high. Gently swinging him about as he laughed at the fact he could fly. Then, I brought him down closer before I moved us up the bed. And I held him close while I let my tired body rest on the bedding.


    Not only was it soft and clean, it smelled very nice too. I wasn''t sure of what, but it was a very soft, subtle scent that the sheets had. However, we both preferred the smell of the other. And it made me very relaxed as I felt my little one''s nose gently suck the air near my neck.


    "Are you going to want to play some more?" I decide to ask him as I notice a bathroom after briefly looking up.


    "Yeah." he answers with a nod as he gets up. His body rolling over mine partially before I pulled him back down.


    "Do you want to play with Mama or the other children?"


    He then goes quiet and stares at me, "Uh... I want to..."


    "Well, how about you show me around the play area for now? Yeah?"


    "Yeah." he says with a nod as I sit up and pick him up again. Yet, despite offering him his present again, he just held onto me and shook his head.


    "Why don''t you want it?" I ask him as I was a little surprised by that.


    "I don''t know how Mama got in it... So I don''t want to make Mama go." he answers as he hugged me tightly.


    "Don''t worry, Mama will always be there for you, that''s a promise."


    "I like that promise." he tells me as we leave the room behind to head back outdoors. Unfortunately, Rose''lhia had moved closer in the meantime and I felt the need to hide my son from her. Yet, she made no comment as we passed her and she seemed to head into the room. I could only guess that this was a childish ploy so she could avoid admitting to her orbiting.


    I even made a point of waiting at the end of the hallway just to see if she would try and sneak out again. But, to my pleasure, she did not, so I quickly turned around and moved for the outside. Only to find myself staring at the plate of food she had helped my son collect. But, as all the other families had moved in here to eat, it wasn''t safe to just leave it here.


    Children being children, they might''ve snuck off with some of my son''s food. So I picked it up and took it with us so my little one could nibble on something between toys and games. And I''m sure he would not be starved of choice. Toys had been left all over the place.


    "Anything look fun?" I ask once I put him and his food down. He then briefly disappears before he comes back with a toy rider.


    "That''s a juperse." I tell him as I point at the flexibly-legged insect the toy soldier was riding.


    "Boing!" he let out as he pressed down on the toy. However, what utterly amazed him was how the toy continued to bounce once he let go of it.


    "Woah! That''s going far!" I say as he quickly waddles over to bring it back. He then hands it to me and urges me to repeat what he had done.


    "Make it go!" he demanded as he forced my hand against the toy.


    "Alright, alright!" I tell him as I pull him off my hand so I can play with it properly. However, it was clear that this was a toy with a very set way of working. It did not go farther than when he did it if at all. At least, until it hit another toy and went just a bit further until it fell over.


    "You win, Mama." he tells me before he loses interest in that toy while in the process of collecting.


    "Oh, let me have a look." I say as he picks up the one my go just tripped over.


    "What is this?" he asks me after shaking it about. The loud rattling noise inside seemingly kept his attention more than the actual toy itself. It was quite awkward to grip, however. As it was quite a wide wheel-shaped toy.


    "Maybe we use it like this?" I question as I roll it away from us. Smiling as he let out his amazement at the song the toy seemed to play as it rolled away. I couldn''t even see anything magical about it, so it must''ve been purely by design!


    "My turn!" he insisted as I got up to retrieve the toy so he did not trip up in the excitement. And when I got back, he was desperate for the toy to the point he tried to snatch it. Thankfully for his future self, I kept hold of it and gave him a firm stare.


    "Well?"


    "Please..." he quietly muttered before I then gave it to him. But, when he tried to roll it before I sat down. It came crashing to a halt without getting far.


    "That doesn''t count." I tell him so he would not be disappointed by the interruption caused by my legs and tubes.


    "Bye-bye!" he tells the toy as he rolls it away again once more. And as we watched it, I put his plate near him to see if he wanted to eat anything. But he only took a single piece of carrot so I quickly popped it back up and away.


    "Let''s see..." I ponder after picking him up and moving to collect the still rolling toy. Yet, he was once again full of excitement as we came upon a playset of some kind.


    "I! I..." he struggled to say as he tried to reach for the small playset. I was hesitant to let him on, however. He didn''t have any tubes on and the way this thing was constructed left a lot of slots for his points to slip in. Yet, I could just not say no to him, but I was also not going to let him on this by himself.


    So I first let him down and then stayed by his side as he climbed up the ladder. Painful as it was as well, I kept my hands under him so he had more to stand on. But I did not have time to linger on the pain and I instead kept up with him. Holding his hand as he slowly walked across the wood.


    But, he quickly became scared after his left point slipped through the gaps on the rope bridge. He started to cry as a result but I wouldn''t be able to take him off the playset like this. So I had to instead encourage him along with the promise of a hug. But he did not understand why I would not just take him off, so that only made him cry harder.


    "Just a little more, Little One, Mama is right here!" I tell him while holding my arms out at the end of the slide. But the gaps became an all too present problem for him and he was refusing to move. He wanted me desperately to get him down...


    "MAMA!" he cried loudly as he tapped his points against the wood over and over. Screaming in fear whenever he brought his points too close to some of the tighter gaps on the playset.


    "Alright, come on, take my hand, okay?" I say as I awkwardly fit in through the slide entrance so he could grab onto me. After that, I had to slowly adjust myself on the way out. I even had to pry his arms open so he could go down the slide properly.


    "MAMA!" he cried again as he ran up to me and clung onto my leg.


    "Oh, come here." I tell him while I tried to hold in my laughter at how silly it was at the same time.


    "I don''t like that..." he tells me as he rubs his face into the gap between my neck and shoulder.


    "Little One, oh, Little One." I repeat close to his ear before pecking his head.


    "He''s not hurt is he? It must''ve given him quite the fright slipping through like that." the elderly woman asked as she leaned out the kitchen window.


    "He''ll be fine, but yes, I don''t think he''ll want to be playing on that again." I say with a laugh.


    "I am sorry, I know we have a few aelenvari in this town but I hadn''t even considered how small their feet are."


    "Don''t worry about it, I suppose it is my fault for making a promise with his father about his first pair of tubes." I tell her.


    "I can see why you aelenvari wear them, then." she nervously chuckles as we moved closer to the window.


    "Mama..." he began to say before he pointed at the sweet-smelling pie on the windowsill. And, just from a quick glance at the way the crust was formed, I could tell it was the one I helped make.


    "Would you like some?" the woman asked to which my son nodded lots and lots.


    "Yes please." he mutters as he moves a little closer to me despite the warm smile the woman had.


    "Have you finished your dinner?"


    "No, he hasn''t." I answer so he did not try and lie in order to get some pudding.


    "Well, eat it up then, and you can have an extra big slice for being so brave!" she tells him before she rubs his cheek slightly. After that claim as well, he immediately began to pressure me to return to his plate of food so he could have it.


    "That is quite a lot..." I comment once we got back to the plate. My stomach even rumbled at the comment and it became very clear we could share.


    "Mama can have some..." he says, however, I saw through his devious little plan. Yet, I was hungry, so I accepted the offer and sat down with him to eat it. Smiling down at him as he played with his food slightly. Only to look back at the pie and scoff a small bit down before his mouth was too full for more.


    "Slow down." I tell him as I help stop it from spilling out his mouth when he tried to eat too much at once. Then, while he was filling his mouth again, I wiped my hand to clear it of mushy food and dribble.


    "Nearly done..." he pointed out near the end while he kept of moving more and more towards me.


    "This is your dinner!" I remind him as I stop him from putting another piece of sliced potato on my half.


    "Mama tummy go grrrr!" he reminds me with a confident nod as he puts more and more towards me.


    "Well, you aren''t getting any pie until I finish my dinner." I smugly tell him. Smiling as his face suddenly filled with despair. And I couldn''t help but laugh as he tried to take back some food so it would go down quicker. Because I was intentionally going slow just to wind him up.


    Eventually, most of it was back on his side and he was eating it all up like he should''ve done. Then, with a smile on my face, I emptied the last few bits of food over the wall near some birds and winked. His face lit up so cutely as well before I picked him up to go in for a slice of pie. Holding him tightly as he urged me into the kitchen.


    "I suppose he can have some now." the woman says before she cuts a piece of pie for him. She leaves it on a fresh plate before she then rubs his head and goes out to everyone else.


    "What do we say?" I remind him while keeping his hands to himself.


    "Thank you!" he calls out to the woman before he just sort of stares at the pie. And I smile as he starts to offer it up to me before he even has a bite himself.


    "For me?" I ask him anyway. I wanted to say ''no thank you,'' but I couldn''t resist how adorably he held it up to me. And when I swallowed the still hot pie, I let out a noise of satisfaction as it was just sweet enough. But nowhere near as sweet as my little one.


    "Blow." he let out before he started to blow away the heat on his spoon. Yet, when he moved to eat it, he retracted it instantly. So I moved his arm closer to my mouth and blew on it for him. And that seemed to do the trick as he ate it right after.


    Then, as he chewed it, I ruffled his hair and smiled back at him. I then ate whatever he offered me while laughing to myself as he started to get greedier. It was his slice of pie, anyway, so it was fine. As long as he was happy I was too.


    .


    .


    .


    "Evening, Hrurim." one of my guys greeted as I walked towards the backdoor of the Madame''s establishment.


    "Evening." I reply back with a tip of my flat cap. And as usual, my nose crinkled and contorted at the strong smell of this place. The noises, however, I had long since gotten used to. I found that amusing, the smell was always what hit me first yet I didn''t mind the noise.


    "Sir..." one of the Madame''s aelenvari girls let out with their usual mixture of drug-induced haze and lust.


    "Stick to the customers." I remind them before I guided them down the hallway so they could go bring one in.


    "Looking for the Madame?" one of her personal bodyguards asked me as I walked into the lounge before her office.


    "I guess." I answer with a shrug. The spiral-tram did have some interesting goods on board, but I wasn''t sure if it was necessary. I knew that the Madame wanted to refresh what she had and put some of it away for quality control purposes. But was it really worth the effort?


    I know what she said would be what goes, but even then...


    "I think she is in a meeting right now, so you might have to wait a bit, Hrurim." they tell me after checking their watch.


    "You''re on my payroll and you stop me? I''m offended." I dryly joke before I sat down on the thankfully clean sofa. Even if the personal behaviours of the Madame made it a difficult process. She didn''t like to sit so much as well, lounge, so all the chairs and sofas accommodated for that.


    Either I laid down like her, or I had nothing to support my back well enough. However, I could say I was used to it. So I just leaned forwards and picked up a news tablet to keep myself occupied. But I skipped the news and moved straight onto the advertisements section.


    I couldn''t really put my finger on it, but I enjoyed looking out for local businesses. They were in no danger of going, but these Union guys were bringing with them strong competition. Which, was a little hard to get as their men creeped most of us out. No response, the Madame declared them a dead market near-instantly...


    "You hear about how the war is going, Hrurim?" one of the bodyguards asked me.


    "Union is winning?" I most likely guess correctly as that was really all these things ever published. Even with their supposed honesty policy regarding the war, they twisted their words to make a hollow victory out of everything.


    "Yeah, just pushed through another one of the Theocracy''s big cities."


    "Come on Theocracy, beat ''em back." I dryly joke before looking up at the air around me. I then sighed at the lack of a sudden appearance of emerald light. I didn''t really have anything against the Union, but, I liked to play a little dangerously with the stories. Betray the King at Lunar''s Peak and a red wind will depart you.


    Maybe it was just a load of rubbish, or, maybe His Majesty appreciated my sense of humour!


    The door to the Madame''s office then opened up, "We bear in mind."


    "Ivahstar." I say with a nod as the overworked father of one walked past me.


    "Alright?" he asks back with a nod before he leaves the lounge without another word. Which, reminded me, I did owe him a few drinks. If he was going to linger, maybe I should settle that debt. Can''t imagine he will, though, what with his daughter and all.


    "Ah, my darling, come here!" the Madame beckoned when she noticed me. It was all an act, however, one I refused to play into. Even if she did keep it up despite my clear lack of interest.


    "All is well, Madame?" I asked her politely as I took off my hat and held it before me. Watching with some interest as the peculiar foreign beauty swayed back into her long chair.


    "I''m a little frustrated, but, I suppose I can''t do much to solve other people''s problems." she answers, to which I could only assume it was to do with Ivahstar. It was no secret after all that he and his daughter were held hostage for a brief period. The story was a little wild, however. An osibindah?


    Laughable.


    "Well, if it is any consolation, I have made some progress with one of our problems."


    "A dreadful, wilted flower is passing by?" she asks me as she leans her head over the chair. Rattling her jewellery in the process before she decided to unveil her light brown leg fully.


    "No, but some of its petals have been caught on the wind." I point out.


    She then sits up confused, "There are prime goods just... Walking by?"


    "They have recently arrived in town, yes. I even made a point of helping one with her luggage just to make sure I was sensing their power correctly." I explain, but I had a feeling it was the red-haired one that was more important. She carried herself too highly not to be.


    "Eugh, then that is useless. We can''t just grab them in open orbitlight." she complains before she motions for me to leave. But, I hold up my hand and interrupt that silent request.


    "Which is what I obviously concluded after following them for a bit. Yet, I then caught sight of a golden treasure in her arms." I point out for her.


    "Oh, Darling, don''t leave me in the dark like this!" she complains as she leans over her desk while making sure her chest was relatively free.


    Keeping my eyes on hers, "They had a baby boy with them."


    And she just lit up with excitement, "That is a golden treasure! Worth more than all the gold in the world!" she cackles.


    "So it is worth keeping an eye on them?"


    "Just an eye? I want you to take them in your arms and hug them as tight as you can!" she corrects in her own way with an ecstatic shiver.


    "They would have to travel very far for that moment to come." I remind her. Not that she probably needed that reminder, she was near-perpetually bitter about the failed market. Those Union guys felt nothing which just did not do for a place like this. This establishment thrived on sensual sensations, and they reacted to none.


    "I don''t care how long we must be parted, Darling, I want that treasure!" she demands from me with a firm but still gentle tap of her desk.


    "Of course, Madame. And what of the petals accompanying it?"


    "Is one of them the mother?"


    "I believe so." I tell her with some uncertainty as the one doing the labour seemed very pushy about the child. Yet, it was the red-haired one holding him.


    "Then grab them if you can, but I want the Treasure more." she tells me before she turns to gaze out across her establishment.


    "I''ll set in place the preparations." I say before I turn and leave. Closing the door behind me before I then stopped a few steps away. A few ideas were coming into my head, but maybe I should get another opinion here... There was just no way an aelenvari baby boy was travelling like this.


    Where was the father...? The flower? Were they en route to one? If so, that dramatically shifted the circumstances I was under.


    I was on a strict timer regardless, but what would happen as the clock ticked away made a lot of difference. If this became a bloody affair, the quietness we have been trying to keep would ruin it. The Union may have been at war, with those troops outside being little more than a yet-to-leave reserve force... But they would come knocking if they found our guys dead out there.


    But, if that was the case, then I''d probably be staying out of this job even though I headed these things. It was a risky one, and I had no intentions of dying or being shot at or whipped by blades. So, I will probably just grab some of my best and send them out. Make it clear what we were after, besides, two dainty petals and a baby, shouldn''t be hard.


    "I do need someone to keep a watchful eye on them, however..." I ponder out loud before I remember Ivahstar would still be in town.


    "Look at him speeding off." I heard someone comment before I stopped by them. This clearly scared them a bit but I was not angry or that.


    "Did you see a hwardgon pass by?"


    "Yeah, one just went straight out across the main floor."


    "Great..." I mutter before I open the door to the main exhibition as the Madame liked to put it. And she was probably watching me right now as I roughly shoved aside her property on my way to try and stop Ivahstar.


    "Hm?" he let out as he came to a stop just before the door. From a brief glance as well, I saw that one of the aelenvari girls thought he might''ve stopped because of her. But, with how much I enjoyed turning them away, I moved us outside.


    "So, about those drinks I owe you?" I start off with while he gives me a raised brow.


    "Strong." he answers before I let him guide me to wherever he wished to drain me of Workmans. To my surprise somewhat as well, he took me to a shooting club.


    "Late night session, boys?" the waitress asked as we walked in.


    "Two strong." Ivahstar answers before he then just heads on out to the range. Which, probably meant only one thing.


    "You alright, Heiya?" I asked the prone girl before she fired the gun one more time at the shot out target. She then ate up all the applause before she smiled at me. Having rolled over slightly to wave.


    "Want to try against me?" she asks me with a snicker as some of the club''s regulars dropped some Workmans in a pot.


    "No, I don''t think I will." I answer with an amused huff before I sit down next to her father.


    "Job?" he seemed to ask almost pleadingly. Which, I can''t say I blame him for. He''s had a few bad runs as of late. All of which seem to involve osibindah.


    So I made a quick gesture to Guareroisncer to try and ward off his bad luck.


    "Yeah, the Madame is now aware of an aelenvari son moving through her backyard. She, obviously, wants it for her own keeping. Vanity or an actual good reason, who knows." I say to him. But, the details seemed to have him on guard.


    "No, no. Son no go."


    "It''s him and two aelenvari with a petal''s level of magic." I clarify in order to ease him into the offer. Which, thankfully worked.


    "Saunds aaa bit straaange." Heiya points out as she leans on the back of his chair.


    "The circumstances are strange, yes, but that is what makes them so workable. There are no other aelenvari moving by the town. So, we catch them in a dead spot, we stop them from ever getting to their flower."


    "Good pay?"


    "Not a question I can answer as I have not even talked about hiring outside help."


    "Needs good pay."


    "It''s an aelenvari''s son, you''ll wrestle a fortune out of her yet." I remind him.


    "Aur rale?"


    "To keep an eye on them as they travel out of town, they''re packed too heavily to be staying here."


    "Communication?"


    "We''ll have to sort it out, but there is a chance we will be doing this rather detached from each other given the presence of the Union..." I say to him quietly, gesturing waywardly at the collection of officers who were here.


    "Two strong ain''t very helpful, but here you go." the waitress from before says as she brings us two small glasses.


    "This''ll do fine, thank you." I tell her before I give it a quick taste to see how strong it was. The burn was just right, I had to admit. Could already feel my tongue healing from when I accidentally bit it during my onboard meal back into town.


    He, however, only needed to give it a quick sniff, "Tomorrow. Come by."


    "Can do," I say before I hand over the required Workmans, convulsing slightly as I gulped the rest down, "See you then."


    "Came baaack with aaa baaackbane!" Heiya teases before I see her head back to the prone position to show up some more patrons. I think I even caught sight of interested Union officers.


    Then, with a satisfied sigh, I walked back out into the open street. A slight tap in my step as I made my way to the descending river at the edge of the town. Thankfully it was quiet up here about this time of day. So I could look down at the town without an issue.


    Yet, instead, I found that red-haired aelenvari up here by her lonesome. So I just moved over to the edge of the viewing platform. Popping out my pipe before I then puffed on it. Our eyes did briefly meet, however.


    She seemed to pay no mind to me, though. Something was clearly on her mind and I was willing to bet we shared a common topic. But even up here, on her lonesome, clearly bothered by something as the wind went through her hair. She still held the confidence of more than just a simple petal.


    "Now I wonder..." I comment under my breath between a couple of puffs.

 Incline 2: The Trappers Jaw Snaps

    "Alright, up, come on." I tell that lazy thief, shoving her about her bed in the process while I held her son. It was moments like this that made it hard to believe that she was the mother of this sapling. He was up at a moments notice when I stirred, but she''s stayed in this root-sutible bed.


    "H-Huh?" she let out in confusion as she started to push herself up. Her son found it amusing to watch her move about so sluggishly. And while I would not deny him of that, I found her behaviour insufferable right now.


    "Get up!" I nearly shout as I use my tube-covered point shoves her off the bed. Yet, that might''ve been a bit too extreme as her son whimpered in concern. So I made sure to hold him close and nurture him as well as I could to alleviate that concern.


    "Ow..." was all she let out as she got up and rubbed the area I had forced myself upon.


    "Let''s get moving, I don''t want to be here any longer than I have to." I tell her as I displayed how I was already dressed. Her son was too, but how I was, was simply more important. He was but a little sapling right now, I was a matured petal.


    "My son needs to eat..." she warns as her son wipes his mouth with his arm. Then, with a gentle thud, his little head slopes down near my breast.


    "Grab him something before we leave, then." I tell her with a roll of my eyes. We did not need to stay here for the sapling to be fed.


    "O-Oh, you''re leaving?" the old human mother asked in shock after I slammed the door on my way out.


    "Yes." I snorted before I left this disgusting establishment for good. Thankfully, those who were up appreciated what I wore, unlike that thief. And she had yet to come out yet... I also did not want to go back in.


    So I guess I just had to wait, I could make my peace with it when she came outside. For now, I just turned my attention to the sapling as he shivered in the morning cold. So I pulled him closer and let him share in my own heat. Then, I watched in curiosity as he stared at the morning dew throughout the area.


    "What that?" he asked as he lazily raised an arm before he yawned.


    "That is the gate we will be leaving through. Then, we can take you to your father!" I explained to him with a smile while hiding my own sadness. Even if I did not love him or long for him anymore. It was still a bitter memory. To be denied what should''ve been mine by some lesser petal...


    This little sapling should''ve had traces of my rose-coloured hair...


    "But I suppose it is a good thing you don''t, right?" I asked him with a quick laugh as I started to think of my Love. If I had a child with the Gilded-Bark and then met my Love when he was simply The Champion to me... I''d have scared my precious son and confused him so much.


    "Rose''lhia... Give me back my son so I can make sure he has breakfast." that lazy thief demanded from me as she stepped outside partially. She did not even have the decency to come out dressed. She was still in her sleepwear.


    "Mama." her son longingly said as he reached out for her. And I just couldn''t bring myself to hold onto him when his wish was to be with her. So I passed him over and then walked away from the building to be on my lonesome. I was not hungry so I had no reason to come back in.


    So I waited and waited by a fountain while tapping one of my points. Occasionally, I put my hand into the water and let my magic flow out into it. It was but one of many things I learned to do while I was still an Ivy-Mother. To some extent, what I had learned was for nonsensical purposes.


    But, the people listened when they saw water shape and morph. It was just for show, really. Yet, it held importance for me when I was an Ivy-Mother. We did not have magical screens like the wind-people did. So we manipulated water for an image for all to see.


    Often, I just used it to make my dreams a seeable thing. But right now, I couldn''t help but make a family portrait for a family that did not exist. A lovely little sapling in my arms while my powerful Love held us both. With the kind of care only a father and a lover knew...


    Hearing the laughter and noise from that building even made me a little bitter. I was always surrounded by families, but I was denied the chance to make my own so often. That thief stole the Gilded-Bark from me and that incomparable beauty stole my Love from me...


    "I suppose an Ivy-Mother must learn patience." I mutter as I start to remember the days I was being tutored by my elders and predecessors. To handle some of our roles, we needed to be able to tolerate it outwardly until it was resolved. But I could not for the life of me muster that strength when it came to who I loved...


    I wanted them to be mine and only mine, even if he could have all he wanted. I just wanted myself to be the only petal they ever laid their eyes on. The only woman they would ever think about. So long as it was me that was sovereign over their heart.


    But each time I tried to achieve that I fell down and never came back up. The Gilded-Bark only cared for Dandel''lhia and all the other forgettable yellow-haired petals. My Love was so entangled with a wounded woman that he became a vengeance-thirsty beast! The heart was my area of expertise.


    Blessings of the First Mother and the All-Loved Pleasure were upon me! Their teachings were ingrained into me as clearly as the wind was in the people who filled the mountains. So why could I not understand why they never loved me back? I could see why people loved them, but never why they did not love me...


    I was always there for the Gilded-Bark and I was even the one who chose him. A long time ago when we were both nervous about our positions. And it was like that with Nin too, I propped him up and was there for him. Yet, they both found someone else...


    I just did not get it.


    "Woah..." the sapling said as he suddenly appeared by the water.


    "You are ready to leave?" I asked Dandel''lhia softly as her son stared at the fading image of my desires. I then briefly played with him as I rose to my feet, blowing my hand dry with my magic as I did so.


    "Yes, we have a long journey ahead of us." she said with a smile and a nod as she started to likely think of the Gilded-Bark. To her, though, it was probably Oak''endoor. She was the only one I ever really heard call him by his actual name. Even as the Ivy-Mother, I could not be so informal with him unless I...


    "Then let''s get moving." I said all of a sudden as I picked up the sapling and started to walk. I did not want to foul my mood by thinking of something I could do nothing about. Unlike now, where I could make sure this sapling made it home. Even if they weren''t there, he would still be safe at our Garden-Mount.


    And, I had to admit, I would not have minded staying there for a short while. It has been so long since even I had been there last. The place I grew up and learned my craft. My true home.


    To feel the fertile soil around my naked points as the smell of sweet fruit and blooming flowers filled my nose. To take part in the congregation of our most beautiful which I could proudly say I was a part of. There was so much wonderful nostalgia I had for such a place. I just wished this journey was happening under different circumstances.


    That it was my son I was planting within the soil of that sacred place. With my Love by my side as I did so before we turned away to make more. The thought alone made me red-faced and aroused. But now was not the time as I needed to have my wits about me.


    Especially as we were now walking through the gate of this town. And while one could feel safe under the watchful eye of the wind-people''s thorns. Out in these wild lands was such a different story. It was enough to make me grimace as I rubbed where I once had broken bones.


    Sadroobell would make easy pickings of us if they saw our bags. Wild ryphurgok or juperse could trample us while osibindah stalked under us. And I had yet to even consider the truly magically-blessed threats we could face. All these problems grew with each step we took.


    I had confidence in my abilities, but I was still an Ivy-Mother. I was no thorn or wild-seer. Combat was never something I learned even if I was beautiful. For the sake of this sapling, however, I had to try.


    To make matters worse as well, the route we were taking seemed to split off heavily from the thorns. Their intentions were laid elsewhere so their presence would drive away no predators. That mass of magical auras would be missed... Especially when it was foolhardy to let mine out as if to challenge to world around me.


    There was a mild appeasement to our worries, though. Even if the main body would not be along our way. There were thorns breaking off in small groups to observe the narrow countryside. So I made sure to guide us along their path while minimising the periods where we lacked supervision.


    "Is there nowhere safer we can travel?" she annoyingly complained.


    "We''ll be in danger regardless when it is just us three!" I snap back at her before looking up at the mountains above. There were clearly paths up there, so maybe I could find a way up to one? It would certainly be better up there with a perilous drop than all the way down here...


    "Rose''lhia, please, for the safety of my son. Can you not find us somewhere where we can look after ourselves better?" she pleaded before I looked down at her sapling. Holding him before me by the head while he moved his limbs about with a smile.


    "Give me a moment..." I answer quietly as I held him close before I moved up a slope slightly. Gazing out across the valley once I found a sizeable rock to perch upon. The unmistakable peak of our Garden-Mount was so close yet so far... For now, however, I looked down towards some old ruins.


    At the very least, it was somewhere for us to hold up in. To just observe the world around us while we rested. If there was anyone suspicious, we would hide, if there was anyone who looked strong, we could follow. A simple enough way to go about it until we could count on our fellow aelenvari.


    "There are some old ruins we can hold up ahead. Either you can pick up the pace and arrive there with us or you can fall behind." I comment before I practically surged forward just so I could ensure the sapling''s safety. If there was anyone behind us, we''d beat them there. The safest rooms would be ours and I could at the very least scare them off.


    If they seemed suspicious at the very least... If not, it would be best to keep them close. Make it appear we were collectively a larger group. If the worst did come, I could abandon them all with the sapling. Let them deal with the issue while I made sure others took the fall.


    "I hope you like worn-away stone." I jokingly whisper to the sapling as they started to become interested by the ruins. I had to admit as well, they were in very good shape all things considered. By no means a palace, but it would do for now I suppose... Naturally as well, there were even signs of aelenvari use.


    The lingering smell of incense and the markings of furniture made it clear petals briefly called this place home. Outside of these familiar signs, however, there was not much else to it. The place was empty and of little value. But, upon moving deeper into the ruins, I did find what appeared to be a bedroom.


    Yet, it confused me slightly as the entrance was almost hidden. I only found out about it because I was using my magic to sort of map the place out. Whatever the reason, though, there was an intact bedframe here. Even an old dusty carpet.


    "I guess we can sleep here for the night if we need to..." I mutter as I come across an empty window frame cut into the mountain. It did not offer a particularly good view, but we could tell if day had gone or come with it. The entrance being rather hidden as well meant we could probably block it off as well.


    "Rose''lhia! Where are you!?" an exhausted voice called out from outside.


    "Mama." the sapling called back quietly as they turned to face the echoing noice.


    "Right, of course." I let out with a groan before I traced my steps back outside. Coming to a stop by a balcony so we could look down upon her.


    "Mama so small!" her son laughed out as he giggled in my arms.


    "Oh, you''re so high up!" she jokingly said back before she slowly made her way indoors. So, I then moved us towards the flight of stairs she had to go up before she then collapsed before us.


    "A little help...?" she knowingly asked futily.


    "You can rest when we are somewhere better." I tell her before I start to head towards the place I had found for us to rest at.


    "Can you hold on please? I think I hurt my leg getting up here..." she groaned as she started to unload all our stuff.


    "Gods'', please forgive me." I muttered under my breath before I settled the sapling down. I then went over to her and roughly brought her back to her points.


    "H-Hey! Ow!" she complained before I threw her towards our stuff.


    "You''re fine, quit crying already." I tell her as I picked up her concerned son. Placing his head over my shoulder while she slowly got back up to take our stuff with her.


    "Ah..." she let out as we walked ahead.


    .


    .


    .


    "Where now?" Paps asked me as I shuffled about on the moss-covered stone. Unfortunately, it made the stone wet without making it particularly comfortable either. So I was left staring at the wet patch it left on my leotard before I looked up at him.


    "In the ruins. I dan''t knaw the naaame af them, hawever." I answer before I look further down the valley with my scope. There was another group of travellers passing through here. If they came to a stop, that might help us get our pay.


    "Don''t provoke. Leave them." Paps warns as his paw lowers my rifle. I roll my eyes as a result as my trigger discipline wasn''t that bad. If there was a need to, however, I would have...


    "Da we caaall it in?" I ask before I look back at the equipment Hrurim gave us when we accepted the job. He was happy with the fact he did, but this wasn''t exactly our speciality. We were slavers, we transported living cargo. It''s what we did.


    Sure, it meant tracking and hunting, but just watching wasn''t what we did. I supposed, though, we could not afford to turn the job down. The Academy was a strict customer and our problems did not net us even a sympathetic backrub. We received no pay and were given strict demands to reimburse them...


    Their escort failed and it somehow fell on us... To say nothing of how they took no responsibility for their own students capturing us. Travesty after travesty and here we were. Following some aelenvari outcasts.


    I mean, what else could they be? If you weren''t in a flower, you were an outcast! I guess it didn''t matter, though. What mattered was what they had with them.


    A protected class with a contradictory life... Men. Or, in this case, a baby boy. A rarity that would bring even foreign flowers down upon us if word got out.


    "Heiya!" Paps barked as he suddenly grabbed me by the scruff of my outfit.


    "AAAlright!" I bark back as I free myself before I retreated closer to the path''s natural wall. He still did not trust me fully... Still coddled me as if I was the brat down there! So I just crossed my arms and glared slightly.


    Eventually, I went to grab the equipment we had been lent. And I fiddled around with it while Paps made an internal judgement call. Admittedly, it annoyed me, to be excluded from that process. But Paps did it how he did it, I guess.


    "Call in." he tells me as he steps away from the ledge to go to another. He even walked a brief distance to observe the other direction.


    "Shauld I mentian the ather graup?" I ask him when it became apparent that these other travellers were likely going to be stopping here.


    "Yes." he answers before he pulls out a spyglass or something.


    "Dane." I tell him once I set it up and put in all the details. It was a simple thing that might''ve not actually worked. As we had to uncoil an exceptionally long set of cables to bring it out this far. Thankfully, someone else was coming to pick it up.


    "We go back." Paps then says as he walks by me and gently slaps my hand free of whatever it was holding.


    "Shauldn''t we staaay ta abserve?" I ask him as this was quite a risky thing to do. Follow the target all this way only to then just let it wander off.


    "No. We paid for this." he reminds me to which I just shrugged. He was right at the end of it, we were just being paid to follow them until they stopped. Now it was entirely up to them. But, I suppose we would now have to prepare ourselves.


    Such a risky way of departing the task could only mean a shaky paymaster. Even if Hrurim had been good to us before. It was just something I could see even him try to pull. Especially when he was acting on behalf of that hideous employer of his.


    Then, my stomach started to ache and it groaned loudly. Paps looked back at me with worry and I just stared at it. I smiled slightly at him before he started to nod. Clearly he was worry once again.


    "We gannaaa hunt aaa meaaal ar buy ane?" I decide to ask, having had that reaction just now.


    "Bullet expensive." he rightfully points out.


    "Faad aaadds up taa." I say with a shrug as I pulled out a single bullet. One shot is all I needed. For the price of one bullet I could alleviate one problem bearing down on us. We were scraping by right now, so the less we dug into our payday...


    He stops and looks back at me, "See nest?"


    "Nat fram here, na. Up there, maaaybe?" I say to him as we moved close to one of the split-offs in the path. Something we ignored the first time around but it was probably worth a look this time.


    "Topped up. We make sure." he decides after he grabs the various pockets and small bags I had on. I would''ve complained about the roughness of his motions had he not stroked my spines at the end.


    "Warks far me!" I chirp, happy to have had my pretty spines appreciated. Even gained a little spring in my step as we carried on our journey back to the town. Knowing Hrurim as well, he was going to stay behind to let others do the work.


    .


    .


    .


    "Signal coming in, Bossman." one of my guys tells me as he leans back in his chair. His wet lips smacking about as he chewed on something as he worked.


    "The hwardgon?" I ask without so much as glancing up from the gap in my legs. Right leg over the left leg which stayed on the ground.


    "Came through cable." he says with a shrug before I get up and just assume it is them. They were the only one who got a cable-based device from us today. They didn''t know the coded language and with the Union about, tapless means were needed.


    "Alright," I say as I stare at the message, "Send a call out to the bay, I''ll sort them all out."


    "Fill me up, then." he impolitely asks while he shakes an empty mug in the air. A mug which I take before I stare down at him.


    "Did you forget something?" I ask, referring to what our relationship was. He was the guy, I was the bossman.


    "Milk and sugar." he adds on, to which I scoff in bemusement.


    "Whatever he normally has." I say to an aelenvari serving girl as I leave the communications centre. But, I made a point of staring at her face for a moment just to make sure I gave it to the right one. Wouldn''t want to be giving the amped-up-on-drugs ones a task like this. Needed to keep their fetish-driven minds away from my guys.


    I mean, threats of eununciation did work. Proof of it did wonders as well. But I''d rather not as it was a grim, goddess-wrath-filled path. Then again, I liked to taunt His Lunar Majesty within his ever-present earshot.


    Besides, the God of Law would back me up should divine retribution come. My guys had jobs to do and that included letting the merchandise stay clean. The Madame''s girls were expensive, after all, free sessions could not be afforded.


    "Oh, yeah, that''s right. Didn''t speak to her yet about paying Ivahstar and Heiya." I comment before shaking my head. Then, when I came upon a railing, I stared down at my guys as they went all over the place putting their equipment on. They were not soldiers, so I got no acknowledgement. But I really wish I did.


    Could correct them on what they were doing wrong... We needed this job to be quick and inconspicuous. And some of them were going in far too heavy-handed. But, I said nothing and just rubbed my bare head with my hatless hand.


    "Up to them, I suppose." I say before I start to head down the stairs towards them. Patting the back of one once he was done. Wasn''t to reassure him, just wanted him moving. Thankfully, he was the start of what I wanted to see.


    Wasn''t long now and they were all in the next room over to be debriefed. Which, I needed to make thorough. So I grabbed one of the larger guys who wasn''t coming along to rile them in. A glance here and there to direct them as I stood in front of them all by the clean wall.


    "Pay attention here because once you leave those doors, there will be no contact between us until you come back."


    "Get to it!" one urged impatiently before I tilted my head down.


    "Now," I started to say before a loud slap filled the air, "as you are all well aware. We are after aelenvari. But in this case, you will not be swaggering into a flower to nick a few roots or entice a stem. You''ll be chasing two lonely petals and their infant companion."


    "So, so, so there are thorns and all that?" one asks nervously after having heard the term ''petals.''


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    "No, just two petals and a little baby boy." I tell them, letting the last part resonate.


    "Now that just don''t make sense." one rightfully pointed out.


    "Doesn''t need to make sense, just needs to be in our hands. And you need to grab them." I explain further before stopping just before a toothpick flew at me.


    "Anything else?" the soon-to-be-toilet-cleaner asked.


    "There''s another group staying at the old ruins along the path towards the no-go area."


    "Ah, Castle Buugburth." one of the probably smarter ones said.


    "If that is the name, yes. The aelenvari are staying there and there are more travellers heading there. Play your cards right, and they might believe you are the travellers."


    "So move?" one stupidly asks.


    "No, wait for the nearby flowers to stumble upon them." I sarcastically answer before gesturing to the exit. Thankfully, they were all smart enough to pick themselves up and head on out towards it. At which point, my involvement ended. Until they came back.


    So, I headed on towards the Madame''s office to check if she was in. Talk to her about our hwardgon helpers while telling her about that thing she wanted updates about. All seemed reasonably quiet as well when I got up there. At least until her greatest hypocrisy could be heard.


    "AAAAAAAHHHHH!" one of her aelenvari screamed before the sound of a firm cane struck against flesh.


    "My word..." I mutter before I open the office door of my own accord.


    "Oh, Darling, sorry, I was in the middle of something." she said with a smile one moment before she became full of rage the next. And I apathetically watched as she started to lash out at the aelenvari again.


    "Get someone up here." I mutter to the bodyguard behind me before I closed the door.


    "Know your place, creature. KNOW IT!" she screams viciously before she strikes them one more time.


    "Come on, let''s get you somewhere safe." I breathe out, somewhat annoyed by the reckless behaviour. And while the aelenvari was happy to take my hand as they wobbled and whimpered. They were just as happy to let go of it as someone came by bearing a beloved symbol.


    "Darling, they keep acting up... I try but it just isn''t enough anymore." she sighs out stressfully as her jewellery rattles.


    "I am sure it is not as bad as you say it is."


    "DO NOT DISMISS MY CONCERNS!" she screams alongside a violent slamming of the table. Then, with one quick pocket-hidden gesture, she changed her tone and coughed into her hand.


    "My guys are headed out now, just so you know. New girls of a high quality and that golden treasure you want so badly."


    "Lovely!" she chirps before she lays back in her chair. Repeating what she normally does in order to get a hollow sensation going.


    I then move closer to the glass and observe the daytime preparations. A busy work period was coming up so the Madame wanted it all pristine. At least, as close to as a place like this could get.


    "So what are your intentions with the child, anyway, if you don''t mind my asking?" I decide to ask after turning around to face her. The nature of this business meant we often ended up with out-of-commission girls who needed time off. But we forcibly cut them away from the seed once it was popped out.


    Think we even got a mythical tradition going by letting the flowers stumble upon our dumping grounds... Like, I got it was a boy, but she had never cared for the children before. Even when it meant we could essentially cultivate our own girls. Minimize outside risks and all that.


    "Because they would all do anything for them!" she sadistically cackles as she strokes the air as if the baby boy was already here.


    "You will hurt the child instead of them when they act up?" I asked with a raised brow.


    "Of course not!" she nearly screams, clearly offended.


    "My apologies, then."


    "It''s fine... But, he will help me keep them in place. Because it means I can prove them all wrong... Each one of them... Their petals, their stems and their plentiful roots... What they mocked me over will be mine."


    "Ah, a gardener''s touch." I say as I noticed her more evocative movements come to the fore.


    "A beautiful maiden will be proven right. As she always was." she says, her wounded pride showing clearly before she tried to focus on other matters.


    "I suppose the petals will help with that, then?" I ask as she could do a lot if she made them break and submit.


    "Exactly! They will play their part. By the cane if need be." she tells me with an ominous sneer as she ends her sentence.


    "On another topic, though. I felt it best to hire a third-party to keep an eye on the aelenvari. So I will need your approval for the vault."


    "When I get my treasure..." she longingly answers as she taps one piece from her acquired collection of aelenvari treasures.


    "Our guys are bringing the petals and boy in, not them, Madame." I point out to her.


    "Team effort, Darling." was all she was likely going to have on the topic.


    "Of course." I say before I turn to leave.


    "Darling..."


    "Yes, Madame?" I ask back after stopping at the door.


    "Do think it is possible... For me to steal that treasure''s heart?" she asks as she starts to wander near some of her fantastical paintings. Pieces she made to cope with the loneliness certain problems of hers created.


    "It would take some time." I answer with a shrug as that boy was certainly old enough to recognise its mother for a while. What it meant to love for them was just hugs and kisses before bed.


    "So it could happen...?" she asks me with a potent and dangerous mixture of hope and anger. Hope that she could get what she sought, and anger that I was not fully supportive of her.


    "Think of it like this, as it will be getting the child here, patience is what you will need." I tell her with a slight nod before I move to leave. The complication in their payment would need a hands-on approach. I guess that also meant I had to provide a down payment of some description.


    .


    .


    .


    "Joke?" Ivahstar asked me with a clear glare on his face.


    "No, the Madame is refusing because of other issues." I somewhat awkwardly answer while turning towards his daughter for an easier sight. But even she was annoyed by this outcome.


    "This aaain''t faaair! We did aur jab!" she rightfully complains as she also slams her paws onto the table.


    "I know, I know. You will get paid, trust me in that regard. It will just be coming a lot later than planned..."


    "We no stay. Urgent!" Ivahstar growls as his well-known set of bad circumstances is reiterated.


    "Please try to work with me here, Ivahstar. By the morning tomorrow, you will get your pay." I sincerely tell him as there was simply no way my guys would take longer than this night.


    "Work is paid!" he snaps before he gets down from the table. I then watch with some anxiousness as he opened the door to a balcony and slammed it shut behind him.


    "Heiya... Can you honestly tell me that he understands what I am saying?" I ask her as she seemed to have it together a lot more than him. Yet, knowing him, he was probably in a better state than Heiya.


    "Yaaah..." she answers bitterly and quietly.


    "Look, I know it is not much. But here is something out of my own pocket for now. Think of it as a bonus, I guess." I say with a sigh as I slide over a hefty but not particularly big bag of Workman''s Effort. They put in the effort, and now they had the proof.


    "I''ll ga tell him."


    "Can you also say, then, that I am willing to pay for your dinner? You don''t have to spend a single Effort from that bag." I add on before I grumpily pull out my pipe. Snorting at the no-smoking sign before I step outside to work my stress-reliever.


    Shortly after, someone opens the door after me, "Were hunting."


    "You can still do that." I tell him with an annoyed shrug as I tip out some of the ash that had already formed. My need to literally burn off the worries and grievances went through my loaded pipe quickly.


    "Little reason." he replies as he moves up to sit on the balcony''s wall.


    "So how are things looking up for you, anyway?" I ask in an effort to move my mind to other topics. Even if I knew I basically set myself up for a reminder about his delayed pay.


    "Bailiffs coming." he answers rather monotonously while he inspects the gun he had strapped to his leg.


    "I did warn you about getting involved with that mafia or whatever you called it." I remind him. Smirking when he made a breath-like chuckle.


    "Got to payback." he says as his voice suddenly takes on a darker tone.


    "Right..." I say slowly and thoughtfully as I recall how he suddenly stopped talking about his wife. I suppose I could infer that she was killed intentionally or accidentally by them.


    "Heiya safe. Important." he gruffly continues with a shaky lift of his head towards the girl indoors.


    "She''ll be safe within this town. They don''t come up here, do they? Especially when a friend-by-coincidence is around." I point out to him, looking down at one of the Union''s boys as I did so. And as if to prove my point, the one I looked at suddenly sprung into action against someone who came out running.


    "H-HEY! LET GO!" the quickly captured man roared before a single punch from an armoured gauntlet knocked them out.


    "They not up. We down." he tells me as his gaze locks itself on his daughter.


    "My offer is still up, you know. Got an old house up north you could use to just settle down in. No one would know you are there." I decide to remind him as my pipe starts to run dry.


    "Home below." he reminds me in turn before he pats my arm and hops down.


    "Listen, Ivahstar... I know I don''t even recall what they are called. But you can''t do something like this on your own. You either need to let it go or you''ll really lose it all."


    "Prophet says help come..." he tells me sternly while he repeats what he learned during his superstitious habits.


    "Now I don''t know about that, but, for now, we''ll assume it is something to fill you up." I joke to him before I wash my pipe in the decorative drain water beside me.


    "Good meal." he nods happily, at least, I assume so as he was still stoic-faced even now.


    "So, as I have said I''ll be buying. How do you wish to empty my bank account?" I ask them. Now in a much better mood now that I was able to just go through a pipe''s contents.


    "Steak."


    "Steaaak."


    "Motrtha''s skills, why not." I concur as I picked up a menu to see what else they had. Yet, once it came time to buy it, I did not add much on. So I marked down what we wanted and handed it to the waiter.


    .


    .


    .


    "So you have family along this route?" I ask one of the travellers who had settled down here as well.


    "Yeah, got a few cousins running a shop this way. Don''t see them enough so I thought we would go and pop over." he answers as he leans back on his hefty bag. It wasn''t as big as mine, but he did not seem to have much issue with it.


    I then suddenly wince in pain, "This is quite bad, you know." his wife points out in regards to my leg injury.


    "I know... We just don''t have the magic to sort it out." I say with a sigh as she applies something to my wound to clean it and soothe it.


    "Not to worry, we got a little witch right here getting ready for school." she proudly admits as she gestures to her distant daughter.


    "Whatever." they reply back as they unamusedly play with some of their magic.


    "I might be able to give a few tips with that, actually." I point out as I use my own power to shoot hers out of her grip. It might''ve seemed like a spell, but I just manipulated the flow of mine to interrupt her shaky control. If she had kept her concentration, as well, her magic would''ve flowed again like just now.


    "What does an aelenvari know about magic? All the big academies are for humans."


    "Hanrah!" her mother snaps lightly.


    "It''s fine, honestly." I say with a smile as being around Rose''lhia meant dealing with far worse barbs. At least with this girl too, the fact I barely knew her helped it slide away.


    "Alright, I''ll bite, then. Where''d you learn your magic, Aelenvari?" Hanrah asks.


    "I learned it at my flower, who I hope to reunite with soon." I tell her before I looked longingly up at where Spruce was being looked after. I should be able to come spend some time with him again soon. Putting him to bed was something I would not let her have...


    Until then, though, I needed something to keep my mind occupied.


    "So, how about it, I teach you a few things and you can go into school knowing a lot more than anyone else?" I confidently tell her, hoping that she''d accept if I rubbed her ego a little.


    "Sounds nice..." she mutters quietly to which I smile before getting up.


    "Hold on, borrow this for now." her father tells me as he passes over a cane for me to use.


    "Thank you." I say as I move away to somewhere a little more open. The group was quite large so a few campfires had been made. And when the magic started to come out, it would be even brighter.


    "So what do you want to show me?" Hanrah asks impatiently as she crosses her arms while chewing on something tackily.


    "First, show me what you know."


    "Nothing impressive." she says with a shrug as a weak light forms in her palm. A very weak sensation of blowing wind then washed under me when she chucks it away a short distance.


    "Alright, first off, don''t think of it like that." I say to her as I summon a weak spell that matched hers nearly in strength. Yet, it was far brighter and far more stable.


    "You''re better than me, so what?" she scoffs.


    "It''s not that I am better," I tell her, yet I was unsure if that was a peculiar lie, "It is because I did not let my thoughts decide for me how strong it was."


    And when I let it drop, I nearly blew out several of the campfires.


    "H-Hey!" someone complained as the sound of someone falling filled the air.


    I laugh to myself in response, "Sorry!"


    "If my magic isn''t impressive, how am I supposed to not see it that way?" she argues.


    "You won''t be able to fully grasp it tonight. But, you''ll figure it out along the way." I tell her as I gesture for her to do it again while I also did it again.


    "Okay..." she says with a shrug before she carefully protects her magic sphere.


    "Now get rid of it." I say as I swiftly dispel my magic.


    "There?" she asks after she chucks it away again.


    "No, dispel it, don''t use it." I tell her as I move closer to then hold her arm. It was easier to teach her if I could feel how the magic flowed inside her. She initially, did not get it, though.


    "Get off!" she snapped angrily.


    "Hanrah, I''m sure she knows what she is doing." her mother tells her, which, thankfully, calmed her down enough to allow me to figure it out.


    "Okay, now, make another." I tell her as I carefully feel her wrist out.


    "How did you get those scars?" she asks me.


    "Make the orb, first." I tell her, and that desire she had seemed to help her. As it came out a lot smoother this time. I nearly lost track of the flow as well as it just raced past!


    "Now what?"


    "Dispell it. Let your mind and body just go limp." I tell her vaguely for the moment. Her internal and external-magic were not tangible things. But they were there and apart of her. And she went on to do it!


    "Well done." I tell her as she stares down at her now clear hand. Well, it was somewhat a done process. Some magic was still there, but the gathering had mostly dispersed.


    "Okay, now?" she impatiently asked as her gaze started to make me feel uncomfortable. It was such an intense one but like with my leg injury, it was best to keep quiet on it. There was no telling what could happen if the perpetrator was found out by them.


    Yet, I could also not just avoid bringing Rose''lhia up somewhat, "Someone I thought I could trust tried to keep me away from those I love." I angrily answer.


    "Woah..." she let out with wide eyes along with her parents.


    "You poor thing." the mother commented.


    "It''s fine, it''s being resolved." I say as I start to focus on how Rose''lhia was the one leading me home. That thing I dreamed of every night was going to happen thanks to her. Though, now that the discussion had ended up going to her...


    "Are your friends and family up in the keep? I know you made a point of warning us off when we arrived."


    "Yes, my son." I answer before I moved to return the cane. Only to be rejected when I tried to do so.


    "Go check on him if you need to." the father said to me as he smiled and waved me off.


    "Maybe I can bring him down to meet you too!" I happily reply back with before I head back up into the ruins. Towards where Rose''lhia had me set down our stuff while she played with my son... She took to it quite well, despite not being a mother like me. But I really wish she would stop trying to keep me away from him.


    She was doing this for both of us even if it was my son she cared for more. Our family could not be kept separate forever despite what her actions had led to. So I could only pray for divine help regarding her behaviour... Something would surely happen that made her consider me more, surely?


    I know she wasn''t short-sighted enough to just disregard me... I was Spruce''endoor''s mother. His loving Mama. And Oak''endoor was my lover and his father.


    "No, please, I told you not to come up here." I say when I suddenly started to hear noises behind me. So I turned to look at whoever it might be. If it was a child I could just...


    "Damn!" an armed man cursed before he dropped his rifle and charged me.


    "EH!?" I squealed as I was picked up and pinned against the wall. Thankfully, an old tapestry kept me from experiencing any noteworthy head injuries. Or maybe I was too full of energy right now from the sudden attack to notice.


    "Wher-" they started to say before I struck them away with a blast of magic. But, that was all I had the confidence to do. So I struck at him with the cane before I hobbled further inside. It wasn''t enough, though, and he came running after me angrily.


    "ROSE''LHIA!" I screamed as he lunged at my nearest point and dragged me down as I was climbing the stairs.


    "Whe-" he started to demand before I started to strike at his face with my tubes. Thankfully, I managed to get him in the eye and he let go with a howl. And he fell off the stairs with a crash.


    "Help!" I called out once I got closer to the entrance.


    "Alright, you damn prick-leg..." the man growled as he came storming up the stairs clutching his left eye. Yet, for the moment, I held my ground near a wall so I did not lead them towards Rose''lhia. Surely she was coming to help...?


    "Well, come on." I tell him as I try to stabilize my footing. My points, even with their tubes were not ideal for the stone surfaces I had to deal with. And the old carpets were too loose! I just forced them up!


    Yet... That might be able to help... So I made preparations by forcing it along before I then brought my magic forth. I was no thorn or a full-name petal. But I was still a petal!


    This common brigand would not overcome me and endanger my son!


    "Come on now, where is he?" the man ominously asked as he relinquished the grip on his eye. Then, in the brief moment he was distracted by the pain and the stinging. I lashed out with my magic. Striking him right in that same eye.


    And he roared whilst stumbling back. Yet, even though my prior plan had to be abandoned, I kept up the pressure. I flung ferocious winds at him again and again until he was clinging to the wall. With a quick hop to the right, I then fired off one last spell.


    Forcing him through the window he so foolishly backpedalled towards. With a terrified scream, that man then fell through. A sickening smack came moments later and I turned towards where my son was. Panting in pain as my leg became aggravated by the sudden movement.


    "What was with all that noise?" Rose''lhia demands to know as she played with my son. The pair of them were as careless as ever despite what I had done... I screamed for her to help me and she was just...?


    No, I needed to keep my focus, I needed to just explain things, "Someone just tried to attack me, I think they''re after Spruce''endoor!"


    Her eyes widen before they then narrow, "Are you certain?"


    "I just... Killed one... He was asking me about a ''he,'' it could only be my little one!" I explain further before I tried to take my son into my arms. Rose''lhia was far stronger than me, she was the one who needed to fight now.


    Yet...


    "Then I shall remind them of why that is a bad decision." she growls before she walks past me with my little one. My attempt to retrieve him was cast aside and she ignored me.


    "It started outside, down those stairs." I decide to explain as I acknowledge it was probably for the best. I was in no condition to fight. So if someone got past her, my little one would be in danger! I only killed that assailant from before by sheer luck!


    If he knew any magic at all...


    "It was those damn humans I warned you about!" she snaps at me as magic starts to flow from her free hand.


    "It wasn''t them! The man who attacked me is someone else!" I try to tell her before she lashes out at the nearby stone with her magic. Carving it completely open and then some. And I was frozen in fear as I saw that magic.


    Power I once had flow down my throat and burst out all about me...


    "Then go down there and prove it, now!" she nearly roars as she forces me down the stairs.


    "Mama!" my little one cries as the powerful magic starts to scare him.


    "Rose''lhia, please, you''re scaring him!" I plead to her as I desperately clutch the staircase handlebar. Tightly gripping it as she forces me to go down the relatively smooth surface.


    "No, you''re scaring him with your talk of kidnappers and brigands, so move!" she demands before she forces me down the stairs with a powerful blast.


    "AH!" I scream as I fall down the last of the stairs and crash against the floor. My head felt a little wet as I got up, but I couldn''t muster the will to go after her. I just looked at my son, fearing for his safety near such potent arcane might.


    Yet, because I was either a coward or somehow trusted that malicious woman... I backed away from the staircase as my little one cried his name for me. He wanted Mama but I wasn''t able to get to him. So I just did as was demanded from me...


    "Where''d he go? We need to go now!" some man barked as the sound of gunfire suddenly filled the air.


    "MOM! DAD!" I heard Hanrah scream before she was suddenly punched to the ground.


    "Enough of this." a large man snapped before he walked past her and shot her. I gasped in shock and hid myself but then found myself looking up at where Rose''lhia was. Where my son was... We could not escape this.


    Not with my leg injury, not with how she felt about me...


    "WHERE IS THAT CHILD!? DO YOU NOT FEEL THE PRESENCE OF A WITCH!?" one of them roared as they all started to scramble about the ruins. But, I still kept my gaze on the keep.


    "I love you, Little One... Stay safe, keep them safe..." I tell them both before I leave my cover and intentionally move out to get caught.


    "We got an aelenvari!" one of them cheered to another before they harshly dragged me before what must''ve been the leader.


    "We need the child you idiot!"


    "You won''t find him... We knew you were coming... He''s long gone..." I spit up at him before he strikes me with his gun. But, I just spit out the blood as the pain of abandoning my child was far worse.


    "So why were you left..." he started to ask before he noticed the bleeding injury on my leg.


    "They can''t have gotten far." one argues as their gun makes some kind of snap.


    "No! Not with that kind of magic near here. Union will be sniffing about, let''s bounce for now." the head one orders while two others kept me pinned.


    "And this one?"


    "She''ll ease our punishment, so black her and heave." they order before one of them stands before me and raises their weapon before my face.


    .


    .


    .


    "MAMA! MAMA!" the sapling cries as I try to calm him. But each time I tried to do so, he only violently fought back against me.


    "Shh, it''s alright, I''ll keep you safe." I coo to him as I bring him back into the room we hid ourselves away in.


    "NO! YOU HURT MAMA! YOU HURT HER!" he cried as he suddenly escaped my grip and fell on a pile of old cloth.


    "No... She needed to make sure the place was safe..."


    "Mama hurt because of you!" he sobs as he rubs his eyes. And only anger ever came from his gaze when he looked my way.


    "Stupid brat..." I mutter under my breath as I lean by the entrance with a spell in hand. I could not expect the sapling to understand what had transpired. So I just kept my focus on the issues at hand. I just needed that woman to make it clear who it was that was attacking.


    Yet, outside of the sound of crying, I could not hear anything outside. It was getting very quiet out there... The loud bangs I heard moments ago had stopped and I could sense no magic. However, I dared not leave the safety of this narrow, one-way path.


    "It shouldn''t be taking this long!" I then let out in frustration as I stormed out towards the end of the path. Sending out a preemptive blast of magic to clear the area around the entrance. Only to be met with nothing but blowback as the magic came back towards me.


    No one had come up the stairs and nothing had changed since I sent her down there. So what was going on? Whatever it was, it motivated me to at least move further until I reached the window. And I had little reaction to the violence I could see.


    "Wonderful." I sarcastically answer as I look at the burning bodies down below. Whoever just came through here had torched that small campsite as well. It was likely every one of those humans was dead too. But there was a body below that was just bloody...


    So I quickly headed outside towards it and glanced down at it. Staring briefly at the firearm before I looked onwards at the growing cloud of smoke. This body was not uniformed in any way and it was just a vile, root-like thing anyway. So I went back into the keep with a disgusted expression.


    Firing off one more spell at the corpse before I properly headed inside again. However it was, I could not care. I just had to care for the sapling for the moment. Make sure it understood as best as it could what was going to happen.


    A shame it''s mother was now gone, but I had no issue with it. I could now do my duty for this sapling without issues. I would deliver it to our Garden-Mount and nurture it there. Then, I would head back for my Love.


    Maybe, finally understand how I could make him mine!


    "MAMA!" the sapling squealed once again as I walked in. The utter horror that I saw on his face when I walked in made me uncomfortable. Why was he looking at me like that? I was here to help him...


    "Shhh, shhh!" I coo to him once again as I tried to reach out for him. Only to be attacked by the younglings who then carried on crying. So I just watched him cry and scream until he just fell down in exhaustion. At which point, I picked him up.


    I then moved him over to where I had made a bed for him and laid him down on it. Sitting beside him while keeping my eyes locked on the entrance to this room. If someone was still out there, I would stop them. And while one hand maintained a spell, the other stroked the little one''s hair.


    Yet, even asleep, he still recoiled at my touch. So, eventually, I stopped trying to soothe him and I just let him sleep. I don''t understand why, though, but what he had said was lingering in my mind. I was having arguments with a sapling in my head and losing them...


    "Certainly take from your father..." I joke in an effort to ease up on the stress this spell was causing. The moments I had been holding it in had turned into what must''ve been hours. But still, no one came, and I was forced to let it go. Blasting apart the entrance and collapsing what was beyond it.


    It was, however, a mild complication I could sort out later. For now, however, I chose to go to sleep beside the sapling. With the entrance collapsed, I would not have to worry about anyone getting in. We were safe for the moment.


    .


    .


    .


    "Thank you for coming, you two. My guys should be on their way back now." I tell Ivahstar and Heiya as I opened the door for them. And as I ushered them in, I internally hoped that this morning fog would cover their entrance. Didn''t need issues to be further complicated by the Union.


    "Aaabaut time!" Heiya said as she stretched her arms and popped the joints.


    I huff in amusement as we walked through the quiet establishment, "Indeed, no more delays."


    "We go. To her." Ivahstar tells me as we walk past my guys swapping shifts and rotations.


    "Of course, just, be a little more patient." I tell them as we arrive just before her office.


    "The Madame will take you in when they get back." the bodyguard at the door tells us as he and the other one move to stop us.


    "Come on, let us pass." I tell them as this was a little ridiculous. Sure, she was the establishment owner, but these guys were all under my employ.


    "No, sorry, Hrurim. With the treasure or nothing at all."


    I tut in response, "Fine, get me a line to the bay area." I tell one of the others. Snatching up the phone once it was done.


    "Yeah, Bossman?"


    "Are they back?" I demanded to know before I gave a thumbs up to Ivahstar and Heiya.


    "Yeah, we got word they''re coming through the passage."


    "Excellent, make sure it is brought up to the Madame''s office!" I say with a smile before I slam the phone and turn to the bodyguards.


    "Still going to have to wa-"


    "No, it''s fine. I overheard!" the Madame says excitedly as she opens the door for us. I then make sure the other two went in first before I went in. We then found ourselves waiting as the Madame paced about eagerly with a wide-smile.


    "She''s haaappy." Heiya quietly quips up at me.


    "Of course." I say with a shrug as noise started to fill the hallway on the way to here. Yet, concern started to root itself in my head when the Madame lost that smile.


    "Where is it!?" was the first thing she demanded to know as she started to get upset.


    "There were..." my guy started to explain before he was slapped harshly.


    "WHERE!?" the Madame roars before an injured aelenvari is dropped into the office. It was that one who I helped back on the Spiral-Tram as well.


    "Hold on, Madame, I''ll handle this." I say as I gently grab her to move her away before I stood before the red-faced guy.


    "A witch was there, at the ruins!" he exclaims.


    I look back at the other two first, "Did you see them?"


    "No... But we felt the magic!"


    "I even saw it! Cut straight through the old stone like a hot knife in butter!"


    "So you ran away before you even saw the treasure?" the Madame asked with a disappointed tone as she moves to her chair.


    "That is true... Yes..." he finishes answering before I punch him down on her behalf. His lack of a reaction as well made it clear he understood where I was coming from. Even if his later reactions seemed to indicate otherwise.


    "Easy." I whisper to him as I turn to face the Madame.


    "It was supposed to be simple... Ambush the petals, grab them and bring the sapling to ME!" she explains with a low tone before she suddenly gets violent.


    "Madame, calm down, they couldn''t have gotten far."


    "CALM DOWN!? THEY''RE PROBABLY AT A FLOWER BY NOW!" she screams at me before a glass shatters against my raised writst.


    "God''s dammit..." I mutter as I pat the glass off my leather jacket.


    "You pay. What owed. And more. We find them." Ivahstar offers as he steps forward, unaffected by the Madame''s anger.


    "YOU AREN''T OWED ANYTHING TIL I GET WHAT IS MINE!" she roars down at the stoic hwardgon.


    "So what about this one?" I ask one of my guy''s as I step forward to inspect her.


    "She just ran out at us after we cleaned up another group of travellers." they answer before I sigh in frustration. That only meant they went off the rails with their actions.


    "Right..." I comment thoughtfully as I ponder why an abused luggage carrier would just do that. Could it possibly have been a sacrifice of sorts? Her leg injury certainly made it clear she would slow them down...


    Or maybe she just made the best of her situation as she was being abandoned anyway?


    "Spruce..." the scarred petal mutters worriedly as a nightmare seems to plague their thoughts.


    "I think we might have the mother here." I say as I rise up to my feet again.


    "The mother?" the Madame asks doubtfully.


    "Yeah, call it a little guess." I mutter as I swirl that name around my mind. There was no way she was speaking about the red-head. So that only meant it was the child''s name.


    And maybe, just maybe, I could work with that small detail.

 Incline 3: All for One Child

    "I WANT MAMA! MAMA! MAMA!" the sapling cried after they violently slapped away the spoon I was feeding them with. And I had to admit, I was a bit stumped on how to handle this. This child, despite refusing to eat, had enough energy to make it difficult to get them. My patience was also running thin.


    But I refused to lash out at the sapling as he just couldn''t help it. How could I expect the sapling to get it? I would just have to try and wait it out. Yet, did I have the patience to?


    To hear him demand for that thief again and again with such force. It was disheartening to hear. I was more than she ever would be yet he just wanted her...


    "SILENCE!" I then roared at the sapling. And while I was quick to realise the mistake I had just made. I could not bring myself forward to try and coddle the sobbing child. I just stared at it as it became lost.


    He wanted someone to hold him, but not me. He wanted someone to hold him and tell him it was going to be okay, not it would not be me. He wanted me to go away and never come back, which I could not do. Worst of all, when I went, he wanted that woman to just suddenly come back...


    It was her incompetence that saw her disappear. This had nothing to do with me! And I would not tolerate a stupid, ignorant child telling what to do. We were going back home, to the garden-mount.


    That was final.


    "Right, that does it." I nearly growl as I finish picking up what I could before then snatching him up. At first he struggled and fought back against me. But every bit of annoyance this sapling tried to force into me I forced back out. I think it even led to me cracking the ancient stone as I marched down and out of the ruins.


    The realisation of death and smoke, however, seemed to quieten them down. Even if they refused to cling onto me as we went past freshly charred bodies. At first, I lingered around it all slightly. Then I moved on without a word, unsure of why I stopped at all.


    Soon after, though, the sapling started to act up again. So I put him down on a flat rock and stared angrily at him. Somehow, though, the glare he gave me made me step back in shock. He even growled like an animal as he slapped the stone.


    "BAD WOMAN! WHERE MAMA!?" he screamed at me with a distinct crack in his voice. From then on out, he seemed to run out of strength to scream and he carried on crying. A concerning wheeze in his bawls while he also seemed to double over in pain.


    "This is what happens when you don''t eat..." I tell him quietly as I move to sit next to him after dropping the bag. Even now, though, as he cried because of his body hurting. He still tried to keep me away from him. Yet, I could not just let him keep this up.


    He even nearly seriously hurt himself when he got down from the rock. And, after a brief moment of rummaging about, he pulled out that toy of his. The one he got so recently. And he held it in front of me with a pleading expression.


    "Mama!" he whined as he shook it. His hands around the part of the picture with his smiling mother...


    I then lean back and sigh, "I suppose this is it, then..."


    I found myself muttering before I gazed up at the cloudy sky. Either I went off to find where Dandel''lhia had gone for the sapling''s sake. Or, knowing the kind of woman that she is... I took her son to the garden-mount without her...


    "How annoying." I mutter as I stare at the sapling as he quietened down. He was still clearly upset and shaken by the loss of his mother. But this picture of her soothed him at the very least. Yet, it still angered me to see it.


    This time, however, I could not argue against it. That woman was his mother. I was not his mother. It was an obvious difference that somehow needed to be reiterated.


    "Mama..." he whined once again as he moved to hide in the bag.


    "I suppose this will have to do." I end up saying as I seize the opportunity to move him without any bite back whatsoever. He didn''t seem to mind either, but even as all the stuff started to jingle and bounce. His sadness stood above it all. And I could not block it out in the slightest.


    I tried to put up with it, but it just kept punching deep into my core. This child did not want me, he wanted his mother. And I was out here all alone. Because no one wanted me...


    So I stopped and slowly put the bag down before I made a rash decision and went ahead briefly. Then I stopped again and I looked around, and to my dismay... Despite it not being new information, the fact I was on my own scared me. Not the Gilded-Bark, my Love or even the one I briefly left him for...


    I was on my own and I could not grasp why. I was Rose''lhia, a full name petal... I was an ivy-mother, one of the very best from our garden-mount... So why was I all alone?


    Why was there no one there for me? This child had his mother somewhere out there... She had to be... And she had him and the Gilded-Bark...


    "Why am I alone?" I asked myself before I collapsed to the ground. Because I was a bad woman...? Like the sapling said...? I don''t think I could even argue against it...


    The sapling was right, despite polygamy being the norm for us petals... I tried to get Dandel''lhia killed on several occasions. At the hands of osibindah before I tore her apart for even crueller plans. Then, after my Love brought me up that mighty mountain...


    So we could stand before the unbeatable titan of stone that was the greatest mountain... Nin was there with me when we first saw Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra... And within so short a time I turned my back on him for some human with impressive magic... But we were raised to be like that, to focus on the strongest males...


    Yet, I as an ivy-mother was taught to follow Motrtha''s teachings first... Her teachings of love and family til the very end... From her I learned how to be an ivy-mother. And I ignored all of it just to satiate desires I never went through with even then...


    "Yes..." I let out as tears start to fall, "I am a bad woman... I''m the worst..."


    .


    .


    .


    "So what is the plan, Madame?" I asked her as I leaned on the arm of one of her chairs.


    "Well, it''s a petal so we might as well put her to work. Useless as her scarred body probably is." she mutters in disappointment.


    "Maybe the fact she is a petal will make up for it?"


    "Please, our most popular creatures are those who have well-developed features in most occasions. Some magic power is not going to turn any heads..."


    "Have her perform, then? Her strength should certainly add an... Attraction to it."


    "I suppose..." she comments, clearly unsatisfied with our current situation. I was still busy reprimanding the group so we could not go out again just yet. And, to my dismay, Ivahstar left pissed once he heard it straight his pay was being delayed again.


    He had even been denied the chance to take on an additional job to fix this. And I had been given strict orders not to give them any leeway in that regard. A direct threat on my own source of income by the Madame if I did so. Friendly as I was with them, that was too risky.


    The Madame took things for an extended run when she wasn''t happy...


    But, never minding that, I stood up and bit farewell to her before I went on a walk. By sheer coincidence of it being the longest path as well, I arrived in our little dungeon. And I stood before the newest addition to the Sweet Orchard''s numbers. She looked as miserable as everyone else down here did.


    Yet, I was willing to bet it was not because her body was suffering withdrawal symptoms. And I wanted to come back to the Madame with good news about this new petal of ours. If I could get a confession about it, then that would be wonderful. But I did not have the heart to pressure her too harshly.


    "So where is the child?" I asked simply at first.


    "I don''t know..." she answered honestly, even if her intentions were likely different.


    "We will find him, you know, little one out there with luggage as big as yours? Won''t be hard to miss." I tell her as I recall the size of her bag on the spiral-tram.


    "As if... He is probably already at the Garden-Mount by now!" she snaps up at me before she collapses as the chains pull back on her.


    "More!" moans her likely future personified further down the cell as the shared chains pleasure her. It was the Madame''s idea in its entirety. Keep them drugged and their escape attempts will only make the other feel good. But pondering that just got me sidetracked.


    "No, the red-haired one most certainly didn''t drop that luggage." I say, mostly speaking with hearsay in mind. But, the way she acted in response confirmed it all for me. This one with the child still was sentimental?


    No, raised prestigiously and she has no idea what she needs at the bare minimum...


    "So, we got a slow-moving, magic-stuffed, red-haired pretty thing walking about with a disfigured child." I comment as I stand up and move towards the nearby wall.


    "Stay away from them!" she snaps as she forces herself up despite the other aelenvari on pulling back against her.


    "Well, you''re certainly showing off how strong petals are, aren''t we?" I ask for no particular reason as I watched her attached partner moan submissively. Thankfully, our recent capture was easier to focus on.


    "You will not find them..." she repeats but with different words than before.


    "No, I think we will. So you best be prepared to watch him come through the front door." I tell her one final time before I walk away. Suddenly remembering I didn''t actually do what I wanted to do.


    "STAY AWAY FROM MY SON!" she screamed with the kind of viciousness only a mother could have. I would know, I had one!


    "Thank you very much." I huff as I leave that awful dungeon and head back up.


    "Word has it you went into my garden, Darling?" the Madame questioned as I went back into her office.


    "I did, and I bring some news we can work with."


    "You have finally decided to trust my plans for these creatures?" she remarks with what struck me as forced amusement. But, with how bothered she has been lately, I could see why.


    "No, never," I remark quickly, full of disgust, "no, what I have found out is we have ourselves a bell of sorts. One we can ring wildly."


    She starts to look at me perplexed, "Go on...?"


    "Your little treasure, its maker is downstairs, you know?" I tell her, and I watch her expression light up like Thurnmourer''s stormy sky.


    "She is?" she asks as she slowly stands up.


    "Indeed, and we know what the other petal looks like well enough." I add on.


    "Hm, can''t say I care about that. But, thank you for tell me this..." she says as she steps behind her desk and lingers there.


    "But we won''t be able to send my guys out in such a short space of time. Not until we can guarantee the Union has done its search and it is all over with." I tell her.


    "Then use that time to see what can be done to bait them here... If she is the mother, the other one will not risk it."


    "That''s quite a gamble."


    "These creatures praise the idea of a mother... Especially one who has a son. There''d be a war if a flower found out about this." she speaks with deadly seriousness and none of her usual flavour.


    "Of course." I say with a nod as I understood what she was getting at. It was a simple enough thing.


    "So, if it is not obvious enough already. I want you to make it clear somehow that this mother is alive. Let them know. Drive them here and they''ll either be stupid enough to bring it here or they''ll abandon it into someone else''s arms!"


    "Very... Elaborate." was all I could really say at the plan she made. It was certainly something that struck me as a little out there.


    "A reminder I pay you to simplify these things and to make sure it all runs smoothly." she reminds me in an almost threatening manner.


    "Of course." I say somewhat dismissively before I turn around to get back to work.


    .


    .


    .


    "Can I help you...?" I ask the wind-people thorns as they suddenly appeared from the sky to stop me.


    "Sorry to bother you, Aelenvari. But our patrols picked up a recent conflict in the area. And, in the event it poses a threat to our war effort, we are bringing you in for questioning."


    "No, I have places I need to be!" I tell them before I try to force my way through them. Their weapons, however, scared me stiff.


    "Mama..." the sapling cried from within the bag.


    "You''ll be coming with us." the most pristine thorn told me after he acknowledged the sound the sapling made.


    "Very well..." I mutter before I follow him onto the strange machine. However, the thorns he left it with did not come back on and instead just sprinted off. From the new airborne view I had now as well, I could clearly see it was to get to the ruins. Ruins which were now swarming with their thorns.


    "Please take the child out of the bag." the wind-person thorn asked me after the sapling made another whine.


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t..." I admit meekly as this child hated me... I could not bare to touch this child knowing it did so.


    "Then I will." the man said as it became clear he was letting his paternal instincts take precedent. And, I felt envious as I looked at him. He was the father of his own son... He had his own wind-petal...


    And my envy only grew as I watch the sapling do nothing in his arms. He looked at me briefly with a glare before he then saw what the sapling was holding. He frowned at it before he then set the sapling down. His prior suspicion of me seemed to have vanished, but he still protectively held the child.


    "Do you have a place to stay once we get back into Nahgart?" he asked me.


    And I shook my head, somewhat annoyed now, "We were heading to our home before you came and reset our journey!"


    He then seemed to make a note of some kind, "Very well, we''ll arrange brief accommodations while we sort out that problem we left behind."


    "I''d rather you just let me do my duty..." I remark quietly.


    "And what is your duty?" he asks with a stern voice.


    "To take that sapling home."


    "Then you need to take better care of it." he tells me with words that just cut right through me. How dare he... I have been trying to but this sapling''s immaturity was damning my efforts.


    "Mind your ignorant mouth." I swear with my true-voice before I turned to the outside. That settled-flower we spent a day or so travelling away from was now back in our sights. But this machine seemed to make a point of heading towards the place these wind-thorns stayed.


    "If you''ll follow me, then, we''ll sort out the tabletwork and then we''ll arrange a place for you to stay." he tells me as he walks ahead of me with the sapling. Meanwhile I found myself sharply turning a glare towards the seemingly impatient, featureless thorns pushing at me.


    .


    .


    .


    "What to do, what to do..." I mutter quietly as I sat down near Ivahstar as he glared out towards the Union soldiers.


    "Pay." he complains as I rub my eyes.


    "My hands are tied here, you got to understand that." I repeat to him before he just nods at me.


    "She picky." he then comments in regards to what could have only been the Madame.


    "She is, infuriatingly so." I tut as I looked down at the relatively recent fortifications made by the Union soldiers. They were all over the town as well as around it. A fortress erected over what could''ve only been a night...


    "Aelenvari. Down there." Ivahstar then comments to which I shrug.


    "Wouldn''t be surprised, mess my guys made failing to get the child."


    "No, red." he corrects before I recall the main detail of the other one.


    "Well, I''ll be damned." I let out in some awe before I made a silent prayer. That other aelenvari had been grabbed by a Union patrol and now she was going to be kept here. It certainly simplified our problems.


    "Don''t ask." Ivahstar then suddenly said.


    "Hm?" I let out in confusion, "Oh!" I then let out once I saw where he was looking.


    "If she here. Child come too?"


    "Most likely, I can''t see that one at all leaving it behind... But where is it...?" I found myself questioning as Ivahstar passed me a monocular device. That red-haired petal was on her own with a depressed expression of the sorts. And there was no trace of the son.


    "Union taken it in?" Ivahstar questions as I lower his device.


    "Without a doubt, might be a human thing, but there are rumours of beautiful aelenvari flowers circling that big ol'' mountain. They''ll be fully aware of what is valued by them."


    "No. They know different. Flowers out here. Different to there." Ivahstar comments as he takes back the device.


    "Do me a favour, would you? Keep an eye on her. I''ll add it to your bill once this mess is all sorted." I tell him as I pat him on the back carefully. He might''ve been broad-shouldered for a hwardgon, but he was still a spine-covered thing. I had no intentions of pricking myself and covering my hand in annoying bleeds.


    Then, once I got to the stairs down this viewing platform. I raced down them with well-practised, stable movements. Slipping and sliding down the circular handrails while pushing myself along with gentle taps of my feet. And, at the end, I launched myself slightly and landed with a wobble.


    "Now, Madame." I comment as I straightened myself up on the way back into the establishment.


    "''Noon, Hrurim." the backdoor bouncer greeted as I came on by.


    "Afternoon." I tell him after briefly looking up at the sky to make sure I was getting it right. It was near enough up in the middle, so ''afternoon'' was fine by me. And, I sorted of repeated myself like I usually did when I got in here. I avoided the aelenvari and headed straight for the office of the Madame.


    "Hasty and rude..." she comments with annoyance as she shoos away whatever poor lad she was paying to be there.


    "Sing a different tune for me, because I have a fine thing in my eye."


    "A scout was able to get past the worst customer base we ever had?"


    "Even better, they brought the missing aelenvari back with them as a result of our... Issues."


    "With the treasure?" she questions sceptically but with a tone still full of hope.


    "No way she left it behind."


    "Fan out and find them, then." she demands as she suddenly rises to her feet. A brief glimpse into the hideous body beneath her clothes also became visible. Not that it wasn''t before. She was just skimpier right now because of that lad she brought in...


    Oh, if only the pay wasn''t good enough.


    "We do not know where they''ll be going. I just know they are within the Union''s fortifications."


    "And she won''t stay there, she''ll come back into the town. Along with my treasure..."


    "Of course. I''ll get my guys ready to sweep the streets." I tell her before turning around and leaving. Slapping the head of the greedy young man on my way out. But, as I walked deeper into the establishment. I seemed to realise something.


    And it buried its nagging claws deep into my mind. What if they brought her back for the mother? I had no idea what their relationship was but maybe that is why the child could not be seen before? She had arranged for it to be placed in the Union''s protection?


    This could be very bad if she came knocking... But, at the same time, we had experience with aelenvari. But one as powerful as that? The completely scarred blondie we just got was a hassle...


    "Get me the jailer." I then order someone on my way into the Madame''s dungeons. And I came to a stop in front of the aelenvari in question. I then aggressively slapped a stick on the metal bars and watched as she looked up at me. My face was stoic while hers was full of regret.


    "Why are you here?" she asks just in time for the jailer to coming running towards me.


    "What''cha need, Hrurim?" he asks nervously despite his large physique.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "I need her in your special cell." I tell him as I wanted this aelenvari well out of the way. I wanted her hidden so she could not be broken out easily. Even if it wasn''t why the red one was back, it was a good enough assumption to make.


    "Where are you taking her...?" her now former cellmate asked me with a lustful slur.


    "Out of the way." I answer as I lock the disappointed whore back up.


    .


    .


    .


    "So, just present this to an establishment of your choosing and they''ll give you a room." the wind-thorn tells me as he hands over a metal piece.


    "And the sapling?" I ask him as I stare intently at my responsibility.


    "He''ll stay here until we can verify you are a suitable guardian."


    "Suitable?" I scoff, offended by the claim, "The business of we aelenvari does not concern you!"


    "So long as you are within His Lunar Majesty''s land, it does." he answers me with a flat tone before he dismisses me.


    "Suitable guardian..." I repeat quietly with my true-voice as I moved about this place. In comparison to the home of our thorns back in the flower... This place was quiet. There was a strange unease about this place.


    Those without helmets kept their distance from those that had them. One side did not care while the others seemed to take it personally. But I suppose it was not my problem to focus on. I had a different issue to deal with, even if I was forced to leave it behind...


    "He wants you, Dandel''lhia... He only wants you..." I subtly glow out before I make it back through the gate.


    "Oh, look out, we got ourselves a lovely thing coming by!" some boorish humans loudly declared as I walked about the town. Yet, I did not think they were talking to me.


    "Hello, why so down?" an aelenvari asked me. Yet, there was an odd thing about her. She had the qualities of a root but dressed like a petal...?


    "What is this!?" I demanded to know, my voice full of disgust as I watched her approach me.


    "Well, you looked down, so I thought I would tell you about about the Sweet Orchard where you''ll only ever smile."


    "Get away from me." I tell her as this nigh-blasphemous behaviour was revolting.


    "Are you sure? I''m sure you''ll fit right in." she giggles in a way I am quite familiar with. But that only made me want to go away more. I was not going to be playing pretend with some outcasts with no flower.


    "Leave me bE!" I start to tell her before she slips something into my clothes, making me squeal at the end. However, I focus foremost on getting away from her before I addressed it. I then briefly gave it a look over and sneered at it. Chucking it away nearly instantly.


    But, I turned back around to look at it. This place, I had heard the name before... Sweet Orchard. Yet, despite that, I still let it be.


    "Oh? Hello again, what''re you doing back here?" one of those humans boys from that place we stayed at greeted.


    "It does not concern you." I tell him before I move to walk away.


    "You know, Mum wouldn''t have an issue with you taking a room for the night!" he loudly told me, making me stop. But, I sneered at his offer. That place didn''t deserve me for a single night, let alone more...


    "Very well." I say anyway with a sigh as it at the very least solved one issue I had.


    "Alright, see you there, then. I''ll have Mum put on some tea!" he tells me before he runs off back to that decrepit place.


    "No... A place like that deserves someone like me..." I say to myself quietly. With the kind of defeatism I would not let out openly before someone else. It didn''t take long for me to get there either as the boy seemed to linger around each turn I would have to make. And then, I walked in through the front door once again with only the clothes I wore.


    "See?" the boy said to his mother as he gently pulled her out of the kitchen.


    "Oh, so it is! How is... Where are the other two?" she starts to ask me before she changes her question.


    "That''s my business." I tell them with a huff as she approaches me.


    "Come on, Dear, come out back with me." the woman insists with a firm hand. Yet it was too weak to move me and I just glared at her small family. Before it all just suddenly vanished as I saw it once again. People no better than roots with something I did not...


    "We''ll make sure it is quiet outside."


    "Thank you, Boys." the elderly woman says as she closes the kitchen door after taking advantage of my distracted state.


    "What do you want?" I asked aggressively as she sat down on a simple wooden stall.


    "Sit down, Dear. Tell me what happened." she says as she pushes forward a mug near where I was supposed to sit. The strength to argue, however, was not there anymore. So I sat down and crossed my legs. One hand lingered near the mug as she took hers into both her hands.


    It was then quiet for a moment before my facade seemed to crack, "I''ve made a mistake."


    "We all do, Dear." she says in a dismissive tone. But I did not latch onto it as I could see where she was coming from. It would not help, however.


    "This isn''t some simple mistake I can just rectify..." I tell her, expanding upon what I started to say. Pictures flashed in my mind as well, of how happy the sapling was with Dandel''lhia. How it was fine with a stranger but turned its back on me...


    "Is it to do with why you are on your own now?" she asks softly before she takes my silence as a ''yes.''


    "We made it as far as some ruins... And to protect the sapling, I cast its mother out knowing full well something bad would happen to her."


    "I see..."


    "I was happy to do so for that thi... No... I... I don''t know..."


    "Someone has made you change your mind?" she asks.


    "That son of hers... He hates me and blames me for his mother being gone... And... And I know that I am to blame." I say as I try to hold in the tears my pride was trying to keep away.


    "Do you happen to know what happened to her, that sweet girl?" she asked and as if to twist the knife in my heart. She spoke praises of Dandel''lhia... The good one was suffering while I was out here having tea...


    "Some people came... They were after the sapling." I tell her quietly.


    "Then I think I know how you could resolve this." the elderly woman says as she rises up from her stall. A clear sign she was disappointed was all over her face as well. But unlike with the sapling, it did not register for me.


    "How? The thi... Dandel''lhia is gone. She''s either dead or taken."


    "You are a witch, are you not?"


    "A former ivy-mother..."


    "Then feel for them. I know you can."


    "My magic does not work like that..."


    "Dear, it does. As I might have said before, I am no expert on aelenvari. But I do know what an ivy-mother does. She''s there to help out all those in her flower. She needs to be able to reach out for them. See if you can find his mother. Redeem yourself." she urges me as she shows off her own pathetic skills.


    "Redeem myself...? No..." I mutter as I stand up. If I was to do that, I needed to appear before a council of Gilded-Barks. No one else would accept the burden of my admission otherwise...


    "Dear, it''s clear you care about the child. But he needs his mother." she urges once again as she places a hand on my shoulder.


    "He does, yes." I say, fully aware of that fact as I hold my hand before my face. Staring at it for what seemed to be an eternity before my magic moved. My heart seemingly held a storm within its walls and my body trembled. And what came out of my palm was insignificant, but it flowed out gently.


    "Is she...?"


    "She is alive... The sapling''s mother lives..." I breathe in relief despite who I was talking about.


    "Then you can make amends, Dear."


    "Y-Yes..." I say before I turn around to face where the magic was flowing towards.


    "Okay, we''re following it, then." the elderly woman says as we both get up and follow it. From out this place of hers and into the streets. All the way until we came upon a street full of roots playing pretend.


    "She is within that place..." I comment as I stare at the place called Sweet Orchard.


    "There are bad rumours going on about this part of town. You best be in and out as quickly as possible, Dear." she warns as she starts to take me back to her place.


    "Why are you taking me back?" I ask as this meant distancing myself from Dandel''lhia.


    "You need to rest, Dear." she tells me warmly as we walk upon her business once again. And I look down at the ground with uncertainty. It mattered more so that I just got this over with...


    .


    .


    .


    "So you''re the one who holds the most important thing in the world..." a magically-weak woman that I could barely see says.


    "Do your worst..." I tell her and those men of hers before I look about the cell I was in. In terms of previous places I had been held captive in, this was nice. The bars were smooth and spikeless and there was no osibindah about the place.


    "Unfortunately, the worst has already been done to you. So I cannot really improve on it. But whoever did it? Masterful craftsmanship." she cruelly cackles as I grow insecure about the scars on my body.


    "Thankfully, you won''t ever meet them." I sigh out, oddly thankful that Rose''lhia was taking my son home. I may not be able to see my lover again, but my little one would be able to see his father at last. The other key that unlocked his life...


    "We''ll see about that I suppose. Someone of their talents has a lot to teach." she starts to say at first, worrying me. But, I was able to maintain my cool as it seemed she was unaware of who did this to me.


    "Maybe take a few lessons on how to look beautiful instead." I sneer as I had nothing else to say to her. So I would just try to worm myself into her head. And it seemed to work...


    "WATCH YOUR MOUTH YOU FILTHY PLANT!" she roars all of a sudden. The suddenness of it proved to be quite shocking. But I had no time to think about it when this chain on my neck suddenly tightened.


    "ACK!" I let out as I started to desperate claw at my neck where the metal was.


    "Go on, take it back..." she growls as anger clearly covers her face.


    "AH! ACK!" I let out before the metal suddenly snaps open.


    "You best have a good reason for doing that, Darling..." the woman sneers to the man who had me put in this cell.


    "Don''t go trying to kill her." he chastises before he tries to shoo her off.


    "Be very careful..." she threatens before she leaves on her own.


    "Should have just let her kill me..." I tell him as I rub my bleeding, bruised neck. I know I had no way of predicting it, but it was annoying knowing I could have avoided this.


    "No, even if you can''t do the usual jobs we expect from your kind. You have other uses." he tells me before he also turns to leave.


    "W-Wait...!"


    "Hm?" he lets out as he stops on the stairs.


    "Can I at least have something to eat...?" I ask of him as they had not fed me anything since they brought me here. But if I had other uses, then that meant they needed to at least take care of me... Right?


    "Don''t think you''d like the menu." he comments with some disgust.


    "Anything will do... Please..." I beg as I carefully hold out my hand in the hopes anything would come my way.


    "Alright, but don''t expect a banquet you bloody petal." he says before he leaves with the rest of those men. And while I was not smiling at the fact I was finally going to eat. It at least gave me some hope that I could make it through this. I just had to wait for an opportunity to get out of here.


    To run towards the wind-people who I would be safe with... But I would only be safe so long as I stayed with them. If they let me stay with them... However, I wanted to believe that they would help me.


    So I needed to conserve my strength. They did not have the means to suppress my magic. But I was also not strong enough to just fight my way out of here. A gun could still kill me unlike the Valkinvar I once travelled with.


    Dreaming about having different help to get home wouldn''t help either... I needed to rely on myself right now. I have spent enough time being pushed around and locked up... My little one needed me...


    And I will hold him once again!


    .


    .


    .


    "Again, Dear, I find it necessary to repeat that there are foul rumours about this place."


    "Foul rumours or not, that is where I need to be."


    "Y-Yeah, but... Do you need to be so- Ow!" one of the sons began to say before their mother slapped them quiet.


    "That''s enough out of you two. I expect neither of you to head that way as well, do you understand me!?"


    "Yes."


    "Yes, Mum."


    "Right then, can you please move?" I ask impatiently before I stick my hip out and swing my tail about. While I might''ve smiled at all the glances I was getting, I needed to keep my focus.


    "Yes, yes, go on and... Stay safe. I''ll look after your stuff for you and I want to see you come back with that lovely one, do you understand?" she explains then firmly asks.


    But I thought of the sapling instead when I decided to answer, "I don''t think I could live with myself if I didn''t..."


    Then, I quickly headed on out through the front door and stared towards the gate for a moment. The sapling was being held safely just outside those great doors. So I could turn my back on them for however long it would be. And I could walk on ahead knowing nothing would hold me back from getting this done.


    Hate her as I might, that sapling needed their mother, not me. My accolades meant nothing right now. Only hers did. I needed to show that I was sorry for what I did...


    Let the sapling know I could be trusted to care for them...


    "Looking good!" someone hoots as I got closer to that place I sensed Dandel''lhia to be at.


    "In we go...?" I question with uncertainty before the familiar sound of a locked door met me.


    "Go away, we''re closed!" someone called out from within.


    "I was told you were hiring?" I lied, much to my disgust as this was completely beneath me... Hiring? Blegh.


    "What?" they let out before I heard a key enter the door and unlock it, "What''re you..."


    "You are hiring?" I ask once again as I tilted my body to show off my thighs and part of my rear. Squeezing up my modest but firm chest while they continued to stare at me with uncertainty.


    "Right... Come in..." he let out slowly before he took off his hat and watched.


    "Pleasent smell." I commented sincerely as this was a smell I was familiar with. The smell of child making and breast honey. I believe I have heard of places like this... Locations where exiled aelenvari went in order to easily get a child...


    However, that just presented a new danger for me. I had to keep myself pure for my Love''s sake. My womb was for him to use when he finally accepted my love... When he finally loved me back...


    "So, uh, this way if you''ll please." he tells me as he puts the hat back on. And, from a brief glimpse, I did find myself a little flushed as we walked through the place. Some of the roots I saw looked like they had been completely broken by their hollow love. I could even hear them mutter about their new seed...


    It was quite the experience to see so much of it in one place. Even with my experience as an ivy-mother, this was something else. But still, I couldn''t help but feel disgusted by what I saw as well. These were roots...


    "Why do you want a job here if that is how you react?" the man questions as he comes to a stop by a door.


    "Because they are roots, they aren''t fit to carry a seed within them." I scoff as I cross my arms and sneer.


    "Alright, Poshie." he remarks as he opens the door and we continue. I didn''t really understand why he made a remark, though. It was true. A root was forbidden from taking a man''s pollen because they would only raise a girl...


    We needed to work our hardest to balance our population... Not curse it to more daughters who could offer it nothing! If he understood even anything about our people, he''d keep quiet. But I guess a human was just as bad as a root on occasion.


    "Right, wait here please." the man tells me before he heads on into what seemed to be a well-decorated office. In the meantime, however, I decided to see if I could evoke a reaction from the thorns about me.


    "So, I take it... That it can be quite hectic here?" I ask them with a lick of my lips while I cross my legs and sprawled my body out.


    "It can." one answers as he looks down at me. And while I could not see his eyes, only his magic. I had a good hunch that that gaze of his was a little restless. That it could not decide where to look.


    So, I narrowed it down for him and leaned over the lounge chair. I kept my rear up for him while I compressed my chest before another. Smirking knowingly when the one in front of me started to tap his feet. He wanted to distract himself, but I only teased him more.


    With each tap, I made them jiggle and bounce. And while I was not the busiest of ivy-mothers or even petals for that matter. I had enough on my front to fill a man''s hand and then some. So he certainly saw each little thing that happened to them even in this black and red lingerie.


    "I don''t suppose you''ll be able to give me an idea of what this place is like?" I decided to ask after I moved closer to him. Placing my hand gently against his shirt-covered body. Prodding at the muscle beneath while I showed off how easy my stuff came off.


    "U-Unfortunately, we can''t." he answers as he starts to look away.


    "That is a shame." I say as I turn around and lean against him. Making it so easy for him to just grab my best parts from behind. But, his discipline held and I moved away just as it failed elsewhere.


    "Alright, the Madame will be seeing you, then." that man from earlier says as he sticks his head out before he then steps aside.


    "How unfortunate..." I whisper with a wink as my tail flicks at that thorn''s prized tool. Giggling before I then had the door shut behind me.


    "Now, this is certainly a surprise." an absolutely hideous woman says as she stands up and comes before me. What made it even worse, as well, was that she dressed just like a petal... But she was worse than even our most pitiful of roots...


    "I am here for work." I tell her as she moves closer. With goosebumps forming slightly as that filthy hand of hers went near me. But I held in the shudder she would''ve otherwise caused when she finally touched me. A rear meant for my Love was now being violated by this decrepit creature.


    "So I have heard..." she lets out as I step out of her grip with a huff. That change in her expression also amused me. She was aware of how hideous she was? If so, how dare she dress like that regardless...


    "I can perform whatever task needed far better than those you already have." I confidently tell her even if I had no intention of doing so.


    "Confident one, aren''t we?"


    "Of course, as befitting my full name." I gloat, still quite proud of that detail.


    "Rose''lhia, I take it?"


    I smirk, "And I would have it no other way."


    "Well... That''s a shame."


    "Ha, you will only see glory with me under your employ." I both gloat and vomit out when I had to openly declare myself as her lesser...


    "Let''s not get too ahead of ourselves. There is a little more to this job than just being pretty and good at wringing a man dry for all he is worth." she says as she tries her damndest to seemingly look sexy while pouring something. But whatever she was doing, it did not work when her magic was that pathetic.


    "No, thank you." I refuse politely, outwardly anyway.


    "I''m afraid I can''t welcome you into our lovely little family if you don''t drink the celebratory drink."


    I then briefly cringe in disgust, "Very well, then."


    "Good." she says as a malicious smile suddenly appears on her face.


    "Familiar..." I comment as the details nag at my mind but don''t come forth. I didn''t even realise that I had suddenly grabbed onto a chair either. In fact, why was it slightly pleasing to do so? No...


    It couldn''t be...


    "I do love a bit of honey with my tea, see. Or rather, in others tea." she cackles as my body starts to warm up and react to the breast honey. And while I tried my best to hide the fact she was making my slowly come out. I couldn''t hide the moans touching my now sensitive breasts caused.


    "H-Hah! Ha... How dare you..." I growl before I reactively clenched my chest tightly as a shiver went through me.


    "I will enjoy breaking you." the woman cackles as she places her warm hand upon my head. And I couldn''t help but rub my cheek against it as my body started to rock back and forth. Yet, disappointingly, I was able to maintain some modesty and prevent myself from going any further.


    Even as I yearned for it... As my heart pumped life through me to go further with it...


    "You..." I let out with a pleasured moan as she forces me to the ground.


    "Work hard for me, will you?" she asks me with a cackle before a shock shoots into my body.


    .


    .


    .


    "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" that red-haired aelenvari screams pleasurably from inside the Madame''s office.


    "Gods damn this..." one of the Madame bodyguards complains. That aelenvari had been near him quite recently...


    I chuckle as I turn around, "Can''t do anything about it now, she''s the Madame''s property."


    "She should certainly turn out popular." one of the others comments


    "She doesn''t seem to act any different from the rest." I point out as I put down the newstablet.


    "True." they answer before a bell goes off.


    "I guess that means it is time for me to go in as she comes out and goes downstairs." I say as I get up and do just that. Waiting at the side of the office before some beaten-up aelenvari come and drag her away. A series of ecstatic howls fill the air as they did so. The Madame''s chemical concoction was as potent as ever...


    "Right, now, Darling, carry on." she says as she sighs out her stress before she puts down an electric rod.


    "So, yeah, that was the red-haired one I was talking about." I say reasonably quietly. Awkwardly gesturing in the direction the echoes were coming from.


    "And somehow, this doesn''t mean the treasure is any closer..." she moans as she leans back into her chair.


    "No, but it does give us some options."


    "Such as?"


    "Do what you do best, break her. Leaving me out of it, of course. And get into her head, she''ll bring it here for you." I explain to her, muttering the middle in a fake cough before straightening myself out.


    She raises a brow, clearly contemplating the idea, "It would be a challenge, I believe..."


    "Challenge? Just another aelenvari, right?"


    "You have seen it, right? She carries herself far different than any of the others. In fact, her response to my drug were rather tame."


    "Honestly can''t tell the difference." I tell her with a shrug.


    "You didn''t see it completely, Darling." the Madame giggles as she waves her hand at me.


    "So what is the plan anyway? My guys can''t go near that Union base at all. And the child is located in there without a doubt."


    She breathes deeply and leaves her lounge chair, "We wait, that is all we can do. But, I know I have something to keep myself occupied in the meantime."


    Her cackles were not particularly sweet, but I ignored that, "You won''t be able to apply the drug again, though, will you?"


    "Not for a short period, no. Amusing as it was, I did not appreciate wasting something I could''ve exploited." she says, likely referring to some her earliest endeavours in this business.


    "You won''t risk it even with her defiance?" I ask, just curious is all.


    "Amazing as it was being presented with a challenge, no, I won''t risk it. Especially with how good it will make me feel breaking a petal such as her." she explains with her usual malicious smile.


    "And what kind of petal is she?" I decide to ask before I play with some of her knick-knacks. Having moved over here to occupy myself with more than just conversation.


    "One whose name is love itself... A beautiful rose." she says with that smile not wavering.


    "Huh, a full-named petal." I comment with some awe as those were quite the rare find. Probably even more so than a male aelenvari. She would''ve been at the very top of her respective birthing group or whatever it was. The Rose.


    "Now, Darling, I want you to get back to work. I am a little tired now having been put through so much excitement at once." the Madame explains as she gets back into her chair.


    "Of course, take care now." I tell her as a professional courtesy. Although my words were hollow.


    "And have one of my attendees sent up!" she calls out just as I close the door. So I just give her a gesture of acknowledgement before I head on out.


    "Now, now... To ponder what you are planning." I say nonchalantly as I prepared my pipe as I walked through the building. To say I was flabbergasted by that petal''s actions was an understatement. When she suddenly knocked on the door asking for a job...


    I guess it was more due to how we filled up our staff needs here. We didn''t put some flyers out or pay for an ad in the dull newstablet of this town. We went on nice long walks and brought back the goods ourselves. Or, we paid others to do it for us.


    "That reminds me... Hm." I ponder as Ivahstar once again crossed my mind. It was just something I could not shake out of my thoughts. The Madame was setting us up for a serious flaw in our security by not paying him. I never knew him to be the vengeful type...


    But he was getting increasingly desperate with the number of issues he has had crop up. His funds were drying up regardless of how much he saved by sniping his meals. So I needed to try and mediate something... But how to satisfy him while also keeping it a secret from the Madame?


    "Damn woman." I curse as I step outside to smoke my pipe. Moving around the building and heading out onto the decently quiet street. One hand in my pocket while the other held the prized wooden piece. And as I walked, I mixed in tuts and tsks between puffs.


    Eventually, I climbed up the metal stairwell and got onto the viewing platform once again. Looking to my right for nostalgia purposes as that red-haired aelenvari was now ours. I then stroked my chin as I remembered her that day. Something was bothering her...


    But it was before they ventured out and kept the child from us... So what drove her to come so eagerly towards us? She was clearly struggling with problems before. So was it that or more recent?


    Others might have seen me as a little paranoid, but I did not trust the Madame for one bit. That petal she just drugged is strong, very strong. Were it not for the Union nearby, she''d be the strongest witch here. This once-upon-a-time ravineer settlement had nothing that could compare.


    Maybe that was her plan, then? To drag the Union into our business by simply just... Letting it all out... Being drugged like that would certainly loosen the control of her magic...


    Yet, I could not feel anything myself, even from up here. So maybe the Union wouldn''t either even if they did have war-witches and mercenary ones coming through here. I sure hope so. We wouldn''t be able to withstand such a force coming upon us.


    "Trauble?" Heiya asked as she made her presence known to me.


    "You alright, Shortie?" I jokingly asked back as I gave her spines a quick, downward brush.


    She giggles before she does anything else, "Yeaaah, but, yau?"


    "Don''t mind me, just pondering some issues."


    "It''s gaad ta taaalk aaabaut them." she somewhat correctly says. Sure, it helped get it out your system. But it also just reminded you of a problem that could never be solved a lot of the time. Just an excuse for you to get angry, really.


    Not that I had the energy for that kind of stuff.


    "The other petal we had you track, she just walked straight into the Madame''s establishment. And now she is bound for the usual."


    "Maaaybe she is just stupid?"


    "No... No," I start to say, shaking my head at it, "ain''t no way that is the case, not when she has a full name."


    "Full naaame..." she repeats in what I was just going to call awe for the moment.


    "I don''t quite get it myself, but, these are the top... Like the very top for the aelenvari. Best education, greatest influence! The kings of the aelenvari! Or, queens, rather."


    "Beaaar in mind, they''re quite paaampered." she points out.


    "So''s the Madame, but, explosive as she is, I would not go so far as to call her stupid."


    "Yau might just be averthinking this."


    "No, I have a bad feeling about this. Gut has never been wrong before."


    "Yau ance tald me thaaat yau''re gut waaas bathered when yau aaaccepted this jab."


    "It was wrong then." I quickly answer.


    "Then it caaan be wrang aaagaaain."


    I huff in amusement, "I suppose."


    "Naw, I knaw yau like the paaay aaand aaall. But, haaave yau cansidered leaaaving it aaall behind?"


    "Doing what I did earlier to you, then?"


    "Paps is nat haaappy with haw the Maaadaaame is treaaating him." she says before I roar in laughter. She then pouts and me and glares.


    "I-I''m sorry..." I wheeze out before I get a control of myself. I know it was just her accent, but to here Madame pronounced that way just amused me. I guess because of how informal it was in comparison to how I did it.


    "Jump dawn far me." she says with that same pout before she puts her mouth against her crossed arms. Right against the railing.


    "I take it your old man put you up to this?" I ask, to which she nods.


    "Yeaaah."


    "Heh, conspiring against the Madame on behalf of a friend, huh?"


    "Yep!" she chirps.


    I let my air out through my nose, amused by the prospect, "Now, that is quite the security concern."


    But she doesn''t buy my words for a second, "Came jain us aut af tawn!" she tells me before she runs to the higher floor of the platform.


    So I decided to look up and wave at the shadow above me. However, all it did back was make a slight, relatively unseeable gesture before it moved elsewhere. And as the hwardgon went elsewhere, I looked ahead once again. Briefly pondering the offer as I cleaned and emptied my pipe.


    "Well, I always did hate the smell." I comment to myself. Agreeing to the terms without telling them.


    .


    .


    .


    "Hey, Mum, where you going?" my eldest asks me after I put on my shoes and sped out the door.


    "Just doesn''t sit right with me. So I am going to see the divine and pray for both of them." I tell him as I motion for him to close the door behind me. And, despite how late it was in this town famed for its decadent redlight. I was safe as I walked the streets on my way to the temple. And I made it just in time, for they had not closed yet.


    "One final prayer?" the tired priest asked as I rushed in.


    "I am sorry, Father, but I must get this out." I tell him as I appear before the single statue of Jhrarda the Mighty.


    "Will you need guidance?"


    "No, Father, my soul is clear." I tell him respectfully before I prostrated myself slowly before the statue. Holding in my breath while raising a palm up at the shining light leaving the statue. Regardless of how long it would take him, I trusted my god to deliver those women. To see that child reunited with his mother.


    "The door is still open, so you are aware." the priest tells me before it booms shut behind me.


    "Mighty Jhrarda, Saviour of our People. Wind-Carrier. The Hand which Delivered! I come before you to ask a simple, humble request. Two women and a child came to my modest hostel. Evil men have come for them and I beg you for their deliverance! Please, save them from those who have risen against them. Deliver the son back into the mother''s arms and forgive the one who risks her life to right a wrong."


    Breathing slowly as I reached the end of my prayer.


    "Your will so be it." I finish off with as I rise back up to my feet. Hope in my words that the goodwill of the Lord is what prevails here. And while I walked in here uncertain. That prayer made me optimistic.


    So I moved to leave the temple. Briefly staring back at the centre of this grand building before I turned to leave. But, I spotted the charity box before I left. And I pulled out some money to put in it.


    "Do not think less of me for trying to grease your wheels, Mighty Jhrarda." I joke in apology before I leave and close the door. Thankfully, the door locked itself with me not having to do a thing. So I could leave knowing that I did not leave the temple vulnerable to vandals.


    With a lighter conscience and heart, I then headed on back home. Yet I still could not help but look back at the direction I sent that woman. The rumours about that place were sinister... But they came out of the mouths of iniquitous men and their drunken ramblings.


    I don''t think I could forgive myself for sending her that way even if it was by her own initiative that she went. There was something wrong with the aelenvari that worked there. I could not put my finger on it as I only ever dealt with hearsay. But those two were in danger if that is where they needed to be...


    Should my prayer reach the Mighty One in time, they could be saved. But as this war that has come to warp our town has proven. Prayer can take some time to morph into reality. Maybe it would help them, or maybe it would be too late...


    "But I have no right to doubt you, do I?" I ask one of the Mighty''s siblings as they shone high in the night sky. But, I did not let my mind linger in such cold places. I had a warm home to return to and fond memories to make with my customers and sons.


    And I could only wish those two women the same pleasures that made life worth living. I wanted the mother to be able to move past her scars. For her family to reunite. While the other one I wanted to grow.


    Most of all, I wanted them to be safe.

 Incline 4: To Try and Break Her

    "How dare that miserable woman..." I curse with a pleasured shudder as I finally bring my back up against something. She had tainted the honey my people produce for such an insidious purpose. A corruption of what it exists for. Your love is meant to taste it as you make children...


    Not so it can be used to capture someone! This was perhaps the most humiliating thing I have ever done... Being stuck in a root-made building by a root-like creature! And all while my body is lied to and made to feel like it enjoys it...


    I couldn''t even get rightfully angry at this disgusting prospect without letting out the slightest bit of glee. It was so frustrating to be left shivering in a state of lust because of that. I can feel it wearing off, but this heat all about me was not my anger. It was something that should''ve been for my Love...


    "Hey! New girl!" the root I was chained up with gleefully let out as she intentionally bent the chains about to pleasure herself.


    "Stop that!" I snap, not wanting to see a root ever come close to these kinds of feelings. Yet, I could also tell that the way I must''ve looked at her did not convey what I wanted.


    "But none of the men will help me..." she whines lustfully before she turns about to prove her point. Thankfully, these humans had some degree of standards. Yet, the corrupted honey I had unknowingly consumed... It made me want to copy what she did.


    "That''s because you are a root!" I comment cockily as the pleasure seemed to dull for a moment, time that I used to rise to my points. But it only did so until I pressed myself up against the bars of this cell.


    "Ah!" the root playfully let out as I casually pulled her around.


    "Oh, look, new one has some energy." one of the humans comments as I hold myself tightly against the bars. Balancing my chest on them while swirling them about to show off their size.


    "She looks like she does not know what she is doing." the other chuckles as desperation seems to fill my movements.


    "DAMMIT!" I then roar all of sudden with a violent flare-up of my magic.


    "Well..." a taken aback human from the other end of the room comments before I drop to my knees. I needed to figure out how to get this corrupted honey out of my system... To stop these decadent urges. This body was reserved for my Love, it was not intended to be seen like this by anyone but him...


    Unless he was there so I could make them jealous about who I belonged to. To bring attention to how strong he was, how potent his pollen was... To show off how his virility would give me a son of my own. To remind them of how undeserving they are.


    And as these thoughts filled my head, I cackled ferociously. Of course! It was so simple! Unlike these roots, I loved someone!


    Their face is what I needed to focus on! Their strength and what they have done to earn my love! I needed to defeat this foul by using it as it was meant to. Our breast honey was made to entice our loves...


    To bring them in closer so they could feel more pleasure than they already did. To nurture their hunger as they spent all they could to make you a mother. So I did just that, I thought of Nin. I trembled and shudder at the slightest draft, but my mind focused on one man.


    The Champion of the Angaxslo Flower! He who climbed to the top of a wind-mountain while being held back by me... He who survived against a Valkinvar! The man I loved so very much...


    And I don''t know when I started to. But, I could feel tears freely flow down my face as a triumphant smile also came about. They would not destroy my pride with such vile methods. I wanted them to know that.


    So even as my lower body twitched in anticipation, full of energetic lust! My face would only retort with spite. If I could, I would spit back their vile, corrupted honey back at them. And I would stand over them with the pride of an Ivy-Mother in me.


    To ruin such a sacred thing as an aelenvari''s honey was unforgivable. But I did not need to add reasons to justify my hatred of these humans. They sought to endanger a budding sapling! A son that would save our people!


    "Hey... Uh... Should we go call for help?" I hear one of the humans say.


    "Call for all the help you can!" I caution them as I struggle to keep myself upright as that root keeps stroking my skin. Even someone as disgusting as her could make me feel good in this state...


    "She just let out magic, it''s no biggie."


    "Do you not hear what you are saying?"


    "Just calm down. I mean, look at her. She''s about ready to fall over if you so much as jab her tit with a gun barrel."


    "Alright then." the other says before he does just that.


    "Ah!" I gasp as I suddenly fall to the ground. An explosion of pleasure erupted from around that narrow point where he jabbed. To my shame as well, I could see my own honey go to waste as I shivered on the ground. But I stuck to my understanding.


    I replaced the image of that weapon with a finger from my Love. A playful prod is all my mind could think of as I shoved away that root and rose up again. Both this and what was happening was putting my endurance to the limit. My body was so weak and demanded someone strong to hold it...


    "But only my Love will ever do that..." I tell all those who could hear me.


    .


    .


    .


    "So, how goes our latest crop?" I asked the boys with a giddy tone as I came downstairs for the first time in a while. I don''t know why, but even with my recent frustrations. I really wanted to see that red-haired creature break down in despair. I wanted her to submit.


    "All''s going well, except for one of them." one of them answers as two others pulled open the curtains. Revealing the grand stage at the centre of my establishment''s underbelly.


    "W-Why is she just standing there...?" I ask them, stuttering at first. Alongside a clueless expression as this was quite different to what I was used to...


    "They''re all standing...?" one of the boys says back to me stupidly. So I smack him as I rise to my feet and stomp towards the stage.


    "WHY IS SHE STILL STANDING!?" I roar up at the sneering creature as they maintained a posture of confidence. Why was she still standing...? I gave her the drug... And now she was being paraded about like a prized animal!


    The others were shy, nervous, squirming and terrified of their situation! So why was the new one just standing there as if nothing was happening? Why was she looking down on me!? I OWNED HER!


    Then, she stepped forward with refined hip swings and graceful strides. She perfectly balanced herself on the stage even with her lack of those stupid tubes and she raised a hand. Only to laugh at me before a smug smirk overtook her. And I stared up into those eyes of hers...


    "How... DARE YOU! DO YOU NOT KNOW WHERE YOU ARE!?" I roar at her as I scramble up onto the stage with my rod out. The others backed away in fear, but this one held her ground and only laughed more. And to my relief, she continued to hold her ground as I struck her again and again.


    "Pathetic, I''ve met roots with more strength in them." she mockingly tells me as she stops me by grabbing my wrist.


    "AH! AHHHHHHH!" I scream as this filthy creature touched me. A terrifying situation that made me drop my rod. Thankfully, one of the boys came to my aid and turned on her collar.


    "GRAH!" she started to scream as the captured essence of the Lightning-Mountain surged through her.


    "GET THIS THING BACK IN ITS CAGE!" I screamed at the boys as I started to kick its collapsed form. Only stopping as the growing electricity started to lash out at me.


    "Madame!?" my Darling called out as he suddenly barged into the room.


    "Darling!" I tearfully called out as I got down from the stage before I collapsed into my chair.


    "What happened?" I heard him ask one of the boys. Meanwhile, I had to stop the others from lowering the curtains and shooing the other creatures off. It was just that one that was the issue...


    But, the boys were taking too long to explain things, "DARLING!"


    "Yes, yes, I''m here." he tells me as he comes around to kneel before me.


    "Why... Why was that one still strutting her stuff!?" I demanded to know with growing fury.


    "Madame, she''s only just come in, you can''t expect her to just..."


    "I gave her my concoction! I threw her down into the cells! Why is she not at least shaken up!? I know full well the boys dress them roughly as it is what I tell them too!"


    "Right... I''ll have to look into that one. But, I don''t think you''re going about this right."


    "I''m sorry... Who''s the expert when it comes to breaking these creatures!?" I snap as I clap for the boys to pull down on the chain in the middle of the stage. And just like that, all these creatures came crashing to the ground with their groans and woes.


    "I''m not saying I know better, I''m just reminding you of the fact she came to us dressed like that. She''s a petal, Madame."


    "Right..." I recall as embarrassment starts to flood my face. I was putting her right in the sort of thing that would make her act like that... Act better than me... I surrounded her with lessers...


    "Now, just take a moment to calm down and think this through. You''ve given plenty of show-and-tells on how to handle the usual lot. Focus on them." Darling tells me before he gets back up to speak to his boys.


    "Focus on them..." I repeat to myself nervously as terror filled me at the thought of having to focus on such an ego. I broke these creatures down because they dared to break me down... So I would educate that particular one thoroughly. I was going to snap her clean in two!


    The slightest infraction and I shall punish her as if she betrayed the sun! Nay, if she so much as thought about any of it, I would beat, shock, maul and tear her apart! She will forget she ever had confidence, to begin with! But I needed to find out where to start...


    A petal was quite different to what I normally dealt with... She naturally dressed like those on stage. Humiliating her like that would not work in the slightest. I needed to rebuild the way I went about this from the ground up...


    "Darling!" I then suddenly called out as I rose to my feet. Walking up to him so he knew that he would have to serve me.


    "Yes, Madame?"


    "I want you to find a flower in a town or heading to one. I want to watch them." I tell him with a distinct shiver of disgust. To be that close to such a large body of untamed creatures terrified me...


    "Madame...?" he rightfully questions in confusion.


    "Just do it." I tell him as I turn to look at the visage she left on the stage. And I grew angry as that smirk of hers continued to haunt me. How dare she...


    How dare that thing do that!


    .


    .


    .


    "For root-like scum, they certainly have some...  Potent tools." I comment as I rub my sore, heated neck. However, much to my surprise, I had not woken back up in that cell. They had put me back in the dressing room. They didn''t seem to see me as much of a threat either...


    And as tempting as it was to prove them wrong, I needed to make them carry on with that mindset. Admittedly right now, however, I wouldn''t have to act so much. That power reminded me a little of Einervaene back at Suhurlodst. It was nowhere near as powerful, of course, but it was painful.


    Yet, I could not say I regretted receiving this pain. Because to see that woman break down like that just because I was beautiful was something else. The thorns picked up on it early on before I went out there as well. Where they forced clothes onto the others, they were enticed by me as I put on mine.


    They even failed to attach me to the chains and when the curtains were pulled. I stepped out from my line of lesser aelenvari and took the spotlight. I let them all know that I was above that trash behind me. Above the pathetic creature that stormed out to meet me.


    But to bite back at that woman for what she has done to me did not matter right now. I just needed to find Dandel''lhia and get her out of here. However, to my utter perplexion, she was not among those who were taken out. So now I needed to try and figure it out.


    The roots I went out with were all newly captured, a category I, unfortunately, fell under. Yet, some of those had clearly been longer than we had even known of this settled-flower. So where was she? Had they intentionally hidden her?


    Or had her scars scared them off the idea of putting her out there?


    "Ha." I let out at first before my eyes widened and remorse filled me. I then clutched my hand and looked down in sadness. I needed to let these feelings go... Somehow, I didn''t know how.


    For the sapling I did this, not for Dandel''lhia, but, when the sapling said those words. Those hurtful, barb-covered words. I seemed to suddenly regret everything I did to her... I don''t understand how this worked...


    But it made me a little angry... Understanding how trend-following it made me look. I was an ivy-mother! I did not have my mind changed so easily...


    But that never answered why a simple, adorable sapling made me feel this way... It never explained how such simple, raw emotions made me regret actions I never cared for before. What I once thought of as justified was now... Vile in my eyes...


    Is that how everyone saw me? Like that woman I mocked just now? A hideous creature with not an ounce of redeemable good in her...? No, that couldn''t be the case...


    My Love worked tirelessly to save my life several times... From the sadroobell, from the rampaging ryphurgoks and high above in the freezing snow-belts! He saved me in each of those circumstances... So there clearly was something in me he liked...


    But was that only such a minute part of me?


    I guess then, doing this would make it clear, at the very least. That this desirable part of me my Love saw as worth saving is more apparent. Even if he was not here to see it... I could at least hold true to the idea that he trusts me.


    He listened to me even after his blood boiled in a fight for my love. He trusted me even if he did not love me like I did him. So I could tell him about this once I returned to him. So I needed to focus on why I was here.


    "Maybe I missed her?" I asked myself, my tone full of doubt as this felt like a pathetic attempt by me. I did not see her before so I was not going to see her again! And I was only proven further right as the roots were all dragged back in here. Fear in their eyes as they were harshly pulled back in here.


    Dressed as if they were petals but the humiliation they bore proved that it was a lie. However, a few did seem to recognise that I was not a lie. Probably because they actually bothered to look at me. But, this was good regardless.


    I had authority over them and they knew it.


    "Have you happened to see anyone born under the dandelion?" I ask one of the roots as she glances down at me as she passes by. Stopping her with a quick raise of my point. My own glance made her more nervous than any of the thorns here.


    "There''s some ove-"


    "Not roots." I clarify slowly, much to her shock.


    "S-S-Sorry... N-No..." she says as she backs away, nearly falling over in the process.


    "No one has seen a battered petal recently?" I asked with my true-voice this time as I could rely on the natural encryption this beauty had. It certainly caught a lot more eyes too, to see my bulbs glow the way they did.


    "I!" someone began to say, but their light was weak, "I did see one recently... She shared my cage while I was..."


    "Under the influence of that corrupted honey?" I finished for her as I felt the remnants of that stuff in me. It still felt too good to do a lot of things, but it had settled down a lot. Some of those here, however, don''t seem to have recovered from their dosages.


    So this was just one more benefit for a petal like me, I suppose. They had expectations I could leap over so easily. They would be blindsided by my beauty and grace and they''d be helpless. So I just needed to find the moment to use such advantages.


    For now, I just needed to learn what I could from these roots.


    .


    .


    .


    "Madame, I understand it is a bit late now, but are you sure this is wise?" Darling asks me as he uses his fingers to gently open up my litter''s window.


    "Yes, Darling, it is. I am too accustomed to breaking the runts of that filthy race. I need a better idea as to how their so-called best are like."


    "You can learn that back at your establishment."


    "That is where you are wrong, Darling. I could never learn if that creature continued to treat me like that. I would be drowning in my anger and I would only hurt my own desires." I explain to him as we start to go up a slope of some kind. It must''ve been a steep one too, as I quickly slid towards the back of the litter.


    "Petals rarely set foot into our towns, you are aware of that, Madame?" he tells me, putting forwards his knowledge of the outdoors for me to consider.


    But I thought about such details before, "I had a feeling that might be the case, even their dullest are pretentious creatures."


    "And where did those thoughts take you?" he asks with a sigh.


    "That I shall watch those afar in the same manner." I tell him as I watch with some amusement as his angle suddenly changed. It was a childish thing, but, it gave life to an otherwise boring transit through this town. And I was quick to exit the litter and make my way out onto the private viewpoint.


    It had tools already here for me to use. But where was the fun in that? Instead, I brought out my own pair of custom-made opera glasses and looked down upon them. Once someone brought me out some cushions to sit on, of course. And I would have to make a note of having these things washed.


    Public benches were always filthy...


    "Now, where are we?" I asked myself as I surveyed the great host that surrounded the open side of the town. This appeared to be quite a common occurrence as well, as it seems the merchants and traders got along quite well. And while it was amusing to look through the creatures gathered outside the town. Pondering how I would break each one, I was just distracting myself from the prize.


    But, eventually, I came upon them... The petals of this disgusting, hideous, horrendous flower! And I felt like vomiting upon seeing such arrogant things. They were so insufferably aloft and full of themselves.


    Especially this one they gathered around in a strange, vine-decorated dress. Whereas the others were snooty to those around them. This one was above all of them and it made me sick to my stomach... Were it not for the fact the circumstances were different, I''d say this one would remind me too much of her.


    "So have you figured anything out about them?" Darling asked me as he lit his pipe. And, while he was doing that, I held out my holder and had him light what was coiled at its end. I didn''t smoke as often as he did, I did it for the look more than anything. But I steadily got why he did it, it was just so soothing...


    "So far I am just reminded of why I hate them."


    "And why do you hate them?"


    "Darling," I sigh out, not in the mood for his jokes, "you know why."


    "Think about my question again."


    "I see, clever. Well, I hate how these hideous creatures think they''re so beautiful. I hate how they put on this facade of being the best but have little to show for it. Those thorns as they call it, they''re talented fighters! The roots work hard despite it all and the stems fill in for everything else... But the petals... They just look down on you..." I explain, steadily and slowly moving into a growl as I went on with it.


    "Interesting to hear you say good things about the other aelenvari."


    "Do not twist my words, Darling. I hate them all equally, but petals are a unique frustration."


    "Not equal, then."


    "What did I say about your jokes?" I ask him with a glare as I put the glasses down and turn towards him.


    "Must''ve lost the warning on the way here." he retorts as he calmly walks to the edge of the platform.


    "To get back on track, however... I just hate how their only role is beauty. Or whatever it actually is. They sit around and pretend that they are beautiful... Not just some common street whores acting as if they are queens." I growl.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Then maybe that is what you need to do with our new petal?"


    "Elaborate for me, Darling."


    "Work her to the bone like a root. Make her live with the others outside of just sharing a cage with one. Your new girl would''ve lived a high life just like that. Doing little, doing nothing."


    "So force her to play the part of a root..." I utter with some annoyance as it was such a simple thing. So very alike how I would''ve treated her anyway but it was very distinct in how it otherwise worked. Of course, I would still do the normal tasks, but, I needed to be more hands-on here. Really enjoy the process of grinding her down into powder...


    "Sounds about right, she''s already out of her comfort zone. Clearly, she''s willing to do some things she wouldn''t normally. You just got to apply the pressure." Darling elaborates to me as he turns around. With his elbows and upper back going long and far over the bar as his legs straightened out.


    "Oh, Darling, let me give you a thanking kiss just once." I joke to him, knowing how he normally is.


    "No thank you, I''m good." he reliably answers, to which I smile. A smile I quickly lose as I go back to watching the petals. A mixture of envy and anger built up inside of me as I remembered certain days of my life.


    .


    .


    .


    "Unhand me!" I told them with an attempt an anger. Yet, having received more of that corrupted honey, my body gave a different kind of answer. It shivered and keeled under their touch. And I swear, if it could, my legs would''ve snared them against my...


    "Learn to walk on your own then, and this applies to all of you!" one of the thorns snap as excited moans filled the air as we were stuffed into a cell.


    "Ah..." someone moans out from behind me as I forced against their soft, magic-lacking body. A hideous body which I was forced to press up against one way. Only for another to be pushed at my front.


    "Oh... Lower..." I let out by mistake after a pair of tightly packed elbows went straight for my chest. But I was quick to slap them away and to make some room for myself. Claustrophobic as it still was, even with my efforts. And like with the last time this corrupted honey was inside of me, there was a unique kind of exhaustion that came with it.


    It always made me want to be dominated as it overtook me on my way to the ground. It being so tightly packed in here, however, forced me to stay upright. Yet even those I was leaning on also just wanted to fall down. For a love they never would have to just take them...


    "None of you deserve anything like that anyway!" I huff as I start to force some of them away. And when just enough moved, those behind me started to slip. As did I. To my joy, however, I was on top of a living cushion now.


    "Oh, master..." one of the roots cooed as they took advantage of the new space. Yet, with a quick movement of my nearest point, I kept them at bay. Even if it meant having to deal with them licking and cleaning it.


    "At least you still..." I start to say before even more started to come around me just to pamper me.


    "Master Rose''lhia!" one of them exclaimed as they tried to snuggle up to me.


    "Ivy-Mother to you!" I couldn''t help but breathe into their red face after bringing them closer.


    "Ivy-Mother!?" then started to spread like a fire in a dry forest. A space I once fought for then started to hold itself together naturally. With all those that I could see bowing down to me just for the slightest taste or touch.


    But with this honey in my system, I could not muster the will to deny them their inappropriate desires. Gentle strokes from single fingers and greedy grapples started to cover me. And I gently pushed as many away as I could. Yet, I could only do so much amongst this forest of lust-driven roots.


    So desperate to get a feel of what a real aelenvari woman is. An unfortunate shame for them because no amount of touching me would make them like me. Being a petal all started at the seed. A failure to grow strong at such a young age did not make petals, it made roots.


    "What in Aahtha''s name have we got going on here?" one of the thorns comments as he notices the hollow nature of the cramped cell. And when he opened the door and made some room. I made sure to sprawl myself out and show my body off. Gesturing for him to come closer just for me.


    Yet, another pulled him out and angrily slammed the cell door shut. A few loud squeals also filled the air as mutterings about ''love bites'' suddenly appeared. And that gave me an idea, having heard about how close to the door one could get. So I started to get up.


    And I made the gap the thorn made wider before I suddenly collapsed onto those gathering behind me. My seat was remade in an instant and most of the roots were out of my way. Some still got through and teased this corrupted body of mine, however. It was a disgusting pleasure I could not push away right now.


    I would look back on this day in disgust, but that day had yet to come. There was a present that gave me wonderful feelings to focus on. Warm breath that tickled the skin and wet tongues that could somehow reach the muscle beneath my skin. The pleasure ran deep within me.


    "Do keep watching..." I say to the thorns as I bite my lower lip. Stretching out my body while pushing my chest up as my arms moved toward those behind me. On the other end, my legs made a point of repositioning themselves. All so I could thrust up my trembling crotch for a brief moment.


    A giggle then left me, but that was the part of me that was still there doing that. While they might''ve seen a petal begging for just some affection that satisfied her. I was actually laughing at how they would never get to love me like that. This was a body intended for my Love.


    "If you don''t like what you see... Why not try sampling it in a different way?" I offered to one of the thorns as a test. Relaxing thanks to the honey as the roots started to clammer away at the chance to strip me even partially. However, this was an act. I needed to see if I could entice them to come in and grant me a chance...


    "I thought I said I wanted that petal treated as if she was a runt!?" that hideous woman asked the first thorn she saw angrily.


    "We put her in the centre of the cell but she seems to have..."


    "Fill their heads with delusions, you might have... But, they can see the truth quite well, can''t you?" I start to tell them with a lofty, pleasure-filled voice before I brought a root forward. Her heated, breathless body just itching at the chance to move even closer as our oral scents mixed.


    "GGGGGRRRRAAAAAHHHH!" the woman screamed as I smiled at her as that same root was guided down onto my body. Just one of many I could''ve done it with. But I only needed one to show my dominance.


    .


    .


    .


    "Labour? How helpful." I comment both sincerely and ironically. This was something that was beneath me, but it gave me a chance to look around. It was a chance to try and find out where they might be keeping her. Because she wasn''t among these roots either.


    But I was more determined to try and get out of this task quickly. My latest supplement of the corrupted honey was wearing out. Yet, I was surrounded by those still high on the sacred nutrients. And that was my job right now too...


    I, along with the others who were able to walk. We had to clean up the leftover drinks, food and the used-up roots still dripping with decadence... It was a sickening sight and I made sure that my grip was harsh as I dealt with them. And even if it made them shiver in anticipation, I made sure they saw my angered gaze.


    "How dare you take a man inside of you, Root!" I snap into her ear as I dragged her onto the wheeled platform we were using. With a quick and sudden action as well, she was slammed onto said platform.


    "AH!" she let out before her body seemed to request more of it. But, her eyes were different.


    "Ivy-Mother... We''re sorry... We can''t help it..." one of the roots nearby told me weakly as her lower half clearly squirmed about on something.


    "Do not apologize to me until you do stop it." I tell them all as I hand over my task to those near me. And I had to admit, it was cathartic to hear them use my old title. There might''ve been a chance some were from my flower. But, that mattered little when they were all quick to believe what I said.


    "Y-Yes... Ivy-Mother..." they let out breathlessly.


    "No, please, let me." another root said as they started to gather around me to do all the tasks immediately near me.


    "Boys, get that one working!" the hideous woman demanded from up in her office.


    "No, stay away from her!"


    "You shall not touch the Ivy-Mother!"


    Many of them started to say and cry as they rallied to defend me from the approaching human thorns. And they were perplexed, this was not something they had ever seen before by the looks of it. And that very thing brought a smile to my face. One which I made sure the hideous woman saw.


    "Pathetic." I let out in bemusement before I found something that caught my eye. One of the roots they had working to clean up last night''s mess was pregnant. It was an abhorrent sight but it had a twisted beauty to it.


    "EH!? I-Ivy..." they let out in terror as they backed away. Their hands protectively clutched their swollen stomach even as they fell down.


    "May I see it?" I asked the root after picking her up and moving her to a pungent, stained chair.


    "N-No... I''ve done something bad... You''re going to..."


    "Shhh, it''s alright." I tell them as I start to apply magic to her belly. A soft smile then came to my face as I felt the developing seed inside.


    "I-Is... Is my seed alright...? I know I''m a root and that this shouldn''t have happened but is my seed alright!?" she tearfully asked me as I soothingly rubbed my hand in a circle.


    "Yes, it is growing just fine. But you need to rest." I tell her as I move away from her as more and more pregnant roots came up to me.


    "Ivy-Mother!" they all seemed to chant in unison.


    "Well, look at how many of you have broken our sacred tenants..." I comment lowly before I start to gesture for them to come close. And, as if they were not roots, I held onto them and comforted them. Letting my magic flow into them so I could check on the health of their children. It made me smile feeling this many seeds.


    It had a nostalgic element to it even with the current circumstances...


    "I''m sorry... Ivy-Mother..." one of the roots sniffled as I finished up with making sure her seed was alright.


    "It''s fine, just promise me this above all else. Look after it." I tell her and the others by extension to which she tearfully nods.


    "Alright! Back to work, the lot of you!"


    "They won''t be working." I tell the thorn as I turn to face him. Stopping the group that was approaching myself.


    "Out of my way!" he demanded before he struck at me with a metal rod.


    "Harder, please." I teasingly requested as I gently touched the space it had struck.


    "Harder? I can do that, take the others away, this one can handle it all." he ordered before the roots around me were all dragged away regardless.


    "Gently." I warned as magic started to flow out of me when the seed-bearers were roughly grabbed.


    "You heard her..." one of the thorns commented.


    "Her?" another asked in disbelief as I walked up behind him. And, driven more so by the corrupted honey in my system, I placed myself against him. Letting my magic flow around him before it enveloped him completely.


    "Please, be gentle with them... They''re carrying seeds." I whisper into his ear with a sultry tone as I use my magic to overpower whatever he had to keep his sensations in check. And as I let my hands explore his stiffening body, I smiled at him once I saw his stutter.


    "You heard her!" he lets out himself as I make my departure from him as passionate as possible.


    .


    .


    .


    "Darling, I want you to have a very stern talk with your boys..." I say as my hand trembles in rage. With the glass in my hand became an increasingly dangerous prospect as I glared at him.


    "Madame?" he questions, clearly not getting it.


    So I rose to my feet and looked out at my establishment, "Your boys... Are doing as she wants... They''re messing with my products! MY STUFF! THAT DAMN CREATURE IS TAKING OVER EVERYTHING!"


    "About that, boys have been telling me there''s a new topic going around the aelenvari."


    "Well? What is it!? The only thing they should be speaking about is their desire for sex!" I say to him, tossing my glass away and flinching as it broke on the wall.


    "A term keeps coming up, Ivy-Mother." he tells me before he pulls out a brush and broom and gets to work.


    "Ivy-Mother...? The aelenvari''s head priestess!?"


    "If that is what it is, then ya."


    "That petal is a..." I think out loud as I turn my gaze towards where it tended to our pregnant products. And that is when it hit me, it made so much sense when one took it all into account. The overbearing magic, the confidence she had... Her ability to control my products with so little effort...


    She wasn''t just a petal with a full name... She was the petal... The top of the very top... Ivy-Mother!


    "Then we change our plans."


    "Madame?" Darling questions as he leans on the broom handle.


    "I want her working properly this very night! I want her to put on a show and we''ll drag her down like that! Her title, we''ll make a mockery of it... Her pride will be our amusement!" I bark at him as his brow rises.


    "Are you sure? Putting her at the centre of the stage would give her quite a way to-"


    "DO NOT QUESTION ME, HRURIM! DO AS I SAY AND GET HER READY!" I scream at him, much to his shock. And while I was not angry at him, I just could not help myself. I would need to apologize to him later, but right now, I just couldn''t. That damn creature just took up too much of my mind right now...


    My attempts kept failing and she kept on staying the same. I have had her struck, forced into demeaning labour! I have stuffed her with my concoction and have had her enjoy indescribable pleasures! Everything I have done...


    It has failed.


    "DO YOU ALL HEAR ME!? THE NEXT ONE OF YOU I SEE NOT MAKING HER WISH SHE IS DEAD WILL BE HANGED!" I roar out to everyone in my establishment through the speaker system. Then, I tearfully fell down into my seat and held my face. Thankfully, no one was here to hear me sob pathetically. For some reason, however, I covered my hands when I did it.


    Eventually, I brought my face back up. But my mind was infested with issues. All I wanted, was a seed. A simple thing was all I wanted.


    I thought maybe this would be a good thing, getting two petals to show off in my establishment. But one is hideously scarred and the other is... And the seed is nowhere to be found. In the hands of those useless soldiers who won''t so much as glance at my advertising girls!


    It was just upset after upset that kept on coming... Maybe I have just been working too long? Maybe I need a holiday? No, I couldn''t do that, not with a seed so close but not in my grasp.


    "Take one when I have it!" I then exclaim as I try to find something to be happy about. As I did so, however, something caught my eye. Darling was letting in those hwardgon he hired before. Right in front of me...


    The very same I told him not to- Well, I guess I could let it slide. As my silent apology for screaming at him just now. But, now I was curious.


    "What is that you are giving them?" I ask out loud to myself. It looked like a piece of paper which was interesting enough. Paper was a luxury item used by only the most ancient of institutions. It must''ve cost him quite an effort to buy it.


    But, his business was his own and I returned to my desk to straighten it out after I messed it up. Then, I stared at my wall of aelenvari artefacts. Ponderously measuring up the details of each one until I arrived at a dress. It wasn''t authentic, but it did it well enough for me.


    "It''s very alike that one I saw when I went..." I started to say as I recalled the snobbiest one from that sightseeing expedition we did not too long ago. That one wore a dress like this. And that was when I remembered what this was a replica of.


    An ivy-mother''s dress!


    "That''s it!" I exclaim as I scramble to grab it and hold it before my face. If I wanted to drag this so-called ivy-mother of mine through the dirt. I would make her look the part. Pamper her and then ruin her!


    I will tear it all away and let her know that she is no better than all the others! Just another whore for me to make money with and to throw away as I please! She would learn it well, and she will take it all to heart. And when she finally does, I''ll let her see my new baby boy!


    But she won''t care... She''ll finally be doing what she was always meant for... Being a useless whore!


    "I hope you can understand, Rose''lhia." I say before I start to cackle at the demise of her pride. It was so close that I just couldn''t wait any longer.


    .


    .


    .


    "Come on you, up and out!" one of the thorns snapped as they barged into the cell to disturb me again.


    "What now?" I asked with what seemed to be lustful eagerness but was in truth annoyance. My mind may have had a purpose and a well-driven spirit guiding it. But it was just too easy to fall into the ease that all this comfort offered. The roots lines up to please me and I wanted to feed on the similarities it had to my memories.


    "You''re gonna be playing dress up!" one of the others laughed as the cell door violently slammed shut behind me.


    "I hope it is something tight... Something binding." I suggestively say as I look down at the cuffs one of them has. Yet, without my magic enhancing my position, nothing came of it. They disappointingly kept their professionalism and dropped me off into a changing room. And promptly left.


    I was left furious by this, and I was ashamed to admit it was because of this rejection. My body wanted the flesh of a man to be against it and within it. But none of that even happened. Even if I tried to think of my Love, reality was still reminding me of my satisfactory lack.


    "So what is it they wanted, anyway?" I ask myself after I struggled to get back to my points. With a fresh does of this corrupted honey within me. My body and its senses were on fire. Nothing could be done without pleasure filling my body.


    It disturbed my breathing and quivered my body. I had to fight myself just to keep my reactions in check. Thankfully, the lack of provocation by the roots was helping me right now. Yet, the moment someone else came in here, this discipline was gone.


    So I made the most of it and just got on with whatever task the hideous woman wanted me to do. And, to a mixture of delight and concern, I found a dress. One I could vividly remember growing tearful over a long time ago. Einervaene, Rossie-chira...


    She helped me at least get over the emotions back then. But, I just couldn''t hold the tears back right now. Even if it wasn''t my one, it meant so much to me to see this dress. Its fine silks and precious metals...


    And even though I knew it was all fake, that the name-calling was hollow. I felt like, if I put on this dress, I would start to feel like my old self once again. The version of me I thought I would never get to see again. Ivy-Mother Rose''lhia.


    So I hasitly put it on with well-pracisted ease even as the metal provoked my body. Despite how teasing the process was to my body, I was soon wearing it. The revealing, sexy attire that detailed what I was simply and in a more educated manner. But it felt off even with all these pleasurable sensastions.


    "This is a fake..." I realised as I stared at myself in the mirror. The metal was plain but still polished. But that was just it, it should''ve been decorated. With natural gemstones of amber and that which my hair matched.


    Most importantly as well, it should''ve honoured Aahtha and Motrtha... My role was to teach and enhance the pleasure of my flower. To care for and nurture those who would go on to invite the First Mother into their lives... But this dress had none of it.


    Yet, despite the horrors this discovery revealed, I did not take it off. My desire to just feel like Ivy-Mother Rose''lhia again was too strong. I could not tell if it was the nostalgia or the corrupted honey, however. Was it myself, or evil desires keeping this dress on?


    Whatever it might be, I needed to complete it as this was clearly here for a purpose. And, I was right, there was more to it. Similarly soulless tubes had been laid out for me as well as lingerie for my lower half. Yet, no staff was in sight.


    I sighed in relief at that, for I could at least rest easy knowing the image was not corrupted. I could still say that I was little more than some whorehouse display. An attraction to empty their personal treasuries and divulge merchants of all they had. They would trade it all just to see me...


    And I could admit that even without this honey in me, it still made me excited. To have so many want me and desire me but I got to stand there knowing they could not. But only Nin was here... I don''t think I would ever be able to hold myself together.


    I would make a child with him right then and there. I would let that crowd know who got to touch me. And he did not have to pay a single coin to do so. His love opened doors their gold never could.


    "I suppose that is what they want me to do anyway." I comment once I was done blushing up a storm and squirming. It was clear that this was not done as part of an homage to me. I had been in here before. I knew what this room was here for.


    It was to prepare the brokenminded roots for shows that riled up the crowds beyond the stage. At least, those who had not already found a partner to disgrace the world with. That is what they wanted me to do. And they knowingly wanted to do it with me dressed as an Ivy-Mother...


    "This won''t turn out the way you want it to." I knowingly smirk as I slowly drag my fingers across my slender, worked-up body. Pulling and tugging at the thin strips of fabric and tickling my flesh. My hips buckled and shook and it all heated up. My childmaker roared in demand and my breasts gaped wide.


    And I struck my hips out one way while my arms went above me. A sultry, confident giggle then slipped out as my fingers gently pulled at my lips. Then, once I was done calming myself down after working myself up like that. I smirked once again.


    "But I''ll still make a point of enjoying the show." I say as I move closer to the doors that lead to the stage. This place must''ve opened up again at this point because I could hear it all. The muffled sounds of disgusting sex and revelry. Sounds that only went on to mix with the carefully chosen music.


    Rhythmic tunes that I knew dictated the way people moved. One sudden beat and crotches would move. One screeching sound and chests would bounce. Such a simple way to work people up.


    And I had to fit into this music like no other to enhance such behaviour. Though I hated what I was about to do. The corruption within me compelled me to do what I did not want truly. My own idiocy as well made my body shake with anticipation.


    Then, the doors opened and the smells and sounds came at me in full force. I was briefly taken aback by it. I even struggled to walk in there, it all being so overpowering on top of my already weakened body. Yet, eventually, my body started to follow the mesmerising music.


    My hips naturally swung along with it and my legs strode forward gracefully yet knowingly. My body was blessed by the Goddess of Pleasure to bring it. And it would be my pleasure to watch them. But as my body was working its way into the tune, another sound caught my attention.


    "Now we got a very special show for you tonight, gentlemen... For you see, the Madame has picked quite the flower. The Flower of Love. Make sure to give her a lustful welcome, because here is Ivy-Mother Rose''lhia!" a root cheered out before the roar of the crowd bit all the way down to my bones.


    The excitement within me just exploded and I immediately got to work showing off my body. At first, I stuck to the centre of the stage. But the scent of booze-laced breath drew me closer to the rapturous crowd. With their mind-poisoning scent mixing with mine as I danced close but too far for them.


    On occasion, however, I let them get close. I let them feel my body and utter their vile wishes to my ears. Yet each time, I pulled away, a smirk on my face as a different man filled my mind. A man who was far beyond them in all ways imaginable.


    And just to show how little chance they had with me. As I fell to my split-apart knees, with one hand on the pole in the centre and the other on the ground. I let my magic loose, letting it flow freely as if it were spice and I were the bottle. Each thrust of my crotch and jiggle of my breasts just let more of it loose.


    The air once dominated by the crowd was now commanded by me. All stopped and looked at my dance and my body. Those engaged in mindless, loveless sex turned to me and lost interest. The thorns who were normally stoic became entranced.


    And beyond the doors as well, I could feel more people coming in. My magic was alluring and beautiful and it carried all that was in my mind. It was a song that called them all as if they were trained birds. Soon as well, there were too many in here to come in.


    So I put more of my emotions and sensations into my magic as it blew out into the crowded streets of the town. My light was the only one that mattered and it was a beautiful emerald. And then, I stood up once more and carried on dancing until I started to slow down. A thankful smile then appeared on my face as my Love started to leave my mind.


    The corrupted honey had been burned out of my system and I was standing above them all. An entranced horde looked upon me and I brought all my power back towards me. The joy and enthrallment they felt was gone in an instant. And they looked clueless.


    Until one of them clapped and another whistled. And like what devastated our kind so long ago, the men were overtaken by something. And as it happened, I stood triumphantly at its head. The foul nature of this place had been put down and I stepped forward.


    "Thank you, my Love." I uttered quietly before I turned around and gazed up. A smirk on my face once more as that woman turned ferociously livid at what I had just done. What little magic she had flared and it did what something that pathetic could do. Nothing.


    "H-Hey... Where you going?" one man asked another before he started to leave.


    "I dunno, just, not in the mood anymore." he said as he walked off. And pride filled me more so than when all their eyes were on me. Because by expelling the corruption within myself, I was able to show others there was something purer. Even the roots, so easily enticed by it all.


    They were hesitant. To my surprise as well, it actually made me proud of them. Knowing that despite the despair they likely feel knowing they are not allowed to be mothers. For the sake of our people...


    They could still resist such dark desires, even if they needed someone like me to do it. More importantly, however, I could feel her. The one I came here for. I could now feel where she was.


    Down below it all, even beyond the cells where all the others were...


    "PUT HER IN THE CELLS, NOW!" someone suddenly roared before armed thorns suddenly got up on the stage to attack me.


    .


    .


    .


    "DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMN IT ALL!" I roar as I tear down all the treasures I had spent my life gathering. I gave her the replica of the ivy-mother''s dress... I made sure she had a fresh cup of my concoction... I have been breaking her down...


    But that was beyond even what I could''ve conceived. Not only did she not degrade herself by letting herself be swarmed by my decadent customers. She scared them all off! She brought my business to a complete halt right after seeing it packed beyond what it ever would be again!


    That creature... That petal... Rose''lhia... I would make her suffer...


    I don''t care anymore, I have had it with her. Each time I have tried to make her break. She has only bent back into shape with a confident smile. There''s no way she can''t know...


    She knows how I hate that look, that condescending look by petals. That pretentious outlook on life... I am beautiful... I am, I am!


    "DARLING!?" I roar as I slam my door open, "DARLING!?" I repeat.


    "Madame!?" he calls back as he finishes rushing up the hallway into my office''s lounge.


    "Break her your way... Beat her, cut her, bruise her! BREAK HER!" I order him with growing fury before I screamed out what I could. I didn''t even want to do it myself, I wanted those stronger than me to do it. I wanted their whips to fray and their sticks to break!


    I wanted them to keep on going until she was left bloody with equally red tears! She would not so flippantly mock me again, and I would make sure she knew. If I could not make her mind understand through excessive pleasure. She would fall in line with a far simpler method.


    Her pain would be music to my ears and it would be her punishment from now on. She wasn''t going to be going about this like a root. She wouldn''t drag her own title through the sex, sweat-infested carpet. She would be beaten and scarred just like her compatriot.


    If I must break petals like this then so be it, that is how I would do it...


    But then, all of sudden, I turned around and went back into my office with a straightened expression. And I went all the way to my chair, which I then sat down in. I turned it around and then looked out at my empty establishment. The girls were all still out there, but they were at a complete loss as to what to do.


    The customers had all left and no one was coming back in. The drunkards didn''t stumble in nor did the stressful. My business had just been killed for the night just like that. Because that creature''s magic did more than I thought it could do...


    "Close the front doors." I then say quickly through the speaker system as I regretfully decide to close very early. With such a disastrous moment that just occurred, it was the only thing we could do. This establishment required a mood that was hard to establish again when it was gone. And in an attempt to calm myself, I thought about prior times this had happened.


    Back in the very early days of this career stuck out to me the most. When I was just a girl with her first chained-up aelenvari root. Before my concoction was ever devised. Just me and a desire to strike back at the people who dared tear away my confidence...


    The root bit the customer and the others just went away like flies. Scared at the idea of their forced upon girl nut submitting. That aelenvari died a long time ago, though. So I could not bring them up here for a little trip down memory lane.


    But, I suppose I could look at the blonde petal. Those two were alike in looks. In that, they were both scarred heavily. Though, the one in my memories got her scars from me.


    Regardless, I got up and headed down towards the cells. Smiling somewhat at the screams and cries of the red-haired one as I walked by. Although, the disturbance in the rest of my products was concerning. Not once have I ever seen them riled up like this...


    For now, however, I wanted to see the other one. So I went deeper into the dungeons until I reached the hidden area. A mostly hidden space now that I was sure the latest batch of selected girls had been broken completely. So all that was left was that one at the far end.


    "She knows where I am now..." she ominously comments with a triumphant smile of her own. Unlike the other aelenvari, however, this smile did not enrage me. It did not bother me. It just made me stare quietly back at her.


    "She won''t come for you, not when I am done with her."


    "Do you really think people as weak as you could break the Ivy-Mother?" she asks me as she rises to her little points.


    "Patience is a very useful thing..."


    "It is, and I have been very patient for my moment to escape this place." she says as she slams her hands against the bars. An action that made them ring from the shaking alone. I even stepped back in terror slightly. The magic in this one was quite overbearing as well.


    "Y-You... Aren''t going anywhere." I tell her as I move to leave, concerned for my safety in this hidden place.


    "I will hold my son again! And you will be dead before I do so for daring to threaten him!" she snaps as the slams the bars again. The sound of breaking stone also filled my ears as I closed the heavy metal door.


    "Madame?" one of Darling''s boys let out as I hurried out of the dungeons.


    "Make sure it is known, I want you all to focus on getting me that child." I tell them before I carried on stomping out of the dungeons.

 Incline 5: The Rose, Dandelion and small Spruce

    "Alright, that works for me." I say as I flip a loose piece of metal around the table. Watching the two hwardgon as I did so until I dropped whatever it was.


    "Careful." Ivahstar warns as he and his daughter sort through the safe-cracking equipment. Some of it was simple, crude but effective stuff, a little better than rubbish. The rest, however, was professional in every sense of the word. Factory-made with arcane involvement.


    What was more important, however, was the living element to it all. The ones who would create the opportunities to use the equipment. Me, him and little Heiya. It was just us three the moment we walked out of this warehouse.


    "As if I was never there." I confidently remarked to the pair before I go on ahead of them. And from out of the hidden passage by some crates, I came out to my guys.


    "You find it?" one of them asked as he poked a damaged crate in the corner.


    "No, must''ve been in a different one, but I can''t be asked now." I tell them as I put on a facade of exhaustion-by-tediousness. Something they bought without issue as I have been having them do the same thing. Best part about it too was, we were actually looking for something. A piece of equipment that could help us get that child.


    The Madame has been losing her patience alright and it was getting worse. This Rose''lhia knew how to twist her in all the wrong ways. Thankfully, just enough patience remained inside of her for us to work with. We could lie about a non-existent piece of equipment for some time.


    How long? I was not sure. But, I did not need a long time. I just needed a handful of hours.


    "Seriously, how many warehouses has it been now?"


    "Depending on what we count, easily a dozen or more."


    "And there''s going to be a dozen more at this rate." I add on jokingly. A joke that managed to hit only somewhat as I got a few chuckles. But, I mostly got knowing groans as that was probably our reality. If the plan fails, that is.


    But if that happens, I''ll be smoking a pipe with Undwote before the night was out. However, relaxing as that might''ve sounded, it was not ideal. Living, even with a fresh gun wound was preferable. After all, I could not go on to do much without being alive.


    I had no intention of failing, though, and frankly, I was brimming with confidence that this would succeed. I would walk out of here with Ivahstar and his daughter and the Madame would be none the wiser. She''d also be the one taking it easy with Undwote. And damned would she be as the God of Death gazes upon her.


    It made me smile, actually, knowing I''d soon be done with her. Money was nice, sure, but it only went so far. Her childish behaviour and unstable mind made the job a lot less bearable than it should''ve been. I also just didn''t like what she did.


    Shipping people about was one thing, you handed them over and you got paid. A simple transaction for a simple, vile act. What she did, however, was the part I never wanted to see. You watched as she broke down dozens upon dozens of women for another''s provocations.


    It was an unsettling process to watch and be a part of but I kept it bottled up for now. Now, though, I would finally see all that disgust flow out of me in one carefully thought-up plan. Well, a quickly thought-up plan might''ve been a better description. It was quite shorthanded in terms of notice.


    But, that hasn''t stopped me or Ivahstar before. The profession simply demanded that of us. There was no time for carefully laid plans. You just needed a rough idea and the grit to pull it off.


    Funnily enough, however, despite how insecure the plan might seem outwardly. It was probably the safest one Ivahstar and me have ever dreamed up together. I went in and sorted out the distraction while they came in another way. And with all this warehouse searching, it had never been easier to make a distraction.


    "In a bit, Bossman." one of the guys says as we part ways upon entering the establishment. Up above, there was a briefly hopeful Madame but I dashed that real quick. So now I just had to pretend I was heading in deeper. Then, when a moment came along, I snatched up what I needed without so much as a second glance.


    "Spring in your step?" one of the guys questioned as he briefly put down his newstablet.


    "To get out as much energy as I can to make it more convincing that I don''t have it in me anymore." I respond back with before I head on down into the dungeons.


    "Just don''t tire yourself out down there." he says before he likely goes back to what he was up to before.


    "The answer is ''tyre,'' right?" I call back up to him before I reach the bottom of the stairs. Whatever he replied with, I did not hear it. But I was quick to catch an earful of the Madame''s requests and desires. And for a moment, I just watched with an enlightened eye.


    "AH!" the aelenvari screamed one final time before I stepped in and had the boys step away.


    "Madame wants her bloodied, Hrurim." one says with a fake cough as he took the moment to wipe his knuckles of blood. Curiously enough, it was more of his blood.


    "You''ll bloody yourself at this rate." I tell the lot while looking down at their knuckles. Waving them off one final time before I kneeled down before the chained-up woman. A drive remained in her eyes and because she hadn''t been given that poison. Her body showed it a lot more.


    "Finally aware of your limitations, Root?" she spits verbally and literally at me.


    "Indeed, the limitations of my employment here." I tell her before I unveil the keys before her eyes. And, for a moment, her black eyes lit up as if this was the very thing she was looking for. But, as tough as she was acting, I could tell she had, had enough. Their knuckles might''ve been shaven of skin, but she was all kinds of purple and all the other colours of the bruise rainbow.


    "Why''re you...?" she questioned before she started to glare as I got up without doing a thing. Truth be told, I wanted to let her out, but I knew I was being watched. So I went along with it and made it look like I was crushing her hopes and dreams.


    "One way to go about it." one of the guys said with a nod of appreciation as the aelenvari came to life with anger.


    "And make sure to be gentle about it." I tell them as I stare briefly at their weapons. If she lived or died was no concern of mine. But, it would make my job a lot harder. That aelenvari had a lot of magic in her, and that magic was dangerous.


    She was not the only one, though, the secluded one was also viable. So I kept on walking until I got down the final flight of stairs. A feeling of apprehension was building up in me as well. But that was just the typical pre-job nervousness.


    .


    .


    .


    "Wake up now." the lead human man told me as he approached my cage with an openly displayed set of keys.


    "W-Where are you taking me!?" I asked fearfully as I moved away from the door. An action that only gained further justification as I watched him open the door. However, he lacked anyone else around him and that made me suspicious on top of paranoid. I know Rose''lhia was aware that I was here, but I have also heard her screams for a short while now...


    "I''m taking you nowhere, but, your best friend is, says his name is Opportunity." the man jokes before he tosses me the keys which I quickly grab. I quickly built up magic inside of my hand as well and prepared to make the most of it. So I attacked him the moment his guard seemed down enough and I seemingly knocked him out.


    "Th-Thank you." I tell the knocked-out man with a now bleeding head. And once I got out the cell, I put my back up against the wall and kept an ear open for what might be happening upstairs. I could not hear anyone coming, so I waited for a moment. Then, when I was sure the sounds were all beyond the stairs, I came out.


    Keeping quiet on these stone steps, however, was not an option so I rushed on up. Building up my magic in my hand before I jumped out into the open. Unleashing a vortex-like spell shaped like a blooming flower as I did so. The confusion and pain of human men then filled the air as they flew about the dungeon.


    Then, to the backdrop of clattering items, I made my way around and started to unlock everything. Letting out those who I could only to watch as some of them did nothing. However, when I came upon Rose''lhia, I found myself stopping. It would''ve been so easy to just...


    "It''s alright, let me get you out of there." I found myself saying to her regardless as I unlocked her cage and then undid her chains. Smiling in thanks at the beaten up woman before she clung to me for support.


    "He''s... In the... Wind-thorn flower..." she struggled to get out before she started to cough up blood.


    "Thank you." I tell her as I help her up. And were it not for her, I might''ve never seen my son. Because her quick thinking took down one of the guards before I even turned around. So I nodded again in thanks.


    "Just get us... Into the streets..." she tells me before I shake my head after dropping her down into a corner. Her confusion was clear but I intended to be as clear with her as possible.


    "If you can get out on your own, do so. But I have something I need to sort out first..." I explain to her as magic once again built up in my hand. That woman endangered my son... Orchestrated an attempt to kidnap me and held me hostage while tormenting me about his safety...  I was going to kill her, and I would make sure she knew it was me.


    "N-No... He needs you... Don''t waste this..." Rose''lhia pleads as she keeps me still with the strength of an ivy-mother. But with the drive I could only hope she learns about later in her life, I forced my way out of her grip. I then looked at her once more in the eye and smiled sadly.


    "And he will be in my arms again... But I need to do this." I tell her as I rise to my points with a grip full of swirling magic. The same spell as last time was ready to go once more and I quickly went up the stairs. Firing off the spell and devastating the room in one go once I rose to the top.


    And with an aggressive turn, I moved into another room and unleashed a spell from my other hand. But, I was not quick enough to stop their weapons from going off and loud bangs filled the building. Yet, after putting both my hands together, I was confident I could stop anyone from rushing down those hallways. Then, after briefly coming into near contact with their guns...


    I stepped out and nearly demolished the entire hallway ahead of me. A shower of gore briefly filled my vision before I charged further up the building. I had no idea where that woman was, but I had a feeling her ego put her at the centre of it all. And my judgement call was quickly proven right when I heard-


    "PROTECT THE MADAME!" one of the humans roared as they drew their guns and fired at me. But as the magic swirled about me, their bullets did mostly nothing. Yet I could not keep it up, so I let loose all I could in one great blast. Gunfire from another part of the building made me jump, though.


    But I found myself breathing an excited breath of relief when it turned out to be just echoes. Yet that came with its own troubling implications. Yet, after briefly looking back down the stairs. I came to the conclusion that I was fine for now.


    And I walked up to the door that concealed this so-called Madame from me. Though it might''ve appeared effortless, the sounds of cracking wood and bending metal made it clear it wasn''t. And I stepped into that vile woman''s office with palms full of green magic. With a glare that was seemingly set into my features permanently.


    "Wh-What the..." she let out fearfully as she hid behind a skinny, unarmed man.


    "You think you can threaten my son?" I asked her as I let some of my magic off. Smashing apart her chairs and desk into fine splinters. The sound of smashing glass then filled the room shortly afterwards. And my magic grew with increased ferocity as I approached her.


    To my surprise, however, after being hysterical for a brief moment. She pulled out a weapon and killed the man she was hiding behind. And with a crazed gaze, she swung that weapon at me while cackling. Sparks of lightning seemingly coming out of nowhere.


    "OH, I AM SO SCARED! YOU THINK YOU CAN SCARE ME, AELENVARI!? DO YOU THI-" she began to ramble on before I intercepted that sparking rod of hers willingly. And with gritted teeth, I stared at her as I moved my palm closer to her face.


    "Do not ever, threaten my little one." I told them as I brought the magic against their face. And, with the kind of experience only I could really have on the subject. I force-fed her my magic and smiled sadistically as she started to bulge up. With terror in her eyes did she scratch and claw at me.


    And with one final glare, I blasted her out of this room and through the glass. A trail of blood followed her before a disgusting pop sounded out from the room below. Then, I collapsed in exhaustion. Having drained myself of magic in this little vendetta of mine...


    "Little One... Please wait just a little longer... I am coming..." I fearfully let out as I grow increasingly aware that this might be my last moment alive. Someone was coming and the gunshots had started up again. It was all so very close... But, a sense of relief started to fill me when I saw the signs of magic filling the air.


    "I told you... To... Get..." Rose''lhia tried to say before she fell down in a mixture of pain and exhaustion.


    "And I told you to..." I started to say before I tried to humour her by cutting myself. And while I tried to pick her up, I felt how much power she had still in her.


    "What?" she barked as she stared at me intensely.


    "I understand this might seem a little strange, Rose''lhia. Given how, we don''t trust each other. But, I want you to use me as a conduit for your magic." I say to her as a sense of panic filled me up. What was I even suggesting!?


    "No... You need to be well when we..."


    "Rose''lhia, it might be our only way out of this. My magic is gone, wasted on this revenge of mine... You aren''t strong enough to use your magic normally. You need something that can at least handle your power." I try to explain to her as she started to lose balance. Forcing me to hold even more of her weight.


    "Then pass me that..." she says as she points a hand towards the wall of stolen treasures.


    "R-Right..." I let out, somewhat embarrassed by the sight of a staff she could use. I suppose the benefit of that as well was that she could use it to walk on her own.


    "Let''s just get going now..." she tiredly complains as she starts to thud along the floor. Yet, even with that staff in her hands, I still made a point of supporting her. And when the first human came into sight, a sphere of air surrounded us. Every bullet they tried to kill us with was stuck in the barrier.


    And with a flick of her hands, the bullets popped out of the barrier and shot out all over. Hundreds of holes quickly formed and the humans were quick to retreat. An uncomfortable amount of them still survived, however. But I could also not expect Rose''lhia to make a point of killing them.


    Yet, thankfully, these men backed away as we got closer to the door and they only made a few passes at us before stopping. And once the clear orbitlight entered my eyes again, I smiled. I was so close to holding my little one again. And thankfully, no worried bystanders got in the way either.


    We were able to just go across the streets in our little bubble until we got closer to the main gate. The wind-thorns here, however, were not so quick to let us out and they quickly surrounded us. The strange relaxation I felt once I got used to the bullets being stopped did not apply here. I could see that these humans were in a different league.


    Where as the ones before flickered in my eyes... Barely any magic at all. These ones had as much if not more internal-magic than even I. Even if they had little in the way of spell-casting capability, they were still strong.


    "What''s going on down here?" one of the wind-people asked as they came down from the walls to appear before us.


    "Rose''lhia, drop the barrier..." I whisper to her as I watch the weapons of these humans level at us. Sword and gun this time.


    "You..." Rose''lhia said as the barrier dropped in an instant.


    "Unhand me this moment."


    "Rose''lhia!" I let out as I watched her harshly grab the wind-person.


    "Where is he!? Where is the sapling!?" she aggressively asked him before that man turned to me.


    "And who is this?" the man asked as he lost the concern regarding Rose''lhia''s aggressive behaviour.


    "I-I... I''m his mother..." I nervously answered as I tried to pull Rose''lhia back.


    "A simple test, then. Open the gate!" he commented before he barked an order. Within moments he was then taking us into the great camp outside the human town. And, thankfully, a sensation of safety began to fill me as we went by all these wind-thorns. Their power and strength would''ve been enough to look after my son...


    "Huncomm, Sir!" a differently dressed man said as he suddenly stiffened.


    "The aelenvari child?"


    "Their condition has not improved..." he started to explain clearly before he saw me and Rose''lhia.


    "Don''t mind them, carr-"


    "WHERE IS MY SON!?" I screamed as I let go of Rose''lhia and copied what she did earlier. Hysterical anger was in my eyes as I held onto him tightly. Regardless of all the thorns that were now watching us.


    "Go on ahead." he simply told me before I shoved him aside and rushed into the tent.


    "SPRUCE!?" I screamed before I heard a cry I could never forget.


    "Mama!" he weakly cried as he struggled to move in the bed he was in.


    "SPRUCE!" I screamed as I scrambled into the bed to hold him. Crying as he did as I tried my best to fill him with what magic I could. My little one was weak and cold and I needed to help him. I would not leave this bed until I could guarantee he was safe.


    "Mama..." he whined as his face dug into my filthy clothes.


    "Shhhhh... It''s alright now... It''s alright now." I told him again and again. Hugging him tighter and tighter until I heard someone walk in.


    "I leave him in your care, then." the wind-person said before Rose''lhia stumbled in and fell to the ground. By her insistence, however, the wind-people did not help her and they just watched.


    "Is he...?" she asked as her gaze focused on my crying child.


    "He''ll be alright, yeah..." I tell her with a smile as I calm down slowly. Whatever problems my little one was going through, they were rapidly going away. His body was full of magic and he had weight to him. It could''ve only been that he missed me so much.


    And I peppered his face with little kisses as a result, because I missed him too. I missed him more than he could ever understand. But I still wanted to try and let him grasp it. So I made sure he was well aware of how much I loved him.


    "We have to get going, then..." Rose''lhia struggled to get out from the floor.


    And I smiled down at her, "No, we need to rest."


    "I know a place, then..." she tells me as regret fills her eyes.


    .


    .


    .


    "Damn plant." I curse quietly as I got up while rubbing my bleeding head. Shaking it a couple of times before I stumbled up the stairs. A groan of annoyance quickly leaving me once I was beholden to the mess. Those aelenvari had made quite a mess of the place.


    My boys down here were dead and the other aelenvari were stumbling cluelessly about. And as I tried to leave this disgusting place, I shoved them out of my way. Making it up halfway before a gun was suddenly pointed at me. And, with a lack of amusement, I growled at the boys staring down at me.


    "S-Sorry, Bossman!" they let out as I got out of the dungeons and came out into the light.


    "Breakout?" I asked as I played into the pain that throbbed throughout my head. It did genuinely hurt and I would need a moment when I could. But I still needed to make it clear no betrayal had happened.


    "Yeah, two of the aelenvari just came up and started flinging spells!" one of them explains as I wobble by a chair. Smirking knowingly before I dropped into the seat.


    "Alright, make sure the others don''t escape. We''ll go out and sort those two out soon enough." I groan as I tear off something to cover my new head wound. A hiss left me near instantly while the sensation below the torn cloth made me queasy.


    "Bossman, you going to need a?" one of the boys asked as he stared at my bloodied head.


    "No! Just do as you''re told." I tell him before I glanced upwards towards the Madame''s office. On the inside, I prayed and prayed and then I got up. A gun in my free hand as I made it clear that I would check the office.


    And with a tsk, I came to survey the mess those aelenvari caused up here. Just beyond this wrecked lounge was an even more wrecked office. Yet, there was no sign of the Madame. A detail that made my heart pound with excitement.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Then, as I walked to the broken glass, "Hope the hounds tear you apart." I spit out once I saw a bloodied corpse in what appeared to be a dress.


    After that, I just took a moment to sit in one of the still whole chairs. A tired sigh then left me before I then just fired my gun at the body. Something I repeated until it was empty of all bullets. I was also, however, left with a bunch of guys surging up here to check the noise.


    "Bossman!?"


    "Never mind me, just venting." I answer as I toss the heated, empty gun away before I got up.


    "Right, Bossman." they nod with a lack of certainty before they went back to doing whatever. And in the brief moment of peace I was now afforded. I went about the corpse''s office and took my choice of the gifts it held. Anything I could not put in my pockets went into the spare jacket I had in here.


    With full pockets, I then left the office and headed downstairs with a distinct jingle. They did not notice, though, and I quickly made it out through the back door before I dumped it all. With a quick gesture as well, I turned on one of the pieces of equipment I did take from the warehouse. A confident smirk on my face as I turned back towards the establishment.


    I still had an act to perform and right now, that meant pretending to give a damn about revenge. So I patted the shoulders of those I walked by and brought them into the briefing room. And after they all sat down, I chugged down some alcohol I snatched on the way. Some of which I just poured straight onto the wound.


    "AAAAAHHHHHHH!" I loudly groaned as the magic-dense liquid both exasperated and dulled the pain.


    "Well, Bossman?" one of the boys asked as they checked their rounds.


    "As you all are probably aware, those two new aelenvari have done us in. Killed yer pals and wrecked your prospects of employment. So here I am with a lovely solution. We''re going to go and find them, and of course, pop their heads open." I explain to them before sadistic cheers filled the room.


    "Now?"


    "Not for the moment..." I tell the now disappointed crowd as I gestured to my injury, "It''s personal, see."


    "Then what do we do in the meantime?"


    "Just patrol the town and its outskirts, grab everyone else once downstairs is sorted out and find them. Then, come back to me and we''ll sort it out."


    "Can''t we just do it while we''re out there?"


    "What part of ''it''s personal,'' did you miss?" I asked him sarcastically. In truth, I just wanted the building quieter as Ivahstar and Heiya did their thing. But it also gave me an opportunity to just dump the place without a batted eye. After all, personal vendettas were done with clouded judgement...


    The boys I''d take with me just might, hit a particularly bad case of death. And now that I thought about it, I also needed to distract those who would get left behind. But I suppose the Union might suddenly stumble upon our plans. They didn''t like it when problems involved themselves, after all.


    "What about the Madame?" one of them then asks. And I stopped, briefly unsure of what to say as that was a big one. I have seen her corpse and could''ve potentially actually been the one to kill her.


    "She made it out," I lied as I brought out my pipe, "her escape hatch had been opened."


    "There''s an escape tunnel up there...?" one of the boys questioned.


    "Yeah, and why would she or I let you know about it?" I asked him as if he were stupid. And, he bought it, he felt stupid. Then, with that out the way, I left the building and went for a walk. Occasionally making sure I wasn''t being followed throughout.


    Even if there wasn''t much to be worried about, it only paid well to have some paranoia right now. One bad trail and this plan I worked out with the other two would become undone. So I needed to act as if I belonged in the Union''s great drama institutions. Needed to achieve that dream I never had!


    "Ah, who am I kidding, just give me someone to be annoyed at and that''s that." I comment openly before I lit the contents of my pipe. Smoking it with a happy sigh as I walked down the busy street without a care in the world. A lighter soul now dwelt within me, and I was feeling a lot better. Finally, I was done with that woman.


    So maybe I should prepare a thank you of some kind for those aelenvari? Were it not for them, I would not have had this opportunity. Well, I probably would have anyway knowing Ivahstar''s skills. But, it was those two that did it for me this time.


    But what did aelenvari even like? I honestly could not answer and my view of them was skewed the wrong way. However, knowing this was all over a child, I did figure something out. So I headed on down to a shop I knew dealt in that.


    With a little bell announcing my arrival once I disposed of the pipe contents, I looked about. Frowning in confusion to the worried glances of those shopping alongside me. It was somewhat amusing, but I did not get hung up on it. I was however focusing a lot on the softness of it all.


    "Damn brats..." I complained as I was quite partial to the soft touch of some things every now and then. But, most of it was only ever for little kids and their thin easily cut skin. And that thought made me smile, given my current circumstances. That was enough shopping, however, so I just picked a toy up and went to pay for it.


    "Children can be quite the handful, can''t they?" the girl serving me joked as she stared uncomfortably at my injury.


    "They''re more trouble than they''re worth." I answer, even if I was speaking about something she had no idea about. Like, she could not even begin to grasp what I had been putting up with recently.


    "And somehow, that smile makes it all worth it." she thinks she jokes knowingly as we sort the transaction out. And, with a swift about turn, I went back outside and prepared my pipe once again.


    .


    .


    .


    "I told you, told you that, that was a reckless plan." the elderly human told me as she came by to check up on me once again. And, rather annoyingly, to pass the same comments as before.


    So I rolled my eyes subtly and looked towards the window, "The ifs do not matter."


    "I suppose they don''t, but how else am I going to teach you caution?"


    "I don''t need to be taught anything by you..." I answer back with, glaring as I did so.


    "I''m only offering advice."


    "If I needed such a thing, I would ask for it. Otherwise, watch your tongue!" I snap as she finishes up with her checkups.


    "Feel free to pop down later if you are hungry." she offers with a kind smile before she leaves. And, as she did so, I snorted in amusement. Not at her offer, but at the forced smile.


    I then look down at the bed I was in, "Make sure the sapling is well-fed first..." I quietly mutter.


    Looking up with a sigh before staring out towards the daylit street. Despite the trouble me and Dandel''lhia went through to get out of that place. The outside world does not seem to have been affected in the slightest. The wind-thorns had done nothing and the humans were apathetic.


    It was an interesting thing to ponder, given how surely the noise must''ve alerted someone? Yet, at the same time, it was quickly departing my mind as it did not matter now. That hideous root-thing was dead, and we had escaped. Now all that remained was that we got to the garden-mount.


    Were it not for the sapling''s words, we''d be there by now and I would be smiling without a care. But, even then, I felt like I would''ve come back for Dandel''lhia... Not because I missed her or regretted sending her out there. But because I would be watching as her son longingly looked at all the other mothers.


    On that topic, though, I found myself rising to my points with a sense of determination. There were mothers-to-be within that building that we had left behind. Regardless of if they were roots or not, even the slightest chance one of them was a son got me up. I had to do something.


    Yet, at the same time, I could no longer find the motivation to do so. I had retrieved Dandel''lhia, a fellow petal for her son. My responsibilities in this place had vanished and all that remained was the garden-mount. But, once again, I found myself stumped.


    Normally, this would have never been an issue. But while I was there, attempting to save Dandel''lhia. I got to experience what it was like to be an ivy-mother again. I was an ivy-mother once more for such a short time.


    The life I left behind briefly came back to me within that place... It was like that corrupted honey in a way, it has left me with a hunger for something particular. Only with this, it was something good and something that benefitted my people. It was foolish of me to give up my duties as an ivy-mother.


    There were children that needed protecting and my support, families that depended on me. And I gave it all up for a selfish desire that went nowhere. Nin did not love me, but I loved him, I loved him so much... But at the same time, if he did not love me, then there was no reason for me to be there...


    One of the very reasons I loved him is why I could never be there for him. My magic paled in comparison to his, even as I stood in this place as the strongest. I watched him hold his own against a Valkinvar, one of the divine-chosen warriors of Waionr... And I struggled to save one mother in a den of vile decadence.


    "Yet, I am doing this because I want Nin to love me..." I admit tearfully as I limped towards the window. I did nothing to hide the tears as I put my head out the window.


    "Rose''lhia, someone is here to see you." Dandel''lhia of all people said, much to my surprise. And the oddness of it made me jump. But my position and my injuries did not have pleasant results.


    "Da..." I started to swear before I held it back upon seeing the sapling. That hatred was still in his eyes, but there was something in his hands.


    "I told him about what you did for me, and he is here to thank you." Dandel''lhia explains with a warm smile as she gently pushes her reluctant son forward.


    "N-No... It''s fine... I don''t deserve it." I tried to explain as the sapling moved closer and closer. Yet, once they got close enough, their expression shifted completely.


    "Good woman!" he chirped as he handed me that toy of his. Only now, rather than having a picture of just him and his mother. It now was a picture of me in my bed as those two smiled next to me. A clear message was also written along the bottom of it.


    "Thank you..." I read aloud with an uncertain vortex of emotions within my head.


    "We''re still willing to go to the garden-mount with you, by the way." Dandel''lhia then adds on once her son dashes back into her arms.


    "Then we go no- AH!" I start to say before a sharp pain surges up from my leg.


    "Not until you have had some time to rest, Rose''lhia. We don''t have anyone that we can ask to heal you, so you''ll just have to rest and let your body handle it."


    "No! We need to get you..." I try to say before she herds me back into the bed.


    "I''ve been away from our flower long enough, I can wait some more. And he has never been there, so I am sure he doesn''t understand what he is missing." Dandel''lhia explains before she jokes about her son''s unfortunate circumstances.


    "Then we shouldn''t make it be any longer..." I mutter as I look away from the results of my choices. This sapling was not with his father because of my cruelty. And this mother was not there for the same reasons. And she would go back to her home scarred because of my jealousy.


    Jealousy that went on to mean nothing as I fell in love with another...


    "Rose''lhia," she starts to say as she puts her hand on mine, "it''s fine. Just focus on resting."


    "I... I can''t..." I admit before I look back out the window.


    "I''m sure we can find something to dull the pain."


    "It''s not the throbbing that bothers me, Dandel''lhia. It''s the roots I was with, they need me..." I tell her. Only to find myself glaring as she started to giggle.


    "S-Sorry... I''m sorry, I just... Never expected to hear that from you. Even before all of this happened... When I thought I knew you well, it was clear you weren''t too fond of those who weren''t petals."


    "Obviously, have you seen them?" I snort before I smiled gently at her attempt at humour. She was right, though, it was such a strange thing for me to display. But the circumstances weren''t exactly normal either.


    "No, actually, they kept me down in the darkest part of that dungeon nearly my entire stay there."


    "I had a feeling you were kept away somewhere deeper until I finally sensed you. I never once saw you in any of the cells I commanded during my unpleasant stay."


    "Commanded?" she questioned with a bemused smile.


    "What? You think I was just going to let those roots walk over me even while my body was tainted by that foul substance that creature made?" I asked her, huffing cockily at any potential doubt.


    "Foul substance?" she questioned, much to my surprise.


    "She sneaked in spiked breast-honey into our food and drink and worked up our bodies into a lustful frenzy. Thankfully, she was clearly getting it from the roots so I was able to keep it under control."


    She gasps quietly, "That sounds awful..."


    "Ironically, it made you feel good, so you only ever felt bad about it being inside of you after it was all said and done."


    "You didn''t... Give into to it, did you?" she cautiously asks me as she looks down at my belly. An action that offended me to the point of aggression.


    "OF COURSE NOT!" I scream angrily, scaring the sapling in the process, "I just kept my mind on my Love..." I then add on as quietly as I could.


    "That''s sweet." she comments, clearly having heard what I said. And her words only made the blush on my face burn hotter and spread further.


    "I don''t want it to ever happen to me again, though... When I found you, I could feel my control slipping. Foul desires were there and I would not have cared if my discipline failed. After all, all the roots back there loved to show you what it was like if you failed to keep your pride..." I explain with a grim expression.


    "I understand it''s a strange thing for me to say, having not received this corrupted honey. But, don''t think too harshly of them, Rose''lhia. It''s a lonely life as a root."


    "How would yo-" I start to question before her scars reminded me of the plan I had for her. Where I''d dye her hair and dress her up in an unremovable set of root leathers. She was to be so close to the one she loved but she would never be allowed near him again.


    "It''s alright, that''s all in the past now."


    "Is it? the consequences of my actions are why we are all here, to begin with." I say to her, something she was more than happy to nod along to. Even with this attempt by her to at least be kind and understanding.


    "So... Are you hungry?" she asks me awkwardly, clearly having little idea of how to move away from the topic.


    "Not particularly, no, but, I could do with a change of scenery." I say before I tried to get out of the bed again.


    "Take this with you, at the very least." she tells me as she hands over that staff I used on our way out of that place.


    "I''m sure I said I did not want to see this thing again." I comment grimly as I looked at the hideous attempt to emulate an ivy-mother''s staff. One final piece to that dreaded costume that I became so enthralled in. With the help of the corrupted honey, it was so easy to just lose it. I probably would have if I had this in my hand then.


    But, thankfully, those foul creatures wanted me to make use of the usual ways they entertained people. So that pole which could''ve stripped me of my dignity as the honey flowed through me was in fact my saviour. Yet, despite what I also just said in regards to this staff. I wanted to hold it and use it.


    I wanted to at least feel like an ivy-mother again, even if I wasn''t. That desire stayed within me even without the honey. I longed to be at the top once again... It was such a childish dream that I tried to put down.


    But even now, I held onto the obvious pandering with a smile on my face. Even Dandel''lhia''s bemusement did not make me stop. Nor did her son as he joined in with the laughter even if he did not know why. However, once we finally came across some humans, the pretending stopped.


    "Where do they keep the food?" I asked, having not paid much attention to this place beforehand.


    "Right there." Dandel''lhia tells me as she points to the long line of covered tables.


    "Good, we''ll go there later then." I say with a nod as we move closer to the counter with the two human sons sat by it.


    "Well, look who is finally up!" the youngest cheerfully lets out as he gets in the way of the older one. A short-lived fight then broke out as the older one was quickly frustrated by this. Yet, as their mother walked out to see us, it died off.


    "Feeling better, Darling?" she asked me as she came out from behind the counter to pass me a chair.


    "No, thank you." I tell her before I am forced into it regardless.


    "Just sit, Rose''lhia." Dandel''lhia chastises before she sits down on a stall. With her son being moved onto the counter itself. And, it felt weird to be arranged like this, because I was positioned very low in comparison. So I had to look up at everyone...


    "Oh, that''s a lot of new faces." the mother then commented as a large group of human men walked into the building. And, rather oddly, they began to clear the room out with obnoxious behaviour. But when one of them walked in with a smoking pipe, I became worried.


    "Dandel''lhia... Run." I tried to tell her before failing to get out of the seat.


    "Excuse me, no smokin-" the mother began to say before they all pulled out their guns and pointed them at us.


    "MA!" one of the boys said before he stopped as a gun was brought up right at his face.


    "Sorry to be a bother, but, you have something that belongs to us." the pipe-smoking man comments as he walks closer to us with a gun of his own.


    "Leave..." I warn as I try to bring out my magic. But, with when that gun clicked next to me. I stopped... There was no way I could beat a twitch of their finger...


    "I plan on doing so, once I am done with one final thing." he says as he reached into his coat before he handed a gift-wrapped box to the sapling.


    "What..." Dandel''lhia let out in confusion before the man stepped away.


    "Bossman? The ever-living thack is that?" one of the goons asked their head as he moved closer to the door.


    "Part one of my gift."


    "Bossman, whatcha talk-" that same one began to say before he was suddenly brought down with a bang. And, In quick succession that I had trouble following, the rest of them all dropped dead too.


    "You won''t have to worry about the Madame bothering you anymore." he said with a smirk before he dropped the gun and disappeared into a sudden mist. His gun then suddenly exploded as well and it clearly frightened all of us.


    "MA!" the sons roared as they went to their mother to comfort her as she stared blankly at the dead now filling up her place.


    "What was that about...?" I questioned before the sound of approaching thorns filled my ears. What was going on out there? Had they heard the gunshots? No, this seemed like it was something else...


    There was so much magic gathering beyond the walls of this place.


    .


    .


    .


    "OH!" I laughed out nervously, "I am never doing that again!" I admit as my heart pounded within me. So very close behind me was an amassing force of Union soldiers and I just gave them a reason to look my way. Thankfully, we had the foresight to acquire some tools that helped in escaping. Namely, magic-concealing smoke bombs.


    And of course, that runed gun that self-destructed...


    "Undwote, please don''t come near me." I commented as I slinked deeper into the back alleys and narrow passages of this town. Popping out on the other end and keeping to the crowds for as long as I could before I departed. For a brief moment as well, I was running up a dangerous pathway until I reached a high-up perch I could nest at. From there, I just relaxed and looked down at the town.


    A somewhat satisfied smile on my face as a growing mass of polished steel appeared before the establishment. Whatever commands were spoken I could not here, but I did catch a slight glimpse of fired shots. The boys were already on edge from the breakout, and to have the Union suddenly rush in? Well, the establishment was no more.


    "Sa haw yaaa da it?" Heiya asked me as she suddenly dropped down in front of me. A rope attached to her belt and a grin on her face.


    "I don''t know, Union just caught word of the Madame''s intentions." I joked as I took hold of her paws and body holster.


    "Nat aaa hug, by the waaay." she comments as we slowly ascend from the pick up point.


    "Thank the gods for that." I remark as my gaze focuses on her spines.


    "I''ll drap yau!" she angrily retorts, offended by my comments. But her anger was hollow and it quickly disappeared once we got up and over.


    "Once again, I have to admit I am impressed." I say as I dust the moss and chalk-like markings off my clothes. My gaze focused on the small pile of treasures and hard cash that they got out of there.


    "More left behind." Ivahstar tsks before he starts bringing all the equipment back in. Whatever was cheaply made, however, was just dumped on the ground. I personally might''ve kept it, but I knew how he was. Quality was needed with him and it was hard enough convincing him to use this stuff.


    Ironically enough, though, he often used disposable rubbish that barely worked the first time. But that no longer mattered, so I rummaged through it all quickly and brought out a map. Tapping my foot as I raked my brain for what knowledge I had regarding them. Then, as I came to a stop, I put my hand up.


    "My nearest place is in that general direction." I tell them before I notice that they were lingering by the cliff edge. And when I went over to see, I found them watching the Union soldiers do their jobs flawlessly.


    "I wauldn''t mind ane af thase." Heiya comments as she likely stares at the fancy guns the Union used.


    Her father, on the other hand, "You sure no chase?"


    "Positive as can be. Despite them being next door to the town, they don''t pay much mind to what happens within. At least, not until they catch wind of war-hampering efforts." I explain to him, repressing the need to chuckle at the end. As if some gang of kidnappers could ever pose a threat to an army like that.


    "Still, we go. Quickly." he shoots back with before he harshly tugs his daughter away from the edge. She looked ready to complain as well until she found herself placed in the wagon. At which point she stay quiet and satisfied while I frowned at my old friend.


    "You seriously expect me to play the role of a working animal?" I ask him, dreading the answer and the state of my back later down the line.


    "For now." he answers with a smirk as he too hooks himself up at the front.


    "Damn dirt-eating hwardgon." I swear quietly as I put my loose stuff into a small open space on the wagon. Copying what he did before I then waited for the single to come. And with a rough bark, we started to move the treasure along what resembled a road up here.


    "Hrurim." Ivahstar then says all of a sudden after a quiet period of sweat-enducing labour.


    His tone, however, is what caught my attention the most, "Yeah?"


    "Once this done. Down below?" he seemingly pleads while his daughter suddenly shot towards the front of the wagon.


    "Paps...?" she questions while I raise a brow at his words.


    "You intend to go after them?" I ask him as I stare into those eyes of his. Malicious anger was present along with a plethora of other things. Most of all, however, I could see the doubt in his eyes. He wanted to go after them, but his daughter kept catching his attention.


    "Paps, na!" Heiya tells him before she looks at me and urges me to say the same with hysterical head shakes.


    "If that is what my friend wants to do, I shall try my damndest." I tell him, to which he uncharacteristically refuses to acknowledge. It was easy to tell a lot was on his mind right now. Heiya, though, was far easier to read.


    She did not like what I had to say.


    "NA! I wan''t haaave Paps endaaanger himself like thaaat!" she declares before she tries to hamper our journey. But, when I interfered with these actions, she gave up on it quickly. And instead, she jumped off the wagon and ran ahead of us. Getting in our way instead.


    "Heiya..." her father uttered quietly. What followed, however, was a switch to their native tongue and I lost track of what was being said. But, I could make accurate guesses as to what was being said. And overall, it left me sighing as uncertainty suddenly filled me.


    What had gotten into him anyway...? Did something we talk about before linger in his mind? Now that he was paid, was it finally coming out? Was this always going to happen.


    Whatever the reason, it was clearly tearing the duo apart and they got quite aggressive. So, as they argued, I unhooked myself and stood between the two shortfolk. Keeping a palm raised at both of them as I worked to get their attention on me. With a quiet tsk, I then sat down between them.


    Urging them to do the same as I swapped my gaze between them, "So I can understand, please?"


    "Paps is aaan idiat!" Heiya struggles to keep quiet.


    "Home!" her father asserts aggressively as he suddenly shakes the wagon handles.


    "Aur hame aaain''t dawn there, Paps... It''s nat." the poor, scared girl tells him as she trembles like a leaf. If I recalled correctly as well, she was quite young when this whole affair started. It must''ve been inflated in her mind as to how bad it was.


    Yet, at the same time, Ivahstar saw it all play out. He understood how it was from the very first night. He has grasped it all for years while Heiya only had a narrow view. But, both justified their terror.


    I, however, could not even begin to understand it, "Perhaps we just need to avoid the topic?"


    "No! I need know. You help?" Ivahstar insists once again as he singlehandedly brings the wagon closer so he could get in my face.


    And I sigh once more, "Ivahstar, focus on your daughter. She''s scared."


    "I knaw... It''s... Just let it ga!" Heiya struggles to say as her father grows increasingly angry. With another round of their native tongue coming out before I got angry.


    "QUIET!" I snap at the pair of them before I cover my mouth and tap my cheek. Then, slowly, I look up at them and stare Ivahstar in the eye.


    "I need to..." he pleads while his gaze kept shifting between me and his last child.


    "No, you want to. And you need to consider it more carefully." I remind him as he turns quiet.


    "Paps, there''s nathing we caaan da." Heiya tries to argue as he shakes his head.


    "No... There way. There is way." he repeats stubbornly as Heiya seemingly gives up trying to argue the topic.


    "There isn''t a way if your daughter isn''t in with it. Now, unhook yourself, and talk it out with her." I tell him, putting as much emphasis as I could on the ''talk'' part of it. He needed to understand it as clear as possible. Heiya was scared and her body quaked in terror. Ivahstar the slave-trader needed to go for a moment, Heiya''s Father needed to be here now.


    And as I oversaw his removal from the wagon''s propulsion. I made sure the two got up into the back safely before I went to the front. Inwardly, I was swearing and complaining about the new workload. Even more so once I started.


    Eventually, I stopped caring about the effort and I just kept on going. As darkness came and the wagon behind me grew quieter, I kept on going. Only stopping once I brought the wagon to what looked like a slope. And I knew full well I''d not be able to manage that even if I hadn''t just forced this damn thing across a plateau.


    So, I unhooked myself and walked around to check up on the pair before I groaned at the sight. The two had fallen asleep while making up for earlier transgressions. And I was simply too nice a guy to disturb them. Yet, if they were going to be sleeping, I wanted to too.


    "WAKEY WAKEY!" I screamed in their faces all of a sudden.


    .


    .


    .


    "Come on, Little One, that''s enough of that now." Dandel''lhia told her son as she started to pack away the toys he had been playing with.


    "No, not tired!" he complained before he suddenly twitched. And I smiled a little at the way his eyes flickered open in an attempt to hide it all.


    "There will be a time he''ll be glad it is time to rest, you know?" Dandel''lhia asks me just before I hid my smile.


    "I know of no such thing." I tell her as I turn away from her. Only to look back with an annoyed glance as she could not stop herself from giggling.


    "Alright, I''ll leave you to it, then." she remarks as she points at the fact I had not left this chair for most of the day. My injuries had confined me more so than when the wind-people suddenly came.


    "Is it... Alright if I hold him?" I asked her all of a sudden. With a nervousness I could not really explain.


    "No... I want to hold him." she tells me, much to my disappointment.


    "I suppose that is only fair." I say, thinking more so about what I had done to her than any other reason.


    "Don''t worry too much about it, Rose''lhia. You''ll understand it when you finally have yours." she kindly informs me while also condescendingly rubbing my head.


    "Get off." I snap gently as I watch her sapling fall asleep steadily despite his prior words.


    "I mean it you know, I hope you do have one of your own. It is a very special experience." she repeats before she holds her son close to her face so she could hold him closer. And, unlike all the other times I have seen a mother hold their child. I felt envious this time...


    "That is a long time away for me..." I say quietly as I start to think of my Love. Despite what I have done recently, he would not have heard about it. He would likely never hear about it... So I would have to present myself before him and show it to him.


    "It will only be as far away as you make it, trust me, I know how determined you can be."


    "Very black." I say as I giggle alongside her.


    "Best get it out of my system now, I won''t be needing it soon."


    "Yeah..."


    "So, anyway, about the one you love... Why aren''t they here with you?" she asked me all of a sudden. A question that made me defensive instantly.


    "They''re..." but I could not muster the will to speak about anything.


    "Regardless, I am sure he cares about you deeply. Who knows, maybe this will teach him just how much he misses you." she tries to say kindly before my mind fills with images of that woman. The one who stole his heart...


    "I... I don''t know..."


    "How can you-?"


    "Just be quiet, please. Your son is tired, put him to bed." I interrupt before I get to my points and slowly head on ahead.


    "Well... Good night, Rose''lhia." she says before we part ways. And I tell her nothing and instead just head straight for my own bed. Then, once the door was closed, the tears I was holding back started to come out.


    "You hear that, Nin? Someone else can see that I love you..." I say before I cover my mouth as the tears come out even more. I just didn''t know what to do. I still could not grasp if this was a good thing that I was doing or if I had just justified abandoning him again...


    Yet, eventually, the tears came to a stop and I kept an ear out. Some relief then came to me as I realised that no one was out there. But, there was something nagging at the back of my mind. So I left my room and headed for Dandel''lhia''s.


    I then opened the door slowly and quietly and walked into the dark room. Staring at the full bed before I found myself regretfully looking away. Was that ever going to be me...? It didn''t seem like it when you thought about the kind of person that I was.


    But what kind of person was I? Was I an ivy-mother that cared for all the mothers of our flower regardless? Or was I a petal who respected the reality of our people? Or was I a runt who would never see the affection I desired so much?


    Was I someone who only knew of love? Or was I someone that was loved?


    I suppose, though, I did know one thing, "Sleep well, you two." and that was that I knew how to help others love those around them.

 Incline 6: The Garden-Mount

    It wasn''t far now, our true home was just a few heart-breaking moments away. The excitement within me must''ve been enough to set me back for days as all my wounds were flaring up. Yet, it did not slow me down in the slightest and I kept on going. I kept each sudden flare to myself but I ended up coming to a stop for a different reason.


    Despite lacking the severity of my injuries, she was lagging behind. And it wasn''t because she had grown tired from carrying her son or our recovered stuff. She was just moving slow... I could see the doubt on her face but I was having trouble grasping it.


    "Dandel''lhia, we are so close, why are you hesitating?" I ask her as I slowly slope down until I was resting on the grass. Looking down at her from the incline I was formerly going up.


    "I... I can''t help but feel that I am doing all of this for nothing..."


    "What?" was all I could say as bewilderment took hold of me.


    "We''ve gone all this way, been away for so long... What if he is dead? What if we miss him and he''ll never come back? I''m just coming here to sit around an-"


    "If you don''t want to miss him, get moving." I order her as I ignore my wounds to swing my arm harshly up the rising earth.


    "Bu-"


    "Now!" I snap as I start to get up again. Staring at her intensely until she made her way ahead of me. And when she stopped again at the top of the hill, I smiled. Because seeing her react the way she did just made me smile for some reason.


    I had really done it...


    "We should get going." I say to her once I get up there to join her. Briefly smiling at the sight of our birthplace as the great concentration of magic became more visible. Despite it all as well, we could still clearly make out how the place was swarming with our kind. Not just aelenvari from elsewhere, they were the same ones I might''ve known in our flower.


    However, there was a tremendous cluster of them steadily heading out of the garden-mount. And, seeing this, Dandel''lhia rushed on ahead. Although, her son did not understand why and was just happy to be bouncing around so much. For some other reason that only existed in her head, though, she came to a stop and turned to me.


    "Move!" I tell her.


    "I can''t go home without you, Ivy-Mother." she said to me with a warm smile even if the tease was not appreciated.


    "We''ll go through the flower, then. If you are this worrisome, we''ll try and put it to rest." I tell her as I start to head slightly away from the garden-mount. If we hurried, we might be able to slip in through the stem''s part of the flower. But was there anything I could do to slow the flower''s movement? A magic signal of some kind might get through to them.


    I was doubtful of that, however, if only because of what was behind that departing flower. The sheer concentration of the people within made it both a beacon and a blinding light. Yet, for the sake of this sapling, I should at least, try. So, I slowly raised a throbbing, pain-filled arm and I started to focus some of my magic.


    Thankfully, this act went some way to just dull the pain outright. But, my mind needed to stay focused on the spell. So, I looked at the sapling one more time as he stared at my magic. A pure, innocent curiosity watched me as I tried to be of further use.


    "Watch carefully now." I tease him with, even if he did not get it. And, with a flash of light, my magic shot out of my palm and spread out across the valley. From our point of view, our vision was becoming clouded by this breeze of magic. But to them, to the people I was trying to stop, they felt me reaching out for them.


    "I... I think they''re stopping!" Dandel''lhia said excitedly as she started to tighten her grip on her son.


    "Then I will try harder!" I declare as I start to draw as much magic as I could to make my spell more powerful. However, the consequences of this reckless action saw me struggle to stand. And I collapsed shortly after.


    "Rose''lhia!" she let out in shock before she slowly kneeled beside me to check up on me.


    "Go..." I told her as I panted in exhaustion. The sudden loss of magic being very stressful on my already recovering body.


    "No... We will get there together." she refutes as she seemingly takes ahold of me with a harsh grip. It did not get to me, though, for I understood well the state my body was in. And, when I thought about it, there was something oddly humorous about this. I left our flower with bruises and broken bones, and I return the same way.


    "Do not think of me, think of him." I try to tell her, speaking of both her son and the Gilded-Bark. She just did not listen, though, and I was forced along with her. However, this left me smiling as I still wanted to get home. And it was getting closer with each step we struggled to make.


    Eventually, as well, aelenvari began to appear relatively close to us. And, oddly enough, it was roots that we first came into contact with. I could only guess what they must''ve been thinking as we moved through the crowds and their dropped supplies. For once as well, I was glad that it was not me they stared at.


    "Is that...?" one said before another would say something similar.


    "IT''S A BABY BOY!" soon erupted shortly after before a once scattered crowd grew into a dense cloud. Yet, no matter how many suddenly ran over to us to catch a glimpse of such a rare, treasured sight. They always made way for us as we headed further up the flower''s spine. And with that, came a gradual change of scenery.


    From leather-clad roots, we started to see modestly dressed stems who dropped what they were doing to see us. And within moments, an army of thorns came running out to surround us. Yet, despite the professionalism that they arrived with. Many fell to their knees and I could hear gawks of surprise.


    The further along we went as well, many of the near-petals and stronger thorns tried to reach out for him. It frightened the sapling, but with his mother there for him, he felt safe despite it all. And like before, the reactions of everyone were the same. Joy and cheers filled the air. To Dandel''lhia''s likely relief as well, help came to remove that bag off of her back.


    "Just a little further and we will see if Jaadagoren has given us false hope..." I whisper to her as our soft thuds became loud clicks. From bare, partially covered earth we moved onto the hovering, marble flooring of the petal''s district. The reaction here, though, was far tamer than the rest of the flower and many just looked our way.


    The gossip, though, I was thankful for that as that spread news of our arrival far more. If the gilded-bark of this flower was available... And pray tell that he was, if it was our one, he would find out soon. To hear of a pair of petals walk into a flower covered in wounds while clutching a baby boy?


    It was unheard of.


    And it would surely grab their attention and muster them to move. Yet, as a familiar layout appeared before us, someone moved out to stop us. It was a familiar sound that we both recognised quickly. An actual ivy-mother...


    "And who are you?" they asked with their true-voice and for some reason, I recognised it.


    "I could ask the same of you when you are wearing my dress." I answer back as I stood tall. Smirking slightly as the confidence they tried to show suddenly disappeared.


    "I-Ivy-Mother R-Rose''lhia!?" they let out with a voice full of shock both with words and their true-voice. The breakdown in how to speak even amused the sapling. Which in turn made me smile as he laughed.


    "Rose''lhia?" a far more masculine voice asked from a distance. And, the moment it reached our ears, Dandel''lhia froze up once again. This time, though, she hastily handed her son over to me as tears started to build up. And she rushed on ahead once her hectic actions deprived her of a son to hold.


    "So Motrtha is with us today." I remark as I slowly move on ahead to catch sight of an old love. And now, when I stared off into the distance. As two parted lovers embraced each other once more. I found myself...


    Not resenting the sight before me. And feeling that made me happy, because it meant I could truly say I had moved on. That Nin was the one I loved. However, I refused to let my mind wander and it was not long before Dandel''lhia broke the kiss.


    "Oh! Oh!" she started to hoot as excitement filled her, "Come here, Little One! Here! Come to Mama!" she let out with happiness-filled tears.


    "Mama sad..." her son let out as he suddenly tried to break from my grip. And from there, I just watched as he waddled as fast as he could before his mother met him halfway. With one sudden grab, she then hoisted him up and held him before a speechless Oak''endoor. Slowly, however, he started to reach out.


    "I... Is... Is this my...?" he asked tearfully as Dandel''lhia began to nod her head fanatically. A smile on her face as the sapling was suddenly snatched from him.


    "MAMA!" her son cried in fear as the Gilded-Bark spun him around and announced to the whole world what he had.


    "I HAVE A SON! I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL SON!" he roared with all the excitement he has had to otherwise keep bottled up for now. And I kept on smiling like everyone else as an impromptu celebration burst to life.


    If one listened carefully, one line stuck out the most, "The Gilded-Bark''s Son has returned!"


    Yet, that line, despite with how much cheer it was said with. It filled me with regret and I turned to leave as quietly as I could. But my earlier comments had damned me to stay here. For while Dandel''lhia celebrated with her lover, hundreds of newly made mothers came to me.


    "Ivy-Mother!" many of them cheered before I shook my head and stepped away.


    "I''m not..." I tried to say as I pointed at the petal who replaced me. But even she, dressed in that outfit, they all still kneeled to me and saw me as... It was enough to make my eyes water, but I kept myself composed for the moment.


    "You''ve come back..." a voice I once desired to be only mine let out with some traces of excitement still in his voice.


    "N-No... I''m only here to..." I started to say before that excitement clouded his judgement.


    "BRING US BACK TO THE GARDEN-MOUNT! OUR IVY-MOTHER AND MY SON HAVE RETURNED!" he roared triumphantly, with that declaration setting off the rest of our flower. And to such a point did it get, that the world seemed to tremble with true-voice and words. Yet, I was the only one to be left trembling fearfully at this.


    No one seemed to notice, however, and they just shoved it all upon me.


    "P-Please, Ivy-Mother, take this back! I am sorry for staining it with my-" the Ivy-Mother started to cry as she begged me to take it from her.


    "NO!" I snapped back at her, much to the shock of those around me.


    "Sorry, Rose''lhia, we got so excited that we did not see. Go on, rest in your bulb while we head back in. We''ll send someone in to look at your injuries." the Gilded-Bark started to say before everyone started to grab at me and take me into my old home. And while the lack of change to it was oddly appreciated. What was happening right now was not.


    "N-No! I am not staying!" I tried to tell them, but it fell upon the blind and deaf and I was left on my own as the outside world grew louder and louder. My injuries, however, kept me here despite what I wished and I just let my body rest. It was nice to be back in such nostalgic territory, but I had other things to do!


    I wasn''t the ivy-mother anymore... I should not have been here and I needed to be ready to depart soon. With our flower at the garden-mount, there was no reason for me to stay here. I had to go before the worst came to pass!


    I didn''t belong here...


    "Hello, Ivy-Mother, I am here to look at your injuries and take care of you for the time being." a decently powerful petal said as they gracefully entered my bulb.


    "Do not call me that... Your ivy-mother is out there!" I remind her to which she just shook her head.


    "No one could ever replace you." she tells me with a voice full of adoration before she restrains me so she could start applying magic. However, as my body started to somewhat heal. I took advantage of it and I forced her off of me.


    "I don''t belong here..." I let out with panicked breaths before I rushed out of the bulb.


    "Ivy-Mother!" I heard her let out before I tried to escape the flower. Thorns, however, quickly barred my escape and they tried to stop me as gently as they could.


    "Enough!" Dandel''lhia told them before she approached me on her own after sending the others away.


    "I need to go..." I tell her with a fear-filled gaze.


    "You need to rest, Rose''lhia." she thankfully said. None of this Ivy-Mother Rose''lhia stuff had gotten to her...


    "I... I know, but, I can''t stay here... I can''t let them make me..." I tried to explain before she held me in an effort to comfort me.


    "You won''t make it back to him if you head out like that." she told me, clearly speaking of my Love.


    "I don''t belong here... I have done what I intended to do..." I whimper quietly to her as I feel her start to move me back into the bulb.


    "Head on out, please." she tells the petal before she puts me back on the bed.


    "Don''t do this to me..." I ask of her, but, it was probably pointless of me. After everything I had done to her, she had all the freedom in the world now to make this moment the worst it could ever possibly be...


    "Do what...? Rose''lhia, I''m trying to help you." she clearly lied as my magic started to flare in response. If I was to be cornered, then I would fight my way out of here.


    "GET AWAY FROM ME!" I scream as the bulb is suddenly blown away in its entirety by what little magic I had left. However, she was still near me, seemingly baffled by my actions. But I knew it was an act... I know she wanted to exact vengeance upon me...


    "Rose''lhia, it is alright, you are amongst your own now." the Gilded-Bark suddenly said as he marched upon me with a stern gaze.


    "No... No..." I let out again and again as I saw those eyes. Within them was no compassion, only severity. It only meant that he had been told about what I had done.


    "Stay away!" I let out before he suddenly closed the gap and enclosed me in his grip.


    "Rose''lhia, please. You are safe now." he said to me softly as he held me tightly against his bare, muscle-bound chest. A soft grip even went through my hair as exhaustion rapidly filled me like some kind of poison.


    "Ge..." I started to say before my eyes closed. Yet they quickly opened again and I was left panicked before they closed once again.


    .


    .


    .


    "Papa...?" our son let out in confusion as he sat on my lap and looked up at his father.


    "Yes, Little One, Papa." I told him with a congratulatory tone. I understood that he had only just met him. But I wanted to get this all out of the way as quick as possible even if we had all the time in the world now.


    "It is nice hearing this." my Dear commented as he held out his hand for our son to take tentatively.


    "I''m sorry you could not be there for the first time he sp-" I started to say before his lips found mine briefly.


    "Do not worry, Dandel''lhia, the fact you are here is all that matters to me." he explained as his forehead went against mine. But, with his eyes so close, he couldn''t help but finally acknowledge my injuries.


    "Dear..." I let out with concern. I did not want to be pushed on the subject for a number of reasons. But the main one was the scared woman I tried to comfort not that long ago. Being here didn''t just mean a lot to me, it mattered a lot to her too.


    And if it got out what she did, she would never come here again...


    "I''m sorry, I''ll leave him with you, I''m going to go and check up on her again." I suddenly say as I left my son in my lover''s arms.


    "Is everything alright? You have been visiting nearly every moment since she lost consciousness." I was asked.


    "Should I not? She did bring us back to you, after all." I joke in an effort to hide my actual intent for going.


    My lover then smiled, "Make sure to tell me when she does, I want her to be well-rewarded."


    "Of course..." I nearly mutter as I start to think about how quickly this had all escalated. The flower had already been brought back into the garden-mount and the excitement had spread. It was like a joyful Patricide in how it worked out. One small thing had escalated into a mountain-wide celebration.


    And while I understood the importance of baby boys, it felt so strange watching its effect. But, I suppose it also ended up like this because of what Rose''lhia was. A full-named ivy-mother of considerable reputation and presence. Even when she was loathed and envied, she was still respected by all.


    In fact, I could still easily recall how she stood out even amongst the other ivy-mothers. Our flower was truly blessed to have someone like her for however long she was in that venerated position. But it also put into perspective as to why she was so fearful. Cruelty to roots was abundant but to another petal?


    It could never be forgiven regardless, especially for someone like me.


    If the truth about my injuries got out, or why my son and I had left, it would be over for her. Everything she had ever loved and known would suddenly detach itself from her. She would be branded and exiled forever and would never step foot here again. Her own home.


    "How is she doing?" I asked those tasked with helping her recover as my mind lingered elsewhere. Like in that foul place she worked to get me out of, the reason she had these injuries. I still found myself capable of cruel thoughts. What if I did get back at her?


    Yet, I also could not find myself going through with such thoughts in the slightest. It would take some time, but I could go on to forgive her now that she has done something like this for me. She had changed, that was clear, but had I as well? How much had we both changed, in fact?


    "She is doing fine, Dandel''lhia-evwifoad." she respectfully nodded whilst I found myself caught off guard by the honorific. It had been so long that I had forgotten that I was destined to be called it once our son sprouted from his seed. The Wife of the Greatest Man...


    Both the title and its meaning filled me with pride and I couldn''t help but smile. Yet, I did not let it cloud my mind for long. So I stepped inside and found Rose''lhia to be awake. I tried to greet her warmly, but it was clear that she would be staying on edge...


    "Can you give us some privacy, please?" I asked the petals in here as I stepped aside to let them go out into the garden-mount. And I turned back to the former ivy-mother once they had all gone.


    "Get it over with... Cut my hear and sear my flesh..." she spat as she slowly started to rise.


    "Rose''lhia, no one knows. It is just between me and you right now. And it is all behind us." I tell her as I sat down at the end of the bed.


    "No, it''s not... I know it isn''t... I have served my purpose and now I am in no capacity to leave, perfect for you!"


    "If anyone had found out, Rose''lhia, you wouldn''t be here being attended to." I point out to her with a straight face. And, as hostile as my tone might have been, I was only trying to make sure she understood. I felt a more severe tone was best for that...


    "Then let me go..."


    And this made me sight, "As I said before, you won''t make it back to even that town like this."


    "Do not tell me what I can and cannot accomplish." she snorts as the idea became firmly rooted in her mind. And, somehow, it made me smile seeing that kind of attitude. Even with her full name, she still had to work hard for the position of Ivy-Mother. Though, she certainly had an easy time doing it.


    "But, yes, Rose''lhia. There is no reason for you to be scared or concerned. You are safe. And I have no intention of revoking your right to be safe in your own home."


    "We are there, then?"


    "Of course, I know you heard the Gilded-Bark when he said to bring the flower back inside." I say with a smile as I watched her warm up emotionally. It was nice to see her happy like this.


    "I want to see it..." she then let out as she slowly tried to get out of the bed.


    "Should you be doing this?" I ask her as I get a better view of all the bruises her body had accrued. And I had a very easy time doing so as she was completely naked.


    "I can do what I want." she snorts pridefully before she steps out into the open without so much as a strap of silk.


    "Lucky." I remark enviously as I bring some attention to her state as I pass by. Teasing her with just a gentle tap before I moved slightly ahead of her. Though, I suppose being able to move away from a supporting structure was far more teasing than that small action.


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    "You know... When my Love finally has eyes for me... I want to bury my first seed here. I want to tend to it with him. I want to raise my son in this mountain like I was..." she let out with what was both a dreamy and tired sigh.


    Hearing that even made me blush a little, "You certainly have a mind for the romantic, don''t you?"


    "Of course." she says matter-of-factly.


    "So, who is your lover, anyway? Did you see a brilliant emerald light up at Suhurlodst?"


    She smiled and shook her head, "No, I saw a divine man come to our flower and prove himself."


    "Man to our flower..." I repeat before I felt like I got who it referenced, "That human champion? Nin Urtuan?"


    She nodded smiling at first, but it quickly disappeared, "Formerly human, now."


    "Hm?"


    "He became an osibindah somehow after coming back from the dead." she told me as she moved forward before she plummeted to the rich soil beneath us.


    "Wait... The osibindah we shared a dormitory with back at that academy!?" I asked her in shock as I stepped backwards at the thought. Nay, the understanding was what made me nearly collapse. To hear from her mouth that she had fallen in love with such a predator was... Something.


    But, I suppose it was the human she fell for, not the bug...


    "Yes, but, he does not love me because of the mistakes I made... He went on to love someone else while I was busy playing the fool..." she cried as her hands dug into the soil.


    "Rose''lhia, as you have shown, mistakes can be righted. If his eyes can set on someone, then they can set on you!" I try to comfort her with as her cries started to turn into howls.


    "No, he won''t! You don''t know a thing! I turned on him when he needed me the most! The man who risked his life for me was one I turned away from just because I saw someone else whose magic was greater!" she explained in one big go.


    "Rose''lhia... I..." I tried to say before I went quiet, unsure of how to handle this. But, looking around uncomfortably made me acutely aware of the gazes directed at us.


    "There is nothing I can do to bring him back to me... If he was ever with me at all... That woman with blue hair... Comatose in a bed in that city, she holds his heart now..." she went on to explain further. And somehow, each word came with enough tears to soak the soil again and again. Her heart ached and it was clear...


    "There are many things you can do, Rose''lhia. You just need to give it time..." I say as I think on my own worries from when I was staying up on that mountain. I thought I would never see my home again or my lover, but now look! One was all around me and the other was just one call away!


    "No... I understand how it is... I cannot win his heart... He never loved me... And it is clear that he never will..." she sobbed before she suddenly rose to her shaky points.


    "Rose''lhia!?" I let out as she suddenly began to move ahead at what must''ve been painful speeds.


    "If I cannot be loved by him... Then I''ll just forget about it. If everyone wants me to become Ivy-Mother once more, then I shall!" she declares as a false facade begins to overtake her.


    "Please, let''s not be so hasty with this, Rose''lhia. You are overwhelmed right now, it''s fine, just..." I tried to say before she disappeared into her remade and repaired bulb. And when she came out again, she was fully dressed in that attire...


    The attire of an ivy-mother.


    "If you need any help regarding your son, you know where to find me." she tells me before she slowly stepped out into a more public space.


    "You stupid woman..." I let out in disbelief as I watched it unfurl. I could not say for sure that she was giving up. But she was lying to herself about this. She was trying her hardest to convince herself that this was the way to go about things.


    "It is truly a wonderful time to be alive." my lover commented as he suddenly appeared from behind and held me.


    "I''m worried for her..." I said to him as his hand held my stomach. With our son patting at my shoulder from his other hand.


    "Her strange mania has left her, there is nothing to be worried about." he said before I looked up at him.


    "She is struggling with the fact her love does not love her back..."


    "Bah, she still has that delusion then? That the osibindah was the champion who bested me in tourney before a Valkinvar?" my lover snorted disrespectfully. And while I had to admit, I was fearful around him because of what he was. Hearing about Rose''lhia''s plight certainly made me look back on it differently. Weird as it might sound for anyone who knew the truth, but I did trust her!


    "Oak''endoor, please, that man is not just some wild creature that once captured me and our unborn son."


    "It is still an osibindah." he tells me with a frown as he lets go of me. But, his stern gaze instilled nothing into me. The man I loved could not scare me when I knew he would never hurt me.


    "If the Ivy-Mot- If Rose''lhia was willing to set her life behind just so she could be with him, then he was more than an osibindah."


    "You never knew him."


    "I did, Oak''endoor, because before Rose''lhia brought me back here, it was that man who saved me! It was him who took our son out of that hive and saved him!"


    "The Valkinvar presented our little one''s seed before me..." he tried to correct me with.


    "And I gave it to him which he then passed on!" I nearly shouted before our son''s whines brought us to a stop.


    "I am sorry, Dandel''lhia. I did not mean to argue with you so soon after finally being able to hold you again..." he lets out as he pulls me in close.


    "It''s fine, Oak''endoor. But, please, do not pass comment on this unnecessarily. Rose''lhia''s heart is broken in a way only Motrtha could possibly know." I utter against his chest as his hand went against my head.


    "I''ll leave it to you, then."


    "I will try, I can''t in good conscience leave her like this." I say while watching the bizarre sight play out before me. Despite being dressed like one and having the experience of one. She was just full of doubt as she did it. And I knew full well that it wasn''t the injuries that were making her self-conscious of her looks that was doing it.


    "Please try to think of the flower, whatever you choose to do then, please. Replacing Rose''lhia was a hard thing to do given how much she had ingrained herself into the flower."


    "I am aware, I don''t even think anyone could truly replace her..." I let out with uncertainty.


    .


    .


    .


    "Rose''lhia, can I talk to you?" I asked the woman who saved my life.


    "No, I don''t think that would work, try applying it like this instead." she said to the mother-to-be that she was attending too. Completely ignoring me in the process.


    So, with a roll of my eyes and an agitated sigh, "Ivy-Mother!"


    "One moment," she told the petal before she stood up and faced me, "Can I help you, Dandel''lhia? Is Spruce''endoor in need of something or are you seeking my advice?"


    "Yes, I guess you could say yes to both of those." I lied with the click of my tongue as I watched the pretending woman.


    "Then I suppose I must go, then." she says before she turns to the other petal once again to clarify some details.


    "Thank you, Ivy-Mother!" she let out gratefully as she nurtured the bulge in her belly. For a brief moment as well, a desire for it to happen again with me appeared.


    "So where is Spruce''endoor?" Rose''lhia asked as she obviously took note of the lack of a son in my arms or near us.


    "We''re going to get him now." I honestly answer before silence overtook us the rest of the way. Only to be broken every now and then by Rose''lhia''s professional antics. And once again, I could not help but notice the reluctance present each time.


    "So are you and the Gilded-Bark doing alright?" she then decided to ask me. Likely because she saw my frowning. But that existed because of this behaviour of hers, not my lover.


    "Yes, we''re calming down from the initial excitement of my return. However..." I tell her before I glance over at the many thorns that had been ordered to keep watch over me.


    "I suppose it cannot be helped..." Rose''lhia comments with a shaky voice once she notices what I did not completely finish saying.


    "Yes." was all I then said, but perhaps I went about it a bit too ominously. Thankfully, we found my son in short order and I picked him up. Separating him from the other children he was playing with. Unfortunately, however, the ease at which he clung to me made me worry for him.


    "Hello there!" Rose''lhia tried to greet as warmly as possible, but Spruce''endoor only shirked at her and dug against me.


    "Let''s find somewhere quieter." I tell the offended woman before we went and found such a spot. Then, when we sat down, I let my son play around with my fingers while Rose''lhia carefully watched him.


    "Was that what you wanted to talk about? Why he was struggling to get involved?" she asked me to which I just shook my head. This left her confused but now was also the perfect moment to bring up what I actually wanted to talk about.


    "No, Rose''lhia, I am here to talk to you about what you are doing. It needs to stop." I told her, looking her straight in the eye and getting to the point immediately.


    "I can''t stop being an Ivy-Mother." she laughs out nervously as she puts on a refined facade. But I saw how she trembled as those legs were crossed. She is fully aware that applying the pressure will make it break... So that is what I had to do.


    And I could only pray that she would not hold it against me.


    "Yes you can, and you have done exactly that to be with the one you love." I tell her firmly, emphasising the core detail that drove her away before. She wasn''t scared about being found out. She wasn''t running away from something. She was running after someone.


    "Th-There isn''t anyone that I love..." she lied as she looked away.


    "Nin Urtuan." I uttered clearly, to which she flinched and looked my way yet not. So I cupped her chin and moved her gaze up to mine.


    "He doesn''t love me..." she whimpered.


    "Did he not save your life? Did he not fight harder just to win you back!? Was the event that made you fall in love with him, to begin with, centred around how he felt about you!?" I say to her sternly, recalling what I could while quickly filling in the gaps for the rest.


    "I was just a burden to him... An unwanted parasite."


    "Unwanted parasites do not have their lives saved! People do not go out of there way to help parasites!" I nearly shout at her as I took her arm to keep her sat down.


    "Let me go..." she whimpered.


    "I am not letting you go anywhere until you stop whatever this is! You are not an ivy-mother! You left it behind to be with Nin Urtuan! The Champion who saved my son and our people!" I angrily tell her, much to the growing fright of my son who was stuck in the middle.


    "LET ME GO!" Rose''lhia suddenly screamed as her magic flared. And it stopped as quickly as it started when my son started to cry.


    "Shhh, it''s alright, I''m sorry." I tell my son quietly as I remind him of how loved he was. It was my fault for bringing him here. But I had my reasons to do so. Rose''lhia cared about this baby boy, and he helped me more than he could grasp.


    "Why can''t you just leave me alone...?" Rose''lhia then quietly asked as she sat down with a sigh.


    "Because you don''t want to be here, and I cannot stand this pathetic behaviour from you." I told her sincerely. While we have had our rough spots, one thing stayed consistent. Like with everyone else, I respected Ivy-Mother Rose''lhia, however, this woman was not that one anymore.


    "Pathetic...? How is it pathetic to realise that I am not loved by the man I gave my heart to? He does not love me so I am leaving him alone. There is nothing pathetic about realising your limits."


    "And what happened to the Rose''lhia who brought herself to the top because she could?" I mockingly asked her as a glare appeared on both of our faces.


    "I could become an ivy-mother... I am Ivy-Mother! My Love''s affection, however, is not something that can be gained... So do not speak to me as if you know me. Because you don''t!" she aggressively replied back with as she jabbed at my scars and mutilations. And, she was right, I really did not know her...


    But I was beginning to understand her.


    "I know enough about you to know that you miss him. That the reason you even did this for me, was to try and prove something to him. You keep making up reasons in your head but you couldn''t be further from the truth." I tell her with a sigh as I rubbed my son''s hair.


    "And what do you know about our relationship, hm?" she asked with a snort at the end.


    "I know he saved your life." I said once again, because that is all I really did know. An unfortunate side effect of what my perspective led me to do back on that mountain. I had no idea that that osibindah was the same human I passed my seed onto back in the hive...


    "And there we go with it again..." she commented before she stood up, "Leave me be."


    "I will not!" I declare as I quickly move to stop her from leaving. Side-stepping her attempts each time and forcing her to stay. And I could only apologize later for it, but, I used my son to keep her here as well. Her power was restrained by his presence.


    "There is nothing to be done, Dandel''lhia. He does not love me, and I must learn to forget about him." she said before I stopped her once again with an outstretched arm.


    "The Gilded-Bark did not love me once upon a time, you know that? I was not his favourite from the moment he laid eyes on me. Just another dandelion that met the standards befitting of one such as him."


    "So?" was all she took away from that.


    "You cannot just give up on Nin Urtuan like this! He cared enough to save your life again and again! There is love present, but you are too impatient!"


    "Impatient?" she asks with a bemused huff, "I was with him and by his side since the moment he first was found by our thorns out in the valleys... When he was hauling you and so many others behind him on an old log! Yet, his heart did not become mine... It became someone else''s..."


    "Impatient." I repeated as she looked down at the ground.


    "Did you just not hear a word I-"


    "All I am hearing are the excuses of a quitter. Someone who is meant to teach the flower about love and the light that comes with it is the same one falling into darkness because she does not understand that love is not straightforward!"


    "My entire profession is about love... How could I not understand it!?"


    "Because no one here loves you!" I snap at her.


    "I..."


    "We respect you, Rose''lhia, that is all. But despite what wisdom you pass on, you have never been loved. What happened with Nin Urtuan was your first experience with it! And I will not suffer an Ivy-Mother who does not follow what she is meant to teach!"


    "How dare you..."


    "How dare I? How dare I what? Rightly point out how you have turned your back on your lover once again because you have some doubts!?" I aggressively asked her as I got up in her face.


    "Is everything alright here...?" my lover asked as he suddenly appeared from one of the narrow passes that led here.


    "Everything is fine, Oak''endoor, please, just give us some space."


    "No... He deserves to know..." Rose''lhia suddenly let out tearfully as she dropped her staff and fell to the ground.


    "Ivy-Mother!?" he let out in concern as he tried to reach for her. But her sudden explosion of magic made us all move away from her.


    "Rose''lhia, what are you doing!?" I asked her as I held my son close to my chest as we watched the hysterical woman.


    "I don''t know..." she fearfully admitted as my scared son began to whine.


    "Bad Woman want to hurt Mama again..." he whined against my chest. But, it was just loud enough for all present to hear.


    "What...?" my Lover let out in confusion as a sight that had always concerned him began to grow in significance. But, when I turned to Rose''lhia, I saw that she had suddenly calmed down. Albeit, she was not crying at herself.


    "I am, aren''t I, Sapling? I''m the bad woman who hurt mama... I''m the bad woman who nearly got you killed by osibindah... I''m the bad woman who scarred mama for life and led to her being captured by human scum... I''m the bad woman who turned her back on the man she loved... I''m... I''m..." she let out all of a sudden as she trembled and cried.


    "Is this true?" the Gilded-Bark asked me with a stern voice as he suddenly loomed over me. I could see that there was a part of him that wanted to be lied to. But, I could also see how much anger he was holding back.


    Yet, I looked at the ground, because this isn''t what I wanted to happen, "It is... But-"


    "THORNS! ARREST ROSE''LHIA, NOW!" he roared as he suddenly approached her and violently hoisted her up by her hair!


    "Wait, no!" I tried to interject as thorns came rushing in to restrain Rose''lhia.


    "SEND WORD OUT! ASSEMBLE ALL THE OTHERS! A COUNCIL OF JUDGEMENT IS TO BE CALLED!" he roared as his own magic began to flare out with protective fury.


    "Rose''lhia..." I let out in despair as I watched the broken woman get dragged away.


    .


    .


    .


    "So it is all true?" one of the gilded-bark''s present asked me as he leaned forward, surrounded by his harem.


    "Y-Yes, but!" I once again tried to say before the weight of what was going on cast me aside.


    "By someone who wore the attire as well..." an ivy-mother said with a shocked gasp. And, to my horror, I watched as those who once practically bowed before Rose''lhia turned on her. They distanced themselves in but a moment.


    And somehow, it was me, the one who she did this all to that was trying to prevent her demise...


    "Then without further discussion, we shall get to the final acts." my Lover declared as he stepped forward with the full power of his title behind him.


    "Oak''endoor, please..." I begged as he passed me by. But, he just ignored me and protectively held me as Rose''lhia was aggressively held down against the earth. A patch of specifically curated dry, lifeless earth.


    "Rose''lhia, you have brought shame to yourself and have committed unforgivable crimes against not only the woman I love, but the flower you were meant to protect... And it is with great regret that I strip you of your role. However, as it is what it is, I will let you do it yourself as to not damage the honoured dress which you taint." he begins to explain.


    "O-Okay..." she weakly replies with as the chains holding her down are loosened. And, quickly and hectically yet also reluctantly, she took it all off. The dress that declared her position and all that came with it. Yet, clearly eager to get back at her, the Gilded-Bark tore off the tubes himself once she had loosened them.


    And now, she was standing before all of her now former peers completely naked. A hot iron on approach from behind her...


    "Can you please stop this!?" I cried out as I stepped out towards Rose''lhia.


    "I hereby banish you from our flower and the Garden-Mount of the Angaxslo!" he started to declare ominously, much to the cheers of those around us, "And I strip you of your pride and beauty!"


    And as he turned away, everyone else stood up and approached her. With wicked snaps and cries of pain, I watched in horror as Rose''lhia was broken down. They tore out her hair and cast it into fire... And they struck her with blunt, magic-sapping weapons.


    Then I watched as the father of my child did the same with all the fury he could muster. Blood began to leave Rose''lhia''s exposed scalp. And she struggled to stay awake as all her magic was forced to leave her. A foul way to die, if that was their intent...


    And, as this was all called forth to seek retribution in my name, it soon became my turn...


    But I did no such thing, "Rose''lhia, please forgive me..." I tearfully tell her as I genuinely did not want this to happen.


    "I-It''s fine... It is probably for the best..." she weakly tells me before she is sharply brought back to her points. With a point being made about having her bare belly exposed for all to see.


    "And now, I forever mark your accursed existence." the Gilded-Bark hisses as grabs the cherry-hot rod from its carriers. And, as if he was trying to spear her with it, he slammed it into her gut.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed to the point of her voice breaking as her body twitched and convulsed in pain.


    "STOP IT!" I roar as I use my magic to blast the rod off of my saviour''s body.


    "Why...?" my Lover questions before I start to blast Rose''lhia free of the restraints. Then, with anger in my eyes, I picked her up and started to carry her. Threatening any thorn that stepped near us as I made the explicit effort to get her out of here. This was all I could do for her now...


    I could not get her rations or clothes to hide her shame... No one would allow it. And were it not for my presence and strength of magic, I am sure those around me would be throwing what rubbish they could. They could not allow such a shamed individual a peaceful departure...


    But, eventually, I reached the point where I could say I had kept my silent promise. And all the while, I did my best to pass on magic to Rose''lhia so she could at least survive the night. But, she stopped me once we got out of the garden-mount... And I was struggling to understand why.


    "I-It''s okay... Thank you..." she whimpered as she tried to escape my grip.


    "Why... Why''re you thanking me...? If I just..."


    "If you left me alone... I would not be given the freedom to focus on trying to win my Love''s heart... Though it saddens me that I will never be able to come home again... I am glad the last time I came home was to save your son..." she tearfully told me as my own eyes started to act up.


    "No! This isn''t right, you redeemed yourself! You accrued all those injuries making up for your mistakes! You bled for a woman you hated not so long ago!"


    "And now... I have the chance to redeem myself before Nin... And the Bad Woman will finally be gone..." she weakly tells me as she begins to slowly drag herself up so she can leave.


    "Rose''lhia! Wait!" I say before I bring her in for a hug.


    "It''s alright, you will be a great mother..." she tells me as she returns the hug.


    "I promise I will be... I promise..." I cry as the heat from her freshly burned skin warmed my own. But it soon started to cool down and I felt her trying to escape my grip. And, knowing that there was nothing that I could do. I let her go.


    Wiping away what was left of my tears as I watched her slowly hobble away. Regret filled me up to an almost painful degree as she grew further and further away. Yet, at the same time, I felt like she was closer than it seemed. The way they forced out her magic made me feel blind even though I could still see.


    "Goodbye, Rose''lhia!" I call out one final time, and although I was met with silence, I smiled. I chose to believe she bid me farewell and good luck even if I could not hear it. Eventually, however, I turned back around and slowly headed back inside. Even if I kept stopping to take advantage of my newfound position.


    I could''ve sworn that I could still see a distant flicker out there. I wanted believe that that was the case. But there was no denying that after a certain amount of time, there was no one out there anymore. And as the weather began to turn bad, I moved back inside properly.


    A heart full of worry as rain started to pour. So I had to try and keep faith in who she was. A full name petal that became an ivy-mother. Even if she had been left broken. I had to believe that out there, she was going to make it.


    "Please know, that I am sorry." I said to her one final time.


    .


    .


    .


    "Mama! Mama!" my son called out to me as he came running at me with something in his hands.


    "What you got there?" I asked him with a smile as he entered my arms and I picked him up.


    "Picture." he let out slowly before he showed me what we made for Rose''lhia after she had saved me.


    "And a lovely one at that." I let out as I took it into my hands and looked at it. It hadn''t been that long ago since we took that. But now, it felt like a lifetime ago when you looked at the woman resting in it. However, I smiled at it.


    "We still have her stuff..." my little one then commented as he started to gesture towards a bulb in the distance.


    "Do you want yo look through it then? She says it is alright." I lie just because I wanted to at least save some positive memory of her.


    "Okay!" he let out with a voice full of excitement as he started to bounce about in my arms. And, amusing as it was to feel and see this excitement. I couldn''t help but feel anxious as we moved into the place where our bag was being kept. Then, once we arrived, I put my son down so he could rush over to it.


    "Let''s have a lookie, then, shall we?" I asked him with a smile as I snatched him up and opened the massive bag. Huffing in amusement when the first few things that came out was but one of many outfits she had packed.


    "There''s lots and lots!" Spruce''endoor cheered as we brought out the first set of clothes. And, as per usual, I found myself jealous of the kind of attire Rose''lhia was entitled to. Being a full name aelenvari came with so many perks... I also was somewhat sure she''d be fine with me making use of this now that I was officially Dandel''lhia-evwifoad.


    "We best make sure to keep it all neat, then." I say, using this opportunity for two different reasons. The first was my own scavenging so I could honour her memory, while the other was to teach my son about cleanliness. Wouldn''t want him to become a messy man later now, would I?


    Yet, as time went on, I couldn''t help but feel like that I was the child. Each time I found an outfit, I let out a sound of excitement and I played around with it. Carefully and thoughtfully feeling them out while also seeing how it might look on me partially. And later, I was tempted to try them all on in private.


    Even with the excessive amount of care I was now receiving, I still had issues with how I looked...


    Eventually, though, the clothes were all taken out and all the other things were starting to come out. Interestingly enough as well, there was a piece of something. Whatever it was, it was hard and shiny and seemed to be a little wilted. Was this...?


    "A piece of Nin?" I questioned slowly as I looked at the memento Rose''lhia had had me carrying all this time.


    "Mama... What does this say?" Spruce''endoor asked me as he tried to pick up a thick piece of stone.


    "Wait, hold on there, Little One." I said to him affectionately as I picked it up for him. And I put it back down the moment I read the first word.


    "Mama?" he asked me, clearly confused and understandably why.


    "This is something we''re not allowed to read." I tell him with a smile as I make sure to properly cover it before leaving it somewhere specifically. After that unfortunate discovery was made, we then got back to it. Pulling out all sorts of random items that must''ve meant a lot to her. It made me laugh to some extent as well.


    Despite how she was before everything went the way it did, she still had all this proof. All this proof that despite what she said, she still did in fact think she had a chance. Yet, that also made me frown as I looked it all over. If I had known this stuff was all here...


    "I suppose I can keep most of it safe until the odd chance I might ever see her again." I mutter quietly as I start to put most of the stuff back into the bag before securing it tightly. Then, without anyone pushing me to do it, I put it on my back and left the bulb with my son. And I must''ve confused most of the petals we went past.


    Eventually, though, we reached our personal bulb and I placed the bag into the corner. Stepping outside once that was sorted and I smiled at my son before we headed towards my Lover''s throne. Moving past everyone else with ease before I then curled up next to him in the open space the wide chair had. And oddly enough, despite how fresh the horror was in my mind.


    I had no problem being near him, the Gilded-Bark...


    "We have a lot to do." he commented as our son moved from my arms and to his lap. And, I am sure it came to his amusement, but our son caught more gazes than either of us. I was also sure I could hear a clock ticking in regard to my son. In not so long a time, he will have a burden thrust upon him...


    "I think we should take it easy for the moment, while we are here in the Garden-Mount." I sigh out tiredly as I spend a few moments looking around our home.


    "We can only be here for so long." he remarks as one of his hands moves to take mine.


    "And in that time, we''ll catch up on all of the stuff we promised to do when our little one finally sprouted."


    "I guess we can." he says happily as he helps our son stand up on his legs.


    "I also know it probably doesn''t matter here, but I think we should start with his first pair of tubes." I say quietly, but, even then, my words were still brimming with excitement and anticipation. The moment I withheld myself from doing was now about to come.


    "His first pair... I admit, I had forgotten that promise." he sheepishly chuckled as I started to squeeze his side as hard as possible.


    "Honestly..." I remark as I gently take ahold of one of my son''s points. Pondering what we could make it out of before I looked towards our bulb. There was nothing metal in Rose''lhia''s bag that I felt comfortable touching. However, I am sure she wouldn''t mind if we went picked apart an old outfit for it.


    That way, she could still help my son without being here...


    I''m sure she would like that, so I slowly got up and moved to leave, "Where''re you hurrying off to?"


    "To get an idea of what to make the tubes out of."


    "Isn''t that a joint decision?"


    "Not after you forgot about the promise." I joke before I leave.


    "Fair..." he chuckles to himself before he got back to whatever he must''ve been doing beforehand. And, after a brief case of getting lost heading back there, I eventually made it.


    "Hm, what here is more... Rose''lhia-ish..." I ponder aloud before I start to look through the pile of clothes. And soon, I found something I think would work. But, I spent an odd amount of time looking at it. The name of the material for some reason escaped me for a moment.


    Rose-gold...


    "But I don''t think I can use this..." I then remark in shock as I realise what it was that I was holding here. Was this her...? No, there was no way I could wear this or take it apart for my son... This would have to go join the other things I was going to keep safe.


    To think she had brought along the attire she would''ve worn for her... First time... But why would she have brought this along with us...? I honestly could not figure it out at all...


    "Don''t worry, though, I''ll look after it." I say with a gentle smile as I looked at it. It was a very pretty set of clothing. Everything about it was about love and motherhood. Perhaps even more so than her Ivy-Mother''s dress and its associated attire.


    It must''ve been invaluable emotionally and physically. Gemstones and fine silk and of course, magically engraved rose-gold. It was a highly personal thing that I couldn''t take my eyes off of. It showed just how much she valued herself once upon a time.


    But knowing that all this stuff was here... I felt guilty trying to keep it for myself.  So I briefly left the bulb and looked in the direction I came up from. Then I turned to the exit of the mountain and kept my eyes upon it.


    "Allow me to help you, Rose''lhia..." I promised with a mutter as I suddenly hurried towards my own bulb. I had to get all this stuff back to her. There was simply too many things here that mattered to her. And I had hope that I could still catch up to her if I hurried...


    But with all these thorns watching me... What was I going to do...? I guess the only real thing I could do was be inspired by Rose''lhia''s forgiven cruelty. She did all this to me to make me look the part of a root.


    And no one would notice if a root left the garden-mount!


    "Oak, Spruce, I am sorry. Please bear with me..." I quietly said as I passed the pair by on the way to our bulb. But, they had not noticed me and that made it all the easier to get going. So that the woman who saved me would not fall into despair, I would return these memories to her.


    I would remind her of how much she loved the Champion!

 Peak 11: Delivering Memories to a Saviour and a Son

    "Okay... Just a little more..." I muttered to myself quietly as I did what must''ve seemed unthinkable. I, a petal, had dressed up as a root and I was going out to help a woman who tried to kill me more than once. There was a strange sense of humour to this situation and I am sure the appropriate diety found it hilarious. Although, I was not one to laugh at this.


    I just kept my head down and walked past everyone without issue. Steadily and safely making my way past the many thorns at the entrance without issue. After all, they did not care about roots, their duty was to the Garden-Mount. But that did not mean this was going to be easy.


    If I went about this too hectically, they''d come after me under the suspicion I was a thief. It would also end up escalating into something far worse when it is realised that I am who I am. And, intent on avoiding that, I mixed in a few other things as I went out to find Rose''lhia. A barrel or two was under my arms as I had her stuff on my back.


    I was straining my body for this woman as well as my mind. So I was glad to dump the empty, deceptive cargo when I could before I made it out onto the open land outside the mountain. Yet, although we were at our flower''s home. Our entire breed''s place of origin, many roots stayed out here.


    "Excuse me, that woman who was cast out not long ago, did you catch a glimpse of where she might''ve gone?" I asked a root sweetly as I stopped by one that was sitting down, clearly on a break of some kind.


    "What''s it to you, huh?" she asked me with a rough tone as she rolled back her muscle-bound shoulders. A clear sign of the hard work she has had to put in because of the unfortunate circumstances of her spring.


    "Please, it''s important." I go on to say before I let some of my magic flow out towards her. A warm sensation is what I was hoping she felt. One that made her feel healthier and loved in a way she had not really been before.


    "Uh... Y-Yeah..." she let out in awe as she caught on to what I was before she idly pointed towards a path. And, it made me smile when I saw it, Rose''lhia had gone the same way we had come here through! I knew this path!


    "Thank you, blessing be upon you." I thank the root with before I left them a parting gift. A bit of food they might not normally ever get to have because it was meant for petals. And, for a moment, I found myself lost in the sight of her devouring it.


    "THANKS!" she cheered excitedly before her old attitude came back when everyone started to look at her. And, I giggled on my way out of the collection of root bulbs before I stopped before where Rose''lhia''s efforts had taken her. Now all I had was concern for the woman who saved me. Saved my son.


    How far had she gotten if at all? Had she decided to hold herself up in a cave? Had something gotten to her in her weakened state? How far would I have to go?


    I suppose it did not matter, at worst, I would travel the distance between here and the town. And, if I had not found her until then, I would go into the town and briefly check-in. I could, however, right now, only pray for the best. And move fast.


    I had to pray all I could and work these legs of mine!


    "Please, please be okay, Rose''lhia!"


    .


    .


    .


    "The... Ruins..." I weakly muttered as they continued to evade my sights. But I was struggling to move. I hadn''t slept because it hurt too much. My scalp, my heart, my burning scar...


    I could not sleep so I kept on moving. But with my magic gone because of my punishment, I was struggling more so. I couldn''t stand and I was too weak to drag myself along.


    It hurt to do this, it hurt to do anything. Yet, I could not just stay out here. It was cold and wet and there were dangerous animals... Dangerous people even.


    "Please... Anybody... Nin...? My Love...?" I weakly cried as I came to a stop in the grass before I just let my head drop. I wasn''t even sure if I was crying, it had been raining all night and well into the morning as well. My naked body was soaked and it was pooling in all the most aggravating of places.


    And I guess this was it... I could feel my eyes just getting heavy...


    "HUH!?" I suddenly let out before I came to realise something was off. Why wasn''t I on the grass anymore...? Why did I feel like some strength was back in me...!?


    "Oh, thank the gods above..." a familiar voice breathed in relief before she came over to me.


    "Dandel''lhia...?" I questioned weakly as I looked around at where I was. The ruins, she had brought me to them and had wrapped me up in one of the old tapestries. Down in front of us, was a fire we she had made with the old furniture and above it... A hot meal.


    "It should be done soon, don''t worry."


    "Why''re you here!?" I asked her desperately before I tried to reveal my branding. Only for her to stop me with a firm hand keeping the tapestry wrapped around me.


    "We found your stuff and there was stuff in it that I could not let you go without."


    "Like what...? It was just clothes and..." I started to explain tearfully before she pulled out an example carefully.


    "This isn''t just an outfit, Rose''lhia." she says as she brings out something I once begged my love to retrieve.


    "You..." I slowly let out as I suddenly rushed on over to hold it. Crying as hard as I could as I held the soft silks against my face. Only to then shake my head as I put it back down.


    "Rose''lhia, this is yours. All of it is, keep it. Make use of it!"


    "I can''t now..." I cry as I stroke my sore, bald head and gesture at my burnt stomach.


    "None of that matters, Rose''lhia." she says as she makes sure her face is more clear in the light.


    "Yes, it does!" I snap back at her, not caring for why she was being so aware of where she was.


    "Rose''lhia, look at me. My scars are going away, they are healing me slowly and carefully. I might not be able to ever use my true-voice again, but the skin... It''s improving. Your scar will go away too in time if you want it too, and your hair will grow out again."


    "Why''re you here...?" I asked her quietly as I returned to resting my aching body.


    "You already know the answer to that, but, if you would prefer, I can go on back to the Garden-Mount?"


    "N-No! You can stay..." I say quietly as my eyes start to linger on the food.


    "Right, that." she lets out urgently before she took it away from the heat so she could leave it beside me.


    "I take it things are getting better without me around...?"


    "You haven''t been gone for that long!" she tried to laugh out before she awkwardly looked away.


    "You should''ve just kept my stuff, used it for yourself."


    She then started to laugh nervously, "See... I was, but then, well, I found that."


    "You just can''t stop meddling in my life, can you?" I ask her, trying to smile while everything around me seemed so doomed to fail.


    "I suppose not, but I know you are thankful that I am." she answered with a smile before I started trying to eat my food. For a while, however, I just used it as a means to get warmth into my bones.


    "Thank you, though, for doing this for me..."


    "Don''t think much of it, just don''t waste my efforts."


    "Waste them how?" I decide to ask as I haphazardly test the food.


    "By not going to your lover all the way back at Suhurlodst."


    "I already told you..."


    "Rose''lhia, forgive me for saying this, but, having read some of your diary... By accident! I have come to see how much of a liar you are."


    "Liar?"


    "The proof is all there, Rose''lhia. You love him and want to be with him. And while I get you''ll never come home to plant your seed... You will have him be there for you. So just go, go and find him once again and remind yourself of why you love him. Teach him that and let him love you back." she firmly tells me before she gets up and walks away.


    "I suppose I will have to obey you now..." I let out, nearly breaking out into sobbing as the terms of my new life came back to my head.


    "Rose''lhia, please, I know how this all works officially... But you haven''t stopped being a full-name petal. You are still Rose''lhia, you hear?" she says to me as she comes over to sit by my side.


    "So, what will you do once you get back to the garden-mount?" I decide to ask her as I didn''t want to keep talking about myself.


    "Well, outside of explaining my absence and calming the Gilded-Bark down, I wanted to make our son his first pair of tubes!" she explained, excitement brimming out of her as she started to turn squeamish at the thought.


    I then smiled, "I remember my first pairs..."


    "Pairs?"


    "I was a demanding child," I huffed out, "It all had to be perfect and everyone was happy to allow me the right to demand it."


    "I can understand why." Dandel''lhia giggles before she likely starts to think about her first pair.


    "If I remember correctly, I wanted my first pair to look like Ivy Mother Passion''liha." she reminisced with a dreamy sigh.


    "My predecessor?" I remarked as I remembered the beautiful teacher I once had. While many might''ve remembered her for her bountiful body and her loving attitude. I remembered her more so for the grace at which she conducted her religious duties. That was what I respected her for.


    I was too arrogant when I was younger to care about how she looked because I was already catching eyes. It was funny, in a way, if I didn''t become an ivy-mother. The Gilded-Bark''s mother might''ve matched me up with him. But Passion''lhia was special in that she kept me focused even despite what it was that I was preparing to do...


    "But, yeah... I wanted them to be just like Ivy-Mother Passion''lhia''s... But, they had a hard time explaining to me why I could not have them as she had them. She even had to explain herself while I barraged her with compliments..." she sheepishly explained at the end.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "So, did you ever want to be an ivy-mother?" I decided to ask as I thought it over. If she admired my teacher that much, maybe she had been inspired at some point? But, no, she shook her head at me.


    "No, what I wanted to be was a mother since the day I could think, really. I spent a lot of my time around them, watching as they cared for their seeds and listening to them explain how I would be just like them one day..." she explained before she started to cry as she smiled.


    "And I near-"


    "Don''t, just, forget about it, okay?" Dandel''lhia interrupted me with before she smiled at me.


    "Alright..." I mumbled as I started to eat. Nearly gagging on it despite the state I was in.


    "Don''t give me that look!" she complained as she crossed her arms with a bemused huff.


    "Leave it to those who can, I suppose?" I ask with a smile before I made sure to finish the meal quickly.


    "I have packed some supplies in with your other stuff as well... So, uh, good luck Rose''lhia. I know we have parted already, but, don''t forget what I have said." she says as she gets up and clearly heads for the exit.


    "I said it was fine for you to stay..." I tell her with a saddened expression. One that switched to agitation when she started to howl with laughter.


    "I-I''m sorry... S-Sorry! I just... It''s hard to imagine that you''d ever be sad to see me go, you know?" she explains before a smile came to my face.


    "I suppose it is." I say as I tighten the hold the tapestry had around me.


    "But... I do need to get going, Rose''lhia. It is wonderful to see that you are still okay, stretchy as the term is right now. But, I have a family to get back to, one that is probably very worried about me."


    "Yes, I know, don''t let me keep you." I tell her as I start to wave as best as I could.


    "No... No..." she started to moan before she practically ran at me to give me a hug. One that I could not really return.


    "Go to your family, Dandel''lhia." I tell her as she breaks the hug.


    "And you start yours, do you hear me?" she jokingly threatens before she waves one final time on her way out.


    "I will try..." I ponderously let out as I tried to wonder if I was really done out here. I know Nin needed me and I clearly wanted him. But, was there more I could do out here before I went back to him...? Painful as it was for me to say, I did not see his current issues going anytime soon.


    I needed to learn patience and that was probably best learned out here. But what could I do...? I was now an exiled aelenvari. The ones I looked down upon so viciously once upon a time...


    But, there were women like that not far from me. And, for a moment, they all looked up at me for guidance. So maybe I could go there...? I may not be an ivy-mother or even a petal anymore, but that didn''t mean I was unable to help them.


    So, if they were all still there, maybe I should go...?


    "Yeah, I think I will." I say with a thoughtful nod before I started to shuffle about in an effort to get to sleep. My body was exhausted even with this clear magic injection from Dandel''lhia. So, I just laid on my side near my stuff and closed my eyes once again. Yet, it would seem my mind was too busy to let me sleep.


    So I waited for a little bit, letting the fire''s warmth soak me through and through while the soft bag beneath me called out for me. And, slowly, ever so slowly, I felt a heavy weight upon my eyes.


    .


    .


    .


    "Mama! No! Mama!" my son whined as he tightly pulled down against me.


    "Alright, hold on, I was just moving my points!" I complained as the recently fear-stricken child refused to let go of me. But, I couldn''t be angry at him for this behaviour because I did disappear suddenly. It was honestly quite shocking when I walked back to the Garden-Mount! A whole army had spread out just for me...


    And now that same army was making sure I never disappeared again. I could understand why completely, yet, I was still frustrated by it. Privacy just did not exist for me right now. A thorn -always- had to be present.


    But it wasn''t so bad while I was out in the open belly of this sacred mountain. And while my son was playing around with the soil and dirt often, we weren''t here to do that. We were in fact doing a more ceremonial aspect of something I have wanted to do for so long. We just needed to find a piece of metal ore that we could use.


    Yet, being a mother was distracting me completely from it as my son just wanted to play. Any insect he found he shoved near my face. And, the ones he put near his own I had to stop from moving. I also had to be holding his hand the entire time as per his own demands to keep me around...


    "Mama, look!" he let out with confused excitement as he tug out something hard from the earth.


    "Well, would you look at that, we best go show this to Papa!" I let out with relief as he had by complete accident stumbled across one of the pieces or ore inserted for the ceremony. But, he just shook his head and dropped it.


    "No... Boring..." he let out before he began to dig again.


    "No, exciting!" I corrected on his behalf before I picked him and the ore up so we could go elsewhere. Fun as it was to play with him, sitting in the loose earth was not very much so after a while.


    "Fine..." he complained before he clung onto me tightly.


    "No, ease up."


    "No!" he snapped as he made sure not even me loosening my grip would see him drop.


    "What will I do with you..." I mutter under my breath as I brought myself and him back to our flower. Walking up to the necessary petals and handing them the ore before presenting myself before my lover. It wasn''t an overly grand thing, the making of my son''s first pair of tubes. But, being what I was, it couldn''t help but try to be grand.


    "You found some metal?" my lover asked as he happily took our filthy son onto his lap while all his other lovers looked on.


    "He eventually did..." I answer before putting on an air of smugness as it was my son that was being focused on right now. The son I provided my lover was the centre of his attention and a dominant force in his heart! I suppose this is what Rose''lhia felt like once upon a time.


    "Then I guess it is Papa''s turn to do his bit!" he excitedly let out as he left our son in the throne while he got up. And, before us, some petals brought before us a simple forge for which my lover could do his task. Although, the metal we found was not the one he would use. Instead, it was something I chose.


    I was quite thankful to discover that we had it as well; rose gold.


    "Would you like to come closer or are you fine there?" I decided to ask my son as I moved a little closer to him.


    "Stay..." he let out with uncertainty before I slithered up next to him. Letting him fall back against my angled chest while our shared love got to work. To the flutter of my heart as well, our son suddenly jumped when the loud banging of metal started. And, it was only made even more impressive to watch as our son''s age meant the metal lacked magic.


    So my lover could just mould it in his hands or bend it as he pleased. The crudeness it would produce as well would be more fitting for his first pair as well. That was something we agreed upon a long time ago. But, we never were able to put it into words why we felt that way.


    It was just what we decided.


    "Papa strong!" our little one cheered after he tried to damage the chair all of a sudden.


    "Aw..." I let out as I kissed the hand he hit the throne with.


    "I want to be strong like Papa!" he told me as he pointed at him with his free hand.


    "Then you best listen to him when he tells you things. He can teach you how to be even stronger!" I told him as I smiled and cupped his cheek.


    "No... Papa the strongest!" he corrected as he started to cheer the actions of his father on. And, though I could tell he was trying to hide it. I saw that smile on Oak''endoor''s face. I saw it!


    Eventually, though, it would come to an end and he would come back to us with a pair. Freshly made and beaten well by a well-meaning father. Of course, our son just looked at them cluelessly before he was pulled forward slightly. However, once they were slipped onto his frail points, his excitement was immeasurable.


    "MAMA! MAMA! LOOK! MAMA! I GOT THINGS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!" he screamed happily as he kicked his legs about. But, with this excitement came risky hastiness that nearly saw him fall over.


    "Not so fast!" I caution him with as I take ahold of his hand as he slipped all over the place.


    "Slowly now, Spruce''endoor. Slowly." his father told him as he showed him proper posture. But, that was not enough to get our son used to it. So we both held one of his hands and started to walk alongside him. And, as it was also something he would probably have to do later anyway.


    We decided to take a tour of the flower so my lover could perform whatever duties he had to. On our way, we received compliments at such a frequency that it nearly blinded us. Eventually, as well, our son stopped trembling and swinging with each step and began to walk more so on his own. Although, we never once let go of his hands.


    "Okay, now, let''s try over there." I suggested to the pair of them once we came across an appropriate spot. So, from solid marble and other precious stones, we went back into the soil and bare earth. And once he had sunk into the earth properly, we let his hands go. Waving him off to go play with the other children before I turned to my lover.


    "Is she alright?" I was then asked by him.


    "Rose''lhia?" I asked, making sure I was understanding it properly before we carried on. And, in particular, I paid attention to how hurt he seemed to be when he started to ask this.


    "Yes, I know you disappeared to go and find her."


    "She is alright, I have seen to it that she makes it through the initial part of her journey." I said with a sigh as I moved my solemn gaze to the ground below.


    "Please, do not hold it against me for what I did..." he sadly muttered.


    "You did not listen to me and went through with one of the worst punishments you could muster... To our own Ivy-Mother of many years..."


    "She and you both admitted to what she had done. Even a testimony from my own son..."


    "You still didn''t need to go through with it..."


    "I did, not even someone like her can be exempt from our laws. If we let one through, we let it all through over time."


    "Oh, stop... I was begging you to stop the entire time and you all turned on her for something she had redeemed herself over." I tell him as I cross my arms. Doing nothing as he slowly moved me into his grip.


    "Then please, please temper my anger as you did once upon a time. Please do not leave me the harsh man I have become in your absence..."


    "I won''t leave you, my Love. Not until Undwote comes for us all." I tell him before I lovingly kiss him. Making sure he understood properly that this was only a brief issue we could work our way out of.


    "I cannot change my decision, I hope you realise that..."


    "No, look at me, Oak." I said to him improperly as I reminded him of how close we were.


    "Dandel..." he said slowly as I placed my head against his chest.


    "I know she met a lot to you as you were both intrinsically involved with each other as your roles commanded such a thing... But, we just have to let this be in the past." I tell him before I turned my gaze back out towards our son.


    "Just make the most of what she has done for us..." he let out regretfully as we watched as our son laughed and played.


    "It''s all we can do, really. But, when I see him, I have no problem with that." I comment with a smile before I move out into the soil like our son was. And, with a giggle escaping my mouth, I enticed my lover to follow as he rarely ever felt the bare earth upon his skin. It was even amusing to watch him approach the edge of the flower so tentatively.


    "Where do you think you are going?" my lover demands to know with a smirk as he starts to chase me across the soil.


    "No! No! NO!" I let out excitedly as I started to run away from the giant of a man. Laughing all the way until he tackled me to the ground like a skilled predator.


    "Mama being attacked by Papa!" our son nearly screamed before he and all the other children came rushing over with big sticks.


    "He- ow!" my lover started to complain before our son and his army started to beat him down. And I couldn''t help but laugh at the state of it as my lover tried to protect himself.


    "Get him! Punish him!" I demanded from my saviour as I held him close and peppered his cheek in kisses.


    "N-No!" his father complained as the beatings carried on.


    "Keep going, I''ll give you lots of pudding later!" I bribed our son with. Laughing heartedly as he perhaps went a little too far with his attack.


    "P-Please! I''ll give you more! No!" his father tried to tell him before one of the other children got involved.


    "I want pudding too!" they said before they all started to say so.


    "Fine! You all get more pudding after dinner, just stop those two!" my lover decreed as he put some pride back into his body. Excitedly holding my son before I ran away with him in my arms as dozens of children ran after us. A growing horde even came about as the promise of dessert spread to more of them.


    "I''ll protect you, Mama..." my son let out with terror as the scope of things started to clearly get out of hand.


    "Don''t worry, you are very strong." I whisper into his ear as I find a place for us to stop. And, to his confusion, I sit down behind him as the swarm of playing children come to a stop before our rock.


    "Pudding!" one cheers as I start to guide my sons arm.


    "AWAY!" he let out as he started to swing his arm wildly. And, as he did so, I channelled my magic across his stick until the area around us glowed bright.


    "EVERYONE! RUN AWAY!" his father cried with a mock tone of fear before all the children ran away at our son''s supposed arcane might. And when it came to a stop, I couldn''t stop myself from laughing as he tried to do it again. And it only confused him when nothing happened.


    "Mama... I did something..." he let out with uncertainty before he decided to drop the stick so he could properly sit between my legs.


    "Well, aren''t you strong!" his father cheered as he rubbed his head and moved down to his eye level.


    "I am so strong I deserve all the pudding!" he let out with a laugh as he went back to trying to use magic. And I laughed a little more before I focused on my lover.


    "You just had to mention something sweet..." he complained as he looked back at all the parents who had gathered as a result of all those children. Some were consoling their scared children while others were telling them off. Others just listened to their plentiful daughters and rare sons as they explained what had happened.


    But, regardless, I shrugged at my husband whilst smirking, "Learn your son better."


    "I have all the time to do so, now." he informed me with a smile as he pulled us both close.


    "I think we should have pie." I then whisper to our son who lit up at the word.


    "Is the lady gonna make it!?" he demanded to know.


    "Maybe, she just might." I lied for the sake of his smile. Smiling with equal intensity as he jumped for joy at the thought of it. Of course, though, I would not be able to deliver on my claim. So I just had to hope his recently found love of pie would be satiable here.


    "Pie?" my lover decided to ask me quietly as he was clearly hooked by the interesting details of our words.


    "When we were travelling with Rose''lhia, we stopped by a human inn and there was a lovely old woman there who was very pushy but very skilled at cooking." I explain to him with a grin as he nodded in understanding.


    "Then I am sure we can sort something out!" he let out with a smile as he brought me to my tips before we both did the same for our son. And as we walked back to the flower, he swung between our arms.


    "A pie for them and a pie for them... Pie for them! Pie for everyone!" our son tried to sing as we went back to the flower.


    "Might as well make something of it if we''re giving all the children pie..." my lover remarked as he looked down at all the children with curiosity-filled eyes. Their ears even twitched in excitement as they heard our son''s voice.


    "An evening of pie?" I laugh out.

 Base 12: I Cant Take it Anymore!

    "Einervaene, come on!" Vadei impatiently called from somewhere else in the building. Likely from downstairs now that I was actually mindful of her impatience.


    "O-Oh!? Right..." I sheepishly mutter as I quickly finish up what I was doing. Oddly enough, now that I was aware of how much time I had spent up here. I couldn''t help but make mental remarks at myself. It was just a little gift that I was wrapping up!


    How did I take so long...!?


    "Coming!" I call back to her as I make sure the present was well wrapped. And, with a smile on my face, I left the room and bolted it down the stairs.


    "Car-" Vadei began to say before one of my heels got caught on the stairs as my foot was going down. But, rather than fall, I quickly turned into a mobile bolt of lightning and appeared at the bottom.


    "Say something?" I ask her with a nervous smile as I tried to distract from the fact I nearly fell down.


    "You burnt the floor..." Vadei comments as she makes a harsh sniff.


    "EH!?" I let out as I look down. Only to look back up with an annoyed frown as she had lied for the sake of a quick smile.


    "You''ve gotten quite good at that." she then says as she leaves through the open door.


    "Will you two be back for dinner later?" Omb asks as he leans his chubby cheeks through the kitchen doorway.


    "Are you kidding? We''re going to a place that serves food!" Vadei reminds him, much to his annoyance.


    "More for me..." he mutters before he smiles and nods on his way back in there.


    "I don''t know, I wouldn''t want to impose on her." I say to Vadei after making sure that I had everything.


    "She''s invited us to the opening of her shop, knowing full well it was going to be busy because of what it is... We''re staying and helping!" Vadei barks with a straightened-out back.


    And, I brush my bangs back as I smile, "I am fine with that."


    "I hope she doesn''t mind us pigging out, though." Vadei jokes as she rubs her stomach through the pockets of her jacket.


    "As long as we don''t get in the way of her actually doing her business, I don''t see why not." I comment with a shrug as I try to remember the fact that she has to make money.


    "Liada makes them in big batches anyway, I''m sure she won''t even notice." Vadei shrugs.


    "No, I think she will..." I mutter with uncertainty as I remember the last time Vadei went overboard with her snacking.


    "Not with how many people she has coming once the doors open." Vadei goes on to remind me.


    "I suppose." I let out as I recall the various future customers impatiently knocking on Liada''s door. It was hard at times, however, to tell if people just wanted to see her in person or if they wanted to eat. Even after all this time, Liada was quite popular purely because of what she was.


    For one reason or perhaps even two...


    "So are we bolting over or walking?" Vadei asks as we start to distance ourselves from Suhurlodst.


    "Hm, I think it will be better if we go up..." I mutter as I look out across the vast distance between here and the city of Thrurstradtur. It was a vast stretch of green that was only broken up by the single, lonely farm that occupied it. Even then, its purpose made it nearly blend in with it all too.


    So, I then take Vadei''s hand and prepare my spell as I steel my mind. I have gotten a lot better at this, but it was still very difficult doing this. But, I was ready nonetheless and I commenced the process. One moment we would be lightning, the next, normal people.


    However, our transmutative hopping left us right outside the place I was hoping to avoid. But Vadei was quick to let go of my hand when we got there. So I followed after her uncomfortably as she ran up to someone. A barely dressed man with slightly green hair.


    "Oh, thought I smelled a familiar burn." Seigunfrei greets as he rests his arms on the wooden bars of the farm fence. And while Vadei ran up to him to look onwards at the crops, I lingered a bit further away.


    "You alright, Sei?" Vadei asks him casually as she leans forward to sniff the healthy greens.


    "A bit knackered, but, all should be in order once I catch my breath." he answers before he turns to the man further beyond the fence. A man I have only come to resent because of what he has been encouraging with his so-called help.


    "Is Nin here, then...?" I asked with a shaky voice as I noticed the distinct lack of his usual flare of magic.


    "He went on down the mountain not that long ago as he got a callback on a job." he answers before he pulls out his own little communicator. And, hearing that, I sighed in relief. It meant he would be out of the city tonight if anything...


    "Then how come you haven''t gone with him?"


    "Eh, he mentioned how he needed to do more jobs to fill in for the money requirements, so I just let him take it on his own."


    "Right..." I say as I turn to leave, only to stop as I notice that Vadei was not intending to herself.


    "You still both got brought to the floor, right?" Vadei asks with a snicker.


    "Of course, what else would you expect?" Seigunfrei asks her back with a loud, singular laugh.


    "Some improvement?" she asks as her head turns back towards him.


    "Try asking him to go easy on us."


    "He won''t ever do that." I say with a depressed tone as Vadei finally remembers what we were doing.


    "Right, in a bit, then!" she tells him with a wave as she finally takes my hand again.


    "I''ll make a show later, so give Liadanann my regards." Seigunfrei tells us as he starts to wave as I start up the spell again. However, with this frustration now on my mind, I went a little too far with the distance. And we ended up crashing on the final stop.


    "Practise more..." Vadei complains, clearly missing or ignoring my fouler mood.


    "I will." I tell her with a nod as I watch her briefly hold her stomach.


    "Now, let''s hope it isn''t too busy on the way in." Vadei comments as we start to move towards the slightly perturbed queue.


    "It''s only a smaller gate, so it shouldn''t be an issue." I say to her as I make sure that the guards could easily find our passes. And, once I got them, we skipped right by the now annoyed queue with the guards just waving us in.


    "Losers!" Vadei cackles as I put them away.


    "You really shouldn''t antagonise them." I tell her off with.


    "Says the one who just couldn''t hold in her excitement at us getting those damned things." Vadei remarks with a knowing smile as her nose starts to get busy.


    "Should''ve made sure to wear perfume." I joke as I notice the difficulties Vadei was displaying with her expressions.


    "And I would''ve thrown a bucket of water at you." she flatly comments but I knew that even with this tone that she was still joking.


    "Found the good smells yet?" I decided to ask after a few minutes had passed us by.


    "Yeah... That way." she finally answers with a stretched-out digit.


    "I will never know how anyone can navigate this city." I comment before I look up at a passing airship. Only the government was allowed to use them so everyone had to walk. No magic either, that all got sucked out.


    "I mean, the city does have this weird thing about it..." Vadei tells us as she tries to somehow gesture to nothing tangible.


    "That is true." I say as a wave of magic washes over us and we suddenly appear vastly closer to where we wanted to go. However, now, we had to deal with an exceptionally large gathering of people. All for one dine-in bakery...


    "Zap them gently and plow through." tells me with the corner of her mouth before I poke her to remind her of my absent magic. Smiling a little as she jumped back, yelping ''ow'' to nothing.


    "We''ll just go around back, she told us where the key was." I tell her quietly before I start to go around the street to find an alleyway. And, quickly, we both filed into it and kept on going until we reached a small opening. But, although the area was filthy, as it was like a mini-dump, the bakery backdoor was well-cleaned.


    If a little stuffed with old tools and equipment...


    "Hello!?" Liadanann called out the moment we unlocked the door.


    "It''s just us!" Vadei called to her as we stepped inside to the lovely scented building.


    "Lock it, please!" Liadanann calls back to us so I do just that. And, when we finally came across her. Vadei latched onto her for a hug.


    "Hello!" she let out with a slight cheer as she enjoyed the hug from the large-chested woman.


    "How''s it been?" I asked as I simply went for a little wave while moving my present out before me.


    "It''s been a little hectic... But, I am really looking forward to having such a good first day." Liadanann informs us with a mixture of nerve-wracking excitement and held back terror. And I suppose the terror made sense when you considered the crowd... It would be mayhem sorting this all out once the doors opened at last.


    "Well, I hope this somehow helps, then!" I tell her as I present the gift that I had made for her.


    "Oooo, give!" she says as she greedily snatches it up before she then opens it up. And, contrary to how she opened it, she gently pulls it out and unfolds it.


    "This is what took you so long...?" Vadei whispers to me with mocking disbelief...


    "I thought she would like it..." I say with a pout before my face becomes engulfed my soft, clothed flesh.


    "Thank you, Einervaene!" Liadanann nearly screams in delight before she quickly puts it onto her counter.


    "I''m glad you like it!" I proudly answer as I giggle at the sight of my croquet within her bakery.


    "So do you have anything we can ha-" Vadei starts to say before I pinch her mouth shut.


    "Is there anything we can help you with?" I correctly ask.


    Liadanann giggles first at our antics, though, "You can make sure all the tables and that are ready. And, if you don''t mind... Maybe help the crowd come into my shop calmly..." she explains fine at first before some old fears become apparent.


    "Still nervous around humans?" Vadei decides to ask.


    "Vadei!" I let out, knowing full well where this might go if she dug it up too much.


    "No, it''s fine. But, yes, a little. But, back when this was just an old blacksmith, I had some time to get used to it all."


    "I''d be hard-pressed to even remember what this place once was." Vadei says as she sniffs the air. Likely to make a point regarding the vastly different smell of the place.


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    "The oven is a converted forge and many of the chairs are made with old parts." Liadanann giggles as she shows off her craftsmanship in the meantime before a timer suddenly goes off.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got it." I tell her as I was closer to the entranceway to the other side of the counter.


    "Use the thicker gloves." Liadanann tells me as I open up the seemingly complex oven.


    "Got it." I say once I pull the tray out. Smiling as I enjoyed the smell before she came by to take it out of my grasp.


    "Now to put these out..." she mutters before the moves the empty tray back into the oven. A nervous stutter takes her over as she looks back at the full shelves and cabinets.


    "You have enough, Liadanann, it''ll be alright." I tell her as I try to move her out to the open floor so she can open the place.


    "I... Uh..." she lets out as she freezes up, "Thank you for being here, you two." she eventually squeaks out.


    "No problem, so long as you feed me." Vadei says friendly at first before humorous greed made its way to the front.


    "Vadei!" I snap disapprovingly before Liadanann shows us how much Omb has influenced her.


    "Feel free to eat all you can once I give the word!" she laughs out as she pulls us in for one final hug.


    "Now, get to it!" I tell her with an encouraging tone and expression.


    "Alright... And, that''s it, The Blacksmith''s Kitchen is finally open..."


    "Now open the door." Vadei comments after the distinct click filled the air.


    "OH! Right... Can someone put up a blocker on the staircase, please." Liadanann suddenly says as she makes sure the door stays closed until it is done.


    "Right, right." I say as I put one in place. With my eyes briefly lingering on the upstairs as I recall what it was for. Liadanann''s bedroom was up there. As well as...


    "Welcome one and all! Please come in orderly and I''ll make sure to have you leave fulfilled!" Liadanann declares, drawing me out of my thoughts.


    "What do I do? What do I do!?" I let out as she quickly gestured us closer to the counter.


    "Alright, the first few customers are probably going to want to snatch up a... HEY! NO FIGHTING IN MY BAKERY!" Liadanann begins to explains before she has to shout down a start-up fight.


    "Sorry..." the young boys say as they get into their seats.


    "Yeah, just, make sure everyone is in their seats and then serve them while I try and handle the wandering lot." Liadanann finishes before she hastily runs behind the counter. A process she probably couldn''t make any louder if she tried. What, with her large body, tail and sharp claws...


    "And here I thought I escaped slavery." Vadei jokes lightly as she puts on an apron just to give the impression that she worked here.


    "Mush, then." I laugh out after hitting her with a towel.


    "Just you wait..." she mutters before we get to work helping out our friend with her business. And, within the tighter confines of this building, it was easier to grasp just how many people were here. She might even have to briefly hire security to make sure the walk-ins were orderly and calm. However, carrying about all this freshly baked food was something else.


    It made me understand why Vadei was so insistent on getting freebies. And, going by the expressions of most people, it was tasty enough to warrant eating as much as they could. It wasn''t long before my own mouth was watering and the emptiness of my stomach became apparent. When was the last time I ate anyway...?


    Well, I would just have to forget about it for now as more people had suddenly appeared. Where had they even come from!? We just sorted them out a moment ago! So many, in fact, that I was struggling to navigate about.


    "H-Hey!" I let out as I struggled to get past one group before I thudded against the counter.


    "Back in you go!" Liadanann ordered me frantically before she nearly slipped up on her own floor.


    "There''s too many...!" I point out before I have another order shoved at me.


    "Then ensure they leave!" Liadanann reminds me with a nod before she barks orders at her customers to get them out of here. She even started to get uppity towards the seated ones just to make room.


    "Gods help us..." I heard Vadei mutter as she passed me by. And I couldn''t agree with her more.


    .


    .


    .


    "Thank you so much, you two... I couldn''t have done it without you!" Liadanann laughed out with exhaustion as she slammed her apron down.


    "I want my food now!" Vadei demanded from the table we were sat at before her head collapsed against it. And as Liadanann chuckled to herself as she gathered up what was left over. I turned around to glance outside. It really has been a while since our workday started. The sky was now orange and it was blending in rather well with the largely brass city.


    But, the food that was soon dumped unceremoniously before us was a far better sight. And, in a fit of mannerless hunger, we all dug in. Liadanann didn''t even seem to mind as she had a stuffed mouth before she even got here! However, being so aware of my failure made my appetite go away decently fast.


    "Thank you!" I let out before my hunger suddenly came back as if I had not eaten a thing.


    "It''s the least I can do for my two cute slaves." Liadanann jokes mostly at Vadei before she patronises her a bit with strokes and wiggles.


    "You sho-" she started to complain before she bit into a jam-filled doughnut. And while her expression said one thing, her finely-brushed tail said another thing.


    "It surprised me, though, I never thought you would''ve been this busy..." I let out as I put down a small pie with a sturdy but still sweet crust.


    "I had a feeling it would''ve gotten this busy, but, seeing it in person is something else." she breathes out with a mixture of exhaustion and excitement.


    "I''m more so surprised that you kept your composure! To think once upon a time you''d be cowering at the sight!" Vadei laughed before I glared at her.


    Yet, Liadanann''s laugh made it go away, "Yeah, I get it completely. But it''s all thanks to you lot, really, you''ve helped me get over my old phobias."


    "Well... When you put it that way." I smugly grin before I treated myself to another sweet delight.


    "Are you still serving, by any chance?" someone asked as they stood up from their table with their money out.


    "There might still be something..." Liadanann began to say before the doorbell rang in what felt like forever. Which is odd because it had been going off all day to the point of insanity.


    "N-Nevermind..." the customer said before he retreated to his table. So I turned around to see who it was...


    "N-N-Nin!?" I let out in shock before I nearly jumped out of my seat. Wasn''t he supposed to be out on a long job!? He wasn''t supposed to be back here today or even tonight!?


    "Oh, hi, Nin! I''m sorry, but, I haven''t had the time to make you dinner so would you be fine..." Liadanann began to say before he dropped a large sack of money on the table. So ladened with thick bars of precious metal that the table shook even after the initial thud.


    "Missing rent." Nin quietly let out before he walked past the vacating customers. He stopped initially at the staircase blocker but he quickly moved it aside.


    "So I''ll make it as soon as I can?" Liadanann finished as she got up to briefly follow him.


    "Don''t mind me, just make sure to sleep well." Nin told her before he finished the climb and headed to his room.


    "Einervaene?" Vadei asked as she saw my expression sour and my body quake.


    "He''s going to..." I didn''t even finish as I tried my best to keep my anger contained.


    "It''s fine, Einervaene, he''s had a long d-"


    "I''M NOT ON ABOUT THAT! I''M ON ABOUT WHAT HE WILL DO WHEN HE STEPS OUT OF THAT DAMNED DOOR!" I scream angrily before I suddenly rush to the bottom of the stairs.


    "Einervaene!" Vadei snaps as she tries to interfere.


    "Is my staff still upstairs!?" I ask Liadanann as I recall that I had left it here last time.


    "Y-Yeah but-" she tried to say before I rushed upstairs. And within moments, my carefully made weapon was in my hands and I was staring down Nin''s door. If one could see my hands, they''d probably be able to also see just how white-knuckled they were. And with three loud bangs, one of those hands hit his door.


    "NIN!" I snapped loudly to no avail. However, banging the door revealed that it hadn''t been closed properly. So I walked into his room uninvited and only found myself becoming angrier. Each wall was plastered with his detective work. His bloody vengeance was the decoration...


    "What?" he asked me with an uncaring tone as he rose up from bedside brooding session to stare me down. Yet, he clearly did not grasp the severity of my emotion and he just casually took off his mask and hat.


    "You will stay here tonight! You will walk downstairs, and you will join us for cakes and treats!" I growled knowing full well what was going to happen if he didn''t listen to me.


    "No." he simply said as he moved forward slightly.


    "I am not... LETTING YOU LEAVE THIS BUILDING!" I tremble out to him before I scream in his face.


    "Einervaene, enough!" someone snaps behind me as I advance upon Nin.


    "P-Please..." I then tearfully beg as memory after memory comes rushing into my head. Of his bloody hands and his wound-covered body. Memories of cut open limbs and yellow-stained bandages. Groans of pain and sadistic fervour...


    I didn''t want to see it again... Not anymore... No...


    "Get out of my way." Nin told me before he used his size to push past me before he headed elsewhere.


    "Don''t you walk away from me... DON''T YOU WALK AWAY!" I demand from him as I slam my staff pommel down furiously. Then, I aggressively snapped it out of the floor before I approached him.


    "You are trying to stop me?" he asked back coldly as one of his hands curled up into a fist.


    "I... I am!" I answered nervously at first before I filled my spine with courage. The courage to stop my friend''s stupidity before it got him killed...


    "Step aside." he warned one final time as he exploited the device the government had given him. And, within moments, the bakery flooded with his aura and I had nothing to stop it bearing down on me.


    "Outside!" Liadanann snaps once before Nin stops what he was doing. And, with a nod, he grabs me roughly and quickly takes us outside. With his arm roughly throwing me to the ground...


    He threw me in anger...


    "I ask again. Are you trying to stop me!?" he asks me as he trembled in anger. Clearly one final attempt to diffuse this situation. But I had no intention of listening to him and I just scrambled to my feet. Holding my staff out defensively with a stern gaze.


    "I will make sure you do not fight him tonight." I told the man I loved with a shudder in my body. Yet, the moment I finished that sentence, he charged at me and grabbed my neck.


    "STAY OUT OF MY WAY!" he roared before he brought us high into the sky. And with a single throw, I found myself soaring over the city until I was above the grass. Yet, to ensure I would not be harmed. I converted my body and crashed down as lightning.


    "You idiot..." I mutter as I feel my ability to use magic come back under these circumstances. And before he even crashed down after me, I shot up at him. Filling him with volts before I sent him flying away. Then, with a technique I had been mastering specifically for something like this...


    I came down upon him again and again without leaving this spot in the sky. But that just made him roar once more and explode with magic. And my opportunity was lost. The confusion as well saw him close the distance and latch onto me again.


    "I WILL NOT LET YOU COME HOME AGAIN A BLOODIED MAN!" I scream at him as I turn into my lightning form and shock him with a mere touch. Punching him again and again with all the fury I could muster. To the backdrop of thunder did each punch land. But he had changed in these past few years...


    All that pain... It only allowed him to persevere through it and I was held hostage!


    "LET GO!" I boomed as I tried to fill him with all the voltage I could muster.


    "No." he said to me quietly as my body started to freeze up at the sight of his cocked back fist.


    "N-Ni-" I let out fearfully before I felt the full brunt of his might. And when I finally stopped rolling. I shook my dazed head and spat out blood. Barely registering my reversion to a normal body.


    This was not something that stopped him, though. And I was quick to feel more punches and kicks. I could barely muster a defence before I was then chucked overboard and piled into the ground. Yet, with quick action, I escaped the follow up and grasped my staff again.


    "Don''t think that will be enough to stop me..." I tell him as I show the efforts of my training. The training I undertook for this precise moment. When I finally had enough of this behaviour.


    And, with a flash of blue lightning, I spun my staff around to my front. Holding it inline with his running body before I fired off a spell for the first time in anger. And as I did so, I screamed in anger as lightning spectres lashed out at him over and over again. My bodily partially converted into electrical power.


    With one final push, I then sent all I had at him to send him flying back. And, some confidence even came back to me. I saw the way he was now limping. And I had never felt stronger.


    Even with that overbearing aura from before... It was clear that I was still his superior when it came to magic!


    But he was not swayed, and with drawn back arms; he roared. He roared as loud as he could as his power exploded around him furiously. Unlike mine, however, it was blue from its destructive, raw nature. And he launched out of a crater before he redirected himself at me.


    "Fool." I simply said as I dashed right under him with a flash before I called down a storm right on top of us. Trapping him in a web of ceaseless lightning as the ground burned. With a wave of fire expanding out from me before something grabbed me.


    "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" he roared as he roated through the storm and swung me about. My spell ended the moment I hit the ground at the end of this arcane grip.


    "GAH!" I let out before he rushed down with his shin going into my side. He sent me flying elsewhere before he caught up again. And with an overhead slam, he redirected me into a new crater.


    "JUST STAY OUT OF MY WAY!" he roared down at me furiously before I brought another storm down on us. Yet, he was quick enough to leap away and I used that moment to stand up again. With lightning launching out of my hands to attract my staff magnetically.


    "I won''t let you... I won''t..." I tearfully tell him as I take ahold of my staff with both my hands...


    It was clear that I needed something stronger to handle him. But the only spell that I had with that kind of power I hadn''t even mastered. I was still in the phase where I needed to utter it to cast it... It was just so beyond anything I had ever done before.


    "JUST GO!" he roared animalistically before he charged me for what had to be the final time. There would be no do overs after this.


    I needed to prove my strength so that I could pressure him into complying in future! This government and the people within it be damned! If I had to take my friend out of this country... I would!


    "World of Storms!" I chanted as I began to sort of dance with my staff as my aura spread out and solidified. And once he was within its spherical domain. I turned into my lighting form and sent out portions of my power to lash out at him.


    Either they directly lashed out at him or they sent bolts at him. His clothes burned away and his roars of pain were drowned out by all this power. To my utter shock, however. He made it to me with a fistful of magic and a determined glare.


    And no matter how much urgency filled me, I could not finished the spell and I felt it strike my gut.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as I was suddenly hit by the combined backlash of his spell and my failed one. Eerily familiar spasms filled me as his magic filled the air and mine collapsed upon me.


    "For the last time... STAY AWAY!" he snapped angrily as his magic became like fire.


    "I... I won''t let the man I love do this to himself... I won''t..." I struggled to tell him while also struggling to my knees. With a body still full of uncontrollable spasms.


    "Love...?" he repeated confused at first before he cackled cruelly. And my heart sank as I heard it.


    "Yes... Nin, I love you... Do you hear me!? I LOVE YOU!" I tearfully let out as I tried to appeal to his heart... But I feared that his anger blinded him completely.


    "No, you don''t... You never loved me earnestly. Only she did... Only my precious Larishazza..." he maddeningly cackled as he approached me slowly.


    "DO NOT TELL ME HOW I FEEL!" I screeched at him as I finally started to get the spasms under control.


    "You feel nothing!" he snapped as he brought his left arm forward. And with his cape damaged, it was far easier to see it. Not that I needed the help anyway...


    "You are wrong... You''ve been wrong about how I feel for so long..." I spit back at him while also trying to make it clear.


    "Stay out of my way." he snorted before he turned around all of a sudden.


    "I will leave." I suddenly blurted out as anger filled me once again. Tears streaming down my face as soon as I realised what I had just said.


    "Go on, then." he snorted once again.


    "I... I mean it! I will leave, you won''t ever see me again!" I told him as I slowly got up to my feet once again. And although my legs shook as much as they did, I did not waver.


    "Fine by me."


    "FINE THEN! I''LL LEAVE! YOU WON''T EVER HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ME AGAIN! I WON''T EVER HELP YOU AGAIN OR ANYTHING!" I screamed at him as he continued to walk away. But, when he threw something at me, I fell to my knees. It was the bracelet he wore... And just like that, all that love I once felt disappeared.


    Like a dream that was forgotten as soon as I awoke...


    "Please, come back..." I let out tearfully regardless.

 Incline 1: On Our Way Out

    "Thought I smelt something good!" I let out with a smile as I finished hopping down the stairs. The mixture of good-smelling food and some actually joyful people... It put me in a good mood.


    "Hi, Vadei!" Liadanann waved from her seat next to Omb. With the pair having clearly already done a brief exchange of snacks and meals.


    "So what brings you around?" I asked as I took note of what was there. Interestingly enough as well, it was all Einervaene''s favourites. But that didn''t mean they weren''t also mine one way or another. So I sneaked a few bites here and there.


    Smiling and grinning as I nicked salted, crispy bird skin or bits of juicy fruit.


    "Well, I just wanted to make sure Einervaene was okay. After that..."


    "She seems to be fine to me, she is clearly bothered by it but she hasn''t said much." I tell her as my smile disappears and I glance upwards towards where I could sense her.


    "She hasn''t left her room either." Omb adds on as he taps the nearest tray to point out what he has been doing.


    "Have either of you tried just going into her room? Speaking to her?"


    "She locked the door," I say with a shrug before I hear a distinct click, "She''s unlocked the door."


    "Now might be my chance the-"


    "It might be best to let it rest for a little moment." I whisper to Liadanann as I hear footsteps move towards the stairs. Then, they went down and it wasn''t long before it was clear she had made it downstairs.


    "Is that Liadanann?" Einervaene asked from the other side of the doorframe.


    "I like to think so, how have you been?" the woman in question jokes as she tries to get a better view of our friend. The efforts, however, come to a halt when she moves into the kitchen on her own.


    "Thoughtful." Einervaene tells her as she moves closer to the table to look at the food. And, that is when I noticed something that struck me as odd. Her outfit was very different from usual. Being a country girl, it was easy to note when something was built for long journeys and hard work.


    "Einervaene...?" I asked her as I looked at her outfit very carefully. In terms of colours, it was very dark and was broken up by the copper she normally had on. The designs though were very focused. She has clearly put all of her knowledge up until now into the layout.


    To some extent, it was like a fancy set of armour...


    Armour that was all built on top of a clearly new kimono and a long, flowing cape. The usual details were also all different as well. It lacked the sexiness she picked up from Rose''lhia and it did little to emphasise her figure. She did, however, still have high-heeled boots, though they were far thicker and sturdier in design.


    Why she didn''t move onto actual boots, I did not know but...


    "So that''s everything I have brought!" Liadanann happily declared as it became clear that I had been ignored for the moment. Something else clearly happening as I inspected my friends strange and sudden fashion change.


    "Einervaene! What''s all this?" I asked her before I noticed the staff she had left beyond the doorframe. Said staff being far more like a multi-tipped spear than anything else. It was very concerning to see this. Her clothes were now like armour and her staff had shifted into being more like a weapon...


    She wasn''t planning on starting another fight, was she?


    "I suppose there''s no point in hiding my intentions... I am leaving."


    "What!?" I let out as the formerly noted practicality was made sinisterly clear.


    "I can''t take it anymore... I refuse to be so close to someone who is going out every night only to be slashed apart into a bloody mess... I refuse to stay here when I have things I need to do... My mother needs me but I am staying here in this school with people who cannot HELP ME!" she explains as tears start to take hold of her. Her anger and frustration rising higher and higher as she went on...


    "Einervaene..." I let out as I tried to hold her. But, she refused such comfort and instead backed away. In a way, it reminded me of Nin back when we saved my family. He had a hard time letting it all go so he just tried to snap away.


    "I am sorry... You lot... But, I''ve already handed in all the stuff I need to make this official. I am a student no longer. I am just Einervaene Bosphama." she explains as she goes for her staff. But, with quick reflexes and a strong aversion to this. I rush ahead and knock away her staff.


    "You aren''t going away that easily!" I snap out at her face as I do my best to obstruct her path.


    "Einervaene, if you had something like this, why didn''t you ask us fo-"


    "BECAUSE NONE OF YOU CAN HELP ME! NONE OF YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH! ONLY NIN WAS AND HE ONLY CARES ABOUT THAT DYING GIRL ON A BED!" she screamed out before she seems to suddenly switch in behaviour.


    "No, I am not letting you just go out there on your own!" I tell her as she looks down at her hands.


    "Besides... Was he ever really my friend? I was just a slave to this damn bracelet..." she adds as she reveals the accessory Nin always wore.


    "Don''t be so hasty with this, Einervaene-"


    "Hasty? We''ve all thought it. Leaving, what good is our stay here!? It was never any of our plans to go here! Besides, it''s been two years since Rose''lhia disappeared with the other one like her! Now it''s my tu-"


    "Don''t you ever speak like that to me again." I say as I bring back my sore hand after the harsh slap shut her up.


    "Please don''t try and stop me... My mother needs me... It''s why I came to this land, to begin with... To find someone or something that could help her..." she tearfully explains as she staggers back to the nearest wall. Only to slide down to the floor.


    "You two, I think it may be right to let her go." Omb chimes in as he walks out from the kitchen with Liadanann.


    "You too!?" I asked as I stared at the duo. To my despair as well, they both nodded in answer.


    "I know I shouldn''t be saying this to my friends... But, I know why you two come by as often as you do. You''re always hoping to catch a glance of Nin, hoping that he is alright. But it is the same each time, he comes home bloodied and beaten and ever-driven to vengeance..." Liadanann explains.


    "That doesn''t justify our friendship suddenly meaning nothing! That doesn''t mean we should suddenly fall apart and never see each other again!" I bark out to them.


    "It was only ever going to be temporary." Omb admits with a saddened expression.


    "Fine, guess I''ll go too." I huff out as I cross my arms. Offended by the idea that our friendships were clearly that easy to break.


    "Vadei... No, you want to protect your..."


    "Yes, I want to protect my family. I wanted to be so strong that no slavers or osibindah would ever threaten us again. But what good is that if you''re all gone...? Even with my goal, I can''t motivate myself to do it as the rest of you can. I feel like I have just reached my limit here..." I admit in defeat yet also triumph as I had gotten stronger.


    I may not be like Vapooliar, but I could now cast spells and use magic! I was incomparably beyond what I thought I could ever be!


    "So we''ll be even quieter now, then?" Omb asks as he looks down at us.


    "Seems that way..." I mutter as my ears fold downwards.


    "Then I will see you off properly, my friends." he says before he picks us all up to hug us.


    "Eh!?" someone squeaked as Omb started to tremble.


    "I will see my friends ready before they go." he explained as he tried to keep a straight face.


    "No onions..." Liadanann quietly lets out with an upset giggle as the hug got tighter.


    "I''ll make the best food you ever ate!" Omb declares as he finally lets go. His belly then briefly showed as he wiped his eyes on his shirt.


    .


    .


    .


    "You don''t have to come with me, you know." I once again say to Vadei as I leaned back on the sofa after having finished my food. A quiet party surrounded us as she curled up in her flight jacket.


    "I am only going as far as my home village, so you don''t have to worry about me joining you all the way down south."


    "It would be quite the trip..." I joke before I let out the sadness it brought to my mind. It would be quite the adventure indeed. I could''ve brought everyone down to my homeland and we could''ve saved Mom. They''d be heroes and get their dues. And, me and Nin would...


    No... That was never me. That was always something the bracelet made me think. Yet, I still wanted it...


    I never actually loved Nin but I wanted to feel like I did.


    "So what is exactly your plan, Einervaene? I never did see you scream in delight as you suddenly realised it." Vadei asked me, her voice slightly muffled by her collar.


    "I won''t head home straight away. But, I think I have a place I can go." I explain to her as my mind fills with memories from when we were flying across the continent. To the time I felt the storm above the Anvil-Peak lash out against me. There was a power there that I might be able to use.


    The power to save my mother and prove my heritage lay beyond that molten gold.


    "I assume you are not going to tell me much more so you don''t worry me..." Vadei comments as she picks up on why I was so brief.


    "Yes, I suppose." I sigh before her hand reaches out for me.


    "You''d worry me either way." she tells me with a grin that puts a smile on my face. At least for a moment.


    "I will miss you all, you know." I then say.


    "I will too... But, let me promise you something, Einervaene." Vadei begins to say before she straightens herself out.


    "Go on."


    "We will all meet again... Every single one of us. We''ll all meet again in the future and do all kinds of stuff!" she lets out hopefully while I turn away.


    "Yeah..." I let out knowing how foolish it was. The world was a big place, and, with our obligations in place. I could not see us ever coming back together. Our time at this academy might be all we ever had...


    I just hated the fact so much of it was spent in varying states of misery... But that is also what made them such valuable friends. We went through all of it and we were still together at the end. Yet, I suppose, that killer who went after Larishazza finally broke our spirit.


    "Promise me one thing, though, Einervaene..."


    "Anything for you..." I tell her with a smile as this was probably going to be the next most important promise I would ever make.


    "Stay my friend, even as we grow distant..." she says to me, clearly on the verge of tears.


    "You''ll always be my friend, Vadei." I tearfully tell her as I pull her in for a hug. And, I make sure to make the most of this hug even if I could likely get more later. As, well, this was it, we were both destined for vastly different lives now. She would return to her village, and me, I would go back to my future lands...


    She was going to be a protector of one village, I would be the protector of hundreds.


    "So... How far do you think you could go now? It''s been quite some time since you did that sprint back when we were in my village." she suddenly asks as she tries to brighten the mood.


    "I don''t know, I never really considered it." I answer with a shrug as our hug breaks.


    "Hm, I like to think you would just barely make it. What, with all the cakes you have been eating." she jokes before she pokes my tightly packed belly.


    "Hey!" I snap as she laughs. Crossing my arms with an annoyed pout as she cackled at her joke. So, to get back at her, I sent a little jolt of electricity at her. Smiling as she suddenly turned on me with bared claws.


    "You two! Over here!" Omb suddenly calls out as he gathers those he could before he sets something up.


    "A picture?" I asked as I watched him manipulate Tiyanats pose.


    "Yes, now, come! Hurry along!" he tells us as he finally finished sorting out his pupil''s pose.


    "Like this?" I ask before Liadanann pulls me in against her chest.


    "More like this!" she clarifies as I smile up at her once I pushed past her breast.


    "Dorm Forty-One!" Omb suddenly lets out on his own before the device goes off.


    "Dorm Forty-One?" Vadei questions as she gets her self some space for her tail.


    "Yeah, it''s the one thing we all have in common." Omb chuckles as I suddenly remember that our home these past few years had a name of sorts.


    "Oh, right..." I quietly let out, not wanting to be embarrassed by teasing because of it.


    "Our dorm is better." Seigunfrei scoffs cockily as he reminds us of his Exceptional origins.


    "Yet, we are all here, curious." Vadei tells him as she prods at his face.


    "I suppose, so, huh?" he asks back as he blows some magic at her tail. But, as the pair got to playing about, I headed out towards the kitchen for a solitary moment. And, in a rare instance of actually wanting to drink the stuff. I poured myself a glass of alcohol.


    "Don''t force it." Tiyanat said as she walked in as if she were somehow not there at the same time.


    "It''s just one drink..." I sheepishly mutter as I push the filled glass away.


    "Make sure it stays one, then, please?" she asks me. And, knowing how it went for here at the start of all of this. I took her advice and avoided the drink.


    "When I get home... We should do something in an official capacity." I decide to joke.


    "Bring about peace between our nations through the power of friendship?" she adds with a giggle.


    "Yeah, our friendship will dominate the world!" I laugh out before going quiet. Turning towards the night sky outside for a moment as she went quiet as well.


    "You won''t ever come back to see any of us again, will you?" she then asks all of a sudden. And I froze up whilst continuing my wayward gaze.


    "It is unlikely, no." I answer after what felt like an eternal shudder. A tremor of the worst kind rippled in my heart and I was quick to go quiet again. And when her hand touched my arm, it felt hotter than any bolt I could cast.


    "Einervaene, as long as it is for a noble reason and cause. We can never fault you for it. If you can never leave your mother''s side after you save her. Don''t let memories of us eat away at you." she tells me with a saddened tone.


    "There is this one thing I hated about coming here... You know..." I begin to say as my body and voice trembled with uncertainty.


    "And what''s that, Einervaene?"


    "I hated being lonely... I lost everyone when I left my homeland. Not because they died, but because I was alone with no way to speak to them. I had no one to play with or laugh with. And, then, when I came here, I thought I would continue to be alone. As, you know... I... I was just some foreigner, I have this silly accent and strange customs and ideas but instead, people took me in... I got to know them and love them as friends. I wasn''t alone anymore but now I have to say goodbye to all of them... I don''t want to be alone again, Tiyanat."


    "Oh, come here you. Don''t you worry, you won''t ever be alone again." my friend tells me as she hugs my trembling body. And hides my teary eyes.


    .


    .


    .


    "Huh, what''s all this?" Vadei asked me as she looked through the bag she had packed. But, the mischievousness of it amused me enough to create a smile.


    "I won''t be needing a lot of it now, so, I thought I would give it to you." I tell her as she partially brings out the kimono I modified for her after the Inter-House.


    "I''ll be a one-of-a-kind girl..." she chuckles as the runs her prints across the freshly cleaned silk.


    "You already are." I remind her as I hold out my gloved hand for her to take. It was about time we got on our way now that Vadei''s tabletwork had been sorted. We were both now officially no longer students here. For me, however, it also offered a degree of freedom.


    Because this delay my friends created pestered the bureaucracy of this place.


    "So are you two off, now?" Liadanann asked as she stepped out of the dorm with the others.


    "Yes, we might need to go a little farther but at the same time, I really want to try myself against the power of the city." I answer before I demonstrated the city''s vast arcane power by letting my lightning flow towards it like a delicate wind. Then, I took control of it and resisted the pull. With only the slightest shiver remaining to indicate what would happen if I relented.


    "I''d rather not be a casualty of your rising pride." Vadei huffs even if her tone betrays the confidence she had in me.


    "Make sure she is at least well fed, then." Liadanann tells me as she hands over a pair of packed meals. And, I had to admit, I was curious as to who made the majority of it. Because it was clear both she and Omb had been at work up until now.


    "Thank you, Liada." I teasingly said as I took this last opportunity to call her by that. To the disappointment of my joker''s mindset, though. She took it in stride and just smiled at me this one time.


    "Don''t let us keep you." she reluctantly tells us as she slowly waves.


    "One final hug?" I offer to everyone as I bring up my arms for them. And, before I even finished, the pair of us were swarmed with affection by those who cared enough.


    "Do you not want in, Grumpy?" Omb remarked from his dominant position as the biggest of us.


    "No, let them go home already." he told him with a slight twist of his head. But, when he saw me, he just nodded respectfully. Albeit, I was not in a position to respond well to his gesture. Nor did I go about it when the hug finally ended.


    I just gave them all a general wave as Vadei took my hand as she has done so many times before.


    "I hope I can see you all again!" I tell them all with a smile as I fight back the urge to get emotional in the wrong way. And, when I felt like that urge was about to break through, I started up the spell. Shooting up into the cloudless sky before we arced down into the clouds. Like a wagon that had suddenly landed, it was a rough transistion.


    But, it was also near-instantly as well that I got the hang of it and we were just travelling. Like the spiral-trams leaving the mountain, we just glided along our strange tracks. And, because I wanted to add a little excitement to it, I aimed for the breaks in the clouds. Sending us out into the open as we were normally before I turned again.


    With the power of a storm propelling us forward, I danced through the sky. Sometimes through the heart of parting clouds or their gathering brethren. Other times, I brought us below them and shot out multiple branches of ourselves. Seemingly replicating the art of swinging about before I landed us down on a plateau for a brief moment.


    "You did take a map, right?" Vadei questioned as she tried to discern which of the many mountains behind us was where Thrurstradtur rested.


    "Nope, none at all!" I announced to her excitedly before I dragged her off the mountain to renew our journey. I was going to bring her home, but, there was one stop I wanted to make before we went there. So, for what likely seemed to her as a brief moment, I shot us about close to the ground. Renewing my memories of the journey I once took along these paths before stopping.


    "DAMN YOU!" Vadei screamed as we suddenly turned normal again just as I found a paved road. With a hearty laugh announcing our descent, I put out my magic to make it a safe drop. Seemingly sliding on lightning before I came to a running halt. And, once we were on the ground properly, she dropped out of my arms to scream.


    "You should''ve expected it." I giggled as she threatened to claw out my eyes with exaggerated anger.


    "Damn you and your stupid magic!" she spits with a huff before she crosses her arms just as armed men approached.


    "Wise choice to stop out here on the road rather than in town." he announced as he holstered his weapon.


    "Just to make sure, is Tryhpeltzweig along this road."


    "Indeed, just around that forested corner there." the man answered as I began to recall details about this place. If my hunch was correct, the road we were now walking along was very close to where I saved Nin and Rose''lhia. It was also the road I chased the pair over when I mistook Nin for something else.


    It made me laugh in retrospect and I also found myself yearning for that time once again. It was such a simple one in comparison to now. I had freshly arrived in this land at the town Mother told me to go to. And, I had made my first two friends in this land.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Of course, there was Baltanthan too, but he was being carried about in a bag!


    "What''re you laughing about?" Vadei demanded to know, clearly offended by the lack of involvement.


    "Sorry, I was just remenicing."


    "About what? It''s just some town in between the mountains." she comments with a shrug.


    "So was the town we picked that special flower of yours."


    "Tch." she lets out with a groan.


    "It really is amazing how such simple places can mean so much to us, no?" I ask her as I thought about all the details of this town that I had experienced. I could even see the results of our actions in the way it had all changed. Despite being this small town, it had learned well from our departure.


    It felt more like a fortress of civilisation. I was sure even that this road wasn''t as paved as it was the last time we were here. Most importantly, however, was how much effort had gone into upgrading its defences. But, I suppose it was to be expected after Nin''s...


    Urgency.


    "Hold up now." one of the guards said as he came out from a small building built into the wall.


    "Hello." I greeted for some reason as if it were a casual affair. Amusingly enough, though, he waved back.


    "What brings you here to our little town?" he asked us before we briefly caught a glance of a guard moving something about inside.


    "I''m here to see someone." I decided to answer with as it might''ve been unbelievable that I was here to see Brewbrt? I don''t know, I felt like they''d laugh at me.


    "Just bolt us over you polite annoyance." Vadei comments through her teeth.


    "No!" I tell her seriously as the guards were clearly on edge about the idea.


    "Now, now, now! Is that who I think it is?" a familiar voice called out joyously as a powerful aura descended upon us. Along with a cloud of roadside dust and litter when they landed.


    "Hello again, Brewbrt!" I greet after coughing and wheezing at all the mess he had created.


    "Founding-Lord! Sir!" the guard let out before Brewbrt put his arm around me casually.


    "Just open the gate here for my friend''s daughter!" he snaps dismissively but not aggressively or angrily.


    "H-How have you been?" I ask him as I suddenly found him pushing me along as if I was nothing. I could''ve sworn he wasn''t this strong last time.


    "I''ve been doing much better now that you are here! But, let''s not get ahead of ourselves. At least come into my little town before we unpack everything!" he joyously tells me before he catches sight of Vadei, who he had left behind.


    "That''s my friend, Vadei, I''m taking her home to her village."


    "You gonna want a bath...?" Brewbrt randomly asks her before I noticed how angered she was at the state of her tail.


    "You are damn right I want one along with the finest brush you have you damn, reckless gust!" she snaps angrily as she stomps ahead of us while trying to ignore the mess. Yet, she could not hold herself back and was quickly picking away at all the dust and dead or loose plant life.


    "Honestly, I said I was sorry!" Brewbrt comments as he lets go of me to gesture wildly.


    "You actually didn''t." I tell him with a coy smile.


    "Don''t you start." he fires back with before he laughs it off.


    "So I see you have changed a lot since we were last here... Better yet, I am surprised you remember me this easily." I say with a mixture of regret, awe and surprise.


    "What kind of man would I be if I forgot my old partner''s daughter?" he asks back with.


    "I guess. But... Sorry about the mess we caused." I say before I leaned close to him to whisper ever so quietly into his ear.


    "Don''t worry about it, I needed a reason to upgrade the place anyway." he whispers in response.


    "W-We... Didn''t cause too many issues, right...?" I asked him, somewhat dreading the results of our actions.


    "Don''t worry yourself over those things, Einervaene. Just come on into my home and make yourself comfortable again within its walls!" he declares as his magic sweeps up the stairs to slam the doors open.


    Yet, this careless display had one issue, "I WILL CLAW EACH FINGER OFF!"


    "N-No, Vadei, inside now, get it sorted now!" I quickly let out as I tried to diffuse the situation Brewbrt''s careless casting had caused.


    "S-Sorry..." I heard him sheepishly mutter as he tried to keep himself occupied with the smallest of whirling spells.


    "Honestly, you need to be more careful." I tell him after Vadei had disappeared into the house. Likely to the confusion of his servants and guards.


    "You are speaking to the same old man who tied himself to a major political crisis in Eusorochii to save his friend''s daughter and let a special man charge out of his settlement after he blew up his own home as part of an act..." he started to explain fine at first before he got quieter and quieter.


    "Idiot." was all I had to say as a sense of gratitude filled my body.


    "Indeed." he chuckles as we enter his home. The doors then closed behind us once he got in and did it manually.


    "I hope we didn''t come at a bad time?"


    "No, no! You came at a perfect time. I was getting a little bored and now I have guests over!" he let out with excitement as he hung up his coat.


    "What were you up to before we got here, then?" I asked him as I followed him up the likely rebuilt central staircase. Only to stop when I found a particular art piece on his wall once you got past the grim history lesson he had there last time.


    "Oh! Right, I had this made some time after you lot departed as a memento!" he explained as I started to recognise those within the piece.


    "Is... Is that..." I began to say as I blushed at the seemingly fresh memory.


    "I found it quite the laughing matter when I found out." he sniggered before I turned to face him with a volt-covered hand.


    "Take it down while Vadei is here." I threatened as my hand loomed over him.


    "No." he answered as his grin grew before my blush took my features over.


    "No!" I started to whine, "If she sees that, she won''t ever let me forget it!"


    "You look like you never forgot it yourself, Windowbreaker." he cackled as I tried to withhold the embarrassment.


    "You cruel man..." I whined as I started to foresee the laughter from Vadei. I would hear never-ending laughter from her as she learned the tale of how I decided to crash through a window... Because I somehow thought Nin was the lord of this town.


    "Would a cruel man offer a lady a chair? Would a cruel man be getting his chef on standby to make his adorable guest delicious food?" he asked me with a put-out lip for some reason.


    "I suppose you could apologize by making me my favourite..." I begin to say with a knowing smile. But, I kept the answer out of sight to see if he could remember it.


    "Of course, Einervaene." he says with a smile before he disappears likely to get it sorted. But, while I appreciated the kindness. I did need to make sure Vadei was doing fine in this large place. While our dorm of a couple of years was a big building, it paled in comparison.


    "Vadei? Where''d you go?" I called out only to get quieter when I passed by any of Brewbrt''s staff. Thankfully, however, I found my friend quickly as she seemed to be looking for me as well.


    "Where''s the bathroom!?" she demanded to know as she continued to pick out the mess from her tail. And, what was likely out of spite, she dumped it all over Brewbrt''s carpets.


    "Which one?" I asked back as I laughed quietly at her reaction.


    "The closest one, then!" she went on to correct as she began to flick her tail''s tip at my face.


    "Through there! Through there!" I guessed at random just to get her to stop. But, it was too late and I ended up squeaking out a sneeze. And I turned red as she started to howl in laughter. She even mocked me by copying the noise.


    But, I still guided her to where I thought a bathroom was and we found ourselves in a smaller guest room. Interestingly enough, while I had no way of telling if this was the same one. It looked much like the room Nin, Rose''lhia and I stayed in all those years ago. For a moment as well, I forgot about my revenge against Vadei and just recalled everything.


    How me and Rose''lhia made our kimonos in a room like this after she opened up to me. It was in a room like this where our friendship began... And even the kind of room where I shared my first bed with another man... Even if I don''t love him, the thought still heated my face up.


    "It''s just a pair of beds." Vadei remarked before she went into the bathroom on our left. And her excited laughter dragged me out of the nostalgia trip I was taking in that brief moment.


    "You have everything you need?" I ask her as she made quick work of stripping down and getting the bath ready.


    "I don''t even know... There are just so many things... Bath bombs, bubble-making liquids... I could leave here smelling like an orchard!" she exclaimed without an ounce of shame.


    "Vadei... Your..." I try to say as I turned away so I did not have to look at her confidently-held body.


    "Oh, come on now! You''ve seen it all before." she laughs before she kneels down in front of the bath to take in deep breaths of the oils and fragrances.


    "I have..." I say as I notice a bucket and her increasingly distracted mind. So, I carefully moved towards the bucket and slowly turned on a cold water tap. A smile grew on my face as it filled up. And she continued to be oblivious to it.


    "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" she screamed after I threw the cold water onto her bare back. Even better as well, she ended up diving straight into the still hot bath. And she squealed in response to that but chose to stay inside the bath.


    "We''ll be waiting for you in the main dining hall. Up the central staircase at the entrance." I tell her before I laugh on my way out. Yet, once I was out of the room, I found myself trembling. I knew why but I also found it weird. It was something that hadn''t happened in a while.


    But, I was just as quick to remember that I was still geared up entirely in my new outfit. All this blood-runed copper about me could''ve easily recreated my problem. And, it would probably be a lot worse given my friend was in the water... And Nin was-


    "No... Stop thinking about him." I snap to myself before I sighed at the seeming impossibility of it. This was the place it all started, after all. And where I planned on heading out to, it was the sight of one our greatest trials as friends.


    And at least, from my warped perspective, as a potential lover...


    Yet, it made me angry trying to think of that. I never loved him, I cared for him as a friend. But everything beyond that was just a manipulation. A dream I wish I never had to wake up from again...


    "I''ll forget about it all, eventually." I then remarked before I quietly returned to the dining room. And I returned the wave that Brewbrt sent my way as he got up from his chair to pull me out one.


    "Making sure your friend found her way?"


    "Yeah, I made sure she got there." I told him before silently thanking him as I sat down.


    "So, what brings you back this way?" he asks as he takes a sip from his drink. It would''ve made me smile seeing him drink at this time of day. But, his question confused me.


    "I already said that I was taking my friend home." I reminded him as he ran a hand along the top of his head. Flattening his silver-green hair in the process as he did so. Yet, I could also see in his eyes that there was a different intent even if he looked calm and relaxed.


    "No other friends, then?"


    "We said goodbye to them before we left."


    "No, I mean for you." and when he said that, I turned away and sighed.


    "They can''t help me..." I quietly muttered.


    "I do recall quite clearly telling that boy to keep an eye on you." he commented flatly.


    "And he has... But..." I started to say before his bloodied, frenzied body filled my vision. I even heard a ghostly echo of his roar.


    "What happened?" he asked me as he got up and moved closer.


    "I... I don''t know..." I tearfully admit as his pushy behaviour made me come to terms with the fact I was on my own again.


    "Einervaene..." he let out quietly as his hand reached out for my knee.


    "If you really want to know why we are here... It is so I can ask you for help. I think I have found a way to help my mother but I have no idea how dangerous it might be and..."


    "Sure." he answers as he rolls his clicking neck about.


    "B-But you don''t even..."


    "My old friend whose daughter I took in is asking me for help. Now, I wouldn''t be much of a friend if I turned her away just as she comes upon the cusp of freeing her, now, would I?"


    And his words made me smile, at least for a moment, "Thank you..."


    "Now, I am sorry for pushing you as I did. But, know, if you want to talk about it, I am right here."


    "And why would you leave your own home?" I question as I wipe away the remaining tears. Smiling a little more at my bad attempt at a joke while he sat back down with a smile of his own.


    "I can think of several reasons why I might want to dust off the old coat and go on one final adventure." he grins excitedly as he began to flex his trembling hands.


    "I am sorry I won''t be able to explain exactly what it is I have planned..." I mutter as I try to think it over. But how could I explain something as peculiar as a storm wanting to be left alone? He was a wind-magic user, he had no connection to this kind of stuff!


    "Wouldn''t be much of an adventure if you could!" he tells me as a careless attitude possesses him.


    "I''d rather not get you needlessly hurt..."


    "Don''t worry about me, now. All you got to concern yourself with is yourself and your mother. I might be finely aged. But, I am no polished dullard." he tells me as he takes another sip from his drink.


    "I guess we could talk about that then, when Vadei gets back from her bath."


    "What, all my old adventures? Perhaps even how I met your mother?"


    "Oh, that would be interesting!" I say as Mother never did tell me much about what she did when she was younger. Maybe it would even give me the hints I needed to find my father... The man who could be seen as the one at fault for all of this. But, I didn''t want to blame a man I did not even know for a problem that came about because of myself...


    It had to have been a self-inflicted problem... It had to be! People weaker than me had golden lightning when they cast their spells and incite their magic! Yet, I...


    I sparked a bright blue...


    "Well, anyway, I best start thinking of something because your friend just finally willed herself out of the bath." Brewbrt idly commented before he started to tap the base.


    "E-Excuse me!?" I let out after hearing that.


    "Oh, that, get used to it now because as you grow as a witch, you''ll be finding it very easy to sense what others are up to." Brewbrt idly commented as he went back to his pondering.


    "When you become so powerful, you have trouble stopping yourself from doing something so simple?"


    "No, I just keep my senses active about my house as a security measure. It was how I also found that boy, by the way, when he snuck back into my house for your combined luggage."


    "Yes, I recall..." I, unfortunately, found myself saying as the memories flickered in my mind.


    "Ah... That was nice..." Vadei let out with a relaxed and booming sigh as she came into the dining room. And, she was decked out in what must''ve been the dressing gown I had ever seen. I think it was fair to say that when she nearly melted into the chair that she was comfortable.


    "We have some food on the way up, so, while I have you as my guest, why not tell me who you are?"


    "Shouldn''t you introduce yourself, first?" Vadei snapped back at him as she slowly slid down the chair. All the way until she had to scrunch up her chin just to look our way.


    "I suppose that is fair," Brewbrt laughed before he sent a little bit of magic at Vadei''s face, "I am the Founding-Lord Brewbrt, and this is my ravineer town of Tryhpeltzweig."


    "Vadei of Agaudi..." she mutters right back as she cleans up the freshly made mess.


    "Agaudi... You''re decently south, aren''t you?"


    "I don''t know, I never paid much attention to the geography of it." she says with a shrug.


    "Well, I can say I am looking forward to heading that way again. Especially if we arrive during the famous bitch-off." he laughs out, much to Vadei''s annoyance.


    "Hey! Don''t make such a wonderful event seem so crass..."


    "But that is what it is, no? The women all fight over who can cook better."


    "Yes, and it is the best." Vadei huffs before she sits upright.


    "But, yeah, I do honestly like the idea of seeing an oxfuinei village again. It''s been a while, in fact, since I have seen anything but a human."


    "Aelenvari not come this way?" Vadei asks as she brings her tail up in front of her.


    "They used too before I founded this town way back. However, we went on to dominate the entire junction so they started taking a new route as war was off the table with me here."


    "You''re strong enough to deter a war?" I asked as it was a new concept to me.


    "A very small one. I mean, it''s a flower vs a town, not much of a difference with how many people are there."


    "So... Did you stop it by actually being strong or by..." Vadei began to ask suggestively as he started to fill with laughter.


    "V-Vadei!" I let out knowing what she was on about. My friendship in Rose''lhia had given me some insight into how these ''flowers'' worked. But I had never seen it firsthand.


    "No, those meetings were purely man-on-man." Brewbrt clarified as he continued to laugh before he played with my current reaction.


    "Don''t!" I complained with a whine after he gave me a particular wink.


    "Though, actually, on the topic on that sort of stuff. As I did say not long ago, Einervaene, I''d talk about my old adventures. One of the things we used to do on the road and something a lot still do is present themselves to a flower. Even if you cannot get into where the petals are, you can still work it around a bit."


    "I don''t think Aahtha encourages decadence like that." Vadei huffs.


    "You did it for the supplies, really, not for the thrill of the bedcover-bound adventure. I mean, sure, the younger lot out there probably do go there for that sort of stuff. But me and my lot just used them as mobile shops, really. An intermediary between the ''legal'' settlements and us ravineers."


    "Yeah right, you walk into a flower of son-crazed women and you keep them on? Don''t make me laugh." Vadei scoffs between bouts of playing with the cutlery and other stuff.


    "It''s the fact it is so easy that turns a lot of adventurers off as they grow more powerful. Especially for likes of people like Tornado Valley Tyohr or Ravine Carver Jeckels. It''s more of something you did as you were growing and the fame rushed to your head." he explained further.


    "I think I remember hearing people talking about them back in Suhurlodst..." I mutter as the names sound familiar. But, they weren''t prevalent enough in my memories to mean much.


    "Some of the top free witches on the continent right now. Adventurers, mercenaries, whatever term you think is appropriate."


    "So... What name did you go by, Brewbrt?"


    "My old guild name? Oh, that takes me back... The terror of Sky-Bomber Brewbrt!" he reminisced with a wide smile.


    "Wait, guild name?"


    "You register yourself up into a greater, hands-off organisation."


    "Oh, like Ni-" Vadei began to say before she suddenly recalled that I was here.


    "Nin! That was it, the boy went and joined the Free Witches Guild? How come?" Brewbrt began to say full of excitement before he saw my depressed expression.  He then went quiet and the only noise that followed was his staff coming in with food and drink.


    "Well timed..." Vadei let out quietly as she quickly went to the food and picked at it.


    "I need to get some air..." I sighed out before I got up to leave.


    "Would you like me to set you aside a plate? It''s your favourite, no?" Brewbrt asked me with an apologetic tone as he briefly gave chase.


    "Yes, please." I told him with a stiff tone before I closed the balcony door behind me. Then, once I had some privacy up here above this garden square. I tightened my grip on the balcony guards and tapped one of my heels. I shouldn''t be getting frustrated like this, but, I was starting to think along the lines of ''how could I not!?''


    And it was true! We were just talking about Brewbrt''s past when he was younger. A while before I was even born! And somehow, somehow!


    It went back to Nin... The discussion somehow became about him.


    "Gods damn it..." I let out quietly before I looked above and behind, "But, not him... Don''t damn him."


    .


    .


    .


    "Should I or should I not get started on sorting all this out?" I asked myself as I rocked back and forth in the Undwote-inspired rocking chair. It had been quite some time since I used my armoury. I didn''t even go in here when that strange osibindah migration happened the last time Einervaene and her friends were here.


    But what would I take on this adventure, anyway? I owed it to my dear friend from another land to take this as seriously as possible. Einervaene''s reserved nature about it as well also necessitated some paranoia as well. If it could be called that, anyway.


    Yet, with all the years I have had under my belt. I couldn''t help but feel some of this might be a bit extreme. Ancient armours I have dragged out of formerly drowned ruins. Weapons that would make a Valkinvar blush with desire.


    I had it all really.


    "But I suppose I should try and pry what I could out of her before I make any final decisions..." I then mutter before I glance up in the direction of my friend''s daughter. Einervaene had been pretty immobile since that unfortunate verbal stumble earlier. The pair must''ve fallen out pretty hard. But, Thrurstradtur or Suhurlodst be damned, if he broke his promise...


    If there was something to this that demanded it, then, well, I''ll have a reason to get my best equipment.


    For now, however, I gave the situation the benefit of the doubt and just rose to my feet. Locking my armoury behind me before I began the walk to my favoured guest. As I did so, I did the usual things with my members of staff before I then reached the door to her. And I knocked to see if she was willing to suffer my presence right now.


    To my delight, she was and the door opened at her behest before I took the final step.


    "It''s a very different view down here, you know." she idly commented as she gazed towards the sky.


    "I am very aware." I told her before smiling as she briefly laughed quietly.


    "It feels strange that this feels as weird as it is... I grew up in a land where metal islands were held together by a net of thunder''s light." she explained, and I nodded along with her as that was indeed a comparison. Having been to her homeland, I knew very well how strange it must seem from the outside.


    "So seen as you can turn into said noisy light, have you ever tried to emulate the way your homeland works?" I suddenly decided to suggest when the idea suddenly popped into my head.


    "No... I think I would stretch myself out trying to do that." she answered with a smile as she looked skyward again.


    "Well, it''s an idea to think about should you decide to grow your arcane arsenal." I tell her with a bemused huff before going quiet. If she wanted to say something, I would try letting her get it off her chest first.


    "I know this might sound strange, Brewbrt... But, are you my father by any chance?" she suddenly asked me without even looking my way. So she must''ve not had faith in the idea herself.


    "I am sorry, Einervaene, but no. Your mother is a dear friend but we never went that far even over a drink. All I know is that your father is a man from one of the colonies on the southern coastline." I tell her as I place my weight against the nearest side.


    "I suppose I''ll never figure out why I am different, then..." she lets out with a downtrodden sigh.


    "Nothing wrong with that, history is built on the backs of those who dared to be different." I tell her, mostly thinking of the story of the Lone Lancer the Seven-Peaks Union holds so dear.


    On a beast of burden did he charge, for who better to carry the saviour''s burden than the strong steed? On that saviour steed did the Lone Lancer ride with Might at his back. A benevolent power like none had seen before. All to the fore did he implore...


    "But what history am I going to change? All I have done is cause my mother indescribable pain... She has only suffered because of me."


    "She suffers this because she loves you, she encouraged you to come to me for the same reason. So that you could be safe. And, you might''ve forgotten it as well, but she never asked you to save her."


    "I never forgot it... I know she didn''t ask me. But I saw the way she looked at me as I sailed away on that first ship." she clarified with an almost blank face.


    "And this guilt has been driving you on?"


    "I don''t know what drives me... A daughter''s love for her mother? A fear of change? I don''t know!"


    "I prefer the idea that it is the first one that motivates you." I tell her, smiling as I did so before I gave her a reassuring pat.


    "I can''t, however, help her like this..." she despairs as her blue lightning arcs about her hands.


    "There is plenty of power coursing through your blood." I point out as my vision briefly changes to every adventurer''s best tool. The ability to see as if they were aelenvari themselves. Even if it was such a basic thing.


    "It doesn''t matter if I am powerful... This is why I am not at home eating those sweet meat pancakes and other familiar delights... I am not learning how to take over from my mother like I should be. And it is all because of this!" she frustratedly explains.


    "So you cannot gain the desired colour by growing your magic? Like how one''s wind glows a brighter emerald the more powerful it becomes?" I ask her as I put on a demonstration of my own.


    "No, I need something greater than just some tuition..." she remarks as she caresses her palms.


    "And our adventure is to seek this power?"


    "I already know where it is, I just need to... Convince it." she explains cryptically.


    "You find a dragon or something?" I question as I guess it would be possible for a dragon to lend it the visage of power. But I don''t recall Jaadagoren''s crowning as their ruler ever influencing them to do such deceptive behaviour. Dragons were very constant in their behaviour.


    As avatars of pure power, they never wavered from the idea of displaying it so proudly.


    "No, something greater." she corrects as the briefest glimpse of her awe at it came through.


    "Thurnmourer himself offers his aid?" I jokingly ask.


    "Maybe." she teasingly answers.


    "Come on..." I childishly whine, wanting to hear a little more about where we were headed.


    "However, I have to admit... I was hoping to do this with more than just you." she suddenly said as the smile disappeared from her face.


    "You wanted Nin to be here?" I asked, and she nodded.


    "Do you want to perhaps talk about him? Get it off your chest somewhat? Whatever happened clearly happened recently."


    "Yes, it was only a few days ago that I fought him."


    "He become a criminal or something?" I asked as my brow raised. It seemed a little odd that they would just fight in a manner that would cause such a response.


    "No... For the past two years, he has been relentlessly chasing after one called Smiling Jhurack."


    "I see..." I quietly say as I knew full well who that madman was. Even in the ravines, the uncivilised part of the world as many knew it as... His reputation reached out here. If only because we were within the webbed borders of Thrurstradtur more than anything.


    My connections to Suhurlodst kept me pretty informed as well.


    "And... I just couldn''t take it anymore... I could not tolerate seeing the man I... My friend, I could not tolerate seeing him being led about on a torture run." she explained with growing anger. Less out of concern for my property, however, I reached out to her. Doing my best to calm her as her magic started to lash out around her.


    "So you tried to stop him from being led on by this man?"


    "I did, yes... I even made a point of developing my own magic in response to some foreign warrior training him and goading him along with it."


    "You were not powerful enough, then?"


    "No... I was more than powerful enough..." she comments as she clutches where wounds must''ve been. However, this might''ve just been her pride talking.


    "He caught you off guard?"


    "Yes, and... I don''t think my heart was fully in it... I knew what I wanted to do, planned it and prepared... But when the day finally came for me to put my foot down. I wavered and trembled."


    "It''s not an easy thing to fight a friend in a vicious manner. So don''t beat yourself up over it." I tell her, speaking from experience as adventuring was a harsh profession. It tested teams and broke strong men.


    "Nin is still out there you know... Tonight even... He is being slashed apart by that scum... And I failed to keep him safe... If I can''t even keep one friend safe from himself... How can I-"


    "No, that''s enough!" I tell her as I pull Einervaene closely in for a hug. I didn''t want to hear her enforce doubts in her head. And I kept her locked in the hug until all I could hear was her crying. Which, then made me ease up on the pressure to give her room to move.


    "Please... Help me... I don''t want to let my mother down as well... Please help me!" she begged despite already knowing that I would help her.


    "Yes, Einervaene. I will give you my all." I tell her with a nod as I stroked the back of her head. And, as she proceeded to calm down. I thought back to my pondering in the armoury. I had my choices made now.


    I would take the best stuff that I had! The strongest weapons and the most magically engorged of items would help her. I would not crack or snark as we went about it. She would have my all.


    Her mother would have my all as well. For by helping her daughter I helped her and I reminded her of our friendship. That friendship that built our names across the world! Sky-Bomber Brewbrt would be soaring once more in seek of thrill!


    Though, my thrill this time would be to smile as a daughter and mother held each other once again. Even if Einervaene went on to doubt herself in this journey. If despair overtook her and she could no longer move. I would be the hope that led her.


    "So, when do you plan on heading out anyway?" I decided to ask her once she had properly quietened down.


    "Tomorrow..."


    "No, that won''t do. You''ve travelled here within the day and are late going to bed. You''ll rest here for a few nights before we then head out." I explain to her before I mentally remarked about my own situation. As, while the schemes and pecking order had been established should my absence be an issue. I still needed to make everyone aware of that fact.


    A lesson I learned quite well when I first became a Founding-Lord... I still hadn''t quite realised what ''settling down'' meant. And, that caused a few issues for my fledgeling settlement. Thankfully, I have had time to mature on that front.


    "I didn''t bring a change of clothes..." she then muttered incoherently.


    "Sorry, what was that?" I asked as I pushed her away slightly. And I became increasingly bemused at how red her face was. It was not because she had just been crying as well...


    "I didn''t bring a change of clothes... This is all I have."


    "Idiot." I breathed out without a second thought.


    "Hey!" she complained as I held back a laugh. Patting her on the back as I brought her in doors. And, we strolled about briefly before I finally found a female servant.


    "My friend''s daughter here decided to go on a trip without much thought put into it. I don''t suppose you have any clothes she could wear?" I asked the servant bluntly.


    "Uh... There should be spare clothes in the utility room. But I do not know if they''ve been cleaned or n-"


    "Thank you." I quickly say as I get Einervaene moving once again. Keeping it up despite her growing protests before we finally arrived at this part of the building that I never use.


    "Wh-What if none of it fits...?" Einervaene blabbers as I got to work finding something soft and comfortable. I suppose it didn''t matter what so long as it fit her.


    "Are you the kind that sleeps nude?" I then asked her without even considering the kind of question it was.


    "N-Nude!?" she repeated with a returning blush.


    "No..." I draw out in response before I start to finally assemble something she could use.


    "Th-Thank you..." she mutters when I finally dump the load unceremoniously into her grip.


    "Off to bed now, and, if you want, leave that by your door for someone to collect and we''ll clean it."


    "Would you even be able to clean this?" she questions as she reminds me of the copper guidance system she had on this attire of hers.


    "Yeah, we can handle that." I tell her confidently even if I honestly had no idea if we could handle it. My staff sort of had a clear divide between armour and clothing. Though, I suppose they did have experience cleaning thick leathers covered in hooks and buttons.


    "I''m... I''m sorry to burden you with this, Brewbrt."


    "Don''t worry about it Einervaene. There''s not a burden from you I would refuse when it is held with this kind of sincerity." I explain to her before I gestured for her to get going to bed.


    "Goodnight..." she said quietly as she disappeared.


    "Sleep well, Einervaene." I say back to her before walking off. Stopping briefly to look back in her direction before frowning. Oddly enough, I then began to think to myself. That question of hers from earlier was lingering.


    But, no, I just could not see any such connection existing. Yet, I would be even more proud of her if she was, in fact my daughter.

 Incline 2: Across One Land to Another

    "So that is the Valley-Riders notified, have I missed anything, Secretary Kurid?" I asked one of my many gathered members of staff. And as they went about checking, I made a point of seeing if any had any hidden objections.


    "No, that would be everyone, Founding-Lord Brewbrt." she gracefully answered back as she finished compiling all her notes. So, with a firm nod, I rose to my feet and headed over to my piled-up gear. I had practically emptied the armoury, so I had to ensure it was all safe and secure. And with a few small, but potent spells, I tested their anti-theft measures.


    The mild blast it caused shocked most of those behind me. Although, their gasps and twitches brought a brief smile to my face. The more concerned looks, however, made quick work of that smile. And I had to prepare myself to put up with any criticism they might''ve had.


    If only so it could be put on record...


    "I can''t say I particularly endorse this behaviour, Founding-Lord." one of them had to say.


    "I don''t need your approval, only your awareness of what I choose."


    "Yes, I am aware, but as an advisor and hopefully a good friend, we have to insist that you stay here. Your adventuring days are long behind you and you want to set out with some girl!?"


    "That girl is the daughter of one of my closest friends. A friend I have spilt blood with for many years. I will not leave her alone to wander this wartorn continent."


    "It''s one girl versus the entire settlement you helped create! Generations have lived here and you know it!"


    "And I still owe more to this girl I have met twice than the entire town." I tell them all coldly before I hoist the large bag onto my back. Easing the weight being put through me with a counteractive spell. Then, I walked off.


    "Well, either way, all the best, Founding-Lord Brewbrt." my secretary bid.


    "All the same, you have your improved guards, constabulary and walls and all manner of new defences. You''ll be fine." I tell them with a lighter tone before I made a brief gesture to indicate my departure. Yet, as the girls were not gathered up at the entrance, I instead lumbered my way towards the room they had moved on to sharing.


    "Somebody is decked out..." Vadei commented with a clear measure of awe as my armour came to a clanking halt in time with myself.


    "Only the best for Einervaene." I answered as the girl in question stepped out with her own equipment. However, that was all she stepped out of the room with. My distaste for it, though, was only shown via a slight expression. And my contingency rested within the large bag on my back.


    "Morning, Brewbrt." she greeted anxiously as she tried to breathe out some of her worries.


    "Morning, now, off we go." I tell the pair as I swiftly turn around. And once we made it to the entrance of my manor, I blew open the doors and let them go out first.


    "So how are we...?" Einervaene began to ask me as she took hold of Vadei''s hand for whatever reason.


    "Leaving?" I think I finished correctly for her as I started to rise effortlessly into the air. Albeit, it felt strange to do so with this much luggage. It really has been a while since I have done something like this... Yet, when I rose into the air, lightning struck up.


    And in the sky above, laughter echoed down.


    "Oh, so it is like that?" I asked them even if they couldn''t hear me. I would not be able to compete like this, though. So I touched the ground again and felt out for my magic. In a way, I felt like I was dusting an old memoir.


    It was all so clear to me but I needed a moment to take it in. Then, with a boom greater than the thunder trailing the girls. I rocketed skyward and parted clouds as I gave chase. And I did so with an even greater smile on my face as Einervaene rubbed in her talent.


    Gone was the girl who had stumbled into the pitfall of blood magic. Instead, I saw someone who has trained and honed her skills. Maybe not in battle and travelling as I have. But she has grown tremendously.


    So casually was she converted to and from this lightning bolt form of hers. And to do so with an attached passenger? It was a very impressive sight I had to admit. Almost made me want to go even further with my own speed.


    But, I also wanted to show off a little, so, when we reached a valley with cliff-like sides. I dove straight down the cliff face. Grinning as the world blurred before I used a powerful blast to carve myself a route. And with the power added on by that blast.


    I went straight back up into the clouds. Even going so far as to interrupt the duo by parting the clouds they were heading towards. Yet, as I turned around. Einervaene couldn''t help but make a casual taunt.


    "Would you like me to go-" she started to say before she suddenly appeared next to me, "-slower?"


    "How about... YOU KEEP UP!?" I started to say back to her before I shot far ahead of her. Yet, even though I did not know which way we technically had to go. She was more than happy to give chase and she quickly caught up.


    "Slow!" she quipped as she briefly appeared once more.


    "Only because I am carrying more." I remark with a knowing smile before I notice her suddenly stopping on a freshly formed flat peak. So, I whirled about the mountain and disrupted its snow-belt before I finally arrived in the air near the pair.


    "So is it more that way?" Einervaene asked her friend as she held down one of her braided tails.


    "I could not really say... I don''t come up here often." Vadei nervously laughs as her feet press about the charred mountain top.


    "Which landmarks are there in particular?" I decide to ask as I use my magic to bring out a very useful artefact of mine. A very old but well-restored map of the globe. An ancient device that showed our entire planet in such detail that I could zoom in and we''d see ourselves.


    How it worked... I had no clue. But I really appreciated its existence, it had led me on so many new adventures! Just sit back and let it spin in your hands!


    "There! About there!" Vadei exclaimed after I had altered the map to show us somewhat.


    "So that would be that way, then." I tell the pair as I shoot the device back into storage before firing another spell to lead their eyes.


    "First one th-" Einervaene began to speed out before she vanished. And I huffed in amusement.


    "Very well." I answered back as I shot after her. Replicating my trick from earlier a dozen times over before I just let myself drop to the ground. A distinct feeling of exhaustion now overtakes me as I realise the distance I just had to travel.


    "Tired already?" Einervaene asked me, clearly tired herself after she struck the earth.


    "Okay... Bit over here... No? More this way?" Vadei asked herself quietly as she clearly got to work trying to find a scent.


    "You travel with little friction, you know?" I point out to her. Striking up some conversation as her friend did whatever it was she was doing.


    "I..." she huffed, "Have had a lot of practice against something that pushes back against me."


    "Right, right, Thrurstradtur''s security systems." I remark as I recall the environment that created. Flying was already a hard-to-learn skill. But that neighbouring city made the students who did fly at Suhurlodst all the better. A situation I am sure they appreciated quite a lot.


    Personally, I learned to fly away from the city. Oddly enough, it was one of the first things I learnt now that the thought came to mind. But, I also have had a consistent, deep appreciation for those who could soar across the skies. There was something so beautiful about it that drove me the way it did.


    The part it played in my eventual nickname was also certainly clear.


    "It feels so weird travelling out here, I have to admit. It only gets easier even as I grow tired." she explains.


    "Yeah, but if you headed a bit further south, you''d get caught in the returning winds." I tell her as I start to recall a greater force than Thrurstradtur''s pride. The power of Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra itself. With so much magic being called back to the mountain... It created an odd way of things.


    Normally, magic got weaker as you travelled away from that great mountain and the dense population centres. But, with how the winds returned to their stone mother, it meant the strongest areas also existed far, far away. Dragons loved it, of course. So it was nice that most of these places existed in the skies above.


    "I wasn''t travelling too fast for you... Right?" she then nervously asks me all of a sudden.


    "Maybe, I had to pull out a few old tricks to keep up with you." I tell her as I give her a reassuring pat. And I revelled in the pride-induced embarrassment that covered her face then after.


    "I''ll... M-Make sure to take it slower." she comments as she tries to hide behind her braided tails.


    "Don''t worry, once we get where we need to, I can unload my gear and I can show you a real race if you are up for it."


    "The old need to rest..." she remarked with an innocent expression before I flashed some magic in front of her.


    "Respect your elders, Einervaene." I playfully tell her as her friend finishes up with what she needed to do.


    .


    .


    .


    "Hm, back here sooner than I had hoped..." I comment as I take the final step up the hill before I look down at my home. Yet, while I was upset by the circumstances that led to my return. I couldn''t help but smile at how much my home had grown.


    It was like a town now! All the stuff that the others had built years ago was in use and it was so crowded compared to before! It made my heart light with delight and I couldn''t help but get excited. So, once they caught up, I ran down the hill giggling like a child.


    Much to the confusion of those near this end of the village as well. But I did not let that stop me from dashing all the way into the centre of the village. And, with a final jump, I came to a halt and looked about with a bright smile. A smile that only grew when it became clear that many recognised me.


    "Hey! Vadei is back!" someone let out before a crowd started to form.


    "Unexpected..." I laugh awkwardly as I try to greet as many as I could before a different feeling set in. Though they were being careful with all that magic, it was clear the others felt it.


    "Who are they...?" one concerned voice asked as I stared off at my friend.


    "They''re with me!" I confidently declared with a puffed-out chest and a little teehee.


    "Woah!" one of the pups let out as their tail wagged in excitement. Yet, even amongst all the people I had to smell, one smell in particular stood out.


    "Welcome home." Mom greeted me from the edge of the crowd. And, as if there was never any distance between us. I was soon holding her tightly.


    "Hello, Mom!" I greeted back as she quickly got over the shock and hugged me back.


    "I admit, I haven''t prepared enough for three, but, I can certainly make a point of changing that now." she joked as she jingled her well-stuffed purse.


    "There haven''t been many problems...?" I ask her as I started to worry about their economic situation. Dad was the one who worked after all...


    "No, all the buildings you and your friends built had no official owners. So, the village went to the courts over the matter and they ended up in my possession." she informs me.


    "Well, look at you, Landlady!" I laugh out happily as I hug my mom once again. Keeping it up as my friend and her guardian arrived in the village. Yet, to my astonishment, they all still showed more interest in me than them.


    "I feel very awkward here..." I comment as the pressure of fame got to me.


    "We best head out back, then." Mom whispered as she guided me towards a quiet, garden-like path. Einervaene, however, did not lose me because of that, and she arrived again.


    "Long time no see, Wastla." Einervaene greeted as Brewbrt came lumbering in behind her. And, I had to admit, he did look quite intimidating when I saw him from this perspective. At the end of a narrow back path, that is. Felt strange suddenly imagining him charging down at us.


    "Oh! Einervaene...?" Mom tried to recall before she smiled at her nod. However, she knew full well that she did not know Brewbrt.


    "That''s Brewbrt." I tell her before she suddenly reacts in a way I did not expect.


    "Sky Bomber Brewbrt!?" she exclaims, much to the surprise of us all.


    "Now that is amusing." Brewbrt laughs as Mom suddenly moves closer to him to get a good look.


    "My husband brought back quite a few stories about you when he went out of town..." Mom explained before she straightened herself out.


    "Hi." Brewbrt said.


    "I''m Wastla." Mom nervously told him as Brewbrt nodded in acknowledgement.


    "The one and only," Brewbrt said before he elicited the strangest of reactions from Mom by tickling one of her ears.


    "Mom!" I bark at her as she backed away with a distinct, schoolgirl blush.


    "Not sorry." Brewbrt mocks me with before Einervaene steps in front of him.


    "Is it alright if we stay the night, Wastla?" Einervaene asks Mom as I start to smile at the thought of one more night with my friend.


    "Of course! What kind of woman would I be if I let one of the witches who saved our village and my daughter stay out in the cold? Come, come!" Mom answered as she reversed course and took us home. To my increased delight as well, I saw a bee.


    "You restored my garden!" I cheer as I laugh at the bee before it dove down at one of my flowers. Mom even went the extra length and replanted the flowers I got for Dad specifically before it all went bad...


    "Somehow, even as the village''s first noble, I had a lot of time on my hands."


    "Noble?"


    "Yes, Vadei, I am now officially a title-holding lady as otherwise I wouldn''t legally be able to have all this property."


    "But.. H-How...!?" I exclaim as I was pretty sure being a noble required inheritance and a family to go with it!


    "Don''t you worry about a thing." was all Mom had to tell me as she pinched my cheek before she brought us through my garden.


    "Is that...?" Conquei squeaked as she peaked her head out from the house''s entrance.


    "You want to come here and greet me properly?" I asked my sister as I grinned and held out my arms. But, unfortunately, it was not to be and she shirked away at the sight of Brewbrt. So, instead, I headed on up to her and did it on her terms.


    "I missed you..." she quietly muttered against me as she tried to hide something as well.


    "You won''t have to worry about missing me ever again now. I''ll be staying here now." I tell her before I heard Mom come in.


    "Are you all done with your studies, then? Did the others not want to visit again? Even Nin would''ve been wel-"


    "Mom, no. It''s a bit complicated but... I''ll explain when Einervaene and Brewbrt have gone."


    "Oh, alright." Mom responds, she then nods in understanding.


    "I got something to show you..." Conquei whispered into my ear before she began to desperately pull at me as the others came in. And, with a slight smile back on my face, I picked up the pace. Slipping into our old room before I stared at my side.


    "Aw, you left my side." I joked. But, who knew, maybe that is what she wanted to show me! I would''ve cackled a bit if so.


    "No... I... Look what... Look what I have managed to do!" she nervously declared as she shakily held up a drawing for me. And I smiled as I looked at it. I could clearly tell one of them was her, but the others were...


    "You made some friends?" I asked her as a sense of pride filled me. It was strange, but I remembered well the promise I had her make. Yet, I could not understand why she was seemingly starting to cry as she nodded.


    "Y-Yeah... I made some... Some good friends." she admitted as a big smile dominated her face.


    "Well done." was all I could really think of as a response before I hugged her one more time.


    "N-Now that you''re back! I can go get them and show them all the sister I am proud of!" she explained, her shaky voice full of excitement.


    "I would like that." I tell her before we both catch onto a scent wafting into our room. So, I opened up the door and looked back at the main room of the house. Mom had clearly started cooking but what was it? It smelled so unfamiliar yet it had a potent... Welcomeness to it.


    Whatever it was, it smelled delicious.


    "What''s this?" I asked as I reached the end of the bedroom hallway.


    "I was going to cook some mutton stew for dinner but Brewbrt has sort of..." Mom tried to explain as I finished coming out into the central room.


    Then, as I briefly looked over at Einervaene, "Sorry, he just dove into his bag and pulled something out and now..."


    He was rambling as he went about cooking.


    "He better not ruin dinner." I complain as I cross my arms before I look back at my sister. And for the moment, I tried encouraging her to come on out. She was safe with me and my friend.


    "Long time no see, Conquei!" Einervaene chirped as my sister hid. Some parts in my shadow, other bits just behind the furniture. Which, had noticeably improved since I was last here. The house had clearly been renovated since we were last here.


    "Now... Hm... I think I can find some of that up in the mountains... That one should do." Brewbrt mumbled as he suddenly got up and went out into my garden.


    "HEY! NO FLYING OFF NEAR MY FLOWERS!" I angrily snap, breaking him out of this careless trance he seemed to have put himself in.


    "My apologies." he said to me before he scooted over the wall before he blasted off. And, regardless of if it was intentional or not, the blast of wind that came my way angered me.


    "GODS DAMN YOU!" I scream up at him before I made a point of making sure my flowers were all safe. Though, I suppose, these were all Moms as I had not played a part in their growth at all.


    "I know you probably had a plan for them, but, I tried my best to fix it up for you." Mom tells me as she comes out to help me with the precise cleaning.


    "I would already be idiotic for expecting more than this... I honestly didn''t even expect it at all. So, again, Mom, thank you."


    "I h-helped as well..." Conquei called out from inside the house.


    "Which ones did you do?" I asked her as my ears and tail perked up. To hear that made me happy. If only because it was an issue long before that I had to guard my flowers against her.


    "I... Brought in the bees..." she tells me as she flinches away from the sight of the active house.


    "Wow..." I let out with some awe knowing how skittish she had become since I saved her.


    "She did, she had a little help but she and her friends went on a little adventure and helped some bees move in."


    "The Tale of Conquei and the Empty Beehouse." I laughed out, much to her embarrassment.


    "However, I hope you don''t mind me helping out a little more with the garden from now on, Vadei. I''ve grown quite attached to all of this." Mom told me.


    "That''s fine, I need to make up for lost time anyway." I tell her with a smile before a distant bang grabbed our ear''s attention. It came from the mountain and whatever it was, it was bringing a lot of mess this way.


    "This is a first." Einervaene commented as she glanced at the disturbed snow as it fell down on us from the mountain.


    "Yes, Brewbrt coming here is a first..." I grumble before I found myself flinching when a snowflake hit my nose. I haven''t been beside snow often. The most I have ever seen it was when I was with Vapooliar travelling up to Suhurlodst...


    And, when I thought about it, I was amazed by how long ago that was. It was three years or something. Maybe more, but it was about that long, I think. It feels weird acknowledging that I have been without the warmth of my home for nearly as long.


    When I was younger, I could have never conceived it... I had been on quite the adventure since the fateful night those slavers came. And to even know that there was someone who has been doing this for centuries... And he was right up there.


    Heading straight back to us...


    "You better not..." I growl before he impacts in the woods beyond our garden wall. Yet, I was fine with that landing. So I smiled in relief and watched with curiosity as the human came stumbling out of the trees.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    "What did you go to get, Brewbrt?" Einervaene questions as she steps back alongside the gate she had just opened.


    "Roots, only ones that grow under the snow."


    "There are edible roots up there...?" Mom let out in bewilderment as Brewbrt went about bashing the frozen soil all over the place.


    "You don''t want the roots, though, you want this!" he exclaims as he revealed a strange gemstone-like object.


    "What is that?"


    "Amber-rich ice." he answered before he carelessly flicked it into the pot. A loud crash then came as he dropped down onto his bottom.


    "Can the roots be used?" Mom asked as she went about picking them all up before sniffing them. She then sneezed all of a sudden.


    "Bless you."


    "Thank you, Vadei, so, well?" she thanked first before she put them down on a tray near Brewbrt.


    "I guess if you wanted. But they are a very tough thing. Not good for much other than long-cooked brew." he explained as Mom did a little bit of testing with one of her knives.


    "I see what you mean..."


    "Do you want to go for a walk or something?" I then decided to ask Einervaene as she came back to the house. Mom would probably be occupied perpetually by our newest chef at this rate. I didn''t bother asking my sister, though. Because she had gone back into our room even having heard that.


    "Sure, I would like to see how the stuff we built is doing." Einervaene answers.


    .


    .


    .


    "How come you are out here so late? You need to rest, Einervaene." Brewbrt asked me as he approached me from behind.


    "Sorry, I was reminiscing."  I told him as I stared out at the fields before the mountain. I was glad to see that the signs of our victory were all still here. It clearly worked at serving as a warning in our absence. But the presence of oxfuinei guards indicated a general change of fortunes for this place.


    I was glad about that, Vadei would not be shouldering her new burdens alone.


    "I take it you were thinking about the last time you were here?"


    "Yes, yes I was."


    "Mind telling me?" he asked as he placed his back against a thick stump of wood.


    "It hadn''t been long since we crossed the great canyon eastwards to save Vadei''s people." I start to explain as I look back at the village.


    "You went beyond Redstone? Impressive given what is going on in that direction." Brewbrt lets out.


    "Vadei piloted our airship around the larger ones... Though, at Nin''s behest, we did try our best to get a closer look." I explained further before I found myself annoyed at how the topic went.


    "It must''ve been quite the sight to see Thurn''s Forge from that angle. I''ve only ever seen it from the roads leading up to it from the south."


    "You''ve never been there yourself?"


    "No, this war between them and the Seven-Peaks Union has been going on for a long time. A very long time. Unless I went in with the appropriate mark, which would''ve put me under their draft, I would''ve never got in. So, I never did."


    "I see... So, we went across and back, obviously." I said before I carried on explaining. And I giggled slightly at that comment.


    "Jealous, I have to admit, seeing that view twice." he comments with a bemused expression. And while I focused on the scar near his eye. My mind slowly got to work remembering the journey.


    "Which then brings us here. It was empty, completely. But, it wasn''t because everyone had been abducted. At least, not by slavers."


    "Osibindah were here." he said as he caught on quickly.


    "Yes, so we went into their hive looking for them..." I say as I moved ahead to find the signs of our efforts more directly. And I gestured for Brewbrt as I did so.


    "You didn''t leave that hive particularly bothered, did you?" he then asked me.


    "No, despite seeing what I did. I don''t think about it much."


    "Atta girl, I know it is not pleasant within those earthen halls of theirs."


    "No, it wasn''t... Especially seeing what they do..." I uncomfortably comment as some feint memories come back to me. Of children''s bones and broken adults. The sudden hand I received on my shoulder, though, made me jump.


    "Relax, I am not one of them." he tells me before he starts to tug at my posture.


    "But, yeah... That was the adventure we had here before we ended up going back to Suhurlodst with Vadei once again. Smiles on our faces with no idea what lies ahead..."


    "You should make a point of desperately clinging to those happy memories. Life is often filled with bad moments. I know it is a fresh, open wound for you. But, try to think of the times you were happy with them all. Rather than the history that has decided your current present."


    "This is not wisdom I can quite use at the moment." I tell him with a sigh as I watch him nod.


    "I know, but make sure to heed my words as well as you can. Now, let''s head back to the house. We have a long road ahead of us and if you forgot, I am old." he told me before I smiled a little at the end.


    "Don''t give me that... You are nothing alike most old people."


    "A matter of perspective." he chuckles out as we headed back into the town.


    .


    .


    .


    "So this is it, huh?" Vadei asked me as we sat around the cast iron pot at the centre of their house. Although, I was kneeling in a more traditional manner as it was more comfortable for me in these clothes.


    "Please don''t word it like that..." I say with the full knowledge that this might really be it. This might actually be the last time I ever see my dear friend. One who I have grown to love dearly over the years.


    "Then, promise me this. Again if we already talked it over. Come and see me, will you?" she said to me with a saddened expression. Even with those words, she knew that it was probably not meant to be.


    "Of course." I tell her with a smile as I finished the tea they had made for me. It went well with the filling breakfast that had been made as well.


    "I wish I could go with you... So, you will just have to take all the luck that I can give you." Vadei tells me as she puts down her stuff.


    "And I graciously accept every bit of it." I tell her as I receive the hug she suddenly rushed around to give.


    "You know, I once told my sister that she could not share you lot, for her own good as she needed her own friends. But now... I might need to go to her for that same request." Vadei explained as tears overtook her.


    "Vadei... I promise... Do you hear me? I promise." I tell her as I keep whatever tears that I had out of this.


    "Alright, Einervaene, are you all set?" Brewbrt asked me despite clearly seeing what I was up to. But, I suppose he only did it out of respect for Mother''s situation. It may have been a long time since I left her and our homeland.


    But that did not mean I had the right to waste time...


    "Yes, one moment." I tell him as I enjoy this final hug as much as I could. I even made a point of accepting Vadei''s dear gesture which was her offered up tail.


    "Now, you go save her before I chain you in my garden..." Vadei tells me as she pulls away from our embrace.


    I smile, "You don''t have to remind me." I awkwardly chuckle.


    Picking up my stuff once I was unfortunately free of our hug before I stepped out into the garden. However, out of respect for their home, I did not go up into the sky. I instead waved at my dear friend as we went out towards the woods.


    Then, as we disappeared into the darkness provided by the trees. I couldn''t help but finally let my tears out. I even started to find it hard to walk. So I stopped by one tree and held my hand against it.


    "GO! DO YOU HEAR ME! GO!" Vadei screamed from beyond the trees before magic projectiles began to fly at us.


    "Come on, let''s go before this gets a little out of hand." Brewbrt told me with a careful tone before he began to hover.


    "R-Right..." I said with a sniffle before I shot out of the forest and into the sky before crashing right down again not that far away.


    "Einervaene, I understand this is difficult, but, come on. We have a lot of ground to cover." Brewbrt urged as I wiped my eyes clear.


    "I know the urgency of this, but please... Just a little bit of time." I plead as I start to feel overwhelmed by an urge to rush back to her. To rush back to them all, really. I know and could plainly tell that I wasn''t alone... But, it felt like it regardless.


    My last friend had just left my life, possibly forever... I just didn''t know how to take that. This was really it. I had no one I truly knew by my side anymore...


    "Einervaene!" Brewbrt urged as he moved to pick me up.


    "ONE MOMENT PLEASE!?" I screamed up at him as lightning shot out of me in all directions.


    "Your mother, my friend! Might not have that one moment!" he countered with before I sighed in the prelude to my tears coming back.


    "Please... Just wait... Everyone I have known is gone... Either something bad happened to them or it''s too dangerous for them to come along..." I whimper as I try to hide my face.


    He then sighs, "I am sorry for getting angry with you."


    "N-No... It makes sense... How could it not..."


    "If it''s any consolation, you can just get some of that anger out by attacking the land about you."


    "NO!" I suddenly shout as I recall the part that kind of behaviour played in Nin''s rage.


    "You need to figure something out, then."


    "Everyone is gone, Brewbrt... I have to leave them behind willingly or our relationship just collapsed or... You never met her, but I had a friend called Larishazza. Cheerful as anyone could possibly be... But she was attacked and then Nin, who loved only her, became a rage-filled monster. And everyone else I have just had to leave behind because I can''t bring them along he-"


    "It''s alright, Einervaene. Just let it out." Brewbrt interrupted as he pulled me against his armoured chest.


    "I... I d-don''t want to be alone, Brewbrt... I want my friends to be here with me... I want to see my mother safe... B-But... But I can''t!" I whimpered as I squeezed him as tightly as I could.


    "Your mother will be saved. You will see your friends again. I know this might be cliche to someone as educated as you. But, there is a light at the end. You just need to keep going." he tells me as his hand tries to reassure me with rubs and pats.


    "Ok..." I tell him as wipe my eyes before I start to wander.


    "Slightly to your right." he then says as he brings out that map of his again.


    "R-Right..." I repeat and acknowledge.


    "Would you prefer me to carry you if you aren''t up for zapping across the skies?" he offers.


    "Sure..." was all I had as an answer as I tried to figure out how to climb onto him. Only to be picked up into his arms before he shoots upwards. Surprisingly as well, his magic protected us from any winds that might blow against us.


    It also felt odd, though, there was a strange familiarity but it was foreign as well. I have flown before, faster than most and all through the clouds as a lightning bolt. But, here I was flying without so much as transforming. I could actually reach out and touch things as well!


    Like, I know that I could just transform back to my normal body and touch them. Yet, I could both fly and experience the sky right now! It helped distract my sorrows for a moment as well. But I also realised that I needed to be a little more active to distract my mind right now.


    I needed to do something!


    "Careful." Brewbrt cautioned as he tightened his grip on me. Yet, against that idea. I put my finger near him and smiled.


    "Race you." I told him as a small but potent zap lashed out against him. And while this led to me screaming for a moment as I was suddenly thrown out into the sky. I quickly got the hang of it and returned to his side.


    "YOU IDIOT!" he roared angrily before he started to smile.


    "You win races by moving." I reminded him before turning back into lightning. And without Vadei by my side anymore, I could go even faster! Or maybe it just tired me out less. I was familiar with my speed yet not.


    Walking a lot probably helps with that confusion.


    "Try not to go too far ahead! I have the map!" his voice boomed out across the sky. Though, when it finally reached me, it had dampened quite a bit.


    "Hurry up!" I said to him after briefly returning to his side. Yet, I started to slow down when I saw that he was heading down below the clouds. Then I realised what it was he was trying to do when that map lit up above him. It made me smile a bit too.


    For all the distance he was trying to make, though, I was still faster. And I had to slow myself down drastically by performing a few tricks. When I saw a large dip in the earth, however, is when I decided to stop completely. And I did so by landing on a plateau.


    "Redstone Canyon." I recalled as I stared down at the vast landmark. Even from up here as well, I could not see either end of it. Far beyond the horizon it went. And I had to admit, Brewbrt landing near me did not help me see.


    "It''s quite the sight, isn''t it?" he asks me as his loud footsteps come to a halt.


    "Standing before it is a lot different to just flying over it..." I remark as I could''ve sworn that the gap was bigger.


    "We''ll probably have some trouble flying over it as well." he then comments as his arm rises towards something.


    "Hm, true. I need clouds to use my spell."


    "Interesting to hear, but no, those." he corrects as he points towards nothing.


    "What am I looking out for?" I ask after failing to see it.


    "Sense the wind." he clarifies but it did not help. I was not attuned to the winds like him.


    "Still need help..." I start to say before overwhelming pressure seemed to push down on me. Then, I felt it, a massive force of magic was coming from the skies ahead of us.


    "Royal airships." he comments before he decides to slide down the mountain. I instead chose to shoot down ahead of him before I sighed at the lack of clouds before us. I felt trapped in a strange way.


    "Now what?" I ask as I notice how severe his expression had become.


    "We need to find a place that is safe for us to cross if what you are looking for is truly beyond this canyon."


    "It is." I tell him with a reaffirming nod.


    "Wonderful, we just have to travel in the winds."


    "Literally?"


    "No, it''s just a saying. Now, while I am not too sure about the capabilities of those warships. I am very sure about the witches they have patrolling along with them."


    "You can tell that there are people in all of that...?"


    "Unfortunately, in a way, I would''ve preferred blissful ignorance."


    "They''re that strong?"


    "Yes, and unfortunately, it may be the case that we have to go as far north as Thurn''s Forge just to sneak past them."


    "But then we are..."


    "Yes, at the nest of the most famed warriors on the continent. Occupied as they might be... I am sure they''re plentiful enough to notice and interrupt our crossing."


    "What about the other way? Heading south towards the coastline?"


    "Remember what I said before about the wind?"


    "Dragons?"


    "Indeed."


    "I don''t understand... We got across twice before without issue on our airship!"


    "You said yourself that that was a couple of years ago. The war has not gone well for Waionr''s chosen Theocracy. Rare as it was, news has been coming in that the Seven-Peaks Union has broken through the Seventh Line."


    "What''s that?" I ask, being unfamiliar with the concept. And the geography of this land in general. And I could tell my usual excuse of ''it''s a lot to take in'' wasn''t going to cut it here.


    "The supposedly impenetrable semi-circle with Thurn''s Forge at its centre. Seven paths, seven fortress cities." he explains before I start to look around.


    "We are on one of them?" I ask, somewhat scared we would now run into a Valkinvar patrol and be killed.


    "No, look to your right."


    "Mountains."


    "With no gaps in them at all. You wouldn''t be able to march an army here. This route just heads to the coastline. Which, you know to have dragons and the Jupirochi."


    "They''re just colonies, though. Not strong enough to fight off a grand army from an empire on its doorstep."


    "The answer to that is more politics than anything. But, know that we are safe on this path so long as we suppress our aura."


    "No... I recall seeing an army marching along this route before!" I suddenly recall as some memories of our journey to Tobaballe returned. On our way away from the continent, we definitely caught sight of an army!


    "Theocracy troops, then, probably their border guards. Which just cements my point more. The war is not going well for them if they are willing to risk their backside to the dragons of the southern coastline."


    "So what''s the plan?" I ask as he was the one with the experience and knowledge.


    "I want you to make it." he then decrees as he turns around to face me.


    "W-What!? Stop playing around!" I nearly shout as confusion flushed through me almost as anger would.


    "We''re here for your sake. So that means we will soon be returning to your homeland. I need to make sure you are able to go on ahead even without me should the worse happen."


    "N-No, don''t speak like that!"


    "Einervaene, this is the sort of life I have lived. Trust in what I am trying to do for you."


    "Okay... What do I do!?" I ask him frantically as I honestly had no idea. So many things that I have done have been impulsive in how it played out. Me saving Nin from that wyvern years ago, my recent fight with him. Even meeting him.


    There''s just been so much that has happened and those were just some of the most memorable things I did alongside one person!


    "First off, taking into account what you know so far. Explain the risks."


    "Right... Risks. Well, uh, there''s a war going on. Powerful magic users in all directions." I repeat as if I were a simpleton.


    "Anything else?"


    "We would be relying on your magic to get us across because I can''t move without clouds..." I explain to him. Almost humiliated and ashamed by such a limitation.


    "Yes, now how would you propose that I get across here?" he asked before I threw my hands up in the air in frustration.


    "I don''t know! I barely know you!" I remind him as he tapped a finger on his chin.


    "Very well, follow me." he tells me to which I just squeeze my hands to keep my anger in check. He wanted me to do all of that and he was just going to do it anyway!? What was the point!?


    .


    .


    .


    "Now, once again, Einervaene. Give me an idea of how we could go about this." Brewbrt asked me out of nowhere as I finished packing up some things. And, with a roll of my eyes, I walked on over to him to gaze out at the vast plain-like space between the city entrance and the mountains.


    "I don''t understand what you want me to say. Soldiers are coming in and out ceaselessly and that is it. And we can forget about flying as there is a shield!"


    "Try thinking a little more to the left."


    "There''s nothing there!"


    "Exactly. An open space where there is no one and there is nothing. Our magic would be masked by our proximity to the city and we''d make it to the other si-" he said before I struck him with my staff.


    "If you are just going to do it yourself, do it yourself!" I told him as I let out the frustration these strange choices of his built up.


    "It''s the experience and familiarity that counts." he tries to tell me before I childishly dismiss him.


    "Now how are we supposed to make it across the... This?"


    "We just go for it." he shrugs nonchalantly.


    "There are gathering armies to our right and witches you yourself have shivered in fear at! How can that be your solution!?"


    "Just hop on." he orders as I roughly put all the stuff back in his oversized bag.


    "Alright, on." I tell him once I secured myself at the top of the bag.


    "Excellent, now, Valkinvar, let me see your strength!" he comments with adrenaline-fueled madness.


    "W-Wai-" I started to say before I started to scream as he shot ahead far faster than any other time before. All this talk of suppressed magic and he just rang their alarm bells for them!


    "Nearly, nearly, nearly, nearly, YES!" he repeated again and again before he made a final cheer as we skidded along the shield''s edge. But this cheering of his was quick to end when an armoured warrior who happened to be flying across the bridge at the time saw us.


    "MOVE!" I screamed down at him when this powerful warrior suddenly boomed behind us. Their sword point at the ready before the sky exploded from the force of their pursuit.


    "HOLD ON!" Brewbrt cautioned as rolled us out of the way of incoming magic blasts and sudden thrusts. I was struggling to see the Valkinvar as well and I didn''t know why. They were just breaking the sound barrier repeatedly but I couldn''t follow them. It was as if they were imitating erratic lightning without actually becoming it!


    And then, one thrust came all too close to me and I slipped from my previous position. Then, with panic and fear filling me as the witch closed in, I gripped my staff and filled it with magic. Only for Brewbrt to oppress it with his own magic. So I looked up at him for answers, my fear seemingly removing my ability to speak.


    There was too much... I had to hold on for dear life and take into account what was chasing us!


    "NO! IF YOU ATTACK, IT''LL ONLY ENCOURAGE THEM TO PURSUE!"


    "THEY ALREADY ARE!"


    "ONLY BECAUSE WE ARE NEAR THE CITY!" he roared back as he pulled off a manoeuvre to put me into his arms.


    "NOW WE HAVE NO IDEA OF HOW CLOSE THEY ARE!" I screamed before a trail of magic and exploding air suddenly appeared below us.


    "LOOK OUT!" I screamed as my arm pointed downwards. Then, a loud clang suddenly filled my ears and I also found myself suddenly surrounded by winds. And I realised too late that I had been knocked out of Brewbrt''s grip. And with no clouds...


    "EINERVAENE!" he roared as he suddenly dived after me while competing with the also-diving Valkinvar.


    "HELP ME! HELP!" I couldn''t help but scream as I tried to feel out for anything that was cloud-like.


    "YOUR STAFF! HOLD IT OUT!" he told me before the Valkinvar collided with him again. Sending him spiralling towards the canyon face. And there I noticed sparks come from his armour.


    "Steam..." I muttered in a brief moment of clarity as a water bottle rattled as the Valkinvar kept him against the cliff. So I cocked my arm back and focused on that water bottle. And I shot a lightning bolt at it, making it burst into a cloud of steam.


    "GRAB ON!" he then roared as the bolt had freed him from the cautious warrior. And he shot his own magic up at the steam and sent it skyward. When our hands then briefly touched, lightning formed.


    And we reappeared far above the Valkinvar who suddenly changed course!


    "How..." I let out in despair as the warrior suddenly switched directions so gracefully.


    "AND DONE!" Brewbrt cheered of all things as stopped flying so we could crash against the barren earth on the other side.


    "WHAT''RE YOU DOING!? THEY''RE RIGHT...! There..." I started to scream at first before I saw how the Valkinvar had come to a complete stop. Almost as if they had become spontaneously frozen. Yet, I could also see how they seemed to gaze off into the distance. I also felt a distinct lack of magic from Brewbrt...


    "Good idea..." the sweating old man breathed out before he suddenly collapsed onto the ground. Nervous laughter soon spilt out of him as the Valkinvar disappeared back towards the city. His laughter was contagious, though, and I caught it.


    "Never. Ever. Do that... Again!" I tell him slowly, making sure he understood it all as he continued to laugh.


    "Enjoy staying on this side of the canyon, then!" he cackles before his gaze settles on the hovering Valkinvar. A knowing smirk then appeared on his features while I prepared for a potential fight. Oddly enough, though, I felt a built-in terror come forward as I stared at this warrior. However, they went on to do the opposite of what I was preparing for.


    And they sharply gestured from their head to their upper chest three times. The holy gesture of the Thunder God. Did that mean she was aware of what was within these wastes? Or was it because of something else?


    "Why are they heading back to the city? They just tried to kill us!" I asked Brewbrt with a loud hiss.


    "Oaths..." he sighs out in relief.


    "Why would an oath stop them when they were that close!?" I demanded to know before he shook his head disapprovingly.


    "Don''t debate or question it, Einervaene. Just be glad that she chose to leave us alone and let it be bygone." he tells me as he gestures at me dismissively.


    "Alright, okay." I stammered uncertainly before I looked back at the city. It was quite a large one even before you accounted for how it was a two-part city. With one side dominated by a grand structure that had many of what I assumed to be Valkinvar flying about it. That half of the city had a very strict style to it.


    Regimental like the armies we saw marching out of it. The side we were closest too, might as well have been a garden paradise. Even with the massive wall protecting and surrounding it. It was still easy to see all of the decors as the many different towers and skyscrapers rose above it.


    Yet I had to admit, I questioned the point of a wall that grand for a wasteland like this...


    "Are there any stories of barbarians or something out here?" I decided to ask Brewbrt as I briefly looked his way. And as I did so, I saw how entranced he was by the sights. I then heard him mutter a quiet prayer to the Guardian God. He must''ve feared for the city?


    "No, that wall is to keep the people of Thurn''s Forge in, not to keep anyone out. I mean, look at this, there''s nothing." he explains before his wild arm swing brings our current environment to the fore.


    "There are many things out there." I correct as I look in the direction I assume Tobaballe''s ruins were along with the Anvil-Peak. Our destination...


    "One of which, is where you want to go. But, we will need to be graceful and steadfast if we want to cross this distance." he explains, a comment that was surprisingly knowledgeful despite him having never been here.


    "How do you know this?" I ask him, somewhat disappointed I couldn''t be the one to guide him. I felt a little like a knowing child with a parent who was bemused but dreading what they were smirking about.


    "I can feel great power in these lands... The wind does not blow this way, making it easy to tell that something is beyond here. Is Troecvol nesting down here?"


    "The Lightning Emperor!? No!" I let out after hearing him say that name.


    "Well I don''t know many things out there this powerful with a lightning-familiarity about it." he mutters as he clearly feels out my aura.


    "You will see when we get there. But, despite this power you feel, we need to be careful. Keep your magic within you. So I hope you brought plenty of tool in that bag." I explain to him as I recalled the blue, fireball-like explosions I once had to put up with. Back when I was last travelling through this land.


    "Oh, right, my bag..." he mumbled as he unhooked it and slipped out of the straps. I then watched nervously as he inspected the damage my plan caused to his stuff.


    "Sorry..."


    "No, don''t be, your choice got us to safety. Besides, the Valkinvar avoided cutting our stuff for whatever reason. I guess it makes sense when I am the better target." he comments before he tapped his armour.


    "Are you alright, by the way? That was quite a solid strike from what I heard."


    "This armour has stood up to worse. But, damn... She hit hard. Yet, that''s a Valkinvar for you." he says as he drums his fist on the solid plate again.


    "That magic isn''t going to cause problems, is it?" I worried out loud as I saw the glowing lines coming from the grooves and engravings on that dark steel.


    "It''s all internal, so, I can''t imagine it would. If it does, well, I will just have to mark an easily seeable spot and dump it there."


    "I hope you don''t have to." I say as I look up at his face once again.


    "Understandable, having just seen what it can do." he proudly tells me before he hoists the bag back onto his bag.


    "Can you get your map out? So we can at least point ourselves in the right direction?" I ask, and sure enough, he did it. Only for the map to act strange and refuse to follow through with its purpose.


    "Whatever it is, it''s creating a blind zone." he comments familiarly.


    "This has happened before?"


    "Yes, certain landmarks and individuals have so much magic about them that the map can''t define the area. And this blind zone... I am in awe." he explains as he zooms the map out towards a more complete picture of the globe.


    "I can see why." I comment quietly, eager to see his expression when we finally find it.


    "Though, having said that, your homeland has a lot of blind zones." he starts to say before I see my homeland for the first time in years. And even though this was just all a magic projection. I longed for the collection of landmasses that I saw drifting in the sky. I could even see clearly where my home was.


    The lands my family ruled over... Or did at this rate.


    "Can you just..." I interrupt as he started to zoom in on a random part of the continent. As for why I interrupted him, I just wanted to stare at the landmarks I could eagerly remember. The Derheniyo, a grand temple resting at the edge of my family''s main island; Croneht. There was just so much that I wanted to see again but all I had was this reminder of it all.


    Then, all of a sudden, he moved the image so that it was showing my family''s home. The extravagant castle known as Consoyotin, my home... The home I grew up in. A place that was once the only place I ever really knew.


    "Forgive me if this bothers you, but... I feel like a nostalgic reminder might help." Brewbrt explains as he seemingly starts to get uncomfortable.


    "No, no... It''s fine. Even if I am not gazing upon it all again. I am just glad to have been reminded of what it all looked like."


    "Glad to have helped, now," he comments, having perked up at my words, "as you can see, your homeland is full of blind zones because of what is holding it all together."


    "Except for that bit, apparently." I quietly giggle even if it was a disturbing sight. To just watch a large piece of my homeland suddenly drop from the sky and into the All-Coast below. At the very least I could keep my conscious clear knowing that this wasn''t as sudden as it appeared.


    The signs of its departure to the southern coast of the continent we just left would''ve been clear years before. Mostly, all that would''ve been lost is memories for those who might''ve lived on that island. But, I still made a point to pray for those who might''ve stayed on that island. There were many stories after all of the adventurous men and nostalgic fatalists that went down with them.


    "But, enough about the science of this relic. Let''s get going."


    "Of course." I answer back with a firm nod. Then I quickly help him with the last of his check-ups before we start to walk.


    "Out of curiosity, do you think you could reach those clouds over there if you tried?" he then asked me after some quiet walking.


    "I wouldn''t even be able to make it to the clouds back there." I tell him as I gesture back in the direction of the city. Both lying and being honest about my situation. I probably could reach them as well, being a lightning bolt meant I covered distances quickly. So I could probably actually launch up and try to reach for it. But, with the strange power in the storms we were approaching...


    I knew that I would not be able to, lest I get swatted away once more.


    "Do you recall any landmarks or how this land works?"


    "It''s dry and eventless. At least, until we get deeper into its depths. However, you won''t have to worry about much else other than boredom." I huff, somewhat amused in hindsight.


    "You are very lucky then that I have the experience I do with travelling. There''s some boardgames in there that we could play."


    "Are any from my homeland?" I ask, hoping he might''ve snagged something during his time with Mother.


    "I got something from the colonies. Picked it up about the time your mother met your father, actually."


    "What game is it? Maybe I have heard of it." and while I had some doubts about it. There might''ve been something that I honestly knew!


    "It was called... Tch, what was it? It involved dice and required lightning magic to play."


    "Oh! I know that one! Asaminra! You roll dice to set up a board and then you gamble on how the arc will look with only one player knowing the effects of the board pieces!"


    "Might be difficult to play that, then." he remarks.


    "Yes, you do need to be able to use a specific kind of magic, after all." I smugly comment knowing that I would be able to rig the game completely in my favour.


    "That''s fine, I brought a game I could rig myself." he smugly retorts.


    "I just won''t play that game then." I say with a shrug.


    "Then I guess we''ll never play asaminra..." he sighs.


    "Fine... I''ll play it fair." I huff, pouting at the attempt he made to deny my nostalgia-fueled catharsis.


    "At the very least, we have plenty of time to figure out how we can overcome the difficulties my lack of sparks creates."


    "We''ll have plenty of time to talk and deliberate if we have to walk this distance." I sigh as I remember how short the airship made that journey feel. But, I also remembered how we only started to feel magic issues later on. We got quite far before the land started to erupt.


    "Hey... Hey!" Brewbrt called out as I suddenly started to run with the help of my magic.


    "We should be fine for a bit!" I call back to him before I started to run again.

 Incline 3: At the Thunderous Mountain!

    "You''ve been awfully quiet, Einervaene. Do you know what happened here?" Brewbrt asked as ash and soot-covered rubble crunched under my boots. But I did not want to answer him so I just looked away. Only to find more reminders of one of my worst failures. And I sighed as it all came back to me.


    We didn''t even need to come out here, what I wanted was the power at Anvil-Peak. Yet, I had somehow guided us around the mountain in its entirety and we had instead wandered upon Nin''s homeland. And right now, we were both walking through the still-hot ruins of Tobaballe. A city I never knew but remembered well for what Nin became that day...


    I have no way of knowing if this was always a part of him. But, on that day, those couple of years ago... I saw the same kind of behaviour that consumed him after Larishazza was attacked. The monster everyone talked about seemed very real for that brief moment.


    "Well, I am just going to go out and say it, but, that fire wyvern''s corpse certainly establishes some details." Brewbrt comments as he brings up another thing I ignored him over.


    "And what is that?" I asked him quietly as I came upon some strangely marked bricks. Yet, I was quick to figure out what the marks were. So I moved away from it and instead chose to keep on walking. The ash and fire just kept carrying on, however.


    There was seemingly no end to the combined destruction caused by us and that wyvern...


    "Were you perchance pursued by a fire wyvern to this place? There''s no magic out here beyond the residue which practically poisons this land." Brewbrt hypothesizes as we walk up a pile of mostly melted rubble. Only to find ourselves staring down at an endless horizon of dead plants and animals. What made it worse as well was how intact a lot of the bodies were.


    We''d caused such damage that nothing could even come by afterwards just to eat them...


    "There was a fire wyvern already here, I don''t know. But, me, Nin, and my friend that you have never met... We fought it. And we failed to stop it from destroying not just Nin''s home... But so much of this land." I explain to him. And although I gestured to wilted fields and lifeless bodies. I was more so pointing at the many other cities that were lost.


    Nin was so desperate to stop that creature from getting to his home... It didn''t matter whose home was destroyed, so long as it wasn''t his. And I wasn''t strong enough to help him realise that. I may have only just made things worse...


    I sent us over the mountains that circle this land, yet, that was it. I didn''t slay the wyvern then and there or bring it away from Nin''s home. I just got in the way. Probably damning his home to a fiery demise.


    "I know it is probably not what you want to hear. But, I find it intriguing how Nin came from here."


    "I don''t know what I want to hear. Yet, I share that same line of thought. Nin was strong, for a while, he seemed stronger than even me. Now I am not trying to say that I ever was, but, Nin''s lack of familiarity with magic just gave him a lot more presence when I first met him."


    "Understandable, he did just sort of let it flow. Though, I can''t imagine going back here in that state did him many favours."


    "He knew that, and beyond those mountains, he flushed it all out of his body. He just wanted a chance to go back home and he was willing to give up all his power to do it." I tell him, pondering at the same time if I''d be willing to do the same.


    "Some people just don''t want power, but that is not you." Brewbrt said as he slid down a deathly hill.


    "What I seek is not this way, I just, found myself coming here, I guess." I comment ashamedly.


    "There''s nothing to be ashamed about, Einervaene. Sometimes we do just wonder."


    "I know, but I still cannot let go of the failures from the day this all happened."


    "You''re alive and you beat the wyvern, Einervaene."


    "But I didn''t save Nin''s home. The two might be unrelated but I cannot help but feel that if I actually killed the wyvern that day, before it reached Tobaballe, Nin would''ve turned out differently."


    "People are complex creatures, Einervaene. Don''t start trying to shoulder his pain as well as yours."


    "All I had to do was not let that wyvern get to the site behind us. And I couldn''t even manage that..."


    "No, but, you did save some of his home." he then pointed out as we finally came across land that still had life in it. Long gone were any glory days, though. It was clear that our battle and our intrusion here had wreaked havoc upon them. Magic was so forcefully exerted upon this isolated land and the results were lethal.


    "I feel... Magic out there." I utter as I start to carefully move out of the wastes and towards a field. A field with a strange black circle at its centre.


    "Einervaene, where''re you headed?" Brewbrt called out as I reached the black circle. And I gasped when I saw what lied there at its centre. Clearly undisturbed since it got there.


    "My old hat..." I let out as I bent down to pick it up.


    "Leave that behind?" he joked as he arrived into the black circle.


    "In a way." I answer as I remembered how it flew away when the battle reached the great heights far above us. And although it was designed for a different outfit, I still put it on.


    "So what now? You still want to wander for a bit more?"


    "No," I start off with as I remind myself of the danger we cause to this land, "we should get going to where we actually need to be." I tell him as I start to head back towards the gap Tobaballe once occupied. And although I had no love for this land as it was not mine. I was glad that I could at least help remove the poison we had given it.


    "So can I get an idea of what we''re looking for, now? I was hoping when you started to head here that we had found it." Brewbrt asked as he rose an arm.


    "Sorry, I just don''t want to spoil the surprise. So, again, you''ll know when we get there." I tell him once again, smiling gently as frustration came onto his face.


    "Ah, of course, the first landmark in an endless waste." he grumbles as he launches into the air on a spire of erupting magic. And once I felt like I had moved far enough away, I did something similar.


    .


    .


    .


    "We really should be finding shelter." Brewbrt complained to me as we kept on moving even as the sky roared. But, that only made me smile as it meant that we were headed in the right direction!


    "Not when we are so close!" I tell him just before a golden flash sends shivers up my spine. That was lightning!


    "Close to being killed by whatever beast lives in these lands!?" he exclaims as we stumble about this odd mountain on an otherwise flat wasteland.


    "There is no beast!" I remind him excitedly as I felt the strong power of the mountain call out to me. A kind of feeling he simply just would not have.


    "There''s nothing else out here powerful enough to cause..." he began to complain once more as we finished rounding about the odd mountain.


    "Surprise." I quietly say after briefly looking back at him before the beautiful sight caught my eyes again. And on top of the awe I had for this sight. I felt hopeful for once in my despair-filled life. The power I sought was still here and it was still roaring for the world to hear.


    I just couldn''t help it even after having seen it all before. The bubbling sea of molten gold that shimmered with power as lightning lashed out against it. The distinct shadow of the iconic peak that this mountain had! It was the closest I could ever get to home, really...


    "You''re quieter than I expected." I then commented once I fixed my bad case of slack-jaw.


    "So this is where it was." he huffed in bemusement as he seemingly got over it.


    "Wait, really!? That''s it...?" I let out in shock as I watched him do what he had just done.


    "What''s what?"


    "This is THE Anvil-Peak and you just huff...!?" I gawk out of sheer shock.


    "Just huff? Einervaene. I am in as much awe as one could ever be, really. Not to mention, I feel like my heart would give out if I just howled in triumph at finally finding it."


    "You once looked for this mountain?"


    "Yes, with your mother. It was her dream to find that mountain so she could literally catch lightning in a bottle."


    "So that she could bring good fortune to all she cared about." I recall as my heart flutters and my hand goes to my chest.


    "Obviously, we never found the mountain. But, if you have a bottle, now might be the time."


    "Unfortunately, I did not come here to do that." I tell him.


    "Alright, we''ll ask if that man down there has one."


    "Huh?" I let out before we both realize what he had just said. And, he was right, at the very edge of the lake of gold. There was a man in tattered black robes and went with the wind coming from the mountain. But where had that wind even come from...?


    The wasteland behind us had no such thing at all! It was a dry, empty space with nothing disturbing it! But now we were coming face-to-face with a harsh wind that threatened to send cooling droplets of gold at us. The very edges of the sea acted as if they were water in rough weather!


    "HEY! GET BACK FROM THERE!" Brewbrt yelled against the wind as many of the crashing waves threatened to engulf this man.


    "BE CAREFUL!" I shouted to Brewbrt as he suddenly dropped the bag to run at the man. Clearly to save his life but something interfered. And a powerful bolt struck down and sent him flying back. Yet, before I could scream for his safety, Brewbrt athletically got back up.


    "Thurnmourer, stay out of this!" he cursed as the storm above seemingly concentrated around us. And for some reason, the man out there, turned around to face us. With another lightning bolt aimed at Brewbrt carrying the gale back at him. Knocking down the hood and cloth strands he had covering his face.


    "What the..." I let out for some reason or another as I stared at that man''s features. His slick back black hair with a peculiar gold shimmer. His eyes that glowed as bright as the storm above! And his char-stained skin...


    "Will you come here, please." somebody whispered. Yet, going by the sudden, inexplicit movements I found myself performing. It must''ve been this strange man at the sea''s edge.


    "EINERVAENE!" Brewbrt shouted as more lightning got in his way. But now, it was keeping him away from me as well as this man. This strange man who I felt an instinctive feeling to kneel before. Yet, of all the movements my possessed body performed, that was not one of them.


    "Wh-Who are you...?" I asked the strange man as I got a clearer look at his well-formed frame and hard jawline. He did not answer me, though, even though he showed how clearly he had heard it.


    "Thunder." he then answered as he started to walk away from the mountain. A mighty roar then sounded out behind him, as if to confirm his name. I even found myself walking away with him. Only to be tackled away by Brewbrt the moment some distance was made.


    "ALRIGHT, YOU BASTARD! LET''S GO!" Brewbrt roared defensively as I shook the cloudy haze from my head. Only to start coughing as Brewbrt''s magic swirled violently about. Bringing this land its first, and, as far as I could really say, natural winds.


    "It''s not safe here, grab your things and come with me to hide." Thunder told us as he began to head back the way we had come around from.


    "Not safe here...? Did you not realise where you were standing!?" I pointed out to him only to find myself aghast as a dust storm rolled in from the other side of the mountain.


    "That''s not a natural one... It''s coming in too fast! MOVE!" Brewbrt let out before he roared. And as he finished, large boulders began to smash along the dusty ground before they broke apart later.


    "WE''RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT!" I cried as the storm that was formerly and seemingly hours away suddenly fell upon us. Yet, somehow, we managed to just barely make it back behind the mountain.


    "Crazy bastard..." Brewbrt let out as a figure was lit up from within the thick of the storm.


    "Thunder!?" I called out in worry before that same man appeared before us as if he had not just been within that storm.


    "ALRIGHT, ANSWERS, NOW!" Brewbrt roared after he suddenly smashed Thunder against the mountain side. Yet, despite how easily he had seemingly done it, Thunder was showing no signs of care. He seemed to be only apathetic at what had just happened.


    "I am not your enemy." he told us as Brewbrt''s spell-covered hand got closer to him.


    "Consider me your biggest sceptic, then!" he snapped before I interfered.


    "Enough!" I told the pair of them as I did my best to pry them apart. But, I never got far until Brewbrt relinquished the grip himself.


    "What did he do to you!?" Brewbrt then suddenly asked me with assertive aggression. Rough, but caring hands then began to assail me before seemingly comical actions took place.


    "I''m fine! I-I''m fine!" I repeated to him before he moved me away from Thunder suddenly.


    "What did you do to her!? I went to save you from that damn bubbling mess and instead you mess with her head!?"


    "I am sorry, I did not mean to."


    "Yeah, right, all of this stuff only started happening when we tried to get involved with you!"


    "You interrupted my conversation."


    "With who!?"


    "Lightning." Thunder answered as he slowly sat down on a flat-topped boulder.


    "Lightning... You spoke with lightning..." Brewbrt scoffed as he crossed his armoured arms.


    "No, he''s telling the truth..." I quietly pointed out, although I wasn''t actually sure myself.


    "I told you to get out of her head!" he spat angrily!


    "No, Brewbrt! I mean it! It''s how I came to realise that there was a power that could help me here! The storm up there is alive!" I try to explain to him.


    "Alive..." he repeated before he groaned dismissively. Yet, he seemed to accept it before he began to dig about his bag.


    "What''re you-"


    "Looking for the tents!" he snapped back at me, causing me to flinch.


    "I am sorry for any friction." Thunder said to us as I turned to him.


    "It''s fine... I guess he must''ve gotten a little too close to that lightning..." I comment as I start to shiver just from it striking across the sky again. Its power was so vast and Brewbrt dodged several that nearly struck him. I think he had every right to be a little on edge after that.


    Along with all the other strange things that have happened.


    "I have to admit, though, I was not expecting mo- others to come here." Thunder went on to say.


    "We weren''t expecting someone to already be here, far in the other direction there is a whole city which walls in its people so they stay away."


    "I am familiar with that place, it holds many memories for me." he explained.


    "You were born there?" I guessed with an unsure smile. I hope he at least appreciated my attempt at keeping our relations lukewarm at the very least.


    "No, I was born far before that city ever came to be even in its most insignificant state. My memories come from what I have done there."


    Brewbrt then sharply scoffs suddenly, "Yes, as if you suicidal edge-dropper!"


    "I must admit as well, Thunder, being that old is quite impossible."


    "You will learn that your understandings of the world are quite bad well enough." he told us as he got up and moved over to Brewbrt.


    "You trying to start something!?" Brewbrt challenged as magic spears began to form overhead.


    "No, I was going to offer to sort out your tents myself."


    "Only got the one, buddy."


    "Your deception could use some work." Thunder commented with a mild tone before he dug into the bag and brought out another.


    "So I have to share one?" I asked as that other one was the one I had used.


    "I''ll just sleep in my armour, Einervaene, so there''ll be room. Oh, wait, I forgot, you aren''t staying in our tent." Brewbrt pointed out to Thunder before he failed to move the soot-covered man.


    "I did not intend to overstay my welcome. Besides, it might be for the best so that I may speak some more with Lightning."


    "Anything you say, Immortal Idiot."


    "An idiot I have been, to betray my friend the way I did." Thunder recalled sorrowfully as he teetered on the mountain''s edge. Just daring the violent dust storm to come around and take him.


    "So the storm up there is alive?"


    "He is, and he is one of the greatest friends you could ever have."


    "Would he be open to having me as a friend?" I asked idly as I swirly a boot tip against the disturbed gravel below.


    "I am sure he would, even if it was only to shame me." Thunder told me with a smile as he patted my shoulder.


    "So... Uh, how exactly would I go about befriending a lightning storm?" I then asked as I glanced upwards at the staggeringly violent weather.


    "We would need to cross the Molten Sea first, reach the Anvil-Peak. Then, we would climb its sides using the path I have worn down over the millennia-"


    "Cut it out already!" interrupted Brewbrt with a harsh snap.


    "-and once we have reached the top, then you may speak to him in as clear a situation as any other."


    "Is there some kind of ship you have perhaps made to cross all that melted metal?"


    "Somehow, the thought never crossed my mind. So, obviously, no, there is no ship. Instead, I could guide you through the path I always take. Where the gold will part for us."


    "I suppose we''ll have to trust you..."


    "I am sorry, what!? Trust him!? He''s a madman that nearly got you killed!" Brewbrt aggressively pointed out as he got up and got between us.


    "He apologised for whatever it was he did! Besides, we can''t blame him when neither of us were exactly expecting more than themselves to be there!"


    "Oh, so because he said sorry I can get your mother''s forgiveness when I have to go to her with news of your death!? A DEATH I FAILED TO PREVENT AFTER PROMISING NOT ONLY YOU BUT HER AS WELL!?" he ranted and rambled before he roared.


    And I backed away from him, scared of the power he was leaking as he did so, "Brewbrt..."


    "You are here for another?" Thunder asked as he turned around.


    "Yes, my mother is in danger and, from a trip that took place a couple of years ago. I encountered Lightning somewhat intimately and I have come to understand that the power here can counteract the deadly yet obscene laws my mother has been placed under." I explained.


    "Hm, a just cause, that, should it be true would help you warm up to Lightning. Once it is a proven circumstance."


    "I don''t... I don''t see how I am meant to prove such a thing when all I can offer is my own testimony..."


    "The laws you cite to me are of storm purity, no?"


    "Y-Yes..." I let out, surprised he was able to catch on to it or even knew about it. This man despite the signs of lightning magic about him was clearly not Eusorochiian. Something that made it all the stranger as sensing his magic, he just felt so pure!


    "For a moment, let me see." he told me as he suddenly guided me to a seat. My hand and some of my arm were in his grasp and his attentive eyes stared at my nervously concealed palm.


    "S-Should I take the glove off?" I asked him as he began to pry the palm out of its shell.


    "I only need to see your magic, so, please, spark for me." he ordered as if he were a doctor. And, I did as I was told, watching with ever more severe self-doubt and nervousness as he seemed almost disgusted by the blue he saw.


    "You can just let it out... I''ve grown used to the comments." I lied. How could I ever not be troubled by them? My life had been forever changed by this one, single problem.


    "Yours is a strange condition, it behaves like lightning yet somehow you lack the distinct feel of it."


    "That makes no sense... My mother is a powerful noble ruling over a vast swathe of land! My father is the same, right, Brewbrt!?"


    "Yes, he is a colonial lord in his own right."


    "THEN HOW CAN I JUST LACK THE ''DISTINCT FEEL'' OF IT!?" I demanded to know with a fearful scream.


    "Magic is far more complex than just being one of the first gifts your parents give to you. However great or small."


    "You don''t know why I am this way, do you...?" I asked him with despair. Choosing to trust in his judgment when his aura felt the way it did.


    "I do, but, I will withhold that information for the moment until I am certain you can handle it better."


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "That just makes me worry more..."


    "It is nothing to worry about, I assure you." Thunder told me as he came to a stop once again by the dust storm''s unwelcoming edge.


    "Yeah, right..." I muttered as I once again came to terms with the kind of freak I was. I mean, what else could I be when I lacked the distinct gold that the rest of my family had!? People weaker than me had golden lightning yet mine matched the colour of lesser people... Those further away from the Lightning Mountain''s embrace.


    "As many reasons as I have to doubt this man, Einervaene. I think you should try holding out hope for what he said." Brewbrt told me softly as he patted the back of my hand. A hand which I scared off by sending some volts down towards it.


    "There''s nothing to hold out hope for except for the power that I will take from that mountain!"


    "Lower the aggression in your tone." Thunder warned as a particularly powerful bolt of lightning struck overhead.


    "So, anyway, Thunder..." Brewbrt slurred out, "If this Lightning is your friend, that lightning right above us, why does it not kill us right now. Rather than trapping us in this dust storm!?"


    "He is restraining his anger. This is his warning to go away." Thunder clarified.


    "Well, tell him we aren''t going to be leaving any time soon." Brewbrt told him with a snort at the end.


    "He will take that into account." Thunder comments after glancing skywards.


    "So now what? We wait for the dust storm to die down before we head to this spot you speak of?"


    "Yes." Thunder answer efficiently as I groan.


    "Board games it is, then." I say as the stones I was fiddling with rolled out onto the ground where I had picked them up.


    "My family likes board games." Thunder remarked as he sat down on a rock that I could''ve sworn was not flat-topped an eye-blink ago.


    "Do you have any preferences?" I asked as I pulled out the one closest to the top of Brewbrt''s bag.


    "If I can create something, I enjoy them quite a lot."


    "Well, this one is not really creating but..."


    "Victory is a pride-nurturing creation." Thunder confidently told me as he smirked a little as I prepared the game board.


    "That''s... One way of looking at it, I suppose." I uttered as I slowly thought on how that would work. Eventually, I came to understand how one might consider it a creation. The plan you created as you played was your method. The actions the part placing and your hands were your tools.


    "I also create defeat for you." he added, confusing me initially before I realised how quickly he had won the game.


    "How did I...?" I asked myself out loud as I saw where he had placed his pieces. I should''ve seen that coming miles away. It was the kind of tactic a young child thought was smart purely because it was a quick way to win against the moronic! Yet, I suppose it was smart when I fell for it...


    "You were distracted." Brewbrt explained as he watched us somewhat from the boulder he was grouching on.


    "I suppose I was." I dismissively say as I wiped away the confusion of defeat. I was thinking about stuff. So, naturally, with my focused returned... I would see only myself as a creator of victory!


    "Okay, I have to admit, he outplayed you there quite well." Brewbrt then commented with surprise as I sorted out my slack jaw. Seeing my defeated side from this view made me feel stupid... It was just basically a more complicated version of what he had done the first time!


    "I... I... Don''t... I refuse to play!" I complained as I crossed my arms. Bittering glaring at a nearby stone before Thunder moved the board over to Brewbrt.


    "Care for a game?" Thunder asked him, seemingly catching his interest for a moment before he turned away.


    "Beat it." Brewbrt answered eventually as he leaned back and enjoyed whatever it was he was looking at. Though, my first guess was that he was just watching the dust storm. Like maybe how I used to watch the waves during my lonely voyage to this land...


    "You strike me as the kind of man who''d prefer something more engaging."


    "I''ll strike you in a moment..." Brewbrt grumbled as he suddenly turned around and started to play. Yet, sore from my prior defeat, I moved towards Brewbrt, hoping he could win.


    "Maybe you could..." I soon uttered before I shook my head as the pair took their turns again and again.


    "You are a veteran of many trials, no?" Thunder asked him as Brewbrt seemingly avoided most of the traps that I had fallen into.


    "And obviously, I am not withheld by them." Brewbrt smirked confidently as he moved his piece for what seemed to be the final time.


    "Yet even at your best, it was still possible to be overwhelmed. And age has not been kind." Thunder pointed out before his final move corrected the mistake Brewbrt had made.


    "How..." I let out with even greater confusion as I had been watching that from a different perspective! I was not the one playing, so how did I get roped into whatever misdirection Thunder clearly employed!


    "Are you cheating!?" Brewbrt accused as a fist went into a nearby rock. Oddly enough as well, despite damaging it severely, his magic did not cause any form of eruption. Even with all this magic power above us, it was so well-contained and barely leaked out if at all!


    "Incorrect." Thunder commented with a very brief, cocky smile.


    "Alright... Uh, I''ll move your pieces, then." I say as I interrupt any attempt by either of them to touch the board. And with a little guidance as I hastily went about it, I prepared the board once again.


    "An odd demand, to construct something while being told to make it as the commissioner wants it. We all make as we please, our route of least resistance as it is. But, some want it done their way and still get the same result." Thunder rambled after the pair had commented, snapped or just simply whispered their desired moves.


    "I am a bit lost right now..." I say after having taken in so many orders for what piece had to go where and do what.


    "Then let my victory guide you home." Thunder let out as he leaned back against the air.


    "Son of a..." Brewbrt growled before he got up and went to the other side of our enclosed space.


    "You are very good at this game, Thunder. Do you ever get tired of winning?" I asked him as I decided to put the game away. I don''t think any of us but him were particularly interested in playing right now.


    "This is rare for me, my family are very good at this. Then again, we''ve all had time to practice." Thunder explained before he flicked in a missing piece just before I properly closed the case.


    "Show off." was all I had to say as I took the game back to the bag. However, I decided to just leave it on the bag. As I had no idea when this dust storm would end and we would need all the entertainment we could get.


    "I know it is not in line with this past hour or whatever, but, even before we met Thunder and Lightning I suppose. Were you ever certain you could get this power?" Brewbrt asked me as he looked out at the wasteland further down the mountain''s side.


    "I don''t know... Even now, with him here. I don''t think I was ever sure we would leave victorious. Frankly, I feel like we''re going to die." I fearfully admit.


    "I have to admit, I have felt the same way since I saw that mountain." he told me with a sigh before he tried to bottle it all up.


    "The best we can do is at least try, right? For Mother?" I asked him as some certainty tried to come back to us both.


    A firm hand then grasped my shoulder, "Yes, for Eratheen."


    "It feels like we''re talking about a stranger when you say Mother''s name." I point out with a smile.


    "Then this stranger is one of the most important people we will ever know. A dear friend, and a loving mother." he told me as he returned the smile and let go of me.


    "Do you think it is possible, for me to get this power, so I can save her?" I asked him uncertainly, despite having just voiced my own doubts not that long ago. Even he had voiced doubts at the same time...


    "I do." he answered with a simple smile.


    .


    .


    .


    "The storm is finally dissipating!" I let out excitedly as I crawl out of my tent.


    "Don''t worry about packing it up, it''s not like anyone will steal it." Brewbrt then tells me as he walks past me. His helmet and loose gear were in his hands before they steadily got placed where they needed to be.


    "You don''t think you''ll need any of it?" I asked as I took note of the many different pieces of equipment that he had. Then, as he did that, I glanced over at the massively changed landscape. All that debris and disturbed gravel had become dunes that had formed far away from our current campsite.


    "It is better to travel light, only take what you need to ensure your safety." Thunder clarified as he crunched up to us.


    "There''s no monsters or beasts on this mountain... Right?" I decided to ask having heard that. Wearily glancing over at my staff after having heard that.


    "Depending on how you come to view Lightning, but otherwise, no. Weapons will not be needed if you can cast independently of them." he explained.


    "Then I''ll leave this here..." I let out as I plant the staff into the loose gravel. Leaning it against a nearby rock on top of that so I did not come back to a fallen, dusty pole.


    "And you, Brewbrt? Can you make do without the armour?" Thunder asked as he approached the elderly man. Only for said man to blast a light spell at him so they would maintain some distance. And I frowned at that action.


    "Brewbrt, we need to trust him." I say as I move closer to my mother''s friend.


    "I''ll trust him when you descend that mountain with the power to save your mother." he sternly replies before he glares at Thunder in the prelude to our departure.


    "I am sorry for any friction." I whisper to Thunder as Brewbrt went ahead of us.


    "It''s fine. He cares for you and our introduction was what it was. If I must prove myself to earn his trust, then I shall. And from its creation, an unbreakable bond."


    "You like to speak about creation a lot." I point out, no matter how annoyingly obvious it might''ve been to him.


    "As a craftsman, I am naturally inclined to do so." Thunder says back to me with a very slight smile.


    "Then, I pray to the gods and goddesses that we see a well-made safe passage ahead of us." I tell him, returning the smile that he gave me.


    "I am sure they will hear you clearly and grant that." Thunder told me as his expression hardened as well as his fists. And as he started to catch up with a growingly cautious Brewbrt. I found myself slowing down so I could take in the mountain once again. And, as I did so, I saw how the storm behaved.


    It was like a wild predator that had just found itself a meal. Teeth were bared and hunger flashed across its features. Of course, this was a storm, so it did so with long strikes and booming thunder. Some of the bolts that came down as well struck me as almost warning-like.


    Which, having heard Thunder''s words since we started camping with him... I knew very much that these were, in fact, warning strikes. Yet, I couldn''t help but feel meek at the destruction they had left. Large gashes had been carved out of the earth and the molten gold quickly filled the new space.


    "Is it not safe enough for Brewbrt to fly us over?" I decided to ask after gulping at the sight of a popping bubble. And the less I thought on how the heat was the least worrying issue, the better.


    "Lightning would strike you before you could so much as get off the ground. The route must be taken." Thunder answered as he seemingly wandered the coastline aimlessly.


    "Well? Where is it!?" Brewbrt demanded to know as he stepped forward. Only to take a jump back like I did when lightning suddenly shot at Thunder.


    "LOO-" I began to scream before Thunder wrestled the bolt towards the sea. And, from the high spot I found myself on, I found an odd thought cross my mind. The way the lightning shot out across that sea reminded me of asaminra. A game which required a loosely similar action...


    "Come, stick close to me and do not lose your way. Ignore the temptation."


    "Temptation?" I repeat to myself before I took Brewbrt''s hand so I could descend into the jaggedly parted sea with the pair of them.


    "Quickly now." Thunder called back to us just before the gold began to fill out the immediate space I had just been in.


    "What the..." I squeaked as the gold slowly poured in from behind us.


    "Einervaene, come on, stay close." Brewbrt cautioned as we started to run. Only to come to a halt when we saw the brisk pace Thunder was moving at.


    "Don''t we need to...!?" I asked him, increasingly on edge at the slow and strange way the gold came in about us.


    "No, it is safer to move slowly. You lose focus when you hurry."


    "The gold is filling in!"


    "Yes, slowly, match my pace and you''ll be fine." Thunder pointed out as we did just that. And while the gap that his trick had created was wide. I could still feel the heat of the gold as if I was right up against it. It hurt to be in this place on top of it being unbearably uncomfortable.


    "Alright, if we are able to be so calm about it. What are the temptations you spoke of a moment ago?" Brewbrt demanded to know as he cautiously eyed the sides and our recently trodden path.


    "Whispers and songs." Thunder answered as we came upon a crossroad of all places.


    "Well!?" Brewbrt urged as the gold came in from behind us. Yet, for some reason, Thunder was still.


    "Patience..." he encouraged despite what was now rushing in from behind us all of a sudden.


    "IT''S COMING!" I screamed just before it suddenly came to a halt. With all but one of the splitting paths suffering a similar fate. And, the old pace returned, but now I did so with a particularly disturbed heart.


    "Some forewarning, maybe." Brewbrt growled at Thunder who ignored him completely.


    "If we get close enough, we should be able to just fly out..." I tell Brewbrt as we collectively eyed the molten metal at our sides.


    "Do not stop." Thunder then said for some reason despite none of us having done so.


    "But we haven''t..." I started to say before a gentle ringing began to flow towards us before it bounced back at us.


    "Trust your eyes, focus on me for I am truth." Thunder told us once we stopped looking back at where the ringing was loudest. Yet, I struggled to hear him over all this ringing and I felt like I needed to hear some of it again. But at the same time, I could see that he needed to focus...


    ''Trust your eyes'' is what I heard clearly.


    "So just focus, can''t be hard, right?" I nervously asked myself before squealing when a bubble of gold popped near me.


    "Go, go." Brewbrt urged as he did his best to protectively wrap his arms around me.


    "Einervaene..." something then ringed out when we reached another crossroads.


    "I''m fine, it''s fine." I told Brewbrt as I loosened myself from his grip. And, well, confused was putting it lightly. I knew that voice all too well but it made no sense for me to hear it out here of all places.


    "Einervaene! Help me!" my mother''s voice sang of all things before a limb briefly appeared at the end of the path. And when I turned around, the other two were still waiting for the true path to be revealed. And, interestingly, only the paths behind me were closing, their left.


    They were closing in a clockwise motion and I saw that hand! Thunder said to trust my eyes so whatever I saw was real! So, having already figured it out, I went after that hand with haste. Steadily moving up into a careful sprint.


    "HELLO!? WHO''S THERE!" I called out as loud as I could as I tried to find whoever it was I saw. But, all of a sudden, I found myself coming to a screeching halt. A surge of fear suddenly shot into me as I came face-to-face with a wall of molten gold. And, thankfully, when I fell, I fell the opposite way.


    Then, I quickly scrambled to my feet and went back the other way. That was my fault, I should have gone slower like Thunder said. But, where was he? Where was Brewbrt!?


    "Guys...?" I called out meekly as I came to the realisation that I had been isolated and trapped. Both my original path and my former destination were closing in on me. Strange as it was to think this way, I was thankful it was moving as slowly as it was. As that gave me time to think.


    So, with the brief moment of clarity that I was able to give myself, I headed down another path. This way very likely being where the other two had gone down! So I breathed a sigh of relief only to lock up when I saw where it led to. And fear began to leave every pore of my body.


    "H-Huh!?" I let out as I slowly stepped back, "Where are you two... BREWBRT! THUNDER! WHERE ARE YOU!?" I wailed like a baby.


    Tears were building up rapidly and the heat was getting closer all around me. And, as it got closer, I screamed more and more. Was this really going to be it? Mother would never see me again and she would have to live knowing a place she dreamed of killed me!?


    "SOMEBODY HELP ME!" I cried as I started to erratically blast magic at the hungry mass of molten metal.


    .


    .


    .


    "Einervaene!?" I let out as a voice screamed out across the top of the sea.


    "Don''t." Thunder warned before I lashed out at him. Striking him point-blank in the face with my fist.


    "YOU''RE A DAMN IDIOT IF YOU THINK I AM GOING TO LISTEN TO YOU!" I roared at him before I shot up into the sky until I was high enough to survey the landscape. And if this ''Lightning'' wanted to attack me, then let it! It would not stop me from finding Eratheen''s daughter! I would not fail to keep my promise to either.


    And to acknowledge my divulsion from the path, Lightning lashed out at me...


    "You think I''m scared of you!" I spat back challengingly as I threw a bomb of wind at it. Dodging and weaving through whatever was left until I caught sight of an isolated pocket. One that flashed erratically blue!


    Einervaene!


    "SOMEBODY PLEASE!" she cried just as the gold tightened its metallic noose.


    "STAY STILL, EINERVAENE! I-" I began to call out to her before a bolt struck me right on the back. And I roared in pain before I luckily crashed down into that same pocket as her. I think the impact even pushed the gold back somewhat.


    "BREWBRT! I''M SORRY! I THOUGHT I WAS HEADED THE RIGHT WAY!"


    "It''s... AH! It''s fine..." I struggled to get out as I registered both the power of that lightning''s magic and the heat it left behind.


    "I''m sorry... Now we''re both going t-"


    "Quiet!" I snap at her as I get back up, growling at every sudden burst of pain as I did so. Then, after briefly seeing how quickly we were being enclosed upon. I grabbed Einervaene and prepared to fly once again. Yet, for some reason, I found myself dragged down by all this pain and I couldn''t focus.


    "Let me get on your back!" Einervaene urged.


    "No! If you waste your magic on me then you''re as good as dead! Don''t worry about me, ju-AHHHHHHHH!" I tried to explain to her before the gold sloshed across my foot. And, like a gun to start a race, I blasted off into the air with a gold-soaked foot.


    "BREWBRT!" she screamed at me as she likely looked back at my newly weighted foot.


    "Save your mother, you hear?" I tell her calmly as bring my arms back to throw her.


    "LOOK OUT!" she screams as the sky roars like it had never done before.


    "YOU LISTEN TO ME! YOU WILL NOT HAVE HER!" I roared back at the sky after quickly tossing Einervaene aside. And, once I felt like she had gone far enough away, I cocked back my arms and called upon as much magic as I could. I would make it clear that I was the threat and gather all of its attention...


    And it all seemed to slow down as I watched those bolts come closer... They''d pierce right through me like this...


    "YOU WILL NOT HAVE HER!" I repeated as emerald light started to clash against the golden lightning. And as thunder boomed, my voice cracked and strained as all I could pour was forced out against the storm. A barrage of power that sent out shockwaves powerful enough to disturb the molten sea below!


    "BREWBRT!" Einervaene cried as she suddenly appeared out of a blue bolt.


    "You... Idiot..." I struggled to get out as my vision started to flicker. Then, but a moment later, I shot back up to my feet after a sudden bang.


    "You two made it despite failing to follow my heed." that bastard Thunder commented as he stepped out of the sea with nary a scratch on him.


    "Just be quiet..." I hissed at him as my eyes looked down at my gold-encrusted foot.


    "Hold on I''ll try an-"


    "No, it''s cooled solid. My foot won''t make the bend even if it wasn''t there. I''ll just have to put up with it." I told her before I had to give her a sudden shove to make sure she didn''t give me her magic.


    "You''re badly injured!" she snapped at me with red-rimmed eyes.


    "So long as you are safe..." I gasped out to her after I finished pushing myself up against the rocks.


    "If it is rest you need, let us head inside the cave." Thunder told us as he gestured towards our new shelter.


    "Go on, Einervaene, I''ll follow you through." I tell her before I stare out at the storm. It didn''t lash out at us for some reason. Even though we were still outside...


    "Honour binds him to not strike now, but do not believe that he has not learned from Jaadagoren." Thunder comments before he goes into the cave himself.


    "To think I would find a superior in a storm of all things..." I grumbled as I tried to pick myself up. Only to look back up at the sky as a low rumble filled the air and the storm calmed down slightly. It made me blink and double-check, I have to admit. But I must''ve been seeing things because that storm was still volatile.


    "Hey, Brewbrt, there''s a whole campsite in here! Thunder says it''s his and that it is stocked!"


    "Medicine?" I asked as it was what I needed to most right now.


    "He doesn''t have any..." she lets out as her head slinks down.


    "Don''t beat yourself up over it, a hot brew will do me for the moment." I chuckle as right now my body was burning in several key spots.


    "Do you need help taking the armour off?" she asked me.


    "No, I think it might be best to keep it on right now." I tell her as I look back at the storm.


    "But your injuries!"


    "Will be fine, don''t worry." I tell her as I pat her shoulder in an effort to calm the fearful girl. And, I made a point of keeping a calm, somewhat stoic face so she did not have to see my own fear. She didn''t need this right now.


    "Alright... I''ll make sure your soup is packed with as much magic as it can be, though!" she tells me with a determined stomp before she got to looking about the cave for whatever it is she might''ve needed.


    .


    .


    .


    "I was quite surprised you know, to see Lightning let you live." Thunder commented as my tired eyes looked out at the world beyond our cave. I had no idea if it was day or night, frankly. All this lightning above reflecting off of the gold made it bright and moody regardless.


    "Let me live?" I asked with a snort, "I live because I was strong enough to do so."


    "I am positive that you are strong, very strong. But, Lightning is far beyond anything you have ever or will face, Brewbrt." Thunder remarked as he moved out closer to the exit. However, I did not have that luxury when Einervaene had fallen asleep against my side. There were my injuries too, though.


    And maybe a gold-encrusted foot trapped in armour as well...


    "What''s far beyond me is how you think you can convince me of anything you have said."


    "I have shown that there was a path. I have proven that I know the way. And everything I warned about occurred with you two." he shrugged.


    "You know what I mean with your claims of age and all this other stuff! The storm lashed out at me because it seeks magic! Notice how it doesn''t reach out for the magicless soil beyond the very edge!?" I snap at him before I huff out some more of my frustration.


    "Then I don''t know how to explain it to you."


    "Give it a rest, you''re a knowledgeable man but you are no millennia-old being." I tell him before I roll my eyes. Then, I looked down at Einervaene to make sure her slumber had not been disturbed by my voice.


    "I am not your enemy." he then told me as he came back into the cave.


    "I am aware." I tell him as I made a point to make sure my gaze did not head in his direction.


    "But despite my knowledge being proven true, you still struggle to trust me."


    "My introduction to you was watching your runaway power nearly get the one I am supposed to be protecting killed!"


    "You are not her father?"


    "No, not that has anything to do with the current moment."


    "You''ll have to forgive me for the divulsion, then. I am just curious as to how someone like you comes to care about her so much."


    "What in the name of all the annoying gods up in the sky does that mean!?"


    "Do not get angry, please. I do not mean to offend."


    "Just shut up, then. Keep to yourself." I tell him before I bring my attention back to Einervaene.


    And, watching her the way I did put my mind along the same tracks as his. I just risked ending my life for a girl I barely knew. But, I suppose it was never for her at all. Everything I have done since those first letters came to me was for the sake of Eratheen.


    A dear friend of mine that I have done much with over the course of my life. One who I met in rather awkward circumstances a long time ago. But, that did not matter much in the long run it seems. Then we parted ways because she had duties elsewhere.


    I missed her... I missed all of those I travelled with. That mechanical know-it-all we found deep underground. The old coot who galloped about far before any of us got up and so many others.


    In some ways, I suppose. I wanted to keep Einervaene safe so, when she headed back, I could come back with her. Having that excuse I needed to go and see her in terms that would work for her. And, as we walked into their estate, Eratheen would be smiling and happy.


    Unlike if I had failed earlier...


    So being struck by such a storm mattered little. Having this foot of mine forever stuck in gold didn''t matter. I needed to keep Eratheen''s smile alive. Just like I idly promised her so long ago.


    But with time, that once half-serious promise had turned into something quite else. With great reluctance I let Einervaene head out with Nin and now I feel like I made the wrong choice. Or, maybe, the right one as she came back to me for help... Foul a thought as it was.


    "I wonder how your mother would''ve caught a lightning bolt in a bottle anyhow." I let out quietly as I tried to distract myself from my more selfish desires.


    "I could show you." Thunder commented, clearly having heard it.


    "What did I say..." I began to utter as I curled up a fist.


    "And to prove I can, here are the first few of those bottles that ever came to be." Thunder went on to say, having ignored my words so he could open up a hand-carved shelf.


    "Well, I''ll be..." I let out with some awe as I saw the finely crafted bottles arrayed across the shelf. Each one had a strand of lightning that desperately fought to escape. Of course, it was all in vain.


    "Here, for your eyes." Thunder said as he passed one down to me.


    "Waionr..." I read aloud before I looked up at him.


    "Who it is for."


    "I don''t think the God of War needs a good luck charm." I sneer before I lean back slightly.


    "I know that he does... Maybe not now, but I have seen times where he has needed it and many others."


    "Alright, I''ll bite you damn crackling annoyance, what is one of these moments?"


    "You wish to know?"


    "Why else would I ask?" gesturing as I said that.


    "Very well, rest her head gently and come with me."


    "Where...?" I let out as I did the first half of what was asked of me. Before I then looked outside, cautious of what he might suggest.


    "Deeper into the cave." Thunder revealed as stone shifted and revealed a dimly lit path.


    "Your cave is surrounded by a moat of molten metal and a precisely spiteful lightning storm. I don''t think you need to have secret passages."


    "It wasn''t secret." Thunder said to me as he looked back with a confused expression.


    "Just move."


    "And, here is where I can show you." he tells me once I finish hobbling into a vast cave segment with a large clear pool of water. There was a bright light deep within but it was only enough to make the ceiling pattern-covered.


    "So there''s an Ibenorrocon here?" I asked as there would''ve been no way otherwise for him to interact with the water. He clearly had his blood full of the same kind of magic as Einervaene back there.


    "There is no one from the Deserts of the Mobile Pillar here."


    "Strange nickname." I remark before he started to do something with the water. So, at the very least I was quick to judge his abilities.


    "What is stranger for you will lie within the water." he tells me as he suddenly grabs the back of my head to send a powerful shock down my spine.


    "GAH!" I let out before he suddenly slammed me into the water. However, when he did so, I found myself suddenly flipping out onto a solid surface somehow.


    "And over there, you will see why I have made such a charm." Thunder pointed out as I followed where his arm pointed.


    "That''s... Grim..." was all I could think to say as I gazed out at the hovering corpses and the black void they did so in. Beneath us, some kind of incomplete metal construct and further below was a planet. Ours...?


    "That is your home yes, as is this mine." Thunder commented as he tapped his foot on the metal construct.


    "So this is the Orbital-Halo..." I muttered before I returned my gaze towards where he pointed.


    "And out there, is the Fourteen-Headed Beast." he pointed out with a trembling voice. A clear mixture of remorse, anger and severity.


    "And the other one?" I asked as I barely followed the exceptional fighter that desperately fought off the thirteen snake-like heads lashing out at him.


    "My younger brother, Waionr." Thunder answered with a voice that rumbled like his namesake before a bright flash from beyond the curvature caught my eyes. A mass of lightning had appeared out of nowhere and it was shooting out for the beast.


    "And when Mesofunderod shattered, Creation spilled out in directed vengeance..." I recalled as a loud and clean snap reverberated throughout the empty space I found myself in. Shortly thereafter, a gold-armoured figure came to be and it struggled to keep a violent bolt of lightning secure.


    Yet, with one mighty throw, it seemingly destroyed the beast!


    "AH! WHAT THE!?" I let out before I started to violently cough as water dripped down my face.


    "Mighty as we be, few can contend with Might itself." Thunder cryptically told me as he tenderly picked up the bottle once again.


    "Wait... Back in that... Illusion..." I start to say before using a brief blast of magic to dry my face, "You mentioned something..."


    "You ask about my family?"


    "What does a claim like that mean...? Waionr is your brother?"


    "It is exactly as the claim means." was all he seemingly had to say before he went back out towards the cave we had been in prior.


    "Thurnmourer...?" I asked myself as I recall how Thunder disappeared the moment that mass of lightning appeared. But, I just shook my head and clicked my tongue. An illusionary pool of water was just that, an illusion.


    "Now, to show you how to do it." Thunder mumbled as he began to bring out various tools.


    "No empty bottles about?" I asked him while staring at just that.


    "I need a freshly made one, and, a bit of thunder-gold." he explains before he suddenly cracks off a chunk of the gold on my foot.


    "Couldn''t have taken it all off?" I remark as I return to sitting down. His little snatch and grab had set my injuries off once again. I could tolerate the sensitivity of walking, but to be struck by an object like that tickled me in the worst way.


    "Now, who do you wish for this bottle to be dedicated to?" Thunder asked me with a clear degree of urgency.


    "Era..." I started to say before I looked back at the girl who suddenly whimpered, "Einervane."


    "Very well." Thunder acknowledged as he began to chisel out a name onto the fragile glass. His skill at crafting clear as the lightning bolts in the sky behind us. Despite working with thin glass, he masterfully used heavy tools to do his work. Then, with a gentle, slam, he placed it upon a stone surface.


    "Now what?"


    "You must go out there and catch a strand." he told me as he picked up the bottle once more to then give to me.


    "Never trust the crazy man at the edge of a molten sea..." I mutter before I dismiss my worries. If Eratheen once thought she could do this, then I would probably be able to do it. Yet, as if the storm heard my thoughts, it lashed out very close to the cave entrance.


    "Now is your chance! He offers himself to you!" Thunder urged excitedly.


    "I repeat myself." I sigh as I slowly make my way out into the open air near where a seemingly endless lightning bolt surged. But, in doing so, I felt too worried to get any closer. In this suit of armour... With this gold on my foot.


    It would cook me alive!


    "Hurry!" Thunder urged once again as he seemingly took up position to deny me reentry into the cave.


    "You better not stop me..." I tell him as some of my fear came up to my face. I have been directly hit by this these things and have fought against them! I knew how lethal they were unlike him! He''s probably gotten too used to that path of his...


    Yet, for the sake of Einervaene, even if this might''ve been worthless. I moved forward until I reached the lightning bolt, now resembling more of a tree than anything. And slowly, oh so very slowly... I brought the bottle opening towards a branch and held it there.


    Flinching when I suddenly felt an instinctive need to jerk the bottle down. Yet, to my surprise, a strand of the storm had snapped off and rattled about the bottle. And in that same moment, Thunder ran up to me and slammed a lid on the bottle before he yanked me inside.


    "Appreciated..." I let out with a nervous shiver as that once, somewhat peaceful bolt began to violently lash out before vanishing.


    "It is now ready for her when you feel the need to give it to her."


    "A present for when she wakes up." I say with a smile as I looked down at the fragile glass and its mysterious contents. If this would help keep her safe, then I would gladly give it to her. And even if it didn''t actually do anything, I would give it to her still. Because it once meant a lot to Eratheen, and I bet it meant a lot to her as well.


    Yet, I also found myself guilty of breaking a promise...


    "At least I can prove it is real, my friend." I say to myself, hoping it would be enough to ease my conscience.

 Incline 4: Climbing into the Ancient Past

    "I take it you like it, then?" Brewbrt asked me with a smirk as I sat quietly. Intently staring at the little piece of lightning trapped in a glass jar. And, as I didn''t know how to put it into words. I just nodded as I read the name written on it.


    Einervaene...


    I know it was hard to see if it would actually work. But I just felt safe holding this jar. Mother spoke so much of the power of these jars. And maybe that is why I felt safe with it, despite Mother not being involved, I felt like she was able to look after me for once.


    "You can safely leave it here, if you so desire. The climb will be perilous."


    "Are there not stairs?"


    "They''re very dangerous." Thunder clarified for Brewbrt as I started to ponder what I would do with this sacred treasure. It was truly a one-of-a-kind relic that I could not risk being destroyed. But, would it still protect me if I left it behind? I earnestly wanted to believe it would, yet I could also feel the storm out there...


    I would feel much more comfortable having it on hand. And, as such, I found myself paralyzed by indecision. This would protect me but, in turn, I would have to keep fragile glass of all things safe... I could potentially damn myself if I let this charm fail.


    "I... I''ll ta- Leave it here. Yes." I say with uncertainty before I just forced something out of my mouth. And I regretted my choice the moment my mind caught up with my mouth. But, the choice was made and I had to keep it for Mother''s sake. Then, once again, I couldn''t help but let in a sense of futility.


    I kept worrying about wasting time on the small things. Yet, Mother might''ve been convicted years ago, so it might''ve not mattered. It might have even been on the night she sent me away from our home, in fact! Though, to believe that would be something I could not live with.


    "So, are we going now?" I asked with a poorly-timed smile as I quickly made a point of occupying my mind.


    "How long would you say the journey is, Thunder?" Brewbrt asked our guide as he forced me back so I could eat,


    "It can be made within the day, but I cannot predict if complications will arise as we are two more than the usual." he explains from the exit of the cave.


    "Are..." I start to say before I ate some more of my breakfast, "Are you not going to eat?"


    "No, thank you, I am fine." he answers with a slight nod as he stepped out into the open some more.


    "Don''t eat so hastily!" Brewbrt complains as he gently smacks my bowl.


    "S-Sorry..." I squeak as I suddenly tighten my grip. As the fear of potentially dropping it had shot through my mind.


    "Stop rushing things in general." he then remarked.


    "With all due respect... It''s right there! Right up there!" I tell him while making wild gestures at the same time.


    "All the more reason for you to show patience. It is all too easy to fail right when you have made it to the end, Einervaene."


    "Right... Yeah..." I say quietly as I started to think of such moments. Years ago when I was sailing the All-Coast to this continent, it wasn''t long after I got excited about the sight of land that the ship was attacked. Then there was a few years ago. I thought we had managed to talk Nin out of his pursuit of that madman, but it only delayed it. It wasn''t enough to convince me that I had an impatience problem...


    But I knew what he meant.


    "Look, I know you''re probably getting a little tired of hearing this, but it''s alright to make these kinds of mistakes. You''re young and stupid-"


    "Hey!" I snap as he started to snigger.


    "Alright, alright!" he laughed out as I continued to hit him.


    "Besides, I''m forty-three..." I comment with a pout.


    "Einervaene, you are still very much young." Brewbrt told me as he looked down at me with a knowing stare.


    "Yeah, yeah..." I bitterly let out.


    "To get back on track, it''s alright Einervaene. When you are young you just lack experience in these kinds of things. And I can''t say I can blame you for any of it. You were suddenly thrust into this kind of life without being nurtured for it."


    "I wouldn''t say that..." I correct as I fondly reminisced about the times I spent with the others. That time with Nin, Vadei, Larishazza, Tiyanat, Liadanann, Rose''lhia and everyone else meant a lot to me. It was that time together that had given me at least some ground to work with. A tolerance for violence to some extent and the hardships that generally led to it.


    It was just a shame some of these memories were ones I wish I did not have to remember so vividly...


    "But, yeah, just calm down for a moment. I know it might seem a little-" he started to say before a particularly loud boom of thunder flooded the cave.


    "Go on." I tell him with a giggle once he got over the interruption.


    "I know it might seem difficult, what with that helpful reminder reminding us of what is out there. I am, however, confident that you can do it. Just stay focused on why you are doing this and think of her." he tells me before I get a quick pat on the back.


    "I don''t think I could ever not think of her." I point out as I slowly put my bowl down and stand up. Giving him an affirming nod after I put my hat on and started clutching my staff.


    "You are ready?" Thunder asked as he looked back at us while leaning on one of his curled-up arms.


    "Take me to the top of this mountain." I ordered with a shaky tone as I felt like I was both overstepping my authority and I was also just scared. Thunder''s char covered skin did little to help the tone as whenever lightning flashed behind him it seemed all the more intimidating.


    "Of course, let us make haste." he confirmed with a nod as we started to file out of the cave. Towards a flight of rudimentary stairs that had been clearly carved out of the mountain. Yet, as those two went ahead, I took one final look at my jar. At first, I reached out for it, but all I could grab was the confidence it might give me.


    "Lightning won''t try and attack us, right?" I asked as I caught up with them. Running a hand along whatever I could to balance myself.


    "I do not know." Thunder answered as lightning soared overhead on a downward track. A tremendous explosion then erupted from the sea below.


    "I''ll take that as a maybe." Brewbrt remarked as he held out a hand for me to hold on the last few steps before we got onto some kind of outcrop.


    "You two head on up, I''ll keep his attention." Thunder told us as his head leaned towards the continuation of the stairs.


    "W-Will you be alright?" I asked as I took the first step.


    "Despite what I have done, Lightning would never hurt me." he explains with a soft smile before he walks out towards the end of the outcrop. And as if to prove him wrong, a golden bolt shot straight at him.


    "Thunder!" I called out as I watched him back up with the powerful bolt building up in his palms.


    "GO!" he roars as small break-off pieces cook his flesh even blacker.


    "You heard him!" Brewbrt adds on as he starts to hastily slap his palms against me over and over. And although it probably did more harm than good, I was able to keep my footing. Eventually, as well we found out that the stairs went into a tunnel of some kind. And to my delight, there were no strange whispers or nefariously beautiful songs.


    "I do not recall of any story ever saying anything about a place like this..." I soon found myself saying as we came upon a dead forest.


    "I can certainly agree there." Brewbrt let out with some disturbed awe before he stared at one of the long-since-dead trees. Shrivelled bark and fallen, starved leaves were all over the place.


    "If this place wasn''t so dead, I think I would be showing a little more amazement right now..." I comment nervously as I moved closer to Brewbrt as his gold-covered foot thudded against the dry earth.


    "Odd." he then commented as he looked back at the way we came.


    "Where''d the tunnel go!?"


    "I was more so on about how my cast-covered foot was reviving the plantlife and earth near where I have walked..."


    "And what about the tunnel!?" I pointed out again, shooting a bolt of lightning from my staff to emphasise the point.


    "Our intention is to go up anyway? And that tunnel only leads down." he answers as he starts to test what his golden foot could do.


    "Doesn''t that hurt?" I asked him a little while after watching him uncomfortably.


    "It does, but it is manageable." he tells me before he hisses when he clearly takes it too far.


    "Well, stop it." I say as I shake my head. Only briefly looking at the life his foot had breathed back into the tree before realising something.


    "You are familiar with what is going on?"


    "These plants... They''re from Eusorochii! But how!?"


    "Lightning storm surrounded mountain?" Brewbrt deadpans somewhat before I give him the stink eye.


    "These are conductive pines..." I let out as I let some of my magic dance between the pines that had managed to stay on this formerly dead tree.


    "Is it possible that rather, the plants from Eusorochii came from here?" he theorizes before we reach a clearing where this worrisome mist just starts to part.


    "I can''t read this..." I comment after walking around the object in the centre of the clearing. However, I was quick to back up with a worried expression when I saw how the earth was disturbed.


    "A gravestone?" Brewbrt queries as he looks intently at the writing and the objects placed on the gravestone.


    "Maybe it is from someone else that Thunder has brought up this route?"


    "Or someone he might''ve led to their death..." Brewbrt lets out cautiously as he starts to charge up a spell. At first, I felt like telling him that there was nothing out there. But the sudden snapping of sticks and crunching of leaves changed my mind very fast.


    "I can''t see a way for us to head..." I tell him as a piercing emerald light suddenly shines through the mist. And with it came two things. Emerald blasts and a distorted, aggressive language.


    "What the..." Brewbrt let out as the seemingly weak blasts went for the gold on his foot.


    "Heyaughyaghyaugh! Ligh-yeaugh-tning!" the thing seemed to roar and it stumbled into the clearing firing something built into its wrist.


    "That''s enough out of you." Brewbrt calmly told it as a spell suddenly dropped on its head. Destroying or killing whatever this thing was.


    "A machine?" I asked no one as I looked at the green sparks leaving its red-metal body.


    "Has to be, it''s completely mechanical." Brewbrt confirmed after he fiddled around with the corpse for a moment.


    "Whatever it was, could it be responsible for all of this death...? Your foot brought the forest back to life but it made a point of trying to shoot you!" I explain to Brewbrt before he began to cautiously look about. And, to prove him right came an ominous chant along with the grinding of metal.


    "LIGHTNING!" they all roared with that same throbbing-like sound in their throats.


    "Einervaene... Run!" Brewbrt barks as emerald lights start to pierce through the mists. Some were clearly eyes, but many more were those blasts. Neither, however, were good news. One was deadly, the other just told you where the danger was from...


    "We can fight this... Right?" I nervously ask him as I take his hand to help with the hasty hobbling.


    "GAH! GET OFF ME!" Brewbrt suddenly roared as a mostly broken machine suddenly grabbed at his leg.


    "HEYAUGHYAGHYAUGH LIGHTNING!" it screeched before wind magic tore it apart and sent it flying off.


    "Go on ahead, I''ll lead them elsewhere!"


    "I''M NOT LEAVING YOU!"


    "YES, YOU ARE!" Brewbrt corrected as he sent a blast of magic at the ground near me. And, once I got back up and reoriented my mind, I cursed under my breath.


    "Stupid old man..." I let out nervously as I started to run through the mist. Soon, thankfully, the lights were harder to see. But I could still hear it all. At least until it all stopped when thunder suddenly boomed through the forest.


    Disturbed wind from explosions then hit me and I tightly grasped my hat. A gentle, golden light then began to shine from behind me. Yet, before I could head before it, something was heading towards me fast. And it came with emerald light...


    "STAY BACK!" I screamed all of a sudden before I launched a continuous lance of lightning at it. Keeping it up as the shadow in the mist moved increasingly close no matter how erratic my attack got. Its metal body thudded and clanked before...


    "Do you mind!?" Brewbrt asked of me as he suddenly shot out at me and took a hold of my wrist to interrupt the spell. Yet, all I had in response was a loud, screeching scream before I caught onto who it was.


    "DON''T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!" I screamed in his face before another mechanical sound filled our ears.


    "Into the light, I don''t care." Brewbrt demanded of me before he made a wise, slamming gesture at the ground. Then, just after his palm struck and disturbed the earth. The landscape lit up with green magic and powerful gales.


    "Are you alright?" Thunder asked as he leaned down towards us from where the light was coming from.


    "What the... No, don''t even." Brewbrt growled as he slapped away his hand and hauled me out of that forest.


    "Thunder... What was that?" I asked as I somehow found myself glad to be out here under this storm. At least I had an idea of what it was!


    "Hey! Don''t you walk away!" Brewbrt snapped angrily when Thunder suddenly turned away without a word.


    "Thunder, please! We''d like an answer!" I begged as I cautiously looked back at where we had escaped. Whatever it was that we experience, it was very much real and it was making noise. Yet, Thunder was stubborn with how quiet he was. So I just sighed and carried on following him.


    "Make sure to keep and eye on him as much as you can." Brewbrt warned me before I nodded slowly at what he said. Why was Thunder being so quiet about what we had just experienced? Better yet, how did he get to this side of the mountain when we last saw him fighting off Lightning?


    "Wait... Those things... I couldn''t understand what it was they mostly said but they always clearly mention lightning... Maybe even Lightning..." I whispered to myself before I realised Brewbrt had heard. At which point, I whispered it to him slightly louder.


    "They were focusing on my cast, bare that in mind." Brewbrt clarified as he looked at Thunder with growing suspicion.


    "Have you ever heard of such machines before?"


    "I have not, no. This is a new thing to me, just like there being a forest inside this mountain." he growled angrily before a curled-up fist struck the stone next to him.


    "What should we do if there are more? If Thunder is friends with Lightning, and these things clearly want Lightning dead-"


    "Enough!" Thunder suddenly snapped.


    "Enough? Your lack of clarity nearly got us killed! Dammit, explain what those things were!" Brewbrt demanded to know as a trembling gauntlet was raised upwards at the distant stranger.


    "I warned you that I could not predict what would happen as we climbed the mountain!" Thunder snapped to the backdrop of his namesake as he descended the stairs.


    "I can predict what will happen if you continue to be aloof..." Brewbrt threatened as his magic started to build up.


    "Brewbrt, that''s enough-" I tried to warn him before my concerns were validated. For Lightning lashed down at us and gouged out a chunk of the mountain!


    "Move! Inside!" Thunder barked as Brewbrt suddenly took ahold of me to get us up the stairs.


    "I-I-I can move myself!" I snap down at him while also not making any point of letting go.


    "DON''T GO ANY FURTHER!" Thunder suddenly roared before another bolt shot into the mountain. Knocking Brewbrt and I down with a harsh, noisy tumble.


    "In there!" Brewbrt pointed out as he quickly got to his feet. Yet, before I had a chance to do the same, I was shoved into a small crevice and crushed by his armour.


    "I CAN''T GO ANY FURTHER!" I scream back at him before I watched in horror as an angered Thunder drew back his foot. A thick, muscular leg then shot at Brewbrt and, in turn, I was forced through something.


    "Are you alright?" Thunder asked after he slid through the small hole he had made. But, I did not answer as I was too busy trying to get Brewbrt''s armoured body off of me.


    "Some warning next time, maybe?" he growled as he got up partially to look down at me.


    "I''m fine..." I tell him as I continued to squirm away until he heaved me up. Yet, the forest I discovered us to be in had me worried once again.


    "Not again..." Brewbrt let out as he too realised our situation. Yet, Thunder gestured for us to lower our guards and equipment.


    "No, answers, now!" I tell him as I keep my staff levelled at the dead forest. If I so much as saw an emerald light in there I would melt it down or slice it apart!


    "Turn around and you''ll have them." Thunder cryptically let out. But, with that being all we had to go off of. We turned around to have a brief look.


    "A village?" I then say as I start to observe the quiet, ruined settlement.


    "Just more places for those machines to hide." Brewbrt comments as Thunder slowly walked into the village before he sighed as his hand touched one of the buildings.


    "Is this your home?" I ask as I move into the village anyway as the mist didn''t exist over here for whatever reason. I could at least flatten this place if we were starting to get surrounded. Or even hide in one of the buildings. The mist offered none of that.


    "It''s not my home... But, I do know who used to live here. A dear friend of mine." Thunder quietly answered before he looked up at the sky that should not have been there.


    "What the..." I couldn''t help but say as I glanced up at the cloudy but calm weather overhead.


    "Then what happened to this place? What part did those machines play!?" Brewbrt demanded to know.


    "I cannot answer that... For I..." Thunder started to say before his head slightly twitched.


    "Thunder?" I called out, concerned for him as he seemed to take on a different personality.


    "Crimson beast... It destroyed..." he blurted out before he stared at us blankly.


    "What''s the meaning of this!?" Brewbrt snapped as some of his magic started to build up.


    "Armoured, green light... You are with them..." Thunder muttered as thunder rumbled in the sky.


    "With those machines? Did you knock your head or something out there before you kicked me!?" Brewbrt angrily rambled as he got up in his face.


    "You two, stop it!" I snap as I get in between them. Glaring at both whilst still trying to convey my confusion when it came to Thunder.


    "You strangers best leave, it''s not safe here." Thunder suddenly said as he turned around and started to run off somewhere.


    "Thunder! Wait, where are you going!?" I called out after him before I looked back at Brewbrt.


    "I am at a loss here, I am sorry." he told me as he shrugged.


    "Maybe there''s a clue or something that we can find within this village?" I propose before I used the end of my staff to prod about.


    "I would love to say that this place was picked clean by looters, but it just doesn''t look like these people had much of anything regardless." Brewbrt explained as he left a half-collapsed building. The signs of a vicious fire were still somehow fresh as well...


    "Do any of these buildings at least look important?" I asked, hoping we could at least find a hint with that.


    "Not that I can see, it all just looks like the same old plain blocks to me." he answered before he knocked on a wall.


    "Wait... I sense something..." I then say as I started to pick up traces of lightning magic. Had Thunder started to fight or was he digging for something?


    "Is it by any chance that anvil-looking thing?" Brewbrt asked as we started to climb some steps.


    "Yes... The magic is coming from here... It''s very weak, but there is something here..." I say quietly as I ran my gloved hand across the smooth, dustless stone. Eyeing the pieces of gold that had become embedded in it here and there.


    "That guy might know something." Brewbrt shrugged as he walked around the anvil.


    "That''s a skeleton!" I hiss at him as he starts to rummage through it.


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    "Undwote has long since passed by here." he dismissively comments before he returns with his haul of likely ancient artefacts.


    "You just grabbed whatever shined..." I remark, unamused at his ill-gained loot.


    "Lose the moral blindness and feel it." he barks as he suddenly places a magnificent amulet with a still clear purpose in my hand.


    "There''s something more here... It''s divine..." I let out in amazement as prior experiences with such power rushed through me. Even the dream-like future I was shown all that time ago had such a distinct feel.


    "So we''ve established that that man was a priest of some kind. Now, any idea?"


    "I... I''m sorry, but, I do not know what any of this stuff might be for." I tell him with a frown as I play around with a knife made of still-shining gold. Its jagged, harsh edges remind me a lot of the simplistic lightning bolts I often saw in background art about my home.


    "Still quite sharp." Brewbrt commented after he gently slipped the blade out of my grip before he ran it along the stone. An amused guffaw then left him as a notable trail of sparks leapt out of the blade''s point of contact.


    "You''re such a child." I tell him before brushing some old cloth off of the ritual stone.


    "Try not to get to involved with whatever it is you''ve found, there''s something coming this way." Brewbrt warned me as he marched out to the top of the stairs we recently climbed.


    "More of those machines...?" I ask wearily and while I hoped to hear a ''no,'' I knew it was not to be.


    "Emerald light." he answered with a grim tone as magic started to swirl around him. And whatever was out there met his challenge with the powerful crashing of metal.


    "That sounds bigger... Does it sound bigger?" I started to nervously let loose.


    "Focus on finding a way to this Lightning, I''ll get rid of it." Brewbrt says back to me before he hops down to the dusty dirt road as the machine comes out of the mist beyond the village.


    It was huge! I was right, it was bigger! Incomparably bigger! It was a giant in comparison!


    And to top it all off, this one was in vastly better condition than the ones from before. Where as they were creaking and clearly rusty or something. This one was well-polished and only groaned under the burden of its own power. Power that was clearly built to be used by those massive, battering-ram-like limbs it bashed and drummed on its chest.


    Yet, whenever it met its knuckles in the middle, it always lit up with emerald light and burst of magic just erupted from its elbows!


    "Be careful!" I call out down to Brewbrt before I got to work trying to find anything. Somehow, though, I had missed the clearly written and untainted writing on the flat top of the anvil. Or rather, I had missed it coming into existence... Because it was certainly not there before.


    .


    .


    .


    "Alright Big ''n'' Red, let''s make one thing clear..." I began to say as I flexed my arms about. Only to interrupt myself so I could shoot up straight into its face. A fistful of potent wind magic ready to go off in its face.


    "Unknown Danger!" it blurted as jets seemingly appeared from its upper chest to push it back. Causing me to go overboard with the punch before I saw what it had for me. It had moved just far back enough to avoid my attack! Yet, I was just in range for its own!


    "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" I let out as something heavy and strong suddenly struck my chest. Both a clear sense of pain and numbness filled me. I even found hard to breathe for a moment as I recovered from the sudden blow. Though, as I got up, I couldn''t help but smirk.


    Yeah, this was it, this was the feeling I used to love when we went adventuring. The uncertainty of if I would make it back alive. And although I have long since tempered this sensation with sympathy for other''s strength of heart. I could not prevent it from at least filling me up somewhat.


    "Do you know how long this will take to hammer out?" I asked the crimson armoured machine as it stiffly arranged itself into some kind of posture. Yet, it was with a smile that I asked that question as those jets of its began to light up. In a way as well. It reminded me of a Valkinvar.


    "You will fall. Lightning shall die." the machine hissed with a harsh breath of steam.


    And, with that said, I looked back at Einervaene as she tried her hardest, "I think the opposite."


    Then, suddenly, vibration shook through my armour and down to my bone! For our fists had just met in a sudden clash! And they did it again and again and drum-like bangs and sharp screeches! It pushed me back as much as I did it.


    Yet, one of us had to give way and because of my prior wounds, it had to be me. So I fought a fighting retreat against this machine as I sent magic up into the air above us. I would keep it focused on me entirely before I struck it from behind on a hopefully thinner back!


    "GOTCHA!" I let out excitedly as I suddenly knocked aside its arms as it was cranking them back. And as I forced apart a wider target, blast after blast of wind magic blew up against it! My cockiness was quick to disappear, however, when its arms began to consistently and steadily bring my arms down. No matter how much I struggled or how much the earth below started to compact!


    One of its gemstone-like eyes then flashed brightly. And a mighty blow suddenly struck my side and sent me demolishing through the village. But all I gave it was a wipe of my lips. A disgusted glint in my eye as I spat out whatever blood that blow forced to spill inside of me.


    Then after bending down, I launched straight at it. Shooting past it and then leaping over it with a lance of magic which I then forced down on the hand it rose up against me. However, I would not roar with triumph. And, instead, I was shocked to find myself suddenly slammed into the ground.


    A tight grip on my hand that easily punched into the metal of my armour. It was my armour''s turn to respond now, though. And it did so with hyper-heated blades of raw magic that suddenly vented out at the machine''s fingers. It didn''t do much other than make it let go, though.


    "Cmon... Lightning right here." I reminded it as I tried to see if this thing was in fact after the gold stuck on my foot.


    "Calling for assistance." it suddenly let out as its fingers curled up once again.


    "What''s that racket!?" I asked myself as I moved on to making a point of avoiding its armour-crunching blows. It was caving in the thickest parts of my armour and were it not for my magic providing additional protection... These gauntlets would have broken long ago...


    But a sudden blast from behind me knocked me to my feet. And with panicked movements, I rolled over to avoid a downward strike. Only briefly catching a glimpse of the fight happening above our heads. Whatever it was, though, it was marked by the roar of thunder each time some kind of pressure blast came out!


    I could not afford to be distracted by this, though! Just one moment of lapsed judgement nearly saw a giant fist go through me! And while I couldn''t help but occasionally look up at whatever it was that was up there. I needed to focus and I needed to remember the experience that was taking its time in coming back to me.


    Left, right, under and over! Blast it while it is facing the other way and allow it to shamble about! Let its clumsiness become apparent however I could and there it was! The perfect chance to strike back!


    "HAAAAA!" I roared as I made a sudden swing for its lower left side. And as my fist firmly planted itself on it. I smirked a little and repeated the process. With every opening the machine had given me more than enough time to let out a few more blows.


    Loud bangs signified and distinguished each blow. Yet, behind the soft glint of its eye I could see it learning. So I made a point of covering my attacks with various spells. Bombs I made a short distance away would suddenly blow up in its face alongside its back and top!


    And when it was particularly distracted, I flung myself overhead. Spinning above it with a dangerous spell in my hands. A loud scream then roared out of me as I plunged downwards. Forcing all that magic against its shiny dome of a head...


    "Tough, aren''t you?" I asked it as I stumbled away from it. The weight around my trapped foot became all the more apparent as the machine''s elbows lit up. Two, separate blasts of similarly coloured magic then sent it forwards. Those tusks that it had built in then easily punctured my armour as I was suddenly thrown upwards.


    "OUT OF MY WAY!" Thunder cried angrily after he had suddenly collided with me out of nowhere.


    "Not now..." was all I had to say to him as another machine suddenly popped into existence. A pair of grand, emerald wings distinguishing it from the bulkier one on the ground.


    "You can''t handle that Fortress, get out of here..." Thunder spat as his body crackled with golden sparks.


    "And you can''t handle that oversized bird!" I snap back to him as I pushed the pain out of my mind. Yet, it was only now that I noticed a third machine off in the distance. One that marked itself with a pair of lengthy crimson barreled cannons...


    And they were...


    "EINERVAENE!" I cried as I used all the power I could to barge past this ''Fortress'' so I could intercept the gunner. But I wasn''t going to make it! I wasn''t! Those guns were loaded and their barrels were glowing!


    I had only one option!


    .


    .


    .


    "Huh? BREWBRT!" I let out, confused at first before I cried in terror as a dark mass, propelled by wind magic shot itself before a pair of glowing barrels. The crack of thunder and lightning, however, reached me first. And I spasmed to my feet as I took in the suddenly changed scenery.


    Where was I? Was Brewbrt alright!? If he had to put himself in that position then that surely meant... No, I shouldn''t be thinking like this!


    "What the..." I let out as a grand sight seemingly wipes my worries from my mind. I was back outside, but now I was all the way at the top of the mountain? I figured it was the top of the mountain anyway. There were only thundering clouds up above and the ground was perfectly flat.


    However, none of that is what caught my attention. What stood out to me was the shrine far ahead of me. A strange blue aura surrounded it and it blurred easily as I tried to look away. But, I just couldn''t find it in me to do so.


    "Lightning?" I asked for some reason as I slowly started to move towards the seemingly controlled mass of lightning. As I did so as well, I couldn''t help but shiver and tremble. Was this really it? Had I finally found what I set out to find...?


    "You are vague..." a voice echoed all about me. Causing me to freeze with uncertainty.


    "Are... Are you Thunder''s friend, Lightning?" I asked it nervously. However, the way the mass of electricity reacted only made me more worried.


    "Friend...? I only have one... And I lost them to Thunder..." it explained just before it shot over and around me. And in a fruitless effort to keep up with it, I stumbled around before I found myself staring in the same direction I started.


    "Lost them? I don''t understand, he is your f-friend, no?"


    "HE WAS NEVER!" Lightning roared as it suddenly shot into my face.  Somehow showing off a distorted, jagged face full of buzzing, shockfull teeth.


    "O-Okay... Okay..." I let out quietly as I flinched in the face of such power. Carefully, I gestured gently as I backed up slightly.


    "I have seen you make the journey with him, why do you come?" Lightning then asked me once I had finished moving closer. And I was breathless for more reasons than just the terror its strength filled me with. To be so close to what was the purest piece of lightning in existence was...


    "Oh! I''m sorry... I was just..."


    "Enamored by my power?" it asked with an almost threatening tone.


    "N-N-N-NO! I WAS JUS-" I screamed before I stopped as it seemed to cackle with laughter.


    "I''m sorry... It''s just been so long since anyone has come before me..." Lightning meekly apologised as it seemed to nervously shirk away from me.


    And, with a nervous laugh, I tried to compose myself, "I guess it makes sense... Not many people can cross a sea of molten gold."


    "It is for the safety of the world that I keep all thunder-gold here. A treaty between two brothers binds me so."


    Then, having heard that, I couldn''t help but twitch a little, "You are bound here?"


    "No, I speak of my duty to protect the sacred ore. That which Thunder created to defend the world." Lightning spoke with pride despite its prior behaviour in regard to Thunder.


    "So you are far above what must be petty squabbles from us humans?" I asked as tears began to fill my eyes. How could I possibly convince Lightning to help me if he was tasked with something so great!?


    "I am and always will be." it answered as it seemed to snake back into a relaxed posture.


    "I see..." I let out in despair as I looked down at my palms. And like the storm about me, my heart thundered and slammed about as anger began to fill me. All this effort and pain and it was hopeless. This curse I was born with could not be overcome!


    "Why do you cry as you see your heritage?" Lightning asked just as I fell to my knees. My palms were full of my tainted, blue lightning as I tried to burn it all out of my system.


    "My heritage...? This heritage has caused me nothing but pain... I''M GOING TO LOSE MY MOTHER BECAUSE OF IT! AND I TRAVELLED ALL THIS WAY HOPING TO GET THE POWER TO SAVE HER! I LOST ALL MY FRIENDS AND EVERYONE I CARED ABOUT FOR THIS STUPID DREAM FOR MINE AND IT WAS ALL FOR NOTHING!" I screamed as my magic exploded out of me in all the directions it would go.


    "You want me to save a life?" Lightning asked.


    "It was all for nothing... Nothing!" I struggled to let out as a warm sensation began to wrap around me.


    "Perhaps, we can strike a bargain?" Lightning offered as a small strand of it suddenly appeared before me.


    "B-Bargain!?" I had a hard time repeating as one of my hands tightly clutched my chest.


    "In exchange for your mother''s life, I shall have you save the life of my friend in return."


    "You want me to battle Thunder...?" I ask for clarification. Only to curl in on myself as I realised that I truly had burnt most of the magic out of me... I barely had any left...


    "No, I want you to compete with the man he is made out of."


    "Compete w-with him at what?" I begged him to explain. Hiccuping as I did so as I started to follow his erratic, sudden movements. Slowly rising up after him as he started to spin like water in a sink. Only, reversed.


    "The sacred festival of Fallen Star!" Lightning answered as a vortex began to appear ahead of it. A twisting display of might that narrowed as it went off into the distance. It almost reminded me of a horizontally placed tornado!


    "And if I do this... You will become mine so I can save Mother!?" I asked it as I stood before the vortex as it sucked and pulled at me.


    "I shall." it answered, and with that, I let my body go limp so I could be sucked into what must''ve been a portal. However, I couldn''t have predicted how violent the insides of this vortex was. And with each fling and tussle, I found myself screaming in terror as it knocked all orientation out of me.


    .


    .


    .


    "Maelta? Maelta!" someone forcibly said as they shook me viciously. And, with adrenaline pumping through my blood, I scrambled to my feet after clawing at whoever that was. Harsh, heavy panting left me as I stumbled to my feet. But realising where I was only made me more confused.


    "Who- Who''s Mael..." I started to ask before I began to look around. Where had I seen this all before...? Of course! It was the village I was in not that long ago...


    But...


    "What''s going on out here!?" someone older snapped as the loud clanging from behind me stopped.


    "I don''t know, Maelta seemed to be sleeping but she then... Ah..." a woman explained before she gently touched the thin streaks of blood that I must''ve drew.


    "She''s been spending too much time around that layabout we call a son." the man said as he came into view. The reddish-brown tone of his skin had struck me as particularly peculiar. Whatsmore, the way his face was shaped in general reminded me of an Eusorochiian... Even if his skin didn''t.


    "I-I''m sorry... I need to..." I began to stutter out before I made a desperate run for the outdoors. Something I kept up even as the man from that place shouted after. Shortly after as well, several other men started to get involved. And I ran as fast as I could as their voices continued to maintain their distance.


    Their bodies likely as well.


    "W-Where am I!? Why is that village full of people all of a sudden!?" I panted out as I suddenly flung myself behind a tree once I felt like I had gotten away from them. Yet, as I patted away at the bark in an attempt to find a place of purchase for my sweaty hands. I realised that this was the same forest that those machines were in!


    But why was there no mist...?


    "Keep quiet down there..." someone idly complained with a yawn. Their tone, though, was enough to convince me that they were not likely chasing me. So I looked up at the branch above me and walked away slightly.


    "W-Who''re you?" I asked them as I closely inspected the plain rags and leather sandals that they had. Whoever they were, they were simply dressed and red-skinned like everyone else. Including me as well...!?


    "Oh? I''m not letting this one down, Priestess of Nagging Rememberance." this boy declared as he suddenly lost his tired, laid-back nature on the hop down.


    "No! Stay there!" I demand of him as I held up my hand at him. I may have spent most of my magic in that emotional display, but I had just enough to...


    "What''re you doing, Maelta?" the boy asked as I violently shook and thrust my arm about. Why was nothing happening!? I didn''t use up all my magic, did I...? No! I clearly felt my own power within me before I...


    "N-Nothing!" I chirped all of a sudden as I brought my arm and nervously smiled. I had no armour, weapons or magic... So, I figured that my only way of surviving this was by acting. Just go along with whatever it was that was happening...


    The boy then scratched his head before he turned around to look at the rustling of the bushes. Then, several adults burst out to meet us before that muscle-bound one I first saw appeared. He frowned and looked about before another shot towards me. Their large, calloused hands took a hold of my arms as they looked up at me in concern.


    "C''mon, Maelly, talk to me." they coaxed gently as they tried to reassure me with small movements and gestures.


    "I..."


    "Thurge! Did you put her up to something!?" the first man I met demanded to know as he stomped towards the young boy.


    "You know full well I wouldn''t." the boy answered with an uncaring, impassive tone.


    "Alright, back into the village, both of you." the man ordered as he firmly patted this Thurge back the way they came.


    "We should go back too, Maelly. Or would you prefer a moment of quiet?" this man asked as all the others disappeared. Their complaints and mutters being all that I heard for a short while as I stared at the man before me in confusion.


    "Yes, let''s..." I tell them with a nervous smile. But such behaviour only made this man''s behaviour switch from caring to angry.


    "You best have a good explanation then, come on." he told me with a reserved voice as he let go of me and walked off. He was not, however, ready to leave without me. So I slowly followed him until we made it back to the simple village. Vast as it seemed to be...


    "What happened? What was that all about!?" a worried woman asked as she rushed out of what must''ve been her home as we got back to the village. Whoever she was as well, she treated me just like this man did before I made that mistake.


    "I don''t know, and I''d like to know." the partner of this woman said as he opened the door with a firm hand.


    "Maelta! What did you do?" the woman demanded to know as they began to corral me into the house. And with a firm, aggressive shove, I was put down onto a wooden stall.


    "Well?" the man asked as he crossed his arms. But, as I truly had no idea of where to even start. I couldn''t help but nervously shrink as I started to panic. How was I going to act out of this!?


    There were too many details that I was unaware of! I didn''t even know who these people were for Thurnmourer''s sake! What was I going to do... What was I supposed to do!?


    "Cyclind, hold on for a moment." the woman said gently as she brushed her lengthy robe and kneeled before me. And as her face moved closer so her eyes could look into mine. I moved my head back, unfamiliar with this person and not appreciating the gesture.


    Then, with a gulp, I opened my mouth, "Wh-Who are you...?"


    "W-What...?" Cyclind let out as he recognised the fear in my eyes. Who were these people!? Why couldn''t I feel my magic!? WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO MY BODY!?


    "Maelly? Stop joking around, you''re scaring me." the woman let out fearfully as she suddenly brought me down into her bosom. And although it was a comforting gesture, I couldn''t help but fight back against it.


    "I''m getting the High Priest!" Cyclind let out with clear panic before he rushed out of the door. And, the moment that door slammed. I quickly got up and moved towards one of the rooms nearby. Then, having quickly found a lock of some kind, I slammed it shut.


    "Maelly!?" the woman nearly screeched as she began to bang the door about. A futile effort to open it that at least gave me some closure as I took it all in.


    "What is this place?" I let out clearly as I began to poke around the various things about this room. Whatever it was, it was a little cramp and that was just from seeing what was in here! It was clear it was designed to hold more than just some cupboards and draws... Then, I found a large piece of polished bronze roughly nailed into the wall.


    And, as I put a hand to myself, I found myself perplexed at the foreign face looking back at me. I did not recognise this dark, earth-toned hair or the soft face. This athletic body was not mine either... This amulet I seemed to have was certainly not either!


    "It''s well-made, I suppose." I comment in an effort to alleviate some of the pressure as I held it before my face. The bronze was well-polished but it wasn''t good enough to look at something in detail. So I held up the amulet to my eye to inspect it the old-fashioned way.


    Surely this thing was dedicated to Thurnmourer? It had all the trappings of such a thing. What, with its clear depiction of an anvil and lightning... Wait, anvil and lightning... This village...


    I was still on or within the Anvil-Peak!?


    I mean... Of course, that was the case but...


    "Young Maelta, open this door, please." an elderly man said after he knocked on it carefully. And, after hearing that, I registered the sound of sobbing as I moved closer to it.


    "Who is it?" I wanted to know as I took advantage of their blindness to try and find a weapon.


    "You don''t recognise my voice, Drifting Cloud?" the old man asked, clearly hurt by my words. Even if it was clear he seemed to be made more determined by the uttering of them.


    "I... I don''t recognise any of you." I tell him as I finally find something that might be useable. It was metal at the very least so I could probably...


    "Is it alright if I alone come in, then, please?" the old man asked softly as I saw his shadow under the door move.


    "Why?" I asked them immediately as my grip on the item tightened.


    "I want to talk to my granddaughter." he explained as the door rattled slightly.


    "Just you?" I asked as I moved closer to the door.


    "Go on you lot, out!" the old man then snapped before the sound of footsteps became distant.


    "I''m opening the door, then..." I tell him slowly as I quickly unlock it. Letting them walk in before I locked it back up with a determined glare.


    "Please, put that down. I wouldn''t want you to break your gift." the old man urged me with a saddened expression as he slowly lowered himself onto a stall.


    "No..." I say slowly as I shook my head.


    He then sighed, "Do you really not remember a thing?"


    "If this gift was as dear to me as your voice made it out to be, why would I be holding it like a common club?" I ask him with a firm snap as I levelled it before him. Taking a brief look at the fancy robes he had on before he started to strength his lengthy beard.


    "I see... Well, your name is Mae-"


    "My name is Einervaene Bosphama. I was somehow brought here by the lightning of Thurnmourer himself!" I interrupted and corrected. But I ended up looking away when I began to think about why Lightning brought me here.


    "And why did he bring you here? Why did he steal my granddaughter away from me?" the perplexed old man asked as he tried to maintain a straight face despite the evident heartbreak.


    "To... To beat Thunder in the Festival of the Fallen Star." I explain. Though, I ignored the second question as I could not really answer it.


    "There''s no one called Thunder here, Maelta."


    "Einervaene!" I asserted, annoyed by the confusing nature of being called by another name.


    "No, you are my granddaughter. And you always will be." the old man tearfully explained as he suddenly got up and rushed me. Yet, my hesitation in swinging my improv weapon led to his arms enveloping me. But, he just proved that I didn''t need a weapon.


    "I''m... I''m sorry, but, I''m not this Maelta!" I try to make him understand as he tightened his grip around me.


    "It''s okay, Maelta, I will try to understand why this has happened. Now, you said something about the festival? The one a few nights away?"


    "If it is the Fallen Star one, then yes..." I nod slowly as I try to worm my way out of this uncomfortable situation.


    "Then please, trust me for at least this moment. Come with me to the Anvil of Newborn Truth so I may beseech the First-Born Son!" the old man pleaded as he tried to gently take away my weapon.


    "I''m not going out there unarmed..." I explained as I resisted his grip as strongly as I could. And, with a sigh, he relinquished his grip on my weapon. Then, he went into his robes and pulled out a jagged dagger. And the moment I saw that I brought my weapon up and put as much distance as I could.


    "Then, please, take this. I know you won''t hurt me, Maelta." he explained as he relinquished the sharp tool to me. It was clearly ceremonial in nature, but it was also distinctly sharp. There was also an odd familiarity about it...


    Wait, Brewbrt produced such a dagger after he desecrated someone''s skeleton... Was this old man that skeleton!? Yeah, it must''ve been, a lot of the fancy treasures I had dumped before me he was wearing! The rings, bracelets and, of course, this dagger...


    "Okay." I eventually answered with a firm nod as I took the dagger. However, with a lot of regret filling my mind and growing uncertainty, I placed it against his back.


    "It''s alright, I''ll explain it to everyone as we head there." he told me with a soothing but shaky voice as he went ahead and unlocked the door.


    "Dad, is sh- MAELTA!?" this body''s mother began to say before she screamed in horror at what I was doing.


    "It''s alright everyone, she''s just scared. Stay back, please. For her sake." the old man explained as he began to gesture for everyone to stay away.


    "Let''s go..." I squeaked nervously as a mixture of anger and horror was directed at me. I just didn''t know how to feel about it. Was any of this real? It had to have been, right?


    This was a real elder I was threatening with a weapon...


    "I''m going to put a hand on this bar, you hear?" the old man warned as he took ahold of the support by the steps.


    "Hurry up!" I urged him as I cautiously spotted some people stepping out of their blocky homes with bows and arrows. For a brief moment as well, I was surprised to see that their tips were golden!


    "Everyone, please, so room and time. Do not come up here!" the old man called out to everyone. And he gave an especially firm tone to those who were sneaking up after us.


    "Alright... Help me understand this." I demanded from the old man as I put some distance between himself and me.


    "So you say you were brought here to beat Thunder at the Festival of the Fallen Star?"


    "Yes." I reiterated as he began to pour some kind of powder over the anvil. And with a sudden strike of lightning, something appeared out of nowhere on top of it.


    "This man?" he asked once again as he held up a cherry hot sheet of metal.


    "H-Hey!" I started to let out before I saw that he was unharmed by such a thing. And I was even more surprised to find out that it didn''t hurt me either. In fact, it only felt mildly uncomfortable holding such a freshly forged piece of metal...


    "He must wander into our village somehow then, before the festival." the old man explained as he took his answer from my gaze alone.


    "No, he''s definitely here, somewhere!" I assert as I try my best to recall what Lightning told me or had explained unintentionally.


    "A grown man with charred skin, his face having been made black by it..." the old man explained before he moved to stand before the gathered village people.


    "You recognise the face?"


    "No, but, I think I know who might fit your conditions at choice times." the old man explained as he held out his hand to point at someone in the crowd. And his finger''s target was clearly taken aback by it as it briefly made his family the focus of all the stares. I was already familiar with those lot, though.


    They were the people I first ''met'' when I suddenly found myself here.


    "You think Thunder is the father?" I asked, just to make sure I was checking this properly.


    "No, his son, Thurge. Breehop is too old to partake... If this ''Thunder'' is to be a part of it, it would have to be one of the children."


    "Right... I have to beat him..." I say as I recall what Lightning said. It made it clear that I had to beat Thunder in order to secure his power. The power to save Mother... To prove to all the world that I was no ill-conceived bastard...


    "Now, I know it''s not much to go on. It could be really any of the boys, really. But, I think I can say with all my heart for more reasons than him just being the son of a blacksmith that he is this ''Thunder,'' he must be..."


    "Why do you think Thurge is Thunder?" I decided to ask after having seen the way he looked at that boy.


    "When you were born... And I held you above that shrine, before the First-Born Son. I did the same with all other children of your age. Using that sacred dagger you have right now, I sliced open your favoured arm with it so we could hear you cry for the very first time."


    "What..." I couldn''t help but let out as I looked down at my arms. A queazy sensation then filled me as I saw a long pale line going down my arm.


    "Then, when it was young Thurge''s turn to cry before the village. To have his future let out before him. All he did was whimper. He did not wail like Bolunch did. Nor did he scream as did you. He just, whimpered, like no one had ever done before."


    "Right..." I let out, unsure of how to process that kind of information. It just struck me as so savage...


    "And that''s that, so, for whatever reason it is that you are here, in my granddaughter''s body. I wish you the best of luck."


    "Thank you?"


    "And I demand the greatest sense of urgency." he added on, his frustration coming ahead of himself.


    "For the sake of someone I care about to, I will." I tell him with a reassuring nod before I looked down at the dagger slowly. Though, I was not sure of what to do with it. Would I be in danger if I just let it go...? Or was I worse off still holding it?


    "Thank you." the old man said as the dagger clattered to the floor. And his hand soon went onto my shoulder and he looked me deep in the eye.


    "I will need you to tell me all about this festival when you can. For the sake of your family and myself."


    "I was going to help my granddaughter cheat a little anyway... But, now I just have to do it to save her, right?" he told me before he nervously smiled as he patted my shoulder.


    "I am sorry... I didn''t mean for this to happen to her..." I started to say before cautious men began to come at me from behind.


    "No, it''s fine. I''ll take her somewhere quiet so she can reflect."


    "But, Honoured Elder!"


    "It''s fine!" he asserted with a booming voice that I did not expect at all.


    "So... Who are you, anyway? It would probably be better for me to have a name to call you by."


    "Granddad would do." he laughed in dismay as he looked down.


    But, I shook my head even as I tried to reassure him with a smile, "I''m sure Maelta will call you that forever once I have succeeded in my task."


    "Yeah... I won''t ever tolerate her calling me anything else after this disturbing day... Torque."


    "Well, it''s nice to meet you then, Torque."


    "While I can''t say the exact same for you, I can say your appearance does excite me somewhat. It is rare we get such peculiar visitors." he greeted, his words clearly showing the trouble he was having accepting me.


    "I promise I will be gone as quick as I can be." I tell him as I nod firmly at him as he starts to guide me elsewhere. Far away from the village and its disturbed occupants.


    "That''s all any of us can ask for. So, while you are here, though, perhaps you can tell me about where you are from? You clearly have travelled a long way." he asked as we started to walk a lonely path going around a small mountain. Or would it be a strange, internal peak given what was outside of this place...? I honestly couldn''t figure it out.


    "Indeed, I have been unfortunate enough to travel a great distance..." I answer, expressing my sadness as recent words entered my mind. All this effort and it was nearly perceived as for nothing... All the pain just came rushing into me as my magic went out of my body.


    "You are safe here, Mae... Einervaene. And, while your welcome will be directed not at you, I want you to know that you are very much welcome here at Anvil-Peak." Torque explained as we came across a vast view.


    Green fields as far as the eye could see but no other landmarks in sight. And, if I looked behind myself, I could clearly see the great peak of the mountain. The pointed end of the anvil... Yet, I was still so unsure, seeing so much green instead of gold.

 Incline 5: Festival of the Fallen Star

    "Viceroy Aneaur on deck!" the Commodore declared as my heavy, metal-decorated toe-claws signified my arrival further.


    "How goes the pursuit, Commodore?" I asked him after briefly looking at all the equipment on the bridge. I may have had knowledge of naval affairs. But I had to defer to men like him to elaborate for the sake of my understanding.


    "The humans have shown signs of exhaustion, and are holding up at the base of that mountain." he explained as photographs of the humans and their vehicles were displayed. Dented from battle and starved of fuel by their chaotic withdrawal.


    "Peculiar shape, but you can confirm that they are trapped?" I comment about the mountain''s peak first. Before I then asked as I carefully eyed the wide-open fields the photographs seemed to describe.


    "If they were to split off, they would be annihilated by the Royal Scepter and the Sovereign''s Orb. Currently at our port and starboard respectively." he explained as one of his aides came up and presented a work-in-progress sketch.


    "Would a flanking manoeuvre really be necessary given how small their remaining forces are?" I questioned as I returned my eyes to the photographs.


    "As a precaution to ensure none can break off." he clarifies with a slight nod.


    "Are our own guns not sufficient to just devastate them?"


    "We are a golem carrier, Viceroy. Our role would be to press them against the mountain''s stone hide and to squeeze." he explains as he curls in his gloved hand into a strained fist.


    "Very well, approved." I told him as I turned to head towards the commander''s chair. Only to stop before I could even curl my tail around and place it on the rest.


    "Is there something wrong, Viceroy?"


    "That mountain, Commodore, is there anything off about it to you?" I ask him as my thoughts began to stir. I couldn''t help but worry about it having seen it.


    "I am unsure," he began with as he turned around, "well?"


    "Immediate records tell of its relation to the Great Poisoner." someone from beyond my view answered.


    "Of course... Anvil-Peak..." I recall in terror as I realised where we were. Despite the calm nature of the fields below and the clear skies we flew in. The ground below was littered with precious but tainted gold.


    One of the staple minerals of our diets was laced for hundreds upon hundreds of leagues... And further beyond these vast fields, we knew full well that the humans had a major city. Could it be that their hatred of us, given to them by their vile god had led them to do this? To saturate the earth with vile thunder so that our people would starve and suffer?


    The decimation of this mountain would serve as a powerful symbol... Even if it required the stretching of our resources to accomplish it. I suppose we could call upon the army besieging the humans enclosed up in that odd, pocket-like mountain range further west. Either way, on the honour of the people I worked to defend and our divine saviour beyond our world...


    I would see this mountain destroyed! I would see it reduced to a pile of loose pebbles! A victory for the Lord over the vile Poisoner! And I am sure the crew of this ship could see my growing fanaticism.


    "Have the Quartermaster prepare my armour, I shall lead the golems." I then declared all of a sudden, surprising the whole bridge. And to the delight of this eagerness-fevered mind of mine, they would not be able to counteract my choice. I may have not been a man of our people''s navy, but I had been given the supreme authority of one.


    "Of course, Viceroy..." the Commodore answered with a distinct lack of professionalism as he turned to go about my orders. And as I left the bridge, my lifeguards returned to my side and accompanied on my walk. With all the lesser soldiers that we passed forcing themselves up against the walls to make way.


    "Viceroy passing by!" many of the more attuned able airmen declared as I did so. A phrase that was repeated often in order to make sure discipline was still present amongst the crew. It was a little tiring, I had to admit, but it had its purpose.


    But soon, the only noise I heard was the sounds of machines whirring to life and the hiss of leaking pressure. A vast chamber that was seemingly never-ending yet packed for every inch it could offer. Each possible place one could step held a masterwork of engineering. A life-saving soldier that could be spent with little cost to our threatened people.


    Vast hordes of pawns that would march forward at no risk of turning back. Then there were the more elaborate designs. Pillars of strength that filled in for the common weakness. Strength, presence and firepower.


    Thick-armed juggernauts could break down any wall, no matter how thick! Sudden and light fliers that offered the speed of an airship without the obnoxious size of it! And heavily-armed gunners that set themselves down to blast holes that needed precise destruction. And at the centre of this vast chamber, was the commander of it all.


    Unlike the others, it was only a suit of armour. My armour. Crimson-scaled as the Lord himself and with so much blessing worked into it. It could be as divine as the Lord himself!


    A true son wrought from steel and made for war.


    "After I am anointed in your holy flesh, I shall be your instrument." I breathed as the Quatermaster''s men worked diligently to prepare the amour.


    "Hold your clothes, Viceroy?" one of my lifeguards asked as I began to take off some of the clutter I had on at present.


    "Have them sent back to my quarters so that they stay clean." I explain after having seen the state some of the crew down here with in.


    "Of course." he answered as he turned to leave and head on out. And, with a determined smile, I stepped forward so that I may be properly dressed. It didn''t take long, thankfully, so I was quickly able to step out once again in a full suit of armour.


    Rich with the same colour as the Lord and decorated with a delicacy that I often enjoyed. With these golden horns, spikes and claws as well were bright green gemstones. Centres of the divine power we called upon to defend our homes and lives. And when you had armour this fine, it required many of the gemstones.


    Far more than anything else in this golem carrier bar the airship itself.


    "Someone get me a line to the Commodore, I shall be hearing updates from him!" my voice boomed unintentionally as a result of the armour. Not that I minded it, it offered me so much authority after all with my voice.


    .


    .


    .


    "So the festival has us start at the bottom of the mountain, from which we then ascend its great height before we somehow find a shrine containing a chunk of thunder-gold?" I repeated to Torque as I looked up from the diagram he had been drawing to supplement what he had been explaining as well.


    "Basically, yes, you shall be guided on instinct and your knowledge of the land."


    "One of which I lack." I point out, something which bothered him a lot.


    "There are no rules against just following the others. Even with what has happened recently, you... Maelta is not hated by the village."


    "Right..." I let out as I try to differentiate my life from that which this girl had experienced.


    "Perhaps it would be best for you to go and play with my granddaughter''s friends? Thurge and Bolunch."


    "Thurge did give me an odd look when I came to be here." I recall as the boy in the tree briefly crossed my mind.


    "I suppose it works out as well if my presumptions about who this ''Thunder'' is are true." he let out with a clap. Something I found myself smiling at.


    "So... Any idea where I might find either of them?"


    "Thurge has a reputation of apathy. He''s a rather passive child that does little but gaze aimlessly at his surroundings. Bolunch, on the other hand, could not be more different. Out going and adventurous. A dangerous combination to be mixed with my granddaughter. But, I made myself uninvolved when it became clear to me why Bolunch wailed the way he did."


    "Can you explain, at least a little?" I asked him, confused as to what it was he was getting at.


    "Bolunch is a natural leader. His voice wailed because it was to be heard by all. And while I do not think he''ll take my position, I know he''ll become a core part of our community. In a way, he already is, amongst the young anyway."


    "N-Now... I know this might sound odd, but... Your granddaughter didn''t have any...?" I nervously started to ask before Torque smiled. His joy was genuine as he looked at me.


    "They were good friends is all I know, but I am sure she''ll be confused either way when you leave us, Einervaene."


    "Play it safe, okay." I mutter, not sure if I should breathe in relief or shiver with uncertainty.


    "You best get going, though. If I know Bolunch as well as I do, he''d be heading out on a hunting trip about this time of day."


    "Someone as young as him hunts?" I question as I tried to guess what sort of age Maelstra, Thurge and he must''ve been. If they were all in the same birthing ceremony or whatever it was, then it must''ve been that they were all equally young.


    "He''s old enough to handle a spear and hunt delicious game." Torque answered with a shrug before he began to gesture for me to go on ahead.


    "Should I call out for him?" I asked myself as I walked on my lonesome down the path Torque had taught me to use. However, I decided against just shouting for the boy as I didn''t like the idea of that. So I was hoping I could find him at that same place Thurge lived.


    If not, it shouldn''t be too hard to find a contradictory pairing in the forest, no? Though in quickly thought up retrospect, I shouldn''t have thought about that. My life has expanded far beyond the scope I previously thought of. But that kind of worrying was not made for this moment.


    A different kind was for right now and it was the dreadful sensation of awkwardness that overcame me as I stepped into this blacksmith''s shop. And the woman who I gave quite the clawing was the one who stepped out to see who it was. The feeling between us seemed to be mutual as well. But, it was clear she was mature enough to let it slide.


    "Thurge went out that way, if you''re looking for him." she tells me as she moves her head out towards the backdoor I once ran out of.


    "Thank you." I say as I head for it slowly before I pick up the pace to get it over with.


    "Are you feeling better?" she then asked as she hid the marks on her arm.


    "I''m not sure..." I answered honestly as I headed out. Though, I was not answering what she was probably asking about. I was just using it as an excuse to get other things off of my chest. All of this craziness has gotten to me, I had to admit.


    To say nothing of my worries for Brewbrt who I last saw charging to intercept some kind of attack... I wanted to hope that he was okay. Though, I suppose right now he was, as he had yet to even be born. But that didn''t stop me from being aware of the time I spent talking to Lightning...


    He would''ve either taken that attack or stopped it or something! I would never know for the moment. It was an unfortunate situation. So all I could really do was pray and somehow hoped that sort of stuff applied across time.


    I had to admit as well, I was in complete awe whenever I even slightly thought about it. Lightning''s power was so great he could send me back to the distant, ancient past to save someone! And although he did it by supplanting me in someone else''s body. It was still something!


    Quite something!


    "Oh, if only Vadei would ever believe me about something like this..." I complain as I try to find some happiness within the confines of my mind. Fictional, imagined scenarios that offered little comfort other than a mood-raising chuckle.


    However, when something suddenly snapped its jaws behind me and snorted aggressively. That good mood was quickly wiped out. And, frightened by it, I turned to face it. However, aware of my lost abilities, I was frozen by the fear that had awakened inside me.


    "STAY STILL!" someone''s voice suddenly boomed before a sharp whistling noise shot past me. Loud, violent screeching then filled the air as the animal suddenly backed away in pain. A long, firm shaft of wood stuck out of it as it violently bled from the javelin it had just received.


    "Maelta, over here." Thurge called as he held out his hand while giving me a mostly blank stare. However, when I delayed, he just suddenly grabbed it and pulled me aside before that creature could attack him.


    "S-Sorry!" I let out as I stared down at him. The suddenness of it all having thrown me vastly off balance.


    "It is fine." he tells me as he looks past my arms as a fit young man suddenly rushes the dazed beast with what was probably another javelin. And with a hearty roar, he lodged it into the beast and knocked it on its side. Immobilizing it completely as he made a point of putting both sticks into its body more.


    "Th-Thank you..." I say before the stronger of the pair looks up at me with an annoyed glance. And, if I was to guess, this was Bolunch.


    "Maelta! We''ve been over this! Stop walking carelessly through the forest!" he complains as he pulls the weapon out of the beast. A red mess subsequently squirted out of it. Not that he really cared. I, however, found myself filled with grim curiosity.


    "So that is what it looks like before it goes to a butcher." I quietly remarked as I started to think of raw meat of all things.


    "Mountain boars are oddly quiet." Thurge then comments, seemingly in defence of me, or Maelta, rather. It was hard to tell with that blank expression of his.


    "Squealed quite nicely just now." Bolunch shrugged as he swung his weapon around his shoulder so his arms could rest on it.


    "D-Doesn''t that spoil the meat...?" I then ask as I awkwardly try to think of something that at least might''ve sounded like Maelta. That was correct, wasn''t it...? I remember men back home in my homeland talking about certain animals being too jittery most of the time. Something about making the meat taste different.


    "I like it like that..." Bolunch explained with a slight frown as he narrowed his eyes at me.


    "Of course!"


    "You hit your head or something?" he then asked as he suddenly flicked a bit of blood at me.


    "E-Excuse me!?" I let out as I made a point of wiping it off.


    "She was acting odd you say?" he asked Thurge as he made a point of moving near the animal.


    "I have been told so, yeah." Thurge answered as he looked off into the distance. And I tried to see if I could see what it was he was looking at. But his gaze just shifted around to nothing...?


    "So... What are you two up to?" I awkwardly asked as I took note of how they had more on them than was needed for this single boar as they called it.


    "We were going to head down and see what the path back up might be like." Bolunch explained as he hauled the boar over his shoulder.


    "Isn''t that a little risky?" I questioned as he headed on out without either me or Thurge.


    "Need some food, don''t we?" he said back to me with a confident smirk as he rolled the side carrying that ballish animal.


    "You didn''t bring anything with you?" I questioned Thurge quietly as I was not used to such an independent way of things. Even when we left Vadei''s home, we made sure to stock up! Though, when I travelled with Nin to Suhurlodst for the first time... He and Baltanthan both made a point of gathering our food like this.


    Our circumstances were a little different, then, though. These two had a home village right behind them and their plan was to just hunt something on the way? It seemed so stupid! Why would you risk your lives needlessly like that?


    Better yet, why was Bolunch so keen on showing off how easy it was for him to carry it? Did Maelta, in fact, have a thing going on for him...? Would I need to fill in for her!? In order to not be caught out by Thunder, should he appear?


    I honestly could not figure it out... Lightning hadn''t warned me of anything. He just wanted me to win the festival. So wherever Thunder was, he was at the end of all of this.


    "You''re going to fall." Thurge commented before Bolunch suddenly stabbed his weapon into a nearby tree.


    "Ouch..." I let out as I recoiled from the sudden pole to my gut. Though, I did not complain when I saw the sudden drop that had appeared out of nowhere.


    "You two head ahead, this boar''s blood still needs to dry out." my saviour remarked as he gestured towards a downward slope.


    "Down lower..." I found myself saying as the details of that misty forest returned to me. When we found the ruined village, we had to climb for a brief moment. And now I was descending down into what might''ve been that same forest. I was pretty sure I could even see an open clearing.


    Just like where that grave was found...


    "Stay close, it is easy to get lost down here." Thurge explained before his point was made evident by how he suddenly had to turn another way.


    "Has no one had a mind to just... Chop a path?" I asked in a rather blunt manner as we entered the plant-walled maze. With barbs of bark and wire made of sticks.


    "We can get lumber from the trees that are closer." Thurge tells me as he points back the way we came.


    "But if this way is the way towards this important festival, why has it not been cleared!?"


    "Because what is at the end must be won with effort." Thurge explains before he briefly shows a display of uncertainness. He then glanced up at Bolunch as he came strutting down the path.


    "You don''t think you could do it?" I thought I would ask given the premonitions Torque spoke of.


    "N-No... I don''t even want to be here. But I want to make Dad proud." he quietly admitted. And unfortunately, I couldn''t help but want to reject this information. It felt wrong hearing this knowing he was opening up to Maelta instead. However, the crude amulet he was now holding did catch my interest.


    "A lot of people have those..." I remarked, not really knowing their significance.


    "Yeah, you too." he seemingly pointed out as a joke before he longingly looked at Bolunch''s. His in comparison might as well have been an authentic treasure! It shined bright and was finely crafted and decorated so well. Its beauty was a kind that felt homely as well for me!


    What, with all the references it had to lightning and thunder and storms and so on.


    "This way, head that way!" Bolunch suddenly called out to us as the emotion seemed to be struck from Thurge''s face.


    "He always knows the way." Thurge in turn commented.


    "You know the path well?" I asked our animal-hauling lead.


    "Not at all!" he laughed as the thrill of adventure shivered about him.


    "Someone to blame, wonderful!" I sarcastically exclaim as I cautiously kept an eye out for anything red and green. However, there was no such thing, only small, skittish animals not liking the smell of our hauled-about bloody...


    "Claws." Thurge suddenly pointed out as he tapped his foot on some narrow grooves in the mud below.


    "A big cat." Bolunch answered with a nod as he began to methodically look about.


    "Your idiocy better not cause us problems..." I warned him as I was once again faced with a dangerous situation where my trained reflexes meant nothing. Everything I had learned needed magic to work!


    "Here bolt-kitty... Here now!" Bolunch started to coo as he carelessly waved the dead boar about. As if it were a piece of clothing at an undisciplined party... Then, his brash actions were met with a reaction.


    "We need to go!" I hiss having heard that roar and the now rapid sounds of undergrowth moving.


    "This way." Thurge let out, however, he was not guiding us out of here. He was just pointing out where it was coming from...


    "You two!?" I let out louder this time.


    "Syeow." a peculiar creature let out as its head suddenly stepped out.


    "Oh, it was after something else." Bolunch let out disappointedly as he lowered the boar corpse back down over his bloodied shoulder.


    "Hello there!" I found myself cooing as I kneeled down and reached for the creature. It was so small and adorable!


    "Careful now, predator behind it."


    "Then spear it like you did that!" I snap as I let the red-feathered creature hop into my arms. And while I personally couldn''t keep it safe. I enjoyed how it seemed to feel safe in my arms.


    "Bolt-cat." Thurge let out as he suddenly snapped off a large branch. And with a mighty snap of its jaws, this creature suddenly dove out of the wall-like forestry and stood before us. Its thin, jagged legs sprang with energy while its jaw slobbered and snapped.


    "Here you go, now, shoo." Bolunch dismissively told the creature after he chucked the boar at it. However, that beast completely ignored the corpse and instead seemed to lick its lips at us.


    "Here, back here." Thurge urged as he slow brought me back while Bolunch seemed to cackle with excitement. Both of his spears at the ready as the creature snarled on the approach.


    "Bolunch!" I called out, concerned that this bravado would get me killed as well! And for the sake of someone that I did care about, I could not let this happen. But what could I do...!?


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    Maybe this branch Thurge snapped off had a purpose!


    "Try and keep near mouth if it lunges at you." Thurge answered as he caught sight of my glances.


    "That would mean letting i-" I began to say before the creature suddenly lashed out towards me. And like before, it found itself skewered by Bolunch on the approach. However, I couldn''t help but stare at the creature''s suddenly still jaw as it was brought away from me.


    "Drop that bird, Maelta, you nearly got yourself killed." Bolunch shrugged casually.


    "I nearly got myself killed?" I questioned as I got up, still holding the bird.


    "Yeah." he said with a nod before a loud snap filled the air.


    "Taking it on the chin ain''t quite like that..." Bolunch replied as he rubbed his mouth while my hand stung from the impact. He had quite a firm jawline...


    "Be more careful in future, you reckless fool!" I snap as I started to use the soft feathers of this peculiar bird to calm myself.


    "Bolt-cats don''t belong up here." Thurge then commented as he went past the dead animal.


    "Who am I to complain about some more bone marrow?" Bolunch asked back with a huff as he picked up the other dead animal. However, not long after he did that. The animal I was holding suddenly scrambled out of my grip and disappeared.


    "You did your job." Thurge told me as he patted my back once as I stared at the disappearing animal.


    "Now I just feel used." I say, shrugging in disappointment as we moved on ahead again. And thankfully, there were no more disturbances. Even if the scent of blood made it clear as to why.


    "That smell..." Bolunch lets out as he suddenly stops after a surprise wind suddenly finds us.


    "Burning oil?" I question as I remember the foul odor Nin once told me about. During our travels back from his home following the wyvern incident... I just idly asked him about the strong smell those vehicles had in his homeland. But why could we smell it now?


    Was what happened at Anvil-Peak rather recent? Like, within the time that Nin''s home was still around recent? I know I could not really say but I''ve only ever smelt this scent once. I only had that trip to call upon...


    "So how is it that you know what that smell is, exactly?" Bolunch questioned as he began to follow the smell. Something he found to be particularly foul yet it did not stop him from breathing in all he could.


    "I have experienced it before." I answered honestly.


    "Yeah, as if the High Priest''s granddaughter goes out anywhere." he scoffed before he began to hack and cough at the smell.


    "You can handle the smell of two corpses but can''t handle this?" I ask him, slightly annoyed by his jab even if it wasn''t meant for me. Yet, I had to agree with his reactions, it was a horrible stench.


    "Machines..." Thurge then suddenly said as he began to cover our mouths. And while I had no problem knowing that, Bolunch seemed to be confused by it.


    "Since when did a mill or a forge''s air-pump smell like that?" he asked, clearly having a limited scope of technology. Not that I could blame them, this place was so isolated and out of touch with the rest of the world. Which, I suppose, only made it a more curious affair as to what was going on out there.


    Then, we heard shouting further down...


    .


    .


    .


    "Viceroy, again I must protest this." the Commodore repeated as I walked amongst the long, strong-postured grass.


    "And again, I tell you to keep it down in that regard." I tell him as I stare up at the imposing mountain. An army at my back as the expeditionary officers down here with me spoke their professional chatter.


    "Yes, Viceroy. Shall we commence firing on those who retreat or shall we soften them up for you?"


    "Hold fire for now. I want to see their eyes as we wrestle this mountain from them!" I answer as I start to march forward. A pair of brilliant wings then sprouted from the back of my armour as I started to ascend into the air. And with a commanding but silent gesture, I had my army move forward.


    A uniform mass of crimson that clanged and banged with heavy thumps into the earth below. What once was mighty was brought low and their path was a trampled scar upon the land. Yet, unlike my army, I could not contain the urge to fire. So I did.


    I called upon the vast power of my armour and brought forth a fusion of crimson and emerald light. My pride-driven smirk hidden by the mask of my helmet as it built up. And, when it was but the size of a child''s ball, I crushed it. Sending the power back into my right arm which I then cocked back and punched forth.


    And as if one of our ships had fired, the sky suddenly changed to match the colour of the Lord''s given power. A tremendous explosion was then not far off. With the power of its disturbed winds reaching as far back as here! Yet, I could only guffaw as the light quickly dimmed...


    "Impossible..." I let out as I saw how unaffected the mountain was. Still there it stood defiant. Undisturbed and unharmed by this masterfully made holy icon that I wore. Had I grown too confident? Not pull in enough...?


    But, no, I had... Its sensors were even warning me of how strained the system now was. My body wasn''t just quaking from excitement! This mountain truly was the bastion of the Great Poisoner!


    "ALL GOLEMS! DRIVE EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU!" I roared in fury from the sky as I suddenly shot down into the ground below. Making nothing but raw mud for so many feet about me. And with the power of my armour, I brought down the earth that curved sharply ahead of me. Creating a smooth albeit slippery ramp.


    Yet, that was no problem when my claws easily cut deep into the earth below. However, when I reached the same level as my army again. I was met with more than just the wind. And I scoffed at it as it harmlessly bounced off of me.


    "It really is tragic that the humans have discovered our greatest weakness." I comment as I casually stroll up towards the impromptu line the humans had established. Vehicles had become walls and all did their part. Even those that suffered had been propped up so that every gun could be fired.


    Yet nothing they had would ever shatter such divine plate! Not even the lengthy barrels of their metal boxes could do much! Even as their fireballs raged around me with each precise shot they landed at my head. Even under this kind of pressure, they kept their aim.


    "Go on, fire." I reminded the golems behind me as their arms unlocked un synch. And as if lightning had struck. Emerald power began to burst out in a distorted and inaccurate wave that blanketed the land ahead of us. Sharp whistles and bursting pops filled the air.


    The quantity of firepower was so great that it was even becoming common to see our shot explode prematurely. The bullets of the humans hit with just enough force to set them off. Unlike with me, however. The golems faced problems relating to their durability.


    While the smaller guns the humans had mostly pinged and got deflected. Those heavy machines of their mowed rows down without issue. Thick calibre ammunition that just tore mechanical limbs apart until the force of their heat lodged them in a later golem''s armour. So, seeing this, I felt that it would be prudent to call in something heavier.


    And, with a commanding roar tuned to their frequency. The engorged arms of the heavy golems struck the ground like the cannons we faced. A tremendous boom of power and accompanying shake. This power was also used to defend them and they quickly closed the gaps.


    With frightening speed, the human position then crumbled in its entirety. Men who once stood side-by-side abandoned each other for a chance of escape. However, many of them seemed to be forcing themselves towards the mountain. And they were just disappearing...


    "There are tunnels?" I curiously let out before I decided to interrupt a flying vehicle by blowing it up myself. Then, as the golems spread themselves out to hunt down those who had not fled into the stone giant. I approached the mountain to see the tunnels for myself. Yet, I restrained myself from taking one step more.


    This place had withstood the full might of this armour... Not even a single pebble was shaken loose. It was unheard of for something to be this densely divine. Or rather, accursed in the case of this mountain. And now that I was no longer distracted by that brief, mostly pointless battle.


    I could feel it on the armour. Strange distortions rippled from tiny flakes of gold that had been unearthed onto me. It made me fearful even from within the safety of this armour. I felt unclean and in far greater danger than I would''ve ever been otherwise.


    "No..." I breathed as I saw that small pieces of lightning had started to spark across the gold on my armour.


    "Viceroy?" the Commodore called through my comms as he likely saw my strange behaviour.


    "DECONTAMINATION TEAM NOW!" I roared in fear-driven rage as I tried to reassert the presence of the Lord on this armour. The Great Poisoner would not corrupt this piece of his! This holy icon would remain holy!


    .


    .


    .


    "We should head back and warn the village!" I urged the other two who had become overrun with curiosity. That sudden, powerful shake had done nothing but intrigue them. Thurge in particular seemed to have been overcome by some form of possession. However, even without any in this body, I knew magic when I felt it...


    Whatever was outside this mountain was terrifyingly powerful. And it was not alone. So many spells had gone off beyond the mountain! We needed to warn them!


    Yet, I was suddenly uncertain if I should encourage them like this. If the Festival of the Fallen Star did not go ahead. How would I save Lightning''s friend? How would I prevent Thunder from...


    "That''s the sound of screaming. Grown men as well." Bolunch deduced as he suddenly dropped his animals to sprint to a nearby log.


    "Then they must be..." I start to say as I realize that they were likely retreating from a fight.


    "Something has ambushed some of our hunters!?" Bolunch exclaimed.


    "W-Wait! NO!" I called out after him as he ran off to help the strangers. How could he be so reckless!?


    "We should help." Thurge encouraged before I sighed in defeat. It was clear the boys had already made up their minds. So all I could do really was chase after them and help as well. Maybe this was meant to happen?


    Were these the red machines, perhaps...?


    Evidently not, though, when I finally caught up to Bolunch and we came across the men in question. For they were distinctly not crimson or armoured much if at all. Some had metal, bowl-like helmets but others did not. For the most part, they only had pale, green uniforms of some kind, broken apart by the brown of their belts and straps.


    And the state of their wounds and muddied faces proved further what they had just gotten out of...


    "Redskin?" one of them let out with a gawk in some language I could not understand.


    "There are people here?"


    "I thought we all pulled back to Bridge City? How''re these kids here?"


    "Pipe it down, you''re not much older than them." a gruff one commented as he approached us with his gun hovering down by his side. Whoever they were, it was clear they lacked arcane equipment of any kind.


    "None of them are pursuing, Captain!" one of them called back as a loud ping suddenly filled the air. That man then put something into his gun. Likely to replace what he intentionally took out.


    "We make the best of it, then. Form up and move up that ridge!" the lead one clearly barked as the men began to march on ahead without us. Although, one or two of them seemed to look at us fearfully. Others just seemed to be glad that they were alive.


    "That''s... A first." Bolunch commented as he watched the green-clothed men disappear.


    "Should we guide them back to the village?"


    "I think so, they would be safe there and we could tend to their wounds." Thurge argued as he cautiously moved near the tunnels they came up in. Whatever was out there, it sounded distinctly metallic...


    "The machines..." I quietly uttered as I realised what those men were clearly running from.


    "Maelta, come! We can show them the way and save our food!" Bolunch urged me as he made a mad dash up the nearest slope. An action that seemed to surprise these men enough to make them raise their weapons at him. However, when it became clear he was passing them, they seemed to calm down.


    Many of them, however, seemed to urge the others to follow him. If I went by how their bodies twitched as if they were awaiting the go ahead. Yet, rather than excitement, it was panic that drove these men to do so. As they were all cautiously glancing back at those tunnels.


    "Alright! Gather up all your explosives. We''re going to mine that tunnel!" their lead snapped as they all started to make a pile of pale green balls and brown paper bricks...? Whatever they were, it was clear they wanted to do something down there...


    "Captain, that Cardinal couldn''t so much as blast a hole in this place! What''s a pile of handies and some stickies going to do!?"


    "It''ll plug the gap long enough for us to make a defensive line or to hide away in the forest!" the lead seemed to correct before he started to shove men about as he took charge once again.


    "The village won''t be hostile to them, right?" I cautiously questioned Thurge as I kept on glancing at their beat-up weapons. Scratched and dented as they might''ve been... It was clear they all still worked. And I had a distinct inclination to side with the guns should conflict erupt.


    The stories about the Warlord''s War are quite a present thing in my mind right now. Political upheaval many, many years ago in my homeland which saw old dynasties swept aside. With the side favouring to trust new technologies such as firearms prevailing... My family just happened to be one of those on the winning side of that bloody conflict.


    And although it was from a time long before even my mother. I understood the gravity of it all. If they were to be spooked in any way. I might never see my chance to stop Thunder!


    Or maybe, Thunder came along with them...?


    "Maelta." Thurge let out as he started to tug on my arm gently.


    "Right..." I said as I started to follow him. Cautiously looking back at the soldiers who seemed to shadow our movements. And it wasn''t long until we broke into a sprint ourselves in order to catch up with Bolunch. But rather than that, we just found him strolling back to the soldiers with his previously held animals.


    "Hey! This way!" he called out to the soldiers with his free arm as he rolled it inwards.


    "Bolunch!" I hissed as he didn''t quite seem to grasp what he was inviting into his home!


    "What? They''re injured and clearly tired. It''s the least we can do given that this has never happened before!" he exclaimed as he continued to invite them all in with friendly gestures.


    "They have guns! You don''t!" I remind him, only to realize too late that he probably doesn''t know what they are.


    "Come again?" he asked, confused by what I had just told him.


    "Weapons!" I clarified, putting it into terms he''d understand.


    "So do we?" he pointed out as he tapped his spear''s tip on some bark before he started to guide the soldiers.


    "He''s hopeless..." I say as the soldiers start to gather up.


    "CAPTAIN! THE CHILDREN ARE GUIDING US!" one of them shouted back to those who had headed back down.


    "HOLD UP FOR US!" one of them, likely the leader called back before a couple stopped in their tracks. A human trail for them to find their way with.


    "If this goes wrong, your home is doomed, Thurge." I commented as I kept on looking at their guns.


    "Your home is there as well?" he questioned, confused by my choice of words. So I silently swore inside my mouth before I shook my head and looked up at him.


    "I''m sorry... I just can''t keep this up." I tell him with a miserable groan. Sighing what frustration I could as I try to get ahold of the awkwardness of my situation. I still had my mind but the body of someone else. It was hard to keep up with at times.


    Even more so now that a completely new group had made itself known. One that had things I knew about but the people of Maelta''s village did not. I just could not see how I could play dumb knowing about these things. Knowing the history these things can create when in the right or wrong hands.


    And to also know about those aggressive, red machines only made my concerns worse. I knew full well that at worse these men were bringing some kind of war with them. Even if a lot of this was set in stone and that I could do nothing. It did not sit well with me.


    It just wasn''t in me to turn a blind eye to this kind of stuff... Yet, I was having to struggle with it all internally. Because how could any of these people help me? They would have neither the patience, will or anything...


    Yet, that didn''t seem to stop Thurge from looking at me with a rare display of emotion. And while he was not my friend, I could smile at how good of a friend he was to this girl. And I hoped she herself was aware of what was going on. At least so she would know that she was in good company and that I was not doing anything foul to her body...


    "You are troubled." Thurge commented.


    "I have... A lot on my plate." I downplayed jokingly.


    "Sometimes, it is best to share a meal if it is too big for one." Thurge explained with a slight smile before it disappeared.


    "I don''t think you''d like it." I told him, carrying on with the euphemism I had just established.


    "A friend''s job is to try and eat it anyway." he reassured me with before he waited expectingly. He likely wasn''t going to let me walk away from this, was he? I suppose I had no choice, then.


    "Something dangerous is coming, please trust me in that regard. It is coming and it is dangerous..." I tell him as I look back at where we had just come from. That presence of magic. The sounds of thumping metal. The weariness of these soldiers.


    Whatever happened here in the past was soon to come and it would be bloody. And I needed to escape this place before I got caught up in it. Beyond stopping Thunder, it was not my place to meddle. That''s all that mattered...


    I had to let all these people die for the sake of someone I knew and loved incomparably.


    "I trust you, He seems disturbed as well."


    "He? Him?" I questioned as I followed his stare to one of the soldiers.


    "No, I don''t know how to put it. But you know who I am on about." he tried to explain, but, no, I really did not know what he was on about.


    "Yeah." I said anyway as I felt like that might''ve been what Maelta would''ve actually said.


    "When Bolunch is done taking these men to our home, would you like to go somewhere quiet?" he then asked me as he suddenly took my hand. An action that left me blushing as I just wasn''t expecting it at all. It even reignited a prior thought in my head about Maelta''s place with these two.


    "It''s important?" I asked him, just to make sure if it was something I might be able to dive out of.


    "Yes, it''s about Him." Thurge nervously explained as he glanced up at nothing once again. But, when one of the soldiers caught sight of his stare. He got aggressive all of a sudden.


    "Keep it together!" the head soldier snapped back at them as he got in the way of us and that irritated soldier.


    "Hey, if that redskinned boy wants to have a look, I''ll let him!"


    "Do not provoke your fellow human, Private! We''re all in this together!" the head one snapped as he shoved them on ahead before he seemingly nodded in apology.


    "So, how exactly is Bolunch planning on having them helped when none of us can understand the other?" I decided to ask Thurge in order to pass the time.


    "They understood what ''follow me'' meant."


    "I''m pretty sure most people get what a waving gesture likely means." I pointed out.


    "Then it will be through these similarities that we will find our common ground." Thurge answered with a nod as I nodded alongside him briefly.


    "What? Just make them rub their bellies if they are hungry?" I awkwardly laughed out. Trying to ease the tension that walking aside so many armed men brought.


    "Bolunch never did cook our boar..." Thurge then complained as he rubbed his own stomach.


    "Make sure to remind him when you get back into the village, then. Don''t let him get away with it!" I urged him as I started to contemplate sneaking in a few bites myself. This body after all still functioned like one even if I just occupied the mind of it.


    .


    .


    .


    "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?" I asked Thurge as I finished following him to a hidden cave. Placing the food we had managed to get from Bolunch down before I followed suit. Briefly adjusting my position as I tried to make myself comfortable on a bare piece of rock. With not much under me really to cushion it with.


    "He is scared... Concerned, I don''t know!" Thurge immediately opened up with as his seemingly usual demeanour of apathy and emotionless calm made way for a clear display of fear. He was greatly upset, that was clear.


    "When did He start acting like this?"


    "He''s been like this for a while, but your fear has him acting up!" he pointed out as his finger suddenly swept up at me.


    "So he too knows what is out there?" I asked as Thurge''s eyes moved about erratically.


    "But you shouldn''t!" Thurge suddenly accused as if he had just been revealed something. And, I sighed in response. Because what else could I do?


    "Maelta shouldn''t know, no. But I do." I answered, most likely confusing him greatly. I was right as well because his bafflement was nearly instantaneous.


    "You are Maelta...?"


    And I shook my head, "Only physically."


    Frowning as he seemed to only become even more lost, "He is warning me about you?"


    "No! Of course not!" I let out, fearful of the idea that Thunder might''ve caught on. If this is who Thurge is referring to was who I thought it was.


    "Then why are you acting strange!? Why do you know what you shouldn''t!? Why does this all happen when He is suddenly disturbed!?" Thurge demanded to know as he suddenly approached me. Seemingly full of anger caused by the confusion.


    "I need you to trust me, Thurge. Can you do that, please?" I begged as I got up and backed away slightly. Waiting a couple of metres away from him as he stops by the rock I was formerly on.


    "You''re my friend, how could I not...?" he said as he began to shake his head and groan.


    "When the festival starts, or if now I suppose... Promise me that you''ll help me win." I tell him as I try to urge him to calm down.


    "But... What about Dad? I''m not as skilled as anyone else at anything and I don''t have their energy... It is the only thing I can do to prove that I can..." he began to let out as trembles overtook him.


    "You don''t need to prove anything, Thurge." I told him with uncertainty. I had no idea how well he would take this. I barely knew him yet he seemingly knew me. Or, at least, he thought he did.


    "You know I can''t do that, Maelta... You know I can''t... Ever since I was born, there''s been bad portents! I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS EVER WHIMPERED AT THEIR FIRST VOICE CEREMONY!" he stuttered out before he roared with rage as he placed one step forward. A sudden distortion even appeared around him as well. A ghostly figure that flickered before disappearing.


    "So you are Thunder..." I let out as I caught onto what I had to stop. Then, that meant, Thurge was Lightning''s friend? So he won the race to the thunder-gold and met Lightning there? Or was that flickering image Lightning!?


    "Thunder..." Thurge repeated as he looked up at the cloudy sky. And as if what he spoke became reality. Thunder boomed from the sky as white lightning suddenly struck above.


    White...?


    "No, that''s not right... It should be golden!" I exclaimed. Completely at a loss for words. Was it just my eyes playing tricks on me!? No...


    The lightning was truly white!


    Did that mean that Lightning did not exist yet...?


    "I''m sorry for bringing you out here, maybe we should both head ba-"


    "No, you brought me here specifically. Is there anything special here!?" I decided to ask in the hopes that there might be something special up here. Maybe Thurge might win because this is where the thunder-gold was!?


    "Because it''s quiet..." he mutters as I suddenly go on ahead, only to find out how short this cave really was.


    "R-Right..."


    "You should know this already, Maelta." he comments as I turn around.


    "Is there anything else you want to talk to me about, then?"


    "I don''t know how. He is just suddenly different and it is all happening as something happens to you!" he shrugs, clearly hurt by the stressful circumstances.


    "Maybe he''s just excited for the festival, that is tomorrow after all, yeah?"


    "Y-Yeah, it''s tomorrow. The adults will wake us up early and take us down to where we just were and we''ll head all the way back up."


    "We should go and get some sleep then, no? If we are going to have our nights interrupted?" I asked him with a forced, awkward laugh.


    "I can''t sleep with my mind like this." he complained as I started to move closer to him.


    "Then let''s go talk to Bolunch, or eat our food. You can settle down that way." I offer as I remind him that we did bring food.


    "Right." he answered as he snatched it up and went into the cave. And, in a way, I was back to where I had started. On that same rock that I had initially sat down on.


    "I know it doesn''t mean much, Thurge, but, you''ll be alright." I probably lied given what was outside of this mountain.


    "Of all the strange things you know, this is the strangest." he commented before he slowly chewed on a piece of cooked but cold meat.


    "I have, experience. When it comes to those who have awkward circumstances." I sigh out in explanation. Frowning as I glanced upwards and my mind began to fill with Nin and his troubles. One thing beyond his control with divine involvement had changed his life forever. Though, I suppose, Thurge was always like this so had his life really changed?


    I wasn''t really in the mood for philosophical thinking, however.


    "Mum often talks at night when I am asleep, you know. She often talks about how embarrassed she was when I was presented before the High Priest. She had hoped that I would live up to her pride for me and I let her down."


    "No... Thurge, you can''t blame yourself for that." I told him, confused as to how he came to that line of thinking.


    "It was me who failed to so much as cry, though!"


    "You had just been born!" I remind him, frustrated by what he was doing. This was so ridiculous!


    "I wish I hadn''t been... Okay? Of the few things I have done, they have brought my family nothing but trouble. For as much as you have scolded Bolunch today, he is loved by everyone! A man fit to rule our people when the time comes! And what of me!? Nothing..." he rambles before he putters out into a miserable mutter.


    "No... Thurge, don''t speak like that. You''re just getting stressed out right now. Just, eat and keep your mind occupied." I tried to offer as a solution before he put his food down completely.


    "I''m going to do it. I am going to do one thing that matters in this life. I will go and get that thunder-gold and bring it back for Dad so he can make himself a new talisman from it!" he suddenly declared.


    "No! The festival is tomorrow, you can do that then!"


    "So now you want me to succeed?"


    "N-No, you know that''s not what I meant..." I groan as he seemingly reverts back to his usual expression.


    "No, Maelta. I will not let you find that gold. I will not help you, not willingly. This is something I need to do." he told me as he went and left the cave.


    "I am sorry, Thurge, but, that''s just not something I can do." I say as he makes it to the end of the path we used to get up here. And he didn''t even glance back once. So I tutted to myself quietly before I moved to gather up the leftover food. Even as my mind nagged me with the knowledge of this village''s imminent demise.


    Yet I went along with it anyway and I packed it all back up. Taking a brief moment to eat a little more myself if only to savour the experience. We found no animals before when we travelled the mountain. Maybe the mist hid them, but, I was inclined to believe that they died with the people of this village.


    So at the very least, when I got back, I could tell Brewbrt about the food only I would ever eat! It was a thought a clung to so I could improve my mood. But it only lasted so long and I went back into the village with a dour expression. By contrast, most of the village was up and about so they could be involved with the soldiers.


    "Torque." I let out quietly once I saw Maelta''s grandfather attempting some kind of conversation with the lead soldier. But it didn''t seem like they were getting anywhere. Seemingly because Torque was misinterpreting it all. He was clearly thinking about it as if it was a wild animal attack.


    "Ah, Maelta, these men are ever so thankful for what you and the other two did for them."


    "I am glad," I lied as it was neither my intent to help them nor was it a concern of mine, "Can I talk to you? Privately?"


    "Of course, just head on up and I''ll let someone else carry on from here." he whispered up to me as he patted my back to encourage my departure. However, rather than going up the path, I lingered at the very edge of it. Waiting for him until he finally relieved himself of whatever it was he was trying to understand.


    "We could''ve probably answered everything you needed to know ourselves." I remark, having seen the trouble both parties were having.


    "Hearing them out is wiser." he answers with a slight smirk. He clearly enjoyed irritating me with that small comment.


    "So, anyway..."


    "Yes, go on, what is it you wanted to talk to me about... Einervaene?" Torque asked after he finished looking behind us.


    "It''s about Thurge."


    "And Thunder, I presume?"


    "Yes, I think it is safe to say that your prior words were true. It is him, I presume."


    "He has explained the strange things he sees?"


    "Yes, he has told me about Him, and I am sure of the fact that I saw something as well."


    "What did you see?"


    "I couldn''t get a good look at it, but, whatever it was, it had a dark core and a yellowish outline." I explain.


    "I know they probably don''t cross over, but, that might explain the blackened face you told me about."


    "It also flickered as if it was lightning... Strikes from above even happened at about that time!"


    "No, that was the sign that the festival will go forth. You probably didn''t see it or feel it, but a small ball of fire rained down as the lightning struck."


    "The thunder-gold..." I breathed as I realised that I probably missed that because of the white colour of those bolts. But, maybe that was why? The magic or something had been infused into that gold...? I didn''t know how it worked, but I was trying to understand.


    "Yes, and come the early hours of the morning. We shall take all the children down below so we can begin."


    "I''m not sure that is wise... Those soldiers are running from something outside of this mountain! The place you will take us is right by whatever machines are chasing them!"


    "You are familiar with what will happen, Einervaene? Do you know if this is part of the reason you are here?" Torque questioned as his expression became incredibly serious.


    But I shook my head, "No, I was only brought here to prevent Thunder from doing something, somehow."


    "Then I''ll make some changes, it won''t be popular, but it should keep you and the others safe." Torque explained as his hand went onto my shoulder.


    "Thank you, but, so long as Thurge and I are further along, we should be fine." I say as I kept to the idea that Thunder was Thurge or associated with him at the very least.


    "I won''t be able to get away with just setting you two aside, so it will have to be everyone. I can, at the very least, justify it because of these..."


    "Soldiers." I repeated


    "Yes, these soldiers, stubborn as many might be to keeping to tradition."


    "What tradition is that, exactly?"


    "How we first came to this mountain. Our ancestors used those same tunnels many aeons ago before the moons were made when the Fourteen-Headed Beast was fought off. They used those same tunnels to escape the divine bloodshed and we hid in this mountain. And, eventually, we came across the first piece of thunder-gold."


    "That''s quite a journey." I huffed in amusement. Amazed by how far back the history of these people went! As far back as the time the gods walked among us! Or over us, I suppose, as the stories spoke of how they towered like mountains!


    So vast in size that Sraacdchammu, the tallest of them, even gained a new domain!


    "I might''ve said it before, Einervaene, but I feel as if yours is far greater than even what our distant forefathers did. Our, as in, my granddaughter."


    "I know, it''s fine." I say quietly.


    "So outside of what you have come to know about young Thurge, what else is there that you wanted to talk about?" he asked so we could get back on track.


    "I guess, maybe if you had any advice to give about this festival? Thurge is deadset on trying to find this gold, nebulous as the path to it seems to be."


    "Stay near him, I have a feeling deep inside that his first sounds are related to this."


    "But they were quiet, why would that link to this?"


    "Have you ever been in a storm, Einervaene?" Torque asked as his expression solidified and his eyes stared me down.


    "Yes, many." I answer as I really have been. All that time travelling across the All-Coast had seen many a turbulent wave and vicious gale.


    "Then you know of the calm before the storm."

 Incline 6: Lightning Comes!

    "So, here we are..." I let out quietly to Thurge as we stood at the edge of the massive gathering. Children of many different sizes, all with their own postures and ways of being bored. Some stood out, like Bolunch who made a point of stretching beforehand.


    "When the High Priest finishes his sermon, we start." he seemingly repeats to himself as he erratically looks about. And as he did that, I looked behind us cautiously. Those soldiers were fighting but the villagers seemed to think it was lightning. Despite what I knew, though, I kept it to myself.


    Nervous as it made me be...


    "And most of all, good luck to you all. We eagerly await whoever brings back the sacred ore." Torque finishes with as he and most of the other adults bow before us.


    "Now?" I ask, seeking that last bit of clarification.


    "Do not follow me." Thurge comments as he suddenly marches off. And, too late did I realise that nearly all the other children had gone as well.


    "Maelta! Go! Go!" Torque urged as he began to gesture me to move.


    But, before I did so, I moved as close as I could to him, "She''ll come back for you."


    "And I will be very proud to see her smile." he tells me as the distant cheering dies down. However, the gunfire and the storm above did not. Were it not for his slowness as well, I might''ve lost him!


    "I thought you would''ve been moving faster, to be honest." I comment as I catch up with him. Shivering as some kind of hair-raising breeze goes past me.


    "Oh, he''s always lacking motivation!" Bolunch answers as he springs from nowhere.


    "Didn''t you...?"


    "I was with everyone else, but I decided to take a shortcut." he answers with a grin and bemused huff.


    "You shouldn''t be so relaxed about all of this..." I tell him, thinking more so of the battle raging down in the deep forest. Yet, I guess, I was also on about this festival itself. This was very important for them all, no?


    "Oh, I''ve got a good feeling about Thurge here!" he laughs as he smacks his friend''s shoulder. However, he was in turn baffled by the stiffness of his body.


    "Not even a stumble..." I mutter after having seen the firm smack Bolunch had handed out.


    "He''s quite serious, then." he comments as he flexes his hand. The sting of the slap seemingly bothered him more.


    "But none of us know which way to go." I say as I grow annoyed at the fact that I could not have found it beforehand. All I had a rough idea of was that it was seemingly close to the top of the mountain.


    "Instincts. Instincts will lead us the way and it will all become clear."


    "Being honest here, I''m not really feeling these instincts."


    "That''s because you don''t know what they are."


    "What? Of course, I do!" I tell him as I raise my hands with exasperated fervour.


    "Tell me, then."


    "It''s the actions yo-"


    "Wrong!" Bolunch interrupted early.


    "You stay right there!" I threaten as I move to grab a stick to poke him with.


    "The instincts I am on about here is familiarity. We don''t walk this path often but you can discern something. There is nothing familiar yet, you feel like there is." he explains with awe in his voice.


    "No, not feeling any of that." I tell him. A problem that might be a result of the fact I am not Maelta. Those would''ve been her feelings and sensations. It all means nothing to me.


    What I could feel, however, was a sink in my gut as the bangs behind us became more frequent...


    "Maelta, down here!" Bolunch then calls out after he flicks a small twig at me.


    "Caves..." I let out as I quickly follow them into the hollow parts of the mountain. And to my surprise, there was ample, natural light within this place. The reflection of water on the walls, though, did not fill me with any kind of joy. The last time I saw something like this I nearly drowned...


    The ship journey I took here did not end well as we were raided by strange creatures. And, being as inexperienced as I was, I could defend no one nor myself. So I ran and ran until I found a tunnel with light. It was not an experience I was interested in reliving.


    Yet, to my surprise, as we turned a corner, we came upon something that was simply amazing. A cavern full of reflective crystals and natural treasure. Gentle drops of dew bristled about us and a clean-cut path was before us. There were even small flowers of all things blooming in here!


    "Is any of this thunder-gold?" I decided to ask as maybe their knowledge could fill me in.


    "No, He tells me that this is just a..." Thurge begins to explain before a strong tremor suddenly washes in from the way we came. A high-pitched whistle and strange bursts followed suite.


    "We should get moving." I tell the pair as I suspect that it was probably what I spent all night worrying about.


    "Hey, there is no way out..." Bolunch comments as he glances about the end of the cavern he had suddenly run off to.


    "There has to be, right?" I question as I stare at Thurge who was undeterred by the news.


    "Thurge, where''re you going?"


    "He''s probably found what you couldn''t." I comment as I walk up to him. Slowing down as Bolunch suddenly launches himself over a collection of crystals.


    "Here?" Thurge asks as he starts to apply pressure on a rock.


    "I think I can see some light coming through!" Bolunch exclaims as he joins his friend in pushing at the loose stone.


    "I don''t think..." I start to protest before I decided to keep quiet. I could either help them move a boulder or we could go back the way we came and get shot... For the sake of more than just my own life, I had to avoid something like that.


    "Just... A little... MORE!" Bolunch lets out as the rock suddenly rolls aside and tumbles down.


    "Oh..." I gulp as we suddenly found ourselves on a narrow walkway at the very edge of the mountain. Not even within it anymore. We were actually on the outside...


    "What are those...?" Bolunch asks as he points his arm up at a distant sight. Three flying objects that emanated magical power. And below them, a sea of crimson shimmers filled the air with the force of their march.


    "Trouble, now move." I urge them desperately as I start to move them as much as I could. But Thurge lingered and stared out at the army. One that was clearly funnelling into something. And that something was most likely the tunnels the soldiers came through...


    However, Thurge would not move. And he seemingly adopted an eternal vigil of what was out there. Constantly watching them and doing nothing else. But we did not have time for this.


    So I tried and tried again. Failing each time to get him to move and only endangering myself. Possibly getting myself killed were it not for Bolunch''s quick reflexes. Something I made a point of thanking him for before I stood before Thurge''s still body.


    "We need to go." I remind him before he snaps out of the sudden stupor.


    "Thunder-gold!" he suddenly exclaims as he recklessly began a sprint across the narrow path.


    "SLOW DOWN YOU FOOL!" Bolunch cries out as his friend starts to run. However, neither of us was fast enough to stop him. Nor were we willing enough to copy his actions.


    "It''s alright, we can still catch up." I tell Bolunch as I urged him forward. And although we did not run, we managed to keep him partially in our sights. At least, until we had to go around a brief bend that went in towards the mountain.


    "I am quite surprised that there is a stable path out here..." Bolunch nervously chuckles as we make it past one of the narrower parts of the path.


    "Maybe someone carved it out of the rock..." I say, thinking of the stairs and the cave I once climbed and spent time in. Before I met Lightning in person and was sent back to this time. Yet, Thunder does not exist yet for the moment. So he couldn''t have done it...


    Then who did? There was no way that this was a natural piece of erosion. Even back when the village within was burned to the ground... The winds were still calm and uneventful.


    Were it not for the army and the airships they likely came from. It would be so serene this sight, so beautiful. Whereas before I only saw this mountain with awe. I was somewhat jealous of the landscape this land once had.


    "There you are!" Bolunch lets out as he smacks Thurge behind the head for his actions. Something that I did not carry on, much to his amusement.


    "Which way, Thurge?" I ask him as I watch Maelta''s friend slowly wander once again. That did leave me distinctly confused, though. He just ran off and now he was wandering aimlessly? Was that a sign that He had been fought off?


    That Thurge was in charge of his body once more? But that would entail something quite dramatic indeed. If such a thing were true, we would be dealing with more of this. Sudden bursts of energy that I have learned are much unlike Thurge.


    "This way..." he starts to say before a new sight catches our attention. Smoke, and lots of it.


    "We need to go." I tell the duo before they start tremble with fear and concern. The sudden wave of screams certainly did not help either.


    "Let''s go!" Bolunch suddenly tells Thurge as the pair spring into action and leave me behind.


    "No... No... I need Thurge to..." I start to mutter worriedly as I chase after them. Watching from behind as Bolunch skillfully tears a branch off and hoists it by his side. Thurge, however, was suddenly surrounded by something else. That flicker was back...


    "Dammit... DAMMIT!" Bolunch started to let out angrily as we came to discover that we were trapped. With two large walls of solid, god-blessed mountain stone on either side. A valley-esque view that was damning for these two. Yet, rather than stop, they just kept on going until an opening seemed to finally appear.


    "There''s nothing we can do, let''s go!" I snap as the pair stop at the exit. Only for us three to discover that it was a sudden drop that lead back down below. My words, however, did not mean much when down below... Adults and children alike were arming themselves.


    The soldiers, or what remained of them had clearly pulled back to the village. Which was now a warzone as green bolts of magic tore through tree and house alike. But that did not stop Bolunch in the slightest and he leapt down. Grinding his sandals and his soon bloody feet along the stone until he crashed down below.


    Without even a glance back, he charged out to join the defence of his home. However, before Thurge could join his friend. I smashed him over the head with a thick stick that was lying about. Angrily staring down at him as that flicker disappeared.


    Then, with confused tears in his eyes, he looked up at me, "Why''re you trying to stop me? Why aren''t you trying to defend your...!"


    Despite what this meant for me, though, I couldn''t maintain a stern gaze, "I cannot allow you to die..."


    "You knew this was going to happen!?"


    "I did..." I nod as images of skeletons and burnt-down buildings flashed before my eyes.


    "H-How...? If you knew what was going to happen then you know how to...?"


    "I do... I think..." I sigh out as my normal personality began to burn through. I just couldn''t bring it to myself to tell him ''we have to let them die.''


    "What? You think what!?" he demands to know as he suddenly scrambles to his feet. Then, a curled-up fist suddenly yanks me forward while fear fills me. To be staring down someone angered like this... I knew what it was like.


    "The thunder-gold! We need to get you to the thunder-gold!" I blurt out to him despite knowing what it would mean for my goals. And although I kept the frustrations to myself. The counter-planning as well. I kept on encouraging him to find it.


    "Right... The holy power of Thurnmourer!" he let out in understanding as that flicker came back. Its ghostly visage leads him as if he were a pack animal with a carrot before him.


    "Slow down!" I beg as I start to realise what this haste of his would mean. He would beat me to the thunder-gold and I would fail in my task! I couldn''t let this happen! There was no way I could!


    Not now, not when I was so close to getting the power I needed to save Mother! To prove to the world that I was not some ill-formed bastard! To free us both of the torment my deplorable characteristic brought us. This was not something that would just slip me by!


    "STOP RIGHT THERE!" I angrily screamed as I tried to keep up with him while holding some kind of weapon.


    "I will save you, Dad." Thurge muttered as he suddenly came to a stop. And, as I heard those words. I stopped as well. In some ways, he was like me.


    He just wanted to make his parent proud... To save them... But mine mattered more...? Right?


    His father is long dead. They all were. But not Mother. Not my mother...


    "Wai... No... No!" I let out desperately as a golden light started to shine from a crack in the forest to our left. A powerful force that I was intimately familiar with lay just beyond those trees... And if the light wasn''t enough, the storm above seemed to mark out what was there.


    That was the thunder-gold... And Thunder was about to be born!


    "NO!" I screamed as I suddenly rushed at him. Striking down a confused Thurge. But my clumsy strikes gave him plenty of space to move. And he quickly got back up and hid behind a tree.


    "I d-don''t understand, Maelta... Why''re you doing this!?" he demanded to know between bouts of his gaze suddenly snapping towards the fallen ore.


    "I can''t let you take that!" I spit venomously as anger and frustration began to seethe from my body. Mother''s life was almost saved! I just needed to get past him and beat him back!


    Maybe even kill Thurge if it meant stopping Thunder... But, no! I can''t save Lightning''s friend if I killed him! What was I supposed to do!?


    Neither of us was willing to budge here!


    But I had gone too far to back out now. So I kept my weapon close at hand. Switching my gaze from the glowing metal and him. Slowly and steadily moving towards the ore while he cowered.


    "I''m sorry, b-but I need this..." I told him as thoughts of Mother filled my mind completely.


    "NO!" he roared as he charged me. Only to be beaten back by a haphazard swing from my stick. Yet, when I tried to do it again, he absorbed the blow. Catching my stick under his arm before he then yanked it away.


    At this point, he then shoved me to the ground. A good few metres I flew at first before I got back up. Charging him down and slapping at him wildly. Unrelenting I was, but still, it was not enough.


    "Get off... Get off!" he snapped as he grabbed my wrists, clenching them tightly into a single hand. And then, he tossed me off and got back up. Yet, that is all he did at that point. He did not go for the ore...


    "If only I had my magic!" I cursed loudly as I got back up. My anger at my changed body was apparent. Obviously, though, it only confused him.


    "Maelta... Stop this... Our friends and family are under attack! I need to save them!"


    "THEY ARE ALREADY DEAD! ALL OF THEM ARE DEAD! TORQUE!? HE DIES BY THAT STUPID ANVIL AND THE REST ARE GUNNED DOWN BY MACHINES! MY MOTHER, HOWEVER, IS STILL ALIVE! AND I CAN SAVE HER!" I screamed at him with maddened fury as I picked up a rock.


    "They''re still alive...?" he let out as he shook his head about. Until he was seemingly hit by a sudden realisation.


    "Go, Thurge, go!" that image suddenly ordered him with a booming voice that rumbled about my ears.


    "NO! NO! NO! NO!" I screamed as I intercepted him. Smashing him over the face with that same rock before he seemingly hit me with one as well.


    "I''m s-sorry!" he tearfully let out as he suddenly began to punch me over and over again. With the kind of rough skill only boys could really know. The wind was knocked out of me as well as blood and I quickly stumbled back.


    And terror, I felt terror.


    This body had no magic in it. I could not fight how I might''ve normally fought. I was physically inferior by every account. And worst of all, it was myself that had to endure this pain.


    I couldn''t push it back down and how scared I was became clear. The desperation I had elicited from Thurge made him unceasing. He kept up his punches and shoves no matter how many screams or cries he got from me. His sudden realisation, however, made me aware of more than just the pain.


    And I felt the rush of air on my back.


    .


    .


    .


    "M-MAELTA!?" I screamed as I realised what I had done. I had beaten my friend all the way back to the edge that Bolunch once slid down. And I couldn''t find the strength to peer over the edge. I did not want to see it.


    No... I had... Killed her. My friend. My dear friend was now dead. And it was my fault.


    "I-I-I''m..." I couldn''t even get out as tears began to flow from my eyes. But He would not let me weep or mourn. He just guided my head back towards the thunder-gold. The holy ore.


    "Save them all." he told me with his usual, buzzing tone.


    "Save them..." I repeated as my strength returned. And with hasty, erratic actions. I slid about before I made a clean sprint for the opening. Just barely coming to a stop before the electrifying ore. However, I did not know what to do.


    So I tried to find Him, but he was nowhere to be found...


    "Just take it." I told myself as I reached out for the ore. Keeping my hand on a forward path even as small branches of lightning began to worm about my arm. Cutting searing, charred lines across my skin until I grabbed it firmly. At this point, more than just lightning began to come to me.


    My vision went white and I screamed into the air as I felt my hand stick to the metal. Despite how it may have looked though, I felt no pain. Instead, I felt an exhilarating rush that overwhelmed my senses. And I quickly collapsed to the ground with a shiver despite how hot my body now was.


    The grass below me burned and fire began to form...


    "Now I can..." I slowly let out as I stood up. Not even taking a moment to glance about at the parts of my body that I could see. Instead, I just ran as strange new strength pumped through me so clearly! It was as if I was trying to sleep, kept awake by the beating of my heart!


    There wasn''t even a sliver of doubt in me as I leapt from the high position. No fear as lighting shot out from me and dug deep into the earth around me. And rather than the shock of the fall crippling my legs. The mountain beneath me fractured and broke!


    Like an old bed did it bend!


    As I was not for focusing on this right now, I suddenly charged the ''machines'' as Maelta called them. Tearing one apart so very easily. My hands just touched it and they heated to their melting point! From then, they just came apart like the sand Dad puts in his furnace.


    And it wasn''t just that first one I grabbed either! They all came apart like nothing had ever done before! I didn''t even need to keep my hands there. Even a passing punch or swing melted right through it!


    Whatever they attacked back with as well did nothing. It just burst on the lightning that branched out of me. As if it had a mind of its own. As if it was protecting me while I protected everyone else!


    "I will save them all!" I let out excitedly as I started to think of Dad. Of how proud he would be when he saw me! How jealous the usually superior Bolunch might be when he saw how I won! The Festival of the Fallen Star was my victory!


    For once, I had accomplished something meaningful... This crude amulet I had could finally change! It could finally grow! And all of them would know, they''d all see it!


    "GET OUT OF MY HOME!" I roared in defiance to the things that attacked it. And with a tremendous leap that I didn''t entirely mean to do. I flung myself out of the mountain and into the sky. With the world seemingly trembling and booming as I landed on the surprisingly frail rock.


    As I stood there, I then caught sight of the flying objects from before. Those strange things that had Maelta worried for everyone. Her mother especially if her words from before meant anything... So I looked back.


    "Mael-" I started to say before something far more powerful than the green lights from before struck me. For a moment, I was surrounded by smoke and possibly rubble. Yet, when it cleared. I became aware of how unmoved I was. And I glared at these things.


    Letting this strange power build up in my legs as I slowly took a step off of the edge. Pushing down on the mountain and shooting forth towards the mass of red below. And with the fury of a storm in my fist. I struck the grassy field and listened out for the tremendous thunderclap!


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    When I stood up, however. There was no more red, no more grass. The machines were all gone. Only fire remained.


    More green light then began to descend upon me. More harmless strikes tore up the earth further. The land had become unrecognisable. But I grasped it more so than this strange tingle that precisely travelled about me.


    Something I couldn''t help but focus on until my hand was seemingly taken control of. The clouds above seemed to be calling for me and the sky darkened as a dark grey, almost black mass rolled in. Fearsome thunder lagged behind the golden lances that now arced across the sky. It all called to me.


    As if I could understand it as well as anyone from the village!


    So I reached my hand out and stretched my hand out wide, as far as my fingers could part! And I kept it there as the storm above seemed to cheer me on. A single, golden bolt then struck out towards me. But it was so slow.


    Almost as if I could just take it into my hands... So I did. Yet it struggled against me despite this inviting sensation it was also giving off. I didn''t know what to do so I just smashed it into the ground as if it could tame it.


    It only fought back more though, yet, this felt natural somehow. So I did it again, making sure to more firmly lodge it into the ground. But still, it resisted. So once again I slammed it down with all my might. And I stepped back as I clean snap suddenly let out.


    "Solid gold?" I questioned, confused by the sight as the things above started to attack with increased ferocity. Some kind of green and red light then shot up high into the sky. But it never came back down. And I reached for the jagged, golden rod.


    Growling as I was suddenly presented with an effort I did not expect. Everything had felt so easy up until this point but this rod was heavy! Heavier than anything I could''ve expected, but, eventually, as my feet dug in. I started to pull it out with a roar.


    Somehow, though, a large, two-handed hammer was now in my grip. A solid gold handle shaft that looked as if it had no good spots to grab, yet, felt natural to hold anyway. Rather than a block of wood or bronze as well, the top was just a boulder that I had pulled from below. With veins of pulsating gold throughout.


    "I can use a weapon." I remark as my chest swelled with confidence before I brought it back. Lightning crackled off of me and the land shuddered and trembled. I could feel the power swelling up within it. But it quickly overflowed and surged down at me, burning my hand with such heat that I hurriedly reacted.


    A quick spin to knock the power out of the hammer. Yet, to my surprise, the earth rose with it as the spin ended. A sudden mountain surged out of the earth and it just kept on rising. Even as it clashed with the thing above it.


    Which then went up in a magnificent fireball as I decided to charge. Power then flowed down to my legs as I ran once again. Although the weighty hammerhead trailed behind me, I did not feel slowed down. The mountain felt like nothing more than a brief hill.


    And once I arrived at the top, I leapt for the nearest thing and landed on it. But I must''ve come down on it too hard. Because it was suddenly shuddering and the metal below me was creaking and bending. As if I was some impossibly heavy object.


    "Machines!" I let out as flying versions of those red machines that were attacking the village suddenly came upon me. Their speed was almost incomprehensible and their strikes were sudden. But each one felt dulled and forceless. My counterattacks, however, were slow.


    And they often escaped my attempts to swat them. Until I seemingly got lucky with an overhead drop that just tore through one of them and carried on into the big thing below. My blunt hammer had carved this thing apart like Bolunch would a boar! Now, however, was not a time to be amazed.


    So I pulled the hammer back out and chucked it out towards what appeared to be the centre. And it suddenly vanished as it went straight through this thing on the way down. A powerful explosion then flew upwards into the air. So I knew at the very least that I had not lost the hammer.


    Something then suddenly struck me, though. It was like one of the machines from before. Yet, there was something different about it. It did not creak or thud, but rather, it roared at me and it screamed.


    It was alive...? This was armour?


    "I BANISH YOU BACK TO THE FOUL PLACE YOU CAME FROM!" it roared in some distorted language as it bombarded me with sharp grabs. Knocking the orientation right out of me before he smashed a red light against me.


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as great pain suddenly surged from my bare chest where it had struck. And before I could even recover from the great distance it sent me. That thing was back again to strike me with another such blast. Which it then followed up by grabbing my leg.


    It treated me like a hammer before the storm above saved me. Giving me that brief, helpful moment to rise to my feet so I could face it. However, that saving grace had caused quite a bit of damage to it. And I saw the signs of something red beneath the cracked armour.


    "So you can be hurt..." It let out with a half-normal, half-distorted voice. But I understood not one word that it spoke as it took up a fighting posture.


    But maybe it could understand me?


    "Why''re you attacking my village? We''ve not caused any harm to any creature beyond the confines of our mountain home!" I explained to it as the strange creature continued to growl and snap.


    Whatever it might''ve understood probably didn''t matter. As it was quick once again to attack. And I recoiled from every blow its armoured fists delivered. The hard ridge it had for knuckles buried the force far deeper than expected each time.


    Contrary to the skill it attacked me with, my blows were sluggish and unprofessional. There was no talent or know-how behind my swings. And doubt crept into me. How could I protect my home if this power was not enough!?


    This thing was weaved past me each time and retaliated with blinding speed. Sometimes even, it would create more of those red lights to strike me down with. All the way until my back was to the mountain. Yet, even as my hands dug into the stone, his power did seemingly nothing to it.


    Even the powder I was now holding in my hands was undisturbed. It just flowed out of my hands as I brought my arms up to protect my face and torso. Yet, my gut became easy pickings as a result. And my attempt to guard it left my chin exposed in turn.


    "DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" it roared as I felt its right arm suddenly swell with power. And when it hit me, we went flying into the sky as it continued to roar. But the sky roared with greater fury. And as I fell, the lightning chased it off until I crashed into some trees.


    A wave of fire accompanied me as I lay motionless on the ground. Exhausted pants escaped my lungs and then my mouth. The power I had been blessed with seemingly vanished as well. Eventually, though, I found the strength to move to my feet and I looked about.


    All while the strongest rainstorm I had ever seen in my life poured down. Extinguishing the fires that had worried me so much. But the mist that followed did not help me and I tried to wave it away as something else rumbled about me. And as the power left me, worry came to replace it.


    There was just so much smoke. It looked as if it was even able to push back against the rain, which was already potent! Then, as something cracked beneath my foot. I looked down at it.


    Frowning at the charred animal that I had trodden on before I started to move. With one hand fanning out the area before me, I tried to find my way back. Stumbling occasionally as my legs found the debris hidden by all the smoke and rain. But this rain was also making a lot of mud.


    And I often slipped up into it. Staining my skin black with the burnt soil as I struggled to get up. Even the trees I could grab onto passed on their dark scars. It wasn''t long before I was just a walking mess.


    "Anyone?" I called out once I finally found some solid, rocky ground. From which I then picked up the pace as the rain seemed to calm down and part. In fact, it lightened up so much that the few drops that did come were enslaved to the breeze. Their erratic paths sometimes went against my face, even.


    But there was no one out here, so I kept on walking until I finally saw an outline. There was no way that I couldn''t recognise the sight! Bolunch, Maelta and I have gone this way so many times! So I ran with haste before I...


    "Where are you all...?" I asked when no one came out running to greet me. To ask for help or to just ask if I was alright. There was no one. Those strange men were gone too.


    So I walked towards my home, hoping that I could find my family huddled up somewhere. Yet, I started to worry when I found a partially melted machine stuck against the front door. So with desperate strength, I tore it down. Stepping aside before it sounded out with a wet slap.


    "Dad!" I called out, wanting only one thing as I slowly moved behind the counter. The charred wood and burnt walls made it all the clearer. I almost couldn''t believe it when I saw only a hand buried amongst the rubble. So I dove down and cleared out the mess.


    And I went quiet as I stared down at a pair of hugging bodies. Both were burnt black by fire. All accept for Dad''s amulet, which still had a slight shine. Yet my filthy hands threatened to end that.


    Silently, I then stood up and walked away. A cold, blank sensation filled me as I looked around some more. But still, there was no one. No crying, no anger or fury...


    Just silence.


    "Maelta!" I let out as I suddenly ran away from the village. A clear standard has been set for the place. I would find no one alive but I might just be able to find Maelta. Bolunch managed to survive that drop...


    So maybe she did too...


    I just needed to find that drop, but there was no light anywhere for me to retrace my steps with. Had I taken the light from the thunder-gold? Was that what all that power was? Also, what had happened to Him?


    He was gone now too...


    "H-Help..." someone then weakly cried.


    "MAELTA!?" I shouted in shock as I suddenly ran towards the noise. It strangely sounded so clear to me despite the pain her words clearly carried. How she struggled to say them as well. It baffled but I did not lose myself in it.


    "Th-Thurge!?" they let out before they started to cough blood from their spot on the ground.


    "I''m sorry..." I told her with a tone that did not match my feelings for the situation. But, in a way, I was thankful for it. How could I really be sorry when I did that to her...? Everyone else had been killed by those machines and I...


    "T... Thurge... L-Listen to me... Do not become... Do... Thunder... D-Don''t become him. Please!" she begged as she suddenly clutched my tattered top. With more blood bubbling out of her mouth as she did so. And as I tried to pick her up to give it somewhere to flow. I felt the open wound her fall must''ve caused.


    "I don''t understand." I tell her, unsure of what she meant by that. Was that power related to it? Did He have any idea?


    "P-Please... Don''t..." she spat out as she suddenly became interested in the trees around her. It was just a small clearing, though. Was she just scared? I could see quite clearly that she was shivering.


    "I''ll... I''ll try." I tell her anyway, although I did not understand. A sudden lightning bolt punctuated my promise. She did not care, though. She just kept staring at the forest around us.


    "To think... To think t-that the grave... That I found... Was mine..." she laughed of all things.


    "Maelta..."


    "Th-Thurge...?" she let out with a different tone all of a sudden. And I moved her head closer so she did not have to strain her dying voice.


    "A-Are my parents okay?" she asked as she looked down in confusion at her wounds. Her smashed up bones and bruised body.


    "Y-Yeah..." I lied with a straight, unemotive face as she started to smile.


    "G-Good..." she quietly whispered as she suddenly went still. And I did not move at all. I just stared blankly at her. I kept her body up and her face near me before it rained again. Oddly, though, I could only see it hit her face.


    .


    .


    .


    "VICEROY! COME IN VICEROY!" the Commodore roared through my armour''s comms system as I slowly got up. Having recovered enough to realise where I was. To acknowledge what had just happened...


    "Get me... A transport, Commodore." I ordered him with a pain-filled voice as pieces of armour fell off of me. Broken shards of something that should''ve been nigh-indestructible. But, I suppose that was the issue. It was not indestructible!


    There was a greater issue for us all, however. That mountain, it held a threat far greater than any silver bomb the humans had. All this poisoned gold was so insignificant in comparison... A vile and evil champion of the Great Poisoner was there!


    Lightning that scoured and seared the world shut of all life. Imposing booms that crushed warships as if they were sticks! Damnation for all of my people should it decide to fight... Should my failure prove grand.


    But I had a chance to make things right. I just needed to beseech the Holy of Holies. To request the greatest miracle that they could call upon! Though I was no great warrior, I had to admit, this armour doing most of the work for me...


    I had the most experience here. Experience that I would not just be able to discuss with them. I was the one who had thought that creature. That inferno-loved beast!


    "We got the Viceroy!" one of the soldiers called back as a transport blasted the ground before it flat. A firm, armoured hand then reached out for me as soldiers disembarked to help me up.


    "Go! Go! Go!" one of them barked as I collapsed against a chair. More pieces of armour coming to a clattering stop as the drop shook them loose.


    "He''s stable." a doctor they had brought with them commented before one of the pilots made sure to notify the Commodore.


    "Back off." I demanded from the doctor as I struggled to breathe. And, to my sadness, I tore off the damaged mask that I wore. Only to soon get a respirator shoved against my mouth. And while I could, I kept on looking back at that mountain with worry.


    Worry that these men clearly shared as many were unnerved by the wreck we left behind. If they had anything to say, they professionally kept it to themselves. Something else was also made clear by the brief parting sight with that mountain. We were pulling back.


    The Commodore was ready to abandon the other two airships... One having been destroyed by a sudden eruption of the earth. While the other suddenly exploded after something had pierced straight through it. And we could all still see that object out there.


    A focal point for the foreboding storm that now lingered in this land. Strike after strike of lightning marked out where it was. Even if someone had survived either loss, they would not live in such horrid conditions. Regretful as it might''ve been, I could see why the choice was made.


    But a new kind of fear was now filling me. If that thing ever left that mountain then our race was doomed. The humans had already launched a genocidal campaign against us that we returned with equal measure! But there was nothing that we had that could stand against that thing...


    Warships had crumbled and our greatest relics proved to be nothing. Main batteries cut neither flesh nor stone. And although that thing screamed as I unleashed the Lord''s power on it. It stayed intact and beat me back with no effort...


    The sky had turned on me and beaten me back both times!


    "The overland is not safe anymore... Commodore, get me a direct line to my family back in the capital!" I ordered as I suddenly lurched forward. The doctor tried to fight back but some power in the armour remained.


    "Viceroy, you need to head to the medical bay!"


    "DO AS YOU ARE ORDERED! THIS WAR JUST BECAME FAR MORE THAN WHAT IT ONCE WAS!" I roared with terrible fury. Scaring the troops near me with the last vestiges of my power while the Commodore shirked back slightly.


    "Of course, Viceroy." he nodded after a brief moment of quiet.


    "And you two, land us in the hanger closest to the bridge! I don''t care if you have to ram another transport aside!" I angrily demanded as I forced myself to my feet. Stumbling out of the transport before it had even landed.


    "S-Sir!?" one of my Life Guards let out as I stumbled into his arms. But I forced him back and stood on my own two feet. And I stomped the rest of the way despite my injuries. Struggling through the final door before I collapsed into the large chair at the centre of the room.


    "W-Where''s my line!?" I demanded to know with an angry slam of my fist. Spooking one of the officers as activity began to fill the place.


    "Coming up now!" one declared as a screen came out from the ceiling. A hiss signified its stop and I took a moment to catch my breath.


    "Big Brother!" my little sister let out happily as she played about with the communicator on her end.


    "Liadanann, can you get Mother and Father, please?" I asked of my little sister who had no way of telling what was going on.


    "You look tired..." she commented as one of her fingers went near her mouth. She then pulled out one of her play pretend toys and seemingly tried to apply it to me. So, for a moment, I briefly smiled, wishing I could hold her before I had to tell my family this.


    "Liadanann, please, can you get them?" I reminded her. Knowing that her age made it easy for her to lose focus in moments like this.


    "Okay." she told me before she hopped down from whatever chair she was on. Her little bowl of snacks came with her before she ran right into Father.


    "Aneaur, what''s wrong?" he asked just as Mother came by to help Liadanann clean up her mess.


    "By the... By the power invested in me as the Viceroy of the Glenxe, I authorise all members of your household to partake in the Pit Slumber project. And with the greatest urgency do I order you to head there now!" I snap at him as my body trembled with fear.


    "A-Aneaur... What is the meaning of this?" Father demanded to know. The severity of my words drew much attention to my wounds. And vice versa.


    "Do as this viceroy commands!" I snap again as I force myself up despite the injuries covering my body.


    "But that means we will never see you again!" Mother protested as Liadanann caught on somewhat.


    "Where is Big Brother going?" she wanted to know as she became visibly upset.


    "Nowhere, my little red beauty, he''s going nowhere, right?" Mother told her before her stern gaze looked me directly in the eye.


    "Goodbye, I will ensure that troops are dispatched to our household so that you do as you are ordered."


    "W-WAI-" Father began to protest before the transmission was forcibly ended by my signal.


    "I''ll be in my quarters..." I breathed out lowly to the men about me as I slowly stripped myself of what was left of the armour. Awkwardly fumbling about as pain build up in my chest. My wounds hurt very much so, but my spirit ached more now. There was just so much I needed to...


    "Viceroy, where to?" the Commodore asked me as he stopped running after me.


    "Rarfaeron." I stated, my goals clear as they had ever been since seeing that abomination. One that would surely dominate my nightmares for years to come. A mass of lightning that spelt doom for my people... Apocalypse lay within that mountain.


    Only briefly beaten back by me... But possibly awakened by me or by those humans as they ran. They, within their unholy mountain, beseeched their unholy god. And he answered with his terrible wrath.


    His roars sounded about us and his venom dripped from the sky with scorching fury...


    But none of that existed here within my quarters. And I just collapsed on my bed. A tremble filled my body as blood stained my bedsheets. I was scared, just like everyone else on this airship. But the duty fell on me alone to save our people.


    Presumptuous and arrogant, maybe... But it had to be me. If it really was me that created this evil, or provoked it... Then it had to have be me that resolved it.


    "I should''ve just let the Commodore fire!" I angrily let out as fury locked my body up. But there was nothing that I could achieve by thinking on my mistake. I had to go forth to Rarfaeron and beseech his Holiness. I needed to assemble the clergy and create a new weapon.


    One that far surpassed even the great potency of my now shattered armour. A relic not exclusive to me, but powerful all the same. It was hard to conceive of it, personally. Something that strong would need so much blessing...


    The Lord himself would have to walk among us to grant it!


    Yet, it was clear that we would have to fill any price to ensure that the price was met! That damning power in that mountain could not be dealt with by half-measures. It had to be everything we had. Everything we could give.


    All of it had to be mounted into our people''s greatest work...


    A masterwork of the physical crafting arts and faith. But what good would it be if I did not contribute myself? If I was to atone for this great sin that I have committed. It would have to be me that showed the greatest piety.


    So I went before my personal shrine and I kneeled, "Dear, Lord-"


    .


    .


    .


    "H-HUH!?" I let out with panic as I suddenly spasmed awake. The cold dark ground was under me, however. Not a pool of my blood. Or, someone else''s blood...


    "You are back." Lightning commented as he snaked around me and looked me deep in the eye.


    "B-But I..." I struggled to get out as I realised that I did not win. I had been beaten back and sent over a sudden drop. I had my skull split open and was ready to be found by Undwote...


    So why was I here again? Shouldn''t I have died...?


    "Thank you." Lightning then said, much to my surprise and shock. And I just could not grasp why he bent down as if to bow before me.


    "I failed! I failed!" I cried again and again as I realised what this meant for Mother. Lightning''s tremendous power would not be mine. The purity of his body would not let me prove my case... Mother was doomed to die one way or another and I would never go home again!


    "Failed? No, but first, allow me to help you now." Lightning told me as he suddenly surged into my body.


    "EINERVAENE!" roared Brewbrt as he once again shot forward to intercept some kind of spell. But, this time, I didn''t disappear. Instead, the world was golden. Everything glowed with what I could only describe as divine light.


    "Let loose my power, Master!" Lightning begged as I felt a tug in my arm. One that went away as I raised my hand before me. And, all of a sudden, this great force built up in my arm. With one flick, it all then came out.


    The blast that was shot at me became nothing and the crack of thunder travelled further. A tremendous tremor shook the mountain and I felt an aura of heat caress my skin. But the light from the lightning blinded me and I couldn''t see anything. So bright, in fact, that I couldn''t help but hide my eyes and flinch away until all went quiet.


    "Brewbrt...?" I let out with worry, opening my eyes once I no longer felt blinded even with them closed.


    "E-Einervaene..." he let out with shock as he awkwardly fell to the ground before me. My newly acquired, awesome power. It had struck him into a state of emotive paralysis.


    "Are they gone?" I decided to ask him as my gaze went downwards towards the bright golden glow coming from my hands. For a moment, I could only hear my heavy breathing as relief and joy filled me. Finally!


    I had done it!


    MY LIGHTNING WAS GOLDEN!


    "L-LOOK!" I screamed with delight before I laughed to the heavens as I let loose a barrage of lighting from each finger tip.


    "You did it!" he breathed with excitement as he slowly rose to his feet. Only to fall down again as the severity of his injuries made themselves clear.


    "Hold on!" I told him as I rushed down to his side. With this new power, there was no way I couldn''t heal him! But, to my shock, when I tried to pass on my power to him. I only saw blue sparks.


    What? How was this possible?


    "My power is yours alone, Master." Lightning reminded me as he suddenly snaked from my body. His long, electric body curled around Brewbrt''s floor-bound one as his voice boomed like thunder. A terrifying sound that left my ears in pain.


    "He''s injured, I need to heal him!" I told him, but Lightning refused and snaked back into my arm.


    "Don''t worry about me, Einervaene. I''m not as frail as I look!" he jokes as he shudders out some of his pain.


    "At least let me take this gold off..." I beg Lightning as I glance at the arm he seemed to be nesting in.


    "I''ll allow it." he tells me as he suddenly shoots out and latches onto the gold.


    "E-Einervaene!?" Brewbrt squeaks as the gold starts to bubble and pop.


    "Lightning!" I nearly shout as this looked like it would just exasperate the issue. Yet, it didn''t the metal popped and metal and flowed away but not one sign of pain came from Brewbrt.


    "Thank you..." Brewbrt added on as he slowly nodded. Not all of the gold was gone, though. A very thin layer remained on the armour he had on. Almost as if it was painted on.


    "I-I''m so sorry! I''ll fix this!" I tell him as I try to get Lightning to remove the rest of it. But he only raised his hand and patted my shoulder. A smile on his face as he moved his leg about.


    "This is a reminder and a memory I won''t mind keeping!" he exclaims as I help him to his feet. A relaxed expression then overtakes him before he suddenly takes the sabatons off. His soon barefoot then flexed and stretched in the open air. Exclamations of joy drowning out all other sounds before I found my eyes occupied.


    "The village, it''s..." I say as I stare out at the seemingly undamaged village. There were no more ruins anymore. Only well-looked-after houses and businesses. But it was all still empty.


    No one was here...


    "Now, to explain how you succeeded." Lightning spoke from my arm as an urge began to fill me. One that left me wanting to walk in a specific direction. As if I had been given directions.


    "Hold on!" Brewbrt complained as he quickly put his clothes and armour back on to chase after me.


    "It feels weird to walk these paths." I tell him, even if it did not mean much to him.


    "I can only guess you''ve been on quite the adventure, Einervaene." he said, a smile on his face as he looked out at the mistless forest.


    A difference which made me snap in a way, "Nothing strange has happened, right?"


    "Outside of those things coming out of nowhere, no, why?" he asked me as I looked out at the machineless forest.


    "Does that include when Thunder pulled us out of that forest with all those mangled machines?"


    "Who''s Thunder?" he asked, confused by what I was talking about.


    "Our guid-... No, never mind. Ignore me." I tell him with a sigh as I just accept what has happened. Whatever I did back then has clearly changed a lot about this place. But what did I do...?


    I thought it would''ve all been the same largely if Brewbrt still had a foot trapped in thunder-gold...


    "Ah, you two. Did you find what you were looking for?" an old man asked as he slowly came out of a gap in some trees. But, despite the clearly ancient visage of this man, I felt like I recognised him. But from where did I recognise him...?


    I couldn''t quite put my finger on it...


    "Wait, that amulet!" I say as I notice the piece of jewellery hanging from his neck.


    "Yes, my Dad made it for me a long time ago."


    "Th-Thurge!?" I exclaimed as I started to see some similarities.


    "That is the name I was given by Thurnmourer at his anvil." he explains with a smile as Brewbrt moves ahead slightly.


    "Yes, well, thank you very much, Thurge. But, we''ll have to be on our way now."


    "Okay! It''s been nice seeing you two, I hope you go back with what you wanted!" he happily tells us as his wrinkled, but muscular hand takes Brewbrt''s for a firm shake. And when he turned to me, he smiled even more.


    "Thank you?" I told him, not sure how to react to meeting someone who should be dead... No?


    "Hello again, old friend." he croaked as he gently held my left arm. From which the lightning that sparked across it then leapt onto him. And he laughed gently before it stopped.


    "So, uh, see you around, I suppose?" I tell him as I slowly move away. Stopping once I spot a familiar spot. And once more, a grave stood there. Once again, it was decorated with hundreds of amulets and other things.


    "It''s nice to finally meet you again, Maelta, if that name means anything to you now." Thurge whispered to me as his hand stopped me from moving.


    "I am sorry..." I tell him before he shook his head at me.


    "No, there was no way I could''ve saved her, or any of them," he comments remorsefully, "But thanks to you, I can honour them all. Preserve their memory."


    And I smile back at him, awkwardly laughing as a blush came "You''re welcome."


    But before I left, I made a point of going to the grave. And I slowly looked at each of the amulets. Trying to remember who it might''ve belonged to by either remembering their face or name. Until I stopped when I saw Torque''s one.


    He had shown me that in the brief time I was there and explained it all to me...


    "Sorry for any trouble I caused you." I told them, somehow hoping they could hear me before I left. But, I looked back when I started to hear laughter and other noises. Nothing was going on, though. So I turned once again, only to repeat it.


    It was only when I reached the very far edge of the forest that I finally caught something. Ghostly images were travelling about in the village. Yet Thurge remained at the grave. A smile was still on his face as he waved as we departed.


    "I still don''t get it... How did I succeed?" I asked Lightning as we walked down the path. My staff tapped against the rocky incline as we got closer to the bottom. Then, we travelled the tunnel I once saw being loaded with what I now know were explosives.


    "You made him promise something, and that promise stayed with him for all time." Lightning answered with a satisfied rumble before he went quiet. And when we stepped out into the open. I was amazed by how calm the sky was. There was no perfect storm guarding this mountain.


    The skies were clear and calm. It felt safe to travel here, in fact. But the Bubbling Sea remained. Although, that was calmer too.


    And it looked like it was, for lack of a better word, freezing over. Waves were slowly coming to a still and bubbles refused to pop. It was calm and tranquil, like an undisturbed lake. But I still had some weariness in regards to travelling it again.


    "I think we should be fine flying over it this time." Brewbrt says back to me as he walks down some steps. A heavy thud accompanied each sudden drop he went through.


    "Is it?" I relayed to Lightning who gave what seemed to be a purr of approval.


    "Well, alright!" I let out as I reached out for a cloud I saw in the distance. Smiling as I slowly watched my body convert into golden lightning before I shot up straight into the sky. And although I did not feel faster or any different right now. I was ecstatic and the golden trails I left behind me.


    Me, of all people, leaving behind golden trails of lightning as I flew! Even my laughter sounded out as if I was thunder itself! As if my body had become a storm personified! More so than before, anyway!


    I was happy and joyful and nothing would change that! But all this galavanting had to come to an end. So I landed right next to our camp. Which, interestingly enough, was in the same spot.


    Only this time, it lacked the signs of that storm from before. Where we had to set up a camp purely because it was too dangerous to travel. But none of the signs were here now... So what was going on?


    "Do not worry for the similarities, the world you left is still the same."


    "R-Right..." I let out as both relief and disappointment filled me. I was glad that it was all still familiar. But that meant all of the painful experiences I had felt up until now were still out there. I still left behind my friends.


    Nin was still chasing that murderer...


    "So! Where to now?" Brewbrt asked with a smile as his mess-inducing landing kicked up quite a disturbance. And, with a frown, I wiped some of the dirt off of my face. Simply burning the rest off with my new power that I was quite enjoying. Yet, I felt as if I had to temper this kind of behaviour...


    I had it only for one purpose, and that was to save Mother! But what would happen once the trials ended? When the courts disbanded? When the rumours ended?


    Would Lightning leave me and with that it would all start over...? No, I would deal with that when it came, not now.


    "Home, we head... Home." I answered slowly and ponderously as I took in its meaning. I would finally be going home! I would see all of it again! After so many years!


    I just... I just couldn''t keep it together! I was so happy right now! Even with all the problems I left behind here!


    I was going to go home! I was finally going home!


    "Einervaene?" Brewbrt questioned with a smile as he walked past me. Seemingly to avoid the light going into his face.


    "I-I''m fine!" I tell him as I smile widely with a brightness that matched the orbital-halo itself!

 Peak 12: To Secure our Passage

    "Grothigoibismroshium." I tell what I presumed to be a waitress with a smile as I put down my empty bowl. Einervaene had good instincts about her it seemed last night, when she suggested this inn. The food was delicious and despite the rules of attire, it had a comfortable atmosphere.


    However, "I speak Wind, you, no speak."


    "I''m sure you do." I remark in bemusement before I carried on laughing at myself. Turns out I couldn''t quite remember Eusorochiian Colonial Speak as well as I thought. To the benefit of my memory''s pride, however, someone came walking down to greet me. Thus, my mind was distracted from that embarrassment.


    "Mor-Morning." Einervaene yawned as she walked down the stairs fully dressed.


    "Noon." I both greeted and corrected.


    "O-Oh!? That late..." she let out, embarrassed for some reason at her good night''s sleep.


    "Come on, sit down, get something inside of you." I tell her as she slowly approaches the low-hanging table. To her further embarrassment as well, she seemed to have forgotten how to use it. Admittedly, I was slow to adapt to this as well. But I was old!


    However, while she made a dramatic point of figuring out how best to seat herself. I leaned back on one arm and narrowed my gaze. I was definitely not dreaming or hallucinating when I thought something was off. Her hair really had been changing colour, as had her eyes been.


    Copper to gold, an infestation was one way I could put it. But, it was certainly the most appealing to look at infestation I had ever seen. I just wished it wasn''t so concerning to look at. It was just so unalike anything I had seen before.


    Thankfully, she was still the same girl as before. That much hadn''t changed but this transformation she was going through. It made her the centre of attention everywhere we went here. Now, as was established not long ago, I had trouble with the language.


    But, I was no fool, I could tell what the mood of the gossip was. A decent, fair amount of it was hostile towards her. Likely to do with the fact her hair still held traces of her old copper locks. A ''Dyed-Hair'' as the slang was back home, that is what they thought of her.


    Though, at the same time, those who did catch a glimpse of her new power. They were completely smitten by her. As if a goddess had descended from beyond the shell to graze with them. I could feel her new power quite well, and it terrified me, but, these people felt things I didn''t.


    Their shared blood revealed more than all my experience ever could...


    "So, how you been anyway?" I asked her after I covered up my sigh of frustration as a withheld yawn.


    She laughed slightly, "It''s not like we''ve been gone for ages, Brewbrt. I''m fine, you know that."


    I smirk a little in response, "I mean, as we are getting closer to leaving Jherikra, I was wondering if there is anything you''d like to get sorted first."


    She then looked down and shook her head, "No, nothing."


    "Not a very convincing lie."


    "And if you unravel it, I''ll never want to leave." she admits, saddened by what she was leaving behind.


    "You are more than strong enough to zap right on back to them, you know. You won''t be missing any ferries in doing so."


    "I don''t know... I am here, Mother is right over on the other side of the ocean. I have waited too long for this to just stall it."


    "A fair point to make. But you will leave knowing you could''ve spent more time with those here."


    "I''ve known that since before I even came seeking you..."


    "Come on now, don''t cry." I tell her as I lean forward to tap her shoulder a little.


    "I w-won''t..." she tells me as she moves to hide her eyes for a brief moment.


    "So, anyway, as it is our topic right now, somewhat. When are you going to want to go? As soon as possible? Or would you like a moment to think about it?" I ask her before looking outside a window. Her lengthy time in bed might''ve cut our options a little short. But, I had confidence we could manage a quick sneak-aboard if we had to.


    She started to nod, "Whenever you are ready."


    "The question is actually; are you?" I tell her as I get up and roll my arms about. I wouldn''t tell her, but one thing I didn''t miss from her homeland was their lack of chairs. Their obvious lumber issues make certain things a real luxury alright.


    Yet, to my dismay, even in these colonies where trees can actually grow. They keep to their old habits... It was baffling. But complaining about it wouldn''t exactly send tremendous, culture-warping shockwaves.


    To our collective confusion, though, the fact guards were now approaching us was new. We had done nothing wrong nor had we been near any crimes. So we couldn''t serve as witnesses. Their armour gave a little bit of insight, however.


    Their armour was decorated with fancy feathers and the metal was shaped like it too. They were certainly from the local governess'' private guards. Their curious eyes, though, gave away what they were here for. And that was a somehow oblivious Einervaene.


    Caught up in talking to the waitress in her old tongue. And as the two laughed about something that was probably not funny. I moved in front of the guards, squaring up my shoulders as I did so. I wasn''t trying to start a fight but I was trying to ward them off from trying anything themselves.


    "Can I help you?" I asked the duo before one of them went through a grandiose process of removing a scroll and handing it over. The stamp of the highest local official on it with proud splendour. It was nothing special, just the family crest which meant nothing to a foreigner like me. A trio of feathers under some kind of ball.


    "Her Glorious Majesty, the Eternal-Lady Eidoae Phoeniqi bids you two welcome, and summarily invites you to spend time at her mountainside palace." one explains, the strain of rehearsal showing while I raised a brow.


    "We decline, we have to get going." I tell them as I prepare to hand back the scroll.


    "Phoeniqi? That''s one of our tributaries!" Einervaene let out as she suddenly rose to her feet to get involved.


    "One of our...?" a guard repeated before the pair started to inspect her carefully.


    "You don''t think?" one asked the other after their eyes lingered on her hair.


    "The answer is no." I repeat as I prepare to make them leave.


    "No, no, no, tell her I''ll be glad to come!" Einervaene exclaims as she takes the scroll from me and bows slightly. Much to the shock of the two guards who drop even lower. Which in turn embarrassed her.


    "Forgive our prudence, Esteemed Lady." they say as they start to slowly leave the building. Actions of which disturbed the rather quiet tone of setting we had before.


    "Great." I remark, unamused by the newly-buffed status Einervaene''s appearance brought us.


    "I should be able to chart us a private vessel if I speak to her directly! We could avoid so many problems!" Einervaene explains.


    "That''s fair." I say as I force down any complaints I might''ve had about the delays it would cause us.


    "The sooner the better, then. I''ll go get my things!" she nearly squeals as she rushes outside.


    "You, girl, fetch me the key to my kit which you locked up." I firmly order one of the women working here before I took off anything belonging to the inn owners. Actions which shocked and appalled some of them. But what were they going to do? Keep my armour locked up?


    I mean, I''d rather not accrue a fine, but it''s not like they could stop me. Thankfully, they understood what I meant and the shed in which everything had been stored in was opened up. A tired groan then left me as I moved to sort myself out. And when I left, it was sounded by heavy, metal-dampened thuds.


    Then, I moved around to the front of the inn and waited. Watching with some bemusement as a tradesman of some kind had his showing off interrupted by me. Turns out, some sawn-up logs were not quite as impressive as a full, boulder-like sack and a suit of steel plate. The girls he was then showing off to then left with giggles escaping their lips, a scowl now on his plate.


    "Get over it." I tell him before I look back at the door as Einervaene came out touching her hair. It was as if she had fallen in love with it. Pampering it non-stop with fidgeting twirls and entranced glances that bordered on self-obsession.


    It really did mean a lot to her, this power.


    "So, shall we?" she then asked me as she smiled brightly at me. Though I had to admit, the orbital-halo made a lot more of her shine as well. The lustre of her skin had certainly changed as well since we left Anvil-Peak and travelled out here.


    "So how are we doing this?" I ask her before she takes my hand into both of hers.


    "Very simple, I land with grace and authority." she explains with a grin before we shoot up into the sky together. This impossible-to-grasp strength of hers allowed her to basically enforce her will on me. I couldn''t just refuse her actions. She could just do it.


    And when we finally landed, it was with a bang that only contributed to my dizziness.


    "How many times do I..." I complained as I stumbled against a statue of some kind. Nearly knocking it out of position with the amount of weight I suddenly forced upon it.


    "Sorry, but I wanted to be quick about it!" she explains with a smile before she briefly skips up some steps.


    "Well, it''s a nice place, anyway." I say as I slowly switch over to following her. Clutching my gut carefully as the disturbance settled down. Then, once that was over, I looked it all over properly.  And I enjoyed the forgotten familiarity of the architecture.


    It has really been a while since I have seen a place like this. Emblem-like archways made from a mixture of brightly painted wood and detailed metal bands. Buildings with a blocky core but elaborate, far-reaching roofs that reminded me of a tree in some respects. All on deceptive stone bricks which were actually solid stone that had been artistically carved.


    The inside was quite a surprise as well, more so than the guards just opening the doors for us without issue, in fact. It was a veritable paradise within these walls. Gardens were everywhere and the place was filled with beautiful birds. Though I had trouble figuring out what were imports and what was native.


    They really did like birds, though...


    "So these are the Gardens of Phoeniqi." she exclaims in amazement before a collective of birds runs along the floor ahead of us.


    "So this is quite a famous place, then?" I asked her, surprised that a governess would have gardens that famous. Assuming it wasn''t just something Einervaene picked up during the odd political talk she overheard.


    "Of course, a famous palace with famous gardens for a more tremendous individual." a haughty voice claimed as a bright light began to fill my eyes while chimes and bells did the same with my ears. And most annoyingly, the light only died down when you looked directly at her.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Gov-" EInervaene began to say once the distance had been closed. However, this woman immediately placed her fingers upon her lips, silencing her.


    "You have heard my correct title, Esteemed Guest, please, use it."


    "But that''s not your..." Einervaene muttered in complaint before I got a gaze of pure vitriol.


    "Shouldn''t you be back on your end of the peaks?" she asks me with a disgusted, dismissive scoff.


    "I wish." I sarcastically reply as I try to at least enjoy this woman''s realisation that I was with Einervaene.


    "Well, as you are here, come. We can discuss many things. But first, let me say, your arrival? Divinely-inspired."  the likely well-versed leg-using ego told Einervaene.


    "T-Thank you!" Einervaene let out, buying into it completely.


    "So, what brings someone as beautiful as you to a realm as beautiful as mine, run by someone superior to both?" she laughs as we near what might''ve been the main building of the palace. But, I was quickly proven wrong as we soon broke out onto a long road. One that just went on and on to an even more extravagant locale.


    Admittedly, being a fellow landowner myself, I felt a little shorthanded here. But I couldn''t help but ponder the nastier implications of this extravagance. I kept my manor at the centre of Tryhpeltzweig for more than just ease of governance. I wanted to be involved with the people I looked after.


    This place looked like it was designed with the opposite intent. In fact, it even seemed to be designed to gloat about the fact. Make you jealous and desperate to catch a glance. Which I suppose reflected this piece of work quite well...


    "Well? I understand it is a tremendous view but there are very much better sights." the woman explained to Einervaene as she redirected her gaze to her own.


    "R-Right, sorry. I intended to ask for your help in securing us a private vessel back to Eusorochii."


    "The Core-Imperial?" the woman questioned as she stopped walking along her flower-ridden path to look back at us.


    "Yes, yes. I mean, yes, I need to get back there as soon as possible and I fear a regular ferry from one of your harbours would not be fast enough." Einervaene explained before she had one of her tails taken into her gentle grip.


    "It also wouldn''t do for you, would it?" she questioned as she carefully stuck to the parts of Einervaene''s hair which had become almost pure gold.


    "I just need to get to the Bosphama lands as quick as possible." Einervaene reiterated before she looked briefly at me. But, I just gestured for her to look ahead. This woman''s vanity would have to be kissed up to for the moment.


    "Would it have to be on short notice? I''d hate to be parted from something so beautiful."


    "As quick as you can, if you''d please." Einervaene pleads as her hands move together.


    "Of course, but it will take some time. So, please, come with me to my residence." she explains with a soft smile, "Him too." she adds on with less enthusiasm.


    "Love it here already." I remark with a shake of my head. Then, after some quiet and a bit of boredom, I decided to lift one leg up and glance out at the vast valley below. She had quite the farm set up down there... But what for?


    It would''ve required quite a bit of engineering to get something this vast working. And I suppose the great wall blocking off the rest of the valley had something to do with it? Or was it just an overly imposing defence? It was loaded with guards forever...


    "It feels strange, I have seen so much yet I feel like I have seen barely anything!" Einervaene exclaims joyously as she takes in some more of the wildlife. Many of which seemed to live in gilded cages strewn about this sharp-to-descend valley.


    "And you would be right, there is so much more awaiting your visit." the woman proudly declared before we reached an oddity. The path broke yet there were no signs of a rockfall or an avalanche.


    "A simple but easy way to keep people out." Einervaene compliments before this haughty governess brought out a pair of fabulous wings. Made of pure, incorruptible light. They were a beautiful sight, that I had no objections towards.


    "To keep people out? Oh, no my esteemed guest, this is merely a platform from which I can transition into something far more beautiful." she explains as her wings gently flutter behind her. Her body not moving in the slightest apart from when she moved forward as if she could still walk.


    "I can''t do anything like that, I am afraid." Einervaene nervously chuckles before her attention is suddenly snatched up by her arm. To me, it was clear she was communing with her newfound power. But this governess didn''t quite catch onto that.


    "Oh? Quite the prodigy, aren''t we?" she questioned as Einervaene suddenly sprouted a set of wings herself. Spread across three pairs that allowed her to mimic the governess near-perfectly. For a moment as well, I swear that I could spot jealousy in her eyes. Her attempt to dazzle having spun right back around into her face.


    Yet, as the two started to go back and forth with their compliments. Honest or merely there to keep up a facade. I found myself staring deep into the feathers of these new, golden limbs. Each feather shimmered nearly as bright as the governess'' wings of pure light.


    However, what sparked from these wings happened to be Einervaene''s usual blue...


    "Now, I do hope you have no issues with leaving this one behind?" she distastefully comments in regard to the one and only.


    "Go on ahead, Einervaene, I can catch up." I tell my ward with a slight nod. Smiling a little as she went off to enjoy her freshly minted wings. But, once a sufficient shadow had been cast by her distant frame, I frowned. Then I scoffed in disapproval at the governess'' behaviour.


    A right piece of work she was...


    .


    .


    .


    "The light is just perfect!" I found myself saying as I came to a stop before the well-chosen split in the earth. The way the light just from high above pierced through was just... As just said, perfect. It was beautiful and it made me feel confident.


    Especially as I turned about and looked down at the vast shadow I was now creating!


    "My family and I have put a lot of work into ensuring all of our land is used well." Governess Phoeniqi explains as she heads further out into the sky. Overtaking me so her light blocked out the orbital-halo as it made its passage beyond our world.


    "I could only wish I came here in an official capacity that encouraged me to stay!" I tell her with a smile as she came back down to my level. My eyes briefly focused in on the bright, glowing feather she wore around her neck. Her powers, however, made sure to correct this mistake of mine by forcing them up.


    "Of course, you desire to part my kingdom for your land of origin."


    "Kingdom?" I repeat as we had no such thing under us as a tributary. Everything here was purely commercial colonies. Either that or what became known as Landed Settlements. The results of islands that might fall...


    "Of course, and I am its eternal ruler. Their beautiful queen." she lets out with a swoon as she seemingly imagines all the praise and cheer she gets.


    "Pardon me, but, we Bosphama have no kingdoms under our jurisdiction." I tell her.


    "For now." she comments with a smirk before she heads down to her palace.


    "What do you mean... For now?" I ask myself quietly so that she did not hear me. Mother did not have the authority to create kingdoms or validate royal titles. She was a highly-decorated and honoured noble family head! A matriarch that governed a stretch of land on behalf of the Imperial Diet which in turn served His Reverence...


    How did Governess Phoeniqi get such an idea? Unless this was in part due to the nature of my birth... Were the consequences really this far-reaching? That our territories which we have governed justly and honestly are being stripped away from us?


    Was I being lied to or was this actually true? Someone back home had indeed set in motion plans to exasperate the issues my family faced. After all, if she gave birth to a tainted daughter like me... Who''s to say that she herself wasn''t from an undesired line of education!?


    None of it was true, but...


    "Are you not coming?" the Governess called out before she touched down on the ground.


    "Y-Yes, pardon!" I reply with as I catch up to her. Awkwardly and rather ungracefully shaking away the wings I had Lightning conjure up. Something she found particularly amusing.


    "You act as if you never spread them before." she comments, seemingly oblivious to where they came from. And, I suppose, for my own safety, it was best if I did not reveal who did it.


    "Often I travel in the form of a lightning bolt." I lie honestly, and, thankfully, she had no problem accepting that.


    "Yes, I recall hearing the talk of the peasantry. They were in awe at the good omen that flashed before them on the night of your arrival to my land."


    "W-Was I really that dramatic about it?" I questioned nervously as my cheeks heated up.


    "I myself do not know, I only have hearsay to work with here. But, I would encourage you to keep on showing yourself off like that. Make your first impression always one of pure, divine power."


    "I-I''m not d-divine..." I giggle bashfully.


    "No, I do believe you are, esteemed guest. Lady-Heir Bosphama." she pushed, correcting herself right after. Surprising me in the process.


    "I never..."


    "Not specifically, no, but you did mention your family''s name. And, having met your mother, I can only conclude that..." she explained, letting my mind finish her sentence for her before she smiled.


    "I don''t suppose, then, that you knowing this will add some urgency to my securement of a private charter?"


    "The urgency would''ve been there regardless, pains me as it does to see such beautiful hair and skin part ways with my realm." she tells me as she once again strokes my hair and cheek.


    "Well, obviously I am going to come back when I can!" I tell her with a wide smile, hoping that would cheer her up.


    "Don''t rush yourself, take your time." she comments before she walks before a pink-leaved tree. Orange-coloured fruit even dotted the branches. And, upon closer inspection, it appeared that they were even furred in some manner of speaking.


    "I don''t think taking my time is a luxury I have." I tell her before she plucks one of the fruit down for me.


    "Make sure to enjoy that peach while I go and speak with my ministers." she tells me before she heads towards a crowd that had gathered inside the palace.


    "It''s sweet, but I''m not sure about the hair..." I comment as I try to enjoy the odd combination. I like the flavour of it, but this hair. It felt weird against my tongue. And, as I ate itr, I looked about, most prominently at the grand sigil that decorated the space above the main door.


    It was an almost portrait-like carving of the governess and what I assumed to be her parents. And while the eyes of the two elders looked down lovingly at the child they held. That child looked down at me, or perhaps something I was standing in front of? But all that was behind me was a small fountain.


    "To our dearest daughter, Eidoae..." I read aloud before I sighed at my circumstances. I haven''t had anything from my mother in a long time. And my father I have never met. And, the last thing I ever sent to Mother was a recording of me in a bloody fight.


    One that still sent uncomfortable shivers down my spine as I recalled the shearing of my flesh. It was an experience I never wanted to go through again. But, I had a dreading feeling that I would see much worse in the time ahead. After all, I doubted that it would be an easy journey back to Eusorochii.


    "Lady-Heir? Come! Come and meet my ministers!" the governess beckoned from the entrance way. And, unsure of what to do with my leftover peach. I assume anyway, I tossed it subtlety into a nearby bush after splashing some water on my face to clean off the juices.


    "Hello, it''s nice to meet you." I greet as I step into the building. Smiling slightly at a nostalgic sound as my boots tap against the raised wooden floors. The hollow space beneath serving a more real reason, but, I liked to pretend it was a giant instrument.


    "I wasn''t aware we were having any official visits?" an elderly, but refined man questioned as he revealed his bejewelled hands. He was clearly a cunning man. A glance alone could tell you that. Thankfully, I had little reason to be subject to any tricks on his part.


    He was just one part of a hierarchy that extended beyond any matters concerning me.


    "She''s not here in an official capacity. But I wish for it to be seen to that she is served as if it were one." the Governess explains as she ascends a small flight of stairs before she reclines into a large pile of cushions. Many varieties as well by the looks of it. Velvet, silk, satin, she really had one of each.


    "Of course, Your Majesty." the elderly minister acknowledge with a slight smirk. Was he enjoying the pampering? The Governess had taken a lot of joy from being called that.


    "So should I go over what I need done?" I asked all those who were present. Those who''d be allowed to speak, anyway by the looks of it.


    "Yes, yes, go on." one of the ministers encouraged as others had servants bring them in tables and cushions to sit by and on.


    .


    .


    .


    "Prime Minister?" Her Majesty questioned as I rose up from my desk despite the ongoing process before us.


    "Apologies, Your Majesty, but, may I be excused? I remembered I have an urgent matter that needs attending to in regards to some of the embargoes you had established." I explained with a slight nod as I put my hands over each other.


    "Very well, see to it." she tells me with a dismissive wave before I make use of it and head off. Taking one final glance at our partially golden-haired guest before I departed properly. A ponderous ''hm'' then left me as I walked slowly down the quiet, but well-kept halls of the palace. A slight gasp of surprise then left me as I believed I had come upon it in my mind.


    "Prime Minister? How may we serve you?" a servant asked me with refined grace before I began to pilfer through my scrolls and cupboards.


    "Help me find the scrolls from our Most Wanted section." I tell them as I started to make a mess looking for the face I sweared I had seen before.


    "Here are some we had to keep off the shelves, Prime Minister." one servant explained as they gently placed it onto my fine, rare wood desk.


    "Yes... I do believe we have her." I comment as I unfolded the scroll. Staring knowingly at the detailed drawing that was on it. And, emblazoned above it, a decree.


    ''By order of the Ruling-Lord of the Burspharosa clan, the Lady-Heir of the Bosphama clan is to be kept an eye out for, for the sake of Imperial Tribunal.''


    "Fetch me a messenger and take my seal, I want the fastest ship ready to sail to the Core Imperial." I tell one of them as I hand it all over except for the scroll. Which I kept to myself before I then dismissed the servant so I could have some private time. And I felt a smile grow as I beared in mind my place in all of this.


    The Ruling-Lord of the Burspharosa clan had promised me much. But I needed some assurances and I believe I had finally found it! The missing Lady-Heir was here! She was right within my grasp!


    Although, the pompous gull I served had taken a clear liking to her. So I could not have this be as open as I wanted. So, instead, I had to opt for giving the Burspharosa some forewarning. But the Imperial Diet''s choice to limit our communication methods made this a race against time.


    I could not stall or decline the Governess'' wishes. But I could send someone else far ahead, long before. I would be handsomely rewarded, after all. And there would be no connection back to me at all.


    I would make a fine point of ensuring that, but, for now, I had a facade to keep. Although, as I inspected the drawing, I was surprised to see no signs of split hair colour. Her skin was a lighter shade and they made details about other signs to find her by. Her tainted magic is one of the foremost.


    Yet, in person, she barely matched up to this drawing. Though, it was very unlikely to have been drawn incorrectly. After all, the Lady-Heir was nobility, she would''ve been portrayed dozens if not hundreds of times. The references for the artist were numerous and plentiful.


    So what was the cause of this discrepancy? It baffled me and I would''ve liked to find out why. However, I was also fine with just letting the interest down. Everything else about it matched her visage.


    And although I was old, I was not bad of memory. I recalled her face in my head as if it were my wedding day. The first one, anyway. Yet, even then, I wished to return to the main chamber to gaze upon her once more.


    I could then excuse myself again under another false pretence should I need to.


    "So, Einervaene was it?" the Governess repeated as the pair apparently caught up on the introductions they missed out on beforehand.


    "Oh, I think I am fine indeed." I smirk on the inside slyly as I keep my expression presentable as I walk in.

 Base 13: The News Arrives

    "Yes, like that. Come on, faster, more aggressive!" I urged one of my cadets as I walked about the battlefield we had made for them. Though, to keep everyone else on their toes and in the air if they could be. I declined any requests to put up barriers. So missed spells came right for us.


    Albeit, unlike them, I could just sit through them without a care. I was catching on to something, however. I could not encourage them to be nimble or agile if I just exploited my one-off advantages. So I too had to get into the habit of weaving past spells.


    That didn''t stop me from occasionally stopping a spell with just a hand, though. As that had great educational potential as well. It gave them an idea of what to strive towards. It helped make it seem that my strength was a more reachable goal.


    Even if they had no idea of how vast our differences were. These were all carefree students of Suhurlodst. I am... Was a Valkinvar.


    I was a soldier of the highest calibre, indomitable towards all but mighty armies. I had all this experience within me but it was hard to explain it. Even with all the effort I have put in, I don''t feel like they''re improving. They''d argue otherwise with a smile of pure gladness and excitement.


    But there was so much that I could see that they could not. Most of them were not even a quarter of my age. They had no idea how much knowledge was tuned into my body that I just could not explain. Especially when they were so weak in comparison.


    "VAPOOLI-" someone suddenly screamed before a seemingly potent spell slammed against me. But, I just stood there, unfazed by it. Not even my hair, which I had grown out slightly compared to normal had been disturbed.


    "See? You''re over reacting." one of the cadets tells another with a bemused jab.


    "We can''t know that!" she hysterically snapped back at him before she rushed over to me.


    "Are you alright?" I asked her as I observed the awkward tone that seemed to have moved in.


    "A-A-Am I...?" she stuttered in disbelief as she looked me over. And I frowned as the shock slowly disappeared from her. Awe and reverence soon came in and took over. My expression didn''t even phase her.


    "Carry on if you want, I am going for a walk." I tell the group before I move to the portal controls. Flicking and turning what needed to be done before then stepping through the portal. And once I was on the other side, I made a beeline for the exit. Passing by everyone else swiftly and unobtrusively.


    Contrary to what I had just said, though, I found myself quickly going into the air rather. My eyes slowly wandered over to the mighty construct lingering by the academy. A feeling of uncertainty filled me as I did so. To be so close to something like this, even after all this time...


    I still remembered it all so clearly. The hope in the army as we pushed out from Giant''s Victory. The hope that was in me to some extent. We were going to do it, we were going to push them from our walls and advance for once.


    I would have served as an anvil for the Seven-Peaks Union forces to break upon. While the army headed by the Zaphadren-Valkinvar swung around another broken line to smash against their rear. We were supposed to slaughter the heretics to the man and leave the valley stained red.


    A feast for predators...


    But no, that is not what happened, and I still did not understand why. We did not meet an advancing army on that day. What we had turned back did not come back at us with greater force. No, it was one of those things.


    A giant made of steel, with more weight of shot than all of Giant''s Victory''s walls and outlying forts. Its magic was purer than my own, me, a Valkinvar who was more than a century old. That inexplicit thing came from the sky and fired only once upon us. It was our army that was gone.


    And my failures made it happen, my inadequacies and incompetence. I couldn''t stop the Red-Feathers from charging down the mountain. I refused to stop even a single shot from their guns... I just uselessly flailed about until I...


    "No... Don''t..." I want myself as I clutch my lower abdomen. An unsettling series of bumps were briefly felt by my fingers through my clothes before I shot my hand away. A sudden sweat about me as I briefly lost control of my magic. Yet there was someone who wouldn''t let me forget my pain.


    And I could see him clearly too, along with someone who occasionally came to me for advice. Seigunfrei was a skilled fighter given his circumstances. But he was using his skills for the wrong purpose. As was his new teacher.


    That monster... They were all helping him.


    "N-Nin..." I uttered with a tremble as a wave of ferocious fear went through me. A wave that raised each hair on my body as I stared down at the blue light his magic made. His raw, tainted power. One that I gave him when I was...


    But I shook my head and clutched it tight. I didn''t want to think about this... I shouldn''t think about it. Yet, I just couldn''t help it either. The man I trusted...


    He was one of them, he became one of them. I came here trying to honour the legacy he left. The legacy of a brave man who saved even the strong. But he came here, as that, as that horrible creature I had to put down.


    I could still see it now as well. The monster I saw on the day we were supposed to leave the aelenvari flower. A bloodthirsty thing with a jaw that made a horrendous snap. The one I had come to care for became the very thing that tormented me.


    "But even now... You fight for someone else." I commented as I slowly descended to the air directly above them. Even with my visceral hatred of what Nin had become. I still knew what he did every night. Everyone in the land surely has by now.


    He goes every night to free this ancient, proud from a terrible menace. Despite all the slander and hatred going his way, Nin kept on going. A vicious, unrelenting determination that would break him down possibly before he even won. That same kind of determination that saw him escape the hive on his own.


    Even if I wouldn''t say it or contemplate it for long. It was something I still admired about him. It was when things got bad that I felt like we saw the true him. A man of ceaseless drive that powered him through all so he could...


    "Oh, hello, Vapooliar!" Seigunfrei called out once I was a hair''s breadth away. And, when he did it, I shook my head and used it as an excuse. I cleared my mind and narrowed in on his mistake.


    "Do not distract yourself in battle." I told him just as Nin came rocketing in around his left side. With an expulsion of magic from his elbow driving his hand against Seigunfrei''s head. One which soon found itself plunged into the ground which had been stripped clean by their repeated battles.


    Yet, as the dust cleared and their magic died down, I saw his visage and then him. And I glanced away uncomfortably as the dark lenses of his mask turned on me. But I could breathe in relief when the dirt beneath him started to crunch. And when I looked back, he was walking away without a care directed at me.


    I suppose, if he learned to forget about me, I should try to do the same. But how could I? He saved my life when I was broken down to nothing. He was there to care for me when it all seemed like it had become irreversibly broken...


    "Not the first time I''m going to feel that..." Seigunfrei moaned as he pushed himself out of the earth with a bloodied nose.


    "Here, let me." I tell him as I apply a quick flick of magic to at least stem the bleeding.


    "You didn''t have to, hospital isn''t far neither is Sticky." he comments as he makes hand gestures on either side of him.


    "The Ibeneroccon, I take it?" I ask in regard to what I assume was a nickname.


    "Yeah, the greatest witch in all of Suhurlodst at this moment." he breathes in awe as both of our gazes head that way. Towards the man wrapped up in a seemingly simple tunic and set of robes. Lightly coloured like the dust Seigunfrei just fought in.


    "Why does he stay here? Isn''t he needed elsewhere? He''s a soldier, no?"


    "He stays because it is his duty."


    "But he only teaches you and..."


    "He only teaches Nin, really, I basically jumped on for the ride because I promised to help him." he explains.


    "R-Right..." I acknowledge with uncertainty as I placed a hand on a wooden fence post. There was once a time I trained Nin, or at least tried to. It made me a little curious in a way. To see how far he has come since then.


    But there was no way I could ever check directly. Not when I knew the kind of monster he had become. There was no telling if I would go on to make mistakes again. Like when I joined the Inter-House Talent Display purely to try and kill him.


    And I didn''t get it, so much of this place wanted it to happen. I was praised again and again for the brutal beating I inflicted upon him. Yet, the only voice I cared about was what Vadei had to say to me. That I was a vile person for doing such a thing to our friend...


    Not her friend, our...


    I had tried to kill our friend in her eyes, and, if I went by the way I now felt about it. I somehow still saw Nin as mine as well. But, I couldn''t see it that way even now. It felt like I was just remembering what he once was and was upset by that instead.


    "So, how about you? You want to have a go against Sticky? You''d certainly do better than either of us." Seigunfrei then huffed in bemusement.


    "I think I''ll pass." I answer as I look down at my hand. Staring briefly at the mark that was branded on my palm before I hid it again.


    "The Vapooliar stepping down from a challenge?" he laughed as I felt my body freeze up. I know he wasn''t passing comment about it. But, I just couldn''t help but... No, it wasn''t what he was saying.


    "Well, good luck with what you are doing. And make sure to keep focused." I tell him before I fly off. An annoyed scowl then came to my face before I hid it with my hand. Was I a coward? I couldn''t have been, right...?


    Yet, maybe I was, I knew that my home was under attack. I''ve known it for so long. But even when the regular soldiers we were with turned back to carry on fighting. I stayed amongst the aelenvari.


    Me... The strongest one there, a Valkinvar. I chose to stay and hide. Hide far away from the war and do nothing but keep my head down.


    "Why am I hiding when all my sisters and brothers carry on fighting?" I ask myself before I suddenly drop from the sky. Scaring and spooking those who were around me. But I did not linger on it and instead just walked through the grounds of the Academy. However, when I realised where I had wandered to, it was too late.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    And I was left staring straight at a dormitory building I had once arrived at with foul intentions. That broken promise still lingered in my mind. The fear on their faces. I still remembered it all well, but, I was not here for that.


    "You are no longer here..." I muttered as I quickly remembered a sadder fact of life. Vadei had left the academy and had departed with that Eusorochiian friend of hers. And in all the time that I had known her. I had never learned where her home was.


    But as long as she was safe, I supposed that was all that mattered. Yet, now once again aware of her departure, painfully so. I walked back the way I came. A disappointed sensation welled up inside of me as my usual posture cracked.


    I didn''t know what to do, and I had no one I could just talk to about it. No one but Nin and Vadei and Dandel''lhia understood what it was like for me. But two of them were gone, and one of them had turned his back on me. With no shortage of good reasons to back it up.


    I was lost and I couldn''t keep my mind occupied in the slightest. I had no purpose anymore. Just reminders of where I had failed in my life. A sullied bride for the God of War when I died. A friend who tried to kill her saviours.


    What was I supposed to do? There was nothing for me here anymore. I had nothing to learn, there was nothing this place had... And I just couldn''t muster myself to take on the jobs the Academy helped relay.


    It felt so hollow, doing all of this for money. I once fought men by the thousands in the name of a greater cause. I saved people and their livelihoods in the name of my country and future husband. All we ever talked about was our duty and responsibility to a greater cause...


    I couldn''t do it on my own, I didn''t know what I could do. I couldn''t just swear my loyalty to another nation or people either. I had already made my oaths long ago, and I stuck to them for nearly as long. Until recently...


    I was honestly pathetic. For all my power I was beneath everyone here. And I could see it all about me. They stuck by their friends and their motives.


    The reasons were clear as they were plentiful and similar. They all might do it for their families. Some for those living away from the safety of a great mountain state. Others for their homes far beyond the continent.


    They went here to benefit someone else. And all I have done with my time here is grow distant. I did not help anyone. I only pushed them away with violent outbursts.


    If it wasn''t for how embarrassed I would feel doing it. An already odd emotion for me. I''d be breaking down in tears. Because despite how open my current path was, I have never felt more enclosed and trapped.


    On one end, a cause I couldn''t ever go back to because I had failed to uphold my honour. I had failed to protect my people and my right of passage. There was no place for me besides Waionr when I died and no place here. I didn''t know what to do.


    "I could help Nin?" I soon asked myself with uncertainty. Even if he was what he was now. I suppose I could try and pay him back for what he did to me. When he threw me out of the hive at the cost of his own safety.


    And, at the time, what I could''ve only seen as his life...


    I owed that much to him and maybe even more given how I have treated him. Yet, even as I made the decision to walk to the library. I couldn''t help but feel hesitant about doing this. This was still an osibindah I was helping...


    A vile, horrible creature. One that deprived me of the most important thing in my life. And even if Nin wasn''t the one who did it. I just couldn''t feel that way about it.


    Fear, anger, and all the possible emotions that came together to unnerve me. That was still there when I saw him. Being near him scared me. I didn''t know what to think.


    Yet, maybe, I constantly and wrongly chose to be angry at him. I didn''t know and probably would never figure it out. Not like this, anyway. But I needed to focus.


    Focus and find something that might be able to help him. I won''t fight on his behalf, I wasn''t ready for that kind of commitment. And knowing that someone stronger had failed before me was quite off-putting. Nin only made it as far as he did as it was abundantly clear he was being mocked.


    I don''t think I''d be able to teach him anything either. Even if I did master the fear that filled me when he was near. Even the subtle shiver I got whenever he appeared in the newstablets. With something like that affecting me, I could never reliably train him or guide him.


    I would be immediately aiming to kill him if I even brought my fists up to spar. So I needed to find something else, and, for my own benefit, something distant. I couldn''t handle being near him. Me of all people, the big scary Valkinvar...


    "No one is using this table, are they?" I asked the rather large group of students as I walked up to a secluded spot.


    "No, it''s fine, take it." one eagerly and dismissively told me before they went back to looking at their maps. Which, I found a little odd as the table that was open was much bigger. It was quite cramped on the one they chose. But that just meant more room for me.


    So I left something there to serve as a marker before I went about the vast chamber of knowledge. Flying up every now and then before I pulled out something I thought might be helpful. I went for a bit of everything, really. Tactics, history, philosophy and even engineering texts.


    Tactics so he could learn to fight better and improve. History so he might be able to exploit this Smiling Jhurack''s past somehow. Maybe philosophy would change his mindset about things, like how new officers are a necessity to a good army. And engineering and architectural texts would give him an idea of how to exploit the city itself.


    Like how this criminal seemingly does. To have lasted as long as he had in such a thoroughly watched city made it clear. It was quite admirable in its own right. A natural-born guerilla fighter.


    "No, see, I am telling you, the army of the Seven-Peaks Union during the thirty-five-hundreds would''ve utterly trounced the Theocracy in open battle!" a rather passionate voice said.


    And it left me confused as well as curious. Because I had been taught quite a lot about that part of our war. And what he was saying was plain wrong, so I could not understand how he came to that conclusion. The Battles of Verchpi and Heiess were great victories for the Theocracy.


    But, it wasn''t something I should''ve been concerning myself with. There were greater matters to try and resolve. So I headed back to my table. Briefly flying over the squabbling students, however, as I did so.


    It was the same group with all the maps, so maybe I should move? I didn''t really want to be distracted by the noise. Yet, at the same time, it was bemusing to me. Which probably made me want to stay a lot more than anything.


    My mind has been so wracked recently by emotional turmoil that a more joyous mind might help me right now. So, I did just that, I sat down and I got to work on my budding idea to help Nin. Occasionally listening in to what these students had to say as I went about my business. I wasn''t very good at hiding my expressions, though.


    So whenever it became apparent that they did not actually know what they were talking about. I smirked or even openly giggled. It also struck me as increasingly bizarre. That they had so much spare time that they could just argue over something like this.


    Rather than let history be history, they were belittling each over it. Biased, narrow-minded views of a centuries-long war just to cheer and jeer for either side. Granted, I was happy to hear that there was support for my homeland within this country. Albeit, I wished it was a more active kind of support.


    "What, the Valkinvar? Those cultists? Please, they can only go as fast as the speed of sound and you want to tell me they can go up against the finest chapters of war witches? Give me a break!" one of them scoffed as he slammed some kind of notestone onto the table.


    "You mean the same Valkinvar which have held the line against your overhyped war witches? Face it, the Valkinvar are the best fighters on the continent."


    "Which is why they never went on the offensive." another snorted.


    And as I heard that, I lowered my tablet down and I stared at the one who had said that. It was fine up until this point. I may have given up on it... But, the pride I had as one was still somewhat there.


    "The Valkinvar never went on the offensive because this is a defensive war. A war meant to maintain our borders and to uphold the place of the true faith against an uprising heresy!" I snap down at him after I marched over and slammed my palm in front of him.


    "Our?" he questioned as he looked up.


    "Yes, the Theocracy is my home." I tell him with an affirming nod. Proud of the place I have come from and all the history within its valleys and on its peaks.


    "Oh, good, we got an insider''s knowledge." one of those who were in support of the Theocracy during their bickering commented.


    "Alright then, explain why the Valkinvar for all their strength never just pushed back against the Seven-Peaks Union? Why it didn''t just advance all the way to the capital and decapitate the empire?" I was aggressively asked as if it were an envelopment of some kind.


    "Those heretics declared war on us, calling us an affront to the so-called unity of the Jhermonikra! They besieged and razed our cities in the name of a foul god imprisoned beyond the sky for their betrayal! The war is fought to defend our homes from an invader! There is no counter-attacking beyond what is needed to push them away from our cities." I tell him as I gather up their notes.


    Slamming my finger down on each battle which I could recall which involved us gaining some ground. No matter how bloody the pushes might''ve been, the intent was clear once you had even the slightest bit of insight. Ours was a war of restraint against a malicious foe. And these pumped-up children thought that meant strategic strikes of that scale?


    It was an absurd position to have!


    "See, as we''ve been telling you lot. The Theocracy isn''t cowering behind its walls because it wants to. You talk about strategy and you don''t even recognise it!"


    "If there were any great strategists there, they''d have won the war."


    "Well, allow me to explain then. We''ll even use your own ignorance as the basis. See this map? Yes, this map." I began to chastise as I brought it up and unfurled it for all to see.


    "Your point?" he questioned irritably.


    "Where do you suppose we''d break through, hm? Along our entire border of tight valleys and sudden drops and colossal mountains? Deathtraps for anyone marching in force against a professional foe! Or maybe you''d prefer our troops to swing around the north of this country!" I finish as I slam the map down. Shaking the immediate area as part of the table likely snapped or began to give way.


    But they were quiet and said nothing. Many just scowled at me while a few others gathered around at the increased noise. It was a sign that I should reel it in. But, no, I wasn''t willing to just let someone slander my home.


    "And why should I trust your word, hm? You, a student?" one mockingly commented at me. The self-awareness completely lacking as his face moved dangerously close to my direction.


    "Because I am..." I started to say before I stopped myself. This was not the place to say such things when there was an army of heretics stationed here. But, in their ignorance driven by a self-centred view of things. They just laughed at me dismissively.


    "Take your bias elsewhere." one scoffed.


    "My bias?" I questioned as a few others seemed to express their disbelief.


    "Yeah, your bias. You being a Theocrat makes it clear how you''re going to want to twist this."


    "Want to twist this? I am speaking of something I have experienced because it is my home that you are cheering on the defeat of!" I almost growl as I jab at his chest.


    "Don''t touch me!" he nearly squealed as he clearly felt the power behind my jab.


    "Then actually learn about something, don''t just cling to a narrow-minded understanding because you like the damn dress of one side!" I snort in disgust as I recognise the style of attire he was trying to copy. Though it wasn''t with the same materials, it was an attempt at a reconstruction. A reconstruction of a heretics uniform...


    "I have learned, and that education has opened my eyes to how you backwards savages are leaving us exposed to the Grand-Kingdom and its empire!"


    "The Grand-Kingdom has no interests in our lands." I let out, baffled by this sudden shift. Was he accusing my people of being in allegiance with a foreign power? One with a universally despised history?


    "Yes they do, they always have, it''s why they drowned our ancestors thousands of years ago!"


    "And in the time since then they have not rolled up through the water-veins to invade us, have they?" one of the students nearly laughs out as they roll their eyes.


    "Look, all I am saying is don''t insult my homeland in such petty squabbles." I tell them with a sigh as I cross my arms. This was getting out of hand and I really needed to get back to helping Nin.


    "The lot of you shut up, something important just came through on the news!" someone further back in the library called out as magic screens suddenly came up everywhere. What came up seemed to be a team of some kind, but I wasn''t sure of what. I didn''t even recognise the view.


    "This just in, we have received leaked news that airships of the Seven-Peaks Union have broken through the Seventh Line. We are unsure of what, but even from our allowed set-up at the formerly named Peak of Undwote we can see the smoke and fire rising from the city of Muerteid as the air, once filled with crack of guns falls silent!" they claimed as some kind of device zoomed into the distant firestorm.


    "No..." I let out as a cold sweat started to cover me. If the Seventh Line had been broken through, that meant that the path to Thurn''s Forge was completely open... Everything we had needed to be called in to plug the gap or the city was lost. My home, it would burn just like the rest of our faith.


    "Talk about bad timing..."


    "Just be glad she''s here and not there." one commented before I looked at them. Scaring them with the firmness of my gaze as magic began to pour from me into my surroundings. She was right, I was just here. My home was in danger and I was just here...


    I was still hiding out in this city that held nothing for me!


    "H-H-HEY!" someone shouted as my aura grew in ferocity. Almost as if it were the fires we could see on that screen.


    "STUDENT VAPOOLIAR, CONTROL YOURSELF!" a teacher yelled as he came rushing as the whole building started to shake and tremble.


    "Student...?" I questioned slowly as I made a sharp about to face her. And even she backed away as more of my power came out. As fists were made of my open hands.


    "DO SOMETHING!" someone else screamed as my power threw about the contents of the library.


    "No... I... Am... VALKINVAR!" I built up to before I roared as a sharp whistle filled the air. In but a moment, an entire wall was brought and a sharp swoosh went towards the ground. I had called upon my sword and I returned my gaze on my home.


    A stern glare on my face as I knelt down against the crushed wood and stone. Then, with a sudden explosion of strength and power, I shot up into the air. Shooting away from the city with all I had with my sword at my side. Even the air buckled and broke about me.


    Never before had such force gathered in my body. Such strength of will and the conviction to see it through. I would no longer waste my time here in Suhurlodst. There was nothing for me here.


    My mind has tried to remind me for so long and my dismissal has cost me dearly. I could fight with pride and courage like the rest of my sisters and brothers! I was a Valkinvar! A sister of the Ordoar-Imdvarace!


    I would and I will fight!

 Incline 1: Back to My Old Shame

    "Go back to your prince..." I spit back at the airship that seemed to be following me. While nothing had pursued me since my immediate departure. One airship had seemingly come across me and kept a close eye on me. But I was not foolish enough to test their lack of willingness to shoot.


    So I kept putting all my power into my flight and I ensured distance. However, in the open skies of my homeland, I was not safe. So I had no choice but to dive down into the valleys below to escape them. But although I could physically hide, that did not mean I could not be found.


    Ironically, I was safer in the air while using my magic as the higher one went the denser it was. I could blend in without even having to hide physically. Yet, I could not trust my gut in this situation, my prior knowledge was useless. Despite having spent a few years at Suhurlodst, I was no closer to understanding the capabilities of these things.


    They were as much an enigma now as they were all that time ago. When I hovered there, paralyzed in fear and confusion as it barraged my army. I couldn''t offer any insight either when I got back. I was just a returning soldier, there to hold the line.


    "So you were after me..." I remark cautiously as the sound of that gargantuan machine shook the valley. A shiver went through me too. The power of those engines... The purity of the winds blowing out of them.


    It was nothing I had ever encountered before. Even the Zaphadren-Valkinvar''s power did not feel so overwhelming. But I had to try and bare in mind how different she was from this machine. Control was something she was capable of. This machine needed to be blatant in order to stay in the air.


    Soon, though, I found myself sneering as that power was still there. I was getting used to it but it was choking my senses. I felt blinded by such a presence. I couldn''t tell if it was safe to reveal myself even slightly.


    But, I was in luck, the airship had not made itself known to this particular valley. In fact, it was in another one entirely! I thought maybe it was just the way the cave directed the sound. But, no, I could carry on unimpeded!


    So, as there was no time like the present, I shot forward. Tearing up the soil and grass with the strength of my push through the air. Only to come to a sudden halt once I followed the bend in the valley. It was waiting right for me...


    "N-No..." I nearly squeaked as I once again found myself hovering before its high-rising broadside. Just like before, I stared up at that machine with panic shredding my nerves. Only this time, I had no armour, I had only my sword. They had no intention of leaving me alone either.


    For on the top deck were witches of some kind, although it was hard to tell how strong they were. So I looked up and around, I checked both my sides and gulped as I realised something. With how some of these witches were moving, my only escape would be straight for the underbelly. The way I came was pointless now...


    I had no intention of letting them trap me, though. So I readied the tip of my blade and I called on my magic. And, as the approaching witches closed the distance. I launched forward once again.


    My wild swing, however, struck no one and I was left with nothing but the distance to cross. Something the airship knew it could not allow. And I saw its resolve to stop me soon enough. Loud and clear did it make the declaration as my vision lit up with hundreds of small, approaching lights.


    With hints of purple and blue, I was reminded of Nin''s magic as their warped noises filled the air. It was like the air wobbled uneasily around them. It was raw magic alright. And it was because of that, that I did not want to risk touching them.


    One of the first things I was taught was how to hide and alter my aura. Its application was both a tactic of stealth, misdirection and of modesty. But these orbs, these cannonballs as they seemed to be. I could not feel anything even though I should have been able to.


    "Even now..." I remarked nervously as I shot through the gap of them. Having turned back to watch them detonate. But, in doing so, I had come to understand their power. The magic behind me, it was gone.


    It was like I had never stepped there, to say nothing of the stretch of fresh craters! These guns wiped everything out... I had to avoid them at all costs. But there were so many of them.


    So many guns.


    Yet, there was hope yet, I was nearly at its underbelly. I had weaved through several more waves of cannon fire and I had forced my way past the pillars of wind magic. However, I could not rest, I needed to move somewhere. And with the airship suddenly lowering itself...


    I made the hasty decision to head to my right as I felt a gap in the magic power. If this was a continuation of the trap or an exploitable mechanical flaw. It did not matter. I had to ascend the mountain and dive over!


    So, seemingly acting in contradiction, I stopped at the lowest edge of the mountain. One hand dug straight into the rock and I looked up. A face of grim determination met the cloudy sky above and I dragged my body back. Sending myself up against the incline with all I had. Higher and higher I went until the snow-belt broke before me.


    And I broke through it again as I dropped down into the dense woodlands below. Fortunately for my pursuers, I had to leave a trail of destruction. I could not move with haste without doing so. But I had to stop, I could not run with such a blatant trail behind me!


    But what was I to do? This is how I had learned to fly, this is what they had taught and instructed me to do. To my growing frustrations as well. I struggled to figure anything out.


    Our was was not to run, it was to charge! But this was not something I could beat... Even if it was just the witches or soldiers. I had no armour.


    I was just a woman in casual attire... Albeit, I had made a point of destroying it with my aggressive travel speed.


    "I need a place to..." I mumbled against the wind before I suddenly veered towards the right. The path ahead was clear but I still needed to do something to hide my trail. And I had to do it fast. The airship''s powerful horn and tremendous ryphergokpower kept its presence on my mind.


    There was someplace for me to go, though! The mountain ahead! I could see it was suffering from some degree of decay! It had a sense of hollowness to it.


    And, luckily for me, my well-trained eyes quickly caught sight of a cave that was in line with the forest. So I turned towards it and went as fast as I could. Turning upwards at the last moment and forcing my way through the stone as I did so. Only to then drop as I let my magic die.


    Briefly letting it back only to break my fall before I tumbled and rolled through a dusty, gravel-filled pit. Then, without delay, I quietly breathed my worries in and dug myself into the gravel. No magic escaped me and my breathing was louder than ever.


    And so was the airship, in fact, it had just passed by close enough to disturb the eroded pillars above. They fell as easily as they looked they would and a wave of disturbed dust flew out about the crater. Thankfully, they had landed far away from me, so I just ended up being buried even further.


    Yet now I was blind, my senses were all taken away from me by hiding here. The airship had come to a stop near where I had made my diversion. But under all this stony debris, I could not see either. There was an uncomfortable blackness ahead of me and my magic would not alleviate it.


    I just had to try and wait it out... Maybe they would go away on their own. One lone Valkinvar not worth it in their eyes. Yet, despite the reasons for me being here, I prayed that they did not know that I was.


    I hoped they just saw me as a suspicious witch seemingly on the run. But I had my doubts. With the way I had shown off my power. The way I had moved, even.


    It was all indicative of the iconic style of the Four-Winded Order.


    .


    .


    .


    "It''s dimming?" I asked myself as I started to push my way out of the gravel. Staggering to the top of it before harshly coughing as I finally let the dusty air get to me. Although there was still great power nearby, it had tuned down. Yet, with the dark of night all about, I had to check.


    Just rushing ahead would''ve been a mistake if the airship had decided to lay a trap. So I slowly made my way up the mountain. Taking advantage of the stone it had upheaved on its fly-by to get up higher until I reached the lowered peak. A cautious glint in my eyes as I looked down at the sight before me.


    A camp had been made and a small, but still dangerous army had been deployed to fill it. The airship was still there too, so perhaps it was their onboard compliment? It had to have been. No other vehicles had come since I had gone into hiding beneath the gravel.


    "The airship must be quite lightly manned right now." I commented as I brought a knee up so I could rest my face on it. Though, I never went any further with that vocalised thought. And, instead, I got up and turned back towards the gravel. They had taken the bait, they thought I was hiding in the caves...


    So I dropped down again and quickly built up my magic while they were unprepared. I shot into the sky and went high above the earth so I was with freedom once again. From which, I carried on going in what must''ve been the right way. I had carefully remembered the route I had taken.


    Although, the skills I used to do so were not intended to be used like this. It was meant for keeping an idea of where I had gone in a battle. So that the Ordoar-Imdvarace''s jagged way of fighting did not disorient me. But, it had a new use here, and it was possibly the best way to use it.


    Home, that is where I was going, I was finally going home!


    There was one issue, however, I was running low on magic. I needed to find a place to rest. Somewhere to just take shelter. Preferably a place that wasn''t a dust pit either...


    Just a place to take my breath, there would be no lingering as I have been for the past few years. At first light I would depart and head on out. But the question of where was still an issue. At least, until I saw the glimpses of what appeared to be a town!


    "Perfect..." I let out tiredly as I dropped down slowly. Shaking briefly in the air before a dull thud marked my landing. Then, with some uncertainty, I looked down at my sword. I couldn''t just walk in with it, I would be handed over if the heretics came looking!


    But I also couldn''t abandon it, I needed it...


    "That''ll do." I soon, however, commented as I spotted a nice spot to just lodge the sword. I wouldn''t move up to it, but I could throw the sword there. And with a splash and bang, it disappeared from my sight. Right through the waterfall that fed into the town''s centre.


    "Who goes there?" called a sentry as I slowly approached the open gates of the town. A peculiar sight in and of itself.


    "Just someone in need of a wash." I answer as I step into the light of his torch as he waved its flaming head in my direction.


    "My word, you are quite filthy and destitute." the sentry remarked as he stepped aside and let me in with seemingly no issue.


    "This is fine?" I found myself asking even as my instincts cautioned me.


    "Yeah, go clean yourself up already." he said with a bemused smile as he shook my head. And, not one to waste the opportunity his careless attitude presented, I moved into the town centre. It was quite alive as well, though I quickly became the target of comments due to all this dust.


    "And I thought the kids had it bad." some young woman commented before she carried on frolicking with her friends. And when I saw it, I marched straight for it. And I plunged my head right into the depths of a fountain before I dragged my head out.


    Sighing in relief as I felt the cold water drip from my face. Yet, once I stopped enjoying the water. I spotted something I wanted to avoid. I saw a small group of them...


    Soldiers of the Seven-Peaks Union...


    "Great." I remark in annoyance as I cautiously watch them. And I quickly made my way elsewhere before I looked up at the waterfall. A crowd had gathered and must''ve heard my sword implanting itself into the stone.


    But, upon getting closer, I instead found a performance underway. Unlike me, everyone here was careless and full of joy. They were at peace while I hid in the dark like a criminal. This humiliation was just one I had to bear, though.


    There was nothing I could do when the enemy was so close to me. And perhaps I should leave this town. If there was an enemy garrison here, then I was not welcome here. Yet, at the same time, there was nowhere that I could go.


    I had exhausted myself for the moment running from that airship. Travelling all this way from Suhurlodst had left me lacking. So, I sighed and kept on walking. Hoping to find someplace that I could just sneak into and stay for the night.


    Thankfully, there was at least an easily accessible stable that I could step into. No one noticed but the animals, but they did not seem to care. In fact, one of them even came over to me to sit by my side. And I shook my head at it before I took advantage of its woolly coat.


    "Don''t hold this against me." I told the creature as I put my head against its side. And although I was not cold, I appreciated the warmth that I felt from it. Though, with so much on my mind, I struggled to even close my eyes. And instead, I stared upwards at the moon that was out this night.


    It was such a simple thing to look at, a single glowing orb amidst a pitch-black background. Flanked by a couple more of its siblings as they passed through their orbits. If I went higher, the view wouldn''t be the same. But I would still see the dominant moon of whatever time of year it was.


    But there was more to these mysterious, lonely decorations beyond our world. They were the prisons made for each of the fourteen heads of the moon-beast. Our word for betrayer, ''jhrmaro'' came from the greatest of them. Jhrarda the Mighty.


    It still baffled me, even after having spent time amongst converts how it came to be. Jhrarda and his siblings were evil, they killed Ihtuntar, God of the Sun! The sky was dark and empty at night because of them! So I just couldn''t see how people rallied to his name.


    We were the defenders of a just order, we Valkinvar. The soldiers we commanded under the banner of the Theocracy were good! We stood for the survival of the true faith to our saviours. The divine powers that saved our world from the vicious Fourteen-Headed Beast.


    We fought to ensure their legacy survived. I thought to honour a god I was formerly to be betrothed to. What do these heretics fight for, exactly? They can argue what they want but it changed nothing.


    They fought for an evil god.


    No matter what happened all that time ago when the Emerald Awakening happened. At that ancient siege where, supposedly, their founder rode down the mountain. All the wind magic in the world at his back. They had given up on those who protected them for those that would destroy them.


    But I was a soldier, not a philosopher. I would never be able to figure out how someone''s mind could fall so far. Yet, it was because I was a soldier that I could defend what was right. The world would not suffer from such heresy so long as I did my part.


    To preserve the faith of all the gods. From most ancient Thurnmourer to those who only lived on now as a memory, like the Betrayed Sun, Ihtuntar. I fought for them as much as I did anyone else in my country. And although I would never speak to them or know them truly, I owed them as much.


    "Braaaaah." the animal I was on suddenly let out as it dropped its head down.


    "I suppose it is time I actually slept, isn''t it?" I asked it as I let my eyes close for a moment before they slowly opened up again. I was exhausted and drained, yes, but I could not sleep. My mind was restless and disturbed. I knew it was dangerous to stay here.


    But what was I supposed to do? I couldn''t run any longer right now. Unless... I took something to do the running for me?


    And so, I slowly moved back to my feet and stared at the animals. Maybe one of them had a saddle already on them? But which one could reliably cross a vast distance? I was again, a soldier.


    All I knew of animals was what it was like to face them or use them. Ryphergok heavy cavalry that smashed all lines effortlessly. The lighter, springier jupurse who once reigned supreme for all riders. I only knew them as tools of war.


    "What about you?" I questioned a rather large creature as I approached it. Running a hand along it as I walked by it before I stepped back. It was a large beast of burden, but it was unlikely to be fast. However, it had stayed hooked up to the carriage it likely came here with.


    My touch, however, went on to wake the creature up and it craned its neck towards me. A long tongue then popped out of its circular mouth and it prodded at my face. And, not appreciating that, I smacked its tongue away before I looked into the carriage. Its weak locks and handles not mattering much to someone as strong as me.


    And I nodded as I looked inside, it seemed comfortable enough and no one would think much of it. Because even though it was weak to me, it was all armoured. This was intended for potentially rough travel out there beyond the settlement. It was, however, completely emptied of supplies.


    A mild annoyance really, but I would have liked to have something to eat or drink. It was not a requirement, though. So I nodded to myself and closed the carriage up. Sneaking ahead to check the main gate to the stable area before I turned back to it.


    "How about it, then, shall we?" I asked the beast of burden as it slowly moved forward as its neck rumbled with a powerful call. Yet, before I could carry on, I found myself glancing up towards where I had placed my sword. I would need to retrieve it. But how?


    I could just call it back to me and just make a run for it with the animal. I could delay my calling until we were far enough away? Or, I could go up there and retrieve it. It seemed to be a simple enough, quiet enough path.


    But I did not know if I had the time to do so. Perhaps it was even smarter of me to just abandon my weapon. It was just a sword after all. I was not honour-bound to care for it.


    Yet it was all I had left at this point. It was the last thing I still had that reminded me of my true calling. My armour was gone and had long since been abandoned. And I was never honoured with colours of my own back when my service to the Theocracy was a sure thing.


    The practicality of having my blade at my side was also a thing to consider. I would have nothing if I just stole this carriage. And, ironically, despite the position I had found myself in at Suhurlodst. I was inept at casting spells, really.


    At least on the level they were expected to show.


    I was a soldier whose magic was built around my sword. The way I was taught to move. It was to either thrust the blade right through them or to bring the hooked tip right back on them. I forced them to comply with my choice of sudden direction.


    I could fight hand-to-hand, sure, but that was a fools move when I lacked armour. Something any witches I would encounter would have. Not only that, numbers and an arsenal of spells too! I needed a way to fight if I was to make it back.


    So, I shook my head before I nodded once to reaffirm my chosen choice. And I turned to the waterfall. Raising my arm before me yet doing nothing. I needed to be sure that this was the right choice to make here, right now.


    Disturbing the waterfall with such a powerful disruption. The garrison here would most certainly notice it this time if they missed it before. And when they figured out what it was causing it... The airship would come to their aid.


    "Unless..." I remark as I turn my head slightly to listen in on the festivities. There wasn''t anything grand going on, but it was clear it was just one of those nights. A night when people just went out to enjoy themselves. I saw them all the time at Suhurlodst but declined all offers.


    Perhaps there was something I could do to make the night rowdier? I guess I could find a pub. It had been a while, but I remembered what Giant''s Victory''s garrison often did. They gambled and fought and drank between battles or when they were recovering.


    And, thinking that, I smiled optimistically. That was something I could do just fine! I had experience with strategy and I was strong. Their games would be nothing to me!


    But I was still dirty and filthy...


    "AAAAAHHHH! GO DROWN YOURSELF IN THE WATERFALL YOU STUPID GOK!" someone screamed after a loud splash sounded out near me.


    "Guess I''ll pretend to be thrown into the water." I comment with a shrug as I step out into the light and make my way to the noise. A mixture of laughter and more screaming guided me and when the moment was right. I leapt ahead and splashed down. Slowly pulling myself out with an attempt at an annoyed expression before someone stood before me.


    "See, she has no problem with it at all!" a young man cackled as he held out his hand.


    "Thank you." I told him as I found myself happy to be cleaned of all that dust.


    "Alright, come, let''s head inside to dry off!" he cheers along with the rest of his friends as I am suddenly brought along with them. The fact I was not a part of their group seemingly not mattering to them as I found myself inside. A roaring fire soon before me as the sound of music and partying drowned my ears.


    Then, after having rested briefly before the warm fire. I walked to an open window and looked out at the waterfall. Playing around with the rune on my arm before I was suddenly involved with the revelry again. And I found myself dragged off towards a board of some kind.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Here, you have a go seen as you were such a good sport before!" the young man who had offered me his hand encouraged.


    "I just throw it?" I asked him as he put a relatively dense dart into my hand.


    "Yeah, but try not to aim for that spot up there, I want to win, see." he ultimately suggests as now I believe I had found my perfect distraction.


    "Oops." I comment as he suddenly got annoyed.


    "Ha! Suck on that, Loser!" one of his friends guffawed as he stared wide-eyed at my precise throw. The establishment had even mostly erupted into cheering as a result.


    "Okay, no! No!" the young man complained as his shaky grip failed to do anything to resolve his problem.


    "My turn?" I asked as I picked up another dart. Embarrassing him further before I threw it while keeping an eye on him.


    "AND SHE DIDN''T EVEN LOOK!" someone roared before alcohol sprayed about the air.


    "Okay, okay... I want to see this. Clear the board!"


    "Board clear!"


    "Alright, name?" a large-bellied man asked as he smiled and scrubbed away at the chalk they had written the prior game with.


    "Vapooliar." I answer as I accept an offer for some kind of meaty snack. If they were to solve one of my issues without further theft, then I was happy to play along.


    "Alright, so, we have up-and-coming champion Vapooliar versus the increasingly sour Axopp."


    "Wrong way around." this Maopp growls as he wipes his mouth and steadies his posture. It seemed that he actually knew what he was doing when he put the effort in. Even if the taint of alcohol ruined his potential at the moment.


    Unlike me, though, his friends and some of the others were pointing out this fault. Yet I was content to act like nothing was wrong so he would not do better. I was confident that I could win but I needed a ruckus. I needed something that made a lot of noise.


    "ONE-HUNDRED AND EIGHTY!" the fat-bellied man roared with a spell of some kind. And, like a trigger, the place erupted into cheering.


    "So I just need to do better..." I remark quietly as Axopp looks back at me.


    "Can''t do better than... One-hundred and eighty..."


    "I think," I start to say as I throw one dart without looking, "that I can, in fact," throwing a second one, "do much better."


    "No..." he complained as the room went quiet.


    "Did I?" I asked everyone as I looked at where the darts had all landed. Right in the same spot he had to carefully watch for.


    "ONE-HUNDRED AND EIGHTY!" everyone howled as I was suddenly barraged by pats on the back and other compliments.


    "Should''ve left you in the water..." Axopp moaned as he downed another drink. His actions seemingly suggested he was focusing. But, no, he was getting worse. And despite my naivety with the game, I caught on quickly.


    Careful thoughts took place as he took his turn. And it wasn''t long before I had managed to score a seemingly perfect round. The roar of the gathered crowd certainly suggested as much. Which, I then exploited as my hand was forced up to the jubilation of everyone about me.


    "Thank you." I tell them, but not for what they thought. And, with it all out of the way, I made my way outside. Waving and smiling at them before I went back into the darkness. Seemingly never having been there at all.


    And I was soon back at the stables before I quickly rushed around to where I had felt the drop. Then, when I got there, I picked up my briefly hidden blade and turned to the carriage. Briefly glancing at all the spooked animals and the slight mess I had made before I put my sword into the carriage. And with a quick flick of my hand, I broke open the stable gates and guided the hulking animal out.


    Hopping up into the appropriate area before I then drove it out of the settlement. The guards at this other gate none the wiser to what I had done. And as they waved, I waved back to them before I leaned back. The light of the town soon disappeared behind me as we went out onto the dark road.


    The darkness did not bother me so much as my faith in the animal did. Could I leave it on its own or would I have to travel half-lidded? I suppose it did not matter right now. So I just leaned back against the carriage and closed my eyes so that even a moment''s rest would be mine.


    .


    .


    .


    "Miss, Miss!" someone called out as I was shook about.


    "H-Huh?" I let out as I slowly woke up. Only to freeze up slightly as I found myself staring directly at a patrol of heretic soldiers.


    "Your mamuler has gotten a little off track." the soldier commented as he gestured to the tree my transport was feasting on.


    "Right, thank you." I told him as my eyes quickly looked over their arms and armour.


    "Will you need help moving it? You are lodged in quite badly."


    "No, no! I can handle it." I hastily answer as I hop down and quickly pull the carriage and the beast back. Shaking the last of my grogginess out of my head before I then rushed back to the driver''s seat.


    "Hold on a moment." he told me as he raised his hands. And nervousness struck through me in a way I couldn''t understand. I was a Valkinvar. And he was just some soldier, so why was I scared?


    "I need to be going..." I tell him as I look back at the carriage where my sword was.


    "And you will, but, answer me this... What''s someone as strong as you doing around here, exactly?"


    "I just pulled the mamuler back onto the road..." I dismissively answer, chuckling nervously to make it seem like it wasn''t a big deal.


    "Exactly, so, what are you doing out here?" he asks as he gestures for the faceless soldiers he was with to approach the carriage.


    "Stay back!" I snap at them as I lock onto their weapons. I barely remembered their weapons, but I recalled easily what they did. The start of my troubles all that time ago. A fearless force whose weapons saw my own men disappear without a trace...


    "Call in a war-wi-" he began to order before I shot out of my seat. I gave none of his men a chance to react either and soon, they all soaked my hands with their blood. Heavy pants left me and I found myself staring back at the carriage. That undisciplined, panicked rush had destroyed the carriage and killed the animal.


    "WELL DONE!" I roared in rage at myself as I brought my sword back to my hand. I would need to run once again on my own. The way I used my magic, the mess I had made. It was going to haunt me immediately.


    "On our way! Hold tight!" the wind somehow spoke before I suddenly twitched to my right. My gaze snapped instantly to where that shot had just come from. And with one clean smash, I brought my sword through that soldier and dug it deep into the rock behind them. A look of despair on my face as I followed a small amount of wind magic head out into the sky.


    And that small trace led me to an even larger force of magic. The help they were about to call for was on its way and I was lighting a great torch for them to follow. So, with a frustrated click of my tongue, I went into the sky. Smashing apart the ground behind me on the way up.


    But in doing so, I only exposed myself to the witch that they had call upon. And I had to burst ahead to avoid a blast of magic that they had sent ahead of them. Yet, I soon found myself yelping in surprise when that same blast circumvented my awareness to strike me from behind. It was not enough to knock me out of the sky, however.


    Though it was more than enough to give this witch the time to catch up to me. And I was met with another blast of magic which did move me. With a pained scream, I was smacked down into a nearby mountainside. Thankfully, it wasn''t enough to keep me immobile enough for their next attack and I dashed down to the ground.


    Digging my feet into the road to slow myself as I spun around. Ending right in a defensive posture as the debris went flying out further down the length of the road. A determined glare on my face as a greater spell began to form. A vast, dangerous orb that sprouted many arms as it built up.


    Yet, as I could not tell how potent the spell really was, I hopped back further. Narrowly avoiding the shockingly fast orb as it crashed down into the road and vortexed back into the sky. But by focusing on this great orb and the arms that came out of it. I failed to notice the smaller orbs it had left about behind me.


    So I at first tried to block one with my sword but it was no use. This witch was strong enough to hurt me, at least without my armour. So I had to use my sword as not only a shield, but as a sled as well. And it would find itself being a shield once more as the witch let out a mighty blast once all the magic came back to them.


    "GAAAAH!" I screamed in shock as I went flying across the valley. Only my quick reactions and strong sword stopped my continued rolling. Yet hers were to my annoyance, not slow themselves. And I brought my right arm up to deflect her left one as it tried to implant another spell on me.


    "VALKINVAR!" she roared in my face before she brought her other arm in to follow up on her last attack. And with one arm against hers, the other holding my sword. I could not resist the blow. And I flew backwards once again.


    "Dammit..." I spat before I shot off into the sky. The intent was to retreat because I could do nothing. Without my armour and the tally of my current mistakes... I couldn''t fight her.


    Yet even now, as I put all my effort into falling back to a safer spot or to hide once again. I made another mistake that left me wide open. And that was to not know my enemy. For her arsenal was more than just those orbs. And I was quickly brought back to the ground by a whip-like spell.


    And another one was coming right for me from above!


    So I cut off the first construct and roared in fury as I swung my sword up to parry the other one. Knocking her briefly off of her footing as a result. But, by failing to exploit it, I gave her the opportunity to bombard me once again. And the mountain erupted into a storm of rubble and green winds as she let loose a full barrage.


    Thankfully for me, however, the mountaintop was only a short distance above and behind. So, when the moment came, I pushed myself backwards. Scraping along the mountain before I flipped over its peak as if it were a normal edge. And once I was repositioned in the air I shot down into the next valley over.


    Leaving the battle behind me as I shot through the valley as fast as I could. And whenever the moment came, I suddenly shot into another valley or changed directions altogether. Then, once I felt like I had lost them. I dropped into another valley once again.


    Sticking close to an outcropping of rock as I suppressed my magic in its entirety. With all the places I had just been to. It was a gamble weighted in my favour. The chances of her coming upon this one, in particular, were slim.


    Even then, though, I kept my back against the wall and I planted my blade right up there with me. Thankfully, I could sense for her without having to expose myself. And to my delight, she was not here in this valley or that close at all. It seemed as if she never chased after me at all.


    But that only worried me because she had seen clearly what I could handle. She knew what I was from the postures I took and the weapon I held. If her power was anything to go by, then she was possibly an equal. Or a member of a group that would prove to be my equal should I be properly equipped.


    Regardless, I was glad that I had managed to escape her and I made my way down the valley on foot. I would not bring out my magic again for the moment. Doing so would just reinvigorate the chase if one ever began. So I just walked and walked until I came across a bridged-over crater.


    "Odd, normally, you would see these kinds of things just filled in." I remark as I walked over the metal bridge. An uncertain feeling filled my gut as I did so. I almost felt sick in a way. There was something off about this bridge.


    And when I crossed over it, I came to a stop and stared off into the distance. A sense of confusion came about me and I kept on staring towards the opposing view. There was something odd about how the mountains outcropped at nearly the same distance. This patch of near grassless earth seemed off as well.


    But it was only after moving further and turning around that I recognised where I was. And out of shock, I dropped my sword and looked down at the grass. It was all trampled. An army had passed through here...


    "This is..." I began to utter before I went quiet as it all flashed before me. This was the place. This was where I had failed in my duties. Where my army was routed and cut down to the man.


    Our line did not hold and the heretics passed on by straight towards Giant''s Victory. The Zapahdren-Valkinvar''s force did not come to smash upon their rear. Instead, they found the ruins of the force I should have led. And, as I struggled to breathe, I ran towards my old line.


    Despair swelled up inside me and I soon fell to the earth as if I had tripped up. This was the place... The place where I failed my superiors, my nation and the people I was supposed to protect. We marched out of the city with a sizeable chunk of the garrison to make a line here. And when I failed, they vanished.


    But to my horror, I did not find a line of graves dug for them or a pile of old cinders. They were all still here. The bodies of my men and the guns we brought with us. They had been denied their rightful rest by the heretics and had been left for the buzzards.


    "Grand-Thoucomm..." I uttered as I looked up to my right. The ruins had not even been clear out in the slightest. When the heretics won, they just marched right through here after recovering their own dead. And, with my emotions at their limits, I tore apart the rubble to get inside the old command centre.


    Then, I wept as I saw the bodies of not only those who died during the battle. But those who had been trapped here. Left to starve and wilt away in the darkness. Everywhere was a vivid scene of what my failure had inflicted. And I collapsed at the edge of the crater within the ruins.


    Covering my face and letting my sword drop to the ground with a rattle as I tried to get myself together. Of all the places I could''ve ended up, how did I find myself coming right back here? Was this some kind of divine ploy? A joke set up by the Goddess of Illusion!?


    "WHY AM I HERE!?" I screamed into the dark before I got back up to my feet. Not even bothering to call my sword to my side as I slowly trudged back out into the light. This way was still stained with dried blood even now... The bodies of those I was supposed to protect were trampled by the victorious enemy.


    And I just stared out towards it all. I looked up at where I had fought the Red-Feathers. And I looked down at where those guns had struck. Like far back, they too had been bridged.


    And despite all the effort they had clearly put into their advance, they still neglected the dead. They were content to spit on them for their beliefs. To leave them here in the open where Waionr would never find them. Where Undwote''s pack would just sniff before they vanished elsewhere.


    "At least let me atone for my failure..." I whisper to my fallen army as I call back my sword to my side. And with a sigh, I marched out into the open to begin gathering the dead. Although it was not fitting for such courageous men. These ruins would have to do.


    .


    .


    .


    "And by casting this torch, I light the beacon for your patron. Waionr, hear me well, for I am here to guide these warriors to you. Their march is at an end. Their duty complete." I chant as I light the pile of pitch I had gathered together on fire. And soon, both sides of the valley lit up into a mighty blaze that roared out into the dark valley.


    Waionr would be able to find them now, I had made sure of that. But unlike a normal funeral, I did not stay around for long. I couldn''t stay by their side even now. And I was ashamed of that, but I hoped they understood why.


    I had failed them and it was because of that, that I could fail no other line. No more cities would fall as a result of my incompetence or my neglect. I would hold on as long as I could. I would work myself to death if I have to in order to ensure that.


    So, with a sigh, I began to march back in the direction of Giant''s Victory. A long overdue return that I was finally going to fulfil. Yet, as my newfound gear rattled against the earth. I felt uncomfortable.


    "This isn''t right... Waionr taught us not to loot our brethren... Not to shame them when they could fight no longer..." I whimpered as I stared down at the uniform I had cobbled together from many of the dead men I had found. Yet even as a hand rubbed away at the edges of destroyed mail and other signs of damage. I could not bring it in myself to return to my previous set of attire.


    So I could only silently plead for forgiveness as I dragged my sword behind me. And it wasn''t long before the warmth of my tremendous pyre disappeared. The cold night swooped in to quickly replace the sensation. And with it I sighed out more of my frustrations as my free hand pinched my brow.


    Even after having gone through all of that. To give those men the burial they deserved. I couldn''t help but feel ashamed. Because it really was my fault no matter how I saw it.


    I didn''t stop the guns from striking them nor was I strong enough to halt the Red-Feathers. I had been given an immense responsibility and I chose to run away went things went bad. I swore oaths and enacted them for so long. But, when they were finally strained, I went and hid.


    And now I returned to the war wearing looted armour after running from my first real fight in years. I wanted to come back to ensure I died as what I always have been; a Valkinvar. But in order to do so, I went about it unlike one. I was pathetic...


    "Just a few days march down this route... And I''ll probably find the bodies of the Zaphadren-Valkinvar''s army as well..." I sighed miserably before I took one final glance towards the site of my great defeat. And with a final gesture of farewell, with little confidence behind it. I departed into the darkness that lay before me.


    Little to no hope within me as I made the trek.


    .


    .


    .


    "The Chapter-Mistress will probably want to hear this." I remark as I make my way over the mountain before me. Gently skirting over its snow-covered peak before I found myself before our behemoth Mobile Fortress. A grand, but harmless gesture of magic came from me as I flew by its head. Without it, I would''ve been thrown out of the air by its rumbling throat.


    Yet even with it, I found my body shaking and trembling before I dropped down. Onto the safety of the ensorceled stone that made up our castle''s grand entrance platform. And with a quick gesture, I dismissed the servants who came up to me to offer their aid. And I quickly made my way into the depths of the castle with a piece of sundered armour.


    "Noalla, what''re you doing back here?" Ainael asked me as she spotted me. Then, once she finished running up to me to ensure a more respectable conversation. I handed over the piece of armour I had taken from the bodies the Valkinvar had created. After I notified the nearest force capable of clearing it up, of course.


    "A footman''s bracer?" she questioned as she held it up before a torch before she passed it back to me.


    "Despite your inspection, you did not catch it?"


    "No, I am afraid not." she answers with a shrug before the moves to straighten out her mostly white attire.


    "The lingering power on the serrated edge, you should be familiar with it!" I chastise as I make an elaborate point of pointing it out.


    "Yes, yes, now I see. You are here to inform Chapter-Mistress Chiara, then?"


    "I am, is she within the temple? Her private office? Somewhere more public?"


    "I cannot answer that at the moment, you will need to get searching."


    "I''ll see you in due time, then."


    "Jhr nosumonaterikra." she recited to me.


    "Jhr nosumonaterikra." I recite back to her with the appropriate gestures. Turning my back on her thereafter so I could carry on my search for the Chapter-Mistress. Thankfully, the privileges I had accrued as a member of this chapter made my task easier. And I sent forth a wave of magic before I brought it suddenly back.


    She was on her way to the temple by the looks of it, and she was busy.


    "I hope she isn''t so busy as to give me grief." I remark as the sounds of my heels striking the stone fill my ears. A steady, reliable beat that easily drowned out the flicker of the fire and the whistling of passing wind. The sound of chapter-guards and my fellow witches, however, were not so easily drowned out.


    For a brief moment as well, I even stopped to inspect one of the chapter-guards. Only to smirk at him as I needlessly brushed their shoulder. Yet I went no further and left them to their duties. And I was soon only a hallway away from my superior who I picked up the pace to meet with.


    "Chapter-Mistress Chiara!" I called out urgently, interrupting the conversation she was having. And, in order to make sure she was not mistaken and that I would not be on the end of a stern speech. I dropped down submissively and kept my fists planted.


    "Rise." she remarks slowly after barely scraping my exposed head.


    "Chapter-Mistress Chiara, I present an issue that I believe might concern you."


    "You would think a veteran would know better." one of my pettier superiors remarked as a brief wave of giggling went through them.


    "A strong witch decimated the footman who wore this, but I suppose there is more to it than just that?"


    "Yes, Chapter-Mistress Chiara. It is with great concern that I clarify the enacter of this violence to be a Valkinvar operating beyond the frontlines." I explain, much to the bemused bafflement of my recent chastisers.


    "A Valkinvar? Dearest veteran, we pushed them back from here some time ago."


    "I know what I saw. Her posture, her blade, they were all indicators for someone of the Ordoar-Imdvarce." I tell them with a stern expression. Ignoring their childish behaviour by only focusing on the expression of our mutual superior.


    "Walk with me, alone." the Chapter-Mistress explains before she sharply turns her head towards her previous group.


    "But, Chapter-Mistress, the war effort." one contested as they reminded them of the tablets they held.


    "The war might be coming to an end at the behest of His Royal Highness Prince Jhrartur, but it shall not be ending within the next minute!" she nearly snaps as she suddenly gestures for me to follow.


    "So, yes, Chapter-Mistress Chiara, the Valkinvar."


    "Do not mistake me for anything but a seeker of understanding, but, are you sure it was one?"


    "Yes, Chapter-Mistress Chiara. Her sword was modelled along the same make and her style, while crude, was clearly meant to be an Ordoar-Imdvarce Valkinvar." I tell her, letting her inspect the armour piece once again.


    "And your theory as to why one of them was far past their line of retreat? This is completely unorthodox for them and it is no fool''s statement to say that they''re predictable to the extreme."


    "I have none, Chapter-Mistress Chiara. Which, on top of one being where I found it to begin with, is already a major call for concern."


    "You found it where?"


    "Out in the wilderness, they had been seemingly travelling under disguise. Or, at the very least, on a transport. I last saw them last heading to the site of the Surprising Barrage''s namesake battle."


    "So they are on their way to the disgusting ruins of Giant''s Victory?" she questions as she turns around. One arm was down at her side while the other bent up to show her clenched fist.


    "Shall I make haste to warn the garrison?"


    "No, let them be caught unaware. I want confirmation that this is truly a Valkinvar."


    "Then ambush them?"


    "Silence, go." the Chapter-Mistress scolded as she put the piece of armour back into my grip. And, with a respectful bow, I departed. Brushing aside the comments as I walked by before I began my approach to the Beast Master''s Throneroom.


    .


    .


    .


    "So here we are... A wall I once so proudly defended..." I comment quietly as I try to hold in my disgust at the malformed bodies decorating the walls. A dreadful air covered the city now. Its prestige torn down and defaced while the banners of the enemy flew in the stead of ours.


    It was everything that I had feared, everything I had grown anxious about had happened. Yet, despite the unspoken but clear message that had been carved into the city. I kept on walking towards it. Moving towards and through the lacerated walls before I stumbled out into the rubble.


    The destruction was fine and precise, much like the craters made by those guns. It was probably that mechanical monstrosity that did this to the city. Even with the shields she had, she was not able to withstand them. And if this city could not, how would Thurn''s Forge fare?


    But I really needed to focus more on the now rather than something that had yet to happen. I would be there to ensure that this fate did not behold my home. The great city that straddled two continents. On the site of Ancient Thunder''s prized workshop.


    I would be there to protect it all. The people, my sisters and brothers. The history of the city and the meaning it carried. I would defend it all.


    But to some extent, my nervousness made me keen to tempt fate, "Against what, however?"


    I found myself questioning for there were no guards or soldiers. No machines or gun emplacements had been set up. From up here, on the Wall District. I saw the remains of those who lived in the city, clinging on only due to the controlled aid coming from the invader.


    It was an odd sight that I did not quite understand. Yet, more curiously, the small temple I once frequented still stood somewhat. So I walked over to it even as I began to suspect the worse. And my worries proved themselves to be warranted.


    And a hand covered my mouth as I looked into the desecrated temple. For within its scarred, but still holy walls I found the corpse of one of my sisters. Her armour was damaged and worn and her blade had been shattered. With her blood still shaming the walls of the temple.


    "Sister... I''m sorry..." I cried as I realised what my failure had meant for her. My duty became hers and, not knowing what she was facing. She and her army fell with the city. And although her talents had saved the temple well enough, her body was not given that honour.


    She had been humiliated with slanderous messages and insignia. Her heroic last stand had become a scene of mockery. And I wept for her as her greatest wound lay where it shouldn''t have... Something had blasted straight through her womb and her value to Waionr was stolen from her.


    Unsure of myself, I held onto her hand and trembled with uncertainty. I couldn''t control my magic right now. To see such horrors and humiliation made me angry. It enraged me beyond a shadow of a doubt.


    My rage burned greater than even the Fire-Mountain in the land of the Errakurds!


    And I grit my teeth as my grip on my sister tightened. The walls of the temple shook and trembled and I heard loose rubble fall and break. If there was a force left behind to garrison the point. Then they knew I was here.


    "I am sorry, dear Honourable War, for I must make a mockery of your laws within your own home..." I explain with despair as I let my sister''s hand fall back down. And, I slowly rose to my feet before I began to take off my previously looted attire. It was not my armour, but it was the armour of a Valkinvar...


    To the bare skin did I strip, and I repeated the process with my sister. Yet, even as I knew an enemy force gathered outside for me. I went about it slowly and respectfully. Each piece was cleaned as quickly as it could be done with the cleanest pieces of cloth I could find.


    And, when it was done, I stood before the ruined statue of my patron god and I saluted him. Thumping the steel of my newly found chest plate loudly before I used a blast of magic to clear out the centre. With pieces and chunks of rubble bouncing about harmlessly before I tore open the earth with my hands. Yet, despite the force in which I did it with.


    I was crying, this was what I had been reduced to...


    "I am sorry, Sister... Forgive me, if you ever can." I tell her as I slowly place her body into the hole I had made. And, alongside my former set of clothes, I buried her with as many honours as I could. Though knowing our shared shame, I could not muster the will to call for Waionr. But, I made a point of leaving a tablet of recitement on top of her grave so that an effort was at least shown.


    And as I stood up once more, I called my sword to my side. Letting the metallic thump fill the air as I turned to face the cloudy daylight outside of the temple. An already miserable sight was then made worse by the emerald light of the heretics'' machines. I then glared sternly as I slowly put on my sister''s looted helm.


    With a single, steady breath, with my sword at my side. I walked out of the temple and stood before the gathered army. While my rage fed into my returning confidence as I felt my magic come alive within the armour. It had a master once again, and although I was not its true master, it demanded one for revenge nonetheless.


    Their faceless soldiers had gathered at the doorstep of the temple. They had assembled down below in the bombed-out streets and in the air on their machines. Guns that once terrified me aimed down at me with ominous bluish glows. Personal firearms were cocked right within the reach of my arm.


    Yet none of them fired, and we both watched the other. So I walked forward with a few great strides until I was at the very edge of the Wall District''s raised ground. I cleared my throat and took a final glance around. Subtly, I adjusted the grip on my sword as what appeared to be an officer stepped forward to confront me.


    A single face amongst a horde of small, prick-like dots amidst fields of black shadow and polished steel.


    "For the crime of humiliating me on the battlefield. The men I commanded and a sister of the Ordoar-Imdvarce... I sentence you all to die. By the right given to me by Waionr, with the backing of Avanvenger. I shall cut... You... Down!"


    I told them just as the first finger pushed on the trigger. But with skilled, sudden dashes I sent those up here flying away. And with a refined, controlled burst; I shot straight up towards one of their floating gun platforms. Blasting it apart with the force of my magic and blade before I carried on into the air.


    Where, upon which I sliced open the sky with a single, furious slash. Bringing out the light their presence deprived us of. With another sudden dash, I then dodged their fire and destroyed the second platform. A punishing crash of steel on steel which saw them smash straight down into the ruined street below.


    Following dozens of further violent bursts, I eliminated the remaining soldiers and crashed down onto the road. A single, terrified but still duty-bound officer was all that faced me at the end of the road. And I marched against them slowly, absorbing each blast that came from their barbur pistol. Pushing them up against the raised earth behind them as I levelled my sword tip against them.


    Then, with a single burst of air behind me. I Impaled them. Seemingly detonating the brick and earth behind them along with their armour. And just as quickly I pulled out my blade and swung it down to my side.


    Carving a fine line through the road and rubble below as I turned around to gaze upon the reinforcements.


    "With all you have, heretics!" I spat as I launched myself into the air.

 Incline 2: Rejoining the Effort!

    "You think just because I cannot see your face, you are fearless? You are a coward regardless of it!" I spit out at the heretic whose throat I had tightly clenched in my hand. But as their arms stretched out for me, I focused on the peculiar way their face was hidden. Darkness which had no cause to exist.


    But I neither had a reason to keep this up, so I twitched my hand to the right.


    And I dropped him to the floor as the crack was drowned out by the fires all about me. I then scoffed at my handiwork before I jumped into the sky once again to fly off. As I found peace in the sky, though. I started to consider some details.


    Since I left the ruins of Giant''s Victory after cutting my way out. I had begun to notice an increasingly large concentration of soldiers. Their foolish witches, however, were nowhere to be seen. So I could only figure that meant my sisters and brothers had been pushed back.


    Exploitable as it was for me right now, I could see the logic behind it. Yet if I kept this up and gave them a window from which they could gaze into the misty lands beyond. They would undoubtedly come for me. I would be a leak which they would patch up quickly.


    So it was imperative that I found a friendly army or force to join up with. I knew the way back to Thurn''s Forge, but I''d rather join up with them at the frontlines. I would be of greater use there and could even turn the tide of battle! One more Valkinvar was worth so much more than a formation of one-hundred men.


    Courageous as they might be.


    This war would not be won with bravery alone, we needed power and I had that. I would bring it to them and I would do my part to save my home. Yet it was also this desire to save my home that lead me to attack as if I were a rabid animal. I had so many lost years of combat to catch up on!


    "Now if one of you would be kind enough to..." I muttered as I flicked my sword dry. A frown appeared on my face as I noticed the lack of maps and written orders. These forces I was encountering should''ve had them. But all they had were these strange wisps of magic.


    They must''ve been using this magic to send out their orders. A concept that seemed simple, yet it was shocking it had been implemented. To teach their entire army to know this spell... Unless the darkness they had over their faces solved that?


    A terrifying enemy the Seven-Peaks Union had become since my last defence of Giant''s Victory...


    "Wait... Guns... That''s the sound of guns!" I soon found myself exclaiming as I froze up to make sure I was not mishearing. Yes, it was the thunder of artillery. Gunpowder igniting and forcing steel and stone out... That was echoing about the valley I was currently hovering in!


    So I wasted no time, I crouched down briefly and shot skyward. Yet, despite the haste I should''ve moved with, I had to keep my pace slower. The way I flew would mix in with the sound of the guns... I would miss them and be too late!


    Yet like this it might be the case as well...


    "Thank you, Waionr, for guiding me." I breathe out in thanks before I dive down from the sky. Along the side of a mountain before I straighten out near the mass of bodies ahead of me. Then, I swung and decimated all before me. Lashing out with a wave of magic that knocked the force towards the opposite side of the valley.


    "A-Another Valkinvar!?"


    "VALKINVAR!?"


    "WE GOT HELP!"


    The ironcoats desperately cheered as I noticed that I had wiped out the attacking force just like that. But, rather amusingly, the gun crews took longer to realise and I ended up being caught in a shower of dirt and bloody mud. Yet, I did not let this mistake lead to despair. And, rather unlike how I normally acted, I forced out a laugh so they could relax.


    And as I made the brief journey to them, I was met with cheers and thankful prayers. They were genuinely glad that I had arrived. But why were they out here? Was this an isolated force or a rearguard?


    "Who''s in command here?" I asked the ironcoats once the noise died down.


    "She''s up there, or, was by the looks of it." one of them answer before a body suddenly falls to the ground. Yet, with a quick flick of my blade, I cast aside the fallen witch before I turned up to the descending Valkinvar. A fellow Valkinvar... A living one...


    It had been so long.


    It felt strange being in their presence, "Who are you?"


    And I stepped back as her blade tip was suddenly put near my visor, "Valkinvar Vapooliar of the Ordoar Imdvarce, same as you." I answered, though my voice turned meek towards the end.


    "Very well, I suppose your timely arrival has given us the time to talk. So, come, make my acquaintance." she encouraged as she lowered her sword to her side.


    "O-Of course!" I stuttered out as I went to her side. Making way for any ironcoats that came rushing by. Yet, I still tried to make sure she had my full attention. Although, she was quiet until we found ourselves in a hastily made map room. But it was really just a roofed table by a fallen tree.


    "So, Sister Vapooliar, I am Wing-Head Allyoceer. Now, I would like you to answer why you are here." she explains with a stern voice as she looks down the length of my looted armour. Right before her gaze stopped on the destroyed crotch piece of my gear.


    And I flinched slightly under the scrutiny, knowing full well what it meant, "I..."


    She then sighed and tapped her armoured knuckle on the table, "I suppose it doesn''t matter. What matters is that you are here and we can make it out of this."


    "You are trapped?"


    "Sacrificial rearguard." she groans as she stabs her sword gently into the rock below. Splitting it open in the process.


    "Your orders are to fight to the last man?"


    "No, but they were in effect so."


    "So we have a chance to rejoin with the main army?" I ask, yet, she turned to face me with a confused expression.


    "There is no main army anymore. We''ve been shattered and broken. Picked off into hundreds of smaller forces."


    "Then we rally with who we can!" I urge her as I step forward slightly.


    "Look, I won''t propose that I understand what you have been through up until now, Sister Vapoolair. But there is no rallying, there is no meet-up point. We fight and die."


    "Nonsense!" I spit as I slam my hand down onto the table.


    "A stationary fort will be our undoing." she tuts as she shakes her head.


    "It''s better than hiding in ditches in some bombed-out valley!" I argue as I gesture around to the despair-filled soldiers. Their armour no longer shined. It instead had begun to rust and the links were clogged with all manners of filth. They looked like brigands.


    The once-proud Self-Standing Army of Honourable War...


    "Then what?"


    "We call out for reinforcements! Rally all we can to this fort!"


    "Long Battery cannot sustain a large garrison. It''s designed to delay and corner off the plains it opens up to."


    "We extend the fortifications, then. We clog up the exit and we make our stand there!"


    She then strokes her chin, "You are very out of place for being this involved with the grander strategy, Sister Vapooliar."


    And I step backwards slightly, the reality of hierarchy coming back to me, "Huh?"


    Yet, she reaffirmed me with a firm hand on my shoulder.


    "I will take you up on that suggestion, though." my superior tells me with a slight nod as their exhausted eyes looked downward.


    "How bad has it really gotten?" I asked for some reason. Despite the fall of the Seventh Line drawing me back into the fight.


    "Our borders were ground down, and they split us open like a baker does an egg. Those machines of theirs... We have nothing that can stand against them. And the Four-Winds cannot be everywhere."


    "Has there been any news of one being destroyed, taken out or crippled!?"


    "Some, yes, but like most things, getting rid of one just isn''t enough."


    "They can be broken... Then..." I mutter to myself, somewhat overjoyed at the fact that we had the strength to beat them. These machines I have lived in constant fear of since my fall from grace... My fall from the arms of my supposed beloved beyond death.


    "Valkinvar! The informals say more are coming!" an ironcoat officer suddenly urged as he came rushing up to us.


    "Already!?" Wing-Head Allyoceer exclaimed as she made sure her equipment was in order. A single swift motion brought her blade out to her side and she stared out at the mess I made before.


    "Wing-Head Allyoceer, if I may... Now might be the time to pull your men out of here. Begin the journey to the Long Battery Fort." I tell her as I show my eagerness to fight. Hoping silently that she understood the implications I was making with my eagerness.


    And she silently stared back at me as the officer tried to keep their cool, "Yes... Thoucomm, pull the men back. Orderly withdrawal in the direction of the Long Battery Fort."


    "Yes, Valkinvar." he breathed in relief as the maps were suddenly shoved into his hand. From which, without direct orders; the attached marching band sounded the retreat. And although they went about it orderly, it still reminded me of a panicked withdrawal. The men were too eager to just abandon everything.


    "DO NOT ABANDON THE GUNS OR OUR SUPPLIES!" Wing-Head Allyoceer snapped angrily before she launched into the sky ahead of me. Which I copied after I gave a quick gesture of regards to the thoucomm.


    "The direction that they''re coming, can you sense it?" I ask as I keep my sword at my side while hers points at a sharp angle downwards.


    "Mobile guns..." she answers as she seemingly focuses her magic into her hearing. And as she did so, I spent a little time looking at the differences her armour had. It was nice to see the engravings of wings upon this impressive steel. It filled me with confidence to know someone as devoted, skilled and reliable as she was by my side at the moment.


    "The flying boxes?" I ask as I recall the strange machines that I have dealt with since finding this armour. I never saw their full capabilities but I had suspicions that they were no different to the airships in their destructive potential.


    "No, these are tracked vehicles. I will intercept them, I want you to assist the informals as the order to withdrawal travels back to their end." she orders before I am caught in the blast of her departure.


    "Yes, Sister." I answer a little late as I watch her form reduce in size until it became a simple spec in the distance. Yet, as I did not know where the informal troops were, I dropped back down to the ground.


    "Why''re you still here?" the ironcoat officer demanded to know as he let his blood cool off. His aggressive choice of leadership having just ensured some more of our guns had been saved.


    "I am to assist the informals, which way are they?"


    "Along that pass, keep on going until you find an old mining shaft. It will lead you straight to them!" he explains before he gets back to urging on the men.


    "Right!" I reply before shooting up into the sky once again. Though I kept close to the valley floor so I could follow it and find the old mine. Yet, for the initial part of my journey, I only found death. So many former positions that had been abandoned. Corpses and spiked guns decorating each spot.


    But, finally, I came across what seemed to be the old mine. A large wooden lift existed by its entrance and it might''ve even been it. So after briefly looking in the direction of tremendous magical power. I slowly ascended the mountain it had been built against and landed on the clearing it opened up to.


    There was a small village of sorts up here, likely a place for the miners to be. And I was most likely not far off in assuming it had been abandoned for some time. But it had been refilled since then, and I got my first taste of it in the form of weapons fire in the distance. The distinct of uni-roller mortars filled the air before small fireballs enveloped the deeper forest beyond the village.


    So I dashed forward before I skidded to a halt upon seeing the first soldier. To my hearts gladness, it was an informal toplock user who had just dove behind a boulder. And he was quite surprised to see me. But as equally confused as I stepped towards a tree and kept my back to it.


    "A Valkinvar...? What happened to Wing-Head Allyoceer!?"


    "She''s fine, she''s holding off the armoured coloum you warned us about. I am here to shepard you back to the rest of the men so we can shelter at the Long Battery Fort!"


    "Yes, Valkinvar! Our men go out as far one-hundred halfmans, beyond that are Unies!" he explained before he popped up to fire a quick shot.


    "Tell the men to hold up in the village so we can take the lift down as one!" I order him as I step out into the open to begin my attack. Bashing aside one of the mysterious magic rounds that came for me before I began. With quick dashes and sudden movements I moved. But I focused more so on protecting the men I was tasked to aid.


    I would not fail them. And I gave it my all to keep as many alive as I could. Either bashing aside the offensive magic myself with my blade or aura or even using the trees and loose rocks to intercept them. And then, once I was sure that I was ahead of all the living informals, I charged my blade.


    Letting magic flow through it as I unlocked its moving parts before I began to scream. And once again, with a single slash I decimated what lay before me. A moving slice of wind magic surged ahead of me and anyone too slow to react met the same fate as the trees. And it all came falling down.


    But the fire did not stop and instead seemed to intensify as my way ahead opened up. By declaring myself to these troops, I had become their main target. Which suited me just fine and I focused on letting them seemingly overwhelm me. I kept my dodging to a minimum and burned magic to evaporate most of the rifle fire.


    Yet, as the barrage intensified and more gathered up ahead of me in the hope of scoring that lucky blow. I saw their numbers get put to use through the flashes of broken bolts and swirling magic. Troops were amassing towards the edges of the centre. They wanted to outflank me to go straight for the informals.


    And with the clank and hiss of suddenly moved steel, they flashed their sabres bare. With the might of magic serrating their edges and shield ahead of them. They sprinted to the side of the jaws of death I had become. A noble and bold move had it been from anyone else.


    But their failure was to leave me unsundered, I was not shattered. They might have stormed at me with all they could heave and hoist. But it was not enough. And I snapped my blade around my left side as my feet slid into the dirt.


    "FORM UP ON MY LEFT!" I shouted back to the men I was in charge of protecting. And although I wanted to make sure my order was fully taken into account. I had to put my faith in them that they could handle it. They needed to hold the left for only a moment, that was all I needed!


    So, with not even a flash of lightning wasted, I shot towards the enemy. Seemingly appearing before them in but an instant with a sword burning with strength. And like a rolling on hurricane; they broke apart and went flying with the sudden gale. Same as before then after, I appeared right behind the advance on my former right.


    And I charged through them with not a bit of resistance to my speed. A swing to the right or left was the same again and again. Steel was rent open and the flesh was cut finely. Blood splattered far beyond the corpses with the help of my winds. Yet, unlike before, it did not end with a grand swing.


    I instead simply slapped aside the remaining men into the houses or mountainside. Splattering them on dense rock or crushing them under worked timber and brick walls. And with a single great leap, I went over the abandoned village and crashed straight down ahead of my men. My sword at the ready to defend them.


    Their line had held and I would take it from here.


    What I clearly saw as not being targeted by toplocks I went for instead. I cut them down swiftly and precisely and weaved and seemingly danced my way around to the next. Again and again, until the heretics had all fallen! And while their screams were few and far between, the area became quiet.


    "THATA GIRL!" one man shouted discourteously as the men broke out into restrained excitement. And, with a smile, I revealed my face to them before I looked on towards the damage I had created.


    "So what now?" one man asked as he stepped forward with his toplock barrel scraping the tops of crushed grass blades.


    "We go back the way we came." I tell them as I gesture towards the great lift I had gone by on my way here.


    "And what about the armoured column? If we head down there we''ll be ripe for the taking."


    "My superior, Wing-Head Allyoceer is handling them."


    "Then we should help her!" one of the mortar crews argued as he and a partner lifted their light gun for emphasis.


    "She has things under control." I tell them as I hold my hands out before they all shake their heads in determination.


    "No, if the Valkinvar will come for us, then we will come for them! Ain''t that right!?" one of them called out with a hoist of his gun.


    "IN WAIONR''S NAME!" they roared in defiance to my orders. And I sighed at that. What was I going to tell Wing-Head Allyoceer when I met her?


    ''Oh, sorry, Wing-Head Allyoceer, the informals were just too eager!''


    It was nonsense!


    "No! Do as you are..." I began to bark before the sounds of heavy cannon fire filled the air. It was quite a lot down there... And all I could was watch as they broke ranks to scrounge up all the small guns they could.


    "We''ll leave them in smouldering craters!" one soldier told me as he knocked his fist firmly against my chest plate.


    "Very well..." I reluctantly let out as I start to float off of the ground.


    "There''s an open just ahead we can use for spotting! An old lookout post!" one of the artillery crews informed me as I began to drift over the edge of the mountain. For a brief moment, I was left alone. And I admired my superiors skills in that time. That sense of ''home'' somehow coming back to me once again.


    To see another Valkinvar and to fight with one... It had been so long.


    "A long time indeed..." I nearly weeped before I shot forward to aid her in her battle. And although I could tell she was shocked and baffled by my appearance. She did not break down to bicker with me. And instead, we began to work in tandem to destroy the many vehicles the heretics had brought forth.


    Many shots I moved around or I was out of the way before they even fired. Yet, with one of them, I stood defiantly before them. My blade at the ready in an upwards position. Only to be brought down upon them the moment their strange crossbow-like device flung an engraved round shot at me.


    My blade sliced and shattered its way through the smooth ball of stone and steel plate the same. And once it made contact with the ground, the magic power built up exploded outwards. Tearing apart the armour plating more so while greatly splitting the machine further. And a mutilated hunk of steel flew back into another.


    Wing-Head Allyoceer, on the other hand, took what she could into her grasp and flung it overhead. A disturbed, heavy swoosh filled the air before it then crescendos into a loud, nuanced bang. Steel bolts had popped out alongside other parts and their munitions spilt out onto the valley floor. But then, a new sound came to be.


    Sudden, sharp whistling that got disturbingly close before the relief exploded out to me. The mortars were in position and they were targeting the backlines! Their potential retreat had been cut off and the Wing-Head and I tore into the trapped force. At least, until she suddenly knocked me to the side and crashed down next to me.


    "Wing-Head Allyoceer!?" I let out in confusion as she brought her helmet-covered face up against mine.


    "Get those men out of there!" she reminded me before she briefly sprinted out into the open. An explosion of magic power marking where she had just been. Alongside a brief rain of dirt.


    "Yes... Yes, Sister." I answer quietly as I shoot back into the sky and crash down by the informals.


    "We got them on the run!" one eagerly tells me before I use a single hand to slap him in the direction of the lift.


    "Wing-Head Allyoceer want you out of here, so let''s move!" I assert with renewed confidence in my authority. Or rather, renewed fear of the punishment awaiting me if I failed these men.


    "BUT-"


    "NOW!" I roar with the help of my magic. A short, sudden twist of the head then emphasised my point. And I stayed behind to make sure they all made their way towards the lift. Reluctant as many of them were.


    "A second wave?" I muttered as I sensed a disturbance in the way the wind blew in the direction of the last assault.


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    "MOVE! DOUBLE TIME!" an informal shouted as I took my blade up and held it at the ready. And then I saw them soon after. Men in polished steel and brilliant emerald cloth. Epaulettes of white and an honourable cloth that flew down their backs from them.


    Greatswords.


    A potential decisive handful had been dispatched up here. Likely because of the defeat I had inflicted on the prior force. Their loss having sent a cause for concern to their superiors? Either way, I had an opponent I had to be careful with.


    Their armour could briefly withstand my blade and the men within them were well-conditioned. Their internal-magic makes their skin like a second sheet of steel plate. And their swords, much like my own in size and scale, though a lot less wieldy. I have dueled some in my time as the protector of Giant''s Victory.


    But the stories of them gave me the greatest cause for concern. Defensive lines of ironcoats had been broken by these heavily-armed duelists. The same kind that stood up to the legendary ryphurgok heavy cavalry. The technicalities of it aside, they were strong in comparison to what I had been facing just before and a little further back.


    "KEEP MOVING, DO NOT STOP TO ASSIST ME!" I scream back to the informals before I bring my blade up to intercept the downward slash of a greatswordsman. Heaving the mighty blade and its wielder off of me with a single push that turned into an airborne spin. And as they reoriented themself in the sky, I thrust forward.


    Delivering the most powerful blow I could as a Valkinvar of the Ordoar Imdvarce. Yet even with that clean pierce that pinned him to the mountain. He clenched his bloodied jaw and roared as he tried to behead me with one final swing. And I was only just a little too slow to avoid the swing.


    My head tilted suddenly to the left as a sharp tink filled the air. But I made the world forget it as I brought my blade through his insides, armour and the mountain I pinned him against. A wave of blood travelled with me and splattered ahead of me in a fine arc. And as before, I found myself met with a force focused on me and another heading out.


    "FORM LI-!" I tried to call out to them before the greatswords began to force me to turn around and back away. For a brief moment, I was on the back foot and desperately deflecting their timed swings. When one pulled back, another slashed ahead to keep me on my toes. All the while the gap between me and the informals grew.


    I was watching the greatswords charge unimpeded upon them... The toplocks of the informals pinging harmlessly off of even their exposed clothes! Like a hot knife through butter, meanwhile was it like for them. The informals had no chance and were exposed to slaughter!


    And I grew furious. Memories of my failure coming back to haunt me as my heart pounded.


    "I WON''T LOSE ANOTHER FORCE!" I screamed as I suddenly let my magic burn about me recklessly. And as the tides turned. I let loose savage blow after savage blow. Sending them aside either dazed or as a corpse


    But I did not stay to check and just leapt into the air with a roar from my lungs and a tip directed at them. The first one I came into contact with was practically gouged open and the next had his blade shattered. The strength of his subsequent fist proved inadequate against my own before I hopped back towards the lift. They had reformed without a second thought given to the dead and they stood firm.


    Even as I recognised the fear in their trembling eyes.


    But there was no point in continuing to duel them. I had men to save and I went about it swiftly and with but two strokes! And although they cursed my name as I spun over them before I dived under. They were certainly glad as I braced the suddenly dropping lift against my hands and shoulders.


    Shooting out just in time for it to make the final halfman on its own with a splinter-making crash. And we all panted as we silently stared at one another. But then they began to move out without a word spoken. Any complaints they had were silenced as I reminded them what was back up there.


    Thankfully, the drop was too large for them to make and the greatswords stayed up there. Yet I was sure that mortars had been abandoned up there. And I turned to urge the men to run with all the strength they had whilst also sliding what I could about to protect them from stray round shot. When I was sure that their backs were secure, I then headed a short distance up to cover their above.


    Cautiously, I eyed the sky and listened out for the quiet bangs and the whistling. But it never came and I was left watching the informals as they tired themselves out crossing the distance. I could trust them to carry on for just a moment? A moment longer which would let me ensure Wing-Head Allyoceer pulled out?


    "Don''t die on me, now." I mutter before I rocket towards the last spot I saw my superior. Seemingly, as well, I arrived just in time to gash open and set aside one of the machines behind her before it fired.


    "WHY ARE YOU BACK HERE!?" she demanded to know as she tossed her sword into the air before she guided it down at an unseen target. The blade just as quickly returned to her when she called it. The pommel made a mighty large dent into one of the better-condition wrecks as it did so.


    "I have brought them down from the mine, I am here to pull you out as well." I explain as I avoid another fired-off piece of round shot. Ducking behind a wreck in order to ensure for the moment that I would not have to do that again.


    She seemed to want to argue the point, but she shook her head after peaking over her own piece of cover. But she remained silent, obviously considering her options before she started to nod at me. And by silent command, she had me dig my fingers into the wreck I was by. Side-by-side, we then threw our cover at the enemy and clogged up the valley further.


    The pair of us then suddenly shot in the direction of her former lines. Slowing down only once we came across the informals as they made their way through the rough terrain. And as we shepherded them through the proof of their previous defeats and shallow victories. I looked on quietly at my superior.


    "You are sure the path to the Long Battery Fort is safe?" I ask her as I turn my head towards where we had just been. The numbers they had back there were far too much for that to have just been some splinter. It had to have been the tip of the oncoming advance!


    A whole army, not just some thoucomms detachment!


    It raised the urgency with which we had to move with. We might not even get the time we needed to establish ourselves safely at the fort. Maybe it was a necessity to contradict ourselves? Send one back to delay them further?


    "When the last report came in before you appeared, actually, I got confirmation that it was. Our journey will be safe so long as no machines outflank us."


    "They won''t..." I lie with the hopes it was a soon-to-be-realised fact.


    "It may become a requirement of one of us or both to engage in further rearguard actions. Can I rely on you if that is to become our reality?"


    "Of course, Wing-Head Allyoceer." I answer with a nod.


    But then, she suddenly stopped me with an arm over my chest, "Or maybe we can rely on our country to look after us."


    "Are you sure?" I question as I look up at a stack that was sticking out of a mountain. It must''ve been an old marker or landmark of some kind.


    "Not certain you can knock something over?" she surprisingly teases as she taps my chest plate again.


    "N-No, I am sure I can, but, for it to survive the fall..."


    "Then you can catch it!"


    "Very well." I nod after a brief pause. Glancing down at the men once again before I looked up once more.


    "They should be past it soon, unless you think it''ll be best dropped off over here?"


    "No, I think we are better set to place it down there, the valley narrows up over there." I explain as I gesture to where the other force was getting congested up. Their guns take up quite a bit of space. Forcing the men not helping out to squeeze on by or to wait.


    "We''ll get those guns by first, then I want you with me by that stack so we can set it down!" she orders as she drops down by the congestion. And I follow suit, heading to the opposite side to get them moving.


    Either by forcing the guns out of the churned-up mud with pulls or pushes. But, sometimes, I flew overhead and just picked them up, depositing them once I reached an open space. And I quickly encouraged the men to take hold of them once I was done. Returning back again and again until I had handled all the guns which they or my superior had not moved.


    "The informals will make it past as we get our hands on the stack." she tells me as we begin to ascend the mountain with haste. Our swords still at our sides as we arrive at the rock formation. Its size was deceptively grand now that we were here. And because of that, I could also see the signs of tool use.


    Little engravings and a few abandoned pieces of equipment. Long since rusted and reduced to a state of uselessness. The purpose of the stack still eluded me. But what we intended to do with it invalidated such concerns.


    "When you''re ready." Wing-Head Allyoceer told me after she came back into the air after inspecting its base.


    "It will hold?" I question as she practices some swings.


    "A lot better if you ensure that you are synchronised with me." she explains as she gestures me down to the other side of the rock. Her blade tip soon raised against me while her head gestured to my own.


    "A quiet ting." I comment as I move my blade to meet hers. The sound suggesting that we might''ve been a bit too close.


    "I''ll stay close to where our blades exit, so I want you to head up and catch the stack, am I clear?"


    "Yes, Wing-Head Allyoceer." I confirm with a nod.


    "On my mark." she says as she positions her sword so as to allow her to put everything into a single grand swing. And, I copied her as best as I could to ensure our success. Although, I was cautiously watching her with a great deal of nervousness. It had been so long since I had to do something as complex as this!


    Though, when she moved ahead, I followed her. Matching her speed and the motions of her swings. And as she swung towards the rock; I did the same. Driving my steel into the stone as fast as I could so it would not catch on anything.


    Yet, my prior nervousness proved itself to be an insidious issue. And I felt my blade tremble and the the stone cracked out loud for all to here. But I did not let myself be enthralled by the terror of my mistake. Shooting up to my prediscussed position and digging my grip into the stone as shrapnel flew out.


    The stack had its bottom blown out by my incompetence and it slipped. Though, as I was at the top, I was able to force it down onto the rock to prevent it from flying off. And I nodded to my superior as she looked up at me. With what kind of emotions, I could not gather, but I had to not think on it.


    Instead, I just gave her a nod and eased up on the pushing. Giving her the space she needed to grab the other end before she picked it up. And with a quick signal from her magic, we began the descent. Carefully manoeuvring over the men as they pulled back before we held our position.


    "Thoucomm, is the ground under clear!"


    "Move it along, Informal!" the Thoucomm answered loudly before he practically shoved the skirmisher towards the rest.


    "Now, Sister Vapooliar." my superior told me as she started to descend ahead of me. Though I quickly caught up to her. And without a second to spare, we dumped the large stone into the gap.


    "Hold on, I''ll cut the sides down." I tell her as I notice how the stone got lodged. If we left that gap, enemy infantry would still be able to pass by. And if their vehicles caught up, they could just blast it out and roll it aside. So, with one hand up top, I started to saw away at the stone ahead of me.


    Chipping away at it with hacking slashes and chipping thrusts before I moved out from under it. Letting it drop with a loud bang before I flew back into the air to be by the Wing-Head''s side. Joining the direction she was looking at as I felt her magic pulse out in that direction. So I moved away slightly as to not interfere.


    "This obstacle won''t last long, but it will delay them."


    "Should we race about to find a way to reinforce the barrier, then?"


    "No, we''ll keep shepherding the men until we reach the Long Battery Fort."


    "I hope we can make it in time to set the guns up..." I sigh out, my worries becoming all the clearer for it.


    "Our guns won''t get up in time to repel an assault. But, we can use the guns within the fort just fine."


    "We''ll be working under a lot of stress." I comment.


    "We''re soldiers fighting for their home, we''ll manage." she tells me as she pats my shoulder before she flies off to join the men.


    "Yeah..." I nearly whisper as I stared out towards the smoke we had left behind. It had to have been a main advance that way. The density of the magic... It was the only way to explain it.


    "Sister Vapooliar!"


    "Coming!"


    .


    .


    .


    "This is quite the mess." I comment as I walked alongside Ainael. Raising a brow as she fiddled with her blonde hair in an almost nonchalant manner.


    "Huh? Oh, yes."


    "A very relaxed attitude to take given the scale of the slaughter." I bluntly put it as she shrugs.


    "It doesn''t concern us."


    "We''re soldiers just as they are."


    "No, we''re war-witches of the Order of the Outreaching Wind." she seemingly corrects as she kicks at a piece of rubble.


    "At least try to show some care about what has happened?"


    "Why? It''s their mess. I don''t see why we should be handling it when we have far greater issues at hand." she tells me with a wave of her hand as her head moves slightly forward.


    And as she did that, I stopped to look at a defaced bit of street decoration, "This is a joint national effort."


    "Spare me the grandiose commentary." she tells me as her face lights up as I make a further point of destroying the statue.


    "You serve in a grand, stories order in a grander war. It fits." I tell her with a slight smirk as I pull down my hood and take off my face mask.


    "So remind me, why are we down here... Patrolling?"


    "Inspecting, technically." I clarify as she was essentially right. We were filling in for the patrols who were slaughtered by my warned-about Valkinvar. In a way as well, I was glad it was here that it happened. The war moved past this city a while ago.


    So we were not tasked with clogging up any gaps that the Misguided had decided to exploit. Though we had come across some rageful refugees still clamouring about the city. Their insistence on staying here proved quite troublesome. This wasn''t a city we could just leave standing.


    From the moment it was made, it was to honour those who did not stand by us. An extensive piece of propaganda was all it was. And at some point, it would be paved over to make way for something else. The stone that was still intact was likely to be used for another city or it would just be ground up for roads.


    "It must be something, though, to have the power to wipe out a garrison like this."


    "We can do that."


    "Yeah, as a group, maybe not you specifically, but, Valkinvar really are something else." she comments almost respectfully.


    Which, made me scoff, "They''re about to be wiped out, cast aside for the history tablets."


    "The Valkinvar ruled and continue to cling onto one of the greatest empires our continent has ever seen. They won''t become a footnote."


    "In time they will."


    "In time we all do."


    "Longevity isn''t a goal of mine."


    "Really now, Noalla? You try harder than most others."


    "I try because I must." I tell her as we stopped by a small airship as it departed. Its freshly deposited soldiers spread out as it flew off.


    "Well, at least we are relieved." Ainael comments as we start to go into the air to fly over them.


    "Not until we are told so officially."


    "Speaking of officials, it looks like the Chapter-Mistress wants a word." she teases as she begins to put some distance between us.


    "Just because she is staring in our direction doesn''t me-"


    "Sister Noalla, Chapter-Mistress Chiara wants to speak with you." someone calls out from a nearby building.


    "Of course." I answer without the slightest groan or sign of complaint. Though, right after, I did groan at Ainael as she giggled at me.


    "Guess I win again." she smugly remarks as she takes her leave to do whatever. And after I finish rolling my eyes at her, I head on over to our superior. Dropping onto the ground and kneeling as appropriate. Though, I was not granted the right to stand before her this time.


    "I hope you have a suggestion for how to deal with your failure."


    "My failure, Chapter-Mistress Chiara?" I question as a sense of annoyance sprouts in the recesses of my mind.


    "Your inability to stop that Valkinvar has cost us quite a few men. And I have heard from the advance that they joined up with a formerly isolated one. One we nearly had..." she scolds as her foot suddenly plants down on me. Forcing my skull against the near-solid, stone floor. The surprise of it, in turn, made it quite a humiliating affair as my body was suddenly spread out.


    "It was by your word that we let this happen!" I remind her.


    "Yes, and it turned out to be the very thing you should have never let escape." she tells me as her sandaled foot takes its leave and returns to the floor where it belonged. And slowly, I got up, taking it as a rather demeaning acknowledgement of my equality.


    "Then I will go after her."


    "No, the Order of the Outreaching Wind shall be making a move against them to ensure they do not escape again." she tells me as she walks to my side. Clearing sneering at me from beyond the edges of my vision.


    "You would allow them to fortify..."


    "I will allow them to choose their graves as they all have done. Their backs will be against stone either way!" she dismisses as she starts to walk away.


    "This isn''t what you brought me here for, though, was it?"


    "No, I wanted to tell you that you''ll be leading the assault so you can make up for your mistake."


    "Yes, Chapter-Mistress Chiara..." I answer as she walks off. A sneer of my own formed once I was sure I was on my own. Yet, as she gave me her blessing to lead the assault, I flew into the sky until I was under the clouds. And I looked in the direction of our mobile fortress.


    If the Valkinvar was to hold herself up in some fort, then we would bring ours to them to match it. Blow for blow we will match them for. But, taking influence from Ainael I wanted to show some restraint in our efforts. We needed to probe the Valkinvar''s position.


    And to do that, we would need the Grand Army of the Seven Peaks to move ahead of us. Perhaps even His Royal Majesty''s air-navy as they have proven themselves quite effective. Yes... A combined airship-ground assault.


    I would not be able to direct it, but it would let us observe what we were dealing with. To commit the mobile fortress to such a field of battle was one that called for caution. No mistakes could be allowed. Even if we had someone like at Chapter-Mistress Chiara at the head.


    So I flew down to our mobile fortress and stared it straight in the eye. Triggering its instincts to dominate with my unyielding gaze. And, in an attempt to scare me off. It reared onto its hind legs and brought its thick, muscular arms up.


    And it parted the sky with its roar as it began to slam its armoured chest with explosive force. Yet with all this power, I held my ground and stared it down. Not even diverting my gaze as its rib-like appendages began to reveal themselves and snip at the air around me. Then, as it fell back on its mighty arms built to hold a mountain.


    I laughed, only for it to be drowned out by an in-my-face roar.


    .


    .


    .


    "There it is..." I breathed quietly as I felt a huge burden leave my body. Our force found itself renewed and full of life once more. Yet as they ran towards the impressive line of high-perched fortifications. I just dropped to the ground and planted my blade into the ground.


    Content to enjoy a brief moment of rest before my superior dropped down to my side. Unlike me, though, she kept her blade at the ready and exposed nothing. I had a feeling she wanted to speak to me about something. But for the moment, both of us seemed to be content with staring at our new home for the upcoming days, maybe even weeks.


    As its name suggested, it was a long line of guns that stretched for several thoumans. It wasn''t a single line either, it was a multi-storied fortress bristling with guns. I couldn''t tell what kind, granted. But one emplacement did stand out.


    A grand single-barreled weapon that stretched out high into the sky from its dome-like housing. An appropriately named weapon; mountain cracker. And, I was glad to have such a weapon here. Because if my own strength proved insufficient, this mighty weapon would cleanse all life before it.


    One tremendous, earthquake causing shake at a time...


    "I cannot see us getting our guns into position. So, I want you to help the men into the fort. Wounded first."


    "Of course." I answered after a brief delay as I registered what had been spoken.


    "And make sure you get rest what you can, Sister Vapooliar. We will have our hands full aiding the fort and spreading out looking for others."


    "Is that a good idea? You know what is following us."


    "All the more reason to ensure we get as many bodies as possible. We are stronger as one line, Sister."


    "Yes." I nodded in agreement before I glanced back the way we came.


    "Get to it, then, I will look around for beacons to light." she ordered just before she departed for the nearby mountain peaks at the rim of the vast plain. Then, as she had requested, I moved forward to commence with getting everyone to the fort. But, at first, I was slightly unsure of how to go about it.


    My priorities were obvious, the guns and the wounded. We couldn''t leave such a potent aid behind in the grass for the enemy. I had to get them at least to the bottom of the fort. But, of course, the men were my priority.


    So I hovered about the vast force of stragglers before I came to a conclusion on how to go about this. It might seem strange, but perhaps emptying some of the wagons and carts would help? I understood the men were tired but the quicker we got the wounded in the better. Besides, it was clear many were wounded light enough to at least mount a gun and cover us once they were in.


    "Start unloading the wagons and carts as much as you can. Make room for the wounded and I will take them up to the fort!" I order the men as I got started doing just that. Handing smaller items to those who could walk on their own and sending them off. Guiding up those who were in most need of rest.


    "Secure as we can be..." one soldier answers wearily as he rattles the worn-down tail gate.


    "Hold on, then. And you lot, make sure another wagon or cart is ready to go when I get back!" I say just as I begin the process of flying into the sky. Carefully, I balanced the wooden wagon and I slowly made my way through the air. And with a sigh of relief, I dropped it down onto the roof of the fort before I shot down to the others.


    Repeating the process again and again until I was finished with the final one. Yet, as I let the last one down, I turned around and caught sight of a congestion. The men were just gathering at the main gate for some reason. So I went down to investigate.


    "What''s the problem?" I asked as I looked over to the tightly sealed fortifications.


    "When they abandoned the fort, they locked it up tight." one man bitterly remarked before he smashed his weapon against the heavy metal door.


    "Easily solvable." I remark as I fly over the defences and go into the gatehouse. Frowning initially before I figured it out and heard the satisfying clank and thud of moving metal. And, as if I had opened it myself, the hearts of the men let out their delight. Cheers and even tears could be heard as the rush of boots and armour filled the path up.


    Thankfully, I did not have to open any further gates as the field doctors made a point of opening up the fort from the inside. Yet even with all the men that just came rushing in. Many were still out there in the open pulling the guns. Many were even starting to collapse from exhaustion.


    So I dashed down to them and eased them away from the guns, "No, you lot head on to the fort, I''ll handle this."


    "We both will." Wing-Head Allyoceer added in the nick of time as she came back from having done her task. With the edges of the valley not lit up with grand pyres. Along with a system of bells that filled the land and sky equally.


    "Well, at least the heretics know which way to go..." I joked awkwardly as I watched her join me in the labour.


    "They know only how to march forward. But our allies know the sound of those bells. They will rally to us on their own or with our help." she explains as she casually picks up two smaller guns by their barrels. Meanwhile, I insisted on dragging the column which a work animal had been detached from.


    "Is there a chance more of our sister Valkinvar will come?" I asked her as I made deceptively easy work of moving the guns forward.


    "There is, if we can reach them or if they can reach us in time, however... Is a different story."


    "You can count on me to guide them!"


    "Yes, I intend to make a habit of that, Sister Vapooliar. Your insistence on getting all out will net us many a soldier."


    "Just doing my part..." I mutter, slightly bashful at the perceived compliment.


    "And we all will need to do more than that if we hope to last out here." she tells me before she goes over to drop her guns within the fort. I, however, left mine at the base of the mountain, within the confines of the lower defences.


    "Odd, they made it through these walls..." I remark as I went to the gate of the much lesser fortifications at the mountain''s base. But I soon discovered that they must''ve been left open by the last set of occupants. Were they offering shelter to some extent when they did so?


    I suppose it didn''t matter, but it was strange.


    "We still have a lot of work to do, so come on!" my superior insisted before I chased after her until we made it to the guns again. And as we finished with our back and forth runs, I made a habit of picking up the one odd soldier who seemed have been left behind.


    "What were you doing out there?" I asked them in a chastising manner.


    "Forgive this old soldier... My body ain''t like what it once was." he replied as he slowly moved ahead.


    "You should''ve joined one of the wagons holding the wounded, then." I tell him as he stops and shows off his bearded face.


    "Either way, it''s good to have you back, Valkinvar."


    "Tha-" I started to say before I grew suspicious of the man. Calling my sword to my grip and giving him only mere moments once I caught it in my grip.


    "Battcomm Rohlant, Valkinvar. We were..." he tried to explain before he grasped the importance of silence on the subject.


    "Oh, so you and the other two did make it back?" I recall as I suddenly remember leaving behind three ironcoats before I left for Suhurlodst. Or, rather, they expressed regret about their initial decision. And they wanted to join the war again.


    "We did, though, I don''t know what has become of either since then." he answers as he looks towards the inner entrances to the fort.


    "You best get inside. I am sure the men will need your expertise, Battcomm." I tell him with a slight gesture. Yet, he stayed there, standing before me with a slight smile.


    "We will not have a single night of good rest once I get myself within those walls!" he proudly declared before he almost seemed to fall in love with the mountain cracker.


    "Ensure it is more so the heretics getting that." I joke back to him as I rejoin my superior. Landing next to her as she stared out across the vast expanse. It helped put into perspective how vast the area was. And made it a little surprising that we were done within the day.


    But, I suppose that was Valkinvar for you.


    "It will take us time to fill out our defences." she commented as she looked down towards the lower battlements. A drop that would surely splatter a normal man if he were to attempt a quick way down.


    "Is it worth leaving the lower battlements insecure?" I ask her.


    "We don''t have much choice at the moment. The plan for such fortifications was to be fully in use in the event of an enemy breakthrough. But its garrison had been pulled out once the machines made it apparent it was little more than a tomb."


    "If we stall the oncoming army, we may experience such a tomb."


    "Then they''ll dig it for us."


    "I''d rather hope we can gather enough Valkinvar to fill out our ranks."


    "An agreeable stance. I have lost my former wing, but I see no issue in remaking it with those of similar circumstances."


    "You''d have to hold out hope for some wing-tips then, no?"


    "Yes, but, for the moment, unofficial as it may be, I want you to fill in such a position." she tells me before I moved back at her words. It was quite a shocking thing to hear given my history.


    "I don''t deserve such an honour..." I try to tell her as she snapped off a piece of her helm. The small piece of artistic metal soon arrived into my grasp at her insistence. With one of her hands taking a firm hold of my shoulder.


    "Sister Vapooliar, regardless of the circumstances that have led you here. You have more than proven yourself as a fighter and your mind is in the right place. Though we are soldiers of a greater army. The fact you made a point of ensuring I made it here is more than enough to convince me that you deserve the honour."


    "But... I''m just a..."


    "No, you are my First Wing-Tip. My second-in-command." she corrected as she smacked my shoulder and put some distance between us.


    "Then... Then I will make sure we have a full wing!" I tell her with a firm nod.


    "Yes, but not for the rest of this day. I want you to go inside and get some rest. And see if there''s anything we can do to set up ourselves a residence."


    "The officer''s tower should be adequate, no?"


    "Then go make sure it is." she tells me as she stops me from bringing my sword with me. And with a quick nod of her head, she reaffirmed what she had just said. And I went into the fort''s interior. Making sure to memorise what I could as I stepped aside for men and other things on the move.


    Though, the rabid searching some were displaying did make me think twice about our situation. When this place was abandoned, had supplies been left? Or was it all taken? Did we have to make a point of raiding the enemy from here on out just to make use of our own fortifications?


    I suppose our recent efforts proved it was a viable tactic. The men could be safely secured behind these walls while we shipped in fresh supplies. Perhaps our various animals could even be reworked into a means to hunt? It wasn''t the best of ideas to slaughter them for meat if we had to leave later on.


    But, I suppose, if we were to fight our way out of this fort, we''d have bigger problems than no work animals. Something would''ve gone very wrong if we had to pull out of here. Though that was my job now more than ever at the moment. As the freshly made Wing-Tip Vapooliar.


    I was uneasy about the appointment, to be honest. But I did not make a point of vocally ruminating on it. I kept it to myself and left it there. Even if my mind was torn two ways at the moment.


    One part of me was happy to have finally received the recognition I craved so long ago. But the other half knew I did not deserve it at all. I failed my army before and had abandoned my country for several years... Every moment of time I wasted costed my homeland lives beyond measure.


    Even now, with this chance to make up for it, I would still not match the debt I had accrued. Every life lost had to be paid back tenfold in two ways. By heretics slaughtered or brave, true believers saved. There was a lot that had to be done.


    But, as Wing-Head Allyoceer had just told me, that was not my concern right now. So, Instead, I took the moment to enjoy the quiet that filled the officer''s tower. And I dropped into a fine sofa covered in soft cushions and leaned back into it. Sighing before I quickly got up to light the gaunt fireplace at the centre base of the tower.


    Yet, upon seeing the steps that lead up to the higher floors. I made a point of ascending up them until I could hear even the howling wind clearly. But, as I made it to the top and walked out onto the observation platform. I saw the enemy marching on us from the other side of the plains, just into the valley we had left.


    "Let the siege begin." I remarked as I watched the invading army march closer.

 Incline 3: Ushering in a Whole Wing

    "I feel odd in saying this is a welcome experience..." I commented quietly as I keep a gentle hand within the confines of an embrasure. Letting the shudder and the quakes our guns let out travel through my body before I turned my head. Looking at my superior as she surveyed our situation with the other officers.


    "That will be all, report back to me on the same interval." she told them as she joined me at the edge of the wall. And as her eyes looked out over the battlefield, I joined her. Watching carefully as fireballs of many different varieties appeared and disappeared. Some lingered longer than others, some were brighter.


    But their purpose remained the same.


    "The Union is wasting little time in forcing themselves against us."


    "I am concerned that we will not be able to hold the lower fortifications." I tell her as my eyes once again catch sight of the fearless, shadow-masked men that assailed us. Fear was foreign to the army that besieged us. But so was a willingness to preserve the lives of their men. This lack of fear was as reckless as it was terrifying.


    "For the sake of those who would rally to us, we must keep it open." she reminds me just before a cluster of guns on our far left opened up. A sudden burst of loud pops, almost.


    "We barely have enough men to man the guns up here..." I point out despite what the current ferocity of our fire might''ve suggested.


    "We don''t. Many of them are silent and have not even felt the black soot burning their bronze or iron skin. But, as we see more into our arms. We shall unveil more of our teeth."


    "The Battcomm is handling this well, then." I say with a shrug as I try to focus on something more positive. Like how we were able to keep them corralled into the valley from which they came. Even if they insisted on pushing out with a monstrous fort. In that, it was almost a corpse of one.


    The guns here were all marked for covering as far out as the valley exits. The plains before us were our domain. If there was a God of Artillery, then this was his realm. A land which saw all made equal to even the smallest of guns.


    "He is, but we need to be handling ourselves better." she tells me as she briefly touches my shoulder to make me follow her.


    "In what way, Wing-Head Allyoceer?" I ask as I personally couldn''t see it. Or, perhaps, I was too inexperienced to even know about it or consider it. The sieges I once oversaw were much different to this... Giant''s Victory was a seemingly impenetrable wall with little fronts to worry about.


    The Long Battery Fort was potentially surrounded on all sides.


    "We must sally out, harass the enemy while ensuring our own defence stays healthy."


    "There are only two of us!" I remind her needlessly.


    "Not for long, I have received words from the informals we have managed to slip out under the cover of darkness and the crack of guns that there are other forces on their way. Forces containing Valkinvar."


    My eyes widened with hope upon hearing that, "That''s wonderful!"


    She smiles at my words, "It is, but the orders I am about to give you cannot be accepted with confidence lacking." she tells me as we find ourselves heading to the officer''s tower.


    "I am to head out on my own?" I assume, fearing the worst is just what we had to endure at the moment.


    "I am afraid so, but, Wing-Tip Vapooliar... I know you can do this." she tells me as her hand firmly grasps one of my pauldrons.


    "Tell me the way I must head, then."


    "The pass in which our enemy have spilled out of, to the right is a smaller, narrower passage, not one suited for an army to pass through."


    "We left someone behind...?" I questioned fearfully, my worries coming to the front as my incompetence became clear.


    "No, no!"


    "Sorry..."


    "There is a small monastery in that direction. It belongs to the Ordoar Ammimpaurst, and we believe it rang back when I sounded the bells."


    "And of the informals?" I ask, predicting that this was not the way they went. It was too dangerous for the far more mortal soldiers under us.


    "They report a force towards our east. Find and save the Ammimpaurst there, and head towards the east with them to bring in the reinforcements."


    "And when we return?" I ask, choosing not to put forward any dire mindsets. I would not belittle the courage of the men here by making them believe we had no chance of support.


    "The guns of this fort shall guard you, now go, we have little time to waste." she orders me. To which I respond with a slight, sharp nod and a fist against the chest. One hand soon grasped my sword and I dashed out of the fort. All the way back to the roof.


    From where I waited a brief moment for the puff of smoke and roar of a cannon. Then, I dashed forward and leapt over the battlements. Falling through the brief blindspot on our side before shooting ahead towards the enemy lines. And with my blade ready, I cut down any who I got near.


    I was not instructed to, but I felt that it was best to make them believe I was attempting to gash them open. An attempt to outflank them was what I wanted it to appear as. So I went past the passage Wing-Head Allyoceer spoke of and made a quick detour through the enemy. Smashing their works in a way the guns could not and leaving many dead before I did as I was asked.


    But, until I could confirm that the skies were an able route for us. I withheld myself from slashing at the rocks of the tunnel this pass started in. Yet, once the light of day reached out to me from the far end. I forced my blade through the stone and left it collapsing behind me.


    Crashing into the ground with a crouch so I could inspect the damage before I went off again. Desperately looking around for any signs of a landmark before I came to a halt in the sky. A frown on my face as I struggled to sense anything as well. The combined magic of all the machines and soldiers a mere mountain range over made it hard to sense for another Valkinvar.


    Thankfully, however, I seemed to find what appeared to be a road. And I dropped down to check if it indeed was one. To my delight, it was. Though, it was not paved so much as well-travelled.


    It was a hint towards the monastery, though, so I followed it until something else came up. And that something else was a river. One that flowed down from a mountain top. Yet, near its origin of it, there was an isolated building.


    "Unreachable by foot..." I commented as I realised that this must''ve been it. A place that could only be reached through flight? It had to have been a Valkinvar monastery! Yet the smell it was belching out was concerning.


    But, regardless of it, I landed by the entrance and tried to open the door. However, I was met with stubborn resistance by the lock and its reinforcement. The desperation of my mission here made me want to break it down... But what this place was withheld me from any violent action at the moment.


    "Hello!?" I called out to the hopefully alive occupants of the monastery.


    "Wha- Who!?" a man called out from the inside as the sound of furniture falling and scraping suddenly came out of the building.


    "Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst, open this door!" I demanded, recalling what Wing-Head Allyoceer had told me as I bashed away at the door.


    "Stop that..." he groaned before the sound of a heavy bar being thrown filled my ears. And within moments, a giant of a man came stumbling out of the building. To avoid being shoved to the ground, I hovered away. But I was left somewhat in despair as I looked at them.


    They wore no armour and I saw no weapon at their side. Their clothes were filthy and they were unclean. A mess of a beard was present and blood-red lines decorated the white of his eyes. His focus was lacking too...


    "Alcohol..." I remark quietly in disgust as I realised what the smell was. And I suppose that explained the river is connected to the monastery. It had a built-in brewery for economic reasons. Not that it clearly mattered to this man.


    I wanted to believe that they weren''t a Valkinvar, but... There was no way they could be here if they were not one. Was it better for me to just head out on my own? To try and save the reinforcements without this embarrassing drunkard?


    "Who are you, Valkinvar-Imdvarce?" he asked with a groan as he rubbed his head. With his fingers lingering so he could scratch his messy beard.


    "I have been ordered to retrieve you to both save you from encirclement and to get your help in supporting arriving reinforcements."


    "On whose authority? The Valkinvar-Bordeon''s?"


    "It doesn''t matter, you are to come with me." I tell him as he went back inside.


    "Whatever." he dismissively said before I followed him in.


    "You are to come with me now! So we might have a fighting chance of saving our country and the men who fight for it!" I tell him, nearly brought to a fit of rage by the dismissive comment.


    "I never said no." he told me as the air suddenly trembled as if a horn had gone off near us. The building then shook suddenly as a heavy weight was suddenly dropped onto the ground. His hammer...


    "Good..." I meekly commented as I felt the power of this man ripple through his muscles. Despite the seemingly undisciplined attitude he gave me, this man clearly looked after himself. Or most of himself, anyway.


    "If I can remember where my armour is, we could go but..."


    "Fine, I''ll help you look for it." I groan as I put my sword down and inspect the monastery. And although I wanted to give it the respect it deserved. Not even its keeper seemed to care that much. As it was a mess covered by both spilt downslope and noxious bile.


    Thankfully, I was able to get my hands on it. Though, I had to pull it from a pile of bottles and ruined shattered tablets. I didn''t even have a moment to at least dust it off for him. As he just snatched it up and began to pat me out of the monastery.


    "H-Hey!" I complained before the door was slammed shut in my face. And as if one of the gods had come to laugh at me, an unwelcome noise filled my ears. The distinct sensation of magic as well... A small airship had flown over the mountains and was now staring me down.


    My sword wasn''t even in my grip either, it had been locked inside the monastery by that drunkard. So even though I could not guarantee the safety of this monastery. I at least ensured it would survive for the moment by not calling on my sword. Such a force likely ruining the building long before we took back what was ours.


    "I suppose it doesn''t matter." I remarked I jumped down to the valley floor to meet the soldier disembarking to face me. To my displeasure, though, they were greatswords. And I had just willingly refused to summon my weapon. So I was to be on my own for the moment with no weapon.


    Yet, just as the greatswords wasted no time in exploiting my lack of a blade. I wasted none in displaying that I was more than just a sword. I weaved past and under their swings and shaky thrusts. Jabbing and slamming my limbs against their armour with mixed success.


    With so many to worry about, I could not get the fatal blows I desired. Their numbers as well along with the supporting airship also complicated things. They did not allow me to exploit their individual weakness for long and they kept forcing me back. Either with a honed steel edge brimming with internal-magic or those strange bolts of magic fire.


    Thankfully, it was clear that they could not hold up against me and more openings were becoming apparent. But the sudden appearance of a war-witch ruined everything. And a spell from her sent me into and through the soil. Though, only by surprise did that happen.


    "Great..." I remarked lowly as I stared down the gathering force. None of it was particularly strong on its own but together it was a small problem.


    "KEEP IT DOWN!" a voice then boomed from the monastery as it suddenly exploded outwards.


    "NO!" I screamed as I watched the holy site turn into a shower of rubble. Yet, as the dust settled, we were all left beholden to an armoured giant. One whose weapon reached out for more than the length of an equal-sized giant. And its spherical end pulsed with magic as they all turned to face him.


    "Oh, you lot." he remarked before he suddenly spun in the air. The winds which he wrangled from the sky then seeped into the ground. And as he finished one rotation of his spin. The rock spiked out with veins of bright emerald.


    Smashing apart the small airship and scattering the rest as he suddenly dropped with a boom. And within a blink of an eye, a greatsword-wielding soldier of the Union became mist. Small, torn-up pieces of bloodied metal rained on the others and the air exploded. Another great explosion then washed out onto the other side of the valley.


    With only the war-witch safe in the sky surviving. Before she could run away, though, I shot up to meet her. Snatching up my sword and bisecting her from behind with my blade. Yet, instead of meeting up with the Ammimpaurst, I shot straight into him.


    Angrily thrashing him against the mountain with one hand, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?"


    "Saving your backside..." he answers as he tries to swat me away as if I was a simple bug.


    "YOU DESTROYED A MONASTERY OF THE ORDOAR AMMIMPAURST!" I roared as I gestured my sword back to the thornbush-like mess he had left. Sharp, jagged stone filled the gap and blood pooled out of it. And worst of all, the value of that holy site lay shattered about the place.


    "It was a mess anyway." he commented as he shoved me off with a single clean move.


    "Try anything like that again and I''ll trial you like the blasphemer you are..." I threatened as I spun my blade around. Situating it past the gaps of his neck guard. All it would take would be a single downward burst to decapitate him.


    "Oh, Shining Armour." he remarked with a shake of his head. And he made it still, despite the state my armour was in. Which only infuriated me.


    "Excuse me!?" I demanded to know as I applied pressure to his covered-up neck.


    "You are freshly anointed, aren''t you?" he questioned with a mocking laugh as he flicked the blade out of the gap precisely.


    "And what of it?" I asked back. My current anger ensured that I fell for his provocation.


    "A lack of willingness to let go." he answers as he walks away.


    "We''re fighting for the very survival of our faith against an army of heretics! Bloody men who wish to wipe us out!" I remind him.


    "This is just one land."


    "From which it may spread!" I hiss before I back away with a shake of my head. I wasn''t here to debate. We had to fight. There were men south of here fighting for their lives, waiting for us to rescue them.


    Thankfully, he took note of this and readied himself, "So, where do we head?"


    "Just follow me." I tell him before I shoot into the sky.


    "Tsk, tsk. You Imdvarce and your need to rush ahead." he comments once he catches up to me in the sky. Though, his eyes wandered towards the Long Battery Fort as we flew past it.


    "We''ll be guiding them there." I answer before he gets the wrong idea.


    "A relief army?"


    "Reinforcements."


    "The plan is to hold them at the fortress?"


    "It is the best option available to us."


    "I wouldn''t be so sure."


    "Well, we have time, give me some ideas so I might give them in turn to Wing-Head Allyoceer!" I demand to know. My patience reaching its limit.


    .


    .


    .


    "Valkinvar, the lines have been shored up, but we need your help to prevent further breaks!" an officer cried out to me as he came to an abrupt halt.


    "Valkinvar-Staguiffmani!" I correct him with an erratic twist and jump. Smashing the base of my staff against the ground as I faced him.


    "We need your help, the guns can only do so much and our reserves are gone!"


    "I ordered you to leave me be!" I remind him as my magic gathered at the peak of my staff. And, with fear in his eyes, he backed away and rejoined the men. Though, I had to remind him of what he was commenting about as he walked away. Yet, as soon as he left, my anger went away and my worry came back.


    This wasn''t meant to be... I had assurances from the Zephadron-Valkinvar herself that I was to be safe. That I would not be put at risk. So why was I out here on the frontlines with a collapsing force!?


    I should''ve been back at Thurn''s Forge helping the others prepare... So why had their promises fallen short? Why was I out here? We did not lack useful bodies to take the place I currently filled...


    "Dammit... There''s no way out of this..." I nearly cried in frustration as I stared at what was the most recently developed map. I was holding one force off with these lot. Yet, the way out of here was right on the advance path of another army. I would be killed just trying to cross the distance.


    And in a fit of anger, I struck my staff to the ground and blew away the maps.


    "You dare leave me..." I growl tearfully before I flicked my arm up to intercept an incoming round shot. Hiding my face briefly so I could clear it of tears before I surveyed the moment. Holes were all over our trenches, dig outs and barricades. We would not last out here.


    Or, rather, they would not. I had to head back so I could be there for the Ordoar Staguiffmani. My sisters needed me far more than this force here. So perhaps I should take the moment to break away?


    I at least had a chance if I fell back. Here I was just on my own to die. But I did not want to die... I couldn''t die here or now.


    "WE GOT INCOMING!" one of the surveyors from their post shouted down to us.


    "Incoming from wh..." I began to comment before I suddenly turned around when I felt it. A massive force of magic was heading this way... The army that was going down beside our rear... Was this them?


    No, wait, I needed to focus.


    "Two bodies." I quickly concluded as their figures became clear despite the auras that surrounded them. And the way the sky ruptured around one of them only confirmed it. Valkinvar were on their way... Of the other Ordoar but still!


    "WE GOT HELP!" a man screamed with all he had. And with it came a fresh wave of determination as morale started to come back to the men.


    "Why''re you two out here...?" I let out in confusion as they flew overhead and crashed into the army. At the head of their advance was a giant of the Ordoar Ammimpaurst. And as he reached the ground, the winds wormed their way through gravel and soil. Vicious spikes erupted soon after and blocked off the valley.


    And from high above, a member of the Valkinvar-Imdvarce dove down. From beyond the freshly made defences did she fight. So I could only assume what she was up to. But I could feel it as well as hear it.


    They were being torn apart beyond that wall by that Valkinvar.


    Though, I was still shocked by this development. So I rushed ahead to meet with the Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst who kept watch on his creation at the front of one of our trenches. And with a gladdened hand, he took someone up on an offer of a beverage. This meant I had to wait for him to finish with his greedy guzzling.


    Though while the ironcoats did not mine, I did, "Why''re you here!?"


    "To help." he answered quickly as he chucked away the empty container.


    "Why...?" I asked as there was meant to be no one out here to save us. I saw the maps and had been given a grander insight into how it was destined to go. I should''ve been on my own.


    "What a stupid question." he rebuffs as he charges up his magic again. And with a single wide swing, he made his prior work a shower of rubble. With the Valkinvar-Imdvarce flying out just in time to avoid the rain of spikes and grape-shot aspiring debris.


    "Maybe you can answer what your companion doesn''t, then. Why are you here!?" I demanded to know just after she crashed into the soil. Interrupting whatever comment she likely had for the Ordoar-Ammimpaurst.


    "Ordoar-Staguiffmani? This will be useful." she remarks with what must''ve been a smile under that helmet of hers.


    "Answer me!" I demanded as I leaned the tip of my staff towards her. A spell in the works so that she could pick up on my intent a little easier.


    "We''re here to pull these men out of here and get them to the Long Battery Fort." she answers with a flat, but still clearly on-edge tone.


    "Long Battery!? That place has been abandoned and bypassed in its entirety!" I tell them as I recall the maps which I had tossed aside only moments before.


    "No, we have refilled the fortifications with men and worked guns, it is a safe haven. Though, it is under siege. Wing-Head Allyoceer intends for you lot to join us."


    "Wing-Head Allyoceer? She should''ve been wiped out at her post!" I point out as I remembered who was to hold the pass where the main army was coming.


    "No, we pulled out safely. And I intend to ensure the same fate for this force."


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "You would have me holed up in some thundering grave?" I ask her as I use my magic to bring my tablets back to me. Holding one of them closely as I tried to consider what she was suggesting. I suppose it was better than dying out here at least... And if the army was being held up by the fortress, I could slip on by back to Thurn''s Forge.


    "To stand there is better than to stand here." the Valkinvar-Imdvarce tells me as I overlooked the state her armour was in. A rather odd amount was even missing in the lower half... There was no way she should''ve taken a blow like that and lived. Unless...?


    "You heard her men! Pull out!" one of the officers ordered without my blessing.


    "HOLD STILL!" I roared as I used my magic to create a barrier through which none of them could pass.


    "I outrank you, Ordoar-Staguiffmani." the Valkinvar-Imdvarce points out to me as she shows me the ornamental wing she had strapped around her chest piece.


    "This is my force..." I weakly mutter as my magic disappears.


    "Leave the guns, we have plenty at the fort! Bring only what you need to move the wounded and essentials! Whatever you can carry! Ammunition, of course, should be a priority." she orders before she mutters the last part at the end with a shrug. It seemed that she was prepared for a long siege. But I was not.


    "And how do you intend to have us get back to the fort when an army advances on it?"


    "Wing-Head Allyoceer holds the fort, for now, the guns will rain protection over us as we advance to the gates." she explains before the Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst began to move as if he had something to say.


    "We''ll probably be expected to join in that, no?"


    "I''d imagine so, yes. So, conserve your magic for the moment. There''s much fighting to be done."


    "And what about our flank which is now unguarded?" I demanded to know as I saw our old lines disappear into an eager mass of retreating men and beasts.


    "You are most familiar with the battle that occurred here. You will serve as the rearguard while me and him ensure the safety of the column as its vanguard."


    "Of course..." I bitterly acknowledge as I walked the pair walk away before they then went into the sky.


    "Maybe now you will actually fight." one of the ironcoats remarked as he rushed by with a stack of small crates.


    "Why you..." I growled as magic gathered in my palm. But, under the watchful eyes of so many, I did nothing with it. And instead, I just waved it out of my hand. Flexing my fingers about as if I had just let go of a heavy burden.


    But, my orders were clear and I had no room to argue it. So I rose up into the sky like the others had and began my watch of the rear. Slowly moving in the opposite direction of our force until I reached the ruins of the enemy force. And with hesitation, I stared down at the few men still alive.


    Watching their small, prick-like eyes stare back at me as they tried to reach for a weapon. But I stopped them each time with a simple flick of my wrist. I killed none of them but I made sure they could not attack me. And I looked down at one of the rifles which I had knocked away.


    Picking it up with my magic and holding it by the front end. Sighing as I did so before I dropped it back down. This was not the plan. I should have not been here.


    None of them was meant to die by my hands and I put myself at needless risk in the future by being here. But what had I done wrong to warrant this? I kept to my oaths and stayed loyal. Ever since Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli''s rise to power since the incident...


    I struggled to fathom it but for my own survival right now, I had to avoid worrying about it. Suspicions would arise if I showed reluctance in fighting. After all, I was a Valkinvar still. War was what I had been raised to enact...


    So, after a few shaky breaths, I brought a wave of wind after me. Killing those I had previously spared before I was left watching as another wave marched forward. And as I suspected, they fired upon me with the same intent to kill as they would show to any other Valkinvar. But, it was not enough.


    No bolt of magic, piece of round shot or hurried ahead blade could pierce the barrier I brought up. The power I put into sustaining it was far to great for them to surpass. And I quickly forced the grand power towards them just as casually. Though, it did not maintain its slow advance like they did.


    And I watched from behind an opaque wall as they died. Washed aside by a horrific tide of razor winds and a solid wall that should''ve been passable. Through all the wrenching of steel and flesh and machine, I heard no screams. But their lost lives marked the soil regardless.


    With my task done, I then began to head back to the army. Watching carefully as the last of the men pulled out with the supplies they could manage to take. Not a second glance came from either of us. And I returned to watching the old front.


    "Destroy the guns before you leave." one of them relayed to me just as I considered what to do with the batteries we had left behind.


    "Very well." I let out quietly as I turned my focus to the mountain on my right. And as both of my hands gripped my staff, I focused my power into its tip. Swinging the built-up potential in a wide arc along the mountainside. Blasting out tons of rock which quickly avalanched towards our old position.


    And quickly, I dashed down to the ground and slammed my staff down. Putting more power into creating a wide, valley-bridging shield which held back the falling rock and snow. Then, as the wounded mountain ceased its groaning and retaliation. I let the barrier fall, with many pieces of rock spilling out towards me as I floated backwards.


    With our rear then secured fully, I went over the army and made my way to the other two. Joining up with them, much to their surprise. Though neither commented on it directly. I still felt like they had something to say.


    "I wiped out the oncoming enemy further down the valley and tore asunder a mountainside to destroy and cover up our old defensive lines." I explain to them as the sound of the fortress guns became ever clearer.


    "The Ordoar-Staguiffmani continues to impress me."


    "It was nothing grand." I tell the Imdvarce dismissively as I recalled a power that shamed us all.


    "To handle something in so little time is impressive, Valkinvar-Staguiffmani. You will be a great help in the siege as it develops."


    "Ha, I''m on the wrong side of it." the Ammimpaurst comments as he makes a few mock swings.


    "The Ordoar-Ammimpaurst have not seen much action in their ancient, traditional roles for some time now." I remind him to which he just shrugs and guffaws.


    "Remember, the besieger does not fight in the open. He two is open for being besieged." the Wing-Tip comments as she turns around slightly to see us.


    "All the better for me! I have been dying to make use of this swinging arm of mine!" the Ammimpaurst cheers.


    "Shouldn''t you have been making use of it?" I inquire as the way he said it suggested something odd.


    "Guarding a monastery doesn''t offer much time for battle."


    "And what a fine job of that you did." the Valkinvar-Imdvarce comments sarcastically. And, the topic went no further when she suddenly gestured her arm up for us to halt. A wide field before us as she did so.


    "We are here." I comment just in time for the burst of fire and smoke to erupt from our left. The roars and screams of the fortress guns filled our ears in but a single flash.


    "Valkinvar-Staguiffmani, prepare some kind of signal. When I return, I want you to fire it off so that the fort knows we are coming." the Wing-Tip tells me as she dashes down the length of our troops. I could only assume she was ensuring all were grouped together so we could make a single push. We''d not want to be out here for long if the frequency of the guns was anything to go by.


    "Must be quite the army waiting for us around one of these edges." the Ammimpaurst commented eagerly as his war maul suddenly dropped down. Were it not for trained reflexes as well, he probably would''ve dropped it. But, I suppose he had plenty of time to practice tricks in his isolation.


    "So why were you guarding a monastery as our nation crumbled all about us?"


    "Wasn''t aware it was."


    "Hard to believe."


    "Monasteries are isolated places, staff-holder." he comments as he brushes his beard with his armoured and gloved fingers.


    "Valkinvar-Staguiffmani." I correct out of annoyance as he huffs in bemusement.


    "Oh, hurry up." he then said with thinning patience as he looked towards where the Imdvarce had gone. And, as if his words were magical too, she came speeding back towards us. The wind washed over us as she came to her abrupt halt.


    "Are you ready, Valkinvar-Staguiffmani?" she asked immediately. And I answered her without a word by raising my glowing staff to the sky. With a spell that then sent recoil into my wrist, the sky lit up with a bright emerald light.


    "Let''s go!" the Ammimpaurst cheered eagerly as he shot ahead of us and bulldozed his way through the earth.


    "COMING UP ON YOUR LEFT!" the Wing-Tip seemingly reminds the men before she jolts her head in the direction for me to head. It then wasn''t long before I joined the pair on the ground. A vast army before us at the far end of the plains.


    Seeing it didn''t do it justice... I could sense far beyond what my eyes could see and it was an eternal stalk. A horde of fearless steel and strange power. And we had to hold the line against it so that our troops could pull back.


    It fitted perfectly with the idea we were given of the Valkinvar of when we were younger. Witches of such calibre that they made other stories feel shameful. Stories of brave armies facing a lone, arrogant witch became omens. And what we did today would become the example of triumph.


    "Do not get lost in the killing! Do not push in too deep! Head back to the fort when Wing-Head Allyoceer makes the call for it!" the Imdvarce orders us before she shoots ahead to meet the enemy. And, just overhead, another Imdvarce rockets into the battle on an erratic path.


    "ABOUT TIME!" the Ammimpaurst roars as he charges ahead, his maul filling with magic as he did so. The ground even trembled and cracked as if a barrage of guns had matched him stride for stride. All that was left was me. Hesitant and passive.


    "I''ll have to think about it later..." I tell myself as I shake away the ideas of what I was involved with back at the capital. A wave of my hands then covered the sky in a net of barriers. Impassable to what came at us but permeable to the guns from behind. And although there was merit to keeping the barriers over the troops.


    I saw a greater cause to push them closer to my sisters and brother. So I did so, with the strength and potency of my senses being directed elsewhere so I could predict where our guns would fire. In those gaps, I then formed my own arcane munitions. And with great swings, I sent them out towards the halted army.


    Tearing them apart with whistling missiles of pure arcane winds. A line of firey explosions and steel-shearing vortexes opened up before me. I even took inspiration from the Ammimpaurst''s prior actions and I sent projectiles through his spikes. Breaking them apart and turning them into vicious, blood-drawing rain.


    The army was being butchered yet they still kept it up. The strange darkness that enveloped them ensured no fear would come. Even the few who did show their faces roared in defiance of our combined power. But the sudden shock of one of their guns firing back at me made me jolt.


    An entire barrier had been enveloped and had just vanished...


    "Such esoteric power..." I commented as I felt the magic fill the space that shot had left. Nine halfmans wide, nine halfmans high. A perfect sphere. Yet, its power did not enamour me for long, and I was quick to drop my own power right on top of it.


    For a moment after, I then halted my attacks and returned to defensive measures. All so I could glance back at my force as it filled the lower keep of the fortress. A fine, shining line soon appeared along the dangerous road up to the main structure. They were moving fast but it was clear they needed more time.


    "I suppose we have their guns silent enough." I remarked as I put an end to the barricades. Ascending into the sky in a moment and looking down on the battlefield below. A knowing glint in my eyes as I watched the enemy pour out from their narrow pass. War-witches flew, leapt and sprinted out to meet us.


    But it was clear they did not have the numbers to spare on everyone. And I was left with the complete freedom to cast armageddon upon them. Not one to waste the opportunity either, I gathered up a great deal of my magic into a single, levelled vortex. Then, without the modesty expected of me given my status.


    I sent it straight towards the enemy army. Relaxing slightly as the tremendous burden left my grasp. With some amusement, I then watched as my sisters forced my brother out of the danger zone. Its grand power already tearing up the far side of the plains before it burst out into the valley.


    Like the waves that once drowned our ancestors did my magic move. Nowhere within that narrow pass was safe and an army found itself tossed high into the sky. Men, beast and machine went into the sky whole or lacerated into a fine mist. Yet, it was also clear that a move had been made to halt it.


    So many pairs of hands with their own power clashed against mine. They struggled at first, but they proved strong enough and I watched as my power was sent back our way. Though, it had been heavily diminished. And it just went on to destroy their old fortifications even more so.


    "TOWARDS THE FORT!" the Wing-Head called up to me as she and the other two raced back to the fort. And, not one for being left behind after exhausting myself like that. I made a point of staying ahead of them. Coming to a graceful stop atop the fortress while they nearly crashed into it.


    "I feel so limber now!" the Ammimpaurst laughed as he carefully set his weapon down. Before he then took a seat by the exit of a flight of stairs.


    "You''ve done well, Wing-Tip Vapooliar. Reinforcements of two types. Both of which, can be considered decisive." Wing-Head Allyoceer complimented as she turned to us to.


    "Valkinvar-Staguiffmani Dannatili." I told her, assuming her silence was her way of asking for our name.


    "Lavauroas." the Ammimpaurst answers shortly after I stated my name.


    "Well, then, Valkinvar-Staguiffmani Dannatili. Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst Lavauroas. I am glad you can be here with us during this important moment. I am, for the moment, your new commanding officer. Wing-Head Allyoceer."


    "The pleasure is mine." I tell her as I look back towards the active battlefield.


    "I am sorry I cannot come to grasp yourselves better, but, I too must head out now. And as we just did, I expect the same for me." she tells us before she dives off the building and shoots off towards one of the passes on the far side.


    "Take the moment to rest, we''ve done enough damage for the moment. They won''t be making any grand advances any time soon." Wing-Tip Vappoliar comments as she takes off her helmet and sets down her blade.


    "Ha, we? Staff-holder here did all the work." Lavauroas laughed out as he motioned himself back to his feet.


    "Only because of the opportunity you gave me." I point out as I start to head inside.


    "Yes, that is something we will need to bear in mind from now on." Vapooliar comments as she follows me.


    "As always." I point out, having been assigned to mixed-Ordoar wings before. I suppose that was experience I could relay to Wing-Head Allyoceer when she returned. If nothing else, that experience should see me take up the role of Wing-Joint.


    "Will... Will you want a tour of the fort as you find relief?"


    "Showing me the way to our general quarters will be enough."


    "Yes, of course." she says without the confidence I would''ve expected from a wing-tip. She was jittery and clearly unused to the position. But I suppose the answer was clear when one focused on the crude amulet she had on. This was an unceremonious field promotion.


    It would not stick, clearly, but, I had to hope all the best to her. An officer with lacking confidence was a danger to their soldiers. The superiors in my Ordoar knew that well. And they made a point of keeping their graces about them regardless of how the war might''ve affected them.


    "Hm, the officer''s tower. Fitting enough." I say as I placed my staff on a rack meant for something else. But, with shortages came adaptability. Though nothing would ever replace my love of a good lounge chair and a tablet to read. Maybe even a paper book if I felt particularly stuffy.


    "We haven''t assigned any of the rooms, so, I guess now is a better time than any..." she nervously chuckles as she puts her sword down on a rack they had clearly moved in from the armoury.


    "I suspect we won''t be making much use of them anyway."


    "I suppose that is true... The men have been talking about how they are as restless here as they were out there."


    "That problem should solve itself over time. As more troops arrive to aid us from the many failed fronts about here. They will bring with them the flexibility that comes with all vast teams."


    "Let us hope they don''t bring about those who will stand idle."


    "The situation is too dire for something like that..." I tell her despite the hypocrisy that I sent out with it. So, with a sigh, I tapped a nearby set of draws before I moved towards the stairs.


    "I''ll leave you to it, then, I''ll check up on Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst Lavauroas." she told me with a nervous nod before she turned to leave.


    "Vapooliar..." I informally started with.


    "Y-Yes?"


    "You''re doing fine, loosen up." I tell her before I carry on going up the stairs. Keeping my expression straight as I caught a mutter following me up the stairwell. And with a curious hand moving about the place, I used my fragile reserves of magic to look about the tower. Getting an idea for how many rooms there were and where they were.


    And, given the severity of the siege, I felt it fitting to take up a room near the top of the tower. Though it also came with the benefit of allowing me a quick departure. No one had reason to suspect my willingness to leave. But we would see how things unfurled before I made any choices as dangerous as that.


    "Hm, who knows, maybe I''ll even find the lost orders meant for me requesting that I pull back." I laughed miserably as I considered my situation once again. I shouldn''t have been here. This was not where I was supposed to be. It was not an earned punishment at all...


    It would all have to wait, though. Maybe when the siege dragged on longer I would get my moment. But for now, I had to play along with it all. Fight alongside my sisters and brother.


    "At least with this window I will not have to step outside to watch developments." I remarked as I walked about the room I had chosen. Placing a palm at the edge of the window and looking out it apathetically. It wasn''t a good view, but enough to tell when something was going wrong or right. Whatever came first for us.


    Though, as I had no way to mark out that I had chosen this room. I called on my staff and had it return to my grip. And I popped it down right in plain view so everyone understood. Leaving it as is before I ascended higher to the viewing platform at the very top.


    And once there, I pulled down my hood and undid the armoured battle mask I had on. Exposing my features to the windy elevation as I watched my prior work become undone. A truly vast force was marching against us. And I worried we''d be falling dead from exhaustion rather than wounds.


    There were no elders here either to pass on their magic so we could rejuvenate either. This was it. What we had was all we would be allowed to work with. So, I stepped a little closer to the edge and let my senses feel out the world around me.


    Much magic travelled through the skies but was left untouched. No one was calling on it and it was left to enjoy its freedom. But I had need of its strength, we all did. So, I made my plea with strength and dignity.


    Smiling slightly as the power grew before me and gained colour as its density became ever clearer. From there, it was just a simple case of breathing it in and letting it breeze past me. My muscles became energised and my grogginess left me. My exhaustion from before became a thing of the past and what I didn''t gobble up I let flow down the tower.


    From there, it would spread out until it then vented out whatever hole it could find. Hopefully, my sister and brother would make use of it before it made its escape. I could trust them in that regard. Much in the same way I could trust them with so many other things.


    Even if they could not say the same for me.


    .


    .


    .


    "Battcomm Rohlant, how goes everything?" I asked our chief of artillery as I joined him at the centre of his opposition. The beating heart of our fort''s defiance. Ropes and all kinds of wires were about the place. Linking him to alarms and other signals while one side was dominated by an unimpeded view of the field.


    "Since your little foray ahead of us, we''ve been able to lighten up the load on the gun crews. They can get some much needed rest now, thank you."


    "Are the reinforcements fitting in fine?"


    "I have a feeling there''ll be a lil'' head clashing with their artillery officers, so it may be important for you to step in."


    "Shouldn''t they respect your age well enough?" I ask him, not sure why they''d be quick to dismiss an aged soldier. Given the profession and the severity of the situation. I would''ve thought his veterency would be well respected. And that it would silence any complaints by its mere presence.


    "They''ll make a jab at my eyesight as many often do. But, regardless. With all these new lads coming in. You''ll need to make a point of straightening out the pecking order. The lads trust what a Valkinva'' has to say."


    "I will take that into account, thank you." I tell him with a nod as I moved closer to see what he was dealing with. I wasn''t sure about how advanced and modern the fort was, by our nation''s standards anyway. So I did not know if he was working on a handicap. But, he had performed more than well enough so far.


    I would go as far as to say that he was doing an exceptional job, covering so many guns. With a stretched-out batch of crews to man them as well! I can''t imagine it was an easy job. But, again, no one was to expect an easy time given what we faced.


    "So, do you believe that we should make a habit of this?"


    "Talking? Na."


    I nearly smiled, but I held up my stoic reserve, "No, going out there and beating them back far enough to ensure the gun crews can rest."


    "That is something you will have to judge for yourself. I''m no witch, thankfully." he tells me before he starts to tug on some of the ropes. A sharp rattle then filled the air when he pushed down on some small levers.


    "We will need to be able to work together far better than we ever have in the past. We won''t make it through this siege otherwise."


    "I admit I don''t share the optimism."


    "Then," I sigh, "at least keep quiet about those thoughts?"


    "Can do."


    "So... Has everything been alright for you... Since we parted ways at the aelenvari flower?"


    "As alright as alright can be right now. We''ve been pushed back from our centuries-held fronts and are facing a new kind of war. One these Unionists have held in reserve intentionally to catch us off balance."


    "The airships..."


    "Monsters we have no answer for." he remarks before he looked towards a large steel door on one end of the room.


    "Do you think the mountain cracker has a chance?"


    "It was designed for the largest of monsters we were aware of the enemy having. But, with how tough those mountain-shelled beasts are, I can say with confidence that it could bring one down."


    "Everything is in order with the mountain cracker, then?"


    "No..."


    "Then it is urgent you elaborate." I tell him as I come over and plant my hands on his vast table.


    "This is a very specialist gun, we need to train the strongest lads how to operate it."


    "We can give you that time."


    "It''s not just that, Valkinva'', the munitions store for it have been emptied."


    "What...?" I let out in shock.


    "You and me both. Largest of the guns here, hardest to move, yet, when the fort was left abandoned. They emptied the stores only for that gun."


    "I was under the impression our stores were sufficient..."


    "Well, someone has made a fool of us all, then. A saboteur likely made their way to the gun before hand."


    "One soldier can''t empty out such a grand weapon store on his own, surely?"


    "I''d rather not think on the idea of more than a man being involved with this." he let out distastefully as I wandered closer to the steel door.


    "Someone had tried to seal it shut?" I ask him as I noted the distorted metal in some spots. Even the thick, solid bars it used for locks had been snapped off.


    "Yes, we assumed it was some half-implemented plan to deny the fort to the Unionists. But, no, clearly not."


    "Any idea where we can even find more munitions for this gun?"


    "This is my first time ever working with a mountain cracker, so no. If I was the Orchestrator of the Artillery for this place, maybe, but, you know."


    "We''ll have to fashion our own, I guess..." I comment with a shrug. Not putting much thought into it when I made the comment.


    "That may work, actually."


    "It might?"


    "Yes, that hammer-ball using one of you. I saw his work out there. An impressive display of making solid rock mould itself into what he wants it to be."


    "I''ve only ever seen him make spikes of it. And I doubt they''d survive the trip through the barrel."


    "Well, I implore you then to test if he can make the largest round shot we''ve ever seen."


    "I''ll make a point of it, we can even mix the two together to give your men the training time they need!"


    "Best not keep us waiting, then, Valkinva''." he tells me with a grin as he starts to bring out more items onto the table.


    "Of course, until we meet again."


    "See you soon, then." he tells me as I leave the room. And, as I did so, I let my magic run loose so I could find my Ammimpaurst brethren. It seems he was still out on the roof of the fortress. So I went up there to meet him.


    Glancing about the lightly manned rooftop before I found him talking with some of the men. Whatever it was about, they seemed to be enjoying themselves. But this problem I had been made aware of was more important. Besides, we needed the gun crews at the ready to handle the enemy when Wing-Head Allyoceer came back.


    "Oh, watch out. Tip of the wing is here with a stern expression on the other side of the narrow slit." Lavauroas remarked as I approached.


    "Unless Battcomm Rohlant has relieved you of your posts, I suggest you get back to them." I tell the idle men before turning my attention to the largest among them. The giant I met covered in stale alcohol in a now-gone monastery.


    "So, whatchu want?" he asked as he began to lean over the thin defences. While the weight of his weapon anchored him to the ground as he tempted fate with a wide lean.


    "To enquire about your abilities."


    "You saw them, what''s to ask about?"


    "I need to see to what degree you can manipulate the earth you apply your magic to."


    "Not following, get to the point."


    "Can you make a perfectly round orb that can fit tightly within the barrel of that?" I ask him as I gesture towards the vast weapon on my left. He then looked over it and whistled before he seemed to ponder it.


    "Can give it a go, never had much reason to practice the shape of my attacks. Just swing and watch it all go." he explained before he dramatised his speech a little at the end.


    And I stared at him hopelessly, "You''ve been in that monastery for how long?"


    "Long enough to make use of the downslope brewery for meself." he laughed as he patted his armoured gut.


    "And not one moment was spent refining our craft? That which you exist solely for?"


    "Oh, stuff it, Shining Armour. All I ever did for years and years was train and fight. I am sure I have earned the right to learn new crafts."


    "Drinking yourself into an irrational stupor is hardly a new craft..." I sneer out at him.


    "No, but brewing is." he chuckled as he swung himself forward back to his feet.


    "Well, now you can find a new craft. Making artillery rounds." I tell him as I turn to walk away.


    "Best make a tactical effort with it, then, no? Take stone and earth from their side of the plains?"


    "As long as you are not endangering this fortress I could not care where you practised it. So long as you ensure you report for duty when called upon."


    "As expected." he told me with a nod.


    "But, as you have spoken of it." I started to say, catching his wandering attention once again.


    "Listening."


    "Can you make a point of creating obstructions ahead of the fortress'' lower half? Something to break apart the enemy as they advance on us."


    "Can do, I know the ironcoats like their ducking-out-of manoeuvres."


    "I was mostly just thinking in regard to breaking the enemy lines and funnelling them into a tighter, larger mass."


    "Whatever leads to more of them dead." he comments with a shrug as I nod and take my leave. My point having been made to him.


    Then, I came to a stop by the edge of the main fortress, on the side closest to the mountain cracker. And I turned my gaze towards where the Wing-Head had last been seen. She had been gone for some time now. But I had no idea what she was working with.


    I at least had Valkinvar-Staguiffmani Dannatili to create a signal. Allyoceer was not likely to be as lucky. But it was too dangerous to send someone out there just to scout. Even from up here, I could spot juperse riders prowling about.


    It was clear they had caught on to our efforts and were making a point of ensuring we stayed isolated. Though, they were pretty foolish if they thought only a few isolated riders would stop us. But with how reckless they were, there was no telling what they were capable of. Our devastating strike against them had only stifled them.


    And like the student, freshly beaten down by their teacher, they had gotten up again. More experienced and more prepared than before. They had war-witches at the ready last time, but now they formed a great defensive screen. It would be stress tested again and again and it would break over and over.


    But it was worrying to see this kind of endurance... I had grown used to seeing their armies routed. But now, I watched as they stood firm even in the face of such an invincible fortress. It really was all that this part of our country needed. With so many guns facing down at all points...


    Yet, they stood their ground and crept ahead slowly in spite of it. They brought forward machines and artillery so they could fight us on equal terms. Field engineers and war materials to build with. And an endless line of men to throw at us as they did so.


    Many would need Waionr''s help today and in the future, despite their collective heresy. He was going to be watching us carefully. And we had to make sure we kept to our oaths. Lest we damn ourselves as Grand-Thoucomm Pathort had all that time ago...


    Thankfully, my conscience was not disturbed right now. Our fire was indiscriminate. So it stayed within the rules of my Lord''s domain. But, I also worried about the plans of the enemy.


    The first time I saw those shadow-faced men. They marched forward at us with their pride held high. They kept us in a state of paralysis that we were not prepared for. Yet, now we might be...


    We might be ready for them...


    "GUNS ON THE LEFT PASS! GUNS ON THE LEFT PASS! COMMENCE FIRING!" someone shouted as he rushed out onto the roof. His voice and actions urging on the crews to get to work.


    "Left pass?" I repeated quietly as I reached out for my blade. Summoning it into my grip as carefully as I could in the circumstances while I turned my gaze. Then, I saw it, a Valkinvar had shot out of the pass and scared off the riders.


    Then another and another until an army followed!


    "The Wing-Head!" I let out in surprise before I leapt off of the building to join them. She may have come with a new army and more Valkinvar than I thought possible. But I still needed to help her. She needed me to help escort the formals back to the fortress!


    "WARD OFF THEIR RIDERS! THEN SPREAD OUT AND COVER THE EXPOSED FLANK!" Allyoceer roared to our sisters before she turned to me just as I arrived.


    "Should I join them?" I asked her before she began to slap me away.


    "Take position at the front, watch over from the first gatehouse." she told me, and I shot away to my objective the moment she finished. With a loud bang I landed on the attached wall and I rushed into the gatehouse.


    "Get this gate open! And you lot, defensive line ahead of it!"


    "YES, VALKINVAR!" a detachment of already prepared ironcoats roared back to me as they rushed out onto the plains. And while my sisters screened the far distance as the fortress guns came alive. I found myself ushering in another exhausted force into the safety of our stone walls. Like last time as well, along with whatever they could carry.


    "Our army has gathered, Heretics. Where are your chances now?" I taunted as I smirked at all the new troops we had. But, more so, I was glad that we seemed to have lucked out in acquiring a whole wing of Valkinvar! We could win this!


    With so many of us gathered here, we were guaranteed victory!

 Incline 4: Pressing Matters

    "So the ammunition we brought in with the scattered forces is not enough?" Allyoceer asked Rohlant as he presented a tablet to her.


    "Rate and scale that they''re coming, we''ll be dry of even kitchen utensils." he claims. Though, I saw the point he was making. Even Lavauroas with his strictly enforced practice for the mountain cracker couldn''t supply us with much.


    "So are we still at least using the fort''s muntions, or have we started using what we have brought in?"


    "We''re coming up on the last rounds from the troops you brought in the other day."


    "But they were only a handful of lucky informals." Lavauroas scoffed as he crossed his arms.


    "Which in turn means we have gone through every other force from before." Rohlant clarifies as he puts his hand on the table with a forceful push.


    "Then we''ll exploit the supplies of our opponent. We''ll sort out the necessities and make pushes on their stores. Heading back with the same speed that we went in with in order to ensure the supplies make it." Allyoceer explains as I glance over at the other Imdvarce she had brought in.


    "That won''t be an easy task. With the dwindling support from our guns, their guns will make easy pickings of us."


    "We''re Valkinvar, no gun crew will make cheap work of us." the other one she had named Wing-Tip asserted aggressively as she shook my side.


    "We''ve been desperately fighting for days now... Their numbers continue to grow whilst we grow weary and exhausted." I tell her before she scoffs at the points I just made. A confusing action that left me quiet.


    "It will be done, Wing-Head Allyoceer." she tells her with a firm nod as she quietly stares at us. And, unfortunately, she seems to ignore my concerns so she can push this idea.


    "Ammunition is not the only thing we are running into issues with." Dannatili points out as her magic brings out some more tablets. Though, as she did so, I looked out towards our exit. Idly staring in the direction where the boom of our guns came from.


    "Yes... We''re becoming increasingly claustrophobic at the moment." Allyoceer admits uncomfortably as the great table is cleared to present the next issue.


    "Our charity, to put it lightly, has seen us become overburdened. We have too many mouths to feed and not enough to go around. What we have been bringing in is mostly isolated, beaten-down forces. Their own supplies were running low before we brought them in." Dannatili explained.


    "How''re we going to be able to loot the enemy of their munitions, food and medical supplies?" I ask as I consider the burden this would place on us. Even just one of these things drastically hurt our ability to fight. With a Valkinvar focused on working as a courier...


    "You managed to hold the line with just two not that long ago. We can handle it." my fellow Wing-Tip asserted as she brushed aside my concerns.


    "The heretics had barely es-"


    "You faced the brunt of their army and held the line!"


    "Enough!" Allyoceer snapped as she looked over to Lavauroas who seemed to have a suggestion.


    "Then we turn those we can away." he bluntly states. With the regular soldiers within the room suddenly jolted at the suggestion.


    "No! Our duty is to protect them!"


    "And to save the majority we must send some out to die!"


    "Do not make such an assertion!" I snap at him as I tightly grasp the handle of my at-side blade.


    "When villages cannot help those out, they chase travellers away at the end of a spear." he explains to me as he unfolds his arms and looks down at me. Right into my eyes while I did the same.


    "We will not be sending anyone out to die needlessly." Allyoceer decides. Swiftly executing such an idea before it could be pushed further.


    "So it has been decided that you lot will go out and fetch me more ammunition as well as ensuring a single hot meal for all of us at the end of the day?" Rohlant asks as he started to pack away his things.


    "Dismissed." Allyoceer stated firmly before everyone began to file out. Yet, I stayed and watched her with uncertainty. The stiff facade she had been trying to keep up faltered and she sighed miserably.


    "Please do not tell me you are seriously considering our Brother-Ammimpaurst''s suggestion...?" I asked her cautiously as she moved closer to the balcony we had locked up before the meeting. The rattle of the door and lock then briefly disrupted the otherwise uninterrupted sound of roaring batteries. And it let them in with greater ferocity than ever as we walked out into the open.


    And I made a point of not looking down.


    "We are stuffed, Wing-Tip Vapooliar. Crammed in like salted meat in a barrel." she tells me as she looks down at the lower fortifications.


    "Saving their lives is not wrong." I remind her as she suddenly turns tense.


    "But what if that is what they wanted? To round us all into one, inescapable killing grounds?"


    "They''ve lost far too many for that to have been their plan." I point out to her with a sigh as she steadies her mind.


    "The truth of the matter, though, Vapooliar, is that we cannot keep all of these men here." she reminds me as I sternly keep my gaze focused on the enemy. Not letting the sights in the corners of my eyes become the centre-focus.


    "We can find a way... Lavauroas can use his magic to shift the stone! We can tunnel deeper into the mountain. Refit the dungeons for better use!"


    "You know that won''t work, Wing-Tip. We so much as see another spot for a man to stand out in the cold in and we''ll fill it with ten like him."


    "Don''t talk like that..."


    "If too much builds up, we will burst at the seams, Vapooliar." she points out as I sigh and give in to the sights below. Taking it all in to its fullest extent as I tried to crush my sword''s pommel. Even the road up to the main fortress had become crowded with ramshackle platforms and unstable tents. An open road not meant for that in the slightest.


    "There has to be a better way than just leaving them to die..."


    "I sincerely hope you can find such a solution, then." she tells me before she walks back inside to look at the tablets.


    "I suppose we''ll be headed out soon for supplies?" I inquire as I watch her glance at our rough scouting documentation.


    "Yes, you and Wing-Tip Uala will take a sister each and you''ll take what you can."


    "And our support?"


    "You won''t have any."


    "We can''t do this with just four Imdvarce." I tell her as I lean forward slightly.


    "And what would you have me do? Our stores run low, the guns cannot be as open as they were prior. Sister Dannatili needs rest and time to recoup her magic as do many of our other sisters."


    "I won''t speak of Brother Lavauroas, I know why he cannot help." I tell her as I bitterly leave the room. Maybe slamming the door in the process before I made my way outside. It was the only place I could move freely. But even up here it looked more like a campsite than the top gundeck of a fortress.


    Our situation was dire and like Wing-Head Allyoceer''s earlier analogy. We were being squeezed tightly by the armoured fist of our opponent. At the backs of our rescues was a gauntlet punching us into the hole. Crushing us with brute strength and the inescapable tightness of our new prison.


    Though, I suppose, I should take pride in the fact they needed an armoured fist to do it. We were a thorny creation that would lacerate them dry of all their life. They would not pass by easily. Nor would we just throw our hands in the air.


    These supply runs would just be one part of it. But, how effective they would be against them and for us was something else entirely. If I did not bring back all I could, the chances we would see men sent out to die needlessly grew. But I also knew that I could not bring back enough.


    Not with four of us.


    Not even if I had an army...


    "Guess I best pick those who are able for this task." I remark as I head back inside. Patiently waiting when I could for men to go on by before I forced my way to the officer''s tower. And when I got inside the crowded tower. I let my senses take it all in.


    Mere glances were just a cover for my ability to pick and choose. Those who seemed to have energy left in them I stared at. The ones who were wrung dry of the ability to exert I didn''t even glance at. Eventually, I found two sisters that could likely make the trip there and back.


    "You, you, with me." I tell the separated pair as I headed upstairs where it was quieter.


    "So, we meet again." Wing-Tip Uala let out with a sneer as she looked at us with crossed arms.


    "Wing-Head Allyo-"


    "I know." she interrupts as she snatches one of our lesser sisters up immediately.


    "We''ll be enacting a raid against the heretics. Our goal is to take what we can and bring it back here." I quietly explain to the sister that was left behind.


    "How many chances do we have?" she asks me as she starts to practice how she could carry some of it.


    "I... I don''t know... For the moment, we''ll go in once and head back. Give Wing-Head Allyoceer an idea as to what we can accomplish."


    "Of course." she says with a nod as we reach the top level of the tower. And as we did so, Sister Dannatili put a stop to what she had been doing and looked at us all unfavourably. We seemed to have interrupted something but it wasn''t worth getting involved with.


    But, "How do the winds fair?"


    "They''re growing thinner." she answers as she starts to get involved with what she was doing prior. And without another word, I stepped off the balcony and went into the air.


    "We''ll make a pass through the sky. Pick up what magic you can and then we''ll dive right down at them!" Wing-Tip Uala states without so much as consulting me. Neither of us had been given supreme command but she carried on trying to shove me out of it. She had been like this since she first arrived.


    I was unworthy of the symbol I now wore by the grace of our superior in her eyes...


    "Wing-Tip Vapooliar?" the sister that had ended up paired with me asked after I failed to follow them into the sky.


    "Sorry." I told her as I went ahead of her and the other one to get in line with Wing-Tip Uala.


    "Try to follow orders." the belittles me with the moment I got there. And, eventually, I drifted towards the left so I could keep my distance. Sighing against the wind before we came to a stop in a gap between the clouds. Our magic slowly recovered as it was being used.


    "We need a clear plan of exit." I point out to them before I found Uala taking the pair in to explain something. Yet, for some reason, she kept it quiet enough so that I could not hear it from here. So I moved closer, but, by the time I got there, she had just about finished explaining.


    "We''ll be handling munitions." the sister I was with explained to me as the other two made a sharp drop.


    "Can you spot anything that might look like a storeroom?"


    "Over there is relatively isolated, it would be perfect for storing volatile materials."


    "But can we use it is the question..." I quietly comment as I recalled how the guns of the heretics worked. Everything used magic! Our only hope might''ve been where ever the shotslings got their feed from.


    "We''ll have to figure it out later, let''s go!" my sister urged me as we noticed the signs of battle take a sharp upturn. Wing-Tip Uala and her taken sister had begun to wreak havoc. And we needed to get involved to ease the pressure on them.


    So, at the behest of my underling''s eagerness, we shot down to the ground. Our blades had their shining tips levelled to our fronts and they quickly took on a red hue. With blurs of flesh and steel going right past us as we carved a path towards what we hoped to be a storehouse. And our halts were more akin to a violent crash.


    "Check that one and come back to me as soon as you find anything!" I tell her as I start to cut down heretics with almost sickening ease. The bloody mud churned and flew about me and it only piled on to the filth I had already accumulated. But, to make sure I did not leave my sisters too isolated, I made a habit of throwing large objects about. Whatever I could get my hands on made for a fine weapon in this openly hostile place.


    "WING-TIP!" my sister shouted as she came to a stop by me. And her quick, sure nod answered the question on my mind. So we dashed right back and took cover in the storehouse. Though the flaps the tent had faired poorly against arcane rifles and blades.


    "The floor mat will have to do..." I muttered just before I bashed away one of the heretics accursed magic bolts.


    "I''ll take this end!" my sister quickly figures out as she slices her side of the tent down and snatches up the thick, flexible flooring. Taking from her example, I did the same while fighting off those I could.


    "Here, you start taking it over the mountain! I''ll hold them off!" I tell her as I start to precisely choose my targets. Favouring those holding small or manning larger guns over those with just blades. But the sound of a suddenly bursting spell and a scream took my focus away from the slaughter.


    She had been struck by a war-witch!


    "SISTER!" I screamed as I realised my mistake. Shooting up into the sky with all the force I could and I brought my blade down on the enemy. Only for them to catch it in some kind of spell as more of them gather about us. Yet, as I struggled against this particularly powerful witch. My sister found herself surrounded by many others.


    And amidst her lost supplies, I was forced to watch as she was overwhelmed.


    "SISTER!" I screamed again as I released my blade and dashed around my opponent. Swiftly snapping her neck with a sharp crack before I grabbed my blade and shot down. Slicing apart those I could before Uala and her assigned sister joined up with me.


    Then, in the brief moment I could find peace in. I stared helplessly at the fallen soldier. I had done it again... I focused too much on one thing. And the danger that actually mattered slipped right past me and...


    "Proven right again. The Wing-Head''s choice was stupid, idiotic! How can someone like you be called a Wing-Tip when you just allowed this to happen!" Uala hisses in my face after grabbing the front of my armour.


    "I..." I struggled to get out as my mind became clogged with reasons and excuses. I lost myself in fighting the soldiers. But she had abandoned us while leaving me in the dark. I failed to account for greater dangers, but she left us open to them.


    "Pathetic. You, take our sister back to the fort while this failure here does as she was ordered." Uala tells the other Imdvarce before a sharp jab from her sends me flying backwards briefly. I stopped myself, but I was left trembling as I looked back at her. Anger was rising in me but I forced it down. Whatever I then couldn''t get out or suppress I then vented into the few supplies that had survived.


    And I shot up into the air quickly and quietly. Not even turning my head towards the other two before I dropped the bag down carelessly in the lower fortifications. Then, after quickly ascending to the top of the fortress, I descended into it. Aggressively pursuing the Wing-Head before I closed the door firmly behind me.


    "Back so soon?" she questioned worriedly before I placed my hand on the table. Digging my fingers into the wood and letting it splinter and crack as growls rumbled out of me.


    "Do not ever pair me with that creature again." I tell her with a firm snap.


    "What happened, Wing-Tip Vapooliar?" she asked me firmly as she straightened out.


    "SHE...! I..." I shouted at first before I went quiet as confusion filled me. Did I balance it out or did I focus on how the sister I was assigned was now dead? A Valkinvar had been lost right under my nose...


    "You suffered a casualty." she quickly figured out as she walked around to face me. A stern gaze met me but I could not return one.


    "Yes... The sister I had ended up with was overwhelmed as she was taking supplies over the mountain..."


    "I never assigned any partners."


    "No, Wing-Tip Uala made it the case after I found two sisters to go out with, like you requested."


    "I see."


    "She doesn''t respect me... She is vicious in her pointing out of it. I am not worthy to wear this..." I nearly cried as the stress got to me before my superior''s hand stopped me.


    "I gave you that because I trusted your ability. I continue to have faith in you, Vapooliar."


    "My incompetence has sown discord amongst our ranks! Our very first raid out there and I already lost a-"


    "All I have done since the lines broke is lose sisters and brothers, Vapooliar." she interrupts me with.


    "But..."


    "My entire wing had been wiped out before you came. I was ready to die in that valley with the few men I had managed to keep under my protective blade. And then, you came, you managed to at least blow filling air into the embers of my hope. It may not be a strong fire but there is one there."


    "You figured out something was off about me from the moment you met me..." I whined quietly as I struggled against her grip. I did not deserve this accolade from her. I was just some pathetic Imdvarce who failed her men once before.


    There was nothing for me beyond the most basic of ranks...


    "I did, and I also made it clear I didn''t care."


    "You need someone better than me."


    "I have seen no one as brave as you Vapooliar." she tells me as her grip stiffens. With her skin stretching so much I would probably see the white of her knuckles.


    "I... I''m a coward... A coward who hi-"


    "You are a Valkinvar who overcame her shame and came to fight for Her Lord and country! You took up your blade and you have focused on nothing but saving the lives of this land!"


    "Yes... Wing-Head Allyoceer." I answered shakily. Deferring to my taught mannerisms to at least keep myself together. A stern-faced soldier is what I was... So I needed to act like it...


    "I will speak to Wing-Tip Uala to see if I can fathom something. But, I need you to remember that lives will be lost, Vapooliar. It is a great difficulty all leaders must address... If you cannot stay strong on your own, give yourself meaning to by staying strong for those around you."


    "Those who are weak must stand proud as to avert the treacherous. Those who are strong must live a lie to draw them out..." I recite even though it wasn''t quite fitting.


    "In a way, yes. By showing that you can take on those threats, you will pass on your courage like a cloud does rain. The soil might turn to mud at first, but it is from that which you will find the strength to drive a village, a town, a city, a country." she tells me as she lets go of my hand. Just as my grip eased on the piece of her helmet.


    "I will try, Wing-Head Allyoceer."


    "No, you will do." she corrects as she returns to the table.


    "I guess I should explain how the raid went beyond our loss."


    "Were you able to get a decent amount?"


    "Me and..." I started to say before I became frustrated by the fact I did not know her name. The sister I had lost was just a face to me.


    "Go on, try to ignore that for the moment." she tells me with a solemn expression. Her insight was quite good, I had to admit. Though, it was particularly obvious that I was ignorant and lying in the dark.


    I gulped slightly before carrying on, "We were able to haul up an entire tent''s worth of supplies. Of what, I can''t really specify for the moment. But, until it went bad, we could''ve brought back easily enough to fill this entire room to its brim."


    "And it would be gone within a day..."


    "Even a day''s worth of supplies is worth something, right? We are making sure that their position remains weak as well." I tell her. Hoping it would give her some confidence to at least keep up with this plan. Risky as it was.


    But the alternative to our supply issue was far worse.


    "But if it comes to always cost us the life of one of our own..." she remarks, though not maliciously. Yet, all the same, I felt an uncomfortable twinge in my chest. Like a fine-string instrument was being plucked right at my core.


    "It won''t cost us that, I promise!"


    "We are being worn down, Vapooliar. As our strength wanes, error will spread. Weakness will give way to their strength. We might look down on it when we are at our best, but they have more than enough men to ensure they can stay at theirs while we forget what our best looks like."


    "We can take to the highest skies! Filter the magic into our system! Like how our ancestors did in the battles of old!"


    "You have felt it, right, Vapooliar? Strong as we are, we are not worth a million men. The magic in the air is pulling itself towards the enemy."


    "All the more reason we should try and push them off! We will bathe in their own shortsightedness!"


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Every second they dig their trenches deeper. The ground possibly finds itself wormed away at and danger grows at our feet. They send in fresh men while we have none to meet them with. I cannot encourage an offensive knowing we will be swallowed up by the depth of their scale!"


    "But we can''t just stay here either..."


    "No. We need to figure something out. I need to figure something out..." she sighs as she takes off her helmet. Revealing her scarred face and the beauty that could be seen about it. An aged face that had matured within the grasp of great power.


    It was comforting to see the emerald lines in her hair. The green in her eyes. She was an experienced fighter. She really was the best one for this job.


    But she still needed a hand, clearly, and, I had no issue with giving it to her.


    "In due time, Wing-Head Allyoceer." I tell her as I had no ideas to offer her at the moment. Then, after a brief moment of standing in silence, I finally started to leave.


    "Make a point of handling the temporary entombment of her body yourself. Your sisters will respect you much more for doing so." Allyoceer points out to me before I leave.


    "Yes, I will... Face my shame." I sigh out before closing the door behind me. Though, at first, I headed back outside and gazed around. I hoped I could find some kind of hint as to where the body had been taken.


    But it seemed that it found me...


    "And here she comes, the failure who left your sister out there to die." Wing-Tip Uala asserted as she dropped down in front of me as others gathered around the dead.


    "Wing-Head Allyoceer wishes to speak with you." I tell her without meeting her gaze. And, when it came to it, I forced my way past her grip and approached our fallen sister. Quickly taking her up into my own arms before I looked around at them. It was a vortex of different emotions, each told to me mostly by the way their eyes formed behind their visors.


    Anger, confusion, resentment, regret...


    "Did any of you know her?" I ask as I took off her helmet to look down at her bloodied face. Her skin, tanned throughout her service like many of us, had already begun to pale. Dried blood spilt from her mouth and nose and her expression was stiff. The first thing I then did was ensure that her eyes were closed.


    "Her name was Annalla." one of them answered, clearly angered by the events that had transpired.


    "I am sorry." I told them directly as I looked into their eyes. I then slowly stood up and kept my fallen sister levelled. From there I bypassed the still-present Uala and went into fortress. Carefully bypassing those I could before I arrived at the great shrine within its deepest recesses. Yet, it was not dedicated to Lord Waionr, who we served directly.


    It belonged to Guareroisncer. The Lord of Heroes and the Caring Shield. The Protector God.


    "But, I can trust in you to keep her safe. Please, my Lord Guareroisncer, keep Sister Annalla safe." I plead to him as I set her down on one of the pews. And I slowly rise back to my feet and turn towards the crowded corridors beyond this place.


    "Do you need something, Valkinvar?" one of the men asked as after he found himself squeezed out onto the path to the shrine.


    "Can you send word out for a bucket of water and a clean cloth." I tell him before I returned my attention to my fallen sister. To Annalla. Whom I failed to keep safe.


    I made an immediate point of trying to make her clean and presentable for her husband. But it was an arduous task at the moment. With so little available to me. Though, at the least, I could free her from her filthy armour.


    I set it aside and kept her body covered while trying to recall the prayers I should be making. The calls that would ensure she would be found by Waionr... When he came across our body-strewn battlefield once the fighting ended. She would be welcomed into his arms when that time came.


    Nothing these heretics could do would change that.


    "And, in the way Honourable War remembers us all. I would like to imitate him." I say to Annalla as I borrow her ceremonial knife. A sharp blade intended for our flesh. But it was so finely wrought that even our finely-made, coming on flawless steel could be scratched by it.


    And I put the blade against my stolen bracer. Wiping the muck off as best I could before I then stared at the poorly polished steel. Staring back at me was my helmeted self. So I revealed my face and gazed upon my weary face directly.


    Then, with a determined mind, I got to work scratching her name into my armour. I would atone for my incompetence by carrying her name with me from here on out. And if I must change armour at some point, when we won. I would carve it all over again.


    With careful, spark-inducing cuts, I got to work. Carefully slicing and sawing the fine edge against my armour until crude cuneiform began to form. Poorly defined at first, but, as the scratching dug deeper, they came to stand out more. A process I repeated until her name was engraved fully.


    "A true blade." I commented as I inspected the undamaged edge of the ceremonial dagger. Made for cutting our flesh during our pledges to Waionr. Though, while it was undulled, it was dirtied somewhat by the fine, razor dust I had made. So I tapped it against a lit brazier before I put it in slightly.


    The weak, magic-lacking fire did not hurt or burn. I barely felt its warmth at all, in fact. But, with Annalla being so close to the cold of Undwote''s touch. She would be able to feel it as if it were Ihtuntar reborn!


    I enclosed the blade into her hands and watched as the colour returned to normal. The fine shine remained while the slight orange glow vanished without a trace. It was almost as if it had never been placed into the fire, to begin with. The blade went cold like she was.


    "Valkinvar!" a soldier said loudly as the swishing of water filled the shrine space.


    "Thank you." I tell him as I take it from him. Gesturing for him to leave before I then turned to my sister. Whom I then sat down beside as if she was a close friend. I then began to process of slowly cleaning her armour.


    Polishing it up as if she was preparing for an inspection herself. A pedantic, effort-demanding task that did not end until I saw a glint on the steel. Even then, I went further and cleaned it more. My magic even defined the task further so I could make it shine greater.


    Water dripped down as I wrung the cloth. A gentle ambience of crackling braziers and dripping water filled my ears. Something that was rarely disturbed until I placed down a piece of polished, but damaged armour. And I would pick up the next piece shortly after.


    "Brave Annalla, fallen sister-"


    .


    .


    .


    "How long now do you think, Ainael?" I ask my friend as I move my piece across the board. Looking out of the window after I had done so, so I could look at the world around us. It seemed to just be bobbing along. But within the castle on a mobile fortress, each little bump was further than even your greatest throws.


    "The request you put in was to have this big thing head near an airship, no?"


    "Yes, it was, you were even there." I remind her as I exploit the mistake she made in moving her game piece. Knowing her, it couldn''t have been because of some later tactic.


    "Was I?" she remarks before pushing another piece forward.


    "Yes, now answer." I tell her as I snatch up a piece preemptively. Moving in my victorious piece right after.


    "Couldn''t tell you, nor do I want to waste time thinking about it."


    "Just give me your best guess, then." I huff in amusement as my friend starts to move her head about.


    "Now?" she answers as the landscape around us stops moving.


    "Could be any reason." I say even though I knew that she was right.


    "Oh, of course, we''re waiting for the old lady to cross the road." she laughs with a shake of her head as she stops playing the game.


    "Don''t like losing?"


    "I don''t like being near you when you get chastised." she corrects as she gestures and pulls me to my feet.


    "Right, right. I''m the one in charge of all of this." I resent while making no point of taking her hands and arm off of my torso.


    "I must admit, however, I have no objections to coming with you aboard this airship." she chirps as she keeps her place by my side.


    "It''s only an airship." I point out. Though, I was not able to literally do so as it must''ve been around the other side of the castle. It was not an issue for long, though, as it was a pretty clean path to the landing platform.


    "You look at that feat of engineering and say that again!" Ainael exclaims as we fly away from the castle. Her arms flying outwards in a grand arc as she motions my gaze towards the flying wall.


    "It''s just an airship, though, one with a name!" I say sarcastically at first before I become impressed by the glowing words etched into the steel.


    "Thunderous Brawler..." my friend reads out loud as we cross the distance to it.


    "The magic they use to name these things is so fascinating." I remark just before we land on the top deck of it. However, due to the fact we weren''t technically apart of the Grand Army of the Seven-Peaks Union. The guards raised their weapons against us.


    "Shoot her first." Ainael teases as she slinks behind me.


    "Rifles down." a Brave orders as he steps forward. His sabre in its sheath, curling up around his shoulder. The colour of his armour even spoke of how he wasn''t from the capital. This airship was from the more southern territories.


    "Are you knowledgeable as to why we are here?" I ask to which he shakes his head.


    "War-witch, no, I am not."


    I sigh knowing what this meant, "Then may you take us to your Captain-Engineer so we may explain?"


    "Of course." he answers without further need or proof. And we quickly join him on a lengthy stroll to the nearest door. Which, at the very least, he was kind enough to leave open for us.


    "A ryphurgok?" Ainael asks under her breath as we watch one get ridden by.


    "I have heard of strange tactics involving them. Having them leap right off the airship!" I try to answer. Somewhat bemused by the absurdity of it. But, clearly, it worked as I have seen many battlefields with signs of a stampede.


    Just not on the grass of the valley floors or the plains that break them apart... Mountain faces chipped and shattered by the charge of great lancers. If solid stone did not fare well. I shuddered to think how thin steel, flesh and bone would handled it.


    "I don''t think such tactics are really needed..." Ainael breathes out in wonder as we find ourselves suddenly in an open area. Though, rather than halolight, we found ourselves beholden to a great drop. One broken apart by thousands of metal tubes covered in advanced pneumatics.


    "Though not exclusive, I can see how she got her name..." I comment with the same kind of wonder my friend had.


    "You would be right in that regard. Our airship, the Thunderous Brawler earned her name carving a path through the Seventh Line. Our guns matched theirs and their roars proved to be a sign of dull teeth." the Brave explains before he stops by a door to hold it open for us.


    "I sense a lot of magic down here." I say just about as I got used to the fuzzy feeling of being inside such a vast, magic-devouring machine. A true bottomless gullet for the arcane.


    "The bridge is that way, you''ll find the Captain-Engineer that way." he explains with a nod before he calls over some guards to watch our backs. Though, it seemed more like they were there to press bayonets into ours.


    "Warm reception."


    "If only." I tell my friend as we stepped out into the vast brain of the machine. A busy, flowing space filled with busy men speaking in whispering winds and loud calls. All kinds of knowledge was being passed about and I grasped none of it. It all just slipped on by me, meaningless to me for the moment.


    "War-witches of the Order of the Outreaching Wind?" what I presumed to be the Captain-Engineer asked as he showed his partially mechanical left hand.


    "Yes, we are here to speak to you about the use of your airship."


    "I have heard nothing from His Royal Highness, the Prince Jhrartur." he comments with a voice full of respect as he ended his sentence.


    "That''s because it is an Order-exclusive operation."


    "So I retain the right to decline?" he asks as he seems to start considering it.


    "Y-Yes, bu-"


    "Then find another airship to take part in your galavanting."


    "A mobile fortress on the move is hardly galavanting." I remark with a snort as I turn my head to my friend. I wasn''t exactly sure what to do right now. I hadn''t come prepared to handle such an unexpected outcome. I guess it must''ve meant he revered the elder prince too much.


    "And why should we turn ourselves to the arms of another captain-engineer and his likely nameless vessel?" Ainael questions as she steps forward after letting down her hair. Her fingers then ran themselves quickly across a plaque on the grand table at the centre of the room. Though, if I could call it a table I did not know.


    "Because we have our orders."


    "Which are?"


    "To ensure the land we have freed stays untainted." he answers as he straightens out and puts his hands behind his back. A sentence which evoked some cheering from the few men with faces up here. They must''ve won a victory recently and were clearly proud of it.


    "And what better way to do that then to come with us towards the very infestation you protect these towns and villages from?"


    "The armies advance unimpeded, we are not needed."


    "But you are..." Ainael starts as she glances back at me with a knowing smile. One which she hides from the airship officer as she turns to him.


    "How so?" he asks as he glances out to the largely peaceful landscape.


    "The Valkinvar interrupt these armies. Holding them at the Batterywatch Plains."


    "That path is clear."


    "No, your absence has ensured it isn''t. The Valkinvar have rallied to the fortress there and have filled it with their army. Scum of the earth."


    "Then it will fall."


    "Captain-Engineer..." Ainael tuts, "Did the Seventh Line fall from us? Or did it fall when men of the Royal Seven-Peaks Union Air-Navy faced them, broadside for battery?"


    "The crucible for which you were named." I added on, grasping a little better what she was trying to do. And, clearly, it worked, because many of the men turned to face her.


    "Your incompetence matters little."


    "The Seven-Peaks Union is a joint nation of all Jhermonikra. Strength through the unity of all the great peaks. If you cast aside one of them, are you really Jhermonikra?" she accuses as she moves closer to him.


    "Every man and woman aboard my airship is Jhermonikra." he spits angrily. His wounded pride increasingly drove him.


    "Yet rather than live up to the expectation of it, you leave your fellow man alone out there to face the mightiest of the foul?"


    "Is the Thunderous Brawler backing down from a challenge from a greater fighter?" I ask them all. Referring to the great scale of which the Long Battery Fort found itself the benefitter of.


    "Our broadsides will match them once and surpass them every time after." the Captain-Engineer hisses as he suddenly moves towards the steering of his airship.


    "Well done." I tell my friend, impressed by what she had done as she dressed herself up again.


    "What are friends for?" she asks me before we turn to the airship''s head.


    "We will sail to the Long Battery Fort. We will take on her guns and we shall save our nation!" the Captain-Engineer cheers. His men following suit right after.


    "Good boy." Ainael mocks before we start to leave.


    "You keep your mobile fortress away, the power that broke the Theocracy will be what leads the way to victory." he tells us to which I shrugged once I was out of his eyesight.


    "All the easier for us."


    "Noella, backing down from a challenge?" she teases, but, having just seen her ability to pluck at pride. I ignored her.


    "We will save many of our sister''s lives with this."


    "It''s not like many would be lost anyway, we are the owners of a great mobile fortress! Only the grandest Orders have the honour of even being able to confront one. Those who are greater ride them. The mightiest steed in the world."


    "The Chapter-Mistress was the one insisting we let the Valkinvar assemble so we could wipe them out in a great battle. Our tapestry would lengthen but the halls of our castle will be all the quieter for it."


    "Don''t scare me now, you know I don''t like being scared." she jokes sincerely as she gently knocks one of my bracers with her bracelet.


    "There is a great battle ahead for us." I tell her anyway.


    "You lack faith in the Thunderous Brawler?"


    "Valkinvar have defeated airships, Ainael."


    "Rarely."


    "You assail a soldier with the unknown and you will likely kill him. Keep him alive, and he''ll overcome it."


    "We''re hardly keeping them alive."


    "Their insistence on fighting for every blade of bloodied grass means we will not see an end to this war any time soon."


    "I disagree, with how long the war has gone on for, a few years will be but an afternoon in the grand scale of it all."


    "How I wish I could feel the same as you do."


    "Stick around and maybe it''ll blow off onto you." she tells me with a smile before she suddenly drops over the railing.


    "You''ll get in trouble." I tell her as I watch her go on to explore the vast gap the guns covered. Between the outer hull and the core of the airship.


    "I''d like to see them try when our friend knocks in the hull!" she laughs as she weaves around the man gun barrels.


    "What will I ever do with you?" I ask her as I stop by the railing. Smiling at her before she tried to bring me out there with her. Squealing a little as she did so.


    .


    .


    .


    "Alert the crew and compliment, we make way for war." I tell my staff as I tighten my grip on the wheel. Letting the magic link in my left-hand throb as I felt the airship''s excitement. She was eager to prove herself once again against the ancient fortresses of this land.


    "Yes, Captain-Engineer!" the Bridge-Officer replied as he saluted before he became a flurry of effort. Running up and down the lanes, informing the men. Ensuring they all understood what we were about to do.


    "Let our name grow." I breathe quietly as I felt the power of my airship''s engines throb. To beat a gathering of Valkinvar and their fortress home. We would become legendary!


    "Captain-Engineer, we''re breaking through to the forces on the ground!" one of the communication officers informed me as I stepped down from the wheel. Content to let the Thunderous Brawler travel on ahead at her leisure.


    "Speak to me." I ordered the man on the other side.


    "Who is this?" they asked first.


    "This is the Royal Seven-Peaks Union Airship Thunderous Brawler, we are on our way to assist in your fight."


    "Praise Jhrarda indeed." he let out excitedly as I watched him look over his shoulder wearily.


    "What is the issue ahead of us?"


    "A wing of Valkinvar have held themselves up in the Long Battery Fort. We do not know why they have done so, they should''ve been swept aside before we even got here!"


    "Then allow us to correct this oversight." I tell him with a nod.


    "Together." he says with a nod.


    "Together." I repeat as I look around at my crew.


    "You cannot come fast enough, our war-witches cannot match them and our men suffer grave issues establishing forward defences to even commence with a siege!"


    "Keep them occupied for now, we''ll bring in all the firepower you need." I explain to him.


    "Will your compliment by any chance be able to join us?"


    "Of course, we will bring them in as close as we can to support your efforts."


    "Thank you, and with mighty haste may you arrive. Let our spilt blood be redeemed by victory."


    "I wouldn''t have it any other way." I tell him as the line of communication goes quiet.


    "Maps of the landscape are up, Captain-Engineer."


    "Get me the Head of the Charge, I want his ryphurgok ready to drop." I tell them firmly as I start to inspect the landscape. Adjusting my view in various manners before I established where the army was likely held up at. Seeing the scale of that fortress made it clear that they had one line of advance.


    Directly before the grand line of artillery... Fire and smoke would dominate their vision on the advance. And it was our sworn duty to put an end to such a sight. The whole mountain that fortress lay upon would crumble into nothing and the light would break through!


    And under the light of our orbiting Lord and his family, we would consecrate our victory!


    .


    .


    .


    "How''s the progress coming?" I asked my brother Valkinvar as I walked in on his practice. I was currently given a period of rest so I was left anxious and directionless. So I thought I would check in on the others. Wing-Head Allyoceer insisted I did no fighting so I could recover my strength...


    But my duty was to the war we currently fought, I had to be involved with it somehow!


    "Difficult." he laconically answers.


    "How so, the smaller ones seem to match your example rounds."


    "The round shot isn''t the issue. It''s the fact the mountain cracker uses a different kind of barrel. These balls aren''t holding up!" he vents out before he lunges it towards the enemy position. Though, while it fell short, it hit the ground as if it indeed came from a cannon.


    "Keep your focus on it. Your regime is not so strict that you cannot just take a moment. If you need to loosen your body in the field, Wing-Head Allyoceer gave you her blessing."


    "If I waste time meandering about corpses then our greatest weapon stays invalid!" he answers after he turns away from his war maul.


    "Our greatest weapon are the soldiers manning this fortress." I correct as sighs out some more frustration.


    "And I have been cooped up in it too long. Come."


    "I am not to involve myself in a battle." I remind him before he grabs my arm.


    "Then stand aside and watch me." he tells me with a grin before I am suddenly flying. The sheer speed he suddenly moved me with brought me off the ground long before we leapt down. And as I flailed behind him in a state of confusion. Not sure how to feel about falling in this manner.


    He roared with laughter as his mighty weapon glowed with power. We then reached the earth far sooner than expected. For he had lanced his maul''s tip ahead of us and brought the earth closer! And we crashed through it as if it were frail glass.


    "Let''s go kill some heretics!" he cackled as he tested the great weight at the end of his weapon.


    "No, this is too risky. We shouldn''t be here." I tell him as he continues to walk towards the still very distant enemy.


    "I''m going to be leaving this field once I have spilt blood." he comments as his maul goes over his shoulder.


    "And how do you intend to do that?" I ask as I watch him silently stare out towards the enemy. Our efforts to stop them scarred the land but even now. They marched out with their army to establish lines to hold. Monsterous determination and sickening disregard for life.


    "By practising my munition-making skills!" he laughs before he suddenly twirls about and brings the earth up in a fine, but grooved slope. Shortly after, as I lowered my hand from my face in order to stop small chips and pebbles. I stared blankly at him.


    "You just complained about this."


    "I know, but now... Now! I can enjoy myself in doing so."


    "We might be warriors. Soldiers. But we are not raised to enjoy suffering."


    "You''re an Imdvarce. You wouldn''t get the satisfaction of having a mighty war hammer. The pleasure of when you hit your swing just right!" he prattles on as he floats slightly into the sky. His weapon head fell to the ground as he called forth an orb of solid rock. It seemed fragile with all those cracks filled with wind magic. But the moment he smirked and reared back for a swing.


    It was clear the orb could take it.


    And with a loud bang that likely rang all the way back to the fortress top. He sent the orb of stone out towards the enemy. With curiosity then guiding me, I climbed up onto his construct and watched as the rock flew ahead. A great explosion then went off in the distance as a brown cloud of dirt and grass soared into the sky.


    "Tsk, just giving them cover with that." he moaned as he walked down the slope he had stepped down onto just now.


    "Imagine it more like an arrowhead." I tell him after having seen the way it fell down.


    "Don''t need it to impale one of them. I need it to disrupt all."


    "It will fly further and better if you do, and you won''t need as wide an angle." I point out as I notice how the Long Battery guns had gone silent. Were the gun crews watching us?


    "Further, ey?" he picks up on as he taps his chin with his pommel thoughtfully. And I quickly get down as he brings his construct down. A single, overhead slam reduced it to rubble before he remade it.


    "This is the sort of shape the mountain cracker needs, no?" I ask after briefly looking back at the tremendous barrel of it.


    "Yes, yes..." he muttered before incoherently rambling about what must''ve been measurements.


    "Go on." I encourage him with as I grow eager to see what this attempt would bring.


    "Okay... AND SWING!" he quietly let out before he roared in furry. And with his feet firmly planted on the ground. He brought his weapon back and let it fill with magic. Seemingly leaping forward before he quickly released and caught his hammer.


    Driving all the more physical and arcane force into the shot in that one swing. But, maybe it was too much force. Because the construct collapsed and the land ahead of us shattered and was torn apart. Though, I think because of it, we missed where the shot had landed.


    "Dammit." he hissed as he dropped his hammer in annoyance.


    "What happened?"


    "Swing was off, it tumbled and shattered in the air." he spat before he turned to a magic presence behind us.


    "Wing-Head Allyoceer calls for you to both return to the fortress." Dannatili tells us with an almost scolding tone. It was clear she was annoyed that she had to come out here for us.


    "Why''re you so frustrated?" the Ammimpaurst asked her with no hesitation once he saw her expression.


    "Because I have important things to do and it was just interrupted by a pair of children in suits of armour!" she snaps as she floats down to us.


    "I am following my orders." he chuffs as he puts his chest out as she approaches.


    "How is breaking rocks and disrupting the firing lines of the guns... Following orders?" she goes over, completely baffled.


    "I am to create ammunition for the mountain cracker. A single, well-made shot needs to be done in time to face down against our greater threats."


    "Exposing yourself to the enemy guns is not a smart way to handle that." she points out as one of her shields catches and incoming shot from the enemy. And although I did not emote to it, the sudden emptiness frightened me. Those guns would tear us apart if they were given room to set up.


    We had already put in a great amount of effort to keep those guns quiet...


    "Blegh, if they wanna fire back at me then I''ll be all the happier to shoot back." he tells her as he bangs his chest plate on top of a slight rise.


    "You have your orders." Dannatili hisses as she lowers her staff against him. Briefly surrounding him in magic before he rolled his eyes and headed back. But I stayed and looked back at the destruction he caused. Could we maybe use him to cut the army in half?


    Someone could swipe down with him and they could fill the valley! Maybe Dannatili herself if she was up for replicating her prior feat she used to delay the enemy. It must''ve worked as well as the enemy wasn''t advancing from our sides. Only ahead.


    Which might''ve been worrisome if I was given time to think about it.


    "Wing-Tip." she nearly shouted once she noticed my lingering.


    "Do you think we could break the enemy army in two?" I asked her quickly before she headed off.


    "How so?"


    "You likely just saw it, but, I believe Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst Lavauroas and you have the strength and the training to bring down the mountains on them."


    "It would be a risky move, we would be planting ourselves right at their centre." she points out as she stops and turns to face me.


    "They''re rushing head-on at us with little regard for their own lives. But, if we trapped some of the army against us and ran them down, we would be able to possible send the others off."


    "The fortress is at the plains to hold them, we would beyond our guns if we made a point of sealing that pass."


    "It''s the only pass which they are coming from."


    "The maps would have to be checked before we could certify such an idea."


    "And we can find all of that within the office of our chief artillery officer."


    "You best find Wing-Head Allyoceer as well, then." she tells me as she floats on up towards the fortress.


    "I guess it is fine for me to expend some magic." I mutter as I gently fly up to the fortress. Essentially sneaking in through one of the openings before I sped off towards my superior.


    "I thought I told you to-"


    "Lavauroas dragged me out there." I tell her quickly.


    "I doubt you came to find me to explain yourself, so let''s hear it." she tells me as she goes back to drinking the tea she had at her side.


    "Being out there with him, it gave me some insight into how strong he is."


    "So?"


    "I believe that if we made a point of sending him and Valkinvar-Staguiffmani Dannatili out with him to the midsection of the enemy, we could bring the mountains down on them and divide their army."


    "An offensive that would give us command of the plains." she realises quickly as she puts her cup down.


    "However, Dannatili also believes that it is a bad idea as the fortress is not designed to cover a defensive line that far out."


    "No, the general idea was to have we Valkinvar amass a grand assault to wipe out the bottlenecked army."


    "Which, we could do to some extent if we drastically made their force shallower."


    "We would need to relax on our sorties, make the guns take on the burden some more while knowing they are running low on ammunition."


    "A sudden advance would let us bring a supply convoy right behind us. The formals could ensure their safety while we set back the heretics. Not even their war-witches would risk fighting us without the army to aid them."


    "But we also know that they can overwhelm us and kill us if they need be." she reminds me, a twinge of guilt then went off as a result.


    "But not enough to assault our position." I point out shortly after once I calmed myself down a little.


    "Yes, our guns are not built for upwards arcs... This place was built with us providing support in mind."


    "It''s a harsh way to put it, but, by letting the ironcoats fight would let us Valkinvar rest."


    "It would let us depressurise this fortress." she adds on as she walks around to me.


    "I understand it might be risky, but I think it may be our best course of action. With no support on the way and all that..."


    "It''s a tricky situation I know. Relief forces are not coming and we are going to be bled white if we don''t have something feeding our efforts."


    "A starved animal is often a reckless one."


    "But with recklessness comes success." Allyoceer reminds me. Even if it was a double-edged claim.


    "The formals and informals have all been resting enough, I believe." I say, trying to bring a little humour out of the fact our exhaustion was clear.


    "Yes, we have the men to take ground and hold it. And our supplies to construct a forward position would be kindly lent to us by the enemy."


    "So we will try to push them out?"


    "I will consider it and talk it out with Wing-Tip Uala, my other second-in-command."


    "Of course..." I answer with some scepticism, knowing how we clashed.


    "Do not try to think on it too much, Wing-Tip Vapooliar. Getting a stark contrast of opinions is good for figuring these things out. She may spot concerns you have not."


    "I''m aware of the risks." I tell her, somewhat annoyed by the implication of short-sightedness.


    "As I said, don''t think on it, don''t ruminate. Just leave it to me and I will give you some idea of my decision during the next general meet-up."


    "Very well, I''ll be in the officer''s tower, then." I tell her with a nod, knowing her words basically meant ''wait until tomorrow.''


    "That was an impressive swing on his part, is Lavauroas progressing well?"


    "He is having issues matching the measurements of the mountain cracker for whatever reason. But, I think he might just need a change in environment." I explain to her to which she nods.


    "I will try and look into it, I know we have placed a great burden on him. Turning him into a munitions smith like that."


    "It''s better than him just sitting around drinking." I tell her as I close the door behind me. Heading off to the officer''s tower as I said. I tried to ignore the awkwardness that settled in once others saw that I was here. But it didn''t really go until I got to my room.


    A small place which I had taken up so the others could have some more comfort. Though, I also understood that as Valkinvar, we had an obligation to seek harsher conditions. At least to some extent. So we could keep up with the right mindset.


    But, even after all my years as a Valkinvar, a premature one still training and an anointed one. I still realised one thing. A warm, soft bed was still well desired. And I reminded myself of that standard quickly.


    Because even with all my rest, I still couldn''t help but just collapse onto it. I might have not fallen asleep. But I appreciated having something other than solid stone or aged oak to rest myself on. The fact I was still in my armour, though, was somewhat lost on me.


    "I hope I wasn''t being too eager with my suggestion to the Wing-Head..." I then groaned anxiously as I placed a hand against my forehead.

 Incline 5: Forward!

    "So is everyone clear on their roles?" Wing-Head Allyoceer asks us firmly as she keeps her hand down on her helmet. It was normally cramped in here, but now it was more so as the order to arm ourselves had gone out. The proposal I had put forward had been considered and we were in the immediate prelude. A childish part of me wanted to smirk, but I had my expression hidden behind my own helm.


    "Yes, Wing-Head Allyoceer." we all replied in unison as she looked around at each of us. Her stern gaze made those who were even the slightest bit lax straighten out and those who were stiffer. For a moment, she was an unyielding leader who commanded our full respect.


    "Good, those assigned on the respective wings of Wing-Tip Vapooliar and Wing-Tip Uala will go to them for instruction. Wing-Joint Lavauroas and Wing-Joint Dannatili will answer to me directly." she explained further. A quick gesture then sent everyone packing as our dismissal was made clear. But as everyone else filed out, those she had just named stayed in the chamber.


    "I still protest this choice." Uala tells her the moment the door closes behind our last sister. And with some mild annoyance, I turned my gaze to her. I was only being able to see a specific side of her decision-making. I know there was more but it was, difficult.


    "And I told you enough is enough. The consensus is that the positives we get out of this are better than the negatives."


    "We are stretching ourselves out..."


    "We are relieving an overstaffed fort and reminding the men that they are not to be dependent on us. This is an army, we all do our part." Allyoceer aggressively points out and then asserts to her. I was glad to a small extent she got the verbal push-down she deserved. But, I found myself agreeing with her quietly on the inside. I had many doubts about my proposal still.


    If this was the wrong choice then our effort would be doomed... The Long Battery Fort would be swept aside as if it were nothing.


    "So how are we doing this? Did an informal manage to get back to us?"


    "No, I have not sent out any informals."


    "Not sent any...?" Dannatili muttered in shock as if Allyoceer had gone mad.


    "If so much as one had been caught out there in the mountain ranges flanking them, they''d have caught onto why we were reserving our strength. For now, all they know is that we are becoming exhausted." she explains as she clears away the clutter to show off our map. An extensively detailed one custom-made for this fortress in the event it did see combat. A foresight I am sure we were all thankful for.


    "We''ll be ascending to the sky and commencing reconnaissance from there?" I ask as that seemed like our best alternative. We Valkinvar were spearheading this operation after all. It was an option open to us, we could see everything as it was. And react with the kind of precision that would snap them in two.


    "Yes, I expect you all to pick your targets up there, you will not delay and you will rush on out to meet them at every given opportunity." she tells us, looking directly at me and Uala as she did so.


    "Then what do we do, drop in for the party but take a backseat?" Valkinvar Ammimpaurst Lavauroas scoffed in disappointment.


    "No, under my protection and some guises of your own, we will go about creating a wall that will keep them out and away from us." she tells the other two as she gestures to their weapons specifically.


    "It''s not easy building up that kind of power in the stress of battle." Valkinvar Staguiffmani Dannatili explains as she adjusts her weight. Jutting one hip out as her hand made an example of how easy she could manipulate magic right now.


    "Don''t you worry a thing, Staff-Holder." Lavauroas chuckles as his large, wide hand pats her back firmly. Nearly knocking her over were it not for the table that caught her.


    "You best keep your word, then." she irritably threatens as she uses the pressure of her aura to keep him away.


    "Yes, Wing-Joint Lavauroas is in a good position. The circumstances of his powers and skills means he''ll be able to provide you with all the cover you need while fulfilling our objective."


    "Maybe I should land on the mountains themselves, then." he seemingly ponders out loud while I looked over the map.


    "How deep should we be aiming to go? We know the army is vast, but we have no idea of how much we have grated them down." I ask as my gloved and armoured fingers ran along the pass they were coming out of.


    "Ideally not towards any bends that puts our new position out of sight. But, if there is also a weak point in the enemy column, we will make do there. So long as it is far enough in to allow us to make use of their own efforts to make a forward base."


    "That is a very arbitrary thing to hinge this plan on." Uala comments as she steps forward slightly.


    "I know it is, but it is how we are doing it." Allyoceer firmly states as she picks up her helmet.


    "So then our job is to slaughter those who are trapped on the wrong side?"


    "If they surrender, then no. But we are all certain that there is little chance of that." our superior tells us before a grim expression takes over. Even with our experience as soldiers. More than a century for all of us here as a minimum. To see an army that might as well have had no souls was different.


    A bloodier fight I have never seen in my life. The plains before us may be renamed in the future to something far grimmer than what its current name already implied. But to some extent, that would fill me with pride. As it would''ve been me who played a core part in such a chronicled event.


    The Siege of the Long Battery Fort...


    "We should have some attack from the front?"


    "No, the army will be following on. Personnel we have filtered out as non-essential or... Disposable... Will be sent to the forward position. The rest you know already." Allyoceer clarifies distastefully.


    "Then we should send out informals to harass their scouts and roaming riders?" Uala asks as she seems to adopt a more ready mindset.


    "Perhaps some artillery support on the most forward of the enemy?" I add on as I try to consider how we will be in the depths of the enemy ranks.


    But Allyoceer shakes her head, "I want them conserving their ammunition. So, when the operation begins, we will have a brief window to work with before the enemy enact any of their plans to advance."


    "But without guns to keep them corralled into the pass, they''ll spread out into the fields." Uala argues as she seemingly agrees with my suggestion.


    "The follow-on force will handle them or you will." Allyoceer reminds us as she puts on her helmet.


    "Yes, Wing-Head Allyoceer." I say with a slight bow and a firm banging of my chest while Uala stayed motionless. A tense air was about her and it was clear that her glare was trying to bore its way into our superior.


    "Very well." Uala eventually answers before she leaves the room completely.


    "We will depart when?" Dannatili asks once a brief quiet passed.


    "Once the men in the lower fortress are ready. Our time to cross the plains will be far faster than theirs, so their push will be delayed regardless of any complications on our end."


    "Should I signal for the informals to begin with their tasks, then? Keep the enemy occupied with various ideas?" I ask my superior as I slightly edge over to the thick, metal-framed but mostly wooden door.


    "Yes, send word out to them. I''ll inform the Orchestrator of the Artillery to cease spending our precious rounds."


    "Of course." I say with a nod as I move to leave the room. Watching briefly as Allyoceer turned to the other two to say something more specific to them. But, all the same, I closed the door and left. Keeping one hand on my blade before a hand suddenly grabbed me.


    "No mistakes, do you hear me?" Uala seemingly threatens as my shoulder plates grind under the pressure of her grip.


    "Same to you." I tell her as I shake her grip off and carry on my way.


    "Have your force dive down once mine lands ahead with Wing-Head Allyoceer and the others." she tells me as she passes by.


    "Very well." I answer as there wasn''t much point in contesting it. The glory of being the ones all the way up there was not in my interest. It wasn''t in the interests of anyone here. Well, maybe not with her, anyway.


    Thankfully, though, it did clear up one thing I would have had to have discussed with her. With that out the way now, I could focus on how I would guide my forces. We had been lucky enough to have assembled a whole wing at near-full fighting strength. Seven sisters of the Ordoar Imdvarce.


    I would likely end up with three of them if Uala had her way with the pick of the litter. But if it was glory-seeking that made her insist she join up with Allyoceer''s position. Then I would embarrass her by handling the greater task with one sister less. But I also had to temper my feelings towards Uala.


    This was not a game or competition, it was a serious endeavour. One that was going to make or break our stand here at this fortress. It may have been built to control the plains here, this vast open junction in between all the converging mountains. But we were far from being well-fed as would''ve been expected.


    We had to push the enemy as far as we could to give our dwindling supplies room to recover. Or, at the very least, for their consumption to stagnate into something healthier and more manageable. There was a lot at stake here. And it was mine, and Uala''s and Allyoceer''s and Dannatili''s and Lavauroas'' responsibility...


    We had to do this for the sake of our country. Our homes. For so much we have lost and for all we clung on to. For the Lord of Honourable War Himself and all of his family.


    "I swear this to all of you, I will be there when victory graces these lands." I mutter. And although I hoped for it to extend to my entire homeland, I knew I was reaching desperately there. So I was content to settle with just these plains for the moment.


    And to do that, I went down to meet the assembling force. It gladdened my heart to see them so eager to fight. Even after all that had happened, after being cooped up in here... They still had the urge to fight for their country.


    They were all good men, that much was clear.


    "Huncomm, spread the word, the informals are to set out and clear the plains short of the enemy fortifications of riders and potential raiders."


    "Yes, Valkinvar!" the lesser officer acknowledged as he went on his way spreading the word. And while the formal troops assembled in deep, tightly-packed squares that were ready to march out. Their loose-formation brethren just slipped on out of the crevices we were surrounded by. Seemingly from nowhere.


    And the slight trickle amassed into quite a forceful exertion as the gates were opened up. In a strange way, it was also as if the guns had gone silent out of fear for the retribution the wrongly killed would bring upon them. It was an amusing thought for the moment. But it had no place in my mind for now.


    "May Waionr''s wit be with you all." I quietly mutter as I watched infantry and cavalry speed out onto the plains. The tight assembly quickly fanned out and it became easy to forget how many there actually were in the vast force I was watching spread out so thinly.


    Shortly thereafter, I turned my gaze skyward as I felt an amassment of power. My fellow Valkinvar were gathering, I had to join them now, not soon. So, without further delay, I shot up into the sky and left my trust with those at the gates and the men in the lower fortress. And I dropped down before my fellow Valkinvar as they gathered.


    I quickly spotted a trio of my sisters on their own, and, as I predicted, Uala held four under her command. But this was more than enough for me, these three would be against the backdrop of glory and honour. Victory would be taken into our grasp and proudly worn before the world. But first, there was something I had to do.


    A lesson I had learned from my prior mistake and failure. I would know their names before we went into battle. I would have them know mine as I would theirs. If we were to trust each other to act, then we can be familiar with each other as well.


    "Greetings, you three, I am Wing-Tip Vapooliar." I introduce myself rather standoffishly. Only really dealing with the embarrassment in my head.


    "We know." one of them tells me as her eyes clearly head to where I had carved Annalla''s name. If she took it as a foreboding sign I did not know. But I intended to make sure she did not leave for the skies with that mindset.


    "But I do not know yours." I tell them, surprising them somewhat but not for long.


    "Cetrape."


    "Bsess."


    "Osses."


    "Cetrape, Bsess, Osses, I put my trust in you today as we prepare to go out there to fight for our homes. So, please, I ask that you put your faith in me as your assigned Wing-Tip." I tell them, looking at each one in turn. All as I shake slightly as the weight of responsibility forces itself onto me.


    "Yes, Wing-tip Vapooliar." Cetrape answers somewhat half-heartedly as she glances over to Uala''s group. Was she of a similar mindset? Did she think she got the pick of the litter they made up?


    "I cannot promise it will be easy. I cannot promise you even that I can be there for you at every moment. But what I can promise you that as our power flows from us, the confidence each of you carry will disperse with it. And as that confidence grows in the air, so shall we." I try to inspire them with as I reach out for the one sitting down.


    "We are in your care as you are in ours." Osses nods in agreement as she grasps my forearm and comes up with it.


    "For the sake of our homes, country and our shared love of the Lord." I tell them with a nod as booms sound off behind us. The guns had no opened up again, our fellow Valkinvar were departing.


    "We should go." Cetrape comments as she goes up into the sky.


    "But not alone." I tell her as I quickly join her side. Somewhat awkwardly trying to keep up as it became clearer that I was the lesser amongst them. Yet, I could also see it calm and steady their minds. They trusted Allyoceer''s decision...


    They surely trusted me in turn? I would make sure that was the case, then!


    "We have little time you lot, they have surely noticed our guns going silent and the deployment of our regular forces, make sure you are ready!" Wing-Head Allyoceer called back to us after she briefly slowed down to the middle of our formation. With her return to the front barely disrupting us even as we flew into her sonic boom.


    "You three, we shall be attacking the front. Sealing them in. We go down once in turn after them." I tell my three sisters as we make adjustments to our formation. And, in conjunction with this directing, I kept a wary glance on the mass of troops below us.


    It didn''t seem like they had been alerted by our departure, but there was no way of telling this far up. Shimmering, detailless stalks are all that I saw. As if I was walking along the gravel but paying the small rocks little mind. Until I made a point of getting in closer.


    But I did not need to do that here, they were a large enough mass that I could guess accurately. And even from all the way up here, far higher than their war-witches can come. I saw it, how our troops engaged theirs in the crater-strewn plains. With so much room to manoeuvre, it looked chaotic from up here. In time, though, which I did not have much of, I could see the signs of corralling.


    We had the numbers and the talent to push the shadow-faced army back!


    And although I doubted we could break their spirit. I knew that they would not be able to break ours. From our efforts came hope, the men arrived here broken and defeated. But now, they went out with renewed strength and the vigour to fight until dusk itself!


    "Wing-Head Allyoceer, over there!" Uala called out to our shared superior. So, for the moment, I went ahead to join up with the pair as Uala went over what it was that had caught her attention. It didn''t take me long to figure it out on my own. But I waited for her word regardless.


    "I see it, a change in the formation, they''re bringing war machines forward."


    "We can congest their line of advance!" I point out excitedly as we eagerly eye the vulnerability in the column. It was clear they were bringing them forward to establish capable, self-propelling gun positions against us. Airborne and ground-based forces were coming in.


    "We will land at the rear of the vehicles!" Allyoceer explains as she gestures to her team.


    "Then we shall drop down in between them!" Uala confirms with a nod as she rears back with her sword at the ready.


    "Good luck, Wing-Head Allyoceer." I tell my commanding officer as I too begin to pull back towards my sisters.


    "FOR THE LORD OF HONOURABLE WAR!" Allyoceer howls at the top of her lungs before she suddenly drops into a sudden, vicious dive. A baseless triangle from my perspective for a brief moment. Then a larger one appeared headed by Wing-Tip Uala and I turned away. My three chosen soldiers then looked to me for guidance.


    And, forcing my worries down, I nodded to them and dove down first.


    "SPREAD OUT! RAKE FORMATION!" I shout out to my sisters as we level out into a straight line. And although the gaps between us were wide. We were no less deadly. Then, in that brief moment the wind rushed against our helmets and into our faces, we prepared our blades.


    They did not seem to react at first, but as we closed the gap at dangerous speeds. Many of them began to turn upwards. Those with faces showed shock and horror. But those without, it was almost automatic, blades were drawn and rifles were snapped into position.


    They were not fast enough, though, and many were blown back in the immediate impact that followed. Our magic flared about and oppressed them in ways we could not do physically. And a single unified swipe in one direction cut many more down. A line of exploding air then marked our sudden backpedal.


    Further men and animals were bashed aside while others were bisected or sliced open. And as we drove our feet into the ground to stop ourselves. We swapped the side our blades were on. And we shot forward to mirror what we had just done.


    "CUT THEM DOWN!" I yelled out to my sisters once we had finished raking ourselves through them initially. The three of them then broke formation and went at it. Seemingly recklessly, but I knew better. And while one of them managed them on their own, largely isolated, I sprung into action.


    Shooting towards the mountainside while cleaving scores of them effortlessly in great bounds. I then leapt up onto the stone hide of the mountain, tearing it apart with my aggressive redirection. And, from my new vantage point, I quickly took in my sister''s situation. Springing into action the moment an opening appeared.


    Like the ryphurgok these heretics valued so much, I smashed them aside in one forceful charge. And like the Valkinvar they feared so much, I struck them down with sudden, disciplined strikes. Confusing and disorienting them in a flurry of exploding booms and light-flashing swings. Their blood had no opportunity to fall as we kept giving it reason to run.


    A trait not shared by the mass of uncaring soldiers that ran at us with whatever they had. Magic sabres shattered against our blades or ricocheted off of our armour. Magic bolts were flung away and disintegrated under the pressure of our power. It was the same no matter what they used.


    Only the war-witches had a chance of being able to force their way through to our armour. But even they were made quick work of. And terror filled their eyes just before some piece of our steel met their flesh. Their largely decorative attire proved no match for our overwhelming strength.


    "DO NOT LET THEM FLEE!" I encouraged my sisters to do. And I made a foremost example by opening a line all the way out to the fields beyond their encampment. Weaving up and over to smash down their walls and trap them. Yet, they did not care and they still charged at us with roars of fealty to evil.


    "GO FORTH AND BE JHERMONIKRA!" their officers roared back at us as their faceless horde charged and charged. No matter how many corpses began to fill the area. No matter the blood we spilt or how invincible we might have seemed. They just kept coming.


    In the slight, non-existent moments I could think about other things. I appreciated the pragmatic benefits of such behaviour. If they insisted on dying as warriors then I would gladly oblige them. But it was also in these moments that I felt terror.


    When I was confronted with impossible odds, me, a Valkinvar. One of the greatest witches in all of the land when looked at by an unpedenatic eye. I was scared, I quaked and shivered with uncertainty when I saw those airships. But these soldiers, even the ones who I could see the apprehension in, they kept on going.


    They all did...


    The determination to drown us in bodies terrified me and I saw it in my sister''s as well. We were not butchers, but they forced us into being them for the sake of more than just our lives. What was left of the grass was becoming harder and harder to see with each swing and blow. A field of flickering crimson filth was beginning to dominate our view.


    We could even spy how they were beginning to run out of men to send at us. The strain we had certainly put on them was showing. Troops either ran at us to die or they ran towards Uala''s group for the exact same fate. Though while ours was merely blood, fires raged on the far side of the battlefield.


    Their machines were being torn apart and thrown aside to those further down the pass. But a sudden gust of emerald wind marked the end of such behaviour. Valkinvar-Staguiffmani Dannatili was building up her power. Every bit of it was being scraped away from the edges of her spirit.


    It was a tremendous sight that heralded the doom of flesh and stone. A grand testament to the talent and power of not just the Valkinvar in general. But of those of the Ordoar Staguiffmani. It was as terrible a sight as it was fulfilling.


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    To see so much power in one spot, no doubt, the aelenvari would all swoon if they saw it. But below her was something far cruder but just as destructive. Brother Lavauroas of the Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst. A mighty warrior without equal.


    Where our blades cut down one man or the line he was formed up in. His blows sent groups flying each time. Those who were not impaled upon his manipulated stone were brought down to their lowest state. Mixing into the ground as nothing more than beaten flesh and bone and crushed steel.


    "WING-TIP!" Cetrape screamed out to me as she suddenly barreled into me.


    "Th-Thank you..." I breathed quietly as she released me from her saviour''s grip.


    "Focus." she reminds me as she goes up to deal with the war-witch who had tried to blast me. For a moment, I then watched as she skillfully weaved about them before she finished it with a single slash. I watched as Osses and Bsess took down greatswords with quick, sudden swings as if they weren''t a challenge at all.


    It mattered not to them, but I saw, in that flash of fighting just how much better they were. I really still was that disappointing student who donned the armour and swore the oath last. But I set my worries aside, and I got back up. Joining up with my sisters once again at the centre of the battlefield.


    "Break out and circle them." I tell them as I watch the remaining enemy move to encircle us. A final, last-ditch effort to deal with us. But now more than ever they lacked the numbers to do so and we broke out of their encirclement. Segmenting them up into small, curving formations which we then sliced down from behind.


    "We are done here." Bsess comments as she plants her sword into a dying man at an angle. Ensuring he was no longer even the most unsuspecting of threats before she began to to move. But, a single soldier stood before us. His armour broken and cracked while his body shook uncontrollably.


    "Surrender." I tell that lone soldier as the pressure and fear of being on his own got to him. Yet, he kept his grip firmly on his weapon. He kept it levelled at us no matter how shaky his grip was. He did not answer.


    "Put your weapon down!" Cetrepe encouraged him to do as she stepped forward as he hyperventilated.


    "Brave... I''m a Brave... BRAVE! I AM A BRAVE!" he began to hysterically roar before he pulled the trigger. And in one clean motion, Osses set aside his shot and put him down.


    "Foolish." I then heard her comment disapprovingly before she turned towards the others as they carried on fighting.


    "Should we?" Bsess asks as she readies herself for further fighting.


    "I''ve..." I started to say as I looked around at how we had taken not one prisoner. But I shook my head clear of those thoughts and prepared my sword.


    "We may not have to." Osses points out as we watch the Valkinvar-Staguiffmani unleash her supreme judgement onto the mountain and the army caught below it. A tremendous blast that forced us to drive our blades into the ground as well as duck down. Debris and bodies came flying out at us but we held our ground in the bloodied mud.


    So much slammed into and away from us but it was all the same. And while we could not see it, we heard it as clear as anything could be. An avalanche of solid rock was coming down into the pass from both sides. And when the light finally died down, we were beholden to a new mountain.


    One seemingly made of dust and small boulders. The pass had been completely blocked off! We had won! We had done it... It was over for just a moment...


    "Go, make sure your sisters are alright, I will make sure the informals are faring well." I tell the other three before I turned towards the enemy''s fortifications. Not a soul was to be found amongst the wood and dirt. It was the same on the outside as well. Yet, knowing there were none I had to save in the direction of the pass, I blew a hole in the wreckage I had made before.


    Ascending into the sky so I could greet the triumphant informals as they closed in on us. And far further behind, an army of ironcoats marched towards us. We were ready to take and fortify the pass against the enemy. They would not be finding us as they once did.


    Then, as the first man arrived with an eager but bloodied face, I raised my sword, "WE HAVE VICTORY!"


    "VICTORY!" I heard ripple throughout the plains with awesome force. The enemy no doubt heard our pride at that moment. And were it not for the debris we had blocked them off with. I had no qualms with believing that the strength of our cheer would have halted them as well!


    Though, when the first of our troops began to walk into the pass, through the gaps I had created. Their cheers started to die down as they were introduced to the horrible reality of our victory. We had lost so little in comparison to them in this offensive. But, one could not ignore how willing they were to throw away their lives.


    Even as we find victory, we found ourselves unnerved by their tenacity. This was the kind of army we faced. Gone was the prideless horde of fearful slaves I once watched over. Now all there were, were shadow-faced men of unrelenting aggression.


    And when that one soldier died just now... He did not speak of himself as brave. He spoke as if he was bravery itself. A Brave...


    "What now, Valkinvar?" one of the informal officers asked me as he came up on the ruined fortifications. I offered to help him up higher, but he seemed content to just be on that pile of splintering wood.


    "Search the field, recover what supplies you can. Salvage what you can..." I told him uncomfortably. And he knew why, going through so much gore was not going to be a favourable task. It was an unsettling affair. Looting of the dead was frowned upon by Waionr, but our situation meant we had to spite this rule.


    A sin we would pay for in due time I believe. But, hopefully, he understood why we had to do this. Maybe, he would and in turn forgive us... But I couldn''t help but worry about what we had to do now.


    When I last saw the Laws of Waionr broken by the men I was with, we faced our greatest defeat... The road to this situation was laid wide open. I lost my right to sit by Waionr''s side after death and I was forced... No, I chose to cower.


    I went into the arms of...


    "No, I have a job to do." I state to myself firmly, shaking my head disapprovingly before I fly off towards the others. The last of the fighting was reaching its conclusion. And like with those we faced off against. They granted us the courtesy of complete annihilation.


    "We have done it..." Allyoceer breathed in relief as she dropped down next to me. Her armour was dusty and covered in filth. And she was quick to take off her helmet to allow some fresh air to her sweating brow.


    "Nice glasses." I comment bemusedly as I look at how the dust had packed onto her face. It had gone through her helmet''s slit and had made a fine line stretching along a curve on her face.


    "So it was the same for you as well?" Allyoceer wasted no time in asking as she looked towards our troops as they marched into the pass.


    "No." I sigh as I cautiously watch the mountain of rubble they just made. There was a lot of noise coming from the other side of it. And seeing how the army had reacted, fighting to the death even for a battle like this. I was not going to be surprised if there was more to this battle than what had just happened.


    "This will be a difficult war to win." she mutters before she brings me along to the others as they finish up.


    "Wing-Head Allyoceer." Uala greets with pride as she holds her head up high.


    "Good work, all of you. We have dealt a tremendous blow to the enemy while suffering little ourselves in exchange. Make use of what rest you can, you have all earned it." she tells them before she begins to slowly ascend the mountain. And I follow her up there. Struggling slightly as I realise just how much magic I spent in that fight.


    One rifle, sabre-rattler or greatswordsman was not exhausting on its own. But to face down a small army like that. All the way to its absolute demise was... Tiring.


    We would all definitely need the time to recover our strength. Thankfully, we could hand over the reins to the troops we had rallied to safety. And with the safety our actions gave them, we could grant them the space to accomplish what the Seven-Peaks Union could not. Fortifications would block off this pass.


    The steel of the fallen would armour us and their own weapons would be turned on them. Whatever we could recover, anyhow. It was a wild slaughter that I took part in. Not just troops were set aside as we went about it.


    "Those animals will at least make for good baggage handlers and later food." Allyoceer comments as I carefully set myself down on the unstable pile of dust and debris.


    "Why are you up here, Wing-Head?" I ask her as I follow her as she walks along the surprisingly flat top of the debris.


    "To see what they are now up to." she answers as we stop short of a ridge on the other side of the pile. The magic even still throbbed in the piece of stone we hid behind. Brother Lavauroas had left quite the mark in this pile, even if Sister Dannatili handled most of it.


    "I don''t believe it, they''re... Retreating." I say the moment we catch sight of the army. They were actually turning back. It wasn''t chaotic by any means, but they were turning around and abandoning the front!


    "And they will not be back any time soon. All the other angles of attack are closed off." Allyoceer points out as she pats me firmly on the back.


    "But we know they are not dependent on just marching around." I point out. A floating, but crewless gun platform then proves my point with its idle hovering.


    "Nothing they have can stop us. The few scraps they chuck over the mountains will be easy pickings."


    "And when the airships come?" I ask her, not liking the implications of her tone.


    And she goes quiet and slightly pale, "We will face them with the might of three Valkinvar Ordoars."


    "I hope it is enough..." I wish as my despair came through to my face. I have spent so long running from those things that I did not know if we could fight them. There was more weight of shot than all of the guns we had here. The armour was strong and thick enough to stop our blades and the amount of magic they funnelled...


    It was terrifying to feel that much magic in one place. Even Valkinvar-Staguiffmani Dannatili''s recent display was nothing in comparison! I suppose it was just the way it moved so there was some relief to be found. But, to even know it was capable of that, it terrified me.


    "We will make it enough, then." Allyoceer tells me as she returns her eyes to the land below and her mind to the circumstances at hand.


    "I repeat myself." is all I could think of to say as I watched the enemy turn their backs on us.


    "So were there any complications on your end?"


    "No, Wing-Head Allyoceer. We cleared the enemy from the battlefield and ensured the informals bridged the gap to our position."


    "And here come the formals to fill out the battlefield."


    "It will be a uncomfortable task we now ask of them."


    "But it is one that must be done." she answers before I snatch her arm up by the wrist.


    "Please, Allyoceer, do not encourage our damnation." I beg of her as I recall what Grand-Thoucomm Pathort did. Damnation came not long after. Waionr spied the foul move and punished us for it.


    "Do not worry, I will not order the men to violate the tenants of war. Our future love will not be shamed in the coming days."


    "A very busy couple of days..." I mutter as we make our way back to our side of the mountain of rubble.


    "It will give everyone something to do other than clog up the corridors of the Long Battery Fort."


    "Are you reminiscing about our initial time there?" I asked her, somewhat perplexed by the joy she seemed to have at the thought of it.


    "I am glad that all the things I have been worrying about will now been diminished concerns. We are free to pick clean the supplies of our retreating enemy. Our guns will be silent for the first time in... However long it has been since this siege started."


    "Then we must work hard to make sure it stays like this."


    "Of course, and now, more than just the gun crews and us can work towards that goal."


    "Hm, that reminds me. When we first started the raids, when we lost Annalla, many of the supplies we tried to get were scattered in the valley Brother Lavauroas'' monastery once stood."


    "They were not recovered in later raids?"


    "Not that I am aware of, so sending a few men into that pass may benefit us somewhat."


    "I''ll consider it for later, then."


    "With all due respect, I believe it may be best for us to focus on these out-of-sight tasks first. It will be easy to forget about them if we focus on the battlefield before us now." I explain to her.


    "I guess that would also give us time for carrion to appear."


    "Carrion, Wing-Head?" I repeat in confusion.


    "Food." she clarifies before she starts to drop down to the valley floor.


    "Hm, maybe I will find myself tasting human once in my life." I comment as I remember that first meal I shared with Nin and Vadei. That joke the hwardgon told was unsettling at the time and it stuck with me. But now, hearing Allyoceer''s idea, it might somewhat prove foreboding.


    Though, I knew full well the two events were completely unrelated and unconnected. My mind was just eager to be busy with other things. The sights before me were unsettling. I wanted to be rid of it.


    "We will finally have the water for baths!" I suddenly realise as the supplies we will get will no doubt include water. Our guns going silent as well would mean they''d no longer need clean water to clear away the soot and burn marks.


    "Someone''s happy." Lavauroas commented as I touched the ground. His great weapon was once again being used as a means to lean. And his expression showed how close he was to a hearty yawn.


    "I am, in fact! Just not because of this..."


    "So what''s got you all chipper?" he asks as he steps off of his weapon to move closer.


    "We can now use the water to clean ourselves." I whisper to him eagerly, hoping to not set off the others. Dannatili especially as her Ordoar prided themselves on their hair. If she learned of it, she would see that no one else used the baths until she was presentable. Not even mildly, she''d go the full ceremonial length with it!


    "The monastery stream leads to a small lake, you know." he points after he scoffs his bemusement.


    "The monastery is gone." I point out as I glare at him.


    "Shining Armour, the monastery is independent of the stream it was built on." he points out as he starts to float.


    "You will take me there?" I ask him as I follow him up the mountain. Though, why he left his weapon behind I could only guess.


    "I''ll let slip an indicator that it''s down there." he answers after taking a breather on the first peak he came upon.


    "I can''t just waste time looking for a small lake right after a battle."


    "Why not? Your armour is filthy for starters and so are you."


    "A fair enough point." I shrug in agreement as my prior morals crumble in the face of his argument. Then, without wasting a further second, a glide down into the valley. Passing by the site where I lost Annalla and the ruins of the monastery. I viewed one with regret, the other with scorn. But whenever I saw the water, my mind went fuzzy and I felt like a child.


    It''s sweet joys would be mine and the stream was widening quickly!


    "There we are!" I breathe in relief as I shoot straight into the water. Not even bothering to remove my armour. Instead, I just let the water soak me through and through. And I shivered as I felt the cool water go down my relatively sensitive back.


    "Having fun?" Uala asked me in a surprisingly laid-back tone. Though her appearance here made me jump and I suddenly shot out of the water with my blade at the ready.


    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Lavauroas howled from the top of the mountain as I calmed down. And, to make matters worse, nearly everyone else had gathered here.


    "How selfish of you, Wing-Tip Vapooliar." Dannatili jokes as she looks at the water lovingly.


    "Hardly." I remark as I plant my sword at the edge of the lake.


    "Well, whatever, I want out of this second skin all the blood has given me." one of those who went with Uala commented as she shot straight into the water as I did.


    "Oh, how I wish a flower was passing by." Dannatili sighed wishfully before she began to partially strip down. Then, from the side of the lake, she began to use her magic to cup it and gently pour it down onto herself.


    "I''m just glad we have clean water." Cetrepe tells her before she sinks under the water. But, while they were all focused on that, I flew up to Lavauroas who was still laughing.


    "Couldn''t help yourself, hm?" I asked him with an emotionless tone before I cracked my knuckles before him.


    "Not at a-!" he began to answer before I sent my fist right at his chestplate. And down below, a tower of water suddenly erupted into the sky and childish screams filled the air.


    "That felt good." I say as I both got my vengeance for his sacrelige of his former post and revenge for the cheap laughs.


    "What''s going on?" Allyoceer asked as she came up to join me on the mountainpeak.


    "Nothing, Wing-Head Allyoceer." I answer with a professional tone before I move to head back to the water.


    "Hold your position, Valkinvar." she orders me with a stern voice. And I did so, only to be tackled from behind and sent straight into the water.


    "Betrayed by my own superior!" I call out in laughter as I escape to the surface of the water.


    "DO YOU MIND!?" Dannatili screeched as she found herself soaked from head to toe. But, none of us understood her, clearly. She was going to be fully soaked by her own hands in good time. So, to emphasise this, everyone got the same idea and we threw all we could at her.


    "You staff-holders are no fun." Lavauroas comments as he climbs out of the lake.


    "Fun...? FUN!? I''LL SHOW YOU FUN!" she roars in fury as she brings out an impressively faded display of magic. And it became as if she had learned water magic! Projectiles were going everywhere of all kinds! Muddy water, dirtied water, clean water! Some were even just blasts of magic wind!


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce! Show them your strength!" Allyoceer decrees as lines are drawn in the banks. All of us versus just two from the other Ordoars. We were all smirking but they weren''t. Lavauroas had resigned himself to his fate, unbothered by the water. But Dannatili is where all the fun was as she was not putting up with it.


    "The Valkinvar-Staguiffmani is the greatest of all Valkinvar!" she proclaimed as her remaining magic spread out into the lake.


    "Shower incom-" I began to laugh out as the water took on a green glow.


    .


    .


    .


    "Explain the situation to me now." I demand of the man I came nearly face-to-face with.


    "The Valkinvar have launched an assault on our column! They''ve blocked the pass and swept away our attempts to bring forward heavy, mobile artillery!" they explained to me as their information was transmitted to us.


    "So you are more dependent on us than ever." I commented quietly as I remembered the words of the war-witch. She was correct, it seemed, we were truly needed out here at this siege.


    "The army is being pulled back to the nearest opening in the terrain, but we cannot continue on with our advance." they went on to say.


    "Make sure your supreme officer is at the rendezvous, I will bring the Thunderous Brawler before them." I tell them as we put an end to the feed.


    "Will you be heading out alone, Captain-Engineer?" one of my aides asked as he inspected a tablet.


    "Bring the Thunderous Brawler in close and I shall depart on a smaller craft when we are near." I tell him as I move off of the bridge. Followed closely by a pair of decorated bodyguards. Through tunnels and passes, we went. All the way until we reached the onboard tram system.


    "Altered stop, the Private Hangar." the driver manning the tram declared to all of his passengers. And while many did not respond because they could not, many others groaned at the lengthened journey. One passenger, in particular, couldn''t help but squawk and thud about.


    And, as they were here, I took advantage of the moment, "Are the heavy lancers ready to disembark?"


    "The last of the ryphurgok are being moved into position and the last few pieces of gear are being approved for use. We will be ready shortly, Captain-Engineer." the rider explained to me before he looked up at his heavily-built steed. A mass of solid muscle hardened by a diet of stone.


    "You are one of those you speak of?" I inquire as I wasn''t quite expecting to see a majestic beast like this on the tram I was taking.


    "I am, Captain-Engineer." he answers with a nod.


    "Then all the best in your preparation. However, beyond this delay to that task, I would have you delay yourself further." I start to say to him before I made a pause to think about it. He was no officer, but he could be trusted to pass it on clearly.


    "Captain-Engineer?"


    "Notify the Lead of the Charge that he will be engaged in a different kind of operation. And that he is to join me out at the command post on the ground as soon as he can." I tell him to which he nods in understanding.


    "Understood, Captain-Engineer, it will be done."


    "I still hold the same confidence in you and your brethren, but let it be known we will be heading into a far more difficult situation." I tell him before I stand up as the tram reaches its destination. And, although my departure was not officially declared, it was still met with respect and professionalism by those nearest to me.


    Though, as I was in a rush I did not respond in kind as I should have. I just kept my pace and went down the corridors until they opened up into a vast chamber. It was an active, busy place even with its purposes built around me and the other officers. So, I navigated it until I came upon a pilot standing at attention outside his craft.


    "You are for me?" I questioned the pilot to which he silently saluted.


    "Shall we accompany you further, Manufacturer-Commander?" one of my bodyguards asked. A question that made me stop on the ramp of the box-shaped craft.


    "No, you are dismissed for the time being." I answered as I stepped into the modified troop transport. And I relaxed into one of the plump chairs and glanced out of the window. It was rare for me to ever see my beloved airship from this angle. So I made a point of enjoying it.


    Thankfully, I had to make no call to the pilot as our path took us on a good enough view of the airship. And I just couldn''t help myself, I took in all the sights that I could. Like someone would appreciate a tall woman, I found myself looking down at first. But, rather than a pair of heels, I was glad to see the full might of Prince Jhrartur''s engineering talent.


    A New Story-Class airship of the ''broadsider'' categorization. They were named in part for the flowery speech he gave on the official formation of the Royal Jhermonikra Air-Navy. They were meant to mark a change in the fortunes of our proud union. A change of the grand kind, like how a story changes so quickly when the author wills it.


    And to do it, we had a mighty machine that brought in more magic than entire cities! Through the funnel-tunnel wind directors, it went and then out through the six suction-expulsion vortex amplifiers. Or, through the seventy-two vastly smaller wind-lifters decorating the upper edges of the airship.


    A lot of magic flowed into this machine and it all went right back out to lift her tremendous weight. But not all of it went out those six primary limbs of my vessel. A vast quantity was also set aside by the funnel-tunnels for our weapon systems. And they themselves could be treated as such should the need arise.


    More than three-thousand magic and matter erasure cannons lined both of her sides. If we carried physical munitions, we''d have more weight in shot than anything out there. Even the grandest of land battles would have to have been fought again and again to match our total firepower. Yet, even with all those great guns, we had plenty of room for more.


    The room, however, went to her counter artillery. That which protected us should we ever find such destructive guns turned on us. I had never found out how such weapons were made. But I slept far better knowing His Royal Highness, Prince Jhrartur devised a system that countered them perfectly.


    My airship, the Thunderous Brawler, like all others was a might incarnate. Blessed by the Unassailbile, The Giver of Wind himself. We brought forth his will and enlightenment where ever we flew. But now, we came as saviours in a time of need.


    The situation at the Long Battery Fort painted a clear picture. Its arguments for why such machines were built were clear and strong. Regular forces simply could not penetrate such masterful defensive warfare. It was no surprise that I was even heading out for a direct meeting with their supreme commander.


    They were boxed into that pass and barely allowed to move out. And when the power of the Valkinvar came upon them, they were trapped. Left to be slaughtered so that the hope of a united continent could live on. I held the loss of life in contempt, but I pitied the officers who would survive.


    Theirs would be a long journey to the graves and the fields set aside for the dead. So many would have to be hauled back to be honoured properly. By loved ones and divine protectors. But I was here now, the Thunderous Brawler was here now and we would see that stop.


    There would be an equal and greater loss of life for the heretical enemy we faced.


    "Manufactuer-Commander, we are coming up on the command post." my pilot informed me as I heard the small machine hiss as it revealed its limbs. And, as if it were yawning, the back opened up with a gentle gust of wind that went back into my face.


    "Which way?" I asked the first soldier I came across. However, their face was hidden from me so I would get no vocal response. Only a temperamental and unclear gesture.


    "Manufacturer-Commander!" called out someone not long after I headed in the direction of the raised arm.


    "You are who I spoke to not long ago." I recalled as we greeted each other from a short distance.


    "Yes, the Peak of the Army is within here." he answered as he urged me into the command tent. And we silently greeted each other. As we did that, his aides cleared the table and set off a magic device. One that detailed thoroughly what the situation was.


    "As you can see, the enemy has pushed out across the Batterywatched Plains and blocked off the pass completely." he pointed out as they highlighted what must''ve been the last piece of reconnaissance they were able to get of the plains.


    "They have made no attempts to push your army as it was turning away?"


    "No, we believe that their vile god is satiated for the moment with the blood spilt." one told me.


    "We know that the force that they cut off was sizeable, they have most likely exhausted themselves." another answered.


    "They won''t dare to push beyond the range of their fortress guns. We know no support is coming from them. Even with the delay to our advance, the surrounding land has been marched over and secured. They are cut off in their near entirety."


    "But a pass remains open and I intend to see it shut." the Peak of the Army reminded everyone present before he groaned at the situation.


    "Control of the siege will have to pass to me." I state bluntly. Thankfully, no contesting claims came from them. And they quickly submitted the authority to me.


    "And how will you handle it?"


    "We need to separate their regular forces from their witches. By bringing the Thunderous Brawler in along a clear line of sight. I will make the Valkinvar flee or come to me. Our guns and the few fighter craft we are in possession of will hold them should they choose to fight."


    "And of those who are restrained to the earth?"


    "They will be handled by a joint effort by our complement and our broadsides." I explain to them as I hover an item in the air by where I intended to bring my airship in. Right in the centre of the plains where I could occupy them completely.


    "Your firing arcs would not be able to handle the lower fortifications or anything moving out across the plains." one of them pointed out to me. And, as if by divine providence, the man who would head it arrived before us.


    "This is where the cavalry I once promised you would come in. Our Lead of the Charge will turn our enemy''s own hubris against them. It is clear that by blocking the pass, they think they can stop our troops. I intend to use it against them." I explain as the Lead of the Charge walked up to the table. His impressive display of colours and order heraldry outshined even the most decorated within this tent.


    "We could ready ourselves by loading the ryphurgok onto smaller troop transports. And, with the cover provided by the Thunderous Brawler, both visually and magically. We would be able to unload ourselves onto this man-made ground and charge down it and smash their forces apart on the open plains beyond."


    "You would be charging right into our old fortifications." one of the likely withdrawn field officers pointed out.


    "We have charged through worse." the Lead of the Charge confidently nodded.


    "Then what of the lower fortifications of the Long Battery Fort? You would not be able to bring in any heavy weaponry."


    "An issue that will be solved by us, but, should it prove necessary to break beyond the walls, I trust my cavalry commander to equip his men for such a task." I tell them with confidence to calm their worries.


    "May Jhrarda lend you his strength, then." they began to say one by one. Or, it was something similar to that effect.


    "I understand you have just arrived, but inform your men of the plan and its developments. We must act quickly and exploit the loss of our fellow man." I tell him with a grim tone.


    "Of course, with the same haste as I have on the charge." he dramatically answered before he went off.


    "Right, the rest of you have your duties to attend to. I shall have the tent for just us two, now." the Peak of the Army told his staff. And, quickly and quietly, they went off to handle their retreating force. I had to admit, I had no idea how such a task would go. All this victory had dulled my understanding of it.


    This kind of setback was just unprecedented given the progress we have made so far. A centuries-long stalemate suddenly went in our favour because of airships like mine. Bloody sieges in the tight corridors of our homeland should''ve been a long-gone thought by now. Much less one where we''d be forced to retreat.


    "I do not wish to see our branches conflict, Manufacturer-Commander."


    "I feel the same, Peak of the Army. This war is meant to unify us, as strange as it sounds."


    "I know, we all know. But every parent realises at some point a firm hand is needed to handle a troublesome child."


    "Allow me to make it clear, regardless, though, that once this siege ends, we will make a  point of guiding you further along."


    "Even without his Royal Highness, Prince Jhrartur''s approval?"


    "I am sure he and his staff will understand the need for the support along this route."


    "I suppose even his contacts can be wrong on occasion." they then sighed.


    "The area was meant to be clear?"


    "Yes, we had received assurances that the fortress had been abandoned in light of the Seventh Line being broken. Our army was not prepared to be fired upon by the guns of the fortress. Let alone worm what we needed up to the unexpected front."


    "We can only make the best of what we are given. But, do not worry, we can handle this." I tell him, trying to reassure him with the confidence I had in my airship and her crew and complement.


    "You''ll have to forgive my bitterness. To handle this and then concede it to another." he groaned.


    "We both find ourselves here with wounded pride, then."


    "An airship''s captain comes with wounded pride?" he scoffs mockingly.


    "War-witches came to see us beforehand, they were aware of the siege and coerced us here with claims of cowardice." I explain to him, somewhat bemused by the whole affair in retrospect.


    "He who proposes a headlong advance against a Valkinvar wing and their fortress came here because he was called a coward? Well, my mood has improved I must say."


    "Fair enough, but, now, you can improve mine by telling me all you can about the Long Battery Fort." I let with bemusement at first before my professionalism took hold.


    "Now, we have not seen all of her capabilities, but-"

 Incline 6: His Lunar Majestys Royal Jhermonikra Airship Thunderous Brawler

    "I know we should be prepared for something to attack us, but, it still feels odd to build our fortifications this way." I remark quietly to Bsess as we observe the regular troops go about cleaning up our mess. It was a while off, but they had begun turning the abandoned lines of the enemy into something we could use. But the trenches they had dug were an issue, so we were focused on filling them up.


    And, with some uncertainty, I had to sit back and watch as the bodies of our foe were used to fill them. Orders had been sent out to not be spiteful about it, so we could avoid Waionr''s wrath. But this was a dangerous line we were teetering on the edge of. Thankfully, some effort was made to bury them formally, even if it was a hurried along matter.


    "It''s an unstable pile of debris, it would be movable if they put the effort in."


    "And if they did that, it would explode right at us." I point out.


    "We are keeping an eye on the other side, Wing-Tip, they won''t have the opportunity to do anything of the sort."


    "We have yet to even grasp what they are capable of." I remind her as I briefly look over to one of their guns which we had commandeered. It was a strange machine, one that felt so alien. Seemingly, it was a simple weapon, it had the shape of any other cannon we might''ve had. But there were so many things about it that struck me as odd.


    We could feed it power ourselves or load it with these small, tightly-sealed barrels. Their barrels could be shortened or lengthened at a whim, though I did not know why. I just knew I did not want to ever be on the end of them. I had seen what they could do but everyone else was so calm around them.


    "Hm, that''s odd, a rider is coming at us oddly fast." Bsess commented as she turned towards the fortress.


    "If he is riding with that kind of urgency, we should head down to meet him." I say before Bsess plants her arm against my chest. Blocking me off from any attempt to move ahead.


    "The fortress shields are being turned on."


    "W-Why!? There''s nothing coming..." I started to question before I started to feel out the world around me. A great power was on its way. But it wasn''t just the magic it was pumping out that caught our attention. A mighty declaration called out from beyond the mountains.


    "Back to the fortress, now!" Bsess told me as I started to go pale. I knew that sound... The same sound that drowned my senses all the way back then... An airship...


    An airship!


    "No! They''re coming to us." I tell her as I grab her and pull her down. Ignoring her initial anger just as everyone appeared. Everyone had been brought... The entire wing was called for battle.


    "You two, with us, now!" Uala snapped the moment she passed by. Though, as the others did not stop, we could infer that our plan would be discussed in transit.


    "I hope you''ve left nothing behind." I tell Bsess as I put on my helmet and pick up my sword. Before flying, however, I leapt off of the fortifications and briefly sprinted. Only launching into the air once a safe distance had been reached. Yet, I quickly landed again when I saw how the others had assembled on a mountain peak just ahead of our barricade.


    "Everyone is accounted for, Wing-Head Allyoceer." Uala informs her just as me and Bsess walk up to them.


    "I am sure you all just heard it if you did not feel it, but an enemy airship is on the direct approach. We must intercept it before it can present its broadsides before the fortress!" Allyoceer explained. And I agreed with her, we could not let those guns get near our fortress. They would erase it from existence if they so much as got within a fingers-reach!


    Yet...


    "Our blades cannot pierce their armour! Their weapons would wipe us out!" I let out fearfully as I remembered my past experience with them.


    "Stow the uncertainty!" Uala snapped as she forced her foot down at me.


    "THIS IS NOT UNCERTAINTY! I HAVE FACED THEM BEFORE! WE CANNOT WIN THIS!" I scream up at her as my fear gets the best of me.


    "You face them before and have no confidence that we can win!?" she says accusingly as she hops down to confront me at my level. And within a single burst, I found myself forced up against the mountain with a blade placed right against my chest.


    "Wh-What''re you doing!?" I demanded to know.


    "It''s pretty clear that you are a... COWARD!" Uala built up to as the tip of her blade scraped at my armour.


    "ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU!" Allyoceer roared as she shoved Uala away and then me when I aggressively moved to my feet.


    "Wing-Head, listen to me... We cannot win this!" I tell her as that same image repeated in my head again and again. Of how my blade harmlessly bounced off of the armour all that time ago. I went at it with all I had and I did nothing to it!


    "There is nowhere for us to go, Wing-Tip Vapooliar! We either fight and win or fight and die!" she told me with an aggressive poke before she backed up and went to the top of the mountain.


    "I''m not a coward, I will not run... But you have to realise, the armour is too thick, the weapons are too strong!" I try to explain to her as she steels herself before the distant sight that I hid against.


    "All of you, join me up here, gaze at the enemy." Allyoceer told us calmly as she removed her helmet. She was scared as well but she stood up there regardless. Slowly, others began to join her, but I stayed in the shadow of the mountain.


    "Vapooliar, take my hand." Dannatili urged me after she went up onto the peak. At first, I did not respond, but, eventually, I moved my hand forward and took hers. Yet I did not move until she pulled me up with the help of the others.


    "I want you all to look out at what we face, the terror that has seen our nation collapse at a horrifying rate. Lines we have held for so long, cities we defended for near-eternity. They fell because of things like this. They have established a new tradition for us, one of retreat and destitiution. But, with your help, I would like to see an end to this. I know we will put an end to this. So, Imdvarce, Ammimpaurst, Staguiffmani! VALKINVAR! JOIN ME SO WE MIGHT PUSH THIS THING BACK AND SAVE OUR HOME! WORRY NOT IF YOU FALL! FOR YOU WILL PASS ON OUR WOES TO OUR LORD WAIONR! NOW JOIN ME VALKINVAR! JOIN ME!"


    And with that, she launched off towards the enemy with her blade pointed ahead. Everyone joined her with steeled hearts and determined glares. But as they went, I found myself left behind. Terror dominated me...


    "You are not alone, Vapooliar, not anymore." Lavauroas told me quietly before he intentionally destroyed the mountain peak under me.


    "FLY WITH US WING-TIP!" Uala of all people roared back at me as I suddenly fell with the collapsing mountain top.


    "Y-Yes..." I answered as I called on my magic and let it explode out of me. The rubble that once enveloped me was blown away and I soared off to join my brother and sisters. I had much to make up for and this would be where I would start!


    "If you have any knowledge you''d like to pass, now is the time Vapooliar!" Allyoceer demanded from me as I went into my place at the edge of our wing.


    "Whatever you do, avoid those guns! They erase everything!"


    "No magic can do that!" Uala argued. And I could understand the scepticism even now. The power these weapons had was incomprehensible!


    "No, she is right! Vapooliar is right! I have felt it! These guns wipe out everything! Do not test yourselves against them! We cannot and must not intercept them! Leave it to me if we must!" Dannatili told them as she built up some magic preemptively.


    "Just tell me what to smash down and I''ll make you an opening!" Lavauroas boasted as he broke formation to collect some stone from the nearby mountains.


    "BREAK FORMATION! IT''S FIRING!" Allyoceer shouted out to us as a tremendous power build-up suddenly occurred.


    "This isn''t the guns... I DON''T KNOW WHAT THIS IS!" I tell them as I guide my part of the wing on a sharp veer to the right.


    "WIND MAGIC, BUT DON''T GET COCKY!" Dannatili clarified for us as we seemingly found ourselves staring directly at the eyes of this machine.


    "WATCH YOURSELVES!" Allyoceer screamed out to us before the howl of these weapons drowned out all noise.


    "What th-" I let out before I was suddenly caught in a powerful vortex that flung and threw me about. And it was only made more dangerous with all these swords flying about near us.


    "NOW! ESCAPE NOW!" Dannatili roared as she briefly blasted the vortexes away. And in that moment, I shot up towards her. Snatching her up before I carried on into the sky.


    "We need to get closer..." I point out as their tornado-like shape became apparent from the outside. All that power was focused for a good distance before it suddenly burst out.


    "All the easier with how they are still advancing..." Dannatili commented before the titanic machine groaned under its own weight.


    "It''s presenting a broadside... EVERYONE! WATCH YOURSELVES!" I realised before I screamed as loud as I could so all could hear. Did they just try to disorient us so they could catch us in a mass of fire!?


    "BREAK FORMATION! LOOSE YOURSELF FROM THE WING!" Allyoceer cried as our vision lit up with bluish-purple light.


    "We need to move quickly, those shots are coming in at us at a converging angle!" Dannatili told me.


    "We pull back, then, let them come." I tell her.


    "We need to push to the airship!"


    "Trust me!" I urge her as I think again and again about what we could do.


    "COWARDS!" Uala presumes as she moves to intercept. But with a quick, downward slash, I stop her charge!


    "Pull back and let the rounds meet us! Let them wipe themselves out so we can advance in between the volleys!" I explain to her as I send her off to gather her side of things.


    "Meet back at me, both all of you!" Dannatili tells us as I dive down to grab Cetrepe, Bsess and Osses. Two of them had already got themselves back up, but one of them had it worse. They were thrown against a mountain and were dangerously isolated.


    "WING-TIP!" she cried in relief as I stopped right before her to snatch up her hand. And the moment our hands locked together, I sent us back the way I came until she let go once she gathered her strength.


    "We''re meeting up here! Move!" I tell her as the strange warbling of the enemy artillery drowned out all other noises.


    "Get ready... NOW!" Dannatili called out as she sent her own magic out to meet them head-on. And in a tremendous arcane fireball, our vision suddenly became dominated by a single mass. It vanished as quickly as it came. But the results were unsettling.


    The sudden vacuum they had created pulled us all in and the sky ignited with our power. We had to get out of here! And we went about it quickly. Going ahead in three lines headed by me and the other two officers.


    "Get to that hull and cling to it!" Allyoceer ordered just as we met back up. With a nod, I then split away with my three sisters. I did my best to guide them through the repeated volleys and the stress grew. Thankfully, however, we all slammed right onto the hull of the airship.


    We arrived as one and now we had to fight as one!


    "You''re right, we can''t get past this armour..." Cetrepe commented as she pulled her sword away from the unharmed armour.


    "Now what? Those guns will wipe us out if we face them!" Osses said.


    "We find weaker armour, head up, onto the deck!" I urge them as I glance upwards. Briefly leaping on top of one of the cannons before I launched skyward. And with my blade at the ready, I dashed down the moment the first enemy entered my sights.


    "SKY-MARINES, ENGAGE THE ENEMY!" an officer roared as the army that met me on the deck of the airship opened fire. But despite their bravery and efforts, their tight formations and restricted movement was a perfect opportunity for me. And I launched ahead with my blade before me. Knocking a few off at the end of my dash before I noticed the guns were still firing on our end.


    "What''re you doing... Don''t linger out there..." I commented under my breath as I saw my sister''s circle the skies around the airship. However, it gave me an idea when I caught on to how the guns lit up before they released their shot. And I had plenty of ways to interrupt their projectiles all around me!


    So with a sudden grip that snapped the neck of the nearest soldier. I brought them up and over, slamming them downwards straight towards a glowing barrel. At first, it seemed like it would miss, but their foot caught the orb just as it left the barrel. And the explosion tore through the hole!


    This was our moment! I had torn open a path for us to take! We had a way inside of the airship! And I intended to exploit that!


    "No..." I found myself saying, though. One peek had all but dashed my hopes of a chance to get inside the airship. The armour had been gouged open, yes, but it was too thick... I couldn''t even see how much further it was going, but the gun had been silenced as well!


    All I had done was ineffectively scarred the mighty warship...


    "Wing-Tip, there are too many up there!" Bsess told me as she joined me with the other two in this glorified crater I had made.


    "The others haven''t had any luck either, it seems." Cetrepe commented as she peeked out towards the other guns.


    "We need to regroup with the others, reconsider our strategy." I mutter before I catch sight of a new problem. Smaller airships were rapidly leaving the larger one and making a break for the sky!


    "What''re they doing!?"


    "Whatever it is, they''re headed for the fortress!" I point out as I watch their trajectory. They were amassing large amounts of wind magic at their rears!


    .


    .


    .


    "We have the Valkinvar occupied, commence with your assault, Lead of the Charge." the Captain-Engineer ordered across our communications.


    "Of course, cut transmission." I acknowledge before I order the pilot to put us in the dark. We knew what we had to do and this would ensure we stayed out of sight. It was hard to not notice the Thunderous Brawler, but we did not need any wayward minds following us.


    "Inter-ship transmission established." one of the crew told me as I walked out of the cockpit.


    "All heavy lancers, rear your ryphurgok into position. We make landfall soon!" I snap to all the other landing craft before I head over to my mighty beast. A scarred veteran like me. One that showed no fear even before a line of pikes and bayonets! Her roar out-deafened their guns and there was no finer partner I could ask for.


    "Your ryphurgok is ready, Lead of the Charge." one of my squires told me as they brought forth a step for me to use.


    "Make sure everyone else is ready, I can handle myself." I stubbornly told the squire as I snatched up my lance and rested it on the neck-bound hook. And while they scrambled about in cramped conditions to make sure everyone was outfitted. I put on my helmet and made sure it was secured. A low growl left me and I eagerly held onto the handle of my lance, just waiting for the moment to pick it up.


    "Landing imminent!" the pilot called back to us as the landing craft suddenly began to swerve and bounce about.


    "Easy, Girl." I tell my ryphurgok as she became hypnotised by the forceful shaking. Then, the moment the doors opened, I drove her out onto the man-made mountain. Aware of how eager she was to submit to her base impulses. It amused me still after all these years.


    And as she did that, I turned back to watch as the rest of my troops disembarked. Some came out as quickly as I did, their beasts doing much the same. The more timid ones slowly trekked out and a few even came out on foot. Seemingly choosing to mount up outside.


    "HEADS HIGH! LANCES FORWARD!" I called out to my men as I urged my mount forward. Bringing her to the top of the enemy''s barricade before I brought her up onto her rear legs. And I let her howl to her heart''s content so that the fear of our presence would fill them. Then, once my men gathered up alongside me to the backdrop of the orbital-halo...


    I lowered my lance...


    "FORWARD!" I roared before I threw my weight down on my mount. Forcing her to charge down the steep slope whilst I kept my lance tip held high. The men around me relied on their magic-filled ryphurgokshoes to keep themselves on the sharp slope. But my dear beast was better than that, and I quickly sprang ahead without them.


    I was then the first off the slope as patchwork cannon fire began to assail us. With a mighty crash my ryphurgok slammed into the ground. But with the springiness of small game, she leapt back up with a triumphant roar. And we headed the charge as all the others began to follow suit.


    Bang after bang came from behind and in front of us. They stormed at us with shot and shell, but it was not enough. Their skills were not enough and we kept on charging. Even as legs were blown out under us and comrades were sent spiralling out of control.


    We kept our line and our lances levelled. We brought our power out and let it spiral across the lengths of our weapons. To the greatest sound ever, we charged. That of wind magic and the roars of the legendary beast that gifted it to us!


    Their defences grew closer and closer with each violent vibration that shivered through me. We all felt it, the power of our beasts as their rock-crushing limbs smashed at the dirt. The thick, heavy armour they all wore jangled as if it were nothing. Our knuckles were turned white by the strength of our grip.


    A rodeo as much as it was a charge. But, the time had come and we were plunged into the battery smoke. Right through their lines, we broke. Cowards and the brave reeled from our charge.


    Vicious bangs went off right in our faces as those dreaded pikes of theirs called for our lives. But Mighty Jhrarda would not console our loved ones this day. He would drag their screaming souls to the damnation they had so justly earned. I may have not seen it clearly, but the screams and brief red mist along my lance proved my thoughts true.


    Then, upon spotting an opening, I guided my ryphurgok as well as I could to it. Urging my lance forward to tear apart what I could not avoid. Splinters and nails then assailed me as I broke past the hijacked fortifications of our fellow soldiers. But, rather than carry on my charge, I forced mt ryphurgok to stop!


    I reared her up and slammed her back down towards their backs. The confusion and battle ahead of them blinded them to me. But to save the lives of my men, I had my beast roar as loudly as she could as I went at them. And right from behind I tore through their lines.


    Scything the battlements clear of those I could alongside the support pillars. And as I left, the wooden wall collapsed under its own weight. A process helped by the encouragement of my fellows who leapt out of the debris moments later.


    "BRING SOME MEN AROUND AND RUN THOSE LOT DOWN! THE REST OF YOU! FORM A LINE WITH ME!" I called out to the men after slapping a few to the still-standing half of the wall. And with a thudding, anxious heart, I stared up at the distant fortress. A wall of guns and men awaited us and our duty was to head towards it. Bravery, gallantry and honour was needed here.


    And I had full confidence that all here could bring it with them. Even those I had asked to come on foot before we had even landed. They of all people needed it. To keep up with our charge while bringing forth the siege equipment...


    "A stern heart to you all, brave runners!" I told them whilst thrusting my lance skyward.


    "FORWARD!" the men all then roared in unison as we began to slowly build up to our top speed. Thunder filled the plains but the sky did not rumble. Our charge was what matched the wrath of the sky!


    .


    .


    .


    "All aircraft, call in." I called out to my team as I adjusted the settings on my craft. Briefly looking up at the peculiar magic distortion further beyond the clouds before I returned to doing my job.


    "Here."


    "Same."


    "Yes, again."


    "Stuff it, you."


    "Loud and clear."


    They began to say, comment and retort. Some responses provoked bickering from others, but, we were orderly. Everything was so far going fine but we all knew what we had to do. Mislead and misdirect the Valkinvar from our heavy lancers whilst screening the Thunderous Brawler.


    "Check payloads and begin your descent." I remind them one final time as I take the lead and head down.


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce in pursuit." one of my rear pilots called out before there was sudden static from him.


    "Release payloads if necessary." I tell my pilots calmly as I briefly glance at the flaming debris catching up to me.


    "Long Battery is in sight, heavy lancers crossing the Batterywatch."


    "Keep them on us." I remind them calmly as I move my hand up to flick some switches. An explosion then went off on my left before an armoured woman shot across my front.


    "Breaking formation." one of my pilots called out as they veered away from the main formation.


    "Copy that, all follow the example." I tell them calmly as my aircraft suddenly shakes violently as one of my neighbours goes up in flames. Somehow, I was still dropping fast despite holding the lead.


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    "Lead, you got one on your engines. Shooting them off, hold steady." someone told me as my eyes briefly tried to go as far back as they could. But with a neck that would not move, I saw nothing beyond my cockpit.


    "Fire away." I acknowledge calmly as I heard metal crunch and shear. I heard it loud and clear on the outside and through the vibrations it sent through me. My hull then began to pop open as missed rounds wounded my craft further.


    "You''re losing control." someone points out to me before I watch their craft suddenly get bisected. And true to their final words, I was having some trouble maintaining my angle of approach. The Valkinvar suddenly launching off of my rear had forced me elsewhere and damaged my rear.


    "Directional fins are gone or locked up. I cannot pull up." I tell my men calmly after realising what that had done.


    "You''ll miss the target." I was informed as the mountain came more into view than the fortress.


    "Stay clear of my rear, I''m building up a bigger load." I tell them as I do a full reverse on what I had done earlier. Warnings then blared off all around me as my craft failed to grasp our situation.


    "Hold her steady, I''m coming in over head." I was warned as another aircraft sped up and matched my speed.


    "Downwards now, don''t worry about my cockpit." I explain calmly as I place both hands on the steering to try and force my directional fins.


    "Incoming!" they let out before they went quiet. And their aircraft suddenly rolled off of mine and tumbled to its doom.


    "Release loads and break off from me." I tell my men as my ears started to swell up. The thudding in my chest was becoming painful and sparks were blasting against my face.


    "Jhrarda guide your aim!" someone told me just before they flung upwards and dropped their magic bombs on the fortress. But, as we knew, nothing was getting past that mist barrier. The bombs lost their form and barely blew it away.


    "Stay safe, you lot, pull back from the battle." I told my men with a smile as a tower came into sight.


    .


    .


    .


    "This doesn''t make any sense..." I remarked after smashing apart another one of these small airships.


    "Don''t think about that sort of stuff now!" Osses told me as she knocked another off course.


    "They can''t break past our shield... These machines are too weak even with all this magic." I explained to her whilst we were briefly near each other before we split off once more.


    "Yeah, that explains why they run." she scoffs as I pull her back from pursuing them.


    "We only broke off to scare them away, we need to join the others and figure out how to deal with that airship." I tell her as I begin to guide her back in the direction of the distant behemoth.


    "Maybe someone should tell those lancers that their support is gone." she comments as we head back to support our wing. But, having said that, I couldn''t help but look down at the thin line charging across the plains. They were just lancers and those were thick, stone walls.


    For all their status, I had never seen or heard of any ryphurgok capable of such a feat. Only the exaggerated legend of their founder could likely ever accomplish that. But he was just that, an exaggerated legend. It was genuinely strange...


    Yet, it was expected in a way. The soldiers for these heretics seemed to be reliant on faced-individuals to lead them. Their leader must''ve been killed by our guns on the charge. They weren''t even going after the men in the plains!


    They just went past them completely in a focused charge towards the walls...


    "Wing-Tip?" Osses asked me confusedly as I suddenly stopped to watch the charging lancers. Something felt odd here...


    "You go ahead, join up with the other two and assist Wing-Head Allyoceer and Wing-Tip Uala however you can. I''m going to..." I explained to her, although I never finished my explanation before I headed down.


    "We need you to stop that airship!" she argued.


    "Go and help them!" I told her once again as I dived down towards the mass of cavalry. And as I got closer, an object in the back became clearer. Infantry were keeping pace with the cavalry... Strong, able-bodied men with the help of magic were keeping up with them.


    The men on the walls were shooting at them, but they were doing it half-heartedly. They were as likely confused as I was too. But, then, all of a sudden, the lancers began to turn away. And they raised their lances as if to honour something.


    And I noticed all too late what the small band of infantry were doing.


    "OFF THE WAL-" I started to scream before I was suddenly flung back by a massive explosion. I flipped and turned in the air and along the ground briefly. But with one sudden dash I was back in the sky with my sword at the ready. And I crashed into the nearest lancer as they circled back around.


    I tried to get as many as I could, but as it was earlier in the day. I found myself panicking as things went awry. The men I was tasked with protecting were now being run down within the very fortress that was meant to protect them! So many had been trampled already and the explosion had only recently occurred...


    "No... No! NO!" I began to repeat again and again as I went through with a frenzied slaughter of the ryphurgok cavalry. Yet, even then, some still made it through. With one even going all the way up the path to the upper fortress'' gatehouse! And he charged right back down after leaving a large object at its gate.


    The soldiers within the tunnel-like firing ports couldn''t do anything against that armour. And he rode back down with a triumphant blast from his horn. But, having just seen what those objects do, I set aside my murderous efforts to stop it. I left my sword behind and leapt for it.


    Reaching out for it desperately as I watched something change shape and glow brighter. I saw the metal casing heat up rapidly and I hissed as I picked it up. I threw it as far as I could. But was blown into the gatehouse as it suddenly detonated mere halfmans from me.


    "VALKINVAR!?" a soldier cried as the sounds of pain and coughing filled my ringing ears. I blinked a few times and got up with their help. But I felt... Shallow...


    Again I had failed and the consequences of it were dire. Our fortifications had been breached completely. Both gates were gone. A direct path to the main fortress lay wide open.


    "You..." I started to say as I watched the remaining lancers gallop away as our guns fired at them erratically. Many were caught but they escaped with the aid of those small airships which had come back around.


    "VALKINVAR, LOOK!" one of the men cried as a terrible noise shook the sky once more.


    "N-No..." I struggled to get out as the mighty airship passed over the very rim of the plains. Its shadow already blacked out so much and the magic from its engines disturbed and flattened grass. A shimmering field beneath a potent, blinding power. The world in all its forms quaked before such a sight.


    And the world knew only one mindset right now...


    "MAN THE GUNS!" filled the fortress and the air around me. And within that steel giant, likely rang the same words. But whatever their silent, shadow-faced soldiers heard. I had to move...


    I had to fight!


    "Allyoceer..." I choked out as I saw what seemed like mere buzzards. My fellow Valkinvar had still accomplished nothing! So what good was it for me to join them...? I...


    No, this was not a time to doubt myself. So I quickly forced myself into the sky and stretched my strength to its limit. All to put myself into the same danger that they were all facing right now. For the sake of everyone I had to.


    "WING-TIP VAPOOLIAR! WE''VE HAD NO LUCK!" she screamed to me as I joined up with her as she made another pointless carving run. Her blade showered the sky with sparks but she did nothing. A superficial effort that had hammered hopelessness into all of us.


    "THE LOWER FORTRESS HAS BEEN BREACHED! BOTH GATEHOUSES ARE GONE!"


    "WHAT!?"


    "RYPHURGOKS!" I answered as we found a safe spot right against the hull of the airship.


    "No... No... Dammit..." she growled as she violently slammed her free fist against the impenetrable hull.


    "What do we do...?"


    "Find Dannatili, find Lavauroas, pull them back to the fortress, we need them to join the defence to buy us more time so we can figure out how to stop this thing!" she explained to me as she shoved me back into the air.


    "The fortress won''t survive!" I cried back to her as I tried to resist looking down. The shadow was only a prelude, but it measured just how far the airship had gotten...


    "AND TELL THE GUN CREWS TO FOCUS ON THIS MACHINE!" she screamed at me, ignoring everything I had said so she could have another go at uselessly flailing at it. And, swearing under my breath as I felt water in my eyes, I did as I was told.


    "DANNATILI! LAVAUROAS!" I cried again and again as I shot and dashed around the airship. Ironically, however, I could not look for them because of the danger I was in. Shot flew past me with distorted sounds and sensations. Strange magic nets tried to slam against me.


    The infantry on board were even still firing from the deck! Even as my sisters went through them like thin glass. They cut them down as a farmer did his crop. So very easily, so very casually with minimal effort.


    But they still focused on me and tried to fire, their reckless dismissal... As I panicked and became stressed about the idea of dying. They held their ground even as they died. But, I was still alive and so were the others, so I had to keep going for their sake.


    "STAGUIFFMANI! AMMIMPAURST!" I cried out differently before I caught sight of a large blast of wind magic. That very moment, I then burst over to my sister and chaotically halted by her. Finding myself in her care for that brief moment of incompetence.


    She had saved my life from one of those cannonballs...


    "Where''s Lavauroas!?" I asked her as she was meant to be paired with him last I checked.


    "ASK HIM!" she shouts before she takes out another gun with a well-timed, well-placed shot. But one out of thousands meant little... Yet, I had not forgotten her words and looked down.


    "MAYBE A LITTLE MORE WEIGHT!?" Lavauroas asked the machine as he came rocketing up with a whole train of linked-up boulders brimming with magic. He brought them up and over and slammed them right at the tower on the airship''s top. Yet for all the showiness, he had just clogged up their deck with shattered stone.


    "Wing-Head Allyoceer has ordered you both back to the fortress. She wants you to focus on stopping the shots from this thing hitting it!"


    "Why me!?" Lavauroas demanded to know as he adjusted his position to avoid enemy shot.


    "You can throw up interceptors! She wants you to pass on that as well to the gun crews! Have them focus on stopping this thing''s shots! Do you hear!?"


    "O-Okay..." Dannatili breathed in relief before she left. Lavauroas, however, lingered, seemingly angered by the change of events.


    "GAH! IF THIS THING WAS AN ANIMAL THEN I COULD JUST SMASH ITS LEGS AND CRIPPLE IT!" he roared in anger before he explosively shot away from me.


    "Oh, we all wish how it was easier..." I groaned fearfully before I joined up with Uala''s group. Just as they were making more passes against the topside crew.


    "I HOPE YOU CAME TO ME WITH A PLAN!" she roared at me just as she suddenly fell out of the sky and crashed at the end of the prow.


    "UALA!" I let out as I dropped down before her to keep her safe from incoming bolts.


    "Help me by figuring something out..." she panted in exhaustion before she went into the sky again. Leaving me on my own to face the troops as more and more poured out to meet us. Seeing that, I considered maybe trying to make a sudden dash to the doors. But, it was clear that the others had already tried it.


    The signs of battle were there... They had failed to get past the defences of the airship and its crew. Yet, despite this, I still made an enraged sprint for the head of the airship. Its glass windows must''ve been a weak point!


    "DAMMIT!" I cried in fury as my blade bounced away from the magic-dense material. A dull thud shook me and I quickly dove over the airship''s edge.


    "Wing-Tip!" Cetrepe called out from a safe spot carved from the hull. So I joined her to catch my breath and maybe get her assistance in at least something.


    "It''s stopping..." I let out as I suddenly snapped my grip on the hull.


    "The airship is preparing a broadside!" Cetrepe explained whilst I was confused about why all the guns had stopped. And as we found ourselves presented before the Long Battery Fort. I prayed to all I could. That the gun crews would hit their marks and that the mountain cracker was ready.


    I cried out for Guareroisncer in desperation, begging for his strength so that our fortress might hold...


    "Hold... Please, hold..." I sobbed as I made sure to stay away from the barrel at the centre of the crater. And then, in a single moment, beyond the green mist that now covered the fortress. I saw it light up orange, yellow and red. I heard a storm suddenly form on the other side.


    A volley of stone and metal then washed over us and crashed against the unbreakable armour. The sound of smashing, shattering munitions and fireballs nearly deafened me. Some even struck me and shook me violently. Then it happened again and again!


    "WE HAVE TO MOVE!" Cetrepe shouted as she flew over to grab me. Only to be struck right in the side by a large cannonball from our own side!


    "Don''t worry! I got you!" I told her as my nose flared with activity. Her loose grip contrasted my tight one. And her groans managed to reach me despite the shower of violence we had to endure. Then, with a single push, I pulled her close and shot down the length of the broadside.


    Weaving past glowing barrels as they expunged oblivion. Those great engines below me were my target. I wanted to get Cetrepe past the guns and to the ground so she could at least recover! I kept my focus and weaved past the arcane and the physical.


    Screaming as I made the final push past the great suction of the engines. Then, just as we neared the ground, I flipped Cetrepe over me and let my body take the force of the blow. I groaned in pain and cried as my body ached. I did not let go until she reacted in some way.


    "Wing-Tip..." she let out quietly before I shoved her off.


    "Stay here and recover, okay!? We need you..." I tell her as I shake her shoulder harshly. Even now, I could feel that she was stronger than me. They all were. I was just a...


    "No, they need you." she corrected as she forced my arm off of her shoulder.


    "You''re all stronger than me..."


    "None of us are stronger than the other! We are stronger together!" she snapped at me as I rose to my feet.


    "No... Lavauroas is right, if this was just a living creature you could cripple it and I could watch uselessly from the walls..." I cried as I looked up at the engines struck down at the earth below.


    "Yes... Cripple it! TARGET THE ENGINES!" she encourages me to do with enthusiastic fervour.


    "My blade can''t cut through that!" I tell her as she tries to get me back into the air.


    "TOGETHER!" she reminds me with a scream as I am suddenly thrown into the air.


    "Dannatili... Lavauroas..." I realize before I rocket towards the fortress. It was a struggle passing by the engines and all that magic. But, I squeezed by, and I did so by forcing myself into the dirt like it wanted me to be. And I popped out into the air the moment the pressure eased up.


    I put all I could into my upwards flight and I switched direction the moment I aligned myself with the fortress. A forearm stayed ahead of me, blocking any munitions that might''ve hit me while my head kept turning back. So much danger was behind me that I didn''t remember to look forward. And I crashed through the protective mist and into the fortress.


    "GET UP!" Lavauroas demanded as he pulled me out of my mess.


    "YOU TWO, WITH ME!" I screamed at them as I snatched up Lavauroas'' hand, dragging him along.


    "HUH!?" Dannatili squealed as I snatched her up. I brought both of them out into the crossfire and threw them out into the air.


    "WHAT''S THE PLAN!?" Lavauroas roared excitedly as I did my best to guide the pair towards one of the forward engines.


    "WE''RE GOING TO CRIPPLE IT!" I shout back at them just as Dannatili shoots a bolt of magic to preemptively detonate one of the orbs.


    "YOU BEST HURRY!" Dannatili screams as I take painful notice of how many of these orbs were flying past us. Then, in a mere moment, we crashed collectively against the frontal corner of the airship.


    "Tell me where!" the Ammimpaurst demanded to know as he prepped his war maul.


    "Valkinvar-Staguiffmani Dannatili, lend me your power!" I ask of her as I notice somewhere where I could lodge my blade. I could not cut this steel, but that is what I was counting on. And as I asked, she lent me her power and I grit my teeth as my body burned under the strain.


    "GO!" she roared as she funneled it towards me in spite of the engine that tried to steal it from her with its devouring maw.


    "STRIKE HERE!" I declare to Lavauroas as he suddenly rose up with a glowing weapon.


    "DOWN I COME!" he let out as he suddenly dropped faster than I could fly. He was above it one moment and the next a burst of fire filled my vision.


    "We did it..." I let out in relief as the groan of metal drowned out all other noises. The engine was falling and all that magic was suddenly exploding outwards!


    "HERE!" Dannatili called out as she shielded us from the blast as best she could as the airship we were pinned against suddenly buckled and moved.


    "Take that you stupid machine!" Lavauroas taunted as he bonked his weapon against the thick steel.


    "It''s still not going down..." I let out with worry. There were six of these engines and I doubted that we had the strength to handle it all. My blade hadn''t even survived the moment intact. It had been shattered and bent...


    Only the handle and the core remained in any real capacity...


    "HOW''D YOU DO THAT!?" Allyoceer suddenly demanded to know as she appeared above us.


    "I put my blade into the exposed..." I failed to explain before she caught on to how we did not have the power to do it again.


    "Get everyone topside, I have an idea." she suddenly said as she went about gathering the dashing lines of emerald.


    "Let''s go." I tell the other two as help them up initially before I remembered Cetrepe.


    "You did it!" she called out as we met in the air.


    "Allyoceer wants us all up top now!" I explain as we instantly follow the order. And as if we had leapt up, we landed on the decking with the others as they gathered about. Some fought while others took the moment to catch their breath.


    "They''re coming at us in force!" one of Uala''s lot pointed out as she gave ground to the horde.


    "PUSH DOWN!" Allyoceer suddenly shouted as she went up and slammed straight down into the decking. An action that I only thought of as odd, I did not let it stop me. I joined up with her and exerted all I could. I had a feeling I knew what she was doing!


    "THOSE THINGS ON THE EDGE WON''T LET YOU!" Uala pointed out as she broke away from the group to suddenly shear off what we had ignored previously.


    "IT''S WORKING! THE AIRSHIP IS LOSING ALTITUDE!" someone called out as explosions began to litter the left side of the airship.


    "JUST A LITTLE MORE!" Allyoceer roared as we all screamed to our heart''s content. We forced all of our magic out and watched from the corner of our eyes as the view changed. The airship was going down! We were really doing it!


    "Time to go!" Dannatili suddenly told us as she scooped us all up in her magic and took us away. And, thankfully, the gods had granted me a great view from this compact sphere. My face may have been shoved against brittle, fracturing magic. But I got a clear view of the airship as it crashed into the earth.


    All that weight and power suddenly backfired on it and its engines crumbled as its carved a canyon! The guns slid right past the fortress and could be aimed no more! We had stopped it! I had managed to help stop it...


    "I..." I was about to cry as I suddenly felt a huge burden lifted from me. But it ended the moment Dannatili''s magic failed and we crashed against the roof as a group.


    "Well done everyone..." Allyoceer struggled to say amidst the pile of groans and exhausted movements.


    "I''m spent..." was a comment that was repeated in many ways over and over. Yet, despite all that had happened, I tried to force myself to my feet and perched myself against the nearest wall.


    "The smaller craft, the ryphurgoks..." I realised as the troops we had largely ignored came back to protect their own fortress. But, those ryphurgoks, they were on an open plain and were headed right for the men left out in the fields.


    "Rest, Vapooliar, the guns are facing away!" Osses laughed from the ground as I saw squares and lines form in the distance.


    "They''ll be slaughtered!" I realize as I once again found myself thinking of my past.


    "There''s nothing we can do! We''re spent!" she told me as she came up to join me against the wall.


    "NO! I CAN STILL FIGHT!" I shout in defiance as I got my adrenaline pumping once more. But, with my body being as spent as it was. Every step was agony and my legs trembled as I stepped onto the wall.


    "What''re you doing!?" someone called out to me as I began to fall over the edge.


    "Saving my men..." I sneered back at them as I made one final sonic boom to launch myself into the distance. And while I came up short, the sheer force I threw myself out with sent me rolling towards the amassing ironcoats.


    "Valkinvar!" one of them cried out as I struggled to get up.


    "N-No! I''m fine..." I told them as I shoved them back to the formation.


    "We''re doomed... No shields... Nothing..." one of the men squealed as he trembled. Yet, despite this, he held his boom-pike out and braced himself for the oncoming charge. Their roars filled their ears and the field lit up with the magic of spiral-lances. But they all held their ground even as an armoured earthquake approached them.


    "Hand me a weapon!" I hissed as I physically forced out a space in the line for myself.


    "We''re glad you''re here, Valkinvar." an officer whispered to me as I adjusted my grip on the feeble weapon.


    "Make sure to exploit the gap I make for you..." I tell him as my tiredness becomes even more apparent. I couldn''t hold a line, I had to go about this differently...


    "HOLD STEADY MEN!" the officers repeated as roars went through us. The terror of the Seven-Peak Union heavy cavalry was thundering closer. One galloping motion at a time. One drumming of the earth...


    "HOLD!" I roared out to them as we lowered our weapons to meet the roaring beasts and their howling riders!


    .


    .


    .


    "There is quite a ruckus going on..." Ainael remarked as she turned away from the stained glass window to look at the busy halls behind us.


    "Sudden, as well." I add on before I began to move closer to the door. Perhaps just seeing what was going on out there would make it clear?


    "All members, gear up for battle! Chapter-Mistress Chiara commands!" someone relayed loudly from down the hall. But, it appeared most people were already prepared for such an order. Me and my friend, however, weren''t. So I made a point of making sure she was aware.


    "Ainael, we need to ready ourselves. It appears the Thunderous Brawler has failed." I explain to her as an uncomfortable sensation shivers across me. Despite the siege they were locked up in, the Valkinvar still found the strength to best an airship... That was quite the feat. Something of that size had been defeated.


    "I-I see... You go ahead, I need to finish up with a few things." my friend told. And the moment she first stuttered, I looked into her eyes.


    "We''ve just been looking at glass." I point out to her bluntly, though I still respected what she was feeling.


    "Come back here, when you''re armed, okay?" she asked me as I noticed her fingers trembling on the windowsill.


    "If I can make it back, I will." I tell her before I rushed off to the armoury. Forcing my way through the crowds of war-witches, servants and chapter-guards. But it wasn''t just soldiers, women and men dressed in cloth and steel. Whole crates and racks were being moved about and keymasters were going about locking things up.


    "Sister Noalla, your space has already been cleared, move it!" one of my superiors pointed out to me as I rushed in through the door. Yet, the moment I walked in through that gap, someone was already on me and straightening out my posture.


    "There are rules, Sister Noalla." a chamber-mistress reminded me before she sent me on my way with a firm pat to my lower back.


    "Now''s not the time..." I sneer under my breath as I obliged with the asinine rule. To maintain an air of respect and dignity within these halls. I understood the need for order and discipline, but this was just silly. And still, I followed through with it until I reached an empty space with idle servants occupying it.


    "Sister Noalla, shall we begin?" one of them asked me as their slender arms guided me towards a pedestal.


    "Let''s get it over with." I tell her as I strip down completely so that they may do their task fully. The observing chamber-mistress didn''t help things. That magic rod of hers hurt.


    "Sister Noalla, whom do you dress for?"


    "Mighty Jhrarda." I answer as I graciously accept the first layer. Mostly simple linen undergarments that could easily be mistaken for other purposes. In reality, however, they were that way for practicality.


    "For who will you offer up your life for?"


    "The Jhermonikra." I answer as I accept the next layer of clothing. But unlike the last lot, they handled it. I personally found it somewhat humiliating to be handled like this. But every one of them looked at me with a form of reverence.


    "From where does your power flow?" they asked as a I let magic show itself in order to activate all of the mechanisms enscribed into my armour and attire.


    "Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra, ignited by Jhrarda himself so that the winds that blew would save us." I tell them all, and contrary to the rest of the pointlessly extravagant ceremony. I said that part with genuine pride. Being a citizen of the city of Unondsburhg, from a long, storied family. It made me happy to think of my home.


    Even more so when I considered that my homeland is where it all began... Where the Lone Lancer rode down the mountainside. The backing of The Mighty himself all around him. And I, in the far future, beyond his time, I carried on that burden.


    "Then go forth, Sister Noalla, war-witch of the Order of the Outreaching Wind!" the lead servant invokes before they all stand aside respectfully. And, as I step down, the clank of armour and the jangling of jewellery is added to all the noise.


    And now I just had to go back to my friend as I had promised. But, for the first moments since I stepped off of that pedestal. I made a point of adjusting my armour and clothing. Comfort was such a strange thing to focus on, but these subtle feelings mattered all too much.


    "Chapter-Mistress Chiara would speak with you, Sister Noalla." I was informed just as I began to bend over to make sure my shinguards and armoured heels were just right.


    "One moment..." I tell them before I rise up to meet them. Having sorted out my task.


    "Come with me, please." she told me as she briefly took my hand to guide me out of the armoury.


    "Has she told you anything directly?" I ask her impatiently as I glance back towards where I had initially come from. Ainael was waiting for me. I owed it to her as her friend to go visit her.


    "No, and there will be no issues with her explaining it as of now." she told me before she stepped aside as we found ourselves at the grand banquet hall.


    "Wonderful." I remarked quietly as I straightened myself out. Gracefully stepping into my superior''s ironically private dining room. And despite the sudden pressure I felt from my superiors baring down on me with their auras and gazes. I kept my legs in stride and my back upright, my head not so much as looking anywhere but ahead.


    Then, I dropped down swiftly in a display of subservient respect.


    "We march to war, Sister Noalla." the Chapter-Mistress told me as she put down her grail. A quiet metal ting preceded harsher taps from her sandals. But even they were quite soft. Her power, however, was something different.


    An oppressive force that blew out everyone else''s power as if she was a sudden gust coming in through an open window. The gale that snuffed out all the candles in the room. Yet, when she touched me, she was gently and she even raised me up herself. That cold gaze of hers, however, silenced any positive assumptions.


    "One of His Lunar Majesty''s airships has fallen. The Thunderous Brawler, which you led astray has been grounded by the unclean you sent it against." she said to me as the urge to reply filled me. But I nearly had to bite my tongue to keep myself quiet.


    "They fought bravely and with honour, as is to be expected of them. Ryphurgok-hearted heroes." someone commented from the table.


    "And you are expected to live up to those same standards as we march against them." the Chapter-Mistress tells me as she gently takes hold of one of my hands. The one that I had chosen to be decorated by my mark of rank. A silver-rimmed, green gemstone that covered a large portion of my backhand.


    And I take my hand away as she starts to rim the precious stone.


    "I will show them that same quality. I will show the Valkinvar what it means to be a sister of the Order of the Outreaching Wind." I speak out of turn as I turn to leave.


    "Show this same boldness before them in battle, and your transgressions will be forgiven." Chapter-Mistress Chiara explains to me as she let out a noise. One that seemed to imply my rudeness was amusing.


    "The King expects the same of you too." I tell her as I look back at all of them. And I leave quickly as I felt a danger approach me from the other side of the hall. With that then out of the way, I made my way back to my friend as quickly as possible. But rather than finding the silence I had left her in.


    I heard worrisome sobbing. My friend was crying. I had a feeling I knew why. But I still approached her with the mindset that I did not, just so she could let it out to me.


    I had a responsibility to wring it all out until she was confident in herself. If I had the power to do that, I would find out. If this was, in fact, some kind of marathon. Then I would show her my stamina and be with her every step of it.


    "Ainael, what''s wrong?" I opened up with as I took hold of her hand. Helping her slip on the piece of armour her trembling hands could not put on. Then I waited for what seemed to be a while. I waited for that instant switch in attention.


    And I returned the hug as I felt her tremble in my arms. I stroked her blonde hair and rubbed her back through her pure, almost ceremonial silk robes. I waited and waited. Not stopping until she started to push me away for the right reasons.


    "Noalla... How''re you not scared?" she asked me as she tried to avoid making a mess of her uniform. The symbology its cleanliness represented mattered a lot. So I offered up my own clothing for her to dry her eyes on.


    "I am." I answered honestly.


    "Then why am I..."


    "Don''t do that, Ainael, do not compare yourself to me like that." I gently scolded as I brushed aside some of her hair.


    "I''m a war-witch, just like you." she points out before I let out a light-hearted laugh. I didn''t want to offend her, so I kept it short and came up with a response quickly.


    "You are a healer, Ainael, a sacred maiden. A Lady of the Wind. Not a war-witch."


    "D-Don''t start being pedantic..." she moaned as she briefly smiled. Only to force it right back down just before she looked away from me.


    "Ainael, do not worry about being brave. So long as you are there, right behind me when I need you. You will have done more than anyone else here." I tell her as I bring her face back towards me.


    "Like always, huh?" she asked as more tears started to come through.


    "Like always." I tell her with a smile and nod.


    "I will look after you." she told me as she started to nod again and again.


    "And I will protect you."


    "You can''t protect me without me..." she laughed out awkwardly as I brought her to her feet.


    "I''d like to see you look after yourself, then." I teased as I rubbed her upper arm.


    "N-No thank you." she let out with a slight cough before she moved a few more pieces of her armour into place.


    "Just stay close to me, okay, Ainael? When the guns of that fortress start firing, make sure you are right by my side." I explain to her firmly as I hold her still.


    "I will not even lose you before then." she tells me as she smiles warmly at where her hand grasped my arm.


    "We best find something to do, then." I huff in amusement.


    "You''ll have to forgive me for being a little distracted." she laughs out as she looks down at her tights-covered feet.


    "No worries, the Chapter-Mistress wanted to see me whilst she was dining in her banquet hall."


    "You know... Some extra pudding would cheer me up." she suggested as we started to leave the room. Returning it to the quiet it had once been.


    "Yeah, right." I scoffed as I defended my right to be treated.

 Incline 7: The Clash of Ordoar and Order

    "I admit, what you have done is impressive, but it''s a tremendous issue." Rohlant told me as I idly looked down at the downed airship. An uneasy situation existed down there since it crashed. An army was on board, but we Valkinvar simply did not have the strength at the moment. And that battle had left us in a dire situation.


    Many, too many of those orbs had gotten through and had just devoured chunks of the fortress. Clerics and medical staff were doing what they could but we had lost many men because of it. Not to mention guns and munitions had not been spared either. Much had been lost and nothing but more problems had been gained.


    Whilst the ryphurgoks I helped fight off had been a problem. They paled in comparison to our efforts dropping an invulnerable battery right on the plains. We could''ve reclaimed what we had just lost were it not for it. But with those guns pointing right at our backs if we advanced and our path out of here...


    We had trapped ourselves through the very act of trying to save ourselves. It was a cruel contradiction that made me miserable. Though I could take some heart in that I was exhausted to the bone right now. So some rest would at least make me more appreciative of the good I had managed to do.


    "We should''ve been able to do more..." I tell him as moved my gaze towards the lower fortress. We had practically lost it all because of my failure. We... I did not take the ryphurgoks seriously until it was too late and lost both gatehouses because of it.


    "What you lot did out there was more than enough. Remember, Valkinvar, I was also there with you during that disastrous campaign. Pestering as it might sound, I heard and saw the results of what only one of you could do." he explained before he became oddly careful at the end.


    "I won''t strike you down, Battcomm, for something like that." I tell him with a huff before he smirked back at me.


    "Certainly wouldn''t take you more than a breath to do so, even now." he chuckled as he went about his work. And I couldn''t help but be impressed. I don''t think I had ever seen him not working. But, I suppose I had been emulating him.


    Even with the loss of the officer''s tower, it''s not like I used it much anyway. With all the raids, patrols and excursions I have been obligated and asked to make. There just wasn''t time to rest. However, now, despite the army at our doorstep, was a good time to rest.


    The unrelenting nature of this army was not being exploited. So we enjoyed the fact that all we had to do was watch them. Though, I was likely correct in assuming this applied to few. As watching something of that size took a lot of men, lots of uneasy, shaken men.


    "If we were able to, would you be able to man that machine?" I decided to ask after thinking about how grateful I was that the guns had been nullified.


    "Probably not, I don''t know how any of that stuff works."


    "Hm, so no second battery, then." I let out with a shrug.


    "Much as I''d love to have that many guns of that calibre, no. No, unfortunately."


    "We have lost many of them, but, we may be able to at least recover some from our lost position at the end of the plains."


    "It wouldn''t be worth the effort, Valkinvar. Do not worry." he tells me before he tosses aside a tablet to the ground.


    "Battcomm?"


    "Don''t worry about that either, they''re just lists for guns we have lost."


    "A lot..." I repeated as I looked down at the pile his actions had created. A fairly thick stack if one addressed them neatly.


    "Think about it more positively, it now means our munitions stores are far greater than what they used to be."


    "Less guns." I sigh as I stand up. And when someone came in, it almost seemed as if I had anticipated it.


    "Wing-Head Allyoceer wants to speak with us, Wing-Tip Vapooliar." Osses told me as she moved forward to hold open the door for me.


    "You don''t have to." I tell her as she closes it as we leave.


    "I believe I owe you many subtle favours for what you did for me." she comments.


    "I did what any of us should do for their sisters or brothers." I dismissively tell her out of embarrassment.


    "Bringing down such a terrible weapon is more glorious than you realise."


    "I didn''t do it on my own. Valkinvar-Staguiffmani Dannatili lent me her power at great risk to herself. And Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst Lavauroas was the one who dealt that decisive blow." I try to explain to her before she knocks at my weapon.


    "But it was the sword of a Valkinvar-Imdvarce that broke it." she tells me with a smile as I looked down at my broken sword with uncertainty. This blade had been with me for so long. And once, it was all I had left of my Valkinvar identity. As my armour had been broken and shattered.


    And now, so too had my sword been broken completely. But, I was at least glad that I lost my blade in the manner I did. Even if I was now worried about what I would do in the event of further battles. I had my strength, sure, but I was at my best with a sword.


    Some shattered steel would not do, even if it was what remained of a work of art.


    "I know this might sound strange... Wing-Tip Vapooliar, but I am glad that no more names are carved on your amour." she then tells me just before we reached Allyoceer''s new office.


    "I am, too, and I will not tempt fate by wondering how we all made it through." I say to her as I try to open the door. Only to be stopped by a smirking sister as she used a slight amount of magic to get around me.


    "After you, Wing-Tip." she says with pride as I pass on by. Shaking my head as I did so.


    "Wing-Head Allyoceer, everyone." I greet as I walk into the room with Osses coming in from behind. Though while I did not make a point of doing so, I quickly found myself crowded by my group. Osses had been left on the outskirts. But she was still able to join Cetrepe and Bsess in this little act of theirs.


    Yet, despite this display of affection from those three, the tone was off. It did not fit in well with everyone else''s expressions. Thankfully, they calmed down before anything could happen. But looking at all of this made me anxious.


    "So... Now that everyone is here, Valkinvar-Staguiffmani Dannatili." Allyoceer said and her voice was just drowning in exhaustion. She had, had enough and now she was clearly being forced to tell us something we all did not want to hear.


    "I have picked up a disturbance in the way magic flows. There is reason to believe a chapter of war-witches is headed straight for us."


    "The army is on the return?" I ask as I start to consider how they''d have no trouble in setting up batteries to finish us off with.


    "No, the disturbance is strong... But I can figure out that the quantity of people behind it is not that many."


    "So we fight them off." Uala comments as she keeps her hands on her sword''s pommel.


    "It won''t be that easy, Imdvarce." Lavauroas tells her as he gets up, "Being on my own in the monastery did not give me much to do, so I made a habit of just, listening to the world around me."


    "The Ammimpaurst has a hobby." someone scoffed in the corner from Uala''s side.


    "I have learned to recognise what this land should sound like, how it should feel. For some time, I have been blinded and deafened by all these guns. But, recent circumstances have allowed me the clarity I need for it once more."


    "Something more is on its way..." I begin to say as I look up at him.


    "I believe it is honest for me to say that we may be facing a mobile fortress..." Dannatili uncomfortably admits as murmurs instantly spread about the lightly-packed room.


    "Then, Lavauroas, please, tell me, are you ready to at least give the mountain cracker something?" Allyoceer asks him as she walks up to him in a stiff manner. It was clear that she was getting stressed out.


    "No... But I can guarantee that I will be ready by the time that thing gets here."


    "We''re not going to try and retreat? We just spent our magic bringing down that machine!" one of Uala''s let out fearfully as she suddenly stood up.


    "We''d be running with cannon right behind us." Uala points out to her as she carefully puts her back down onto a seat.


    "We will be fighting, all of us. Every soldier within these walls will see Wainor before the orbital-halo sets by the next day at the latest." Allyoceer tells us as she trembles before us.


    But I did not like it, so I stood up before them, hoping that I could at least encourage some pride... Anything really.


    "There might still be a chance for us to win this. We still have the fortress, its shields still work, guns can still be manned and we have time to think of a plan."


    "All of that is well and good, but without us, the men will be slaughtered." Uala reminds me as she leans back with a disapproving look.


    "No, let me finish. I do not bring up the shields because they''ll protect us. I am on about how we can use them. They rely on wind magic, they store it up. If we use them now, we can refresh ourselves at least with its power. It will be no use against a mobile fortress'' fist anyway."


    "They''ll be coming at us with a rested force while we come at them with scraps!"


    "IT''S BETTER THAN FLYING OUT TO MEET THEM WITH NOTHING AT ALL, UALA!" I roar down at her as I jab her off of the bench and down to the floor.


    "Vapooliar!" Allyoceer snaps as she quickly comes between us.


    "I agree with my Wing-Tip, we should at least try to face them as Valkinvar!" Bsess declares as she bangs her chest plate in support of my suggestion.


    "But how do we break this to the army? The guns won''t be of any use against war-witches. And they''ll only irritate something as big as a mobile fortress."


    "If we coordinate them, they might at least be able to exploit wounds we might be able to inflict."


    "There won''t be room to do anything of the sort! We''ll have our hands full with their numbers! To say nothing of their elder members likely being able to match us!"


    "Our size may be an advantage, actually." Cetrepe comments as she finishes doing something with her hands.


    "How so?" Lavauroas asks, though his own curiosity became our collective representative.


    "Their main concern will be us, naturally. So they''ll come bearing down at us with all they have. A mass of bodies and spells. Either we''ll face them head on or they''ll keep their distance to use their spells."


    "There''s a lot of variation in the magic of outsiders, remember..." Dannatili cautioned as she used herself as an example. A small breeze went past her before it rolled back up along the back of her head.


    Cetrepe then looks down, "I know... I know... I''m just saying, we can use their numbers against them so long as we stay close."


    "We''ll be a bigger target." someone on the other side of Allyoceer pointed out.


    "A larger mass of magic, where we''d all share the burden of defence."


    "It''s not that simple, Imdvarce." Dannatili dismissively tells her as she paces around the table. Clearly, though, Cetrepe''s words were making her consider something.


    "Feel free to give ideas, then." she scoffs in response before she slams back down onto her seat.


    "We cycle and rotate our position, then." I say as I stop myself from bringing out my sword.


    "Go on." Allyoceer tells me as she leaves Uala alone and returns to her prior spot.


    "We go out as normal to face them, but, we make sure to weave ahead and back so the burden of defence is spread equally. Mobile fortresses are walking castles. They have a responsibility to defend that as much as we do this fortress."


    "We can force them to come to us to save their honour and their home."


    "Or, they''ll go after the fortress to force us back out." Bsess contradicts.


    "Not if we head straight for their vile, unholy pit." Uala points out as she brings out a symbol of Waionr. An amulet depicting the Beast of Pride.


    "The shame brought unto their vile god would make sure that they chased after us..." Osses realises as she looks around at everyone else.


    "Then we are in agreement, Valkinvar?" Allyoceer asks with a sudden smirk as she brought out some of her own holy jewellery.


    "They''ve defiled our land long enough, I am all for defiling their own works myself." Lavauroas says as he cracks his knuckles.


    "Showing them a true witch is motivation enough for me." Dannatili explains as she casually opens up her arms.


    "We keep them occupied, save the army and this fortress. And we pray that our deeds bring us relief." I say, trying to keep it as hopeful as possible so that they too would hold it in their hearts. The idea of us being left alone out here sickened me. To keep fighting until we fell over exhausted was no way for a Valkinvar to go.


    "It is agreed, then, we''ll all head up and turn on that shield generator." Allyoceer nods at first before she orders us up with aggressive gestures.


    "Should we go to the Battcomm? Get him to understand?"


    "I''ll handle that, you go up with everyone else." Allyoceer tells me as she gently pushes me out of the room with everyone else.


    "See you lot in good time, then." Lavauroas tells us as he breaks off to fulfil his promise regarding the mountain cracker. And, I had to admit, I was excited to finally see it in use. Something like a mobile fortress... That gun was made for beasts like that.


    "Soldier, have the shield turned on." I tell one of the men as we pass by them on the way outside.


    "Well, look at that, it''s closer than expected." one of my sister''s say as she steps up onto one of her legs. And, true to her word, in the distance was a colossal beast on the approach. It matched the mountains in size and made the ones it climbed over all the bigger for it. This thing was big, but, thankfully, for the moment, it was a long way away.


    Yet... "It won''t take long for it to come to us."


    "With jumps that vast, I''m surprised it isn''t here now."


    "Be thankful for it." I mutter as I turn back towards the way we came. Allyoceer had not yet arrived and I was anxious to hear how the others would handle this upcoming battle.


    .


    .


    .


    "And that is how they will help us." Allyoceer finishes explaining as we lounged about in a dense mist. It might''ve seemed filling, but it really wasn''t. The magic in these shields was not intended for use like this. It was just meant to prematurely set off explosive shot or slow down the more momentous kind.


    "It seems risky to let something like that get this close." Dannatili comments as she looks out at the approaching beast. The tremours were clear earlier, but now, there were periodic thuds that shook even dust clear. Even though the beast was rapidly approaching, there was a pattern to its charge.


    "The more guns we have firing on that thing, the better."


    "But none of them will hurt it..." Uala reminds us as she looks over at us disapprovingly.


    "We don''t need them to hurt it, we just need it distracted. And, in a way, I feel like we underestimate this fortress. Plains this vast, a mountain cracker and more guns than even the mightiest of Ibenoroccon warships. Surely it was designed to bring down something like this?" Allyoceer told her in an almost deluded manner.


    But, we could all understand why. This was probably going to be it. Even if we tried to go into this hopeful, we''d be fully aware of our likely demise. And while the others might''ve been in an odd limbo about it. I wasn''t, my right to be with Waionr had been taken from me.


    My death here would only mean that I would be found by him before he put me to rest...


    "It''s coming, you lot." Cetrepe says as she suddenly gets up and puts on her helmet.


    "Yeah." Bsess adds on as she follows her. And, as I was their Wing-Tip, I gathered up Osses and joined up with them. Anxiously, we waited and watched as what once seemed like a dark shadow became ever clearer. A beast with near-pitch black hide and armour.


    A living mountain.


    "Loud, isn''t it?" I scoff, trying to ease the tension as it shook the world with its roar. Magic was gathering up on its back but a beast like this. Surely it could wipe us out on its own. They were rare creatures, but they were truly defined by their legendary status.


    "D-Do you think the castle on its back is made from stone or its shell, Wing-Tip?" Bsess asks me as one of the others stops her from stepping back even slightly.


    "I hope from its shell, then we can at least get past its hide." I answer as a brief delusion flashed by my mind.


    "Alright, everyone! Gather up the last of the magic that you can, it is nearly time." Allyoceer states whilst I found myself staring as blankly as I could at the green fog emanating from the castle.


    "I suppose I really am giving up on Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli..." Dannatili for some reason lamented as she seemed to let go of her worries.


    "You would prefer to die amongst the Ordoar of the Staguiffmani?" I ask her as she inspects her staff carefully. She then sighs as she stares at it. She shakes her head and then looks at me.


    "I would be glad to die with my fellow Valkinvar." she answers with a smile as she finishes sorting out the rest of her gear.


    "We all would be, now, who''s ready to die?" Allyoceer asked everyone as she stepped up onto the edge of the walls.


    "I am." many began to say as they copied her. Yet, unlike before, I was able to stand up with them without encouragement. I joined them as I should have, even if I had reservations about how it would go.


    "Then let them array themselves before us, and let the artillery lead the way." she tells us as she plants her blade into the stonework. And as she reduced our fortress a little more, I looked behind us. The men were bringing up more guns.


    "To think they''d finally be able to use those things." Cetrepe scoffs when she notices my wayward glance.


    "Anti-witch light guns." I remark as the relatively peculiar weapons were brought up and set up. In comparison to a regular gun, they had much thinner barrels and much more of them. A vastly more complex machine as well, one would realise if they paid close attention.


    "We can only hope that their aim is true." Osses comments.


    "We won''t be in range, we''ll be in there." Cetrepe reminds us as she raises her sword at the castle.


    "They''ll need more than that, even now." Uala dismissively comments as the battlements of the castle become clear. The war-witches of this order were all ready and they were all there. Waiting for that one order which would set them onto us.


    "My failure seems to be damning us, now..." I found myself commenting when chit chat from the gun crews entered my ears. The soldiers held up within the downed airship... They were amassing outside of it and were going to join the assault!


    "Let the army focus on them, that is their fight. Ours lies right ahead and it itches to drum its chest." Allyoceer tells me as she starts to float into the sky.


    "With you, then." I say as I drew what was left of my blade. It was a childish thing, but I didn''t want to be left out as everyone else presented their weapons. Our time had come, our final battle was upon us and it came with the accursed encouragement of the moon-sealed betrayer. Yet, with the blessing from the Lord of Honourable War, we will find ourselves victorious.


    Even if we did find that our blood decorated the land too severely...


    "Valkinvar, forward." Allyoceer ordered as everyone presented their weapons. And as we started to head forward, the fortress sprung to life.


    "FIRE!" it roared as fire and black smoke erupted from its ports and holes. Before it had even gone away, we felt the air distort as a tidal wave of iron and stone went past us. Then, in but another moment, fire and shockwaves erupted from the gigantic beast. And it roared back at us as it unfurled all of its limbs.


    "VALKINVAR, ATTACK!" Allyoceer shouted as she broke away from us to attack the first of the war-witches that came at us. And, right after, I nodded at my three sisters and broke off with them. Though, while they went ahead with their blades, I quickly sheathed mine and dashed ahead to settle up at the tip of our small wing.


    "Break through to their castle! Make their numbers mean nothing!" I reminded them just before I collided with one of the enemy. And although I had no doubts we all went into this scared, them and us alike. None of us showed it when the moment finally came. And even as I held a woman''s head in my hands, she cared more for placing a spell against mine.


    Her screams were not just of pain, but of defiance and a will to win. But that was not just what one needed. They needed skill and strength! An army at their side who covered for your own weaknesses as you did theirs!


    That was the example we would display to them, and I was already confident of our victory. Because even as I crushed her skull in my hands. No one came to her aid. The others kept their distance and tried to take me out alongside her.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    But unlike them, I was no glorified mercenary, I was a Valkinvar! A fact I did not hesitate to remind them of. As while they struggled to adjust themselves to the situation. I was popping in and out of their view.


    A trail of dead and wounded already lay behind me as well as the explosion of cancel spells. Orange and emerald lights lit up the air and all kinds of magic were set against us. A chaotic array that hampered itself more so than it aided. Yet, with our power weak, it was appreciated, it meant I could find the others so much easier.


    Our traditions made us stand out and gave us the depth of character that let us truly focus. I could find my sisters by how the wind exploded. By how the wounds their swords left and the trails their armour helped them make. I would not be lost in the battle so long as I focused on all of these.


    "DIE HERETIC!" one of the war-witches screamed as she began to rapidly slash at the wind. Setting up a barrage of slicing blades that went into the stone and against the beast as I ran along their castle.


    "Oh, the irony of it." I remarked as I passed by some of the iconography of their evil deity. But before I could react to her, I went for that very same statue and struck it down. I enraged them like their actions had done to me throughout my travels to this fortress. It did not pay them back for what they did to Giant''s Victory or any other town or city.


    But it went a long way, especially when I could consecrate it with their blood!


    "BREAK ON INTO THE CASTLE!" I reminded the other three as I weaved past a few more spells. Kicking and jabbing the war-witches as I made sure to give them a path to go through if they did not have one. Thankfully, the one who did make use of my aid only did so, so she could cut down a few more of them.


    "GO!" Cetrepe reminded me as she blocked a few more spells with her blade.


    "DO NOT LINGER!" I tell her just before I smashed right through some ornate glass. Then, quick as ever, I spring to my feet and wrecked the halls as best as I could as they started to pour back in. I had to dive and roll out of the way from some spells that followed me in. But it served my purposes well.


    Yet, the sudden appearance of emerald orbs from my side caught me off guard. And I was flung back by one crashing against me. Thankfully, my armour, damaged as it may have been was able to absorb the blow. Something I wasn''t really able to do last time...


    This magic, I recognised it clearly.


    "So my failure presents itself to me again." that war-witch sneered as she took on an emerald shimmer before a barrage of orbs came at me. Yet, now that I was aware of this as well as being willing to fight this time. It wasn''t much effort to dash between the gaps and reach her.


    "I will not run this time." I quickly tell her just as she brings up a defensive spell to block my downward strike. But, although I gave the impression my body could not stop itself. It was no effort at all to force my body at her.


    "GAH!" she let out as I crashed into her. Sending her right through a wall in the process. But she was not just going to take it, and I was sent flying away by her counterattack.


    "In your own castle!?" I taunted as I was forced to once again dodge her attacks. Some, thankfully, could be held off barely by the decor of the vast chamber we were now in. Thick stone pillars crumbled and fell as magic exploded against them. And the furniture was knocked about in vicious gusts.


    "We never cared much for the place anyway!" she comments as I get caught on an orb that suddenly came from behind. Something was off about this, though, her magic, it was far stronger than it was before. And there was no reason for her to have held back last time!


    "Wipe her out!" someone anxiously cheered as they funneled magic into her from a safe spot.


    "WE WILL!" the one I battled roared at me as she brought all that condensed magic right against my pushed-out chest.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as I felt the potent spellcraft erupt against my armour. It was strained to its limit and the magic slipped on by without even breaking my armour! It tore open my skin and my clothes and I went deep into the stonework on the ground.


    But with a sudden explosion in the wind, I was back on my feet with blood travelling down my face. I growled and then adjusted my focus, this other war-witch. The one dressed mostly in white. She was altering her, reinforcing her.


    If I was to make this fight any easier, I would have to get rid of her!


    "NOALLA!" she screamed as she suddenly flinched when I came for her. But her fellow war-witch came for her and set me aside. She saved them and interrupted me. She knew what she had to do for her fellow soldier...


    Her friend...


    "It''s alright, Ainael, just keep doing what you are doing. All the way until all of them are dead!" Noalla told her friend as she prepared more spells to attack me with.


    "More of your own will die first." I tell them with a gladdened tone as the fighter of the two growled at me.


    "Bloodthirsty as ever, Valkinvar."


    "Only towards those that would invade my home!" I answer just before I went for her again. I briefly managed to deceive her with one blow, but she was quick to react and met the real one with her own. My strength clashed against her spell and it prevailed. But it was not enough and I was forced back.


    The air then erupted several more times as I tried to get in close or around her. Yet, this magic of hers, it was near-perfect for countering my fighting style right now. Vast, wide and destructive orbs that would blast me away or drag me into something worse! Frequent, too!


    "Wait, wh-" I barely got out before a littered spell went off under me.


    "YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT YOUR SWORD, IMDVARCE!" she screams up at me as she sends up a gargantuan sphere that forces me right through the roof. Its detonation then made swift work of sending me out onto the tiling and stonework.


    "One part of a greater whole..." I spit out at her as I open up my helmet to spit out a glob of blood.


    "STAY BACK!" she warns her fellow war-witches as she marches on me with her friend not far behind. Amidst the fire and emerald wind, her pure white, silk robes made her stand out. She was as clear a target as she was beautiful dressed like that.


    "So when are you going to prove that you can actually beat me?" I ask as I take note of how the others backed away. I could not even sense if they were preparing any spells of their own for sneak attacks. Vile, disgusting tactics that I frankly expected from them.


    Yet, she did not go for my taunt and instead she focused on preparing another spell. A damn large one too, but there was no way she could''ve expected that to hit me, no? Though, while I could tell she had the foresight to accompany something like that. I don''t think she had an idea of what I would try and do.


    A spell like that required a lot of focus, so much magic was being concentrated there. It would not explode so easily while she was still feeding into it! And I intended to exploit that fact. So as she was approaching the final phases of its completion, I put my energy into sending me over her. But rather than going for her friend who was in the open from this high-up angle, I went down.


    Forcing myself against the spell and pushing her back down into the ground with it. And although I was sent flying by the detonation. I had ensured that it was only the backwash that I dealt with. Thankfully, both the thick stone pillars and the floor broke my falls.


    Without then delaying so that she could prepare herself, I went for a loose pillar. I slid along the ground, carving it up before kicking the lower pillar out from under it. A quick burst then saw me smash my grip deep into it before I levelled it before her. With a single burst I then crashed against her.


    I kept on going until the pillar was reduced to fine powder and a spell was presented before me. But, with my superior strength, I was able to force my way through it. And our hands locked together as we started to push against each other. Yet, it was her that began to win out.


    "You were all foolish to think you could keep on fighting after what we put you through!" she told me as she bent me over and slammed me into the ground. Several spells then went off right in my face. Armoured gauntlets then followed as she frantically slammed them against me again and again.


    "My Lord waits for me after I die in battle, where is your evil creature?" I asked her as I dug an arm into the ground whilst she was distracted. Then, with a single, sudden blow, I sent her flying off. And as the rubble was thrown out towards me, I got up and turned my attention to this Ainael. The remains of my sword then entered my grip.


    "S-Stay back..." she cried as she slowly backed away whilst feeding magic towards her friend. So, I quickly dashed in front of her to exploit her charity. Yet as quickly as I came, it the flow stopped. And she turned the magic onto herself, finally using her own strength to protect herself rather than someone else.


    I then snapped into an appropriate position and prepared myself. That power she gave me was just enough for one final attack. And I expended it as quickly as it came. I needed to cut off this support.


    "NOALLA!" she screamed as something flashed before me. A bright flash erupted before and I screamed against its squeal as magic lashed out against me. The light blinded me and forced me away. But I was able to dig my sabatons into the rock and force my way through until the familiar sound of sliced flesh and steel made it all go away.


    "S-Stay... Away from my friend..." Noalla spat bloodily as she forced my sword out of her gut before a spell went off in my face.


    .


    .


    .


    "NOALLA!" Ainael cried as she put up a barrier as she dragged me away.


    "No, let me..." I struggled to get out as I started to realise how severe that strike was. Even though it was just a stump, it had managed to go all the way through even my back plates! My vision was blurring and a burning pain was focused around the vast red gash in my centre. And, for some reason, it seemed to be growing and shrinking.


    "You''re going to be alright... You''re going to be alright!" she repeated again and again as she finished dragging me behind a decorative statue. And I couldn''t help but stare at her red robes... They should''ve been a pure white... There wasn''t meant to be a stain on them.


    "I''ve failed..." I let out as began to tug at one of the decorative pieces of her uniform. It made me cry more so than I was already. I promised my friend that I would take care of her. But now she was on her own against that monster.


    "No! NO! I can heal you! JUST KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!" she screamed erratically as she flawlessly switched between strained quiet and unrelenting screams. And I did as I was asked as best as I could. I focused on my friend''s teary eyes as they took on an emerald glint.


    "You need to run..." I told her as my bloody hand smeared her cheek. But she did not let it come back down and held it there. And while for a moment, I could not hear her, I felt her head shake in denial. She would not listen to me.


    "Quit being so dramatic, okay?" she requested of me as I felt the burning feeling subside. Then, a loud tear filled my ears and I watched as she destroyed her own attire to save me. She shouldn''t have done that... They''d know how she failed to use her magic like she was supposed to.


    "The Valkinvar is still out there?" I asked as distant explosions, screams and roars echoed about us.


    "She hasn''t struck the barrier since I put it up..." she answered slowly as I began to struggle to my feet. A spell was on hand but Ainael contradicted herself and took the lead.


    "She''s gone?" I let out at first before she suddenly reappeared from the shadows. Her blade dripped with my blood and although her armour was scorched by magic and sheared by the wind. She still stood proudly before me. One moment away from killing us both.


    "Do you surrender?" she asked us as she cautiously kept an attentive ear on the battle around us.


    "Noalla..." Ainael whispered to me uncertainly whilst I registered the baffling request. We outnumbered them, we could win this. Yet, she was asking me if we wanted to surrender...?


    Valkinvar absurdities I could only presume...


    "Do you not understand? You will lose this battle!" I remind the Valkinvar.


    "And I am giving you a chance to leave it alive!" she tells me firmly as the edge of her shattered blade glows slightly.


    "No one will know, Noalla, it is easy enough to lie about how I needed to treat you. You have the proof of a well-fought battle! Witnesses!" Ainael urges me as she prepares for me likely saying no.


    "We..." I started to say as I considered two things, the safety of my friend and the potential punishment from the Chapter-Mistress, "Surrender."


    The Valkinvar then lowers her blade and she suddenly staggers as it became clear she was putting up a front, "Then by the mercy of Waionr, the Lord of Honourable War. I spare you, War-Witches Noalla and Ainael of the Seven-Peaks Union of the Jhermonikra. I place my trust in you as honourable soldiers to oblige by this promise. And I mark you out so that all others know you are under the protection of Honourable War."


    "I... Never knew a Valkinvar could do this..." I say after stepping back suddenly when the mark of that strange animal suddenly appeared on my armour.


    "You now serve under the Seventh Law of Waionr." she explained before she turned away and left us alone.


    "Back behind the statue... We''ll wait it out there." I tell Ainael as I slumped against her. The need for my strength was no longer here. And as much as I wanted not to, I had to turn to my friend for help. We slowly made our way back behind the statue and I dropped to the ground with a thud.


    "Smile a little, you get to carry on being my friend..." she tearfully joked as she went back to applying all the magic she could to my wound.


    "I can live happily knowing that." I tell her with a pained laugh as I took the moment to rest. Though, as much as I wanted to, I kept my eyes open so I did not worry her.


    .


    .


    .


    "YOU CALL YOURSELVES WITCHES!? MASTERS OF THE EMERALD WINDS!?" Dannatili screamed amidst the storm of shot and spell. Many had already fallen by her hand already and many stayed away from her. She may have not been the most powerful, but it certainly seemed like it. Nothing was safe from her power.


    Fragments of their castle swirled about her in a protective vortex and their own spells backfired on them. Even the nominally harmless shot from the fortress was being turned into a line-piercing life-stealer. Trails of magic shot about her large gushes of blood began to fill the air as her magic helped pierce the mobile fortress.


    It wasn''t just her either, the men of the fortress were giving it their all. Even as spells carved away at the fortress or as witches carved a bloody path through them. All the guns kept firing again and again. They were straining the patience of the mighty giant and it was starting to lash out.


    "Hm, rather mindless, aren''t you?" I remarked as I dove down past its face after having watched it suddenly chomp down on a passing ally of its. Those who survived the passage and followed me further joined me under it. Where its smaller, snippier appendages flailed about with eager, blood-desiring intent.


    Skillfully, I dashed about them and the spells coming after me. When openings appeared, I cut a war-witch down and made my job easier. Sometimes, I''d even slice apart a spell and go through straight to the caster. The erratic, sudden movements spooked many of them.


    And screams filled the air as some of them were suddenly snatched up by the nimble claws. The lucky ones found themselves dead quickly, others were left in a bloody struggle as their own beast turned on them. It enraged those who were still around and forced them closer to the core of its underbelly. But their attempts to find safety just made them an easy target for me.


    With one sudden burst, I then sliced my way through most of them and carried on towards the fortress. My sudden appearance relieved the men of their need to focus on the enemy in close quarters. And more guns came alive as gun crews returned to their posts. Rather unfortunately, however, I found myself having to stop a barrel that suddenly hurled its way towards me.


    "You will all die here!" one of the war-witches reminded me as I flicked my sword clean of the blood of her sisters.


    "And how many of you will join me before Waionr''s judgement?" I asked them as I went into action. Spell after spell was sent away and I forced them off of the fortress battlements. For a brief moment, I saw the vast battle happening on the ground. As ironcoats clashed against the crew and compliment of the machine.


    But I could not help them, I was unable to help them. The fighting was too thick up here for me to be able to spare them even the slightest hand. I had to leave them be so that I could help preserve the fortress and her ability to fight. However, one thing about it all still bothered me.


    The mountain cracker had not yet fired!


    "W-Wait, no!" I let out as I noticed too late that some war-witches had gone past and had unleashed a deadly barrage against the gun. The lengthy barrel, while unharmed mostly, found itself collapsing downwards. The stone was blasted away and I could barely make out the Ammimpaurst as I fought to keep the gun up there.


    "Oh, no you wo-" one of them tried to tell me before I smashed her faceplate and caved in her skull with a single strike.


    "He needs more time..." I realised before I was suddenly struck by a relatively harmless spell.


    "GO! VALKINVAR! SAVE THE CANNON!" one man of the gun crews roared at me before his position was suddenly eviscerated by a magic blast.


    "I am very sorry you lot... But you will have to fight on without me..." I realised as I dove down quickly towards the mountain cracker. Someone stronger needed to keep that barrel up. Someone tougher needed to withstand all that came at them until that gun could fire!


    "Wing-Head!?" Lavauroas let out in relief as I cleared the area of war-witches.


    "GET THE BATTCOMM AND LOAD THIS CANNON!" I screamed at him, making it clear that this was his final chance to make a shot for the gun.


    "Yes, Wing-Head!" he acknowledged with a loud bang of his chest before he legged it into the fortress proper.


    "And hurry..." I growled as I watched war-witch after war-witch approach me. Yet, with my sword out and my back against the thick metal of the gun. I was more than ready to face them.


    Come on and face me! They would all face me until this gun ripped the sky open!


    .


    .


    .


    "You''re fine, back to your feet!" I snapped to an exhausted man as I bullied him back into action. And when one gun crew suddenly found itself knocked aside by a wayward spell. I sprung into position and sighted the gun and finished their work. My body groaned and ached like everyone else''s, but we had a job to do!


    "BATTCOMM ROHLANT!" someone roared with such force it was as if a gun had suddenly detonated within the fortress!


    "Valkinvar!?" I let out, perplexed as to why he was now here rather than making me more munitions!


    "Gather your crew, we fire the mountain cracker now!" he ordered me, leaving me in a fit of ecstatic laughter.


    "Oh, I''ve been waiting for this!" I let out as I went to the alarm I had set aside for this moment. Up until now, it had only been hurried drills. But, now, the time had come!


    "Let''s go!" the Valkinvar snapped as he shoved me away from the alarm as many others began to break away from their crews. Often, we would stumble and fall as the fortress shook and buckled. But from the narrow passes we found our opening. And we spilt out into the destroyed chamber of the mountain cracker as a battle raged on right outside.


    "Wing-Head!" the Valkinvar let out worriedly as we watched our superior fight off the enemy as best as she could. She even took blows meant for the gun and the fortress walls...


    "TAKE HEED OF HER BRAVERY MEN! DO NOT FAIL HER!" I roared out to them all as I took notes on the situation. And there was certainly a mess for me to wrangle at least one shot out of this mess. The previous attacks had unhinged the gun and torn it forward. Held up only by the grace of the Wing-Head!


    Our usual equipment had also been reduced to sharpened spikes and useless piles of steel. Ammunition intended to be loaded by a crane would now have to be somehow handled by hand. And we completely lacked the stable platforms to do so! But I knew what I had to do.


    "GO TO THE WEAPONS LOCKER, ASSIST HER!" I shouted up to the now-useless crew. I couldn''t specify names, so I generalised with a wide gesture. Those who seemed confused were immediately shoved in the right direction. And some calming noises were soon heard as small arms started to pop off about me.


    "REAR END READY!" the Loader called down to me as I passed by some others with an almost violent shove. I quickly made my way up to the control system, a truly one-of-a-kind machine that had managed to survive the gun being torn away. But the magic systems connecting it to the main gun had been stretched apart! I couldn''t blame the engineers, but I wanted to throttle someone.


    "GET ME SOME PATCHES ON THOSE POWER CABLES!" I practically screamed down to the men below before I went back to set everything up.


    "Battcomm?" one confused boy asked me as he stumbled in.


    "Stay there, when you hear the word, you press that button!" I firmly ordered this boy to do as I shoved him before the controls.


    "Come on... Come on!" the Valkinvar groaned in frustration as his inadequacies shined on through at the worst time possible.


    "What''s wrong?" I asked him as calmly as I could despite the situation. It was a difficult thing to do, but heating up the pressure on this Valkinvar would not help us!


    "The measurements! I can''t get them right!" he nearly roared in fury as he wasted some of his magic on a violent strike against the stone.


    "ONE OF YOU GET YOURSELF A MEASURING STICK AND A SAFETY HARNESS! MEASURE THAT BARREL!" I roared to the men before I noticed that they were all occupied with the gun or with helping the WIng-Head. So, I snorted in determination and forced my aged body up one of the few remaining staircases.  I grabbed what I needed and suddenly nearly fell when an explosion tore away at the stone.


    "I AM YOUR FOCUS YOU FILTHY HERETICS!" the Wing-Head howled as she lashed out with a magic wave of her own. While the annihilation of the enemy was appreciated, it only made her job harder. And she was already suffering as is!


    I needed to hurry! Move as fast as I could! I had to get to that gun barrel! Not later, NOW!


    So I discarded the safety harness and briefly climbed some railings. I then leapt out onto the decorative barrel and growled as I felt my arm suddenly experience a snap of pain. But I overpowered that vicious burn and forced my way up onto the trembling, shaking barrel and moved up it. Thankfully, it was so wide that it almost seemed like it was flattening out as I ran across it.


    My stop was sudden and dangerous and I nearly lost my crucial piece of equipment. A simple, but trustworthy measuring stick. And I slapped it over the barrel, forcing it down against the recoil I had created. I carefully watched it without so much as squinting.


    A trained artillery officer knew what he was looking at, and I was one. It took me no time at all to figure it out, but I couldn''t just shout it back to him. So I discarded my tool and climbed into the barrel. And I slid down its grooved interior with a steady bump again and again.


    "One and a half halfmans all sides!" I called down to him before I quickly ascended down with the available gun crew. Only to lose one when the building shook violently again and sudden magic sparks blew up around the cables. Yet only one man mattered right now. The Valkinvar called Lavauroas, my munitions smith!


    "Okay..." he let out nervously as his trembling hands applied the magic to his latest batch of stone.


    "Focus on this, not her." I told him bluntly as I blocked his view as best as I could to the fight outside.


    "She needs me!" he reminds me as more danger-close magic blasts prove his point. A tremendous display of firepower just outside was hard to ignore. But we needed to get out our own, superior bang now!


    "Stop! That''s enough on the bank, now, follow my hand." I tell him as I start to measure out the tip of the shot for him. Carefully guiding him as if I were his father before I stepped back in pride. This was one mighty piece of cannon shot!


    "LOADING NOW!" the gun crew let out eagerly as the Valkinvar took the lead on bringing the massive, ground-cracking shot towards the gun. But with how unstable the rigging was, he had to slowly fly up with the physically and magically dense shot.


    "THE FIRING PIN IS DAMAGED!" the Loader realised, but it did not perturb me as much as it did him.


    "CLEAR THE ROOM FOR THE VALKINVAR!" I scream out to all of the men until I felt my throat dry and tear under the strain. And as he loaded it up, I went up into fire control and stood by the young man as he waited for the order.


    "What now...?"


    "Adjust the guns angle by point thirty!" I order him as I begin to ignite the weapon as best as I could. This mighty gun had its own magic power to call upon, and I wanted it in both that Valkinvar and his creation.


    "Angle set."


    "Lavauroas, you may fire when ready." I told him with a surprisingly calm voice through the speaker as anticipation took over my body.


    "About time..." he growled through the rippling, blinding magic that began to surge past him.


    "Grab hold of something!" I warned the young man as I grabbed onto a nearby bar and braced myself against the walls of the room.


    "FOR THE VALKINVAR!" Lavauroas roared as he brought back his glowing hammer. In one swift, powerful swing, he then smashed it right against the base of the shot and it boomed throughout the building, fortress and the plains! But a moment later, a different noise filled the air, that of a pained beast! I could not see it beyond the magic and the ceased fighting, but each booming tremor told me everything I needed!


    "Reel you bastard, reel!"


    .


    .


    .


    "What the...?" I let out in surprise as the castle suddenly began to collapse around me. Not only that, everything was shaking to the point I was nearly being thrown up into the air. Sensing the obvious danger, I put all my leftover magic into dashing out of the building. Only to rocket straight into an arcane ''fireball'' that lashed out with violent winds.


    I braced myself against the powerful force and broke right through until I was in the clear skies once again. But, not willing to lose myself in the spectacle, I quickly made my way back to the fortress and crashed down against it. Yet, as I clambered back to my feet, I saw how the battle had gone completely silent.


    At least up here...


    No spells or cannons were fired, all eyes were on the mobile fortress and it stumbled backwards. Then, when the magic disappeared just enough, we all saw how it had lost a large chunk of its face. An eye and half of its skull were just gone! But, it was still alive!?


    And we all felt a sense of doom fill us as the sound of dense, falling steel filled the air. A strange whistling accompanied it and I felt a familiar magic presence within it. It was Allyoceer! But what was she doing that close to the mountain cracker!?


    "WING-HEAD!" I screamed as I realised that she was either unconscious or heavily injured. So I did my best and ran after her. But I was slow in comparison to the dozens upon dozens of other emerald trails heading towards the falling gun. Yet, the barrel lit up and was suddenly wrenched open.


    It was Lavauroas! He was able to save the Wing-Head! But he was now in danger too! I had to keep on going so I could help him.


    And after stumbling over the edge of the fortress and rolling along the steep drop, I shot towards him. Knocking the enemies that were in my way out of it and carrying on towards him. Though, he ended up just saving me instead. No words came from him, however.


    "Allyoceer..." I let out tiredly as my eyes widened and a cold shiver went through me. Her armour was destroyed, flesh was sliced off or open and she was riddled with damage. How had she suffered like this!?


    "Gre... Great... Great shot, Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst Lavauroas." she struggled to get out to him after we crashed against the rocky earth with a tremendous boom. The pride in her voice was clear and abundant, but, it was also obvious... These were likely going to be her last words.


    She held out long enough for the mountain cracker to fire...


    "I''m sorry, Sister Allyoceer, I failed my oath and I failed you..." Lavauroas tearfully told her as he held her hand tightly.


    "We... We... We all must head to Waionr at some point, Brother. Just make sure everyone goes out as ready as... As I was..." she explained to him before she suddenly went limp.


    "Come on, there''s still a siege to attend to." I tell my fellow soldier as I help him stand. And although I struggled to do it, I passed on his lengthy weapon and let him take hold of it.


    "My greatest swing and it still stands..." he growled as he focused on the mobile fortress as it stood up and bashed its chest again and again.


    "Let''s..." I gasp as I put myself back in the air. But I was left behind quickly and trailing behind the enraged Ammimpaurst as he briefly tore his way through the airship crew before he went on up to the resumed battle. And I worried as I puttered closer and closer. If I was this weak right now, how were the others feeling!?


    How many more had we lost...?


    "What the..." I let out when a tremendous magic power suddenly filled the sky. Everything turned green and I felt myself suddenly drop as the overwhelming weight was forced upon me.


    "You filthy, disgusting, vile Valkinvar dare!?" a voice boomed from within the mist before a blunt feeling lance of some kind struck me across the ground. And when I finally stopped rolling, I realised that I had been sent through my own army. And I was right at the feet of the shadow-faced soldiers...


    But they all stood at attention rather than with their weapons levelled at me or the army...


    Not that I could focus on it, as more of those ethereal lances began to strike at me, "GAAAAAH!"


    Then, all of a sudden, I was suddenly wrenched into the air by a tendril of some kind. I panicked and struggled to no avail. And when the mist finally began to clear up, I found myself presented with what was left of the wing. All ready for the slaughter as a powerful witch stepped out before us.


    Her power kept the mobile fortress subdued and it did its best to care and nurture for it. But the magic was clearly focused on us regardless. And this woman''s hair... Pure emerald...


    So few faces came to mind when I saw hair like that, but I knew what it entailed... We all did and despite some of us having fight left in us. We were all quiet. Not one word was uttered as we grew fearful of the immense power that tightened its grip on us.


    "You make a mockery of the Order of the Outreaching Wind, you desecrate Castle Valersrakk with your pig iron cannon and you dare to stand before His Royal Majesty, Prince Jhrartur!?" the woman asked us with bloodthirsty viciousness as her magic began to crush our armour against us.


    "Should we care!?" Uala spat at her as she strained against the magic.


    "N-N-" I started to tell her before her screams filled the air as flesh was suddenly torn. Whatever happened, she was still alive, but her screams shook me to the core. I could only watch on in terror as the emerald-haired woman rose into the air. Her hands were so bright they were almost white!


    The sky shimmered and this had become her domain. Everywhere was filled with her magic. Every bit of it wanted to kill us. Yet, she seemed to not care for the army.


    "You Valkinvar should''ve accepted your deaths and been swept aside! You should''ve all died or made peace with Jhrarda before we sent you all to be punished for your disgusting ways!"


    "Your evil will never sway us..." Uala managed to spit out. Though the blood did not reach the stainless woman. And she slowly turned her gaze on her. Yet, no more limbs were separated and no screams came.


    She only laughed, "Foolish Valkinvar, you do not understand, do you? You are all alone... In my aura. No one will come for you, not even your pretend god!"


    She then turned to me and came close enough to touch me. And it burned. There was so much magic in just her fingers alone. She could slice right through me with just a gentle press!


    "And you, the one who led us here." she said as all the air and warmth left my body.


    "I... I... I did no such thing!" I blurted out, terrified and reduced to tears once more as the magic began to envelop me tightly.


    But, suddenly, the wind changed and this world of emerald that had been created disappeared. And on the ground, I saw it. Firery ruby blazed up from one of the valleys. Shimmering sapphire waves crashed up the old front... Dazzling, golden sparks surged up from another pass!


    And from behind, brilliant emerald winds freed us from our bonds and brought us back. Wounds were healed and strength was recovered in all but an instant. No noise but the wind filled my ears. Until the emerald-haired woman gathered her magic.


    "Who dares?" she asked with a land-shaking hiss.


    "I do." a voice I never forgot answers.

 Peak 13: A Clear Path to Thurns Forge

    "I do." I answer firmly as I finish pulling back those who had fought so well. And, having pulled them back from the mouth of oblivion, I presented myself in the sky. As was once just was, I recreated it in my own image. With the plains becoming entombed within my multi-coloured magic.


    "Another Valkinvar..." this chapter-mistress spat as her power began to spiral around her hands. A pair of flesh-shredding tornadoes waited for her call. As far back as her elbows before they opened up and moved away from her clutched hands.


    "Zaphadren-Valkinvar!" I corrected with pride as I began to apply my focus towards my staff. An elegant, detailed weapon that was morphed into something far greater as I did so. All that power I had used to ensnare this army returned to me and a spiral of colour travelled along the metal shaft.


    "AND YOU ARE STILL NOTHING!" she screamed in fury as her spells were sent out towards me. Pitiful constructs that only required me to raise my hand. From which a counterspell made of sapphire winds shot down the middle and split it apart. A fog then overtook the land.


    It wasn''t long before I found myself walking beside her, "Then what are you?"


    Her response to the question was terror and confusion, she was once the master of this battlefield. And now she was on the run as scorching gusts of ruby and gold split away from me. They quickly bypassed her and shepherded her towards a mountain. And I lined up my next blow whilst she was trapped by the fire and lightning.


    "VALERSRAKK!" she roared after freeing herself with a sudden burst of power. And when that word came, a fog-destroying roar came from the mobile fortress as it charged right for me. A viciousness it clearly had held in all this time. Though, I found myself backing away as I considered its name.


    "The Castle of the Riders?" I questioned in bemusement as I smacked away a spell she had launched at me. Neither of them could hit me and I avoided it all with grace and tact. I treated them so casually it was almost as if it was a dance. Unfortunately for them, I was a demanding partner.


    To my delight as well, they couldn''t even turn their frustrations on the army or the Valkinvar at the fortress. My shields were too strong for them and as the mobile fortress found out. It wasn''t worth the layer of skin it tore off. I kept their attention on me and made use of it.


    "So if this mobile fortress, this Valersrakk, is the Castle of the Riders, they why not live up to the name and flee?" I rhetorically asked as I gazed down another admittedly magnificent spell. But to only know one of the winds while I knew four, it became unimaginably dull. I tore it apart with a flick of my wrist and turned it on her.


    I wanted to see if she could take what she gave out. Though, clearly, not in its entirety as much of it was set aside to prevent the soldiers down below from shooting me. Thousands upon thousands of highly lethal pests which I just did not focus on. Their magic went to waste before it was spent in its entirety.


    I choked their weapons, severing them from the supply that they depended on. It was a simple, quick effort that freed up much of this stolen magic for my own use. And while some of it kept the mobile fortress away. The rest was used to toy with the chapter-mistress as I threw her around like a careless child.


    "It is clear you wished to put my allies within a mountainous tomb, that is what this magic was tuned for. So, how about I use it correctly?" I suggested as I reduced a mountain to a cloud of dust. With a gentle push, I then sent her into the dark depths of the stone cloud. And I turned away as she screamed against the reforming mountain and reinforced mountain.


    "YOU DARE MAKE A MOCKERY OF ME!? CHAPTER-MISTRESS CHIARA OF THE ORDER OF THE OUTREACHING WIND!" she screamed as the mountain was blown away. A shower of boulders filled the sky, made up of not just that one mountain, but also the neighbouring ones caught within the emerald blast.


    "No, but you make a mockery of me. The Valkinvar of the True Emerald Wind." I reply as my eyes start to narrow at the desperate woman. She spoke as if she was great, but I had seen no claim to this greatness. Merely a flashy show that even the Ordoar Imdvarce could put on despite their to-the-point attitudes towards magic.


    "Your titles mean nothing to me, Valkinvar!" she spat as her power started to go into a single spell of immense destructive power. Even now, when she allowed it, the gusts of wind that just popped out of the building spell dug deep into the earth. A mine''s depth each time this occurred.


    "Clearly." I say as I slowly raise my hand as four winds appeared. One of nothing but the wind, one from the friction in the sky and the fires its heat created and a final one from the very sea itself. All of it gathered in a vast circle at the base of the plains and screams filled my ears. Her pathetic order was swept up into the forming tornado along with that army.


    "I am not impressed!" she spat as her magic began to build. Yet, she thought I would not notice, but I did. She was ready just now to fire it, but she had put more and more of her magic into this spell in response to mine.


    "Union of the Four Winds." I jokingly said needlessly as emerald, gold, ruby and sapphire light zoomed around us in a destructive circle. An unmatched beast roared in confusion as it was brought into the sky to join the vortex. And a steel behemoth that was brought low once again joined its brethren in the sky.


    "DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" she screeched as all that power was sent out against me. Yet as she buckled under the strain of that magic, I merely glanced up at it. Unamused and unshaken.


    "Leave." I tell her and her army as I gesture for my spell to leave the plains. They all went high into the sky from within a spiralling, multi-coloured tube of wind. A distorted worm that went beyond the clouds which is drew in more strength from. And, behind me, I called back the magic I had set aside for the defence of my countrymen.


    I wanted them all to see the strength that guarded our country. Then, as I turned around to look upon them, the sky suddenly flashed and all were knocked over by the force. But, I found myself placing a hand against my done-up hair so the tails would not flap out ahead of me or against my neck. What was impressive for them was annoying for me.


    "What a bother..." I remarked after briefly glancing up at the now cloudless sky as signs of my magic decorated the sky. It would be some time before things went back to normal.


    "SHE DID IT!" was but one of many cheers I heard as I moved down towards the fortress. The witches and the soldiers of this place had fought well. Guareroisncer was truly here amongst them and Waionr had guided them well.


    "Who was in charge here?" I asked the Valkinvar as I took over the command of all the lives here. But, when I did so, they began to step aside to reveal the bodies I had also retrieved. A number of them had lost their lives before I had arrived. As had their wing-head.


    "Us two, I suppose." one Valkinvar-Imdvarce answered as she stepped forward with another. And while one tended to her repaired arm in amazement, shabby as the work might''ve been. The other one caught my curiosity by how much more damaged her gear was. It was such an odd thing to observe when those who had died had far less damage done to their armour.


    And she didn''t even have the strength to suggest that it was just because she was powerful enough to do so...


    "Now, I am sure you probably heard me, but, I am Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli. I am here to bring you home." I explain to them as my gaze turns towards the Valkinvar-Staguiffmani amongst them. She was in a state of disbelief, and she quickly dropped to her knees for a reason I could not guess. But, I was happy to assume relief was one of them because I could feel her tears as they disturbed the air around us.


    "Home...?" the peculiar Valkinvar-Imdvarce questioned as she awkwardly adjusted to having the energy to move once again.


    "Yes, Valkinvar-Imdvarce, we are going back to Thurn''s Forge." I explain to her.


    "But it''s so far... Has... Has the rest of the?"


    "You''ll have it explained to you when we arrive, just know that the Line Before is one of the few places left in this land that we can count on."


    "But that''s the final line of fortresses and castles outside of Thurn''s Forge..." one of them point out as a mood of despair took over.


    "And we need everyone." I tell them as my magic worked in the background to open up a safe pass out of the fortress.


    "Shouldn''t we try to at least hold them here?" someone asked.


    "Do not be foolish, you struggled against an airship and a single order of war-witches, this fortress has been lost."


    "Y-Yes... Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli." the one whose arm had been ripped off reluctantly said. But she left it at that and began to coordinate our immediate departure from this place.


    "What do we need?" the other leading Valkinvar-Imdvarce asked me.


    "Munitions, supplies, all of it." I quickly told her as the rest joined them. But not the Valkinvar-Staguiffmani who continued to weep.


    "Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli..." she whimpered as she shakily reached for the edges of my robes. And, like a mother, I guided their head against my leg and affectionately rubbed their hair.


    "Everything is fine now, Valkinvar-Staguiffmani Dannatili." I told her, surprising her immensely with this reveal.


    "Y-You remember me...?"


    "Of course."


    "Then why!" she began to nearly scream before she went quiet, "Then where were my orders...? Why was I...?"


    "War is complex, it occupies much of my attention. Do not think on the past now, only the future." I tell her as I help her to her feet.


    "Yes, sorry..." she let out as I turned my attention to the fallen.


    "They fought well?" I asked, only to have my attention taken away from the dead by heavy footsteps.


    "They all did." the only man amongst them answered as he aggressively dropped his weapon onto the ground.


    "I am sorry for your loss." I tell him as I recall the difference in oath the men of the Valkinvar took. Whilst ours was a conditional betrothal to the Lord of Honourable War, Waionr. Theirs was as the guardians of the soon-to-be wives. Like how the father handed off their daughter, they ensured we made it down the grim aisle to our groom.


    While these Valkinvar were now all with Waionr now, it must''ve hurt him deeply to have failed his oath nonetheless. Contradictory as it might seem to an outsider. Yet, I was quick to pick up on how he only focused on one of them. The Wing-Head.


    "She only had to die because I was incompetent..." he spat venomously before he suddenly dropped to his knees. A loud bang of thick steel and flesh.


    "A soldier that lays down their life for another one is a sacrifice worthy of commendation for all time. Do not try and attribute a negative stigma to her own choice. Do not dishonour her like this."


    "She died because I could not load that cannon on time..." he seethed before he went to strike the ground. Though, to prevent him from potentially killing anyone, I place magic before him. It made him roll onto his back in pain, but it prevented a needless loss of life.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "She died to save the army." I correct as I reach my hand out to him so I could pull him up. Something I am sure would surprise the gun crews still up here. As, well, I didn''t give off the impression of tremendous physical strength, did I? A beautiful, bountiful woman did not imply that at all.


    It humoured me enough, though.


    "Now, on your way, Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst, there is much work to be done." I tell him as I step aside to give him access to the bodies. If the supposed failure rested on his shoulders. Then I would allow him to at least get it out of his system by handling our dead sisters.


    "Is the path back to Thurn''s Forge clear of the enemy?" Valkinvar-Staguiffmani Dannatili asked me as she stepped closer to me.


    "Not fully, no, so we will travel together. Our power will ward off anything that comes between us and the Line Before."


    "Finally... Back to where I should be..." she mutters as we step to the edge of the fortress.


    "Tell me, how did you come upon this place? It had been ordered abandoned because of the infeasibility of trying to defend it." I ask her as I gaze out towards the body-strewn battlefield. The far end of the plains was completely devastated by artillery fire. At least, the parts not enveloped in that display of power by our discarded foes.


    "From what Wing-Head Allyoceer told me, Wing-Tip Vapooliar came upon her force and rescued it, essentially. And from here, they went out to save many more troops and Valkinvar, including me."


    "Interesting, which one is that?" I then asked as I turned away from the battlefield.


    "She''s the Valkinvar-Imdvarce with the armour missing a piece from the crotch area. Assuming it still stands out after all of this."


    "I think it does." I say as I recall the figure I was asking about. I would have to question her about this. Even if she didn''t command our side of this siege, she set it all into motion.


    "Should I join the others and help them?"


    "Yes, of course." I tell her before she quickly heads off in a nervous state. One might even forget that she was even a soldier if she kept on moving like that. And once she departed, I looked out towards the plains that had finally be freed. Their enslavement as a battlefield had ended and a cautious peace filled it.


    Scars it would never recover from had dug themselves in well. Hundreds of thousands of lives had been lost just trying to force themselves past the king of the plains. The Long Battery Fort had proven itself well, and though it was but a corpse now. It stayed on its thrown, surveying the work its power could create.


    .


    .


    .


    "My Royal Highness, Prince Jhrartur, I must again protest this choice!" I once again heard to my frustration.


    "And you would make me repeat myself?" I questioned as my patience was strained to its limits by this man.


    "As the Director of the March, it is my obligation to advise you!"


    "All you are doing is annoying me." I dismissively comment as I go back to reading the poetry I had brought along with me. Tales of valour and the strength of my father. A man of such calibre that there had never been another like him... I was nothing compared to him, but all I saw was the light he brought into my life!


    "You are marching us right along the Dragon Coast!" he protests from atop his disturbed ryphurgok.


    And I, from atop my unperturbed one, look at him, "So?"


    "So...? So!?" he lets out angrily before he starts to throw off all kinds of threatening gestures. And the rest of my staff snorted in amusement before they went about keeping their worries in reserve.


    "You should know by now, Director of the March, you won''t ever surpass his genius." one of them say.


    "Oh, I don''t want to if this is what I can expect." he remarks before the sound of a hopping juperse gets my attention.


    "And what do we have here?" I ask the rider, although he gave no answer as he could not. Silenced by the gear I obliged him to wear in preparation for the end of this war. But, that didn''t matter, so I took up what he had to offer and inspected it. It appeared that one of my insider''s had an urgent piece of information for me.


    "Taking lead!" the Grandest Leader of the Charge declared as I broke away from my position at the very tip of the marching column. And, under the guidance of this rider, I had my ryphurgok follow them through the quaking earth and the ceaseless sea of steel. No salutes came for me as it had not been ordered, however, the men had enough independence to make way for my great beast.


    "Open it up!" I order the Emerald-Clothed Guard who was ordered to accompany me on this mission. And quickly, I stepped off of my mount and into the bulb we had brought along. A gift from those who travelled the edges of the Moonlit Plains around my home. It wasn''t standard by any means, but the aelenvari knew how to make comfortable mobile accommodations.


    And, with the item in hand, I went to my desk and relaxed into the fine, wind-blessed wood furniture. I tapped my fingers on the fine remains of a once great tree and I stared at the device. I was very curious as to why it had come. No orders or requests had been made, so what could it have been.


    "Now, let me hear you speak." I tell it as I finally answered the device. And, despite the safety measures I had put in place to distort the magic trail. I quickly figured out who was contacting me.


    "My Royal Highness, Prince Jhrartur. It is done, the obstruction to the twelfth army has been resolved. They may advance once more without issue." they explained.


    "Wonderful, that problem is now no longer a festering issue." I comment as I lean into my chair. Enjoying the comfort it offered to my back over the need to keep an upright posture on my ryphurgok. I then took the moment to rub my face a little as my exhaustion got to me. So many things depended on my power, that of the Lone Lancer''s son.


    The man who awakened Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra all those years ago...


    Yet, as I was needed, I forced back all these little annoyances and stood back up. It wasn''t healthy and my body was buckling under the strain as is. But I had a responsibility to my country and my future subjects. Power and control were all that mattered.


    And it was rather appropriate as well that I pulled myself together. Because I felt an intrusive presence at the head of the army. So I got up and made my way outside. Staring out towards the individual that had gotten in my way with a distinct lack of amusement.


    "Bring her here." I tell the Emerald-Clothed Guard with a wave of my hand. And as he went off to swiftly get her here. I admired the finely-crafted pin that held all those sheets of emerald fabric together. The Unseen Pin, something I once wanted myself. An immense honour that stood far beyond all others...


    Yet, she was violent and the army was suddenly put into a defensive stance when she struck the Emerald-Clothed Guard. That king of warriors did not react in any manner, however. But the power that suddenly burst from the place she struck was something else. The men here had never seen such power.


    Though, I was quite sure many others were just on-edge because of that ridiculous get-up she had on.


    "What do you want, Gyear?" I asked her after I returned to the head of the army on my ryphurgok.


    "To see what my little brother is up to." she remarks casually as the Emerald-Clothed guard returns to the entrance of my office. I never gave the order, but I appreciated the insight he had in knowing when I didn''t need him.


    "I am not your little brother." I correct with a sneer as she approached me.


    "Doing well?" she asked my ryphurgok as she tried to spook it like the others.


    "You know his lineage makes him impervious to your scare tactics." I tell her calmly while everyone else trembled in fear.


    "Nonsense, he''s just an animal." she comments before I move my hand forward to stop her deceptive backhand of it. Nothing she did had any degree of gentleness to it. She was, after all, a dragon. Power was everything to them, to hide it was shameful.


    "Why''re you here?" I asked her as she made some kind of strange noise. She was idle? Bored?


    "Already answered that."


    "Get on, will talk about this in my office."


    "I''ll walk." she remarks as I bring my ryphurgok around again.


    "Get in." I soon demand of her as the Emerald-Clothed Guard sees her in for a brief instance.


    "Straight from the Moonlit Plains?" she asks as she quickly makes herself at home.


    "Take off that stupid, black cloak." I snap as I aggressively tug at it myself. She looked ridiculous dressed like that. She already had natural armour essentially filling the role. She didn''t need some ragged sheet to cover herself up with.


    "It''s important." she tells me with a smirk as I stare up at the impressive, unbroken crest of horns that she had. Not once had she ever been defeated in battle, or so her body claimed.


    "Your aura alone gives away who you are, Gyear." I remind her.


    "Our father, the King, taught me not to be so obnoxious with it."


    "You are a walking natural disaster."


    "And you are a obsessive man with the blood of millions on his hands."


    "Do not lecture me with your thousand years of half-baked philosophy."


    "I won''t, just here to see how you are."


    "Right now, annoyed that you are here, interrupting my advance against the Theocracy!" I snap at her before I suddenly move back into a chair when a painful headache came.


    "Aww, is my little brother exhausted?" she mockingly asked as she came over and put my temple against her bare, human-like belly.


    "Leave..." I growl as I force myself away from her. Even though I was as exhausted as I was, I was more than capable of contesting with her strength.


    "No, thank you. I''ll stay."


    "Then stay in here." I tell her before a thin beam of pure emerald light stops me. And as I turned towards her to give her a stern glare. I watched as she smugly smiled at me with that glowing index claw of hers.


    "I want to stay with you!" she chirps as I force my way back down. Then, after that, I send a non-vocal message out to my staff to carry on the march. If Gyear insisted on being an issue unless I was around, then so be it.


    "There are no games in here, Gyear, if boredom drives you here then you will not find entertainment either." I explain as I took off my sabre so I could at least occupy my hands for the moment. Give me something to vent into whilst I knowingly let her wind me up.


    "I am content to wait for now." she answers ominously.


    "And I''d be happy for you to wait so little time that you leave." I tell her as I lean back against my chair.


    "So hostile..."


    "You are disrupting something very serious."


    "Something incredibly stupid, more like, travelling the Dragon Coast." she laughs mockingly before she seemingly opens her ear to the talks of my staff.


    "I am prepared for what will come."


    "I know, which I am eager to see."


    "Seeing can be done from very far away."


    "But it means more when I am here in person."


    "No, no it doesn''t..." I groan as she stands up to briefly wander.


    "So are you still interested in history?" she idly asks me as she goes through some of my book collection.


    "Every day my life is driven by the history of this land."


    "Yes, when thousands of years ago, before my birth, the land was flooded by the Empire of Water."


    "The Grand-Kingdom of Ibenorocco and the All-Coast Empire." I correct her out of respect for our ancient enemy. They have done some dreadful things to my land and people. But that is also what made them something I had to respect. Such control, the power they had, it was not by luck.


    At least, when it wasn''t regarding our ancient ancestors...


    "It''s just a little strange to me, you can and are on your way to unifying this continent for the first time in what could be more than ten thousand millennia... Yet, you base your purpose off of something that has not happened again for longer than I have lived."


    "The Grand-Kingdom still lays claim to swathes of our homeland. Under our very feet they claim by divine right that they are due the land up here."


    "They never invaded, they never subdued the lands which they had washed clean of life. The people of that time are long gone."


    "Yes, they are all dead, entombed in grand mountains of gold, marble and riches. They are revered heroes for the greatest empire in the world." I say as my grip tightens on the rear of my sabre.


    "An idea terrifies you, a dream you have constructed yourself."


    "I will not see my people divided any longer, I will free them from the nightmare that plagues us all."


    "Let''s ask what your people think, then?" she proposes as she stands up straight before me.


    "The Braves and my officers will agree with my points."


    "A fraction of a greater whole, but we can''t ask the people can we? Or have you finally gotten over the disobedience your ineptitude creates?" she asks, knowing full well that it would make me angry.


    "I tire of you being here, Gyear." I remind her as I start to consider recalling a vast sum of my magic so I could turn it on her. I would drive this dragon back to her island home!


    "So do the dragons who roost here." she comments with a smirk as she turns her head outside.


    "You brought them here..." I realise as I step outside into the increasingly violent gales that blew against us. The cliffs themselves should''ve had updrafts like this, but there shouldn''t have been anything like this out before us!


    "We best head out to greet them, Little Brother." she tells me with a smile as she gently settles onto the back of my ryphurgok.


    "Stay here, leave this to me." I tell the Emerald-Clothed Guard as they showed no signs of reacting to the oncoming dragons anyway.


    "You are being challenged by every dragon here." Gyear whispers into my ear with clear eagerness to it.


    "I know." I answer calmly as I had my ryphurgok force himself ahead against the wind. And while the rest of the army dropped down and braced themselves against the oncoming winds. We marched on ahead. And my ryhurgok did so with proud squawks as he dug his legs into the solid rock below.


    "My Royal Highness, Prince Jhratur..." one of the officers let out worriedly as he forced himself down onto the back of his own mount.


    "The royal colours." I demand as I go past them all. Though, with each step I made, the roars of the dragons grew louder. More were coming and all of them wanted to test themselves against the approaching power. If they understood that they were moving against Gyear, I could only guess. But, to save the army, I had to do this.


    "Wind-Empress Gyear... Why are you hiding behind the human!?" boomed a mighty beast that greatly dwarfed even the greatest of castles. And I turned back to look at my father''s pet as she took on a different attitude.


    "To let him show you why you live out here, and not at Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra!" she teased as she submissively knelt down at my side.


    "Fitting." I scoff as I change my focus to the dragons that just kept on coming. A mountain of scales and windy breath was forming rapidly. My failure meant the loss of the army, and I intended to see no such thing!


    "Well, Human? Enlighten us as to what the Wind-Empress means!" the dragon laughs before it spreads to the rest of them. And as they did so, they blew out bright light into the sky. An already green sky turned even brighter as the density of magic rapidly increased. For a moment as well, the land struggled to withstand the many different auras that were so close together.


    "I, I am Prince Jhrartur, Firstborn of His Lunar Majesty, Heir to the Seven-Peaks Union of the Jhermonikra. And you are standing in my way." I tell him as I bring my standard up and slam it into the ground. But, instead of flapping towards me as it effortlessly buckled to their power. It blew outwards and grew and grew until it was unfurled fully.


    The winds stopped blowing towards us and my power set it all aside as the wind came in from behind. And all down the stretch of the army, my power enlightened the men and displayed more banners. The ground then quaked even more than the dragons had made it do so. Rolling thunder that rhythmically travelled through man and beast as we staked our claim.


    And at my side... The greatest of all wind dragons. The Wind-Empress Gyear kneeled submissively at my side. I didn''t even reach for her raised-up palm.


    I just marched forward and the dragons backed away in fear.

 Base 14: A Dream of That Night?

    "Oh... Brrrrrr... It''s getting quite chilly, isn''t it?" Larishazza asks me as her shivering becomes indistinguishable from her general hyperactivity. I found it amusing and let out a light scoff in response as I began to consider handing her my cloak. For a moment, I moved to hand it to her, but a more amusing thought stopped my claws in their tracks.


    "Maybe consider changing the wardrobe once in a while?" I ask her as I playfully tug at the side straps of her bra. And I chuckled even more as she slapped that lone, adventurous claw away from her goosebumpy side.


    "No! I don''t like other outfits!" she whines as she suddenly barrels into my side. With a gentle smile on my face, I wrapped my closest arm around her and let her snuggle into my cloak as we walked. And as she fidgeted about in the space at my side, I looked around. It was getting quite dark, even with the extensive lighting throughout the city.


    "I suppose we should be getting back to the hotel." I remark as I idly play with her hair as it flowed past my palm again and again. But, at her behest, that set of claws instead found itself placed against her exposed hip. And with how seductively slim she was, it wasn''t much effort to feel that end''s half of her hipbone. Like a little, often and reliable rolling bump against my palm.


    "I want to spend more time out here..." she whined as her head began to retreat against the rather filthy cloth. I wanted to move that precious head of hers away from it, but she chose to do it herself. And it wasn''t like I could scare her out of it by pointing it out either. Somehow, she liked it, or so she has told me.


    "Something bad will happen if we keep you out here in the cold night."


    "You sound like my sister..." she comments with a pout as she carefully tries to maintain as much of a heat pocket as possible. Though I had to admit, I wasn''t exactly the best radiator. I couldn''t even feel the cold at all, really, but that was probably because I was all wrapped up. Or, maybe, osibindah just did not feel the cold as well as a human did.


    I feel like that would be true, though I have forgotten if it is...


    "One would think that having a sister who regularly dumps ice on you would build up some degree of resilience in you." I tease as I level one of my mask lenses near her face.


    "Quiet you!" she snaps jokingly as a finger pops out and squirts the reinforced glass.


    "Ah..." I mockingly cry as I take my arm off of her to wipe it off, destroying her heat pocket in the process.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Meanie!" she snaps more seriously this time as my arm is snatched back down to her side.


    "It''s your own fault!" I remind her as the lights of our hotel come into view. And just like that, she raced on inside. I came to a halt and watched her go about her strange ways for a little bit of it. It was funny to me, watching how childish she could be at times.


    Running in so eagerly to hide underneath decorative blankets and cushions...


    "This woman." I groan with a humourous tone as I walk in past the automatic doors. And, although I could not feel the cold outside, I could feel the warmth in here. In fact, it was one of the reasons why she suggested this place at all. A lot of the warmth I was feeling also came in with tasty, mouth-watering smells as it had quite a famous restaurant here as well.


    Yet, as I turned to look at the sofa she had bundled herself up on, I discovered that I had lost her. It nearly made me scratch my head in confusion as well because the sofa was all tidy now. But, the sound of giggling and rapid tapping up ahead alerted me to her presence. And I watched as a fair amount of dull, blue hair disappeared around the corner.


    "Lari, don''t run off like that!" I call out to her over the other noises in the vast room that was the hotel''s reception area. Gaudy and decorated, just like the rest of it. However, despite how recently I saw Lari disappear around that corner. I did not see her down the long hallway as I jogged up to where she once was.


    Thankfully, however, a loud noise echoed down to me as I began to walk the carpet''s length. That was a door alright, and going by the general direction, it must''ve been our room. At least, I hope it was. We had things to be doing and I couldn''t and shouldn''t waste it chasing this woman about a ''mature'' establishment.


    "Larishazza Sl''Ayiysab!" I go with an almost parent-like authority as I walk into the dark abyss this room was. Yet, when I tried to turn on the lights, nothing happened. Had she snatched up the master-switch? That giggling I could hear seemed to imply so.


    So, with a bemused shake of my head, I walked slowly into the dark room and closed the door behind me. I could hear her up on the floor above that she was struggling to maintain the element of surprise. But that was part of the fun! So I just made my way through the darkness until something dripped on me.


    She must''ve been teasing me with her magic.


    "I should speak as if I was your parent more often you damn child." I laugh quietly as I find the stairs and dash up them quickly. Flicking the light on and nearly jumping at the patchy red bedsheet. But there was something impaled into the bed. The hilt of a sword.


    But, rather than tearing the bed apart looking for Lari, I just looked at it. Even as I saw a pale hand limply hanging just outside of it. Realising that, that liquid was her blood as well didn''t do anything. I just stared...


    I only looked away when the giggling returned with the sharp tap of low heels. A more powerful thud was amongst the noises. But it was the laughter that stuck out the most. And looking up at their distorted face made me uncomfortable.


    With a clean tug that left the bed vibrating slightly, the open-cheeked man sheathed the blade and looked at me. Like a friend would, after seeing someone for the first time in ages. And the hopped down to stand before me. An insidious grin on their face as they leaned onto their side.


    "About time we had another session, right, Dance Partner?" he asked me as the sheathed blade suddenly unlocked and glinted in the lamplight.

 Incline 1: A Letter Left for You, Nin

    I slowly opened my eyes and sighed tiredly as I held the cold hand of my friend, the woman I loved so dearly. Just as slowly, I picked my head up and looked up at her still form. Were it not for the condensation forming in that mask of hers... I''d struggle to tell if she was alive at all.


    Unfortunately for me, rather than hearing her giggling or any other number of silly noises. Noises that I''d sacrifice anything to hear again. All there was, was the sound of expensive machinery going about their business. Sharp, heart-breaking beeps and uncomfortable ticking.


    That is all there was...


    "What is it, the millionth time we went through that together?" I croaked out to my beloved friend as I slowly brought my aching body upright. And the whole time, I desperately hoped for even the slightest flicker of those eyelashes of hers. The white of her eyes was the greatest marble in the world, and at their centre, priceless, blue gems... But I would not see it this day, just like every other day.


    And as I reminded myself of that fact, I slowly moved around to her head and held it gently. She didn''t move it herself, but I liked to pretend that, that slight move of her head. That gentle flop into my palm... I liked to pretend it was her drowning me in affection in a way only she could, simple and uneventful as it might''ve seemed.


    But that was a lie...


    "I hope you haven''t forgotten my promise, I haven''t. How could I...?" I whispered to her as I gently moved my palm around in a sluggishly slow circle. Then, the light of morning broke on through the vast wall of windows this place had. Many probably found it to be the best time of day. A beautiful event they could watch with loved ones.


    All I got out of it was seeing the one I cared so much about be illuminated by it. It was the only time her cold, freezing body ever got warm. After the orbital-halo had risen up, that is. She was always so cold...


    "I am sorry, but I have to be going now, Larishazza. I hope you don''t mind as well, but I am going to snatch one of your treats." I tell her as I took off my hat and mask to eat up one of Liada''s delicious treats. Lari really needed to eat them, so they wouldn''t go to waste...


    And, reluctantly, I left the extensive room she slept in and moved out into the hallways of the hotel. A jammy cake in my claw as I walked through the artificial light. But rather than going out into the innards of the building further, I went to the glass. I unhinged it and finished my food with a single, aggressive snap.


    I carefully moved through the growing gap and let gravity handle the rest. Calmly, with refined expertise, I put my mask and hat back on as I fell to the ground below. But, rather than striking the earth as I might''ve done years ago. I pulled my arm back and shot it forward with an arcane construct that latched onto a nearby tower.


    With a sudden burst of speed, I pulled myself in, tucking my legs in as I swung through the air. And as I went into the sky, I repeated the process again and again. Then, once the buildings began to lower down, I used the early morning air traffic to keep up my momentum. All the way until I found the street that I had grown so accustomed to seeing.


    "Are you up yet or did you leave the door unlocked?" I asked Liada even though she was neither out here nor even likely knew I was here. I couldn''t even see signs of her being downstairs, but, all the same, I walked up to the door and moved to open it. It opened up without issue and I walked on in. Briefly looking behind my large frame as early morning joggers hurriedly went back to their business.


    Keeping the door closed had its benefits as well, it kept all those delicious smells locked up inside these walls. And I walked into the building depths as I locked onto Liada''s aura. Once again, she seemed to have fallen asleep downstairs. An assumption that quickly found itself proven correct.


    "O-Oh... Morning, Ni... Morning, Nin." she let out as she slowly got to her feet. A chill had clearly set in despite her size and locale.


    "You mentioned the other day that something had come for me?" I asked her immediately as she slowly made her way about the room.


    "Y-Yeah..." she answers with a sigh as she tries to find what it was that I was owed. I admit as well that I had no idea what it might be. Normally it would just be handled by Inerish or her staff. I never got anything.


    Not even from that contemptible shit... That utter disgrace to the world...


    And as soon as it appears before me, I take it and look at it, "A letter?"


    "Yeah, directly from the people at Suhur..." she began to say before I made way for the door, "Are you...?"


    "What?" I asked her as I stopped and looked back at her.


    "Nevermind... You always say no anyway..." she complains with a tremble of her lip as she disappears into the kitchen.


    And I open the door and leave, holding the letter up before me as I considered that one detail. Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding. That was a place that had so little relevance to me now. The closest I ever came to it was just being within sight of the place.


    Yet, nonetheless, I heaved myself back into the sky and made way for the walls of Thrurstradtur. With a final big swing being made around a clocktower once I was within the final jump. And, as I contorted in the air, I thrust my palm out at the wall to give me more momentum. With a calm thud, I then landed amidst the grass of the vast plateau the city sat on.


    And I proceeded to walk the rest of the distance that remained as I began to open up the letter. Breaking the seal and then tearing at the thicker paper around it, I got to the rather rare contents within. These people didn''t often use paper if at all. But all that concerned me was what it said.


    "As no one of the original inhabitants still reside within Dormitory Forty-One, regular cleanouts have commenced. However, as a previous, contactable inhabitant with property amassed, we offer a chance to take up anything of note from our compiled stash." I paraphrased out loud, my brow rising higher and higher as I read it. Did everyone leave? Even Tiyanat...?


    It confused me for a moment, it did. And I nearly spent a stationary moment considering the details. It struck me as strange at first, at least, until I remembered how long it had been since I left Suhurlodst. It had been five years or there about since Lari had been attacked by that shit.


    Five, heartbreaking, painful years...


    But, what did they mean by that they had my property? I had owned surprisingly little over my time at Suhurlodst. If this was all insignificant rubbish, then it would just be a slight detour before I turned around to train with the usual individuals. Which, it most likely was, so I might as well have just ignored it.


    Yet, that curiosity remained, what was it that I owned that Suhurlodst''s staff was about to throw away? I really couldn''t think of anything that I had been forced to and or willingly left behind all that time ago. It perplexed me, but I would have an answer soon. Thankfully, it wasn''t that far.


    "Strange nostalgia given my history with the place." I remark emotionlessly as I came up to the cleared-out dorm building. No pests had to be cleared away from the clearly marked chests nor were there any curious nosy-types. Perhaps it was just the time of day, or maybe they knew who used to be in this dorm.


    And, interestingly, there wasn''t much here. At least, not much that could possibly be mine. Attire belonging to Vadei, Einervaene, Rose''lhia... It was all here.


    "So what is exactly mine?" I asked no one as I rummaged through it. Then, a letter fell out of some of Vadei''s stuff as I set it outside the chest. And there it was, clear as day. My name, though, not with handwriting that I recognised.


    I held it in the air and looked at it for longer than I should have. But, there was something about this letter that I couldn''t shake off. It felt... Familiar.


    But why did it feel familiar? I did not recognise the writing and with how much it was now occupying my thoughts... I should''ve been able to recall who this was from. Yet, I couldn''t.


    "Obvious way is obvious..." I comment quietly as I sit down on the steps to the empty dorm building. With a fine blade of magic, I then cut open the paper with some difficulty. And I unfolded the contents as my other set of claws held the sliced envelope. It was a somewhat awkward grip, but that was just a limitation of having only three digits.


    And as I started to read the writing, my jaw dropped and my eyes widened. I wanted to believe that this was some kind of joke or trick. But Smiling Jhurack couldn''t appear out here... And why did Vadei have this anyhow!?


    "Hello, Nin... It''s me, the one you owe a significant piece of yourself to... Undwote... Now, don''t worry, I am only pulling your strings a little, I am no threat to you as you probably figured. I just wanted to..." I paraphrased out loud as I put my other claw to my mask so I could force it up and reach my face. This wasn''t making any sense. Why did Vadei have a letter from Undwote? Why did she have a letter meant for me from the God of Death...?


    Why!?


    "Right... Right..." I muttered as I read further, "By the way, my father, the Equilibrium, he says your dark attire reminds him of a crow."


    And as I finished this strange letter, I shakily folded it up and put it back inside the envelope. It was a... I didn''t understand. Why would he send me such a letter...?


    Why couldn''t he just tell me this during any one of my sessions where I raved at him!? Where I demanded that he stay away from Larishazza. I threatened him and did my best to scare him from the bottom of my heart... So why did he not speak to me at any point over these last five years?


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    I guess it didn''t matter, nor did the contents of the letter, really. He was just telling me not to worry, that he wouldn''t be coming for me, that I was free to live my second chance at life... It included comments from the others I had met during my time aboard the Vightorhian. Which was, a first, really, the temples and shrines have long since turned quiet for me.


    I was alone in my hunt for this killer. Everyone has vanished, no one cared enough to join me. Mortal or divine, it didn''t matter. Only I was standing in between Lari''s soft skin and that accursed blade!


    "I-" I started to vent out into the open before the sound of approaching footsteps filled my ears.


    "Now there''s a face I can say I am always interested in seeing." my old house head remarked as he stopped in front of me with a pile of tablets. Was I in his way or had he taken a detour? I suppose it didn''t matter, I should be going now anyway.


    There was nothing here that was mine.


    "Not even a word to the man who saved your life all that time ago?" he asked as he adjusted his load.


    "You didn''t do that... Larishazza did..." I told him with a low tone as I stopped right near him. And I made a point of showing off how I towered above him. I would not suffer someone detracting from what Lari did for me.


    "An opportunity that would have never occurred had I not interfered at the processing station... Six years ago, more?" he points out to me as he keeps his smile and that inquisitive gaze of his.


    "What do you want?" I ask as I keep up the posture even as he shows how he is not intimidated by it.


    "Nothing, really, but as one of my most memorable students, I thought I would humour myself with a greeting."


    "Laugh heartedly about it, then." I dismissively comment as I turn to leave.


    "You know, many don''t know why you do it. Why you go out every night to fight that man."


    "That thing is no man..." I hiss.


    "The expert in it, I am sure. But, again, the ''why'' about you is not known to the people of these joint cities."


    "It doesn''t matter if they know why I do it." I tell him as I keep on walking.


    "Surely you have noticed how much friction you still face each night?" he loudly asks.


    "What of it?" I snort in response. What he spoke of was an annoyance, but not one that proved impossible to circumvent. Though, it had been used often as a means for that vile bastard to escape through...


    "Get your side of the tale out there, let people know why you do it. Let them see more than just the osibindah that chases nothing at night."


    "What I chase is real!" I hiss as I aggressively snap a turn towards him.


    "I am not calling you crazy, I am not doubting you. But you know how Smiling Jhurack plays the game, how he-"


    "Dances to the tune..." I finish for him, recalling the dance-related phrases that I hated with a passion. Yet, it showed a conundrum everytime I thought about my anger towards it. Lari loved to dance... It was her most favourite thing in all of the world, dancing, she loved it so much...


    "Not what I would say personally, but, I digress. My point is, Vigilante Nin, is that it would be ideal for you to make yourself presentable."


    "Actions speak louder than words."


    "And the world is deaf to such pitch, speak to them softer."


    "I am not wasting my time on preach sessions."


    "All I ask, on behalf of others, is but a few hours of it. You will have the night to yourself and still the whole day even." he explains.


    "What would you have of me?" I ask as I consider breaking away from the tradition I had all but welded myself to over the past five years. Practice combat during the daylight. Display my ability to hunt all throughout the night. Stumble to bed a failure each time...


    "There is a group of students within this House of mine that want to interview someone as part of their entrance exam."


    "I thought this was a magic school?"


    "Despite the Inter-House Talent Display and the arenas abound our grounds, Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding is not a military nor a martial arts academy. It is a school for magic, and magic is a wonderous, multi-use thing." he tells me with clear distaste at my obvious lack of appreciation for all it could do. But, I think I could be excused in seeing magic as little more than a weapon and a means to fight.


    All I have done since I got it is fight. I have fought for my own life. To save others. Especially in order to save others, especially...


    "Why not just let them interview someone else as part of their test, then?" I inquire as I try to consider some form of ulterior motive here. There were better, more easily attainable people to be interviewed.


    "Because even if they do fail, I can send them out on their miserable ways with something that can make something out of them if they are smart about it." he answers as the more paternal aspect of a teacher comes out of him.


    "Very well, I''ll go." I answer as I look about the sights I had grown so used to. People looked at me with awkward fascination. People looked at me with scorn. A rightfully hateful people.


    "Excellent! Same building that you took your entrance exam in." he says with a smile as he immediately makes his departure.


    "Now?" I ask myself quietly as I turn towards that building where a handful gathered to ensure my survival. A handful brought together by the charm of Larishazza. I owed her so much. This was probably something she''d want as well, for me to go out there and show how I could be their friend too as she might have put it.


    So I went and walked to the large building within the neutral part of the vast academy. I was certainly drawing quite the crowd. So I made a point of making sure my mask and hat were on properly. And I carried on ahead without paying any of them any mind.


    I certainly scared the woman sorting out the students as well. So many of them and each of them were anxious and scared about what was about to happen. The fear that the woman exuded proved how permeable the crowd was as well. Those from Jherikra backed away as they caught fleeting glimpses of my covered-up biology, as the steady click of my mouth echoed softly in the air.


    "T-T-This is for exam takers o-only..." the woman tells me.


    "I am the exam." I tell her as I walk past her and into the building. From there, I wandered a little and I found myself reminiscing of all things. But, given this was the place where Lari''s efforts came to fruition. I quickly understood why.


    "Oddity-House Head Frihdeicalkbr just said you would be coming." a seemingly confident blonde said as she came striding out to meet me. And her hand lurched out for me the moment I was within that very avoidable gap.


    "Nin Urtuan." I introduce myself as, as I shook her hand. And, behind the mask, I nearly found myself smirking as that confidence evaporated from her. But, I was left wondering what caused it. My strength, what I was, the state of my bandages?


    There were a few fair answers.


    "I... I... I''m Lorreabry..." she introduces herself as, "Hopefully, a soon-to-be-student of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding."


    "And you want to ask me questions to do it?"


    "W-Well... Anyone would''ve done just fine but... I am grateful for the opportunity! Especially considering how I will be the first to ever get a one-to-one with you!"


    "Most people are not that excited about sharing a room with an osibindah." I point out.


    "I admit... I... I am not entirely comfortable at the moment!" she laughs awkwardly.


    "Let''s just get this over with."


    "O-Oh, my exam hasn''t started yet!"


    "It does now." I snap as I head towards where her group is lightly held up at. It was an assumption at first, but the way they corralled around her as I went into the room proved it true. And, once I was near one, I sat down on a cushioned chair and waited. Listening out for whatever and waiting.


    Oddly enough as well, I found myself thankful for the patience that bastard has managed to drill into me...


    "Ri-Right! Alright, let''s begin everyone!" Lorreabry lets out with an odd mixture of blatant, shivering nervousness and firm confidence. And seen as Frihdeicalkbr had said something about it, I briefly observed them for how they were going to use their magic. It seemed, they were using it in place of tools.


    "Excuse me... Can you..." someone began to ask of me. They were full of worry but despite my posture, I was not bothered by it.


    "Vigilante Nin, can you please lower or tweak your external-magic flow?" Lorreabry asked of me as I paid more attention to what that nervous girl was up to. She was trying to plant a spell of some kind on me.


    "How much longer?" I ask after lowering it to a degree that they could work with.


    "Soon, soon!" I am told as members of staff join a sectioned-off part of the audience. It was a lot busier than I thought it would be, given this was an exam. But... Lari''s was like this too, so many turned out to watch her dancing...


    She was so beautiful that day, and I was nearly as thankful...


    "Nin? Hello?" Lorreabry repeated with a laugh of uncertainty.


    "Hm?"


    "C-Can you introduce yourself for the audience, please?"


    "They know who I am."


    "Vigilante Nin, everyone..." she awkwardly tells the crowd as she holds her arm up. Though, if she had the eyes for it, she would notice that the examiners were not scoring her on her showmanship. They were paying attention to the magic she and her team were using. She should focus on that and calm down.


    "I never much liked that title." I admit given what this was meant to be.


    "And why is that?" she asks me as she seems to adjust the flow of magic going onto this construct on me.


    "I feel like it blurs why I am doing this. That I am just out to catch a criminal."


    "That is what you have been attempting to do these past five years, no?"


    "I have been doing this because that vile, evil creature attacked the woman I loved... Left her in a coma she has not so much as been nearly disturbed out of!" I hiss as I lean forward.


    "Just another victim of the madman''s reign, I see." she comments as she seems to lose her thoughts.


    "Take a look around, these joint cities and their people do not care for me. They hate and revile me for what I am. I could care little for that vile creature''s tally! It is when he attacked the one woman who actually showed me any form of kindness! It was when he decided to hold her life hostage after I found myself waiting for..."


    "Waiting for what, Vigi... Nin, what were you waiting for?"


    I was about to answer, but, some of the old me still remained, it seemed. A whiny thing that knew the world would laugh at him if he admitted to anything sincerely. I know without a shadow of a doubt that my love for Larishazza would be scorned... Despised as some unnatural thing...


    "An answer..." I answered as honestly yet as cryptically as I could think of on the spot. And, it was a focused effort to stop my hands from moving up to my watering eyes. Thankfully, the glass was dark enough as was my shell to hide the details of it.


    "I see, well, I hope you are able to get that answer." she says, clearly having caught on somewhat despite my efforts to cover it up.


    "So, what is it that you want to ask me?" I ask as I try to keep my arms still. It was hard to keep my cool, despite what I have been doing this past half a decade. I missed her so much... She was always there for me in moments like this.


    "Well, I guess, seen as we have just talked about what you don''t like being called. How about what you would like to be called? How about we give you a proper identity?"


    "I have an identity... The bug who has failed to stop Smiling Jhurack." I growl as my normally stoic thoughts on the subject are boiled away.


    "For five years, yes. For five years you have kept that evil away from other women, you have kept it focused on you. For five years, you have diligently patrolled each night to make sure he doesn''t go after anyone else. And not even just within the walls of Thrurstradtur! You are well known within the guilds and many others as someone who will take any job, even the lower-paid ones!"


    "I don''t do that out of kindness... I have costs to cover, a roof to keep over my head and hers..."


    "But you still do it, others remember it, and I remember it." she admitted with a smile.


    "What good does remembering any of this mean when I have failed in my goal for so long?"


    "You keep trying, Nin, that is what matters." she tells me as she leans in with her smile.


    "So that new name..." I reminded her so we could get back to why we were even here.


    "Did this someone ever give you a nickname? Something special that drives you?"


    "No, but, someone else has given me an idea." I say as I lean back slightly. It was quite recent, but, I don''t think that would have mattered anyway. I had a letter from Undwote, God of Death, of the Cold, of Friendship. Not only that but remarks from all kinds of deities I had met and done stuff with.


    Equilibrium, Eqkilibral, Kyarverin himself was amongst them... The Father of All. The Destroyer and the Builder. God of gods.


    My dark attire reminded him of a crow... I didn''t know what that thing was, but, I will take it as something mighty. Something that stuck out even to a man who really had it all and then some. A dark crow.


    "Dark Crow." I tell everyone loud and clear as we all took in the familiar concept with that which was not. If I could ask about what a ''crow'' was, I would. But, the fact I didn''t gave me all the room I needed to define what it was.

 Incline 2: Bouts with Twisting Winds

    "Come on, give me an answer!" Seigunfrei begged as he spun away from my incoming blow. It wasn''t my dedicated strike, however. And with the help of a sudden blast from the back of my lower leg and right palm. I twisted around and brought my leg down upon him.


    With a determined grin he matched my strike and brought one of his wreathed shins up. Knowing full well that he''d bring me down via attrition if I tried to force it. I blew myself backwards in a manner reminiscent of what I have seen Vapooliar do. And from the ground, I built up force into my legs.


    I launched up at him, only to be struck aside by our teacher''s staff. And, having the lesson drilled into me again and again. I continued to focus on Seigunfrei as our shared teacher never let us forget the danger he posed. His water magic and the sheer strength within his body made him a challenging obstacle. One we had to work our way around.


    "Nin, come on, I know you can hear me!" Seigunfrei let out as he tore off the tornadoes around his feet and cast them out. He had tried this before, so I knew what I had to do. And I charged him again and again as our teacher seemingly chose to pick on me for the moment. Because of that, I wasn''t able to stop Seigunfrei from completing his makeshift arena.


    All around us was a swirling, circular mass of ground-shredding vortexes. The emerald light they let out clashed against the orbital-halo high above and he almost blended in with it all. Though, the keen, practised eye could keep track of the darker mass moving against it. Yet, he had yet to come at me despite the fact I was now against the razor wall thanks to their joint efforts.


    So, taking the brief split-second of peace, I took up my usual stance. Our teacher created an air of uncertainty by helping Seigunfrei the way he did. Would he go on to take his aid back and cripple Seigunfrei? Or would he continue to act against me exclusively for now?


    None of us within the arena moved or acted. We both considered our options and a tense atmosphere managed to set despite the hungry vortexes around us. I tilted my head up for a moment and considered going into the sky. And I looked down again once the contradictory stable flow of magic was disturbed by Seigunfrei''s sudden aggression.


    I opened up my palms and built magic up in them as a response. And I unleashed them in a devastating blast just ahead of me. But it wasn''t concentrated enough to hurt or boss him about. Instead, it sent me right through the vicious tornadoes and right towards our teacher.


    The very thing we were taught not to do. And I intended to capitalise on that by going against the teachings he must''ve thought were thoroughly drilled into us. Though, while he did not react with shock and jumps, his quick, near-perfect defensive stance gave me a platform. And I built my magic up against him as my bulk began to squash down onto him.


    With a sudden, powerful burst that mixed into his reflex to push me off, I shot towards Seigunfrei. My drawn-back right fist crashed against his surprised guard and he shot off into the cloud of erupting magic and dust. Not wasting even a fraction of a second, I chased after him the long way and closed the gap. Overshooting him purely because of his inexplicit surrender before the crescendo.


    "Why are you surrendering?" I asked him with mild agitation after I came to a stop in the carved-apart earth. And as he struck the ground with a tumble, going far beyond the fence of our teacher''s homestead. I got out of the gouges my feet had made with a couple of sudden, stiff steps.


    Our teacher''s presence here, this farm he had made for himself... It had led to the soil becoming so much tougher over the years. And were it not for this spell he now sent against me. All of those pieces of dirt, it would''ve been like metal shavings against my bare skin back when I was still normal.


    A grounder of Tobaballe.


    As I approached Seigunfrei, I heard him laughing, "Sometimes I wonder how I have been able to keep up with someone as dour as you."


    "Why did you surrender?" I repeated as he got up and was washed by our teacher as well. Though, unlike me, he made a point of drying himself off with his magic.


    "Because I won''t ever get an answer from you about this interview I kept hearing about earlier if we are fighting."


    "I admit as well, Nin, it is a distinct stray from tradition." our teacher remarked as he leaned on his staff.


    "I am not here to answer questions about what I did today. We are here to train, so I can be-"


    "You won''t be any more ready tonight than you would have been any other night, Nin." Seigunfrei interrupts me with as he sorts out his collar.


    "I can''t stop trying."


    "Of course." our teacher commented as he seemed to get an aggressive itch concerning why he was helping me.


    "I''m... I''m not asking you to stop trying Nin, you know that. Dammit, the reason I have even stuck to this exhausting regime is because I have a stake in seeing that guy dead or in bars myself. I''m just a little, as I just mentioned somewhat, exhausted is all. At the very least, let''s try to shake it up a bit."


    "I am not doing this for entertainment."


    "I know! I know." he lets out with tense exasperation as he bends over.


    "Then let''s get back to it." I say as I turn around so we can get back to the homestead.


    "No." he answers as he raises his head and shoulders.


    "Very well." I reply as I turn my gaze towards our teacher.


    "Don''t look at me, I have chores to be doing." he answers with a rare display of amusement. And, in the sky, his worm came down with a crash and eagerly awaited him. Because of that, I had been left with no options.


    If I wanted to train with someone about my level, I would have to put up with Seigunfrei''s antics. An unfortunate circumstance, but whatever kept him close by and active was still preferable to nothing at all. Moving to the guild building and taking on a job simply wouldn''t do. Local wildlife was weak and predictable and a lot of the harder stuff was more than a day''s travel away.


    I needed to be here when night comes. I had to be. There would be no slip-up in this regard. That monster would find my claws going against him until his blood stained them thoroughly...


    "What do you want to do?" I eventually asked Seigunfrei as he waited patiently for something to leave my brooding form.


    "Talk about the interview, again, and, well, do our usual thing with an audience!"


    "An audience reinvigorates your interest?" I questioned as I began to follow him towards Suhurlodst.


    "You''ll understand why when someone actually cheers you on for once!" he cackled as he playfully hit my chest with his knuckle.


    "She will when I finally beat him..." I tell him quietly as I think about when Larishazza will wake up. That bastard has her in that coma, taking him out will see her leave it! Hopefully...


    "She will be screaming for the whole world to hear." he tells me as he starts to pat my back.


    "A quiet hug will be more than enough." I clarify as I feel a twitch in my claws.


    "So... About that interview?"


    "What about it?"


    "I dunno, maybe you could explain it to me, Dark Crow?" he asked with a snigger.


    "I was asked to come and help with an entrance exam, that is all." I answered, clearly annoyed at the jab he made at the title. I had not really grown into it, but, it was something that had meaning to me. Even if it was only something that I had thought up this morning.


    "Seemed to have gotten a little out of hand, then, just a little." he commented as he face turned towards me.


    "Yes, it did." I say back to him with a reluctant nod. It had, in fact, gone that way. The topics worked me up in a way I didn''t think was possible. Then again, Larishazza was one of the few things in this world that seemed to elicit any kind of response in me now.


    My life felt so shallow without her... It hurt so much knowing that my reason to keep on living was her being bed stricken the way she was. Every day was a reminder of what I had lost. And each day I saw those eyes not flutter, however slowly they might open was horrible.


    "I know I have more insight than the average family or gossiping student around here, but, it was nice to hear about it."


    "Why?"


    "You''re always so dour, bitter and full of hate."


    "That''s how you have always known me." I point out, digging up our past for the sake of it.


    He smiled and withheld a laugh because of it, "How you have been over the past few years is a bit different to back then."


    "I know..." I let out quietly and miserably. At least back then, I had her. She was there for me. She built me up again every time I had been broken down...


    "So, Dark Crow," he let out with a bemused huff, "how does it feel to get that load off your chest?"


    "I didn''t and don''t need anyone to talk about it."


    "We both know that is a lie, everyone needs someone to talk to."


    "I have hunted a killer for five years going, that is all people ever needed to know."


    "And I am sure for all five of them, everyone has spat on you as come hobbling into the daylight."


    "It doesn''t matter."


    "It does, Nin. For five years you have failed, that has broken you, to put it out there."


    "I am not... Broken because of that... I broke some time ago." I muttered as I thought back to all that time ago. When my time with the gods was the freshest in my mind. The realisation that came so soon after it was...


    "You haven''t done much to change the validity of my point, Nin."


    I looked at him silently for a moment before I looked around at the curious crowd, "Why do you care so much?"


    "Beating you up for five years has made you grow on me." he answers after leaning in with a smirk, "Oh, you lot, spread the word, that I, Seigunfrei of Exceptional House will be showcasing a grand event, for I! Will be defeating the Dark Crow before your very eyes!"


    "I hate you." I comment in response to the wildfire he had just started.


    "I take pride in not being number one in that regard." he tells me as we alter our course towards a building I once avoided with a passion. The very place I had been led into by him just so he could humiliate me... It made my claws twitch ever so slightly in anger. But, I knew that it would be nothing like it was all that time ago.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    If he is still that same person, of course.


    "Without a doubt, we''ll be waiting for the crowds to pack the seats?"


    "Obviously." he answered as he practised a few blows against the innocent air. As he did so, I looked around the open theatre, somewhat intrigued by the magic that formed a barrier around us. But, returning my vision to normal made it clear that it was completely transparent.


    "Will you be taking it seriously once we start?" I ask as I cross my arms.


    "Obviously." he repeats as he continues to weave about against a non-existent opponent. So, in response to that, I decide to test him. I wanted to see if he was telling the truth. I wanted him to be as serious about this as he could be.


    What soon came out towards him was violent and seemingly firery. A mass of raw magic that I had exposed in his general direction. And he responded to it by leaping high above it and driving his weight straight towards me. The magic was so focused, in fact, that I had to back away, lest it skewer me.


    "Does that answer your question?" he asked me as he jumped around a little. It was clear he was trying to keep his adrenaline in check for the actual fight he wanted to display. But, that spell he just casted, it satisfied my cravings. I was content to leave him be for the moment.


    Though, I was left with a question in my head, somehow. I wasn''t quite sure how it got there. But I wanted to ask him about it. And now was a better chance than any.


    "How come you are still here?"


    "Huh?"


    "Everyone in my dorm has left Suhurlodst, but you, you are still here. Why is that?"


    "You''re only here as long as you want to be, really." he clarifies.


    "You want to stay here?"


    "Don''t see why not, free housing, easy food and plenty of people who would gladly kiss the ground I walk at the mere chance they could speak to me." he pragmatically explains at first before some of his cockiness began to shine through.


    "Can you even still learn anything at this point here? You have been training with me under the Worm Rider."


    "He has certainly given me a hefty leg up in regards to it, but, I still feel like I have a lot to learn here."


    "Your magic is built around fighting, Seigunfrei, you should be out there, playing mercenary."


    "It''s hard to explain, especially given your mindset. Just know that I have much left to do here."


    "Very well, I was just curious, seen as I came here earlier because my old dorm building is now empty. And they were preparing it for new students." I explain to him, more so for the sake of talking than anything else. It was odd, really, as I spent so little time talking to anyone nowadays.


    "I am pretty sure a few of them are still here, but I can always check on that for you, if you''d like?" he answered then offered as his face lit up with surprise.


    "If Tiyanat hadn''t left years ago at the behest of her father, then I''d probably say yes." I tell him before he starts to look up at the stalls and seats as they began to fill up.


    And he smiled, "See, what did I tell you? I am pretty big around here."


    "All times I have been in here with you, the crowds formed because they hated me, not because they loved you."


    "We shall see!" he ecstatically let out as he began to hop around from side to side.


    I looked around some more, after he said that, all these faces waiting in anticipation. Yet, contrary to how Seigunfrei was willing to put it, a lot of these gazes were focused on me. I could hear it, too. Rumours and gossip all related to that interview.


    "Somehow I never hear a word of what was going on with my homeland and this place until I walk in on it, but the whole world hears about an exam of all things with frightening speed." I quietly mutter as I begin to pace the edges of the arena.


    Seigunfrei had noticed how large the crowd has gotten and he had reacted in kind. But, I myself withheld from anything outwardly aggressive. We were here because of his demands, and if I pushed him, he might just walk off again. For the sake of Larishazza, I needed to get stronger.


    "Ready?" I asked him after some moments of quiet circling.


    And he answered my question with a ferocious spell that tore up the ground in a vicious whirl. Though, it went far and harmlessly detonated against the reinforced walls of the arena. the cloud of dust had barely settled before the crowd roared. With that, it became clear that now we could get back to what mattered.


    From that moment onwards, I was on the offensive and we soon clashed at the centre. Strong blows met swift guards and sturdy bodies. Raw magic burst into the air with short-lived excitement and winds lashed out from my opponent. We broke off and clashed up against each other again and again.


    For a brief, barely present moment, a thought passed my mind. We were far more aggressive in here. With our teacher not preying on us throughout the fight, we could do so much more. I even started to find myself a little bewildered at what Seigunfrei was capable of.


    Spells that I had never seen before...


    "Cage of the Greave!" he let out in a rare, grand display as he kicked off a tornado he had been using to move around with. And as that one, small vortex rose up, it suddenly detonated! With shocking speed it grew and grew with Seigunfrei''s nurturing touch. And mine...


    "My own magic..." I muttered quietly, though still with plenty of shock. This spell reminded me a lot of what that monster was capable of. Strange, esoteric spells which continued to surprise me to this day. A foil with nothing quite like it.


    "I can''t see your face, but I know you have noticed!" Seigunfrei cackled as he used the tightening walls of his spells as a platform to attack me from. From my level and those above, he struck down at me swiftly and powerfully. It was not enough to overwhelm me. In fact, he seemed to count on my response to the situation to draw me into thinking about his comment.


    And he was right, the vortex was sucking in the fireballs my magic naturally made. He was draining my power to enhance this one spell and he was intent on tapping me dry. But to handle a leech, all you had to do was pull it off. So as he came in for his next attack...


    I took the blow head-on and grabbed onto him with all my might. Keeping my magic within me, I then leapt up as high as I could with him still in my grip. Even as smaller spells of his began to cut into me, I held on. Once I then felt the limit of my strength, I swapped our positions and positioned a palm skyward.


    I was counting on my magic being too high up for him to notice. But that smirk of his, confident and knowing, it made me slip up. I delayed the magic''s activation and began to mistake him for something. With a roar the sky lit up a mixture of blues, whites and purples and we impacted against the toughened ground with a thunderous quake.


    "Tighter as you go down!" he spat out past my spread-out claw before he grasped my wrist with glowing palms. The sky quickly returned to normal and emerald light began to enclose itself upon me. The ground was even being torn up by our combined, focused power! But despite our position, it was headed for me alone!


    With a growl, I found myself torn away from him and I was quickly forced to hunker my body tightly together. All this power, both my own and that of a rival. It was too much for my defences, both layers of it. Blood quickly found itself diluted into the air and the spell continued to tighten.


    "ENOUGH!" I roared in fury as I sent my magic out in a burst that overwhelmed the concentrated spell. And I collapsed against the ground as Seigunfrei rubbed the back of his likely aching skull. The crowd were right noisy by this point, yet I could still hear silence among them. It was strange, I had to admit.


    But it was hard to ignore, so many nights of chasing that monster... I had accrued all these different skills in my efforts to stop him, to catch him and kill him. Sometimes, he came at me with a howl that made my ears bleed. Other times, he might as well have been a still wind.


    I had to learn to focus on so much in such a short period. It was intimidating and it still was. But time and time again I had proven myself capable of perceiving him through it. And as the uproar got louder and louder as the magic from Seigunfrei grew in intensity and strength. I calmed myself and I focused.


    One foot ahead, another behind. A rigid but flexible body that ended with a forward-facing gaze. My right claw, my dominant side waited at my side with a half-open fist. And my left claw, scarred again and again, served as my guard; my centremost claw was in line with the tip of my mask''s beak.


    I then waited, patiently. I waited for him to come at me with what must''ve been his greatest spell. Whatever it was, I had to play it his way for a moment. And I skillfully made my way to the killing zone he had established in the centre of the arena.


    Once I got there, after escaping the forest of razor winds and deadly vortexes, I resumed my stance. For brief moments, I saw him pass through the forest unharmed. Whilst I had to fight my way through and weave with care. He could just charge through it brazenly, and such was the skill he put into this spell, I couldn''t pick up a path.


    His magic resumed its usual behaviour the instant he left its embrace. He was like Smiling Jhurack, almost. That ability to just disappear from my senses. Once again, Seigunfrei reminded me too much of him.


    Thankfully, the last time I saw him before the magic began to enclose itself upon me, he was heading left...


    He was going to come out on my right, that is what I predicted as I began to prepare a spell of my own. Into the earth did my magic precisely seep. Up and along my right side with well-drilled ease. Yet, before I felt the last of the circles form, he came out at me with a mass of magic that could change the daylight!


    "Rocket Rotation." I recited as my fist closed itself and jets of propellant roared out of me. On the ground, my magic activated and the earth helped me turn around. Stronger and stronger did my magic burn. And as I reached the end of the turn, I met his spell with my left claw.


    In a brief lapse of judgement, he followed where his deflected blow went off to. And my fist shot straight into his face. With a triumphant boom, I cleared away his own wayward spell and his body. Yet, before he had even impacted the barricaded walls of the arena, I collapsed against my left side.


    That spell of his had a lot of power in it... My deflection had nearly failed had I not been forcing all of my body against it. But, once again, my left claw had prevailed and I had stood up against him. Though, it would certainly not be ready for tonight that being said...


    "Ow..." I let out as I began to hobble through the dust. Yet, a green flash suddenly lit up the arena and I found myself presented with another blow. He had caught me completely off guard with this degree of perseverance. However, he only collapsed against me in the final moments.


    "If that was a real blow, I would have won..." he chuckled against me as he began to use me for support.


    "Get off." I told him as we started to get back onto our own feet as the dust settled. The crowd was quiet for a moment as they looked down at us. But then it was nothing but chaos and mayhem as the hysteria ran wild.


    "Told you they enjoyed seeing me."


    "Yes." I laconically answered as I picked out the differences between those who cheered. Many of them were calling it out to me or spoke of me. They spoke of how the Dark Crow got in the final blow. It was an odd thing to hear.


    He had only really annoyed me back then, but, I could see what Frihdeicalkbr meant. Though, as my magic calmed down, these voices began to blur into the rest of the cheering. And I turned to leave the arena. I had to go and get my injuries sorted.


    "Done already?" Seigunfrei asked as he quickly made his way over to me despite the pain he was clearly in.


    "I need to prepare myself for nighttime." I answer as I carry on hobbling out of the arena.


    "You''ve missed nights before, no?"


    "No." I correct with a stern glance back at him. No such thing had ever happened. Though, I was ashamed to ever admit, even in my head that there had been nights when I lacked the enthusiasm for it. My own failures mixed with a broken body led to dark thoughts on those nights...


    "Well, there''s plenty of time before it''s night, it''s not even noon!" he pointed out as we came out into the open.


    "What?" I ask as this would no doubt lead to a suggestion from him.


    "Just come to the staff area with me." he insisted as he began to drag by my most damaged side so that I would naturally follow him. Thankfully, he relented in doing this and I was able to follow him of my own volition. It gave me a lot of freedom to consider things as well. Primarily, what it was he was bringing me here for.


    Though a slight adjustment in our direction made it abundantly clear.


    "You want to go on a job, together?" I asked, seeking clarification as we came to a stop in front of the rather modest job board within the academy. I was much more used to it being a whole wall, not some little board a couple of metres wide.


    "You''re always insisting on pushing yourself as far as you can go, besides, it gives me some money for food later." he explains as he runs his fingers along several of the job listings. And as he did so, the doors to the building next to us opened up and a small group left it. One that I had recently become familiar with.


    "Oh, Dark Crow, I''m surprised to find... Thank you for helping us with our entrance exam!" Lorreabry told me in a rushed, messy fashion as her hot drink steamed into the air.


    "Oh, so this is the pretty lady who you helped?" Seigunfrei asked as he peaked around to look at her. He seemed to be trying to put on a degree of charm, but his face had swelled up since first contact in the arena.


    "Do you need to go to the medical centre?" Lorreabry questioned as she looked uncomfortably at Seigunfrei''s developing bruises and swelling. Though, she was more concerned with my bleeding. Something that had become quite apparent, I had to admit. Seigunfrei''s magic was good at that, tearing people up.


    "Another time." I answer as I pick a job for me and my fellow student to do seen as he was too busy trying to play down his injuries.


    "Aw, come on!" he complained as I began to pat him around the nerve-wracked group.


    "W-What job are you doing?" Lorreabry asked with an odd amount of curiosity. But, as I had not read the job fully, I could not answer. So I looked at the tablet I had taken off and was about to hand in along with my official details.


    "Sightings of a wyvern, they want someone to check it out." I answer, and, peculiarly, she seemed to breathe in relief the moment I mentioned the creature in question.


    "Well, good luck with it." she tells me with a quick nod as a small smile forms on her lips.


    "Is there something you want?" I decide to ask her as she had been a bit pushy since I finished the interview. But I had been quick to leave and head on out to my teacher''s homestead.


    "I... I was wondering if I could speak to you in private at some point?"


    "If you can find me." I tell her apathetically as I turned to leave.


    "S-Sure... Again, good luck!" she weakly responded with as I began to push the reactive Seigunfrei inside.


    "She was certainly interested in you!" Seigunfrei knowingly commented about.


    "Whatever it is, it can wait." I tell him as I place the tablet on the appropriate desk. And, without a prompt, I got to work putting in my guild information so I could have the job put into my records. There was some annoying things about it, namely fees and taxes, but it helped me get funds to Liadanann or Larishazza with little fuss.


    "And here is a map to the job site..." the woman at the desk uncomfortably let out as she gazed up at my mask. Maybe the blood played a part. But the way she looked at my claws as I picked up the map-tablet made it clear that there was more to it.


    "With haste now, I will not miss nightfall." I tell Seigunfrei with a slight growl as I begin to force him out the door. We had some distance to go for the moment, but, thankfully, my association with the Grandguard gave me some authority to throw about. Unused as it normally went.


    "Alright, alright-ah... Ow..." he groaned as I forced him to put up with the injuries I had given him.

 Incline 3: Wyvern Slayers

    "We won''t be lingering if there''s a wyvern about!" the pilot called out to us as we left the small airship.


    "That''s fine, don''t worry!" Seigunfrei calls back, although, he was having some trouble competing with the noise the airship was capable of. And while he tried to make himself heard, I slowly moved out onto the plateau this wyvern was supposedly operating near. Soon enough, the lone airship disappeared into the distance and Seigunfrei caught up with me.


    "It''s hiding nearby..." I comment as the wind starts to blow rather aggressively ahead of us.


    "So how do you want to do this?" Seigunfrei asks after he leans in.


    "Defeat it, prove we did so and get our pay." I answer before I found myself restrained. The injuries I had accrued against Seigunfrei had not exactly gone away. Some aid was given onboard the airship, but nothing they had could truly help us out. We were too strong in comparison to the average guardsman.


    "Going to need a bit more of a plan than that..." Seigunfrei urges as we both back away slightly as a green-scaled beast begins to crawl out onto the plateau. As was normal with their kind, it presented itself in its mongrel draconic form. Lacking the front legs of a dragon, it pulled itself forward with a pair of single-digit talons at the tip of its wings.


    In particular, this wyvern seemed to rely on those talons as well for attacking. They glowed brightly with magic and were of an almost sickle-like size, looking the part, too. The wyvern was cautious, however, it was two of us against one of it. That solitude probably meant it was a male.


    "Got it, I''ll try the diplomatic approach!" Seigunfrei sarcastically remarks in response to my silence before he is suddenly elevated onto a pair of leg-wrapped tornados.


    "If you are still able to move, keep it focused on you!" I tell him as I slowly build up to a manageable speed. With grunts and groans I ignored the throbbing flesh about me and I prepared my magic. As the wyvern''s mouth began to glow a pale green, bluish fire erupted from my right side as I approached it.


    But, rather than focusing on the more mobile Seigunfrei, it came straight for me with a roar. And with a speed that worried me, given my current state, I got ready. I couldn''t rely on my left side right now. So, I began to implant magic circles across it, I would force mobility out of it if I had to!


    "HEY, MONGREL DRAGON!" Seigunfrei roared as he made a direct run on its tail. A stupid act to take, given the blade at the end of that lengthy appendage. But the attack on the wyvern''s pride made that tail suddenly present itself to me. And I exploited it as it came whipping in my direction.


    Taking the brunt of the force from the tail''s midsection, I dug my claws into the scales until blood came out. From there, I ignited the magic circles on my left side and began to slugger about as I built up momentum. From rapid foot movements, I had moved onto great slams that cracked and fractured the stone beneath me. With careful, precise movements, I then began to steadily make my way towards the beast''s tail-tip.


    "Give me a target!" I call out to Seigunfrei before he suddenly leapt the gap between the edge of the plateau and a nearby mountain. Just before, he kicked a tornado free and blasted a small hole into the mountain. And from it, he held up his held-together legs in a single, greater tornado.


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    "DON''T WORRY IF YOU MISS!" he laughs out towards me from across the gap. But, regardless of his comment, I had no intention of doing so. And the rest came just in time as the wyvern had gotten ahold of its surroundings. A maw agape with wind magic was nearly aimed at me. Instead, it blew out harmlessly into the surrounding sky as it shot across the valley.


    Though, it would seem Seigunfrei was not up the task of actually killing the thing. As it just scraped along his spell rather than be impaled by it. Whilst the vortex did through it out onto the mountain below and rocky outcroppings stood in its way. It was still able to correct itself and get into the air.


    "Great..." I remark as I was unable to fly. So, now, I found myself having to dodge and weave my way around wide blasts of magic wind. Whatever rock that breath touched just turned to dust! But I could use this.


    So I dashed into the dust cloud and changed my vision. All that magic being unleashed, it made the wyvern''s appearance stick out just right. And while I could not fly, I could create things. I had come a long way since I was a fearful failure at Tryhpeltzweig!


    So I cocked my right-hand back and threw forth a construct. Only to catch Seigunfrei in a bout of bad luck. With a growl of frustration, I kept the move in motion and pulled him towards me. Though, I did not force a landing and dispelled it as soon as he came down, blowing the dust away because of it.


    "Warning!?"


    "Quiet!" I snap at the hypocrite as I begin to roll past the strafing attacks of the angered wyvern.


    "We need a plan!" he called out to me as it became clear that he couldn''t fly either.


    "That spell, from the arena, when you took the magic I was letting out to bulk it up..." I began to explain before a volatile orb blasted me into the distance.


    But, being quick on his feet, Seigunfrei avoided the attack and rallied besides me, "Trap it?"


    "Then do what you couldn''t do to me..." I spit out as I clutch my bleeding side. That spell caused most of the damage I was suffering from. So, against a weaker target like this mutt, it should tear it apart.


    "I hope you have enough to feed it, then!"


    "Make it!" I tell him, making it clear his concerns did not matter right now.


    "Now!" he exclaims as a large vortex suddenly dominates the plateau. I couldn''t tell if it was stronger than before, but seeing all these trees and other bits of debris being sucked into it. It gave a completely different impression of the spell. But this one lacked my power...


    So I raised my right palm upwards and focused my external-magic flow there. With an insidious roar, something I could only do because of my osibindah biology. I let loose a gargantuan firestorm of magic that struggled to maintain its form in the devouring winds. But with so much going into that set of claws, I couldn''t keep myself upright.


    Seigunfrei, however, would not see me fall and he pulled me in close so I could focus on the magic. Very soon, a different kind of roar filled the air and I caught glimpses of the reptile being thrown about inside the torrential twister. Sealing my expenditure shut, I fell out of Seigunfrei''s grasp as he tightened the noose. In but a moment, the wyvern grew louder and louder before it suddenly went quiet.


    With a wet slap and the tumble of ground down rocks and shredded timber, the debris hit the land around us. Seigunfrei then began to chuckle as he collapsed in exhaustion while I forced myself back to my feet. Glancing off into the distance, I hoped the airship had at least lingered about, but it didn''t seem like it.


    "No..." I let out as I realise this might mean I would not make it back in time!


    "H-Hey! Where are you going!?" Seigunfrei asked as I began growl and run. My body screamed for me to stop, but I couldn''t. I had to get back to Thrurstradtur!


    "What is the meaning of this..." I growled back at Seigunfrei when one of his spells curved around me.


    "Slo... Slow down, Nin. Don''t..." he told me as he panted from the ground.


    "No." I firmly answered as I began to take in what I could whilst bounding through the mountains. I knew the way I had to go, I knew where I needed to be! I just needed to make it there in time! I had to!


    For Larishazza''s sake...

 Incline 4: Back Just in Time

    "Finally... You won''t..." I struggled to get out as I finally forced my way through the gates of Thrurstradtur. The evening was coming to an end, and I had made it! That vile bastard would not be getting past me this night! I would fight him like I always have!


    "What is wrong with you..." one of the city-guard let out in disgust as he watched my broken form come by. With a growl, I bypassed him. I went passed them all until I made it to Liadanann''s shop.


    "N-N-Nin!?" the owner, my friend, let out with a screech as she forced her way passed customers to get to me.


    "I''m f-fine..." I coughed as I took myself out of her grip. From there, I dragged my way upstairs until I collapsed at the very edges of my room. But I wouldn''t stop there, I couldn''t. Not now.


    I ignored the pain through a clenched jaw and with the help of animalistic growls until I reached my cupboards. There, I tore off my mask and brought out a heavy canteen which I quickly opened up. Like a man dying of thirst, I glugged the contents down and forced the pain down as the magic-heavy liquid filled me. With two separate thuds, my head and the canteen smacked against the floor and I stared up at the ceiling.


    "You will not escape me, Jhurack..." I mutter near-incoherently as my gaze erratically shifts around the room. Everywhere I could, I had placed everything I had learned about him. Every little thing I could piece together about him... I had given up on the original intention of it all, but now, now it just served as further reminders.


    Every case of him ever hurting someone, I found out about it and posted it on my walls. The day he ruined my life forever, I stuck it up there. Anyone that I could suspect of being him, I put up there. And now, with the way Seigunfrei had acted today, could I consider him...?


    No, that wouldn''t make any sense at all... I had left him on that plateau all those hours ago. There was no way it could be him. He wouldn''t make it back here in time...


    "N-Nin...?" Liadanann asked quietly as she peeked into my room the edges of the doorframe.


    "What!?" I spat out at her as I scrambled to my feet as the interior of my body burned. The magic was beginning to circulate inside of me. And as it washed across my burnt-out body, it reignited it with power!


    "A... Are you going to want something to eat, before tonight...?" she asked fearfully as my hysterics came to an end. But, she made an appreciated offer, I could only take so much of that concentrate safely. And getting something to dilute it with would be... Helpful, to say the least.


    "Y-Yes... Thank you, Liadanann." I let out with a pained stutter before I began to cough some of that almost acidic concentrate back up. But, thankfully, I was able to force it back down as I moved up to my feet. Without another word, she disappeared. Though, with all this magic suddenly in my system, I couldn''t tell if that thudding was her or the customers.


    It all just came together in one big headache...


    "Damn it all..." I growled as I forcibly made the magic settle into my system before I went back downstairs. My limbs were all dead, however, and I struggled to make it down them. I nearly even collapsed as I reached the bottom of them. And without wasting a moment, I made my way outback, to the smaller personal kitchen before I fell onto a sturdy chair with a tremor.


    No matter how many times I did this... No matter how often I burnt myself dry and then forcibly reinvigorated myself. I couldn''t seem to control it. I couldn''t get my body to do what it needed to do in these moments...


    "Liadanann!" I snapped from the chair as my fist thumped the table. With a clatter, a hastily put together plate then appeared before me and she watched me nervously.


    "W-We''ll be closing now everyone, I am very sorry..." she weakly exclaimed to the customers who she trusted enough to leave on their own, apparently. And right after that, she sat across the table from me as I began to eat the food she had brought me. It hurt to do so, but I was thankful for it absorbing some of the concentrate, at the least!


    "This is good food..." I tell her as I finish the last of it off before I bend over in pain. The concentrate continued to burn my insides. But it would be over soon, it just needed time to seep into my flesh, and later, this hideous carapace of mine.


    "I... I''m glad you like it..." Liadanann tearfully says as she watches me hold back the pain.


    I ignored her, for the most part, and instead focused on the light outside and the ticking clock. The kitchen became quiet, only the sounds of her whimpering and the ticking of the clock filled it. I fidgeted only because the magic continued to burn me. But it was calming down.


    I was thankful for that, it meant at the very least, I could fight tonight.


    "Will you be coming... Will you be back tonight?" Liadanann then asked with a sniffle as she wiped her eyes dry with a napkin. And I looked down at my arm in response.


    "I don''t know..." I mutter as I watch as the injuries vanish and reverse slightly. A sudden bang against the table then sounded Liadanann''s departure. The stairs banged for a brief period and a door was slammed. I then got up and went out through the back door of the bakery.


    From there, I climbed up the pile of rubbish Liadanann kept around for sentimental reasons and went onto the roof. I then shuffled over to a small device I had built some time ago. A little rain collector attached to a little dripper full of magic concentrate. And I turned it on.


    For such a brief moment, a smile appeared on my face as the magical water began to slowly flow out onto the tiles. But as the flow of water came to a stop, so did my smile. If there really ever was one. I don''t think I have ever actually smiled since...


    Since that night...


    And with a sudden shuffle, I looked off into the distance at the hotel she rested at, "I miss you, Lari... I miss you so much... So... So much."


    I then went quiet as I shuffled back to my prior facing. Some people on the streets below got curious about me being up here. But they were not worth more than a periphery glance. And I started to wait.


    Nighttime was nearly here, and it would begin prowling the streets. It was soon going to be out there, that monster. He was only a few hours away. Thankfully, I have learned one major thing about him during my time fighting him.


    He always appeared relatively close to me.


    He always came out specifically to torment me, so anywhere I went, he followed. And after taking one final look down at Liadanann''s establishment, I got up. My insides still burned with magic, but I felt ready enough to move on to the next part of the process. Moving about.


    I would work it into my muscles in time for when he appeared. So, looking off into the distance, I chose a direction at random. And I began to sprint across the rooftops. Leaping small gaps at first as I reasserted myself over every single sinew of my body.


    I still stumbled, and I nearly even fell, but with trained reflexes, I would get back up there. Years of fighting that creature, that monster, that vile, evil man had drilled it into me. He made me chase him, he made me fight as he ran. And when fear or reason overcame my rage, he pursued me and hunted me.


    But it was becoming harder and harder for him to get his way. Despite all my failures, all five years of them. I had gotten better, I had gotten stronger. The chaos his tactics embodied was becoming more orderly with each night we duelled.


    I was going to win once and for all if he continued on insisting on playing around. His arrogance blinded him immensely. If he did nothing to stop me climbing the mountain he guffawed from the top of. Then I''d be casting him down and along the crags below!


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    He will lose and I will win...


    "And I will have saved you, Lari..." I weakly say as I soar through the air. My descent was seemingly slow at first, but as I lost momentum, the drop became steeper. Yet, as she did all that time ago after we fought side-by-side in the Inter-House Talent Display... She was there to catch me and keep me afloat.


    But the fact my thoughts of the situation were not literal pained me to no end. It was only my strength that could keep me in the air right now. And for all the lamenting I did, all of the whimperings of a lost love... I realised it was what I needed to use to stay out of the dark.


    Though, ironically, I was avoiding well-lit streets in favour of the darker sky above.


    But now was not the time to think about that stuff, for my body was returning to form. The concentrate was sufficiently worked into my body. And with it, I soared high into the sky in a wide arc. Unleashing my mass right before my momentum could carry me on no more.


    With the Sundial then in my sights, I began to pull and swing my way towards it. Where possible, I conserved my strength by simply sprinting along the many rooftops. If two towers were close, I jumped between their walls and leapt out onto the first roof. Leaping to the next one over if it was higher or on the way to my destination.


    On one of them, however, I came to a stop after I had spun the momentum out of me. Briefly looking at the scrapes I had left on the floor of the roof. I moved to the edge of the high-rise tower and looked out at the brass city. Initially, it was to just see if I could spot the hotel Larishazza rested at.


    However, I found myself pondering some words from earlier in the day. When I went to my old dorm and met Frihdeicalkbr again. Something I tended to ignore completely meant a lot to him, or, at the very least, it stuck out to him. And that was what everyone out here in this city thought of me...


    "I have become very used to the idea of just ignoring them all." I remark solemnly as a claw rested on the wall ahead of me. For so long, all I was, was just some osibindah to these people, a vile monster that should''ve been shot. Yet the way that girl spoke about me, some stranger who I have never met until today. She had a positive conception of me...


    She even wanted to speak after the fact...?


    I couldn''t grasp why, but, I felt relieved in a way. Maybe the old me was still in this broken mind of mine. He was still there, hoping for the day people stopped seeing him as a monster. I guess it was just a shame he died five years ago, on that awful night I met that monster...


    That, disgusting smile of his... A hideous thing it was. Open cheeks defined by their curved scars that gave way to pointed teeth that shined a clean white. The smile of Smiling Jhurack.


    It had come to dominate my memories of that night more than the bloody body of the woman I had confessed to...


    "WHERE ARE YOU SO I CAN TEAR YOU APART!?" I roared into the darkening sky in a sudden bout of bloodthirsty rage. But it was a rage I quickly found myself putting the lid on as such behaviour was wasteful. It felt cathartic to just burn off magic into the air in such states. But I couldn''t afford to be wasteful right now.


    I needed all the strength I could muster to fight him tonight!


    My behaviour had caused an issue, though, and an airship of the state-guard came flying over. A strong searchlight flashed down on me for longer than it had to. But the airship departed soon after. And with that, my thoughts returned to that interview from earlier.


    "If I was in good standing with them, they would have stayed nearby to help?" I questioned as I watched the airship go back on its patrol. Though, this train of thought quickly found itself back in the depot once I caught sight of a figure in the distance. And I stepped up onto the wall of the tower as my claws curled into fists. Was it time?


    I couldn''t clearly tell from this distance, but the strange illumination around the figure gave some hints. They were most certainly looking in my direction. And jutting from both sides were thin objects. A sheath and a sword...


    "And so, my partner shows up for his next lesson!" the monster softly cackled with a tone that almost sounded like he was right next to me. But, no, he was still over there and he remained so. With a crack of my jaw, I then dropped down the face of the building. With a rope of magic behind me, I rappelled down.


    With one pent-up crouch, I then leapt forward and soared over entire streets. Yet, thanks to this madman''s damning help, I never fell lower than a few floors. For he had conjured strange constructs out of nothing that did not shimmer their strain and struggle. I leapt and ran across them until I was in the final gap.


    "JHURACK!" I roared in fury as I leapt off of the final one and towards him. And with a skilled flick and twist of my arm, I blocked his blade. With my forceful speed and encroaching mass, I forced him back. And as I flipped down onto the roof, he retreated to the wall of the tower.


    "Oh, Dance Partner! You''ve gone out today! What did you do?" he asked me as he began to evoke sparks from the metal panels on the building.


    I did not answer him and instead tried to force him off the roof.


    "Well, someone has been telling me that you went out of the city for quite some time! A request to handle a wyvern happened to be tallied in under your registration! I say, quite impressive if you did it on your own..." he teased cruelly.


    But I would not have it, and I swung my foot up for his face with a rocket-propelled kick.


    "But, Dance Partner... Dance Partner... You disappoint me. You left your partner alone to bring it in? I bet you left him to do all of it for you, didn''t you?" he questioned with a smile before he slashed his sword along the side of my leg.


    Noting this, I backed away with the remaining momentum of my kick and met his next swing. Focusing my magic along the hook I made with one of my claws, I deflected his blade and pressed forward. I struck from his sides, from above and below. A flurry of punches disturbed the wind flowing to the Sundial and the night that had settled in.


    "No, no, no! Not like that, like this!" he snapped as he sheathed his sword too quickly for me to even register. From there, sharp jabs were thrust against me with the cane his blade settled into. Wet smacks filled the air as tried to beat me down. Then, when an opening appeared, I thrust my right side forward.


    Planting my face squarely against his flexible body and forcing him back. Though, in a display of pathetic clownery, he stumbled over the wall. Knowing what he most likely had done, I smashed through the wall and collected the debris. The arm I had then cocked back prior launched forward and latched onto him magically.


    With a sudden dash, I smashed us both into the building and lost sight of him in the chaos. A flash then indicated the extent of his powers as my destruction was reversed. From then on out, I kept my ears open as rapid footsteps filled the dark building. All these cubicles and desks, he was running about them as if they were a maze.


    I couldn''t follow him just standing here, however, and, despite the danger, I ran into the darkness. I followed the cackles and the laughter wherever they were loudest. If I suspected his blade or hand, I struck out into the dark. Though, too often I only struck office equipment and decorations.


    By the end of it, I had been led to the other side of the building, even! It was a frustrating thing, but I knew what I had to do. So I built up my magic and took up a stance. I tested his patience as the air next to me began to flicker with the embers of erupting raw magic stuff.


    "Oh, Dance Partner, if you don''t learn to take the lead, you won''t ever win." Jhurack tuts as he comes out of the darkness and into the rims of the light that was able to shine through. Withholding a response, I kept my posture and waited for him to advance. Despite my preparation, however, he suddenly appeared behind me and slashed his blade along my spine.


    "GAH!" I let out in response to the suddenness of it, losing control of my spell in the process. And before I had even hit the floor, my spell fired off through it and likely several others. Alarms blared the moment after and he laughed over me as he kicked me over.


    "Dance Partner... My dear, dear, Dance Partner. Focus." he started to say to me before he collapsed onto my body. His blade led the descent and when his knee touched my chest, we suddenly began to fall. Floor after floor went on by as we cleanly fell through a floor that had no right being perfectly cut to match our descent. His free hand then suddenly grasped my mask and he forced me down, through the final crash as the tower of rubble exploded about us.


    But after the initial daze, I looked back up and saw nothing had happened at all. And he cackled as he stood up, his blade going right up through my shoulder without the slightest bit of resistance. Then, like how the buildings had been repaired, I suddenly found all of my injuries gone. Though, the memory of the pain stayed in my mind.


    And I slowly staggered out through the decorative glass door of the tower, shattering it completely as I stumbled into the busy streets. Knowing what was coming, the people who were once strolling about merrily flipped completely and ran in terror. The few guards nearby shepherded them away, but otherwise, I was left on my own. Then, out he came with an insidious smile as he tapped the deserted road.


    "Shall we carry on?" he asked as I got up with a groan.


    "Enough with the games already, Monster..." I spit out demandingly as I resume a combat-ready posture.


    "Children learn best through play." he mockingly informed.


    "You''ll find me less and less of a child each night you waste." I growl out to him as I begin to move forward. And he looks around at the retreating crowds before he rubs his chin thoughtfully.


    "What am I wasting, exactly?" he asked from behind as his sword suddenly cut close to the vital pipelines of my heart. Blood began to pool up in my mouth and dribble out. It then spilt out in force once he kicked me off of his blade. Leaving me on the cold, hard ground as he walked around.


    I wasn''t going to die, so I had nothing to fear. But I was still angry at what was transpiring. Everytime he pulled something like this. Doubt set into my mind, what he wanted was thoroughly argued in force...


    "Do come find me again soon, Dance Partner. I have much to teach you still." he told me in an uncharacteristically serious tone.


    "BASTARD! DON''T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME! DON''T YOU WALK AWAY!" I roar animalistically as I try to force my way up. But with this new injury of mine, I struggled. That cruel, tormenting aid he gave me had been stripped away in but a single thrust! Like with most nights I chased this creature...

 Incline 5: Another Night of Failure

    "Oh, such a shame, Dance Partner, but I do believe the daylight is returning. Well, until next time!" Jhurack decrees just as the first glints come from the Sundial''s tip. And, with a frustrated growl, I continued with my downward kick. Blasting apart the road beneath me in the process right after he vanishes. I then waited there for a moment, my posture unmoved as the light came out more and more.


    Slowly, I began to stand up as the very air started to tut at me. The damage he had inflicted began to rescind and my exerted frustrations against the city vanished as well. I blinked slowly. Then, with a slow turn, I walked towards the great centrepiece building of the city.


    Adjusting my attire as the quiet moments went go on by.


    It must''ve been odd for the patrols I was starting to come across as well. Because I tended to not make a habit of just walking through the city. Or, maybe they found what I was doing to be completely within expectations. A night of fighting and running would tucker anyone out...


    "Skulking about like that, I''d say we won the obvious bet." one of them remarks as I pass them, just before he yawns in exhaustion. He looks down at his watch, clearly eager to end his shift already. But, before he did that, I decided to approach him.


    "Do you have a spare communicator?" I asked as I looked beyond him and at the grand clock further down the street. A new week had begun, which meant I had to send in a report to Inerish. It was the same as it always was, though. So I questioned the need for it, but, five years of habit was five years of habit...


    "Try not to break it." he commented before walking off. Without a care, I then head on my way as well. Carefully fiddling with the device intended for hands and not osibindah claws. Then, once it was ready, I set it on record.


    "Inerish, this is Ni- Dark Crow, no changes to the usual way of things. No deaths to report either and damage to the city is also not an issue. He continues to elude me. End of report." I tell the device before I turn off the recording functionality. And, once I was sure it was off, I sighed and made way for a nearby bench.


    I was exhausted like usual, my magic reserves were burnt up and my body lacked energy. I may have left the night relatively unscathed, but all the injuries Jhurack had dealt still dwelled in my mind. Each time this happened, I thought I would go into the next night more prepared. Better able to handle it, more capable of being able to handle it...


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    But it seemed like I could never get used to it. He was just so powerful that he could always elude my own strength. My experience as well meant nothing to someone who just had to take a step back to stay ahead of me. It was as frustrating as it was infuriating but I didn''t have the energy to do much else.


    Just like most other nights, I had been bled enough times that I should''ve died. Though, I really was surprised that I hadn''t died at this point already, to be honest. In moments like these, when I had no energy to spare. My recklessness was so clear to me, I went through brief, very brief thoughts of how it scared me.


    "I suppose I should send it all off." I then mutter as I return my attention to the communicator. Briefly, I watched as some aptly named circlingbirds came spiralling towards a tree like water down a sink. I looked at their beaks first and foremost, then tenderly touched my own. I clasped it and then took it off.


    The heat building in my head steamed off into the morning air and I leaned into the park bench as it clouded my breath. It was moments like these that made me miserable. Because all I could ever think of was how Larishazza acted in moments like these. It was rare, but, sometimes, she liked to dance to the earliest of morning tunes by the birds.


    It made me smile at first, thinking about all the arguments she and Tiyanat had. Larishazza loved birds for their music-like noises. But, being her sister, Tiyanant was compelled to offer resistance. The two would bicker and bicker and seemingly forget it all in time for the next time it happened.


    And then, I was miserable once again, because that is all I had of Larishazza at this point. Memories of what she had done, memories of what I had done with her, what she had done with others. She wasn''t dead, she wasn''t gone. But, it felt like she was a lot of the time...


    I hated that, knowing that all I could expect the next time I saw her was nothing. She''d just be laying there, and not a word would come from her. Not a twitch or even a disturbed wiggle as she adjusted how she slept. She was completely still like she had been for more than a thousand nights already.


    "You will not take her from me, Smiling Jhurack." I decree with some energy in my words before I put the mask back on. It was about time I got to the Sundial to do the part of this report that had to be done in person. Then, I could go and get something to eat. I could get myself ready for some more training outside the city.


    And as I got up, I ended up disturbing the circlingbirds, scaring them off into the sky. Only, this time, they just went straight for it. Their duality was severed and their namesake was forgotten. Something beautiful near me had vanished once again.


    But, anticipating a change in that, I watched and waited. Eventually, the pair came back together and everything went back to the way it was. The monster had been avoided and life could be pleasant once again. And I clenched my fists as I reminded myself of that inevitability.


    I would win, for the sake of her smile which I so sorely missed...

 Incline 6: Backlash from the Shadowy Fire

    "Oh, go on, please, play it, let me hear of his latest failure." I remark with a wave of my hand as I lean back into my chair. Quickly and swiftly, I crossed my legs and began to rock backwards and forwards with the help of my heels. At the end of one of my fingertips, a small piece of dark fire burned. It grew in size so easily.


    "Inerish, this is Ni- Dark Crow, no changes to the usual way of things. No deaths to report either and damage to the city is also not an issue. He continues to elude me. End of report." the extensive speaker system before me let out as my finger suddenly struck my palm. Like that, the dark fire was extinguished and I started to sneer.


    "Well, I am sure glad he made a point of telling me who it was, how else would I have known? But, this is quite new, isn''t it? He''s got a nickname... Now... Somebody remind me, what earns you a nickname in this day and age?" I asked my staff whilst one of my hands bobbed up and down.


    "Doing something great?" a member of my command staff answered as they turned away from their control desk.


    "Correct! Doing something, now, somebody, tell me. What has that bug done to deserve a title? At the very least, it should be representative of reality!" I hiss before a particular bell started to ring.


    "Grandguard Inerish, the Clockwork Council is gathering." an aide explained to me from behind.


    "Thank you for pointing out the obvious..." I commented distastefully as I crossed my legs again and lean back into my chair. With a glare, I then watched as my five-year running failure walked through the city. With growing anger, I stood up and left my command centre. And with my frustrated strides, I quickly found myself before the council''s chambers.


    Straightening myself out beforehand, I then walked into the vast chamber in the traditional manner. With a blank face, I then presented myself before the irate council. It was quiet at first. I kept my gaze down and my expression emotionless whilst they glared and sneered.


    "Yes or no." one of them demanded to know with strained patience.


    "No." I answered straight away. Something that just gave way to a wave of murmurs and more silence. Judging silence that put the blame unjustly onto me...


    "That will be all, then, Grand-Guard Inerish." the Stroke of High-Noon remarked as the Clockwork Council left with little fuss. And once the chamber was empty, my expression shifted. From a frown came a glare, and with that glare came quivering anger.


    "Night after night, week after week."


    It was always the same. For five years I have had to put up with being besmirched because of the failures of that osibindah. Jhurack wanted him specifically, the entire reason he went out at night was because of him! But for all five of those years, this ''Dark Crow'' had done nothing but fail!


    All he ever did was fail!


    And I was the one left to shoulder the blame because he was my responsibility... That creature never worked with my men nor listened to me directly! Yet, I was supposed to be fine shouldering his failures!? It wasn''t even a developed behaviour, that bug had always been and would likely continue to be difficult to work with!


    But from my anger came a sadistic smile, I would be relieved once he arrived. All those failures from the past week. All those embarrassing, pathetic failures! I was going to enjoy rubbing them in his face.


    So, I turned to leave the chamber, though, I found myself withholding the desire to burn it all down. It would have been so cathartic to do so as my hatred for the Clockwork Council was as ferocious as my hatred for Nin right now. To watch them all burn in the darkness as my cheeks flushed with colour! But my fantasies would remain fantastical, for now.


    "Grand-Guard Inerish, your tablets." an aid declared as I left the now empty chamber.


    "Wonderful." I let out as I began to smile and scoff at the recordings engraved onto them all. It was a compilation of that bug''s failures from the past week. Every blow he failed to block. Every humiliating, firm step of the foot he had been put under.


    It was enough to make me squirm in anticipation! And what made it all the sweeter was the fact I was obligated to do it! He had to listen to me besmirch his useless, incompetent backside! Oh, I couldn''t wait!


    "Well, well, it seems we are destined to meet!" I nearly chirped before my joy vanished in a moment. Everything seemed to die once that towering, bandaged-wrapped figure came into view. My gaze was frozen at first. But then I quickly surveyed each fresh wound that covered his body.


    He then approached me slowly until he stopped right before me, "I take it you got my message?"


    "I did, now, any luck with dealing with Smiling Jhurack?" I asked him anyway, just so I could hear him say no.


    "No..." and there it was, that short answer that filled me with delight.


    "Another week of failures, Dark Crow." I explained before I scoffed at the nickname.


    "Another week of learning." he tried to correct as I stifled a laugh.


    "Learning to fail, even more, I presume?" I rather nastily asked as I took the lead in dictating where we''d be heading. And, for the moment, I felt a duelling chamber was best suited to our needs. We could go over everything he had done wrong and drill it into him! After all, he spent all of his free time focusing on that one thing, yes?


    The bug said nothing in response and we kept on walking.


    "Does the weight of your failure press down on you that harshly?" I bitterly asked him. Yet still, he said nothing and we found ourselves in a duelling chamber with little else being said. He then quickly found himself a place to sit and I carelessly dropped most of the tablets down to the ground. Keeping hold of just one as I began to pace about on the open ground.


    In the particular instance I was watching, I watched as he failed time and time again to show awareness. Blows from behind and suddenly from the side crippled him time and time again. It was embarrassing, to say the least. He should''ve learned by now...


    "Well, come on, get up, let me drill it into you where you failed." I told him as I drew my sword and taped the blade against the floor. A few quick tings at first, but when he failed to move, I smacked the sharp edge against the floor. In a way, I was showing off the quality of my blade. If it could stay sharp after such misuse, then it would cut him without issue.


    "I do not need a lesson." he quietly answered as he looked down at the tablets I had left behind.


    "Until you stop failing, you will learn." I clarified as I slashed some of my magic in his direction. Just enough to force him to move. And while he did move, it was sluggish and slow.


    "Stop." he said as he began to slowly enter the ring.


    "I''ll stop when I see Smiling Jhurack''s head on my desk!" I hissed as the edges of the arena burst alight with shadowy fire. The artificial light of the building was soon replaced by a dome of varying shades of dark purple that bordered on black in some patches. I held my blade aloft at him and began to step away, through the magic. If he wanted to continue to fail like this, then I would punish him for it.


    So, I sent some magic around the rim of the dome, I gave the impression that I had gone around. That I was tracing his back as he cautiously turned around, unsure of where I would be coming from... But, I had yet to move, and I prepared my sword as such. The pressure was building up at the edges of my feet and hateful glee had spread across my face.


    A chance to hurt him... A chance to get back at him for all that I have had to suffer through! He was supposed to be my way out of this nightmare! But my name had only been dragged deeper into the quagmire since he supposedly started working with my forces!


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    And I dashed ahead, seamlessly bursting into the darkness that I had him trapped in. With a blazing trail behind me, I then swung my sword. But a crash resounded throughout the room. And a three-digit claw grasped my face.


    In but a single move, I was forced head-first to the ground and my magic was blasted away by the force...


    "Enough." he told me as he stared down at me through that mask.


    "Don''t you mock me..." I growled up at him as he let go.


    "You will never be able to teach me anything, so stop trying." he remarked as he started to walk away.


    "I am the Thrurstradtur''s Grand-Guard, its greatest defender!" I reminded him as I blocked off his exit with a sudden, shadowy blaze.


    "And yet, you have failed for far longer than I have. And you rely on me." he points out forcefully.


    "THESE PAST FIVE YEARS ARE YOUR FAILURE!" I screamed in fury as I shot towards him in an effort to bisect him. I would see him burnt to ash for that!


    Yet, with one swift move once again, I was pinned, this time, against the wall of the room. And while he could not entirely disarm me, he had made sure my sword clattered off into the distance. So even as my magic blazed across my skin and attire. Scorching his claw with traces of fire magic or corrupting it with dark magic...


    He was unphased by it, not bothered in the slightest.


    "You are not strong enough." he reminded me as he let go, allowing me to drop to the floor with a confused expression. I heard him walk off but I remained where I was from then on out. I then looked up with a tremble and got up slowly. In a humiliated, embarrassed manner, I then went to retrieve my sword.


    His words echoed throughout me as my composure began to break down. I wasn''t strong enough... Nothing I could do had the strength behind it or the skill to best Smiling Jhurack. For years and years that point had been made.


    The elite teams I had once assembled could do nothing. The vast army at my disposal, despite how far-reaching they were, might as well have been blind. From the highest floors to the most labyrinthian of streets, they found nothing. Nothing that I could muster had worked.


    And since that night five years ago, when I called in foreign troops to help out. I have been nothing but useless in the grand scheme of things. Just part of the playground that Smiling Jhurack dominated so easily. I had to rely on Nin, we all did.


    "Do not leave this room!" I snapped in Nin''s direction just before he left it. Thankfully, he at least listened and turned back around to face me.


    "If you try to ''train'' me, I will leave." he clarified as he crossed his arms.


    "Why do I have to rely on you?" I asked him with a quiver as I brought my sword tip up in his direction.


    "You already know the answer to that."


    "Why do I have to rely on you?" I repeated with a thrust of my blade and growing anger. Slowly, I approached him as one of my hands tried to massage the stress out of my face.


    "Jhurack will not deal with you." he hissed as he likely began to consider his part in it all.


    "Why not? I made my name as a custodian back in my homeland of Errakur. In the bastion of my family, the fortress of the Dakrid! It was held whilst I was in charge of it. No spy snuck into its walls and no sappers undercut its battle-worn stone! Such was my skill that a city this far away, so high above the surface wanted to make use of me!" I finished explaining just as my blade''s edge was pressed against him.


    "Jhurack has clearly found you wanting."


    "Wanting!? You have failed for five years! Five years of nothing! Five years of involvement with him and nothing to show for it!" I snapped as he used a digit to force the blade down his front. As I watched him do it, I saw how it might as well have been a dull blade. Not one of those bandages he wore was sliced by my sword''s edge.


    Just one more display of how weak I was in comparison to him...


    "Look," he started off with, and he sighed as he did so, "whatever the reason might be, I cannot tell you why or explain it. But, regardless of our circumstances, of my ceaseless dealings with him. It doesn''t matter. I am the best chance you have at resolving this. So get over it."


    "If you are our best chance... Our only chance, seemingly, then why do you only ever fail? Why must this city nervously wait from the sidelines, relying on someone who has had not one success!" I demanded to know as some resolve returned to my armed hand.


    "I don''t know." he answered as his claw moved forward to keep my blade lowered.


    "How do you not know...?"


    "Because I don''t. Because I don''t think about it, I have only ever been interested in stopping him." he explained before I sighed and sheathed my sword.


    "Come with me." I ordered as I stepped around him.


    "Your tablets?" he pointed out as I went around.


    "Someone will find them at bring them to me later, now, come." I told him as we went into the public eye.


    "Why are we doing this? This is far more than we usually do." he pointed out as we walked.


    "Because what we usually do has seen nothing come of it."


    "But why now?"


    I came to a stop and looked up at him, "I am tired of it, Nin. I am tired of these failures."


    "It is five years too late to be changing things around now." he remarked to me.


    "I have a job to do, you have an obligation to fulfil. It is never too late to try a different approach."


    "There is such a thing as too late."


    "Then you best leave my city, because you will never beat him. Your friend will die and you would have wasted five years for nothing." I hissed as I made sure my eyes went up to meet his.


    "Fine, get moving." he growled before he moved. In turn, he forced me to move to the dictation of his movements. I took it in stride, however, and I quickly sorted out my posture.


    It was quiet between us two after that. The only noise was from the flow of staff around us. Or, it was from the machinery dotted about the extensive hallways of the Sundial. There was a degree of consistency this far down the building, and it otherwise didn''t stick out to me.


    But as we moved higher and higher into the building, it got quieter. Save for a hectic individual jogging or speed-walking past us. Each one of them had something in hand and it tended to be tablets that they had. Rarer, a larger piece of equipment.


    This all changed once we entered my command centre and the noise drastically picked up in scale. We were thrust into an environment where the noise was far more exposed. Less so with the talk from those under my supervision and more so with all the machinery about the vast room. The press of buttons and the shift of magic were omnipresent, more so as we reached my chair.


    It didn''t bother me all that much, but I wondered how Nin was taking it. He was an extreme oddity in a place like this, and it wasn''t just because of the contrast between his attire and the setting. This was, perhaps, the first time he had ever actually been up here. If he had been up here before, then I have completely forgotten about it or his absence has become so normal, so expected.


    "So, why are we here?" he asked as he stuck close to my chair, which I moved to sit in once again. Then, as I focused on him, I fought back the urge to do the idle work I normally did.


    "I want you to be aware of the fact that there are resources here that can help you." I explained to him.


    "Resources that have failed throughout and for far longer than the five years I have been at this." he pointed out distastefully. I saw a few members of my staff look his way to scowl before they went back to their tasks.


    "Yes, but, for five years, you have captivated Smiling Jhurack for one reason or another. So you present an opportunity to us."


    "An opportunity how?"


    "What you see before you is one of the single most advanced crime prevention systems on the continent. Perhaps even the most advanced." I explained to him with some measure of held-back pride.


    "And it is all but worthless." he told me as he looked down my way.


    "Smiling Jhurack has managed to elude capture, he has, however, not managed to keep himself hidden from our eyes." I clarified before I brought up a horizon of still images of the criminal that completely occupied his mind. Some of them, even, had Nin in them, or the Dark Crow, rather.


    Looking up at him, I waited as he took it all in.


    "We both know that he has a distinct ability that allows him to simply vanish, there is no better way to put it."


    "How does this help me? It doesn''t help me trade blows abrasively or cleanly, and, it certainly doesn''t seem to do what I already can''t."


    "Yet you failed to respond to his attacks again... And again." I nearly giggled.


    "Watching it on playback is far different to being there in the moment. When he vanishes, he vanishes. You cannot follow the trail his magic leaves. Everything the city brings in might as well be his magic, I cannot see or feel him out at all."


    "More pairs of eyes are better than one, Dark Crow." I teased rather seriously.


    "You cannot help."


    "Do not be so sure." I commented as I began to pick out some footage from the night that had just gone. I then adjusted it as necessary so otherwise small details became clear and apparent. The instance in particular that I chose to display was close to when last night''s fight began. When, from Nin''s perspective at least, it seemed like Smiling Jhurack had fallen.


    The footage carried on until Nin chased after him when he smashed through the glass and wall of the tower.


    "What am I supposed to be looking at?" he asked as he slowly stepped forward.


    "When you go into the dark to chase after him, your senses are tricked again and again despite your caution. The kind of trickery a machine like this will not fall to." I explained as I highlighted the path Smiling Jhurack took.


    "It doesn''t matter."


    "The Dark Crow is embarrassed?" I let out bemusedly as I cleared out the space before us.


    "No, I am stating the obvious as regardless of what tricks he puts me through, I still find him." he huffed and snorted.


    "But I, we, can help you not waste so much time trying to find him." I pointed out whilst one of my hands referred to my extensive staff. But Nin was quiet, and rather than giving me an answer, he turned to leave. So I swiftly rose to my feet and intercepted him in the hallway leading to the command centre.


    "I''ve wasted enough time here." he told me as he made it apparent how eager he was to force me aside.


    "You are not going to catch Smiling Jhurack like this!" I pointed out him as I made sure I was firmly planted before him.


    "And I won''t catch him relying on that which has failed for longer!" he repeated, clearly annoyed by my insistence. But, unfortunately for him, this was something that I couldn''t just let slide.


    "I have just shown you that we are capable of helping! You cannot do this on your own!"


    "I will learn on my own..." he growled before he barged past me in a single stride.


    "Smiling Jhurack is toying with you! And what happens when people get bored of their toys!?"


    "He will die before that time comes." he spitefully told me as he presented his cloaked back.


    "No, he won''t." I corrected as he left. And once the doors closed behind him, I couldn''t help but adjust my mouth so my bitterness could be made apparent.

 Incline 7: Advice from the Trusted Publican

    "Gods dammit." I remarked loudly as I left the Sundial with a foul temper. Why now of all times did things have to change? Everything was going fine! I was learning how to defeat him and I was...


    Not getting anywhere.


    "To throw a man down a mountain..." I grumbled as I went off somewhere that at least looked quiet. Or, rather, a place that would at least be quiet enough for me to think. So, I brought myself up onto a nearby roof and I collapsed onto it. And I grumbled all the while.


    A claw was planted against my face and I thought it over. For five years I have been essentially trained by the monster himself in how to fight him. There has never been a night where I have come out on top, admittedly. Though, it was rather obvious and yet, despite that, it still came to the forefront of my mind.


    "Because I cannot escape the fact that all I have ever done is fail." I pointed out to myself drearily as I took my claw away from my face. Then, with a click of my tongue, I stood up once again.


    If what Inerish proposes can help me, shouldn''t I at least try to accept it? Our goals were the same, so it didn''t make much sense to be in a state of conflict with her. In fact, I really should''ve heard her out as much as possible. Clearly, there was something that I was missing.


    But then came the reminders of the contradictions I had spoken of came to the front of my mind. She and all of her resources had nothing to show for it. They were at this for years longer than I had been, and, again, nothing to show for it. With all of this in mind, what point was there in trying to work out something with them?


    "Gods dammit..." I sighed before I pulled out the communicator I had borrowed. I could make it clear to Inerish that I was willing to listen to what she had to say. But did I need a moment to consider it all? Maybe I just needed to get some proper rest.


    So I put the communicator away and figured out my position. And once I had ascertained where in the city I was, I started to move. Without wasting a moment, I shot into the air with the aid of my magic and breathed in as I passed through the suction of everyone else''s high above. Revitalised by it a little, I began to pick up the pace.


    The moments went by and the wind blew in my face. Then, letting go one final time, I landed in front of Liadanann''s shop. Initially, I looked at the shop and considered heading inside, but I did nothing. I just stood there and stared at the shop with a blank mind.


    "Nin! Oh, Nin!" a jolly man sang from the side of the road. I did not intend to initially go to him, but, as I wanted to clear my mind, I went over.


    "Up so early?" I asked as he turned around and brought me into his shop.


    "Of course, everyone loves a bit of Abbspri in the morning!" he chuckled as he pulled a cloth from his front pocket to wipe the tables with as he seemingly continued to put stalls and chairs down. At first, I just stood there, but following some friendly gestures from him, I at least helped bring the chairs down.


    "Even I can understand why." I told him as I clasped onto the legs of two stalls to bring them down. With a loud bang, they hit the floor, though, I did not slam them down intentionally.


    "Quite the bit of praise coming from you!" he happily accepted before a spare cloth was thrown my way.


    "I don''t work here." I reminded him after I caught it.


    "No, but I''m going to lose track of the tables you have done." he chuckled as he went through more of his singer''s pub to get it ready for the customers.


    "It can''t be that hard to recall some tables." I remarked as I retraced my steps, running a cloth along a table each time I went by one.


    "You''d be surprised at what you miss even after doing something for so long." he explained as he finished up on his side of the pub. And, unsurprisingly, I discovered that he had given me a greater amount to do.


    But, what he said interested me and my work came to a halt, "How can you miss something when you have done it for so long?"


    "You get used to things being a certain way, one slight change is all it takes for you to lose track of where you have gone wrong because everything else is going so well. At least, hopefully, it is." he explained with a smile as he heaved up the countertop and hooked it to the wall.


    "I see..." I muttered as I thought about what he had just said.


    Could I apply this to the past five years? It was one of the main reasons why Smiling Jhurack always seemed to get the jump on me, now that I considered it in this light. I understood what he could do, and I was capable of stopping him at times, some shorter than others. But, thinking about how my skills came about, and how he spoke to me, it just made sense.


    "Well, anyway, you are certainly talkative this morning." Abbspri pointed out as he started to prepare the bar for service. And, once again, I found myself roped into helping him.


    "The morning has been different from usual." I explained as I carefully used individual claws to clean out the glasses he sent my way. After a certain point, he switched it up and set me metal tankards and other thicker kinds of cups. He seemed to quite enjoy the awkward way I handled it.


    "Knowing you, this could mean anything."


    "Inerish, the Grand-Guard, she wanted to try and get involved with what I do at night." I explained as a claw began to tap rhythmically on the bar.


    "I take it you said no?" he guessed correctly.


    "Yes, I... I told her that I did not want her help, because they have done worse than I have."


    "Dropped your brain down the Spiral Road, Nin?" he asked as he leaned forward with a raised brow.


    "Not this day, not today." I told him, largely ignoring the well-meaning jab.


    "Help helps, Nin, you should take her up on her offer."


    "But they have failed at this for... How long? Thirty years if you take off my five?" I recalled to him, utterly confused as to why he would push me to go to them.


    "It is when we do badly that we learn to do better."


    "Thirty years is pushing it, seriously, Abbspri?" I let out in a rather exasperated manner.


    "That''s Publican Abbspri to you." he chuckled before the sound of sharp scrapes filled our ears. After a couple of pulling motions, he then presented his foam cutter to the open air and the lights of his establishment. He reflected an equally fine ray of light at me until I reacted.


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    "I''ll never get over how you need a sharp blade to cut the foam from your brews." I remarked as I recalled a time long gone.


    Back when I was a child, living in the middle sections of Tobaballe like all the other children. I remembered when my grandparents would take me to a restaurant not that far from their home. Granddad would take me to the bar, and I''d watch them cut the foam off his beer. It would force bubbles with it or it would leave them at the top of the glass, ready for his moustache.


    "Having trouble with things like that suits you." he commented as he made sure he had all the tools he would need for later.


    "So about the fools in the Sundial?" I grumbled as I brought us back on topic.


    "Go to them and accept their help." he told me without a moment''s delay.


    "Down the mountains and into the water with their history?"


    "Down the mountains and to the very depths of that water." he mostly repeated with a firm nod.


    "Abbspri..."


    "What''s on your mind, Nin?" he asked as he moved closer.


    "Do you think I can do this?" I asked him as my insecurities began to show through a quieter tone and slight quivers.


    "You know I trust in the fact you will save your bird."


    "No, do you think I can defeat him? Saving Lari is one thing, look, I know the two are linked in their entirety. I wouldn''t be able to pull one away without dragging the other with it... I just..."


    "Look up at me, Nin." he ordered softly as the rustle of a stone panel filled the air. Then, with a dull thud, he pushed a news tablet towards me. But, I ignored it and did as he asked.


    "Can I?"


    "You can, you hear? Yes, you can. You of all people should know that you can handle a bit of pressure."


    "Not having the backbone to hurry along to Undwote or Waionr is hardly being able to handle it." I mumbled as I turned away from the bar.


    "Nin, not many, very few people are able to keep going after something after having it spat back at them for so long. More so when you consider that this isn''t just the worries in your head." he explained as his eyes went forward a bit at the injuries that were still left all over me.


    "A bit of blood means nothing while Lari is losing so many precious moments." I darkly remarked.


    "Look, if one publican''s words mean nothing, then read that news tablet, at least the headline."


    "This is from Suhurlodst..." I commented as I saw how I was on the front page story. That interview exam had gotten a little out of hand if this is what was now happening. It was enough to even make me grumble with displeasure.


    "Even if you aren''t succeeding, people appreciate the effort."


    "Yeah, the person who spoke to me even asked to talk some more after the fact yesterday, though I suspect her reasoning for it goes beyond my nightly attempts at Smiling Jhurack."


    "Take her up on the offer, spend some time doing something else."


    "No, I need to prepare for him..."


    "You won''t need to prepare as much if you accept Grand-Guard Inerish''s offer, will ya?"


    "Fine, if it''ll get you off my backside." I let out as he began to laugh.


    "Oh, my front is too big for me to comfortably fit there." he chuckled just before a bell began to ring.


    "From the kitchen?"


    "Yes, baking some fresh bread for today''s breakfast period." he explained before he disappeared out back. And with that said, my stomach grumbled violently. Even with my efforts to replenish my magic on the way here with what Thrurstradtur took from everyone else, my stomach still demanded more. But, it did have a point, eating would help.


    "Has the work I''ve done been enough to justify a loaf of that bread?" I asked as I went around the bar and through its gate so I could reach the kitchen.


    "Oh, go on then. But, on one condition, you deliver something for me to that landlady of yours."


    "Liada? She''s my friend."


    "Could''ve fooled me." he commented as he hastily picked up a scorching hot loaf. The heat of the crust only helped him pass it over to me and he gestured over to a money sack as he flicked his hand rapidly.


    "You are placing an order?"


    "Yeah, she makes some lovely puddings." he explained as I pulled my mask up to crunch down on the bread.


    "Understandable." I said after I swallowed my first bite.


    "I''ll never trust you again now, eating before you did the task!" Abbspri dramatically joked as he made sure to sort out the rest of the bread properly this time around.


    "She''ll bring it around on her own?" I asked as I picked up the money.


    "No, I''ll pop over for it and leave the place to the merry band for a few." he explained as he started to pull out various kinds of fruit, veg and meat.


    "Alright, another time, then, Abbspri." I told him between bites and subsequent chewing as I departed.


    "Make sure to remember what I said!" he called out just as I left through the front door.


    "I''ll try." I muttered as I crossed the road towards Liadanann''s sit-in bakery. And when I got inside, I placed the money down by her register as I assumed she would need to log it.


    "Is that you, Nin?" a tired voice asked as other noises came from deeper inside.


    "Yes, it''s me." I answered as a claw found its way to the counter.


    "What''s that?" she asked after she made a point of averting her gaze on her way to the counter. I suppose that meant she didn''t like the blood. I couldn''t really blame her for that, but, I was not particularly bothered either way.


    "Abbspri asked me to bring it over for you."


    "I see..." she muttered quietly as she used her sharp nails to cut through the cloth and get to the contents of the bag. As the name of the bag implied and the jingle I heard on the way over, it was money. But there was also a note on top of it all which she wasted no time in reading.


    "I''ll be upstairs if you need me." I told her as I turned for the stairs. Yet, before I could leave the counter, her hand suddenly grasped my claw. So I looked back at her and waited for her to say something. But all she did was look at my claw quietly, her grip would tighten, but she was otherwise withheld.


    "Nevermind..." she eventually muttered as her grip loosened completely to the point her hand slid off.


    "Make sure to not work too hard, you look tired." I told her before I went on my way upstairs. At the halfway point, I pulled out the communicator and fiddled with it. And as I got upstairs, whimpering followed me up them. However, I kept my attention focused on the communicator and I went into my room.


    I closed the door behind me and then let out a long sigh as I started to undress. My mask hit the ground with a hollow thud and my hat floated down gently as it caught the possibly stale air. Like a combination of the two, my cloak then came off. With bandages exposed fully, I then began the process of taking them all off, hissing slightly as I went by the still-open wounds.


    "No, not this time." I told the draw that I kept my magic concentrate in. My magic was depleted, yes, but it wasn''t so bad that it necessitated such an extreme boost. I had time to just soak in what I could from the city around me, it would hurt a lot less, too! But the pain I was dealing with at the moment was getting to me, minor as it might''ve seemed, really.


    So I started to look around for a cloth and a half-used flask of magic concentrate. Once I found both, I opened up the flask and folded up the cloth, placing it on the mouth right after. With some reluctance, I stared at the metal container before I turned it over so it could soak into the cloth. I then kept my claw up with an increasingly firm grip before I turned it right back over.


    "Here we go..." I muttered anxiously as I applied the soaked cloth to the open wounds that I could see. With a wince each time, I slowly went across each of the wounds until I just had enough. I was nowhere near done, but I just couldn''t stomach much more of it at the moment. Winces had turned into withheld growling and I just needed a moment to get used to the burning.


    Trying to keep my attitude in check, I started to rapidly tap my foot again and again against the floorboards. And to make sure I didn''t squeeze the cloth dry in my attempts to manage the painful sensations, I put it down on my bedside table. A long blast of air soon left my mouth and nostrils and I reached for the cloth once more, though I came up short. More moments then passed by until I started to laugh at myself.


    "How is it I can even manage going night after night like this?" I asked myself after letting out a long sigh at the end of the laugh. It really did perplex me as I continued to show reluctance before that soaked cloth. Being cut up by that undulling sword every night should''ve established quite the tolerance for pain within me. But, no, all it took apparently to get me fed up with the sensation was some first aid.


    So, in an effort to distract myself, I started to fiddle with the communicator some more. Slowly and carefully, I set it up properly using the details I had been given years ago. In a few moments, a noise started to leave the small device and I waited for a response. As that happened, I considered some details that I wanted to talk about.


    "What is it, Dark Crow?" Inerish asked me mockingly.


    "Your offer from earlier, I want to talk to you about it." I told her as I brought my foot to a stop so it wouldn''t interfere with the call.


    "Come tell me in person." she offered as a smile most likely appeared on her face.


    "Grab an airship and meet me out by the Worm Rider''s farmstead when you can." I told her before I turned the device off. With a groan, I then walked over to my bed and collapsed onto it. She was probably going to be busy for the moment, so it was a good idea to catch up on my sleep.

 Incline 8: A Calmer Discussion

    "He''s coming now, you can see him in the sky." the Ibeneroccon pointed out through the window as I put down my teacup.


    "It''s about time he got here..." I commented with a scowl as I got up and grabbed my gear.


    "No duelling outside my house, please." the Worm Rider explained as he just so happened to pass by his spear.


    "I''ll try not to, but, thank you for the hospitality, it is appreciated." I told him as I left his home. Then, having crossed my arms I was ready to greet Nin as he walked up to the perimeter of the building.


    "Did you just get here?" he asked after hopping the fence.


    "No." I firmly answered as I approached him.


    "Alright, let''s get to the point, then. Your suggestion from this morning." he said as I positioned my rear on a wooden post after I passed him.


    "The great and victorious Dark Crow will give this failure the time of day? Well, ain''t that something." I let out as I uncrossed my arms and spread them out along the wooden beams.


    "If you can help then I am willing to hear you out." he told me as he looked towards the nearby house.


    "As I was saying earlier, we have access to a far greater field of view than you could ever hope to achieve. If you let us give you the right equipment, we can potentially beat him."


    "Potentially." he focused in on pointlessly.


    "Neither of us can promise certainty, so do not even." I firmly stated to him as I leaned forward slightly.


    "With your help, I can do this...?" he asked slowly with a surprising lack of confidence.


    "We would have a better chance trying something together than we ever could have on our own." I explained to him as I moved to stand up.


    "How would we do this, exactly?" he asked and in response, I initially looked his attire over and pondered if adjustments could be made to it. A wonderful thing about technology, after all, is that it was easily applied when the resources were present.


    "We would need your clothes for a short period, then the relevant departments could come up with something that fits the criteria."


    "Suhurlodst is right over there, wouldn''t it make sense to do it over there as we know Smiling Jhurack is rather... Everywhere?" Nin pointed out as I turned my gaze to the vast, famous academy right at my jurisdictions doorstep.


    "I will need to ask for their help specifically as they are an organisation independent of my authority."


    "You control the security of this mountain as far down as the start of the road up here and you can''t just make them?" he questioned as I shook my head.


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    "It doesn''t matter, I doubt they are going to say no."


    "I was not exactly popular over there." he reminded me.


    "I know, it did come to me as a surprise some time ago when I found out you enrolled into the academy." I told him as a smirk started to grow.


    "Yes, I can say without a doubt that it was surprising for everyone... Especially me." he explained with a clear sense of gratitude.


    "Well, you have just brought up a valid point. The Clockwork Council has never let me live down the fact Smiling Jhurack broke into the Sundial to set the terms for these last five years." I told him as I looked back at my workplace. Hiding throughout the city was one thing, a complicated and utterly shocking one at that, but, breaking into the Sundial, was something else entirely.


    "We should get moving, then, you have until nightfall before I am occupied."


    "I can''t just rush something like this, Nin, it will need to be done officially."


    "So there is little point in lingering here to talk?"


    "You asked me out here to talk." I reminded him as I turned my attention his way.


    "And now you know that I am willing to accept your help and we have established how."


    "Slow down before you trip and fall." I told him as I put an arm out to stop him from buzzing off to waste time training.


    "There is nothing more to talk about."


    "No, there is, in fact, significantly more to talk about now that you are willing to accept our help."


    "Whatever it is, it can wait."


    "Your tight schedule makes it the exact opposite, now, stop trying to go off and break your body before the part it is supposed to be as ready as it can be!"


    "Alter my attire to fit in some equipment, we''ve been over this."


    "Yes, but you also need to be aware that we have security forces on the ground and in the air that you can and should be working with."


    "Of course, how could I have never noticed..." he remarked sarcastically.


    "Do not act like I am treating you like you are stupid, Dark Crow. Your narrow-minded, self-determining way of things needs to come to an end. Working together means what it implies, it does not mean that my forces are just there for you to look at in the build-up to the upcoming night!"


    "Your men cannot fight him." he told me before he emphasised his point by suddenly striking out at me. I was barely able to react to it, but I managed to get my sheathed sword up to block his blow.


    "Their job isn''t to fight him, that is yours, theirs is to help you keep an eye on him and assist you!"


    "If they cannot fight then they are just in the way!" he snapped just before a spear was abruptly lodged into the ground between us.


    "No duelling." the Worm Rider reminded us as the magic from his spear flowed out to soak the ground.


    "Then think about it another way, Dark Crow, what involves someone watching and helping but not interfering? He even refers to you in such a context!"


    "Do not reference that nickname..." he growled as he leaned over the diagonally upright spear.


    "It''s not just a nickname, it may be a hint as to what to expect from him." I explained despite how difficult he was being.


    "We are not performers..." he spat before he twisted around harshly.


    "Smiling Jhurack first and foremost is a performer, Nin." I pointed out to him calmly.


    "Yes... I know."


    "Every performance has an audience, with some even being dictated by the audience."


    "You would compare my efforts to save the woman I love to a pantomime!?" he growled as his claws snapped onto the seemingly invincible spear.


    "I would compare it to a dance that seeks to captivate its audience, something you have neglected."


    "This is stupid... Asinine!" he spat out at me as his beak got close to my face.


    "Talent does not develop without retrospection, Nin. Something that is often better off with a second opinion."


    "Fine." he snorted in a gruff manner as he pulled the spear out of the earth. Then, with a distinct limp, he dragged the deceptively heavy weapon away towards its owner.


    "Much as it fills me with joy seeing you fail and experience difficulty, we share the same goal." I admitted to myself quietly before I pulled out a communicator so I could call in an airship and get started with what I needed to do.

 Incline 9: A Change in Plans

    "Try to be aware of it all..." I mumbled as I looked up at a passing airship. Despite earlier talks, however, it did not linger near me, it just kept on flying along the route it was on. It annoyed me slightly, as it ran contradictory to what I had been talking to Inerish about. Giving them the benefit of the doubt didn''t strike me as reasonable either, with how eager she was, I expected something ready now.


    Unless it all hinged on what she wanted to do to my attire? But, if that was the case, then I was just going into the night distracted. I have been forewarned to consider something that is not ready but I have to keep fighting like I always do until that time comes. It made me uncertain, and it was right as the night came upon us all.


    "Well, aren''t you jittery tonight, Dance Partner?" the monster cackled as he faded into existence on my right.


    "Worries are always strongest before the event, and now, I have no time to be worried!" I told him before I lashed out at him with an overhead swing from my left.


    He laughed and disappeared, "So you say."


    Reacting to his reappearance, I twisted about and caught his blade within the confines of my shell-covered claw. Growling as I did so, I forced my way towards him and swung my free claw downwards. But his awkward posture was deceptive and he loosened his sword grip and slipped away with a cackle. Leaving his blade in my grasp was a mistake, and I intended to punish him for it.


    So I tossed it aside gleefully and dashed towards him. My fists met his gloved palms and I forced him away some more, only for him to taunt me as he found himself against the building''s edge. I gave him little time to show a lack of sincerity and I was quickly upon him once more with my foot driving through the parapet instead of him. And whilst the momentum flowed through me, he leapt up and threw me off balance, driving me onto the floor right after.


    "You are distracted, you are putting on a facade of effort!" he explained with a grin as his blade inexplicitly found its way near my neck.


    Roaring up at him through my mask, I grabbed onto his hideous face and forced him towards the ground. Having flipped myself over with the force of my move, I drove a fist down at him and the rooftop exploded. In the confusion of our sudden fall, he then freed himself and slashed his blade up along my chest as he leapt away. With another roar, I burst through the shower of debris and slipped along the floor as I registered the slash.


    Driving my hand onto the ground, I stopped myself from going any further and looked up just in time to watch as he thrust his sword. Moving upwards along his left side, I caught the blade along my left side and viced his head with my own left side. His head was now still and my right fist swung around and impacted his jawline with desirable results.


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    It even left me grinning as I watched him twirl away in the air, though it quickly vanished when he gracefully landed. Having wiped away what must''ve been blood from the edge of his mouth, he dug his feet in. He presented the tip of his blade ahead of his slimmed posture and he placed his free hand into the air above. He was going to force me onto that blade whether I tried to avoid it or not, so, I obliged him.


    With the magic built up in my legs, I went at him with an explosive burst of force. Though I impaled myself on the thin blade, I had broken through his guard. And as I gnashed away like a wild animal, I reached for his face and I put my thumb-claws into his mouth. Through the gap in his cheeks, I lodged them between his chattering teeth and I bent them inwards!


    "Thish ish nyot it!" he let out as he vanished right before me, but the sound of pierced glass ahead alerted me to his position.


    "STOP RUNNING YOU COWARD!" I roared in anger as he howled with joy from the other side of the cracking glass he was slowly sliding down. So I scrambled to my feet and reached out for him once again, just barely missing him as he increased the pressure on his blade. Twisting about too slowly, I found myself beholden to a view dominated by shattering glass. A projectile with a hideous grin quickly pierced me and I cried as the force snapped me out of my descent and forced me into another.


    Building after building went by as a destructive chorus of rended metal and shattered brick stuffed itself into my ears. Yet, all throughout it, I could still hear his laughter, his cackling, it dominated the soundscape even outside of the gap between collisions. It all then came to a halt as we landed for a brief moment on a road before it all just jolted higher. From outside the crater, screams resounded about as a foot suddenly twisted my gaze towards the exposed gravel.


    "Dance Partner, I understand I am the lead in this, but would it hurt for you to show some initiative?" he complained as he pulled his sword out of me in an upwards manner.


    And I roared some more as I felt the wound grow in such a swift manner.


    "Here, let me take this off, it sounds like you are growling," he said as he snapped my mask off, "oh, you are!" he laughed right after.


    "Bastard..." I growled as he steadily reversed the damage with every backward step he took.


    "Dance Partner, come, come, show me what you can do in the lead." he encouraged me to do as his blade cast a shower of sparks at me with every sweeping swipe he performed.


    "It''ll put you so far underground that I''ll spend years digging myself back up!" I told him just as several orbs of wavy, glowing, golden energy suddenly went for him. But with quick reflexes and a blade that cast a coloured shadow behind it, they all burst harmlessly.


    "Oh... Thrurstradtur''s finest want to be involved with me again. Well, I must admit, this is taking me back. Does it do the same for you as well, Dance Partner?" Smiling Jhurack reminisced as the burst of light disappeared into the darkness of the night and the street lights.


    "Do not take that focus from me!" I snapped as I charged him once more, swerving about as to direct him towards the back alley he had his back to!

 Incline 10: That Piece You have been Working On

    "Welcome, would you like any assis-" the young man attending to the hotel''s entrance asked as I stumbled inside.


    "You can get out of my way..." I told him as I left a trail of blood behind me.


    "Cleaner! Cleaner!" they repeated again and again as I journeyed to and waited for a lift. And as soon as one of the lift doors opened, I forced my way into it and fell against its interior wall.


    "Dammit..." I hissed as I kept myself upright with the bars that lined the walls. Awkwardly, I reached for the buttons on the panel and I impatiently pressed them, nearly breaking it in the process. Then, when a moment of privacy came after the doors closed, I looked at my blood-covered palm. The yellow goop that stained it made me angry, but I was in no position to do anything about it right now.


    So I just waited where I was as the lift went up, though, the fact it kept stopping only added to my frustrations. Thankfully, a blood-covered osibindah still made people back off when they saw it. Now if only the rest of the floors knew what was inside this lift, then they would stop pressing that damn button! Larishazza wasn''t going anywhere, I understood that, but it changed nothing.


    "I swear I''ll..." I began to swear before I realised that it was the final floor that I had just arrived at. Still having anger within me, however, I made a point of chittering as loud as I could on my way to the stairs at the end of the brief hallway. I didn''t want any more people getting in my way using my osibindah features to put on a display helped. It didn''t matter if I resented what I was doing, I just wanted to go and see her already.


    Then, after struggling to go up the private staircase, I stumbled out into the finely carpeted hallways of the VIP floor. Various hired hands looked at me cautiously and many of the more uptight, pampered ones even made vocal complaints about it. But I went on and ignored them, and when it came to the cockier ones, I just barged past them with a firm shoulder. Some, on the other hand, demanded a more thorough reaction and I was more than happy to give it to them.


    "Back off." I warned one of the witch bodyguards as she flexed her magic about the hallway after she had been rebuffed.


    "Or what, Monster?" she asked with a huff as I kept my back to her, yet, as I did so, I took off my mask.


    "Do you want to find out?" I asked her in turn as I growled up in her face. With my magic having formed a mane of power around it just to give it that extra oomph.


    "Freak..." she rather weakly remarked as she backed off.


    "Weakling." I snorted before I hurried along to Larishazza''s room. With a sloppy grip, I then opened the door and collapsed on the floor after opening it. Down there, I laid still for a few moments as I tried to build up something resembling the energy to move once again. And with weak, shaky arms, I pushed myself back up to my feet as my ears started to pick up the sound of the machines.


    It broke my heart to hear it, that same tune every time I came here, that same, unchanging beat of her heart. I couldn''t even deceive myself into thinking that she was slowly waking up as I walked up to her. Because when I got there, it was the same as every other day and she was as still as she ever could be. It made my eyes water and my throat tremble anxiously.


    "You shouldn''t be like this, Lari..." I tearfully commented as I started to undress, but I did not go through the effort to do anything with my bandages. Instead, I just stood there once the loose stuff was off, and I quietly watched the monitors beep and record. Yet as I couldn''t take it, I slowly hobbled off towards the mostly unused table in the middle of the grand apartment. On it was a piece of paper that I had been writing stuff on, and I have not been very mindful of it as of late.


    It was meant to be a songsheet, but it might as well have just been a sheet of crude scribbles. It wasn''t my idea, it was a suggestion from Lari''s upstairs neighbour, and I don''t understand why I started doing it. It doesn''t make me feel any better about my situation and it doesn''t help me end this nightmare. So why I kept going back to it, I did not know, but here I was, preparing to add to it once again.


    "Okay, write it honestly and it will come out good." I recited as I pulled out another sheet covered in musical symbols. I had trouble remembering them, even after all these years, so this sheet was very helpful whenever I did start to add to it like I was now. So, slowly and awkwardly, I started to add to the piece I had been writing despite the pain I felt throughout my body. But I was never sure about anything I added to it yet I also couldn''t bring myself to take away from it.


    It was hard to focus on it as well, with all the beeps and whirs going on behind me and the noise from beyond the open door... It was funny, really, I could hunt that killer with such dedication each night but just getting out my feelings was a horridly slow affair. I was slow and tedious and easily distracted, though, admittedly, it was my own fault for allowing the distractions to be here. I could have closed the door or turned the volume down, but no, I didn''t do a thing about it.


    I wanted to focus but I made no effort to solve it, it would''ve made me chuckle if it was any other time...


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    "Who''s there?" I asked when I heard someone come in through the front door unannounced.


    "It''s me, Nin, Jhurghdak." the famed musician answered as he hobbled into the room.


    "Why are you here?" I asked as I put down my tools.


    "I heard and felt commotion down a floor, and I assumed it was you. So I popped down to pay you two a visit." he answered as he made himself at home on one of the gilded recliners.


    "Well, Lari and I are about the same as every other time you have come here." I explained to him frustratedly. Then, in a brief bout of annoyance, I threw something away and let it snap on the finely polished, stone floor on the other side of the apartment.


    "I see, well, has there been anything else?" he asked before he used his magic to snatch up my music sheet.


    "What have I told you abo-" I started to say before a piece of furniture from somewhere else in the apartment stopped me.


    "It''s good, very good." he commented before he returned it to me, and, once it was within reach, I snatched it up.


    "Cease it with the buttery remarks." I told him as I sat back down to do nothing with it once again.


    "You would think praise from one such as I would be viewed as something other than buttering." he said as he tapped his walking cane.


    "I don''t need your praise, I don''t need it." I say back to him before I rubbed my face with a tired claw.


    "Then how about I prove it to you?" he offered as the tapping stopped.


    "Prove it to me, how?"


    "I could do with a challenge, so, tonight, come to my performance. I shall end it on this piece, anonymously if you don''t want public credit." he explained but there was already one slight problem with his proposal... It happened at night.


    "No." I firmly answered as I gazed outside to watch as the morning came on through properly.


    "Why not?" he asked me, and I found it infuriatingly stupid.


    "Have you lost some of your brain since we last spoke!?" I hissed as a fist formed and in response, he raised a palm before his walking cane was pointed upwards.


    "Ask yourself that, instead. Remember, Nin, he torments both of us." he rightly explained as I calmed down.


    "You think he will delay his arrival just to interrupt your performance should I come?"


    "He loves taking you to the site where it all began on the nights I perform, does he not?"


    "He does."


    "Besides, Nin, you might as well just be there from the get-go, no running, he''ll be right there."


    "I guess..." I muttered as I dropped back onto the sofa.


    "So, again, will you let me perform your piece tonight?" he requested once again.


    "Fine, take it, take it and make a fool of me."


    "I don''t think I will." he explained as he summoned forth the tools I physically struggled to use so he could tidy the sheet up.


    "When does your performance start, exactly?"


    "Tonight." he answered rather uselessly.


    "Guess I will keep a lookout for the excited, cheering crowds, then." I muttered as I walked off to the kitchen to prepare something.


    "A hard drink, if you''d please." he called out as I rummaged through the rather pointlessly well-stocked fridges and cupboards.


    "The barrel liqueurs are closer to you than they are to me you blighted-liver-carrying alcoholic." I told him as I crudely assembled a collection of sandwiches to sink my teeth into.


    "Not an alcoholic, just someone who needs a relaxant to work." he joked as I sensed his magic fill the room once again.


    "Lazy and useless cripple." I remarked under my breath before a small collection of ice cubes knocked my head on the way by. And rather than being annoyed by it, I just bit into my first sandwich instead with delightful glee. Food always tasted so good after a long night of being bled dry by that slippery, laughing bastard. Especially the ones that involved lots of meat and fresh fruit and vegetables.


    The leftover magic was always strongest in such meals and my body greatly appreciated it. Yet, to its disappointment, I could only eat so much in one sitting, even with my larger-than-usual frame. But, as it was the morning, I made a point of setting aside at least one of the sandwich halves for my guest if he wanted it. Yet, with that alcohol he was sipping on, I doubted he''d be able to even taste the food properly.


    "Sandwich?" I offered pointlessly as he was too engrossed in that piece I had been working on. And with how focused he was on it, I couldn''t help but feel like he was confused. I have been working on it for years, so I guess it made sense as to why he would be. The inconsistencies alone in the quality would be jarring as he went through it.


    "It''s quite a... Sad song." he remarked as he put it all down for a moment.


    "For five years I have been going out to fight a killer who struck down the woman I love, of course, it is going to be sad."


    "I know, I know... I just mean it''s a lot rawer than I thought it would''ve been."


    "What does that even mean?"


    "It''s hard to explain, but, tonight, I think I should be able to make a clearer point of it."


    "If you spend that long thinking of an answer it won''t even matter because I would have forgotten this whole conversation."


    "I doubt you will have, something like this is not something people just let slip their minds." he explained just as he took another sip from the magic-rich liquid. And seeing it, I couldn''t help but lick my lips just because it would help a lot right now, it really would. But at the same time, it was still booze, and I wasn''t interested in drinking my problems away, even if it was literal for once.


    "When I have more to focus on than that, yeah, it does tend to slip my mind." I pointed out to him as I finished off my food before I then got up.


    "Take the day off, rest a little." he told me as he worked.


    "I can''t just stop."


    "You won''t miss out on anything taking it easy for one day, Nin, besides, it gives you time to build up energy for the performance. I want you to not be so tired that you cannot even pay attention."


    "And why should I even take this to heart, like, at all? My goal is-"


    "Smiling Jhurack." he finished for me.


    "So...?"


    "Take the day off." he repeated the tool he held up with his magic suddenly scribbled away.


    And, with a sigh, I relented, "Fine."


    "I''ll tell the theatre staff ahead of time that you will be attending, so don''t worry about having to sneak in or gods forbid, force your way in."


    "Duly noted, I''ll be heading off, then." I told him as I went over and picked up my cloak, mask and hat off of the ground.


    "Take care, Nin, and I mean it, rest." he firmly told me before he took the sandwich half I had left him.


    "And you can stop resting, for once." I softly told Lari in turn before I got dressed. Quietly, I then left the apartment through the open door and closed it.

 Incline 11: Workshop Visit

    "Hey, Nin, I''m just heading over now." Seigunfrei told me as I passed by him on the way to Suhurlodst.


    "I''m not doing that today." I told him as I kept on walking, much to his confusion.


    "Huh, wait, why?"


    "Do I look like I am in a state to do any kind of combat training?"


    "That honestly hasn''t stopped you at all before." he pointed out, clearly flabbergasted by my words.


    "It is now, for today at the very least." I told him as I came to a stop before Suhurlodst''s entrance.


    "So, what are you up to right now, then? It is odd for you to come out this far as well."


    "I am looking for something else to do with my day, so, I can either chase up what Inerish wanted to do or I can find that girl who interviewed me." I explained to him as I crossed my arms and contemplated how I would do this.


    "One takes you somewhere, the other is a person."


    "Finding one is easier than the other." I finished off as I unfolded my arms before I went off aimlessly.


    "So what is it Grand-Guard Inerish wanted?"


    "She was going on about integrating supporting technologies into my attire."


    "Where, exactly? The only remotely stable thing about your clothes is the mask."


    "I have my vest."


    "Which you never wear anymore."


    "I can still go and recover it for the purposes of what she wants to do with me."


    "Do that later, there''s enough walking already just heading on over to Mechanical House." he explained before he made a point of guiding me down the right pathway.


    "A world into and of itself." I remarked as I looked around at the grounds I once walked regularly. There was some nostalgia to it all, but it also felt alien because of how little time I have spent here since leaving.


    "So are you doing alright, Nin?"


    "I am doing as well as I normally am, Seigunfrei." I told him as I glanced up at the few students who could fly.


    "You sure? This is very different for you." he pointed out to which I sighed.


    "Is it worth it?" I asked him as I looked over in the direction Oddity House should have been.


    "What is?"


    "Going out every night, trying to save her." I clarified to him as images of her bloodied face flashed before me, I could never forget that night, even if I tried.


    "Why wouldn''t it be?"


    And I came to a stop, "I haven''t thought about it much, but, since the interview a few days ago, things have been different. Or rather, I am paying more attention to what has changed around me?"


    "About how everyone from your dorm is now no longer around?"


    "Yeah, when I save her, if I save her. She''ll be completely confused, and soon, she realise it was because of me that everyone vanished."


    "I don''t believe that for a second."


    "Do you remember a few years ago, when the newstablets were covered in a story about a fight outside the walls, one lightning user and me?"


    "Yes, I remember. It was Einervaene and that was the thing that broke her, I believe as she left not long after."


    "Yes, it was that night, day, whatever. I let it fall to the back of my mind, really, but, when that tablet came from Suhurlodst back on the day of that interview... The tablet that told me about how they were emptying out the dorm. It made me come to terms with how everything has changed, even if I didn''t give it much thought even back then."


    "So why does it bother you now?"


    "Because since that interview, the past few days have been strange. I am talking to people more than normal and my mind is becoming distracted from my goal."


    "You''ve been at it for five years, Nin, you''re bound to have lapses in your focus." he reminded me as he played around with the towel he had intended to use during breaks as we trained.


    "But why now? All I did was head out to pick up one thing and everything is just, different all of a sudden."


    "Think of it like this, then, Nin," he started to say before he pondered it a little, "you have been running very fast, it is hard to get your attention as you run so fast. But, now, you''ve slowed down and everything that has been following you has suddenly overtaken you and got in the way."


    "Strange analogy." I commented as I looked around Mechanical House as we stepped into its confines. It was quite a shift due to the magic barrier around it, all these familiar smells and noises, it was all locked up in here.


    "As long as you get it, that''s all that matters, Nin."


    "Okay, sure, so, where would I go here to find the person Inerish would most likely speak to?" I asked so we could change the subject.


    "Well, being the Grand-Guard, she will probably speak to the Head of Mechanical House about what she needs doing and then he''ll probably handle it himself. I doubt he''ll let a student potentially interfere with a request from Thrurstradtur''s head of security."


    "This is me we are talking about."


    "Nin, calm down, those days are long gone."


    "Are they?" I asked him as I glanced around at the cautious students as they stopped in their tracks or hurried along to get away.


    "You do have a reputation for something other than being an osibindah now, Nin." he pointed out as he sent weak gusts of magic to get the idle ones to hurry along. Much to their expressed annoyance, but Seigunfrei didn''t really care.


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    "Forgive me for thinking that feature of me still persists as the main cause of it all." I remarked as I remembered the stumbling about I did back in the hotel. It was enough to scare them then, it would be enough to scare them now.


    "Regardless, nothing is going to happen, Nin, you''ll be able to ask the Head of Mechanical House what you need to and then Grand-Guard Inerish will fill you in when she gets somewhere with it."


    "Would you honestly say I need this kind of help?" I asked him as I considered the conversations that led me to accept the help.


    "Well, you are five years in with no success." he answered rather knowingly if I went by his smile as I snarled at him.


    "Don''t make me go back on my claim." I told him as I knocked a fist gently near his head.


    "Honestly? I am more so surprised you haven''t gotten anywhere with it. It''s hard to surprise you, it really is, even rarer, are matches I can say that I have won. At least nowadays, I prefer the times when this all started, I won so much."


    "But I should still accept the help?"


    "Without a doubt, Nin, because even with a worm rider of all things helping you, a worm rider! We have not exactly gotten anywhere with it..."


    And I sighed once again, "With how powerful Smiling Jhurack is, it makes me wonder why he just... Torments me the way he does. I thought someone as strong as that would be out fighting dragons or something, or they''d have a go in the Tournament of Talent!"


    "The Tournament of Talent has quite a high bar for entry, strange as it seems, you do need to be stronger than or capable of beating a dragon emperor. It would not surprise me if it turned out that he fell short of that entry requirement."


    "I know, met the upper echelons of it once." I reminded him.


    "Sure you did." he commented as a result of his disbelief.


    "If you want to study meticulously as to how I became an osibindah, feel free. You won''t find a reason for it anywhere on this planet." I rather confidently answered back.


    "Yeah, yeah, whatever, let''s just find this workshop." he told me as he relented on the topic.


    "I think we found it, then." I pointed out as we came across a rather ornate-looking building that stood out quite a bit from everything else. To my delight as well, it was quite noisy by the sounds of it so that only had good implications for what I wanted to do today.


    "Maybe it''ll smell better inside." Seigunfrei complained as he waved his hand.


    "It''s a nostalgic smell." I said even if what it made me remember wasn''t exactly the happiest time of my life. I wasn''t really sure what to think of my time as a Tobaballian really, well, I never stopped being one, anyway. But, even now, long after the city was destroyed by that wyvern, I missed it if only because it was my home.


    "Yeah, whatever, just get inside before I fall over dead from these noxious fumes."


    "These are quite clean." I nearly chuckled as we entered the bangful workshop. Machines were alive everywhere within the vast building and lighting crackled across the golden decorations high above. Like the god it was all built to honour, thunder dominated the atmosphere of the place and I couldn''t help but appreciate it.


    I may have only been a wall-engraver, a mere metal-working artisan of the lowest kind. But, this was my history, that of a craftsman who tried his best to rise up in life. Quite literally, as well.


    "Why are you here!?" a voice boomed out to us as the workshop suddenly fell silent, much to my disappointment.


    "I came to ask you some questions regarding Grand-Guard Inerish." I started off with after I had run a claw along some of the finished pieces this man had decorated his workshop with. And, to my surprise, one of them was the suit of armour Liada had made for the Inter-House years ago.


    "I''m a simple blacksmith, I can''t help you there." the giant of a man answered as the water he used to wash his blackened hands with exploded into steam.


    "Simple is one way to put it..." Seigunfrei remarked as he quietly lost himself in the vast collection of weapons, tools, suits of armour and even vehicles.


    "Inerish told me recently she would be coming to Suhurlodst to arrange for a way to... Help me deal with Smiling Jhurack." I explained, though, I slowed down when I had to admit that I needed help.


    "So I''ve heard."


    "Then you have been thinking of some ideas?" I asked as I tried to take some comfort in how active his mind surely must''ve been. And even if this was mostly just what students had made, it still meant something good.


    "I jotted down some concepts but I have not begun working on them." he clarified with a very slight shrug.


    "May I see them, then?" I asked as I stepped closer to the almost brick-skinned man.


    "You are the recipient, so, you might as well." he answered as he began to walk.


    "So, why is Liada''s armour here?" I decided to ask him as we walked towards what seemed to be a small office.


    "Liada?"


    "Red woman with big tail, about my size."


    "Ah, former Student Liadanann."


    "She runs a bakery now."


    "So I have heard, made from an old blacksmithy as well." he said bemusedly.


    "Yes, but, again, her armour?"


    "She left it in my care as she could see no further use for it."


    "Hm, I see."


    "I can be more thorough about what she told me?"


    "No, knowing what I do now is enough." I told him as we went into the office. From a large, dangling rack, he then pulled out a wide sheet of stone and carefully set it into a frame of some kind.


    "News articles?" I questioned as I saw the section he had labelled as ''References.''


    "I do not have the means to contact you, so, I am using media outlets to fill in."


    "I assume Inerish would''ve probably sent me your way at some point."


    "Most likely, but, these are all just initial concepts, spur-of-the-moment ideas."


    "I have a vest of sorts that can be used if you''d like that so you have more room?" I explained to him as I briefly looked over all the concepts he had drawn which had gone a bit all over the place. It reminded me a lot of seeing what Einervaene drew up in her spare time as she had lots of strange and creative ideas.


    "Making something from scratch will probably be best."


    "I don''t need armour, just something that lets me communicate with Inerish''s staff and their equipment." I clarified as I took off my hat and mask after having seen how many ideas involved them.


    "A simple headset that can somehow account for all of that information..." he pondered thoughtfully as he twisted and turned the mask about.


    "Alterations to the glass lenses, maybe?" I proposed after I had looked at some of the other pieces of concept art he had stored about the workshop.


    "I would need to take out the whole area where they are socketed and replace them with something else." he explained as one of his fingers traced a rough outline.


    "You could probably get away with adjusting the straps on it as well by replacing them with other magic circuits to help spread the load." I suggested as I tried to apply my limited electrical experience to the potential final product.


    "That would work, yes, but you would be exposed to flowing magic."


    "If it is not as strong as me or near it then it will not even be noticeable after a while."


    "Your own magic can interfere."


    "Protecting against an aura and the flow of external-magic is standard, no?"


    "I am more concerned about spells as it is when it is all concentrated that issues arise."


    And I shook my head, "I have no spells which focus around my neck or head. At worst, you can expect a headbutt to come from me up here."


    "I doubt comfort is something you have in mind?"


    "As you might be able to tell, I can tolerate some mild discomfort." I explained as I made sure my slash-covered body was in clear view of his gaze.


    "I see, so, you are satisfied with what has been discussed thus far?"


    "As long as it gets the job done and doesn''t get in my way."


    "That should be easy enough, I will pass it onto Grand-Guard Inerish should she follow up in coming here." he told me as he put the concept slab back on the rack.


    "I''ve no doubt that she will be coming back here for safety reasons."


    "By the way, do you happen to see Baker Liadanann often?" he asked as he started to rummage through some potently guarded chests.


    "I rent a room on the second floor of her shop, why?"


    "Will you be able to pass this on to her at some point? She forgot about it the last time she was here." he asked of me as he passed me over a familiar talisman.


    "This is..." I uttered quietly as I held the holy artefact securely in my grasp.


    "Tell her to also use more citrus fruit in her cakes." he rather happily commented before he went back out onto the floor to carry on working. And, as he had left my mask on a desk, I picked it back up and held onto it.


    "Hm, guess I have an idea of where I can take Lorreabry for that talk, then." I muttered as I went back out to Seigunfrei as he finished looking over something large and copper-covered.


    "That was quick."


    "Turns out not much really needs to be done, everything else now relies on what Inerish gets up to." I explained before I put on my mask once again.


    "So off to find..."


    "Lorreabry, the girl who I did that interview with."


    "We can ask around Traditional House, I''ve not seen her around Exceptional House, so that is most likely where she has ended up."


    "Whatever leads me to her." I remarked as I opened the door so we could leave.

 Incline 12: The Bakery

    "So you said you wanted to talk again, Lorreabry?" I asked the blonde girl after we had suddenly approached her.


    "N-Now? It''s a bit sudden..." she questioned as she looked back at the group whose conversation I had interrupted.


    "This is your only opportunity." I told her so she clearly understood the limits of my patience.


    "Right, uh, sorry you lot, I''ll be back later!" she told her team or friends as she suddenly got up with some items and joined us.


    "So now what?" Seigunfrei asked as he glanced up at me.


    "We get to Liada''s bakery and have something there, it gives us something to do and I can go on out when I need to." I explained to the pair as we headed for Suhurlodst''s exit.


    "So, Lorreabry, you fitting in alright?" Seigunfrei asked her as we went under the grand arch I once climbed up on to taunt from. It was a joyous, happy memory for me even if I did get shot at when it happened. But, finding out you were going to not be executed certainly had a way of making one ignore the bad things about life.


    "Yes, everyone has been very helpful and very interested in speaking to me! But, I suppose I have you to thank for that amongst other things, don''t I, Dark Crow?" she answered before she sent a sweet smile my way.


    "Amongst other things?" Seigunfrei picked up on and I had to admit, it made me curious as well. If only because she was speaking to me with a degree of familiarity even back during the exam. Or, maybe, that was just a facade of professionalism she needed for her desired job.


    "Well, I think I brought it up somewhat, but... I have been really wanting to thank you for what you did for me a year ago."


    "A year ago?" I questioned as I stopped to look back at her.


    "Y-You... You saved my life when I was kidnapped by..." she nervously admitted as she began to shake a little.


    "It was just a job, don''t think too much of it." I told her as I started walking again.


    "You might not think much of it, Dark Crow, but... For me, it was a chance for me to see my family again. I was able to live because of you, you saved my life!" she went on before she reiterated her initial answer.


    "You should cherish those moments as much as you can, then." I explained to her as I looked down with hidden misery. My family was gone and so was my home, the people I thought could fill in for my lost family were also gone too. Some were still around, but even Liada seemed to be struggling to handle what I have been doing these past few years.


    And, strange as it was, I feel like I would be happy if she left as well... One less person to hold me back, I could focus purely on that monster. No more odd jobs for rent and risking the chance that I might miss getting back in time. Just me and him, my righteous fury and his hideous smile.


    "I have, and I wanted to thank you as much as I could for that opportunity."


    "Wow, cold and callous Nin has got himself a fan!" Seigunfrei chuckled, much to Lorreabry''s continued embarrassment.


    "I can understand being thankful, but it was just a job." I repeated as her reaction seemed to be a little potent for what it was.


    "No one accepted the job listing my father posted... He begged everyone all day and night for someone to help... But he couldn''t offer much because taxes and bills just got called in and..." she started to tearfully let out as she explained further.


    "I didn''t accept the job because I felt moved by his plight."


    "You still accepted it! You still accepted a job from a man who had nothing to save a girl who mostly meant nothing..."


    "Nin, maybe try and ease up a little here." Seigunfrei cautioned as he tried to comfort her.


    "Even if you can''t see it that way or accept it that way... I just wanted to let you know, Dark Crow, that, no matter what others say, you are still my family''s hero, my hero!" she loudly declared and I came to a stop once again when she let out that final word.


    "Hero?" I repeated as the word bounced around my mouth awkwardly. It was strange to hear such a term, more so since it was directed at me, someone who has only ever been known as a monster.


    "Yes, you are my hero. The man who came in and saved my life when no one else would." she told me with a sniffle at the end before she tried to compose herself.


    "I don''t think he knows how to take that." Seigunfrei remarked towards her as I stewed away in silence.


    "No, no I don''t." I confirmed before I pulled back my arm all of a sudden and launched off towards the walls of the city. With a sudden bang, I hit the metal-covered battlements and I stayed up there so I could enjoy the solitude.


    Hero, Champion... Friend.


    "Why do I struggle with this?" I asked myself before I heaved up onto the wall so I could perch from it. And as the other two tried to catch up with Seigunfrei''s magical power, I pondered to myself. Once again, I was referred to in a heroic manner, but, I had trouble accepting the claim to fame. But, this time, it wasn''t because I contended why, it was just because I couldn''t see myself as such.


    I have tried so hard for five years to save the greatest friend I have ever had and I have gotten nowhere. Every day I trained and fought to get better so I could go into the next night to try and save her from him. But I failed, every night I failed, and I would fail again this night when the moment came, it has been pointless. I wasn''t getting anywhere no matter how hard I tried...


    No matter how often I was presented with a chance to learn...


    "Everyone who has depended on me has been let down by me and I have failed them." I realised as I looked over towards Suhurlodst. Then, I pulled out Liada''s talisman and stared long and hard at it, I''ve let her down too, haven''t I?


    "Hey, Nin! Don''t just run off like that!" Seigunfrei called from down below after he had put Lorreabry down. Yet, as I continued to stay up on the wall, up here in my head, they were approached by some guards and looked over.


    "Just... Follow me, we''ll be at the bakery soon." I called out to them before I suddenly flipped over the wall and into the street on the other side. I then stood there as they made their way through the security checks, something Seigunfrei found annoying.


    "Oh, come on! He doesn''t have to be inspected and we''re with him!"


    "Working with Thrurstradtur''s City-Guard grants him special privileges." the armoured man told him, much to the delight of his colleagues.


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    "Intrusive, prickly cogs." Seigunfrei swore as he shoved them away at the last moment, and were it not for me being here, I felt like he would''ve been reprimanded.


    "If you didn''t react the way you did, they wouldn''t have to have been as pushy as they were." Lorreabry explained to him after she made it through with little effort.


    "Of course, the sweet blonde got through without issue." he huffed in annoyance as she gave him a smile.


    "So, which way to your friend''s bakery, Dark Crow?" she asked me once she was done teasing my sparring partner.


    "Hold on, give me a moment to figure it out." I told them as I looked around at my limited view of the city. I was way too used to just swinging on over there and having a relatively birds-eye view of the place.


    "Doesn''t even know the way to his own home." Seigunfrei scoffed bemusedly before he was tutted at by the girl.


    "This is quite a vast city, they even have magic that alters the perception of reality to allow ease of travel."


    "Yes, yes, magical wonder of the world. But it doesn''t mean much if I can''t stuff myself with cake now, does it?" he dismissively told her before he came up to me to lament the lack of sweet treats.


    "Alright, I''ve figured it out." I said to them before I started to walk through the city.


    "Despite coming from here, it still amazes me just how many people actually live here." Lorreabry commented as the pair stuck behind me so my intimidating stature could be used as a plough.


    "Millions upon millions upon millions all the way down." Seigunfrei recited with a sing-song tune.


    "Until you reach the core of the mountain home!" Lorreabry added on with a giggle.


    "And they better all not be heading to Liadanann''s bakery." he then grumbled as I heard him pat his belly.


    "Despite how famous she is around the city, she gets a manageable amount of customers." I explained to them as we took yet another turn.


    "It would be impossible for everyone to go there as well, the government is quite strict about mobility around the city for just that reason. Which I assume must be quite the contrast for you, Dark Crow." Lorreabry explained before she brought me into it.


    "By Smiling Jhurack''s word I get no interference." I grumbled as I seethed in anger at the thought of that thing.


    "So the rumours say..."


    "So how much of this exactly is going into your next news tablet?" Seigunfrei asked her whilst I used a city map to reorientate my sense of direction.


    "None of it, unless Dark Crow gives me permission to write another piece about him. I understand he wants some degree of privacy and that I was probably asking for more than I should have the first time around." she explained to him.


    "Well, ask him, see what he says."


    "No." I quickly answered to which he just laughed.


    "It doesn''t even matter if I can''t get his permission, anyway, I can just do a review piece of my time at his friend''s bakery!"


    "Oh, I''m sure the most famous creature in the city would love the exposure." he chuckled as I got more confident in my sense of direction.


    "We''re nearly there." I told them as the streets started to become more and more familiar.


    "Oh, there''s a Jhurghdak performance tonight!?" Lorreabry suddenly exclaimed as we went past a proud, animated display for the upcoming performance.


    "Interesting, it''s advertising a new piece from an anonymous source."


    "From someone other than him...?" Lorreabry let out with a rather shocked tone while I awkwardly glanced up at the advertisement. Any other time, I might''ve been intrigued by the technology on display and how it made a statue come to life. But, as I knew who made that anonymous piece as it was mine, I was unsettled by it all.


    No one else would know who made it, but, I felt a tightness in my chest regardless...


    "You''re taking quite a bit of interest in it, Nin, you a fan of his?" Seigunfrei asked when he caught sight of my lingering gaze.


    "No, but, I will be attending it later." I answered as I stared intensely at every iteration of that phrase that spoke of me discreetly.


    "Something is very off with you today..." Seigunfrei muttered as he patted my shoulder as he came around.


    "Liada''s bakery is just down the road, it has a blacksmith-theme to it, you can''t miss it." I told the pair as I continued to stare up at the seemingly living statue.


    "Should we tell her that you are coming?" Seigunfrei asked me but I gave him no reply.


    "Let''s say yes." Lorreabry suggested as he grew impatient.


    "Smiling Jhurack..." I uttered quietly as bloody images flashed before me, it was during a performance from this man that Lari...


    With a sigh, I then turned away and quietly went down the road I told the others to go down. To little surprise as well, I seemed to draw quite a crowd as I got closer and closer to the bakery. If I was in another mood, I might''ve been bemused by how those indoors might''ve felt. But I wasn''t, I was miserable like I always was and a dark mood followed me everywhere.


    It changed little as well when the bell to the shop rang just above my head.


    "Hello, welcome to my bakery, I''ll be with you in just a moment..." Liada started to say cheerfully with the joy just oozing out of her. But, upon seeing me, she went quiet and all that happiness just seemed to have vanished and our gazes did not meet for long. Yet, we both stayed where we were, awkward and stiff.


    "Nin, over here." Seigunfrei said to me as he came in to rescue me from the awkward arrival.


    "I love the smell of the place." Lorreabry commented as she tried to make the most of her awkward spot at the corner table.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll stand." I answered in response to Seigunfrei''s offer of a seat. It was probably for the best as well given my size, Liada might''ve gotten used to being the big girl in the room, but I had not.


    "I think it might be best to go to her to order something..." Lorreabry let out awkwardly as she watched Liada and with how her gaze was switching, I think I had an idea of what Liada was up to.


    "You two go ahead, I''ll drop off what I need to and get out of the way." I explained to them as I pulled out the talisman so I could look at it. With a quiet, hidden sigh, I then went out back and slowly placed it down on the kitchen table before I looked around the place. It seemed, different now that I paid attention to everything here. Something had changed but I couldn''t figure out what.


    "Why are you here?" an aggressive voice suddenly demanded to know as a door was closed behind it. It was Liada, and she had followed me back here...


    "I went to the Head of Mechanical House in Suhurlodst earlier today, he said you left your talisman there." I explained as I stepped away before she practically marched up to the table I had left it on. Then, with a sudden burst of anger, she chucked it towards the bin without a care at all. Confused, I went around to pick it up.


    "Leave it!" she snapped as her body trembled.


    "This is a holy artefact, Liada." I reminded her as I ignored her demand.


    "Yes, one that is supposed to keep those I care about safe. But what good is it when every time I see you, you are always covered in blood!?" she tearfully explained and asked as her body began to shake more violently.


    "That doesn''t mean you should be so disregarding of it, it is an important piece of-"


    "Don''t you dare speak to me about being disregarding! Don''t. You. Dare!" she hissed at me as a finger and its claw approached one of the lenses of my mask.


    "For five years I have done nothing but try to save someone who can''t so much as look after themselves..." I reminded her as a frown formed under my mask.


    "For five years, you have turned your back on everyone around you and they all gave up on you because of it! My friends, our friends are all gone because of you and your obsession!" she snapped angrily.


    "And yet I have not given up on her no matter how bad it got." I growled as I took a step closer towards her. What right did she have to shame me for abandonment when all of this was because I refused to abandon someone!?


    "It doesn''t matter if you never gave up on her, you gave up on everyone else!"


    "Her life is being held hostage by a maniacal killer!" I reminded her as my beak nearly touched her face, but even then, she held her ground.


    "I know... We all know... But it doesn''t change how you have gone too far with this..." she eventually admitted after a period of silence.


    "I cannot go too far against that monster until I have saved her." I snarled.


    "Of course, you''d say that..." she muttered as she turned her back to me, and, with the lingering touch of her tail, she pushed me away as best as she could.


    "There''s your talisman, look after it." I told her with a snort as I turned around to head back to the other two.


    "Not that way, you will go out the backdoor and you will not come back into my home..." she struggled to get out as she began to sob.


    "This is my home." I told her as she raised her head.


    "This is my home, it is my shop, you are just a rentboy. And I am kicking you out, so go, get out. Don''t come back to my home. I don''t want to see you again..." she demanded as she planted herself firmly in the way of the door to the others.


    "Good." I let out with uncertainty as I acknowledged what she had just told me. Then, I nodded to myself as I quickly recalled what I thought of not that long ago, how there was going to be nothing holding me back. I could truly focus from now on, no more taking time out of my day to pay rent and help her.


    "Get out." she repeated with growing frustration as her body quaked to the point of near collapse.


    Yet, I lingered and stared at the talisman.


    "GET OUT!" she screamed as she tried to shove me out of the building.


    "I will place this somewhere safe." I told her as it was clear I could not trust her to keep this somewhere proper.


    "Get out..." she weakly muttered as she collapsed to her knees to cry.

 Incline 13: Handling the Fallout

    "This has... Gotten a little out of hand." Lorreabry muttered as she tried to occupy herself with one of the menus.


    "Look, I''m sorry, but, I''m going to check on them." I told her as I got up and left the table so I could head out back. At the very least I could ask Liadanann about what had just occurred, but Nin was gone now without a doubt. And given what I just heard, I''d never find him.


    "O-One moment... I''ll be..." Liadanann struggled to get out as I opened the door and closed it again.


    "You want to talk about it?" I asked her with uncertainty as there was a high chance she would try to avoid it. It had just happened, after all.


    "Why did you three come here?" she asked me as she wiped her eyes, and, seeing this, I passed her a tissue.


    "Nin just wanted something to do for the day." I answered with a shrug before I helped her to a chair.


    "D-Did I just make a mistake?"


    "It''s not my place to say." I told her as I rubbed the back of my head.


    "I... I just don''t know what to do with him..." she sobbed as her head fell against the table.


    "There isn''t really anything any of us can do, Liadanann... She just meant too much to him." I tried to explain to her as everything just came to mind for me. If Nin wasn''t talking about how to fight Smiling Jhurack, then he was mourning his failure to save Larishazza.


    "I''ve tried to support him, I really have, but, I don''t recognise him anymore. He wears the same clothes and has the same voice, but, he''s nothing like he once was!"


    And I sighed once again as I only ever really got to know Nin after the incident, "People just sometimes change, Liadanann, there''s not much we can do about it."


    "But I am his friend! Was... Am... I d-don''t know!" she exclaimed out of frustration.


    "You''ve done more than enough for him, Liadanann. Since before this place even opened you''ve been taking care of him."


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    "I barely even saw him in all that time and whenever I did see him, it was always when he was covered in blood..."


    "I know it''s been hard on you, Liadanann, but don''t start beating yourself up over this."


    "He''s angry people are giving up on him because he won''t give up on her... I''m not the bad one here!" she cried as she hid her face behind her hands and hair.


    "No, Liadanann, you are not bad, evil or anything like that, you were well within your right to tell him to leave."


    "But I''m just proving his point, that everyone gave up on him, and even after all of this, he still has not given up on her."


    "Again," I shrug, "she just meant that much to him, there''s little we can do there."


    "D-Do you think he would''ve done the same for me, had it happened to me?" she suddenly asked as she hopelessly tried to keep her eyes dry.


    And I went silent, if she was jealous, now was not the time to comment on it, but I had no answer for her question either way...


    "I''ll take that as a no..." she quietly wept as her tone steadily lost the life in it.


    "Would you like some help to close the shop early?" I offered eventually as she continued to cry.


    "N-No... I can..." she struggled to tell me as her body quaked and trembled.


    "I came here with someone else, Liadanann. You take a moment to calm down and relax and I''ll try and get my friend out there to help look after the shop for the time being, okay?" I told her after I had gotten up, and, with a caring touch, I tried to at least soothe her.


    "If you wouldn''t mind..." she let out after a moment of quiet.


    "I''ll also snatch a few cakes for myself as I am starving!" I joked as I left her alone, as I had hoped it would at least help if only a little.


    "I have experience paying helpers in sweets..." she tearfully admitted as the waterworks came back in force.


    "Don''t come out front until it is all out of your system." I sternly told her before I quickly opened and closed the door once again. Then, I went and grabbed an apron and then a spare one for Lorreabry.


    "Why are you giving me an apron?" my partner-to-be asked after she had been staring at it as I approached.


    "Whilst Liadanann calms down, we''ll be working here for the moment." I whispered as I encouraged her to put it on.


    "Okay, okay." she let out repeatedly before I made my way to the counter.


    "Sorry for any delays, how can I help?" I asked the bewildered man closest to it as I got myself acquainted with everything here.


    "Is everything alright back there?" he asked as he kept his gaze on the door like almost everyone else present.


    "It will be fine, so, how can I help?" I told him as I tried to at least get things moving.


    "Right, I''ll have a, uh... A dozen jam squares, then." he told me as he brought out a pile of money without even checking it. And well, I chose to believe him as there had been more than enough time to figure out what he might''ve wanted and the costs of it.


    "Dozen jam squares." I repeated as I pulled out a bag and carefully filled it out with them.

 Incline 14: The Heart-Breaking Reminder

    "What are you doing back here, Nin, I told you earlier that I let the theatre staff know you were coming at my behest." Jurghdak explained to me as he left his small, personal airship so he could hobble on into the theatre in question.


    "I''d rather not cause a fuss." I answered as my right foot stopped tapping the roof of the building.


    "Well, you might as well come on through, then." he sighed as the door was opened up for him.


    "Good luck, Sole-Composer Jurghdak." the woman at the door told him before she suddenly found herself frightened by me.


    "He''s with me." Jurghdak quickly told her as I ducked my head down a little to meet the clearance.


    "So where am I supposed to sit?" I asked him as the blander style of the backrooms changed into lavishly decorated hallways and plush carpets.


    "I arranged for you to take up one of the boxes on the right-hand side." he explained before he handed over a small piece of stone with the number written on it.


    "I''ll leave you to it, then." I said to him as I immediately made my way to the arranged seat.


    "I''ll be playing your piece first, I will." he called out as I disappeared down a flight of stairs.


    "Noted." I muttered in response before I quickly entered my box after spooking some of the other people here on the way in. And, as it was an option, I turned off the lights for my box so I could stay out of the public''s sight as best as I could.


    "Ladies and Gentleman, it is with great honour that the Shining Mountain-Peak Theatre once again presents the greatest musician of them all, Sole-Composer Jurghdak!" a man''s voice boomed before the room went into an uproar as the masked man walked out onto the stage. With a small army of various kinds of instruments floating by because of his magic.


    "Thank you, thank you, you''re too kind as usual." Jurghdak told him as he stood before the tamed but still rapturously joyful crowd.


    "So, as we have all heard recently, there has been an abrupt change to your plans for tonight?"


    "Yes," he started off with before he briefly glanced my way, "tonight, I am going to start off my series of performances with a piece written by someone I know. It means a lot to him and I wanted to let him hear it as if it was done by one of the greatest out there!"


    "Well, well, we await with held breath!" the theatre''s announcer said to him before he quickly left the stage.


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    "Let''s see my embarrassment, then..." I miserably remarked as I leaned back into my reclining chair. Then, I waited as I stared up at the ceiling for it all to begin, and like what the announcer said, I did it with held breath.


    "He never gave it a name himself, but, I think I know enough about how it came to be to give it one myself, so without further ado, I present to you, ''I Miss You, My Water Princess,'' a song by a good friend of mine."


    And as he said that impromptu name, I sighed some more as that was a rather blunt way of putting it. She really was a beautiful princess and the reference to her magic only helped to give it character. Yet, when the lights throughout the room suddenly took on a bluish hue, I sat up abruptly. The sound of moving water then filled my ears as well, but it was in a strange, foreign manner, I wasn''t quite familiar with this sound.


    But I knew it was water.


    The music then began to play and it left me confused, it was happy and cheerful and sweet and it made me calm. If I closed my eyes, I could just barely make out her smile as she played around with her magic. It all somehow reminded me of her so much and I took off my mask just so I could see the blue light more. Just so I had those flashes of blue coming through my eyelids even as I kept them closed so I could watch the fleeting memories.


    But then, the music took a sudden turn, the joy and happiness of it all just vanished and it became aggressive. The sound of water vanished and the lights started to behave erratically and my eyes shot open before I could see the inevitable. Yet, even then, I could not avoid the images of her bloodied body and I started to feel uncomfortable. I felt like I was about to break down into a fit of hysterical panic.


    And just like that, the music slowed down and the lights disappeared completely until a weak blue light came back. There was a slight hint of the joy from before, but it was drowned out by the sadness and misery of it all. I felt nothing at this point because it was just how I felt every day, I wanted to see her properly again... But she was only ever there physically, it was hard to describe, I just missed her so much.


    As such, I couldn''t stop myself from crying like a pathetic child as the music continued to be played. Once again, the images came back to my mind, but it was only ever her in that bed, as those machines beeped. The music even took on hints of that beeping and a barely alive line appeared on the ceiling of the building. It matched her heartbeat almost exactly and amidst all that darkness, I felt like I was staring at the monitors in person...


    But, I couldn''t take it anymore and I moved to put on my mask again before the piece came to an end all of a sudden.


    "I-I''m sorry, everyone, especially you, my dear friend..." Jurghdak admitted through tears as he tried to compose himself. But then the crowd went wild and praise was thrown at him endlessly whilst I slipped away into the dark.


    Thankfully, everyone was too enthralled by the cheers and the just-ended performance to notice me leave out the way I came. Not that it was a particularly busy route, even during the final rush to get seated before the performance. I was, however, glad that the staff had also shown a lapse in their professionalism. They all wanted to watch the great man as he performed before them all.


    As such, no one was watching the backdoor to the landing pad so I could get through it without issue. But, when I stepped out onto the quiet landing platform as night took over the sky I saw him, He was right there, at the very edge of the building, listening to a song I had written about the woman he attacked... And he turned around and looked at me with a solemn gaze.


    "Shall we, Dance Partner?" he asked with a strange air of respect that only enraged me.


    "JHURACK!"

 Incline 15: Tonight, Be There

    "I... I don''t understand... Where... Where are you? WHERE ARE YOU!?" I let out in frustration as the orbital-halo shined overhead. It had been a week since Jurghdak''s performance, and since that night Smiling Jhurack had not appeared once. There were no slight, cruel teases just so he could put me on edge and no chases that saw him forever evade my claws. He had just not appeared at all, and I could not grasp at all why this was the case.


    I had been checking with the newstablets to see if I had missed anything, but no, they did not discover anything. I''ve even made a point of just watching over Lari to make sure he wasn''t trying anything back there in her place of rest during the night. I even went to Inerish to demand what I could from her, to see if her seeming omnipresence had found anything. But there was nothing, Smiling Jhurack had just disappeared without a trace and I couldn''t figure out why.


    "Oh, it''s useless, but please, you have to know something!" I hissed at the Sundial as I watched some airships return to it at the end of their patrols. Then, upon seeing an opportunity, I lashed out at one with my magic and reeled myself in towards its underbelly. Just before it then landed within the monolithic hangar, I dropped down, much to everyone''s surprise. Mutually, however, we paid little mind to each other and I rushed on towards Inerish''s command centre.


    "No, Dark Crow, we have not found him." Inerish exasperated through the building''s speaker system as I rushed on towards her.


    "HOW HAVE YOU NOT!?" I roared at the nearest device that mattered.


    "Well, while you are here, I have something to show you." she sighed before the speakers went silent. But that only made me angry, if it wasn''t Smiling Jhurack, then it didn''t matter, it was a waste of time! I kept on heading for her, though, I was desperate for even the slightest hint of where he had gone...


    I hadn''t even saved her, he couldn''t vanish now, not now...


    "What!?" I snapped once I rushed into the command centre with a set of huffing lungs.


    "Try this on, will you?" she asked of me as she returned to me my mask, though it had been modified.


    "Th-This is it?" I let out in disbelief as I took it from her and stared at it with what felt like a trembling gaze.


    "Yes, it is, now put it on and hide that crazed gaze of yours." she nearly snickered as she shook her head. Ignoring it, however, I put on the mask and stared intently at all the information that was suddenly flashing before me.


    "What good even is this now? He''s vanished, he''s completely vanished..."


    "It was finished at no better time, then." Inerish told me as she gestured to some of her staff, and when she did, the information flow slowed down.


    "You don''t know where he is!" I reminded her with an angered hiss.


    "No, we don''t, and neither do you." she answered with a smirk, something that made me approach her with a hateful gaze.


    "Do not test my patience, Inerish." I growled down at her as I flexed my claws.


    But she held firm and kept the bemused gaze, "When we find him, you will now know, seen as you apparently are having trouble as of late."


    "Fine... What can I expect from this machine?" I spat before I asked her about the copper-coloured modifications to my mask.


    "It is linked to Thrurstradtur''s security systems directly, a one-of-a-kind device that I expect you to look after well as it would prove quite valuable to criminal or foreign elements."


    "So everything you see in here, everything you hear, I can as well?" I asked as I looked around the command centre.


    "The see part, yes, but only what we allow, thankfully." she answered as she had the point emphasised by her staff.


    "I don''t need to see the city or its underbelly, I just need to find him... He''s all that matters, his death, his excruciating, painful death..."


    "And we will show him to you when we can, but for now, patience is your greatest ally. So, get acquainted with him, Dark Crow." she dismissively suggested.


    "Patience..." I scoffed under my breath as I looked around the room to get used to the new view.


    It was strange, really, I felt like I could see better with this device on as the lenses almost guided my gaze. It was surprisingly unobtrusive as well, a slight glance to the corner of the lens made it more obnoxious, but otherwise, it wasn''t. There was a lot to take in but I had a lot of control in regard to what I wanted to take in. Obviously, I would take some time to get used to it being there, but, I could see the uses and I grasped its benefits readily.


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    "Okay, let''s start with something simple, someone plug him into a view of the biggest event at the moment." Inerish ordered with a wave of her hand before she moved to sit down.


    "Uh, Grand-Guard, this might be better off on the full screen." someone answered after they had suddenly jolted from their chair.


    "Well?" was all she had to say as she rolled her hand.


    "Here." that same man answered as a giant magic screen suddenly dominated the far end of the room.


    "What...?" I muttered as I took off my mask so I didn''t have it echo back on me.


    "And it is with great sadness that I announce that I shall be performing my last show here in the great city of Thrurstradtur. Tonight, I shall define my legacy in such a way that will leave the world perplexed and confused and maybe even bitter. But, I shall not be performing from any theatre or private institution tonight. I shall instead be performing from the balcony of my penthouse at the Highpeak View Hotel, my gracious hosts and place of residence for the past few years." Jhurghdak announced.


    "This just happened?" Inerish asked as my blood froze up completely.


    "It did, Grand-Guard Inerish." the staff member answered before Inerish turned a stern gaze towards me.


    "You have one final chance, Dark Crow." she made openly clear to me as she likely tried to consider a plan of action.


    "One final chance..." I breathed as I reached for my mask once again.


    This was going to be it, wasn''t it? If I failed tonight, then Lari would stay the way she was, and even worse, she could die because of one final act of spite. I couldn''t allow this to happen but I was frozen by fear as I considered it all. How was I meant to beat Smiling Jhurack tonight when I have only ever failed every other night?


    "I need to go and prepare..." I muttered like a scared child before I rushed out of the command centre. Going back along the route I took to get here, I returned to the hangar like the desperate madman I was. Then, I flung a spell at a departing airship and shot myself right over it and soared into the air. With a clear destination in my mind, I then swang fanatically towards Lari''s resting place.


    A twisting flip then marked my arrival and I landed at the hotel with shallow breath and a slight tremor in my body. Having breathed out what panic I could, I then made my way down onto the penthouse''s balcony and then inside. Impatiently, I then waited for Jhurghdak to return because I needed to hear him in person. I needed to know that this wasn''t just some trick by Smiling Jhurack, that this wasn''t just some new trick by him.


    "You''re here, Nin?" the man I was looking for let out in confusion as he stepped out from the penthouse''s office.


    "Is it true!?" I demanded to know the moment I saw him.


    "Be specific."


    "Your declaration is it true!? You are leaving...?" I begged to know as I collapsed before him.


    "You aren''t heartbroken like my fans, are you?" he joked with a sad smile.


    "Do not joke with me!" I choked as I started to feel breathless.


    "Yes, Nin. It is true."


    "No... No. No! You can''t!"


    "I do not answer to you."


    "If you leave this city, Smiling Jhurack goes with you, she will die!" I cried as I moved to grab him so I could shake him with all I had.


    "I can''t do this anymore, Nin, I''m tired."


    "Then just sleep..." I nearly cried as I tried to figure out what he meant.


    "Not that kind, you ignorant, stupid boy." he told me as a drink came floating towards him as he stepped out of my grip.


    "W-Why are you leaving? You can''t leave, not yet!"


    "Every time I come to this city, Nin, for the past thirty-five years..." he struggled to answer as he took a sizeable gulp from his glass.


    "For the past five no one..."


    "That would still make it thirty!" he snapped as he smashed the tip of his cane against the floorboards.


    "It''s still five years where I have managed to do something... To stop him from doing something!" I cried in disbelief as I felt my only chance to save Larishazza disappear.


    "And for those five years, you have hunted him to save a girl you love more than any other..." he clarified as he began to cry himself.


    "Why are you...?"


    "Because of that piece you wrote, Nin. It was beautiful, more beautiful than anything I could have ever made myself." he explained as he wiped his eyes.


    "That''s not true, don''t even try to-"


    "I am not lying, I am being earnest, honest, as truthful as this damaged body of mine can be." he told me with a shiver before he refilled his empty glass within the snap of a finger.


    "But why does that mean you want to leave...? How can a song, a shitty, worthless song written by some unloved, uncared for, discarded bug motivate you more than hundreds, maybe thousands of deaths over thirty years!?"


    "What am I, Nin?" he asked back coldly once he finished hobbling to the fireplace.


    "MY ONLY KEY TO SAVING HER!" I roared viciously as he downed a whole glass in one go.


    "A musician, Nin. I am a musician." he stated twice with pride and knowledge as his chest pumped itself up and out.


    "So I have damned myself by listening to you...?" I let out in disbelief before I looked down in anger at my claws. Then, in a sudden burst of rage, I began to claw at my scalp as the contradiction ate away at me. I was trying to save the woman I loved, but in speaking about how the process made me feel, I had failed her...


    "Stop it." Jhurghdak snapped as his surprising magic strength restrained my claws and healed the superficial damage they had inflicted.


    "What am I going to do...? If you go, he goes..."


    "Beat him." Jhurghdak answered sternly as he turned his gaze to me.


    "He''s only ever beaten me..." I reminded him as the shame turned my blood cold.


    "Change that, then, change it!" he told me with a continuation of that stern tone.


    "Tonight, then." I muttered as I nodded my head up and down cautiously.


    "Now, please, leave me, I have to get prepared for tonight." he told me with a sigh as he used his magic to open the door. And, I did as he asked and I went to the edges of the door.


    "You will be gone in the morning?" I asked as my body stopped trembling.


    "I hope so." he answered before the door nearly slammed into me.


    "Very well." I said as the last of my worries were put to sleep or locked away, I could not afford them at this hour. My doubts had to go, my knowledge of failure had to be blurred and a lack of consideration had to be taken up. My life mattered no more for the rest of this day, only the end goal which I have chased for so long, that is all that mattered. I would either die once again and meet Larishazza for the final time in that misty limbo...


    Or I would win.

 Incline 16: Before the Whole City!

    "So did you get us some good seats for Jurghdak''s final performance?" a girlfriend asked her date.


    "Huh? It''s a live broadcast in the open air, we don''t need seats." he told her with a shrug as I moved onto another table so I could wipe it down.


    "But why? It''s Jhurghdak''s last performance here! Just imagine how romantic it would be, just the two of us on a quiet rooftop as his music played..." she swooned blissfully before she lost herself in her daydream.


    "Honestly, this girl." the boyfriend breathed out with an exhausted sigh before he was assaulted by his giggling date.


    "Idiot." she scoffed before she put down her knife and fork and grabbed her bag and coat.


    "Thanks for the food, Liadanann, it was great as always." he told me as he got up to leave as well.


    "I am glad you liked it, safe trip." I told them before I followed them to the door so I could lock it behind them. Then, with a final wave sent their way, I walked over to their empty plates and picked them up so I could pop them out back. Yet, I found myself stopping before I had even gotten far from the table. My mind was a bit full of jealousy at the moment and it was distracting.


    But, I could only sigh as it was such a distant dream that I had and it vanished a long time ago. For now, at the very least, I would never be able to find something like that and because I... Because I kicked Nin out of my house, I lost the last consistent face in my life. A face that I was intimately familiar with, anyway.


    "I wonder what it would have been like, would I even have opened this place up? Or would I be on some far-flung adventure, looking for my people like how Einervaene went off looking for a way to help her mother?" I pondered with a voice that dripped with sadness and regret.


    But before I could lose myself in those thoughts, I shook my head and I focused on the plates. I had a lot of washing up to do still, as I had been waiting for those two to finish their meals. Yet, with my sudden train of bad thoughts, now was as good a time as any to be doing it. I just needed to keep my focus and not let my mind wander elsewhere whilst I did this mundane but necessary task.


    "Is someone back there?" I called out all of a sudden when I heard what sounded like a magic screen turn on.


    "Welcome, people of Thrurstradtur, welcome to my final dance!" a man cackled clearly through it.


    "What the..." I muttered after I came rushing into the front of my shop as right in the middle of it was a screen. It shouldn''t have been there and it was a discovery that worried me moreso than confused because I recognised that face... It was not a face I could forget as Nin''s room was still plastered with it all over the place. That disfigured face was his obsession as much as Larishazza was.


    "Now, I am still waiting for my beloved partner to come, but, let me establish the rules for everyone in the meantime!" he cheered as he tapped his walking cane joyfully as that hideous smile covered his face.


    "Oh no..." I let out as I raised a hand to cover my mouth, and as I did so, the streets filled with noise. These screens were everywhere, within other businesses and even in isolated rooms and they decorated the streets as well. That face was everywhere and there didn''t seem to be a way to get rid of it.


    "Now, as you probably all know by now. I do love to come out when a very famous friend of mine is performing, and well, he''s about to perform for the very last time here in this city, isn''t he? So that presents us with a bit of a conundrum, doesn''t it? If he''s gone, I go with him. Now, under normal circumstances, I might have let the streets run red with the blood of ignored murderers. But, no... No, no, no! Someone has caught my eye, can anyone figure it out?"


    "Nin..." I impulsively answered after I had brought down a stall to sit on.


    "Exactly, people of Thrurstradtur, it''s my dance partner, the one you have recently taken to calling the Dark Crow. See, he''s a very good learner, but I feel like he won''t learn properly without an exam that has no margin for error. Tch. So, here''s what will happen, he will get one final chance to stop me, do you hear me, Dark Crow? One final chance!" he explained before he exploded into a cackling fit.


    "No... I''m not watching thi-" I started to mutter in disbelief before the screen suddenly repositioned itself in front of me. It made me jump in fright and I tried to shake my gaze free of it but it wouldn''t stop following me. As such, it became clear that I had to watch this fight, everyone in the city had to watch, this final fight between them both... We all had to watch it.


    "So come for me, Dark Crow, it is time for your final exam." he cackled as he turned around to face an approaching arcane fireball.


    "There you are..." Nin shivered eagerly before he quickly glanced around at his surroundings, screens were everywhere there too.


    "Here I am, Dance Partner, but first, let me make something clear to you and to everyone else. But I will make it clear to everyone else first... There shall be no interfering. NONE! And you, Dark Crow, let it be known that I shall fight simply this time. I will not encourage you to better yourself, I will fight you as an equal and we shall see who comes out on top, yes?"


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    "Very well." Nin answered relatively quietly as he spread his legs out and raised his arms in preparation.


    "No, he''s lying..." I let out as I continued to try and look away from what was most certainly going to be Nin''s death. How could anyone believe that it wouldn''t be, was he trying to kill himself!?


    "Well, then, shall we begin, Dance Partner?" Smiling Jhurack asked him as a sword started to slowly glint in the dying light of the day.


    Nin''s response was immediate and swift and a blast of his magical power quickly dominated the view. With a single slash, however, Smiling Jhurack vanquished the magic and we were left with a clear view of their fight. This was my first time ever seeing Nin in action and it felt alien to see him like this, he seemed to be almost like a blur. It was only because of the distinct trails his magic left that I could even follow his movements and where they were even headed!


    The brief moments where his fists met Smiling Jhurack''s sword were rare, but it was always Nin coming at him. I was starting to feel like Nin could win this, were it not for my knowledge of the past five years. I was excited and eager to see him win, but those five years had to mean something. There was no way that he couldn''t see the danger he was now in, any moment now he''d be...


    "Good, good!" Smiling Jhurack let out as he leapt away onto another building only to be instantly followed by Nin. With an inferno following his right fist, Nin then swung upwards and a fireball blasted its way up into the sky. He roared ceaselessly to contrast Smiling Jhurack''s laughter but it was all drowned out in turn by his explosive blows. But each time, Smiling Jhurack seemed to come out of them unharmed and all the more ready to fight.


    Before Smiling Jhurack could escape again, however, Nin reeled back his arms and flung them in the direction of a high-rise''s roof. He then suddenly accelerated towards the building and caught the mad killer against his feet as rocket engines burst to life behind him. Glass and debris began to rain down behind them and Nin forced him up the building until they suddenly busted their way past the top. Yet, rather than scream or cry in pain, Smiling Jhurack just slashed his sword once and a sudden string of yellow appeared.


    Nin roared in pain but he kept on going and the two clashed once again on the tower''s roof before it collapsed under them. The screen then stopped following them and instead it focused on the crumbling structure as it began to collapse around them. With an explosion of debris, the pair then reappeared into view and slid along an increasingly scarred street road. Before the momentum could even be taken out of them, they then forcibly dashed towards each other and a shower of stone shot away from them.


    Yet as Smiling Jhurack laughed, he slipped under and away and vanished into a nearby street. With a pair of magic circles then igniting under his feet, Nin rocketed into the sky and for a second-lasting moment, he observed the sprawling maze. When his prey was then found, he redirected that magic towards the ground and he caught him before he could leap away again! The sound of crashes then filled the city''s ears as they tumbled past and through some more buildings.


    "Are you not meant to protect them, Dance Partner?" Smiling Jhurack asked Nin after he had escaped with a few well-placed slashes and thrusts.


    "I am here to kill you!" Nin answered firmly after he had impacted against the street. Then, with a sudden burst of arcane might, the seemingly narrow strip of the city lit up with his magic.


    "Live up to those words, then." Smiling Jhurack told him before he slimmed his form down by turning onto his side with his sword held aloft just before him.


    "I''ve waited five years to!" Nin snapped before he went for Smiling Jhurack in the blink of an eye. With a jolt, I then shut off my gaze only to open them again when a sharp, ringing sound suddenly appeared. For a moment that seemed to not exist, I watched as Smiling Jhurack''s blade went wide in the wrong direction. A wet slap then resounded out into the city as his head suddenly turned at the whim of Nin''s colliding fist.


    "Oh, how I have not been appreciating how well I have taught you, Dance Partner." Smiling Jhurack chuckled once he had recovered from the blow. With quick, precise parries, he then kept himself safe from Nin''s wrath as he backpedalled through the city. The crowds they then suddenly found themselves in screamed and panicked, but neither of the two made a point of going for them. It didn''t mean, though, that they were safe and many seemed to be hit by debris or by Nin''s explosive magic.


    For a moment, when I heard explosions outside my bakery, I turned to look and breathed fearfully at my windows in anticipation. Thankfully, it just seemed to be the screens outside of my bakery that was making the noise and I returned my attention to the insistent magic. The fighting continued to be destructive and far-reaching, but the city-guard was now getting involved. They might have refrained from fighting, but they were essential in keeping people safe.


    But if they could keep up with those two I could not figure out, I could only pray that they could!


    "Make sure to keep following, Dance Partner!" Smiling Jhurack cackled before he leapt through the gaps between the buildings near him.


    "STAND AND FIGHT!" Nin roared as he tried to follow him once again, but Smiling Jhurack proved himself to be a liar. As he was suddenly going far faster than he had ever done so before and the two met up once again on a frighteningly fast-in-rotation Sundial. Yet, whilst they were on it, it didn''t seem that fast, but I could tell that the monolithic building was going far faster than it should have. The screens even gave us a clear view of a vortex that started to form as the great building spun and spun!


    "No more tricks, just us two." Smiling Jhurack seemed to repeat as he drew sparking blood from the metal structure with a couple of taunting slashes.


    "I will see you crash against the streets below!" Nin hissed before he climbed up to meet the mad killer. With a somewhat awkward upwards strike, Nin then met his blade and he pushed on upwards. More explosions and bursts of force appeared in the sky and even the Sundial seemed to shake as they went upwards. But Nin was clearly struggling to compete against Smiling Jhurack''s superior position and he took thrust after thrust from that sword.


    "NIN!" I couldn''t help but scream as my heart pounded and my body trembled. I might''ve just thrown him out of my home days ago, but he was still my friend and I couldn''t turn a blind eye to this. But what could I do? What did I have that could help him?


    It was then that I remembered his final words about my talisman, he had left it somewhere safe. But where!? WHERE!?

 Incline 17: The Worm Riders Oath

    "WORM!" I roared as I kicked up my spear into my hands, with a quick leap, I then mounted my loyal beast as it flew by. My gaze then focused on the great landmark of the city and I guided my beast towards it as my magic built up. If this killer wanted to have tonight be his final night in this city, then I would become involved again. I had a duty to uphold and I would keep my oath to the Lord Sl''Ayiysab!


    The gap between my home of the past five years and the city vanished instantly and I circled the ongoing duel. When the opening I needed then presented itself, I wreathed my spear in arcane torrents and I leapt from my loyal beast with a boom. Bringing my arms back as I transitioned from my mount to the battle, I picked out a spot to strike. And with what must''ve been an impossibly accurate thrust, I went for the kill.


    Yet, as I did so, his power suddenly skyrocketed to that same terrible strength I once faced and he smacked my spear away! At the drop of rain, he had countered me without paying attention...


    "When I said no interference, I meant it." he told me with an angered tone after he had sent my disciple crashing to the ground with but a backhand.


    "I have held back from my duty long enough, Killer." I told him as I swirled my spear around along with all the magic it could possibly hold. And on the final twisting turn, I brought its head down upon him, only to be met with the tip of his sword against my spear''s. The night sky was then suddenly cleared of clouds and I heard windows and other things shatter and shake all throughout the mountain.


    "You should have listened." he quietly said before he suddenly reappeared behind me. With a sudden twist, I met his attempt and I fought back against him with evermore powerful blows. I was at a disadvantage like this, though, I needed to be able to get the distance I needed to use my spear properly. Right now, it was a glorified quarterstaff and I was at the mercy of his sword and its lethal edge.


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    Yet, even as I put my all into trying to overwhelm him, I watched with growing fear as he causally met my weapon and magic. Then, after backing on a wave of water, I thrusted my spear at him to try and force him back. But he kept pushing me back with skill and overwhelming power and I could do nothing but give ground. He wouldn''t find the chance to kill me, though, for my disciple came charging back up the building and broke his defence.


    The moment left me shocked and full of disbelief for he was so much weaker than me, even after five years of my tutelage. But I saw it, I saw through the surprise and sensed what the killer had done. His magic had adjusted on a whim to keep in line with the conditions he set before the fight had begun. That was my opening, that opening was my one chance to end this!


    So I built up all the magic I could and I ran straight for the duelling pair and I prepared a final thrust. Taking note of my opening, I thought it over in my head during the split-second of travel and I prepared. Then, when I was within that final dash, I thrust my spear through Nin''s form and pierced the killer thoroughly. And with a roar that sent a cataclysmic cheer throughout the city, I confirmed that I had drawn blood from him.


    "DO NOT INTERFERE!" the killer roared as his blade suddenly found itself around my neck. With a sudden spin that then left me disoriented, I found myself far outside the city in a deep crater. My neck bled profusely and I blocked the mortal wound with my magic and hopelessly stared back at the city. This moment had passed me by and I was forced to watch with a flickering gaze as my disciple did more than I ever could.


    "WORM RIDER!" a voice shouted as I struggled to keep my health stable.


    "He can win this..." I quietly told my other disciple as he crashed down next to me in order to help with my wound. Though, grateful as I was for the aid, I doubted that his magic offered much for a body as strong as mine.


    "We all hope he can, he has to..." he nodded as I took note of his pale skin and the terrified awe he looked at me with.

 Incline 18: The Final Moments

    "I hope for your sake, no more people interfere, Dance Partner." Smiling Jhurack told me before a slice of the Sundial suddenly fell away when he brought his blade down to his side. But, curiously enough, as the swing ended, the damage he had caused decreased dramatically. Part of the landmark fell away, some dangled dangerously and the very fine last stretch was all just superficial damage. A mere albeit lengthy scratch.


    "I hope so too." I answered back as he was my prize, this madman was mine to kill!


    "Then I shall take us elsewhere!" he declared right before he suddenly appeared under me with his blade piercing right through me. The adrenaline rushing through me dulled the pain, but I still breathed the barest signs of a roar in response. And whilst I was reacting to the blow, he pulled out and suddenly twisted in the air so he could deliver a kick that sent me flying.


    "NO!" I snapped as loudly as I could as I fell, but before I could fall too far, I lashed out at the Sundial with my magic. Latching onto a now exposed floor, I reeled myself towards the building with the aid of my magic rockets and I went far and wide under the building. Because I could both sense him and see him with the aid of my mask, I knew where I had to go and more and more force left and pushed me upwards. With a final roar, I then brought myself up and over and I flung myself towards him.


    With a resounding crash, I struck against him as he ran to the very tip of the Sundial and we went overboard with my legs locked around him the moment they could. And while one claw held onto his sword-holding hand, I punched him again and again as hard as I could with the other. But he surprised me, for with each laugh that resounded from him, I found myself able to strike him harder. Then, after a fall that felt like an eternity, I felt my legs crater themselves into the street below and I stared at the quiet body ahead of me.


    "I... I''ve done it?" I asked myself suddenly as I stared at the bleeding, still face as it lay against the once-hidden, deeper layers of the road. Sensing victory, I slowly backed away and crawled out of the hole and I looked around the street. These screens were still everywhere and they all showed the same thing, Smiling Jhurack was dead in that ditch. Then that meant I could...


    Larishazza was safe now, so I could...!


    "I''m coming!" I nearly cried before I suddenly stopped as a sword came through my back.


    "Fooled you once." Smiling Jhurack cackled as his yellow-stained sword was slowly pulled out.


    "You!" I snapped with rabid fury as I collapsed against the road.


    "We still have yet to go somewhere private." he reminded me as he moved to stand over me with a raised blade. Then, with a seemingly dramatic series of swings, we found ourselves suddenly falling once again and the floors of the city went on by. We were going deeper into the city than I had ever been before and then we suddenly stopped. The stop, however, was not violent and destructive, it felt almost as if we had been cushioned.


    "The depths of Thrurstradtur..." I let out uncomfortably before I quickly got back to my feet.


    "The very bottom of the city indeed!" he told me with a pair of wide-swinging arms as construction workers around us retreated in horror.


    "Now there''s nowhere for you to hide." I reminded him as I powered through the pain to adopt my combat form once again.


    "You mistake the lack of our usual alleys and high-rising towers for an open field, Dance Partner." he let out in disappointment as he began to circle me.


    "It matters not." I told him before I charged him once again to strike him.


    "Then let me show you where you are wrong!" he lets out as he lets himself be taken away by the force of the blow.


    "Stop running!" I snapped before I reeled myself towards the exposed girders in an attempt to grab him once more. But like an agile rodent, he leapt away and began to swing through the girders with delighted cackles.


    "When will you learn!?" he asked as he swung around one of the girders before he then dashed right past me with a lethal slash.


    "Gah!" I let out as the blow forced me to the ground below.


    He then swung back to the top of a horizontal girder and sheathed his blade, "Don''t tell me you haven''t actually learned anything these past five years, Dance Partner?"


    "I''ve learned quite a bit." I spat out as I scraped away the pain coming from my side. Then, reeling my arm back once again, I sent another grappling spell out and I shot towards him as another set of spells built up. Unlike what he was predicting, however, I never made it towards him or his blade. Instead, rockets burst to life around me and the force that once guided me was cancelled out and I flew backwards with a trail of magic coming of my front.


    "Is that all you can do, run?" Smiling Jhurack asked mockingly as he leaned down onto the side of the girder so he could launch himself from it.


    "Doing jobs to pay for Lari''s care has given me some insight into demolition work." I answered as I calmly waited for him to come at me.


    "Useless information!" he snapped just before he bent the girder inwards with the force of his leap.


    "Tell me afterwards." I replied with before I snapped my right claw''s thumb and index to activate two spells. Suddenly, I was pulled away from his projected target by a series of magic pulleys that sent me ricocheting about as spots glowed and grew about him. In a sudden flash, they then all detonated and I came flipping out onto a far-off girder as a magic fireball filled the distant end of the city-wide borehole.


    "Unimpressed." he told me as he clearly outlined and still amongst the arcane fire as it dissipated. Then, with slow, thoughtful steps, he walked towards me as his blade slashed away at the earth in front of him.


    "Tch." was all I could let out as I began to pull myself to the safety of the higher girders. But, met and checked me halfway up and I was forced to slide away as he joined me on that same girder.


    "There are many secrets throughout the stage, Dance Partner. Some, you might only learn through practice, ceaseless practice. But, as your teacher, it is my job to guide you to them." he explained in the prelude to a portal being slashed open within the moment. Wherever it lead, I could clearly hear what was going beyond it and I could see it too. Bullets, it sounded and looked like a hail of bullets.


    "All you ever do is run..." I muttered before I followed him through the portal and into some kind of hallway.


    "I will be going back on my word now, Dance Partner." he admitted as the room began to twist and turn. The sudden change in gravity dragged and dropped me initially, but I got a hold of myself and moved in time with the rotation. Yet, as I did that, he had already made his way to the other side of a lengthy chamber that had now become a sharp drop.


    "This gap will not keep you safe." I told him as he danced across the slowly moving bullets that zipped on by. And looking up, I could clearly see the target that they were actually intended for.


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    "Show me how much you have paid attention!" he demanded before I leapt after him on this field of exceedingly small platforms. With careful steps and grips, I made my way around the slowly reacting bullets as they burst apart just as I touched them. Then, when he was just close enough I struck out at him and traded punches and blocks with him as we adjusted our footing continuously. But fighting like this was tedious, so I prepared a kick that would put us back onto truly solid ground.


    Yet, when I did so we suddenly found ourselves outside once again.


    "Are you prepared to finally watch her die?" he asked me with a cold, cruel tone as he paced the tight gap we had appeared in.


    "I am prepared to die, yes." I answered as I met his fist in the pitch-black back alley.


    "Heh, keep up, then." he suddenly told me with a smirk as he turned and ran up a tower.


    "STAY AWAY FROM HER!" I roared as I called upon my magic once again so I could rocket past him and force him back. And while he simply ran up the solid stone frame of the building, I animalistically charged at him as if I were crawling. But no matter how fast I went, no matter how many thrusters and magic rockets I made to boost myself along... He kept his distance!


    The hotel was coming into view and I was only losing ground as this went on. I needed something that could make me go faster, I needed to go as fast as I possibly could. Lari''s life and her safety depended on it but I couldn''t find it within me to keep up with him. I couldn''t let despair slow me down but it was becoming increasingly prominent.


    So I just focused on my anger and my fury as much as I could so I could in turn break myself in order to hunt him down!


    "DO YOU HEAR ME YOU FOUL, DAMNADABLE BASTARD! YOU EVIL SHIT!" I roared as all of my magical reserves were burned away behind me so I could get that extra speed. Thanks to that, I was able to bring myself closer and closer to him, but the hotel was getting closer, too!


    "You''ve nearly lost!" Smiling Jhurack cackled as he elegantly fell down the side of a building so I would overshoot him. All I could respond with, however, was a bloodthirsty roar as I forcibly redirected myself. This position in the air didn''t last long, and I was soon smashing through buildings just to get to him.


    Yet, when I was finally within reach of him, he twisted his body and slashed my front with a paralyzing blow!


    "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" I howled again and again from the crater I had suddenly found myself in as he disappeared into the black sky.


    "If you have any magic left in you, latch onto my airship!" Inerish suddenly told me through the mask''s new systems as I forced my way up back to my feet.


    "JUST HURRY UP!" I roared in the hopes she could hear me and to my despair, I didn''t have the magic left to do what she suggested. I had burnt so much of it trying to chase Smiling Jhurack just now that my body needed a moment to recover before I even tried again. More so given that he had just knocked me straight out of the spell I was just casting!


    "Hurry onboard!" Inerish ordered as the small airship landed in front of me. With some aid from the men onboard, I was then pulled onto it and we instantly went into the air. From there, I could see how airships of the city-guard had begun to open fire on Smiling Jhurack as he headed towards the tower. But he dodged, blocked or deflected anything that came close to maybe even hurting him.


    "Keep your men away from him." I let out quietly before I intentionally fell from the airship once we had reached the sky above the hotel. With the wind then suddenly blasting at my face, I tried to use my cloak to slow my descent as my magic couldn''t help. But the result stayed the same despite my efforts, and I crashed through the penthouse''s roof and onto some furniture.


    And when I got up, though, I found Smiling Jhurack waiting for me with his blade at the ready. But, his smile was gone and his face was blank...


    "And so, you arrive here." Jhurghdak remarked as he walked through the darkened penthouse. To my surprise as well, there wasn''t a single instrument out despite his earlier promise of a performance.


    "What is going on?" I asked as I slowly got up despite the threat posed by Smiling Jhurack. Whatever was going on, however, didn''t matter, Lari was just one floor down and I could not let anything happen to her. I needed to kill the monster before me now!


    "My final performance." Jhurghdak answered as a small selection of instruments suddenly glowed green.


    "You lied to me." I let out as I considered how Smiling Jhurack was paying attention to anything Jhurghdak gestured for him to do. Then, the now stoic killer came back with a box and he opened it before me.


    "I did lie to you, I have lied to all of you." he explained as lights from nearby airships began to fill the penthouse.


    "Whatever, then, I am here for him..." I growled as my attempt to reach for the usually smiling, laughing killer was stopped by a sudden, piercing blade in my wrist.


    "If you want him, you will play along." Jhurghdak sighed as his magic grasped one of the items from the box. It was a pistol, they both were, and now I remembered what they were specifically.


    Duelling pistols was what he said long ago when I first met him.


    "Pick it up." Jhurghdak ordered he used his magic to start playing a tense symphony from the edge of the room. With some reluctance, I then did as he asked and I awkwardly picked up the gun as the sword was removed from my wrist. Smiling Jhurack then went to the edge of the room and took up a position against me.


    Did that mean I had to fight both of them?


    "Get to the point of this..." I growled as I desperately tried to control my weakening grip so that the gun would not fall away.


    "I eluded to something dark earlier, how the world will be confused in how it chose to remember me. Now, either that is because the world will see from your lens that I am the reason so many have died. Or, they''ll know me as the man who killed Thrurstradtur''s only hope."


    "Then I best kill you now." I let out before my other arm heaved up the gun-holding one towards him.


    "In alignment with a duelling tradition from the wiped-out nation of Letellzte, we shall count down from ten, then fire. Either I and my mirage here will kill you, or we won''t and it will all end."


    "Fine, ten!" I snapped as I looked around at what I was dealing with.


    "Nine." Jhurghdak said as he began to fiddle with the small, ornate gun.


    "Eight!" I snapped as I took into account that Smiling Jhurack was going to be involved.


    "Seven." Jhurghdak said as he popped what must''ve been the bullet into the chamber.


    "Six!" I snapped as I maintained my tight grip on the gun-holding arm.


    "Five." Jhurghdak said as he pointed the gun in turn at me.


    "Four!" I snapped as my gaze began to focus exclusively on the swordsman I had been hunting for so long.


    "Three." Jhurghdak said as he had his instruments pick up the pace as my nerves quaked.


    "Two!"


    "One." he said before he pulled the trigger and I failed to pull mine. The bullet then tore through my side and I backpedalled with it as I focused on Smiling Jhurack as he charged with his blade.


    "My heart was already cut out by you!" I snapped at the killer as his blade just barely missed my heart. Then, using the arm I had used to hold the other one up with, I restrained him as much as I could with a tight, compressive lock around his neck. With one final, anguished roar, I then shot Jhurghdak through the head and I watched him collapse as Smiling Jhurack tried to correct his blow.


    He then suddenly fizzled out of existence and reappeared away from me!?


    "Come." he told me as he refilled my body with magic and healed me.


    "Don''t you run now!" I called out as I tested this renewed strength briefly.


    Chasing after him once again, I used my newfound power to grab onto him from a distance and I reeled myself in. With a potent spell building up in my free claw, I prepared to take his life but a bright light then flashed from him and my spell hit something else entirely. Rather than his body, it had hit a giant cog that was but one amidst an even greater set of them. I was left baffled and I tore my mask off as distorted words began to assault my ears.


    "Now it comes to an end." the stoic, warping figure that was once Smiling Jhurack told me as he gestured to something stuck on one of the smaller cogs.


    "This is the real you?" I questioned as I watched the stuck item disappear and then reappear again and again.


    "You killed the real me just now, all I am is a-"


    "I don''t care, if I take this and destroy it, you will disappear? You will die?"


    "I will." the increasingly warped individual answered before I leapt up for the strange item. Carefully and quickly, I then pulled it off of the cog and dropped it down to the ground with it in my claws. It was an ornate, bright and shining feather on a simple, gold-like string. I easily sensed the power of it, and it reminded me of a scared little boy...


    "Ihtuntar." I breathed as I tried to consider how this worked at all. If this was a fanciful illusion of some kind, then shouldn''t this have been Jaadagoren''s artefact? But why is such an artefact in the hands of a cruel thing like Smiling Jhurack?


    Had I offended the small god or the deceptive goddess, what had I done wrong to offend them?


    "Wear it now, please." what was once Smiling Jhurack begged.


    "With pleasure." I answered as I put it over my head before I guided it down to my shoulders. Then, just like that, he started to vanish out of existence as if he was never a thing at all.


    "Thank you." he told me just before he disappeared completely.


    "How am I supposed to get out of here?" I then asked myself as I felt relief fill my body in a way I did not know how to describe. However, it might be best described, though, all I could say with certainty is that it made me feel... Bubbly, happy. I had finally done it, I had saved Lari''s life and now, she was just a small trip away...


    I would finally be able to speak to her again!


    "I''m coming, Lari, wait for me!" I laughed and cried with joy as I desperately ran about to try and find a way out of this place.

 Incline 19: The Hero Returns to Us

    "We''re picking up a foreign magic signal within the Rotation Level!" someone said as I stared intently at the static-covered screen as chaos happened around me.


    "Can you identify?" I asked them flatly as my gaze continued to stare ahead.


    "It''s... It''s the Dark Crow, Grand-Guard Inerish!" they answered to which my mind snapped to life.


    "Where is he specifically?"


    "He''s forcing his way through a maintenance tunnel as we speak."


    "Get me my airship and have it ready and notify the crews down there of where we are to be headed!" I ordered them before I ran as fast as I could back to the hangar. No matter what anyone said or who it was, I didn''t listen, I just kept on running and running until I arrived at my aircraft.


    "We''re ready to go." the pilot told me.


    "Then go!" I snapped before I had even gotten on board, but, with a last-minute leap, I made it on and the pilot headed to where we needed to go. Civilian authorities had been notified and workers were already getting the highly secured doors and hatches opened. And before we had even begun our descent, I leapt from the airship and landed before the workers.


    "Grand-Guard Inerish!" the security team''s head let out as he and his men snapped to attention.


    "How long until this door is opened?" I demanded to know as I moved towards to the civilian teams.


    "Longer than usual, whatever is blowing up the interior is forcing the place into lockdown."


    "Hurry up and bypass it!" I told them as I heard the faint echoes of something beyond the magic-dense, steel doors.


    "Stand clear!" one of the workers declared as the door began to hiss an almost dangerous quantity of magic-rich air. Within seconds a green fog had already begun to fill the air and it put many of the others on edge. These fears were put to rest, however, when the seemingly idle civilian workers immediately started to handle it with their array of equipment.


    "There!" a city-guardsman let out when we caught sight of explosive blue flashes further down the tunnel.


    "WHO''S THERE!?" a strangely joyous voice cried out as he noticed the daylight come down into the rarely opened passageway.


    And to make it clear as to who it was, I pulled out my sword and slashed a line of purple fire towards him, "Get here already you stupid bug."


    "Medical supplies on stand-by!" a man declared as another branch of the city''s infrastructure arrived at the scene.


    Yet, as I was getting impatient, I went on ahead into the tunnel and I made it to the bottom of the stairs, "Explain what happened..."


    "He''s gone!" Nin answered with a bright smile that seemed to catch the light coming from behind me.


    "What?" I asked as my legs suddenly felt weak.


    "Smiling Jhurack is no more, no more!" Nin repeated before I suddenly collapsed to the ground. Then, I began to cry and the tunnel echoed and bounced it about, much to my embarrassment.


    "Y-You can prove it...?" I asked as I felt years of stress and pressure disappear from my life. More importantly, I felt my future open up once again as he approached me.


    "He''s gone, Inerish. He''s gone!" he laughed as he mocked me with an affectionate gesture.


    "Stop that..." I demanded as I managed to get a hold of myself.


    "It''s all over, no more, he is gone forever." he repeated to me as I began to fiddle around with my equipment.


    "Announce it into this, please." I begged him as I held my arm up before him.


    "Gladly," he smiled, "attention Thrurstradtur, Smiling Jhurack is gone. I beat him, I beat him."


    And with that, the tunnel focused the city''s relief down at us and all kinds of shadows appeared around us. Discipline had vanished from my men and a cheering mania took over everyone as Nin started to wander up the stairs. I watched cautiously as he went up there, but even as he went out into the light fully, the cheering only got louder. I found myself smiling and then I slowly got up as my communicator went off.


    "Come again, Grand-Guard Inerish?" someone asked me anxiously through it.


    "The Dark Crow won, everyone." I told them so that they might believe it easier, then, in a spiteful act towards regulation, I turned my equipment off. I didn''t want anyone to interrupt this moment, I just wanted everyone to lose themselves in a moment of joy. From the lowliest citizen to the most esteemed of the Sundial''s inhabitants.


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    "You did it, Grand-Guard Inerish!" one man wrongly attributed.


    "Diciplinary duties for you for the next week." I told him quickly and firmly.


    "The hero is right there." the man next to him corrected as he gestured over to the aloof osibindah as they stared up at the sky.


    "Before you go, Nin, we will need to talk." I reluctantly told him as I awkwardly looked away at my airship.


    "I... I guess I can take the moment to talk." he slowly said to me as I began to walk to my airship just as slowly.


    "I will need you to explain to me what happened." I told him after I closed the airship''s sliding door behind him.


    "I beat him, isn''t that enough?"


    "No, I wish it was, but, I will need you to give me a run down at the very least before I let you go anywhere."


    "Where should I even start...?" he let out in confusion as his happiness seemed to make way for utter loss.


    "The confrontation within the penthouse and all the way until we just met up."


    "Well, whoever suspected Jhurghdak all that time ago was right, their intuition was right. He was involved with it entirely, a partner or something, it''s hard to tell." he explained as he looked down at this peculiar piece of jewellery that I know he did not have before.


    "He attacked you?" I asked him as I turned my gaze to the bloodied, hole and slash-ridden bandages he had on.


    "Yeah, he shot me here in some kind of duel I found myself in..." he answered quietly as he pointed at the circular hole on his upper right.


    "You were the one who shot him in turn?" I asked to which he nodded.


    "I''m not... I''m not in trouble for that, am I?"


    "It would be rather low on the list of problems you caused for us last night." I semi-seriously answered so I could rile him up for my own amusement.


    "You can''t be serious..." he let out as the joy just vanished from him.


    "Don''t worry, Nin. Everything will be looked over, many people owe you that at the very least."


    "That''s... A relief to hear."


    "Besides, we have full video reference that showed you were acting in your assigned capacity."


    "Those screens are all still around?"


    "No, they were reported as gone the moment you reached the penthouse."


    "So people don''t know I killed Jhurghdak as well?"


    "No, though, I have to admit, we may need to... Alter the truth as it were to keep the matter clean."


    "You''re looking out for my safety, aren''t you?" he rightly guessed with that question.


    "I am, Nin, even if we presented the best argument we could, Jhurghdak was simply too popular. And I fear that the people would not stomach it well if it was revealed to be the case."


    "You should just let them know, I am used to everyone in this city and the whole country and the whole world hating me..."


    "No, I want to take care of you, this once, at the very least." I answered firmly at first before I got more playful.


    "But yeah, Jhurghdak worked right with him and this entire time he''s been living right above Lari''s head." Nin let out with a flat tone before I tried to reassure him with an affectionate touch.


    "Don''t worry about any of that now, do you hear? She''s safe now."


    "Yeah." he let out as that smile returned.


    "It''s nice to see you smile, I must admit." I told him as I smiled myself.


    "How can I not smile? I''m going to see Lari again and... I can try and put everything back to the way it was." he sighed but even then, he kept the smile as well as he could.


    "So, to get us back on track, what happened when you chased Smiling Jhurack out of the building?"


    "I was transported to some part of the city by him. Well, before that he healed me of my wounds like he has done before and he started acting strange, his mannerisms vanished and he began to..."


    "Fizzle?" I guessed as Nin began to make electric noises with his hands.


    "Yeah, whatever happened in the penthouse, he began to physically change before he took me to some place full of cogs, then, he revealed this to me and he vanished once I took it." he explained as he held the strange feather up.


    "So that''s evidence?" I questioned with a stern tone as I contemplated snatching it from him.


    "It''s a holy artefact belonging to Ihtuntar."


    "Ihtuntar is a dead god." I reminded him to which he just shook his head.


    "It''s complicated." was all he had to say before he tucked it away into one of his bandages.


    "Killed Smiling Jhurack within the depths of the city." I told myself as I realised I won''t be able to take it from him.


    "Not much point in me telling you the truth if you are just going to lie, right?" he laughed before I huffed in amusement at his words.


    "Don''t worry about what I am doing, just focus on seeing that girl of yours." I told him with what seemed to be a bit of envy. Regardless of it, I shook my head and played it off as being part of my response.


    "Can I get a lift? I... I blew most of my returned magic trying to get out of that place."


    "Sure, I''ll have my pilot take you to the hotel where your friend is." I told him as I moved to open the door, but, I found myself held up as I considered something.


    "A lot of work left on your end, I take it?" Nin tried to joke as he leaned around to look at my face as I smiled.


    "Oh, take me to the gods and goddesses once it''s done." I let out before I suddenly latched onto Nin to give him the strongest hug I could. Then, once he got over the initial surprise, he returned it and I couldn''t help but cry once again.


    "Are you okay, Inerish?" he asked as he patted my back.


    "Thank you... Thank you for defeating him..." I whispered against his strong, bloodstained chest.


    "Anytime." he joked as I finished the hug.


    "Look after yourself now, Dark Crow, it''s been a pleasure working with you." I told him as I wasn''t sure if I would ever actually talk to him again now that it was all over.


    "I''ll try to." he told me as I left the airship and closed the door again. Then, I went up to the pilot and knocked on the cockpit.


    "Take him to where he wants to go!" I called out to them through the glass and metal before I took a step back as the airship started to rise up.


    "What now, Grand-Guard Inerish?" one of my men asked as he tried to fix up his attire following all the cheering and brief partying.


    "We get to work." I told him as I turned my equipment back on so I could start handing out orders. That final fight had caused a lot of damage that extended from the very depths of the city and all the way to its pinnacle. Buildings were destroyed and lives were no doubt lost and without Smiling Jhurack to fix it all somehow as he had before. We, the people of Thrurstradtur were left to do it.


    "Shall we send word to the people in charge of the Rotation Level?"


    "Yes, and someone get me a direct line to the other emergency services." I told them as I straightened out my posture.

 Incline 20: Larishazza SlAyiysab, My Dear Friend

    "So where are we headed, Dark Crow?" the pilot asked me through the interior speaker system.


    "The hotel where Jhurghdak was staying, the one I leapt out towards earlier!" I told him before I laughed at the recent memory.


    "I''m afraid I can''t be having you do that again." he chuckled in response as I leaned back into my chair to relax.


    From my new place of comfort, I looked out at the orbital-halo as it shined brightly down onto the city. But, because of its reflective nature and all that polished, well-looked-after metal, I had to look away slightly. It didn''t stop me from enjoying the sight, however. I was still able to appreciate it all and then some more as my mind became disconnected from what I was seeing.


    Lari was finally safe, after all these years of chasing after Smiling Jhurack, I had finally done it. And now, I was eagerly awaiting to see her once again, I would see her again. In a way, it made me impatient like how I might''ve been only a few days ago. But now, I was only impatient because I was happy, I was actually looking forward to something for once!


    For the first time in five years, I found myself actually happy...


    "It''s been a long five years." I remarked as I looked up at the airship''s roof thoughtfully. But, even as all the bad, painful memories went on by, I still found myself happy. It was all finally coming to an end.


    "We''re approaching the landing pad now, Dark Crow." the pilot informed me as a subtle force suddenly went up my body.


    "Thank you for the lift!" I thanked quickly as one of my claws started to tease the lock on the door.


    "It''s the least I can do, now, go get her." he told me before he started to seemingly turn the airship off. It became clearer what he had done once I stepped outside, but I didn''t care now. If he let the engines die so he could have a moment then fine, all that mattered to me was that I got inside the hotel.


    Yet, when I reached the door that would take me inside, I stopped, "Please be awake..."


    Even though I had done it, even though she had been saved and that Smiling Jhurack was now gone. I still feared that I might walk into a room that was no different than it usually was. It scared me, that the idea that it had all been for nothing. It made me tremble and this doorknob felt immovable because of it.


    "She''s going to be okay, she''s going to be okay..." I quietly told myself again and again as the door finally started to move. With slow, jittery steps, I then walked into the building and I gradually gained confidence as I did so. She was just a single floor down and all I had to do was make it there. That was all I had to do, then I could rest and just listen to her joy.


    Contrastly, however, as quiet as I was, the hotel was not like that at all and I quickly found myself in a busy space. Government officials were all over the place and the usual couple of private guards had been replaced with the city''s personnel. I wasn''t paid much mind at first, but as I went passed some of them, they quietly gave me various kinds of congratulation. Some were vocal, others physical, but it was all consistently quiet and quick.


    If there was more to it, I paid it little mind and I made my way down to the next floor. It was comparatively quiet down here as most of the people were headed up to the next one. But when I got to the final crossing, it was as if the gods had blessed me because not one soul occupied the hall. But even then, I did not make use of this boon and I just stared at the door I was headed to, far off in the distance.


    "Please, be okay... Please..." I quietly struggled to get out before I started to walk down the hallway. For a moment, I then felt nostalgic about a moment I really never wanted to remember again. Moving down this hallway, I felt slow and ponderous, like I was back at that osibindah hive from way back. Back when my body first received the strength and power of magic, it felt like that.


    But like with all distances one had to cross, it all eventually passed by and I arrived at the door. I looked down at the doorknob and at the magical machinery that aided it. Slowly, ever so slowly, I then started to put in the code and I held the doorknob with a shaky grip. The anticipation scared me and I froze up once the door had only been opened slightly.


    There was a lot of noise coming at me from all sides, but even then, I tried to focus on just what was beyond the door. I focused carefully on the beeping that I had heard a thousand times already before I did anything else. Within my mouth, I withheld my pleading and my begging and I turned it into a prayer. Then, something changed, something felt off and I suddenly felt reckless.


    "L-Lari?" I let out weakly and slowly as I stepped into the room in much the same way. But, I must''ve just heard something that I had completely made up as nothing had changed. She was still over there, frozen in that bed and I didn''t know what to do. Smiling Jhurack was dead, she should''ve gotten better, no?


    I remembered so clearly how that doctor couldn''t do anything because of what Smiling Jhurack was doing... So Lari should be getting better now, right? I couldn''t grasp why she was still like this... I did everything right!


    "Even after all that, I still failed?" I asked myself as I suddenly collapsed to my knees with water-rimmed eyes. But just crying wasn''t good enough, so I placed my head next to her hand and I just let it all out. I just didn''t know what to do anymore and I...


    "What''s wrong, Nin?" my dear friend asked me as her hand started to move and wipe the tears from my nearest eye.


    "Lari!?" I squeaked as I suddenly tried to make sure that this wasn''t some insidious dream.


    "Nin!" she chirped with a smile once her head had slowly turned to follow me.


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    "This is real, isn''t it!?" I demanded to know after I suddenly approached her.


    "I think it is?" was all she could say as energy filled my body.


    "YOU BETTER BE AWAKE, DO YOU HEAR ME!? THIS BETTER NOT BE ANOTHER DREAM!" I roared as I suddenly took her up into my arms so I could cry to my heart''s content.


    "You''re squishing me." she tried to tell me.


    "You''re back... You''re back..." I repeated again and again as she finally started to return the hug.


    "Yeah, I''m back?" she let out confusedly before I finally let go of her. But as I was still crying like a baby, she laughed sweetly at me and her paled fingers rubbed away at my eyes. Before she could pull it away, however, I latched onto it and kept it right there.


    "If this is a dream I swear I''ll-" I started to say before her smile made me shut up.


    "You look tired, Nin, have you been looking after yourself?" she asked me after she had carefully looked me in the eyes.


    "N-No... No, I have not slept well for five years." I answered as silent tears ran down my face.


    "You''ve been through a lot, haven''t you?" she asked as her eyes took in all the blood and cuts and holes across my attire. It was clear it made her uncomfortable.


    "It doesn''t matter, as long as you are safe... I did it all for you, Lari." I told her before she looked down and then away.


    "Five years of that for a girl like me? I thought you were smarter, Nin." she commented before I moved up closer to her side. Then, I held her hand and gently squeezed it.


    "You never gave up on me even as I huddled in a corner in orange overalls, fearful of my upcoming second death. Back when everyone had either abandoned me or joined up with those who wanted my death. Even after I had suddenly abandoned you because I wanted to go home, to try and get things back to normal... You never turned your back on me. You stayed with me the whole time because I am your friend."


    She returned her gaze back towards me, "What are friends for?"


    "They''re there to be there for each other no matter how bad it gets." I told her as I thought about what she had done for me and what I had done for her.


    "Yeah..."


    "Do... Do you need anything? Are you hungry, cold? Anything at all?" I decided to ask her after she had gone quiet.


    "No, no, I don''t need any of that... It would be a waste."


    "I don''t understand?"


    "Don''t worry about it, so, how are the others?" she asked me as she looked around the room.


    And I looked away awkwardly as this was going to be a hard thing to answer, "The others..."


    "I take it they aren''t just sleeping or busy at the moment?" Lari asked awkwardly with a laugh to match.


    "No... No... Most of them have moved on with their lives and went home or they are just elsewhere."


    "Something you did scared them?" she quickly figured out and I froze up. Was she going to hate me, now?


    "Yes... And, you might be able to figure out why..." I answered shamefully as I looked down at all the blood covering me.


    "Idiot..." she sighed with a smile.


    "Your family will probably want to know about this, I can get into contact with them, if you''d like?"


    "No, no, that''s fine. I have enough to talk about with you anyway."


    "I''m sorry..." I let out as I realised she probably wanted to scold me for scaring off all our friends. Rose''lhia, Einervaene, Vadei, Omb, Quinshuu, Liadanann... They were all gone now. Even her sister, Tiyanat was gone, but at least there I knew their father had something to do with it.


    "Don''t be sorry, Nin, just make me a promise regarding it, okay?"


    "Okay..." I nodded.


    "Get them all back, do you hear?" she rather sternly asked, but, I nodded all the same and I agreed to do it.


    "That''s quite an adventure you have planned for us." I laughed as she continued to smile.


    "You''ve not had enough of going all over the place?" she asked me as she started to look tired herself.


    "Having your friends with you makes it all the more tolerable." I explained truthfully as having them by our side really did make our history all the easier. It gave us all someone to talk to or to confide in. There was always someone we could feel safe near...


    "All the more reason to do as I tell you."


    "Right." I said before she started to look saddened by something. So, I tried my best to evoke whatever it was out of her mind with a gentle, loving touch.


    "You''re still waiting for an answer, aren''t you, Nin?" she let out all of a sudden and it left me confused.


    "Did I ask a question?" I asked back as my mind suddenly tried to recall if I had done anything of the sort.


    "You did, though, I admit, it has been five years since then..." she remarked as she considered the amount of time it has been since she was attacked.


    "Oh..." I realised shortly after, but, I felt odd when I did because I didn''t think much of it. It was odd, really, given how often I thought of her as ''the woman I loved.''


    "Nin, would you mind coming a bit closer?" she asked me as she adjusted herself so that both of her arms were out.


    "Ok-" I started to say before her lips suddenly came into contact with mine. At first, I wasn''t sure how to react as she made this relatively silent, but bold claim. Eventually, however, I started to react and I returned it as much as I felt was appropriate. Then, she let go of me and something had her down, yet, I was smiling from ear to ear.


    "No." she let out.


    "No what?" I questioned as my smile vanished just like that.


    "I do not love you back, Nin... Not like how you love me..." she finally answered after five, long years.


    "I''m confused... Why did you kiss me, then?"


    "Because you''ll never be able to move on if I didn''t."


    "I''m still confused..."


    "I''m not the kind of girl for you, Nin, the girl for you is somewhere out there waiting for you."


    "But I love you..." I reminded her before she seemed to get angry.


    "I know! I know..." she snapped at first before she repeated herself slowly.


    "It can work out between us, no? Maybe if we just-"


    "No it won''t, Nin!" she suddenly went as she made sure to hold one of my claws with both hands.


    "You listen to me carefully, Nin. The one for you is out there somewhere. She might be a cranky little vulpine from a small village. She might be this lightly dressed woman who is quite explicit with how she feels. She might be a copper-haired beauty from a flying continent or even a mysterious, crimson-skinned giantess... But she is not here, she isn''t me." she explained before a lengthy sigh left her.


    "Okay..." I let out quietly before I tried to retract my claw.


    "However, and I need you to understand this. So, please, listen and understand... I am still your friend and I will forever be your friend. H-How can I not be?" she clarified as she started to tear up.


    "W-What''s wrong!?" I asked her as I moved to hug her and she accepted it eagerly and quickly.


    "I-I''m scared, Nin... I''m scared..." she admitted as she broke down in my arms.


    "It''s okay, I will keep you safe." I reminded her as I stroked her long, blue hair. Though, it seemed to do a better job of soothing me than it did her.


    "I know you can..." she said quietly as the hug she was giving me began to weaken.


    "Lari, what''s wrong?" I asked her when the machines she was still hooked up to started to blare.


    "Keep your promise, you hear me? You keep it, you hear!?" she let out with the last of her strength as she started to go completely limp.


    "Lari...? LARI!" I let out in terror as the machines screamed warning after warning as the woman I loved lost every ounce of her energy. I barely had time to register the moment she went limp as my ears were suddenly in pain because of what they heard. All I could hear was that single, continuous beep.


    Just a single, constant sound that hurt me in a way no sword or bullet ever could...


    "No, Lari... No, no, no, no, no, no..." I cried quietly.

 Peak 14: I Need You, Liada...

    "He did it." I muttered to myself once again as I slowly went through his old room to tear everything down. I really should''ve been managing the bakery, but, for now, I just wanted to contemplate what had happened. This problem that he''s been dealing with for five years was finally resolved. But it felt strange to have heard this as it had become so normal for it to just keep going on and on.


    What did such a thing even entail? Larishazza should be safe now but where would they go? I had kicked Nin out of my house because I was sick of always seeing him covered in blood. But, if it was all over, then shouldn''t I?


    "Do I make sure she''s okay? Do I go back on what I told him so recently?" I let out as my confused thoughts got the better of me. What I had been doing thus far came to an abrupt halt and I looked down at my hands uncomfortably. I couldn''t figure out if I should help them, let alone if I had the right to help them given what I had done. Whatever the case might have been, I needed to go outside so I could just think clearly for once.


    Yet, as I left the room and reached the top of the stairs, I heard someone knocking on the door.


    "I know I left the closed sign on display..." I sighed before I walked down the stairs so I could emphasise it by ignoring them. However, once the door came into view, so did a large, shadowy figure. With each further step I then took, it became all the clearer as to who it was and I stopped on the final step.


    He came here on his own, is what I wanted to say were it not for the silence I had been afflicted with.


    It proved to be shortlived, though, and I rushed to the door with ever greater haste, "N-Nin?"


    He didn''t say a word, he just made sure I saw his teary-eyed gaze and he collapsed against me. Quickly, his body began to shake and tremble and all kinds of noises left him. Then, he cried, all he did was cry. I tried to comfort him but he only seemed to get worse.


    "Nin, what happened?" I dreaded to ask as his emotionally unrestrained strength began to envelop me. I wanted to try and bring him in for some privacy, but he wouldn''t let me move at all. He didn''t want me to go, he wanted me to stay here right by his side. I was fine with that, and I learned immediately to ignore what everyone else was doing.


    The blood across him still unsettled me, but I ignored it as well. Whilst one hand held his shivering, hiccup-cursed head, the other stroked his back. And I kept it up for as long as it needed to be. My friend needed me, nothing else mattered right now.


    All that mattered was that my dear friend needed someone.


    Eventually, he lifted his head up and a single, bloodshot eye dominated my view. I stared deeply into it and picked out all the details of it as his jaw trembled. Whatever he wanted to say, he struggled to do so. He was terrified to admit it to me in the open.


    "It''s okay, Nin. I am here." I whispered as my ear was placed right by his mouth.


    "S-She''s gone... She''s gone..." he repeated only twice before he tightened his grip and hid his wet eyes once again.


    "I see..." I let out as I considered what that meant. What he was talking about was obvious, but even then, even then...


    Five years of ceaseless fighting and it didn''t pay off.


    "Would you like me to close the door?" I asked him with a flat tone as his words ricocheted about my head. But his only response was further sobbing and it broke my heart to hear it. For these past five years, I have only known him as a relentless beast with a single-minded obsession. But now, I saw someone else entirely and I didn''t know what to do with him.


    However, with the best of my strength called forth, I closed the door. With that click of the lock filling the air, I then returned my attention to what was important. I made sure to hold him as earnestly as I could and I just let him cry. Eventually, as well, a few tears started to leave me as well as now...


    I had my friend back.


    "Come on, let''s get you to a chair." I whispered in an encouraging manner as I began to try and heave him up. Eventually, he responded to my attempts and he slowly got up to his feet with a strange expression. His eyes still watered profoundly as if they could never be closed, but his face was straight, almost blank. It was as if he had turned into a corpse, all but his eyes, anyway.


    I then set him down on a chair and I quickly turned to bring down the store blinds, but he wouldn''t let me. His hand held onto mine and he refused to let it go. So, taking the hint, I returned to his side and left everything as it was. And once I sat down, his head suddenly fell against my shoulder.


    "Th-Thank you for letting me in." he told me as I stroked his side delicately.


    "You''re welcome." I replied simply as now was not the time to mention anything else.


    "I don''t know what to do anymore, Liadanann." he said with a sniffle.


    "I''m sure you- we''ll figure it out, Nin." I tried to tell him, but I really didn''t know either.


    "Five years of this... Five years of shit, only for her to die in my arms." he growled as his hands dug into and snapped a chunk out of my table.


    "Did you at least get to speak to her one final time?" I asked him after having been left quiet at that detail. She didn''t die before he got to her and she wasn''t killed, at least, not before he found her. So I could only hope, I could only pray as much as I could that he at least got something... Anything.


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    "I did... She told me to promise that I would find everybody and bring them all back." he explained with a lengthy sigh.


    "You''re off to a good start, then." I tried to joke despite the situation.


    "She also..."


    "She also, what, Nin?"


    "She also said she didn''t love me, she answered my confession from before all of this started."


    "I see..." I let out quietly as I wasn''t quite sure how to respond to this if at all. I know at one point I had feelings for Nin, but I couldn''t be sure now if it was ever romantic. He was just the only one I ever trusted at one point in my life. I couldn''t say either, though, that I wanted to return to those times.


    "Liadanann..."


    "Yes, Nin?"


    "Would you be up for trying to make something work?" he asked as my heart and mind started to act strange. I felt like I had suddenly become a bit of an idiot inexplicitly.


    "I... I... I don''t understand." I told him as he brought himself back into an upright position.


    "Amongst what she told me, she gave me four directions. One of which was a mysterious, crimson-skinned giantess. You. She told me to try and find love in one of those four directions."


    "Find love..." I repeated slowly whilst I fought back what might''ve been the biggest smile in my life.


    "It''s what she told me, but, I''m surprised I am going through with it so willingly."


    "Maybe you already prepared yourself for the answer long ago?"


    "I don''t know. But, whatever the reason is, it might be because even if she did say no, she kissed me. She gave me at least that." he explained slowly as his few fingers came together and fiddled.


    "Oh." was all I could think of to say.


    "She was a very smart, beautiful woman, I guess." he remarked as he gazed at the roof.


    "Are you sure you are thinking about this correctly, Nin?" I asked once I had considered those words as much as I could within the moment.


    "I thought about it on the way here..."


    "N-Nin... She just died, I don''t think you are understanding what she said clearly."


    "I promised her that I would get you all back. And if that means loving all of you to do it, I will do it just like that." he told me as my gaze was turned to meet his.


    My heart pounded and my face was a mess, "No, Nin... Let go."


    "No." he firmly told me as his grip kept my head in place.


    "Let go..." I repeated with a softer tone.


    "Are you going to answer my question now?"


    "Question..." I copied like an idiot.


    "Would you be willing to try and make something work between us?" he asked me once again as his grip started to weaken.


    "I..." I started to say once I took my head out of his hand.


    "So no?"


    "No. No- No! Not no as in no but no as in..."


    "It''s alright, Liada, you don''t have to say yes." he tried to laugh out, and although I knew why he struggled to be joyous. I couldn''t help but think of it as disappointment towards a lack of an answer from me.


    "But I want to say yes..."  I squeaked quietly as the usual red hue of my skin became darker.


    "Okay..." he said as a smile took over.


    Then silence.


    He looked around idly and I rubbed my hands together.


    "If I get changed into something more appropriate, we could go and find my talisman. I couldn''t find it last night..." I suggested so there was at least something being spoken.


    "I should probably as well..." Nin muttered as he looked down at his clothes.


    "Oh, that''s an idea, maybe we could find you some new clothes as well?" I then suggested with a chirp.


    "Let''s not get too ahead of ourselves, I need to have a bath or a shower or something..." he muttered as he tugged up some of the loose, blood-stained bandages.


    "I could always freshen up some more myself." I suggested whilst my fingers twirled through my messy hair.


    "I get the shower first." he told me as he got up.


    "Oh no, you don''t," and I grabbed him with a knowing smile, "you said you wanted to try and make something work and that happens to mean being intimate!"


    "Don''t we work towards this?" he asked me before I snatched up his sluggish hand.


    "I''ve always been more of a start at the deep-end kind of girl." I explained as I dragged him up the stairs.


    "Okay, okay, I get it!" he let out before he wandered into his old room.


    "No bandages or masks!" I told him sternly as he closed the door behind him. Then, with a smile on my face, I rushed into my room and immediately I went for something specific. It wasn''t much admittedly, but I have waited so long for even the slightest opportunity to wear it and I didn''t want to miss out on it!


    A custom-made, floral patterned swing dress...


    "I can look girly if I want to." I argued to myself as I looked it over. Nin finally being truly here for once as well meant it would not be so awkward to wear as well. No faffing about, no potential embarrassment, I could just put it on!


    Nin knocked on the door, "Are you still in here?"


    "Just coming!" I answered as I rushed to the door to open it.


    "Are you going to need some space, Liada?" he asked me as he looked at my hair and then my tail.


    "I''ll let you have the lay of the room first." I told him before we went inside. Smiling like a little girl, I took my clothes off in an instant. But, in the very instant right after, I found myself frozen in embarrassment.


    "It''s nothing I haven''t seen or touched before." Nin reminded me as he slowly unwrapped himself.


    "I know, but..." I tried to explain before I also tried to distract myself by helping him undress.


    "You don''t need to explain, Liada, I get that I haven''t been the best of friends these past five years."


    "I didn''t mean it like that."


    "No, but I know it has made us fall apart, it made us all fall apart." he explained to me as he held up a single, bloodied bandage.


    "And now you are working on trying to fix it."


    "Can I even fix it? I''ve known about Rose''s feelings and Einervaene''s for some time now. But I snubbed them at each opportunity and avoided the subject. They are both gone completely now."


    "I admit, I don''t know much about this Rose but I know Einervaene went to help her mother."


    "At least I just need a map to point me in the right direction, then." he sighed as he let go of the bandage.


    "I will help you, Nin, know that."


    "Thank you, Liada." he sighed before I rose up to pull him in for another hug.


    "It''s been so long since I have seen you undressed I nearly forgot what you actually looked like." I joked as my bare skin pressed up against his carapace.


    "No more Dark Crow, even if it lasted for so little time." he muttered against me as his jaw vibrated and chittered.


    "I think you should keep the title." I told him which made his head pull away.


    "You do?"


    "Yes, admittedly, what he has mostly done I don''t like. But as you said when you first started being called it, it''s a name a friend gave you. It''s a special name." I explained to him so he could start to understand.


    "What could I even use that name for now?"


    "Well, maybe, if I get my armour back as well after we find my talisman, we can start doing some jobs together?" I suggested rather abruptly as although I had my bakery to consider... I''d drop it all like I would a sweet treat into my mouth just for the chance at being able to spend time with him again.


    "I''m a bit tired of fighting, if I am being honest..." he sighed miserably before he likely started to be bothered by thoughts of Larishazza.


    "I can tell, but, think of it this way, Nin. You are now equipped and trained better than ever to look after those you care about. Maybe it''s not fighting and all that, that you are tired of, maybe... Maybe it''s the single-minded fervour that you are tired of?"


    "I don''t know... I feel that I am without a purpose now..." he explained as he put more of his weight against me in a lax manner.


    "It''s going to be hard, Nin, but I am here for you. Soon, everyone else will be too." I explained as I gave my all to hug him.

 Base 15: Einervaene

    "Twirl the golden strands around your fingers, braid them well and fine. Turn that morning misery into daylight shine." I sing gently as I did my hair in front of a gold-rimmed mirror. When the final braid was then crossed over, I smiled and brought my hand up preemptively. Loyal Lightning shot from the tip of my index finger and recreated the mirror into a perfumed breeze. Spinning around in my chair, I let it cover me until I seemed to shine.


    Placing my hands on the wettest areas, I rubbed it in and seemingly polished my skin in the process. Its golden lustre shined bright and I was quickly on my feet with a continued twirl. Wreathing myself in magic to protect my face from the threat of embarrassment, I pondered. Today was a good day to try a new outfit but I wasn''t quite sure at the moment.


    I could just put on the one pair of clothes I had that I had originally departed with. But, I really wanted to see if I could wow the crew of the ship some more or maybe even Brewbrt if he cared. I did have some points of reference to work with, though. Everyone on the ship but Brewbrt was Eusorochiian so pleasing everyone was certainly within the realm of easiness.


    "Might I suggest something that shows me off openly?" Loyal Lightning suggests rather plainly as I paced about.


    Bringing my right arm up, I watch as he snakes up my wrist and appears in my palm, "What do you have in mind?"


    He takes the initiative and creates a window without my say-so, revealing my distant homeland, "You have become the ship''s figurehead as well as its guiding eyes. The homeland may be in sight but it is far from within reach."


    "So I should tease them with attire that looks like home?"


    "My suggestion is along those lines, yes." he answers before the window vanishes and returns to being another part of the ship''s hull.


    "And what do you suggest you be displayed as?" I ask as I sat down on my bed to put on my high-heel boots. With a satisfying snap, they were tightly pulled up to my thighs and I let Loyal Lightning dance about my fingertips.


    "In my rawest state." he answers just as tremendous thunder boomed from the skies.


    "That sounds dangerous." I point out as that would mean leaving active, divine magic running against my skin.


    "Life experience has taught me that it is when things are dangerous and unapproachable that people desire them the most." he explains to me as he snakes up my arm.


    "I''m not looking to be desired, only occupied for the time being."


    "My point stands, friend."


    "Fighting Jhrarda the Mighty and his thirteen brothers is quite the experience to draw from."


    "I wouldn''t say that... I am just one part of Mesofunderod." he sheepishly admits.


    "Thurnmourer still depend on your power, did he not?"


    "I was and continue to be the weapon, not the fighter."


    "You were there, that is all that matters to me." I tell him as my right hand traced his power into the air. Bouncing an idea around my head, I got to work and my flesh began to be compressed. Starting from where my boots ended, I worked my way up to my neck. Yet, I had left a gap on either side around the area of my hips and a section in my core remained as exposed flesh.


    Bringing a mirror back into existence, I stare at my form as pure lightning clung to it. Slowly, I filled it in with various soft materials and I began to alter the finer details. While it was a shame I couldn''t call them authentic even if Loyal Lightning would''ve argued otherwise. I wanted to use ironskin pearls in my outfit.


    To do this, I added some decorative copper plates onto the tops of my hips and fastened them towards each other. With a fine line of golden thread going through them, I filled in the gaps and I brought it together on a dangling line of jewellery. Copper circles held it all together in a series of bolo tie-like holds. Adjusting the length as necessary, I turned my attention to the rest of my outfit.


    It wasn''t exactly turning out as something that felt Eusorochiian, so I made a dark, patterned leotard to cover my legs and body. The ingenuity of it made me smile more and I was keen to show off the skin-exposing pattern to see how my skin looked in contrast to the darker fabric. Yet, I couldn''t help but feel that my top half was a little thin on covering and maybe the same applied further down as well.


    "That should do it." I comment once an almost black second layer V''d out from between my legs and up to my neck. Playing with my hair some more, I decided that a little cloak would help bring the outfit together. As my hair would look nice even if it went over my shoulders or if I kept them on the front end. A pair of extended sleeves then dropped down from my wrist and I swooshed them about.


    "Where do I fit into this?" Loyal Lightning asks as he moved around my body.


    "Do you feel the gaps in the outfit? Fill those spaces out." I tell him and I smiled brighter than ever before as decorative, golden streaks held up various metal beads.


    "I am quite active." he remarks as I use his powers to restore the room to normal once again.


    "We are a pair." I giggle to him as I closed the door behind me.


    "BEAUTY, SIGHTED!" the barrelman cried out from his post as I stepped into the open.


    "Stop it..." I mutter as the crew give me their regards as I made my way across the metallic vessel. Reaching a fight, however, I stopped and I became unsure what to do.


    "You two!" one of the men hiss as they broke up the fight within the moment.


    "I''ll keep it a secret." I tell them as I moved passed them.


    "Appreciated, Lady Einervaene." the fight-stopper tells me with a bow which he forced the fighters to do as well.


    "Brewbrt!" I call out as the gold-footed adventurer came into view. Shaking his head, he returned the greeting with a blast of magic that went past me and towards the crew.


    "Back to work you ugly bastards." he curses as he steps around to my rear.


    "I''ve told you it doesn''t bother me anymore." I remind him to which he just snorted.


    "You banded yourself in magic, didn''t you?"


    "Being naked as I get changed is a little different to being appreciated once the outfit is done."


    "Just stick to the one you boarded with." he shrugs.


    "I''ve had that outfit for two, three years now? It''s all I have right now."


    "I''ve had this armour and its various bits for far longer. And unlike you, I''ve picked up the wear and tear with pride."


    "Shut up, you let the marks stay there." I huff as I shook my head bemusedly.


    "Goldfooted Brewbrt certainly has a unique sound to it." he comments with a tap of his golden foot.


    "Personally, I prefer Friend as your title." I remind him before he ruffled my hair with the flick of his hand.


    "I prefer your mother over yo- Ow!" he laughs as Loyal Lightning poked him at my silent behest.


    I sigh and look up at the approaching continent in the sky, "We''ll both be able to see her again soon."


    "Yeah, and we can put this whole mess behind us." he says as the shadow of the distant, floating land lights up with a sudden thunderstrike.


    "To think the Anvil-Peak was actually on Thunlanann." I remark as we watched the lightning-laced islands.


    "Thunder''s Land is the name if you literally translate it." he says as he tapped the ship''s hull.


    Turning back to face him, "And Eusorochii means Lands Chained by Thunder''s Light."


    "So?"


    "Name translations don''t exactly mean much as to where a holy site beyond compare resides."


    "Thunder''s Land is a bit more specific than Metal Rocks Webbed in Storms." he comments knowingly.


    "I wonder how my mother put up with you at times."


    "Because she was a push over just like you." he jokes as his hand pushes my head forward.


    "Lightning, if you''d please." I tell my bound friend who answered the call lightning quick. I smile at his reaction then I looked past him at the ship''s oars.


    "They should start rising up now." Brewbrt tells me.


    "It''s hard to tell if they aren''t already." I remind him as I lean over the metal hull to look down at the lengthy stalk of lightning. I couldn''t make it out from this far up, but, I could see how a piece of sea-bound metal guided the ship.


    "Hey, Seaman, get the Captain, would you, your oars are going the wrong way." Brewbrt suddenly calls out before I pull myself back onto the decking.


    "What''s wrong?" I ask as I looked at the oars. Unlike what he had just said, they were instead going down in a rather pointed manner. Like a hand bringing all its fingers together at a single, somewhat narrow point.


    "Maybe trouble." he tells me before he walks off in the direction of the Captain.


    "I thought you said there was nothing wrong with this ship?" I ask Loyal Lightning as I walked towards the ladder to the floor down. Grabbing the handrail, I waited for his response.


    "There isn''t, there still isn''t any issue. Something is just redirecting it." he explains as he travels out of my hand and into the bar.


    "What could possibly redirect tools this precise?" I ask as I catch him with my palm as my feet tap onto the decking.


    "A mass of metal will."


    "Oh no..." I breathe as that could''ve only meant another island had fallen into the All-Coast. I gave a quick prayer after hearing this and then I continued walking. Passing by some of the oarsmen, I watch them for a little bit. It was interesting seeing how these men trained their magic in such a way as to make it near-bottomless.


    The endurance they had for these year-long voyages was commendable in and of itself. So even with everything on my mind, I couldn''t fault them for a slight slip-up. Seeing these men, actually, was rather humbling as I never had to work for my power, somewhat. My actual, magic power, that is, hated as it was...


    "Lady Einervaene, care to join us?" one of the crew ask me all of a sudden.


    "N-No, don''t worry about apologizing." I preemptively tell them after it had made me jump.


    "We''re having a drink and just sharing tall tales if you''d like in?"


    "She got scared from someone behind her, this would terrify her!" one of them guffawed before the rest broke into laughter.


    "A scary story isn''t going to bother me." I huff as I made my way to the quickly opened-up space by the table.


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    "Pretty thing like you ain''t seen the slightest hard work." they huffed and I leaned in as a response.


    "I''ve crossed this sea before, survived being shipwrecked, fought two wyverns, battled in the esteemed talent display of Suhurlodst and crossed lands embroiled by war and strife. So, please, try me."


    "I know you said we were telling tall tales, but, really?" he asks the crewman who invited me other at first.


    "I''m not lying!" I huff as I slam back into my seat to which they all laughed.


    "Cheeks like that could never lie!" he chuckled as he put his mouth against his tankard. But, he just couldn''t keep the amusement down and it rattled against his teeth. All I could do was pout further as my cheeks insisted on their crimson state.


    "Alright, alright, back to the story, you got your rubies." one remarks before he bites into his rice snack.


    "I''ve lost myself completely now..." he exasperates with a roll of his eyes.


    "As useless as a noble trying to race the oarsman."


    "That''s just insulting."


    "Get on with it!" one towards the back of the group calls out before a nutshell flew out and hit one of them.


    "Alright, alright, I remember my place. So, there we are, sailing down from Piragaeya in our brand new, streamlined, finely sanded junk-"


    "A piece of junk alright." one jokes before a few start to snicker.


    "Shut up!" the storyteller snaps with a sparking click of his fingers.


    "You were sailing down from Piragaeya''s port on a junk." I say to him so he could remember where he was.


    "Yes, thank you. So, finely-sanded junk, nice and new. Now she steered beautifully when near a collection of small islands. Those five sets of arcing oars did wonders for her. But the captain''s got a bit of an easily wounded ego and he-"


    "Just admit you''re the captain!" another lets out to which more laugh than before.


    "Will you shut up!" he snaps louder than before with an aggressive pat to the arm.


    "Not sure what is more entertaining, the story or a bit of boat rocking." one snickers before he drowns the laughter.


    "Me keeling you all down the guiding bolt will be. Now, the captain wants to show that his ship is just as good as these ocean crossers." the storyteller goes on with a tap of his foot at the end.


    "Do the additional oars slow the ship down?" I ask as I wasn''t all that bright when it came to the topic of ships.


    "Yeah, essentially, his ship was made for easy navigation up there, along and between Eusorochii''s lovely islands. Ships like these are focused in that they want to go where they want to go."


    "Story about a ship being slow ain''t very fun." one of the crew huffs.


    "It''s not about it being slow, it''s what makes it slow. Something I''d get to if you lot learned to weld it shut." the storyteller complains.


    "Blinded by his narrow vision, the captain sailed his junk out into the open seas. The crew knew something was off but they could not reason with the mentally wounded man. The ship dragged on and on until all the oars were tied down. What once spread out to guide her through dangerous paths now brought her closer and closer to the dark, abyssal water. The men were paralyzed, unable to figure out what to do. If they stopped, they''d sink. If they kept on going, they''d sink..." I decide to tell on a whim before I came to a stop once I realised they actually listened in.


    "Near enough, near enough." the storyteller smiles to which I gave a sheepish one of my own.


    "So what was the problem with the ship?"


    "A rock fell." the storyteller answers with a smile before he starts getting hit around the head.


    "Complaining that we were interrupting..." one of the crew complains as the group disperses into several smaller ones.


    "Are you sure it was just a rock?" I ask as that surely couldn''t have been it.


    "No... There''s more to it. But I don''t want to make such a powerful claim on reality."


    "I don''t follow?"


    "There''s a old island nation out there between Eusorochii and the colonies. It''s quite different from either of us and they are happy to keep it that way. But, during that story, I was lucky enough to wash ashore there. It''s a place called Ancypt, lovely place, you might like it as you are on your way back from Jherikra, right?"


    "I think I''ve had enough mountains for one lifetime." I answer more so in reference to my time at Anvil-Peak.


    "Well, if the good memories ever come to surface again... Haul them to the front of your mind, it''s a nice place."


    "I''ll consider it, sure, but, what about this place has to do with the story?"


    "They believe that the words have real power on life as a whole. If you tell a story with it in, it will occur once again."


    "So... If they were to lie about a beast killing their livestock, it would just happen?"


    "Yes."


    "But that''s just coincidence...?"


    "I thought so too, once. But it was read or heard the good parts or the bad parts of stories that I began to notice them more around me."


    "I see." I let out as I ponder the idea. It was a weird way to talk about the process of learning, I had to admit. But, anyone could look at my homeland and think the same way as I was now. There wasn''t just one way to do things or learn about them.


    "It''s been nice talking to you, Lady Einervaene. Try not to be too hung up on this sailor''s tall tale."


    "But you were telling the truth?" I question only for him to just stop and smile before he then left. Standing up, I leave the table myself and walk some more with a curious eye. I still found it quite interesting how the ships of my homeland blended solid, faultless metal with wood and other materials. There was just something so unique about the ships from Eusorochii.


    The one we took to that island some time ago from the colonies was a mostly wooden construction. The people of Jherikra didn''t quite seem to understand what a ship was in the traditional sense. Where as the people of the Grand-Kingdom knew about ships quite well, their empire was built by them, after all. Yet, they built theirs so steadily, piece by piece.


    Ships like these were carved straight from Eusorochii itself!


    "Have you ever made any ships, Lightning?" I ask my friend as my hand touched one of the ship''s support carvings.


    "I have never had the need to, no."


    "Was the All-Coast Sea not around all that time ago?"


    "It was, not as it is now, but it was."


    "And the gods and goddesses just never saw the point in ships?"


    "Their power is great and vast even without my power of creation." he answers as his powers trail behind my hand to make a beautiful display from the ship''s internal bulkheads.


    "Wouldn''t that technically make you God of Creation, then, not Thurnmourer?"


    "I am a tool, not a god."


    "That is a lie, you are my friend and we''re going to save my mother together." I correct as I do my best to hug the living stormlight.


    "Yes, my duty to you is reaching its climax." he tells me as we find ourselves going up the aft ladder.


    "It will be strange not having you with me, Loyal Lightning." I tell him as I spread my arms out onto the edge of the ship. My rear was raised up behind me and it gently swung in the air as I looked out at the waters we had sailed.


    "You can always visit me, you have earned my trust. It will be a far safer trip for you in the future."


    "I''ve said goodbye to too many friends, Lightning. I don''t want to lose you too."


    "I had your word back on that mountain." he reminds me as he shoots out from the ship to gaze back at me.


    "I know, I won''t break my promise." I sigh as he returns to my arm.


    "I know you won''t, the honesty is appreciated."


    "But what if just coming home with you isn''t enough?"


    "I will save your mother, that was the promise, if I must stay at your side to accomplish that, then I will."


    "I find myself hoping that you do." I gently laugh uncertainly. Was that the sort of thing I should be hoping for if at all? I wanted this all to end. For the days where I worried about my mother to just not exist anymore, I wanted her to be safe.


    It''s all I have ever wanted for so long... Above everything else in my life, that was the one thing that stayed constant. I had a debt to her that I had to repay and this was that moment. My mother has cared for me for so long, and it was only right I paid her back in kind.


    "Einervaene! Einervaene! Dammit, Einervaene!?" I heard Brewbrt call out across the ship. Using my power, I appear before him with controlled grace.


    "What''s the problem?" I ask as he takes up my hand.


    "If your sentiment towards your belongings matter, gather them up." he warns before he turns back to the Captain as he sails.


    "What''s the problem?" I ask again, but, this time, I focus on the naval officer.


    "If you want off my ship, yer going to have to do it privately." he explains without the secrecy and slight of tone I would''ve normally expected from such a message.


    "Brewbrt?" I ask as my question had not been answered.


    "Einervaene, grab your things." he tells me sternly with a guiding hand on my back.


    "But what about the crew!? Why can''t you just answer me?" I ask after I turn around sharply.


    "Ladies and children first. These men are sailors. If Undwote must dive deep into Oceinater''s realm, then so be it."


    "Somebody, please, tell me, I can help."


    "Einervaene!" Brewbrt nearly snaps at me.


    "Right..." I meekly answer as I go down the steps to return to my cabin.


    "There is danger." Lightning says as he seemingly sniffs the air to find a direction.


    "I don''t understand why people won''t let me try and help... We can do something, Lightning, surely?"


    "If that is their choice then you should respect it." Lightning tells me.


    "You fell out with the God of Thunder because he needed to shatter your greatest creation to defeat the Fourteen-Headed Beast!" I remind him to which he sizzles away quietly. I sigh and look down and I move to grab what few things I had. But, suddenly, she ship shakes and I nearly find myself against the cabin walls. I get back up without an issue, but I can''t just let something like that slide!


    I bag my stuff regardless, however, and I place it outside before I rush back up to the other two.


    "Do you have everything?"


    "What was that?"


    "Hav-"


    "What was that!?" I repeat firmly with a flash of Lightning''s golden power.


    Brewbrt looks back at the Captain, but he also struggles to maintain a lengthy, matched gaze, "I will, then?"


    "You were the one who arranged for this voyage..." the Captain mutters before he starts to laugh.


    "Einervaene, look. It was not easy arranging a ship to take us to Eusorochii and while it wasn''t intentional... It is your fault."


    "My fault...?" I let out as confusion smothers me.


    "Since you left that mountain... You''ve become too powerful, Einervaene. You understand what that means, right?"


    "I''ve not tried to endanger anyone!" I argue just as another tremor rocks the ship violently.


    "I''m not saying you have, Einervaene... But there are things out here that are threatened by your power, they see it as a challenge."


    "I''m not a danger..." I repeat as I nervously bring my hands to my face.


    "Einervaene, grab your things, it''s time to go. The crew have spent their wages as if it were their last, now, let''s go."


    "No!" I tell him as I snatch my hand back out of his grip.


    "Einervaene!"


    "I WILL NOT DAMN THESE MEN TO AN EARLY DEATH!" I scream up at him with a voice that boomed like thunder.


    "Quiet down..." Brewbrt urges as another tremor rocks the ship.


    "No! IF YOU WANT TO ENDANGER THESE MEN, THEN COME UP AND FACE ME!" I scream down over the ship''s side and at the water far below.


    Nothing happened. Then, a roar.


    "DRAGON!" a sailor crys as the waters suddenly part to make way for a behemoth. Rapidly rising from the waters, a dark shape takes form as another roar fills the air. Steeling myself, I step out onto the thin wall just barely and I gaze down. Lightning''s power kept me still, but everyone else was holding on for dear life.


    "EINERVAENE, LET''S GO!" Brewbrt roars as his armour clanks and bangs.


    "If you want me dragon... Then you can face me." I tell the steel-scaled beast as it finishes rising up to meet us. The ship barely matched the width of one of its claws and each tooth is showed was wider than even the fattest man. And there were hundreds of them. This creature was as literal as one could be for the definition of giant.


    "You come into my realm, Human?" the tremendous repitle whispers as its long body bends forward to bring its head closer.


    "I come through Eusorochiian waters to get to the realm of the Bosphama!" I answer as Lightning flashes out of my arm aggressively.


    "Did I not hear you correctly, Human?"


    "You did." I answer as I have Lightning grab my staff which I then point up at him. Golden sparks arc about it and the dragon''s eyes clearly focus on it.


    "You are nothing." it realises as it stares intensely at Lightning''s display.


    "You wish to fight this beast?" Lightning asks me as a portion of his endless power flows back into me.


    "If I must."


    "Einervaene!" Brewbrt snaps as he grabs my free hand.


    "Get the crew to safety." I tell him.


    "I am getting you out of here, the shore is not far, let''s go!" he urges to which I pull my hand back.


    "This ship and its crew are under my protection, Dragon."


    "It was under Subtelty''s protection before you came along... Human."


    "I have a name, Beast." I hiss as sparks fly off of me.


    "As do I, Girl."


    "I AM EINERVAENE BOSPHAMA! DAUGHTER OF THE LADY BOSPHAMA!" I declare with the backing of the storms in the sky.


    "I AM BOISENMARCK, THE STEEL-SCALED KING OF THE SEAS!" it declares normally to which I feel a shiver go through me despite the power I currently wielded. B-Boisenmarck...?


    The strongest sea dragon in recorded history...


    No, "I do not care."


    "You would be wise not to overstep your authority, Bosphama." Boisenmarck informs me as its many limbs and razor-tipped flippers extend out, clearing the sky of mist.


    "You would be wiser to back away." I say with a forceful tap of my staff that made the sky light up with Thurnmourer''s pride. The great dragon looks up at the sky and gazes about before growling air blows out towards my homeland.


    "Your people prize heritage, lineage and blood over all things else, no?" the dragon asks as it presents its snout.


    "Yes." I answer even if on the inside I was going ''unfortuatenly...''


    "Then you know that a dragon of my name cannot just turn his back to an insignificant human."


    "If you so much as damage this ship or kill a single seaman aboard it, I will see you reduced to a meal for the destitute!" I threaten as Lightning makes another display on my staff''s top.


    Boisenmarck takes note of this and even seems to flinch at the power, "Kneel."


    "K-Kneel?" I question with a scoff.


    "Einervaene..." Brewbrt warns as his magic lights up behind me.


    "Kneel before me, Bosphama. Submit before my might or I will crush this ship and damn your people specifically for this transgression!" the dragon snaps as its teeth are shown off once again.


    "I will not kneel, and you will not endanger this crew, let alone my home!" I tell it to which Brewbrt struggles to hold in a scream.


    "This... This... Grrrr... Girl!" boils out of the witch behind me.


    "Back away." I warn the dragon as Lightning''s power calls out to even the storm''s that held Eusorochii together. Backing away, the dragon stares at the great power before he turns back to us with a snarl.


    "SO YOU CHOOSE DEATH." his voice boomed despite the calm expression he seemed to have.


    "I choose their life!" I tell him as I point the staff out at him, unleashing its power in a torrent of scale-melting bolts. The dragon roars and is knocked down by the power and falls for ages. When he finally hits the water, tsunami''s break away from him in all directions and his lower half whips up.


    "BRA-" the Captain began to shout before the ship was suddenly carved open from the bottom.


    "Brewbrt!" I call out to my friend as he braced himself in the air with his magic.


    "I''LL HANDLE THE CREW, YOU SORT YOUR MESS OUT!" he shouts at me in an almost excited manner as he disappears under the ship.


    "Lightning, make sure we can get back aboard the ship." I tell my friend as I break away from what kept me in place before.


    "Done." Lightning as the sky rumbles in response to Boisenmarck''s roars.


    "LET ME FEAST ON YOU, STORMLIGHT!" the dragon roars with explosive force as its head shot out of the water.


    "Will you kill if asked to, Lightning?" I ask my friend as I fall towards the rising beast of steel.


    "I will create that which can." he answers as bolt after bolt surges into my golden body.


    "I will call on you when it is time, then." I tell him as I present his power once again to the Sea-King. With another world-shaking roar, the dragon fell back into water with more ash breaking away from it. Watching the beast as it swam with the speed and agility of a small fish, I prepared another attack.


    "STORMLIGHT!" Boisenmarck roared from deep beneath the waves as the spike at the very tip of its tail suddenly appeared. Presenting my staff, I block the blow and lightning blasts out all around me as his force of being comes down onto me!

 Incline 1: Einervaene

    "Lightning, now!" I call out to my friend as I present my staff in the air. A titanic maw races towards me along with a darkening sky. Rows of teeth pass by me above and over but I hold my ground. Bringing my weapon down, I call for the storm to follow with its thunderous fury.


    The sea-dragon roars and I go flying on its rust and salt-scented breath. Spasming backwards, Boisenmarck fights back against the electric ripples surging down into the water through him. Blasting the dragon back with a cloud of volatile static, I move onto drawing it further away from the ship. Eyeing the crippled vessel carefully, I pray again and again for it to make that final distance to shore.


    "DIE FOR ME, STORMLIGHT!" the dragon speaks as it rapidly snakes a vortex into existence. Following its many limbs and their behemoth claws as they swipe for me, I find myself in the middle of the vortex. Observing the water it brings up with it and the sudden break in the clouds as the colossal dragon towers out of the water. I develop an idea.


    "The eye of the storm is often said to be the safest place." I comment as I quietly send Lightning''s power up into sky to craft a great weapon.


    "FOR YOU IT IS NOTHING MORE THAN A TARGET! A TUNNEL THAT SHALL LEAD TO MY GREATEST SNACK!" the dragon growls as it dives jaw-first into the self-made tunnel.


    "You are your own tomb." I correct the gargantuan lizard as molten metal rains and sparks around me.


    "I WILL DEVOUR YOU ALL!" the dragon bite back as a white-hot glow blinds me.


    "LIGHTNING!" I cry out as I raise my staff up high. In a sudden flash, golden light pierces the great beast and joins with my staff''s tip. With the howling roar of the storm crashing against my weapon, the Thurnmourer''s light races through the endless body of the dragon. Lighting up the waters below, the world turns a bright gold packed with electrical spicing.


    "Einervaene, the ship will not make it." Lighting informs as he collects himself into my staff and then into me.


    "Create me a path." I request as I turn to face the direction I am sure the ship was in. Watching as steel scales and scorched, red flesh blow away from me, a path opens up. Going along it with as much haste as Lightning''s wings can give me, I return to the ship. Landing with a gentle run, I turn back to the great dragon as it turns towards us.


    "HOW IS THAT THING STILL NOT DEAD!?" one crew member screams in despair as the power of Boisenmarck''s roar rocks the crumbling ship.


    "Usually, you come back when the beast is dead!" Brewbrt snaps as he crashes onto the deck besides me.


    "I thought I had!" I tell him before I return my attention to the rapidly approaching sea-serpent.


    "HONOURED STORMLIGHT, DIE!" Boisenmarck calls out with a surprisingly calm tone as silver-tinted emerald lights up next to me.


    "Leave the beast slaying to the professionals, I guess." Brewbrt remarks as he dives off of the ship with explosive force.


    "Lady Einervaene... If you can, get my crew ashore." the Captain pleads as he staggers up to me with a bloodied head.


    "Lightning, anchors!" I request as my friend detaches himself to create hook-ending chains of solid thunder-gold. Moving towards the aft as the direction of the pull takes over, I glance out into the skies as Brewbrt takes to the air. Behind him, a trail of emerald orbs build up as he seemingly tunnels through the sky.


    "I''ve heard a few stories of a man like that... Of a man trailed by orbs of wind."


    "Skybomber Brewbrt!" I breathe as my friend, Mother''s dear friend fills the sky with countless spells. For a moment, he even blocks out the lightning-wracked sky as he displays his power. The spells start to fall slowly and gracefully and worry fills the crew. I trust Brewbrt, but I have to admit, his magic was moving a little slow...


    "BRACE FOR IMPACT!" the Captain calls out as Boisenmarck snakes up with a glowing maw and reared back head.


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    Emerald power erupts across his side and the beast''s molten bile spits out towards the seas below. More and more explosions burst to life and gale-force winds blow the ship in a wide arc away from the dragon. Catching a glimpse of Brewbrt as he ascends to the dragon''s head, I hold my breath as the dragon veers its gaze. Feeling the ship tremble as the beast growls, Brewbrt breaks through into the sky with a nasty surprise.


    "EMPEROR HURRICANE-"


    "LIGHTNING, AIR COVER, NOW!" I scream as the overwhelming power makes itself known.


    "BOMB!" Brewbrt chants as a single, modest but highly dense egg of magic makes its way to the glowing jaws of the dragon. With a blast that created tsunami''s all the way down below, everyone is knocked down. Emerald light blinds us all and I even hear the faintest screams of men going blind as the ship violently rocks. Urging Lightning to keep the crew safe, I wait until the ship stops shaking for the most part before getting back up.


    "Ah... My skin burns!" the Captain growls as I look out at the emerald mist. Not catching sight of Brewbrt amisdt the falling pieces of dragon flesh, I start to panic. Rushing to the edge of the ship, i beckon Lightning back to my side and I have him mop up the air and sky.


    "Einervaene, towards the coastline!" Lightning beckons to which I spot a small mass almost burning up as it goes towards my homeland. With a further eruption of power marking his arrival on a collapsing island...


    "Brewbrt!" I nearly screech as the Captain takes hold of my hand.


    "Get... Get to him, we''ll land ashore!" the pained sailor tells me as I climb up onto the guard rails.


    "Makes sure to call for help if you need it!" I tell them as I leap off the ship to race to my friend. Eyeing the falling islands with worry, I have Lightning come up to my side.


    "Yes, Einervaene?"


    "Is there any way you can prevent these islands from falling!?" I ask him as we have no doubt just put port towns and whole villages at risk.


    "I can restore the links to the Lightning Mountain, you only but ask." Lightning nods confidently.


    "GO, SAVE THEM ALL!" I scream at him as I lock onto Brewbrt''s magical aura.


    "As commanded." Lightning answers as he surges out towards the islands with a  deceptively destructive visage. Focusing on my friend, I crash onto the island he is sliding down and I grab onto him.


    "Wew... I remember why I stopped using magic on that scale..." he groans with a gleeful laugh.


    "You idiot..." I mutter as I watch Lighting latch onto the falling, metallic landmass. Jerking with the sudden stop, I pull my friend to his feet as the island starts to level out. Glancing at the devastated village near us, I shake my head and look at the ship as it crashes ashore.


    "I hope you have no more grand entrances planned, Einervaene." Brewbrt breathes as his armoured bulk falls against me.


    "No more risks like that, do you hear me?" I laugh out as I spot a lone cloud stray towards us.


    "N-" Brewbrt starts to go as blue electricity cackles from me.


    Crashing closer to the ship, I let go of him.


    "-O!" Brewbrt finishes as he collapses to the ground with a gag.


    "Is everyone alright!?" I call out to the ship''s crew or what was likely left of them, rather.


    "Some help would be appreciated..." Brewbrt goes, but, I decide to take it as him speaking on their behalf.


    "It''s alright everyone, just come to me and I will do my best!" I tell the crew as they fall and slip out of the gutted underbelly of the thankfully upright ship.


    "Lady Einervaene..." one of the crew mutters as I start to apply my own personal reserves of magic to their wounds and ailments.


    "Don''t look at it, please..." I beg before the man starts to laugh.


    "You are incredible!" he goes as I zap him back to health. Smiling, I nod at his words before I move onto the next man. Sorting man after man out, I come upon the Storyteller as he tries to fashion himself a crutch.


    "Would you like any help?" I ask him as I help him to his one good leg.


    "No... I am fine... We are all very fine, thanks to you, My Lady." he goes as Lightning returns to me in the nick of time. Doing away with my tainted, blue magic, I help everyone with sparks of golden light.


    "The islands are restored, but the damage remains." Lightning explains quietly as I wander from the healed crew.


    "Mmm..." I moan uncomfortably.


    "I can''t believe you seriously made me vacate my bowels!" Brewbrt complains as he staggers towards me with a strange mixture of armoured feet against metallic ground.


    "I need to get to Mother but..."


    "You want to help." Brewbrt finishes as he pats my back gently.


    "Your mother''s waited this long, I''m sure she can and will be glad to know you spent the time beforehand saving your people."


    "Well, Lightning has been..." I say to which the ancient power had nothing to say. We all knew it was right, I was going little, almost nothing!


    "Come on, we''ll gather the crew and we can get them to a town properly. You''ll have your chance to fix my mistakes."


    "How can you call what you did a mistake?" I ask him and he just points up at the emerald mist as it thickly laces itself like a fog.


    "There''s a lot of very potent residue because of that spell. It might become blood in the water for other sea-dragons, but, here''s to hoping the body of one warns them off." he explains to me as he pats my back one final time.


    "No I-" I start to complain before I turn and see the gathered up crew.


    The Captain steps forward with a recovered mug of electrolysed spirits, "THREE CHEERS FOR THE LADY-HEIR EINERVAENE BOSPHAMA!"


    "KEOEFIN! KEOEFIN! KEOEFIN!"


    "You''re joking, I kill the dragon and they praise you..." Brewbrt scoffs falsely as teases the fact my face was going red with his armoured fingers.

 Incline 2: Einervaene

    "Thank you my dear, thank you!" a village elder tells me as I help her fix up the front of her house.


    "It''s the least I can do for putting everyone at risk..." I mutter as Lightning finishes restoring prized porcelain and other pieces of modest art. Nodding at her as it comes to an end, I step outside and look down at the lazy Brewbrt.


    "Ah, Einervaene, come try this, it''s good!" Brewbrt eagerly says as he shows off what looks like ''sea and air'' soup.


    "I hope you''ve actually been working." I go as I cross my arms and look down at the indulging old man.


    "I have... It''s just, I wanted to eat something, unlike you, I put in a lot of effort fighting that dragon."


    Kicking him in the back of the head, "You liar!"


    "I did!" he chuckles as I knock his attempt to put both bird meat and fish meat together in one chopstick serving.


    "Eugh, fine, whatever. Finish that and let''s get back to it." I tell him as I step down to go see if another house needs our help.


    "Young lady! Young lady, please, it''s not much, but I''d like to thank you for the help!" the villager elder I just helped came out to say. Looking at what she is offering, my expression softens up as I look at the sweets she offers.


    "No, it''s fin-" I start to say before Brewbrt flicks some magic at me.


    "She will be happy to take it and she will enjoy them now." Brewbrt answers for me to which the old lady laughs with joy.


    "Oh, wonderful! My grandchildren don''t visit as often anymore since they grew up. So it''s nice to find people willing to enjoy the sweets I make." she goes as the sweets are carefully placed into my hands.


    "T-Thank you." I say as she rubs my cheek before going back inside.


    "Come on, saved you a spot right on my gold-footed side." Brewbrt chuckles as he goes back to eating his meatful soup.


    "I should be helping them, doing something..."


    "Einervaene, this is what, the dozenth village we and our merry band of stranded sailors have gone to help? Take the moment and rest."


    "But, Mother!" I tell him to which his expression goes straight. He sighs and taps his bowl through the greasy broth as the village lives and breathes around us.


    "I know, Einervaene. I want to help her too. But your mother is fine, Eratheen is fine. She isn''t going anywhere. I know, you miss her, I know you have spent so long impatiently waiting to get back to her... But take a moment and consider where we are, Einervaene."


    "We''re in a village." I say with a shrug.


    "Not just any village, Einervaene, an Eusorochiian village! These people are your people! You are finally home, Einervaene! Enjoy it!" he clarifies as he gestures to my bagged box of sweets.


    "I am glad..." I somewhat answer truthfully. While I was incomparably happy to finally be home, I just want to make sure Mother is okay. I left for her sake, at her behest, but now, I was ready to help her. All the problems my birth caused her, I can now resolve it all!


    "Come on, Einervaene, what do you have there right now? Come on, experience it once again, let the nostalgia overwhelm you!" Brewbrt encourages as he gets ahead of himself and unpacks it slightly.


    "Fine." I tell him as I start to pull apart the carefully woven, outstandingly beautiful furoshiki. Flicking off the simple lock, I lift the lid of the case and reveal the contents.


    "So, go on, explain it to me." he tells me as I pick up a paper-wrapped sweet. Carefully unwrapping it, I reveal the smudges the sweet left across the paper. Flattening my palm out, I leave the unwrapped sweet on it like a tasty, crowning jewel for my gloved hand.


    "It''s an electrolysis delight..." I answer as I stain the fabric of my other glove clearly with the soft, jelly sweet''s coating. Licking my finger once, I smile before I put the sweet into my mouth. Crushing the paper, I put it back into the powder sugar-filled box and I look at Brewbrt. Smiling all the while as noisily ate the sweet.


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    "Well?" he asks as a smirk comes to his face.


    "This one isn''t my favourite flavour..." I answer bashfully as I shake my head and laugh quietly.


    "What flavour is that one?" he asks as he starts to eye my box dangerously.


    Making a few, unladylike wet chams, "I think it''s bronzeskinberry."


    "Trade you some of my fish and poultry for one?" he offers to which I shake my head aggressively.


    Chewing on the sweet delight some more, "No, I am going to enjoy at least one of each flavour and maybe more!"


    "You''ll grow fa-" he starts to tut before Lighting obliges my silent request to punish him for it. Closing the lid as Brewbrt shoves me onto my side, I laugh at him as I get back up.


    "Stop being so mean!" I tell him as I try to go back to eating my sweets.


    "Here I thought Ms Golden Hair would have thicker skin." he huffs as he starts to drink from the broth.


    "Lightning..." I mutter and Brewbrt suddenly takes the bowl away from his mouth, hissing as he does so.


    "Honestly..." he remarks as he sticks his burnt tongue into the air. Giggling, I pass on some of my magic to soothe the pain as he looks at his armour.


    "Will you need a cloth to dry your front?" I ask him before I pop another delight into my mouth. Making an O-shape with my lips, I cover my mouth with a hand as I chew this one. This flavour was very familiar and it was delicious! I just hate the fact the name was escaping me.


    "You can give me one of these for ruining my soup!" Brewbrt growls lightly as he snatches one up while I am obsessing over the current flavour.


    "Eugh... Why can''t I remember the name for this one!" I whine as I close the tub and retie the furoshiki. Having Lightning make a hook on my outfit for it, I place it there and stand up.


    "Well, I''m no help for you as I just can''t figure out this flavour at all." Brewbrt explains with a pop.


    "It looks citrusy." I comment as I huff in bemusement at his adjusting mouth.


    "It''s certainly a divisive flavour." he tells me as his tongue goes about his mouth to get more of the flavour.


    "Divisive because it is strong or because you cannot figure out if you like it?" I ask as I tip my hat back to look at the sky. This was my native sky, what I often saw growing up. But, it feels strange to be looking up at the sky that was mostly shades of grey. Even the flashes of lightning and the cracks of thunder felt off.


    I guess it just never occurred to me how open the sky was out at sea... I suppose the same can be said for Jherikra as well. There were clouds quite often, but, you just had to climb up to get a rather clear sky. And with all my friends back there...


    "Einervaene, why are you so glum? You''re home." Brewbrt reiterates to me as I start to idly walk down the road ahead. Glancing about at the village, I look at the houses and the myriad of colour that decorates them. Most of the land was just pure metal, so we Eusorochiians make a point of making our homes at least standout... Flowers of any kind, paint made from whatever we can grind.


    "I guess... I just thought I would get back here with more people." I tell him as I watch some children run by as a grown-up happily chases them. Using polarised sticks, they were seeing how far they could keep his family shield rolling. It was hard to make out, but, along the rim in bright red was his oath to the local acropolis.


    "Journies see a lot of people come and go, Einervaene." Brewbrt tries to explain with a shrug as we come upon the restoring market.


    "I... I know." I tell him with a scoff and shake of my head as we head out of the village. Silently, we pass the rim of the market and the attempts to get it back into business. We pass by the last few houses and small, shed-sized storerooms and we come out on patchy farmland. Stopping by one of the soil-marking posts that make up the fence, I look back at my mother''s friend.


    "Are you ready to move on to the next place, then?" he asks as he looks back at the village with me.


    "We might as well, we''ll check in on the town. Explain it to the mayor, the harbourmaster or whomever it is we talk to about dead sea dragons..." I bitterly answer as I look away at the coastline. It was a shattered mess over there, but, as I had not seen any settlements. I wasn''t going to fuss over it.


    "You worry too much, Einervaene. Just learn to take your mind off of things once in a while."


    "I am home with proof that I am not some ill-conceived bastard. Some mongrel proof of a whorish mother. I admit I do not know whose lands these are. But, if I am to take over from Mother at some point, I need to care for them." I explain to him as I let go of the post. Clasping my arm by the elbow, I caress it as one of my feet knocks its tip against the soft ground.


    Feeling his armoured hand clasp my shoulder, I look away further, "You don''t have to force your way through it all at once."


    "With all due respect Brewbrt... You reign over an independent town, not an entire realm..."


    "The scale is different, I know. But that''s where its greatest benefit is, Einervaene! You don''t need to do everything. You are expected and will be praised for having a vast and diverse array of skilled staff to handle it. The burden isn''t just yours."


    "All it''s ever been since I left home is my burden..." I sniff as he brings me in for a hug. Returning it, I try to calm down.


    "No... No... No. People are there for you, Einervaene. There always will be."


    I try to smile despite that it makes me think of those who I have lost...


    "Let''s gather the crew, then, we can move on to help the next settlement. Fix our problems and all that." I explain to him as I try to leave the hug. But he will not let me leave.


    "How about a promise, then, Einervaene?" Brewbrt asks suddenly as he picks up one of my braids by their end.


    "We already have enough promises between us..." I try to tell him as he smiles and shakes his head.


    "Tell you what, beyond what little lingering I was going to do anyway. I stay for a bit longer and help you get used to being the pampered noble again?" he offers, smirking slightly at the end.


    Ignoring his responsibilities back in Jherikra, I nod and start to smile, "Okay."

 Incline 3: Einervaene

    "Lady Einervaene, are you sure you do not need any help?" one of the crew asks as I tighten my hands on the rope.


    "No, it''s fine. I can handle this." I answer even as Lightning awaits for any mistakes with held breath. Or whatever he usually did when asked to stand by.


    "Dropping counterweights in three... Two... One!" our foreman calls out as a metal sheet is removed from the platforms in front of me. Hearing the rope stretch in my grip, I flex forwards slightly as they drop. Easing my way forwards, I help move the recently repaired statue back onto its pedestal. Getting the all-clear, I let go of the rope once the counterweights are cut off.


    "Lady Einervaene, you shouldn''t be doing this." the Captain remarks as he wipes his scalp.


    "I do what I wish. Have you gone to the office about your ship?" I dismiss callously at first before my usual care comes back.


    "Yeah, the insurance people want a little more than just my word at this point..."


    "You told them where the ship is, right?"


    "They refuse to go out that far given what has just happened." he groans as he refits his hat.


    "Then I will just build you a new ship."


    "No, Lady Einervaene, you can''t. That''s too much. I already been paying a fortune to those gold-leeches anyways." he explains as we walk closer to the docks.


    "There shouldn''t be a problem, no?" I ask as we step into the grand facility.


    "Legally I don''t think there are laws for sudden ships being made..." he comments as he scratches his head.


    "Then I will just make one and we can just breeze through all of the paperwork." I explain to him as we come upon an empty dock. Sending Lightning out, he comes back and shakes his voltaic head at me. With no ships on their way, I then start to request he make a vessel. Remaking what we had sailed here on, but better, a crowd seems to gather.


    "What in the..." someone gasps as golden lightning sparks from my hands and out towards the open space. Forming a frame, the lightning starts to solidify into iron, wood and any other material previously found aboard it. Thunder-gold, however, was added on as a mark of craftsmanship by Lightning. Turning away to give him a little curtsey, I realise just how big the crowd is.


    "Where''d you all come from..." I nearly squeak as Lightning coils back into me.


    "I''m pretty sure Thurnmourer is a man..."


    "Golden hair and skin and golden magic!"


    "She just made a ship from nothing like a daughter of thunder!"


    "Daughter of Thunder!"


    "Daughter of Thunder!"


    "Daughter of Thun-"


    "Excuse me, but, no, no! You cannot do this!" a well-dressed man complains as he steps forward with a board of some kind. If I was to guess, he must''ve been some kind of dock-bound bureaucrat. Maybe something more as his attire does seem quite fancy. Gold trimmings and all kinds of complimentary bright colours.


    "What''s the problem, First Tollman?" the Captain asks rather distastefully as the man stops in front of us.


    "No unauthorised dockings at the port! Especially not mine!" the Dock-Manager explains as he writes something down.


    "In case you have gone a bit blind, what with all the taxes and levies drowning you and all that. That ship didn''t dock!" the Captain argues as the Dock-Manager maintains his sneer.


    "A ship in my dock? I like to think it did just in fact dock. And I am sure the office will to!" he comments as he pokes the Captain away.


    "Why you..." the offended sailor starts to say on an approach.


    Stopping him, I step in front, "This ship isn''t even registered here."


    "Circumventing legal procedures as well? That''s a hefty fine if I''ve ever seen one..." he tuts as he writes more things down.


    "You can''t do this!" I complain as he shakes his head.


    "Of course, I can. You broke the law, GUARDS!"


    "No, we did not!" I stomp as the crowd disperses just as confused guards walk in.


    "What''s the issue?" the plume-wearing one asks as his spear shaft taps the bright white brickwork.


    "Illegal docking, unregistered ship, threatening a member of the dock''s staff!"


    "Threaten!?" I repeat with a growing glare.


    "Golden hair... Golden skin..." he comments as he looks me over.


    "Well, handle this, Guardsman!" the Dock-Manager whines impatiently.


    "We''ve been told someone matching your description is responsible for what happened out there..." he mutters as he takes off his helmet to expose a bandage. Feeling my skin chill, I stare at the red-marked dressing.


    "Lady Einervaene, git." the Captain urges as the guardsman starts to smile.


    "We have a lot to thank you for!" the man goes as his fellow guards offer a silent, spear-derived cheer.


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    "O-Oh..."


    "Huh!? Deal with these crimin-"


    "Go about your business, First Tollman." the Guardsman belittles him with before he storms off.


    "Lady Einervaene, I''ll handle this." the Captain offers as he steps up.


    "You have a ship to attend to, I suggest you go about it while the penny-pinchers are away." the Guardsman tells the Captain as I am gestured to follow them. Waving at the Captain, I follow the guards and we step back out onto the streets.


    "I take it you want to speak to me?" I ask as the way they spoke earlier sounded like they were almost familiar with me.


    "We''ve heard rumours of golden lightning out at sea. We also saw first-hand that same magic save our town."


    "I''m sorry you were all going to die..." I mutter quietly to which they laugh without a care.


    "You killed a sea dragon! It can be forgiven!" one of the guards exclaims only to be stared into quiet submission.


    "But, yes, something that grand will naturally have consequences."


    "We nearly destroyed the coastline!" I point out to them as my failure to kill Boisenmarck forced Brewbrt''s hand!


    "And you put the islands back and I hear a party of people have also been going through the villages and cleaning them up." he explains with a knowing shrug as we arrive at a restaurant of some kind.


    "Brewbrt, what''s going on?" I ask him as he gets up from his seat.


    "These fine gentlemen have been going about on behalf of their Lord to find out what happened to his coastline." he chirps as he tucks his seat in and joins us.


    "Oh, so we just have to answer some questions?" I ask to which the plumed-guard nods.


    "If you wouldn''t mind. It''s not something we can just set aside for another day." he explains.


    "Oh, ok." I comment as we follow the guards to their tower. A rather modest building, it spread out wide enough to necessitate six decently-sized windows and a double-door entrance. Made of mostly cream-painted bricks, the tiles were reddish-orange and a larger, cobblestone structure lay behind it. From the tower, a vast banner displayed a sigil made of a golden circle surrounded by two, separate, jagged black lines.


    I have a feeling I should know the symbol, but the name was escaping me... Stepping into the building, I glance around at the yet-to-be-cleaned-up mess and follow them deeper. Watching the mosaiced floor pass by, we step into the cobblestone building and go for the tower. Me, Brewbrt and the plume-wearing guardsman ascend it and we arrive at an office.


    "Now, on behalf of Lord Burspharosa, I will need you to enlighten me." he explains as he trudges through his messy office. Glancing outside for the moment, I look towards the port and my eyes widen a little at its size. There must''ve been room for nearly a hundred ships on the circular island in the middle of it alone! I wasn''t even there just now, I was within the outer ring...


    Following the walls, I find hundreds more docked, but battered ships lining the great open space. To my surprise, however, there was a body of water filling out the entire grounds of the place for the ships. Though, it took me a second look as it was all orange and full of rust. This was quite the port for what I thought was otherwise a small town.


    "To think we were meant to dock here..." I remark as I step towards the window to look at the town as well. Lots of flat-roofed buildings with steep, tiled edges and open space lounges by the stairs to them. Some exchanged it for small gardens while others had a more complete roof. That same heraldry that hung from the tower flew about everywhere as well, mostly along the walls.


    Banner after banner with that same design. A golden circle flanked by two jagged black lines on a field of what looks like brass. I guess it must be the symbol of the Burspharosa Clan. Yet, I still have trouble recalling them...


    I feel like I should, though.


    "You were meant to dock here, was it? I guess I can go to the port later or send someone there for the manifest. Heh, maybe even get that First Tollman to leg it here himself." the Guardsman says as he compiles a pile of papers.


    "So we fill these out?" Brewbrt asks as he blinks at the Burspharoan script. Admittedly, I was rusty myself, but there were few changes in comparison to Bosphaman script. If anything, looking over it made me feel like it was just a poor, child''s attempt at stylising it.


    "If you will, please. Give an account of the journey you attempted to make. The sea dragon, what you both personally did against it and... Really just up until now." he explains as he starts to fill out his own paperwork.


    "Quite thorough, then..." Brewbrt whines as he reaches for a feather. Stopping him, I just shake my head and have Lightning come up.


    "I admit I share Brewbrt''s enthusiasm." the divine lightning tells me.


    "It''s related to saving Mother!" I sing quietly to him.


    "Fine..." he crackles before his power marks all the papers in golden writing. The guardsman''s eyes widen and he slowly picks one of the sheets up.


    "So pure..." he utters in a state of reverence for Lightning''s power.


    "So, yeah... There''s a full account of everything that has happened." I explain to him as I look over to a fulfilled Brewbrt. Leaning back into his chair, he enjoys the lack of effort and I smile back at him.


    "That dragon was Boisenmarck?" the guardsman struggles to comprehend as the paper shakes in his hand.


    "Lightning..." I whisper so he can create the voice I heard.


    "I AM BOISENMARCK, THE STEEL-SCALED KING OF THE SEAS!" echoes throughout the town with deadly tremors. A heavy, metallic thunk rings out beside me. Panicking, I make Lightning shut up as the town continues to rumble.


    Holding his weapon, the guardsman looks around, "What was that!?"


    "It was just a demonstration... Proof..." I tell him as I raise my hands. My face reddens as he calms down and he points at me energetically.


    "Your word -written word- is enough, thank you..." he lets out as he sits back down.


    "Sorry..." I mutter as Brewbrt picks himself off of the floor. Helping him the rest of the way up, I return my focus to the Burspharoan representative.


    "Einervaene Bosphama..." the man utters.


    "Yes?"


    "No, sorry, I was just reading your name out loud." he explains as he looks over the details. Rubbing his face, he puts the papers down and he leans back into his seat.


    "Is everything you want there?" I ask him and he starts to nod at me as he neatens the disturbed pile of paper.


    "Yes, yes it''s all here. Safe travels where ever you are headed to."


    "No... Enjoy your stay at our town?" Brewbrt jokes and the guardsman huffs with a slight smirk.


    "Our town is in a bit of a predicament. During any other circumstances, I would say so. But, with how everything is now, you should get going while you can." he explains to us as he gets up to hold the door open for us.


    "Sorry for the trouble we have caused you..." I tell him as I approach the door. Glancing at Brewbrt as he heads down the stairs, I wait for a reply.


    "Do not worry about it, Lady-Heir Einervaene." he tells me as he raises his hands and laughs.


    "Lady-Heir?" I repeat as it is not a title I have heard in some time. The ship''s crew just took to calling me ''Lady'' on its own. As such, the correctness of it caught me off-guard.


    "Lady Bosphama is still in good health, so it''s only natural." he clarifies with a smile as he urges me out the door.


    "I hope your reconstruction efforts go well." I tell him as he starts to close the door.


    "That ship you made will certainly bring in a fair few helping hands!" he tells me just before closing the door fully. Ending my smile, I look down at Brewbrt as he lingers a few steps ahead.


    "You are worried about her?" he asks as he inspects my frown.


    "He says Mother is in good health, but, I can''t believe him..." I tell my friend as I catch up to him. Feeling his arm around my shoulder, I gently touch his armoured hand.


    "The common people don''t see the nobles often, no? Try and take it as something good, at the very least. She is still presenting herself with a smile in public." he tries to comfort me, but it just doesn''t work. Facades are such a basic thing in the life of nobility...


    "Of course, she is." I remark as I leave his grip. Heading down the steps quickly, I leave Brewbrt behind. He leans over the stair wall and looks down at me.


    "She''s going to be alright, Einervaene. Trust me." he baselessly tells me as I leave the tower.

 Incline 4: The Land-Eyeing Lord

    "Sail for the dark sky, he said. On lightning''s tip, go forth." I recite as I focus my power through the shining, banui feather. Carving black letters onto the parchment, I sign off on yet another tapestry and I start to fold it. Placing the banui feather down, back into its special, ornate container, I hear foot steps. Bringing my head up on a straightened back, I turn my gaze only slightly.


    The door behind me slides open and the guard grating is lifted on its chains. The footsteps enter the chamber and I start to fold up the tapestry. I gave very specific orders not to be disturbed unless it was important. Any matters that were of grave importance I would handle when I work, not now.


    "Esteemed, Thunder-Chosen Lord Burspharosa... An important deliverance." the servant tells me loud and clearly as he assumes the formal posture. Putting the tapestry down, I mark my space in the process and place my hands on my legs. Rising to my feet, I put my arms behind my back and I turn to the still man. Reaching for the contents in his hands, I grasp it by the very edge.


    "From the coast..." I comment as I see the port town''s seal upon it. Picking it up fully, the servant drops down and prostrates himself before me. Worming away, he goes as far as my chamber''s entrance and he waits. Flicking the seal off with a volt of golden power, the letter unrolls itself.


    Gripping its bottom, I hold it up and read it. A brow raises as I skim over the name ''Boisenmarck'' and they both furrow over another name. Einervaene Bosphama. Clapping my hands together like thunder, the castle trembles.


    "What has been done with Lady Bosphama''s daughter?" I ask as I clench the crumpled letter in my toga-bearing hand. Pointing my freest arm down at the servant, I await an answer of any sort.


    "The word is, is that she was left alone to leave the port town." he explains, his words bouncing off the wooden floors and up to me.


    "Hm, very well. I suppose I can forgive such transgressions." I comment as I step over the submissive man. Walking out into the halls, the song of dutiful steel rings out as the guards stand to attention with their honoured aspis. Naginata reflect the light along my path and my skin sparkles as I walk through the guarded path. Behind me, the guards relax their posture and snap back into their allowed casualness.


    "Ah, Lord Burspharosa, I see you have received the news." Minister Yriaish remarks as he gently swings his bubbling glass of wine around.


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    "The news of a dead King of the Seas?" I ask just to make sure we were on the same page.


    "Yes! Quite the interesting tale, no?" he asks as he offers me an empty glass. Shaking my head, I refuse the drink and any other edible compliments.


    "I find myself more irked by the details, personally." I tell him as the letter is further crunched in my grip.


    "Of course, Lord Burspharosa, it is your coastline that was affected."


    "Watch that tone." I tell him calmly and he steps away with wide eyes.


    "My apologies, Lord Burspharosa, I meant no disrespect."


    "But, no, that is not what bothers me." I start to explain to the minister, chucking the letter at him. He catches it with ease and a servant takes his drink.


    "The Lady-Heir has finally returned?" he notes sternly.


    "Yes, our report from the colonies proves true. My plan for her arrest, however, went on by without even coming into the slightest chance of implementation!" I nearly hiss as the sky cracks beyond the glass dome ceiling. He swaps the message back for his drink and it returns to me.


    "With what I just read in mind, can this really be held against them?" he asks and I sigh quietly with a nod.


    "No, I cannot hold it against the officers or their men. However, I am now of the need to hurry along with my plans." I explain to him as he lingers the edge of his glass near his lips. Taking a ponderous sip from his drink, he smacks his lips as he takes it away.


    "You will need to speak before the Senate, then. A Trial of Blood Purity for someone like The Lady Bosphama cannot just be hastened. The fact even after the Lady-Heir''s sudden vanishing she remains unjudged is proof enough of that." he explains needlessly. I already know this! But, I am more frustrated by how he speaks honestly. Securing the future of my clan has been and remains a tedious affair...


    "I will need to present a motion that makes it a priority. Speeding the process up by weeks at a minimum. Nothing less than that." I say as I snatch up a piece of gold-brushed bread to vent my immediate stress onto something. Biting down strongly, I swallow it after one bite.


    Minister Yriaish leans his glass towards me, "The Lady-Heir''s return must be kept quiet."


    "No." I answer as I turn to leave.


    "Lord Burspharosa, have you gone mad this past moment?" he asks me as I glance down at the decorated aspis of a nearby guard.


    "A mother deserves to know her daughter has returned home." I explain to him, ignoring the slight in his mannerisms towards me.


    "The Lady Bosphama is still a powerful woman, even with all you have done to pull the stones of her castle from out underneath her. She will muster what aid she can to assist her daughter." he says as he slightly steps after me.


    "Let her. Let the Sparkmaness roar one final time in pride."


    "You set yourself up for failure." he comments and I scoff, shaking my head ever so slightly.


    "Her men might find the Lady-Heir first even with no clues as to where she is. They might even bring her home so that she might go to the Imperial Courts and upturn my efforts with but one bedazzling display..." I start to say before lightning strikes with power once again.


    Golden lightning.


    "But, when she arrives, she will come wreathed in -blue- lightning." I finish as I turn to leave.

 Incline 5: The Judged Mother

    "What about this one, Oorika, do you think it is beautiful?" I ask my trusted housekeeper as I place my fingers around the slithering creature. Pulling it out of the metallic-shaded flowerbed, I hold it steady with a firm hand. Keeping the poisonous fangs away from me as they hiss, I show off the pattern on the reptile''s colourful scales.


    "It is quite beautiful, yes, Lady Bosphama. But, please, put it down." she answers before she smiles in disbelief at my reckless action. Nearly giggling, I put the snake back in the flowerbed and it side-winds away from us. Flicking some pale, lifeless magic at it, I encourage it to stay away as I get back up.


    "What day is it, Oorika?" I ask her as she wipes and pats down the knees of my kimono.


    "Motrtha''s Day, Lady Bosphama." she answers as she straightens herself out. Putting my arms into the opposing sleeve, I start to walk with her. I glance about at the literary art about my home and I frown.


    "No, day of the year, Oorika." I clarify as misery sprouts from my heart once again.


    "The third week of the Month of Vengence." she answers with a pointless nod. Something I have requested her not to do time and time again.


    "Mmm, the Month of Justice, of Enorcoustice the Judge." I say as I come to a stop near a thin pillar.


    "Is something wrong, Lady Bosphama?" Oorika asks as my gaze idles around statues of armour and the cloudy, lightning-blessed sky.


    "Three-thousand five-hundred and twenty-two..." I answer as I look down to the ground.


    Sighing, she places a hand against me, "Lady Bosphama, we know she is doing well."


    "I last saw her rended bloody on a recording, and you tell my that?" I ask her as I start to frown my disapproval at her.


    "She''s shown herself to be strong, even with her unfortunate setback in life. She is safe, she is fine." Oorika says to me as she takes my hand through the sleeves of my kimono.


    "It''s so quiet around here without her..." I say as my mind wanders around the house. I see servants and guards doing their duties right and true. But, all the colour and life of my brightly painted, extravagant home is not there. It hasn''t been for some time but now I...


    "Lady Bosphama, Lady Bosphama!" my home''s castellan, Joastelan, calls.


    "What is it, Castellan?" Oorika asks on my behalf as I focus my mind.


    "The Lord Barspharosa is here." he answers with a nod and my blood starts to boil.


    "What does he want!?" I hiss at him even though I know I will only find out when I go to meet him. As is the way of our people, even as I am damned for something out of my control. Something my sweet daughter shouldn''t have to suffer from...


    "Lady Bosphama, if you please." Joastelan says as he offers me his armoured hand. Taking it up, I follow after him as he tries to reassure me with a hidden squeeze.


    "He has not come with his judges and his court?" I nearly tear-up at. Barely holding myself together, a barrage of attendees come to me and fix the problem my tears nearly caused. I am glad I have them, I expect a lot of them with my failing confidence and willingness to live...


    Bowing, they depart and the castellan comes to a stop. Taking both my hands into his, he looks me in the eyes. I try to smile back at him as he plays the part of a clown, a jester... But, he stops when I fail to meet him with a smile.


    "Everything will be fine, Lady Bosphama, strangely... He''s come on his own." he explains.


    "With his staff, you mean." I scoff as we start to walk again. Clanking beside me, his armour offers me some comfort at the very least. He might not be able to protect me from the Senate or their verbal, legal talons. But, he can at least stay the blade of the impatient predators gnashing at my lands.


    My daughter''s lands-to-be...


    "Shall you be meeting him out there, or would you rather he come to you."


    "It''s my home, in my lands. He shall come to me." I say as tears ruin my make-up once again. Nearly laughing, Joastelan calls for my attendees once again.


    "Take her to the guest''s dining room, one of the small ones so she can have some privacy. I will bring him in and one of you can whisper to me the room in question." Joastelan explains as he lets go of my hand and vanishes down a hallway. Watching him go down some stairs, he goes on for a little bit before the last I see of him is an armoured foot.


    "Lady Bosphama, come, let''s get you ready for him." they tell me as the four of them split into pairs for my hands. Bringing me along with them, we go into a small room and they let go to get everything ready. One brings out one of my favourite cushions and another coaxes in a bird from the menagerie and into a cage. One prepares tea and she smiles devilishly as she clumsily forgets the other cup.


    The final one stays at my side and she fixes up her just ruined work...


    "Are any of you perhaps privy to why he''s here?" I ask as some of them finish up their tasks.


    "No, we''re afraid not." the four women answer in synch and I smile at it. Laughing their heads off, I try to join them before I look away. My frown brings the mood of everyone down and I silently gesture them away for now. Breathing carefully, my posture straightens out and I look down at my tea.


    The bird sings and chirps in its cage and I reach for the steaming cup. But, I do not drink from it, I just look into the dark liquid as it swirls around gently. Pinching the end of the spoon, I conduct a minute piece of my magic into the drink. Little golden branches arc off of the metal and enter the tea.


    My lip quivers but I hold back the tears as I start to think of my precious little girl. I never meant to ruin her life, but, somehow, I have. Her father would have never wanted this for her either, but, what I found myself joyful upon seeing makes the world foam with rage. She was so happy when she first started to use some magic, but, it was nothing more than a bad omen.


    I should have protected my family the moment I saw it... But, I didn''t, I tried to live my life as if there was nothing wrong since that day. It came back to gut me with a proudly ornate blade and a pair of shackles to remind me of what we are. Now, my daughter is gone...


    Forced to hide out within a foreign land just to keep safe...


    "Brewbrt... Please, can I count on you?" I try to ask him as I close my eyes. Bringing the tea to my lips, I sense the insidious presence marching into my home. Even though he''s under close watch by my staff, all kinds of them, I do not feel safe. His desires are soon going to be the end of me...


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    I look towards the door as its doorplate is knocked on, "The Lady Bosphama, your guest is here."


    "You may enter with him, Castellan." I answer as I quickly finish the cup of tea. Placing it down, I start to pour myself a second cup as greed walks before me.


    "Lady Bosphama." he greets with a nod. Our golden eyes meet and mine shake as he stares back.


    "Lord Burspharosa." I greet back as Joastelan glares daggers into the back of the visiting nobleman.


    Looking at my cup of tea, the vile man gives me a look of disapproval before he hands me something. Staring at it as he slides it across the table, I frown and tenderly pick it up. I put the cup down and hold it in both my hands, one cupping each end of the wrapped-up scroll. Feeling like I already likely know its contents, I put it down and move to stand up.


    "It is not a court date, or an order from a hopefully, soon-to-be-unified Senate." he explains, confusing me where he does not anger me. Rolling the scroll around so that its seal faces me, I sneer on the inside at the mark of his family before I apply magic to it. Melting the copper-mixed wax, my magic directs it elsewhere on the darkly-coloured wooden table.


    I gently split it apart with my fingers and I look at the golden writing on it. It''s far too pure to be his magic and it is uncharacteristic of him to write like this. I''ve seen many letters from him, all in black ink. Every single word of this is pure gold.


    Traces of pure magic are everywhere in this letter, no, it''s a report...


    "What is the meaning of this, exactly?" I ask him as I cannot fathom as to why he''d show me this. I do not work for him and thankfully, I will never serve him. His will alone will never be enough to make me do anything. It''s why he needs the Senate!


    Bringing a hand forward in a gentle, sparking flick, his gaze turns away from me, "Read further, to the signatures."


    Doing so, I read the names and my heart misses a beat, the scroll slips out of my hands and I freeze up, "Einervaene..."


    "Rejoice, Lady Bosphama, your daughter has returned home." he remarks as he stands up to the sound of my household erupting into whispers.


    Shattering the table to the crack of thunder, I growl as my hair comes to life, "Stay away from my daughter..."


    "You have a duty to attend to, Mother." he tells me as he leaves my home. Seething with rage until I sense him leave the very edge of my gardens, I collapse to the floor. Crying, my staff come to me.


    "The Lady Bosphama!?" Oorika cries out as she pulls me up as my fears get the best of me.


    "S-She''s... My... My daughter is back... Why''s she back!? I... I told her... I... I''m going to be able to see my daughter again!" I heave panickedly at first, then, I start to cry with joy. Reaching for the scroll as my staff tries to keep me upright, I focus on the signature.


    Einervaene.


    It''s hers, how can I ever forget it!? It''s one of the few things I could use to remember her. But, she''s back... She''s back!


    My daughter is out there, here, in Eusorochii!


    "The Lady Bosphama, speak, explain?" Oorika asks of me as I start to kneel because of my own strength once again.


    "Sound the bell... I want everyone to join me in the main dining hall!" I order Oorika as I stumble to my feet. Pulling up my kimono, I maddeningly run towards my daughter''s room. Rushing into it, I laugh and cry as the undisturbed room has its streak of emptiness finally ended!


    So many memories are in here... So many more are to come. I can finally hold my daughter once again. She''ll be here again!


    But, why did that vile man come here to personally tell me?


    "Warning me? I sent her away because her own magic is her undoing here. But, the golden writing...?" I ponder near-hysterically before I calm down and straighten myself out. If this just-ended visit is meant to be a warning, then I will make him regret ever telling me it. Even if I never see her again, I will keep her safe. The Lady Bosphama will remind all of the carrion coming after my family''s land and holdings that she is still -The Lady Bosphama!-


    Turning to face my Castellan, he looks at me in concern, "The Lady Bosphama, shall we get going, or, do you still want the moment to yourself?"


    Putting on a dead-serious expression, I Iook him in the eye, "No, take me to the main dining hall with haste, Castellan."


    His fist slams against his ornate, muscle-sculpt armour, "Of course."


    I take his hand and we begin to head there, "While we have some time in private, Joastelan."


    "Of course, The Lady Bosphama." he answers as we come to a stop. Releasing my hand, he backs away and bows in respect.


    "Can I trust you, Castellan?" I ask him as I look down the hall as one of my servants joins another on their way to the main dining hall.


    "E-Excuse me?" he questions rightly, I have no reason to suspect him of anything. Let alone question him for it. Normally, I might smile to make it clear that I am teasing, but with the topic on hand... I need to make sure I am thoroughly understood to be serious in my entirety.


    "My daughter is home. She''s on her way home. I do not know how long it will take her. But I can say with absolute certainty that Lord Burspharosa will be seeking to make something of it. I need to know that I can trust you."


    "I will be laughed at for admitting that I broke the leaf off of your meditation plants again and again if I have to." he answers as he smashes his chest thrice over. Hiding my smile as I remember that incident, I offer my hand so that he may rise.


    "Your absolute honesty, no matter how embarrassing it might be for you, is appreciated." I tell him as I bow slightly towards him. I am very lucky to have come across such a man during my life whilst I was free of the rigidity of this place. It means a lot more to me than most honest people as well, because I first met him when all he could do was lie. A known liar who I came to trust...


    I have known him for some time and he''s been honest for far longer.


    "How are we going to go about this?" he asks as I look around my house. Glancing up at the protective ofundas and talismans nestled about, I repeat their meaning in my head. Guardian. Protector.


    Defender.


    "The document Lord Burspharosa came to deliver to me is a report from somewhere in his realm. I want it to be found and for the pair to be watched carefully." I explain to him as he slowly nods.


    "Ippmeiotyis Brewbrt is with her?" he guesses easily and I smile at the mention of my close friend''s name.


    "He is, thankfully, we do not need to risk sending out someone whose heart might be taken in by greed. Einervaene already has someone protecting her, but we need someone who can shepherd her to safety." I explain as I happen to spot a treasure me and Brewbrt found when we were younger. I won the bet to keep it, but, he was the one who shed blood to make sure it could see the light of day again.


    Most of my memories with him have become fuzzy, little is clear to me anymore. But, the key details of the time I spent with all of my old party are all still fresh to me. I remember the roles we all played and the core idea of what they are. I might never see some of them again, but, I could not ask for anyone better to be there for my daughter.


    I take a step away and I blink as I run a hand across the warped, damaged artefact of a lost people. So many things were found in our time together, some we just sold. Others, we found uses for beyond just displaying and for easy wealth. Some turned out to be tools we can still use...


    "Head to my vaults, there should be something that looks like a small gong set in there. Bring it to me if you find it." I tell my Castellan as I start to make the rest of the distance on my own.


    "Of course, The Lady Bosphama." he answers as he turns to go a different way. Striding into the Main Dining Hall, I look around before I arrive at Oorika. She bows fully and pulls out my chair.


    Sitting down, I look around the table as she comes to stand by my side, "Oorika, if you''d please. Thank you."


    "Of course, The Lady Bosphama." she answers as she uses her magic to project the contents of the scroll into a large, floating construct. She brings our focus to the pair of signatures and the murmurs start. I hear bickering over disbelievers being proven wrong and joy in relation to the main name of relevance,


    "My daughter, but one of your masters-by-oath. Einervaene Bosphama... My daughter has returned." I make clear to everyone in the room.


    "My Lady, what would you have us do?" one of my servants immediately asks as she stands up with a smile.


    "First... I ask for a promise, from all of you in person. My daughter is coming home and I, in good conscience as her mother, I cannot allow anything to happen to her. I will not name you, but, I know many of you are mothers like me. Our children have interacted despite our differences in caste and I like to believe they have go-"


    "Just give us the word, The Lady Bosphama." Oorika interrupts as she gently places a hand on my shoulder.


    "I call on you, I call on your families and everyone you can convince to help me. If it is only because of who I am, fine. If there is genuine love for my family, I am grateful, but..."


    "My Lady?" a servant questions as I get up from the table and walk away. Finding an open spot on the ground, I drop down onto it and prostrate myself.


    "PLEASE HELP ME KEEP MY DAUGHTER SAFE!" I tearfully beg against the cold wood.

 Incline 6: Brewbrt

    "Pay the fee." Einervaene urges as she aggressively gestures towards the dismissive driver.


    "He said it''s fine." I remind her and she pouts.


    "We took the ride here, we pay it!" she explains with a stomp.


    "He''s literally telling us right now not to worry!" I point out as I dive a hand into my bag to pull out the funds. I don''t know what is up with her at the moment, she was aimless with her eyes on the wagon ride here and now she wants to pay for something that was free!


    "Pay him!" she snaps before storming off into the distance, towards a small marker stone by a split in the road.


    "I''m not wasting any more time on this..." I sigh as I give the man his money.


    "I-It''s fine, really... I sai-" he starts to say before I glare him into shutting up. He nods meekly and tips his hat, whipping the animal back into motion. Briefly following his departure, the feathered quadruped rustles its golden-plumed legs as it picks up the pace.


    "Alright, talk, what''s on your mind this time?" I ask as I come to a thunking stop in front of her. She looks away along a dirt road leading to a farm of some kind, one that''s probably seen better days.


    "Nothing."


    "Einervaene." I say, sternly.


    "Nothing!" she repeats as she throws her arms into the air, a brief golden flicker going across her right. She looks at it closely and that thing clearly says something to her. Quietly, I budge her along and sit on the small rock with her.


    "Einervaene, I understand we talk about it a lot, there''s no real way to avoid it. But, I am not having my patience worn thin talking about her with you. Anything, just ask." I say to her as she changes the way her legs are keeping her upright. Forcing myself slightly against the modest stone, I keep still, tilting it only slightly.


    "It''s not that... It is... Just not right now." she moans as she covers her face.


    "Is it something private?" I shoot for the sake of it.


    "Everywhere I went, when I still had my old copper hair, no one would look my way. A boy might whisper or speak to his friend, but that was it. No one cared until I told them my name and proved it, before I sailed away. Now, everyone sees me." she explains as she uses a finger to break apart one of her braids. Pushing through the fastened hair and securing the base, they drive down. All the way until she only has one braided side left.


    She starts to redo the knots with well-practised, sub-conscious ease.


    "It''s all a lot more than you thought it would be?" I ask and she starts to nod as she lingers in her hair-doing.


    "Ever since the sea-dragon, really. I''ve helped people, Lightning has done so much for them. Word of me travels faster than we do, everyone wants help. I need to get to Mother, but, I can''t just turn a blind eye to everything going on around us... I can help." she explains further as she frustratedly throws the incomplete set of braids away. Falling back to her, they bounce off of her golden-tanned skin and dangle until motionless.


    "You feel like you''re being bogged down by everything?" I ask as I think back to my youth a little. You get all this power, you take on some jobs with a human connection and it''s all you know. There''s this sense of needing to help for the sake of it, it''s why so many seemed so obsessive with what they wanted way back then. If they don''t focus, they are drowned in real and mentally fictional expectations.


    "I can help... I know I can, but, I need to get to Mother, I need to help her the most!" she cries tearlessly as she hides her face in cupped palms.


    "You can reach one goal while also taking on others, Einervaene."


    "But how...? I''m never going to get to her in time if I just keep dawdling and doing favours for everyone!" she snaps as we both likely think back to her generous nature. So many small things, small smiles as a reward, maybe something more.


    "Einervaene, it''s fine, we will get there and you will be able to be there for her. You''ve sailed for years, remember that." I say as she leans against me more assertively.


    "But she''s so close..."


    "She''s not going anywhere." I remind her, smiling. Coming up off the rock, I go around to her front and let her see it.


    "When I left, I was so desperate to leave... Then I grew fine waiting, now, I want to rush on again." she tells me as I carefully wipe her eyes with my armoured finger.


    "Then let''s rush as leisurely as we can." I say, standing up by pushing on my legs, groaning as I reach my full height. I offer her my hand and pull her up in one clean movement.


    "Any idea where we are? I forgot where the driver said he was going..." she sheepishly asks and explains. Chuckling slightly, I shake my head as it slipped my mind as well. All these foreign pronunciations, concepts I haven''t heard in so long. They stick in my head purely for how different they are and nothing else.


    "We got two choices, that there town, or this here farm." I point out as I start to wander slightly towards the town as we''re more likely to meet someone there. The crops look quite bountiful as well, so it might be a bad time to go on up to bother a farmer and his family.


    "I would like to go to the farm first, it should be easier to speak to someone." Einervaene argues with a soft tone as a gloved hand gently points in its direction. I shrug with a heavy metal rustle and walk towards the farm. She follows behind and comes up alongside me as that thing inside of her curiously lashes out towards some of the plants.


    "I feel like I am looking at fields of wires..." I comment as some vague, old memories come back. Smiling, laughing, the old group all together as we wander around, looking for our next adventure.


    Einervaene suddenly starts to run, then, she stops.


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    "Einervaene?" I call out as I jog after her, going past her as I slow down. I grab a nearby fence post as I pull myself back her way.


    "A thunder-shogun has been here." she comments with a mixture of awe and fear. She''s trembling, but her hairs are also standing and she''s bustling with happier movements.


    "That doesn''t sound good..." I remark as I try to remember what I can about these esteemed warriors. Like the Valkinvar of the Theocracy, these people are well-renowned fighters of great magical power as well. I believe they''re involved with the imperial royal family of Eusorochii, but I can''t be sure. All I can recall is the first-coming edict that they travel with at all times.


    ''To those who disturb the grounds of which we have set aside for prayer and meditation, death shall be dealt with certainty.''


    "This isn''t bad, is it?"


    "N-No! Of course not, the painted stone right there, in that small, strange clearing. He''s thanked the farmer for the quality of his wire reeds." she explains.


    "Couldn''t tell him directly?" I question as this kind of vandalism to the man''s livelihood seems like it will escalate to something crippling. A modest circle doesn''t seem like much, but even one tree can feed a family with its fruit for years to come.


    "Thunder-shoguns are very recluse, extremely private. I think they leave a coin of thunder-shaken gold as well to pay for it."


    "A coin of gold...? In a land that sees gold as the common man''s colour?" I question with a cocked brow.


    "No, gold is a colour of nobility. Everyone else has it by decree of the imperial family."


    I raise a finger at the casual weather of the land, rumbling thunderstorms and arcing lightning, "No king is deciding what happens with that."


    "You''re a foreigner, you won''t get it." she shrugs as we start walking again.


    "I guess... At least I''m not striking through people''s windows, thinking that is acceptable." I tease, burning her face red with a blush as she scratches her neck softly.


    "I don''t want to talk to you..." she quietly squeaks as her legs turn stiff as she speeds off.


    "Honestly..." I breathe humorously as I put my hands on my hip plates. Brushing some of the wire-reeds, I let them sparkle in the strange, cloudy light of this land. Many of them seem to spark as I force the delicate-looking plants to flower with the electric life of the land.


    "Arooooooo!" something cattle-like goes as the sound of a gate hinge slamming down rings out. Pulling Einervaene back, two-legged creatures with long, flat bodies stride across the road. Their diamond-shaped plates flush with colour and a few shake themselves awake as they go across. The young man tending to the animals glances at us briefly as he chews a wire-reed head.


    His eyes pass over Einervaene before they return, wider than ever.


    "W-Well, I''ll be," he lets out as he makes a quick gesture of prayer, "the sky really do rain the most precious of things."


    Einervaene blinks at the compliment and I keep on smiling as he notices me. His gaze mellows, but he''s still quite curious. Pinning the wire-reed between two fingers, he takes it out of his mouth and points it at me. It wiggles as he likely tries to recall something.


    "Germikran?"


    "Jhermonikra." I correct as I slick back my age-tinted, silver-green hair.


    "Don''t see yer kind around her too often." he remarks as he chews on his wire-reed some more.


    "Is the owner in?" I ask so we can get down to our mild business.


    "Think he loading up for a trip into town, if you hurry along, you might be able to catch him before he slips you by." the young man helpfully answers. I nod in thanks, gesturing with my non-existent hat as Einvervaene''s eyes linger towards his.


    "I''ll call you if I need you." I joke, making her red once again.


    "Now that''s sweet, nice and ripe." the farmhand laughs out, making her scorch an even deeper crimson.


    "Play nice with her now, she bothers easily." I laugh loud and clear once as I carry on heading in the pointed-out direction.


    "I hate you!" Einervaene lies as I wave on my way around the bend. Nearly running into a stacked-up pile of pole-based tools, I tilt my weight away from them. Shaking my bemused expression free, I spot someone near a heavy-loaded machine.


    "Excuse me!" I call out as clearly as I can, hopefully, with as little accent to it as possible so they can understand. The young man understood me well enough, most people do, but, can''t be too careful.


    "Stranger wandered onto me farm." the round-bellied man comments as he loads up something barrel-like, but wrapped in dirtied, white cloth and bound in rope.


    "Haven''t caught you at a bad time, have I?" I ask him as he eases up on his back.


    "I am a bit busy." he grumbles as he pats a specific spot. Gathering up an orb of magic, I go up to him and place it near his mouth, surprising him.


    "Just something for the aches." I explain as I take the lead in helping him load the machine further.


    "Guess I have some time to talk." he tells me with a joyously raised tone. My armour clanks and thuds, as does his machine as I keep on adding to it.


    "You able to give me any context as to where I am? We''re heading for Bosphama lands."


    "Oh... Those Bosphama lot are a bit strange, wanna stay away from them."


    "Can''t, important business." I say as I keep my tone in check. I understand he might not have the full story, but that family means a lot to me.


    "Must be for a windy fellow such as yourself to come all the way here where the skies are always rumbling." he says as he gestures which thing he wants to be loaded up next. Obliging him, I fit the toolbox of some kind into a small, side-mounted box and I lock it.


    "Yes, as such, should be a bit obvious I am a bit of a clueless wanderer right now. So, again, any pointers in the right direction?" I ask as he throws me over a heavy, metal hook attached to a cable.


    "My farm." the farmer chuckles.


    I shake my head, bemused.


    "Uenfarmao is your closest town, from there you can head through the roads in the Copper Band Terraces." he explains as a small bit of voltage enters a device he''s just picked up. Projecting an image, the arcane device briefly blips a path before vanishing.


    "What can you tell me about the Terraces?" I ask so I can figure out if there are any potential dangers or something. Never seen an easy-to-cross terrace farm in my life.


    "The sky is mighty attached to that place, so I hope you don''t scare easily. Your armour there might end up being a hindrance if you do not know what you''re doing." they explain as we seem to finish loading up and securing the backend of the machine.


    "Any knick knacks I might be able to buy to make that less of a problem?"


    "You can, but, I trust that you can handle it even without them." they comment as they hop onto the driver''s seat. I walk to the other side so I can keep him in view and he waves me up. The machine tilts towards me as my heavy armour and luggage dictate their will to the suspension.


    "And why''s that?" I ask him as I gently sit down to avoid damaging his low internal-magic property.


    "Those eyes of yours, they''ve seen a lot of danger. Might as well say you live for it." he tells me as he starts up the machine with an injection of lightning magic. A brief, pale spark jams its way inside and the engine chokes on its wake up.


    "Right now, I''m living for only one thing in particular." I quietly remark as I look off in the direction Einervaene went. She might not be the one I am truly doing this for, even after being with her so intimately for a few years now. But, our goal is the same, keeping Eratheen safe, her mother.


    "Work hard on keeping it, then. Losing it will mean losing everything. One goal is focused, but, you become aimless without it." he quietly tells me as his mind seems to lose its way in the memory quagmire. My eyes pass over the scars breaking up the strange, peculiar tan the people of these lands develop. Almost like burnt metal.


    "You''ve seen a fair bit yourself?" I ask him as he gestures at a shrine tucked away at the entrance of his farm. Glancing up, I read the name of the place and I can''t help but translate it.


    My Dear Wife''s Dream Farm.


    "Not a lot of work sometimes, but someone always needs a thug in uniform or a back alley." he sighs as I nudge him slightly with my right arm.


    "I''m sure she''s proud of what you accomplished." I say and his eyes widen slightly. He looks back at the entrance to his farm and laughs a bit as he rereads the sign.


    "You bet, even a thunder-shogun heaped praise onto us!" he laughs proudly as I frown at the spot that great warrior walked. Skilled swordsman, intuned with the land itself, as fast as what defines it so.


    Do not cross into the prayerful land of the Thunder-Shogun...

 Incline 7: Einervaene

    "So what''s this one called?" I ask Masgeo as he guides the sutesavauru in question around to a low-hanging bowl of water and battery grapes. The long, plate-backed cattle munches on them and its tail spikes arc with removed magic. I laugh slightly as it rubs up against me affectionately.


    "This dear old sweetie pie is called Raincloud, ain''t that right, girl?" Masgeo answers as he scratches its head as its mouth spills over with acidic juices and colour-stained water.


    "Arooooooooo!" Raincloud bellows lengthily as it bounces Masgeo away into some nearby bundles of wire-reeds.


    "Are you ok?" I ask as I step around Raincloud who is desperate to stay magnetised to me. Giving in to her demands, I stay near her as Masgeo picks himself up with a smile. Discovering that he lost the target of his chewing habit, he snatches up the end from a reed in the bundle. His face contorts initially as the fresh, raw flavour seeps out onto his tongue.


    "Fine as a well-grown plot of land." he smiles as he flicks Raincloud''s head.


    "So why Raincloud?" I decide to ask as it is quite different from all the other names he''s told me so far. Some even had numbers more so than names, but, going from the way he smiles saying them, they might''ve just run out of ideas.


    "Because this here girl can be helpful or just the worst. But, she''s an essential part to everything." he explains.


    "Arooooo!" Raincloud goes as they start to turn around. One of their little, flappy arms starts to whack my hand and I grab it by instinct. A joyful noise leaves the farm animal as they waddle between their right and left leg. I laugh at them as it continues to ''aroo'' for all to hear.


    "She''s taken a very big liking to you." Masgeo smiles at as he uses a nearby, hung-up cloth to wipe the animal''s face clean.


    "She''s like a big baby," I nearly laugh as Raincloud starts to pull me along with her, "Oh, where are we going?"


    Taking greater strides, I keep pace with the farm animal as Masgeo tends to some chores in the opposite direction. Coming up to a gate, I carefully unlock it before Raincloud barges her way through, dragging me with her. Giggling at the arooing animal, she brings me to the edge of some drop. Craning their neck around, they seem to aroo me a question.


    "This is quite the view, yes!" I tell them as I continue to look out across the shimmering, sparkling view. Dark figures work their way through the endless fields and some of the light even marks me as thunder gently rumbles on.


    Sighing quietly as my hand comes free of Raincloud''s little limb, I step towards the paint-worn fence, just ahead. Putting my gloved hands onto it, some paint flakes off onto them and I glance off into the direction of the daylight. Paying attention to all the metallic shades that go out as far and beyond the horizon. My grip tightens.


    I haven''t had a view like this in a long, long time...


    All of what is before me, this is home. Mother used to take me on walks to places like these, so I could see the people who helped make our lands what they are. All the treasure in the world means nothing if those who toil in the fields cannot work and be happy. She wanted me to understand that as much as possible.


    Fields of conducting wire-reeds, ready to be scythed and ground down into bread. Battery-grape vineyards plump to bursting with citrus flavour. The animals grazing in the fields and the chicks hatching from their eggs for the first and final time. And, up above, lightning eternal.


    I''ve missed my home so much, but, I feel lonely being here again on my own. I met so many great people back in the Land of Wind, tremendous friends I loathe to leave behind. So many different kinds of friends... I miss them all.


    I wipe my wet eyes.


    An often snarky but golden-hearted, fluffy-tailed girl with a love for gardening. A formerly nasty, crimson-scaled giantess with a gifting for making quality tools and sweet treats. A blue-haired princess who never stopped smiling... A man who keeps on living no matter how bad the world gets.


    So much has slipped my mind since I left all that time ago, leaving them all behind. That tearful breakdown in the forest just outside of Vadei''s home. I don''t want to forget them, I never do. But, I know I am.


    Their faces aren''t staying in my head, they''re fading.


    "Arooo..." Raincloud quietly lets out as their body bends like a see-saw so that their beak is near my face. I smile at them as I hold onto their small, but long head. Lightning dances about my arm before he goes across Raincloud''s plates. The sutesavauru panics slightly and Lightning leaps off of her tail spikes and he lets himself into the sky.


    Golden light rings out with a great thundercrack and torrential rain follows it. Everything carries on like normal, though, the farmers keep working and the animals carry on grazing. Little lambs play and chasing-bolt falcons start to compete in the sky. Following one of these magnificent birds of prey, Lightning breaks away and rejoins with me.


    The bird he just met suddenly became all the more popular for the quality of gold that came after it!


    I laugh slightly as the rain washes away my tears, "Thank you, Lightning."


    "Have I ever mentioned how strange it is that I am the only bolt of lightning that can talk, think?" he asks as he snakes his little, jagged, volting head before mine.


    "Even if you have, it''s nice to hear your words about it." I tell him.


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    "Hey, Miss! Can you bring Raincloud back!?" Masgeo calls out as he starts to herd the other sutesavauru out of the rain.


    "Come on, you, best to not keep him waiting."


    "AROOOOO!" Raincloud cries out as she breaks off sprinting back down towards the farm hand. Minding her excited tail, I place a hand on my chest as my eyes calm down after nearly being hit by it.


    "This is quite the rainstorm you have created, Lightning." I remark as I hold onto a fence on my way back down the dirt path. Now little more than a growing river of rapidly developing mud.


    "The dam that normally feeds the fields is broken, I heard talk of the need for rain." he explains and I frown as I glance at the nearby fields.


    "They all look fine?" I question before he zaps away without warning.


    Tickling my arm as he comes back, I try to slap him gently over it, "Underground reservoir for this farm."


    "Oh, well." I say as I rejoin with Masgeo as he continues to wave me closer. Taking his hand initially, he helps me into the barn he''s brought all the sutesavauru to. Taking a seat, I start to take off what I can so it can dry, though, it bothers him.


    "You are mighty beautiful, Miss." he compliments with a tug of his collar as I set aside my hat. Looking towards him, I smile as he fails to take his eyes off of my golden-tinted skin.


    "Thank you, but, uh..." I say before my mind starts to linger on a pale beak mask. The memory turns angry and hate-filled, silently frightening me into forgetting it. The roaring of -that- name barely stops before Masgeo opens his mouth.


    "No worries, Miss, my eyes might appreciate you. But my heart will never forgive me if I listen to them." he explains with a raised, hat-holding palm.


    "W-What''s her name?" I ask as I try to distract myself from the renewed mental discomfort.


    "Ahn-Marree..." he sighs as if she''s a goddess.


    "How did you meet her?" I ask him as I start to loosen my hair so water doesn''t get trapped in it.


    "She came crashing in through a window, would you believe that!" he laughs and I freeze up as an image rushes up to me in my head. A circular, dark and cracked lense pops into existence with a cocked back, bandage-covered fist. Gulping, I shiver as I recall the one thing I don''t want to think about clearly.


    I cover my face as the frustrations start getting to me.


    "Miss, you alright?" Masgeo asks as he stops loading fodder for the sutesavauru to dry their mouths out on.


    "Y-Yes... I''m fine, I''m fine." I answer, moving my hand away from my face and showing him my shaky gaze.


    A great bolt of lightning flashes by, its roar following close by.


    "Now that is thunder." the farmhand nods bemusedly as our eyes are drawn to the rattling chimes on one of the barn''s support beams.


    "S-So you were saying about Ahn-Marree?" I remind him as I try to play off my distracted mind and unstable eyes as an aimless curiosity in the barn and its contents. Walking up to some hung-up tools, I fiddle with them slightly and Lightning goes out and does something to them. A few, thin gold lines appear on some of them.


    "Oh, right, pardon me. So, she''s a recreational rider, lot of racing. Authentic love for the wind rushing through her long, black hair. Wouldn''t change a thing about her in that regard. She had an accident with what she was riding that day and came smashing through. I was there, helped her out and we''ve gotten picky over the other''s lips since then." he explains with a growing, dreamy smile as his heart soothes his mind. Enviously, I nod as I clench one hand into a fist near my heart.


    "Is there a race track near here, then?" I question as I notice that some of the things set up around here aren''t likely for the cattle. Very specific, ornate saddles and thick-heeled boots with a clear slot for the spurs of the trade.


    "There''s a modest one in town, I pop down there on occasion for more than just Ahn-Marre, though." he answers before walking up a flight of stairs to the relatively high up first floor of the barn. Soon after, round objects made primarily of cut plants fall down with dull thuds and slight puffs of flaking stems. Then, using them as a makeshift step, he drops down onto the highest-up one. Falling down into another in the process.


    He chuckles as he dusts himself off.


    "Do you race yourself or are you a gambling man?"


    "Gambling? No, no, no. Hate wasting my already meagre pay on luck. If I don''t earn it honestly, I won''t respect it. But, to answer your question, I go there with the animals often. See, the owners of the track like to stress test often. Animals go hog wild on it for a bit, we get a few more coins for the farm and these lot get exercise." he explains to me as he relaxes on one of the bales.


    "Are there any races planned soon? I wouldn''t mind going to see one if so." I say as maybe it will help keep my mind occupied as we travel. Me and Brewbrt can talk about how our arbitrarily chosen animal and rider lost. Or, maybe we can rub in how our instincts are better because our racer won. Might be fun.


    "Don''t know, afraid." he explains as some of the sutesavauru rattle their tails on the bars keeping them locked away. Paying closer attention to the rattling rainwater, I notice the stream of heavy drops and easily broken lines.


    "So, what''s this business about a broken dam? A friend mentioned it on our way here." I ask Masgeo as Lightning''s words from right as it started to rain come back to me.


    "Oh, that load of awful business..." he exasperates as he briefly hides his face as a fist trembles.


    "I can help, well, someone I know can." I quickly answer as his frustrations become more obvious.


    "We can''t ask that of a darling like you, Miss."


    "Please, let me help." I insist as a hand comes to my chest. This might not be my family''s land, but, it is my duty as a noblewoman of this land to tend to these matters. I know this isn''t really the way I was taught to do it, but, whatever I can do, I must try.


    "There... There was an accident not too long ago. Stupid boys playing where they shouldn''t. Listening to your mother is a dying trait these days, must be. One of them is... Was blessed with the gift of the land. Went into the water and then a tick of panic started to drain him... That storm his precious body was bottlin'' broke free and melted a hole right into the dam." Masgeo explains as he squeezes his hand together in a finger lock.


    "I''m sorry... It wasn''t someone you knew, was it?" I say then ask, though, my chest starts getting a little tense. I don''t want Masgeo to take my question the wrong way, it was awful what happened and I do not want to undercut it.


    "Thankfully, no. Blessed be his little troublemaker heart, but, the neighbourhood''s got a lot grimmer since the accident." he explains as he gets off the bale and heads back to the stairs. Reaching the first step, he swings on the railing before gesturing me to follow. In a flash, I reappear on the first floor, smiling a little at how difficult that actually was.


    To think I once struggled with stopping myself from spasming after using this spell. A lifetime ago, now, it was how I left my homeland and now I come back talented at it. Masgeo forces a laugh out as he reaches the top of the stairs and I walk up to him. Heels clicking on the wood panels making up the floor.


    He moves up to a panel and unhinges it, groaning under the strain, he sets it aside. The rain starts to patter inside and he places one booted foot up onto the painted wood. His hat blocks out most of the water and a finger gestures out into the distance as he stops the wind undressing him.


    Moving up alongside him, I follow the extended digit until I spot a violent, uncontrolled stream off into the far distance. Lightning''s rain may have worsened a problem they were already trying to deal with. A lot of the fields from this high up look different, a growing layer of water that threatens to drown the plants. Or, in the worst case, conduct the power of the perpetual storm up above.


    Looking towards Masgeo, he steps down as I step up onto the ledge, "Miss, careful."


    "It''s fine, Masgeo, don''t worry." I tell him before I take one more step.

 Incline 8: Einervaene

    Hitting a decorative rock nestled at the corner of a field, I char it black and some of Lightning''s power ripples with the water. Thankfully, he keeps it under control and I secure my hat as I start to wade into the deepening water. The rush of it is so close now, roaring louder and above the ceaseless downpour assailing all right now. A high-pitched chirp sticks out to me.


    I look down and notice a baby chick struggling to keep on a little pebble, it slips and struggles before finally going into the water. Picking it up hastily, I hold the small baby close to my chest as it likely cries out for our shared desire. Nodding carefully, I keep on marching towards the burst dam as smaller streams of water start to hose out. Clicking my tongue, a thumb strokes the trembling chick and I notice a small team up there.


    "WE CAN''T DO ANYTHING! LET''S GO!"


    "DAMMIT!"


    "EVERYONE GET THE FIELDS CLOSED OFF, PUT THE BARRICADES TO GOOD USE!"


    Frowning at the conversation before they vanish from my already limited view of them. Lightning worms out near my face and he turns his little, electric point to me. Taking another step, I nearly drop down into the rushing water as the dangerous depth is made clear. Breathless because of the jump, I clench a fence pole and pull myself out onto some stairs.


    My heels click rapidly as I rise up the mostly natural construct until I rush out into the open. Sighing at the disturbed grave near the escaping reserve, I place the chick down in the safety of a wreath for the moment. Stepping out onto the breaking dam, I lean on a guard railing as I try to inspect the damage for the moment. Lightning leaps from me and he dives into the water and surges around it.


    Coming back to me with a snap, I recoil into the catch, "Should I just fix it?"


    "No... I want them to know it''s all ok. I can''t have them worrying for their families or their livelihoods." I explain to the divine bolt as the rain sizzles into steam away from his golden body.


    "How do you wish to proceed?" Lightning asks as he reaffirms his power flowing through my body by making it shine.


    "Let me fly on a ray of light!" I breathe as the sky flashes furiously as a sudden wind warps the path of the rain. Lightning shoots out into the sky, piercing the cloud cover and revealing the light of the Orbital-Halo. Coming back for me, he snags me into the sky and I wrap an arm and leg around his stiff, voltaic form. Sprouting winds with pure, golden feathers, they flap with cackling electricity as I gather up Lightning''s power.


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    As if he is a javelin, I throw him precisely to the failing damn and by Ihtuntar''s bright and holy name, do we honour him. The rain stops. All that remains is the sound of my flapping wings as the clouds make way for unblocked daylight. A first for many in this place, I am sure, but, even then, their eyes are on me, the maiden with glittering feathers.


    Descending to the remade dam, the freshly wrought, white stone taps under my heels. The sound of a chick on one side, the voices of rushing men on the other. Heading to the chick first, I pick them back up and sing a gentle tune with Lightning''s help. Turning to face the returning farmers, many stop, awestruck by all that they now see.


    "W-W-Who are you!?" one of them demands to know as Lightning sneakily returns to me properly. I smile brightly at the farmers as many pray for their now-saved fields, animals and lives.


    "Einervaene Bosphama." I answer as my wings unfurl again. With one great flap, I soar into the air as if I''ve always been able to fly like this. The chick squeals knowingly and its little feet and wings paddle about as I seek out Lightning''s divine knowledge.


    "The mother hen should be... There." he answers as lightning strikes in the direction of the mother bird. Jostling the little chick, I make sure they can see my smile.


    "Time to see mother again." I coo before a family of birds come running at me the moment I land. Wading awkwardly through the relatively deep puddle, a rust-coloured, plump hen frantically calls out to me.


    "Kuhraw! Kuhraw!" it repeats as I let the chick down onto the closest thing to dry land there is at the moment.


    "Soon, I''ll be just like that little chick, finally back with Mother..." I nearly cry as I hide only my eyes, making sure my smile always stays in the open.


    "Your name will reach her and she will be calmed." Lightning nods as best as he can with his somewhat awkward body before he fizzles out of view.


    "I only have you for so long, don''t I, Loyal Lightning?" I ask him as I focus on the hen as it wades back to the family with the little chick dangling from her beak. Waving at the little bird, the lot of them scurry off to the safety of their coop and their caring owners.


    "For as long as I am needed to keep Eratheen safe." he reaffirms as a figure flashes into existence for the simple purpose of bowing their head.


    "There is time before I see Mother again." I say as I smile gently towards a farmer and his family as they groan at the need to reverse their recent task. All of them are happy, though, everyone is happy for this one moment, this flash of lightning.


    "You want to help them all." Lightning acknowledges as I stare up at the sky and rustle my divinely-made wings.


    "I will make up for every problem my tainted blood has ever caused." I admit, partially sighing it out as some of my true magic power zaps distastefully by my fingertips.


    "Then by the honour I learned through Thunder, let us save them all!" Lightning roars with the strength of a renewed sky of never-ending thunderclouds.


    Yes... All of them.


    In motion with a golden scar in the rumbling sky, I shoot back into the air and Lightning shoot out ahead of me. Enjoying myself for the moment, I try to break some of the cloud cover with the flapping of my wings. A chasing-bolt falcon shows off its bravery by flying right next to me and I smile at it. Screeching at me, the bird of prey dives away as it proves its namesake.


    "Einervaene, I have found someone who may need you." Lightning informs me and with another great flap, I dive in the direction he''s implanted in my head.

 Incline 9: Brewbrt

    "No, you don''t need to go this far." I tell Farmer Sanoukou as he offers me some kind of meat sandwich he''s just bought from a stall.


    "Please, it''s the least I can do for giving this old soldier someone to confide in." he insists as I take it up. Sniffing the steamy air, I glance out onto the wet streets as it all starts to get a bit busy again. That freak downpour had surprised quite a few of them and the unique peculiarities of the land made themselves known. Rain is something to be enjoyed back home, put on your boots and jump in the puddles.


    Here, it can be lethal.


    Despite the miserable nature of rain here, I still find myself smiling as I recall Einervaene''s first nights at my home. She ran into a little bit of trouble with the water from what I remember. I''ve even been told stories by her about her initial journey to Jherikra on the many ships she swapped between. On and off aquaphobia that she''s never been quite able to figure out.


    I bite into the sandwich and cup my mouth under it as the thin, modestly hard bread cracks. It reminds me of blood loaves in a way, with all this iron in the dough giving it a distinctly metallic spice. The sauce is quite nice as well, the right amount of sweetness but not so runny as to soak the dry bread. It coats it nicely and I quickly finish the snack.


    Farmer Sanoukou smiles as I nod to him on my final mouthful. Using some of my magic, I bring a bit of dripping rainwater over and wash my hands in it. Flicking them off just as a noble of a lesser distinction comes riding by on his equine-like creature. My impromptu guide huffs in what seems to be bewilderment.


    "Not a sight you often see?" I ask him as I take my stare off the robe-dressed man.


    "I don''t see senators that often, no. Not since I left the army." he explains as I note the well-decorated guards accompanying the politician. Lots of royal markings, divine homage and testament to the power of the land.


    "What sort of legal affairs do the senatorial lot handle?" I raise as I get back onto my feat with a heavy rattle. Glancing down at my thunder-gold-covered foot, it sparks on a puddle as I partially step out onto the road.


    "As you mentioned them earlier, they handle the big stuff. Like what is going on with the Bosphamas." he answers as I place my gloved digits against the armoured nooks and crannies of my hips.


    "I see, well, Farmer Sanoukou, it''s been a pleasure for the moment. I hope you have no intention on going back on your earlier offer." I tell him and he raises a hand, shaking it with a smile on his lips. Sipping from his mug once again, a hand moves down to drum his belly.


    "You windy lot and your insistence on calling my profession as if it is my name!" he chuckles as we wave each other off. Walking out into the streets properly, I trail behind the honour guard in the hopes I might be able to hear anything being spoken. Can''t really use my magic too blatantly in this land, they might struggle to recognise it, but it''s still blatant. My ageing ears will just have to do.


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    Turning into a gap between buildings, I follow along through there, amidst the bins and crates. The rattle of their sandaled armour keeps me on their trail and the drum of spear bases calls out for me. They seem to hit traffic and I linger on the corner with as much distracted casualness as I can manage. The sounds of vehicles, animals and people is quite obnoxious...


    "I hope you lot have provisions for if it rains like that again. A senatorial meet-up was called for by Lord-Senator Burspharosa. Given both my allegiance to him as one of his vassal nobles and the favours I owe him on top of that, further delays shant be favoured upon."


    "Of course, Senator. We''ve sent one of our number to acquire the appropriate supplies to counter the unexplained weather." someone amongst the honour guard explains, giving me potentially someone to corner should I be feeling cocky enough.


    "And about that witch in the sky...?" the Senator asks and I cock a brow as I turn my eyes upwards. What''s Einervaene been up to?


    "Still waiting on any word about her, however, she''s not been seen coming anywhere near us." the honour guard explains as I move somewhat into the open to observe the sky. Maybe I can lift off and speak to her directly in a minute, explain what the current plan is for dinner.


    "She better stay that way, I doubt in your skills if she proves to be more than just a joy flyer." the Senator remarks as his beast shakes nervously.


    "Your safety is in our hands, Senator." the honour guard insists before the politician groans his way onto the busy road.


    "See to it then, I''d like to be rid of the Bosphama business already." the Senator complains as he brings all traffic to an abrupt halt. His escort groans openly and secures a tunnel for him to travel through and I scoff on my way out.


    Should find Einervaene and make the situation clear to her. We have time, but how much is something I can barely fathom, let alone guess. For her sake, I hope she doesn''t act rashly, she''s under enough pressure as is. Maybe it is best that I keep quiet, that is always an option.


    Our urgency is a well-known fact between us, there is not much good to gain by passing it on.


    "Hmmmm..." I let out thoughtfully as I travel along the walkway after the small, but well-armed group. Sticking amongst the crowds, I blend in by showing some interest in what is on offer throughout the street. But, while my ears focus on the senator and what gossip I can pick up between him and his guards. My mind is near entirely focused on my friend''s daughter.


    The locals are clearly in support of what is currently happening to Eratheen and her by extension. She will not respond well if she is exposed to it, let alone if her name makes it out into the public discourse. Though, knowing the issue, some fame might help us. All of this over the suspicion that she is not of noble birth and right now, her magic is greater than all who live in this divinely-made world.


    I may have dropped the killing blow onto that sea-dragon, but, it was Einervaene and that thing''s power that killed it. Flashing, sky-birthed lances of pure, electrifying gold struck the beast down with slagging torment. She saved many lives that day and removing that dragon from the seas only cascades it to a far greater number. The golden-haired lady, that is how she will come to be known.


    Possibly, there might be wisdom in having the senator go to his meeting with Einervaene''s name on his mind. Golden lightning magic. Whatever Eratheen is being subjected to, the words of someone against her speaking of a golden-haired daughter... I nod to myself as I turn away from the road and head towards the nearest gate out of town.

 Incline 10: Einervaene

    "Th-Thank you! Thank you!" a mother tells me tearfully as she holds her formerly gravely injured son. Smiling at her, I wave at the confused little boy as he holds his head as a mild headache passes through it. Turning away from them, I leave them be as Lightning returns to me.


    "H-Hey..." the little boy calls out as I recreate my pair of wings. Facing him, my smile grows as his cheeks flush a little.


    "Yes?" I ask with a tone sweetened by the divine entity.


    "What''s your name?"


    "Einervaene Bosphama!" I answer giddily before I go back into the sky, breaking apart the clouds once again.


    "You are enjoying answering this question." Lightning comments as one of my gloved hands run along the soft and volatile sky.


    "It just... Feels so nice to be able to say it without being so ashamed of it!"


    "You hate your name?" Lightning asks, making me slow down.


    "N-No... I..." I struggle to explain as Lightning comes out purely to nod at me.


    "I understand." he answers.


    "Did you just read my mind!?" I accuse him of and he sparks away from me with a coy shimmer.


    "Brewbrt is walking in the countryside after us." Lightning changes the topic to and I blink in confusion. Has he been following us? I suppose I am quite easily to trail with what I am now...


    "Well, let''s go speak to him." I say as I dive down in the direction Lightning gestures towards in his own special way. Folding my wings in, I shoot towards the ground, against the rushing wind. Opening them up again, I rise up with a jolt and the crack of thunder as I flap them once more. Flying like this is so enjoyable!


    I am proud of what I have accomplished with my first spell, but, flying this way... I know why it is such a loved and desired goal for all witches. Past the convenience of it, past the mark of pride that comes with the attainment of such power. The joy I feel with each bristling feather is something so...


    So...!


    Giggling, I pick up on my friend''s silvered-emerald magic and my wings adjust. Making one final flap, they vanish and I soar across the sky, the land zooming past me. Holding my heels out, I smile knowingly as I meet my graceful landing head-on. Coming to a tapping stop before I have a little fun with a quick gesture as Brewbrt follows my slowing down.


    "Someone''s happy." he huffs as his armour scrapes together as he crosses his arms.


    "I''ve plenty of reason to be." I say, grinning as he ruffles my hair after moving closer. Laughing as I fight his hand off, I follow after him as we start to walk on the cobblestone path.


    "What have you been up to, Einervaene? This is quite far from Farmer Sanoukou''s property." he asks as he blows off some magic towards a passing bird on a bomber''s intent. Its payload splatters within viewing distance but far enough away that, that is all we see of it.


    "I felt like travelling around." I shrug out as we come to a stop by an occupied field. Staticwool lambs graze on the rare spots of plant life and many rub together as they seek the ecstasy of their existence.


    "Listen, about Eratheen..." he starts off with, slowly.


    "You''ve heard something!?" I demand to know as I step towards him. He nods and I grab a piece of his armour firmly, jolting him forward, much to his surprise. I loosen my abrupt grip and look away as I rub an arm.


    "There is a senatorial meeting happening regarding her, soon."


    "Oh, that is good, then." I sigh as my worked-up nerves continue to continue to leave me out of it and unfocused.


    "Really?"


    I start to nod, "Yes, if it''s just a senate meeting, it means they haven''t gotten anywhere with it since I left all that time ago."


    "Are you certain, Einervaene? You have been gone from your homeland for some time." he questions as he leans on a wooden post.


    Gulping, some uncertainty makes itself clear to me in my mind, "I spent a lot of time reading up on the law regarding the problems I have caused Mother... If it''s still up for debate with the Senate, there is nothing to worry about. Of course, the sooner we solve this, the better, but, we have time... I still have time..."


    "I see, well, it''s up to you, but, Farmer Sanoukou has offered us a place to stay for the time being. If that is something you are interested in." Brewbrt explains and I get rid of my saddened expression for something more joyful. Placing my hands together, my cheeks beam with it and he quietly snorts some positivity.


    "I''d be glad to spend some time there. There''s nothing better than homemade food at a farm! All fresh ingredients with so much of it just cleverly set aside from everyone else so that they can all enjoy it to their heart''s content!" I recall as a few memories eating fresh farm produce come to mind.


    "Shall we?" my friend asks as he holds up an armoured arm, moving away from the post.


    "We shall indeed." I chirp as we walk alongside each other down the rain-afflicted road. Brewbrt''s golden foot splashes into a puddle and I glance down at the wet patches on my high-heeled boots.


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    "You are quite dry for someone who''s been in such a freak rainstorm." he comments as I watch a few drops gather on his armour before they slip off. Shattering into a dozen smaller droplets which then spread themselves thin. Invisible to the eye now that they are on the wet ground.


    "I''ve been flying around a lot." I smile as my wings quickly come back just to ruffle right next to him. Breathing a laugh, he whacks it out of the way and snatches a feather from me.


    "Ow." I let out reasonably quiet.


    Waving the golden quill-to-be about, he wiggles it near my nose, "You''ve been quite busy, haven''t you?"


    "Maybe." I answer innocently as I wave back towards some children that are playing in a nearby field. A small group that I had helped not too long ago with a leg injury one had sustained. Ideally, I should tell them to stop playing around in the mud, but, they were more than happy to forget what happened.


    "Your mother will be very proud of you." he smiles as he gently yanks on one of my braids, pulling my head in before he rubs my top.


    "I hope my name can reach her." I ponder as I come to a stop by a small, flower-surrounded shrine in the middle of the road. Brewbrt initially walks past me and backtracks his way towards me when he notices.


    "You''ve been letting people know who you are?" he asks as he moves close to the shrine to fiddle with some of its decorations. I lean forward and gently slap his hand away with a ringing tap. My eyes meet his concerned gaze and I start to frown.


    "Yes..." I assert with wavering confidence as I start to rub an opposing arm.


    He starts to smile obnoxiously in front of my face, "What''s the worst that can happen? You what, get called in to prove how shiny and golden you are?"


    I huff bemusedly, "Maybe they''ll pass me onto a bank and someone with a tiny glass piece will check my carat."


    "Careful for what you wish for, a bank vault is no fine-dining hotel." he smirks at as I start to look beyond the shrine, towards the distant farms.


    "Do you think I''d ever be able to fit back into my old life?" I ask as I take in the age of the things around me. It might not look it, but, farms tend to be projects spanning generations. The father of the father and beyond, unchanging in so many ways and always so simple.


    "How do you mean? You''ve stayed pretty much the same in my eyes. You know your manners and your etiquette." he asks before he goes on to explain his point of view. And, while I get what he means, I can''t help but acknowledge my past since this all began. I left my homeland on a ship which docked at an island before I got onto another.


    Years.


    I''ve spent a good chunk of my life now riding the waves on a ship of wood or iron. All the little things I did before then are probably forgotten now. The colour of my magic has always caused me problems, but the nature of what I am kept it beneath the surface. I was still able to put up a facade of what I was meant to be.


    But now, I''ve done my endless months of sailing, I''ve spent a fair amount of time in a foreign land. Attempts were made to cling on to my past, yet, with everything being so new and different. I couldn''t help but go out and try it all. Flying in the skies on airships and dancing amongst the mountain tops as the green breeze go on by.


    "So..." I start to say before I lose track, looking off towards an old tower that has likely seen better days.


    "Look, Einervaene, if it''s any consolation... Before I left with you back then in search of Anvil-Peak and the power nestled up on its legendary, flat top. I never thought I would ever get the chance to go on another adventure like I used to. Every day it''s the same, I hoped for that chance to feel the wind in my hair. The rush of adrenaline as a new scar is marked on my body. The chance to delve into old ruins and see newly freed treasures of all kinds." he tries to explain, but, I develop a hang-up as I listen.


    "You joined me and have gone about this as if you never stopped..." I say as I gently caress a nearby crop.


    "No, Einervaene. There''s so much I''ve forgotten but that hasn''t stopped me from getting back into it. Don''t worry, anything you might''ve forgotten will come back to you. Gods above and below... They''ll probably love you all the more for the life you have lived! People can and do forgive the small things when there is something good to explain it."


    "Why can''t I just stay happy? I''m finally back home... Going to have a lovely meal before sleeping in what might be a fire-warmed bedroom." I lament as my head steadily aims my gaze towards the ground. Slightly looking over towards some roots breaking out onto the road.


    "You have a lot on your mind, Einervaene. It''s natural to be worried, you can''t help that. Just know, always remember, it''s nearly all over. The you who left on that ship full of tears is back, your mother misses you, Einervaene."


    "I don''t want to be moping..."


    "No, you should mope right now, let it all out. I will drag you off the edge of this shocking continent if I so much as catch you whining to your mother. I want you to give her all the smiles and hugs in the world when you see her again." he tells me with a firm tone after yanking my head up. Nodding against the grip he has on my chin, I start to smile as he uses my cheeks to manipulate my mouth.


    "Canshyousletsgo?" I squeeze out as he starts to enjoy messing with my speech. A quiet, short laugh leaves me as his fingers depart.


    "Now, let''s get going to the farm again. I''m starving." he exclaims as he drums his armour-covered gut. Rain bounces off of him and the loud bangs echo out across the fields and beyond.


    "Do you think we might be able to stay around here for a little longer? There are some things I would like to do before we get going again." I ask my friend as he firmly grasps a nearby wall for support on his way down a slope in the road.


    "Sure..." he lets out absent-mindedly as he carefully treads down the mud-slicked path. Innocently, I cover my mouth and point a finger forward, one that just so happens to have Lightning sparking across it. Brewbrt yelps and falls with a bang, sliding down into a crash in the dip.


    "Come here, now!" he demands from the puddle he is bathing in.


    I zap to the other side, "No."


    "Just you wait, Einervaene!" he curses as he gets back via an explosive ascension into the sky. Standing still, I watch him go as high as the clouds before he drops down, suddenly surrounded by magic.


    "No... No! NO! NO! NO!" I scream with laughter as I run away from him with all I have, a bomb with a raincloud payload headed right for me.


    "Should I?" Lightning asks but all I have for him is laughter and the thrum of Brewbrt''s magic gets closer.


    "NOW!" I go as I reappear on Brewbrt''s back.


    "I can work with this!" he chuckles as he throttles back into the clouds, going beyond them until we reach the open sky.


    "Hey... Look at that!" I call out, amazed as shimmering light makes itself clear in the distance. The creature roars proudly as it minds its own business before it turns away with the wind.


    "That was a big one, but I''ve killed bigger." Brewbrt chuckles as we dive back down under the clouds. It is probably for the best as well, a dragon is likely to see me as a challenge, just like Boisenmarck did.


    "You mean we." I correct as I hop off a short distance away from the ground. Briefly running with rapid taps and clicks before I grab onto a branch to take the rest of the speed out of me.


    Brewbrt drops down loudly, "Pretty sure it was my spell that finished it."


    "And destroyed a chunk of my homeland..." I mutter under my breath.


    "Shut up, you and your golden bolts only made it angry." Brewbrt dismisses with a snigger as he plays with his helmet a little.


    "I wonder if dragons are going to be a frequent part of my life now..." I ponder with a finger to my chin.


    "Back in Jherikra, dragons aren''t typically handled by individuals."


    "They are here sometimes, I am pretty sure the Imperial Heir has a reputation for hunting sea-dragons."


    "You''ll have plenty to talk about, then, should you meet him." Brewbrt says as we get back to walking.

 Incline 11: Lord Burspharosa

    "Senator Burspharosa." a messenger greets as they hand me over a tightened, wax-sealed scroll. I nod ever so slightly at them as I keep my eyes on the discussion happening currently on the floor. Glancing down at the seal, my eyes narrow slightly as the symbol means it is of the utmost importance. I am restrained by my current appointment, however.


    "-and at a tax rate of twelve percent, we''d be able to cover the losses to the named services because of the drain caused by the renovations." someone explains before a bit of bickering erupts.


    "Looking as stern as ever, Senator." a fellow one greets as he moves over to me as I turn my eyes to the ostracised member of this meeting. He argues for something right, his words are fair and just, but, he is lacking in confidence. Without someone to be there with a shield on his back, he is faltering.


    "I would like this all to end as soon as possible, to be entirely honest with you." I say as I treat the scroll like a baton. Bouncing it up and down in the opposing palm, making an undisruptive noise that no one is paying mind to.


    "Ah, right, word of the one known as Stormlight." they remark as the well-heard roars of a sea-dragon wash ashore even this far in.


    "Yes, Einervaene Bosphama." I say as I catch the scroll, gently tightening a deathly noose around it with my fingers.


    "If word is true, your efforts will be undone."


    "Yes, if. However, I am too far into this whole affair to simply give up with it." I nearly groan as the expenses and my stubborn adherence to this expansion of my land come to mind.


    "You may yet break the Senate''s patience, Senator Burspharosa." he tells me and I can''t help but smile condescendingly at his words.


    "That there one, right there..." I start to say, pointing my scroll at the isolated man as he leans into his chair. He might have a firmly set face, but his mind is far from as certain in its aspects.


    "So?"


    "Senator Caetusi, Lord of Seratilius. Advocate for the expansion of infrastructure to the periphery of our great, thunder-born land. To save more than just the ports I and others have deemed worth our time. So that the small folk are not left plummeting or fleeing." I ramble coherently, spreading out what information quickly comes to mind.


    "A long, expensive effort." the senator sat next to me lets out, disgusted and worried by the ruin it may bring to his finances. To the finances of us all should his theoretical math not pan out as Caetusi so optimistically believes.


    "He has done everything he can, he clings on, learning new skill after new skill. All so he can help out those who raised him up to his status of Senator Caetusi." I say, admiring the determination to some extent. Not that his requests are particularly in my interest at the moment. Unless he, say, offered me up very cheap land, maybe even whole islands.


    "If he cannot break our patience, then neither can you."


    "Exactly, I am gambling a lot in these meetings. Not with gold, but with the minds of easily swayed men. Power and profit come first and foremost. Convincing people to help my ascension to the dominance of the sky is difficult."


    "Speaking as a member of it, Senator Burspharosa, you control one of the largest factions within the Senate. It will only be a bit longer before you control a majority."


    "A little bit longer that I do not have at this rate..." I say as I glance down at the scroll.


    "She only exists in rumours, there are always... Other methods."


    "Careful with what you say in such a public space." I remind this senator as I glance towards someone else. Meeting their eyes and holding my own until they look away to fiddle with their senatorial sash.


    "It would be no controversy to engage in such behaviour." he dismisses as he leans back into his chair to observe the current transaction of speaking rights on the floor.


    "I wish to be of a higher standard." I mutter distastefully at the thought of contacting mercenaries or assassins. He laughs gently under his breath.


    "You have failed, then, Lord Burspharosa." he tells me as his features come a slight bit closer.


    "Only my victory shall be recorded." I tell him as I get up to head towards a quiet corner of the senatorial chamber. Popping off the seal, I unwrap the scroll and inspect its contents with an unfaltering eye.


    Uenfarmao...


    "Somewhat aimless, but, your destination is clear, Einervaene Bosphama." I mutter under my breath as I look to the floor, though, I block out the noise of it. If I want to earn more time for my plans, I can always try to invoke the necessary laws to force The Lady Bosphama out of her keep. The wilting, tired thing will be taken from a place of comfort without explanation.


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    The Lady-Heir will miss her reunion with her mother.


    Wrapping the scroll back up, I tuck it away into my robes and secure it well. Satisfied with that, I walk out into the open, onto the floor with my head held high and shoulders squared. The senator on the floor currently pauses abruptly and he stares at me. Turning my head slightly to an empty chair, we forgo traditional means of senatorial discussion.


    Nodding as the nervous man goes back to his chair, I open my mouth, "Members of the Senate, I am here to advocate for the post-haste transition of The Lady Bosphama to the confines of the imperial court."


    "And why is that?" one of the biggest thorns in my side asks as I watch his little group make themselves stern.


    "Having visited her recently, with the testimony of my staff and hers. I call upon the Bill of Noble Health, she is in no position to be handling the governance of her land. I humbly ask for the Senate to approve her withdrawal from the local stately matters of her land, so that she may rest. Under the careful eyes of the greatest household staff in the land. I would have her placed within Imperial confines."


    "Our ascent!" my faction calls out in near-unison as I manipulate the magic in the sky beyond the glass dome. Lightning strikes clear and true, illuminating me under its holy light as I prepare to provide further claims.


    "Can you blame her, Senator Predator?" someone childishly disparages as I look briefly down.


    "She knew full well the consequences of letting her unbefitting pregnancy become public. A renouncement under the clauses of the Bastards could have absconded her of all of these past few years. But, she does not, she insists, gallantly so that this daughter of hers may retain her right of inheritance, of noble birth!"


    "If it is true that The Lady Bosphama is struggling due to declining health, then I also agree." Senator Caetusi lets out as he stands from his isolated place of comfort from the whispers of politics. Stepping out into the open with me, our eyes meet on less-than-friendly terms. As I straighten out the marks of my wealth and rank, he does the same.


    The colours of great birth and the power of the land shine bright on both of us.


    "But, it is in my opinion that a second hearing be decided upon. One not dictated by one known to be after her possessions for his own sake. I argue that those of impartiality head out to her place of residence for further testimony and honour-bound word. Let neither group under the influence of either Senator Burspharosa or Senator Rotibere play a part." Senator Caetusi speaks.


    "And who would you deem fit, Senator Caetusi?" I ask as I step aside slightly so that he might have the attention of those still seated.


    "Myself based on the merit that I can barely extract even modest respect from you vipers. And, those of the back row for their youthfulness in their involvement. Any connections they may have are far too shallow to play a major influence." he argues, drawing some moans with the name-calling. But, out of his sight, I smirk slightly knowing those he has named do have my hands upon their shoulders.


    "My ascent." I say, agreeing to the terms as I keep my gaze focused on the wrong people.


    "Our ascent!"


    "Withheld." many others say.


    "Let it be known that a formal vote shall occur within the next session!" the Arbitrator of the Floor declares after he has rung the hollow, brass floor panel. I look at them and nod, knowing full well that the servants and the staff of the senatorial building will need space to arrange everything for a vote. It will be a short break, but, I am not complaining when it comes to getting out of this chamber.


    Even if only for a moment.


    Reaching the sanctity of halls that are more of the same wealth-displaying architectural style, I relax slightly. Glancing over at the on-duty members of the senatorial guard, I place a hand near my chin, stroking it once. Is there a room nearby where I can have some privacy? Better yet, is the one I need to speak to available at the moment?


    The senator who first brought me this information about the sightings around Uenfarmao.


    He notices me and I raise my hand at him, stepping to his side as the lot he was talking to step aside. Placing an arm around him, I make them walk with me as we head out to a place a bit quieter. Coming to a stop by a statue of one of our decorated forefathers, I look up at the statue. The majesty it had been carved with and the authority its naming plaque holds.


    "This is about my information, isn''t it?" they rightly guess as I bring out the scroll. Handing it back to them, broken wax seal first.


    "I need you to be keeping a closer eye on this woman. This combination of name and list of labours is worrisome." I tell him as he looks over his own words again, seemingly, he frowns as he contemplates his word choice.


    "The farm she is staying at is more than happy to speak of her. Though, as you wish, I will look into further means to record her every movement."


    "Make it so, if she even so much leaves the area in the slightest... I expect you to personally come galloping to me until your very lungs burn out." I tell him as a hardened stare makes his footing shuffle.


    "Of course, Lord Burspharosa. Now, about the one she is travelling with?"


    "He''s a foreigner, something that merely escaped being drowned. He is irrelevant so long as he is away from the girl."


    "Lord Burspharosa, even I have come to hear about what happened in the skies about your north-western coast." he tells me as I prepare to ignore his concerns.


    "It is nothing."


    "Word has it he is the one who caused the island shifts."


    "Say that again." I order as missed details glow in my mind.


    "He is the one who caused the island shifts." he repeats with the slight tilt of his head.


    "Yes... He is strong, very strong. Strong enough to... Kill a sea-dragon king on his own. A merit-greedy man wanting to be known the world over. Find out what you can, anything, anything at all and make use of it. Place personal orders in for the criers, take hold of your local presses. Dim the word of the Lady-Heir." I tell him as I start to walk away with haste.


    "What about the vote!?" he calls out as I rush long past the entrance to the chamber. What I need is a fine quill, smooth ink and plentiful paper. Orders must be made, the opportunity must be exploited. Keep the Lady-Heir distant from her mother, keep the mother away from the words of the people, warp and twist them as needed.


    "My name, my family, my clan, it will reign supreme under the light of the gods." I mutter to myself like a mantra as I gesture for some of the building''s staff to attend to me.

 Incline 12: The Lady Bosphama

    "This is everything, Oorika?" I ask my housekeeper as I finish looking over one pile of accounts. A fresh stack had just been dropped off by her before she starts to look over to those helping me.


    "I have searched thrice and then checked each individual search three times over." she assures me as a finger of mine fidgets towards my teacup before I rub my eyes. Barely any sleep, but, how can I sleep? My daughter is out there somewhere... I need to find all that I can to help her.


    My precious little Einervaene.


    "We all understand what is on your mind right now, My Lady Bosphama. But, do not let it interfere with your health, there has been enough of that." Oorika coos as she passes over a steaming, freshly warmed cup. Dropping the account, I delicately snatch up the teacup and take a prolonged sip from it. Like the wet roads on the bright, warm day afterwards, my breath marks the air.


    "I can''t expect everyone to help me out of the kindness of their hearts, Oorika. I need to make sure we have the wealth to properly motivate everyone by greed if need be." I moan softly as a hand gently disturbs the dropped scroll. Moving about to little effect and barely getting a comprehensive glance of it.


    "There is always the wealth of your body." my Housekeeper suggests with a slight, knowing smile as I lean forward so she can refresh my pillows.


    "I have already taken my oaths under the eyes of Love." I sigh as I think of my husband who is so often away and out of contact. If I could rely on him for assistance, I would, but, he is years away by sea. Yet, that did not stop me from sending out a request for aid to him first. Of all the people, I implored for him first.


    His daughter needs our help, our little girl is coming home and she needs our help. Of all the things he can do for her, right now, that is all she needs. Help. Gods and goddesses be willing, he can do something, anything...


    "I''m only saying, My Lady Bosphama. I support wholly what you are attempting to do, but, I worry there may be a shortsightedness to it all." she cautions as she kneels beside me to join in with the work. It''s not needed, but, I appreciate the fact she is willing to. I could never ask for a better housekeeper.


    "I would sooner have you all know me as simply Eratheen before I let my daughter come to harm." I remind them all with a raised tone as I get back to work. Looking over the document quickly, I mark off a couple of things and set it aside for mailing to my bankers.


    "You are undercutting your authority and source of wealth in a time of great foul word." Oorika warns me and her words provoke my tender mind. I know full well what they all say of me and I do not care. I have held on for so long with it all going on about me. It will not slow me down now, nothing will.


    "When the accounts go public, their words will mean nothing..." I mutter as I sign off on more offers from the merchants I have opened up to. The best offer I see gets it, though, compared to anything a thoughtful effort could bring, I might as well be a charity.


    "They''ve always known how to twist your words and efforts into what they want others to believe. Smart as people can be sometimes, they are also incomprehensibly stupid and narrow-minded." Oorika continues to warn as I start to ponder a peculiar offer from one of the buyers. They don''t want to buy up the land permanently, they want to lease it for a short period... With Oorika''s recent words so fresh in my mind, I accept the offer so that my daughter will have something to come back to.


    However, chopped up and gutted it all might be.


    "Has there been anyway word on the private safes I own within the Bank of Chriokmatne?" I ask so we can get back to focusing on what needs to be done for Einervaene. Any favours, any pledges, anything, all so she can safely get here to me...


    "My Lady Bosphama, we sent the request out two nights ago. Please, take a walk with me into the gardens. You are losing track of time in the wrong w-"


    "I will not leave my daughter out there on her own anymore, if you wish to walk those legs then do so on your own outside of the walls of -my- keep!" I burst out all in one go, seething ever so slightly as my housekeeper continues to look my way, unbothered.


    "My Lady Bosphama, you have been working for too long." she replies simply as she starts to dote on me in a way a mother knows so well.


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    "Fine... I shall walk. You lot, you are forbidden from working until I return." I tell the members of my staff that have been helping me so diligently for now. They nod and bow politely as Oorika helps me to my feet before we head on out. Sliding the door shut behind herself once we leave the room, she smiles slightly as joy bursts from within. Gladness overtakes those within the room as they find themselves able to rest.


    "Do not linger here, My Lady Bosphama. They are not cheering because they are briefly free of helping the Lady-Heir." she tells me as my posture fails to keep me on the straight path. Blood returns steadily to my limbs and it is only on the final step into the outside that I find a steady foot. The sounds of birds, frogs and insects hit me like a firm smack to the cheek. The air, light and noises, it''s all so different to the study I have chosen to be sequestered to.


    "I hope you''re not here to encourage me to briefly forget about my daughter..." I mutter as I start to play with a wide, green leaf. Gently flicking it down, the moist efforts of the gardeners'' pool and then drip down. Sometimes, there is enough for a short-lived stream, a line of water that is one blink away from not being there.


    "It would be an exercise in folly, My Lady Bosphama." she nods respectfully as I turn to face her. Frowning as she maintains the nod and a noticeable distance away from me.


    An image of me shaking my head appears in my mind, "Are you perhaps scared of what lies within this walled-paradise?"


    "Of course, not." she answers with a blink.


    "Then keep close." I order her to do as I slowly start to make my way. Hiding my slight smile, I walk around on the orderly-made, loose stone path and wait for her. A piece of my magic separates from me just as the sky flashes without a care. The rumbles of the thunder come down into the garden and some of the foreign species, new to this land let out their distress.


    "My Lady Bosphama, I have been around you long enough to know what your magic feels like." Oorika remarks as she joins me as a small, red and green bird comes flapping down to me. Gently stroking the small, rather soft animal, it chirps quietly as its wings pop out.


    "And, yet..." I say as I show my smile just as the frog I zapped jumps on her. Oorika blinks at the slimy creature before she calmly picks it off to put it onto a nearby branch.


    My smile vanishes.


    "You bring me out here to get me away from the stress of work and you don''t even humour me..." I moan with a mixture of bemusement and misery.


    "Aaaah." she flatly lets out as we sit down on a bench so we can watch some of the animals walk along the ground.


    "Do you think I have faith in my daughter?" I suddenly ask my housekeeper as I watch a mother duck waddle across without looking back at the line of ducklings. One of them falls over and chirps manically, but, even then, the mother pays it no mind. It is fully aware that nothing can happen to it in this magically-protected haven.


    If it does get lost, a member of staff will help even a quacking bird find their child. This knowing safety has bred complacency with the mother. But, I have seen what my daughter is now capable of. She''s grown her confidence and power, things I could''ve never seen her doing when I knew her are now possible.


    It''s been years since that recording came to me, handed over by the smiling daughter of the Aaedrii Clan... Hycidna Aaedrii, she brought me a gift I can never forget. After all this time of not seeing her, even though it was a foul and bloody image I was shown. I saw her, I saw my daughter, grown up further and hopefully happy.


    "I do think you have faith in your daughter, yes. But like with most people doing tasks of any sort, the end is in sight and you are losing your patience so very, very dangerously quick." Oorika answers as I look along the path before landing my gaze on my sock-covered feet. Moving my clothed toes about, I sigh as I hide my hands in my sleeves.


    "I should give her a moment, keep my faith in her knowing she''s made it this far without me...?"


    Oorika places a hand against me and waits for me to turn.


    "You should always keep your faith in her, but that does not mean you should also just leave her on her own. Help her how you can, however, again, please, My Lady Bosphama. Show caution and ease up on the recklessness."


    "I need to help her... The bastard responsible for all of this came to me, Oorika. He came -right here- to tell me that he is targeting her. I cannot relent in my duties as a mother!"


    "My Lady Bosphama, you are not thinking clearly. You are doing what he wants. Selling off your land and properties only gives him a venue to buy them up himself. He''s choking you of everything you have."


    "My tolerance for his hands is more than he realises..." I hiss as I shoot up to my feet. Going to a fountain, I dip a bare finger into the water and glare at it. A slight bit of gold appears then a bright flash. A cloud of steam erupts, leaving the fountain empty.


    "The Lady-Heir is strong, so much stronger than any of us realise." Oorika comments quietly as she resigns herself to being quiet for the time being.


    "Go to the kitchens and make sure is everything in order, Housekeeper." I say bitterly as I keep my eyes off her.


    "Of course, My Lady Bosphama..." she agrees to with a lacking tone. Knowing she is still standing behind me, I walk away until I am somewhere with plentiful solitude. Even the animals are not in this part of the garden, it is only me.


    I sigh as I hide my eyes, a harsh sniff escapes and I cannot stop the water from escaping. Unbecoming of what I am, I dry my eyes off with my sleeves. The sound of armour fills my ears and I step out into the open, hoping to find the source. I spot a guard, but, I do not want them, I want my Castellan.


    "Joastelan...?" I call out weakly as I move to leave the garden. Weakly grasping a wooden pillar, I slowly step back up into the building proper.


    "My Lady Bosphama?" a mere maid asks as they come closer after noticing my distress.


    "Find me Castellan Joastelan, I need to speak to him." I tell the maid as my mind goes back to focusing on my daughter.

 Incline 13: The Lady Bosphama

    "Are... Are you not able to be more specific with me? This is all you have?" I ask the messenger as they continue to pant for as much air as they can get, outside the front gates of my keep. I''ve offered to take them in for shelter and rest, but, they''ve refused as he needs to get back out there. Whoever this man is, I am glad that my Castellan was able to reach them.


    As many people as I can find that are like this... All of them if need be.


    "I... Am... I am sorry, The Lady Bosphama... This is all I was able to get right now. Word of emerald winds, a woman wreathed in gold... Helping people. I marked it down- h-here!" he explains as he continues to smack his finger on the roughly written on scroll.


    "Thank you... Please, stay for the night. Have something to eat and drink at the very least!" I urge him as he already gets started on heading back the way he came.


    "If Joastelan catches me, he''ll have my neck!" they nearly laugh before they painfully start to limp off into the dark of the night.


    "He''s right, you know!" my castellan calls out with a chuckle as I turn back towards my home. Walking inside with my trusted friend, the guards close the heavy wooden gates behind us. Sticking to the well-lit path, Joastelan holds my arm as we ascend the steps. Though, I keep him close even after the need for him vanishes.


    "He came with a location..." I breathe in disbelief as I shakily hand it over to my trusted member of staff. He takes it up and gazes sternly at the crude map, tapping its centre before a quiet groan comes out.


    "She''s in the lands controlled by one of Lord Burspharosa''s lackeys, isn''t he?" Joastelan asks as I come to a stop so I can clutch my exhausted head. A headache smashes up against the innermost walls of my skull but it feels like it is about to burst out onto my skin.


    "Y-Yes... I recognise the names of these towns and cities. But, it''s such a vast area..."


    "How hard can it possibly be to find such a blatant foreigner?" he asks and I start to think back to my younger years. When I first met my husband, when Brewbrt travelled around the world with us for profit and adventure. With the Clockwork Baron and Errosalie...


    A long time ago it all was, but, so much still remains clear to me. Even when I travelled with Brewbrt, the people of his land had trouble tracking us down even with me and my husband. A machine man and his archer-noble accomplice, we managed to remain hidden even then. It only sounds easy because describing Brewbrt makes it sound so blatant.


    Look for the man with the potent magic gifted to them by the Mountain of Wind.


    "I can get men searching the towns and the skies above in no time, My Lady Bosphama, do not worry." Joastelan assures me as we arrive at my private office. Moving within it, I send the maid assigned to it for this day out and I collapse onto my chair.


    "You have all the trust I can possibly put into you... My honest liar..." I say, smiling as I tease him over our past.


    He barely chuckles as he looks away, a hand on his sheathed weapon, "Bring her here?"


    "Yes, Joastelan, when your men find her, bring my daughter home. I will spend some time with her before we finally put this whole issue to rest... I can finally wake up from the nightmare of these quiet halls." I answer as I look idly over at some of the scrolls I had brought in earlier. It''s nothing important compared to what keeps me up at the moment, but they need to be done. Legal paperwork, requests and petitions from court...


    I rub my face as the mere thought makes me hollow of anything that can be called energy.


    "My Lady Bosphama, if I may, shall I carry you to your room?" Joastelan asks as he steps closer after unhooking some of his equipment. I shake my head with a violent disregard for my headdress and hair. Swiping some of the loose strands away as I slow down, he steps back.


    "Have someone bring in something sweet... I... I need to..." I struggle to say as I get back to work as if I am a living corpse. So devoid of life and effort I might as well belong in a grave hidden away in the well-worked, metallic earth. A lid pops open and then a familiar smell manages to bring me back to life, if only a little.


    "Go on, eat you stupid thing." Joastelan scoffs innocently as I slowly pop one of the formerly hidden sweets into my mouth.


    "Oh... Ah... You know, I can have you arrested for that..." I limply let out as I bounce from side to side in my chair, suckling on the hard-boiled delight.


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    "Then you will never know about all the things I have set aside for you in preparation for your stupidity." he tells me as he takes a small handful out before he seals the tub up again. I moan miserably as I reach for the container, only for him to snatch it up into the air and gently toss it away. Masterfully, it lands on a nearby cupboard with a gentle slide that leaves the front facing me.


    "Quiet you..." I mumble between popping the sweet from either side of my mouth.


    "Keep on working for as long as these last then it''s off to bed for you, My Stupid Lady Bosphama."


    "Where do I keep my release forms...?" I ask anyone else present as I look around for the right paperwork. Joastelan laughs as he puts my attention back on task as the sweet suddenly stops on my right cheek. The flavour builds up to a usually unbearable degree, yet I keep it there. Steadily draining it down into a little pebble.


    Flicking it over onto my closest line of back teeth, I crush it with a quick crunch.


    "I know I am not in your employment for my literary or accounting skills, but, is there anything I can help you with, Eratheen?" Joastelan asks as he comes around, dropping to a knee by my side.


    "You can keep your professional wits about you." I joke and warn sincerely.


    "I will bare that in mind, My Lady Bosphama." he says with a smile as he rises back up, passing me over the piece of equipment I was devoid of. Maybe that is what he is good for right now, stopping the stress getting to me over the little things.


    "Are you able to find me some forms that I can address to the..." I start to say as the name of the people escapes me. Groaning, I place my palm on my head and I suffer over it as I try to remember.


    "This one?" he asks as he seems to get lucky giving me what I am after.


    "Yes, yes... Thank you." I tell him as I start to sloppily write down what I need to. Only to spill the ink all over the paper, ruining it and many other things on my desk. Freaking up, I clench my hands tightly as my breathing slowly picks up.


    Joastelan places his hand on my shoulder, then he pulls my chair out gently.


    "It''s alright, you''re just tired. Maybe we should reconsider the sweets?" he goes as he takes the ceremonial tabard of his armour, staining it black beyond repair.


    "No... Don''t..." I mutter as he continues to ruin the last thing he should be using to clean up my mess.


    "Stay." he orders as he moves to the door, sliding it open.


    "Castellan?" a maid asks as he stops them.


    "Go and grab the stuff needed to wipe down The Lady Bosphama''s desk. If they are still good, help yourselves to the drops on the table. I will be taking The Lady Bosphama to bed, where she belongs." he tells them as he comes back to me, having left the door open. Initially trying to shove him away as a mixture of moans leave me, his hands break through to my shoulders. Pulling me up with no effort at all, I moan some more.


    "Stop... I need to!" I say only for him to practically push me towards the exit of the office.


    "No ifs, ands or buts. Straight to bed with you and I will come and get you in the morning." he informs me just as a main bows her head my way as we come out into the hallway.


    "No... I am the Lady of the Keep, you will listen to me, Castellan!" I demand as a slight, static shock builds up in me. Letting the warning spell off, Joastelan groans as he shivers under the affliction of my power.


    "As you have said, -I am your- castellan. My duty is to protect your personal residence to the best of my ability until death. When you are in residence, my duty evolves to encompass your safety in its entirety. If you wish to endanger yourself, then I shall protect The Lady Bosphama from that problem." he explains to me as he nearly slams open the door to my room. Gently nudging me into it, I stumble in, barely keeping myself off of the carefully laid and wonderfully soft carpet.


    "I..." I start to mutter as he closes the door nearly.


    "Oorika or one of your maids are better suited for this point, My Lady Bosphama." he tells me as he carries on closing the door.


    "Joastelan, wait!" I snap and the door stops moving, his armour rustles slightly as we turn to face each other.


    "Get some rest, Eratheen." he says but he remains.


    "Just loosen my kimono of its belts, help me with my headdress... I will go straight to bed as is after that." I sigh and he nods, coming into the room as he closes the door behind him. Getting to work as best as I can, I guide his hands in the right direction. Funnily, however, despite how many straps and buckles he has to handle with his armour, he is struggling here.


    I giggle quietly as he shakes a smirk at me.


    "Come on you, stay in that bed there until a full week has gone by." he urges as I slowly slip into the bed. Diving under the covers, I awkwardly put my head up on the pillows as he untucks my hair out of the decorative metal. Pulling it out along with the pins, he places them down on a nearby tabletop before ensuring my quit is firmly snuggled up.


    "Joastelan..."


    "My Lady Bosphama?"


    "Please stay until I fall asleep... Please?" I beg as my eyes start to water some more. Somehow, I still have tears to let out nowadays.


    "Of course." he smiles as he places a hand against my arm through the cover.


    "We will be able to help her, won''t we...? You believe we can help my daughter?" I want to know, to hear...


    "Even if we can''t, My Lady Bosphama... She''s your daughter, she will keep on going until she can''t no more. A bit like you right now." he explains as he squeezes my arm gently.


    "Seems quite easy to stop me from doing anything, right now..." I remark quietly as I push myself into the pillow slightly.


    "You have done nothing but work since word came in about the Lady-Heir. You may be completely drained of every bit of effort within you, but I will earn the Housekeeper''s envy and her staff will admire me for getting you in this room for any period of time." he says down to me as he starts to pat my arm.


    Pulling the quilt closer to my lips, I rub the soft cloth along them and breathe softly. Closing my eyes, I try to keep them that way as my castellan continues to reassure me with his touch. One though dominates me incomprehensibly so, my daughter. She is back in our homeland after so many years away from it for the sake of her safety.


    She''s in danger and I need to protect her... My daughter, my little wonder of the world.


    "Einervaene, mother is coming for you..." I mutter as I tighten my grip on the quilt.

 Incline 14: Lord Burspharosa

    "Lord Burspharosa, how might I be of assistance?" the young senator asks me as we ride about in my carriage partially incognito. Leaning back against my cushioned chair, I glance towards a nearby mountain of weather-worn iron as a very specific flag flies from it. Proud and unbothered by the violent storm, the Mark of a Thunder-Shogun flutters in its controlled state.


    "The Imperial Senate has voted you to be a part of the group who will investigate The Lady Bosphama." I say, getting to the point as he continues to delight himself on the delicacies I had provided for him. He offers me some of it, but, raising my palm, I allow him to gorge at my expense. The finest sweet fruits, well-tended meats and aged wines from volt-caged cellars.


    I even let him choose a bottle from my sunken trove, matured so fine in the crushing, black depths below our homeland.


    "I will be off it, the moment word comes out about what you are doing for me." he rightfully cautions as I glance over to my left. I smirk, chuckling under my breath as I glance at the flag currently flying on one of the poles. The personal banner of my youngest daughter, a girl currently lacking a suitable husband. As far as spectators are concerned, I am taking my dear Djiproina on a trip for her sake.


    So long as they all keep their distance, they will never know it is him for they cannot see him either. Locked away in a curtained, sealed box on the carriage''s front half, they are well protected. In theory, a present that is being kept safe until it is time to show it off. Like a wedding ring, seen as such a topic is what I am lying to the world.


    "Under the act of impartiality, I need you to be as vigorous as you can be with ensuring she is relocated. Get her out of that keep and let us be done with this years-long affair." I explain to the young man as I gesture for some of my escort to move aside those who dare obstruct. It is not a great issue, lingering is of no concern to me, but, the fewer ears close to me, the better.


    "Mere word will mean nothing in this effort, even if we all do agree. Proof will be what the Senate wants before it approves her move to the grounds of the Imperial Family." he tells me as if I do not already know.


    "Yes, but, that will not be a problem in the slightest. She will be laced with signs of her loose mind, her delusionment. I warned her, as is right about her daughter''s return. As a mother, she will do everything she can to protect her. As a father, I know this. But, unlike me, The Lady Bosphama has so few friends left in the Senate or within the court of His Imperial Highness." I explain as start to look over some messages I received before me and this young senator set out on this relaxing trip.


    "I should keep an eye out for her legal documents, then."


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    "Naturally, as word would have it amongst the merchants and their greedy gatherings... They talk as if a mine of heaven-fallen diamonds was just discovered." I start to say before leaning forward, moving my mouth close to the blinds keeping him out of my sight.


    "She is partitioning her land to secure pay for as many mercenaries and helping hands as she can!" he lets out, nearly choking on something that quickly finds its way to the floor of my carriage.


    "She is indeed, now somebody suddenly selling their land so quickly and so abruptly will be very suspect to the eyes of the Senate. They will have no choice but to agree to my desires and plans for the future. If The Lady Bosphama is so eager to prove herself unwell, then let an Imperial Regent take hold until the time has come." I say as I reach for the string that links me to the bell near the driver. Tugging on it gently, the beasts pulling the carriage coming to a whining halt and a guard opens up the carriage door.


    "Lord Burspharosa?" the young senator questions as he moves to adjust the blinds.


    "No!" I rumble as the sky flashes, frightening him back into a state of stillness. Grabbing my robes, I flick them straight as I step down off of the carriage. Placing each hand into the opposing sleeve, I walk off the road and into the rare patch of grass we came across. Finding a rock lodged into the soil, I place one foot on it as I lean forwards.


    My brow sets as I glance out across the land, my land, taken by -me- and forged into a tool for -my- needs. So much remains to be done with it, but, once I secure the lands of the Bosphama clan, I can do so much more. Resources I otherwise need to pay a premium on will be freed up for my wants and needs. A check and balance to Imperial power, yet, one that will not be used against them.


    Only for them.


    The Union of the Seven Peaks in the north, the hordes of dark and light as they shift between the poles. Even the Grand-Kingdom, our esteemed rivals for so many millennia. All of them will bow as my plans see fruition. The winds grow still and the rivers are drying up, all that remains is the crack of thunder.


    "Are we not meant to inherit all the earth, we who live in the land that flashes and rumbles with the power of Ancient Thunder? The creator of our world and all others." I say as I consider, for a brief moment, what I would like to achieve beyond my current goals. It is so close to me now, the fall of the Bosphama Clan into irrelevancy. Yet, curiously enough, I find myself disappointed in one thing...


    Me.


    To get to where I am, I need to destroy something that never needed to be. The Bosphama''s have proven themselves over the generations from great generald and admirals to explorers and businessmen. Even The Lady Bosphama of current times has a claim to the eternal fame that exists beyond our limited lives. Treasure hunter, lone warrior of legend, empire builder, mother of a wonderful daughter.


    "I envy you, Lady Bosphama, I really do. Even with the shame she carries, she has come back to save you. I can only hope my children turn out the same, but you do not need to hope, she is all you could ever want. Even if this path cannot spare you or your family, though I will be resented by anyone with a claim to Bosphama lands... I shall see to it that she lives unless absolutely necessary."


    The winds blow my way, disordering my robes and jewellery.


    "Hear me, Winds of Nosungril, carry this message to the Lady Bosphama as she falls for my sake." I utter as I step back towards my carriage.

 Incline 15: The Lady Bosphama

    "Is everything in order?" I ask a member of my kitchen staff as I tightly clutch the scroll that came to me recently. A declaration from the Senate that I am now being investigated over claims of ill health... It''s that Burspharosa bastard without a doubt, it''s always him. Forever and always!


    "Yes, My Lady Bosphama." the chef answers as he continues to beat something within a bowl with his whisk.


    "Excuse me, My Lady Bosphama." another one says as he comes by with an assistant as they trolly out what has been prepared for this inexplicit visit. So long as the scroll arrives before them, I have to accept their visit. I nod at my kitchen staff before leaving, rejoining Oorika with a scowl on my face.


    "The cleaners are on schedule with the main hall now ready to accommodate the Senate members once they have arrived." she explains as she starts to walk alongside me. One of my attendees pats me down with a quick make-up lookover before bowing off. Dismissing another, she goes off to help whoever she can during this tense build-up.


    As I requested, the keep''s temple bell is sounded once the state coach comes into view. Stopping cold in my tracks, I glare up at the hidden, ringing lump of fine bronze. The scroll crunches further in my grip before I simply drop it on the floor. Loudly and firmly, I move out onto the walls of my home, receiving bows and salutes as I do so.


    "My Lady Bosphama." Joastelan greets with a thump of his ornate armour as the three of us look off into the distance. As if the gods and goddesses are mocking me, the weather is concisely clear on the road the senators are travelling on. Its banners and flags, gilding and bejewellment all glitter under the light of the Orbital-Halo.


    "Is there much point in resisting what we know they are here for?" I ask with a low tone as my grief overcomes my spite towards the actions of a particular, cruel man.


    "Luck may yet be on our side, My Lady Bosphama." Oorika comments, though, I do not understand her sense of optimism. I cannot grasp or comprehend it, it''s foreign, it makes me angry. Like I want to shout at her because of how stupid and wrong such an idea is.


    "All we need is for but one of them to act out of line. I have already instructed the men of your keep to give no headway to our upcoming guests. They will behave or I will have them locked away." Joastelan explains and I find myself being able to smile, however brief it is.


    "That would be wonderful, thank you." I tell him as I lean forward in order to catch a glance of one of my guards. Keeping his gaze on the farms surrounding us, he pays me no mind as his ready mind awaits the correct command.


    "If you would allow me, My Lady Bosphama, I shall keep our guests confined as well as we can." Oorika assures me as she starts to present a briefly noted plan of how she wants to try and handle it.


    "We already know why they are here, they are coming with the right of the Senate. Denying them too much will only justify their attainder should they so choose." I say as I shiver slightly to get my clothes back into order.


    "If they could just take you away, then he would have already done so, My Lady Bosphama. Do not worry, you are protected under the law by your name, status and people." Joastelan assures me before he sets off to go and speak to some of his men. Turning to Oorika, I look her in the eye as her unyielding professional gaze meets me.


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    "How do you wish to meet them?" she asks as I look off towards the steps back down the wall.


    "I should meet them at the gates, ideally..." I mutter as my housekeeper takes my hand.


    "We shall greet them within the confines of the main keep. Let them bask in the majesty of your home and its withheld might. Let the Castellans men frighten them as they climb the road and steps." she explains as she offers me her hand so I have someone to support me on the way down.


    "Terrifying that bastard''s puppets will certainly do my mood some good." I answer as I give one more glance out towards the distant coach. It still has some time to go before it gets here, but one cannot help but stare at oncoming problems.


    "Let the Castellan have his fun and my members of staff shall have ours." Oorika says with a professionally flat tone. The insidious nature of it, though, makes me shiver as my housekeeper knows her way around. Every secret passage, everything within the gardens and on the animals. She certainly has the kind of wealth needed to evoke nothing but misery in my visitors.


    "I do hope you have my food and drink carefully marked or memorised before you are let loose." I tell her as she keeps her head facing forward.


    "Of course, My Lady Bosphama." she assures me without looking me in the eye.


    "As it was just mentioned, however, I am feeling a nervous feeding tick. Can you go and grab me something while I look for something within my office?" I ask the Housekeeper to which she bows and hurries off. Raising my kimono up on my own, I step into my home and swap out my sandals for my near-bare feet. All around me, my staff are getting the keep ready for when the senators arrive. Sometimes they bicker as they cross paths, but my presence calms all issues down back to a simmer.


    A maid opens my office door for me and I have them wait there so they can close it again once I leave. Glancing down at my desk, my cheeks flush a little as I spot the lingering stain of the ink spill from a few nights before. Remembering that night further, I turn to the box Joastelan so skillfully tossed back onto the shelf. Opening it up, I sneak a sweet into my mouth and suck on it as I get back to it.


    Pulling open one drawer, I take a key out and open several others, building up a cascade of small keys. Groaning very quietly in anticipation, I put all the keys together in an extensive, tedious process. Finally completing the new greater key, I inspect its fine brass craftsmanship and the strange, mesmerising shape it has. When I first took Einervaene to see snow for the first time...


    A very expensive import, all the way from the chilled mountaintops of the Jhermonikra. She loved that day and the shape of that crystallised water stuck with me. So I made it a key to something even more special. Revealing the hidden lock, I slot the key in and turn the little stick that shoots out.


    Woodwork and masonry shifts to the demands of its mechanical design and a safe slides into view. Kneeling down, I apply my magic carefully and sing a song under my breath to recall the sequence. A song about my little girl when she was so young, when our lives were so very devoid of our current problems. A better time I will never be able to have back.


    A loud snap brings me back to the real world. Pulling open the heavy metal door with a grunt, grand treasure that only has any worth for me is revealed. Smiling, I pick up the seemingly crude necklace and undo the top of my kimono. The magic within the item shines bright and a small blue volt travels along the metal and silk chain.


    Placing it around my neck, the familiar feel of my daughter only partially returns to me. I glance at what else is in here and ponder the small, mechanical, bird-like device. Only to shake my head as I close it back up. Enacting the room''s return to normalcy and the ejection of the snowflake key.


    It falls apart in my hands and I carefully drop the pile onto my desk.


    Walking back out to the maid as I adjust my kimono''s neck area, "The key is on my desk, please put it back into the places it belongs, please."


    "Of course, My Lady Bosphama." she answers as she closes the door behind her as I walk back out into the hallway. Turning to the outdoors slightly, the sky flashes with the might of Thurnmourer and I hold up my hand. A paler, uglier colour comes out, but it is still proof of my decendence from his might.


    My daughter is the daughter of true-blooded noble and that Bastard shall not have her or me!

 Incline 16: Einervaene

    "Who''s a greedy sutesavauru? Yes you are, yes you are!" I eagerly tease Raincloud as they munch away on the treat I snuck in for her just as Masgeo walks in with a pair of buckets.


    "She''s been growing quite well since you came to lend a hand." he chuckles as he pats Raincloud''s fatty belly. The long-bodied biped partially turns towards him, idly chewing as she does so.


    "I have a responsibility to see that my friends are well fed." I answer with a smile, placing my hands behind my back as I bounce up onto my tiptoes.


    "It''s a good thing that the end goal is to build her up to be nice and healthy." the farmhand points out as he inspects the health of her back plates. Running my hand along the farm animal, I go to her opposing side and do what Masgeo showed me to do. Wiggling the plates towards a source of light or by using my magic, I check the way the blood flushes through them.


    Lines are good, spots are bad.


    "She seems fine on this end." I tell Masgeo as he restrains Raincloud''s tail so that her tail spikes don''t cause an accident. Moving further down her body, I help him on this far end as well, reassuring the sutesavauru with gentle pats as we fiddle around back here.


    "You head away first, I''ll be fine." Masgeo tells me as he looks down the length of the farm animal.


    "I am literally the one less likely to be hurt." I deadpan and all he has to offer is a smirk.


    "Well, then..." he says as he steps away, "RUN!" slapping the animal on a tender spot.


    Raincloud cries out with a mouthful of food, waddling away into the distance as the farmhand laughs. Scowling at him, I use some of my own power to shock him back into a bale yet even then, he continues to laugh. Relenting on the revenge I am committing on Raincloud''s behalf, I offer my hand. Masgeo smirks up at me as I wait for him.


    "Now, see, I am fine on my own there." he chuckles as he picks himself up, knocking the loose reeds stuck to his back with an awkward swipe.


    "You''ll only encourage them to hit you with their tails if you do that every time you tend to them." I point out and he shakes his head knowingly.


    "They focus on nothing but their food so long as their little cattles lives ain''t at risk."


    "You still shouldn''t." I mutter under my breath, pouting slightly at how he is ignoring my advice.


    "Of course, my fair lady." he answers back as he offers me his hand as we arrive at a tractor. I blink up at him as he waits with a waning smile.


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    Slowly getting up onto the back of the tractor, I blink as I think that final word over.


    "Einervaene?" Masgeo calls back to me as he withholds himself from starting up the machine.


    "S-Sorry..." I answer as I turn around slightly. The farmhand shrugs and twists the key and adjusts the pedals, the farm vehicle rumbles to life. Pops and bangs escape the engine and its aged but still reliable suspension keeps the powerful box of pipes in check. We start to move forward as I have Lightning idly attach a trailer to the back of the tractor.


    "Your magic is very helpful, we''ll miss it when you move on." he remarks and my mind slows down again. Sighing quietly so that the vehicle hides it, Lightning returns to me with a slow slither. Mother flashes in my head, a very faded memory of her where only the voice seems clear...


    "Have you seen Brewbrt, by any chance? I... I think it is about time I talked to him about something important." I ask as I stand up, leaning closer to Masgeo so that he can more likely hear me despite the noise.


    "Goldfoot? Let me think... Outside of pillaging our garage for some lubricant to put on his armour... I think I''ve seen him around the northern fields last time. Was a bunch of green in the ai-" he starts to answer before I bolt away into the sky, striking down outside of the fields once I catch sight of the one I am after.


    "I''ll apologise later..." I mutter as I step over the fence before heading down to Brewbrt as he does something. Walking in on him as he tinkers with one of his many gizmos, I sit down beside him. Surprising him a little by having Lightning fix whatever might be wrong with it.


    "Well, hello there!" my guardian goes as he brings a rarely bare arm around me, pulling me in for a brief, shaky hug. Letting me go, he gets back to his ancient treasures and I sigh as my misery dominates my face.


    Something rattles and when I blink, his eyes are facing mine.


    "That well, huh?" I question as I try to joke it off.


    "Your thoughts are back for another round on your mind?" he guesses easily and correctly, placing one hand on the knuckles of the other.


    "It''s nothing... Masgeo just called me a lady and I started to think about..."


    "Home."


    "Yes... I started to think of home. Helping everyone I can has been wonderfully distracting but aren''t we wasting our time?" I say then ask him, even though I know we seem to have this conversation every other week like damn clockwork... The insufferable, inescapable movement of life''s gears.


    He withholds an answer for a minute that lasts far too long, I frown as it goes on.


    "Do you want to get back on the move?"


    "I..."


    "Speak!" he snaps.


    "YES, OK!? I WANT TO FIND MY MOTHER! I WANT TO SAVE HER!" I scream and he smiles, nodding as he does so. Confusion freezes the fires of my fury and I slow down before groaning into my hands. He pats my back, coming to a rubbing stop as I heave what I can out through my mouth.


    "We''ll head out, first thing in the morning. That way we have time to get everything together and we can get a free, full meal out of it while we still can."


    "You''ve eaten enough farmhouse breakfasts..." I mutter as I slide my face along my palms. Bringing it out into the open with a bothered, quiet snort.


    "Wrong, I can eat one more." Brewbrt answers as we get up. Using Lightning''s power, Brewbrt''s equipment is all fixed up and cleaned, leaving him to pack it up.


    "When... When I get home, I am going to enjoy even the worst possible meal my mother can cook up."


    "Bah, you''ll regret it, Eratheen can''t even boil water." Brewbrt mocks lightly and I zap him.


    "Just pick up your stuff." I groan, smiling only slightly as I know what I am getting into, wanting to try Mother''s cooking.

 Incline 17: Einervaene

    "Not that we don''t enjoy the company, but, why are you coming with us, Masgeo?" I ask the farmhand a bit late into our journey. The hustle and bustle of the approaching town becoming all the clearer with each chug of the engine and bump of the wheels.


    He slowly and carefully plays with some kind of hook as he looks my way, smiling a little, "Got to go down to the market for some extra supplies. Jolly quiet rider at the head has the list, though, just here to help."


    "I''m not surprised he needs the help!" I giggle as I glance towards Brewbrt as he rests a hand on his plate-covered gut. He groans gently, both regretting and enjoying the full breakfast he''s overfilled on.


    "What can we say? You''ve been a wonderful pair of guests. Going to be quite the conversation starter with all this savoury gossip we be hearing."


    "Even farmers find themselves at the mercy of such behaviour?" I ask, somewhat surprised that they are not able to avoid it even with their relative isolation.


    "Coming into town or to the other markets are some of the few times we get to. But, all in moderation." Masgeo explains as he messes with some tools to do something to his side of the vehicle''s backend.


    "Much as I haven''t done very well keeping my mind off of it, I will miss the quiet. Even at home in such a private house it is hard to keep your mind truly occupied without going overboard." I tell him as Mother''s fading image passes through my head. A fuzzy image with little things I can truly remember clearly at this point. Her voice is really all there is and even then, I am limited to the same phrases again and again.


    Those lingering memories that stick with you for a long time...


    "We all have our struggles, even if we aren''t privy to the finer grains." Masgeo comments as he leans over his seat to wave towards someone or something.


    "Quite wise for a farmhand." I jest with my words slipping by him without an issue.


    "Make sure to take care now, Miss." Masgeo tells me as he holds a hand as he hops off the back.


    "Where are you going? It''s still a fair walk..." I say, trailing off as he rushes away from the road.


    "Don''t mind him, Darling, he''s just got some things to do." Sanoukou quietly explains as I shuffle closer to the front so I can hear better. Uenfarmao''s traffic now starting to more directly affect us.


    "Thank you for the lift, you didn''t have to!" I tell him as I can''t think of anything else to say to keep my mouth moving. With Brewbrt thoroughly stuffed, I can''t expect him to be of much use here.


    "It''s fine! We''re heading the same way anyways." Sanoukou answers with a sudden burst of intensity in his words as we seemingly squeeze into those going in and out of the town.


    "Seems busier than usual." I remark as I look around at all the animal-pulled and engine-driven transports on the road. Maybe it''s because I am used to looking at it from such a great distance in the sky with Lightning''s help.


    "It''s rare, but you sometimes get quite busy roads here. Bad luck mostly, all the coincidences lining up at once." Sanoukou explains as he points at some of the transports, many clearly marked with small businesses or noble heraldry and markings.


    "That bad luck is leading to quite a bit of congestion..." I start to mutter as Lightning quietly sparks out at my side, his little electric points zapping about for whatever reason. Hopefully, he''s going to give one of the animals or engines a jump and get them moving quicker. Somehow as well, despite all the business on the road, the calm air has the drivers mellowed.


    Only I seem to be bothered by the slowness of it all.


    "A little bit longer and you''ll be able to hop out and walk, you''ll weave in and out to the stores better that way." Sanoukou points out as he gestures to a distant opening as he exploits the slow movement to quickly stand.


    "You better be ready to move at that point, Brewbrt." I nearly growl as the old man raises a hand, smiling nonchalantly as the farmer chuckles.


    "Be sure to pass the word to those you visit, let them know it was old, reliable Sanoukou who put you like that!"


    "I can certainly promise that." Brewbrt laughs gently so he doesn''t disturb what might as well be a bruised gut.


    "Eugh, what am I likely going to be needing to get?" I ask my frustrating travel companion as he clumsily fights off my attempts to find our shopping list. Squinting my eyes at the crude handwriting, I pick up some of the details with the help of Lightning as he fixes it up.


    "That reminds me, Farmer Sanoukou, you mentioned that the Copper Band Terraces need a specific guide?" Brewbrt asks the driver as I tilt and nod my head along as I go down the list. Briefly, I glance at Brewbrt''s doodle which otherwise seems to highlight some of the problems we''ll be facing. This Copper Band Terrace seems to be quite the inconvenience to travel through, but, it also seems to be our best path forward.


    "If you feel safer with it, the weather there needs quite a bit of local knowledge. But, as I also told you back when you first wandered up my road, you got the eyes for that sort of thing." Sanoukou explains, making Brewbrt turn to meet my eyes as I happen to glance up.


    "Your choice, Einervaene." he tries to go as stern as he can despite the hindrance.


    "I think we should be fine." I tell him, sneaking in a little stroke on Lightning''s closest eccentric point. I believe I''ve heard about such places like this, it''s very good for a specific kind of farming. It is very dangerous, however, with its high amount of free-flowing water and the weather being the way it is in Eusorochii...


    "Are you sure, Darling? It can get quite rough in them parts for the unaquainted."


    "No, we will be able to get through. Your concern is appreciated bu-"


    "We can handle it." Brewbrt huffs lightly as he gives my shin a gentle interrupting nudge.


    "As you two would have it." Sanoukou says as he slowly starts to edge his way towards the town''s footpath.


    "Thank you for the help thus far, Sanoukou. Gods and goddesses look kindly upon you." I tell him as a farewell before I head to the back''s end in preparation. However, Brewbrt is taking his time and heading to the farm owner instead as his first port of call.


    "Take care of that kitchen now, I might come back down once my time here comes to its end." he laughs and the two men share a firm shake as both enjoy the last proper moment they''ll have for a long time. Rolling my eyes, I step down and slowly make my way towards the path, leaving Brewbrt to slug down on his own.


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    "Come here and take my hand." I pointlessly suggest as the heavily-armoured man openly bleghs at his other gear.


    "I''ll keep an eye on it, just don''t head on out without it or I''m pinching what I want." Sanoukou chuckles as Brewbrt gives a gentle wave.


    "I hope you at least got our money out of that." I say to him quietly as I make it clear my temper is easy to go off over this little thing.


    "Pay a little more attention to the little things, it might save your life one day." Brewbrt snickers as he drops one of my strangely heavy braids.


    "Hey!" I moan as I untie the money pouch he snuck onto it at some point, somehow. Untying it, I nearly throw it at him before my brain catches up with the reality of what may happen after. Tightening my grip on the small bag, I settle for knocking him upside instead while his helmet is off.


    "I love being an ancient wonder." he cackles without a care as my retaliatory strike fails miserably.


    "We need to get some long-term camping supplies." I say as I glance at the list. We could maybe skimp out a little with this as we can travel a tremendous amount of distance in a day. But, at the same time, I would like to try and help people on the way to Mother. The unfortunate word about her is still as good as it can get as far as my life has been.


    Groaning about senatorial deadlock and the usual smear campaigns headed by those who want her to burn. My body jitters as it shifts once again through the uncertainty of what I should focus on. I need to get to Mother but I can''t help but keep remembering how long I have been away. Even walking, I am still getting to her quicker than I ever did back at Suhurlodst with Vadei and the others...


    "Einervaene? Einervaene!" Brewbrt waves close up.


    Shaking my head a little, I move it back as he nods, "S-Sorry."


    "Found us a shop, come on." he tells me as he heads towards the pointed-out establishment. Nodding as I follow after him, I am suddenly approached by a messily-clothed man. Somehow, despite all that is going on and all that is here, this man''s smell manages to burst through with great strength. The array and vibrancy of colours staining him makes it clear that this man is some kind of painter.


    "Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!" the stranger goes dramatically as I back up, nearly into the external display of the shop.


    "Hey, hey!" Brewbrt goes with initial aggression before he notices the man''s visage properly. The old man I am unfortunately with develops a smirk and I start to glare at him.


    "No Sir, I mean no disrespect, I simply wish to paint such a beautiful woman! Even the crowds agree!" the artist champions to the agreeing cheers of those stopping or those too busy to stop but just not busy enough to pay attention.


    "How much?" Brewbrt asks as his smile.


    "Don''t encourage this, we have things to be doing!" I snap at my friend as he snatches the money pouch from me, already digging into it.


    "No, no, no! For free, a face like this will own bring me in more customers in the future. Such beauty so imperfectly painted, it will be a masterpiece of its own worth an island of gold!" the artist explains as he starts to attempt to gently guide me over to his workstation.


    "Works for me, have fun, I''m going to go shopping!" Brewbrt cackles as he heads on in without me.


    "GRRR! Damn you!" I nearly swear as the artist backs away as I near his private podium.


    "My beautiful piece-to-be, calm, smile. Tempers and frustration will only make it worse." the man tells me as his face sets itself in stone as he picks up the tools of his trade.


    "Fine..." I huff as I sit down, setting myself up in a way I feel is nice enough at first. The artist stops moving behind his art stand and canvas and peeks out from behind. He makes gestures towards different parts of my body and I do nothing but narrow my stare slightly.


    "Posture." he clarifies as he continues to make small, rapid movements with his fingers.


    "Oh." I go as I follow along with what he is asking for until he is done with the seemingly silly movements. Retreating into my head, skills I once felt like I would never use again start to come back to me. All those lessons about preparing for portraits of both an official and sentimental variety. Mother enjoyed frustrating me back then indeed, always had to be perfect in such an unnatural sense.


    I start to smile even though I was not asked by my artist and I get to thinking about Suhurlodst again. When I was there, I chose to join because of the means it presented in regards to keeping in touch with Mother. Even with all my efforts back on and around Sanoukou''s farm, I really can''t say no to another chance for my name to spread. Mother surely is aware by this point that I am back home, but, who knows, can''t hurt to do a little bit more of this.


    "Oh, my beloved beauty, keep doing what you are doing..." the artist mumbles with what sounds like a heart with the strings being pulled. My cheeks redden slightly and I can''t help but notice those coming in from behind him to have a quick look. Naturally, these eyes fall onto me, yet, they have nowhere near the same effect as when they look at the developing painting.


    Curiously enough, I can sense the presence of magic in either this artist''s fingers or his tools. Maybe even the paint as I can feel it spreading quite eagerly in a very particular way and then lingering. I do not recall if Mother ever had magic-capable artists look at us back when stuff like this used to be something of a regularity. I can, however, quite easily recall the time and boredom of waiting for it all to be done, only to dread the next day when they came back to doodle an arm or foot.


    I nearly shiver as I remember such dissection and reconfiguration, the tedium of it all is not missed at all. I pray that this can be done with some speed and reliable quickness, I do not have time for this if it goes on. This artist has, thankfully for me, so very thankfully, missed out on my time to linger around this town. Though, I suppose it does not matter if he needs me to come back as I won''t be under any circumstances.


    "Thank you for your patience, my beauty, I am almost done!" the artist nearly sings as the feel of magic in him grows greater. I blink, surprised and I nearly shoot to my feet to look up at the Orbital-Halo''s position. Brewbrt hasn''t even come out of the shop and this man is nearly done!?


    "I was honestly prepared for so much longer..." I mutter as I nearly yawn at the thought of such lengthy stillness.


    The artist laughs, "Ah, I knew such hair and skin could only be of someone so divinely blooded. Imperial, perhaps?"


    "N-No, not royal, I am a simple noble." I clarify before nearly huffing in bemusement at my statement. Simple noble is certainly one way to downplay what I am for the sake of keeping the details vague.


    "Whoever fathered you and held you with such love for under a year must be quite something." the artist compliments, leading to me frowning, likely ruining the expression he really wants. Yeah, those two are quite something...


    A father I barely know and a mother so unknowingly close to being taken away from me.


    "My beautiful inspiration, please, return that smile to us." the artist asks nicely as his seeming lack of care makes it clear he is nearing the final strokes of the painting. I do as asked, even if it clearly lacks the energy that made it so nice to look at before.


    "You are done...?" I dread to ask as the artist seemingly takes a step back to applaud his own work. Getting up, I walk around and end up with wide eyes. This man is good, very good, almost too good!


    "My beautiful help, I may ruin this moment with such ugly greed!" the artist cackles maddeningly as I nearly laugh at how real this almost looks. He''s even added in some of the details around me from the podium I was on to the stores and the vagueness of those passing by. As is obvious by what it is, a portrait of me, it focuses on me, but, I can''t help but feel that this man managed to make it even more so about me.


    I seem to be glowing!


    "Thank the gods I didn''t have to pay for that!" Brewbrt remarks as he hops down from the storefront to meet back up with me.


    "I thank you so much for your time, Sir, please, safe travels!" the artist tells him as he grips Brewbrt''s armoured hand tight for a nearly teary-eyed handshake.


    Moving up to my friend as the artist gets to doing other things to the painting, I look up at him, "Did you get everything?"


    "Yes, bar a few odd things I want to try and see if I can get a better deal on."


    "We''ll be walking in circles if you are so dedicated to that." I tell him, smiling as I look back at the popularity of my portrait. Mother will most certainly hear about this, I mean, this crowd the artist is getting is growing to the point of spilling out onto the road!


    "Maybe the one at the register will be a young lad, stick with me and flash those eyes of yours, should make things easier." Brewbrt near mumbles to himself as I play with one of my braids.


    "I wonder if people prefer me or you more, Lightning?" I ask my divine friend quietly, even though I am certain I already have a general idea of it in my head. My hair and skin have all taken on such auric qualities since he joined me back at Anvil-Peak. I only really notice the change because I still remember my old paler skin and copper hair so well.


    "Hm, food first or last... Buying it last will mean it''s fresher for longer." Brewbrt mutters as we find ourselves going by a half-open building containing a sweet-smelling bakery.


    "I don''t think that is quite how it works." I comment as my eyes find themselves passing over what normally would catch my eye otherwise. Breakfast really was a heavy meal this morning.

 Incline 18: The Lone Senator

    "I suppose you feel quite lucky, Senator." The Lady Bosphama remarks without much positive care as I cautiously eye the food that her household staff have so... Graciously provided. Lingering one of the small snacks near my lips, I let it hover as I consider what has happened so far. As by law, The Lady Bospahama is to be notified of our senatorial inspection, however, that also gives her time to act up.


    Seemingly bad as it is on her reputation, reporting behaviour like this will have no effect back in the Senate. Stuff like this is quite common and is practically encouraged when it comes to dealing with unwanted guests. Hungry as I have been on occasions, it is good form to refuse that which is offered even if it ends up being rude and wasteful. I lower the likely mildly poisoned food and move to get to the point which has been delayed thus far.


    Me and my band of pocketed-by-others are here to see as to the health and well-being of The Lady Bosphama. If we rule unfavourably, she will be temporarily stripped of her right to rule and held within the Imperial Palace. How her short-lived replacement will be handled, however, has me confused and it has been bothering me since Senator Burspharosa put this idea forward. It is no secret that the Lady-Heir is missing and has been so for quite some time.


    "The Lady Bosphama, fun as it has been to receive your hospitality. It will be best for everyone to be on their way." I explain before catching hint of a stifled snort by her armoured guardian. Glancing up at the eagerly armed man, I return my eyes to her Housekeeper and how she continues to orbit just as closely. A team motivated by their hatred of those tightening such a long-lived noose so evident.


    "Allow my Castellant and his men to show you the door, then." The Lady Bosphama declares as she gestures mockingly towards him.


    "You know we cannot leave so empty-handed." I tell her as I start to rise to my feet under the full observation of every household guard in this over-packed room. Straightening out my clothes and restoring some smoothness to the fabric, The Lady Bosphama rises. I offer her my strong arm and hand so that we may walk in private.


    "My Lady Bosphama, come." the Housekeeper says as she starts to pick up The Lady Bosphama. However, her assistance is turned away at the last moment and a noble-blooded woman places herself tightly against me.


    "Very well, Senator Caetusi." The Lady Bosphama answers as she silently orders the repositioning of those at her disposal. Watching the guards as their armour and weapons rattle, I choose to guide my conversation partner along them. I am unarmed and mean her no harm, my best side is in her fullest grip and a great warrior is trailing behind even closer than the sentinels.


    "I will make one thing clear to you, The Lady Bosphama, I am not in Senator Burspharosa''s pocket or faction. The Senate is not against you."


    "Not completely, no, I am aware of that." she answers as she looks away towards the disturbed serenity of the garden as rehearsed movements fill it out with hidden steel. The men under her banner are to be commended, they know how to put on the appropriate show and appear greater than usual. Unfortunately for them all, I am used to such behaviour. Being on the periphery of what is accepted in the Senate.


    "Do I have permission to speak about the Lady-Heir?" I ask with as gentle a tone as I can marshall but even then, her grip tightens around my arm. The sound of a pommel meeting a palm still sneaks its way down my ear.


    "Choose your words carefully." the Castellant mutters under his not-so-covering breath as I look towards The Lady Bosphama''s fluctuating iris''.


    "You may." she finally answers as she brings us to a stop that leaves me right under a pole-tip blade. Ignoring the circumstantially badly placed weapon, I give The Lady Bosphama my full attention.


    "It is no secret her departure has had its effect on you. We need to make sure that this has not in anyway impacted your ability to rule. Rumours are abound in the Senate so I need you to be as honest as you can be with me. Whilst the others who I cannot guarantee the neutrality of recover from their assailed bowels and spooked sensibilities."


    "H-Help me..." The Lady Bosphama begs as she starts to shake more visibly.


    "My Lady Bosphama!?" the Castellant goes as a blade suddenly finds my neck so very efficiently. Feeling a wave of danger wash over my skin, it seems to harden up to the blade, ever the more sensitive to the narrow threat.


    "No... Him." The Lady Bosphama clarifies quickly as she gets the weapons back to making the sounds of thankfully sheathed steel.


    "Help you how?" I ask as I try to consider my options here.


    "Keep that bastard away from my daughter... Keep him away!"


    "She''s out of the country, no?"


    "No." The Lady Bosphama is scared to admit as her focus and sensibilities waver. The cold woman she gave off as a first impression is quickly becoming undone.


    "I see..." I let out quietly as I reconsider why this is all happening. If Senator Burspharosa manages to get The Lady Bosphama to head out elsewhere then nothing can be done even if the Lady-Heir does get back. Such a blatantly confirmed return as well will give the despised faction in the Senate all they need to push on with this power play.


    "Clear the way to my office." The Lady Bosphama orders her household guard as I am suddenly pushed and dragged along into the private space. The Castellant closes the door and locks himself in with us and I keep my grip on our host until she is in the comfort of a chair.


    "I do not know how you want me to help, The Lady Bosphama." I get to the point in saying as there is little leeway I can pull. Not yet, anyhow, there are too many trenches I must navigate before I can start doing anything meaningfully direct.


    "Be my eyes and ears in the Senate. That bastard has been snatching up those I can trust for years now, but you, Senator Caetusi, your isolation is famous in its own right." she explains as she leans forward, grabbing some kind of document that she starts to fill out. Looking at it briefly for I cannot get a good view, I catch one important detail, the mark of profit.


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    "No." I tell her as I stamp my fingers in the way of her quill, getting an ink-stained scratch for the trouble of it.


    "You expect me to believe that you will help someone like me and my family out of the kindness of your own heart...?" she nearly cries and whimpers as she leans away, seemingly defeated. I shake my head and instead think about how this might be able to help me in the long term. The Bosphamas may be going through one of the nastiest, roughest patches in all the land. But, they have a name that holds much of its gilded weight still.


    Resources I can use, people who can speak up for me on my behalf, she has them still and it will only recover should the gods smile on her. Never mind the fact that her husband is a colonial governor, one I am quite involved with given my interests in development. Many of those I am trying to help still find themselves washing ashore in lands like his.


    Until I can secure some kind of majority either in votes or influence over the factions that come and go, I need people like him. Getting the favour of the governor will only help my position. The colonies are thankfully far enough out of the way to not be influenced by affairs over here. Help the Lady-Heir and her family, secure my future and the many that put me up in this position to rally what help I can.


    "No, I do not. The Lady Bosphama, as you are aware, I lack support in the Senate."


    "My name has been tarnished for years by it, you will have little support from me."


    "Not now, after this affair blows over. I have no love for the factions that have currently formed within the Senate. All of it revolves around Senator Burspharosa and his machinations. That which is important cannot go forth because of this, that which I wish to see bear fruit is sidelined again and again for his attempts to garner support. As you have probably figured regarding this visit-"


    "It is to get me out of the way easier due to word of my daughter." The Lady Bosphama somewhat finishes as her hand sparks with the exhausted but still present strength of a protective mother.


    I nod slightly at her words, "Strange as this behaviour is right now, something is brewing that he is keenly aware of. I suspect there might be a little more to this, especially with other rumours about."


    "Rumours of gold..." The Lady Bosphama mutters as she glances towards her Castellan as he continues to watch me without slipping in focus. Moving towards some of the memorabilia at the edge of the office, I look towards it as I collect my thoughts. The Lady-Heir is dearly missed even if I was to somehow have lived beneath the waves on a sunken island all my life.


    "Despite what I suspect are his best efforts, few can hide the death of Boisenmarck, a sea-dragon of that strength dying out of what might as well be nowhere. Rumours that follow that will quake even the hearts of kingmakers and empire-builders." I say as I turn back towards her, my hand on a poorly placed away booklet of modest thickness. With her silent permission, I start to go through it and put its contents to the back of my mind.


    What I am here for as per the Senate''s orders is here, but, The Lady Bosphama''s proposal is something else.


    "I cannot see my daughter accomplishing such a thing... But, another part of these talks leaves me thankfully... Better off than before."


    "The wind-man." I guess correctly as the taint of foreign-born blood, even of the nobly rising Winds is another cause for concern. A witch of that power, yet, even this individual takes a backseat to the thunder the crowds rumble with. All the tales are of gold in the skies, that which the land has never seen since the most honoured god of all, Thurnmourer, made the world.


    "So you want my help in the Senate?" The Lady Bosphama asks as her mind comes back to what I want. All this talk of her daughter, the chance to maybe see her come home safely is all she can think about.


    "Whatever help you can offer, after this is all said and done." I repeat as I set aside the booklet to sit down in front of her. Something I do with little appreciation for the otherwise well-crafted piece of furniture. I may come from humble beginnings and surround myself with its simple and earnest treasures. But, like all, a bit of greed in me yearns for the grander things in life.


    "You will only be able to help me so long as you have a reasonable excuse to make your way to my keep again and again." The Lady Bosphama rightly figures out as I dismiss any likelihood of being able to sneak in to meet her privately. Clandestine matters rarely stay so in a time of such predatory observation by so many clawing hands.


    "I can try to delay the proceedings, but, with the pressure no doubt put on by Senator Burspharosa''s faction..." I clarify and warn as my grip tightens before my mouth. Each visit will tear his wrathful patience thinner and thinner until he forces a change in those who come here. I will be off the investigation and he will pack it with those well-known to be in his pay.


    The Lady Bosphama will be off to the Imperial Palace in less than a day.


    "My staff are more than willing to keep this up until I can vet the rest amidst you."


    "Do so at a distance with much incense." I joke, smiling a little, hoping she''ll lighten up for even just a second. The less stressed she is, the better I will be able to delay this affair for as long as I can.


    "Castellan." The Lady Bosphama says and the sound of armour steps forward towards me. A knife finds the underside of my jaw and from feel alone I can sense out its style. A hard-topped edge that slowly inclines down to a curvier blade for slashing.


    "Say your piece." I answer calmly as the armoured hand holding me still puts me in a position where I have to force back against his edge.


    "Do not mistake my desperation and eagerness for something exploitable, Senator." The Lady Bosphama warns as she stands, then, she gives me a smile and a giggle as she looks towards her currently unlit incense sticks.


    "Putting you in an even worse situation only serves to debilitate me. And, as willing as I am to find myself crippled for the sake of those I represent, I must not do so foolishly." I tell her before nodding as the Castellan thankfully puts some distance between us again.


    "You''re a collected one." he remarks with curated interest as my stern face seems to evoke the right sentiment from the soldier.


    "I have seen worse." I remark as I gently seal the wound with a trail of burning magic.


    "Trust me, you haven''t." the Castellan begs to differ before a feminine hand strikes wood to lingering, booming effect.


    "Castellan Joastelan, you may go."


    "Of course, My Lady Bosphama." he answers with a thump of his cuirass before the lock thunks freely and the door slides shut again.


    "I suppose I should get my Housekeeper to help with getting the documents you are likely going to want to see." The Lady Bosphama asks as she steps around her desk to set herself up again for my strong arm.


    "I believe we should make use of this privacy to go over details further." I suggest we do instead as I reach for the small, delicate handles on a nearby cupboard. Pulling out what is clearly marked as being related to her ruling of this keep and all possessions that relate to its treasury.


    "There is not a whole lot we can plan for, Senator Caetusi. Too much is happening to leave it to pre-emptive behaviour. If you are to help me in the short term so that I may aid your further ascension, I need you to be quick-minded."


    I nod with a prideful look in my eyes as I recall my climb into this highly esteemed political arena, "The Periphery People''s Senator is at your service."


    The Lady Bosphama smiles gently before a heavy, barely sealed set of documents slams down from her grip.


    "I shall get my staff to get us some things, we will be here a while." she explains as she moves to the office door.


    "Without the poisons, please."


    "We have an excellent system of marking out, do not worry." she smirks to as I move my outdoors senatorial garb out of the way slightly so I can better handle the load.

 Incline 19: Lord Burspharosa

    "I am personally of the opinion that the late Aristotukuna''s Imperial Freedom touches on what you are talking about more accurately. With far sounder reasoning behind it." I input to the somewhat distracted senator I''ve found myself talking to.


    "I get where you are coming from, having so freshly read it, but, I cannot help but feel it is detached. This was a man who abhorred firm-handed governance yet he made a series of page-bound lectures all but arguing for its usage?"


    "The Inability to Look at Oneself without a Mirror would make a good follow-up read for you then, Senator." I tell him before I begin to take a sip from my drink, a lower-born individual approaching me as I do so.


    "Lord Burspharosa, you have an urgent delivery." he explains and I raise my brow at it. Deliveries should be made to my senatorial residence or any other of my properties. Not here at the senate building itself!


    I put my arm around the briefly-important man and move to guide him away, "Who has come to give it to me?"


    "One of your members of staff, Lord Burspharosa." he answers as I take my grip off of him and walk ahead.


    "You there, guards, I require some isolation." I order the highest-ranking member of the immediate senatorial soldiers. The ornate man quickly salutes and rushes off to gather those he can and I hand off my drink to a passing-by servant.


    Gently fiddling with my storied sash, I walk the increasingly quiet halls with a hand to my chin. This has to be one of my informants, only they would be so eager as to bypass traditional means to get something for me. However, being so blatant with their mission may prove to be troublesome. Lord Burspharosa having something urgently delivered to him in such populous grounds?


    My opponents in the Senate will be paying close attention so hopefully, it is something mild, something I can play off. Regardless, however, I will need to falsely scold the one handing over whatever it is. There is at least credit to such behaviour, coming directly onto Senate grounds with anything but scrolls and letters is disrespectful to the institution. These halls are for Eusorochii''s grandest politicians and the discussion of its most influential laws and events.


    I turn a corner just as a member of the senatorial guard gets on the nerves of one of those he protects.


    "What is the meaning of this? Move aside so that I may enter my office!" the senator complains as he emphasises the documents and minor supplies in his grip.


    "Oh, yes, my office." I remark quietly as I spot an out of place man who perks up at my sight.


    "Lord Burspharosa! Lord Burspharosa!" the deliverer speaks out of turn as he rushes up to me, putting the guards on edge.


    "All of you stop!" I call out before a weapon punctures whatever it is this man is holding in his arms. Taking it into my own grip, I bring the man aside into the shadow of a grooved marble pillar. Matching the gaze of another senator, they walk away without a word before I look down at the hefty square.


    "I''m sorry for coming to you like this, Lord Burspharosa..." the man answers as he bows timidly, moving away before his short breath catches up with him.


    "I more so want to know why you come to me like this." I say slowly as I feel out the edge and interior of my package through the covering, miserably protective paper. Hard edges with distinct grooves and a softer, bumpier centre, this wouldn''t look out of place on a wall. A painting.


    The man backs up, his memory alight with its digging claws whilst his mouth mutters, "The... The price of jewellery has gone up by a shaving."


    My eyes narrow and harden, I nod slightly and leave the man to go off elsewhere. I need to get this to my office, any shows or displays can wait. Those watching me need to be avoided now and I have to find someone I can trust to assemble those who can also be trusted. Though, with my heart shaking somewhat my door may remain locked for a moment.


    Grabbing the barely thought-about treasure I call a door handle, I pull it down and slip by. With a click that is only amplified by the rumbling of the beautiful thunder, I put the package down. Pacing about my office initially, I turn to my magically sealed cabinet of sensitive information. Taking the moment to look disgracefully scruffy, I take up the package once more.


    Each tear is like nails on a chalkboard, each bit of colour coming through to me uncomfortably blinding. Walking through and over the mess, I head around to my chair and lean back into it. My eyes on the contents of the painting, a woman, of lusterously golden skin and hair. Nearly a statue of the Imperial Palace''s wealthiest chambers.


    "Bosphama." I go before I put the painting down and rise up. Applying my magic to the seal, I open my cabinet and move some useless display things about until I reach a hidden album. Pulling it out, I give it a gentle dusting and offer a quiet prayer to the name on this acquired piece. The Bosphama clan''s heraldry is proudly displayed on it with the clear signs of a child''s artistic drive afflicting it further.


    When news first arrived to me of The Lady Bosphama''s attempts to garner all the funds she could, I couldn''t help but exploit it. Toeholds for me to further strengthen my claim even if not directly. One purchase happened to be an old family retreat of the Bosphamas, fallen to disrepair and dust-collecting but not cleaned of its treasures. The hastiness of The Lady Bosphama has given me such a good point of reference, now that I have what I have now.


    "This is terrifyingly worrisome." I remark as I hold a small picture of a smiling, happy Lady-Heir next to that which I have now. Copper has made way for gold and the Orbital-Halo has tanned her skin from pale to thunder.


    The rumours of gold that started after the tales of Boisenmarck''s death, that letter I received from that once back-of-the-mind port. In golden letters her name, the Lady-Heir, Einervaene Bosphama and now this. I check the signature of the painting and apply my magic to it at a very specific strength. The fancily written name glows like the active sky and dims down.


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    "Lloudourerpan." I go as one of my best informants comes to mind, when the rumours started centring around Uenfarmao, I sent him there. He is but one of many there and scattered across the region but I was getting complacent, clearly. Reports, so much of them saying this golden light is lingering and now I have proof it is something that can so easily undo me.


    I need to ensure that either The Lady Bosphama is taken elsewhere soon or that the Lady-Heir is delayed in meeting her. If they reunite... A slow breath leaves my nose and my mind struggles to comprehend what it is seeing. So vividly and clearly I recall spotting that spark of blue from the Lady-Heir when she was young.


    Choosing not to lose myself in worry, I cover the painting and pick up my mess. Restoring my appearance to how it should be in public and really in private as well, I unlock the door. Handing over the paper to a nearby, clearly not busy gossiper of a servant, I glance around. Someone from my faction, someone I can trust even with such simple matters of assembly.


    Senator Atriagii.


    "Senator, a word!" I call out to the passing man of low political standing.


    "Lord Burspharosa, how can I help you?" the man eagerly answers as my support for him dominates his mind.


    "I require you to find and get me senators Beraragatou, Deohiur and Azukotsipra." I explain, handing over a series of marked tokens for him to bear when they confirm it was me calling for them. Senator Atriagii might not understand this, being so unincluded in my inner circle, but, he doesn''t need to know, only do.


    "Of course, Lord Burspharosa." he tells me with an eager nod before he speeds off to check their most likely places. He is most likely going to check the main hall and then their residences, however, the hall is vast and this grand building is even more so. May the God of Luck smile favourably on me in this time of urgency.


    Heading into the main chamber in the event Senator Atriagii''s eyes pass over them, I walk down the out-of-session room. Eyeing the clusters of senators and their discussions, a few move out of their seats as I find myself lingering near them. Sitting down on the warm cushions, wood and stone, a finger comes to the space beneath my nose. Senator Deohiur appears at the edge of one crowd and his head happens to turn my way.


    I gesture him to come and his posture picks up the slacking toga, with a degree of dignity, he approaches.


    "Lord Burspharosa." Senator Deohiur greets respectfully with the bow of his head. His finely flattened and combed hair holds its shape still with the help of the golden pins in it.


    "Sit, please." I tell him and he does so, by my guidance, right next to me despite the normal preference to sit one spot away when it can be helped.


    "I am assembling the heads of my faction, my plans have taken a sudden gash and we need to correct for it."


    "In greater privacy." Senator Deohiur rightfully cautions as we share the same direction to look in. Some of our opponents have taken notice, though, they are not too capable with their ability to hide it. The distance between us and the ambience of those speaking within here, however, does mean we are safe to converse. If only a little.


    "I have received information that makes it imperative that we get The Lady Bosphama out of her keep."


    "We are already trying to offer deals and concessions to those amongst the investigation."


    "Trying is a thing of the past, we must do. If the Lady-Heir reaches her home, all shall come undone."


    "For you." Senator Deohiur threatens to joke and I turn to him with an unyielding eye as my power overbears him for a moment. The sky opens up with a roar and suspicions from others move away from me.


    "Our net is complex and our efforts obvious, one heavy weight and it all falls apart, sticking to it before it clatters." I warn him so that he is fully aware if he thinks his name being something lesser than Burspharosa means anything.


    "It is a rare thing to see the stone that is you weep in terror." Deohiur remarks as his brow furrows alongside the clench of his cloth-bearing hand.


    "An artist I frequently go to has created such a beautiful painting. You''d think it''s gold." I tell him as some less-than-friendly senators walk by us.


    "Gold is a little too much for me sometimes, it''s so, everywhere." Deohiur says as he flicks a small bolt of lightning from his finger towards one of the metal lamps.


    "Senator Deohiur, no magic in the Grand Chamber, you will not be warned again!" a senatorial guard calls out as the obvious show is caught. Deohiur looks my way with a little smirk, happy he''s proved his point.


    "Like that warning, this painting is quite dangerous. Prophetically so." I say as I keep and ear open for those who have moved in behind us.


    "Perhaps some air?" Deohiur suggests as he rises. I contemplate it briefly and emulate him, taking the lead with my first step onto the stairs out of here.


    "Nothing is planned to occur?" I ask, just in case we happen to be moving at a bad time. For a building filled with elderly men, it can be quite refinedly childish every other moment.


    "No, if something does happen, they''ll find us." Deohiur answers as he holds the door for no physically practical use.


    Quickly looking around, "Senator Beraragatou and Senator Azukotsipra are being searched for. Once enough time passes, we shall see the confines of my office til dusk."


    "A long time to discuss something that needs to be acted upon with great immediacy."


    "With the gravity of the situation, I need people to know what it is like to fall with an island into the wet abyss below." I say to him as I take a pair of drinks from a servant we happen to come across.


    "Not my favourite from the cellars, but, it will do." Deohiur states as he takes a moment to catch the nuances of its scent.


    "The rumours from Uenfarmao are true and more worrisome than even I can grasp." I explain as I near-enough down my drink in one mouthful. Steadily feeding it down my alcohol-burning throat in little, sip-like swallows.


    "That should be impossible, the Lady-Heir is not that powerful. No one can be so after so little time." Deohiur rightly points out as the colour copper likely comes to his mind like it is mine. His son, one of them, I recall wrote a poem about the Bosphama Lady-Heir''s hair. Before all that came to be did, she was a very desirable option to link up the power of clans.


    "Whatever she has done, it has changed her into something beyond what we should be considering possible."


    "A sea-dragon king comes up into harbours bit by bit for gruesome profit and an island is saved of all things." Deohiur recalls as we find a large open space to look out of. The wind gently blows against us and I look up towards the noisy sky as it lights up in such a way as to coil down the building. Its masterful art comes to life and the automotive statues change position, though, not to my favourite.


    "It is imperative we get this investigation knocked up in pace. The Lady Bosphama -must- not be able to reunite with her daughter." I tell him after checking our surroundings. For the moment, all is clear.


    Deohiur looks towards me with a slight turn, "The first round of evidence is due soon."


    "Let us all hope there is enough that can be called incriminating." I comment as I lean onto the stone. Reaching out into the sky with my power, I vent some of my frustrations against the storm clouds. At the very least, toying with such forces will ease my mind a little.


    A great bolt snaps back at me, shoving away my meagre touch and I am left in awe. Though it is not alive and cannot act like we can, the skies above this land are more powerful than any one of us. For all of our efforts, the Lightning Mountain remains indomitable and fickle. But, maybe one day, a day when the name of Burspharosa can earn its crown from the hard work of Ancient Thunder.

 Incline 20: Senator Caetusi

    Setting up some of the final bits of the information display, I step back and turn to face the crowd, "Members of the Senate, as per the motion put before us by Senator Burspharosa. I and... Others have come back with our potentially first allotment of books and keepings from the keep of The Lady Bosphama."


    Within moments of this declaration, Senator Burspharosa''s people swarm into the centre of the chamber under the eye of the guards behind me. Somehow, with delicate grips and seeming manners, they clear the table of documents and move to sit back down. I glance over towards the opposition as many walk to the shoulders of Senator Burspharosa''s faction. Awkward stares and needless hiding of public information become abundant.


    "As much as I love buffets for the mind, I often prefer my belly to be filled." Senator Lepiaciai comments as he walks up to me and places an arm around me. Going with the direction he is pulling me in, I look towards the aged leader of Senator Burspharosa''s opposition.


    "You are not a glutton as far as I can tell." I remark, the veteran''s worn, war-seeing body all the more refined through the layers of cloth keeping us separate.


    "Much to be honest, I want an excuse to walk." he tells me with a confident smile as he lets go as we leave the Senate Chamber and enter the Halls of the Nation. Looking slightly at one of the many tapestries hanging from the walls, we so happen to go past the bit with him in it. His greatest victory over the hated Grand-Kingdom at the Battle of the Nelsonile Archipelago.


    "I would hate to remind you to get to the point, Senator Lepiaciai." I say as I come to a stop by a display of ancient armour.


    "Little things all about me have led to me concluding that you and The Lady Bosphama are getting along quite well."


    "Rumours are just what they are, rumours."


    "Yes, but when everyone else struggled to get back, it becomes easier to believe." he points out with a slight bit of distaste for the tactic. Coincidentally, his tightly locked up duelling spear blade and shield handle come on display.


    "Whatever you want out of this is already being handled by me on behalf of The Lady Bosphama." I explain with nearly sealed lips as his hands come together so their corse skin can smooth each other out.


    "I know."


    "If you have come to me directly, however, there is more to this."


    "A fine archer''s eye." he remarks with a smirk as we start to move again, per his silent, gesturing request.


    "Can I perhaps expect the support of your faction in this affair? Both you and Senator Burspharosa are making self-interested moves against the investigation." I ask and point out as some remarks by The Lady Bosphama come to mind. She and her staff were quite keenly aware of the influx of messages being posted to the confines of her walls.


    "Do what you can to frustrate Burspharosa, yes. Depending on how well you can do that, myself and others will consider being more open to your usual propositions." Senator Lepiaciai offers more so suggestively. I frown at the lack of his word and keep my eyes locked against his.


    "I am not looking to here shallow and empty promises." I point out as I turn to head back to the Senate Chamber. A strong hand comes to my shoulder and gently holds me there.


    "I have also heard rumours of something that terrifies Lord Burspharosa. The longer you can delay this whole affair, the more desperate he will become."


    "There is little reason for me to take pleasure in his frustrations. My career has not been notably moulded by being in opposition to him over this affair. Were it not for the motion Senator Burspharosa put to the floor, I would not be in contact with The Lady Bosphama at all." I tell him as the old general clearly gets to thinking. Unlike a sailor or soldier under his command, the mere promise of booty isn''t enough, plunder means nothing until I can hold it.


    "Forgive me, Senator Caetusi, I do not think as well on the move. Perhaps I can interest you in a finer place to discuss these details?" he offers and I raise a brow as it would be a hard-fought claim to prove. We are in the Senate of Eusorochii, one of the grandest and most architecturally beloved places in this land and beyond. Though the contents of the people who attend it have always been held in fickle question, what the Senate means remains a pure ideal.


    A counter-balance to the tyranny of the overbearing, a frustration to the corrupt and a clearly known place to petition.


    "As you remarked earlier, I will not say no to a fine lunch if you want a better place to talk." I almost joke.


    He laughs and smiles, "I have a wonderful place in mind, I always manage to get things done after visiting there."


    "That works for me just fine." I reply as I turn around to head back towards the Senate Chamber. As the only one who was able to attend this meeting after dealing with the well-thorned nest that is The Lady Bosphama''s keep, I am needed.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I will have someone come to get you before you are next slotted to depart for the investigated!" Senator Lepiaciai calls out to me and I give a somewhat disrespectful wave back before picking up the pace. Arriving at the Senate Chamber once again, I step inside a room full of arguments and grips that would leave these books terrified if they were alive.


    "Things are looking lively since I left." I remark to one of our esteemed elders, retired men of the Senate who are otherwise too bored at home.


    "Lord Burspharosa has his heart firmly set on undermining those of the Bosphama name." the elder comments as I go down on my knees at his side. Leaning against the decorative dark wood that keeps them separated from the main members of the Senate.


    "He will not find what he wants amongst this presentation. With the unfortunate circumstances of the rest of the investigation, I only have so much time." I comment as the esteemed elder places his walking stick under his chin. The metal carving of a lightning dragon decorates its hand-held top.


    "You best make sure that you are present to mediate, then. Even men can be prone to hasty thoughts at a lone sentence." the elder cautions as he pats my back, urging me forward. I thank him for his brief advice with a quiet prayer and a lone coin that taps to a still at his side.


    Paying attention to the noise in and around the centre, "See, clearly she is not fit to rule, she is selling off vast amounts of properties to third parties!"


    "It is well within the rights of The Lady Bosphama to handle her finances for the sake of her people''s fortune!"


    Using my exclusive right at the moment within the Senate Chamber, I walk up onto a podium. Imitating our most beloved god, I reach out to the sky with my hand. A bolt of lightning enters my clutches and I strike it down three times. Each thunderous crash drawing the room ever closer to complete silence.


    "Members of the Senate, if you''ll place all documents back to the centre for the sake of their undamaged return." I motion and they do. Were it not for my current place and the focus around me, I might''ve even smiled. This is going to be the closest to commanding the Senate I will get for a while.


    A senator raises his hand and I allow him to speak with a precise gesture, "Senator Caetusi, can you in fact confirm The Lady Bosphama''s hasty economic revisions?"


    "Selling the property of your land and rearranging that which you have to handle is well within her right. Well within all of your rights as land-owning subjects of His Imperial Majesty." I point out before many mouths open to the point of incoherency. Senator Burspharosa, however, keeps his side silent with but a raised palm.


    "But she is not just doing that, she is selling off her ship-cutters, her mines and farms. Strategically placed warehouses and the rights to develop in the towns within her borders. Even that which you have already collected makes it clear this is all happening so very quickly. Her long-term gains are not being considered at all and her realm is becoming patchwork."


    "I repeat myself, she is within rights to sell off property. She is also one of the largest owners of land in all of Eusorochii, what you see is barely anything compared to what is still in possession of." I counterargue as my hands come together.


    "As we do not yet have access to the documents clarifying where this money is going, what can you say about her physical and mental well-being? That which this investigation was created to check in on." Senator Burspharosa asks as I do my best to keep my eyes going against his. It is not something I can win, however, and I start to move.


    "Her well-being is within what we amongst the investigation team considered to be acceptable. Especially given what she has had to put up with these past few years because of you and your supporters. Senator Burspharosa." I clarify whilst my opinion remains the only one that can be called upon. It will not be enough to keep Senator Burspharosa''s faction and him off of her, nor will his opposition accept it so easily. But, for the moment, it keeps her out of an imperial guest room.


    "And what of the health of the rest of the investigation, many were sent but only you come back, Caetusi?" someone at the back asks me and I become tempted to invoke some of the authority I am able to wield at the moment.


    "Difference of climate." I shrug at.


    "Does the fact that several of the properties listed in the red-bound scroll on the right end table being sold for scraps of wealth not concern you, Senator Caetusi? Is the investigation team not bothered by such a blatant disregard for even its greater immediate, short-term profits?" a man from Senator Lepiaciai''s opposition asks.


    "Can you cite any other similar examples?"


    "I cannot, no, bu-"


    "Then we can accept it as being little more than a mistake that was given its chance to happen through the stress of her environment. With all that has happened, I am sure her mind is prone to slipping even with the support of her household staff." I interrupt with, maintaining a loud tone and preventing him from continuing his point.


    "Mistakes of this magnitude are cause for concern." one of Senator Burspharosa''s lackeys remarks as I turn their way.


    "Senators, must I remind you all that deliberation within this great hall takes the time it does so that we are entirely sure of its refinement? The eagerness of which some of you push for a pre-decided outcome goes against everything our sashes and garbs mean. I bring a modest selection to be looked over with that which can be easily explained and you would speak as if evil reaches from the deep seas below? If you wish for haste then remove yourself from this room."


    "Very well, I motion for a brief spreading out away so that cooler heads may prevail." Senator Burspharosa asks for as his main supporters already get to whispering amongst themselves.


    "We support this motion on the condition that we not of Senator Burspharosa''s support may be given a proper chance to look all this over." a senator of the opposition asks for and my eyes move to the back as an esteemed elder rises. The rows of politicians hold their feet and mouthes as this well-decorated man makes his way down to the centre. Viciously denying any offer of aid as his weak bones carry him to us.


    "Esteemed Elder, what do you wish to say?" I ask as I slightly move from the podium so that his weaker voice might be able to take advantage of the acoustics. A wrinkled hand rises as his head shakes and he slowly turns to face the crowd with a straightening back.


    "Lest I remind all of you that we are discussing a mother who''s very daughter has been chased from these beloved lands for her own safety." the Esteemed Elder warns as the many who are fathers quiver slightly at the unspoken accusation.


    "May tempered minds prevail." I say as I move to leave, making it clear what my vote on the matter is. But, first, I quickly remind myself of what is most suspect and take it up. All under the impression it is so that I may better argue for and if I need to, against The Lady Bosphama.

 Incline 21: Senator Caetusi

    "Senator Lepiaciai, much as I understand the concept of invite-only institutions, is this necessary?" I ask one of the most influential men in the Senate as we ride in his personal carriage.


    "The Finest Cut is a storied restaurant, one with its origins all the way back in the Second Capital Siege." he answers somewhat as I look this sealed scroll over. A fine gold tube with an ancient tongue carved into it, unfortunately, my knowledge of such things is lacking.


    "I do not recall hearing of any restaurant in such an important moment." I remark as I let the novelty fall onto my sash-covered lap. Catching it in my lazy fingers as it begins to roll to the ground.


    "I''m not surprised, a lot of the focus in that event goes to the royal counterattack that happened as the walls fell."


    "So what exactly did this restaurant do during the siege?" I ask as I glance towards the contents of my hands.


    "The building that would become it played a major role in substituting for the loss of other buildings. Most primarily, the distribution of runners and orders."


    "Right, of course, the depots were hit by a lucky spell and caused quite the near-loss of the royal garrison." I recall and Senator Lepiaciai nods with a slight smile before he glances out through the window of the carriage.


    "Yes, my family played a part in that battle as members of the western artillery battery. Coincidentally, they were also of the Second Grouping. So it''s become a little bit of an internal joke for us whenever two things coincide numerically." Senator Lepiaciai explains to me as I decline his offer of a drink from his on-board reserve. We are already going somewhere, seems a bit pointless to go any further with it.


    "So these sealed scrolls are a homage to the service the building took up during the battle?"


    "Yes, it''s become a little fancier and more reserved since then, but, the spirit remains." Senator Lepiaciai clarifies as I hold the item up in front of my face so I can give it another passing look. Shaking it slightly, I hear its contents rattle and move, must be a new member''s fee of some kind.


    The carriage starts to slow down and I turn to the windows as Senator Lepiaciai does the same. Moving the small curtain aside, I look out towards the well-looked-after restaurant and spot a peculiar display. A section of the wall has been sealed in wood and glass and it contains ruined, brittle stone. Proof of the battle it once saw all that time ago and so that the less easily convinced may see the physical proof.


    Not the kind of display I expected at such an opulent and busy place, but, it is almost enamouring to see such aged scorch marks and blade marks. Contrary to how I expected things to go, Senator Lepiaciai steps out first instead and he waits for me without a sliver of tested patience. Making sure I am looking appropriate, I follow after him with his servants closing the carriage door. My grip tightens on the sign of a newcomer and I almost feel like I am shaking with nervousness.


    Walking amongst senators I know are wealthier is one thing as we are all dressed as equals for the most part. Despite the requirements of land ownership and income minimums and other forms of contributions we need to make, everything is provided by the Senate. The people dining or relaxing at this establishment however are something else entirely. The finest cloths and jewels, hair and skin afflicted by varying, aureate shine.


    The strangest thing about it is how pretentious they all feel to me, even if their importance can be so easily grasped. Lords and ladies, great merchants and non-senatorial politicians of potentially substantial greed. In a rare moment of my life, my senatorial garb seems lacking in the environment I find myself in. If only in how it looks and what constitutes its components.


    "This is certainly more than I was expecting, Senator Lepiaciai." I comment to my elder with a hushed tone as we walk through precious stone arches and totems with all their natural colour hidden under paint. Like a noblewoman after she has been primed and prepared for an important junction or event should she feel she needs it.


    "The Finest Cut is paradoxical in its existence. For the well-known and those involved with them, but, otherwise, hidden from the minds of most." he explains as we arrive at the doors, either side manned by an armed guard I''d expect more so at a keep or fortress. Almost as if part of a ceremony, the two men march around and reposition themselves behind us, the flags and tassels of their plates fluttering as they do so.


    A timid-looking woman steps out from the well-locked entrance and she comes to a well-postured stop. Even though her eyes are looking towards the ground, she seems to be able to differentiate between us. Senator Lepiaciai is allowed in without issue, but, as I try to follow, her palm gently strikes my chest. The other cupping itself in the air before I pass on the amusement.


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    She heads back inside and I look to the man who took me here as he idles to the best of his ability, "Do I come in now?"


    Senator Lepiaciai shakes his head, "No, for the moment you must wait for them to confirm your entry and place in the book of visitors. In the meantime, I will order on your behalf when it comes to drinks and starters."


    "Very well." I answer with a nod as I look back to the two guards watching me.


    "Do you need anything, Senator?" one asks as they undo the face mask that would otherwise stifle and muffle their ability to speak.


    "Am I to wait here or may I observe the premises?" I ask as while I am fine with being forced to wait, I''d rather keep my legs moving until I am actually seated.


    "You may look or read up on the history of our establishment in the two front gardens or you may wait here." he answers as I start to enter the one with the on-display old wall.


    "Thank you." I tell him as he hooks his face mask back on.


    Coming up the fine wood outlining the historic part of the city, I nearly kneel down before I spot an empty chair. Bringing it closer, I inspect the aged damage slightly from afar, a hand and finger near the ends of my nostrils. The grains of exposed, battle-worn brickwork, the scorch marks barely clinging on as time and natural erosion peel it away. I follow a line left by a blade and notice on odd shade on the crumbling wall.


    "A grim reminder more potent than everything else here." I remark as I come to the only conclusion that otherwise comes to mind. Someone met their end or nearly saw it at this wall for their centuries-old blood still lingers in faded form. In my lifetime, at the very least, I hope nothing like this ever comes up into Eusorochii ever again. Strange as it is, I am glad the next likely war of kingdom-toppling proportions will happen down below on the waves.


    At the very least the blood of the lightning-born will not be spilt in the rumbling crash of thunderclouds. Winds shall be struck still and the waves electrified, light and dark will bend to our glow and fire will burn to that which is whiter. I am no soldier, though, just a senator the desperate and paranoid have put their faith in. Like with The Lady Bosphama, I do this for them, I take Senator Lepiaciai''s gifts and in the end, as I am pampered, my heart and mind lays with them.


    Those whose homes may end up like this because of something far more insidious to our people than war. The demands we might face as the defeated can be recouped, taxed and traded for back. Our people can breed new sons and daughters to replace what arrow or magic might''ve taken from us. But, little can be done to stop our lands from falling apart around us, falling down and washing ashore or sinking into the dark.


    The capacity has always been with us but the interest of men is limited to where their concerns keep them. I cannot plead the hearts of those who have no fears regarding their homes falling. Their minds dismiss it to the corners whose darkness is only matched below the water top. To forever fear that the very land on which we farm and toil will fall like a rickety bridge is awe-inspiring in how terrible it is.


    I sigh quietly as I consider how little I have managed to achieve in regards to my grand and noble goal. The very thing I am wrapped up in is causing me such grief in how its matters control the way of the Senate''s debates. The greed of Senator Burspharosa and the reactions of the no less so Senator Lepiaciai. It''s tiresome, I wish for it to end so that I might help my people.


    All the people of our land, Eusorochii.


    Rising to my feet and turning the chair back towards its table, I look at the reminder of our past. A quiet prayer leaves my lips and is motioned by my free hand before I decide to glance inside the restaurant. Though I can and will never forget why I wear the sash and toga of a senator, sometimes, for the good of my will to go on, I need to enjoy life. So I am going to lighten my mind with almost childish curiosities and jealousy.


    "Ooo, that looks rich." I remark on the sight of a fruit and sauce-topped roast as it comes rolling out with trails of sweetened steam. I start to smile as I hear the nonexistent voice of my income cry out in pain at how rich one must be to likely afford such opulence. Looking slightly beyond the hopefully well-earned gluttony, I spot the man sponsoring my visit here. Talking away with a refined member of staff, what I was holding in the carriage in his hands.


    Who knows what kind of jokes the pair may be sharing, but, first and foremost, I hope it is food. I went quite light on my breakfast considering this offer was something I was able to prepare for. Wandering about slightly, I fail to spot a display menu anywhere and I end up back before the guards. I turn to one and motion for him to unhook his faceplate once again.


    "Sorry, as you probably already know, this is my first time here. But, where are your menus? I don''t spot any." I ask him, hoping he might have some modest insight as a member of staff here.


    "Due to the nature of how food is collected and delivered to The Finest Cut, no menus are provided. A member of our waiting staff will explain what is on offer and what remains so that you may make a considered choice." the guard explains with a casual tone that does not match his dignified, unchanging posture. If the glances of the wealthy around him keep him that way, I will never know.


    "I can''t imagine methods like that can be very sustainable. Most of the local land around here is for His Imperial Majesty alone. On extreme penalties should it be broken." I comment, adding on the last part for both a chance to smile a little and to emphasise my point.


    The guard smiles slightly, "The Finest Cut has its ways and it will continue to do so even into the greatest of all uncertainties."


    "That is quite impressive, I want to say I have the full confidence of your cooking staff that they''ll work it into something delightfully filling. However, naturally, I cannot trust my eyes alone as a Senator, so please, do not assume insult in my words."


    "Many others feel the same, sash or no. They all, however, leave with the fullest of bellies and great burdens off their minds." the guard nods to, leaving me with a slightly raised brow.


    "Oh?" I go, quickly pondering if there is anything else this restaurant might have on offer beyond luxury food and drink.

 Incline 22: Einervaene

    "Einervaene." Lightning goes as we pass under the protective cover of an insulated tree, a general but diverse breed found all over the continent. Though the weather is not bad in terms of lightning or rain, I still welcome the chance at some shade.


    "What is it, Lightning?" I ask my ancient friend as I glance up at one of the small birds hiding amongst the rubbery leaves. Its coat shimmers and the little, cute thing chirps at me cautiously as it bounces across the branch it is on. I smile and wave before turning away and heading for the edge of the canopy''s shadow.


    "You have been using me to help the people of this land quite a bit. The reason I am with you as well, it is to save a life." he remarks and I blink slowly as I think about what we have been doing these past few weeks. Sometimes we''ve made things worse, but we sorted those problems out too. Lives have been saved and those not in danger will still find themselves awarded more than they thought possible.


    "Are you bothered by it? I''m sorry if that''s so, I thought you we-"


    "I am not bothered, it has just left me thinking, specifically about what happened when we arrived here." he assures me as he harkens back to when we were still sailing the All-Coast. A time I am thankful is over as it felt so long, so insufferably and unbearably long. All I could do was wait when I needed to get somewhere urgently... Not that I''ve helped myself in that regard.


    "That dragon terrifies me even now, but, you scare me more." I giggle, hoping to amuse my electric friend as he snakes out into view.


    "I do not like that." he tells me with what I hope is some equivalent to a smile. Even after having him bound to me after all these years, Lightning is still so strange and alien to me. His power is not my own but my body has been altered and changed in accordance as if it is.


    "So, what''s on your mind, Lightning?" I ask as I navigate my way across the uneven bricks making up the path. Carefully, I avoid the deep grooves between them that are designed to carry away the potentially lethal rainwater.


    "I want to help the people of this world more, but, my services to you keep me restrained. Much as I still have yet to reconcile with my old partner, I miss what we did in ancient yore. We saw the world and protected it, letting it flourish even as the dictations of the impossibly grander sought its end." Lightning reminisces as he seems to arch his head up to gaze at the horizon his actions helped to ensure.


    "I mean... The agreement was you come with me to help my mother." I recollect with a strange, worrisome sensation in my gut. I do not want to part with Lightning, but, as a god or something close to it, I can trust him to come back in my time of need. Right?


    "Still, with your permission, I would like to go out into this land, that which your people have come to know as Eusorochii. I would like to ensure the land does not degrade further, that no more parts fall into the sea below. I want to see the land that my dearest of friends came to make as his final action upon the world. The last thing I was able to make with him, though we never finished."


    Coming to a stop by a busy terrace, I glance down to Lightning before catching a glimpse of Brewbrt as he wanders over a hill. Mother comes to mind and I start to weigh all of my options here. I cannot really tell Lightning he needs to wait when he has already spent so long stuck at the top of Anvil-Peak. The time he''s spent isolated from the world treats my entire life, my family''s entire life as but a grain of iron sand in its totality.


    "Will you... Will you be there for me when I need you? When -I- need you to do what I sought you out for?" I ask.


    He says nothing as he starts to part from me, forming somewhat the image of a man.


    "When the time is right, say my name with all your heart into the heavens. I will answer." he explains as he starts to fizzle from view. Reaching out for him as my uncertainty grips me, he vanishes before I can properly counter his aspirations. Sighing initially, a smile starts to form and I wave towards the bolt of golden lightning striking away with such odd slowness. Thunder gently booms back and my smile widens a little before it goes away.


    Bringing my hand to my chest, I sigh as I look at my skin, all of a sudden all the duller. Feeling for my magic, its hideous blue nature ripples across my fingers and I quickly hide it away. I do not know why my life has turned out this way, why I''ve had to turn to ancient powers just to save it. But, for all the troubles it has caused me, I am glad it allowed me to meet him, to meet Lightning, the rod struck thrice to form Mesofunderod.


    It''s amazing, really, for all the suffering I have had to endure, for all the problems I have brought to the Bosphama name and Mother especially. It has allowed me to live a life far grander than anything I might''ve had should my magic have been the proper colour it''s meant to be. But, strangely isn''t. I''ve seen so much of the world and I still have so much of it left to see should my life ever go that way again.


    Though they are all only memories, some bitterer than others, I met so many amazing people. I laughed with them, cried and played, our feelings were sincere and their losses and triumphs afflicted me much the same it did them. For all the troubles caused by the colour of my power, something I choose to remind myself of with another flicker of it. I wouldn''t say with any certainty that I would change it.


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    Lightning gives me a sense of certainty, he does, he''s given me hope I thought did not otherwise exist. Even if I live a facade with his presence within me, he''ll allow me to save Mother. All the worries dragging my mind down, all the pain that has scarred me both sides of the pass between Wind and Lighting. I will see it through, all will be right soon, I just need to keep going.


    Get home, find Mother and stake my claim of purity.


    "Someone''s slowed down for a reason!" Brewbrt calls as I register the sound of his armour clanking and thudding down the road. Turning to him with a renewed smile, I look over the man who''s been with me the whole way since I left Suhurlodst. I barely knew him when I arrived in his small town in the wilderness, but, he''s a true friend. Keeping me safe and ensuring I learn more about the world as I go through it.


    A lot of the skills he learned whilst he travelled around with Mother are being passed onto me. I am sure, that, once I save her, she will notice these changes in me and be all the prouder for it. There is still a lot of wisdom and skill I can hope to glean from him and I would be prudent to get as much of it as possible. So, as he comes closer, I start to wonder.


    "Brewbrt, would you mind telling me a story?" I ask as he comes up to my side and I spin around quickly, my braids gently whipping about. Flicking the one on my back over to the front, the old man looks at me with a raised, silver-green brow.


    "What''s the occasion?" he asks as his bag rattles heavily with the vast wealth of proof he has accrued over his fascinating life. For all I have seen, I doubt it even comes close to all that his eyes have.


    "Am I not allowed to show interest?" I question with a slight pout forming as his difficulties start to show through.


    "I mean, you stormed ahead because you can''t take a joke." he exasperates with a breathless laugh. I frown and push at his arms, hmphing my head away as my strides pick up.


    "Fine. Be that way." I state before his arm swings around and brings me in. Stumbling up to him, I bang against his plate armour as he smiles down at me.


    "So, what you want to know about Skybomber Brewbrt?" he asks me, puffing an already hardy chest even further with pride. I smile and force my way out of his limpening grip to which he fakes a tear.


    "Let me think..." I ponder as I try to recount what stories he has told me already. A lot of the time, he picked an item from his great bag as a memory jogger. So, I slow down and pull out the first thing I can get a reliable grip on, despite his joyful interference.


    "What''d you grab?"


    "Tell me about how you came across this." I say as I hand over a strange, key-like thing with a bright, empty and clear gemstone at its top. He starts to fiddle with its many metal twigs and they snap into place before the machine blares to life. He recoils at the high pitch and snaps one of the things back out of position.


    "This is a pre-Liquid Mountain relic, much like most of the other things I have. Including this here armour, though, the gold foot is your fault." he explains, recounting all the stuff I already know, defeating the point of my curiosity.


    I roll my eyes, "I know all of this!"


    "Just making sure..." he mumbles with an out-of-sight smirk that he thinks he hid well.


    "Well, come on then!" I impatiently demand with the roll of my cackling wrist. He raises a brow at my magic and places some of the branch things against my bare skin. A bit of pressure is applied and I step away as my skin feels weak all of a sudden. There''s something dangerous about those tips...


    "As you might recall, the Jherikra of the years before that great flood were a magic-lacking people. The Wind Mountain had not awoken yet, its power sealed by the gods when they returned mankind to the world. Such exposure to magic would''ve killed them, yet, as we spread across the world. Delving deep into the core and becoming Errakurds, climbing the skies to become Eusorochii. Jherikra was left behind."


    "Yes, I remember, they were a strange, alien people with powers over magic we otherwise find incomprehensible."


    "Correct. Their lack of an elemental influence allowed them to look into magic as it truly is, the stuff of raw, divine power. But, for all this esoteric knowledge, they were terrified of people like you and me. We''re faster, stronger, longer-lived and well..." Brewbrt adds on before he ends his point on the creation of a small orb of wind magic. The silver-tinted emerald pulsates with his power and he disposes of it with a casual throw behind us.


    Clutching my hat, its power blows over us with insignificant violence, disturbing much of the loose foliage. Leaving it to float away on this new, inexplicit breeze. I look back towards the artefact as Brewbrt disarms it further before he hooks it where he can. He looks to me as my eyes happen to head the same way and his mouth opens to no words as his mind catches up.


    "During the war that lead to the Time of Liquid Mountains, they developed weapons like that for the suicidally brave. Their people were long used to the idea of such awful attrition, an idea that remains to this day amongst the Jhermonikra. As you probably felt, this little item can easily pierce its way into you, even though it''s not all that powerful."


    "A fancy dagger?"


    "A bomb timer." he corrects.


    "A bomb, like gunpowder?"


    "A bomb in that it turns you into the explosive. All that power your body processes and lets in or out, it breaks that system down. That which the blood of a god formed from clay is torn apart in a violent explosion." he elaborates with a grim expression, almost as if he''s had to use such items before. His armour is proof enough that he will use such ancient pieces of art and death.


    "I''ve often asked why you packed so much, but, why''d you bring something like that?" I question, disturbed by such a cruel device, regardless of its desperate circumstances.


    "The world is very dangerous, Einervaene. A lot of this I have found no reason to use thus far, but finding no reason then does not mean I will see anything of the sort in the future. Unfortunate as it is, what is so easy to find in the ruins of the ancients are weapons. A whole land was flooded for so long by the people of the Water Mountain. For all their likely pomp back then, they were brought to that decision by the terrifying understanding of what raw magic can do."


    "Raw magic, huh." I mutter as a specific, cloaked figure comes to mind. Shrouded in bluish fire, he stands above me with pairs of talons and an awful roar hidden behind a beak mask.


    "Now, the bit you probably want to know more about, how me and all the others came to find it!" Brewbrt cheers as he rattles me from the side until I laugh as I try to force him away.

 Incline 23: The Warrior Assassin

    Keeping my shield-strapped back close to a tall smokestack, I observe one of my men as they leap the gap across two buildings. The security of Uenfarmao are clueless and the people out on this late night are less so. Gripping my spear just in case, I turn to the quiet sound of studded sandals striking and running up the tiles of this roof. The partially bare and armoured man kneels before me, his spear at an awkward position and his shield trapped by his knees.


    "Report." I order as I motion for them to stand.


    "The rumours are certainly correct, our target was operating around here." he explains and I frown distastefully.


    "I cannot blame you for not coming to understand what I have, but I am aware. Is there anything more to what you have found?"


    "That which we seek came into town with the assistance of a local farmer. The revelry of the bars and inns have seen to it that these boasts reach our ears." he explains before I wave him off to resume his duties. Ensuring my gear is within my tight grasp, I leap the distance to the outer wall in a single bound. Landing with not a sound, I rush up the finer details of the defensive stone and perch from a statue.


    "It will take too long to look through each farm but it is incompetent to only move after looking into one..." I mumble under my breath as I try to consider what our best option is. The target is spoken of in one phrase commonly, divine beauty that like you have never seen before. Locks of pure gold thread and skin that sparkles under the light of day. Shining on even into the dark of night that serves me and my kin so well.


    Looking below, I spot a mindless hand as it adjusts the torches lighting up the gates below me. Swiftly, I swing away with the rustle of my cape matching the wind. The sound of guards on patrol alerts me further and I dive down towards the ground, a collection of magic-rich wire keeping me from it. Waiting for the stone to no longer ring with the sound of boots and shoes, I coil my way back up.


    "If we can find the name of the farmer." I remark as I turn my head towards the shadow moving about in the dark. Rushing over to them, I slide to a stop an am saluted as they lodged the blunt end of their weapon into the roof for support. Balancing myself perfectly on an unused post over an alleyway, I glance to my compatriot as he seemingly idles.


    "Upper Ascendent." he greets as a creature of the dark lands on the length of my spear without a care. Delicately, I stroke its feathers, spooking it away with a squawk of utmost terror. I climb up onto the roof proper and approach my fellow as he reels in an admittedly amusing means to gather information. An enchanted can and a simple wire.


    "I am told of a farmer delivering the target through here before they parted ways." I say as I let my cloak get caught on the gentle air. While I cannot see it, the plume of my helmet is likely the same as the one I am observing on my fellow ahead of me. Single hairs going wayward or all of them banding together to better resist the mild force of nature.


    "This establishment holds nothing of interest. Unless you find yourself doubting your oath of celibacy." my fellow remarks with both a humoured and serious demeanour.


    "I need word to spread to find the name of a farmer, seek your brothers out and ensure my order is relayed." I tell him as I look down towards the pedestrian-clogged roads of the town of Uenfarmao.


    "Shall I allow the right of force as well?" my fellow asks as he reaches for that which I shall not give.


    "No, we have a whole town to glean mutter and yell from, lest you wish to absolve yourself of our order." I tell, warning him in the event his discipline proves lacking enough. Silently, my fellow salutes and vanishes elsewhere into the town as I try to read the lingering memory of the clouds. Yet, for all the talk of such power being here, our target has no trace in them. Her strength is so vast but so contained as to be indecipherable with the land itself.


    "Upper Ascendent Attonidas!" one of my calls with a dangerous pitch to his tone as he almost clumsily lands.


    "Quiet." I caution as I offer a hand to help him up.


    "I have a name and place." he says once he''s caught his breath.


    "Are you able to point me to it?" I ask as my lower steps up to attempt to make use of the information he has.


    "A veteran turned farmer, a man called Sanoukou." he explains as I spot the rolling waves of land that denote the edge of a farm. Slowly nodding as I contemplate my next move, I look to my lower and turn him back towards the city.


    "Gather everyone, meet me at the agreed-upon point and I will return with a way for us to journey." I explain to my lower before I pat him on the back as he leaps away to other roofs to find the rest of our number. Flashing my magic ever so briefly into the night sky, I make it clear to the others not to come find me. I leap down from the walls and land in the rustle of the tall grass. Sprinting off through them, their lengths part away as if only a breeze is coming through.


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    The mud barely squelches and the metallic underbelly of the continent rings out to only the deaf. Flipping over a fence then leaping into a roll from a rock, I keep my spear at the ready. Testing the ground and space rapidly approaching my feet before moving on to the next thing in my way. Sliding under a heavy wall meant for cattle, my skin and gear remain spotless and I pole-vault onto a barn.


    A young farmhand comes stumbling out of it with a young woman in his hands. The pair giggle at each other playfully and I sheath my weapon as best I can before I turn to the homestead. My ears are as open as ever, I wait for the wind to carry a hint of identity into my mind. I turn down towards the couple as the satisfied woman prods at the worries of the soon-to-be unrested young man.


    "Won''t Sanoukou have your head, darlin''?" she asks as she tempts him further with her body. Leaping from the barn and sliding down a sloping field, I roll back to my feet and spot the fences keeping this field barely isolated. Slotting my foot against a post, I leap for the homestead and swing around its weather vane until I reach a stop.


    "Mr. Sanoukou, we think something''s got out into the garage!" a worker hollers from the light of the homestead''s porch as I creep to the roof''s edge. A large man comes into view, a deceptive body that hides much power but would otherwise make you think he is unfit. Moving off of the roof as the moonlight brightens the night, I slip ahead of the farmer as he goes to check the disturbance. A rodent squeaks past me and I wait for him to be thoroughly in the dark.


    Walking out into the open behind him, I grip my spear and shield well as the man turns around. I surprise him, barely. The veteran''s knuckles tighten and his jaw squares with his shoulders. He knows what I am but he still can''t help but be on edge.


    "You best be getting off my farm." the landowner warns as I look the dark area over for anything he might use as a weapon. I doubt his ability to hurt me, but I cannot be certain and should not be certain of it lest my pride blind me.


    "Golden lightning found its way into your care, though, I doubt it remains so."


    "I ain''t telling you a thing, that girl needs no trouble from the like of you politician-funded mercs." the veteran spits distastefully, his booted foot rubbing the saliva into the darkening dirt to emphasise his point.


    "I am no mercenary."


    "Your kind fights for a paybag, you most certainly are." he sneers and I shake my head gently.


    "The Why''s to why we fight aside, I ask you about the girl. Where is she, which way did she go?"


    "Your backside." he curses as gravel crunches beyond the garage walls.


    "Mr. Sanoukou, you find it?" a farmhand asks as I slip out of view barely as he comes into the open.


    "Not yet, Anovius, you go on inside and have something to eat." Sanoukou tells them before the interferer heads away.


    "None of you are in danger." I explain as none of these people are amongst those we are required to kill.


    "I''ve seen otherwise with your kind." Sanoukou states as he takes several steps to close the gap. He stares me down through the slits in my helmet and he crosses his arms, tensing them up to show what a field can build a man to be.


    "Then hold my spear until I am ready to depart." I tell him, handing over my personal spear, something I should not part with unless I die.


    He takes it into his grip and tests the weight before its edge is intentionally practiced near my exposed body. The farmer nods and points it down, slitting it into the ground with little effort before he then expects the same of my shield. I hand it other and disgrace myself further for the sake of the job and he carefully inspects the war-bronze mixture. Though contradictory theologically speaking, the carvings of Undwote present catch his eye the most.


    "In your grip or on it, right?" he asks and I nod as my initiatory oath rings in my heart. In bloody victory, should you fall and your allies remain in good enough health, return atop your shield.


    "Where is the girl?" I ask again as Sanoukou drops it carelessly to the ground, his booted foot pushing it through the dirt towards me.


    "I already told you that I am not answering." Sanoukou reasserts as he leans against his machine. I sense it over with my arcane power and catch a lingering peculiarity, it feels like a breeze... A dreadful, powerful one born of a hurricane on nature''s warpath. Uprooting all that it passes over, only granting peace to those who are so lucky to keep under its clear eye.


    "With but a finger flashing, I can have my lowers on your farm in moments. Every guest, animal and worker within our grasp but no firm grip. The shadows will take in their blood and your stubbornness will be to blame." I bluff and the farmer steps closer until his nose is nearly against my helmet.


    "I''ve had enough of that saying, evil being excused because a good man will not sell out another. I am not to blame, your kind is." he snorts like one of his many beasts of the field otherwise dozing off for a peaceful night of sleep.


    "Do the details not ring clear to you? Golden lightning, resplendent skin and kingly hair. She is not as vulnerable as you think she is." I elaborate as I set aside my cloak to show off a scar branding my left bicep. The mark of a man acting to redeem his honour before the faces of his elders. A job like this needs skill, but, also those who are more willing to die for it.


    I am sure we will lack the strength to bring people back on their shields, let alone have them left to do so...


    So many of us have come to this town, into this otherwise simple life of the farmer and the market. All for a girl that has the Senate terrified, the people of the land in awe and the skies brighter than ever before. I will not concern myself with the finer details, all that I know is that for a grand sum of wealth, we are to remove a wonderous woman. Words can only say so much but I am otherwise led to believe that all of our hearts shall quiver although oaths stay our fatherly weapons.


    "I am very confident that if you do find her, with or without my help, she''ll have you all as charred corpses."


    "She''s travelling with a man of the windy lands?" I ask, making his expression falter and I nod, retrieving my spear and shield.


    "Neither are lacking, I''m happy to know." Sanoukou sneers as I turn my back on him.


    "Then pray for our salvation, one who was able to leave it all behind." I beg with a reserved tone as I leap into the dark of night once again, a trail in my lungs of all places.

 Incline 24: Upper Ascendent Attonidas

    Taking a step forward towards the dark night beyond the cave, I snuff out the last embers of the abandoned campfire. Looking around at my lessers, I notice how all of them are mindful of the terrain we find ourselves in. Intentionally flooded terrace fields, with a rumbling thunderstorm rolling in from the end of the direction all the roads lead to. Yet, even with this oncoming, understood danger, there is no turning back for us.


    The routes around this place are unknown, we could miss our target and give them time to escape. We''d be weakened through division when we could''ve struck with our full might. If our target values their life, they''d be taking cover in what shelter they can before the moving curtain of rainwater soaks them. A bolt of lightning strikes, outlining the endless hail of tiny but many dangers.


    "Upper Ascendent." a fellow of mine goes as he approaches me with the rattle of his little armour, shield and weapons. I look his way as the frays on my cloak catch the first signs of our upcoming demise at nature''s hand. Little drops that would barely leave my hand wet should I pass a touch over them.


    "I hope you are not here to speak your doubts, I''d have better faith in your abilities, Lower." I remark just in case that the unlikely chance of a whine is what I will encounter. Be prepared for everything as well as you can be and you will never be surprised again. But, even then, that is a lie. One can always have their expectations crushed and torsioned apart into a paler wreck.


    "The breath of wind has remained our way to follow the target. That which we were told is not guiding us here." he comments, right in time for the sky to open up with such a pale line of power.


    "The mind often gets the better of us when we truly do not know what is out there." I tell him, recalling my stealth training from all that time ago. With our cloaks, plumes, shields and spears, we can deceive far more than simply hiding. A man is more scared of the thought of a monster than the gnashing teeth of one in torchlight.


    "You do not worry that we have been misled?" he asks and I place my hand on his shoulder once my other hand has a good enough grip on my spear.


    "I do not." I answer as my fingers dig in gently, shaking him slightly before I pat him as I start to move away.


    "With all due respect, Upper Ascendent, we cannot sense anything that leaves our minds seeing only the noblest of metals."


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    "The presence of the foreigner assures me enough."


    "How?"


    I stop and turn, "The Lady-Heir, Einervaene Bosphama, has recently come out of a protective exile from the continent of Jherikra. If she has come back here, it is with the help of a witch or an army."


    "The target is named!" the rest of us chant as my lower continues to seemingly doubt what we will find.


    "What is the plan, then, Upper Ascendent?" the lower asks as his grip tightens, his already shaking nerves betraying his fear. Yet, I cannot blame him for such thoughts, we all know the circumstances of our mission. In such unfavourable land as well.


    "We go forth and seek gold, any who may be protecting it will fall as well. Remember, your shields shall come back in hand, or with you on them!" I declare to my men as a harsh wind carries the storm''s double-edged gift to the land. A distant farmhouse snuffs its light and a bolt strikes into a field far away. The entire land lights up as the currents fill out every litre like a new set of roots.


    "In hand, or on them!" the men chant as I fill my lungs for one great calming breath. Although, my heart continues to defy the steadiness of my mind and I feel it thud so powerfully.


    "HOOOOO!" I go.


    "HAAAAAA!" the men roar.


    "HOOOOO!" I go again, raising my spear.


    "HAAAAAA!" the men roar a final time as they drum their shields in accordance to the demands of the thunder we shall be entering the ire of.


    "IN HAND, OR ON IT!" I yell with all I have before leaping from the hill and splashing into the water. Catching much moisture on my cloak, it grows acceptably heavier and the splashes carry on with each bending of the knees. Charging through the terraces, my eyes widen behind the safety of my helmet as the storm picks up. Ever closer, ever more likely to maim and kill.


    "HEY, GO THE OTH-" a traveller starts to scream before I pass by him with my shield on full display. The man prays desperately as I go on ahead into another field, its mud defecating my exposed foot as I intentionally slide. With the extra momentum, I move further down the road. Finding a usable rock, I go onto it, leaping for the next ones until I have a full view of the farms below and my men.


    Spotting the light of a fire hidden within an old traveller''s den, I silently motion my men towards it. A bolt of lightning comes for me and I redirect it in the direction of the cave. The barely visible shadow of struck-away rock appears and I carry on to a better vantage point. Sliding across the rock, briefly freeing it from the coat of rain soaking it, I strike my spear''s base on it.


    Rising tall and prepared, I focus my senses on those within the cave. Our best chance to strike is when they''re on the move, where our numbers can break them apart. There is only a pair huddled around that fire and I cannot fathom more within such tight confines. They seem to travel heavy and the one so blatantly not of this land walks in a tomb.


    Yet, as he stretches his leg, I catch a glint of gold...

 Incline 25: Einervaene

    "Hm, it''s getting quite bad out there." I comment as I watch some water pool into the cave with the help of shattering motions. The neverending pitter-patter of it all, never enough time between drops to catch when a group has met the ground. I almost want glass to steam up and draw on in order to ease the boredom a little.


    "Up to you if we go through it and get wet, Einervaene. We''re not really in danger so long as I make a point of using my magic." Brewbrt comments as he fiddles with some of the straps on his bag to the deprecation of his bowl of food.


    "I know we''re not on the farm, but you can at least eat. One moment you are too full and now you are running on nothing." I tell him, smiling a little in amusement as he seemingly remembers that the bowl next to him is his. How he could''ve forgotten, we shall never know.


    "Not really feeling it." he remarks as he leans against his barely dried bag, tilting his jaw about as he considers the slowly cooling load of food. I reach out for and nudge his thunder-gold-covered foot until I get even a slight smirk from him.


    "Come on, eat. We shouldn''t be wasting food while we are on the move."


    "Ooooo, arck at you." he goes as he picks up his bowl and starts to empty it.


    "You remember the path to the next cave?" I ask him as he continues to scoff.


    "Forgot our rations were from Farmer Sanoukou..." he praises in the breaths between mouthfuls.


    "Brewbrt!" I go, louder, catching his attention as a bean slips from his beard after its sauce briefly gave it the ability to climb.


    "Hm?" he lets out, slowly chewing on what his spoon had put in.


    "The path ahead." I reiterate as he swallows.


    "Oh, yeah. Yeah, I got it up in here." he says as he knocks his right temple gently with a clanking gauntlet.


    "You know, all this cold water makes me really want a hot bath." I comment after silence had returned to us so he could finish his food. His magic brings in a load of rainwater and it is all cleaned before he provokes the fire to burn hotter. Tucking my legs in, it gently rumbles and shrinks away as the influence of wind magic vanishes. However, that which we had fueled it with is now far weaker and more ashen.


    He smiles as I give him one in return, "I want to see my two favourite girls smiling in the same room."


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    I blush deeply and look away, "Shut up..."


    "You love this voice and you know it." he cackles as he starts to get dressed properly, sorting everything away. I hand over what I can from my position and clicks and the sounds of pulled fabric block out the rain in a collection of instances.


    Putting a hand near my mouth, it sparkles with magic and I flick some off at him, "Oops."


    "Tsk, tsk." he goes as he rises with the heavy load back on his back. Standing up quickly, I make sure he is stable but he doesn''t need my help and he moves to the exit.


    "Is there something out there?" I question more so for the sake of talking.


    "Rain, rain, gloriously annoying rain!" he sings jollily as he clutches some magic in his hand so that the fire can be blown out here and now.


    "Oh, wait a moment..." I moan as my incomplete process of drying is drawn out for a little while longer. Nothing really comes of it and I do not moan any more as his magic takes out the undercontrol blaze.


    "Come on, we have a lot of ground to cover if we want to make it back to your home."


    "Yeah." I go, smiling a little at the thought of it, something I manage to keep even as the dangers of travelling present themselves again. A flash of lightning lights up the area and thankfully stays up in the sky, away from the ore-rich earth. Carefully, I manage my way down the slight slope before Brewbrt comes crashing down in a single hop. Thankfully, there are no puddles or anything of the sort near me or under his sabaton-covered feet.


    The one that is afflicted by gold as well, it shines bright even in this dark, cloudy night. As if it is calling out to the storm up above for help or to boast of its connection to the Thunder God. Glancing at my soaked skin, I find myself frowning as I consider the impact Lightning departing has had on me. My skin is dulling and my hair has already lost much of its prior lustre.


    Something I have gotten so used to seeing is now gone and I do not even need a mirror to know how lacking it has become. I am more or less back to what I was all that time ago, back when I climbed the Anvil-Peak for Lightning''s help. I cannot weep for his departure, however, because he is out there right now, helping others. When the time comes, I say his name and he''ll come back and at the very least, the greatest thing that can be made will exist in my life.


    A home I can stay in, a family that is safe, it will all be tangible and physically observable. Not something in my head, not my dreams or fantasies but reality itself. I want to renew the memories of my mother and me smiling together. The happiness and the joy I felt growing up, like those moments when Father sent a letter to me with little gifts in the envelope and...


    "Come on Brewbrt, hurry up!" I call out as a large figure in the dark moves over the soaked landscape. With a hand on my hat at all times, I prevent any sudden gusts from taking it off on them.


    "You try walking ground like this with all of this on your back!" he complains as he stumbles and slips on over to me. With the help of my internal-magic, I manage to catch him in a stable grip and I can''t help but laugh at the embarrassing display. It''s a good thing we are the only ones stupid enough to be travelling in this weather! All the farmers in the area have already closed up their barns and houses.


    Brewbrt''s grip suddenly tightens on my shoulder before I walk out of it.


    "Is something wron-" I ask before something slices into my eye.

 Incline 26: Brewbrt

    "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Einervaene screams ceaselessly and suddenly as a spear shakes from its lodgings in the rock. Catching her as she backs up to me, I hold her tight as my magic starts to act up.


    "Einervaene, listen to me!"


    "I CAN''T SEE! BREWBRT, I CAN''T SEE!" she screams.


    "EINERVAENE! Listen! Go, get as far as you can away from here now!"


    "N-No!? NO I CAN''T SEE, PLEASE DON-"


    "GO, I AM RIGHT BEHIND YOU!" I roar as I gently shove her off as her magic overtakes her. Blue lightning ascends into the sky with pain-filled crackles and I turn to the sound of rushing weapons. Placing a hand on each strap on my bag, I tear them apart and the hefty weight falls to the ground. The shine of a polished shield barely enters my vision.


    Striking down with a fist of emerald magic, the metal takes my blow without breaking and its holder goes off. The rain seems all the louder and lightning flashes, barely revealing the many coming for us. Recalling their positions as best as I can, I rear an arm back and throw a clutch of magic bombs that way. Nothing is struck but all is revealed.


    Going for the closest assailant, I tear away his protection before directly applying the end of his life. A roar of pain meets me before a spear comes for my side. Serrating into my armour''s exposed weak point, I groan as blood is drawn. Grabbing the shaft, I twist and tear it apart through torsion, moving the freed blade up the jaw of the attacker.


    Moving to avoid incoming spells and projectiles, I use my bulk to disorient another one on the slide down. I spot more charging ahead and past me, in the direction of the blue lightning sporadically dropping from the sky. I try to intercept them but another attacker comes right for me, thrusting his enriched spear against my chest. It punctures through with the help of some kind of magnetism invalidating the curve of my plate.


    Growling and with a fistful of magic, I try to strike them down only for another blade to come slipping along my vambrace. Narrowly moving my head aside, short-lived sparks leap out into the dark, miserable night. Stepping back into the demands of those I am against, more join in to press on their advantage. A magic-laced cloak wraps around my visor.


    Rearing back with the growing number trying to pull me down, I go where they wish. With a resounding thud, my armour rings out into the dark of night as they obviously follow up with downward thrusts. Magic envelops my lower half and I rocket away and by chance, I hit a rock. Flipping back onto my feet, I throw a barrage of bombs their way.


    My attackers lit up ever so briefly, form up in a shell of Eusorochiian style. It holds firm even as the land erupts, leaving only craters around them. Putting magic into my legs, I leap for them with a lance-like projectile. Slipping it over their heads, the intentionally weak blast sends some into the craters.


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    Dropping more magic off at their feet, I merely hope that enough are killed off by it before I dodge another thrust. A magic-charged shield strikes my side and I stumble towards the sound of an unsheathed sword. It stabs into my side and my teeth rumble as my jaw tries to overpower the other half of it. Hugging this man, I crush his back and throw him to catch the next spear thrust.


    "Hold on Einervaene..." I spit as I put my guard up. Lightning flashes again, showing off the visage of a man leaping with his speartip right up against my visor. The ancient Jhermonikra plate catches it for the most part, but the fine point still reaches my eye. Losing more vision than I can afford to, I reach for and snap the man''s neck, dropping him down as my mouth opens.


    Ah...


    "Dammit... Dammit!" I swear as I take off into the sky, only for a spear to lodge into my side. Falling with a disorienting crash, I am barely able to throw myself upright as my armour snags on whatever it wants. Rocks crumble under my mailed palm and I rise to face the encroaching assassins in the dark. Someone is after us, someone is after Einervaene.


    "We have the gold!" one of them declares as I stomp my covered foot out into the open. The divine ore on it almost pulsing in understanding before the sky opens up again. Unfortunately, it seems I am where I do not want to be. My body locks up as sparks course throughout me with unintentional malice.


    Yet, no one comes in for the kill as shocks continue to be strong enough to be seen.


    Screaming through the volts, I barrel straight towards where I know one of them is. Running him through with my magic, I go on towards another and smack him aside with as much strength as I can muster. My other hand pulsing with magic as I try to keep the number of ways I can be attacked from to a minimum. It''s not enough and a spear nearly runs me through from behind, only barely be deflected by the magic in my suit.


    Twisting to them, I unload my palm right their way, desecrating the landscape with a vortex of emerald. Flying into the sky with a trail of orbs following me, I drop what I can before crashing onto the highest piece of land I can. Lightning strikes again and many are still here that need to be dealt with. Holding back my next growl, I leap for the most eager amongst them and kill him with the impact onto the ground.


    Kicking for the closest shield, they slide away as the blow is absorbed, the steam of my breath clouding the distance. Parrying the next blow, I continue to back up until I find myself surrounded. Their shields bang with precise movements and I glance up at the disturbed dark. Roaring in anger, I bring up all the magic I can to isolate the leapers.


    Grabbing two, I slam one into the shredding winds and toss the other at another. Grabbing him again, my hands become warmer as a pair of crushed helms slip from my grip. My armour scrapes again as precise spells try to unbalance me. Opening up my magic by weakening it enough, I choke the one I am able to lay my hands on.


    "You are starting to annoy me, Assassins." I complain as a weak grip tries to cut me through the gaps in my armour. Throwing the body down, I toss another bomb into the night, sending a good few into the air screaming. I buckle as heavier magics assault my person, forcing me to a knee just to ensure proper coverage of my weak points. Someone slips through the attacks, intent on running me through.


    I look towards the magic on the ground and smirk as my thumb twitches...


    "Good choice." I praise insincerely as he unknowingly sets of the mine I hastily made. The fresh cripple roars on the flight away and I run with all I have. I can''t be asked to vault or show athleticism, I need to get to Einervaene!


    "You shall die this night, Goldfoot." an assassin speaks as he catches up to me with several of his cohorts.


    "No..." I answer with my bloody mouth spitting out what it can as a limp makes me stumble slightly. The sky breaks the darkness once again and I nod as my memory assures me that they are becoming lesser in number. My armour speaks with groans and scrapes as I put my guard up once again.

 Incline 27: Einervaene

    Crashing somewhere against the ground, I try to hold in my screams and reduce them to hysterical tears. It hurts, it hurts so much, my body is so cold but my face is running with warmth. Pitch black, everywhere is a burning, painful pitch black. Grasping for whatever I can, I slip into the water-filled mud.


    "B-Brewbrt... BREWBRT!" I cry like a child as my ears are overwhelmed by the noises all around. Barely getting to my feet, I cluelessly run and fall as my lower half hits what must be a wall. Rolling into the mud, I use my magic to go back into the sky. I try to feel for my feet and land with them facing down.


    "This isn''t the target!" a man goes as I aimlessly throw my arms about with sparking desperation.


    "The Lady-Heir...?" a man questions and I jump at the suggestion. Metal moves against something the wind starts to change.


    "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I scream as I go into the sky again, hiding amongst the clouds as long as I can. But, with the pain getting to me, I start to rematerialise.  Realising my fall, I convert my body one last time to hit the ground safely. Water splashes around with the weak scent of my magic mixed into it.


    It splashes rapidly as I start to curl in on myself.


    "STAY AWAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY!" I scream with all I have as I become lightning until the bubbles no longer can be heard. Two bodies drop to the ground and the smell of disgusting burns chokes up an already blood-drowned nose. My ears and ability to feel for magic is all that is left... It''s all I have right now.


    Trying my hardest to read the environment around me, I quietly stumble to a place I hope is hidden. Brewbrt wants me to go somewhere safe, he''ll find me and... Footsteps come near and I drop to the ground. A weapon comes loose.


    "What is going on out here?" what I hope is a rural accent goes.


    "GET BACK IN HERE YOU IDIOT! WE''LL CHECK ONCE THE STORM PASSES AND THERE''S ACTUAL DAYLIGHT!" a farmer thankfully roars as I come stumbling out into the open. I slip and fall, scraping my skin all the way down until I splash down into water. The clouds rumble and I grab what I can to get onto the less drowned land. Slowly, I make my way up the slippery road until I can grab a post.


    Heaving up and around it, I roll barely before getting up. What must be a gate enters my grip and I unlock it, stumbling through a muddy field and falling down repeatedly. I cry as the pain becomes too much for the moment. Clutching over, my hands cover my eyes barely as I become acutely aware of how muddy I am.


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    Every blink makes me want to scream and the rapid swelling is only making things worse. I need to find somewhere to rest, somewhere I can focus my magic inwards. Anything to dull the pain, please, I need to... Shaking as lightning cracks, something squelches the mud and I run.


    How close is the next fence, how far is the most immediate hedge!?


    Running into something, I move around it, and come banging up against what I hope is a barn. Banging on the doors until I find the lock, I zap it open and stumble into the closed-roof shelter. Animals make their noises and I move to the closest feeling of warmth I can. Anything to remove this so blatant cold everywhere else on me.


    Falling onto my bottom, I cry some more as my fingers carefully hold their position before my destroyed face. Calming down however I can, I try to influence the magic across the glasses-width space to heal it some. The pain barely dulls and I only end up feeling weaker. Something opens the barn door and I scream as I hear someone rush for me.


    "GET ME A CLEAN CLOTH!" a young man roars as he carefully picks me up despite my protests.


    "LET GO! L-LET GO OF ME! LET GO!" I screech to no avail as I am without magic to fight back.


    "Shhh, it''s alright, we''re going to help you!" the young man goes as we enter the rain once again. Warm shelter greets me quickly and I am rushed to the nearest chair as heavy footsteps go off all around me.


    "Oh no... By the gods and goddesses, what happened!?" a mature woman asks as a door clamps shut behind.


    "IT HURTS!" I cry as I shiver from pain and cold.


    "FOR GODS SAKE BOY, CALM HER!" what I presume to be the father roars from a modest distance as my hand is taken up.


    "It''s alright, you''re safe." the young man reassures me as the warmth around my eyes is wiped away.


    "Brewbrt... Brewbrt!" I go as I try to get back up.


    "Sit, Girl!" the woman orders as the sound of scared little girls ship in fresh water and cloth to wipe the blood and mud off with.


    "I need to..." I moan quietly as I continue to contort painfully as the welcome presence of clean water only agitates the wound.


    "Old man, your cabinet!"


    "Ugh... The cheapest!" the father groans before a weak, but still magic-afflicted bottle comes closer. Tentatively reaching for it, my hands are put down and I hear fumbling about. It comes to my lips and what is normally unbecoming of me becomes desperate chugging. Every drop of the strong liquid is painfully swallowed for every bit of magic it can give me.


    It''s barely enough for anything and I start to go limp as my jaw slacks.


    "Boy, guns, now!" the father goes as clearly someone appears out there. Unfortunately, it is more likely a group gathering out there. A group of those people, the men trying to kill us out of nowhere. What have I done...?


    Someone is trying to stop me from finding Mother!


    "Mother... Brewbrt..." I weakly go as I start to feel a more welcome darkness other than this excrutiating pain I have been experiencing non-stop.

 Incline 28: Brewbrt

    Crushing the man''s neck, I continue to drag him along with slumped shoulders as I follow the feel of Einervaene''s magic. It''s gotten so weak, so very dangerously weak, but, I can still feel it. Follow it. Groaning as I touch my wounds, I drop the body and let the lightning give me the insight to my next target.


    I think I have dealt with everyone behind me...


    "I better have!" I mutter forcefully as I recollect all the unused mine spells and whatever other magic I can get back in my system. Taking a deep breath that clouds up my immediate proximity, I walk on further. Pushing an annoying gate out of the way, I make sure to loudly arrive behind the back of the remaining assassins as they surround a small house.


    Its owners armed and prepared to fight off these spear and shield using bloodseekers.


    "YOU THERE, GET OFF OF MY PROPERTY WITH THE LOT OF YOU!" the farmer roars as he tests the discipline of the assassins by shooting the far edge of one of their shields. What I presume to be the lead waves his fellows my way and I start to tense up. Watching the approaching spears carefully, my fingers flex.


    Moving to catch the first shaft, I snatch it away with a booming snap before slashing at the bare chest with splinters. Bringing that man''s head crushing against his shield, I take and let it instead be punctured so I can disarm another. Placing magic on the assassin, I blow a cavity into him that leaves a shower of steaming blood going elsewhere. The sky rumbles, a lightning bolt comes for my foot.


    I step aside and let it harmlessly dry the mud to a quickly soaked burnt state. Grabbing an assassin''s head, I throw him to the ground and stomp with the foot they all keep referring to.  They do not have enough to overwhelm me and I am left infuriated and steaming as the final one turns. He glances around at those he has lost and the farmer steadily locks himself inside his home.


    "If you''ve touched her any more..." I say with a hollow tone as I try to consider why the assassins have gathered here.


    "The Lady-Heir must die, but these farmers will not. Hand her over!" the lead assassin explains to me before he likely reiterates his demand.


    "I see." I remark before charging in to bring a blow up for his gut. With only a moment left to save himself, he does so and his shield rings as if it is a temple bell. He takes up position and counterthrusts as I make my next attack. Slicing through my armour, down to the flesh as I do so.


    This time, he holds his ground and his shield charges with power that drags me away. Tickling me with electricity as it does so. Huffing and puffing as I consider the amount of pain I am already in... I re-sort my posture.


    Parrying what thrusts I can, magically enthralled lightning strikes me from the sides and rear. My footwork manages to stay ahead of him, however, and I in turn can keep up the delays. Finding a moment, I swing for his arm, only for a vambrace to meet and check it. His grip nears the tip of the spear and magic covers his fingers.


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    Without moving his wrist, the spear suddenly goes through my armour, me and out again. Right into the farmland. I roar and kick the man away, snapping his weapon before forcing the other half out with magic. Hissing further, a sword enters the storm light as the rain somehow becomes heavier than it already was. Building up a collection of magic in my hands, I run.


    Narrowly avoiding his forward-curving blade with only a clean slice through my armour to come of it. I drop the magic against him, but it''s not enough, it detonates weakly and he remains standing. Only a tattered cloak to show for my actions as skilled hacks come back to meet me. Ducking and weaving away, he takes a shoulder plate away as a spinning kick puts me in the mud.


    Blasting off with magic, I avoid the executioner''s blade and shoot back down, striking his skillfully used shield in the process. He buckles and goes to a knee as my magic roars behind me. I start to go back as his shield arm slowly, strugglingly opens up. His sword slashes again, scraping my armour and exposing more of my body to an unwelcome breeze.


    Something clamps around my arm and an unnoticed trap goes off, reeling me through an unoccupied building of timber and nails. Catching his sword-holding arm by the wrist as the other is pinned by his pulsating shield. I squeeze, even as my right starts to feel like it is being cut off. The blade clatters and I break free enough to punch him sky high.


    Forcing myself onto my feet, I toss aside my helmet as I begin to feel stuffy. Panting in exhaustion, my injured eye acts up with a sudden surge as the assassin resorts to casted magic. Lighting my most energy-filled arm up, I intercept what spells that I can and the rumble of thunder picks up. My armour is once again punctured and the magic bites deep, making my defences weaken further.


    Moving ahead regardless, I try to as carefully as I can apply destruction to the farm grounds. Explosions of wind magic light up the night and the already harsh blows of the night howl louder. The plume of the assassin brushes against my arm with numbing static and I watch as he slips up under my guard. Falling to the ground to avoid him, he retrieves his blade but not his shield.


    "Fight on, Jhermonikra." he coaxes as he aligns his body as if he did pick up the shield.


    "I..." I struggle to let out as my magic trails after me limply. Reaching deep into the earth, I align it with plentiful arcane explosives closer to the innocent than to him.


    "DIE FIGHTING!" the assassin roars as the storm trails after his next swing.


    "I''VE HAD ENOUGH!" I roar with all I have as every bit of magic I can spare is pulled out of the ground with a great beast of a solid metal boulder within it. Swinging it down faster than him, he falls before my silver-emerald light fills the land and explodes. Falling down under the force of my own magic, I rise shortly after with heavy breaths and defiantly steaming blood.


    They''re all dead.


    Walking up to the farmhouse with a dangerous limp as my body starts to shut down. I reach the door and pick up on the sound of a cocked gun. Putting my palm on the wood, I shatter it open and stumble in, bullets pinging harmlessly against my armour. One even strikes the side of my head without so much as a scratch of blood, a strangely comforting reassurance as the rest of me bleeds profoundly from the touch of spears.


    Spotting Einervaene, I collapse next to her and pull her in close.


    Holding her thankfully sleeping form close, I watch with bloodshot, wide eyes as the rain breaks in after me. I cannot take them off the corpses in the front garden and the sky starts to be tainted by my weakened magic. If anyone remains alive in these Copper Band Terraces, if they want my friend''s daughter... Then let them come, let them die so foolishly.


    "Don''t worry Einervaene... I''m here now... I''m here now... I am staying right here, with you. I will not make you go on your own again. I''m right here..." I let out with struggling breath.

 Incline 29: Brewbrt

    "Einervaene... Stop taking it off." I groan as I place my hand on the piece of armour she is trying to remove. Blind and unfortunately helpless, Einervaene keeps trying to worm her hands under mine awkwardly. No joking shocks, nothing. Neither of us can spare the power for humour and what ended so recently is proof we cannot be jovial until we reach somewhere safe.


    "I don''t need it." Einervaene practically lies as she turns around to twist her shoulder out of my grip. I frown at her bandaged-up face and move my loose hand near it to apply what magic I can. I won''t be able to protect her from anything as we are right now. At the very least, I need her to have the power to run as far as she can.


    "Einervaene, stop it!" I snap as a piece of metal hits the wagon floor, with wood and metal thudding into her ears. She looks around pointlessly and her hands clench before she ''stares'' at me.


    "You... Y-You didn''t pay for any of this. You just robbed that family outright!" she complains as my throat grumbles with the eviction of my latest moans.


    My hands tighten on the reigns as the oldest pack animal that family had makes its noises, "Not this again, we''ve been over this!"


    "We have the money to have paid them!" she rightly points out as I shake my head.


    "And if they refused because we brought assassins to their doorsteps!? Because my fighting of them forced me to upturn their lands potentially irreparably? Not just theirs either, the entire Copper Band Terraces had to be torn up to keep you safe!" I nearly shout were it not for my face being close enough that merely raising it would be enough.


    "We have a responsibility to look after these people!"


    "My responsibility is to look after you, and, I''m not even sure it''s yours. What, with us not even being sure if we''re in Bosphama lands yet!?" I point out as my shuffling causes many of my wounds to be provoked by the armour-burdened strain.


    "We should''ve helped them..."


    "Einervaene, we were attacked by assassins! Assassins after you! We cannot afford to linger, not with such people after us... NOW PUT THE ARMOUR BACK ON!" I infuriate myself into roaring as I slam the piece of discarded metal back at her.


    "Ow..." she shivers as the bandages start to go dark slightly. I sigh my misery and remind myself of why she is so easy to hurt right now. Too much of her magic, of mine, needs to go into healing her eyes. She struggles to sniffle as her build-up of tears only provokes the pain she is already in, reminding me as well of her nose injury.


    "Please... Keep it on." I tell her as I fit the piece back onto the makeshift straps I had to make for her. Without anything I can work with on her own outfit, I''ve had to sacrifice parts of my bag. Thankfully, I guess, the urgency of the fight made me tear rather than take it off. I return my one good remaining eye to the road and cautiously eye anyone on it as some spare a moment to look at us.


    Thankfully, I do not need to grab any of them and demand directions, there are enough signs of development to keep us going. There are also a fair few actual signs giving us a metric of distance to work with. However, it''s all not good enough, we''re going to be in the vulnerable open for some time now. Gods be praised, at the very least, there don''t seem to be any assassins immediately after us.


    For now.


    Coughing into my curled-up hand, I grit my teeth as the enflamed flesh is provoked again. Those cloaked bastards got quite a few good thrusts in. Whatever magic they had, however strong they were, fine-tuned skill carried their efforts most of the way. The science behind my armour could only do so much and it was nearly worthless.


    "Ruined as it may be, still better than being bare." I groan under my breath as I try to make a point of avoiding having my thoughts focus on the wound in my side. Both sides of my plate were ruined in that thrust, right on through with what could so easily be seen as no effort at all...


    "I just want to get home..." Einervaene sobs as she covers her already hidden eyes. Curling up on herself as she tucks in at the furthest corner of the wagon. Looking towards her, I look away out of shame. I am supposed to protect her and yet, I was barely able to when push came to shove.


    We''re more vulnerable than ever and so much of it is rooted in my mistakes. Much as I have to get Einervaene home, the look I will come to find on Eratheen''s face haunts me. We have what we need to save her, but, the first thing she will find is her daughter blind and incapable. When I first got that desperate letter I promised...


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    I promised...


    "Chin up, Einervaene. We''re getting there, we''re going to get there." I say quietly as her trembles continue to quake my heart as if they''re something stronger. Yet, with how this noise is making me, her despair could quite possibly be the most powerful thing out there. My confidence has taken a beating as well as my body far more literally. We only have so many supplies and now they''re being taken up far too quickly.


    Such grievous wounds we now have to account for. I guess I should be thankful that most of the blood and -ied mud still caking my armour is theirs, not mine. The gap isn''t very big, but it''s there. So many of them died at my hands throughout that night, if luck will shine on me, that many dead has crippled them.


    Yet it probably isn''t shining on us and if it is, it will barely make Einervaene glow in the dark with that skin of hers. I frown as I glance at it, the lustre has been going quite a bit recently. Even after all these years beside it, I still do not understand how this power she acquired works. The stuff I have seen it do should''ve made that night nothing, however.


    "How are you doing, Einervaene?"


    "..."


    "Do you want us to stop for a little while? Find a safe spot to make camp and food?" I ask, though, I doubt my own words. If they can come after us even in the dead of night in such quiet lands. What hope do we have along a busy road or populated town? Whoever is after her, or me even, going by those remarks about my proof I visited Anvil-Peak...


    I can''t think of anything that would make some group of assassins just come after us unless Einervaene provoked them during her heroics. No, she would''ve told me about something like that, nothing she spoke of during our time at Farmer Sanoukou''s gave the impression. Someone else is after us, someone with the money to hire such capable men and the network to point them our way. Impossible as it seems, I have seen such stuff in the adventuring times long gone.


    When the world is as open as it is, the need for trackers and spies grows so exponentially. Einervaene''s good deeds gave them all the leads they could want and no doubt my foreign nature made us stand out more. My grip on the reigns tightens as I glance to the daughter I am to protect as she seems to ease on the sobs. I need to keep her safe but my Jherikra-born blood makes her easier to find.


    The irony of me being her protector, I attract those after her far easier. Not even my hair, skin or race, really, the very tool I protect her with is what makes their efforts so much simpler. The traces I leave on the wind will stick out to even the most modestly skilled tracker. I cannot leave Einervaene, however, and I will not ever do so.


    Such thoughts will remain in this now armoured head of mine and I tighten the strap to emphasise the point. If my looks are the problem, let them be diluted by a trait harder to describe, armoured giant. Withholding a wisp of magic, I frown at my greatest revealed weakness. Something all the more eye-catching due to our current situation.


    I always knew I was going to stick out, but, to maybe or without a doubt be the reason she is now blind... I can''t help but worry for her, even if her eyes do heal, she is still in danger because of me. I am not strong enough to ward off every threat and even those weaker than me can be smart. In numbers or dark, I can be felled with a clanging thud, the stench of my blood filling the air once brimming with my magic.


    Focusing my vision, I spot what appears to be a merchant camp and I put a hand to my chin, "Einervaene, there is a caravan camp up ahead, would you like us to stay there? I might be able to get you some medicine or other sources of magic."


    "..."


    "Einervaene, I need an answer... Please." I beg quietly before shuffling closer to her. Removing a gauntlet, I place my skin upon hers and rub it carefully with my thumb. She partially manages to follow my arm up to roughly where my head is.


    "I-If it is... If it is safe." she eventually answers with a tremor in her voice.


    "First sign of trouble and we are out of there." I state in the hopes it maybe help her calm down, but, I don''t think it did much of anything. I sigh as I motion the animal to move down the splitting-off road when the time comes. It groans with its aged body and the wagon wheels start to squeak as the limitation in its design becomes apparent. Einervaene''s grip snatches onto whatever it can and she holds on for... Dear life.


    On the way into this camp, those who can spare a glance can''t help but do so upon seeing us. Coming in so freshly injured, many of them clearly get nervous and what I can only assume are their private guards or more general merchant guards are spoken to. Some stiffen up over those around them, others assume me and Einervaene are the problem and give me their best glares. It nearly manages to make me laugh until I pull us into a good spot with a good flat way back onto the road.


    Hopping down I unhook the creature that pulled our wagon and gently tap its backside so it can go graze on what it can. Noting how some people are clearly too curious for their own good, I show off despite my wounds. Picking up the wagon firmly, I set it back down without an issue then watch them back off from the corner of my visor. Walking around to Einervaene, I help her down once she manages to find my shoulders.


    She goes along the wagon for a little bit until she reaches the back end of it. She stops and sighs her misery as one hand slowly refrains from reaching out for anything it might be able to grab. Moving up to her, I let her take my hand so she can at least walk somewhere. Hopefully, Einervaene will never need the time necessary to get used to her condition...


    I am doubting we will find it here with what I am able to sense, but, who knows, maybe there''s some kind of doctor around. Some herbal remedies or simply strong booze we can have her swallow. At least with that she''ll sleep better given what is likely going through her mind non-stop. Despite my age and the assumptions that go with it, I can handle a lack of sleep far better. All the years of adventuring, got a good few tricks out of it and plenty of experience.


    "Mind your steps, Einervaene." I caution before sneaking a stick off of someone else and handing it to my friend''s daughter.

 Incline 30: Brewbrt

    "Easy Einervaene, we''re coming near some woman''s stall." I tell her just as her guiding stick strikes one of the table legs.


    "Some woman?" the merchant asks as she puts a hand on her hip, sticking it out as she leans forward on the other hand.


    "Hm..." I go as I inspect what she has on offer. It''s something, not anything special by what I can tell, but, something. I pick up a bottle and bring it close as the pathetic amount of magic I need to inspect it deeper comes to bare.


    "Hey, you''re paying for that now!" the merchant snaps as she turns for what looks like a cash register.


    "I do not believe I said I am buying." I growl quietly as I look away from the glass and towards her attitude-tainted face.


    "This isn''t a faire, ruin the goods, you pay." she confidently brags as the signs of her greed or mercantile skill thunk in front of us.


    "Brewbrt... Don''t..." Einervaene warns as I let go of her hand, leaving her to pat my side to keep my attention.


    "And who is going to enforce this blatant greed?" I goad her into letting out.


    "Egalooki!" she snaps and an imposing man decked out in the finest armour his wages can buy. An abundance of weapons to make it seem as if he is more capable than he already is. I smirk behind my faceplate as I take note of two key, telling details as the man grabs my wrist. His harness is easy to remove, in a fight, he ditches all that vanity and my personal favourite...


    A lack of magic.


    "Sit down, boy." I tell him, freeing my hand so quickly as to leave him dazed before I gently push him down. He crashes through a nearby chair and strikes the ground, rolling initially as he catches up with what has happened. Looking back to the merchant, she flinches back with her hand raised and the welcoming closure of the register.


    "Alright... You''re just looking." she goes as she bites her tongue to keep her pride from lashing out.


    "Hm..." I go again as I provide Einervaene the comforting grip she is so desperate for. Looking the bottles over again, then, glancing towards the other merchants, my mouth tilts. Nothing here is really capable of doing anything, too little magic and not capable enough to handle some kind of boosting either. Einervaene will not come out of this in any particularly superior fashion.


    I guess, at the very least, a little liquor will help her sleep easier. She''s been mentioning that since the attack, how this perpetual dark is messing with her ability to calm down. All she can see is whatever her mind''s eye sees and without some form of cruel, tiring exercise... She''s not going to be having any good rest.


    Reaching into my pocket, I grab what I feel is appropriate for the lacking goods on show and take what is most potent. Guiding Einervaene away from the stall and around to its back, we carry on back towards the wagon, slowly. Long as this short trip is, it is still better than trying to get her through the lanes between merchants grifting their fellow merchants. Once we get back, I help her up onto the wagon''s back in the midst of the makeshift tent I am hoping to put together.


    "You still want to hold the stick?" I ask her as I take it up but not from her.


    "Yes, please..." she answers quietly, the end of the stick tapping the ground as I release it.


    "How bad is it hurting?" I ask as I prepare to have a quick sip of the booze to get a sliver more magic back into my system. Arguably, I need this more than her as I cannot process the natural lightning magic of this land all that well. Yet, Einervaene doesn''t seem to be taking in all that much either even though her body should naturally just do so. My fingers drum the bottle as I try to recall what everyone did back when adventuring was the norm.


    As relevant as ever, Eratheen comes to mind, though, outside of a brief, humouring memory of her whining and touting of noble blood, I cannot think of anything. My short-lived smile vanishes as one of those memories plays back to me clearly. Noble blood, huh. I look down, miserable at how her life has turned out now because of an uncontrollable problem.


    If that Thunder fellow gave us an answer, we''d know what the problem is. But, Einervaene didn''t want to know, she just wanted to find the solution to it all, and she did. Though, if she still has it is another thing entirely... Copper hair coming back and the pale skin to go with it.


    I do not know what to think about it, I am glad she''s becoming the Einervaene I knew once again. However, so very, very, however, where did this power we nearly died for go? The very thing we were going to use to free Eratheen from this absurd legal torment she is having to endure. I take a little sip from the alcohol and pass the bottle to her, only for her to bend in pain.


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    "Great..." she bitterly remarks as she holds the space above her nose. The strong smell made her usual instincts kick in, only to provoke the other part of her injuries.


    "Through the mouth, Einervaene." I mutter to remind her before my thumb runs along her lips after a quick application of some ointment we were able to grab. Thankfully, despite the troubles the Lightning and Water peoples have, their goods still find a place in warehouses and shop stock. She puckers her lips briefly before securing her grip on the bottle.


    "Why did magic have to be..." she complains, strangely enough. With everything that has happened, I''d love to sit back and pop open a bottle and drink. The calm that follows can be troublemaking, sure, but, it''s also a great mellower of it so long as you have the temperament for it.


    Moving my hand closer in case she drops it accidentally, I help stabilise her as she coughs at the taste, "Try not to waste too much of it, gather what strength you can."


    "I should''ve told Lightning no... No, it''s fine, Brewbrt is here." she whispers, unaware of how close I am at the moment. Even with the helmet on, these quiet words still somehow reach my ears as if she yelled them.


    "Einervaene, what did you do?" I ask, making her jump with some of the water sloshing up and out the bottle top. The little droplets sprinkle across my armour as I start to move the glass out of her grip.


    "..."


    "Einervaene, do not withhold this information from me. I can clearly tell from how your skin and hair are going back to normal that you have done something regret-"


    "I did not such thing!" she snaps after her timidity vanishes as I near the end of my sentence.


    "I don''t understand, Einervaene... Why did you let this power go? I will not blame you for what you have know way of predicting but..." I groan as I think over how many of our current problems could be avoided. We''d not be desperate for our lives as we barely recovered from our injuries. That power could''ve wiped out the assassins in a single flash of light, let alone a full-on spell or anything that needs training.


    "He wanted to see the continent..."


    "This couldn''t have waited until after we saved Eratheen!?" I raise my voice at, rubbing my face harshly after removing my helmet. It thuds on the wood next to her and she can''t help but shoot her bandaged-up view its way.


    "He promised he would come back once I shouted his name!" she tries to argue but that only makes me more annoyed.


    "You nearly died!" I prevent myself from shouting as I slam my hands on the wood, shaking the rudimentary suspension with thankfully only showy force. There was no actual strength behind it, but, the noise did its job.


    "Y-You made sure I didn''t..." she mutters under her breath as her hands come together, their fingers fiddling.


    I clench my fists as well as my jaw, "And I nearly wasn''t able."


    Even blind, she manages to look away in shame.


    "Look, I will trust you in the idea that he will come back, but, I need you to understand Einervaene. Get your priorities in order!" I say then point out with a firm jab to a part of her body covered in some of my armour. She flinches with the prod even though the plate takes all of the force.


    "H-He''ll be there... He''ll be there when I need him..." she tears up at as she otherwise trembles over whatever is going on in her head. Sighing, I step up and pull her in close, hugging her to the best of my ability. With one hand slowly and carefully going through her hair as she starts to return the embrace.


    "I cannot always be there for you, Einervaene. Were it not for the honour of our attackers, you''d be dead. Please, for your own sake, for the sake of the mother you have gone through so much over. Please, do not make such strange choices so short-sightedly." I try to teach as I manage to find one strand of hair otherwise still a perfect gold. Though, on its own, it might as well be a simple, lone blonde hair.


    She quietens down but otherwise continues to tremble and shake as I take the moment to pass what I can to her. At the end of the day, so long as she gets to Eratheen with this power back in her grasp, that is all that matters. I merely have to get her as far as I can take her. My life is long and ongoing, fulfilled in all but the most petty of manners that leave many feeling that it is time to pass on to Undwote.


    Should the moment come, I will lay down my life for the daughter of my friend. My attempts at a family never really went anywhere, so, although we are not by blood. Einervaene is like a daughter to me and as much as I do not want to take it away from her actual one, a man bound by colonial governance. I am glad I have been able to steal away some of the desires Einervaene has for a strong and caring paternal figure.


    Moving out of the hug slightly, I hop up onto the wagon with her, making it bounce under the weight of my worn steel. She leans against me, steadily slipping towards where I am least armoured before tightening her position around it. Using one hand to rub her arm, I quickly nab up the bottle of booze and get to drinking some more of it. The magic it gives me can go over to her and it helps me deal with the injuries I also have.


    "Do you want to hear a joke?" I ask quietly as I help her take a sip from the bottle. She holds back the coughing and bleghs at the lingering taste before seemingly nodding.


    "Ok..." she mumbles past the arm covering her mouth.


    "What''s old and stupid but can still see all the world has to offer?" I ask, getting the littlest of shocks for it.


    "I''m going to need a lot more of this." she groans as she takes the bottle impatiently to gulp some of its contents down.


    I chuckle quietly as I help her be upright so she can drink it better, "You get to it, then, regain some of your strength. I''m going to try and get camp set up."


    "Oh, is that the joke? You can still see so you have to do all the work." she says, smiling out of view as I strain my now one good eye to find everything.


    "Oh, hah hah." I sarcastically go as pegs and waterproof sheets enter my grip.

 Incline 31: The Lady Bosphama

    "Greetings, Senators." I say as they disembark from their state coach. I hide my distaste for the fact many have brought their own food and drink as if they were going out on a hunting trip. Senator Caetusi makes the short journey up to me as he normally does and he hands me over the results of the investigation so far.


    "My Lady Bosphama..." Oorika utters under her breath as I read the contents of Caetusi''s document. I frown and heed his warning well, the bastard is quite eager to see this go his way. More names than last time, nearly everyone here has been swayed to the promise of the bounty his clan can provide. I hand the document over to Oorika and she nods quietly before walking off with it.


    "Senator Caetu-" I start to say before another senator steps up.


    "With all due respect, The Lady Bosphama, your insistence on taking the arm of Senator Caetusi all this time give us reason to suspect his faults." the senator interrupts, having no sense of irony or self-reflection.


    "In case you have forgotten, Senator Riolarega, I am the one heading this investigation. I am the one who reserves the right to take the arm of The Lady Bosphama." Senator Caetusi thankfully speaks up as he finishes taking my arm around his. Quickly turning around, I use the freedom to express my disdain and worries. Einervaene is on her way, I need to try and stay here for as long as possible so I can hold my darling girl once again. My sweet, precious daughter.


    I cannot afford to let that Burspharosan bastard get his way, not whilst her fate is uncertain. But, at the same time, I can''t help but worry, what''s taking her so long? I was told of her return to the continent some time ago yet I have had no reports of a direct observation. She''s had more than enough time to make it home or get close to it...


    I don''t want to even consider the idea that something I can only fear has happened. Yet, with every day that goes by, I cannot help considering such a vile world that drains me of what little life is left in me. My child, my dear, dear child, please, be safe. I want to hold you one more time at the very worst, even just to merely lay my eyes on you again if I do not even deserve that.


    Looking up to the ceiling of my keep, my spirit goes beyond and it begs the heavens for their aid. Any of them, all of them even, the gods and goddesses, please, let my daughter come home. Senator Caetusi is working as hard as he can to delay my bad fortunes, but, they''re inevitable. I can only withhold so much of my documented backlog for so long and my time to do so was already so short.


    "The Lady-"


    "Eratheen is fine, just keep it under your breath." I tell Senator Caetusi whilst we still have the capacity to confide in each other.


    "Even with my efforts and those of Senator Lepiaciai''s faction, Senator Burspharosa is poised to get what he wants soon. I can try to delay him for another turnaround, but, I worry that what occurs after we depart will be the last time we speak in person."


    "I''m only going to end up at the Imperial Palace, it''s not that bad." I force out with a giggle that leaves me feeling hollow. On the surface, when you consider the wealth and quality of what you will find within its gilded walls, it doesn''t seem that bad. The isolation, however, is what has me trembling, stepping forward with shaking legs. My resources and people will not follow me into the royal halls and my efforts will become uncoordinated.


    Oorika and Joastelan can be trusted to take after me should the worst come to be true. They can only do so much, though, even separated from my daughter for so long, so many things remain clear to me. Her calls for help and where she might hide, the people she can seek help from, it all remains mostly clear. As we turn a corner, I take the moment to caress my face and sigh deeply.


    "Have your staff been able to falsify or set up anything that can put you in a better light? The consensus so far is you are reckless in your administration. Self-destructive to the greatness of the land. They''re trying to push that this isn''t something recent..." Senator Caetusi asks and I nod with what energy I can.


    "We''ve been over what remains, but, my concern is that we are hoping too much for dereliction and exhaustion of the mind." I say, thinking back to all the little bits of advice I was hearing from my staff. Maybe if we hid some of it, left it out of order or put the actual damning stuff at the very bottom of the drawers and piles...


    "It may be wise to take what time we have, then, to set up a contingency, rather than hopes to delay the will of Senator Burspharosa."


    "Tsk, Bastard." I swear at the mention of that horrible man.


    "The idea of disrespect only halts people so much. Fun as it has been to watch some of the investigation try and power through it. All of those who we know are in Senator Burspharosa''s grasp are wising up to the quality of your personal chef." Senator Caetusi explains as a member of my household staff slides open the door to the chamber set aside for the senators. I am guided around to my seat and let go of the Senator''s arm before sitting down.


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    The rest of the investigation move in and take up their seats with one who is clearly in the Bastard''s employ taking up a seat close by. I silently motion for my Castellan and he sets himself up on my left to block off the unwanted set of eyes. If I cannot speak then I will write and gods and goddesses help that man if he wants to peak over my shoulder like a nosy brat. The door to the chamber finally slides shut once my guards have filed in and unevenly set themselves up.


    Everyone who I know is not an ally of mine of any sort has a length of freshly sharpened steel behind them. Members of my household staff step forward and start to distribute what they can. Their orders to otherwise draw the process out with whatever contrivances they can come up with. Any attempts by the senators to combat this with complaints and raised tones are dealt with by my guards acting on behalf of my staff.


    "Is all in order, Senator Caetusi?" I ask, establishing that it is now time to get to work with what they have.


    "I believe so, The Lady Bosphama. The rest of you, let us get to it." he tells the rest of the investigation as I get busy writing down what first comes to mind regarding any future plans. The most obvious thing I can do if I am removed from the comfort of my home is make it clear where I am going. Thankfully, the law dictates that I am to be kept fully informed as to what is happening and where I might be heading. If plans change, either my Castellan or Housekeeper can pass on this information.


    Einervaene... The only reason she would be coming home would be if she has something that can resolve this. It was a tearful affair all that time ago, when she left in as much secrecy as we could all give her. But, when that ship left the docks, she was fully aware of the stakes and why she had to leave. This question of my blood''s purity and the exaggerated assumptions about the one I have married, at worst, I will be executed.


    If the worst does come, my daughter will have no inheritance to fall upon so that she may go on to live her life. Not one piece of wealth will be to our name, something which will serve as nothing but a curse in her life. The common folk might not care unless there is some authority dictating otherwise, but the nobles will. If she ever does manage to rise from the pits she unjustly ends up in, they will push her back down into them.


    I cannot think of much that I can do, admittedly, my efforts to gather funds to do what I can to help her are being interrupted by these senators. If I do any more then I am giving them all they need to put me away into royal custody. Yet, I am also in a very privileged position right now. The Senate is growing to believe that I am unfit to rule my lands which I have otherwise been fine in doing ever since I returned home to take up the position.


    With their choice obvious, I can be quite reckless and simply live up to what I know is already going to happen. I can go and finalise the deals and transactions I have been forced to sit on because of these politicians. If I move with as much haste as I can, otherwise bound by decorum and my clothes, I can get the last of my available resources mobilised. Shipments of goods to come here, troops and mercenaries to clean up the land with greater diligence than usual.


    For whatever reason it has taken Einervaene so long to get here, I can comfortably rely upon the other individual of note in the land''s concurrent, great rumours. Brewbrt, he has come with her, powerful and as capable as ever! I guess that means I should also make sure all my staff are fully aware that Einervaene is likely with a foreigner... But, how much has he changed physically, I do not know.


    Wind magic has its telltale signs like the power of lightning so blatantly does even to the most accustomed up on these flying isles. I rise to my feet with an uncertain jaw, seemingly upsetting some of the senators as I move to leave the chamber. The member of staff by the door bows respectfully and the door starts to slide. A chair squeaks horribly against my floors.


    "And where do you think you are going!?" a senator demands to know before the guard behind him steps close. Their weapon''s edge not near, though their hand is certainly loud in reminding them all of how easy it is to grip handles.


    "That is The Lady Bosphama to you!" the guard snaps as my Castellan rises to his feet. His heavy, ornate armour rattles and bangs as he otherwise walks up quietly.


    "Back to your post," Joastelan orders quietly before he looks upon the hair-raised toga-wearer, "It is My Lady Bosphama''s right to walk where she pleases within her home. Lest you forget, I suggest you mind the banners on man and stone."


    I bring my servant along with me once she is done with the door, "I will be heading to my office to sort some things out. Please go and find Oorika and bring her to me, time is of the essence and we cannot afford to waste any of it not preparing for Einervaene''s return."


    "The Lady-Heir has been found!?" the servant girl questions as she nearly trips.


    "To my despair, no, it is only a matter of hope and certainty at the moment. Now please, go." I explain and remind as I forgo the usual habits of nobility and enter my office without assistance. Scrambling for all that I need, I dump it on my desk and scrape what I can out of the way. Slowing down, I stop and look over what I have, turning to the direction of my secret vault. Heading in its direction, I instead pull out the disturbing gift that my daughter gave to me somewhere after half but not a full decade ago.


    A famous Jhermonikra school, Suhurlodst as the container states so clearly before the wind people''s lengthy naming blurs my mind...


    "While I hope my daughter has not undergone any great changes since I was last able to see her... I will need to make sure that this gift from Hycidna Aaedrii is put to good use. I do not like what I see my precious daughter go through in it... But, it is our best source of what she is most likely to look like now." I ramble to myself before my office door is opened with a display of magic that makes it clear who it is.


    "My Lady Bosphama, you sent for me?" Oorika asks as she steps in and stands to attention.


    "R-Right..." I go as I try and collect my thoughts amongst everything I have half-done so far since entering the office myself.


    "Sit down first, My Lady Bosphama." Oorika encourages as she steps around and pulls out my chair. I do as asked and with a trembling hand, I put the magic recording down onto my desk before looking up to her.


    "When the senators go to the guest house for tonight, I need you to gather all those you can. The men most likely to be posted on external sentry duty most of all." I say as my eyes keep going towards the Jhermonikra engineering.


    "Of course, My Lady Bosphama. Anything else?" she nods in response as the rest comes to mind.

 Incline 32: Lord Burspharosa

    Taking a seat on the front aisle, I prepare myself as the members of the Talliers finish counting the votes. I have full confidence that the result will be something I am ever so delighted to hear. Yet, I would still like the word to be declared, I want everyone within this storied chamber to hear of my will. The final votes are counted and someone steps up with an official decree.


    "By a lead of fifty-two, totalling at five-hundred and fifty-two. It is hereby declared by the Senate of the Eusorochii that The Lady Bosphama is unfit to rule her lands. In accordance with her right to a temporary regent, this will be passed onto her by those who handled the investigation. She shall be relocated to the grounds of the Imperial Palace so that she may recover and be further judged on her health."


    I nod slowly as many under my influence presume to cheer on my behalf. Rising to my feet, I leave the chamber, paying little attention to the calls of my faction or my opposition. Confused servants quickly open the Senate Chamber doors and I go out into the halls of the greater building. Heading for my office, I continue to ignore whoever is calling for me.


    With a resounding click of the lock I make sure the door is secure, yet, I cannot let go. I manage, but, on closer inspection, I see how my hand is trembling so very slightly. What I want is reality now, so why am I still concerned about the Lady-Heir? It doesn''t take long for me to figure out and why would it?


    Just because a declaration has been made here does not mean the effect is instantaneous. Unlike what a book or story might lead children to believe. The investigation must move quickly otherwise the Lady-Heir will be able to halt this whole affair. Her return would make her regent, but, my efforts to deprive her of the lands she is entitled to would circle back here.


    I look towards the place I have safely stored the painting away and I move towards it. Slipping the unsuspecting item out of hiding, I uncover it and frown at what it shows. A fair woman with proof of blood finer than even the Imperial Family. The painting goes back into hiding and the fingers of my left hand find my desk.


    Taking up a small bundle of scrolls, I rest them in the folds of my senatorial sash and the side of my body. This is an affair I cannot afford to go past my sight, I need to be as close and involved as I can get. By sheer circumstantial luck created by my unceasing efforts to see this whole Bosphama affair through, I have accrued several privileges. The right to step down from my senatorial duties for time off, time I can use to walk amongst the royal family to observe The Lady Bosphama myself.


    Bringing out one of the scrolls, I look it over and make sure all of the details I put down some time ago are still valid. I find myself huffing in bemusement, something I have been preparing for so long is so close to being over. Yet, one mistake now and it will all come undone, not just my efforts of the past few years, my whole family more or less. The efforts to grow our power and influence, the lands we command and the wealth they can provide.


    If the Lady-Heir makes it to her mother as she is in the painting, she will not be investigated like she should be. After all, why would anyone in the Senate agree to such a thing? A goddess amongst mortals will be walking through these very halls. The skies will not crack and roar with lightning and thunder, they will sing in homage to the God of Creation himself and this adopted daughter of his.


    Ceremony and precedent will all go further back than the honoured elders are in the chamber... The easily swayed mobs which we are supposed to be greater than is all that they will become. The memories we have of a copper-haired girl with blue sparks will be forgotten and dismissed. Many will not be able to understand how they were ever convinced she needed to leave.


    "How did you find such power, Lady-Heir...?" I question quietly, under my disturbed breath before I stand tall. Moving to the door, I unlock, open and relock it before heading towards the building''s internal administration. Senator Caetusi just so happens to approach me as I walk.


    "You are still required within the Senate Chamber, Senator Burspharosa." he tells me with little care for what I am otherwise occupied with. This does not stop him, however, from following me as I continue to get my articles in order for the low-born workers.


    "The vote was tallied, all that remains is for you and the others to deliver the verdict." I speak back to him as I reroll a scroll back up after having peeked inside for a light-handed check.


    "The Senate was not just called for that. You yourself had been barely seated before you rose and departed without the right to do so." he rightly points out, but, I ignore his complaints regardless.


    "As far as I am concerned, it was. Now, get to what you need to be doing, Senator Caetusi. Unless you plan on drawing this out as much as you can as well?" I ask, putting into question the oath of neutrality he had to take prior to being officially put onto the investigation team. The double-faced nature of it in regards to me doesn''t matter, so long as his associations with The Lady Bosphama are made clear.


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    "I intend to deliver the news as soon as possible so that you cannot find further ways to torment the isolated mother -you- have made her out to be."


    "Not for much longer..." I mutter as my concerns regarding the Lady-Heir once again come back to haunt me.


    "Speak up, Senator Burspharosa, this is unbecoming of you." Senator Caetusi dares to say. I stop alongside him and turn, our eyes meeting as the sky''s natural actions fill out our ears. The glass of the building sings its song as the panels shake and rattle under the strain of such strong skies.


    I take a step closer, keeping my eyes in line with his, "I can see why the low-born chose you to represent them."


    "Save the flattery for those in your pockets."


    "You chose the wrong people to back you, Senator. She will be separated from everything that she can offer and her promises will melt away."


    "The Lady Bosphama is not the only one offering their support, Senator Lepiaciai has been more than coming with offers."


    "I encourage caution around him, though a veteran with such a blatant eagerness for duelling. That does not mean he is entirely honest. An officer''s tent can be just as treacherous as the halls of politics, Senator Caetusi."


    "Yes, you are quite the example of it, aren''t you? Going around to the homekeep of the Bosphama clan to observe their daughter for the sake of one of your sons. Only to then head such savagely long abuse of their family name based on something that cannot be proven."


    "It can be proven, that is why I must take my leave." I tell him as I turn away, intent on getting back on track with what is essential. The young man, emboldened by the way he has spoken, puts a hand on my shoulder.


    Though his grip is light, he still finds a way to remind me of the strength he carries in his spirit, "I sincerely hope your efforts fail. On the honour of those I have not been able to help because you have otherwise clogged the Senate with this obsession."


    I nod, bearing his words in mind, "I will remember that going forward, now, unhand me."


    Senator Caetusi does so and I go back on my way, "So shall I tell the rest of the Senate that Lord Burspharosa believes himself above it?"


    "You will tell them nothing, my situation will be made publically available once I hand in these notices." I say back to him, knowing those under my control will handle the fallout should he live up to his threats. Then, once it all becomes clear, all any of them will be able to do is grumble or follow me.


    I arrive at where I need to be and my occupied arm finally feels the freedom of no more weight. Flexing the wrist of the arm, I watch as those within the Senate''s internal administration go about their jobs with little focus on me. It is an interesting thing to watch, such is the misery of those within places like this, but the wise will have nothing but respect. The choices we make in the chamber only come to us because of these tired-minded men and women.


    Someone finally approaches, "Senator Burspharosa, how can I help?"


    "I am here to call upon the time off I am otherwise entitled to." I answer as I gesture to the pile of proof and pre-done legal handling.


    "Right... Let me see..." he mutters as he goes over what he has on hand in the nearby shelves and racks.


    "Go on, hurry up, don''t keep Lord Burspharosa w-waiting!" a nervous woman goes as she shuffles on over to help find what they need specifically.


    It arrives before me just as I lay my hand on what I have brought, "And something to write with?"


    "Of course, sorry!" she goes before a quill quickly comes back to me. Leaning forward slightly, I write down my signature where I need it and return the quill. Turning away and departing as what I have given them will handle the rest.


    Stepping down the front steps of the Senate Building, I turn around and gaze at is as I arrive at the final step. Ornamental guards in fine armours and wealth-studded but still deadly blades, a building that goes high into the sky as if it were a mountain. Even further above, the very defining feature of our land and the gift that made it in those ancient times none shall see again. Turning away, I forgo my personal transport in favour of a more publically available rickshaw.


    Though, being the property of the Senate, it is far more accommodating than what I might find in the otherwise wealthy capital. Going up onto the back of it, the driver stands and acknowledges me with a magic-filled salute. I personally pull over the cover and lean back into the cushioned chair as the man starts to pull me out of the senatorial grounds. Putting a hand to my lips, I cover them as well as keeping my thoughts to myself as the relatively quiet premises of the Senate make way for the city proper.


    Securing a forward brace with my most capable foot, my other hand grips the handle as we descend the Deralapioline Hill. As the slope down ends, we are taken off of the road and my puller turns around to face me, clearly wanting a direction. I hold my thoughts regarding the Lady-Heir at bay and try to think of something. I''m personally in the mood for something like a garden right now, away from the opulence of the city and the resources its district councils have to flaunt.


    "Take me somewhere green, blessed by Pluuit." I answer the unspoken question and the man gets to it, setting off at a steady pace. Magic starts to affect the rickshaw but it is not him, but, rather, the infrastructure of the city itself. His Imperial Highness'' way of influencing the city he rarely steps foot into properly. I pay my respects to this peripheral display of the man I will soon be submitting myself under the gaze of.


    Using my left thumb to gently scrape the inside of the lazy fist its hand has formed, I consider my situation. A deep breath leaves me and my eyes lose their focus on all but what only my mind can see and hear. I am going to need to arrange for my residence within the Imperial Palace for whatever reasons I can find, or, maybe, I shall just stay there. Concerns within the staff and Royal Family should be otherwise occupied enough that I am ignored so long as I keep to myself.


    The Lady-Heir''s image flashes in my eyes once again and I sigh, thankful at the very least The Lady Bosphama is going to be on the move...

 Incline 33: Brewbrt

    "How''re you holding up?" I ask Einervaene as she tries her hardest to keep looking back to where we had just stopped so briefly. A sign of particular importance is all alone back there, one with such welcome news. Her home is so close by.


    "I... I... I can''t believe it''s actually happening..." she struggles to answer, shifting between what seems to be either unwelcome tears or a smile.


    I return one, even though she cannot see and gently nudge her shoulder, "If life would have it, I am pretty sure I can tell which of the settlements I saw earlier belongs to your family."


    "Can you describe it to me?" she asks quietly as she turns my way, her cleaner-than-usual bandages being a good sign regarding her injuries.


    "A large place, with a square base made of cobbleore, right next to a serene, clear water lake that is otherwise clearly a moat. Even with all the little gardens around its edges. Lots of floors, lots of angled roofs that run off like horns of their own. It seemed like there was a small, mostly internal dock within the lower walls as well, by the lake." I try to explain as I do what I can with my one good eye.


    "And the banners...? The flags?"


    "I can''t see any, I''m afraid..." I tell her, knowing full well that this is a concerning thing. If the flags are down, the lord or lady of the residence is not present within its walls. Hopefully, it is a simple trip Eratheen has found herself on, rather than anything more concerning. I spot a group walking down the road after they emerge from one of the carefully arranged forests away from us.


    "Oh, mind the wagon, Dear." a mother tells her son as I slow down.


    "Excuse me, is that the Bosphama residence that way?" I ask, somewhat spooking the group with our injuries and wounds.


    "Uh... Yes, yes that is The Lady Bosphama''s home... Is there something going on the way you have come?"


    "No, there are no problems, we just had some issues travelling through a wet area during a bad storm." I explain, somewhat calming the woman before she goes on her hurried way. Quick, motherly-aggressive pats on the back moving the children ahead as we get going again.


    "It is nice to hear someone''s words confirm it. It''s been so long since I last saw this place that I was starting to doubt my memories..." Einervaene remarks quietly as I put an arm in front as we go through a dip in the road.


    "I understand there is a lot of happiness in you right now, Einervaene, but, prepare yourself just in case." I caution her as we get past the point I have to look after her physically.


    "I feel as if the only thing I need to prepare for is the chance to be happy... To have all of this finally off of my shoulders and mind. I am more than prepared to be miserable some more." she melancholics as she attempts to look the way her home is. With a little help from me, she gets it right and she can''t help but ''stare'' that way without pause.


    "I guess there is some luck to Eratheen not being home, we can get you all healed up before she sees you again. That way, you both can lay eyes on each other and I won''t get beaten into mince meat for allowing the injuries to happen!" I joke as well as I can, though, I only get a slightly bemused huff from her.


    "It''s not your fault I am blind, Brewbrt. A spear in the dead of night is not something you can blame people for." she tries to explain but I shake my head at it, even though she cannot see me do so. A sigh follows it up.


    "I fought through each and every one of them to keep you safe, Einervaene. I should''ve been wise enough to keep my magic actively searching for potential threats rather than assuming the weather would keep it all away."


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    She puts a hand against me after patting me to find a good spot.


    "Brewbrt, no one in their right mind would slight you for such assumptions. We never even had an idea that there was anyone after us, let alone men like that."


    I sneer at myself, "You were chased out of your home in such a way as to arrive at my home in filthy rags... The idea someone would try and kill you to further their own ends should have been the first thing on my mind."


    "We are alive, Brewbrt, we are alive. Once we enter my home, my real home... We can put all of this behind us. The staff there will be more than able to supply us with the magic we need to begin the process of healing in a meaningful manner."


    "Alive and at the edge of our seats..." I grumble as I take the moment to survey our surroundings for anyone with the arms or magic to attack us. However, a skilled fighter will always approach with misdirection. Even the Valkinvar for all their power and experience treat all witches as equals until someone exhibits desperation on their face. And, as our attackers showed, you do not need to be more powerful to hurt those who are...


    There are so many complexities to battle and what we barely got out of so recently has left us both more vulnerable than ever. Thankfully, the roads are quiet, except for a convoy of some kind further ahead, leaving the Bosphama keep. I frown as I recall the kind of design these mechanically simple vehicles have, the guards escorting them as well.


    The Senate.


    "Change of plans, Einervaene, there are people we are going to be speaking to first..." I mutter as I begin the process of changing our direction so we can intercept and block these politicians. Having just left Einervaene''s home, they can certainly tell us quite a bit.


    "I don''t understand."


    "The Eusorochii Senate happen to be leaving your home right now."


    "The Senate...?" she repeats as she looks down to the floor of the wagon, her fingers pushing up against each other.


    "Any idea why? You are probably the one who knows the most here."


    "I... I don''t know the specifics, but, if they''re here and my clan''s familial banner is down all over the keep..." she says, increasingly growing fearful as her body turns recklessly restless.


    "Einervaene, stay seated, you are in no condition to be hurrying out there." I tell her, placing my hand on the fidgeting woman as her body is stuck wanting to rise but not doing so.


    "Please, hurry up, Brewbrt! Please!" she begs as she uses my hand to find my arm and then me. She rushes up close and although her eyes are hidden behind increasingly wet bandages, I know what she is trying to say with her eyes. Bringing her in close with one arm, I rub one of hers with my hand.


    "We are bound to intercept them, Einervaene, I can already see one of their guards riding up in the hopes of stopping us." I say, making it clear in my tone that I have no intention of obeying the law for this one precious moment.


    "Be careful..."


    "With how close we are to your home, Einervaene, we may be able to make it clear who you are. They''ll have no proper reason to hold this against us, then." I say, hoping that this is indeed how things work around here. Even with all this time on the continent, I have little idea as to how the nuances of the law work. Stay out of trouble has thus far been how we''ve approached this land.


    "In the name of the Senate, halt!" a guard goes as his strong-muscled mount barrels down the road towards us.


    "In the name of the Bosphama Lady-Heir, I say the opposite!" I snap back as I have our animal halt once it reaches the opposing width of the wall.


    "Move yourselves out of the way of the Senators or we will be forced to run you into an early grave!" the guard snaps again as more of his fellows ride out to join him. I huff in bemusement and rise, letting the noise of my armour do most of the talking as I drop down onto the road with a booming crash. They grip their weapons and the coaches further back start to slow down, with one of the politicians sticking his head out.


    "Get that man out of our way!" he snaps.


    "Last I checked, Senators, the Lady-Heir of the Bosphama holds more authority here than you do." I nearly spit, confusing the men enough to make more of them peak out from their coaches. One senator even steps out and starts to walk our way, a relatively young man compared to the rest here.


    "What did you say?" the man asks as he keeps both his senatorial posture and his eyes meeting mine.


    "Why is the Senate so close to my home!?" Einervaene demands to know as she struggles to rise to her feet amidst the inability to see.


    "What is the meaning of this?" the Senator asks as he steps closer. I move aside and tilt my head her way.


    "You best get to explaining why Einervaene here will not be seeing her mother by night''s arrival." I order with a low tone as the Senator''s raised hand stops the guards from acting.


    "One of you, ride for the Bosphama keep, bring the Housekeeper back with you." the Senator tells one of his men before his eyes settle uncertainly on Einervaene.

 Incline 34: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    "What is the meaning of this, why have I been summoned out here?" a familiar voice asks and I try to figure out what direction it is coming from. Rapid footsteps start to slow down before the pace picks up. Someone stops near me and I pat my hand about, hoping to find them, however, she takes it into her own instead.


    "H-Hello?" I ask, uncertain as to who is here.


    "Lady-Heir, you have come home." this woman lets out quietly as a face starts to come to mind but I am still not sure. A name... I have no way of knowing, the name is on the tip of my tongue but I am not sure...


    "Who is this?" I choose to ask as heavier, metal-carrying steps come closer.


    "Oorika, Lady-Heir, I am the Housekeeper." I hope she answers with a smile as another soft hand goes on top of mine. Moving forward, I act unbecoming of how I am being referred to and hug the woman I can now remember. Oorika, my mother''s trusted assistant, if Mother could never be there for me, she often was.


    "You are still around." I remark, a little surprised to meet a familiar face, even if I cannot see how it has changed. She''s probably a lot older looking than how I recall her, but, I''m sure she doesn''t mind me only seeing her as a more youthful woman in my head.


    "Alright, that settles that, then." Senator Caetusi comments as he seems to step up onto the wagon.


    "Senator, what are you doing?" Oorika questions as she tightens her grip on me.


    "I believe it to be prudent that I explain the situation to the Lady-Heir in a hushed tone." he explains from my right side as I otherwise fail to pull myself out of Oorika''s grip.


    "I can explain everything just fine, now, if you do not mind, Senator."


    "Housekeeper Oo-"


    "Have you no eyes, Senator!?" she reacts with as I manage to keep myself in the wagon.


    "No, Oorika, I want to... I need to hear this now. I have spent far too long away from my home... I want my mother... Where is she, Senator?" I say and then ask, tearing up towards the end despite the discomfort it causes me. I try to find him and when I do, I grip his toga tightly as it is all I can do. He cannot see my despair,  my worries and concerns, I can only try to express them to him like this.


    "The Lady Bosphama left for the Imperial Palace a few days ago under pressure from those aligned with Senator Burspharosa." he explains sorrowfully.


    "Not to be...?"


    "No, no, the Senate has just deemed it necessary for her to be taken away from the role of territorial governance."


    "What a load of rock-hard ryphurgok messings." Brewbrt mutters under his breath as I feel the wagon shake under the weight of his back-to-the-side leaning.


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    "She will be gone for some time provided nothing else occurs, Lady-Heir."


    "But she is safe...?" I demand to know as I pull on his clothes.


    "She is, as safe as anyone can be. As a guest at the Imperial Palace, she will be under the watchful eye of every establishment involved in protecting the royal family. All external groups and regiments, all palace-exclusive groups and orders."


    "And when is she coming back?" I ask and all he seems to manage is a sigh.


    "Lady-Heir... We can only really lie as to how long something like this may take." Oorika tries to explain as she places a hand on my back.


    "All this effort to get back home and she''s only ended up further than before..." I let out as my body starts to slump with my grip on the senator otherwise vanishing.


    "Think of this as a blessing, imagine your mother''s face if she saw you come home like this!" Oorika tries to joke, but she only gets anything out of Brewbrt.


    "Said the same thing."


    "About that... Why are you in such a state, Lady-Heir? You are filthy and covered in injuries. More belonging on a battlefield than the halls of a homely keep such as this." Senator Caetusi asks as he likely starts to get a closer look at all the little things bothering me right now. The layer on my skin that doesn''t go away, the painful throbbing, the fact I cannot see.


    "Assassins!" Brewbrt growls loudly, clearly, loud enough for even those far away to hear as they suddenly turn to gossip amongst themselves in their coaches. Or around them, it''s whatever, really.


    "Assassins?"


    "Yes... They, they threw a spear at me and I''ve been blind since then... While we were travelling a place called the Copper Band Terraces."


    "I see. This changes quite a bit and I can only hope we can make it back to the Senate quick enough to bring this up."


    "The Senate isn''t going to care about some daughter being attacked!" Oorika snaps as her grip envelops me again.


    "With all that has been going on with The Lady Bosphama, without a doubt I can make something work. This wouldn''t be handled by us at all unless it became a national affair or concern, but, again, in the midst of the past few years." the Senator goes over before thoughtful sounds quietly escape him.


    "Let''s not keep you then, Politician. I am sure Einervaene will be very eager to make it into the safety of her home''s walls." Brewbrt almost growls as I hear his steps go around the back of the wagon.


    "Unlearnt as this foreigner is, I have to agree. We shall be on our way and I promise you, I will do what I can to keep you in contact with your mother." Senator Caetusi assures me as the grip I find on the wagon seats tightens. The wood creaks and I feel it snap under the pressure of my noble-blooded grip.


    "Please... Please hurry, I have what I need to solve everything that has happened thus far. I need her to be here for it, however... So please!" I beg as Lightning starts to linger in my mind with memorial echoes going off inside it.


    "I will ride for the Imperial Palace as soon as I am able, I will seek residence there and explain what I can."


    "Gods and goddesses be with you, Senator Caetusi. You have done more than enough for My Lady Bosphama already." Oorika tells him and the wagon rocks as his feet meet the road.


    "Hopefully, the next time we shall meet will have me being the bearer of good news." Senator Caetusi likely waves farewell to as I hear him walk away.


    "Guess I best move this off the road." Brewbrt comments as he gets up.


    "No, don''t worry, I shall return to the keep with the Lady-Heir." Oorika tells what I can only guess is the guard who brought her here.


    "Hurry up now, get moving." a guard remarks as Brewbrt whips the animal into motion. I start to lean to the side, falling against Oorika as my exhaustion starts to get the best of me. A hand rubs my dirty hair and a far more easily shared source of magic starts to pass into me.


    "Try not to fall asleep, Lady-Heir, I will have my staff sort a bath out for you as quickly as they can." Oorika whispers soothingly close to my ear. I nod with a grumbling moan and try my best to keep myself awake even though all I can see is the dark.

 Incline 35: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    "Lady-Heir, the bath is ready." Oorika tells me as I otherwise keep my hands to myself in whatever kind of chair I am in. I don''t know what to do, this is my home but I do not want to spread my filth across it. There is comfort to be found on this chair yet I am refusing to use it.


    "Ok." I acknowledge as I find the arms of the chair slowly and carefully. Gripping them, I get up out of the chair and ensure my feet are secure on the ground.


    "Here, allow me, please." Oorika goes as she moves to grab me. Sighing, I accept the help and go along wherever it is she is taking me to specifically. The floor starts to get warmer and my bare feet feel as if they''re peeling as we walk deeper. Oorika''s grip tightens as my foot strikes something, making me act out suddenly.


    "Damn my circumstances..." I moan quietly as I find my footing again.


    "We have gone through the effort of enriching the bathwater, Lady-Heir. You should find yourself feeling far stronger once you have soaked thoroughly." she explains to me as she takes one of my hands towards something to grab. Tightening my grip on what seems to be metal I bring my other hand over.


    "I will do this on my own..." I tell her, starting with my bandages as the need to fiddle that has sprung up in recent times means I know where to start. Going through the motions, I reach the final wrap-around before gravity dictates the rest. Oorika takes the bandages away and I look away as she gasps.


    Her hand cups my chin and moves my broken gaze back her way, "Please, Lady-Heir, allow me to help."


    "How bad is it?" I ask as I hold myself back from trying to cover the air-exposed wounds. Maybe even touching the wounds themselves to feel how deep the cuts are. I sniff, paying close attention to how strange it is to breathe with a chunk missing out of my nose.


    "Your mother would move all the lands into the sea should she see you like this..." Oorika quietly answers before I fight off her attempts to help me undress.


    "Leave me be, please." I request of her, but, I can''t help but feel like she is shaking her head.


    "I understand that living on your own for so long might''ve seeded a strong sense of independence within you, Lady-Heir. But, I cannot in good con-"


    "Oh, enough of that! Leave me be!" I snap as my hand starts to hurt from how firmly it is squeezing.


    "I will remain beyond the door until you are done. Please, Lady-Heir, if you need me, just say so." she explains before I hear the door open and close. Frowning my desecrated brow, I sigh as I try to keep a mental image of my hands present. Patting about to find everything, I take it all off and throw it to one side. If only to ensure it will not get in my way.


    Coming to a stop, I look towards what I hope is the door as my fresh set of clothes crosses my mind. I shake my head and feel for the strengthened water, cautiously shuffling towards it until I am able to grab the sides. Going quieter than usual, I try to remember the last time I was able to have a bath, a proper one in a good tub and a nice building. Gods and goddesses, it must''ve been years ago, sometime before I first stepped foot on a ship again.


    Reaching into the water, I feel my external-magic freeze up in a way. I smile a little, nostalgic for that time I shocked myself in my first bath at Brewbrt''s home all those years ago. The smile vanishes as I then recall the arms that nurtured me afterwards. Slipping into the water more so, I clench my teeth and sit down as the difference in temperature otherwise threatens to burn me.


    It lingers and stays to the point it is becoming uncomfortable, but, I stay in the water. Finding a slope in the tub wall, I lean into it, only to be surprised by a soft, cushiony sensation. My mouth opens as I recall that the baths at home have all these little differences. So many things bothered me in my time at Suhurlodst and all over Jherikra.


    I guess I can find some closure in it all coming back to mind now.


    Bringing an arm up through the water and bubbles, they splash and pop as I reach for my hair. Going through the process of undoing my hair, I feel strange with how difficult it otherwise seems to be. An odd thing given how I can usually do it without even watching my hands usually... I sigh as another strange whistle leaves my carved-up nose.


    Yet, I prevail nonetheless and I gently force my finger through the final braid to undo it in its entirety. Making sure at least one hand is firmly secured on one of the grips on the bathtub, I start to slip down into the water. Only keeping my face up once some of it slips into my nose, otherwise burning the tender, exposed flesh along the way. A hand cups some water and I feel it all mostly leave my grip, only a tiny bit remaining in my palm.


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    It trickles onto my thankfully mostly wet head and I shuffle my knees up. Moving to the edge of the bathtub, I go onto my side and stare at what must be one of its sides. Impatient but otherwise understanding of my circumstances, one of my hands lazily rubs a part of me that is submerged. I am a noble of Eusorochii, but, I need the element of the Grand-Kingdom to help me right now.


    "Guess... Guess I wait now, I suppose. Wait for Mother to come back, call on Lightning and put this all behind us. As well as we can, anyway." I ponder as I go back onto my back, my head finding comfort on the cushions again.


    What strands of my hair do find the water I fiddle with in the hopes of cleaning it of whatever mud I picked up at the Terraces. Taking one of my arms away, I raise it above the bathtub, past the protective plating.


    While I do not let my magic come out, I am still able to somewhat see it thanks to the training I underwent at Suhurlodst. I can somewhat see my hand and the magic within, an unsightly blue clump of volts. Bringing the hand closer to my face, I think about how although I was mostly useless, I think I was able to kill some of my pursuers. In the manner the bathtub has been geared to preventing...


    "To think I once had my life in jeopardy over a bath." I mutter before taking what water I can and rubbing my lower face with it. Splashing my legs a little, I hope to get some of the looser muck off into the water, though, I would love to actually know if it''s working. I sigh loudly and pat around for anything that might be a loose cloth or towel. Finding something it falls into the water as my knees go above it, the moisture trickling off to the point of feelable near-dryness.


    Placing the wet cloth on one leg, I look towards the door and contemplate Oorika. Shaking my head, I get to scrubbing and visualise the circumference of my legs. The muscles in them are harder than I recall them being, which is almost delighting in a way. With all that I have found myself doing since I originally left home, it felt odd to be so soft-fleshed throughout it.


    Long gone and meaningless as it is now, I still have pride in the fact I defeated a stronger creature like the wyvern I fought to save Nin. To think I did that whilst I was otherwise still a noble lady on the run from whatever is after me here. My washing slows down as the hardness of my newfound athleticism reminds me of someone whose name has already passed my mind. I''m home now.


    Vadei, Liadanann, Nin, Tiyanat, Omb, Larishazza... Even Quinshuu, isolated as he otherwise wanted himself to be.


    If they came with me or even some of them, I''d be able to show them around my home. They could meet my mother and provide me backing against any would-be teasing or doubt from anyone, really. I would probably still be able to see as well, though, admittedly, how Tiyanat and Larishazza would be treated would be a concern. Liadanann for that matter too, she hates Thurnmourer and still did when I last saw her and the people of my land love the Thunder God.


    My mind goes back to Nin and I come to a stop.


    "I wonder if those here would see the same things in you as I do... Did? Did..." I remark, settling on what I would rather not as thunder from far outside somehow warps to sound like him. At least, the sounds I only ever really heard when I finally decided I had enough. It''s been years and that sound still terrifies me, funny, really. I am blind but a noise that is soon to be ancient to me is what will probably keep me up at night for far longer.


    A hand covers my face and I start to tremble under the burden of the thoughts in my mind and not the cool air. I have Brewbrt, yes, but, I wanted to come home with those lot, I wanted my friends to be with me as I walked through the gates. I wanted to be able to tell and show Mother that not only did I survive my exile, I thrived and found people who wanted to hold me up. All these years of being away from home because of the colour of my magic of all things and I would have come home with people who didn''t dismiss for their own petty pride.


    "If they want Mother to be away from her halls because of causes of concern regarding her ability to rule... Maybe I would be able to take her to Jherikra, to go and meet everyone? If they''re still around, anyway." I contemplate, finding myself feeling hollow as vile pessimism finds its way into my words.


    No, I''ll be able to see them all again, the years will be kind to us, they will be. Gods and goddesses make it so, I want to be able to see their smiles again when I cross the Thunderous Wind Gap again!


    Moving forward to wash further as I find some energy to move, I stumble into a problem, I can''t really do my back...


    "Oorika." I call out with a quiet tone I hope is loud enough.


    The door slides open and she likely steps in.


    "Yes, Lady-Heir?" she asks as a bit of water drips down from my brow and past some of my injury.


    "Can you finish off what I have missed, please?" I ask of her as I shuffle around, moving what hair I can feel around to my front. Yet, with it feeling weird to have it all on one side, I split it up and the normally professionally strict woman lets out a giggle.


    "Your mother will be very happy to know you have kept enough similarities to how we last knew you as." she remarks before something goes into the water with a popping gollop.


    "I just don''t like it all together..." I mutter with a slight pout before water rushes down my cooling back, giving it much-needed warmth. A slippery block finds itself going across my skin and bones and the build-up of bubbles, though physically light, I am able to pick up on it.


    "I recall, you often undid all your expected hairstyles for the sake of your braids and tails." Oorika giggles again as she passes the soap into my hand from within the better grip of a moist cloth. I get to rubbing my front with it, working around her efforts to clean my arms.


    "You haven''t changed much, have you? I don''t remember you giggling this much..." I comment, a little surprised at how vocal she is with her amusement.


    "It''s temporary, Lady-Heir, until your eyes recover so that my smile will suffice once again." she explains close to my ear, with a noise that only really comes with a smile goes down it.


    "I would rather hear and see both..." I comment as I splash some water in what I think is her way.

 Incline 36: Lord Burspharosa

    "I sure do hope that the arrival of you lot is meaningful. To request that I come so close to the Senate whilst I have my right to bear a sash on hold." I explain to the members of the investigation team as I look over the menu of this modest establishment I happened to have been walking by when they found me.


    "We would not if it wasn''t, Lord Burspharosa, it is regarding The Lady Bosphama."


    "The Lady-Heir, specifically." another adds on and I raise a brow as this is an odd thing for them to come to me about. They...?


    "You ran into her at some point in your journey?" I question, lowering the menu and sharply raising my hand at the waitress that was going to approach. A shame, really, what is on offer had otherwise piqued my interests but my appetite will have to wait, it seems.


    "Right as we were heading down the main road away from the keep." one man explains and I lean back into my chair, going upright as my brow sets. My eyes seemingly aimless in where they are looking as my mind comes to life with all kinds of warnings and concerns. Any question about the resources she might have at her disposal are now answered. Whatever The Lady Bosphama had prepared, the Lady-Heir now has access to them.


    Every coin, every armed man.


    "Her state?" I ask, the painting so vibrant in my mind. The man who painted it is reliable and he can be trusted, quite so, but, to hear it from the words of a senator under my sway. I almost feel as if I need to prepare for poetry that only waxes and never wanes. However, their eyes do not communicate such a sentiment, they are worried to the core.


    "She had been attacked, she and her companion had been struck in the night by assassins. Or so Senator Caetusi passed on openly. They nearly took her life, though, she was only blinded in the affair." one tells me and I slowly nod as it is easy to see why he would be so willing to speak up about it. What better way to stop my efforts than to spread a rumour of the Lady-Heir''s life being at stake? And who better to centre it all on than on me...


    I have ordered no attack, such a sly, barbarous thing I swore off to all who know of my plans. The need for such things is beneath me and I will not taint my name with it.


    Yet, there is something curious about this as well, with how powerful her portrait would otherwise set her up to be, how was she attacked? More importantly, I suppose, who found the courage to go after such a person as her?


    "Has there been any talk as to who did it?" I ask, putting the menu down completely, leaning forward slightly as to encourage a quieter tone from the senators.


    "The Lady-Heir''s guard, a foreigner from far north, beyond the sea, he complained a lot about spears. His armour had otherwise been punctured and his body on top of it all."


    I clench a fist tight as an image of an individual comes to mind, I glance towards the building we find ourselves seated outside of, "Partahinobi."


    "You didn''t...?"


    "No! Cease such runnings of the mind right now if you wish to continue to see further support from me! I shall not be associated with such creatures!" I hiss with a lack of control as a firm finger finds its way to the face of the foolish boy sitting across from me.


    I sit back, straightening my clothes out as my bitter temper calms only slightly.


    "Who could''ve possibly brought them into this?"


    "Senator Lepiaciai..." I nearly spit were it not for our public presence.


    "I understand he leads those who stand against you, but, to take things this far!" a member of the investigation goes as The Lady Bosphama comes to mind.


    "The Lady-Heir left the country for more reasons than just me and the sake of ensuring Bosphama power through her lack of ability to testify in a senatorial court." I clarify as I begin to recall a lone letter I sent to The Lady Bosphama some time before the Lady-Heir''s disappearance reached the Senate. I advised her to consider keeping the Lady-Heir out of the eyes of everyone, more so for my own sake than hers. But, I also told The Lady Bosphama about her daughter''s return, so, maybe there is more to me than I am willing to admit.


    "I would''ve thought a man so brazen and open to defending his honour in duels would be more... Upfront. There has been no talk of an unlawful army moving with a criminal senator at its head." one of them mutters and I can''t help but nod in my head before a form of despair takes me over. I can foresee such a sight, but, not Senator Lepiaciai or any of those under him, but me. Marching against the cover of which the Partahinobi choose to hide behind.


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    For the sake of my own threatened honour and good word... I may have to. I will take the orders and the bloody money he paid the assassins and present them to a lawful body. I shall drag that man in with it and accept my punishment once the right, vengeful time arrives for me in turn.


    "It is easy to forget, young senator, but, life in the army can be just as cutthroat as a life in politics. In fact, more so, or are you all lacking in historical schooling?"


    "A mere mistake in secretarial work saw the death of the Man who Held up The World." one of the senators laments earnestly, the prominent historical figure coming to mind likely for all of us. Though, some find it cause to act like children and their eyes roll.


    "A perfect example, really. That man, so beloved in the histories of our people was slain not by an assassin that nearly took the Lady-Heir''s life, but a royal guard. His family still lives on, in the same palace I hope to find myself in. But, we should never forget that just because Senator Lepiaciai and his like are from hard-formed infantry of a rigid disposition that, that means they are incapable of considering the silence of night." I go on in length to the men present.


    "Lord Burspharosa, if I may, how are we to handle this? The Lady-Heir has returned home, only, it has created a situation far worse than we could''ve expected and through no fault of her own."


    "As far as the rest of you are concerned, you do not handle it. I alone shall take these matters into my own hands and I wish for you lot to spread the word of that to all that you know to trust." I explain to them as I turn partially towards the direction of the Senate building.


    "The Lady-Heir is going to be quick to blame you... Everyone will."


    "Let me worry about that, Young Senator. Now, I must take my leave. Help yourselves to some rest and a meal on my behalf. Have the bill directed to my estate, but, the imperative for me to move is here and I cannot ignore the horns." I explain as the sky opens up with the power of our most honoured god. Its power reminds me.


    "Yes, Lord Burspharosa, you are lingering?" one asks as my continued presence keeps their eyes on me.


    "With how powerful she is, how did she come to you wounded?" I question.


    "Powerful? Her hair is... Well, copper, she''s filthy but her paleness strikes out quite a bit." he answers and I nod, walking away without a word.


    Copper?


    "No... No that cannot be right." I mutter under my breath as the painting comes back to mind. Her skin, her hair, it''s all finer than even what the royal family has coursing through their veins. The skies themselves would bow at such a beauty, how can her hair be copper? Either there are more concerns I need to involve myself with or something else has happened out of my sight. Neither option bodes well.


    Returning to my private coach, I do not wait for a servant to open the door and my knuckle quickly alerts the driver to get moving. Leaning into one of my finer, cushioned chairs, I start to slump down as my mind wanders over all that I know and have been forced to put into question. A thumb braces itself below my chin and the rest of the hand finds my lips and nose. Swiftly, I slip the hand away, briefly abrasing my face against it.


    "I suppose I should take these new potential circumstances as a gift. If the Lady-Heir has lost that which has had me so worried up until now then... I can focus. Senator Lepiaciai or whomever ordered that attack will be put beneath my sword and they shall bleed unto death itself. With copper hair and pale skin, she cannot rally anyone to her cause, much less so blinded." I mutter to myself.


    The slot to the driver opens up from their end.


    "Where to, Lord Burspharosa?"


    "As quick as you can to my closest estate."


    "Of course, My Lord." he answers before sliding the slot closed again.


    My eyes narrow as I recall what I have available at my closest place of residence and how far it is from what I can muster. I will need to bring it all together beyond the lines of note and then move in quickly from there. The assassins think they are well-hidden, but, only to those not in on the secret behind The Finest Cut''s methods of cooking. Such fame for succulent, weekend carvery is not misplaced, but, to know where it has come, what honed those skills.


    "I will need to also muster what I can at my most secure estate, rally family and soldiery alike." I comment, a finger twitching at the thought of a retaliatory strike against the family I have done so much for. If the Partahinobi are able to track down the Lady-Heir so quickly, they will have no trouble finding my family. Though, I suppose, if I can keep my incursion bloodless, wounding only their pride with the presence of my knife to one of their throats then they should be fine. But, I have not gotten so far on optimism.


    If someone from Senator Lepiaciai''s faction wishes to see this done to me or even the veteran himself, then I shall find them all wanting. No one shall make such a move against me and be free of the threat I possess so eloquently in my hands. Hm, even more so, should The Lady Bosphama have it be proven to her that I am not the one responsible. I might even find myself allied with her, if only for a tense moment.


    "Such is the way in the jar of venomous serpents." I utter quietly as I reach forwards to pull on a handle. Sliding it open, glass rattles and I move my hand into the container, pulling out a finely locked book before closing it. Withdrawing a quill from one of the unsuspecting feathery decorations in my coach, I begin to write down my thoughts. Something I immediately start off with by quoting this disappointment I seem to have at the prospect of copper hair.


    The Lady-Heir''s return has been building up to something otherwise divine and almost prophetic, yet, I now receive words that defantisize the whole affair. I want them to be true as much as wrong, having seen such beauty and being enthralled as well and intimidated by it in equal measure. Such a sight would ruin me, yet, I would feel so much younger for having done so. Troubling times indeed, such troubling times indeed and I can glance out even just the window of my coach and see peace in the streets.


    "What sort of omens have you brought with you, Lady-Heir, Einervaene Bosphama?" I ask the gods so that they might be able to relay this message.

 Incline 37: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    A hand shakes me out my thoughts, dreams...?


    "Who''s there?" I ask as I move upright with their help. My pillows quickly find themselves moved to support my back and my quilt slips off my shoulder as my arm moves.


    "Oorika, Lady-Heir." she answers, I nod and smile in response before trying to recall which way she is supposed to be. Her hand guides me by the chin before it returns to her side most likely.


    "What time is it?"


    "We are well within morning hours, Lady-Heir, do not feel as if you have missed anything." she explains as I move to rub my eyes, only to stop as I provoke the wound by accident.


    "How am I...?" I ask as I begin to focus what magic I can towards them. Please, gods and goddesses, let me see again, please... I don''t want to have come all this way with Mother''s image slipping from my mind only to lose the capacity to renew it.


    "You are looking better, I think, compared to when we first remet outside the keep. However, I will reserve myself so that Doctor Constfritine might leave me better informed."


    "What has he said so far?" I inquire as Oorika starts to help me out of bed, leaving me on my own only briefly to fetch me a morning gown. Letting her slip it on, I then take matters into my own hands once the soft and smooth belt is in my grip.


    "He seems to be of the belief that you will be able to make a full recovery, however, he is still looking into what he will need to do to resolve your injuries." Oorika explains as she starts to guide me out of my room and into the hallway.


    "Welcome back, Lady-Heir!" some members of staff go at once, causing them to giggle.


    "Hello..." I greet, nervously waving the way I think they are. Only, my cheeks start to burn as Oorika brings my hand the other way.


    "Get to cleaning, you lot." Oorika sternly tells the girls.


    "You don''t have to be angry at them."


    "I am not, however, they must remember what they are." the disciplinarian goes on to say.


    "So why does our doctor need time? Surely he can just give me the magic I need?"


    "Vast in reserves as men of medicine are, Lady-Heir, he still needs time to look at the finer details."


    "One reason to miss the Jhermonikra, I suppose." I comment quietly as I swear everything happened much quicker over there.


    "Be patient, Lady-Heir, do not let yourself be confused by the lacking details in your head." she chastises as I pick up on a lovely smell heading our way. Only, my excessive sniffing of it agitates my nose and tickles it as my wound serves as an exit whole.


    "Can you at least agree that my nose needs to be fixed post haste!?" I complain as I come to a stropping stop before I freeze my arm as it approaches the wound.


    "The Doctor is working as quickly as he can, Lady-Heir."


    "I know... It''s just... I can''t sleep properly with my nose acting up like this. I can''t even enjoy the scent of the gardens because it keeps... Graaaaah!" I vent as Oorika''s grip gently tightens, a hand rubbing the back of the one she is holding.


    "Lady-Heir, patience. We are all working as hard as we can to nurse you back to full health." Oorika reminds me and I go quiet as I pick up the pace. She stops me and opens the door I nearly walked into before guiding me down to a chair. I sigh as the humiliation continues with how Oorika needs to now treat me like a baby. I didn''t like Brewbrt doing it, but, here it is worse, so many people can see...


    Putting my hands together, I try to keep my only understandable sign of frustration in check. Someone walks close and a waving sound disturbs the air, Oorika starts to mutter-read. Looking away, someone seems to kneel down at my side and I lean their way before bouncing back as I touch the chair side. My fists clench as I quietly groan.


    "Lady-Heir, it is me, Chef Anayakis, do you remember me?" the soft-spoken woman asks as a plump hand takes my closest one.


    "I... I am sorry, I do not." I explain and I hear the disappointment.


    "Do you remember the food you had once upon a time?"


    "I do." I quickly answer, my love for the meals I got out of the kitchens here being quite the problem in Jherikra. Brewbrt tried his best, but, when most of the food was clearly intended for a different kind of people... I just wish I am able to see the food I am soon to be eating, rather than having someone describe it to me.


    "Will you be able to answer me with a yes or no for the next question?" she asks.


    "Ok?"


    "Spark-percher sweetmeat rolls." she states and my mouth opens, my back straightening.


    "You have some!?" I ask, recalling one of the first things I did when I arrived in Brewbrt''s town proper. I stuffed my face with as many as I could make and have before that morning turned hectic.


    "Not hearing a yes or no..." Anayakis drolls at length.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "Yes!" I snap before Oorika pulls me back.


    "Lady-Heir, manners." she reminds me with a gentle pinch as something goes along my hair before being taken off.


    "What was that?" I ask as I reach for the disturbed hairs.


    "It was a menu, Lady-Heir." Oorika explains and my mouth opens as I nod.


    "Oh." I go, disappointed my imagination can''t go wild after reading everything listed on it.


    "The Chef wanted to show me what she believes is best for you right now as a meal."


    "Good food." I answer for her and Anayakis if she is still around.


    "Ideally, we want you to be having heavier, denser foods rather than the more traditional lighter meals. Possibly snacks in between depending on how easily you get through it all."


    "You better not be making me eat some rock-hard bread or disgustingly fatty meat..." I gag quietly at, making Oorika gently remind me to show proper etiquette.


    "Your health comes first in times like this, Lady-Heir. Please, bear that in mind."


    "I know... I know..." I moan under my breath.


    "Know, however, as the Bosphama on the road to ascension once the time comes in the distant future. It is your right to request what you want." Oorika huffs bemusedly at as she comes down closer to my cheek to play with it.


    "I want to enjoy myself, I don''t want to worry about my eyes if only for one meal." I say before the doors to this place loudly bang open on their slots.


    "There she is! You''ve been cooped away for far too long!" Brewbrt cheers as he walks in without the sound of armour following every one of his steps. I smile at this, it''s been so long since he''s felt it safe enough to go without such protection. Though, he is also probably glad to be without such now-damaged steel.


    "I have needed time to make sure everyone is aware of what has occured." Oorika explains, seemingly offended at the fact she has otherwise kept me to my room so I can rest.


    "Much as I would normally agree, Brewbrt, I am thoroughly useless right now."


    "Nonsense, here, I''ll even let you have my hand and we can go for a walk after breakfast." he suggests with a jolly chuckle, but, I can''t help but attempt to look away and frown. I know he''s not trying to make me foul, yet, his words make me so. It is nonsense that I am useless, however, I need his hand to get anywhere these days.


    Anyone''s hand, even.


    "The chef came in not long before you did to ask me what I wanted, would you like some of it before she can help you with your food?" I offer up to Brewbrt as it is the least I can do compared to all that he has done for me. Though, I am still of the mind to be greedy even with this suggestion.


    "Maybe a spoon or fork or whatever it is you use in these palaces."


    "This is a keep, only the Imperial Family has the right to palaces." Oorika corrects with what sounds like a firm step forward.


    "Calm down, Maid." Brewbrt dismisses with what I assume to be a wave of his hand.


    "I am the Housekeeper!" Oorika threatens to hiss before I try to find her hand, which, luckily, I do. Trying my best to get her to move down, I also attempt to turn my head towards the noise of Brewbrt''s voice.


    "Brewbrt, I understand this sort of teasing is what you do with me just fine. But, these are professional members of staff, this is a lot different to what you might be used to." I caution me and Mother''s shared friend as his tongue clicks.


    "Been governing my own cut of land for longer than you''ve been alive..." he tuts and on the inside, I smirk a little as if this is how he wants to play, then, I am more obliged.


    "Oorika, are there any guards in the room right now?" I ask my home''s Housekeeper.


    "Indeed, Lady-Heir, gentlemen?"


    "Armed and present, Lady-Heir!" several men call out with the dramatic drumming of their heavy weapons.


    "Poke the unarmoured Jhermonikra with your weapons'' blunt end." I order, smiling with the evil of a jokester and eliciting a giggle from Oorika before footsteps fill the chamber.


    "Oooh, careful, food coming through!" Anayakis complains as a welcome smell disrupts the complaints and mild insults now departing Brewbrt.


    "This is a smell I have long missed..." I let out quietly as my mouth, otherwise dried out by my increased need to breathe with my mouth at night. The uncomfortable nature of that fact being noted, though, I try to feel for anything that has a porcelain, dried clay or glass feel to it. Liquid swishes and a cup enters my grip.


    "There you go, Lady-Heir." Oorika says as she continues to help me bring the cup to my lips.


    "Thank you." I tell her once I have enjoyed a thorough series of sips from it. It''s water mostly, but, there are flavourings, whatever it is, though, I cannot tell as the item floating in the drink is not so obviously seen.


    "I hope you don''t mind, Lady-Heir, but, I would like to see your first few bites!" Anayakis squeals quietly as the plate is treated as if it is a musical instrument.


    "The sauce is thick, right?" I ask just in case as I am not really prepared at the moment for messy eating. Regardless of the strict head of staff looking over my shoulder right now.


    "I have already prepared the precautions." Oorika explains as she tries to emphasise them to me. Acknowledging however I am able, I bring the food to my mouth and blow on it a few times.


    "Do not worry, Lady-Heir, we prepared much of this while you were still sleeping. Kept hot but not tongue-scorchingly so." Anayakis explains as the heat that otherwise isn''t bothering my fingers is clarified. I am not too sure right now what my tolerance is, but, it is nice to know that the keep''s head cook is so forward-thinking.


    Biting into the sweetmeat roll, I try to hold back my squeal as the almost sickly, pulled meat oozes across my mouth. Hands come together on my right and I think I can hear Brewbrt moaning about the guards as he moves forward to take what he is allowed. The chef and him get into some kind of bickering that Oorika further interferes with. It''s hard to acknowledge, however, especially with how good this all tastes.


    "Oh, there are just some things I could never experience properly outside these walls!" I nearly cry as I giggle in the build-up to my next bite. I feel it pop out across a finger and I quickly move to lick it clean, the warmth on my hand guiding my tongue. Sometimes, I even take only the slightest of nibbles of each component that I am able to reliably find. On their own, they are good and together they are amazing!


    "Hey, Eineravaene, how these compare to the ones I made you?"


    "If..." I start to say between bites before Oorika''s hand reminds me, "If I was to compare them, I''d put it like this. If they were both islands of Eusorochii, no one would cry should yours fall into the All-Coast to be pillaged by the Desert Sailors."


    "Such grim despisure!" Brewbrt chuckles as it sounds like he tries to take another.


    "Last one for you, Old Man!" I snap joyously as I quickly sum up which one is the worst filled and smallest.


    "My word, bring you into a castle and you become someone else entirely." he remarks with mock offence and I giggle with him.


    "Head Chef, if you''d please, now may you make something more appropriate for-" Oorika starts to say.


    "Anayakis, please go and make something for everyone currently present in the chamber!" I cheer interruptedly as I quickly find another sweetmeat roll on my own. Biting into it as the skilled cook laughs jollily.


    "As you command, Lady-Heir!" she goes as she leaves.


    "I''ve known the Lady-Heir for so little time and I am already prepared to stage a coup for her." I hear a guard chuckle to himself a little too loudly.


    "Speak in such a manner again and I shall have the Castellan drag you in a shameful state to be decimated!" Oorika snaps as she likely turns to them.


    "Oorika, it''s fine, let the guard have a moment."


    "But, Lady-Heir, the severi-"


    "No buts! Only good food!" I order as I hopefully take a cheeky mouthful in her direction.

 Incline 38: Brewbrt

    "You going to be alright on your own?" I ask Einervaene as I rise up so I can go and take care of matters more concerning to me right now. I would like to stay at her side, but, right now, I have the only real opportunity I''ve had in a long time to properly look at my gear.


    "I''ll be fine, Brewbrt, I have Oorika with me near nonstop!" she tries to be jovial about as I ruffle her hair, earning more ire from the housekeeper. Smiling as I spot Einervaene''s, I move away and wave back at her as she''s made the point to wave at me. It disappears as I reach the door and I stare back at the deep-going line of cut-up body. Bit of everything, really, eyeball matter, bone, skin, tiny bit of flesh from the nose and something less physical but known by all.


    Closing the door behind me, I glance down to my feet as I flex my toes across the stone. Pulling at the baggy not-trousers around my legs, the air goes up my legs and I get moving. I come to a stop by the first set of stairs leading to one of the many gardens within the Bosphama home and frown. The sky lights up with divine proof and some birds slip in from outside the keep''s domain.


    A fight breaks out between them and what are likely the birds that live in the gardens. Putting a finger against a thumb, I squeeze tight and a sudden breeze catches a bird on the glide down. Frightened, they fly off back to where they came from while the resident animals hide deeper in their homes. A member of staff rushes in with a tool of some kind, confused as to why their work is no longer present.


    "Duds." Joastelan greets as he comes to a stop next to me, his relatively light armour not picking up much in my ears when he moves.


    "Toast." I greet back as I turn towards him, fiddling with the clothes I had been given on the first evening here.


    "The men at the forge wanted you to know that they have set the place up for your work." Toast explains and I nod as we start to walk in the direction of it. I''ve tried to make sure I properly understand the layout of this keep, but, my mind just isn''t what it used to be. No ancient ruins recalled at the drop of a hat, now, I can''t even keep one corner in recollection.


    I look his way, catching a curl at the end of his lips, "Spit it out and get that smirk off your face."


    "So... How''s the side?" Toast asks before I find myself baffled at first, a deeper meaning known but not so quickly clear.


    "The armour''s holding up so don''t even."


    "I do believe I''ve warned you often in the past about how badly that ancient, green bronze is going to hold up." the moron laughs as his ornamental mixture of painted iron and practically knitted-together plate is shown off. I backhand my knuckle against his gut, caving in the musculature and finding his belly.


    "Oh, don''t give me that look. We''re going somewhere to hammer it out anyway." I scoff, giving him his smirk back via one of my own.


    "Do you know how long it takes to repair artisinal pieces!?" he complains one notch below full-on screaming.


    "Less time than it will take me to realign punctures and fill them out. Never mind that the armour uses pre-Liquid Mountains technology. I swear... Going to be spending enough time as is recalling ancient words and concepts." I tell him as I cup my chin and I recall where I left my encyclopedia about all the ancient technology I have in my possession. The uppermost pocket on the left side, under my stash of travel sweets, yeah.


    "I know you have your passion for those that came before but, why haven''t you moved onto something modern? This isn''t your youth you three-century-old coot." Toast idiotically goes on and I scoff before any words come close to my mind.


    "Don''t like it." I answer laconically so I don''t have to go into depth regarding concerns with both the Valkinvar and the Seven-Peaks Union. At least with my ancient stuff, I can keep up the easy recognisability I have been able to establish with those who do patrol near my town. Though, that''s become less and less needed since the borders started abruptly shifting closer to Thurn''s Forge. Can''t imagine that leads to good prospects for the ancient bridal-warrior order.


    It is true, however, I do not like modern equipment and over nothing contrarian, it is quite simple why: it lacks ingenuity. A lot of modern gear, especially in the five lands that never had to deal with a turned-off source of magic wholly embrace what they are. There''s nothing inherently wrong there, but, it limits what the mind can create when there is this reverence for what they can do. Ibenoroccons quench in the densest arcane stream they can, and Eusorochii artisans fuse swords together shard by shard and cut ships straight from the islands.


    It''s all focused on the magic they have and that is becoming increasingly a thing in Jherikra mountain-states. Some still look towards our ancestors, but most do not, the Wind-Mountain awakening quickly caught the imagination of our land and the fear of others. It''s all about how this chest piece can prevent lung-crushing spells or how this conical faceguard can focus your voice like a cannon. Nothing like the ancients did where they compensated for all they lacked by working it into the very runes of the armour, the art is power!


    Shame there are no experts on the subject, though, I can''t help but feel a lot of the old magic is trickling away over the years...


    "This way, Duds." Toast comments as his hand latches onto my shoulder, nearly pulling me off my feet.


    "L-Let me catch up!" I growl as I hop back onto both feet before I can properly walk alongside him again.


    "Better not be like that down the stairs or you''ll put your back out."


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "More likely to break them." I huff as I test how obnoxious I can be with my recovering internal-magic and how it affects my weight.


    "Speaking of things not broken, about your foot..."


    "Wear socks you damn sparkies." I remark as I continue to feel the smooth sensation of polished wood under my heels.


    "The foot of your armour, the one you know I am on about." Toast clarifies as he finds a moment to stop. Going slightly ahead, I turn back towards him as he seems to struggle to find the words he wants.


    "It''s annoying is what it is, if you want my opinion on it if you are considering doing the same to your own armour." I presume to answer to see if I can get even the slightest smile from him. What I get, however, is the look of reverence, something I know is much easier to find within a temple or beside a shrine.


    "How did you come across such perfect ore? On your approach, I was considering sending out some men because what I and others were able to sense got the hairs standing." Toast asks as he rubs the back of his neck, his mind guiding his eyes in the right direction.


    "Anvil-Peak." I answer quickly and his jaw opens up.


    "It''s... It''s real?" he doubts and it comes as no surprise given how we tried to find it before as part of Eratheen''s last want for an adventure. Even though it was our last outing as what remained of our group, I struggle to remember why we stopped proper. Eratheen needing to go back home always seemed like an excuse to me, I do not know why.


    "It is, Einervaene found it by sheer circumstance as she was journeying with a friend."


    "How do you find something like that so casually!?"


    "Joastelan, our main lead, the main lead of everyone when it comes to finding the mountain is the city of Thurn''s Forge. The Redstone Canyon is a fairly obvious hint."


    "Come on, you know historians call these bluffs out all the time. It''s dramatic flair to make a city sound special!" Toast goes and I tut disappointedly, hiding my smile.


    "And that''s why I got to see Anvil-Peak and not you. Outside of my thunder-gold-soaked foot, I can even show you something else." I explain, my smile widening as the professional soldier starts to nod like a child. Or, maybe I should wait until Eratheen is back to provide this as to not potentially spoil the prize? No, I would like to see it again, Einervaen sort of forgot about the gift I got her back at Anvil-Peak...


    Maybe, I do not know for sure. I remember so clearly how she held it the morning after I made it but as the days went by after she came back with that power. My eyes dart to the nearest corner of the hall and Joastelan steps forward with narrow eyes. Mine meet his and a hand starts to gently tap my arm.


    "Come on then..." Toast demands mutteringly so.


    "I want the others out of the room once we are in there, however." I make a point in saying as while I trust Toast, ironic as it might be for those who know him. I do not trust anyone else in this keep apart from Einervaene and the missing Lady of it.


    "We''ve long since purged the grounds of anyone under the influence of the Senate or Lord Burspharosa."


    "This isn''t about Lord Who Cares and politicians, this is about ensuring the safety of an irreplaceable gift." I explain, thinking back to the visions I received in that pool of water and what Thunder otherwise claimed. That man had strange knowledge and power, whatever it is he was, Einervaene managed to find her way home with a way to help Eratheen. There''s also the matter of whose name he uttered upon closer interrogation.


    Thurnmourer.


    God of Creation, of Thunder, of the Furious Storm and the strength it circles the skies with. Defender of Mortals and Saviour of the World, He Who Walked Amongst Us to Guard Us. A god that may not cover everything, but one who finds himself honoured in all cities and temples. Though a shrine might be for someone as forgotten as Nosungril or even the Dead God of the Stars...


    All must be made, all are created, the child that once cried thrice for another is the root of everything.


    "Alright, you lot, out for the moment. Our Honoured Guest needs space." Joastelan orders the people within the keep''s forge and they quickly do so with little fuss. Any work they might have been doing long since accounted for. The heavy, reinforced door slams shut by its very nature than by intention and I turn to one of my old adventuring partners.


    Moving my head towards my bag, I make a point of undoing the magic seals keeping my hoard safe. Pulling out what found itself at the top of the bag due to its frequent use, I hand them over and he sets them up elsewhere. The stuff I need to keep safe comes next and I arrange them personally as I will need to consider my options with how my magic''s been so far. Finally, I pull out the lock box that has otherwise been used as a support for my back, keeping it flat and straight.


    "Getting this in here would''ve been much easier if you unpacked it." Toast complains bemusedly as I take the lockbox keep out of its small, hidden bag pocket. With an energised click, the ancient safe comes to life and I quickly disarm the next layer of defences with rehearsed dexterous precision.


    "On my armour, you see thunder-gold, in this jar, the storm itself." I explain as I bring it out before putting it down on the table. I keep his hands away and emphasise the age-old advice of eyes, not hands.


    "I feel like I''ve gone on a pilgrimage to the Emperor''s Temple..." Joastelan goes as he otherwise tries to get as close a look as he can whilst I hold him back.


    "As you can see," I say, rotating the jar so that the inscribed name is clear, "this belongs to your future master."


    "Strange as it is to say, Brewbrt, I''d rather she have something a little more showy. Give Lord Burspharosa and everyone else really what matters!" Joastelan jokes and laughs and I nod slowly as I put the jar back into the lockbox. Putting it back where it belongs, I get to looking over my damaged plate, sorted out by those Toast sent out.


    "Your forge staff are aware I basically need this entire area for as long as I am able to be here?" I ask, just to make sure.


    "Yes, it took some convincing when it came to the Housekeeper, but, she relented. The forge staff will be briefly heading out to nearby villages and doing what they can from their blacksmiths and any small factories they might have." he explains as I put the thunder-gold armour into my grip. Looking on the inside and resisting the urge to give it a curious sniff, I look at how the steel has been affected. It might as well be gone, as if it was replaced.


    "Strange stuff, this ore is." I remark as I can''t help but pass up the idea it is spreading even though it''s been cooled to a chilling touch for some time now.


    "Don''t think you realise how lucky you are to have something like that on your armour. That stuff is rare, even in the richest mines for it." Toast explains and I can''t help but laugh, if any of those miners saw the utter body of it bubbling away at Anvil-Peak''s base. Pretty sure I even heard the odd rumour that the big-heads all the way up at Suhurlodst couldn''t figure out how to handle that stuff. So raw with the power of a god that they had to lie about being able to do it.


    "I was about to challenge that claim with how I was treated by those who attacked us back in the Terraces... But, giving it much needed and welcomely quick to arrive thought. Yeah, yeah I am very lucky to have had it happen to me." I say to Joastelan as I think about how the assassins acted around me. Clearly, I wasn''t the target but many lost their focus and thought I was. They were after gold and this here foot kept them on me for the most part.


    And that good luck charm with Einervaene''s name on it... I am quite liking the idea of it playing a part in putting her in that farmer''s home.

 Incline 39: Lord Burspharosa

    "Senator Burspharosa, by order of the Senate, you are to disassemble this unlawful gathering at once!" a man atop his mount barks to me with a small procession of senatorial guards.


    "It''s Lord Burspharosa, Senator Hirallustoppai." I correct as I am not bearing my sash at the moment. While this will not prevent anything from being held against me, I am hoping it will at least confuse them enough. More so that the senator confronting me in particular at the moment is, or, was, one of my supporters in the Senate.


    "You have already long since crossed the line, you must disband your troops and face trial!"


    "I will be heading to a court under my own right." I answer as I motion my modest gathering of skilled, professionals closer towards the capital. My men have already seized one of the gates close to The Finest Cut with the support of those loyal to me. We must plunder that place for the sake of what is currently my main concern within the Senate.


    "LORD BURSPHAROSA YOU WILL CEASE AND DESIST IMMEDIATELY!" the impotent man roars with all he has as his senatorial guard wisely backs away. My troops carry on and I have my mount move closer to the Senator so I can properly look him in the eye.


    "Hurry along now, you shall have your explanation once I have my proof." I tell him coldly before whipping my animal the right way, its strong legs speeding us along back to the head of the private army.


    "Word is the city is unsure of what to do, there''s been nothing reported either around the known secret exits." my commander informs me as he makes a point of keeping his voice down even with the march of sword and spear so close behind.


    "Remember, we go in and out, straight for that facade and we leave without a fuss. The blame will all go on me so do not fear for your own." I remind those closest with a louder voice as we come to spot a crowd by the gates. Travellers and city-dwellers trying to get in and out and offering resistance because of the inconvenience.


    "No weapons men, no weapons!" my commander reiterates as we pass under the triumphal arch placed before the gate on the interior.


    "What''s going on here!?"


    "Who in the gods'' name do you think you are!?"


    "JOHAT!? STOP RUNNING OFF YOU STUPID BOY!"


    "Not much different from a protest or gathering, is it, My Lord Burspharosa?" my commander asks, his unwelcome amusement not eliciting much from me.


    "Keep your eyes open, they might not know at the moment, but as we go on closer to them, they''ll know." I caution before looking back towards the gate as those that can be spared move to rejoin us. The city entrance otherwise resuming its normal functions at great risk to the safety of my men.


    Meeting the eyes of one young boy watching us, I pay close attention to the uncertainty and awe in them. He''s probably read a lot regarding the history of this great city, how the laws came to be and the way the events have played out. I cannot control the minds of the people and for all that I do yearn to become master of, the mind is not one of them. Rumours shall spread about and those with me, my banner clearly present on all of their standards and ornamentation.


    This is no coup, I want the people of the city to know that, we are not here to pillage or plunder our own kin. I am not sure how blatant I can make it, but, even with the careful selection of my most disciplined men, I can''t help that worry still finds my mind. Once The Finest Cut comes into sight, I will need to have the men move quickly and well so that we can focus our force on it. Any unwitting diners shall be removed from the premises and I shall seize what I am after and that alone.


    The care shown to the citizens of the royal city, however, shall not be shown towards those of the Partahinobi or their employment. Distinct as they might be for their famed sense of honour, I shall not go in with a stupidly clueless sense of awareness. They are first and foremost assassins, well-trained at that. The idea of a hidden dagger isn''t extinct amongst them just because they are spearmen of the strangest type.


    A scout comes running down the road and I raise my fist.


    He drops to a knee, sweating and panting, his armour likely steaming him alive, "My Lord Burspharosa... They''re likely growing more aware, we must move now."


    "How far?" I ask our guide and he quickly narrows in on what street we are travelling.


    "If we pick up the pace now, we can arrive with no time for them to prepare." he explains as he points and shows me. I gesture for them to go about and spread the information.


    "My Lord Burspharosa, your orders?" my commander asks and I look back to my men, my grip tightening on the reigns of my mount.


    "Onwards." I answer plainly as I let the harsh thwack of the harness carry my order further. The speed of my beast making my intention all the clearer with people rushing to get out of my way as barks and heavy paws striking the road alert them. Spotting the focus of my ire, I dismount and send my creature further back as I step towards the restaurant. Those dining are confused at first, but, as my men come rushing onto the scene, some start to mildly panic.


    "What is the meaning of this!? Explain yourself now!" one patron demands of me as soldiers move to secure the premises on all sides. Wagons and crates are moved about and several perch from the roof of the establishment before I even reach the door. The masked guards of this place lower their weapons at me, the tips coming dangerously close to a quick skewer. They back up as rows of swords and shields clash behind me, the unified, firm strike on the entrance path unsettling the otherwise well-equipped restaurant staff.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I have them seized and disarmed before I kick the doors open, my magic crackling and my sword present.


    "The Lord Burspharosa, a surprise to be sure." an elderly man greets as he slowly shuffles in from elsewhere while stroking his long, grey beard. A well-kept thing that could serve as rope if need be.


    "Make the order and have your men stand down." I tell him, quickly deducing that this man is the highest authority on these grounds.


    "Why, whatever do yo-" he starts to play me off with, only to stop as my sword finds his neck and draws blood. My power otherwise crackling his flesh and skin.


    "Do not make me repeat myself." I say as more and more of my men march in and establish themselves about the restaurant. Guests are taken as hostages and those who resist are swiftly beaten to the ground with disturbed guts and stomped feet.


    "Very well." the old man says before he rings a bell. A knife sheaths behind me.


    "Off you go now." I warn the waitress who had snuck up on me as she goes around with a wet cloth to tend to the old man.


    "Would you be willing to take a seat, Lord Burspharosa?" the old man asks as he otherwise has the girl stand aside, his wounds not all that severe despite their location.


    "No, I will not be."


    "I will, however." he says as his old bones crack and pop on the way down, a relaxed groan leaving his mouth as he props his back up straight.


    "For the sake of everyone here, I suggest you do not try to draw this affair out." I tell him as I put my weapon back in its sheath.


    "I am no mind reader, you will need to give me an indication as to why you have come."


    "For what reason could I possibly come?" I question, taking a step forward and leaning towards the old man as more and more of his people are brought out under watch.


    "Nothing has been ordered against you or your family, Lord Burspharosa." the old man admits with the bowing of his head and my eyes narrow.


    "No, you just took a job to go after the returning Lady-Heir of the Bosphama clan." I make clear as he strokes his lengthy beard.


    "I am confused..." he may or may not sincerely remark.


    "And I care not if you are, you will have someone show my men to your document stores and you -will- hand over the request that paid for the attack." I explain loudly so that everyone throughout this entire, detestable place can hear me above the rummaging of my men. A girl screeches and is quickly forced down to the floor, a foot on her head right after.


    "The privacy of our clients is something we take very serious-" the old man explains before an unnatural bolt of lightning strikes high above the glass dome near enough to his current table. His aged eyes watch the sky and my power strikes again as I glance at an abandoned meal. A fairly typical meal by my standards, well-organised and decorated with richly coloured sauce teeming with oil bubbles. But, with the one trademark that betrays this cover-up of an institution, the fine cuts of meat.


    Rumour has it that the Partahinobi have all their recruits train as chefs for most of their early years. Each becoming famed in their own right from as low as a simple tavern to the Imperial Palace itself. Their semi-protected nature as an organisation coming from that involvement with His Imperial Highness'' gut. A steak may be fundamentally different to the heartbeat-filled flesh of a man, but it has its lessons that it can teach.


    "You will give me what I want." I tell the old man as his options for what he and his people can do run out by the second. The stories are all quite fond of speaking about how capable these assassins are, striking down strong targets with ease. But, that''s all they are, stories of a group versus... One.


    "My dear, do we still have the request brought in during our previous business arrangement?" he asks a girl who is then quickly shoved forward and smacked about in a rough check for weapons.


    "Do not seek to protect Senator Lepiaciai''s name from me." I almost growl, but, to my surprise, the old man tuts.


    "Not him, Lord Burspharosa, not him." he clears up before he makes a point of gesturing for some of my men to follow the girl.


    "Keep your swords up against her back, her limbs otherwise restrained." I order on top of it as my commander sends otherwise idle soldiers after them. A piece of pottery clinks on wood and I glare at the old man as he helps himself to an otherwise abandoned meal.


    "For your sake, I hope you aren''t planning to test my patience."


    "I understand the kind of man you are, Lord Burspharosa, angering you will not bring well-being to anyone. I will make a point of acknowledging how we will burn." he remarks as he cuts up a small slice of juicy, red-in-the-middle meat. The utensil holding it squirms in the sauce, leaving behind some attritioned, loose strands before it drippingly rises to his mouth.


    "Good, if luck so happens to not be with you this day..." I mutter, touching my blade as I eye the exposed neck of someone my soldiers had discovered to be armed. Though, I am somewhat curious as to who might possibly be imperial secret police and who is a member of the Partahinobi.


    "Despite your transgressions against us, Lord Burspharosa. I am fully prepared to allow all you have set out against us to leave with full respect. Compliments of the restaurant may be taken and we will forgive what you have done." the old man explains as he takes the moment to wipe his lips of grease and dry them of sauce.


    "A strange offer, I have to admit."


    "If you have found out about what we tried to do to the Lady-Heir of the Bosphama then you will already know she is still alive."


    "Incompetence on your part?"


    "No, we''ve been to the site of our many dead. Shields broken like glass fallen from a badly made frame."


    "Not one of them left that place alive." I huff, impressed by the strange circumstances of what happened. The Lady-Heir was last seen with copper hair and pale skin, yet, all of her assailants are dead. Such a degree as to leave the Partahinobi scared for their own safety. How curious.


    "We knew the job was going to be hard, going by what the rumours have told us. Only the disgraced or the volunteers were allowed to go out onto that mission. Whatever caused such bloodshed is a dangerous thing, one would have an easier time buying the loyalty of a thunder-shogun."


    "Hm, there''s an idea." I mutter under my breath as the doors swing open again, a sealed scroll in the girl''s hands. Once she is close enough, I snatch it out of her grip and open it up, sneering at the blood money as it rattles to the ground before giving it a quick read. I shut the scroll back up and turn to the exit, satisfied with what I am not in possession of. I don''t quite recognise the signature on the container, but, that is beside the point.


    "My offer is sincere, Lord Burspharosa, damaging as it might be to our finances and reputation." the old man calls out as my men start to file out. A few taking the offer and quickly being reprimanded by hypocritical officers. One even thinks he''s being sneaky by using his knife idly as he passes a plate which mysteriously looks all the lighter afterwards.


    "Good, do not let me find a reason to come here again." I tell the old man as I leave The Finest Cut behind with my soldiers forming up behind. My mount is brought back and formations are reformed as I turn my eyes towards a place that will prove more difficult to get into.


    The Imperial Palace.

 Incline 40: Senator Caetusi

    "The Lady Bosphama, how are you adjusting?" I ask the tired-looking woman as she seems to blankly stare at the desk in her guest room. Though, compared to what I am used to seeing, even with the capital such a potent image in my mind, it all feels excessive. But, this is the right of the Imperial Family, the wealthiest and most powerful group in all of Eusorochii. Such as it is that they''ve managed to avoid most of the strife that has affected our lands throughout time because of their raw power.


    Rumour has it that they are linked by blood to our patron God of Thunder.


    She sighs, "I''ve have received news that my daughter made it home once again..."


    I look away slightly, recalling how she reacted when I first told her this in person to confirm it, "All I can really say to this is... Be glad, be glad she made it back."


    "I am but... I want to be there with her, I want to hold my daughter and..." she struggles to get out before she silently covers her eyes. I watch as her body trembles slightly and by the time her face escapes her palms, her sniffs are distorted.


    "With what has happened to her, I wanted to also come here to talk about any plans you might have. The Lady-Heir has her travelling companion and now the resources of the Bosphama Keep but there are rumours." I explain partially with some expressions handled by my free hand.


    "S-Such as?" she asks and I tighten the grip on my senatorial sash.


    "With the kind of target she is, all sorts of groups are being suspected. Some are simply there for the sake of seeming impressive, but others are serious threats. It is hard to know the kind of resources these shadowy organisations have at their disposal, though, I do not believe that means we should be lax."


    "If I can get a letter out to my housekeeper or castellan, I can have them make use of the resources I was able to acquire. Additional guards, new gear, mercenaries even." she explains as she comes short of fully looking my way.


    "Problem is that they''re not letting you..." I point out as we share a collective sigh.


    "Please, Senator Caetusi, you are my only means right now. Please..." she begs as I look her in the eye, nodding to it shortly after before I come up to offer my arm.


    "Explain what I need to know and I will." I tell her as she takes my arm, gently rising up in spite of her clothes.


    "If there is a time..." she mutters as she glances around at the art and inlaid gold of exceptionally manipulated craftsmanship. Such a strange thing this material is, it is near everywhere on this continent but is still revered in the same way as if we were in a different land. The People''s Colour as some see it, but, still held to such value that it is the basis for the Imperial Palace and all places within it. Gold, gold, gold as far as the awed spirit can see.


    "You are confident that you will still be able to use the resources you have amassed since you started preparing?" I ask her as I think about all the times me and the others went to her keep to carry out our investigation.


    "I am. Fiddly as the senators were, there is only so much they can check over and ensure is true. Within my keep I am aware of all that is hidden and where to find it, as are likely those who spend their lives within this monument to our people." she explains before a hand gently gestures widely at the colossal hall we find ourselves in. Each upwards curve in the roof painted with romantic realism regarding the times of myths and legends and even our history.


    Not so far as to leave even the feeble unable to see clearly but not so close either as to be touched. Like the heavens they were inspired by, they rest up there, dividing up dark, often marbled stone and lightning''s favoured ore. What we are able to see is but a small portion of what is actually completed within the Imperial Palace. Of such size is this place and the art of such a demanded quality that entire generations find themselves tied to finish the unfinished glory of our people.


    This building leaves all ashamed to claim that they are wealthy and that their homes are grand. Having been to her home, The Lady Bosphama gave the impression of a beloved ruler that let many into the bushels of her power so that they could grow. An impressive fortress of immaculate engineering and all of it is a shack compared to this ever-growing building. The original vision was so very clearly lost some time ago but the want to build never leaves.


    As we walk through the palace, The Lady Bosphama otherwise doing what she can to secretly amass a plan on a hidden note. We find ourselves at a break in the overwhelming sight of mineral wealth with walls becoming pillars and quiet towerly retreats. Out across the craftsman-dominated horizon, a whole forest growing amongst the grim triumphs of one of the princes of the land. Dragon bones are trunks and logs with ivy and moss giving the impression of trees.


    "You really do wear your origins as a man of the people so blatantly, Senator Caetusi." my walking partner remarks with an attempt at a giggle and smile. Looking her way, I hope to breed some jealousy by putting a smile on so much easier than her.


    "I am surprised you are able to keep your focus in such a place." I remark, proving my point by having my eyes take in all the further details of this grand family home. Strange as it is to consider the word applicable to such an enduring bastion of our homeland.


    "I''ve taken in my fair share of the sights this place has to offer. From my required oaths of fealty and all the way back to when I first received my titles with the Emperor''s blessing directly."


    "Ah, yes, that''s right, the nobility derive their authority from him." I breathe, trembling slightly at how strange this must all seem to the young children playing in the fields and on the metal. I wanted to be a senator because it is the best way I can help those I descend from. A position that any with the wealth and land ownership can enter.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    There are no titular requirements, but, the impression of it is there. I could never be a low noble or anything in between that and a lord, I don''t have the blood for it. Yet, I became a senator, someone who can go on and make a difference in this country. Having survived it, it is hard to think about how much the maps have changed over the many, many years our country has existed.


    So much has fallen into the water below...


    I turn towards The Lady Bosphama and shake my head slightly. Her support will be crucial in my renewed attempts to push forward the legislation and reforms we as a people need to prevent the further loss of our people. Humorously, the thought of trying to marry her even came to mind. However, despite the rumours of the opposite, I know The Lady Bosphama is married and the proof was something I could lay eyes on.


    "A lesson in hidden meaning may be needed here." I nearly chuckle over as she hands me over the first of what seems to be many notes. Its meaning is lost on me initially, but, I am quickly able to catch up on all of the details she has otherwise tried to hide.


    "If your status as a senator cannot get you out of these walls without interference, Senator. I hope the covered-up intent within these notes will see you get them out of here. How much time is left at my disposal, I cannot comprehend." she explains before she seemingly loses track of her thoughts as she looks out towards what seems to be a lunar observatory.


    "So you have made these instructions capable of being handled in either short or long-term conditions?" I question and she looks back to me with a nod.


    "Yes, that is correct. Oorika and Joastelan should both be able to grasp the meaning I have written down as should you. If you are able, however, I am not against you rewriting the notes in plain Lightning-Speak for the sake of clarity. I am no leader of armies or member of general staff that handles such hasty information exchanges but I understand the importance and danger of the failure to understand meaning and intent."


    "I will do what I can." I assure her as she looks off in the distance as some kind of procession makes its way down the far end of the near-endless hall. Focusing as much as I can, I spot what appears to be one of the royal banners, though, I am not familiar with the heraldry beyond that. Especially not with how far we are from it.


    "The twenty-sixth princess." The Lady Bosphama goes and I turn to her.


    "You recognise the banner?"


    "No, I can see her beyond the movement of the dancers she likes to surround herself with." she explains and I stare at her eyes without going directly into them. It is amazing, really, she can do things like this and her power does not look out of place in the strict rules of this highest peak of Eusorochii society. All of this over the concerns of her blood and who she mixed with.


    I never got to see the Lady-Heir''s power, admittedly, but, with such an impressive mother, I cannot see Senator Burspharosa''s words having any meaning. Whatever separated this beloved matriarch from her much-loved child, I can''t help but wonder why she had to leave, the child. It is clear from her position alone that she has proven her worth before the Emperor, so why has this all gone on for so long? I guess, being a man of such low birth, I will never understand.


    "Do you mind if I ask a personal question, The Lady Bosphama?"


    "I do."


    "Very well, think nothing of i-" I start to say before a finger bridges my open lips, silencing them completely.


    "If you wish to speak personally, please, my name is Eratheen." she explains, removing the digit and I take a quick gulp as it processes in my head. I do a quick bow as this is an immense honour either way.


    "Of course, Eratheen. Do you mind if I ask a personal question?" I ask again and she nods, smiling a little, even if her expression is otherwise slightly reserved and cracking with worry.


    "Within reason..." she starts to say before shaking her head, "Senator Caetusi."


    "What caused all of this? Why do you find yourself in the Imperial Palaces of all places under constant watch by its staff." I ask, curious as to how this all came about.


    She sighs, "My beloved daughter was seen by Lord Burspharosa''s very eyes. We as parents are unfortunate in our disposition, we are arrogant and do not listen carefully enough. So even as our families mingled and grew to love each other as budding friends might, we do not pay heed to their words. Lord Burspharosa wanted to see if there was hope between our families, of a Bosphama-Burspharosa lineage that would go down the ages."


    "And he discovered that the Lady-Heir is or was..."


    "The colour of her power offended him, his sense of right and wrong as both a senator and a great lord of a powerful clan." she elaborates further with quiet, under-the-breath words.


    "A matter of blood that only grew worse as circumstances proved to be far too awkward for the situation."


    "Indeed, how can I prove my husband''s blood purity if he is otherwise years away? So far he cannot even enjoy the company of his daughter. My duty as a lady is as much to rear inheritance-destined children as it is to rule my lands in the name of my clan''s honour and legacy. But, when the time barely existed for even one child to be put into me and then born..."


    "Should we find somewhere private?" I ask as the stress of all these years gets to her in a moment I am sure she is otherwise glad to happen in this reasonably empty place. The princess so far down the hall is a blessing, really, all the attention is on her.


    "N-No... However, Senator Caetusi, as you might''ve picked up on. I still do not know your first name." she tries to laugh at so she can stop the tears that are otherwise assailing her carefully prepared makeup.


    I smile, then, frown, "You already do, I have no clan, Eratheen Bosphama. I am too low-born for such a privilege, though, in a way, I suppose my mother-given name has become a title in a way. A family title that a child of mine could take with them. Strange as it is, I have a hope that has only been strengthened by my time with you."


    "Which is?" she questions as she carefully goes about cleaning her tears with my help.


    "I would like by happy accident, my name to go down in the books as a clan name. A noble who was put into the Senate by his people so that he might save them. I want to be remembered so fondly as Senator Caetusi that the people think it is a clan of good, strong character. Unfortunately, my father is not able to see where I am today. My cause was ultimately made by him when he had to spare my life at the cost of his own as our home fell away."


    "You dream very big." is all she can seem to say as she otherwise reflects on my exposition.


    I smile, "It is from our dreams that greatness comes, it is which gives us the strength to go on."


    "Hearing this, I want one thing of this dream of yours."


    "And what''s that, The Lady Bosphama?" I ask and she gently slaps me with a tut.


    "I want your name to mean something simple, should your dream come true. I am unsure if it already has meaning, but, I want it to come to mean Good Man. As you were inspired by the sacrifices of others and the stories you were raised on, I want our future to be the same when they look back on us. Not ''Conquerer of a Thousand Islands,'' not ''Holder of a Mountain of Wealth'' or anything grandiose and elaborate in meaning. I want them to think of Senator Caetusi, the Good Man. For all the story some of the families in this land and others have... Good men, truly good men are a rarity."


    "Your endorsement is appreciated, Eratheen."


    "As is yours, Senator." she says, smiling with all she has even as the world comes in around her with such ferocious intent to crush.

 Incline 41: Senator Caetusi

    "Pardon my concerns, Eratheen, but, this looks like an extraction, an attempt to get the Lady-Heir back out of the country." I comment as I look over what she has managed to hide amongst the trays of light snacks and warm drinks. There''s a bit of everything we can get back at the Senate, though, there''s a stigma there for a lot of the Senators. Most of them are absurdly rich and it''s a little beneath them to eat public food, despite how good it is. I just quite enjoy the lack of burden I need to put on my modest budget.


    "It''s not entirely like that." she mutters before putting a hand to her chin so she can think about some more details. Glancing around, I frown once again at how the palace staff have been acting as something silent has gone around them in whispers. Whatever we are doing, this is not their concern, they''re all mobilising and moving about as if someone''s breaking in. Bewildering as such a concept is for a place like this.


    "Are drills commonplace here?" I ask in the event this is like how the senatorial guard are worked into the Senate''s greater schedule for the purpose of training. So many incidents have happened so long ago but they all inspire those who guard the halls and chambers to this day. Coups, traitors, assassinations, it''s all happened within the confines of those halls. Rumour has it, a fair few have become famous plays in other lands.


    "No, the Imperial Guard does not behave like that. They''re all the very best The Emperor''s lands have to offer to an oft-annoying degree. I have to sometimes hide drilling results to keep good men in my service!" Eratheen explains with a giggle at the end as she looks up and over at some guards bearing the imperial crest, an anvil taking in three separate bolts. Dark, almost black armour rimmed by gold and accented by rare purple cloth. A peculiar red mask hiding the faces of the men in this adrenaline-inducing steel. Unique to the scale of the Imperial Palace as well, some of their gear reminds me of skirmishers I have seen take part in senatorial ceremonies.


    Putting a hand to my chin, I stroke it as a brow rises at the difference in behaviour the guards and servants are showing. The Empire''s greatest are calm and collected while the servants are hurrying along to block and barricade the extensive system of doors. Even the most basic of halls are eerily reminiscent of a keep''s main gate and magic is going into circulation around them. The eyes of statues start to spark and glow, this newfound vision tracking me and The Lady Bosphama specifically.


    "We should get moving, perhaps?" I question as I try to see if the magic defences are able to recognise the unique way a senatorial sash is made. Yet, it does nothing, a servant just comes by and puts me back in my seat before rushing off. Turning around on my chair, I watch pointlessly as they whisper like they always do. Strange moments aside, they''re often nicknamed the Silent Staff for a reason.


    "I don''t think there is a lot we can do." Eratheen almost shrugs at as she takes the moment to enjoy one of the snacks. Some kind of hardened pastry that still manages to hold the elements of a puffier one. Whatever its filling is, it leaves a snapping and crackling sound escaping Eratheen''s slightly covered and amused mouth. I reach for something myself and put it on the modest, almost pointless plate smaller than my palm.


    Only to not eat, only look at it.


    "How are you calm...?" I ask as the sound of a heavy bar of metal comes dropping down onto one of the doors out of here. The guards shift about away from their strict, open postures and their weapons come into a ready-handed grip. Despite my already loose toga and senatorial sash, I feel the need to rub at my neck and let more air down my front.


    "Do I need to remind you of the stress I have been under these past few decades? Honestly, this is almost exciting." she perkily explains with the eagerness of a curious child and it baffles me quite honestly. Even after my small amount of time trying to help her with her legal issues, I still can''t say I quite get her as a person.


    "The Imperial Palace feels the need to lock itself down..." I point out slowly and concisely, barely holding back an atypical stutter as I do so. If something like this happened in her keep she''d be hurried to the battlements or deeper fortifications!


    She''s a powerful woman so I am not really sure how she handles things, certainly have met my share of great-blooded men who hate the idea of conflict.


    "Senator, we are in the one place in the country that is more secure than any keep or fortress. Many are daunted by trying to siege the capital itself, let alone the place His Imperial Majesty calls home." she reminds me with held-back amusement as she points out how ornate even our simple stack of snack trays is.


    "Fair enough." I say as I start to drum a finger on the clothed table.


    The door quakes violently as if a giant tried to kick it in now.


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    "We may need to move!" I quietly urge Eratheen as I get up and grab her, yet, she remains seated. Her eyes narrowed.


    "I know this power..." she mutters before the door flies open with a shower of splinters, a man cloaked in power emerging from the ongoing debris.


    "SENATOR BURSPHAROSA, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" I roar angrily as I quickly pick up on the man currently marching up to us unarmed. Soldiers follow him in, also unarmed and they get in the way of the security and palace staff. A strange mockery of what everything here is as if it''s all just some protest!


    "Senator Caetusi. The Lady Bosphama." the out-of-line senator greets as a familiar object rattles in his hand.


    "W-Wait, how did you get that!?" I demand to know as this is all too strange for me now. Why in the name of all the gods has Senator Burspharosa broken into the Imperial Palace with an unarmed army at his back with my entrance fee to The Finest Cut!?


    "You know what this is?" Eratheen asks as she steps up to the man as he cautiously watches his men be put down by the superior guard of our royal family. Armoured man after armoured man with greatening haste falls after a strike to the jaw or a shielded backhand.


    "MY LORD BURSPHAROSA, HURRY ALONG!" an officer yells back as he is forced to join the docile shield wall against what I can only imagine are annoyed royal guards.


    "The Lady Bosphama, I need you to read this." he states with the utmost sternest in his expression and Eratheen cannot help but nearly regurgitate.


    "Get away from me you manipulative bastard!" she hisses with a swat of her hand that precedes the crash of thunder.


    "Please, The Lady Bosphama, I need you to be aware of the situation right now." Burspharosa implores her as he tries to put the sealed ceremonial item in her hands. The money Senator Lepiaciai put down for me so I could enter The Finest Cut rattling away inside.


    "Leave." she cautions him as her patience for the man reaches its limits, a display of dangerous magic now sparking out of her.


    "Dammit woman, your daughter was attacked by assassins!" Burspharosa refrains himself from shouting out, making Eratheen calm down instantly.


    "Yes... You ordered it...?" she questions before looking towards me.


    "The Lady Bosphama, read this, please. I have recently raided but one home of the Partahinobi. Someone in the Senate is after her... The Lady Bosphama, please, I have been straightforward with you like this before."


    "So you can torment me..." she utters as she takes it into her hand. I slowly start to step away, a feeling of closeness with Undwote pulsating throughout my body. A cold grip is on my heart, such a very cold grip... What did Senator Lepiaciai intentionally or unintentionally associate me with!?


    Eratheen watches my backsteps from the corner of her eyes.


    "Read it, it is proof that Senator Lepiaciai or someone under him has tried to have the Lady-Heir assassinated. The attack could''ve only been carried out by them, dammit, think, why would I try and kill her with what I have been doing these past few years!"


    "Caetusi...." Eratheen says with a trembling body and voice.


    "We need to go, Erathe-" I urge her as I try to pull her out of here so the royal guard can handle whatever in the good name of the gods this show is meant to be. Only, her magic scorches my flesh with malicious searing.


    "Caetusi..." she repeats with heavy breathing as the open container falls to the ground. Coins rattle out onto the floor and a document is revealed that I am unfortunate enough to read.


    "W-W-What... N-No! I did not order this!" I cry as The Lady Bosphama''s noble blood boils with all the heat in the world. She howls animalistically as her immense magical power acts no better than a wild animal. Many are thrown to the ground but before I can even get up a shoe comes for my face.


    I scream as a trail of blood bursts from my burning skin!


    "ERATHEEN!" I roar as I struggle to adapt to the need to breathe through my mouth. My nose feeling all crushed and...


    "WHAT DID I TELL YOU, SENATOR!? WHAT DID I HAVE MY CASTELLAN HOLD YOU AT BLADEPOINT FOR!?"


    "I DIDN''T OR-" I roar back as a strange breeze seems to go up into me. Putting my hand and my side, it slips through where something should be and the bloody hand comes to my warbling vision.


    "YOU TRIED TO KILL MY DAUGHTER!" she screams with all she has, shattering windows and popping my ears. My insides are cold and the warmth is leaking away, like a well-fed sewer drain. Keeling over, I notice the bewilderment in Senator Burspharosa''s eyes as he tries to make his way through the skin-shredding aura of this noblewoman.


    "S-Stop... This is violence!" I urge the bloodthirsty noblewoman as she continues to ruin her otherwise beautifully white kimono with my blood.


    "RRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screams as her hand plunges straight towards me. I shake and go limp, slipping away on her blood-soaked arm before barely registering the freezing floor. Senator Burspharosa rushes up to me and something happens, all the guards start to block the mother away from me.


    Struggling to hold my breath, an armoured hand holds mine and I can barely think straight. So many things are filling my head, some headache this is turning out to be. I cough crimson bile and smack my lips at the familiar-tasting moisture. My grip is weaker than it should be, Senator Burspharosa''s voice is clearly loud but I can''t hear him...


    "I... P-Please... Please..."


    My family comes to mind, my life as a Senator of Eusorochii, the friends I have made and the good and bad that I have done... One thing, I manage to focus on one thing as it all seems to go black... My purpose. In the great building in the capital, where men of all classes gather for the benefit of all Eusorochii...


    "Please... Do not let... Do let... Not let... M-More... More, more, more! Do not let more fall... The cold and dark sea, it''s so, easily understood now... Hi, Dad... I''m sorry I couldn''t make you proud..."


    I can''t find it in me to speak anymore, I want to go talk to Dad one more time. The man holding me is roaring with all he has but it''s too late. Whatever I have done on behalf of another, my time has come. I cannot save those who inspired me, who lifted me up...


    "Hi, Dad..." I repeat as the thin line of light goes.

 Incline 42: Lord Burspharosa

    Closing the door, I leave it and the detectives behind and I look at the door handle once my hand drops off. I''ve been to a washroom since the murder but it seems I am too incompetent to clean my hands fully of the innocent blood that soaked them. Frowning initially, I look away as clearly marked men guide some of those I came in here with. The royal guard escorting them on top of that for what I had to pull off to get to...


    "I don''t understand..." I lie quietly as I walk off in full armour, unlike my men who were arrested shortly after The Lady Bosphama was clamped in torturous, magic-sealing chains. Following the signs of medical workers and their staff, I arrive back in the part of the palace where it had all happened.


    "Alright, that''s good, bring that ov-"


    "DO NOT DARE TO UNCOVER HIS FACE I TELL YOU!" I roar with all the anger I have in me when one of them tries to uncover the fallen senator''s face.


    "Lord Burspharosa, please be aware of your circumstances." a royal guard officer clarifies as he comes over to stop me from marching on the frightened nurse, doctor or whatever they are!


    "Unhand me! I will not see this man''s dignity taken away from him!" I snap with a stretching pull of some of my clothes. One of the guards, clearly understanding my fouled mood moves to fix up what had been done to the fallen man. His bloodied face is hidden beneath his senatorial sash once again and I bitterly sneak off to the edge of the room.


    "Lord Burspharosa, perhaps it is wise for you to go somewhere private?" the royal guard officer suggests as a couple of his men come up at his gesture. I know full well they are not here to escort, only keep an eye on me as I am otherwise on the Imperial Palace''s list of things to do. I hate myself for thinking like this, but, the murder of one of Eusorochii''s senators is of greater concern than a non-bloody break-in. Certainly is a day of all things for my efforts to be the least of their concerns.


    "Fine." I grumble as I move to head on out of the room, heading towards another where I know but one of the many private lounges in the Imperial Palace are. Quickly taking the handle, I slam the door shut and let its lock ring with a firm click. Yet, my fingers refuse to unpinch the grip they have on it and the greater door handle shakes and rivets. My fault.


    It is my fault an innocent man has lost his life so very memorably recent.


    Sighing, I put a hand to my cheek and slide it under, flicking the limp set of digits away as I head into the room proper. Pacing around a sofa, I try to vent my worries into a crushing vice-grip on the hand that held most of Senator Caetusi''s weight earlier. It is quite clear to me, how his body went from hot to cold, how the movements steadily vanished from each pore of it. My armour rattles and I come to a stop as my mind settles on older memories.


    Unlike others in the Senate, I was never much of a general or admiral, my power came as a man of the mind. Soldiery is a profession I learned by circumstance not profession. But, the concept of death is not new to me, I despise the idea of silently offing my problems but plunging a blade in myself is within reason. Blood of those I care for has been spilt rarely and most often my enemies have had theirs dye my robes and accessories to them.


    However, not once has the blood of an innocent man soaked me so thoroughly to the point it clings to my spirit, my mind. Despite the contents of that kill request, I know for a fact that Senator Caetusi is not the one to have ordered such an attack. He doesn''t have the resources to track the Bosphama Lady-Heir, much less the knowledge of the Capital like I or others might have. No, someone set him up as a scapegoat knowing what would happen if I became aware of this attack against the daughter of the woman I''ve been undercutting all this time.


    If the Lady-Heir died, this man would see my fall come as all the conjecture would lead to undisprovable assumptions about me. If it fails, which it did, then, I would not be led on a trail back to them, not one I''d be able to prove anyhow. So, Senator Caetusi was taken advantage of in the most prime of moments, right when he was dipping his feet into the waters of the Senate and nobility. Even as it became clearer so blatantly that he was seeking the support of The Lady Bosphama, I discouraged calling him out on it.


    Yet, because I didn''t, those of Senator Lepiaciai''s faction started to move towards him like they had other members of the investigation. My spies told me of the meeting he had with Senator Caetusi, I was aware they were headed out somewhere some time ago and I didn''t act. Even with hindsight, I still would not change how I acted... Going after the Lady-Heir with assassins, it''s unthinkable.


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    Senator Lepiaciai did, though, he went after Einervaene Bosphama for the sole purpose of trying to affect my plans. In doing so, he put up the well and thoroughly-understood to be alone senator as a failsafe. I should''ve not been so sure of the contents of the orders I retrieved from The Finest Cut. I should''ve been thorough and now...


    "The blood of the innocent soaks my armour for the first time." I repeat to myself with ghastly hollowness to my words as I slowly make my way to a window. Opening it up slowly, I lean out as much as I can into the sky and glance down at the ground. Shaking away the intrusive thoughts that would damn my family, I straighten my back and breathe. Narrowing my gaze at a lengthy painting decorating most of one of the lounge''s walls, I take it in.


    A duel, a quite famous one if I recall my history correctly.


    The Duel of Aeroniiea and Kojkias, often known as the Fight that Settled the War of a Thousand Warlords. So bloody had the period gone on for that the armies of the land simply quit what they were doing for the sake of peace. All that continued to fight were the two generals of the grand armies, Aeroniiea, the King of Atenbhes and the Thunder-Shogun who forsook his oath of solitary prayer and swordsmanship, Kojkias. The war ended with their deaths at the blade of the other and the land roared triumphantly.


    Many men had rallied so many more into enacting their will to the point our ancestors were glad to be rid of them, the final two being spat on rather than being honoured. Evil and good blood spilt in equal amounts in that time and for all the famous names in that period, the whiplash of understanding is incredible. The period is so in-depth with records and writing but it all happened in so short a period. A disagreement that should''ve ended in the halls of feasting nobility.


    Nodding my head with a heavy, withheld sigh, I acknowledge what I must do for the sake of our country. Returning my gaze to the view of the world, I look at what I can and stroke my modest amount of facial hair, my time for a shave near. The further intrusive thoughts are shaken away and I walk towards a desk loaded with many classical texts. Though, the room is very much built around an identity and I doubt any of them have felt dust on the inside of the paper.


    "Senator Caetusi..." I mutter as I fiddle with one of the books, letting his blood stain one of the pages as I quickly flick through it. The hardcover strikes the ground once and bounces up again for another. My hand covers my eyes and a long breath escapes through my nose. Spotting the means to write and something for it, I settle down by the desk.


    My mind comes to life and it all slips out, my plans and what I want done and in a matter of moments I find myself stabbing the quil to the desk. Rising and rolling the paper up, I apply a wax seal and let the foreign magic work its way into the easily solidified substance. Going to the door and heading back out, I rush up to the nearest servant and nearly spook the royal guards in the process. The servant backs up to the wall as my form, stained with the blood of an innocent man towers over them.


    "Get this to the Senate, go with my blessing." I tell the servant as they try to take this in.


    "Lord Burspharosa, what is the meaning of this?" one of the guards asks as I rise back up after leaning down for the short individual.


    "Senator." I correct as I start to walk to who I need to find or someone who can lead me to them. A mother has been deceived and in her uncontrollable rage, she murdered a man who played no part in that which burns her soul so bright. I will be taking the efforts to see that the coward who set him up will pay. A single man comes to mind and I scowl for only one reason despite the frustrations he has given me.


    Senator Lepiaciai set up Senator Caetusi to cover his tracks most fully and I will see them avenged. Yet, I am also in a unique position regarding my plans overall with the death of Senator Caetusi. The Lady Bosphama has now been charged with the murder of a senator with the eyes of plentiful, trustworthy gazes having seen the horrific act. She will no doubt be sentenced to death herself for the genuinely unfortunate act.


    I can''t help but sneer at myself, admittedly, my fury, my heart, it burns on Senator Caetusi''s behalf and it goes out to those who relied on him. Those who are relying on what little he was able to make for his plans... And yet, here I am, moving to secure my own long-running goals first before I even dare to go after the man who set up his death. It''s not how I planned the affair at all, I was prepared to provoke The Lady Bosphama into a state of paranoia that would''ve seen her lands stripped away and up for my taking.


    But, I will exploit the opening much the same. With the Lady-Heir most certainly not a cause for concern anymore should the word of the investigation be true. Gods above, the fact Senator Caetusi died means that The Lady Bosphama is otherwise unaware of the power she may have. She only understands it as her daughter being attacked and blinded by assassins were it not for the foreigner at her side.


    The painting is a lie, somehow, I will need to investigate the maker of it in the future for the sake of my plans in that time. I cannot have false information being fed to me, building up my worries and making me more likely to make mistakes! For the moment, though, I breathe my relief but refuse to smile or smirk over it. The Lady-Heir is not the concern I thought she was and I must make use of that.


    I cannot be too comfortable with this, however, I must make the effort to secure my plans against further upsets.


    Once I am done handling the work of decades, I will come for him. Senator Lepiaciai, I will come for him and I will see that he dies for the blood of an innocent man. Not just any, a senator. History may not understand me fully but, I pray now to the gods, all of them, let them let the world know that Caetusi, this man of humble origins was a senator of Eusorochii!


    A senator of Eusorochii!

 Incline 43: Lord Burspharosa

    "You cannot be serious... He marches into the city with an army and here he is walking back into the Senate itself as if nothing happened!?" a senator snaps as I walk into the main chamber with a royal order of clemency in my grips. Quickly eyeing my falling apart faction, I somewhat appreciate the way it is going as a lot of this is soon to be no longer needed. Once The Lady Bosphama is executed, I will be able to mobilize all that I have set up over the long years. Her lands will be annexed into mine through the precise movement of an army of lawmen and merchants.


    "Members of the Senate, may I have your attention!" I call out with all the usual authority my voice carries. The clamouring politicians go quiet and even those who are usually against me and those most recently spurred to their side turn silent. Adjusting my footing so that I am in a higher position, I make sure that the royal order is as proudly displayed as my sash.


    "Senator Burspharosa has the floor!" a caller cries out as a large but hasty and tacky display is let down by the low-born servants serving in the chamber. Word spreads from ear to ear in the form of surprised and shocked whispers and many eyes find themselves double-checking the empty side of the chamber.


    "In recent times, the former Lady of the Bosphama clan committed a most heinous of acts. The head of the investigation team sent to observe her recent troubling behaviour was murdered in cold blood in full view of Imperial staff. On top of bringing these details to light for this honoured Senate, I am here to speak on behalf of the deceased so that their memory will be done justice."


    I eye the men around Senator Lepiaciai.


    "Following the reveal of dangerous information, the former Lady of the Bosphama clan, who I shall refer to as she was for simplicity. She murdered him. This young man, one of our freshest and most energetic was cut down far before he should have in the most shameful of ways. Not because he was a coward, far from it, he did not run even as a woman of the finest Thurnmourer-bred stock tore into him with the viciousness only an enraged mother can muster."


    I catch the disturbances of a whisper from my main suspect.


    "He held his ground even as The Lady Bosphama tore into him like an animal, thoroughly convinced he had paid for and ordered a Partahinobi-led assassination attempt on the Bosphama Lady-Heir. Now, like with all men, none of us can ever truly know a man fully, but I ask each and every one of you to for a moment think of the deceased Senator Caetusi. I want you to ask yourselves the kind of man he was, how awestruck he was when he first entered these halls and how nervous he was amongst such well-earned and storied grandeur and glory. For I can tell you without a doubt that this is a man of innocent stock, motivated by the sacrifices of those who sought only to see their families not run from the deep sea, but to stay where their ancestors did so that they may thrive."


    I say, giving myself a moment of quiet pause so that the senators may consider their thoughts. Unlike what I just described, they remind me of a calm sea, the whispers leaving their mouths only rippling the still clarity of its reflection. Others have nothing to say or think, I have done it for them and all they find themselves doing is giving a quick nod. Some doubt my words, they try to convince themselves that the man I have just described is fictitious.


    The silence continues and grows as people find the end of their thoughts, otherwise satisfied with their understanding of the situation. I meet the eyes of many as they begin to feel the weight of my enforced quiet. Senator Lepiaciai does not buckle and I stare deep into his gaze as his expression all but evokes the dare he wishes to speak. We break away from our visual collision and I take in a deep breath.


    "Members of our smaller-than-needed Senate, I am sure many of you have reached the same conclusion. Confusion. How could a man of such rural innocence stoop to the level of assassins, famed and backboned as they are otherwise portrayed. You are right in that mindset. Senator Caetusi did not order such an attack, there is no way he could have with his time otherwise occupied with the investigation into The Lady Bosphama. He had no friends among you and he certainly had no support, I have seen with great clarity how you all gazed to the end of the chamber."


    I gesture to the open spot.


    "How is it that such a barely occupied space of such an endless chamber feels empty now? How is it that but one chair captivates this room? Because Senator Caetusi was a man of stalwart determination to help the people of this land. Even now, if you open your ears, the people cry for their fallen representative. Their hope to remain in the light and grasp of our glorious god."


    I hold my clemency high, then, drop it between the gaps of thunder that otherwise ambience our meetings.


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    "Senator Caetusi was set up, he was turned into a scapegoat of one of you and your machinations to murder a noble of this land. Not just any, but the daughter of one of the greatest clans this land has ever seen, the Bosphama. Many of you already grow red, turning on me, but I point out to you all that I am no fool and you all do not take me for one. Senator Caetusi did not order the attack, he did not step up with such doped ego thinking he could get what he wanted."


    I point my free hand the way of Senator Lepiaciai but not directly.


    "Those who have much to gain from this affair are clearly seated and corraled together like farmer''s stock. They shirk and hide at my accusation and that only proves their guilt and involvement in the matter. In recent times this beloved Senate has lost one of the men that history and the people will remember as one of its greatest. The man who did all he could to ferry families out ahead of time. To save their businesses to the utmost extent whilst what money he could scrounge together after all of that. After all of that! He used it to try and save their homes in full."


    A golden bolt strikes so clearly above.


    "The man heading this kind will, this desire to do good by the people and the power to act for the good of all Eusorochii is no longer with us. The chair he was ostracised to echoes with the rebounds of thunder that it should not have to face. Look to yourself, all of you, look to yourself and know what you have done, know that the people will fall to the depths. Do you hear them, senators? Do you hear the people mourn for the loss of their representative, do you see how the servants here shake anxiously knowing that their homes may be next? That they may not have a family to go back to once their terms are up?"


    I bring my active arm down to my side with a slow, calm breath through my nose.


    "Members of the Senate, the Eusorochii Senate, let it be known that once the murderer of the good man, Senator Caetusi has been executed most hastily. Let it be known..."


    I lose my train of thought as I look towards the empty chair.


    "Now this is all well and good, Senator Burspharosa, but your sensationalist rhetor-"


    "Let it be known that the one responsible for the death of such a good man, an honourable man shall not escape justice. The blade that shall take off The Lady Bosphama''s head will be sharpened after the affair and your head will be next. I promise you that, I promise that to all traitors and guilty consciences that would sabotage our land for their own goals. As the refugees fill your lands, unable to pay for even a basic loaf of bread as they carry themselves with fleeting strength. Let them all be a reminder for your vile acts, let the man who would''ve saved their homes live in your memory until the day we are all free to spit on your graves!"


    My arm comes to life and I point out each statue of a heroic member of the Senate''s past.


    "The Lady Bosphama may have killed him, but she did not murder him, you did. You of unearthly desires, sinful hatred and false pretentions! Listen to the people as they grow fearful, hear the sky roar with anguish when it should be triumphant like Thurnmourer of old, like the hero Thunder as he came with the salvation of mankind! You will die by the hands of the law or mine, your evil shall not go unpunished and there will be nothing in the court that you will be allowed to be swept under. The memory of what you did shall live on and all your graves shall read of is the evil that you committed."


    Some of Senator Lepiaciai''s people start to walk out before he slinks off amongst them, otherwise lost to me without a trace. My arm gains new life as voices break out besides my own and I aim to focus it all.


    "Members of our mournful Senate, members of our honoured Senate, so glad to have a man like Senator Caetusi do good by the people of our empire. Turn your eyes to where I point, watch as they walk out with their tails between their legs! Look as they walk out on the rightful outrage of the people, of the land and the mother who shall never congratulate her boy again! LOOK AS THESE COWARDS WHO BESMIRCH OUR SASH LEAVE LIKE IMPUDENT CHILDREN UNFIT TO WALK THESE HALLS! SHAME ON YOU ALL! SHAME!"


    "SHAME!"


    "SHAME!"


    "SHAME!"


    "SHAME!"


    "SHAME!"


    "SHAME!"


    "SHAME!"


    "SHAME!"


    "SHAME!"


    Cries the whole chamber, from as far as those at the edge dressed in the armour of protectors. From voices as quiet as those who are present only to serve and from the worn voices of the honoured elders amongst us today. Men who would have followed hear the will of the Senate and they turn on Senator Lepiaciai, many even sneak back into their seats as if nothing happened and join in. I hold my head low and look to the empty seat, offering but one of many prayers with the hand I used to inspire contempt for such evil.


    Calming myself down with timed breaths as the heart of the Senate keeps my heart pumping, I step down into cheers. I make a point of silencing those I can and guide them to offer their wishes to the man who cannot be here with us today. He may not have been a legend on the field of battle or a noble of uncountable wealth, but, Senator Caetusi was a man. The greatest thing any of us can aspire to be, an Eusorochii man.


    Senator Deohiur puts an arm around me and guides me to my chair, "I think you may have forgotten to bring up the details of The Lady Bosphama''s place of courtship with the honoured God of Law, Enorcoustice."


    I smile like a forgetful teenager, "Senator Lepiaciai has walked out with many. Regardless of any sentiment amongst those that are joining in with the current noise, I have enough of a majority to decide where the court will be held. Murder of a senator and all."


    "His Imperial Majesty is not deciding?"


    "No, those mistreated orders of clemency also describe that he''s handing it to the Senate as it was one of ours."


    "Where are you thinking, then, Lord Burspharosa?"


    "Somewhere open, I was recently given an idea about who I might be able to have guard the proceedings against any attempts by the Lady-Heir."


    "Who?"


    Lightning strikes and its roar reaches into the passion-filled chamber, "Something a little dangerous, even for me."


    He nods with widening eyes.

 Incline 44: Lord Burspharosa

    "Make haste, I need this to be done in as short a time as possible." I command a courier to do before I get back to filling out more documents and cheques. With The Finest Cut behind me, many of my best men are tied up in investigations and smaller issues following my orders. It''s not amounting to anything meaningful beyond giving the bureaucrats something to do and it is limiting my options. I may have a royal-signed order of clemency but my right to command my own troops is being restricted.


    I need to rely on third parties who are largely subject to the authority of someone else. Mercenary companies, private contractors, modest businesses and government officials that I can otherwise bribe. My best option, however, I still need to arrange for as I cannot sway that man with money, I need to do it in person. Ideally with my senatorial attire on and present, maybe a religious appointment if it is at all possible to get the respect the position would give in so short a time.


    I''m not holding my hopes over it and I am otherwise confident that I can convince a Thunder-Shogun to settle down in a specific place near the court. Coming to a stop with my writing, I look over to the map I''ve had set up in my office and lean back into my chair. My gaze shifting towards the painting of the Lady-Heir as a reminder of what may be encountered. Further on, a small note to remind my busy mind of the particular details regarding these golden locks.


    The map becomes the centre of my attention again and a finger idly points in the direction I want to put my best defensive asset. There is a lot of hard to pass terrain in this area and I can otherwise make it impassable if I can get the Thunder-Shogun to settle down in that spot. I have the men already to fully envelop any approaching interference, but, such feared quality will only strengthen my position.


    Once everything is set up and The Lady Bosphama is in chains on site, awaiting her execution, a courier will be dispatched. Unfortunately, I cannot have the esteemed noblewoman killed beforehand, the messenger must leave and return. Even then, the actual formalities must be followed although it is otherwise a settled case. A lot of opportunities for things to go wrong is all this is.


    The Lady-Heir will find out about her mother''s impending death and she will have a moment to act. Whatever she does do, though, will damn her, at least, in the most rational of worlds. This hair, however, the idea of it, anyway, I have my worries. My spies have long since kept me in the loop of the almost teenager state so many have been left in after a thunder-born woman visited.


    "So which is it, Einervaene Bosphama, which... Is it?" I ask the painting with a frustrated sigh as there is so much to support what the painting shows. Yet, with word of how she is after the assassins went after her, I cannot be sure. The one thing I would love to believe in is that the Partahinobi have some hidden, mystical spell that can drain one of their power. It is pure folly, though, no such magic can ever exist in this world, it is simply impossible.


    Only the tall tales of The Great Blank War have anything like this existing and in a land always blessed by the Lightning-Mountain, we shall never see such power.


    "Hm, I suppose I need to find people capable of contributing a great deal of magic power into the sky on the day as well. Days leading to as well, quite possibly. If the air is too thick with the magic of many noble-blooded men and women, they''ll never be able to fly in. If she does manage, well..." I mutter thoughtfully before my eyes move onto the painting as it my eyes seem to see it glow brighter than even the lights I am working under.


    Turning away, I go to a cupboard and pull out a list of names I wrote down earlier and look them over. Guards, soldiers, servants, noblemen and senators, there''s a lot of good and bad here in those likely to attend the execution. Spectators as well, cannot forget about them even if each one is a grain of something greater. All of this power needs to be focused into the sky while still not concerning the men carrying out the formalities with the authority of the Emperor.


    "Oh, of course, a member of the Imperial Family will be present. Someone fairly developed seems the most natural of choices. Most wonderfully, a little ignorant or gullible as well." I remark under my breath before putting the list down. Returning to my desk, I start signing off and finishing more papers. The basket at my side quickly fills up and I notice a little too late with one of my scrolls rolling off.


    Tutting impatiently, I get up to put it back and go to my office door, stepping out into the open once I do.


    "Lord Burspharosa?" a servant questions as my gaze makes them buckle once they become aware of it.


    "In my office is a series of orders, requests and paperwork. See to it that it makes it to the administration building so that they may distribute it to couriers and messengers." I order sternly, stepping aside so that they can quickly get in and out with what I need to have on the move. Going back in, the door clicks shut and I put my hands together, my elbows on the arm of my chair.


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    Putting the top knuckle to my lips, I look over the distribution of troops around some areas and consider their movement. It''s all well and good to have many positioned in one spot to ensure there are enough to react to anything the Lady-Heir might try, but, I have no eyes. So much is focused around the site of the execution and I otherwise have a blind spot where untouchable troops are positioned. A lot of muscle and power though no eyes to guide such strength.


    I guess I can pay off locals to serve as scouts and information relays like many do with shopkeepers. Depending on how well The Lady Bosphama has set up her daughter will make or break the time it takes for them to advance if they do. No, even with life being what it is, I should not think in possibilities. To be prepared for everything leaves the mind nothing to be surprised at.


    "I need to think beyond the execution and to the lands further beyond, the Lady-Heir''s path is pretty clear cut. She has little time to do anything if she chooses to act so I can be calm regarding thoughts of flanking and clever, hidden manoeuvring. She''s certainly not given me the impression of being some shadow-walker that you notice far too late. Grandeur as is fitting for noble blood guides her actions." I ponder in the open before having a quick, pointless flick through some madman''s predictions of the weather.


    Typical rubbish I''ve somehow found myself looking through in the event something comes of it...


    My office door knocks.


    "Who is it?" I ask loudly as I take the moment to escape my thoughts before they consume me into wasting my time.


    "Deohiur, Lord Burspharosa." the senator calls through the wood.


    "One moment." I answer as I get up to unlock the door and I promptly let him into the mess I have been making.


    "I wonder sometimes if you ever needed the support of those you have mustered." he comments and I resist the urge to shrug as I use the opportunity to pull out some accounts.


    "Has there been any leeway with bannermen from anyone?"


    "No, Imperial representatives are making a vocal point of extending the restrictions you face onto anyone under your influence."


    "What a stupid condition." I scoff as this is a thing but I have no one stopping me from contacting the most ready available mercenaries and borderline brigands. The latter of which cost far more than they are worth and it''s only to prevent looting because of pay-related resentment. Eugh, the greed of lesser men.


    "I do believe, however, Lord Burspharosa, that we have a solution." Deohiur comments as I return to my desk, offering him a seat as I do so. He elects to remain standing and he turns to the map, getting a little too obstructively close but I''m letting it slide.


    "If you are done figuring the positioning out, please move aside."


    "Yes, sorry, Lord Burspharosa." he tells me as his finger remains lingering far away from the site of the execution.


    "Will you be able to have your bannermen so deep within another noble''s territory, let alone so close to the execution?"


    "We are checking the specifics but we each believe we will be able to head small search parties."


    "No, I need as many of you as can be spared to be at the execution so that we can pollute the sky with our power. Collapsing any chance that the Lady-Heir will be able to sneak in with some kind of rescue should she so choose to act so emotionally." I explain to him as this is not something we can prepare for in advance. The deadline to get troops and patrols into position will be far too narrow and I can''t be setting aside my best yet if there''s a chance I can have them in a place of density.


    "Hmmm, I understand what you are getting at. Too insignificant of a member and they will not be able to do anything on patrol but you can''t spare the quality either."


    "Exactly. However, if you are able to get a better understanding of the arcane strength of those under my influence then I will be able to delegate those I am not too fussed about."


    "Have you perhaps considered reminding the Imperial officials about the Partahinobi? Twist the truth slightly regarding their involvement in this whole affair."


    "No, I have not given them much consideration as being used as an idea of a looming threat. However, regardless of any rumours of potential assassination, The Lady Bosphama is scheduled for execution. Her fictional death in this scenario would just complicate the recordings and documents, not invoke a meaningful and helpful response." I explain as I sign off on one more contract before wrapping it up and sealing it with wax.


    "I was thinking more so in regards to you." Senator Deohiur clarifies as he steps in front of my desk with a straight back and squared shoulders.


    "The Finest Cut gave me their assurances."


    "To you, not to the city. Even I have only just heard of any word on their part. I was otherwise assuming you are too powerful for them to consider revenge strikes on."


    "Only His Imperial Majesty has that luxury. Assassins try many different tactics when they do these sorts of things, but, they get what they want." I remind him as I think back on the many kinds of men that have been found speared, drained of blood, magically struck down or poisoned. The word of that old man is a valuable thing indeed, I am lucky to have that be the conclusion of my raid.


    "Anyway, I believe you could and should give it a go if only to say that you did. I''ve worked with you long enough to know how your mind is right now. No mistakes are allowed."


    "Would you prefer sarcasm or drolling?" I ask as I pull open a drawer for an extra jar of quill ink.


    "I would prefer, Lord Burspharosa, that you try all the options available to you that are acceptable to your character. You as the man who held the fallen Senator Caetusi will be expected there on principle, more so now that you have stirred up quite the ruckus regarding his death." Senator Deohiur wisely puts it and I stop working, nodding slowly as I do so.


    "Concerns like this should be able to force the hands of the Imperials and their systems. Either they will contribute further to security or they will ease up on what I may introduce. Hopefully." I ramble, admittedly.


    "I will leave you to your work, Lord Burspharosa." Senator Deohiur declares with a bow.


    "Oh, before you go, Senator, about the location of a Thunder-Shogun..." I remind him as it comes to the forefront of my own mind in the nick of time.

 Incline 45: Lord Burspharosa

    Tightening the grip I have on my senatorial sash and one of its standards, I cross over the ridge. The skies flash with lightning and my gaze shifts nervously towards it as another bolt strikes the ground near me. Searing pieces of metal and dirt slag towards me, cutting deep burns into my necessary vulnerability. I follow the sound of prayer and across the great distance, I spot a lone, wandering warrior as they seem to mind their business.


    Taking another step, a line of curved, sharpened steel tinted with thunder-gold presses against my neck. Steadying my lungs, I can''t help but focus on the warmth running down as my eyes tremble before the dramatic mask of the one threatening my life. His eyes do not leave me but he is otherwise able to spot what I have with me. The blade gently slides away, clicking back into its sheath with well-practised precision.


    As if it was perfectly meant to be, a finger across oiled, silky skin.


    Making a small gesture of prayer, the Thunder-Shogun reacts with a receptive one of his own and his strong-arm''s side concave-shaped sangu is presented. I take care reading the name inscribed onto the collection of carefully woven together crimson-bronze plates. This man is called Okugahcles Hercuyasu, The Man Faster than the Brightest Bolt of Heaven. Moving my eyes away from this armour, I take careful note of the collection of gruesome talismans on his belt.


    An array of finely treated scalps and still-kept hair.


    I count the amount, "Revered master of the storms of Eusorochii, slayer of eighteen others, champion of the gods and great honourer of Thurnmourer''s might... I come to you with a plea."


    Holding up my request, I wait for the Thunder-Shogun to take it into his grip and my hand remains even as it becomes lighter. I hear the scroll unbind and come out in full, its wide face catching the strong winds that follow great men like him. It snaps shut and returns to my palm and I move it to being within my view. Minding where I am, I keep my smile and satisfaction on the inside alone and refuse to let anything come out.


    The scroll comes down to my side with a newly added rattle. The Thunder-Shogun has added a bead off of his own decor as a sign of his word so that he does not violate his oath of non-pious silence. Bowing out of his way and making my way down into a state of prostration, the Thunder-Shogun goes back on his way, his direction shifting. Keeping my face on the ground, I take my time counting to a great number in the back of my mind, often recounting so calm my scared spirit.


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    ''Nine-hundred and ninety-nine... One-thousand...''


    Rising to my feet, I can''t help but place a hand under the back of my jaw. Even with all the fury of the sky rumbling and striking around me, I am having no trouble hearing my heart. My hand moves back towards my neck and it swipes across the painful line. It is almost a struggle to move my eyes away from the sight of my easily drawn blood.


    Turning around as my hairs rise, I nearly jump like a spooked feline when I spot a man walking over the distant hills. Sighing my relief when nothing happens, I make a point of walking the opposite direction I came to put more distance between me and the Thunder-Shogun. I''ve gotten what I want, now I just need to get to the execution with my life still livable. Doing what I can, I begin the process of wiping my face clean.


    To think there is someone other than the Emperor that a member of the Senate must prostrate himself towards. I find myself thinking back to the Thunder-Shogun''s mask and what it depicted, a stern-faced king with curly hair and a crowning wreath. There are many rumours as to what the masks mean, the reasons they are made hidden to everyone not allowed within their sacred temple at the Lightning-Mountain itself. The closest I have ever been able to go is the sacred oracle occupying the Pythipollonion Baths.


    Such mystery that it makes me almost jealous of how the lands up north have developed. Jherikra is feared for its capital is right on the source of all wind magic. Shining and brilliant emerald hair is quite common for the people of that place but the lustre of beautiful blondes and golden locks are not seen by many. I nod to myself, somewhat relaxed that a man with that kind of hair and thunder-kissed skin will be guarding a vast swathe of land before the execution grounds. If the Lady-Heir''s painted visage is true, we will have a tangible match for an otherwise impossible look to behold.


    "The lands have come alive since your return, Lady-Heir, whatever did you bring with you?" I ask the calming air as I think about how the Thunder-Shoguns have been acting. Pilgrimages have been becoming quite the talk of the Senate whenever it is not something more important to me. No one is quite sure what is going on but unrest is growing as a result of such strict warriors travelling the land. Holy sacrifices are tallying high and many farmers are left proud but secretly bitter about their reduced sellable crop.


    Coming up on a ridge, I take the final step up it and hold my own against the sudden bitter breeze. Moving my hand away from my face, I spot what seems to be a tavern of some kind filled to the brim with wagons and vehicles. Glancing at the small purse I have on my person, I grumble as I begin the journey. Hopefully, I can pay someone to take me to where I need to be.


    If the gods won''t have it then none of these lower-bred people will even know what a senator looks like.

 Incline 46: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    "Lady-Heir, Doctor Constfritine is coming up with good news!" Oorika gently cheers as she comes to disturb the covering of warmth keeping me bound to my bed. Tucking myself in further, I secure my position of comfort and I refuse to yield when it comes to her efforts to unroll my quilt and blankets.


    "It can wait..." I grumble as I keep rolling away.


    "Lady-He-" she starts to go before I hit the ground.


    "Rerurgh..." I groan as I force my face off the floor. Unwrapping myself, I pat around for the bed and use it to get back on my feet, the cold disturbing my formerly settled temperature. Finding one of the legs of my bed, I pull myself further up and along with it until Oorika takes hold.


    "It''s fitting, anyway, we''re going to be changing your bedding today, anyway." she giggles over and I smile as I find myself placed into a chair of all places.


    "We''re not going to him?" I question as someone seems to enter my room.


    "He''s not here yet? Dammit, I wanted to walk into something good!" Brewbrt grumbles on his quick approach. My head moves with his ruffling motions and someone''s hand guides my smile the right way.


    "Am I the last one up, again?" I ask, a laugh is my first answer.


    "Yes, you have been sleeping in a lot." Oorika chastises as she pinches my cheek.


    "Wondering how, really, she can''t do anything on her own." Brewbrt snickers and I pout.


    "Cruel, old man..." I mutter with swelling cheeks.


    "Don''t be like that, you''re going to be well soon." Brewbrt reminds me with the shake of my morning gown-covered legs.


    "The bandages are coming off today, aren''t they?" I ask as my eyes move around under them.


    "Doctor Constfritine is of the impression, yes, Lady-Heir." Oorika explains and I smile, nervously patting my hands together. I''ve been feeling a lot stronger since I got home and with everyone''s help I should be able to overcome the wounds inflicted upon me. I can sense as well that Brewbrt is getting the rest he dearly needs as well, I am glad this is the case. He''s been looking after me for so long but no one''s really done the same for him.


    "So how come Einervaene''s not had anything to eat?"


    "The Lady-Heir has only just awakened and while I am fine letting her ladiness shirk as she recovers, I will not be an accomplice to slobbish habits." Oorika explains sternly whilst I find my stomach at the mention of food.


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    "She needs the energy, the quicker she gets it into her system the better."


    "She can start by finishing the cup of cold tea she didn''t finish last night." Oorika comments and I shiver at the mention of it.


    "Tea? No, give her a cut of meat, something filling!" Brewbrt argues before a soft hand forces mine open, cool porcelain entering its grip right after.


    "This tea is her best source of high-magic nutrition."


    "But it''s cold!" I complain before the liquid in my hands makes a dripping noise. Electrical cackles go off and a cloth is moved about. Sniffing the freshly made steam, I move the reheated tea to my mouth, testing the possibility of being scorched with the edges of my lips.


    "Lady-Heir, please, in future, drink your tea when you are told. Doctor Constfritine is working diligently to ensure your recovery, you should in a show of rightly raised, good manners make use of his efforts." Oorika tuts disapprovingly as I hopefully hide my expression behind my sips. A gentle slap bobs my head forward, proving my inadequacy in the act of hidden mimicry.


    "So, are you feeling any better today, Einervaene?" Brewbrt questions as something seems to enter his lap with a gentle, against-cloth poof.


    "I feel mostly the same." I shrug before putting the lingering sensation of a hot cup against the bandages. I can''t feel any sensitive pain and I am pretty sure my eyelids are working again. My sleeping problems aren''t bothering me as much anymore, either.


    "Lady-Heir?" a similarly old but new voice asks as the door to my room slides open again.


    "Good morning, Doctor." I greet before I excitedly put what remains of my tea down my throat. Coughing gently as the heat provokes a reaction I was foolish enough to create.


    "Have you told her?" Constfritine asks Oorika as something in his possession rattles and jingles. Something obviously metallic, hopefully, scissors or a fine blade to begin the process of getting these bandages off.


    "I have not, no, I have only told her that you have good news." the Housekeeper answers honestly as some kind of spell from the Doctor starts to assault my senses. I calm down with the magic senses on my end so his immense and kind power does not blind me a second way.


    "You''ve not been drinking your tea on time." he tuts, much to Oorika''s delight.


    "This isn''t going to be a problem... Is it?" I ask, fearful that this might be a miserable delay in my ability to see once again.


    "No, no it will not. Arguably, it is even better to have a fresh dose of magic in you right now." Constfritine explains as he guides my hand into holding my hair out of the way. Oorika steps in to help but I otherwise do not want her to as I can hold my hair myself! Oh, soon I will not need any of this degrading support from anyone!


    "Keep still, Lady-Heir." Oorika cautions as I seem to over react to the amount of hands touching me at the moment.


    "Sorry..." I mutter as I hear fabric snip and the light but noticeable weight of bandages unroll from my features. A smile comes to my lips and the excitement makes me shiver more than the loss of my bed''s warmth ever could.


    "Thank you, everyone, this is the final one now." Constfritine explains as it slips from my face with the frays tickling as they do so.


    "Oooooh, I''m going to open my eyes now!" I cheer, only to be met with silence.


    "Einervaene... They''re already open." Brewbrt explains quietly and my body slowly starts to slump.


    "O-Oh." is all I really can say as I find my knees and hide my face. A strong hand finds my back, gently moving up and down.

 Incline 47: Brewbrt

    "And... There we go." I breathe in relief as I finish filling out the final hole my armour has accrued. Yet, as I lean back, I can''t help but frown miserably at the brick outline it has, it''s so blatant something new was put in!


    "Hey, Duds." Toast greets with a knock as he walks in.


    "What''re you doing down here?" I question as I put the fixed piece of metal back in the pile with the others. I''ll sort it out later and it''s not a stack of plates either slipping or vacuuming themselves together, they''ll be fine.


    "You''ve been quiet for a while so I came to the now-proven understanding that you''re done." he points as he picks up one of the first pieces I worked on, a rather pointless brush of his had afflicting it.


    Taking the piece back, I look at the reworked metal and apply a little more magic, "I''ll have to make a point of thanking the forge staff here and eventually Eratheen by proxy, I guess."


    "The word alone will suit everyone." he clarifies as he moves over to the armour hanger before he pulls the levers needed to array it out. I can already visualise what my armour will look like on the simplistic mannequin device.


    "Careful there now, I''m not too sure what''s been going on with the foot." I explain to him as he starts to fiddle with the part of my armour that was coated in molten thunder-gold. The entire leg has been taken over, it''s less of a muddy splash and a completely solid piece now. There is a lot of magic in that metal and everyone in this keep can feel it, however, I am not sure why it''s behaving like this. It stayed much the same as it did for a while, this is all recent.


    The only one who could do anything to it was Thunder...? Or was it Einervaene that resolved the issue? Well, hopefully, it will not be a problem. Got enough of them right now.


    "So, is there a reason you''ve come by?" I decide to ask as it becomes apparent he doesn''t seem to be here for anything other than idling. A little unfitting for a castellan of a noble''s keep, but, hey, I''m a founding-lord and I''m on an adventure whilst my homeland is stuck in a terrible war.


    "About the Lady-Heir." he gets to and I quietly look towards some of the tools I have been using, putting what I have used recently back in with the rest of them.


    "Yeah, just needs a little longer and she''ll be fine."


    "Brewbrt, if that is how you know it to be, why is it bothering you?" Joastelan asks as I find my wrist in his grip. I force him to move to my dictations and the cleaning process becomes increasingly awkward as he exerts himself more.


    "Would you be able to forgive yourself if Eratheen got hurt whilst you were on duty right next to her?" I ask bluntly, staring right into his eyes. My wrist becomes free because his weakened grip cannot maintain itself.


    "It was the dead of night in a nasty storm, Brewbrt, don''t think hard on it."


    "Bit hard to do that when all of my time in this place has been to fix what damage was accrued that night!" I snap miserably, slamming a fist on the bed of a nearby lathe. However, despite how tough it looks, my strength overwhelms the truthfully brittle metal. Shards continue to rain to the ground as Joastelan tuts quietly.


    His armoured hand grips my shoulder, "You got her out alive, that''s a job well done."


    "She''s blind." I point out as I grit my teeth, his grip all the more offending for whatever reason.


    "And she will heal, I''ve seen you smile whenever she gets new bandages. They''re getting cleaner all the time and that final band were near-perfect white!"


    "There should have never been any bandages..." I grumble, walking over to my armour so I can put more magic into the refined ore. A lot of my magic is wasted and a trembling hand falls to my side.


    "She made it, focus on that. You were there for her when it mattered and you have the proof of that courage." Joastelan reminds me.


    "More than you can say a lot of the time..." I slur with the withheld urge to spit.


    "Don''t speak to me like that, Duds." he states with a strained voice, a lot of emphasis on that nickname I have. A few bad bombs not going off and it''s all they remember you for. The selfishness of people blinds them to the wonders others get, they can only see their loss.


    "I''m sorry, Joastelan. I''ve just been busy." I sigh as I start to hook some of the finer pieces back into their greater whole. Often, I find myself straining the hooks and slots to make sure all is coming together. Little spells leave my fingers and the ancient arcane science comes to life to protect the unworn armour.


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    "We all have been, all for one common goal." he tells me, smiling up in a random direction. But, I get the point of it, I offer a smile up that way as well.


    "So long as she gets back to Eratheen." I mutter quietly before the sound of feet rushing down the workshop steps grabs out attention.


    "Castellan! Castellan! Castellan!" the guard repeats urgently.


    "Yes?" Joastelan asks firmly as he puts his hand on his sheathed weapon.


    "It''s a royal courier!" the guard answers and Toast goes pale.


    "On the approach? Here!?"


    "Approach!"


    "Alert everyone!" Joastelan orders before speeding back up the stairs. Frowning as I am otherwise a little loss, I take into account what I do know and put my work down. Heading to the first step, I close the heavy door and head on my way towards Einervaene. The distance is luckily short and I am able to find her sat in one of the keep''s courtyard gardens.


    "Hey there, Clutz." I greet, spooking the bird that seems to be coming close to her.


    "Brewbrt!" she goes, smiling.


    "Other way." I tell her and she turns my way, however, even as she smiles at me, I can''t help but be miserable. Her eyes are completely pale and the signs of lost flesh still mark her body clearly with grotesque swelling. A curve unbefitting of a young woman of her calibre, a disgrace to all that is good in this world.


    "Everyone''s panicking over mail." Einervaene mutters quietly as she shuffles closer.


    "Yeah, I noticed." I comment as she worms her hand into mine.


    "It''s going to be about Mother... Isn''t it?"


    I sigh, "Probably, yes. I''m sorry about this, Einervaene."


    "Don''t be stupid, you are not to blame. No one is."


    "Are you fine here or would you like to go somewhere else?" I ask as she is otherwise set up and ready for me to chaperone her around this grand home. Mine''s better, but, this place that Eratheen has is quite something... It''s a fitting home that Einervaene should''ve never have to have left. I should''ve done something all those years ago, something other than go ''ok, I''ll prepare a room'' or whatever refuse I wrote in that letter back!


    "I want to stay here with you." she answers quietly, cuddling up to me and enveloping my relatively bare arm in her fancy sheets of fabric. She wore something similar in style to this when I first met her again at the start of this journey. It''s better than what she first came to me in, much better.


    "So... You want me to describe what''s here? The animals and flowers?"


    "Yes please, Oorika was taking me somewhere else but when news of a courier started to spread she left me here."


    "Alright... Let me see... Lots of green leaves, some wide at the bottom and narrow at the tip. Others are long and willowly, a few are even flowering and falling down on a gentle wind."


    She giggles and strengthens her grip, "You don''t know any of their names, do you?"


    "No." I whisper back in response.


    "It''s alright, I don''t know their names either!" she whisper giggles and I let out a louder laugh.


    "Well, let''s make up our own names, maybe?"


    "Ok!"


    "Think we should call these flowering ones Flower Trees." I say, getting more giggles.


    "What a stupid name!"


    "You come up with something better!"


    "Sure, the uh... Long ones, the ones you called ''willowly,'' I think we should call those kinds of trees Breezies."


    "They do look nice on a gentle breeze." I say, letting a little bit of my magic out into this lightning-forged land to give the trees a proper bit of wind to blow on.


    "Brewbrt..." she quietly mutters and I direct my magic towards her, bringing her smile back.


    "What about the-" I start to say before I cut myself short, the noise of feet becoming noticeably louder.


    "The others are back?"


    "Yes, now, come on, this is probably important." I coax gently, easing her up onto her feet and taking her out of the garden and to the nearest room that can be secured. A well-dressed and marked stranger within our company now. I watch with narrowing eyes as this man steps off into the limited distance with a gilded scroll in hand.


    "Lady-Heir, please, stay seated." Oorika cautions as she suddenly moves in to put Einervaene down on a chair.


    "What''s going on?"


    "We don''t know-"


    "Lord or Lady in Residence of the Bosphama Keep. The former Lady Bosphama has been sentenced to death for her crimes against the Empire and its beloved people. By Imperial decree, this shall be relayed unto you so that you are informed. By law, the court site this shall all be taken on will now be passed unto you. As is law, you have until I return to Imperial safety before justice shall be carried out."


    Springing to my feet with a fistful of magic, I grab the man.


    "THEN I''LL JUST MAKE SURE YOU OCCUPY A GUEST ROOM!" I snap and nearly everyone immediately comes for me, weapons drawn. Even Joastelan.


    "Step away from the courier, Brewbrt. Easy now."


    "Here, Sir." the courier explains calmly, brushing off his clothes before I then get a map.


    "WHAT''S THE MATTER WITH YOU ALL!?" I roar at Eratheen''s staff collectively, Einervaene''s trembling body in the corner of my vision. Oorika is whispering something to her but it''s not working, Einervaene is terrified... We all are.


    "Royal Couriers are protected by strict laws. Mass death bordering on genocide follows those who hurt the Word of the Emperor." Joastelan explains with a strained voice as he looks over the copy of the message we had been given.


    "Well, how long do we have!?" I demand to know given how important this bringer of bad news made it out to be.


    "A couple of weeks at most..." the Castellan answers timidly.


    "How can Eratheen be executed for something Einervaene has been out of the country for!? The entire point is so that this whole blood rubbish can''t be proven, right!?"


    "Brewbrt, calm yourself!" Oorika snaps before going back to hugging Einervaene.


    "No, I am going out to save my friend."


    "BREWBRT!" Einervaene screams, her magic sparking out viciously enough to force everyone away.


    "..." she starts to shuffle towards me, her magic fighting off any helpful hands trying to stabilise her shaking body.


    "Whenever you are ready to go... We go together." she states with the full authority of a woman of her lineage. I put a hand on her shoulder and nod firmly, even though she cannot see it.


    "I will gather my essentials, the rest of you, heed the word of your Lady-Heir!" I bark to the rest of the staff before I go off and leave Einervaene on her own to get ready. Without anyone to fill out the halls, my feet striking wood is all the louder even with the endless thunder in the skies.


    A couple of weeks to save my friend from the headsman...


    "Don''t worry, Eratheen, we''re coming." I say to the heavens, hoping the power Einervaene let go can hear me through all of that orchestra.

 Incline 48: Brewbrt

    "Easy. Easy! Dammit, EASY!" I snap to Einervaene as we come tumbling out of her spell. Grabbing onto her, my magic lights up my sabatons with its silver-emerald glow and the powerful swirls breaks our fall. Landing against the ore-ish earth with a crash, I rise up with a young woman departing my grip.


    "We have to hurry..." she moans tiredly, stumbling about cluelessly as my failures continue to afflict her. I sigh and look back at how far we have come since I finished assembling my gear. The lack of a heavy bag is speeding us along quite nicely but with a dreaded due-by date forcing our legs along, it''s not enough.


    "Slow down now, you''re burning up the magic you need to heal yourself with." I remind her, taking her by the hand and crushing it slightly to distract her with the pain so she can''t launch us off.


    "Ow, let go of me!"


    "Einervaene!" I bark, freezing her with a shiver that still manages to widen those canyon''d eyes.


    "Brewbrt, please... We need to hurry... Mother... She''s going to..." she struggles to say as her exhaustion makes it all the easier for her emotions to get the better of her. Pulling her in close, I tighten my arms as gently as I can and stroke her hair as she shakes and trembles.


    "Maintain your strength, we''re making good time. Let me keep us moving." I tell her as other concerns come to mind as we are heading to the execution of a dearly beloved noblewoman. There''s going to be a lot of security around this place and if it comes to it, I will have to fight my way up there to get Einervaene present. Yet, to maintain the strength to fight, I cannot burden myself too much with travel. My incompetence is holding us back to a malicious degree.


    My failure to stop...


    "Come on, Einervaene, try to catch some sleep or simply rest. I will carry you as far as I can before nightfall." I whisper gently as I pick her up, carefully positioning her near my neck. Walking on ahead, I look away from the imminent signs of her crippled nature. Even as I crest a rise in the earth and come upon a grand view, I keep on moving, my quick-to-act magic keeping us stable on the otherwise impeding path.


    We''re far from any roads and developed land, necessity has forced us to shoot across the primal wilderness. An almost ghastly landscape of rusting surface metal and molten pools struck too often for comfort by the sky. I can not confirm if this civilisation is capable of taming the rumbling up above, but, it seems all the more aggressive out here. No one can be seen and spotted and for good reason, this is not where people should be, let alone the vulnerable.


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    Finding a gap in the earth, I observe its bloody-eager teeth at the bottom and rear my weight back. Throwing us over it with as little magic as possible, I try to absorb what force I can into my screeching slide. Einervaene grumbles distastefully and I want to imagine she can quite easily make an image of the pale marks I have left on the ground. Moving up without a fuss, I get us over another crest of jagged metal, its blades carved on the whetstone of time itself.


    With a hand on her head, I take the moment to look at the land to see where we need to go. Referencing the map we were given, I try to spot a landmark of any kind that might be able to lead us the right way. It is easy to lose one''s way when going across the great distance of the land, everyone wanders left or right when they think they are heading straight and true. I turn to the sky and watch as lightning strikes onwards towards the horizon.


    It lashes out against the land, blowing a bright, white hole into the peak of some lone pillar. The natural formation warps under its heated weight and falls down awkwardly, freeing up some of the view and I recheck the map. Focusing a bit of magic into my eyes, I spot what seems to be a building, at least, I sincerely hope it is. Even back home, I often find my eyes missing homes made of stone and reed because of how their owners made do with what they had.


    I look down at Einervaene right as she blinks her tender eyes.


    "Don''t worry now, please. Trust me with all that you are." I ask of her as I adjust my now patchwork cloak. Using the rings in its reinforced corners, I hook them onto the slots on my armour, their noisy clicks spooking my friend. Taking a step back, my magic flows the same way and I rush off into the contactless freedom of the sky. Gently floating on my breeze, we glide across hours of walking and climbing, steadily coming back down as I do my best to predict the abrupt sky.


    Noting a road off in the distance, I tilt us in its direction as even if it''s an abandoned one, it is something that can assure us.


    "We''re going to make it, right, Brewbrt, both of us?" Einervaene asks quietly against my helmet.


    I find myself quiet, "Yes."


    "Good... I want you to keep your promise, do you hear me? I won''t forgive you ever if you break it..." she sniffs as her grip lovingly tightens. I smile even if she cannot see, but, I am glad she can''t. Those who attacked us could very much be here along the perilous final path to Eratheen, perhaps more than I can handle. My thoughts are misery-inducing, I cannot see us both getting out of this, not with how everything has developed.


    I am sorry, Einervaene, but, I cannot promise you anything but the warm touch of your mother. I hope my prayer can even guide this silent voice of mine to whatever cell they have my old friend unjustly chained up in. I will see to it that Einervaene sees her again, that the two can embrace once more. If I fail to see that...


    Focusing my mind on my injuries, I shake my head clear and blow some wind back into my cloak to bring us up higher.

 Incline 49: Brewbrt

    "Come on, Einervaene, we''re nearly there." I whisper to my friend''s daughter as I slowly bounce her about to wake her up. It''s a pity I failed, she cannot even enjoy the light of day or even the dark of night, it''s only black for her.


    "M-M-Mother...?" she slobbers unladylike with a wipe of her forearm.


    "Easy now, I got you. I got you." I explain as she secures her hand in mine.


    "Where are we?" she asks as we start to get awkward stares from the people out and about this modest place.


    "The inn I told you about earlier."


    "I''ve been sleeping for too long, I''ll never get back into it..." she complains as I carefully open the door and bring her in. A little boy zooms past us with little care and I briefly follow him with my eyes until he goes too deep into the dark. My brow settles down again and I do much the same with Einervaene, leaving her at a quiet table. Stepping away with a loud stomp, the customers of this place give me one look and go back to their business.


    "Excuse me, this is an inn, right?" I ask the man behind the counter as he eyes Einervaene suspiciously. He notes my hair before picking up some boards, their contents clear to me when I look down. Just some menus.


    "It is, been in my family for half a dozen generations. Coming-On-Seventh is her name." he explains before he passes the boards over to a waitress.


    "I understand that you are busy, going by the animals and that outside, but, do you have any rooms left? We only need a single bed for her, I''m fine with the cold hard floor outside if need be." I tell him and the man shuffles his jaw about on its unhinged axel.


    "Got a bit of a mess left we can sort out, move a spare mattress in."


    "Great, how much do I owe you?" I ask, reaching for what little money we did bring for circumstances like this.


    "Nah, don''t you worry, it''s not a proper room. You can pay by sorting it out yourself." he explains before waving over what must be a or one of his sons.


    "Thank you, we appreciate this." I explain as I start to follow after the quiet lad, taking one last glance at Einervaene before I go up the stairs. She can take care of herself for the moment, she knows what she can do if someone tries to take advantage of her lack of sight.


    The wooden stairs creak like whiny chicks under the weight of my armour and I might as well be playing drums with how banging my steps are. Some others in the inn peak out their rooms and give me a look of disgust but I otherwise ignore them. The small guy unlocks the storage room and goes out into the hall to bring in a lantern so another can be lit. I nod in thanks as he rushes back downstairs without showing me anything else.


    Shrugging my shoulders, I look around the room and spot what looks like a mattress rolled up on a shelf. Tugging it out, the thing thwacks itself back flat and I knock it out the way as dust and random strings of fodder blow up into the air. Waving my hand at the tolerable filth, I pick up and move everything about, narrowing the room a fair margin but managing all the same. Putting my foot on the new bed, I stomp gently and end up with an upwards-curving thing with a clear indenting spine.


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    "Might be best to go light on our rations..." I mutter before heading to the door which had been closed at some point. Only, it doesn''t move, with a groan, I move the lantern about and shine it upon the door handle. However, there''s no internal lock, the only lock is on the outside. Frowning, I start to bang on the door in case someone accidentally closed it on me thinking this is still being used as a storage room.


    Lots of noise suddenly erupts from downstairs and a lot of people move about outside. Focusing my senses, my eyes narrow as I pick up on the clear presence of weapons and armour adding to the power of many individuals. Nothing all that impressive, but, still concerning given how none of this was here a moment ago. A girl screams.


    "Einervaene!" I go, my body quickly finding the openness of the hallway again. I quickly take in how someone has added on more locks than there was before. My magic lights up and I burst straight through the inn''s supporting structure, its main floor cracking open when I land. Staring up at what''s going on, I see the innkeeper gesture to a bounty notice and men draw their weapons.


    Spotting Einervaene, I barrel up to her, knocking aside our attackers and grabbing onto her in a panicked frenzy. Gritting my teeth against the electrical currents she is filling me with, my magic propels us into the sky and I fly fast enough to go hypersonic. Clutching her tight, we crash into some metallic hill and I hold her carefully as she calms down. Quickly thinking back to our arrival there, I sigh thankfully as we haven''t left anything behind.


    Not that we have the time to go back there, really...


    "What happened? People started grabbing me and shouting..." Einervaene lets out, confused to the core.


    "We had our first run-in with the people who want you and Eratheen dead no doubt." I explain as I look up at the sky to see if there''s any likelihood of rain or misery. Thankfully, this land deems clear skies as strange weather and the shell at the edge of the sky can be technically seen.


    "What now?"


    "We both get what rest we can. I made a point of bursting us far away on as little magic as possible. Whoever these guys are, we have to hope they are alone."


    "There''s no way they should''ve been able to follow us, though!" Einervaene rightfully whines and I frown thoughtfully.


    "No, there isn''t, no way for even a possible traitor in your mother''s employment to warn these men. No, someone''s saturating our path with troops and whatnot." I quickly deduce before letting my magic senses look for any sign of lacking arcane discipline. Any sign of life capable of casting or speaking magic. There are many groups, all clearly on patrol paths...


    "We can''t fight these men, Brewbrt! Mother will die if we waste time fighting!" Einervaene fails to scream as her hysteria gets her moving recklessly in the dark. The problem more so for me than for her. I pull her in close, clutching her head with gentle strokes as I look around at the many signs of campfires and hasty watch towers.


    Their shadows grow in number with the rise of this dreaded realisation within me...


    "We won''t, we will keep moving, evading them for as long as we can." I explain as the inn comes to mind, looks like we will be swearing off comfortable sleeps for a period. If this place in the middle of nowhere is in the pockets of our attackers then the likelihood only increases as we move closer to hamlets and greater.


    "Why did I have to be born like this...?" Einervaene cries as the stress gets to her once again. Hugging her tight, I nod in understanding as my mind otherwise takes note of my magic. Only when necessary, no jokes, no conveniences, nothing that will underhand me. Life or death.

 Incline 50: Brewbrt

    "Alright, Einervaene, I think I''ve found us a path ahead..." I whisper to her as the noise of a passing patrol keeps my nerves alight. The way they''re acting suggests they have no witches keeping their other eyes open but we have no way of telling. This gap in their defences has been growing, however, I''m hoping this means we are escaping whatever encirclement we''ve found ourselves in.


    The magic beyond the next set of iron rises is quite strong, maybe that is keeping us hidden, I don''t want to be a betting man right now. Taking Einervaene''s hand into mine, I gently ease her up onto her feet and we start to make our way towards a convenient underpass. Not risking it, I sense for the men out there and tightly grab onto my friend. Running under the bridge, I put her down in the event the sound of metal on metal isn''t picked up on.


    Come on sky... Being noisier than usual!


    "How close are we?" Einervaene asks quietly as she fails to adjust the way she is sitting. Helping her out, I let her use my arm as an additional bit of ground to rest on.


    "Security has been picking up but it''s also hollowing out. With how much magic is in the sky not that far from here, I think we are on top of it almost." I explain to her and she rubs her arms, nervous for the life of her mother. Putting a hand on her, however, I feel how she is shaking, she''s completely terrified.


    "Something doesn''t feel right... I don''t know, I feel like... It feels like death is out there looking for us. I''m scared for Mother''s safety but..." she lets out and I move my hand to hers, grasping it with gentle firmness. Whatever it is, the nuance is wasted on me but I have no reason to doubt her concerns either. Looking away, I find myself glad she is blind once again.


    A certain time might be upon us with how all of this is escalating.


    "Remember, Einervaene, silly as it is to hear from me. Remember, I am right here, nothing will happen to you." I promise with every ounce of my being, divinely gifted magic or the flesh of a man.


    "How is the path ahead?" she asks and I ease her off my arm, scuffling forward with great care so that the soft filth meets my soles.


    "It''s a bit of an open stretch, but, I can get us across. It''ll be just like when we cross the Redstone Canyon." I explain, assuring her with a light memory so we can do something about those nerves of hers.


    "Swordsman chasing us..." she drools before clutching her exhausted head. Bringing a brow up, I do the same with her and we slowly move towards the exit side. Looking around, I quickly figure out our path right as it seems some soldiers come to a stop above.


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    "Doesn''t it strike you a little weird we have ringguns entirely and have strict orders to stick to the road?" one of them asks another.


    "Getting paid to get some exercise in, I don''t care."


    "H-HEY-" one screams as we rush out into the open, my armoured form covering Einervaene as I sprint as cheaply as I can across the land. Shots ping off my armour harmlessly and arguments quickly overtake the gunfire. Many bullets start to hit me sooner than the rest and I twist and turn around a boulder of rusting metal. Peaking out and having a bullet skid off my helm pathetically for the trouble, I put my backside back on the wannabe rock.


    "Something''s got them acting up." I ponder amidst the confusion I just saw amongst their ranks. Many are approaching but even now, I can hear them screaming for the lines to reform on the road. Desperate cries, voices breaking into shrills. Common man hysteria or superstitious backwardness?


    "We need to find another way..." Einervaene whines as I look over the metal again, reinforcements as well as them nearly being on top of us.


    "We move." I explain vaguely before grabbing her. Rushing out up towards what appears to be a pass, more bullets strike my back unimpactfully and a spell even comes scorching by.


    "Brewbrt!?" Einervaene goes as I put her down, quickly making sure she has the pass on her hands.


    "Keep moving forward, I''m right behind you." I explain on my way to reaching up for some kind of tower of stone-likes pieces. Dragging it down by the ropes and chimes on it, the path now behind me is blocked up a little. Catching up, I take her into my grip again.


    "What did you do...?"


    "Bought us some time out of the bullets." I explain as she starts to fight my grip.


    "N-N-No! I heard wind chimes! I heard them!" she exclaims as she freezes in place.


    "What''s the matter with you? Eratheen is practically within arm''s reach!"


    "We need to go back and around here!" Einervaene hisses as the soldiers make quick work of my efforts.


    "What we need is to not waste time!" I snap as I hoist her up, bringing the pair of us deeper down the passage until we come out onto an opening. Oddly, the entire rim of the place is marked with all kinds of text and decoration. In the far distance, there is a lone warrior on his knees praying before a shrine of some kind. The sky all the more vicious above than it normally is.


    "HA, GOT YOU!" a young man roars triumphantly as his blunderbuss-like weapon goes off against my side. The sparking grains do nothing and the noise of his weapon breaks the virgin sound of thunder, ruining it. I frown at the strange thought I have just have and look closely at the soldiers as they choke on their own spit.


    "What have we done..." one man breathes as his terror overtakes him. Yet, despite how clear it is that everyone''s fight-or-flight instincts are blaring like the sky above, no one is moving. Securing my grip on Einervaene, I bring us down into the open ground as tears overtake her.


    "Einervaene, it''s alright, it''s alright." I coo as I find myself slowing down as the distant man praying rises. His armour and sword define themselves and he turns, his hand on the ornamental handle. Helping Einervaene down onto her feet, I move her to my back and flex my fists, a series of bombs already loading up between my fingers.


    "We- W-We- WE SHOULD''VE GONE AROUND!" Einervaene screams with all she has as the distant man lets the sound of his sharpening blade sing for its audience. It gently swings out to his side and the sky cracks with all the fury in its possession.

 Incline 51: Brewbrt

    The warrior''s foot steps forward, his knees bend and the ground erupts. Eyes widen and my heart pumps knowingly as I unleash the magic within my grasp. The warrior runs out of the exploding silver-emerald light without a sign of interruption. His target, the man who shot me and those who came with him.


    Nothing happens.


    Barely getting my reinforced arms up in time, the warrior''s blade finds purchase and a scar is put into the steel. The disturbed winds emanating from the slash travel back to the still men and they fall apart. Blinking in surprise, I realise how fast this man is and how he''s kicked my instincts into overdrive. I need to go at this with all that I am and all that I can have.


    Pushing Einervaene away, I throw in a quick grenade and roll away into the air with her in my grip. A thrusting blade is aimed for my gut and I release a short-fused detonation to propel myself further away. Gritting my teeth, I glance to Einervaene in the barely a fraction of a second moment and note what I have to do. She needs to go the rest of the way on her own.


    "EINER-" I try to roar before another thrust goes along my armour.


    Seemingly parrying the blade, it comes around as if no hand struck it aside.


    "RUN!" I scream plain and simple, meeting the sword with a barely-formed spell after throwing her away like a ragdoll. I barely acknowledge how violently she lands across the harsh ground and instead throw a punch. It meets the warrior''s armour and slides off, my momentum exploited and punished. Barking my pain, I send shredding shrapnel his way in a cloud of magic.


    "WHERE DO I GO!? W-WHICH WAY DO I GO!?" I pick up amidst the blows, strikes and swings. Slipping in another spell and crushing it into an explosive oblivion, I barely reach her. Blow arcs along the warrior''s swing and I hiss as a weak point in my protection is taken for what it is. Swinging my golden foreleg around, I bash the warrior towards the ground only for him to elegantly slip around and rise back up.


    "TURN LEFT SLIGHTLY AND GO INTO THE SKY, FOLLOW THE SIGNS OF YOUR MOTHER!" I explain as I find myself needing to catch the warrior on his next charge. My arms steadily give ground and the warrior steps forward, gently. One arm goes wide and he steps back, making three quick, backless cuts. My body shakes and sparks fly from the plate.


    "BREWBRT!" Einervaene cries as a stab manages to get my side.


    "DO AS YOU ARE TOLD AND GO!" I roar during an attempt to punch the sword out of the warrior''s grip. He holds on and spins away into a lightning-coated swing that worms its way into the land. The sudden heat melts the ground away and much is warped. Dashing for Einervaene, I bring her away from the worst of it only barely.


    She howls out of surprise and clutches her now bleeding leg.


    "Einervaene... Go." I tell her against her ear as a spell I was able to send up drops and explodes viciously.


    "You promised..." she manages not to stutter as I unleash even more self-made munitions against the warrior. I need to aim ahead of him, but he''s too fast, too nimble. Each time I am able to aim ahead he changes directions and is still somehow able to keep on closing the gap. Noticing his next slash, I shove her away and take the brunt of it along my curving back.


    Its magic seeps into my skin and boils my blood and I fire back with a conical blast at his shield-like shoulder. He bounces away with it and instantly runs back for me, sliding under my kick to slice at my shin. His own foot knocking me over into the ground and exposing Einervaene. He turns for her.


    "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! DON''T YOU TOUCH HER YOU BASTARD EUSOROCHIIAN!" I roar as my feet ignite, rocketing me right for them. Hugging them like a beast, I try to crush them and we go crashing into the mountainside, rocking the land with our impact. The warrior slips my grip and lightning strikes for us, I grab him just in time and throw him at the incoming bolt. However, as it arcs a little, he finds his footing.


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    The warrior runs up the stormlight and leaps for another bolt, twisting around and riding it back down. He strikes into me with the Thunder God''s wrath as his spear and my bevor barely stops his next cut. Blowing the ground behind me, I swing up for him and knock him away. Running after him, we meet again at the edge of this crater-like place and his free hand slashes.


    The land melts under us and I back away as he tries to go for her again...


    "EINERVAENE, RUN!" I roar once again as I barely tackle the warrior before he can get the blind girl.


    "I''M SORRY!" Einervaene cries helplessly as she picks herself up from another fall. Sighing inbetween blows, I back away towards her, more spells covering us and I hug her tight.


    "Einervaene, go, go into the sky as a bolt of lightning." I explain, knowing her magic senses can guide her the rest of the way.


    "I''M NOT LEAVING YOU!" she screams against my as I blast the warrior away again.


    "If you do not go, we both die. Let Eratheen see you, at all costs." I remind her as she tries to magnetise herself to my armour. Peeling her off despite her desperate protests, I throw her high into the sky, high enough that she knows her only chance is to change. The sky flashes and thunder booms with grain-bouncing results as the warrior backs off.


    Watching him carefully, he prays before the sky and picks out Einervaene''s blue form.


    Leaping after him and then flying, I barely make it to his ankle. Dragging him down, he''s forced onto another bolt and I fight my way through the static-woven clouds to clear Einervaene a path. My magic pushes back what it can in this artificial storm and a sword nearly takes my head. Falling out of the sky, I shoot back into it with a sonic boom.


    Meeting the warrior''s sword with a decorative piece of armour, it detracts from the finest steel. He clears away most of the clouds, revealing a net of barely moving bolts, slowly itching to the ground. Growling, I break through most of them and take on their power recklessly for her sake. The warrior makes his first noise, one of hatred and despisure.


    He becomes almost vicious compared to the grace I have so far seen, as if I am some kind of stain belittling the noblest of white dresses. Meeting his blows with desperate speed, I quickly find myself giving ground as our warped sense of speed changes. The storm acts up and a forest of stalking plasma lights up the land as we fall. A body other than ours falls from the sky.


    "Dammit..." I spit, increasingly frustrated by my held-back nature. Finally getting the sword out of the warrior''s hands, I kick it as far as I can as some weaknesses of the warrior come through. Insignificant as they are.


    "BREWBRT!? BREWBRT!" Einervaene screams as she falls.


    "GOT YOU!" I roar as we quickly recoil upwards so she can get back on her way.


    "I''m sorry..." she tearfully goes as she clutches on tight, my senses focused on what is near-instantly coming back for us.


    "Einervaene, do not look back, even if it hurts, keep moving. You need to keep moving." I explain quietly despite our situation.


    "O-O-Ok... Ok... I love you, Brewbrt, thank you for being my friend..." she sobs as I try to force her off of me, yet, she clings on. Sighing, I return the hug and hold her close as I orient her the right way to go.


    "Go see your mother for me, go with my love keeping you safe." I explain, kissing her on the forehead as if she was my own before throwing her away as if she is the worst thing I have ever known. Blinking, the water in my eyes becomes all the more pronounced and I turn to face the warrior as their blade warps the air with its heat.


    His magic cackles.


    Mine twists and howls, the pride of a Jhermonikra spinning its deadly power.


    "SHE WILL SEE HER MOTHER, DO YOU HEAR ME LAND OF LIGHTNING!?" I speak to the empire that has brought her nothing but misery, my fist shattering the warrior''s mask and rupturing the land with his landing. Diving after him even like this, I quickly find a raised sword prepared for me, only avoiding it through self-mutilation.


    Bouncing and rolling on the ground with a blood-filled mouth, I flip onto my feet. My aged bones cry out not in pain, but with excitement, my history as one of Jherikra''s finest witches comes back nostalgically. Years of loot rattles with reminded purpose and I walk up to the swordsman as he sheaths his sword. Tornadoes form by the many dozens, blocking us both off from the outside with growing fury that sucks the crater clean of most of its air.


    Only our magic is left to sustain us now, only what we came into this battle with...


    "Honoured be your death, Great Man of the Greatest Land." the warrior speaks with a salute of his sheathed blade. I nod, smirking a little at the fact he chose to translate the Stonetongue version of my home''s name and that of my ethnicity.


    "I have people I''d rather not disappoint, and if the Skybomber crashes today, so be it, for no nobler a cause is there than helping a child find her long-lost mother!" I declare as my proverbial bomb bays are loaded to their fullest extent with all kinds of spells and preparations. All that I am, hold and will be, that is what this warrior will fight, to both ours or his doom alone.


    There shall be no future where only I fall!

 Incline 52: Brewbrt

    Setting off the ancient explosives I had implanted into the ground ore, volcanoes of molten iron, copper and even magnesium burst out like spilt water. Growling, I watch the warrior leap and spin over my attack, his blade coming for my back before he even hits the ground. Stumbling forward, I activate the chain my armour was able to fabricate in time and reveal more explosives. My own magic this time.


    Taking advantage of the cover provided by it, I dive under some of the debris this guy has so far created. Smashing my chest piece, the ancient recovery systems come into play and a portion of its replenishable supply is stabbed into my body. This raw magic stuff fizzes my blood and air squeaks out my tear ducts, an inappropriate burp breaking my panting. Diving away with the kinetic storage in my one working leg piece, I slide along the ground, my cloak already torn up.


    Breaking the hooks keeping it flowing on my back, I wrap one arm tight and pull off one of my toys, priming it with my hidden grip. The warrior appears before my eyes, one hand one his sword and the other on his sheath. Withholding my swear, his blade is driven through my wrist barely, both hands now on the upwards-going sword. Snapping the ancient gears into place, the shield function comes to life and catches the next swing.


    The sliced metal flaps slow and loud, clanking back into its now forever-gone home.


    Stepping around his next swing, I punch hard and fast, getting in another blow and then another. One more sends him skidding back and he sheaths his blade as the ground sparks and breaks under his armoured and sandaled feet. He rises as I nod, a trigger for another one of my toys in hand. The ambience of our battle changes and a set of ancient flying machines turn off, a mountain of ore hurtling towards us.


    Hunkering down, my armour''s magic supply comes out in force, placing me under the safety of a dome shield as a natural artillery strike starts to burn in the sky. The warrior turns slowly, his hand on the pommel, his shadow stretching lengthily. Within the safety of my shield, I pray something comes of this and the warrior steps up to the challenge. I bounce up into my protection as the warrior leaps into the air, his blade coming out.


    The titanic mass of metal falls apart into slices and chunks and then into something finer. The sky rains molten metal and I grit my teeth at how many plans I have managed to set up are now ruined. The warrior lands on a pool of molten metal, his feet making only the slightest ripple as if he is a drop of water. Taking one step forward, I pick up the pace until I am barreling his way, a handful of magic growing greater by the moments between seconds.


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    Some old display built into the armour turns on, notifying me of something I cannot read. However, the proof is clear to me as my cloak steadily feeds itself into my armour, knotting much of the worn but only ancient metal back together. The warrior meets my incoming blow and slices right through my spell, exposing me to an uncontrolled blast his own magic further swipes my way. Blasting back the way I came, a blade soon tries to greet me.


    The device I showed Einervaene before the attack turns on and I miss, its special tip easily scratching the increasingly magic-rich land. Getting back up, I step past more of his swings and thrusts and close the gap once again. I stab at him, going for whatever can give me the most purchase into his body. The warrior makes a vivid point of not allowing contact, his senses more refined than Einervaene''s who was also able to feel what was off about this weapon.


    But, he''s so focused on my weapon, my other hand has a moment!


    Grabbing on with a grip that crushes some of his weaker, smaller plates, I pull myself the rest of the way in. Only to miss my target and strike the medial of his left arm. The machine activates, glowing bright as is instantly begins the process of converting his magic supply. I smirk widely, a potential end in sight.


    The warrior slices most of the arm off, the danger of my weapon going away with it. What does start to ignite, however, is spectacular. Flying off along the blastwave, I crash into the edge of the growing crater, nearly shredding myself on my own final option. Looking back towards the bluish magic fireball, a shadow forms at its centre.


    This immortal swordsman rises to his feet, his armour devoid of its former colour and style. He pulls his sword out of the ground with it finding an easy route in the ground he was forced through. The sky seems to weep for him and the lightning picks up, the thunder rumbles louder than ever and I feel as if my eardrums are going to be blown out. I meet the warrior''s eyes as I block his blade once again, its force and edge unhampered.


    Moving in to exploit his missing limb, he releases his blade, striking away my arms with precise jabs. The blade comes to hand again and my chestplate is sliced open with a trail of sparks ruining the ancient power network. This aged power leaks from me like gas and I hiss alongside it. Setting off more of my magic, I put some distance between us again, my hand quickly wiping my lips clean of blood.


    My vision wavers and I collapse onto a nearby, warped boulder...


    Nodding the way Einervaene went, my heart does all it can and I meet this man''s sword once again. Lightning comes for me and I duck and weave through what I can, manipulating much of it with my thunder-gold leg and supercharging a downward blow. The land blows out beneath us, revealing the sea far below the continent. He slices the gap wider and intentionally steps in, snapping the whole island of metal on the step up to me.


    "COME ON!" I roar as a kinetic impactor forms on my palm, increasingly ready to be tossed up at the ever-further sky. Let''s see how well he does falling if we''re to break the land!

 Incline 53: Eratheen

    Looking up from my feet, I glance beyond the bars of my cage, ignoring the soreness my chains are bringing me. The distant horizon flashes bright, yet, it is not the power of the storm but the gusts that bring them. Shuffling closer to the bars on the other side, I hold onto them with my awkwardly held-together grip with wide eyes. My mouth opens and the signs of wind magic come back.


    "B-Brewbrt...?" I breathe, unsure of what any of this is supposed to entail. He is coming for me...? Why? If he tries to stop this then my family will suffer more.


    Not just them, my staff and what remains of my lands too...


    Heavy feet arrive at the edge of my cage, the rattles of a key and its chain announcing it like a dreadful trumpet-led procession. Turning to the men who have arrived for me, I move to the furthest edge of the cage. My eyes go back to the disturbances in the distance but I only see the flash of lightning this time. I blink as something nostalgic seemingly moves.


    However, as the men grab and hoist me up, I can''t help but be confused. What is making me feel this way, why can I not take my eyes and heart off of the sky? Better yet, what is causing the storms above to behave the way they are now? They''re so much more powerful than they should be and it''s not whatever ritual that Bastard is pulling off.


    "Don''t make this any harder on yourself." a guard whispers, motioning for me to move as the hands are otherwise taken off of me. Refining my posture so that they know what I am, I do as asked and even in these increasingly rag-like clothes, I shall move with dignity. Placing my eyes forward, I take in what I can and cannot help but raise an internal brow at all that has been brought here. The chairs are filled and an otherwise grand, stately event is in progress.


    I sneer openly at the man who''s caused this and his mournful gaze angers me. What does this thing have to mourn? He''s been planning my downfall for decades now and has been viciously pursuing it up to this day. If this is an act, it is as poor as that which he lets out after meals.


    A guard waves me in the direction I must go and I am locked up inside of a gilded cage at the centre of this pointless affair. The blood of a conniving senator is on my hands, let this just be done and over with! My head will roll a bloody trail behind it regardless of anything that happens. These formalities are pointless and egregious.


    I sigh, my eyes falling to my bruised hands and my mind thinks back to the one treasure I will never see again. Pulling open the top of my kimono, I take up my daughter''s greatest present and bring it close. I sniffle. A pair of wet trails roll down my face, tickling it annoyingly and dragging on the soft hairs of my face until...


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    They fall.


    My daughter''s magic gently ripples across the necklace again and I look off into the distance again. I am not dreaming or deluded, there is something happening beyond the grounds of this execution and it has them captivated. Might is clashing against itself, the farmers of the mind have seeded their crop and uncertainty is sprouting. With all these powerful men and women here, soldiers and guards, one would think they''d feel safe.


    After all, I am the only one whose life is forfeit today. A great gust of wind disturbs and uproots some of the decoration with servants suddenly occupied with their return. The almost immature feasting happening amongst the noble observers is ruined with the spices of dust and muck. Another flash of light, the clash of a Great Man against a Man of the Flying Storm.


    Tightening my grip on my treasured possession, I pray silently for the safety of my daughter. She''s spent so long away from home but it''s all fallen apart right as she''s come back to it. This is it for our family, whatever mistakes I have made, they have come expecting their tally and I am to meet Undwote soon. At the very least, I can meet the neck-aimed kiss of sharpened steel knowing my daughter did not meet him before me.


    The man who tried to have her killed died at my hands and the thought of his blood heating the crevices of them still makes me smile. His failure will give her a chance to run away with all she has, please, gods and goddesses, make sure she runs. My fate is sealed and there is nothing she or Brewbrt can do without hurting more people. I only wish I can tell her the one thing every mother should be able to tell their child...


    "I love you..." I cry more openly, hugging the necklace tight against my face as best as I am able. More lights erupt in the distance and I dread what it might mean, if it''s him, then my precious little one might die too. Her magic, her power, it will prove the disingenuous Bastard right and he''ll only be more able to hound her without me around. Please, Brewbrt, please!


    Don''t try and rescue me, do not come for me, gods and goddesses, please, let him hear!


    A priestly woman approaches and kneels a the side of the cage closest to me, "Do you care for any final pleasures before you go?"


    I look carefully at the pendent of Aahtha that she is in possession of, I start to shake my head, "You cannot give me what I want. I do not want a kiss, hug from a holy woman. I want to kiss my daughter''s head as she falls asleep in my long-wanted embrace. A temple''s coin is not for me, what I want is my daughter''s expression to light up at the gifts her loving mother has given her... I want her... I want my daughter..."


    The priest''s hand slips through the bars and strokes my back gently.


    "I will pray for them, then. Goodness willing, the Lady of Dreams and Desire will find a way to help her." she explains before rising and departing, the acts of this pointless affair now seemingly starting. I look into the sky, blinking in my uncertainty as the battle of gold and emerald is ever so finely broken by what looks to be the colour of struggling blue. Blue...

 Incline 54: Lord Burspharosa

    "What in the name of the gods is going on over there?" someone questions aloud to no one in particular as bat my palm with a scroll. Narrowing my eyes, the nuances of the battling light shake and stir my mind otherwise. However, there is no pure gold, strong as the Thunder-Shogun is. It''s relieving in a way, to know that the Lady-Heir is not as powerful as I have been led to believe.


    Yet, this wind, this unyielding power of the Jhermonikra, the once sealed away strength of the land humankind was born on and returned to. It''s not faltering, not going away, it keeps coming back with growing strength and fury in the air! A sturdy breath escapes my nostrils. I am glad I was able to secure the support of someone as great as a thunder-shogun.


    Opening the scroll I have otherwise been abusing and wearing down, I read the pointless information. The Lady-Heir and her guardian have been heading this way most likely since the royal courier was dispatched. He has returned, thus the execution can be put underway. My attempts have drastically slowed the ruinous pair down but we''re at the knife''s edge here.


    "Kill them both, do it already..." I spit under my breath before turning to face the armed man approaching me.


    "Lord Burspharosa, concerns are growing, it may be best to put the affair off."


    I strike my arm to my side, shaking one head once and firm, "No, the battle going over there is between a foreigner and a Thunder-Shogun. We are fine as we are."


    "Lord Burspharosa, if the members of the court and audience choose to leave because of the danger presented then your word will not mean anything."


    "Then keep them here." I insist with a tight grip, my head slightly leaning in the direction of his weapon.


    "Of course, Lord Burspharosa."


    "I know everyone can see it and feel the wind as it sends their hair into a state of calamity, but..." I start to say, trailing off as I look to the near-completely solid metal ground.


    "Lord Burspharosa...?" he questions as I let a finger lazily point to the ground.


    "The tremors, the shakes. Our very land is buckling under the strain, the air is heated and not of the familiar scents. Cracks are coming out as far as here." I incoherently blabber before I hand off the scroll to this man. Walking away and back to the sham trial, I send a glance the way of the bored prince who has come to observe. A contingent of brilliantly dressed honour guards at his side and an entertainment-minded woman in his arms.


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    His hair and skin bring much authority with them, it is the first proof for those who are of such noble birth. The former head of the Bosphama clan is partially here today for the foulness of siring a vile-coloured daughter. Yet, even I might as well be on trial for such crimes next to such brilliant blond hair. A mane to die and fall for with great strength born into each strand to even the most modest of body hairs.


    The sky rumbles and a bright line strikes across, so pure it is nearly solid gold. There are stories that the heavens follow favoured children with such fine orchestra as to make all weep. They are stories alone, though, I do not find myself kneeling instinctively to any royal I have seen. Bar one, His Imperial Majesty.


    Looking to my sash, I hold it up slightly, ashamed of what its perception has become as of late. The blood of an innocent senator has been spilt and the woman I have aimed to undercut for the sake of my family and its future is going to die over something unintended. Execution was always an option even before all of this, but, only in the most damning of cases and at her own behest should she have chosen honour-recovering suicide. Now, however, she is dying because of my mistake, not my plan reaching fruition.


    Once all is said and done, I will bring honour back to my name and pride and avenge the wrongly involved. Even with The Lady Bosphama, now not of that title, even with her unfavourable death, I will do the same for her. Senator Caetusi and the old head of the revered Bosphama clan have been greatly harmed by my incompetence. I must make it right when I can.


    Stepping before the people of this court, public servants go about setting up the proof and I look away, my face pale. In order to bring emphasis to the crime, the now-gone Senator Caetusi''s toga and sash have been brought here. The savagery of which he was killed by have left it torn and ruined. The blood that he spilt ruined the purity of the cloth and tainted the intentions of the senatorial sash he wore with such everlasting thanks.


    I grimace as I recall how I needed to cover up the poor man''s face not long after the incident happened. My eyes meet the former Lady Bosphama and she steadily turns vicious, clutching something tight to her chest in her still blood-stained hands. Shaking my head in disappointment, I dismiss my own hypocrisy on the matter as I would likely share this fate if I discovered the same about one of my own. Reasserting my posture, I carry myself as a senator should and a great bell rings to grab the attention of the court.


    "Honoured men of the God of Law, stalwart guards and noble-blooded people of esteem," I start to announce, turning to the royal member with a respectful nod, "My Prince."


    I clench my fist behind my sash.


    "We are here today for the official damning of the once head of the Bosphama clan, the former The Lady Bosphama, Eratheen Bosphama. For the crime of murdering Senator Caetusi on Imperial grounds, she will be executed, that much is already decided. However, for the sake of addressing all crimes, we shall be going over them hence with as the formalities pass." I explain to all those that are present. At the edge of their seats or unamused, it matters not.


    My eyes go a little wayward up to the sky as it rumbles with unusual activity, a line of blue starts to captivate me.

 Incline 55: Brewbrt

    Sending my fist driving into his chest plate, it bangs louder than the thunderous sky and he skids back, skating on sparks. He looks up, his one good hand landing solidly into my cheek. I wheel about cluelessly and tumble to the ground right as the whistle of a blade comes. Blasting off right on time, the missed swing carves into the melting ground and cleanly pulls out.


    Throwing another spell, it blows up away from the warrior who is now in front of me. He swings again for my chest, carving yet another line into my relic armour with his power widening the gap. My clothes burn as the literal shock eats its way through what it can. Bringing a knee up on his vulnerable side, some of his plate buckles and caves in just barely.


    He strikes me with his one good fist, the follow-up slit is thankfully avoided. Taking a step back, the ground falls out from under me and I impulsively shoot up into the sky. Hovering in the air, he looks up to me and his blade dances in the warping, steamy air with a trailing illusion. His posture looks strange without two arms, but, he might as well have been born with only one arm.


    I cannot see a single flaw in his form. The ground cracks and splinters.


    Blowing much from my hands I backflip away and blink as he comes back down from the clouds. Lightning travels like a slug and I blow away again, the land not slowing this swordsman down in the slightest. Gathering up what bombs I can, I drive myself down to the ground with a fear-inducing rumble, the siren of a most precise diver. Buzzing, dreaded buzzing that loudens, the pitch changes and it begins to scream.


    Tossing aside my load, it blasts away more of the land and the warrior calmly stands from his glob of molten ore. The dark sea below. With a sword in hand, he does his best to gesture a prayer that needs two sets of digits. I block with all that I can, a sword''s edge now in my tight grasp.


    He lets go of the sword and puts an electrical palm on me. I roar in pain and my fingers bleed as he lands elsewhere. Jumping to my feet, I meet his charge and strike his side, rearing around for two more before I guide his nose to my golden knee. No blood follows my blow but as he stumbles, he aggressively sniffs as if his nostrils are clogged. A bit of red rims the edges of the holes.


    At a hard angle, he presents his blade in front, the width of the blade facing me. The edge turns my way, a royal sum of magic enriching it before he pulls his arm back. Stepping to the side, the ruined land bisects and dwarf waves of fire roll out as an earthquake sings. The blade tip runs along the ground, a swarm of shocking roots following after him.


    Bringing my guard up and some more of my dwindling magic, I kick it into the ground. Ironically, his magic is grounded and we meet again with no intereference. He weaves and dances around my punches and his swings go wide. My shin is used as a springboard and my kick goes awry. A lightning bolt finishes arcing up to the clouds.


    The swordsman balances himself on the storm''s rope bridge and he dares me to stop him by turning Einervaene''s way. Growling as loud as I can, debris flies as I shoot into the sky, itself rupturing much like the ground. The swordsman steps around and swings for my side, digging in deep enough to bring blood but not to be fatal. He manages it again.


    Coming for him with two clawfuls of emerald power, I clap his armour, tearing it apart and severing his platform. We both strike the ground hard and fast, our protection rattling about as it falls apart further. Spitting my blood out, I stumble up to my feet and look at how my thunder-gold leg is pretty much fine. Hindsight cuts me deeper than this man has managed and I groan miserably as I watch that blade shake for what seems to be the first time.


    We pant at each other and thunder reaches our ears, immotion goes away and his failed thrust cuts into my shoulder as my fist finds his face again. Moving with my swings, I deliver another solid blow to his side, punching and kicking him back further and further. He ducks out right as my kick comes spearing for him, going into the metal instead. I howl as a weight comes off my back, a redfall marking the severing of my backplate further.


    Blowing the magic into my golden leg, it blows out of the metal with a shrapnel-filled kick that knocks his next swing aside. I cannot, however, maintain my heading, my own force sends me twisting away to an embarrassing stop. Reinforcing the back of my arm, I elbow a boulder and get back up. Leaning back as the blade comes for my face, hooking right into the helmet instead.


    He pulls up and my helmet comes with him, my skull tearing out its back before falling away to be lost forever. Wiping my head just in case, I note the thin line of blood on my mucky armour and glare. Striking him a few more times, I tear away some of this man''s plate and strip him naked as much as he has stripped me. He closes his eyes as the sky sings again.


    Stepping away from his swings, I narrowly avoid one that intends for my heart. Slag and sparks sweat from the dying earth and more falls away. Stomping at a weak point in the ground, I give myself some leeway and stop his flurry. He leaps and sheathes his sword.


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    His power is building and so does mine, I strike right for the pommel and knock the whole harness off. It flies away, unfortunately, not down but across to the cliff face our battle has created. He turns, shocked at where his weapon has gone but his fist meets mine. I go at him with all I have, striking where I can yet he is somehow able to match me with one arm.


    Where his missing one damns him, the useless stump sacrifices itself as it is able and I hear a bone snap cleanly. His eyes remains stiff and his fingers jab right at my throat, making me stumble. Coughing against the sudden pain, I fall to my knees, a metal shinguard nearly bringing my face in. Falling onto my back, I blink away the blurs and roll over heavily, my lazy gaze picking up the slowness of the warrior.


    "Gurrr..." I go, filling a palm with another spell and firing it off with thunderous recoil that sheds me of more armour. I watch a body go flying as the fire-like winds shred their way into the vicious breeze. I shiver at how cold it is, despite all the signs of dangerous warmth. I think I hear a howl.


    He seems to as well, he''s praying once again before we both stumble ahead. Falling into a run, my lungs cry out for me to stop and I beat them down like a master does a slave. Panting through the dryness behind my lips, my fist glows as the swordsman awkwardly stuffs his belt and sheath back on. My magic meets his steel and we struggle against each other, my savage features growling so close to his serene calmness.


    We fly back from each other and meet again, my hands grabbing onto his sword''s handle like he is. I try to pull it away but I can''t, his grip is too strong even when I childishly slip back onto my own weight! He hops up onto my chest and one foot rears back. It strikes, something under my armour cracking as he somersaults away.


    Coughing with a gasp, I roll away from his next swing. Spinning up to my feet and slipping by his follow-up. I hit his side and he carves a slice off of my other arm, coating it in the sauce of my life. He goes with my driving blow and I stumble forward, grabbing my arm with a hiss.


    Shaking my head, I take careful note of how much I have been wounded and how much magic is gone. I cannot go on for much longer, it hasn''t even been that long, some of the lightning has barely even grown since I was last in the sky. Hobbling around to face him, he stops and feels the pain in his side, nearly dropping to a knee in the process. Slapping my wound to taunt him, I snort my way into another charge, my arm held initially.


    He nods clearly over and over and his sword rises as it always has. But, he keeps still, he watches and waits with a blade that is ringing even now over the fire and storm. Placing one palm over the other, I touch the opposing wrist, slowly pulling away as magic builds. Pulling on one direction each, a vortex forms between my hands and a spear-like tip forms in the drilling motion.


    Pulling it back like a lance, I watch his sword carefully and try to account for where he could swing. He only has his right arm left, moving as fast as I can from that side is my best shot. Going for the left, I bounce about like a rodent to maybe cover my tracks and I slip by without him moving to match my speed. He steps aside as my spell dissipates.


    Stumbling forward, I turn around and look at how gracefully he stepped around. His edge now covered in the heavy coating of my sizzling blood. Putting a hand on my chest, I feel the danger I am in but I can also feel how the blow is not entirely fatal. I am not going to die from that swing...


    Falling to my knees, I breathe disappointedly at how this has gone. I... I can''t find it in myself anymore to do this. My body is nearing its limit and no amount of determination can really see me out of it.


    This is it.


    "I''m-I''m sorry, Einervaene..." I dribble after coughing. Yet, rather than finishing things, the swordsman walks to my front with his blade going back into its sheath. Looking up, of all the expressions, I find a sincere smile and he nods respectfully.


    "How old are you?" he asks, looking me in the eye as his one good arm reaches around for something.


    "More than three centuries for a while now..." I spit as it becomes clear he is pulling out a shorter blade. It clatters on the ground in front of me and I tentatively pick it up. Pulling out the clearly heavenly blade only slightly. I meet his eyes again.


    "My honour is yours, Great Elder." he explains with an incomplete bow as he steps back.


    "Now what? I kill you with this?" I ask, sneering at my own humour.


    "No. I am allowing you the honour to take your own life, Foreigner." he explains with some of the most misplaced reverence I have heard in a long, long time. Finding the strength, I howl with all the laughter I can mustre and point at him.


    "The honour...? You idiot. You stupid, insufferable swordsman... If my dear friends heard I took my own life to find Undwote''s loving embrace, they''d bring me back just to send me to a damnable afterlife without the Universal Friend!" I hiss, rising to my feet with the pulled-out blade on my fully-blooded arm.


    He steps back, hand on his sword.


    "You are in my country, our ways supersede yours." he tuts, shaking his head slightly.


    "For both of their sakes I am glad you''ve proven yourself too stupid to look up..." I chuckle as the magic keeping us trapped in this ground is sucked up into the air. Waving my hand, my final solution clears away the rumbling clouds and a view that could be mistaken for a remade night sky of Ihtuntar lights us up. We bathe in silver-emerald light, each object, so star-like in my near-death delusion in fact being a deadly bomb.


    More powerful and dangerous than any I have met... That dragon I met on the way here, he saw but a glimpse of this spell...


    "So be i-" the swordsman begins to say before I charge onto his blade where it then goes through me completely. Grabbing his hand with one of my own, I stop him from cutting me through and his other blade stabs through his shoulder and right back into me. I smile up against his face, as we are further locked together by my suicidal grit.


    "The Enemy is Around, I Cannot Escape, All Bombers on Me, My Time Has Come, But so Has Theirs... Mutually... Assured... DESTRUCTION!" I chant, roaring the final word with all that is left in me as the bomb bays of the heavens snap open, their flattening rain falling with a warnful whistle. I keep the swordsman close as the sky grows closer, the land doing its best to fall away. The first bomb detonates so immediately near us as we fly into a follow-on.

 Incline 56: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    Come on! Come on! No, no, no, no, no, no!


    Flashing back into the sky, I contain my pain within the volts of my boltish body and zap into another cloud. Whatever is going on around me, the skies are becoming increasingly packed and I do not have the strength to force my place here. Gasping out with a shiver, my body shifts back to normal. Tired, I groan my way back into a crippled display of the sky''s power.


    The clouds ahead motion forward, widening the gap between where I am and them. The gap closes and those I am within move with it. My senses look back where my eyes cannot and my mind goes wayward. Brewbrt is all over the land and as high as the heavens can go, it''s all him.


    "B-Bre-wbrrrrt...!?" I struggle to speak through my electric lips before I shoot to the ground. At the very least, even blind, my spell causes me to have natural inclinations as to where I should go. This is still here even with my vision gone, my eyes gouged. My hands pat the heated metal earth until I find something that can help me up.


    Turning the way of the silver-afflicted wind, my jaw drops at how immense this gathering of magic really is. A spell name comes to mind, the Emperor Hurricane Bomb, that which he used to finish off that sea-dragon king. Not just one of them, hundreds, no, thousands! All falling from the sky to bring the end of days...


    I''m too close.


    "Mother..." I breathe as I turn away towards the feeling of growing love, there''s magic in here I know, I know it. It has to be her!


    My back lights up and a quickening rumble shakes my fingers.


    "NO!" I snap, turning back towards where Brewbrt is fighting. My arms turn meek and my legs and back weaker. Falling to my knees, I stare at the horrifying sight my sense still allow me to see. A tree... No, a mushroom, a mushroom shape is rising so quickly and so grandly as if it intends to blot out the sky.


    I cry in pain, my back suddenly on the ground as the feeling of a harsh shove swells my muscles!


    I need to move, I need to move now... I launch for the sky the moment the ground falls out from underneath my feet. This blast is so powerful, how is Brewbrt able to use such power!? What kind of foe demands it...?


    Desperately clinging to the clearing skyline with as much strength as I can put into my little shocking fingers, I scream. An unstoppable force is driving me straight into a bastion the work of a hundred men. I need to find an opening and get in there before I am crushed. Come on Einervaene, think!


    A weak spot, some chink in the armour, anything, anything at all, by the gods and goddesses let me be a rodent in its hole... There!


    Striking down with all the power in me, I force my way under the sealing shield and crash up through the melting ground. Swearing from the excitement, I throw myself away from the heat and cover my eyes reactively. Carefully focusing on my senses, I tune them down so I do not lose another set of means to view the world. Yet, even like this, I can still feel and hear the howls of the wind, the tearing up of the land.


    "What did you do..." I gasp, my mind slowing down as I find myself looking at the blast once again. It''s still growing with no chance of stopping, the ground underneath buckles and jumps like a tussling ship. Putting a hand to my mouth, my tears start to quiver, a sinister build-up threatening to spill. The other brings my legs in and I shake, trembling as my tears border on screaming.


    He didn''t keep his promise, he''s not coming back, there''s no way he''d use such power if had a chance. Not once did he cast it, every bit he had is raining from the sky still and they''re blowing up further and further down. The All-Coast is no doubt breaking apart as if a lethal storm is flying over with waves the size of mountains rolling away. What did he do...


    "WHAT''RE YOU DOING HERE, GIRL!?" some man aggressively spits before the sound of his armour alerts me to what he is. Crawling away, I end up running into him and his grip tightens.


    "H-Help me..." I beg him as I have no one else to turn to.


    "Gods look at you, come, come." he explains, calming down as I cover my sore eyes once again. I blink out of instinct and then keep blinking as something disturbs the black I have been forced to endure. A white dot at the end of my vision, two of them.


    "Why did yo- Come, bring her here." someone else says as he grabs me from the other side so they can in turn hoist me over what feels like a fence or part of a structure.


    "Where am I...?" I ask, securing my grip on what seems to be a bar in front of me.


    "A damn near lucky place." one of the two men breathes with sounds that seem to be prayerful. Following the lightning magic in the area, my eyes arrive on a golden sight and I blink in confusion.


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    "L-Ligh..." I start to mutter before shaking my head as there''s no way it can be him.


    "Lord Burspharosa, I must again point out why we need to leave!" someone in the distance hisses loudly as the need for my native power to be used decreases. Whoever this man of gold is, he''s handling it, he can handle it. Footsteps march closer to us.


    "Silence. You two, who is this?" this Lord Burspharosa questions and I turn his way with the help of my senses. His name...


    "You..." I mutter.


    "It''s you." he goes much the same as I rise to my feet, aggressively wobbling his way until an arm stops me.


    "WHERE IS SHE!?" I scream as I turn to my lightning-form for strength and safety. The men grabbing me jump away with searing pain and I latch onto the man as he name becomes clear. Burspharosa, he''s the one who''s been doing this, the reason I''ve had to flee my home and now come back as I am now. My vision, my childhood and all the friends I have made and lost over the years.


    It all roots from him!


    "You are the Lady-Heir... You shouldn''t have come here." Burspharosa says as he takes my arm into his as if I am his lady at a ball or dance. Focusing my magic does nothing and the motions of his outline seem to say he is shaking his head.


    "Where is my mother..." I demand to know as my magic switches off, its pointlessness clear to me by now.


    "Not far, I am taking you before her." he explains and chains rattle, someone is shuffling close.


    "E-E-Ein... Einervaene...?" a weak voice sobs and I stand still, blankfaced for the moment as my mind is renewed with life. This voice, this voice...


    "M-Mother!?" I question, crying uncontrollably as I stumble out of Burspharosa''s grip and into the harsh crudeness of the cage containing Mother. Slipping my arms in, I find a mature body and I hug it tight as the apparentness of her chained nature becomes clear.


    "MY LITTLE GIRL! MY LITTLE GIRL... DON''T YOU... Don''t you ever leave again, do you hear me? Do you...!?" she sobs alongside me as she tries her best to pecker me with kisses and long-missed love. My crying comes to a stop and I simply smile at the warmth I am able to feel. The way she holds me even now, how she plays with my hair and kisses my head. This is her... After so long, I am finally back in her arms and she is in mine.


    I missed her so narrowly when I got home but I got here in time now, I got here in time...


    "I am here to save you!" I finally manage to get out as I perk up, banging the bars in the process. She rubs the potential bruise and keeps my broken gaze on her.


    "What did they do to you...? What did that vile, cruel bastard do to you?" she asks, grinding her teeth against the sealing magic of her chains as she tries to heal my eyes. I stop her and blink again as the dot grows, the fuzzy clearness makes my heart race faster than it already was.


    A hand touches my shoulder.


    "DON''T YOU TOUCH HER! LET GO OF HER! UNCHAIN ME RIGHT NOW SO I CAN GUT YOU, YOU BASTARD!" my mother howls with all she has as what can only be Burspharosa pulls me up back to my feet.


    "Please... You can have our lands and our wealth... Just let me have my mother, please!" I beg of this man as he gently guides me to stand somewhere away from Mother.


    "You should''ve stayed across the sea." he tells me mournfully.


    "I can''t just leave my mother''s ailing health in your cruel hands!" I snap, hopefully spitting on his face in the process. Burspharosa sighs and steps away, a confident straightness to his outlined steps.


    "Members of the court and those here to observe, though not planned, the Bosphama Lady-Heir is now before us." Burspharosa calls out to the crowd and the whispers grow to a deafening degree even with the ground quaking so ominously.


    My hand fills with magic as the reckless desire to rush for Mother and shoot out of here sticks to my heart.


    "As you can see, my efforts of the past years are true, gaze one and all. Turn your eyes onto her tainted power, the signs of her bastard blood!" he calls out, taking my hand as it zaps with the preliminaries of my efforts. I stop and turn Mother''s way as she continues to shed tears. I share in her behaviour and rabidly try to evict my arm out of this man''s grip. He lets go.


    "You lay a hand on her..." I hiss as I sense him putting some distance between us. He stops at something and his visage is warped by an object.


    "With these crimes all coming together, is there anyone who would speak on her behalf as if she is more innocent than she appears? Is there anyone who will act on her behalf?" Burspharosa asks everyone present and none answer him. There are only more whispers. I can see it now... That vile smirk on his lips, the tantalisingly close delight of finally getting what he wants after so much cruelty...


    "YOU HURT HER, I DARE YOU ALL! YOU SEE THAT MAGIC OUT THERE!? THAT WHICH HAS YOU ALL SHIVERING IN FEAR!? THAT''S OUR FRIEND, SKY-BOMBER BREWBRT, ONE OF THE GREATEST WITCHES IN ALL OF JHERIKRA AND HE IS BLOODYING THAT THUNDER-SHOGUN OUT THERE, DO YOU HEAR ME!?" I scream viciously, smashing down whatever I am up against with my magic until Burspharosa grabs and restrains me. One hand cups my head and keeps itself there even as I spark with as much as my body will let me.


    "Please, Lady-Heir...? Einervaene Bosphama. Please, do not make this harder than it needs to be. The gods have made their choice and she will die, your mother is not long for this life. Use this time wisely and go and make peace with her as we finish our formalities." he explains to me quietly as if he is my father himself. I snort and spit again, stumbling back Mother''s way until bars ring and conduct within my trembling grip. Sliding to my knees, Mother is not there to greet me and I hear a key turn.


    "The Lady-Heir''s mother, as per her request with the Priestess of Aahtha shall be allowed time with her daughter before her execution!" what must be a judge calls out as all sorts of conversation starts to erupt behind. Mother wraps her partially freed arms around me and pulls me in, her features quiet.


    "It''s alright, I am here, Einervaene... I am here..." she tries to gently sing against my ear as I hopelessly slump against her, the irons still on her wrist digging against my back.


    "But you won''t be." I speak with a hollow voice as thunder rumbles loudly as if it is calling out to me. I press my ear deeper against Mother so that I can hear her heartbeat instead, her erratic, terrified heart. A sigh can''t help but escape my depressing body.


    "Shhhh... My little, precious Einervaene, do not look ahead, think only of now. Only of my loving kisses and warm hugs." she struggles to tell me as I return the motion she is comforting me with. My brow goes down as I feel her trembling and I blink again with increasing rapidity until the blackness is gone completely. I can nearly see again.

 Incline 57: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    "Einervaene... Einervaene, you need to let go now." Mother tells me as strong as she can, not a tear loudly escaping her. Shivering to the tips of my fingers, she prys me off and rises above the guards likely at her sides. A hand offers itself to me but I slap it away with a spiteful shock, delighting in the curseword the man lets out. I stumble around until Burspharosa''s unbreakable skin holds mine again.


    "Come, let me find you a seat." he tells me as I try to force my way out of his grip.


    "Are you happy? You finally have what you''ve always wanted..." I growl out towards his fuzzy outline.


    "I am taking no pleasure in this, Lady-Heir."


    "Do not call me that... This entire bastardisation of justice is so you could prove that I am not worthy of my mother''s lineage!" I hiss close to his face and I watch him wipe it, undetailed as it all is.


    "We are not here because of that. We are here because the love a mother has for her daughter made her do unspeakable things." he explains to me, though I am baffled still as to what is going on. They keep speaking of the past particularly with grim understanding but this is all over me, right? Because my magic is this vile colour of blue...


    Sitting down with a glare tensing my wounded eyes, I follow the appropriately named bastard as he walks elsewhere. Sighing to myself, I look down to my gloved hands as they spark with my disgusting colour of magic. Focusing on my arcane senses, I watch as the barrier keeping this place safe from Brewbrt''s power starts to tune down to quiet static. Even with its need to be strong gone, that magic is all brighter than mine ever could be.


    What have I done to deserve this, what has my mother done, what evil was commited at my birth or before it that caused this present? So often in my time at Suhurlodst did I meet those of this land that I am stronger than, many of them became my friends though not as good as others. Every time my magic was stronger, I quickly stood out and overtook so many even with my crude begininngs with blood magic. Yet the truth remained a single way for me, my magic is blue.


    Thinking back on it, I wonder if the reason I had such a rough start with Larishazza was because of her brilliant hair. The way she could dance with the sapphire shores between her finger tips, lapis, teal, foaming white... It all reminded me of how ugly my own magic is here where golden rays are expected of me. For a moment, I was able to feel like the woman I should''ve been.


    I don''t know what I''d rather have, the life I have now or the future I could''ve experienced. So many friends because of this colour, love and joy, I''ve seen it all because of my magic. But, this same magic is about to kill my mother, I will never see her again... No, there has to be something I can do!


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    The sky rumbles as it moves back in to assert itself over the land, the clear sky granted by Brewbrt''s power vanishing under the cloudy waves. Beasts of lightning strike out around the land and one bolt strikes an installed guard post, coursing around the metal and into inert ground. I nod to myself, rising slightly as I cover my aching eyes. Of all the times to be able to nearly see again, of all the times...


    Stumbling out of my seat, I go back towards Mother as her blurry form ascends some kind of steps. Someone tries to get in my way and I shock them thoroughly until he collapses and weapons move. They slide from their sheaths like the claw on a beast''s paw and their bright polish helps them be defined in the total blurr. Blinking a few more times, I flex my fingers and stumble closer to Mother.


    Brewbrt is gone so that I can do this, I am here to save Mother, we came here to save her. I cannot let his death go to waste, I will grab my Mother and show her how much I have grown. I will let her know so intimately what my friends have allowed me to become, especially him. Strange as it is now that I think about it, I''ve probably spent more time with him than Vadei, Liada or anyone else...


    I fall to the ground, my magic weaker than I thought it was.


    Gasping for air, I push myself back up even with my arms trembling weakly, even as their aching joints roar. Finding my shaky footing, I fall forward until I hit something with my gut and my arms sprawl across its top. Someone speaks behind me and people step away. I turn to face him, blinking more and more as my eyes continue to ache more than they have since the spear took my sight.


    "Don''t. You are convicted of no crim-"


    "All my life all I have been is proof of something that was never commited. I was driven from my home and to foreign lands for my own sake and you come here to talk to me as if you care...?" I interrupt, venting what I can before I look towards Mother as she goes down onto her knees. A pair of men at her side to hold her still as a third brings a long dark arc up there with him.


    "There is nothing you can do, her sentence is documented, all that remains is to carry it out." Burspharosa snaps firmly as his visage formalises its posture.


    "Einervane, my precious little girl..." Mother lets out, a voice breaking from how many tears she''s had to let out.


    "No, Mother, hold on!" I snap.


    "Please, Einervaene, run. For my sake and Brewbrts, run." she begs as my vision starts to clear up. Her tears become clear to me as do the begging features of her red and sobbing face. My heart stops and I see the narrow shadow of the executioner''s blade above her. A practice swing bringing it close to her cheek.


    No... Mother...


    No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! I''ve been trying for too long, no, not this, no I need to move I need to... Burspharosa reaches his hand out towards me and time slows as my mother smiles with closed eyes. The death-bringing edge moving closer as slow as a bug but as fast as our lands power.


    Taking in as much air as I can, I hold my hand to the sky and rear my head back, my heart opening as far as it will. The sky churns above, awaiting my call.


    "LIGHTNING!" I cry with all that I am and a bolt of divine gold answers.

 Incline 58: Lord Burspharosa

    Pure gold strikes her open palm!


    Falling to the ground at the dictations of the blast, I struggle to look around as everything collapses. Chairs, stools, barriers and tables, are all coming undone and the ground is shaking unlike it ever has before. It''s coursing with power the likes of which I have ever seen in all of my life. I can barely look back for even with a raised palm covering my eyes fully, I am still blinded.


    I look to the ground meekly as does everyone else, but I manage to get a foot up. Barely running away, I fall again as thunder roars with all it has. Stormful wrath carves its way across the ground, a trail of gold in its wake where molten metal should be. It all starts to rise from the ground and I fall a short distance as screams take over the soundscape.


    I hit the ground and groan, rising up in my trench and clinging onto the walls for dear life as more and more builds up. It''s all vanishing, the ground as it should''ve been, the things we set up for the sake of our brief and grim stay. Only gold remains, growing. Struggling to spread my legs out for the sake of my own decency, the sky lashes out again, striking me down.


    Panting on the ground, I watch with widening eyes as a heavenly feeling sparks up my body hairs. I rub a hand on on opposite fore and swat it away as the shock bites viciously into my skin. Turning around and looking up, the walls around me break away and a vast expanse of flat, worked gold covers the land as far as I can see. Spotting the edge, I run to it as fast as can as a forest of lightning stakes its claim along the path.


    Nearly falling into the water, more gold spurts out to catch my feet and I stop, turning around endlessly. A palace is forming, this power of the storm is forming a palace without end of pure gold. I strike my palm three times out of reverence for our people''s beloved patron as I am beholden to what it must''ve been like for him in ancient times. And like Thunder in the Age of Divine Heroes.


    An opening in the expanding construction appears and the light almost seems tolerable now. Covering my brow with a palm, I struggle my way to a wall-like thing I can grab as electrical excitement trembles and shakes my joints. As if the God of the Sun, Ihtuntar has been reborn, the horizon is alight with only one body, that of the Lady-Heir. Wreathed and cloaked in storm born gold the likes of which bring only one image to mind.


    "The p-painting!?" I cry as a pair of wings spread from her back, a wingspan as far and further as the corners of my vision. Still in her skyward palm, divine power befitting only of a god. She rises and rises with her growing creation and walls cut me off, making me stumble back into the walls of a forming hall. Spreading my palms wide and tightening them on the first edges and corners I can grab, more and more starts to come about.


    Banners, curtains and carpets roll out from nowhere on sparking wires weaving themselves together. Statues push up from the warping metal to form beautiful visages and mannequins walk themselves into position as their plate follows like a line of chicks. Gulping, my grip slips and I fall, barely rolling out of the way of a falling piece of decorative cloth as more and more accents join the grandeur. Stumbling forwards towards what is clearly intending itself to be a window, I stop at how the glass is forming on streaks similar to the sky''s strength.


    Shakily taking off the latch, I swing it open and look out to the great dark depths below and then up as chanting breaks up the ceaseless rumbling. Thunder-shoguns, all around are the mightiest warriors in the land in one spot that isn''t the source of our power. Perhaps all of them are here and they''re all offering their swords and oaths to the great power bringing the whole sky with it. So bright the power and so grand the palace that the land is going dark so that all may gaze upon its righteous beauty.


    Stepping back, I slip as if I am a child first learning to walk and my rear bounces along the soft, homely warmth of the cloth. Feeling the silkish and satin resemblance, I glance downwards, my eyes widening more than are already as I notice the way the lights are being reflected. Scrambling desperately across the floor, I stare back at myself in the murky reflection the floor is able to give. The pattern in the gold, it is not smooth and simply polished, it''s harkening itself to the talents needed for crucible steel.


    Only, the pattern is precise, aimed and intentioned, a storm is painted in all its glory here... Thunder-gold, a palace made of pure thunder-gold!


    Clutching my heart, I rise up and stumble around, finding my footing as this part of the building reaches its end. I cup my mouth and roar for anyone, anyone at all but no one replies, not even the echoes one would expect from such orchestra-intended halls. Only the thunder roars in response. I sort myself out, rearranging my sash into its appropriate position and begin to walk.


    Putting a hand along a charred black table, no blackened palm greets me and I put it back to my side. I touch the cloths and pull them out, amazed at how many clan sigils are present and I even find mine treated as an equal amongst them all. Stormlight arcs above as both decoration and a source of light, as golden in form as the holy metal clanking beneath my feet. Each step in itself a rumbling raincloud as well.


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    I breathe my awful silence and move to push open a door, statues far more complicated than the ones at the Senate handling it. They nod and bow, closing the door back as it were like trained servants. Straightening my clothes again, I walk through many more halls and keep look up as paintings and carvings come to be. Even though the Imperial Palace is much the same and older, so much so, I cannot help but feel this place inspired it.


    No artisan''s hand could possibly work any of this into being, this is all the work of the divine. I blink and freeze, the word coming back through my mind. Divine. Yes, the power of the heavens themselves, the greatness of those whose spilt blood gave birth to all life like ours.


    Another door opens without my need and I walk in on a freshly completed piece in front of me, the need to crane my neck not here. I frown as its intent is clearly portrayed to me. There are two figures at a harbour or dock, a lone, tatty ship awaiting to take away the hastily sent cargo. The Lady Bosphama fares her daughter safe travels and their tears inspire the sky to cry as well as the distance comes into view.


    A land of great mountains and shores dominated by that which has descended from ours. A dark tunnel opens up and the ship enters it, strange-legged savages attack and the ship sinks. But the cargo is safe, a girl awakens on the filth and runs to safety until she finds it amongst dwarf people with spines on their backs. For a demanded price, she finds her way up into the light of day and some kind of town or city, one with three ways, three paths.


    "Triple Path Way..." I read what has been translated into our tongue before looking further along the tapestry-like telling. Several figures come into view, some creature with a beaked face, a young man and a creature with glowing bulbs on its head and needles for legs. A grander figure comes to view and he welcomes them all into his keep until trouble arises. The beaked thing reveals itself to be something more.


    Moving past what seems to be travel nonsense, a mountain defined by a man-made wedge comes to view. The group climb it and fall apart as the creature the Lady-Heir found herself with seemed to be more trouble than it''s worth. A mural of some kind, of a girl clearly of the Grand-Kingdom, she mends it all back together. The group leaves the mountain with some kind of magical machine.


    I rush forward slightly and a clear, heroic visage of the Lady-Heir comes into view, with what must be a wyvern buckling under her strength. Nodding along further, she and the creature which she set out to save are alone together, close in their embrace. Something is left behind and the Lady-Heir is left heartbroken. More and more adventures with many great and lasting friends being made along the way.


    She was there for all of them until fate and circumstances driven in by evil men tore it all apart. She had to part with all of them until the man from Triple Path Way became her only companion. The two cross a vast canyon, the Redstone Canyon, Forge of Thurnmourer. They travel a flat-grounded desert until a mountain crowned with an anvil-shaped peak comes into view...


    "No... H-How...?" I question incompletely, the awe of a child I once thought lost to me rising back up as they meet a figure at the edge of the Molten Sea. Clearly written for all to read, it describes itself as ''Thunder'' and I step back, forcibly putting my mouth back closed as I go back in. Keeping an index along the art, I keep on going until I find a strange scribble-like thing.


    Blinking confused at first, I nearly fall to my knees as my education comes back to sing for me. At the top of the Anvil-Peak did Thunder go to rest, there the power of Thurnmourer left him, forever at his side and Loyal. The capitalisation in the writing... It can''t be.


    "Loyal Lightning." I mutter, covering my mouth with my sash-holding arm as the burden it should be bearing slips from my body. Hearing a voice from deeper within the palace, I rush down the halls, slipping and sliding as it becomes clearer. Doors close loudly from one way and I turn to them, rushing onwards through towards the sounding torch at the exit of this labyrinth. Striking up against a door, I steady myself, realising that I have lost much of my senatorial aesthetic and effects.


    I might as well be a commoner now with the way I am dressed!


    Voices call out from the hall behind and I turn as others come rushing in, much the same, their weapons and ornamentation gone. We stare at each other in silence, some not sure if they should know the other or not, our usual means of conduct gone. A man with blond hair steps forward, some of his royal lineage still clear. We bow and kneel as the prince heaves with excitement.


    "My Prince, how would you have us go?" I question as he steps up to the door I am at, his hands eager to find a way to open that which doesn''t seem to have a handle or knob. A lock snaps open and gears move, electricity sparking across the metal as it comes alive with movement and expression. We step back, some of us nearly sliding back to the ground because of how weak we are. Our cores thoroughly shaken to the absolute.


    "Enter." the voice of a woman calls, the voice of the Lady-Heir. The doors finish opening and the great walk to a grander throne awaits us. We hobble in like scared men who have never seen magic in their lives and many fall on the way. Prayers leaving their lips as a slithering mass of gold lightning coils above.


    Stepping back as it lurches overhead, I can''t help but smile at the living lightning that once stood at the side of a god.


    Further beyond, however, is a sight I can never forget, a woman of the finest golden skin and hair that can raise armies from a strand alone. The Lady-Heir is -exactly- like the painting I was right to fear, no, that painting is nothing like her now. No man could capture such beauty and power accurately, it is beyond even the minds of mortals to grasp. I finally fall to my knees after slumping increasingly in my steps.


    With shaking arms, I push up and gaze upon her in her entirety. Even The Lady Bosphama cannot find it in herself to move from her spot on the ground at the side of her daughter. My mouth moves without my expressed will and I blink as the sound of prayer drowns out the storm. It is coming from all the others and myself as well...


    "Thunderborn..." I say, unable to truly grasp what divine sight is making my heart quiver and my mind lose its sense.

 Incline 59: Lady-Heir Einervaene

    Taking one step forward, my palm raised and Lightning resting in it, I look over the hall of kneeling men. Royal blood is bowing, senators and lords, men of the sword and common blood alike are all united in one thing. Their submission to the power running through my blood. Looking away from them, I find the one I came all this way to save and she meekly steps back, aghast with uncertainty.


    "Mother..." I go quietly as Lightning returns to the rafters. My body starts to quake and I look at every bit of her, much my equal and greater in looks and alikement. Her arms wrap around me as I slip down her front, sobbing. She comes down to meet me and and my arms find her, her hand gently stroking my hair, dyed with the power of a god.


    "Look at you, my little Einervaene... My precious Einervaene." she coos as wet drops splatter across my head, only to dribble further as weaker streams. I shake alongside her in an act of mutual, loving unity. I don''t want to let go of her and I can barely move my eyes off of her as if we were something other than mother and daughter. She kisses my forehead at short intervals, never letting me fall further closer to her heart.


    "They can''t hurt you anymore... They can''t. See...? My magic is gold now, golder than anyone in the land. I am Thunder herself." I think I am incoherent in explaining as I fail to keep my eyes focused on any one thing.


    She pulls me against her chest, kissing the line of my head that bares my scalp.


    "I''m glad you are safe, my precious daughter." she tells me as my mouth curves in an ugly manner, my eyes swelling with salted water that tastes of relief and joy.


    Finally finding it within me to move up and away, I do so, trembling and shaking as I find my footing. Though I have no more need of one to cast my magic, I have Lightning recreate one similar to what I once had. He coils around it like a serpent and I step forward to the top steps of the short climb up to here. My eyes harden at the sight of the executioner and Burspharosa, however, I break down sniffling at the sound of my mother.


    "I... I... I will not have it from anyone here in these halls or beyond them. Whatever crime of blood you have tried to inflict upon my mother is wrong. Untruthful and without foundation! I will suffer no lies from any of you, am I understood? If you still cannot believe what has occurred then look to where you prostrate yourselves, look to the metal and see the proof of my power." I explain with a nervous gulp as the adrenaline of what I saw before calling my dear friend to my side steadily runs dry.


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    A man begins to rise with as much respect as he can, his posture still there even without the sash it is there to bear.


    "Burspharosa..." I speak distastefully, Lightning crackling as he lurches forward towards the awe-filled man. He steps back, shaking his head and blinking before he looks at the ground ahead of my high-heeled boots.


    "Great Lady-Heir, The Lady Bosphama is not being tried over concerns of your blood and its proven perfection."


    "Do not be so quick to forget the words you spoke earlier!" I hiss, stamping my staff and cracking the ground as far as his feet with bolt-shaped splintering.


    "...Your moth- The Lady Bosphama is on trial for murder. The murder of a fellow senator who had done nothing but help her in the efforts of the Bosphama clan to ensure your safety in these times as they have developed since you arrived so famously within one of my harbours." Burspharosa explains and I turn towards Mother as she looks away, her head low.


    "W-Why were you so reckless...?" I question, horrified that she was even capable of such an act. Killing in the defence of others is one thing, having partaken in it myself throughout the years. I have even killed in desperation purely for my own life with the power used being in great excess of what was needed. But, to murder someone...


    "The assassins that blinded you, his name was on the contract. He signed it." Mother explains, spitting non-literally at this man''s name.


    "ON BEHALF OF A SENATOR SETTING HIM UP FOR A SCAPEGOAT! I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE RETREATED FROM THE PUBLIC LIFE OF BEING AN OFFICIAL LONG BEFORE YOUR DAUGHTER ARRIVED ON MY SHORES BUT YOU MUST''VE BEEN AWARE OF SENATOR CAETUSI''S LOW ORIGINS! THERE IS NOTHING TO SUPPORT THE IDEA HE COULD''VE KNOWN ABOUT THE PARTAHINOBI!" Burspharosa roars furiously, the fear he once should at Lightning''s power vanishing so he can rush up to my mother with a stern finger. She looks up to him without flinching and rises, an evil look in her eye.


    "I would kill that man a thousand more times across a thousand more years if it meant avenging my daughter!" she hisses.


    "A-Avenge...? No, Mother, no!" I snap, infuriated by the pair of them.


    "Power of a god or no, your mother spilt the blood of a man of the people. A senator of Eusorochii, not in his home or the halls of our trade but in the Imperial Palace itself!" Burspharosa barks close to my face, his arm moving about with righteous dignity.


    "ENOUGH!" I roar like the sky, its greatness blinding all who are foolish enough to look up. Covering my eyes, I sigh miserably and walk away with a shaking head. This is all over a murdered man...? What am I meant to do here, Lightning cannot resolve anything in this regard...


    The concept of life and death lingers in my head and my staff clatters to the ground, both hands and my wings coming around to cover my eyes. Why is this sticking in my head like this? I know I should know why but the concept is slipping from me, at the edge of a clueless tongue. Moving to a great window, I look outside it, one passive palm holding up a tired head.


    Banners flutter wildly but still clear in their depictions on the strong winds-


    "BREWBRT!"

 Incline 60: The Lady Bosphama

    "Einervaene, what''s wrong?" I ask, my own heart as well quivering at the name she just exclaimed. My friend, my dear friend of many years and adventurers, that wind magic that scared the members of the court, it must''ve been him!


    "BREWBRT! HE WANTED ME TO GO AND GET TO YOU AND I LEFT HIM TO FIGHT A..." she screams, panicking like the little girl I used to tuck into bed. A strange sight with how the power of a god is coiling itself about her as if it is speaking reassuring thoughts.


    I hold my daughter.


    "It''s alright, Einervaene, I will handle it, I have something I''ve been meaning to use for a long time." I whisper into her closest ear as we rock back and forth. The divine power lurches away, diving into the cracks made so soon ago and a hole is made as if it always belonged. The wind howls by and the black abyss of the All-Coast awaits us below. Taking a step forward, Einervaene snatches up my hand.


    "Be careful... He was fighting a thunder-shogun... I never saw it but I know that is what he was fighting." my daughter explains as her old habit of pushing her fingers up against the other shows that it is still carrying on. I nod and smile, bringing her in for one more hug and kiss before I bring up my wrists.


    "Can you take these off, please, my daughter?" I ask sweetly and the magic-sealing metal snaps like dried-out leaves. Without even letting the metal strike the ground, I leap out of the grand palace and awe at its scale as I fall further from its light. My kimono is not particularly receptive to the descent and I tightly clench what I can to keep it reigned in. I close my eyes and breathe deeply, desperately trying to recall what Brewbrt taught me all those years ago.


    Sensing wind magic is not like how it is with lightning, you don''t feel for the mind and the muscles, the way they move and the friction of objects. You smell it, you fill your lungs and take care to notice which way this breath is trying to force its way. I am rustier than the stock of the ruins we used to pillage, but I can feel it coming back to me. Pushing against the wind failing to keep me sky-high, I find him.


    The air in my lungs rubs along a direction, at an angle, but, the way I am falling.


    "I hope we can laugh about this spell again..." I mutter as I get my hands up, bringing my magic through them to get rid of the lethargy brought on by my imprisonment. Flexing my fingers as they spark between each other, I spot a collection of drowning islands. The spines of beasts rising up and down through the turbulent waves brought on by such weighty strikes. So much land gone.


    His power certainly hasn''t been failing him in the slightest and he never allowed it to fail my daughter.


    "You Idiot, You Clueless Idiot, I''m Not Leaving You!" I chant, memories rushing through my tearing-up eyes and emotional mind. All the times he stayed behind to ensure our safety, all the times his pessimism drove him to be so stupid. I hated finding him bloodied, I wanted to promise him he''d never have to be on his own like this again. I might be too late or just in time, I do not know and it''s terrifying.


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    The spell activates and the blessing I put on his beloved suit of relics comes to life. I am broken down and reappear from the bonds Thurnmourer has bound everything together with. Crushing, dark weight forces me down and bubbles explode from my mouth. A hand suddenly grabs mine and I am slammed onto the metal-earth, a chipped sword raised against me.


    "Why have you come?" a stripped-bare, one-armed Thunder-Shogun demands to know as his blade ebbs closer from weakness, not threat. Though, with who this man is, both are mutual.


    "F-For... For my friend...!" I explain as I take in the lost breath. I shiver and rise to my feet, wobbling on the unstable piece of uncertain land and find my friend. His armour broken, his blood soaking the ground and not a sign of movement from him. Dropping to his side, I pick him up and place his cold head against my soaked bosom.


    "You should leave with him." the Thunder-Shogun explains as he falls onto his rear, exhausted by battle. I can''t help but be agape with joy, my friend, my best friend for all time did this to one of the greatest fighters in the world? He really is amazing... Just like I always fought when we were young and my heart was uncertain.


    He''s not the father of my daughter, but, I have a feeling the two have come to feel that way to an extent. I cup his head and lean down, kissing his forehead with as much rejuvenation as I can muster on short notice and a smile remains even as he lays still. Taking the moment, I mess with his slicked-back silver-emerald hair and ruffle it a bit.


    The land slopes and water rushes on to take much of Brewbrt''s broken treasures.


    I look to the Thunder-Shogun, perplexed, really, "Why have you not killed him or me? We have violated your sacred ground."


    "Because... He won, this Great Man defeated me." the Thunder-Shogun explains and I frown a little.


    "You still stand." I point out, admittedly weary.


    "I stand so that he can be saved, I am at the mercy of the Pack of Seven and their skilled noses. He has a chance." the Thunder-Shogun answers, wobbling again with his sword arm clutching the hole in his upper side.


    "I''m sure he''ll be very proud to hear of this respect you have given him..." I start to say, my ability to fly coursing through my body before the waves start to be disturbed. I see the shine of deep-sea scales and hear the gnashing of teeth from the deep as if the water has thunder of its own.


    "Take him, let this be my final deed in this world." the Thunder-Shogun orders as he summons the last of his strength to then take up position. I nod, my magic bringing me and my friend up into the sky as something accents the water with the colour of dull steel. Long and swirling at first, it vanishes and turns round and small. The water bursts.


    "DRAGON!" I snap excitedly as its furious gaze suddenly turns blank as the leagues it travels into the sky abruptly occur without strength. A man with his sword flies ahead and goes limp, his body falling with the bisected beast.


    Four things hit the All-Coast and begin to sink and I clutch my friend tighter.


    "Oh... No one has to know..." I whisper lovingly as I turn Brewbrt around to face me properly, even if he''s unconscious. My lips touch his and I wrap my arms around him tightly, my mouth opening slightly as the darkness of closed eyes enthralls me further.

 Incline 61: The Lord Burspharosa

    "From the heavens, she came, atop a steed of Thurnmouric-making. To plead for the life of her mother did she come, screaming to the sky with all her heart, Lightning." I ponder as my strongside index rubs the stone-imitating metal as if it is parchment. The sounds of adoration and worship whistling in most joyously through the bars of my cell and the window baring my back to the cold of night. Heel click, metal on metal and much noise is made on the slow way out for many others. Their eyes still in disbelief.


    I look up, that which spawned my greatest fears standing above me with all the grace expected of her. Though, she is shaken by the suddenness of it all. The Thunder-Shoguns gathered so instantly around her newly made palace, even His Imperial Majesty and the whole royal family have made the trip to my knowledge. Curious, it is, here I am locked away for what must be months now and although I am separated from my resources and family, I still know of the world outside.


    "Laiologos Burspharosa." the once Lady-Heir greets with a modest bow. Looking up at her, I tilt my head, uncertain of if I should bow back given what was so quick to happen to me after her holy call. I rise regardless, taking hold of my rags and I bow as if I am not shamed with stripped participation in the Senate and that my lordship is not within question. I did my duty for her sake, not that she knows yet and she was quick to step aside as the calls against The Lady Bosphama were dropped.


    Senator Caetusi, I am failing your memory...


    "I am not clear on what it is I need to call you... My Thunderess?" I start to say, looking out to the rumbling sky for some crude inspiration. She smiles like a child, eager to hide her face from me, the disbelief too strong.


    "That is what they have taken to calling me, yes. They think I am related to the ancient hero Thunder now, but, I know I am not. I do not think he''d appreciate me taking that." she explains and I nod on my way back into my kneeling position on my tatty strip of old towel.


    "Did he strike you as the prideful type?" I ask, curious as to how the legendary hero is as a person. Or, was, that tapestry-esque art I saw in the palace before I gazed my eyes truly upon the Thunderess'' beauty ended in a peculiar manner. I suppose one had to have been there to truly understand it and I can only envy the former Lady-Heir and her foreign companion.


    He lives up to the name of his people, so the rumours have come to me as. The thunder-shoguns have been praying death-centric hymns for a period that I was unfortunate enough to miss mostly. Some degree of a primary source exists within my mind, but, one of my least concerning causes for bitterness is that. I haven''t had the time to really think about it even with thinking being all that I can do.


    "Why are you so filthy? Is the wealth you command a myth?"


    "I have denied all efforts and sent off any who would ask me the question regarding my comfort." I answer, fine with going by her dictations in the conversation. I would be a fool to try and domineer anything as I am now, where I am now, as she is now. A beggar is before a goddess but he does not deserve to pray for a boon, only her mercy can give it. Though, I will meet it with a sharp backhand and the bowl shall scatter it and its contents across the temple marble.


    "I don''t understand. You are one of the greatest lords in all of the land and you cannot muster it within yourself to give yourself a proper bed? Warm food and a floor that doesn''t risk cutting you?" she questions, yet, I have reasons to doubt her care for how I live my life right now. She has achieved her goals, I am bowing and broken, my name is in question and my honour belittled.


    "It does not matter if I go cold or hungry. So long as my sons, my daughters and wife, brothers, sisters and parents, uncles and aunts are in need of my money then I shall not see it. They will have board and bed, myself be damned. Their safety is all that matters, their protection against the world is all my mind concerns itself with right now." I explain, my heart aching for the senator who died because of my mistake. Efforts I once dreamed of putting out to honour his name are now gone, I do not have the time. The grains are slipping away...


    "Your family is not in dan-"


    "Because of your dramatics, yes, they are. The Burspharosa clan will be ground into the dust now that I am here to be hushed as to not offend Her Gloriousness." I interrupt, battering her with a sneer towards the end. She stares down, sternly, her fingers flexing with ember-driven energy before the glow ceases. She sighs.


    "Why... Why did you start all of this...?" she asks, her voice shaking as the memories drown her in bother.


    "Your power is unfit to inherit, I did what was right by the law of the land." I explain, returning to my motions and then stopping with the end joint of my index bending under the strain.


    "You didn''t come to my home that day to accuse my mother of sullying her womb." the Thunderess rightly guesses if that is what she is doing. I nod.


    "Yes..." I start to answer, a happier, more peaceable timeline being envisioned in my head, much like it must be with her, "I came to the seat of The Lady Bosphama for you, that much is similar. But, I did so with an appropriately aged son in my grasp, Theomasaga. He''s happily wed to another now but I intended him for you. Having heard of your developments from a girl to a woman, I intended to try and merge our families through matrimonial union, your hand in his at the right time where Motrtha guides your touch equally."


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    "Only that never happened..." she almost growls, her eyes narrowing as her fists curl up again.


    "No. I met with your mother, introduced my son properly beyond what he might''ve done so himself on any play dates or stays. And then, we found you, proud of what you were doing with your magic. We both remember the look your mother had that day, though you''ve probably forgotten your confusion over it." I finish explaining, moving my head down as her heels click closer. The bars of my prison start to warp and move, remade into a doorless way fit for a king.


    She starts to shake her head, her eyes straining.


    "Y-You didn''t have to tell anyone... You had no right..."


    "I had every, which is why I was able to take it from my seat in the Senate and into the ears of my fellows. From fellow bearers of the sash to the honoured men at the back of the room." I explain, rising to meet her advance, my back proud with senatorial honour although I am stripped of its well-being fat. Melted away in the cooking pot of damning black iron.


    "I would''ve made a good wife..." she mutters, the innocence of her old noble life never to come back.


    "I am sure you would have, you sailed the All-Coast so dominated by our hated enemy for refuge and safety but instead came right back in relatively good time to bring the greatest thing to our shores since our lands were first raised into the sky. A beautiful girl in her own right came back only fit for the hand of the god which has made her what she is now."


    "No god made me." she states, meeting my eyes with unyielding force. I nod and look away, her eyes still boring their way through my back and front. Going to the barred window of my cell, I look outside at the sky. Dark clouds tonight, no strength even with a man-made goddess within the leaping step.


    "So, Thunderess. How might I be of service? I doubt you came to me with the intent of asking simple whys, whos and hows." I ask, turning back around and then going back onto my knees. A madman screams within me to run, but, we do not listen to madmen until the world itself turns to Chaos herself, only then do they make sense.


    She reaches into her kimono, so simple in its elegance and a sheathed blade comes out. It crashes to the floor and rattles up to the stretched skin of my knees. Grabbing it by either end, I do not reveal the sharpened steel and I look to her. This is the blade of man with only two choices...


    "You may either redeem yourself of the shame you have brought to your clan by taking your own life here with me as your witness or you may surrender all lands, wealth and history. You will become simply Laiologos and your family will in turn suffer the same fate. A fitting punishment for what you have done to mine. So the courts tell me..."


    I start to shake my head and put the short blade down, but, I stop. Rising back to my feet with it still in hand, I pull it out and read the inscription on the steel the mark of its true nature as an honour-restoring edge. For the first time since I have called cells and dungeons my home, I smile, hopeful of what I can do. The Thunderess steps back, confused and bewildered.


    "Men do not usually smile when faced with death or beggardom..." she remarks as if I have gone mad, though, perhaps I have. Maybe I already am, after all, I saw the warning in the painting and I carried on, hopeful to squeeze through the gap of time. I misjudged how wide the eye of the needle is, I suppose.


    "To rid my family of shame, I must die by a blade, not this one necessarily. I will not harm my lands by subjecting them to the uncertainty of a ruler and the changes that come with it. Much less my family for the sake of a few more Months of Aahtha or full moons of The Mighty." I explain, cutting open my rags to expose my tired and unrefined chest and belly. Placing the blade at the centre bottom of my ribcage, I carve the mark of shame across my abdomen and let it bleed.


    The Thunderess steps back, shaken by the sight despite the journey she has to her name now.


    "You seek your end in a Duel of Judgement?" she asks as I click the blade back into its sheath.


    "I am, against the man who framed the innocent Senator Caetusi. A man whose name is now going unheard because of what... You. Are." I state, poking her with the hand holding both blade and sheath until her back is against the wall.


    "I didn''t mean for that to happen... I''m sorry..."


    I sigh, putting a hand on her chin and bringing it up, "Don''t be. With how you are now, you can bring peace and stability to Eusorochii far more than I ever could. The dreams of Senator Caetusi can live on in you and be more than even he could have hoped for."


    "Wh-What did he want?" she asks following after me as I move to leave these dungeons behind so that I might begin a journey of my own. The guards hear footsteps and move to open the door, only to slam it shut and draw their weapons, confusion sprouting across such a grand meadow.


    "Thunderess! Are you unharmed!?" one of them demands to know as others call out for ranged weapons capable of killing me. Turning to them, I make sure they can see the bleeding mark I have carved myself.


    "I''m fine... I''m fine! Stop whatever this is now!" she snaps to them as I turn my head to face her.


    "The good Senator Caetusi wanted it so that no other lands fell into the All-Coast to drown or drift. So that no more were forced to leave their homes and families behind. He wished for the safety of all on the honour of his father and the people who raised him to the Senate." I explain, a chest full of pride as this is now our shared mission. As the one with the power of Loyal Lightning, she cannot let it go to waste as she sits on silk cushions filled with the finest feathers and soft comforts. She must act for the good of the empire and most of all, the blood that courses through its sons and daughters.


    Young and old.


    "I... I... I can do that. We can do that." she asserts, standing tall as her great power sneaks out for a view. I smile at its narrow head and it slips back into the comforts of this beautiful woman I would''ve been proud to call my daughter. Even as she was, I would''ve been proud. When she left home, she would''ve been so similar a person, the sailing didn''t change her, she was always a woman worthy of noble song.


    "Do so well and good, for all the land to hear. The people know lightning as power, let them know that Lightning is great and well-meaning. Let them know."


    "BAHCK TO YER CELL, DISGRACEFUL THING!" a foul creature in the form of a man spits. Turning my gaze to him, I smirk at one little thing my removal from the Senate has entitled me to.


    "It''s The Lord Burspharosa!"

 Incline 62: Brewbrt

    Blinking once, I groan. I blink again and again, each one harsher than the last as my groans elongate and my coarse tongue flicks. My lips smack dried lip down and up on the moisturally barren opposite. Jolting up on my bed, up against my pillows, my gaze shifts around.


    A familiar face, a dear friend, I can see her and I am so very glad she''s alive.


    "Water!" I bark with the strength I can spare for such a crucial task and one hand rises, clenching the open air repeatedly until something comes into it. Nearly bashing my own head in, my pinched lips fly open and water floods my throat, soaking the soil that is my flesh only barely. I hand the thing back and rub my eyes, the sound of precious liquid changing in tune until the familiarity of a glass near-full sings. Water splashes wastefully and I chug it all down again.


    "Slow down, you''ll drown yourself like that!" my friend insists as I stop and sigh my bliss. Turning to her, I take a final gulp of whatever is left and start to suckle at my bedwear and sheets for more water. The unbecoming survivalist within me is put down and I more gently take in the next great load. Resting into my back, I lean backwards, going into the pillows nearly until the certainty of a bedframe stops me.


    "Only thing that''s going to drown is my home when I flood the world an even greater All-Coast with how much I will be pissing later!" I bark joyously as my idle hand finds my heart thumping away in it with all of the life I find to be so wonderful. I do not recall hearing any howls or mists with a tint of smoking to them. I am alive.


    "Is... Is there something you want to say?" Eratheen chokes out in question as I look at her struggling eyes. I start to nod and her arms rise, the want for a hug all but bewitching her. However, with a firm arm, I stop her, much to her confusion.


    "Easy now, nearly died you know." I mutter before finishing off my latest load of water to which I then set the container aside. My eyes return to her and she wobbles half in and half out of her seat. Even with the weight of a mother who has breastfed her beloved daughter above it along with several wrappings of embroidered sheets... I can still see how powerful the beats of her heart are.


    A single desire screams out of it with each life-giving pump.


    Moving one arm about, I move its fingers and sharpen them, "Come now, come closer."


    "Brewbrt, I''m glad to see you are all ri-" she starts to say before I smack her with the back of me hand, not too rough but not too gentle either.


    She blinks.


    "Gods and goddesses, what was that for!?" she demands to know, hurt more so by the meaning of my attack then the blow itself. I ready my backhand again, more than happy to slice the hooks of me knuckles into her temple on the way to hacking my feelings into her head.


    "Oh! No one has to know!" I sing mockingly, making her blush deeply as well as look away with scorn. I laugh heartedly and grab onto her, pulling her in for the hug she so needingly deserves and I carry on chuckling as she strikes me impotently. So much like her daughter enough in all the ways that matter to me and my transferable skill set for teasing.


    "I save your life and this is what I get..." she moans bitterly against my wet chest before I adjust my grip to allow her to more properly get into a comfortable position.


    "Thank you, Eratheen." I tell her, bringing her eyes up to face mine and making her cheeks redder in the process. I drop her chin and she falls the short distance back into the hug, shocking me for the trouble. I smile once again, a toothy grin coming of it.


    "H-How did you know I...?" she starts to ask and I have her sit up properly and away a modest distance so no funny business can come of it. Both her soft, warm hands hold my closest one and the unnatural cold they were afflicted by is naught but a memory.


    "Lucky guess." I lie, smiling at how she reacts before I frown and sigh. Turning my head slightly away, I shake it and return it her way.


    "Why?"


    "Eratheen, we''ve been over this years ago. We settled -this- years ago." I point out, minding her hand as a lump catches in her throat.


    "You know I''ve always loved you more than I loved him..." she bitterly comments under her breath as if to guilt trip me. My jaw slants on the moment.


    "Eratheen!" I snap, not wanting to hear more of this.


    "What!? It''s true, you know full well I only got together with him to make you jealous!" she chokes as she accusingly jabs a finger towards me. Grabbing it with the hand I was using to drink with, I stop her from escaping to strop at the end of the room.


    "And it didn''t work. Come on, Eratheen... Don''t start this up again. What is he going to think of this the next time he can visit?" I ask, trying to make her understand what will come of this if she keeps up with whatever it is she is trying to do. Hopefully, the past few months have just been getting to her.


    Oh, that''s a point and a half, should ask how long I''ve been out... However, a slight brushing of my chin on some nearby skin is quite telling.


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    "He won''t think anything. He was never there for me or Einervaene once this entir-"


    "ERATHEEN!" I snap furiously, clearly frightening her if the jump is anything to go by. She looks away, ashamed and down-looking.


    "She needs a father... A proper father, not some pen-pal that takes forever to reply to one gods and goddesses damned letter!" Eratheen cries, breaking down into tears as she finishes speaking. Sighing, I lean forward and pull her in, putting her head back onto my chest and stroking her hair.


    "We''re both married, Eratheen, our word is owed to another."


    "The story is that yours left you..." I can feel her sneer and I respond with an instance of unpleasent crushing to warn her. Closing my eyes, I think of my divorced wife and shake my head. The love''s still there, it''s just too complicated.


    "You know full well that Raltarait loves you dearly, you know full well he''s done his best but circumstance is circumstance. Life is not as simple as packing up and leaving."


    "You did it the moment my daughter came to you!" she almost screams, her face sliding up to the air before mine. Our breath mixes and her tears drop onto my head.


    "I''m a founding-lord of a ravineer settlement, your husband is a colonial governor!" I sternly remind her seen as in this silly little case of the alonesomes she is forgetting that fact.


    "It''s been years since he has held me and you know it..." she sobs, holding me tight as I rest my cheek on her well-made scalp of soft hair. Honestly, I prefer it even to the pillows behind me.


    "Have him step down you silly old girl. You are The Lady Bosphama are you not? He''s not going to damn well struggle to find employment again and it''s not like his wages are going to your family much anyway with how much distance there is." I suggest, and maybe, it is as simple as that. Damn well better be, what kind of non-inheritable political position is for life without the option to step down? Preposterous nonsense certainly fits the bill.


    "You''re here now... Einervaene knows you, you''ve protected her for years now against many who would harm her and you''ve just set the continent ablaze with your vanquishing of a thunder-shogun and that destructive stupidity of yours."


    "All that mattered is that Einervaene got to you. I did my part and I was willing to make peace with that." I explain, receiving a right vicious smack for the trouble. Shifting my jaw about, I wait for the sting to subside before daring to open my mouth again. She settles back down on my chest.


    "Don''t ever talk like that to me again... Much as you have been telling me about settled conversations you should remember yours." Eratheen reminds me with freezing bitterness that is quite eager to dig into my skin.


    "Old habits die hard." I remark, ooo-ing some of my lingering pain out as the memory of my hard fall comes back to me. I think, given the experience as well, I much prefer my hugs to be like this and not involving a long and short sword sparking with lightning.


    "She will be very happy to know you have finally woken up."


    "How long?"


    "Months." Eratheen is quick to answer as she reinvigorates her part of the bedlaying hug. I smile warmly at the welcome lines of it pressing down on me. The blast of heated air as the pockets of it escape her clothes with each clothy thud.


    "Had a feeling." I quip, looking out to the peculiarly non-stormy day. Eratheen, unfortunately, shifts out of our hug and sits upright closer to my knees. She sighs and looks away.


    "I am sorry for what I did... You are right. It doesn''t excuse it but, to get it off my chest... I''ve been very lonely this whole ordeal. Oorika, Joastelan and my staff have done their best but when you are a mother with a living husband it''s... It gets hard." she mutters with increasing quietness. I nod and quickly check under the sheets before going to her side, the quilt in my hands. Wrapping us both in it, she tucks in her side of it and we join together for comfort.


    "Remember how we used to sit like this by the fires out on our adventures?" I ask, feeling nostalgic seeing as we have been digging up one thing from our shared past.


    "I remember how I used to feel so miserable sleeping out at night with you. Hear I was, Lady-Heir to the great Bosphama clan in the prime of her post-childhood youth and I''m spending it with a foreigner out in the wild."


    "Harsh." I chuckle as she snuggles in closer.


    "I remember how that gradually shifted into something better, something forged so well it will last until the world finally joins the rest of the nothing that makes up creation into oblivion."


    "Remember how the blanket we shared got too small?"


    "Only because everyone else decided on wanting to share it with us." Eratheen sneers, giggling about it shortly after.


    "I quite enjoyed it, personally. Not so much Clockwork''s cogs or Rosa''s bow and so on, but, I enjoyed us all being there at the end of the night. Another payday maybe gained, us all safe and sound of keeping the one who wasn''t safe healthy and strong."


    "It''s alright, I won''t make fun of you for admitting to the fact you were the one who was often huddled up for safety." she giggles as she runs a finger down the shirt hiding my scar-covered chest. Don''t get enough magic into your system quick enough and your body will mark itself right out, or if the wounder is strong enough. Guess I got a fair few more since coming to this continent, nowadays.


    Thankfully, not one near or in my eye. Bloody night-attacking assassins, buggers the lot of them. Spitting on their graves is the least I can do. Makes the gore I left them as more tolerable.


    The door behind us opens and I turn with Eratheen, smiling at the young woman with skin of gold and silky hair much the same. She smiles back at us, her heartwarming so scorchingly hot with relief, but, she is withheld. Getting up, I walk around to meet Einervaene and open my arms up for a hug to offer. Initially, nothing.


    "Well, that''s-"


    Einervaene latches on as tightly as she can, as quiet as the corpses I''ve just been thinking about.


    "I... I''m glad you are well." I struggle to hear as Eratheen comes around, her clothes having been sorted before she did so.


    "Did you save your mother?" I ask, prompting a gentle shove from her before she steps back, nervous as a little girl.


    "It''s getting there... Mother, nearly time for it." Einervaene cryptically states as her fingers press up against the other, her divine power surging the bridge.


    "What''s goin'' on?" I ask, stepping back a little, dumbfounded as I properly take in how well-dressed the pair are now that I am actually paying attention.


    "Einervaene is to be crowned."


    "Eh?"


    "After I called Lightning to prove I am not some bastard or poorly-conceived child, my name started spreading and I''ve somehow been declared the Thunderess, Heir to Thunder." Einervaene explains, huffing in amusement as she looks lovingly at her thankful mother.


    "Huh?"


    "She''s to be given the title by the Emperor himself!" Eratheen giddies over as Einervaene ruins her golden skin with the deep crimson of her cheeks.


    "EH!?" I go, louder, completely lost.

 Peak 15: Thunderess Einervaene

    A servant dares to step forward to straighten out my clothes after my fidgeting messes it up. I have to shoot a hand up to stop a guard from running them through and I only cause more servants to come up to help. Crying on the inside, I try my hardest to keep myself as straight and upright as I can. I learned all of this when I was young and I can only wish that it is my time away from home that has caused my knowledge to dull.


    How did this even happen!?


    All I wanted to do was save Mother and prove that my magic wasn''t this foul product of matrimonial malice. Instead, I have somehow alerted the whole country to something that is entirely unnecessary! The Emperor and his family have come to the palace I made for only show, the Senate and the heads of all the houses. All in one place, surrounded by what might as well now be my anointed guard in the form of migrating thunder-shoguns...


    I''m terrified, absolutely terrified and I do not know what to do. I''ve been asked to wait back here for the moment as everyone else fills out the throne room in their designated spots and the highest religious orders of the land are preparing. The incense is breaking through the cracks in the door like the smoke in a raging house fire. If only.


    Mother steps to my side as does the still confused and now hastily dressed Brewbrt, both have been asked to walk me down the aisle. On her honour as the one who birthed the woman who brought Lightning to the land of the same and on his honour as my guardian and shepherd. Both of their grips tighten in a nurturing manner and I switch my eyes between them erratically. I choke on the razor-sharp diamond going down my throat and open my mouth to breathe wildly.


    "Shhhh... It''s ok." Mother whispers close to my ear and I nod, straightening my back as the first sounds of a door moving reach the other ear. The lighting of this already bright hallway change and even the sky turns quiet as the army of eyes look upon me. At the very end of the opening guarded by the noblest-blooded warriors in the land, the Emperor himself. At any other time in my life, he''d be the purest being I''d ever meet, yet, now, having seen my reflection and heard the still heart-swelling praise, he seems almost pale.


    A man whose visage would''ve once commanded this room is not here. Everyone is looking at me as if I am the Messiah, the definition of the word and its original inspiration, a demi-goddess made real. All I did was scream a name in front of a sham trial and make something out of the land and now all of this. Somehow, somehow... It''s easier to keep my eyes on the throne I made just for show but now I want to look at the ground.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    No one has dared to step close to my seat, not even His Imperial Majesty. Thunder seems to echo through the grand chamber but the corner of my eyes show me something else. With each step I take down the aisle, Lightning sprawling above my head like an ape, the grand crowd kneel. The resounding strike of their knees and bowing heads screaming the most loyal of oaths and fealty.


    I stop as the arms around mine slip away, I look to them both as they step off to the side. I try to smile at Brewbrt''s continued bafflement but it only serves to have him hurried away. I turn to my throne as someone ahead of me steps closer. His Imperial Majesty.


    I step back but his hand taking mine stops me from doing it fully, my overly complex kimono doing the rest.


    "Beauty of Heaven, on my noble blood and impeachable honour as the Emperor of the Eusorochii and their lands, allow me to aid in your ascension to stand amongst the heroes and the gods above them." he explains, a handsome face letting out words of calming silk. I nod slowly and each step takes more breath out of me than it should. The air is thinning and by the time I find my throne, I nearly collapse.


    My eyes remain shut tight, not even air is allowed through my eyelids until a soothing presence conducts itself into me. Opening one fully, the other follows suit and I smile at the friend who has allowed me to finally put to rest the terror keeping me up at night. My home is safe as is my family, although, things have escalated a little too much for me.


    "Do not worry, Einervaene, I am here." Lightning speaks openly for the room to hear clearly. I gulp and nod and his powers come to life with the Power of Creation even giving me that strange habit he calls a wink he has developed. The ceiling opens up as if it was always meant to and he shoots off into the sky.


    Thunder roars louder than the greatest of dragons and a shape starts to form in the sky, that of an armoured man holding a great hammer. Lightning''s imitative puppet descends a staircase of rumbling stormclouds and most if not all the room steps back in shock. The fake Thurnmourer walks up to me, the finest crown I have ever seen in his hands and the one that was actually made for me has hurried away, shame hiding it. My neck nearly breaks from the great weight and I close my eyes as I adjust to the immense, psychological pressure.


    "Rise, Thunderess." Lightning commands through his puppet and I do so, taking his hand as my pedestal grows and all I see bow. The lords and ladies, the Senate, the temples and their excellencies, the Imperial Family, Brewbrt... Even Mother. All of them are bowing with the utmost respect that their bodies can give.


    Lightning''s show ends and his puppet disappears in a mass of volts, a single great gold bolt filling the sky.


    "HONOUR TO YOU, THUNDERESS!" all the thunder in the sky roars for a great distance that rebounds on itself and the people echo it for even more miles as I keep only my body stable.

 Base 16: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Releasing her sweaty body, its immense weight crashes onto her bed with voluptuous jiggling and giggling. The bed squeaks and creaks, her dress and bra in my tight grip, despite the dark, her facial expressions are clear as day. The way she bites her bottom lip, the red shade of her skin and the energetic apple glow of her eyes. She raises a finely-tipped finger and it flexes inward with smooth desire.


    Shaking my head I toss her clothes back and step away from the bed to turn on the lamp. Only slightly slower than the light, she covers herself up with the quilt and whines her disappointment. With a tut, she lets it go through the calming motions of sorting her mess of hair out. I gently kick her large pair of heels out of the way and towards the nearest edge of the room.


    "Hey, be careful with those! You know how long it took for me to have them made..." Liada cautions and I raise a hand on my reprimanding way down, my claws setting them aside properly.


    The slight forbidden wetness of dance-induced foot sweat sticks to my bandages, "Are you not going to even bother showering?"


    "It''s just a bit of sweat, besides, you can''t complain about filth at all with how you work those tatty, wrapped-up things." she gently snaps with a grin and a claw touches one of my bandages, pulling it out a little so I can look at it. I take off my hat and mask and look again without the obstructing tint of the lens. She''s right, I''ll need to swap them out soon.


    Moving my accessories back towards my head, the bed creaks and my eyes meet her staring ones. Her gentle but harsh look accentuating them.


    "Alright, alright." I go, hanging the typically always-on pair on the closest hook regardless of its actual intention.


    "I''m not a human, Nin. I like to see your face properly." Liada coos as I turn my head to the mirror on the back of her bedroom door. Staring back at the chittering monster, my head shifts to look down at my claws. Closing my eyes with a sigh, I flex my digits while my mind fakes a slideshow of eight fingers and two thumbs.


    "It doesn''t matter anyway, really." I tell her with a shrug, going around the room to clean up the mess her tail made the way in whilst I was held hostage by her demand to be bridal-carried.


    "You''ve done enough anyway to go out without that get-up. If you want, we can go to the same person who I commission to make my clothes and those heels there!" she chirps excitedly and I shut it down with a firm shake of my head.


    Finding her tail, I gently touch the end and it flicks back into my palm, I close it, "I''m fine, it''s me at this point. The cloak, hat, mask and tediousness."


    "At least let''s go and get you a proper top and bottom..." she groans with the roll of her luminescent eyes. Grabbing her hairbrush, I pass it on but she rejects it and instead shuffles about until her nearly bare form is shadowed my way.


    "Would be a waste to get something fancy given my work." I argue quickly as her hands trace the edge of her skin where the light passes on into the nighttime dark. Casting a large mop of hair away, I start on the right side and she turns a little so the sameside cheek is within eyesight.


    "She doesn''t just do event gowns and wedding dresses, Nin. She''s more than capable of adapting to your needs!" Liada tells me, her tone rising enough to gain a very slight shrill.


    "Don''t worry about it, Liada. I''m fine." I explain, putting the final, holding nail in the conversation. I hope.


    "Fine... Fine." Liada huffs with a hand gripping her hair where my claws are not good enough. Forcing out the last load of knots, I watch the sweat she''s built up from all that dancing and late-night running soak into the strands. It would be a futile effort to try and keep it away, but, with how protective she''s been with it since this morning makes me iffy about leaving it alone.


    "I''ll go make sure the tank is full and heated." I tell her, moving to get up and an awkward grip settles on my wrist.


    "No, I don''t want a shower tonight." she almost snaps, stopping me by bringing the caught arm up to her face. Blinking and chittering my confusion, I flex it out with my momentarily free hand. She brings it in close. Keeping myself quiet, I hear her nose louden in time with the movement of her captor hand.


    "So is this something you are going to want to try again?" I ask, choosing a stupid question to break the quiet I am otherwise too ignorant to handle.


    "Yes! Yes! Yes, I want to do it again!" she squeals as she lets go, shaking the bed and rattling the floor with her toe-claws. I smile a little, but, it goes away as I notice the blue tint the night has because of the fading strength of the street lights. Lari loved to dance.


    "S-Sure, give me some heads-up, t-though." I stutter with a shaking head and she meets my gaze.


    "Naturally, much as people love to have me around for my exotic nature," she chirps, shaking excitedly at the special attention I still remember her being utterly terrified of, "It can be a bit bothersome to find a place big enough."


    "Understandable." I remark, doing my best to ignore the excited and hopefully tiring leaps of her tail. Heavy thing it is, armoured slightly on the top with thicker, leathery patches and horns. Never mind the fact she''s a very muscle-dense woman, never mind that at all!


    "We can always go back there? That Club Grandfather was quite spacious and exciting." she proposes and I nod slightly, thinking back to its posh grandeur while still otherwise being excitable for younger people. I am inclined to agree more so for its reserved and otherwise non-claustrophobic nature, however.


    "They were quite regarding towards this." I point out, picking and dropping the hefty near-limb.


    "I think I should ask Uibaity to make some kind of wavy fan for my tail! Something frilly and moveable, do you think that would look nice, Nin?" Liada gets caught up in and I look down at her tail as she tries to worm it under the quilt to give an attempted show of what she is thinking.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Wavy..." I repeat, a smiling face entering my mind, the owner of it swerving and flailing with precise grace that makes the light shimmer across the fabric.


    "Hehe..." Liada giggles distantly and my left claw rises to stop her tail drooping the blanket over my head.


    "So much for all those complaints of ''Nin....! I''m tiiiiiiiirrrrreeeed!'' Utter nonsense." I grumble teasingly as the middle of her lips curves up.


    "I was tired... Not all of us are as physically fit as you..." she mumbles with a hidden face as she leans back onto my body. Glancing down myself, I nod a little, years of effort is certainly showing. My once nearly locked-up shell is fit to burst with strong muscles underneath. It''s just a shame it''s all there because of...


    I shake my head with enough force to disturb the contents.


    "It''s difficult for you, isn''t it?" Liada dreads to ask and I blink confused at first before a tight pain clenches my chest. I''m not confused at all. Not one bit...


    "You spend five years chasing after someone, even after the cathartic conclusion, it is hard to let go." I explain with a quiet spinning of one of my claws, a limp digit on its extended end.


    "I don''t mean him, I mean her. Larishazza." she clarifies, struggling a little with the name for reasons sterner than simple pronunciation.


    "She''s gone, Liada, don''t worry about it. I was serious when we had that conversation that day." I remind her, gesturing a little to get rid of this nervous energy.


    She sighs and looks at me, our eyes meeting like two deep holes paradoxically able to somehow swallow the other without being affected.


    "I know, it''s just..." she doesn''t finish before moving her head. I angle away from her attempt to kiss me.


    Her lips part nothing with a wet noise ringing in the air. And she leans away, stiff with offence.


    "It''s just... That." she sighs disappointedly, her body falling on its side with the quilt quickly coming over her form. The tent supported by air and body blurs how shapely she is in all but the most strained areas. Reaching towards her, I stop. Bringing my claw back, I set her brush aside on a surface and rise, going around to the hook I put my things on.


    The mask quickly comes back on and I step into her room''s attached bathroom, I am gentle but the door still seems to bang. Flinching at the noise, I sigh in the darkness, a hard digit flicking the switch to bring me out of it. The mirror doesn''t take long to capture my attention with the obnoxious reflection within. One thing it cannot show me, though, is my glare.


    "Gods you infuriate me sometimes, you really do." I whisperingly hiss at my imitation. What even was the point of telling Liada what Lari wanted me to do if I am just going to muck it up? I haven''t even begun the process to get everyone back and I''m already faltering out of control. Smiling Jhurack''s defeat is by no means recent, but, still, I should be able to move on from Lari, she never loved me and made sure I grasped that.


    Only, I love her, now and always without fail and how could I stop loving her? How?


    She found me a broken roach, beaten and bruised in the one place it takes forever to heal. I was ready to kill myself, I wanted to put an end to the indescribable suffering. Then she came into my life, she gave me a reason to -want- to live again, a cause to get out of bed beyond there being nothing to do but sleep in it. She made me happy for the first time in a long time. Genuinely, without a doubt or worry in me.


    She''s gone.


    "But you can''t understand that, can you?" I ask my heart, placing a palm against it as the strong beats tremble this body of well-shredded muscle and healthy armour plating. Respect is often given to those who keep to their standards even in the face of overwhelming opposition. Much as the world still hates me, I know quiet prayers are sent my way for the deed I accomplished the night before Lari died. I''ve even seen, rarely, children be scolded by their parents when they react negatively to my buggish habits.


    I cannot say the same for my heart, I want it to falter, I want it to fail, not out of glee for its suffering... But because all I am experiencing is pain whenever I am trying to make this work with Liada. Larishazza, my Hopeful Blue, the reason I am alive after all this time. I want her and no one else, she''s all I''ve ever wanted.


    A younger me could never grasp love well, Motrtha''s domain seemed strange even when I met the beautiful goddess. Yet, no kiss or sultry touch from her means the same as Lari''s hand in mine, such simplicity and what it did to me... I guess I should be thankful, to Motrtha and Rose, they have both taught me what lust is, its nuances and influences. I know what I feel for Lari is truly that, love.


    Even though I dream of holding her body, its lack of full bust and bottom-heavy shape is all the more notable. I do not care, not one bit. She is perfect the way she is... Was.


    Blue hair that although is not as grand as it seems, it still flows like the ripples in a river. She only ever moved with excitement and energy and tiredness was so easy to forget around her. I dwarfed her with my size and height but I always felt small in her arms, always so safe. Irony of my life, really, she made me safe but I could not do the same for her.


    I succeeded only in stopping Smiling Jhurack, I failed where it mattered. My reason for fighting gave out right as I won. She told me she was scared of the cold grasp of death. And even with my intimacy, I could not keep Undwote''s domain away.


    Blinking away the strange rim in my eyes, I move to take my hat and mask off again, the feeling befuddling my mind. And yet, when I see it, I nearly sniff bemusedly, it''s only tears. What an idiot I am. I watch as they roll down my shiny carapace and catch in where it breaks apart slightly, tickling my skinless flesh.


    Taking a tissue, it goes across my face, wiping it clean. One step back and I steadily lower myself onto the toilet. I shake my head as Lari comes across my mind again, she needed to use it quite a lot before she died. That burst of easy vomiting, the peculiar eating habits and the erratic behaviour. It was all quite ominous and yet it couldn''t be any more detached from Jhurack if it tried, right?


    "No, see, Nin, this is why you can''t..." I groan alongside my efforts to force my mind off of Lari, only, instead, I find myself back at Jhurack. Dance Partner, that''s what he used to call me, his dance partner. For all the agility he taught me, I was horrible this night when me and Liada danced. She seemed to grasp it all so much easier.


    She was certainly impressing people or maybe her clothes were? I can admit that much, this Uibaty woman certainly knows how to work a needle. Assuming this city of technological wonders still uses them. Much as I can''t do it anymore, thinking about going home just to talk about this city can put a smile on my face.


    The giant rotating city that follows the Orbital-Halo throughout the day from rise to set. Flying vehicles the size of hundreds of haulers and taller than the towers themselves, so many things to talk about! Yet, maybe they still do use sewing needles, for all its far-flung machines and infrastructure, I am familiar with a lot of it. I grew up in an industrious city, after all.


    Getting up to my feet, I put my claws on my hips and check my figure in the mirror, "Get myself something made, huh?"


    I really am hopeless here, I''ve worn this same selection of clothes since... Since the day I was brought back to life by Eqkilibral or someone up there on the Vightorhian. I wore it at first to hide my hideous bug body, but, it has grown on me or maybe I am too lazy to change it. Well, whatever the cause may be, it''s probably a good idea to go with Liada to this woman to get something.


    It will make her happy, a good first step in... Forgetting Lari.


    "Forgetting Lari..." I repeat the dreadful thought and feel weak because of it. I''ve faced evil of all kinds, the evil of the natural world in the form of the osibindah, evil in the realm of the divine and, of course, evil in normal people. None of it compares to that thought. I can''t just forget the woman who saved my life, the one I love so much.


    Maybe I do not need to, right?


    "There''s no easy answer for me." I acknowledge with a tired sigh accompanied flick of the switch, immediately stewing in the dark.

 Incline 1: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Getting my backside out of the dark, I walk into it once again, only, now I have a gentle, snoring song to listen to. Putting some magic into my eyes, I look at Liada closely as she shuffles about. The bed rocks under the strain of her weight even with its custom-built origins and the quilt slips away. A familiar sight jiggling into the open with a hefty, curved-bottom flop.


    Moving closer and crouching, I put a claw to my masked chin. She doesn''t feel like I care enough about her and she is not wrong in that regard. For a while now, it''s only been about Lari, Liada was simply the one I gave rent to when I wasn''t paying off any fees regarding Lari. I suppose I need to find a way to show Liada that she has my attention, for the moment, while it is just us two.


    Lari wants me to get them all back... Vadei, Einervaene, Rose and Vapooliar. There''s only four people to find but the world is a big place. It only became apparent just how big when I was tricked into going out into the wastes around what was Tobaballe.


    And even then, with all this experience, there''s still a whole lot of world out there.


    Vadei will probably be the easiest, I''ve been to her home before and Vapooliar''s home is a sight on the way there, or was. Rose''s home is on the move but a familiar enough trail should exist, I know what a flower looks like. It''s Einervaene that''s the problem. She wanted us to go to her home to help, though that plan was changed and thrown out.


    "Count what I do have, I suppose." I click, reaching out for Liada''s tit as she groans under the strain of some bad dream. It''s not been necessary for a long time and I cannot remember if it was because I healed her or it became a lesser concern thanks to Smiling Jhurack. Either way, I know she enjoys the feeling of it, I can recall how she used her injuries as an excuse to find comfort in me. A happy breath escapes her lips and she squirms my way with soft eagerness.


    Letting go, she whines at me even from the realm of dreams and my head tilts as I ponder something. The marks of that device she had on when I found her are still here, a fair bit of her reminds me of strawberries. I smile at the thought of that very unstrawlike fruit. That''s an idea, I suppose, I''ve a lot of stories to tell her, maybe that will show her I care.


    I can talk about my home, the journeys I''ve been on and the things I have done. I could ask her much the same but about her instead, I''m sure she must be fairly bothered by being the only ddrai''och in the world. At the very least, the impression of being the last. Certainly, a better circumstance than what I have.


    Knowledge about my current kind is easy to find and I often take a fair few jobs involving them. Maybe it''s because I still hate what I am, maybe there''s nothing to it at all, I can''t quite figure it out. Though, there''s nothing new there. Picking myself up with a drawn-out nose-breath, I look the way of the door.


    Reaching it without a creak, it opens and I swish around to the other side, ready to pull it back into place. My neck stops it and I am restrained by choice under the edge of the wooden guillotine. It''s been a long time since I''ve been able to sleep normally, I should respect the fact Liada still can enjoy a bed.


    A frown forms.


    Maybe she''d like it if I made a point of sharing her bed even if I cannot sleep? I''d be spending hours with her at my side or in my arms when there is so much more I could be doing. Should work in showing her I care... Not tonight, another, yeah.


    Closing the door, I move away and leap the bannister. The ground whooshes with the wind and I straighten out on my way to the kitchen, the familiar click and flash of an electrical light welcoming me. My jaw opens more than usual and I scratch my side, there''s still washing up that needs to be done. A blank mind squeezes my mouth clear of words.


    "...Oh. Oh, right, we forgot." I eventually muster in the step up to the sink. Using a claw to knock aside the metal handle, water starts to flow and I come to hate the clear, steaming liquid. Blue, it needs more blue. My claws splash into the bowl for a cloth and I go through what''s on the side.


    Clockwise and anti, up and down, with drips and swishes, the draining board fills up. The pile grows until all I have left is a bowl of mucky water and I can''t help but glare at it. Bringing my soggy bandage-covered arm up, my magic comes to life with its pale, bluish glow. It''s not the same. My jaw snaps.


    "There''s not a lake or river out there that can compare to your sweet, crispy freshness, is there, Lari?" I ask, wastefully hoping she can hear me in the mists Undwote searches. She''s probably gone by now, taken up in the way I should''ve been back when Vapooliar killed me. Maybe I''ll get lucky, maybe she''s up on the Vightorhian like I was... Please.


    Tipping the bowl, it jostles in the turbulent waves of the kitchen puddle and I go to a window. My frown grows and my eyes can''t seem to find the energy to be anything but miserable. That''s right, it was starting to rain earlier. Special rain with plenty of magic within...


    What''s normally clear glass starts to stain with a ghostly aqua light. The droplets gather into webs made of brief-lived streams and many isolated little dots remain. Pitter patter, pitter patter. The wind disturbs it naturally and sometimes, it falls with greater intensity in particular spots.


    "Footsteps, almost." I delude with the echo of her laughter in my head. She loved the rain, she loved to dance in it much like anything else but rain was special, especially magic-rich rain like this. The magic of her home, in the sky and falling onto her. An athletic body that glowed with more than just her power.


    And when it wasn''t raining, she''d make her own rain and keep that smile forever burning bright. In heavy downpour, it became my ironic lighthouse, the darkness of her mouth sticking out amongst all the passing strips of wet light. Hand-in-hand she would try to make us both dance. She loved to dance...


    "But you do too, don''t you?" I ask, looking up the way of Liada''s room with a quiver that makes my eyes gently sting. I do not know what to do here, Lari loved to dance and so does Liada. But I cannot do anything relating to dance because it just makes me think of Lari and Liada doesn''t want me to!


    Stolen story; please report.


    My grip tightens just short of causing any damage to Liada''s home.


    "Gods damn this life of mine... Bad luck, bad luck..." I curse, putting a palm to my face and squeezing tight. Snarling with growing tremors, I snap my jaw to stop a roar from coming out. I want to shout... Scream.


    Dammit, dammit!


    "Tch!" I go, storming out as quietly as I can to the shop floor. My leg strikes a chair by accident and the bang makes me freeze up. Looking up the stairs, I shrivel up at the thought of bothering Liada as she tries to sleep. The rain catches my attention as does a brassy shine.


    Maybe I need some time outdoors. I have too much energy, too much experience with going out all night and fighting. Staying here will only bother her... A claw touches wood, ringing out.


    "Of course you did, you stupid, bloody idiot..." I mouth off at myself, quickly opening the door and moving to close it again.


    "N-Nin...?" I hear her call just as the lock goes back on. Her shadow is up there, her eyes most prominent, it all slowly moves back into her bedroom. Looking down at the wet ground, I shake my head, smacking my right leg gently.


    Stepping out into the street proper, I withhold the urge to soar off into the sky on one of my magic ropes. Lacking pockets, I worm my thumbs into the bandages sticking to my hips. It doesn''t take long for much of my outfit to get soaked and its appearance grows notably in weight even with the lack of feeling. A smile nearly forms, but, I can''t manage it.


    Here I am, walking the streets of Thrurstradtur at night and that''s all I am doing, I''m just walking. There''s no villain to hunt, no bedridden love to worry about. That part of my life is gone, in the past like so many other things. It''s weird, really, life.


    You wait all this time to get to the end of something and once you get there, the aftermath is basically any other day. The overwhelming joy or dread you have going there and through it vanishes as the clock strikes the final hour.


    "For as much as has changed, it''s all still the same." I remark, thinking to the other times I have found myself walking in the rain. Tilting my hat back, my neck follows the motion until my lenses are unobstructed and a blue drop hits the glass. The rain is uncaring to my loss of vision and it keeps on going, falling on me endlessly. A gust of wind blows in, putting waves of motion into otherwise down-going water.


    A claw comes out, idly moving its digits.


    Throwing the arm behind me, magic lights my palm up and my breathing grows in strength. Only, I''m still. The arm comes down but my arcane power does not vanish. The fire-like power burns only in visage, putting it near even dry, sheltered wood does nothing.


    A moody guard comes around a corner, torch in hand.


    "Hey, no spell-casting!" he goes and I wave my arm out of action. My eyes widen and I close the gap between us with a quick jog.


    "Right, sorry. Uh, odd question, City Guardsman, but, can I have your communicator, please?" I say, asking for the means to get into contact with Inerish with the hopes she might have some mind-distracting work for me.


    "..." he leans back, taken aback by what I hope is just my stature.


    "Don''t worry." I go, waving a hand as I start to move away.


    "Dark Crow, I didn''t realise it was you. S-Sure, hold on... Here." the guard goes as he fiddles through his equipment.


    "I''m probably going to wander off with this, that''s not an issue, is it?" I ask, slightly waving the small piece of tech around in a loose grip.


    "I need an excuse to get out of the rain." he quickly answers with joyous stiffness.


    "Can''t say I feel the same... Thank you." I tell him as I get to work handling the human-intended piece of equipment with the three digits I can spare. The rain is distracting, however, so I set it down with a groan and look out for an empty shelter of any kind. Spotting one, I head under it and plop down with a metallic bang, my back end shuffling about on the simple seat.


    The communicator makes noise.


    "Come in? Who is this? You shouldn''t know this frequency!" some woman who''s clearly just doing their time at the office goes on with warnings quickly following.


    "Is Inerish there by any chance?" I ask, making a point of turning up the volume with my chittering in the event that, that is all I will need to prove my identity. It goes quiet on the other end suddenly, no noise of any kind.


    The background noise returns.


    "The Grandguard is not present at the moment, no, Dark Crow." she answers with some kind of tapping rhythm making it through her mic.


    "Can you get her for me, please? I would like to talk to her." I say and it goes quiet again.


    "Patching her through." the woman explains and an electrical noise buzzes.


    "Now is not the time for casual calls." Inerish chastises from somewhere that is clearly quieter than usual. She''s not in her command centre place? I''m pretty sure I can hear some kind of string instrument as well and the rattle of silverware.


    "Bit late for dinner." I comment, hoping to maybe give myself a slight smirk.


    "It''s a bit late for you to be up, you should be in bed like the rest of the good people of this city." she scolds mockingly with the poor imitation of a mother.


    "I can hear a whole restaurant on your end." I say, leaning out into the rain and looking about before falling back onto my seat.


    "That tends to happen when all I have is a simple communicator designed to get urgent messages to me while I am off-duty." she deadpans with the thrown-down rattle of what I am betting is a spoon. Only heard one metal noise just now.


    "Will you be getting back to work before the night''s out?" I ask, watching a small group of people run between the decorative cloth covers in front of shops.


    "Now that you are bothering me about that place, yes." she groans with what must''ve been a roll of the eyes. I know that tone too well.


    "Do you happen to know if there''s any work posted by your people or any of the witch guilds?" I question with the click of my left set of claws.


    "Please tell me you''re not interrupting one of my few nights off to ask about odd jobs..." she borders on sobbing out to me, some kind of native swear going off at the end and I simply blank out on it.


    "To get the truth out, no, I''m just mentally occupied right now. And I''d appreciate a distraction that my mind cannot reliably waffle off in." I explain to her as the raindrops on my mask lenses stick in my vision even as I blink. Using the dryer insides of my cloak to wipe them does nothing. The gentle, shallow blue of the rain is still making me think of...


    She starts to laugh.


    "Seeing as I am not working, not that I''d care in uniform either, but, that''s very sweet to hear." she gently goes and I huff, amused by the girlie talk.


    "It''s not all that nice to experience..." I say, shrinking in size as the misery gets to me.


    "There''s not a whole lot I can do right now, Dark Crow, but, try not to let it drag you down. You were going out nightly in the name of that Ibenoroccon, she''s not going to be leaving anywhere important anytime soon. Whatever it is you are trying to do, you need to take your time." she offers up as advice and I slowly nod to it before shaking in disapproval.


    "I wish I could wait." I quietly mutter as four names pass through my head again. Vadei, Rose, Vapooliar, Einervaene. On my honour as a person, as a man and everything else... I swore to the dying love of my life that I would go out into the world and find them.


    I promised her that I''d go on to love them instead if they would have me...


    "Well, if it''s a distraction you''re looking for, why not come here to where I am fine dining? I''m sure I can make you quite the attention grabber. There''s always more room for more traditional excitement here in the wealthier parts of the city." Inerish offers as my focus is lost in the ever-shifting downpour maze.

 Incline 2: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Throwing another spell out, it catches the statued corner of a building and my velocity swings me around. Releasing the spell, I spin wildly through the air and with a series of controlled hops, I come to a stop on the roof of another. Looking down towards the communicator, I move to take it off but halt halfway as I inspect the building I have landed near. It looks fancy enough and even with the rain, people are still arriving in their gaudy dresses and suits.


    From the cold night and into the homely maw of the establishment.


    Leaning forward onto a leg, the lower knee of the other enters the rain and I can''t help but sigh. I know for a fact that once upon a time, the rain never got to me like it is now, it was just that, rain. Even the most magical showers didn''t elicit anything from me but now that she''s gone, it''s all I have. She was never responsible and yet...


    "Focus, Nin, focus. You''re here to be distracted from all of this." I grumble, throwing out another spell and ziplining towards the window of the restaurant. Tapping up against its walls, my claws touch the stone while my feet shuffle along a band of polished metal marking the change in floors. I barely wheeze at the subtle display of wealth its utterly clean state puts forward. Looking after something is always so much more expensive than getting it to begin with even when the buyer''s price is what makes our breath vanish.


    Peeking in through the crystal window, I lean away from the light and let my cloak flutter in the darkness-drowned wind of the night. Spotting the bronze-skinned woman, all pampered in the care of make-up, I fiddle with my communicator as she idly keeps her attention off of her food and the other guests. It''s an interesting dynamic within, I think, with plenty of room to mingle for those who simply don''t want to stay sat upright in their chairs. Bringing my focus to my device, I finish performing the task, its contrast being incredibly ironic considering how I got here.


    "I''m here." I say into it, using my magic to lean further back anyway to look at the corners of the building. Inerish made a point of specifying that the restaurant is four-edged with well-looked-after trees that have grown quite comfortably into their half-tight confines.


    "There''s not much commotion at the entrance, then, are you sure you are?" she questions, looking up from her table and towards what must be the dining hall''s entrance.


    "What ever made you think I''d go through the front door? I''m catching rain by one of the windows on your..." I ask and explain, now waiting for her to turn to just the right angle "Left."


    She looks somewhat my way and I start to wave a magic-covered arm so I stick out against the backdrop some more. Her expression brightens like a normal fire and she quickly confuses guests and staff alike with the sudden rush to a window. I really hope this thing can swing open wide enough... I didn''t think this through, did I?


    The window opens up on a comfortable-assuring swing and the warmth of the building is disturbed. The wind howling all of a sudden.


    "Well, get in!" Inerish demands and I do so, bringing the entire hall to an even quieter standstill. Straightening myself tall, rainwater drips from me, disturbing the flat-topped pond that is this awkward silence. Inerish stands back slightly and picks up a napkin to dry her hand and front off, the deep purple amethyst flicker of her magic enters the other hand. Though darkness follows it and light is eaten rather than oxygen, toasty warmth still snuggles its way across me, giving my clothes that crispy, post-radiator stiffness.


    She takes an arm with a smile and I find myself guiding her back to her table, letting her down in a way that she thanks me for despite my idleness. Pulling out a chair, I sit down a spot from her and spread my legs out to better accommodate my bulk. Tracking the movements of the room, there''s a slow return to normal but the flavour of the chef''s special is still very much caution. Thankfully, curiosity is an easily available garnish and the gossip comes back, though it quickly shifts my way.


    "You look nice." I say, getting the greeting out of the way while she is still looking at me with intentional angles to her body and expression. She straightens out properly, smiling with a slight blush.


    "Thank you, you however look much the same." she thanks with an ending giggle and a sip from her glass. From behind the safety of my lenses, I pay closer attention to what she''s wearing. Blood-red satin fabric rimmed and patterned with a sterner, black material that has a laminated shine but is not quite metal. Maybe it is, maybe not, as she''s got some golden jewellery on elsewhere I might be able to...


    Her shoulders hint at an open back and a fair chunk of her abdomen and all the way up to the bottom curve of her breasts is much the same.


    She puckers her purple-sticked lips.


    "I''m around helmeted gazes all the time, Dark Crow." she coyly smirks and I nod, tipping my hat a little to cover my already tinted view. My head shakes its amusement on the way back up and I glance the way of some of the other guests, then towards the painted ceiling. A rather haloey day on a clear open-top mountain, like the one beyond the city walls.


    "What''s the occasion?" I question, not actually all that familiar with my former handler. She was a secondary concern, really, everyone in my life but the eventual corpse of Smiling Jhurack was.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "As Grandguard I make a king''s sum in pay but the bank sees it much more often than I ever do." she sighs before taking another sip from her wine. Spotting the bottle, the divine mockery makes my chest feel heavy. A bottle made by aelenvari using the petals and nectar of roses...


    "I guess I should apologise for eating into your time over these past five years?" I sincerely ask and she shakes her head, a gentle smile coming to her lips. She takes in a breath but still doesn''t say anything, instead, I get a gentle kick followed by the click of heels on the normally clean floors. The puddle I left by the window leaves me a little sheepish.


    "During it, maybe, but, since you did what you did, I couldn''t be more willing to have given it all up. My hindsight only wishes you came to us sooner so that I would be lacking however many stressful memories it is I have..." she explains, her mind taking her places she really shouldn''t be going on a night like this. She''s meant to be enjoying herself, but, I suppose that makes me a hypocrite given why I am here.


    "I don''t think me fighting Smiling Jhurack sooner would''ve done much if anything." I explain, thinking about how it was ultimately that piece of music Jhurghdak encouraged me to make that revealed it all. I don''t really know how to feel about that, still, knowing he and Jhurack were one and the same despite me being led to believe otherwise for an eternal-feeling while.


    "Still, I owe you, more than you could possibly understand, Nin. I know our relationship has not been the best but I would like to offer you my friendship out of respect." she explains quietly and I nod, smiling a little at it.


    "Sure... I could do with some friends. Though, I will warn you, I''m not too good at respecting them in turn." I answer, trying to be hopeful about it before two major moments flash through my head. Their grim reminders set my mood back a thousand years. I was willing to abandon Lari when she was alive and the others for a chance to go back to Tobaballe and I came so very close to losing them all the moment I held her in my arms one final time. If it weren''t for the theological texts and scripts I''ve been finding myself reading, I''d think it''s divine intention.


    But the gods aren''t like that, at worst, they can''t be like that because of other things happening out of view.


    She smiles, most certainly brighter than her dark-fire magic, "I''ve put up with you these past five years, I can handle you now just fine. Don''t you worry about a thing."


    "Oh, there''s nothing I would love more than to not worry." I say with a shrug, reaching for her bottle of wine and disturbing the ice water home I''ve abducted it from. Reading the label and markings closer, a thumb claw gently goes along the characters moulded into the bottle itself. Gitdoa. Not Rose''s flower, unfortunately, she''s Ahnelges.


    "The bottle is mine completely, you can have some, Dark Crow." Inerish offers, showing off how little need she has for a top-up.


    "No thank you, I''ve had enough magic-rich drink over the past few years." I explain, slightly stiff in the jaw.


    "Wine''s a little different from that concentrate you''ve had us supply you with." she rightly points out but my head stays disapproving much the same.


    "Maybe after some work." I shallowly promise and she gently shrugs before getting back to her food.


    "Is that not cold?" I question, knowing how long it''s taken me to get here. She wasn''t eating when I arrived at the window and I can''t imagine she''d have stopped then, it''s too coincidental.


    "Learning to control heat is one of the first things any fire witch must do. Even someone like me of mixed race and in turn, mixed magic." she explains, her teasing example making me shiver at the sudden cold flickering from behind.


    "You''re a long way from home, do you ever miss it?" I choose to ask, focusing in on her differences with the people she''s been charged to protect. We''re the same in that way, foreigners with powers atypical of the land as well.


    "Of course." she answers, taking a forkload of something saucily meaty into her mouth.


    "Errakur, right? I knew someone from there, once." I answer, recalling Omb, if only for the fact he and Lari got along with such cheer and innocent ecstasy... The two complimented each other quite well, both being jollu and happy with life.


    "My dress is Errakurdic in its inspiration." Inerish draws attention to as she shows off a thigh-high boot and the well-toned leg it is covering up.


    "Mmmm, it certainly stands out a lot from the rest of the people here." I say and she holds her head up well, a smug curve coming to her lips. The people of Thrurstradtur probably understand it better than I ever could, but their obsession with clocks and all their components in everything they can is overwhelming. Though, when you have a home city like this, built atop and deep into a mountain, constantly turning after the Orbital-Halo''s light. There''s reason to be prideful, there really is, it''s a mechanical marvel.


    Tobaballe once had a similar meaning to me, its great towers that only grew prettier and grander as you went up the floors. Though, now, that can''t really be done, my failure that long-gone day has made it nothing more than ash and rubble. Its people are much the same, even their bones are barely amongst the ruins. The whole land I came from, really, that wyvern scorched it all and my lack of skill helped it.


    I''m a bit useless, aren''t I? Aren''t I...


    Every time I have tried to save something dear and important to me, something I know well and hold close to my heart. It''s been taken from me, burnt or cut, the difference matters little. My great failures have defined me completely even in the simplest of ways. The magic I used to get here, for example, was born out of my terror when Tobaballe fell and tempered by my... Dance partner.


    "Nin-"


    Blinking, I shake my head.


    "-are you hungry? I don''t mind ordering you something if you''d like, I''m nearly onto the next course."


    Looking towards Inerish, I reach for my beak and guide my face so it can motion an answer.


    "You sure? Again, I don''t mind, I have more than enough money to pay for whatever it is you want." she insists and I start to consider it.


    "Get yourself something, I''ll cause you grief that way." I chortle out with my chitters and she scowls her amusement.


    "Well, at least this way I can comfortably go for something larger and be sure it won''t go to waste." she oooooo''s at before she brings a finger along the writing, her lips pursing at each option that seems to catch her delighted mind. Idly, a claw comes to my stomach and I try to recall the last time I ate anything. Even though Tobaballe''s recently been through my mind, my inability to get over how magic has affected my usual habits is still not something I''ve moved beyond. It''s hard to let go of memories of breakfast, lunch and dinner every day and then suddenly shifting to not feeling the want.


    Bloody magic!

 Incline 3: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "You''ve nothing to fear, I can easily have them arrested and thrown into a cage for the night." Inerish giggles darkly as she looks around at the just-gasped room. Tightening my grip on my hat and mask, I shake my head and slowly take them off. Meeting the eyes of the room, I find myself lingering on an obvious military man, one who has chosen to go to dinner with various medals on his chest. Magic pumps through my eyes, enhancing my vision and the details of the bronze, silver, gold and ribbons become clear.


    Guareroisncer''s Honour to the Realm, Defender of the Valleys and the blatant in meaning Killer of Beasts.


    A man who has made his career as a soldier of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst defending the land from monsters like me. Well, monsters I unfortunately happen to share the same appearance with. They all knew what I am, I''ve been in the news since my first year at the Suhurlodst Academy, before I met Lari. Yet, to actually see it with their own eyes, to have it confirmed beyond just words that I am what I am.


    "It''s fine, Inerish, no need to worry." I tell her, leaning in and having a closer look at the modest hill of batters and doughs, fruits and vegetables and sauces. Rather than picking up the menu to check its contents over, I reach first for a pancake and put what appears to be a sausage inside of it. Carefully and mindfully of the place I am at, I eat the food extra carefully. Inerish starts to laugh.


    She sighs her amusement, shaking her head and looking away to sip her drink, "You really are something."


    "You should see me when I tried to call you on the communicator." I huff, flexing the three chunky digits of my right arm. For all the things that changed that night I was sent off of the Vightorhian, it''s my claws that continue to bother me the most. My loss of humanity is shown so well with them, the vanished dexterity... The obvious meaning behind such strong, stiff blades.


    These are for rending people apart, brutalising them. Not dining in fancy restaurants or writing songs at the top of a hotel. I really do not know what I am supposed to be, what I am supposed to do. Even when Lari was alive, all she could do was distract me from it.


    Inerish leans forward, her hands coming together while her back stiffens professionally upright, "You are an interesting conundrum, Nin Urtuan."


    "Blame the gods." I snort, not sure if they really can be blamed. My run-in with the osibindah did happen before I died, after all. But could they have brought me back as I was...?


    "With all the reports I get, that is the only thing I can see being involved." she tries to smile at but she still finds a curved index resting below her nose.


    "The mask and hat are the best ideas I''ve ever had." I say, moving to grab them so I can hold them close and she stops me.


    "No, let these people see who you are. Let them know." she insists and I cock a brow as best as I can.


    "They''re uncomfortable, and I am in turn." I whisper quietly, my mind ever clearer not what it has been these past five years.


    "It is time you moved beyond this fear, Nin. As the Dark Crow, you have earned that right. No one is watching you with a wanton desire to pull the trigger anymore." she starts to say and an uncomfortable feeling comes to my chest.


    "I know, I know the guns are gone, they''ve been gone for a-"


    "I will ensure it." she sternly says, her hand squeezing my claw. I nod, lowering my hat and mask grabbing claw and releasing them.


    I smack my mouth about, chittering some forced delight.


    "Food is nice." I say, looking into her eyes.


    "I sure hope so, I''m paying a fair bit for it even with all the money I have to throw about!" she exclaims, breaking out of her sternness to giggle with eager excitement. Flexing one hand closer while the other flexes near her mouth, she goes for something different to what I did. With the careful application of her dark-fire magic, she snaps open a shell of some kind, the meat on the inside breathing delicious steam.


    "What was that you just ate?" I question, having never seen an animal like that.


    "A deep-river clam. It''s good." she answers, reaching for another which she opens up the same way. Only, this time, its shell is used as a scoop for some kind of sauce and she closes it back up. One quick shake and it''s back open, ready to be eaten.


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    My closest claw awkwardly lingers over their section on the platter, dexterous doubts freezing me up.


    "Can I have a hand...?" I sheepishly ask, the thought of dropping it frightening me.


    She huffs, "Sure, now, palm."


    The clam drops into it and I bring it towards my mouth before popping it in. Crunch. A bitter, shardy taste covers my tongue like a weird, juicy-cored nut and my eyes move with uncertainty. This is certainly a flavour, I think I''ll stick to how she eats it.


    "You are quick to gain wisdom!" she giggles, leaning forward with a cloth to wipe away the bits of shell sliding out of my mostly bottomless mouth.


    "Not like that." I go, disgusted by the flavour of the shell more so than by it being improper. She passes on the cloth and I finish up with the cleaning, a brief thought passing through my head. Should I pay someone to make me a false bottom jaw?


    "Well, lucky for you, the rest of what is on this platter can be eaten entirely without having to worry about anything like that." Inerish assures me as she assembles a small pancake wrap of her own. A smile flashes at me before she bites into it with a gentle, satisfied moan.


    "That''s good, now, uh, about why I am actually here... We''ve sort of not talked about it at all." I explain and her final bite stops. She puts the pancake down, wipes her fingers and covers her face.


    "Please. Let a good moment last, will you?" she exasperates and I look down towards my wrapped-up thighs. Rubbing a claw on one of them, I test the tightness until my middlest digit starts to tap the leg.


    "This is why I want to talk to you... To someone and then to find work." I explain quietly, stopping any small movements so I can simply frown.


    Inerish sighs and moves the platter away a little, her hand rising to stop a waiter who''s been looking a bit too much at us, "She means that much to you."


    "Lari does... Did... Yeah. Yeah, she did. Larishazza Sl''Ayiysab, my..." I say, stopping just short of the nickname I have for her. My Hopeful Blue.


    "Have you considered that there might not be any advice that can be offered? Things like this take time, it''s one of those things you just have to grow numb to." she explains, edging close to it being under her breath.


    "How can I ever grow numb to the love I feel for the woman who saved my life? I understand that you were doing your jobs, I know what I am. I can look at that man other there and that one, I can see the medals on their chest and I have the scars and memories to know what people think of what I am... How can I just forget her? Grow numb? The stress of Smiling Jhurack was getting to you, Inerish, your work was suffering and it is clear to me that it has changed you, even now and-"


    Her magic ignites and a wall of it surrounds us. The click of her heels catches my attention and soon, my head rests against her toned belly. Looking down as a hand caresses the side of my head, a tear slips into one of the cracks of my shell. I gulp with a shiver and move away from her as she drops down a little to make our eyes meet.


    Her bright, saddened ones opposing my leakers.


    "You''re right, the stress of Smiling Jhurack was getting to me. I lost faith in my abilities and that still hasn''t come back to me. The government I am charged to protect is something I have only contempt for nowadays. I could go home back to the wars of the land that my blood comes from and will spill upon. But, I won''t, I will stay here as Grandguard. Because even though I was turning malicious towards you, I hated you, really. I had to put my hopes into you and all you did was fail until... You didn''t. You won and that feather around your neck is proof of that." she tells me.


    Her head leans in closer until her forehead is on my snout.


    "Though you might not grasp it, I have come to depend on you more than you can imagine even with a lack of continued involvement. This Larishazza sounds like a wonderful woman, it is a shame what happened to her. She was your hero and heroes help us see the best in ourselves, they help us carry on through the inspiration they give us. But, that''s the thing, you won''t ever just have one hero. Mourn her, but don''t stay tied down to her, find others." she explains, moving away with a slight bit of red to her face that sticks out even against the amethyst light.


    "She wanted the exact same for me... She wanted me to go and find those that I have lost and bring them all back together." I tell Inerish as she offers me my hat.


    "Take as long as you need to get there, painful as my experience was, you understand that better than anyone else I know, Dark Crow. You have the patience, you just need to not be so urgent about it." she explains as I put on the hat, tilting it down to hide my currently disturbed eyes. The one thing about me that is still the same as when I was but a man.


    "I''m sorry for the trouble I''ve caused you..." I mutter, nervously clicking the back of my mouth as her hand rises towards her magic. I look up a little, just enough to see her mouth.


    "Don''t worry about it, I may not work with you anymore to protect Thrurstradutr, but I love the chance to help you." she explains, smiling. With a wave, her magic vanishes and she digs back in without a thought given to what she''s just done. Despite all of the noise coming our way now that the barrier is gone.


    Nodding, I set aside my concerns for the moment and shuffle my chair in closer. Reaching over the immense plate, I pull it in closer to me so it''s a more even distance between us. Finding a smirk to send back her way, she matches it with a scowl that passes away so a giggle can come out. Using the sharp tip of one of my claws, I pick up a piece of cut meat that way and drop it into my mouth.


    I don''t let it show, but, her words are not something I can digest as easily as this food. She''s right unequivocally, though, it will take time, a very long time. I cannot promise Liada that when I next see her all will be sorted but I can promise that eventually, I will be there for her like she wants me to be. On Lari''s deathbed, I swore to bring them all back so we can all smile together once again. My word shall not find itself so easily lacking in value, there will be no recession of the trust people can put in it.


    Especially when one of them used the last of their strength to put all the hope they could into my future. My Hopeful Blue of all people. Don''t worry, Lari, you can trust me, I promised you.

 Incline 4: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "With a stomach filled like this, I think I need to let some of it go." Inerish suggests as she looks over at the dance floor with a series of gentle claps. The already ongoing music in turn sticks out all the more because of it.


    "Fair enough, I''ve seen what built-up food can do to Errakurds before." I huff, thinking of Omb and the big fat belly he once had before the Inter-House all those years ago. He was massive and then it turned out he''s still massive, just in muscle instead. I don''t recall what happened to him or any of the others over the years outside of Tiyanat...


    A chunk of dark-fire bursts over my head, vapourising in a harmless moment.


    "Come on, while my mood is still favourable." Inerish huffs with a smirk and she stands up, offering me a hand while I am still sitting as wide-legged as I was when I first arrived.


    "I''ve already danced tonight." I try to dismiss her wants with but it only makes the sudden grip all the stronger.


    "You''re experienced, all the better!" she goes and I am up on my feet, with a stumble or two. Moving my weight away from her, she puts her head up proudly as space starts to clear for us. Though, not for the reasons she might be pretending. With a sharp turn from her, we come to a stop and our contact is separated for the moment.


    "Don''t expect much out of me." I warn and she rolls her eyes, my claws finding their positions on their own. Taking a step forward, she takes one back and we start to get into the rhythm of it. Unlike Liada earlier in the night, Inerish seemingly wants to take it slower for one reason or another. Doesn''t seem to be she lacks confidence in her ability to move so maybe she just wants to move and talk, using the dance to add some levity.


    "You''ve not disappointed me so far." she remarks and I frown.


    "We just started!" I gently exclaim as she starts to test me with the hastening of her turns and dictations. Her dress flows in the chef-blessed wind, the freedom to move without the shackles of professionalism clearly having its mark. The claw holding her hand tenses slightly. She knows.


    "How is it you can do what you do but something as slow-paced as this is getting your muscles and mind knotted up?" she questions, teasing my stiffness by shuffling in my direction. She forces me back until we make a sharp turn away from the dancefloor''s edge.


    "Moving just my body without having to worry about someone''s safety is probably the reason. When my pace picks up, I tend to be trying to kill someone." I try to explain and she shakes her head, tutting until she stops to let a smirk bring back some silence.


    "I''m a trained killer as well, funnily enough, I am more used to killing than you, Dark Crow. The Hero of Thrurstradtur, the Man of Five-Year Determination." she coys as my claw moves off her back. She slowly walks around me, her hand still in the other claw although shifting about within it. Moving one step forward, I keep my front close enough to hers and she steps back into my grip. A firm thrust making it so.


    My jaw chitters louder and I look down at the chest-pressed woman.


    "Despite it, I am doing this far better than you." she points out, slipping away with a swordswoman''s agility that puts that instinct to good use. Some of the still seated exclaim their awe at the muscle needed and I blink towards my suddenly empty claw.


    "You want me to go faster and you can handle it?" I ask, taking the taunting for what it is. Crossing my arms, I wait for her response as she brushes some of the dress away, showing off a thigh once again.


    "The one who''s been struggling to keep up is you, Dark Crow." she reminds, the nail of one finger on a thumb. The pressure sharply slips it off and a flexing hand gently floats down to her side.


    "Well..." I start to say.


    Reappearing before her, the dining hall''s cutlery and lights rattle with a jangling clatter.


    "Let''s test that." I finish, taking her hand and putting the other claw onto the back it belongs on. Rather, the back that belongs to it.


    "Oh!" she goes, trembling from the vibrations still rocking her as her eyes lock onto my chest. Taking one step forward, she goes with it, barely avoiding my massive bricks for feet. We step ever backwards, going through the paces with growing rapidity and length. I want to test her flexibility, how far this body can bend under pressure.


    The next step brings out my normally double-bent, osibindah leg to its fullest extent. Her furthest-reaching heel slips onto the tip of her covered toes. Her back bending towards the same side of that leg, so far from the cover of her dress. Taking a step back, she flies up within my grip and I stake her down with an echoing clack.


    Wide eyes meet mine as the brim of my hat hides them and I release her, directing her in a far more brutal manner. Relatively speaking. A breathless laugh accompanies her smile and she steadily falls back as I put as much graceful tact as I can into my strikes. She similarly blocks them and I find her wrist.


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    Rapid clicks sound off as she gives the impression of slowing down from a run and my magic ignites. Going into the air, I shoot down onto my palm and flip back up, taking her with me. My feet plant themselves firmly and she jostles in my arms. Leaning towards one knee as one arm swishes away from her calves, her feet struggle to find their footing.


    Throwing out a grappling spell, the casting claw hops between firm grips and my legs lurch forward, stressing the elasticity in my muscles. Palming the end of the spell, it vanishes and we land upright as if we were always destined to. Like a pole in a perfectly circumferenced slot. A shaky breath leaves her.


    She glares with a combative smirk, her own magic coming from her like a cloak and a finger rises. Following it, I realise that this part of the room is heavened above by a vast mirror and the few couples still dancing show a lot within its confines. The patterns on their dresses and the curtails of their surcoats, it''s all designed with this in mind. Meeting her eyes, I nod with a slight tilt and then my head turns towards my cloak.


    Focusing carefully, I button it with casting runes and a dozen ignite with little rocket boosters. A candle-like pattern to match the flickering fire of her own display. I let out a ''hmm'' of thought as the toll of such precise magic takes its toll. Or, maybe I am used to life-or-death adrenaline flowing through me with spells like this.


    Who knows...


    One of Inerish''s heels starts to gently stomp, little flickers of black and violet sparking from the narrow point of impact. Following the sensation of her touch with my head, I note the warmth she is passing on to me as her eyes turn predatory. We start to circle each other within the confines of our touch. She shifts the other way.


    "Come on, Dark Crow, let me see what five years of training against one of the world''s very best has to offer." she playfully sneers, the two corners of her mouth curling up.


    "Worm-Rider''s are not known for dancing around here and I''ve never known much different." I comment, the idea of acknowledging the strength of Smiling Jhurack as one of the best being a little scary. All that power and he used it to hunt girls within a single city...


    "Enough talk, shut up and show me." she orders and I nod once again. The footing that barely kept me alive against that insidious killer comes out and she does her best to match it. At first, she wants to keep her eyes on me, a cocky smirk on her lips but she shakes with a stumble. Picking up on the pressure, the heavy plates covering my feet create music of their own and I play around with the angles.


    She can''t help but shift her eyes towards our feet and I bring a claw up and over her back and to the chin. Moving it up, her eyes come back in line with mine and my head leans forward with a smirk. Gently scratching the tip of her chin, she starts to move away with a flustered expression but she can''t move far. Only as far as our entwined grip will allow.


    I let go and she moves away, eyes never leaving.


    Stopping my movements, she takes the moment to catch her breath and the room becomes tense with only music playing. Closing my eyes, more casting runes pop up along my left side and I bend into an offensive position. Opening the valves on my magic, they ignite and I propel towards her and she flinches back like a frightened child. Gently catching her leg against mine, we spiral into the air, twisting and turning up onto the mirror.


    A ting and we fall.


    No damage to the restaurant follows us and I hold her close, prepping her for an ending position. The air builds up underneath us and as we land, it bursts out like the water of a broken dam, fluttering everything. Rising to my feet, I let her down onto hers and she puts a hand on her chest. Nodding and letting go, I return to my chair yet she remains stood there, her make-up doing the worst job of hiding her blazing cheeks.


    Shaken up, she leaves the dance floor and goes back to her chair, a refined posture barely hiding the thumping of her heart. She can''t even look my way without looking away and I start to quietly laugh to myself. Her temper flares up and I smile at her scowl until it goes away. Softly, she uses a finger to move aside a disturbed bang of hair and an amused ''heh'' comes out.


    "I take it that I did alright?" I choose to question, leaning in with the smirk that has her face stuck in a loop of shambling embarrassment.


    "You did... Acceptable..." she struggles to say, made worse by the fact she can''t help but look away into other parts of the restaurant. Eyes that once had no problem looking my way just a moment ago can''t even manage it now and it''s making me ecstatic!


    She growls with her out-of-view expression.


    "Alright, alright! You''ve impressed me now shut up." she huffs, crossing her arms as I lean back into my chair, getting the last laugh out.


    "Was certainly interesting, I have to admit. Getting into that fight mode mentality and coming up short on all of it. What might''ve been a kick was just a step, a throw a swirl and so on and so forth." I prattle out, paying a close eye towards the subtle shaking I am feeling as well. This is so strange, it reminds me of my earlier years, the injuries that caught me off guard, the finally understood thrill of having magic!


    "Well, that certainly explains how... Aggressive you felt." she explains, shuffling about a bit with another stroke of her bangs as the blush dies down.


    "Too much for you?" I ask, mouth ends curving up.


    "Again, shut up." she huffs, finishing off what is left in her glass. The bottle pops open and she fills the glass back up with it losing a fair amount, being topped off again right after.


    "Careful now." I caution as she seems to lose herself in the swirling sanguine. She smiles and takes another sip, the glass touching the table but remaining under the tips of her fingers.


    "I had fun, you should come by on my days off more often!" she tells me upbeatedly, her other hand seemingly reaching for the claw I have on the table. Moving that claw away to my mask, I pick it up and look into its lenses. Her subtle disappointment barely registers as my mind gets to work.


    "Yeah, I think I will. Have more than enough time now, don''t I?" I go, my mind slipping back into the problem I was able to forget for a moment. I wonder what Lari would''ve thought of a dance like that? And, oddly, even though she made it clear to me, I want to hope it would''ve been a step into making her love me like I do her.


    Oh, what am I doing? She wanted me to know and understand that my feelings are one-sided. She wanted me to stay hopeful but this is not what she wanted from me. My love has to go to others like Liada, people like her. But, I don''t know...


    I can''t figure it out.

 Incline 5: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "Well, well, look at you, haven''t you changed quite a bit?" Inerish teases out of the dark blue after otherwise quietly enjoying the shelter my cloak offers. Bringing my arm after her, I make sure it''s only really the skin of her shoes that are getting wetted by the rain.


    "You''re the one who brushed off your taxi for this!" I exclaim, looking off towards the few bits of traffic still going about the city at this time of night. Some of it''s mechanical, other bits are animals and the odd aircraft is more than happy to briefly block the rain. Rumbling roars of all kinds to deepen on the approach and whistle away.


    "If the rain is too much, I can always... Oh, I don''t know." she starts to say, feigning ignorance as my clothes start to steam. The aura of magic expands until a bubble of heat evaporates the rain a good arms reach in all directions. My right claw pokes the edge of the heat as it is closest to bringing some rain briefly back towards us. A little wisp of steam flying away as the claw returns to my side.


    "All it would take is a lesser opinion of you and I''d smack you." I jokingly threaten, letting my cloak fall back behind me.


    "I prefer being kept dry because you''re just such a gentleman." she smiles and I shake my head. Coming to a stop by some kind of gate, she presents an item and they open shortly after.


    "This is your home?" I ask, looking beyond the walls and towards the many buildings shadowed by the lights coming from out their windows.


    "It''s the governmental estate, so not long until we get there." she clarifies and the gates start to close the moment we''re past. Aircraft thunder on in and pass over us with the sounds of their weapons clicking like lightning flashes.


    "I guess it all looks a lot nicer when it''s not pissing it down in the middle of the night?" I ask as I briefly catch a glimpse of an extensive flowerbed being beaten down by the pour.


    "I don''t pay it much mind, more of a fan of the style from my homeland which is just delightfully annoying to all these lot." she tells me, smiling with closed eyes and I turn my head about trying to find the house that sticks out. Must be pretty alien to the slim, metallic nature of most buildings in this city. I snort my amusement when I spot a clocktower ornamenting a roundabout on a short-distance-away driveway.


    "Earlier you mentioned not wanting to go back there... I know you explained it, but, seriously, why not just go back? You miss it a lot, clearly." I go and she comes to a stop, her magic vanishing with it. Seconds is all it takes for us to be soaked by the rain and she keeps her distance initially. The pitter-patter on the stainless stone slabs hides whatever muttering I can only see.


    "I do all of this to keep my mind reminded of the happy memories I have of it. It distracts me quite well from all the worries otherwise wracking me." she answers and I grab her in order to put her back under my cloak. She''s more than capable of stopping the rain and drying herself off, but, still.


    "You want to keep on going and this all helps?"


    "Yes, yes it does." she answers quietly, her head quickly finding my side as she shifts her weight onto me.


    "I see." I nearly whisper as my eyes wander away from the lenses of my mask and to the dark interior of it. The magic of the rain brings a memory back to mind and I shake a little over it. I had told Lari that I love her, she didn''t take it the best but back then it was simply a case of her needing time. Right after, she showed me some new magic she''d been working on. She had learned to fly.


    Dance had been turned into something as simple sounding as flight...


    But that''s the thing, flying is only simple sounding, it''s one of the hardest spells one can perform. Five years of chasing Smiling Jhurack, five years of jobs and fights against my Worm Rider teacher and Seigunfrei. And I cannot fly. I can only build momentum on wide swings and from the boosters I throw about my body during them.


    She wanted me to learn to fly, that was one of the last things she wanted from me before I couldn''t stop worrying about her.


    "Nin?" Inerish calls, bringing me out of my head.


    "On second thought, don''t worry about asking the guilds or anything about work. I know what I want to try and do to keep myself occupied." I tell her, keeping to her side for the moment so I can finish getting her home.


    "Oh... Alright, then." she lets out with what must be a confused blink.


    "Inerish..." I start to say, the question lagging around within my head.


    "Yes?" she asks, peeking out from my cloak.


    "Can you fly?" I ask back and she shakes her head, a hand coming out into the open. The night starts to get darker and the air warps to the demands of her heat. Flickers of her hypocritical light sparking violently against the falling water.


    "I''ve tried, but, no... Did you know, that''s one of the things that makes the Valkinvar so impressive? Beyond their great individual power, of course." she elaborates and I start to nod as Vapooliar shoots through my mind as fast as she can fly.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "The first mountain I ever climbed was because one of them, a... Former friend... A friend I need to make up with. She flew me up to the top of one because..." I explain to Inerish, wavering on my thoughts about Vapooliar. However, towards the end, I spin us around to try and find the grand sight and it''s barely within view. My arms wrap around her.


    "H-Hey!" Inerish goes before I go through the motions to shoot us into the sky.


    "She was afraid of that!" I call out as the great flying warship comes into view. A wall of a thousand guns and an army for a crew that knows no fear. We land with a splash and I let her back down onto her feet.


    "Fair enough... As Grandguard, I get quite a bit of information regarding the war between the Theocracy and Union and it''s not looking good for the Valkinvar and their alliance of cities. We''ve known about these airships for a while, we make them ourselves even. This city is the home to several inventors of them! But, somehow, the Union''s managed to completely blindside the Theocracy, these machines have conquered more than their witches and soldiers have. In less than a decade, even, compared to the centuries that have preceded them." Inerish quietly spills to me and I nod slowly, my worries now involving a fair bit of Vapooliar.


    The possibility that she might already be dead is quite present as well. Seigunfrei mentioned a couple of years back that it turned out the best Exceptional student was a Valkinvar. I already knew it so even if Smiling Jhurack wasn''t around, I don''t think it would''ve bothered me much... Gods I probably would''ve tried to stop her and maybe have gotten killed for it.


    But, still, she''s either fighting, perhaps even this very moment with all she has or is with Waionr, tending to the dead.


    "To keep to the point- Uh, yeah. She flew me up to the top of a mountain, right into the snow and she showed me three machines like that. She was terrified to the core and yet... I loved that feeling of flying when things slowed down. The freedom of it, the subtle beauty it has..." I reminisce, the memory all the more potent now that I''ve come to terms with it being one of my last human experiences. It wasn''t that long after, after all, that I became the creature I am now.


    "You want to fly?" Inerish questions as she makes a point of breaking free of my cloak to open up a gate. Following her, I nod and look around what must be her front garden. It will probably be better to come back during the hours of the day when the Orbital-Halo is out. I can appreciate all she''s had done to her home a lot more, then.


    I''m sure her home is lovely.


    "I would like to, yes. One of the last good memories I have of Lari is not long after the Inter-House thingie. I had just... Never mind, she wanted to teach me how to fly and I never got very far with those lessons." I explain just as we reach the door of her home and the porch light finally brings us out of the dark of night. Leaning to the right slightly, I note the lapis tiles, their more golden edge ones and the mosaic animals. Whatever is written on the door, it must be in Inerish''s native tongue, or maybe they''re simple patterns.


    Inerish moves some of her hair aside, her gaze otherwise aimless, "..."


    "I''ll leave you to it." I say with a nod, turning to move away and her hand grabs my claw. Stopped from moving, I look back her way as she struggles to put a smile on her face, a nervous tick in her free hand. The door to her home had opened at some point between my words and now. Though it is dark, it looks nice, there''s a welcoming smell to it and...


    A kiss to the cheek echoes in the night.


    I blink and the door''s already shut, my claw holding only a lingering warmth. Putting that claw to that spot on my mask, I slowly catch up to what''s happened. Liadannan, Vapooliar, Vadei, Rose''lhia, Einervaene and now, a new one. Inerish.


    My eyes squeeze shut again and I start to walk away, a smile forming on my shelly lips. It ain''t all bad right now, it ain''t all bad. Though, this is somewhat complicated. I already felt overburdened with just one girl in my life wanting my affection and now I have two.


    A claw rubs my bracelet-holding arm and nothing comes of it, so many things could be solved by taking this thing off. Or maybe, nothing will change at all. I might just get a repeat of what happened with Einervaene at that mountaintop town during the fireworks or I''ll get what happened with Lari again... Her not loving me like I do her was a thing even back then.


    Exiting the grounds of Inerish''s home, I sigh and shake my head. Throwing an arm back, I zip off into the sky and release myself into the biting winds and exploding droplets. Repeating the motions, I swing through the city and briefly soar with my finer magics keeping me steady. A relatively flat-topped skyscraper comes into view and I swing into one of its upgoing corners with a splashing crash.


    Sliding down the building, gravity taking over, I fight back with a pull and run. My final step touches the edge of the roof and I flip into the air, landing with another splash. Carefully minding the infrastructure, I find myself on a briefly forward-going statue. One sided by great wings of metal that let it stay in the sky but never fly.


    "I wonder if the gods have led me to this place, talk about flight and now I''m on a bird." I remark as my mind plays back memories of my fights with Smiling Jhurack. He liked his references to the art of song and poetry, a glaring sign of who he really was, I suppose. My firmly planted feet do not shift in the growing strength of the wind. Moving an arm back, I bring my cloak partially back into good order to stop it from flying off and tugging at my neck.


    Looking down to the streets below, I start to ponder what movements I could take. The magic in the sky reminds me of how I can go about it and yet, I am devoid of action. All I have to do is try and I might be able to do it, I might fly. I can make Lari proud of me, prouder than she ever was.


    "Or, maybe, flying will grant me freedom from my past." I ponder, edging close to the sudden drop before twisting around as if there''s no danger at all. Tempting the wind, one foot goes in front of the other and the one behind does the same until I am forced to turn. Not bothering on one walk across the building''s width, I drop. My claw grabs the building and my feet plant themselves firmly as emerald winds blow in from the direction of the great mountain.


    Even in nights as dark as this, it is forever proud and undisturbed in its majesty.


    "Your power made machines like those Union airships fly, so, can you perhaps make a small, insignificant bug like me do the same?" I ask of the source of Wind, hoping my words can reach that far. Maybe, just maybe so, it will grant me what I would like. It was its power after all that first gave me the strength to leap as far as I can. That mountain is why I can protect as I do, it''s why I can carry the physical burdens that I have.


    Another gust of power-soaked wind blows by.


    "Not here... No, somewhere where it is just me and your gift, great mountain." I say, glancing off into the night as the outline of lesser, yet still divinely-made mountains come into view. Out there, in the comfort of the mountains Lari tried to teach me in, where she showed me what she had achieved. Letting go of the building, my fall whistles and I throw an arm out.

 Incline 6: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Crunching under my feet, years of natural erosion move and shift away or into a more compact state. While not as active as it was on the way here, my cloak is still alive with movement. My left claw hops between sizeable outcrops with a wet-tuned smack each time until I find an end to this pathway. Stepping close to its edge, I look out across the landscape.


    This still ongoing rainstorm is hiding the moons and rather amusingly, it tells me it''s not the middle of the year. Nothing as obscuring as this would be around in the full period of Jhrarda the Mighty. The lack of lunar light makes it hard to tell what I can expect, even with magic enhancing my vision as best as it can. Forming a ball in my hand, I cast it out and the minuscule effort at least gives me some outlines.


    In the darkness, nominally normal-looking trees come across as thick, serrated spikes or balls of dangerous yarn. Though I am used to great heights and rapidly moving through them, the mountainsides and their shadowed faces are queasy to look at. I shouldn''t be in danger even if I run a mountaintop through, but, the feeling''s here in my gut. Looking up a little, I spot what is clearly the outline of a valley, such a small amount of my spell-light making it clear.


    Taking one step forward, rocks break loose and I land higher up the mountain. Fully exposed to the elements, I get comfortable in my slippery crevice and dig my clawtips in. I am going to fly, I will fly, for the sake of that memory, I am going to come back to Thrurstradtur soaring! And I will do it alone.


    I sigh as my mind makes a point of giving me that unwanted, firm reminder of Lari''s departure. The last time I tried to fly has all the components this night has, only, the woman I love is not here to show me how it''s done. She''s not here to stop me from plunging into the darkness below, towards the mind-warped shadows. Rising to my full height, one claw wraps itself into my cloak to keep it restrained, at least, for now.


    My body leans forward into the demands of gravity and my magic comes to life. Facing the wind and black shapes, little spells light and dim as my velocity increases. The sloping ground grows closer and my claws move away from my sides. Circles erupt from my palms and I face them towards the nearly disturbed rock.


    Stone blasts apart.


    Feet first, up into the sky, I quickly arc back down towards the ground with a tremor. Leaping away much the same, more explosions start to follow and my long jumps make easy work of the valley width. Spell after spell, I build and conserve what speed I can until I let myself fall again. Something starts to build up in front of me, out of the air in a surprisingly lax moment.


    This cone-ish shape shrinks and falters, vanishing back into the sky from whence it came. A wall becomes clear, no, the ground. Flipping around, I impact deep into the rock, stressing my legs to their limits as shards and greater fling up. Making the earthly wound worse, the sky becomes my destination and I try to feel out for anything I can.


    With a wet, harmless smack, I hit the next mountain and rest within its cut. Sighing as I push myself out of the dribbling debris, I climb up to its top and stand on its compacted, snowy peak. Cracking some of the ice away, I perch out towards the wide plateau I can barely make out. If I can just fly that distance, landing doesn''t matter, I just need to fly across this gap...


    Leaning back into the motions, magic fills out my legs and immediately, all I hear of the mountain''s fate is its falling apart head. Swinging my arms about and shifting some magic around, arcane fire shoots out like the exhaust of an airship. Nothing comes of it. My feet land in the desecrated mud rather than on the rock of that plateau.


    Bitterly snapping my jaws, I walk up and out of my hole and spot a tall tree. Throwing my strong arm back, I am near-instantly reeled in and mid-fling, I am going to another. Shooting between the trees, my haste comes back to me and I switch to the mountains. With a blur of movement, I claw a spell into a mountain, cutting its face open while my feet run destruction across another.


    Growling, my legs pick up the pace and my strides explode into something grander. The air follows suit and I soar. Yet, as I start to feel as if I have accomplished what I want to do, I figure out I need to swing again. The loudest roar of frustration I can spit out shakes my mask.


    Swinging across the valley again and again, I arc up onto a mountain peak, I leap from it and flail in the air. Smashing down, I force my way back into the sky. Putting magic on my feet, I try once again to find inspiration from the machines of this country. It''s not enough, nothing I''ve done so far has been!


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    "What am I doing wrong? I have the power, there''s no way I am not stronger than Larishazza now... Einervaene I know I''ve beaten and she can still fly-" I start to rant before a flash of lightning strikes only across the visions of my mind''s making. Of course, the clouds... Do I need to involve them, maybe? Einervaene''s been able to fly since I met her and she always went up into them.


    Crouching down with closed fists, I close my eyes and focus on my arcane power. Feeling it out and how it behaves, it begins to warp in a peculiar fashion as if it''s swirling around my body. The air around me is much the same, a curtain separating the world from my body. My legs spring.


    Followed by the crack in the air, I reach up as much as I can, magic trailing behind me. Its light details the sky and I come short. Hitting the ground for only a moment, I go back up. Again, again, again, again, again, again, again, again, again!


    Again...


    Falling without a care, my body limply swings under the forces acting against me. First, a mountain strikes me and I roll down it with dangerous negligence. Tree branches whip my limbs and head and spin me out of control. Mud squelches all consumingly like a thick wave trying to crest over.


    With a sigh, I pick myself up and brush the lingering clumps of thickened earth off. Clenching my fists, my greater body trembling with frustrated fury, I stop. Nodding slowly, I get my magic back in order and look up one final mountain. Comparatively, it''s a smooth-skinned thing.


    "One more time, this one will be the last one... The night''s gone on long enough." I quietly mutter before putting my claw tips into the rock and pulling up. Finding my footing, I hop from position to position until I find myself back in the barely brighter sky. My palms find the hips and I slowly turn towards the flattest face. Am I doing this right?


    I mean, obviously not... But...


    "I don''t get it, I really don''t get it." I say for the sake of getting something out as I hold a muddied palm out towards the pelting rain. Each one is like me, really, each landing is as graceful as a simple weighty drop. Something breaks and another follows suit. Pointlessly, I flick my claw dry and just barely, I can make out the golden glow of Thrurstradtur.


    I should be heading back now, one final try in the direction of where I will whimper myself to sleep. Gently, I step forward and fall into the Wind-Mountain''s embrace, head bent as forwardly up as it can be. The distance between the current mountain and me tightens, inching ever closer to the point of a single scrape. I strike the ground with a punch and force my way out of my descent and back into a crouching leap.


    One final mountain''s wounds follow after me and I desperately reach for the sky, the distance far lesser than before. However, even like this, gravity still snaps its jaws shut and I fall into the darkness below. Quiet tears leave my eyes as the emptiness of my claw strikes me as all the more noticeable. Falling into the mud as if I had been struck, I hold back the tears.


    "Are you joking? Why can''t I...? Lari wanted me to fly... WHY CAN''T I FLY!?" I go, striking the grassy ground with one claw while the other finds my face. I don''t know what I''m doing wrong, I can''t figure it out and Lari just won''t leave my head. That night I told her ''I love you,'' it''s as real to me now as it was then. Breathlessly, I stumble up to my feet, nearly collapsing again.


    My claw clenches tight and it keeps flexing open, hoping to find her hand to hold...


    "I can''t even ask you for help." I say with a hollow tone of voice. For once, my mouth stops chittering and I feel the cold night for what it is. Slumping my shoulders, I begin the long trek back to Liada''s place. My foot squishes the grass, forcing past it and going into the sloppy mud.


    Crushing a bit of bark to stop myself slipping, a sincere laugh echoes in my head. It''s her laugh, the kind of laughs she''d let out when we played in the mud of her making. She would call herself a mud-skater and dance in wide, easy-going arcs, enjoying life and all its simplicities. Even on miserable days, she managed to beam that smile, she always managed to find a reason to smile.


    I don''t want to be more like her, I just want her, I want her in my arms. Alive and well, making noise. I don''t want Einervaene, she can stay in her homeland if that''s where she''s buggered off to. Rose''lhia can stay in her flower the same as Vadei can stay wrapped up in her home village. Liada''s shop bell won''t announce my return and Inerish won''t hear another call from me and...


    "The only one I want is you, Lari and I cannot have you. You died," I fall to my knees, magic building up, "You''re dead because of my failure..."


    Fire.


    "DAMN THIS CRUEL PLANET YOU LEFT AROUND GODS! IF THIS IS ALL THAT REMAINS THEN I WANT NO PART OF IT!" I howl with all I can as every flicker of magic explodes out of me with the force to lay waste to the entire Civil Mountains and their land I once called home. If this whole damn world lacked magic like Tobaballe did... My anger would leave me alone in the void of a shattered planet. Even the gods would hate me, just like everywhere I have been does!


    Scooping up a slob of mud, grass-topping and nut-filling and all. I chuck it away. Snorting skyward, my body starts to turn still as my magic makes itself scarce. Getting back up, I jump only a metre and nothing breaks, all that happens is a puddle splashing.


    Trudging along, I focus on getting back home, staying true only to my inconsistency. I want to do good by Lari''s word but what she wants is not what I want to happen. Me and her, it will never happen, it was never going to happen. And, yet.


    "I have to try, keep on trying and maybe it will all make sense. Give it time and I will move past her... Her smile will blur in my head until I cannot even remember it. Memories are fickle like that, only the idea of them remains." I melancholic. bringing forth a drop of magic to light my way. It flickers much like a real candle, only kept alive by the focus that goes into its life.


    I guess I am much the same.

 Incline 7: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Slipping into the back alley, my claw leaves the wall behind and I come out to the still rusty backend of Liada''s shop. Glancing down at an old broken anvil, I pick it up and gently bounce it up and down in my palm. The front comes crushing into my grip and I drop it back down with an insignificant bang of iron on paved road. Arriving at the door, I sigh and take off my hat and mask, leaving one claw free to fiddle.


    "I''d be swearing a whole bunch if this place used normal keys." I mutter, applying a spit of magic to the intuitive technology keeping me out. It lights up and the coggy style of the city comes to life with slow, steady thunks between gear teeth. The process speeds up until it is smooth and finally, after all the needless drama of the mechanism. Click.


    Opening the door, I am met with the smell of cooking or just cooked breakfast. Taking another sniff as the door sings its lock song again, I turn to the sound of movement. Shining, strawberry cream hair swishes into view and then it lingers as the owner walks off. Coming into her kitchen, I go idle as it becomes clear none of us really wants to talk to the other.


    Chittering.


    "..." she sighs and puts a plate down on the table, "Where have you been?"


    "I needed to go clear my head." not that I''ve really gotten anywhere with that...


    "Is the pay pending or...?" she assumes and I start to shake my head, hat and mask finding a place on the side away from all the open containers. Fitting a digit into the fastens of my cloak, it drops with a mud-laden thud and I start to pick at my body. End of a bandage soon in a pinch.


    "It wasn''t a job, I was just outside of the city for a bit of the night." I explain, leaving it at that as it really doesn''t matter and explaining it will probably just annoy her. She doesn''t want to hear about Lari, she most certainly doesn''t want me to make it clear how much my mind is dominated by her.


    "I see..." she goes, a long, dark nail tapping little stab marks into the side, the noise''s like a pecking bird.


    "Did you only make something for yourself or am I allowed some, please?" I ask, adjusting my grip on the bandages as I start to end up with a sizeable roll of the stuff. Throwing it away into my pile, I get started on another part of my body, more and more muddy water stains breaking apart as I do so. The pull of the bandages is barely noticeable even on my more exposed flesh.


    Liada''s expression brightens and she points a finger at a covered-up plate. She rushes over and takes the cover off, the plate nearly sliding off the table with how quick she is about it. I nod in thanks and she relays the assortment of toppings she was in the process of putting away just now. One more roll of bandages comes off and I put it with the other load.


    Liada starts to laugh, an awkward tinge to it as she sits back down, "I''m not sure what to think right now. You lacking magic is not something I have good memories of but it gives you more than enough reason to sit down and enjoy my cooking!"


    I smile back at her beaming and throw a frustrated stare at the last of my wrappings. Really, I want to get this all into the washing machine now and be done with it. I could eat then do it but cleaning myself after eating and doing it before is a little... Ah, I''ll just finish stripping.


    "Well, while you''re sorting yourself out, I guess I''ll explain what I''ve made. On this plate I''ve baked some cored-out apples with a sugar-cream mix filling. I had a bunch of cake mix left over from the other day but it was from some savoury thing I was trying out and I put it with some fish I was able to get from the market. I''ve never had it before and the name''s escaping me right now but it''s orange, curiously enough. Don''t worry about how mine has black stuff on it, that''s just some lead garnish and over here I..." she explains, slight breaks in her speech for gentle huffs.


    "Realised my attention is on my bandages right now?" I ask in response to her trailing off.


    "Y-Yes." she likely nods and my chittering twitches to a different tune to communicate the smirk I cannot show right now. And with a final twist, the last bandage is fully in my palm and out of it into the pile. Grabbing it all up bar the mask, I hug it close and move over to the washing machine, putting it in and looking back.


    "Will you likely need anything put in here? Not really enough with just me." I point out and she nods, rising to then go off and get it. Watching her tail carefully make the turn, I keep an ear out for how heavy-footed she is and I look at my mask. Should probably bring that into the shower with me, give it some cleaning before sitting down and polishing it proper. Liada rushes back in with a barely filled-out basket and I take it from her.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "Can I start explaining it all again or should I wait for you to...?" she asks as I sort through the washing to make sure there is nothing that is at risk. Maybe it''s the Tobaballian in me, but I still do not know if there''s anything magical about this device. There''s the chance it will be like the legal requirements of alcohol and them having magic that keeps people understandable. Or maybe it''s like other things and they''re just... Things.


    "One second." I answer, inputting the details for the machine and gently tapping the knob of the tap near enough above to get my claws wet ''n'' clean. Turning to her with the hard flicking of my claws, I nod and she tries to find where she was at again.


    "Honey... Jams... Fresh fruit... Cheeses... Not this one, this is my special cheese." she mutters, going through and reading labels even though she really doesn''t need to. I get in her way and gently take her cheese-holding arm and bring it close to my eyes.


    "So rather than grapes or whatever it is they put in it, you''ve had gold shavings mixed in?" I ask, letting go so she can hide her precious delight.


    "Of course, I like gold. I don''t think I''ve ever known a single ddrai''och who doesn''t love the taste of proper, -normal- gold. Thankfully, I''ve been able to find companies who handle artisanal usage of metals and I worked a deal out some time ago for them to work with others." she explains, rambling a little on the background information as she joins me at the table. My claws pick through the toppings while I am paralyzed between the choice of cutlery and my own means.


    "Sounds expensive, going to multiple groups to work out a small deal like that." I remark, assembling the things with the highest magic content before I shake them out onto my food. Liada''s hand shoots across the table and she stops me from emptying a whole jar of jam onto one of my apples. I mutter my annoyance as she slowly backs down with it going out onto her palm.


    "Your eating habits are expensive when they do come on by!" she both jokes and reprimands as she licks her jammy surface clean of the sugary sweetener.


    "So, the gold?" I say, getting us back to the question.


    "Well, it was at first... I did try to tell you some time ago but you were..." she shakes her head, "It''s gotten better, though. Turns out, like with how a lot of my customers are people just interested in what I am, I''ve influenced a whole culinary trend! Like, imagine that, me, once a prisoner in some no-magic backwater and now I am pretty much a celebrity for little to no reason!"


    "Was certainly interesting being imprisoned in my homeland without actually being a criminal." I comment, not particularly bothered by her words but it still doesn''t stop her from flinching.


    "I didn''t mean..." she tries to apologise and my head shakes.


    "It''s fine, Liada. At least we can both say there are things we hated about Tobaballe!" I tell her, chuckling a little to get a smile back onto her face as a hand goes through her hair. Some fingers catch some knots and she forces them apart, flinching at the brief pain.


    "But... Uh, yeah. It''s gotten a lot easier these past few years with the food expenses. The industry is all set up now, I suppose. We''re out of the dreadful early stages where no one wants to do anything because there''s not enough resources to go around." she says, her mind wandering towards the end and I frown. I''ve never really heard much about the home she''s come from, if it''s because I''ve never asked or never been there is a pointless thought exercise. I''ve not been there for anyone for half a decade now.


    "I guess we''ve been quite lucky with where we''ve ended up. Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst certainly seems to be the place to be when you''re not a human or native of the land." I say, though, the irony of my words is not lost on me and this is even with me looking further back beyond Smiling Jhurack. My entry into this city was rough, the glass might not be here anymore, but I am still walking through a tight, sandpaper fit.


    "I have a feeling it''s more Suhurlodst to thank here. A whole city of curious students with a passion for learning and well, I remember my arrival quite well." she giggles and I let out one snap of laughter.


    "You hid behind my cloak like a little baby." I tease and she gently throws a sealed glass something at me. Catching it with only the edge of my eyesight helping me, I put it down with an amused tut.


    "I did no such thing..." she pouts, crossing her arms whilst her tail smacks the kitchen floor a few times to rattle the place up.


    "But, yeah, I see where you''re coming..." I say, trailing off at the end as I read what is on the label of her invalidated weapon. Swallowing my next bite, my brow rises in time with my gaze shifting back to her.


    "What?" she goes, her best attempt at whistling not amounting much. Though, admittedly, the fact she can whistle is better than anything I can do with it. I lost the ability when my jaw became as rigid as it is now.


    "Isn''t lead a source of silver?" I question, just about recalling some of my time back in Tobaballe when I was being put through the early lessons of waste recycling and how low-value items can be worth quite a bit. It was mostly in regards to them making sure we could get copper wiring out of old junk, but, this came into the lessons.


    "Not all the time, no. Lead itself is fine and I think the trace amounts of silver helps the flavour even though it''s otherwise toxic to my kind." she elaborates with some random gestures and I put the lead shaker down. It quickly enters her hands and she looks the label over before pushing it back my way, a detail marked out.


    "Ah, I see. I suppose it helps as well that if it is high in silver content then they''re probably going to take it out for the purpose of money and other things?" I put out there as my chittering picks up the pace as I lick up the apple cream lingering in my teeth. This damn osibindah jaw of mine...


    "Most likely," Liada nods and she sets aside her things to watch me, "So..."


    A piece of apple falls back onto the plate, mushy from chews and slimy with spit.


    "What?" I go, swallowing what stayed in with an active tongue grabbing what it can. It''s good.


    "Do you like it?" she asks, smiling with put-together hands. The fingers interlock while her cheek rolls on her knuckles.

 Incline 8: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "How long until you open up? Today''s a shop open day, right?" I question as the final bite goes down my throat to plop satisfyingly on the breakfast already in my tum''. Patting the exterior of it, I lean back and sigh the feeling of a comfortably full belly, Liada''s smile in view.


    "Not long now, why?" she asks, the pop and twist of lids coming to a stop as she moves on to opening and closing cupboard doors instead. The air of which is enough to blow her hair gently. More starts to move as she begins to walk.


    "Haven''t got any work or jobs and I don''t think I''d be able to lounge about upstairs doing nothing. Knowing you''re down here dealing with everyone and their mother when that bell rings." I tell her and she shakes her head, a hand sliding along my arm before it catches on my head. She stoops down and hugs me close, rubbing up to me with excessive affection and I huff.


    "Naturally you''ll need to shower first." she remarks as she aligns herself with my lean, nearly enveloping my head into her bust. Moving forward, she groans gently and I take up the cloth she has tucked into her clothes. Turning to her fully, I eye the bits of dirt dust she''s managed to put on herself and I tut a quick shake of my head.


    "Thankfully for the water bill, you just need a quick wipe." I tell her, smirking deviously as she lets out that wanted noise of insincere ''I hate you.'' Tucking the cloth into the shadow my head just neared, I head off, grabbing my mask on the way.


    "I need to do my hair..." Liada pouts and I stop to look back.


    "Bucket. Water." I chirp, pointing at each thing to the joy of her growing scowl.


    "Get out of my sight now and quickly." she threatens as her tail makes one heavy swipe towards the floor. Glasses, metals and ceramics shake with growing tension in their little plate and cup hearts.


    "I''ll leave anything you might need out of the bathroom." I explain as I reach the stairs, flashing a quick grin at her, she starts to whisper. She goes through the motions of a prayer to her god, left hand cupping the right, only, she knowingly breaks the rule. A middle finger wiggles at me and I laugh.


    Lingering for a moment as she crosses her arms and juts one hip out, putting one of her impressive legs on display, I ponder. She''s told me that the way she does that is to interrupt a moment of prayer and in turn insult her god, technically. But, the intentions are to send that disrespect towards the one the nail top is pointing towards, making it more of a curse(?) I suppose. Honestly, having met the guy, I''d like to know Iderim-Ovi''s thoughts on the matter, just a shame I know what I need to do to talk to gods reliably.


    But, knowing I shouldn''t, I contemplate it anyway, what could I do in response? Prayers go through my head and yet, even with the humour of it guiding my actions, I can''t fathom violating their sanctity. A prayer should not be taken for granted or used to invoke spite on another unless it''s the point of the prayer, like with Avanvenger. God of Revenge lets you damn the one in thought, figures.


    A digit rises and my mouth opens with a silent ''ah.''


    Taking my palm and placing it out in the open, I form a fist with the other and lower it. Striking the palm with three, gentle strikes, I send a playful insult her way by invoking Thurnmourer, the god she despises. That scowl of hers narrows and her shoulders move up and wide. Cackling quietly, I go up the stairs, picking up the pace as Liada''s foot-claw steps echo after me.


    Shifting around the corner just as she likely points those eyes up after me, I wait until I hear the scoff of amusement. The corner of my mouth moves and I stop with the bad attempt at hiding, heading on into my room to gather some things. Popping in and out, I head to the bathroom and nab any old towel I can see. Setting things up, I lift my mask up and hold it in front of my face.


    "To soak or to shower?" I question, glancing towards the large mirror that nearly takes up the entire wall, I look at myself. Frowning, I twist and turn, taking into account all of the filth on me and even the scars I have, despite their age. One across my chest from when I was killed by Vapooliar, one on my right palm from Waionr to make sure I go to Undwote and another from Vapooliar on my right knee. And yet, not one scar is here because of Smiling Jhurack, he left me nothing.


    Five years of fighting him, five years of all of that and the only scar I have is the one Lari left and it''s out of view. I was cut up right bloody but to make sure I was up and ready to fight him again, Jhurack somehow healed me. Nearly every night, for five whole years, it''s all a blur. Nothing sticks out and is incompatible with the formula, no festival memories, birthdays or holy days, not even regular ones.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Just memories of fighting him and at the end... Losing her.


    "All that and not a physical scar to show for it, only the memories." I quietly contemplate, gently knocking the side of my head like the soft-cored nut it is. Looking at my mask, it enters both of my palms and the lenses stare back at me with a foggy reflection. It''s a shame, really. Nin Urtuan is, I am the Dark Crow, there is no separation, no dreams of it, no alter ego.


    Everything I was changed and or vanished when I put on this mask all that time ago back at Rose''s flower. The name of Dark Crow might be something I''ve put out there this year, but, I might as well have always been him. I didn''t go back to Tobaballe to get home, really, I went back there to put what was Nin to rest. Undwote doesn''t have me yet, but he has enough.


    Heading to the bathtub, I move a claw onto the shower knob and gently push it around its fitting. The machine comes to life just like that and water comes roaring out like a wyvern''s breath. Fire-touched and burnt into the smoke of water, it''s a relaxing feeling. Mud starts to wash away and it gets into the gaps of my natural armour.


    Getting into the tub properly, mask dropping to my side, I let go of it and it thunks on the tub. Steadily sliding off towards the drain on the shallow current that only takes a foot to shift about. Holding an arm up, I watch the water as it both flows like a new set of veins, webbing or rope. If I try, it''s like I have water magic myself.


    "I wonder if she ever tried anything like this, despite her magic. She loved to enjoy the simple and the silly, I feel like this would be something she does." I ponder, the blurred-out visage of the mirror and its contents readjusting to normal when I focus on it. My muddy shell has given way to a natural shine to an extent now and although it is impermeable, it''s darker than normal. I blink, noticing the condensation-prevention magic active on the edge of the glass.


    Stepping forward, I knock on the edge of the bathtub and notice how wide it is, its centre almost like a seat. Turning down the water pressure, I settle down into the odd chair and look back towards the mirror, noticing the depth of the ground just outside the tub. Or, rather, the extension of the tub into the bathroom floor. Bringing my claws to my side, I note further how oversized this chair is for me.


    "Ah, a place for Liada to easily clean up her tail and hair if she wants to." I realise, the wide berth of clear space the bathtub has is enough of a radius for Liada''s tail to swing. Spotting the handled sponge she must use, I grab it myself and dip it into the clean end of the shower water. Scrubbing at my legs, I uncover many scratches and unrecoverable bits of shell and even disturbances in my muscles. And yet, oddly, I can recall all of them and not one is because of him.


    The only thing left of my failed struggle for Lari''s life is within my heart and mind. Both of which have the potential to forget what was in favour of what I believe it might''ve been. I cannot forget why my palm is cut or why my chest has this pale gash, I have proof of it. And although Lari and everything else was and is real, it all might as well have not existed at this point.


    I''m not waking up to the sound of Lari''s laughter, Omb''s cooking and Einervaene''s gentle singing. Rose''lhia is not pestering me with her strange, aelenvari standards of romance and there''s no icy shrill from Tiyanat. Quinshuu is not brooding and even Liada has changed so much. As I joked earlier, she hid behind my cloak like a baby and now she runs a sit-in bakery based out of an old blacksmithy.


    Change is not inherently bad, but, when the one I want to remember has left me no physical reminders... I... It''s hard. Liada is still with me, but I''m yearning incessantly for what I have lost and my respect for what I have is iffy.


    My claws drum the bathtub and I reach for the mask which has now picked up more dirt than it had before. A line of brown runs from the widening face of it to the tip of the beak that''s managed to remain reasonably sharp after all this time. Standing back up, the water comes back out with greater force and I get to cleaning my mask properly.


    I sigh, quietly clicking my tongue as well as I can.


    "No mask for now, no Dark Crow..." I look towards the mirror, "Just as Nin as I can be."


    And I look away, not even convinced by my own words.


    Guess if anything, these past five years have shown me that I am a man of action, all that matters is the act. Don''t say I am going to be more mindful of Liada and the others, just do it. Enough talk, I need to focus. Focus!


    I''ll keep to my word, I''ll come downstairs dried off and ready to help however I can with whatever I need to do. Memories come and go, I cannot avoid that and in some ways, it is probably for the best. I miss Lari but missing her will only make me suffer, it will only strain Liada back to how she was right before I stopped Jhurack. Get out...


    Get out. Get out! She screamed.


    Turning the shower off, I step out of the bathtub and set my mask down on the closed toilet. Squaring up to my reflection, my chitters take on an aggressive tune and I lean in close, one eye wide open against the glass. My posture relaxes into a timid shuffle and I huff bemusedly. I really can be an idiot.


    My eyes go back to the mirror and then away, spotting a photo frame, I walk up to it and I frown. There''s a picture I am not familiar with and it is of me, by the looks of it, it''s one from when I was first fighting Jhurack. My body was not used to the intensity of the fighting, I don''t recall it ever getting easier, but, clearly it did. And, right above, Liada is taking care of me, blood-dirtied cloth in hand.


    Picking it up, I look into the eyes of her past self, "I owe you quite a few good memories, don''t I? So many memories do I owe you."


    I don''t put it back where it was, instead, quickly drying myself off, I move to hide it somewhere. I need to do my best, I owe her that much and I will give it to her. I''ve brought so much suffering and blood quite literally up these steps and down the drains. The toughness of her soul is gone and now she is tender.


    Bringing my left palm up, I place the closest thing I have to a middle finger in it and bring them both to the tip of my face.


    "I promise you, Liada." I pray, finishing the alien motion to Iderim-Ovi.

 Incline 9: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "Here you go." I tell some shifting about customers, placing their food down gently and still somehow making them jump. I look at one of the wide-eyed ones directly and I watch his throat flex to the demands of his gulp. Moving away back towards where Liada is otherwise taking it easy, I lean on the counter as she watches some pastries slowly brown.


    On an Undwote-touched day, I imagine this warmth would be a nice retreat from the cold.


    "You really should be saying, ''Here''s your food, please enjoy'' or something along those lines." she tells me under her breath, making my brow cock up. Moving onto my arms, my claws come together and squeeze. I hop my elbows away from the edge.


    "Enjoy your food!" I call back to the whole shop and I turn back to her as she shakes her smirk-wearing face.


    "People like it when you make a point of encouraging them to enjoy themselves. A sincere smile goes a long way in that regard." Liada explains, passing on her handful of years of experience to me and the brow goes back up.


    "Uh, Liada, I don''t need a mirror to practice my smile in. Other things are what have people acting up." I point out, my chitters becoming all the louder to emphasise that fact.


    "They''ll get used to it, just, try to let the usual behaviour die down while you''re out here. Please?" she asks and I look down to ponder it, the details of my claws going on by. Easier asked for than done, very much so. I''ll give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she knows it''s not quite that simple but even then.


    "I''ll try." I say despite the concerns I have and she nods a little.


    "Thank you." she goes, her head looking back towards the door as if she''s expecting it to open. Following her gaze, I spot the many who clearly want to come in but they''re quickly overrun with other wants. One man makes it as far as the door, his hand hits the handle and his eyes widen. Full pockets are patted and off he goes elsewhere, a lingering gaze keeping his eyes this way.


    Liada''s business is actively suffering right now because I am up and centre without even the decency of being covered up. People know what I am and I know from experience they take it better when I am dressed. I have the body of a well-known danger that people simply cannot afford to get comfortable around. Even with how this city has never had an osibindah problem before that didn''t involve the name Nin.


    While I never got involved with them too much, I have come to learn that one of the main duties of the city guard is what amounts to weed duty. My time in my witch guild has let me know we tend to get the backlog of jobs or the riskier ones so we can weaken the problem. Contracted Idiots as some like to say. A name with plenty of dead to back it up, the payday blinding them to the danger and all to the point laws are around because of it.


    Not that any of it was given much consideration when I started working there. At this point, in fact, the tougher jobs are just being left for me. Though, at least now it''s purely because of the experience I have as a fighter and the measurements they took on those test periods. Not really sure how measuring magic and giving it a number is meant to figure things out, but, clearly it works.


    Even then, I know how the rooms tense up when I walk in, that silent wish I never come back...


    "Much as I said I''d rather not stay up in my room doing nothing, it is probably for the best that I do." I remark to Liada as she shifts things about in that converted forge oven of hers. The tray rattles with haste and she looks at me with shaky eyes, a nervous twitch in her hands. Slowly, she starts to shake her head, a familiar glistening on her iris''.


    "No..." she goes weakly.


    "Liada, I''m only causing you trouble. I don''t have the experience and you know full well many of the people who should be coming in aren''t because of me. Look outside and come back with words that aren''t excuses. My help is also a bit pointless, you can handle yourself fine." I explain and her hands cup my still-together claws. Looking up slightly while she looks down, I watch as she tries to find her words. Her eyes meet mine and she starts to smile, though it''s wavering under the weight of her worries.


    "It doesn''t matter if I can handle it. I''d rather have you around. I like it when you are around, helping me... It''s not something I''m used to..." she tells me, her eyes acting up as she shuffles back. Sighing, I pick myself up and go around to the back end of the counter. Pulling her into a hug, she returns it far tighter than I am giving.


    "Shhhhh. Shhhhh." I go, rocking her from side to side. Her sniffles echoing up from my chest.


    "I don''t care if I start to lose money... We both make more than enough and I just want to spend some time with you. It''s too normal that you''re off elsewhere and-" she lets out further and I make her go quiet by pressing her head closer to my chest. She seems to find some comfort finding the gaps of flesh between my shell and although her sharp nails tickle, I let her carry on.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Don''t worry, if you want me to stick around, I will. I''m not going anywhere for the moment. Certainly for the rest of this day." I make sure she understands as she starts to move her head out of my grip and back up. She finds my eyes and smiles, coming back in to carry on the hug while her tail accidentally knocks about on the walls and doors back here.


    "And what about the day after? And the one after that and the ones further away?" she asks and I ''uh'' with uncertainty as I can''t really guarantee anything. There''s a lot at stake if I just stop doing my guild work and while she won''t have the moral high ground in an argument, she could still try. I know more than anyone what it means to pursue selfish goals at the expense of everyone else.


    She starts to laugh and a finger bops my snout, making me shake it back so I can blink my bafflement. She grins and gets back to work, making little work of moving about back here, its narrowness not even a minded concern for her. Despite all that I can do and have done, this agility is still impressive to me. Two very different lifestyles and we still have our small overlaps in what we can do.


    "Now, I know you still want me to help, but, is there anything that needs doing out back? You seem bored and if we''re both here there''s little work for both of us." I bring up and she stops to look at the people walking out in front of the shop. She starts to nod and looks towards the back end of the shop, the bits she''s long since made a habit of cornering off.


    "Will you be able to go to the stock room and check my deliveries? I''ve got a few I need to get ready and it will save me time later as I can only really do it after work." she asks and explains in depth, making me smile before ruffling her hair.


    "Sure, make sure to keep safe." I tell her and she puts whatever it is she''s holding down as I go to move the barrier out of the way.


    "There''s nothing dangerous here!" she calls back and I let out a single noise of amusement as I set the barrier back in place. Closing the door behind me, it''s not long for the front doorbell to go off and I keep a smile for a little bit. She said she didn''t care about losing money, but, I am sure she loves to know that her business is doing well.


    Ding, ding, ding, ding, someone''s holding the door, ding, ding, ding... My smile goes away.


    Remarks about what I am don''t bother me much anymore, I no longer live the life I once did when I first became a student at Suhurlodst. Even mirrors cannot light a fire in my heart. What bothers me now is more so the knowledge that my existence actively hurts those that I care about. I was only paying attention to those walking by earlier, but the outdoor seats were packed as well. None of them had come in to buy anything and now that I am out of the way, everyone''s rushing in.


    I sigh as my chittering becomes a disturbed mess.


    Shaking my head, I head on into the room Liada wants me to check out and I pick up a magic stone tablet. Shifting through the details, I come to the ''page'' that details the progress of her orders. Gently touching some of the containers, I feel out the magic engraved into them and let my mind run rampant guessing their purposes. I notice a small pile of filled containers not with the others.


    "Labels... Labels..." I repeat slowly and I turn one around. Double-checking the list, I put these ones into the boxes they''re meant to be in and I smile when I spot Abbspri''s name. Seems like he''s been ordering a fair few sausage rolls and other meaty pastries for not only the regular customers but his place''s quartet.


    Going through the list again, I awkwardly find myself without a place to note anything down. I don''t want to add details to Liada''s tablet and I am clueless as to where I can jot things. Frowning, I simply mark off what I know is full and fine and make a point of reading what''s on the boxes. Can just tell her which ones are not full still and she''ll probably know the rest.


    "Hmmmm. Spend five years fighting the worst criminal this city has ever seen. I''ve fought wyverns, rooted out osibindah hives, battled criminals and rogue witches and I am stumped by mere logistics for a small bakery... Keeping to the awe of it, how have you managed, Liada?" I go, putting the tablet back where I found it and head back out. Slowing down, a familiar feeling shivers across my body and I shake it off, not worrying about it.


    Thankfully for Liada, it seems like she''s done with everyone who came in during my absence. It being particularly marked with her finishing a transaction with one woman and the ca-ching of her register. Liada spots me and comes over, her hands entering her apron to be wiped clean of crumbs. Though, any cream, grease, sauces or jams are sucked off instead.


    She smiles and offers me her thumb and I shake my head, a giggle leaving her as she licks the fine dark red line off.


    "So, how is it?" she asks, quickly looking back to what she''s got in the oven and what''s on display right now.


    "Anything that you had on the sides is put in with the bigger boxes and a couple now are filled out and ready to go when you need them to." I tell her and she slowly nods.


    "What do I still need to fill out?" she asks, bringing out a small piece of stone to write notes on. I scratch the back of my head, the details not coming to mind. I shrug and she smiles, putting the notetablet away.


    The shop starts to rattle and I look out the glass as the crowds out there start to make way for something coming down. A small government aircraft lands, its engines flaring with magical power and the door slides open. A well-dressed individual walks out and I quickly pick up on the deep colour of her fuchsia hair. The magic present in it shades it with darkness while little bits of dark-fire ignite as she brushes her hand through it.


    "Odd." I remark as Inerish opens the door and the aircraft leaves to go back to whatever it was doing. Liada looks back and I take note of her glare as I also acknowledge how differently Inerish is dressed. Amythest lipstick with the same sort of shine as the gemstone itself and a completely different uniform. One that''s far more showing of her form with a break in her skirt to show off a garter-belted thigh and she''s even got a military coat on for no reason.


    It''s just dangling from her shoulders and I do not ever recall her having a hard-brimmed hat decorated with medal-like gaudiness. Liada heads to the till as Inerish comes to a stop at it, a wink coming my way as my eyes lock onto her fuller-than-usual lips. They shape themselves into an ''o'' and a damning noise leaves them. Liada''s eyes meet hers and while she glares, Inerish smirks, a relaxed confidence about her.


    "Why''re you even here?" I ask as deeply under my breath as I can.

 Incline 10: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "Orbital-Halo is certainly on its way out, nice bit of orange to the skyline." I quietly remark as I continue to polish the same spot on the counter. Plenty of shine to come and a reflection comes into it. Looking up a little, my eyes can''t help but shift towards Inerish as she continues to read her book and sip her most recent cup of tea. The back of my claw goes against the kettle and I ponder turning it back on as the cold becomes noticeable.


    "Nin, can you come and help me with this metal crate? It''s too heavy." Liada calls and I turn her way, a little confused. Letting go of the cloth, I come on over and she snatches me up into her arms, pulling me through the closing door. The slam lingers in my head and I blankly stare at her glare before she backs off into a frustrated pace about.


    "So where''s the item that''s too heavy?" I ask with a joyous huff to try and defuse whatever situation might be coming. She looks back at me, her expression milding only for it to burst into flames. Her sharp nails come for me and stop short on crooked fingers.


    "Why''s she still here!?" Liada demands to know with a harsh whisper and all I can offer is a shrug. I really do not know, Inerish just dramatically turned up. My thoughts run the details through before they can get onto my tongue.


    "Liada, it''s not time to close yet and she''s been otherwise keeping to herself and ordering things." I explain and she scoffs, clearly not buying any of it. Unlike Inerish, who''s bought plenty of tea and the occasional slice of cake.


    "She''s here for you! Do not even try and dismiss it, I know full well those eyes of yours are too well-trained to miss her behaviour." she hisses and I can''t help but shrug again which only makes her get up in my face with pointless aggression. I lean away all the same, however.


    "Bear in mind we''ve not spoken outside of me giving her what she''s ordered." I try to explain and it just makes her go off again. Whatever words Liada wants to get out, she can''t and it all devolves into annoyed hand-throwing and other kinds of groans.


    "Go out there, see what she wants and get rid of her!" Liada demands and my brow rises, arms crossing down below.


    "The shop is not closed, Liada. She''s done nothing wrong. But, fine, I''ll go talk to her." I point out as a claw grabs the door handle and I go back out. Inerish looks up from her book and I catch the signs of a smile while my ears pick up on Liada''s points and the abused surfaces.


    Arriving at Inerish''s table, I pull out a chair and sit down, glancing back towards Liada. My friend gets back to work, although, she''s otherwise struggling to keep her focus on these tasks. Whatever enters her hands is quickly thrown out of it and everything''s done with stropping haste. Our eyes keep meeting and each time they do, I notice the twitches surrounding them.


    "I do not need anything else, thank you." Inerish says and I bring my attention back to her.


    "No, I think you do." I correct and the book comes down, the facade of innocence being put on display. With a gaze that keeps sneaking away from me as Inerish''s body relaxes. She takes one final sip of her tea and leans forward, her mostly exposed leg crossing over the other. Her back arches forward, her chest pronouncing itself close to me while her exposed back twists ever so slightly into view.


    "Ah... That''s better." Inerish gently moans as she melts away into the comfort of her new sitting position. One that puts a bit more weight on one side of her bottom so that the other can rise.


    "Inerish..." I sternly go and she smirks, reaching into one of her stretched-out pockets for something. She takes her time cupping and massaging her body, the item slowly slipping out.


    "I wanted to give you this." she finally explains, a small tablet coming into view but not towards my claw. Instead, she puts her lips upon it, marking it out with the nominally embarrassing shape of a woman''s lips. I move my palm forward and she brings it closer to her mouth, just short of touching it. I grasp the tablet as her breath breezes over my carapace.


    A high-pitched scrape fills our ears.


    "And this is...?" I question as I start to give it a read and I can''t help but be a little confused. This is a list of locations, brief descriptions of what''s there and an attached bounty. Followed by Inerish''s direct seal of approval.


    "You asked me last night before -we danced- and -you walked me home- to get in contact with the guild. So, I did, here are some jobs I''ve earmarked explicitly for you." Inerish explains with a tone of voice that rises at the worst possible parts and I nod as well as hide my face. Loud stomps come around to the seating area and Liada makes a point of not caring about her tail. It crashes and bangs tables and chairs aside, her hands quickly finding my shoulders.


    "I''m so sorry, Ms, but, we''re closing. I''m going to have to ask you to leave." Liada strains out and I take note of how tightly she is holding my shoulders. Not enough to hurt me, far from it, it''s more like knowing an insect is crawling through your body hair. Well, back when I had it.


    Inerish checks her watch and smiles back.


    "I don''t think you are. Says here that-"


    "We''re closing early!" Liada interrupts, leaning in close with her passive-aggressive features while I am weighted down by her chest.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "No, I don''t think you will be." Inerish chirps and her fingers flexingly dance their way towards the menu stand. It slides away, nearly flying off the table and a redskinned hand comes back to me.


    "My place, my rules. Now, go." Liada demands and Inerish stands up, her coat and hat coming back on. Liada backs away, two different kinds of clicks filling the air as Inerish''s heels chase after Liada''s toe-claws. Shifting my chair about, I watch carefully in the event something happens.


    "Oh, I''m sorry. Am I forgetting whose city this is? Whose rules are followed, Baker Liadanann?" Inerish taunts with the sharp straightening of her mixed-up uniform. A hand going through her hair ignites embers that flicker away.


    "It''s Cakesmith!" Liada snaps and Inerish''s mouth mockingly agapes, a hand coming to cover it.


    "Last I checked, this is a bakery, is it not?" Inerish questions, looking around with a sneering giggle.


    "It''s my Cakesmithy! It''s a pun on the fact it''s a converted blacksmith- NINNNN!" Liada snaps out before she screams my name and Inerish joins her looking my way.


    I blink at the pair of them, practically able to see the thorns drawing blood.


    "Liada, close the shop and you go upstairs to my room. We''ll talk about this." I say, my claws striking my thighs with a pair of solid whacks.


    "NI-" Liada interrupts for obvious reasons.


    "Quiet!" I bark and I get what I want. Liada''s body slumps and she slowly nods, getting to it by first starting at the door and its lock. The ''We''re Open'' sign quickly follows and I glare at the Grandguard as she stands there with her smirk still. She walks towards me, an exaggerated swing to her walk.


    "Which way to your room, Dark Crow?" Inerish asks with an enticing whisper and I gesture her with a wave. Knowing better, I stay in front and wait at the top of the stairs while Inerish otherwise takes her time. She fiddles with things and I can''t help but growl even as she starts to go up the stairs, her coat just so happening to fall without a care.


    "Cut it out!" I go and she raises her hand before going to get it. Liada''s gaze enters my field of view and I can''t keep my eyes up in the face of her glare. Inerish finishes up with the booty shaking and she''s up here with me in no time. But she can''t just let it down, she has to motion me with a finger.


    "Come on, Hero, where''s our privacy?" she asks and I cross my arms, shaking my head all the while.


    "The other door." I correct, taking one final glance at Liada as she starts to make a point of hiding her expression. I groan a sigh and head to my room, closing the door behind me while Inerish flops down onto the bed.


    "You don''t seem all that grateful for what I have done for you. And you came to me in the middle of dinner to ask for it..." she mockingly complains as she dances a finger around my pillow. The scent of my bed loudly fills out her nasal canals while she knocks one heel off her foot. Her legging-covered toes catch it by the slimmest of margins.


    "I told you not to worry about it." I remind her and she puts a finger on her lips, the memory clearly there but just so conveniently forgotten. She smirks back at my annoyance and sits up, shuffling to the bottom end of my bed. With a thud, she drops the shoe and knocks the other one off, her legs keeping to the softness of my blankets.


    "I have plenty of reasons -to- worry." Inerish emphasises and I pull out the chair by my desk. Rubbing a claw along my head, it comes off and turns into a fist.


    "And how does any of this lead to you coming here to taunt my friend?" I demand to know and she shivers in delight, this being all a game to her.


    "You came to me because that creature simply isn''t doing it for you. Your heart is set on another in its entirety!" she giggles and my eyes flare. I rise and stomp my foot, coming just short of punching a hole towards the city. A claw so very close to wanting her neck in its tight grasp.


    "AND THAT OTHER IS NOT YOU!" I roar in her face and she flinches away, a hand on her beating heart while a smirk starts to come back.


    "I know. But, I don''t think I will let that stop me from trying, especially with how you are trying to move away from your little water princess." Inerish explains and my eyes narrow, my carapace crunching under the strain of my fists.


    "Be very careful with your next line." I caution her and she stands up, the usual professional straightness coming with it.


    "Look, there are the jobs you asked me to get for you and now we can help each other out." she says, her focus going down to the feather necklace Smiling Jhurack guided me to.


    "Now we can help each other out?" I repeat, the words tasting foul on my tongue.


    "Why, yes. As Grandguard, I am expected to be able to display my own personal talents. As well as what I can do in the defence of this city and its mountainous territories." she explains and I recall the details of those jobs she''s gotten for me. I suppose the mark she put down is equivalent to it being reserved for her.


    "Seems a little counterproductive for the head of security for an entire country to potentially die in some ditch..." I point out, not liking where she is taking this.


    "As a matter of fact, no. Back in my time as the warden of my family''s fortress in Errakur and others. It is quite expected of you to go out and fight with the men. It''s all about morale and the image you project. Walls scare some but not all, the other part of the equation of defence is the myth you can create. Now, because of Smiling Jhurack, I''ve got quite a bit of a backlog and well, as you''ve just put it... I can''t be put in too much risk by doing this on my own. You do not sally out as the flag carrier, after all, you grab a lance and ride at the tip." she explains and I slowly nod.


    "Fine, whatever. When are these jobs exactly?" I go, asking the important detail and she starts to laugh, her fingers mimicking a cage.


    "When I call on you." she smiles and I sense for Liadanann who is not far from the door. Sighing and looking to the ground, I feel her shifting about and slowly moving away to elsewhere in the house. She''s certainly close enough to pick up on the details.


    "And my ability to say no?" I ask, looking back to the invasive woman.


    "Practically non-existent. As Grandguard, I get to call on you and you''ll be mine until the job is done." she giggles, putting her shoes and thrown off clothes back on. Watching her approach, she puts her hands behind her back in a girlish manner and her weight moves against me.


    "I will warn you once, do not make a point of making this maliciously awkward for Liada." I tell Inerish as she smiles innocently. The dark-skinned woman starts to blush and her purple lips find my cheek once again. She flutters a wave goodbye and she''s out the door. The excited tap of her heels on the stairs makes way for the same on the ground floor and the bell above the door rings.


    The door itself clicking shut.


    Coming out, I barely catch her disappear from my restricted elevation and I turn to Liada. Her eyes glued to the kiss mark on my carapace. Sighing out my knowing, I start to go down the stairs and she moves, her arms quickly around me. A wet smack repeats itself across my body and cheeks, a ''hmph'' comes out her lips and she stomps off.


    Going down the stairs to where Inerish was sat, I collapse into my chair, the tablet in my claws once again. I sigh, hard.


    "Am I damn glad Rose''lhia vanished in those miserable five years!" I swear under my exasperated breath.

 Incline 11: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "Hm, an unauthorised dig site with ties that go all the way back to Suhurlodst... Honestly, I was nearly an experiment for them. Why am I not surprised they have legal troubles?" I comment as I read through Inerish''s tablet more carefully from the comfort of my bed. Smacking my mandibles about, I reach for my cup and take a sip up the straw. It gently taps the side of my bedside table and I blink.


    Looking up, I wait for a noise and my door is knocked again.


    "Liada opens the door and says what?" I go and the door opens, revealing my ddrai''och friend.


    "Nin, can I talk to you?" she asks and I groan in disappointment.


    "Aw..."


    "Huh?" she goes, my mood picking up.


    "Close enough. But, sure, what you want, Darling?" I go and ask, making her flinch with a slight blush. Putting the tablet down, I shuffle up my bed and partially move off it, giving her room to sit at my side. She does so, instantly leaning against me with a tired sigh and rub of her eyes.


    "When you came back to me that day... That day you beat him, what were the terms of the promise Larishazza gave you?" she asks, her hands firmly grasping my arm.


    "She told me to find the others, those who had vanished in my time fighting Smiling Jhurack. She wanted me to find love in one of them as she did not love me like I loved her." I clarify, my insides tightening to an uncomfortable degree while my free claw struggles to stay still. It''s going to be one of these kinds of talks, is it? The kind that leaves us both frustrated with the problem only worse than before.


    She shivers and sniffles.


    "I guess it was like this before, wasn''t it? You just have this thing about you that makes it so easy for poor women like me to fall for you." she despairs as she adjusts her hug to be more enveloping. My eyes awkwardly shift down an arm, to the wrist she is otherwise covering up.


    "Y-Yeah..." I say quietly, moving said arm about with a pointless squirm. The offending object rolling along my shell and into a fleshy crack.


    "I know you''re still trying to move past Larishazza, but... Is it possible that you would ever love me? I told myself when you first came to me with this information that it was too quick and nothing good would come of it and... I seem to have been right, but, if you can...?" she tearfully begs and I move her into a properly shared hug. One that is careful enough to keep her face away from mine. I will have no lips meeting lips, this isn''t something I am ready for. No matter how much I care for the owner of them.


    "..." I''m not sure I can give this an answer.


    "I''m sorry... I''ll leave you be..." she sniffles, pushing herself out of the hug and stumbling out of my room. She barely makes it a step before it all comes out in force and I frown, her sobs as loud as if she was right next to me. Her bedroom door closes and she starts to wail with all her heart. Slowly, I get up, somewhat limp. Slanting my mouth a little, I go close my door and block it with my body.


    Crossing my arms, my expression moulds into place, "No, I don''t think I can, not with the current me. Love like you want is something only Lari has ever earned from me..."


    I sigh and look Liada''s way, my magic senses creating the image my eyes cannot see. I can''t tell her that to her face, I can''t go on to tell any of them that and I really don''t know what to do. I have two distinct memories with this bracelet that are coming to mind for me right now, neither good. By coincidence, both involve Einervaene.


    In that town, that town we went to on the way back to Tobaballe when there was a Tobaballe, after she saved my life. Salahma, Einervane killed her to save me when even Lari had assumed the worst. This bracelet kept me alive during that time, it''s probably the reason why Einervaene came after me to begin with. But, I don''t know, I don''t...


    When I took the bracelet off in order to try and let Einervaene down, she didn''t feel much different. She begged me to put it back on to restore the feelings it gave her. The loneliness and isolation of lacking those feelings, she didn''t like it and she accepted their return without issue. Long term, the problems never vanished.


    I can''t remember much other than Smiling Jhurack over these past five years, however, there is one thing that sticks out. Einervaene. She started a fight right here in this shop and we took it beyond the city. I won and I repeated the lesson we had in that mountaintop town.


    She did not love me, it''s all this bracelet.


    None of them actually cared for me like they thought they did, it''s all the work of Motrtha. Only, that''s the problem, really, isn''t it? Motrtha, Goddess of Mothers. But, she''s not just that, she''s also the Goddess of Love and this divine gift on my wrist is from her.


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    She told me way back then that its reason is to keep me safe and I struggled to grasp from what. Now, however, I think I might have an inkling as to what it is meant to keep me safe from. Loneliness and a broken, foul heart. The only dangers she alone is capable of protecting people from.


    I''ve been selfish enough over the past five years, even if I cannot sit there and tell Liada what she wants. I owe it to her to give her this protection that I have. She may not care much for the gods beyond her species'' own, but the same is not inherently true for them. Maybe at some point, I will be able to tell her or anyone else the truly magical phrase of...


    I care about you...


    My head starts to shake and I strike my head before reaching for the door handle. Bringing it open, I stop and look back to my bed. Smiling a little, I take my blanket and scrunch it up in my holding claw. Going off to her room, I open it and am met with sorrowful darkness.


    The shadow-covered mass on the bed moves and I flick the light switch, the ugly truth clear to me. She gulps, her lips quivering with her body shaking alongside it. Shaking my head a little, I turn the light off and move to her bed. Putting my blanket out, I squeeze onto the bed, somewhat having to bully her into moving aside.


    Little noises escape her and- She gasps.


    Grabbing her, I pull her in close to keep her away from the edge. Slowly, she starts to return the gesture but I can feel it in the nuance of her fingers that''s she uncertain. Actions speak louder than words and nothing is more cathartic than simply hearing the truth for some things. I cannot give her the words she wants, however, I can give her something else.


    "I know it''s frustrating, Liada... I know I can be insufferable, caring more for a dead girl than a living one. But, as others have been telling me, give it time, the bad times will always make way for something better. It just takes some time getting used to it." I explain, coming just short of giving her a kiss in the spot where her hair divides. I frown and instead settle my chin there, letting her stew in her head while I refuse to let her go.


    "I know... I know... It''s just infuriating trying and then having someone like her come into my shop to taunt me..." shes goes, tightening her grip in places that seem like she could peel them off. Thankfully for my back, my internal-magic is simply too much for her which I suppose makes me the perfect stress release.


    "Trust me, Liada. It''s annoying for me to have to deal with her like that." I explain and a scoff vibrates my chest, a gust of hot air bursting out to my neck and over it.


    "With how often I''ve seen women fight over you, I have a feeling you enjoy it to some degree." she tries to laugh, no matter how hard it otherwise seems to be for her.


    "I don''t think I ever have, actually." I respond in all seriousness, my time with the aelenvari of Rose''s flower coming back to me. I recall quite clearly thinking about why I didn''t enjoy it as much as my teenage self might''ve. It''s all a little overwhelming, really, having so many beautiful women fight for your attention. And these past few years since I left Tobaballe, I''ve not exactly worked on handling such things...


    "Liar!" she accuses, smacking my chest with an amused huff.


    "No, I am being genuine right now. I was in this situation back when I first got my magic where I somehow became the most desirable man in an entire aelenvari flower." I explain and Liada gently mixes her nod into some nuzzling.


    "I don''t have many aelenvari customers, but I tend to buy a lot of ingredients from them. They don''t tend to be farmers, but, farmers like to hire them for their natural expertise regarding crops." Liada exposits and I huff, the fact making almost too much sense.


    "Is that so?" I ask more so as a joke, though I''m lacking all of the outward signs of it.


    "Whatever it is they know, it certainly helps and I have wondered a little about their honey whenever the humans are celebrating things to this Aahtha goddess..." she starts off reasonably loud at first before she starts to heat up and turn quiet.


    "Ah, yes. Aelenvari honey." I go, dryly smacking my mouth together as an itchy sensation gets under my carapace. The sweet thing that is perhaps to blame for me becoming what I am now. I can''t really blame Rose, but, it''s certainly something that has stuck with me even long after I have gotten over that day.


    "You know, though..." Liada quietly goes and I shuffle away whilst she does the same. Our faces somewhat meeting the other from a fist''s distance.


    "Yeah...?" I go, drawing my word out as I clearly feel the warmth pumping through her veins. Whatever steamy thoughts are in her head, her body''s piping can''t handle this kind of pressure.


    "If we ever do... Uhm, you know- No, -when- we move beyond this phase in our relationship... Well, I''ve happened to have read up a little on the aelenvari and their history. I know how they came to be and I''m thinking that, that might mean we''d be able to... You know..." she struggles to explain as she squirms in embarrassment and while it''s not my intention, she grabs my moving claw. A kiss is firmly placed on the palm and my chitters tremble in time with her giggling.


    "That so..." I go, her arms wrapping around me tight. She snuggles into a comfortable position and goes quiet, only her nose really doing anything while her chest heaves. Up and down, up and down... A rather comfortable sensation all things considered.


    I frown a little, how would that even end up working out for us? Or anyone for that matter. I am an osibindah, a bug. And, while I have the eyes of a human, everything else about me isn''t, even my required tool works completely differently!


    Would a child look human with some buggy features? Would they be more like Liada and only have a nervous twitch in their jaw like I do? Would the children be completely osibindah or will an egg pop out, somehow!? I stare intensely at Liada, curses and swears going off in my head.


    She just had to get my mind going off now of all times!


    Silently screaming in a humourous manner, I move a little and try to get some sleep. I''m not tired in the slightest, but, it will do Liada some good to spend the night here with her. It was only last night after all that I woke her up trying to get out of the house. While I cannot do much about her thoughts, hopefully, hopefully tonight will be something nicer.


    I''m not happy with her anguish and distraught heart, it''s not what I want for her. I''ve spent five years not caring for the lives of those around me and I''ve got five hundred to spend caring. Pulling her in close, she moans in quiet delight and I try to find a smile myself. My chittering dims down to a steadier noise and she starts to groan, perplexing me utterly.


    "No... Keep making those noises..." she demands with a tight squeeze and I do my best to shrug, getting back into the habit of making my noises.


    Strange, lovely woman.

 Incline 12: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "There are soldiers outside, Nin." Liada informs me once again while I spool up some bandages for easier storage. Looking away from the necessary tedium, my eyes land on the men of the brass-clad Thrurstradtur Cityguard. In their hands, magic-using weapons that are quite prominent mementoes for me.


    "I wonder if I can still fire one of those..." I mutter in thought before one of the men gathers the courage to take what was forced upon him. He steps up to the locked door of the bakery and knocks on it, his helmeted gaze shifting about between me and Liada and then his compatriots. Liada practically growls and I get up with a slight shake of my head, my claw patting the back of the chair.


    The soldier flinches a little when he looks back our way, myself now only a pane of glass away. Fiddling with the lock, I manage to get it open without my usual struggles and the breeze comes barging in without invitation like always. Spotting the light of the Orbital-Halo as it continues to enjoy its mechanical life, I can''t help but yawn massively. My jaw opens up and the chittering becomes almost like vicious snaps.


    Gently, my mouth smacks back together and my eyes mellow out.


    "So, what''s it you need of me?" I dare to guess with yet another yawn coming out. The soldier takes a slight step back, the modestly distant snickering all the closer for it. He glares back at them and it vanishes when I am within the reflection of the whites of his eyes. The item in his possession passes onto me and I nod, the man''s straight back almost collapsing when I turn.


    I huff in amusement and hear their departure along with Liada''s louder-than-normal slamming of dough. Looking to her, her eyes narrow at the object and I bring it over her way just so she can look at it. Boohoo if this is meant to be something for my eyes only. However, the moment she grabs it, I take it back because I can''t have her handling it that rough!


    "Would be nicer if it was something sweet on your hands rather than flour." I admit, licking off my claws once they''re done brushing the object off.


    She smiles, "I would''ve licked them clean myself if that were the case."


    "Course you would have, evil woman." I say, just barely avoiding her giggle-followed retaliation with my slow walk.


    "So what is that, exactly?" she asks and I get to actually giving it a proper look over. My claws delicately pinch together to handle the mechanical aspects of it. Memories of my home start to come back to me and the once longed-for sound of break, lunch and shift-end bells come to mind. Echoingly so.


    "Well, best way I can put it, is that it''s... It''s a radio set." I explain with the scratch of one of my mandibles. I know how to use the communicators carried around by guards and all that, but this box is a little more than that. However, the devices I am familiar enough with are a part of this greater machine, having a couple of little slots as homes.


    "I guess this is how she''s going to get your attention regarding those jobs..." Liada rightly assumes and I nod, looking her way with a worrisome gaze.


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    "Seems so." I chitter and it starts to make noise, the screen on it going through some kind of sequence while the interior thuds and bangs. Quite heavily, too. The entire table is shaking with it and my claw is pressing down just to make sure it doesn''t move.


    "If I find out she''s had this thing made specifically to be this obnoxious..." Liada complains as she starts to growl at the table-shaking force of what''s going on inside.


    "Honestly, I wouldn''t be surprised if she dug this out of some dusty storage room because I simply cannot properly work the more modern things." I point out as I flick a stubby little switch with my fat, hard-skinned sausage of a digit. Gods I miss having actual hands.


    My claws narrow into blunt tips that I can but even then... Eugh.


    A compartment of the machine opens up quite a bit and with a metallic ting, a small piece of freshly baked clay appears. Picking it up, I read the contents over and frown Liada''s way as she sighs her disappointment. She turns away and heads into one of the backrooms and I sigh myself. Getting up, I go after her with the warm piece of pottery shifting about within the confines of my half-hearted fist.


    I get inside just in time to watch her slam a box onto the side with a huff.


    "It''s the first of her jobs, isn''t it?" she rightly guesses and I put the tablet onto the side so she can read it herself. Her eyes widen and she puts it down, a tremble in her turn when she looks my way. Peeking up, I glance at the contents and note the details, one of which is a location far, far away.


    "Well, guess I''m talking to Inerish later." I say, clicking my tongue as my hands settle on my sides.


    "You''ll be gone for a week... More than that..." Liada points out, her voice shaking only a fraction of what her body is. Pulling her in close, I pull a hand through her shampoo-smelling hair and pull a little of it towards the gap in my external skull. Soft, so much so even when it''s only a few strands.


    "I know it''s not much consolation, but, focus on how there are only a few jobs to do. Inerish will be out of your hair soon enough." I explain and she huffs, pushing me away a little to look at my shiny scalp.


    "Not our hair?" she asks, giggling a little as she brings us into a calming sway.


    "Even before this, when I became an osibindah, I never had much in terms of hair!" I explain, letting out a single ''ha!'' when I do so. Regulations primarily had me having to have it shaved down to little spikes. While not necessarily comfortable or the opposite, it meant I didn''t have to worry about much. Liada is amazing to me, in this regard, so much hair and she''s always able to make it so silky with the shine of freshly polished boots.


    "And I don''t think my feelings regarding you would change much if you did." she sighs, bringing her head against my chest while her hugging grip tightens. Putting a claw to her back, I let the points smooth over her skin before I break the hug.


    "I best start getting ready." I point out with some reluctance as her mood fouls into something miserable.


    "Yeah..." she goes and I cup her chin.


    "Don''t worry, Liada, these times will pass and I will look into ways I can get out of this. We all know that Inerish is doing this intentionally to mess with you." I explain and she nods with a heavy nasal breath, my palm on her cheek. She starts to smile and moves closer, her lips pressing against my cheek and leaving after a short, but long-feeling sensation and sound. She starts to walk around in an almost awkward manner, how little room there is back here is emphasised and she squeezes past.


    Her tail slithers along my unreactive crotch before she disappears back to the front.


    "Guess I better start getting dressed." I tell myself as if I needed the reminder. Yet, I can''t help but find some grim humour in the idea of going out to Inerish like this. I can cause insurmountable grief for her and her missions by making everyone think I''m just a regular osibindah! Maybe even end the missions by meeting up with Lari...


    I shake my head and head up the stairs.

 Incline 13: Cakesmith Liadanann

    Nodding to myself, I close the door to my forge-oven and seal the hatch, my hand resting on the cold, black iron. Looking to the front of my shop, I watch as disappointed, potential customers go about their day and I head to the stairs. Going up them, I turn to Nin''s room and walk in slightly through the open door. He puts on his hat right as he comes into view.


    Still managing to put on a smile, I put one hand over the other''s back and he picks up a few things. My mouth opens but I can''t think of anything to say and it just closes up again. Nin closes the distance between us and his soft, fresh bandages touch my skin. I move against him, giving him a quick hug that I close my eyes for so I can focus on his warmth.


    "You''re going to be fine on your own?" he asks and while I want to act like it''s a rare thing, it''s really not. I''m more than capable of handling the shop on my own. However...


    "I''m probably going to be using this time to catch up with my deliveries and stock shopping. People who want to come in will be disappointed regardless. But, anyone who''s local to this part of the city knows how it works by now with me. I''m a one-ddrai''och business and sometimes I need to do things I can''t otherwise. And, that means closing shop for a bit." I explain and he nods along, though, a finger rises as he makes those curious little noises of his. Slightly different from usual, just like any other person when something catches their interest.


    "How... How come you haven''t hired someone yet? I know full well the bank account is swelling." he asks, the initial slip-up going a fair way with keeping my smile up.


    I shrug, looking around the second floor''s hallway, "It''s never really occurred to me. Guess you''re a little too often on my mind."


    He nods with what must be a mask-hidden smirk while I play with the bits of my hair on the sides, "Again, I''ll look into this and it will be solved."


    "It''s fine, Nin, don''t worry. I... I can manage you being gone for a week or so. Besides, that gives me plenty of time to say... Bake a surprise!" I tell him, losing my focus for a moment when bad memories come to the spotlight. Thankfully, I am able to recover the smile with a more endearing thought. A vast, well-decorated cake with jam, icing, fruit, chocolate and...!


    "And I bet it will be delicious." he rightly puts his money on as we start to go down the stairs. With a gentle hop, I skip the last few and grab onto his back as I refind my footing. My smile pushes my cheeks up and he pats my hand with his after teasing one with his beak. Letting go, we get moving again.


    "Uhm, Nin." I go as we start to near the counter. He stops and turns towards me, his cloak sweeping aside to reveal the mess he insists on calling his usual outfit. I really need to write a note down regarding a visit to Uibaity so we can get him something actually considered clothing. She''s got the talent and with his earlier reference to my finances, I can probably afford a house''s worth!


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    "Yes, Liada?" he seems to finally answer, his claw coming down from a wave aimed at me. I walk up to the counter''s display area and start to guide a nail over the panel protecting the contents.


    "Are you perhaps going to want to take anything to eat? Closing the shop for a week means I''m probably going to send this lot off for charity or leave it out on a display in the open. I''ll trust people to pay for what they take and if not, I hope they enjoy it still." I offer, rambling off for little reason. Nin takes the mask off and the hat briefly as well, the former rattling while the latter finds his head.


    "Oh, sure, if you''re offering." he excitedly chitters out with flexing fingers as he eyes what I''ve made. My smile flushes with red heat and I rush behind the counter to get what he needs. My hands go behind my back and fidget away while he gets himself a paper bag to take them in.


    "I can either explain what it is you want or you can go with a bag of mystery!" I giggle, taking a step forward and forgoing the usual courtesy of tongs and similar tools. It''s not much, but, I like to believe it means more to him if I hand them over more personally than I usually would.


    "Let''s go with a bit of mystery, then? When I get back, we can have longer conversations with me trying to describe what it is I like the most." he suggests with a quiet laugh and I follow suit, covering my mouth when it grows into something greater.


    "Ok!" I go, hand at the ready while I watch his finger smooth over the panel.


    "That one, also that one. Oh, maybe this one. This entire section. That section. Every other one from that shelf and a slice of that." he goes with growing speed and I blink as he leans back with a smirk.


    "Alright, a challenge, I can do this." I go, leaning forward whilst my memory does its best to recall the movements of his hand and eyes. I get going, slowly taking what I believe to be correct and filling out his bag as I do so. The bag reaches maximum capacity and we''re not done... Picking up another, I open it with a firm flick and carry on.


    And a slice of this and done!


    Huffing my chest out, I push the filled bags towards him and he loads his arms. A short distance later and they''re out of them so he can get the mask back on and I head towards the door. Getting it for him, I lean on its hard-set edges while he lingers in front of me. Our eyes are initially on the immediate city but they meet as a cloud gives us some relief from the Orbital-Halo.


    "Going to enjoy wasting Inerish''s time with this." he chuckles and it passes onto me. Taking the moment, I wrap my arms around him as softly as I can and snuggle my face against his neck.


    "Come back quickly." I demand and I feel him nod and give me the signs he should be going. Letting go, I wave him off and he takes off down the street, his usual flair not being there with full arms. Moving a step forward, I switch to leaning on the doorframe and my smile steadily vanishes. I sigh and head back inside, someone clearly calling out for me before it goes silent with the snap of the lock.


    Moving into the darker interior of the shop, my tail goes limp while one nail catches on another.


    "I love you..." I whisper with a trembling body that breaks out into a heavier shiver. Patting my cheeks down, I get my focus back in order and head into the kitchen. Quickly looking through the cupboards, my stomach growls its wants at the most pointless of times. A bowl of ingredients quickly builds up and I pop it onto the side, my eyes lingering on my kitchen''s oven.


    I look towards the counter and what is beyond it.


    "Nah..." I go, finding a reason to smirk a little as I ponder going through the steps to get my forge-oven going so I can have that slightly different flamebaked flavour. I empty the bowl carefully and keep an egg in my fingers. Rearing the hand back slightly, the bowl starts to ring as the shell breaks, a joyful tune building in my throat.

 Incline 14: Cakesmith Liadanann

    The bag rustles one final time and I tie the sealing knot, "Ok, that''s that sorted."


    Walking out to the front of the shop, the bag sliding behind me, I dump it on top of the pile and take a step back. There''s a little more here than I thought there would be, I''m not sure if I should be impressed or concerned by how much is going. The greedy part of me can''t help but think of how much money I am throwing away. However, Reason is up there with a heavy anvil ready to drop on its head.


    Some of the best times for me in terms of how much I''ve sold is during festivals where the community as a whole encourages heavily discounted goods. If I can still make plenty of money during those times then I am not losing much if anything sending this off to an orphanage or a food station for the less fortunate. Besides, giving my greed its due, this act of kindness will give people all the more reason to come to me! I''ve done free samples before and this is just that turned up to full heat.


    "But, still this is... A lot." I repeat, counting the amount of bags I''ve managed to assemble. One, two, three, four, five, six... Twelve, thirteen... Fifteen. Fifteen bags of cakes, pastries, biscuits and other baked goods.


    I''m pretty sure I have a trailer or trolley out back...?


    "Best not to leave it to chance." I mutter, heading to the front door and making sure it''s locked before going the opposite way. Passing through the kitchen, I wait for the lock to do its thing and head out into the mucky back. Maybe I could use this week to clean this end up? It''s been years since I bought the place and renovated it and some of the old, useless equipment is still out here.


    I start to shake my head and push it to the back of my mind, another time, maybe. However, looking around, it does seem a lot neater than it usually is, has Nin been tidying this place up whenever he''s been pacing about? He didn''t have to, it''s my responsibility and... I shake my head again, now smiling.


    The smile changes into an ''o'' and I grab the handle of what I came out here looking for. Moving my hands to the sides, I turn it upside down and let the rainwater splash out of it onto a part of the ground in need of a wash. Heading back inside, I quickly find a cloth and dry the transport''s insides off and then carry it through my home. With a slight jump in my bones, I rush back to lock the backdoor and hurry back to the front.


    "Hehehe... Wouldn''t want that to be open." I comment, taking the front door key and catching it out of the air. Tucking it away, I move on to loading up the trolley and bring it out into the daylight. One locking of the door follows and I start my walk to one of the city''s many map stations so I know which way to go. The ever-bewildering and jaw-dropping magic travel system of the city can then get me the rest of the way.


    Putting a tune into my mouth, I gently hum throughout my walk, smiling and waving to those who offer me the same expression and gesture. Some of them even groan and come to a halt, their eyes locked on me and I can''t help but giggle. It''s one thing to pick up on and hear the praise within my shop but to see it in the streets is something else. It makes me glad that I''ve been able to find a place in this city I once looked at with nothing but terror.


    How I ended up captured in Tobaballe''s secret mountain complex is fading from me, the memory is vague and now rather meaningless. It''s a little shocking, really, how something that life-changing has just vanished from me. Then again, I can still somewhat clearly recall my life as a child, before my brother gave us that video call from the front in the war. When that Smiling Jhurack killer was still around, I looked into it but could find nothing.


    If Nin kept going on the way he did, I was going to head back home...


    My humming stops and I slow down next to a flowerbox in the shade, a bad curve to my lips. Crouching down with a slight lean, I gently stroke one of the deep blue petals of a particular flower, its nectar like a stalk of gold. Withholding the urge to pick it for myself, I get back up and happen to spot what I started this walk looking for. And, a little to its left, I see a man calling out the contents of this week''s newstablets.


    It''s an embarrassing memory, talking to a man like this with all the questions I can about a war with the Ddrai''och. He had no clue what I was on about, no one I''ve talked to has had a clue. I know it''s real, though, I have the memories of where I picked up my mechanic skills, my handyman nature, it''s all from the airship I lived on. I didn''t ask way back then but I suppose it''s clear to me what my final childhood memories mean.


    Mum and Dad stayed in the light blue capsules, we kids, however, they kept taking us out, those machines. They looked after us and let us grow up within the confines of that facility. Then, we woke up a final time with everyone else and we were all lost, most of the machines had gone quiet and dead. I was able to refuel a fair few in the charging bays of the airship we had to board but once we set off skyward, we never really saw the ground again.


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    I suppose the growing dread of our depleting supplies should have made it pretty clear that there are no Ddrai''och nations anymore...


    Shaking my head, I get back to the task at hand and approach the tourist aid as much as it is a city-dweller helper as well. My finger finds where I am and it slides about with a slight scraping noise until it finds a temple. It starts to tap the panel with growing rapidity, my doubt towards the gods and goddesses these humans have lurking all the while. I know it''s the right thing to do but maybe there''s a...


    I look down the street as some children come running down it with ramshackle toys in their hands. Laughing and playing without a care until they run into another group with far pricier items. Whatever is going on between the groups, the quality of what they have seems to play a part. One of the seemingly lesser kids strikes a fancy toy to the ground, dealing only superficial damage to it.


    Fists.


    A fight breaks out and the group that ran into the other runs off, a little girl getting separated in the process. Clicking my tongue and furrowing my brow, the trolley squeaks with the force of my sudden pull and I march up to the gathering crowd of little people. One of them notices me and they scram, leaving only the little girl in front of me. A teary-eyed, scraped-up little mess.


    Bending over and fighting past their fearful reaction, I pick her up and juggle her close. Urging her to be quiet with a soft voice alone doesn''t do much, so, I turn to my trolley. Bringing her in close, I open one of the bags and her mood seems to pick up into one of surprise. Reaching in, I pick something out for her and she is slow to take it at first, but, she comes around and takes a bite.


    I smile back at her, her cheeks puffy with sugar-dusted puff pastry.


    "Do you live nearby? You''re a little young to be out here on your own, Sweetie." I say and she slowly nods, pointing off somewhere down the street.


    "Yah... Thata way." she goes quietly, digging into the baked sweet some more while enjoying the softness of my hair. Closing the bag and picking the trolley handle up, I get going, this little thing serving as my compass. Crumbs roll down my front and catch the breeze once they fall off. Making another turn, we eventually come across a bunch of kids scrambling out of the many alleys and corners.


    Looking to the little girl, she starts to jostle and turn, her hand waving.


    "Vodila!" a boy calls out as he rushes over to us and I put the little girl down. The pair meet and hug as if nothing happened and I cross my arms while Vodila seems to lose herself in the return of what must be her friends and family.


    "Uh, excuse me, you''re not going anywhere!" I snap, grabbing the boy by the shoulder and frightening the little girl in the process.


    "LET GO OF ME!" the boy screams, whacking away at my wrist with annoying blows. The others but the girl come at me and my lungs fill.


    "APOLOGISE TO VODILA FOR ABANDONING HER IN THAT FIGHT!" I roar right back, shutting him and his gang of unimpressive goons up. Throwing him to the ground with an uncaring huff, he hits his bum and rubs it on the way back up. The group look to Vodila as she slowly shifts towards my leg. I rub her little head of brown hair and continue to glare at the other kids.


    "S-Sorry... We''re sorry we forgot you." they manage to get out, satisfying me enough to make the subject droppable.


    "Alright, good, now, we''re taking you home so we can get this cleaned up. Your mummy and daddy won''t like seeing you like this." I say to Vodila, picking her up and licking my thumb so I can clean some of the blood out of her scrapes. A strange mood takes over the children.


    "We''re orphans." Vodila barks forcefully and I blink, the mishmash of species becoming all the more relevant. Some of the kids who look human are only half-so, their feet being little hooves on furry legs. Some even have the traits of whatever Vadei''s kind are and one of them, hid behind a bin far away, they seem to be reptilian and four-legged.


    "Well, guess I know where I''m going, then." I mutter, a new destination in mind. I''m not too familiar with the situation of orphans in this city, but, I am familiar enough with the concept. I don''t remember the details, but, back when I was a child, before I ended up in that cold machine. Things started to change, a lot more dirty, wounded people started appearing.


    Thunder, they all consistently cried and wept, it came with thunder gnashing in the air.


    "Are you lot able to take me to that orphanage, then, please? I have a delivery to make there and in my silliness, I''ve forgotten the name and way..." I lie, putting on a joyous little act while Vodila''s treat catches their attention.


    "Why would you be making a delivery down to the under-city!? You live up here in the light!" one boy doubts and I shrug, an innocent smile on my face.


    "People don''t have to live in the same place to ask for their help." I explain, thinking back to all the times I have gotten help from my friends. It''s quite the group I once had, different species and from all over the world!


    "Are... Are you coming to give us all sweets?" Vodila asks with a sweet, quiet voice and I nod, bringing out a gasp of joy. My eyes look into her sparkling ones and the kids start to turn rabid with excitement.


    "I am." I answer loud enough for everyone to hear and cheers almost deafen me. They fight over who gets to hold a part of me and we start to head off in the direction of this orphanage. Though, with talks of the under-city, I am guessing we may be needing to take a long lift ride down into the city depths. I don''t mind that, they will keep me occupied and I clearly have a lot of names to learn.


    "Hey! O''Bran, come on!" one of the girls calls out to the little creature hiding away. His muggy, greenish-brown scales barely shimmer like the black-painted bin.


    "Don''t mind him, Ms, he''s a Keda-" a boy starts to say as O''Bran comes closer.


    "It''s Kelbalid! I''ve told you this before you stupid winssargu!" O''Bran snaps, his two arms reaching for the hoof-footed boy who gallops away faster than one would expect. His trailing, tatter of a cloak-like top showing off an odd pair of feathered bones on his back. Like a pair of malformed wings.


    "So, Vodila, why don''t you start introducing me to your friends? I am Liadanann, but, I let my friends and special someone call me Liada." I quietly ask and explain to her and she starts to nod, an open mouth smile coming out. Putting a finger near, I tickle her cheek.

 Incline 15: Cakesmith Liadanann

    Vodila quietly whines, her face snuggling into my neck. Whatever just happened, the feeling of the air has changed, it''s heavier, oppressively so. Thanks to my time at a school for it, I am aware that this is purely magic in the architecture and in the mountain parts that still remain. I can enjoy the wonder of such engineering feats but I can also easily understand why these little ones prefer playing on the surface.


    While every effort has been taken to have plant and animal life down here in the lower city. Mechanical marvels that mimic the Orbital-Halo''s daily path and there''s clearly an extensive ventilation system to bring in fresh air. The extensive sight of manmade constructs is still briefly passed by the colour of wind magic, all the brighter in this darker world... Despite all of this, I can get why the children want to go up.


    The average man is pale, the light here unable to provide anything close to the tans those up top have. The density of internal-magic and how everyone spends all their time around it is exhausting, their eyes shadowed by it. Even the birds that live down here seem unwilling to fly and the few that do reign supreme like bodybuilders amongst the infirm. A heavy bang marks our arrival to the bottom floor.


    Gears groan to life and the forward barricade becomes sort of a bridge.


    "Come closer, you lot." I urge the children, making sure to grab the few that have devolved into quiet word games. The living cargo of the lift takes off into the streets, men heading back home from work, others who are not so lucky and instead must burden their backs with varied loads. Families gather and wander and when we have the room, I have my group get going. Freedom from the lift sees a general mood change in them, smiles and laughter come back and I gently bounce Vodila, readjusting my grip.


    Halting for a moment, I find myself overwhelmed by the background noise of this deep, ominously topped city. Construction equipment of all kinds, with nowhere else to send their noise, is all echoing up and around. No drills are in sight but I can hear them, slowly gnashing away into the earth to make room for more city. Hammers are more like bombs and above, out of reach for the subterranean towers, the frame on which the city turns.


    I shiver at the mere thought of anything in this city failing structurally, and yet, with how calm and unbothered even the little children are... I have to wonder, what kind of being could smash apart such a grand design? Despite the whiplash of sound and look I have walked into, builders being such a prominent part of it, the under-city is clean. The people are joyful and well-fed and much like the surface where my oddly comfortable-sounding shop is, there are plentiful men-at-arms.


    "Found a new friend, have you children?" one of the city guards greets with a soft smile and wave of his hand, his lack of a rifle catching my eyes the most. Maybe it''s a byproduct of Smiling Jhurack mostly being active up top, but, it''s so strange to see at worst lightly armed police.


    "Yer rightio!" O''Bran chirps, hopping around the man''s legs before the two get into a quick kicking game. And, although O''Bran has four to work with, age and size still lend the unspoken victory to the guardsman.


    "All right, all right! Of you go, no wearing her out, you hear?" the guard laughs while his partners push him away so they can get back to work, smiles also on their faces. A forest of waving shoots up around me.


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    "Yes City-Guardsman Obbby!" the children go in unison as he tips his hat once for them and again for me. I give him a smile and come to a stop on the drop from pavement to road, my head turning to one of the children when he tugs my clothes.


    "Not long to go now, just a few turns down that way." Kongon explains, his hooves tempting the gaps of a sewer drain. A sight I can''t help but raise a brow at as while it has rained heavily recently, how does any of it get down here? The obvious is obvious, but, looking around some more, I can see more and more flood banes.


    "Well, I guess the drains up top must all head down here and it''s all sprinkled out again and again..." I mutter ponderously, spotting what seems to be a net of thin pipes with flowering sprinklers jotted about. I am increasingly of the feeling that I can move down into this part of the city and still discover new things about it until the day I die of old age. Sons and daughters with my grandkids hopefully having visited recently, Nin at my side...


    "Liada." Vodila whispers, bringing me out of my thoughts just in time to watch the kids spread out across the road. Opening my mouth to call out for them, I withhold myself when I notice the complete absence of traffic, animal or otherwise.


    "Y-Yes, Vodila?" I ask back, straightening myself out and letting the slight fright tuck itself back into whatever corner it jumped out of.


    "Do you wanna to hear a story? It''s a fwun one, I promise!" she asks, her voice squeaking at certain points and I give her a big smile.


    "Of course, sure, tell me your story." I say, readjusting her into a more comfortable position, eliciting a quick laugh from her. She opens her mouth and goes quiet, her brain clearly not able to keep up with the idea she just had. A hand starts to gently thud my shoulder and I can''t help but stifle a giggle while she growls at her failing head.


    "Uh... Uh... Uh. Oh, I gots it!" she goes, nothing following. She blinks forcefully, her head twitching a little before she smiles.


    "Vodila?" I go, concerned for the little girl who continues to express nothing being wrong.


    "Did you like my story?" she asks and I move my head back, a blink or two coming from me.


    "You... You didn''t tell me one..." I explain, putting a hand to her head to feel if something''s off. Nothing seems to be, she''s as warm as ever, though, she''s starting to laugh.


    "You''re silly! I never told you a story!" she laughs, hiding her face behind her little hands while I playfully scowl.


    "Don''t do that, I thought something was seriously wrong." I go with a slightly raised voice which only makes her laugh harder.


    "WE''RE HERE!" Vodila''s older brother, Wellis, screams with all the air in his lungs and I steadily set Vodila down. My eyes take in the sight, my trolley-holding hand sharply tugging my cargo forward.


    It''s not an ugly or rundown building by any metric, but, looking back the way we came, it''s clear that this place is out of mind. Care, much like a lot of this under-city place, has been put in, the orphanage is surrounded by a field of green grass that admittedly needs a cut. There''s a playset in the distance, a path flattened out by the children and I can already spot lost toys hidden amongst the long green. What seems to be an old man is also closing up what must simply be a shed.


    "Who''s that?" I ask, gesturing one of the older children closer.


    "That''s Father Vierini, he''s a really nice man and he comes by when he can to help out." she explains and another one comes closer, her furry ears picking up on the conversation. She rushes up to us, tail swishing behind and barks happily, waving with all she has in the hope she can get this man''s attention.


    "What god or goddess is he a priest of?" I ask, the title catching my attention. The one that reminds me of Vadei turns around, her nose twitching with renewed strength while her eyes eye my trolley.


    "Undwote, God of Friendship!" she yaps in one go, leaping into the air with stretched-out limbs.

 Incline 16: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "Would you like any sugar or milk with your tea, Liadanann?" Father Vierini asks me as the kettle finishes boiling. My head starts to shake but I quickly find myself reconsidering.


    "Some milk will be just fine, thank you." I tell him, though, I wouldn''t mind maybe a coil of copper to be warmed up in the water. A tasty snack to crunch down on at the end of my drink. I can''t complain too much, I suppose, the kettle is copper so I still get some of the metallic flavouring it can offer.


    A steaming mug arrives in front of me, a once-empty coaster is covered up and a hand returns to its owner''s side. Putting my arms slightly on the table, I blow gently into the simple, cheaply-made brown liquid and look around some more. Chipped paint, signs of experiments with strange toys and concoctions and walls chalked over with a myriad of colours. And, right by the doorframe, a bunch of small children watching me closely while they chew or mouth their surprise treats.


    "I know I''ve said this before, but, it''s not often we see guests around here." Father Vierini remarks, his smile growing when the children enter his eyes. Much the same, their expressions grow and some go off to play and in the case of a couple, do schoolwork. I think so, anyway, I''m hearing talk of writing tools without the follow-up of drawings.


    "I had an unfortunate feeling that might''ve been the case." I speak, the path here seemingly appearing in the tea.


    "I don''t suppose I can convince you to take even one of these little rays of sunshine off my hands?" Father Vierini asks with a laugh that makes it hard for me to figure out if he''s being sincere or not. Knowing they''re there, I look their way and frown at the children, the question notably potent in their little hearts and minds.


    "I''m... I''m sorry, I only came down here to get rid of some things." I say, my tone shaking as I watch the children shrink in on themselves a little. Quietly as they came, they go off elsewhere, vanishing into the noise coming from throughout the orphanage.


    "Well, you came to the right place, getting rid of things and taking them is our speciality." he laughs and I can''t help but shift about the tiny chair, my tail limping to another spot of the floor.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to-"


    "Don''t worry about it, Liadanann, I just have a gods awful sense of humour." he chuckles, seemingly punishing himself with a mixture of still-too-hot tea in a jovial mouth. He winces at the burns but cannot stop laughing and he wipes what he can dry.


    "I could probably learn a thing or two from you, then." I say, letting out a quick giggle of my own while Nin otherwise bothers my thoughts. Learning to laugh at my circumstance rather than letting it get to me could do me some good, I think. It probably would''ve made more sense to learn this years ago, however.


    "That''s ultimately life, we may not all be teachers, instructors or professors. Masters or, or, or-de-door orators... But, we can all learn many things from others." he nods out, a far more cautious series of sips sounding from his mug. Even then, he still backs his mouth away, ha-ha-ha-ha-ing.


    "Here''s to hoping we learn the right things, then." I say, raising my mug a little and he emulates my process, our smiles seemingly shared.


    "Gods guide us to them." he says, making a quick, seven-stepped gesture. My eyes linger on his hands even after he''s done with it. All these prayers, all these names, it seems like too much. Real reasons aside, simply having to remember one god, one prayer and one gesture all seems so much easier.


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    "I guess God has guided me the right way, today. I saw your lot playing on the surface and I quickly convinced myself to drop off what I was going to give to a temple to you lot." I explain, using this talk of guidance as an excuse to clarify this spell of good luck for these children.


    "I sure hope they haven''t gotten into any trouble up there. It''s a big city and I can''t go looking for them as much as I used to be able to in the years gone by." Father Vierini sighs, yet, he still manages to find a smile when he looks out the kitchen window. I want to hazard a guess that there are some children playing out there but, given what I had to do with Vodila, I have some apprehension regarding his words. These kids have a lot of growing up to do, still.


    It''s not the best set of circumstances, but it''s what we get. I''m pretty sure I heard it when I was younger, a phrase that seems fairly relevant right now. Work not with what you want, but what you have, but, use what you have, to work towards what you want. You might not have a proper family here, but you can very much go on to make one that still means much the same and perhaps more.


    I frown, thinking a little more about how this might apply to my and Nin''s relationship...


    Shaking my head, I track the conversation back to something I can carry it on with, "So, you''ve worked here a while?"


    Father Vierini nods repeatedly, "I have seen many faces come and go, boy and girl."


    "Are the older ones all upstairs or are they off finding work or meeting others?" I ask, watching someone who must be an age countable with one hand waddle by. In fact, I might only need a thumb and finger to guess their age!


    He shakes his head, a shallow expression taking it over, "I wish we did have some older ones, the others could do with the role models."


    "Did something happen?" I ask, concerned by the implications and what my imagination can conjure up.


    "Oh, no, no, no, no." he shakes.


    "Then...?" I go, raising a brow and taking a long sip of tea.


    "City law, not much I can do about it. Once you reach a certain age, one I''m not a fan of speaking around the children openly... When that day comes, a little after it, anyway, I don''t like the idea of spoiling their birthdays with the news. But, when that time comes, I have a responsibility to send them out into the wider world and find them a means to be able to support themselves." he explains and my eyes widen, my body all the stiffer for hearing that.


    "I see..." I mutter, my mind snapping to Nin''s words about hiring help and the fact we do technically have room for maybe a couple of people to board with us. More if he''s fine surrendering his room which shouldn''t be too much of an issue with how he rarely sleeps anyway. Besides, our relationship gives him all the more reason to share with me.


    "I know I''m making it seem a little grim..." Father Vierini mutters, his fingers pinching the top of his nose, "But it''s not all that bad. We''re probably quite lucky with our location, even with how end-of-the-road it is to get to."


    "How so?"


    "Did you happen to see some city-guard talk to the children earlier? There''s a good chance I sent him on his way to their recruiters from this very building some time ago." Father Vierini explains and I nod, such a thing having occurred and it only makes him smile.


    "Yeah, they seemed to get along quite well." I elaborate and his smile grows, my heart doing much the same. Like, three sizes so.


    "The city-guard, mountain-guard and by extension, the realm-guard. They have an easy time recruiting from places like here when the estate-guard cannot handle the demand. It''s a little sneaky but the boys learn good behaviour, true, genuine skills in other professions. And, obviously, a steady income without much want or need to bicker over rent and mortgages and all that rubbish." he tells me and I try to keep an ear out for Vodila and her brother. She''ll be more reason than any to make sure Wellis grows up to be someone respectable, in character at the very least.


    "So with a lot of them coming from places like this, they have a soft spot for the children of orphanages?" I ask and Father Vierini nods, his mug echoing his slurps. With a gentle slam, he leaves it on the table and he starts to smack his lips, fingers flexing a little.


    He calms down and looks at me, "Yeah."


    We smile.


    Huffing in amusement, I move some of my hair out of the way while my eyes shift to the edge of their sockets, "You''re as much as a child as they all are."


    "It''s how I understand their needs so well!" he chuckles and we both get up so I can show him the contents of the bags I brought with me. He made it clear that they''d mostly be for the children and not the staff but, as any smart man will say, most is not all.


    "So, in this bag we mostly have-"

 Incline 17: Cakesmith Liadanann

    Reaching the familiar home street of my cakesmithy, a smile comes to my face and I look up at the evening sky. Watching an airship fly overhead, I sigh in relief and my body shakes in the freedom surrounding me. The sensation on my skin changed a short while ago, but, I can''t help but still enjoy it. Like a satisfying pop, I left the claustrophobic nature of the under-city''s high internal-magic emanation and now I''m walking without a second thought.


    The air''s so much nicer up here and atypically for me, I''m glad it doesn''t have that subtle metallic scent to it. It''s all just good old fresh air, uncontrolled and wild at a moment''s notice. Taking a handful of my hair, I stop it from flying over my shoulder and simply watch the traffic in the sky. One airship catches my eye, a small thing with the trappings of someone with plenty of money to spare, a family flag trailing behind it like a cape.


    My smile starts to vanish alongside it, nothing''s gotten in the way, the small machine''s just gone away. Sighing a little, I look down my front and Nin comes back to my mind. Wherever it is he''s gone to, though I am familiar with the great distance, the name of the place has slipped my mind. Wherever he is, I know he left the city much like that, a small machine with the spirit to defy gravity.


    "Even though he''s travelling with her, I can be happy about the fact he''s got no interest in women like her...!" I try to joke, but, even with how easy Father Vierini seemed to take to such humour, it doesn''t feel right for me. Or, perhaps I just made the wrong kind of joke. Nin has no interest in this Inerish figure, whatever she has, I have more of, I am physically greater in all aspects. Only, where it actually matters, neither of us comes close to the woman he''s clinging to even after she''s been months dead.


    With a quick sigh, I get back to heading on home and I quickly decide here and now that I''ll just tuck in for the night. No point in trying to get a little bit of business going to occupy my evening with and I''ve been to enough places for one day. I''m just going to go in through the back door and maybe put on some music and make dinner. I know I have a few things left outback that I can handle across the week Nin''s gone.


    My trolley rattles and bounces along the stuff littering the floor and I drop the handle without a care. Metal bangs on metal and rattles still, drowning out the noises of my initial lock handling. Straightening my back out, I keep going until a vibrating pop sounds off in my ears, a feeling of soothing relaxation taking some of the stress away. My eyes focus on the key I have tuned to my magical lock, a gift from my god, Iderim-Ovi.


    Surely there is more to my life than just this business I have made for myself in a city full of humans? I know it''s not just them, talking with Father Vierini made that clear enough. He''s seen oxfuinei come and go, kelbalids find their place in the few plains around the country, hwardgon, winssargu and to his delight, humans from other lands. Nothing like me, though, I am still the only ddrai''och he or any of the children have seen.


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    But, it''s things like that, that make me want to believe that surely there is something greater for me out in this world. From what few of my people I have seen, I know that we are a struggling, lost lot. Scavenging what we can while avoiding even the quietest snapped twig and scurrying off back into the sky where we cannot be tracked. And, for all the prayers I gave when I was younger, it was only when I first confided in my saviour, Nin, that they were answered.


    He gave me this amulet, rich with divine power so strange and grand that I was offered a king''s sum just to lend it away. Not sold, that part has stuck with me so clearly, the people of Suhurlodst only wanted it for a short time. I still get letters and requests from them about it, offers to come back to school so I can be paid to idly cast this amulet''s magic. But, I don''t want to do that, I want to do something more meaningful with its power.


    While I dream of being able to find my people again, to perhaps help them move past what even the humans have forgotten... It''s baffling, really, how has humanity forgotten about the war between our peoples? The details may have never even properly registered within my mind, and yet, I can recall the faces of all the adults. The cheers and glory espoused without end for a fair while.


    We were winning that war, so utterly we must''ve been winning it, and then, it all changed.


    I blink and catch sight of a lonely cloud splitting off from the rest of what must be the shard of something greater. When clouds gather, they fight and compete, all that harmless, fluffy-looking moisture somehow prays to the human God of War. From that bloodless carnage comes utter terror for my people. I never saw the war my older brother fought, but I know what he and everyone else are terrified of.


    It''s a fear they passed onto me and when it rained last night, I was terrified I''d hear the crack of its noise. The flash of its light and the shadows created from such sudden and swift power. Our favourite food, gold, is so easily corrupted by what must be so unassuming to the people of this city. None of them understand what it truly is.


    Thunder.


    "Though I have not seen you in years, I feel as if this power is better served with you, brother." I comment, crying a little at how I can''t even remember his name. All I remember is that he led our people to great victory after greater still triumph. Then came the day when I was at the computer, enjoying a bowl of meaty circles and cubes and he begged me to get our parents. From there, we had to go to that hidden place, into the cold sleep.


    My hand tightens on the unlocked door and I sniffle, shaking my body a little and finally stepping inside. Closing it behind me, I flick on the light and look around at what I have made for myself. The airship I spent so long working to keep afloat is more than this place could ever be. But, I would rather never step foot on it again if it means losing all of this, it''s so strange.


    I let out a mixture of a groan and a sigh, tucking away my thoughts while I cross my arms, "Now, where did I put my record player? I need some chirpy, good-feeling tunes."

 Incline 18: Cakesmith Liadanann

    Nodding and smiling at the one person I happen to have met so far on my walk between the two cities of this mountain, I turn it to the landscape. The focus of my eyes goes up and down, up past the snow-barred peaks and down their sides and back up again. The tops of plants flutter in the wind and small wild animals watch me with caution, my large claws a well-known threat. Well, not mine, but, how can a silly little thing with fluffy ears and a unendingly nibbling mouth get that?


    A flock of birds fly by, disturbing the rest of the area and sending it into a rampaging panic that turns as silent as death. Giggling a little at my insincere look at something very important for these animals, my focus returns to Suhurlodst. The delivery I have for someone there jumps up in my grip and I catch it again, my hands quickly refreshed. I can''t deliver it to the customer directly, I need to drop this notably big package to the Visitor''s Centre at the end of this path.


    While I already know what the little shadows buzzing about the enormous school are, with each step closer I am, the clearer it is. Students in the air, flying without a care against the currents of Thrurstradtur''s mechanisms and the flash of spells. Mostly shades of green ranging from muckier mosses to limelier brightness in far more coherent forms. All of which is nothing compared to the unending emerald coming from that massive warship belonging to some human prince.


    The sight of all of this, however, only really en-trances those who do not reside on the grounds of the school. Envy might captivate many of the students here, but they''re all here for one purpose, to get as close as they can to that constant reminder. I suppose they appreciate the presence of that machine, it constantly shows them the kind of magic they aspire to cast. The way it dyes their hair and eyes, the galeful breath it adds to their voices.


    It''s not much to me, though I''ve seen plenty of it, advertisements and pieces of art that honour this kind of dedication. Locks of hair with colourful phrases like Breezing Star, Returning, Unondsburic, Lancer''s and True Emerald being thrown about. All of it together is meaningless to me, even with the enthusiasm of captivated girls and inspired boys explaining it. The people of this land, the humans, anyway, they cannot express enough how much love and pride they have for the magic that comes in through their lungs.


    That undisputed emperor over all other mountains is a god in all but name and style of ritual.


    "Though, admittedly, all their talk of shades of green does certainly mean a lot to me when my eyes are the topic." I giggle, a random memory of a lovely poem coming to mind. I can''t remember who wrote it for me, but, he seemed to have been on the receiving end of them in quite questionable circumstances. He went on and on about how beautiful my eyes are, how he believed I must''ve been a beauty trapped deep underground for so long my eyes became the very gemstone everyone knows by heart. If only I could hear such words from someone else whose name I can recall...


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    "HEY! HEY! BE CAREFUL!" a girl shrieks and I freeze up, taking an emergency step back as a wrecking ball of rhyolite-tainted wind magic adds a new dirt path to the road. Shredded grass flies down like the strangest rain I have ever seen and I blow up my disturbed bangs. I would''ve been fine personally, though, my baked goods may be a little ruined if there''s any flaky pastry in this box.


    "She has a point!" I echo out to the argument breaking out between this girl and a familiar voice. Raising a brow, I slowly approach what turns out to be a greater group than expected and the face that I know comes into view. A confident swagger to his gestures as he strikes his staff to the ground, blowing up a few specks of dirt.


    "SEE! LOOK WHO YOU NEARLY JUST GOT KILLED! WE''RE TOO CLOSE TO THE MAIN ROAD!" the girl screams at my somewhat distant friend''s face. He turns my way, metallic-tinted robes swinging with magic-induced exaggeration.


    "Liadanann. What brings you down here?" Baltanthan asks, a slight smile coming to his lips while I still try to register how his recklessness nearly caused me some insignificant monetary loss. The moment he gets within range, my amulet lights up and I whack him over the head with a hand-reinforcing construct that makes his head bobble.


    "A delivery, like usual." I huff, amused at how accepting he is of my light assault. He continues to nod again and again and then he starts to get all nervous. A first for the young man who''s never seemed to have had a bad mood since the tournament thing that happened when I first got here.


    "I did pay for this beforehand when I ordered it, didn''t I?" he asks and my eyes widen a little. I check the box over again and the memory comes rushing back to prominence. The student''s address written down is his place!


    "Yes, yes you did. Though, now that I am reminded of how this is yours, I''m a little angry." I say although my expression is more so one of amusement. It''s nothing, really, but, I have my preferences.


    "Huh, why?" the clueless human goes and I shake my head, mouth open a little while that girl behind us crosses her arms. An all too familiar frustration on her face. She wants his gaze on her but, she has to deal with the opposite. Much like Nin with Iner-


    "We''re supposed to be friends and you chose to order all of this without ever popping in to say hi? Some friend you are..." I mockingly go and his expression sours a little, a wordless defence taking over his features. He stops and sighs, a shake of his head ending whatever it was going on in his head.


    "Well, I guess I''ll take my delivery, then..." he quietly goes, moving his staff-free hand towards the box still in my hands. Stepping back a little, I smirk in response to his frown.


    "Sorry, have to do this properly and make sure it''s registered at the Visitor Centre!" I go, skedaddling off back to the road with a rhythm in my hips and tail. Footsteps start to hurry my way, the sound quickly changing.


    "But it''s mine." Baltanthan goes once he''s at my side though he makes none of the effort to take it.


    "BALTAN! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?" the girl from before screams with all she has as she really cannot believe what she is seeing.


    "Who''s your girlfriend?" I jokingly ask, seeing as it seems I now have a companion to walk with.


    "Oh, her. Her name''s Rosheney. She''s the sister of my good friend, Michney." he explains and I smile at his words, perplexing him with said expression.


    "I see you didn''t deny my claim!" I tease and his straight expression remains unchanged.


    "So?" he goes without so much as any real emotion and laughter takes me over. I can understand that poor girl''s frustrations so very well right now!

 Incline 19: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "Haha! Is that so? I guess things like this can often come from the most unlikely of places." I go, having finally gotten the full story as to how Baltanthan and Rosheney got together. She, with her mighty ego, failed to accomplish what Baltanthan did and with a little help from her brother, this Michney boy. Something came of it.


    "I''m still not entirely committed to the relationship if I am allowed to be sincere for this moment." Baltanthan strangely goes and I raise a brow, swinging the box a little to keep my body occupied beyond just all this walking.


    "How do you mean? You clearly said yes to the request to be her boyfriend or vice versa." I ask, not quite getting where he''s trying to go with this. Or, maybe I do, Nin after all is not exactly the most focused person either even with his repeated reassurances. I have faith in him and I will give him the time he needs to properly grieve, it might just be me. I knew full well what I was getting into the day Smiling Jhurack was defeated and Nin arrived at my shop, teary-eyed and broken.


    "I did, she came to me when I was at the gymnasium and demanded a relationship from me." he explains with a straight face that remains facing forward.


    "So, what''s the problem?" I repeat, an answer not amongst his words.


    "During the Inter-House Talent Display, the one you and the others were there for. During that test of skill, I displayed a degree of supremacy that she simply couldn''t match, even with her ego during the event. She ran off without a care trying to stoke it by bringing down an Exceptional, that student broke her ego like I will be one of my biscuits..." Baltanthan explains before his free hand makes a grab for my box. Spinning away, I come to a stop to the sound of sharply struck dirt. I smile and close the distance, a feeling in my tail from where I clearly grazed him.


    "So you do not feel like you can properly commit to it because her reasons for staying with you are a cover for other motivations?" I ask, thinking about what I can though I am hesitant to talk about what I know little about. Unfortunate as it is to say, I have little reason to come this way anymore, most of the friends I made here have left. Only three names really come to mind here anymore and those are Baltanthan, Seigunfrei and Lorreabry.


    And even then, none of them are as close as Omb, Einervaene or Vadei were.


    My expression sullens as my thoughts focus on that detail, how many people I have lost... I guess I should take heart in the promise Larishazza made Nin swear. He''ll get them all back together in time and I will be there when he does. Our friends will all be back together and we''ll, I don''t know, go on some grand adventure. All of us against the mysteries of the world!


    "What I know is that I have ascended to something greater than she once put herself up to be. This feels less like me being her boyfriend and more like I am her teacher, a rival her ego won''t allow her to properly submit to." Baltanthan ponders with a stiff lip and I shift my frown to something more relevant to the discussion.


    "Well, speaking from experience, when you go into a relationship with a man and they''re stronger than you. That is submission, you want to feel safe in their arms, you want to watch them grow. It... It adds a layer of divine mystique to the bond you share, if I get a little strange with my explanation of it." I say and his hand comes to his chin. In slow steady motions, he strokes and pulls down on his patch of facial hair, twisting it even.


    "Mmmm, your point of view is helpful, thank you, Liadanann." he eventually says with a slight nod.


    "Anytime." I go, grinning too.


    "Oh, seeing as you are here and I can ask in person, are you perhaps going to be available around the time of the next Inter-House Talent Display?" Baltanthan asks and I gently bite my tongue, any reply being dammed off from becoming words while my head tries to gather details.


    "I... I don''t think I will be around to take any orders then, no. Sorry." I tell him and I still get a smile.


    "That''s fine, though, to brag a little. I might be entering that one as a member of Exceptional House!" he goes, puffing his chest out and letting his magic flow from him like a cape befitting only of royalty. It probably helps his magic is so rhyo'' in its colour, which gives it a slight gold shade if you squint your eyes just right.


    "Oh, really? Well done, I''m sure you are very proud of that." I go, pretending I can''t see the smile on his face so I have an excuse to hit him a little off-footing with my tail.


    "Well... Not entirely right now. I''m hoping I will be, but, I still have to pass a power test. I can''t recall, the official name, but, it''s to make sure I meet the benchmark for what an Exceptional Student must be capable of doing." he explains and I nod along, thinking about my time as a member of Oddity House, short-lived as it was.


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    "Have you tried practicing with students from Oddity House? I don''t remember a whole lot, but, I know there''s quite a diverse degree of how powerful its members are. Omb Ur-Nace, if you remember him, he''s an Erra-something-"


    "Errakurd." Baltanthan corrects with a nod.


    "-Yes, thank you, but, uh, yeah, him. He was one of the most powerful students there during my time in the school and he was Oddity."


    Baltanthan looks away, his eyes bouncing about, "Admittedly, I have not considered going to and asking anyone from Oddity House about having their help. I''ve mostly been asking around Traditional House, the one I currently am a part of."


    "I''m sure you''ll find someone willing to lend you a hand, after all, they gain experience and extra muscle from it, too!" I go, quickly bringing an arm out to pointlessly flex it for the sake of a hearty laugh. The laugh ends on a toothy smile and I get the right movement of lips from my friend.


    "There is actually a very impressive student right now in Oddity House. He''s not a human, but he is from the Grand-Kingdom where Tiyanat comes from." he points out and my interest peaks.


    "Oh, what is he, then? I''ve gone through a bit of a species learning spree as of late." I ask, giggling at my memories of the children from the other day.


    "He''s a... Tch, of course it does. Anyway, he''s this big fellow, reptilian in some ways like you or a kelbalid. Only, his body is covered by this big shell and he has one mighty, snapping jaw. Solid bone more or less!" Baltanthan explains and my eyes widen when his usual behaviour makes way for almost childish exaggeration and motion. I giggle at his little act and think a little about the description. I''m pretty sure I''ve seen wild animals similar to what he''s described in one of Thrurstradtur''s many public gardens. Little things called tortoises with shells that let them disguise themselves as rocks in the craggy mini-rivers and ponds.


    It''s not like they need to have those shells given the guards at these parks, but, they might just naturally be shy creatures...?


    "So, being from the Grand-Kingdom, that means he uses water magic, right?" I ask, recalling the powers of my two friends from that nation. However, thinking about this only makes me want to sneer at how the memory of one has Nin ensnared completely! No... no, give him time. Give him time...


    "Yes, though, how he uses it has most of the other houses and even the staff terrified." Baltanthan explains, his chest puffing when he mentions how everyone else but him is terrified. Now, I know I''m no expert regarding the colour of skin, but, I know I can see that pale tint to his. Hehe.


    "Go on." I tell him.


    "He mixes his water into the earth and uses it to guide great pillars of mud and rock. A lot of people have taken to nicknaming him the Grand-Shaman in reference to osi-"


    "Osibindah..." I go, smacking my lips clean of the uncomfortable word.


    "Has Nin been alright? He hasn''t come by in a while since the news broke regarding that criminal being defeated." Baltanthan asks and explains and I start to nod.


    "He''s been fine, a little distracted, but otherwise fine. He''s on a guild job right now." I partially lie for the sake of keeping things simple. More so to guarantee my mind''s safety so that I am not going on and on about the frustrating topic of his shift in work causes.


    "Oh, guild work. I can use that to improve my capabilities as well." Baltanthan lets out with a slight hop in his body, the details probably filling and spilling right out of his head. Maybe if I lean close enough, I''ll be able to hear the sounds his thoughts make?


    Baltanthan suddenly stops and looks at me.


    "Baltanthan?" I go.


    "Why not pick up your armour? You, me and Nin. Maybe Seigunfrei if he''s up to it." Baltanthan suggests, his eyes aglow with the potential chance to grow his arcane might.


    I take a step back, "I, uh... I never once considered..."


    "And now you are." he smirks over and my mind turns inward.


    If I do go and get my armour, Nin won''t have to worry too much about looking after me and we''d be able to go and find some well-paying work. Or, I can put on my armour, link it up with my amulet''s power and I''d be able to force that annoying creature aside and stab my claws into her toes like she''s trying to do to me! I don''t care if the work she''s given Nin is all ''official government business,'' I am not letting her take him. Not one good thought will seed into him from her and I will be the one to salt the very earth she tries to do it in.


    Maybe even, maybe I will be able to get my name to mean more than Larishazza''s. Nin has often spoken about how Larishazza is the reason he''s still alive, maybe I can take that place? The power of this amulet is primarily to make shields and protection, I can keep him safe through who knows how many dangerous jobs. And, most importantly, I''d be able to stay involved with his life, I won''t just be the place he goes back to after a job...


    No one will care if he''s an osibindah taking on guild work, he won''t be causing my business grief. It won''t matter too much, I''ll just have to unfortunately shut my cakesmithy down and we can make it more into an actual home. I own the building, so we won''t have to worry about any legal technicalities of what it must be. But I might be getting a little ahead of myself right now.


    "I suppose I will be." I say, nodding firmly within the confines of my head as an image starts to form. One of a being in a dark cloak and something distinctly more feminine in red plate, emeralds of Iderim-Ovi shining bright throughout the divinely-powered sockets.


    Coming to a stop, I put my delivery down and put my amulet into both palms. Looking into the glowing sign of my god''s power, my frown deepens and I look away to my red skin. My breasts come into view and small, dotty scars peppering it make me sigh. I guess I''m just like him, really, I cannot let go of the one who saved my life from utter misery.


    Though I hate his people, Nin is the one who let me see the daylight again, I''m not some experiment because of him. Not tormented by shocks and voltaic teeth day in and day out while I am chained up in some filthy cell surrounded by gibbering animals. We got out of that prison together and he led me to the bloody vengeance my body craved so badly. He''s been there for me for so long and even with how I''ve mostly known him as this single-minded, fury-driven thing...


    "I''m sorry, Baltanthan, I just need a minute..." I sigh, stepping off of the road and going into the grass with a hand gripping my forehead crest.

 Incline 20: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "To think it would take this long for me to get what I paid for..." Baltanthan grumbles under his breath as I finish waving to the Traditionals greeting me in turn. Welcoming the shelter of his modest student dwellings, I use what I''ve learned in my cakesmithy to get around him and his staff. Not so much as a key on its hanger rattles as I take my final back step and the door locks at my friend''s behest.


    "On your kitchen table?" I ask and he nods, a little noise leaving me as I realise someone has appeared behind me. Stepping out of her way by going the way I need to, she walks up the stairs and somewhat swings back down. I come to a stop, keeping an eye on my friend in case I might need to apologise or something, I don''t know.


    "Oh, hello, Verstey." Baltanthan greets as he sets some of his things aside into a small segment of a shelf with what looks to be a name tag settled in.


    "Hello, Balts, what''s in the box?" Verstey asks as she turns her head my way and I do my best to wave when she beams a wide smile.


    "Nothing for you, now, scram." Baltanthan goes, his magic lighting up near one of the girl''s hair-placed pieces of metal.


    "NO!" she screams, running off upstairs towards the sound of other giggling girls.


    "I forgot you shared this place." I comment as he sets his staff down into a little corner, the grooves in the floor providing the stability it needs. But, just to be safe, he moves a chopping board into an overhang. He claps his hands clean and joins me in sitting down at the kitchen table.


    "I''m more surprised none of them have gone anywhere in the past few years since I joined. All of your lot went and came, but, these girls, they''ve been here with me for some time..." Baltanthan explains, his tone quietening down as he turns towards the picture frame on the windowsill. A soft blast of magic happens and it almost puffs into his hands.


    "I never took you for the sentimental type, you never talk about them much." I say, putting a hand on my soon-to-be lost and opened box. He passes the picture to me and I relinquish my delivery so I can secure the precious memory. A smile comes to my lips and my brow calms down. It looks like they were celebrating something when this picture was taken. Though, curiously, despite Baltanthan''s seeming abhorrence, he''s not the one escaping the group.


    The table rattles, some of the staples I used to secure the box blowing away as specks of rust.


    "There''s an easy-to-access strip right here..." I almost groan, stabbing a nail through the thin part meant for even a block merely shaped like a blade. I try to open it the rest of the way but he smacks my hand away, carrying on with his crude way of doing it.


    "I know, I know. But, it''s my box, none of your beeswax." he mutters without a care and I huff my offence into humour. Tapping my thumb on the girl who is sneaking off in the picture, I put it on the table facing him.


    "Who''s this? She certainly does a good job of sticking out." I ask him and he stops what he''s doing to glare and rant something off in the confines of his head.


    "My bedroom partner, the eternal bane of a good night''s sleep with her endless muttering and ceaseless work. Stinky thing." he fails to answer.


    "Not a name." I go, giving him a little curl of my lips when he brings himself out of whatever mental thing he has going on.


    "Oh, Ioike. She''s part of the Archaeology Club to put it simply." Baltanthan answers right as he tears open the box, destroying it completely. I breathe a laugh through my nose, glad I use cheap, disposable boxes and not actual containers that need to be returned. They might not last as much as I want to, but, it''s better than not getting the ones that I do back.


    "She seems nice." I remark as I look at her once again. Even in this party where all the others are dressed and pampered in cute, colourful clothes, she''s in something heavy. Though pale of skin, even in this dark-edged picture I can make out the signs of wear and tear and outdoors busy work.


    "Yeah, she is," he goes as he pulls out one of the pastries I had made for him, "When she''s buggered off and on one of her digs."


    "Don''t be so mean to her, passion for one''s work is to be commended." I chirp and his head firmly shakes into an angled position.


    "Even when said work borders on obsession?" he asks and I flinch at the memory that comes to mind. It''s not his fault, but, well, I can''t help but think of Nin in this case. There was a time I unfortunately had similar thoughts to this, I wanted him to stay close and not go out and yet at the same time I was almost relieved when he left some nights. I could pretend he wasn''t in my life and I don''t know what to think about that...


    I shake my head and get back to the friend before me, "Are you not the one who''s never allowed himself a lie-in for how many months now?"


    "Years." Baltanthan corrects with a moanful bite, the sausage of the roll revealed, much to my delight. My smile grows and an arcane-wrapped thumb rises with a mess forming on the ground. One, two, three and his cheeks are stuffed to their limits with slow bites bringing it to order!


    "Some actual sleep will do you good." I quip and he holds off on grabbing another one of his bites. He chews and chews and his head moves, neck bulging with far too much food. A glass of water quickly eases the dry pressure he so stupidly built up.


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    "I go to bed at a reasonable time, I''m just up before everyone else. Well, with the exception of Ioike but she''s always had sleeping issues as far as I can tell. She loves her discoveries and theories too much." he explains and I can''t help but pity the girl. While what I have experience of... Workaholics... Is on the extreme end, I have experience with them.


    "Have you tried giving her anything to help her sleep?" I ask and he grabs a biscuit to contradict the salty, still-juicy meat currently lingering on his teeth.


    "I wish I could knock her over the head. Why''d you care anyway? She''s my roommate." he goes and I shrug, putting my hands together. Guess I just want to keep my mind occupied, even with the time I had to myself earlier hasn''t really done anything...


    The sound of the clock starts to come through.


    "Liadanann, hellooooo?" Baltanthan goes and I shake my head.


    "Oh, sorry, I never actually spoke my answer, did I?" I sheepishly go, dropping the topic by standing up and heading out.


    "Take care." Baltanthan waves and I smile, heading to the stairs instead.


    "No, don''t think I will." I grin and he groans on the get-up. Taking a step up, I hear his hand hit the newel and he crosses his arms when I turn.


    "Get back down here, I''m already twisting the legislation by having you on Academy grounds anyway. And sure as all the gods it is coming back to me because how do you hide you?" he groans and moans as we go up the stairs. Reaching the top, I sigh, a little pleasure to my hot air because it is so comfortably warm up here. A light-dressed girl steps out of one door and I match her wave as she shuffles into her room. Baltanthan catches up just in time to catch some of the hijinks going on before the door closes.


    "So, which one''s yours?" I want to know and he gives it away with a look. Smiling, I head through the hall and step into his room. Keeping the smile up, he comes in with a modest moan of exasperation and immediately tidies a shelf his roommate must''ve left messy.


    "Have your look and go back downstairs already." he says, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.


    "That is no way to talk to your friend." I chastise gently, quickly deducing what must be Ioike''s work. I let out a long whistle, looking it all over with a mind that I can''t help but have blank. None of this really makes sense to me so I just focus on some of the pictures and smile at their contents. Artefacts of all kinds and even simple vistas she''s managed to observe in her time in this club.


    "I like this one the most." Baltanthan tells me with a warm tone, his finger pointing out a picture in the upper left corner. Moving closer to it, I mind where my feet go and move my weight onto my toe-claw tips. Refraining from taking it down, I manage to get a close look at what it''s meant to be. A valley with some kind of town or village nestled comfortably under a sky of patchy clouds?


    "She happened to be near your home?" I ask and he shakes his head with a scoff.


    "No, I don''t want to be reminded of that place. It''s a ravineer town with nothing going for it." he sneers and I frown as he finds his bed. Turning around, my eyes briefly widen at how big of a room this actually is. Even with how much of this place is dedicated to the roommate''s love for history, Baltanthan still has plenty of room for his own little things.


    Though I do not make a move for it, my friend still snatches up a small rusty item with a hiss-like noise.


    "Keep your nose in Ioike''s stuff." he tells me and I nod, putting his tone and behaviour aside. I''ll ask about it later, maybe someone can elaborate on it or maybe I''ll forget and nothing will be done. Either way, I do as told and return my focus to all the pictures and what she actually has on hand.


    "Wait... I know what this is..." I mutter, spotting a small glass container.


    "And I know what a fair bit of this is as well." Baltanthan clicks his tongue at and I frown.


    "N-No, I know what this is specifically... It''s a power gem for a ddrai''och war machine... Robot, whatever." I go, picking up and opening the glass container so I can pluck and hold it.


    "Wouldn''t do that if I were you, she polishes these things religiously and I''m going to be taking the fall either way..." he starts to contest before submitting to the fact he''s not escaping whatever punishment she will likely inflict.


    "Sorry." I shrug without the smile it should''ve had with it.


    "So, how do you know what this is? Way I understand it, it''s a piece of looted jewellery, not a magic item. You know, some thief probably jammed his knife into an old tiara or something." Baltanthan explains and I shake my head, memories of my time in the cold sleep coming to mind. I remember now, the machines looking after us, their magic circuits centred around devices like this. Our Lord''s blessing filled these but it''s long gone now. Too far gone removed from the faith that powers it.


    "No... It''s not, it''s a power gem. See, my people didn''t use wind magic or anything like that. We relied on what I guess you could call a form of faith-magic. Something very different to what is available to humans." I explain, somewhat.


    "Which makes no sense." Baltanthan goes with a nod and my head shakes vigorously. No, that''s not right!


    "No, no-no-no-no! I understand all magic is divine and there are seven states of it. But, wind magic wasn''t a thing when I was little, no, yes... I remember, back when I was taught about engineering and how to maintain the machines we have, the airship has. Had... Argh..." I rant and ramble and Baltanthan smiles at what must be immensely familiar behaviour to him.


    "Hold on, take a breath, collect your thought and- Wait, wind magic wasn''t a thing?" he starts to tell me, his experience allowing him to recite what he needs until his mind breaks at one detail.


    "Yeah, my old ddrai''och teachers from before I was made a prisoner. They told me how our engines weren''t working as well due to the magic differences in the air. It was damaging the ventilation systems a lot more than expected because they weren''t built to handle it. We found a solution, but, we eventually discovered that all that magic was, is(?) coming from that big mountain in the distance." I explain and Baltanthan slowly nods and steps away.


    I frown.


    "Why''re you...?" I ask, not sure what he''s realising.


    He takes a step closer, his hand twitching, "No wind magic when you were younger?"


    "Y-Yes."


    His fingers can''t stop flexing, "The historical period we''re in, I heard this from Ioike... She says it''s called the Emerald Awakening, so called for what happened... Whatever, four thousand years ago."


    "What''re you saying...?" I blink, almost laughing at the absurdity of it.


    "What I am saying, Liadanann, there''s a little bit more to you than I think anyone could have expected. If what you say is true, without a shadow of a doubt then you are, at bare minimum..." he says, his eyes turning towards a calendar. I follow his eyes, the numbers taking on a new meaning.


    "I''m... I''M HOW OLD!?" I scream, dropping the power gem and generating screams from elsewhere in the dorm.

 Incline 21: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "You''re taking this surprisingly well." Baltanthan huffs as his knees bounce up and down, shifting his chair from left to right and back again. I lean back and move my tail out of the way, settling myself up against the hard wall. Slowly, my eyes move his way and I look at my skin once again.


    "I guess, to some extent, I''ve already come to terms with it. Though, not in this context." I mutter under my breath with my mind shifting to my isolation in general. That one airship, that is all I know exists, if there are more, we never found them or they were lost with all hands. Since I was captured, I''ve never seen a member of my kind again. I''m so alone, everyone finds me to be the most exotic thing they''ve ever seen.


    This entire school cheered for me, someone they never met before and didn''t even know about. They cheered because I could be the last of my kind and the scientific ramifications I bring are so childishly exciting. It has toned down over the years, but, even with all the other species humans know about and interact with. I am still the only ddrai''och out there.


    "You know, it might not be as bad as you think it is. You might just be misremembering a small detail, maybe your home is one of those lands without magic." Baltanthan suggests and all I can do is shake my head slowly and without end. No, I know what I know, much as I have lost some of it to time and simple forgetfulness. Wind magic did not exist when I was a child, there was no such thing.


    The lands around that accursed Anvil-Peak were lush savannah.


    "I just don''t get it... How?" I go as Baltanthan starts to fiddle with a small writing hammer. He seems to consider grabbing a notetablet and jotting down something but he holds off from it. Much like him, I can''t help but fiddle. Though, it''s probably a deeper affair for me, this power gem holds more meaning than a mere literary tool.


    "I think you probably just had a lot more magic than you realise. By sheer lucky coincidence, Liadanann, I happened to have read a study about age and how magic affects it. The stronger you are, the longer-lived you will be. It''s why so many stories have the stereotypically wise old witch in them. The study was more about the theory behind it all, but, it''s also how we..." Baltanthan explains before trailing off into a walk that sees him disappear.


    I wait for him, not particularly interested in going anywhere while he grabs what he needs.


    His head pops back in, "Well, come on!"


    "Oh?" I go, getting up and setting aside my brief confusion. Following after him, we arrive back into the kitchen and his hand starts to firmly smack the fridge freezer. My brow rises while he finds the words he needs.


    "See, the way things like this long-term storage unit work-"


    "That''s a fridge and a freezer." I interrupt with a bit of mean-spirit to my tone. I only sigh when it doesn''t bring even a huff of amusement from my nose.


    "Whatever." Baltanthan barks back, his face going blank right after. He scowls at me and starts to mutter to himself.


    "You were talking about how they work." I remind him and he seems to ignore me, only to ''ah'' but a moment after.


    "Right, right, how they work is they suspend items in a constant and importantly stable stream of magic. While internal-magic is lost much slower than external-magic, the process of cooking and preparing food leaves it vulnerable to much greater loss. It''s why food gets different flavours depending on how it''s cooked, it''s all arcane chemical theory and all that rubbish." he tells me and I start to nod. I''m following along right now, when I first got my cakesmithy, I opted into getting a fridge freezer as it''s frankly better. The ice and cool air have a mixture of benefits.


    "That makes sense, when I was a child, they moved us into these cold things that we slept in. They brought me and the other children in and out on rotations and then one final time where everyone was taken out, already adults and all. Before we then left the facility and boarded our transports." I bring up and he starts to nod with a smile, happy he''s on the right track.


    "And I suspect that those scars on your breasts are from some kind of circulation device? Seeing as a woman''s breasts are naturally good at processing magic for the sake of their weaker children." he guesses wrong and explains without missing a beat. And, while I blush a little at the fact, he keeps a straight face as if he didn''t just talk about breastfeeding.


    I shake my head, though, "No, these scars are because of my time as a prisoner in Nin''s homeland. They were experimenting on me for whatever cruel reasons they had but I suppose your strange fact makes it clear why my old harness was stabbed into my genitalia."


    "Strange fact?" he goes, it being all he seems to think on and my misery-afflicted face shifts towards a smile instead.


    "Of all the things in your head, you know the specifics of a woman''s chest?" I question, giggling on the step up towards him just so I can move my weight around more noticeably. His gaze hardens and narrows.


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    "Shut up and back away." he grumbles, making me laugh some more. I forcefully slap him on the back to bring him in closer and then walk away. Guffawing while he wipes himself down pointlessly.


    "Well, I''m feeling better now, so, thank you for that." I tell him and his expression softens in line with his nod.


    "Happy to be of help, now, do I need to escort you back home so your back doesn''t give out, Elder?" he jokes and I shake my smirk-wearing head.


    Putting my hands on my back, I lean my chest out some more, "If anything will bring me down, it''s what I have up here, but, Nin can help me with that."


    He hehs his amusement and gets back to where he left off with his delivery of baked snacks. I join him once again at the table, stewing in my thoughts while he seems to break between bursts of thinking and chewing. A still whole pie starts to wave at me and I look up at him, waiting patiently for his mind to catch up with the idea he just had. I smile and he looks away with a contained chuckle, my small, single action not helping him.


    "You know, it might be worth it to find someone to talk to about this. Could set yourself up for some royalties from various studies and so on and in turn, contribute quite a fair bit to the fields that cover your situation." he suggests quite easily as if it''s something he''d be more than happy to do. His passion is more so for himself, but, I am glad he finds enjoyment in all of this information. Even if it''s not really for me...


    "Maybe after some time has passed." I say, memories of my time in that Tobaballian prison still haunting me. God, even here has me on edge with how they once stole some of my blood because they couldn''t handle me telling them no every other time. Who knows what else they might''ve taken while I was sleeping or wounded, I''m hoping it was a one-off moment.


    "So what do you plan on doing with this information, exactly, Liadanann?" he asks me and I look down at my hands as they come together. Shifting my thumbs over one another, I find myself looking up at the patterns in the dried paint on the ceiling. Catching a slightly angled shadow, I think of Nin and all the work he does out and about the country these two cities rule.


    "Strange as it might seem, not much more than what I was already planning on doing." I tell Baltanthan, shrugging a little at how this revelation might not amount to anything. No, this is something I want to look into, I just need the time and opportunity. I guess I have until Nin gets back from his job to think about it. Though, I feel like I already have my mind made up and I am only getting more reasons to seek time with him.


    "And you were planning? If you don''t mind me asking." he asks as he sets down his food. If he thinks it makes him appear to care more, I don''t really mind either way. I''m glad he enjoys what I have made for him, for both money-greedy reasons, my pride and a simple desire to see my friends happy.


    "I wanted to come and collect my armour, the set I made for the Inter-House I took part in." I explain, rolling the depleted power gem out onto my palm. Using the other hand to hold my talisman out, I compare the bright glow of Iderim-Ovi''s power and the black-tainted marble. One is as close to the divine as I can ever get, the other might as well be nothing special, yet, it is.


    "Because you want to be more involved with Nin." he rightly assumes.


    "Yes, h-"


    "Why else would you come to collect your armour after all this time of leaving it here? It''s been here so long at this point that Mechanical House has forgotten all the rules they had concerning it." Baltanthan elaborates, snickering a little at how fingerprint-covered my work now is. I start to smile as I can''t recall much fanciness to its construction beyond magic circuits like the ones this power gem used to give light to.


    "Well, I''m interested now, what sort of rules?" I ask, laughing behind my hand.


    "Nothing fancy, just, you know, don''t be too picky with it, no taking it apart in the event you come back for it." he tells me and I turn a little cold.


    "They haven''t broken it, have they?" I ask, just to make sure I don''t need to figure out some way to get some time in the workshop to fix it up.


    "No, no, no. No one was allowed to touch it so precisely until Head of Mechanical House Muholdt was done with his pedanticism. So, making sure he understood how to reassemble it properly, what he would need to do if something did break or would not go back on properly." he tells me and I smile, thinking of that large human and how accommodating he was when I needed to use his school facilities. He was even willing to let me disrespect his patron god just so I would be comfortable working in the workshop. I don''t believe I ever had the courtesy to thank him for it, I want to not think this but I had such a foul opinion of humans back then.


    "I should be able to just go and get it today, right?" I ask and Baltanthan shrugs, it possibly being me asking for too much. Which, I can get, I''m not even meant to be here in Baltanthan''s dorm, I was supposed to deliver the package and head on my way. I hope I can bend the rules a little more, after all, Mechanical House seems to have bent the conditions I put in place regarding my armour.


    "Nothing stopping you, I''m certainly not going to." Baltanthan finally answers and I smile, getting back up to finally leave him in peace to eat.


    "Well, thank you for having me, Baltanthan, it''s certainly been a conversation we''ve had." I say, giggling at the end as I reach the door. Yet, surprisingly, he gets up to follow me, gear and all.


    "Don''t give me that look, if I do you this favour, I might be able to squeeze some time in with one of the strongest witches I know of." he huffs with self-serving joy and I am more than happy to oblige. Stepping back outside into the bright daylight and meadow-scented breeze, I wander a little onto the quiet road.


    "I forget, which way am I supposed to go?" I ask, spinning about without a care as there''s nothing my tail can hit and knock over.


    "Which way we''re supposed to go." Baltanthan firmly corrects with a few groundward strikes from his staff.


    "Yes, yes, blah, blah, blah!" I go for my own amusement and I get a tap from his magic conduit for the trouble. Laughing quietly, I start to follow him out of the rows upon rows of dormitory buildings for Traditional House. Coming closer to one of the flower gardens that rim the place, I put my hands together and sigh as the memories come back.


    "You weren''t here for that long, but, Suhurlodst has certainly had its impact, hasn''t it?" Baltanthan asks me and I start to nod, turning towards him with a slight brush of my pinkish-red hair. My gentle grip quickly shifts into something stronger and the magic in the air takes much of it into a ticklish dance.


    "It''s where I found peace and comfort after a time of suffering. I met some friends, fell in love and now I have a chance to find out more about my home because of it. So, yeah, I am very glad I came here, warts and all." I tell him, my expression wavering and shifting without notable pause.

 Incline 22: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "Ah, Mechanical House. I -hate- the smell of this place." Baltanthan remarks as we pass through the magical barrier separating its industrial air from the rest of the mountaintop. Towers of smoke and glowing spires with waving, heated air for hair. A thousand different clangs and bangs without a spot of quiet anywhere on the rumbling roads. Little specks of wear and tear bouncing up and down to the mechanical music.


    Keeping to the brightly marked pathways, we stay out of the way of all the vehicles driving about. Some only hold a box or two in their small arms, others haul a hill of dirt and ore on their metal backs. The cranes high above remind me of my trip to the under-city, in a way. They''re like the children the moment their faces lit with when they saw the contents of what I had brought them.


    I smile a little as they''re probably still picking through all that I sent their way.


    "It really is true what they say about this place." Baltanthan grumbles under his breath as he uses his magic to mess with the automated repair system of the school. Rhyo-light spreads across some metal, a forced-upon patch of rust following. His expression starts to strain and he stops with a sudden need to gulp down some air. Not even a superficial scar is left on the building.


    "I wasn''t paying attention, what were you saying?" I ask as we cross the road with a collection of Mechanical House students, their attention on toolboxes and gizmos.


    "Eh, nothing important enough to speak entirely out loud." my friend answers as we come to a stop at a crossroads of sorts. Though not busy at the moment, a clock in the corner of my eye seems to suggest periods of bursting activity. The lines of parked freight vehicles all but anticipate such a twitch of the clock.


    "Has this place grown since I was last here?" I ask, unsure if my time away has more to it than I thought it did.


    "Maybe? Sometimes when enough students end their time here, Head of Mechanical House Muholdt will assign a large group project. The idea behind it is to add something useful to the grounds of Mechanical House using a mixture of what they have learnt and their own research. I imagine a fair few end up not having a clue." Baltanthan tells me and a brow rises as I consider the implications of how long this place has existed. His closing sentence has quite a thoughtful point to it.


    "Surely if that kept happening, they''d run out of room to develop?" I point out, the fact there''s still a green mountaintop left doesn''t quite add up. Though, from what I remember of the way student years work here, it is nightmarish to the average timetable planner. Your schooling year starts the moment you join the school and resets on its exact anniversary. No one here is likely to have enrolled at the same time.


    "Not all the time, though, bear in mind how vast Thrurstradtur itself is. This is one mighty mountain." he reminds me and I nod.


    "Still." I say with a shrug as my gaze watches some boys playing around with some kind of ball out the back of one of the buildings.


    "Hold on, you might be able to see it in a bit, their most recent addition..." Baltanthan says, his tongue clicking while his free hand points from building to building. Eventually, we come upon a wide opening in the district''s plot. Reaching high is a peculiar skeleton of a tower next to an almost egg-shaped machine with what seems to be four bulbing legs.


    "That?" I ask, pointing at it the same as he is. Baltanthan nods and looks further up, a quick spell breaking open the clouds of muck blocking our view. Briefly, I spot what must be a flying jewel of some kind and Baltanthan seems to become meek.


    "Yeah..." he whispers.


    "So, what is it?" I question, the details only somewhat more clear now that I am aware of what is up in the sky. What''s down here must be an airship launchpad, though, this is a strange one considering the warship orbiting the school.


    "The newest addition to Mechanical House. A high-orbit research facility, designed to observe and record the finer details of the magic shell that surrounds the planet. Only the strongest of Mechanical House students are allowed aboard... The kind of magic density up there is unreal, the only thing comparable is the Finger''s Reach Palace atop Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra." he explains with the mouthful of a word at the end making my mind blank out.


    "Jhroungi, got it." I say, waving my hand a little with a chuckle I can''t help but let out.


    "No, Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra." he almost snaps, his body becoming all the straighter and wider for it.


    "Stop saying that word, please." I sigh with an exasperated laugh, my body bending under the strain his glare is applying.


    "You should be more respectful towards the source of our magic." he grumbles in offence and one of my hands grasps my talisman. I smile down at it with the shake of my head. No, my magic comes from God. It always has.


    "So, how far do we have left to go?" I ask, taking one last glance in the direction of this engineering marvel.


    "Not long, the Head''s office should be only a couple minutes." he tells me as a familiar sight comes into view. Smiling a little at the path I once walked, my pace picks up in spite of the eerie voltage running along the golden decorations. Steadying my mind, I go ahead and open the door, walking right into the heart of a busy and active workshop. A sight I need to control myself around holding the dominant view.


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    A being wreathed in lightning, hammer in hand and an anvil-peaked mountain under him. A shrine to the god who defeated mine and routed our people, one whose champion terrified my brother. The reason I am as old as I am now, this noise, it was the monster''s name. Thunder.


    "CAN YOU STILL HEAR ME!?" Baltanthan screams against the bang, drills and saws and I nod, covering my ears slightly.


    "You don''t need to shout, it''s not that noisy!" I raise back to him and he nods one simple nod.


    "Can you see it?" he asks, his tone something acceptable now.


    "No, we might need to go find Muholdt." I say, taking a step away from the entrance. Despite the unsavoury sight of golden lightning, the building holds all the stuff I am familiar with. The profession I had to leave behind when I was captured and sold off.


    "Head of Mechanical House Muholdt." Baltanthan corrects before walking off. I smile, shaking my head a little at the silly mannerisms these humans have. Always so formal and long-spoken. I tell my customers all the time my name''s just Liadanann but anyone from my home would get the impression it''s Baker or Cakesmith first.


    Minding my tail and size more than usual, we worm our way through showers of sparks and too close for comfort blade noises. A small, welcome sight appears and Baltanthan gives me a quick wave before he goes off to see an unknown someone. Taking one last glance his way, I head to the door and grasp the lubricant-greasy handle. Opening it up, I slip in and close it behind me in case Muholdt prefers the noise to be as blocked-out as he can manage.


    Spend enough time in here and I can get why, they all probably see the in-school doctors over it.


    Tools shift deeper in the room and a man as close to a giant as one can be somehow comes into view. How he didn''t even have a slight bit of back hanging out in the open, I cannot tell. We smile at each other and Muholdt already gets to work looking for something. A key flies briefly and he catches it before coming over.


    "I can guess a few reasons why you are here." he says, his swollen-looking fingers grasping the handle for the door I just closed. My smile twitches at the hindsight now afflicting me.


    "But you know it''s only one." I giggle, turning around so we can go back into the hustle and bustle of the workshop.


    "Seeing as this is the only reason you have to come here, mind telling me what the greater reason is?" he asks as he brings me along a narrow path marked by bright yellow paint on either side of its double-file width. It takes us right through the workshop without a delay and after several turns, we reach a vault of sorts.


    He really didn''t have to secure it this much, it''s fine being in just a simple shed or something.


    As he starts to unlock the heavy metal door, I cross my arms and think about my answer, "Well, there is something I need to do. Things aren''t quite working out for me in my cakesmithy so I need to be a little more active in other job roles."


    "Cakesmithy?" Muholdt questions, not stopping his extensive process.


    "It''s a pun on the fact it''s a bakery made in what was an old blacksmith shop..." I mutter, the explanation all the more embarrassing before a man of mechanics for some reason.


    Muholdt stops, his straight face picks up a curve and a lone chuckle comes out, "I like that, very clever."


    "It really isn''t..." I dismiss, blushing slightly and giggling it away like I am four only and not more than that in millennia.


    "Well, about your armour. I''ve kept it in perfect condition and you should be able to put it on right now without issues, even." Muholdt explains to me before he hooks the key securely onto his belt.


    "Thank you, I''m sorry if it''s been a bother." I say, stepping towards the crimson-painted plate. My hand enters the empty socket intended for my talisman. Only, I can''t help but sigh in thought about my people. The power gem I''ve borrowed, without permission, would go in something like this. And, well, this one I have is so old it has no charge left and seems to have been looted long before it was dug up again.


    "No, no, of course not. We at Mechanical House have been more than happy to have the work of an unknown people present within our facilities." he tells me and I try to at least smile at the idea that there are still remnants of my people out there. But are the people?


    "You might want to get in touch with the Archaeology Club if you like it that much. I''ve just found out they''ve had some contact with ruins that at the very least, have a single trace of the technology of my people." I say, holding out the power gem for him to look at. But, rather than taking it, he looks towards my talisman with a curious glint in his eyes.


    "Is that so? We tend to head modern technological development, but, all learning is built upon the wisdom of our elders and ancestors. So we might be able to make something of it. However, what you have around your neck is the greatest prize of all." he rightly points out and I start to nod, protectively grasping my shield-making artefact.


    "It''s certainly more than what you will find in ruins, but, I cannot let anyone else have this. God gave this to me for a reason, I just need to find out what." I say and he nods in acceptance, his eyes turning towards the statue.


    "Not everything the divine makes has deep meaning. Sometimes we know what it''s for the moment we get it, not much else to them." Muholdt explains and I can''t help but shake my head.


    "This isn''t just some tool, it''s a gift with power that I''ve been neglecting to use..." I almost mutter and he gently knocks my shoulder with the back of his hand.


    "Anyway, we best start getting this ready to be moved, shouldn''t we?" he points out as I put the power gem away. Yet, rather than helping him find a sack truck and a mannequin to go on it or a box. I head for my armour instead.


    "I''ll just be putting it straight on, if that is alright, Muholdt? I need to make sure it fits, admittedly, running a cakesmithy can give one a little too much access to sweets." I say, giggling towards the end and he shrugs, heading back to the armour.


    "You should be fine, you already had the foresight to give the armour adjustable strapping and you don''t strike me as having grown a notable belly." he points out in all professionalism. Still...


    "Hey!" I snap, moving closer to my armour while hiding my tummy, slightly.


    "If we take it back to my office, I''ll let you change in there so you have some privacy away from any of the boys who might be putting on or taking off their own overalls." Muholdt explains as he unhooks the frame my armour is on before he grasps it in the best places. Though the tail will need to be carried separately, its length clearly being more trouble than it is worth even when in storage.


    "You look fine carrying that, so I''ll take this." I tell him, smiling as I gently grasp the lighter weight. Yet, even then, he makes little work of his larger load and in turn, my slower movements make it seem like the tail is heavier.


    Looking into the gaps in my armour, I hide myself away in my thoughts while I fiddle. The plate should hold up, I made it using the best magic-injecting forges I could find in this building. Mixed with the power of the God of the Ddrai''och and I should be near invincible. Still, I should probably double-check that I can still use this properly, Nin won''t even consider my help if I am nothing but a liability.


    "Assuming that Inerish doesn''t stop me..." I bitterly grumble.

 Incline 23: Aspirer Baltanthan

    "Alright, noted, I''ll talk to you later." I tell my friend, leaving him to get back to work on his project so I can head back the way Liadanann should be. Picking up a piece of shaving, I let my magic do its work and break it down from a steely curl into rust Waving my hand clean of anything that might be stuck on it, I arrive back at the office.


    I glance towards Head of Mechanical House Muholdt and quickly figure out what his lingering, crossed-arm body means. Moving up next to him, I lean on the exposed iron skeleton from where I sneak peeks at the closest door. Armour plating bangs about from within the office and I wobble my staff back and forth. Eventually, the doors start to wiggle and we step away as they open.


    An armoured woman steps out into the open, her fingers fiddling with straps and the like.


    "You ready to go?" I ask my arbitrarily more imposing friend as she continues to undercut the intimidation such armour can give her. Gold spikes and blades, the unfamiliar glow of the magic of her talisman coursing through it in bright, green lines. Her tail quite especially has my mind wandering given how agile I know she is with it. An appendage that is already fairly thick in muscle to begin with and now it has the added bulk of magic-rich steel.


    "I think I need to sort some things out..." Liadanann lets out, her uncertainty is as clear as her lack of finesse in moving in the suit.


    "You''ll figure it out, come on." I go, turning to leave and hearing no movement following me. Looking back, I focus on the Head of Mechanical House as he strokes his chin.


    "Come with me, Cakesmith Liadanann, I''ll help you sort out the problems. We''ll use one of the open bays as they''ll have room and my tools will not be far." he tells her and I relax with a raised brow, not sure what I am meant to be doing now.


    "Uh, Baltanthan, can you go and find Seigunfrei if you can? I''ll find a way to meet back up with you two!" Liadanann explains and I shrug, twisting about on my heels and waving back to her on my way out. Leaving the workshop behind, I go to a quiet part of the path and I look one more time up at the faraway research station. Maybe, if such machines exist aboard it, I can ask someone to spare me a piece of metal refined up there.


    Such density in magic would no doubt prove to be a challenge for me to let loose my magic upon. I''m already getting what help I can from the Errakurds of Oddity House to help my magic take on a heated aspect. It''s much the same with the Eusorochii but I can''t help but feel like I am missing something. It can''t just be my anxiety regarding my attempts to join Exceptional House.


    I can do it, I believe in that, I refuse to remain some simple Ravineer who apparently only got into Traditional House through pure luck. I got into Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding through my own efforts, I even did so well as to help Nin through. He had the whole faculty against him because of his quite literal osibindahish nature and my shared exam results pulled him through. I clearly have the capacity to be greater than what so many have told me I am destined to always be.


    Exceptional Student Baltanthan...


    "I''ll make it mean more than just a title, I will really put the proper meaning of exceptional next to student." I grumble with a stern gaze before I start my walk towards my future site of residence. Finding a quiet backway with plenty of slag for me to work with, I put my magic to work and fit in some more practice. The primal, wind nature of my arcane might swirls a rusty blizzard about me and I stop it. Bending slightly into the force I have been building up and moving my hand some more, I shape the metal into something solid.


    Taking a breath, my spell falls apart back into the debris it once was and I leave it in that mess. Repeating the process and causing more problems for whoever might be cleaning this stuff up at some point in the future. The magic comes apart again and I stop by the small, aqueduct-like trail dripping with impure waste. Focusing my magic around it, I extract the heat and apply it to the bits of metal I bring to my side.


    A crude blade of orange-white refuse starts to form and I stab it into an innocent barrel of water. With a roar of steam, a quick crack of quenched muck tings into my ear. Grabbing my mockery of good craftsmanship, I frown at its bad shape and toss it away. My magic comes to an end as I arrive back in the open.


    "With how much I heard of Nin''s struggles, I have to wonder, how is it he''s become so much better than I am?" I ask myself as I step out into the open space of the Academy once again. Catching sight of some flying students who are no doubt byproducts of Exceptional House''s greatness, I lose track of my task. Seigunfrei was always one of their better students and these past seven or so years he''s known Nin have only propelled him higher.


    He''s by no means the best Exceptional House has ever had, but, how do you even compete with a Valkinvar somehow enrolling and royalty of the Seven-Peaks Union?


    "Even in my wildest dreams I have the modesty to think myself beneath such things." I mutter, looking to the ground in shame. People are fickle, you can put all the work in you can, every possible bit of it and because you don''t meet their randomly made standard... You''re not good enough, I''m not good enough. I''ll show them all!


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    I was the one who held the crowning achievement of my first Inter-House Talent Display, not those who detracted from me. Certainly not those who continue to do so. I may have not reached such heights of ego-endowment again so far, but that means nothing. As Oddity House likes to make a habit of showing, Exceptional House is for the Jhermonikra best only.


    There is plenty I can learn from the likes of my friends, developments in my magic that Traditionals and Exceptionals simply cannot teach. I just need to train more, become more powerful and I can leave my heritage as a Ravineer behind fully. Yet, I can''t help but feel perplexed by it. I hate being a Ravineer and still, the man who founded my home town is the one who inspired me to try and develop my magic.


    By the nature of my home, stories of him are what we heard so we would have faith he''d be able to keep us safe.


    I never got as close to him as others I know have, but I saw him in action, I saw his magic and power. The life and adventure his face expressed while I was stuck tending the counter in that detestable other prick''s shop. I will not become something as pitiable as that ever again. I can do this, I can amount to something great even among those with both natural and learned greatness.


    Coming to a stop just before the edges of Exceptional House''s dormitories, I try to put a smile on my face. I will be dwelling here soon, I''ll have all the rewards of being an Exceptional and then more. If Skybomber Brewbrt can become a name that''s echoed over the centuries he''s been alive, then Baltanthan can too. Plague of Rust Baltanthan!


    Ironshaper Baltanthan? Living Forge Baltanthan...?


    "Bah, I''ll think of something that works well later down the line." I grumble, focusing my mind and recalling the way to Seigunfrei''s residence. I want to hold my head up as I go by the Exceptionals, but, I am too ashamed too. Somehow, it''ll only take a word, misheard or otherwise for me to falter in the image I want to be true to. Not to worry, I''ll be an Exceptional soon...


    "STOP IT YOU MEANIE!" a woman screams as a man laughs and I look up, my posture settling straight. The one I am looking for has come to me through sheer luck it seems. Well, I can work with this just fine.


    "Make me, Lorreabry!" Seigunfrei cackles as he sneaks his lips towards her neck, his hands tickling the blonde nonstop.


    "Seigunfrei, a moment of your time?" I ask, grabbing the pair''s attention though in the wrong way. Lorreabry tightly grasps my robes and starts to pull and I end up stepping closer. Suddenly a moor for her to pull herself ashore with.


    "Noooo! You can''t have her!" Seigunfrei laughs with forced evildoery and I roll my eyes, leaning back to counteract the pulling.


    "Baltanthan!" his girlfriend whines as I break out, my stumbles shortlived.


    "Yes, me, now, you, Seigunfrei, come." I demand impatiently which only makes him hold his girlfriend close with a pout on his lips. He lets out some kind of puppy-like whine and ends it with a laugh before he gently shoves Lorreabry off.


    "If I am late for this it''s your backside on the line!" she curses right in his face before popping off with the sound of an innocent peck still in the air.


    Seigunfrei claps his hands and turns to me, "Liadanann."


    "Yes, how''d you guess?" I ask, somewhat amused by how on point he was.


    "I was practising my magic earlier and caught sight of a certain red-skinned lady." he explains with a smirk that does its best to hold back what laughs he still has regarding Lorreabry. The dashing blonde still in the barest of views.


    "Well, yeah, it''s about her. She''s come to collect her armour and she''s looking at getting more involved with Nin." I explain and he nods along.


    "I get the bad days are gone now, but, even then, is he not going to be a little too much for her to handle? He''s certainly learnt a lot these past few years." Seigunfrei goes and we start to aimlessly walk for the moment. I don''t know why, he just started to move and I''m following him somewhere.


    "It won''t just be her and him, I''m hoping to tag along as well. There''s also been something about someone called Inerish?"


    "The Grandguard." my Exceptional friend clarifies and we share the view of the gnomon that indisputably dominates the Thrurstradtur skyline. Even the greatest skyscrapers in the city cannot come close to its grandeur. Though, I''m pretty sure it''s the law preventing that, not a loss of architectural skill. Of all the places such losses can happen, it''s certainly not in this country, let alone this part of it.


    "Well, interesting." I go, not able to think of anything else to say.


    "She certainly is, a strong woman bred from dark and fire magic." Seigunfrei huffs as if he doesn''t already have a relationship ongoing. Not sure if I should feel proud he trusts me not to tattle or doesn''t care enough to consider if I will. Maybe I won''t, it''ll give me a reason to laugh to myself when I see him with Lorreabry again.


    "Hm, good to know." I note, paying more attention to the remark about fire magic than anything else. Darkness and shadows don''t really interact with my more metal-inclined magic so I can''t see much use there. Her fire, though, I can possibly get maybe even the slightest bit of training from her if she''s open to the chance to spend time.


    "So what''s the specific thing Liadanann wants of us? Me?" he asks and I look towards the arena building.


    "She wants to be trained to make sure she''s up for it." I clarify as our legs make the necessary arrangements to get us on the right path.


    "Oh, sure, should be easy enough to borrow some dirt to spit blood into." Seigunfrei remarks and I think about it as it seems a little more complicated than that.


    "How, exactly?" I call out, his optimism not getting to me even with his smirk.


    "Come on you dullard, you''re trying to get into Exceptional House, remember? We''ll tell the staff I am providing you with some tutoring." he reminds me with a gentle slap on the back of my head.


    "Well, now you''ve certainly got a real fight!" I nearly bark, a gust of my magic barely avoiding his precious ornament of a belt buckle. He''s been helping me for a while now and he has a point, working with him will give me more experience. Like moving onto heavier weights, he''ll push me up to the expected heights of an Exceptional. Years of training with the Dark Crow or not!

 Incline 24: Aspirer Baltanthan

    "Come on, show me your best spell." Seigunfrei requests as he takes the final steps back towards the far end of the arena. Frowning, I shift my weight towards my staff and an arm comes up to lazily point at him.


    Eugh, thank the gods for people putting in voice equipment...


    "What is the point of you being all the way over there if you want to see my best?" I want to know, not getting at all why he''s so strict about us being so far apart. These arenas are built to hold a hall''s worth of people battling it out. Let alone the stalls for people to watch from. The size is for total accommodation, not anything else, really.


    "One thing the Academy staff will be looking out for is your ability to control your magic. Overwhelming power in comparison is only one part of the process. There are two ways we can test that, either I beat you up to violate your focus or you pitch your best ball." he explains, the spell that lets us clearly talk not picking up on his clap. A faint noise reaches my ears and probably dies crawling in my earwax.


    "Fine." I mix into my next breath, my body straightening itself out so that my posture is proper. Letting another bout of air come through my lungs and out the nose, I feel out for my magic reserves. My aura of external-magic obeys and a sensation only understood by witches blows through my body hair. The familiar glow of my power disrupts the building''s light, casting a patchy network of brown shifting to deep green.


    Taking his words literally if only for the brief amusement, I pass my staff to my left and let an orb come into being in my palm. Rearing the arm back as the air seemingly turns solid, I skip forward. I throw it. Three branches of whistling wind show how it is spiralling.


    Seigunfrei''s legs suddenly come to life with a thick canopy of apatite light. He skirts my spell and disappears, my magic bursting out across the wall and not doing a whole lot. If the building wasn''t stone but metal, the results would be spectacular, surely. Only, they''re not, they''r-


    "FOCUS!" Seigunfrei snaps as he bursts back into view!


    His blender of a shin coming for me. Flinching into a jump, my staff goes down first, my left lets three fingers out and a wall of scales appears. His magic catches one and the rest join the coil, my power becoming his just like that. Taking some more steps back, I watch carefully as he crosses his arms, my strength clearly not enough to bother him.


    Rather than complaining at his sudden shift in teaching, I use both hands to take my staff and I focus my power up. Glowing like a beacon, I roar under the strain it''s putting on my lungs and slam it down, the magic''s position inverting. While the ground does not erupt, my arcane strength still manages to blanket the area. One, thanks to my recent visit to Mechanical House, strikes me as having a particularly toxic glow.


    I turn towards Seigunfrei as he runs circles on a small section of the wall, "Those examining you will be looking for more than just your ability to cover an area, Baltanthan. When your magic is so great you struggle to focus it, that''s the commitment they want to see. Make sure your defences are ready..."


    Heeding his warning, I run close to the edge while he is still in the air. Bringing up my shield spell properly this time and sticking to it, I catch his shadow landing in the middle of the arena. My magic splashes away submissively and lurches back for him, the entire place draining away as if he pulled the building''s plug. He spreads his legs, his magic-swelled calves bulging to a grotesque degree before he seemingly swallows the added strength.


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    Thinking it''s over, I let my shield down, only to catch his smirk.


    "Again, focus. If you want to be out there with Nin, you need to have something approaching to his awareness." Seigunfrei reminds me, his legs tensing to unleash the stored magic.


    "GAH!" I let out, slamming against the wall and dropping into the dirt. Blinking with one eye against the pale, grainy ground, I let my mind get back in order. Breaking out into a cough, I push myself up. My hand needing to go back down for my staff which I had clumsily forgotten.


    "I know I might be seeming provocative or harsh right now, Baltanthan, but Exceptional''s name has meaning. To briefly make this a history lesson, the first student to hold the name was incomprehensibly powerful compared to the rest of the ancient school." he dares to remind me, his natural confidence getting on my nerves while something dares me to run.


    "I know... I know...! I BLOODY DAMN WELL KNOW!" I steadily build up into snapping as my mind does much the same on the magic that''s gotten into the air. Clamouring back for control of -my- magic, I roar once again to snatch it from my friend. Rupturing a hole in his control of it, a storm''s eye opens up and it begins to rain.


    "Ooooo, we''re onto something here." Seigunfrei amuses himself with and he begins to dance amidst the chunky, exploding projectiles. Like bursting bottles of water, I soak the ground once again with my magic. My frustrations only grow when he decides to have a kick about with some of the magic before it bursts. A glare hardens alongside the dialling up of my staff''s glow.


    Having grown sick of sticking to his request for range, I run straight for him, an invisible weight on my conduit. Focusing all I can into a spear shape, I thrust it straight at him. I stumble ahead, nothing stopping me. Twisting around, he slaps the staff out of my hands, wasting all that magic under the arches of an entranceway.


    "An Exceptional can carry themselves without the need for a conduit like a staff or wand. So, come on, let me see what those hands are made of." he has to lie, there''s no way that there is any truth to this. Members of the faculty have directly told me that it is fine to apply for Exceptional House while using a conduit. Gods, I know I''ve seen Exceptional Students with them.


    His little historical reference was even about an old man with a staff made of Moonlit Oak, the literal stereotype of a wise old witch!


    "You want my hands...? You want my hands?" I repeat, rubbing them together and then putting them down at my sides so they can flex contently. Magic comes back to them and I keep it up despite the odd feeling of having it stop there.


    "Yes, now, come on." he tells me, a finger flexing for me to come closer. Trudging up to him with the growing strain of my heavily-packed palms, he keeps on stepping away. He looks back again and again at the wall as if I am some backing-up vehicle.


    "STOP MOVING!" I demand, leaping for him and getting kicked in the gut for the trouble. The world spins and swirls and somehow, the hard floor makes me bounce. Holding in my cough out of pure spite, I glare up at the sky as Seigunfrei appears in the corner of my vision. He crosses his arms and tuts.


    "What did I tell you at the start?" he asks, a hand soon being offered to me.


    "Focus..." I repeat, my patience wearing thin. But, minding my manners, rather than slapping the hand away, I grasp it tightly. I put my work into the pickup and dust myself off. Only getting fussy and immature when he starts to use his magic like a duster.


    He smiles and stops it, his eyes looking to the entrance again, "I guess we got time still."


    "She''s probably lost somewhere in Mechanical House, let alone the space between Houses." I remark with a roll of my eyes.


    "Well, we won''t go on for too long or we''ll never do what we actually came here to do!" Seigunfrei laughs before he heads towards my staff to hopefully return it to me.

 Incline 25: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "Alright, alright, alright! I get it!" I whine as I finish picking myself up off the ground. Bending over to dust my knees off with brushes that quickly become more like slaps. I only got lost, it''s not that funny. My visor hides my pout.


    "Sorry, sorry!" Seigunfrei finishes laughing while Baltanthan slowly trudges towards me.


    "You can be jester now." Baltanthan grumbles with a mixture of sore pride and body.


    "Actually, given a few things, I want to see you two go at it first." Seigunfrei goes before he leaps up onto the stalls he just had me jump down from. It''s not my fault the doors to the arena are so confusing...


    "In what way am I supposed to be able to fight her after being married to the floor because of you!?" Baltanthan whines with a roar of rumbling frustration. Slightly stepping away, I look at my friend as he slowly beats himself up into the right mood.


    "Hold on, I still need to make sure I know how to use this thing!" I call out, my hand grasping the slotted source of power.


    "Ride a bicycle more!" Seigunfrei calls with a hand cupping his mouth, his feet up on the edge of the walls.


    "Huh?" I go, my other friend sluggishly glowing into view.


    "Let''s get this other with..." Baltanthan mumbles, his staff falling to the ground so he can rub his eyes. Lazily, he fires off a spell similar to what nearly destroyed his food earlier. Skittering backwards, the power of the talisman activates. My God''s divine power stops Baltanthan''s attack with half a hollow sphere.


    Right, I think I''m recalling how to do this, yeah, I got this.


    I move the half-sphere overhead and stretch it out into a dome, a smile coming to my face as Baltanthan continues to attack. His spells continue to break upon its invincible shell without so much as inducing a tremor and I look towards Seigunfrei. He picks himself up and seems to frown in thought, hands together with locked fingers. Gone.


    "Wait... How did he...?" I mutter, failing to recall if magic can even make someone invisible. Let alone affect me with its illusion from within the safety of my talisman''s magic. Shifting my feet about, I look around for the source of a strange new sound. Moving my feet some more, I can''t help but feel like something is happening below...


    I look down.


    "AAAAAAHHHH!" I scream in surprise, the sound of metal grinding against razor winds suddenly in my ears. My back is up against the very shield that''s been protecting me.


    "TURN THE SHIELD OFF!" Seigunfrei roars in demand and instantly I listen, my body soaring through the air. Slamming into the ground with drum-like bangs, I rattle to a stop. Quivering as if I am about to cry, I tremble to my feet.


    "I..." I struggle to let out, the fright of that whole moment getting to me a lot more than I thought it would. Pulling up my visor, I try to dry my eyes off with whatever I can.


    "You alright?" Seigunfrei asks on the walk to me.


    "I''m fine... I just..." I answer, struggling to put into words the shock I felt seeing him suddenly come up at me like that. I can even see the hole he made when he exploded out of the ground. The scrapes can be felt in the plates covering my gut.


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    "You just happened to grow complacent behind your dome." Seigunfrei points out sternly with the shake of his head.


    "IF I KNEW YOU''D GET INVOLVED I WOULD HAVE DONE MORE!" I scream, angered by how smart he''s trying to make himself out to be. Seething with clenched fists, I growl myself into action. Throwing a fist back, I miss my punch and spin around to smash him with my tail. He catches it by the tip with his leg, his magic suddenly wrapping my tail around it.


    My feet start sliding...


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" I scream, whirling into the air and smashing against the wall.


    Whimpering on the ground, I curl up in myself.


    "IF YOU''RE JUST GOING TO BE LIKE THAT THEN I''LL GO!" I cry, getting up and getting ready to leave. A hand soon on my arm while I try to tough out the developing bruises that have still managed to get through.


    "LIADANANN!" Baltanthan snaps and I stop, wiping my eyes down some more.


    "Don''t even try to-"


    "Stop crying and get to paying attention. Fights are not easy, you learn the hard way. The painful way." Baltanthan tells me, his own body reminding us both of the scrapes he''s picked up so far in this practice.


    "Fine..." I sulk, coming back to the pair with my guard up in case either of them tries anything.


    Seigunfrei puts his hands on his hips with a sigh, "Alright, you two, pay attention closely. If the pair of you want to be out there with Nin on some guild job or something notably more private, then you need to be ready. Nin didn''t just learn how to fight out of nowhere. He had me when I still considered him to be no better than other Osibindah. He had this whole place sneering down on him."


    "We know..." Baltanthan groans, a speck of passive-aggressive magic flinging out at the slick-haired man. Seigunfrei tuts his disapproval but lets the magic hit him regardless, not so much as a wince coming from him.


    "Liadanann, you and I have firsthand experience with Nin these past few years. Every night, nearly every day, barely a moment was spent doing something other than fighting or training." he reminds me and I nod slowly, my mind filling up with other kinds of unsavoury thoughts. Nodding some more with a sniff, I make sure my eyes are dried properly and close my visor.


    "Ok, I-I''m ready." I say, applying the magic of the talisman to create some dull-edged blades. Nin doesn''t have time to be babysitting me, I need to be able to pull my weight and not lead to him being injured. I won''t ever be as good as he is, but at the very least I can try to get somewhere with getting better. I need to practice, much like he has.


    Seigunfrei''s strong hand taps his chest and rises to his brow, the palm-side coming down before us, "You have my word, I won''t pull that stunt I just did with you. More so, so I don''t get dirt in my hair."


    "Oh, shut up..." Baltanthan sneers at his attempt to remind us that this isn''t us being nasty towards each other. We''re here to learn and Seingunfrei is taking the time to teach us essential skills. Miserable as it has already amounted to be, I am thankful he''s willing to teach me. This is not something I really want to learn like Nin has.


    "How did you even know it was a dome...?" I ask quietly once Baltanthan is away.


    "I rewatch the Inter-House Talent Display I did with Nin and Rose quite a lot. That was the first time he put me on my feet, he did it that day and it''s stuck with me. And, well, curiosity made me look at the rest of you and you did the same thing there. Hide under a dome that is." he explains and I nod slowly, recalling how scared I was back then. I thought I was safe under my shield and a spell dug right under, let alone that woman who nearly killed Nin.


    "I see..." I mutter, walking off. Stopping when a hand suddenly grabs my shoulder. Still on edge, I turn and thrust my fist forward.


    He catches it without a blink, "Don''t let the stress get to you, you''re here to learn. We all start somewhere, remember this well: It always gets easier after some time having at it."


    "I know that..." I mumble, shaking my fist when he lets go of it. That''s quite the grip...


    He leaps back up onto the top of the wall, "Alright, you two, go at it again, remember to keep moving. Don''t grow complacent behind spells and make sure to keep it in mind that you''re friends practising, you''re not trying to kill each other."


    "Ok, uhm, I''m not going to use any shields, Baltanthan." I tell him with full honesty.


    "No, use your shields, we''re not in a sports match with rules." Baltanthan barks and I nod at his request. Awkwardly, I square up in my armour and try to bear in mind why I am doing this. I''m doing it so I can be with Nin, so I can try and be more involved with his life. So I can maybe mean more to him than Larishazza did...


    "I''m ready." I say and the first spell from Baltanthan comes into being.

 Incline 26: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "Oh... Oooooooh... Owowowow!" I go, creaking through my front door with the increased weight of wearing armour in the evening. Not caring one bit about my shop for the moment, I get to taking it off, piece by piece. Bang after bang occurs, each one preceded by the sweaty peeling of metal and under-armour clothing. Each part gets a different noise to come out, be it ''ah''s!'' or teeth-gritting moans.


    Some even make me shiver!


    Standing near enough naked, I tearlessly sob out what emotion I can and stiffly get moving. Reaching the stairs, one of my legs nearly gives out, forcing the bruises of the other to come together. Grabbing onto the handrail, a mixture of pained breath and forced laughter escapes my mouth. Nowhere on or in my body is unable to be taxed for its pain, the tithes are more than easily fulfilled.


    Spotting my bed soon enough, I linger by the door and take a sniff of air. Moving my head a bit closer to my chest, I sniff again and let my nose crinkle up while my mind shows me a nightmare. One of dark patches of wetness on my sheets and bedding, a smell only a good wash will get out rising in yellow lines. Shivering at the idea of sleeping in such slimy grime, I force myself off towards the shower.


    A couple of undressing stretches later and I am under a muscle-relaxing strain of steam-emitting water. Sighing and letting my eyes droop, I hold some of my hair and feel the out-of-place muck. Sweat is easily enough removed from skin by just standing under the water, but my hair needs something proper. Nearly growling at the process, my head quickly swells with bubbles and white before I lazily wash it all away.


    "I am not cutting you short just because of some armour..." I groan at the mirror, getting out of the shower and turning it off. With a couple of flicks, my hair is back on the same body part and my bruised hand lingers near my pile of towels. Grabbing one, I toss it aside until I can reach the softest one. I hug it tight and walk out.


    The carpet in the hallway dries off my feet and, upon reaching my bed, I lay out my towel in a protective manner and crawl up onto it. Immediately, everything about me stops moving and I sigh, not feeling the thud I definitely heard my tail make when it went limp. But, even though my eyelids are heavy, I don''t fall asleep. My hand scrunches up a corner of my soft, fluffy towel.


    Rubbing my cheek into it and digging into the softness of my made bed underneath, I stare at whatever is in my room. Photos and memories, decorative toys and silly little items, even a decorative rock or two. My eyes land on a silk dressing gown Einervaene made me before she left. If I can muster the strength to do anything but go under my bedsheets, I''ll probably put that on.


    I probably need to make that decision soon-ish, though my hair is still wet, my skin is quickly becoming the opposite. The cold is also starting to get to me, it''s not particularly nippy but being so limp with nothing on is not ideal. I really need to get moving. And, yet, all I can do is dream with my eyes wide open, that same idea repeats on perpetual playback.


    Someone knocks on my door.


    "Can they not read the ''We''re Closed, Sorry!'' sign?" I question, having half a mind to get up and use the pain to work myself into a right mood to tell them to piss off. It happens again and I start to push the front half of myself up. Once more, only, this time, I can clearly pick up which part of the building it is coming from. The back door.


    Raising a brow, I shake my head and force my naked self out of bed. Glancing down at my more essential bits of clothing, I shake my head and just go straight for the dressing gown. Putting it on, the soft shine of the silk is quite palatable to my currently swollen body. Even done up tight so that my chest doesn''t slip out, it''s not particularly harsh on my skin.


    "Much as I enjoy your work, Uibaity... Einervaene will always remain my go-to for things like this." I joke, only to make myself a little miserable because I might never see her again. Nin''s made a promise but who knows if I will be there to see it or feel the same whenever we go down that path in life. Those I once knew at Suhurlodst might simply never appear back in my life because we don''t find them or either of us dies. Certainly feels like it''s me that''s going to die with my body the way it is...


    The door is knocked again.


    "I''m coming! I''m coming!" I go internally, reaching the bottom of the stairs and passing a look at the shop''s front to make sure my ears are not deceiving me. Making my way to the back, I spot a dark form through patterned glass. I take one last glance at my pile of armour and instead place my hand on a broom if I need to jab someone.


    "About time you opened up!" Seigunfrei ha''s as if I was expecting him. Relaxing my posture and grip, I step aside and my two training partners walk in, one notably more beat up than the other. Somehow, as well, despite the fact I was the one wearing armour, I feel like I am the one in worse shape. Baltanthan seems to be taking it in stride, how in the name of God can he do that!?


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    "Why are you two here?" I ask, closing the door as they make themselves at home. Mentally shaking away my issues with their uninvited walk-in, I join them at the table, my finger flicking the kettle on before I find my seat. Putting a hand on Seigunfrei, I firmly smack his shoulder until he gets out of my best chair. He groans with a chuckle and I settle on to the cushioned spot.


    "Seigunfrei wants to extort you." Baltanthan grumbles with a stiff body keeping him upright.


    "Not true at all!" the accused counters, his controlled laugh not helping his defence.


    "Extort me how, exactly?" I direct at Baltanthan seeing as he''s the one not in the mood for humour right now.


    "Some treats in exchange for the work we''ve put in so far." he explains, our shared source of misery looking about as if he''s never seen the place before. Ironically, it''s Baltanthan who should be glancing more but he''s focused entirely on me.


    "You never asked me to pay you back earlier in the week..." I huff, shaking my head and smirking a little at it.


    "I know, the training is its own reward. Besides, I still have other stuff to finish when it comes to your cooking, baking, whatever." Baltanthan explains and I nod along, the kettle switch flicking back up to announce its steamy job well done.


    "Pour me a cup, will you, Seigunfrei?" I ask of him and he stops to frown at me.


    "Me?"


    "You owe me this kindness." I tell him, leaning forward with my sore body so he can get a better view of some of the dark patches he''s left on my collarbone.


    "Huh? No I- Fine." he groans, amused at the change in authority I have under this roof.


    "Do you want one, Baltanthan?" I decide to ask, the hot drink will do him well with how much punishment we''ve both endured. Him being bare throughout it all probably means as well he''s a lot sorer on the inside. A shower or God willing, a bath is much further off for him than it was for me.


    Why he even chose to come into the city is a mystery in and of itself.


    "Ok." is all my friend has to say and Seigunfrei quickly finds where I keep the mugs and my personal, more expensive teas. I have plenty of cheaper ones, but, the better stuff is mine even though I get it from the same company as the cheap stuff!


    "To think I would be putting my work experience here to good use again." Seigunfrei tuts under his breath, the sound of swishing water calming me down. It''s an oddly nice noise to hear, especially when it''s filling out one of my mugs. I guess it''s because I know the noise is associated with time with friends or something.


    "Thank you." I quietly go when the warm ceramic enters my redder-than-usual hands. Holding onto the mug tightly, I let the warmth fill out my fingers, palm and even a bit of my forearms. I whistle into the mug, sending some of the scented steam elsewhere.


    "You know, the best time to eat or drink hot things is when you are powerful." Seigunfrei remarks, the contents of his mug going away as if he''s only poured himself some juice. The steam says otherwise and me and Baltanthan have both not taken so much as a sip.


    "No... Best part of a hot drink is waiting for that right moment to go right for it. The cautious sips beforehand, the simple pleasure of warmth when you are cold or feeling weak. Even more so when you do it with friends who are also trying to enjoy their drink." I correct as there is simply no other way about it. My way is the best way.


    "Yeah, but, when I''m thirsty, I like to just drink." he says with a shrug and I shake my head.


    "Then pour yourself a glass of water or squeeze an orange. God, you could even simply stab a tube and then a straw into one of the many kinds of rockfruit growing and falling from the mountains." I tell him, my mind quickly becoming a cinema of almost comical warnings about the latter spoken fruit. A fair few of my customers have talked about having even small trees for such fruit and their contents falling off the windowsill or basket. Their blooming season is notoriously bruising on the head, nevermind the prickles.


    "And what if I want a hot drink?" he asks as if it means anything. Snorting a little, I watch as he puts on that challenging smile of his. He''s been giving it quite a lot while he teaches us but I think this is the first time I''ve seen it with our magic naturally flowing.


    "Then you have it like you''re supposed to have it. There''s no point in going for hot food or drink specifically if you''re just going to make a mockery of the caution others need. Besides, I don''t see you eating bowls of fruit by scraping away at the ice block they''re in with your teeth." I suggest, shivering at the ghostly feeling on my teeth and he does much the same. Baltanthan suddenly twitches with a burst of activity.


    Me and Seigunfrei look at him and he slowly takes a sip. We share a laugh that Baltanthan ignores, but, I still catch the signs of a mellowing expression. One that shows he is happy to have something to help his body relax a little despite the mutual problems we have. Eventually, I finally manage to get a sip in myself and it quickly grows into larger amounts once my tongue has endured the initial scalding.


    I''ve had worse pains all week so far in full, magic-reinforced armour, a little bit of heat is nothing. Yet, the wetter my mouth becomes, the more something is clearly missing, the more something clearer becomes and I get up. Reaching my cupboards, I pull out a small barrel and then a plate. Popping the lid off, I slide some of the contents onto the white circle and pop it back on.


    Arriving back at the table with some biscuits I''ve bought from shops of all kinds, I take a digestive and let the other two pick at what they want. I smile as Baltanthan takes his time figuring out which one he would like. His fingers shifting between a jam and cream swirl and a custard cream. He ends up taking both and looks up at me like a little boy might.


    "Go ahead, it''s fine." I giggle and for the first time since some point earlier in the week, he smiles.

 Incline 27: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "Ok, leave them in there for the next... Forty minutes?" I question, double-checking my recipe book and clock before securing the hatch on the oven door. Grabbing a loaded tray, I head out back and shift the materials on it back into their homes or new ones. The tray comes back to my hands and falls to my side. A couple times it bounces on my outer thigh and the back door happens to open as I leave the storeroom.


    Bandages and a beak under the cover of a black cloak walk in.


    I smile, "Welcome back!"


    "Mmmm." is all Nin seems able to manage and he locks the door.


    "I haven''t got anything on, but, if you''re hungry, I can get started on a late lunch or dinner?" I ask, noting how he''s already getting undressed and putting things into the washing machine. A small bag of bounty clinks onto the side and my focus goes back to him.


    "No, don''t worry, go at your own pace," he tells me before stretching out a series of pops and sudden shakes, "Ah..."


    "I would''ve thought you''d be more limber after a job like the one you went on." I remark, going over to help him with his bandages while he opens up his shell. It''s all closed up, like he''s been compacted for some time. Snaps caused by bulging muscles go off right beside my ear while I am finishing up with his right foot.


    "Bear in mind I spent more time travelling to a part of the country I''ve never been to before. I can probably give all kinds of tours for the top of Thrurstradtur but I am useless down there." he explains as I come up to pass my gathered pile onto him. My eyes narrow slightly upon noticing the slight tint of purple on the fabric.


    "She didn''t try anything, did she? This was an actual job?" I ask, just to make sure that this whole thing was actually something that amounted to well, something. He sets everything aside and stretches one final time.


    "She pulled some of the same stuff she did back when she first forced me into this." Nin groans before he walks off out to the front of the shop. He comes to a stop, his eyes lingering on my suit of armour which I''ve yet to find a proper place of storage.


    "Well, I guess there''s no point in hiding it, but, uh... I''ve gone back to Suhurlodst to..." I start to explain, walking out to meet him and shuffling close so I can look at my beat-up armour. Nothing''s broken, but, the paint and coating could really do with a reapplying.


    He doesn''t seem to have anything to say.


    I open my mouth awkwardly, getting back to where I left off, "I went back to Suhurlodst and got my armour and I''ve been training with Baltanthan and Seigunfrei. I''m hoping to become a better fighter, or, at the very least, more independently capable in defending myself."


    "I guess that settles why you''re covered in marks." Nin notes quietly between a chitter. I almost smile when he delicately strokes the edges of one of my bruises. I even manage to force down my wincing just so he can see a slight rise at the edge of my lips.


    "I know I don''t exactly have the authority to dictate much in this situation, but, I will be coming with you the next time one of these jobs happen. Or, well, I would like to..." I tell him sternly and I think confidently at first, though, it becomes clear that I am not all that sure about my convictions. Taking a slight step back, my hands come together without rising any higher than my hip bones. Fingers squirm under my grip and against each other.


    "Are you sure that this is what you want to do?" he asks me, turning my way fully with a stone-set pair of eyes. I nod slowly at first, picking up the pace near the end with a shaky nose breath and blink.


    "Yes, this is what I want to do. I want to be able to help you and... Look, alright, the shop will be fine, in fact, you have come home at a good time, I''m preparing one big final batch of deliveries and you can help!" I start to say at first only to shift the topic away from what I wanted to remark about my place in comparison to Larishazza. I know I don''t matter enough to Nin yet to be able to say such things. Even then, I can''t see myself in any optimistic future being able to say a thing without resistance.


    "I should be able to help, yeah. Inerish made it clear that she has a couple of things to do back at the Gnomon so I should be free of her for the time being. Worst case scenario, I only help you partially." he tells me and I smile and nod, some help is still better than none. Depending on how things work out as well, I can still have something good come out of this. Not being able to go and help Nin will give me more time to train with Seigunfrei and Baltanthan.


    Oh, wait, actually...


    "Nin, the other two should be coming by later, you should pop down and say hello." I tell him, hopping a little at the thought of having a table packed with my friends and loved one.


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    His brow rises, "What other two?"


    "Seigunfrei and Baltanthan, maybe Lorreabry which would make it three, I guess." I answer, mumbling towards the end with a head-rubbing hand and aimless stare.


    "Mmmm, I had a feeling that this was his handiwork." Nin remarks, one of his fingers gently scratching at the scrapes on my armour''s chest area. A steady, gentle rattle comes of it, like a less musically-inclined xylophone.


    "He''s been getting me into shape, I think I am learning well but it''s only been a few days of this. I suppose I''ve been lucky he''s not too busy and that Baltanthan is basically on a school holiday so long as he''s working towards his upcoming exam." I tell him, recollecting my time with the pair barely.


    "Exam?" Nin questions, his hand reaching into the socket where my talisman is still slotted. He practices taking it in and out, finally offering it to me rather than putting it back in. Though, while I want it kept there, I instead smile and accept the talisman from him like I did all those years ago. Mouthing a ''thank you,'' I put it back on, swishing my hair out from behind once the cool chain is around my neck.


    "He''s trying to join Exceptional House, so practising with us is going a fair way to helping him develop." I explain and Nin nods once, his eyes lingering on my armour before he makes his way up the stairs.


    "I''m going to go get myself sorted, I''ll be back down later." Nin explains and I nod.


    "Oh, and I guess I''ll explain some other things when the others arrive!" I call out to him, speaking up as he turns the corner. One hand comes back my way and it waves down. Huffing a little, I take it as his acknowledgement and get back to sorting out my deliveries. Popping into the kitchen and reaching my sugar cabinet, I take a couple of bags with me and plonk them onto the counter.


    I have a quick look at my hands and wipe them off with a soggy cloth. Grabbing a couple of other things, I head one final time back behind the counter and get started mixing some batters together. Eggs crack and sugar is whipped in with them, creating a soft, fluffy mixture made up of thousands upon thousands of tiny bubbles. Large amounts that get on my hand are wiped back into the bowl but little bits end up on my tongue.


    Delightful!


    Grinning at the sweet spicing I mixed in prior, I grab a bottle of milk and poke a hole into the foil cap. Pouring the contents out close to the bowl so it doesn''t splash back up, my other hand grabs a soft-headed spatula. While one mixes in the warm-memory-making liquid, the other scoops up what is trying to cement on the edge of the bowl. I turn around and up at my clock to make sure they haven''t been in there too long.


    Noting how little time has actually passed, I turn back around with a shrug, glad no one''s in here. If there was, I''d have to giggle and laugh, explaining away why I turned around until they smiled back. Thankfully, no one is here but Nin who is upstairs. The backdoor knocks.


    "Weird." I remark at the timing of it and I set down my tools to go and check who might be back there. It can only be Seigunfrei and Baltanthan, but, I''ve told those two it''s fine for them to knock on my front door. At least then I can see who it is!


    "Hi, Liadanann!" Lorreabry greets with a cheery wave and smile before she comes in for a hug. Returning the favour as gently as I can to mind my dulling wounds, we shuffle aside so people can come in.


    "I''ve told you lot that you can use the front door..." I remind the trio and I close the door again once Baltanthan is in last like usual.


    "I did tell them that." he mutters with his usual, misery-seeming expression. Giving him a little shoulder rub, I pat him further inside whilst Seigunfrei already gets to putting on an apron.


    "I just like going through the back." Seigunfrei smiles and upstairs sees some noise and my eyes widen.


    "Uh, everyone, mind your gazes for the time bein-" I start to warn before Nin already comes into view. His front leans over the bannister, the slight shadow he''s under not helping with making his features identifiable.


    Seigunfrei gives a wave but the other two are a lot slower in their responses. Baltanthan eventually manages to get a quick gesture off and he''s quickly with our friend so he can help him bake. I walk up to Lorreabry and reach for her forearm, its hair noticeably raised. Nin''s chittering seems to be all the more notable in this awkward quiet.


    "...H-Hi, Nin. How have you been?" Lorreabry manages to get out before she conducts herself as if there''s not a problem.


    "Good, you?" he asks back.


    "I''m fine. I''m... Sorry, I''ll just go help the others." she tells him before hurrying off. Noting Nin''s return to the upstairs, I go up after him and stop him from going into his room just in time.


    "What was that about?" I ask, not sure why Lorreabry would act like that, she''s aware of what Nin is. She''s known for a while.


    "I''m not usually strolling about like this, Liada. She probably just got a little too rememberful about what occurred some time ago." he explains and I start to nod.


    "Oh, right... The uh, kidnapping." I mutter, recalling how jittery she got in that conversation I had with her about it a little while ago. I didn''t mean to stumble into the topic but somehow it ended up being about how while she''s fine with Nin, she doesn''t like seeing his hands or anything. I found it out at the time, but, I guess I wasn''t paying enough attention to my friend.


    "I should have some spare bandages somewhere, don''t worry, I''ll get changed." Nin explains and I feel the need to combat it.


    "She''s your friend and this is your home, Nin. Don''t feel forced to do things like this!" I tell him, grabbing his hand with mine.


    "Liada... I hate to break it to you, but, I was raised to wear clothes. I may have a special slot for my widger but that doesn''t mean I don''t still feel the odd bit of weirdness walking about naked." he explains to me and I can''t help but look down at the sealed-up section of his crotch. Of all the places to pop open, this area has not moved a bunch. I wonder what I can do to make it?


    "Y-You know... It''s my home and shop... I could..." I start to say, moving a finger towards my top and slipping my shoulder out of it. That same finger places its claw-like nail next to a bra strap and I tease the fabric.


    "Now you''re just being silly." Nin goes with the smack of his tongue and my smile grows, pushing up my blushing cheeks.


    "We got a lot of silly fun to get back into our lives and you owe me five." I joke, giggling on the way away and letting my tail smack his front up a bit.

 Incline 28: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "Here?" Nin asks, his body coming to a halt while I am pointing in a completely different spot. Picking up with the frantic nature of my arm, he only seems to struggle further. Oh, he''s useless.


    Air blasts out of my mouth and I stomp up to him, "No, here!"


    Pressing up against his back, forcibly guiding one arm to lead the other and what needs to go back finally does so. But, rather than let go, I shift my movements into a hug, giggling all the while he is taking more boxes off of the trolley. Pointing out each shelf as he goes through it, he does more work in a couple of minutes than he has so far today. I snuggle my face up against his neck and drag myself away.


    "I want to fight crime or something..." Nin mutters with wounded pride, making my giggles pick up in their intensity.


    "You are fighting crime, Nin. You''re helping me stop the crime of a messy shop!" I tease, sticking my tongue out when he looks my way. He shakes a lazy fist at me and I get back to work on rolling out some pie crust dough with Lorreabry. I cannot recall the filling it will cover and regardless, I am certain of its insatiable flavour.


    "With how much the boys enjoy fighting, who do you think would win?" she dares to ask when I get started pushing the cylinder of wood along the pale mass. So easily bruised it takes but a finger to mould in a new scar for me to then squish right back out.


    "Nin." I go without missing a beat, a song on my humming lips.


    "Oh, really?" Lorreabry huffs as if I am deluded and my hips sway far to one side. Bringing them back, I gently bump against Lorreabry and she starts to hold back a laugh. Her hand is dangerously close to a bowl of flour. Fingers pinch and pins push up against my skin whilst she tops off her surface.


    "Can you pass me so-" I begin to ask, only to have a puff of white end up over my face.


    "Of course." she says, smirking with a rising, finger-rubbing hand.


    "Thank you." I go, ignoring her action for the moment while she seems to inspect my newly decorated features. I suppose I really do just look that good.


    "Oh, Liada, you seem to have... You know what? Let me help..." she goes, sucking her thumb with a pop and then rubbing it right against the mess. She smudges it in, daring to giggle louder and louder while my joyful temper rises with the literal moment of rubbing it in.


    "God help you." I threaten as I feel her finish up applying her special brand of make-up. Personally, I feel like she could maybe have applied some yolk to my cheeks to give them a better shine. Maybe something with a nice rusty red colour to really help it blend in with my skin.


    "I don''t think even the best make-up artist can help you." Lorreabry taunts right up against my cheek before a mocking peck seals the deal.


    "That''s my line!" I laugh, grabbing her and throwing us to the ground so I can bleach her hair with a new cakey shampoo. Though, I''m certainly doing a good job of doing it to my floors as well.


    "NO! NO! NO! STOP IT!" she laughs, screaming while I do my best to get some ingredients into her hair while also minding my nails. Feeling I might be getting a little too close to clawing her by accident, I stop and back away with a shy smile. The same perpetrating hands come together and redirect the hot air coming out of my laughter.


    "Lorreabry, darling, do you need me to save you from this foul monster?" Seigunfrei asks, hanging from the storage room''s doorframe.


    "Yes!" she answers, begging for assistance like a little girl wanting her daddy to protect her. Pouting a little, I let the two have their fun without ruining it with my jealousy. Getting up and letting out one final huff of laughter, I threaten her once again with a good time and put the bowl back.


    "Everything all right back here, Baltanthan?" I make sure to check in with on my way to Nin. My pale friend looks back at me with a slight twitch to his eye and he nods slowly. Frowning, I watch him hold around the area his arm joint is. Did he pull a muscle?


    "I''m fine..." he mutters eventually and I step in, minding Seigunfrei who comes back in for a tub of pudding spices.


    "We can go upstairs and check Nin''s room for any of his old supplements. That should help dull the pain if you can get past the initial burn. I know you''re not only dealing with whatever you might have just pulled." I explain and he starts to nod some more, his face contorting with how badly the hidden pain must be hurting. I offer my hand on the way up the stairs but he refuses to take it. The human two give us a glance and I gesture for them to not worry.


    Directing Baltanthan through the right door, he quickly sits down and I close the bedroom door just in case. I''m not sure how Baltanthan likes to handle these sorts of things, all I really know is Nin''s former habits during the Smiling Jhurack problem. He would always come up here and effectively lock himself in. Cut open and bleeding, and at some point, he would come out healed. Though, stained and stinking of the byproducts of the battle that put him in that situation.


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    "How long has this been going on for?" I ask, moving to take off at least a portion of his robes but he refuses. Violently.


    "None of your business..." he manages to get out with a shudder, a right nasty one at that. Whatever bruises he''s managed to accrue because of Seigunfrei must be swelling quite badly.


    "Baltanthan..." I say, unfortunately forcing the injury he clearly has and my eyes widen as I open up his robes. The insides are covered in little blades, each one digging into his skin just enough to have blood come out. And while it was all caked up around their little edges, some of it starts to bleed again.


    "His supplements?" Baltanthan wants to know, his eyes glaring as if I am not his friend. I don''t understand, when did he get something like this done? Why does he even have clothes like this!? Having some little decorative spikes is one thing but to have them be inward going to the point it''s like having a...


    I cover my mouth, almost heaving at the memory. Getting up, my crotch and chest start to have a ghostly itch I know I cannot simply scratch away. I look away, waiting for the now uncomfortable sound of him putting his robes back in order. Nods quickly captivate me and I rummage through Nin''s draws and cupboards, a shaky hand grabbing what I am desperately thankful for.


    "H-Here..." I say, passing a small lid of the strong-smelling stuff. Baltanthan, with a steady hand, takes and swallows it in one go. A drawn-out, teeth-clenching groan rumbles in his mouth. I take the lid back and store everything away.


    He gets up to leave and I gulp, getting in his way to stop him.


    "Why''re you getting in my way, Liadanann? I am here to help you." Baltanthan asks as if there isn''t a problem with what he is wearing.


    "Take that off now. I do not want to see you in my home with it on again." I tell him, straightening my back and putting into practice the backbone Nin unintentionally managed to put into me. I could keep my eyes in contact with his while he was a bloodthirsty hunter, I can do it with my stressed friend.


    "It''s to help me with my magic, the exam..." Baltanthan tries to explain away and I shake my head at top speed from the get-go.


    "I don''t care, take it off, borrow something from Nin''s whatevers. You will not wear that anymore in my home." I explain once again and my friend relents with a nod. He strips down near fully, showing off just how all-consuming this outfit is. My time as an airship maintenance worker comes to mind and I pay closer attention to how the metal is on the inside. It''s a circuit of some kind, one fueled by blood magic.


    "Is this fine?" my friend asks with a slump in his posture.


    "Yes, put it on and ignore the issue if anyone asks, I am going to find this a box and let you take it home that way. I will handle anything from Nin." I explain, taking Baltanthan''s robes and folding them up so I don''t have to look at the metal. Though, unfortunately, I can still feel the collection through the metallic fabric.


    Hurrying down the stairs, I slip into the gap between Nin and Seigunfrei and snatch up a box. I go into the kitchen and put the robes inside, slamming it shut and taking a step back. Putting a hand to my face, I go down onto whatever chair is near and sigh. My hand slips away and I find myself staring back at six, human eyes.


    "Get back to work, please..." I ask of them, keeping to myself until chitters are seemingly above my head. Finding the dark carapace, I wrap my arms around it and pull it in. The body above shapes itself around me, offering me the warmth my body is craving.


    "What happened?" Nin asks, quietly and against my ear.


    "I don''t know... Something''s gotten into Baltanthan and he''s been wearing a conduit suit or something for how long!" I explain, hugging the one I love tight while I hear the sound of someone coming down the stairs. It''s all quiet outside the kitchen, the laughs and joking about that there should be is not. Come on, just one little giggle, anything.


    "I know I might not be the best one, but, I can talk to him about it?" Nin offers, the kitchen door clicking shut much to my chagrin. I get up slightly, my hand touching the handle so I can open it again and he stops me.


    "It''s fine, I''ve already told him not to wear it again in my home." I mutter, thinking about how often I have seen Baltanthan come into my shop and likely in these robes. Even the other day, when the two just came around for tea and biscuits and a fun time. He was in it during that!


    My friend was hurting himself in such a way right in front of me, he was wearing that when I was striking him during training...


    "Liada, I know full well what this is. It''s a mass-expansion suit." Nin explains, his hand going along the box while I look at it.


    "Can you explain what it is for me?" I ask, despite the sickly feeling bubbling away within my stomach. Honestly, I want to scream my change in thoughts, I don''t want to hear him explain. All I need to know is I hate this kind of clothing.


    "It works on the same idea as a staff or other conduit, only as the rest of the body cannot focus magic like the hands do. It digs into your skin and the clotted blood bridges you to it. Think of it like a wearable boost in one''s power. By coincidence, the job I''ve recently come back from, we went by a bust of their production. I can''t say much about the specifics of the thing, but. These are dangerous things and I guess Suhurlodst has different views on what is considered bad behaviour compared to others." he explains and I slowly nod, moving closer to Nin so I can feel his warmth so close to me once again.


    I want to be enveloped in the touch of the man who saved my life from that dark pit of despair. He freed me from my chains, the blades that dug so deeply into my body that I spent months afterwards bloated by the swelling. Even with his help, the scars have not gone away and I can''t help but hate it. Silly things like buying bras are always so stressful on the inside, knowing my chest is all messed up compared to some other girl''s pair.


    Nin hugs me tight, his chittering becoming a soft rumble above my scalp.


    "I''ll get to Seigunfrei when we can and we''ll talk to him, Liada. I don''t know Baltanthan as well as I should, really, but, we will get to it. Much as I owe Lari and her efforts, it really was Baltanthan who pulled me through in my first year atop this mountain. Much as he might do things like this, he''s a good lad. I know that much." Nin reassures and I nod, my grip tightening.


    "Thank you." I say, his breath blowing through my hair while my lips shift.


    "He''s got a lot on his plate, but, don''t worry, Liada. Nothing''s going to happen to any of us. He''s as you said, he''s got an exam coming up and he needs to do what he can to pass it. Thankfully, he has us, doesn''t he?" Nin says, his ending question bringing my head out into the open again.


    I smile and bring my lips to his cheek, pressing up against their sweet shine.


    "Yeah, he has us." I let out, getting back up and getting my mind back on track to the task at hand. We have a delivery to sort, a big one at that!

 Incline 29: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "How''s the filling coming along, Nin?" I ask my much-loved friend while he swings one of his fruit-decorated hands close to the bowl. It flickers somewhat within the confines of it, but, a notable amount also goes across my kitchen table. Some even decides to test my ability to keep my frustrations to a minimum by getting into the cloth decorum I have neatly folded on top.


    Licking my thumb, I give some of it a rub and frown at the potential stain. Wet dots splatter onto me. Turning towards Nin with a smile, I lick some of the strong citrus up and rub the rest off against the widening edge of the bowl''s top. We look at each other while his two fingers and a thumb drip.


    "I don''t think this is working out." he tells me, his eyes shifting to the mess that has his hand awkwardly stiff in the air. Smiling a bit, I use a spoon to scrape what I can off and tease the bits where his shell parts. His chittering picks up and those broad shoulders of his twitch. Slowing the movement and narrowing the spoon onto its edge, I provoke him some more.


    "Hey, give me back my spoon!" I complain, watching him take it away, trapped in the confines of his shell contractions.


    "Stop that." he demands, slowly returning the spoon before he throws out a spell to bring a wet cloth over. Pulling the bowl away, I watch as the magic in the cloth''s thread drips onto the table. A slight pool forms from the half-a-dozen littler ones, a tint of aqua coming out in the concentration.


    He seems to lose himself in the sight, maybe coming close to adding a tear to it...


    "Come on you, back to work." I tell him, gently smacking his cheek and getting more than I bargained for with his wide-going shake. A huff leaves my lips and he starts to rub the hand on the cloth rather than wiping the hand with it.


    "I should be done here anyway..." Nin mutters, his focus shifting to the little tablet I wrote down for him so that I didn''t have to keep going to him to help. Though, with how often I want to linger by him so I can tease and flirt is sort of making it a waste of time. I can''t say that I mind, I like being close to Nin. He makes me happy, always so happy.


    "What does my list say?" I ask, leaning on one palm while the other finds and caresses his forearm. He reaches for the list and brings it close, a word forms on his tongue but it''s not coming out. He gives up and instead shows it to me and I can''t help but laugh as it''s not a hard to say name. Blue Sand isn''t much of anything to get stumped over!


    My laugh ends and he''s still looking at me, blank-eyed.


    "Blue Sand, Nin." I tell him, moving my head off of my palm to cough into it. A quick glance away doesn''t seem to do much and I am left staring back at him. He leans forward, close to my face but notably with his mouth facing down a little.


    "You''re handwriting is terribal." he says and I blink at the strange pronunciations he suddenly lets out.


    "Says you, Mr. I Always Struggle to Write a Shopping List!" I go, leaning away to giggle behind my knuckles while he gives me that knowing grin. We get the amusement out of our systems and rise to head to the spice bit of the store room. I don''t need to come, but, I know full well he''s going to get lost in what I otherwise know like a backhand.


    "I can''t get to the Blue Sand if you''re in the way..." Nin complains as I snuggle myself up against the wall at the storeroom''s far end. Squeezing around until my front is up against him. I backstep on to some thick-topped boxes and hug him in close, a proud noise leaving my lips as he digs into my chest.


    "Don''t worry my precious little thing, Liada can find it for you." I tell him as if I am his mother. Though, I would much rather that he made me a mother of several little bundles of joy. Regardless of my dreams, however, I still give him a reassuring peck on the top of his shiny head. Then, squeezing my tail up into an uncomfortable overhead dangle, I flip-flop it towards a box and pull.


    It smacks up against my head, leaving me in an awkward situation.


    "Nin, I need your help." I giggle and he knows full well what I have just done. I get a little flick for the trouble and he takes the weight off of me and walks out of my hug. My grip had been getting tighter, but, he just needed to take a step back is all. His strength really is something impressive...


    It''s strange to think about how he was when I first met him, because of how he was captured, I could hurt him. I remember distinctly being able to put up a fight when we were both prisoners. Yet, once we got outside and to that searing building, he became something else entirely and as far as his homeland was concerned. He had the power to destroy the world.


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    He''s only gotten greater since then and day by day I can feel the changes in just how much. Hugs are still comfortable but there''s this hardness to them as of late, all that power he kept wasting away against Smiling Jhurack. It''s coming together within and resting, it''s not going anywhere. There''s so little being wasted around him in the external flow, each fibre of muscle holds more magic than my entire body.


    "You coming or not?" Nin asks, shaking the box of Blue Sand.


    "O-Of course!" I go, stepping down from the box and letting my tail whack down on it. I pass a glance towards the other three and give Baltanthan a little wave of reassurance before his depressed gaze goes back to the dough cutters. I roll my jaw around a little and look at Nin again. Walking towards the other three, I place my hands on my friend and look at the other two.


    "Uh oh, the Supervisor is back..." Seigunfrei mocks under his breath, his lips forming a bit of a pout while he turns away.


    "I just wanted to tell you three that it''s fine if you want to get going now. It should be about lunchtime and while I would like to offer up some of my own stuff, I don''t want to risk my customer''s satisfaction." I tell them, gently rubbing my hands into Baltanthan''s shoulders and trying that little trick I heard Uibaity talk about. The massage lounge she goes to, I remember her saying the way they work is that I just need to focus my internal-magic towards my fingertips and press with firm gentleness.


    Baltanthan doesn''t seem to react to it and I keep it up, hoping that this is roughly what I should be expecting. Lorreabry has the decency to at least finish her current task before setting things down.


    "Ooooo, I know, let''s go to that place I kept talking about, Seigunfrei!" Lorreabry chirps, her hands coming up to help her recall the path to whatever place it is. Maybe I will ask her later where it is she went, I guess I should otherwise get started on prepping mine and Nin''s food, though.


    "What about you, Baltanthan, do you have anywhere to go? I don''t mind serving a third plate of whatever comes to mind." I offer and he starts to shake his head. He doesn''t say a word and moves to get up, my empty hands staying somewhat in the air. The front door''s bell rings without a noise and I glance to where I put his robes. He seems to be coming back but now I am worried.


    "Guess we''re going for a little jog first..." Seigunfrei remarks, slapping his thighs on the way up.


    "You two have been trying to talk to him, haven''t you?" I ask, unsure if this is entirely my own doing. I was the one who made him change after all, I was the one who demanded he take those robes off.


    "We''ve been trying, Liadanann but he just seems out of it for whatever reason. His head seems to be a well-built prison." Lorreabry comments as she grabs her bag.


    "Don''t worry, Red, we''ll find her." Seigunfrei nods out before he''s then out the door and down the street.


    "I''m not running after him of all people." Lorreabry sighs and smiles. We wave each other a temporary goodbye and I lock the door behind her so no one might think my shop is open to the public. Sighing a little, I head back into the kitchen where Nin is still going at it with his tasks.


    He looks at me and I look at him, "It really does look like sand."


    "It does, doesn''t it?" I go, smiling a little even though my eyes aren''t particularly feeling it.


    "I tasted a little of it... It''s not very nice." he explains, biting on his tongue while he talks himself into a quick chuckle.


    "You don''t eat it directly, you mix it in with juices and it creates a granola mix of sorts." I explain, taking my teasing spoon and using it the wrong way. I scoop some of his fruity mess onto it and sprinkle the blue sand. The little grains eat up the liquid and grow fat, sinking to the metal until it looks more like I scooped up some soggy slop.


    "Flapjacks..." he goes, his chitters hiding a worming tongue.


    "I guess I can spare some ingredients to make some if you would like?" I suggest, taking a step back and swerving about to make it clear what my fee is.


    "Yes, please." he goes, not moving an inch. I noisily groan a pout and tap a quick item onto his head.


    "Is some meat cuts and salad alright for lunch, Nin? I might have some cheeses we can put with it as well." I ask, looking about my cupboards and fridges for whatever I might need. Briefly, my hands tempt me with the idea of my special cheese but I shake my head at the idea. Instead, I grab a well-covered tray and heave the cast iron lid off.


    "Flapjacks..." he repeats, the lust of his stomach at least getting him off of his backside enough to come up and hug me from behind. His hands squeeze my tummy a little and I elbow him off and away. Pointing my hand towards the salad bowl, I pass him over some vegetables and tomatoes. The tap is quick to follow and a rush of magic-rich liquid rushes out into the vegetables.


    He bleghs at what he has told me before is the abnormal colour of tap water. Water should be blue, any shade, so long as it is clearly a part of the family that we call Blue. The large amounts of wind magic up here, however, stain the water a grassy green. Almost like it''s milkless, fresh-leaf tea that has been run through a chiller.


    The red juices still on his hands as well taint the water further, detaching it even more so from its natural state. Water isn''t even coloured, it''s clear, everything that happens to it is environmental. But, still, Nin doesn''t like it, he wants to see the colour of her hair in the water. My skin tone is not what captivates his heart, it''s the hair of a dead girl.


    Going back to the fridge, I pull out my special cheese and cut off a small slice that I quickly munch on. Oddly, it doesn''t taste all that nice at the moment and the half-eaten slice is put back into the fridge. Turning back to the preparations, I sigh my stress and quickly tap some of it out with a foot. I hate my life sometimes, I really do.


    "How is something so simple so complicated...?" I groan out, my words hiding my beg for help.


    "Hm?" Nin goes.


    "Nothing, Nin, just muttering silly things." I explain to him, hoping he leaves it at that.

 Incline 30: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "Ok... And that''s the last one." I go with a tired huff, patting my apron down before I turn to my friends. Giving them all one big smile I start to nod and try to find my words. Blessed God, this has been a day and one, it really has. But, nothing in life is ever as simple as simply waking up and going through the motions before bed.


    Not for me anyway it seems.


    I clap once, "Well, it seems to be getting rather late so I''ll let you three go on your way."


    "Alright, see you, Liadanann. Thanks for having us!" Lorreabry goes before she ropes in Seigunfrei''s attempts to sneak away with something. Baltanthan, however, keeps quiet and disappears into the darkness of the shop corner that the box is in. Nin''s borrowed cloak is certainly not helping the uncertain visage shuffling under the shadow.


    I follow the three out to the door and open it for them, "I''ll pay you back when I can, I promise!"


    "We know!" Seigunfrei cheers loudly before he lands his back end onto one of my outdoor tables. The whole thing rattles, its legs scraping along the looked-after stone floor underneath.


    "Goodnight!" I tell them, closing the door once I am done watching Baltanthan as he seems to break away to find his own way home. I briefly hear the other two call after him but it seems to be left alone very quickly. My frown comes back in force and sticks with me until I am back in the kitchen with Nin.


    "Balty?" Nin asks as he mindlessly sorts out one of his bandage rolls. I nod and get my frown to go away, the warmth of my chair back under me soon enough.


    "Well, he''s one of two men that has me acting up." I mutter, looking away from him initially so that the point isn''t lost. Though, I doubt Nin''s so stupid that he would think I was on about Seigunfrei or someone else. Nin''s hand comes over to mine and he starts to stroke the top of it.


    "Time, Liada, time." he repeats for what must be the thousandth iteration coming from him alone. That''s not even counting how many times I have had to tell myself it.


    "I know!" I snap, getting what I can out of my system before slumping down, "I know..."


    "I am sorry for being such a pain. My word probably doesn''t mean much to you right now, does it?" he goes and I put a hand on his, making a sandwich of the three on the table. I smile and caress his hand from upside and bottom.


    "Your word means everything to me. It''s why it''s bothering me the way it is right now. Though, I think today''s more so me being unable to ignore it. With what has happened with Baltanthan, I guess that I am just out of it." I try to explain, removing my top hand so Nin can properly clutch the one he grabbed initially. To some mild amusement, it sort of starts to look like we''re giving each other a congratulatory handshake.


    "Again, try not to worry so much about him. Though you''ve not set out to solve the problem, having him train with you is the solution. He''s wearing that thing to make his magic seem more impressive. A deceit that will only go on for so long, keep it up with him and he''ll gain his confidence without it. All you have to do is make sure he''s not wearing it, give him a jab every now and then when you see him." Nin tells me and I quietly giggle at the thought of poking him to see if I can provoke a small cut or a dozen.


    "I might just have to, or, maybe we can look into giving him something like Einervaene had. She was the one who made the outfit with the magic guidance circuits on it, didn''t she?" I go, asking him for confirmation when my mind starts to fail me.


    "Yeah... She was the one who wore that frame thing." he confirms and I nod, thinking a little about my missing friends. I miss them. They all left and I won''t be able to see them again for a while. I want to see them again but it''s no longer as simple as popping down the road.


    "So, Nin," I say, sighing as I pull my hands back to myself, "When exactly are we going to go look for them?"


    A hand goes to his mouth and he leans back, one of his magic arms serving as a third leg, "I don''t think this is something we can put a start date on. I guess, we''ll just have to know when it is time to go."


    "I guess that you are right. Going off into the world to find our friends will mean I''ll have to close my shop down properly. Not just close it for some time with a big batch of deliveries before I do so!" I huff, trying to find something to laugh at in the less-than-funny topic. It''s a miserable thing to talk about, really, when will we find our friends? It''s not something I can kick down the road and forget, though, more of the latter.


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    "Speaking of, what''s left to do?" he asks me and I look towards the front and out towards the night-covered streets. I turn back to Nin, not thinking of anything that is an issue to worry about.


    "I put up a sign that tells people we''re closed until further notice." I say, shrugging and my hands come together.


    "With how much work you''ve had me slave away to do today, I imagine that''s not going to go unnoticed." he jokes and I smile, getting up purely so I can smack my little unpaid worker.


    "Mush!" I go, tapping him just hard enough to get a noise and he mockingly cowers away. A whiny whimper on his chittering lips.


    "Stop it!" he demands against the force of further taps.


    "Your master commands you to come upstairs with her!" I order, picking up the pace until he suddenly grabs me. His expression hardens and without so much as a grunt, my legs are around his waist, my back against the wall. My mouth opens and no noise comes out, only the sudden change in my heartbeat can be heard.


    "I''m the master now." he chitters, amusing himself while I lean in closer, a welcome and warming dizziness in my head. I pepper his closest cheek and neck with kisses and almost break away so I can give him one where kisses belong. Only, I pull away completely at that point, my cheeks burning with passion while he seems to have lost his joking tone.


    He sets me down and my heart suddenly gets pulled on.


    "Time... Liada... Give him time." I repeat to myself under my breath while he quietly walks away to get some space. The front door makes a noise and I reach the kitchen entrance just in time to watch a blur shoot up. Sighing, I move my hand to clutch the front of my clothes and I finally tear off my apron. Kicking it aside, I grab my extended closure sign and pop it onto the door.


    I use the moment to see that it is locked properly.


    "How anyone is able to work up the courage to say that they love you is beyond me..." I still find myself swearing under my breath before I turn on the lights to double-check my shop. Before everyone left, we did a big cleanup, but, just in case, I''ll check it all again. Starting from behind the counter, I find myself stopping as if I am about to serve a customer. I look around at everything I have built.


    Nin''s been involved with me for a while about this, well, he''s been living here rather. For so long I have held out that my heart''s desires will come true, that he''ll turn his mind away from that corpse and towards me. I reached my breaking point before he came to me with that promise. I didn''t want him in the home I had built for myself.


    He''s not been a leech of any sort, but, it''s just been me, this is the result of my hard work, this cakesmithy. Nin could properly leave my life and nothing would really change about it, this wasn''t our efforts, just mine. I''ve had help from friends and yet, most of my nights are like they are right now. Me going about, finishing the clean-up and heading up to bed when I feel like it.


    "I really do not understand how you can keep up with this, I really don''t know." I remark to my perturbed heart before my hands start to occupy themselves with whatever they can find. One grabs a cloth and wipes away while another takes a small little, crumbly tartfrom the shelf and I start to eat it. The cloth eagerly gathers up the mess I am making and I can''t help but show my disgust at the food. All the fresh serving stuff is gone, this was just some old display item and the magic''s all gone, its insides have congealed and the filling''s top has grown skin.


    Despite that, however, I finish the food and forcibly swallow the last mouthful. With teeth thickly clogged with saliva''d pastry, I go back to my kitchen. Opening the fridge, I pull out the one thing I don''t tend to drink. Alchohol.


    I was never able to get into it as a thing. Sometimes I wonder if it is because of how Nin used to keep so much of that almost raw magic stuff in his draws. That''s all alcohol is, really, flavoured liquid with a relatively high magic concentration. Shaking my head clear of factoids, I open my glasses cupboard and take a delicate little thing out of it.


    My thumb''s nail goes across its curvature, making it sing.


    The clear sight fills out with deep, blood-red stuff and the smell hits my nose. Getting past the overpowering stench, I take a quick sip and then a larger gulp to swish around my mouth. A palm goes over my lips and I steadily swallow the foul drink. Freeing myself of both burdens, I go and take the one bottle I have bought over the years and put it back.


    "At least you''re too disgusting for me to make it a habit." I mutter at the one good thing in my life at this very moment. Going back to the table, I take my glass with me and stop by the sink. I contemplate tipping the rest away, maybe even throwing the glass out back to shatter along with its unsavoury contents. Instead, I finish my drink, slowly.


    It gets easier to handle and by the end, I am tapping a finger on the bottom to force the final drops down into my mouth. The bottom of the glass tings on the side and I begin the process of going upstairs to bed. Checking my home over, I make sure everything is in order and steadily move to the steps. Even at them, I check everything again from my higher footing.


    I nod once and slight, heading up and ignoring the bathroom. Finding where everything is hooked and clung to, I strip down until I am completely naked. My room''s light remains on just long enough for me to look at the marks that have been a part of my body since I was captured. My hands go to where Nin initially started to pull the device off and I copy the memory.


    "How so very strange... I don''t wish to be still there, trapped and tortured. But, I wish it wasn''t you who saved me right now, Nin." I mutter, my lip trembling and my eyes watering up. Sniffling to an abnormal shiver, I weakly and pitifully find my way under my quilt. Moving one pillow to my front, I start to sob as the one I want to hug in bed is not here. He''s never here.

 Incline 31: Aspirer Baltanthan

    "Baltanthan, your stuff upstairs is making noise." someone tells me in a passing motion. Looking up from my tablet, I glance over towards the kitchen clock.


    "Oh, right, Ioike''s call." I go, forcing myself up onto my feet and fighting off the aches and bruises. I''ve been through worse but after a while, even the little things can become a bother. Thankfully, I suppose, Liadanann showed me an easy way to get past and over such hindrances. If only the Academy''s on-site shops sold stronger drinks, something with real concentration.


    My hand touches the end of the handrail and I head up the stairs, shifting to the side when some of the girls happen to be coming down as well. While it is otherwise impossible to escape the noises of those who live here, my room is becoming easier to hear. The fact my door has been opened as well means I can see the little flash of light coming from the device. I close the door behind me and bring up a chair, punching in what keys I need to.


    A screen comes to life and I am immediately met with a pair of glasses and a certain nose right up against their end of the call. Shaking my head a little, I wait for Ioike''s muttering and so-called technical expertise to come to an end. She spots me and she seems to forget which expression she wants to use. Miserable or joyful, a smile or a frown and even a glare.


    "Ioike." I go firmly and she snaps to attention in her seat, a nervous tick in one of her hands as she settles on a smile.


    "You''re minutes late, Baltanthan." she chastises with a slight smile before she looks away, a hand curling around a backline of hair. It''s probably the only spot of that brown mop with any semblance of care.


    "I was reading." I explain, showing the tablet I have before I then put it down on a nearby box so I don''t hear the end of it. She complains so easily if I am not paying attention but here she is without a speck of focus about her. I think I''ve seen her cheeks more than her eyes throughout all the years of my life. Those palm-pressed cheeks of hers, always on a hand to stop her from falling asleep.


    "What were you reading?" she asks, leaning up against her screen as if it will help her peek over me. To play into it a little, I lean away to the side and then straighten up.


    "I was re-" I start to answer and her mouth opens up to unleash a barrage of noises that want to be words but just don''t have what it takes.


    "Oh! Oh! Oh! I haven''t told you yet, we made a new discovery about the-"


    "Necro-Titans." I interrupt with her least favourite word. Revenge has never been easier.


    "THEY''RE NOT- They''re not called that... I''ve told you this before..." she goes off on, quickly simmering out into mopey face rubbing and pitchy whining. I huff, smiling a little as a pout starts to form on her face. There we go, she knows what I am doing!


    "So what is it you found, Ioike?" I ask, getting us past this hiccup and getting her mind to focus on something else. Her head snaps about, hands slapping whatever they can find until she pulls out a stack of notetablets. Each one likely filled to its enchanted brim with excessive, repeated ramblings of such small topics. Thankfully, despite how out of control she gets when writing, she knows how to explain the actually important stuff.


    Gods am I glad she can or I''d never get out of these calls...


    Admittedly, they can be entertaining at times.


    "I... We... We here at the dig site, we believe that we have found the proper proof needed to name the contents of the dig." she tells me, shaking and trembling at how exciting this must be for her. I smile a little, trying to show that same enthusiasm even though she''s forgotten to actually elaborate on it.


    "Which is?" I ask, rolling a hand to jog her memory and she watches me with a twitching, uncertain expression.


    "Didn''t I just...? No, I didn''t. No... Oh, the name of the contents, it''s called Atarifuge, we''ve found Atarifuge!" she exclaims and I nod along, my mind briefly trying to recall which member of the Pack of Seven that Atarifuge is. Thing is, I don''t think she''s ever told me why these giant machines are named after the dead-searching animals. Just seems like such a strange thing to name giant machines after something to do with Undwote rather than say, Sraacdchammu, God of Giants.


    "So does that mean it was likely Atarifuge that was at the centre of that aelenvari genocide?" I ask and she scoffs.


    "Patricide." she corrects with her usual unintentional condescension. Yet, even with my years of tolerance to it and my knowing it''s not intentional, it still irks me just ever so slightly. Over something so petty, eugh.


    "Right, patricide, genocide, filicide, matricide blah blah blah." I dismiss, rolling all the ''cides off of my tongue until my head ends on cider. Hm, maybe I should see if I can get any cider within Thrurstradtur? Surely it will be stronger than the stuff within Suhurlodst''s stock.


    "You blah and blah, Baltanthan, but this is a serious discovery! With this, we might possibly lead into something that will allow us to reverse the effects still affecting the majority of aelenvari peoples." she tells me and I can''t help but focus on that ending detail.


    "Remind me, why can''t this problem be solved by talking and experimenting or something on those living near the capital of the Seven-Peaks Union?" I question and she seems to turn off, her area of expertise being dirty things in the ground, not biology and magic.


    "I mean... If the solution was with them, it would have been implemented, no? The aelenvari aren''t a military powerhouse of any kind, they''re nomads with well-known homes at this point. So, that must mean seeing as there''s no politics getting in the way that the Moonlit Plains are not the solution. Thus, it is here, surely!" she rambles and I nod along with what I can pick up.


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    "If you have any aelenvari in that club of yours, why not get them to offer themselves up for whatever you can manage?"


    "I don''t think we can do anything like that with brushes and chisels." she mutters into a giggle. I smile a little and glance out the window for a second.


    "So, are you making sure not to spend all your time within that dusty old mountain?" I make sure to ask as she seems a little paler than usual.


    "Yeah, I''ve gone out to some of the nearby Ravineer towns and mountain-states, supplies, you know. Sometimes, as well, I like to ask about and see if there''s any folklore about problems in these parts. But, there''s nothing that seems to go beyond a thousand years, oddly enough. Maybe I am not asking the right people...?" she explains and I reach for one of her notetablets that she left here.


    "So, anything to add to your theories regarding when the Patricide happened? You sort of waffled on in this with a lot of uncertainty if it started in the Waters Receeded period or after the Emerald Awakening." I point out, only recalling the historical time periods because of how often she''s muttering at this here desk in the early morning.


    "Truth be told, I''m still not sure, the dig site is laced with what we have taken to calling ''chronal-forged glass'' for the moment. It all seems very Ancient Jherikra, you know, Pre-Flood technology. But, there is no evidence of the aelenvari existing before the Time of Liquid Mountains, not that I know of anyway. And, well, without them, it makes no sense that this is Atarifuge and I really want it to be!" she explains, her head slowing down with the upsetting ignorance of the situation. However, it more than picks up with her passion for discovery.


    We both go quiet and she starts to fiddle with some tools, her eyes darting about.


    "So, uh, Baltanthan, how have things been on your end? Is the set of robes I suggested working out?" she asks and I frown, thinking back to Liadanann''s reaction to it. I spin my chair slightly, turning to the still-sealed box and I rub my arm a little. A small scab barely avoids the urge to pick at it.


    "Others don''t seem to like it. They''re concerned about how dangerous it is for my health." I think I am getting right.


    "Progress is built on suffering! I don''t go out much and am often filthy, but it''s all worth it at the end of the day!" she tries to argue and I shake my head.


    "The suffering we feel and experience is only because of what we choose, Ioike." I remind her, thinking about Nin and how he''s gotten so strong. I''ve been getting stronger since I first arrived at Suhurlodst, sure, but, he''s taken it so much further. All because he''s been willing for five years to sacrifice it all. Ioike''s words have merit, with pain comes reward, but, a line has to be drawn somewhere.


    Again, like with Nin, you will lose it all seeking something in such an extreme manner.


    "Well, you should listen to me more. I am really smart, you know. I wouldn''t be in this dig if I wasn''t!" she tries to reassure me in her own strange little way and I shake away my mix of bemuse and amusement.


    "I think I just need time to figure things out. There''s a lot I have to make sure I am able to do when it comes to this Exceptional House entrance exam." I tell her, briefly hiding my eyes under my hands. The weight they hold is more so emotional, but, to move them, my head is needed.


    "I don''t want you to pass..." she mutters a little too loudly and I look up with an eye almost as stinky as she is.


    "Hmmmmm?" I go with a distinct tinge of aggressive loudness.


    "I mean, I don''t want you to be unhappy, I like seeing you happy. I just, don''t want you to go. If you join Exceptional House then I''ll lose my friend..." she nearly cries and I can''t help but laugh.


    "You idiot." I state without a break in my straight features.


    "I''m not!" she snaps back, wiping her eyes on a dirt-specked sleeve.


    "Yes you are! Just because I move to Exceptional House doesn''t mean we still can''t talk to each other. Gods bear my frustration, there''s nothing stopping us from just meeting up either whenever you''re back here on Academy grounds."


    "Oh, of course..." she realises with a final sniffle before she gets a grain in her eye. She flinches and initially tries to take it out manually. Thankfully for her, I suppose, she was already crying a little so the eye doesn''t need to water up too much.


    "So, yeah, anyway, nothing else is really going on with me. Are you sure you''ve talked enough about your dig?" I say, getting us back on track as she''s not said as much as I thought she would.


    "There were talks recently about reducing the amount of security we have here." she recalls and I raise a brow.


    "They want to reduce the amount of guards present at an isolated dig site?" I question, unable to grasp the context even in the slightest. Oddly enough, as well, she seems rather calm at the idea of it.


    "Well, the first thing that led us to this dig site was the odd lack of reports regarding osibindah activity. You talk to some of the people here and half of them can''t even tell you what one is. There''s not much on it, but, we have records regarding something they call a Pestilence? Oh, and the skull-beetles, they''re around here a lot. Oh, look, here''s one right now." she tells me, her fingers picking up the oddly safe-to-handle insect before she then puts it right back.


    "How is your hand not messed up?" I quickly throw out and she shrugs before swatting away what must be another one.


    "They act differently here, none of that strange magic. I think this might be their home. It''s a little off though, considering they''re just insects. They have no signs of heritage from either humans or dragons so such complex thoughts shouldn''t really apply." she explains and I return the shrug as I am of no use to her if she wants answers for these kinds of things.


    "But, well, still, does the lack of security not concern anyone? There''s more to this world than just osibindah. You got animals like a sadroobell looking for things to champion themselves with an just people in general." I ask her and she shakes her head.


    "No, I''ve had some conversations with the others and they all seem fine with it as well. We''ve had no problems that have needed us to call in anyone and at worst we just have to deal with someone sneaking into the dig. But even that''s just a formality at this point as there are no artefacts to steal. We''ve just been digging out what must be Atarifuge''s tomb, for lack of a better word." she explains to me and I think a little about what she said about the lack of osibindah. Such a weird topic these days, given I am friends with one. I glance down a little and spot a box and am reminded of something.


    "Oh, Ioike, I nearly forgot, you had a delivery come not that long ago. It seems to be one of the tools you need." I tell her, the recalled memory even coming with a phantom weight in my hand.


    "My magnifier came? Aw... I can''t go back and collect it... We''re all the way down here in the south, almost right up against those foreign colonies." she complains and I almost want to chastise her for ordering a tool and having it delivered here. Especially when it''s probably for her dig.


    "I might be getting a job outside of Suhurlodst soon, maybe I can deliver it to you?" I suggest though I am not being entirely honest here. I have no idea if the next time the Grandguard comes by that I will even be able to tag along. Let alone head that far south!


    "Will you!? THANK YOU THANK YOU!" she cheers with a smile potent enough to leave her cheeks rosy even through the filter of mud and screen. I smile back, even with my knowings gnawing away at the back of my head.


    "Yeah, yeah, I''ll do what I can, how far south are you? Furthest I''ve ever been is along the Segaansallis Line when the Inter-House Talent Display congratulation parties happen." I explain and her expression lights up for the wrong reasons.


    "Oh... So cool, you''ve seen Segaansallis so often and I have not even caught an actual glance of it once in person!" she complains and I huff with a quick head shake.


    "Ioike." I go, watching her carefully as she gets her focus back.

 Incline 32: Aspirer Baltanthan

    "Ok, maybe if I...?" I ponder to myself as the dust settles at the end of the arena. Looking to my free hand once again, I stab my staff into the ground preemptively. The magic flows through it as well as my body and I raise my palm. Nothing comes of it.


    Frowning a little, I follow it up with a tired shake and slap my face a little. Focus, Baltanthan, focus well and good. Focus on making the greatest spells I can. Keep the end goal in sight.


    Like a hand on a dial, the glow of my magic turns up in brightness and then starts to turn patchy. Trying to provoke it further, I do my best to force the mystical energies towards my open palm. If I keep to simple shapes for now, I might be able to force my power to evolve. At the very least, it''s a stepping stone when it comes to me trying this with my actual spells.


    "I should probably be practising in an actual facility, one with a matter maker." I remark, firing off a lance before I even start to strain with keeping it contained. My magic has always been about oxidation, I can''t really express my armour-destroying capabilities on dirt and stone walls. Mechanical House is probably the better option for me to train in, plenty of scrap metal over there I should be able to take. Sighing, I get back to it.


    I throw my staff to the ground and look up at the many arena seats.


    "Where in the name of all the gods, good, bad, evil and benevolent are you lot!?" I cry out, turning to the clock overseeing the arena. They''re both a couple of hours late, seriously, what is holding them up? I groan towards the ground and look back up with a palm over my closed eyes. The exit comes into view.


    I should be able to leave and come back so long as I keep my stuff here... Right?


    I consider it, but, ultimately pick my stuff back up and head on out to the portal. Putting in the requested doorway, it lights up and I go on through. Quickly walking through the busy halls of the greater arena complex, the stench of sweat and a bit of blood bloats my nose. Fresh air quickly enters my lungs and I survey the expanse that is the Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding.


    There''s no big, red girl to be seen, armour-plated or otherwise and I can''t see a familiar blond or blonde. What I can see, though, is a crowd gathering in the distance, one that is only getting larger as more and more are snared by the curiosity. Not really able to focus myself, I decide to join in with this herd mentality and head on over. It''s a little too dense to see through and I can''t fly.


    I spot a tree and narrow my determination at it.


    Finding a strong branch of modest thickness, I move my staff hand towards the top of its name giver and push up. Scrambling around, I shift into a slightly more comfortable position and pull the tool up with me. I lock it against some other branches and seatbelt myself steady. A hand picks away at some of the leaves so I can spot what it is this crowd is about.


    "Oh, now you lot are here..." I realise when I spot beak and red. Groaning a little, I force the staff out of its entrapment and clumsily land on the ground. Keeping to my sore bottom for the moment, I wait for the expected duo and their odd expansion to make it through the crowd. They seem to miss me and carry on to the arena like they should have some time ago.


    I prepare to call out for them and stop, a thought coming to mind about my future prospects. I know it''s not entirely the way I am focusing on, but, I can''t help but wonder if I will ever experience what these lot are right now. Nin may be osibindah, the only one like, well, him. And, Liadanann is of course the only one of her kind known to the recorded histories.


    Despite these obvious, superficial things, they both have something that keeps people''s eyes on them. Nin is perhaps one of or among the strongest witches in the city right now, I can''t really confirm it but seeing what Smiling Jhurack has done, surely there is a basis. Liadanann may not be notably powerful in comparison, but her magic is something foreign and exciting. The claims of it being divine are certainly an easily carried detail, gossip always focuses on it.


    And then there''s me, simple me from a Ravineer town.


    The one big thing I have done in my life so far, my first Inter-House Talent Display, it wasn''t even really me. It was a Traditional House win, I was just the one who got the limelight because I took up the final objective. If anything, Michney deserves that praise more than I do, he was the one who got the ball rolling. My magic is not grand, it''s not even a good colour, my magic is the shade of green rhyolite.


    I''m barely out of the unofficially called Weak Wind bracket, a piece of paper in thickness away from being the emerald of pathetic incompetence. Stained glass. I''m trying as hard as I can, I want to become an Exceptional but every time I try I can''t help but feel like I won''t be able to make it. Those I tend to practice with are challenging enough and actual Exceptionals throw all my years of training out the window.


    "Guess I better stop moping and go after them." I grumble, forcing myself off of my root-beaten backside. Walking at first, I pick up the pace into a light jog and catch Seigunfrei''s attention that way.


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    "I thought you were going to wait inside our set-aside arena?" he asks and I glare immediately.


    "Approaching three hours." I point out, perhaps a little exaggeratively but I can always tell him to shut up if he wants to say what the actual time is.


    "That long, huh?" he goes and I bypass the group to check the booking board to make sure the arena is still in my name. Thankfully, it is, if on the warning timer regarding its lack of occupancy.


    "Hurry up!" I bark, rushing on ahead to get back to our one. If we lose this then we won''t be able to get another arena the whole day and we can''t access other Academy facilities with a non-student. Let alone two!


    "Everyone is slow in here." Nin quietly comments next to me, my legs pumping with all they have while he just seems to be skipping.


    "DON''T RUN NEXT TO ME, GET TO THE CONSOLE AND SET IT UP!" I scream against him with an attempted whack of my staff. He dodges it and a bunch of other students by running up a wall and then jumping from the roof. He rolls across the floor and vanishes in a gust of wind. I slide to a halt to catch my breath, my eyes wide at how casually he seems able to do that.


    The heavy clang of armour catches up and I turn to Liadanann while Seigunfrei seems to try and race Nin.


    "Sorry about being late, things got a little busier than we were expecting." she tells me and my nose crinkles, lip rising a bit.


    "It''s fine, so long as those two can get to the console to remind the system that I am still here." I sigh, rubbing my face and walking ahead. I ignore the nearly full set of fingers she pokes my side with.


    "Don''t you me remind it that we''re here?" she asks and I look at her, blinking a little at what she said before this.


    "Late, remember?" I remind her and I assume she turns away with what must be a sheepish expression of some sort. That or she''s giggling inside of her head at the easy response she got from me. The portal comes into view and we step through, the view changing to one lacking in decoration and school pride. We step out into the arena just as Nin seems to counter a blow from Seigunfrei.


    "I thought it would be a good idea to bring Nin into it while we can have him here." Liadanann mutters and I shrug, some extra help isn''t always helpful but I am hoping this will amount to something. Maybe Nin can explain things differently than Seigunfrei, maybe he has insights I can better work with.


    "You know, it would be nice if Nin actually worked with us rather than him." I remark as we arrive at the edge of the arena. Seigunfrei comes spinning in on his usual tornado spells and Nin simply runs. Whatever that bug can see, he finds a clean path to knock Seigunfrei right off of his floating feet. I smile a little, glad to see Seigunfrei in the dirt for once even if I cannot follow along all that well.


    Just watching the two take it somewhat half-heartedly is already more than I can handle. Oddly, I have no way of proving it, yet, I just know that Seigunfrei is going easier than this against me and Liadanann. Puts into perspective what five years of training at their level can do, I suppose. Lots of fighting, the real bloody kind of stuff.


    "Guild work..." I mutter in thought as a lot of the really well-known witches are all guild contractors. Their grand feats of defeating beasts and fighting in armies, it''s all so easy to learn about. War-Witches and so on might be stronger, but their part in a greater group sort of means you don''t hear about them per say. Unless they''re something spectacularly special like the upper-ups of the Valkinvar or something.


    I''m pretty sure there''s a saying with the Valkinvar as well, though, it''s not about them. At the head of the army does the good general lead, his name as eternal as the proof of his victories in mind and stone. They''re nothing without the army but you don''t recall the man and his mount or the infantrymen lined up. It''s all about the general.


    Maybe I should enrol in the army or something? My magic would probably be a good fit in a place like that where armour is a problem. Little old Baltanthan with his old rusty crossbow bolt. I can amount to something in the profession that probably got my mother killed.


    Well, I assume it is what got her called, that crossbow bolt back in my safebox is the only lead I have.


    I blink and focus on the present as the other two start to approach.


    "Alright, so, you two want to be able to try and come on a job with me?" Nin asks and we nod while Seigunfrei scoffs a little at the speaker.


    "So long as you don''t leave me abandoned next to a wyvern''s corpse." he chuckles and Nin steps forward without a care, hands behind his back.


    "Look, I''m going to be honest, the pair of you are nothing special. But, I owe you both a lot so I am going to put in the effort and try and make this work. Seigunfrei''s tried to catch me up and Liada''s given her whining corrections but I need to see it for myself." he explains and my eyes quiver a bit with nervousness. How am I supposed to show off my strong points if he''s not wearing metal or anything? Is the problem with my magic or am I just bad at picking teachers?


    I guess only the gods know.


    "Suppose I better try anyway." I mutter under my breath, my hand coming to life with my magic. I throw it out at Nin and he quickly steps back and spins around it. Liadanann''s armour grows with her talisman''s power and she charges for Nin. He does much the same until he starts to prod at the seemingly larger girl.


    She stumbles into my spells and I sharply cut it off.


    "I''m fine!" she calls out, a shield having stopped my magic from eating away at her armour.


    "So, is this the best I can get out of you like this or do I need to...?" Nin asks from my side and I jump away, dropping my staff. Scrambling back to my feet with hands full of magic, I latch onto him with what feels like a limp grip. He may not have any metal on him, but I can still focus my magic on something. Locking one arm around his neck, I reach into my belt and pull out a piece of magnesium.


    I set it off right against his face and am thrown into a metal wall for the trouble. The wall groans beneath me and I push myself up, using her plate as an excuse to walk over her. She drags herself up after me and we set ourselves up again, my eyes shifting to my dropped staff. We just need to-


    Claps start to echo from up on the chairs of the arena, a dark-skinned woman being the source.


    "Now isn''t this quite the find, my oh-so-beloved partner is doing charity work for these poor, poor students." she guffaws, everyone''s attention going up to her.

 Incline 33: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "Seigunfrei, handle these two, I''ll talk to her." I tell my friend after watching Liada''s hissing for a second. In a single bound, I land right in front of Inerish, my feet settled in quite nicely on the top of the seats in front of her. For a moment, I look at her tights-snugged legs and then I meet the smirking face. I blink when she kisses the air.


    "If you''re going to leap for me, at least make sure it''s when I am in bed and properly dressed." she whines with the slight turn of her head, a finger going to her mouth while the chest pumps up. She gently kicks the space between my legs and I get down from my perch. Ignoring the hassle of trying to avoid her behaviour, I simply sit next to her and prepare to handle Liada in the back of my head. The expected happens and Inerish snuggles up next to me in a way that reminds me of Rose.


    Oh, gods, I might end up having to deal with two of them in the future.


    "I gave you an order and you''ve gone here instead. I do not appreciate insubordination, Dark Crow." Inerish tells me with what seems to be a tight grip. I can''t tell if it''s because I am a whole lot of shell or just stronger. Perhaps it is both.


    "I don''t work for you." I remind her and she laughs manically, her hand crawling about with smooth drumming.


    "You''re a member of a public witch guild, not a private one, such a shame. Well, not for me, I have as much authority over you as I do the freshest recruit in my Cityguard." she informs me, tapping the end of my beak before she starts jabbing at other parts across my chest.


    "Force the matter and see where it gets you?" I suggest, carefully watching the way she seems to welcome the challenge. Her lips curl and eyes narrow, some kind of device hooked up to her hip is gestured around and she stands up. It comes close to her lips and its purpose becomes clear.


    "I sure hope you don''t plan on having my finger slip onto the button and having the order to have you arrested to be put out..." she mopes innocently, her hands coming together with uncomfortable tightness. Not so much for her as it is for me, if what she says is true, all she needs to do is squeeze her thighs a little. The fingerprint will be the least of my worries.


    "How long have you had that...?" I ask, glaring from behind my mask.


    "Since before you got involved with Smiling Jhurack, actually. You may have been under the protection of Suhurlodst but every day was just one more excuse to push this button. In a way, you''re lucky I am not Jhermonikra, Dark Crow." she taunts before climbing up on top of me, the device back on her belt. She grasps my face and tilts it up, her lipstick clogs up one of my lenses and she starts to tug at the bandages I am bound in.


    "Mmmm." is all I really have to say while she fiddles through her things to present the tablet I should''ve received. I set it down on the arm of the chair as best as I can and she shuffles about until she can direct that claw down a bit. What''s a good grip for her is merely a place for my hand. Can''t say I am complaining, though, I''ve held a fair few girls by their bottoms.


    Squish and a quick smirk.


    "So, what am I being held up for? These jobs I have you coming along for are quite serious, you know." she asks right as Seigunfrei sends Liada spinning in the air from some blow to her chin. She just barely manages to avoid landing on it as well and we''re met with a loud bang of metal, a slight puff of dirt with it.


    "It won''t just be me and you going on this job, Inerish. We''re getting some help." I say in all seriousness but that might have just made it easier for her to cackle.


    "Help? Remind me, who was the one who looked so ravishing in all that gore?" she asks, a burst of shivers delighting her more than the prospect she''s named. I ease up on my grip a little, hovering just barely away.


    "I don''t find blood to be particularly beautiful or handsome." I answer, giving it depth as I am not sure who she is specifically talking about. She was the one having the time of her life cutting down and borderline torturing those she had the capital allowance on. If I am who she is on about, then I have some vomit to throw up. Not because of the blood, just the idea of attraction being involved with it.


    "Well, I do. I love how dominating it makes someone out to be. Covered in all that spilt life, so very much soaked with it. It makes my knees weak and my heart tremble. The mixture of fear and admiration, you could almost fall in love with it." she explains and for this -very only- once in my life, a certain joke comes to mind.


    "I bet you must''ve fallen head over heels for Smiling Jhurack, then." I snort and she growls, this sadistic pleasure seeker making way for something entirely livid.


    "You will say nothing like this again." she threatens, just short of pulling out a blade of any kind to put along my throat.


    "We will be going on this next job as a group of four or five." I state, moving my mind away from the topic of Smiling Jhurack for both of our sakes.


    "As a pair, we made short work of the last problem, that doesn''t mean the jobs are easy. This is no school trip like the neutered jobs in this Academy are. It is real, rogue soldiers, black sites, foreign incursions and witches of all glows and shades hired on criminal coin." she lists off and all I can do is shrug. I don''t entirely have faith in them, I admit this much to myself, but, they can handle themselves. Liada has the bloody experience, detached from it as she is now and they''ve both been in the chaos of the tournament known as Inter-House.


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    Liada was even there when Vapooliar tried to kill me and she survived that rampage.


    "I will look after them." I assure Inerish and she shakes her head, pushing against me until she is back on her feet with that strict soldier''s posture.


    "And when you are looking after them, what do you think will happen to those we''re supposed to be dealing with? Oh, that''s right, they''ll escape with contraband, finish what they need to be doing and in general cause trouble for this country. A country that you are letting down by the second you delay our departure with this nonsense." she builds up to scoffing at. I shake my head and cross my arms, her attempt to guilt trip me could''ve been so much better.


    "Frankly, I don''t give a damn about this country. It''s like you said, Inerish, if it weren''t for you being from some other land without osibindah, you''d have happily pressed that button. I''ve spent so long with -gun barrels- against my head that it''s become normal. A long time ago, guns made me uncomfortable like they should, now they''re props for people who''re only looking for an excuse to have me killed." I tell her, my chitters aggressively picking up with each step closer I take. Our eyes narrow at the other pair simultaneously despite my face coverings.


    I really need to wipe this other lense clean...


    She shrugs with a scoff and then looks at me with a slight nod, "Fine if that is how you want it, I will see what they''re capable of and then we will leave, just us two, and we''ll go on many other jobs afterwards. All the tabletwork can wait, I am going to wring you dry of every bit of energy inside that shelled body of yours."


    "HEADS UP YOU THREE!" I snap as loudly as I can to get their attention and Inerish leaps into the arena with them. The contrast between her landing and their training is like slugs compared to an acrobat who has only seen gold. I skip down a few seat lanes and take up a new spot on the edge between combatant and spectator.


    "The Dark Crow here seems to think you three should be allowed to come along with me on official government business. Now, I have the full right to take along whomever I want and deem necessary for the work, so long as I am involved. I don''t like to lead from the back, even back in the days when I managed defensive siege lines. I love the sound of bombardment, the rain of pebble and ash. There is a fine, Waionr-blessed pleasure to be found in battle. However, be it either the God of War or the Friend at your Final Rest. I can only see you lot meeting them. Prove me wrong."


    She finishes up with her monologue and the entire arena is set ablaze, its edges no longer reachable because of her amethyst fire. Dark patches closer to black turn almost white and the arena''s artificial light is eaten up, giving the impression of a pitch-black cave or cloudy night. My friends do their best to provide light for themselves with only Liada''s really holding up in the face of this dark-fire witch. Inerish''s sword lights up and a pair of snaking trails blaze into existence across her


    With each step she takes, a small little patch of flame is left behind and her heels click like a pair of sirens. There is danger ahead and those three need to understand that. Blackness. Focusing on the noise of Inerish''s sprint, I make out a rough warp in the dark but the three do not.


    Metal bangs and a man grunts with a spiral of magic protecting the one who can handle himself. Though closer to her, Seigunfrei''s magic seems to hold up better close to the dark witch. He keeps up the pressure, following the figure at the end of his shadow-oppressed vision and noises follow. Blade of steel versus blades of wind.


    Brief sparks of brightness erupt across the arena and a distinctly male voice cries out when that purple light ends up in a wide swing. Inerish turns on the other two as they recover and they do their best to light up the area. Liada''s power domes off a chunk of land and Inerish starts to pry. Her blade is dragged along the shield and with each step, she seems to hum out idle thoughts.


    How she can experiment her way past this, what she can do. I spot an ember too late and what Inerish has inside the dome erupts into a grand and vicious spire. Her spiteful cackles are expressed through the downright evil smile forming in the flames and Liada''s plan goes out the window. The two break apart and Baltanthan tries to bombard her with what he can, his attention on what seems to be her sword.


    The thing is, though, Inerish more than anyone knows how the dark can play with someone''s mind. Her unlit sword knocks the poor boy out from behind. Inerish picks up on the intensity of the darkness, narrowing Liada onto a walkway with only one escape. She must go forward, towards the prepared slash.


    I frown at all this excessive power and pay attention to the pair of clear patches. Seigunfrei''s sliced-open chest and Baltanthan''s bruised skull, the fire is coming closer. Taking this as somewhat of a hint, I rise to my full height and nod at Liada though she cannot see me. I have faith in her, her power will hold up for the single moment I need to put an end to this.


    "You''re not confident that I can keep them safe and handle the job? I hope we both have money on this, all our savings." I say, smirking at the challenge as I put my feet on the wall and crouch into the motion. Leaping for one of the pair, I snatch him up and rush onto the other, blowing out Inerish''s magic with each step. I roughly drop the duo into a nice comfy chair each and land back in the inferno.


    Kicking up some molten dirt, I start to find traction on the melting walls. A fine line forms increasingly so with each lap I pull off and I start to wrestle some control away from her. Inerish seems to find this amusing and she puts off handling Liada so she can focus on me. I dodge the casual blows she throws my way and build the speed back up each time.


    "Is this really the best you mean to show me, Dark Crow? The only one that has impressed me is that Exceptional Student and even then, I know full well it is only because of his involvement with you and that Worm Rider!" Inerish barks cockily and I leap into the air, the illusion of my sprint carrying on without me.


    I never got past it ever, not until he started taking it easy on me, but, Smiling Jhurack was the best teacher I could ever have. Nothing was out of bounds, no action was impossible. Misdirection and slugging it out, he had it all. Inerish dismisses her magic at just the right time.


    The only shadow in all of the arena is the one my wide-spread cloak and body is making. I throw one of my arms back and reel myself in!


    "HOW IN THE-!?" she panics in complete contradiction to her prior behaviour. I crash down onto her, putting all the force I can into the movement to crater the nominally tough arena and strain her body. I release her fresh, tender wounds and rise.


    "This is how I will do it, I will not only look after these lot, but you now as well." I tell her, rolling my shoulders back and hopping out of the crater without so much as a burn. Dirt moves and I turn to find her already climbing up after me.


    She smiles, her eyes half-open, "Very well, my powerful little pet."

 Incline 34: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Liada tightens her grip on my claw as Inerish sits down across from us and my mouth opens, "So?"


    "I have requested an aircraft big enough to comfortably fit us all in..." Inerish moans with the cross of her arms and the stiff shake away of her head. Just barely, I can catch the smile on Liada''s lips while my arm is treated like a toy. That prize catch you can''t help but show off.


    "Then we just have to wait for Baltanthan or will we cut out the middle road and pick him up?" I ask, thinking a little about how hectic he was to get back to his student housing. Something, something he needed to pick something up. His words weren''t exactly the clearest and clarification ran off with him.


    "Much as I would like to, the city and the space from here to Suhurlodst is too big for us to waste time on. I have informed those watching the main road to Suhurlodst to bring him directly here when he gets there. Patrols in the area are also making sure everyone sticks to the main road for the moment." she explains with a heavy nasal breath.


    "Would be a shame if I needed to go and look for him." I taunt amusedly, curling my mouth a bit as she glares. She might not be able to see it, but she knows. She knows.


    "You won''t, trust me on that." Inerish says with a tone that''s bordering on an aggressive snap. She gets up and leaves, her finger suddenly near her ear. The room''s doors slide open, letting in a cavalcade of other conversations before they shut them up for us.


    "She certainly seems happy with our arrangement." Liada remarks, her grip easing up now that the competition is gone. However, it''s simply too likeable for her to just stop now. So, moving my thumb claw a bit, I rub the back of her hand and watch her smile grow. Ah, the little things.


    "If it remains this easy, she''ll be ecstatic by the time we''re done with all these jobs." I add on and Liada starts to hum an unfamiliar tune, a marble rolling out into view. Watching it carefully, my arcane senses start to pick up on a similarity to something else she is wearing. My focus shifts to her talisman and its glow. I use my free hand to take up the feather around my neck.


    Freeing the other hand from her grip, I pinch the marble and move it close to her talisman. Nothing seems to happen though I can definitely see and feel the want for something to occur. However, upon putting it closer to my bracelet or the feather, the marble starts to almost scream. It was a silent noise, but enough to make me give it back to Liada.


    "What in the name of the Mighty Moon was that?" Seigunfrei asks, looking up from whatever tabletwork has him occupied. He''s been filling that out for some time now, since the confirmation of the tag-along, actually. Well, minus a patch of him vanishing elsewhere in the school before we left.


    "What was what?" the less magically-tuned woman asks as she clutches her marble. Getting up, I move over to Seigunfrei to talk to him about it more directly. Liada watches us with wide eyes and a nervous tick in her hands. Together, away, together, away, all the more conscious of her toy.


    "Ball is designed for her talisman." I explain, glancing quickly at what Seigunfrei is filling out. My in-depth reading is still not the best, yet, I can still pick out the general meaning of what this is. He''s filling out a form and with how he''s minded the sign-here parts, I can only assume it is for Baltanthan''s benefit. There are details about off-campus credit and appreciation.


    He''s trying to dramatise Baltanthan''s contribution in this yet-to-be-done job to help him into Exceptional?


    "Ah, incompatible power source." Seigunfrei mutters as he starts to get stumped by some of the later paragraphs. I leave him to it with a pat on the back and go back to Liada, though, I remain standing this time. My weight shifts between my feet and I keep my time occupied this way for the moment.


    "So, where did you get that, anyway? I can''t recall if we talked about it before or am I thinking of your armour?" I ask her and then myself, my brow cocking into an arch, eyes up against the edge of their sockets.


    "I borrowed it from Baltanthan''s roommate. It''s a power gem that belongs to my people. I''m not too sure about how old it is, but, I know what it is. There''s a little bit of hope in me that it will lead us on a trail to finding more of my kind. Perhaps even a way back to my family if they''re still alive." she explains and I crouch down to put a claw on her closest knee.


    "It''s been years since you were sold off, Liada. You might not be able to find them, especially with what you have told me." I point out to her, trying to keep her hopes within reason. Unlike when I tried to get back to Tobaballe, her home is mobile, it will not always be in one place. Though I guess that applies to cities as well, it only takes one thing that''s powerful enough to destroy it all.


    "Even one little stick is the start of a bonfire to keep you warm at night..." she sulks quietly, her armour folding in on itself. Her sniffle echoes about her helmet and roars right out.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Well, it''s clear you miss it, so, come on, I''ll take you to the hangar and you can recall to your heart''s content." I tell her, lifting my mask up so she can see my smile. She returns the favour with one of her own and with my help, she''s on her feet. Claw and hand interlocked, she starts the walk off and control of it relinquishes to me. A quiet giggle escapes her and I shake my head at her attempt to switch the meaning to the ''I''ll'' I just spoke.


    "Stay safe you two, come back before dinner!" Seigunfrei calls out in the voice of an old lady.


    "Whatever, Mom." I tell him with as much teenage attitude as I can recall.


    "That''s it, no pudding!" he snaps, the last chance to break in some entertainment walking out with us. I point Liada the right way and we keep to the edge of the busy hallway. The quietness of the room we were just in would make it easy to forget that this is Thrurstradtur''s government. This entire building that dominates the skyline and the city centre.


    Rather amusingly, even with me and Liada sticking to the edge of the path, you''d be forgiven for thinking it was narrower. Not only are we big compared to the humans occupying this place, Liada''s decked out in all of her gear. She also doesn''t seem all that fond of stepping aside and is more than happy to double down on holding my arm. Thankfully for all these busy workers, Inerish put us close enough to the hangar when she took us in for some quick treatment.


    If the halls were noisy then this place might as well put us right next to the sound system. Engines firing off, the bang and clang of maintenance and engineering. Some aircraft are leaving and others are returning with one notable exception. A long, angled vehicle, one that enjoys a heavily engined rear compared to the many cog-like patrol craft.


    I wanna guess...


    "Oh, look, there''s Inerish." I go, spotting the dark-skinned woman as she seems to talk to the pilot. I bet I could get Vadei to open up quite well in a place like this, she loved being the one to fly the airship during our escapade even with the hand injury. I shiver at the thought, such a strange machine that thing was.


    Liada huddles up closer and I return the hug, her rear ends up on top of a guardrail and she lifts her visor, mouth nearing my closest ear, "The one I lived on before is much bigger than anything here."


    "Something closer to the one out by Suhurlodst?" I ask and she squirms next to me with a silent no.


    "Bigger, and more pointy. That one is so boxy in comparison, also, it''s not red." she elaborates.


    "It is a wall of guns." I say, recalling the visage of those dark holes and boxes across the gigantic steel wall.


    "Ours had guns too... They''re just on turrets that hold a few barrels each."


    "The pew-pew or bang! Bang! Kind?" I ask, ''heh''-ing at my silly noises while she just seems to grow moodier. Now, that''s just not acceptable at all. I jostle her slightly, reminding her that she''s in a hug.


    "I remember hearing the bridge crew talk to the head of engineering for our airship. It was always about the reactor only having so much of God''s power left. We could never fight even if we wanted to because we simply had no way of recovering our energy. The guns take so much but even with their power, it''s not worth it." she explains to me and I look to the talisman with her.


    "You''re hoping to use it to power the airship so that it has no such worries again?" I ask and I am met with a sigh instantly.


    "You saw what happened, nothing. I''ve been seeing if I can get this to power the gem but I can''t get it to do anything. This is from Iderim-Ovi but it has none of the capabilities that I need it to have!" she increasingly growls out, her grip scraping against itself and my shell.


    "Don''t worry, I am sure you will figure it out. It might be as simple as that gemstone being broken, a damaged battery won''t take a charge after all. Speaking of, maybe you''re forgetting one tiny detail and it happens to be that these things need to be replaced when they''re puttering away their last drop of life." I try to reassure her with, taking in a deep breath once my mouthful is fully expelled.


    She breathes in a lot herself and her head turns away, "I don''t know. Everyone forgets so much growing up, you can even forget something from five minutes ago, it''s that easy. Now, take the fact I haven''t been a child for what Baltanthan believes to be four thousand years and... Well, he''s admitted that it''s a -modest- guess."


    "Not something you can just quickly check up on, is it?" I surmise and she nods before leaving the hug. She gets down from the handrail and looks out to the hangar in its entirety.


    "I don''t read a whole lot, Nin, I''ve never been the type. Beyond cookbooks, tablets and shopping lists, I generally don''t care. But, sometimes, I get curious, I pop down to the library and withdraw some general history tablets. Sometimes I even wish you were there as they can be quite heavy." she starts to explain, a quick laugh coming out at the end.


    "Piles of stone slabs are heavy, Obvious News back before midnight." I joke and I get a heavy metal smack for the trouble. I whimper mockingly and break out into a snicker.


    "But, their contents only made me confused, at least, they did. I could never find anything that spoke of my people, of the ddrai''och. Nothing about wars, our culture and art. Not even anything that slanders us. It''s like we never existed at all." she lets out with a hollow tone that is enough to make me sad. I think on her words a little and the despair she cannot help but be consumed by. I think about my home and how it is gone, how all those cities I failed to save are gone because of that one fire wyvern.


    All that the people of my home knew is gone, only what was recorded by those that remain will live on as anything but ash. Though, the more I consider my home''s history, the clearer an old story becomes. Of how our ancestors fought a war to secure the Civil Mountains. I''m pretty sure I heard someone even say our city''s name used to mean, the Towering Fort.


    The war was fought against metal beasts I''m pretty sure, though, I am sure blue was mentioned and not red.


    I grab Liada and pull her in, clearing my head for the moment of any false hope, "Don''t worry Liada, don''t worry about a thing."


    "Maybe one day, Nin. Maybe one day, every little thing will be alright." she sighs, rocking from side to side with me. I repeat her ending words in my head, my eyes surveying the hangar.


    Yeah, you''re right, Liada.

 Incline 35: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "There he is!" I call out, walking up to Baltanthan while he shuffles off of his armed air-taxi. I offer to take one of the items out of his hands but he''s adamant in keeping a grip on them. My claws rise and show their palms and I leave him to it, though, I''m already with him at this end of the hangar. Can''t imagine much is going to happen to Liada and Seigunfrei because I am a few dozen metres away.


    "Stay bloody still..." he swears at his pouch of money.


    "We''re going on a job to handle dangerous people and or beasts. Not down the road for milk." I remark and he looks up with a settled, sour mood.


    "It''s to pay for a spiral-tram afterwards." he explains and I stop mid-step. I blink a little and chitter quietly.


    "The airship that takes us there will take us back, just so you are aware." I say and he starts to shake his head before he awkwardly presents a box. Once again, I offer to alleviate the troubles he is facing keeping it all in his arms and am refused much the same. He''s more than happy to dump it on an empty tool trolley, though. My tongue clicks and I go back to Liada as she finishes up her idle gossip with Seigunfrei.


    "Alright, I suppose we''ll be boarding, now?" I ask the two pointlessly while my gaze turns towards Inerish. Some men salute her and head off and what seems to be the flight crew start to clear the area around the airship. A lot of tubes, toolboxes and odd things are pulled away and stored back up. A loud bang comes from under the floor.


    The floor starts to rotate and without turning myself in the slightest, the walls go on by without those next to me coming into view. It''s amusing how easy to grasp it is and yet it still feels weird to turn and not see the one next to you. The airship behind us hisses and the ramp comes down. I watch as Inerish grabs onto one of the pneumatics in an almost heroic fashion.


    We thud to the side and stop overhanging the city, wind in our hair. Or, well, theirs.


    Liada scoffs and I can hear Baltanthan''s grumbling before he finishes up gathering his stuff. Seigunfrei forces the issue and helps him out while Liada snatches up my arm. A silent groan goes off within my armoured skull, the rebounds doing more than enough to ache this head of mine. It only takes one step onto the ramp before Inerish starts to tug at my side.


    "You''re going to like what I have planned." Inerish giggles and Liada is left behind, her strength not up to the task of keeping me in place. As quietly as she can, she shuffles into the airship and her armour makes some slight scrapes once she settles into a corner. We go through another set of doors and briefly, I can hear the ramp close up behind us. I smile a little and look around.


    I''m not quite sure of the specific role this airship has, but what it does have is a fair bit of legroom and an on-board conference table. Some kind of magic activates and I feel my feet become almost magnetised to the flooring. I tap one of the machine''s lights and then scratch a bit at what is obviously a window port. Though, why it is locked up so tightly I have no clue.


    Maybe the armoured plate will slide up once we''re in the air?


    Whatever is going to happen, it has Inerish wearing a right sinister smirk. She lets go of me and relaxes into one of the plump recliners, a fizzing glass of all things popping out from a slot. A sip wets her lips and she idles her gaze around Baltanthan before she pushes some armchair buttons. A storage cabinet slides into the open and she gestures to it in all seriousness.


    "Best do as she says." I tell him and he rolls his eyes.


    "She hasn''t said anything." he reminds me and I applaud his efforts to point out the obvious. Staff, box and other bring-alongs are devoured by the dark confines of the storage box and it goes away again.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll bring it all out when we reach our destination. I imagine your staff is essential equipment." Inerish explains before she starts to press some buttons on the table console. I peek around to her end of the table and look under it a little. This entire thing is one big computer? All those buttons are on a little hinged plank.


    The lights of the aircraft turn off and the table starts to glow a soft, pear-ish colour. An angled block of a landmass starts to form from the winds blowing in from the table edge. I tease the mechanics of the machine, disrupting whatever it is Inerish is trying to do. A quick, childish laugh leaves me and I let her air hockey table get back to it.


    To think I''d randomly be reminded of my time aboard the Vightorhian again.


    I smack my lips, my thoughts naturally turning towards the food I had during my time there. It''s been years but I can still clearly recall that blackberry tart and the other things made for me. Liada''s a good cook, the many girls I have known since I left Tobaballe have been good cooks. Even Heiya when she made that honey thing back in the mountain wreck, though, that''s probably because I hadn''t eaten in a while.


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    My eyes glare at Inerish''s glass, is her chair the only one with something like that, can I get a snack in this airship? It looked big enough from the outside, the thing is massive compared to the rest of the hangar''s contents. You would not be able to convince me if you tried that this otherwise sleek, luxury-having aircraft didn''t at the very least have a pantry the size of a cupboard. At the very least!


    Inerish coughs into her hand, putting an end to all mental tangents, mutterings and talks.


    Putting my attention on the table again, I blink at how much its imagery has progressed since my mucking about. There are a lot of small dots listed all over this angled block of land with four distinct megaliths dominating what must be the total border space. This Seven-Peaks Union outscales everything else put together and the north is all but theirs along with the continental core. To its right or east, rather, is something called Founder''s Point with three specially marked spots detailing...


    Ark Cities.


    "Wait, is that, as in...?" I quietly ask myself, the basics of my theology lessons coming to mind. That place is meant to be THE Founder''s Point, the place where the gods returned life to the world after the betrayal of the Moon Gods? Well, I''ll be.


    Focusing back on the map, my eyes turn westward just before Inerish zooms it in on Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst''s lot of land. I may not be able to see it anymore already, but, I saw that shrinking blob above. Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy, the home of the first friend I made in this land. That''s Vapooliar''s home and even on this map, it is shrinking with the aid of warbled colour and expression.


    "Alright, I suppose the specifics of where we will be going don''t matter to you four so I''ll let you pretend there''s a city nearby. The important thing is, we are heading to a listed no-go area and the problem is obvious. Now, this area is the way it is, is because we are specifically aware of ancient weapons in the area too unstable to be handled." Inerish explains, the general area of our target flashing and blinking.


    If I didn''t already know that it''s a giant canyon further west, it would look like the last mountain range before the stretch to the coast. Whatever is there, the stakes are fairly clear. Keep the old bomb out of the hands of those who probably intend to knock it on the doorframe on the way out. My eyes shift to Liada as she works up the courage to speak.


    "How ancient?" she asks and Inerish waves her hand without a care.


    "It doesn''t matter, it could be some old Grand-Kingdom flooding device for all I care. Ancient Jhermonikra magic destroyer or something else. What I want is to make sure that it stays in its old, undisturbed mountain resting place. This country has enough problems on its borders, I don''t need issues arising inside of it as well." Inerish elaborates and Liada goes back to being quiet. A bitter air about her when she slams herself into a seat.


    I walk around to her and put my claw on her shoulder, squeezing gently. I want to guess that she''s still handling her thoughts about her inexplicable age problem. Four thousand years as a minimum strikes me as more than enough time for something to be considered ancient. But, this is not something I can really get her hopes up for, I can''t look into the future to settle her thoughts here and now.


    Liada leans against me and I can hear her exasperated sigh.


    "So, who are we dealing with exactly?" I ask, the last job I went on being nothing more than some bandits and their witch mistresses.


    "Unknown, only that they have the capacity to initiate an extensive dig and have the resources to find the site to begin with. My spies within Suhurlodst have ruled out that it is them so we''re looking at either a foreign incursion or one of the mountain-states within our borders getting uppity. Much as I like to look at our territory and want to be sure of it. The fact of the matter is, we''re more like webs forcibly built around those who insist on independence." Inerish drones on and my home flashes across my mind.


    Tobaballe was like that, the Civil Mountains, rather. The largest countries were only a few cities strong and most were built around about as far as their guns could fire from their walls. Rather amusingly, I can only remember half as much as I do because of the jokes that used to pass through our political geography lessons. The details are lost to me right now, perhaps forever, but it was about an old general who nearly turned the Civil Mountains into a single empire.


    He failed, and all because of a ditch with spikes.


    "Oh, wait, maybe that''s what the joke was?"


    "What joke?" Liada asks me and I blink, realising I spoke a little too loudly.


    "Don''t worry about it, just thinking to myself." I tell her, moving my claw close to her face and compressing it against my thigh.


    "Anywho, that''s the general information of what we''re dealing with. We''re going to need to improvise a lot once we get there so I hope you''re up for keeping to your word, Dark Crow." Inerish says, her smirk coming back while her glass vanishes back into the chair. She clicks on her chair''s belt harness and a loud bang sounds off the clamping of the airship. My stomach moves and it becomes clear that we''re being moved about. Though the magic in the floor keeps me still, my cloak is more than happy to be moved by gravity to the point it is nearly straightened out.


    I put a claw on my hat and take it off so I can scramble to find an open window. Oh, I have got to see this, even just a little. Seriously, I have just spent five years fighting a monster who''s forced me to keep my senses in tune at all times and I never picked up on us not moving. Come on, something let me see!


    "Ah-ha!" I eagerly go, opening up an emergency door and causing all sorts of problems for the launch. A click races after me just like a person is. I climb around and cling onto the airship''s outsides, the daredevil in me screaming for the fun.


    "GET BACK IN HERE!" Inerish screams and I shake my head, my grip readjusting once again. I watch carefully and spot her sudden change in behaviour, suddenly, she wants me to stay out here. The door is closed back up and the additional alarms go quiet, leaving me with just the steady, thick-sounding ones.


    "This should be fun..." I mutter in anticipation as I watch the hands of the cranes release the airship. Wherever they have moved us, it seems to be that we are now in some kind of runway built into the Gnomon. I guess another marvel of engineering designed to come out when it is needed.


    "Airship ignition in three... Two..." the speakers go.


    "Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!" I chitter, settling into the tightest grip I can manage.

 Incline 36: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "One." the speakers finally say after an eternity between the last second. Right up behind me erupts into a firestorm of engine exhaust. My grip locks into place and the airship boosts up along the rail. A barely audible mechanical release and I try to keep low, but my chest is grabbing onto the wind.


    I fling almost upright, my head threatening to bend over until my back snaps. A slight turn throws my beak over my shoulder and the one eye that can catch a glance at the city widens. It''s shrinking so fast, the sprawling metropolis is so flat and small seeming now. I can''t hear anything other than the rush of the wind and everythings been shot.


    Each nerve under my shell is blurred and pinned, I can''t feel my digits. I can see them holding on for dear life and yet my body is screaming at me. The feeling I am about to let go won''t go away. No, I can''t do that, I have to ignore it.


    A high pitch builds up in the engines.


    "HU-HU-HU-HU-HU-HU-HU-HU-HU-HU-HUH!?" I struggle to get out, spotting the build-up of magic in the engines. A prick somewhere drops and this orb of magic explodes. We shoot ahead faster than we were before and my legs slip, flailing about the way we''ve come. My grip tightens so much it hurts.


    I can''t move, I can only hold on for as long as I can. This was a bad idea, this was a very bad idea, how could I have been overcome with such stupidity? What force in this mortal life compels a bug to do something as stupid as this!? Certainly not the God of Death, he doesn''t want me back until it''s my time.


    Gravity barely settles in and my body slams against the hull, freeing one of my claws of their duty. My right arm yanks from its socket and it continues to hold on. It breaks under the pressure, snapping apart as I flex myself back up. My left can''t find a good grip, I''m too close to all the smooth plating.


    The airship runs from under me.


    "OH, SHIT!" I go, watching the airship rocket away without me on it, the sky''s embrace all about. Orienting myself in an instant I throw my arms back and send forth my magic. It just barely catches up with the airship and latches on as the sky starts to shift colour. The usual blue makes way for pinks and purples, the colour of the rawest kind of magic.


    Like hitting a wall, I throttle back and immediately get to reinforcing my spells. Reeling in as close as I can under these conditions, I edge the tip of the almost fire-like spear of magic. Not seeing away under or other this, I let my right rest for a second and swing to the left. Thrusting my fist to my pectoral, I shoot to the airship''s wing and slam into it.


    Letting it loose for a moment, I slide to its tip and climb back up. Standing on such a thin platform with my magic threatening to buckle, I keep my head steady. Spotting where I need to go, I let the wind snap its attention away and throw out more magic. Like I am digging my claws into rock, I struggle my way back onto the airship''s top.


    My feet settle into a nice, snug area and my magic once again finds itself on something. Only, this time, I fight back against the reel and lock myself in place. I let my lungs properly open for the first time since this machine came to life. I rear my head back with casual confidence.


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    "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I cry out with all I can as the airship seems to settle into a stable speed while the world just goes on by. Looking where I can, I laugh a little at how I can''t see any sign of Thrurstradtur and nearly piss myself looking to my left. I''ve handled wyverns just fine before but in a distance that doesn''t seem so far up here, a titan.


    Shimmering in diamond scales with horns that reach perhaps longer than this entire airship, a dragon flies. With each flap of its wings the already turbulent air around me suddenly jolts to the right. Four sets of claws flex eagerly and it seems to spot us. I gulp at the oncoming problem and instead, the great beast makes its smirk well and truly clear.


    It barrels over itself, exposing its full wingspan and softer belly in the seemingly slow rotation. The massive beast dives out of view towards the world below, wings tucked tightly in. The wings open. My jaws unhinge as it suddenly shoots back into the sky to go further up than we''re going.


    The tips of those sky-darkening limbs clap together, their tips ringing like a bell. The sky and all its magic clear up, revealing two things of grandeur. The shielding shell that protects our world, a murky, solid wall of magic that keeps us away from the nothing beyond. And, just barely through it, I can see a great ring orbit.


    I almost want to wave.


    Laughing in awe, I settle into position and enjoy the rest of the view up here with all the dragons and other great beasts. Creatures without solid form, only the signs of magic. What appears to be living lightning as well arcs past, narrowly avoiding anything it could try and want to hit. Most peculiarly as well, I can see what I swear looks like a city up here, one walled off by some of the brightest wind magic I have ever seen.


    I shrug and decide to keep the wonders up here to myself, no matter how much I might enjoy explaining them. There''s nothing quite like being able to see it all for myself and being selfish with the details. However, if there is one thing I will no doubt let loose to everyone else, it''s how bloody numb and bruised I am feeling! The wall just never runs out of bricks, I am always breaking through more.


    Flaps on the airship''s wings open up, strong plates that are doing a better job of keeping still than I am. We start to dive, fast. The ''calming'' cruise we were at bids farewell and something starts to form at the front. It explodes and deja-vu overcomes me.


    The sky screams right into my ears and I adjust my stance to better handle the dive. Once distant mountains start to come into view properly and we break out into the normal sky. I drop dead against the metal surface and hug it tight, my ruined body counterbalanced only by this uncontrolled laughter. It''s all calming down now, I can feel it.


    Letting my magic stop, I switch to comfortably hugging on for dear life and chuckle away. I am not doing this again, not for a good while, this was enough of that for now. Mechanicals shift about and I hear the ramp open up and the engines die down if only a bit. Crawling about with a magic safety harness, I reach the wingtip.


    Inerish waves to me from the ramp, one hand on the pneumatic pole while the other keeps her hair steady. Rearing an arm back, I grab onto the same pole and come right in. I grab her and we go crashing against the bulkhead keeping the ramp area from the lounge-like bit. Though I have my issues with her, I can''t help but hug her with all I have while the ramp closes up.


    Finally, something soft for me to hold, something squishy for me to press up against!


    Hitting my back as I have no more energy within me for the moment, Inerish climbs around a little, her thighs squeezing up on my hips. She smirks and giggles while I laugh away the final bits of adrenaline. She lowers herself down and drags her chest across me. Her mouth settling near my swollen ear.


    "I told you to get back inside." she teases and my airless lungs wheeze out one final laugh.

 Incline 37: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "No... Wait... Don''t go..." I almost cry as I struggle to shuffle to a chair. Everything aches, it''s all sore, I want to lie down for a good month and not be disturbed at all in all that time. Inerish simply laughs at me without so much as popping a glance to see how I react. Thankfully, I can count on Liada to help me find a seat though I am not fond of being near her right now.


    I''ve been against metal for far too long right now and she''s in too much armour and the sad part is she doesn''t have time to strip. So, I do my best to tolerate it while Inerish knows full well that her snugged-up body in that officer''s uniform is better for me. Liada tries to offer me some physical comfort with strokes and even a hug but I ick my way out of them. The cushions on the chair will have to do.


    "You really are an idiot, you know that?" Baltanthan remarks, looking away from the finally opened window.


    "I climbed a mountain when we arrived at Thrurstradtur, you walked up the road." I wheeze in remembrance, knowing full well I clearly have awful judgment when it comes to travel. Admittedly sometimes monsters come flying by and cause trouble, but I can''t be held accountable for that!


    "So, what was it like?" Seigunfrei dares to ask and my head flops as well as it can in his direction.


    "Not something I''d do again!" I answer with the joy of a child high on a crate of sweet, sweet sugar. Though, on the topic of energy, I really am feeling averse to anything magical right now. All that magic out there in the sky below the planet''s shell, it''s given me my fill of the stuff. No more, no more of it, for now, just this chair.


    "You could''ve died..." Liada squeaks under her breath and I slowly nod, coming to terms with that.


    "And I would''ve enjoyed every second before it." I want to laugh but I can''t knowing what kind of face she has right now. I keep my joy in check and offer a weak, limp wrist. She takes it up and I have to put in my all just to give her one stroke of the thumb. Her grip goes away and she drags a chair closer, her eyes keeping an immediate view of me while I slip off my cloak and mask.


    My jaw flexes almost like a yawn and I sigh blissfully, my eyes closing up for the moment. It felt like it lasted forever but I know it was only for what could''ve been only minutes or under an hour. And still, I am thoroughly shattered and perhaps at the worst time as well. I can''t promise I''ll be at my best, though, I will be at the level I need to look after the others.


    Baltanthan and Liada at the very least, those two will be looked after. Seigunfrei can hold his own, at least, I hope he can, would''ve been a waste of five years having him be my second most common sparring partner. Yet, still, Inerish had her way with him back in the arena. I guess it just contextualises just how much Smiling Jhurack pushed me as an individual.


    A deep breath escapes my nose and the two dominating people of my life come into view amidst the black screens of my eyelids. One with the most beautiful blue hair I will ever see, a smile that always made me do the same and a touch I can never move past. The other, is much the same, really, only when his lips curled, I was consumed by rage and the only touch he offered was the kiss of a blade. I was not strong enough to save her or beat him.


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    Jurghdak was the real villain, Jhurack was a byproduct of some twisted desires deep within him. It only stopped because I got to him in the way he cares the most about, I wrote a song that left him in tears. My suffering only mattered to him when it was in song. The dance partner I had only listened when it was laced into tune and string.


    Yet, there''s something sinister about all of this, at least, I feel like it is so. The agility and strength that kept me alive just now, the reason I am being depended on. All of this skill comes from Jhurack, that bastard taught me so finely. It disgusts me that I have something akin to respect for the man in me somewhere.


    Gods give me the strength to stamp it out.


    I once felt so weak even when I had all that power from magic. Seigunfrei put me into the ground as did many others, I was pushed around and threatened with death. I failed to save my home and Einervaene needed to save me from Salahma and for a while when I arrived in Jherikra, I needed Vapooliar. There are so many times when I have been too dependent on the protection of others, all the way back to that damn mountain that started this new life of mine.


    And it''s all seemingly ended, I can protect myself, I am the one who has to defend others now. That duty is mine to bear and I am capable of it because of my dance partner, the man I hate forevermore. Smiling Jhurack you detestable bastard, you evil thing, you damnation bound creature. Eat shit, and, thank you.


    A claw clutches the feather that spawned it, my grip squeezes this divine power and I shake my head. I could find out where it came from and yet, I do not feel obligated to. Smiling Jhurack is gone and even if he did come back, the power he is attached to is no longer there. All this strength he had, it was the magic Thrurstradtur brought in for its own day-to-day activities.


    Even during the day, he was always around, he was the city, his fooling of people like Inerish. How could anyone assume he was always there, right under their noses in such a blatant manner? Back when I was dead, Nosungril seemed omnipresent with his state of being, the air I breathed, it was all him. Smiling Jhurack is almost blasphemously comparable to that god, always there but never seen, not even by those equal in power.


    I open my eyes and blink a couple of times, unsure of what to really think about my situation. Shifting up a little, I sluggishly spin my chair around and get a bad view of the world outside the glass. Nothing can really compare to what was out there, no view from in here will ever be the same. I''m just glad I don''t have to put up with the cost of such a view.


    Though, maybe, maybe one day, I''ll be just like that dragon I saw or the many other creatures. In my element, nothing but the wind catching on my cloak while I soar high above the land without a care. Free as any bird and as undisputed as any of those flying reptiles I have a less-than-stellar history with. I owe Lari two things, really.


    I have to keep my promise, no matter how much it pains me to do so and I have to learn to fly. She wanted to help me do so, it''s only fair I finish what she started. I can be up there in the rainclouds, just like she always wanted to be. I''ll be able to fly so high and then go splat into the mud with a smile on my face.


    "For a first time that high, it''s not as off-putting as my body makes it out to be..." I mutter, chittering comfortably as my cloak becomes a makeshift blanket for the moment. Though, sadly, I can''t seem to quite get it to wrap around me fully. I have this strip of bandage still exposed down my front.


    Settling my eyes a little, I note how the fibres in the bandages and my cloak seem to glow.

 Incline 38: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Readjusting my position, I flex my shoulders to ward off some of this oncoming stiffness and look around. The boys are quietly talking to each other about something, showing some things off. Seigunfrei''s making a habit of using small spells so I want to assume he''s offering casting advice in as helpful but unrestrictive manner as possible. Liada, on the other side, is seemingly bored and looking out the window.


    Inerish gets up and heads into the next section of the airship, I just barely catch a glimpse of her going down some stairs. Slowly, I get up onto my feet and pop some joints with an eager shiver. Going after her, the sliding doors hiss apart and I look back quickly. Liada suddenly shifts her gaze this way and I catch what seems to be some hurt as her body depresses.


    I just need to talk to her- It''s not like this... Gods dammit.


    Frowning my concerns away, I hop down the stairs and find Inerish messing with what seems to be an equipment locker. Spotting a crate a short distance away, I pop my bottom onto it, catching her attention with a bang. She offers a smile and then gets back to it. I cross my arms, my thoughts setting themselves into place.


    "So, about this mission, what are we expecting to find?" I ask as surely there is more to this than she is letting on? Doesn''t seem right that someone with her degree of access has so little workable information.


    "I already told you, I do not know." she repeats, briefly looking over some guns before she hums in thought at some devices near the back. They seem to be a little too big to bring back up the stairs so there must be another ramp here or the walls are hiding doors.


    "And why is that, exactly? We''re heading towards what could be a city-destroying weapon." I question, shrugging at the end with the first dramatic description I could think of. Tobaballe''s ruins flash through my head, the unending infernos across the land boil my blood.


    "Because, Nin, a lot of this stuff was done way before my time. Though Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst likes to pretence itself on being this forward-thinking, modern state. One that seeks to advance itself further and further technologically. Truly magical or something mundane. Despite all this, it is an ancient body, one that still carries many of the trappings of its former, long-gone monarchy." she explains, shutting up the locker before then turning to cross her arms at me. Hip jutted just slightly out.


    "Surely that just means you need to spend a lot of your time reading up on your history?" I point out and her glare settles in, the unspoken truth instantly clear to me. Right, of course, can''t focus on much else when you have someone like Smiling Jhurack constantly causing issues. She''s probably just glad to be out of the city, quite frankly. Much as her love for bloodshed disturbs me, she seemed to be genuinely happy to be free of the hustle and bustle.


    Just her, me, and a whole lot of people you can vent all the most sinister kinds of stress on.


    She sighs, "I have a lot to catch up on, Nin. Many problems of which will be given to me so that I may perform reps with each ton of blame I get. It''s any wonder why my back hasn''t broken at this point."


    I try to laugh, "You put up with me for five years, I''m sure you can handle it."


    "I''ve handled far worse for more." she fails to even huff out.


    "Yeah, I guess you have." I barely laugh, a claw rubbing the back of my head as my mind slows down and my eyes go off elsewhere.


    "Enough about me, though, I want to talk about you, Nin." Inerish tells me with a stern expression that seems to stay even as she gets back to work. More lockers and boxes open and she takes some of them out to play around with. Familiar pieces of tech and stuff I''ve never even seen before. She''s definitely trying to consider Liada a bit as well with how she''s testing grips and handling.


    "What do you want to talk about?" I ask.


    "I want to speak to you about your insistence on bringing those three along." she answers and I start to shrug. An action she notices even without looking back my way. The item in hand strikes down particularly hard and her head turns.


    "Don''t look at me like that, you''re the one who started dragging me along on these missions to mess with Liada." I say and she takes a few steps closer, her hands on her hips and a slight angle to her expression.


    "She is precisely what I am concerned about, Nin. I take joy in this sort of behaviour, I happily admit to that. I like to get on people''s nerves like this and to throw my personal power about, not just physical, political. But, in bringing her along you have loaded our mission with a powder keg it should not have to suffer." she points out and one of my brows rise. Is she serious? She''s admitting to provocative behaviour and she''s worried about the consequences of it.


    "Then don''t." I state, pointing out what really should be quite obvious.


    "No." she replies, taking some steps closer until she''s within range for a lazy kick. Not that I can really be asked to give her shin a little beating.


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    "You are your own worse enemy." I say and she suddenly clamours up onto me. Arms wrapped around my neck, thighs exposed and spread along my legs. She moves her lips about, hovering close to the bottom of my mask before then threatening to mess up my lens again.


    "All it would take is for her to walk through those doors, curious as to what we''re up to and for her to see this and get angry. The mere act of me showing you how much I want the man who''s done more than just save my career and reputation. She knows full well that if I want to wrestle you away from her, I can, she knows she''s not strong enough to keep your attention physically. And, if she can''t get her body to do the job, you''re all mine."


    "Or I can just ignore you..." I mutter, pointing out the flaw in her logic.


    "But that''s the thing, Nin. You won''t. Don''t forget, I have my means and do use them. So many little secrets come through my ears and right back out on the tip of my tongue." she warns and my hands settle on the best spot to grab. My grip tightens and she flexes a little, her front smushing up against my chest.


    "Careful now." I warn half-heartedly and yet also entirely serious at the same time.


    "I know of the promise you have made, to gather up all these girls. Each one of which you seemed to have had at least some kind of budding romance with. Though, one of them in particular I am a little lost on. Then again, a Valkinvar returning to their ancient bastion of Suhurlodst is an oddity in and of itself. Especially when they''re fighting a losing war." she explains and I frown, the promise going through my ears although no one has actually repeated it.


    I made that promise on Lari''s deathbed, I told the woman I loved that I would move on because she did not feel the same. Yet, I am struggling to do so, I cannot. Several have said that they love me, more have shown it through actions and not once have I ever said the words back. Actions speak louder but words will always hold more meaning, they''re easier to cling to.


    Still, I am failing my promise, I am failing her. Lari would be so disappointed in me if she was still alive. Then again, if she was, I don''t think I''d be listening still. She could kiss all the men in the world in front of me and somehow I''d still love her.


    I''m only alive because of her, how could I not keep on trying? I wanted to die, not by the hands of anyone else, but by my own. She kept me going and helped me through so much. I failed her and now I have to keep to some shitty lie because it''s what she wanted!


    "Ow-ow-ow!" Inerish squeals, the noise reminding me that my hands are on someone''s cheeks and not an inanimate object.


    "Sorry..." I tell her, shifting my arms into a hug so I can at least feel some comfort. She returns the motion and settles in briefly, slipping out when the important stuff comes back to mind. Almost exhausted-looking, I watch her get back to work and quickly look to the door. No Liada walking in and getting angry or upset...


    Good, good...


    "While I myself have feelings for you, Nin. Liadanann has them too, whatever it is about you, you have a habit of attracting attention and then not properly reciprocating it." Inerish points out and I look down to my left arm. I fiddle with Motrtha''s gift and the same question comes back to me like it always does in times like this. Should I get rid of it? It''s not fair I have people affected by divine power and at the same time, I''m scared that the world will only see me as an Osibindah.


    It''s not as bad as it used to be, but, I don''t think I will ever get over what I became after I died.


    "I know, I know..." I mutter.


    "And to get us off of this topic, I also know a fair bit about your choices in assistance. Not just Liadanann. I''ve had their files sent to me and I''ve given them as much of a look over as I can in the time that I have." Inerish explains and I look up at her as she finishes putting some items into a harness of some kind. One final one locks into place and she skirts back towards me, arms resting on a double-stacked crate.


    "I told you that I will keep them safe and handle what it is you want of me." I remind her and she nods, the top of her head bobbing from behind the height.


    "I know, I just want to remind you that I do not approve. Liadanann barely has any training of any sort, her time in Suhurlodst might as well have been squatting and Baltanthan is a Ravineer-born Traditional. While I have little care for the history the Jhermonikra have regarding the Time of Liquid Mountains, there is precedent to other issues between Mountain-State populations and them. One is notably more adept with their magic due to how the stuff concentrates around populations." she explains with a brief aside into some history that I find a little hard to comprehend.


    "And Seigunfrei, you''ve got nothing on him?" I ask, noting how she stopped talking without a word about him.


    "I took my time in defeating him in that arena but his credentials are impressive. His involvement with you and the Worm Rider aside, he''s an exceptional Exceptional." she answers casually at first before I hear that humour sneak in. I huff at her wordplay and get back onto my feet.


    "Hm, he once seemed insurmountable to me but I guess a lot of focus can solve that problem."


    "Yes, I do recall the attention put on the fight you two had in the Inter-House Talent Display that occurred before you got knotted into a certain problem."


    "I only won that because we were in some magic-suppressing room." I point out and she steps out into the open to make her nod clear.


    "I know, but you won anyway so who cares about the finer specifics." she shrugs and I blink a bit at that remark. I feel like it''s playing down the details a little too much.


    "Well, if it''s any consolation, he''ll be able to handle himself and my attention can be on perhaps even just Baltanthan. Liada''s shields haven''t been broken yet to my knowledge." I say.


    "No, but they''re not impossible to bypass." she rightly points out and I nod along to that without end. I guess it depends on the situation but I feel like Liada will either be able to handle herself or I''ll need to keep a close eye on her.


    "Grandguard Inerish, we''re approaching the drop point." a man from the cabin informs us via speaker. I look up at the closest one and then to Inerish as she takes what seems to be a bit of armour from one of the racks. She straps it on and gets to applying some more before then smiling.


    "I can already tell you have something planned." I tut out, shaking my head as I walk away. She happens to rise at just the right time and her back end makes me stumble back. But, like Rose had to re-learn again and again, my tool ain''t coming out because I see a curvy shape. Not anymore, the days of hu-manhood are gone.


    "Believe it or not, this is not what I have planned." she points out, a sinister grin coming to her features while I gently fight off her attempts to try and get a response from me. I start to smack the shape away and she''s more than happy to back off.


    "I believe you." I groan, stretching just a little more. One claw reaches for the handrail and I take the first step back up.

 Incline 39: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "Nin, can we tal-" Liada starts to go and I raise a claw at her.


    "It will have to wait, as you probably heard we''re going to be landing soon." I explain but she doesn''t quite get it.


    "It''s impo-"


    "Enough, later." I interrupt forcibly, leaving her behind to stew in whatever concerns she has right now. Hearing the ramp open up, I head out to the back and mind the howls trying to suck the room clear of loose items. Staring out to the world, I frown at the lack of anything in sight and Inerish comes to join me.


    I blink and look to her.


    "So, why exactly is the ramp open? We don''t have anything to make the drop safe and we''re still over the mountains." I point out and my expression straightens once I see her smirk. Ah, I see, this is what she was planning. The magic in her hand goes off and I am blasted out into the sky, flailing without sense and a calm mind.


    Having gone through something much worse as of late, I just straighten myself out and note a nearby peak. Throwing an arm back, my magic spears into the rock and I switch to reeling myself in. Want to put this downward momentum into something that can actually keep me in the air. With a whine leaving my lips, I tuck my legs in and narrowly avoid the other mountain a dozen metres away.


    The sky shifts to being in front and I let go of my spell, flipping through the air and catching the wind in my cloak. I sigh from on up here, this chance to try and fly not being a good time to do so. Angling my body a little, I help my improvised parachute better handle the wind and then drop the final safe distance.


    A little puff of white.


    "Hm, snow-belt." I remark, noting the layer of clouds only a hop down away from my position. Spotting the airship still in the sky, I look away to the path I will have to take to get there and get to flexing my body. Cramps avoided, I leap out into the air and throw out a pair of grips to keep me moving through the typical valleys of the land. The airship starts to come in to land on a plateau.


    Not wanting to climb, I tighten my magic and build up tension, my feet hitting dirt while I aim. Quickly, I look in my head and think of numbers for no real reason and let go. The mountain face zooms on by and I flip once again when the landing site comes into view. Striking the ground feet first, I sprint, run, jog and walk to a stop and look back the way I came with a huffing chest.


    "Huh, that''s pretty decent, managed to land without making a mess of the earth this time." I remark, seeing the lack of craters and still falling rock or what already came back down to shatter itself smaller. The others disembark with their stuff and smaller engines on the airship take it back into the air where it seems to quickly find itself at home circling the sky.


    "Enjoy yourself?" Inerish asks as I arrive to join with the others. Walking up closer to her specifically, I jab at one of her tits and let her recoil with a wide ''o'' for a smile. She gently snorts out her amusement, emptying her lungs enough to need to take a deep breath.


    "Shit." I call her under my breath before I go over to the other three to see what it is they have. Some communicators, a bit of easily put-on armour and what seems to be a crate of explosives. Am I not strong enough to break the entrance way if that is Inerish''s intention? Or will my magic be more likely to set the weapon off compared to a good old fireball?


    It hurts to think about.


    "Alright, you, Ravineer, you''ll take that crate of explosives. The rest of you, grab a communicator and let us get going." Inerish explains, setting Baltanthan off into a state of ceaseless muttering. I shake my head and take the bombs instead, getting some kind of eye for the trouble while Inerish flashes a little smile. Whatever this box''s contents are for specifically, I can keep them safe better.


    "So, which way are we headed?" Seigunfrei asks, our landing spot not exactly the best place to forge a path. Frankly, I agree with him a lot, we do not even know our way around here and we''re not going to have a path down this mountain. Divine luck will hopefully give us some natural steps, otherwise my arms will be full of bodies.


    "Down the mountain... That way." Inerish and I roll my eyes, patting Baltanthan along while Liada slowly shuffles closer. She takes a few steps ahead and glances back towards me, her hands shuffling about. She seems to scratch the rough area one of those sudden itches are.


    "Can... Can I talk to you now?" she asks and I stop so she will as well. The other three notice but keep on going which I am thankful for. Especially when it comes to Inerish, hopefully now, it will be enough games with her. I need to find a shrine and pray that is the case, gods bless me so.


    "It''s not the best time but you clearly have been wanting to get this off your chest. Though, why not when we were both on the airship and not needing to go anywhere will be a bit of a mystery to me." I say, my hindsight catching my remark for what it is. I have a point, though... She could''ve talked when I was lounging in that chair.


    "I just want to know if there''s anything I can do to be... Well, noticed more." she says and I sigh as there''s only one way this will end.


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    "Right now, nothing. Inerish is running this job so any jealousy you have needs to keep shut." I explain and I can hear the shift from nervous instability to glare.


    "Jealousy!?" she repeats loudly and I start to walk again.


    "Not now Liada." I tell her with a strained voice, not really sure how I can find my way out of this one. I clung onto an airship and sorted out being thrown out of that same airship. Yet, somehow, I cannot for the life of me understand what I need to do here.


    "I-I''m not jealous!" she snaps and I withhold the urge to nod in disagreement. Gods be kind to me, I have no idea what I am doing.


    "Then what is it, Liada? You wanted to come along, I have gotten you to come along. You know full well that this is Inerish''s operation, you know full well that we need to turn to her for details. You''re just a baker in a suit of armour, you''re not going to be any more helpful here than what your talisman can provide." I ask, pointing out various things and she takes a step back, going quiet and looking away. This unbecoming timidity makes me shake my head and I do my best to put my claws on my hips even with the box still in one''s grip.


    "..." she fails to say anything even though her head starts to move like she wants to.


    I give her a moment, knowing what the rush of emotions can do and how hurtful it is for someone to walk away. I''ve dealt with a lot of people turning their backs on me over the years, sometimes it''s managed to be patched up. But, it''s a rough affair, the exceptions stick with you, burned bridges you may never cross again. Whatever is bothering Liada is like Inerish has said, she''s a powder keg waiting to blow and I brought her next to the match.


    "I just... I want you to notice me more... You came to me after defeating Smiling Jhurack and told me you wanted to try and make a relationship work but I can''t seem to... You''re either obsessed with a dead girl... A DEAD GIRL! Or... Or you''re going off to do something with that annoying thing!" she explains, shattering herself down into a sobbing state that''s bordering on eruptive rage. I sigh.


    Sighing again, I drop the box and pull her in for a hug as it is all I can really do right now. Now''s not the time but if I don''t do something then this will only get worse. I keep telling her things and I keep demanding a lot out of her when it comes to my behaviour. I know that, gods I know that.


    "Liada... Shhhhh. You need to calm down and put these thoughts away for the moment. When we''re done with this mission, we''ll talk, ok?" I tell her, offering at least something. Maybe, maybe I can keep to this promise as it''s nothing hard or complex, it''s just a simple thing she won''t let me forget. She starts to push out of the hug with tight fists and I glance to the other three as they wait at the edge of the mountain.


    Liada barges past with what could only be a sneer, "Iderim-Ovi''s spite upon you... Nin."


    "I don''t think I''ve done enough to earn his spite..." I joke quietly, thinking back to when I freed the god. I shake my head and shrug, getting the box back into my claw and rushing to the mountain edge.


    "I do love landing on mountains." Inerish remarks, pointing my eyes in the direction of what seems to be a fortified camp. Putting some magic into my eyes, the details become clearer and I note what is coming in and out of this place. Lots of large crates and shipping containers even, fairly well-filled out teams of couriers and other kinds of workers. The armour is certainly not made in Thrurstradtur, it''s too cogless, the little red plumes are a nice touch, however.


    The pauldrons are weirdly bubbly looking, though.


    I spot a flag, further in the camp, close to the entrance of whatever mine it is they''re working. A black triangle with a hollow core, some kind of shape that reminds me of an umbrella pole but without the shade. White background, a slight bit of red on the points. It doesn''t mean anything to me but, maybe to Inerish?


    "This seems to belong to people who are part of a group with a hollow, black triangle with red points. White background." I explain to her and she nods slowly.


    "Remember what I said about how our borders work? It''s one of those independent mountain-states and it sounds a whole lot like Hohhkelurn. They''re nothing special but they certainly seem interested in testing their luck." Inerish explains, her features so proud in displaying their lack of impress.


    "So, if this is another country''s troops, what do we do?" Seigunfrei begs to ask as he tests the first few steps down the mountain.


    "Simple, we kill them for violating not only our border agreements but for digging around in explicit no-go areas. Places like these are marked out for a reason, we cannot risk the problems these ancient devices bring." Inerish explains, shocking the two boys who probably have never had to take another life before. If Liada has any resentment remaining towards humans, she''ll probably take it out on these Hohhkelurnites.


    Hohhkettles?


    "Talk about extreme..." Baltanthan mutters, his thoughts probably turning to his old home. If someone like the leader of his home town tried anything like this, he''d either end up dead or the town would be reduced to rubble.


    "I will not have some Ancient Jherikra weapon potentially primed on my borders. Not with the Union consuming our northern check against them." Inerish hisses and she starts to skip down the mountainside. Shrugging, Seigunfrei follows after her and I look to the other two.


    "Come on, get under them." I say, curling my arms to better accommodate the duo and both resist. Baltanthan is likely out of pride and Liada because of her grudge right now. I groan out through a good breath and snatch the pair up, commencing the hop down as cautiously as I can. We land at the bottom without a hitch and I drop the pair, the feminine more violently eager to put the distance between us.


    "So, what''s Hohhkelurn like?" Seigunfrei asks Inerish, his arms up behind his head and I move closer to them so I can distract myself with their conversation. I couldn''t care less but it''s better than being dragged into more of Liada''s problems while we''re on this mission. And, well, I''ve never known Baltanthan to be a good source of conversation. The last time I journeyed with him for a while he was largely just eager to get to Suhurlodst.


    He did help with the hunting, though, so I have to give him credit there. Even with how it was me doing the killing and carcass dragging. Gods I have gotten used to blood. To think even a slight, heavily bleeding cut on the head once made me wince and now I can put a cavity in someone''s chest or rend animals apart.


    "Admittedly a nice place, it''s one of the few mountains I know of in this land that is volcanic. At the very least, somewhat. It''s what the red on their banners stands for, thermal vents. Reminds me of home somewhat though incredibly tuned down as, well. Errakur is the hottest place in the world without daylight and clear skies." she explains and I feign my interest while Seigunfrei keeps the conversation going with various spawning questions.

 Incline 40: Cakesmith Liada

    "Oh, I bet you must be miserable right now, aren''t you? Nin isn''t giving you the time of day and you have to obey everything I tell you. Aw..." Inerish taunts. Scowling and tightening my fists, I keep my focus away from her. I knew full well this is what she was going to do to me the moment she gave out that order. Nin and the other two are to wait and I need to go with her because I can make shields.


    Well, Inerish, let''s see how much you enjoy me being a bit too slow in my efforts to make shields. You can''t do much if you''re riddled with holes. I can run away and take cover, my armour will keep me safe. All you have is some shinguards and what?


    They won''t aim for your legs first!


    "You know, it wasn''t that long ago that Nin took me dancing. And he was ravenous with it. Treated me like a doll, flinging me from one arm to another and then leaving me to rest on his strong chest." she tells me, shivering in delight when Nin''s muscular body becomes the focus. Unlike her, though, I focus on a different part of what she''s said.


    Treated you like a doll? Oh, I would pay money to see him treat you like a baby treats their toys. Smashing and bashing them about without so much as a care. Only, rather than chipping, this toy will scream and squelch. Bleed and break.


    "Liada, darling, you need to cheer up. Let go, you know? Nin''s been finding a fair bit of solace in me. After all, I was there for him these past five years. I was there to help him each night not just because it''s my job, but because I care for him." she says and I come to an instant stop. I march up and blast hot air down her face, my talisman glowing bright with the intent of usage. She smiles, tilts her head a little and walks off.


    I gave my home to him these past five years, even when his very presence actively harmed my cakesmithy. I have customers who refuse to come by when he''sthere and they are happy to tell me that. It''s gotten easier over the years but there have been times where I have genuinely wondered if I need to cast him out to make sure my shop stays open. Let alone the fact he''s an osibindah, the number of times he''s barged in, flaring with magic and soaked in his own blood.


    The marks he''s left on my floor... Years of it, I was there for him just as much as she''s claiming to be! I never asked much of Nin, only that he pay some rent which nearly all went back into making his room what it is now. I did my best to support and be there for him.


    I gave him a home... My home.


    I sniffle, pulling up my visor, wiping my eyes out of view and then slamming it back down. My fists flex some more and some old desires come to the fore. I''ve done it before, I''ve torn evil little creatures like Inerish apart before. Iderim-Ovi, blessed be His name even!


    That Iishar is so, so similar to Inerish. Dark-skinned, professionally-dressed, vile creature. Oh, it won''t be difficult for me to think of a face I have had no issue in tearing off. I killed the last woman of authority who felt like it was her right to torment me.


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    Trapped in a harness and in that downed machine, I used the weapons she grafted into my flesh to cut her apart!


    Inerish clicks her tongue, putting a finger near her lips, "Mmmmm, let me think, let me... Think. Why''re you here?"


    I stop and stare.


    "Don''t give me more of this silent treatment. I want to know why you are here in my operation, ruining it. You have no skills I can make use of, I can make use of Nin, though. I have so many ways to make use of his talents and power and all I need to do is call him in. Push a few buttons, make some calls and a new order will be printed and baked for him." she says, getting right up in my face and running a hand along my helmet. I try to smack her away but my arm falls to my side, limp and numb.


    My visor comes up and I snarl while her lips come close. Those shining, purple-painted things stretch and curve. They land on my cheek and she makes sure to smother that colour onto my red skin. It darkens as my blood boils.


    "I can tell you each and every time I have done that to Nin. I can show you too!" she whispers, breaking out into laughter that slams my visor shut once again. My head bobbles and I stumble a bit. My chest has a strange cold in it, something''s flushed through my veins and I take a steady breath. Dragging my armoured fingers along my palms, I scratch the metal.


    Inerish turns to me with a face a mocking child would wear. Condescending, pretentious and full of oneself. The ''Oh, I am just so much better than you'' gaze. I prepare to charge and build up the momentum.


    She raises her hand and I come to a screeching halt, leaning away from her and falling. My armour bangs loudly, reaching all the way up to and out of the valley. I keep still, staring up at her while she bends over. Her tongue clicks and she straightens out to then push me down with her heel.


    I fall into the grass, scraping up some of the dirt and clogging it into my armour. Lingering against the greenery, I sigh and think. Why am I here? To try and get closer to Nin...?


    We''ve barely been out here and I already know it''s not working. It can''t work, not while she''s here. Not while a dead girl dictates his heart. I squeeze together a fistful of earth and drop it once I am back on my feet.


    I catch up with Inerish and meekly pay attention to the power of my amulet. Inerish will need it when the shooting starts, she wants my help. I will give it and then the first chance I get, I''m going home. I''ll open the shop again and throw this useless set of armour out.


    I don''t need the temptation it presents, the false hope that I can try and be more involved with Nin''s life. I don''t want to be involved with it, I want him to do what I said back on that day. I want him out of it.


    No... Yes. Yes! No!?


    I growl into a rumbling snap and throw my hands about. Scowling the rest of the way, I do my best to ignore anything coming out of her mouth or how it moves. The camp of the soldiers starts to come into view and Inerish''s arm stops me. She briefly glances back at the position she''s asked the others to wait up on.


    "YOU THERE, HALT!" a sentry orders, his weapon rising to face us and soon a dozen more join in. I look beyond those opposing us and glance a little at those inside. They don''t seem to care much about us but they''re a little stiffer now, seeing that we''re here. Inerish takes a step forward and I silently pray that someone takes that unexpecting shot.


    Come on, let me see her-


    "On whose authority?" Inerish begs to ask, her confidence not staggering in the face of several weapon barrels.

 Incline 41: Aspirer Baltanthan

    "So, what''s going on down there now?" I ask for what must be the hundredth time now.


    "They''re now at the gates of the camp and I have no idea what the Grandguard is planning." Seigunfrei explains, his enhanced eyes catching the details.


    "You and me both." Nin adds on with a mutter from his perch. His legs tensed up like a spring just waiting for the box lid to open up.


    "What does it look like she''s doing?" I ask, tightening my grip on my staff as surely we''re about to go charging in. Though, how I am going to do that from this high up, I do not know. I can''t fly, let alone leap tall buildings in a single bound like the other two can.


    "Talking to them. Well, provoking them might be a better descriptor." Seigunfrei tells before he shuffles ahead away from the safer rocks. I frown and gulp shifting a little closer as I won''t be able to go anywhere without him.


    "Provoking them seems to be the right way to look at it." Nin comments before the pair let out a flinch of shared pain.


    "What?" I go.


    "Balls." the two answer at once and I shiver just as the sky starts to crack with the sound of gunfire. My grips stiffen and the perch Nin was on throws pebbles about, the rock further back erratically cracking still.


    "When''d he get so fast...?" I question with a gulp, terrified at the kind of power he has at his disposal right now.


    "Five years of eating his greens." Seigunfrei huffs, his eyes blinking before an explosion sounds off. He quickly looks back and seems to nod at the fact it''s just Nin landing.


    A wave of wind makes its way back here, "Must be some green greens."


    "All the way from Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra probably." Seigunfrei huffs before he offers me the hand I need to get down.


    "Don''t put me on the ground like he does." I beg, securing the explosives in one arm and trying to get a good grip on my staff without causing him problems.


    "If I did that you''d be in a recovery centre or dead. And I did not spend all that time on tabletwork to see you go to Undwote." Seigunfrei remarks before his legs twist into motion, his magic surrounding them. He heaves me up and the ground starts to scar as we seemingly skate down the mountain. A quick look at his expression tells me he''d much rather try this without the baggage. I roll my eyes at his disappointment and then tightly clutch him.


    The ground is coming closer awfully fast...


    "SLO-" I start to scream and we stop, his magic turning off.


    "Get off." he frowns and I do so, looking back right as he glances up at the mountain. His eyes retracing the path he took and some of the debris rolling along it.


    "After this." I go, figuring out what going on in his head.


    "Yeah, going to have me some fun later if I have the energy for it." he nods in agreement before running off towards the screams and munitions. Blinking at how quickly I have been left on my own, I give myself a moment. The items drop to the ground and some breaths and flicks come out.


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    My arms are full again and I get to it. Following the trail Seigunfrei''s magic carves into the ground, I arrive just in time to watch him knock a leg out of a guard tower. An entire shipping container goes flying by and shatters on the mountain, raining down as churned-up blades. Finding Liadanann, I hide behind her and her shield while she seems to be in the process of calming down.


    I knock on the barrier with my staff and she flinches in my direction. I raise my hands as best as I can and she calms down. She seems to start shivering and pats herself down. I spot the areas she''s touching the most.


    "Liadanann, you''re fine, it''s just a scrape." I tell her, getting in front so she has a friendly face to focus on. She nods lets out her last few bits of shock and we get going inside. The last of the bodies build up and we watch Inerish cut down a handful of men. The last one gets the worst of it.


    She slashes his gun apart and applies non-lethal but crippling, scorching cuts through his armour. The man screams in agony as his plate melts to his flesh and Inerish puts him on his knees. I cover my mouth, coughing into it while my gut shakes. It all seems to be over but with this one man.


    "For shame, man of Hohhkelurn, your home is known for its exotic steam vents and you can''t even handle a bit of fire? For shame." the Grandguard taunts before delivering one final slash to his neck. A head rolls and red pools and I look away. Nin smashing animals apart for food is one thing, to see a man tormented before such an execution is...


    My grip on the box shifts as she walks by, her sword burning away the excess blood. She smiles at me, douses her magic and sheaths the blade. We gather up at the centre of the slaughterhouse and follow Nin''s eyes to the tunnel. I guess I need to put the bombs there...?


    I take a step and stop, a hand on my shoulder.


    "No, I want to go in and handle them all, make sure there''s no desperate usage of whatever it is they''ve found." the Grandguard tells me and she starts to get moving, but, the rest of us don''t. She stops and looks back at us, a gloved hand going over her face to check for what must be blood. She doesn''t find anything and seems to get confused, that hand curling into a lingering, gentle fist.


    "What was the point of saying you were going to talk to them...?" Nin asks and me and Seigunfrei repeat the sentiment as we had to go onto that mountain because of it. We had to wait up there for whatever reason because she flip-flopped from wanting to kill them to wanting to talk. Only to kill them all.


    "So I had witnesses." she shrugs.


    "TO WHAT!?" I howl out, gesturing as well as I can to the absolute mess her choice led to.


    "Witnesses who can confirm I tried to take the diplomatic approach at first. It makes me look better in the after-mission report." she explains, giggling at the end before walking off towards one of the still intact buildings. She tests that definition by melting down the door and the sound of sliced metal reaches us. It doesn''t take long for her to come out with what seems to be keys and data and a sword that needs cleaning again.


    I take a step back and look to Nin, "Next time I want to do something with you. Can it be a regular guild job? Without her in sight?"


    Nin starts to chuckle awkwardly and he looks away when his eyes come too close to Liadanann, "It''s not all that different in guild jobs, actually. If there''s any legal complexity to the issue, it won''t be on a guild job board. They aren''t trusting people like me to handle unstable situations. Just beasts and criminals with easily handled death warrants or ones with them already. Pay more for capture all you want, bodies will come about."


    "R-Right..." I eke out, following the others towards the tunnel and dumping the box of explosives in a shattered barrel. I use my staff to draw in the dirt and nod a little. The Grandguard straightens out and takes in a deep breath, a smirk on her face.


    "Come on my fellows, let me see if the Dark Crow here can keep you all safe in ancient tunnels filled with gunfire and spells!" the Grandguard declares and I look back to all the dead Undwote and Waionr will have to handle. There were witches among these soldiers? I didn''t see any spells of any kind get fired back.


    I look around some more and seem to catch a womanly shape crushed under some debris. Is there something wrong with me for wanting to try and reach the level of power that leads to this...? Seeing it in person makes me doubt it but the stories were never tame at all either. Even the founding-lord of my home, he was once a great guild witch.


    Ultimately, I must become accustomed to death.

 Incline 42: Aspirer Baltanthan

    "SEAL IT! SEAL IT!" one of the soldiers roars with all he has while his fellows fill the tunnel with weapons fire. Hugging the rocky wall closely, I wait for the noise of mechanical locks to hiss and we walk out into the open, the noise not even gone. I glance at the two who probably could''ve handled this and wonder why they didn''t.


    "I should be able to kick this in." Nin remarks and the Grandguard raises her hand. She looks to me and then focuses on my hands. She approaches the vault-like door and runs a hand across it, her magic melting it superficially.


    "No, I want the Ravineer to have some use. Your magic is dependent on metal, is it not?" she goes and I nod quickly when she focuses on me once again.


    "I-It is, yeah." I answer, walking up to the door while she mocks a bow on the way out of mine. Taking in a deep breath, I inspect the thick bastion that barely muffles the noise of weapons and men moving around behind it. Going down onto a knee, I run a hand along what appears to be one of the securing bars of the door. I start to apply my magic to see if I can affect it.


    I smile a little.


    "About bloody time my magic is good for something..." I mutter, thinking back to all the times so far since I started training with Liadanann that my magic has been dull. I need metal to work my magic properly and I can only carry so much of it in vials and pouches. My hand glows with patchy light and the hinges and securement erode. The door suddenly drops down onto the bottom edge, the top bars unable to hold its weight.


    "This should be fun." Nin remarks before I dive out of the way. The tunnel shakes from the force of his step and the door caves in around him. The block of metal rockets into the room and guns fire. The Grandguard cackles like the madwoman she is and she brings in the sort of pitch-blackness that is natural for a cave. Seigunfrei offers me his hand and I get up.


    Liadanann goes in ahead of us with her magic active and we find a safe spot to huddle down in. Seigunfrei gives us a pat and joins the fray and I spot a heavy weapon or something that''s being ignored. Gulping and tightening my staff grip, I start to focus my power through it and fire off an orb of power that recoils me to the wall. Falling down with a grunt, I look up just in time to watch the structural supports brown and collapse.


    For some of those soldiers, it seems to be more of a hindrance than a death sentence. They turn on us, weapons cocking and showering us with rock shards and pellets. Rolling along, I get back down by Liadanann and shake her attention the right way. She puts up a shield to block the middle and we slam our backs against it.


    "Our sides..." I point out with clenched teeth and she starts to hyperventilate.


    "MY SIDE AND YOURS!" she screams and points, rushing out to knock down the soldier trying to flank us from her side. Twisting like a machine, I fire off a gust of my magic, tearing apart a couple of suits of armour and weapons. One man pulls a crumbling blade, only a shave near the hilt left and he charges. Not knowing anything else, I twist my staff upside down and ram his gut in with the grounding spike.


    Pushing on, I do the twisted thing and abuse his body for greater magic power. Reaching out to the rust littering the floor, I shape it into a collection of bolts, my free fingers pinched like I would a slingshot. I let go and with a thwip, a handful of men collapse without noise, many small rivers of blood coming down. A witch screams and goes flying, the impact on the rock seemingly killing her.


    "Is... Is that all of them...?" Liadanann asks as we go to hide behind some cover again.


    "I think!?" I almost cry. My eyes lock onto the battle raging on the other side of the chamber. Those three are just tearing them all up and that darkness following the Grandguard. It only lights up to show the outline of her dark-fire. Streaks of purple more akin to glowsticks at a nighttime party.


    Looking away for the moment, I grab Liadanann by the shoulder and tug her to follow. A quiet pathway opens up and I frown at the sudden shift from natural rock to machined walls and welded panels. I knock a single crooked finger on the dull steel and we pass on into a chamber of sorts. Liadanann goes quiet and is suddenly curious about everything.


    "What?" I go, unsure as to why she''s suddenly like this. I join her by some of the storage crates and she tries to tear one open. I offer my magic and weaken the lock and she throws the lid away. A tapestry in her hands but a moment after.


    "It can''t be..." she breathes and I look at the imagery, taking clear note of how the figures on the torn-up cloth are like her. Red-skinned, crests on the forehead, bright green eyes, tails and raptor claws for feet. She puts it down and I repeat the process of breaking locks and seals. Items of all kinds, these men have been picking this place clean.


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    I spot a tablet on a table and head over to it, setting aside my staff. Engaging with the material-shifting magic, I quickly read through the contents of the tablet. Turning around, I flinch away, Liadanann right up against me. Her eyes shift towards the tablet and I hand it to her.


    "Seems to be that this ancient weapons site is some kind of command bunker. The internal-magic dating seems to put this place as being as old as the Dietic Seperation, the time period before the Pre-Flood Ancient Jhermonikra." I explain, my eyes widening at just how old this actually seems to put Liadanann. I know I said I was stating a minimum with her age when I figured things out but this is...


    It''s genuinely absurd.


    The way the Time of Liquid Mountains played out means we''ll never have a clear understanding or timeframe of how long ago. This facility, all of this is so old that it was around during the time of the legendary heroes who inherited the power of gods. Men like Thunder. The Age of Demigods.


    Things we only know about because of the Great Libraries of the Three Arks.


    "I need to find the others... I need to make them listen. They need to be careful...!" Liadanann panics, rushing off back towards the sound of gunfire. I reach out for her, ready to call her back but her strength is too much and my grip slips. Sighing and shaking my head, I look back to this trove of items and pick one up. Just appears to be some cutlery and other knick knacks they''ve gathered.


    Spotting a larger container, I approach it and dangle the lock in my palm. Hmm-ing in thought, I start to apply arcane pressure and shed it of the chains keeping it secure. Taking the door''s handle, I pull the heavy thing open and whistle at the effort. My focus shifts to the device inside and I step back.


    "What the... What in the name of the gods is this thing?" I question, staring at the crimson-painted machine, deathly limp in its confinement. I reach forward to touch it and a door suddenly crashes open on my right. A man in a full suit of armour with a thick sword steps out, his chest heaving with urgency. I shuffle away slightly and his blade rises.


    "FOR CODE AND HONOUR!" he cries, charging me down with his blade in a safe position. I try to get some magic up and am instead met with a gauntlet to the face. Noisily, I crash and roll, barely getting up before he thrusts down. Free of my staff, I run about aimlessly, doing my best to mind his attempts to corner me.


    Slipping my hand across a light, I cut a pole free and hold it up in imitation of his sword. I just need to keep this up, wait for someone else to come. I have no armour, no strength of flesh, just this pole that I might be able to conduct magic through. Runes on the man''s armour light up and he blitzes right up close.


    Catching on his side, I am barreled out of the way and his magic blade emits some kind of force. The wall he impaled suddenly craters under that magic. Blinking a little, I rush back to my staff and bring up my defensive magic. He pierces it but nets his blade, my magic eating away at it like bugs on a leaf.


    With a snarl, his mailed hand slips across the magic, freeing his ruined edge of it. He flicks his hand clean and we start to circle each other. I react a little too much to his sudden twitches and we prepare to attack. My staff erupts with a blast and his crossguard glows, a thrusting beam intercepting it.


    The colliding arcane powers detonate and throw us both back. Shaking my head clear and rubbing the sore spot on the back of it. I groan uncomfortably at the red on my palm. A mechanical whirr stops us from carrying on.


    A red foot stomps out into the open, body sparking uncontrollably.


    "Danger. Danger. Hostile elements detected. Warning. System failure imminent. Rebooting magic to prayer cannon. Eliminate human intruders. In God''s good name!" it blurts out in what must be Liadanann''s birth tongue. The armoured man dodges to the side, barely avoiding the green energy shooting out. Whatever that stuff is, it''s not wind magic. It''s alien, terrifyingly so almost.


    More shots are fired off and I take the moment to run away to hide. I narrowly avoid a shot coming for me, skidding to a halt and falling onto my arse. Glancing at what happened, I stare at the massive, chest-sized hole. I can barely get a read on how powerful this magic is and it just tore apart solid rock.


    Breathing a sigh of relief, I watch the machine focus its attention on the armoured man. He backs off, diving through that doorway just in time and locking it back up. The machine stomps around and shuffles like a living corpse. The eyes brighten and the weapon arm is thrown back up.


    "Oh, of all the times for a knight to be a coward!" I snap, gripping my staff tightly and at least being thankful for it being a machine. Whatever targeting it has fails and the next shot goes wide, chunking a panel instead of me. Each step closer seems to solve this problem and I make a point of backing up. Charging my magic all the while.


    One blast comes a little too close for comfort above my shoulder and I stare at the hole in my robes. My skin''s on fire but not cut in the slightest, just barely. Shaking my focus back where it needs to be, I raise my staff and focus my magic. An orb forms, swirling and solid.


    I fire.


    The machine reels, head over heels and it falls to the ground. Spasming out while whatever powers it suddenly has nowhere to focus spark and pop. The rust spreads through it, slowly tearing it apart. For a short moment, that little patch of ground rains with rusty nuts and bolts.


    I groan and sigh into a frustrated roar and approach the mess my two battles have made. I rub the back of my head again and frown at the still-flowing blood. Ickily, I wipe the dirty palm clean on my robes and head to the door that the man came out of. Cutting out another pipe, I force it into the handle and lock, hopefully blocking the door.


    Looking back to the chamber where the others are, I mutter some profanity and head back to them. I''d rather not be on my own again when something like this happens. Being on my own right now, I''ve never been more acutely afraid of it. At least the Inter-House Talent Display has emergency recovery equipment!


    Medical teams are on standby with plenty of healing magic at the ready!


    It''s just me and this dark, smokey cave right now... One wrong move and I am dead. Nin can keep me safe. He''s got it on his mind anyway, no need to ask.


    I sigh and shiver, rubbing my eyes a little, "Undwote, do me a favour and piss off. All seven of your mutty noses."

 Incline 43: Cakesmith Liadanann

    Keeping my shields up, I manoeuvre my way towards Nin and the others. Shots of all kinds and loose spells tear up metal and rock alike. Each step closer I get, the less screams there are. A small group ahead suddenly fly away, a dark figure looming over what little remains of their position.


    Speeding up, I reach Nin and bring my shields down to grab his wrist. He probably blinks in confusion at me and I start to tug at his arm, pulling him away. Thankfully, he obliges me and we hide around a cavern corner so I can get my thoughts together. I look back on the way I came, overwhelmed by what I discovered back that way.


    "N-Nin... Nin! I need you to be careful, please!" I beg, unable to get my head in order. I don''t know why, it''s hard to say, it''s needlessly hard. My chest feels tight and my tongue is breaking down. It should be simple, just tell him about the discovery.


    "Careful? Liada, I''m fine, we''re not in any danger." he says, a point which he only emphasises when he throws a pebble out to a target. Metal thunders open and something shatters at the far end. Somehow, the body slumping manages to get this far.


    "No-no-no-no! Not us, the cave... Back there, back where Baltanthan is!" I tell him and he looks that way, our scuffed-up friend making me worry. He''s gotten into a fight since I left, something''s gone down in that room. Everything in there, what''s happened to it!?


    I rush out into the open, intent on checking up on everything. Nin''s grip yanks me back and my eyes lock onto the signs of magic still in the air. I follow the trail and gulp at the cloud of dust formed from the cave''s wall at the far end. Nin starts to pinch my armour and I feel where his grip has crushed some of it.


    "Don''t run off like that." he warns me, stepping out into the open to go back into the fight. Unable to get any words out, I leap for him and bring us both to the ground. He scrambles about, gently pushing me off and staring.


    "Back there!" I cry again, pointing back to where he needs to go. I can''t allow the artefacts of my people to be destroyed, not when I can''t seem to find any trace of them in the rest of the world. I will never get back to the airship again, whatever the reason is for this stuff being here. I need to, no, -must- protect it.


    "If it''s not something that needs putting down, it can wait!" he snaps, getting back up to rejoin the fray. His body starts to shift into position and I can feel the magic within build up. Raising my palm just as his heel rises, I put a shield in his way. He smashes into it, crashing back down with a groan of pain.


    "JUST STOP AND LISTEN TO ME!" I scream down at him before he gets a chance to shout his anger.


    "Then tell me properly what it is." he growls, his patience wearing thin with each tightened knuckle I see.


    "My... My... My people... There are traces of the ddrai''och in this place. Back there, the way me and Baltanthan came. The stuff of my people is here!" I finally manage to get out, everything but my hand calming down. He needs to come with me, he needs to see that I am telling the truth.


    Nin''s body relaxes.


    His tongue clicks, "Guess some god has been listening."


    "I''m being serious Nin, me and Baltanthan found a trove of stuff. Not only that, this entire cave, my people made it so many years ago." I explain, frantically pointing back the way our friend is. I watch as he sits down, rubbing his head before I turn to Nin as he probes my shield.


    "We clear the chamber, then we look. This situation is too dangerous for us to be wandering about. Stay close and grab him to do the same." Nin explains, his body reacting too fast for me to extend the shield wall. I let it fall, its presence no longer needed and I clutch my arm tight. I look back to Baltanthan and shake my head, choosing instead to follow Nin.


    The battle seems to be almost over and done with, anyway.


    What seems to be the final few soldiers of the enemy are killed and I quietly shuffle behind the trio. The three meet up and all but Nin seem to have some kind of thrill in their voices. Though, how they deal with it differs a lot. That insufferable thing is more than happy to find a demented allure to it all.


    Taking a step closer, I frown as they begin to move into what looks to be another tunnel. Growing angry at how intent they are with dealing with these forgettable humans, I throw up a barrier, blocking them all from interacting. The three look at me while those beyond the shield retreat further into the cave. Inerish in particular shows me just how miffed she is, her blade alight although she is safe right now.


    "What are you doing?" she asks when the distance between us is cleared. I match her glare, lifting my visor so she can see it. I don''t care what she tries, I am not letting this barrier fall until they have all listened to me.


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    "Stopping you from destroying this place." I point out, some mild delight coming to mind because I can condescend her a little right now. But, unfortunately for the petty part of me, this is not why I am doing this. There is something far greater right now that needs to be addressed and it is more important to me than most other things in my life. I can''t let this slip by, not for anything.


    "Stop me...? Did you not pay attention in the slightest to what I have explained before we got here? This is a burial site for weapons of mass destruction! I will not have them loose and in hands that will use them against Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst!" she snaps increasingly, her free hand clapping against my armour. Backpedalling with each strike, I watch its shape become increasingly deformed into a wide but shallow dent.


    My blood boils, "BECAUSE THIS ENTIRE MOUNTAIN IS A TOMB FOR MY PEOPLE! THESE WEAPONS, THESE ITEMS, IT''S ALL DDRAI''OCH!"


    She scoffs and shakes her head, "I couldn''t care less."


    My mouth opens up, I throw aside my helmet and my armour lights up with power. Why am I even shocked or surprised? She''s been tormenting me every chance she''s had and now I''ve just given her the perfect thing to do. She''s going to make sure this entire mountain falls apart just so I cannot keep any form of memento for my lost people.


    She starts to smile and I scream, the amulet flaring while my mind gets to work. Taking every lesson I have learned so far from the others, I truly surround them in its power. I don''t dome them off, I trap them in a ball. Its edges force their way around and I start to feel God''s power grind against itself.


    They try to tunnel their way out and quickly find out that I have grown wise to their tricks. Moving my arm forward, I have the magic seal up that door they wanted to go through. They can stay there until I am done at least recovering something. I need to figure things out, understand what this place is and if there''s a way I can save it!


    "Liadanann, what''re you doing?" Nin asks, the one thing that can make it out of this shield having no problem reaching my ears. I sniffle, cleaning my eyes a little and getting closer to him.


    "I can''t let you three destroy this place... I can handle Baltanthan without my magic. But, if you''re not going to listen, then I am keeping you all in here until I am done with this. I can''t let everything here be buried... Not again..." I explain, turning around and hurrying off towards the one friend I can possibly count on. He''s helped me so far, I just hope I can keep trusting Baltanthan for the moment.


    "WHATEVER YOUR WORST FEARS ARE, DDRAI''OCH, I WILL MAKE THEM REAL! DO YOU HEAR ME!?" I hear Inerish shrill, the sound of her slashing sword accenting it. Scoffing one final time her way, I arrive back at my friend who cannot be asked. He looks up at me, his hand stuck between wanting to touch the back of his head and not.


    "So, what''s the plan?" he asks, seemingly a little dizzy and I frown about, unsure if there''s anything we can use to help him out. I can''t even see any bandages so we can at least cover up the wound.


    "You are going to be ok?" I ask, moving around to see how bad it is. There''s a lot of blood, but, I can''t tell how deep the wound is. At the very least, his hair is still intact and there''s no clear slash or cave-in. I want to hope though this is not something I am comfortable leaving to chance.


    "I hope so..." he goes, shaking his head and getting up with my help. He wobbles a bit, his legs suddenly losing their strength to the point of jackhammering.


    "Is there anything I can do?" I ask him and he shakes his head again, his hand patting my armour.


    "You can make sure to tie up that hair of yours." he remarks and I smile a little, taking note at how much is flowing freely now that my helmet is lingering in the dirt back there. However, it''s fine, we can do this. Nothing a good shower and a visit to the hairdressers won''t fix.


    "Ok. But, uh, the plan..." I say, losing my train of thought as we start to head back into the room. My eyes widen and I look at the pile of rusty parts and the mess this room has become.


    "Some knight came barging in, our magic clashed and it triggered some kind of... Metal man." he explains, his hand gesturing at what seem to be blast holes.


    "A robot." I correct, glancing down at the wreck Baltanthan''s magic left it in. Reaching down, I grab the power gem and roll it against the energyless one I''ve been carrying. The difference is night and day, one is dull, a deep colour it shouldn''t be. And, while this other one is not in the best of shape, cracked and chipped, it at least has the green glow.


    I pop them both into a box holding some of the other stuff and get started organising it all. Baltanthan joins in and we quickly get it sorted, several piles of stuff forming because of it. I shuffle a knocked-out metal panel in front of the boxes to give them some protection and nod, satisfied. Baltanthan groans and uses his magic on the door.


    "Your assailant came from in here?" I ask and he nods. Using the power of the amulet, I create a small shield to hold in front of us and we begin the trek into the quiet tunnel. Whatever likely decorated these halls is probably now in boxes like those we just stacked. I''m not sure how to feel about such looting of my people''s ancient homes.


    Even though this is apparently a military facility, we still lived here.


    The tunnel opens up into a grander chamber, one filled with row upon row of empty machines and closed-up workbenches. Nostalgia floods me and the kind of equipment I was trained with is spotted ceaselessly. It seems quiet enough as well, so, I let my shield down and Baltanthan steps out into the open. His staff at the ready, we venture a little more onto the grated walkway.


    "Any idea what this is meant to be?" he asks, his eyes catching more so on the abandoned parts lying about. One in particular is the gun of one of the basic soldierbots. In fact, most of the things in this chamber are for their maintenance. Opened-up frames with dead, little arms and all kinds of magnetic and once-upon-a-time high-voltage sockets.


    "It''s an engineering bay..." I guess, my memory fuzzy when I catch sight of some Ddrai''och writing. If I am to assume anything, though, this is very much meant for soldierbots. A whole army''s worth could be looked after in a place like this. Though, with how long it''s been underground like this, it''s anyone''s guess as to how much remains, let alone functions.


    I grip the handrail tightly, looking about for some stairs.


    "I hope you''re able to focus enough for us to look intently." I tell my friend, smiling a little at him while he blinks back a headache. He nods, eventually smiling and we head for the way down, the ancient metal rattling underfoot.

 Incline 44: Cakesmith Liadanann

    Picking up a magic circuit imprinter, I huff in amusement and look it over, my muscle memory is only sort of gone. Finding the on button, I am amazed by how it still works and laugh a little. Moving the glowing end towards the nearest flat surface, I adjust the nozzle, bringing its light from a pale orange to something closer to God''s light. I doodle a quick and easily understood expression so I have something to smile back at.


    The magic forced into the metal glows brightly initially and dies down. I knowingly didn''t make it correctly, I just wanted to be able to make something with the tool. Putting it down, I move on to some of the other things until I arrive at a sealed glass container. Grabbing onto the locked handle, I twist it and let it loose.


    On four separate lines, strong metal string secures dozens of dripping power gems. The concoction doesn''t have the glow that it should have, but, maybe I can fix that. Moving the amulet closer, I call upon its power and try to have it interact with anything here. A glow seems to enter the liquid, only, when I move the amulet away it becomes clear that it was just it.


    I sigh, putting the thing back and snap my eyes up when some kind of alarm sets off. There''s an echo to it and yet, it still sounds like it came from within here. Baltanthan is right next to me, it can''t have been him so what was it? I look at the amulet and watch its divine glow.


    The gem at its crimson core, it doesn''t have a name but, sometimes, I feel like calling it Iderim''s Eye. It doesn''t look like an eye in the slightest, I just can''t think of anything else. I idly think about it on occasion. With how important this amulet is, it''s hard to ignore it even when I was refusing to use its power.


    "You remind me of a child visiting your shop." Baltanthan huffs and I smile back at him, following along when he starts to idly walk off. We pass by an empty machine with two likely steel frames covered in all manner of sensors and little pads. On the floor are a pair of sockets meant to secure mechanical feet and he briefly tests one of them. It doesn''t budge, either because it needs both to have pressure on them or it''s broken.


    Given the age of everything, I am willing to bet a lot on the latter.


    "I know it is silly, Baltanthan. But, so much of the stuff in here, it''s exactly the same as what I used back when I was on the airship. They trained me to perform mechanical duties and engineering maintenance. I was a handyman for all intents and purposes. We couldn''t really afford to have anyone just doing one job. Well, most of us had to be jacks-of-all-trades." I explain, growing quiet as the exhausting nights come back to me in undefined blurs. Even on a massive airship filled with my kind, we didn''t have the bodies to have people do whatever they felt like.


    Everyone had to be able to replace someone else.


    "Why not talk me through it, then? The fancier stuff, I mean. I know what a screwdriver is and what wrenches are." he tells me and I smile, picking up a power drill.


    "Well, this is a drill, you pull this trigger-like button and it goes whirrrrrrrr!" I giggle out, holding the dead tool against his temple and wiggling it about. Its battery-weighted bottom turns up into his field of vision.


    "And apparently made in Hohhkelurn." he remarks and my eyes widen, the pair quickly finding the label stamped into the battery. A workshop called Dayve & Joh''s made this. I frown and put it down, paying close attention to how many human tools are in here.


    "They must''ve been going through here and taking apart what they could." I comment, bending over and opening up the electronics of a nearby control console. I fiddle with some wires, bundling up pulled-out plugs and sighing in annoyance at the lack of other things. Even if I could repair this stuff, I can''t, not while it''s being treated like the product of some copper thief. Bad enough that those were actual troublemakers back on the airship.


    But one of many problems caused by us ddrai''och being able to eat metals, our food needed to be used in construction. Miners were held in the same regard as farmers and ranchers. I guess humans have trouble understanding that. Using a pickaxe and mining explosives to dig up pasta garnish.


    "So, what are you trying to do?" Baltanthan asks, leaning over the console before I get back to my feet.


    "Well, nothing right now..." I mutter, looking around until I spot a white box. Moving up to it, my smile comes back a little and I make a little prayer to God. Opening it up, the one good thing the humans have left behind enters my hand and I turn to face my friend.


    "What?" he asks, staring back at me.


    "Well, come on, let''s patch you up." I tell him, urging him closer while I find the end of the bandage. Grabbing some other things, he brings over a makeshift seat that comes shaped like a toolbox. He bangs his bottom onto it and I wet a small cloth with some high-magic mixture. He hisses when I start to wipe the wound clean of blood, I am by the nature of it, forced to rub it in and make his knuckles white.


    "Come on, keep me distracted. Tell me about this damn place." he barks, hand waving about at all the machinery. It suddenly slaps his leg when I press down.


    "Uh, it''s an engineering bay by the looks of it. Whatever comes through here will be fixed up on the benches and tested in all these broken charging stations. I think that''s what they are anyway, I was never trained in looking after the robots." I explain, getting a click of the tongue for him for the trouble and he gets in his own way to look up.


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    "Not hearing anything new." he goes and I roll my eyes, moving his head back into position. I try to be as careful as I can, but, with nails like mine, I may not be the best one to handle a delicate wound like this. My toes may be thoroughly and entirely solid claw, but my fingernails aren''t far off either.


    "Alright, then, the tool I picked up earlier. That was a magic circuit imprinter. The way it works is that it focuses God''s power through a raw magic battery within. Buffed up with divinity, we can control the flow and create means of amplification and control." I explain to the best of my ability, thinking back to all the lessons of warning I got in my time as a worker. There was only so much divine power to work with, we had to do a good, bordering on perfect job or not one at all.


    Even training was done with basic pens and whatever surface we could find until we had it down...


    "So runes." he comments.


    "In practice, I guess, yeah." I say, my mind shifting towards all the ways humans have learned to put magic into materials. I''m uncertain as to how similar the sciences are, but, superficially, it''s all there. If I could, I would experiment and try out if it is possible to see which system is better, if the difference is even there.


    Maybe when we get home, once I figure out how to use my amulet''s power to recharge the faith in these tools and devices? I thought I was done customising my shop around the gimmick of it being an old blacksmith, but, now, I might be able to make it properly Ddrai''och! I can make the lighting handled by magic circuits and I can hang up the tapestries and everything else. God be praised, I can even swap out my cutlery and use the ones my people have made if there''s any here.


    Licking my thumb, I catch the bandage on it and get to work using one properly for once. Thankfully, living with Nin and his strange choice of attire means I am pretty adept at handling them now. I make quick work of Baltanthan''s need for some wrappings and pat his shoulders. He gets up and moves the front a little.


    "Thank you." he almost whispers and I lean closer.


    "What was that?" I ask, grinning.


    "Walking away." he goes and I follow after, cackling while he huffs his smile away.


    "But, uh, yeah, like I said about this being an engineering bay. The soldierbots, what tried to kill you would step into here and the machine would attach itself. The console would give you a diagnostic and you can make sure everything is alright." I explain, touching and fiddling with the lifeless controls.


    "So, uh, how come your people relied on... Robots... To fight? Did you not have witches or something? I can''t imagine that you didn''t, your magic doesn''t seem to have ever been dependent on the Emerald Awakening occurring. You''d probably have decimated any pre-Liquid Mountain civilisation." he asks and I start to nod along as he is right in that regard. Our magic is divine in origin, God, Iderim-Ovi himself gave it to us.


    "I was young when the war was happening, very young. But, from what I recall from my time on the airship, it is due to the fact that humans knew we could not handle silver. They developed many kinds of weapons designed to saturate the land with it. In particular, those in charge of looking after our anti-missile defences, you had to be of the best skill to be allowed near them." I explain, a mist appearing in my mind''s eye.


    "Your kind were threatened severely by rockets so you built armies of metal men?" he asks, huffing in amusement at what must be quite a silly idea to him. But, to me, I can''t see it as anything but life or death. All my life the importance of those countermeasures was placed as being of the utmost importance. Old footage was kept in the recording archive, we all had to watch it.


    Shrieking things, no launcher in sight, a peculiar buzz as it falls to the ground. Only, even with its fragile tip, that isn''t what it did, it didn''t strike the earth. The air shattered it and that same air carried the shining poison far and wide. An entire town breathed it in, in that footage and their bodies ate them alive until they fell apart at the bone.


    Cloudmakers.


    And that was just silver, to say nothing of the utter terror that goes through people when thunder meets gold. All the divine metals, really. War''s Bronze, Thunder-Gold, Defender''s Zinc, City-Steel, Musicians Brass. There are so many metals we can normally eat and consume and be around safely. But, when the power of a human god or goddess becomes involved, it becomes lethal to us, indescribably so.


    I can''t comment truly on what caused the war between us and the humans all those millennia ago. Though, I have a feeling and the word of mouth pointed the cause to being their ability to just push us out. Priests would come to our mines under false pretences and poison it. Their factories bellowed out the smoke of refining it and slag corrupted by their faith would smother the land.


    It might seem silly as well if I explained it to Baltanthan, but, brownfields, polluted lands. They became graveyards for us, the humans intentionally poisoned what they could and mocked us with what little they could still grow in it. The elders still alive the last time I was on the airship, they passed down stories of being pelted with cabbage. The jokes grew stale quickly and ended just as fast when the war turned in our favour.


    The soldierbots, they could march on without fear of anything the humans had grown dependent on. Well, at least until the crack of thunder started to mark the arrival of that man along with other champions. The humans had many, so many in possession of the gear of their divine overlords. But, only he, only Thunder stuck in our minds even after all that time in the cold sleep.


    I have to suffer hearing stories praising that thing, that creature of the sky. The champion of the evil god even the man I love looks up to. My older brother, the last time I saw him, he must''ve been fighting that monster. So much, I have forgotten so much about him and all I can remember is his terror during that final, confusing video call.


    I was just enjoying a small bowl of snacks one day, playing at the computer and-


    "Liadanann, you still anywhere in there?" Baltanthan asks, gently smacking my head and it shakes as my focus comes back. The sadness quickly shifts out of my eyes.


    "Oh, sorry, I got lost thinking about it all rather than explaining it to you, didn''t I?" I ask him, smiling awkwardly while he shakes his head. Apparently, I''ve been paying so little attention that I have walked into a workbench. I glance over its contents and pick up the taken-off arm. I toss aside the human tools and let my friend get nosy.


    "Well, time for you to make up for that. Give me the rundown of this thing that nearly killed me with this damn blaster thing." he goes, making silly shooty noises when his fingers trace the network of power gems and magic circuits. A focusing path to blast out divine power. Deceptively advanced looking for what is actually just a magic vent.


    "Believe it or not, Baltanthan, and this might sound silly, but-"

 Incline 45: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "They''ve certainly been making a good habit of getting everything out of this place." Baltanthan remarks as we pass by another shadow caused by a lack of dust and filth. Lingering by a stripped-apart doorframe, I frown at where some likely important equipment used to be. It''s getting worse, the deeper we head into the facility. So many rooms that I cannot even fathom the meaning behind now.


    Glancing up at a set of signs with directions on them, my eyes shake a little. I''ve been so uninvolved with my own people and our most basic of works that I might as well have aphasia. Maybe there is hope I will be able to relearn my mother tongue, but... Something bangs.


    Shaking my head, I gently grab Baltanthan by the shoulder and point him down the path on our left.


    We both barely catch a glimpse of a boot rushing out of view and the noise stays within our ears. I look down at him and he nods with a set brow, we steadily begin to head that way. Pulling a shield up, I take point and expand my defences as we come across new paths. The noise of soldiers is growing in a very specific direction.


    "I will do what I can to keep them contained and us protected, Baltanthan." I tell him, my voice shaking. Each step I take feels weaker than the last, a shiver doesn''t need much strength to bypass my armour. I practically hiccup with each breath, the sound of my rattling armour bothering me more than it needs to.


    "I know you will." he tells me, his hand patting my back before we arrive at what sounds like the room a bunch have gathered in. Breathing in deeply, I turn the corner and keep moving forward even as bullets shatter against my shield. Underfoot, grainy crunching. I stop right at the doorway and the men stop firing.


    "Any idea of what to do...?" I whisper back to him while the soldiers reposition themselves. They''re now in front and will soon be right behind us when we step in. Baltanthan''s magic brightens up my back and a small orb is tightly locked between his caging fingers. He opens the lid, the magic''s stability remaining.


    "Lift the shield up a little." he tells me, my legs spreading as he crawls under me. Flushing a little, I do as asked and the spell rolls out into the room. Its form distorts rapidly and elongates into a tube and it explodes. The air in the room takes on the patchy traits of Baltanthan''s rhyolite glow.


    Metal throughout the room starts to scar with rust and shattering bangs fill the air. The cloud is wrangled into a corner and dismissed.


    "Go." Baltanthan urges, his hands pushing at my back. Shifting my magic onto my tail and gauntlets, I recreate the weapons I was once grafted to. Running in, I barrel towards the man on my left, crushing him up against the wall. Shifting about, I do the same to the next one, barely catching his leg and making him swing against a weakened pillar.


    Bringing my arms up out of habit, I then smash them against helmet-covered heads and let the bodies fall. Baltanthan slips in, his eyes cautiously watching the way we came. His staff quickly finds its bottom end in a series of chests and he knocks its bloody end on another. My magic vanishes and we return to just bathing in the lights the humans brought down with them.


    Well, except for one thing throbbing behind us.


    "Come on, where''s my technical lesson?" Baltanthan asks and I focus on the great, alive machine rumbling with power. It''s too big to have been brought in here by the humans and I step closer to its familiar controls. Cluelessly pressing some buttons and flicking a few switches, I try to remember what it all does. What appears to be emergency lights turn on but with everything scavenged out already, the red just looks pink next to the human ones.


    "Possibly the or a power generator. It''s not powered by God''s power, though." I explain, noting the way the electricity within is a palish blue. Or, at least, the containment material shades it that way. Either way, I am glad it does not have the tainted colour of the Thundering Evil.


    "And what is it powering?" he asks, tapping what was once a light socket. I glance around at the room, noting where the ground and walls were once bored. A lot of the ancillary equipment is gone. Only marks like skin that escaped a tanning bit of halolight remain.


    "Uhm... Lemme..." I go, fiddling with some details until the cracked screen on my right shows a schematic after much trial and error. Thankfully, I don''t need to be able to remember my mother tongue or its script to know that I''ve opened a map. Leaning in closer, I blow my lungs out across the dusty screen in order to reveal more details. A container appears, an individual seemingly locked inside.


    There are a lot of details flashing up but it''s probably just a soldierbot of some kind.


    Straightening my back out, I put my hands on its lower side and stretch against them, "I think we''re just looking at the last vestiges of emergency power."


    "Built to last alright." Baltanthan whistles and I smile a little.


    "I suppose we should be glad that magic is the way it is." I try to giggle, recalling a little factoid from a left-behind newstablet a customer forgot about. It went on about the process of decomposition and why flesh becomes clay after death. So long as we keep magic in our body or in the case of machinery, within its parts, everything is effectively immortal. Though, clearly, machines have an easier time with it as I''ve heard nothing of thousand-year-old men.


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    I am probably one of the oldest things alive and it''s entirely through sleeping in some kind of freezer. And down here is not ice cold.


    "Well, what do you say, should we go and find out where this is?" Baltanthan asks as if a soldierbot didn''t already try to kill him. But, still, I give him a little smile and start to walk.


    "I would rather see it all destroyed by at least my hands than have it shipped out of here." I say, shaking my shoulders and taking one final glance at the screen. The directions are somewhat in my head, they repeat over and over until I believe I have them down. Yet, the moment I look away and repeat them, it becomes a messy jumble. Groaning, I use the amulet''s magic to make a shape resembling the way we need to go.


    "Don''t think that will protect you from anything." my friend remarks as we leave and I look back to him.


    "I am more scared of the damage getting lost can do." I say and he huffs, the picked at halls passing us by. The noise of others starts to louden and accented shouting reaches our ears. Using my other arm, I present a shield for us to hide behind and bring it down when we reach another chamber. Me and Baltanthan get on our stomachs and crawl a little closer.


    "How close are we to getting these things online!?" what seems to be their last remaining officer demands to know. The stressed-out technical crew throw some tools about and one rises to his feet.


    "HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT WE DON''T KNOW!" he shouts out, a gun butt quickly hitting his face for the trouble. An armoured man with a sword steps between the two before things can escalate. The worker won''t let the blow go unpunished and the soldier is struck. Pride satiated, the pair seem to back down and I look to a grumbling Baltanthan as he glares.


    That must be the one who attacked him.


    "Know that we have no way of controlling these machines. We need to turn them on and pull back into the final chamber until help can arrive. Carry on bringing what supplies we can deeper inside and prepare to activate the machines." he orders and the men start to get moving. I shuffle about, my plate catching and scraping against some structural reinforcement. Eyes turn up our way and I swear under my breath.


    "Way to go Liadanann..." me and Baltanthan somehow let out at the same time. I gently elbow him and get another shield up, sighing against the floor.


    Standing up as there''s no point in hiding again, my eyes follow those retreating deeper into the mountain. Those here seem to be aware that they can''t get through my shield and instead take up positions elsewhere. The armoured one pulls back a little to grab a sword and shield. An uneasy truce seems to settle in as me and Baltanthan continue to be passive and inactive.


    "Any ideas?" I ask, not sure how I can get us down onto the ground floor while keeping Baltanthan protected. I have my doubts as well that he is powerful enough to affect the entire chamber. Regardless, my insides twitch a little at what I am seeing and now know. They''re trying to turn the soldierbots on so that they can fight us.


    "Well, you heard them. They''re trying to turn on the robots and I''d rather not be dealing with lots of them." Baltanthan almost hisses, his eyes narrowing while his grip flexes.


    "I feel much the same though I want them to be intact..." I mutter, the fairly recent sight of his victory over one before flashing in my head. I get they''re weapons designed with a singular purpose, but, I want at least something from this. Something I can take apart and keep as a meaningful memento, something I can use to remind me of the fading memories of my older brother. He was a general, these machines were his men.


    That much I know, that much I can remember clearly.


    "Grab onto me, I think I know how to get us into the chamber." I tell him, bending down slightly so it''s easier for him to get up. I take hold of his staff and his arms and legs wrap around me. He rebuilds his grip around the stick now pressing against my chest. Carefully, I reshape the shield, my focus blurring and clearing up without end.


    Taking a step forward, the orb I have put us in forces its way out onto the walkway with a shattering pop. Guns start to fire and I roll us out towards an opening. We crash into the rock below and Baltanthan groans in pain when my bulk goes against him. Breaking the orb, I put up two barriers, one on either side while my back is up against a depowered soldierbot.


    "Are you ok!?" I demand to know, checking his bandages for any sign of provocation. He smacks me away and grips his staff properly, a spell forming at its tip. It goes against the metal stopping most of the bullets trying to get for my back. Moving back a little, I scratch the places I''ve felt harsh pokes on and whine at the dents I can feel.


    Little bits of metal fall out along my tail and towards my feet. I think I can see blood.


    "If you''re able to keep that shield on my left up, you can go right and I can keep firing magic out from here." Baltanthan explains and I nod, getting rid of what he asked and bringing my weapons back. Rushing into the open and diving under a workbench, the bullets start to focus on me. Peeking out, I nod and like a nozzle, Baltanthan''s rusting magic sprays out like poisonous gas. The men near us yelp in surprise and pull back to grab new weapons.


    My friend audibly strains trying to push the gas towards the soldiers. Going for one of the workers, I knock him aside and throw aside another. My inner anger at these professional looters grows with each second. I run one through with a harsh stomp and tightening my toe-claw grip.


    The man roars and buckles up against my footed daggers.


    "GET OUT OF MY PEOPLE''S HOME!" I roar, kicking the man out into the bullets coming in my direction.


    "GET ME A GRENADE!" one man cries and I watch a small orb pass hands. Eyes widening, I rush out with all the speed I can muster, flinching to the dictations of bullets. Crying in sudden pain when my flesh suddenly feels something hot digging in. They''re piercing my armour!


    Bringing up a wide hand for a shield, I catch and roll the grenade out of the way. It explodes and something sharp disturbs my hair. Getting back up and covering my overhead, I look back at the pinkish lines left on the grey floor. A little bit of warmth spreads across my scalp.


    "POWERLINES ARE ACTIVE, CLEAR THE ARE-" a man screams with all he has before wet tearing stops him. His voice blended into it without a hitch.


    "WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! VICEROY''S VAULT IN DANGER! EMERGENCY COMBAT MEASURES ENGAGE!" one of the machines roars aciently and Baltanthan yelps in surprise. His magic suddenly choking out the far end of the room. The soldiers and workers start to run, some firing back while others are suddenly blown open by divine magic. Heavy metal feet stomp throughout the chamber.


    One turns towards me, weapon arm locked in an upright angle. Its glass eyes shimmer with the same glow as my natural ones. A shadow overbearing me while its parts whir. I gulp as it starts to unlock itself into something more flexible.


    The weapon arm lowers, brightly shining.

 Incline 46: Cakesmith Liadanann

    The soldierbot looks away to the direction of gunfire, it retaliates, marching forward. Getting my act together, my attention snaps to the direction Baltanthan was in. I scramble to my feet, running as fast as I can while the soldierbots keep the humans occupied. A fog of my friend''s magic bursts out, covering too much of the chamber.


    "BALTANTHAN!" I cry out, carefully minding the mist while the sound of heavy metal parts collapses within. Feet start to smack the ground and he comes running out, eyes wide and body overcharged with adrenaline.


    "Now might be the time to get out of here!" he hisses, heading to the stairs before a wayward shot blows them open. I pick him up from the ground, his feet still struggling to find their footing.


    "I don''t think that is going to be an option." I warn, huddling down with him behind a workbench. I peek over it, watching the soldiers and workers fall back into the interior while that armoured man holds them back. His sword and shield glow bright, their power and what they can do breaking and cutting down soldierbots. He spins around one, smashing its back in and then carving through another.


    Hot metal rains around him and arcane power reinforces his shield.


    "I am perfectly fine with-" Baltanthan starts to remark before a soldierbot blasts a chunk out of the workbench. We start to skedaddle and the intensity of their fire drives us around the chamber. Looking to my left, I find that we are a little too close to the swordsman.


    "SIR!" a soldier cries out and the brave defender leaps back to break the button on the door. He slashes at the hydraulics. It collapses down with a snap of thunder, sealing the men away.


    The armoured man drums his chest, blade swinging at his side eagerly.


    "That knight is intent on cutting us all down..." Baltanthan grumbles while he builds up a spell. More shots come our way and although I am the bigger target, I can tell they''re coming for my friend. I stand up a little to get a better view and to do the same for them. The soldierbots still focus on the side my friend is on.


    I''m being ignored by them...


    "COME ON!" I scream down at him, throwing up a shield that for the first time cannot stop an attack. The divine firepower of the machines chunks through my shield and I throw up another. Keeping my friend behind me, we ease our way to a better position. Much as it might cause me problems, I need Baltanthan to fill this room with his magic.


    The furthest corner possible needs to be ready to crumble.


    "YOU TWO!" the knight roars, his shield keeping the closest soldierbot back for the moment. He raises his blade at us, its edge dripping with the steel it has melted down.


    "GET KILLED BY THE ROBOTS!" Baltanthan shouts back, his head flinching under another shot.


    "ON MY NAME AND TITLE, KNIGHT LOUCKSEELE, I SHALL DRAW BLOOD ON THE HONOUR OF THE DEAD! THOUGH I AM NOT GRACED WITH DIVINE TEMPLARSHIP, I WILL INVOKE PRAYER!" the man declares, his shield throwing off the soldierbot before then rising above his head. Though I cannot hear his words, his equipment glows with renewed purpose. He charges for us, a soldierbot going down along the way.


    "BALT-" I try to scream, taking the brunt of his charge, a small shield barely stopping his sword. Groaning against the arcane force grinding against my gut, the man triggers the magic within. A cross starts to project across its heraldry and I fly into a wall. Crashing to the ground with a cry of pain, I shake my head and get back up.


    A barrier arrives just in time to stop his thrusting, energy lance. The knight dodges and weaves his way back into cover while I give Baltanthan what he needs. My friend is forced to apply his magic right against the body of a machine, tearing it apart and improvising the debris. A pattern of rock and stone rains out elsewhere.


    Creating several more barriers on top of each other to keep the soldierbots occupied, we focus on the knight. The man slices down some ddrai''och equipment and kicks it our way. It crashes against another machine, denting it inwards. The knight briefly skips sideways into more open ground.


    His sword runs along a small slot in the shield, sparking with lively light. Going in first with my wide-faced weapons, I keep the man''s blade occupied. Though I am in a suit of plate armour, I do not feel like it. His sword can cut through machine men like nothing, he''ll sear my flesh like steak if he gets through.


    I desperately hold out for my friend to try and think of something he can use. I can''t hold the knight back, I''m giving ground to his skilful aggression. My friend''s staff glows, a spell coming to form, only, he doesn''t cast it. He hefts the staff down and turns it into a spear.


    Pushing back just this once against the knight, I twist around, my tail covered in magic blades. It hacks its way into some broken metal and I struggle to get it out. Baltanthan''s magic blasts out, interrupting the knight''s charge. I hear him growl and leap back, a soldierbot''s blast making it through.


    Tearing my tail out, I watch the knight cut down some more machines. He displays the strength needed to throw one overhead and leaps, knee first into another. Blade sinks through metal and rock and slides right on out. My shields break down and the sky seemingly turns green.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "We can''t fight both!" Baltanthan snaps, his staff hosing down the patch of ground to our left. I put a hand over his head and bend him down while I get my bearings. Noting the focus of the machines, I try to trap the knight in with them, focusing on the thickness of magic rather than height. Patting my friend up, we go to the broken door.


    "We either fight what''s coming for us right now or we go through this door." I point out.


    "I vote the door, I can flood the way in that way!" Baltanthan eagerly answers, his side barely avoiding the divine magic. Almost like God''s approving the plan, the shot happened to have chunked away at the door.


    "Get to it, then!" I bark, bringing up more barriers while the soldierbots get into position. I barely catch a glimpse of the way the power gems on their gun arms change. But, when the arms lower, I understand clearly. Heavy, single shot makes way for rapid-fire pellets.


    "AH! DAMMIT!" Baltanthan cries, ducking down after my shield''s quick failure.


    "STAY AWAY FROM THOSE MEN!" the knight roars, suddenly appearing to cut us down. Somehow, I catch his blade between my hands and I quickly throw it out of my grip. His footing off, he spins around awkwardly to deliver the next slash. A barrier flashes into existence just in time, parrying the blade.


    "GET THE DOOR OPEN!" I scream at my friend, pushing the knight back after putting my shields up. Thankfully, the soldierbots all seem to turn on me and the knight. But, not so helpfully, many of them are unwilling to fire and instead march closer. The knight notices and keeps my back to the soldierbots.


    "I should''ve known." the knight mutters, his body drawing fire in the hopes I will be hit by it.


    "I will not let you loot the remains of my people..." I growl, knowing he''s probably recalling a tapestry his people have torn down.


    "These ruins are ancient, they''re as much your people as the people of Ancient Jhermonikra are mine. Not at all!" the knight bites back with, his blade finding an opening and taking it. I cry out, hissing in pain as the orange trail he''s left on my armour cools. Metal cracks and falls apart and I put a shield up.


    "This place is as ancient as me..." I spit, growling against the pain and stumbling to the ground. Crying out once again, I punch the ground and get to my feet. My friend comes into view and I spot as some of the machines change their focus. Their fire eats into the protection I gave him.


    "AND THE MEN IN THAT NEXT CHAMBER ARE MY DUTY! ON BLOOD AND HONOUR!" the knight roars, charging past me and cutting down more soldierbots. By circumstance, he cuts down what is going for Baltanthan and then turns on him himself. I spot the opening around my friend and block it up with some shields metres from him.


    "STAY AWAY FROM MY FRIEND!" I scream, rushing up and barrelling into the knight. We spiral out of control, banging and crashing across the floor until we come to a slow halt. The sparks and abrasion have scratched up our armour and decor. I flex my fists while the knight eyes his lost sword.


    Throwing another barrier up, I stop him from reaching for it but he has no problem getting to his shield. Defensive magic and steel clash, an arcane reaction blasting us apart but we stay pushing against each other. Hissing in pain, I dig my claws into the stone as best as I can and push up. Moving my tail, I bulk it with Iderim-Ovi''s might and smash it down.


    The knight backs off, dazed and injured, a dent in his helm. He twists towards the soldierbots and blocks their shots. Somehow, his magic can hold up where mine does not and a bright, shining light builds up at its core. He recoils back like an artillery gun and much like one, his projectile detonates.


    Though there is no shockwave and only light, I dive to the ground and cover my head. Blinking away the pain, I get back to my feet and rush to my friend. Glancing at his progress, I wall the knight off further. The soldierbots need to deal with him.


    They need to...


    The knight readies himself, shield in hand, alight with power and blessing.


    "How''s the door looking?" I ask my friend, freeing him up so he has more room to work with.


    "I am getting somewhere." he explains and he starts to knock the thick metal to see if it can be dislodged. I try to help him, smashing my protected hands against what he has worked his magic into. Nothing seems to happen and I step aside so he can focus. Turning around, I look at the battle still going on between the remaining machines and the knight.


    He''s slowing down and it''s not stopping him from destroying more with just his shield. Though some of the soldierbots are stopping to watch me and Baltanthan instead, any the knight is too close to turn. They open up with fresh firepower and take out more of the chamber, one even scores a hit on the man''s free arm. Left with only his shield, his defence becomes the best offence.


    More magic blasts out of it, destroying a handful more machines and he crushes down on one that fell over. He dives into cover, his body seemingly turning still while he gets his focus together. The knight rolls out into the open, shield left behind and he charges desperately for his sword. He takes another glancing blow and rolls over the blade, its power lighting up.


    "WAIONR AND GUAREROISNCER, HEAR MY DEFIANCE!" the knight roars, his blade lighting up with enough power to shatter it entirely. The room flashes bright and I cover my eyes, even Baltanthan who''s looking away groans in pain. Slowly opening up my vision again, I bring down some shields and step into the open. A lone figure stands in the smoke and a bit of green zips to him.


    A couple of half-melted soldierbots turn towards me and march up. Their weapons at the ready, I gulp and take a step back. A third one comes into view, still largely intact. The machine lowers its weapon and I apply more shields to Baltanthan''s location.


    "Error. Error. Unregistered combatant. Unidentified. Identify." the soldierbot says in my mother tongue and I blink, unsure of what it said. I keep looking back to where my friend is.


    "Identifffffffffffff-eye."


    "I-don''t-tify." the other two repeat, their voiceboxes fuzzy and distorted. One shivers and sparks, trembling like a cold animal. The most intact one takes a step forward, a needle suddenly protruding from a finger. It stabs into my neck, shocking me with the insignificant pain and I fall to the ground.


    "Running database. Checking Citizen Codex. Family name located: Aelcyrn." the functional one says, as un-understood as it was a second ago.


    "Aelcyrn..." I repeat, my family name feeling so foreign on my tongue. It''s been some time since I''ve last said it myself. I don''t even recall if my friends and Nin even know I have a surname.


    "Warning. Liadanann Aelcyrn has no military authority. Warning. Warning. Warning supermanded. New authority status given. Inspection time slotted. Reasoning: Direct family to sacred trust." the machine goes and I blink at its gibberish, slowly rising in line with its vision.


    "How''s that door coming, Baltanthan!?" I call back to my friend, scared for my life although nothing has happened.

 Incline 47: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "STOP! DON''T SHOOT!" I scream at the soldierbots, getting in their way as much as possible to stop them from killing my friend. They finally seem to listen and take a step back.


    "Designation alteration: Human Prisoner." the intact one declares and I blink with uncertainty. Both because I don''t know what it just said that is now ensuring my friend''s safety and because I still cannot assure him of it. My friend clings to my back and the soldierbots approach the door.


    "Emer... Lemur! Emergency Authority backing off." a half-melted one notes as we take some steps away.


    "Conclusion: Acceptable targets within." the intact one declares and the trio start to blast away at the door. It falls apart within moments and I shift my friend out of the way when the proper shooting starts. The noise stops too quickly. Two heavy metal thunks ring out to us and we head back up.


    "I guess that''s the one you''re taking home..." Baltanthan tries to joke and we shuffle down the tunnel. Reaching the chamber the last of the human soldiers were held up in, I cover my mouth. I don''t know how to feel about this. Maybe there was something I could''ve done or perhaps this is what I want.


    I could have helped them escape but who knows if Inerish is out and about again. My focus has gone about so many times now that I do not know if their shield is gone. Maybe we''ll run into them again. I glance back the way we came and shift my eyes to the ground.


    Noting the two soldierbots that have fallen over, I see clearly that they''ve run out of power. Only the intact one has maintained anything approaching life but it too is dimming. The machine snaps to attention and turns. It marches further down and we decide to follow it.


    Ancient security opens up without issue, some kind of hidden key possibly built into the machine. My mouth opens a little, the building reverting back to the state it once was always at with each step we take. Everything is still up, even the lights still being in their sockets makes me giddy. Eventually, we arrive at an ornate blast door that the machine does not open.


    "Liadanann Aelcyrn, present hand." it says and I blink, looking to my friend who shrugs at me. Machinery starts to move until some kind of panel appears, one too alike a hand in its image.


    "I think it wants you to put your hand on that..." Baltanthan suggests and I free a hand of its armour. Slowly, I put my hand into the slot and it comes to life with a line of moving light. Briefly, a flare of it lights up my face and I frown. Heavy machines shift and chunk into new positions and what sounds like heavy chains start to rattle.


    The door opens up, revealing what seems to be the final chamber at the end of the facility. All three of us walk inside and I approach the still active container. That thing that came up on the screen earlier, it''s not a soldierbot, it''s another ddrai''och. There''s someone alive in this thing!


    "Emergency Authority, evacuate the sacred trust. Ensure survival." the soldierbot speaks and for what appears to be the final time. The armoured machine collapses against some kind of socket. Whatever remaining power within is sucked up by the greater machine and it crashes to the ground. Putting my hands together and moving them about without pause, I look around at all the computers and consoles.


    "Uh..." I squeak, not sure what to do. I can''t even recall what my mother tongue means, how am I supposed to read anything here!?


    "Liadanann, calm down!" Baltanthan insists, his hands on my forearms.


    Slowing down, I look and blink at him, "There''s... There''s one of my kind in there, Baltanthan. I''m not alone but this one might be the only one I ever see..."


    "Hey, hey, hey! That''s enough of that." Baltanthan goes, his fingers clearing away the tears for me. I nod, sniffling and looking around once again. Hearing a noise echo from elsewhere, I gulp. If Inerish comes stumbling into this chamber...


    "I don''t know what to do." I blow out, trying to keep myself in check by forcing some frustration into my tone. Knocking one hand against a machine, I try and beat some of my anxiety out but I think it only encourages it. Shuffling a little to the side, I start to look around more closely. On multiple screens, the same pair of words seem to flash again and again.


    Moving closer and squatting, I cover my mouth with my arms, the pair over one another. How am I supposed to recall how to read the language I used to always read? We don''t have time to be learning. Maybe it will be best if I just push the buttons and hope for the best. The soldierbots are all broken and destroyed now, I can''t imagine I''ll cause any problems.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    At least, not any that will cause us to be shot at.


    "Uhm, Baltanthan, can you make sure there are no more security weapons in here?" I ask my friend, shuffling my eyes about as I do so. He starts to move around, staff at the ready but even from here, I can''t see anything. The importance of this machine holding my fellow ddrai''och might''ve made it too risky.


    Getting up properly, I shuffle towards the glass keeping them in their liquid containment. I place my bare hand against the glass and watch it fog up with steam. Peeking a little closer, I try to pick out some of the details on this ddrai''och''s face and note all the scars. It seems to be a he, going by how little he has protruding on his chest, the features are too hard set as well.


    I know I am not a human, but there are enough similarities and I feel like this man is closer to Baltanthan than he is to me. Well, beyond the redskin, claws, likely green eyes, the pinkish-tinted hair, the tail and everything else that makes a ddrai''och a ddrai''och. I spot a stamped plate on the machine''s rim. Shifting over to it, I look closely and spot a reoccurring word.


    I quickly go back to a console and spot that it''s one of the same words. What comes before it is all different, but, that one word is the same. It''s the same. Only, that doesn''t really matter, does it?


    "God dammit..." I whine, collapsing onto my bottom and clutching my head tightly.


    "I''m sorry I can''t be of more help." Baltanthan tells me and I start to shake my head. I free it from my grip and let my lips flap to my harsh blow of air.


    "I don''t know what I am supposed to do. I cannot read anything here. Even the one word that''s shared on the screens and that tank, whatever it is. I have no clue!" I almost snap, rising back up to kick the downed soldierbot as at least that won''t damage anything.


    "Well, maybe you just need to remember that one word. Come on, let''s at least give it a go." my friend encourages, gesturing me closer and I drag myself to him. Leaning onto the console, I point out the recurring word and he nods.


    "I don''t know what any of it says, I just know that this... Repeats here, but, what comes before is different." I explain, shrugging what despair out I can and Baltanthan drums his chin. He shifts to stroking it, pulling down on what little hair he has down there and flinching when he pulls one out.


    "Maybe it is a name?" he suggests and I blink with uncertainty.


    "How can you be so sure?" I ask back, crossing my arms and letting one drop. I squeeze the opposing bicep, stretching my grip to fit around the metal plating.


    "I''m not, I''m just thinking that maybe, even with the thousands of years of difference between when you were a child and now... Maybe, just maybe... The best way to format a document hasn''t changed all that much?" he ponders and I let out a noise of thought.


    "A name..." I repeat under my breath as quietly as possible. Moving one hand to the console keys, I start to glide my fingerprints over them. For whatever reason, a jumble of words starts to come to mind when I focus on one of the ddrai''och words.


    Love. Land. Of. The.


    Love of the Land...?


    I sigh and look at the ddrai''och who has been kept safe from the outside world for all this time. Bringing my amulet up a little, my head tilts in confusion at how bright it seems to suddenly want to glow. The liquid inside the container starts to bubble aggressively and a pair of eyes open up slowly. I flinch back and whoever is in here stares.


    He can''t seem to do anything and I raise the amulet a little more, wondering if this is what he''s focusing on. His finger starts to twitch at what seems to be me. I step a little closer until my breath hits the glass. He starts to reach out, barely reaching the glass I can so easily place my palm against.


    "Liadanann?" Baltanthan calls and I look to him, then back to the ddrai''och. I can''t seem him anymore, the glass has been steamed over completely. Stepping down with a shrug, I rejoin my friend at one of the computers.


    Typing in some things randomly, I scratch my head, "I don''t know..."


    "Liadanann. If you cannot be certain that what you are doing will get this guy out of there. Maybe it will be better if we leave it for now?" he suggests and I shake my head unendingly, doing whatever my gut dictates to me until the lights in the room suddenly shift to red. The tank suddenly armours up and the lights cycle through brighter and darker shades.


    "I guess this will have to do for now." I mutter, slumping and walking away. Whatever I have done, I cannot undo it. Nothing makes sense to me right now, it''s not worth the trouble. I just need to make sure to remember this place and find the time to get back here.


    Although my reasoning is more to do with isolation as I owe that trapped man nothing, I still want to do it. I will spend as much time as it takes to get this sorted. I''ll close the shop if I have to, sell it off and hire all the help I can get. We''ll take all this saved loot and put it into my hands for safekeeping, we will get that man out of there.


    I make a quick prayer, begging for the strength and wisdom I need to get anywhere with this. Stepping back into the chamber we battled in, I sniffle and wipe my eyes again. Baltanthan rubs my back closely and I steadily sit down. Bringing my knees close, I hide my face behind them.


    "It''ll be alright Liadanann. Don''t worry. I hid the bombs earlier so there''s a chance the others won''t be able to cave this place in. We might have to wash the blood out, but, these soldiers left behind all the boxes and freight stuff we need. We can get all the stuff you want out of here." he tries to reassure me with and I just shake my head aggressively.


    "It''s not that... That''s not what I am upset about. I might not be lonely with friends like you, Baltanthan. But, I was torn away from my home, everything that I am is gone. This place is the only hint I have of my old life and I can''t do anything. These soldierbots were speaking my mother tongue and I couldn''t understand it. I cannot read even the most basic of signs in here...!" I sob, breaking out into a series of hiccups before smacking my face up. I ignore the mild pain and trace whatever shape I can see in all the damage.


    I whimper, hiding my face again and I fall slightly against Baltanthan as I feel him hug me.

 Incline 48: Cakesmith Liadanann

    I come to a stop by the door Baltanthan once had sealed, my hand touching the frame, "It''s funny... You know. I don''t think I can do this. You finally get me up on my feet and we reach here and now I don''t want to... I feel almost, precognisant."


    "There''s a lot on your shoulders right now, Liadanann. No one can blame you or be surprised that you''re having these kind of doubts." my friend explains to me and he carries on towards the items we stored away before. He takes a few of them into his arms and offers me a smile. He disappears and I frown, speeding after him and stopping again in the chamber I trapped the others in.


    Gulping, I find that the magic I trapped them in is still up and Baltanthan seems to vanish. Nodding a little, I clutch my hands together and approach the three. The bored trio lighten up in various ways. Nin moves slightly, Seigunfrei offers a smile and that vile she grips her blade. Dismissing the amulet''s magic, I am suddenly met with that blade pressing against my neck.


    "You have some explaining to do." Inerish warns, the sword''s edge heating up with a slow line of fire going along it. I take a step back and she follows after, the sharp bit pressing harder against my neck because of it.


    "N-Nin..." I meekly cry out and he pulls the sword away. Nodding some, I mouth a thank you and wait for Inerish to put the sword back into its sheath.


    "Explain." she growls, her hand not leaving the sword''s grip regardless.


    "We''ve handled the problem... The weapons, it''s been dealt with." I do as asked, looking around at everything but her eyes. She steps closer, one hand snapping to my jaw and bringing it in line with hers. Somehow, my eyes become magnetised to hers and I am forced to watch closely as the danger builds up within them.


    "Have you?"


    "Yes!"


    "I don''t believe you. You there, Exceptional Student, go the way they went and come back to me with the details." Inerish orders and Seigunfrei does as asked.


    "Seigunfrei!" I whine, unable to get out of her grip and my friend shrugs a little.


    "Sorry, Liadanann, but, Suhurlodst is my home and I''d rather not leave something like this to chance..." he explains, his hand rubbing the back of his head before he uses his magic to speed off. Suddenly, I hit the ground and pat the area where I felt a hand shove me.


    "Inerish." Nin goes, arms crossing over one another.


    "Oops." the accused giggles maliciously and I pull myself back up. Patting my side down and shuffling back into a proper stance.


    "We handled it... The human soldiers are gone and the weapons were destroyed in the process." I whimper, unable to get my focus up towards them. I don''t want to give out too much information or she will destroy this place.


    "But can I be so sure of that, Baker? I''ve not seen it with my own eyes. In fact, I couldn''t have because the one insisting it''s all sorted trapped me in a ball during an emotional fit!" Inerish snaps, her magic firing off at the walls of the cavern and melting chunks of it down. The glow of magma joins with that produced by the regular lights. She turns my way, a fireball in her palm.


    "We handled it!" I growl, calling on my amulet''s power when she gets a little too close for comfort. The fire is so close that it''s everchanging head of flaming hair is starting to lick at me.


    "Being stuck in that orb, I am running low on patience for the pair of you." Nin warns, stepping up. His hands grasp us, one for one shoulder each and he squeezes. We both buckle under his strength but I almost laugh. If she''s bending down like I am, he''s squeezing much harder on her end.


    Nin lets go, his chitters becoming aggressive and we back away from each other, magic depowering.


    "I put you three in that container so you wouldn''t destroy this mountain..." I mutter under my breath, leaning forward a little to look at the heat mark on my breastplate.


    "We came equipped for that very purpose." Nin reminds me and I look away.


    "I know... I know. But things changed when it became clear that this entire place is ddrai''och. I will not allow my one chance to have something belonging to my people buried and lost. Especially when I don''t know if I will ever see my home of the past few years before your people captured me ever again." I explain to Nin, watching him as his posture seems to relax.


    He puts a hand on my shoulder and I look away, "Look at me."


    I do as told, though barely.


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    "You''re letting things get to you. Just trust me, we''ll sort it out." he assures me and I go back to looking away.


    "You mean like how you want me to trust that you will ever stop loving a dead girl?" I grumble bitterly, walking away quickly before he can react. I didn''t see him do it, but I know his body is tensing up. I know his mind-bound jaws are rearing back to snap me in two. Finding the exit, I get up and out.


    The sound of the wind and the shine of daylight come back to my senses and I find a dented crate to sit on. Putting my cheek against a palm, I sigh out what frustration I can and try to ignore the pair as they come out of the mountain. They''re bickering about something but I can''t clearly hear. Looking up as neither of them are that way, I almost sigh again until I spot something new.


    Getting off my crate, I rush out of the destroyed camp and back up along a nearby mountain. I choke up with a mixture of joy and sadness. Coming out of the mountain''s peak is some kind of beacon. A pillar of crimson that pulses the air around it pinkish, reaching so high it seems to vanish.


    "What did you do!?" Inerish demands to know, her eyes seeing it too.


    "I ensured I can find my way back here..." I mutter, ignoring the tears in my eyes and instead focusing on what this means. I just need to get the money and time and I can come back here to get what I can out of this place. It will take as long as it needs to, I will figure out how to speak and read my mother tongue again and I can free that man. I can bring back all these artefacts and decorate my shop with them.


    I won''t be the only one of my kind I know exists anymore, I can have someone to talk to. Someone who knows the kind of life we used to live. I love my friends and Nin dearly, but, there are just some things they will never get. The small things like our toe-claws catching on things, what kind of metal is best to east and if oxidated or heated is more flavourful.


    So many small things they can''t get at all...


    I look up and find Inerish oddly calm all of a sudden. She walks away and relaxes on a rock with a clear and wide smile. I gulp and keep to myself as every time I look at her, she reiterates the smile. Her lips move and her eyes close.


    Bouncing my fingers against each other, I lock and intertwine them. Forcibly pulling them apart, I repeat the process, scraping off a fair bit of my armour''s paint in the process. My right leg starts to bounce up and down. I focus on it, but even then it does not stop.


    Magic starts to howl out of the mountain and Seigunfrei seemingly leaps out of it.


    "Ah, here he is, a reliable source of information!" Inerish chirps and I look up her way with quaking eyes. Quickly getting up, I rush after her and make it just in time. Seigunfrei looks my way and puts his hands on his hips.


    "Well, she''s telling the truth regarding the soldiers being dead. I checked the way we were going to go as well, it leads the same direction. Lots of broken somethings but there''s also an alarm going off. So, whatever those two did, something''s bound to happen." he explains and I take a step back, locking eyes with Inerish as she looks my way.


    "An alarm?" she repeats, a grin on the half of her face looking at me.


    "Yeah, flashing and red but quiet." Seigunfrei clarifies and Inerish draws her sword.


    "Well, that''s good enough for me." she goes, the edge lighting up into a sudden inferno and my amulet gets to work. Covering myself in magical weapons, I charge for the human before she can bring down the mountain. I strike the ground and scream. I stare at Nin, quaking and trembling as he keeps me pinned.


    "LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" I cry and thrash, trying everything I can. I start to call on the amulet''s power but he takes it off and tosses it to Seigunfrei. My friend catches it and lowers it to his side. I can''t get out, I can''t get out!


    "Whatever you did in there, Liad-" Nin tries to say.


    "GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME! I CAN''T LET HER- NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!" I scream, breaking down into tears as Inerish''s magic melts down the entrance tunnel of the mountain. Wherever Baltanthan hid the explosives, it doesn''t matter. Her magic reaches them anyway and the blast throws me back inside my armour. Shaking my head and blinking against the ringing, I look around.


    A shadow moves away from me and Nin''s cloak goes back behind him.


    He seemingly stares down at me, his grip growing tighter and harsher. I whimper and drop my head onto the ground. Quietly and with tears streaming down, I look at the light still escaping the mountain. He''s still in there, that ddrai''och man...


    How am I supposed to break into a mountain to get him out? I can''t do that.


    I can''t even force my way out of the grip of one man. The one thing I have that could''ve done something was taken from me. I have nothing. My one chance to not be alone anymore, it''s gone...


    "Now, there''s a job well done." Inerish huffs, walking off and Nin lets go. He offers his hand but I crawl away, heading towards the still-hot and melting rock instead. Pushing myself up just in time, I avoid falling onto the steaming stone face first. I weakly smash at it with my warming gauntlets.


    Each blow grows in ferocity until I start to animalistically claw at the rock. My armour starts to fall apart and I stop when a sharp pain shoots through my hand. Clutching the wounded finger, I back away and fall onto my rear. I stare at one spot.


    Only soot has been removed.


    "I could''ve..." I try to say, failing to when a sniffle interrupts me. But, regardless, the sentence finishes itself in my head. I could''ve not been alone anymore. There would have been another ddrai''och in my life.


    Now, no matter what I do, I will likely never see him again or know that man''s name. Because of that evil creature, he''s now trapped in a failing, ancient facility. Who knows what Seigunfrei might''ve done in the time he was in there? He was so quick he might''ve damaged what little essential equipment remained active on the inside.


    Blinking slowly, I get back to my feet, I stumble away initially. Sorting out my steps, I start to poke around everything out here. Surely there is something I can at least take back with me? Anything, come on!


    Please... I just want one small thing to remember my people by... Just one thing... God, please, help me find one item!


    Finding a smashed open box, I sigh and clutch it tight. I start to whimper loudly, shaking uncontrollably to the point the box starts to rattle. I look at the closest dead human and the scorch marks covering the corpse. My breathing picks up and my blood threatens to boil me like that man is burnt.


    "GGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" I howl until my voice turns raspy and quiet. My lower lips shake and my eyes close up, the shakes unending.

 Incline 49: Aspirer Baltanthan

    Tightening my grip on the boxes, I look back to my friend as she slowly slugs her way up the airship ramp. She comes to a stop in the corner of the bay area and slides down onto the floor with a heavy thunk. Nin and the other two carry on inside to the other part of the airship. Quickly, I watch the ramp come back up and then put the boxes down.


    The airship roars and my gut goes down.


    "Uh, excuse me, Grandguard, is it possible for you to drop me off at the nearest spiral-train station? I need to do something in this part of the country." I ask of her, explaining my situation briefly and becoming the centre of attention because of it. She puts a finger near her lips and seems to consider the request. My hands tighten and flex, the action repeating in this daunting moment.


    I guess it''s not too big of an issue if I don''t get what I want, it just means the train ride will be longer...


    "Pilot, make a detour towards the nearest mountain-state under Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst''s influence. Make sure it has a spiral-train line heading further south." she orders and I breathe a sigh of relief, smiling a little.


    "Thank you, Grandguard. Now, uh, can I get my stuff out of the box...?" I ask right after, my mind on edge in case I am asking too much of her. She certainly doesn''t give a welcoming or helpful impression with how Liadanann is currently feeling. Though, at the same time, there are not a whole lot of valid reasons to keep my temporary property away from me.


    "Of course." she answers, her fingers inputting the needed code and bringing up the storage space.


    "Again, thank you." I tell her, quickly grabbing up what I need to give to Ioike and going back out to my friend. I put my stuff down and sit next to her. Liadanann shuffles closer to the wall and curls in on herself. Putting my hand near her back, I do my best to offer some kind of condolence and pat away. She growls quietly.


    "Go away..." she warns, armoured fingers scratching at mailed palms.


    "I can''t do that, Liadanann." I tell her and she twists about, a fist rising at me. Blinking at the hollow threat, she backs away and slumps back into the depressing mood.


    "Just go away. Leave me alone." she repeats and I shake my head again.


    "I wouldn''t be a good friend if I did that now, would I?" I point out.


    "The other two are just fine leaving me be..." she bitters under her breath and I pat her again.


    "Those two are right in leaving you alone for the moment." I point out, minding what they''ve done thus far, good and bad.


    "My other friends are fine with leaving me be, so off you go." she repeats and my head shakes firmly once she peeks up from her arms.


    "No." I go, keeping up the pats until she opens up with a sniffle. I offer her my softer sleeve and she takes it so her eyes can be dry for once. She tries to find a little humour in it by blowing her nose on me too. Taking my sleeve back, I ick my eyes at the mark and huff the amusement away.


    "What am I going to do, Baltanthan? I couldn''t do anything inside the mountain and I couldn''t save it either." she mutters and I start to tut.


    "Now, I know full well you watched me take some boxes out, so, stop acting like you''ve lost everything." I remind her and she flushes up a little and looks away.


    "Why did you...?" she asks as I lean over to grab one of the boxes.


    "I had a feeling something was going to happen so I took some of it outside." I explain before leaning up against the metal of the airship. The rumble of the engines gets into my head and she clumsily opens up the box. Her arms freeze up and the box goes still before she even dares to take out the contents.


    Digging one finger under the old, mostly whitish-red cloth, she lifts it out of the box and starts to unfold it. While she does not go the full way, I quickly find both my hands filled with some of it. Moving my arms a little, I try to keep it stretched out so we can see all of the details of the tapestry. I look at some of the details but wait for her to be ready in case she wants to open her mouth.


    "So, what am I looking at?" I ask and she frowns. Slowly, her head starts to shake and she shrugs into a miserable sigh.


    "I do not know." she eventually answers, her grip growing weak. Moving one arm over the length of fabric, I point its index towards a familiar detail.


    "We know that this is a robot." I point out, making sure her attention is on what appears to be an army of them marching on something. There are three other kinds of machines with them, well, I assume they are anyway. The shape is roughly the same, only, they either have new parts or are notably bulkier in comparison. Liadanann doesn''t seem to remember them or know what they are.


    However, that doesn''t stop me from trying to figure some things out. There''s one with what looks like gun barrels on its shoulders which suggests something fairly obvious. Around the edges of this machine army are slim ones with some kind of magic propulsion, a cone of speed lines at their front. Then, there''s the ones with these massive, heavy arms and I can only imagine that they''re going to be a smashing experience.


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    I smile a little at my friend and she tries to return it until we move the tapestry along. A city of some kind comes into view, crimson-painted a lot like everything else her people seem to do. I guess it makes sense, the Singular God is red-skinned, much like them so it must be a holy colour. I suppose as well, that the figure the city gives way to is her god?


    "Who''s this meant to be?" I ask, pointing out the armoured, winged figure. Whatever power is surrounding him, it reminds me a lot of the amulet Liadanann has. However, what has her attention most is the title that seems to hang from some kind of divine creature. Carefully woven into the fabric, a familiar but unreadable word.


    "I... I think it''s meant to be the man we found in that facility." she goes and I nod, still unable to send my focus onto anything else other than that one word. It has to be a name, there''s no way it can be anything else.


    "This word..." I mutter, tapping it with my finger and she stares at it blankly. She sighs and moves on, possibly too tired to even care anymore about it. I frown and reluctantly shrug off her apathy to the detail and we keep going on along the tapestry. The ground that has been fairly consistent on the bottom of the great piece of cloth makes way for a sudden stop.


    Wait a minute, the detail it''s largely glancing over.


    "That''s Thurn''s Forge!" I point out with a ''ha,'' somehow amused by the fact I actually know what something on this ancient tapestry is. The city that''s there now isn''t there, but the great bridge that crosses the gap between two continents is too iconic to miss.


    "Is it?" she goes, focusing more on the great shapes in the air in front of the divinely-made bridge. I lean forward a little, eating up what small details I can and figuring out fairly quickly why she''s focusing so much on them. Those things are the airships her people are on. Her kind''s own personal little Ark Cities.


    "I take it you used to live on something like this?" I ask anyway, just to make sure even though I am fairly confident.


    "Yeah, I used to call one of them home. I think it was called... I think... The name was The Final Hope. Which, given what it ended up being used for, I imagine whoever selected that airship had a grim sense of humour." she explains and I nod along before we carry on with the tapestry. We reach a point where the details seem to be getting a lot more violent and grim. One heavily defined by what is clearly meant to be some kind of evil sky beast.


    Only, when the tapestry reaches a point that the figure is clear, I can''t help but find it odd. This great evil it''s showing, it''s clearly the great hero of old. The man the world called Thunder. The demi-god who carried with him the might of the God of Creation.


    The number three comes from Thunder''s divine patron, only here, it''s something sinister. The tapestry is moving through segments of three, becoming increasingly apocalyptic. Soon, all that is left is that unknown figure from before and he is gravely wounded. The armies of robots and fleets of airships are fire and smoke.


    The sky is something venomous with the lightning being outright sinister in its portrayal.


    "And I guess we''re here." I mumble, folding up what we have gone through while Liadanann loses herself in the final part of it. The man''s alive but the tapestry gives it the impression of the mountain being a burial site. Whatever happened, they must''ve finished this tapestry and then fell back to somewhere else. A great exodus back across the bridge of what will become Thurn''s Forge.


    "I want to look at something else..." my friend mutters with a shiver and I get to carefully putting the tapestry back into its container. I don''t want to fold it too harshly given its age but I can''t leave it a tacky, loose pile either. Thankfully, the box closes back up just fine and I swap it out for another.


    She opens it up and takes out the contents before I even have time to sit back up properly. The box is already on the floor and I lean forward to check it, it''s empty. Glancing over to my friend, I watch her hide whatever was in it. Getting up a little, I peek over her shoulder and see that it is a picture frame.


    Dull and worn out with some little golden decoration and the glass is a little scratched up.


    Only, the contents beyond that protective layer have her oddly silent. She slowly touches it like she''s remembering something clearly for the first time in a long time. Her hand focuses slowly on what looks to be a little girl and then it goes to a well-dressed young man. The way he''s styled makes it seem like a military thing, perhaps a graduation of some sort.


    "That''s me..." she manages to whisper, pointing at the little girl.


    "How can you be so sure?" I ask, just to be safe, she''s struggled to remember a fair bit and I''d rather not see my friend go on another ride. Her heart is probably set to break given what we have been doing recently.


    "I can hear it. The music, the birds, the joy in everyone''s faces. Not just my family, everyone else''s too. My brother, my older brother... He had just finished his time in the Officer School or something like that." she explains before she starts to knock her hand against whatever she can find. It seems to be like a metal detector, only, it knocks louder the closer and clearer a detail becomes.


    "You got it?" I ask, noting how still she''s suddenly turned.


    "Viceroy!" she nearly screams in realisation.


    "Huh?" I go.


    "Viceroy! This was the ceremony in which my older brother became the elected viceroy of something. We had all gone to celebrate because of how well he had done... I remember being disappointed that my brother wanted us to go to a lower-class restaurant so he could be with his lower-birth classmates." Liadanann explains, her eyes widening and watering as she lets more and more of it come back to her. She starts to play with her fingers, like the memory of an old toy being handled is coming back to mind.


    "Mmmm, though, now I have to wonder, why was this photo in that mountain?" I ask and Liadanann turns to me, only really the tears in her eyes remaining.


    "My brother must''ve been one of those who had to leave that mountain. He had to have... though, I guess it doesn''t matter. Thousands of years ago and all that..." she assumes with what I feel is too much haste. Thinking back to the ancient console and tapestry, that word she ignored comes to mind. That one word that kept flashing. Could it perhaps be her family name?


    That would mean the man in the mountain is... No, I shouldn''t speak of it. I don''t want to get her hopes up over something like this. It wouldn''t be right in the slightest.


    "At least we know he made it out." I choose to lie, hoping it will make her feel better. My friend sniffles and wipes her eyes again.

 Incline 50: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "All aboard!" a member of the train station''s staff calls out, the destination having just been clarified. The few people boarding this machine go onto the cars towards the front and give us dirty looks on the way. A small child is hustled along by his mother and the station loses the ambience of the people. The worker approaches us.


    "Sir, please board if this is your spiral-train." he insists, our tickets verified beforehand. I nod and look over to the others and it turns out they''ve already gotten on. Frowning at how Liadanann chose a car further back, I shake my head and move into the one ahead. Putting my claw onto a nearby grab bar, I move my head right and then left.


    My gaze lingers on my two friends and moves away when the redder part of the two meets me with only scorn.


    I sigh quietly and move closer to the window as the train starts to depart. Briefly, I watch those who work here make sure that the platform is clear and they sit down to rest. The train picks up speed and the building vanishes off into the distance. Blinking a little at how the view changes, my attention is drawn to the magic keeping our sense of gravity normal.


    Round and round the high-rising rail, always coiling and doing so without so much as a stutter. Mountains are weaved by and valleys seem like little hops. A city comes into view, one built around a grand lake and filled with all manner of exotic buildings and internal shipping. It seems like there''s a festival going on, one dedicated to Oceinater if I was to guess anything.


    Not strictly the god of water, but, rather the bodies of it and the life within. A pedantic difference.


    There are a lot of activities going out across that lake, races on boats, rowing competitions and various kinds of sailing and chute games. At its core, however, is a show that explicitly would need the presence of water magic users. From here and going this fast in constant rotation, I cannot notice the details clearly enough. I just have to know and an image comes to my head because of it.


    The girl in my mind smiles, her hair dripping wet but seemingly as dry as it would be on a clear day. She''s dancing, bringing up all the water around her and shaping it into all kinds of obstacles and platforms. Her heart is alive and well, unburdened with any kind of pain. Only, it cannot stop me from feeling it.


    My chittering turns harsh and I shake my head.


    The delusion vanishes and I take the moment to sit down and collect my thoughts. Another detail about Oceinater comes to mind. Blood. That which the heart pumps so tirelessly is his domain.


    The smile comes back to my imagination, only, this time, there is no smile. The teeth it wants to show are kicked in. The skin that surrounds it is cut up and lacerated without end. She is dying in my arms.


    Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.


    Choking on a breath of air for some reason, I start to cough and find myself looking back towards Liadanann. I frown at her red skin and look back to the clean floor of the train. Well, it''s not as clean as it used to be, not since my buggish body walked over it. I put my claws together and squeeze.


    I''m not doing a very good job of keeping my promise to Lari. I don''t think I can, not with how my life is at the moment. She''s all I''ve ever wanted and every time someone else has tried to be dear to me, I have fought them off. Their persistence only causes them pain and I might as well be abusing them to carry on with it.


    I''m giving Liadanann false hope...


    "I need to make a final decision about this and just let it be. I know what makes her heart like this, don''t I?" I ask myself, looking down at the first divine artefact I ever came into possession of. I could throw it away and let the hearts of all those I know figure things out for themselves. Yet, that idea scares me. One of the few things that do these days.


    I''m a bug. I cannot ever escape that fact. I''m not sure how much it bothers me these days but I still notice. I help Liadanann at her shop and see the customers unwilling to come in.


    I walk into the Gnomon to speak to Inerish and see the trigger fingers tensing up.


    I blink, trying to force the tears back into my eyes. Lari''s final words come back to haunt me and my fists tighten. Even she was the same, she could not ever love me because of what I am. I came back to life all those years ago but at what cost?


    I still skulk the streets at night, avoiding people and crowds. People who have admitted to viewing me in a favourable light still flinch when they see me. I won''t even try to scare them intentionally, they just will. All because I am a literal monster.


    Osibindah.


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    My eyes narrow at a quiet mountain as the train''s rotation lets me spot but one of the many small forts guarding the pillars of the line. Bandits, foreign troops and wild animals, they''re all but one reason for these kinds of deployments. For a lot of people, though, they can only see these kinds of things as protection against the osibindah. Body-stealing creatures, sinister things that pervert the natural beauty of the women they get their hands on.


    All it would take is for one earth shaman to raise his staff and- The door between trains opens up and in comes Baltanthan.


    Straightening myself out, I lean against the chair and he sits down across from me. His staff hits the ground harshly and I raise a brow at the tough guy act. He knows full well how this will go down if something does erupt. But, I guess, why wouldn''t you want the illusion of safety when near something like me?


    "Why did you come?" the young man who technically saved my life asks, his tone bordering on sounding like a demand. I look to the car he came in from and watch Liadanann as she holds one of those boxes closely. She only becomes more protective when her head turns slightly our way. One pointless shuffle later and she''s further away.


    "To make sure she''s safe." I explain, crossing my arms and slouching down with spread-out legs.


    "She will be." Baltanthan assures me with a quieter voice and his staff starts to roll around within his grip.


    "I intend to see that through myself." I say, triggering some kind of alarm when I let my magic get out of control as a show of force. I shrug the noise off, holding back the forced laugh at how easy it is to trigger. Though, I make a point of keeping my magic under control now. The health & safety notice did make it clear what a strong witch being too reckless with passive magic could do.


    If I try hard enough, I can make the whole train lose its connection to the rail. We could go flying and dip into a smashing crash or just go straight for it at top speed. All this metal and cushioning, it would crumple on itself like a foot flattening an empty drinks can. Maybe another time in my life, I would not care if such a thing happened, the world hates me and I hated it just as much in return.


    Maybe I still do.


    Either way, that is how I saw the world, at least, until she came into my life... My Hopeful Blue. She taught me to smile again, something no one can ever really think they''d forget to do. Then again, no one''s ever heard of someone coming back from the dead because God owes them a favour.


    I saved Iderim-Ovi, I freed the god of Liadanann''s people from his imprisonment beneath that church. Eqkilibral gave me a weighted hand and I lived again. I''m not sure if I should curse His name or bless it. Maybe both, I lean so very heavily in the middle of the scales so I can bend both options inward.


    "Look, Nin, I don''t want to be on a spiral-train that has a needless tension throughout it the whole time. Find a chance to apologise and smooth things over or-"


    "Or head out of view." I finish for him and he holds back on his next set of words. He starts to nod, looking down and then across the car. Steadily, I stand up and let out a heavy breath. Shaking my head, I start to walk the other way.


    I hear him sharply get up.


    "You''re not even going to set aside your pride!?" he snaps in question. I sigh in response at first and look back at him.


    "This isn''t about my pride. I''ve done enough to her. I need to figure something out and stick to it." I explain and he doesn''t seem to buy it. His weapon leans forward, the slight movement of magic in it until a clear glow appears. However, compared to me and despite its visibility, no alarm is triggered.


    He seems to ignore this fact but dismisses the arcane either way with a heavy sigh.


    "Well, whatever you''re going to figure out, make sure it''s the right choice." he warns, his tone mocking midway. My slight glare eases up and I head into the next car. Finding a seat that puts my back facing their way, I sit down. A leg comes up and I fold my arms over my belly.


    Closing my eyes, my hot breath seems all the more noticeable and I start to consider what I can. The noise and mechanics of the train become a strange, soothing song and my head starts to spin. I can''t get my head to stop spinning everything when I think. There is no master in my skull but it.


    The smile I want to see starts to twist, the cheeks breaking away to reveal the smile within. The sound of metal moving starts to manifest as a blade going along a whetstone. Laughter from a car ahead of me turns vile. The only way out of this is to open my eyes, so, I do.


    Sighing miserably, I go back to watching the landscape go on by, changing without pause. For a most passing of moments, I catch sight of what appears to be a group of adventuring witches. Nestled up high in the safety of a mountain cave in their little camp. Of all the gods that exist in the Orbital-Halo, I know none of them would disagree with me in saying that they''re having a good time.


    I start to think back to all of those I have met since leaving Tobaballe, the first time, not when I failed to save it...


    Each time, each time without fail something has happened that has torn us apart. Vapooliar never wants to see me again because I am now what ruined her life so dearly. Rose''lhia only needs an excuse to go off to someone else and that is probably what she ended up doing. Vadei and Einervaene vanished when my behaviour became too much for them. And, now, that same behaviour is about to send Liadanann off and my involvement with Inerish is only provoking the issue.


    I made a promise to Lari and went about it in the worst way possible. I came stumbling to Liada for emotional support and roped her into something I am not sincere about. For the sake of everyone, I am probably better off going elsewhere. The world has been happy to move away from me, it may be time I do the same for it.


    Perhaps I must head to Death itself to firmly make my choice clear.


    "It''s a sinister thought, really and given that letter I got from you, I may not be being fair. But, Undwote, sometimes, just sometimes, it feels like you''re doing this so you can get me again. I am the one who got away, after all." I mutter, standing up and moving to the train car''s sealed exit. I provoke the tightly locked door and nothing comes of it. My chittering interrupts and restarts awkwardly.


    Flexing a fist at first, I start to shake my head.


    "My time will come again." I state, not knowing when. I just know it is coming, though my body is strong, my spirit is breaking down once again. I am not sure I can carry on anymore.

 Incline 51: Aspirer Baltanthan

    "And I guess we''re now finally here." I say, cracking my bones and getting up onto my feet with the help of my staff. By the gods am I thankful that the Grandguard gave me this headstart on the journey to Ioike. I do not even want to begin to imagine what it will be like on the way back. Honestly, I might even see if I can find some work to make the money for a luxury cabin or something.


    A proper bed to rest in rather than a cushioned chair.


    Picking up what I need, I march to the door and look back to my friend, "You should be fine leaving this stuff here. It''s an end-of-route maintenance check anyhow. The spiral-train won''t be going anywhere even then, we have return tickets."


    "I don''t feel comfortable leaving these lying around anywhere..." Liadanann mutters and I give her a slight smile and sigh mixture.


    "Well, if you need me, I''ll be heading into the dig site." I explain, hopping off the spiral-train and making good time across the utterly empty boarding platform. As I reach the stairs at the back of the young construction, a few guys come up a cargo lift. They seem to meet up with the spiral-train''s quartermaster and disappear when I take more steps down.


    Crunching underfoot, the gravel-coated path goes on by and the small checkpoint up ahead grows in size. The bored guards lazily get up and one shifts to resting on the armbar preventing entry, in theory. Minding the raised palm, I come to a halt and the man wipes his eyes before looking over a tablet. He slots it back into his appropriate belt pocket.


    "Reason for being here?" the guard asks.


    I bring up the box I am here to deliver, "I am here to pass on something to my friend, Ioike. She''s one of the researchers here."


    "Deliveries go through the proper venue." the man explains, yawning halfway.


    "It''s not that kind of delivery, just me dropping something off to a friend." I clarify, hoping this isn''t him being difficult.


    "Stop trying to cause a problem because nothing happens around here, Prick!" the guard in the control booth snaps and he puts in some details before the arm rises. His fellow resting on it stumbles away, the machine strong enough to set aside the weight.


    "Fine..." the man just doing his job grumbles and I quickly go on ahead.


    "The matter with you anyway? He clearly knows someone in the dig and he''s clearly a witch from Suhurlodst!" I hear just before I enter the entrance tunnel. Words warp behind me and the argument breaking out becomes unintelligible noise. As I become increasingly shaded by the light of the many setups about the vast mountain chamber, it all changes. There isn''t so much talking as there is the clicking of fingers at computers and the hammering away of the rock.


    Moving up to what appears to be a viewing platform, I rest one hand on the handrail and set my staff down. Putting the box up here with my hand, I take in the vast sight that I have only heard of until now. It''s not clear what it''s meant to be, but dark, blue-tinted glass is rising up as high as the mountain, as wide too. All in a mountain that was already gargantuan compared to all that was around it anyway.


    Looking down, I spot a small collection of skull-beetles and note how passive they are compared to the rumours and facts about them. One climbs up next to me and then gets onto my robe. Its wings flutter and it crawls off back onto the metal bar. It slips and drops to the ground.


    The little thing flips back over and disappears into the dark underbelly of the platform.


    Shrugging, I gather my things again and start the trek down to the dig proper. What seems to be the main research station comes into sight as does a group of students talking over what might be a cup of tea. They notice me and go quiet with one amongst them almost booking it elsewhere. Coming to an awkward stop, I stare back at these people filthy with dug-up mud while they look at my battle-born muck.


    "Is Ioike here?" I ask, moving my shoulders about a little when a slight ache builds up in them.


    "Uh, yeah, she''s over by the scanners." a tall, lanky boy answers and I frown.


    "And what way is that?" I ask firmly, his directions not all that helpful. He scoffs and walks away. The rest follow and I cock a brow as an insult fires off in my head. Useless morons.


    Clicking my tongue, I pass on through towards what appears to be a place with lots of equipment. Only, it turns out I''ve walked straight into a storage area for either broken down or unused tools. Grumbling and turning, I stumble my way through several more areas until I hear someone mention ''scanners.'' I sharply turn their way and head towards the beeping and what is clearly an abnormal red light.


    Huffing up the short set of stairs, I find the one I am looking for and watch her from behind. She seems to be closely inspecting some kind of artefact and she''s got more than enough notes from it. Hearing her mutter something, I move closer and closer until her head moves. She turns a little too quickly and I almost hit her face with mine.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Hello, Baltanthan!" she goes, cheerily while I take a step back. I present the box and her face goes blank. She doesn''t seem to get why I am here and goes back to work.


    "Your lack of focus... One of these days..." I mutter before opening up the package myself and sliding the contents to her. She stops what she''s doing and snatches it up, her face brimming with excitement.


    "You! You! You! You! You! You brought the thing!" she goes, bouncing up and down before opening her arms up. While under normal circumstances, I might''ve refused her thanks. However, I am just as dirty as she is right now. I return the hug and bang my head on her careless item-holding grip.


    "GAH!" I almost scream, the metal object provoking my head wound.


    "S-Sorry!" she squeaks, putting the item down like it''s just become something evil.


    Shaking my head and gently touching the sore spot, I smack away her attempts to do the same, "I''m fine, I''m fine."


    "Sorry..." she squeaks even quieter, face going down and hands coming together. She starts to blink and gets back to work. Moving up closer, I look over her shoulder and watch her take out some kind of preserved bone.


    "So, what are you working on at the moment?" I ask and she puts a dirt-dusted palm near her mouth. She seems to breathe with it open and spits out whatever particulate she ends up pulling in. She rushes to some water, swishes and spits. My eyes linger on the wet patch she''s made.


    "Blegh... Why can''t I remember to stop doing that?" she asks herself, chewing on her tongue for whatever reason.


    "Ioike." I go again, catching her attention.


    "Hm?" she goes, blinking with her usual clueless innocence.


    "What''re you working on?" I repeat and she ''O''s.''


    "We, we, we, we got a donation the other day." she explains, yawning and passing it onto me.


    "Alright, what is it?" I ask, wanting to know more as I know there''s something familiar about this shape. Looks like it''s made of bone and ends in a natural point...? Hm.


    "It''s the external legbone of a deceased aelenvari given to us by the Medical Research Institute of Eodcher." she answers without missing a beat before she gets back to putting the bone away.


    "This in relation to what you mentioned about the Patricide?" I question, holding some items for her when she suddenly tries to pick up more than she really can. Even then, we''re both overwhelmed by how much she is gathering. I think I am lucky we only need to move a couple of tables down.


    "Hold on..." Ioike mutters, rushing off before she even secures her stuff. I split my legs to catch everything and push it all up onto the table. Grumbling a little, I watch as she comes back just as quickly with a tablet. She holds it before me without a word and I take it up. Brushing the build-up of dust on it, I get to reading the immediately informing details.


    ''The Involvement of the Aelenvari Patricide and the Currently Unknown Godbot Buried in Glasscore Mountain, by Traditional Student Ioike of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding.''


    I pause my thoughts for the moment and breathe, that mouthful of a title exhausting even just to read. I glance up at my friend as she forgets that I am here and I use the magic in the tablet to flick through its details. Smiling a little at the sketches she''s managed to hammer in, I skim the rest and put it down. I go back to grab my staff and miss her attempt to grab me.


    "Baltanthan...?" she cries out, confused and not moving her eyes off of the table and its contents. Taking a step back towards her, she grabs me and yanks me in close so I too can enjoy whatever dusty old mudrock she has.


    "What am I looking at?" I ask, not too sure what she''s trying to point out. She hastily picks up a pair of tweezers and yanks something out, cracking the rest of the ancient item. That doesn''t bother her, the little bit of magic-rich mineral, however, does. I blink and lean in closer, letting my eyes focus on the tiny thing to the detriment of the world around me.


    Moving my head back and blinking the aches away, I watch her go off with what I delivered. Following her like a lost child, we reach another quiet workstation and she drops the small cargo into a petri dish thing. She slots in the item I delivered for her and starts to record some details. The gibberish on her right grows and my mind blanks out from a mixture of her strange writing style and the overflowing details within.


    Taking a turning step back, I take note of all that covers the walls of this vast cavern. Deeper and further to the right is a team of people moving about what appears to be power tools. Looking to my feet, I note the signs of industrial smoothing and glance back to the walls and their markers. One happens to get hammered in right now.


    I turn just in time to nearly meet Ioike''s face again.


    "What''re you doing?" she asks, frowning as if I am being disrespectful.


    "Uh, looking around?" I answer, unsure if I am doing this right.


    "At what? It''s all boring stuff out there." she whines, gesturing aggressively at everything else. Even at the workstation she was just so richly engrossed in.


    I shrug gently, "All this is new to me. I''ve only ever seen it from the other side of a screen."


    "Yes, but-"


    "But nothing." I interrupt, smiling a little until she starts to smile back.


    "Oh, that is right. Normally I don''t get to touch you." she remembers now of all times and her closest finger taps my nose. She giggles and takes my hand, pulling me closer to her work before guiding me to the viewing port or whatever it is.


    "Don''t know what I am looking at." I remind her.


    "You''re looking at crystalised magic, infused onto a little shard of bone." she explains and my mouth opens to ''ahhhhhh.''


    "And what''s so interesting about this?" I ask, not being invested enough in the discovery.


    "It means we are one grain of sand closer to figuring something new out! Not literally sand of course but you know." she goes, rambling on about the obvious while I huff and shake my amused face.


    "Oh, thank you for telling me that. I would have never figured out without your wise help, O Great Ioike of the Muddy Hole." I go sarcastically, stepping back so I can bow.


    "I have a hammer right above your head wound!" she barks, not taking kindly to my ribbing. I let her see my smile and the scowl vanishes in favour of a grin.


    "Well, come on, walk me through more of it. I am spending some time off of a spiral-train, thank you very much." I tell her, shivering at the stiff feeling the journey left me with.

 Incline 52: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Putting my claws together, I empty my tired body of air and get up. The bottom sides of my palms strike the train walls gently and I head to the exit. I squeeze on through the door before it has time to open fully. Turning a little more, I see Liadanann seemingly struggling to manage her cargo.


    Going up to her, I offer her a claw so that I can help and she huffs away. Looking around and then down, I shake my head and go after her. She can''t carry all of that stuff on her own, not the way she''s trying to right now anyway. She''s insistent about not accepting my help.


    Getting in her way, I put a claw on the top box and she comes to a screeching halt. One foot scrapes along the floor, marking it with thin white lines. Meeting her glare, she starts to cause issues for herself to move elsewhere. Shaking my head, I apply some pressure on the top box.


    "You can''t carry all that on your own." I point out right as she almost loses control of the whole stack. I put some gentle pressure down on them to keep the stack acting in a straight manner.


    "I can, I will and I don''t need you of all people to help me!" she snaps against my face, teeth bared. Taking a slight step back so I am not compelled to push her off, however gently I will do it.


    "Stop being so difficu-"


    "Go away." she hisses and I shut up. Nodding, I do as told and walk away with a groan wheezing out of me like a burst gas pipe. I patch the hole before I pop open spectacularly and hop over the handrail. Not minding how I land, the ground jumps into the air and rattles back down onto the ground.


    Following the path, I head directly for the small group of guards and just walk on by. Not minding whatever it is they''re saying and trying to do. The one who tries to grab me is shoved to the ground and I warn the one reaching for his weapon with a quick spell. They seem to leave it at that.


    "Cunt." echoes after me and I step into the immense darkness of the dig site. Offering a quick look at the main attraction, I gaze up to the extent of its great height. I do the same for its width. Hmming my thoughts out, I head onto the ground floor and step close to the monolith.


    I tap a single digit.


    "Glass?" I question, ignoring the Suhurlodst students walking around the place and the weird looks they''re giving me. A glow appears in the corner of my eye and I crouch down to look at it closer. A small group of insects, ones with little skull-shaped shells on their backs. A gentle and soft, bluish glow lighting up my front.


    Looking up once again, an old memory flashes to mind and I look to my claws. It really has been a long time since then, hasn''t it? Five years of fighting Smiling Jhurack, maybe a year of everything afterwards. However many years I spent with magic in my system afterwards.


    My last few weeks as a human were in a place like this, well, tangentially. The mountain I escaped from was filled with osibindah and this one is instead filled with researchers. There was also only one of these little insects and he helped me escape. I owe a lot to these strange things, perhaps they''re even the reason why I am an osibindah to begin with.


    I don''t know, I really don''t know if these little things are responsible. Taking one of the insects into what was once my turned arm, I cup it gently. Nothing happens, the dust-making capabilities I''ve known them for do not come about. Kneeling, I make a point of blocking a different insect''s path again and again.


    "I guess even insects can change?" I question, straightening myself out and letting my little bit of living cargo back down. Walking off elsewhere, I take note of how the insects are starting to follow me for whatever reason. This dark patch of cavern glows bright with the combined light of hundreds of these things.


    Finding a chair, I sit down and rest my chin on my palm. Stopping myself from going a step further and taking my hat and mask off, I look to my left. Some kind of equipment is attached to the glass and I roll my wheels on over. Awkwardly putting a mask lense against the viewport, I seem to be able to get an opaque view into what''s beyond the wall of glass.


    A statue? One that''s quite immense and even armed with a grand sword...


    Leaning back, my claws come together on my belly and I start to recall something. A sentence, a warning. But, it''s not repeating to me in the voice of Smiling Jhurack no matter how often my mind tries to assume it''s him. I look at the swarm of insects chittering in synch before me.


    Some of the students start to record the moment from up high on their platforms. One happens to be walking by with a long pole that is either for a light or is part of something else. My eyes narrow and the sound of metal banging elsewhere starts to paint a clear picture. That earth shaman that captured me, he was the one who said it.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Beware the... P... Pest... Beware the Pest? Pestilence? Pesterchubilisidubsi?" I try to guess, devolving into a made-up word while my mind settles on my second choice. This place is it, then? The thing I was warned about all those years ago when the osibindah leader found my escape plan.


    Looking over to a dark corner, the shadows start to warp because of all the outlines I can see. I delude myself into thinking that it''s moving and a memory comes to mind. He showed me a depiction of what he was warning me about, that earth shaman. I look back into the contents of the glass and move away nodding.


    "Hm, life is certainly strange." I remark quietly, not sure what to think of the great trouble I am metres away from. I start to shrug as what I was told is years old at this point and with how this is all buried in a mountain, I doubt anything will happen. Loud banging catches my attention and a familiar shape starts to move across the entrance.


    Liadanann perches up when she can and she spots me and rushes off. Tracing her movements, I see that she is heading straight my way. I start to grumble under my breath and shake my head. Can''t exactly go hide with all these insects illuminating my immediate area.


    "So much for ''leave me alone,'' honestly..." I mutter and my focus shifts to the armoured woman on the final approach. She stomps over the insects without a care and comes to an aggressive halt. I lead around her to look at the quickly filled holes she''s made.


    She''s very lucky these things are behaving differently here, I used one to tunnel perhaps a kilometre or more up at an angle. That power of theirs can get through her.


    Sighing against my chitters, I look her in the eye, "Can I help you?"


    She says nothing and clenches her fists, "..."


    "Chair?" I offer, getting up from mine when I see no other ones lying about. She charges towards me and takes my cloak into her armoured hands. Her hot breath washes over me with ceaseless tidal aggression. Leaning back a little, she moves into the motion and allows herself to believe she has me pinned.


    "No more promises." she states cryptically and I frown.


    "Huh-"


    "No more telling me to be patient."


    "Ah..."


    "We settle this here and now, Nin. I am at my limit with you."


    I sigh and move to remove her grip but she fights back, "This is not an answer you want to force."


    "But I do, I really do." she hisses, bordering on tears as her mind plays out its chaotic warfare. Whatever is going on in her head, she''s had a fair bit of time to think about it. The job we finished, everything that happened during it is setting her off. Have I failed to keep my word?


    I made some kind of promise to her before we left... I guess, thinking of it like that means I have forgotten.


    I frown out of view, from behind the safety of my eye-covering lenses and she shivers, "Nin... Do you love me?"


    I blink and stare to the point she knows that is all I am doing, blankly staring, "..."


    "Answer me... Damn you answer me!" she demands, almost screaming it were it not for the tears choking her.


    A thousand answers race through my head and it all ends on one result because that''s all there is.


    "ANSWER M-"


    "No." I state, calmly.


    She lets go and steps back a little.


    "And you never will?" she asks, her body already slumping to the clarification she knows she doesn''t want to hear.


    "I never will, yes." I tell her, stepping forward and rolling out the bracelet Motrtha gave me. I suppose it''s now Liadanann''s turn to hear me explain what this thing does to the people I care about.


    "Th-Then why did you even bother coming to me that day?" she asks, growing so weak she starts to struggle to stand.


    "Because the one woman I do love, even though she never loved me and made sure I understood that fact. She wanted me to move on. And, simply put, Liadanann, you were the closest one I could try my word out on." I can''t help but explain with venomous hissing. I don''t hate her, I hate myself for trying to live some lie I knew I couldn''t stick to. While it might seem like I am taking it out on her, I am not.


    She just happens to be the one unfortunate enough to care about me...


    "I''ve done everything I can for you... Nin. I gave you a home. My home. I let you into my heart even when I knew I shouldn''t have. All my friends are gone because of you and my business suffers whenever you''re present because of what. You! ARE!" she rattles off, jabbing me violently as her tone rises towards the end.


    "Then we are both as stupid as each other." I snap quickly, hoping to find a moment where I can just go outside and be done with this. She can go home and we can part ways. It''s like she said, I''ve only caused her grief.


    "But, I looked past it. I thought I was forgiving you for it but no, apparently, I was just ignoring it all. I did all of this because I-"


    "Do not even so much as say it!" I almost roar, shoving her to the ground either way. She blankly stares up at me, body curling in slightly, a hand lingering on the ringing thud on her armour. The amulet lights up, ready to go.


    Leaning down closely, I let my chittering become as loud as it can be, "You do not love me. No one I have ever known has ever loved me. You see this thing on my wrist? It''s a magical bracelet given to me by Motrtha, the Goddess of Mothers and Love. Whatever her reasons for giving it to me are, your feelings are not your own. They''re the byproduct of this damn thing. SEE!?"


    I throw the bracelet at her and she catches it. She holds it close and starts to break down crying, shivering without end. It''s pathetic and I turn away, ready to leap for the exit so I can get out of here. I hear her struggle to open her mouth and I turn so I can at least see her face as this will be the final time I will talk to her.


    I owe her that much but... I am getting out of everyone''s life from this point onwards.


    I don''t care anymore. I cannot keep my promise to Lari, I never could. It was a fool''s mistake to ever think I could ever try to move on from her. One does not simply forget the love they feel for someone after spending five whole years fighting non-stop for it.


    "B-But... I do love you, Nin... I don''t understand what you are trying to tell me? I do love you... I don''t understand..." she whimpers, hiding herself behind what she can and I freeze up. I start to scratch the spot the bracelet was on and my blood starts to get warm, hot. No... This has to be...


    Yes.


    Yes!


    "DO NOT LIE TO ME!" I roar down at her, swinging my fist towards the machine on the glass. The ancient tomb cracks loudly and it echoes.

 Incline 53: The Scorned Hero of Old

    Taking up my sword and shield as that is all I will ever really need, I leave. Keeping to myself as the noise outside grows, I puff up my dark collar. Moving into the shadows, I slip behind some supplies and head away, into the forest. The night-covered path crunches with each swing of my points.


    My grip on the weapon tightens and my steps become harsh. While nominally I walk without sinking into the ground, each step sees me stabbed into it. My points hit rock and I come to a stop, teeth clenched. Tenderly, I get back to it and sheath my blade.


    Putting one hand on the rock, I climb higher and higher, not missed in the slightest. The past few months rush back through my head, fueling the desperate grip I need to climb with. I saved them, I saved them all and so many others. I''ve taken blade, club, rock and arrow to my body and have lost much blood for their sake.


    And now, when all is said and done, when the evil is vanquished and we are free. I am forgotten. I look out to the small world I grew up in and wonder if years have gone by, but, no. I know it''s not even been a week.


    They all celebrate with the others as if they''re responsible for the heroism of days past. I gave so much for them all and I lost my home because I did not bring back treasure. The girl offering her affection to me this entire time was insincere. I don''t understand.


    I did everything for my people, I gave them all I could and more. When others fell, I paid heed to where I stepped and used their efforts to rise higher to victory. Even the gods, for all their wisdom and power, they have not answered me at all. I am no warrior, I am not bound to Waionr, so why do they not listen?


    Am I so mired in death that I am not allowed to pray to anything but it?


    Gripping one more rock, it comes loose and I calmly hang on for dear life. My expression is straight as is my fear-filled heart. I sigh and hoist myself up. Heaving my way up the final bit of mountain rock, I find myself running into an unfortunate sight.


    The woman that was promised to me by father and her word, I can see her with the one she actually cares for. Mutually shared love is noisy and embarrassing to look at, but not for me. I can only feel resentment and oddly, humour. I climbed a mountain to escape them but so many others have ascended up here so that they can begin to have a child.


    Keeping to the mountain edge, I head around to the path down and spot the rope bridge that will take me out of this valley. A twig snaps behind me and I turn, hand on hilt. A couple giggle and carry on making love, paying me no mind. I watch.


    Growling quietly, I march off to an empty strip of mountainland and hop down onto the path. Breaking into a sprint, I throw caution away like I have the rest of my property. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. I catch a tree, flying up a little and hitting back down.


    Huffing and puffing, my antenna light up and I brightly shine my displeasure at the world. Blinking and shuttering the glow I produce in order to make it as filthy and disrespectful as possible. I draw my sword and get into position, shield raised at the tree. Blinking as I feel warm despite the cold, I start to slash away at the bark.


    By some form of bad circumstance, somehow, the tree I am cutting away at is the same that gave me my name. A willow. Will. A fitting name I suppose.


    Will is what allowed me to fight my way through all the hardships. Will is why I am as good a fighter as I am right now. It''s why there''s a home to even go back to. My will is why there are even people left to scorn me like this...


    Anger sets itself firmly into my features and my sword-grip flexes. Roaring into my mouth, I twist and turn until I have built enough force into my blade to allow it to just slice through. Bark litters the ground and I slash it once again. A branch falls and I turn away as the tree collapses.


    That tree not long ago filled me with such relief and now I have cut it down so that I may never find my way home again. Crossing the rope bridge and reaching the end of it, I contemplate using my sword in anger like this one more time. Frowning, I relinquish the grip and stare longingly at the loving lights escaping the mountaintop woods. She''s there, with him.


    Looking away, I shake my head and go on my way.


    Everything.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Everything...


    I gave so much for my people and they''ll forget I ever existed in a week once they''re done taking that which I have left behind. My name will slip their minds and they will never shine it out again. Taking my collar, I quickly dab my eyes with it and my next breath shakes. I snap a branch off and start to tap the earth, a song of guidance in my bulbs.


    With how my heart is right now, I cannot speak brighter, it would not be right. But, I suppose I can say that about the way I have been treated. How is it right or fair to ask so much of someone and then just... Throw them aside?


    It doesn''t make sense.


    Have I not done my best to help those around me? Am I not charitable or generous? How much is good enough? What even is good enough anymore?


    I have too many questions and a distinct lack of any means to get answers. Whatever their reasons are, I am at my breaking point. They played me along so that I would fight instead of them. I was promised a future before a hearth with a family to call my own.


    Instead, here I am, leaving my home of many years behind because of so many lies. I walk the cold and dark world with no one at my side any more. The whispering flickers given to me before the campfires. The slipping away memory of our foreheads together as the world around us burned and the beast roared.


    None of it meant anything.


    Even the night sky isn''t interested in offering me anything beautiful to look at. Clouds are blocking it all out, there is only a sheet of darkness just barely thick enough to stop the moonlight. Finding an end to the path, I stop at it and test the edge. Something crumbles.


    A sound snaps out across the wind, one like cracking glass and a fair bit too. Raising a brow at the noise, I grasp my sword just in case and keep my ears open. They twitch and wobble, picking up on something just before I consider shaking my head and carrying on. It''s muffled and noisy, humans, it must be them.


    Minding my sword and shield and the skills enriched into my bones and blood, I nod. Humans are a plentiful people with equal amounts of problems that need solving. My home was taken from me over taxes and a lack of treasure. I will simply be so good at their jobs that I will accumulate more treasure than what I know what to do with.


    The noise of the humans suggests they are close, but, there is nothing up here. The path does not lead to a camp or one of their mountain holds. I spot no fortresses and no animal dens. No caves like all of our ancestors once called home burn bright with firelight.


    Each step I take, though, I cannot get away from the noise. I see no one but they''re getting louder and clearer. Looking off into the distance, I see an odd sight. Shaped like a lightning bolt trapped in perpetuity, something is taking up the valley centre below.


    Hopping down the first step I see, I keep on going down, casting aside my branch and taking the rope hammered into the rock instead. When I can, I slide my way down and skip the various slots and steps. Nearing the ground, I let go and stumble forward onto my knees. I glance up at the direction the noise is coming from and move closer.


    A clear light peeks through, like the Orbital-Halo in the early angles of the morning. Somehow, it is always in the same spot on me, painting me as some broken man. I frown as it''s not far off. I have been betrayed by those I should have been able to have trusted. Cast out as if I am the villain and not the hero.


    Sneering at a nearby rock, I step close to the strange sight. It can only possibly be the byproduct of some ancient people. Like my sword and shield, someone must''ve found it inside flooded ruins somewhere. I scratch my head and the noise comes through clearly enough for me to figure some things out.


    It''s an argument.


    A man and a woman, bluish like the stablest of power belonging to the ancients and green like something else. Oddly enough, this colour has a familiar feel to it. Divine. How I know this is baffling, but, I step closer as the crack shifts into the shape of two figures.


    The woman strikes me as a beauty, she has flowing hair that reaches her tail and a shape worthy of a well-loved mother. Oddly enough, though, I can make out the sharp angles of armour. It strikes me as unbefitting but that which is around her neck rattles and jingles. Whatever is causing her strange colour, that must be the source.


    I turn my eyes slightly, focusing on the man instead and how odd he strikes me with his posture. There''s something grotesque about such blocky feet, only three digits a hand and an unsavoury, buggy chitter to his words. He seems to get this, it''s why he''s under a heavy cloak, wide-brimmed hat and snout-covering mask. He is strong, very strong.


    He must be like me, a great hero.


    Then, why are they arguing? That is what this noise has to be. The woman, I can hear tears. The way she moves, she is heartbroken.


    I was near a mirror the day all the bad news came to me before I shut myself off from the world. I know what a heartbroken body does and looks like, even if we are not the same species. Whatever they are, it doesn''t matter. Yet, oddly, I feel connected to the man, like he owes me something but I have never met any of them before...


    I can''t understand anything, I can only read their body language. I lock up a little and grow angry, the man is refusing the woman. She seems to love him and he is throwing it away with everything he has. Somehow, gods somehow I can grasp what they are listing off at each other in the growing rage.


    Feats of heroism and bravery. The kind of things that captivate the heart. That which I thought I had done for those around me. It''s as clear as daylight to me even with all that is going on.


    Oddly, patting around for some reason, I cannot find my shield, only my sword. I grab it and blink, my back aching with millennia of immobility. Leaning forward on this throne of mine, I look around at the darkness and touch the wall ahead. I gently press against it and lean away to contemplate things quietly.


    The argument gets louder and louder.

 Incline 54: Atarifuge the Pestilence

    Right, of course, it''s just a dream, it''s always a dream. Shivering against the back of my throne, I put a bony hand to my jaw and stroke along the mandible. That which I created to keep myself contained is broken. The argument seems to be the cause. Leaning as close as I can while staying bound in my chair, I frown at the language being used.


    Why does the man turn away those who love him? She is offering all she can to him and he is clinging onto something else. I know that tone and behaviour, it''s forever etched into my head. All I do is relive the moments of my life before I became what I am now. Bound to ancient, divine machinery.


    The way the man is acting, he wants to run off into the world and hide. The world does not want him, much like it didn''t want me. However, unlike me, this young man has someone desperately reaching out for him. She''s making her feelings clear and an item is being passed about, something divine as well but not the same as anything else here.


    Family...


    Motrtha.


    An artefact of the First Mother, the Comforting Love. They are married? No, that cannot be right. If they were married, then this argument would not exist.


    The man would know how much he is loved and not try and run off into the world elsewhere. To hide, to consume himself in hatred like I once did. I shiver against my throne again and wobble my sword. Closing my eyes, I look through the many I have throughout the world and see it as a human might.


    Crawling to a better point, I look my way from the other side of my tomb. Looking along the great crack and the smashed machine at the base, I chirp. The pair withhold themselves from escalating into violence and go back to spitting venom. My eyes open.


    Reaching out to the walls of the tomb, I gently rake my hand against the crude surface. I play for no one and reach the crack to scratch away at it. Tapping the gap, I lean back and look around. Not a whole lot to do like usual, my dreams are the only escape but they are unpleasant.


    The man raises his voice again, his anger bursting through like so many different things. A word keeps repeating, an unknown word. No, I can tell what it is. A name.


    He longs for another...


    My jaw shifts and I hustle up.


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    He longs for another while a woman opens her heart to him. Not casually, not in ignorance, she''s doing it with all she has and he''s not having any of it. He wants to run, to fly. What I never had he wants to throw away because of some reason or another.


    Like all that time ago, I don''t understand it now any better than I did then. Maybe because I never lingered or maybe because I knew enough and my instincts were wiser than I give credit. Either way, it doesn''t matter, I left it all behind. A mistake or the right thing to do?


    I will never know, not with so many years to my name.


    I think... I think I am wise enough to remark one thing, however. This man is making a mistake. Closing himself off from the world will not bring anything good about. Not with that kind of power, not with the anger he has.


    If times were different, maybe I could intervene. No, even now I could intervene. My confinement, though, that changes how I can go about it. Too much time has changed since the times of those who betrayed me.


    I had my vengeance.


    Time and time again I gave my all and they kept turning their back on me. I cannot grasp why. I spilt blood, so much blood in their names and for their treasure and they spat on me. Kicking me until not even the curb of the road was good enough for me.


    I tried too hard, gave so much and all I got out of it was no home anywhere in this world. Even with thousands of years within the mountain that has built up around me, I have no home. A place to rest and isolate myself is no home, the simple might think so, but I know better. I knew better than those who had set themselves up around the divine machine I now control.


    I used it to get my vengeance, I reached out into the world and spited all of those who promised falsehoods to me. So many people turned their backs on me and I gave them the comeuppance they so rightly deserved! And now, I am watching it start all over again. Thousands of years later, the world has not changed where it matters.


    A mountain has built up around me and people are the same...


    Maybe I can stop this man from making a mistake. I can see him, just beyond the tomb. I need only reach out. Need only reach...


    Getting up slightly, my bones creek and groan, centuries of fresh dust flying off like a gaseous coat. One leg slips forward and stone cracks underneath. My head bangs the top of my tomb and I reach out. Too much mountain, I am too grand in size.


    Leaning onto the tomb''s wall, right on the crack, I push slightly, hearing it grow. I bring a fist back and strike it, the mountain roars in pain as a result. I blink and watch the two stop and turn. They can hear me, I can reach them.


    I must stop him.


    Lest he turn out like me.


    The world does not need another man like me, so spurned and scorned he will spill the fire out of the pits and into the homes. I cannot talk with him, I can hear words and I do not speak them. I cannot. Though my heritage grants me a mouth, I have no lips.


    The only path I can undertake is the one that so many exploited. My grip settles on my sword and I start to push up. I need to stand at my full might and deal with this future problem. I am sorry, loving woman, but this man''s heart is too foul like mine.


    It must vanish into dust, I must reach out for him and wipe him out.

 Incline 55: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Whatever is in there bangs the glass again. The crack grows. Taking a step back, I mind the insects as they chatter maddeningly. It''s like they''ve suddenly all broken down.


    From beyond the glass. a roar.


    "ALRIGHT EVERYONE, CLEAR OUT OF THE MOUNTAIN NOW!" a student hollers through a megaphone and those who haven''t gotten the memo start to go.


    "Liada, go." I tell her, beginning the process of shoving her ahead before another tremor strikes. Planting my feet, I keep us upright and blast some magic up when rocks start to fall. Patting her along, I leap elsewhere in the mountain and start to handle other bits of debris. Digging my claw in tight, I set my brow and look around for all those who seem to be too slow.


    "You heard the man, let''s go people!" a student calls out, waving the others along and a shadow grows above. Striking out, some below cry out in pain at the little cuts they get and I roll off with the majority. Throwing away the stone I look back the way I came and look at my claws.


    "Liada..." I mutter, hopping up onto some crates to get a better view.


    I spot her.


    "Liada!" I bark, rushing her way and pulling up a student who can''t seem to prioritise their safety. I slap away whatever it is they are carrying and push them along.


    "What?" Liada goes.


    "Shield, now." I order, gesturing at the problems threatening to fall and what is already coming down. She acts quickly and we gain a defensive ceiling for the moment. Moving away, I head towards where people might be injured and get to work. Stabbing one hand under the knocked-over equipment, I heave it up, almost breaking it in the process.


    A tearful girl clutches onto one of her classmates and hobbles off, a slight trail of blood behind her. Going over to get more stuff out of the way, I clean up the escape route and hopefully bulk up the glass with something. Spotting where I was arguing with Liada, I stare at the pile of dust growing there. I stomp on an insect and note how it''s not them.


    Whatever this glass is meant to keep restrained, there''s a leak. A leak that I made. Whatever''s happening, this is my fault. Best I can do for now, though, is keep everyone safe, help them get out of here.


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    Moving past some more students, I head up to the growing dust. It gets to the foot of a light and the thing collapses, glass smashing although it only hit sand. The magic within it pops and bursts, vanishing without a trace. My vision changes and I see truly what is happening.


    "All the magic in the area is..." I struggle to finish, the rock behind me spooking me a little too close to the dust. Some of it makes it around the bottom of my foot and I feel queasy but otherwise fine. Not something I want to test the limits of, however. I turn and get back to the evacuation.


    Not many people are left, whoever is still in here has made it to the exit. It''s a little clogged but we seem to be getting out of here. Blinking at some of the yelling going on, I hop up and exfiltrate with the rest of them. The Orbital-Halo''s light enters my sight and I step out into it, glancing up the mountain as much as I can.


    Some birds are flying off elsewhere in a panic and the great stone thing is shaking. Looking the way of the train, I see how everyone is being loaded aboard it. Although not its intended use, the cargo lift is being made use of and the staff are joining in the evacuation. One of the guards back here approaches and gestures.


    "Come on you, we''ve done all we can." he tells me, motioning for the path and I frown.


    "Right." I let out, leaping over the crowd and manoeuvring my way past the station''s building. Popping out onto the platform, I find Liada again, seemingly lost in her panic.


    "I can''t find Baltanthan!" she lets out upon seeing me.


    "He might already be on the train." I point out, trying my best to feel out for his magic. But, there''s too many here and whatever is going on inside the mountain is getting worse. A large chunk of its top suddenly caves in on itself like a pitfall trap.


    "He''s not here, Nin!" Liada seems confident enough to say.


    Nodding at her, I pat her towards the train and rush out of the platform. Throwing my arm back, I latch onto the mountain and leap higher and higher. Finding the breach, my eyes widen and just how big it is and I dive in, magic all around. Landing with a boom, I gulp a little at how violent it is not meant to be.


    "Whatever you are..." I mutter uncomfortably, taking in the details. Surveying what I can in the chamber, my eyes lock onto the spreading field of dust and the growing series of cracks. The glass is holding but I can see a great shadow beyond the pale breaks. It''s growing, no, standing taller and taller.


    This thing is still getting up!


    "BALTANTHAN!" I roar out against the noise of the dying stone. No one replies. Growling, I close my eyes and focus my magic senses about the chamber. I flinch in pain at the dust.


    Even just trying to get my bearings is painful next to this stuff.


    I fill my lungs again, "BALTANTHAN!"


    What sounds like a door being smashed open reaches my ears and I snap towards it. Waiting just a little bit, my body tenses and I leap in its direction, rolling through whatever debris has accrued. More fills its place and then collapses further towards the dust. I don''t hear the sound of a boulder striking down, only puffs.


    "Gods dammit, where are you!?" I pointlessly demand to know, trudging closer to what sounds like the sound of rummaging.


    Another roar leaves me reeling.

 Peak 16: Aspirer Baltanthan

    "WHAT''RE YOU BLOODY WELL DOING!?" I scream in question at Ioike. She''s been fighting me every step of the way so far. She will not stop until she''s found something and she won''t even let me help.


    "Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where? Where?" she repeats ad nauseam, throwing aside everything she lays her hands on. Tablets break against the floor while others chip and metal bits rattle and roll.


    "IOIKE!" I roar against her ear and she covers it, clearly able to hear me.


    "I need to find it..." she mutters, fidgeting but keeping her fear in check. I glance up when something cracks and whistles.


    "WE GOT TO-" I start to roar, stopping when it explodes above the roof. A pair of feet land and dent the thing inwards. Better them than how many tons of rock this mountain can drop down. Heading outside, I spot Nin just as he hops down.


    "We''re going, now!" he orders, grabbing me and my magic flares up in his face.


    "Ioike''s still in there!" I snap and he nods, letting me go so he can go drag her out. He suddenly launches back into the wall, his front glowing with the remnants of a spell.


    "We''re leaving..." Nin growls, getting up and Ioike''s wide eyes snap to me, then back to the box.


    "NO! I NEED TO FIND IT!" Ioike screams, her hands thrashing a box about before she starts to do her recollection habits.


    "We don''t have time for this!" Nin snaps, grabbing her and ignoring the next spell and I follow along while she screams like a stroppy child.


    "DON''T YOU DARE TAKE ME! WE NEED TO FIND IT! OTHERWI-" she tries to explain at the top of her lungs. A giant''s hand reaches out through the hole in the glass. Everything it touches turns to dust.


    "GOING UP!" Nin snaps, grabbing onto me and leaping with all his might. He finds further footing and leaps until we are outside, wind in our hair. His magic fires off and our drop is halted so we can come down slower.


    "NO! NOOOOOOO!" Ioike screams hysterically, breaking free the moment she can. She rushes back towards the mountain and I leap for her, tackling her to the ground. She tries to claw me off and I force her still.


    "LOOK AT ME, WHATEVER IT IS, IT''S NOT WORTH DYING OVER!" I roar in her face and she spits up at me.


    "ATARIFUGE IS BREAKING FREE! WE NEED THE TABLET DETAILING HIM! IT''S OUR ONLY CHANCE!" she snaps, her hands lighting up with her magic. Hissing with clenched teeth, I let the winds shred up my skin worse than any skid along a road could.


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    "Whatever it is, it will be back at Suhurlodst, it will be backed up there, right!?" I remind her, just in case. Of all the times for her to be forgetful!


    "I don''t know..." she mutters, tears taking over any behaviour she has left.


    "THE SPIRAL-TRAIN IS ON A TIMER, GO NOW!" the man in the control booth roars, a dark object heading his way. A boulder crashes through the building and a red splatter covers the glass.


    "Go, I will handle it, I saw the lever his hand was on." Nin tells me and I drag Ioike up to her feet. Fighting against her still, we get onto the back end car and the train''s engine comes to life. Nin rushes out of the control booth just as the rest of the mountain is starting to come down.


    A red figure steps out.


    "Come on, good shot..." I mutter under my breath, tightly holding my friend still while Liadanann fills the sky with shields. Nin leaps and smashes what he can and the two rush to not miss the train as it begins its departure.


    "GUYS!" I roar with all I can, watching as the dark figure grabs the red one. They become a blur and something smashes against the train''s roof just before it can fully get started spinning.


    The on-board alarm goes off.


    "WARNING! WARNING! SPIRAL-TRAIN LINE COMPROMISED!" the machine goes and my mouth stutters.


    "COMPROMISED!?" I repeat, not noticing any panic further up the train. I turn back to the mounta-


    Where''s the mountain?


    Where is it!?


    "What''s going on back there?" one of the other dig site students asks as the mountain blows away in the wind. Blue fire erupts at the edges of the growing desert. An almost pitch-black skeleton draped in ruined cloth of a bluish hue rises. A great, long sword rising with it like a cane.


    "Atarifuge..." I repeat, swallowing and choking on my words. The giant rears its head back and howls with all it can, the desert''s growth accelerates.


    "EVERYONE TO THE NEXT CAR! MOVE! MOVE!" someone roars with all they can and panic erupts. Holding my friend tight, we find ourselves at the back of the congestion.


    "Come on, up, up!" I insist, forcing her to her feet and pushing her along into the crowd as best as I can. The back of the car starts to blow away. The screaming grows and a punch strikes my jaw.


    "GET BACK! GET BACK!" one student screams, his boot already bloody. I let go of my friend and strike him back, pulling the thug out of the squeezing group. I keep up the blows, forcing him back towards the end of the car. One final full-body barge sends him flying and I hit the floor. Looking up, I watch as the student just vanishes.


    The dust creeps too quickly. I can''t get back up quick enough!


    A hand takes my collar and throws me up. I watch Ioike keep her eyes set and she shoves me onto the door to the next car. She smiles at me and starts to wave as the car decouples, claw marks on its roof.. She slips and vanishes with it all.


    "I... Eee... IOIKE!" I scream, scrambling to my feet with the help of the others on the car. Staring out as the desert continues to grow, my eyes lock onto the giant. It stands tall, taller than any mountain left standing around it and a hand reaches for a nearby peak. The entire mountain collapses in on itself, becoming a massive dune.


    Nin and Liadanann slip in finally, pushing the crowd up further.


    "ALRIGHT EVERYONE, FURTHER ALONG! FUR-" someone calls out above the tears and hyperventilating. Going quiet, the noise becomes a blur and I keep staring out at the endless sand.


    Atarifuge''s attention settles squarely on us and the desert stops. But, with one step ahead, it lurches forward with him. For so impossibly wide around him...

 Base 17: The Dragon Watcher

    "Mmmm, everything seems to be alright here... Nice and healthy." I comment, jotting down some notes on my tablet before giving a smile to my patient. She shuffles about nervously, scales flashing out into the open on occasion before she scratches at her broken horns. She flinches, seeing my expression and her face heats up. A quivering smile.


    "Our egg is alright?" she asks as I get to work taking off my measuring equipment. I start to nod and she gets up to hold our child, an affectionate hiss parting her lips. She bounces the deceptively strong object in her arms. Despite knowing this is how wyverns and dragons are, I reach out and put my arm on hers to make it stop.


    I never knew my father to bounce my mother about when she was pregnant with me, after all!


    My darling growls and one set of claws grips my arm, but, not hard enough to add more scars. Instead, I appeal to her baser instincts and tense the muscles up a little, pumping them up with internal-magic. She whines eagerly and shuffles closer to my bicep. Our egg is placed within my grip and her wings wrap around us like a blanket.


    Chuckling quietly, I return the egg back to her, leaving her with a confusing tilt. While I appreciate the gesture, the reason we are up here is to keep an eye on local draconic migrations. Honestly, I am very lucky that my missus happens to be a wyvern. It''s certainly an amusing part of the job, learning to wrestle a female and breaking her horns.


    Certainly a lot easier than finding a pub or meeting someone if I do say so!


    Giving my lover one final rub of affection, I grip one of her broken horns gently and use it to dictate her head''s movement. Letting go, I move across the tent and open up my computer''s databanks. Punching in a few details, I read through the logs my equipment has picked up on thus far and my brow rises. There''s an odd lapse in the data.


    A massive blank spot.


    "Stay here, will you? I need to go and check something." I tell her and I put on my coat of mail. Slipping on some other items, I open up the magic-rich fabric keeping us safe and seal it back up. Clapping my hands toge/ther, I rub them and blow out just above. This mountain-peak site is certainly both very cold and bitter with how strong the winds are this high.


    Finding the chain I need to grab, the thing rattles and the icy rock crunches underfoot. Spotting one of the wyverns that call this place home, I match their gaze the whole walk. It snorts and retreats back into his cave and I smirk a little. Oh, the fun I have when I get back to the institute.


    "Alright, so nothing''s broken here." I remark, finding the first measuring device. Applying some of my magic to the lock, I bring the machine out of its protective shell. It starts to unfold with twists and hisses until the skeletal thing is upright in its entirety. I run a finger along the metal and ''hmm'' in thought as physically everything is fine.


    Unlocking the console, I type in the commands I need and a system diagnostic runs across the screen. No arcane software issues either. I reach up and start to pull down on the data-gathering part of the machine, it blares in warning. Clicking my tongue, I type in what I need to lock the machine back up and reapply the lock.


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    The chain rattles in my grip again and I head up higher and higher, passing similar machines on the way. Giving these idle glances, I head on to the final one I drilled into this narrow mountaintop a few years back. An explosion of movement goes off behind me and a whole flock of wyverns head off somewhere. I frown, a little worried by this behaviour as this is not normal at all.


    Putting a hand over my brow to block out the Orbital-Halo''s light and some of the ice''s reflection, I try to spot what might be the cause. Nothing is out there on the horizon. No dragon is flying close, no war-witches or even a plethora of guild ones. Airship isn''t due to pick us up for a couple of weeks as well.


    Spotting some green amongst the black rock and white snow, I watch a wyvern in its typical draconic form. The great beast peeks out from its cave and scurries back inside like a scared rodent. Crossing my arms, I take in a deep breath and let my senses try and figure some of it out. There''s definitely something off about the air.


    "But what? What, what, what, what?" I repeat to myself, going to the main device and unlocking it in a similar manner as I would the smaller ones. Setting up its printer, I type in the commands I need and the paper starts to run out. Grabbing its end before it can pick up some of the ice''s moisture, I fold it into my grip. The oddity is in this as well, something is...


    I run a quick system diagnostic to make sure nothing is broken.


    ''Operational, systems within acceptable parameters.'' the screen flashes.


    "What in the name of the gods is going on, then?" I ask, blinking in confusion as the paper stops coming out. Taking my time, I read it over a dozen times and then a baker''s dozen more. This is all saying that there''s a massive loss of magic relatively nearby, but, that''s physically impossible. Nothing can cause magic to suddenly vanish like this on this scale.


    The ground starts to quake and I scrunch up the paper, my hand snapping to the nearby gripping bar. The machine''s alarm blares and it locks itself back up automatically. The inexplicable earthquake ends and the skies fill with roars of all kinds. Not just wyverns, elementals too, they all start to run without any of their usual conflict.


    Following the way they''re running from, I throw up some magic to shove one coming a little too close aside. My firm gaze lightens up and my mouth drops open at the immense shadow in the distance. A giant taller than any mountain rises to its feet. Even the tallest peaks only seem to barely reach their knees.


    "What the..." I mutter, watching the nearby mountains suddenly vanish around the giant. It''s not heading this way at all, towards us in the direction of the Dragon Coast. No, it''s heading north, towards Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst and everything else on that path. A lumbering catastrophe.


    Ice breaks underfoot and I swing through the air, slamming my feet onto the ladder. Going down it with as much assured speed as I can, I leap down onto the part of the mountain the shelter is on. Slipping across the frozen rock, I dig my fingers into it and heave myself back up. Getting my family back into sight, I watch my lover whimper from the bed, the bedroom''s bunker-like features itching to go.


    "Come here!" she cries, clutching our unborn child close. Offering her a calming gesture, I head to the communication terminal and start to connect it to the institute.


    "Dragon Observer Sma-"


    "I need you to put in an alert of the highest priority to the Gnomon!" I interrupt the young man on the other end of the call.


    "Of course, how many dragons are moving?" he asks, his hands loud enough with the tapping to reach the mic.


    "Not dragons, something worse, make sure you tell them." I urge him, ending the call there and setting the shelter into lockdown. Hurrying to my lover, I pull her in close while whatever that giant is wreaks havoc with her instincts.

 Incline 1: Wing-Head Vapooliar

    "Valkinvar-Staguiffmani, welcome." I greet my sister-in-arms as she arrives atop the battlements. She doesn''t answer and instead maintains the scowl she walked up the steps with. Straightening my lips out from under the safety of my helmet, I shift my attention back to my three fellow Valkinvar-Imdvarce.


    Bsess, Cetrepe and Osses.


    I feel odd, still knowing these three. Since my first command back at the Siege of the Long Battery Fort, I have watched many of my sisters and brothers die. But, these three, these three have managed to stay alive since then, even as we''ve been pushed all the way back to Thurn''s Forge. All that we have left lies behind these walls and this shield.


    We did our best to hold the perimeter fortresses still smoking within sight even as the shield flares unendingly. I look away and grip my sword''s pommel tightly. If I just showed a little more recklessness, we could''ve maybe have held onto one long enough to support a counterattack. But, it doesn''t matter now, the Union has us bottled up within our capital.


    Their machines are too strong for most of us to handle and there are too many of them full stop. In front of the city they fire without end, even the horizons viewed from the Great Bridge are covered in those airships firing away. All the way around the Thunlanann side of the city too.


    "Maybe there''s a chance we will be sallying out soon? The Valkinvar-Staguiffmani are amassing throughout the city." Osses remarks, bringing our attention to our most magically involved sisters within the Valkinvar. A noise lingers in my mouth and I start to shake my head.


    "I can''t imagine that will happen. We need an entire Wind to push through. Firing off spells from the safety of our walls doesn''t seem to be amounting to anything." I contradict, looking over towards the main gates as flashes of spellfire wash out across the devastated land in front of the city. I can''t cast spells like those of the Valkinvar-Staguiffmani can, but, it doesn''t look like their efforts are amounting to anything either.


    Counterspells or entrenchments are just making it a light show. We have the provisions and means to last for decades, even with the city locked up like this. This siege, however, this once incomprehensible siege, the Union can keep it up for centuries by the looks of it. More and more airships keep coming, they just keep coming.


    One was enough to devastate the army I was given command of all those years ago. Before I became burdened with such great shame. I am not obligated to do my prayers with the others, but, they''re all picking up on my want for isolation. Professionalism only keeps so many sniffing noses away, someone''s always going to be curious.


    And, with our inaction, I have a feeling problems are going to start arising. We will hold out as long as we can but I have a feeling trouble is brewing within our walls. I''ve heard no such rumours but maybe the Valkinvar-Staguiffmani are being assailed by malicious words? They''ve all seemed out of it as of late, consumed by something in their minds.


    I guess when they''re the only ones who can act and they''re not achieving much, it wounds their pride. I wish I could tell them we''re all in the same situation, but, are we truly? Though we Valkinvar-Imdvarce are still the most populated even with all we have lost. We have done nothing since the shield first cast its protective shadow.


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    The fortresses are abandoned, their guns turned on us and the last of our armies are on alert for no reason...


    Cetrepe growls and throws a gentle punch out against the stonework. She heads off without a word and flies down to the gap between us and the next set of walls. I raise a hand at Osses and Bsess, urging them to stay here. Hovering down after my friend, I watch her slam her backside down onto the narrow, rail-less walkway.


    Sitting down next to her, I join her in watching the bladed machines within the water make it a lethal whirlpool.


    "Vapooliar, what''s the point of all this?" she asks me and I look away, not really sure how to answer such a question.


    Eventually, I manage to think of something, hypocritical of me as it is to say it.


    "We have our oaths."


    "Our oaths are to serve our Theocracy true and well. To die honourably and with meaning. How is whittling away within our own capital, once a respected, untouched fortress... How is dying here going to have any meaning? History will remember this siege as the end of the Valkinvar." she laments.


    "Nothing lasts forever, Cetrepe, not even gods and goddesses." I remind her, pointing out what became of the often-forgotten god of the heavens and what once filled his domain out. Though, I guess, thinking of him, her point strikes all the more prevelantly. Ihtuntar is known as the god who was killed, not as the God of Hope like he should be.


    In time and with their hatred of all that is good driving them, the Union will see to it that our name is in the ashen mud. They will build over our cities and not even the most out-of-the-way roads will be safe. It''s all theirs now and they will do as they please. All for an evil god.


    "It''s strange, really, for centuries we Valkinvar have held the line against the Union. The empire our ancestors created all those years ago has been maintained until only a few years back. Something that has lasted for so long is now on the verge of being snuffed out. All because of something that should''ve never happened." she says and I nod along, still not entirely sure of how the Union has developed the way it has while we have stifled.


    Back at the Long Battery Fort, we had an immense marvel there. The mountain-cracker gun was but one display of our engineering talent and the genius of the men and women within this country. And yet, here the Union comes, with a fleet of thousands upon thousands of airships. A mountain-cracker takes time to destroy a peak, an airship takes time to wipe out an unshielded city...


    We''ve all seen it, the maps with crossed-out names and covered-up spots. So much has been lost so utterly that they''ve ordered the cartographers to forget about it entirely. Sighing, I pat my friend on the shoulder and use magic to fly us back onto our feet. Though not consoled as well as she can be, Cetrepe nods and salutes.


    "By your orders, Wing-Head Vapooliar." she says, her downtrodden expression seeable even through a narrow visor. Magic starts to flow across the walls and throughout the city.


    "Come, let us get back to the battlements, it seems like something might need us to be there." I say, noting how the Valkinvar-Staguiffmani and their staves are lighting up with all the power they can muster. Much the same is happening outside of the city and its shield, an immense, familiar power is building up a spell of his own.


    The Prince-to-Ascend is attacking personally?


    My eyes briefly match the Valkinvar-Staguiffmani up here and I feel an odd feeling in my gut. The malice in her eyes, it seems to be directed at me. Suddenly, it all stops, the spells all go out like a sudden wind in a candle-lit room. A sharp pain strikes across my mind.


    "Ah..." I go, taking my helmet off and clutching my head properly. Cetrepe, Bsess and Osses are the same, they can feel it too. I catch sight of the Valkinvar-Staguiffmani again and look out to all the others, they''re completely frozen up. Twitching, shaking.


    The one closest to us is choking on something, they all collapse and scream.

 Incline 2: The Prince-to-Ascend, Jhrartur

    "GRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" I roar, clutching my head and falling into the dirt. Smashing away any attempt to help me back up, I howl in defiance at this inexplicable pain. Clutching for the sky, I stop it from falling down. My face burns brighter than any fire ever could and its jaws are clenched like a weld.


    Pushing back against the immense weight, I start to sink. One hand snaps into the ground, cratering it and cracking the earth for miles around. Orders snap all about and my troops do their duty with precise drill. I barely manage to make it back onto my feet as the pain in my head dies down.


    Slowly, my arm reaches its full height and my problem comes to an end. Turning to my Ibenoroccon friend, I nod at him and he backs off to get back to his duties as my aide. Emptying my lungs with heavy, drooling breaths, my free hand clicks. A plump chair is brought over and it snaps out a creak when my armoured body collapses onto it.


    Taking off my sword and using it like a cane, I lean backwards onto it, letting these two things handle my strain. Focusing on the city I am so close to taking, I glare at the lack of spells beyond the shield. Whatever just happened, my turncoats seem to be on the receiving end as well. Looking around, I note how many of our war-witches are down on the ground.


    All screaming in agony.


    The magic enthralling the men seems to have wavered as well and many are stuck in awkward positions. Their bodies have briefly been freed and then locked back up into their service. I gesture to the nearest officers to get them back into formation and cover my eyes. Growling a little, I look at the sky and nod contently at my saved future plans.


    "Davudpas!" I snap, calling my friend to my side. My sword starts to dig into the dirt with its sheathed bluntness.


    "Yes, Our-Prince-to-Ascend?" he answers, bowing the true Jhermonikra way despite his other-continentally birth.


    "Have the staff in the war tent be made aware if they are not already. I want a council assembled so we may discuss the changes to our siege plans." I order him, taking his hand and nearly breaking his arm from the effort it takes for me to rise. I meet his eyes, watching him wince then smile before receiving another salute. I offer him my hand and take his so he may go out with my full confidence.


    Groaning under the freshly whipped strain, I hobble as fast as I can away from my observation post. Passing the troops, they automatically shift to present me with an arch of honourable blades. Each one swings down just before I pass. Even the beasts we call our noble allies stop their animalistic urges to give me what I am due.


    The pride of our ryphurgoks moves ahead, presenting its sealed mouth for me to gently grip. I whisper it the blessing deserved of such a strong-blooded descendent Pyeckerh. I let go and clutch my head again, growling at the lingering pain as the winds pick up. Coming to a stop at the familiar power, it speaks.


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    "My son, turn away from this war and march to save Thrurstradtur." His Lunar Majesty speaks with but a whisper. Bowing to his word and placing myself back under the strain of my almost failed spell, I nod against the dirt.


    "Of course, my king." I answer, forcing my way back upright while my mind grumbles. I guess I have an answer as to what is happening now. Something in that country is responsible and the blood of all Jhermonikra must spill to stop it. I must make sure as few rivers flow red as possible, now is not the time for us to be losing generations.


    The real war is still yet to come, for vengeance and our future.


    Hurrying along, the war tent comes into sight and supplies within sight jump with each hobble. The tent flaps are opened for me by my accompanying Emerald-Clothed Guard. Those inside bow as is appropriate and place their hands about to stop things from toppling. Ignoring my field-throne, I opt instead to lean slightly on the table.


    "Call it all off, I want the airships lining the Redstone Canyon and those that are quickest to offload all that they can and to the new front. His Lunar Majesty calls for us to march to the aid of the Dual Republic of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst. Whatever has just occurred, it''s from within their borders." I tell them, gesturing them all off immediately so that this can be put underway.


    Davudpas lingers and I turn on the magic holo-table. Scrubbing away my plans, I put in the details and set in the immediate order for all on-way troops and airships to assemble near Orterzusa. I double-check my memory and nod in confidence. That mountain-state has the capacity to house a fleet at the scale I need it to be.


    For His Lunar Majesty to call off our siege like this when we are so close...


    "Younger brother. Mmmmm." I let out in thought as I begin to ponder what has been asked of the War-Prince''s troops. Whatever is happening, my envy for my lost position is set aside. My beloved younger brother received that title for a reason over me and now is his chance to teach me. For now, my brother has my humility.


    "What are the plans for this city, then, Our-Prince-to-Ascend?" Davudpas asks, his hands quickly filling with redrafted orders and clarifications. More and more and more, he proves able and talented in handling so many hefty tablets.


    "I will talk directly to the one in charge of my operations within the city. She will delay and prevent the Valkinvar from moving out and reasserting themselves in our absence." I say in all seriousness but he laughs anyway. I look his way, brow slightly raised.


    "Forgive me, but, with how little work your genius has made of this country in the recent decade. They will be stretching themselves so thin they''d snap if they try anything." he rightly points out.


    "My plans are not to destroy the Valkinvar, not more than I have to." I answer, my plans for them flashing across my mind''s eye. Our war-witches are powerful, but, they''re inconsistent due to how such soldiers are made. What I need is something that can match the greatest of foreign warriors.


    Light, Dark, Fire, Lightning... Water.


    It doesn''t matter, I need the Valkinvar under my sway. So many already are but I need all that remains. Though they shall be turning to Jhrarda the Mighty, I need the expertise given unto them by Honourable War. Even cracked and chipped from such total war, they''re the finest force of witches on this continent, second only to His Lunar Majesty''s royal guard.

 Incline 3: The Prince-to-Ascend, Jhrartur

    "Leave me." I order the Emerald-Clothed Guard I had accompany me. The royal soldier bows quickly and does as asked and my eyes linger on his back. His Eyed-Upon Pin glitters with the unfortunate purity of lightning-blessed gold. The shimmering warrior vanishes with a leap and he takes a position up on a faraway peak.


    The winds sing for miles around him and each little line of the breeze becomes his weapon just as much as his fanned pole.


    Bringing my attention back to the still-smoking fortress of this fallen country, I go inside. Using a whisper of magic, I reignite the dying embers into a bright blaze so I can fight back the night. The picked clean stonework, vanquished of all its previously divine-inspired artwork crumbles and shakes. Some small stones fall and blood still manages to drip from the scorched bodies.


    Finding the secret tunnel that goes into the city, I find myself a seat on a wall brought down by outdated cannon fire. Staring into the dark, collapsed tunnel, I wait for the sounds of prayer to reach me. In the time that passes while I wait, I find myself glancing around some more. The corpse of an unarmoured woman comes ever so slightly into view.


    I shake my head upon sensing the vast stores of magic still within her dead muscle. Another wasted soldier who could''ve died in a more meaningful war of freedom and independence. Every wasted moment will lead to more lost power. War is to gamble with life and more often than not, you will lose the ones who could''ve made a hundred surrender.


    It''s not just the cowards who fall, the brave are brave because they''re willing to head to their ends.


    "Oh, blessed lord, love of my life, I beseech you to hear my prayer." my main pawn in this whole affair speaks. I smile a little, then I scoff. To think of how much she owes me right now, this privileged position within an organisation at war with me. She owes it all to me.


    "There has been a change of plans. Something is occurring in the south, His Lunar Majesty has put a stop to the siege. We will be gone for some time and I need you to ensure stagnancy within the Valkinvar." I explain through clear whispering so as to not be loud enough for anyone else to hear. I can recall the engineering schematics near perfectly, at this level, it should only be her that can hear me if she is doing this properly.


    "Though we are at our breaking limit, though we find ourselves sheltered only within your city in the time of now. I, the greatest of my kind, I promise to do everything within my power to ensure the gates remain closed to our enemy. They will open only in triumph so that the banner-flying victor may march through to reclaim." she answers, keeping up with the fake prayer as to not attract attention. Well, going by these echoing footsteps, the wrong kind, anyway.


    "See to it that it is done." I order.


    "Of course, love of my life, my service will end only in death and your embrace." she answers, her body twitching when those steps come closer.


    "Zaphadren-Valkinvar, who are you praying to?" some random Valkinvar asks. My turncoat starts to giggle and laugh, an emergency act to make sure things do not escalate.


    "As a Valkinvar of many years more than most others, I must ask you something in turn. Who do you think?" she goes, giggling away still and eliciting one from whoever it is that is bothering us.


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    "Aha! Right, I''m sorry for disturbing you, Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli. I guess I best be heading off to bed now, the days have been fairly taxing on all of us." this stranger explains.


    "Indeed..." I mutter, rubbing my head as I unfortunately recall that pain that made me collapse. Whatever it is, I will delight in seeing it destroyed given how close it came to undoing my future plans for the lands beyond Jherikra.


    "Yes, I believe we all should find rest when we can, what happened today was quite unfortunate." my turncoat tells them.


    "I saw, I guess I''m lucky I am a Valkinvar-Wiswipide. I saw but a fraction of it, but, word has it that the entire Wind of the Valkinvar-Staguiffmani collapsed in what many think is some kind of magic-induced seizure." this stranger remarks and I let out a ''hmm'' of thought. I already knew my army of turncoats experienced this effect as well. But, to know that not even the Valkinvar with all their stores of knowledge do not know. It''s interesting, very much so.


    I will have to hope that the competency of the men of the Thrustradtur-Suhurlodst armed forces is up to their reputation. Whatever is happening down south needs to be figured out quickly if we will have any hope of stopping it. If I am to be called to the battlefield, it must only be in the most dire of circumstances given the burden I bear. Too much is at stake for me to just toss it aside and defeat this threat.


    Unfortunate as it is to think about, I must let the blood of millions spill before I even so much as sweat. All to avenge billions more who have drowned, the family we''ve had to sacrifice to ensure that generations will exist. An empire died underneath the water all those forgotten millenia ago, before the time of our founder, the Kingdommaker. I have a plan, but I must be allowed to maintain all the strength I can so that it will be used to its fullest extent.


    I groan out a lengthy growl to ensure the aches will die down for another night. When I am done here, I will endure another restless sleep so that the magic will stay in the sky. I cannot let my efforts fail. The means to expel this threat must be found amongst the dormitories of Suhurlodst, the streets of Thrurstradtur and the mountains of Jherikra in its entirety!


    "Goodnight, Valkinvar-Wiswipide, get all the rest you can." my turncoat tells the interruption before she returns her focus to me.


    "See to it that it is done." I tell her, forcing myself up and hearing part of the mountain collapse because of it. Rocks roll and rain across the land below like renewed batteries of the largest guns.


    "My love... When will you be able to hold me again?" she asks me with a lack of breath, the echo of her body collapsing against her side of the tunnel.


    "Patience, my four-petaled flower, patience." I assure her, walking away.


    "Blessed love, when my service ends, hold me forevermore. Fulfil the promise you made all those years ago." she begs of me and I nod. Though she and her entire Ordoar Staguifmanii are mine to command, they are a means to an end. The battle I fought on that mountain against all of them was merely an act of corruption. If they think of themselves as pure, then I am their greatest temptation.


    For all the mastery the Valkinvar have, they are no son of the Kingdommaker. The blood of the Lone Lancer flows through my veins, that which they earn I am born with. And I am no fool, I have not rested on my gifts, so little of my family has. I will ensure a future of my making, one that prospers under the shine and glow of the one good god in this world.


    Jhrarda the Mighty, though this night is not yours, I will see to it by the time I next see you at night in the most holy of times. I will make sure that you see all of Jherikra under your flag, all shall be yours. The people you awakened to their full potential nearly five-thousand years ago... They will have earned the right to truly be called, the Greatest People of the Land.


    "So I swear, as the Prince who Will Ascend, I promise you on my name, blessed with part of yours. Jhrartur, Royal Son of the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra. It will be that, that history remembers as the one who united our people like in the days of yore." I say to my god, slowly prostrating myself before the amulet I have on hand. I hold my form as long as possible, disrespecting the manner only when my body needs its focus.


    I groan once again, pushing back against the weight of my future.


    "Back down the mountain I go." I mutter, heading to the path that will take me to my transport.

 Incline 4: Grandguard Inerish

    Putting a hand against my eye, I rub it gently and squirm. Tonight was supposed to be my day off for once and instead I''m on an airship after a squad of soldiers dragged me out of my home. I was nice and comfortable in some light clothing and now I am back in the belts and straps. Moving some more, I loosen my clothes for the moment while we''re in the dark of the airship interior.


    Glancing out to the city below, I frown at how active my security forces are. What could''ve possibly have happened in the past few hours as to cause all of this? Did Hohhkelurn care that much about that dig site and now we have a war on our hands? I guess I will find out once the Clockwork Council chews my ears out like the ravenous, starved rodents they are.


    My brow settles into a stiff line and it doesn''t take much for me to notice the lack of air traffic. The pilot''s comms are quiet and a path is open without an obstruction in sight. Even larger aircraft which nominally have right of way, especially when they have equally large cargo are waiting. A landing pad rises and a walkway attaches to it, the alarms of the Gnomon accentuating the erratic sprints all over.


    The aircraft rocks and its doors slide open without missing a beat. Flinching a little at the change in light, I get up and hurry along out of the hangar. Wasting only a minute to get my outfit back into order, the final set of doors open. I look up at the signs and head off in the right direction.


    Oddly enough, however, despite seeing some of the Clockwork Council here in a similar state as I am. The guards positioned outside of my usual entrance won''t let me in. Instead, I am handed a tablet with emergency orders on it and the official seal of the Stroke of High Noon. Giving a nod in answer, I turn away and head towards my command centre, not paying any mind to the lack of everyone''s usual professionalism.


    It''s not just us in the plump chairs either, all of my best staff have been dragged here from their beds. At the very least, someone had the forethought to set up a tacky little area to serve a most beloved refreshment. Ignoring the table myself, I click my fingers and linger a little bit of dark-fire near my nostrils. Breathing the flames in, I clear my nose out and put some life back into me with a quick burn.


    Putting a hand on the back of my chair, I look around at all the screens and try to pick up on the chatter. I move closer to one of my closest men and lean over his shoulder. He looks my way and gets back to work, his fingers sprinting across the keyboard. I catch one set by the forearm, forcing him to stop when an image comes up.


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    Something has occurred in the south, not too far from where that dig site was, but it''s also not Hohhkelurn. Rather oddly, however, the screens are flashing with a muted alarm. An observation post has requested the maximum alert regarding a draconic migration from the Dragon Coast. Yet, even more strangely, the listed number of dragons is zero.


    The only filled-out detail is something about a giant given the annotation of being grander than any mobile-fortress. I put a hand to my chin and clench my jaw a little as my mind comes up blank. This is not making any sense. If there was anything on that scale, we would know about it beforehand.


    Something on that scale does not just show up.


    Turning around slightly, I move closer to the section of my command centre set aside for the city''s magic flow. They''re all on edge and in a panic, a single piece of data is shoved everywhere it can be. Stone tablets, paper sheets and pixel-painted screens. A massive blank spot.


    And, looking at the timing of it, that would explain the brief blackout the entire city seemed to have undergone back in the afternoon. This is certainly worrying, I suppose I should get into contact with Suhurlodst, see if anyone is an expert on giants. Gods and goddesses above, this better just be some bad timing between two different problems. Though there is a god for them and they are made in the image of man, giants cannot use magic.


    "Grandguard Inerish!" a woman calls and I turn my attention to her just as she puts her hair back in place. I glance at one of the screens as it seems to establish a connection to a surveillance airship.


    "We have visual contact on the giant?" I ask and she nods, setting my equipment up while I sit down. I pull the console in the rest of the way and begin to set in the details myself. It''s a dark night tonight, but, that doesn''t stop me from seeing something moving through it. Rather oddly, however, the ground around it is pale.


    Lingering my eyes on it for a little longer, I start to get confused and my heart stops. The mountains in front of it, they start to turn pale. Grand peaks, as old as the world is are falling apart. Whatever desert I was unsure of existing is now pretty apparent in its unnatural form.


    I relinquish control of the stream and let my men return to work.


    Getting up, I take in a deep breath and shakily adjust my footing. Making sure I am upright, that image lingers in my head. That black mass in the middle of a trail so pale even the night cannot trick the eyes as to its colour. Whatever that thing is, it needs to be eliminated.


    Nodding slightly, I head to the post with the highest authority, "Put out the order, I want troops across the country on a war footing. Start calling up the estate-guard and put out voluntary contracts for the guilds. I want to be made aware of when we can set up a substantial defence line the moment the final body is accounted for."


    "Yes, Grandguard!" my men answer and I gesture for a control tablet.

 Incline 5: Grandguard Inerish

    "Well, I suppose this is good news. I can''t say I am very happy to see my policy changes come into play. But... I''m glad I have some forethought. Better to be prepared and worried than worried with no plan at all." I remark, patting myself on the back to distract my mind at least somewhat from the current problem. That giant has whipped everyone up into a panicked frenzy and while its advance is slow, footfalls that large are loud. Daytime photography certainly hasn''t helped the situation either.


    The nighttime imagery of a black mass amidst the pale desert is the least of our problems. What we''re looking at is something completely incomprehensible to me, even with the mythologically invested on hand. No one has an answer as to why the giant is the way it is. It shouldn''t even be alive.


    A skeleton beyond the scale of even the largest dragons, covered in tatty and broken armour. Trailing behind it, a sword so long it can slice through a mountain like orange steel paired with a block of cheese. Yet, despite that weapon and its immense physical strength, this desert has me the most worried. We still do not know how or what is happening to the land around it.


    Airships at best can keep track of the progression of this spread, I need someone or people on the ground. Not only that, we need to try and predict a path that this thing is trudging... I feel like some are too optimistic with the idea that it will eventually putter out. If it can hold a weapon, it can think of a path to take.


    Sighing, I cup my face. My elbows slide along my desk and I gently knock against it. Forcing my features out of the grip, I look around at my many cabinets. Getting up for what must be the hundredth time, I grab a small key and unlock one of them.


    Slipping a tablet out of its holdings, I skim through the details and annotations. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing!


    "How can there be nothing on this giant? This should''ve been one of the most easily accessible pieces of information and no one knows anything!" I groan, throwing the tablet to the ground and watching it scratch the floor varnish. Walking over to it, I dig my sole along the white mark, smudging it up. I carry on to my desk and place my rear on its hard edge¡ªa right finger taps.


    Maybe we''re looking in the wrong places? But, then I have to ask, how did something like this giant get documented incorrectly? A thing with this kind of power on this scale. When this is all over, I am seeing to it that some people are out of work.


    Every one of these damn tablets and computer stores is being triple-checked and then doubled over. It is unacceptable that we''re currently looking at a catastrophe and nothing is known. We have no countermeasures, no means to shut the problem up here and now. There is nothing.


    My chest heaves with forced, hot breath.


    "I guess it''s up to me, I am the one who needs to figure it all out. When I have the time, I need to visit those in charge of getting help from the guilds. I''ve given them a substantial enough budget to make it work, now I need the results." I mutter, glancing at the developing holo-map I have on my wall. Those within the Department of Strategic Needs are giving me a constant, developing set of notes and adjustments.


    A battle line seems to be materialising at a point known as the Partrim Mountains. Strong spined titans of stone with plenty of curving stone and natural platforms. At the giant''s current speed of movement, we should be able to construct an entire fortress there. Nothing grand, just the skeleton of something.


    Stepping closer to the map, I input a few commands so that my finger can be used like a paintbrush. Marking off some areas, I give more life to this idea and list off some destruction to the nearby mountains. If we can crack open these valleys a little bit, we should be able to swell two nearby plains and other forms of openings. Open fields filled with all the guns we can fit into them.


    I lean back onto one of my heels slightly, a gloved hand on my chin. Nodding slowly, I use some of the features only available on my holo map to get orders sent out to all ready field engineers. Just to be safe, I also write another order and budget allowance for civilian contractors. Finishing my involvement, I make an effort to try and stab the map with my fingers.


    "The Clockwork Council will probably have a good moan at me over funds but... Eh, they can all roll down the mountains they love so much." I mutter under my breath with a sneer. Speeding up into an aimless pace about, my mind sprints ideas across the centre of my attention.


    In order to keep my men safe, I should be as dependent on third-party forces for the moment. Guild witches might even solve the problem and the worst thing I''ll have to deal with is my men chuntering back home. I doubt the guilds will succeed, but, the idea is nice to hang onto. In all seriousness, however, I should keep them at my spear''s tip.


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    There''s a lot I can learn through their acceptable losses that incomplete communications from my outposts cannot give. We''ve not gotten any reports of the giant attacking anything directly, but we''re losing our senses. Outside of our air reconnaissance, my men are blind as to what the giant is up to. I cannot allow this to continue, waging war without maps is a surefire way to end up as ash.


    Turning back to my holo map, I approach it and split the display into two. One is the current situation, showing me the slight creep of this desert and the giant. The other is what the land used to look like. My eyes spot the date and start to shake a little.


    Mere days.


    Shivering myself back into a state of focus, I press some buttons. All the details of the holo map blink out of existence until it is just a recreation of the land. I reapply the magic sensor data and start to motion a ''no.'' The giant is not following the path of arcane strength, if it was, it would be heading south to the Dragon Coast and not away.


    City and town names come back up and it''s much the same, the giant seems to be ignoring it all. There''s no clear path to any of them and all the giant has to do is turn and it would be right on top of an independent mountain-state. Roads and rail lines come back up and it''s much the same. The giant is just heading north, that''s all I can really tell right now.


    There''s some slight deviation in its path, but no more so than how people will steadily veer to the side on their walks. All I know is that either it wants to go this way for a purpose or it is wandering. Worse still, I have to consider the possibility that this thing has a master and that there''s someone with a goal. The dead cannot come back, the dead become clay, always have.


    This has to be a machine that''s simply grim in aspect.


    "A machine of that scale will need maintenance... A fuel source, perhaps that is why a desert is forming? It uses the same means to power itself as Thrurstradtur and other cities do. Only, why is it so destructive? I cannot say for certain about the history of the technology but perhaps the archives will have something...?" I ponder, turning and heading to my communication line.


    My finger pushes the call button.


    "How may I be of service, Grandguard Inerish?" my secretary asks with her usual soft tone. I smile a little, thankful I was able to find someone who is able to keep an upbeat mood even when it''s havoc in the halls. She''s certainly made the past few years bearable.


    "I need you to put out a request to whomever it may concern. But, can you get me an expert regarding Thrurstradtur''s arcane power network? Several, if you can, please." I ask of her, lifting my finger off of the button.


    "Of course, Grandguard Inerish." she answers and the machine dies off on her end as well.


    Shifting my jaw about a little, I put my hands behind my back and go a tad more upright, "If there''s an input, maybe there''s a means to create a blockage."


    I turn to the scale model replica of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst and the entire mountain. Moving over to the dated thing, I flick open the locks and split it open. Passing over the thousands upon thousands of streets and bits of infrastructure, I find what I want. A finger starts to rapidly poke at the city''s typically locked-off industrial capacity.


    My eyes linger at the city''s central mechanisms where the Dark Crow finally stopped Smiling Jhurack. My mind briefly considers asking him for help and I shake my head as my lips bend down. This is beyond him, one man cannot possibly make a difference here. Besides, Nin is probably already going to be accepting that public contract I''ve put out.


    "I hope you''re ok... You were headed in that direction, weren''t you?" I go, fiddling with the model''s intake valves. The pressure is nowhere near enough to cause anything dangerous, but, I can feel how just my thumb blocking the model affects it. The other holes grow louder, taking in more air to keep the almost childish mechanics going.


    The giant...


    A machine on this scale cannot be made by a single person, nothing like this would be made without documentation. If this really is the work of a country or organisation, then we should be able to find a trail. With how many troops I have on the move, setting some aside to hunt these aggressors down will be no problem. We can find the plans or even the controls and shut it down.


    My fists free themselves of anything to hold and clench tightly.


    "A whole lot of wishful thinking and nothing I can actually work with..." I almost spit and I find my eyes back on the floor-bound tablet. Picking it up, I pointlessly brush it off and slot it back where it came from. My hands linger on the closed door, the key in the corner of my eye. The doors swing back open and I pull out another tablet.


    Finding my chair again, I lean into it and get to reading. I need to consider every possibility but at the same time, I have my doubts. I could very much spend too much time looking into hunches and the giant will step on me. This thing is a problem beyond my skill set, I have nothing to work with, no idea at all!


    I can''t get my head around how something that size can just appear. I''ve been kept in no loops regarding a giant like this. No spies have informed me of weapons from both within or outside of our borders. No suspicious reports have been slammed on my desk at any point. Am I perhaps now beholden to a conspiracy that has completely bypassed me?


    Traitors and incompetents covering up their trails and it has all spiralled out of control!


    "No... That''s impossible." I choose to believe for the sake of not appearing like a paranoid coot. Putting the tablet down, I pinch my brow and massage it. All around me is urgent work and it''s monolithically beyond my ability to handle. I have precautions for dragons and their migrations, not a giant who makes sand where a man would make a noise!


    Sighing, my mind lingers on the dragons.


    "They''re probably my best option now." I mutter, getting up to get some air. Who knows, maybe the weapons we have to handle dragons will handle this giant. Pull the trigger and gone! Maybe...

 Incline 6: Grandguard Inerish

    "This is everything the guilds were able to compile with what we handed out?" I ask my officers just to make sure this really is everything. We have so little to work with. Protocol dictates an individual tablet be given per communication log, but, some of them are only a line or two. Most end in the same sort of language.


    ''Help, help us!''


    ''The ground is vanishing!''


    ''We''re going to die!?''


    "I''m afraid so, Grandguard. In turn, we''re also getting a sharp drop in those willing to accept the contract. The mortality rate is quickly becoming common knowledge." one of them explains and my hand smacks the table.


    "Mortality rate!? They''re guild witches, mercenaries! Their jobs are to fight and possibly die!" I almost scream but, thankfully, I manage to keep it as mere exasperation.


    "They''re not professional soldiers, much as the glory of combat still affects them. Discipline is not something we can count on." one rightly points out and I lean back into my chair with a strained sigh. Testing the limits of how far back I can push the chair, its hinges lock up and fight back against me.


    "Fine, tell the guilds to change up how they handle the privacy of the communication lines. We need more eyes on this giant. But, fine. What else do we know? What do we properly know at this point?" I order and ask, rubbing my eye once my mouth closes up


    "Confirmed data so far is that this giant is not actively hunting anything. All destruction is a byproduct of what we believe to be a magic-consuming aura. We also know that this aura has a set distance, however, how it is applied we do not know. No magic sensor is able to precisely pick up on any spells, in-built or casted. We believe that to be a result of the aura consuming magic." the officer explains to me as he checks over the tablet that likely has all the useful information compiled on it. I nod quickly.


    "And what of our eyes in the air, have they noticed any change in behaviour?" I ask, setting up the meeting table''s holo map myself. Wind magic gently fills out the centre and a shape starts to form. In order to get all eyes on it, I set it up on the ceiling''s mechanisms and we all lean back.


    Our country is being gutted like a live fish facing a blunt knife...


    "No observable changes have been spotted, no, Grandguard Inerish. The giant is still within the acceptable parameters for those who have been in charge of predicting its path." one man explains. Frowning, I zoom the map closer to the progress of the giant''s march. It need only veer off away from our planned battle line to be on a direct path with a city.


    "You can confirm this to be the case, it is not necessary to call for the evacuation of nearby cities?" I question, putting the map in the perspective of that city should the giant turn. If this magic aura wasn''t a problem, the mountains between this Grimmicksal and the giant would be adequate protection. Then again, the giant would probably be gone by now if the magic aura was a thing of the imagination alone.


    "We''ve had some talks about this before this meeting''s scheduled time. For the moment, we believe the benefits of not incurring a national panic outweigh the precautions. The giant has been behaving as predicted for a little under two weeks now." one of them speaks on behalf of who knows how many. Moving my chair up, I lean forward onto the conference table.


    "You are all sure of this?" I ask and my response is mixed, those who clearly support the idea nod or give other affirmations. Very few seem to show any contradiction to the consensus.


    I reach a hand out and drum it. Index to pinky. Index to pinky. Index to pinky...


    My mouth clicks, "Very well, make sure the cities and towns nearby are put on alert and are ready to accept any refugees who have made it out of the giant''s path. We''ll hold off on anything major and we''ll put our hopes into the defence line. Gods and goddesses, please may it be so..."


    The doors to the meeting room open up and my secretary comes striding in. She makes little work of the distance and tight spacing in some parts of the room and arrives at my ear. Leaning slightly towards her, I take the contents of her hands and read it over. I start to nod and hand it back.


    "You''ll have to excuse me, gentlemen. There has been some progress regarding our air recon. Keep discussing the matter until the allotted time for this meeting is up, please." I ask of them, getting up and following after my secretary.


    "Yes, Grandguard Inerish." the officers answer collectively before I close the door behind me.


    "So, how bad is it?" I ask my secretary quietly and she turns towards me, hand over her mouth.


    "Nothing. We don''t know anything about what has happened to our ground-based observation posts." she answers but we both know the truth here. The giant''s power reached them because we were too foolish and ignored the mirror''s warning. The giant is able to affect such a vast area with that aura and the scale is deceptive. A large creature might move slow at times, but that does not make it sluggish.


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    Anyone who has seen a ryphurgok on the charge should know this.


    "Our troops in the air are still able?" I ask and she gives a single quick nod.


    "Yes, the requested airships are awaiting your orders to move in and investigate." she answers and the doors to the command centre slide open. The noise of it all is almost deafening and I almost smirk a little at how my secretary adjusts to it. Reaching my chair, I sit and put in the commands I need to open up a few magic screens.


    "Grandguard Inerish at the helm!" one of my main assistants calls out, alerting the entire room to my presence.


    "Bring up the airship feed." I order and my eyes snap to the suddenly content-filled screen. An endless pale desert with a looming sign of the end walking along it. Further up, another mountain starts to cave in on itself, the magic drained from each pebble making up its once grand size. What appears to be a large bird of some kind flies away, only to fall and go up with a puff of sand.


    My finger locks up above one of my keys. I shake my head slightly and push the one needed to get the airship to move closer. It''s hard to tell how far-reaching the aura is from the rear so I need a side or frontal view. The airship cautiously flies over a half-gutted mountain range.


    "Get me some close-up imagery of the land where the land remains the same and the desert begins." I request and the cameras pan towards the designated spot. They flash and click with unending blinks and the data starts to compile. The teams on either side of me come alive with activity and they start to point out various things. I think I can hear talk about magic interacting with a blank environment.


    Hmm, Suhurlodst will have to be called in it seems. We already knew about the aura and the effect it has on magic in the area. But, with a vast desert now in our borders with rims of violent magic interaction, we will need the experts. Hopefully, those who are proficient in the study of Sudden Induction Theory and similar will be reachable and not outside the mountain.


    I start to clench a fist as more and more of the destruction comes on by. A mountain which has lost most of its, structural integrity becomes the focus of our shots. Its insides have already been hollowed out and the signs of a particular threat come to the fore. Only, they''re not acting as they should be, they''re in a complete frenzy and the largest chamber is warped with the giant''s image.


    "Get me a precision bomber from somewhere or make a quick tip to a nearby guild. Have that osibindah hive wiped out." I order before I begin to type in the commands to bring up a recent photo. That chamber in the hive, it''s showing the giant on a throne of some kind. The bugs are aware of this threat...?


    I push a button.


    "Yes, Grandguard Inerish?" the woman on the other end answers.


    "I want a call to be made, as public as it can be. I want all experts on osibindah behaviour to be ready for a conference in the Gnomon." I tell her and I can already hear her fingers typing away.


    "Of course, anything else?" she asks.


    "No, no." I answer firmly at first and then I repeat it with a softer tone. The line goes dead and I return my focus to the airship''s reconnaissance.


    "Perhaps this danger requires a form of connection?" my secretary suggests and I look up at her.


    "In what way do you think that?" I ask so I can hear what she is trying to get at. Maybe she can see something I cannot.


    "Well, there have been plenty of birds and other manner of creatures in the air. So, perhaps this ability to destroy only runs in the earth in a specific manner?" she theorises and I put a hand to my chin.


    "And what of the bird we had a clear shot of before?" I ask, releasing my jaw and gesturing at her.


    "That bird was beginning to fly, whatever danger compelled it to try and flee caught it like a bit of dust will always evade a cleaning cloth." she explains and I begin to nod. This giant must have some fine control over its power if that is the case, then, otherwise, it would collapse all the way through the planet. It doesn''t seem to be sinking down, the height at which it is placed remains the same.


    "Prepare to move the airship closer once we''re firmly in front of the giant. I want us to see how close we can get to the limit of being out of its physical reach." I say, preparing the crew of the airship for a closer inspection. Photographs and video reels of the giant at that level of intimacy should net us better insight. An engineer can always tell us more when he can see the finer gears.


    The airship''s view rises and rises far above the giant and it safely goes through the clouds until it is ready to descend again. It takes up a position above the next load of peaks likely to be only a memory soon. The camera views adjust and we wait in anticipation as the giant advances.


    One footfall and the desert grows. Another and the destruction trails ahead without interruption. It doesn''t seem to pay the airship any mind and its posture remains the same. Leaning forward slightly, I prepare to press the button that lets me speak to the airship''s crew.


    "Make sure to get as close as you can but avo-" I start to say, stopping and choking on the last word when everything becomes static. The command centre bursts to life with frantic activity and I blink. Slowly getting up, I move to one of my men as they hastily type in all the commands they know. One group keeps rewinding the footage to the point we lost the feed.


    Nothing happens, it just ends.


    "Grandguard Inerish!" a man calls out, standing on his chair. Snapping my eyes up, I rush around to his position as he slowly gets back down.


    "We have another airship in the area?" I ask, seeing that he still has a feed.


    "Yes, one of the supporting aircraft got a clear view of what happened. Replaying now." the man explains and types and a screen flashes up. Covering my mouth and letting the thumb rise a bit, I watch the footage. The airship is fine and in position, then, as the giant''s next footfall lands, it''s like a bite is taken out of it.


    The airship doesn''t even reach the ground before it''s all a cloud of dust.


    Taking a step back and returning to my chair, I go quiet. One of my fingers finds the alarm button and everyone goes quiet after its sudden blare. Some ideas pass through my head and I check the map we have. Without a blip, I rise.


    "I want bombers and artillery at the edges of this thing. I want camera-equipped munitions to give me a clear idea of how covering this aura is. If this giant can be felled, then well done. I want this thing understood, do I make myself clear!?" I let out, my words growing in frustration.


    "Yes, Grandguard Inerish!" the room answers.

 Incline 7: Grandguard Inerish

    "Batteries twelve to thirty, you are cleared to commence operations." one of my men passes on to the backdrop of earlier groups already going about their orders. Keeping my attention on the magic screens, I watch flowers of smoke and fire blossom while metal birds chirp. Our previously known danger area is safely avoided and many detonations spread across it.


    "Understood, Gnomon." the artillery leader replies and for the moment before he shuts his comms off, a gun snaps through the mic.


    "Are we seeing any meaningful progress?" I dare to ask, turning my chair slightly towards those I have the clearest view of.


    "I''m afraid not, Grandguard Inerish." their section leader answers and he passes over some data to me. A holographic model of the giant and its march but with the added detail of this magic aura. Marks are spreading across the highlighted edge of the magic, some from an upward curve and others from above. I can barely make out the slight annotation telling me of lost communications.


    Looking away slightly, I glance over the rest of the room and how many screens are shifting off of static. We had to put a stop to the effort briefly just to implement a program that automatically filtered off failed feeds. Nothing so far has gotten through and there are only so many recon-enabling munitions we have. Jury-rigging is out of the option, we don''t have the time to develop anything new.


    Typing in some details on my chair, I start to compile some data myself to give me something to do. Minding the model I was given just now, I expand upon it with whatever ideas I can think of. We know at the very least we''re looking at some kind of spherical dome with this aura. It could be something more precise, something like an advanced threat predictor working on a system of invisible tendrils or something but...


    "Unless it just seeks out any form of magic-holding matter?" I ask no one in particular as many walk by me. The three models present themselves clearly and I double-check them. A bubble, a filled-out ball of some kind and the more precise one. Looking up at the coverage our firepower has, I am tempted to dismiss the latter idea.


    There are simply too many guns firing and bombs falling.


    I put my finger on the communication button, "Tell those who have the means to switch to timed detonation, multi-impact rounds or bombs. I don''t care what kind, just something that spreads the firepower out along as many points of impact as possible."


    "Understood, Grandguard Inerish." a series of voices answer and my hands come together. Leaning back with a hefty weight in my chest, I watch the screens with held breath. Someone has the mind to swap my view over to the observation posts we have up. The explosions start to die down and those too deep in the process get it over and done with.


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    A group of bombers fill the black of my eyes with their reflection. I can feel them widening as the aircraft finish their lengthy turn and they''re finally going in for the kill. I squeeze my hands together and lick my lips a little as my throat feels dry. The metal doors open up and dark masses fall.


    I can hear their whistles although there is no sound. Ca-chink! Hundreds of little dots are thrown out. They wrap around the curvature of the aura and nothing.


    I let go of my hands and they fall to my side as a heavy breath comes out. Slowly, I lean forward and cup my face with a deep breath. A mixture of swear and prayer mutters its way out of my mouth. My head shakes increasingly.


    "Grandguard Inerish!" a man calls and my head shoots up. He excitedly rushes over to me and grabs my hand, causing alarm. Going along with this almost childish behaviour, I am thrown onto his seat and he starts to stab at the screen. A still frame.


    I get my thoughts in order.


    "What am I looking at?" I ask him and his hand moves to somewhere more specific. Something''s gotten through the edge of the aura. It vanishes shortly after, but, it''s breached the perimeter.


    "I''m working on getting the responsible bomber on the line!" he tells me as I get up and out of his seat.


    "Do it!" I encourage, rushing back to my chair as some people take the initiative and order a stop to my last order. Static comes through to me and it starts to break up.


    "This is Bomber Pilot Richaart, how can I be of service, Grandguard Inerish?" the man in charge answers.


    "What bomb did you drop?" I ask him and I can almost hear the embarrassment come through.


    "I have a lad who was pressed into service a bit abruptly to fill out our crew. He made a mistake and loaded up a magic-shielded penetrator." he explains.


    "OF COURSE!" I scream, snapping up to my feet with frantic gestures. Everyone looks at me with varying measures of bewilderment. Of course! It makes so much sense with how obvious it is.


    The aura deprives everything it touches of magic, reducing it to magicless matter. Which is apparently sand, or something to that effect. But, if we create or use an ablative plating made of pure magic stuff, we can get the munitions in closer. We can finally start getting somewhere with damaging this giant and taking it down...


    But, if magic shielding is needed, why are mountains breaking down so easily? Their internal-magic is vast and the many guild witches we''ve lost can''t all have been newly minted fools. Unless the aura depends on violating the principles that make internal-magic work? Do we need a weapon of pure magic, then?


    I start to nod and my expression firmly sets itself in stone.


    "Put out the order to all it may concern. I want high-magic munitions in use now, get war-witches in the air or on-site and have them provide as much spell cover as they can. I want to replicate the result of that bomb and improve upon it!" I tell everyone present before rushing out before I can get a reply. Speeding to my office, a face comes to mind and the power she wields will be quite needed right now.


    My office door opens and my secretary looks up.


    "Oh, Grandguard Inerish, I wasn''t expecting you, has there been some progress?" she asks, getting up slightly and motioning towards the little refreshment table we have.


    I wave at her to stop, "No, no, no, no! Call the Clockwork Council, I require them all to be in attendance for what I need to ask for."

 Incline 8: Grandguard Inerish

    "No... I don''t think that this will do a whole lot to convince them." I remark quietly, looking over the quick tablet I prepared. The arguments and points to make, it''s all here, I just need to memorise them. Get used to it.


    The tablet comes down onto my lap and I blow hot air out towards the ceiling. What I am about to ask for is certainly an extreme measure to take but it''s also the best thing on hand. If this giant is vulnerable to magic that is too strong for it to brush aside simply. Then, what we have within these walls is strong enough to destroy it.


    I''m sure I can appeal to their greed or something, an intact country is worth it. Compared to having a massive public relations scandal, anyhow. We can lie or make our case honestly. Lies about a dragon or proudly standing upon the broken body of that giant, it makes no difference to me.


    All that matters is that I have the tools needed to do my job. And, for once, I am glad that there is an option I can at least depend upon. A bomb with magic shielding managed to make it through. A super weapon that fires concentrated magic will be more than enough.


    My secretary steps out the door and she leans around to me, "They''re ready for you, Grandguard Inerish."


    I nod in thanks and send her on her way without entering the chamber. Staring at the sealed door, old, bitter memories come to the fore and I freeze up. Non-stop belittlement and degradation has happened beyond this point. All because one problem was beyond my reach and I couldn''t solve it.


    No one else was trying to stop it but I got all the blame anyway...


    But now I can stop the big problem from escalating, I can do my job with swift efficiency. The newstablets have always been wrong. I am not some clueless foreigner nor am I a bumbling idiot dependent on some monster I dragged out of a dungeon. I am the Grandguard of this city and its territories because I made a name for myself that went beyond my homeland.


    I''ve survived and conducted wars before, I can do it again.


    I push the button and enter the chamber with my eyes remaining firm and still even as they all stare. Unlike so many times before, I have their full attention. No looking at brought-in work, no idle, bored stares. I have the floor and I -must- speak.


    "Members of the Clockwork Council, we are in a time of great worry. We currently have an unidentified giant wreaking havoc in the south of the country."


    I take the projector controls and divert what footage I sent this way earlier. Our problems come up along with some annotative boxes explaining the threat so I don''t have to. All their little desks light up with smaller, more readable versions and they mutter. Little conversations start up and they quickly die off with taps on the shoulder putting the attention back onto me.


    "This unknown entity outscales anything previously known across all departments I have been in contact with. Outside of considering something purely mythological, I believe we may be looking at a foreign superweapon."


    The claim gets them muttering about such a thing and who could possibly have the strength to do it. The Union is considered but with their war against the Theocracy, all of it is dismissed out of hand. It''s much the same when they consider Founder''s Point as while an ancient and capable power, this is out of character for them. It''s a confusing riddle we have yet to figure out, but, it makes more sense than assuming divine intervention.


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    "At the giant''s current rate of progression, I feel we will be looking at it being on top of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst in a few months should we fail. But, we have managed to make some progress with trying to bypass this magic-eating aura it has."


    The image and progress of that one bomb comes up and is shared between them. They''re not versed in military matters so I can only assume their mutterings are gibberish. I will have to get my hands on a recording of this meeting, though, maybe there is something intelligent to be found. An idea that I would not dare to think of or something, who really knows...


    "To clarify, the bomb used in that image was a magic-shelled deep penetrator. It''s something we use to handle hard targets such as deep-core bunkers or against foes hiding within their mountain-states. The magic shielding keeps the bomb intact for however long we need it to be and then it detonates its high-yield load. We believe that we will be able to reach the giant should a strong enough source of magic be used." I explain to them and they seem to catch on quickly. Their eyes turn again and again to the highest official closest.


    "You wish to call upon the Order of the Guiders of the Gnomon." the Stroke of High-Noon takes point in saying.


    "I do, with what we are currently aware of, our best course of action may simply be right now the most extreme one. In order to prevent more devastation to the lands of the Dual Republic of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst, we must use the very Gnomon itself and the weapon system within to wipe out this giant."


    "To do so will mean handing over all authority to you and put us on a total war footing. You will become a figure of authority unseen since the overthrow of the monarchy and other times of a needed dictator." the Stroke of High-Noon points out, his mouth behind his curled-up hands.


    "It will, I am aware. However, to address any concerns you may have, I cannot use the tool I need to fell this giant without such powers."


    "And if it fails?" a council member at the edge of their long, curving table asks. I turn to him with solemn eyes and meekness in my stance.


    "I would rather not consider what that means. We know magic, pure magic not bound by material objects can make their way through the aura. We just do not know how much we need to reach the giant. We''re currently testing such means out in the field with various probing attacks and our battlelines are being adjusted accordingly." I say, returning to my prior posture.


    "Then let us not waste any time and get on with the vote. We shall stay behind afterwards and handle the necessities and tradition." the Stroke of High Noon explains as he sets the chamber up for this vote. It locks down and alarms go off with a small amount of security coming in as is required. All previous information vanishes and simply put, terms and conditions replace it all.


    I clench my fists and start to bounce a leg in anticipation, all the votes must agree, I need unanimity.


    "Let it be known to all in the Chamber of the Clockwork Council and let them bear witness. The Dual Republic of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst is in grave danger and the current means of government are ineffectual. With the passing of this act, the currently standing Grandguard, Inerish Dakrid of the continent of Errakur will be granted unassailable power. Her word will become law and order in its entirety and anything she decrees will be enforced with utter compliance. Failure to obide allows her to act as she sees fit, with the penalty of death being the standard in the event of her absence."


    The Stroke of High Noon pauses.


    "...This vote requires the agreement of all members of the Clockwork Council. Under no condition other than full agreement shall such powers be handed out. We will now cast the vote. Yes. Or, no." he finishes and each council member''s individual failsafe is initiated. They all start to input different codes and solve unique puzzles before then finally pushing the final button.


    It''s not the same place, each person is pressing a different key in order to prevent planned synchronicity and the coups they bring. A screen flashes up with a rising counter. The total number of yes'' keeps rising until only one member is left. It''s the Stroke of High Noon.


    I meet his eyes and furrow my brow while he stares back, he nods and pushes a button, "Head on back to work, please, Grandguard Inerish, we will send over what you will need to sign at a later date."


    Full agreement, it''s all in my hands now. I smile a little.


    "Of course, I will prepare the city for the Gnomon''s firing." I answer, turning away and leaving with a very subtle skip in my step. That giant is going down!

 Incline 9: Grandguard Inerish

    "Alright... So I just need to? Ah, ok, thank you." I tell the mute helping me become acquainted with the firing controls of the Gnomon''s main gun. Or Thrurstradtur''s, rather.


    I look to my right and then my left, at the two screens showing me two parts of the world. One''s a full image of the city itself along with officially hidden mechanisms within it. The other, the Guider of the Gnomon who has received the honour of being the one to aim the blast at the giant.


    Ornately armoured in almost useless, ceremonial armour, the proud visage contradicts their reality. The Guiders of the Gnomon are a secret to all but the highest within the very source of their name. They''re a group that is mere rumour to everyone else and they are all sworn to secrecy and effectively, the hermit''s life. Each spot of isolation is a key strategic point in the pathing of the weapon.


    Conduits that let us aim at any incoming army or threat and wipe it out.


    I quickly glance at the tall tower on the knight-like figure''s back and return my view to the city itself. Per the instructions I was given, I had to order the complete lockdown of the city and the grounding of all air traffic. No witch or airship is allowed to be in the air and in a rare case of compliance, Suhurlodst is doing as asked without contention.


    Even that Union Prince''s airship has detached itself from its moorings and headed to a designated safe spot. Now, we just need that final call to come in. I''ve heard enough about the civilian population being ''up in arms'' about the sudden daytime curfew, but... Rather that than they be staring up at that giant.


    I drum my hand on the edge of the weapon''s gilded console. The process I need to turn it on goes through my head and I come to a stop at a sudden discrepancy. The instructions the mute has given me, it''s only been for turning the weapon on. What do I need to do to fire it, then? Not a clear button to push here, it''s all in ancient script.


    "Grandguard Inerish, this is Gnomon Command, the lockdowns are almost complete." a voice calls from the sound system we brought in. I can''t reply, the Guiders won''t allow it. There''s barely anything in this chamber that will allow me to communicate with the rest of my forces. Rather oddly, as well, they apparently do not fall under my authority, even with emergency powers.


    The Guiders of the Gnomon are a completely independent group with a pretty clear failsafe. Although I have done no wrong, all of their guards within this chamber have their weapons ready to fire on me. I want to ignore the speartip jabbing into my back. So dense with magic that it''s turned the steel a minty green.


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    I was already privy to the kind of power the city''s weapon has, as the Grandguard, I need to know. But, when it has all this protection and exclusive privilege for the wardens, I have to wonder how much I know. Maybe my imagination is not good enough, what I was told was downplayed. A weapon like this could surely destroy more than just the giant if I turned my eyes upon other targets.


    "Lockdown procedures have been-" one of my men start to say before a Guider shuts off the speaker.


    "Commence." the one responsible orders, his left arm covered in a fabulous cloth and at an angle over his abdomen.


    "Very well... Goodbye, Mr. Giant." I click, going through the process the mute shows me. A heavy metal thunk thunders throughout the chamber. I can almost hear the echoes of alarms going off all throughout the city. More locks snap open.


    Shaking a little and grabbing the console, we start to move. My stomach clarifies our upwards direction and I can''t help but gulp. I lock my gaze onto the holographic depiction of the city and it widens. Lips part.


    Entire skyscrapers are sinking underground and the walls are sending out some kind of skyline cover. Smaller buildings are bringing down their shutters and the Gnomon is splitting apart. Pieces of it I once thought to be decorative or mere structural supports find new purpose as magic and machines remake the building. Halolight breaks through and burns me of my sight.


    "Ow..." I grumble, blinking the issue away while my hair catches on the howling wind. Moving around slightly, the walls of the chamber break away and I shrivel up. I can feel it coursing through the metal... Every whisper of the city''s magic supply is at our beck and call.


    The mute brings my focus back to the console and he starts to show me the rest of what I need to do. Following his instructions, the floor starts to glow and the Guiders set aside their weapons. As if they''re caught in a religious trance, they drop to their knees, seemingly praying. Armour glows and its flow passes on to the next part.


    The entire city is an arcane lance and these men have to direct such grand power. I gulp again, the mere presence of all of this already causing me to suffer. The mute takes my hand and he guides it to the firing button. Eyes I paid no mind to earlier stare me down and I try to back away.


    His mouth opens, "Fire."


    "Fire." I repeat, pushing the final button and giving birth to stars once more. The magic swells and pumps, going through the Guiders and building up into some kind of sphere. I check the holographic depiction of the unrecognisable city and spot a lone figure focusing it all. They rise into the air, hands raised above their head while the orange and yellow energy swirls.


    The sphere reverses course and contracts. The Guider starts to hold it within the palm of both of their hands. They come to their side and their legs spread. Their palms thrust forward and all of the sky splits open.


    Another Guider catches it and sends it further and then another and another...


    I smirk in anticipation, my eyes southward.

 Incline 10: Atarifuge the Pestilence

    I''m bored.


    Though my strides are long, that man is faster even with his small legs. He won''t be able to run from me, I can see the trail left behind by his magic. It''s strange, really, I was almost blind back before I became this, when I still had hope for my future. All we aelenvari were.


    Magic was only really in the relics of old but now it seems to be everywhere. What happened in the millennia I was under that mountain and within my containment? Did the people of ancient times come back or is that distant beacon the reason. I want to go there, to that great, emerald light.


    I shake my head and mind the cockpit of Atarifuge. No, if I want to see the world and relive my life as an adventurer of it, I will need to leave behind this great machine. I want to see if the world has changed for the better. I thought I was content, sealing myself off from the world but I''m not.


    I want to live my life like I used to, climbing mountains and slaying beasts! The wind in my hair as I practised with sword and shield, the feel of dirt around my sinking points. It''s not really the same to be travelling the world inside Atarifuge. All this magic hurts to look at, thankfully, Atarifuge seems to have the means to make it easier to see.


    But, when I get out of here, I want to do things again. I want to take my sword, like I can with Atarifuge and use it to block a dragon''s maw. I want to dance through a horde of lesser beasts and come spinning out without a scratch on me. Just a trail of blood on the edge of my steel!


    I can almost do it with Atarifuge but it''s not the same, I long to have the world kiss my skin once again. Though I can sense and feel the motions, Atarifuge can only express so much. I can swing my blade and toss and throw, catching the thing and making it a blunt axe. Much as pain is not something I love, it is what makes being alive so compelling.


    To have such a clear distinction between what to care for and what to avoid... But, I guess that is also why I am even within Atarifuge to begin with. Too much pain and sorrow overwhelmed me. I wanted to turn my skills against the world though now I will try and do my best to save it.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    I need to stop that man before he can be consumed by his own anger. I know where it leads, I cannot allow him to escalate this behaviour. I chuckle a little at my thoughts as I follow the trail. I let out a ''hmmm'' and turn to face the change in the path.


    "He stopped going ahead and went around on a bend this way?" I question before a bright light enters my view. A dragon is coming to challenge me? Or Atarifuge, rather. Well, I suppose now is a chance to relive my old glories.


    I watch the beast some more and get used to the timing of its approach.


    Taking up a proper posture with my divine machine, I go to my side and raise the sword. My hand closest to the pommel curls around and in turn, the one underguard does the same. Though I have no need, habit makes me take a deep breath and I shiver at the old feeling. Just a little more... A little more!


    Now!


    I bring the sword down and the fire bypasses completely. It strikes Atarifuge''s body and the entire thing backpedals, much to my shock. Dust is knocked from its ancient home and I bang my head. Shaking it and feeling the warmth coming down the back of my skull, I smile.


    "I WILL NOT BE FELLED SO EASILY, DRAGON!" I shine with joy, adjusting my position and getting the sword in the fire''s way. With one hand on the grip and the other on the flat of the blade, I hold my ground. Catching onto the malleability of the attack, I release my bottom hand and rear it back for a punch. The sword swings up and hard as does the fire.


    Moving into the momentum, I spin and swing a cutting blow at what must be the dragon''s neck. The fire stops at the source but what is out goes to the gods. Looking up at its now distant trail, I frown a bit and roll my shoulders, mechanical and flesh. Even with the strength of Atarifuge, I must be cautious, this machine may be nigh-indestructable but I am not.


    My attention returns to the path of the man and I carry on my walk, making the necessary turn to head along the path. A smile sticks to my face like a good quality honey on a sweet pudding. When I am done here, I will find a mercenary band like I was once a part of and see the world with them. Coming and going as the boredom strikes and the fancies take me.


    Oh... Just one dragon isn''t enough but I only have my memories to work with!


    "Well, no one can see me, not like I can see them." I remark with a chewed-upon cheek as my bulbs glow gently. I suppose the practice is good anyway, I misjudged the timing and were it not for Atarifuge, I''d be dead. I''m only a few thousand years out of practice, so I don''t have much to worry about, but still.


    Closing my eyes and letting my dreams come to mind, I try to reenact what I can see. These things have kept my mind alive with such vividity, they can be relied upon. I just need the discipline to focus on good dreams. No more remembering that night I left my home behind...


    I am doing this so no one else leaves their home like I did all that time ago, yeah.

 Incline 11: The Estate Guard

    "Look, I''m telling you, this isn''t my domain, I''m legally not allowed to interfere." I explain to the angry shopkeeper as glass cracks under his shoes.


    "You''re armed and armoured! You''re a guard!" he points out as if it means anything. Sighing, I put a hand to my brow and shake my head. Honestly, I was just passing by and he drags me into this. For the love of the gods...


    "The most I can do is put in a report to the actual Board of the City Guard. Again, I''m an estate guard." I tell him, leaving him none the happier but it gives me a chance to leave. I nod my head along and mutter as abuse is hurled towards my turned back. Taking note of the pair of actual city guards turning the corner, I approach them.


    "What''s up, Playgrounder?" one questions, a chuckle on his lips at how oh-so-funny his quip is. I smirk back and step around a little.


    "Have fun you two, got you a lovely concerned citizen." I say, patting the pair on their backs and forcing them ahead with it. The commotion all goes far behind and I carry on with the reason I am out here in the streets of Grimmicksal. I want to get some flowers for my sweet thing and surprise her while I have the freedom to not be couped up in the house.


    Watching a group of people about my age, I hide my stare as they go about their carefree day. I have no clue as to where in the family the girls might be, but, I can say without a doubt the boys are second sons or later. If they were firstborns like me, they''d have been sworn in as estate guards as a starting point for a military career. I wish sometimes I had the freedom these lot do, but, I can work with my lot in life.


    There''s a strict degree applied to it because of this comparatively half-hearted military service. However, the benefits are clear as I bring good standing to my family''s name and some access to the many industries built around our armed forces. And, while it''s not the most impressive thing to the longest-serving people, the fact I was able to get a Gilded Coin of the Clockwork Republic this young is nice. While not a proper medal, it is still something I can have polished on a desk, cupboard or windowsill.


    Sometimes I have to admit, I wish I didn''t have the responsibilities my role incurs. But at the same time, how can someone not love a sharp uniform and place of importance? They might not always be proud of me specifically, yet, it''s easy to get rolled up in all the excitement people have. At some point as well, one or more of the people in those crowds will be my children.


    My firstborn son will follow in my footsteps and I will of had the experience to ease him into it better. My father could not offer me the same though the effort was put in by him. And, of course, the house I stand guard over is as grand as it is because of him. I know every speck of dust like I do my own reflection but at least there''s a lot of rooms to walk through.


    Catching a hint of my quarry with my nose, my closest hand goes to my money and it rattles. I smile a little in anticipation of her smile when I give her the flowers. I think she will enjoy them, especially if I grab her a nice wealthy bundle of bright colours. Minding the traffic, I wait a little and then head towards the shop stall at the edge of a private botanist.


    Well, private may be a loose word here. With so little plant life to be found inside of a mountain-state, places that put in the effort to grow gardens, trees and simple flower baskets have a lot to offer. There''s a bit of a queue at the stall, but that''s alright, I have plenty of time. Oh, even better, people are just moving along.


    "Welcome, how can I be of service?" the aelenvari woman tending the business asks, her bulbs shining bright. She catches onto this and hides them and I smile like she is. I guess she must''ve been raised among her own kind and not in the hustle and bustle of a place like this. Can''t yet speak once, still doing it twice.


    "Oh... Lemme think." I go, clicking my tongue while I bring out the amount of money her chalkboard requests. Her long ears do not twitch in the slightest at the sound of the money and instead, she nearly loses herself in the flowers. Going by the one she''s almost giddy over and the matching colour of her hair, I have a few guesses as to her name.


    Noting how the aelenvari shopkeep becomes excited as I pass over her name-flower, I pick them.


    "Here you go." I say, almost laughing as those puffed-up rosy cheeks grow.


    "Thank you for coming! Blessings of the gods and goddesses be upon you." she tells me and I wave.


    "Yeah, you too." I tell her quickly, leaving her behind so I can get on my way to the woman these are for. Securing my money once again, I find a street name and reorient myself in the direction I need to go. The closest portal hub is still a short walk off, but, I can get there in no time at all. Straightening my back and sending my shoulders out, my armour rattles more than usual.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The crowds spot me earlier and step aside and a cylindrical tower comes into view. Hopefully, it''s not too busy or those inside mistake me for the estate guard of one of the houses beyond. Minding the road again, a series of completely packed military vehicles drive on by. The expression of the state guard within is grim and their weapon grips tight.


    Raising a brow slightly, I shake my head and cross the road. Spotting an unused console, I start to put in the public visitor''s code and wait. A small camera on it flashes and then a bing of approval follows suit. Smiling a little as the portal opens up, I make sure everything is in order and then step through.


    The industry of the city makes way for the artificial sky of the isolated pocket dimension. I briefly walk the gravel path as the portal swirls behind me and wait outside the metal gate. A window opens and a wonderfully dressed woman leans out with a wave and smile on her glossy lips. Returning the pair of behaviours, I start to balance on my heels as the commotion comes bursting out the front door.


    "Hi, hi, hi!" she cheerily goes as her impatience forces her through the opening gate at the first chance. She bangs up against me and our lips meet for a quick peck before I hand over the flowers.


    "For you my sweet." I say, watching her knees grow weak as she tries to balance the bundle between a firm and tight grip. She finds the right kind of pressure and brings them in for a hearty sniffing.


    "Thank you!" she chirps and I get another hug and kiss as a reward. I chuckle a huff and hold her close, a slight sway to our squeeze.


    "Everything going alright for you as of late?" I ask, looking at the hedges cushioning the front garden from the exterior walls. She nods and moves to take my hand so she can probably take me to something to show. But, we stop as an alarm rings out, even in here.


    "What''s that?" my sweet asks and I frown as I free myself of her grip. Setting a hand on my weapon, I let her see my deadly seriousness.


    "That is a national alert and unless your brother has received something in the mail recently..." I say, trailing off at the lack of inspectors coming through or my friend coming to attention at the estate''s front.


    "Is everything all right?" my sweet asks and I start to shake my head.


    "Make sure everyone is safe and here, I need to get back home!" I tell her, waving a quick farewell and rushing back through the portal. I rematerialise into a complete mess and am forced to step aside quickly as others like me rush home. Seeing the tide of soldiers, the people throughout the city follow suit and I find a group of city guard.


    "You need to get to your estate, soldier." the grizzliest among them reminds me with a firm pat and pointed finger. I resist his efforts and catch his attention fully.


    "What''s going on?" I ask, spotting a small pebble leaping into the air and an odd shake lingering in my legs.


    "Something nasty is on the way and a full deployment is in order, now, go!" he explains and reminds, his next pat bordering on a shove. Rushing ahead, I ignore the panic of children and older so the city guard can do their job and I do mine. Vehicles are forced to stop at gunpoint and their living contents are emptied.


    Shop owners are trying to lock up but are just shoved back inside and the doors are forcibly blocked. Running with all I have, the quakes happen again and a pile of glasses a waitress was going to bring in collapse. The sharp debris spreads across the ground and a bit of blood spills when some people are too slow and are trampled. The panic starts to grow and what feels like a bomb rocks the entire mountain.


    Somehow, the entire mountain-state falls quiet and the sound of all manner of vehicles can be heard. Airships are firing what they can and explosions are going off right... Above. Looking that way, I frown as some kind of dust waterfall starts to rain down.


    A set of giant fingers suddenly burst in through the mountain at the far end. Another load come in and they start to curl around the sand. I blink as in disbelief as more and more solid rock becomes dust until the very day is shining into the mountain''s core. A skeleton, almost pitch black in body.


    The bony jaw roars in triumph as the mountain is pulled apart like a nut''s shell. Gulping, my feet start to move without my conscious input. Terror returns to the mountain and I barge my way past those in my way no matter who they are. I need to get home.


    The giant reaches into the mountain-state''s centre, bringing with it whatever that sand is. The tower leading to my sweet''s home collapses into a puff and the mountain''s top fails. Rocks and what is left of above rain down and come nowhere near the ground as anything but dust. Watching the people of the mountain vanish, I smash aside someone at the nearest console. Putting in the code for my home, I kick the console as the city''s power fails.


    The sand starts to rush into the building and I throw what debris I can at it. One hand remains on the essential button and I keep pressing it as the portal slowly opens. It finally bursts to life and I rush around, barely avoiding the dust and leaping through the portal. Sighing in relief, I hobble slightly with my numb leg and I shake as my vision goes black.


    Why do I feel like I am leaking?


    Shaking light and colour back into view, I drag myself through the front door and see Father. His eyes are wide with shock, mouth agape, finger up. Nearly falling again, I blink as I lose my grip on the thing I was touching. Looking behind me, my face goes blank.


    I brought the dust in with me...


    I fall onto the floor, the dust reaching my hips and further beyond.


    "MALLOR!" my mother cries as I reach my hand out. I barely curl a finger up as it becomes sand. I can''t speak, I can''t-

 Incline 12: Grandguard Inerish

    Taking in a deep breath and clutching the tablet tight, I struggle to take my hand off of the door. My body shakes as my lungs empty. The handle starts to move and I walk into the quiet but completely filled-out conference room. A rock of saliva scrapes its way down my throat.


    Reaching my chair, it screeches along the floor and creaks as I sit down into it. Buckling under the possibly hundreds of eyes, I struggle to find a position. My legs cross over one another and then back again. I try keeping my hands on my flattened lap and...


    They''re shaking, they won''t stop.


    Blinking back the watery sensation in my eyes and croaking out a noise, I lean forward. Covering my mouth slightly, I close my eyes and go inside my head. I need to get to work, get my head working for a solution. We all do.


    "As-... As you are all likely aware, the plan to use the Gnomon''s main weapon has failed. The giant was able to deflect the weapon and then take it out. It has also shifted off of the predicted path and we have lost the mountain-state of Grimmicksal. Our... My previous choice has lost nearly the entire population. The surrounding area has also been reduced to being nothing more than fresh dunes for this desert." I tell my officers, frowning as I shift the blame for this entirely upon myself. While I am under the influence of the power of the current emergency, I must take responsibility when I can.


    Forming a fist with one hand, the other starts to break it apart with its palm.


    "I have called this meeting so that we can try and think of ideas to counter this giant. What we have previously theorised with high-magic concentrations remains to be the case. So, I would like to hear of any battle plans if any. Our previous battle line may be able to come into use, but, I have currently drafted an order that will halt their progress so they can be rearranged." I explain further, putting in what I need to get the map of the giant''s progress up for all to see.


    "In regards to Grimmicksal, Grandguard Inerish. I believe we should take this lesson to heart effective immediately." one man speaks and I look his way.


    "What lesson do you find that to be? Our previous predictions for the path it was taking have proven to be... Bad." I say, unable to find a better word for what we were working with before. Those who played a part in its creation recoil slightly, their expressions almost paranoid.


    One of them stands and she raises a finger slightly, "Grandguard Inerish... We''re... We''re sorry for our failures. We will get back to work as soon as you allow it so we can try and better predict the giant''s path."


    I nod and gesture for her to sit down so we can leave it at that. I don''t want anything to escalate out of this as we cannot really hold them to account. This giant, machine or living, is an entity with a mind that''s clearly capable of processing complex behaviour. What it used to stop the Gnomon''s gun was the mark of a skilled swordsman, no doubt about it.


    "Yes, please do that. Please have a look over all the data again and try and see if there''s anything it is following. Whatever caused it to head to Grimmicksal is causing it to steadily turn back this way." I point out, highlighting the points of interest where it just starts to change direction. A natural junction in between the mountains existed before it walked that path, the same seems to be happening again as well.


    "Grandguard Inerish, may I finish?" the officer from before asks, his voice withheld.


    "Continue." I say, nodding.


    "While I respect that we cannot accurately judge the path of the giant. We need to start being proactive in the beginnings of a potentially national scale evacuation." he explains and I watch the map steadily change shape, wisp of air by wisp of air. It''s almost like the pixels of a screen, watch carefully enough and the map reliably becomes more of a map of dunes.


    "Are you confident that you will be able to, or will be able to inform the right people to get us up some form of danger model? Evacuating the entire south of the country is too vast a task. Especially when we need troops in the air and on the ground testing how hard we need to hit this giant." I point out, just in case their plans are a little too grand in scale.


    "We should be able to do that, yes, but, even without, such a model..." he starts to say before he fiddles with the map. I do what I need to make it easier for him to edit and apply what he needs to.


    A line of cities and a rough area is highlighted.


    "Even without a model, we should prioritise anywhere within this region for evacuation. Though most of our airships and transports are in use for the efforts against the giant. You, Grandguard Inerish, are in the position to fully call upon the entire Dual-Republic''s resources. All of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst is under your command and at your beck and call." he explains and then in turn reminds me. I nod and glance around the room.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "I will find someone to get me in contact with those who handle most air traffic. Every little airship we can muster will be put into use. Every spiral-train, every carriage and motor vehicle. I want them all contributing." I explain with a harsh feeling in my chest. The room mutters in agreement and a few even slip out without my allowance to get it done. I find myself able to smile a little, knowing I have capable men under my command.


    One man in the back of the room manages to squeeze closer to the table, "And what about the towns and ravineers?"


    I frown, knowing this is going to be a hard thing to tell him, "It may be the most prudent course of action to simply make a public broadcast. I''m sure we can divert small bomber craft to do leaflet runs or for more linger-capable machines to be fitted with speakers. However, I want our focus to be on the more densely populated areas."


    "May I be excused so we can begin that process, then? There is a lot of ground to cover." he asks and I give him a quick nod and many more slip out with him. I guess it''s easy to forget how many here are not actually from Thrurstradtur itself. They''ve migrated from their towns and villages on the slopes and in the valleys of the country.


    I rub a thumb along my palm and note how lighter it is on my heart and mind when the room is quieter. Going through some things, I grab what I need and start to write down a fresh list of basic orders. I hand them to the man closest to me and he passes them on to another when it doesn''t seem to concern him. I meet the eyes of those watching the orders go about.


    "Those who are able to get started, please do." I say and most of the officers filter out to get back to work. All that remains are those most involved with our military affairs. The ones I need to rely on in our combined arms effort to bring the giant to its death throes.


    "Grandguard Inerish, now may be a good time to raise the threat level across all government institutions. While trying to keep it in the dark has served us fine for now, we are past that point. Spies are already reporting in heightened efforts from those who have managed to remain unscathed by the giant. Using the Guiders of the Gnomon has many worried. This city more so than any other." the aged veteran of many wars points out and I nod along in full understanding.


    "Then we shall raise it, as high as it will go. I want the country and those looking into our affairs to know we are in a state of national emergency. However, I still want lips sealed as much as possible regarding our efforts against the giant. I want strict disciplinary actions taken against any who lets slip about the giant. We cannot afford hysterical panic." I explain and elaborate, my eyes catching sight of his hands moving about while he jots notes.


    Sighing out some of the stress, I restore our map back to its previous state and I highlight our battle line. With the previous advance predictions worthless, we will need to reposition our troops. We know the radius of the giant''s magic-destroying aura, so we need to account for that. But, I''m not sure if we will be able to reposition in such a way with the time we have.


    "I believe we are at the point where we have two options as to how to handle this. Either, we reposition our forces greatly into another great line that we hold, or, we force the giant back to where we... Wanted... It to go." I tell them and a few immediately start to stew in their thoughts.


    "Maybe we can increase the firepower of our probing attacks and get a better idea of how to change up the munitions at the battle line?" one man comes up with and another snaps his gaze over.


    "That would take too long, we would need to be seamless for such an idea to work. I have doubts our logistics will be able to handle such developments even with the Grandguard benefitting from her emergency powers." another counters and the two start to devolve into a quieter, mutterier conversation.


    "I will hear people speak or there shall be quiet." I speak up.


    "Of course, sorry, Grandguard Inerish." the pair nearly answer the same.


    "It is clear to me that we are in an awkward position. But, like with how it must''ve been to enter this room at the peak of its attendance density. We should be able to make something work. I want those who can be spared to be put into probing positions. Though the country is being gutted, we can be sure our borders are secure." I tell the lot of them and one raises a brow along with a hand.


    "The Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra is on a war footing against Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy and you would have us leave our backs exposed?" he questions and I turn to him, my gaze set.


    "My first act with these emergency powers was my willingness to use the Gnomon''s weapon. Though I have yet to decide if it''s worth trying again on the giant, we are more than confident it will work on any invading force. If a mountain-state within our area of influence wants to act up, the same will apply to them. We are being backed into a corner and that is when we will fight with the most ferocity. But, I expect the very limits of everyone''s strength and effort regardless of how close the corner is." I explain, rising to my feet to vent some of this nervous energy.


    "Yes, Grandguard Inerish." the room answers.


    "Now, get to it. I want every man of the city guards to be relied on, all state troops called upon and the estate guards put through the need-know in preparation. We do not know how this aura affects our primary means of housing within the mountain-states. But, under the assumption all homes and estates that lose their portal source are destroyed... I want these firstborn sons ready to serve and not lost because their training makes them unobtainable. Though their responsibilities are being forced upon them earlier than expected, I am confident we will see them shine." I tell them with as strong a voice I can muster.


    "Yes, Grandguard Inerish." the room answers again, the lot of them leaving me alone. The door shuts behind the last of them and I lean forward to sigh. I almost slip into a rageful roar. My eyes lock on my shaking limbs.

 Incline 13: Grandguard Inerish

    Walking into the hangar, for once, I can hear the clear click of my heels due to the absence of most of its contents. Most spare aircraft have already departed on the long journey to the in-danger cities. We still have some classifications waiting for the go-ahead, however, I need to inspect them. Rather, the example one that has been brought in for my benefit.


    Minding a small group of tired aircrew, I carry on to the group standing at the end of a ramp. I glance up towards the large engines of the docked airship and look further along its bulbous shape. If I were to make any guesses, this is a specific kind of freighter vehicle. One not used in the shipment of people.


    At least, not yet.


    Though, I suppose that is a good thought to have pass through my mind. The giant destroys everything it is near with that aura. Livestock, material goods, precious items. Our priorities should remain people-oriented but I have to wonder if we should try and get out what resources we can.


    Once this crisis is over, we will be looking at the complete collapse of the national economy and more. Entire sectors of industry will be gone, new environmental hazards will be up and causing short-term delays. Shaking my head, I keep my focus on the here and now and the dealing with of that giant. The Clockwork Council are the ones who handle bureaucratic affairs anyway.


    Arriving at the group, those under my original authority salute and stand aside. One of them directs the man who must be in charge of this airship towards me. Our hands shake firmly and I shift to a stiffer stance. We share a look up the boarding ramp.


    "Freighter Captain Polimmissar, Grandguard Inerish." the man introduces himself as and I nod, taking the first step towards the entrance.


    "Let us keep it to a first-name basis for the purposes of a swifter inspection." I tell him and the Jhermonikra give me their looks of wide-eyed bewilderment. Showing them the back of my head and ponytail again, I roll my eyes out of sight. These people and their need to be overly formal.


    A pair of boots rush up the metal to catch up with me as I reach what might as well be a skeletal interior. This is not a luxury craft by any stretch, it is purely for the transportation of needed material. The floor makes a slightly different noise than usual and I glance down. With a quick scan, I see how many different stains of all kinds have basically painted themselves onto the steel.


    "You have been brought up to speed as to what you have been called here for?" I ask the captain and he nods after he stops fidgeting with some dials and valves.


    "I have, yes. Airships across the country are being requisitioned for a matter of national importance." he answers and I nod once and simply, moving on out of this industrial oil-scented tunnel.


    "Correct, and here I am to inspect this classification of airship to make sure it is useable." I expand on, picking up a loose manifest tablet and using its built-in magic to change the details about it. It seems this airship has recently been fitted out for the transportation of liquid ore. Straight from the mills and foundries, onto the more advanced wind magic-using factories home and abroad.


    "As you''ve probably just read, Grandguard Inerish. We''re currently fitted for the transport of molten cargo." the captain answers and I turn to him, brow slightly cocked. He catches onto his mistake and flinches a little.


    "Polimmissar, how long does it generally take for an airship of this make to be refitted for say... Livestock?" I ask, choosing livestock as my example as surely those parts to carry animals can handle a household family a piece. Depending on how many capsules or whatever it is they use can be filled, these crafts will prove helpful.


    "I''ve never personally had my airship refitted for such deliveries. The pay''s generally pretty good if this old girl has a heated belly." he tries to joke, his hand patting the closest bit of piping he can. A finger traces the signs of heat scarring. I think of my fiery homeland for a fraction of a second.


    "Then you will have a regulations tablet on board which will have the timeframe?" I ask and he nods, heading off already.


    "Yes, we do have something like that. It''s a legal requirement so we can inform our employers of any industry standards. The details of it can be a little unhelpful, but, it''s nice to have something that keeps my bank account filling." he explains, waffling on with needless information while he neatens things up. One of these items is a little doll with a small picture frame sewed into its grip. Gently, I pick it up and he smiles at the picture.


    "This is your little girl?" I ask and he nods, reaching for it with the caution of someone who doesn''t quite trust you enough to not break it. I hand the doll to him and he puts it away in a small cabinet loaded with other random items.


    "She is, yeah. I''m not around as much as I''d like to be, but, she likes it when I take pictures of all the places I go. She keeps telling me, that, when she''s old enough, she will join my crew and we can have Mummy both worry about us." he nervously laughs and I let my posture relax a bit before looking him in the eye.


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    "This is good, I want you to focus on such things when you are sent south. We are looking at a situation where I want as many families to remain united." I tell him, keeping it modestly vague so as not to spook him. Though, I suppose I should try and spare as many military officials as I can for moments like this. We as a country cannot allow spinelessness to overtake the evacuation efforts as the giant comes into view.


    "Understood, shall we carry on to the bridge?" he asks and I answer by following after him. Making a mental checklist, I endeavour to remember as many small things as possible about this airship''s interior. I''ve already given out the order for non-essential equipment to be removed for the sake of more space. But, depending on how things go, we may need more than what we currently have.


    Much as I want to believe that we have the means to bring the giant down, I cannot be confident in the idea. When the Gnomon''s gun failed to bring down the giant, I lost most of my optimism. I returned to my command centre with a smile on my face and I was met with wide eyes and naught but shock. I couldn''t get a response until one man lethargically replayed that caught scene.


    The power to level entire mountain ranges and to gut countries like is happening to us right now... The giant came out of it unscathed, we had an impact but no change in its shape or stature. That skyscraper of a sword blocked the full might of Thrurstradutr''s brilliance and with a fist to the flat- Only the sky felt the power of the Guiders of the Gnomon.


    The strongest weapon in our nation''s arsenal was tossed aside and the giant went back on its walk. The caution I was once sure of was proven false and a major population centre was lost. I had the last census brought to me when we received the final transmission from the branch within Grimmicksal. That giant peeled the mountain open like a damn orange...


    One-hundred and twenty million people lived on and throughout that mountain state.


    "Inerish?" the captain calls out and I shake my thoughts out of their spiral.


    "Yes, what is it?" I ask.


    "Sorry, you looked a little out of this world for a moment there." he explains and I gesture an apology. Following him up the final set of stairs, we reach the bridge and he starts to go through the mess of old food wrappers. I raise a brow at the often heated surface with black char on it. He has the means to barbeque himself snacks on this thing?


    "This is the tablet you mentioned before?" I question and he nods, the stone entering my grip. Taking the least worn chair up on its offer of a comfortable recline, I get to reading. I skim through whatever I take as bloat and Polimmissar spends the time checking his systems. Finally reaching the point I need to get to, I slow down with the reading and make sure to memorise the main details.


    Muttering some of the details quietly, I find myself on the ''page'' that has diagrams and details regarding refitting times. An airship of this size when done within the usual bureaucratic timeframe is a couple of weeks. The parts taken off are inspected and what comes is treated much the same. Tests are then needed afterwards to make sure it is all up to standards.


    Assuming perfection.


    Shaking my head as a non-existent thud somehow bangs down my ear canals, I come to a decision. We must circumvent this usual time-wasting and heel-dragging and get the airships up quickly. I will need to put the order out to have these sorts of things rolled back for the duration of the crisis. Airships like these need to be shipping people and resources out, the latter only if we have the time.


    Nodding some more and getting back onto my feet, Polimmissar gets up with me. I look at him and smile, giving him one more nod and I start to leave with the tablet. He follows after with rapidity and we make it back into the hangar proper in record time. He lingers at the top of the ramp and the rest of his crew come to attention.


    "I am briefly going to hang onto this and have copies of it pulled from our archives for distribution. I will return it to you and then I want you to head to a refitting facility. I will be putting out a national order for all airships of this class to be fitted for living cargo. In turn, when ready, you will join in with the evacuations, Freighter Captain Polimmissar." I explain to him and the lot of them give me their best salutes. I smile a little, knowing what I can correct but I leave them as they are.


    "At ease. And, as this will likely be our final time seeing each other... Gods and goddesses be with the lot of you and all alike." I tell them and I depart. A lingering officer joins me and I hand the tablet over.


    "Straight to the archives?" he asks.


    "Affirmative." I punch laconically. He vanishes from view at the first opportunity and I take this chance to head towards a cafeteria for something to eat. Maybe I will go for something meaty and greasy. That char-covered grill has certainly left a lingering thought in my mouth.


    The smells of the hangar start to fall back and the victorious smells of the chefs and ovens fill me with delight. The clean and sterile, oily and industrial, it''s nice to be in a part of the Gnomon that smells like neither. However, the mood of this one cafeteria fills me with some degree of dread. The usual, exasperated joy people have is not here.


    Everyone is tired and quiet. I have been strict as to what information is allowed in and out of the Gnomon. But, within these walls, we''re an echo chamber. You whisper word of the giant and his smashes back against you with deafening ferocity.


    We''re all working shifts longer than what we are used to and many of them want to go home. Their children are not waking up to their father''s and mother''s being home for the weekend. No change in turns to take the little ones to school or out somewhere for the day. We''re all cooped up in this expansive building that''s feeling smaller by the day.


    It may become a needed thing for me to divert the tasks of the lowest priority to external companies and groups. Tasks non-essential to the handling of the giant can become someone else''s burden. I''m sure it will look nice on their company records anyhow, saying that they were Gnomon-approved. But, I digress and my feet come to a stop.


    The woman in front looks behind with bags under her eyes and somehow I scare the life back into her. The queue takes a step forward and I take up a tray at the first opportunity. Though, I am hesitant to admit that I am just copying what the woman in front is doing. This is my first time actually eating within a public cafeteria, I have a personal chef otherwise.


    Well, we higher-ups have a personal team. Though, actually, while I have emergency powers... I could set up a chef just for me and have all my meals hot and wheeled into my office with little bits of flashiness. But, for now, I am satisfied with the juicy cut of meat awaiting me once the queue moves ahead just one more step.


    My nose flares up and I wet my lips.

 Incline 14: Grandguard Inerish

    Putting my hands together, I squeeze them tight and sigh into the gap my thumbs have made. The hot air quickly feels wet and I let go to put my palms on the wood of my desk. Looking around at everything, I try to avoid the map. I fail.


    Our reworked battle line is about to enter firing range and we shall soon see if we have the means to win. We''ve been getting somewhere with our changes to the bombs and shells used. But, still, the giant is continuing to march ahead without interruption. I have committed all the soldiers, guns and aircraft I can to this operation and if it doesn''t...


    Shaking my head and wincing at the tightness accompanying my next breath, I get up. Moving to the map, I narrow my gaze towards the steady change of its features. The icon representing the giant moves a bit and the ground ahead is gone. All gone.


    I guess, in a way, I should be thankful that we know how this aura seems to work these days. Our traditional means of setting up fortifications doesn''t matter, the stakes and walls will crumble. However, now we have the chance to try something new. Casted magic lasts longer than what is internal, so, we''ve been stocking up on shield projectors and other similar technologies.


    I''ve managed to scramble some guild witches also to provide additional magic power to these defences. With any luck and if the worst comes to pass, we can get our guns right up against the giant. I also have to consider the possibility of maybe using the Gnomon''s weapon again. If the giant pays mind to the soldiers more, I may be able to deliver a killing blow.


    A heavy sigh parts my lips and my eyes depress with my shoulders. But at what cost would such a move bring? The Gnomon is a weapon that can wipe out an individual mountain-state and even the largest armies. If I fire the Gnomon so close to the men under my command then I will just end up wiping them out.


    Forming a fist with my left hand, I take the index of my right and rake the knuckles. The finger rises above my head and I shake the hand like a warrior would roar with his axe. I sigh again, unassured that Waionr heard my prayer. I''m not even sure if he will be able to find the dead, there''s nothing to find once the giant has walked over them.


    The door to my office opens and I flinch at the surprise noise. My secretary peeks in and straightens up once she catches sight of me. Putting my attention on her, I try to sort out my mood. She gives me a slight smile that I fail to return.


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    "It appears to be time, Grandguard Inerish." she explains and I take one final look at the map.


    "So it would seem." I mutter, watching the giant''s icon cross over into the limits of our longest-ranged guns. Though I am exposed to no noise, I can still hear the thousands of batteries open up with electric howls. Even with wind magic as their main source of strength, even whistles can sound energetic.


    "Good luck, Grandguard Inerish." my secretary wishes as I start to walk. Reaching the rim of my office, my chest tightens again and I look back at her.


    "Save the luck for those currently manning the guns. They need it more than I do." I tell her and a hand grabs my shoulder.


    "Do not be so short-sighted. Now, go save our country." she says, smiling with all she has and I manage to get one out. Nodding a final time, I take in a deep breath and get to walking. The front of my office bids farewell with the motion and noise of the door. Those outside offer me their salutes and I march ahead.


    Reaching the command centre faster than I can blink, my eyes set themselves in firm stone. I go down into my chair and start putting in the commands needed to give me a total view of the ongoing battle. Surveillance craft are currently following along at the giant''s side so we can see how deep our efforts are going. There are so many shells in the air that it''s as clear as watching the rain on a windy day.


    Flocks of bombers grander than any bird migration roar above, their power falling through the sky. The bombs hit the edge of the giant''s aura and go deep, sinking like a brick in a pond. Fire blooms too early and is quickly eaten up by the aura. Some shots start to strike at the rear of the giant, our earlier probing attacks now in position.


    The men and women around me carry commands and updates about so those in the field are in the know. Their words disrupt the noise of the screens and I lean back into my chair slightly. I watch one bomb make it further than the others, its magic shining bright. So close, it makes it so close, almost to the giant''s knee as it makes one more step.


    It explodes just short.


    I relax my body out of the enthrallment it was just in and dull my senses with the sight of failing volleys. I type in a few commands and get some warships to circle around and fire from there. Other aircraft are ordered to transport some witches to provide them with fewer variables to account for with their spellfire.


    The giant doesn''t care, it pays us no mind and another step shakes the earth. I can''t help but lose myself in the dunes it leaves in its wake. The magic in the air rushes back into this voidious land and the magic ignites. The wind loses its elemental gift and almost turns into pure raw magic.


    It settles down into being an inferno at just the rim of the desert, one that I hope in time will receed.


    "Next artillery line, move into position and open fire." I order, snapping out of the trance.

 Incline 15: He of the 155th

    "Battcomm Jsarworth, we''re running low on reserve munitions!" one of my men calls out and I step back from the gun. Heading on over to inspect the situation, I grasp the young man''s shoulders and send him the way I came. Grabbing what shells I can, I gesture with my head to another man to help me haul what we have left. Dumping the load on the flattest land I can find, I rush back to grab the already final couple and clap my hands clear of effort.


    Snatching a pair of binoculars from the table, I look out across the horizon to the giant as another mountain falls. Frowning at the Orbital-Halo as it sets down to mark the end of another day, I recall the number of times the sky has been orange. Two days have passed and this marks the end of the third.


    The boys in the air have been giving it all they have but the problems with the world''s magic reserves are taking their toll. The skies have been quiet for a while now and most of the other batteries have withdrawn. Only those active behind the giant have remained but even they''re having to break in anticipation of our departure.


    Setting the binoculars down, I make the short trip over to the next gun and inspect their situation. I keep checking the guns until I reach the limit of my unit and meet another battcomm. He tells me all I need to know from gaze alone and we part with a nod. I head down to the closest gun and wait.


    It fires off its next shot and I clap as loudly as possible, howling a noise to catch their attention.


    "Alright lads, start packing up. We''re low on shot and no more will be coming. Get what gifts you can to the anchor position and prepare for evacuation." I tell them and the tired but stubborn lot reluctantly get to work. I pat the back of the closest man and pull the springiest-looking one aside.


    "Battcomm Jsarworth, how may I be of service?" the middle-aged man asks with a salute. Offering him a wet cloth, he wipes his face down and barely scrubs up his hands.


    "Pass on what I''ve just said here to the other guns with the exception of the anchor position. I will head straight there and man the position to the final chance we have." I tell him, patting the man off at the start of his sprint. Moving a few steps forward, I rest my hands on the handrail we had installed before even the guns got here. The giant has but to leap ahead to doom us and yet, it''s only been walking. Despite all of our efforts, it''s content to simply take one step at a time.


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    Looking down into the valley, I click my tongue at the failed plan to fully load a spiral-train with shielding and explosives. It derailed right at the feet of the damn thing and went off, but, nothing. Securely built positions had to be abandoned then and there when those explosives went off because of how powerful it was. Our scouts reported avalanches from the snow-belts for miles around.


    Clicking my tongue again, I check on my men''s efforts one more time and lighten one lad''s load. I offer him a nod but not too much of a lost burden and rush ahead. The couple of shells I have find new hands to call courier. I linger at the ammunition supply we have at the anchor position and even now, it''s not much.


    The men are still loading and blasting the giant with all they have and it''s taking its toll. The remarks are growing louder and one man even makes a point of throwing an unarmed round to the ground. A fight breaks out and I step in, taking two blows to the jaw without flinching. The men back down, wide-eyed.


    "Sorry, Battcomm Jsarworth, sir!" they go, rushing back to work and I shake my head. Rubbing my jaw, I flex the pain out of it.


    "Mmmm, who to bet on in the next inter-battery fight night." I joke, putting my arms back at my sides while an airship flies overhead. That one is probably for us crew so I start waving off the most exhausted.


    "Come on boys, we are outta here!" one shouts, dragging someone off just as his adrenaline runs dry.


    "No, off, I''ll handle it." I tell the man moving to fill out the gunner spot. Taking up my new seat, the scorching heat of the metal catches my attention. Relaxing into familiar comfort, I do everything I need to do on my end without help. I''ve got the years behind me to fill in, besides, at this point, it''s just anger fuelling the gun.


    The breech snaps open and shut, "Loaded!"


    "Firing!" I call, recoiling with the gun and minding my dinner. Watching the line grow further and further, it burrows through the giant''s protection. It strikes its body like dust might me. We keep getting richer munitions and still, we''re not getting anywhere with this.


    The grades of magic we''ve gotten in these new rounds are quite simply, ridiculous. It doesn''t seem like it, but these rounds are meant to be able to bring towns to desolation with a single volley. But, up against this giant, the scale is forgotten and I have to wonder where we will get a big enough gun.


    "Battcomm Jsarworth, call''s coming in, all batteries are to withdraw effective immediately!" one of my men calls, one I am pretty sure I sent rushing up that airship.


    "Huh, why? We still got rounds." I say, looking back to the small pile we have.


    "They''re going to give the Gnomon one more chance." he explains and I shrug. Getting out of the seat, I pat this metal friend of ours and leave it be. The One-Fifty-Fifth Field Battery did their part and put in the effort asked of them. We all put in more than what was asked of us these past three days.


    All for the reward of a giant which is still on the march.

 Incline 16: Grandguard Inerish

    Putting my mouth in the gap between my thumb and index, I frown in thought. We''ve fired the Gnomon again, and, it failed once more. The giant didn''t even deflect it this time, it just side-stepped the blast and now we have to survey the impact area. For a weapon of such power, it sure isn''t getting us anywhere.


    The only way I can think of it possibly working is if we manage to get the giant to focus on our ground troops. But, in doing that, I would be sending hundreds of thousands to their deaths and not against an enemy. It would be us here in Thrurstradtur that would''ve gotten them killed. Rather, it would be me as I alone have the authority to call upon the Guiders.


    "Grandguard Inerish." an officer calls and I bring my mind back to the meeting at present.


    "Yes?" I go, in the event I missed anything.


    "On display right now is the list of munitions and magic grades you requested. We''ve trimmed the fat and have reduced the number to what has been most effective. We''re just waiting on your word in regards to their mass production." he explains and I nod. Bringing a hand up, I wave someone over and sign a tablet.


    "We are still within a tolerable range production-wise? Each time we are forced to step up, fewer facilities can handle the magic required." I point out and the head of the military engineers steps up.


    "With your approval, I can begin to bolster factories, workshops and what have you all across the country. We can increase production and seize what we need in order to get it done." he explains and I nod slowly, taking the information in while glancing at what has so far proven most effective. I shouldn''t think about it right now, but, the long-term issues created by these changes will be troublesome. Economies built around lower-grade produce are going to be facing issues, especially when not everywhere is as magically dense as here.


    Never mind what we have lost thus far...


    "Get to it, then. I know we are not in a position to hasten things to the degree best suited for our needs. But, the sooner, the better." I answer, muttering towards the end as I fight back this sudden surge of a headache. Nothing''s working. Why is nothing... It''s happening again, just like with Smiling Jhurack, a problem I cannot do anything about.


    "Recent reports as well following the Gnomon''s second firing may be to our benefit." one man points out.


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    "How so? The giant avoided the strike entirely, we barely scrapped enough off to garnish a plate of pasta." another goes, some bark to his words as his elbows hit the table.


    "The giant has gone immobile. Depending on how long it does this, our window of operation grows. Every second matters right now while we continue to mobilise what can to the effort." the contested one points out and I bring up a still image of the currently still giant. He''s not wrong, it went still right after the Gnomon missed but it''s not destroyed. We haven''t overwhelmed it, a scout bomber made sure of that.


    "Perhaps our operation succeeded in a way, then? There is only so much magic the giant can handle before it needs to rest." one man suggests and another presents his tablet of notes.


    "We also need to consider the possibility that it''s contemplating the next move." another says.


    "He''s right, this thing is on a specific path and it can react with skilled manoeuvres. The machine can think or the pilot has a clear intent." one more adds on and I stare up at the magical projection. Reclining into my seat some more, I look into the empty sockets this skeleton has. Its head has always been turned in the direction of the Gnomon''s firing line.


    Perhaps we need to ship the Guiders about and try from another angle? Perhaps even see if we can split the blast amongst multiple of them? I''m not sure if the city''s magic reserves can handle this. I''ve already been getting reports about the struggles of the manufactured and brought-in power supply.


    I catch onto the sound of erratic banging and raise a brow as the door practically smashes open, "GRANDGUARD INERISH, WE GOT A PROBLEM!"


    Snapping to my feet, I carelessly make my way out of the conference room and run back to the command centre. I almost tear straight through the automatic doors and arrive in a maelstrom of activity. Finding the closet screen, I frown at the static. It''s the same on all the others as well.


    "WHAT''S GOING ON!?" I roar with all I have so I can be heard over everyone.


    "Grandguard Inerish, we got a feed!" someone calls and I shove people out of my way on the way there. Nothing, the screen is showing nothing. The desert is empty.


    "Where''s the giant!?" I demand to know and a single screen pops up in response. The giant is soaring through the air. It has leapt in the direction of... Our staging area.


    Sword in hand, ready to crash down.


    "GET AS MANY PEOPLE OU-" I start to scream and the giant makes impact. The sword slashes through the converted city, reducing it to a pair of sand tsunamis that are washing over the melting world. The giant turns and starts to jog in the direction the Gnomon''s weapon took.


    Going quiet, I back away to my chair as more and more eyes fall on me. Our troops were there, nearly everyone from the previous operation was relocated to that city for the time being. Ungzieluck. It''s... Was not even in the direct path of the giant, it should have been safe.


    I whimper and blink as the edge of my eyes start to feel strange. Straightening myself out, I put my hands behind my back and my face goes blank. Everyone is looking at me.


    "It- It is almost time for the night shift. I... I w-wish everyone a good nigh- night. " is all I have to say as I leave the quiet room, going on into quieter halls.

 Incline 17: Grandguard Inerish

    The toaster pops up without a care in the world and I reach for my slice of tea cake. Twirling a jam-covered butter knife, I spread the sweetness of some pebbleberries over the brittle treat. I take a bite and linger at the edge of my kitchen counter, chewing with a blank mind. Swallowing, a deep breath escapes and I find myself a little perplexed.


    For a city that''s been locked down and turned into a superweapon twice as of late, all seems fine. I know I live in a gated part of the city on the surface level, but, I can still see the usual things. Gardens are being tended to, the weather is inspected and people are collecting any morning deliveries. The people around here like their milk dropped off in bottles at the door.


    "Actually..." I mutter, finishing my tea cake and popping my fingers into my mouth. Reaching the door and fluffing up my dressing gown, I expose myself to the world and look down. A newstablet has been dropped off along with some stuff from work. Bending down and picking it up, I close the door and brrrr to my heart''s content.


    What I can leave for the moment I set aside on a nearby table and I head back into the kitchen. Pulling a chair out, I sit and cross my legs, dangling one close to a decorative plant. Adjusting the magic in the stone, I skim through the useless information like sports and community events. My eyes linger briefly on an advertisement for a new business in Thrurstradtur''s Ibenoroccon district, Ipannicano.


    Seems like they finally got a permit for a Grand-Kingdom style attraction. The newstablet is calling it a ''water park,'' should be an interesting thing to look into in the future. Moving to adjust the magic again, my hand freezes up. I catch a noise outside and blink myself into a frowny face.


    Someone is roaring. No, people are roaring, like an argument has broken out in every street of the city. I swear I can hear specific words in this echo-like noise. I shake my head and adjust the tablet.


    Cities Lost, Armies Gone, a Gutted Country.


    My eyes harden and I read the article. One eye twitches with growing anger at what is either a breach in security or a too-curious individual. The article has a list of cities we have lost, towns, places of interest and the general path of the giant.


    I drop the tablet and rush back to the front door, stepping through it with wide eyes. The noise, sirens are joining in and cogships are scrambling. Thrurstradtur has broken out entirely into a state of panic. And if here is like this then the rest of the country...


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    I go back inside to the sound of my private communication line and halt its obnoxious ringing, "Grandguard Inerish, we have a problem."


    "Call up everyone that can be spared. Beat these riots back with ferocity from the get-go. Do this everywhere." I order, already assuming what this is likely going to be about.


    "Of course. I''m sorry Grandguard Inerish, but, we need you to come in earlier today." the woman on the other end asks of me and I nod, not that they can see.


    "Of course, prepare a general meeting with the military higher-ups. I want to walk into the Gnomon and head straight into a meeting." I tell her, hanging up then and there with a tired sigh. The energy keeping me upright vanishes and I collapse onto the nearest sofa. Covering my eyes, I start to cry. Curling in on myself, it grows in intensity until I force myself to roar it all out in anger.


    Holding myself back from anything aggressive, I bottle it up until I am left to tremble. Sniffling one final time, I go and close my front door and head off upstairs. Pulling out a spare uniform, I leave it on my bed and instead head to my closet of casual wear. Getting changed into it, I whimper some more as I begin to become concealed with unsuspecting clothes.


    If I can make it out of this place without being spotted and make it into the streets, I can head to the Gnomon and see everything from the ground. Though my features are distinct amongst those who mostly live here, I am not the only foreigner here in Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst. So long as I am not forced to use my magic, I will not be in or a danger to others.


    Gods and goddesses help them, however, if I find myself ready to be hunted like some killer of children.


    "What am I going to do? I don''t know who I can turn to and I can''t just run away..." I mutter, shaking my head even at the idea of suicide as I pack a bag with some things. I have a spare uniform within the Gnomon and frankly, I am above protocol right now. On my way out of my room, my eyes linger on the painting I have of my homeland. A depiction of the entrance to the core of the world, the tunnel to Errakur.


    More so a volcanic ring in the middle of the All-Coast, one will find themselves able to walk down it like a path on the surface. I cannot go back there, I cannot go home if I fail to handle this giant. There''s no way the rest of the world will not hear about the creature that reduced a country to dust. My homeland will gut me like the coward I am if I run.


    "No, even if I must lay my life down in these lands. A country that has come to hate me for things out of my control. Then... Then I will do as needed. I need to give my oaths all that I am. The gods and goddesses will look favourably when I die, nothing else is acceptable." I mutter quietly, straightening up and heading off down to the front door. The promise of yet another stressful day awaits.

 Incline 18: Grandguard Inerish

    Minding the edges of another crowd, I slip into an alleyway and make a left turn. The closer I get to any of the entrances of the Gnomon, the fiercer this all gets. Uniform chants are starting to break out but otherwise, most people are roaring their complaints as loud as possible. And as their opponent, my men with megaphones and speakers ordering them back to their homes.


    Cogships are in the air and loaded with what men we have but it''s already clear the toll the recent operation had. Let alone the fact we''ve now probably lost every soldier that was deployed to that theatre. We still have men to call on but to lose so many just like that when we''ve been trying to account for their safety... I''m struggling to figure out how I am supposed to find the men even with the amount I have called up.


    Conscription is a solution I want to avoid when most people in this country have never touched a gun in their lives. I need people with backbone drilled into them, not a shopkeeper who can''t even figure out how to load his weapon. We don''t have time to be doing on-the-job training anymore, I need experienced soldiers here and now. Though, noting the riots, I suppose I can find some within the police force.


    Lingering at the edge of the alleyway, I put my hand on the closest building''s edge and look for a gap to slip through. Spotting the path of least resistance, I move out and shove aside people when I need to. As I get closer to the front of the manic crowd, the guards holding the line to the Gnomon spot me. But, without my uniform on...


    "BACK THE LOT OF YOU!" one man roars, his gun''s safety coming off. That gun turns on me as I reach the edge of the civilian population. Taking further steps forward, the guards back up and the crowd seems to follow my example. Rolling my eyes and adjusting the grip on my stuff, I feel out for my magic.


    "COMPLY WITH THE ORDER, ALL OF YOU OR I SHALL SEE TO IT YOU HAVE NO HOMES TO GO TO!" I threaten, enhancing my voice so that I can be heard all throughout the city in this one moment. Lighting up my magic, flames of dark amethyst roar to life and a flesh-melting wall is established. Snorting in annoyance, I bring the magic down and the guards understand quite easily who I am.


    "Grandguard Inerish." a lesser officer greets with a quick nod and salute. I return the nod and join him in observing the crowd.


    "Start pushing them back into the narrow streets, block up the alleyways. Use lethal force only if necessary and I trust you will have the sound judgement to know when that is." I tell him, walking off towards the door while the crowd recovers from the shock I put into them. I barely manage to make them out cursing my name before warning shots are fired. I pop only the briefest glances behind me when it sounds like the cogships are lowering their altitude.


    Guess we''ll see how many spines these people have with engines burning an arm''s reach above.


    Getting on with my travels, I keep a palmful of magic on hand as my lack of uniform catches the attention of guards. They leave me alone as they should and I make it to my office in no time at all. My secretary, already here and looking a bit scruffy rises to attention. Her eyes widen at my lack of proper attire.


    "Go on, out with it." I try to say in a clear joking tone. Unfortunately, she doesn''t seem to take it that way.


    "S-Sorry, Grandguard Inerish, I just wasn''t expecting you to rush here so quickly." she answers and I raise a clean hand to wave it off.


    "Don''t worry about it, but, to make sure, I do have a spare uniform lying around, don''t I?" I ask, not sure if I should head straight into my meeting dressed like this. It doesn''t matter either way, I do not hire petty children who can''t help but glare at such meaningless things like it''s a true offence. My commanders will suck it up or be removed from office.


    "You should, yes, I can check with the quartermasters either way?" she offers and I shake my head.


    "No, it''s fine, I know at the very least I keep a spare coat in my office." I answer, leaving her behind and locking the door to my office for the time being. We''re both women, but, I do not want someone looking at me while I come to terms with our situation. A wet thing rolls down my face.


    Wiping the cheek off, I stare at the tear pooling in the crevices of my palm.


    I sigh, "We''ve lost more troops and equipment in a single leap than any other moment in this country''s history. And, now, because of one reason or another, I need to deal with the country''s population as well. Though, I suppose I can neglect the parts of the country in the..."


    I want to finish my sentence, but, that giant leaping has shaken my trust in the idea of safety. Ungzieluck was out of the giant''s way, nothing that happened previously indicated it would end up in its path. And then, it leapt, the giant leapt over how many mountains to come crashing down, sword first. The worst part as well, is, I don''t think me even being there at the start could''ve saved any lives.


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    The last time I saw the giant as well, its pace had picked up. No longer lumbering from stride to stride, the lingering image in my head is of a soldier moving into position. The sword wasn''t dragging behind it, it hoisted it into a balanced grip and started running. I hope the night shift was smart enough to call off efforts now in too tight of a timeframe.


    Putting my face between my palms, I groan into a scream. I need to find somewhere to pull troops from so we can fight this giant and I need troops to bring order to the streets. Troops are also needed to aid in the evacuations which are also going to be picking up in intensity but where...? Where is my army?


    Where are they but in the wind and gone?


    Feeling tired, I find my chair and curl up onto it. If only I had a blanket of some kind here but I guess what I am wearing now will have to do. Gods and goddesses, give me the strength to go on, give me someone I can rely on. I blink slowly and look to the newstablet I had framed when it became public knowledge that Nin defeated Smiling Jhurack.


    They didn''t have any particularly good photos of him, so they used one of him looming over the dark city, storm''s wind in his cloak. Getting up and walking over, I put a hand on the glass, smudging it a little but giving my affection over to it all the same. I smile a little and an idea comes to mind. Nin and those other two he brought on the mission to that mountain excavation have been confirmed to be back in the city.


    I suppose as well, Suhurlodst is under my influence. At the very least, I can find people in the dormitories of the academic city. And if not enough answer my call, then, I am sure I can let the Dark Crow loose on Thrurstradtur once again. Yeah, maybe I should if my men cannot get the people back into a state of order.


    Moving away, I shake any fantasies out of my head and put my spare coat on. Straightening myself out, I grab what I need from my bag and leave it as is. The lock to my office clicks and I walk out. I glance at my secretary and linger my grip on the door.


    She looks at me, "The meeting is ready for you, Grandguard Inerish."


    "Head into my office and lock the door, catch up on your sleep." I offer and she starts to shake her head.


    "N-No, I''m fine. I''m fine."


    "You will at some point take me up on this offer." I order more sternly if this is a bit of resistance I need to force my point beyond.


    "Ok, I will make sure I do." she lets out, smiling a little as I depart. I offer a little wave and get going. Minding the guards as they salute me and those on their way to work, I return to the dreaded conference room. I stride in without a care and note the odd glances I am getting.


    Any conversations cease and the men get their tablets and other items in order. One takes the liberty of bringing up the animation of the giant''s advance and I scowl at it. The distance it leapt over is largely unscathed and it looks like it popped up out of nowhere. If only the situation was we felled one giant and this was just another waiting for its turn to die.


    It''s not, this is the same giant...


    Going down into my chair, my body loses all of its professional tension and straightness, "Well, how bad is the situation?"


    "Reports are that mass riots have broken out across the country. Especially in the places closest to the giant''s path. The usual things to be expected are occurring as a result." one man explains and I compare the giant''s previous line of destruction to the current pace it has. It''s covering a lot more ground and with its size, it''s making little work of everything. With how this has changed our schedule to evacuate the towns and cities, I am worried.


    We''re going to have to start pulling in more than we already have and focus it all on the cities. Towns will need to be abandoned entirely to their fates and, likely, we''ve already lost a fair few since last night. Thankfully, the major cities have some time before another one is hit. I scoff, ''some time,'' what a joke.


    "Grandguard Inerish, me and some of the others have drafted up a plan if you''d be willing to consider it." someone speaks up and he comes to hand me a tablet. I get to reading and let the officers talk amongst themselves for the time being.


    This plan is fairly developed for something that''s a night-old. I guess they must''ve been working on it for a while and recent affairs only accelerated its final stamp of approval. It does, though, cross over with some of my recent thoughts fairly consistently. Abandon the south and any mountain-states we have suzerainty over.


    While I am reserved regarding the latter, the parts of the country far out of the giant''s path of advancement are contemplatable. I believe that we can let them go for the time being and leave them to the local authorities, or, what will remain of them. Ground vehicles of any variety will be called in, their airships too. Hopefully, as well, the spiral-train lines can handle such congested traffic.


    The gods and goddesses have gifted us enough good fortune to ensure that a fair some of the lines to the north remain. The giant''s only wiped out a few but in the event we need to set up another, that''s more resources we need to find. First and foremost, though, we might just need to abandon the military side of things entirely for the moment. Get the cities evacuated and their populations relocated to the lands out of its path.


    The riots as well, if they get out of hand...


    "Alright, everyone, listen up." I call out, putting an end to any small talk or ongoing proper conversations. I rise to my feet and lean ahead onto the table with my fingers arching out.


    I watch the map of the giant''s movement for a second.


    "What I want is to see these riots brought to heel. They will only get in the way of further operations. Call off any attacks for the moment beyond munitions testing. I want all the men we can diverted to quelling these civil uprisings and to then clear the streets. I don''t want stray house pets left, that''s how thorough my men will be, am I clear?" I explain to the officers and they salute.


    "Yes, Grandguard Inerish!" they answer with chests full of air.


    "Good, speed up the process of refits, manufacturing and training as well. We need these evacuations to be quick and orderly if we are to save as many people as possible." I explain further, going back down into my chair and motioning for them to begin brainstorming. Ideas, gods and goddesses above, give us many and let them be wise.

 Incline 19: Grandguard Inerish

    Leaning some more into the sofa, I bring a leg up and relax it along the cushiony length. A sigh drools out and a hand starts to drum. The screen stops showing off a reel detailing the giant''s path and the areas it''s already destroyed. The presenters share a glance that threatens to break their professionalism.


    "As I was saying, Gardelaune, there has already been a staggering loss of life and country. Let it be known that if people do not already know why their sons, fathers and brothers are being called to arms. This monster is why." the other reporter''s partner, Waltcronite continues. My drumming hand clenches and stops short of my gapped lips.


    "We''re looking at one of the largest mobilisations in the country because of this. Now, earlier today, I was able to get my hands on some reports from our lot in the economics department and I quote. Ahem. A near-total shift has occurred within all factories and places of production, Grade Two and higher. Places that once packaged cans of cattle meat are now filling out bombshells." Gardelaune adds, his callous hand setting back some of his white hair. Glasses that are slipping down are prodded back up with a finger.


    "I cannot imagine that we will be able to sustain ourselves for long in such a situation. Without any form of compensation being listed by the government within the Gnomon, once this threat passes, we may have no economy to speak of." Waltcronite says and I find myself nodding a bit as these thoughts have passed me by before.


    "I agree, for the most part. We can only hope that the war going on to our north lasts long enough for us to put this arms build-up to good use." Gardelaune goes, his voice bordering as close to muttering as can be allowed by his profession.


    "With the capital of Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy last reported to be under siege directly. Well, I have my doubts." his partner host remarks.


    "Which is why I emphasise the hope part." Gardelaune reminds, his hand moving a little before he pulls out more of the tablets they have stocked up on their flashy table.


    "But, I guess my own reminder is more sinister than any of us could wish it to be. Our country is being destroyed and that which is the cause is not slowing down. If we suffer another disaster like we have had at what was the city of Ungzieluck, we will not have any troops. If the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra catches our weakness, we could face an invasion. The Grandguard, now Dictator, will have to start calling on boys not even a decade old! She has that kind of power now." Waltcronite emphasises and I look away slightly, my brow going down. If I must then... Then, I guess I will have to, should that be our only option anymore.


    "I don''t care what laws approve her power, I will not see my family wiped out like it''s the Time of Liquid Mountains because she cannot get her act together." Gardelaune is rather critical in saying.


    "Now, Gardelaune, to give her the benefit of the doubt. The most powerful weapons in our country''s arsenal have already been called upon. Twice. Were it not for such actions, we may still be in the dark about this situation." Waltcronite says, putting a stop to any running of the mouth. The muscles around my eyes prepare a fine glare.


    "I have to admit, now, very personally..." Gardelaune starts to say and he removes his glasses, his bare eyes coming into view, "Perhaps it would have been better for us to be in the dark. Now, this crisis has been fairly accurately traced to the now clearly false alarm about a dragon migration from the Dragon Coast. The one reported on not that long ago."


    "Care to elaborate for those at home or at a nice seat enjoying a cup of tea and a sandwich perhaps?" Waltcronite asks, a glass of water entering his hand at the reminder of such essential delights.


    "A threat this incomprehensible has set this country off. Every news station and group we''ve been in collusion with is reporting the same thing nationwide. Riots of unimaginable scale. Quite frankly, it''s a miracle we do not have a death toll on par with that proposed, theoretical war with how brutal the state and city guard are being. Pair that with so many being called up to help with unending evacuations that are creeping closer and closer to home... It''s..."


    "Mmmm, we are certainly in dangerous times. As is natural, while we understand that you are all scared. We are too, we are no different from you lot. For the sake of our country, I implore you, not as Newsman Waltcronite of the Golden Dial Newsgroup, but, simply as Waltcronite. The name my mother gave me. Please, those who are listening to us, do as the government is telling you. These riots are only impeding their efforts to save the country. Every guard in the streets keeping you in check is less manning the airships to get your far away family to safety."


    Getting up to my feet, I turn that screen off and bring up another. Putting my hands behind my back, I stare almost blankly at the plethora of different news speakers. Some are doing their best to keep as professional as they can be, others have made a point of coming into work with their clothes shredded. Their faces are scraped and some are even nursing burns, proof of the viciousness of the riots.


    Others, however... Others are actively encouraging the mayhem. They think I am not trying hard enough or perhaps they are involved in something more illicit that they''re not letting on. All in all, it''s presenting me with a problem larger than the giant that''s the root cause of it all.


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    As Waltcronite put it, everyone who is involved with the riots means we have fewer men and airships doing what truly matters. While I have made sure to tighten down on any information leaks, the pipes are too long, too moist from the weather. Information is still getting out and while I have the authority to shut down nearly all of these places. I am not sure if it''s the right call.


    Thrustradtur-Suhurlodst is a country that''s aligned itself most explicitly with certain concepts. The freedom of the press is core among these things. The call to arms that tyranny once brought to this country could come again if I overstep my boundaries. But, at the same time, I cannot allow problems to fester while something insurmountable charges us.


    A blade longer than even the grandest of airship runways...


    I guess I should be thankful that further loss of life is currently something not in the public mind. This change in speed since the loss of Ungzieluck has caused us to abandon so many places. Some cities, even those still teeming with life are now on a list. I don''t want to comprehend it, but, I will eventually have to give the order to abandon some places still being evacuated.


    I will hear the communication lines cry out with disbelief at the sight of filled airports...


    I am not sure if I can make that call and the people already calling for my head will have all the more cause. I''ve already had the Clockword Council called for additional security to be posted around our housing estate. It doesn''t set the best image, having such a blatant bolstering of our security while millions are left to their deaths. Hundreds of millions.


    My expression goes blank and the word keeps repeating. It''s such a swollen number that keeps growing and it''s not losing potency. I can comprehend the details as they get out of hand, I''m not able to simply see it as a statistic. The Gnomon may not be getting any quieter, but I can tell the hearts and minds of so many are.


    The hard-hearted among those I have employed are bitter they cannot go to the toilet in peace. Nominally quiet places are filled with tears and cries of rage. People are losing contact with their families or prized possessions. Homes that are generations in the keeping, assets worth enough to retire fat on.


    I cannot just order everyone here to stow their worries and fears, not when I walked out when Ungzieluck was lost. My time to set an example of an unyielding, indefatigable leader has passed. So long as people continue to do their jobs well, that is all I can expect of them. And, I must sigh at such an idea.


    Am I doing a good enough job? Is this a situation I should be able to put vastly more effort into? Am I doing all I can or am I not trying hard enough and just pretending? I do not know.


    Clutching my head with both my hands, I squeeze and tighten my eyelids shut.


    Ending the frustrated expression, I straighten myself out, "I suppose I have spent enough time alone with the news to come to a conclusion."


    I take a final glance at all the screens still up and steadily get rid of them. Those most able to keep my attention remain up and I start to get rid of the most positive among them. All that remains is a lone, vile-faced woman who has certainly been doing some digging in the bins. Information with no basis in reality and while the view figures on loan from those in charge of this information paint an inconsequential light...


    I know better. I''ve known better for years now.


    I turn the final screen off and leave my office behind. My secretary gets the next door for me and I give a quick wave as I depart. The group of men gossiping at the climax of a changing shift get going. A couple pass wayward glances back to me.


    Opening the door to the conference room, I walk in on my chatting chiefs of staff, "I take it we''ve all seen enough?"


    "Certainly seems like a fair bit can be crushed right at the neck." one huffs and a couple of others emulate him. As I near my seat, one of the men turns around a bit and raises a hand.


    I focus on him, "We need to be careful if we are to start reigning in outlined civil liberties."


    "I agree. However, we cannot let some of this stuff stay on the air and in the hands of those brave enough to head to work these days." I clarify so they know what page I am on.


    "This is a troubling thing to contemplate..." one man mutters to himself, his only mistake being he''s not quiet enough with it.


    "My main concern is how the people as a whole will react. In my time before I became the Grandguard of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst, I commanded sieges and handled the security of castles and forts. You can meet a fair few characters in such situations, but, two are relevant for now. Those who say they hold to a standard and commit. And, those who merely say so, but will run when the pressure is applied." I recollect to them, my bottom not finding the comfort of my chair any time soon.


    "We have talked somewhat about those who are acts merely put on for the sake of viewers, readers and listeners." one of my men nods out and I think more on my example.


    "I have seen men stick to the walls as the fighting grows fierce, as the stone falls and magic flies. All hope can seemingly be lost but they will keep fighting. Sometimes, it takes only one blow that''s too close to Waionr''s grip and they''ll flee. Other times, they will keep on fighting, ignoring death''s call until they find victory or are met with inescapable blackness." I explain, settling my hands on the table and then looking down.


    I watch carefully as my fingers shake even without much weight being forced through them.


    "We need to pick those who will be silenced carefully. Though the benefits to slapping the cuffs on and throwing them away to become clay is tempting, a voice cannot be chained. Those we will be taking off of the air will need to be silenced in their entirety. I do not mean death, I mean more so along the lines of sensory deprivation... In a time like this, we cannot allow for even the slightest infighting." I tell them, not really able to offer any real solution.


    "Perhaps if we implement an emergency code of conduct? Any found in violation of its principles will allow us to act swiftly and justly. The news of the giant is out so only the most dire details should be withheld. Let them all know the stakes, let everyone know and when they do, no one will contest harsh measures." one man suggests and we all put our eyes on the stone-faced man. Looking away myself, I sigh towards the table and look back up.


    "Very well, make it so." I say, adjourning the meeting.

 Incline 20: Grandguard Inerish

    Moving my eyes off of the tablet and dropping it on the seat, I look out the cogship''s window. Thrurstradtur is starting to burn with how the riots are behaving. It''s bordering on civil war with how brutal it is turning out to be. The people are terrified and there is nothing I or anyone within the Gnomon can do to calm them.


    More and more people are getting their own streams of footage and reels of photographs of the giant. Too many are suddenly stopping in their relaying of information and I don''t have the men to spare. All these fools heading straight for their doom, we should be stopping them but we simply can''t. It''s all a feedback loop that encourages the violence in the streets.


    The cogship makes an abrupt stop and the team of city guardsmen I had to hitch a ride with disembark. I shut the door quickly to lock out the sound of the city and barely make out the thunk of smoke canisters popping off. With the airship back on the path I want it to go on, the city seemingly starts to turn quiet. Ipannicano, the Ibenoroccon district is perhaps one of the only places still in order.


    I guess the nature of our relationship with the Grand-Kingdom of Ibenorocco helps with that. Even from up high, I can see the presence of foreign soldiers keeping this vast gated community secure. My stomach jolts and the cogship heads to the embassy''s main landing pad. Barely a second on the ground and my hands are already forcing the door aside so I can step out.


    "Go join the others handling the city, do not wait for me." I order the pilot and he gestures in understanding, his aircraft taking off the moment I clear the gap. Lingering at watching it fly away, it doesn''t take long for my eyes to light up with the signs of its weapon systems turning on. Warning shots are already firing off and I turn towards the somewhat familiar architecture of the embassy.


    Like most things with involvement with the royal government of the Grand-Kingdom, this entire complex is built as one would build back there. Hidden waterworks fill in for the lack of useable rivers and defensive moats blend seamlessly with decorative ponds. A pair of colourful, pinkish fish leap into the air as their dress-like fins flutter. Looming trees with little trunks and flowers that lap up the water, lingering the taste of sweet nectar in the ripples.


    Straightening myself out, I hold back the scoff I want to hand out to the few people I can see across the vast garden. For a people an ocean away from their home, they''re certainly eager to provoke and taunt. No guards have come up to escort me and that''s to say nothing of how the embassy expects my visits and not the other way around. Still, I have a job to do and I suppose I can be somewhat thankful for the embassy''s foreign legion.


    It at least keeps a notable segment of the city under control even if they reach no further than the confines of a single top-level district. I cross a little bridge ornamented with statues of the Great Slug. Under the nighttime shadow of this garden''s pavilion, I take a closer look at the architecture. There''s certainly a degree of pretentiousness about it.


    Intentionally metallic pillars allow for the reminiscing of the Grand-Kingdom''s fleet of walking cities. Walls that are cased in clear crystal and filled with magic-rich water on the lower half. All feeding into the careful arraying of grey brickwork shaped in a pyramid fashion with slight strips of varying shades of sea greens. Seaweed, seafoam, swamp and marshy colours.


    The meaning is not lost on me but if I were to come here with any Jhermonikra, there''d certainly be a feeling of belittlement. All over the structure, built-in and painted are reminders of the worst time in this continent''s history. Man-made, anyway. The Time of Liquid Mountains is evoked endlessly and the architects of this complex were efficient in fitting it all ceaselessly in.


    The wood of the doors and the metal decorating them are all the triumphs of the Grand-Kingdom. Beyond their lightly locked lustre are paintings and mosaics that continue the humiliating tale. Only, ask anyone who works here and they''d likely tell me that the Grand-Kingdom swept in and saved the day at the Time''s end. Rather than, well, march in on the fledgeling and resurgent people because of some divine mandate.


    I sneer a little at the repeating phrase carved into much of the stonework and mind a servant as she passes by. Straightening myself out, I note the group wheeling a hefty meal off down a hallway. Following them, I thankfully make good use of my time and arrive at where the ambassador is having his dinner. The slightly plump, sand-toned man pays me no mind and instead finds almost childish delight in the deliverance of gravy to a breast of bird flesh and its nest of buttered vegetables.


    "What is this about, Ambassador Aushbasih?" I ask, taking a seat regardless of what he has said to do or not. He''s an ambassador, not a king or even the Stroke of High Noon. The man ignores me for a few tediously long minutes and only a slight portion of his meal vanishes. He rises to his feet with a glass of wine and makes quick work of it.


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    At the very least, he is kind enough to offer me a hand and I take it, joining him on a walk. I suppose despite my position and its temporary increase in authority, I am still a lady. Though, this is not particularly helpful and I would prefer some freedom of head movement. These Ibenoroccons and their ridiculous headwear...


    We make it outside to another water garden, one with a thick glass panel for a floor. Below, a set of blunted triangular prisms made of a now moss-covered stone. Little aquatic insects dash about and between the three-sided gaps. The sounds of our steps change and we''re back on a path of laid bricks, circling a monument to the current monarch of the Grand-Kingdom.


    From the shores of the Sea, to the source of all life, our right over all... The royal slogan.


    "You will prioritise His Grand-Majesty''s people in these trying times." Aushbasih orders with that dripping noise Ibenoroccons call an accent. I blink and turn to face the man who is not even offering me a second glance. Freeing myself of his grip, I take a few steps forward, arms behind my back and I turn. His hands come together and he nods with a slight smile as if that is everything.


    "Excuse me? I assume, most naturally that you have been keeping up with the news as I most certainly know you''ve not been reading my reports." I ask and point out, narrowing my gaze as the act continues with him.


    "His Grand-Majesty''s people are in the most gravest of dangers. As his representative within this... Country... I am obligated to remind you of our treaties of preferential treatment. Especially with all that we are doing to ensure the government of this city remains connected to the world at large." the man explains with the same kind of attitude I''d expect from the great slime-trailer these people all look up to.


    "This entire country is in the ''gravest of dangers'', need I remind you? The giant is on, what is right now, an unstoppable advance. I cannot be setting aside spiral-trains, airships, wagons and other forms of transport for such an insignificant... Merchant demographic!" I point out and the ambassador starts to tut. A flower enters one hand and magic glows from another. An orb of water swallows the picked plant and it orbits the chubby man.


    The water starts to eat away at the flower until all that is left of its memory is the stained liquid''s colour.


    "If what I am hearing is the willing abandonment of the subjects of His Grand-Majesty, then, I suppose I have a document to fill out." he warns and I frown, the topic of that paper only vaguely clear to me.


    "What document?" I ask, just to be sure. He drops the destroyed flower into the water and it trails like blood.


    "Why, a declaration of war, of course! The ineptitude of the Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst government and your leadership, Grandguard Inerish. It will not only mean the loss of so many fellow Ibenorccon brothers and sisters, but we will also lose so much investment. If you and your government cannot ensure the safety of the Grand-Kingdom''s efforts in this part of the continent, we will step in ourselves. I''m sure there are more than enough blessed All-Coast feeding rivers for us to embark up." the Ambassador warns like it''s something he says with a heavy heart.


    "Assuming the giant''s power doesn''t reach that far down..." I mutter in response, my mind already made up at this point. If war is what I get for saying no, then all I can do is pull what men I can to hurry these Ibenoroccons out of the country so we can get back to what matters. A lone Worm Rider was enough to leave us paralyzed five years ago, to have an army of them coming...


    "Now, with the circumstances clear, do I have your understanding that His Grand-Majesty''s subjects shall receive priority?" he asks, a smile on his face.


    "You, of course, will be supplying men to fill in for this, yes?" I ask, trying at least this one avenue to extract some ease for my men. Those who will be incapacitated due to the Ibenorccon fiddling will be able to move on to riot duties. It shouldn''t cause too much of a disruption, but, I can only hope.


    Too often these days, it''s all I have...


    "Naturally, in order to ensure that His Grand-Majesty''s subjects are truly being prioritised in the evacuations. As you likely saw on your way here, we have this situation far more under control than you do. We''ll be more than happy to spare the needed men and I will get the word out to my subsidiaries to lend what men they can too. If need be, I will send for further aid by cont-"


    "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves, Ambassador." I warn. My dark-fire magic interrupts him with pricks of light-eating heat that''s all too eager to boil the fat beneath his skin. Him making his threats is one thing, but I will not have an army be allowed into this country right as we are left reeling.


    "Forgive me, I only mean for the best of intentions." he remarks, smirking as he walks off back to his meal most likely.


    "This threat will not be taken lightly, Ambassador Aushbasih." I speak loud enough for him to hear and not have an excuse. He stops and turns back my way, his hands slightly raised with a sense of mockery pinched along with the air.


    "Oh, I know, but, well, with what little you now have on hand, it might as well be." he says with the doors closing behind him shortly after. Straightening myself out, I put my hands behind my back and tense up with a clenched jaw. So, this is how it''s going to be... These are my circumstances.


    Easing up on my posture, a sword burns to life and I take a few practice swings on the decorations of the garden. A fallen branch crunches under my heel just before the last of it turns to ash. Making my way back to the landing pad I came here on, I let my magic maintain its overbearing nature. Lights break and pop within the building and Ibenoroccon women shriek in their native tongue.


    I''d sooner let the Seven-Peaks Union invade uncontested before I allowed the Grand-Kingdom to lurch further under their false pretenses. While they have no interest in my homeland of Errakurd, the land one needs to traverse to get there is all too often within sight of their battleships. The greatest navy in the world is a mark of praise they are all too unwilling to give up.


    "I suppose it would be wise of me to simply join the fray my men are experiencing on my way back to the Gnomon." I contemplate as I note the lack of contactable cogships.

 Incline 21: The Eyes and Ears

    Taking another sip of my tea, I relax into my chair. Looking up from one of the first newstablets we printed this morning, I frown at my record player. I ruin my comfort and turn the noise up, returning to the chair just as quickly as I left it. Getting my act back together, resume my usual proofreading of what is currently out in the streets.


    I look slightly to my left and out the window as a fireball erupts. Perhaps an Errakurd immigrant defending themself, perhaps a barrel of flammable material or even a downed police airship. A noise of thought bounces around my sealed mouth and I blow it out onto the steaming tea. That same noise gurgles the hot liquid as it goes down.


    Everything seems to be in order, the code has been safely and clearly inserted into the day''s news. Now, while I am most certain we won''t be seeing our usual profits when it comes to sales, so long as at least one newstablet gets into the right hands, I am happy. We don''t exactly make these things with the most magic-dense of stone and clay, but, it''s not fine porcelain either. You''d need a loaded vehicle to smash a newstablet sales box and they''re all being called up.


    Nevermind the riots, I don''t think anyone''s been on time to work as of late because it''s all requisitioned. If it can carry a person or load reliably, the Gnomon has ordered it seized. I think only bicycles and motorbikes are still in the hands of people and even they are being taken. While they can''t be used to contribute to the evacuation, it''s a good chance to get some material goods up north.


    Maybe I made a mistake telling people they could go ahead and evacuate without handing in any form of notice. I have no idea who has and who isn''t away and gone to safety. In fact, a fair chunk of what I have left should be gone by now. I would be wise to check on what few employees I have left here, actually.


    Thankfully, I suppose, my cup of tea is now finished and I am otherwise caught up on the news. So, I set the cup and tablet down and get back up. Taking a brief diversion to my wide set of windows, I look down at the messed-up streets. The riots seem to be shifting in large part towards the ways out of this mountain city.


    An abandoned pet whimpers into view in a distant alley. It rushes off to join a group of other animals and they get on with their own version of looting. Clicking my tongue at the reminder, I open my desk''s secret compartment and look over my secret service barbur. Unlike the usual kind handed out to officers in the army, my one uses smaller cases in a revolving chamber.


    Not the best admittedly for if I am stuck in a firefight, but, enough punch to scare the nosey off. Disassembling the weapon as much as is feasibly possible, I slip it under my suit''s coat and test the time to grip. Nodding in satisfaction, I twirl the gun back into my makeshift pocket holster. A few buttons looped through their holes and I am presentable.


    Leaving my office with the cup and newstablet, I stroll through the surprisingly noisy building. I know full well it''s not what''s going on outside making it in here, I''m the only one paying any mind to the mayhem. These normal lot don''t have the stomach to hear such violence. I doubt they''d keep their cool over a flick even.


    "My dear, did something happen?" I ask one of my best girls from the type room. She said to me not that long ago, the other night I even believe, she said she was going to be evacuating. With her family, naturally.


    The shaken, clearly once teary-eyed woman looks up at me. Her trembling hands stop working and the rest of the room seems to make her their spokesperson. She starts to pat around the nearby tray filled with stuff from our delivery room and she drops it. She jumps at the loud bang and rushes it back up.


    Putting my stuff down, I take the opened, government-marked package and pull the tablet out. Minding where my dominant hand goes, I pat around for my reading glasses and slip them on. I hate these things but it''s all for the act, all for the act. With a clicking tongue, I find the piece of information most likely responsible for why I still have so many workers.


    "...To all distributors of information and those with the capacity to print and publish, heed this message. Until the Ibenoroccon demographic and their essential goods have been evacuated, all other evacuations and exfiltrations are on hold. Signed, Grandguard Inerish under the rights of the Emergency Powers Act." I read out loud, my usual noises not coming out as the drowning noise of tears fills the room.


    "Wh-What''re we going to do!?" one woman asks as it becomes increasingly apparent from her crude get-up that she was turned away at the air-docks. She and her entire family no doubt. Mmmmmm, what a strange order to be putting out at such a time. But, I am sure His Royal Highness will be more than happy to learn of this.


    This is but one more piece of the puzzle that he intends to present to the politicians within the Mountain of the Union. Admittedly, I am not sure what more evidence he could possibly want regarding the validation of his planned war. But, at the same time, I suppose it''s all necessary for the theatrics of it all. It doesn''t matter if the bullied child stands up for himself if the teacher does not see the bully strike first.


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    I will need to pass this on to the boys in the printing room right away if they do not already have a copy. I''ll then have to spend time getting the information pipeline back into order for this erratic change. His Royal Highness has already passed on orders regarding the speed-up of information exchange but this is something else. Squeezing the Gnomon-printed stone tightly, I look my employees over.


    "If you cannot get your families back safely home, feel free to bring what you can here. There is more than enough room within our walls. Walls a good forearm thick, mind you." I tell them and the girl closest breaks down sobbing.


    "Th-Th... Thank you, Editor-in-Chief Uelpepys, thank you!" she goes, rushing off to the nearest means of communication along with a few others. Maybe later I will put out the order and or demand to start having our floors cleaned and tidied up. We don''t exactly keep mattresses on hand here, but, we can make room for makeshift beds and cots for any babes.


    Giving them all a confident nod, I make my way down the nearby stairs and get to the emergency stop button. Pushing down on it firmly, I grab the attention of our engineers and those working down in this part of the building. Moving onto the speaker''s platform, I tap away at the microphone. The clay-stained workers start to gather and some from upstairs stop to listen again.


    I raise the state''s mandate, "In my hand, I have a new order from the Gnomon regarding the immediate policy of evacuation. As some of you may already know, you and your families were turned away at the roads and air docks. Now, the reason for this is because the government has just instituted a policy of Ibenoroccon preference-"


    "HOW COULD THEY!? WE''RE NOT AN IBENOROCCON CITY! THERE''RE BARELY ANY OF THEM LIVING HERE!" one man roars with all the pent-up fury he has. Like but one demolition charge in the sequence, so many more go off after. A fair few nearby objects are suddenly kicked aside, damaged or freshly dented.


    Bringing my hands up, I gesture for calm and keep my expression firm and unyielding, "I understand many of you were hoping to be on a spiral-train or airship with your families by now... But, we are all forced to remain here for the time being. I want you all to know that this place is open to your families if you do not feel safe getting them through the streets should your homes prove to be too far away. Remember, this building is legally required to be within a certain vicinity of the air docks and the spiral-train stations. Once this ridiculous order passes, you will be able to quickly make your way out of the city when the time comes."


    "BUT WE SHOULD HAVE ALREADY GOT OUT OF HERE!" someone screams down from up high.


    "YEAH! THOSE DAMN DROWNING BASTARDS HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE GIVEN THIS SPECIAL TREATMENT!"


    "WE MIGHT AS WELL GUT THEM ALL AND SPEED THE PROCESS ALONG!"


    "YEAH!" too many to comprehend roar.


    "IS NO ONE IN THE GNOMON PAYING ATTENTION TO THE GIANT!? IT''S HEADING RIGHT FOR US AND THEY''RE DOING THIS CRAP!?"


    The crowd gets out of control and I wait with a mental smile. Well, His Royal Majesty is most certainly going to be happy with the state of the people now. If anything, now that I think about it, the riots are going to get worse. The city guard and their called-upon estate guard brethren are going to be forced to ensure foreigners are evacuated before their own families.


    Not even just families... This tablet here is quite explicit with its involvement of assets and monetary items as well. Businesses were warned that they were not to clog up evacuation transports with their goods. And yet, here, in government-approved writing is an order that will allow airships that can fit dozens of families to be instead filled with treasure not bound for any national bank...


    I take off my glasses and slot them back into their pocket.


    "Please, everyone, quiet. Quiet." I repeat as much as I need to. The last fires of anger start to calm down but the embers are still all too eager to eat what oxygen they can. Just a little more kindling and I am back to square one.


    I finish with the calming gestures.


    "Please, go get your families, bring them here, they will be safe. I will handle the printing of this here order and unfortunately, those in the delivery room will need to make sure this gets out. While I cannot promise any reward at the time, I will make sure those in the tabletkeeping department write those who do, do it. I will make sure you are given an appropriate bonus to compensate for such a vile task. Now, please, to your families, ensure their safety first."


    The building starts to empty out and someone thankfully has the forethought to sound the end-of-day alarm. Some people are still here so I assume they must''ve already gotten their families to safety or out of the city. Hopefully, so very hopefully, they have achieved the latter. I honestly have no idea how to comprehend their worries as my family is all the way on the continent''s east coast.


    They couldn''t be safer if we account for the path of this mysterious giant.


    An engineer approaches me, his hands a chalky white from the handling of material, "What now, sir?"


    "Now, we do as we always do, we print." I answer, rolling up my sleeves and preparing my outfit for a fine day''s messy work. The engineer helps with opening up the mother box and I slot in the government''s emergency order. With a hefty chomp, the machine reboots itself and I set aside what was in there before.


    "It''s not right what''s going on, sir, it''s not right." the wrinkled man whines as he clutches his cap. I put a hand on his shoulder and firmly pat him. He doesn''t know of my actual profession, but, he can feel the strength it gives my grip.


    "Do not worry, so long as there is power in the sky, justice will come." I tell him, sneaking in a reference to the true faith our people should follow. Might will guide us through these hard times.

 Incline 22: Editor-in-Chief Uelpepys

    "Come on you lot, up and out!" I encourage my team of reporters as our makeshift militia locks the gates of my building behind us. The young lad in charge of carrying our spares jostles the equipment and awkwardly reaches for his collar.


    "I don''t know about this..." he squeaks, his eyes having a hard time ignoring the way the fires light up the night. It''s hard to tell what''s responsible for the blackouts in other parts of the city, but, there''s no point in thinking about it. All that matters is that we get within range of either the stations or docks. While my group think we''re just reporting injustice, I am after something more strategically valuable.


    A good story.


    "Chins up boys and girls, we''re not going to be going near the rioters or looters." I somewhat lie as we will need to find the periphery of the former group. Quickly feeling out for my handgun, a trio of cogships come rushing in from what appears to be outside of the city. Whatever their purpose, it clearly isn''t what''s going on a few streets down from here. Looking back to my building, I give a final wave to those guarding their families and we go.


    Holding a camera close, I start to fiddle with it while one of my larger engineers takes point. They didn''t have to come, but, I welcome the machine-built sinew and the strength it brings. Fights are what we want to avoid though some big lads are a big part of keeping that a reality. If I only allowed spell-less women and boys to come, we''d be picked clean, gun or not.


    "Sir?" someone asks and I look up from the camera, sealing it back up temporarily.


    "How can I help?" I ask back as the sound of riot control hisses its smokey song. The loud, sucking noises, it''s enough to make me frown. Seems the local police have started pulling out the airbag cannons. Both formats are being used.


    The streets are either being sucked dry of air to disorient the rioters or all that backed-up wind is firing off. I suppose it''s better those things than a vacuum popper cannon that''s been crudely modified. Regardless, it''s a noise I know to be wary of. The noise is distinct enough for me to give directions away.


    "Sir, the streets, a lot of them are dark." the man warns and I follow his hand.


    "Lights on, everyone, we''ll be sticking to the back alleys while we can. Better than being out in the open streets." I explain to them as I kick aside some shattered glass and torn-off metal panelling.


    "Remember, straight for Railman''s View Tower!" one of the group reminds us and I glance up at the still-standing landmark. If the owners haven''t left, I guess I will have some talking to do, otherwise, my foot is ready to go. It''s only a restaurant anyhow, we shouldn''t have issues accessing the top floor and the premium table area.


    Putting my hand against a scraped-up wall, I gesture for the group to go ahead into the gap. Lingering my eyes on the back end on what could be a group of anything, I slip in after them. The ground starts to rumble and a fairly large airship, for a police one anyway, flies over. Our bodies light up as their searchlights jump the gap between the buildings.


    Locking the camera up properly, I take advantage of the dark and linger my dominant hand near my barbur. Someone kicks a bin and spooks the group, the yelps are followed by nervous chuckles. Patting someone on their back to speed them up, we suddenly come to a halt. I find some rubbish to raise my height on.


    "Sir, the road ahead, it''s blocked!" my guy in front hisses and he kicks it a little to prove his point.


    "By what?" I ask, unable to get a proper view with all these torches and lamps polluting the view.


    "A police barricade by the looks of it, I can see more elsewhere too." he answers and I frown in thought. They must be making a point of locking down the means to flank their shield walls. Or, maybe, it''s to keep the crowds trapped within their loaded sights.


    "Can you see anyone from the city guard out there?" I make sure to ask as it''s becoming a bit hard to tell what armour-made noises are closer. Some of it bangs so hard it sounds almost immediate while others are echoing from the other side of the city. I shine a light on the way we came just to be sure, what looks to be a little feline dashes out the way.


    "I''m right on a back door!" someone from the middle goes, the sound of heavy bolting rattling to my ears.


    "Mmmm..." I ponder, not sure how we might be able get that door open or down. If there''s anyone beyond it, we''re going to be seeing some blood, most of it on my payroll.


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    "YOU BEST BE ON GOOD TERMS WITH UNDWOTE YOU DAMN FILTHY CREATURES!" a man roars from above suddenly, his gun cocking loudly. Ah, there we go...


    "Don''t shoot! Don''t shoot!" I call up, raising my hands and gesturing as clearly as I can.


    "GET AWAY FROM MY SHOP! GET AWAY NOW!"


    "D-Dad...?"


    "STAY INSIDE BOY!" the father roars, his gun wasting a round just to remind us he has lethal means. The dust is still raining as my mouth opens up.


    "It''s alright, we''re not here to loot or harm you! Look, see? Cameras, we''re reporters from the printing agent down the road." I explain and it seems the man is lowering his gun.


    "What''s a bunch of tablet scribes doing in an alley in the dead of night!?" he demands to know.


    "We''re on our way to the Railman''s View Tower, we''re going to be taking pictures of the situation at the spiral-train station and the air docks." I explain and the nervous man seems to properly lower his guard. The metal bar flooring rattles and he vanishes out of sight only to be replaced by another armed man.


    "Alright, through and out, no lingering." he says and while his thoughts are an enigma, I am glad they''re turning in such a way as to benefit me.


    "No one tries any funny business. Do as he says without any divergence." I explain to my group as the sound of forceful feet reaches the door. Metal slips up and slides harshly back into a socket. My guy closest to the door squeaks at the sight beyond the open frame and I have some sure bets as to what is going on. Everyone that follows is on guard, just like those inside.


    "I ain''t opening the front or pulling up the shutters, you lot can use the perron from the third floor." the shopkeep orders as I come in. Using the aid of their light, I straighten myself out and look around. This is a hardware store, one I am pretty sure I often send a runner to for the odd tool or ink refill. I can even see a copy of the newstablet with the government order on it, right from my presses.


    A little girl clutches what must be her brother''s leg and the young lag cocks his gun like his papa most likely showed him earlier this night. Raising my hand calmly, I reach into my pocket and pull out a packet of old mints. I quite like the tin, admittedly, but, it''s nothing special. I pass the sweets on and regardless of their possible acquired taste, they calm down a little.


    The shopkeep''s hand grabs me with the strength he might apply to a petty thief, "Are you going to be able to put some sense into the government?"


    "I can only try." I assure the man as he erratically gestures for some bloke to get the back door shut up again. Another little girl rushes to his leg and his focus fades so he can reassure her. I make a point of looking into the young girl''s eyes, she can''t possibly be older than four years.


    "Listen, I can handle losing my shop. I can handle being forced to build a home from scrap and going a few nights without a crumb to eat but... But, I don''t know what I''m going to do. I was so close to getting my little ones out of the city, not even with me, just them. They''s got grandparents as far north as Erneherh that can take care of them. But... The city guard, they wouldn''t even let children on board after a certain point. Any who might listen got removed from their posts and only the most heartless of bastards are there now."


    I offer a little prayer that befuddles the man of wayward faith, "So long as Might can be found in the night sky, help will come. I will do my best, just focus on keeping your family safe. Help will come, remember."


    The family man sighs and almost drops his gun, "First left once you are on the third floor."


    I nod in thanks and watch him pick up his daughter. He bounces the crying child and he can barely keep himself contained. I pat the end of the stairs and hurry after my lot. Though the father gave me his seal of approval, the others upstairs are still on guard. A hand so much as goes near even a plate with only a bite on it and the guns are cocked.


    "Come on everyone, out, let''s go." I remind my lot and we quickly hear the window slam shut behind us. The bang of the perron below makes way for the tap of stone and we practically sprint the final distance. I catch a glance at the events closer to the docks. One step away from war.


    "No one''s home!" one of us at the front calls and I gesture for the door to be smashed open. It blends in with the noises coming from elsewhere in the city and we head up the stairs. Thankfully, this next one can just be opened by releasing the lock.


    "Get the tables out the way or made proper use of, I want a good view of the docks ahead." I bark, whipping the lot into shape and what little is left outside by the restaurant workers is thrown indoors. Making my way through the gap to the glass-backed handrail, I pull my camera up. The lighting will take a minute to figure out, but, I can work with the current array of shots offered to me.


    Bringing the lens to my eye, I improvise myself a spyglass and take a few quick snaps. I come to a stop and bring the camera down, it comes back to my eye. I catch a few more snaps, but, not of what I expected to find going on at the docks. It seems to be that all of the city guards have been called off of sentry duty and moved on to handling the riots.


    The evacuations of the Ibenoroccons and their wealth are being handled by none other than foreign soldiers. The government has given free rein to troops from another country to handle this. I can''t help but smirk and I take some more pictures just as one of these desert-dressed men smashes aside a young boy. Water magic starts to fire off at the crowd and it backs away, a few bodies of it no longer moving.


    Corpses or not, I make sure to get a field of view which involves their dripping barrels and the motionless people. The others with me start to spend more time talking about what they''re seeing than recording and capturing it. I do not make a point of interrupting the gossip, though, I want it to fester. Let it spread throughout our walls and then out into the streets as the few moments of peace we get these days are ruined.


    I take a picture of a family being held at gunpoint, only a chainlink fence away. Beyond it, not even a trolley of injured or old Ibenoroccons, no, it''s the contents of a bank or a company. One finger so much as touches that thin metal and what looks to be bayonets are thrust through the gaps. More flashes of gunfire and the screaming crowd reels.

 Incline 23: Editor-in-Chief Uelpepys

    Reaching the end of the production line, I start to prod at some of the freshly baked newstablets. Finding most of them to be a bit too hot, I shuffle closer to the end of the conveyor belt and pick one almost bound for a case & pallet. Applying my thumb to where it needs to go, the magic within shifts the displayed contents about. All those pictures we''ve been taking have led to a fairly different-than-usual publication for today.


    The people in the typing room don''t have the time or focus for a big story as of late, so I''ve been expecting only sentences. Besides, all I need is a few sentences to pair with these pictures and we have enough to stir the hearts of all those left within the city. If I can just get a few shipped out to other mountain-states and settlements, though. It''s almost enough to make me cackle, but, first and foremost, I need to get one of these sent north.


    His Royal Highness, the Prince-to-Ascend Jhrartur has been answering me fairly consistently as of late. Under no circumstances am I allowed to speak of it, but, the siege of the Redstone Canyon has become the First Siege of the Redstone Canyon. The Royal Army of the Jhermonikra and their air-naval compatriots are on the way. I have been given assurances regarding my posting and His Royal Highness wants me to stay within the city.


    Though, while I am more than willing to comply with the order, I cannot say that I am immune to what is going on around me. Every day we wake up to is one more set of halorises and halosets for us to die in. Rumours have it that wells are starting to ripple unnaturally and those with the means can see a dark form in the too short of a far-off distance. Whatever help is coming, I am anxiously awaiting its arrival.


    "Find a block to fill out this incomplete stack, I''m going to be heading to my office." I tell one of my engineers and he nods quickly, his boots striking the metal crosshatching. Slimming down to my side, we pass by each other and I mind the claustrophobic walk. We''ve had to move a lot in preparation for the arrival of so many families. For once as well, there''s a noise louder than the printing presses down here.


    It''s nice to see that children are still able to find a way to be happy when all the adults can do is worry. Much as we champion maturity and acting one''s age, abused as the concepts are for petty reasons, we could all learn a lot right now. The children, though not wise in the traditional sense are the teachers for right now.


    Minding my thoughts, I have to stop one child who''s a little too active next to the stairs down. Ruffling his hair, I guide him off back towards some of the other kids and lock the stairwell gate. There''s something amusing to be found right now with how this place is being conducted. Behaviours we have to mind due to health and safety laws are being ignored while what we generally overlook is being applied.


    That gate just now tends to stay open, after all, everyone here generally has the mind not to prance around it. But, with all these mattresses and cushion piles that have been assembled, we all need to scrape our hips on the guard rails. Thankfully, my office is far enough out of the way to allow for a clean entry. I slip a hand into my pocket and pull out the key I''ve also locked to the belt loops of me trousers.


    The key returns to its tight fit and I simply lock the door from the inside once I pass through. Opening my viewport to the usual array of tables and typers, I frown and close it back up. The rest of the room is secured and I start to open up the many hidden compartments. A good remark about custom-made imports from Founder''s Point can dissuade a lot of curiosity.


    Putting the tablet into its slot, I get to typing in the details and adjusting the values. The machines I need to do my proper job blend in with the rest of the building''s noise. A few more buttons and I am ready to deliver the message. I sigh and bring a hand along my messy facial trim.


    "Well, that''s everything I can do for the time being. Now, I wait." I remark, watching the machine''s details only for a bit longer before I lock it all backup. The taken newstablet comes back into my grip and I set it on my desk. Moving the blinders out of the way, I wince at the Orbital-Halo''s shine and put a hand over my brow. Most of the daylight warms my aged skin and I catch sight of the wisp of magic joining the winds.


    I''m still not entirely sure how our information network works, exactly. It''s magic-based like most technology is these days but there''s something distinctly different about this. The way the winds behave once we condense our message into a long-lived whisper, it''s unlike anything else. There''s something else out there in the world taking our messages further on than they should normally go.


    Thing is, I''ve heard nothing of any branch in the secret services that trains people for this kind of spell. For something so depended on, it makes little sense to keep it hidden from even us in the field. I can''t imagine a name of a department is going to put anyone in danger but at the same time, His Royal Highness is a secretive one. He comes back after his forty years of political imprisonment in the Grand-Kingdom like so many others of noble birth and then he locks himself away for another three.


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    Whatever plans he concocted in that time, I don''t think anyone alive but him truly grasps how far-reaching they are. The war with Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy is coming to an end, what was once a static conflict of warbling borders is now entirely decisive for us. Though much of the technology we''re now seeing in the royal army is not new in the purest sense. He''s managed to keep it entirely out of the hands, ears and eyes of our long-time enemy.


    A war he intentionally shifted around to being fought with penal legions primarily, for a time. Such long-term, psychology-aimed tactics are baffling to me. Never mind the reforms he implemented and the Helmetless Rebellion His Royal Highness incited. Brave is such a strange word to consider a rank but now it is as they alone can act as any man would. The common footman no longer has that luxury.


    I can''t imagine ever being able to do my job with a helmet that shadows my face in a pitch-black darkness. I''m sure he''s aware of it as well which is why the issue was never pressed. However, that just means I now have an extremely nosy, micro-managing boss. Which, honestly, I can''t say I hate in the slightest as it largely helps me do my job better.


    I click my tongue as my runaway thoughts come to an end, "If the giant is heading this way, where will I go once my current cover is destroyed a little too early?"


    I can only help but wonder. The kind of strict timetables we are given to do our jobs and get what we can does not allow much room for abrupt changes like this. I guess, maybe I should take a hint from those currently in my deceptive employment. If I don''t have work to keep me occupied, I should go and be with my family. Maybe I can catch up with my boy who is never the same as he is in the photographs I have of him.


    All these pictures of a little smiling boy playing with his siblings, cousins and mother. So very few with me in them, however. I''m pretty sure he''s at the latter end of his time in university these days as well. Not just any old school, a quite new and modern royal one. The Lathameturn Royal Academy of Lost Cultures and their Histories.


    My boy made it into a place like that and I cannot even talk to him about it... He must feel like I am a stranger, just a face he sees every now and then, one he will say hello to before moving on with his day. I can only do my best to make up for lost time before my next assignment comes along. Hopefully, this hope His Royal Highness speaks of will give me that chance.


    "Well, I guess I''ve certainly done a bit upset my mood. Mmm, guess I''ll go down to the staff kitchen and brew myself something." I go, clicking my tongue again and finishing up with getting my office back into order. Sorting the last few things out, I place a confidential tablet on my desk and give it little further mind. Not much reason to be worried about things these days and I am more than able to take the snooper out back.


    The riots are quite the easy excuse to get rid of someone who knows what they shouldn''t.


    Picking up the newstablet I took earlier, I select a cup from my drawer and reach the door. Someone knocks it from the other side and I open up with a smile. The woman in my employ smiles and laughs a little. She spots my cup and laughs harder.


    "Coming by to ask if I wanted a cuppa?" I ask, moving her along and locking my office back up.


    "Yes, actually! Gods and goddesses above, they seem to be able to direct us mortals how they want." she goes and I follow after her as what must be her daughter trails around at her side.


    "I-I''m going to go play, Mommy..." the little girl explains as she squeezes by.


    "Yeah, go ahead, Sweetie." my employee acknowledges with a hearty pat on the back. I know it''s not the best thing to ask, but, there''s not really a whole lot else on anyone''s mind right now.


    "Any plans once you finally get out of here?" I ask, adjusting my grips on the two things I have. She comes to a stop and rests her backend on a shoved-aside desk. The cup in her hand goes down and she seems to linger in her head. Perhaps a lie would sound nice right about now but, it''s hard to lie these days.


    Finally, she shakes her head.


    "I''m sorry things aren''t going better for you." I tell her and she struggles to curl up her lips.


    "It''s fine, I''m sure we''ll have all we''ll need within whatever refugee camps the government has set up." she nearly rambles with a shrug.


    "Maybe in those places they''ll be wise and not pull what is going on right now." I comment and she starts to nod.


    "Yes... Yes, that would be... Nice. Much as I know we can''t really blame everyone involved. I don''t want to see another Ibenoroccon for some time. A sentiment I feel will only turn viler if this act of government proves to cost me some of my family. We could''ve been out of this damned place already and..." she says, a hand moving to her mouth as she struggles to figure out which way she wants her emotions to swing.


    "We best go get that cuppa now, shouldn''t we?" I ask and she shifts like a flicked switch.


    "Indeed!" she practically hops with enough force to topple a building.


    "I guess the riots do have one benefit these days." I start to chuckle over.


    "What''s that?" she asks as we walk.


    "If we can find an abandoned shop or bakery, we can stock up on free biscuits!" I finish and she smiles, her thoughts likely clinging to the sweet melting of chocolate and the crumbling of the oaty bases.


    "That is true, the looters are probably ignoring things like biscuits altogether." she hoots, perhaps not wanting to consider how desperate the situation is.

 Incline 24: Editor-in-Chief Uelpepys

    "Is this seat taken?" I ask but one of the many downtrodden folk at this now ruined cafe. It''s not clear if it''s the owners working the kitchen and that, but, things are going on as normal as they can be. The old man looks up from his cracked cup of tea on a chipped plate and nods with a slight smile.


    Funnily enough, the biscuits he has are in better shape and they''re crumbling.


    "Feel free, can''t say no to a bit of comfort these days." he lets out with a face that''s changing to something straighter. Deader.


    "How come someone of your age is still here? I''d imagine at your age you''d have found a seat on any of the airships or spiral-trains quite easily." I ask, pointing out the advantage that comes with old age in these trying times. He shakes his head and moves a shaking hand to his cup of tea. A sip wets his lips and his sleeve pats his eyes down.


    "No, I... I made sure my boy and his family could get out first. I''ve lived my life, not a whole lot of time left for me anyway." he answers and I frown at how lonely this old man must be feeling right now. He flicks open a pocket watch to look at something other than the time. Whatever the contents of the picture, he gives it a quick, affectionate kiss and puts the ticking device back.


    "We''re past the times of needing to sacrifice our elderly for survival. We left such misery behind a long time ago." I point out, recalling the historical detail a lot of the institutions like to drill into our heads these days. Well, back over in the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra, anyway. Home treats the long ago millennia with such freshness.


    "Are we? Look around, all of us would not look out of place in one of Undwote''s care homes." he tells me and I look around to see the truth of his words. He''s quite right, everyone here at the tables is wrinkled, bending in on themselves or in need of help from someone else. I might as well be a spry and energetic teenager compared to them all. Though, amusingly, I may be older than some of them depending on whose magic reserves are greater.


    "I suppose it''s nice to think most of the people here are as noble as you." I remark and he shrugs, taking another sip of tea.


    "I wouldn''t go that far, just making up for any wrongs I''ve yet to right. I know we''re not all still here because we chose to be. Some were just too slow, some were abandoned intentionally and some... Well, some have spent all their lives here and want it to end here." he explains as my eyes fall on a selection of tower viewers. This little old place is either built on what remains of the mountain''s long-vanished peak or a pile of bricks. Either way, it presents a clear view of the great darkness in the distance.


    Even without the aid of such devices, I can see it bobble up and down. If I focus enough, I can hear the land cry out in pain with each footfall the giant makes. I''m no witch, far from it, but we can all feel it. The difference in the air, the sense of foreboding dread as the magic of the world vanishes in that direction.


    The breeze from the Dragon Coast just hasn''t quite been feeling the same as of late...


    "So how about you, smooth skin?" the old man asks, his tea cup now seemingly empty. My eyes watch some rubbish catch on the air and my attention goes back to him.


    "Hm?" I go, my mind not set up right to answer such a simple question.


    "How come you are still here?" he asks and I think carefully as I cannot really be answering this with any actual honesty. Why I am still here is because of the orders I have been given by the highest authority in the land. Only second to His Lunar Majesty, high up in the comfort of the Finger''s Reach Palace. Probably the only place in the world taller than that giant.


    "Guess I just don''t want to leave before my employees. Don''t think it would rest easy on my soul to know I slipped out at the first chance. Especially when my entire complex is now one big community centre for them." I falsify, putting something together that makes sense to me given my circumstances so far.


    "What sort of business do you run?" he asks, his interest peeked slightly.


    "I have the joyous wonder of managing a newstablet printer and distributor." I answer and his mouth opens a little, a name on his tongue.


    "The... The one from... What was it... Oh, damn my age. Oh, right, the one on Gibblereds'' Street?" he asks and I shake my head, much to his chuckling amusement.


    "No, my building is up on the other side of the city, by the New Air-Docks and the North-End Spiral-Train Station." I answer, his chuckles only growing.


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    "Ah, then I''ve never read your print, sorry. I like my news to be a bit more local." he explains, his hand leaning his empty cup forward. It is, in fact, still empty.


    "Same city and floor of it not enough?" I ask, joining in with his laughter as he continues to shake his head.


    "Unfortunately not, but, I best be going back inside now. Whoever''s taken over the cafe isn''t interested in the usual fees so it''s free cake and tea for me!" he cheers, his creaky old form making him groan in slight pain. I offer a hand but he refuses and heads on his way back indoors. Watching him walk, I note what is all over the floor amidst the debris and spilt rubbish.


    Coins.


    Clicking my tongue, I get up and get to picking at the ground like a man-sized bird. Coins of all values fill out my palm and then my pockets so I can fill out the hand again. Straightening myself out with a whistle, I turn back towards the tower viewers. Walking on over, I sort out some of the coins under the assumption of what it might take.


    "Well, well, look at me!" I huff in amusement as I have exactly what I need to get things going.


    Slotting the first coin in almost, I stop halfway and double-check the timings I have to work with. Damn machines and their tourist wallet-draining capabilities! I just want to look at the giant that will kill us all. Is that so much to ask for?


    Huffing away what joy there is in my system, I let my brow set and get to focusing on the end. The giant is far clearer a sight now, grim in all its aspects and most certainly how it makes my heart quiver. Up above, the sky roars and I peek away to watch the trails of a short-handed bomber group. They stay far and wide of the giant''s mysterious power and deploy their load.


    "Ugh, here they go again!"


    "If you useless government types are going to put the effort in, put some real effort in!"


    "Oh, if only you lot knew..." I remark quietly under my breath as I try to catch sight of the bombs and rockets. What is going on isn''t an attempt to kill the giant, it''s just one step towards figuring out what can. It might not be fairly obvious to these civilian types but, as a member of the secret services, I need to know. I may not be in the most dangerous of spy jobs, but, I can still catch sight of tests and developments.


    After all, any good army likes to advertise itself to its potential manpower. As the saying goes, boys never grow up, their toys just get bigger. Wisdom may clean up the mind to the dangers of the job and what can be expected, but, we all love a good explosion. Especially in times like this when that one good one may save the lives of everyone...


    Unfortunately, these bombs do not hold that longed-for detonation. Whatever the finer details of it are, I can''t quite see, all I know is that the giant remains and it''s getting closer. Almost as if to emphasise that point, the final mountain between it and the Great Valley, as it''s called, starts to fall. It seems alright at first, but, it falls apart like a sugar clump.


    The giant is still a fair few days away, even with its scale, but, now it''s in clear view of the city. A lot of noise suddenly erupts behind me and it doesn''t take long for the balconies and streets to fill. We miserable many still within the city now have our first clear view of the greatest terror since water rushed between the mountains. What was once a teeming attraction for nature lovers, tourists, the rich and their surface plots and farms starts to vanish.


    Each jogging stride the giant makes turns more and more of the land into dunes. Clueless animals watch with cautionary curiosity and their willingness to watch costs them their lives. So many birds fill out the sky and many fall, bursting into puffs of dust. While the Great Valley might be clear of human life at this point, this natural wonder is bountiful beyond us. And soon, it will be gone.


    Once this distance has been crossed, this city will be next and all of us too should the Gnomon abandon us. Help is on the way, I have assurances but... Seeing the giant in person now for the first time. It hits differently compared to all the photos, sketches and paintings I''ve seen up to this point.


    "I guess there''s only one thing we can really call you, isn''t there?" I comment, finding myself with the need to wax something out to ease the tightness in my chest.


    A dark form made in the image of deceased man, a skeleton larger than so much else in the world. Draped in tattered cloth of much the same hue, it bellows like the grandest of flags on still, dry air. In its right hand, a longsword of an almost incomprehensible length. My eyes focus on its closest stride as the sands erupt like a boot stomping into a puddle.


    Whatever vile power this giant has, its touch is not required, it''s further reaching than its full arm span. The giant stops and seems to evoke its ponderous nature. It twists and turns like its remembering a path only for it to settle back onto us. The sword reaches so high into the sky that I cannot see its tip and it bellows.


    The bellows...


    The tables behind start to rattle, the coins in my pocket shake and what is within the tower viewer jingle. People grab on for dear life and shuffle away like the rodents and pests we are compared to this thing. Many start to leave like they''ve just remembered something, others whimper and go back into hiding. Steeling myself, I straighten out my clothes and move away from the sightseeing device.


    The giant starts to move again, its shift to a walking pace buying us precious time. Time we must use wisely and so, noting this god-given grace, I get going. Leaving behind my plucked up coins, I allow those who wish to look their doom in the eye the chance. I myself have and I have no intention of ever allowing myself to do so again.


    My life is fraught with danger as a spy, every conversation must be thoughtful and an act must always be kept up. I am both in need of a concealed firearm for my safety but if I use it, I am in more danger than ever. Every day and every night is one of professional paranoia and meticulous behaviour that must be done to ensure I see the next morning. And yet, nothing I have lived through compares to that sight.


    That sight of the giant who will kill us all, black it is in aspect and Death shall it be called.

 Incline 25: Editor-in-Chief Uelpepys

    "Alright, everyone, time to go! If you haven''t packed it already, leave it behind! Grab your children, get with your families and let''s go!" I repeat at the top of my lungs, my final message out to His Royal Highness now sent. Grabbing onto the nearest solid object, the city trembles with deathly excitement. It happens again, again, again.


    Steeling my limbs, I force my way across the walkway and down the stairs with an iron grip. A child that falls ends up in my hand and I heave him up by the pit. He runs into his father''s grip, burdened by supplies and luggage. Taking one final look back towards my printing presses, I look beyond them and through the skylight.


    The giant''s head comes into view and the eyeless sockets seemingly meet my eyes. Gulping, I rush to join the rest of the group and pat a pair of lingerers on the back. The air-docks or the station, we have to get to either of them. The last few evacuation runs are about to depart.


    Somehow, we have to make it, we have to fight our way through the people fleeing with us. Not enough time has existed since the last Ibenorccon coin was loaded up and taken away without a life with it. Whatever help is coming, I cannot bank on its timely arrival. At least, my gut feeling is that.


    I need to have faith in His Royal Highness but when I can see what I can...


    Shaking my head, I remove my hand from my sidearm and watch someone fall. Rushing to their side, I pick them up, trembling alongside them as another foot hits the sand. The screaming picks up. With a harsh breath, I ignore the cold shiver washing over my skin.


    "Move quickly, everyone!" I let out to get some of this worry out of my system. I would love to scream, oh, I would so love to. However, with everyone depending on me, such childish behaviour must not come out. We need to run and run fast.


    "Adriant...? ADRIANT!?" screams one of the mothers. Skidding to a burning halt, I pass on what I can to the others. I stop to grab the whimpering woman.


    "Where is he?" I ask, looking back when I catch the sound of crying. Did one of the children get trapped or did they freeze up in the stampede out of the building?


    "I DON''T KNOW! HE WAS RIGHT H-HERE!" she screams and I give her a gentle slap.


    "Go, I will get him. GO!" I tell her, yelling it in repetition when she seems to not hear. Gulping again, I take in the admitted majesty of the giant as its power finally reaches the city. Whoever planned on dying with the mountain is now probably dead, their last chat reaching a forced end. I growl.


    My legs smash down with all the force they can and my heart pumps with arcane might. Jhrarda bless my body. God of Might, bless this body. Give me the strength I need.


    Screeching into the building once again as all sorts smash about, I look around, "ADRIANT!"


    "MOMMY!" the little boy howls from the other end of the building. Spotting the little problem, another falling crate scares him deeper into his cover. His coming place if doom if we stay. I roll out of the way of a loose pipe and hear it spark along the stone.


    Running along, another footfall makes me smash my hip against the main line. I hiss into clenched teeth and bounce out into the open, hands to the ground. Forcing myself up just in time, a rain of splinters soaks my back. I slap a grip onto the closest solid bit of material.


    "TAKE IT, NOW!" I roar at the scared child, diving in after him to drag him out. Whatever that bang is, it will have to wait. Noting the quiet child I now have and the swelling mark on his head, I shake my white-skinned one. A good lie will keep a woman''s scorn away.


    My eyes widen and I present my back to a flying typer. Taking the blow and putting it onto a knee, I bark in pain and get back up. Hobbling out initially, I make it out into the street which is certainly a lot more packed than before. I''m forced to wait at the edge of my building as those around damaged by the riots take an early fall.


    Whatever death those now immobile have experienced, it''s surely better than what''s coming. Another step from the giant, all the more noticeable thanks to its imminence. Some of the city starts to collapse its way, the supports underneath gone. Another step and it catches up to the stragglers.


    Though those ahead are screaming more than ever, there''s no sound that far out. Clicking my tongue and minding my gun, I get going. Keeping my head down and focused on the streets, my mind recalls all it can. Every bit of training, every survival instinct and moment I was put to the test. Shoulders knock luggage and people aside and my legs carry me further than they ever have prior.


    Railman''s View Tower comes into sight somehow about the out-of-control fires. Finding an alley where the police barricades have been trampled, I rush up onto the chainlink. Jumping down, it whips back at someone following and they wail. A looted shop thankfully lights up my path and I dash in, forcing my sprint out of the next broken door.


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    I spot my group as they fight to secure a place in the queue.


    Crossing the gap, I pass on the child and draw my gun in the confusion. Firing off a couple shots, I shock some sense back into those around me and make my way to the few estate guard holding a small checkpoint. From the safety of their little castle, they keep shaking their guns at the warping lines of fences and barricades. Our eyes lock once the one in the booth spots my barbur.


    "Get this thing open!" I want to roar as an alarm rings.


    "ATTENTION ALL MILITARY PERSONNEL, FINAL DEPARTURE! REPEAT, FINAL DEPARTURE!" a man roars with all the pent-up stress in his system. Blinking in disbelief, I watch as the few men we can see board the picked clean air-docks. People all around start to scream again with all they have and I blink some more at the departing airship. A crowd once held back back armed men chases after it, many leaping for the airship and not making it.


    Looking back towards the giant as another swathe of the city finds itself gone... I... I nod. A few more steps and that''s my implant cover gone.


    "What... What''re we going to do?" one of my engineer''s questions as I quietly shuffle over to the final edge of the city. That is a good question, what are we going to do? Whatever incompetence or malice drove the government to behave the way it did has doomed so many. All they care about now is getting as many trained bodies out of here as possible.


    "So many airships and they all just left..." a young boy languishes, but one of many who have joined me here. Some get a little too proactive and throw themselves down to an early death, their mouths unending in their panic. I frown at the distant airships, something is not quite right with them. I notice something.


    "The giant... It''s stopped." I let out loud enough for people to hear and some join me in looking back the way we came. The footfalls, they''ve ended. It''s not coming closer and no more of the city is vanishing. Instead, we get the spectacle of watching the giant raise its blade defensively and it backs away.


    Defensively...?


    Defensively!


    I snap back to the edge of the city and smile at the horizon as it becomes all the clearer. Most of those airships are not heading away from the city, no, they''re coming here. The shape, the brightness of the power carrying them on their six legs. It''s a whole fleet of New Stories and more!


    "HEY, EVERYONE, THOSE ARE WARSHIPS! WE HAVE WARSHIPS COMING IN!" a man howls back into the crowd.


    "WHY''RE THEY ONLY JUST COMING NOW!?" one person dares to ask.


    "I... I..." the man with the binoculars whimpers, the device returning to his eyes, "It''s the Seven-Peaks Union..."


    "The Union...?" is all it takes for all sorts of rumours and lies to already spread. All the while, my smile grows ever more and the excitement washes away the fear-induced adrenaline.


    "BROADSIDE!" a man roars and panic drives the crowd back into the city. They might not be soldiers, but, they know the phrase for readied guns. Staying close to the wall myself, I watch as thousands of guns present themselves. A fitting name shining bright before us, Armed Saviour.


    Their elevation is too low for the giant, it''s all aimed right at the city. I look over to the air-docks and note how small they really are in comparison. Emergency construction work needs to take place. Life-saving demolition!


    "EVERYONE BACK NOW! GET BACK NOW!" I roar, firing off my gun at the edge of the crowd to force them back. I join them, much to their utter confusion and a few smart ones catch on. They join me in corralling the crowd back as the closest New Story lights up. Distorted singing speeds closer and closer and then-


    Detonations rip across the city as the roar of engines breaks through. Armour scrapes into the stone and the road cracks as the jaws of the ramps snap into them. Braves rush down to the streets, colours flying proudly and they open the paths up with welcoming arms. It only takes the first motion from the closest Great Man for the crowds to flee for their lives.


    Holding my ground against the tide of people barging past me. I realise that it''s not a particularly smart idea and rush up onto a dented lamp post. Hauling up, I watch the skies with a smile as hundreds of warships sail above the city. I catch the giant backing away further and the airships all open fire.


    New Story flying batteries. Stormmaker omni-ships. Eyes of Mighty Jhrarda on the underbellies of the clouds. Percher-class aircraft carriers, the full might of the...


    "BLESSINGS TO YOU! BLESSINGS TO THE SAILORS OF THE ROYAL AIR-NAVY OF THE JHERMONIKRA!" I cry out with all I have as the shadow of His Royal Highness'' flagship comes into view. The weapons of the Endearing Fury light up, scooping up the nearby mountain ranges and bringing them right down on the giant. New Stories thunder and volley with the roars of three thousand guns aside. Wind magic of all loads builds up.


    The giant roars and tunnels its way back into the open, sword going straight through a warship. His Lunar Majesty''s steel holds and the lost ship unloads all it can as shields and armour fail. One more airship meets its doom in the crushing free hand of the giant. Small omni-ships barely have time to get away as the giant''s lightning reflexes come into play.


    The excitement neutered somewhat, I make my way to the next evacuation ship. What appears to be the omni-ship''s sky-captain marches down the ramp. His guard forces the evacuees into a single file and he offers me a salute and a package. Taking the tablet out of his hands, I meet the eyes of one of my confused workers.


    "Sky-Captain." I greet with a nod as one of his men snatches away my barbur as proof of my identity. The Sky-Captain notes the burst barrels and hands it back. He returns my earlier gesture and waves for me to follow.


    "Come, we have much to do." the air-naval officer tells me and I follow after, becoming one of the last to leave the city of Ullernam. If there''s anyone else still here, I doubt the Royal Air-Navy is keen to linger even with such a fleet holding the giant back. I let out a noise of surprise as the omni-ship''s boarding ramp comes back in before my last foot is on.


    I block off the lever to seal the elongated, balloon-shaped craft and watch the giant. Under the hail of fire, even with its ability to slaughter our nation''s finest metalworking... Despite that power, it starts to back away. Like a man realising he''s bit off more than he can chew, it leaps away to land on a different course.


    A fireball erupts in the clouds.


    I move my hand and let the shadow-faced soldier do his job. My eyes meet those of some of my employees again and I straighten my suit out. Offering them one final nod, I make it as clear as I can that they can now consider themselves jobless. Looking at my package, I unbind it and begin to read it over, the tablet''s name catching my attention the most.


    Operation Grand Clock Seizure.

 Incline 26: Grandguard Inerish

    "I... I don''t get it. This doesn''t make any sense in the slightest...?" I ponder openly from within the comfort of my office. Well, comfort may not be the best description for this place. It''s a prison. Though I can rest in here, I cannot escape the sprawling network of information designed to reach me.


    The Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra has invaded.


    An abrupt end has put a stop to the Theocracy-Union War and now there are warships all over the country. We''ve been so focused on the giant that reports regarding troop build-ups have been completely ignored. But, I don''t get it. Why would they invade before we''ve even clawed our way to victory against the giant?


    My spies are reporting that Thurn''s Forge still stands, the Valkinvar are still around. Every bit of ground that has been lost in their war will now be retaken. Whatever allowed the Union their advantage is now impotent. They won''t be able to end this war in a quick, fashionable time.


    Their rear is completely exposed and it will only take the Valkinvar a few nights to lick their wounds and fly. So many airships have flooded into Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst''s borders. The emergency communication lines won''t shut up. It''s much the same in our vassals and allied mountain-states.


    We don''t have the men to respond to such an attack in any of our cities. For some reason as well, we''re getting barely anything from the front. The airships are just passing by with no resistance in the slightest. Never mind the garrison of Union troops in Suhurlodst directly.


    Yet, also, not a peep has come from them, that garrison and their airship have not moved. Are they not aware of what is going on? Do I gather what men I can and take the young prince as hostage? Will Suhurlodst resist my efforts in a motion to preserve their sovereignty?


    I don''t know...


    I squeeze my head tight and sigh, my eyes closing up as heat builds. Hissing my next breath, I blink my water-edged view back to some normality. Get things under control. I need to... How am I...?


    "DAMMIT!" I roar, clearing my desk of all its crap and smashing it across the walls. Bringing a fist up, I control myself just in time to stop a flaming fist snapping it in half. I opt for simply attempting to flip it instead. But, I can''t find the strength in me, it just lifts up and slams back down onto its front legs.


    Returning my eyes to my map as it erratically updates with the positions of the Union fleets, I shiver. I cannot form a battleline of any sort out of this, there''s nowhere but the West that I can do something. Problem with the West is that if we huddle up there, we''d lose most of the country and they only need to break through in one spot. I would be in charge of a last stand with flying batteries closing in like a claustrophobic nightmare.


    I blink and frown at the reports of the heaviest Union activity. It''s all in the south of the country, near where the giant''s reported to be. Maybe I can pull troops back from there and let the giant catch the unsuspecting invaders by surprise. May- no, no... I already had to write off cities because we couldn''t evacuate them in time.


    Do we just roll over and accept the occupation, squeeze it of what manpower we can? Letting the Union suddenly have their hands full with the giant would allow me to rebuild my forces. I could muster them into an army strong enough to finish off the giant and cripple the Union. It''s never been my goal to seek territory yet gutting the Union of some of their land to make up for what we have lost is an option.


    But, there''s no way I will be convincing anyone to go through with such a plan. It doesn''t matter if I have all the authority needed to get what I need done, it doesn''t matter. Especially if I use it to allow this country to fall when the position exists to ensure it will not! I need to figure out what can be sacrificed and what I can do.


    The Gnomon is always available as a last resort, however, I am not sure I can make much use of it now. We''ve been utterly blindsided and such a powerful weapon would just gut this country more. It needs to be used as a First Strike, not as a backfooted swing. There''s too much magic to have it be used like a scalpel.


    Gods and goddesses above, is this it?


    This is how the Dual-Republic of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst falls, the end of one of Jherikra''s great powers. I guess it''s fitting we fall like this, in a time so tumultuous it will only be compared to the Time of Liquid Mountains or the Dietic Betrayal. Though history will remember me as the one at the helm of this country''s death, it will not be foul to me. I mean, how can it be?


    How can anyone be expected to salvage a situation as dire as this?


    In order to save lives, it may be necessary for us to roll over and expose our tender bellies. Lower the flags and open the gates. Disarmament will come before death. With wounded pride, we all shall live to see a future for our home.


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    I frown and look away from any sign of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst''s presence. This isn''t my homeland, it is not my country, I just work here. Even now I will not flee but still, all this effort to preserve something I can throw away. I can''t help but doubt the point in my work when there''s so little worth fighting for.


    My reputation? It''s a joke these days, I was brought in to handle something and I failed. We only got anywhere with the handling of Smiling Jhurack because he took an interest in the Dark Crow. That osibindah annoyance is why this city even found itself free of such nightly terror.


    If only my solution was as easy as it was back then. Throw a single, powerful body at it and watch the problems melt away. Unfortunately, I am not insane and I cannot believe the fantasy of it no matter how hard I try. The end is coming and I have to make a choice between two foul options.


    Fight the giant with the help of the Union or rally every child, woman and man to fight both?


    "I will be murdered in my sleep and the world will cheer as the bloody knife is presented. My death-soaked sheets will be postered on every street and in every newstablet." I let out with a dreary sigh. Whatever my future has in stock for me, I suppose it''s now time I go and present myself to the officers.


    Reaching the door, I grow hesitant and the weak grip I have slips off. My expression goes blank and I look down to the floor, shoulders coming up to shield my unseen face. I turn away and return to my sofa to clutch it. The first sniffle marks only the beginning.


    Whimpers turn to sobs, tremours into full quakes and everything comes out. I can''t do this. I''m trying everything I can with all the tools at my disposal and it''s only getting worse. If I can''t handle the situation at its simplest, how am I supposed to handle it now?


    Just the giant alone when it was known to only limp across the land was too much. Then, it leapt onto my army and wiped them out. It reduced cities to dust by simple, mere proximity. Now, right after I sign the death warrant of so many to avoid one war, I am dragged into one with another lot.


    I should''ve just told the Ibenoroccon Embassy to flee across the All-Coast and back to their masters. At least in such a war, I could''ve found us easy allies and the Gnomon would actually accomplish something. The Grand-Kingdom could sail the mightiest fleet to our shores and I would have the world become glass before the first boot hit the beach.


    If I did that, I wouldn''t be hearing rumours of mutiny. I wouldn''t be dealing with backlash day in and day out from everyone. I''ve allowed so many to die because of worries regarding a country half a world away. The newstablets are all reporting it and the riots are amplifying the information.


    Families shoved aside for foreigners, gold and treasure focused over children and babies. Children and babies. The riots might''ve spiked around Ipannicano but they''re fine. It''s all so clear to the people now, the special privileges a bunch of foreigners have.


    Even with it not being all my fault, the crowds are calling for my head. Orders aren''t reaching the men as clearly and the city is locking down harder than ever. Why would anyone honour their oaths when they''re guarding someone like me? Who knows how many families I have destroyed because I let the Ambassador have what he wanted?


    Too many, that''s what.


    Slipping my soaked expression back into view, I sniffle and begin to wipe my features down with whatever. Ruining my make-up is simply a path to a more thorough cleaning of the face. Clenching the wipes tightly I throw them into a nearby bin and snap to my feet with a shaking core. So many bad emotions in need of getting out that I am just bottling.


    Sneering at the closest mirror, I straighten myself out as much as I can and finally open the door.


    "Grandguard!" my secretary goes, her back almost giving out from the amassed crowd at her desk. Freezing up a little, I meet the eyes of everyone present and my brow starts to set.


    "Conference room, now." I order and thankfully, they all listen. The group vanishes and I take a few steps forward that suddenly fail. By the grace of the gods and goddesses, only my secretary sees me fall and she rushes over.


    "Are you alright, Grandguard Inerish?" she asks me and I shiver out a slow nod.


    "No... No, I am not. But, I need to..." I answer incompletely, a hand clutching my wobbling head as my eyes fade between light and dark. My magic is certainly not responsible and I don''t recall ever feeling light-headed because of it. I find myself on a nearby waiting sofa and a glass of water appears.


    Taking the drink, I put most of it down my throat quickly and cough a bit. I don''t think I can do this anymore. I need a way out of this whole situation. Something to take the stress of it all away so I can go home or leave the country.


    "By the way, Grandguard Inerish, before you head off to your meeting... This came to us from the Union Embassy." my secretary explains and a hefty tablet is handed over. Noting the untouched seal, I pop it open and slip the magic-rich stone out. Reading through it, I note the royal seal and decor that punctuates much of the material.


    At the very end of the skimmed message, a signature, one belonging to... His Royal Highness, the Prince to Ascend Jhrartur. The Royal Admiral.


    A message from the one most likely in charge of this abrupt invasion of Thrurstradtur''s land?


    I pack the tablet back into the packaging and heft it into my secure grip. Getting back up onto my wobbly feet, I decide to bring it into the meeting with me. I will read it and pretend it''s just an urgent report as those in the conference room elucidate their fears and other concerns. Something from the eldest prince of the Seven-Peaks Union at a time like this is not something I can look over.


    "Unless it is me, keep this place locked up." I order my secretary and I close the door behind me. Sighing out what stress I can, I mind the glares many are giving me in their so blatant manner. Few observe the usual protocol and the guards act like someone is out of line to get out of saluting. Emergency power only matters for as long as the men under my command are willing.


    A mood change is all that is needed for a rebellion or mutiny.

 Incline 27: The Prince-to-Ascend, Jhrartur

    "So the city is prepared for my arrival." I remark quietly as I keep my hands on my sword. The sheath wobbles despite my efforts to prevent my tired, weak body from expressing itself. Glancing out of the small aircraft''s window, I look out to the next great mountain-state to become part of the Union''s fold. Soon, once this giant is dealt with, the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra shall be whole.


    Unified and stronger than ever, we shall cast off the legacy the Grand-Kingdom of Ibenorocco has so thoroughly drowned us in. But, for now, the support of the now-falling republic shall do. I am wise to make sure the land knows of the treachery that the Gnomon has inflicted upon its people. The ocean''s treasure before the lives of our brothers and sisters.


    I make a quick gesture to Jhrarda the Mighty, silently asking for his power as the aircraft lands. A man not of my army rushes to open the door and the Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst state guards shuffle back. Noting the cog-shaped plume on one of their helmets, I approach him. More and more details potentially signifying his officership come into view, fine etchings and historical references.


    He offers a salute in the style of his slated-for-disposal culture and I interrupt the motion. Taking him by the forearm, I bring him in close and our armour sings. One free hand pats his back and I release the farcical display of respect. All across the city is much the same, the country even.


    I arrived with promises of vengeance towards the foreigners who beat back terrified families. Whatever foolishness compelled the government, I am here to reap the weakness it has bloomed. But, first, I must let the whole country know what we are here for. Reporters from all over the city and beyond start to land behind me.


    "Guide me to the Ibenoroccon fortress. Guide my footmen to the dangers enthralling the city. Put our supplies into the bellies of the needy." I explain to the Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst state guards and most of them file off to do as they''re told. Stopping in my tracks, I glance up at my next destination. Midday is the most perfect time to assert my control over the city.


    The Gnomon couldn''t be more clearer to the world and I shall break the will of those inside. Those who continue to resist will receive their pardons as is due and the Clockwork Republic shall be no more. The people here and throughout the country, from the bastions of the north watching the Valkinvar''s Trail and south to the great, walled cities of the Dragonguard Mountains. Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst shall be saved from its own evils and those that remain unknown to me.


    My spies have done well keeping me in the loop and I have many discoveries to pass onto those handling the country''s response. However, I need that response to continue and to now be done in conjunction with my own. The Gnomon must fall swiftly and it will broadcast the country''s surrender and all will hear. I will tolerate these rioters and any traitors who spawn from this event no more.


    "So here it is, the portion of the upper city under the occupation of our oppressors. Of those who would see us drowning once again..." I comment, smashing my sword against the road and shaking the city. A disgusting, repressed sight comes into view along with weapons I have long since stopped dreading. Once, they barred me from my freedom and saw me onto the ferry home like a prisoner changing facilities. Now, they''re nothing.


    "The district of Ipannicano is protected land under the grace of the Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst government! Any attempt to breach our walls will be seen not only as a declaration of war on the Grand-Kingdom of Ibenorocco but also the hosting country as well!" a sand-tanned man with a pompous, aigrette-decorated turban explains.


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    Looking around at the people of the city looking at me and my men, I start to laugh. Strength returns to my body for just this one act of joy and I throw an armoured hand up into the air. My Heir Emerald light outshines the creation of the gods who abandoned us and I raise it high. Its great might nurtures those of great blood and it pricks away at the invaders.


    I take in a deep breath and present a spell to my lips, "PEOPLE OF THRURSTRADTUR-SUHURLODST, I AM THE DESIGNATED PRINCE WHO WILL ASCEND, JHRARTUR. HIS LUNAR MAJESTY HAS COME TO SAVE YOU AND I ASK OF YOU, GREAT PEOPLE... HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT THOSE WHO DROWNED YOUR ANCESTORS HAVE DONE SO AGAIN? YOUR FAMILIES LIE BROKEN APART FOR THE FOREIGN-BORN HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO TAKE THEIR TREASURE TO SAFETY BEFORE THE LIVES OF THOSE LOST! PEOPLE OF ALL THRURSTRADTUR-SUHURLODST, LET ME HEAR YOUR FEELINGS!"


    Quiet overtakes the city in its entirety. From the mechanical peaks and the hidden chambers all the way down to the city''s deepest depths at the base of the mountain. All that makes noise is the machine that cannot comprehend the beauty of our god-given voices. Whispers, mutters, they''re speaking up!


    "OUT WITH THEM!" the city answers back and I smile, my makeshift cane finding itself now a means to knock. With but a gentle one, the gates to this fortress blow open with a sapper''s strength. Winds carry it further and doors throughout the district smash open.


    "LET THEM KNOW OF YOUR STRENGTH, JHERMONIKRA!" I encourage and the silent order is given to my freshly bolstered army to assail the walls of the invaders. The roars of millions tear into this thin, glass jar and scatter it across the winds. Rain is not free to fall where it wants, the wind must carry it where it will go.


    Where it must go...


    I start to whistle my next set of orders to my footmen and braves. They move ahead with the redirected riots and vengeful, guilt-ridden soldiers of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst. Those who would fight are to be cut down, their blood a message to evil across the All-Coast. The rest shall be torn from their families and homes much like I and so many have been because of a millennia-old fear.


    Through the might given unto us at the dawn of the Emerald Awakening by Jhrarda the Mighty... I shall avenge all wrongs forced onto us by the invader. The colour of sapphire will not stain our mountains anymore. For those who have drowned, we shall fight.


    "Bring me the Ambassador, bring me the source of the order." I speak out into the streets, riling up the sabres as they rattle. And, to my delight, theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and thrive. Let the whole world know we Jhermonikra shall no longer be slaves to our past. Let them all know!


    Sensing the swift siege bringing down the Ibenoroccon Embassy''s walls, I make haste. What strength I can spare hobbles me along the busy streets. Men roar in defiance, women scream in terror and babes cry for it all to stop. The foreign troops that held back the families of this land are torn apart.


    I smirk up at the Gnomon, for I have spoken to the people and they call for a true ruler. One who has the blood of the Lone Lancer flowing through his veins. He who was there at the start of it all, when our beloved saviour mountain finally awoke. Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra, I honour you.


    "WH-WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!? HOW DARE YOU SET FOOT ON THESE GROUNDS! HIS GRE-" the blob of a man roars in defiance, his intelligence quite low. I drive my backhand across his cheek and soak the road further in water-powered blood. A few teeth as well.


    The jabbering jaw holds the man in a state of paralysis and I draw my blade. I present it to my side and look into the man''s eyes. The power he once thought he commanded is no longer steeling them. They''re quaking, much like our land did under the torrents of life-hungry waves.


    My power focuses through the forward blade of my sabre, "Spend the years sailing back home across your ''divine destiny,'' reach the shores of your home and spread my message..."


    "Your... You- ah... Your insolence shall be punished!" he spits, staining my pale skin with but the first drop of blood I intend to extract from his people. So many to avenge, so many to honour long after they can hear me. For everyone we lost in the Time of Liquid Mountains... For all the humiliation we of the First Continent have had to endure.


    "Tell your king, Jherikra will have freedom!" I order him, slashing out his eyes.

 Incline 28: The Prince-to-Ascend, Jhrartur

    Walking through the gunfire, I stride past the few soldiers of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst who still fight. I limply move a hand near and disarm them quickly and without hassle. Shattered weapons cover the floor and they back away, hands raised as my footmen follow through. My collection of prisoners grows and with each step I take, more of the Gnomon falls.


    Rooms ahead surrender without firing a shot and several turn to infighting to secure my passage. All heard me during the storming of the invader''s fortress, all with heart can sympathise. The rumours are true about this soon-to-be-gone republic, wisdom is a sought-after virtue. The average man has vision for what exists beyond the moment.


    Coming to a stop, I gesture for the pair of braves closest to me to bring up their prisoner. One of the members of the Clockwork Council, I will have them all in their chamber. They will hear what I have to say and I will see to it that my will is done. Nothing shall prevent me from doing what must be done.


    Alarms blare from the building''s core and several corridors ahead lock down. So tight, in fact, that I can no longer feel the natural breeze of this gigantic structure. I could break it down with but a simple wave, however, I feel it necessary to allow the people a short time to think. My destruction of this country shall be entirely limited to the government ruling it, not the people it is made up of or those that enable its ending life.


    "Show my men to your chamber if it can still be reached. I will be having words with you all." I explain to the sweaty politician and I hobble off to tour these halls while there''s time. Digging a finger into one of the wall panels, I flick it off and tap my sword on the ground with a ting. One hand comes to my chin and I guide the hairs of it down into a rigid form.


    Now the Gnomon will soon be mine, perhaps I will be able to see what makes the legendary weapon work. Hearing of it firing twice within my lifetime is already exciting enough but to have recordings of how the city itself changes. All of it starts here, within these bronze and brass-coloured walls. Mother copper must be so proud her weak, ductile form gave rise to such a grand, strong design.


    Though, unlike with the giant, I cannot think too much of what I could use such power for. Perhaps, this elusive group known as the Guiders of the Gnomon shall turn themselves over to me. My future plans can make use of the Gnomon''s weapon but I need more details. If they''re bound only to defend the lands of the Dual-Republic of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst... Then I guess I can adjust to it.


    It''s a disappointment, potentially not being able to use this weapon to secure the future of all Jhermonikra. But, if my body is not up to the task, if my mind fails and the people fall. A weapon of this scale shall rake our shores clean of all assault. No lander shall unload its throthing bounty of pirates and invaders.


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    I will have it carve up the lands if I need to and the waters shall be drained away. Never again shall the peaks be our only refuge. Though we scorn those in the ravines, we will join them. The wilderness of our valleys and plains shall become tamed and known.


    My sword taps, "Now, I do believe I have matters to attend to."


    Taking a quick glance at the unarmed workers peeking out from their offices, I get on with it. Feeling out through the network controlling my troops, I find the braves tasked with escort duty. Making my way quickly through the Gnomon and paying for it dearly with many bodily pains, I reach the chamber. Clasping the wall, my moment of lapsing energy makes my grip a bit too strong.


    There seems to be some confusion as to which politician takes what seat...


    "It matters not where you sit, only that you listen!" I speak up, taking advantage of the speaker''s platform presented before the aloft great table. Hm, how quaint. The Clockwork Council is in an elevated position that lets them surround and gaze down upon the one called before them.


    I have to admit, it''s not nearly as terrifying as being under the light of His Lunar Majesty during a session at the Mountain of the Union. There are so many more eyes there. No matter how hushed your voice or slight the movement... They all see although it''s a completely carved open mountain.


    "To not even make a declaration of war before you march on us without even finishing what came before..." one of the politicians hiss and I look him over. I suppose a country doesn''t do much to change the way this kind of people look or behave. No matter, I shall rearrange the lot of them when this current crisis ends. I will even finish that war he thinks he can chide me over.


    Jherikra will be united, the Jhermonikra will no longer turn on each other like pawns in a great game. The Grand-Kingdom wants us disunited, they do not want us to form into something greater. Though we lost the ancient war so spectacularly, I know they do not truly think it was easy. My political imprisonment taught me so much about their minds.


    Fear, they fear a challenge to their power! Not just a contienental hegemon here, but one under each other magic heart. Mountains of lightning, fire, light and dark.


    "I will make this quick and simple to understand. Surrender your country over to the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra. Swear your loyalty to His Lunar Majesty and let us put an end to this excessive loss of life and homeland." I tell them and they seem to share the same thought. The quiet cracks away to reveal nervous chuckling.


    "For all your spies and means with information, you are missing a key detail right now." what I want to assume is the Stroke of High Noon remarks.


    "Ah, yes, of course, the Emergency Powers Act. The sacrifice of democracy on the alter of security, for a short time of crisis, of course." I scoff back and I turn to leave. Guess I have only one person to talk to and I suppose that makes things all the easier. Here I thought I needed all these politicians to make it happen, but, legitimacy is in the hands of the Grandguard.


    An Errakurd, hm.


    "Do you hear me, Grandguard Inerish?" I ask, forcing my voice through any opening it can find.

 Incline 29: Grandguard Inerish

    Flinching at the voice calling out to me, I settle down and grip my desk. This is it, the big day that tablet warned me about. The Union flew into the city and have barely met any resistance, just like the prince said they would. All over the city''s news channels is their triumph over the Ibenoroccons, everyone is turning on me.


    "I can hear you, what do you want?" I ask a bit pointlessly as I already know. The prince wants to add this country to the imperial grip of his own. Our weakness left us wide open for him to walk right in. No, my mistake turned the country against my efforts.


    "Right now, an in-person conversation." the prince answers as I bring up my security screens. Those where my troops are falling vanish and it''s just him, a cripple of unimaginable power. It''s hard to comprehend how someone this strong can look the way he does. I''ve seen the reports, even his younger brother ranks incomparably high on all sorts of nonsensical magic metrics.


    "No, I will stay where I am." I tell him and his tired body puts in what effort it can to shrug off my response.


    "No matter, I shall have what I want." he comments as I frown.


    "And what do you want, Prince?" I ask, noting the tendrils of magic securing themselves on my office''s ventilation. So, that''s how he''s able to talk to me, huh? His aura has spread throughout the entire Gnomon like a parasite and now it is stealing the nutrition of our words. Orders being spoken, sections being cut out, he can hear it all in real-time and react with an army of slaves. The way the Union army has changed since this prince took charge is known to me.


    These past few years have been quite the detailing in how beneficial his efforts have been. Soldiers who will keep on fighting until they have truly died, overpowering all pain and instinct. There are so many analogies I can think of and the one that sticks to me the most is those of a story. The characters within and what they do, he is their author and his hand is supreme even above the gods and goddesses.


    "What I want, Grandguard Inerish, is to save my homeland. It is in danger, so much danger and I must supplant the current powerbase to save so many." he waxes grandiosely as his physical behaviour starts to edge on seeming timid. But, no, I know better. Whatever ails him so, that is what is dictating his posture right now, not doubt. How can anyone doubt themselves as they swoop in without a stiff breeze to stop them?


    "And to do so, you want me to surrender the Dual-Republic of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst over in its entirety."


    "Precisely." he answers, a slight jump in his sword shaking the whole building. It hasn''t been that long in reality since the last fight that left a chunk of this place lying in the rubble.


    "I do no-"


    "But you do! The Emergency Powers Act, the right to a dictatorship. The people cannot stand against you, they can only listen."


    "You have only gotten so far because they have turned on me." I remind him and I can hear his chuckles.


    "Yes, you made quite the mistake. But, I cannot blame you, I can only thank you. Even His Lunar Majesty obliges the Grand-Kingdom of Ibenorocco. I know first hand..." the prince admits, one hand clutching the other as he remembers what must be so humiliating to him.


    "And what makes you think you can stand against them? The war I sought to avoid you have now brought to all of Jherikra. Your country is the undisputed master of the continent, the Ibenoroccons only have one target." I point out, glaring at his magic while I watch him smirk on the other side of the screen.


    "But, what I have will save us all. Let their battleships roar, let the marines pack the landing craft. Let them come, let -The- Royal Navy shatter upon the crags of my homeland. Let the world break their dominion apart. After all, only one needs to be strong enough to allow the carrion to finish off the great beast." he explains and I shake my head.


    "You won''t have much of a force to fight them with by the time the giant reaches this mountain." I snort, hedging on my pessimism and the unstoppable nature of the unknown monster. What could this prince possibly hope to bring to the field that we have not already?


    "We shall see. The full military might of the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra has never been seen. Total war is not something the world has seen from us just yet. I am no fool despite what you all might be thinking. The Valkinvar will not rip out my army''s spine. You will not trip us. The giant will not see us fade to dust. We will never drown again. Not the land, not a single household who dared to spit in the presence of an invading foreigner of a watery land." he insists and I sigh on my way to my chair. Collapsing into it, I look at my reports.


    "Can you do it, can you accomplish what I have failed at?" I ask him, recalling too many names in this flashing minute alone. All that has been lost under my stewardship, it''s too much to bear.


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    "We shall see. Surrender the country into the folds of His Lunar Majesty and I promise you shall see the resources of the Greats at your disposal. Airshipyards, factories and farms. Your problems will be dampened on the bountiful breast of our nearly four-millennia-old kingdom." he assures me and I look once again to the path of the giant. The Union somehow managed to push it back onto its old route. The giant is back in line with our prior projections, before the leap.


    Its old, manageable pace...


    Covering my face and sighing into it, I feel the prince''s magic draw closer like a comforting hand. It slithers against me, tendering my soft skin with an unending reminder of how little I am in comparison. I should thank the heavens that hold the gods and goddesses that this power is here to save. If it were to destroy, everyone here would be dead, never to be found by Undwote.


    "All I have to do is give you my word and this will all no longer be my problem?" I ask, choking back my emotions with a wipe of the eyes.


    "No, not entirely, Grandguard Inerish. You will remain, just not as dictator." he explains and I look up to face his magic. If he can feel out for me, he can see me. Right?


    "If I surrender this city, I will be killed. The people want my blood, they have had for years. For every life I have failed to keep warm in my time as grandguard, more and more have come to resent me."


    "You will not, after all, I have many uses for a woman of your talents. The victory at the Field of Spikes and Geysers is something we''d all be wise to pay attention to." he explains and I frown at his reference. My victory at some formerly unnamed place, one simply a part of the greater Moltenbelly Hills. It was so early in my career as well. How''d he even find out?


    "Of all the things to reference, you speak of something not even those in my homeland found to be impressive. I too, think little of it."


    "Because you have much to learn, Grandguard Inerish. You took such bare supplies and achieved a victory with barely a scratch upon your forces. The very power of your home brought you peace."


    "There''s nothing unique about it, cracker spikes are not some ingenious invention by me. They''re long-serving, common tools used by every force. If you''re trying to flatter me, you are failing." I want to snarl but the fact he even knows about such an obscure, early victory is... Strange. I don''t know what to think of it.


    The prince tuts, "Oh, Grandguard Inerish... I am disappointed in you. Nonetheless, I have uses for you. You are a very experienced commander with a record well worth talking about in study."


    "The only thing worth talking about is my failure which is all the world shall hear about."


    "Do not be so harsh on yourself, people are quick to judge without knowing everything anyway." he encourages as my posture grows weak and I melt into the chair. Putting its hinges to the limit, I frown and then sigh. He''s not wrong but when people are like that, the truth means nothing, only the belief of it.


    "What assurances do I have that you will follow through with my duty as you suggest you will? As Grandguard Inerish, I have my word and honour to keep to. Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst is in my care."


    "Has the blood of Jherikra not already been spilt to push the giant back onto its path?" he reminds me and I start to nod.


    "Very well, make your way to the command centre. I will surrender the city to you and we can begin with..."


    "Annexation." he finishes, his magic slipping away like slime on a drain opening. Another sigh escapes me and I override much of the Gnomon''s security. Disabling and reversing all that comes between the Union''s forces and full dominance of the building and its charge. Stepping out to the front of my office, my secretary snaps up, her arms frantically gesturing to the magic keeping all doors wide open.


    "Do not worry, please, just wait." I tell her and the confused woman returns to her seat as the last echoes of gunfire reach us. The noise we were once hidden from is now free to come all the way to the top of the Gnomon. The screams are coming to an end and I can hear each little yelp and noise. ''What''s going on!?'' they all ask.


    Arriving at the command centre, many of them turn away from their locked-out terminals. They look to me for answers and I have only one to give in a time like this. Minding my heavy heart, I approach my chair and begin to prepare the Gnomon for its new master. There is no future for the Dual-Republic, today, it falls.


    "I swear on my name, Inerish Dakrid of Errakur to protect and hold all of the Dual-Republic of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst dear to my heart. I shall sweat, bleed and cry in her defence and those of her people. Its lands shall be treated as my own and those who farm, mine and build upon it are to be my brothers and sisters. Let all who would threaten this land face my sword on the field and my mind on campaign. Let no option be withheld from me or beyond my approach. I shall give my all to ensure the lands are saved, I will give my all..." I recount, letting my initial oath to becoming the Grandguard take me over.


    They all watch me in disbelief, their insults cannot stop me.


    "In the defence of this country, I shall take on any burden. To ensure the continuation of the repub-... The survival of the people and their way of life, I shall do what needs to be done." I finish, growing increasingly quiet as a few guards step in to keep me safe. Somehow, despite what I have done and what I am doing now, some of my men are still willing to stand by my side. They keep those turning on me away and one, a veteran of many years looks me in the eye. He gives me a little nod, his mind already aware of what I must do.


    The Dual-Republic will fall.


    "Attention all who can hear me. You will lay down your weapons and cease fighting. This is Grandguard Inerish and through the powers given to me through our state of emergency, I announce the immediate surrender of the Dual-Republic of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst. By my word and the backing of Union troops, all remaining lands are now..." I stop before I can even finish, my hand slipping from the button. Covering my eyes, I start to whimper and then cry for all to see. The noise around the room begins to stop and I can hear them step away.


    I''m sorry...


    "I''m... I''m sorry..." I tell this proud people as marching thunders down the halls. Lightning the sound of a swordly cane strikes and a prince steps foot into the command centre. His hand grips my shoulder and even he gets to see how pathetic I am. He squeezes gently, a reassuring and triumphant smile on his face as shadow-faced soldiers move past.

 Incline 30: Grandguard Inerish

    "I can find you other accommodations if you''d like?" I ask the Jhermonikra prince as he continues to read through the tablets I brought him earlier. He''s asked for a fair bit and there has been some whiplash on my end as my workload has so abruptly ended. He''s assured me thus far that I am to remain in a pseudo-position that technically keeps me as Grandguard Inerish but... Well, I''ve only been his courier thus far.


    "No, this office suits me fine. That will be all, Grandguard Inerish." he tells me and my back straightens while a scowl sets in. He tries to keep himself invested in his reading but with each shifting of the eyes, his impatience grows. The tablet in his hands goes onto the desk and he leans forward onto it, fingers locking. My desk creaks under the strain.


    "This is my office, so, I must insist we find you other accommodations." I point out and he nods.


    "You will insist nothing and you will do as you are told, now, seeing as you are causing me grief with this lingering..." he remarks and his hands get to work writing something up. A smaller tablet shoots up into the air and I catch the sudden projectile. I read it to see what I am probably going to end up delivering. It''s an order to change the prediction models we have on the giant.


    "What is the meaning of this? You''ve barely settled in and you''re already controlling everything like you know anything!" I snap, tempted to throw the tablet to the ground and shatter it.


    "You assume too much about what I do not know." he says, his hands clumsily going over my office''s control board so he can set up the maps. Tapping my foot, I wait for him to get somewhere and find it to be too far off for my limited patience. Rushing in to do the job myself, he finds the right keys at a most frustrating time.


    He matches my glare with an unamused, blank stare. The chair moves out a little and he seems to consider moving onto his feet. Slight movements seem to follow through with this idea but he just collapses in exhaustion. Simply, he opts for a limp gesture to the map as it builds up.


    "Your previous model was wrong. Switch the map to whatever settings are required to show only the roads, spiral-rail lines and air traffic ways." he orders and I fill in for his deficiency. The magic making up the map becomes hollow, more so a collection of lines that are easy to get lost in.


    "What is the point of this, exactly?" I ask, already spotting a fault in this plan his little notetablet is proposing. The giant is not only destroying everything for too far around it to reliably follow anything on the ground. It''s paid no heed to the airways and its initial advance was well out of the way of anything busy.


    "Bring the state of the map to your earliest records." he requests and I do, though, we do not have anything covering its exact awakening. The process and information flow meant the giant had already walked a fair distance by the time I could get eyes on it. Never mind the fact our early warnings came in the form of a dragon migration alarm, something those in the south have the means to begin handling.


    "This is our earliest map construction." I explain and he makes an attempt to point out a specific part.


    "I''ve done my research regarding the giant''s initial home. Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding had a student-led dig site in the region and a spiral-rail line existed in the area. The giant, for the most part, has been following that specific route. With the mountain-state of Grimmicksal happening to be on a direct path. I am willing to presume it is following a magic trail as recent events have convinced me it sees in a magic spectrum of some description. Much like an Aelenvari." he explains and I take it in.


    My eyes widen a little and I start to nod as what he''s saying is making a lot of sense. Even that leap that killed so many of my soldiers resulted in the giant tracing the path of the Gnomon''s weapon. Though, what events he is referring to I am utterly blind towards. The only atypical event that has occurred since the destruction of Ungzieluck is the Union''s arrival.


    "The giant was more than capable of destroying your baseline warships during your force''s first bout with it. So, I doubt it''s your walls of guns, cloud-walkers, smaller ships or carrier-types. Your flagship, however, that is quite the enigma, isn''t it?" I point out, cornering him into giving me an answer that will only confirm my suspicions.


    "Eugh, you think too much for your own good." the prince remarks annoyedly, tucking back into his work. Taking one more glance at his orders, I slot them away into a pocket and stand before him. Tightening my arms behind my back, I look down on the man.


    "My job requires me to be able to consider all things, military matters most essentially." I remind him in the event his royal blood has made his eyes stop working from how much sneering it makes him do.


    "And you will be mindful to keep a tight set of lips when it comes to my incomplete masterpiece." he warns, his rich, emerald hair shimmering with the heat I''d expect from a baking road.


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    "You deployed an incomplete warship to fight...?" I ask, dragging my thoughts out in disbelief.


    "It is not often I am able to test its weapon systems given the scale they''re designed for. The crew is also in need of good experience before my planned event. Now, get on with what I have asked y-"


    "No, I do not believe I will. Not until I get some answers and progression regarding this so-called integration of Thrurstradtur''s remaining capabilities with what you and your Union have brought." I interrupt, shining light on the fact his actions do not align with what he has been telling me. The Dual-Republic is gone, I am no longer under any emergency powers act. That authority died the night I let the prince in.


    The prince blinks in disbelief and seems to want to remark about it. Boiling away his anger, he throws the emotions aside and resets his mind. Blowing most of that agitation out, he retrieves something. It scrapes along my desk''s varnish.


    "Here is the list of tasks I am still in need of doing." he explains and I pick it up gently. I eye the lines his action left on my desk and crinkle my lips.


    "Propaganda regarding the Union''s involvement with the evacuations. The handling of Thrurstradtur''s governmental assets and their replacement if needed. Supplementation of former Republic military struct-"


    "Enough! Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst. Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra. So on, and so forth. Speak it properly!" the prince hisses up to me like a child.


    My eyes roll and the noise blows out of my opening mouth, "Eugh, Jhermonikra."


    Of all the times and situations to stick to their insufferably long-winded formality!


    "What you have thus far listed here will not be possible unless I am given time to reorganise the armed forces in preparation." I point out in all genuine seriousness though I am already considering how I can turn this against him. If what we need is a ploy that sees the Union bleed in place of what was my men, then so be it. Maybe, maybe I can use it to restore some respect to my name.


    "Explain." he orders, his curiosity piqued.


    "The men under my command have never played second-fiddle to any major power. The mountain-states under the Dual-Republic''s former control have also largely played independent roles. On top of explaining the current reality, I also still need to shift everything back into order while your troops keep the giant at bay. As best as they can, naturally." I do as commanded and he leans back a little, eyes minding a nail.


    "Fair enough, I will allow it. Knowing the results of Ungzieluck and now having access to the records in full, the scale is far more concrete." he says and I nod slightly in response.


    "I will also need you to make a point of keeping me in the loop as to what is going on with your forces." I tell him, my experiences with this man already giving me enough of an idea as to what I am working with. He likes to keep it all in his head, no wonder he implemented that damn helmet technology of his. In fact, if my digging is correct, that reform came to be following a series of subordination issues.


    I guess the...


    "I am the supreme commander of this matter, Grandguard Inerish." ...prince never quite got over any control issues.


    "And as you say, I am still the head of Thrurstradtur''s remaining mainline armies and auxiliary supplements. Until you fully integrate these men and women into your Union''s main infrastructure, they are not your troops. They are those of a foreign country. I may and will defer to you, ultimately, but they still abide by the current chain of command of which I am the head." I explain, though, I doubt my own words given everything that has happened since the now-burning Ibenoroccon embassy called me in.


    "So be it, handle the situation in such a way as to prepare it for joint operations. Until then, your men may focus on the continued evacuation of the areas actually under threat while mine attempt to make progress on the giant''s defeat. With what I have on hand at the moment, I have a few ideas I would like to attempt and reinforcements will be arriving for further attempts." he explains and I nod once again. This is good, I can work with this. The Union will burn up trying to handle the flame and we can manage something in the future.


    "Speaking of command and authority, however, you will at some point need to present yourself and your equivalents to my war council and our subsidiaries. Though blood is shared throughout much of this... Territory''s... Populace. The legal concepts are not the same, clarification will be needed in order to smooth out interactions between my men and yours." I explain to him and he picks up another tablet.


    "Mmm." he goes, his eyes coming a bit closer to its contents.


    "Prince Jhrartur?" I go, not sure if he''s losing his focus in that document.


    "Prince-to-Ascend Jhrartur." he corrects, it becoming clear he''s now just reverting back to his position of ''go away.''


    "You will also need to clarify the situation with Suhurlodst." I point out, heading to the door and closing it.


    "Suhurlodst Academ-" I interrupt with the clicking of the latch.


    Minding my secretary, I approach her as she too seems to find herself lacking in work. She gives me a smile and I sit down on one of the chairs intended for those visiting her. Sighing out what emotion I can, I get myself back into order and pull out the prince''s notetablet. It bounces on my lap while my secretary closes up anything she is doing.


    "Hearing your conversation, I feel I need to point out I did try to tell him it was your office..." she almost squeaks and I shake my smiling head.


    "I have a feeling that only encouraged his squatting. My office has access to a lot of what he will need access to. And, until or if he does anything to his flagship or anything else, I can''t see him leaving." I say, bouncing the little inscribed stone on a harder part of my leg.


    "I can move some of the furniture about or get someone to if you''d like that? I understand it will be a complex thing for us to set up a new system of interaction." my secretary explains and I look around the front office with a tired expression.


    "I will handle the moving. I have a feeling the Prince will be a testing man to answer to." I huff and my secretary smiles.


    "No different than the Clockword Council then?" she questions and we share a quick laugh.

 Incline 31: Atarifuge the Pestilence

    Turning Atarifuge''s head towards the direction of the strange objects, I begin to ponder them again. What I thought to be a dragon attacked me again so I made a detour from chasing that man to kill it. After all, as a hero of the land, slaying such beasts should be something I am open to fitting into my day. However, I did not come across a dragon, instead, I found myself assailed by things bearing the mark of the Ancients.


    Whatever they were, most of them had six legs made up of that mysterious green light. Their sides spewing fire the colour of those who existed before the Great Flood. In my time under the mountain and alone, have the people of the world managed to recover? Surely they must have, there''s no way they could have found enough artefacts to cover that many animals.


    I have no clue what species those things were, though. In all my travels, no animal other than the aptly named Living Mountain comes close to it in size. I suppose some dragons do as well, but, for all their horn shapes and sizes, their bodies are consistent. Much as the idea is amazing, I doubt the gods have returned to the lands of us mortals.


    Though...


    I bring Atarifuge to a stop and have his sword plunge into the ground as a ceremonial guard might do. Flexing my hands, I mind the emotions returning to my body. Things I have not felt in a while are all so foreign to me these days. Somewhat, I miss simply being under the mountain, stewing in my endless nightmare of betrayal and abandonment.


    My bulbs try to flicker a sentence out but nothing comes of it and only my mind makes noise. Nothing but the dark interior of Atarifuge can be seen, only this divine and ancient machine can be heard. Yet, my mind is so easily recreating that one object I encountered looking for that dragon. Or, perhaps, what I found was what I was looking for.


    A bladed form, like a trident or a winged spear existed before me. Only, it didn''t end there, at its tail end, much like a snail perhaps was something so incomprehensibly large. That thing''s back rose up to the sky and beyond, its scale so grand the world was warped by its presence. All of those creatures I fought, they kept their distance and minded that great being.


    What a beast it was, oh, what a beast...


    Glancing at the direction I had Atarifuge leap from, I turn my eyes towards the divine machine. Though its power is great, I am uncertain of if it can stand up to such a being on its own. Rather, I do not feel safe enough within Atarifuge to make the attempt to rid the world of such a beast. The head wound I have burns harshly as a reminder.


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    Wincing and attempting to grab it, I bring myself to a stop and get this machine moving again. That creature will be an adventure for another day, for now, I must focus on dealing with that man. His trail can still be followed, for which I am thankful. I have yet to find him once again and I am beginning to worry that I have lost him.


    If such a heart and mind is allowed to fester in the world then it will see great pain and sorrow. I know what it''s like, if I could I would like to talk to this man but I am beyond that point. While quite literal in this case, we will never see eye-to-eye while I am piloting Atarifuge. I forgot how to get out of this machine so very long ago and I cannot see...


    It''s not just the machine, the world around me, it''s not at all like it was before my slumber. Were it not for Atarifuge''s divine nature, I would not be able to see anything. It''s all so blinding, this power in the world. Everything is so bright, it hurts.


    For all the suffering I am enduring within this machine, however, I remain optimistic and curious. While I am not confident that people are any different, what I can hope to experience will be so. When the man is gone, I will adventure once again. I want to return to the life I had before I was betrayed.


    Betrayal. Ostracisation. Isolation. Solitude.


    Gods bless me enough that I get one more chance to find joy in the world around me. Something honest and sincere and a tale that leaves me with a fulfilled soul. The power of Atarifuge has kept me alive long after everything I knew vanished. I know my life is unnatural and I want to see it all.


    Whatever those beasts were, I want to see them in their natural lands and lives, detached from war. The great mountain in the east, so brilliant and beautiful with its emerald light. Dirt around my points, my body sinking into the rain-soaked ground and the mud catching on my fingernails. Nourishment from the Orbital-Halo that warms our world despite the vast nothing we find ourselves in!


    Once upon a time, I found myself being called a hero though I believe I have lost the right to name myself as such. Maybe, though, just maybe, I will be able to return such a title to my life and have it feel belonging. I will slay the evil-to-be like I did all those ancient years ago and I will save the world from another like me. So caught up in their misery and spite that their vision could not even look beyond the darker shades of our world...


    While there is life in me, I will attempt to return to what I was. Though it is not true, I''d much rather live the life I thought I was going to have. With a party at my call and a future entrancing me so much with its pleasurable dream. I will not wallow in the lies of my life anymore... No.


    Flickering some life back into my bulbs, I try to recall a prayer though I fear I have forgotten most of it. My mouth starts to imitate what the humans call a smile though as an aelenvari, I am incapable of it. The gods never blessed us with mouthes like most other species have though our heritage is clear. However, what does have a proper mouth is Atarifuge and I let this machine speak on my behalf!

 Incline 32: Grandguard Inerish

    Walking into the command centre, I move to take my seat and flinch when I see it''s already occupied. The Prince turns his head my way only slightly and returns his focus to the immense array of equipment at his disposal. Despite knowing he''s likely having some trouble taking it all in, not a bit of it shows. Most of my staff remain, anyhow, so he need only say the word.


    However, I can''t help but notice the tense air between all of those who remain. Never mind their thoughts about me these days, the guards are all Union troops now. Signs of the old government are already vanishing and the marks of the Seven-Peaks are hanging and screwed into the walls and panels. A section of the room has even been set aside as a training area of sorts.


    Not that it seems to be needed, the Prince''s want for control extends even to his general staff. It''s all completely quiet when it comes to them. Only the striking of keys and the whirr of the computers. I have half a mind to say it''s the people being programmed with how they''re behaving.


    Turning my attention to the screens, I take note of how he''s still using Thrurstradtur''s reconnaissance corps to handle our view of the situation. I could spend a while thinking about why this is the case, but, I find the view more interesting. Union air-naval assets are already on the scene and attempting what we were doing beforehand. Only, his choice of weaponry is purely magical.


    Whatever these airships are, their semirigid-inspired shape is clearly there for more than just mechanical nostalgia. Though I cannot see into them, their interior is not entirely a mystery to me for magic burns off of them much as a coat of oil might when lit on water. This wind-magic will suddenly focus around a system of runes, either purely physical or using arcane mechanics that then fire a projectile. How these weapons differ from a typical spell, I am not sure though they''re certainly an advanced display of engineering talent.


    I do not recall anything from Suhurlodst''s Mechanical House quite matching up to this. They have always either presented us with physical munitions with spells stamped into their bodies or a focusing device. Maybe I am assuming too much and the view simply doesn''t offer a great enough vantage for me to properly take it in. Regardless of what these airships are capable of, they do not seem to be able enough to deal with the giant.


    Spatterings of power fire off in a machine gun manner while other airships take their time to prepare charged shots. Naturally, the Prince is also trying his luck at attacking from all possible angles. However, one thing I am beginning to notice is that he''s not exactly committing a whole lot to this attack. Only his smallest class of airship and not a whole lot of them.


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    "If you wanted combat data, we were engaged in our own weapons tests before your usurpation of the country." I remark, turning to him while he keeps his sword between his legs. The pretend cane is gripped at the handle and held up towards the screen most blatantly showing the giant.


    "I have already looked it over and have already begun sending copies of it to all air-naval forces." the Prince explains and that just makes my brow rise.


    "Then you know this is a pointless affair, you need to strike it properly or continue on from where we had reached. We have records of spell usage and by the looks of things, your airships here are not firing physical munitions." I say and he shakes his head slightly.


    "Omniships primarily use the blessing of our land as their source of strength. Primarily." he tells me, his mouth repeating the second word to come out for emphasis.


    "Still, my point remains."


    "You must see beyond the need to test for killing power and think of surviving. We face a foe beyond our wildest, most vile of nightmares. A creature of incomprehensible scope that saps the magic from the land. The blessing our Mighty Lord Jhrarda so righteously allowed us." he goes on and I frown in thought.


    We know by extension of the fact we managed to get bombs and artillery rounds close to the giant that shielding is useful. But, the danger of what happens when that shield breaks makes it unthinkable to put soldiers or witches that close to the giant. Assuming we could even get that far, the giant is not relying on touch to kill the world. We will be purged without a massive finger laying down on any of our wind-caught bodies.


    I suppose the Prince is a far more heartless man than I could possibly comprehend him as. While I have heard that for all its religious changes, the Union still engages in the tradition of the death wagons. Their officers, their men of responsibility still bring back their dead to the families they belong to so they may seek atonement. Not once, however, have I had a single report that the Prince is bringing back his own dead.


    How alien this inexplicit faith dedicated to one of the evils trapped in the lunar prisons is...


    "Grandguard Inerish." the Prince goes, catching me by surprise. Getting my wide eyes back into order, I straighten out.


    "Yes, Prince-to-Ascend Jhrartur?" I ask, minding where his eyes are focusing.


    "To what extent can I disable the city''s magic intake technology? Naturally, this question extends to all other mountain-states and locations with similar power generation." he asks of me and I catch my people also listening in to such a request. There is something quite mad about a want to leave this entire city disabled.


    "It''s... It''s possible to reduce the intake to such a degree that only essential functions for the city will remain." I explain despite my lack of familiarity with the option. It was always within my power to reduce the city to a frozen husk, even more so after the Clockwork Council gave me their blessing but this...


    "I want only the lifts to the lower levels to remain active and power for the Gnomon." he orders and I nod, slowly. The hairs on my body refuse to go down and I look out the main line of windows. The fleet assembling within the eyeshot of the city is unending in scope. Hundreds of warships, each more than a kilometre long.

 Incline 33: Grandguard Inerish

    "I guess I should be thankful my men are no longer as stretched as they once were but this is... Their patience is breaking, I know it is." I comment, reading over one of many reports that have come in since the Prince''s orders went out. The populace isn''t too happy about losing access to every modern amenity with the simple flick of a switch. I need to find some way of securing batteries and other independent power sources for the people.


    To stop them from going cold or hungry, though, I have some grim curiosity here...


    The city is in a state of total chaos and the claustrophobia of such a metropolis has never been greater. With the loss of the city''s population control and other such technologies, people are either trapped in their homes or clogging the streets. I should try and make a case to the Prince but I doubt he will show any leniency to the plight of Thrurstradtur''s people. He wants his fleet to be taking in all possible magic.


    At some point as well, I will need to speak to those in charge of Suhurlodst. I doubt they''re handling this any better than we are especially when as a magic school, their dependency is far greater. I''ve already caught sight of Union troops marching into the city of scholars and putting it into lockdown. The Prince''s younger brother is now also using his personal warship to intimidate the students into submission.


    There will be no rebellion headed by an army of witches. There will be no rebellion at all. I need to do what I can to keep everyone in line while we go through this turbulent time. First and foremost for the sake of this land''s future, we must allow the Union to focus on the giant.


    My right hand moves to cover my mouth and my lips press up in the gap between thumb and index. Opening and closing the pried fist, I stroke my cheek with the side of the finger. My thoughts have reminded me of something important. The Prince is aiming to make a serious attempt against the giant at some point today.


    I was not personally called for so this will have to be something I attend by force if need be. If I cannot get into the command centre, my office remains accessible to me despite the Prince''s invasion of it. Getting up, I walk to the door with my secretary eyeing me the whole distance. My hand grips the handle and I move it slowly until a welcoming click motions me in.


    "He''s either not cared to or does not know how to change the locking system." my secretary remarks and I close the door back up. Turning towards her, I start to brush away at my uniform idly.


    "Please try to make sure he does not. The Union will be engaging in their second attempt to handle the giant and I would like to remain in the loop. While I cannot speak entirely to the character of this Jhrartur, I know he doesn''t trust me." I ask of her and she leans forward a little, eyebrow arching.


    "I don''t think he trusts anyone. He engages in so little talking when it comes to all the ornamentals. I''ve never seen a group of officers so... Guessy, with what their commander is up to." she recalls and I nod so as to provide an answer but not to also be lost in verbal confusion. It''s hard to fathom why the Prince keeps so much of his strategy within his head, especially in such a modern situation as ours. Armies have not been so small as to be dependent on a single officer for a long time now.


    Yet, despite this, nothing in the Prince''s known military record paints him as solely a tactical genius. While the reforms he has implemented upon the Union''s armed forces have made them a drastically different monster to what they were several hundred years ago. The Theocracy is still what it was, the empire so powerful and skilled at war that it received the direct blessing of Waionr himself. The Valkinvar are its wardens for the faith that the country generated around the bloody concept.


    And Prince Jhrartur has reduced it to a single albeit great city that bridges two continents. All in less than ten years. The exact timing of the breakthrough at Giant''s Victory escapes me, but, when I first heard of those airships of his being properly reported by the Theocracy... I recall I lost a lot of sleep back then.


    The Theocracy was beginning to fall and not even the might of the Valkinvar could stand against the Seven-Peaks Union.


    In the many debate halls across the city, many of which I have snuck into without a soul noticing til the end. I have heard many conversations about the Union''s full title. Seven-Peaks Union, many find it to be utterly arrogant, including me. But, with every day and victory that passes, this title becomes a reality.


    The Jhermonikra, the Jhermonikra of that country, rather, they saw no point in naming themselves after what they had. They named their entire empire after a dream to see all of Jherikra united like it was in ancient times. Long after the gods left but before the Time of Liquid Mountains. A forgotten, unknown period of five elemental great powers and one who had never seen the wonders of a land defined by a guardian stone.


    The Ancient Jhermonikra challenged the world with weapons beyond our capabilities and technology we can never replicate. The lack of an active Wind Mountain gave them clarity to so many things not even Suhurlodst can see. We have so much technology dependent on what the ancients made and most of it will never be made properly again. There are no craftsmen these days, only scavengers.


    Though Thrurstradtur was never built by the ancients and Suhurlodst was never made by the survivors of the Liquid Mountains... We owe it all to that lost and forgotten people. The functions of this city that are so essential for daily life all have their origins in dug-up ruins. Perhaps that is what this giant is, it''s a tool of the Ancient Jhermonikra.


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    "I guess that theory makes a lot of sense, doesn''t it? A weapon that drains the world of magic, a force that is unnatural to what you lot were." I mutter to myself, catching the attention of my secretary.


    "Noisy thoughts?" she asks, offering a quick smile between key presses.


    Offering one back to her, I nod a little, "Yes, just my thoughts being a little too noisy."


    Going quiet, I offer one more nod and head on my way to the command centre. I''m not far removed from the office before I start to lose myself in all that has changed since the giant became a problem. A lot of behaviour is forced as of late, the men all seem to hold varying degrees of contempt for me. While some will commit to their duties without issue, I can tell there''s a remark on their minds and ready to leave their lips.


    Others aren''t so professional.


    To say nothing of the troops the Prince brought in with him and the marks of gunfire on the walls in the lower levels of the Gnomon. I''ve heard from many that there aren''t many bodies to recover and it''s not because it was a fairly bloodless affair. No, the weapons these Union soldiers are equipped with, they''re oddly in line with the giant''s power. The utter destruction of a living being by attacking their magic.


    More dug-up technology from the ancients no doubt, all of what the Union uses these days must be. Though I am no wind witch, my lineage being that of fire and dark magic, I can still feel out for it. I have lived among the people of the Land of Wind for long enough to know what their magic feels like. The Union troops reek of something else, something strange and exotic but familiar at the same time.


    Catching onto the noise of the command centre, I dismiss my thoughts and walk in on the vast display of screens. Minding some of the Union''s staff, I head to a console still manned by one of my men. Taking him up on his offer of a headset, I put it on and listen in on the communications between airships. It''s near entirely wind-based coding, whistles and songs on the wind that you need to learn.


    Returning the headset, I let the analyst get back to work and join the Prince at his side. He looks slightly my way and returns his attention to the selection of screens. They show both the few dozen airships he has ready to deploy and the bridges of a few of them. The commander of one of them comes into view while this battlegroup moves into position.


    The giant is watching the airships advance, that much is clear with the explicit recon focus on its body... Hm, what are you thinking, unknown giant? Your thoughts have not been the clearest to figure out if you have any at all. Whoever your pilot is, if you do have one, what are their goals?


    Much as the Prince has been right about this rail thing, I doubt you''re doing all of this over some students.


    "Captain-Engineer Redsaal, you may begin the operation." the Prince orders and the oddly ranked air-naval officer salutes the Union way. The Prince does what he has to on his end of the call and his arm slightly moves to offer his grace.


    "This is Captain-Engineer Redsaal of the Royal Jhermonikra Airship Thunderous Brawler, all airships move into attack positions." the officer commands and the flying broadsides split themselves up into a staggered line of shifting lengths. Some of them maintain a direct course for the giant, their shields as coating as cotton candy is on its stick. The rest present their broadsides and several thousand cannon of mysterious make, well into the five digits.


    The giant straightens out and shifts its gaze across the many barrels it is faced with. Oddly enough, the way its head is moving reminds me of someone eyeing the familiar. However, what is familiar is a known danger and the giant raises its sword and assumes the position of a trained fighter. Honestly, as a fellow swordsman, I cannot offer much insight towards the problems of its stance.


    A worrying line of thought to consider in the slightest-


    "All in the gunner position, open fire." Redsaal commands and the sky lights up into a shade of warbling pale blue. There''s no pattern to the way the guns fire, it''s all at once in an attempt to overwhelm the giant. Though the guns are distanced to minimize collision, the gap is closing. The giant can see this and it leaps back into its dunes.


    Mountains of sand rush up and around its dark, skeletal feet and with a readied blade, it thrusts. Explosions bloom across the horizon and it comes barrelling through the mysterious force. The Prince noticeably twitches in surprise, his eyes unable to turn away from the sword. He was sure it was going to be destroyed?


    "Loose formation, fire when able." Redsaal adds as the Thunderous Brawler narrowly avoids colliding with the giant, the sparks it makes testamenting that fact. The airship on its right with a presented broadside is not so lucky and it is run through. With a pop, the shield is broken and the ship''s hull snaps like a twig when the giant''s bulk makes contact. The wreck manages to hold its form long enough for the giant''s crushing foot to step down.


    Some cannonballs make contact and erupt to seemingly no effect, others struggle to make it through the aura. One airship even guts itself completely when the shots detonate preemptively. Narrowing my eyes, I watch that unfortunate vessel make for an immediate presentation of the other side. Perfect half-spheres of destruction cover that lost side.


    "Nine metres plus one, huh?" I remark, earning a spiteful glance from the Prince. He growls and returns his attention to the screens.


    "Attempt ramming manoeuvres." the Prince orders and most of the airships back away, guns still ablaze. Whatever communications are going on I cannot hear them. Though, Redsaal is offering a prayer to the crippled airship as it diverts all power to its rear engines. Two spikes of wind magic drive thousands of tons of shattering steel into the giant''s gut.


    The giant stabs its sword into the ground and its free hand grips the airship. Squeezing. The torrential dust falls to the ground and the sword returns to a dual-handed grip. My eyes follow that of the giant''s as magic rains from above.


    One of those Union cloudwalkers is bombarding it with a vicious tornado. Magic-drained dust is kicked up for thousands of kilometres and rains out into the still magic-rich lands. Fireballs of raw magic erupt across the landscape and the giant reaches up for the distant machine. So far out of reach, the mechanical marvel is safe...


    "Cloudwalker, mind your pos-" Redsaal says, only for the giant to leap into the skies with all it has with so much sand racing after. Our screens empty or blocked, one of the recon airships makes an erratic turn to follow the giant as darkness blots out the Orbital-Halo. Swinging its ginormous sword, the black matter collides with the walker, tearing it in twain.


    The giant twists in the air and presents its downward thrust towards the closest, tilted airship, all cannons erratically firing up.

 Incline 34: Grandguard Inerish

    Letting out a quiet sigh, I finish pouring my cup of tea and immediately bring it to my lips. The steaming water goes down my mouth without issue and I frown in though. Like usual, a brief ponder comes across my mind. Is the magic in the water too weak for me to notice the heat or is my fire magic heritage to blame for this lack of scalding worry?


    My mind shifts away from the passing amusement and returns to the topic that convinced me to find this distraction. The reports have been written up, that group the Prince ordered against the giant failed. Half of the airships managed to get out of that encounter and the Prince''s response has been to send a fresh number. With those cannons the airships have, he seems to be thoroughly convinced they should be able to destroy it.


    He even ordered a small selection of them to desolate some of the country beyond the giant. We''ve already lost so much and he''s making it worse just to make sure his memories are not delusions. Perhaps I need to give it to him loud and straight that the giant is too durable for whatever his guns are capable of. Though, watching this has given me a fair bit of insight into the basics of the weapon.


    Whatever Ancient Jhermonikra technology mother and fathered their development, they seem to be built around matter manipulation. In a total diameter of ten metres, nine of which is most directly affected and then dumped into the final metre. What we have is a weapon that seems to either convert or eat up the impacted terrain and then flush it out in a short-lived shrapnel blast.


    Potentially bypassing traditional defensive means in their entirety...


    "Magic-focused?" I ask myself between sips as my eyes find a display of cakes and biscuits. Nothing fancy, just sweet enough to be edible and dense enough to fill you up should one be eaten. Shaking my head with a heavy breath, I take a brick of cake anyway and get to eating. At least there''s something I can break my thoughts up with.


    One thing has me worried, though, and looking around at what remains of my staff only keeps it in mind. Although the Union has made no progress in handling the giant compared to what we managed to accomplish. Even with its advance undeterred and more and more land lost, it does not weigh as heavily on me anymore. Maybe the loss of my position as the one to go to for orders is all I need for an explanation or maybe I am glad the Union is not finding this to be easy.


    I guess that idea makes sense to me, after all, if we are able, I would like to see to it that the Union is kicked out. The Dual-Republic of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst will be restored and this historical hiccup can be forgotten and laughed about. Even with his natural strength, I doubt Prince Jhrartur will have it in him to do much. Not with his condition.


    Honestly, I don''t think I''ve ever seen a man look so exhausted before. The closest I can ever think to seeing such a sight in my life is a long time ago. Back when I was still training in my family''s keep in Errakur. I was beaten and pushed to my limit and all to ensure I was ready for the endless war that awaited me.


    It all seemed so simple back then, aim to fight on the surface of the Fire Mountain, the very core of our world. Shed your blood on its inferno-ridden rock and hold on until your nails are torn out as you desperately cling to keep your family there. I never got anywhere near that state in life, but, the looming dream of it was always there for everyone. To go from the ground of the core''s chamber to the greatest gemstone our world will ever know.


    "Grandguard Inerish, please report to me." the Prince requests through the Gnomon''s speaker system. Grumbling a little, my ears linger on that familiar background noise. He''s in my office. Oh, when we do rise up in your ashes, Prince, I will make sure you''re thrown in our hardest floored cell so your aching bones will have no good rest!


    I finish my cake a little too quickly and gulp down what''s left of my tea. Leaving both pieces of porcelain on the nearest table, I snatch up a napkin and wipe my lips. The white, disposable cloth finds a bin in little time and I take the necessary turns to get into one of the main halls. I try not to linger my gaze on anyone but it''s a little hard to avoid the guards of my time with what has come to replace them.


    Statues in all but name, the Union''s soldiers offer no quiet jokes or signs of discomfort. Until the order to change shifts comes, they remain as they are, positioned in such quantities they do not even need to look around. Every fifteen steps maybe I am in line with another Union soldier. I stop to look one in the eye, his beady, orange little eyes.


    The pair of them shift and seem to narrow, making me flinch. I blink away my feelings and see that I imagined them doing something. Carrying on with my walk, I try not to think about how many more there could possibly be within the Gnomon alone. The city itself I do not even want to consider, especially with the rumours I''ve been hearing of their popularity.


    The choice I made with the Grand-Kingdom''s embassy was not popular at all and the Prince has capitalised on it. He has been quite thorough in ensuring the whole country knows it has been the men of his nation saving lives. Our own soldiers have been brushed aside, actually. We''re still handling the evacuations but one city gets publicised everywhere and you''d think we have no men.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst is weaker, not weak.


    Striking the request button of a private lift, my right foot taps impatiently for the fast machine to arrive. It opens up and the guard I normally have keeping it occupied and secured surprises me. He''s not there anymore, it''s more Union troops. A pair of notably ornate ones.


    Unlike the typical, unassuming silver of polished steel most of them have. These two break it up with vibrant, Unondsburic Emerald cloth. Near the top of their chests and wrapping around the bi''s and triceps, a streak of snow white. And, while their helmets are not too atypical to the usual lobster-tailed pot helms, the centre crests have little, kite-like pieces of cloth.


    Some of their magic has gone towards the flashiness of their uniforms. I roll my eyes and press the button that will take me to the same floor as the command centre and my office. The moment it arrives, I slip through the opening doors and leave the statues back to their immaculate display of doing nothing. But, rather than go straight for my office, I head and timidly wait outside the command centre.


    Finding as quiet a spot as I can, I lean on the wall and close my eyes, all my focus on my ears. It''s busy, like usual, just, not the kind of busy it should be. My men and women still occupy the majority of consoles though it is clear they''re tense and on edge. The usual breaks in discipline are not happening and I can feel it, the way their internal-magic shifts away.


    They''re scared.


    Honestly, I''m not surprised with how the Union carries itself. So much of their general staff and the bulk of their armed forces wear those damn helmets. The only exceptions I can name are what they seem to call the Braves and rumour has it they share the popular opinion of we Thrurstradtur people. These Braves don''t strike me as anything special, though, just a different name for non-commissioned officers or field communication units.


    Leaving the command centre behind, I head to my office and slip in while my secretary is going through the drawers. She looks up and smiles and I return the gesture, I then step into my office. The Prince doesn''t even offer me a chance to meet his gaze. This pile of tablets on my desk has swallowed it up entirely.


    "You asked for me, Prince-to-Ascend Jhrartur?" I remind him to get his attention and nothing comes of it.


    "What are your thoughts on the results of the engagement led by the Royal Jhermonikra Airship Thunderous Brawler?" he asks like a bored child looking for something to do. Though, I''m not sure I can help in that regard as he has a plentiful supply of work in front of him. Maybe I can push my luck and have him clean my desk? Would put a smile on my face, that''s for sure.


    "Captain-Engineer Redsaal''s vessel? Well, my thoughts for the most part are little. No meaningful progress was made." I answer, straightening my lips as I am forced to let out the unfortunate fact. There''s a bright side to this, but, there''s an eclipse of the Orbital-Halo right now and the dark side is far easier to see.


    "I disagree." he mutters and he starts to put in the effort to get up. Watching him rise without a step taken to aid him, he passes a quick glare to me and hobbles to the map display. However, it is turned off. Taking the chance to get back into my seat, however warm and deformed by armour plating its cushions are, though...


    Putting in some of the details, the map comes online and he takes a few more steps to ensure my view is not blocked. My fingers remain on the dials and refuse to stop moving. I need him to tell me something specific otherwise it''s pointless letting the map settle. Besides, I''ve been separated from my comfort for too long and I want to savour the feeling of control I once had.


    Never was a power-hungry person but I do like controlling others, especially if I can tease them like Nin''s red-skinned baker friend... Hm, in line with that thought, actually, I wonder if I can spare the men to go digging through known Ancient Jhermonikra weapon ca-


    "Please present a recording of the fight, specifically, when the still-numbered vessel was ordered to begin ramming procedures." he orders and I turn off the map. We don''t need that for this, I just need to bring up a holographic magic screen and there!


    The Prince ''Ah''s'' noticeably and he leans in to look closer.


    "Can you see it?" he asks and I loop the space between impact and the giant''s retaliation. The affair failed so I am not entirely sure what he wants me to look out for. The airship rams the giant with enough speed to shatter its superstructure noticeably, establishing the giant as being fairly strong in form. But, magic aside, that''s a given with how impossible its scale is.


    Taller than all the mountains around, most not even going past the knee.


    Watching the loop one more time and stopping it as the giant grips the airship, I look away with a soft snort, "No."


    "The giant recoils and clutches with desperation. It cannot safely take such impacts." the Prince says with quite a bit of certainty given how he''s ordered no further ramming attempts. You''d think he would try and throw more airships at it. Perhaps he should use his flagship? I would though my reasoning is to get rid of such a prized warship, not to stop the giant.


    "And why are you not making good use of this information?" I ask and he smirks quite noticeably.


    "I am." he answers, his own magic taking the room over so he can present a magic screen of his own making. A grand mountain range comes into view, untouched by war and anything close to what the giant can do. Yet, the skies are still shaking, the birds are fleeing and the trees dance, enslaved by forces beyond their control.


    One of the peaks starts to rise and a dark-furred arm, covered in the thickest armour I''ve ever seen comes into view. Its immense muscles tense and a body is pulled over the top of the mountain. A mobile fortress. The mountains next to it repeat the display and another comes into the display.


    Both are likely with a full war-witch complement...


    The second leaps for the next mountain while the first balances its hind legs on the mountaintop. The titanic beast presents its chest, its mountain-like shell on a latitudinous angle. One hand curls into a fist and so does the other. The mobile fortress roars with all it has, drumming its thick, blocky pectorals.

 Incline 35: Grandguard Inerish

    Adjusting my footing, I eye the horizon-plastering screen as all three of its main cast come into view. With a wall of Union airships on standby as well as the not-so-discrete, bladed form of the Endearing Fury on the sidelines, it seems like now is the time. The giant, which has thus far been eyeing the flagship with what seems to be comparable to paranoia looks elsewhere. Mountain ranges shift and buckle, with a pair of behemoths leaping out into as close an opening as they can get.


    The mobile fortresses roar and drum their chests, their smaller rib-attached claws snapping in anticipation. The armour of these immense animals shines with what must be enough magic to power a city. The shells on their backs glow with the greatest intensity, their contents a full complement of trained witches. Even beyond the war-witches, those who have trained and fought against the Valkinvar and many others like them, even beyond there are capable and skilled hands to be found.


    The giant shifts its body about, though it is taller by a considerable margin, it knows these animals are not to be trifled with. One hand lifts its sword up until it is fully upright and positioned against its shoulder. The giant slims its form and presents only half a view for us to see. Two legs widen the gap, building up a weak recreation of what this country has lost. Though it is not fighting another swordsman, it continues to follow through with preparing for a duel.


    Even with the notoriously untameable nature of the mobile fortresses, the beasts obey their masters. Front arm after front arm, the pair of beasts knead their way towards the edge of the giant''s aura. The most eager of the pair moves closer and it prods the mysterious change in the landscape. Like an electric shock, it flinches back and hoots its frustrations.


    My mind lingers on the image of what had happened. The internal-magic of the mobile fortress and its armour, along with the gigantic, defensive aura provided by the war-witch chapter lit up in berylic fire. The one whose hand tested the waters rises onto its legs and beats out its call for battle. The giant remains silent and unmoving.


    "Be mindful of your attacks, guide your mobile fortresses to attack in conjunction. May Jhrarda the Mighty bless your endeavour." the Prince orders and the war-witches respond with a battle cry that ignites the land as a supervolcano would. The reigns are whipped and the mobile fortresses charge, roaring against the dying of the light as the aura overtakes them. The immense beasts close the distance and break up as the giant retaliates.


    The first swing misses but my instincts tell me that''s the point. Its footing shifts and all that momentum goes back down into the feet, springing it shoulder-first. Impact is made and the chased mobile fortress skids with a howl. It slaps back with a spell-enhanced blow and the arcane shockwaves force their way out of the aura.


    The airship giving us this footage shakes violently and the sounds of its alarms crack into our sound experience. Emergency stabilisers put it back on course and our view widens to put some further distance between it and the fight. The exclusion zone of the fight shifts and I barely catch a mobile fortress backflip through the air. It lands with acrobatic skill and charges back into the fight to catch the giant''s sword thrust.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Possible death averted, the other mobile fortress takes the opportunity to box into the giant''s gut. It flinches away just as a grasping set of black bones come for it. A beaked jaw that has no problems swallowing city districts whole finds itself suckling on the immense digits. The hand pops out and the beast snaps up again.


    Its attention on the other, the giant reaches for the mobile fortress unceasingly trying to tear the limb off. A quick sock does little to dislodge the living mountain and it almost possibly loses a chunk of fist in the process. The sword drops, unbalancing the mobile fortress and opening it up for a knee. The immense creature flies for a short distance, its impact burying its shell.


    The mobile fortress gets up with a cocky snort and charges back in but it holds off from its next attack. The other one is circling for a chance and the giant bends to take the sword back. The chance appears and the fortresses roar with all they have. One leaps right onto the giant''s curved back and it thrases wildly to take its attention.


    Though not dexterous enough to use it like I might be able to if I shared that scale, the mobile fortress is plentifully primate in nature to grab the handle. With its handler passing on the subtle instructions, the beast spins almost comically. A tornado of a single, bladed gust builds up and the back-rider leaps, legs pushing down. The giant trips straight into a side-cleaving blow and rolls away.


    The mobile fortresses take the chance and shift in the giant''s location to go back into unaffected lands. The airship perimeter repositions and some offer up their engine power to reinvigorate the great beasts. Nothing catastrophic seems to be occurring but with what the giant can do, I''ve no doubts as to the need for a brief moment of recovery. This is not a fight that can be allowed to drag on if the war-witches hope to succeed.


    I clutch my uniform tight and mind the sword the fortresses brought with them. The aura is not emanating from it. Only the giant itself can generate the aura. The Prince takes notice of this and leans forward to the mic.


    "Toss the blade away, destroy the giant." he orders and his will manifests itself into reality. The long, black shape flies away into the sky, casting an untouchable darkness over the land until it lodges into a distant mountain range. The perimeter weakens and airships break off to begin firing on the unknown construct. Refreshed with new power, the mobile fortresses build speed as the giant rises.


    It''s slower, dazed and confused. Seemingly, anyway. It barely has any time to consider its options before a leaping fortress drags it back into the sands. A tidal wave of desolated earth and life buries the giant like a lost corpse and a tug-o-war begins. The head finds itself a means to secure a fortress'' footing and the legs are much the same.


    It''s going to happen, the giant''s defeat! Come on you magnificent beasts, snap this thing in two! Destroy it! Destroy it now!


    I blink in surprise at how close to the screen I have moved and jump as the giant manages to move. The fortresses back away as fear washes over them so blatantly. The giant shakes and adjusts its stance. With a roar emptying all four of their lungs, the mobile fortresses move to immobilise the giant again.


    The giant''s head shakes in what I hope is disbelief and a lazy, clumsy kick comes out. The attempt unbalances it and one fortress aims to pull the ground out from under it. The other leaps back for the head and drops all its weight on the skull. The giant''s form freezes up.


    Two beasts of indescribable strength pull and shake with all they can but the giant remains up. One leg stabbed right into the ground while its arms flail uselessly. Shoulders roll and the giant forces the momentum back. As if the gods are willing it, the giant forces its way back onto its feet.

 Incline 36: Atarifuge the Pestilence

    "COME ON YOU BLESSED MACHINE, BACK UPRIGHT!" my bulbs flare to the point of burning out. Wiping my brow of blood and sweat my other hand adjusts the controls. This machine is divine and invincible but I am not. The excitement of being able to try my hand at fighting a pair of living mountains is over. We take this seriously now, no mistakes at all.


    Hissing back the pain, I call upon the machine''s divine functions to offer me some form of dullness. As good halolight fulfils my chlorophyllic skin, the hands of the gods give me the chance I need. Atarifgue returns upright and I take manual control of its arms by slotting my arms into the controls. First, the pest on Atarifuge''s head!


    Grasping it by body and shell, the divine machine tosses the beast. Free of the burden, I reach down for the other one and pick it up by the scruff of its neck. It fights back with all it has and those little limbs snap and pinch when they can. Spotting the returning living mountain, I throw its friend straight for it and hop around to Atarifuge''s sword.


    Beginning my sprint, I bounce with each stride and go with the motions. The beasts lined with the ancient power spit destruction upon me and I interrupt it when I can. That strange, mysterious creature with the impossibly large shell lurches out with either tongue or limb. Atarifuge skids to a halt and almost throws me out of the command chair.


    The divine machine starts to slide towards the creature and I urge it to hop to the sword. Flexing my arm and threatening to tear open myself a pair of lips, I manage to slip out. The ground breaks away around Atarifuge and I scramble it back up. One of the living mountains barrels into the head and I barely avoid losing consciousness.


    Waterfalls, why am I thinking of warm waterfalls?


    "I remember... I remember... I remember..." my bulbs flicker as survival instinct unlocks the caged memories of Atarifuge. Divine power floods its systems and I grab onto the living mountain. Rising to the machine''s full height, the lethal, comparatively child-scale beast lashes out for the head again. Leaning back slightly, I turn for the other living mountain as it leaps.


    I drop its friend and shift my weight and power into the right fist. Its chest opens up and I strike, backing it off into the distance while I turn. The sword, I need to return the sword to Atarifuge''s grip, to my handling. If I try to win through wrestling these creatures, wrapped up in their mysterious light, I will die.


    I cannot allow that man to live. Not when I have the experience to know how his life will turn out. The world cannot have another me. It mustn''t, it will not...


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Watching the trident creature attack again, I lean Atarifuge''s immense size aside and avoid its grasp. I do the same again and avoid the next attack. Aiming the divine machine towards what is now coming towards me, I have it barrel on through. Whatever rock is there, I can hear it shatter and roll off of Atarifuge.


    A collection of the flying beasts ram right for me and impact all across Atarifuge. Smacking the back of my head, I am back on the floor while these things charge with all they have. Grabbing a handful, I roll up back to my feet and smash the closet living mountain across the jaw. It stumbles back, clearly clutching its shattered snapping beak.


    Sensing the opportunity, I rush for the injured one while the other is dazed. I reach Atarifuge''s hand between the gap between its shell and body and pull. The living mountain turns spastic and lashes out with all the energy in its body. It''s in pain, incredible pain, it is working.


    The resistance weakens and the mountain-shaped shell flies off into the distance. The beast falls forward, weakened and enraged. Rising to my full height again, I take the animal by its neck and hold it aloft and far away. I squeeze hard. Harder!


    The contents of my grip vanish and I turn to the final living mountain as it backs away. It seems to grow louder and what has been watching us moves in to support. I suppose that means whoever commands these beasts also dictates to these two living mountains. Taking my chance, I grab a couple of the fliers.


    I throw them at what tries to grab me and leap for Atarifuge''s sword. Raising it into the air, I twist and slash down, cutting through a whole line of the flying things. Their gore blends into the clear ground and I lurch forward, angry. So many beasts to figh-


    I stomp Atarifuge down onto the beast that tried to charge me. Pushing down, its body crunches and I keep moving forward. I slash and swipe away the other beasts while they linger and aim for more as they back off. The other living mountain starts to run.


    Moving my blood-filled mouth chamber, I swallow some of the iron-tasting liquid. Atarifuge''s sword rises and I charge with all the strength Atarifuge will allow. Grabbing onto its shell''s opening gap, I heave it back so suddenly its feet fly up and I thrust. The sword goes straight through the living mountain''s mountain and out through its gut.


    Heaving and panting, I bring Atarifuge to a halt so I can catch my breath. Little flickers of light burst out of the dead living mountain and I swat for some of them. What I miss goes out on their own and I turn to the other shell. It''s like an insect hive with all that is buzzing around.


    Approaching the bloody shell, I place my foot on it as the lights scatter. So few seem to vanish from view and I plant my sword on the best crevice and thrust down. I have made it clear to whatever pests live in a living mountain''s shell that I am victorious. Stepping away, I focus on the widening wall of beasts and they seem to leave me be.


    Unlocking my arms from the finer controls, I caress their bruised forms and flinch at the feel of broken bone. Pushing and flicking what is needed, Atarifuge raises its sword high into the limits of the sky. I open up the horns settled in its mouth and turn up what I need. The might of the gods roars in triumph for all the land to hear.


    "Gods help me..." my bulbs flicker as I get to work tending my wounds.

 Incline 37: Grandguard Inerish

    "Here you go, Grandguard Inerish." my secretary goes, handing me a cup of tea with some light food to go with it. Looking up from my misery-inducing screens and tablets, I return her smile like I always do. But, as I look up at her, it vanishes and I can''t help but feel confused. Oddly enough, I find myself paying more attention to her.


    She adjusts her reddish-brown hair and her natural, non-magic-caused purple eyes are hidden for a blink. She seems to think something is wrong and tidies up her fairly simple outfit of white and black. She looks behind her and then starts to leave. She possibly thinks I am lost in my own thoughts...?


    "Thank you, thank you... Secretary- Secretary..." I start to say, my head getting back on track before I realise something. For all she''s done for me, her name is an enigma that I cannot crack and I am baffled. To say the least, it is embarrassing to even try and find out now.


    "Valettyne, Grandguard Inerish." she answers, a giggle keeping her smile up and I let mine come back.


    "Yes, thank you, thank you, Secretary Valettyne." I tell her and I go back to stewing in my thoughts, passing over only the most cursory of glances. My mind gets back to the issue, the giant. The moving fortresses failed. The mightiest of all creatures failed to put a dent in the giant and it''s been completely quiet.


    The Prince vanished not long after the operation''s failure, presumably into the depths of my office. There''s an unsettling energy beyond the locked door and neither me or Valettyne have worked up the courage to investigate. No Union troops have come by either, no officers or anyone in the top brass. The offensives have come to a halt, only the evacuations carry on.


    I''ve found myself oddly aware of the people around me since seeing the war-witches fall. Are there really any options for us left? Every munition we can make has been tried, the Gnomon has fired with all it has and the strongest creatures in the world have fought against it. Yet, still, the giant still stands and it still moves with nothing capable of stopping it.


    We are doomed, I cannot see it any other way. Everything around me will be gone whenever the giant finally arrives. The country may not be the largest on the continent, but the land is long and plentiful. And within every meter of this place, there is nothing we can use to stand against the giant.


    My secretary is trying to keep her spirits up, but, being around her more than ever now, I can see her stress. The slight jitters she makes and the moments of quiet stillness she goes through. We''re not so different, really, none of the people within this building are that different from me. Soon, there will be no difference at all, we all shall be dust in the giant''s trail of destruction.


    I blink and mind my tea break, then, I set it aside. Rising to my feet, my secretary jumps a little and I turn to my office door. Taking in a deep breath, I test the lock and meet resistance but also a noise from beyond the moveable wood. A pair of sabatons and a sheath-turned cane become clear sounds and the lock clicks. Nothing.


    Taking the future into my hands, I go in without an allowance for it. Just in time to watch the Prince return to his makeshift chair made from piles upon piles of tablets. Walking further, I frown at the holographic map as it flickers between its different views. I''m familiar with all but one of them, a map that I barely have time to focus on.


    A blob in what is our deformed new south?


    "Grandguard Inerish, I require you to gather up all military and industrial heads within the former Dual-Republic of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst. I have something I intend to discuss with you all." the Prince requests and I linger. Much to my surprise, no snap follows my inaction and instead, I find myself watching his eyes. I''ve spent enough time with guns and spells being aimed at me that I know how to follow a pair of eyes.


    Minding this, I go around to the map controls and take them off repeat. I keep adjusting until I am on what has been perplexing me since I first saw it. The map has no annotations so the truth is locked in a vault I can never get access to without the Prince''s willingness. But, this head of mine is more than capable of figuring things out.


    Most of the time...


    Shaking my head with a sigh, I cross my arms and put some fingers to my chin. We have a precisely mapped-out advance from the giant with patrol paths for the Union''s air-navy. We also have this inexplicit gash that has been added to the map and it keeps shifting upwards. I look down at the giant''s marker and see why.


    Turning back to the Prince, his lips start to part, "The giant''s power does not seem to reach particularly far down."


    "No, it has yet to show anything similar to an enraged cabboth and its acid secretions forcing it to dig deeper and deeper into the earth." I answer, bringing up the only similar point of comparison we''ve really been able to find since the crisis began. Experts of all kinds have walked through these halls and I''ve been left none-the-wiser as to how to handle this. Apparently, not even the greatest military might and mind on the continent can either.


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    "We also know there is a limit to how far up its power is. The aura has been fully mapped." he says, asking for clarification which I answer with a nod at first.


    "Yes, following the initial upsets in our observation of the giant, back when it was purely a Republic matter. Back then, we made a point of using various explosives with measuring devices attached to see what the aura looked like. We made a point of attacking at as many points as possible to ensure it was most likely an aura and not some form of reactionary attack." I explain, pointing at the set of metal draws where I''ve been keeping most of my data copies.


    "No known material has shown a resistance to this power?" he questions, his own flesh dominating the view his eyes can provide. Fingers flex and tighten into a fist that leaves leather stretching.


    "No, the closest we''ve gotten is a living being of sufficient magic power or an inanimate object in possession of shielding." I explain though there''s no way he doesn''t know this already.


    "Rather, the presence of external-magic prevents the aura from affecting matter. At least, until it is used up. Much like how a sufficiently strong witch can prevent the spell of a weaker one from coming anywhere near into contact." the Prince theorises and I nod along as there''s nothing really else to say about the matter. After all this time, all that matters is that the giant is unstoppable.


    "So, what is this all about?" I ask in an attempt to get this conversation into something more meaningful. Whatever the Prince has been pondering, I dread to acknowledge that it means sacrificing more of the country to the advance of the giant. This Prince of the Union is possibly asking of us a cost of land and maybe life that will leave most of the space between here and the giant open. Dug out.


    "I am considering the option of trapping the giant within a trench and forcing it towards the Redstone Canyon." he explains and my eyes try to pop out from their sockets.


    "Are you crazy!? Do you not know how tall that thing is!?" I go, my expression flaring up as his brow settles with the hardness of stone. He leans around and presents a tablet.


    "The math and means of construction is all here." he answers quietly, his grip almost reluctant. I snatch the tablet and begin to read about the mega project. He has two ways of doing this, either the airships will hold their positions and keep firing down, or, they''ll ramp the giant down to the final point. From there, as many airships as it takes to ram the giant an absurd distance to then let it fall...


    "THIS IS UTTER MADNESS!" I snap with all I have, throwing the tablet to the ground in an attempt to shatter it. I curl my fists tight and watch his magic bring the tablet back to him, unharmed.


    "Yes, it is. Which is why I intend to talk to as many other points of view as possible before giving such an order." he says, his eyes going off towards a static painting of the now-gone country of old. Magic starts to mark off the painting and then he moves it away to the side. An aura diameter of several hundred kilometres, walking and running without pause for months at this point. Too much is gone, far, far too much...


    "You come here and act as if you''re a saviour and here you already have your mind made up about destroying what''s left of this land!" I snap, throwing an accusatory finger up while he strokes his chin like it''s no big deal. His sword cane taps the floor and his weight shifts onto the curved support.


    "I would assume you''d know a thing or two about Scorched Earth tactics, Grandguard Inerish." he remarks and I snort, magic almost igniting.


    "Such tactics are to delay invaders, to force them off your land and to deny them sustenance. What you have here is a plan to desecrate the continent for tens of thousands of kilometres down!" I counter and his eyes go sullen, the moral weight of it bringing him down more than his usual habits.


    "To save my home, I have two choices and both will lead to the loss of so much if I choose either. As is the case with so many things, I am presented with the needs of a greater and a lesser. One consisting of all of Jherikra''s freedom, versus the homes and lives of not an entire great peak''s sphere of influence. But, only a portion of it. Tell me, Grandguard, if your job is to be the realm''s defender, what would you do? Our weapons do not work, it is too costly to chase after what we think might work. Our only hope seems to be within the safety of the earth itself. Even if the giant leaps as high as it can, it will not ever be able to climb. The stone of the gods who abandoned us..."


    Ignoring his ending ramblings, I focus on the obvious, "And what of our future when the giant walks out every bit of support of the world from out under us? We are not flying over a grand cavern, endless rock keeps the surface where it is!"


    He glares my way and slowly moves closer, "Trust in your makers."


    Snarling back at the hissing man, he gets moving to my office''s connection to the speakers. His hand lingers over the keys he needs to press and he looks back my way. Sword cane stomps the ground, shaking the building and his frustrations show. Though I am still angry, I cannot maintain the expression.


    Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst does not have the means to fight the giant, the Union is the only chance we have right now. And... They''re lost, their lead does not know what to do, whatever is on his mind, I cannot tell. What I should tell him is something that disgusts me.


    "Gather everyone, Prince-to-Ascend Jhratur?" I ask for a repetition, stiffening up and preparing my legs to leave. Eager to go, they bounce me in my static place.


    "I will handle the orders regarding those under my direct command. You will scour all of the Gnomon and then Thrurstradtur and Suhurlodst for those in your sphere of influence. So I command." he does indeed, his magic shining bright in the dark office.


    "Suhurlodst will prove difficult to extract cooperation from." I point out, recalling my experience with them so far and minding my mood in the process. They''ve offered their advice but any actual contribution has been minuscule. The Dual-Republic was always really Thrurstradtur''s domain, but, Suhurlodst could at least keep up appearances of unity.


    "Then I will force the issue, it''s about time they stepped out of their selfish isolation in the affairs of this land." Prince Jhrartur explains, his back straightening out with his arms locked behind.

 Incline 38: Grandguard Inerish

    Exiting the cogship, I hold onto my clothes tight and cover my eyes as it ascends back into the air. I linger until the turbulence stops and am left with only the feel of nature on my fire-birthed skin. Moving my mood into my brow, I turn towards the expansive and quiet city of academia. My eyes survey the landscape and all I can see in the skies are the Union''s warships.


    What should be active with those eager to learn and grow gives off the impression of abandonment. I can see some young women and men looking at me through the windows of their dormitories and other buildings. Rather, I can see them worry over the columns of troops accompanying me and many others to this meeting. The Prince''s answer to Suhurlodst-patented stubbornness and want for detachment is to march.


    Straightening out my uniform, I get going and look up at the atypically miserable sky. Who knows what has upset the heavens, maybe it weeps for Suhurlodst, maybe it is irreverent and callous. Or, it is just the sky and does not care because it cannot. I wish, I wish...


    "Grandguard Inerish." greets a tired-looking man in a simple, plaid suit with loaded hands. Noting the familiar face, I approach in the hope of finding a little name tag I can jog my memory with. Something is coming to mind, but, I''m not sure.


    Fry... Frih-


    "Frihdeicalkbr." I say with a slight nod, noting his annoyed temperament. We share a view of the academy and he passes on some of his cargo to me. It is a tablet with the details and directions to the meeting.


    "Head of Oddity House." he reminds and I shake my head with a slight roll of my eyes.


    "I already lack the patience for you Jhermonikra and your insistence on this level or formality. I am not wasting time reciting full titles now or in this meeting." I explain and I note the aggressive shift in his muscles. He''s tensing up and broadening those shoulders of his.


    "Be careful with what you say, Grandguard Inerish. Your choices have left this school deeply affected." he warns, eyes looking above the glasses and towards an airship as it passes over.


    "How are your Ibenoroccon students holding up?" I ask, quickly assuming what this might be about. I have little doubt as to what has probably spread out to this city of students. There has always been a lot of interaction between Oddity House and Ipannicano. It''s part of why Ibenorcoccons are such a big demographic despite the terrestrial connections we have to the Eusorochii and Mogolawalic.


    "They are terrified." he answers, moving on without the respect to wait for me. I catch up and match his strides.


    "I did not incite the violence towards Ipannicano and its occupants." I point out, tone raised and he sharply stops. With a twist, his glare is up against my face and what threat he can muster glows with intent. Though not all that impressive, neither is a simple kitchen knife and that can still cut deep. So much can be turned into a weapon if the viciousness is there, even the comical.


    "It was your call to allow such a blatantly idiotic policy towards the crisis this country faces!" he hisses, rightfully calling me out on what I did. Stuttering during my breath, it shakes its way out of my nostrils like a tap meant for ice cubes.


    "What would you rather have, war?" I ask, bringing up the option I was given and his mind changes little.


    "It never occurred to you that it was an empty threat?" he almost wants to chuckle and sneer at.


    "I took it for what it is, especially with how willing the Grand-Kingdom of Ibenorocco has shown itself when it comes to troops in our land. Or, shall I walk us to the crater and the small farm left behind by a worm rider?" I remind him, pointing out how very real a threat from even just an ambassador is. Not that my choice mattered in the end, the Prince stoked the fires, his troops marched into Ipannicano and encouraged civil massacre. He blinded the very threat-giver and had him march to their passage home.


    The Head of Oddity House sighs and relents, his eyes going off towards his realm of control, "We should be glad that the last student we had on that political scale left some time ago. Their dormitory has been quiet of their voices for some time."


    "I know, Nin has told me." I say, my eyes softening as the detail goes through my head again. All that he became, all that he is now, the Dark Crow did it all for the woman he loved. While my affection for him often is spurred on by the want to taunt others. There is something there and I have considered myself in this Larishazza''s position.


    Strange, strange dreams...


    "There is more to this animosity, isn''t there?" I ask, bringing myself back to the reality of the situation as we pass a gap in some buildings. A slight sight, one of a fortress raised in a frantic hurry. The magic signal is clear, those who were out of the city have ears and their hearts beat with instinct. No way out can be seen, not now, it is a fight to the death if the swords are drawn.


    "I am doing my best, but, those who were not caught up in Ipannicano''s razing have fortified themselves. I am trying, the students trust me but... I cannot convince them to stay and have faith. They want out of the school, off the mountain and on the first ship they can be. The security forces of Suhurlodst are stretched thin enough to enforce curfews. We do not have the manpower to stop what is escalating." he vents, his eyes shifting to the signs of lighting magic.


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    More than Jherikra holds lands swallowed by those who claim dominion over All-Coasts.


    "Ipannicano still stands, it was not razed. Just, set back..." I correct quietly and at no more an inappropriate time.


    "As it is discussed by us a lot here at Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding. I must ask, when can we expect His Royal Highness, the Prince Jhrartur to cease with this bathing of his?" he asks and I blink in confusion. Coming to a halt and using my hand to pass the immobility onto him too, he looks at my bafflement. A nod starts to come from him.


    "If you''re speaking of his orders to shut down magic influx across the mountain, I cannot say. With all the airships in the sky, it makes sense he wants it freed of other industrial needs and wants." I explain to the best of my ability and he shakes his incoherently muttering head.


    "We''ve spent long enough with one of these machines in the sky above us. Though their hunger for pure magic is great, they do not need as much as you might think and the land is bountiful enough. Our patron mountain is strong enough, more than great enough." he says, rubbing one hand''s thumb into the palm of the other.


    "I do not understand." I put it simply though he''s already established this.


    "This magic, the magic you''d normally have going into Thrurstradtur, it''s all still going there. He is taking it for himself. Whatever he is doing with it, our measuring devices have enough emergency power to se-" he starts to answer and I slap a hand to his mouth, sealing it shut.


    "Be careful with what you say." I warn, bringing our attention to the many sentinels that now this land depends on for protection. Rather, for now, the sentinels we need to fear.


    "I am not wrong and I am more than able to prove it. This isn''t about the fleet, it''s about him and the designs beyond our comprehension." he finishes and I look to the Gnomon to note how most of the magic I can sense is focusing around its tip. Enhancing my vision a little, I can spot a lone figure with the wind in his cloak. Prince Jhrartur.


    I''ve spent so long in the Gnomon and being surrounded by the magic going into the city that I guess I never noticed. He''s a powerful man, the Prince, so powerful it''s almost incomprehensible. A man that''s so weak-looking, so tired and drained of life and yet his vicinity is oppressive. Knocking the door lets us tell the occupant we''re there, him knocking on the door is a means to end a siege.


    My thoughts go back to more important details.


    "I understand that all too well..." I mutter, minding the tablet and the meeting listed so very clearly on it. There will be discussions so fiery I may even be able to reminisce about home with a clear mental image. Gods and goddesses above, this may even be hotter than the Land of Fire.


    "We have our theories, we just hope none of them means his strength will be turned on us." Frihdeicalkbr sighs and we walk once again. The affairs of what was the Dual-Republic of Thrurstradutr-Suhurlodst have certainly become complicated.


    "He will not slaughter this land, he won''t do that." I reassure quietly despite the rumours I''ve heard of in regards to the now lone mountain-state of Waionr''s choice. Perhaps it is just the fact they''re at war and war breeds such sinister minds, perhaps not.


    "Nonetheless, if he intends to turn that kind of power on the world. We will see change not seen since the ancient years of Thunder and more. The royal family of the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra is a mysterious thing, something that does not meld well with power." Frihdeicalkbr goes on with the rub of his neck.


    "Yes." I agree.


    "Whatever truly was the cause, no one in the academic world can truly understand it. Perhaps, perhaps this is something only those of the temples can know for their kingdom rose in the True Emerald light of the Awakening." the man goes, referencing the continent-unique dating system. For nearly four thousand years, this land has lived within the Emerald Awakening. E.A.


    "He will accomplish something great, he has a kind of spirit that does not allow for anything lesser. Only legend will ease his conscience." I comment and we share a nod.


    "Now, this meeting that has been enforced onto our grounds. Perhaps I can be spoiled as to what is so important that the Constitution of the Dual-Republic of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst is to be violated?" the man asks and I shake my head to hide the rolling in my eyes. Of all the times, now he picks that topic to talk about. The violation of our democratic principles? He can cry all he wants, it is our lowest priority.


    "That tablet lost its validity when I announced the surrender of the government. Until this crisis with the giant ends, we are all subjects of His Lunar Majesty." I clarify and hopefully, he understands my wishes for a future where we are able to cast off the Union when they are weak. A future where we need to turn to the Valkinvar for aid and perhaps, for a time, Suhurlodst will return to being their home.


    As it was, so long ago.


    "Naturally." he goes, defeating the point of the initial question and I raise a brow. I suppose he prefers to not travel in silence, especially considering what has become of this place. So much of the lustre is gone, reducing it to a prison whose walls fire upon those escaping.


    "I see that your security forces are gathered in some strength around the main administrative building." I comment, noticing their uniforms and the fairly expensive, artisanal aspect of it. The custom, lightly manufactured nature of it all sort of dulls the pain of space in the bank vaults, I suppose.


    "A necessity we deemed when it became clear and clearer to everyone that, that government request was near-entirely lethal." he explains and I ''ah'' in remembrance. Honestly, I had forgotten all about the guild requests I had ordered to be set up. So little was coming out of it after the early days of the crisis.


    "How bad has it been on the student count?" I ask and he frowns, then, shrugs. The despair of his expression, however, I cannot escape it.


    "Let me say, I am glad that Oddity House is excluded from allowing its students involvement with the witch guild system. Our core of overseas tutorship has some benefits." he explains and my eyes adjust to the news. I guess there is a lot they need to consider when students are suddenly not returning. Though my intentions were for the more experienced, full-timers, the giant had forced an earlier me to expand the net.


    "It''s nice to see we''re not the last ones to arrive." I comment, dragging my mind off of all of those I''ve sent to their deaths. Now, I need to immerse my mind in the utter madness that we have possibly been driven to. We will rend the country to force the giant towards a place it cannot escape. If, unity can be found in the quaking hearts of all in attendance.

 Incline 39: The Prince-to-Ascend Jhrartur

    Bringing my gaze down and off the sky, I focus on the land all around. I can only wish to see as far as our continent''s coastlines, but, I cannot. With the exception of my home and our beloved guardian mountain, I can only see conquered lands. It''s not a sight that fills me with pride as much as I once thought it might.


    As my armies progress to my end goal, the reality of my path is ever more blatant. The fact the Dual-Republic of Thrurstradutr-Suhurlodst fell through treaties does not bother me. What does, however, is the circumstances that lead to the banner of my home flying here. I dare not consider the word, but, it still manages to slip into the breeze holding all of my thoughts.


    Unstoppable.


    The scale, the power, the indestructibility of it all, there''s something it reminds me of. The divine. In all my time fighting and leading this war against the withering Theocracy, only one detail has left me concerned. In their vaults, within the Great Temple of the Four-Winded Valkinvar, across the lands now under my control. Relics, relics of untold power.


    I am no fool, not led astray like so many within my homeland are. Jhrarda the Mighty is not the only god, he is simply the greatest among them, the one who blessed us with the power of wind. My father''s throne is built off of our great god''s labour. And, the world was built by all the rest of them.


    In my studies and times in the archives and libraries, the finest the world has to offer, I found one universal truth. All of us, from the highest metal island of Eusorochii to the core-built castles of Errakur, we''re all creations. The gods are very much real and the wise men of the temples know this so very well. So, so very well.


    In particular, most of their talents litter our land, our land''s name, Jherikra. The Greatest Land for the Greatest People of the Land, Jhermonikra. God Speak, that is the progenitor tongue of all other peoples and their languages. We all can find our earliest ancestors and their traces on the east coast.


    Founder''s Point, home of the Claymen. Of all Jherikra that drowned in the Time of Liquid Mountains, only there stayed dry. Not even the Grand-Kingdom of Ibenorocco, the undisputed master of the waves dared to drown the holy land. Our most blatant proof of the divine who saved us from the destruction of all reality.


    So much of what was meant for worlds beyond ours, in the dream of the god once called Ihtuntar now lies here. I fear, I fear so very deeply that what I have found myself up against is divine. Such power over the world, such indescribable power I have never seen in any burial or wisdom of the ages. The giant is not of mortal hands, not of anyone from this world.


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    I look skyward again and gently blow my breath against the endless grey. It breaks apart, showing the sky in its false, blue beauty. Looking further up, I focus on what keeps our world safe from the results of the nothing we float in. If we can truly call it that.


    The Guardian Shell, the shield that is a fusion of all six God-Mountains and their power. In the space beyond, lighting up our world, the greatest mark of Thurnmourer''s hammer. The Orbital-Halo. All of this is to protect us from oblivion.


    But, nothing is not the only threat mortal life faces, in fact, mortal life is often its own greatest threat. Like the gods we spawned from, we are able to be above such vile behaviour, we also indulge in it with excited gluttuity. So, as a final sign of their love for what remained of all creation, they left us their artefacts. Most do not know, not even I did for a while, yet, the Valkinvar''s departure...


    It wasn''t entirely for the sake of conquest. They found something, the ancient Valkinvar, youthful as the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra was in the first year. Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli and her kin explained it to me in riddles and lies, elusive and blunt words. What heroes of old once wore, the very gear of the God of War himself.


    I have done my best to gather what relics I can, but, such power is hidden and guarded well. The holy men who once roamed the land in the open still do in wisely thought secrecy. Burdens of power and the discipline to keep it all nothing more than a story. You hear little of it now, but, to have found such power is to hold the capacity to change the world.


    Earlier this year, what struck the scientists as just strange fluctuations meant much more to me. The Emerald Awakening may be coming to an end, a new age of heroes of divine greatness is upon us. Perhaps, perhaps I may find myself Jhrarda''s champion or perchance I will guide the one who will be. Nonetheless, if my home is to survive in the future, we must grow strong.


    All the wisdom of the Ancients must be found, our heritage and our sole right to grasp magic beyond its elemental spicing. We will depend on it to guide us through the uncertainty of the future. However, until that day comes, only the strength of our blood and souls will guard these mountains. There is no great hero to save us, only the power of a finely honed, veteran army!


    "One that needs more than I alone command..." I mutter, breathing in a great, lung-filling huff of air. The magic soaks into my flesh and bones and finds its way back out into the sky, towards my project. On the day my future is decided, I will be ready and the skies shall part for my will. Though, I must consider the present most heavy-mindedly.


    The giant is coming and I will need more than what I brought to conquer an empire with. Rather, I intend to save what I can of that force so I still have the means to siege the greatest city of the West. Thurnmourer''s Forge, so often abbreviated, you will be my bloodiest battle for some time.


    If I cannot secure the Valkinvar''s surrender, all of them and their soldiers are trapped in a can. I will put them to death and hold that pain with me until I pass on to whoever commands my soul. I need the Valkinvar to lay their swords down, I need their power for all of Jherikra''s future. But, for now...


    "I need yours, younger brother." I call out just loud enough for my sibling to hear me in Suhurlodst.

 Incline 40: The Prince-to-Ascend Jhrartur

    "Prince Lathameturn! Prince Lathameturn!? Greatest God, where is he?" my younger brother''s bodyguard, Galanmarck, calls out.


    "Do not hurry too much on my account. I find myself in need of this comfort and quiet goes well with it." I tell the Valkinvar turncoat as he vanishes deeper into this modest building. Minding what Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding calls its finest building. I quietly chuckle at such plainness and attempt at extravagance. I''ve seen fancier holiday homes built in the flatlands of the Moonlit Plains.


    However, my younger brother seems to be finding this building to his liking. There is plenty of room for his relics of fallen kingdoms and forgotten peoples. He insists much of it is from the periods beyond the Time of Liquid Mountains, but, I struggle to believe. Rarely a day goes by where some dig has not made a discovery of the horrors of that time.


    Dearest, beloved brother insists I stop funding such expeditions for enough of the land knows of our ancestor''s pain. But, I refuse to do so, for all the freedoms we enjoy, we cannot be anything but slaves to our distinct past. The Grand-Kingdom of Ibenorocco holds us in chains and the people must know why. Thank Jhrarda indeed my younger brother was able to escape the fate I had to endure.


    I have those slug-chasers reeling, though I need them to be readily on their backs, bellies exposed. It almost makes me laugh, even with their declining power, one must be attentive. Some businesses are cheaper to get into than others, though, that does not mean it will be so easy. So, so very easily could the past return to us in vicious reminder.


    Shoes drag on the slabs of finely cut and polished geode of deep purples and bright reds. Despite the aches that assail me, I rise to my full height and wear a smile at the sight of my brother. Oddly enough and I have never gotten over it, as Lathameturn likes to remind me, he is my superior as well. I should offer my respects, especially with why I am here but I will pass on the interaction.


    If only partially.


    "War-Prince Lathameturn." I greet with a slight nod as he frowns.


    "Royal Admiral Jhrartur." he says back, his eyes focusing on his close friend as he backs away.


    "Leave the poor man alone brother, come, come." I tell him, giving Galanmarck the freedom he needs to go off elsewhere and carry on with his babysitting. I bet he never thought that would happen when he found himself with a life debt to my younger sibling. Cooking and cleaning like any other maid but he holds the power to shoot right through a mountaintop!


    Not all that grand given what I know, admittedly, but, comparable is his position when the regular maid is considered.


    "You are here with a demand or a request?" Lathameturn asks and I huff a slight smirk on my way back to a chair. The reinforced stone core giant creaks like a simple oak office supplement. These trees can dig their way through mountains and bloom so deceptively small on the mountain peaks. And, here I am, testing its strength when a stone giant does nothing.


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    "Whatever is required to get it from you." I answer, moving my sheathed sword between my legs to better use its weight-handling abilities. The flooring cracks and the famous self-repairing nature of a Suhurlodst dormitory fails to kick in. Hmm, I wonder if the building will still be able to handle this damage. Can a building forget?


    "I assume this is to do with what caused Father to speak to us." he says and I nod, the recollection sending a shiver down my spine. It is not often His Lunar Majesty talks to anyone beyond the halls of the Finger''s Reach Palace. Much less to give the order to call off an affair he''s before shown little interest in. Such a perplexing man, our father, the most powerful man on the continent physically and politically but nearly unseen in both fields.


    "It is, yes, and knowing you as well as I do, am I to guess you are not entirely clear as to what is going on?" I ask, paying attention to the breaks in his stoic expression. He rolls his eyes towards a different direction and fails to hide the slight rose bubbling in his cheeks. Mutters of a truly incomprehensible nature blabber out.


    "The present-day is not my strongest area of expertise." he says like it may be a secret.


    "I know." I remark, smiling deeper while my brother loses his focus on the many statues he''s gathered. I frown at one of them, for it is the still recognisable carvings of a man the world knew as Thunder. Somewhere out in this world, the power of the greatest of heroes is waiting to be taken. Or, it has, south, so far south you need to fly to reach the lands of the Eusorochii.


    Much like when the giant awakened, I could feel it. So many remarked on an odd sensation that day, thunder, we could all hear thunder on a clear, Orbital-Halo-blessed day. Only, it didn''t rumble, it screamed with feminine passion and love a name so obscure and blatant at the same time. Lightning.


    "So, brother, we are currently dealing with an unknown threat of immense scale. Like a babe is next to one of your relics, that giant treats the mountains of our land. As is the dust that collects on them in their buried isolation, the land is becoming sand that catches onto flaming wind." I explain and he nods, his magic grabbing onto a tablet and something to write with. The familiar noises of what I often delegate fill the room and armour suddenly shifts.


    "You call upon me, War-Prince Lathameturn?" Galanmarck asks as I feel the magic in his marked hand call upon the proof of his Imdvarce heritage.


    "The Royal Admiral requires additional troops. You will take command of my forces and serve as my voice and presence in their deployment." Lathameturn explains and Galanmarck drops down in utter submission.


    "So it will be done, My Prince." he answers and my brother''s magic fills the part our physical hand really should do. The first Valkinvar to serve the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra rises, a confident smile on his features. While I am sure he wants his sword to display its real power, it arrives as the shed feather will once age plucks it from a wing.


    "I will need a technical document of some kind regarding your landships, brother." I point out as I am not all too familiar with his alterations on the New Story hull. Why he felt the need to expand upon my warship design, I do not know, but, he clearly has different intentions for them. Rather disgustingly, he countermanded my desires for a military built around our land''s power. He made them driveable.


    "Of course, I will supply you with what you need to know about my Legged Wheels." my brother explains and my dominant side''s eye twitches. He even deigned to give his alterations a name that paid no heed to the poetic genius of what I named the New Stories for!? Oh, brother, I thought we were beyond such insults... Tch.


    Little cunt.

 Incline 41: Aspirer Baltanthan

    "Where is it...? Where is it!? WHERE IS IT!? ALL THE GODS IN THE SKY, TELL ME!" I go, building up with rage and toppling the tower of tablets. They crash and bang across the floor while my shoulders heave with the heat of my breaths. Turning to the noise disturbing my room, I spot one of my dormmates as she strides in, light flicking on. Her face is set and stern with annoyance while I flinch at the brightness.


    "Be quiet, we do not want to hear you." she goes.


    "Get ou-" I start to hiss and she snaps.


    "Stop acting like a child and grow up!" she interrupts, leaving me quiet. Blinking once, my hands flex and I step forward.


    "I... Am... I AM TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEM, SO THAT THE DEATH OF MY FRIEND IS FOR SOMETHING! SO SHE DIDN''T PUT MY LIFE OVER HERS FOR NOTHING!" I roar, walking with every bit of fury I have and shoving her back. The sternness vanishes and her eyes waver, she starts to bend in on herself. Forcing the issue further, I keep roaring down as the first signs of tears appear.


    I snap like a wild animal and she runs off, hopefully, to never be seen again. Grabbing the door, I smash it back into the frame with all I have. It slams too quietly. Opening it up again, I repeat the process and grab onto a drawer to bring it down. No one will disturb me, not now... Not now.


    The light switch flicks and pitch black meets me.


    Returning to the desk, I stub my foot on one of the tablets and hiss into a hopping frenzy. I blink and squint, adjusting to the dark before I growl back towards the switch. Putting myself back into the light, I mind my way to the desk and stop. The mirror on my right becomes my focus, rather, I do.


    Eyes shaded with exhaustion and a lack of sleep. Skin pale from the absence of the Orbital-Halo''s light, I''m thoroughly gaunt. Raggedy hair knotted without end and slicked with the grease of my sweat. If I wait any longer with my face, I''d probably end up with a full beard.


    The lack of an occupant for the bed near mine catches my attention and my expression is sullied. Ioike didn''t make it back with me, she never returned to this useless place. She died because of me. She''s been dead for months now.


    Blinking and wiping my dry eyes, I slowly get back into my hunchback position and pick a tablet up. Brushing it off for no needed reason, I linger on the signs of her hand writing. It''s not fancy or thoughtful, it''s fairly repetitive. Her mind forgets so quickly and she repeats herself a fair bit, but, it''s hers.


    "Why did you save me? You stupid girl... I have no idea where I am supposed to be looking. You nearly got us both killed looking for the... Oh, you''d know." I mutter, diving my face into my worn and sore hands. Throwing them ahead onto the desk, I let the pins and needles bugger off on their own without a care. The back aches drive me to lean backwards, on the rear legs of my chair.


    Letting the lack of balance take me, I try to knock myself out on the mess below. All it does is hurt and I stare up at the ceiling while my head throbs. Blinking back the burning rims around my eyes, I force my way back up and sigh. Seat back under, I get back to reading what is probably another useless tablet of ramblings.


    I refuse to believe that Ioike didn''t have something written up about the giant''s weakness. Something, anything! There''s no way she couldn''t have, she''s documented everything there is. Surely... Surely there is a hint somewhere in these tablets? There has to be.


    The armies of this country and others cannot handle the giant, only something equal can. I couldn''t find anything within the libraries, there was nothing on the giant. The Archaeology Club had nothing either, not even me beating them within an inch of consciousness got me anything... I''ve tried asking, begging, pleading and threatening and I know nothing more than I did back then.


    Ioike didn''t make much sound when she died, no, she gave me a sad smile while the rear car vanished with her. Why did she have to die for my sake? Whatever compelled her to die on my behalf to make sure I made it back here? Why couldn''t anyone else have died over her, why couldn''t it have been me?


    She would know what to do, somewhere in here, she knows what to do. I need to find it. Read it clearly and carefully and take it all in with every bit of rabidity as I can. Then, the world needs to know.


    Yet... I am lost.


    One tablet, two, three, four, five, six, seven and more, so many more! All of them equally empty and devoid of helpful information. I can''t find anything in this mess. It''s just useless crap!


    Kicking an empty bin away, it bangs on the wall and rolls onto its dented side. The reflective metal catches onto the faded image of something and I get up. Shuffling around the mess, I lean over my destruction to pick it up. It''s nothing special, just what appears to be an empty picture frame.


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    I aim to toss it to the ground without care and catch the signs of truth decorating the floor. Paper, ribbon and scissors and a little laminated sheet of all things. Gently, I slip it into my fingers and lock up at its contents. I don''t understand, how long as this been here?


    "Ioike..." I mutter, staring at the crude but memorable photo. Ioike took this near the time I passed my entrance exam. She said she was really happy to have someone to share her dorm room with. Finally, someone would be coming to her place of rest, she would not have to do any games or that in the rooms of the others.


    We never played any games or did any of that stuff, but, she never shut up about it around the time this photo was taken. We all made a lot of fun out of her when she let slip the fact she spent a small fortune on a paper photographer. Minding what''s coming out of my eyes and the alerting trail they make, I move the photo up and out of the way. Little darks spots spatter across the carpet.


    The frame and photo rest on my bed and I turn back to my work. With a loose-hinged chair now back under me, I pick up the tablet on my broken desk. I give it a quick look over for anything that could actually be useful and seem to find nothing. A heavy sigh snorts right on out and my eyes linger on one of the words in this tablet.


    Segaansallis.


    "Isn''t that...?" I recall slowly, setting aside my memories of Ioike distinctly mentioning how she''s never been. The Sword-Faced Giant fills out the space the images of the imagination go and I ponder a date. Gods above, it''s been a while since I laid my hands on that Inter-House Talent Display trophy, hasn''t it?


    I don''t think this tablet will be of much use, though, the details are all describing someone else''s words. It''s all a load of rubbish about there being a cave system that led to a strange door. Something about a workplace accident spilling blood on the wall and it opened up. The material was otherwise invulnerable to any attempt to do the same...


    I reread the entry and linger my attention on the annotations. Ioike wanted to visit Segaansallis so badly but she could never get permission to do it. For all of her willingness to ignore others, she wasn''t good at ignoring the letter of the law. At least, when it came to what she could and couldn''t do, where to go and whatnot.


    Putting the tablet down, I use one hand to pinch the top of my nose and I drag it down onto my nostrils. Flaring them up, I clear the pair and look over to the window. The curtains have been closed for some time. Natural light flashes the room, overpowering the weak magic one even with the grey skies above.


    Placing the tablet on the windowsill, I read through it further until I reach a sudden change in topic. Much like Ioike''s speech, her writing is much the same. For some reason, we are now on the ramblings of legends and ancient heroes who fought each other. I try to consider why it might be here but I just cannot...


    "Divine gear can damage divine gear." I speak aloud, my mind repeating the sentence for quite some time while I uselessly hang my mouth open. Turning back to the mess, I walk around until I can cluck away at the one with a familiar opening face. I pick it up and use the magic within to flick to the page I know I can remember... Where... Where?


    Here!


    "The... Necro-Titans..." I joke with the obvious nothing responding with nothing. She would have my head if I told her that in person. Ioike wanted her work to be treated with respect, though the real name slips my mind. It doesn''t matter, anyway, it''s just a name.


    I gently tap slap some focus back into my thoughts.


    "The Necro-Titans are the seven constructs made by the gods and goddesses. What we know of their purpose is that they were designed to handle creation where the divine was directly not. Serving as caretakers. While I am upset I will never be able to see its real form, I know of one in Errakur. The very tunnel to the continent of fire is the ''corpse'' of the immense divine machine." I read, losing track of where I am meant to go as the details pile on. So much information to register and properly stick into my head...


    I sigh again.


    "Of the seven machines, three are known to have touched what is now Jherikra. Segaansallis, Atarifuge and Hadeshstation. Warrior, Apath and Farmer. Apath...? Apathy? Like with most divine objects, it is believed the best chance to study either will require something godly and with a sharp edge." I finish reading and the tablet is set back down.


    The divine is needed to destroy the giant?


    Then, why does magic not destroy it, magic is divine! God-Mountains give it, the gods made them and their blood made us. What is the point of change that makes something not divine enough to affect the giant? Glass whacks and I twist to the noise.


    A little, tiny bird shakes its head, hops around and falls back into the air. I blink and my eyes stay wide open. Of course... Of course!


    It''s not a problem of divinity alone, scale matters here and the giant is simply too big!


    If Segaansallis can be entered with the application of blood onto its body at set points. Then I or someone else can pilot the ancient machine and stop the giant! I can smash Atarifuge to pieces for what it did and Ioike''s memory can finally rest in peace... I will finally make it up to her for putting her in a situation where she had to save me...


    Sniffling, I rub a filthy sleeve along my face to keep it dry and look outside one more time. I have not a clue about the finer details of Segaansallis, though. Guess I can gather all I need but what if just me alone is not enough? I will need help, especially for something as complicated as travel these days.


    Or, perhaps I can make use of the soldiers to do this? I can gather everything and pass this information on to them. Yeah. Yeah, I should do that, there''s a gathering right now with lots of important people...


    I''m pretty sure that''s what that earlier speaker announcement was, anyhow.


    I look to the mess on the floor and nod slowly. I''ve got to gather up everything that''s important and fast. My reflection comes back into view and I stare at the mess I''ve become. Maybe I should also work to make myself presentable.


    "Don''t worry, Ioike, I''ve found the solution... I''ve found it." I mutter, moving to shove the drawer back up.

 Incline 42: Aspirer Baltanthan

    Turning the shower off, I wait and stare at the nearest tiles. Much like them, the water is finally starting to roll away without anything else to back it up. No barely heated plumbing will keep me moist, but lingering in the air is not the best way to dry. The curtain zips back with a scraping series of bumps and I mind the leg-rising step.


    A sigh escapes quietly through my nostrils and I survey the room I''ve not used all that much recently. Nothing''s really changed, it''s still a bathroom designed to accommodate a fair few people. The girly majority who live here have little problem with it, but, as the sole man, I am entitled to privacy more than them. Not that my behaviour hasn''t already guaranteed that as of late.


    Finger first on the cold metal bar, I slip my prints along the condensation and snatch up my towel. Applying it first to the face, I scrub it down and slick back my mess of hair. Water-welded clumps out of the way of my vision, I get to drying the rest of my body. The towel falls and I hold out my dominant hand in a clawish form.


    An orb of magic comes into being and it couldn''t be more fitting with its rust-inspired colours. Though, the metal in here certainly would like to make the argument that I am wrong. But who cares what some coated metal or aluminium has to say? Who even has the lack of sanity to think metal can talk?


    Me, apparently.


    "I have everything gathered. Now, I just need to sort myself out." I mutter, clapping my hands together quietly as I look upon my naked visage. The magic within the mirror keeps it clear as always and I stare back at the wreck of a man. I can certainly play the part of the crazy hermit if I want to. I might have to if I fail to present my case to all the bigshots currently on site.


    Putting a hand through my hair, I frown in contemplation at what to do with it. I''ve never had it this long before and I don''t trust my abilities to self-hairdress. A comb glows in my imagination and I reach out for the dull reality of simple wood and bone. One of the girls who lives here, it''s theirs, but I don''t have much mind to ask right now for permission.


    Getting to it, I slick and shape the aggressively scrubbed mop on my head and give it some finer form. However, for the mess on my face, I opt for something that actually belongs to me. I ignore the usual process and glide the razorblade across my entire jaw-lawn. Some more water splashes and I clean away the little dark lines of debris.


    Taking one more look at the mirror, I nod slowly and almost smile. This is a face far more presentable and one much more deserving of a friend I once had called Ioike. I make a quick mental reiteration of my post-mortem promise to her and gather my things. Without a care in the world, my naked body grasps the door handle and I push.


    Yet, despite the willingness to streak, I still make the effort to get out of sight quickly. My bedroom door shuts with a puff of air, the open window catching it on a draft. Dumping my things, I get to putting my display of clothes on. Only the basics manage to slip onto my body without issue and I stop to look at my more important choices.


    Will people take me more seriously if I have more power to back my presence up? Liadanann is not here to complain if I do, and with the fate of the land at stake, her feelings are moot. Even so, I cannot find it within me to put myself through such pain again. It''s not like I''d be able to overpower anyone even if I did. I''ve not been looking after myself.


    "Even with a shower and a shave to freshen up, I still look like someone who''s been for a mountainside roll." I scoff, staring at the better looking man in the mirror. I assume the glass, if it had a memory, much prefers what it can now see. Nodding my attention away from it, I start to fiddle with the tablet pile. I''m pretty sure this is everything I could need.


    Anything and everything that describes Segaansallis and makes it clear what my point is. It''s all here, every last bit of eroded dust of it. I just need to present this information to all those soldiers and make the solution clear. No one''s come looking for Ioike''s work so I know this is not a thought that has crossed their minds.


    They''re probably only considering ineffective bombs, anyway...


    I sit on the edge of my bed and put my face into my hands so I can sigh. Is this even going to work? I''ve spent all this time trying to find a hint or clue as to defeat Atarifuge and I finally have it. But, I have no idea if I have a mind capable of thinking up the solutions and plans needed.


    What I have here is not exactly sorted out to be easily legible to someone in a meeting or an abrupt interruption. It''s all ramblings of a truly incoherent sort with a lot of experience needed to even begin to grasp it. Even then, I''ve known Ioike, I''ve put up with her for some time. Even then, I still struggled to reach this point...


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    "Gods above... Please, make this work. Please..." I mutter, signing off to the first god that comes to mind with a quick gesture. I don''t even know what god I prayed to. It came out so out-of-thought that it might as well be Apahthein. Either way, I best get going and put on my final few bits.


    I do so and with an exerting huff; I load up on the tablets. My new weight bears down on the floorboards louder and I get going. Hands adjust the feel of my bag and I jump my shoulders a little to free up any cloth-y snags. Voices call out to me and eyes watch. All of them are ignored and the bottom of the stairs comes within reach.


    The final step is almost daunting, and my mind is all too aware of the implications. If I go any further, I will have no choice but to head to this meeting and find a way in. And yet, I think like that so pointlessly. There is no choice. If I do not enlighten those in charge of our defence, we will perish.


    Ioike did not save my life just so I can waste it and eventually join her in death...


    "I wonder if Nin ever felt this way about me. I guess, though, this is what he thought about Larishazza." I mutter as random thought while I close the gap between me and the front door. Snatching up my staff, I ignore the voices calling out for me and get going down the quiet street. No one''s out here but the mysteriously shadow-faced soldiers of the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra. No matter, they''re not paying me any mind.


    The unintended help they offer me, though, is most welcome. I''m not entirely sure where a massive meeting between people would happen on school grounds. However, the soldiers are a useable trail. Their density seems to be in proportion to the importance of events across the campus. Following this increase in weapons and armour should prove fruitful.


    The central section of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding makes the most sense. That''s where the teachers and so on tend to be for their big meetings that involve all of Suhurlodst. I''ve only ever heard of meetings taking place on the grounds of the four houses if it''s a house affair. Oddity House developments will never be discussed on Exceptional House grounds.


    Only exception is probably going to be Mechanical House.


    "Focus Baltanthan, focus. I know you''re nervous, but this is what needs to be done." I tell myself as I put a hand on a dead lamp post. Lingering at the edge of the street, I pay attention to the sky as some airships fly over. And I thought one was an impressive enough sight as is, now there''s so bloody many of them. All of this and Atarifuge is still not down. It really is hinging all on me, isn''t it?


    Again, this really should be Ioike doing this, not me. This is her work, her area of expertise and Atarifuge was the thing she was studying. Maybe I can find her club''s whereabouts and have them present it as a case? I don''t even know where to begin looking.


    Shaking my head and expressing my growing anger, I slap myself twice with some firmness. My expression settles into place and I march onwards. There''s no time for any more dawdling. I must be on my way with this information. I must put it into the hands of people who can make head or tails of it.


    With cold feet, I keep clear of the main entrance of the main administrative building and walk around finding a side entrance. Unlike elsewhere, this place only seems to have a couple of guards posted at it, and I approach them. They pay me no mind and carry on with their lives as armed statues. I wave at the foreign troops in the hopes of catching their attention.


    Nothing, they do nothing. Keeping an awkward grip on the air near my front, I try to reach for the door. An armoured hand snaps across it like a locking bar might and the other smacks their weapon''s barrel. I flinch back and the pair revert to their prior state. I frown as my mouth opens up.


    "Hello?"


    The shadow-faced men do not reply, their little orange eyes remain immovable pricks.


    "I have important information about Atarifuge, the giant currently heading this way." I explain, hoping they grasp the importance of it. Taking my bag off, I pull out a tablet to show. My fingers get to work putting it onto the relevant face of details.


    A clear presentation before one of them does not do much, if anything at all.


    "It''s details about a weapon that can destroy it, an inactive machine called Segaansallis. You might have heard of it as the Sword-Faced Giant?" I try to elaborate only for them to carry on the usual nothing. Smacking my lips and rubbing the back of my neck, I put the tablet back. I show and display the full extent of my luggage all I can.


    Surely they can grasp that I am not some wacko whose found one odd reference? I have an extensive supply of material to show to their superiors? Maybe they''re just not allowed to talk? Can I try to go in aga-


    My bag crashes onto the ground, I touch the harsh feel on my chest. I hear a mechanical pump and a glowing blade is too close. Locking up, my eyes widen at the pinkish coloured edge and the barrel right above. I can''t get my ears to hear anything but the magic hissing into the catalyst chamber on the gun''s rear.


    Whistling, feet running.


    "What''s going on back here?" a man with his face showing demands to know and I turn to him with some joy. Finally, a person I can explain myself to without anything strange going on! Whatever magic makes the shadow-face a thing, it''s only getting in my way.


    "I have important information! I need to get inside!" I say, forcing myself up against the grass to get away from the bayonet. It follows me, not allowing any freedom of space.


    The man puts a hand towards a helmet-bound device, "We have a student here trying to sneak in. Yes, sir, I will put him back on his way."


    "No, wait, no I hav-!" I try to explain as the faced-man packs up my tablets and moves to get me going along. I need to fight back and explain my situation!

 Incline 43: Aspirer Baltanthan

    Finally squeezing into the city, I try to find a cranny to settle my staff into. There''s too many people on the streets these days. Certainly says a lot when a mixture of foreign troops and city guard need to use the roofs for their patrols. Even up there, it''s not exactly a sparsely occupied route.


    The loss of the city''s primary power supply for the sake of that airship fleet is something alright. I was already aware of Thrurstradtur using advanced, dimensional shifting technology to maintain its populace. The city can still have a vast, incomprehensible total population, but it can run itself like it''s a quarter of the scale. This is just the surface as well, Liadanann has told me how it''s more so businesses up here.


    Only the truly wealthy can live on the surface and even then, most people prefer pocket realms. I bet most of these people are now quite resentful that they chose to get a building out in the open. However, I am quite glad that this does not apply to the Gnomon in the slightest. The king of all Thrurstradturan architecture can be reached on foot, always has been the case.


    Adjusting my bag, I keep a slight supply of magic in my staff. I know there''s not much room to work with, but I need something to influence people and to incite movement. More than a tight squeeze to get to the Gnomon would be quite ideal, right about now! Eugh, one more reason to hurry, I guess.


    Get these tablets to the local leaders from the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra and they can be on their way. These tablets have everything they need to figure out what to defeat the giant with. Defeat the giant, the fleet can go, the fleet''s gone, the city can go back to normal. Just a few streets to go and I should be within range of an entrance.


    "I don''t think walking in is really an option..." my tongue clicks out as I find myself a wall to press up against. Only my free hand really gets a chance to feel the abrasive, grainy structure of the bricks. My feet are otherwise too busy trying to keep me upright. Popping out of gaps really needs to stop.


    Minding what may be a small family and their run down, abrupt shelter, I accidentally kick a support out. Hurrying along as a fight begins between simmering groups, I manage to get out of view. Security up on the nearby tiles and slopes start to shout down and a mild, short-lived stampede pushes at the street sides. My ankle scrapes its way through a suddenly tighter gap and I fall against a pole.


    A hand grips my almost-fallen staff and I snap towards my weapon, magic shining bright. Staring the wannabe thief down, they back away, iris'' alight with my power. I return the staff close to my chest and hold it there. Of all the things to almost lose...


    Doubt is certainly the simplest way I can put my feelings about the Gnomon right now. Security is clearly more than it typically is, even at the small entrance up ahead. Thankfully, I suppose, I don''t look out-of-place watching the guards in this crowd. There is no way I can sneak up, though.


    I''ve never had much interest in defensive works, but, having grown up in a ravineer town, I have some understanding. There''s a wide, open space between this small entrance and any nearby building. No windows face it and all the garden walls and front porches are notably reinforced if facing the door. A couple of men are also not all there is, they''re too safe for that to be the case.


    There''re troops positioned in a secured, tight-lipped balcony with little room to throw stuff through. A slight stretch of the neck lets me catch glimpses of those posted at the rims of the open space. If I run in for those in front, those behind will shoot me dead. No useable pipelines of any variety, either, not even sewage.


    Groaning a bit, I force my way into an alleyway otherwise too tight for crowds. I still need to mind the odd person and their knees-to-the-chest seating, but I can move. It''s so strange to find the most freedom for movement in a place where my arms being up means bent elbows. Scratch that, I don''t think I can even get one arm up and have it be straight all the way.


    "If only I was stronger. Might be able to leap the distance and break down the door that way." I mutter as I weave my way to a closed shop. Magic fights off the canopy shadow, and I apply it to the locks, crumbling them out of existence. A careful push of the door and I step into the dark building, my ears overly active. Not a peep. I smile.


    The miserable day is slipping in through the gaps in the shutters and the layout is elucidated. However, for all that I can see, not one of these things is an indicator of how to get into the Gnomon. I guess the rumours of secret tunnels have no weight at all. I blink in thought and a word repeats, weight.


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    Weight. Heavy. Stable. Sturdy.


    "Protection..." I let out with a hard flick of the tongue. Setting aside my staff, I feel out for any metal in the structure with my magic and bring it back. If I myself am not strong enough, then I can use what is strong enough, perhaps? I need to try, I suppose, not that I have much choice.


    Besides, the crime report can be used as a point of reference in my transfer exam! Who can possibly sit there and tell me that I am not entitled to a place within Exceptional House? I broke into the Gnomon, after all. Well, I will...


    I blink and consider that, nevermind the Gnomon on its own, right as it''s filled with foreign troops. Men, who, in my limited experience, are incapable of acting outside of the orders they are given. If they''re told to kill me, they will keep at it until I am dead. So much rests on a bit of luck and hope an-


    "What''s my life to the whole country?" I ask myself as I grab my staff once again. This isn''t really a spell I''ve practised if at all. My magic has always been more for the destruction of metal by inducing oxidation. Yet, there are transferable skills and an Exceptional Student is expected to make use of these things.


    I take in a deep breath and focus. Calling on my internal power, I bring it out into the open and feel out for all the metal in the building. The structure sings with rattles and shakes, the forceful eviction of rivets and the loosening of washers. Welds come undone.


    Almost, I laugh at how easy this seems to be and I can''t help but falter in focus. This is all because of the Gnomon being turned off, isn''t it!? I can''t use this at all as a means to progress up to Exceptional House. Who can''t express their magic so easily in an environment like this?


    "Focus!" I snap and another tunnelled breath escapes me. The wind is directed towards where I can sense the door and the soldiers most certainly return the feeling. Metal is building up around me, and most certainly, more of them are coming into my limited view. Motioning back a fist-gripped staff, I fine tune the point of my magic.


    Forcing the power forward, I blow the building''s structure out and it smashes into a greater whole. The opening of the torn down walls present lights me up. Clenching up all over, I run into my tunnel and seal it with my magic. Shots tear apart my safety.


    Cherry red patches appear in front. I feel them at my sides and know they''re behind. An unsettling thunk of a noise precedes entire chunks vanishing. Weapons stick in and bad views. Sprinting with all I can, I build up my magic around my front and barrel ahead.


    I hit into the elastic wall of the Gnomon and keep on going even as my boots start to scrape. Groaning with all I have, I pop through and reseal the immense wall. I sigh in relief. The building screams with all the alarms it has.


    "Great... Well, I know I have to go up. Grandguard Inerish''s office is on the same floor as where she normally is." I remind myself, scraping my robes off and adjusting my heavy back weight. Moving up to a door, I wait for any signs of noise beyond. No feet, no rattling. It''s safe...?


    I lean ahead and the weapons fire is immediate.


    Magic in hand, I break the door''s hinges and locks, sealing it up with an impromptu weld. It shakes violently and I turn to get going before the door gets a chance to open. Another door leads me nowhere, and another leads me to a hallway of pipes and steam. Not seeing any other place to turn, I run with all I can down the latter.


    A light at the end of the tunnel at least has some implications that incite optimism. And would you look at that? I''m completely right, a flight of stairs and the indication of this being a maintenance shaft! Something slams open.


    The alarms become clearer for a moment.


    "THE INTRUDER IS DOWN HERE!" a voice roars from the top of the stairs and a shadow vaults. Skidding into my back steps, I bang on the pipes and a body lands on the ground. A pair of orange eyes looks up at me and his trigger guard cocks forward. My body screams one word.


    Run!


    Slipping some magic across the pipes, I break them open and make a shot go wayward. It breaks open more of the pipes and it''s not enough to stop the troops. Barely avoiding the terror-inducing bolt of magic, my bag-covered back slaps on the wall. Preparing my staff, I focus on the power it''s conducting into the surroundings and let it go.


    What sounds like floor supports failing on top of pipes falling is enough to send me on my merry way. Something bangs far behind and I make the mistake of looking back. My magic is causing the lights to fail. It''s a cavern back there. One with a pair of orange pricks accompanied by rapid feet.


    Rushing with all I have, I make a turn that hurts both my arms. One is now bruised, and the other dislodged. I keep running, but so does the soldier. He''s getting closer, closer, closer. Too close!


    Minding the magic in my staff, I stop and turn. I barely manage to get a solid blow on the guy''s chest, and he flies off with a roll. His armour breaking down, I gulp and get going with the hope that will stop him. I yelp and fall onto the netted floor.


    He grabs my staff before I can react, and my bag becomes a seat. Something long bounces and clatters across the floor and I smash the floor. I do it again and again. Dammit!


    "Whereever this is, whoever you are, consider yourself lucky." the whistle-accented man warns as he brushes the metal flakes off. Some get into my mouth and I spit them back out. Awkwardly, I reach up for a pipe and try to get a solid grip on it. I need my staff for quality magic, but, now, I need to prove that, that is not the case!


    Directing what I can into the metal, I try to erode it to the point of failing. He smacks the hand with what remains of his helmet. Keeping my limbs to myself, I clench my teeth and sneer down at the ground. I didn''t get anywhere with this and now I''m going to be wasting away in a prison cell...


    More feet travel towards us and I look up just in time to watch a rifle butt ram my way.

 Incline 44: Aspirer Baltanthan

    "Who are you working for?" the interrogator asks, his tired eyes inching ever slightly lower down the list of questions he has. Rolling my set of them, I flop onto my back and turn my hands into a pillow. Wherever they''ve put me, I can''t use my magic to get out. They''re so sure, in fact, I haven''t seen much in the way of security.


    He taps the tablet gently with his writing tools, and I hear the sip of a drink. He''s not going to get anything out of me, not now, not tomorrow, and he''s seen enough to know. So, why he''s still here, I do not have the capacity to fathom. I''ve told them all again and again-


    "Bring me Grandguard Inerish!" I bellow, slipping a hand out and reaching for the faraway ceiling of my cell. My head lazily falls to the side and I force it further so my gaze is in line with his. Neither of us budges in the staring contest and a hand rises so he can gesture for someone. No doubt it''s time for my latest beating.


    Armoured steps echo our way and soon, too soon, if my tight chest indicates anything. A shadow-faced soldier halts nearby and the interrogator gets to packing his stuff up again. The man rises and that hand he used to gesture points my way. He shakes his head in disappointment.


    "Put him out, I''ll be back later," the interrogator orders, and my cell opens up. Although this is not the first time, I fall off my bench and scramble up. Instinctually, I move to cover my face and the soldier wrestles both arms down with one grip. The other hand forms a fist, metal knuckles shining with the signs of their inexperienced service.


    It comes for me!


    Groaning myself awake, I shake my head and mind my sore nose. They''ve put enough magic in my system to crack it back into shape. However, the bruising is still there, the swelling as well. My nose is all clogged with dry blood and I think a bit of snot as well.


    Craning my nose out over the little sink I am lucky to have, I get to work. One wince accompanies the first nostril, and I blow harshly. My lips smack at the icky sight, and I wet a palm to wipe the lingering mess away. Not all the blood is dry and rough, some might as well be glue with how thick it''s congealed.


    Taking the moment to wash my hands of the mess, I quickly sort out my next nostrils. Mouth open, I crinkle out the pain that the punch to the face left me with. Gods above, I thought becoming a stronger witch was meant to make my internal-magic reserves rise? Why in all of All That Remains do I feel like a blank from the lowest of lands?


    "Ah... Actually, roll down the spikiest mountain." I swear before I make a random popping noise to vent my pain into something else. Taking the moment, I use my hopefully clean palm to get something to drink to help out with the dry throat. I smack my lips to remind my body that I have drunk something, but it''s all still sore, like I am a smoked fish. Drinking a bit more, I try to drown the feeling.


    Footsteps echo down the cell-lined tunnel and the interrogator returns with his stuff. He sits down and sets himself up with the same unamused professionalism. Covering my hands in more water, I make sure they''re thoroughly drenched. Elbows on the bars, I stick my digits through and flick.


    I scoff a little as he winces and a little cloth wipes the mess clean off. Lingering around and putting off the idea of further water fun, I wait for him to get ready. Same questions, same answer. If he wants me to give him any damn answers, he can...


    "Take me to see the Grandguard or bring her to see me!" I groan, shaking away at the reinforced metal. If I had any money on me, I''d be more than happy to bet that his ears are not working. Who knows, maybe the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra has invented new little devices that make someone only hear what they want to. Oh, I wish that was the case. People are selective hearers even without Ancient Jhermonikra inspiring engineers.


    "Why did you break into the Gnomon with a bag filled with tablets?" he asks, and I ''o'' a shape with my lips. This is a new question, one that directly leads into my prior set of requests!


    "Grandguard. Inerish!" I struggle to not shout. To compensate, however, I press my face up through the gap in the bars as much as I can. He writes down another note. His eyes meet mine again, an intimidating angle found within, hiding them halfway behind his brow.


    "As you might be aware, the Dual-Republic of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst is no longer a thing. At least, in theory. But, for the time being, this is all Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra now. Rules only need one word from the right man and your life is forfeit." he threatens and while there is some credit to what he''s saying. I almost fell for it, even. But, there''s something specific still happening that makes it a little too easy to dismiss the threat.


    "Doesn''t matter, there won''t be even a continent of Jherikra if Atarifuge has anything to say about it!" I snap, smacking the bars with as much attempted spell-casting as I can. Throwing myself off, I pace about with a forwarded lower jaw and a curled-in bottom lip. Stopping right in the centre of my cell, I cover my hips with my hands and turn.


    My eyes keep on getting wider.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    "Atarifuge is the name of your leader or your organisation?" the clueless man asks and I throw my claw-shaped hands in the air. Mutters escape my mouth and the volume rises.


    "Atarifuge is the name of... THE DAMN GIANT YOU''VE BEEN TRYING TO KILL!" I go, building up into a livid rage that stops with a harsh kick to one of the bars. The man writes down more notes and seems to ponder this information. More notes are written down, and he gets up to leave. Soothing my expression over, I watch him depart.


    The footsteps are taking their time to vanish out of earshot and I have a feeling I know why. Some faded, incoherent words make it down to me and I lean as forward as my constraints let me. Metal feet march my way. A shadow-faced soldier with a particularly flexible set of fingers.


    Stepping back a little in understanding, I eye the cell door and rush back to it. Positioning myself as best as I can, I try to fight back against the soldier. His grip settles where it needs to go and the cell door slides open. Leaping away, I safe my limbs from being smashed up against the wall.


    Taking my chances, I try to barge past and am thrown back. Groaning away on the floor, the soldier yanks me up by the collar. He sets me up in front of the wall and forms a fist. Whimpering turns to annoyance.


    "UNDWOTE NEVER FIND YOU!" I shout with all I have and the fist moves.


    Groaning into a noise that''s short of a scream, I push down against the pillows. Pillows? Blinking a bit, I mind the lack of soreness across my face and spot my bag. I smile a bit and turn some more to find a very unhappy woman.


    The dark-skinned warrior flicks a finger across the inside of her thumb, lighting the distal up. This fusion of dark and fire magic is short-lived and I get up fully, eyeing the plate of food and cup of water a bit. Inerish seems hesitant to hand it over, but she does so. I don''t move.


    "You best explain yourself, Student of Suhurlodst." Inerish encourages with the forward tilting of her head. Snapping my focus away from the food, I rush to my bag and begin bringing out the tablets. Turning around with no goal in sight, I opt to simply clear a table. If it doesn''t look fragile, I throw it onto the floor and array the tablets where I can.


    Covering one eye and mushing the aches out of my system, I fidget about looking for a place to start. Inerish walks up beside me and looks down at what I have arrayed for her. She picks one tablet up and goes through it, stopping when I find the one I want. I have her full attention.


    "Since I got back from the dig site, if you remember where I asked to be dropped off..." I say, idly moving my hands about as I continue to be unsettled by the stress she can''t help but show. This is probably the only reason my presence is even sharing a room with her. She''s been trying to handle the problem since day one and only the crackpot theories remain to be tested. No conventional method has worked so far, which she will understand clearly once I show her this fully.


    "You had us stop by a spiral-train station. Yes, I remember." She goes, nodding while I find the tablet face she wants.


    "Right here, see? This is Atarifuge, an ancient machine built by the gods'' way, way, way back." I point out, handing the tablet over and scrambling to find another piece of vital information. Where is it? Where is Segaansallis'' slew of lore!?


    "Godbot." Inerish reads out loud and I look slightly her way.


    "Yeah, that''s what some in the field of study for them call them... As they''re not exactly legend makers, we don''t have many myths on them. My friend... She... She quite enjoyed them as a topic, an obsession that cost her, her- Nevermind. Here, information on what you can use to defeat Atarifuge." I ramble on, keeping the topic off of my dead friend so that the Grandguard can know what she needs to.


    "What makes you so sure any of this will provide us with a meaningful solution? Professionalism be damned to the worsts parts of Errakur... I''ve watched this giant trample cities into endless dunes without any sign of slowing down. Whole armies are gone to the point another country just walked in and took over! Even then, their armies are accomplishing nothing either!" She explains, barely keeping so much out of her eyes and eager to thrash hands.


    "I know, bu-" I try to get out, only to fail at the first sign of her voice.


    "I''ve watched mobile fortresses, the largest animal on the continent, creatures as big as mountains and filled to the brim with an entire coven of war-witches. Two of them, covered in armour too, rich as rich can be with magic." She elaborates, throwing out the core-shaking thoughts and leaving me with a strained expression to watch.


    "I know... They failed..." I squeak quietly, looking down at the tablet in my hands. She puts a gloved one on my shoulder. The other moves my chin up.


    "I will consider this information, the tablets are confiscated for the time being. I will put these up for debate and read them over. Just don''t expect much from me, Baltanthan. This is no place for such rabidly incoherent theories." She explains, releasing my head and it bounces into a series of nods.


    "I know this sounds crazy, but, the Sword-Faced Giant, that statue a fair bit south of here. It''s not a statue, it''s an ancient weapon, it will be able to survive the aura! I know it will." I insist with all I can bleed out of my heart and she sighs, arms crossing over.


    "Return to your dormitory, Baltanthan. I will strike this incident from the records and have your belongings returned to you. Do not try this again." Grandguard Inerish tells me and she moves to leave the room. I hold a hand up and try to stop her, only to form it into a fist. Keeping my anger in check, I refuse to kick out the table and instead snatch up the bag. With a groan, I throw it back down to the ground and get going.


    Stepping out the door, I frown at how familiar this place seems.


    "Oh, it''s Suhurlodst. They brought me back here after knocking me out again." I realise and I rub my healed up nose as while my body is fine, the memory still hurts. One thing I intend on doing, however, is rather than going back to my room for something to eat or drink... I should go to the on-campus temple.


    At this point in time, prayer is all I can think of to partake in. A simple hope that will be carried by this request to the gods. Inerish needs to listen, she needs to take into account my words and offering. Our hopes lie with Segaansallis, but I doubt she believes me at all about it being able to last... I guess she thinks it''s just a statue!


    "Dammit..." I swear, turning back around to instead use up the food and drink offered to me. At least I can try to spend the time eating productively. Arrange the tablets better and all that, write a quick note for her or something. Gods help us all.


    I close the door and sigh in exhaustion despite the knock-outs helping me get forced sleep.

 Incline 45: Grandguard Inerish

    Leaving the latest in what is becoming too long a line of inflamed verbal bouts, I get going to my temporary office. While I know little about him, Baltanthan was quite certain what he had for me would be integral to the country''s survival. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn''t think much of it, no self-respecting agent of the law would. Especially not after the stunt he tried to pull and I am not even going to consider that situation.


    Post-riot tensions have my forces on edge and the introduction of unfeeling, automatons for Union soldiers is... I''m going to need a dictionary just to look up every similar meaning words and so I can recite their full definitions. Such a profoundly stupid boy he is, but, one that may prove essential. Well, I hope this all ends up being the case, anyway.


    I admit, I only bothered taking the issue from Baltanthan''s assigned interrogator because of a name. Up until now, all we''ve known the giant as is well, the Giant. To hear that it has an actual name is at least something. Maybe the detail appealed to the hope I have that this is all just some foreign weapon.


    "Certainly some weapon..." I mutter with a sneer, my hand gripping the door handle tighter than usual. Stepping into the office, my eyes linger on the mess Baltanthan made and I walk up to it. Noting the tablet he''s written something on, I pick it up first and go through its contents. It''s nothing too important, just a heads up about marked faces and some insistence about ignoring the poor formatting.


    Setting this unimportant one aside, I get started at what he''s marked as the starting points. He''s not wrong, this is some truly messy exposition straight from the mind of a now dead student. Thankfully, Baltanthan''s word is more than kept to, to an exceptional degree even. He has made a point of highlighting and even blanking out what are blatantly invasive thoughts.


    I put the first tablet down and consider what the details were, a lot of mythological stuff. He is entirely certain, with the backing of the expert who left him this information, that this is divine. Unfortunately for us within the now former Dual-Republic, divine artefacts are not readily available. While the city of Suhurlodst might have had them, once upon a time, they likely vanished when the Valkinvar migrated north.


    Thrurstradtur has never made much of a name for itself, either with ancient relics and powers within its possession. The mountain-state has always prided itself on being a technological marvel with a peculiar interest in Ihtuntar''s memory. As much as Baltanthan''s cited works insist upon using such items against this, Atarifuge, we simply do not have them. I doubt whatever the Union is in possession of, if it has any at all, will be brought out either.


    The worst part about this all, as well, is that it''s too hard of a concept to accept with anything close to open-mindness. While the divine has most certainly played a part in the world, there''s too much that exists for it to have just been some form of arbitrary existence. It''s so absurd a concept that it just falls on flat ears. I want to believe what these tablets are saying, but, even if it manages to convince me even slightly, it has to succeed with so many more.


    I have not been the only one Baltanthan needs to convince for a very noticeable, but short, timeframe. Much as I want to take solace in this, I cannot. I need something more concrete than fairy tales and legends. And, well, it''s ludicrous for me to assume he can prove his theory with some dug up relic.


    "I guess I can try backing this theory up with whatever we can pull out of all the black sites and out-of-bounds regions in the land. If I can get a team to start work on such cataloguing, we might be able to find something that fits the appropriate definition of ''divine,'' I suppose. Gods and goddesses above, this is so nonsensical." I get out of my system as my legs and feet carry me on a wavy course to a chair.


    Landing in the cushioned structure, I take up another tablet and go through its details. This one in particular gives a lot of description about the Sword-Faced Giant, a famous statue. Or, rather, as the tablet insists, an ancient weapon designed by the gods and goddesses'' and blessed with the name of a member of the Pack of Seven. All seven of these machines received the same treatment, each bearing the name of one of Undwote''s soul-seeking beasts.


    My mouth tightens and lips tilt. This is hardly anything to indicate that they''re divine in nature. Anyone can name anything after some divine creature or beast, so many do, in fact. People have the sense to never use a god or goddess'' name in anything but naming the deity itself. But, some mutt who finds the dead for their judgement is hardly under the same scrutiny.


    Conspiratorial as it is as well, I can''t help but consider this to be a Union weapon. They of all nations would have little issue disrespecting the old divine in favour of their relatively recent adoration for a particular moon. Jhrarda the Mighty, as the legends go, he delivered them their first king and is why the Wind Mountain is even active. Whatever really happened, people buy into the idea when science can only explain so much.


    The story is partly why Suhurlodst here is so interested in the study of Sudden Induction Theory...


    "I guess," I start to say, sighing through my nose with cleaning force, "Even if we get nowhere, we can always keep trying bigger and bigger bombs."


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The greatest, biggest bombs the world has ever seen, in fact. One so heavy and rich with magic, its very core will be carved straight from the Wind Mountain itself. I know I''ve seen and been talked through the concepts of such super weapons. So many possible threats get given to me as theoreticals to consider, but none ever came close to this.


    At least with that bomb idea, I could dismiss it and not lose a night''s sleep over it. No people on this planet would ever consider damaging the source of their continent''s magic. Even the famous stairs to the Finger''s Reach Palace are entirely natural. No tool has ever pierced that rock. Grand estates on the Wind Mountain are not easy, simple affairs and one must truly be entitled to it.


    I put the tablet down and cross my arms and legs to aid in my lengthy process of thought. If there is something to be found in all this information, I cannot make use of it now. It actually makes the Prince''s current plan on destroying the country sensible. Much as I hate thinking like this, throwing masses upon masses of shielded material may be our best option.


    Yet, with the failure of the two mobile fortresses, one has to consider how much more is needed. To have such grand, weighty creatures enriched even further with power not natural to them fail. It boggles the mind as to where we can go from here. If what Suhurlodst insists is true about the Prince, maybe his royal blood is the answer.


    He is attracting so much power into himself to funnel something that surely he can turn this power on our shared foe? Maybe the pair, him and the giant, can both die together and never be heard from again. Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst will be able to recover and bounce back stronger. For now, I''ll settle with anything that can ensure we won''t have a continent of dunes like the scorned Water People.


    "Ah, yes, that''s right, the Grand-Kingdom..." I say, tutting out a single, harsh noise. With what occurred the day I gave over this country''s sovereignty, we may have to become part of the Union truly to survive. It was our land the Grand-Kingdom''s subjects unnecessarily shed blood on. I doubt their politicians, parliamentary or royal, will care much about what we have to say. It''s all excuses for them.


    A great war will happen in our lifetime, if we manage to see a tomorrow. Whatever that war entails, I wish to play no part and, if I am involved, a very small one. Though I was no small-time commander back in Errakur, the past was such a simpler time. One where I patrolled the walls of my keep and battled some skirmishes, no international politics or submission.


    Only defiance and prosperity, or death.


    The door to the room shoots open and a courier starts to catch his breath, "Y-You... You are wanted at the temporary command centre, Grandguard Inerish."


    "What for? All operations against the giant have been put on hold and the evacuations are going as planned." I ask, my heart stopping at the idea of another leaping monstrosity. His head starts to move in an odd manner, indicating something far milder. Yet, still an oddity worth rushing to me like this. Getting up, I watch him carefully.


    "All I''ve been told is to get you. I was, however, able to overhear something about three unidentified airships. A runner has also been sent to His Royal Highness, the Prince-to-Ascend Jhrartur." he clarifies and I stick my arm out to move him aside so I can get going.


    "Very well, dismissed." I tell the courier and I begin my trek. One odd occurrence after another today. Someone''s broken into the Gnomon! It was just a student...


    Someone''s broken through the barely attempted blockade around the giant''s locale! Probably just some smugglers we should leave to their doom. I''ve no genuine clue why I''d ever be called in for something like this. The giant is public knowledge now. Anyone who tries to get close to it knows full well what to expect.


    It''s not even something they can miss, either. We can all take time watching with absolute horror as the land turns to sand. We can bask in the raw magic burning away at its edges, the destruction even a drop of rain does when it falls. It''s all complete nonsense. Nonsense, nonsense, nonsense, nonsense and more nonsense!


    The temporary change in operations handling comes into view and I throw the door open. Minding the improvised design and layout of the vast room, I make my way to the main projector. The giant is still there, and it''s still on the move. Not even a peep from any of these three unidentified airships.


    "Well? What have I really been called in here for?" I question, displaying just how on edge I am by showing off my brilliant edge. A random bout of paranoia will do me good, I think.


    A woman steps up, her eyes wide at the presence of my sword, "H-Here... Grandguard Inerish."


    Snatching the tablet up, I make the adjustments I need on the screens and she scurries off. Frowning in thought at the images, one sticks out to me and I focus on it. The illegal dig site I, Nin, Baltanthan, Seigunfrei and that oh-so teasable baker. That one of a kind creature.


    But, seeing the mountain again, I can''t help but wonder how fate brought me back to looking here. The giant is closing in on the beacon-peaked stone, but so are our unknown infiltrators. I bring up the required feeds and make a point of letting the rest of the room see. My eyes narrow and specific details are picked up on immediately.


    These three airships are warships, ones bristling with a set of heavy turret batteries. Crimson plated and glowing such a sugar-infused green, shaped much like a flying steel ship of the sea. Certainly of no design I have ever seen before and the way the nearby magic sensors are reacting leaves me in a state of pause. Their behaviour is certainly something to behold as well.


    One is diving into the valley, towards the sealed mountain with no care given to its hull. It will smash on through to that wreck of a site and the mountains are feeling it. The other two are in a defensive formation, angling in such a way to aim as many guns as they can. Unlike with other things, the giant does not seem to mind them.


    "What are you three up to? What could you possibly want down there that is so important?" I speak, getting my thoughts out into the open as further details become clear. These airships are old, very old and worn, like they''ve never been allowed to see a dockyard in all of their lives. The crew is not exactly clear to see either.


    What I can see is stiffly climbing its way to bolster the ship''s guns with infantry firearms. Oddly enough, they seem almost mechanical and it starts. The first forward battery lights up with blinding energy. The giant staggers back, its gaze rolling back towards the airships. My mouth imitates the command and the next battery roars.

 Incline 46: The Singular Champion, Aneaur

    Blinking the sense back into my body, I meet the lights of alarm with a full gaze. People are near, my people, the people of Iderim-Ovi. She came back for me...? Her departure must be the cause, and this is the result.


    Sister, sister, beloved sister. Not a sister of the temples, not a holy woman or a girl training to be one. No, mine. My dear, so-loved little sister came to me, she found me.


    Not on her own. She couldn''t do anything on her own. She went to get help and I can hear them out there. The power of our God is keeping them safe. Safe... Safe from what?


    His power is so waned, so little and sparse. Desperation has driven them to me and it could be their end. My people''s end will be within the closing of the hour. The subtleties of reality shake again. God''s power is used once again in anger.


    Not the anger that drives revenge, not the anger one''s passion might elicit from their spirit. No, the anger to defy the end of life, a last stand for what is right. Just like all that time ago, when I failed my people at the Last Battle of Crimson and Storm. They have endangered themselves by seeking a hope carried on the tongue of my sister.


    Her name... I had forgotten it until the day I saw her beyond the glass. The machines spoke of it, her name next to that of our family. Love of the Land, Liadanann.


    Bubbles blossom violently at the edge of my mouth, their path a vicious one to the surface of the tank. The liquid, so drained of its power and life, stirs, a slight shake like one might get with a moving cup. Forces of destruction are ripping into my mountain hold and I can feel them all. Each of them is moving with all their tired and starved bodies can provide.


    Only hope musters enough within their spirit to be considered satiable. What little icons decorate their bodies call to me. The Lord wishes to speak. He sings of power and the capacity to enact his will. The Lord wills his people be saved.


    That his champion once again rises to the task.


    For so long, I have understood that I failed in my sacred duty. But when my sister walked the halls before me, I knew that not all had been lost. These brave few have come to prove my thoughts further true. It is a lie. I never failed in my duty. I can, however, have done better.


    Oh, Lord, let me have that chance. Give me the strength to rise up in the defence of your people. Allow me the right to carry your essence into battle once again. Let me save them.


    I must and will let them all be saved. As I did on the battlefield so long ago, I will bleed for you, dear Lord. As I did in the hospitals a forgotten age away, I will sit at their sides in humble prostration, praying for them. Those who swear by the sword will have my strength, as will those in the prisons and hangman''s nooses.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    All of Ddrai''och who still draw breath and believe, I will be there for them.


    "Blessed Lord, it really is..." the first man to enter my chamber speaks and I reach out for the foggy glass. A great evil shakes the mountain and those who have come react with wild abandon. They sprawl themselves across the mess left by my sister and exclaim terrible frustration. What holds me is broken.


    A man of notable age ignores this, and he approaches my confinement as well as he can. The way his heart quivers. I can tell there''s something familiar to it. He thuds the glass, annoyed and bitter. Then, his face twitches into a smile, one ornated by proud, jewel-inspired tears.


    Hello, Father.


    I am gladdened by this, two of my family live to the modern day. That heart-wrenching order I gave at the start of the end has proven fruitful. I suppose most of what I am now surrounded by is much the same? The caution of our people is wisdom, truly.


    "Don''t worry, Aneaur... We came at the first sign of the beacon." Father tells me. He''s torn away from his intimacy by snapping orders and directed towards a machine. They try to fix it while one who is all too enhanced by the structure converses with the airships. A fleet of three, tired and ready for the waste tips.


    The fleet set sail for me on a hope, a mere blip in the system. The static can only hide so many of their cheers, so many of their fears. A giant, one of impossible size, is heading this way. A champion of the Human gods?


    It matters not. I can hear them all much the same. Everything they have, they''re giving it their all for the chance to see a prospering people again. One for the Reds, Whites, Blues and Golds. Triumph for all.


    They need only pray with me; they need only ask the Lord for His power. My mind can speak so loudly but none can hear it. I cannot speak loud enough. Bubbles and panicked motions will not tell them of anything.


    I can only put my heart in my faith and the Lord''s word. So, minding the manipulations of the current, I set myself up to pray. My weakest hand cups the middle finger of the strongest. Opening the left palm up, the two hands come to my face. My eyes close and my mind settles.


    "Oh, Lord. Hear my prayer, grant me the strength to-" I begin with, letting all of their voices into my head.


    "IT''S COMING CLOSER! WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE NOW! THERE''S NO MORE TIME!"


    "WE''RE DOOMED!"


    "WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER COME HERE!"


    "THE HUMANS WILL WIPE US OUT FOR SURE!"


    "IT''S ANTICIPATING THE BLOWS!"


    "WHY ARE WE EVEN HERE!?"


    "Son..."


    "I TOLD YOU THIS IS A BAD IDEA!"


    "WE''RE OUT OF POWER FOR THE GUNS!"


    "ALL TEAMS, GET BACK ON BOARD!"


    "MOMMY! MOMMY! WHERE IS MY MOMMY!?"


    "IDERIM-OVI, PLEASE LORD, HELP US!" there it is. Pray, people of the Singular God, pray!


    "Son... Please, help us. Help us..." Father begs, his body obeying no mortal command. Our hands meet, separated only by the work of our lost kingdom. My eyes open and the Lord doth speak to me, a message for all the world to hear.


    "Save our people." I speak, passing on His word for all our kind to hear, and the terror ends. Father recoils not only as holy vows over take his terror and replace it with the ecstasy of relief. He prays for me. They all do. The glass begins to crack.

 Incline 47: The Singular Champion, Aneaur

    Stretching my body and flexing the power within, His Lordship''s armour covers me again. I curl inwards, further and further, as my core burns with the fire of his heart and soul. It wishes to be released; it wishes to serve. With a roar fit only for the Lord, my containment shatters along with the mountain.


    By His Lord''s wishes, not one stone strikes any who share my flesh. Our machines remain unscratched and even the sky bows out with its endless misery. Recognising such divine right, the Orbital-Halo''s light shines on me as the stage does the actor. I glance at Father, his body finding strength in my healing light, and I take my first step in a long time.


    "Son..." he whimpers, reaching out to me and I am unfortunately forced to ignore.


    "By His will, do I serve." I let my people know as I kneel into the first flap of my wings in many a millennium. With a righteous fist cocked back, I strike the immense evil marching on my people. It staggers back and falls into a roll. With a lurching stumble, it''s back on its feet and its sword approaches.


    Flying with my back to it, I roll around the endless weapon and strike again. It is far more prepared this time and takes it with sturdy confidence. I raise my guard at the backhand coming for me and stop calmly in the air. The sky bounces back from the force, and I take a deep breath.


    The Lord''s power is coming back to me, that which I was charged with is returning. The fires lit in my soul that day, the day I returned to the Holy City to swear on this purpose. I still remember it all so clearly. In prayer do I find power, in prayer will my people be saved.


    Oh, Lord, hear my voice.


    "Inead yny efoedd. Anctteiddeyar denwy." I recite in the ancient tongue of first realisation, my mouth opening to bellow the fire to end the world. Howling with all the air in my lungs, I blow this force out across the giant and land. Mountains melt so quick they warp and dance in the sky, raining as white as they became and lingering as such. The sands this giant makes around it turn to cracking glass and its hand rises.


    With a clap, all of the inferno is put out and my people carry on to their safety. The next part of the prayer waits on my tongue and I daintily move aside a thrust. Jabbing out a palm, throwing the blade off course, and I look at the giant''s charge. A crushing grip yearns for my squashed bones and spilt blood.


    I fly over and approach the giant, forcing it back with my presence and a hand alight with the Lord''s might. Releasing this power, the giant soars through the land until it is left defeated. Whatever drives it to move, though, does not see it that way. It forces its way back to its full imposition and roars with all it has, quaking the heavens and delivering an ultimatum.


    Only my death will be acceptable.


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    Shaking my head, my awaiting tongue reveals itself and I fly, "Dinniro, yheddew inbara. Eynddiala, ddau nniein, trose. Lord, hear me, Lord grant me strength. Blessed Lord, Iderim-Ovi, our Holy Father-in-Heaven, save us. IDERIM-OVI, SAVE US!"


    I strike the giant a final time, driving up into its skeletal gut and sending it far off into the north-going distance. Once a feared direction filled with the armies of humanity. Breathing deeply, my body shakes and I cough in pain. My wings fail me and I fall back to the earth which once held me. My landing is not soft despite the sandy sight, and I wait for whatever the future holds for me.


    My eyes close and senses blur until the winds pick up on the edge of the rising dunes. Feet of armoured flesh and bone rush for me, the love of a father carrying the aged body. He calls to me; he calls to his son and our hands meet again. Another voice, one of the womanly sort.


    Mother.


    I think I''m smiling, not that they can see under my divinely wrought armour. My body moves through their strength and that of many others. Soon, I find it within me to open my eyes once again and am left with a sight to behold. We have gone nowhere. They have all amassed before me.


    Babes of only a year''s age, the elderly at death''s door, all in-between and oh so much more. Oddly, I cannot sense my sister. She came to me with such power in her hands. The Lord was with her so closely and I can not feel it here.


    "We must be going, the humans are going to get curious." a man of imitated military stature warns and I slowly get up. Not one of my people does, and they all pray to the Lord. Walking among them, I pass on what power I can and ease their plights. Many start to whimper, their hopes fulfilled by my presence.


    "Where is the one who first came to me? Where is my beloved little sister?" I ask and Father musters the courage to approach under the eyes of only a few thousand.


    "She went missing years ago." He whispers with hollow emotion.


    "She was here. She came." I explain, and his eyes light up in a way they must''ve forgotten they could do. He still finds it inside himself to weep for his family, and his lip quivers.


    "Then she... She was the one who activated the emergency beacon. She was the one who ignited a hope within us all we had forgotten we could have..." He struggles to say and I nod, bringing him in close for comfort. One day, I will go and find her. The Lord guided our paths together once and He will do so again.


    "All who can, return to the airships. Those who cannot remain here with me and I shall see you onto the Lord. The Westward Wind will carry you onto Thunlanann." I explain and the faithful rise to return to their homes. The oldest remain where they are, the last of their strength used to get themselves out of bed. With a little bit more they''re surprised to have, they surround me.


    One who happens to be in my front smiles, her bones barely able to hold her up.


    Taking my helmet off, I let them see my face and I smile deeply for their salvation is here, "Our Lord in Heaven, hear our prayer in this time of rising light."


    "Hear our prayer and see to it that we are blessed, godly and true." They speak as we take responsibility for different verses of the psalms. Slowly and with great morning loss, their song grows quiet. For the first time in their lives, they''re happy that their children and the children beyond will be saved.


    Laying the last one to rest under the Lord''s light, I speak the final verse, "Look over us, Iderim-Ovi, look over your children with the love only a father can feel. See those we will never see again into eternal care, awaiting our arrival. Single blessing unto you."


    With a sigh, I grip my helmet tightly and look around the devastated world. Liadanann is somewhere out there and she will need me. Not for what I am now, but for what I have always been to her. Her older brother, Aneaur.

 Incline 48: Atarifuge the Pestilence

    Groaning the pain away and blinking some focus back into my vision, I remain still. What was that...? What even was that? It came out of nowhere with such terrible, awesome power. It can even damage Atarifuge!


    What has interfered with my quest thus far is nowhere near comparable in scale. Ancient machinery I had almost forgotten existed is still blaring at me in warning. That which I''ve just barely survived is divine. Holy power from beyond the heavens themselves.


    Slowly eking out the strength I need, I begin the process of returning Atarifuge to its feet. The machine scrapes up against something and I have us back away. A frown settles in my face at the clear image presented to me, even with my aelenvari eyes. Kneeled into the earth, a great being with a spiked head. Compared to Atarifuge''s, its sword is of a shorter, but thicker, stature.


    I can feel it. Atarifuge is so familiar to me that I know what this is. It''s another machine of the gods. Divine in the Orbital-Halo, I cannot recall the name. I just know. All who stand here will know about the giant.


    Flicking through the parts of Atarifuge''s controls, I get to sorting out my health situation. By slowly letting in the world around me, I can dull the pain. That which permeates the finest craftsmanship is all that keeps me from death. I am lucky I am able to brace myself at times like these.


    I have a goal to accomplish, a rising evil to slay, but so many wonders are challenging me. Atarifuge is a great power with many rivals, yet I feel triumphant over most. I do not know if that strange light, that holy light, if it comes back for me... I will die.


    Turning Atarifuge''s gaze around so I can survey the land, I spot a trail. It almost makes me glow with joy. There is a path to follow that man! And, I can see it, the buildup in the distance. His home is near. Where he''s run off to, it''s so close. Just a little more. Come on, Atarifuge, just a little more!


    Setting my brow in stone, I shrug the great machine''s shoulders and arm myself well. I may want to see the world when all is said and done, but, in the event I cannot... I must be prepared as I was all the other times I set out to slay beasts and evil. A humble warrior accepts death as a possibility, a skilled fighter can keep it at bay and a wise one knows how to achieve his goal as Undwote takes hold.


    There is a possibility I should consider with what I have so youthfully fought. The power it was blessed with, it shared the same blood as the rejected woman. Perhaps it was her? She is clinging onto a future she has no idea about...


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    "Do not resist, this is a needed action. I know what occurs when power and resentment mix." I glow for no reason other than to reassure myself of why I am doing this. Now, of all times, my heart must be set and focused on a fine, bladed edge. He''s so close. All I have to do is end his life and the world will be saved. I can leave Atarifuge behind and see to it my life ends as well.


    I must hurry. It will only take that great power to come for me to put an end to my quest. Yet, I must also show immense caution on this final stretch of the journey. New threats keep arriving to try and challenge me for no reason other than to challenge. The scale of Atarifuge invites those with wounded egos, those with something to prove. Looking meek has its benefits.


    The scale of a simple, mortal man is not much to look at... My mouth moves up.


    I am excited to see what the world offers when I am back on my points. When a step from me does not quake the world and my sword can fit through a common door. I have, by accidental collision, discovered a work of the gods I didn''t even know existed. The reasons I am even here are what could even be a descendent of the heroes around the time of Thunder.


    The world changing is the natural course of life for all things, even the gods change. Waionr was once a barbaric, bloodthirsty entity, but through the application of the mind by his family. He became what he is now, Waionr, God of War. To fight is to serve the arts of steel and fire.


    Nevermind even the grandeur of the world, the simple things I yearn to return to. A basic tourney with a modest treasure prize. Duels for no reason other than honour and the enforcement of goodness. Beasts to slay and the handling of their pelts afterwards!


    I''m excited, eager and juvenile at the very thought of it all. I just need to cross this final distance and slay the evil-to-be. He''s up there, moving all over what must be a grand mountain. Yet, there is another problem.


    This may be the great city belonging to the king whose armies have been attacking me. More of those flying beasts are here, so many of them seem to be resting. How am I supposed to draw out the one I want on my own, even with Atarifuge? I guess the best I can do is enact a limited amount of horror and work to undo it when I am free.


    Maybe the man will exit the city himself and leave me with the chance to end it. I wish I could meaningfully pray for his courage to face me. Yet, with the will of mortals making us what we are, I doubt the gods can help. If I ever knew human tongues, I have forgotten them by now.


    Atarifuge cannot speak, it can only roar its mighty horn and lurch to my commands. My head shakes and I move the controls ahead. The recoil comes up to me with improved sustenance. Atarifuge is speeding up. I will just have to make this quick. A short-lived affair that I can run away from and then dispose of my home for so long.


    Much as I have come to realise the destruction I caused to my people so long ago, I will miss Atarifuge. This chair, this machine of godly make, it''s been a constant in my life for the longest time. An unfeeling comfort that thinks nothing of me. A contrast to the unending dreams I have of my betrayal all those nights ago.

 Incline 49: Grandguard Inerish

    Slowly, I adjust my seating and rewind the scene once again. Green magic, but not wind magic, surrounds a single individual. He breathes fire beyond the scope of so many fire witches in the world and he has little problem with striking the giant away. From within that mountain, a monster.


    The people from Suhurlodst are somehow buzzing around in excitement. Especially at our close-up images of the species present. Only one person comes to mind looking at it, Nin''s red skinned friend, Liadanann. These unknown warships, that incomprehensible witch, the shared trait is species and they''re Ddrai''och.


    I already sent my men out to look. We will have her here within the hour and I will be getting all I can. I need to know what we''re now dealing with and what to expect from it. Better yet, I wish to have that amulet of hers seized. It''s clearly the same magic as what that man had. If we can just get it to produce anywhere near on that scale, we can have the giant, this Atarifuge dealt with.


    Gods and goddesses, we need that power. The fight it and the witch had has circumvented the Prince''s plan. We already have reports of the giant''s pace picking up. If we cannot destroy it here and now, Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst will be gone.


    Perhaps we should try one more time with the Gnomon...? It''s so close now that we can ensure it will not be able to dodge, deflect or weave its way around. The Prince''s fleet can pin it and the Gnomon''s finest strength can redeem itself for past failures. Assuming the Guiders of the Gnomon will even allow me the right with what I have done.


    Reaching for my glass of water, I notice how shaky my limbs are.


    Worse still, the water is not moving as it should. My eyes are better than the average witch by far, who, in turn, are superior to our spell-lacking lessers. But, even then, to see the water feel the weight of Atarifuge''s advance. I will not be able to sleep until I meet death or the giant is gone...


    "H-Hey, let me go!" a much wanted voice goes and I rise up to look at our coveted arrival. The self-proclaimed Cakesmith, known more properly as Liadanann. And, most wonderfully, she''s wearing the amulet! I approach her with as much stone-hearted nature as I can.


    She meets my gaze and is less than happy to see me, though I do not feel the same. She is in possession of what we need to save what''s left of the country. This mountain will not fall into the hands of Undwote. My efforts will not be for nothing. I eye the amulet closely and look back at the screens and their paused display.


    "First and foremost, a confirmation from you." I start to say, bringing the screen into more focus and Liadanann goes completely quiet. The fight she was putting up is nowhere to be seen. She even takes a blow by accident and is unphased. Her eyes, they will not leave the sight in front of her.


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    "How... How... How did you get this?" she asks, moving closer to the largest of the displays. An outstretched limb tries to grab onto the increasingly fuzzy sight.


    "This has all just happened. Out by the mountain, you, I and the other three cleared out before this whole crisis happened. Whatever you did back then, whatever you turned on, it called out for those three warships." I explain, nodding slightly towards the still image we have of their guns firing.


    "I know that one... That one right there... My fam-" she tries to get out, her eyes watering with all control gone. Only one thing needs to be done and I am sure she will break down sobbing. She''s barely focusing as is.


    "And what about this man?" I ask and she clutches the amulet tight, its power all the more radiant at the sight of this armoured man.


    "Our Saviour..." she manages to get out without the slightest whimper and I frown in thought.


    "Meaning?" I dare to ask, and she spends some time in her head.


    "He battled Thunder." she answers and every single man, woman and machine goes quiet. Blinking slowly, my neck creaks back towards the still image. A creature of crimson hue, armoured and glowing bright with golden horns. The light of all the world shines on him with the focus that attracts the awe-filled eye. Nowhere in my body can I not sense raised hairs and cold blood.


    My heart, it''s struggling to figure out how to beat. That name she just spoke, the context she applied to it. He battled Thunder. This witch which has just appeared is -the- Crimson Beast.


    A demigod.


    Emotions erupting within, eyes wide and lined red and with a gnashing jaw, "SIEZE THAT AMULET!"


    Liadanann reacts and encases herself in its power and my sword burns. Striking and slashing with all I have, my composure turns to ash and so does some of the vast room. With tears I didn''t even know I had, I enfuriate myself into greater acts of desperation. The sword clatters onto the floor and I collapse onto my knees.


    My tired, barely clenched fists smash against the unwavering shield.


    "P-Please... Give it to us... It''s our only way..." I beg, clinging onto the edge of the see-through, divine magic. Liadanann stares and breathes heavily, the divine power tightly in her grasp. A noise catches in my ear and I look away, unsure of what is captivating me.


    A conversation?


    "What is that thing?"


    "Looks like a statue."


    "But how is it still standing?"


    "I don''t know."


    "Hey, you two, I got a tablet print out of that."


    "The Sword-Faced Giant..." I go, spooking the small group and alerting the room to this screen. We were so focused on the witch and the warships that we overlooked where Atarifuge landed. Baltanthan was right, he was right!


    Atarifuge cannot destroy that which the gods and goddesses have made. Segaansallis is the key, our means to victory. The gods have our solution right here! The giant is ignoring it, it''s coming here, we have a path around to Segaansallis...


    Segaansallis.


    "PUT A HALT TO THE PRINCE''S MEETING, NOW! BRING EVERYONE HERE! EVERYONE WORTH LISTENING TO, BRING THEM HERE! LET THEM SEE OUR SALVATION! LET THEM SEE SEGAANSALLIS!" I roar with rabid fury, throwing men and women out towards the doors.


    I look back towards it, and I smile. Under the shadow of what has consumed us for months, under the terror of Atarifuge''s terrible power. A material that can withstand it. Greatness that will save us is waiting for us and I have the proof we need to know how to use it!

 Incline 50: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Quietly pulling myself over a skyscraper''s parapet walls, I let out a long, tired snort. This isn''t really working out at all. I can''t imagine it''s going to get better. Whatever I was trying to do with Liadanann is gone. It burnt up completely. Or, looking off into the distance, maybe saying it turned to dust is more appropriate?


    Whatever that thing''s reasons for being around, it all ultimately comes back to me. I broke the glass that kept it locked away or I woke it up. It doesn''t really matter, all the newstablets and their contents are a result of my anger. Anger that has its source in me, not wanting to let Larishazza go.


    I... I''m... I do not know.


    She died. There is no bringing her back. Much as my continued life defeats the idea of impossible resurrection, it is the work of fiction. My return was not luck or destiny, it was pure timing. If Kyarverin took one moment longer to drink his woes away or whatever it is he does, I would be gone.


    I never would have met Larishazza, anyway. Liadanann would not know me and none of this would be happening. Yet, strangely, miserable as I am and hopeless as it seems... I cannot ever hold a knife again like I once did. Not like that night when Vadei walked in on me. Never again like that time.


    "If I couldn''t even pierce my shell with a blade back then, why would one now?" I question, darkly laughing the thought away. Well, I put it somewhere, anyway. Slipping the mask and hat off, I hang them on a piece of metal decoration and walk. Minding the edges of the rising height, I swivel mindlessly around.


    I could go back to Liadanann and apologise for what I said, if it''s even an option. I feel like every day I spend thinking about stuff like this, I lose out on that chance. Besides, I''ve lingered a close enough distance to her shop, hiding in the shadows of the dark. Standing around in the blinding light, my back to it while a grim gaze moves not even a twitch.


    But, at the same time, I do not feel like she deserves anything from me. Her love is not something I want. I do not need it and no law requires me to accept it. Or, maybe- more likely, I do not deserve to give her mine. After all, who wants to love of someone who cannot even shift their head away from the dead?


    Every day the moment Larishazza died grows more distant. Yet, by the time I forget about it, the world will become sand entirely on its own without that giant''s help. Rising dunes of nothing for even the sand will be gone. Larishazza, I will never forget you.


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    Coming to a halt, I lock a foot into a gap and dangle. The wind feels different on my body this way. Nothing has actually changed, but it feels harsher, more dangerous. There''s a lethality to it that I can never feel on stable ground.


    Maybe I should follow this sensation all the way to my doom. Every time I think I am happy these days, I just think of Larishazza. I want to hold her; I want her to be mine and for her to say I am hers. But...


    Shaking my head, I release my foot and throw my magic grip up. Springing back onto the roof with a huff of air and the rustle of my cloak, I pat myself down. Collecting my mask and hat, the welcome combo slip back onto my face and head, respectively. Follow danger to my doom, huh?


    Vile rich as it is, it''s probably what I deserve. The world will even cheer, if all the world believes the same thing, but I don''t. I am probably wrong. With a lighter''s flick, I scoff the idea away.


    "Undwote, I have a feeling you will be seeing me again very soon." I comment, crossing my arms in the process. My eyes lock on the giant''s advance and an image flashes back to me. The day it broke out of that mountain. That was the last time I ever saw or came close to holding Liadanann, actually.


    Properly, anyway.


    It''s been nothing but bitterness and resentment since then, with neither of us willing to back down. Two beasts gnashing at each other from our cages while some greater power observes. I guess it''s fitting. It''s how we met, after all. Yet, what followed after is how we ended up the way we did, anyway.


    I''m not sure how my life would''ve gone if Larishazza told me what she did before the attack. Maybe I''d be the same as I am now, unable to let go, or maybe I would have. Larishazza went into her coma before she could answer my question from the dance. I love you; I told her...


    I still do.


    "Tch, great. Polish a shit and have the God of gods'' gift it to me in a golden box..." I wax out in annoyance, lifting my mask to wipe my teary eyes. A mechanical noise hits my ears, one closer than usual and different to the usual traffic of Thrurstradtur. Not that much of that traffic flies or drives around anymore, not for months now.


    Flicking my wetted hand, I frown at the small airship as it lands on the unmarked roof. A man walks out, one in a military uniform of the former government. He takes no moment to catch his nerves and give them some backbone. They already have it and he marches to me, tablet in hand.


    "Dark Crow, you are required at Suhurlodst. By the order of Grandguard Inerish, authorised by the Clockwork Council to wield the powers necessary to save this nation." he goes and I cock a brow slightly. There are still some who respect her enough to speak of her like that? Job centre was most certainly a den of insults and sneers.


    Nodding in response, I look at the giant.


    "Very well, she will have me." I answer with another nod and he gives me a salute, of all things.


    "Head there immediately, things will be clarified when all have gathered." He explains, rushing back to the airship and slapping it like a stallion to rev it back into action. Shrugging my shoulders, I flex them limber and twist any stiffness that might be in me. I suppose here is my chance to make amends. With a final crack of the neck, I leap out into the sky and throw my arm back.

 Incline 51: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "We''re very sorry about this, Cakesmith Liadanann. If there''s anything we can do, please. Tell us," the woman the Academy sent to look after me says. I look at the snacks and drink she brought without request and offer a weak smile.


    "Don''t worry about it, I understand we''re all under a lot of stress right now..." I almost mutter, smiling innocently at the lingering image in my head. Not just three of the kind of warships I''ve spent so much of my adult life on. The very one my family occupies. I saw them, my family was somewhere in those frozen screens.


    And... Iderim-Ovi, bless me and my soul. It was him, that ddrai''och man I found in that mountain complex. It was our saviour, God''s champion in the days of war between mankind and the ddrai''och. Yet, oddly enough, I can''t help but shake off that strange sensation I had when I saw him in person. There''s something else to this that I can''t quite put my finger on.


    "Very well, let us know if you need anything," the woman says out of nowhere, and I flinch at the fact she''s still here. Well, was, the door shuts. Getting up, I trail the route she took and move close to the beautifully carved wood. I can hear them now even, talking about my kind with such excitement.


    I would''ve thought this discovery would have made me undesirable in comparison. As well, it would only take them one meeting to establish something cordial. They could learn from so many and my resistance will be my way to utter forgetfulness. It makes me smile, really, not because I would have peace from the Academy''s insistence on things, but...


    I know, I know for sure, that I am not alone in this world. Nothing bad happened to my family and old friends from before. All those nights where I was wondering if I would ever see my kind again. That desperation I felt when we discovered all that loot in that mountain.


    Though my chest is heavy for entirely different reasons, having this weight lifted from it and my life as a whole... It makes me feel so serene right now. I can go home and while I will still treat the items with the utmost care, they''re no longer irreplaceable. Speaking of, actually, what is my home these days?


    My shop or the airship my family is on?


    While I still have a life here, it''s not what it once was. My dearest friends moved away some time ago and now all I have is the cold joy of smiling at my happy customers. And with how this whole giant crisis started I... Shaking my head, I go back to the chairs and sit down.


    Leaning forward to pick something to eat, I linger a little too long, listening to the noise outside. It''s suddenly noisier than usual and there''s a feeling in the air. Shivering in remembrance, I find myself on my feet again. Nin?


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    Moving but a step, I stop again, and his roar screams back through my head. My eyes widen and my body goes timid at the memory. Fighting back against the downward curve of my lips, they straighten out. Only wobbling slightly.


    Taking in a deep breath and letting my passions direct me, I march out of the room and head outside. Ignoring the staff calling out to me, I go out into the open and rear back at the scale. Soldiers and airships are coming in from all over the city. People are in everything but chains and yet they''re acting like they are weighed by them.


    At the front of the crowd is him, Nin. So many don''t want to be near him or to overtake him. All I have to do is rush out there and demand an explanation. I can force him into a quiet corner and we can talk...


    I shake my head and look back towards the staff members as they come out to meet me.


    "Is something wrong, do you not feel well? Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding is proud to admit its medical facilities can still operate even with Thrurstradtur..." she starts to say and I interrupt her with a raised hand.


    "I''m sorry, I need to know. Why are all these people here? None of them are students." I ask, looking them all in the eye at every chance I have and only the one who''s been serving me steps up.


    "Grandguard Inerish has called upon the might of all free witches and other volunteers to gather..." she explains, turning to the shadow of the immense giant as its body bobs to another running step. She doesn''t need to finish for me to know. My hand clutches my amulet close and I...


    My heart aches, and my body grows cold. Shaking my head, I shift into nodding and turn to the crowd. Walking towards it slowly, I build up the courage to do what I can. Not for the people of this country, but for him. Whatever happens, I need Nin to know if he somehow doesn''t.


    "Cakesmith Liadanann!" the woman calls, and I ignore her. Minding the guards at the edge of the road, I surprise the few Suhurlodst faculty members up here. Many others look my way too, and I slip into Nin''s shadow. At the first chance to pause without someone trailing behind us, we do so.


    Gulping what feels like a rock down, I stare into those lenses of his and shiver uncontrollably. My amulet glows brightly, like it normally does so when I am prepared to call upon its power. Nin continues to wait. Or maybe think.


    "I''m coming, too." I explain, letting the amulet glow even brighter so that he knows to beware its power. He will not stop me, he will only be convinced.


    "Are you sure this is what you want to do, Liadanann?" he asks and I nod as the edges of my eyes start to sting. I move a finger to wipe the tears away, but he beats me to it. His finger strokes are slow and leave me with an uncertain fuzziness. The soaked finger lingers up in our eyesight.


    "I-" I try to say, his voice cracking apart my focus.


    "Do not do this. Not for someone like me," he says, of all things.


    "I am. Please... Let me help you." I tell him and his head starts to shake for any number of reasons. He turns away, and I am left reaching out for him. He''s too far and now I cannot see him... I lost him to the crowd. My amulet''s chain sings and I march ahead after the sensation of his presence. Magic like his cannot hide easily.

 Incline 52: Grandguard Inerish

    The crowd roars back at me with all they have, utter malice can be found in every word. Nearly every seat finds itself empty of a pair of buttocks just so they can clench in the air. If it weren''t for the armed guard in this already crowded chamber, I have a feeling I''d be assailed by all manner of debris. Even then...


    Lighting the fire in my heart first, my magic reaches out to all corners of this room, "SILENCE!"


    As I want, it is mine. Everyone slowly moves back into place, a shivering shimmer in their eyes. Quaking bones and raised, hairy skin. Any other time and I''d be delighted, but not now, not when these quaking bones can be attributed to...


    One of the lights wobble ever so slightly and I narrow my gaze at it. Forcing my magic into the source. It dies. Many more follow suit until I am fully enshrined in the light of the podium.


    "As many of you are undoubtedly aware, this giant is coming here to destroy us." I begin again with, restarting my briefing without all the fuss this time. Baltanthan and his friend come to mind, and while I owe them many thanks, now is not the time. I''m sure he''d prefer a quieter endorsement, anyhow. Yet, despite my hopes, we have to wait for this truth to be proven.


    It is all still the words of a dead girl and a reckless young man, after all.


    "This giant, is a being known as Atarifuge. If that name sounds familiar, which it should, then you will know it is the name of a member of the Pack of Seven. Undwote''s soul-seeking beasts. This giant, this machine, it is an artefact of the gods and goddesses. Mortal-made power cannot harm it." I explain and my eyes happen to pass over the glint of lenses. Nin is oddly piqued at the word of the divine and he clutches what made Smiling Jhurack tightly.


    Perhaps he thinks he has the means? No matter... I have been guided towards our means, we will see its strength levied and power shown. Our world shakes under one divine giant''s footfalls. Let it hear those of another. One that will defend us.


    Screens flash up around me, repeating for a full loop, "See your enemy and what you will face. Now, see what you will turn on its form."


    Segaansallis'' kneeling form coming up elicits all kinds of talk and gossip.


    "We know of this once-thought statue known more commonly as the Sword-Faced Giant. We know it to be divine in make, a fellow machine of similar purpose called Segaansallis. We do not have the time to properly go out there and test things, but we are trying. I have men out there in Segaansallis right now mapping and marking its machinations. Now, we need pilots for it, people who are powerful and strong in magic. You are here, for you are those kinds of people." I explain as best as I can to more mutterings.


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    A student rises, one with a gelled and curling quiff the colour of peridot, "You ask of us to defend our home?"


    "Yes." I answer quickly to keep my mind off of any snark.


    "You would ask this of students rather than soldiers?" a girl asks with the brush of her opal locks.


    "I ask this of witches." I tell them sternly, minding the many who are now rising. All marked by the higher shades of magic influence on their bodies. A door at the far end of the chamber bursts open and a familiar face knocks aside my guard. Tempting the idea of taking up my weapon, I match Seigunfrei''s stare. My arm rising is all that stops the rest of my men from attacking.


    "AND WHAT SAYS EXCEPTIONAL HOUSE?" he calls with all he has, a small army following in after him. My eyes shift to the Suhurlodst staff members present and they panic. More and more students are joining in, all Suhurlodst''s best. Each one cries their willingness, cheers on the call, and pushes for its goals.


    "You do know what I am asking of you, to be clear?" I make sure to ask, more so on behalf of the faculty.


    "Our home is in danger. It has been for months now. This is a problem that started within our jurisdiction. It is our duty to put an end to it. Besides, many of those you have called up anyway are our former classmates. Former dorm companions. Many of us are training to be great witches for the sake of battle and adventure anyway," Seigunfrei explains, and, minding the crowd''s enthusiasm, I have a feeling this has been talked through. In private, if the faculty interfering means anything.


    "All who will join willingly, head to the Gnomon. A way has already been cleared for your arrival and you will be escorted to the hangar. As for the rest of you, if you found yourselves shaking away in fear, rejoice, you''re no longer conscripted." I explain, and the gap between those with brave hearts and cowardly spines widens. It''s all so plain to see now.


    The chamber empties quicker than I was expecting and I wave the security to head off too. All that remains in short order is a single lone figure, wrapped in bandages and cloaked in dark cloth. The Dark Crow vanishes from view. I turn to face him as he walks up the steps I will be heading down now.


    "Are you sure this will work?" he asks, and my professional sternness vanishes. I choke on my words and my eyes burn all around their rims.


    "I... I don''t know..." I answer truthfully, for I am at my wit''s end. Everything I have tried up until now has failed. The Prince has failed. All we have is the ramblings of a dead girl and her studies. Her obsession to learn, my obsession to defeat.


    "Is there anything you have failed to mention?" Nin asks, stepping closer too.


    "The Union is willing to contribute one final assault to aid in the giant''s delay. I will be observing that from the Gnomon along with your progress." I tell him and he lets out a long noise of thought. It chitters loudly and ends in a quick snap of the jaw.


    "And the final contingency?" he asks, and I turn inwards, my expression meek.


    "We do not have one... This is our last chance to stop Atarifuge." I say, and he starts to walk away. He looks back to me, beak over the shoulder.


    "You can count on me, just like last time," he says, departing with a starting hop. Blinking and holding a hand close to my tireless heart, I think on his words. Oddly enough, they seem to linger in my head. Not the end, the beginning.


    ''You can count on me.''


    "You won''t be able to do this yourself...?" I point out, not that he can now hear me. My body straightens out at the sound of doors slamming on the walls with denting force and I glance up. Magic comes back to me and a slew of angry teachers moves for me. My gaze hardens and I move to meet them in this hysterical debate.

 Incline 53: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Minding the crowd, I slip away to an open spot of the hangar and watch the cranes work. An old ride is being brought out to ferry us across the distance. This time, I don''t think I will try what I did back then. Or, maybe I will be forced to this time?


    Exceptional House has certainly turned out for this event. I think anyone even remotely involved with combative magic is here. Perhaps this is in relation to that contract the Gnomon put out way back when? Suhurlodst was quick to stamp down on any involvement when too many people weren''t coming home.


    Guild jobs are such an easy way to find true experience as a witch, the danger teaches much.


    Maybe their reasons are personal, maybe they''re egotistical and glory-minded. Either way, many of these people aren''t outcasts like me. They have someone waiting for them. Despite Liadanann''s words, I doubt this is anything but a show. She''s still here, but first chance she gets and I am sure she will disappear. This isn''t her fight and I am not worth looking after. Yet, she is.


    Seigunfrei approaches, his body doing a fairly good job of hiding any anxiousness. I''m not sure if this is in line with how he usually is, but I know he''s risked his life before in order to play the hero. He tried it all those years ago during the Inter-House with Rose. He stuck by me as my sparring partner with Smiling Jhurack. Man''s eyes are just set on the Orbital-Halo and its heights.


    "I take it you are here to be more than just a chaperone?" my friend asks and I nod once and firm. If need be, and if it can be achieved, I will be all that needs to fight. I can see Larishazza again... This lot can all see their families again. The home they save will have people within that need a son or daughter to hold with crying joy.


    What better pride can a father have in his son than to greet a hero? Daddy''s little girl will come back as the fighter he always knew her to be. Mother will kiss all the small wounds and treat them with endless favourite meals. For a time, she will even tuck them back into bed again, whispering, ''My brave little hero...''


    "I am here to take responsibility." I say, getting some of this accursed knowledge out of my head. Whatever is motivating the giant, I can''t help but feel I am related to it. At least, I know I am the one responsible for breaking the glass. One more reason for Liadanann to stay away. She does not deserve to die for my mistake.


    "Strange way to put it." Seigunfrei goes, kicking up a spot on a nearby crate. Quiet between us takes root, and it almost blossoms into noise. I mind the many people being guided up into the airship.


    "Does Lorreabry know?" I finally ask, and he shakes at the mention of her name.


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    "She does. She''s argued right viciously to me about it, too." he tries to laugh out but it all turns to awkward curdle. Not quite the wine he hoped, I don''t think.


    "You should have listened to her." I point out, and he shakes his head.


    "No, I''m doing right by the gods and my conscience by doing this," he explains, his brow setting and arms crossing.


    "Why?" I question and his expression, posture, it all remains the same. Surely there''s more to this than that short-lived speech he gave?


    "Many reasons. One of which is to do with you. I have the experience when it comes to fighting you. She doesn''t." he goes and I focus in on the end. He''s not talking about his girlfriend, that''s for sure.


    "Liadanann asked this of you?" I ask him.


    "No, she''s only spilt her heart out to me about what happened before you got back from that exciting spiral-train ride." he goes, his glare hurting more than it normally does. Guess I''ve really been out of the loop as to what has been going on with old involvements.


    "It is of no concern to you." I point out.


    "It has been since I said I would help her. You''re a slippery roach, Nin." he goes and I match his harsh stare with one of my own. Oh, a bug reference, haven''t heard one of them from him in some time, haven''t I? Last time he did it as well, I''m pretty sure I left that fight victorious. Every other fight since then, too.


    The ground scrapes and my feet thud. He matches my stance and backs down not one inch as I lean towards him with a growl. His head shakes and his final direction entices me to follow. A woman with red skin and pinkish coloured hair waits nervously in a world of her own.


    "Whatever is going on with you needs to end now. Before you try anything and I know full well you will. If you can so viciously chase someone for five years straight because of what he did, you''re damn right I believe you''ll be an idiot of the utmost, finest kind." he goes, referencing that which she shouldn''t.


    "Larishazza is the only woman I will ever love. The only idiotic thing I did was try and make a promise to her! One that meant letting go of her..." I nearly roar down his face with my mask off. Yet, before I can, my emotions die and go flat. I look at the floor and then to my claws. My tired and exhausted body.


    "If you love her, you will keep that promise. Do not spite it. Stop chasing the dead." he all but orders and I can''t help but laugh with all I have. It''s so silly. Such a silly concept. So many eyes are on us now.


    "Why? I''ve been dead before. It''s a ship sailing in a cavern that circles the world. On board is a family you could never even dream of, but they''re all so memorable and engaging. Amusements we could never think up are there, entrances to worlds from way before. So little is different from being alive. It only takes one accident for Undwote to not be able to do his job. One little accident for me to see her again... Not just anyone, the one who saved my life. The one who took pity on a crying bug in a dark corner with a broken knife at his... A silly little insect going through the motions. One day after another, closer to his execution." I let out with a hiss and his expression reflects what he knows.


    He knows very well his part in all of this.


    "ALL THAT REMAIN, PLEASE BOARD THE AIRSHIP!" a man calls through a turned up speaker and I shrug my shoulders with a snort. Guess I''m riding outside again, regardless. My magic snakes around the aircraft''s hull with experience''s temperance. Tight enough to keep me secure, loose enough to keep the vehicle unscathed.

 Incline 54: The Prince-to-Ascend Jhrartur

    "Why is everything being set up outside like this...?" Grandguard Inerish asks as I relax into my specially prepared throne. All the energy I need to keep my body at the ready can be saved. Now, I just need the reply to come back from my in-danger reserves. They will need to handle themselves without me if need be.


    Looking the way of the Errakurd, "A foe this grand must be observed directly when it falls. As I was doing to the capital of the Valkinvar, I shall endeavour to do here too."


    This is, of course, a lie. My reasons for being out here in the open, it''s all so I can take that leap I will need to. She thinks nothing of my armour and weapon, but she will if this plan fails. Besides, we have enough portable equipment to create the needed atmosphere of the Gnomon or the main staff building of our current hosts.


    A small machine within reach beeps, and I reach for it. Pushing a button and then another, I send the order out to those who need it. Should this giant threaten Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst any further? Then I shall fight it personally. My greatest secret will be prepared to handle their isolation for but a moment.


    "Blessings of the Mighty upon you, brave witches." I almost whisper, my senses attuning to the mechanical bangs of the Gnomon. The runway and necessities for its long-range transport craft are being prepared. I''ve already ordered the skies cleared and for my fleet to move out. They will remain in reserve for the time being while my brother''s mustering ground troops move in.


    To hold the giant''s attention, that is our only goal right now. Keep it occupied, keep its focus. Ensure it does not move one more step forward. Skeleton crews are waiting and standing by. By Jhrarda the Mighty''s lunar light shall they smash it back.


    "This is Royal-Guardsman Galanmarck, all landships, begin the advance." my younger brother''s custodian orders on my behalf through the open comms. Nodding in understanding, I motion one of my workers to bring me a control tablet. My brother''s normal crew has been bolstered with my usual command method. They shall know no fear, only service.


    Screens flash into existence across the horizon, blurring the dark visage of the giant. Those that show airships are sent aside and the ones with the modified landships take the dominating view. Grandguard Inerish walks through a screen and joins in with those at work on the terminals. A worker passes me the technical details of my brother''s altered New Story design.


    The main engines and propulsion system have been entirely replaced, grounding the machines. Pocket dimension technology hides great lengths of manipulatable chains attached to drill-like wheels. The floatation supports have been converted into stabilisers against terrestrial recoil. If anything, they''re all the more capable in the dunes of the giant''s influence.


    Future, past and present.


    I need only give the order and power can be diverted into the rear exhaust lines, thrusting them to seemingly impossible speeds. My brother is quite proud of their travel speed, let alone top. He was quite insistent that their visage of haste was not just because of scale. They''re fast machines, especially on flat, breakable ground.


    Though, for the moment, they''re carefully traversing the last of the mountains before dropping down into the designated hill land. Those chains allow them to covert into walking marvels so very easily. As for armaments, little is different for the exception of one thing. My brother, he took a liking to the looks of pellet shooters and hand cranked rotaries.


    While not as destructive as my traditional guns, which these still have in limited broadside capacity. He offers the highest assurances of magic-rich spheres capable of smart movement. A weapon designed to seek structural weak points may prove valuable if they can harm the giant. I have my doubts, but, as many of this land have shown me over the past few days. Hope is all we have.


    "You will fire when ready. All landships, engage in battle." I say, sending out the order across the fifty plus war machines. The last of them leap from the mountain peaks, scraping away their old sides and faces in their speeding descent. They leap a final time, shredding apart the mounds of dirt and rock. The giant''s next step puts the aura over the mountains ahead.


    As the Grand-Kingdom of Ibenorocco likes to taunt, a tsunami marks the start of war. All that magic rich land, gone and reduced to dust. Brown dirt turns to khaki sand and shields flare brightly. Each landship turns their pair of rotary cannons up and my senses tune into the leagues'' away distance. Thunderous click, banging turns, speeding up. Speed, speed, speed.


    ''Fire!'' I mouth, the noise becoming an unending buzz that zips through the cascading dust. The giant''s dark form erupts with explosions all over and keeps charging. Higher than the mountains, threatening the sky with its height. Hull-shredding munitions are no daunting obstacle.


    Towering decks wave and sway, their motions affected only by the thrust of engines. Waves of sand lurch into the sky as they drift back around into direct paths or circling motions. A lone figure appears on one screen, a cone of clouds in front of him. The giant''s head twitches at the sight and roars.


    With magic abusing the scientific reality, vapor cones erupt with automatic repetition. The breeze as far away here carries this force with a hair-flipping push. My brow settles firmly at the snaking sight of wind magic drained of its life. I see only raw magic, erupting the shades of white and blue and all their children.


    The giant swings for it, severing the back end of the arcane trail. Galanmarck twists around, diving straight for a supposed eye socket. The giant''s head twists and its body follows suit. The immense being slows in its spin and returns to its current course. Us.


    With the posture of a trained swordsman on the move, I am reminded of many things. A knight of grand damnation-bringing valour. While not the finest edge out there, that sword clearly shifts to a blunted core spawned from an immense tang. Truly, it is a weapon that lives to the logical extreme of what it is, a longsword.


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    Galanmarck dives back in with the aid of the landships. Their weapons can''t seem to find any weak point. It''s incomprehensible to my brother''s technology. So, Galanmarck seems to have taken command. The wrist, he wants the wrists to be attacked!


    Moving my fingers across the command tablet, I get more landships to aid in his attack. Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty and more! All of them are letting loose with all they can muster. A tornadic spiral forms from many fire-breathing mothers. Even without the screens I can see it, the shimmer of ten million scales.


    The giant slides to a halt, bringing its pommel to bear in a friction-making thrust. Galanmarck meets it for not a split second longer than he has to and the erupting magic trails up the giant. A black hand that can hold a city in a simple simian crease. Between its bone-like palm, it comes for him.


    The greatest fly anyone shall ever know annoyingly evades the swat. The giant tries again, breaking the cloud cover with its clenching shockwave. It back walks, putting the light of Galanmarck back into view. My brother''s protector dives to the ground while the landships crank broadsides up to face the giant.


    Tens of thousands of Ancient-inspired cannon open up.


    The handle enters both of the giant''s hands, and its back leans the way of its namesake. That toweringly endless blade moves for the earth with a horizon blocking face shifting, with no signs of stopping. The ground starts to part, rising up so far it looks like it will rain as far away as here. Sand as far as the eye can see.


    The cloud of dust breaks apart and, with a scream-backed swing, the former Valkinvar shatters his sword. The giant reels back a couple of steps, the shine of the broken steel glinting even in the day-less dark. Its body realigns itself, its unharmed body shakes off the distraction. It finds a moment of lethality and swings.


    My eyes widen and body shakes at the sensation. A live man somehow makes his way out of the aura and safely lands through a cored-out mountain. Signalling for some landships to pull out to recover the fallen warrior. I inform the rest to take caution, whatever remains anyway.


    The terminals ahead are hectic and panicked without any breaks. Shields are draining and that previous thrust into the earth has stranded some to their doom. Minding the positions of my fleet, I begin prepping their orders. Keep the giant back.


    Keep. It. Back!


    The first of many puts all it can into their forward engines, tearing the sky and air asunder to allow the passage of immense steel. Rocketing after each other, one after another. A stream of sacrificial warships plots their course. The giant brings an arm back, slapping away the start of the line. Metal splinters carry on like powder.


    The giant rolls around more and begins to run in a wide arc. A course that puts it into the route of still occupied lands and cities. Making this urgent information clear, my flagship fires ahead into what we cannot save. Motioning a prayer to those I have killed with good intent, the tectonic crust curls around to knock the giant back.


    An exploitable flaw of its aura... The underside. My thoughts clear. The fleet is my concern.


    The New Stories fill the gap left by the Endearing Fury and the giant returns to its normal route. Turning back with a sneer, a thought crosses my mind. Why hasn''t that airship lifted off yet!? I''ve read the specs, it''s not this slow and ponderous and neither are the machines to fire it off!


    "Grandguard Inerish, get that airship into the skies now!" I snap, catching her attention and redirecting her current call.


    "Gnomon Air Control, what is the holdup?" she asks, and I put my focus on her. Now, of all times, I must know. Why is it still here?


    "Magic reserves are not present for proper take off. I repeat, magic reserves are not present for proper take off," the pilot answers, and I sneer at the unexpected consequence of a previous choice. To think something like this isn''t an essential function of that building!


    "No matter, take on what you need in the air!" I go and the Grandguard nods at my command.


    "Launch now. Get yourselves in the air." She passes on.


    "Copy that, beginning ignition," the pilot answers, the feed cutting off as the Gnomon flickers with some life. The technological marvel adjusts its aim, and the airship flies off into the sky. Oddly enough, I catch sight of someone clinging onto the outside with such ugly, wind-lacking magic. My thoughts shake the view away and I frown at the giant as its focus snaps onto that one airship.


    What the...?


    Whoever that giant wants, it is on that aircraft. This entire time, it has sought the demise of perhaps even a lone individual. The one who awoke it from its slumber? Offended it somehow?


    No matter, the giant will fall either way.


    "All New Stories, cover the incoming Gnomon-launched airship. Stop the giant from intercepting it at all costs!" I boom through my speaker, forcing all the other voices out as the lone airship picks up speed. Its rockets grow increasingly ferocious but looks lead me to despair. It won''t reach high enough, it''s not quick enough. The ignition angle was too low and sharp... The parabolic curve...!?


    The giant''s strides are growing, its free hand is reaching out with utter finality. One leap to the heavens is all it will need. It won''t even need to touch it, only the aura needs to reach. That airship is entirely unshielded. It will rain, as do the droplets of water.


    "INTERCEPT IT NOW!" I roar, blowing a crater into the dirt next to me with the force of my words. My hissing breath disturbs the magical electronics. A few spark with exaggerated flashiness.


    "This is His Lunar Majesty''s Airship, Thunderous Brawler. Moving in." a named craft of all things answers and my teeth scrape. No, I cannot be risking named warships like this. To earn your name is to be a veteran! I can spend fresh hulls with no history... But, they''re also the only one that can reach in time.


    "Jharda the Mighty witness you." I speak quietly, collapsing my tense body on the cushions. It''s our only option, this veteran of the war against the Valkinvar. The Captain-Engineer... His name? Ah, of course.


    Everything it can drop is off-loaded and, with my senses, I can hear them. Crew, noble beasts of burden and war. That which lives is gone. All but the one man whose blood is bound to the ship.


    "By your name, My Royal Highness, Prince-to-Ascend Jhrartur." Captain-Engineer Redsaal answers as his airship''s engines glow with all available magic. From their slow kyanite dominance and all the way up to its Moonrim emerald limits, the engines'' roar. Defiance, even as the world falls apart. The New Sto- Thunderous Brawler is falling apart. But, it will make it, it will!


    Impact!


    Caught mid-leap, the giant flips and rolls uncontrollably through the air. It crashes into the newfound depths of the land and I blink at the sight of all that sand. The blood of the brave and noble founding its cloudy form. But, what we want is achieved. The Thrurstradtur craft has made it past the giant.


    Segaansallis, that is what Grandguard Inerish named it. Our hopes all now lie in that last chance. One made by the gods who abandoned us all that time ago. This changes nothing. Nevertheless, I offer a universal prayer to the one most likely responsible.


    "Thurnmourer, may your craft prove true." I utter as quietly as I can, my aching body shuffling onwards to the edge of the mountain. Now, now we see if this plan will work. If the giant can be defeated with something of its own make. And, as I let them fight, I must wonder what to do with you...?


    Whoever you are? Whoever brought this awful power out into the world. What shall we do... With you?

 Incline 55: Grandguard Inerish

    Putting my arms behind my back, I stand to attention. The Prince called for everyone above a certain rank to join him. And, here we are. At the edge of the mountain, him more so than most.


    I have to admit, this is becoming very strange, even for him. We keep moving away from perfectly suitable locations and setting up. Only for him to move further and further away. I understand that he is the man to bring the Theocracy to its knees, but even then...


    "Prince-to-Ascend Jhrartur?" I call, letting him know we are here if he somehow does not already know. He makes no indicators of it, so while everyone else is starting to mutter. I walk closer. Arriving at his side, I turn my head slightly his way.


    "Did you see it, Grandguard Inerish?" he asks, and I frown. My eyes look at the giant''s increasingly far away back and my brow goes even lower. It hardens and my eyes narrow almost as much as a sword''s edge. It''s arguably impossible for anyone to not get it by now.


    "Someone on that airship heading to Segaansallis is the cause of all of this." I say and he lets out a noise of affirmation. Going by what I know, the list is already fairly small. Suhurlodst''s Archaeology Club is involved in this matter. That much is known. A total that has been sieved down to its culprit grains ever further.


    "Was a manifest of participants ever managed?" the Prince asks and I shake my head. The thought never occurred to anyone most likely, not even me. I brought them all into that chamber with an idea of how many hands I would need. The results were more than enough.


    "No, no, there was no such effort. All we know, going by the events that happened when I gathered everyone. Most of the people on that airship are from Exceptional House." I explain, watching the sacrifice of another airship to buy time for the students and Segaansallis'' set up.


    The Prince closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath. His magic makes the air glow a wispy trail of pixie-like lights. It comes back to him in a gentle intake and his eyes reopen, brighter than before. The heightened shine goes away into a dulling fade.


    "I sense three distinctions." He goes and I cock an eyebrow.


    "One perhaps is known to me, but what of the other two?" I ask, an image of Nin dashing across my mind''s eye. Of everyone there, I suspect he stands out the most and not because of his species. His magic has always been a source of great curiosity for Suhurlodst when they aren''t damning his name because of the unescapable fact. But, besides that and those moments, there is a genuine desire to learn about how he replicates raw magic.


    "A young man, not quite ready for the standards of Exceptional House. And a woman, with so little magic at all, barely enough to live in Thrurstradtur safely. Yet, she holds a power beyond everyone else there," he explains, and I catch on without issue. Baltanthan and Liadanann.


    "I know the names and occupations of both and can elaborate if needed?" I offer and the Prince shakes his head. He turns and starts the long hobble back to the rest of the officers.


    "No, that will not be required. It matters not if they''re royalty like me or some ludicrous concept like a chosen one. We know all we need to," he explains and, dreading the future on his mind, I am tempted to ask him something.


    "And what do we know?" comes out of my mouth, my hands tighten, yet no magic comes out. My ability to threaten with a display of power will not work here. Not against a man of his stature, both physical and political. But that is not why my hands are tight.


    Nin is there...


    "That so long as they die, we may all live," the Prince clarifies and I stop in my tracks. Let them die? We don''t even know if this is all the giant wants, and he is considering the idea we just need to sacrifice one person? Maybe even more than that. Never mind any relations I have with the three names I gave. A vast amount of Suhurlodst''s best are on that airship!


    The Prince can dream of his Seven-Peaks Union growing one great peak closer to its literal name all he wants. He will not have unity in this sixth one if he offends Suhurlodst like this. For all its questionable actions and rumours, Suhurlodst''s reputation is deserved. As an institution, they love magic and magic is dependent on another thing they care for: their students.


    All are not equal and the Exceptionals have earned that right. The best and brightest from not just the former Dual-Republic, but all across Jherikra. As far north as the shining plains of Mogolawal, as high-rising as Eusorochii and as deep as Errakur. Due to the vastness of All-That-Remains, so much information will never reach the ears of the common folk elsewhere.


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    But, the name of our partner city does. Maybe not in its full length, but they know it. Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding. As the years go by, this reputation only grows. More and more students of great families come to this land for one school and its potential.


    He would ruin such future ripe goodwill to save the land...? I want to argue, but how can I? How can anyone sit there and say not even a village''s worth of people is worth the loss of hundreds of millions more? He is right. If we can save what is left of the Dual-Republic''s former land, they will have to go.


    If that is all it takes, anyway. I have my doubts, but, if this really is all that we need to do. Many say the worst road in the world is the one to Errakur, the Land of Fire. From the peaking edges of a volcanic super island to one of eternal, caged infernos. Yet, good intentions pave quite the unsuspecting evil themselves.


    Looking out from my thoughts, I meet the Prince''s gaze as it furrows with unyielding sternness, "I assume your thoughts have reached their conclusion?"


    "They... They have, yes." I answer reluctantly, my focus halfway between him and the giant. The end of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst, that thing, this Atarifuge is.


    "If you have any doubts, return to the mountain''s edge. Look out across what was your charge, Grandguard..." he suggests, and he gets back on with the journey. Doing as he says, though I do not really need to, I return to the mountain''s edge. The very edge, where the winds sharply deflect from the mountain and up towards me.


    Although I was never one for the beauty of this land''s landscapes and its great outdoors. I close my eyes and think back to what should be here. All the cities we''ve lost, the bustling streets spilling out into the fruitful fields. Nevermind the untamed forests and all the ravineers dotting them. Everything that is gone, I can see it so clearly even though I never cared much before.


    This is not the end of time. All-That-Remains is not ready to go with the rest of lost creation. Man has not done this, aelenvari, kelbalid and not even more pragmatically malicious species like dragons and osibindah. No years have passed, no wars have concluded or started apart from one. Life versus death.


    All that we have lost, it happened in but a moment each time. Each step left this country screaming, each failed attempt and effort to learn has left us with quieter homes. What once we could consider a means to tarnish a reputation entirely is just no longer considered. How can anyone blame someone for not knowing what to do against something like that?


    Though Undwote is clear in his depictions and well known to all who are honest and learned. That does not stop a peculiar thing from happening. The idea of a cloaked skeleton, hiding in the darkness, ready to snatch away your life at the first moment. God of Friendship, he may be, but, first and foremost, he is not that nor the cold.


    He is Death.


    This machine, it bears the name of a beast of his. Were it not, I have no doubts we as a people would in time come to know it like that. Nothing could have prepared this country for anything like this. We''re so very lucky to have had survivors from the initial awakening.


    Yet, perhaps, this all would have never happened if no one came back from that mountain that day. Just another day in the Gnomon, a still gutted country but one with a single circle. One diameter to concern itself with. There would be no occupation by the Union, no war with the Grand-Kingdom looming...


    My body shivers, and a gloved hand covers my blinking eyes. I shrug with an empty head and look back a little. Hair catching on the updraft, I move my other hand to stop it from flying so awkwardly. I look back to the giant, rather, the glimmer of hope that manages to shine even this far.


    "Can you save us, Nin? Can you do it again?" I ask, putting my faith in him, as he is the only one I know I can count on. Exceptional House is a storied place, one with many capable witches who are still learning. A terrifying prospect when one considers their power. Native and foreign-born like me.


    Yet, for all that reputation, only the Dark Crow stands out amongst them. Now more than ever, we need him to play well with others. I need him to. What Segaansallis will require of all of them, I do not know. I can only hope they will keep their egos in check.


    Strong hearts and sturdy backbones. I need to pray for all of them. We all need to. Every child, adult and dying elder in what''s left of this country. Our fate is to be decided soon, and the price has been high up to this point.


    Even now, the Union is throwing vast resources away in once-good attacks. The giant is not stupid. It is no simple machine but a fighter, a warrior. Not every blow is hitting and most do not have the impact they once did. We''re running out of time, they''re running out of time.


    Right now, I can only see two paths for this land. Either they die and we all do. Or they win and put this tragedy to an end. Regardless, more blood will fall through the bottleneck of the hourglass.


    "What good am I even now? I''ve lost command of the troops. It''s all that Union Prince''s domain now. What good am I when I cannot even fulfil my job requirements? Grandguard Inerish, the greatest joke to have ever existed. I keep failing and I am unsure of what I can do to help..." I let out in despair, Atarifuge dominating the reflection of my whites and iris''.


    Looking beyond our doom, I look to our future. Kneeling and unmoving in the sand. All those memories and all that history are gone, but it remains. The work of the gods and goddesses is unperturbed by that aura.


    The Sword-Faced Giant.


    Named so for its most prominent feature, a horned head, bladed like a sword. On its right side as well, the guard of an immovable sword depicts a face. All made of worn, aged and once mossy stone. Two weapons, two blades. Maybe if I...?


    Turning back towards the outdoors command centre, I stare longingly at the many terminals. One in particular, the one in contact with those already on the ground at Segaansallis'' feet. A hunch. I have a hunch, of all things. My head shakes with growing rapidity and my stress seethes out with a heavy sigh.


    "None the less... Good luck to you all. Gods and goddesses be with you in this moment." I mutter, turning back fully and heading on my way. The Prince no doubt will want me to be involved with this discussion he is no doubt having.

 Incline 56: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Minding the airship''s descent into gentler winds, I loosen my grip on the fuselage. Taking the moment of relative quiet, I look back towards the giant. It''s running straight for us and we only have the time we do because it keeps getting rammed. Warship, warship, warship, they keep going for it with suicidal fervour.


    Even from up here, I can see how each footfall quakes the earth, and it''s only getting clearer. I doubt any of us will have a simple time walking in this desert. Unlike all those years ago, when I was trying to return to Tobaballe, we do not have time to acclimate. We have to rush onwards to Segaansallis, board and pilot it to victory.


    My gaze snaps to the front of the airship as magical fires start to break out. The plating holds, but the front side is seemingly burning up. The engines, in particular, are quite explosive. As is my magic.


    Clicking my tongue, I release the grip my spell has on the airship and drop off into the air. Meeting the wall of wind with no fear within, I try to guide myself to the highest looking dune. All the magic in this place is gone. It''s all gone. It won''t hurt, it shouldn''t hurt.


    Yet, my body does not agree. I know what heights I can handle and this is not one of them!


    "I GUESS THERE IS SOME FEAR!" I let out loud enough to hear against the howling wind. My mind gets to work thinking of the spell I will need to survive this drop. I need to hold on, just a little longer. No spell yet, wait... Wait...


    I almost strike the peak of a dune, my growing velocity bringing me all too close. The ground. Moving my claws out, I fire off the spell. Flipping back the other way, I orient my feet to face the dune and fire off again.


    All this lack of naturally occurring magic sends me flying around. I crash through the sands, picking up speed once again in the vicious rolling. A moment presents itself. Thrusting my left claw forward, I crater the ground just enough to slam right into it.


    Laying still for the moment, I grumble at the erupting grains slipping into my bandages. Carefully minding my strength, I watch the airship make its own rough landing a fair distance away. The ground makes me bounce, and then again. Snapping my eyes to the cause while in motion, I see a sword rising into the air.


    Popping my foot where it needs to go, I leap. The arcane fireballs trail after me, marking each jump. I keep going with all I have and spot the final distance. Taking the last leap, I roll to a stop and wobble up. Just in time to watch the utter mess of everyone clenching their ability to use magic shut.


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    Almost toddler-like, I wobble up to them and note the soldiers already here. These must be the troops Inerish mentioned in her briefing. They take one look at me and wade their way over. In the hands of one, a small device.


    "Dark Crow?" he asks, coming to a nervous stop against Segaansallis'' leg. I nod in response and he hands the device over. It''s a communicator, the headset kind. I watch him carefully, unsure what to do with it.


    Another man steps up, "Grandguard Inerish wants you to put it on. She wants you in what we believe to be the pilot''s seat."


    His fellows bounce too high and fall about, as do most of the students. I manage to keep myself and him on our feet. He nods in thanks. I gesture for him to help me put this thing on.


    "This isn''t designed for me!" I point out, turning my gaze a bit towards the giant. Its sword drives into the ground, parting the earth so much as to reform the lost mountain ranges. Like a spade, it forces it back up, sending a wave towards us.


    "EVERYONE, GET INSIDE NOW!" Seigunfrei roars, gesturing all inside. Moving as quick as I can, I heave the soldiers back up and linger as people approach. My claws shove them in one after another until the last one is in. An oppressive shadow overtakes us.


    The airship''s engines fire up desperately, and I shake my head. Slipping into Segaansallis, the view blots out with all that sand and it rushes to fill the open space. People cry out over the sound of the crashing wave and an explosion rips through towards us. What sounds like an aircraft grows distant.


    "ALRIGHT, EVERYONE, TAKE THE FIRST SEAT YOU CAN AND REMAIN THERE! GO! GO! GO!" one soldier calls out, his weapon firing off to put some haste into them. Oddly, despite the lack of magic within this machine, it does not react like the outside. Anvil-Peak passes my mind. The magic in that mountain never interacted like the arcane normally does either.


    Grabbing a soldier and holding him back, I gesture to my headpiece, "How do I work this?"


    "There''s a switch on this side, flick it up and it''ll open the line to the Grandguard." he explains. His lungs do not even have time to refill before he''s running off to where he needs to go.


    Muttering to myself, I carefully do as instructed to activate the delicate-looking thing. Climbing the impossibly ancient stairway, my mind goes wayward at how familiar this all is. Was this machine designed with humans in mind or was it an attempt at humour? The gods can be all sizes, so why not facilitate the idea of piloting something this large?


    "Ni-" the device goes.


    It cuts out.


    "Ni-NI... NIN- Ni-" it goes again.


    Groaning, I give it a gentle knock, and that seems to sort it.


    "I''m here, on my way up to the bit you want me at." I tell Inerish and I hear her sigh in relief, as clear as if we were sharing a room.


    "Good, good, hurry up! Atarifuge is closing in on your position and we do not have any time to spare," she urges, the noise of the men and women behind her breaking through.


    "Well, pardon me for not knowing how to navigate a giant''s insides with a massive clog up of people ahead!" I snap, waiting for the first opportunity I have to slip up and above. Like how muscles expand more at certain points, this giant''s halls do too.


    "Please, Nin... Hurry." Inerish begs quietly and I nod slowly. Will do. Have too.

 Incline 57: Nin, the Dark Crow

    "Alright, I''m here, hooking myself up now." I explain, leaping the final distance to what is a throne by comparison. All the other seats and god-made consoles have been small set ups, but this place is a chamber for but one. Mysterious devices dot the walls and many are continuations of the peculiar trails from before.


    Power cables, it''s all reminding me of power cables. And that throne is where they all lead. This back-heavy throne with a strangely form-fitting place to sit. It''s not cushioned, but carved.


    "Good, good, how far along is everyone else?" Inerish asks, and I quickly ponder the question.


    "The left side is most likely fully set up." I answer, knowing that is the side we came up through. The torso is probably finishing up right now. Whatever parts of Segaansallis'' body remain empty, it''s all likely on the right side. Leg and arm. The limb the weapon is on...


    "I will have the soldiers hurry the students along, just set yourself up for now," she explains and I nod.


    "Got it." I go, letting her know.


    Taking a leap towards the throne-esque seat, I linger around it. My body should fit in here, it should... As I move to sit down, it suddenly shifts, adjusting to my scale. It almost makes me want to shrug.


    "Ok... Now what...?" I mutter, getting comfortable and minding where all the button-looking pieces of rock are. Fiddling with some, I try to acclimate myself as to their functions, but some won''t budge. I find one that can wobble and push. A jaw of syringes snaps out of their holsters on my left and they stab.


    Screaming in pain at the sudden attack, the occupants of Segaansallis'' left echo my reaction. Some more hysterical than others. The hollow containers above the spikes start to turn a deep red. The stolen blood glows and Segaansallis stirs awake with the pop of its gear-joints.


    "What happened? What''s going on!?" Inerish demands to know and, hissing against the mic, I stop resisting the machine.


    "Syringes, this damn thing is full of syringes and they''re draining our blood!" I explain, instinctively pushing my body rightward.


    "My men misse- Nevermind, is Segaansallis turning on?" Inerish asks as I stop this self-harming reaction.


    "It is!" I snap, minding the controls as various hieroglyphics begin to form and colour themselves in. What must be a warning flashes bright and quiet.


    "What are you able to do at this moment?" she asks, and before I can open my mouth, a thick collar lurches forward and slams me upright. All over my body, it locks me down almost to the point I can''t even budge my mouth.


    "Nothing! It''s locking me up like a priso-" I begin to say and my vision suddenly warps into a seizure-inducing blur. One eye can see the giant on its advance and the world outside, while the other is still seeing the chamber. Half of my body can feel sand and is free, the other half i-


    "HUH!?"


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    "WHAT''S GOING ON!?"


    "HELP ME!"


    "EVERYONE CALM DOWN!"


    "VOICES! VOICES! VOICES!"


    "MAKE IT STOP!"


    "What in the name of the gods? This is weird."


    "IT''S FINE EVERYONE, FOCUS!"


    "I''M GOING TO RIP YOUR ARMS OFF, SEIGUNFREI!"


    "Ah... AH! Ow... Ow! OW!" whimpers Liadanann? "No... Not this again... Get these things out of me... No, no, no, no... Get these needles out of me... GET THESE NEEDLES OUT OF ME!"


    "RRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" I roar with all I can, spooking Inerish who I can somehow still hear.


    "Nin, what''s going on!? Nin?" she asks, only to be drowned out by the voices in my head. It''s just like when I dealt with that osibindah hive in Vadei''s village. The queen bug, that monstrosity, it could get inside my head. It was in my head!


    "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" I roar, thrashing against the machine. One hand strikes away at the dunes while another shakes, for that is all it can do. Moment by moment, my right eye loses its vision. Patches of the outside world begin to take hold. My body is losing control, numb. I feel numb...


    More needles, more are taking what is mine... More is being put into me. It''s just like that day. The day that sealed my fate. Not the same day Rose was... Before Vapooliar, before any of this, so long before!


    Osibindah hive... Hive! Hive! The hive!


    "Focus on my voice," Inerish calls out with an almost song-like tune. Gentle, beautiful. Calming. I do as asked and focus on it. She repeats her words over and over. My breathing stabilises, and the nervous chitters stop.


    "Alright... I am focusing on you... Don''t stay quiet... DON''T!" I go, snapping at the end as all the different voices begin to take hold of me again.


    "You''re alright, Nin. Everyone one in Segaansallis is alright, little blood is being taken. You''ll be fine." She explains and I nod as well as I can. My actual head barely moving while more of this new head does. I am outside fully, the world is all around me. Deserts without end and a colossal threat ready to decapitate me... The last dots of the inside depart.


    "Getting Segaansallis on its feet." I explain, my voice booming like an airship''s war horn. Every step sends a dull thud to my ears. A heartbeat. I feel as if my head is against a chest. Inerish... Focus on her voice.


    "We see it, Nin, keep doing what you''re doing!" she goes, and, encouraged the way I am, I get Segaansallis fully upright. The last of the lethargic dullness goes away and my- no, Segaansallis'' body attunes properly with mine. My right hand cannot move, only my left can.


    "Four fingers and a thumb..." I try to mutter though the machine cannot do quiet, it can only roar. Despite being born with hands like this, years of only two claw digits and a thumb on one make it weird. It does not feel right even though I know it should be. My past is alien.


    "Are you ready to fight, Nin? Atarifuge certainly is." Inerish asks, pointing out what I should be focusing on. Turning the dark giant''s way, I watch it slide to a halt. It takes a step back and narrows its form. Despite shambling like a corpse for so long, even after all the blows it has taken. It is more than capable of standing around like a trained swordsman.


    It will launch forward on its front leg and transfer the energy to the back. Weapon up and pointed, it will rear back and I will block. Wrist, arm? Sword! I have never fought like this.


    I can''t fight like this... This body is not able to fight like I do. I can think of the spells, but nothing is happening. I''m trying to cast magic, but the clicking and the pressing aren''t doing anything!


    The flexibility I know my body should have is not here. This is not my body!


    "I can''t do this... I can''t do this, Inerish. I''m not a swordsman. I''m not a-" I try to squeak.


    "It''s alright, Nin, focus on my voice. I will guide you through this fight. Do as I say when able. You know how to fight. Just trust your instincts. Let me handle the swordplay." Inerish explains, and my heavy-topped head wobbles back and forth.


    "Ok... I trust you." I tell her and it goes quiet on her end. A noise escape her lips, one that means it wasn''t much. She''s gaping, so very slightly. Her lips smack gently and the huff of a smirk breathes down the mic.


    "Let''s destroy this bastard!" she lets out, a giddy pitch to her voice. Affirming her words, my left side reaches out and the fingers strike the palm. Come on... Come on!

 Incline 58: Segaansallis, the Sword-Faced Giant

    "Before! Before, you rush headlong against Atarifuge!" Inerish calls out, putting a stop to Segaansallis'' charge. Shaking my head with a groan, a barrage of thoughts assail me, cracking a harsh headache over my mind.


    "What...!? WHY!?" I roar, waving my perpetual sword gripping hand at the giant. Not mine, Segaansallis'' hand. But I''m controlling it and see through...? Gragh!


    "Again, I will offer what help I can but, given the situation. I do not believe I can give you advice on every swing. You have too much going on in your head right now," she explains and I shake my head as more thoughts make the headache worse.


    "KEEP YOUR DAMN MOUTH OPEN AND TALKING! I CAN FOCUS MORE WITH ONE CONSTANT THAN HUNDREDS MORE!" I scream out, explaining my situation to her thoroughly and forcing her hand. Atarifuge''s blade meets Segaansallis'' and somehow, despite both of us being made of rock. Metal sings. Its longsword slides away almost magnetically, dragging my motion with it.


    A ball-like guard-end jabs at my face, knocking me away and opening me up to another attack. With a hiss on my jaw, I try to breathe my gut in and put up an awkward block. Atarifuge pushes my lack of balance, thrusting and jabbing. I need to get off this back foot!


    "Stop letting him push you back!" Inerish squawks.


    "I KNOW!" I snap, smashing aside the next thrust and going after Atarifuge as it spins around. Stabbing my blade in an attempt to get it, it finishes its motion. A cleaving blow comes straight for my head.


    Reeling back to the sound of thundering metal, the dunes explode underfoot. I''m upright in time to meet his thrust with a punch. Thoughts scream out at me in shock, the recoil shaking so many in my right arm. They''re blind, they can''t see and can only feel two titans at work!


    "INERISH!" I snap again, her lack of words so blatantly clear and missed. Speak again, speak. Damn you, speak!


    "Atarifuge seems to favour his left side right now, keep pushing him from that way. Your right, go in at him from there!" she explains and, noting the familiar principles, I pursue. I''ve tried this before with Smiling Jhurack. Keep the controlling arm restricted. Keep it trapped, leave no wiggle room. Not. One. Inch.


    Mile...?


    Growling the focus back into my head, instinct instead drives me to punch the giant. It barely feels the blow and hops away into a back-stepping jog. Not letting up, I chase it down with my head lowered. Something locks against my head, two hard lines.


    The sands pile up around me, and the force goes away. Only the sound of a returning sword-grip. Pushing up with all Segaansallis can muster, I rise with my bladed horn swinging wildly. Our blades meet again and I sort out my footing.


    My free hand flexes and curls, the problems of new fingers not being all that much. Compared to having one hand locked into perpetual wielding, anyway. Darkness, needles. I''m scared, someone hel-


    "RRRRRAAAAAHHH!" I howl, taking my thoughts back from the horde. Atarifuge meets my wild swings with careful knocks and misdirection. It''s not toying with me. I know what that is. But that doesn''t help when I can''t get past this guard of its!


    "Try to lock blades with the giant, Nin. Force yours to the guard and wrestle that sword out of its grip." Inerish tells me, offering a goal that should make this easier.


    Doing as asked, I make my swings harsher and harsher to force an action out of it. The air explodes and my blades slides to the guard. Metal sings with hissing slides. Noting the imbalance, I throw my free hand onto its grip.


    Atarifuge drops its blade suddenly, a spring in its steps. I fall forwards, right into its rebounding knee and bend back. The flash of the giant gripping its sword does not escape me. One aimless swing seems to keep it back.


    Moving into my momentum, I smash out two more blows. Atarifuge''s sword tip carves two quickly buried canyons. Going for its left side again, I knock the sword down to slip in my gripping hand. The free one latches onto the guard.


    Locking myself against the face of the blade, I put all my weight into pulling it away. Slipping back with it a moment later and releasing it in the tumble. Getting back up just in time, I smash it aside to put even more distance between it and its means of attack. Atarifuge''s backhand parries my next thrust.


    "That''s it, Nin, keep going!" Inerish almost cheers with a scream and I try again. Atarifuge palm strikes me down, knocking me off balance. Kicking up great waves, I charge my lowered head forward and meet some resistance. Bone-like fingers flex into sight, covering one of my eyes.


    Darkness. The dark. Darkness! The dark!


    "SILENCE!" I roar, slicing my sword towards the weight of arms. Something makes contact with the edge and Atarifuge backs off. Noting the dark boulder in the sand. I make a point of picking it up.


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    Squeezing tight, I try to see if I can crack it down further. The goal is somewhat met and I throw it at the giant, peppering it with its own body. Atarifuge sprints right for me and it tilts into a leap. A pair of bone feet meet my chest and knock me down.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"


    "DAMMIT! THAT BLOODY HURT!"


    "WHAT''S GOING ON!?"


    "WE JUST GOT KNO-"


    "INERISH!" I snap again, rolling onto my front with a penta-group of valleys following me. Tearing them up, I rise into a rush.


    "Atarifuge''s getting its sword again, stop it!" Inerish orders and I chase after the giant. Throwing my sword arm ahead after it, I come tantalisingly close to scraping away at its spine. Atarifuge makes the final distance through a roll, blade returning to form. Sliding to a stop, I put up a guard and wait the second I need for my next direction.


    Close the gap-


    "Close the gap," Inerish speaks in time with my thoughts. Nodding in place of an amused smirk, I charge. Atarifuge moves to take an upright guard. It can''t possibly protect its lower half like that!?


    Reaching the minimum distance, I thrust again and meet a ground-stabbing throw. Pommel now in hand, the giant slides the sword across my stone muscles. What is most certainly a machine blares its alarms. Another noise to add to the mania.


    Taking advantage of the dangerous position I left Atarifuge in, I try to immobilise the sword grip. The black skeleton does the same, leaving us in a tense, locked-up push off. Stone creaks, the noises of cracking and my focus wavers. Which one of us is...?


    "Nin, you have a free weapon, use it!" Inerish reminds me and my head suddenly feels weightier. Head-butting forward with a vicious snarl, I miss a proper hack into its skull. Trying again, I fail to get anything but a knock aside. Atarifuge reinforces the blow with an escaped fist.


    Going into a spin, I get my sword up in time to take the full brunt of an overhead. My stone forearm and bicep clash together, bringing all kinds of buzzards from the hive. Roaring at the pain of such torrential noise, I back away. Atarifuge almost manages to gut m- gut us all.


    "Nin, are you alright!? Nin!" Inerish cries, the sound of her hands of the headset all too clear.


    "DAMN THIS LOCKED HAND!" Segaansallis lets out with all it has, disturbing the winds and blowing up a dust storm. Taking the inspiration, I try to test an age old theory. Atarifuge disproves it immediately by moving through and thrusting cleanly at me. Moving us out of the way, I adjust a punch into a down-going swing.


    Atarifuge pulls away from us and twirls into another overhead grip. Segaansallis twists the sword to a rightward tilt and we begin to circle. My opponents grips switches about, his feet dash. Not so green as that, I press down on my half of the radius.


    It thrusts forward and I twist aside to put more force into mine. Atarifuge''s grip slips off its blade...!? The thing goes wayward. I press the attack.


    Atarifuge snaps a fist onto the cross guard and pulls it back the other way. It jumps back a slight distance and grips the wrong part of the blade. All that force, all that power, Atarifuge redirects it to... The now-behind cross guard rises like a cata-


    "NIN! MOVE, IT''S HALF-SWORDING! ATARIFUGE IS-" Inerish screams. Her voice drowns in the blunt-edged blow hitting my left collar. Segaansallis'' body bends to Atarifuge''s desires. It pulls us in, the guard now a hook.


    Right into a reared back fist.


    "GRAAAH!" I let out in pain as the head rocks back and forth. My body squeezing up against the locks and back against the chair. Unyielding, god-made stone with no edges. I shake without end, my shell cracking in the tight case.


    "We''re going to die..." one thought whimpers.


    "Of course I''m going to be killed because of this incompetent bug!" a male student hisses in his.


    "Give the Sword-Faced Giant''s control to a fist fighter, great plan Grandguard!" a soldier moans with his thoughts carrying the sound of grit teeth.


    "GIVE CONTROL TO SOMEONE WHO''S NOT DONE YET!" I roar back in answer at all the disheartened voices. All these thoughts. They need to go. Get out... Get out!


    With a throbbing head, I switch up my footing and get back into it. I blink harshly as more pain strikes through me. There''s a deep-rooted pain in my right eye. The needles have widened their holes and have adjusted as such.


    I shake and stumble, tearing up the sandy earth in the process.


    "Nin, talk to me, you''re falling and you haven''t taken a blow!" Inerish points out, her anxiety hearable even to the deaf.


    "This thing... It''s taking too much." I try to explain. At least, this is what I can fathom right now. It hurts too much to think.


    "Then finish this before it takes everything! Before Segaansallis and Atarifuge do!" she encourages, and I nod my sword-dressed head. Barber gave me one fine haircut and I intend to use it.


    "G-Getting... Back up." I pointlessly say, as I am already on my feet. Running forward and Atarifuge meets me. More light thrusts and deflections, it keeps moving back. Finding an angle, I pick up with the ferocity and strike harder and harder.


    Atarifuge drops its guard and lets me knock the blade down. It starts to run back, sword trailing a path to follow on top of its footprints. Leaping for his armed side, I kick it further away and hug it. Letting Segaansallis'' horn roar, I thrust the sword and hear that lovely puncture.


    The black-boned giant howls with what I so easily believe is pain, and a hand grips my face. He pushes it around and my neck twists the force back. We all howl with all we have and I pick up with the thrusting. My feet slip back into the sand and they push with each earthquake-inducing step.


    Atarifuge''s cross guard finds my sword''s back end and it tugs. Slicing apart its own side further to free itself from that trap. Its sword rises for my right pit and finds slipping purchase. Feeling the cold danger, I back away too late and slide along that sword''s edge.


    Though I feel no pain, this height Segaansallis gives me, it lets my actual body feel the wind. The empty, shallow winds left in Atarifuge''s wake. My opponent checks its wound and pulls off the loose stonework. Flexing my right arm, I hear growing cracks, but nothing too severe.


    We both ready up and go back at it, slashing and clanging to no end. Inerish slips in more tips to counter all this new noise and some aptitude makes it into my muscles. A proper display of fencing skills is quickly engrained into my psyche and I push forward. Atarifuge backs away from my next thrust with limited movement on its left torso. Its eyes locked on my sword arm.


    My right arm extends well and true, finding a quick nick and stone cracks more!

 Incline 59: Cakesmith Liadanann

    "LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET! MEEEEEEEE! OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!" I scream with growing viciousness. Answering my cry for help, God''s power lends me its strength and the shackles begin breaking. They splinter and crack further into powder, bouncing off of me and catching in my hair. Breathing heavily at first, I secure my position as whimpers over come me.


    I can almost feel my eyes grow and narrow with each heartbeat, with each little bit of blood that pools out of my limbs. My gaze snaps to my chest, slightly exposed by all the mania. The gap at the top of my shirt is all the more taunting with what it shows. Torment of years past, dotted across my breasts with innumerable frightness.


    Even my means of becoming a mother is...


    "AHH!" I scream, snapping magic covered hands to anything I can grab. The rock and sway of the giant seems to stabilise enough for me to get down and I stand alone. My hair falls in a straight stream, gravity overtakes my tail in much the same way. Turning the way of my back only entwines both around my body.


    Panting and moving a hand close to my heart, I secure myself to what seems to be a handle bar. My gut starts to move with accelerating momentum. Looking its way, I follow the flow of my stomach juices. We''re moving...


    God''s magic bursts to life, locking me in place and taking in the shock. Rubbing my head, I receive no time and am thrown the other way. Whimpering my safety into a tighter form, I wait apprehensively. The giants are fighting, Nin is fighting.


    Turning my head towards where Nin kept on going, I blink with uncertainty. He no doubt needs to focus and if I go up there, I will just get in the way. But what good am I here either? I thought I could help. I told Nin I would. Yet, with needles being the means, my fears got in the way.


    Memories of a time long gone, evils caused by a people now ash on the winds.


    "With how much we''re being shaken about, I should still check on him..." I mutter, nodding along with my words and dismissing the magic. Digging my fingers in where I can, I get going along this nauseating path. An impact rocks the giant to its core, throwing me to the floor. Crying at the pain, warm liquid trails down my forehead.


    I wipe it and stare, letting its ominous existence push me on. Of all the things I need to ensure right now, my will to go on is the one thing that needs it most. Not even just for Nin or myself, for all in the city. We''re in this giant to stop the other one.


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    To do that, I need to make sure Nin is safe. I can finally return the deed that set me free all those years ago. Maybe he will finally... No, now is not the time.


    ''Ah''-ing my way upright, I maintain a tight grip and loose arms. All these shakes and impacts, I need recoil control. Freedom of movement, I need to make the best use of it as I can. All the way up to him.


    Freezing up at another blow, I can''t help but look down the tunnel of this arm when a noise roars down. Cracking stone. It is not long before the sound of dropping, immense weight follows. Nin''s panicked roars are immediate.


    "I''M COMING!" I cry out, perhaps pointlessly. The students of Suhurlodst become a blur on my right and the blows don''t so much as trip me. Stumbling to a stop, I latch onto a pillar as pale-blue light erupts with crackling eagerness. More panicked voices.


    I know what this is. It''s the dark giant''s magic aura. The same thing that has been reducing the land to sand and dust. It''s what nearly killed me, Nin and Baltanthan back when... It''s rushing for us with the same viciousness as a high-pressure, unclogged pipe!


    Whispering a quick prayer, I throw up the power of Iderim-Ovi in an attempt to stop this power. Keeping myself sealed initially, I run with all I have as it becomes clear the aura is reaching people. The end of the tunnel starts to become clear. The light of day is filling out a chamber.


    A gash in the rock, from the right arm socket and up the neck to the face...


    Leaping ahead, amulet in hand, I seal the gap. Bouncing along the ground, I come to a thankful stop. The locked up student next to me muffles something and I nod, assuming its meaning. A voice roars.


    "INERISH!? INERISH!? I''VE LOST THE SWORD ARM! THE AURA IS GETTING IN! DAMMIT, ANSWER!" Nin howls in desperation, the loss forcing us all to run. Positioning myself somewhere sturdy, I watch in horror as he seemingly burns up. Past the floors and into the torso. The fires of raw magic igniting at the unacceptable evil of a magicless world.


    But not mine. Not God''s. With widening eyes, I clutch my amulet and look at it. I''m the only one who can do this.


    "CAN ANYONE IN SUHURLODST HEAR ME!? WE CANNOT FIGHT! SEGAANSALLIS IS GOING DO- DAMMIT, I CAN''T SEE A BLOODY THING LIKE THIS!" Nin howls with an increasingly gnashing jaw. His clothes blowing away into ash. No, sand.


    "NIN!" I scream, sending out God''s power to seal the chamber from this aura. Rushing in after the magic, I secure the hole and hurry over. Grabbing onto his face, I direct it my way, turning the whole head around! Letting go, he puts our giant''s focus where it needs to be. One of his eyes, however, works independently.


    He watches me carefully, his pupil calming down while I try to smile.


    "It''s going to be ok... You can do this... You can..." I find myself sobbing quite pathetically. Tears with no end in sight and the looming shadow out there, striding over the desert. I latch onto Nin when our giant leaps and rolls. Whimpering my fears, I refuse to budge even the slightest, no matter how much the stone scrapes from my skin.


    "Liada- Liadanann..." Nin mutters and I bring my head up.

 Incline 60: Segaansallis, the- Dark Crow

    Making Segaansallis avoid another blow, I use my right eye to stare back at Liadanann. She moves back and holds me tight still, her body shaking away all its energy. Why is she here? She should be in my left arm...


    I spot the little dot missing in my left eye. The darkness of the giant''s insides makes up most of my view. We''re doomed. I lost our only means to fight. I need to get back to it.


    Yet, my voice needs to say it again, "Liadanann..."


    "Y-Yes?" she manages to get out, her sudden flinch into a hug burying my eye further.


    "I can''t see properly." I tell her, something clearly coming out as she wipes my eye. Never mind the pain all over my body, the fact I know it''s now exposed. The dreadful feeling that was eating away at me. Grains, I can feel grains where carapace should be.


    "Yes you can, yes you can!" she insists as we dodge another thrust from victory-minded Atarifuge. I make the attempt to pull off one of my usual tricks, to no avail. We can hear the sword cut another line out of us. Segaansallis cannot go on like this.


    I need to get my sword back...


    "You should not be in my right ey-"


    "Then close it, I will be right here," she interrupts, holding me close to force the darkness onto me. Keeping that eye closed, the picture becomes near-almost the outside world. Spotting my sword, I run. Segaansallis runs with all it has as the thoughts rip through my mind.


    Gnashing ahead, a squeak preludes my words, "SPEAK TO ME!"


    "A-About!?"


    "ANYTHING! I DON''T CARE! GIVE ME SOMETHING TO FOCUS ON OTHER THAN ALL THESE THOUGHTS!" I let off with all the force in my lungs and she yammers out the first thought that comes to mind.


    "Did you mean it when you said you would never love me? That we could never work?" she asks and my body goes cold while Segaansallis moves with an athletic burn in its chest. Finding my thoughts focusing on that through a mixture of shock and appreciation for its good timing, I chitter. Chittering louder, my jaw rattles out the answer.


    "Yes!" I lacone. She tightens her grip on me, undeterred by my words.


    "I would give my everything for you, you know that, r-right?" she asks, whimpering as something other than this slide through the dunes shakes her. Twisting Segaansallis around, I loop the lost arm up. Atarifuge''s blade smashes through it, emptying it of its dusty interior. The sword, my sword, crashes into the ground.


    Liadanann yelps in fright as my head becomes a weapon. Segaansallis duels some space back and I feel her gaze snap to the walls. Those cracks were here, no doubt about that. Her silence tells me all.


    But the silence I have given her since the question is unacceptable, "I do not know what you would do for me."


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    "N-N-Nin, please, I''ve already told you this... I love you. I love you so much I cannot even put it into words! All those years ago, you saved me from my torment, and you''ve kept me safe since then. Even when you were at your worst, I stuck by you. I stuck by you!" she reminds me, her tears slipping into the gaps of my shell.


    "I know..." I speak through Segaansallis as I try to adjust to the awkward feel of a left hand using this sword. Atarifuge charges and thrusts. I am forced to put us into a spin and awkwardly present the blade at its crescent twist. Liadanann almost flies towards the front of the head.


    "Then why...? You told me you made a promise. You kept making promises to me. All this time you''ve been trying and at the same time not!" she almost smacks out of her system. Feeling the rage that''s making her throat sore, my expression mellows. The adrenaline pumping through my system retreats so my heart can pump as it would out of battle.


    "Because I cannot do it. I cannot stop loving her. Lari... My good friend..." I cry, breaking down as the shadow of a girl dances across Segaansallis'' vision. The thoughts begin to cry out for answers, that smile, they want to know whose smile it is. My thoughts dominate again to repeat her name. Larishazza Sl''Ayiysab. The girl who saved my life!


    "Then I''ll give you time. You can have all the time you need! We can make this work!" Liadanann tells me, as if that isn''t what we''ve already tried.


    "We''ve already..." I mutter tearfully. A face that is not red lingering on in my head.


    "I DON''T CARE! I don''t care... It''s not just you, anyway... I know I can be better... I know I can better... Please, please don''t take away this chance..." she screams, she sulks.


    Lazily blocking another blow, my jaw clenches tight as her skin starts to feel coarse and rough. No, I''m not letting her in. She doesn''t deserve to be there. No one does. Only Lari has earned the right to have my heart, only she has!


    Recollecting my thoughts and those of the others, a warning repeats, one from the machine. Instructions on how to achieve more power, a guide to strength. I wobble my head out of Liada''s grip and focus on the giant''s interior. If she will do so much for me, she can do this for me too.


    "PRESS THE BUTTONS OVERE THERE!" I order, shocking her out of this heartfelt trance. She does as asked without question and pushes down on it. The machine speaks to me again, telling me of what needs to be done. The lines of blood stop, their power waning with the lack of direction.


    My useless right claw waves Liada about the chamber and switches slam down. The syringes become pumps and they glow brightly. She yelps at the sight and I hiss at the pain. My noises become terrible screams as some locks slide away and my body leaps at the chance to contort.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I howl, thrusting up and down as all this magic-rich blood pumps back through my system. What is mine and not good enough goes, flushing out to the crew while their best goes into me. Syringe after syringe goes quiet, a quick stamp sealing my wounds shut.


    "NIN!? NIN!" Liada screams with all that love she has for me. Going still, I adjust to all this fresh magic in my system. She''s so slow now. So is Atarifuge. It''s all going so slowly. I''m burning. On fire.


    Atarifuge''s footfalls are centuries away and she might as well be a picture. One that will love me even as age takes the world. Frowning quietly, my heart beats faster and faster. The world speeds up as my body cracks with light.


    "I''m sorry... You deserve someone so much better than me..." I tell her, my chair releasing me to my feet.


    "I DON''T WANT ANYONE ELSE, I WANT YOU!" she screams, cautiously trailing after me as I wobble to the wall of her magic.


    "Let me go." I order, and she freezes up. Her hand was already on the amulet. She whimpers, bottom lip curling up with a saddening quake. Her head shakes while her eyes still find tears to shed.


    "N-No..." she begs of me. She really thinks so, huh? She really can find the patience inside of herself for someone like me? She rea-


    "Goodbye, Liadanann... I''m sorry." I tell her, the lapse in her mind giving me the opening to dive out.


    "NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!" chases after me as all this magic ignites in force. Atarifuge''s focus shifts from the giant to me and it thrusts. My mind narrows on that great black point. Claws burst aflame with arcane light.

 Incline 61: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Putting my claws out, I vault over the thrusting blade. Making my way for the fuller, I slide not a moment longer and leap half the distance. Rolling back into a sprint, I mind the magic viciously detonating in this godless world. If I stop, all this leaking power will blind me. I need to keep ahead of it.


    Atarifuge tracks me, its free hand locking around the blunt base of the blade. Its skeletal grip accelerates, coming right for me with shards of its own hand sparking off. Leaping over the obstacle, I clamour off of the sword and crawl my way up its arm. Jumping once again, I aim my feet and throw my grip out.


    The magic almost surrounds me, and I burst right out of it. Crouching against the giant''s head, it stumbles back with a mechanical groan, and I jump away. It''s quick to look my way and roars. Blocking the shockwaves, I spiral out of control and fall to the earth with deorbiting fury.


    Spotting a perfect ledge, I throw my grip out again and swing with rockets behind. Going up, I release. My cloak flaps open to catch the air and my bombardment begins. Magic blasts across the giant and my final one sends me to it.


    Striking it again with another ferocious punch, a hand comes to swat me. Snarling, I jump for the gap in its skeletal form and glide out into the air. I drop to the lifeless land below, a grand crater erupting around. Kneeling further and further into it, the weight of this magic becomes more apparent.


    Though I have all this power now, infused with the might of Exceptional House''s greatest and the spares of soldiers... I am on a limited timer. I can feel it. Were it not for Atarifuge''s aura, this power would be tearing me apart. But that''s just it. It''s eating through this magic quicker than I can use it to rip that thing to pieces!


    Life wants me to cling on, it''s begging me to cling on with the greatest philosophy survival instincts can give. Yet, I am a stubborn one. I know what life has to offer and I forsake it. Death is where I can find peace. It''s where I can find the woman I love...


    "Gods and goddesses, all of you, hear me now and well: Let this fight set my future in stone!" I roar with all I have as pale light consumes the last of my vision. Sprinting out into the open, I break my way out of the prison and make my way for the in-motion stomp. With a lethal spring in my step, I land on the foot. My claws clasp Atarifuge''s shin and I rush with an exploding heart.


    Though I am travelling faster than I ever thought I could, the horizon is not moving. The foot crashes into the splitting earth and debris races up to me. Holding the lead for now, I gallop out of the way of what is catching up. My eyes lock onto the damage Segaansallis managed to deal.


    Finding even greater speeds to reach, the magic strings behind me. My shoulders bear absurd g-forces and I head straight down and up with clawing mania. What looks like a weak spot reaches my fists and I strike endlessly. Yet, even in my fury, I can see how little is being done.


    Darkness covers my exit, and I snap around, growling. Atarifuge seeks to trap me in its own wound!? Oh, I do not think so, you damn skeleton. You will not trap me!


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    Jumping away to the gap in its palm, I roll around the bone and lodge myself in the gap. Before it can realise, I create a spell of unrivalled power and let it loose on the world. All that indestructible rock traps it, bouncing it endlessly until the arm swings away. It sends me flying and I crash.


    Sand washes past with blurring speed and I break out!


    Finding my senses, I face the giant as it strides towards me. The speed that can cross a continent like I would normally a street. Putting magic back into my hands, I launch myself down into the ground and dig in deep. Waiting for the giant''s shadow, I throw myself out there the moment I see its descending drop stab.


    I elbow the blade at the first chance and put myself on a direct course for the skull. Focusing all this magic I have left, I strike deep into its blocked nose, roaring with every bit of fury I have. Taking shelter, I secure myself in the out-of-control behemoth and jump away before it crashes. I land on the body, hoping for victory, but it stirs and I collapse.


    Hissing at the lack of a fireball to be engulfed in, Atarifuge gets up with the laziness of a bed parasite. He brushes his face, sending me away into the desert towards Segaansallis. Crashing up against the unbreakable rock, I pant my focus towards it. Only here can I find the means to hurt Atarifuge. I''m wasting my time otherwise.


    "You''ve always wanted me, haven''t you...?" I question, staring at the thing as rage seems to overcome it. That professional composure it duelled me with is gone. Only an animal remains. A disoriented one, one that will give me time to think. My solution is behind me, but how-


    I watch Atarifuge''s sword swing with barbaric might. The winds it''s able to generate, they almost flatten me. With every second that aura can take away from my power, it grows fiercer. It will see me blowing off into the distance, it will see it!


    Flipping around so the leg is on my front, I climb Segaansallis. Running across the leg and then the canyons of its abs and pectorals, my cavern awaits. Magic latches onto the edge of the shadows, and I reel myself against the light of Iderim-Ovi. Liada stares back at me, her eyes more crimson than her skin.


    So clearly rimmed in despair...


    The magic flashes away and I fall in, the raw magic vanishing with the daylight. For a moment, I collapse on the ground and Liada struggles to hold me. She whimpers down at me and I am forced to watch her. She loves me; she said... She''s not the first and probably not the last to say so if I live.


    Finding the strength in me to push her away, I get back up while she''s at a loss for words. The ground shakes ever more violently, each one the mark of lost time. Following the trails of apple-sweet light, the damage becomes clear. Only a bit remains to be broken and I can weaponise our last blade against Atarifuge.


    "Wh-Whatever you are planning... Don''t do it. I am telling you now... DON''T DO IT!" Liada begs, her god''s power glowing bright. Shaking my head, I walk up to her and hold her close. She breaks down into more tears and returns the hug.


    "I''m so very sorry." I whisper, not brave enough to say anything more nor anything louder. With a push, I put her down into the torso of our giant. As she races to get back to her feet, I make a quick prayer to her deity. He answers me and lashes his power out to seal all ways into the head.


    Not even sound can make it through now, yet my imagination still hears her. Liada is begging me to stop. She''s saying all she can, doing all she can. This once, however, her god will take heed of my prayer. Not for my safety, but for hers. We jump up at Atarifuge''s final step and my fists clench.


    "Come on, you shitty black stone bastard..." I hiss, flesh popping out and carapace cracking. I position myself under the immense weight, ready to life it at the first chance.

 Incline 62: Grandguard Inerish

    "SOMEONE GET ME BACK IN TOUCH WITH THE DARK CROW!" I demand, with every drop of air I can call upon. Heaving with boiling blood, I snap my focus back to the sight of Atarifuge. The rampage it was on stopped and now it''s waiting, standing. It leans forward past and over Segaansallis'' head and squeezes.


    My heart stops at the crumbling sight and I look back towards the two cities. This is it, we''re doomed. Our final chance to stop the giant... This was all we had left!


    "GRANDGUARD, LOOK!" a man shouts, finger desperately waving towards the finished students. Turning around slowly, my eyes light up with something other than the brightness of the day. Clouds of raw magic are erupting from the destroyed head without end. Waves upon waves of smoke-emulating power.


    Then, lift off.


    All noise leaves my body and I freeze. Segaansallis head rises higher and higher, a blade of fine magic fire leaving a fuelling speck. Nin!? Nin is-


    The Sword-Faced Giant''s head bursts through Atarifuge, running it through! The rest of the head catches on the giant''s torso and it too, begins to fly. Winds become visible, throwing up all manner of debris up the mountain. Almost falling back, I shield my face and peek through open fingers.


    Atarifuge is rising, it is rising with a sword in its belly!


    "Do it... Do it! DO IT!" I cry, crawling back to my feet as the pair ascend. A tower of magic reaches all the way back down to the earth and a sword falls tip first. It stabs into the desert and the sky shadows the flailing giant. The closer they reach the limits of the sky, the clearer it becomes.


    All the clouds retreat, clearing the entire country of any forecast. The giant''s body begins to tilt, and the power dampens. Still alive, the giant continues to claw away at the base of its wound. It manages to flick something, no, a person away and the magic trails after it.


    The Dark Crow throws out two gripping spells and catches the upright fiend. Igniting once again, the Dark Crow rams right into the wound and the pair soar again. The shockwave bursts out, a dish that keeps growing and growing. It hits the land, splitting it in two for as wide as the horizon is endless.


    This mountain quakes, all mountains quake and I fall. Men and women scream behind me and Thrurstradtur buckles and groans at the unnatural force. Drawing my sword, I smother it in dark fire and stab it into the molten rock. Forcing my way back up, I watch Nin''s light engulfed form grow increasingly distant.


    Atarifuge claws for the source!


    "Do it, please. Please, Nin, make this nightmare end!" I tearfully beg as my instincts beg me to run from this dangerous land. Nearly everyone else has already begun to flee. Even the airships are not safe and their engines burn with every bit of fuel they can find to stay stable. But, I will not go, I will not leave.


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    I will see Atarifuge fall! Fall damn you, fall!


    The colossal menace begins to bend over in the air, and all that force aims down. A moment of quiet and dimness overtakes the display and the magic shrinks to a pinpoint. It shines with a star of twirling tails and bursts to life excitedly. A mountain of erupting magic.


    Some kind of blow...!?


    Another shockwave races towards us, one that decapitates the mountains so close to Atarifuge. Freezing up at the wave and power, I realise another great being''s presence. The Prince steps closer, sword drawn to the left of his face and glowing along a fine line. He breathes once and twists wide.


    He slices the seismic blast apart and slides his sword back into its sheath, his posture straight. The dissipated power is still so great, however. The valley below the interception point rises up in a pair of earthy waves of rocks, trees, and dirt. As the final curtain opens up, I stare out at what remains of the former Dual-Republic.


    In the long off distance, a body of a scale simply incomprehensible to anything else. And it rests on a ruined mountain range. Fighting back the shakes assailing me still, I stand upright and put my magic into my eyes. My vision clears up over the distance, and I choke on my next breath.


    It''s real... Atarifuge rests on the debris of mountains, not sand. It''s defeated. Nin won...


    He won!


    "Air- Air!" I struggle to get out. Such a simple word as ''airship'' escaping my tongue.


    Panicking around, I rush back to the ruined machines and scramble through them. Picking apart the broken ones, I find a communicator and put it on. I drop it and do the process again and flick it on. Impatiently waiting, I knock on a broken computer repeatedly.


    "H-H-H-H- He- Hello!?" a man calls through, his voice finally stabilising in the static.


    "WHO''S THERE!?" I scream.


    "State-Guardsma-"


    "I DON''T WANT YOU! AH-Ahem, sorry. Give me a situation report." I request, clutching the small, thin device tightly. My grip flexes about and I can hear the background noise of many students.


    "Our exit is sealed off, some kind of magic coming from a... A woman''s amulet," he explains and I know exactly-


    "Pass your device to her, now!" I bark, waiting excitedly until the whimpers stop me cold. My mouth lingers open and I gently smack my wavering lips.


    "Liadanann?" I ask and her tears come through to me. Somehow, I already know what the answer is.


    "He''s gone... He... He''s gone and I couldn''t stop him!" she explains before breaking down completely.


    "I... I see... Thank..." I struggle to finish and I throw the device away. Wiping a sleeve across my eyes, I stare at the dark patches of water. I turn to the airships and begin to wave for one. My magic burns ferociously to guide their pilots to me.


    I need to get to the giant; I need to see with my own eyes if he''s alive. Come on Nin, there''s no way you''d be gone that easily. If you can find that kind of power, you have more nestled away, right!? I just need to reach a transport!


    "DAMMIT, WILL ONE OF YOU LAND ALREADY!" I roar as an inferno blazes behind me. Swathes of pasture life turn to ash before an airship finally approaches. I give it no time to land and leap for it, tearing off the melting door.


    My magic goes cold and I crawl to the cockpit,


    "Grandguard Inerish!?" the pilot goes, looking back at me with the rest of his crew.


    "TO THAT GIANT, NOW!" I scream against his helmet, my magic in my voice now. The pilot slides the cracked visor up and locks in as my voice rings in his head. His hand grasps the acceleration, and we move forward. Faster, faster!


    Faster...


    Nin, please. Please be ok, please... I... I need you to know something. I need him to know.


    My... My hero. My Dark Crow. Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst''s hero!

 Peak 17: Nin, the Dark Crow

    Stumbling across the black-floored desert, I find myself coming to a stop. Not one breath of magic is left in me. There''s nothing to squeeze the final drops out of either. I am utterly spent. Barely enough strength exists in my body to stand. How I am able to walk, I can''t quite figure out.


    I am not dead. I know that much clearly without needing any thought to be put into it. The dead have a particular look to them and I do not fit the suit. Though, with how much Atarifuge''s power has shaved off of me, it''s a surprise that I do not. Everything is gone. My clothes fell off in a mess of sand and fabric.


    Chunks of my body are gone, what I thought to be sandy debris turned out to be once me. Thankfully, I guess, it was just my carapace. In the future I will now have to live. I will stare back at my mirrored self, towards new scars. Someone will be there to tease them as well, to poke fun at my wounds.


    Looking off into the distance as somehow peaceful winds breeze on by, words come back to me. Thoughts? Either way, I made a promise on names greater than anything mortal. Should I live, I would turn my back on Larishazza.


    Strange, how very strange. I feel empty towards her, like a burden has left my heart. I guess almost dying and all that desperate fury burned it out of my system? Or, perhaps I recognise the might of the gods and what they want of me.


    In my death, I would''ve maybe held onto Larishazza again. Maybe... Perhaps that is why I feel the way I do now? Though I have died before, I am still only, or was, human.


    I know I will never hold Larishazza again. I also know that she did not love me, not like I do her. Did. Yeah, did.


    There is a woman waiting for me in Thrurstradtur, in a little familiar place. One that bakes cake and loaves yet holds the looks of a metallic artisan. Liadanann. I owe her so much, and somehow, I''ve given her none of it since the first Smiling-less night came to be.


    I admit, my heart is set now for what is alive, or, at least, it fully hears my promise now. Under the light of the Orbital-Halo, the gods who dwell within and in sight of all who live still. She''s waiting for me, likely thinking I am dead. I frown though it causes me much pain and I think on that latter bit.


    Walking along the silent, destroyed giant some more, the thought grows louder. Mayhaps that is why I feel free now? It is not that I have stopped loving Larishazza; it is because everyone believes me to be dead. I live in reality, but not in their minds, let alone their hearts.


    My head shakes and sore chitters bring some noise to my ears other than grainy winds. A promise is a promise. A prayer is absolute in its reflection of one''s character. Names, names of so many girls are in my head. All close to me and all influenced by what Motrtha gave me.


    All that I am left bound in is the artefacts of the divine. The pearl bracelet of the Goddess of Mothers, the feather of the dead God of the Stars. If they somehow kept me alive, I do not know. However, an old insistent is crossing the stream I call thoughts.


    It will protect you. That is what Motrtha said this bracelet was for. What it can do as well, I have come to learn over the years, though, that assurance lingers on. For my protection, she said is why she gave it to me. Why would such a perfect being lie to such an inconsequential man like myself?


    No, the gods have made it clear that my time is to be with those I have promised to hold again. Liada, ever by my side but wrought with pain as I neglect her wants and desires. And so many more. Einervaene, Rose''lhia, Vadei, Vapooliar and perhaps even Inerish.


    Two are within reach. I only need to cling on and make my way to the distance glare of light on polished brass. Four are gone, but my life goes on. To the ends of the All That Remains is my path and I intend to travel it. All for that final answer, I am trying to find out.


    Whatever it is, my demise is not a part of it. The giant, Atarifuge. Such a vile creation that has destroyed so much. Even broken and laid to silent rest, it''s still a force of terror.


    The last of its aura has kissed the land, and it almost took me with it. Though this bed of mountains is present like one of nails, they have all been blunted. Reduced to pests in the clouds and a further mark of all that has been lost. To speak nothing of such a grand body that can crush so much on its own already.


    Segaansallis lies broken much the same, never to be repaired again. If it ever has been. I took its head and ran this great monster through. If it could bleed, I''m sure there would be rivers of blood soaking me now and the sky would be raining still.


    My eyes meet the empty sockets of the skull-shaped head. I carry on moving, with care and weakness in equal measure. Even though it lies quiet, I am not safe up here. Magic will sweep in and retake what was stolen from it.


    To have no arcane power in your bones and flesh is to invite destruction of the self. Unless one can find a means to defend themselves from it. In a better time, I might laugh or make a noise of amusement. After all, I am what I am because of such protection.


    Minding the slope of sand that rolls without end, I cross the gap to the head. Yet, by circumstance, it begins to move as I walk into its shadow. The jaws open one final time and lock back down with a boastful snap. A figure falls into view, one covered in blood and unable to find a good footing.


    An aelenvari...?


    Shuffling closer, the bloodied figure spots me and his bulbs glow weakly. He finds the strength to get back up, a peeling away piece of rust trailing behind. The mysteriously normal looking man of the flowers collapses. Finding the strength within for one more motion, I kick the limply held weapon away.


    I collapse down to their side. We somehow manage to put ourselves up into a shared sitting position at the same time. His bulbs flicker more and I try to show how I cannot grasp his meaning. I would ask for words, but there are no lips to speak from.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    A jawline is there, but no mouth that fits the actual definition of it. His skin is of a mossy tint, pale and deprived of the natural, divine light of our world. He''s scarred with many a story I will never hear. Wounded deep by those that I feel will draw his life to a close soon, if not now.


    He stares at me, his eyes perhaps one of the few things that remain consistent about him and the other aelenvari. Their pitch black, specked shape moves so subtly. Towards the proof of the divine that I wear on my body. He can barely scrape a finger near the air of the feather.


    Hesitant at first, I look around at all we find ourselves resting in. There are no weapons, no magic for spells and certainly no vicious animals. It is just us two. I move to offer him the necklace, but he shakes his head and instead finds enough energy to slip his hand through its loop.


    A power beyond us flows, one made of divine greatness. Though it moves like a cloud, it holds no resemblance to the wind magic that blows from -the- big mountain. Two orbs form, one coming to me while the other goes to him. While I can find the strength to grasp my one, he cannot.


    "I guess... I guess you have won. Evil-to-Be." his orb speaks, and it amuses the aelenvari into a fit of bloody hacks. He twitches back into a state of stillness. Some comfort to be found against my body.


    "Evil-to-Be?" I ask, the plain voice from my orb not sharing the traits of my actual one. It''s the same. Both of our voices are the same in this divine medium.


    "Your heart... Your heart will lead you down a foul road. One I have trodden and marked with my points all too well." he explains, the details not becoming any clearer for it. The cryptic meaning of his accusation eludes me, but, with a want for rest... I have time to figure it out.


    "The issues of my heart have been resolved. I like to think." I explain with Ihtuntar''s aid and the aelenvari flinches with a jerk.


    "How so...?" he asks, the voice taking on some tired details as life leaves the aelenvari behind increasingly.


    "Being so near death, I know that I want to live. Maybe that, or... I have accepted the one I loved is gone, finally. So little chance exists for me to see her again and I only have one go at it." I elaborate for him and he nods so very barely. Were a single distraction be present, he could fool me into thinking he''s just shuffling away.


    "Resentment does not drive you now?" he asks, the voice becoming so very stern. I meet his eye with mine and nod.


    "On the name of god and goddess did I swear my choice." I tell him and he falls back. Twisting to catch him, I fall onto my back alongside and he stares heavenward.


    "Then I have succeeded even though I am to finally meet Undwote... Thousands of years past, all of which I knew vanished." He remarks and I do my best to look at the Orbital-Halo''s shine. Oddly enough, with the magic in the air lacking for the moment, it seems to be clearer. I can feel the warmth so much more now on my broken shell and torn muscle.


    "You killed so many to stop me?" I question, not sure how to accept such a detail.


    "I killed no more than I had to," he answers and my head falls to the side to watch the deserts.


    "You destroyed cities, reduced them to dust."


    "I did not know that I was. All I know... All I know is that it hurts to look out at the world. Atarifuge allowed me to see again," he explains further and I let the thought go.


    "Why are you the way you are?" I ask, noting his strange features. No male aelenvari has ever looked like that in my experience. No female comes close to his features, either.


    "Because out of spite for one home, I damned them all." He answers and Rose''lhia''s voice returns to my mind. Memories, it is helping me find the right one.


    "The Patricide." I recall and this strange man almost weeps.


    "Yes... I am its progenitor. I am what you would have turned out like had I not risen to the challenge." He insists, and I hold back anything other than the flattest emotion I can muster. I am too weak right now, too close to maybe never seeing anyone else ever again.


    "You assume a lot to think I would be like you. I am not you." I point out and his throat chokes out what I want to believe is a laugh. A strange, muffled one with only a nose to escape through.


    "I know... I know what you would become. Which is why I set from my tomb to end you. And, when I was done, I would rest in the world, knowing I would have saved it. Now, instead, I enjoy what little life remains, knowing I have managed even with your life remaining." He goes on as I rest a claw on my heavy chest.


    "You wanted to go on an adventure when all was said and done?" I ask him and he manages to get a nod out.


    "I was going to, yes. Though my name means nothing in this age, I would carve it even slightly into the bark of memory." He dreams and I think the conversation over.


    "And what is that name?"


    "What is yours...?" he asks in response, as if my question does not matter. What an odd fellow, wanting his name to be remembered but not being willing to share it.


    "Nin. My name is Nin," I answer through the strength of my own voice. His bulbs flash in response.


    "Though your tongue is foreign to me, the noise is something I can grasp. As no one other than an aelenvari can grasp my true-voice... I will let you know here. My name is Will''endoor, the Killer of the Children of Aelenvar."


    "Say... Why do you struggle to see?" I ask as he starts to go limp.


    "Bright." he goes.


    "Bright?" I question, not really seeing a whole lot other than the sky that fits the description.


    "The world is too bright in this time. When I was... When I still walked the land, a man trying so hard to get the love he was owed... I could barely see anyone else. All life but the dragons and their kin had such emberic glows to them. Now, all shine in the fashion of He-Who-Fell, God Ihtuntar." he explains and I move to get up. Slowly, I manage and finally stand with a wobble.


    The feather stays in his grip.


    "Why do you leave?" he asks through it and I shake my head.


    "To show you why the world is so bright now..." I answer, exhausted and drained of all strength. Yet, I still find enough to turn the dying man around to the greatest mountain in the world.


    "Tell me its name..." he asks, watching the source of all wind magic. Yet, I do not believe I can answer his request properly. Though its name is known to me, I cannot recall such an extensive thing.


    Unable to recollect, I sit down next to him and take up the feather again, "Jhroungijherammujhernosumonaterikra."


    I smile a little at the memory given form, the way it spoke even, that was Rose''s voice.


    His feather-given voice cheers, "So, all this time... I was blinded by the beauty of the gods? The world has been blessed with such a gift and I destroyed it...? All to look for you..."


    A lone, clear tear manages to make its way past the blood decorating his face so grimly.


    "The world will recover. The aelenvari yet live on, too." I explain.


    "But the scars of my cruelty remain, they always will..." he seems to sigh, "I was hoping that, defeating you would give me a chance to make up for previous wrongdoings."


    "I share your thoughts, here. I will be making it up to those I have scorned." I say and he looks me in the eye.


    "Then... Although I have no right to... Please, please do it for them... Nin... Please do it for them... The world has so much pain in it already, so much bitterness and resentment. Please find peace with those you love and cherish them. Do not become another me... Not even I wanted another..." he explains, his body steadily going limp for the last time.


    Frowning, I watch the magic of Ihtuntar vanish and take the feather back around my neck. Rising fully, I look around at the world, All-That-Remains. Finding Thrurstradtur again, or at least what seems to be it, I wander its way a step. Yes, I will.


    But... Not now, much like him yet not, now is my time for rest. Though, I am very lucky it will not be my final. I am able to feel long enough to sense my body strike the giant-bedded sand. And, as I slide away, my eyes close and oddly, I feel at peace.


    I feel, my heart is at peace for the first time in a long, long time.

 Base 18: Heiya

    "IS EVERYONE ALRIGHT!?" Hrurim calls out as I find my footing after the latest load of aftershocks.


    "Yep..." I mutter, a few not-so ignorable details about our current depth going through my head. We''re nowhere near the surface and the closest tunnels, chambers or anything above us are too far for us to feel something small scale. Whatever that was, it was massive, so very damn massive. Gods and goddesses above, indeed.


    "Focus on getting what we have left." Pops orders as he slinks out of the darkness and back into the open. Metal bangs into the tunnel and our light source returns. I wince at the shift in brightness and click my tongue at the mess we''re dealing with. There''s nothing natural about what just happened. Nothing travels this deep with that kind of power.


    Can we even travel far enough to avoid it?


    "I don''t think we''re going to find anything. Nothing at all." I remark under my breath as I focus on gathering my spilt munitions. Thankfully, going by the lack of buzzing, Pops already has his blood wasps in order. That''s certainly one way to make this freak earthquake worse!


    "Well, good news is. We got one wagon still intact." Hrurim says as I wander his way, following the trail of bullets and rations. Kicking much of it along, I prop my gun on a nearby rock and unclip my bag, slinging it around. My padded knee hits the ground and my paw gets to work, grabbing and pulling it all in.


    "We''re going to have too much for the wagon." I comment, already struggling to account for everything. If our inventory is spilling out like this, it means the containers and locks are broken. A damaged box might be useable, but not if it''s lost its shape. One crumpled corner and an inward slight and we''re looking at an unstackable container.


    "If there''s a rope around here, we can improvise with a slope." Hrurim suggests, and I bounce his words in my mouth. His hand slips into his pocket and he pulls out his lighter, flicking the flame on and off. He shuts it up for a final time, and I watch Pops as he paces about.


    "Seems to be the least of our problems..." I mutter, putting a paw to my face and rubbing it into my eye. The fingers of the other one trace the same side''s eyelids.


    "I''ve known Ivahstar for a long time now. But, I admit, I''m a bit stumped as to what he would want." Hrurim is careful to whisper.


    "We should focus on getting everything sorted. As you said, Hrurim... He''s been around a long time." I say, sealing one of my bags and acclimating to its new burden. I stuff a finger down my side, pushing one bullet out of the way so it''s not digging into my leg.


    "Never said he''s been around for a long time." Pops'' human friend jokes and I huff a smirk up at him.


    "Don''t get clever with me." I let out, a subdued giggle accompanying it. Getting up, my eyes go even higher and I follow the trails of cracks. I''ve not spent a whole lot of time underground, but I''m still a hwardgon. I have that sixth sense when it comes to the earth and all its rocky instability.


    We''re not going to want to linger here, but we''re fine for the time being. Whatever is going on up above, however far above it is, it''s stopped. Somehow, this is the better end of things. A force strong enough to reach this far down must have devastated the land above.


    I shiver uncontrollably for a split second. This might''ve actually happened on the surface. Gods and goddesses, whichever one can hear me... What is so powerful as to reach this far down?


    My head shakes and my quills rattle off of each other. Whatever it is or was, I should keep my focus on what we have before us. A mess we cannot clean up. Pre-emptively, I sigh my exhaustion.


    Hrurim''s focusing on our last wagon and getting that sorted. Pops is letting out his anger on whatever broken things he can get his paws on. So, that leaves me with any crate, box, or container that looks like it can still manage a beating. Even though I know I shouldn''t bother with what''s near the fallen boulders, I still poke around.


    Most of the cargo was small, anyway. Our largest supplies and inventory are probably gone now. Blocked off by a pile of rocks that needs a full team of heavy machines to handle. Or a rampaging monster. Whatever comes across us first.


    "Right... Monsters." I click out, my eyes bouncing from the ground and back to a level view. Who knows what has been disturbed in these tunnels now? We''d be impossibly lucky if this was the only tunnel affected. Yet, in the great irony of things, luck would be us not being in this tunnel.


    Guess me and Pops are never meant to be lucky. We wouldn''t be survivors if we were. A deal going bad is one thing, a rough patch is another. Us being trapped underground by crime bosses and the literal earth is something else entirely. We''ve certainly upset someone who is divine in state and nature.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Yet Pops will always be there for me. And I will be there for him, no matter how bad it gets. Me and him. It will always be me and him.


    I eye Hrurim, "Even with people like you."


    The former enforcer looks my way, stretches his arm out, and smacks it down. I smirk and do the same. If all the rocks in the world want to try and flatten us, then we''re going to make a mockery of them. Like any hwardgon worth the spikes on their backs. Besides, as if any god or goddess has a right at being mad over some crass hand gestures.


    Still, we have a mess to deal with, a right big one. Thankfully, there''s enough here to tide us over. My back straightens with pride. It was my idea to more evenly distribute our supplies!


    Admittedly... I didn''t exactly plan for this. I was more so thinking of gangs or raiders or something attacking us. A wagon or two might be lost, maybe one would have its wheel destroyed. How can anyone plan for the surface trying to force its way underground!?


    "Baaah." I let out, shifting to the tongue of the wind-people for the brief moment.


    A crate enters my paws, and I get to shifting it up to Hrurim. The well-built human takes it into his hands and I go back and forth a few more times. He separates what is broken and what is merely damaged. What is neither gets the privilege of being loaded up first. And each trip from me only leaves me wandering further in search of something to bring back.


    Not that it matters, as the wagon is now getting loaded in its entirety. Whatever''s left might not even be worth going back for. So, I should go and check with Hrurim directly. Wouldn''t want to spend a few hours under these cracking tunnel roofs.


    "How''s it looking?" I call out, louder than normal. Hrurim rises and bends his gut out, a pop likely satisfying his peace of mind.


    "Well... We''re certainly not looking at an issue of essentials," he explains, and I look some of it over, wondering already what we might do. We never packed any big bags for this kind of situation, but we might be able to jig up some makeshift back supports. A frame or two to ease off some of the weight or free up space.


    Unlike on the surface, weather''s not really a problem here. Any water is predictable and avoidable and we''ll know if a tunnel is harbouring dangerous winds. All we need is space on the wagon and the strength of our bodies. At least, long enough for us to get to the next town over. Agadton or something, I think it was.


    I''m being too optimistic, though. If the tunnels have collapsed like this, who knows what the town''s entrances look like? Maybe the town even got flattened. A dead driver might be around, with his keys still on him, hopefully.


    "Cheer up, Heiya. We''ve got no injuries. A wagon, too." Hrurim huffs as he claps his hands free of effort. A tailor-made slips into his grip and the lighter comes back out. The orange light flicks in and out of existence, remaining only as a dot on his flaccid stick. My button nose sniffles at the shift in smells.


    "Yeah. But how long until we can ditch the circumstances?" I ask, heaving my way up onto the wagon''s back. It''ll be free only for a moment longer, so might as well take the time to rest. Spent enough energy and state of mind handling that freak earthquake. My eyes go up, again.


    Hrurim takes a long puff and blows it out like the dragon he wishes he was, "Which ones?"


    "You know what I mean!" I snap, pulling out one of my precious quills so I can stab at him with it. He holds his own, but still flinches. I meet his smirk with a mocking scowl and tuck the natural point away for later teasing.


    "Obviously the ones regarding your lack of feminity. It''s about time the girl''s got herself a man," he lets out without a care at first. His expression shifts to one of laughter as he realises what he''s just said. I slip the quill back out and go straight for his side. Acupuncture might not be a hwardgon thing, but we''re certainly naturals at it!


    "SHUT UP!" I can''t help but scream as my fur otherwise hides my blush. Hardly my fault there''re no boys out there about my age with the mentality for this kind of work. I know it''s a lot to ask, but it''s not like they''d have Pops'' approval if they weren''t willing to have a lot asked of them.


    "Daddy''s little girl has to grow up at some point." he chuckles, looking away as my quill slips across his cheek. His chuckling gets out of control and he chokes on the smoke of his ciggie. I roll my eyes as he hacks with a warping gut, the laughter still not going anywhere.


    "Daddy''s little girl has the marksmanship to make you shrink." I mutter, realising too late I left my gun elsewhere.


    "I''d love to see you hit a target a mountain away without a gun," he smirks out, his lips parting for another huff of his favourite stress relief. He chokes on another cloud, his chuckling getting the better of him. Again.


    "Shut up..." I let out again, sliding the quill back into its makeshift pocket as my eyes find Pops again. My brow settles as my expression fades away into the fog of thoughtfulness. Pops... Dad... He has a lot on his mind right now. It''s all been there for years and he''s only cracked it all out in recent months.


    He brought us back this deep underground for a reason. He wants to put the gravestones up as they should be. A hundred dead for each sibling I no longer have. A thousand more for the mother I watched bleed out. The blood that soaked him dripping wet...


    The Ovskabino. The Braves in the Dark of the Underground. The Mafia. *Gamtambo''s* mafia.


    They''re the reason we took this job. Go through enough layers of underworld bureaucracy and we can land a job that gets us close. Setting us right up to gun the bastards down. And now, thanks to these quakes, we''ve got to deal with new consequences. Something that will no doubt draw Gamtambo''s eyes to us.


    We were on the surface because we knew it was reliably out of his reach. But skirting through all these out-of-reach towns with rough reputations is going to put us right in view. Someone''s going to go digging for why our goods were not delivered. Even if they set aside the problems because of the ''quakes, they won''t let out names slide. Not Pops''.


    Never a name like his... Thank the god and goddesses he cannot read my mind. He hit me hard enough in the past for speaking, alluding, or whatever to it. In my thoughts, he cannot hear me, he will never hear the name... Tunnel''s Darkness again.


    "So childish sounding, but the weight is there..." I mutter so fearfully under my breath.

 Incline 1: Heiya

    "Everything fine for you?" I ask Hrurim as I eye his pulling of the wagon. The strapped-up man looks my way and nods up, a slight bend to his lips. For the moment, the extra weight ain''t too much of an issue for the human. Still.


    "Comfy as I''ll ever be," he tells me, and I smile in appreciation for his sarcasm.


    "Wonderful." I chirp, slowing my pace down to get back in line with Pops as his mind wanders. He blinks forcefully, his eyes throwing themselves onto me. A palm comes up, and he rakes it down my quills. Their stems quiver happily, bringing a little smile to my face.


    "We need to find a replacement for our lost goods." he says, though, as obvious as it is, I want to chastise him for saying it.


    "But, what? The goods we were carrying weren''t exactly treasure. But there''s still a lot of lost money in what we did have." I say back to him, eyeing the ground for anything that might look like an odd ore vein or something that''s escaped prospecting eyes. Unfortunately for us, these tunnels are bare minimum in the centuries of age. More than enough time for the travellers of it, let alone the diggers of the tunnel to pick it clean.


    "Something that can get us the money to pay off the problem." Pops tells me and I nod, understanding the fundamentals of it.


    "I have to repeat." I say, and his palm pats my head with growing force, though he never gets rough. It stops and slides down to my cheek, gently squeezing it.


    "Heiya... We''re not in a situation where I can answer the question. We simply have to keep moving and hope we will find what we need." he''s right to point out and I nod in understanding. His paw goes back to his side, finding his weapon stock soon enough.


    "Still, we can go over things, no?" I ask, a bunch of impromptu jobs already rolling through my head. There''s always some small gang we can go after. A drug dealer we can rob. An arms deal we can interrupt. The tunnels hide a lot from the eyes of the law, bribe-filled paw or not.


    "No point until we know what we''re dealing with." Pops is right to say, and I look away, a grumble building up in my throat. My lips break open, a raspberry disturbing the tunnel''s air.


    "It gives us something to do..." I finally mutter and I meet Pops'' hard stare. I shuffle away, hoping to put some distance between me and how uncomfortable that stare makes me.


    "Walk." he answers, silence settling between us and I speed ahead back to Hrurim.


    "Don''t let it bother you, Heiya. He''s got a lot on his head." Hrurim says and I feel an obnoxious sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu swamp me.


    "I know..." I spit, a snarl coming to my lips.


    "Come on, don''t ruin that pretty little face of yours," he tells me and I smack him with my musket''s stock.


    He knocks it away and uses his human size to reach over and grab my head, "Get off..."


    "Smile." he orders and I force the fakest of them all up onto my face.


    "Thatta girl," he lets out, releasing me.


    "So... Any ideas as to what we might get up to, to try and solve our lost delivery problem?" I ask, hoping to have something else to occupy the time with. Looking at rocks is cool and all, but it gets very boring. Very fast.


    Spent too much of my life looking at rocks. They''re so gods and goddesses be damned boring! Grey. Grey. Grey. Grey. Oooooo! These ones have lines in them! Bah... Bah.


    "We can find a racing gang and beat them up? Not like they''re ever well-trained." Hrurim huffs, his mouth popping off like their muffler removed customs. Obnoxious vehicles.


    "Guns are still guns." I let out and Hrurim scoffs.


    "The Madame''s establishment was filled with people who felt the same way. Experience is one powerful circumstance changer," he tells me and my head shakes as that''s hardly a fair comparison. It''s like comparing my singing in a bath or shower to professionals. Much less my favourite, Serelv Preslav.


    I giggle as an image of the man flashes through my head. If I''m lucky, my music player might still be intact and somewhere in our supplies. But, it''s no biggie if it isn''t. Can always steal one from whatever shop the next town has. No way they won''t have the one way to enjoy the greatest sensation in the music world. Not one way!


    "Well, I certainly know that''s not because of what I''ve just said. So, how about it?" he questions, his eyes having all the direction of a straight charging ryphurgok.


    "H-How about what?" I ask, shutting up with a fur-hidden blush.


    "Your thoughts are of something dear," he flatly lets out, a smirk building.


    "Just... Music." I struggle to say without any struggle at all. I huff my way into silence, a slight smile remaining.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Oh, yeah, that''s right, you got a crush on one of them big singers?" he goes and I glare.


    "One of them...?" I question, the offence dripping with enough acidity to melt the path beneath us.


    "Yeah, you know. What-his-face. The one with the weird pout and hip thrust. That thing." he dismissively goes, his face hiding away behind his palm. The flame of his lighter comes up, but I know he has nothing there. He even goes so far as to blow imaginary smoke...


    "Serelv Preslav!" I snap, knowing that he''s teasing, anyway. Making a mockery of the greatest musician the world has ever seen... The most handsome, sweet-sounding piece of quilled meat out there-


    "That''s the man!" he claps, chuckling at the end. A glare overtakes me, his words interrupting my daydreaming.


    "Stupid human..." I mutter and his hand comes over, giving my quills a quick ruffle. He pre-emptively pricks himself on them, but it does not stem my wrath. I smack him with my stock, again.


    "Alright, alright," he lets out, waving me away as we reach an artificial crossroads. Turning my head, the opposite way to Hrurim''s, I spot an odd sight. Light. Lots of it.


    "Hey... Pops... What''s that?" I ask, calling him over and getting the attention of our human companion as well.


    "Light." he quips and Pops smacks some silence into him.


    "Not right." Pops grumbles as a breeze of all things reaches us. I close my eyes and something grainy catches in my fur. The breeze dies down and I rub a paw across my face to pick up the debris. While the light is messing with my natural night vision, I''m able to adjust.


    "This is sand." I point out, noting the earthy dust all over the tunnel this way. Again, what is with this light and breeze? Is there a town this way? Are we higher than we actually thought we were? No, that can''t be right.


    "Now I know I''ve heard of fancy resorts down here. But this is certainly not one of them." Hrurim comments, his fingers already dancing a tailor-made through his fingers. He flicks a rhythm into existence. Open, close, open, close, a song of a gas fire all throughout.


    "Perhaps we will find out soon enough." Pops says as he wanders off a short distance. He bends over, picking something up and stabbing it upright for us all to see. Looks like the town we''re headed to is the direction of this strange light.


    "Is that wise?" I ask, and he meets my eyes with a harsh stare.


    "Wisdom is for those with a choice," he tells me and I nod, gulping as I do so.


    "Heiya..." Hrurim whispers, his mouth close to my closest ear.


    "I know." I say, shrugging him off and walking after Pops.


    "Eugh... My favourite, turning." Hrurim complains and a feeling snaps in me.


    "It''s got a proper frame!" I almost shout back at him, and he waves me off. My attention returns to Pops and I keep watching him as he practically marches without any slip up. I''m wandering left and right, my pace is inconsistent and I''m bouncing my baggage around.


    He''s straight as anything can be, his weapon in hand. Whatever danger is ahead, he''s showing no concern or regard to it. A pace he was willing to maintain before is now not here. He''s too fast for us.


    "Pops..." I mutter, watching him as he surveys some of the tunnel. Boulders and collapsed chunks of rock have impaled quite a bit of the road-smoothed path. Yet, the destruction around here is odd. There''s so little of it, and a lot of sand instead.


    Did a container airship or something crash here? Some kind of rock formation exists amid all the sand, but where did it come from? How does this much sand suddenly appear? Almost as if to suggest an answer, the wind blows again.


    Hiding my face from the flicking of the grains, I sniff it. A scrumptious windy pudding of fresh air. In the underground. Fresh air underground and we''re nowhere near the tunnels to the surface...


    "What the...?" I let out as I notice a ray of light coming from a crack in the tunnel''s ceiling. Standing in the light, I look up and gasp at the sight of a cloud going through it. It passes by, revealing the all-too familiar outline of the Orbital-Halo.


    My head moves away and I look to the light and the sudden realisation. We''re still deep underground, but something has destroyed the surface so much it has reached us. The surface really is heading towards us. I meet Hrurim''s passing with wide eyes.


    "This is what I think it is?" he asks, and I nod.


    "Yeah..." I breathe, sniffing the peculiar air. I''m no witch, but I know what is and isn''t magical. It reminds me of the way the air smells back when we did our exchanges with Tobaballe and the Acadamites. The air is drained of magic. There''s nothing.


    I eye a rock hidden amongst a pile of sand. The stone down here might not be exposed to the emerald wealth of the Wind Mountain, but the magic still seeped down here over the millennia. And, yet...


    "Gods and goddesses." I whine uncomfortably. My foot settles on the rock and it cracks apart with nary an effort applied. Just like all the deals we had back with the Tobaballians. It''s just like the Thunderstricken Wasteland.


    "This isn''t right at all..." Hrurim lets out, his lighter finally finding its real purpose. The smoke in his lungs comes out, burning with flickers of blue. He coughs and double checks the cigarette, but not throwing it away.


    "Those things are stress relief, aren''t they...?" I question, following along with Pops'' example even as the sight becomes even more unsettling. I raise a paw at Hrurim''s silent offer and jog ahead to meet my still father. He points up at the distant mountain in the sand.


    "Skeleton." he says and I see it immediately.


    "What is that thing?" I question, quivering uncontrollably at its immense dead scale.


    "Our money." Pops answers, a knowing smirk on his face. I turn to face him, eyes wide and my mouth agape.


    "You can''t be serious..." I let out, letting him leave me in what remains of the underground''s darkness as he sets out into the unwelcome halolight.


    We''re underground, deep underground. So very far from the surface and yet, here we are, looking right up at the sky from an impossible distance. Hwardgon live this deep in great numbers, like we always have. So, why is the sky here?


    Where is all the magic in the air gone? Why is it stale? That giant is no doubt the answer. And, I worry.


    "We''re going to be running into humans." I mutter and Hrurim lets out a noise of agreement.


    "Whatever it is that Ivahstar wants out of this, we need to be moving quickly. He thinks the hwardgon mafia is going to give him a hard time? No government in the area will let something like this go uncontested." Hrurim explains, and my brow settles with firm determination.


    "Hop to it, then." I say, bringing my musket out of a comfortable position and getting it ready. Rushing ahead, I once again abandon the human and leave him to struggle after us. If Pops is sure that this is our way around the current problems of money, then I will help. I can do nothing other than help.


    Each step I take, every stride forward, I leave the underground behind. The sky comes out openly and I might as well be running through a desert valley. Yet, for all the sand and clear air, there''s no arid oppression. It''s just that, magicless.


    My eyes find the dead giant''s skull head, and I lock onto its empty, shadow-filled eyes.

 Incline 2: Heiya

    "Alright... What am I making room for?" Hrurim asks, his hands on his well-developed back. He eyes the giant and all the sand, a shiver taking him over.


    "I don''t even know. A boulder?" I remark, watching Pops as he vanishes around one of the mysterious dunes. Whatever it is he hopes to find, I doubt we''ll find it here.


    "How can we even be sure any of this is worth anything? I doubt we''re going to find an appreciative collector of sand. Besides, last I checked, we''re underneath the Dual-Republic or there abouts. Suhurlodst is going to be clamouring all over this giant." Hrurim points out and I nod with a growing feeling of distaste.


    If we were in another part of the world, the Acadamites might be able to give us something truly worth a pretty coin. However, that would be the problem. We wouldn''t be close enough to them to have them pay us anything. So, we need to find something worth a lot down here.


    "If you''re up for the challenge, we can drag that skull with us." I point out and Hrurim''s face collapses at the exhausting thought. With how much magic is lacking in the air right now, who knows? Maybe we''ll be unpleasantly surprised.


    "Yeah, maybe in another life where I am the greatest witch in the world," he snorts, leaving the wagon behind so he can join in with the search. A grumble leaves my lips and I hoist my musket up, eyeing the land around to make sure it''s clean. There have been no signs up until this point, but still. It''s always worth the effort and I want a wagon to come back to!


    "Well, let''s get started." I mutter, leaving our supplies behind so I can pick up a fancy rock. Hopefully, I''ll luck out and find an exposed gold vein. Maybe even some geodes I can spend the trip polishing. Because I am really struggling to see the value in picking off a piece of giant bone!


    Who even wants a splinter of giant bone?


    "How would I even prove it''s from an impossibly giant... Giant?" I ask, clamouring up a dune and falling down as it falls apart. From my hand and side, I look over at the great sight. All this mountain is gone. I can even just barely make out the signs of battle.


    How does a giant this big even fall in battle? How quick do we need to go about this? If there was a battle, then there will be something worse on its way. And we have no idea how long we have...


    "Gods and goddesses!" I snap, forcing my way up and surfing my way down the dune. Breaking out into a run, I rush across the sand and up and over another crest. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing!Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Nothing of value anywhere!


    A dark object falls from high above. My eyes snap towards its direction. I shrug my shoulders and shake my head. Whatever it is, it''s from the giant.


    Sand showers away from my footfalls, blowing up everywhere. It pushes down as I climb and rolls away as I find myself on top of the world. I bring my musket up and search the area. A body falls.


    A body...?


    "What do we have here?" I ask myself, taking myself over to a safer position to approach from. My feet adjust their footing and I keep my weapon raised as the figure''s details become clear. It''s an osibindah. A snarl grows on my face and I prepare to take the shot-


    "Where...? Where can I go from here...?" it speaks and a single detail makes my eyes widen. Those are not bug eyes. They''re human.


    "So, we meet again." I tut, remembering how it went the last time I was involved with this osibindah. Keeping my gun up, I approach our source of money. My frown grows as I take in how weak he clearly is. Did he...?


    The ''sib barely manages to turn, and he spots me. He raises a claw and looks at it but shakes his head. Whatever the reason, he doesn''t even try and get himself in a position to defend himself. Now, I know it''s been some time since we last saw each other and I know he''s been at Suhurlodst.


    "Sa, haw did yau maaake it here?" I ask in the tongue of the wind-people when I get close enough. My trigger finger itches for a chance to go at it, but I remember my discipline. He barely manages to point skyward.


    "I... Beat... Him..." he heaves, his arm collapsing to his side and I blink in uncertainty. Not because his words terrify me. Because I can feel his lack of magic. A smirk builds up on my face.


    "Yeah, you sure did." I chuckle in my native tongue as I approach him, gun raised. I take off my gun''s strap and tie a knot into it. I zip it around his wrist and pull without a bit of effort at all. Now this, this we can sell!


    I know a fair few people who wouldn''t mind having an osibindah as part of their exotic beast collections. Never mind the presence of a human-minded one. A bug that can even cast magic, should it be given a chance to recover. And, on top of it all, me and Pops can settle an old grudge with this damn bug!


    Speaking of...!


    "POPS!" I call out at the top of my lungs as he rummages around a dune near one of the giant''s bones. He turns around, the subtlety of his gaze turning it the bug''s way. He slides down not a moment later, his weapon entering his firmly growing grip with each step.


    "Idiot!" he snaps when he''s in throwing distance and I dissuade his concerns. The bug lands at his feet without a bit of effort at all from me.


    "Magicless. And check the eyes." I tell Pops as the bug groans in pain from who knows how many maladies.


    "Human." Pops remarks, pulling the bug up. A glare erupts across his face and he strikes the bug. He does it again and again, drawing blood and cracking carapace.


    "POPS!" I shout, pulling him out of his moment of nearly a decade of roasting vengeance. Pops flicks his paws clean of bug blood and I approach him, glad that we have our money problem sorted.


    "I... I think I know someone." Pops lets out. A lengthy, stress-emptying sigh escapes him. His head shakes and his quills rustle and his back straightens. He glares at our financial safety net.


    "Guess you''re back where you started, Bug. Back in our inventory!" I laugh out, a strange sense of irony or something overtaking me. It''s just like all those years ago, isn''t it? I hoist up this Tobaballian as my prisoner and we get going to sell him off!

 Incline 3: Heiya

    "So I know full well the rumours about where osibindah come from... But..." Hrurim struggles to understand as he idly stares down at our financial saviour. I huff at the human and walk closer to the turned one. Getting the nails of my paws on the eyes of the ''sib, I push in and pry.


    Despite the best efforts of the ''sib, I manage to expose the treasure that will load our pockets. Hrurim looks over me and into the eye of the osibindah, who looks right back. The pair give each other an idle wave and Hrurim''s attention shifts to me. He frowns and a noise escapes him.


    "Best strap a plate of steel on its head, then." he scoffs and I huff in agreement. Will only take a single ice cream scoop to deprive us of most of our value. Some bugs can speak, anyway, a fancier talking one ain''t probably worth much. Well, not as much as it could be worth.


    "His head," the bug corrects, and I jab it. Hrurim''s eyes open wide, a slight smirk on his face as he reaches into one of his pockets. It shuffles about, his fingers no doubt throwing around all kinds of lint and scraps.


    "Got a name, Bug?" Hrurim asks as he pulls out a tailor-made and clasps it in his lips. Though the lighter is nowhere to be seen. His fingers go through a few more of his many pockets and still come out with nothing. Hrurim kneels close to the ''sib, the cigarette entering his fingers and dangling before it.


    "Nin." Nin answers. Ah, right, that''s his name. Amusing, I remember the details of our encounters, but the name was escaping me. Well, not like I remember much about any of our other transactions, either!


    "You happen to smoke, Nin? You... You look like you''re going to need one!" Hrurim struggles to get out in one take as empty laughter blows his mouth wide open. I roll my eyes as my smirk rises and Nin''s eyes focus on Hrurim''s fingers. What a taunting prospect that must be given what he lost, however it is he lost it.


    "... No." Nin eventually answers, his focus turning inwards. Hrurim finally brings out the lighter and shrugs. He lights the smoky stick and takes in a good, long breath. He breathes. A flash of pale bluish light!


    "No! Elsewhere!" Paps snaps with powerful swings, battering the human away. I blink at the burns now on Nin''s carapace and frown at his fragility. I certainly remember something far more powerful, even with my prodding of his current vulnerability.


    "We gat ta be caaareful." I mutter in understanding as Hrurim''s good mood in lost in the continued assault. The human retreats and retreats, Pops not backing down in the slightest.


    "Fine..." he grumbles, breathing the creature comfort down to a stub. A hiss escapes him as it reaches his fingers. He flicks it away into the dark, giving it a short-lived, orange dot eye.


    "I never expected the word of mouth about how smoking kills to be like this." Nin lets out with surprisingly calm humour. I blink at him, remembering a very different kind of person. Circumstances aside, I would have thought a near death experience would make him more on guard? Guess not.


    "Heiya, we had rope survive the earthquakes?" Pops asks in our native tongue and I shift to it mentally. I take a quick moment to reorient myself. Gods and goddesses, am I glad that Nin is not someone who needs to hear me speak.


    "Yeah." I answer and nod, and he pats my shoulder. Taking the hint for what it is, I head to the wagon and rummage about the mess we made. With his lack of magic, Nin won''t be able to escape even a rudimentary cage. However, we lack that for the moment.


    Grabbing some frayed rope, I knock over a can of food and my mouth gapes a bit. I look back at our bug as my stomach lets me feel a dull ache. If he''s gone from being as powerful as he was to what he is now, his body is going to be desperate for whatever it can get. Can Sudden Induction happen twice...?


    While Pops, me and Hrurim are no witches ourselves. Nothing impressive at all in regards to magic. Even a crumb of our food or a drop of water far from the dead giant should be enough to keep Nin alive. Mmm, this is difficult... Never had to keep blanks alive in all of our deals with the Acadamites.


    With a *certain* exception, the deals were always simple cases of loading them up into capture-sacks. Then, we''d stuff them into those tubes given to us by Suhurlodst itself. The process was just that, not much else, unless some wildlife got cocky. Like that certain incident.


    "Eh, he survived Sudden Induction once. Back when he had less reason to, too!" I mutter with growing energy as I coil the rope around my arm. Tightening the circumference, I get going and metal rattles. I hop down and look back at the wagon, a shiver going across me.


    Just had to go about thinking about that camping trip. Pops still does things like that, too... Gods and goddesses above. It''s a wonder I''ve grown up at all these past few decades. Not a hwardlet anymore... Old man.


    Returning to Nin, I undo the rope and toss it down, knocking him over in the process. Nin groans and creaks his head up to me. The magic-touched fibres of the rope are a tiny bit more than an inconvenience for him. I make sure he can see my smirk, even if he cannot grasp my motivations for doing so. Mine and Pops'' business being cruel is one thing, me delighting for a moment in it is another thing.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Still going about things like always?" Nin asks, his mood still undisturbed and I lean away, a perturbed brow rising. Must''ve knocked his head real bad in the drop that drew me to his location. Or, perhaps he has sand stuck in his tiny hole ears?


    "Wherever Paps needs me." I answer, not paying his hisses and sharp clicks of the bug things much mind. I give the rope an extra couple of tugs and stop as I spy a crack growing along some of his shell. My tongue clicks and I almost mope about not being able to get my own back. Knowing he''s feeling it is one thing, feeling like I myself am actually making him feel it is another thing.


    "I don''t suppose you have any more time for target practice?" Nin asks, a smile to his bug mouth and the details escape me.


    "Huh?" I go, looking to my musket and then at his stationary fingers. He''s not grabbing for it... Oh!


    "When we were in the hive, you were teaching me and Vadei to-" he starts to explain, the details coming back to me enough to cut him short.


    "Shaat the Aaacaaadaaamite fireaaarms, yaaah." I finish, not remembering those guns all too fondly. Paps took me shopping last year in regards to firearms, but I never chose anything new. I kept to my musket and all its lovely killing power sexiness. Point seven-oh total potential for death. My favourite.


    Besides... Paps forgets the most important thing about a gun. It''s not the killing power, rate of fire, range, reliability or even the ease of its parts being found in markets. Legal or otherwise. The most important thing is keeping my paws occupied on the long, boring road trips we have to always take on jobs!


    A modular piece certainly helps that. I don''t care if it''s tedious to look after or fiddly or fancy in some areas. It''s better than staring at rocks of the underground and the mountains on the surface. It''s no damn wonder that even the simplest of hwardgon cities and towns are so colourful and flashy. Anything to break up the monotony of the wild, wild grey everywhere.


    "Guess thaaat''s samething far yau ta da." I say, my thoughts becoming vaguely open.


    "Do what?" the bug asks back and I meet his eyes with a pair stressed with memories of boredom.


    "Staaare aaat racks aaall daaay." I snicker, getting up and pulling on the rope. It reaches its full length and Nin slides after me, his shell otherwise holding up on the smooth road. I look around for Hrurim, hoping for either his height or upper body strength to handle our delicate package. I hop on top of Nin and peek up onto my tippy toes.


    "Get down from there before you hurt yourself." Hrurim scoffs as he comes walking into view from whatever waste of time had him occupied.


    "Do''s me a favour, yeah?" I ask of him and he shakes his head, knowing the hollow nature of favours with me. His look of wisdom meets my innocent smile, and he gestures me to move. I hop away from Nin with a heft of effort and gently run a short spell. My eyes come around just as Hrurim heaves the larger-than-him osibindah onto the wagon.


    "No hard feelings, Nin," Hrurim explains, patting the bug on his head.


    "He dasen''t speaaak far the rest af us!" I call out, knowing me and Paps very much don''t feel the same way at all. Actually... Where?


    I find Paps a notable distance the way we came.


    Leaving my gun by the wagon, I head over to him and skid to a halt as he turns. My old man''s stern gaze leaves me shaking, a chilly breeze somehow coming from it. It slips past the slim gaps of my skin-tight kit and I feel space grow. Only Paps has an eye that strong he can defy clothing and physics.


    "Something on your mind or is there...?" I am unsure to ask, my eyes glancing about the tunnel further and then back to him.


    "The first," he answers, paws settling quite firm on his hips. His gear stretches and whines, the shuffling of his feet only making it all louder.


    "We... We should get going, Pops. Don''t want to be late, do we?" I say and a paw moves to grab my wrist. He tugs me close and puts an arm on my furthest shoulder, letting my head rest on his.


    "It''ll all come to an end, soon. My sweet little thing, your father''s mistakes will finally be dealt with," he coos, and while the meaning of his words is ominous, I still find a relaxing sentiment in them.


    "I know you are you and that is precisely why I am worried, Pops." I tell him, sniffing the trace amounts of fresh surface air disturbing the stale underground. Honestly, if we somehow ever get the money, maybe we should open one of those wind tunnel places? We could make a bank-killing fortune selling the decadent luxury of a breath of fresh air. The underground might be where we hwardgon belong, but the surface really has something special with the sky and all.


    "Worry not. Worry only a little if you cannot. I will keep you safe... Like I always have," he tells me, shifting around so he can pull me into a proper hug.


    "Pops..." I whine, embarrassed even by the mere thought Hrurim might be spying a glance. I tug and tug, unable to escape the strength of his fatherly love. He chuckles softly, sneaking in a rare occurrence. A wobbly smile comes to my lips as the imprint of his kiss burns my forehead in such a good way.


    He breaks the hug, leaving me an addict for familial affection, "The wagon is otherwise secure?"


    "Ye-Yeah. He''s got no magic in his system right now, beyond what he may passively absorb. The rope will keep him still for now. We can always change it to proper chains when we get the chance." I explain as my nose sniffles in desperation for something, anything. Pops smiles and cups my cheek, letting me sink into the nostalgia of a long time ago. I may have grown these past few years, but he always makes me feel small.


    "I''m sure I can get a cage together, somehow. A rope alone is too little to stop him from running if he''s able." Pops concerns himself with, letting me go somewhat satisfied compared to before.


    "I''m a good enough shot. I''ll knock his knees right out." I joke, smiling with confidence and a puffed chest of slim womanly design. He nods, reaffirming that pride.


    "And I''ll dock your pay for years for each shot you hit," he chuckles, directing me back to the wagon as a sulk belittles my expression with a frown and more. How else am I supposed to stop Nin from running-!?


    "That''s just cruel!" I snap back, knowing he''s putting me between a world of rocks and the hardest of places. Do I sap my pride and miss for the sake of pay, or keep it at the expense of spending money? Bah... Pops!

 Incline 4: Hrurim

    (Hrurim)


    "So... I suppose you have quite a history?" I ask, turning my head backwards to get a somewhat acceptable view of the cargo. The two hwardgon have gone scuttering off elsewhere, so I might as well make the most of my limited company. Shouldn''t I? Not like I''m going to be bored hearing the story of a human-eyed osibindah.


    "Don''t we all?" Nin asks back and I huff the reaction out of my system. A piece of jerky slips out of my pocket, into my gloved hand, and I pop it into my mouth. The hard dried meat cracks apart and stretches in other places. Leaving a rather foul taste across my tongue and a spiteful will to succeed in my spirit.


    "Thing is, I know my history. I''ve lived it and I want nothing more to do with it. Yours, however? I can pass the hours right by with it." I say, finding a good spot to switch my body around. The road ahead is flat and straight, little obvious damage to it otherwise. I won''t be going as fast, but manners are to look at who you are speaking to. Not like my back can get any worse with how much I''ve been having to haul.


    "I do not know if I want that. My past is what is motivating me to do what I am doing right now," Nin says and while I know his head is a world of its own, I can''t help but reach for what hangs low.


    "Being a slave?" I ask, breaking out into a snicker, and I get something close to a ''ha'' from him.


    "No. No. I''m looking for people. Hoping to make amends," he clarifies, a nervous tick to the chitter noises coming from his mandible thingies. His dark shell makes it hard to distinguish him from the darkness of the underground, lights or not. But I know fidgeting when I see it.


    "Is it strange I already know that those must''ve been some intimate relationships?" I ask, though, more so myself.


    "With what I am? Yeah... Yeah." Nin answers anyway and I watch the mass of black look away elsewhere. I shift my elbows and back up, getting myself back into a proper form for pushing the wagon.


    "What''d you do?" I ask, taking the shovel and shoving it right into the depths of his privacy.


    "See... This is a strange thing to answer. Really... I don''t know if there is a single good answer. All I know for sure is, I love... Loved... Someone." he struggles to say and I nod along as I set aside my cravings for the moment. If anything, they might not even be my cravings, just ones I picked up from him. I''d certainly take a distracting moment after saying something like that.


    "Honestly, you too? Everyone''s doing stupid things these days for love." I heartily breathe, feeling left out. Another huff escapes me and I set it all aside. It matters to me none. I have my life and they all have theirs.


    "I know I cannot exactly argue my way out of this. But let me make sure you''re fully aware that my circumstances mean little." Nin asserts and I cock a brow at his tone.


    "Oh?" I go.


    "You are not selling me," he warns, and my imagination fills in the gaps when his empty magic reserves fail to supply their part. A cocky smirk born of ignorance comes about, and I revel in it for the moment. I can always regret my behaviour later in good stereotypical manner!


    "We will see, won''t we?" I taunt back in such a simple manner.


    "We will, yes," Nin mutters, and his attention shifts away again. Rolling my shoulders and hopping up a bit, I look around the tunnel with him.


    "So, who''re you looking for?" I ask as I straighten out a pocket and kick a random stone away.


    "My friends. Four of them I need to find. Two I know roughly where they are. Maybe three," he answers quickly, not much pondering needed to get it out into the open. I click my tongue, already having my heart out for the guy.


    "Honestly, I feel for you there. Ivahstar and me go back for a while. But, outside of a coincidental service that brought us back together, I''d probably not be here." I remark upon, thinking back to my time with the Madame before I unscrewed the supports in her operation. Ivahstar and Heiya happened on that way, I didn''t invite them until I came across the pair.


    "The world is a big place. So these leads I do have are the most important things to me in the whole world right now," he says and my brain lights up enough to delude me into thinking the darkness is gone.


    "Oh, I love a good challenge. Tell me some things." I say, the brightness in my head coming out in my tone and the bug huffs his joy. A noise of agreement follows through and I wait for something to work with.


    "I''m looking for six women, each of them-"


    I spit-take with an empty mouth, "H-How many women!?"


    Nin chuckles, "I guess it does sound silly."


    "It''s not even the fact you''ve somehow lucked into every boy''s dream. It''s the fact you did it as an osibindah!" I exclaim, vision clinging to his hideous buggy exterior. How does any girl of any meaningful calibre look past that? Must be one gods-blessed personality he has. Or some ugly girls at worst...The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "I had a bit of divine help," he explains, chuckling some more and my expression warps some more. I didn''t mean my thoughts literally or close to it!


    "Well... Gods aside, what is important about where they''d all end up?" I ask and he thinks it over. Could be anything, really. Species can mean a lot, their homeland or home city on top of that. Maybe even some niche culture I''ll never learn about and when I do, I''ll forget about it.


    "Two of them are probably still in Suhurlodst. One works there in the Gnomon, the other owns a bakery." he starts with and I nod, a comment already in the teeth-rimmed chamber.


    "Certainly a contrast in influence." I let out, thinking back to any times I''ve had an interest in women. There''s always a close orbit to what I am doing, no real move away from it. Shady women for a shady man.


    "And, now, get ready for the rest!" Nin laughs and I dread what I am going to hear. My poor, poor sense of understanding of the world.


    "Gods above..." I moan.


    "One''s a Valkinvar and I can only fathom where she''s ended up, if she''s even alive anymore. One''s a noble lady from a continent down south. Another is a slave formerly sold by your two friends. There''s an aelenvari ivy-mother and... I said six? Yeah, those six. Suhurlodst two, Valkinvar, oxfuine, aelenvari and Einervaene." he rambles on and I do my best to cling to what information I can. Which to say is not a whole lot.


    "Pfffft. Well, good luck on that one. All I know is that I want no part in aelenvari again for a while." I say, an irk of disgust crossing my lips as the Madame''s habits come back to mind. Work is work, but I''m free to hold whatever thoughts I want.


    "What, you go through a flower and not even have a root flutter her eyelashes at you?" Nin jabs and I smirk with a shaking head. Gods no, I wish it was something as nice as that.


    "No, no. I worked at a place that dealt in sex slaves and other grimness. The place''s owner had an exceptional cruelty towards aelenvari because of her issues with how ugly she was. Not even by their standards, not fully, anyway. She was just hideously scarred. Somehow died even uglier." I explain, scoffing at the end. My mind otherwise not doing a very good job of avoiding how disturbing it was to look at the Madame. Her efforts to live as if she was beautiful, too, only made it worse.


    "Working for these two pay more?" Nin asks and I wave a hand of dismissal, fighting back a shiver all the while.


    "Nope!" I laugh out, wishing I could say otherwise. No, no, this is personal, and I''ll let him figure that out on his own as we cross the country to the markets. He''ll be aware in time.


    "Hm, well, I hope the one I am looking for never went your way." Nin lets out, a teeth-baring chitter catching my focus. I square up, readjusting my travel position once again.


    "Who knows, really, who does? Though, we did have a trio of aelenvari come travelling by the town we were set up in before things went bad. Basically, a match for the powder store and she certainly had the personality to be a whole inferno." I explain and I hear him shuffle about as much as his rope bindings will let him. He best be careful, though, too much movement and he''ll be locked away into something worse.


    "Can... Can you tell me anything about that trio?" he asks, and I do my darndest to recall anything. His body rises with the anticipation no doubt inflating his limbs with energy.


    "One was a little boy, not all that old at all. There was a horrible maimed blonde and a redhead, rose as one can possibly be." I explain and Nin pops with a relieved sigh.


    "Rose''lhia..." he says, and some forgotten memory does the rounds with a feeling of familiarity going through me. Yeah, that woman I met on the stairs was certainly a Rose by any other name. Certainly as sweet with how she bothered the Madame.


    "Given Ivahstar''s luck. You ever do find yourself free of being someone''s decorations. try to remember the town of Nahgart and a place called Castle Buugburth." I tell him and I mock myself mentally for remembering places other than the town the Madame was set up in. Honestly, what is with my old storage area at the moment? The wrong things are getting stuck up there while the rest is slipping away.


    "She''s been to these places?" Nin asks and I tilt my head about.


    "The latter, we briefly captured her or the other at the castle. We were set up in a town between the two places. An aelenvari mountain ain''t that far from the castle, either. Follow that path and you might find her holed up in there." I say, though, my information is years old at this point. Easily more than three at the barest.


    "Her Garden-Mont...?" Nin lets out ponderously and I shrug.


    "Could very well be, could very well be." I say, nodding what I can as his head likely turns to the other three women he listed.


    "Ok... That means I know where three should be. And where three roughly are," he lets out.


    "Now, I ain''t paying much attention to the news of the surface down here. But, from my time working with the Madame, I saw quite a bit of progress being made for the Union." I point out and the bug shuffles about as if to test the strength of his bindings.


    "Mmm, right, them. I should have more time," he says and I blink, not sure he quite understands the situation. Union victories mean a lot of dead Valkinvar.


    "The war is pretty finely in the Union''s favour these days. The Valkinvar for all their power and might ain''t much to look at anymore. It''s on its way out. Doors are open for the new powers that be." I say, and I watch Nin shake his head.


    "The Union just took a fair few losses fighting Atarifuge. The giant you found me at. They''ve moved in and have taken over Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst." he explains and I slip with wide eyes.


    "Ow..." I let out, rubbing my head and getting myself back up before the travelling wagon can go over me. I lodge myself firmly and force it to a stop. Nin bounces back and forth.


    Well, I guess that information certainly does change things. Maybe enough to give him those hopeful few minutes, but even I''m having my doubts. I know full well we only had a small camp stationed outside the town and it was still larger than it. Camp like that in every town and you''d rule the world with that many soldiers. Unnaturally sighted ones at that.


    "That woman from the Gnomon? She is or was the Grandguard of the city." Nin explains and I nod with further rubs of the back of my head. Certainly got more than physical aches now.


    "Ah... Right, Inerish Dakrid. That annoyance to anyone who considers themselves outside of the usual laws." I say, recalling the many rumours and events that have happened since she got the position. If she still has her job or is even still alive with the Union now in charge, I imagine I have a brief opportunity to live a peaceful life. Handling crime becomes secondary when you have invading soldiers in view.


    "Still, I''m glad Rose''lhia is alright. And apparently causing as much trouble for others as she did for me!" Nin laughs and I try to join in, even with the lacking aspect.

 Incline 5: Hrurim

    "Are we nearly there yet?" I call out to Heiya as she gets down from her perching spot. The young hwardgon bounces and hops, her padding scraping along the stone. She jogs to a stop and pats my side as she passes me.


    Her legs roll her back around, "Yeah. River''s not far now."


    I nod at her answer and take another lamp-aided glance at the tunnel''s top. The damage has been very inconsistent around the giant''s fall. Guess that must mean there are more unfortunate fractures around these parts. Wounds to the earth from millennia old witch duels that are only now apparent.


    "Now, you sure this thing is wide enough to necessitate a ship of any kind?" I ask, not particularly sure how she''s even come to this conclusion that this is a big river of any kind. Now, I''m no hwardgon or denizen of the deep, but I know full well there are stories about echoes in these parts. No where else for the noise to go so it just keeps amplifying up and up.


    "Trust me," she lets out with a lengthy song, and my head shakes as my overworked legs ache some more. We''ve had our moments to rest, but I''m still the one pulling the wagon the whole way!


    "Why, of course, I do." I sarcastically roll out as my eyes do the same.


    "Trust me!" she repeats, heading off to join Ivahstar as he looks out at something further ahead. If something''s got his attention like this, then there''s certainly something there. Question is, what? Do I have the energy to even make it that far...?


    "Oh, of course I do..." I groan, bending into place and forcing my way along at a quicker pace. The distance between me and my wagon and the hwardgon pair vanishes. Heiya meets me with a smile and I greet her with breathless annoyance.


    "Great Hrurim, puller of all of our stuff. I grant you your first visage of even more!" Heiya declares, and I look out at what it is they found. There''s a river alright, along with a completely wrecked ship of some kind. Boulder right through its middle if that gaping hole means anything. The fact it''s an armoured top one makes me whistle, too.


    "I am not packing this wagon with more." I warn and Ivahstar waves away my words with an uncaring gesture.


    "Map, something," the laconic man lets out, and he gets going, leaving us all behind to watch. Little legs are deceptive, and he is certainly careless about proving my instincts wrong.


    "Whatever happened here, emergency services have already given the wreck a sweep." Heiya explains and I notice the complete absence of any people.


    "Probably explains why the ship is on the shoreline or whatever you quillbacks call it down here." I say, and she jabs me with her elbow. I curl the visible edge of my lips at her mock glare.


    "Still worth a look either way. Insurance companies don''t come this close to the event. Especially with how far-reaching this all must be," Heiya tells, her arm waving over the massive mess and all the spilled out goodies that aren''t probably even worth looking at.


    "Atarifuge certainly did that..." Nin mutters from his usual spot. I blink at the language shift and get my head back in order.


    "Any idea what kind of ship this is? People ferry or cargo?" I ask and she shrugs, not an answer in sight.


    "Guess we''ll find out." she says, heading off and my head shakes itself into a series of nods. My tongue clicks and I get moving, handling the slight downward incline on my lonesome. Groans and moans fill the air, battling against the rushing water, and I rush ahead. Not one bit of effort goes into stopping the wagon and I let the debris handle it.


    "Bumpy ride." Nin remarks, the planks and other bits doing just fine.


    "Be a good bug now. Stay there." I tell him in the surface tongue and the magicless thing waves farewell. Getting myself out of my harness, my strides immediately elongate so I can stretch out the stress. I quickly happen upon Heiya as she pokes a suitcase with the stock of her gun.


    "People ferry." she says as I come to a stop at her side. Patting around, I find one of my sticks and slip my lighter out. It flicks open, and the air glows orange and it flicks away.


    I take in a quick huff and puff, "So, what are we looking for?"


    "You heard Pops." she says and I let out a head-shaking sigh as my free hand finds my hip.


    "Maps and something, hardly a lot to work with." I mutter, and she starts to giggle.


    "Come on, Hrurim! You''ve known Pops long enough to know what he''s on about. You both work the same kinds of jobs, anyhow." she lets out and I huff a smirk that vanishes like steam in the cold.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Not my fault I don''t want to handle a whole lot of ship." I say and she pats me as high up my back as her little hwardgon arms can reach. Certainly, those who are tall are certainly the most blessed here. She''s certainly whining a bunch when I rub that head of hers!


    "Maps are always going to be up in navigation. That''s easy enough to find. Everything else will come naturally, we''ve both done this long enough." she tells and I nod, walking closer to the ship with her and I kick a piece of spilled out, broken vase away. It scatters about even further and, almost like the gods are warning us, something falls off the ship.


    "My gut is telling me our first goal should be more rope and a hook." I say and she waves me off with an amused ''nah'' all over her silent face. I give her a smirk and take a relaxing stroll through the wreck as she goes another way. My eyes slip over to her father and I watch the old hegge as he shares none of my prior concerns. Up he goes and into the darkness of the wreck.


    I get that hwardgon have natural night vision with the circumstances of where they live. But even he would surely appreciate some kind of torch or lamp in there? Then again, he got the nickname he did back in the day for a reason. Hwardgon can see in the dark and they''re still scared of what can be found in it.


    Something crunches underfoot and I look down. A piece of glass. Applying some more force and cracking it more, I knock it out of my boot as I carry on. Trails of wreckage coming to mind all about me.


    I stop and pull out my stick, letting it dangle in the air. A hand slips into my coat and I pull out a little well-worn notebook. No corners are still hard and the surfaces have been beaten apart like thin-to-breaking clothes.


    There won''t be any note-taking, it''s too old for that. But, age is what it''s good for. Good for reminiscing and thinking about all the begone moments of our entwined lives. Me and Ivahstar, we go back far, very far.


    A smile comes to my lips at all the adrenaline rushes we''ve had to live through. Not really something I can spill to anyone else either, moment you speak the wrong word it all goes up. Funny thing with people, take away or change a detail or two and a story is fine. Wrong kind of frame and their ears forget they exist, nothing going in or out of them then.


    It''s a shame I am out of room in this thing, though. Going through a shipwreck after a giant caused earthquake is certainly one for the pages of eternal memory. Ooooh! I can do that, actually, maybe someone''s actually got a lost diary amongst all this spilt luggage.


    "I swear, though, if it''s a little girl''s dream journal..." I complain, already dreading every man''s worst nightmare already. Actually, maybe a dream journal will be appropriate. I can write down all the dreadful nights of sleep I''ll be getting ''cause the big scary criminal has a fluffy pink diary. A chuckle ends my thoughts and I spy a set of bars from who knows what.


    Still, I find myself looking back at the wagon. Nin''s still there and he certainly hasn''t made the effort to try anything. Pretty well behaved for a man of his calibre, all things considered. But... The buyers Ivahstar is likely going to want to find will not be as easily convinced.


    I know how to perform a rudimentary weld if we get a campfire going the right way. Lots of wood to go through right now, anyway. Certainly a moment to do some damn laundry. Instinctively, I test my nose and it crumples up over the sweat fog caught in my clothes.


    Picking up one piece of wood, I find a splintering spear tip and hold my stick by it. I blow gently on the embers and try to catch the wood some light. My eyes almost trick me. The growth of the black soot is near outright imperceptible. A noise escapes me and I snuff the stick out, killing the heat and not getting anything new out of it.


    "Nin''s got no magic, won''t have any for a while with how he''s right now. Not like I need a quality job, just something." I speak, getting some thoughts out of my head as I pick up a few more things for what will hopefully turn out to be a cage. If not, a pair of weights will keep him trapped if I can find something made to a higher magic density.


    I take another look at my notebook and put it away, a laugh already getting out of me. Lot of good memories in here, even somewhere I need to make use of my practical skills. People like me and Ivahstar, we don''t get around or by being without handyman talents. Certainly, if this was a job people would actually like to get involved with and had qualifications and anything... We''d certainly go to an average construction worker before anyone else!


    "Oh... That''s an idea, too. If the ferry luggage has loose change, I can always rent welding tools. Gods, I could even hand it off to someone else and relax for a moment." I realise, knocking at a crate and its loose lock. Certainly have worked a job or two where a bank might make a small transaction this way, in the hold of a ship. Criminal banking especially.


    I look up from the ground and head towards the ship, minding my head as I do so. Travelling a hand along the ruined hull, I reach the rocky shore. My eyes go down and the blue-tinted glow of the water sparkles across my dirty face. I hit a knee and splash my face, licking up some of that crisp refreshment as it trickles by my lips.


    Haste or not, I''m sure Ivahstar won''t take much convincing so that we can have a moment of rest here. Gods above, if we happen by any emergency services like the ones who prepared us this banquet, they might even help us get into town. Though, Nin would be a bit of a problem. Not if I find a blanket, though... Not if I find a blanket...


    My eyes follow the shore and go up the ship. I can put it off all I want, it''s not like Ivahstar won''t expect me to give the ship a look at some point. We''ll probably go in shifts if he has his way. Well, me and him with his precious princess Heiya not so much as roughing up the skin of a single paw pad.


    A chuckle escapes me, and I shake my head, going back into the open. Heiya spots me and comes over with a small box that she eagerly opens. We share a grin and I slip my fingers through golden chains and peek at the way its centrepiece gem sparkles. Real or not, we got an easy bribe if we need it.


    "I don''t suppose you''ve got some proof this is actually the decorum for an actual lady?" I ask, keeping my grin up as she plays with some of her quills.


    "I dunno, all I know is that I''m really like this here little trinket. Give my musket a bit of jingle, you know?" she giggles and I shake my head, closing the box before she can slip a finger in. A sweet little moan escapes her, a delicate blend of knowing and disappointment of the regardless variety.


    "Let''s wait for Ivahstar to come back before we start choosing that kind of stuff." I tell her, patting her along so we can get back to scavenging anything that catches our eyes for the moment. We''ll worry about moderation later.

 Incline 6: Heiya

    "What do you mean you''re scouting ahead!?" I demand to know as Pops pats his paws clear of splintery dust. He gives me a quick look and shakes his head. A paw comes up, stopping me from moving with the weight of consequence. I take a step back.


    "Don''t worry, Heiya. We''ll only be gone a minute." Hrurim tells me and my wide eyes shift to him, a narrow edge coming to them.


    "That''s not the point!" I let out, annoyed that I am being left alone when there''s a task I am far more suited for right in front of me. Not only do I get to watch them head that way, I get to linger around doing nothing. As if Pops is going to let me look around a wreckage like this on my own.


    "You have Nin to keep you company." the human shrugs and a bark escapes me as I spin around. My feet scrape along the ground and I make myself comfortable on a dragged out piece of furniture.


    "I have Nin to keep me company..." I mockingly repeat in my native tongue as my eyes go over our primary pay cheque. The ''sib waves some of its claws and my tongue clicks. I watch Pops and Hrurim vanish out of sight and the bitterness brews. Scouting the path ahead my backside... Someone''s keeping something from me.


    If the road ahead is blocked, it won''t matter none. It''ll be a piece of cake and many treats to get ourselves loaded up on one of the lifeboats. Just a slice of cake to put in the effort to repair one if we need to. River heads to a town, anyway.


    The body ahead shuffles and I glance up, paw already wrapping around my weapon. Nin raises his six claws and my grip lowers to the trigger guard. I loop in a finger and knock the musket forward, aiming it at him. It keeps bouncing and I slap it still, a hiss catching in my tight jaw.


    "So... Nice weather we''re having?" Nin asks, his wrists testing the bindings we have him caught up in. If he wants to keep testing his luck, I can easily find something stronger. Something more rich with the arcane. Not a whisper of the Wind Mountain is in him right now, Sudden Induction or not.


    "Shut up." I click, patting around for my weapon maintenance kit. I find it and jumble it in frustration against its locks. It comes off and my digits drum the container.


    "See, I''d rather not." Nin shrugs and my eyes close as burning breath scolds my tongue.


    "Fine, samething ta da aaanywaaay." I complain, still going along with the polishing and cleaning of my weapon to keep my paws occupied. Quicker the other two get back, the better.


    "Well... Fancy seeing you two again, right?" Nin laughs and I glance up, hoping just for a moment he''d die rather than fill my pockets. His words repeat through my head and a scoff escapes me. Nin here is certainly something, isn''t he? Bad luck charm for me and Paps.


    First, I have to drag his human backside from the shores of the Molten Sea because he wandered off. Then, we get attacked by an osibindah hive right as we''re in the last stretch of our journey by all accounts. Somehow, I then run into him at Suhurlodst and he holds me and Paps hostage to Tobaballe and then back from its ruins. Certainly got out with our lives even if we lost some dignity in the process.


    Being held hostage by our goods, how damn embarrassing for the pair of us... Held at claw point by some buggish freak that not even the gods and goddesses know what to do with. We come down here underground to finally get back at Gamtambo''s lot and here comes Nin! Damn heroics cost us a simple job on an already too long affair.


    Slaying a giant taller than the mountains with a skull-shaped head, ridiculous. Who''d ever get it into their heads to do something like that? Apparently this damn bug that never learned to take the hint from everyone else. And... How can I ever not admit we could do real nicely with someone like him?


    My attention shifts to the jewellery box, and I pick myself up and go to it. I flick it open and pull out the piece I want, rattling its mixed colour chain in my hands. Copper, silver, gold. Copper, silver and gold. All the way around until the fiddly lock awkwardly breaks the pattern, taking it out of synch.


    "You found a piece that you like?" Nin asks, his claws going over something on his wrists. A pearl bracelet...?


    "How do you even still have that?" I ask, though I only say half of what I mean to say. Either way, I''m sure he''ll understand now that my gun is back in my paws.


    "Of all the things I have, this is all that survived." Nin answers and I press the end of the barrel to his shiny bug head. His mandible things continue to click away, almost giving his nervousness a sound. But I can see in his eyes that is not the case. Been around this look too long to know it as something else. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Give it." I order, my finger tap-dancing a song between the trigger and its guard. Nin shakes his head right on the barrel, scraping a pale tone into his shell. I pull the gun back and huff, propping it at my side instead.


    "Don''t think you''d be able to take it, anyway. It''s not meant for you." Nin says and I throw a paw up in mockery, shaking above and below my hips around. A snide giggle escapes me and I smack my free paw along my feminine curves.


    "Yaur girlfriend give it ta yau?" I mock with a pout and he seems to smile. It''s hard to tell with a bug face like that.


    "A very special someone, certainly." he explains rather vaguely, a distinction that only makes him laugh a bit more.


    "Well, yau certaaainly didn''t haaave it when I saaacked yaaa." I huff, remembering quite clearly that there was nothing special about what Nin was wearing during our first meeting. A blank human of the Civil Mountains. Nothing special, nothing memorable other than he was ruining the sight of something that is.


    "I got this when I was dead." Nin answers without so much as anything other than plain severity in his tone.


    "Huh..." I let out, not sure how to respond to that. Certainly answers the great mystery of how an osibindah like him came to be. I imagine wherever he ended up after me and Paps left turned him.


    "You know, Heiya, in a weird way. I owe you a big thank you." Nin huffs out and I frown my confusion as my eyes otherwise crossover and break away.


    "Why?" I let out, moving my body about as I find a new sitting position.


    "My life has been all over the place because of what you''ve done. When you sold me- tried to, anyway. That deal you made with the Crown back in Tobaballe. It''s been scary, but there are things I''ve done that I would''ve never been able to do were it not for you bringing me this way. If I never got involved with you, unwilling as I was, then I would have never done everything I''ve done." Nin explains with a heavy voice and a sigh escapes him as he looks around at the caves.


    I quickly join in the sightseeing and just as quickly uninvolve myself, "Certainly gave a lowlander blank like you an introduction to Jherikra."


    "The Greatest Land." Nin says and I blink.


    "Whaaat?" I go and he glances up.


    "The Greatest Land, it''s what Jherikra means. A friend told me that between the moments." Nin tells and I nod along, not really caring what the ancient tongues translate to in modern speak.


    "Might aaas well just caaall it Laaand." I mutter under my breath, as there''s certainly a lot going on right now that makes me wonder how it ever deserved such prestige. Calling something Great because it''s next to another thing called Minor is one thing. Outright going that it''s the Greatest is a right hoot. A right big, farcical one at that.


    "All the more reason to see the others, then." he says and I turn my focus back to him.


    "Aaand haw da yau plaaan an daing thaaat? Yau''re being sald." I remind him, and he chuckles.


    "I''ve got good reason to assume you trying to sell me won''t work out," he cackles, and sarcasm erupts from my smacking lips.


    "Yeaaah, yeaaah. Ane time!" I go, finally doing something with the bit of jewellery and roping it through my weapon''s parts and gaps. Taking a piece of fine, good string, I tie it on nice and proper. Holding my musket out, I find my chest quaking a bit and I smile over the moment. A chance to pretend something I will never get.


    I love Paps, I really do. For all his flaws and problems, the resentment I have for the unfortunate circumstances of his life. I still love him. He is still my father and I am still his daughter. But I don''t like what I am and I most certainly have no love for the skills I have.


    He knows I like Preslav''s songs because of how... Normal they are! Normal things for normal girls my age and however long I''ve been involved in this! Kissing a boy on a sweet first date... Going to the cinema and strolling through some geode park or even skinny dipping in any number of parts of the Water-Veins.


    Instead, what I get is a life of criminal exposure. I know the seedy parts of towns, where to go and who to look out for. The mannerisms I have to be mindful of and the attitude you need for them. Shooting a gun...? Who am I kidding? That''s not for a normal girl.


    A shuddering breath goes through my nose. I don''t know what to do. I just want this business to all be over and done with. Like, gods and goddesses above, I do not want to be doing this anymore. The dirty jobs and the being away from my homeland because it''s too dangerous otherwise.


    We''re going to sell Nin here, we going to get the money to make up for the lost shipment and give it to the third party. Whoever it is running the show here, Paps leads will turn up our clues to Gamtambo. We''ll have him on a spike, along with his family. And it will all end. It''ll all be over.


    "That''s certainly a face I recognise." Nin lets out, pulling me out of my thoughts, kicking and screaming. All I have to offer for a long minute is my scowl.


    "So you may, so you may." I answer in my native tongue, and he seems to get the point either way. He gives me a silent nod, and he goes back to minding his business. I look up and spy no father and old human pal. My grip tightens on my weapon and I get up.


    Walking away with it in paw, I survey the wreckage some more and all of the washed up mess. Whatever Pops'' wishes are, they can be damned for all I care. I''m a grown woman and I know how to look after myself. I don''t need him coddling me like I''m still the little girl he was lucky enough to find...


    A sniffle charges right out of me, and I become all too aware of my shaking arms. Pops is too careful to have simply left a trail for those mobsters to find us that night. Someone didn''t keep their word. Someone broke their word and I know full well I didn''t see so much as a crack on Pops'' face that night!


    This is Pops'' fight, it''s always been focused around him. However, I am more than happy to play my part and get involved as I see fit. That was my family, too. They were my family too... I don''t even know anything about them and I never will. Give me all the names in the world, Pops, whatever divine voice might be listening in my head.


    Give me their names and I will have a bullet for each of them!

 Incline 7: Heiya

    "Pops, I''m going to be fine. It''s just a bath." I mutter, knowing full well he''s not going to listen to me, regardless of how simple it is. Daddy''s little girl, now and always. As far ahead as the unreachable future and as far back as the blocked out past. Always his daughter.


    "In a flowing river," he answers right back, his paws double-checking the barricade he and Hrurim set up. A pile of debris anchored between the shoreline and a boulder from somewhere up above. Enough to disturb the flow and something that can give me a reprieve from the current.


    It''s not like I don''t know how to swim, anyway. Pops made fine work making sure I knew all my essential survival skills even before things turned out the way they did. It was never a trip to a water park or a fishing venture. Professional paranoia, knowing experience, all of it.


    My tongue clicks and my eyes roll up and over, setting down with an uncomfortable weight in my iris''. A huff pops out my mouth and Pops gets to tying his caution into an applicable knot. He double-checks that as well, yanking it as hard as he can again and again. I tighten my arms against each other, holding myself to an uncomfortable squeeze, and he finishes up.


    "I''ll let you have your privacy," Pops says and some snark catches in my throat.


    "Obviously, not a little girl anymore." I hiss and he stares, a slight depression to his eyes. He blinks and nods. This uncharacteristic timidity makes my insides twitch uncomfortably.


    A slow breath comes out of him and he looks around, "I... I found something I think you might like."


    "Hm?" I go, still harbouring the attitude externally, and he comes back with a familiar-looking machine. A couple of thin pieces of card in hand.


    "The dining room of the ship had this. Its legs broke, but the player still works." Pops explains, handing me one of the records and I look at the cover art. Serelv''s Golden Records. My expression straightens, something of a smile coming to its edges.


    "Thank you, Pops." I tell him, shooing him away as I begin to unclip all of my harnesses and packs.


    "Oh... Here." Pops goes, his head not facing me. I follow the patterns down his quills and head to his hand. A bottle of shampoo. I take it, my grip lingering on his backhand. He leaves quickly, and I am left to my affairs.


    "Water''s no doubt going to be cold. Freezing, even. Still, it''s something." I complain to myself as I finish with the last of my add-on kit. I arrange it across the floor, tidying the mess up so I have some idea where everything is. An arm goes around to my back, finding the zip of my main suit, and I pull. A shiver shakes me to a stop, and my eyes linger on the record player.


    Smiling at my imagination, I sashay over and flip up the record holder. The front cover goes away and I bite my lip as I read through the list on show. Fourteen songs and all of them some of Preslav''s finest early work. Songs that mean all the more to me because they''re his versions of songs I grew up hearing.


    The kind of songs families in all the back alleys and ghettos know about. No matter where we ended up while me and Pops were still underground, we''d hear these songs. Communities that don''t have much always find all the more reason to share when they can. Everyone''s in it together and soon, all I had other than Pops was a single, consistent voice.


    A striking superstar of unbelievable energy and a hook in every hwardlette''s heart. I could never go home if I wanted, not while Pops has business to take care of. But, while I have Serelv, I have all the connections I could ever want. A man I''ve never met and probably never will is what reminds me that there are good memories down here.


    I sniffle, escaping my unfortunate thoughts, and I focus my attention back on the song list. Fourteen of them, I like them all. Surface Pest, Love for You, Shaken About, Excessive, A Heart for Me, Party at the Stockades and... Break my Heart, at the Hotel...


    A digit runs along the instructions and I set the black disc in place, the needle running about until it finds what I am forcing it to. The songs go by, lyrics interrupted without pause. Some words never even come out, the starting tune never quite able to take off. And, when I find it, I finally let it play.


    My next breath carries with it the stress making me stiff, even if I know I''ll breathe it back in. The sounds of rushing water are all but blocked out and all I can hear is the starting tune to my favourite singer''s song. A strange piece, it is, ''Break my Heart, at the Hotel.'' It doesn''t sound like a song at first. They recorded it like a film running in someone''s house.


    A bushel hits the hardwood ground of a set long taken apart and the music begins. I smile and sigh as I return my paws to the zipper. My hips bounce gently to the beat and I pull down and down, freeing myself of the constraints of Pops'' lifestyle. Though I am covered in short and soft fur, the change in temperature still makes me shiver.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Shivers only made all the better as Serelv''s voice lets out its divine tune, "Well, since she told me no. Walking right on away. Well, I checked right on in. Well, certainly makes sense now. This Lonely Street."


    Kicking my overalls away, I find myself naked and exposed to the reflections of the crystal clear water. Like handfuls of excited, adventurous fingers, the reflections of light go all across me. Touching me in a way I can only dream I will eventually feel. A moment to remind me that I have the body of a woman, the curves of a young girl with dreams of a family.


    Though I will never be anything as impressive as a human or something else. I know I have grown up quite well for a hwardgon my age. What I might lack in sheer volume, I certainly remind people of with how my shape has come out. Now... If only I had someone to actually share that with.


    "OOH!" I let out, dipping my first foot into the water. Though the current is blocked, it still rushes past me, cresting up with splashing energy. My fur, desperate to bring it higher, lets the water climb as it becomes flat with wetness. Its grey shade nearing a pale black. I take in a sharp breath and wade in, sinking down until I am in as high as my hips.


    "Although the place is crowded, you still managed to find some room. For all the broken-hearted lovers and those left behind. Crying in their gloom. Where we all get so lonely, lonely without you, darling. Well, they''re so lonely. So uncomfortably lonely they could die," the record player sings and I pick up the shampoo bottle.


    Singing along with Serelv, the record holder art helps reinvigorate my imagination. The delusion breaks and breaks as I lose my voice to humming. My eyes never open, though. I pop open the bottle, treating the water like a pair of arms around my waist and so seductively low. My palm fills whatever scent Pops was able to scavenge, and the films I''ve seen with Serelv flash through my mind.


    Never with the actress he was with, but always with me. A warped, fuzzy me in his arms. I slather myself in the shampoo, gyrating about as I keep myself in my tight rhythm. Never walking too far or quickly on the drowned rocks. A giggle escapes me as I start to see the running off current as being like one of those jealous boyfriends the newstablets always talked about.


    Even the films sold themselves with a few plots like that. Serelv comes striding in, piston hips thrusting every which way while those legs never find a moment to rest. He always has a way, Serelv does, he always finds the way to make the song match him. Even the very Mistress Music can''t help but love and want for him like a squealing girl. One I never allow myself to be, even in private moments like this.


    "Oh... Serelv..." I moan gently as I instinctively apply a naughty amount of pressure across my chest. Another giggle escapes me, and I hold myself back from doing anything inappropriate. I''m before a crowd, on the dance floor with my beloved idol. The darkness of the bedroom is just that, a mystery that I can never fathom until I am there.


    My bubble rich paws go into the water, scooping up what they can and splashing it along my front and back. The highest drops build up and run right back down, slipping across my muscles and bones. Outlining them and outlining them all some more. Both paws go into the water and I splash my face with a drowning wave.


    It goes through my quills, knocking some bits of dirt out while relodging other bits. It drips through, arriving at the top of my cute bottom and slipping through the gap. I shiver, quaking my rear end with an innocent shake to help the water up there. Still, I cannot imagine as anything other than all the rumour you hear about famous people and their fans. Those scandalous moments where the man on top of the world finds a moment to take you up there with him.


    Oh, to have a moment like that, I want it more than any other girl in the world and no one else can possibly understand. The ones normally in these stories, they have all the chances in the world to be the girls that they are. I do not. Though it is unlike any girl in the world, unlike anyone in All-That-Remains. I will fight for that one night with a ferocity that is as terrifying as it is arousing.


    An evil giggle escapes me as I walk along to the edge of the safe space in the river. I twist around and dive in, breaking with the help of the opposing current. Picking myself up with an arch to my back and a raised leg on a tensed thigh, I breathe. I let in all the air I can and clean my body of the bubbly build-up.


    I pat my chest down, getting rid of those drops catching on my aroused body. I smirk on over to the record player and get out of the water, swinging my hips as if I''m approaching the man himself. They keep on bouncing, an empty tune keeping my legs moving as well. Reaching out, I tenderly hook a finger and take off the needle and spin the record.


    It lands back in place and I slap the player back down, an enthusiastic cheek swing departing me. The other half of the record plays without interruption and I go back to my moment of peace and dreams. While my lower half is soaked, it''s not particularly washed. So, I get to rubbing in more and more shampoo and whatever else is lying about.


    "Quite fitting, you know? Having you sing about a girl''s fine legs as I slather them up." I explain to the record player, biting my lips as I stare into the eyes of the creased cardboard image. A forced smile comes to my lips and I get up, accentuating my body shape all the while until my arms are above my head. I force them together, imitating a firm grip where there is none.


    Getting back into the water, I dance the chemicals and most of the scent off of my fur. My paw touches the other and my eyes shoot open. The daydreaming comes to an end, and it becomes almost oppressive, the view all around. Stepping back, my bottom presses onto the rocks and planks and what not.


    I look up, spreading my paws out behind me and stretching my front open for all to see. One day, one day when this all comes to an end, or even maybe before. I''ll have a moment, just one moment where I go to a concert in a pretty dress. I''ll doll myself up like all the normal girls and maybe I''ll even let my quills grow out more than I usually do. Run a glittered brush across them or tie a little bow made of a bright fabric!


    Have that moment where I can be a normal girl... Not the daughter of a hitman on the run from a crime family he used to work with. I sigh and close my eyes as I slip into the water. Keeping my head well above, I rest and let the current take the tension away as I lose myself in the dreams again.


    "Didn''t you know, Pretty Girl? I am made for loving you and only you forever..." I and the recording sing, a gentle sway keeping me in motion.

 Incline 8: Heiya

    "Road seems fine so far." I comment, idly bouncing my head from side to side. My eyes flick up, putting a glance on the human, and his lips lift up his brow.


    "Yeah, as we said." Hrurim lets out, and my shoulders wiggle about, disturbing the peace of my gun.


    "I''d be a fool to take a criminal at his word." I whistle and Hrurim groans away whatever I''ve put inside of him.


    "Oh, get over yourself! It was just a scouting mission." the human clicks and my tongue pops out as I run a paw up my head and down my spines. Slipping a finger in-between them, I hook one and turn the hand up and out. A twiggy song reaching my ears because of it.


    "Still, anything I should know about seeing as I''m still the one who generally takes point?" I ask, skipping ahead of the human and switching over to a backpedal. Hrurim''s pace doesn''t adjust in the slightest, but I''m still mindful of making sure I have some space between me and him. Don''t want to fall over and be run over now, do I? Too beautiful for that, unlike him.


    "Whatever''s in your head right now, get rid of it," the human groans as he readjusts his position as our porter. I give him a slight smile and twist around, hopping up and along some fallen stone from the quakes. Someone''s definitely been hard at work making sure the road is still useable.


    "Only thoughts about our current destination. Nothing more, nothing less." I say, and the darkness of the underground does little to hide his rolling eyes. Maybe if he gets darker shadows under them? He might slip it past me, then.


    "Well, stop thinking about it, then, Heiya. There''s nothing to worry or concern yourself with. It''s all fairly standard police stuff." Hrurim dismisses in surface speak with the wave of a blood-stuffed hand swollen with effort. A blink overtakes me and I shove a quick glare at him for letting the bug get involved.


    "I love standard police stuff. I can be free of my bonds and walk away a free man." Nin lets out, the back of the wagon moving with his put on face of excitement.


    "As if anyone wants a free bug." I scoff loud enough for him to hear, even if it''s my native tongue. My gun shuffles and I wait for Hrurim to pass by me as I walk on the rocks. I hop on over to the wagon and mind our supplies, landing right on Nin. He groans his pain and I stare right into his human eyes. Our two little gems worth a fortune.


    "No banging up the goods!" Hrurim complains and I look up towards Pops as he otherwise waits by what appears to be a junction. I mind Hrurim''s words and withhold myself from giving Nin''s shell any new cracks or chips.


    "How are we going to be getting Nin here past the town''s department?" I ask, dangling my legs over the front of the wagon.


    "For starters, we make it clear to him that if he acts up, he''s getting put down. His only way to live is to be as still as the most safely put, well looked after statue in the world." Hrurim says and I glance over my shoulder, noting the pile of cloth we have stuffed between some crates.


    "Maybe pull a blanket over him, too. For good measure." I say, and Hrurim raises a hand, squeezing a gentle fist out of it.


    "I could certainly do with one," he complains and I hop down, rushing ahead so I am clear of the wagon.


    "There, I''ve made the load lighter." I tease, skipping away to the song of his exaggerated groans and moans. My smile wipes away as I get closer to Pops and I come up alongside him. He notices me and gives me a quick nuzzle on the cheek.


    "It''s going to take some time to sort out a buyer." Pops lets out and I nod, eyeing both ways the road seems to go from here. He knocks my arm, getting my attention back to him.


    "Huh...? Oh, uh... Yeah." I completely mess up getting out, not entirely sure what he wants from me right now. Is he going to be leading this into something, or does he just feel the need to speak? No, that doesn''t seem like Pops at all. His trouble with speaking surface speak is as much his incompetence at language as it is an extension of him.


    "We''ll have some time to do things." Pops goes, clearing up my messy thoughts with a firm-handed brush.


    "Right." is all I can get to come out as I eye his hands fiddling with something.


    "I thought, maybe you''d like to take a chance to enjoy yourself?" he offers and I stifle myself between uncertainty and shrugging an answer of some positivity. Not really sure what I would do, anyway. We''re not here to enjoy ourselves. It''s all part of the bigger job. Besides, there''s no reason to assume that the earthquakes didn''t destroy all the fun in the town. Not exactly walking into a resort here.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "I''ll uh... See what I can do." I say and he nods a quick and slight one, looking away as he does so.


    "Heiya." Pops goes, although he doesn''t look back my way. I flinch a little, not sure if he''s upset with me or something.


    "Yes, Pops?" I answer, walking around slightly. Only I find a gaze that still avoids me.


    "I''m sorry it''s taking this long to get everything done," he says and my lips tighten themselves shut. I break the seal with an empty voice, leaving my mouth to linger open as I find my words.


    "It was never going to be a quick job, Pops." I remind him, already fully aware of the circumstances of what going underground means to us. But, I guess it''s easy to forget that the conversation we had after torching Hrurim''s old place of employment is years old now.


    "It''s been long enough for you to finish growing into a proper woman, now." Pops tells me and I mind my chest and the rest of my body. It''s certainly something I''m aware of, but it''s not something I notice in particular until I am exposed to a picture or painting of the past. Not that I''ve had my picture taken in a long time.


    Oh...


    "How... How about we find a photographer while we''re in town?" I suggest and he turns back my way, an arching brow stretching out one eye. A blush builds up under my fur and I look around, away and down. He puts a finger under my chin, and tickles my vision into being level with his again.


    I meet his smile with one of my own and he moves his paw away, putting it into a pocket. He brings out one of the few things he always keeps on his person that isn''t an essential piece of gear. He flips it open, revealing the crumpled edges of a time long gone, and he spreads his touch over it. The image goes back into hiding before I can get a look at it.


    A pop escapes my mouth and I start to chew the inside of my cheek, my fingers fiddling with whatever they can get. Me finding some time for myself is something I can always do. But, despite how long I spend around Pops, we don''t really do anything all that... Family-like. It''s always work, work and work. From one to the other, banging about all the while between.


    "I would like that, my little Princess." he tells me, his old nickname for me burning my face up worse than any fire I''ve even been near. He makes it worse by cupping the cheek I am biting, teasing it with a little caress that spooks my jaw.


    "Ah..." I let out, having bit my tongue.


    "Stupid girl," he goes, turning the squeeze into a couple of gentle taps. His attention goes elsewhere as I bunch my cheeks together with an affectionate glare. I follow his head towards Hrurim and I start to wonder what the human and former one are talking about.


    "So, news travels fast. Does it travel fast even in these circumstances?" I ask, getting back into the professional feel of our lives. Pops nods and gives me a quick pat on the shoulder.


    "Yes. We have some leeway to work with here, so I can certainly work something out of it." Pops explains and I nod a bit, my head turning away towards some echoes. I guess some people other than us are also heading into town. If there''s enough, we might be able to make them work for us. Free of pay, of course.


    "How much time can we really expect, though? An earthquake is one thing. But, something that big up top on the surface is going to be drowning the tablets and busybodies." I point out, and Pops'' eyes settle into a firm stare. Only his thoughts really fearing the look he currently has.


    "Enough at best, close to enough at worse." Pops answers in the way the question can only really be answered. Still, something to talk about is something to talk about. Even if it is only going to end up cut short.


    "We can probably make better on our time if we switch to a motor vehicle." I suggest, getting under Pops'' skin with that usual question. He hates anything with an engine. I''ve never quite figured out why. But I have my assumptions. So many of them.


    "Mmm, yes," he surprisingly agrees, leaving my eyes white wide and my tensest grip lax.


    "R-Really...?" I ask, making sure my ears aren''t bleeding or gunked up with dust or stone dribbles.


    "A car is probably our best bet right now. Leaving all this labour to Hrurim will only exhaust him." Pops explains, his mind no doubt a mess of professionalism, circumstance and whatever the usual issues are. It''s an enigma, no doubt about that. Hearing him say that, though, it makes me wonder.


    All he ever does is make wonder so many different things and it''s as exhausting as it is joyful. I guess I should try and focus on the joys of what is to come out of this, though. We can finally get around to doing one of those things every father owes his daughter. Her first car.


    A smirk comes to my face as I recall some of the old films we used to watch before Gamtambo came along. Pops didn''t like us watching anything that got too forceful on the screen. He always wanted to keep it as clean of this life as possible. So I got to enjoy all the simple pleasures of life, like a girl going on her dates and more.


    There''s a lot to enjoy about my circumstances right now, even if I do resent living a life like this from time-to-time. I remember a beat about these films and their plots. That want to stand out and be a little more than everyone else around. And Pops here has that edge right here. Not only will this hwardlette be getting her first car, we''re going to be doing it our way!


    Wrapped up elbows striking the glass, a quick screwdriver into the steering wheel''s casing. Bit of fiddling with the components, maybe a bit of elbow grease if it''s a magic-powered device and we''ll go off. No giggling as we watch someone embarrass themselves over some nonsense. No, we''ll be giggling our backs clear of points and pricks as we vanish around the corner in a new set of wheels.


    We''re a bit limited in our options, though. The earthquakes have utterly battered the roads and we have no clue as to how long this carries on for. Worst to come or the worst is behind us, we cannot say. Much as I really want to be able to.


    "Come on, let''s give Hrurim some time to rest." Pops goes, yanking me out of my thoughts in time with his paw grabbing mine.

 Incline 9: Heiya

    "Alright, Nin, now, we all know your circumstances..." Hrurim starts to explain as me and Paps sort out our guns. We''re confident we can get through whatever mess the police and other civil workers have for us. Still, we need Nin here to understand something very clearly. It''s almost a pun to emphasise how deadly serious we are.


    "Don''t move or I''ll be shot. I know, I know. I''ve seen a mirror in recent enough times." Nin dismisses, one of his claws going up in the air and waving us off.


    "Good lad. Now, hush while we work our magic," Hrurim tells him, pulling the cloth over and drowning him in its protective darkness. Me and Paps move, getting some more items on top of him so that any inspectors might be less inclined to put in the effort to see what we have deeper on the wagon. As far as they''ll be concerned, anyway, with our pickings from the ship...


    We''re refugees!


    "Wonderful... Now we bathe." Hrurim grumbles back in my native tongue, slapping himself with some dirt and filth to sell the part. Me and Pops do the same, battering ourselves up so that we will be able to pass on by without too many eyes going on over us. It''s an earthquake that put us in this situation and not a war, but still. Can''t be too careful in our line of work.


    However, I am not getting my body filthy. It hasn''t been that long since I had a full bath to clean myself, anyway! I''m not getting myself muddy and dusty again for an act. It can stay on my clothes and go nowhere else.


    "Good. Let''s go." Pops orders, heading off without us. Turning to Hrurim, I gesture my head to the wagon and help him get set up. He groans and moans, passing it onto me as easy as a vile-driven spit take.


    "I sure hope you come out of this stronger than any animal we''ve ever had to rely on." I remark and Hrurim gives me a look that only has one aspect to it. Shut up.


    I give him a final smirk and push myself back to my feet, strutting away without a care. The wagon groans behind us, getting back into laborious motion. My eyes throw themselves around the tunnel, taking in the usual sights. Nothing much is new or different, even this close to a town.


    "Welcome to Agadton, population... Five." I read, huffing at the way the sign has been gouged of its details by some of the debris. I wonder who is the liar in this case, the rock for hiding the real number, or the sign for not keeping it? Oh, gods and goddesses, this is going to be boring until we cross the final stretch of road.


    A groan becomes a bark and I jog up to Pops, catching him as he crests a part of the road that should be flat and smooth. I keep below his feet, looking out at the bright light town of Agadton as it goes about a shaken but not stirred life. Keep calm and carry on. Certainly a phrase that has its weight in times like this.


    "Police have the main road locked down. Government is following." Pops points out and I look around for other ways into the town. Despite his choice of language, we''re not looking at a prison or a fortress here. Just a town going through a bit of a crisis. They''re going to have no reason to assume much about us, if anything at all.


    "We have a quiet road that way." I say, gesturing for Pops to come down so he can properly follow my arm.


    "By the collapsed high rise?" he asks and I nod.


    "From the looks of it, there''s a side road that''s largely open for business." I elaborate, shifting my arm to the left so he can see where the obstructing boulder ends.


    "Might be a tight fit," he says, and I shrug. It''s not like we''re going to be at risk of anything, losing a few top-placed items. Shipwreck rubbish, anyway.


    "We have an easy cover story, then. We''re tired travellers who misread the gap." I tell him and he nods, a little huff blowing through his nostrils. He nods his head, patting my back and sending me on my way.


    "Oooo, fun. I finally get to do something other than walking." I can''t help but let out as I spy a vantage point to sling my gun out on top of. Climbing over what I have to, I get comfortable with my back against a somewhat smooth surface. My gun comes up and my eye goes to its sights. The distant world comes so close to me and I almost feel the want to reach out for it.


    For the moment, while Pops and Hrurim are still travelling the road, I''ve no reason to look at the guards. I can enjoy the town for what it is and look about at how everyone is handling the situation. Honestly, for a town that''s not particularly isolated or left to its own devices, they''re handling it well. Earthquakes are practically unheard of, but we hwardgon are used to cave-ins.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I guess the ways to handle it are much the same, no matter the difference in scale. Besides, I doubt anyone here knows why there''s an earthquake. They don''t need to know. It happened. Move on with your life. Get back into the night life or what passes for one down here and enjoy yourself.


    There''s even a club that has made a point of using the boulders to their advantage. A rooftop that''s otherwise built only to handle ventilation and so on equipment is now a new dancefloor. The holes in the roof have light-covered poles going through them and the roller-skaters love the challenge. If anything, the derbies haven''t changed at all.


    I can even see a swimming pool which is still in use, but now there''s an island to enjoy. No one''s doing lengths of it anymore, but the folk looking to get the worry out of their system are enjoying it for what it is. Not as a disaster which has utterly devastated the surface, but as a moment to enjoy yourself. Forget about the inconvenience of some rocks. We all lived through it. Didn''t we?


    My eye comes away from the scope, and I turn to the road. The sounds of wooden wheels filling out my ears. I glance around for my plan of descent and settle in as out of sight as I can be for my position. The road ahead clears up as the police let a line of cars through, some kind of hefty instructions in hand.


    If I''m to make any bets or guesses, I suppose that is the current town layout. Road blocks all marked in bright red. Looks too doodly to be a list of instructions of what can or cannot be done. A further look into Agadton shows me traffic wardens and the like, still. There''s only so much anyone can do before some slippy mind causes traffic indigestion.


    "Oh... Damn it." I let out, noticing how the police are stopping Pops from taking a turn. The pair try to talk the officer into letting it slide but he''s not having it. As if the divine are more than happy to give me clarification, a team of enlisted miners comes on through and block up the road. A click goes through my jaw and I focus on the pair of veteran criminals.


    Hrurim draws a few odd looks, being an out-of-place human, though nothing comes of it. The fact they''re armed, however, is drawing more actionable responses. A couple of officers set themselves up on a raised platform, paws on their rifles. A steaming cup of refreshment in the paws of another idle one.


    Pops goes around the wagon with a pawful of them, explaining whatever lie it is he has. My jaw shifts about and although I have a calm finger on the trigger, my mind is anything but. Where am I going to shoot should things go south!? Hrurim''s exposed and Pops is in full view of so much more.


    A pitiful roar escapes me, almost as if it''s a cry of pain instead. I need to reveal myself first if I so much as sniff that this is going the wrong direction. The police have no idea I am here, they''ve not a clue. There''s enough distance for it to seem like I''m just some gun mad thug thinking he has an easy chance.


    "Come on, you boys in blue... Buy it. Buy the story." I growl, tapping my trigger finger ahead against the guard. Much as it would be a shame to lose Hrurim, he is not family. Pops comes first, he''ll understand. He better be unhooking himself out of view because I cannot save him.


    I have a chance with Pops while he''s letting the police search the- A thankful sigh escapes me and the uniforms tilt their hats in understanding, urging the pair on. Hrurim tips his flat cap, stuffing his coat back with his box of tailor-mades. A happy chorus of smoke escapes many of the officers and the wagon gets moving.


    Pulling myself away from my gun, I get it back around my back and hop on down, slipping into the dark. The road to my left isn''t too busy, but it''s still a risk. Someone spots a lone girl with a ball-spitting piece as long as mine and there''s going to be a spook. An urgent question of what will be done about me...


    "Come on, open up for me. Yeah, that''s it." I can''t help but let out, peeking out as those diggers from earlier make all the ruckus they can. I smirk and slip out, scurrying across the road and going right between the broken road supports. The barricade rattles underfoot and I land on the next road down. I bounce my leg about, freeing it of that sore impact.


    Rushing along into the town, I find a broken wall and get through it, popping out into a busy street. My tongue clicks and I head on over to a short-lived set of stairs. I look up and try to find somewhere that I might be able to make use of as a vantage point. We never agreed to a rally point in the event of separation, but I know what I have to do.


    Finding a spot, I nod firmly and step down, bashing into a clueless pack of gigglers. They break apart, having a go at me while I reorient myself in the face of their obnoxious colours. The typical pretty girls look me over and laugh, their done up nails pointing out each flaw. One with a particularly well-grown set of spines strides up to me, her voice a mess among all the other noises of the town.


    A sneer slips up onto my lips and a curl comes to my fist. I throw it out at her, knocking her clean away without a clue as to what happened. The road comes between us and I get out of sight before a bigger scene can be made of it. Reaching for the edge of a ladder I can use, I spot odd colouring on my fur.


    "Gods and goddesses, she has a lot of make-up on..." I say, perplexed by how lacking in disgust I actually am at the thick coat painting my paw fur. Running my other paw over it, I brush my knuckle off and glance up at the wall, a slight frown on my face. It''s just some stranger and I feel bad about it...


    I suppose it''s because I want to be someone like that. Out and about with the friends, all prettied up to meet the cute boys o to gossip about how much of a cabboth someone is. Normal things. Not sneaking into an armed town in order to facilitate a mobster''s deal.


    "Bah... Got more important things to do." I complain, waving off my thoughts so I can get back to looking for Pops and Hrurim. They can''t have gone too far. I left my sniper spot not long after they were waved on in. Should make my way that way, hope they''ve found a bar to hold up at. Only the divines know how much Pops can probably slip out of some idiot''s pocket to pay his tab.


    Ha!

 Incline 10: Heiya

    I come to a stop at the crossroads and look both ways, like a good little girl. Like the one so close to me, right up with her mom and dad. A frustrated sigh snorts its way on out and the limited traffic of Agadton drives on by. Every possible flavour of tax-paid equipment. Short-bellied lorries and back ripped cars not even given a colourful shine. Just the bare steel and an oil coating.


    My gun bonces up and down my back and the little light on a pole switches up. I hurry along, passing the majority of the crowd before I can get lost in it. A little pebble catches on the end of my foot, flying away along the pavement. I score.


    Right into one of the cracks!


    "Come on... Where could you two have possibly gone?" I ask myself, coming to another stop at the corner of the street. I survey the street, scanning each possible parking space for a wagon. Above the head of each hwardgon resident for any signs of a human. Even a little puff of smoke will be more than enough to find one of them. So much time on the road, no one but me and Pops, surely Hrurim''s feeling a little stressed?


    My jaw clenches tight, a pop of air breaking my lips open. I get moving again and stick to the main street I saw them come into town through. Seriously, where have they gone? How am I barely packing anything and missing the pair that have literally everything!?


    Finding myself in front of a restaurant, I take a quick glance inside and stare back at my faded reflection. My eyes roll and I look back towards the street, putting my back on the glass. A tune builds up in my throat, coming out as a series of clicks and tuts. Something drums the glass behind me.


    I turn and- "Bastards."


    Hrurim smiles and waves from inside and I double check to make sure the wagon isn''t around here. It''s not. I spin back his way and glare, heading on to the front doors and almost yanking it off. The hustle and bustle of the inside deafens me and I glance at Hrurim as he returns to his table.


    "Hiya, Miss, what can I get you for?" a powdered and painted waitress asks, a fake smile on her face as she drums her nails along a clipboard of something. A menu, probably. Stupidly priced one at that.


    "I''m here for my father." I answer, throwing out a gesture that she seems to miss completely. She giggles, keeping her end of the act up even as I fail to return the favour.


    "I''m ''fraid we ain''t that kind of place. Though, between you and me? Certainly wouldn''t mind an older gentlehog." she tells me, throwing herself back with further giggles as I cock a brow. Don''t really want that image, let alone a life like that. I move too much to suddenly be fine with not moving. All my needs handled for me. Boring!


    "Right, I''ll be joining them inside, then. They already have a table." I say and the waitress gives me a quick nod, her smile breaking as her hand points at my weapon.


    "You''ll have to make sure that ain''t loaded. Folks are a little shaken up as of late, don''t want no messes." she explains and I nod, throwing my paw back around to put the lock on the firelock. The click of the musket gives her smile some actual genuinity.


    "Of course..." I say, heading off as she gets back to her other duties. An insult comes out on my next breath, served steaming fresh with another roll of my eyes. Coming around a corner of cushions, tables and chairs, I find my load of it. Already occupied and in use by two idiots.


    "There she is!" Hrurim cheers, his human form not adjusting well to the furniture made with hwardgon in mind. I scoff at him and he licks his thumb, getting back to the business of eating his meal. A plate of chips and what appears to be battered up Water-Veins fish. Oh, who are my thoughts kidding? As if a place like this has surface fish and crab.


    "I sure hope something on display here is for me." I say, not actually expecting anything. Still, something to peck at that''s freshly cooked is not an unwelcome benefit to my stomach. Hrurim smacks his lips, taking up his milkshake''s straw and slurping it right up. The noise is insufferably annoying.


    If only for the fact I''m almost about to become as emerald as the finest wind magic...


    "You can have my salad," he huffs, a smirk otherwise stuck on his face as much as a fortress is in the mountains. I glance at Pops, giving him a look as he keeps to himself and his rib rack. His backhand comes up, sliding a fat cup glistening with condensation into my face.


    "Cookies and cream." Pops is quick to answer, and a wobble takes over my lips as I lean forward.


    "Thank you." I let out, suctioning the straw to my mouth and gutting the milkshake for all its creamy worth. I spit the straw out, leaning away with a satisfied ''ah'' escaping me without end. My face creases up, the brain freeze passing by with little complaint and I take my gun off. Throwing it onto the innards of our little cubicle, I meet eyes with a child.


    Their eyes widen at the firearm and I huff, having nearly forgotten that I once had that face. I got rid of it real quickly, though. Guns are still cool, awesome things. But, now, I respect what they really are and it''s right in the name. Gun.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    "So... While I was out sneaking into town, finding you lot. You had already got yourselves comfortable with expanding bellies?" I ask, my mood going back to some bitterness as Hrurim continues to make a mockery of hwardgon-sized portions. What is already an uncontrollable pawful for me is nothing but a scoop for him. One that goes and fills that crushing jawline of his to the brink.


    "We haven''t been here long." Pops answers, slurping a bone clear of its meat and sauce. His teeth remain on its edge, gnawing at it for a few flakes of sweet-stained marrow. I snatch a few of his fried tunnel bird bits and get to flicking them into my mouth. Pops lets the box slide on over on a trail of soggy cardboard and grease slick. A sauce pot follows right after.


    "Could have at least wa-waited outside!" I complain, stuffing my face a bit more as I eye the untouched bag tucked away at the table''s other edge. Right by everything else these two cave-in baits brought in. Suppose that is for Nin. Keep him full of enough magic to otherwise stay alive.


    "We did think that... Then someone came out of here and it, you know, hooked right through our noses." Hrurim explains, a noise of joy coming right out as he enjoys the lingering aroma on his fork.


    "Hook you as badly as that fish there in the future..." I grumble, slurping up more of my milkshake. My anger forces a chocolate chunk right up through the straw, almost blowing up the shake in my face.


    "No hooking anyone until we find a safe-house." Pops is surprisingly open with despite the locale. I double check everywhere, unable to think with how much noise there is- Ah.


    "Times like these often mean that the uniforms will be harsher on squatters. Making sure no one is taking what they''re not owed," Hrurim explains and I nod along, glancing out to the street as a police car goes on by, lights flashing. There''s no telling how bad a place like Agadton is in normal circumstances, but it''s much the same, regardless. Bad eggs will always see the glitter of treasure in moments like these.


    Luckily for us, most of them end up going splat and cracking all over the stone. Fried right up on a grill of jail time or a scrambling whisk of a quick police beating. Not many coming out of this to be mixed into a cake. Not many at all.


    "Oh... Could go with some of that, actually." I comment, peering off to the left as a member of staff goes on by with a tray of desserts. Jiggling gelatine the colours of red and blue. Multi-layered cakes of dark chocolate body and paler chocolate sauce. Even a golden-crusted pie, its insides much the same colour and stained with a gorgeous spicy sprinkle.


    "We''ll finish up here and grab you something to go, if you''re still hungry." Pops explains, offering me a bit more of his meal. I shake my head, intent on spending every coin he slipped from whoever''s pockets and purses. Besides, if I eat too much of his meal, he''ll take mine.


    "Depending on how long we''re here, that shouldn''t be a problem, no?" I ask and Hrurim''s head swishes about, something lingering in his head and clogging it up.


    "We''ll have to have a look around town. Get an idea for where the focus on everyone is. If the workers being called on is any indicator, we might be able to set up at a construction site. No way those are being worked right now," he says, and I look over at the far side of the restaurant. A hole in the roof and an improvised wet floor sign warding people off. My eyes move around the building, taking in everything.


    "You sure?" I ask, and his eyes take a trip around as well.


    "Positive." the human nods and my lips purse at his words. Not a whole lot to take him on right now. Still, we''ll figure it out. We''re only getting the thoughts out into the open at the moment.


    "As long as no one comes snooping. That''s the main thing we want to look out for." Pops reminds us as if we could ever forget. Besides, once we get Nin properly locked up, no one will think twice about it. Speech or not. Maybe we can even charge to have sticks go into his backside?


    "I''m sure someone''s going to be feeling jittery about their home. We can always make a point of using it while they''re out." I suggest, knowing there''s already a fair few problems with it right then and there.


    "It would have running water." Hrurim comments between chip decapitations. Bite, sauce dip. Bite, sauce dip.


    "How can we be sure?" Pops asks, and I nudge him with my arm.


    "Pops, if a... If a place like this can still be open, the water''s probably fine." I say and he smirks at me in a rare case of overt smuggery.


    "Pipes are complex constructs. Often not designed to be taken out again. Where one area might have a blockage, others might not." he points out and I give him a quick flash of food-decorated teeth. His paw knocks on my nose and I get back to peeling away at his meal, taking what sides I can get away with taking. He draws the line at the cheesy garlic bread, however.


    "Most places around here have outdoor hoses anyway, don''t they?" Hrurim asks and I pass the question through my memories, not really drawing anything.


    "I... I think there''s a law about it?" I fail to recall entirely, not that it matters. Not like a little bit of breaking and entering won''t tell us the same with the indoor plumbing. As long as I don''t have to go anywhere near the pipes themselves, I''m fine. Especially anything that is so much a sewage pipe.


    "We''ll start in the residential areas. Look them over and have our pick." Pops explains and me and Hrurim nod along, there not being a problem.


    "And if we have to do a little eviction?" I suggest, though I''d rather avoid bloodshed, as that will only complicate things. If the earthquakes hadn''t hit, the police might have a little more time to check their ''Most Wanted'' listings. I doubt with the lack of an open declaration by the mob that the police have assumed Pops is dead.


    "We make it clear we''re guests for a little while." Pops makes loud and clear, another meaty bone in his mouth. He locks his mouth around it, sucking it clean and dry of everything, and it falls. The meatless stick rattles the pile of friends it has made and Pops moves onto the next one. He must''ve ordered quite the rack with how many bones he has.


    "You know, with how much loose change there is... We could always find a hotel?" I suggest and Pops comes to a stop, the rib halfway to his mouth. I look his way, then Hrurim''s.


    "Some shady motel with a big back lot? I''m game." the human shrugs, a smirk coming to both of our faces.


    "Four for the price of three." Pops huffs and I slip my fingers forward, throwing up a menu and having a look through it. A song of temptation fills my throat, glistening with anticipatory saliva. Oh, stomach, hungry, hungry stomach... What do I want for take out?

 Incline 11: Heiya

    "Everyone comes back here at the agreed time. Look over each area thoroughly and don''t get yourself into trouble. Again, Hrurim, stick to the road. Don''t trouble yourself." Pops orders, patting my shoulder and the human''s leg. He goes off, quickly vanishing into the crowd,crowd, and I look up at our friend.


    "I need to stick with the road, anyway. So, shall we?" I offer, giving my paw briefly to Hrurim and I join him on the road, half-heartedly pulling on a random rope.


    "You''re construction sites, aren''t you?" he asks and I nod, minding the red, yellow and green above and the denser than usual foot traffic. Nothing to concern ourselves with.


    "I am. Though, here''s to hoping we don''t end up at one." I say and he chuckles, his head going back towards the wagon and its contents. Minding my hearing carefully, I pick up on the sound of a rustling bag and moving jaws. Noisy eater, Nin is. Any more so and maybe someone will dig him out of the wagon to a screaming crowd.


    "A quick stop by one will do us good. We can sort out a cage for you know who." Hrurim is right to point out, but I can''t help but light a facetious fire in my lungs. If only for one remark.


    "Don''t you mean you know *what?*" I ask him, giving him a rising lip and a bit of teeth slipping out.


    "Don''t be so cruel. Eyes of a man, Heiya. Eyes of a man." Hrurim teases, knocking me up the backside of my head. Ruffling my quills in the process.


    "Says you!" I almost squeal, getting them back into order as he minds the pricks he''s no doubt dotted across his palm. He gives the afflicted hand a quick squeeze, easing whatever stings he''s now got to deal with.


    "Anyway... First turn off is there, you best get going Heiya. More ground we cover, quicker we can get started." Hrurim tells me, his tone sealing itself up with much needed severity. I nod and do much the same.


    "In a bit, then." I tell him, rushing back to grab my take out and then hopping up onto the pavement. I give the human a wave and he carries on at his leisure, obeying the traffic laws while putting his back out. The bag jumps in my paws and I secure the greasy weakness in the paper on the inside of my forearm.


    Turning my gaze to the town''s skyline, I find myself pondering a few things about some broken branches. Steel and welded at that, snapped in twain by falling rock. Somehow, the building didn''t fall with it. A quiet place to have a good look around the town as a whole.


    Taking the first crossing that comes up on me, I slip through a pair of businesshogs and hop the curb. An alley opens up for me and I swing on in, rushing around a few more corners until the town opens up again. I stop in front of the chain-link fence and all the tarp covering it. A click fills my mouth and I sniff about, my eyes catching all that they can.


    No one''s still working here and by the looks of it, the earth itself predicted my arrival. Minding my feet, I hop through the torn up fence and slide into the depths of the dig out. Foundation concrete taps underfoot and I find the skeleton of a still in-shape stairwell. Though there is no breeze underground like the surface has, climbing high still feels much the same.


    The wind is practically howling compared to the streets below. Yet, compared to the surface above, it feels almost refreshing. A nice breeze, a good one. My head pops around and I skirt on over to a broken girder, looking over at the whole town in all of its wounded splendour.


    Slipping down onto my bottom, I put my food and weapon down, leaning back onto one paw as I relax. To my right I can see many of the streets Hrurim is likely going to be giving a look over. And on my left, Pops is probably somewhere in the hustle and bustle of the town''s main street and all its off-shoots.


    My mouth pops open and I tear the bag open all four ways, laying it out like a cross-shaped mat. A thoughtful frown weighs upon my face and I focus on what gives the impression of being a hotel of any description. Much of them are packed out front. Guess the government is subsidising these places while the reconstruction is underway.


    Wrenching a finger under my burger''s bun, I flick it up and over, seed-side down. The delightfully sloppy mess of my burger filling makes my jaw tighten up with want. A want I am more than happy to allow the satisfaction of. My stomach grumbles in agreement and I smile. And while it''s not another milkshake, a glass bottle of pop will certainly help wash it all down.


    "Now... Oh, that''s nice. Now, where are we going to sleep?" I ask myself, disturbing my speech with bits of food and peckish behaviour. Putting my digits to my lips, a round of slippery pops comes to them. Cleaning each wiggling appendage of grease, juice and sauce. The bottle bursts with a fizz and I chuck the disposable lid away into the distance. It smacks along the roof of some building and I laugh at the distant scare it causes.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    No aftershocks, buddy!


    I wipe my eye and calm down, taking a fat bite out of my burger and I follow some roads. I chew and gulp, spotting what appears to be a buildup of civil brigades. No wonder the part-time soldiers are being called up while the actual ones are being talked to. If the giant fell through the surface to the underground, whoever is in charge up top is likely poking around.


    Now anyone with a brain knows that there''s going to be no invasion or war. Nothing of the sort at all. People are on edge, though, and doing nothing while that is the case will only make it worse. Give the impression of a serious concern and they''ll play along.


    "Mmm, maybe if we snatch up some uniforms...?" I throw out to myself, giving myself some noise other than the warped mess of the town below. My head shakes right after. It''s too late to be making new plans, especially without the other two. But that''s the thing about plans. You can only think up so much, and what''s a plan without a bit of breaking?


    Don''t think even Pops has ever had a plan that is so airtight we''ve had nothing to worry about. You can only really set some goals and work towards them. Too much pedanticism with all the details and you''ll never get anywhere with it. Nowhere at all.


    I push myself up and take my burger with me, leaving the rest of my stuff be for the moment. Idling over to the other end of the building, I do much more of the same. The view has changed and my thoughts have stayed the same. I have a view of the town''s port now, though.


    "Guess that ferry from before was quite unlucky." I note as I look the harbour over and the mess that fell onto it. Nearly every other ship docked only has some dents to the topside armour or its side. Easily patchable given some time and effort. That ferry we looted might never even get another glance at again, lest it slip back into the water.


    Perhaps if we need to get out of town with a plan implemented in the run up to it... We can blow some of the ships? Take some rocks out and spook the town? No, that''s a little extreme for the means we have on hand.


    Besides, I''m meant to be looking for safe house locations, not escape plans. Though, that ain''t a bad shout to concern myself with. We have no clue how our time here is going to play out. We can only predict and predict and thinking is tiresome...


    Another bite comes to my mouth and I follow it up with another stuffer. I chew through it, thinking through some more details about what I can see. There''s a car park that has had its top few floors demolished. Take away the layers and there might not even be a building left.


    "Certainly a good option." I remark, noting how much depth the building actually has. If some cocky teens happen to be slipping into our business while Nin is up and about, no one will believe them. How could anyone take an osibindah threat seriously when there''s this many police and soldiers about? Any infestation would be squashed as early as a budding flower stem.


    Seed puree, even.


    I put a paw up on an upward going girder and lean into the motion, focusing on the streets below. It''s going to be a mess remembering the town''s layout on the ground, so I need to find a landmark to work with. Or several. Come on, Heiya, if you can manage this out in the wilderness of the surface and the ancient tunnels down here, then you can manage a town. A place that actually has a map to work with!


    My eyes dart about- Ah, perfect, I can work with a fancy building like that one. A tall, pristine thing that is otherwise blessed by the gods and goddesses. Seems like not a boulder has fallen from the sky onto it. Not one pebble smashing even a window at any point.


    "It''s quite gaudy, though." I comment, almost unsettled by how much money would have to go into a building like that. Better yet, who does it belong to? We''ve certainly hit a mighty vein of bad luck if the owners are anything but reputable. Hopefully, it''s just some company with a flair for the dramatic and outstanding. Nothing mafia-flavoured or so much as sprinkled.


    I snort and look away, returning to my stuff with a rush of attitude. I take the last few bites of my burger and dump the paper, smacking my paws clear of crumbs. They snatch up my gun and bottle right after, cooling one with condensation while making the other firm. I rush back. A swig washes out my mouth and I let my gun go against a cable spool.


    The temptation to pull the trigger goes through me as some fancy dressed lot exit a limousine. Almost too circumstantial, really, gods and goddesses above, I know it''s nothing important. Still, there''s something unsettling about watching a well-tailored hwardgon approach a gaudy building with his trophy girl. An assortment of big men all around the pair.


    "Gamtambo''s not the only crime family... But that doesn''t mean he''s not involved with these lot." I growl, hoisting the gun up and stomping it down at my side. Fizzy pop fills my mouth up again and I wash the burning joy around. A pleasurable hiss escapes me, a burp breaking the consistency of my noises.


    I should head back and find Pops as quick as I can, see if he''s aware of who might be here. I might be overreacting, overly cautious or simply paranoid or any other descriptor. However, Pops will never forgive me if this turns out to be a correct hunch. The divine be willing, it''s nothing to concern myself with once the warning is sent off.


    Another sip clears my head for the moment and I return to finish my food. I quickly dig in, getting myself clean of its weight and troubles. Enjoying it for what it is, is not a task I need a long period with. Just a few bites and some last drops out the top of the bottle and...


    "Of you go!" I let out, tossing the glass across the sky and getting out of view before it hits anywhere. The empty concrete stairwell echoes with my laughter, tunnelling it up and down. The look on whoever''s face will certainly be something, if only I could actually have seen it! Oh, that would''ve been something, something indeed.

 Incline 12: Hrurim

    "Guess we''re getting the best of all worlds." I remark, closing the garage door and locking it up while the two hwardgon sniff about.


    "Only thing we''re missing is a hotel." Heiya comments, knocking over some poor sod''s can of paint. I watch the potent smelling brown seep its way across the concrete, making a mess of whatever it clings to. Tearing down some cloth with a probably important picture on it, I slap it between the paint and the wagon. Can''t have it getting onto one of the wheels.


    "Don''t know what you mean. We have beds and breakfast here." I say, ushering the daughter out of the garage so we can leave Nin to whatever it is he''ll be up to. He''s not going anywhere, and he''s not going to have the strength to put into motion any plans. Him being home alone is not a concern.


    "Heiya, go upstairs and get an eye on the street. We''ve no clue how light our time is." Ivahstar tells his little girl, moving her on further ahead and I find a counter to lean on. At the height it''s made for, however, it''s more of a seat than the actual ones.


    "This house is under renovation. Never mind the damage putting a halt to it all." I let out, looking about at all the covered up furniture and decorations. Seems like the owners were getting something fairly general mixed with a full room extension. Bits of architectural reformatting, otherwise.


    "Make the cage ourselves." Ivahstar says and I nod my initial reply. If we keep up the impression that the renovations are carrying on, albeit now with more work... Even the owners would buy our reasons for being here. We can even lie that I am some help brought in from the surface because our heavy equipment has been taken. Conscripted, acquired, whatever.


    Folk with the kind of money to do this to their home will buy anything that makes sense.


    "I''ll need the usual kit for metal working, if that''s the case. Whoever was working this property didn''t leave anything, though. They must''ve actually packed up back when the initial problems hit." I explain, looking around some more, not finding a single wrench or screwdriver I might be able to smash up to make something of it.


    "That won''t be a problem. Enough mess around town to make something of it all." Ivahstar says as I push myself up to my feet once more. Keeping a hand out, I stop my head from banging on anything too needlessly. At worst, it softens the blow.


    "I''ve always loved shopping trips." I let out, huffing as the ever serious elder hwardgon stares back at me. My smile grows, and he starts to knock on some of the cabinets, testing the metal hinges for all they''re worth.


    "You did pack sufficient scrap?" he asks, turning back to face me. I shrug my answer and think about the mental image of the town Heiya helped make.


    "We''re probably better off poking about a construction site or two. Take some real quality steel from them. They''ll have actual bars, for starters. Concrete won''t be much of an issue to handle, either. We can smash the mesh right out of it." I explain, poking around a cupboard to see what supplies the owners might''ve left behind. Long-lasting stuff in jars and cans. Pickled foods and syrupy sogginess.


    "Should be a van or lorry lingering about at one of them, too." Ivahstar thinks and I nod along.


    "Mm, yeah. We''re going to want something they can handle a package while not being awkward on us for it." I say and Ivahstar shuts the cupboard up, not finding anything more than bowls and empty tubs.


    "Get the vehicle first?" he ponders openly and I offer a hand for his paw.


    "Will be a good idea. Let''s me make the cage better, knowing what dimensions I have to work with. Better bonds are one thing. Comforting the dealer is something else." I say and Ivahstar frowns, one of the kitchen taps coming on. I keep my joke to myself but smile over it, nonetheless. It''s water, silly old hegge.


    "Don''t make it too tight on the bug. Too little room and he''ll seem dead." Ivahstar cautions and I nod again.


    "Aye, let the predator prowl about for a moment." I say and we head off, quickly leaving the house behind us. The door clicks its lock and I give a quick wave to the girl on the top floor, no doubt spying us. The hand slips into one of my pockets and I pat around the rest for my sticks and lighter.


    I ''ah'' at my discovery and flick the two containers out. One comes up with a mechanical click and the other a cardboard tap. I pucker the cigarette between my lips and light the lighter. Everything goes back in my pockets and I satisfy myself with an easy sigh.


    "So, is there anything else on your mind, old friend?" I decide to pop out into the open while we have quiet streets between us. No daughter within earshot to pick up on anything. It''s a gamble, though, if Ivahstar is going to open up about anything.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "Heiya mentioned something when we met back up," he grumbles and I force a frown into being despite the satisfaction of my stress relief. Life throws a lot about and I can enjoy it all again with but a huff and then a puff. And maybe a pack of them in a day if things are quite bad.


    "Right, that building." I recall on top of the way she was acting when she brought it up. She cannot be sure if it''s what we should be cautious of, but the gods have never damned the cautious man. Only the one who lives a carefree life dominated and ruled by a love of ignorance. Well, that tends to be how it goes.


    "I would never willingly take us on a route through Gamtambo''s territory." Ivahstar lets out, his growl scaring a kid across the street. I gently knock against his head, coming to a stop alongside him by some neighbourhood post box.


    "Try not to worry about anything, old friend. You have no way of knowing how much his mob has expanded since you were last down here. We don''t even know if he''s on the losing end." I say and Ivahstar gruffs loudly, his head shaking without an end in sight. I watch the former hitman run a finger around the street, pointing out so many things without a word or noise. Some make sense, others don''t.


    My instincts grasp what my mind cannot.


    "I set too much up for him to do well with. There''s no way he''s anything but all-powerful." Ivahstar speaks, his experience with dirty work making anything but realistic pessimism the option.


    "All the more reason for you to terrify the prickly bastard!" I huff, trying to breathe some joy back into the miserable circumstances we call our present and future. Ivahstar looks up to me, a good few decades of criminal experience burning my wick through the wax. Right down to the cracking, sooty jar. My lips straighten and the smile is gone.


    "Terrify is the least I want to do," he tells me, walking off with little care that he''s leaving me behind. I sigh out the smoke in my lungs and linger on the curb to take a few more puffs. He loves his daughter, he really does. Even more so since the day she became the only bit of family he has left. It''s an enormous risk to be down here. It''s a wonder we haven''t run into anything already.


    Ivahstar, for all his experience and cunning, lacks the humility to let go of his one defining feature. That blood wasp gun of his is simply too famous for his own good. Not many people can claim to have a weapon like that, so few do, even. I wouldn''t be surprised if Gamtambo even played a part in that.


    Make it so that everyone else is too scared to use a weapon like that, all to make Ivahstar stick out all the more. I swear, as well, Ivahstar just ain''t as common a name as it used to be. Like the mob boss is hunting everything that so much as sniffs like him. The hitman that has a name that inspires terror everywhere in the dark underground.


    And does the world not show a greater sign of terror than putting in all the efforts one can to destroy the problem? No matter if it''s a man on his own, a boss in charge of a criminal empire or the emperor of an actual one. Violence is the answer when terror is the question. Utter, complete and total.


    I take another huff from my stick, burning so much of it away to ash. It falls away with a knock and flies on the barely there underground breeze. I get going, catching up with Ivahstar as his eyes continue to work even in their growing age. Only a hint exists as to how much he''s already figured out in his head.


    "Might be worth taking the stolen car to one of the destroyed parking lots Heiya spoke of." I say, minding a few sedans and the distinct shape and style of a hwardgon''s motor luxury. Curvy and bulbous, like the pressed up fat of a thigh in leggings and garter. A mental image that brings a bit of a shiver to me with my prior employment. Heh, certainly one way to ruin a woman''s body for a man.


    "Mmmm." is all Ivahstar bothers to let out as we loop around the circling street to get to the other side. Slipping my foot under some ball, I practice a few kicks and tricks and send it off onto the lawn. I second guess the front of the houses, finding it a bit odd they go so far as to bother with grass.


    "Honestly, spend all your time underground and you emulate the surface for luxury." I chuckle and Ivahstar knocks a paw on a nearby white picket fence. Bouncing along it until he has no more wood to make a song with anymore.


    "How can''t we?" he asks and I look down, shrugging, as the obvious answer comes to mind. No matter how you look at it, like with all races outside of those in the holy texts. It all comes back to the seed of the claymen. Humanity.


    Me and Ivahstar look nothing alike and we most certainly aren''t related. But the blood of men still flows through his veins the same as it does me. Hwardgon blood, however, only flows in him. The same as aelenvari blood only flows in them and whatever other dozen races there are that can cast magic.


    "If you''re still up for travelling when all is said and done, I''m sure we can reopen some old deals down here." I suggest, seeing if I can get Ivahstar''s mind to accept something a little calmer for the moment. A flash in the pan for anything but more seriousness and professional uptightness.


    "Sell magic off to the towns and cities of the underground like me and Heiya did to the Lowlands?" he asks, huffing all sorts of memories out into his behaviour and actions.


    "Yeah, but this time, maybe actually sell an actual product?" I question, chuckling with recollections of the few bits of mail we were able to share back in the day he was still doing it. Selling off waste to those who didn''t know better. The stuff didn''t even have a name until Ivahstar''s transactions gave it one. Fool''s Gold, for who is the kind of idiot to buy waste material? Why Lowlanders, of course!


    People so lacking in magic that Nin would actually be safe living among them.


    "I always sell actual products. Just not always good ones." Ivahstar lets out, a rare snicker escaping the maximum security prison that is his personality. I give him a little smile, nudging my friend along as he reminds me that even in the jaded can jade be found. Needs a polish, is all.


    "Come on, we''ve got work to be doing." I chuckle some more, finishing up with my stick and giving someone''s car an ashy cut.

 Incline 13: Hrurim

    Looking up from my current bit of work, I glance around the truck''s dashboard, "You know, I''m surprised you know how to drive one of these things. To get it out into the open."


    Ivahstar spares me the moment to offer me his eyes, "Wouldn''t have been able to do the work I do without knowing how."


    "Yeah, but, it''s been so long..." I point out, drawling myself out with a sigh at how exhausting it is to consider the length of time. Heiya was a small child when Gamtambo went after Ivahstar, so it''s at least been as long as that. Fifteen years? Twenty? I don''t even know. I never cared to ask Heiya her age. Certainly haven''t been made privy to either of their birthdays.


    I know certainly that there are odd days in my memory from the past handful of years. Two days. Both of these days, the pair are much happier than usual. They certainly show that happiness a lot more to each other quite a lot on those days. Guess those are their birthdays. And I cannot even remember what day of the year... Damn. No teasing for me.


    "We''ll need to handle the licence plate when we get back," Ivahstar remarks as we stop at a red light, a pair of police officers on the beat at the crossing. I keep my eyes on the down low and keep picking away at the concrete block. Whittling it down nose-picking sized piece by much the same. My lips part with a wet noise.


    "I can''t particularly do that. Too many details." I say and Ivahstar shakes his head, almost as if to taunt me that I barely fit inside the cabin. Hwardgon-made goods are no happy riding time for me. No siree.


    "I''ll handle it, then. We have what we need to jumble the code, and eyes will only be open for this code." Ivahstar tells as my dusty hand leaves a print up on the dashboard. I eye the handprint and ruin it with a dragging swipe.


    "If it gets reported." I huff and the quillback bastard gives me another nod.


    "Lucky for us, the police are busier than usual to handle motor theft." Ivahstar says as we turn, bouncing on the curb a bit. I smirk down at my friend as he acts like nothing happened.


    "I retract what I said earlier." I say, the expression growing as he frowns my way. Not a speck of attention on the road.


    "Don''t know what you mean," he lets out, showing off more and more to batter down any attempt to pull on his strings. I keep it to a smile and go back to my work of freeing up more steel mesh. Wasn''t much trouble at all, really, finding what we need. It was all practically being asked to be stolen with how much of it was simply lying about.


    For all the trouble the earthquake has caused us to this point, this bit of help is appreciated. Still, the earthquake can face the worst kind of damnation as it''s the whole reason we''re doing this! Stupid giant... Stupid bug. Go fight your end-of-the-world duels elsewhere.


    Breaking away from my work, I look out at the street and watch as it goes by. The hustle and bustle of the underground people and their neon-loving architecture. Frilly dresses and slicked back jackets made of a black leather. Ribbons in the spines of the girls, a greasy shine in the attitude rocking boys. A people that can use magic but are not as defined by it as the people on the surface. Mountain-dwelling or Ravineer, it matters not.


    Mm, I remember my first time going underground to hwardgon lands. I remember it so clearly in the foggy, vague kind of way. Flat open tunnels filled with the rumble of engines and pairs of dim lights. Wide open caverns full of dance and merriment.


    If I recall my history lessons, as well, this isn''t even the homeland of the hwardgon. The underground, that is. They''re a surface people, much like everyone else. Born in the Time of Liquid Mountains, along with all the other races.


    But, unlike the others, something drove them underground, and they thrived here. Thrived so much that they picked up all the mineral wealth one could think of. And where honest trade exists, so do slime-tongued liars. Two-faced creatures I am more than happy to be in the employment of so long as I see a well filled back at the end of my efforts.


    Work that introduced me to my friend here... So stoic-faced and yet so readable at the same time. To me, anyway. Even then, he''s still much of a mystery. Aren''t you, Ivahstar?


    "You know I''ll never love again." Ivahstar comments, throwing me about for a wild ride that I could never see coming. I cough on nothing and reorient my head, but I cannot do it. How can I!?


    "Wa-Was that a joke about...?" I struggle to say as his slight smirk settles down into something miserable. His chest heaves and empties, though not as much as his spirit.


    "Look." Ivahstar tells me, pointing out across the steering wheel.


    "Oh... We parked." I quip, shaking my head and following his finger.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "This place has Heiya worried." Ivahstar lets out thoughtfully and I crouch down how I can to give an understanding nod.


    "It''s no wonder, look at the place. We''ve no doubt got eyes on us already. Eyes that will spill the truth with me here." I caution and he grumbles something that I do not think even comes close to resembling words. Still, if we were a hwardgon pair, it would be easier to hide our snooping. But with me being a human... Well.


    "I think we should take our chances," he lets out and my head shakes, almost burning off my scalp in the process with the friction from the roof.


    "No." I assert as firmly as I can to my old friend. I reach out for him, grabbing his arm and squeezing it as I become nervous about the twitch in his leg. We didn''t bring our main gear with us, and we don''t even have enough of that, either! All we have right now are a couple of one-handed pieces that are only two steps away from being waste of space barburs.


    He turns and looks me in the eye, an odd shine to the edges of his. My gaze mellows and my grip loosens while his tightens, turning white even through his dark fur. A thousand bullets must be in his ears right now. The fire in his look is certainly not determination. No, it''s all a memory.


    "Let''s get going, before we have someone snooping too close to all of our stuff." I insist and Ivahstar shakes himself out of the unfortunate life he is reliving. He blinks once and harshly, forcing the wet rim of his eyes away. His grip eases up, and he stomps, burning rubber. I go back, hitting my seat and we get back onto the road, an unstable throw-about on our back section.


    Turning around, I look through the glass and watch it stabilise, tearing at my heart otherwise. A noise of relief slips through my lips and down my nostrils and I shake my head. I get back to work, nearly done anyhow. However, I can''t find it in me to keep going at it.


    "So... Ivahstar... Growing up, did you ever get any of those toys with the toys inside of them?" I ask, though not correctly, as the name is slipping through my mind. How do I explain it? Those rock toys you break apart to find a model on the inside? Oh, he''ll know if he ever had one.


    "Didn''t do toys growing up," he answers, his rough early life coming back to mind.


    "Ah, right." I let out, my mood flattening as it becomes apparent I''m at as much of a dead end as they can really get. Unbreakable rocks ahead, flesh-eating monster right behind me, ready to gobble me up. Screaming and crying and all that good stuff terror makes you do as you die.


    "I think I know what you''re on about, though." Ivahstar says, a slight rise to his lips putting one back onto my face.


    "Do you? Those rock things that came with the hammer and chisel thing. Usually some kind of skeleton model on the inside. Like a forge''s cast or something. Or anything that pours liquids into moulds, really?" I say and my old friend nods, a clear picture probably in his head either way.


    "Nah. I don''t have a clue," he says and I let out a quick laugh.


    "Honestly." I say, getting a nudge from him as he shifts gears.


    "Personally, I prefer the ones for adults. They call them bank vaults and sticks of demolition charges." Ivahstar tells me, his tone taking on that usual tell of dry enlightenment.


    "Oh, I know the ones you mean! There''s this toy company... Gamtambo or something. They make a good few of them. Lovely prank material. I heard the company did such a silly thing though..." I say, carrying on the joke as a sadistic smirk comes to both of our lips. Anything to degrade the bastard we''re here to get, ey?


    "Hm?" Ivahstar goes, already pulling us to a stop so we don''t have an accident.


    "They used their actual money!" I laugh out, smacking my crumble dusted leg as Ivahstar roars with delight. I come to a stop and he keeps ongoing, all that pain fuelling his want for a chance to laugh at them. Soon, my friend. Soon we shall give you an actual moment to laugh like this.


    He keeps on going and going, simmering out of his own accord. He switches back to normal, his expression becoming something that might as well have never changed. A quick snort comes out of him. We drive off.


    "I tell you what, though. It''ll be a lovely time when I get out and stretch my legs." I say, dumping the concrete out onto what little seat there is next to me. Keeping my grip on the mesh, however, I try to bend and straighten it. Though, I don''t get very far with steel of this quality. Not with my magic-lacking backside. Guess I need more wagon pulling time to build up my natural muscles!


    "Will you? I assumed you''d want to be in front when we leave town." Ivahstar remarks, some of that uncharacteristic joker still inside of him. A pained huff wheezes through my nose.


    "Gods above, kill me now if that is how it''s going to be." I lament, already hating how much I feel squashed and cramped.


    "There''s no rain down here, anyway. Weather is always the same." Ivahstar tells me, dismissing my moans and groans.


    "Yeah, dark." I moan one last time as we turn onto a familiar road.


    "Mm, guess we should look for a tarp?" Ivahstar asks, his eyes dashing about to get a peek at our stolen goods. I shrug on both of our behalf and settle in as much as I can. Moment we stop on the driveway or in the garage itself, I want to spring out into the open. Fly into a wall if I have to, just, please... Whatever god is in my head, free me from the claustrophobia of this damn truck!


    "Freedom!" I cry out pre-emptively, seatbelt lashing back into its socket as I reach for the door. I shove it open, the motion of the truck defying my attempts. Popping out, I stroll for a moment and stretch my legs, the door banging away behind me.


    "Open the garage, will you?" Ivahstar asks of me as if I have much choice while he has a gun mockingly pulled on me. He settles it down, keeping it out of view of the neighbours as they give us ponderous looks. A rare moment of people focusing on those around them in these parts.


    "Yeah, yeah..." I groan as an ache stings both of my knees. Honestly, the gun might be a cure for how much soreness I''ll be feeling in no time at all. Seriously... I''ve been hauling all the luggage and the wagon itself and I''ve been stuffed into a car. What am I going to do about this friendship? Oh, I wonder.


    "Welcome back, lazy good for nothings." Heiya greets as she leans on the entranceway. I heave the garage open and let Ivahstar get in. The truck putters on through, blasting me with engine fumes.


    "Says you!" I snap back, slamming the garage door down so no one can get to peeking at our osibindah payday. Heiya giggles and I smirk in turn, her personality far more agreeable to conversation despite how her father''s been on the car ride.

 Incline 14: Heiya

    "Hm, she was rather light for how she dressed." I remark under the noises of the street as my fingers slip another bank note clear of its pocket prison. No one''s paying enough attention on these crowded roadside walks. Such a perfect killing field for people and finger nosy as me. A couple more motions and I am a couple more slips of minted paper heavier.


    I see a gap between some people and pass on through to a set of steps to catch my breath. Licking my thumb, I get to ordering my ill-got money and bundle it up nice and secure. Don''t want to be making the wrong choice right after making so many right ones. If it can happen to them, it''ll happen to me, too.


    Stuffing the roll of notes down my front, I guard myself further against those similar to me. I fake some stretches and get back into the thick of it. Practically dancing on my way back out of the crowd with a fan of money. It all comes back together, becoming such an attractive wad of cash.


    I repeat the process until I have a well-developed six pack. Only, not one made of raw muscle, but probably every kind of note in existence. It''s enough to make a girl feel stuffed. Gods and goddesses, though, I wish it were food making my gut uncomfortable right now.


    I''m sure Hrurim wouldn''t mind if I spent a bit of the money getting myself something to eat. But Pops would care. He knows how good I am at things like this. Him teaching me set me to too good of a standard to be able to lie. Still, something cheap is hardly going to make him notice.


    What to eat, though? I can either pop into the shops for something or deal out more for a cooked meal. A thoughtful grumble leaves me, almost alike the stomach that should be rumbling. It carries on and on as I survey the street, a bite on my lower lip-


    "Ah!" I go, finding a vendor of some kind. My nose comes to life with the fury of an angered tyrant. The smells of searing meat and toasty buns are all that are allowed into its lands. Sauce that has caked up the nozzle and pickled toppings. Such lovely smells.


    The vendor waves a lovey-dovey couple farewell and spots me. He gives me a warm smile, almost as warm as his equipment, really. I toss him a note without much care and he gives it little concern. He saw the colour, so I now have the pick of the litter.


    "I''ll have a wing wrap toastie, please." I say, minding my manners as he wiggles all his free fingers over the sauces and toppings. My eyes shift, glancing at the images of the food on offer. A ponderous click spits out my salivating salvation. It slips back in, running along my teeth in a pre-emptive stroke. Two fingers curl into a fist and I knock on the covers for several things.


    I want two sauces, whatever the red is and whatever the white with herbs is. Crisping onions separating the buns from the main body of the bat. Some leafy greens to suck up all the melted fat, too. Best of all, a smothering of butter into the bread to give it a real shine that can match the surface''s daytime.


    The vendor makes me two, although I only asked for one and I cock a brow. He gives me another smile, putting them both on a cheap slate tray. What little paper he does have covers the top, and he makes sure I have a firm grip. I give him a smile and head off, an eager giggle rippling to the surface as I come across an impossible sight.


    "Huh, to think a town like this has a small garden done like the surface." I click, going on in and finding a bench to kick up on. It''s not particularly busy for the moment and I have no problems lounging on the full length of the bench. My nearest nail dives in, tearing the paper open and getting a nailful of steam for the trouble. It whips away, waving in the cooler cavern air as the warmth continues to pass through the stone and into my lap and more.


    Bringing the first toastie out, I play with the wings of the poor bat now feeding me. No bones to worry about at all and whoever handled the deboning certainly did well. They''ve barely damaged the top of the wings to do so. Leaving so much crispy crisp skin for me to bite through!


    I moan in delight, filling the bigger cavern that is my stomach. So much crunches in my mouth and it''s all I can hear. The rest of the town might as well not exist. Bite after bite and anything that comes close to messing with what I can hear ticks me the wrong way.


    Giggling. Some woman keeps giggling. My head snaps around, a lengthy draw to my next bite as a snarl takes over in a flash. That couple from before.


    Nothing special either way, but happy all the same. A ring of gold and diamond on one finger and a ring of nothing but gold on another. They''re quite young, probably... No more older or younger than me, actually.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Well... My moment certainly got ruined." I say, finding myself combusting into a state of misery as the couple ignores the world around them. Sharing each other''s food. Teasing each other with the bits they don''t like. Sneaking in moments to have a quick kiss.


    A harsh sniffle breaks my focus, and I finish the first of my toasties. The second one doesn''t seem all that nice, now. A greasy pile of sloppy oil and charred bat bits. I didn''t even care enough to make it something I''d really, really like. Bet those two did, though. I bet they giggled and laughed all the while as I was lost in my own world and as I approached...


    "If he can afford a ring like that, surely he''s got something on his person?" I sulk quietly to myself, going through my next toastie with abusive greed. No savouring, no time to enjoy it. I just eat it. Munch, mash and cham until I have an empty paw.


    I toss the box away and hear it shatter on a bark-skinned root. My eyes go back to the couple as the husband smears some sauce on the wife''s fur. She giggles at him, using her greasy fingers to wet willy him. He throws himself back, irking in disgust as she continues to giggle and laugh. Though, not even she dares to lick the culprit finger.


    "You''re disgusting..." I mutter as the husband exclaims it, a cloth coming out to wipe their fingers clean. She leans close, giving him a peck on the nose and they get up. Their rubbish goes into a bin and they leave the park, leaving me to my thoughts. Like a hooked fish, however, I chase after them through no want of my own.


    I use all my training to keep out of sight and focus on what they say. A dream I can never have, not now, not with what I have to deal with. It certainly is something, though, isn''t it? Running away from the big bad with the love of your life being the only one you can rely on.


    The films and stories have it so often for a reason. Gods and goddesses above. Even back when Serelv was doing films, he did the same thing. Wild in the Underground Country, I''m pretty sure. My word is there so much trivia about him in my heart.


    "So... Darling, I was thinking. About our honeymoon?" the wife asks the husband, bringing me out of my wayward thoughts. I let them crash and the survivors burn to their deaths.


    "What about it, hm? I''ve got it all sorted, don''t worry!" he insists, a reassuring shake bobbing her decorated head clearly even through the crowd. I click and snarl as some big man gets in my way for only a second or two.


    "No-No-No! It''s nothing big, I... I''m just very happy you sorted out what you did. You told me at the start of all this I had two choices. And, well... You''ve worked so hard to make it so I have no choices." she tells him, breaking apart into whispers and swooning as she leans into him and holds him tight.


    "I felt so bad telling my precious she had a choice between seeing her favourite singer live and getting married." he chuckles and the pair share a lengthy kiss that never seems to end. I gulp as my cheeks burn and stumble over a crushed can. Getting back up, I straighten myself out and scowl as one part of those words sticks to me.


    Favourite singer?


    "I just can''t believe it!" she almost squeals, dancing at his side.


    "I heard Serelv Preslav is one of those kinds of performers that pays real close attention to his fans." the husband laughs and the pair turn a corner, vanishing from sight as my heart skips a beat. There''s a Serelv Preslav concert or something soon!?


    "CLOSE TO HERE!?" I scream, spooking the entire street and I vanish out of view. Slapping myself down onto a blue wheelie bin, I get my breathing in check. Not a recording, not something that I can find in a music shop. An actual show!


    Serelv Preslav is performing somewhere close to here!?


    I squeal and squeal, growing hotter and hotter as my inner girl takes over. My legs won''t stop bouncing and my hands can''t stop squeezing. If we make the right moves, we can go right that way. We can take a break from all this mafia business and see a show directly!


    I can... I can see him in person with Pops. Hrurim and... An in-person show.


    "Wow..." I struggle to say, my lungs otherwise collapsing into a dreamy mess as my heart flutters. It won''t stop doing so, I can''t make it stop. I''m going to feint and never see the day again at this rate. Oh, come on, take me to a land of dreams already!


    I sigh and shake my senses as much as they can be shaken. I drag myself back to reality and suffer in the confines of it. Still, should we be lucky, we might pass that way. Pops talked about having more moments that are us being a family... This can be one of those moments.


    No work, no jobs, no thoughts going anywhere. Me and him, no one else. No Hrurim to banter with, no Nin or anyone like him to sell, trade or snitch on. Me and Pops and the music.


    The mood, the feel, all of it. I can share a moment with him that''s a little more than just a ''he knows I like this musician'' and all that. He''ll be able to see it, maybe even feel it himself if the music is right.


    Another sigh comes out of me and I slump down onto the ground. My mouth moves about, an uncomfortable truth in my heart. We''re not going to go. It''s not going to happen...


    "Girl can hope, I guess." I mutter, shrugging my pointless dreams aside. I force my way up to my feet and throw myself back onto the street. A clock comes into sight and I stare at its hands as they keep themselves far, far away from the wanted spot. Pops wants me back in the evening and that evening is yet to come.


    Bah. Bah... Bah! Baaaaah!


    I get back to work with a frustrated shake to my actions. But never a lack of caution. Never that. My eyes meet a potential victim and I go away, too noticeable to them now.


    "Take my mind elsewhere, street." I demand of the scenery as the sound of music starts to break its ambience. Each step makes the playing song clearer, and the tune makes me stop. Gods and goddesses, all of them above and in the world with us... It''s a damn Serelv song!

 Incline 15: Heiya

    "Alright... This should be enough." I sigh and grumble, getting all the money together into something more controllable. I stole a sturdy bag earlier, so I''m at least now devoid of the discomfort that comes with stuffing it all down my front. Not like anyone is going to suspect anything with a bag like this, though. Certainly not in as public a space as this.


    A shop''s bell goes off, alerting me to a giggling horde that is rampaging out of a shop. Minding the problem, I keep to the side and wait for them to get out of my damn way. One face sticks out and my patience snaps in two already. It''s that woman I punched in the face back when I slipped into town.


    She spots me and her face lights up with everything but the gossip girl it was before. She flinches back and her group follows her focus. It all lands on me. I smirk at the even more make-up bedecked woman and give my knuckles a few flexes. It''s a comfortable feeling, really. Feeling all that energy go in and out, the way my bones and veins interact with each other.


    Such a wonderful way to pass the boring seconds...


    "You!" the shrill thing goes, finding her backbone just enough to sort out her footing. Even then, it wobbles. So dangerously thin the strength in her legs is, I could almost whistle, and she''d fall.


    "Me." I huff, crossing my arms and knocking the bag behind my legs. I secure myself between a rock and a hard place, keeping it clear of their childish attempts. Should they so try. As if I''d let them get particularly far, anyway.


    "WHY I OUGHT TO-!?" it screams, her eyes already going all over the place for what I assume is a police officer. As if they''re going to take something like this seriously. Not like I can''t outrun them, even if it is the case. She will not be doing anything now, regardless. Some guy has her cupped at the mouth.


    "I''m sorry about Mui, you gave her quite the fright the other day." he huffs, keeping a calm smile even as his eyes take on that distinct aspect. Been around it enough to know what an on-guard flexing of the pupils is. Guess he must''ve thought I was some bloke like him. Turns out, I''m a dainty little thing with arms fit for the catwalk.


    "Gave her more than that." I scoff, throwing a gesture out at the odd discrepancy in her makeup. All that extra layering. Oh, I wonder... Really, I do. What are we hiding under all of that powder, foundation, and shadow?


    A giggle comes through my teeth, and I watch Mui shiver back into the safety of her group. Whatever girlie stuff it is they do, they get to it. Reassuring her ego, telling her that I am such a vile person. All that nonsense. The boy, however, he gives them a quick wave and moves closer.


    He keeps the smile, "So, you''re quite the dangerous woman, then?"


    "Probably the single most dangerous thing in your life." I say back to him, hooking a paw around the bag handle and stepping closer to him. He unzips his leather jacket, showing off his hard work, and he pats around for something. His fingers slip into a pocket and pull out a card.


    "Interested in coming by in a bit, then?" he asks, handing me what now seems to be a business card. A quill tender shop. Oddly specific, normally they''re all called barbers. What, no one in Agadton trims their fur when they get their quills polished and pointed?


    "I''ll consider it. But, I''m also a bit busy myself. Any reason why I should come?" I''m more than happy to ask him, moving closer with a ferocity he''s not prepared for. He backs up, eyes wide and a wavering smirk on his face. For a moment, I know his brain is empty. One heartbeat passes, and a chuckle starts to come out.


    "Oh-ho-ho! You''re certainly a one of a kind. Still, come on by, I would love to talk to you more," he tells me and I flick an incisor over my bottom lip. He barely knows a thing about me and he''s hanging around the usual lot who are nothing like me. Don''t even need more than my voice to tell that we''re not the same.


    "Now I know I''m not around much, but is it not still normal to ask a girl her name before taking her places?" I ask and he flashes a line of white at me.


    "My apologies, Darl''. Might I know?" this real sweetheart asks me and I roll my eyes as a smirk hooks the ends of my lips.


    "Heiya. My name is Heiya." I tell him, moving closer to jab at the gap between his pectorals. His chest goes back and forth, taking it with more reaction than I am applying in force.


    "Puhak." he finally reveals with a slight nod and wink sending him off. He gives me a wave and I can''t help but return it. My brow cocks and arches, growing without restraint until it hurts.


    "What a strange man." I let out, throwing my bag up and catching it. A thoughtful noise bounces in my mouth and I flick the card up. My eyes go over the red body and the fake gold inlay. Whatever this white symbol is, it''s lost on me with all this finer detail on such a small scale.


    Fine Tips.


    I bring a paw up and run it through my quills, minding their feel and texture. I can''t help but try and catch a glance at Puhak''s distant group, and I even try to find Mui amongst it. They''re too far now and I never paid much attention beforehand. Is he insulting the quality of my quills?Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    I know I don''t exactly have access to the finest means of looking after them. They''re certainly rougher than everyone else''s. Gods and goddesses of it, whichever it is, I''m pretty sure my quills are probably some of the worst in this whole town. The one thing about myself I feel particularly confident about, and it doesn''t mean a whole lot when I see them all.


    My paw scrunches up and the tips of my quills rattle and shake. I bring my paw to my face and give it a look, uncertain if all the dirt and other bits of filth are from it. I can''t tell with the help of nearby glass, either. It''s also too mucky or too bright on the inside. Another noise of thought catches between my teeth and I chew on it.


    I focus on a mannequin and walk in front of it, doing my best to match its posture. The people on the street are more than uncaring enough to give me my limited space. Each expression, however, my mood plummets and plummets. All the way to the lowest point in the world.


    Mui, Puhak and their friends must''ve gone clothes shopping. Looking around at the very least. Trying outfits they might look cute or good in. Sharing the moment as that is all that really matters at the end of this day and all the others to come long after.


    A sigh comes on out, ruining the reflection further, and my back straightens. I best get going, anyhow. Nearly time for me to head back Pops'' way, anyway. Out too long and I''ll match Mui''s handmade makeup blow for blow.


    Still, it''s a big town and I''m not all that familiar with the neighbourhood. Girl can easily get lost if she''s not paying enough attention. A shrug starts my walk and I head on off, thoughts gathering themselves as I do so. I look at the card again, a lengthy mmmmmmm vibrating my throat into a dance.


    The street details mean absolutely nothing to me, but I can make guesses. Surely the business itself is similar to the colour of the card? Whatever, I guess. If I find it, I find it.


    Not like he''s going to be there, anyway. He''s out with his friends. Heh, maybe I should find it and then sneak by during the night. Give him a real show of what I meant when I said I am dangerous. Nah, funny as that is, it''s not worth the effort at all.


    "And somehow all of the effort would be dealing with Pops." I huff, crossing the street and getting a clear view of an event in the process. I linger on the edge of the road, halfway between it and fully getting up on the pavement. My eyes narrow at the banner, and the familiar name of Serelv catches my attention. A pair of legs move and I forget they''re even mine.


    A competition regarding Serelv Preslav?... What kind? Might just be up my alley. Though, it''s certainly not on my side of the road!


    "I''M WALKING HERE!" I blare at a horn-roaring car, my strongest arm up in a violent flick of displeasure. Strutting up to the edge of the crowd, I snoop around to find a way to get closer. Whatever is going on, there are no speakers, despite all the other bits of effort present. There''s official merchandise and more and it even seems like one of Serelv''s personal social circle is here.


    I know I recognise that face from somewhere and my instincts are telling me it''s a record cover. Wherever it is I recall him from, it certainly gives this whole thing some weight. A degree of weight I only feel more and more as I get closer. Girls and women alike are coming away screaming and crying over nothing more than... Dreams.


    "Come, come! Get your tickets, get your tickets for a one in a lifetime opportunity!" Serelv''s Groupie calls out, gesturing for money and handing out tickets in turn. I mind my bag and find myself shoved ahead to the table, decked out and glittered in a polished shine. He looks at me, smiling nothing but showmanship''s greed.


    Another girl smashes over me, throwing her money at him and getting a ticket. Another does and another, battering me down until someone grabs me. I turn and somehow find myself face-to-face with Puhak again. He chuckles, helping me up.


    "I never took you for a Serelv fan!" he says, holding me close through the necessity of being stuck in this crowd.


    "W-Well, I-I AM!" I struggle to regulate as I hold my bag tight.


    "You got the money!?" he asks, pulling us somewhere safer. Seriously, I''m being mauled by girls I would normally knock out in a single punch!


    "I DO!" I screech, their energy shaking me to my core as my other danger senses burn and flicker.


    "''EY, MATE, A TICKET FOR ME LADY FRIEND!" Puhak roars over the women, catching the closest salesman''s attention. Digging about the bag and mindlessly looking for a price, I pull out what I need. I throw it across the table, snatching the ticket up. The crowd becomes nothing more than an obstacle and I force my way through, battering it aside.


    "Choke a girl another time, hm!?" I heave in frustration as I zip the bag back up. Puhak stumbles out behind me, a line of red on his brow now.


    "Damn... You hurt!" he chuckles, brushing himself down and slicking back his greasy quills.


    "Did I get you?" I ask, not hearing him fully.


    "You did," he goes, chuckling more as I find a place to sit down. He joins me and I look over the ticket. A thing of solid metal that has a hole punched in and a keychain threaded on through. It may look like gold, but the smell alone makes it clear it''s cheap brass. A single sentence of pure black numbers runs across it, along with some other legal hubbub.


    So... This is a chance for me to see Serelv Preslav in person? More than that...? Wait... How am I even going to hide this from Pops!?


    "Got a lot going on through your head, don''t you?" Puhak asks, his eyes minding my expression quite a bit. Almost too much, really.


    "Nothing you''re privy to." I huff, closing him off as I hook the ticket to my outfit, tucking it away somewhere stable. Puhak looks me over. His brain certainly developed enough to tell that there''s something uncanny about me. Perhaps it makes me a curiosity to him, but, whatever.


    "Say, how long are you in town, anyway, Heiya?" Puhak asks as I mind the street, not paying him much mind as I otherwise ponder my ticket. It''s such a slim chance and I fully understand why there''s such a vicious, ferocious crowd right before us.


    "As long as it takes for my Mr to sort out a deal. Why?" I answer, then ask, looking his way as the crowd makes him breathless. I know this kind, too. He''s got to go back in there. It''s enough to make me grin in anticipation.


    "There''s a bit of a shindig going on down at one of the pools. Was wondering if you wanted to come? You''ll certainly liven the place up in a way we''re not used to," he offers and my face heats up in a peculiar manner. I''m... I''m being asked to go to a social event...? W-Why!?


    "Earthquakes not do that enough?" I ask, my tone needlessly defensive, and he laughs.


    "All the more reason for you to come on by, Heiya!" he tells me, hopping up to his feet and setting on back to the journey of buying a ticket or more. I frown at his presence and look around, spotting Mui and her group as they enjoy some kind of drink. Her eyes narrow at me and I return my focus to the ticket. I meet her mean gaze, throwing a sneer into the mix as well.


    "I might meet Serelv..." I giggle and swoon, making sure it''s out in the open to catch the light of the town.

 Incline 16: Heiya

    Finally finding my way back to the right street, I let out a sigh. Gods and goddesses, whoever it is that holds dominion, I am tired. Dealing with Puhak and the competition aside, I''ve been out on my feet all day. Across roads and up the steps of curbs and broken pavements and concrete squares. Around debris, shops and more.


    Only a few more steps to go and I can collapse on the sofa of our unfortunate landlord. Maybe I''ll even bugger off up the stairs and nap in one of the beds. Can try each of them, complain one is stiff, the other too soft and then I''ll find the right one. Putting my feet up will have to do, however, if Pops wants something of me. Hrurim can wait if he has anything.


    The walk to the house ends up beneath my feet and behind me. Two more strides and I''m at the door, a tight fist bangs away at it. The noise I''ve been trying to ignore becomes all the more blatant as I hit the wood. Am I being loud enough to get over the sounds of their work...?


    "Please tell me Pops is at least still-" I start to complain, the door opening to reveal my one living relative. I sigh and step on in, his paw guiding me through and then closing the door back up. I hoist and throw the bag far, letting it smack on whatever. Not like we need to care about its fragility or the house''s state.


    "Mm, will do." Pops nods, giving my shoulder a pat and a squeeze before he heads off. I watch his quills slip away, triggering my memories with it. The tiredness dominating me otherwise goes away and I head upstairs, drumming a knuckle along the wall. I smack the top post and head around to the bathroom and slip in.


    The mirror comes into view and I stare back at myself, unable to find anything pretty about it. I frown as my thoughts go haywire with confusion, an almost painful amount. Never cared before about how I look... So why do I care so much now?


    I''m young, but, well, not that young anymore. I''ve grown into a full woman. I''m not a little girl anymore. Then again, I''ve not been a little girl since the day it became me and Pops. Things big and small might''ve changed and come and gone, but it''s all the same either way. I grew up a long time ago.


    Suppose that is why I feel so weird all of a sudden? I never thought much about what I missed until I saw it firsthand, with Puhak and Mui and their friends serving as my example. It''s a wonder, really... Would I have ended up like Mui or her friends in any capacity if Pops was not well... Pops?


    "It''s uncomfortable to think about." I admit to myself so that I know I am being honest. Letting something like this crawl away to the back of my mind helps no one. Mm, I should go downstairs and actually ask Pops about this whole party thing. See if he''ll actually let me go.


    I smirk and huff, finding myself all flushed up in an impossible manner. Look at me, all twitchy and fidgety about asking my dad if I can go to a party. Certainly a girl still inside me somewhere. One last dance left in her before she dies completely.


    My favoured paw goes through my quills again, and it lands on my suit''s zip. My mouth shifts and I get to removing it from my body, emptying its pockets of anything wasteful. I turn my exposed front towards the shower and drag my clothes in with me. Hot water blasts me wet and a hefty breath forces its way through my nose.


    The water is clean coming out, and for a moment, it''s murky. A grumble rumbles in my throat and I snatch up the homeowner''s cleaning tools to get to work on my spines. The grumble breaks out, becoming an incoherent mess of ruminating annoyance. Why am I even doing this!? I can''t give two holy damns about what Mui and her friends think!


    Still, here I am, scrubbing away at my spike-covered back. Making sure they''re as polished as they can ever be. It''s a mess, it''s all a mess, and I have to clean it up. I have to.


    "Why do I care so much all of a sudden...?" I ask myself, unable to get my face out of its scrunch up. My jaw tightens and I slip some of our gracious host''s shampoo and conditioner down my back. A gentle rub turning it into a cloud of bubbles that slip and bounce their way down. Leaning backwards into the motion, I close my eyes and reach out for the shower controls, silencing the machine for good.


    I throw my head forward, flicking some of the water off. My foot hooks my clothes and I toss the water-heavy one-piece suit into my paws. I dump it into the sink, knowing no one''s going to be spitting toothpaste or anything down it for the time being. My grip finds the door handle and I throw it open, stepping out onto the landing and finding myself a towel among the many once neatly stacked ones.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    I wrap my body up, keeping it from the gazes of the two men in the house. Regardless of who they are, I still have my dignity to maintain. Friend of the family or not, father or not. Don''t matter to me none, no eyes will be seeing my chest or the glorified destination between my legs.


    The stairs bang away beneath me and I come out into the living room, bag of stolen cash kicking ahead. It hits the table between a long sofa and two shorter ones, and I bend down to pick it up. My motion shifts and I go to my knees as someone walks in. I glance up and see Pops peeking through the doorframe. His nose sniffs and a ponderous shift moves his mouth.


    "Hey... Uh, Pops... Can you come here for a moment?" I ask him, setting myself up on one of the sofas as he finds a spot himself. Keeping my arms and hands busy, I get to sorting my treasure trove of pickpocketed notes. He stays quiet, waiting for me to say something further. But I want to hear him give me a proper answer...


    Can he just...?


    I straighten out, my eyes bulging with a tick of frustration, "You mentioned before that I could have a moment outside of the job, right?"


    "I did." he nods. Whatever doubts either of us might have with our memories becomes irrelevant. Well, at least we can move ahead now. No worries to hold me back or anything alike. He''s not a fake enough person with me to go back on his word now. Not while there''s something to be proven before he can.


    "Well... While I was out getting all this cash like you wanted. I... I ended up speaking to someone." I say, and his rising brow shuts me up.


    "A safe someone?" he asks and I nod quick and instant, not stopping in forever.


    "Yes, yes. Just some... Just some barber." I answer and he gives me a single slow nod.


    "Why is this important?" is all he can likely think to say and I look away, flushing up with the knowledge that this must seem so strange to him. We''ve already established that I can ask for a moment away from all the work and the hustle of it. Yet, I''ve never felt more unsure of myself. I''ve had to watch him through the scope of my rifle with less tense motions shaking my bones. Sticking up my fur...


    My button nose wiggles, a sniff flaring it up, "He... Well... He... Uh, he invited me to a party..."


    "Hm?" Pops goes, turning his head to present an ear clear for me. My blush darkens, hammering my quiet voice with the same dangers as actual nails might present to my head.


    "He invited me to a party!" I spit out, almost shouting it as my hands squeeze my knees.


    "You want to go," he says, his tone showing that he has no doubt at all about my wants. My words catch in my throat and they won''t come out. I''m forced to nod and nod as fire suddenly rims my eyes. I blink the feeling away and watch him, unable to escape the mess he''s caused to my nerves.


    Sorting out the money is one thing, but it''s too easy to do. It''s so mindless that my mind is being pulled to thoughts of him as gravity does the same to a jumping child. Some notes are enough for a snack, others need a bundle to pay for a car- Pops won''t go!


    "Do you have what you need for this party?" Pops asks and I freeze up, not entirely sure to answer that. What does he mean? Have what I need for this party...? What does that mean? Right answers? Wrong? Is that even possible!?


    Pops gets up and moves to the same sofa as me. I flinch and shift away and he shifts closer. His usually straight, stern look goes away, a slight smile on his mouth. A warm thing, not the usual coldness life has taught him to show. He''s not Ivahstar, he''s Pops.


    My Pops.


    "I... I have myself..." I mutter and he chuckles, putting a paw on my towelled up knee and caressing it.


    "Do you need snacks? An outfit? Some time to go to a parlour or a barber? A lift?" he asks, his age giving him so much more wisdom than I have in regards to the subject. I look away and down, a pout wobbling my lips. I shake my head. His paw pats my knee and he leans ahead, cleaning the table of a chunk of the money.


    He puts it back into my hand, rolling it up, "Huh?"


    I turn and face him, watching his smile grow as his eyes do something strange, "Make the most of this moment, Princess. I know you''ve not been able to live the life you really should have, Heiya. Make the most of it."


    "R-Right!" I squeak and choke, throwing myself against him and hugging him tight. I giggle, all manner of thoughts going through my head as I wonder how this will go. My first pool- My first party... My very first one!


    What... What do I even need to do for a pool party? Puhak kind of invited me out of nowhere, so I imagine it''s not going to be a whole lot out of order. Be a bit cruel in a way I am not used to, to suddenly expect me to supply so much. Though, with how much I pulled out of the town''s pockets, I''d certainly be able to!


    "Dwaaaaaaau, lookie at yous two. So cute and adorbs!" Hrurim cackles, ruining my thoughts and mood.


    "GO BACK AND FIX UP THAT CAGE FOR THE STUPID BUG YOU DAMN HUMAN!" I scream, throwing whatever I can at Pops'' close friend. Hrurim goes off, his cackling continuing to set me off in a manner that will probably bring the surface down on us. I''ll do a whole lot more than what that giant and Nin did to this town at this rate!


    Stupid human... Stupid.


    I turn around with a huff and a scoff, my arms tightly squeezing up against each other. Pops gets up and finds a broom to clean up my mess. I reach for it initially, more than understanding that it''s my mess, but he raises a paw at me. He nods his head towards the money and I nod back, heading to rest my feet again.


    Settling back into the sofa, I pull one of its softest cushions over my chest and hold it tight. My wet fur soaks the fur of the cushion and I squeeze it even more so, practically pushing my mouth into it. A shiver of frustration runs out of me and my mind gets back into the zone it needs to be in. My fingers flick through some notes and it all gets back on track...


    "What do I need?" I ask myself, a laugh accompanying my renewed blush.

 Incline 17: Heiya

    "Ok... Heiya, you got this. You got this." I mutter to myself, hands in pouches and paws against my poking-through fur. I''m on the right track, Puhak''s shop is this way. The place he works...? Whatever, I''m almost there.


    I asked someone who looked like a local and he told me this is certainly the right way. He even joked it might not be the place for me, that it''s more man-focused. Joke or not, it matters little. I''m not there for a pedicure or quill treatment. I''m here for details about this party so I can put this money to good use.


    Like any resource, it''s worthless if it''s not used. Pops has made quite a point of that over the years. It''s not about killing those you are up against, it''s about denying them what they can use against you. Disarm them, disarm them until they have nothing but the bloody gums you have left them with. Every can of food left is another meal for you, another bullet for the chamber, and another peaceful night in the future.


    An amused huff comes right out of me and I shake my head. If these kinds of thoughts come out of me at this party, I''m going to quickly find myself wanting. No one will understand, even if I have the patience and words to explain. People believe whatever they want to believe and they''ll shove it down your throat for all they care. Still, I can always remove theirs if they test my patience too much.


    My shoulders shrug and I double check the business card as I change streets. Glancing up at the many buildings down the road, I find one with the telltale signs of barber-ianism. A dangling decoration, made up of what must be hundreds of boys'' first quill care session. A grim thing when given thought, but a popularly sentimental thing.


    Pops told me about them, like most things, really. I never got to grow up in streets like this, so he had to tell me about them. It''s easier to remember these things because I need to forget what else was happening. I was so young when we were last underground, really...


    "Been a couple or so years, anyway." I snort, rolling my eyes as I reach the front of Fine Tips. My thoughts go away and die as my eyes take in the sights. Photographs and drawings, a clear view to the so-called master at work. And, right in the back end of the building, lingering about... The one I''m looking for. Wonderful, no waiting around for me.


    How convenient.


    The shop''s bell rings for me as I push the door aside. If anyone''s behind, I care not and it slips away from my paw, closing back up on its own. The man at work looks my way, giving me a crazed look, and gets back to it. Puhak, however, smiles and waves me over, not even giving me a proper ''hello'' until I get closer.


    "Alright, I''m here. Now what?" I say, then ask, crossing my arms as I shift my weight onto a hip and its side. Puhak looks around and picks up his jacket, throwing it over his shoulder. My eyes do a sprint over his white top, catching the signs of his hard work. Certainly not here to look pretty, so I guess that''s something. Though I wouldn''t be surprised if he used all these quill products on himself rather than customers. Tut, tut, tut, Puhak.


    "''Ey, bossie, headin'' out," he tells the man at work and he gets a silent wave of clippers and scissors. Puhak takes a step back and bangs a door, disturbing someone on the inside. A group of three come out, the boredom on their faces clearing up as they see me.


    "Ah, finally!" one quips, his back shaking and rustling while another bats him away.


    "Get that damn set out my face!" he complains, breaking out into a forced laugh and a gentle shove. The three head on out, and Puhak shrugs my way.


    "What can I say? Boys get rowdy," he tells me and I roll my eyes, following after him.


    "Again, now what?" I ask again, having not received an actual answer of any value from the young man. I look over the shop for the last time and think little of it. Everything I expected, really. I just don''t get the appeal of all this fake, gaudy aesthetic for the place. It''s like living a dream of being rich when one simply needs to... Well, do what they need to.


    "After you." Puhak offers, letting me through the door as the bell rings again above us. I meet his eyes, my brow rising still.


    "Is there something about my question that makes it so daunting to be answered?" I ask and he shrugs, not offering me anything still.


    "Nah, girl. Just got to get into the mood. Come, come. We''ll be meeting the rest of the diamondbacks at the mall." Puhak explains, his friends bringing an extensively customised muscle car around. No top and curved with a pearlescent glow to its rims and figure. With the boot having an oddly lacy pattern... Familiar angles to it, too.


    A whistle catches in my throat.


    I blink the subtle blush away and move closer to the car, looking at it for what it is. Puhak''s chest puffs with pride and I''m pretty sure my lack of a reaction is deflating it. He knocks his friend out of the front seat, urging me to sit at his side. Getting on in, I close the door behind me and cross one leg over the other.


    "Daaaamn. This sparkletip got that rough no polish." one of Puhak''s friends goes and I blink with an utter lack of familiarity. What in All-That-Remains did I just hear?Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "She''s a special ore. It''s why I like her so much. On the train outta town, so making Agadton a memory is a good mine," Puhak tells his friends, leaving me further baffled still. Seriously, what have I even got myself into? I close my eyes and set the doubts aside. Take the moment for what it is, Heiya, take it for what it is, Heiya...


    I wink one eye open to the paw tapping my knee, "Hm?"


    "Ain''t a long strip of stone, Heiya. Why not let us prospectors in on your wealth?" Puhak asks, and my arms move to cover up the pockets guarding my money. Excuse me?


    "Can you ask that question properly, please?" I ask him, calming myself down through assumption. Surely this is just him using more of that silly slang or whatever it is he''s on about. If not, well. I know how to survive a car crash, but can they?


    "Tell us about yourself." Puhak clarifies, his next huff having a shallow awkwardness to it. My eyes dance over a hill and my lips angle away from the driver.


    "Not much to say. Here only for a little bit. Curious as to what you wanted to invite me along for." I answer, shrugging as he nods to whatever load of nonsense he made up in his head.


    "Shine on then, darl'', can always do with more gemstones that glitter subtlety." Puhak says, turning us into what amounts to more of a parking field than a lot. A vast expanse that has as many boulders still left in it as it does actual cars and vans. It''s hard to tell which cracks are because of the earthquakes, too. The sheer wear and tear a place like this sees must be staggering.


    "H-Hey, aren''t we forgetting...?" one of Puhak''s friends asks as the other two get out. Puhak lingers, his memory jogging about to a climatic ''ah'' that makes not a sound.


    "Nah, he''ll find us. He knows where we dig our feelings." Puhak answers, gesturing him along as my mind has not a single clue. Guess they have a missing friend? Puhak turns to me, a white-toothed smile along his mouth.


    "Something to say?" I ask, leaning my head as an aggressive shiver gets my spines up in the air. He raises a paw, looking away to the mall and then back to me.


    "Play nice with Mui. You never know how it might go," he tells me and I nod, crossing a couple fingers behind my back as that''s just it, isn''t it? You never know how it might go. So, well, no promises. No promises at all. Punch to the face aside, she''s not exactly endeared herself at all.


    He taps the dashboard and hops on out, leaving me to do the same. I treat his car nicely and I step out to get a fuller view of the mall. I take another look around the parking lot and gulp at how this is a shadow of how grand it''ll actually be. It''s already busy enough and this place can get busier?


    "Don''t worry about a thing, Heiya. We''ll be slipping in and popping right back out. Greasy sausages, the pair of us," he tells me, laughing to nothing funny and I nod, still glancing around. There are legal requirements listed on signposts and other details, but nothing map-ish. Could really do with a map, even with my guide.


    "Is there a shop here that sells swimming clothes?" I ask and he nods, his grin going.


    "Oh, we''ll have a full cart hauling day out of this!" he chuckles, patting me along and rubbing my furthest shoulder. A defensive ick spikes up inside of me, his touch not particularly welcome. Doing it as politely as I can, at least I think I am, I slip away as we get inside. The music becomes clear, as does all the indescribable noise of it.


    "So... Where are we even headed...?" I ask, looking around as a sense of timidity shakes me up. This feels so wrong, being in such a busy place. I''ve been to Suhurlodst, sure, but that''s a school. A human school, even. They got the numbers and the scale that makes hwardgons look small. However, there''s a specific disconnect that simply doesn''t exist in this endless maze of moving bags.


    "Next floor up, Mui''s probably up there at her usual spot. Swimsuit store is also around there. Don''t recall where, though." Puhak answers as he laughs at something I can finally figure out the rope and hook to. A boy who isn''t paying attention to where one of the primal dreams are made? Ain''t he a terrible liar!


    "Oh? Don''t know where to find all the pretty girls dressing up in their new clothes?" I tease, moving a bit closer and diving back away as he swats for me. He covers up his miss and brushes his knuckles on his chest, pressing the shirt to it. Almost like he''s sharpening his fist, even.


    "Haha!" he goes, shaking his head as he hops up onto one of the escalator steps. His shoes cross over and his weight goes onto a leaning arm. I simply step up, gripping the black band and moving up. No effort now, just the ride and his attention.


    "Thinking how I might look under this?" I ask, throwing my arms up in the air to give my body a bit of a shake. Not like I leave a whole lot to the imagination, anyway. Not in this. It never crosses my mind, but I am not lacking self-awareness.


    "Not leaving me much to think about, are you?" he says, and I huff at the way our thoughts crossed over like that. My smirk grows and I take the moment of missing attention to barge past. Courtesy of my sashaying hips.


    I shrug, "Anything else to think about other than this?"


    "Oh, you''ll do just fine without a polish," he chuckles, coming after me and recovering his posture at the same time. He keeps the paws to himself this time, but still offers a guiding gesture. The group hollers us over, or rather, Puhak. My jaw shifts and the outsider feeling weighs my eyelids down.


    "Can practically choke on it." I mutter with a sniff, noting the makeup and d¨¦cor that is once again plastered over Mui''s face. Her friends are much the same, but more subdued. Beaten down by the obnoxious ego of Little Miss All-the-Attention.


    "Ah, Puhak, you''re here!" Mui goes, getting up and dashing up to the young man. She plants herself right onto him, squeezing as deeply as she can force herself. For some reason, she makes a point of letting me see that smug grin of hers and my eyes roll. Does she really think I care about Puhak in that manner? Or is this some egotistical nonsense I''m too thankfully out of touch to understand?


    "That I am, and it seems enough of us are in this dig together. So, shall we pick the picks?" Puhak asks, his paws clapping with a deafening boom, and the group gathers. Keeping my orbit, I stay far away from the parts I have no interest in. Right until I end up in the middle of it...


    "Is this needed?" I question, staring Puhak right in the eye as he shepherds me to our destination. Have the money, got the group to get information out of. Guess this is just it. This is the ''party readying'' experience. A mess I have no idea what to think of right now.


    Mui surges ahead, snatching up my nearest paw with a yank, "Come on now, Heiya, let''s find you something actually worth wearing!"


    My eyes widen and I find myself powerless before the group of girl friends as they shove and shove. The boys linger back, laughing away without a care in the world as Mui''s behaviour... Changes. All that stuff from before, it''s not here now. She''s too focused for my liking now. Right as we cross the entrance line into a land of underwear and bikinis.


    A strong blush comes to my cheeks, a rocky gulp catching in my throat.

 Incline 18: Heiya

    "So... What do you think she''s going to be best off in?" one of Mui''s friends asks as I struggle to find a place to centre my focus. Do I keep on it on them? Or do I keep it on the clothes? Even then, the stuff they have or the stuff I actually want to look at!?


    I... I don''t know. It''s exciting! I''m on a shopping trip! For once in my adult life I''m on a normal shopping trip, even if it''s with girls I couldn''t offer a single prayer on the behalf of... I don''t care at all!


    "That''s the thing... Giving her something more whole is almost pointless." another friend adds, one of her pink-painted nails going up my side. I shiver, my hips bouncing side to side and the group giggles. It''s almost hypnotic to them all.


    "We definitely have to try something that emphasises down there!" one squees, her paws grabbing anything that isn''t two patches for my breasts and another for down below. I back away, loose knuckles before me as they continue to poke and prod at me. Nothing more than an experiment to wrap their heads around. An education they actually have a passion for.


    "You can clearly tell how athletic she is, though! I mean, look at her! Look at how much effort she''s put in!" another nameless face barges in, all of them but more spillage to the mess of this broken glass. It''s like they''re a hive, a hive built around Mui and nothing else. What an alien thing to be so close to.


    "What do you think...?" Mui goes, her tongue lingering by her glossy lips.


    "Heiya." I answer, assuming the stop to be over that.


    "Yes, Heiya. What do you think about it all?" she asks, her tone almost dismissive in its entirety. Like she hates hearing about my body. I look down and frown, uncertain as to how to feel about that or any of this. It''s all so new. Being shot at is less frightening than this.


    "I''ve never worn a swimsuit before. Never done any of this before." I shrug and one of the girls gasps in a manner so obnoxious I feel a bolt of anger go through me. I keep it to a clenched fist and meet her emotive eyes with a pair of blanks.


    "R-Really!? I... I can''t even imagine a life like that. What do you do when you go in the water, then? Is this fabric waterproof or quick to dry?" the inquisitive girl asks, her fingers having little understanding of my personal boundaries. She goes through my quills, pointing something out to a few of her friends, and they start to giggle. It keeps on going, an uncontrollable fire that my instincts warn me to be wary of. A thoughtful noise whistles down my nostrils.


    "Well... Last time I went into water that was outside... I just stripped naked and went in. Cleaned myself off in the river that comes into town." I explain, shrugging as some of them smile and giggle. Some kind of fantasy coming out in mutters between them.


    "If you''re confident enough to step into a river with ships on it, we can make this even more dangerous." Mui tells me, almost as if what she is saying is a taunt or dare. I return my focus to her and raise an eyebrow at that odd smirk she has. A shrug takes over my efforts, and I glance away.


    "Can''t be anymore dangerous than a wrathful fire wyvern." I let out, making them all go into a silent trance. They blink and I blink right back. I keep the rolling of my eyes to the inside of my head and Mui makes it more obvious. She gestures for me to follow, her very finger flicking being as demanding as she is.


    "Obviously, it''s up to you. But we''re the experienced ones here." she hauts, that smugness so very, very insufferable. A chance to insist she''s my better and she''ll take it? As expected. No less annoying, somehow.


    She takes me through several aisles, tossing and throwing who knows what at me. Like a task she wants to simply be done and dusted with. I''m trapped in a horde of giggling girls and chained by the weight of hangers and dyed fabric. None of it is really something I want, though.


    All this pattern and colour, it feels unnatural for me to wear. Pops has always insisted I stay with black and dark colours for the advantages they give in the dark. It''s a cheap, practical shade that can be repaired at basically any shop. Me and Pops also match when I wear it, and that makes me happy.


    "Oh!"


    "Oh?"


    "Over there!" some of the friends go, so much going on that I have no clue about. Another one who wasn''t even near grabs me by my nearest paw and drags me. Bringing me before a white moulded mannequin.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I look up at it, my eyes widening over how similar, yet unlike what is on display is. Unlike most of what I''ve seen so far, this is all a single piece. So close to my normal suit and so far away. The holes aren''t practical at all, they''re lustfully demanding!


    Gaps in the chest. Holes over the belly. An utter lack on the back. Strips above the hips and nothing going down the legs...


    "I... I think I''ll start with that one." I say, pointing up at the black swimsuit as I take a lazy step. Taking a few more, I touch the closest part of the fabric and feel it. So thin. So very thin that I can stretch it pale.


    "I don''t know... A monokini?" Mui scoffs, her eyes looking away to her painted nails. I turn towards her fully, a scowl on my face.


    "So!?" I ask, a growl so close to coming out. This girl is wearing my patience thin. No wonder it was so easy to let a punch out on her back when we first met. I''d be more than happy to offer her another, too. Give her a matching load of free makeup on her other eye.


    "I know it''s convenient to lack upper bulk. But, come on now," she says, smiling with her eyes closed. I look down at my chest and then back at hers. Does this quillback not understand how compression works? Moron.


    "My money, my choice." I huff, finding amusement in the irony of it. Returning my attention to the mannequin, I head over to grab the mirror-like statue.


    "No, no, no! One of these ones!" a friend of Mui goes as she hands me a hanger with a monokini on it. Monokini... What a strange word.


    "Thanks... Where are the changing rooms?" I ask, looking around without an idea as to where I''m going to have to go. I look one way and it''s more clothes for sale with people shopping. I look another way and it''s the same. The only place I look where it''s any different in a meaningful way is the shop''s exit!


    "Come, come, I''ll show you!" a particularly giddy friend giggles as she takes me by the paw. She drags me around, not one bit of care actually given to me as all manner of corners bang me up. Pokes and prods and hard edges that are doing a little more than make me wince.


    We finally arrive at the safety of an open area, a pack of predators on my heels. I turn around, meeting the eyes of Mui''s friends as she continues to fake her smile. I look at the giddy one and nod my appreciation, her expression flatlining. She walks away, a scowl of all things for some reason there. I blink my confusion away and head on into the changing rooms.


    Finding myself at the end of a hall rimmed with curtained up boxes, a gulp chokes me. Many are open and many are closed, all kinds of noises coming about. A mess of overlapping conversations and two-faced backstabbery. I take my first step and follow it up with a second, a nervous twitch to my scrunched up hands.


    Why am I nervous...?


    The world goes on by, no one pays attention to me no matter how much I need to be in their face. I''m like a pillar of rock, no one cares about it so long as it''s not obstructive. They''d probably carve a name into me if they could. Laugh the whole run away as they do so.


    "Why am I still walking?" I ask myself, coming to a stop in front of an open changing room. I blink and look back, noting how many open ones I''ve passed. A noise bounces about my mouth and I step into the cubicle, closing the curtain behind me. A hefty sigh escapes, disrupting all the noise of the shop for so few precious seconds.


    I grab the zip of my attire and get it off, exposing myself completely. The mirrored version of me shows way too much, and I can''t stand to look her in the eye. A paw comes to my chest and I push it around, trying to give it some volume. I twist around and check my legs, minding the hard muscle, giving it depth and form.


    "Mmmmmmmmmm." I go, not sure at all as to why my head is like this right now. So many feelings and things I''ve never really thought about before are all up there. Whatever Mui and her friends are, there''s a danger to them and I don''t like it. Yet I cannot see anything but the excitement of seeing it a little more. Glittering gold at the end of the teeth-mouthed cavern.


    Everything is telling me something is wrong, but I still want to see it through. I want to experience this one moment of talking and being around so many other hwardgon my age. I want to experience it. I want to.


    "Guess I''ll put this on and go back out to meet them." I say, my voice flat and clinical. Getting the hanger out of the monokini, I fiddle with these knots on its side. My brain flickers and I find no tightness from them. Decorative knots with no purpose...? Huh.


    I shake my head and mind my quills, slipping the monokini on. Despite the darkness of my fur, the black material of the monokini makes it almost glow. So bright in comparison that I can''t remember the actual colour of my fur. A blush brings some darkness back to my cheeks and I grow timid.


    A sweet, small smile comes to my lips and my arms go behind my back in a big knot. I twist and turn, looking about myself and seeing how it all fits. It''s looser than my normal clothes, surprisingly enough. And yet, somehow, it still feels like it''s stretched even further than it.


    I focus on my fur bare thighs and shiver at the industrial breeze going through the mall. I''ve never had so much fur and body exposed while dressed like this. It''s too precise in its gaps to be like a ruined set of overalls, and that''s the problem. All this focus on my body and its... Aspects is too much. It''s all way too much...


    "I love it!" I giggle, barely able to keep my voice down as I throw my body around to pose some more. I play with my quills, copying some of the pictures of the models throughout the shop. I try to play it more like a normal girl and my giggling grows louder and louder. I love this monokini thing so much!


    I walk away and turn sharply, pouting a kiss to the woman in the mirror.


    "Hey, good looking. I heard you''re quite the sharpshooter. The finest one of them all. Hit a boy''s heart a mountain away through storm and snow-belt." I say, a moment of sultriness slipping into me as my body feels a confidence it''s never had before. My hips shake with mechanical force and I head on out, eager to show off my new fit.

 Incline 19: Heiya

    "Eyyyy, look who''s back. The diamondbacks and their polished up geode. Ain''t that right, miners?" Puhak goes to his friends, egging them on as we leave the shop. Although we went in there for me and my needs, I have the least. A simple container with my new monokini and some other things. All stuff Mui and her friends insisted I should have.


    I''m not sure if I''ll really need any of it, though. One of these things is a towel, I don''t even need a towel! Rest is all creams and other stuff... I... I don''t even know what I will even do with that kind of stuff. I''m not a girly girl.


    "Ok... Got what I came here for. See you at the party...?" I let out, clutching my box with uncertain pressure. Do I treat it like a treasure I cannot afford to lose or a simple box? It''s not worth the mind or thought, so why do I even bother? Gods and goddesses above this is unnecessarily complicated.


    The group all laugh and I find myself alone and quiet. I look around, unable to gauge what to make of the moment and its meaning. Puhak steps up, moving an arm around onto my shoulder. I follow along, moving my eyes to follow his outstretched hand.


    "No. Now you go and get yourself as polished as these gems," Puhak says, looking back with a white-toothed smile that gets nothing but giggles. I blink and cock a brow, unsure of that. Getting some new clothes is one thing, going to a place where I''ve got all these people touching my nails and quills...? I feel unsafe.


    "Don''t worry about a thing. That place is amazing with how you can walk in," one of Mui''s friends goes, her paw jostling her quills and the decorations on it. Several more of them twirl around, showing off their backs and how fine they are. I step a bit closer, keeping my paws to myself as I look closer. This all does look quite nice.


    Their quills have a shine I''ve never seen my have and they all seem to like it. It''s not just them, either, so many other people in this mall have it as well. Polished and finely trimmed quills dipped in glitters and oils or hooked with chains. My back is a barren canvas just waiting to be worked on.


    "Is... Is this sort of stuff easy to remove...?" I ask, not sure how frail all of this stuff is. My life is not exactly one for being pampered and dolled up in. If anything, it''s more of a hinderance than anything. Ways to track and hunt me.


    "Oh, don''t worry. I think it takes me about a month between big sessions? So long as you''re not rolling around in mud." a friend of Mui waves off and the group get to talking about their circumstances. It quickly becomes nothing more than noise to me and I focus on Puhak as I adjust my grip on the box.


    "Anything particular, Gem?" he asks me, pinching index and thumb together again and again. I glance at the weird gesture and back to his smile.


    "Are you able to take me back... Home... After I get this done?" I ask, and his smile goes away, his brow sinking.


    "Why? Nothing to worry about," he goes, the care in his voice not sounding all that pure. All this slang talk of gemstones and mining and polishing, and he feels nothing but opaque in a bad way. Pops is so simple to figure out, and he shows nothing. Puhak here shows everything and that says nothing in the wrong way.


    "I want my... I want my dad to see while it''s fresh. You know? Bread right out the oven and all that." I say, my cheeks turning dark as my imagination gets to work. They go quiet, watching my face and break out into laughter, and it only makes it worse. My instincts flare up, warning me of their reaction. They''re all laughing and I''ve done nothing funny. Laughing and pointing...


    "Awwww. That''s so adorable!" Mui squeals, coming close and taking my paw into hers. She and her friends start to drag me again. My feet slip about, finding their footing way too uncomfortably late.


    "I almost want to ride back with her to see her dad''s reaction!" one friend giggles.


    "You just want to see if he''s a slug or a hunk," another scoffs, getting a scowl from the still giggling girl. I try to smile and huff over it. I''m not sure what Pops would think or do about a bunch of young women swooning after him. But something tells me they''re not going to be all that glittery in the eyes when they see his rough demeanour. City girls like them would never understand.


    "Bring her back in one piece, engine will be hot and ready to put out!" Puhak calls out, his friends gathering his attention and taking him out of sight. One of Mui''s friends gets in my way, moving way too close for my liking. They start to play with my quills, showing no care, respect, or regard for my person. All I can hear them go on about is what to do with them.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Problem is, it''s not exactly as if they''re well looked after." Mui says, her tone louder than everyone else''s and almost intentionally. Her smirk still doesn''t sit right with me and I don''t want to hear remarks about my quills. They''re the one thing I have that''s actually close to being girly. It''s the only thing I can do to really be like a normal girl.


    "Stop touching me!" I snap, some hands getting a bit too close to places they shouldn''t. The friends don''t seem to hear me and Mui steps in, running a paw down my back.


    "You heard her, space, girls. Space." she says, her ego battering us all aside. I shake my head and blink, not at all used to dealing with such an obnoxious personality.


    "Let''s just get this over with." I huff, picking up the pace to get out of the danger Mui''s friends surround me with. I come to a stop in front of the shop and glance back at them, their pace having not changed at all. Putting my attention back on the shop front, I roll my eyes and look at the display pictures. Examples of their work or maybe some generic product they found elsewhere.


    The interior looks nice enough, I suppose. Everything looks like it''s there for comfort and joy. But I can still see and feel like there''s something off about this place. There''s space for me to go, I can see that... But I can also see how it all works.


    A lot of the women in here are talking to those who work here. Going on and on about a conversation with their friends and the rest of the shop. I''m going to be going into this and never get involved. I won''t say a word and will have no idea what to say.


    This might be them, but it''s not me. Stuff like this just isn''t me. Will Pops even like it...? He''s always been so firm in the past about things like this.


    "Mm, quite the conundrum, hm? I am utterly lost and I know where I am and where to go." I let out, putting my focus back on the pictures of what the place offers. Much of what I see on Mui''s friends and so much more. I can choose colours, styles and even tip dyes. Nail paints and fur brushes. It''s all here.


    All within my grasp and well within my budget...


    "What do I even want?" I ask myself, Mui''s voice and that of her friends becoming borderline next to me. I turn around and look at them, their attention split between all the different things they have done to themselves. I look it all over and feel an odd split in myself. A want to be different and stick out and a want to fit in.


    A me I know exists, a me I am unfamiliar with and a me I do not even want to know. I want to spend at least a short period more like a regular girl and yet... I don''t want to. So much about this makes me uncomfortable and I do not feel safe. I don''t understand how these girls can be happy with how restraining their circumstances are. How controlling Mui openly is to them.


    I stick with Pops because I have to, he is my dad and I love him very much. But he''s also the safest person I can ever be with. He has the skills and experience to not just save my life, but to save his own at the same time. Mui is just controlling for the sake of it. An ego for which all must sink to the depths of.


    She gets in my face, smiling with closed eyes and a paw on my shoulder. I move back a bit, feeling my quills go up against the glass. I look back at her, an unusual timidity to my eyes as her grip shifts. She moves closer, her grip urging me to the door.


    "Let''s get started, shall we?" she goes and I nod, moving along with her as we enter the shop.


    "Oh, my, don''t we have a picking right here, Mui?" the woman at the counter asks and Mui starts to laugh alongside her. I blink and look around, not understanding this moment at all.


    "I know there''s a lot. But it''s just Heiya here. It''s a bit of an emergency, as you can tell." Mui... Explains?


    "Well, that is certainly no problem at all, Heiya. Let''s get you seated then, shall we?" the woman asks me, her hands putting a lot of emphasis on the name tag she has on. I give it no focus and head over to what looks like a cushioned table. I put a finger on it, digging into it as others make use of them, too. A frown hardens my face, and a paw guards my zipper.


    "I''m not wearing a whole lot under here..." I whisper close to the woman and she giggles.


    "No worries, Heiya, dear! First thing is first, we have just got to get all of this tension out of you. A proper bathing experience is our starting point," the woman explains, pointing out a part of the building that is around a corner.


    "You''ll love it, trust me," Mui says, her hand flapping in the air as the woman urges me ahead.


    "I haven''t even paid for what I want..." I let out and the pair laugh.


    "You wouldn''t be here if you couldn''t afford it!" the woman scoffs, and all that tension she just talked about grows thrice in size. More people like Mui. Great... Just great.


    "Right..." I let out, scowling at the pair and heading into the backrooms to get this sorted. A pair of women go by me, wrapped in pristine white towels. One around their bodies, another on their heads for whatever reason. I find a changing room and scratch my head as I watch others come out in swimsuits.


    I look carefully at my box and open it up, pulling out my monokini. Switching into it, I shuffle my body around and frown at how uncomfortable it suddenly feels. My shoulder hiccup and I find a spot to store my things. Certainly an odd pile I have, considering what all these other women have in their box things.


    "Time to get started, I suppose." I mutter, stepping out into a steamy wonderland filled with bubbling baths and mud. I double check and stare at one woman as she relaxes in a bath of mud. Actual mud. What the...?


    My instincts get my legs moving, taking me straight to a regular bath instead. None of what anyone is doing means anything to me, so I just slip on in. I keep to myself and hold my legs close, a miserable expression coming to my face. Is this pool party worth it?


    It doesn''t feel like it will be. But I want to experience one, at least one. Do a normal thing that normal girls do. Not something people like me do. A moment to feel like everything that has happened never did.


    "Just me and my thoughts, an endless stream of bubbles everywhere else." I comment, closing my eyes and putting in all the effort I can to block out the world around me.

 Incline 20: Heiya

    "Hey now, calm. No quakes happening again today." Puhak encourages, patting the gear stick in place of my leg. I stop fidgeting and look his way, my eyes gravitating towards the tips of my fingers. The way they now catch the light and the delicacy of which they''ve been shaped with, it''s not normal for me. This glossy coating is somehow the most sensible option the shop had.


    "I don''t think Pops is going to recognise me at all..." I mutter, trying way too hard to stop myself from scratching and picking away at my quills. Every other time I''ve sat down, I''ve given no regard to my back other than making sure it doesn''t catch. Now I keep trying to sit upright with no support. It''s all decorated now and I have no idea how to keep it safe.


    "No old hegge ever forgets their wedding diamond." Puhak huffs, making my blush grow as my mind wanders. How will Pops even react? Will he care at all, even? No... He put way too much effort into it beforehand when I asked him about it. I got his blessing for all of this and he''ll... He''ll see the efforts that came of it.


    "You wouldn''t understand, Puhak." I huff, looking away as so many past moments flash in my vision. I''ve delivered slaves to Suhurlodst, armed each and every time. I am a murderer and I have not one shred of care that I am. I''ve seen enough blood to fill all the pools back at the beauty shop and then more still. Those mud pools wish they had enough mud to hide the bodies.


    Puhak here could never get it, no matter how many rough and tumbles he might have experienced. Nothing delivered on a teacher or parent-held-back fist could ever grasp a knife like I have. Pull the trigger like I have. I don''t even need anything in this car to kill him should I make the choice to do so. All I need is one pointy quill from his very plentiful back.


    Gods and goddesses above... I can do it with the quills that are no more than stubble.


    That is how different me and him are. How different I am from everyone we can see on the streets right now. None of them get it. Only those in the shadows of the alleyways might ever get it. There are places far darker than the underground realm of the hwardgon. It can be found everywhere, on the highest mountains and the most open plains.


    "I don''t know. Think the gas is certainly alight here. Hwardling grows up real fast my way. Body ain''t just to show off a fancy new digger. You ain''t as alone as you think you are in the vein." Puhak says, a smile on his face as he thinks back to what is no doubts child play. I smile alongside him, silently mocking him for what he thinks he knows. Daddy beat him? Oh, I feel so bad...!


    Try getting shot at from a young age. Try watching your entire family bleed out in front of you. Try shutting your heart off from the world because the jobs simply demand it of you. Try knowing what it''s like to have that first taken life in your memories.


    "Right up here." I point out, getting ready to exit the car. Puhak brings us to a stop, and he reaches out for me, stopping me. I turn his way, meeting his eyes as he reaffirms his grip. His gentle squeeze furrows my brow, and he shakes his head.


    "See you at the party, Diamondback." he tells me, waving me off as I finally get out the car. I linger on the pavement to the house and secure my stuff in hand. I return the wave as he seemingly makes some notes of the location. He drives off, not a moment longer needed.


    "Whatever." I let out, my eyes free to roll at that nickname. What even is it? He said it about the other girls before. Is it referring to all this stuff on my quills or something? Whatever, I guess.


    Still...


    "Quite the new look." I giggle, growing giddy as I set the box down and twirl. My old attire simply wasn''t going to work with how the beauty shop did up my quills. So Mui and her friends went out for something and got me a dress. A plain, mostly white thing with bands of pale blue on my belly and at the end. Open-backed enough to show off my quills but secure enough not to slip down. Despite how slim the shoulder bands are.


    Yet, for all that I am not wearing now, the pouches and stashed away bits of gear. I feel heavy. This makeup on my fur and the lipstick painting my kissy bits is not right. It''s never been there before and I don''t know what to do about it.


    "Mmm." I let out, putting one hand on my wrist and squeezing it. I leave my stuff on the front garden for the moment and step up to the door. My fist comes up, tightened delicately so as to not bother the gloss on my nails. It knocks forward, rattling the door up.


    "GO AWAY!" shouts Hrurim from inside, and I knock again. Smirking at his noises of frustration, I hear him come banging up to the door. The handle shakes and trembles, the metal panel flying open.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "Hi!" I giggle and wave, wondering how far I can take this. If they don''t recognise me, that is.


    "Whatever you want, heed my lips. Piss off." Hrurim warns, his teeth bared and his other arm suspiciously out of view. I cock my brow and keep my eyes up against his, knowing full well what he''s tentatively touching up. Pretty sure that click I just heard ain''t the door lock, either!


    "Do me a massive favour, Wagon Boy, and fetch my things, mmm?" I ask of him, stepping up to the door and moving a little inside. He backs up and blinks. He blinks again and looks me over. A lack of words to be heard anywhere. The cogs continue to turn and my smirk gets all the water it needs to grow.


    "H-Heiya...!?" he finally chokes on.


    "Hehe. Shhhh." I tell, smacking him aside so I can get into the house properly.


    "Uh... Ivahstar is upstairs..." Hrurim struggles to answer and I give him a little finger wave. A sequence all the girls around Mui seem to delight in. I don''t quite get it, but the act is the act.


    "Wonderful!" I chirp, vanishing from the human''s sight with all the energy in the world. I land on the next step and it all goes away. My arm shoots out, grabbing the handrail. I stop. My chest hurts and it''s suddenly hard to breathe.


    I choke on nothing for a second and get my act back together. An odd pain in my back. I blink back whatever this heat in my eyes is and I go up the next step. I flinch and recoil, the following step more so a banging stomp.


    "Wh-What the...?" I let out, reaching the top of the death trap the stairs have randomly become. My legs continue to tremble and I look around at all the closed doors. I breathe a long sigh of relief and get going, an ache in my knees.


    By instinct or lucky guess, I find myself at the door I know Pops is beyond. I shake my head and blink, putting my paw around the handle. It goes down and I step in, finding the old man resting with his back to me. I try to grab his attention, but all that comes out is a tight sound of nothing.


    "..." I linger on, not able to find any words to fill my mouth. I look away and around and back down to my feet. All prettied and painted with that shiny gloss, like my fingernails are. My toes wiggle, the paws of my feet too tight and in need of a stretch.


    Pops'' nose sniffs, and then it sniffs again. A noise comes out of his throat and I''ve no idea how to process it. It has an aggressive hint to it...? Does he not like my choice of perfume...? Does he-


    "Hi... Pops!" I force out, bringing my thoughts to a crashing halt. I shiver and shake uncontrollably, watching the muscle rich hitman rise to his feet. His shoulders square up, far broader looking than I am used to, and my eyes lock up. I catch but a moment of him twisting around and I hear him stop.


    My imagination gets the better of me, and I hear his feet scratch along the floor. He''s right in front of me. A shudder is in his breath... A shudder not like anything I have ever heard before.


    "Heiya... You... You look beautiful, my precious little Princess." he tells me, coming as close as he can to hold me tight. My eyes explode into the open, tears all around them.


    "A-Am I...?" I let out, hoping to hear him say it again. He likes it. He likes it! Pops likes it!


    "Yes, you are. My special Princess." he laughs, holding his lips against my cheek and pressing them deeply. I giggle without any sense of control, my face red with my blood and not because I am wounded. For once, I am happy there is all this blood about my face. Not disgusted or worried, no want for medical care or a washcloth. I''m simply happy.


    I pathetically return the hug, shaking about with him as he rocks my body. His grip loosens, and he steps back, my fingers in his paws. I meet his face and smile as painfully wide as I can. He can''t stop chuckling and I''m pretty sure the glitter near his eyes isn''t from my makeup.


    "You really have turned out so well, Princess." he tells me, bringing my teeth out into the open as my emotions make me the pleasant kind of bashful.


    "Hihiheeeee!" I let out, free of his grip as he takes his index finger for a spin. I do just that and spin around a couple of times, letting my dress catch on the still indoor air. My front comes back in line with his and he grips my shoulder, twisting me the other way. Pops keeps his hands to myself and I shuffle towards a luckily nearby mirror.


    I align myself against it, pointing out what I have had done. From the polished and curated tips of my quills to the ribbons and precious metal chains now going through them. He''s already seen the light load of makeup I have on my face. I''m not too worried about him focusing on it. I want him to see what I had done back here!


    I was in the best non-edible sweet shop in the world and I had my fill. The people of this town certainly made sure I could pay by weight, too. I can''t stop giggling and Pops takes a step closer. He touches one thing and I shiver to a sudden stop.


    "Is... Is it fine I have this on...?" I ask, knowing what it is he''s touching. Mom used to wear a necklace which had a shape like that on it. I don''t know whatever became of it after she died. I never even learned the shape''s name, I just saw it and demanded it on impulse back at the shop...


    Pops'' silence burns and ruins my heart, but his touch heals all my anxiety.


    "I''m glad you chose it," he whispers, turning me back around to put me into another hug.


    "Yeah... Yeah..." I say, not sure what else to say as I return the hug with all that I can.


    "Keep your head clear, Princess. Enjoy your time at this party." Pops tells me, kissing me on the head and ending the hug. I nod and smile, watching him leave the room.


    "How''s the work coming along, by the way?" I ask, not too sure how far along they are. I''ve not been the most acutely aware of them as of late. They know that... They know.


    "Cage is all set, and the bug is gagged. Double checking contacts at this point, mostly. Time between answer and sending and all that," he explains and I nod, looking away to the mirror as a blush takes over my face again.


    "Right." I say, borderline whispering.


    "Stay away from Hrurim, Princess." Pops chuckles and I huff into a giggle, looking at his shadow as he vanishes. My attention snaps back to the mirror and I dance before it, watching the dress move about. So very different from my usual overalls and in all the right ways!

 Incline 21: Heiya

    "Ok... Towel, monokini and... That''s everything. Nothing more, nothing less." I huff and puff, once again checking that I have everything I need. I don''t know why I''m checking, anyway. There''s no need for me to. Got everything and nothing has changed since leaving the house. So why am I...?


    I shake my head and trap a length of towel in the jaws of my wrapped-up fist. The attached arm shifts and shakes, knocking out my bothersome worry. Each step brings me closer to the sound of unfamiliar music and splashing water. Laughter and joy, squeals and shouts.


    The buildings make way for an open lot, one rimmed with a chain-link fence and a handful of posts. The scale of the event makes me stop and I linger on the wrong side of the crosshatching. A thoughtful noise escapes me and I try to spy what I can through the swarm of shirtless boys and bikini''d-up women.


    A few signs are up, warning about running while wet. Some more warning about the rocks and no one''s giving a damn. Doesn''t seem like the lifeguards are either, they''re basically involved in the party, too. Oddly, there''s a pile of used mining equipment lying out here.


    People go flying and my eyes snap their way, right in time to watch the splash. For all the noise and mess that comes of the unending conversations, people still hear the warnings. Cannonball. Splash!


    "Huh, they carved one of the boulders into a slide...?" I suspect, barely able to catch a glimpse of a dark rock occupying one half of the immense pool. Another sits in the shallow end, as if the divine had a sense of humour during the earthquake. An island to rest on and a mortal-made slide to dive from. A burst of fire goes off, away from the pool, from inside the main building.


    Seems like they''ve rented out the kitchen of the centre or whatever it is called. Turned it into a hotbed for distributing drinks and soon-to-be soggy food to the partygoers. Though, there''s certainly a lot of people trying to keep the gobblers and swiggers from getting anywhere near the water. Bloated enough, doesn''t need any more things floating inside of it. Got enough inflatables and other toys in that regard.


    "Enough looking around, time to go on in!" I encourage myself to do, a twitchy smile coming to my face as I spot a few peeking eyes. Someone whistles and my smile grows firm, a grand swing entering my hips as I reach the front gate. I slip in amongst the other late arrivals and mind my way through the crowd. What a claustrophobic experience.


    The mall was packed when I went, but there was at least room to walk. This is something else entirely. It''s a living, breathing wall of quills, fur and all the muscle and bone underneath. A mess that will no doubt trample me and so many more if we are to but only slip.


    Forcing my way out to a patch of freedom, I look around at what everyone else''s doing. So many have brought more than just towels. Boxes and containers filled with other snacks and drinks and some even brought umbrellas. Why, I cannot fathom. Looking up at the underside of the surface does little to answer my curiosity.


    I smirk and shake my head at the silliness of the local culture and set myself up. I''ve nothing to mark my towel with, so this unused and broken metal bar will have to do. A storage area for broken things in general. Easy enough to recall, not my towel, anyway.


    "Now what?" I ask myself, suddenly lost as to how to proceed. I linger on the towel, wiggling my toes as my mind goes over the vague, obvious detail. Pool party. Go party in the pool.


    Shrugging on the way up, I make my way to the water. Some guy pinches the bottom end of a girl and something comes of it. Going past some more people, they giggle and laugh over a glass of something golden and fizzy. The edge of the pool is almost within reach and a guy runs in front, blocking the way. A pair of girls chase after him, their faces not as joyful as his.


    "Mmm. Cool." I remark, getting into the water and making use of the relative openness of the shallow end. My fur soaks up what it can and I glance around to weigh my options. Running lengths of the pool is not exactly an option unless I''m up for a challenge. Mui insisted my makeup is waterproof, however. Still... What to do... What to do?


    My eyes shift to the island and I head towards it, spotting a means to get up. Some people have set their towels up on it, and no amount of ferocity is keeping them dry. A giggle finds its way into my mouth and I make my way over the cracks in the pool''s bottom. I linger my gaze on one of them, a slight frown forming as I notice a jagged spot. Guess I''ll have to be careful with that.


    The water starts to reach my thighs, and I pull my way up. I offer a smirk to the atypically younger boy with wide eyes on my right. He snaps his head away, the girl next to him growing jealous. My giggle comes back and my chest swells with more than my next breath.


    So that''s what makes it all worth it for girls like Mui. Those moments of being able to get all the attention from everyone else. However, I don''t think that kind of stuff is for me. A few glances and whistles every now and then will do me fine. That simple reaffirmation that I''m a pretty girl. Wouldn''t be much of a marksman if I revelled in being swarmed with attention.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Leave things like that to the indescribable abnormalities like Nin. Nice and comfy in his brand new metal cage, stuffed into the back of a van. I laugh at my thoughts, growing louder and louder with my cackling. I sigh the final shoulder-shaking chuckles and meet some girl''s eyes as she gives me a weird stare. Several of her friends do much the same.


    "What?" I snap, not really sure why I''m getting the looks. They''re not paying attention to anyone else''s behaviour. Why is mine so suddenly the focus of their world? Whatever is going through their heads, they break out into glares and snickers, turning away with paws over their faces. I return the glare and roll it out of existence with an accompanying shake of the head.


    I slip down the rock, finding a new spot to rest on and I get my feet back in the water. Minding the decorations on my quills, I keep myself leaning forward. My feet kick back and forth, ruining any hopes for the water to settle and reflect my face. I look around, unable to spot a familiar face in the slightest.


    It''s not like I care much for Puhak or anything or his social circle. But he''s a familiar face that I know I can at least attempt to approach. I''m not exactly here to mingle and get a cheap and easy date like others are. Gods and goddesses above, some aren''t even taking it at a reasonable pace. They''re just leaping straight to the hog and snog.


    "Buy me a drink from the building first, hey?" I whisper to myself, watching one couple get broken apart by a very angry boyfriend. Shouts and threats break out, the party swallowing them back up. The offending kisser is out of sight, and now there''s a relationship breaking down before my eyes. I roll the pair of fancy lookers I have and hop down into the water.


    The splash snaps my attention away, and I wade through the water. The feeling of the warming cold reaches up to my chest and I feel my quills float. Decorations floating with it all, the demands of gravity a lesser thing for this one moment. One arm reaches around, holding one bit close as I worry about its ruination.


    The other girls in the water don''t care as much, and I find myself wanting. I wish I had the confidence to let my decorations be. Too much mindfulness right now. Too much of it and I know there''s no point in working it out of my system.


    Pops would kill me if some monster or thug didn''t, as a result of my stupidity. I guess I''m fine, I can work my way through a crowd and pickpocket them clean and light. I know I have the dexterity and nimbleness to make it through that kind of situation. This should be no different with the choices and moments.


    I guess the water is new, have never had to pickpocket a street while wading about. Then again, I doubt I''d have the chance to. My arms needing to keep me afloat and all! I smile and escape my thoughts, finding myself with no more time to spend on my feet. Just enough room opens up for me and I float through the water, arms going back and forth.


    I make my way to the edge of the pool, minding the many partygoers and their toys. Briefly holding onto someone''s animal inflatable, I push it away and propel myself. I hit the side of the pool and bring a hand up, securing my paw on the textured ground. Bumps and ridges to help with grip and stop the water from making a mess of everything. Though, unlike everyone else here, a cracked skull is unlikely to bother me, if at all. A blood spill would actually give me room to swim.


    One of those would certainly liven up the place in a way I am familiar with, though. Not really too sure of anything right now. It''s all noise, people noise, and on a scale I am not familiar with at all. Never been anywhere with this kind of noise without Pops.


    I frown and heave my way out of the pool, twisting and dropping onto my bottom. My shins and below linger in the water, perching themselves on the tiled wall for a chance to get back in. A massive noise goes off at the other end and people wade away. I perk up, spotting the busyness of the converted rock.


    Seems like they''re making room for another load of people to use it!


    "Ooo, yes, please." I quip, getting up and making my way through the crowd once again. My pickpocket skills come in handy and a handful of chips enter my mouth. Slightly soggy and weak and not from the oil they were cooked in. I laugh at the ruining flavour of pool water and rub my fingers into my fur. Not worth the effort sucking the salt and grease off while I have pool water moistening my paws.


    I barely manage to slip into the end of the queue and linger as the on-duty lifeguard urges the disappointed back. My smirk hides itself in the turn of my head and I linger in my thoughts as the crowd gets to moving along. Splash, splash, splash, splash, splash and... My turn!


    A ''teehee'' breaks my closed mouth open and I grab the start of the bolted-on ladder. Making my way up, I find myself in a short-lived moment above the crowd and all the nonsense. My smile grows and I stare down the smoothed out rock. All the way to the slide''s upward going end. I whistle, appreciating the work and broken backs that''ve gone into my one quick moment of fun.


    "Here we go!" I let out, quite restrained compared to all the noise of before. Grabbing the bar, I rear my cheeks and legs into the air and throw myself down. I gently bang the rock and almost fly right out of the curve, a laugh ruining my focus the whole while. A swish and a turn and I am floorless.


    I grab my legs and hold them close, my life more than preparing me for a good cannonball. The water explodes everywhere and I sink all the way to the bottom. Down, down I go. My eyes open and I find myself in a world unlike the rest of the pool party has been. An open space for me to swim and I have all the time in the world!


    Well... All the time in my lungs... My giggles halve that time with a burst of bubbles and I make my way to the top. Keeping under everyone''s feet until I am close enough to the shallow part of the pool.


    I throw myself back into the open, getting upright again and throwing my head back. Water rains from my fur and quills and I wade and then walk out of the pool. A few more crowds to get by and I''m comfortably set up outside of them. I linger around, dripping with water still, and a finger taps my shoulder.


    I turn, meeting the familiar face of Puhak with a matching smile.

 Incline 22: Heiya

    Puhak finishes another one of his stories and all his friends laugh along. His egging finally making them all crack into fits of joy. An oddly timed affair that is borderline in synch. As fake an emotion as a ghillie is compared to real grass. Shame no one else can see that.


    One friend catches on to my apathy and knocks another friend with his knuckle. A pointing finger follows and a pair of flashing sneers. One chuckles something under his breath and I hear a mutter of ''stupid investments.'' A noise lingers in my mouth and I turn around and take a couple of steps.


    Puhak met me at the shallow end of the pool and brought me along to his group. But, like last time, not much has changed as to how I fit into all of this. I do not belong here and it shows. The party is still going, though, and I would like to see it through.


    Have that moment and opportunity to at least say I went to one. Doesn''t have to be perfect or wonderful, I would certainly like it to be but I have to be realistic. I''ll stay, I''ll see it through and I''ll enjoy it how I can. Then I can tell Pops all about it and-


    "Is she smiling to herself?" one of Mui''s friends lets out a little too loudly, ruining my fond thoughts. I turn her way and glare, meeting that smirk and a rumble shakes my body. Oh, she certainly meant to speak that loudly.


    "You got something to say?" I ask, getting right up in her face with curled up fists. She looks away, laughing her backend off along with everyone else. My eyes shift, picking up the sneers from the other girls.


    "Stop being so sensitive, Hiya." Mui goes, causing my brow to wobble as a finger goes near my ear. I move a quill around, suddenly wondering if I heard her right. Heiya. Heiya... Yeah, I know how my name should sound.


    "Yeah, Hya, grow up." another friend goes, snapping my gaze around some more. Couldn''t have made it more obvious if you tried, bareback.


    "I''ve handled more and bigger problems than you, Target Practice." I warn and the laughter erupts again.


    "Target Practice!?" one repeats, cackling without end. I snort, more than happy to show her why I chose those words. Can let the whole party hear it roar with a bang. A bloody splat more than enough to exclaim my meaning.


    "I know, right? What kind of insult is that? Hahaha!" another friend goes, drawing my attention to another new place. I look around some more, minding the overwhelming presence of Mui''s insufferable group. I nod and keep my focus on Mui as she swells with a delusion of power. Has she so readily forgotten how this went for her last time? Or does she feel confident that I cannot repeat the process and high tail it?


    "Go on, test me. I love a challenge." I warn her directly and she and many others scoff, even as my fists curl up.


    "Easy, diamondbacks, easy! Easy..." Puhak says, getting involved. Although Mui has a whole world between her and me, he steps in front of her. I look at his presented paw and cock a brow. I scoff back and turn away, something going near my quills.


    "I sure better find no anything back there." I warn as my neck twists a bit, a comfortable pop working its way through my muscles and to my ears.


    "No one''s done anything!" Puhak insists, his facetious attitude rubbing me the wrong way more than that hand I know has just gone near me. I sneer and snort, giving him that same warning I''ve given the girls. I head away, getting back into my thoughts as I walk the edge of the pool party. Some people pass by, giving me a glimpse of the chain-link fence surrounding the pool grounds.


    Certainly a way to take on a new meaning, I suppose. Put me in a foul mood and that fence is all too eager to be anything other than a mere perimeter. Now it''s a prison, and the other prisoners are blissfully unaware. Now, ain''t this something? The boredom beyond the fence is the better place to be. Certainly would chipper me right up to know I''m nowhere near Mui and her lot.


    I look down and shake my head. No, I will stay at the party and I will try to make the most of it. I''ve had bullets shot at me and monsters chase me. I''m tougher than every single person here, no matter how muscle-swelled some of the boys are. Make the most of the moment, make the most of it, Heiya.


    A paw taps my cheek, and I get going again, heading back into the pool. My poorly dried legs have their effort made a mockery of, and the rest of me follows suit. A thought-filled noise escapes through my mouth and I linger for a moment. An opportunity opens up and I float out deeper into the pool as circumstance sees more people exit for drink and food.


    I swear, an invisible wire must be connecting all the people here. They see one person doing something and they all copy without another thought on mind. No sense of self, no awareness of it at all. Could put a wall in their face and they''d all walk into it if another did.


    A heavy breath goes through my nose, blasting at the water''s surface.


    Closing my eyes, I let my ears do my seeing for the moment. The party carries on, not a disrupting incident to be found anywhere in it. Something splashes me and I frown at the lack of the usual noise. My eyes open and I float upright. A sense of bafflement continues to assail me, creating a need to do more than just... Stare at the underground sky.


    "Mmm, odd. Guess I need to be more aware." I mutter, emptying my lungs so I can sneak under the water. I drag a quick paw over my face, cleaning it of random drops in the most pointless waste of effort ever. Everyone''s feet become a rooftop canopy of digited trees and I swim for the island rock. The cracks in the tiles helping me find grip to propel myself faster.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Popping up to the surface, I take in a gulp of air and clear my eyes. Something thick clings to my fur and I rub the spot I feel it, squashing it. An odd colour lingers on the fur of my finger. I huff in amusement at the idea of an insect being trapped under the people-made waves. Getting up on the island, I spot some of Mui''s friends randomly running through the crowd. Cackling and cackling to the bank with all the gold in the world. Oddly fast for how they''re moving, oddly far from Mui herself.


    "What a weird group of people she associates herself with." I mutter, not sure what to feel about the idea of it. Having more than just Pops to regularly talk to would be nice. But I also have no idea as to how I want that scale to be. Nowhere near what Mui has, obviously, but more than just Pops, is an easy bar to pass. When this is all over, anyway.


    Just... Just need a moment where me and him can settle down is all. No clue if Hrurim will stick by once we''re done with Gamtambo. He''s acting on one right god and goddesses blessed favour, if he''s still around this long into it. Fair few years since we-


    My eyes land on some girls near me, their fingers pointing away at me. I look around and more and more are starting to laugh, and I blink. Am I seeing things...? No, no... My eyes are too good to fail at situations like this. I''ve spotted monsters in the dark and snipers in rubble. This is a crowd in the open.


    Pops has trained me as well as he can, and we both know how much he has done. Those fingers, hands, whatever. They''re all gesturing to me. I frown and double check my finger and the fur on it.


    "Wait a minute..." I let out, touching my face again and finding more odd colours. A drip of water comes off my chin and I look down at my monokini. This same stuff is now staining it, trailing down as the droplet rolls away. I blink with uncertainty and press a gentle backhand to my lips and find no kiss mark. My eyes find my missing lipstick... Right in the water as a growing web of red.


    One voice breaks out among the crowd, "Hey, hey look! Heiya forgot to do her make-up properly!"


    I meet Mui''s cackling expression as my core turns cold. A tightness chokes my chest and all the laughter around me, no matter why it exists. It suddenly feels wrong. The mood of what I''m all seeing, all that is going on around me... It''s...


    "You..." I let out too quietly for my own good. Getting up to my feet, I make my way around the island and a careless idiot bashes into me. Water splashes around and I surge back to the surface. More laughter.


    I can practically feel the pool water boil and I shove my way back up. My eyes meet Mui''s and the dozens of other ones she has at her beck and call. My shoulders roll about, tense with a sudden, very lovely feeling of energy. I wade through the gap in the shallow water and meet her face to face.


    "Something you want to explain...?" I ask, my voice bringing that pool water back to the solid ice it was in a time long gone. She leans back and looks away, giggling away as some of her friends come back. I catch the item they have in their hands and look back towards another noise. More girls are complaining about a problem with their makeup...


    "I have no idea." Mui says, shrugging and pouting as she inspects her nails. I check mine, sneering at their loss of glossy shine. So this is how her kind get back at people, hm? Make a convoluted plan and make it as public as possible? Well, I''ll give her credit. She certainly made me angry.


    "Hey, hey, hey!" Puhak goes, right in time to interfere again.


    I meet his eyes and sneer, "Do you not see what she''s done!?"


    "I don''t care," is all he has to say, shaking his head as a couple of his bigger friends force their way to me. They grab my arms, restraining me.


    "GET OFF!" I roar, fighting back how I can as Mui and her friends scoff.


    "Stop embarrassing yourself." she sneers, her friends goading her on still.


    "Get of-" I start to repeat, one of her fingers going to my lips. I snarl, so ready and eager to lash out with a bone crunching bite. Something touches my quills and pulls at them.


    "Hey, hey! Calm down!" Puhak insists, getting in the way of me trying to stop whoever is giggling back there.


    "GET OFF MY QUILLS!" I scream, thrashing about more as more hands go along my quills. A few come right out of my back, stinging me with insignificant pain. The ribbons come loose and the thin chains break. The hands continue to pull and de-weed me of all my decorations.


    "No one''s back there!" Puhak lies, a smile on his face as he shakes his head. The girls continue to laugh and some of the boys let out scoffs. I stare at the smile of one of them, seeing all the telltale signs of what it is. I return my own, my heart pumping as if I am in the more wanted situation of being shot at.


    "GET OUT OF MY FACE YOU LYING BASTARD! GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF MY QUILLS! GET OFF OF ME!" I scream, thrashing about some more. The two boys let go of me and I hit the floor. Forcing my way back up, Puhak shoves me, unbalancing me.


    "You need to calm down," he insists again and I stare down at the bruise-less wound. With how much I can still feel it, it certainly feels like it should! One of the girls hands Mui something with a broken chain attached...


    "She thought so much of this," she scoffs, juggling it in her hand. It keeps going up and down in the air. From pawed palm to pawed palm. A prison of fingers catching it each time.


    "Give that back, now!" I demand, pushing back against Puhak''s steady grip.


    "Give what back?" Mui asks, her disingenuous cruelty making such false cluelessness on her face. I go quiet, unable to recall what the shape is called. All I know is that it''s my mother''s necklace''s shape. It''s her shape... It''s hers!


    "Give it back!" I demand again, reaching past Puhak. He backs up, cutting his quills along my arm.


    "Give what...?" Mui goes again, her pathetic acting even more obnoxious-!


    "You need to leave!" he insists, shoving me again. I stagger back, blinking as Mui continues to handle the thing I got in memory of my mother. That vile smile of hers grows, and she points, cackling out of nowhere.


    "Oh, my days! Oh, gods and goddesses above. Look! She''s crying!" Mui goes, and the laughter grows with hers. It grows and grows, drowning out all other noises. I blink and blink, not actually crying. I rub the pool water away from my eyes and shake my head. I sneer and turn to leave.


    A can bangs off of my head and I hear Puhak scoff. Ah, so that is why he brought me along to this party. He wanted to act on Mui''s behalf, then spite me. Mmm.


    I shake my head and get going, not even bothering with collecting the towel I brought. I make my way out of the party grounds as the laughter carries on. It doesn''t matter now, it''s all the same to me. I make it around a corner and put a paw up on a brick as I try to figure my way back to the house.


    "Oh... Oh." I go, feeling an odd amount of water around my eyes. I''ve been out of the pool long enough for there to no longer be any water there. I... I want... Pops. I need to find a way to talk to Pops.


    A sniffle breaks apart the noises of the town, my shaking nose moving more of my body than my running legs.

 Incline 23: Hrurim

    "No calls back?" I ask Ivahstar, passing him a steaming mug of meat broth. He takes it into his paws, not daring to put his lips and mouth near the thing while it''s fresh off the hob. I look back towards the cooker, letting it continue its simmering boil without much mind. Might as well prepare some long-term rations while we wait. Not like there''s any danger to it.


    "No, none of the contacts are responding." Ivahstar explains, a thoughtful noise keeping his throat in motion. I lean on a nearby bit of house, crossing my arms and minding the low-hanging roof. Way too close for my liking, but, thankfully, it''s cavernous enough for those at a hwardgon''s height.


    "You got a backup plan in that head of yours? Might be worth coughing up the money in another way." I point out and my old friend shakes his head, his nose flaring up to take in the fat-laced steam. He better not wait too long, I can''t be asked to hear him complaining about white specks. His fault for letting the fat cool down, if that''s the case.


    "I do, but... Mm." he answers, not doing a whole lot of good for the confidence I have in him. Thankfully for us both, we got a pleasant history together. He might not have a proper answer now, but he''ll have one in time. He''ll get there.


    "Make sure to enjoy that while it''s hot." I say, patting the nearest door frame and heading off. Reaching the garage, I fling open the door and rummage around for some parts. The contents of the cage shift and I glance up.


    "Any for me?" Nin asks, his bug claws all tied up for a pointless reason. He ain''t getting through this steel here, not while he is completely magic absent. Certainly not now either, not enough passive stuff in the air or in his food.


    "Probably best you don''t, all things considered." I laugh, mentally testing the idea of giving him a magic-rich meat broth. Well, relatively rich. This town is no mountain-state on the surface. It actually makes a Ravineer town an attractive arcane prospect, really.


    "That''s a shame. I''ve got some nostalgia for cheaply made foods like that," he explains, his mandible thingies chittering away without a care. I grab what I need and pass by him again, giving him a hard stare.


    "Ooo, another story about the city that went boom." I comment, not getting any form of response from him. He smiles, his mellow eyes never once twitching out of it.


    "Tobaballe did indeed." he says, his arms crossing over his gut. His eyes close and the bug-man goes back to the only thing he can do while in his cage. Sleep.


    "Sleep tight, creature." I say, banging the door behind me.


    I dump the items across the kitchen island and swing around to knock the hob. The gas fire dies, leaving the pot to finally cool down without any fight about it. Taking up a skewer, I set aside the pot''s lid and find my face drenched in steam. I open my eyes and stab for a brown chunk, pulling it out into the open.


    Smokey hair rises from it, narrowing to a wavy tip as a beard of juicy water drips away. I bring it close to my lips, snacking on the flavour-lost meat. It bounces around my mouth, way too hot to stay still. I chuckle to myself, throwing the scolding meat all the way down my throat and to my gut. My body keeps a good eye on it, following it all the way down.


    My eyes shift to the kitchen window, and I spot someone coming up the front. My eyes widen a little and I turn the way of the door. Ivahstar glances away from the phone, a hand on his gun. I keep my hands to myself and wait for the telltale signs of who it might be. The door opens, the hidden key going into the lock.


    "Ah, look who''s back-!" I start to call out, surprised that Heiya is back already. Her sniffling shuts me up and I stare. The poor girl rushes by, practically sprinting up the stairs. The first door she is through slams shut, rocking the house.


    Ivahstar gets up, slowly meeting up with me as we reach the entrance to the house. We look left to the open door and right up the stairs. I carefully close the former, minding all the weird specks on the wood panels. Ivahstar puts his first step on the first bit of the climb, clenched fists either side of him.


    "What was all that about...?" I let out, worried for my old friend''s daughter.


    "I... I will find out," he explains, going up the stairs with stomping rage. Heiya has not upset her father, she has not done anything like that. But Ivahstar cannot keep himself contained. He sent his daughter off to have a moment of joy and she''s come back... Well, not even my thoughts need to say it.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I look back at my work and shake my head. Grabbing the bottom post of the stairs, I catch up with Ivahstar as he opens the door. Despite his steps before, he could have not been more gentle with the door. He leaves it open, leaving my chest tight as Heiya''s crying reaches me without issue.


    I arrive in the room she''s hiding in, my brow furrowing as that is all that it can really be called. Hiding. What even happened...? Heiya''s a tough girl. How does someone like her even end up in this state?


    She looks up at us, the fur on her arms stained with what is left of her make-up. My eyes shift to her quills and the ruined remains of what she proudly showed off before. She keeps her knees close to her, her arms occupying the sides of her head. There are no wounds anywhere, none to be worried about.


    Doesn''t take a genius to figure out what is going on, on the inside, however. Girl like her has had bullets fly at her and monsters gnaw. She''s not shaken up by anything scary. Not while she still has a means to fight back.


    Her voice breaks, whatever it is she''s saying to Ivahstar not reaching my ears. I keep my distance respectful and let the father hold his sobbing daughter. She weakly gestures to her face and then her quills. Pointing out each problem and going into detail about it.


    My jaw shifts about with an eager click. Guess we''re going to be taking a slight detour to our plans. Fine by me. We''ve gone so far off the beaten path that we''ll have no trouble at all. We got an easy way back, just fine indeed.


    Ivahstar looks at me, nodding his head towards a nearby chair that''s tarped up. I pull the cover away and toss it. The worrisome father urges his daughter to the chair, and she does so with shaken confidence. Not a single injury and her legs are all but quivering like they are.


    "So...?" I dare to ask, keeping my hands together and my eyes timid.


    Ivahstar opens his mouth and Heiya stops him. She struggles to find the words even with an open mouth. Her chest shakes and buckles. Ivahstar pulls her against his chest, running a soothing hand through her top end quills. He keeps ongoing, shushing her in the one moment of anyone''s life where it''s not condescending.


    "They... S-She ruined it." Heiya lets out, not giving too much to make sense of it all. But, enough to understand what the problem is. No doubt this ''she'' had others with her. No way some random townie is going to get Heiya like this.


    "She ruined your make-up and tore off your quill stuff?" I ask, looking for that one piece of information I need. Not to set my mind in stone, that''s already done. Just to make sure I am going to get angry over something quite horrendous. Not like it matters, I suppose.


    "Yeah... Y-Yeah..." Heiya repeats, nodding against her father''s chest. A sniffle shifts her nose about and she looks around.


    "Go and have a shower, Princess. Get changed and cleaned up." Ivahstar insists, patting her along, and she gets going with no resistance. She walks away, an awkward shuffle to her posture and I look back my friend''s way.


    "So, what happened?" I ask him, knowing he''ll probably spill it all out in a far clearer manner.


    "The people who invited her to the party did so to publicly humiliate her. They put something into the pool to ruin her makeup and then had their friends restrain her. They tore away at her quills, ruining all that work she had done... They mocked the memory of her mother." Ivahstar snarls and growls, his teeth grinding against each other as his fists curl up tight.


    "I see." I say, doing much the same as I recall where I left my weapon.


    Ivahstar moves up to me, putting a paw against my chest with harsh firmness, "You will stay here. Look after her. I''ve got work to do."


    "Not a speck of dust will cross us." I tell my friend, grabbing his hand and squeezing it as an old look returns to his eyes. The kind of look I''ve not seen in a long, long time. All the firefights we''ve had in recent years and he''s not been like this. Every moment up until now and he''s not been like this.


    We''re on our way to dealing with the very man who killed his family, and he''s not been like this. His daughter just came ''home'' crying and sobbing, an emotional wreck beyond care. That is what has brought him back to that point. Some cruel youngsters about her age, that is what has drawn out this forgotten evil.


    Him and I have our history, we''re both people of the criminal underworld. All of us are. Even so, what Ivahstar used to be is something I easily call evil. Whoever these people are, I hope they have made their peace because they will never find it now.


    "Be prepared to move out if needed." Ivahstar warns me, and I nod, thinking up what I will need to do. It''s a risk, a needless risk, but there is no talking him out of it. These people will pay for abusing his daughter like that and he will leave a bloody trail. The police and others are out in force and Ivahstar does not care at all. There is only one way this ends.


    I follow after him, leaving Heiya to have some privacy again. He heads for his infamous choice of firearm and I grab its ammunition. I shake the hive up, buzzing the blood wasps into action, and he hooks it up to his suit. I toss him a heavy coat, knowing he''s going to need something to hide it with.


    "Be back soon," he promises with not a single bit of doubt in him. I nod as my friend leaves and I follow him out. Heiya shuffles to the top of the stairs and I meet her eyes. She sniffles, her mind still shaken up, and a smile comes to her lips.


    "Fear nothing about it again, Heiya. This ain''t no school with useless teachers. Your daddy cares for you and he''s going to set things right." I tell her, puffing my chest proudly as sadistic glee comes to both of our faces.


    "G-Good." she stutters, shivering, although there is no chilly breeze. I nod my head the way of the shower and she nods back, heading off. The door closes, cutting her off from view.


    "He''ll make sure all is sorted. Do not worry." I repeat, sighing as I head back downstairs. We might have one serious mess coming our way now. Ivahstar is a man of a dark past and these clueless kids are about to find out what that implies.

 Incline 24: The Terror of the Deep

    I flick the business card into view, a subdued snarl breaking my mouth open. The clock strikes the latest hour, marking the coming of the night. The last night the first of these people will ever see. I stop at the edge of the road, eyeing the barbershop closely.


    A group of laughing young men enter it, greeting someone on the inside. This late, the shop is no doubt closing for the day. Those boys aren''t meant to be there, but circumstance is allowing them. And it will allow me.


    My neck clicks and my fists tighten. I cross the road and move closer and closer to the shop. I open the door, catching the attention of the group inside. Those not in their work uniform step aside, and a na?ve fool steps out to face me.


    "Uh, sorry, sir, we''re closed." he goes, his tone strained and awkward as my glare hardens.


    "Puhak?" I ask, a dangerous chill filling out the building.


    "I am...?" he admits, cocking his eyebrow and looking at his friends.


    "You need to leave, old man!" one friend taunts as I turn.


    "Yeah." another scoffs.


    I match his scoff and slide the first lock on the door. The group flinches, and I drop my weapon onto the ground, throwing my coat on top of it. I keep my eyes matched on Puhak as he steels himself. His friends start to fan out, some of them already suggestively grabbing tools and so on.


    The next lock goes on and the next and the next, "Get out!"


    I smile at the warning, shifting the blinds and curtains into shadow-making order...


    "You made my daughter cry." I explain, so he at least has the opportunity to figure things out. For his sake, he better figure it out.


    "Ha! If I did, she would''ve deserved it. Besides, I don''t even know what you''re on about. I''ve been at-" he starts to say, and I interrupt him. Glass shatters through the air and slimy chemicals fly with it. His group moves ahead and I do, too.


    One swings his fist and I duck around, locking it in place and throwing one back. The young lad flies up, the air leaving his lungs, and he collapses. I make a point of stepping on him, twisting a thrusting broom out of the hands of another. I bend the thin and hollow metal bar, swinging it around like a pick at the next one.


    Puhak slips and falls to my kick, and I knock another friend into the wall. What seems to be the shop''s owner steps out, gun in hand. I dive aside, taking hold of some cocky bodybuilder. I force him towards the gun, smirking madly as he panics with endless thrashing. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    The old man''s morals get ahead of him, and I grab the weapon. Knocking it aside as he finally pulls the trigger. A hole appears in his shop and I smack the stock up. The gun fully enters my hand and I pull down on the pump. The empty shell flies out, smoke spilling free.


    Twisting around, I knock the teeth out of another friend and drive my thumb into the eye of one more. I aim the nearly empty weapon and blow the owner''s brains out across the shop floor. The metal and wood rattles on the floor and I finish off the last of the stragglers.


    Puhak, however, he can still move. He can still act of his own accord. He scrambles away, unable to find his footing on the messy floor. I head back to the door and pull out my partner of many years.


    "SOMEBOD- AHHHHHH!" he screams, a dart of blood wasp honeycomb going through the back of a knee. I stuff a cloth down his mouth, putting a stop to it and I shoot his other leg out. One of his friends rises, rushing to the gun. Without even offering a look, I shoot the young man through his temple.


    "You made my daughter cry." I repeat as Puhak whimpers and sobs with his friends as they realise their future. I pick through his friends, letting Puhak see each and every one of them die. I hoist them up and make them match gazes. Each one takes a shot through the head, no more.


    More dead... More dead! All until he''s all alone!


    "MMMMFFFF! MMMGNGMGMM! MMMMMMMM!" Puhak roars, not even bothering to pull or spit the cloth out of his mouth. I take some string and make sure he can''t. I keep his eyes in line with mine. His teary, water clogged eyes. So full of confused terror and so much more.


    "Do you understand? You made my daughter cry. Not from laughter. Nothing like that... You ruined her one chance to have a normal day. Away from the lifestyle she had forced upon her. You manipulated her for malicious gain. No court will trial you, but I will." I explain, digging my nails into his cheeks and jaw. He continues to whimper and sob, shaking about as I suddenly find myself recollecting something.


    Heiya mentioned a girl...


    I force the cloth out, "Where can I find Mui?"


    "P-P-Please don''t kill me...!" he begs, unable to find the strength to look anywhere else other than my eyes.


    "Where. Is. Mui?" I repeat, putting our noses together. The barrels of my weapon press against him. And, although my finger is nowhere near the trigger, he cannot see that.


    "I-I HAVE HER ADDRESS- I have her add-address written on the notice board out back...!" he answers and I smile. Rising up, I pat the young man on the shoulder. I stuff his mouth back up and shoot out his arms. He howls and buckles through the cloth, all of his limbs now useless.


    "Thank you for your time." I say, grabbing my things and pulling out what I need to cause a fire. I set light to Puhak''s remaining world and leave the barbershop to burn to the ground. Heading to its backdoor, I collect the information I need and a conveniently placed door key. I double check the back door and make sure it''s the only one as the smoke grows thick. Muffled screams try to break it, but no fire has ever stopped because someone is dying.


    With a nod, I leave and lock the door from the outside. Tossing the key, I head off into a dark alley and get to studying the address on the slip of paper. Marked with the outline of lipstick painted lips. A lovey dovey heart to go with it. A damning sign of allegiance in this time and place.


    "One gone, one to go." I let out, passing by some drunkard as he swigs away on his bottle. It clatters on some bricks, loud but not so harsh as to shatter.


    "Wh-Wha... What was that about...?" he asks, truly out of it.


    I smile, knocking the messy hwardgon on his filthy chest, "Shhh."

 Incline 25: Ivahstar

    Dumping the unconscious, naked waiter behind a pile of bin bags, I straighten myself out. Leaving my stuff with him, I get to precisely setting the details of my IED. I pop it onto the plate and cover it up with the fancy restaurant silverware. I head back into the establishment and slip on in, not acting out of line.


    "Hurry- Hurry along with that!" one of the kitchen staff urges, their attention too set and sturdy on their current task. I nod with a slight bow.


    "Of course, sorry, sir." I answer, shifting my vocals around to create a more familiar accent. He waves me off, an annoyed furrow to his brow. I fall in line with the other servers and make sure to grab an extra dish on top of it. I double check the serving details and head on out to the floor. The last fancy night out this Mui and her friends will ever find themselves having.


    Quite the dish I''ve got prepared for them, made with the finest blood wasp honey glaze. It won''t survive the explosive flavour, but it''ll certainly have a sharp crunch when it cools down. A perfect desert to finish the night off with. Wouldn''t want any myself, though, too sweet for me. Don''t have the teeth for it.


    Then again, neither will she when she gets her first bite of it. Not her, not her friends. No one near and around will be able to stomach another bite. It''s certainly quite the dish to eat, yes it is indeed.


    I make sure to drop off the safe dish first and survey the dining floor. I''m not all that sure as to which one is Mui, but I have a hint to look for. It''s the girl Heiya gave a good haymaker back when we got into town. The signs are still no doubt there.


    So, where are you, Black-Eyed Girl? Where are you indeed...


    My posture remains professional and I stay under the watchful eye of other restaurant employees. Thankfully for me, it''s busy enough that they can buy me needing to find an alternate route. I slither my way to the front of the establishment and get my bearings. One conversation sticks out above the rest and I turn to give it a glance.


    A greeter at the entrance, doing much as the name suggests. I approach the woman at the entrance as she finishes meeting and greeting some more diners. She''s double checking a reservation book. Perfect.


    "Excuse me, sorry to be a bother, Sweetie." I greet, approaching the woman. She turns around and smiles, though I can see the confusion in her eyes.


    "Got lost, have we?" she asks, giggling a bit as she looks around. I look around with her, nodding as I adjust my grip on the dish to keep it stable. No moving the lid off, not now when it''s on a hair-thin trigger. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I''m afraid so. The busyness has made me lose my path. Which way to... A Mui''s table? A gentleman from another table sends this with his compliments." I explain, keeping the act up as the greeter''s eyes roll for the heavens and beyond. Guess she''s seen a lot of it, not anymore, though. She won''t be seeing much of that anytime soon.


    "Of course, some old fart is trying to impress the pretty young girls. Well, let me see... Here, Table Thirty-Six." she answers and I nod with a smile. Turning around, she points me in the rough direction, contextualising the floor plan she has on hand. I take my notes and get my escape route into order, not that it''s really changed since I got started. Out the front door and around the back, I will go.


    "Thank you, Sweetie. Oh, by the way, I also came by to tell you that you were being swapped off? I''m not too sure what''s going on. The boss will explain." I tell her, offering my thanks by giving her a chance to escape the blast. Not that she knows, now.


    "Oh...? That''s odd. Well, uh, thank you. I... Eh, no one''s coming anytime soon." she mutters, heading off and I get going to the named table. My time is short, and it''s only getting shorter. I turn upon an occupied slab of polished and clothed oak. One surrounded by girls and nothing more. All giggling and enjoying themselves without a care in the world.


    "I can''t believe Puhak stood me up!" what I assume to be Mui complains. A smirk comes to my face and disappointment fills my head. Some precious sweetheart this creature is. So out of contact with her lover that she doesn''t even know he died in a fire. Or from bleeding out, I do not know. I do know how Mui here will die, however.


    "Compliments from a very sorry Puhak, Ms." I lie, setting the expansive, covered dish down. Mui flinches in surprise and her annoyance turns to a smile.


    "Are you not going to reveal it?" she asks, a confused giggle erupting among her friends.


    "Mr Puhak gave me firm instructions to not do it myself. He felt the surprise would be better for you to do, personally. I''ll leave you to it." I say, gnashing for that hope the girl is wishing for a visit to the temple. The girls start to squeal and Mui lights up with fidgeting joy as she flaps her hands.


    "Gods and goddesses, gods and goddesses!" she goes again and again, her imagination getting the better of her. Only a few patrons note me slip out through the front door and I turn the corner, a smile on my face. The street shakes and it roars with screams, broken glass and blood wasp honey-laced fire. The panic gives me my cover and I start to strip down to my bottoms. Dumping the used up disguise into a bin, I head back around back.


    Gathering up my things, I straighten myself out and tip my hat to the knocked out waiter. He played his part, and I played mine. The memory of my wife is avenged in small part tonight. My daughter''s self-esteem and her confidence restored.


    "Gods and goddesses, never let me see my daughter like that again." I threaten the divine with, staring up to the cavern roof and through the surface and clouds above. A scoff ripples through me and I get going, Gamtambo returning to mind now that I am done. He''s next. He will most certainly be next before my life reaches its end...

 Incline 26: A Pair of Detectives

    "Certainly no gods down here in Agadton." my rough partner remarks as he puffs on one of them new age things of his. I withhold my gag and emphasise my stagger to tease him for a certain years old mistake. He growls at me and I throw back a quick smirk as I put my full attention on the restaurant''s remains. Diamond in the Rough.


    "Certainly Rough now, aren''t ya?" I quip at the smoking wreck as all manner of short-staffed emergency services get to it. I feel for them, I really do. If only for the fact I''m supposed to be back in my home, drinking myself to sleep. I was lucky enough to get away with a standby notice when the earthquakes hit. Then we get two mass homicides in the span of days.


    This latest one being particularly worrisome...


    "So, Synnyet, any guesses or your age catching ya?" Myarty asks as he nudges one booted foot against the black splinters. Good thing the commissioner is so lax on the uniform standards right now. Detectives or not, we still got to stick to them with some adherence.


    "Not right now. Still can''t quite wrap my head around it." I say in all seriousness, hobbling into the ruined building as a paw rubs my aged chin. I pull on the lengthy grey hairs, plucking a few loose ones and not feeling a thing.


    "Word is they already checked the reservation book." Myarty reminds me, and I nod, shoving my hands into the pockets of my trench coat.


    "That''s the thing. Who makes an improvised explosive for... What... College-age dolls out on a dancing prowl?" I ask, although I know I will find no soothing answer for my bafflement. It really is something peculiar. This is the kind of stuff you hear about happening to politicians or major gang members. Not what the records aren''t even covered in red tape to hide...


    It genuinely was just some girls out on a party. Normal girls. No sketchy history, nothing. No one in their neighbourhoods has any idea at all.


    "You think the two incidents are related?" Myarty suggests, and I nod along.


    "Has to be. Both jobs clearly had someone who knew what they were doing. The barbershop burnt to the ground had its backdoor locked, for crying out loud! Whoever did it had a plan to get out, as we have no witnesses at all. No one here caught anything either, and how could they?" I let out, chuntering away at the details as they cross my mind and get caught up in there.


    "Forensics were quite spooked when they came by earlier. The big lab coat ones, anyway. Might be worth a trip back to the station." Myarty says, his shoulders throwing themselves up into the air as he tosses away that damn scent stick. I wave a paw across my nose, keeping its smoke away from an already smoked out pair of nostrils. Might as well be borderline edible with this much choking fog.


    "Unless you have a magic ball that can see the future, then no. Roads are shut tight as tight can be because of what happened. Everyone''s more on edge than ever because of these two attacks. The earthquake is one thing, freaky as it was. This is something vile and people know it." I say, minding the tape they have wrapped around the point of detonation. Forensics only beyond the line.


    "Mmm." Myarty hm''s, his tweezers getting a little too curious with their pinching. I follow his actions carefully, looking around the crime scene to make sure he doesn''t screw himself over. He lucks out and comes back to me with something, a corpse now all that bit more mangled for it. Our eyes meet and I focus on the object so his temper doesn''t get the better of him. No need for him to be touchy right now.


    "Brown glass?" I ask, not too sure what I am seeing. Whatever it is he pulled from that girl''s corpse, it''s a shard. Like glass in the way it focuses the light around us, but not like it at all. It''s way too soft. Too much pressure and the tweezers are actually able to flatten it.


    "Guess we know it''s not glass." Myarty remarks, his tweezers suddenly cracking, frightening the grip out of him. The metal falls to the ground and I knock his arm, gesturing for him to get it back up. We''ll both be digging ourselves holes if forensics finds us tampering again. Annoying bunch of amateurs.


    We need to dig around crime scenes to get our job done. Can''t leave everything nice and pretty for them when we do that. Still, more than enough reason to head back to the station. Whatever this stuff is, it''s certainly easy to figure out why everyone''s so bothered.


    "Alright, drive youngster." I bark, patting my partner''s back until he pulls out the keys.


    "Finally. I''ve seen the files. These girls used to be right fine dolls. Hate seeing the mangled up limbs of them." Myarty comments and I roll my eyes at the libidinous motivation. Though, I got to hand it to him. He ain''t wrong. The example pictures did paint the girls as lookers. Shame the reality has me needing to look all over the place now rather than up some nice slender legs.


    "Just drive already." I complain, putting more strain than I need to on this gun shot leg of mine. We hop on in and the keys click, poking the engine into roaring its distaste. The wheels grind and spin, taking us out onto the road as silence otherwise overtakes us. I put a paw to my chin again and get to thinking while I still have the silence to do so.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    A barbershop and a restaurant in quick succession. One through pyromania and the other a bomb. More to both stories, obviously, but... Both locales are not clearly connected.


    A relationship between the victims? Seems like the only likely thing. Never heard of no criminal group doing dealings in barbershops. Not public ones like the one that is now ash on the tunnel wind. Big fancy crime bosses always go private with how intimate a barber is. Diamond in the Rough is certainly no shady establishment either. Well, wasn''t shady.


    I might be seeing something that''s not there, but I heard rumours from the officers. Forensics is very spooked right now. Perhaps that glassy stuff was also present at the barbershop? We''ve both heard it was quite the brutal locale compared to here. Far more on-hand with its destruction and brutality.


    Someone''s acting on a grudge? No, too professionally done both ways for that to seem plausible. No way a professional would intentionally mess their time up like this. It''s not hard to see that Agadton is a town on edge with what happened not that long ago. We don''t get rain underground, but we certainly felt the downpour.


    Working theory... Working theory...?


    "Try not to blow your brains out." Myarty remarks, breaking the thoughtful face otherwise dominating my features. I glance his way, throwing out a random noise caught in my throat.


    "Now I know what you mean, but at least I got the aim for a shot like that." I say, chuckling to myself as he blows up with annoyance.


    "Shut up!" he almost screams and the car does it for him instead. I blink and readjust to my surroundings. Getting out of the car, the temperamental youngster hops ahead into the station. I keep to my thoughts a little more and move with all the grace of a deep-fried drumstick.


    It really doesn''t add up. This whole crime scene does not add together with the other. Not clearly and certainly not in so short a time. Guess the hours are going to be late on this one. Best head on by to the store after work officially ends for me.


    "Wonderful." I sarcastically drip out my mouth as I enter the station. All manner of staff move about, some lucky to be on their arses while others work them off. I turn the way of Forensics and already run into some problems. A whole lot of needless noise.


    "Come on, spill it already!" Myarty demands, his fists no doubt threatening one of our fellow men of the law. I roll my eyes and knock on the door, cutting whatever this act is short.


    "Keep your partner on his leash..." one of the labbies mutters, his sneer growing. I smile at him and then at Myarty.


    "Here, boy. Here, boy!" I taunt, getting him back to me as he throws only the rudest of gestures my way. An attempt to reach for his gun! Gods above, the youth have no respect these days. None at all.


    "Come on, Synnyet, get them to give out, already!" Myarty whines, going quiet as I gesture for it. Need some silence to work my magic. I''m no witch, not at all. But I got quite the spell-silvered tongue.


    "H-Hey!" one of the labbies complains as I snatch up his notetablet. I read through it, going over the scientific details with a thoughtful ''hm'' coming out at length.


    "Well... Well." I repeat, clicking my tongue as a heavy breath sighs on out into the open.


    "Don''t like the sound of that at all." Myarty remarks as he tries to get a snoop at my scoop. I knock him back with a gentle tap on the snout and pace about.


    "You lot are sure about this?" I question but one of the many offended labbies as I tap the data they have. To my surprise, we actually have a chemical sample on-hand for them to reference. Apparently, it''s a near-enough match for some kind of honey.


    Blood wasp honey.


    The labby nods, his eyes going over the others as one in particular fidgets about, "Y-Yes."


    I throw the notetablet back his way, "Alright, then."


    Myarty chases after me as I leave Forensics to get back to it. I drown in something I can only really call nostalgia, and I have no idea what else to think of it. Blood wasp honey is such a specific calling card these days. Good few decades ago since I last ever heard about it before I transferred departments. Thought leaving the big city for a smaller town would be easier on me, apparently not. Very much not.


    "Hey, Geezer, slow down!" Myarty demands, not that he needs me to.


    "How caught up are you on your history?" I ask him, leading his clueless person down to the file storage.


    "Oh, boy. A lesson. Or perhaps a lecture? A performance perhaps?" Myarty asks, his tone needlessly sarcastic for the moment. My eyes roll again, coming all that bit looser with my age and weariness.


    "Ever since the crime lord Gamtambo went after one of his old hitmen, he''s been chasing up all leads to blood wasp honey." I remind him if he cannot actually recall. He scoffs.


    "Why?" I find myself baffled to hear.


    "Because he never actually got that hitman. Blood wasp honey is a well-known weapon of a particularly... Awkward reputation. Gamtambo has been going after all the leads he can to find this missing hitman. Whatever he knows or something, it clearly has Gamtambo spooked. And that vile king of the bastards does not scare easily." I say, knocking on the door to the file storage as a pointless courtesy. No one''s here, like usual.


    Dusty room with nothing but dust for visitors.


    We greet the empty chairs on the way in and I get to work as Myarty lingers about, cheeks on a table corner. Why, if I cared enough, I''d whip him into doing the work. Seeing as my leg is the buggered one! He certainly won''t ever live down owing me favours because of it, too. However, Myarty''s face couldn''t be any more stern.


    "You think the rumours of corrupt officers will get it to Gamtambo?" he asks and I roar with laughter. My heart growing all the stronger for the excited thumps it is now making.


    "There ain''t no rumours. It''s the truth. Someone''s leaking at every level when it comes to Gamtambo, whether they know it or not." I chuckle, a few arrests working their way through my head. I stop the thoughts and find the file I want. A closed up thing that hasn''t been touched in a long time.


    "Zipped up and throw away the key?" my partner asks and I nod as I mould the magic stone to where I need it to be. A name forms in the witch-afflicted piece of earth. No picture to go with it, only a reputable list of deeds and accomplishments. Gods above, I can hardly even think of them as crimes... This is one impressive list to the name. A veritable superstar, if all but one detail was changed.


    This name. This name, it''s one that slows my breathing and repeats a memory to me. An awful one of officers begging for support on their radios. Each unseen end of it growing increasingly full of static and devoid of an answering officer.


    "Ivahstar..." I mutter, my gut pointing me in every direction, away from Agadton. What a time to be called back to duty. What a time indeed.

 Incline 27: Ivahstar

    "Are you all done?" I ask my daughter as she emerges from the room. All prettied up in that dress she got from the now dead nuisances. She shrugs her shoulders, her face not entirely there for me in the way I want. I don''t show it, but it saddens me to see her like this.


    I know I can be rough with her. I know my line of work is rough. But I''ve also never seen her as she was before, not ever to my memory. I fear she might come out at me in anger if I say anything, so I best keep my thoughts to myself. Let my actions speak a thousand words and a thousand sentences. Each one telling her one thing: My daughter, please be happy.


    "Come on, then, Princess." I say to Heiya, gesturing her closer with the wiggle of my fingers. My beautiful woman of a daughter nods and gets going and I turn to our human companion. I offer him a paw as a parting gesture and he reaches out to stop me. The metre wide gap stopping him from doing more than catching my attention.


    "Don''t worry about the house or that. I''ll handle it," he tells me, nodding as if it''s not obvious. I give him a little smile, breaking my tradition of severe professionalism. If my daughter is to be happy, I need to show it myself as encouragement. Not inspire her... I guess, but something close to it.


    "I know you will." I say to Hrurim, waving him off and closing the door behind us. I move a hand along, getting Heiya to move further ahead, away from the house. A brief jog speeds me up and I slow down at her side. An unfortunate quiet takes over and the depths of Agadton come ever closer.


    I keep looking her way and find nothing in her eyes that gives me hope. She cannot find the strength to look up, around or anywhere. It''s always down. Outside what is strictly necessary to navigate a street, there''s nothing from her.


    My jaw shifts about and a sniffle sounds off. My hands have never felt more useless and in need of finding something. Some memories go through my head and I try to wonder up some inspirations. I usually have plans, not here, however. I have no plans as to how to bring the mood of my daughter up.


    "Do you think there''s a carnival or fair happening right now?" I ask, hoping that she might be aware of something as a result of that pool party. She shakes her head, not offering much of anything. We come across a couple of girls absorbed into their own worlds. It only makes Heiya feel worse, and I move closer.


    "Pops... I hate my life," she admits, a choke developing in her throat and nose. I blink, not sure how to take this information. I... I don''t blame her, however. The answer to why is pretty clear.


    I am a hitman by trade, a trafficker and saboteur. A criminal. She was never meant to be involved in this life, but when Gamtambo came after us, I had to keep her safe. She''s all I have left. And the only way I know how to keep her safe is to cling to the prime of my youth. Fleeting as it increasingly is.


    I am getting old and I will not always be able to protect her... By the name of all the gods that kept All-That-Remains within Creation, however... I will defy Death himself to keep her safe. I will...


    "I''m sorry." I say, not all that sure as to what to say. My thoughts fizzle out before they can become actions. It really feels like there is nothing I can say that will soothe her in any capacity. My eyes glance at the girls again and I note their makeup. Maybe their doll up is bothering her...? I can always take her to another beauty parlour. I brought enough money for any kind of activity.


    "When this is all over, Pops. I want out. I don''t want to do this anymore. The longer is goes on, the less of a chance I have at ever... Being normal." she explains to me and I nod without any complaints. This is not new information. She''s let out such details before in moments of bother or long quiet. When we''re on a job or not. Between moments of effort and in flashes of rest and quiet.


    Times when her thoughts get the better of her and she cannot be anywhere else but up there.


    "We will. We both will." I say, knowing full well I can make my skills transfer to another theatre of employment. All my smuggling can go into trading. My time killing can make me a capable hunter of game and pestering wildlife. Bounty hunting is also an option, if a little too close to what a hitman is. Moving away from the life means properly detaching myself from it. Yet I will never settle down in a boring shop selling carpets, no.


    "I''ll hold you to it," she mutters, her paw straining itself around a nearby lamppost. I grab her free one, tugging her closer to give her a one-sided hug. She leans on my shoulder, a sigh blasting out into the open as we get into town proper. A few more roads and we''re on an impromptu market street.


    "Seems like the earthquakes did a fair number here." I point out, gesturing to how many of the shops have been forced out onto the street. Business is as strong as ever and, if anything, seems to be all the more popular. The illusion of it, at least. All these people selling their different services and the customers all intermingling, no brick walls to keep them separate.


    There''s a community that is no doubt never usually there forming.


    I nudge Heiya toward the stall market and she comes along without resistance. A thoughtful noise blows out my cheeks and then pops out through my lips. Maybe I can appeal to Heiya''s sweet tooth for the moment? What does she like... Though?Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Mmm." I let out, observing her nose and expression to see if she does anything. She doesn''t. No pulling of my arm, no curious glances, no anything. She might as well not have a single care in her body.


    I get her moving again, taking my time with my pacing so she can look around. I goad her a bit, encouraging such behaviour and get nothing from her. We pass by jewellery stands, makeup ones, clothes and more. It''s not even just stuff that will make her pretty, but toys and other things, too!


    She does complain about being bored on the journeys we take. Maybe she''d like a toy to pass the time with...? I don''t know. I do not know...


    "I''m sorry, Pops... I''m just in a bad mood. I know you''re trying to do something out of your depth," she tells me, coming closer and holding me tight as we slip out of the busiest part of the street. We come across a stall marked by a heavy metal backend and churning machines.


    "At least let me get you something?" I suggest, giving a brief nod to the stall as I watch a happy child walk away with what appears to be an ice cream. Heiya sniffles, her thoughts keeping her quiet. She nods, eyes closed. I put a smile on as she opens them again and nothing happens.


    I keep the smile on, even as it grows weaker, and I pull her along. We arrive at the stall, not much of a queue to keep us from it proper. I give the man behind the makeshift register a gesture for one and point to the big tubs they have on offer. I look at Heiya and she silently taps some options.


    I prepare the money and she wanders off, staying within sight but leaving me alone, "Daughter?"


    "She is." I answer, turning back to face the working man.


    "You''re there for her, that''s what matters," he tells me, offering some advice while keeping to himself. I nod, putting the money in front of him and taking the tub of ice cream. It''s topped with things I don''t recall Heiya asking for and I give him a squinted eye. He nods Heiya''s way and my demeanour relaxes.


    "Thank you." I tell him, tossing him a quick tip and I catch up with Heiya. She turns, minding the ice cream, and a weak grip takes up one of the disposable spoons. She empties it of its contents and suckles on the barely covered end of the spoon. I frown, taking a more full load into my mouth.


    The cream, sauces, and sprinkles make a mess on my tongue, overwhelming me. My usually bland diet of necessity is unsure of what to make of all of this, and I choke a bit. I smile over my cough and manage to get something from Heiya. She huffs and her expression goes down again, like an alarm was triggered and knocked a machine into rhythm.


    I urge her to put one paw under the tub and she does so. It seems to encourage her to eat more, and she digs in, occupying her mind with mutters and flavours. She fiddles around, playing with the sauces and melting cream. She lets her frustrations out on the stubborn toppings, too demanding about their hatred of utensils to leave on one. They cannot fight for long, though, and they crunch between her teeth.


    We find a bench and sit down, enjoying the ice cream for what it is. I steadily give way to her, letting her take in more of it until she is the only one eating. It never crosses her mind to notice my lack of spoonfuls and I focus on stroking her quills. Gently easing the spots that those dead nuisances messed with. She might not see them, but I can see it. The swelling.


    She leans towards me, going against my chest and making my job all the harder. But it''s fine. I can simply let my arm rest around her instead. I know I don''t always do a good job of it, but, as her father, the best thing I can do is make her feel safe. Have that comfortable space to go when her mind cannot handle life any more.


    A rock for her to rest on when the world is mostly shifting dunes. She snuggles in closer, bringing her legs up and occupying the public bench in such a selfish way. I huff, my smile growing as she takes a moment to feel like a child again. A momentary lapse in maturity I will never berate her for or hold against when the time comes.


    I give her a kiss on the head and shake up the fur on her exposed arm. My eyes go wayward, glancing around the market until they land in a specific place. A photography shop or a camera one? Is the seller showing off his goods or actually using them?


    "Heiya... You mentioned before about taking a picture with me?" I ask, recalling a conversation we had closer to the shipwreck on the way into town. She shuffles about, sitting upright with a degree of energy she hasn''t shown all day so far. I point her the right way and she sticks up. A clueless animal in the headlights. She nods, the action growing ever quicker, and she gets to her feet.


    She pulls on me, and I follow after her, smiling as she keeps a relatively flat expression. We arrive before the stall, my hand already digging about for the money. The shop man turns our way, a smile on his face as his greed obviously takes hold. However, it seems to be that this is just a camera shop...


    "Do you perhaps take pictures and hand them out?" I ask, hoping we might be able to get one.


    The man''s eyes widen and he scratches his head, disturbing his slicked back quills, "I guess I can."


    "Wonderful." I say, breathing a sigh of relief as a burden slips off my shoulders.


    "I don''t quite have a studio for it, though..." the man mutters, moving some things around to make a rough sitting area.


    "It''s alright, the sentimental value is worth more than gold." Heiya says, some of her normal pitch coming back as she sits down. She sets what is left of the ice cream aside and gets herself ready. I get down next to her and she leans on me again, a clear smile on her face.


    "This better not be just for the picture." I tease, nudging her a little as a giggle comes out of her. I blink, almost baffled by such a thing, given her mood of the past few hours. Feels so long ago since I saw her happy. It helps me feel the same.


    "No... But who wants a picture where you''re miserable?" she asks me, smiling ever wider as she holds me tight. I turn the way of the impromptu cameraman as he sorts himself out, getting an appropriate tool for the job.


    "Say earthquakes!" he goes, a nervous chuckle leaving him as who knows what goes through his head. As if we care about some collapsing earth, right? Me and my daughter are alive and together, that''s what matters. On our way to put an end to the worst part of our lives!


    "Earthquakes!" Heiya lets out.


    "Earthquakes." I say, a fraction of the energy my daughter just put into it. But, no matter. The camera flashes and my smiles grows, my heart fluttering all the more for the special moment. As long as I am here for her, she will be alright. Moods come and go, but I will stay with her for as long as I can be.


    My little Princess, you''re all that I have left and I will treasure you forever.


    "I love you." I tell my daughter, holding her close as embarrassment makes her skin-covering fur useless. What a terrible place for paler fur, she must be thinking. My sweet little princess.


    "Pops..." she whines against my chest, a couple of limp fists smacking against me. I huff, my smile almost as set in stone as the world is in the remnants of Creation.

 Incline 28: Heiya

    Pops opens the door and we step on in, my hands closing it as I linger behind. I sneak out the photo from our bag and look at it again. A smile cannot help but come to my face and split it wide open. Pearly diamonds, a whole pair of rows of them.


    A photo of me and Pops and we''re not dressed as we normally are. Me more so than him, yet it''s all there. A memento to a moment where I am not thinking about our current job or overarching problem. I don''t have good thoughts with me right now, however, this photo will continue to make me happy.


    I will forget the bad things that happened as of late. I won''t forget what Pops did for me on this day and the effort he put into making me happy. He tried and succeeded in getting me out of my misery, even if for only a moment. I will not forget a thing about this moment, nothing at all.


    "Ah, good. You''re back." Hrurim goes, his arms crossing over as he minds his human head in the hwardgon-sized house. I eye his expression and turn to Pops as he mindlessly hooks something back to his person. I bet he never feels comfortable unless he''s weighed down by gear and tools. This photo might as well be of another man all because of it.


    "You have news for us?" Pops is right to ask as he slaps around some bracers and all the locks of it. I pass him some more equipment and move further into the house. Putting a hand into the bag, I pull out a couple of hard candies and flick them into my mouth. The fruity flavours roll across my tongue, knocking against my teeth. I withhold the urge to bite down.


    "We got word from the contacts. They''ve agreed to see you." Hrurim explains and one of the candies heads for my throat. I spit it back into my mouth proper, coughing away as a stinging slime clings to my dangler. My paw refuses to go away and I continue to cough. I wave my free hand at the pair, shoving away their needless concerns.


    "Hm. This seems odd." Pops mutters and I cock a brow as the pain in my throat pales to something more manageable.


    "How come?" I ask at nearly the same time as Hrurim. The human, in a moment of character assassination, offers no smile chuckle or laugh. My mouth straightens out and I try to keep my suckling quiet. Guess this is the big news we''ve been waiting for to get Hrurim like this.


    "That suspicious tower you surveyed back when we came into town. It''s as you suspected, it belongs to a crime family. The Vyacvans." Pops explains and I nod, although my head is empty of any details. Despite the fancy tower, I''ve never heard of any mafia family called the Vyacvans. They''re certainly not a local one of no importance if they have a tower like that, though.


    "I must put emphasis on something, though. They said nothing about buying Nin here, just that they''re willing to talk." Hrurim clarifies and I look at Pops as that serious line he calls his lips refuses to budge. His eyes narrow.


    "Enough time for word of my deeds to spread." Pops lets out, his avenging actions possibly being that tick that got us somewhere.


    "Might be, they might''ve been assuming you to be a fraud up until now." Hrurim says and Pops scoffs, his eyes no doubt rolling away. I emulate his reaction, though more subtly.


    "Can''t blame them for caution, but who takes this long to get back?" I ask, not putting much thought into my words as I head off into the living room. The other two come after me, an invisible rope practically dragging them.


    "Caution with the police is always the norm." Pops says, not a flash of care across his face either.


    "Still, manners or something." I moan for the sake of it and he pats my arm as he walks by me. I throw myself back onto the sofa and straighten out my dress. The bag comes up and I let it fall my way, denying Pops the chance for any unusual snacking attempts.


    "I''ve written down an address and they want us there in a few days. Presumably for that initial meet up to make sure we''re not pulling their leg." Hrurim explains and I bite down on one of the candies, cracking it wide open to its liquid core. The thick, almost-slime goes across my tongue, leaving it thoroughly soaked with a delicious flavour.


    "Great, we don''t even get a nice welcome for the fancy new zoo animal. We get some kids off the street handed knives and bats." I snark, looking away to the house and its messed up interior. Shame we''re going to miss the return of the actual owners. We''ve left quite the lovely mess for them to handle. It would be a hoot watching them roar with rage.


    "Hand that over, would you?" Pops asks, taking the address from his old friend. He looks it over, taking a notable amount of time doing it. I try to get a peak at the other details, but I cannot decipher the handwriting at this distance. A rare moment of using a pen and bit of card, too.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "I would offer to scout the place, but, well... You know." Hrurim says, shrugging as he puts a calloused hand through his stubble. I shake my head, getting my sarcasm out that way and he throws me a quick gesture. I smirk at his attempt to get me to knock it off and he dares to not even give me the slightest bit of satisfaction. No anything to get a good mood rolling out of this miserable town.


    "That''s fine, I can check the area beforehand. Give Heiya some tips as to where she might be able to camp out beforehand." Pops explains, one of his fingers tapping on the piece of card as he throws it out onto the tea table.


    "Oh, wonderful. I''m getting kicked out and becoming homeless." I say, keeping up with the facetious behaviour despite the lack of need or want for it. I get the point, however, I am the best one suited for keeping an eye on the pair. Can do that best from a vantage point and a loaded rifle in hand.


    "Might be worth me also going around to make sure they don''t try it." Pops says and I frown, not sure if it''s solely concern for me or actual paranoia regarding an opposing sniper-type. I''ve handled boys and more who think they can handle a rifle better than me. I know what to look for an how to handle it. Besides, are mobsters even going to go so far as to set up a marksman? Street gangs aren''t exactly the army.


    "If it''s just me, that might set them off." Hrurim cautions as me and Pops nod. I''ve not been fully involved with what these two have been doing, but we''re not many. Pops has either told this mob how many we are or he has altered the numbers.


    "A reputation like mine has certain assurances." Pops lets out and Hrurim''s head shakes, one of his hands smacking the arm of the sofa.


    "A reputation no one''s believed so far!" he exclaims, his voice brimming with the exhaustion of the incomprehensible amount of work he''s had to do. Old, precious nanny figure we got. Don''t Pops and I love him so much? We do.


    "Guess we''ll have to see. We don''t have a whole lot of options right now." Pops points out and Hrurim calms down to something more controlled.


    "Yeah, suppose." he lets out, a sigh following it on through.


    "Are we prepared to head on out, otherwise?" I ask, not knowing how much of our stuff is not in the truck and in the garage. The pair wave their hands and I shrug, settling further into the sofa.


    "Might be worth heading on out sooner rather than later. Shake them off a bit if they''re sniffing close." Pops ponders and I let it slip my mind, not all that concerned about it.


    "You ever known a mafia to do that? Snoop around and wire tap?" Hrurim asks and Pops wobbles his head, a paw balancing poorly on the air.


    "I have my gut feeling. Still, if we keep getting involved with the tower and their lines, cops must be listening in. Private construction can only keep so many eyes and ears out when they couldn''t be any more explicit. There''s a reason Gamtambo never did things the usual way. Cost him a lot of wounds to his pride, but it made him all the more effective. Not having that gaudy target on his back. Well, his younger self, anyway." Pops waffles on about as I randomly stretch and move an arm about.


    "Fair enough. We should be good to go by tomorrow, then. At night if you two don''t mind not resting after your day of play." Hrurim explains and I scoff at his choice of words.


    "Shut up and have a rock fall on you." I say, getting another candy out and leaving it in its wrapper. I toss it at the half-wit and he catches it without shifting his eyes.


    "Thank you." he says, a smirk on his lips as I scoff again, my eyes rolling over those annoying reflexes.


    "We''ll rest for the day. We have plenty of time tomorrow to lose them should it be a problem." Pops says, getting up to his feet to then look out a window. I look over his way, not having anywhere near the view he does. But, if he does find something, I''m sure he would''ve noticed even before we came back. He''s observant like that, never really able to leave that work mode he''s always in.


    Who knows, though, maybe the scary men in black have turned up on the driveway. The stakeout that''s not so hidden and unsuspecting as they think it is. People always overestimate their ability to stalk and follow. There''s those traits that always give them away once you know what to look for. Gods and goddesses above, anyone not stuck up their backside will notice an odd case of the followings.


    "Guess that settles that, then. Did you two eat out or is La Restaurant Hrurim still open?" Hrurim asks, rising to his feet and clapping his hands. I point an arm out, recalling something all of a sudden.


    "You know, we saw while we are out that some places are willing to do delivery due to the buildings being a mess in so many places." I say, giving him some details.


    "Dial in?" Hrurim asks as he wanders the way of the phone.


    "Probably, yeah. I know we already cracked the safe in this house. Might as well spend some of those savings on something fancy." I say, shrugging as a few things go through my mind.


    "All this digging around Ivahstar''s contacts and other experience did enlighten me a certain way." Hrurim says, catching my attention and Pops'', though he''s probably more interested in hearing his name spoken. Quiet, loveable narcissist he is.


    "Well, go on. Out with it." I say, tossing another candy his way in lieu of anything harder.


    "Apparently the port brings in stuff from those Eusorochii colonies on the south coast." Hrurim shrugs and I click my tongue, pondering if I even have the cravings for something I''ve never really had. A fat ''no'' forms in my thoughts, weighing them down with everything but a want for Eusorochii cuisine.


    "Eh, haven''t been underground in so long. Would rather have something properly hwardgon." I say, shrugging as I try to think of something. There''s so much overlap with the surface that you can find a lot of it here.


    "Mmm, cave fish and algae. Yummy." the sarcastic human lets out and I grumble something I can''t even properly hear myself. He''s the one who bought battered Water-Vein fish when we arrived into town...

 Incline 29: Heiya

    "So... How close are we to this actually going anywhere?" I ask, pretty sure that we''re getting closed to or past the agreed upon time. Certainly going to be an interesting customer service complaint when you''re standing up someone like Pops. No phone call, no sternly worded letter. Just a face full of bullets and blood splatters as far as I can pitch.


    The radio crackles and whatever Hrurim is saying to Pops is not all that clear, "They''re late."


    "Wonderful." I scoff, Pops'' words repeating to me again and again. I shake my head, emptying it of the noise, and I fiddle with my gun. I''ve been out here for a short while, keeping an eye on this place. I was bored an hour into it. I''m nothing but frustrated now. I''ve seen every speck of rust and every loose, broken brick there is to see. Even been counting the latter as I try and get some sleep...


    "What exactly is the plan if they stand us up? Do I get a holiday or something?" I ask my father as I take a break from having an eye up against the scope. Whatever circle I''ve dug into my fur and flesh pushes out. The lingering feeling makes me uncomfortable and I shuffle about with uncertainty. A click breaks my mouth open.


    There''s nothing I can do to keep myself alert about an oncoming car or anything. I''m in as advantageous a point I can be without needlessly exposing myself. A hard ask given the location. But, I''m making do. One of my best traits, making do with what I have. Making do with this one utter mess of a life.


    "We force the meeting." Pops answers and I shrug with little care for it. At least a firefight is something that might reward us. Me sitting on my front, back and sides offers nothing but cramps and aches. An irresistible urge to keep on moving and never stay the same. The life of a nomad, all to escape boredom. What a world, what a world indeed.


    "Any of you two up for a game?" I ask, rattling my teeth with various clicks and fidgets. I find a broken washer by my side and throw it far. The sounds of distant traffic continue to echo towards me. I mind the stares up at my sniper spot and frown. Too much to be aware of. Too much.


    "Game- shut up?" Hrurim barely gets through the radio.


    "No talking unless you''re holding!" I bark, sending out some of the boredom with needless snappiness. I catch onto his laughter and Pops lets out a firm cough.


    "Remember, Heiya. They''re not going to be coming the route we took in." Pops reminds me and an image of his gut goes through my vision. Guess he''s getting those feelings again. That inexplicit moment of there being too much not happening when it should do so. I see something move.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "Possible contact." I warn the pair, or trio, rather. Much as I don''t want to care for that damn osibindah, Nin is our ticket to getting the money we need. Human-eyed creature with all the capacity of thought that any mortal has. All packaged in a bug''s body. A one-of-a-kind prize that will no doubt find a seller for.


    I blink and watch the same spot move. The sounds of Pops and Hrurim preparing their guns reach me through the radio static. My hand moves up, adjusting my sights, and I look around some more. All the points there might be snipers are empty.


    "Nothing behind, either..." I mutter, keeping a quick glance on my exit strategy. Who knows who is worming about this place. It might not even be the people we''re here to deal with. Gods and goddesses above will that be annoying... Some junkies or even deadbeat wannabe street gangs. Clueless, temperamental messes with too loose of a trigger finger.


    Car noises stick out above all the others and I shift around. The first car of many comes rolling in along with an aligned assortment of thugs. Gangsters robed up in coats and hats, weapons drawn. The front two cars of the convoy park ahead, their doors remaining oddly open.


    "Pops, this is... A little much." I remark, slinking away into the shadows to make sure no side-eyes will catch a sniff of me.


    "Hold steady." Pops warns and I turn my barrel towards the gilded limousine as it makes a careful stop. What must be former military or something moves close to it, opening the treasure chest up. The crown jewel of this whole meeting steps out, a young man decked in rings and more. A studded cane in his grip.


    "This the don?" I ask, not sure why someone so young is in charge of the Vyacvan family. Can''t possibly be true, but no harm in trying and putting the thoughts out there. If it''s true, anyway, we can hurt the Vyacvan''s irreplacably. One pushing finger, one bullet to the head.


    "No. Too lightly guarded." Pops says, his tone oddly nostalgic for what we have to deal with. My finger slips away, my prior thoughts taking that bullet instead.


    "Should I shoot him first, anyway?" I ask, already feeling the urge as the utterly pretentious entitlement of the snot becomes clear. Nose''s so upturned all I can see is the mess and hairs in the nostrils. Can smell the backend gasses from here.


    "Target the guards. No tricks. Just shoot when the time is right." Pops reminds me, his voice carrying all the reassurances of his physical touch. I nod, and, although he cannot see it, I know he knows I''m doing it.


    "Got it, Pops." I answer, steadying my breathing as I look over what I have to deal with. Handguns and submachine guns. Nothing particularly heavy or standoffish. Quite out of line with what a gangster needs to be. Inconspicuous.


    Their leader ain''t quite the same, however, with the lavish fur coat and hideous abomination of a gun. Studded in gems and plated in precious metals. A grip precisely carved out of some poor animal''s ivory. Even a few random strips of emerald cloth... Feeling so cocky, you messed with the people of the surface, huh?


    Well, try me, Vyacvan Heir or whoever you are. Try me and my father and I promise that coat will be nothing more than a crimson sponge. The gangsters fan out and I grit my teeth. Even if they don''t know I''m here, they have the numbers to set themselves up in a pre-emptive manner. I need to focus... Eugh, dammit.

 Incline 30: Ivahstar

    "Time to greet our guests." I tell my long time human friend as my paw circles the door handle. A dozen scenarios run through my experienced head. A baker''s dozen compared to what''s in Hrurim''s.


    "What a mess we''re getting into," he complains, and I huff, brandishing my firearm. The door clicks and swings wide open, and I give Hrurim the moment he needs. We head to the front of the car, my free hand gesturing a prayer. Not for me and not for my friend, but for my daughter''s aim to be truer than ever before.


    Whoever it is that is meeting us, he''s certainly not one with patience. I''m more than willing to bet I can gamble a comfortable retirement''s fortune on his ego. This lack of humility he nothing but exudes. This insufferable contempt. Ah, I never missed dealing with this.


    The entitled princelings and princesses sitting on a trove of blood money. All the grasp of its ichorous depths as they do about responsibility. He''s no heir, even if he presents himself as such. Nothing to worry but the concern is still there if I offend Don Vyacvan. He might be worth as much a pig iron painted gold, but he''s family.


    Mobs get family.


    "So, where is he?" this donling demands to know, and he smacks his cane a few times. I guess he thinks a grand reputation means a grander sense of style? Hilarious.


    "Who?" Hrurim asks back, his head finding no rest as he takes in the sights. Some gangsters with their fingers on triggers, some not. A mess that will easily flex its way to a line of alive guns. No worries, no worries indeed.


    The family man chortles his contempt and wobbles the cane, "Eugh. A human."


    "Indeed." Hrurim clicks, his hands no doubt patting around for one of his sticks. I''d take him up on the offer, really, if he offers. The metal of his lighter jingles in one pocket.


    "Not even with the honour of having his emerald heritage show," the annoyance lets out, moving closer to us with either his most well-paid or trusted thugs. I meet the eyes of one of them. A scar-bound man whose fur can barely hide his muscles. He breaks the stare, a slight shift to his jaw telling me all I need to.


    "Haven''t had a drop of mountain blood in me for a while, Hog." Hrurim says, drawing a twitch of ire from the Don''s pathetic boy. I knock my friend on the gut, hinting for his silence, and I step forward.


    "You are here to prove we have the goods?" I ask, focusing on the young man as he looks me over. An unmovable sneer of entitlement always on his face. A smile grows inside of my head and I recall the time I was allowed to discipline a lad just like him. Gamtambo''s, even. That is the kind of trust our relationship created and then... Well. Certainly no one is earning my trust again, no one in a gangster''s hat and style.


    The boy rolls his eyes, cane swinging up in an almost boastful manner, "They are. I''m just here to see the legendary Terror in the Dark. Ivahstar. Well, if you are him... My imagination got the better of me."This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    My eyes shift to the gangsters, and one of them shuffles back. Another handful shuffle as I give a few idle taps to my source of ammo. The blood wasps within rattle the container, making it dance a vicious tune. I''ve got my confidence that I can smash this right open and the contents will go for them all first. No marksman among them will be putting down flies.


    "Well, here I am!" I let out loudly, making sure my voice carries out across the abandoned site. Many of the gangsters stop and get their look of me as their immediate boss put it... The legendary hitman. Who knows how many stories they''ve had of me go through their ears? How many bosses they got who are only where they are because of me?


    The oldest here probably even saw my handiwork before, too.


    The boy''s tongue clicks, "Very well. Let''s be done with this disappointment. Maybe we''ll have one curiosity for once."


    "Stay here." I tell Hrurim as I start my walk alongside the Don''s son. His guards step back a safe distance, that show and tell of respect that deals like this need. Nice to hear the familiar click of a submachine gun to the back of my head. Makes me feel alive.


    I smash a fist on the back of the lorry and heave it open without much care. Not wanting too much to benefit the mafia child, I step back and let him frown at the contents. Whatever he''s muttering, I cannot be asked to hear it clearly. I''ve got a clear enough idea of it.


    "Whatever animal you have in here, I''m not impressed-"


    "BOO!" Nin lets out, smashing on his cage. I snort and I know full well some of the gangsters did too. The boy picks himself up, dusting himself off as he burns off his hairs with all that embarrassed anger. His sneer meets my smirk, watering my expression as I breathe air into his.


    "No threatening the merchandise." I warn the boy as I step forward, putting my paw on the top of his excessive piece. He looks my way, an irk of disgust going across his features. He backs up and whips out a cloth, wiping the spot I touched. Mutters break open his mouth, something about this weapon being worth more than I have ever been. I snort again.


    "What you have here is what I told you at the start. An osibindah with the soul of a human. The thoughts and feelings of one. The capabilities of one. All in the abominable body of a bug." I explain, drilling the details in as need be and whatever business lessons the boy has had work their way through his head. A thoughtful noise escapes him and he smacks his cane down.


    "Bring him out," the boy demands and I nod, not much else to do here. Though, I''m not breaking my back hauling the cage out. Hrurim fitted in a well enough door for us to use. I hop into the lorry and get to work.


    "Come. Out." I tell Nin in the speech of the wind-people and he groans with excitement. He knows better to try anything and my once-captor comes on out. The crowd is not unfamiliar with osibindah, no one involved with smugglers is. Too much overlap in those quiet tunnels with no one else in them.


    Still, those who are close enough can see where the real difference lies. Right in the eyes. Not the yellow, hexagonal things of the usual bugs. No... Proper eyes. Mortal eyes. Human eyes. The blood of claymen!


    "Odd scars..." the boy lets out, his eyes looking Nin''s body over. I do the same, noting the pale line on Nin''s body. A domineering streak across his chest, from shoulder to hip. A painted kneecap and all around. Even a hidden one on a closed up palm.


    "He''s got quite the story to tell. Should you know the speech of the Wind?" I say, gesturing slightly at those strips of emerald he has so out of place among all the black and gold and white and more. The boy comes closer, the gangster guns shifting from me to Nin. He''s no threat, but who''s going to let down their guard around osibindah?


    I smile, thinking far ahead. One day they will. One day, when I am far away out of Nin''s line of sight and knowledge... He''ll get his powers back, and he''ll break free. This giant killer right at my side. He''s too big for whatever display his buyer will have.

 Incline 31: Ivahstar

    Hrurim lets out a long whistle as we walk the latest hall of the Vyacvan tower, "May I?"


    "Of course, feel free. We smoke far better cigars here. Just make sure to use the trays, please." Don Vyacvan tells my human friend as we set ourselves up in the immense meeting room. I glance around at all this ill-got wealth and all the power that comes with it. Whatever it means to other people, it is a shallow thing to me. As thin as skin and nowhere near as resilient.


    "So... Don Vyacvan, about our prize?" I ask, getting the mafia head''s attention as my daughter and Hrurim make themselves nosey. The Don doesn''t seem to mind, well, outwardly. All these guards certainly say something else, but he would be one strange don to not have all of them here. Not with someone like me present.


    Don Vyacvan frowns, his elderly face slumping and he shakes his head, "I am not the buyer you are hoping for."


    My expression remains flat, and I give a simple nod. Turning the way of Nin in his cage on wheels, I head up to him. The don follows, a glass of stiff liquor in his paw. Chilly as the ice in the snow-belt, high up in the skies of the surface.


    "You still allowed us here, though." I point out, crossing my arms as I try to consider other buyers. There *is* a buyer for someone like Nin. I just don''t know that I have time between here and Gamtambo. Much less with how I reacted to Heiya''s humiliation by those teenagers.


    Don Vyacvan puts a paw on my shoulder, and he coughs firmly. No words escape him, but the room starts to empty as he waves his drink. All the guards leave, not one remaining. My companions both take a step away from any and everything. Distancing themselves from claims of theft as much as the act of it.


    "As my son probably put it... You are a very important man, Ivahstar." the aged man explains, his tired legs taking him as far as his desk. I cross the gap and help him down, offering him this courtesy in the hope of information in return. The old man offers me a smile and waves me off.


    "Only to Gamtambo." I answer, my voice dripping with more poison than Don Vyacvan has ever had to consume an antidote for. That glass could have the most toxic substance made by the gods in it. And it still wouldn''t compare... Not at all.


    "That is precisely why, Ivahstar. You''re making a very big risk coming here. Trusting where you shouldn''t." Don Vyacvan warns and I shake my head as I put my hands near a pocket.


    "I do not trust so easily, Don." I explain, showing off the myriad of ways I can kill him right now. Each way a means his men failed to confiscate and hide away. These gangster types think they know all the hidey spots, but they don''t. They could not be any more clueless about it if they tried.


    Don Vyacvan laughs himself into a coughing fit, one he doesn''t particularly help with his drink. The strong refreshment goes down his already sore tunnel, burning it up further. His mood, however, could never be better. I let him have the moment to get his feelings out into the open.


    "I don''t recall ever hiring someone of your calibre... But I can certainly wish I had!" he goes, a smirk breaking across his lips as he eyes my daughter. She shuffles, not sure what to make of the married man''s gaze. The familiar expression of a father crosses over his face. From loving smile, to heartbroken furrowing. I emulate the latter, almost coming to glaring blows as my body twitches.


    I move close to the don, "Not a word."


    "Of course," he answers, respecting the privacy of what no doubt has as much impact in the criminal world as a celebrity dying in the music one does. The day my princess''s idol dies, then she will understand the scale of what Gamtambo''s actions were. She''ll never feel the same, but she will have a point of reference. Something so dearly needed to get those particular things.


    "So, if you will not buy, I take it you know who will?" I ask, getting us back in the direction of why I am here. My mind crashes about, reforming without a scar as I set aside my thoughts of Gamtambo.


    "Naturally, business first." Don Vyacvan answers, pulling out a cigar and chomping off its end. He spins the intricate case of solid gold. All its patterns and details highlighted by the craftsmanship of that single metal and the shadows cast into it. Don Vyacvan throws a paw up, gesturing Hrurim close.


    "Pleasure for me, I suppose." the human shrugs, cheekily taking up a couple of cigars. Don Vyacvan smiles, chuckling as he waggles a finger at the surface dweller. I decline the offer, as does my daughter.


    Don Vyacvan turns his attention back to me, nodding for a seat. I take him up on it, though I''m not fussed either way. My back hits the cushions and I close my eyes, letting out a satisfied groan. Oh, Don Vyacvan definitely understands the pains of age and the parting of magic. Finally, a way to spend money and for me to respect it.


    "Take some joy in it, Ivahstar. You certainly earned it. With or without your direct employment, you''ve created so many opportunities. Gods above as our witnesses, I like to believe even your surface-based retirement has influenced my success." Don Vyacvan says and I silently nod, throwing my eyes for an observant roll. Quite the ceiling he''s invested in. A grand painting that''s eerily reminiscent of an abandoned stalagmite mine I''ve once been through.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "You''re no doubt thinking of sending me the way of some black market?" I ask, knowing full well I''m unlikely to find anyone else of note in Agadton. If Don Vyacvan is this open with his establishment, then there will be no other families with a strong foothold here. So, which way will we go?


    "Naturally. Despite issues with the port, I''m more than willing to offer a ship to the nearest one. At least, as close as we can get to such a place." Don Vyacvan explains and I nod at this information. It''s a start, a good one at that. A direction for buyers and nothing but them when we arrive at the location. This close to a family, too. It won''t be some back alley exchange.


    "Thank you." I say, getting it into the open as my actions will not be able to speak on my behalf in the days to come. Regardless of the offer, we''re leaving town. I''ve made too much of a fire and it''s growing. Flee the forest as it burns. That is our only option.


    "I must stipulate... Out of fear for who you are, Ivahstar. I offer no protection once you leave my home. Even on the ship, if something happens... Well, business is, business does," the weary old man explains and I nod, an understanding palm rising up.


    "Understandable. Besides, if Gamtambo did suddenly find a lead to me from you. I''d be surgical about it." I explain, knowing full well the weight of my words in the context. One clap of the hands or anything lesser and all this wealth is but a repair job away to greatness.


    Don Vyacvan chuckles, "I''d sooner do the hard work for you and sacrifice the snitch like some virgin in the savage tales."


    "I''m not that scary." I tease, huffing a quick smirk, the words daring my memory to prove me wrong. Flashing image after flashing image of dead gangster and mafia family member runs on by. Each one fully aware of the reputation I carefully cultivated in my time in employment. Ivahstar is not a name the criminal world knows through gossip after Gamtambo''s betrayal. They know about me because I made them. Each step, every kill and bullet spent.


    Each bit of it was a word out of a wife''s mouth.


    "You are past your prime like all men our age are..." Don Vyacvan begins to say, leaning forward despite the seeable point, "And you still terrify me."


    "Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear until Gamtambo has his fingers around your neck." I say, dismissing his concerns as I look back at my two compatriots. My daughter and a friend from a long time ago. I frown in thought as the details otherwise pass me by. We got what we came here for, but there''s something I would like to make use of. For the moment.


    "I understand completely. Do not concern yourself with my actions. I''m too old to take risks now. Too old for any of that stuff," the clingy family head explains to me, finishing his drink. Current, rather.


    "I take it you will have someone hand me the details to the ship in question?" I ask, splitting his attention away from that bottle.


    "Of course, I can have it handed over to you after breakfast tomorrow?" Don Vyacvan offers and I look back to my two partners. I nod in agreement, if only for the sake of the youngest one of the pair. My daughter might not want any part in all this mafia business, but she''ll appreciate the comfort here. A lapse in the concerns of having to look over her shoulder. She also earned it with all that rough sleeping to keep the meeting site safe.


    "That is acceptable." I say, getting up, as I cannot see much more reason to linger before the Don of the Vyacvan family. Not here for chit chat and all the small talk. Leave that to verbose wastes of space.


    "Wonderful, if you would be so kind as to get to the door and let my men back in. I can get started on the arrangements. Feel free to wander my home for a moment in the meantime. We''ll come to you when rooms are sorted." Don Vyacvan asks of me and I oblige him, opening the door and nodding his goons on inside. My head nods the other way and my daughter and friend come after me. We leave the mafia head to his business and a whistle follows after.


    "So that''s Ivahstar." I manage to catch from one of the goons.


    "That I am," I mutter in reply, confusing my daughter and Hrurim.


    "So, it''s a no-go on the whole sell Nin to the Vyacvans?" Hrurim asks, inspecting his pair of cigars while backwards walking. I look the way of Don Vyacvan''s office and shrug as we continue to leave Nin further and further behind. If something happens, we''re already in position to rob the place well and truly. Money problems are solved either way.


    "No. Don Vyacvan has offered us passage to a black market locale, however." I explain and Heiya becomes caught up in a mixture of delight and despair. I guess she must not like the people at black markets. Certainly not what they sell, however. She got that musket of hers from one such place. Or parts of it, my memory is fickle with that gun of hers. I can''t even remember why I have my gun and mine is famous for its alien functions.


    "Huh, if we''re lucky, we might run into someone I know." Hrurim huffs, his mind not all that made up on if we will actually head that way.


    "Don''t get your hopes up. We cannot have any plans banking on such low probability." I needlessly warn the experienced criminal and my friend smirks. He mocks my pride with a quick rub of the head and quills.


    "Of course not, my little Terror of the Dark." he says, a childish voice taking over. I offer a quick snarl, warning him off from further teasing.


    "Alright, so... No buyers here. Off to a black market by ship. We part ways with Nin, get the money. We finish the original job and then head all the way to Gamtambo and get this whole business sorted?" Heiya asks and I nod. She lets out a lengthy, tired noise, a cheering pump of the fist bringing it to an end.


    "That we do, all sorted as far as the plans are concerned." I reassure her with, nudging my daughter the way of some fancy vase. She narrowly avoids running into it, spinning away with a tightened smile on her face.


    "So, surely a mafia-run tower has something to pass the time with?" Hrurim asks, his attention going all over the decadent palace-wannabe. I shrug, not needing as much effort to keep out of trouble. My mind is entertainment enough. Imagining Gamtambo''s death delights me all too well. Eagerness for a kill I''ve not felt in a very long... Long time.


    "Stay close to Heiya, if you''re going to wander off." I warn, my professionalism and instinct getting the better of me for the moment. I can handle myself and while she can too, I don''t want her on her own. Not in a place like this, regardless of the family''s head and his temperament.


    "Tight as the money Don Vyacvan is no doubt keeping in a safe somewhere here." Hrurim lets out and we share a nod. He spins the cigars through his fingers, slotting them away into opposing pockets.


    "Oh, that''s an idea, let''s find that!" my daughter chirps, her sticky fingers getting the better of her. I offer her a half-serious warning with my eyes alone. Her smirk grows, defying the silent order, and the pair vanishes out of sight. I shake my head, not wanting to even consider the trouble these two are going to be bringing my way.

 Incline 32: Heiya

    The ship blows its horn, and we start to leave port. Leaning up against the railing, I stare at the town as it slowly chugs away. See ya, Agadton. Not really worth knowing you!


    "Certainly a thing to be rid of it, too." I mutter, getting some of my thoughts in the open. My eyes pull my attention away from my thoughts and to the Vyacvan don as he waves farewell. Pops certainly had his ears talked off by all the questions from the curious crime family. The underworld famous hitman who''s suddenly reappeared in the ''public'' eye.


    We''re going, though, off into the unknown to finally get ourselves back on track. For the first time since that damn giant caused that earthquake. Just through the black market and to a seller to dump Nin off at and... We finally handle Gamtambo.


    I don''t know why it feels like it''s such a faraway goal. Pops, Hrurim and I have spent more than a couple years down here in the underground. We returned to the realm of the hwardgon all that time ago. So why do I feel like this brief stay in Agadton has been some laborious, unending quagmire...?


    "I don''t even want to know..." I sigh out into the open, rolling away from the ship''s edge. I thrust myself forward and walk along the deck. Much as this ship is leaving port, I really should let my thoughts do the same. Let them go off down the currents, never to be seen again.


    We''re not adrift here, we''re on the right track. No open seas, a navigable river. That is where we are. The path to Gamtambo has never been clearer.


    A click breaks my mouth open and I find myself wandering. Pops and Hrurim continue to elude me and I keep to myself. The crew aren''t thinking much about our presence onboard and I will do the same for them. Don Vyacvan must''ve kept Pops'' identity quiet, if it''s all like this.


    Smuggler''s ship carrying such a legendary smuggler as my dad? I doubt the captain could keep his paws off of him. Much like our patron in that regard, I suppose. Would be fun to watch, I guess. Watching as Pops'' patience cracks and rusts away as the laconic is forced against the verbose.


    Gods and goddesses only know what the surface is like. At least there will be no more falling giants and grander heroes standing atop them. Sail we shall. Sail far and sail forever.


    "Oh, there you are." I mutter, spotting my father as he messes with his gear on some random crate. I head on over, giving him a slight wave and getting nothing in return. He acknowledges my arrival with a subtle shift in focus. It goes back to his work.


    Moving in closer, I look over his shoulder and around his arm. It''s a thing alright, nothing special or important if I cannot think of it. I can certainly make my guesses about what Pops is up to, but I don''t want to push my luck with him. Not some needy girl like the ones he cleaned up in such a bloody manner back in Agadton.


    "Something on your mind?" Pops asks, his voice surprisingly soft. He puts the tools down and turns my way fully. He even hops up onto one of the crates once he''s cleared himself a spot. I blink, stepping back halfway.


    "Na-Naturally. Be a bit silly to not have any thoughts going through my head." I answer, the question catching me more off guard than an actual ambush. My thoughts elude me and all I can get out is a bad, dry joke and Pops is... Still looking at me, his eyes not having lost any of their concern. Those same eyes move, focusing on one of my fiddling fingers.


    "You didn''t want to put much effort into your quills, did you?" he asks and I find myself nodding as I surrender my thoughts to him. I cannot get them in order, so I''ll let him dictate them. Give them the direction I can''t find myself right now.


    "Didn''t seem worth it." I shrug, not giving him the full answer as the nightmare of a pool party returns to mind. A moment to live the slightest moment of a normal girl''s life and it ends poorly. I know it won''t stick with me forever and it really shouldn''t be sticking with me now. But what happened then has left me... Iffy.


    "You looked pretty, dressed the way you were back then." Pops compliments and I huff myself into a smile, my fur being enough to hide the blush right now. I like hearing Pops tell me that. It sounds like such a normal thing to hear from a father. Not something like ''find a sniper position and hold it well'' or any of the other stuff that normally comes out.


    "Thank you, Pops." I say, a choking sniff breaking my expression up. I shake my head, getting it all back under control, rattling the few decorations I put back into my quills. Don Vyacvan''s granddaughters were very open to allowing me into their lives. If only for the chance to treat me like an art project. Not that I minded. They had a spare shape... Mother''s Shape.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Shouldn''t be too long until we get to the port. The black market is out of the way, but it''s not far. We''ll hit the docks, Captain''ll let the ramp down and off we go. Foot to pedal and back on our own," Pops says, leaving me nodding as he tries to fill up the silence.


    "I''m sure Hrurim will love the fact he''s not our pack mule anymore." I let out, smiling as my voice fails to fully deliver the humour. Pops gives me a curve of the lips, anyway.


    "Mm." he goes, his eyes wandering away. My head does much the same, my eyes going even further. Our invisible bond brings us back to each other.


    "Any plans once we''re done underground? Are we... Even staying down here? It''s our homeland, but I''ve always really been up on the surface." I ask, shrugging as I tug on some of my quill decorations. Nervousness is quite the force, but not one that''s strong enough to ruin my aesthetic. Thankfully.


    "Up to you, Heiya. I''m... Hesitant, to plan that far ahead, however." Pops answers, his tone shifting in an uncomfortable manner. He''s not confident that we can do this. He''s not sure that he can put our Gamtambo business behind us. This is a first. I don''t like it.


    "Don''t think like that, Pops. You''ve got me through worse. You''ve got the slaves in our inventory through worse, even. You know what they always say about the lengths we go to for the people we care about..." I say, waffling on into silence and the look away that comes with it.


    "Yeah." he lets out quickly, an unfortunate sound to it. I guess all I''ve done is make him think about all we lost. Knowing Pops as I do now, I know he puts so much effort into things. He tries to account for everything and plans as flexibly as possible to ensure the plan survives. Whatever he did wrong all those years ago has been eating away at him for just as long. A mistake he can never let happen again.


    "We will get him, Pops. We will." I say, my arm bending around to touch Mother''s Shape. I forgot to ask Don Vyacvan''s granddaughters for the name of the shape. But it doesn''t matter either way what it''s called. It''s the shape of Mother''s precious necklace. We will get Gamtambo in her name and in the name of all the siblings I''ve forgotten about.


    What a cause... We don''t even recall who they are. I don''t, anyway. All I have is the idea of her at my age and if this goes on for too long, Pops will be the same. Pops tries not to show it in front of me, but he misses her. I''m pretty sure he misses them all more than he even loves me. He''s scared to lose me, is all. What once belonged to a family can now only go to one person. Me.


    Me alone.


    Pops gets down and approaches, his paws taking my free hand, "Don''t worry."


    I smile awkwardly, "You know that''s impossible."


    "I know... I know," he repeats, his expression dying as much as Gamtambo will when the time comes. Our greatest foe will be vanquished. It won''t be as grand as what Nin did to that giant. However, Gamtambo won''t leave us magicless and crippled. We won''t end up like Nin did. We will go on and enjoy our lives. Assuming Pops even manages to carry on.


    "I don''t suppose you''re up for a father-daughter shopping trip when we get there, will you?" I ask, moving my thoughts to somewhere happier. Like what he did for me when I was feeling down after the mess of a party. A simple moment of him spending time with me. Where we did nothing but focus on activities. Not guns and bombs and criminal plans.


    "What would we even shop for? I doubt a black market will have the same luxuries as a regular market." Pops huffs and he hops up onto the crate next to me. We keep our distance, but share a grip. I squeeze his paw and he squeezes right back. His aged fur showing its well-worn nature while the softness of my youth comforts him.


    "I don''t know... I''ve been hoping for a new scope for my rifle. You know, birthday present." I say, grinning wildly as I cling to the idea of us just taking the moment to do something. A way to break out of this life of avoiding and hunting Gamtambo. A taste of what is to come when we''re finally free of him.


    "With what money? No safe pick-pocketing in a black market." Pops chuckles and I wave him off with my free hand. Nonsense, if I can pick a whole town clean of loose change. I can manage a few hardened criminals who grew up in those rougher streets. Got the skills and the experience for it all, no lost hands for me at all!


    "We still got plenty of spending money." I say, shrugging as I recall the amount I stole from the people of Agadton. Not a fortune by any stretch when compared to the prices in a black market. But enough to maybe buy something or other. Enough to even make someone the fool in a lovely trick.


    "We''ll have to check up on our essentials first. Hrurim''s had the mechanics back at the tower give him a hand. He''s even or should be working on the lorry still. But we have more to it than that." Pops explains, that professionalism of his keeping us grounded away from anything light-hearted. My eyes look away and I nod, a sigh building up in my throat like dragon fire.


    "Of course. Still, we can leave him to sort out our buyers. He''s a charming enough person." I point out with all due respect to Pops'' human friend.


    "For a human." Pops goes, his smirk putting one back on my face.


    "For a human." I repeat, breaking out into a giggling snicker that throws me onto my back a little. I hiccup myself to a stop, easing myself upright.


    "I best go check on him, though, Princess. Make sure he''s not betting away anything he shouldn''t." Pops goes and I nod, letting go of his hand a little too late. My father stumbles ahead and gives me an elated side-eye. I keep a smirk up at him and wave, watching him vanish without even bothering to collect his things.


    "Guess I''m lingering." I huff, staying where I am to make sure none of the ship''s crew gets any ideas. I''m all for some lovely hypocrisy right now. Only my fingers may be sticky, only my paws may hold the ill-got loot. Not them at all.


    A popping sound bursts through my lips. Pop, pop, pop. My fingers drum the crate and my mind wanders again. I stare up, towards the ceiling of the cavern and all in its shadows. Another noise lingers in my mouth. A thoughtful one that keeps my head going in the right direction.


    Life after Gamtambo, huh?

 Incline 33: Hrurim

    "HAHA! No." I let out, answering Heiya''s request to sit in the front with her. Smacking the back of her head with a jokester''s light touch, I shove her on ahead. The poor girl wounds me with such a rude follow up gesture. I scoff and roll my eyes, going around the lorry''s front.


    "Everything all sorted?" Ivahstar asks, and I nod, smacking the bonnet of the lorry. My nod carries on as my smacks become a gentle caress of painted metal.


    "Nin''s all loaded and we''re ready to go. Ship docks and off down the road." I say and my friend of many years gives a gruff noise. He shifts his head, getting his quills up defensively and warding off my hand. I give a quick pout and tap his door back towards the lorry. A smirk grows across my face as his not-so quiet mutters reach me.


    Patting around my coat, I pull out one of the cigars I nabbed from Don Vyacvan''s office. I let the fine thing go along my nose and I take in a deep, nauseating breath. My eyes water and I cough myself into a spitting frenzy. This is certainly the good stuff!


    Going to need the window open, however. Blowing the back end of the lorry up with cigar smoke will turn us into a fog machine. Can''t have that when the driver needs to have his vision free and able. There''s also the issue of magic contents.


    So close to a buyer... Ivahstar will beat me black and blue, pale me up and black and blue me again. Ah, I hate window smoking. Ruins the clouds and the build-up. Still, finally being on our way is a cause worth celebrating, and I am not at all impatient.


    I open up the lorry and hop into the back with my hand lingering on the latch. A hand comes slipping down to pull out my knife. Its edge saws into the cigar and I get a fine grip, slicing on through the rest of the way. The chunk of cut-off cigar lingers on the knife, and I flick it away. Lorry doors close at my behest, and I cut myself a window into the tarp.


    One hand grips the trailer frame, and I lean towards it. The sounds of movement and the feelings of it rattle me up. My lighter comes out and becomes my only bit of light for the time being. The cigar takes a moment to light, but when it does... It''s glorious. So much heat and smoke right at the start with no huffs from me!


    "You''re looking quite chipper, hm?" Nin goes, his shell barely able to catch the faintest lick of the flame''s light. Even less of the embers as the end of the cigar balances itself out. I hold off on answering his word and let in a deep breath. My chest swells with more than just air, and I happily sigh it all out.


    It takes me down all the way to a pair of truly empty lungs. My next breath backwashes too much smoke back into me. Everything becomes all the more mellow and I snicker to myself. If only cigars of this quality were easier to come by. If only cigars were better and easier on the baggage, too. Regular pack of smokes will do me fine, but treating myself certainly makes me doubt my habits.


    "Finally, on the move again. Finally, on our way to dealing with Gamtambo. No more dealing with a gods-damned phone line." I answer, eagerly sighing the first two details. The last bit comes out as a miserable mutter. Hate is too kind of a word to refer to my time at that damn phone. Being entirely honest with myself, too, I loathe the fact we''re still with Nin.


    Don Vyacvan not got an interest in a human-souled osibindah? He certainly prodded Nin for details back at the tower. Should''ve charged him a taster fee or something. Still, can''t complain about the breakfast he offered in the morning. Got me right full, that tasty brunch did.


    "You know, odd as it is for me to say. I''ve enjoyed our talks." Nin goes, his mood too light for his circumstances. I blink, putting a pair of free fingers to my eyes and squeezing. I knock my fist on the tarp, clearing the cigar of some ash. For only a second, I watch it vanish in the darkness-drowned wind of the underground.


    "Who in All-That-Remains enjoys being a slave?" I ask, my bafflement enough to hold me back from huffing another smoky load. My eyes meet Nin''s and he keeps the look up. Not a moment of anything coming to those slits of his. I glare a bit, trying to egg something other than this mellow mood. Well, isn''t he a bore compared to the usual slave?


    "Talks, not circumstance." Nin corrects, his bug things chittering away. I try to drown it out with a busy, tapping away foot.


    "Ah, shove it where the light don''t shine." I tell him, not in the mood at any point for any level of pedantic semantics.


    "You mean like the underground?" he asks, chuckling to himself and I huff a smirk.


    "Walked right into that." I let out.


    "More like drove." Nin quips way too quickly for me.


    "I hate you..." I let out, going breathless and the bad joke gets me at the worst time. It carries on, making a mess of my nose and then sleeve. I whip the offended arm somewhat clean.


    "Mm." Nin goes, the silence not even getting a minute to properly settle in. Well, as quiet as it can be for an on the move lorry with a conversing pair of hwardgon in the front. How appalling. Me and Heiya get along so well and Ivahstar is a friend of many years. And here they are, enjoying themselves without me while I do all the work!Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The nerve... The nerve of leaving me to babysit in a moving vehicle!


    "How much are you even hoping I''ll fetch?" Nin asks and I blink, not sure why he can''t recall. I guess we never spoke about it before him? Or did all the welding and metal work for his cage deafen him? Eh, guess it doesn''t matter. All the more moments to waste away with something other than a smoke break.


    "Enough to cover our debt. Or, rather, lost item debt. Not technically needed, but it''s what Ivahstar wants. I guess." I tell him, considering a few things I''m not all that sure about. If news about Ivahstar specifically can reach Gamtambo, then the earthquake most certainly did. Gods above and out of sight, they''ll hear about it first. All the officers and all the made-men.


    "Hurtful. And here I thought I was supposed to make you all rich for a lifetime." Nin says, one of his claws dinging the stolen construction steel bars. I glance his way out of unwarranted worry. A shrug lifts my shoulders and I shake my turning head.


    "Ha. Got enough in stashes already to cover that. Shame it''s too much of a backache to collect it all." I explain, thinking about all the places I can directly recall. Who knows how many I''ve forgotten about or have been broken into? So long as I remember the directory, however, I''ll never lose them all. Keep it in my head and in a right emerald-rich slab of stone on me person.


    I take in another huff from the cigar and knock more ash off. The smoke clogs my nose and my mouth opens halfway through the breath. Three holes of smoky air go away, never to be seen again. The awfully unfresh cavern air comes back inside and I grumble over nothing. Getting so damn pale in this underground land.


    "So, how did you meet these two? Heiya shot me and dragged me into a slave trade. Ended up like this not long after." Nin goes, his attempt to strike up the next conversation topic burning out already. My heart won''t let this stranger anywhere near that close, and I most certainly don''t want him near. My affairs are my own. Especially with Ivahstar.


    "On a job." I answer, keeping it quiet for him and me as my thoughts refuse to move.


    "Guess we share a common history, then!" he goes, the cage shaking for more reasons than a non-existent bumpy road. I glance out through my makeshift window and eye the stone. A firm ''huh'' leaves me and I''m somewhat impressed by it. For a smuggler''s route, this is well looked after!


    All the stuff on the surface is muddy tracks and trodden grass. Maybe a painted sign that won''t last an hour. Guess it''s because it''s harder to track smugglers underground. Certainly not easier to smuggle with how unending the maze of tunnels is. No wonder the Ibenoroccons and their Water-Vein colonies are so independent. Certainly imagine that causes some friction with the hwardgon. Agadton is actually a target if they come by.


    "So... This Smiling Jhurack fellow, what exactly was all that about?" I find myself asking and Nin''s mood for once shifts. The shadows of his smile straighten out and my imagination can''t even bring it back. None of him is suave and cool anymore, it''s all tight and wound. A stress toy that needs something to squeeze itself.


    "A criminal I defeated. Nothing more." Nin answers, his words far too cold in tune to fit his choice of words. Defeated? Sounds like he wanted to utterly murder the madman. Gamtambo''s the same any time he''s near Ivahstar even as a simple name.


    "Was an interesting thing to have drip down the circles. Finding out Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst lost its main problem." I say, taking in another huff from my cigar.


    "I imagine so." is all Nin seems to have to say.


    "He''s like Ivahstar, in a way. One of those people with those immense reputations that you can''t believe. Though, I guess with your track record... Smiling Jhurack really was just that." I waffle and Nin''s head moves in the dark. If Nin was needed to handle that earthquake-making giant, then Smiling Jhurack certainly fit the reputation. Such an odd thing for a serial killer of all things to have.


    "That bastard really was his name." Nin goes, his voice teetering close to something vicious.


    "Gamtambo''s like that down here. He''s that mafia boss everyone knows about. The world-class singer we all hear the tune of no matter where we go." I say, pursing my lips and shifting my jawbone as a few things weigh me down. Mental nonsense can certainly be a taxing mass, utterly weightless as it is.


    "But Ivahstar is why that name is so well-known?" Nin asks, his thoughts as sharp as ever, even with his degraded health.


    "Yep... Yep." I repeat a couple times clearly, a couple times more barely incompressible.


    "Well, aren''t I lucky to have been enslaved twice by that man?" Nin goes, his sarcasm not lost on me even with his tone not having much energy to it.


    "Lucky is certainly a word right now." I say, taking in more of my cigar and watching it fade away into embers. So much in one huff that it falls apart of its own accord. Right down my front and onto my shoes. I snort and scrape some of it into the floor out of boredom.


    "Given where you lot found me, luck is certainly the word." Nin says and I nod, my body having nothing but a treasure trove of ''agreement'' for him. Giant of that scale and he survived? Well done indeed. Doing so with no magic left in his system? Bloody bravo.


    Certainly would be bloody if I didn''t pop in with the other two at the right time. Then again, we''d be further along this nonsensical revenge trip if we didn''t. Earthquake should''ve happened a long way away. We''d be closing in on Gamtambo if that was the case...


    "Get this mess done and dusted." I mutter, sighing myself into a scrunched up mouth.


    "I hope whoever buys me, he doesn''t gut and stuff me." Nin remarks, his ears having not picked up my words or his mind not caring for them. I shrug and cling to his voice, not wanting to get bogged down too much in the job.


    "Nah, no one''s going to bother with that. Too much trouble. Besides, how can anyone prove your value if you''re stuffed? So much is right here, in this!" I point out, huffing and smirking about his concerns as he continues to show off where his value is.


    "Still... Fancy scary animal. An osibindah, of all things? I''d make one fancy mantlepiece." Nin jokes and I shake my head, heading over to his cage. Wobbling about in my steps, I ground myself away from the lorry''s momentum.


    "No one''s going to put a magicless thing like you at the centre of their collection. We might turn to clay as we die, but that doesn''t mean the magic doesn''t linger. Your value is in you being alive. We wouldn''t be that if you were at all as you are." I tell him, prodding the beast and getting nothing but an annoyed chitter in response.


    "Shove off!" he goes and I laugh.


    "All you can do is make that demand!" I tell him, knocking him up again with all the love and care I give to a fragile parcel.

 Incline 34: Ivahstar

    Pulling us up into the black market, Heiya throws herself out the door. I look on over and watch as she skips along the road, dancing her way off of it. A huff escapes me and I park everything up. If this were a shady street, I would sabotage the lorry. Thankfully, black markets have more class than such places.


    I slam the door behind me and pocket the keys, knocking my daughter along. Going up along the lorry''s side, I glance at the hole in the tarp. Hrurim''s mutterings and complaints reach me without issue and I open the rear up for him. He comes on wheeling out, our valuable produced laying comfortably in its cage. The little lift takes its time and Hrurim grows impatient.


    "Careful!" I bark, reeling from the thunderous bang of the trailer coming off the lift.


    "He deserves it!" Hrurim snaps back and I shake my head. As if Nin can do anything to him in that cage. Not a wisp of magic in him, too. Nin won''t do anything this day other than get sold for a high price. Our ticket to getting close to Gamtambo.


    "Enough. Let''s get going." I urge my daughter and friend so we can get this over with. Business hours aren''t far off and we can get started gathering prices. It''s a good chance as well to get familiar with the layout of the market square. Black markets may not be known for their orderly establishment, but it helps to congregate with similar products.


    "Gods and goddesses, let some fat old hegge buy this bug already." Heiya complains as her musket jostles over her shoulder. I raise a hand and spread my paw over her shoulder, giving her a firm shake about. She looks my way and groans, her eyes on their rolling way out.


    "Stay with Hrurim. If you''re not with me." I tell her and she goes quiet, her teeth covering her bottom lip. It flicks out and she nods.


    "Got it." she says, her voice surprisingly reluctant. I glance back at my human friend and sense nothing wrong. Gut and mind are calm. I guess she was serious about us having a shopping trip together...?


    Hm.


    "We will still have that look around together, Princess." I whisper to her, to see if that''s actually the case. A smile comes to her lips, and it grows, spreading to me. A mixture of pride as a father and the simple joy that I got it right.


    "This one of those places we need to register at?" Hrurim asks as we start to get into the market proper. I bring the group to a halt and look around with a frown as many other merchants set themselves up. Illegal produce, drugs, weapons and untaxed goods. Animals and slaves are... There.


    "No. Better we don''t attract spies if there are any here. Besides, who''s going to enforce rules at a place like this?" I say, almost scoffing my rhetorical question as Hrurim huffs a smirk.


    "I''ll have a look around for a proper stage or something. Nin here isn''t some run-of-the-mill animal." Hrurim explains and I nod, though I find one of my paws moving about. Will we need to pay a fee of any kind for such a luxury? Guess I''ll have to ask around and work it out.


    "Guess I''ll tag along." Heiya lets out, her mood a teetering edge of nonsense if things don''t go her way. I give her a reassuring nudge on the arm and she waves as she departs. I keep my eyes locked on Nin as he quirks up with curiosity. Good. Activity from him will encourage people he''s the real deal.


    My eyes shift, catching the glances of a handful of gun runners. One of their sales assistants running out to get a more proper view. She twists around, shaking her scantily clad backend at the caged bug. A grim snort shoots out of me. She''s certainly welcome to try that in a real osibindah hive.


    Now... Business.


    "I''m going to want to be heading this way." I tell myself, heading off with my rattling gear in tow. A stranger''s eyes lock with mine and he backs off as my glare grows. It''s hard to say who I should be worried about here. There really is too little that I know.


    Could be years back when I was still in the general rhythm of what I once was. I still would be on guard with no idea as to who is a problem and who isn''t. Too much at once, too many motivations and prices. What may look like someone''s snitch could well be a snitch for many I am against or none of them at all.


    People don''t know my face, though. I made a well enough effort to keep it out of government and police records. Surface and under it. Part of my time with Suhurlodst as well was false records. The fame means nothing to me, just the pay and respect for the deal.


    A noise rumbles through me and I slip some of my equipment into a hidden view. If they don''t know my face, they may know my familiar calling cards with equipment. I''m hardly the only one, but Gamtambo knew what he was doing with those blood wasp purges of his. My suppliers dried up because of him going after the Waspkeepers.


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    The only permanent looking building here comes into view and I focus the path to it. Any obnoxious merchant gets a shove and anything like that with an invasive personality gets a punch. The market guards keep their distance, fingers on the triggers at all times. Fights are common, they''re only here to stop weapons firing.


    "Halt." one such enforcer orders, his tattooed arm coming up. I meet his eyes, barely looking over at that missing finger of his.


    "Here to speak to the manager." I explain, letting one of the other guards pat me around.


    "Mm. In you go." he admits, standing aside with a whistle for all my gear.


    "I know right? Not even sure why he''d be here." another guard lets out, his attention no doubt attracted to all of the gun runners present. I go through the building''s door, throwing myself into the stock market-like noise and mayhem. People throw of all races throw themselves around over and under each other. Kelbalids gallop inconsiderately and humans tower above. Aelenvari partners cling to their men and hordes of hwardgon make it a mess to get through.


    My jaw clenches tight and I force my way through, parting this sea of bodies with tiring effort. I break on through to the main office and a pleasantly dressed woman greets me. Her expression doesn''t crack from its flat monotone and I glance around. She silently passes over some tabletwork.


    "Thank you." I tell her, taking what I need and I get to it. The main office door slams open and I glance up, my brow cocking. I set the tabletwork down and grab the man before he can close it again. Not a word comes out of him, as if this is usual. He throws himself out of my grip, flattening his suit down, and a businessman''s smile comes out.


    "How can I help?" he asks and I wave him towards the window. Thanks to the early business day right now, it''s not hard to find my group.


    "Got a one of a kind item for sale." I say, and he huffs, scratching a hand through his greased up quills. He shrugs, that lightly make-up''d fur shining under the simple office light.


    "Lots of people do." he dismisses, that toothy smile remaining.


    "An osibindah with a mortal soul." I clarify and his expression flatlines to a confused comatose.


    "A w-what?" he asks.


    "Osibindah. Human eyes. Mortal soul." I reiterate, adding on a bit more detail.


    "I see," he goes, his paws fiddling around all the files and drawers he has in this office. I fiddle with one of the toys he has on his desk and he forces it to a stop. Our eyes meet again and he comes back with what seems to be an inventory list.


    "Naturally, we''ll inspect the goods to make sure you''re right about it. Otherwise you''re heading off to the regular slave section with a fine," he explains, his way of speech almost as insufferable as any other lawyer. I scoff and shake my head.


    "A fine for my sharpest quill." I mutter, the bureaucratic threat sounding so out of place here. How in All-That-Remains will you ever enforce a fine here? I don''t exactly stand out physically. And he''s got no on-demand artist here to draw me out. But you don''t last in places like this without a good memory. So, maybe this man will surprise me.


    "A warning, however." he lets out as he sets some stuff back into their slots and homes.


    "Hm?" I go, maintaining eye contact with the unbothered businessman.


    "No one was exactly expecting what you''re suggesting. You might be here a while," he indeed warns. I nod.


    "I''m not interested in staking out the highest price." I say, keeping my answer brief so as to not let out too much information. He nods and gestures for the door. I head on out, not even bothering to go back through the tabletwork. It''s all nonsense, anyhow.


    I find myself back at the edge of the hustle and bustle and I linger around to the edge. A frown takes me over and I lean up against the wall. Black market guards are certainly sloppy. All these representatives and possible higher ups. All of them ripe for assassination and slaughter.


    I guess the idea isn''t to stop them dying, it''s to stop me getting out with the money. Still, the amount of times I''ve cleaned up buildings such as these on behalf of Gamtambo and others... It pains me to know they haven''t taken well enough precautions. Though, I suppose with Don Vyacvan operating so close, this black market is as safe as it can be. For a black market, anyway.


    "Mm." I let out, putting a firm stop to all this wasteful wandering of the mind. Heiya wants to have a moment together and Hrurim has more than enough time to set up. Should get going and take a new route to the pair. Scout the place out some more while it''s light on the sellers and buyers.


    To think this building is going to get busier. And messier, once the drugs and alcohol kick in fully. I sound off with a grumble and get out through a quieter door. A pair of thugs bash into me and I bash right back. We lock eyes and they back off, mostly. One of them, a man with a thickly scarred eye, lingers.


    "Can I help you?" I ask, trailing a finger near the trigger of my weapon. Unless this man here has some secret magic in his system, he''s not drawing faster than me. Won''t aim as well, either, with that messy eye. So deep even the fur''s not growing back where it should be.


    "Not at all," he lets out, straightening his fancy coat and the suit under. A thoughtful noise lingers in my throat, hidden by the sounds of vehicles, stall and stage construction. Those two are definitely involved with a mob of some sort. Like soldiers of the old days when the technology and magic was not there, uniforms are needed. It''s all so similar, even with all the changes.


    I... I cannot know if Gamtambo''s men are here. And, if they are, if they''re even looking for me. For all I know, one of his lieutenants is simply selling merchandise. Some associate or something else. I cannot know for sure.


    The sooner we''re gone and out of here, the better. One less chance to be found before it''s too late. One less opportunity to slip up. One step closer to Gamtambo himself, my finger on the trigger at the right time.


    "Mm. What if our contact was going to sell here?" I ask myself in the open, knowing my voice is cloaked by the busy makeshift streets. It''s a good point to consider and perhaps I''ve let it slip my mind for too long. We had many things in that transport convoy when the earthquake hit. Treasure, weapons, goods. All stuff that can be easily sold here.


    A connection to Gamtambo that actually knows my face well enough...


    My favoured hand settles on my weapon, and I keep to myself. The gaps in the crowd come naturally to me and I slip on through them, keeping out of the way of everyone. No fights, no messes. Get back to the other two and get this deal over with before a problem comes of it.

 Incline 35: Ivahstar

    Passing by another set of stands manned by gun runners, my daughter finally comes into sight. She looks up from her idle fiddling and gives a gentle wave. I return the gesture, getting but a nod from Hrurim as he lazes about. The human scratches his head as I approach, pulling out a stick and his lighter.


    "All sorted, Bossman?" he asks me, lighting the end of his stick and dragging in a length of smoke. I give a quick nod, minding the fog he''s now breathing out. Heiya hacks a fake cough, one of her hands waving away before her nose. The pair share a quick flick of rude gestures and I get between them.


    "All is sorted in the main building. They''ll be coming by to check some things. Make sure the package here is really what we say it is." I explain, heading towards Nin with a random pole that happened to be lying around. Whoever it belongs to clearly doesn''t miss it. And Nin here *will* once I''m done jabbing and whacking him.


    The magicless osibindah grits his teeth, withstanding the abuse and torment. I hold back from going at him too harshly, too mindful of his notable trait. The people coming over might be checking for proof of mortality, but they''ll note wounds and all. Each bit will be used against us somehow. This might be a black market, but the suits and ties are always the same regardless of which side of the law they''re on.


    Still, one last chance to get some payback for that airship trip we had. I remember it quite clearly. I remember Nin here using my daughter as a means to threaten out my expertise. I''ve no sorrow or pity for the bug, even going beyond what he is.


    "C''mon, Pops!" Heiya whines, tugging at my arm as a giggling smirk grows across her face. I raise a paw, nodding my head along as I fight back against her pulls. My eyes keep with Hrurim''s half-lidded gaze and silent implication goes between us. He huffs, a smile coming to his lips.


    "Go on, Ivahstar. Go and enjoy your father-daughter time." Hrurim chuckles and I nod, turning around to grab my daughter fully. I shake her about as revenge for her teasing and give her a playful shove ahead.


    "Oh, wait." Heiya goes, rushing back Hrurim''s way to grab something. She comes skipping back, a giggle to her lips and a jingling bag in hand. My eyes follow the handles and a hefty sigh bursts through my nose as I take in the full duffle. I nod down the makeshift market street and she gives Hrurim a quick wave.


    "Don''t worry, Ivahstar! I''ll sell this bug alright." Hrurim promises, though I think nothing of it as we won''t be getting any buyers any time soon. It''s certainly not a matter of if, though, only when. A calming detail that I can do nothing but appreciate.


    "So... See anything worth buying?" Heiya asks, catching my attention with her invasive, pouting expression. I give her a gentle shove away, pushing the Laugh Away button somewhere on her cheek. She simmers down into a giggle, one she even hides her mouth with. A snort leaves me and I shake my smirking head.


    My precious Princess doing something like that? Why, I guess those girls from Agadton really did rub off on her.


    "That depends. Certainly someone sees it as worth buying if so many sellers are here." I say, shrugging at my dry wit as my daughter scowls.


    "Not like that!" she snaps, annoyed by the universal humour of dads.


    "My answer is the same, regardless." I answer more seriously, though I''m still giving her a curving lip. She rolls her eyes and takes my hand, pulling me along.


    "Rubbish. Rubbish. Rubbish." she repeats without pause, the shifting crowd being almost comically obstructive to me. I can''t even see what she''s talking about, what passes her for a clean view, then blocks me. Heading ahead isn''t helping either. Other people get in the way. When I linger, too, people are in the way whereas the view is clear for her!


    I look up with a quick scowl and roll my eyes at the cavern-blocked heavens. Whatever god is responsible, I''m certainly going to be having words with during my next prayer. Well, if I ever pray again. So I guess they''ll never hear me and my complaints. What a suitable arrangement for both of us.


    "You sound and look excited at the selection." I say, reaching my daughter again. Her lips raspberry and she looks around aimlessly. She comes to a stop with a shrug and a jostle of her rifle.


    "None of the stuff immediately here seems to be rifle focused." she explains, and I let out a lengthy ''hmm'' of thought. Rather than walking physically, I do so in my head. Retracing all the shops I''ve been by to the point I eventually met back up with the pair. Rifles... Rifles... Rifles where?


    I think maybe...?


    "There were a fair few gun runners back that way." I point out, urging my daughter along so we don''t run afoul of the impatience customer base of this place. Shady as everyone looks in the normal sense, this is a serious place for serious intentions. All the roads here lead to the same want and place: Crime.


    "There better be something good." Heiya mutters as I match her pace, lingering at her side.


    "It''s not the end of the world if there''s nothing good." I say, and she scoffs.


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    "It better not be. There''s no other worlds to go to in order to buy things." my daughter lets out and I give her a little smile of appreciation. Nice to know she''s got an understanding of theology and history. Little as it is.


    I tap her arm, urging her to follow me down a shortcut between the back ends of some tents. My fingers warn her of the pegs and ropes down below. Though the duffel bag still catches on some of them. Disturbed sellers peek out at us and go off on one. Me and my daughter bond over the collective satisfaction of giving many birds as an apology.


    We get back into the open and I direct us back onto the route, "Should be around here, Heiya."


    "If we''re lost, Pops..." Heiya warns, and I don''t pay enough attention to know if it''s mock or sincere. I look her way, not paying the slightest mind to her expression. I give her a shrug and she grumbles.


    "If we''re lost, it''s your fault." I say, shifting the blame onto her, as there''s no way it''s my fault. I managed to get away from her and Hrurim, go through the central building and its hustle and bustle. Then, find my way back to those two while having no clue where they were! Obviously, it''s my daughter''s fault we''re lost.


    "Guess I best find us a way out of this, then." she says, coming close with a smile as she clings to my arm.


    "Oh, how convenient? This shop sells navigation equipment." I point out, bringing us closer to the busy stall. I keep our money out of sight and the man manning the shop pays us no mind. Common courtesy of the black markets and all. Prove you got the cash when you want to buy. No words or promises here unless you know who they are. Properly know.


    "So... What exactly is a map seller doing here?" Heiya whispers close to my ear and I lean towards hers.


    "Smugglers routes, known law patrol routes. Warning areas with monsters. Gang territories. Things like that." I answer, explaining that distinction that might set a map here apart from others. Problem with these ones, though, is they''re always done badly intentionally. Never to the truth and reality. Sting operations are a thing as are spies and turncoats.


    Got to keep them guessing and out of their depth. Map Hoarders are certainly interesting ones to look out for. Known stereotype for a reason, after all. One of many reasons I learned to memorise what I can while using normal, legally sold maps.


    A trick that''s certainly come in handy as I shifted from being a hitman to a smuggler. Though, one of these maps in particular has me quite worried. It''s quite the tell with how vast our greatest problem has got... Gamtambo''s territory is quite the expanse now, even with my knowledge that this is likely a fake map. A lie is only as good as the truth it deviates from.


    Someone steps up, a small portion of cash in hand. The stall owner approaches, his silent demeanour not seeming as anything other than the ordinary. A map comes off the table, one of Gamtambo''s territories. Cash leaves one paw, entering another and the pair share a silent shake.


    I turn, following the buyer''s motions as he looks the map over. He unveils it fully, glancing back and staring deep into my eyes. We break the stare and get back to our business. Heiya tugs at me, her eyes lowered.


    "Should we go?" she asks quietly and I nod.


    "Yes. Let''s." I answer, this feeling of edge that I''m on feeling all too close to a scalpel than a smooth-corner table. We leave the stall behind, nothing seeming out of order in the crowd.


    "Look, there''s a gun stall!" Heiya points out with forced excitement. I shift my attention her way, following along to another opening in the crowd. We arrive at the stall and we repeat the prior courtesy. Heiya goes across the stall, its contents more to her taste.


    The stall worker comes closer, my daughter''s enthusiasm more than enough of an indicator. She leans to her side, eyeing my daughter''s weapon and its make. Her eyes linger on the bit of decoration Heiya took from that ferry way back. The worker grows a little smile, huffing a bit.


    "Quite the piece you got there," she remarks, catching my daughter''s attention. Heiya glances up, her eyes not fully going up with her head.


    "Thanks! It''s a full custom job." Heiya says, pulling the weapon out, its well-placed safety in full view of anyone looking our way. I narrow my eyes at a particular pair as they mutter and point at Heiya''s musket. Curiosity is clear, but what kind? Hm.


    I look back at the joyous exchange and try to decipher their gibberish. Something about the specific parts, makes and manufacturers of it. Quality of material and the reality of it in use. Heiya''s quite proud of the latter part with how much she looks after the thing.


    "I might actually have something along those lines..." the stall worker says, practically diving under one of the tables and banging her head on the rise back up. She swears under her breath, slamming the crate down onto her other goods. It opens up, revealing even more smaller boxes. I cock a brow, watching one of these boxes come out.


    "Trusting." I remark, watching the stall worker give Heiya the box without any money leaving our hands. Let alone the duffel bag actually rising into a clear view. The stall worker laughs, giving me a knowing smirk, and I look at Heiya. My daughter pouts, her eyes shining in a way that seems unnatural and becoming of someone like her. I roll my eyes and heave the duffel bag out of her hand.


    "Wonderful." the stall worker says, tapping a metal plate marked with a number. I nod and sigh, pulling out the required amount. Her paw waits eagerly, fingers dancing to feel the weight of the cash. Light as it may be.


    "It''s pickpocketed, no need to launder." I explain, giving the stall worker a free band to keep the money secured. She nods, swiftly pocketing it into her lockbox. A guard comes in, spooking the stall worker and the pair gets to bickering. I roll my eyes and take the duffel bag back.


    "Thanks, Pops!" Heiya giggles and I nod and nod, not even sure what it is she bought.


    "So, what is it? I wasn''t paying attention." I ask, explaining my cluelessness regardless of her care or not.


    "Hold on, let''s get out of the way. I want to show you properly." Heiya explains, her fingers fiddling about with the box and her musket. I nudge her along, more than understanding the situation given my own luggage. We hobble out of the way, going back behind some stalls, and I drop my stuff. Sitting down on the money for lack of a seat elsewhere.


    "So, come on. Show it." I say, eager to get an idea of what it actually is. My ears shift, unable to properly gauge what is going on about us. It''s not a good place to be aware of your surroundings, a black market. Let alone between shops and storage spaces.


    At least we''re out of sight, though.


    "Dammit... Come on... Of all the boxes- Ah! Got it! POPS-" Heiya mutters, her tone and expression shifting too late. I barely feel my body slump, a blow echoing in my head as blurry figures swarm into my vision. I blink harshly as the concussion gets the better of me. A lone man comes to mind, though he hasn''t the backbone to be here himself...


    Gamtambo.

 Incline 36: Ivahstar

    I open my eyes quickly, battering down the grogginess with brutality only comparable to what the future holds. The familiar broken vision of close up, black cloth warps my vision. Light breaks apart the strands, giving me an incomplete but still full view. There are men at my sides and two ahead. Hands tied up in the usual behind-the-back manner.


    We''re in a moving car...


    "Hold on, take that off," the man to my forward-right orders. The one on my left reaches over, heaving up my mask and revealing the world to me. I wince only slightly at the shift in light. The headache from my prior battering throbs and my teeth tighten.


    "He''s certainly up quickly." the gangster on my left points out, and I turn to meet him. He smirks, his paw affectionately rubbing the holstered away handgun. None of them have their hands properly on their weapons. I roll my shoulders, cracking some aches and pops out of my body. Testing for additional restraints.


    "Heh, certainly going to want to limber up for what we have planned for you." the gangster on my forward-left remarks and the one on my immediate right shuffles.


    "Are we sure we have the right guy?" he asks, throwing my thoughts through some doubts.


    "You heard the boss. Leak from the station told us about a blood wasp weapon in Agadton. Certainly circumstance that we then here Ivahstar in the crowd." the forward-left one explains and I keep my expression neutral. Though my thoughts could not be any more set in stone. He''s here for me. Gamtambo.


    His thugs, anyway... Suppose he wants to do the job personally.


    "Boss will have our heads for bringing him the wrong guy." the one on my left goes.


    "No, he''ll take his head, and a handful of our quills," the forward-right one corrects, his fingers jabbing at me and then circling the batch. I shake my head, denying his dreams, but otherwise hide it as a recovery movement. I blink sloppily and go a bit limp.


    "Ah, nothing special. Just a quick burst of energy." the forward-left one says, his leg kicking out at my shin. I take a deep breath, focusing on the distance and ease he had with it. My senses are clear to me. This is a big car. One with plenty of room.


    One with a weakness in the eyes of the man at my forward-right. He''s quiet, but he''s not at ease. The only one with his hand anywhere near his weapon. I meet his eyes and maintain the stare. I test his instincts, probe at his pride and maturity.


    The gangster sneers and moves forward, coming closer. He glances around at his compatriots and he starts to laugh. The rest follow suit, but the energy is not there. The forward-right gangster comes even closer to my unfazed expression.


    He snarls and I snarl right back, backing down as he threatens a blow. He smirks, so do I. I lash out, going straight for his neck and sinking my teeth into it. Wide eyes surround me on all sides and the seconds barely tick. I pull back, a bloody chunk clinging to my lips.


    On the rise and twisting around, I throw my feet up. The two gangsters on my left get knocked about and I force my quills up. Throwing myself at the pair ahead, I launch myself right back into the one behind me. He goes silent and my carefully prepared natural weapons dig deep. The special poison on them activating as blood touches soaks the points.


    I pull myself out, throwing my legs up at the gangster once on my immediate left. He spits out across the door and I lock my legs around him. I twist with all I have, pulling him down and keeping his arms focused on one thing. The surrounding danger. I shove up against the one behind me, smashing my head back into his nose.


    I keep ongoing and going, letting one leg go to the other and I seesaw between the two. Quill-covered head, full force of leg. Quill-covered head, full force of leg. All the time until the end of their times.


    The two appear limp and I shrug about, glancing at the gurgling mess I started this with. He doesn''t know what to do. There should be meat where he cannot feel anything but running red. He can''t even find the strength to reach his gun. I rise back to my feet, shrugging my shoulders and twisting my neck limber.


    Restraints keep me in an awkward position and I continue to pull on them to stave off the tedium. Whoever the drivers are, they''re not all too aware of what happened back here. Guess that must mean they were beating me on the drive. Orders, perhaps...?


    "Mm." I let out, sitting down and slipping my arms under my legs. I get a good look at my restraints and then eye a simple pocket knife. Nothing fancy, but it''ll get the job done. I reach for it and get to cutting. My impatience boils and I snap the ropes apart as a detail drives me to silent fury.


    They have my daughter. They have my daughter. They have my daughter. They have Heiya!


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    My neck twists again, easing that tension out of me as my breath comes out cold. I take what I need from one of the gangsters and check the handgun''s state. It is indeed loaded. The four were just careless. Clueless, too, if their words meant anything. Perhaps they''ve spent too long on rumours of me?


    No, they''re... Were too young to know of me properly. I doubt they were even the ones intended to get me. Just ones that got cocky once they had me blackout. The gun clicks and I waste an unspent bullet, letting it fly. I bang the car''s divider and a small panel opens up.


    "What!?" an irate man answers from the front passenger, his head not turned enough to see the mess.


    "Stop the car. I need to piss." I lie, testing to see if I can get this car to stop safely. I can handle a crash, but I''d rather not.


    "Which one''s that...?" the driver asks, my voice most certainly not familiar.


    "I don''t bloody know. Just stop the car, let them walk back. Had enough of that damn racket back there!" the passenger snaps and I almost want to smirk. The sounds of death squeak like the brakes of a car on a gravelly road. The door locks lift up.


    Getting out of the car, I walk around and line myself up with the window. The passenger looks at me, then away, then back with wide eyes. I pull the trigger, painting the interior leather red. I twitch to the left, making my metal beast roar again.


    "Mm." I let out, watching distant taillights vanish down the dark tunnel. I was in a convoy? That means Heiya should be ahead of me. What about Hrurim...? Nin? If they heard my name, one of them must''ve lucked to us while I was meeting back up with the pair. Right before our shopping trip.


    I walk around to the back of the car, banging dents into Gamtambo''s property. I stand safely aside and blow off the lock of the boot. My instincts prove correct and I find a treasure trove. Confiscated equipment, all with my name on it.


    The handgun falls to the ground, the ''ich'' of disgust on my lips, and I reach in. Piece after piece ends up back on my person and my familiar weight returns. I knock on the blood wasp container and hear no buzzing. A click breaks open my lips and I empty the container of the dead insects. Some honey was made, so that''s good. But now I need to replace them all.


    "One and half." I remark in the open, checking my gun and how much it''s still loaded with. Enough to clear a few dozen with careful shots. A fraction with the reality of what a fight is actually like. The weapon clicks back into order, and I dirty my paws again with the handgun.


    I reach into the car, pulling out one body after another. My aged body groans as it remembers labour of a long time ago. I twist again, feeling all the more limber as adrenaline remains in my system perpetually. My daughter... I''m coming for you. Gods protect you.


    Gods protect you or I am coming for them all next!


    "Now... Business." I click, my tone as cold and flat as ever. One, two, three, four, five, six. A new bullet for everyone, just to make sure. I toss the handgun, letting it join the toxic blood.


    With the keys still in the car, I lock everything up, slamming the boot back down to force it shut. I hop in the gore-messy front and boot the car back up into motion. The convoy is heading the way we are faced. Therefore, the black market is...


    The car moves the wrong way and I squeeze the wheel around, almost snapping it off. The tires screech on the road, burning their complaints into the stone. I take off at full speed, safety belt clicking not a moment too soon. This silence is inspirational and my head comes alive.


    My objective is simple: Save Heiya. My immediate steps are much the same: Gear up.


    Find out what happened with Hrurim and Nin, maybe even deal with the latter. The plan for selling him off is now on hold. There''s no need for money anymore. The safe plans to get near Gamtambo are gone. There is only force now.


    Perhaps I can bargain with Nin? Whatever man he was when I last knew him, that doesn''t seem to be the case anymore. That man would''ve violently thrashed at us at every opportunity. He kept his cool, his victory against death taking away all that fear and the anger it makes.


    The tunnel road proves reliable and I have no need to turn. The lights of the black market call to me, even this far away. I slow down, respecting the circumstances of everyone else. Making more enemies now is not the way I can take.


    My lips and jaw shift, another thoughtful tick going off in my head. Whatever those gangsters have planned, it can''t be much. They were too careless with me. Too witless about it all. Their hands should''ve never left their guns. May Undwote never find them. Never.


    Still, I cannot make this same mistake. No problem worth solving ever is worth doing in a half-arsed attempt. Solve it once and solve it well. I need more gear. Proper gear.


    A blood wasp funded weapon is not just for show, there is practicality in such esoteric means. Hopefully, someone in the market happens to have some for sale. Hopefully Gamtambo has not strangled the markets clean of sources. Or, maybe, he''s enhanced them... A honeypot just for me.


    Well, should it thankfully be the latter, I''ll show him well what it means to feed the animals. Read the signs, poor, stupid Gamtambo. Read the signs... Don''t. Feed.


    A growl builds up in my throat, my grip twisting ever harsher around the steering. If I find so much as a quill missing from my daughter''s head. A drop of blood that so much as shimmers like her eyes. There will be no escaping my wrath. None at all.


    My grip eases up, and I pat near my heart. I slip into a pocket and pull out a picture. The one we took so recently. I stare, lingering my eyes on that smile of hers. I may never see it again.


    No.


    No, I will. I will see my daughter again. She will hold me again and I will make her smile more. We will rid ourselves of the life I''ve dropped us down and we can climb on out. Not for another job, but to live at peace.


    "I''m sorry, Princess... Pops is coming. Pops is coming." I whisper, hoping the gods will carry it on the wind and to her ears. Do one kind thing for me, beings of the divine. Do this one kind thing for me in my life of evil. Keep her safe until I can save her. Keep my Heiya safe.


    The black market eases closer, all the clearer for it. I pull up towards the entrance, rolling the bloody glass down. An old man steps out, his gear jostling at his simple job. He gives the vehicle a quick inspection, his brow rising at the bits of damage and blood.


    He walks up before me, a curious glint in his eyes, "Got a name for me, Messy?"


    "Ivahstar," I answer, pulling up my weapon and unlocking it, a bolt of blood wasp honey in my pinch, "The Terror of the Dark."

 Incline 37: Ivahstar

    Pulling the mobster car up into the lot, I carelessly park. Not one piece of gear remains and I slam the door shut behind me. I walk up to the lorry I first arrived here in and frown alongside my pondering. Everything here is fine. There''s no sign of them trying anything.


    It matters little, I suppose, but it narrows the trail to whatever happened in the black market proper. I think I have it all figured out, anyway, but my gut won''t rest easy if I don''t at least check here. Reusing this lorry is the better choice, anyway. More capacity for gear and it''s not blood-covered and banged up.


    A gruff noise escapes me, and I march out into the marketplace. No one comes out at me and there are no more fights or anything. If it''s pure circumstance or if that Gamtambo''s gangsters are gone, I do not know. It''s a good thing if some remain, though. Torture is a fine art I''m losing my edge in.


    The practice will be welcome...


    I should hurry, get to the spot in the market I last saw Hrurim at. If any clues remain there, it will be a good time to find them and take them. By force if need be, excessive force if they deny me. I *will* get the information I need. Not a force on this lonely planet will stop me.


    "Hm, a traitor...?" I am a fool to let out into the open as my paw remains stuck on my gun. Who could''ve turned their back on me between now and Agadton? I''m not so sure, but in moments like these it is worthwhile to consider a backstabber. A snitch. My daughter is not going to turn me in. That''s impossible.


    There are three points I can consider. There is no traitor, it''s just a result of what I did in Agadton and the consequences catching up with me. Hrurim has been up to something behind my back. Or Don Vyacvan is a liar with words worth nothing.


    I scoff and shake my head at the absurdity that this worry is making me paranoid about. Don Vyacvan had the perfect opportunity to handle me at several points. Hrurim''s been at my side too long for him to be against me... I''m just worried for Heiya is all, so worried as any father should be.


    I come to a stop and stare out at the irony of the black market. A line of border making tape and a group of guards as someone writes down details. I test the perimeter, crossing into it without allowance. A guard approaches with easy anger in his posture and across his face.


    My hand grabs his approaching arm and I twist, "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FRIEND AND PRODUCT!?"


    "Ah, you know what happened here?" the note-taker asks, approaching.


    "Partially." I grumble, letting go of the wounded guard and kicking him off elsewhere. He scurries off, getting back to his feet and vanishing with another. For help or medical attention, who knows? I won''t in the little time I am left here.


    "Out with it," the note-taker demands and I gesture for his tablet to see what he''s already scribed.


    "The unknown men are Don Gamtambo''s. They were after me specifically." I explain, clenching my fist as the note-taker snatches the tablet back. He writes down some more notes, looking back at me with a glare in his eyes.


    "You best be on your way, then. Can''t have troublemakers on market day," he tells me, his head nodding the rest of the guards after him. I linger, staring around at the crime scene in the criminal market. I become a spectacle to those passing around. For those annoyed that they need to walk longer than they have to.


    "I''ll leave when I am ready." I snort quite clearly and I approach where Nin was being kept. I glance along the ground, frowning at the tire marks. The abandoned trolley that was no doubt used to hall the caged bug into a van or larger. My eyes twitch and I bend over, pinching the ash-ended stick dropped by Hrurim. I sniff the air and stub it out properly.


    Whatever happened here, Hrurim was jumped just as much as me and Heiya were. They must''ve seen Nin as an accomplice or something else if they took him, too. The whys aren''t all that relevant, I suppose. The fact I can use the clues, though, that is as helpful as ever.


    Still... Still. I best get going. Get my gear and get moving. Every moment I waste figuring things out here is another hour given to my daughter''s captors. My chances of finding her are slipping.


    I growl and get going, ducking and weaving under the border tape. Heading off into the market, I retrace my steps from before the attack. A familiar gun runner comes into view, but she pays me no mind. As if nothing was particularly clear around here.


    Going through the backs of some stalls and tents, I arrive at the kidnap scene. Most of our stuff is still here. They got me and Heiya first without issue and then made a tussle going after Hrurim and Nin. I frown and drop to a knee to grab the box Heiya was fiddling with.


    Her gun is not here, so the gangsters probably took it as some kind of proof. My jaw shifts about and I stare at the unopened box. She wanted to show me what she bought. I will not open it. I want her to still do that. Show me what she got...


    "Guess we have a plan for you lot." I mutter, taking up the duffle bag, which somehow endured a miracle. Mobsters not taking the opportunity for easy money? I guess they really were single-mindedly focused on me. Well, I''m not one to overlook a blessing such as this. Saves me some trouble with getting my gear together.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The gangsters took most of my usual stuff, and I got it back. My person is as well-equipped as ever. But I''m not loaded with spare weapons and munitions. Grenades and traps. All I have is my gun and what ammo survived the mobsters and their rough handling of my blood wasps.


    I gather my things and double-check the area. Heading back out into view, I meet the eyes of one person here and glare until he backs off. I head back towards the familiar gun runner and approach her. Her eyes linger, her memory jogging.


    "Where''s the smart one?" she huffs, a smile coming to her face as I show off the box. I don''t return it, I keep it.


    "Mobsters came for us." I answer, not seeing the point in hiding anything.


    "Well..." she lets out, her eyes diving for cover from the awkward feelings in her.


    "How familiar are you with what is on sale here?" I ask, my focus following the feeling of my dominant paw as it clenches my weapon grip. Blood wasps. I need blood wasps for my gun.


    "Not very, you can always try reception-" she starts to say, a fist on her collar shutting her up.


    "I don''t have time. They have my daughter!" I hiss, catching the attention of the entire market street. Her guard comes in, hand on his weapon, but my grip does not relent.


    "Alright! Alright! Let me think..." the gun runner tells me, her hands banging at her head to get the memory moving.


    "Here''s a pre-arranged business layout. For the regulars," the guard answers, handing me a sheet of paper. I release the gun runner and nod, looking over at the index and its details.


    Heading off before more trouble comes of it, I orient myself and my place in the black market. I find the closet thing this place has to a landmark and establish myself. One of my fingers traces a route and I roll the paper up. My legs get to work and I take in all the disappointing sights.


    Slipping close to some of the stalls, I put my decades of experience to good use. Taking and snatching what I can without anyone noticing. The black market is busier compared to before. All the easier to exploit and make fools of.


    My body withstands the growing burden, and not one feeling of aching pain makes me stop. I keep going and going, stealing and stealing. All until I reach my final destination, a last hope for what I am looking for. A seller of exotic animals.


    The slithery old man approaches, a kelbalid too far from the surface. No room to gallop with those four reptilian legs of his. Though I suppose at his age, he can barely jog between the water bowl and food one. I dump the duffel bag into clear view, making it clear I have a purchase on mind.


    "Hooow... Can I... he-alp?" he struggles to ask, his Common Hwardgonic not all that great.


    "Blood wasps." I say, speaking the main tongue of the surface to see if that agrees better with him.


    "Ah, yes. I... Might. I might have them," he answers, his elongated lower-half making things all the more awkward for a stall as tightly packed as his. I glance at some of the animals he has on sale and eye the poison frogs. One of them in particular ribbits, its see-through throat skin taking on a misty shade. The ribbit finishes and a cloud of toxic gas comes out, drowning the small container in its devastation. The container''s fan lights up, extracting the poison and steadily filling a glass jar.


    A thoughtful noise leaves me and I prod one of the already filled jars on sale. Can''t be that lethal if no one''s pestered this old man about selling it so carelessly. I need only nudge and the glass comes closer and closer to a solid stone floor. Another noise goes through me and the kelbalid returns with a terrarium.


    "Not many, no. I know," he says and I nod, bringing out my usual ammo container. His eyes, however, shift to my gun as it remains mostly out of view.


    "Can you get them into here safely?" I ask, tapping the ammo container to get his focus where I need it to be. His eyes twitch and the old man lingers, something ticking in his head.


    "Ah. You are a man of fine tastes. I see that now." he chuckles, something about his expression twitching into something fake or honest. All I give is the same glare. He disappears back into the depths of his stall and I eye the terrarium.


    These blood wasps are quite young. Their honey-making capabilities aren''t quite there yet. It''ll take too long for them to mature, anyhow. Certainly a disappointment to finally find what I want and have it be the wrong kind...


    The kelbalid returns, a heavy, thoroughly locked up box in his hands. He smashes it down to the ground, and it comes alive with tremors and violent shaking. The lid jumps up, catching on the chains, and we share a smirk. Ah, there we are.


    "How much?" I ask, already considering making this transaction free as my mind''s eye travels to my gun''s trigger.


    "Rumours whisper to me, Ivahstar." the old kelbalid chuckles and my eyes narrow. What a stupid old man I am currently transacting with. So foolish as to tell a man whose daughter has just been kidnapped by thugs... Telling me you know my name, what a fool you are.


    "Do they now...?" I ask him, more eagerly showing off my weapon. The barrel''s end in particular. He raises his hands, an innocent smile on his face. There''s a limit to my finger''s patience, but still there enough for him.


    "I guess you don''t remember me, do you?" he questions and my glare eases up. A simple, thoughtful expression takes me over. No, I am afraid I do not. My mind is not ready to consider such things.


    "My concerns are on my daughter." I explain, gesturing back to the money so we can get this other with. The kelbalid shakes his head, leaning in close.


    "I know, Ivahstar. News spread fast from Agadton about two mass murders. All sharing one trait..." he lets out, his snicker almost finding the words delectable.


    "Blood wasp honey." I finish, letting his smirk grow even wider. Two lines of cracked teeth come into view and he nods away.


    "It''s no worry if you cannot remember me. But, know I have always been a fan of your work. How you make use of my services is quite helpful. If you know what I mean?" he explains, one hand pinching its fingers together and rubbing away.


    "Supply me one more time, then." I say, his name still eluding me, but at least I have more context. Either he''s my supplier from my hitman days or he''s one of the few businessmen I''ve a history with. Those who''ve kept me supplied on blood wasps these past few years.


    He claps his hand, "Only the finest for the Terror of the Dark."


    "Only the finest for my daughter." I can''t help but correct as I take hold of the caged up hive. The side bangs again and again with a bullet''s force. My eyes widen and a smirk grows across my lips. A blood wasp queen is in here.


    "No, no. Ivahstar. You seeking your revenge is payment enough. I... I''ve grown tired of Gamtambo''s interference in the black market. Business is so slow these days because of men like him," the old kelbalid explains and I nod. Though I leave the duffel bag either way.


    I do not need money to kill gangsters.

 Incline 38: Ivahstar

    I release the cable, flinging it up into the air. I nod in satisfaction. My arms get to work, winding the cable back down into its lock. I pat the device and turn my head down the tunnel.


    The black market has a mess they need to deal with. They won''t be coming here. However, I have more than enough confidence that Gamtambo''s gangsters will. One of their cars did not return. The very car that was supposed to have me in it. Said car even had a special device in it, upon further inspection.


    They will come, and I am here, waiting.


    My gun comes into view and I open it up again, an unkillable curiosity in my head. I''ve handled blood wasps for so many years, using their honey as ammunition. But I''ve never had a blood wasp queen on hand, egging the hive on. I''m very excited to test the difference in my already reliable weapon.


    Each hardened spike of honey already has a fine red, crystalline shade to it. Now there''s a subtle golden shine on top of it. Like the core of each is molten, and ready to be enjoyed. Though, unlike some other honeycomb treats, I am not putting this near my mouth. The gangsters will more than enjoy it all.


    My wire line of cans rattle and I listen out, putting my ear trumpet to its name. Tires on road. Heavy and light, all coming in at speed. All together.


    I pick myself up, heading out of the way, and I take the cord of my trap. Slipping behind a boulder formation, I properly seal myself from the oncoming crash. No excitement pumps through my heart, and my body turns cold. If I listen carefully, even now, I can hear the pants and howls of the Pack of Seven.


    Undwote will find this cavern full of the souls of the damned.


    "That''s it... Feel safe... Feel safe..." I mutter, the muscles in my dominant hand tensing up. The cars and more coming closer and closer. Their lights are all but blinding me. Too soon and they''ll screech on the brakes. Too late and nothing will happen.


    Wait... Wait... Wait. Now!


    I snap the cord, pulling on it with all I have. The device flicks open, smashing aside the restraints. Metal stretches, whipping to its full tension. Tires barely have time to screech and crashes roar.


    I duck down low, keeping to the boulders as metal frame, bodies and tires fly about. A mess that is only growing and growing. Only those furthest back have time. As quickly as it starts, it ends and I cover my face.


    Rushing out of cover, I ready my weapon and keep myself low. Fires burn bright and some are quick to erupt with joy. I add to the screams. Gunning down the first burnt up, mangled gangsters I see.


    The smoke hides me and my lack of flashes keeps them clueless. Yells and calls for people echo from the other part of the tunnel. I draw a knife and plunge it into the neck of one replier. Filling another with a jagged line of spikes. More and more bodies join the pile.


    One man becomes too aware, he panics. He leaps back, weapon drawn, and fires at will. Bullets with no target other than the invisible evil in his imagination. I watch his form through the smoke, minding a metallic ping so very close to me. He keeps backing up until he''s in view of the surviving gangsters.


    More and more join him, a firing line forming up. My eyes narrow and I slip away, delving close to the raging inferno of already exploded cars. Another survivor rushes to his feet and runs. Already itchy fingers let loose and he collapses a new man. A bullet ridden man.


    Keeping my head down, sub-machinegun, shotgun, handgun fire and more fill the tunnel. Rock rains from the tunnel''s ceiling and specks of road fragment. More cars explode as hot metal reaches them. Some super-heated by travelling the fiery road.


    I pat my chest and open a pouch, bouncing a grenade in my paw. My wrist bounces up and down, a steady rhythm working my explosive. A good fragmentation present. One I''m all too impatient to keep a secret. A finger slips into the pin and I pull. Not an effort spent on the task.


    My brain hears and sees no numbers, but my gut does. No worries cross my mind and I ready my arm. The moment comes and I expose myself to the light-ruined tunnel. I throw the grenade and it flies.


    No kiss rings through the tunnel, only the declaration of hatred. Pins of hwardgon flesh fall and more scream and roar. I back-step, avoiding the renewed fire. The smoke is not as thick as before, but good luck finding someone like me.


    I twist and turn, sliding over a makeshift stove, and I roll along the road. My legs pick me back up and I get to my vantage point. Snapping the front of my gun down, I check how many spikes I have left in it. My eyes go over each slot, empty and full. Counting the details and tallying it all up.


    I should reload now, but I''m feeling dangerous. Reckless and enraged. These gangsters stole my daughter. They took her. My daughter!


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    A growl breaks my stoicism and I snap the gun back together. I line up my first shot and my periphery vision takes in the world. My trigger finger moves, and I get to work. The easy ones fall and I move to the densest pairings as they dive out of the way.


    Too little die for my satisfaction and I duck. Too many bullets come for my soul in return. I silently reload my weapon, not a fearful twitch anywhere to be found. Readiness returns to my weapon and I get up, a sprinting spring in my legs.


    I stick to the foggiest parts of the burning tunnel, weapon at the bow. Gangsters barely come into view and I fire. Bodies drop and more follow. Some die in quite the unlucky manner, a spike in their heads. Others are far luckier, luckier for me. My knife comes out, and I put its edge to good use.


    Intentionally catching on their bodies, I force it through. The metal holds up through fur, skin, meat and fat. Popping out into the open with a forceful halt, a trail of red follows. My eyes shift, and another gangster is foolish enough to come before me.


    He barely has a moment to flinch, let alone call for help. His body falls, filled with spikes no hwardgon should ever have. Another follows and then some more. I throw a leg out, smashing a door into the arm of one more.


    The gangster screams, my weapon barrel finding his head. A distant expression remains on my face. A twitch of my finger letting it pass to him. Though it is no stone, his final screams remain etched there.


    I am in full view of those around me and I dive. Bullets fly once again and my ears listen out. These are not soldiers, but the lessons are still there. A rumble lingers in my throat and I let the fires down the tunnel show me the way. Long, tall shadows that vanguard against nothing.


    Rushing up between bursts of gunfire, I trail around one mobster. Catching him off guard and keeping it that way. The guns turn quiet, and the road runs red with warming blood. It splashes about, catching on my clothes and feet.


    Though I cannot be sure of anything, I am no fool. If anyone is hiding, they''d come out to try and save their lives. I pull another grenade out and toss it without a care. It rolls under some quiet cars. Ripping them apart in a growing fireball.


    Scorching winds blow across me, the shockwaves battering my aged body. I turn, finding a small group of mobsters with nothing but the faces of boys. One struggles to find the next drum for his gun. Another fails to bully him into loading his weapon.


    I leave all but one dead and calling for Death himself. In his fear, the last man standing does not notice my approach. I stop before him, gripping the end of his gun and turning it away. He tries nothing, only shivering as I stare deep into his eyes.


    "You owe me answers. A lot of them." I explain, pulling the gun out of his hands and throwing it aside. I drop my weapon and my ammo container. The blood wasps within demand retribution for the shake to their miniature hive within. The mobster tries to knock me down and his hubris sees it turned around.


    "WH-WHO''RE YOU!?" he demands to know, somehow not knowing the answer already. I crush one hand underfoot, grinding it into the ruined road. He growls and hisses, the pressure scraping apart his skin.


    "Where did you take my daughter?" I ask, ignoring his question as I lean close. He gnashes for me, desperation giving him quite the hunger. I satiate the pangs with a tight fist. His head goes back, smashing against the road and bouncing back up. He groans, a daze taking him over.


    I grab his jawline and shake his head for him, getting that focus back into his system. He whimpers as my grip remains contradictory. Gentle and firm. A stone moves down his throat, the song of a gulp making it to me as the fires burn.


    His snivelling nose takes in all the smells of the carnage. The burning cars, the bodies getting eaten up by the flames. The cooking blood and the way it boils into the smoke. A barbeque given the wrong context.


    "Where. Is. My. Daughter?" I repeat, the answer I want still not on my mind.


    "I-I-I DON''T KNOW WHAT YOU''R-" he answers wrongly, and my knife comes out. I plunge it into a limb of my choosing, cutting into it and letting him scream. He throws his head and eyes around, finding no one to save him. The face that scares off innocent people is not here. The criminal''s hardened stare is nowhere to be found.


    All he does is whimper.


    "Where is she?" I repeat again, slicing the blade to its next place of rest. I move it up, bringing the point to a standing position. A finger balances it carefully and he can''t keep his hands away from it.


    "GO KILL YOURSELF YOU BASTARD!" he roars, finding everything in his spirit and more to spit at me. I blink, unbothered by the extra liquid on my face. I press the knife down, making him scream again. Possibly so loud that the black market folk hear us.


    "You came here on Gamtambo''s orders. Attacked me. Took my friend. Took my products... TOOK MY DAUGHTER!" I explain, repeating the core detail as he continues to evade the question. It ticks away inside of me. That very bad thing for him. He doesn''t know!


    Oh... Oh, no.


    I look away, observing the dead, a forlorn hope in my body. That''s all they are. The dead. I shake my head and slice the knife along the gangster''s neck. He gurgles to sleep, a loose grip on my shin.


    I knock it off, flicking and wiping my blade clean. I approach one of the few intact cars and dig around for anything I can work with. Glove boxes open up and I empty them of everything. Pieces of scrap fly out of my grip and I am left with some stone tablets. I knock a hand on them, testing the magic within and throwing them away as they show nothing.


    My gear returns to my grip, and a vehicle rumbles to life. I snap my eyes up, watching its tires screech desperately. I raise my gun, aim, and fire. It slides to a stop, spikes ruining half of its tires. A fine line of pierced metal and more.


    Each step brings me closer and closer and I find a terrified gangster. He keeps his hands up, his circumstances well understood. I pat the top of the car and open the door. He comes on out, arms still clear for me to see.


    "Your friend back there was not of much help to me. Gods above, you will be." I explain, recalling what I need to make a habit of collecting. The mobster nods, a silent shudder shaking him before the orange dominance of the inferno. I jab him with my gun, getting him moving towards my things. A still working car passes my eyes and I dump some tools on top of it to mark it.


    "I... I know where to go..." the mobster hopefully does not lie.


    "Good. I need the lift." I explain, poking him along some more as a constant reminder cackles away in the tunnel. So many are dead and I have shown him how easy it is for me to do it. He will not live, but I will let the lie remain in his head. A hope that never existed.


    His life is worth nothing to me, only my daughter''s matters.

 Incline 39: Ivahstar

    "Pull up here." I tell the driver. My fingers shift over the trigger and the darkness of the car hides my actions. My mobster chauffeur comes to a stop, a gulp catching in his throat. It makes him cough and he can''t seem to get it under control.


    I pull the trigger.


    The door opens up and I step out onto the hidden road as his body slumps to his side. I pull out the map he showed me and double check it. Whatever details it has, it''s intentionally done shorthanded. Only enough to take you on the route to this outpost or whatever he called it.


    I glance around, checking the cave for ledges and vantage points. The shine of the outpost''s lights keep the area well-lit, the curving tunnel making it a non-factor. A lengthy ''hm'' leaves me and I nod. Going around to the car boot, I heave it open and start gearing up.


    My shoulders slump with the weight of my extra killing power, and I get walking. Keeping to the shadows, I eye the depleted complex and take in what I can. Chain-link fences, some movable barricades and even a pole arm as a simple courtesy. And the best thing of all, barely any guards.


    Putting one foot onto the ledge, I test my weight on the rock. I snort and heave my way up, following it along and simply hoping for the best. My right eye squints at the obnoxious light, and I jog to the upcoming rock outcrop. I shed weight and set up my immediate gear, binoculars entering my tense paws.


    Scooting back into the open, I keep to my belly and put the glass to my eyes. Outside of the guard posts set up at each tunnel, there''s not a whole lot infrastructure wise. Lack of weather means no warehouses like it does on the surface. At most, just some walls and fences for organisational purposes. I cock a brow and focus on the few buildings this place actually has.


    A fairly large one with at least some courtesy given to the mobsters who''ll use it. Nothing special, but a reinforced roof and stable construction helps with loyalty. Criminals, police, soldiers, people... Doesn''t matter how far away you are, so long as they''re comfortable.


    I move onto a shoulder and move my eyes with it. An easy handful are moving equipment from an old husk of a van and into the building. Electrical equipment at that. Water, too.


    "Mmmm." I let out, pushing myself up, my back arching slightly. What an odd combination of equipment to be taking indoors. One mobster comes out and his attire strikes me as peculiar. He''s all bloodied up, and he''s not in pain. Someone''s being held here.


    Heiya...!? No. No, there''s too few cars here for it to be her. I barely got a view of that convoy that had me, but I know what a convoy is. The other guard post certainly has signs of being used recently, too. A lack of effort has kept the furthest barricades all loose and untouched.


    Overconfidence or unmistakable assurance of safety? Seems like I''ll have a safe enough path to test that theory. As far as this outpost is concerned, I should be coming here. Either as a corpse or a prisoner, though. Not a man armed with all his aged body can carry.


    I instinctually check my weapon and its loaded munition count. It snaps back up and I get running along the ledge. As space runs out, I toss a picked hook ahead. Lodging it into a secure cranny and I dive.


    The short rope catches, tensing itself as hard as a cable. I keep on swinging, the momentum defying the stubborn reaction. My fingers find the hook and let it go. Diving forward, I roll ahead and find my feet again. A sprint taking me for a full circumference of the outpost.


    I note all the bodies I can and slide behind another rock. It lingers between the shadows and the edge of the light. Tentatively, I slip a foot out and follow it up with crouched walking. The barrel of my gun sniffs the path, guiding my instincts in the event I need my best friend.


    I turn my head back down the road, eyeing where it goes from the safety of an unused hut. No one''s coming and no one is going to be leaving. I''ll make a fine trail of blood until I get back what is mine. I peek out, showing my humility before Death himself.


    Overconfidence and ignorance are their killer, not mine. He will find more mobsters, not me. A single breath passes through my lungs and I move on out. My trigger finger already stressing its name with the thunder of a falling body.


    I grip the corpse, pulling it along with me. It flops on the gravel and I pat around, looking for anything notable. Nothing at all. I shove the body, giving it a little more of my hatred before we part ways.


    "Hey, Bareback, get in here!" a mobster calls out from a window above and around a corner. I double check my surroundings and find no door. My knees travel slowly and I creep up to the obstructing brickwork. My ears see ahead of my eyes and a swearing gangster slams the door shut. Muffled words carry on coming to me and I lift myself up.


    The windows are odd, if only for the fact they''ve been painted over. The redundancy given the location, however, makes it all the more telling. Whatever''s got the torturer''s hands working is in this end of the building. Enough to motivate someone into hiding the butchery.


    I switch positions and linger, checking each mobster I am familiar with. The count has not changed, and neither has all the positions. A fairly static task. My head moves up and my inspiration follows suit.


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    Quickly and silently, I climb the building with some stacked crates and set myself up. I find the most isolated mobsters and pick them off. Taking out one after another until all that remains is a clueless gambler''s table. My throwing arm finds itself disappointed, and I take a calming breath as I line the shots.


    The breath comes back out and I snap open my weapon''s front again. If a firefight breaks out on the inside, I am in a negatively sided situation. However, I''m more than equipped to deal with a mess indoors. With the outside a graveyard to be, I only have to worry about how many rooms this place has.


    I try my luck and smash my way through a window to get to the lock. I throw it up and do the same with my person. My back goes against the nearest bit of cover and I lean out. Gun at the ready. I nod as my lungs empty and get going. No noise fills the top floor, and it answers all I need to know.


    In fact... There are only echoes from downstairs. Someone''s moaning about having to check the noise. It could only be an accident from some boredom induced ball game, surely?


    I prove the mobster wrong and catch him before his spiked body can fall. I heave him out of the way and linger at the top of the stairs. No voices follow him. My steps are silent, not a bang erupting despite my haste. Even my back hitting the wall is louder.


    Shuffling closer to the corner, I check the hallway I can see. A piece of glass catches a reflection and I draw my knife. It plunges into the neck of a mobster, choking him in fear and surprise. The blade comes out and I flick my hand clean as much as I do the blade.


    A door opens at the far end of the hallway, the bangs of other doors following it. One thing breaks out between it all: the screams of someone. The screams of a friend. Hrurim.


    My neck moves my head to a satisfying crack, and I look up. The hallway is still clear. Throwing myself out into the open, a pair of mobsters drop dead. A third one, lost in confusion and never to escape, collapses right after. I keep my back to the door, thankfully a push one from this side.


    No noise erupts beyond it and no one steps out in front of me. I spin around, checking my rear and throwing it behind me. I waste two spikes on one mobster, nailing his head and neck into the doorframe of some office. Panic erupts within.


    Switching to a more determined sprint, a grenade enters my paw. I pull the pin and toss it in, barely finding a scratch on me as gunfire finds me. The room falls apart with a bang and the doors reveal more mobsters. I draw my knife again, meeting the eyes of one clueless corpse-to-be.


    His friend dies, his sub-machinegun firing off under the pressure of a dead man''s trigger finger. A neck bursts open at my side and I knock the body ahead. It catches talentless shots and I return a handful. The bloodied man comes out, handgun in paw. He catches my knife between his brow and falls.


    "This better be your handiwork, Ivahstar...!" Hrurim struggles to get out as his heaving becomes clear to me. I come to a halt, looking around as only silence meets me. I nod in satisfaction and take back my knife. The torturer finds new purpose as a doorstop and I rummage across the table.


    Finding Hrurim''s conveniently placed lighter and pack of sticks, I prepare him one. I light the relaxing drug dosage, slipping it into his puckered mouth. He nods up in thanks and I mock my friend with a quick tut. Slicing up his restraints otherwise.


    The pain-covered human hisses and rubs his wrists, getting to his affectionate cigarette right after. He leans back onto his chair, the smoke and fire in his lungs a healthy distraction from the cuts and burns. A thoughtful noise leaves me as I eye what seems like an attempt to make an Eusorochii Invasion. Get the victim wet and shock them to varying degrees.


    Closest most around here ever get to being involved with the continent of the Lightning-Mountain.


    "Heiya''s not here?" Hrurim is almost stupid for asking, and I shake my head. Facing my human friend, I offer him a paw up and he shakes his head. He digs around a small fridge, pulling out a bottle of excessively sealed water. My eyes dance about, taking in all the tools still unused in this room.


    "Mm, clever. Keep the victim around longer." I say, realising it''s magic-rich water. Hrurim drinks heartily, setting his body on the path to healing. Though I am clearly not injured, my friend offers me a clear plenty, anyway.


    I accept it without much fuss, only taking a single gulp. I still got bashed in the skull, after all. But I''m otherwise fine. My grip tightens on the bottle.


    "Do you know if there''s more?" I ask, uncertain of my daughter''s state. Hrurim sighs and shakes his head, retrieving some of his clothes.


    "Far as I can tell, that is all." he answers, his nodding almost pre-emptive.


    "This is for Heiya." I say, not taking no for an answer and he keeps nodding.


    "They know it''s you for certain, Ivahstar. They know they had you specifically." Hrurim clarifies and I nod slowly, a tinge of despair going through me. Not regarding Gamtambo. Not regarding how my life is going to be for the future. But because my daughter is in all the more danger because of it. A sniffle holds back the wet rims of my eyes and I glare.


    "Do you have any idea where there might be maps? Anything?" I ask and my friend holds back what is no doubt a want to smirk.


    "Second floor. Far away from where your grenade was," he explains, and I sigh in some relief. Wouldn''t have mattered much, anyway. My grenades aren''t all that powerful. Fuel will still go up in a ball of fire, but it''s no smuggled good from the Moonlit Plains. It''s appropriately matching the magic intensity of the underground. All I have is.


    I look back at my friend, twisting around with a question in my throat, "And Nin?"


    "About him... Apparently, the local boss is actually interested. If they didn''t do what they did, you might''ve ended up selling Nin to one of Gamtambo''s lesser lieutenants or whoever the pricks-a-lot is." Hrurim explains, his cigarette losing so much form to a deep breath. I watch the embers eat the paper and filling up. A burp of ash and smoke taking so much more away.


    "That is good. Makes them easier to track." I say and my friend nods, giving me a quick wave as he takes a moment to catch his breath.


    "Thanks for coming... Ivahstar. Lucky as it is for me..." Hrurim huffs and puffs, his breath as lost as my daughter is. I linger at the doorway, my foot on the bloody doorstop. The pressure makes the blood squelch. I turn back to my friend, both paws clenching my weapon. My hands start to hurt.


    "I''m glad I could help." I tell him, two-faced in so many ways about it. When my daughter is in danger, she comes first. Not him, not anyone else. Only her. Were it not for the path taking me here, he''d die with chains around his ankles if his mind couldn''t think of anything.


    I''m also relieved he''s no turncoat even with my mind already settled on the matter... Now he''s all the more driven to help me solve the Gamtambo problem. You don''t just torture a man like that and expect him not to hold a grudge. Grudges are good in our business, scars even more so.


    They drive us on to commit so much cruelty right back at those who we owe it to!

 Incline 40: Ivahstar

    "Alright, show me what you got." I demand of my friend as a heavy sigh burns through my nose. My gun grip tightens, my eyes jumpier than the springiest of juperse. Teeth grind against each other, pushing up and pushing down. Stressing the bone to an unimaginable breaking point.


    "Thankfully for us, Ivahstar... Heiya''s within reach still. The ovskabinos are taking the long way. Here." he points out, his blood-caked finger going over the enchanted parchment. My brow furrows, digging deeper and deeper as I lean close.


    This route they''re taking, I''m not familiar with it, but I''m familiar with the concept. Poorly dug tunnels that go a length around main roads. Hidden enough to avoid police on the highway but developed enough for a car to go through. Or, several, in this case. A tight fit either way. Smuggler''s routes are not fit for purpose when a mobster convoy is in play.


    A noise escapes me, my words cold-footed prisoners, "... We can intercept them."


    "My thoughts exactly, Ivahstar," Hrurim echoes, his cigarette burning bright as his lungs fill, "Question is where. We don''t know how far down they are and I''m not looking for a stake-out."


    I glance up from the maps and salvaged documents, eyeing his many torture wounds. Lighter moods would have me scoff, but I can barely manage to not be screaming in rage. Gamtambo''s gangsters have my daughter. His thugs have Heiya.


    My fist tightens as a face that should be an echo goes through my mind. Nothing special compared to any other elder hwardgon. He''s still got his fur. He''s not scarred or burned in any way. My former time in his employment certainly ensured that part. I just know his face.


    I could never forget his face... Not after the night he nearly drove my family to extinction.


    And now, here it comes again, he''s so close to finishing the job. His mobsters had us both, and now they only have her. We need to move and yet it is reckless to do so. The urge to spit drives my tongue mad, its underside nothing more than a pool of saliva. I gulp it down, distracting myself with the choking hazard.


    "I came here in a car that is fit for service. So long as we have luck on our side, no highway patrol and all that." I let out, muttering in and out of my thoughts as I figure out the slipways. Police are always looking for maps like these. Can''t have the routes too clear now, can we?


    "I''m thinking here, maybe?" Hrurim points out, the knuckle of an index finger knocking a painted ridge in the parchment. I follow the digit, narrowing my eyes at the warnings marked across it. Whatever code they''re using here, it''s not what I''m familiar with. The map''s legend seems to have been damaged or removed long ago. It might not even be a modern map.


    Might be an outdated deceit...


    "Grah." I hiss out, my knuckles flexing again. Rolling my veins and tendons over the bone. Pushing up the skin and fur of my hand. Squeezing my paws a little too tight.


    Hrurim walks around, slapping a hand onto my back with no regard to my quills. I look his way, noting the slight wince in his eyes as he pricks his palm. He continues to pat my back, shifting to a gentle rub. He smiles what reassurance he can and I nod, slowly.


    "I get it, Ivahstar. She''s your daughter. Simplest idea to get since Thurnmourer''s blood hit the clay all that time ago. Father protects the child, we all get it," he tells me and I glance around at the empty room. I lean to the side, glancing down at the corpse we''re still using as a doorstop. I look back at him and he looks back at his former torturer.


    "To keep her safe, I ended up putting her in more danger than I could''ve imagined. There''s no way I could''ve known Gamtambo''s thugs were at the black market." I remark upon, my bitterness seething out of me as I second guess myself. Getting in here and freeing Hrurim from his captors certainly proves my senses aren''t dulled to uselessness. Gods above, I couldn''t even save him without smashing my way out of the same convoy we''re tracking!


    Heiya is in danger and I have no excuse the shade of rust or the feel of morning grogginess. I simply failed to protect her. For all my years of experience as a hitman, a smuggler... A father. She''s never been in greater danger and I was in full control of the situation.


    "Of course... Ivahstar, we do have one more matter to discuss." Hrurim points out, the click of a handgun disturbing the air. He''s picked all the dead clean of every gun, every bullet. A carrion looking for that last drop of stringy, bloody meat.


    "She''s not going to be in the front of any car, van, or lorry. We take out the driver or we take out the tires. She''s a tough girl. She''ll handle a tumble." I dismiss, almost hypocritical to myself as the words make me sick to my stomach. The organ in question quivers, shaking with an acidic threat.


    "I''m more concerned about the tunnel itself. It''s narrow, not much room for anything. A firefight at the wrong point and we risk an explosion. No where for it all to go... Either. Ka-boom." Ivahstar clarifies, his hands going together and out with his final sound. They come back together, tingling with the sound of bullets and shells.


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    "I shoot." I decide, bringing up my needle gun and snapping open the front. I stare and ponder my choice of munitions. Shaped blood wasp honey has never had a habit of causing fires. It''s razor sharp, however. Where there is a blade going fast, sparks can come. Still experience has me doubting the risk of fire.


    Even back during the firefight I got into before I got here to save Hrurim. The only fires were caused by grenades, mobster bullets, or the car crashes themselves. My weapon did not add to the fire in any way other than breaking up the foul smell and taste of smoke. We should be safe.


    "Mmm." Hrurim goes, his hands empty for uninterrupted drumming of the fingers. Index to pinkie. Index to pinkie. An annoying tune I can''t even be asked to bark about.


    His focus goes to the expanse with all the warnings. There''s a slipway not too far ahead of the chamber. We can intercept them or we''ll be right behind them to pick away at the cars. The vulnerable rear of a convoy with no means to turn around.


    An image goes through my mind, one of a leaping man. I shake my head, dismissing the idea for the time being. Something like that is too detailed. I do not know how the chase will develop as we close in. For all I know, this warning sign is a Water-Veins colony or an osibindah hive.


    "We best get going, I suppose," Hrurim says, his tongue clicking at the end. I look up and nod, another heavy breath flaring my nostrils.


    "Bring the fuel out front. I don''t want us to get halfway and then run out." I tell my friend and he huffs away at his cigarette with renewed vigour. He throws a thumb up at me and I wave a tired arm. My paw squeezes the door handle and I throw a chair down to keep it open. My feet hit the flattened stone of the underground and I walk with haste, the car a short distance away.


    Staring up at the bottom of the surface, I blink and find it still there. An unending sky of shadow-drowned rock, stalactites and ageless cracks. Who knows what horrors await us in the tunnel? I may have not been down underground in a long time, relatively speaking, but I know what those routes are.


    Their crudeness isn''t just because of shoddy workmanship. They''re always chosen for a threat that naturally guards them. Osibindah, monsters of all kinds. Even a dragon or wyvern that''s been driven deep below the mountains proper. They''re not safe roads.


    I want to save my daughter and my only chance is to put her in more danger. The safest moment will endanger her beyond the scopes of my thoughts. I suppose it will be worth it. Anywhere is safer than having her in Gamtambo''s grasp.


    Keeping her out of his grip will keep us all safe. I cannot let the Don maintain control of the situation. If he has Heiya, he can dictate my actions. Disarm me without so much as a fist striking my person or a gun shooting out a joint. Only words. His greatest weapon.


    "I''m coming, Heiya. Hold on." I grumble, arriving at the car on its driver''s side. Opening the door, the body I left in their slumps out and a copper-scented fog blasts my nose. I drag the body the rest of the way out and sit down in the mess of blood. Dry, sticky, and wet.


    Yet, I cannot find it within me to turn the keys or do anything. A shiver overtakes me and I blink, removing my hands from the wheel. I double-check everything, unable to grasp why I am shaking so much. No, no... I know.


    My daughter. My only daughter left. My only family left. She''s all I have and I could lose her so quickly.


    I made swift work of so many gangsters today alone. In hours I''ve already killed probably half a hundred of them. Probably more. I''m not keeping real track.


    If I can kill that many this quickly, it will take them no time in comparison to take one life. Her life, Heiya''s life. The shivers die down and I blink. My blood abruptly shifts temperature, the cold familiarity of death washing away in rage''s deluge.


    I growl and turn the car on. It sputters to life, the custom engine job done by mobster mechanics letting me hear its strength. My fists tighten around the wheel and I pull up into the outpost. Hrurim waves me back and I park in front of him, keeping the car running.


    "Get loading what you want. I''ll handle the back." my friend tells me, hoisting the first fuel can up into the air. The fuel cap clicks open, the fist-sized metal door banging on the car without a care.


    "Hope you''re fine driving." I tell him, making sure he knows full well what I am expecting of him. He''s already had trouble before in motor vehicles built for hwardgon bodies. As tall as a human child, we are. If we get into trouble, he''ll be trapped with no room to squeeze out.


    "I can handle some bad knees. Trust me, Ivahstar." my friend huffs, his back rolling about to show off all the new scars a quick wash will show off.


    "Good." I say, nodding once and firm and bouncing off into aimless bobbles. I shake my head to a stop and get back indoors to grab my things. My gun comes back into hand and I retrieve my blood wasp hive. The container, in a moment of oddity, buzzes peacefully.


    The car''s half opens, and I put the container in. Throwing everything else about with a fraction of the care. I do one more trip and look everything over. Hrurim''s already put his choice of things in an appropriate box.


    I grab it and head on out, not having any mind to be courteous to the dead mobsters. My friend tosses the last fuel can and slams the little door shut. He claps his hands somewhat clean of the mess and takes his box. We linger, staring at each other.


    "Keep your head where it is, Ivahstar. We''ve got to remind them of why you got your nickname." my friends say to me as I pointlessly look at a palm.


    "Of course." I answer, squeezing it tight as a flash image of decades old blood passes me by. Not mine, not Heiya''s or anyone alive now. My dear wife, who I lost to my incompetence. I could not hide from Gamtambo then, I cannot hide from him now.


    But I will not let him mistake it for fear of him. I will make sure he fully understands that he should be fearing me. After all, he came after me after I left the mob, not the other way... He came for the Terror of the Dark... I did not come for Don Gamtambo, the don I made with my talents.


    "Let''s hurry. I don''t want to spend more time here than we have to!" I demand with a bark, slamming the door shut behind me as my gun enters my hand. The familiar practice of gun maintenance clearing my head. Keeping it focused and on point.

 Incline 41: Ivahstar

    Pinching the screwdriver, I ease the bit out of my weapon''s frame. I settle the pair down. The threaded metal keeps a magnetic connection to the tool''s tip. My hand tightens on the grip and I use its rarely intended function. To pull the gun apart.


    Metal clatters about on my lap, the leather of the car and the floor. A grumble goes through my teeth and I pick up what I''ve lost. Settling what I can on my lap, I glance up as tunnel and other cars go by. My eyes land back on Hrurim as he twists the wheel about, gently putting us into another lane.


    He''s doing what he can to keep our profile low. Taking what opportunities he can. I''m only working on my gun so intensely as a means to keep my mouth shut. We both know I''d be barking his ears red if I wasn''t.


    Heiya is on the move and we''ve no clue how far behind or ahead we are. It''s all predictions and assumptions. But this is the wisest and safest course of action for us, regardless. Keeping within the speed limit will keep the highway patrol off of our backs. For the moment, anyhow.


    Hrurim''s going to need me upfront soon, anyway. I''m best suited for finding our hidden slipway entrance, not him. It''s funny, really. I''m already asking too much of him by having him drive a cramped vehicle. His human legs have no room at all to so much as wiggle the toes at the end of them.


    "Mmm." I let out, putting my focus back on my gun. My eyes turn to the container and I play with the lock. Lifting it up and dropping it back down with a bang. The blood wasps inside smash against the metal, desperate to kill the offending noise. Unending in their aggression and want for peace.


    I''ve yet to quite figure out what a queen does to the honey they make. Now''s not the time to experiment, though. And that nameless kelbalid from the black market wasn''t open with it, either... It''s all working as it should, though. A disappointment that makes me feel childish.


    It doesn''t matter.


    Save Heiya, get her out of Gamtambo''s paws and off of his roads. That is all that I need to concern myself with. I have the tools to handle the problem. I have the knowledge and skill.


    A paw comes to my face and I rub it, ruffling my flat fur. I put the paw back down and flatten the mess I''ve made. Forcing it out of the physical plane and back into my mind where it belongs. She''s so far away...


    I snap the next part of my gun off, tossing it to the chair with a snarl. More and more parts come off, going about the back of the car. My arms come to a stop, fists curling tight. My daughter is in danger and I''m not there to protect her. I can''t protect her when I''m not there or near.


    "DAMMIT!" I roar, smashing my dominant arm against the door. It bangs like thunder, echoing throughout the tunnel and above the noise of the cars. Hrurim''s head shifts. He glances my way. I meet his glance with wide, angry eyes and he looks down. His head bobbles, his teeth catching his bottom lip.


    "Don''t worry, Ivahstar. I''m going as quick as I can..." he reassures me with a meek, weak voice. I keep my emotions in check for the moment and think nothing of his words. He''s trying to reassure me. That is all he is trying to do. There''s no hate or malice, no treachery or delight. He''s on my side, he''s taking me to hers...!


    "How close are we to the right side of the road?" I ask, grabbing my gun parts and shaking them clear of nothing. I start to throw it all back together, my decades of talent putting on a show for no one.


    "Couple lanes left." my human friend answers and the sensation of motion cuts his tally down by one. For his sake, I hope he''s being accurate with that ''couple'' and that it''s not him misspeaking. Will do both of our tempers good for me to not be shouting at him.


    My weapon looks more like itself, and I spin the screwdriver back where it was. I knock the weapon, testing its integrity, and I test the loading mechanism. The front snaps forward, showing off the honeycomb of barrels. It clicks back into place, free of stray spikes and awaiting a fresh load.


    I make my way to the front of the car, lowering the back of a chair and crawling over. I roll around, sitting up as my friend finds a huff coming to his lips. My eyes only see his reflection in the glass and I stare out at the road. The slipway tunnel will be on his side. Always the driver''s side.


    I turn to my friend, my mouth ready to ask him a question to pass the time-


    The flash of sirens goes up behind us and I twist. He twists as well, both ways. His eyes go to the wing mirror. Our eyes both go to the speed dial, and a damning fact makes my quills quiver. We''re in a safe limit.


    "Stop and search?" Hrurim asks as a frown takes over my face. Information. Too much rushes through my thoughts.


    "Has to be." I answer, resisting the temptation to lean out the window to get a better view.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Seconds pass and a police car comes into view, blue lights still flashing. The vehicle lines up with ours and I lean away from the door. Hrurim''s face is bright with more than just blue. And it''s all spelt ''confusion'' and ''bafflement.''


    "Of all the cars on the damn planet...!?" he lets out, hissing and sneering. I look around the car, taking in all the details that might''ve given us away. There''s no way Gamtambo or any of his gangsters know this our car. There''s no one alive to report that it''s this vehicle we''re using. Did someone report us when we came out of that service tunnel or have we been trailed...?


    Circumstance, sheer... Gods forsaken circumstance. There''s no other explanation. No police car, highway patrol or not is going to just know these things.


    "There must be something about the car that makes us stick out." I say, deciding the matter for both of our sakes.


    "Must be the engine!" Hrurim snaps to the empty back of the car. He shifts the gears, picking up speed and revving the engine''s fury for the world to hear. The sirens flash again, growing in intensity and settling the question once and for all. It''s certainly us they''re after.


    "Lose them however you can. We can''t risk reinforcements being called in." I tell Hrurim, crawling back into the back so I can get my gun. Contradicting myself might be a requirement if our options run thin. Bringing police with us into a smugglers'' route will only escalate things... I need the situation to be under control. My control.


    "It''s standard protocol to always call it in!" Hrurim calls back to me as he suddenly veers left. I bounce around, my back smacking the door.


    "Delude yourself with sweet dreams!" I snap at him as the police car picks up speed. The lanes are clearing up. The instinct of the normal citizen giving us both space for their own safety. But not Heiya''s.


    Each car that slides away to the right side of the road is one more toss of space gone. A potential slipway entrance now out of reach. If this goes on for too long, we could miss the right slipways altogether! The car engines roar and rumble, shaking with pistoning fury. My throat does the same...


    Grabbing my gun, Hrurim overtakes his discomfort to try and shake the police. His manoeuvres throw me about, smashing me at both ends of the car. I plant my feet down, stomping them into corners and into the bottom fabric. My fist tightens around the handlebar and I keep myself steady.


    "How''s it looking!?" I demand to know as the police car proves its engine power. The blaring mechanical monster is keeping up. It''s going to overtake us. Catch up just enough to lock its horns into the back tyre of ours car.


    "EUGH! GET LOST ALREADY YOU STUPID LAWMAN!" Hrurim shouts out the window, his foot no longer able to stomp the pedal any further forward. I move about, clamouring for the roof of the car and a passage. I pat around, unable to focus my eyesight with all these flashes of blue.


    A growl rumbles in my throat and I fall onto my back, gun at the ready. I pull the trigger and get an empty click. Cold embarrassment rushes into my blood. My anger flash boils it away and I strike the container.


    "MAKE ME HONEY!" I roar at the hive as I prepare my equipment. The front of my gun snaps open and I set it up for a dangerous attempt. We don''t have the time for me to properly load the gun. I need to do it now and fast!


    Lodging the crate open, I knock it over to the sound of buzzing and wet thuds. Honey pours from the container, distancing itself from the hive and its tending blood wasps. One catches on the honey, freeing itself with an aggressive flight. I slam the container shut and the blood wasp continues to fly around. A stinger of lethal poison and potency at the ready to murder the car.


    The flashes of blue reveal the buzzing terror. It appears in one spot and then another, coming close but not landing. I growl and throw my gun back into order. A back window breaks, throwing glass across the highway and the seat. The blood wasp defies the wind current and hovers around.


    "YOU BETTER HAVE NOT LET ONE GET LOOSE!" Hrurim screams like a girl, the one time in his life he''s justified to actually do so.


    "I''M HANDLING IT!" I shout back at him, catching a figure lean out of the police car. A familiar extension comes to the shadow. Flashing into existence the same way the blood wasp does. The officer is aiming for our tyres.


    I flinch away from the blood wasp, swatting it away as hooked feet find my fur. I swat it again, smacking it down and putting it into a daze. My sore hand whips about, the hardness of its namesake chitin no soft subject. My nails pinch a wing and I snap open my gun, loading it anew.


    Throwing myself onto the glass, I growl as it cuts deep. Warmth spreads down my front, coming out even more as the glass wiggles deep. The tunnel throws all the noise it can at me. The horns of hundreds of cars, the sirens of the police and the rumbling of who knows how many engines.


    I blink, tossing aside all the distractions. I shoot the blood wasp through the police car''s front window. It shatters completely, throwing shards about the car. It decelerates immediately, throwing the officer''s shot off. A lone bang of orange strikes the dark. Missing us entirely.


    I pick myself up, putting my weight on my heels, and I fall down. A groan escapes me and I bash the blood wasp hive one more time. Hooking my overalls, I pull them forward, batting some air down my front and getting rid of some of the glass. My fingers pick out what I can and I leave the rest to be trapped by coagulation.


    "Gods... Keep the road clear." Hrurim huffs, not a smile anywhere to be seen as driving denies him the right to look for a smoke. I pull the map out of the glove box and double check it. The gods offer us a boon and a landmark quickly comes into view. My eyes sprint across the map, narrowing our location.


    "UP THERE!" I point out, practically screaming with excitement, and Hrurim shifts gears. He slams his foot on the brakes, putting us into a controlled, terrible drift. I cling to the car, offering him some stability with my touch. The car''s back end gets in order and we slip into where we need to go.


    The car bashes and scrapes, losing parts and pain. We get back on the straightforward path and we settle down. Both of us sigh and I nod with some satisfaction. A groan pops right out of Hrurim...


    "Bugger me..." he swears, clicking his fingers at me as who knows what remarks pass through his mind. I slip into his pockets, pulling out a stick and his lighter. I get him all sorted and intoxicated for the time being. Looking out at the road ahead, I blink with uncertainty.


    This road is certainly living up to my preconceptions of it... Rough is certainly an appropriate word for a tunnel like this.

 Incline 42: Ivahstar

    My grip tightens on the door handle. The rough road beneath us giving no quarter to our suspension. Hrurim groans, shuffling about as well as he can. I eye my human friend and his legs.


    "I can tear off some of the back cushions. Put them there." I point out, lingering some fingers over my knife. My leg is tense with effort, but I''m waiting for his call.


    "No, no. It''s fine, Ivahstar. Really. It''ll be worth it..." he answers, and I''m having some doubts as to how sincere he is about it. I keep silent and nod, looking away as I do. I focus back on the map, tapping a finger on the slipway we used. It''s a good one to get in with.


    The big chamber with the warnings is still ahead of us. There''s no way to slip out of the smugglers'' route quickly or safely. Front or behind, it doesn''t matter. We have a shot, provided they''re not long gone.


    "I really don''t know if I should be speeding up or slowing down..." Hrurim says, his voice bordering on whiny and irritating. I glance his way, going back to his cramped legs. My jaw shifts, my lips straightening out as hard as an iron rod.


    "We''re before the chamber. Whatever it is. Keep..." I start to say and I come to a halt, not sure what to do. My mind blanks out and my heart freezes to a lethal stop. A single cough breaks me free, moving me about once again.


    What do we do? If we get this wrong now, we''ve got no way of catching up with Heiya. We''re already hinging too much on luck right now and I... Gods above.


    A clawed hand rakes my face, digging five scrapes into my face. I pull the responsible arm away and bring it back for a bothersome rub. The stinging sensation spreads through my skin and I breathe. It all vanishes, almost as if it never happened at all.


    "Speed up. We bank on what has taken us this far already." I tell my friend, reassuring myself with a gentle rub of my gun. Either we find Heiya or I find Gamtambo. A daughter will be in my arms. Or his corpse will soak the bottoms of my feet. All of it dripping from my knuckles!


    "Going the gods-shined way." Hrurim answers, adjusting his seating and putting down on the pedal. The engine roars louder, and the ride becomes all the bumpier. Despite the issues of biology my friend finds himself dealing with, he''s handling this car like a beauty. Delicate to the touch, with all the finesse needed to impress someone during a dance.


    I offer my friend a reassuring nod and pat and head back to the backseats. Aiming for the ceiling, I cut my way through it with a burst of fire. Puncturing the roof clear of the car, mostly. I stand up, splitting my legs across the seat and I punch up. The panel hops and flies off, never to be seen again.


    Keeping my head down, I yank out a random piece of car. I hold it up above my head, going up and up until it flies out of my hand. My face remains straight as the vibration continues to rock its way through me. I''ve got room to stand, room to fight.


    I drop back down and get to cutting off the seat cushions. I stab them onto the bits of honey and cut metal, dulling the danger. My head pops back out, the tunnel air settling into my quills. I lean ahead, gun in an unbreakable grip.


    Come on... Lights... Let me see some lights... Let me see something!


    I try to keep my ears as open as they reasonably can be. I try to discern anything that sounds distant and far. I''m driving myself mad just for the one chance to see my daughter again... I need to...


    "Mm?" I let out, leaning forward as far as I can go. Is that...? Yes...? Yes? Yes!


    My fist smashes against the roof of the car and Hrurim answers me well. The engine growls furiously, forcing me to adjust my footing. The very tips of the tail lights come into view. We escape the dangerous turn and edge and teeter ourselves straight. Hrurim pumps out a swear and adjusts our speed to something better.


    "GET ME CLOSER!" I demand of my friend, shouting with all I have and defying the physics of the tunnel. I slam my gun down, setting my eye before my sights and easing the trigger. The last car in the convoy enters my range. The barrel switches targets and I duck to avoid the oncoming glass.


    "Ah, what a view!" Hrurim hisses, slamming the visor back up. I pop back to my spot and shoot for the back glass. It shatters wide open and the mobsters inside retaliate. A few aimless shots from handguns. I duck down, metal pings and rocky thunks bursting about around me.


    Throwing myself into position, controlled bursts go for the flashes. More gunfire flashes. Hrurim drives us closer, lighting up the interior of the people inside. Heiya''s not among them.


    "THERE''S NO ROOM TO GET AROUND!" Hrurim screams at me and I growl. Taking out more mobsters, I clear the car of all but its driver. The man takes a moment to look back at me, his eyes unable to come wide open. He flinches away, not even bothering to fire back. But he still ducks down.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "RAM THEM! I NEED TO CLIMB AHEAD!" I tell my friend, the road seemingly remaining straight for some time. I''ve not a moment to waste. Every second I''m still here is another second where Heiya is their prisoner!


    Hrurim''s foot slams on the pedal and I brace. Our cars collide and I piston back and forth. Hopping up and out, I throw-slide my way to the bonnet. My arm comes up, gripping the top of the glass while I find my footing.


    I keep my knees low and bent, the power of the engine unsettling more than just my physical nerves. Adrenaline warps my decision making and I throw my weapon ahead, scoring a fine goal. I repeat the feat, leaping for the car myself. My arms pull me inside, dragging me across the back until I hit the floor.


    "KEEP DRIVING!" I roar at the mobster, and he pulls his piece at me. I throw myself out of the way of his awkward angle and he empties the magazine at nothing. A snarl takes my face over and I pick up my gun again. It goes to his head and I pull the trigger and heave him out of the driver''s seat.


    The car dares to lose control and I bully it back into order. Cavern walls scrape and gnash, sparking a chunk off of the vehicle. Hrurim''s car behind bounces and I speed up. Our arrival has certainly spooked those ahead. They don''t know I''m in here, though.


    I pick up one of the mobster guns and fire randomly at the cavern roof. The others buy the act and I aim one shot for the front glass. It explodes outwards and comes racing back my way. I duck, letting it pass and impale cushion and corpse. The cruise control locks in and I slip on out, shooting the tail lights out again.


    Double-checking my rounds, I growl in understanding. I lean forward, gripping the bonnet and throwing it up. I shoot the glass ahead of me, letting it rain out like the rest has before. The bonnet panel takes a few bullets and I kick it down. Bodies drop and the car hits the next one.


    I leap in, driving my knife into the eye socket of a gangster. I force the blade up and out, shoving my gun into the next mobster. His backmouth blows out across the car and I stab the neck of the next one. The driver barely gets a word off and I pull him away, repeating the process from before.


    Two cars down and still no Heiya. I don''t know how many are ahead. Three of them suddenly turn and I twitch into action. The tyres screech in burning pain and the empty car flattens itself. Hrurim barely escapes the mess, and another straight road welcomes us.


    Grabbing a mobster''s gun, I shoot out the glass at my side and clear it off. I lean up and out, letting the automatic weapon rip through its drum. Bullets fly out carelessly, hitting everything but the bodies inside. A flash of light reveals the crew. Not one of them is her.


    I aim with bloodthirsty intention and clear the car out. It spins out of control and I luck out on it smashing into a ditch. The cars ahead break apart, splitting into their lonesome. We''re in the chamber. I look back at my friend and he picks his direction.


    We''ve too many to cover and I speed up as much as I can. Getting my spike gun back into my hand, I close in on the side of one of the cars. The windows come down and mobsters spring out as if they''re parts of a toy. One that comes with fiery lights.


    I twist the steering, forcing my way through a partial wall of cover. Their bullets keep on coming, but not for me. I watch them and keep on watching, staring Death down in his flashing, muzzle face. A moment of peace and a mobster tries to duck in to reload.


    I smash the car through thin rocks and fly out into the open, smashing right into the cars rear. We both lose control and I get things back in order. I heave my gun up, aligning the barrel with those inside. My finger presses the trigger, lightening the mobsters of blood and brains. Heiya''s not here either.


    A growl overtakes me, and I shoot out the rear tyres and ram it. The car continues to lose control and rolls over, throwing itself about until luck blesses me again. Sparks find fuel and a fireball erupts behind me. I keep the pedal down as far as it will go and head for the exit.


    "CAN''T HUNT YOU DOWN, BUT I CAN TRAP YOU!" I roar out, getting my thoughts into the open as I aim for what I know is the exit. I kick open the door and prepare myself. A finger nudges the wheel the right way and I throw myself out. I hit the ground, rolling along it without pause as churning metal sings of certain demise.


    I knock myself still and find my footing, a growl welding my jaw shut. Backing up to the wreck, Hrurim comes racing into view, his own skill with a gun forcing some mobsters off. I shoot his car, catching his attention and he drives my way, skidding to a halt. His car smacks its rear on the rock.


    "OUT! WE HOLD THEM HERE!" I clarify for him, going into the back to grab my container and equipment. I toss it aside, letting the blood wasps buzz for their namesake, and I pop the boot. Hrurim comes hobbling out and arms himself, his eyes widening.


    "THEY DON''T SEEM TO WANT THAT!" he explains, and we dive aside. Only the break out fails. The car that tried spirals out of control and detonates, sealing us in for good.


    "Gods grant me more luck... More!" I hiss, reloading my gun with a fresh load of spikes. The remaining convoy gathers up, building up around a lorry. Mobsters rush out, guns firing in the dark, and we retaliate. I keep tabs on Hrurim''s position and spread out from him. Single shot handguns, rifles, shotguns and sub-machineguns drown us in bullets. Rocks erode away and some even explode.


    "OF COURSE THEY''VE GOT SURFACE-TOUCHED WEAPONS!" I hear Hrurim complain as the familiar shine of wind magic accents the flashes. One car comes apart and a deadly cross irks me with its shadow. A proper machine gun.


    "KEEP DOWN, FOCUS ON THE RIGHT TARGETS!" I urge my friend, not even keeping to my advice. I can barely keep my head up for a moment. There''s no way for me to find time.


    "POPS! POPS!" I hear between bullets and I smile in satisfaction, taking more lives as I do so.


    "Thank the gods above... All of them..." I almost whimper and cry, tears rimming my eyes as adrenaline continues to remind me of what it''s like to be young. I cling to my belt, pulling out a grenade and tossing it true. It slips past some mobsters, throwing them right into their own line of fire.


    Several stop, shocked by the deed and the blast. I force my way out, as does Hrurim. We scythe more of them down, reorganising our position. A wind-touched weapon whistles past, leaving a green glow to its bullet hole. Whatever that gun is meant to be, it might as well be an auto-cannon now!

 Incline 43: Ivahstar

    Shooting down two more gangsters, I weave around behind the stalagmites. Rock bursts out, their bullets eating away at my cover. I watch the puffs of debris move, trailing around like a hunting pack. Empty weapons click.


    I rush out, grabbing one of the spear-like rocks, and I hurl it. The heavy object goes wide, only knocking a weapon aside. Keeping up the momentum, I ram shoulder first into the gangster. My gun comes up to his gut, and my finger finds the trigger.


    The gangster screams, a honey spike now in the ground. Right through him. Forcing the gun up, I shatter the razor-sharp nectar, and it spread across his wound. He convulses, breaking the spike aside inside of him, infesting him with shrapnel.


    I leave the man to bleed out and take cover. Another pack of mobsters comes into view, gun barrels flashing and roaring. Fire and metal. Each bullet trims the maze of car wrecks down.


    It''s easier to find them, but also easier for them to find me. Hrurim''s certainly the smart one here, holding his distance. But I need to get to Heiya. I need to press on and get her out of that car.


    A growl escapes me, and I pat my gear, checking my grenades- grenade. Only got one left. Of all the things I''ve been unable to stock up on since my first ambush... This is the one thing I could do with so much more of!


    "HRUR-" I try to call out, meeting a shower of sparks and pinging bullets. I duck back down, growling once again. My teeth gnash and I throw myself a short distance. Rolling under another, safer car. The first mobster around to ambush me drops dead, a new horn in his forehead.


    My free hand pushes along the ground, keeping me moving as my feet find their friction. I rush away, leaving my pin-pulled grenade behind. Luck gifts me a bounty of gangsters, each one unaware of my return gift. It blossoms with fire and shrapnel, drinking deep of their boiling blood and all the mess their gore leaves.


    I take a few more pot shots. Some thankfully die. Too many refuse to so much as do so. A shotgun rips its way through the car, splattering pellets across the cavern chamber. The shotgunner keeps going, fire, pump, fire, pump. My gut''s foresight picks up the pattern and my body twitches into action as it barks again.


    I pull the trigger, landing the shot right in the barrel of his gun. A smug grin takes over my weathered old face and the gangster''s complaints only strengthen it. I get back up, taking a proper killing shot and spreading it out. A mobster appears on my right and I leap away, his rifle ruffling my quills.


    Rolling over, a burst of three spreads across the man''s gut and he drops. I find some fresh cover, catching sight of the machine-gunner again as he continues to prey on my friend. The belt-fed beast carries on and on, birthing an endless cloud of debris. Hrurim''s voice barely finds its way to me and I take the shot I can.


    It goes wide, spooking the machine-gunner my way. My body drops harder than a mobster can a disposed of body in a river. My car-like cover becomes a memory, with too many bullet holes coming too close to me. I spot the main lorry, a bullet zipping way too close to my leg.


    No jams or reloads come and my hand comes alive with a prayerful gesture. I rush out, barely avoiding the nipping of my backside. The machinegun fire stops, its target lost. I wish it was as easy as that, simply running and hiding. There''s way too many gangsters in this convoy. Too much heat focused on me and Hrurim...


    "Singing in a gunfight, singing in a gunfight...!" a familiar voice tries and fails to whistle from within the lorry''s trailer. I glance up, shooting down a clueless gangster, and I run up, grabbing his weapon. My head jolts in satisfaction and I slip into the lorry''s cabin. Going through the backdoor, I arrive at Hrurim''s handiwork and reach the bars.


    Nin looks my way, his eyes flickering in the gunfire rich darkness. What is either a grin or a smile spreads across his face and I eye the cage. Whatever mobster is supposed to be interested in buying this osibindah has certainly forgotten to add a lock. Hrurim didn''t exactly build the cage to take it apart.


    "Listen, Nin. We don''t like each other. Help me. I''m cutting you loose. They''ll shoot at you, anyway." I explain, forcing the surface-tongue out of my system as I try to line up my shots on the bars. I empty the barrels out, cutting a gap in the metal.


    The osibindah squeezes his way through the fractured bars. Their edges scrape along his shell, cutting in deep thanks to their comparative arcane forging. He hisses, an annoyed click echoing so very barely. His arm swipes, taking the spare gun out of my paw.


    "I can also shoot you." Nin says, his three-digit hands having an awkward time about the sub-machinegun. I offer him my magic-rich knife and slice the trigger guard off, giving him the much needed room.


    "NO ONE LET''S OSIBINDAH LIVE! TAKE MY OFFER!" I scream at him, belting it out of the lorry as a dozen shadows line up on the transport. My former prisoner rushes out with me and he scurries behind a car with me. I look his way as he groans and belly aches.


    "Been in a cage with no magic in my system for too long..." he moans, his usual agility nowhere near.


    "Be a good distraction now." I tell him, holding back any cackles as I rush around. Some guns trail me and I dive for a mobster weapon. My spike gun goes across my back and I check the handgun. I snarl at how few bullets it has left and hold back the bile in my throat.


    I hate guns like these.


    "THE OSIBINDAH IS FREE!" one mobster roars out and the lot of them panic, unable to make sense of it. Nin here is no regular one, so no hive is going to come down on us. But, if the warnings on the map meant anything, this might be a hive of bugs... One wrong noise and we''ll be swarmed. Provided the bullets aren''t too much already!


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The handgun comes up, thundering the life out of two more gangsters. I empty the magazine on the run, diving ahead to roll up with a bolt-action. The cock goes up and forward, wasting a bullet needlessly but assuring my spirit. I tuck the lone bullet away and take another shot at the machine-gunner.


    A shadow falls away from the weapon and it goes quiet. I eye the path that is opening, a parting sea of death. My legs drive me ahead, sprinting me between the dangers and keeping them away. I smash my back up against a car, the confusion of the firefight keeping the nearby mobsters unaware of me. In much the same way...


    "Damn you, Hrurim." I mutter under my breath, my human friend''s carefree running and gunning nearly gutting me. More bodies fall and one gangster clings to their buddy. His eyes go around and ours meet. He looks away as if he isn''t aware of who I am.


    He pays for the simple mistake and spreads its teachings bloody wide. Popping up, I find the car Heiya is in again. A couple of mobsters have her locked down, otherwise hostage. A bullet thwiping behind me springs me into action. Forcing even more adrenaline through my veins.


    Though I have no bayonet, I drive the rifle into the gut of one of the mobsters. Taking a surprise punch from the other. I spin around, growling as I draw my knife out into the open. Heiya takes the moment to rise, and she leaps on the mobster''s back. Her teeth sink into the man''s neck and I slice across, putting a stop to it.


    "POPS!" she cries out, spitting her mouth clean as I force her into a spin. I slice her bindings, throwing her to the ground as more bullets come our way. She sneaks in a quick hand squeeze, locking our fingers and paws tight. Our need for a reunion hug is done and gone.


    A shotgun goes off in the dark, ripping across the cavern floor.


    "GET BACK INTO THE CAR, WE''RE GETTING OUT OF HERE!" I tell her and she nods, snatching the rifle out of my hands and the loose bullet. She slots the latter in, already finding a head to pop wide open. I huff, proud of my daughter even as the shock of capture trembles her still. Swinging the door open wide, I hop in and start the car.


    The engine roars with life, and the tyres screech, spinning away as they find traction. We move with all we have, driving right into the crossfire between Hrurim and the gangsters. Bullets eat their way to us and Hrurim dives in. We drive along again, tempting fate by going for my gear.


    "GRAB IT!" I bark, and Hrurim hooks his arm out, yelping as his hand catches on the metal. Satisfaction spreads through me as the buzz of blood wasps fills my ears. I can be rid of those foul ballistics.


    A chunk comes flying out the front of the car.


    "HOW DID YOU MISS THE SURFACE WEAPONS!?" Hrurim demands to know as he and Heiya silently catch up.


    "I''M BUSY!" I shout back to him, another bullet hole ripping a green stain across the paint. The deadly howl of the wind magic within bending the underground air. Chunks of rock blast about, fracturing the glass. My friend does me a favour, popping a bullet through it. The light visor barely comes down in time. Shards pitter patter about, being more vile about it than loose sand.


    "I''M OUT!" Heiya screams, ducking down properly into the backseats. The lack of return fire only enforces her point. Every bullet in the cavern is from them.


    "SAME!" Hrurim echoes as I eye the rear-view mirror. A figure steps up to the machinegun. The mechanical wonder finds life again, bursting into animania. Bullets saw into the car frame, heading down to a pop of air. The car screeches about, its weight smacking onto the sparking road.


    "DAMMIT!" I snap, unable to keep the car under control, "HOLD ON!"


    We hit a small boulder and spin wildly into the air. I pin myself about, doing my best to withstand the messy tumble. The custom-grade machine shatters apart, unable to hold on, and we barely land upright. We slam right back down, the suspension gone.


    "Ew..." Heiya groans, an oddly leafy squish coming about her.


    "Yep... Ew..." Hrurim echoes her again. The same wet sound echoing as he whips his hands clean. He hisses in pain.


    "Ew...?" I question, blinking as I drag myself out of the car to unsling my weapon. Hrurim tosses me my blood wasp hive and I get to loading a fresh load of spikes. Heiya snatches my knife away and Hrurim manages to scramble something from his lie. A few odd bullets here and there.


    My foot shifts, moving my weight about, and I find the feeling of grass. No, a leaf. A tingling... Burning leaf. The warmth in my blood vanishes and I freeze up.


    "Pops?" Heiya whispers, her lifetime of experience with me more than enough to know my face when it''s full of fear. I look around, blinking as my natural night vision settles in properly, away from the gunfire and car lights. Vines are all over the ground near here.


    A raggedy network of old scaffolding and broken tools, too. A mess that all goes towards a pulsating, plant-like object. I flinch, falling to the ground and Heiya rushes to my side. She''s too used to the surface to properly know.


    "Ivahstar... That better not be what I think it is." Hrurim lets out, his voice breaking like he''s a teenager again.


    "We need to go, now!" I bark at the pair, rushing to my feet. The remaining mobsters drive up to us, their bullet-ridden cars still able to carry their sorry backsides our way. My eyes go wide as they set up a perimeter, their eyes not too all-seeing.


    "GAMTAMBO WANTS A WORD WITH YOU, IVAHSTAR! HE''S GOT A BIG PAYCHECK IF WE GET YOU IN ALIVE! DON''T TEST ME AND MY BOYS ANYMORE, NOW!" the remaining gangster lead calls out, the firing line remaining quiet for the moment. I peek one way and then another. Taking in the line of hostiles and the monster right behind us.


    There''s no cover between us and it. Anything they shoot is going right into that sac. They''ll awaken the beast and get it on a rampage... Wait.


    If we stick to the darkness, the beast will focus on them. The firing line will drag its attention on further and we''ll be able to make a break for it. I turn back to my friend and daughter, urging them to shush and stay that way. The blood wasp hive continues to fight the container they''re trapped in, bashing the metal about.


    "DON GAMTAMBO CAN COME FOR ME HIMSELF!" I answer back, firing at a random gangster and throwing myself out into the open. The firing line comes alive and I roll behind the old scaffolding, getting a shower of splinters for the trouble. The bullets and pellets keep on coming, some not even for me or the other two. Just into the dark.


    The sac groans and pusses, unfurling itself as painful whines fill the area. Pachyderm cries blow at full force, silencing the guns and letting the hiss of acid come out in full. The creature rises to its bulky, full-grown tree trunk legs. Leafy ears blow out, flapping around as the edge of a shield appears in the dark.


    Acid squirts from its pores. The animal''s trunk slithers about, scooping up a patch of melting stone. Now borderline cement. It drips down, a dire warning of what is about to become of flesh and bone.


    Its four legs carry it forward, sinking the beast slightly as its acidic feet squish rock like mud. It enters the lights of a car, blowing its horn at full force. The gun line breaks, a thousand stories told to hwardgon children repeating themselves. Beware the quiet tunnels, beware the toot of a trunked horn and the wide ears...


    "CABBOTH!" the gangsters scream, guns all training on the tunnelling horror.

 Incline 44: Ivahstar

    The cabboth blows its trunk, squirting acid intentionally and not. Bullets smack away at its leafy hide, melting themselves flat before they can properly do damage. The cabboth buckles about, its primal mind taking each scrape and making a grudge of it. Its eternal memory will not forget until the chamber is quiet.


    It blows its trunk again, charging ahead with the sway of its head. The mobsters keep on firing and firing, unleashing everything they have. Backing up step by step. All the way until their backs hit the damaged cars. Even those with surface-touched weapons are doing little against the cabboth.


    One shot gets lucky, striking an eyebrow. The beast reels back, a roar bellowing out with its earth-melting saliva. It throws its head side to side, loosing the bullets caught up in its leafy exterior. It rattles them, appearing with numerous spikes in the dark.


    Cabboth legs refuse to buckle and they charge regardless of the mind. It heads straight for the machine gunner as the man using it screams his defiance. The cabboth blows its trunk again, rising up with swaying legs. Its trunk swipes for the screaming gangster, not even curling up with a full body as four parts fly away. Two bits of corpse, two bits of machinegun.


    I rush out of cover, getting close enough to gesture my friend and daughter to follow. Hrurim growls at his lack of an ammo-rich weapon and Heiya smashes her musket out of the car wreck boot. She gives it a loving kiss and loads the bolt-action. A whine builds up in her throat to the backdrop of a crushing car.


    I twist towards the rampaging cabboth, watching it free a foot and leg from a wreck. The metal frame jumps away, flexing open like simple paper. Its faces continue to melt and the cabboth waddles around, not particularly focused on any one of the gangsters. A sneeze of acid almost guts one, but another two are not quite that lucky.


    "Eyes on me. Let''s go!" I hiss, gesturing back the way we came. I don''t quite recall if a cabboth has a thing against fire, but all that smoke should hide our scent from it. It''s enough to block the beast out, at the very least. Mere seconds at best, if not. Useful time, either way.


    "For the love of all the gods above, no one shoot at it!" Hrurim feels the need to warn us, the irony of his position no doubt making his legs move faster. I scoff at my human friend and keep my hand locked on my daughter''s. It will help her keep moving and... Should it be needed, I can throw her ahead of me. Keep her alive.


    "P-Pops! It might be necessary to dump the blood wasps!" Heiya suggests, and I grunt in approval, but not in the way she is thinking. Blood wasps are not stupid. They won''t stay in their hive as it melts. Though they''ll certainly seek vengeance against the acidic pachyderm. Should keep the thing away from us as it rampages.


    "Keep to the edges." I call out to Hrurim, knowing Heiya will hear regardless. My friend throws a gesture back at me and I glance away as my legs keep ongoing. The path ahead is clear, and I need a good view of what is going on. Cars roar with emergency energy and many scramble.


    The left behind mobsters run about like a headless flock. Their numbers dropping with each odd snatch by the cabboth. Some barely manage to make it to the carnivore''s mouth. Others are puddles before it can even splash molten stone their way. One gangster even thinks he''s got lucky, rolling out of the way of a charge.


    The rock around the cabboth pulls apart as it reverses, dragging a mountain onto the man. One car has yet to start and the survivors rush for it. Another man screaming as he goes flying into the air. Splitting apart right as the cabboth tries to snap its jaws at him.


    A trunk comes flying in on a mighty swing. Swatting another man away as the last man not on board begs for them to wait. The cabboth doesn''t even care and tramples the man, lunging for the car. A chunk of automobile flies off, horizontally taking the backside off.


    The piece of car falls apart. One man''s barely lucky enough to get out of there. He makes a break for it, going into the shadows of the slipway as the cabboth focuses on the half-wheel. Those who remain inside it fire with all they have. Desperately clinging to the idea that they can shoot away its face before it comes close.


    A thick pillar of rock gets in my way, blocking my view, and I turn my focus away. The song of churning, bubbling metal makes its way here. Other cars come by, the panic of the drivers making them loop about. A growl builds in my throat and I release my daughter''s hand, tossing the hive ahead.


    "ARE YOU SERIOUS RIGHT NOW!?" Hrurim cries, the metal screeching and banging bringing him to a stop. He slips ahead and rushes back, slipping about again to pick up the hive. The blood wasps within bash away, threatening his life even more than it is. I look away and nod at my daughter.


    She nods herself, a twitch in her motions, and she shakily gets her musket ready. I don''t know what ammo she was able to get out of the boot of that car... But I''m doubting she''s got anything particularly dense with magic. We need something with a real kick to get past that acidic hide.


    My weapon might have some effect against the cabboth. It is honey, after all. But I''m not much of a hwardgon for guesses. In moments like these, I want undeniable facts. Not hopes and dreams, despite how far hopes have taken me as of late.


    "DOWN!" I bark, spotting a car coming this way. Despite the dangers of the cabboth as it rushes about, an unknown distance away, the gangsters are still willing to hunt us. The car goes by, firing off rounds in our general direction. Pieces and pebbles rain from above, terrible aim keeping us safe.


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    Another growl rumbles my throat as the cabboth''s weight sends tremors about. I need to save my munitions. The beast is not far from us and I need to save rounds. The cabboth''s trunk blows and a long shadow goes over us.


    A car spins out of control, smashing along the ground and pancaking on a pillar. No one but a limp man comes crawling out and the cabboth approaches. It roars down, melting up the car wreck as it blazes away. Danger ticks away in my head, the acid dousing the fires in a way that leaves our options limited.


    Its trunk dives into the acidic puddle, draining it all back up. It sneezes, blowing out makeshift bullets across the chamber. One car gets unlucky as it drives by, the driver losing his head. It somehow doesn''t spiral out of control. It just merely snatches the cabboth''s attention, driving its curiosity our way.


    "RUN!" I scream with all I have, shoving my daughter ahead before she foolishly tries to shoot a mobster. The gangsters fail to get their priorities in order and one goes flying. Splatting a little too much on impact. Horrible smells chase us as much as anything else. The acid of the cabboth flowering throughout the great chamber.


    The beast rears up, slamming away at the ground and practically digging itself a ditch. Even more acid from before sprays out, bringing the spikey look back. The chamber sinks with it, lowering the beast again. My eyes widen and an old story returns to me.


    "Anger the cabboth, anger it now. Anger the beast, enrage the tunnelling horror. Drop it down as far as its mood will take it-!?" I recall, a whizzing bullet spooking me out of the recollection. I snarl at the lost quills and slide to a halt, turning to the beast as its head barely peeks our way past the sloppy stone.


    "POPS!?" Heiya screams, a burst of sub-machinegun fire splitting her away further. The mobile source thankfully turns too abruptly to make another go at it.


    "GO! GO NOW YOU STUPID GIRL!" I demand of her, throwing a head gesture at Hrurim to watch her. My friend rushes back, lobbing the poor girl into the air and back into a full sprint. I lift my spike gun, aiming for the creature''s head as it does the exact opposite of what I want.


    I pull the trigger, clinging desperately to the hidden potency of a blood wasp queen and its royal honey. The golden-tinted spike catches the light of a lingering flame, sparkling as it lodges its way into the cabboth''s ear. The beast howls, rearing up and barely climbing. It slips, throwing itself into the ground.


    One leg slams, another tramples ahead and it rises, locking eyes on me. Its trunk swells and the beast hoses acid ahead, missing me by thankful miles and more. I snort in contempt, firing off a few more shots to rear that anger right into motion. The beast howls again, threatening me with whatever animalistic tongue one could call its noise.


    Each thundering step craters the earth and its bobbling seems to get lower and lower each time. But not fast enough. I run at a steady pace, keeping the distance between us alive as long as possible. More shots leave my spike gun and a potent cocktail brews in me. I know I''m running out. The specifics elude me, but my gut is wise.


    The cabboth screeches in pain, the honey spikes losing their form as its rage drenches the beast. A car and its lot get too cocky and drive close, trying to slam it full of surface-touched munitions. The cabboth springs up, latching onto the car and slicing it in twain. Somehow, the metal lasts long enough to pull the beast out, only barely. It tumbles, going knee-deep into the stone.


    It throws its head my way, slithering its trunk ahead to ease the path. It wades onwards, picking up the pace despite the trouble. Acid keeps splashing out of the in-progress trench. Way too much for what should be possible. The rabid animal smashes one leg ahead, breaking the dam on the downright pool-amounts of acid.


    "GAH- DAMMIT!" I snap, recovering from the stalagmite that avoided my awareness. I stumble back, coming too close to the cabboth. I scramble away, spike gun at the ready. The cabboth''s trunk leaps for me and I saw the thing off with a burst of rounds. It howls away, squirting blood as much as acid now.


    I hop back into a run, falling into a roll and getting back up. My legs spin me around, my arms locking in place with an unbreakable grip. My thumb flicks up, setting the spike gun to fully automatic fire. The cabboth keeps sinking but not quick enough.


    "I''M NOT MEETING MY END AT THE TUSKS OF SOME VEGETABLE!" I roar with all I have, bursting out every single spike I think I have left. The royal honey lodges its way across the creature''s skull, driving it back with whines and roars. It bursts open, flooding the immediate area with acid.


    My legs run with all they have, my free arm flapping to give me whatever force it can get me. My gun is way too light now to carry on. At most, I''ve only got two spikes left. I glance behind me, seeing nothing but what looks like a snake. Rock continues to collapse, creating a wide trench that only going deeper.


    Each cabbothic stomp gets quieter and quieter, dragging the raging beast deeper underground with it. I collapse with an awkward, strained laugh. By the gods above... That was certainly something... Even younger me would''ve struggled with an animal like that.


    I settle down for the moment, catching my breath as tremors echo up to me. The aimless creature is tunnelling too deep for us now. It''ll either drown in its own acid or fall to its death or something. Whatever. It''s not my problem anymore...


    "Even in my thoughts, huh...?" I remark, my stamina not quite what it used to be. A pair of cars come driving up, their occupants quiet on the trigger. The two clown cars of mobsters screech to a halt, practically throwing their occupants out. The men in ruined suspenders and long coats surround me. Scrounged up weapons in hand.


    No matter how much they''ve spent on me or the cabboth til this point. One of them is surely lucky enough to make their threat worthwhile. I frown, unable to quite put a finger on a solution. Unless someone is watching me I''m-


    A sub-machinegun rips through the crowd, spooking their attention away from me. My arm jolts up, firing off one more spike into the one my saviour missed. I twist about, expecting to see a just-about-had-it human. Instead, I hear the chitter of a bug first.


    "I really need to find more of these guns right here..." Nin breathes with a shudder as he digs about, struggling to smack open a surface-touched weapon. He clings to it, letting the magic radiate into his desperately starved body. I huff, finding my feet and giving my former prisoner no mind.


    "Thank you, for saving my life again." I groan, my body aching. Though, I''m being incredibly insincere. But whatever keeps his spite away from me, if he''s harbouring it.


    "Clinging to what happened years ago!" Nin points out and I nod, tipping a proverbial hat at the once-human who was also my prisoner all those years ago. Still, I''ve got business to attend to. If we''re lucky, we can salvage a car and get going. Head on into the next town before this mess grows any more.


    "Where did you two go...?" I demand to know, receiving no answer as my patience reaches its limits.

 Incline 45: Ivahstar

    "You follow too much." I grumble back at Nin as the osibindah continues to trail along.


    "You brought me down here. You can get me back out." Nin most likely shrugs and I shake my head. Picking a few broken quills out of my back as the peace of the chamber otherwise gets to me. Wherever the remaining mobsters went, they didn''t come this way. There''s no more gunfire, either. Not now, anyway.


    I shouldn''t let my guard down, but I''m inclined to believe a certain truth about people. They''re more likely to shoot the osibindah than they are me! So I guess that''s a good reason for the bug to be tailing me. Everyone can go ahead and shoot him instead, it, rather.


    Coming to a halt, Nin passes by and arrives at my side. The towering figure turns and looks down. I glance high his way. The fires haven''t died down massively, though they''re still calmer than before. We should be perfectly fine heading off down the slipway tunnel. Get back onto the highway so we can hijack some poor sod''s car or van or what have you.


    A tired groan passes through my lips and I roll some of my achy body about. All this adrenaline that has gone through my system is certainly a new feeling. Haven''t felt this energetic in a long time. Somehow, all the danger I''ve faced up until today does not compare. Not one moment since I first met Nin, actually.


    It seems like an odd thought to consider, but it''s also been so long since I''ve fought mobsters. Monsters, bugs, and witches don''t quite have the same feeling. Perhaps I am nostalgic for a past long left behind. Or, maybe it is because I know full well I am harming Don Gamtambo with every corpse I''ve made this day?


    If I feel such a rush now, I can only begin to imagine the rush his own death will make. All those years of hiding and running. All those years of resentment, betrayal, and loss. I will put an end to it all with a single bullet, spike or snap of the neck... Whatever comes to my paws first when I find him.


    "The other two aren''t going to blow my head open, are they?" Nin asks and I shrug, not wanting or able to make any promises.


    "Drop gun." I point out, his weapon not exactly helping his chances. Though, he''s not doing himself any favours by dropping it. I''ve certainly got him trapped, haven''t I? All my eyes need to do is adjust and wink and he''s on the floor. We don''t need the money his body can provide anymore.


    This bug is a liability and an annoyance.


    "Tch. Fine." Nin lets out, tossing the weapon far. An impressed noise lifts my spirits and the bug scurries about with his surface-touched munitions some more. He breathes it in deep, taking in the magic for what it is with a pleasurable stutter. A lengthy ''ah'' departs his lungs, the trail to his air visible for all arcane reasons in All-That-Remains.


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    "Hm, I do not see either of them anywhere..." I click ponderously in my native tongue. I survey the car wrecks, seeing neither my human friend nor my daughter. I can''t even pick up the sound of the blood wasps and their buzzing. Something bangs on a wreck nearby and I frown, knowing I certainly heard a yelp of pain.


    Not a familiar one, either. I lift a hand, snapping my fingers and patting my paw with them. Nin sticks close and I keep my weapon out and at the ready. The front snaps open and I eye the one spike I have left. Of all the chambers but that one, they''re empty and dry of sweet death.


    Wherever the other two are, I hope they''re ready to come out and support me. Luck is no doubt coming to collect on its debt with how this day has gone so far. Best get moving. Away from the divine and whatever mortals still call this place their vicinity...


    "Hrurim!?" I let out, rushing to my friend as he groans on the floor, a gash in his head. My voice triggers something in him. He smashes his way up to his feet. Bouncing and wobbling with erratic blinks that have no chance of ever ending. One of his arms goes about, shaking as he forces a finger up.


    "Th-That way! One of the bastards... Ah..." he groans, falling down into my arms. I snarl and pass the weight onto Nin. Hrurim panics a little, but I show no regards for him and I rush around the corner. Two people come into sight. A thrashing girl. My girl and a fool who has his hands on her.


    He spots me, aiming his gun right up against Heiya''s temple. She freezes up, and I struggle to keep my gun up. The fearful man backs up, dragging her up with him in the lock of his arm. My eyes shake, as does his trigger finger. My lungs swell, a furnace of hatred right under both of them.


    "LET HER GO!" I roar, bellowing so loud the remaining mobsters are probably now on their way. My trigger finger locks up, rage and discipline battling for control of the digit. It trembles, unable to side with either feeling my heart races.


    "S-STAY BACK YOU DAMN MONSTER! STAY BACK!" he screams, smashing the barrel''s tip against my daughter as she fluctuates. She growls and sneers. Whimpers and shakes. One wrong move and she is dead.


    "LET HER GO!" I roar again, repeating my point as I try to consider what options I can. One wrong move and her brains go flying.


    "LOWER YOUR GUN! LOWER IT AND BACK AWAY!" the nameless mobster warns, the handgun turning to me. The black hole of factory-made death eyes me. His arm tenses up, choking my daughter and heaving her up into the air.


    My eyes narrow and they loosen up as I meet her eyes. My daughter''s life is in danger again... I need to save her. Her life is all that matters right now. It''s all that matters.


    The gun is facing me. The gun is facing me, not her. The gun is not facing her. It''s facing me.


    My body twitches, raising my gun. The mobster''s hand roars with lead-spitting fire and my finger twitches. His head flies back, a spike lodged into it, and I cough into my fist. The warmth in my body is running away and I look down as my grip loses anything that can be called strength.


    I lean ahead, not out of my own strength, and see the shot with my own eyes. I look up at my daughter, unable to stop myself from looking up. I''m on the floor. Unable to hear anything far away other than a woman''s wails. My daughter''s...


    "POOOOOOOOOOOPS!"

 Incline 46: Heiya

    "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! POPS! POPS!" I scream, rushing with all I have. The dead mobster''s nails scratch across my neck, scraping them open. I reach my father, clutching onto him. I throw him about, shaking him with all I have, as his warmth is everywhere but in his arms. It''s all over the floor, spreading and soaking into my legs and clothes...!?


    He holds a firm face, clasping my cheek with a weak paw. He smiles, stroking his thumb across my wet cheek. Soaking my fur in his blood. Soaking me in the blood of an idiot...


    "WHY DID YOU DO THAT!? WHY DID YOU DO SOMETHING SO STUPID!? WHY DIDN''T YOU SHOOT HIM WHILE YOU HAD THE CHANCE!? WHY DIDN''T YOU- Why didn''t you...? Pops... Please... Pops!" I whimper, breaking down into hiccups and ceaseless shaking.


    Pops gulps hard, clearing his mouth of the build-up of bloody dribble. I snuggle against him, holding him close as my nose drowns in the smell of his blood. It clings to every bit of flesh, every obnoxious hair and slimy chunk of snot. The smell of my father''s dying body.


    "Oh, no..." Hrurim lets out, stumbling out into the open with that damn bug. I glare at the pair, holding Pops close as he clings on to life even with where the bullet went. I saw it. I saw it go right for his heart. I can''t feel it. I can''t feel its beat!


    "Hei... He- Heiya." he struggles to get out and I lean away, finding his paw on my lips. I kiss away, hoping to somehow pass on any bit of magic in my body. I know this is how it works. This is how it works. If I give him magic, he will live, right!? Right!?


    "H-HOLD ON!" Hrurim screams, his body springy with energy and awareness. He rushes off, vanishing around the wrecks. Where is he...?


    "Heiya..." Pops repeats, gently pushing me away.


    "P-Pops...!?" I let out, squeaking as my voice breaks into a million pieces. Pops pats about his chest, slapping just above the wound. I reach in and pull out what he seems to be gesturing for.


    "Keep... K-Keep..." he wheezes, his lips finding the strength for one last smile. My cries go silent and I watch him go limp. His eyes close, the signs of air in his nose vanishing.


    "HOLD ON IVAHSTAR! I''VE GOT THE-" Hrurim screams, rushing back into view with a bottle of some kind. I blink and unfold what Pops wanted me to have. The hug he has on my body grows ever distant. Practically not even being there anymore when I can still see that it is.


    I unfurl the little booklet, seeing picture after picture soaked in blood. My eyes travel to the driest of them all. The one we took back in Agadton before we left. It''s gone. The bullet went right through his face in the picture.


    My tears don''t even fall onto the picture. They fall right through the bullet hole in it. I keep staring at the picture. Clinging to the image of me smiling and the headless image next to me. Pops is gone. Pops is gone.


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    He''s completely gone from my life and all I have to remember him by...


    "P-Pops..." I whimper. I''m cold, Pops. I''m tired, Pops. I''m afraid... Pops...


    Don''t...


    "Don''t leave me, Pops..." I cry, holding his lifeless body close. My grip tightens, his cooling flesh taking my heat and not giving any back. I sniffle and sniffle, unable to do anything as Hrurim approaches. The sensation of magic burns the death-filled, smoke fog of the underground.


    He limply hands me the bottle, already having opened it. I snatch it from his hands and pour it on Pops, soaking him in the magic-rich liquid to no avail. Undwote is still coming for him now. The Pack of Seven has his scent in the same way I do.


    The roar of cars fills the chamber.


    "We... We need to go," Hrurim tells me, his hand coming close. I lash out, biting into the meat of his fingers. All the way to the bone. I growl against his skin and he stares at me, nothing but a mutual feeling all over his face.


    My jaw turns slack and I go limp. Another sniffle goes through me, and I twitch my head around. Headlights are coming closer. Weapons no doubt ready to take our lives in the hands of everyone. Hrurim tugs at me again, urging me onwards.


    "Heiya. We need to go," Hrurim repeats, his words practically forced out at gunpoint.


    I choke on my thoughts and stare deep into his eyes.


    "..."


    "Heiya!" he snaps, grabbing my arm.


    "Ok..." I let out, weakly. He hoists me up, not a speck of energy anywhere in my muscles.


    "You! Bug! Grab that container and get moving!" Hrurim snaps, not even bothering to speak to the osibindah in the surface tongue. He gets the point either way and gathers up weapons. My face continues to water silently and I grab Pops'' spike gun. I cling it close to my chest and stare down at him.


    My eyes bounce between the corpse of my last family member and the arriving mobsters. A fire worse than anything that''s burned today sets off inside of me. I scramble around, looking for a weapon that has bullets. Anything!


    My elbow strikes Hrurim''s face, freeing me, and he snatches me right back up.


    "HEIYA! NO! WE NEED TO GO!" Hrurim shouts against my ear as I thrash against him. My quills sabre and stab him, cutting into whatever they can get their points into. Desperation drives me mad and I try to force my way to a gun. One barely enters my hand and the first firing throws it right out. A useless shot that goes nowhere near blood.


    "POPS! POPS! POOOOOOOOOOPS!" I scream, thrashing about against his human friend as I start to lose details. The bullet-ruined photo clings to my mind''s eye. Each step away by Hrurim makes it harder to see my father. Each step away he hauls me makes it the same as that photo. Details I am going to forget and never see again. A memory I will now lose.


    I don''t want to forget Pops. I don''t want to forget yet another face in my life. I don''t want to forget any other faces in my life. I''ve already lost Mom and everyone else... Not you, too, Pops... Not you too!


    Pops! Dad! Father!


    "NOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOO!" I scream and wail endlessly, smashing my head back into Hrurim. I try to loosen his grip however I can and get nowhere with it. The bastard human won''t let go. Pops'' friend won''t let me cling to my father''s body!


    He won''t...


    Pops.


    "Pops... I''m sorry... I''m sorry... I''m sorry..." I whimper, sobbing away against Hrurim''s arm as one clear detail goes through my head. It''s my fault Pops is dead. If I never got grabbed just then, then he''d be...!


    "Why did I have to be hit like that...!? DAMMIT!" Hrurim swears, his thoughts somehow mirroring mine in too similar a way. I twist around, watching his eyes as they water too.


    "Put me down... Put me down now!" I cry, unable to get anything loud out of my hoarse throat. Hrurim shakes his head, his teeth biting down on his lip until it runs red. He shakes his head again, eyes watering with heart-filled pain.


    Pops...

 Incline 47: Nin

    I come to a stop, twisting my head back the way we came. Sniffles echo behind me. A woman and a man. I mind my chitters and stroke a claw along my split-jaw. Certainly an interesting enough situation to find myself in.


    I defeated Atarifuge, spending all my magic in the process to the point of near-death. Quite frankly, were it not for this pearl bracelet from Motrtha, and this Feather of Ihtuntar... I think I would''ve probably died alongside Atarifuge''s aelenvari pilot. No chance at all to get back to Liada or any of the others. There''s no proof, but the divine certainly eases the worrying and the weedy thoughts.


    My promise to Larishazza would''ve fallen apart right then and there, if not.


    But, I lived. Got captured by these three and then they tried to sell me off. Whatever''s been going on, I''ve kinda lucked out where Ivahstar has not. I can''t say I''m going to miss the bastard, but he''s certainly something I can respect. Having lived the life I have with all its trials and tribulations.


    A father that was willing to lose his own life in order to save his daughter''s. It''s not even something new, this is something he''s done for a while. Ever since I first met him when he tried to sell me all those years ago. He still looked near entirely out for his daughter. Heiya.


    I glance back their way, noting how they''ve not so much as slowed down for me. My heart brushes aside the feelings of unwanted anxiety and I hop along to catch up. Neither the human nor the hwardgon offer me a glance. They''re both too self-absorbed in the loss of a friend. A father.


    My eyes go about the dark tunnel, having a far easier time about it by imagining things in place of shadow. Vadei, myself, even Liada. Einervaene, too. I''m surrounded by people who''ve lost family and have been changed by it. I''ve changed because of it. Indescribably so.


    Regardless of how I feel about Heiya proper given our history... It''s oddly easy to look past. Maybe it''s my near-brush with death with Atarifuge or the firefight I was let out into. Either way, I can''t really find it within me to hold on to such grudges any more or anything like that.


    Whatever the reason, really, I understand what they''re both going through. I''ve grieved in much the same way as Heiya has and I''ve helped and been around those like her. Someone she loves so very dearly is now gone from her life. Someone who''s always been there for her and now he''s gone.


    "Larishazza..." I whisper, my long dead friend''s voice and image echoing in my thoughts. The sounds of her dancing. Her laughter and joy. It''s all up here, unbreakably engraved into my memories.


    Heiya must be feeling how I do about Lari. Lost, broken. The person who gave us so much meaning is now gone. We did our best to save them, but a criminal took them both away from us.


    The circumstances don''t really matter, only the actions. You can boil the flavour out of meat, reduce it to a broth. But the meat will still be there, it will still have so much of its character remaining. Probably a comparison I should keep to my head, though.


    I hurry along and catch up with them again, lingering a respectable distance. The human, Hrurim, he takes a sharp intake and comes to a stop. Weapon in hand. He turns my way, raising the gun. I take a back-step, unsure of if my body can really handle the danger of being shot right now.


    He lowers the gun and shakes his head, a vengeful grimace all over his face, "You hear that?"


    I blink and look around, uncertain of what noise he''s referring to. The tunnel is rough and long. It''s hard to focus on any of it. It''s all sort of there for me now. But, given what happened before, I''ve got an inkling as to what might be his answer.


    "The machines?" I ask and he nods, his gun hand almost begging for a reason to come up and fire. He knows I keep looking at it, he knows I keep wanting to avoid it. Only, there''s nowhere to go, not now. Not while I''m so weak.


    "We''re heading back to the highway. You''re going to make yourself useful. Get us a car and all. Then we get as far away from here as possible." Hrurim explains to me and I nod along, taking the details in. Heiya comes to a stop, her hands gripping her weapons tight. She turns around, utter malice on her head.


    "AS FAR AS POSSIBLE!? THEY JUST KILLED POPS! WE''RE GOING TO FIND GAMTAMBO AND WE''RE GOING TO BUTCHER HIM!" Heiya roars in that strange tongue of hers. I blink and take a step back, uncertain as to what is happening. Hrurim forces a blink and some words seem to make it to his mouth. The stress keeps him quiet, and it boils right out.


    "RIGHT NOW ALL WE CAN DO IS SURVIVE! RIGHT NOW ALL WE CAN DO IS RUN! IVAHSTAR IS GONE, HEIYA! WE NEEDED HIM TO GET ANYWHERE WITH THIS! I ONLY EVER ACCEPTED TO HELP YOU ON THE PREMISE THAT HE WAS HERE! AND NOW HE''S NOT!" he roars down at her in the same tongue, forcing his face up against her despite the size disparity. I glance down the tunnel, not picking up any oncoming cars from those criminals.


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    I frown and step forward, a quaking breath filling up my lungs. No guns come up at me and the truth reveals itself to me. I''ve just enough magic in my system to assert myself. Or perhaps it''s because I''m a bug... It doesn''t matter.


    "Look! I can''t understand what either of you two are saying right now. But we need to keep on moving. Get somewhere properly safe before throats start slitting open!" I tell the pair of them as they test how much force they can apply to my arms. Both shake, both bend inwards. But neither tries to slip off of my palms to get at the other.


    Heiya''s eyes quiver and break free with renewed water works. She vanishes, running off down the tunnel. Hrurim shows little concern for it and he steps back. His head can''t find the strength to stop shaking.


    "Whatever the problem is. I don''t know. I at least understand what you''re going through right now, Hrurim." I explain, putting my claws on my hips as Heiya''s crying keeps her within ear''s reach. The human throws a haymaker out, smashing his fist across my face. I gasp in pain, reeling at the feeling of a crack in my carapace.


    "ALL YOU HAD TO DAMN WELL DO WAS NOT KILL THAT GIANT ON OUR DAMN ROUTE! ALL YOU HAD TO DAMN WELL DO...!" he swears, spitting out enough vitriol to deafen my ears to a painful ring. I put a claw up, showing a peaceable palm while the other strokes my tender mandible.


    "Very well. Consider this a favour for you two, then. A favour in Ivahstar''s memory, then. It''s a weird bit of logic, I know. But whatever his grudge is with those men back there. It''s now my grudge. Whatever your grief is, it''s now mine, too. Whatever love Ivahstar had for you two, it''s now my love for you..." I explain, throwing my thoughts and reason to the tunnel wind for who knows what.


    I need these two to make it back to the surface or get anywhere around here. I''ve never been underground like this before and I am at an utter loss. Yet, somehow, it feels like it''s the thing I should do. The right thing *to* do.


    I understand what these two are going through. I understand it all too well. I understand what that kind of grief can do to a person. The Dark Crow only exists as an idea, let alone a person is because I get it. I really do, and I will never really be able to explain it to either of these two here.


    Hrurim clicks his tongue, a glare narrowing his eyes to a sharp angle, "You really are something strange, Bug."


    I flinch at his spit and rub a claw along it. A disgusted shiver goes through me and I rub it into my shell, hoping the magic within clings to my body. My head comes up and Hrurim''s already on his way. Not with the speed to catch up with Heiya, but enough to keep us moving.


    I match his pace and look his way, "I''m not too sure about the problem. But, you lot mentioned one word enough for me to get it. Gamtambo. Right?"


    Hrurim nods, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and lighting one up, "Yep."


    A cloud of smoke goes in my face and I cough and hack. Breathing it in anyway for those desperate morsels of magic in the embers and his breath. Hrurim snorts, denying his next puff to me. I try to make light of it with a forced smile, though he''s having none of it.


    "Well... I understand the feelings you have." I say, and he scoffs.


    "Sure." he lets out right after, that light on the end of his ashy skeleton of a cigarette nowhere near as hot as his rage. It''s only hotter the deeper down the tunnel we go. The closer to Heiya.


    "Trust me, I do. I get it. I really do." I reiterate as softly as I can, hoping he at least gets it. He comes to a stop and so do I, a long sigh leaving his lips.


    "Couple years we''ve been down here. Following along with Ivahstar''s plans and ideas. Tough old bastard knew what he needed to do, and we were getting there. Then it all just went wrong..." Hrurim explains and I nod along, a hefty breath going through my nostrils.


    "Ain''t that the truth of it." I say, not really sure how else to put the last near-decade of my life into perspective. It all just going wrong really is the easiest way of explaining it. Though it''s not particularly worth thinking about, anyway.


    "Look... We''ve got no real qualm with you. So long as you turn over your feelings regarding your treatment ''til now." Hrurim lets out and I shrug, offering him a claw to shake his hand with. We clasp each other and let the force rise and drop.


    "As I said, I''ll do my bit in this regard. If we can find a suitable source of magic, I can more than handle this problem. After that, we can part ways and never handle or see each other again." I explain, knowing full well he''s probably going to feel more assured about this with an all-powerful witch at his side. Well, all-powerful witch once I recover my magic properly, but I''m doubting the strength of the sources down here.


    Even basic weapons made on the surface are powerful down here. It''s no wonder, too. It really is no wonder. Winds don''t really make their way underground!


    "Works for me. Works for her," he answers, his voice practically solid with thin-patience and sternness. I nod and he nods and we walk, so much more rushing past us without a word being said.


    "So... Any idea as to how long we got until we reach this ''highway'' place?" I ask and he glances my way, a scoff lifting his brow right up.


    "Not really, no. We get there when we do. You just focus on building up all the magic you can, Bug. I know my sources and I''m more than happy to make your blood leak like his is. Only this time, no one''s going to mourn you. You''ll die in the dark and alone, far worse than he ever did!" Hrurim snaps, storming off as I nod away most of the thoughts I got coming to my mind.


    "Well. Keep my thoughts to myself while I recover. Certainly better now, though." I mutter, shutting off the feeling of anything resembling an aura or my external-magic flow. Got to keep what I can inside of me so it can build up and otherwise attract more magic. Can certainly go for quite the bite to eat as well, when we find the right place.


    Am I going to have to become a criminal just to survive...? A raving lunatic devouring entire restaurants dry of their stock and goods. Probably going to be melting down utensils at some point. Maybe even drinking car fuel to snatch up what magic I can out of that stuff, too.


    "Great... Though, just great." I huff, letting out the realisation of what I''ve signed up for. I''m now on another journey on top of the one I''m already on. Well, can''t really go looking for everyone while I''m out of magic and underground. So I''ll have to make do with the circumstances. Stick with the knowledgeable guide until I''m able to leap for the open sky again.


    Just got to keep my head down or I''ll be shot up by criminals and these two!

 Incline 48: Don of All Below

    One of my guards leans away from the dividing glass, a nod to his head, "My Don, we are almost there."


    My weary, aged brow rises, and I nod back. My attention slips down to my drink and I watch it swirl. The surface-imported liquid glows a feint chrysoprase green. Though the merchants and those around me insist it must be any of the thirteen emeralds. It is no such thing.


    This bottle of Lsaorraine, bottled Thirty-Hundred Seventy-Six E.A., is a fine bottle. Just not that fine, as they like to say. Would be far too expensive a commodity to bring something from the base of the Wind-Mountain underground. Never mind the fact my elderly body would not be able to handle such raw, potent wine. The ice cube within cracks, breaking away to the first of many petals mixed in with it.


    Another sip reaches my lips and the multitude of grapes used in the wine crosses my tongue. Aelenvari-tended crop along with stuff the work of the wind-people. A border to the land of the Claymen is so close to Lsaorraine, too. No doubt the ancient of ancient peoples played their part in its brewing.


    One leg crosses over the other and my trophy escort shifts her body about. I give it a sleazy peek, but otherwise leave her to her business. Whatever it is she''s doing. I''m not coming this way for her or on behalf of any of my made-men. There are no favours, no nothing.


    This is personal business.


    Something I''ve not had to handle in a very long time. A very long time indeed. I almost forgot what it was like, really. Getting up and going beyond my normal routine for something.


    My youth saw my territory expand and expand, and I''ve secured nearly all my assets. Outside of an odd bit of trouble with clueless police officers and vendettas from strangers. I am absolute. I have all but earned the right to be referred to in the mirror of kings by my personal guard.


    Still...


    "My heart quivers for the truth." I almost want to sing in my native tongue as memories of the part of the underground I am from play through my head. My grandmother''s love was sweet, but not nearly enough. She most certainly never wanted for me to become a member of the Ovskabino. Mafia folk.


    She never wanted it for me, but my prized weapon certainly made it all but inevitable. Ivahstar. Terror of the Dark. A hitman without equal and one whose name built my empire. As the ghost writer soars the young rockstar to his decadent future. He was my general, and I was the lawmaking emperor backed by his armies.


    At least, until I had to be rid of him through circumstance. And now, I seem to have finally got what I want. Only I need to see it with my own eyes. I must see the dead man. Feel his cold, claying flesh. Smell his dry blood and feel the magic leave his body.


    Hear the echoes of the Pack of Seven as they howl in on a new soul for their master.


    I cough firmly into my fist for no reason. Going away into it and coughing a final closing time. My cane comes back down, sinking into the soft, plush floor of my limousine. A car bought with the money Ivahstar''s feats of assassination brought to me.


    Whatever time saw us as close as brothers, it was a necessary loss. Ivahstar wanted out, but he wanted it in the wrong way. I needed assurances he was unwilling to give. So I had to take him out, only I failed on that night.


    I''ve not slept well a single night since then. Marriage might tie me to a woman, my blood-made family tying me closer. But my mind cannot stand any of them. All I can handle are vague, unknown prostitutes and whores of a carefully curated kind. Not until I am able to sleep well.


    Soon... I might be able to. Yet, I am finding myself filled with a new kind of despair. From what I have been told about the operations here, they were nothing special. A man as proud in his history as Ivahstar and he dies on a smuggler''s route in some nearly forgotten fight.


    Surface-circumstances certainly drew my attention this way. But the leak from my mole in the Agadton Police Department''s Forensics Division only caught it whole. Talk of blood wasp honey. Weapons made using it as a core ingredient in two incidents so professionally close to each other.


    I''m lucky to have even gone anywhere with the information. Crossing into another don''s territory like this is too brazen a move, even for me. I only have so much influence with my name in lands such as these. Still, I''m sure the local don will be more than accommodating.


    The shaking of the limousine eases up and I glance up. The sound of smooth road fills my ears and I glance out through the one-way glass, across the chamber. My army of mobsters spread out, gathering up what they can and securing the area. My car pulls up on a laid velvet carpet, white and gold as a statement to the filth of the world about us.


    The men in front leave the car and open the door. I glance out and twist, my aged body taking its time unlike many years ago. My cane settles down and I groan myself upright. A guard comes in from behind, covering my back with my fur coat and my head with my hat.


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    My shoulders shake, settling the wealth into order, and I march ahead. Flanked by two full columns of troops who only happen to work under a mafia banner. They come to a halt, presenting arms in an ornate arch for me to pass under. The opulence might have no onlookers, but the dead man I am about to visit is owed as much.


    The staff I''ve hired for identification purposes approach, silent as they are professional. I look them over, taking in their work attire and the potent stench of clinical clothing. One presents a stone tablet and I take it up. Information about Ivahstar is not public, the only proper records are in my vaults. My libraries.


    "Mmm... No. I must see with these." I say, bringing up a ring-covered hand to point out my two eyes. They nod and step aside, waving a hand the direction I need to go. Whimpers soon fill my ears and a kneeling line of every mobster involved in this affair awaits me. My trusted honour guards right behind them, bayonets at the ready.


    I look the pitiful lot over. Petty thugs and young initiates out to prove their worth. All of them are nothing special. Nothing memorable and yet here Ivahstar supposedly is. Dead.


    "Await my word and *only* my word." I insist to the nearest captain and he salutes and bows. He already understands the position he''s in if he doesn''t follow my word, but I feel the need to put emphasis on it. This is not something that happens every day. This is not something I ever felt I needed to do...


    A paw comes to my heart, and I groan in pain as it aches. It thuds away, excited for a good night''s sleep and terrified of what I will find of my old friend. I gasp for fresh air and take in what I can. I move ahead, finding a podium fit for a king in his final resting place. An abbey of much love and faithful construction.


    I gesture for the servant to stop and I set aside the curtain myself. My features drop with depression and I almost feel a tear come to my eye. I linger, unwelcome, in the presence of this corpse. My eyes close and a nod takes me the extra step in.


    "So we meet again, my old friend." I greet Ivahstar''s cold body. I put a paw on his bloodiest hand and grip it tight. I hope to at least have my fur take some of this dried ichor with me when I leave. My eyes go over the wound and I frown at how clean it is. Right through the heart. His last daughter nowhere in sight to be found anywhere.


    Whoever he was travelling with is long gone. Oddly, one of these details includes an osibindah, but I suppose that was the kind of man Ivahstar was. One who could no doubt tame a monster of the deep to his will! His beckoning...!


    "And you die at the hands of petty thugs in some cave. Though you make a grand story of it, don''t you? More than a hundred of my men dead in a single day. Dozens of cars and who knows what lost in material. You even handled a cabboth, my old friend." I say, letting the details fuel my imagination as I pat around for a handkerchief. I clutch the silly little thing, dabbing it on my eyes as a sniffle disturbs my nose.


    My fist tightens around it and my cane.


    "All you had to do was not be so stubborn that day. You just had to listen and I would''ve had no reason to target you the way I did. You knew full well it was not personal... Just business." I can''t help but lie to myself about, assuming I even know the truth of it any more.


    I can''t tear my eyes away from the bullet hole. The clean puncture to Death himself. A life of such legendary making and it''s undone by a... Common criminal.


    I''m disappointed. All these nights of sleep lost and my old friend died not in a moment of glory. Charging my home for me as my honour guard went down, stopping him. No, he dies before he can even put his revenge into effect.


    All to save his daughter.


    More tears flow from my eyes and I silence them with my cloth yet again. I pinch the bridge of my nose, leaning into the motion as I try to take it all in. It''s all over... No, no, it is not.


    The torch has simply passed down the family. Though I cannot say a thing of Ivahstar''s daughter or his other companions. Anyone able to keep up with him so intimately is a danger worth considering. Especially when there''s so little concern regarding the scale of what a don such as I entails. This is not some street war, some conflict that will be settled in a silent, reserved restaurant.


    This is a vendetta, just like what I was hoping to extinguish.


    "You deserved better than this... Ivahstar. A legend deserves a legendary end." I growl, bitter with disappointment that such a heroic labour never saw the knight come close to the dragon. To think of myself as such a creature is no insult. Dragons are fearsome things, born of might and magic. Anyone who can challenge such a tyrant lizard deserves songs and adulation across the centuries and more.


    I twist on my heels, coming right out of the tent with the fury of the gods behind me. I approach the mobsters who happened upon this incident. Standing before them with steel-melting wrath and enough contempt to lift the world should I choose. Those who were not trembling already certainly are now.


    "What of the one who held onto Ivahstar''s daughter?" I ask and only one man squeaks.


    "H-He... He took a spike to the head, My Don..." he answers and my mood mellows with sorrow. It repeats to me, vicious as the beast deep below us now. He died not out of selfishness. Pride or arrogance. He was not simply old or cocky or anything... Ivahstar, my old friend. He died as he had lived for the past two decades.


    Loving his family.


    I raise a hand, wiggling for something heavy and metal to fill it. A member of my honour guard approaches, handing me their sidearm. I hold the ornate thing close, taking in the story the soldier has carved into his weapon. My head bobs along and I raise it at the panicking line of men on their knees.


    Their cries and pleas fall on deaf ears. There is no defying me. No contradicting me or going against me. Respect is universal in its definition. Compliance, admiration, fear. All of it.


    "Send a message out now for all who will listen. A legend has died and I will ensure he is entombed properly... Alongside his family on my personal estate." I explain and my staff gets to work, preparing everything.


    "My Don, how shall we...?" an honour guard asks and my imagination goes wayward as I hold back from pulling the trigger.


    "Take me to Ivahstar''s great deed before his death. Take me to the cabboth fight''s end. These pieces of filth with us. I shall feed them to the pit and then the trapped beast!" I explain, hissing as those who survived the Terror in the Dark whimper and beg for a saviour from me. But, as they can see with Ivahstar...


    There is no escaping Don Gamtambo.

 Incline 49: Don Gamtambo

    "Hm, it''s quite the turnout." I remark to my wife and she fidgets away, adjusting my bow and tie. She meets my eyes with hers, just as aged and as used to all this opulence as me.


    "You would think you would enjoy your word carrying this much weight." she tells me, otherwise dismissing my earlier thoughts.


    "This is not about me. It''s about what we as the criminal underworld have lost." I repeat to her, keeping my focus away from that scowl of hers. Guess it''s a fantasy to think she would ever be happy with our marriage''s main problem being gone. Though, I suppose that is simply women.


    "Get going, then. You''ve a speech and a whole procession to head." she says, her snark coming nowhere near my heart in the slightest. I''m already bloated with the pain of losing my old friend to allow her anywhere near.


    "Try to keep your thoughts to yourself, Dear." I part her with, biting back with some of my own scorn for the time being. She snorts and I do too. Her hands tighten my bow and tie like a noose. My arms throw my coat out, tightening it across my back and around my quills.


    We part ways and I head for the stage, slowing down as I eye the marble chariot. I stop half-way up, a frown coming back to my face as I barely fight back tears. My old friend is finally coming to rest with his family. Most of. Deaths all the product of my will and through circumstances of his making...


    I shake my head and glare such sentimentality away. My legs get my mind back on track and I walk out across the stage, already catching many eyes. Dons and made-men from all across the criminal underworld of the underground. Let alone Jherikra itself. Even a representative of that school of Suhurlodst even came. Some of Ivahstar''s old business associates.


    Awkward and out of place, as she is with her coggish style and human form...


    Some of my staff rush out, handling the equipment and getting it ready for me. I approach the podium, my well-prepared speech sliding in front of me. My next breath catches in my throat and I tenderly pick up some of the cards. My heart races, my lungs almost burning with emotion.


    I growl and throw the cards away. Across the stage, into the band and onto some of the guests. The rain of cards disrupts the solemn music, catching in a horn and abruptly hooting the attention my way. I test the microphone, tapping it and whistling a quick tune.


    "..." I sigh heavily, letting my heart speak for me rather than some paid writer.


    My eyes tremble, rimmed with water that has no other source than my very soul. That which makes us all equals before the gods and monsters of this world. Though Ivahstar was no hero of old like that Thunder on the surface. Not even a simple folk boy whose name is sung in all kinds of establishments...


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    "First... I would like to thank you for all coming. I understand this may come as a shock to most of you here, given the past couple of decades. But we have come to honour the memory of a man that has both been your boon and bane... Mine especially." I start with, raising a crystal glass in my dead friend''s honour. Some clap, others mutter. I find myself silent with grief and worry.


    For all they know, it''s just Ivahstar that died. The legendary Terror in the Dark is no more. But they will never know the full truth. How long it will remain that way, I do not know. This funeral and all this wealth for the sake of showing power to the other dons and respect for my dead friend is... It''s all worthless.


    The vendetta I started with Ivahstar is now the property of his lone daughter. A girl who has already lost so much and now she has lost everything. Much as I am the cause, my cars and guns having caused her so much grief, pain and loss. I feel for her, as any father might... As any grandfather with a soul actually worth having would.


    Another heavy sigh parts my lips, "I''m sorry if you were expecting more. Fellow dons, made-men. Guests from across the Water-Veins and the surface so high above. But, my heart is weak at such words. I can barely stand here and speak of my friend''s name when I''ve tarnished his legacy. At the very least, I can owe him this. Burying him alongside his family in a tomb fit for a king. No, an emperor of the world, the criminal world!"


    My hand comes down, tightening into a fist and I look across everyone here. Ivahstar brought us all together in such a strange, poetic way. A hitman for hire, that''s all he was if we boiled the man down. But the myth has paved so much for all of us, dug up so much for so many others in a way not seen since the very gods themselves walked among us.


    "I... I understand that this is a little ahead on the schedule... But... Would those that were chosen please join me at the head of the chariot? I wish to rest my old friend with his family and would, in turn, love to find something soft to rest on. My heart is heavy today, and I am too old for such pain and weariness." I explain and my honour guard move about, collecting those that they need to get.


    Not with any of the roughness they might handle a snitch, but with all the grace and respect a don deserves. At this moment, I am everyone''s equal. There are no made-men, no dons. No snitches or street filth. No thieves or gangsters. We''re equal. Mourners all.


    One and all.


    "My Don, do you require aid?" my wife asks, surprising me with a sudden approach from behind. I turn her way, unable to hide the tears I have for my dead friend anymore.


    "It would be appreciated... My dear." I explain, taking her hand and letting this marriage get on its way with its self-repair. The Terror in the Dark is gone. My old friend of such length is dead. I no longer have to dread his revenge while knowing the legend and the mythos of his story.


    It''s only that girl I have to worry about. It has been a few months since Ivahstar died. If she''s alive, no. She is. There is no escaping the vendetta, the blood debt I owe... She will come for me, even if it takes her another twenty or more years.


    I look to the sky, imagining the world beyond the underground and the geode-rich veins decorating such a divine treasure. A sigh parts my lips as my weak limbs carry me onwards. Undwote, Death himself. He is coming for me, the God of Vengeance at his side, commanding the Pack of Seven as much an equal as anyone can be.


    "Heiya..." I breathe, recalling the name I was able to dig up from my libraries. The last daughter of the Terror in the Dark. The heir to a legacy that will see my blood flow cold. Ivahstar''s word will carry on in her, and it will see me die.

 Peak 18: Nin

    "So... Where are we?" I ask Hrurim with as much of a whisper as I can make. My hat comes off and I slip the cloth mask I''ve had to make do with. Our eyes pass over Heiya and she hops out of the car, slamming the door shut with silent rage. My jaw tightens, my whisper clearly not enough. Too loud for ears as sensitive to sound as Heiya''s...


    I''m doubting she''s even gone far enough to escape our continued whispers.


    "This." Hrurim starts to speak, his usual habit of finding a cigarette not even coming about. He loses himself in his thoughts, and I turn to look out the window. A selfish mist covers my eyes and I try to keep my head clear of it.


    Some lonely old house in as close as one can get to the wooded outdoors in this underground land. I suppose all this time this is what the pair have been looking for. The jobs they''ve been dragging me on. Prodding me along to help with. The way home is a hard walk, not one to be found without a guide of a carat shined making.


    It''s a wreck, a carcass still bearing the marks of all the vicious teeth that tore it down. Nothing''s made its home here, nothing squatting or large enough to scurry away. Bullet holes everywhere, the black marks of fuel-fed fires. The work of the mafia as they have come to be revealed in my time with these two. The mafia of Don Gamtambo.


    I frown, looking back Hrurim''s way as a noise squeaks out...


    "It''s Heiya''s old home. Her first home. This is all that remains of her childhood. The innocent little girl that existed before Don Gamtambo''s revenge," he explains and we get out of the car, making a more silent affair of it. The human lingers at my side, hands in his pockets. Nothing rattles and nothing shakes. He''s as idle as a man can be.


    "Looks like it''s been ransacked." I remark, noting a change in the terrain that feels out of place compared to everything else that lingers here. Unlike the casings that still cover the road and peculiar subterranean grass with glowing edges... It''s clear someone dared to step foot here again.


    "H-Hrurim!" Heiya squeaks from the other side of the house. Me and the human share a glance as my mandibles nervously chitter away. I nod my head and the human goes to her without me. A thoughtful noise seals my mouth shut and I stroll up to the house proper. Delicate footsteps taking me all over the bullets and their devastation.


    I dare not to try and open the door in the way it''s meant to be handled. Something divine or coincidental helps me through, blowing the creaking wood wide on an eerie wind. I step through, my feet finding the creak of floorboards and more of the surprise. Ivahstar might''ve made this home to be out of the way, but he certainly wanted to show off his money regardless.


    A fortune of blood money to make a home fit for the love a father has for his own blood.


    My legs carry me on, my head going all about the old mess. A mess that''s as old as Heiya is, perhaps a little older. It''s weird to look at. Something not that old and it looks as if it''s an ancient ruin.


    Though much of the place bears the marks of old blood, long dried and hardened. Deprived of all its magic and threatened with becoming clay... It still has the one thing that makes it a home. All the signs of love and support Heiya would''ve got had the fateful day never came.


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    Glass cracks underneath the shell of my feet and I approach a cabinet. One still rimmed in old bits of gold and decor. Whoever came here again to loot the place certainly didn''t do a good job of it. No... They came for something else.


    "They came back for the bodies...?" I ponder, staring down at the clear-cut marks of a corpse left to bleed out. A small child, by the looks of it. Though if it was a girl or a boy, I cannot tell. A stuffed animal like this is hardly a clear sign. The world has been surprisingly kind to some of its fur.


    That which isn''t caked with blood, anyhow.


    Picking myself back up, I look around some more and head on out to the back garden. An overgrown mess of an untended vegetable and fruit orchard. Beds of flowers that''ve long since outgrown their soil and decorative little arches. Panels that barely cling on themselves but have the ivy and vines to keep them there.


    I go on ahead, finding the other two and slowly approach. Heiya whimpers, shaking in a way no comfort from Hrurim can ever calm. She turns my way, her eyes quaking in a way I''ve not seen her do in weeks. Whatever woman she was before Ivahstar''s death, she''s unable to pass on from it.


    She might as well be a corpse with how dead her emotions are as of late. This alone is practically a divine intervention to prove there''s still a person inside. A beating heart with warmth rushing in and out with every pulse. Her arm shakes, quivering on up so she can wave me close. I finish approaching and she surprises me.


    Her small hand locks around my one of my claws. Her fur slips through the gaps in my carapace and my three-digited claw hand gently squeezes her hand. Pressing the paw on her palm against mine all the tighter. She pulls and I offer no resistance to find what it is she wants me to see.


    She stops, her other hand pointing ahead as she whimpers without end. I can''t help but glare at the shovels spiking the dirt. Not all the bodies were buried, but enough seem to have been. All gone. All of them.


    "I waaanted ta bury... Paps here. With Mam aaand the athers." she sniffles, her wish taken from her in such a way as to not be sorted. Her grip tightens, emboldened with the kind of strength only utter malice can bring. I frown as she snarls, her growl all the animalistic her kind looks.


    "You will have to bury him in spirit, then, Heiya. You will have to rebury them all in spirit." I explain, unable to think of any way to put it nicer or with more empathy. It is simply what it is. We can do nothing but play with the hand we''ve been given. We can still win, we have to.


    At this point, I''ve put too much effort into it.


    "Came dawn..." Heiya begs, her body twisting around and clinging to me. I kneel and she surprises me with the strength to bring me all the way down. Her arms spread out, hugging me tight in a mixture of plate-breaking hate and fearful uncertainty. I return the gesture, holding her however I can as Hrurim continues his silent vigil.


    "What''s this about?" I ask, not sure why the usually cold girl is now holding me like this. Heiya moves back, a downright cruel viciousness all over her face.


    "Yau pramised... Yau pramised ta taaake up Paps'' vengeaaance. Yau will keep yaur ward!" she growls, growing ever louder as her body trembles with weakness. She collapses against me, crying with all the pain she''s held in these past few months. Ever since her father gave his life to save hers. She''s never going to stop beating herself up over it until... Neither of these two will.


    I nod, pulling the small girl back. The wounded woman. Our eyes meet and she sniffles, her lips trembling in such a childlike manner. Such an endearing manner. A manner I''ve only come to accept, really.


    "I will be with you until your Pops is avenged well and proper." I tell her, smiling as my nods pass into her. Her lips try to break out, soar high. But they can''t get past the wavering sadness.


    "Thaaank yau..." she tells me, whimpering some more as she comes back in for the hug. A song of long shushes finds its way to my mandibled mouth and I stroke a hand down her quills. Playing with them as I would any other lock of hair. I nod again and again. Her tears spreading across my clothes...


    "That is my promise to you. To him. To Hrurim. To all of those I am not able to meet on this day." I speak, glancing at the two holy artefacts on my person. If they are watching, the Goddess of Mothers and the dead God of the Stars. They will be my witnesses to my future.


    Don Gamtambo, I''m coming for you.

 Base 19: Wing-Head Vapooliar

    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce, we''re ready to begin the assault." my assigned ironcoat officer informs me, his mail-veiled tricorn in hand. I glance his way, steadying my maps and my body answers ahead of my thoughts.


    "No, delay the preparations. I never gave the order, to begin with." I tell him, chastising the man for going ahead without my consent. As the sole Valkinvar here, I am the supreme authority in this operation until someone above me arrives. Which, given the circumstances, has most certainly not happened.


    The ironcoat officer steps back, a frown on his face and a twitch in his motions. I turn fully, meeting his gaze and he fumbles about, bringing out a small tablet. I take it from him and read it. My wrist flicks, sending the tablet soaring off into the distance. A puff of dust goes off in my grand-halfman periphery.


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce...?" the ironcoat officer questions, all manner of thoughts keeping him on-edge and tight in the muscles.


    "Any orders from now on come from my word directly." I explain, frowning as a palm clutches my chin. Those were not my orders, but they bore the mark of the Valkinvar. A tired sigh escapes me and I shake my head, minding my head as I leave the makeshift command post. The ironcoat officer joins me at my side, yet another nameless face to join me in this bloody war.


    I''m trying my hardest to keep my men alive. I''m trying with all I am and can. Not out of obligation for past mistakes or anything clinging to my thoughts. Just for the war effort as a whole. Those with authority over me have been awfully touchy on casualties, regardless of how light they are.


    It''s not even deaths alone they''re concerned with. Each injury is practically blown out of proportion and for some reason, on top of it all... I''m not allowed to go out on my own and fight. No Valkinvar is, no matter how low-ranked she or he is.


    It makes no sense.


    The war is going badly for us, it''s going horribly for all of the people loyal to Waionr and his Chosen Theocracy. But this is no excuse for us to be paralyzed with inaction and doubt. Whatever the events of the past months have been, the Seven-Peaks Union pulled away. Skeleton garrisons with barely any modern equipment are all that remains.


    Our greatest enemy pulled out entirely, and what information we have been able to gather is related to the south. Whatever caused that massive seizure among the Ordoar Staguiffmani back during that appropriately named Cycle of Screaming Witches. It has our enemy''s attention. We have the upper hand for the time being, a moment to go out and reconquer!


    At worst, we can simply do what Allyoceer had me do back during the Siege of the Long Battery Fort. Head out to old fronts, scavenge what supplies we can, and make our way back with them. Something, anything... Something more than this lethargic, barely motivated effort.


    It took us too long to even dip our toes into the forts of the Line Before. We should be on our way to refortifying the Seventh Line with all that we have. Bleed the Seven-Peaks Union dry of all we can before they can get their momentum back. They haven''t been back in force for months, so why are we so slow...?


    I don''t get it. I really don''t and no one I know, professional or otherwise, seems to either. It''s the same everywhere. A mysterious fog is in everyone''s minds as to how to proceed.


    We cannot simply wait within the walls of Thurn''s Forge, underneath the shield dome. The Temple of the Four-Winded Valkinvar needs to stand strong. Not crumble because we never fought for our rights to at least be remembered as warriors by history. If we''re only going to cower, then we might as well surrender. There is no victory to be found in attrition.


    We''ve two centuries of proof regarding that lack of action.


    But, I suppose that''s the problem. The war was going so uneventfully fine all those grand-cycles ago. Before my loss of oath, before I stopped being a true Valkinvar. Everyone might know me as Valkinvar-Imdvarce Vapooliar now, though they are wrong. I''m just Vapooliar by right these cycles.


    Whatever we were doing wrong back then, nothing has changed in the minds of everyone else. I''m the only one who''s really changed, and it''s because of my absence from the war. The world beyond Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy has opened my mind in a way no one else has theirs. I want to believe something so simple is the case... But it simply cannot be.


    The rumours back in the city, the gossip and open conversations. People can tell what is going on. There is something wrong and no one can quite rightly put their finger on it. Let alone a blade sharp enough to cut it wide open.


    My focus leaves my mind and I reach the crest of the narrow road. The still intact bend gives me pause and I turn around to look over my men. My accompanying ironcoat officer keeps his distance, not so gunproof as I am. Even then, a chunk of mountain lies between me and being an open target.


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    My needlessly convoluted orders want me to take my men along this path. Take the fortress through storming assault. Yet, somehow, they never comprehend the idea I can rip apart the fortress occupants alone. Sense and efficiency have no place in the current war effort if they ever did to begin with.


    Other Valkinvar of all stripes and colours have been held to this overly strict standard. Imprisonment, public displays of humiliation and discipline. It makes no sense. I can''t circumvent this either, there''s too much at risk and who knows which of my men is willing to keep their lips tight?


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce, we ought to proceed..." the ironcoat officer urges quietly, and I hold back my frustrations. A gloved hand comes to my helmet and I take it off, revealing my field of mud brown hair. Barely a blade of green to it. Pale, weak. Strong and gemstone-inspired, none of it is like those at the top of the Valkinvar. Though I am stronger through virtue of being among equals again, I''m not much more than what I was at Giant''s Victory.


    "I''m thinking." I answer, my voice withholding much of the stern nature I wish to be showing. I need to make an assault that fulfils the standards of my absurd orders and I need to try and circumvent my chances of casualties. My eyes shut tight, forcing themselves against each other until the aches burst them back open. This is ridiculous!


    I can fly out and kill whatever measly garrison is in the fortress. I can clean it up with no casualties at all and then fly off to handle so many more. We can free our occupied cities and towns. Save our people... But, no, I am imprisoned by the thought of punishment in a war that is so bad we should be letting prisoners run free for the mere manpower!


    "Tch." I click, stepping out into the open, sword drawn. I twist the way of the ironcoat officer, tossing my helmet his way. He drops his gear, catching my helmet with a yelp and groan. Others rush to him, securing his footing and keeping him upright. They try to haul my armour safely down, and they fail. Many freeze up over the perceived disrespect, but I have no anguish to give.


    The armour of a Valkinvar is no easy task to hold on to with such weak bodies. A firearm on the fortress battlements barks fire and I lean aside, avoiding the bullet. Not a glance spared its way. My sword sinks into the ground, the mountain rock no match for the fine, magic-rich edge.


    The garrison panics, throwing themselves about and a line of shots come for me. Some strike my steel and leave no mark. Others pat away from my skin, flat as if they had actually struck metal. I watch a small group rush for one of the guns. The first sparks of its rear fill my iris'' as they focus on it.


    The gun thunders, hurling a cast-iron cannonball straight for me. It closes in and shatters against my chest, not so much as a shudder shaking me up. I sigh at length and step back into cover. My hand comes up, calling my sword back to my side.


    "The garrison isn''t even what we''ve been fighting since Giant''s Victory." I huff, displeased by how there''s significantly less risk than before. While I cannot be entirely sure as to who fills the fortress, they are of the Seven-Peaks Union. No bandits, rogue soldiers or militia group would leave a flag like that still bellowing on the wind. Not in a land as holy as this.


    Deception without true military intent is against the Laws of Waionr... Bah.


    "So shall we...?" the ironcoat officer questions as I lean for my helmet. I take it back into hand, putting it by my hip as my mind lingers on the other details. Their weapons are nothing fancy or unknown. Certainly not the usual of our land, but they''re nothing compared to what the Royal Army of the Jhermonikra has been using until now. Yet they''re also not so decrepit as to be on the same level as what I used to see at Giant''s Victory.


    It''s an odd affair. So much changed since those days. A world no one within Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy can comprehend has developed beyond our borders. We who were once a land famed for their imperial might and sciences of war have been long left behind.


    Luxuries I grew used to at Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding don''t exist here. What little I have been able to speak of about my time away from the Valkinvar has utterly flabbergasted so many. It''s like a God of Time or something has come about, bringing us from a land we should not be in. It''s so absurd it must be true with how absurd this war has gone.


    Stable fronts collapsed so quickly. In only a couple of grand-cycles after my failure at Giant''s Victory, the Seventh Line fell. In no time after that, the Seven-Peaks Union was firing away at Thurn''s Forge. Whatever land we still held beyond the Line Before is all but gone. Taken from us by the just right that governs All-That-Remains. Violence.


    Still, that is a thing to consider as of the moment. The fortress garrison is nothing special. I am pretty sure I even spied the signs of one of those towering figures. Ones I only recall vaguely due to their presence before the war went bad. There was one in the garrison. Whoever these men are, they''re the runts of the Royal Army of the Jhermonikra.


    Gifted with the scraps of weaponry too foul to end up in the hands of the shadow-faced soldiers. Not worthy enough to mount the walls of their airships and other machines. Whoever they are, they have no power, no strength or force. They''re weak and pitiful.


    Why, I could bash aside every bullet, artillery shot and every blade aside myself-


    "Of course!" I exclaim, coming to clarity about my awkward circumstances.


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce?" the ironcoat officer asks, his attention going about to his men.


    "Prepare the Ironcoats. You will march up behind me with our forces. We will take the fortress while I terrify the garrison into surrendering, or better." I explain, my helmet-grip tightening as the ease of the situation releases so much tension in each muscle strand.


    All I have to do is knock aside bullets and cannonballs. I can react to all of that and nothing will be able to harm me at all, or notably so. The first firing line will be impotent. And I will clean the walls. The men will still be involved in the attack, just not so much so that they will find themselves bleeding in any way.


    "ASSAULT MARCH FORMATION, MEN OF WAIONR! TWO... LINES!" the ironcoat officer bellows, his back straight as the boom-pikes in the hands of the men. I nod, moving my helmet over and back onto my head. The well-worked steel shadows my body entirely and my eyes narrow with impatience.


    This whole affair is such a waste of everyone''s time!

 Incline 2: Wing-Head Vapooliar

    My fingers slip under one of the tablets, pulling it out into the air. A blank, clay face meets me and I twist it around, spinning it around some more. The runed stone makes its way into my other hand and I get to flicking through its magically made pages. My brow furrows deeply as I look over the sparse and vague information.


    This is everything that resembles a document, plans or maps. None of this is ours. The seal of the Seven-Peaks Union and its royal family make that clear enough. Of all the wonders they have accomplished, however, I''m doubting they learned how to alter an already pressed tablet. Such magic is outright irreversible and through no lack of effort from those interested in deceit.


    A forgery must be just that, a forgery that emulates the original as much as it can. This is not such a thing. It''s a simple tablet, much like all the others anyone else might use to communicate orders or store stories. And all it is telling me is what I already know.


    ''Hold this fortress until death or relief.''


    "I suppose the importance of my curiosity has become all the more apparent." I mutter to no one in particular as I glance across the room at some resting ironcoats. They flinch back into action, even without me having so much as a negative thought about them. We''ve held this fortress for a good angle of orbit, now. More than enough time for my orders to be put into effect.


    There''s only so much people can do as the burden of our tasks becomes lesser. Though I suppose there''s no point in dwelling on it, the soldiers have already made themselves busy. It''s not even worth calling them back so they can gather this up. There are no loosely placed plans or revealing secrets that will cost the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra men.


    A single order worth a damn acknowledging, and the usual lists. Men, supplies, guard rotas and training regimes. It''s all worthless for anyone left of Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy and his all-seeing eyes. Our spies and intelligence officers are hardly going to be interested in this. Let alone anyone among my fellow Valkinvar.


    A sigh parts my lips, and I hopelessly lodge the tablets between my hands. Bending, they break and snap in an orderly fashion, making a mess of the floors as they do. I step away, parting my new hill of stone and clay and dragging the broken out magic with me. A mere drop in the lake that is my body and its capacity for arcane war.


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce, it is done." my head ironcoat officer explains and I turn his way, tentatively reaching out for my sword. The scar in my hand glows under the shadow of my glove and gauntlet, but doesn''t quite activate. I flex my fingers while my thoughts slowly make their way to my mouth.


    "Thank you. Please ensure everything else is cleared. Encourage the men to rest while they can. We... We have yet to know what our follow up orders will be." I explain and he looks away, a knowing frown to his war-weary features. The veteran nods, battering a fist on his chest and rattling his namesake mail coat. I offer a salute back, one in the style of the Valkinvar. A slight smile breaks the discipline on his face, and he watches my skyward palm slide in front of my pointless matrimonial scar.


    "Will you need a guide?" he asks, looking about his selection of potential candidates. I raise my free hand, declining his offer with the shake of my head. My sword acknowledges my call for it and I guide it out safely to me. The steel eagerly slaps into my grip and I float into the air.


    I close my eyes, throwing my senses across the fortress further than they need to go. There is no one else, everyone here is accounted for and I can feel the familiarity. That tinge of distinction that the law forces into the forges as they hammer out our weapons and armour. There are no more of these Blood-Tax soldiers. There hasn''t been since I caught that warden figure.


    My senses come back to me, along with our prisoner''s location, and I begin my descent. Wayward glances slow my movements and I look out across my homeland again. It is so desperately within reach and yet... As distant as it looks. These chain-like orders are impossible to work with. These senseless... Outright mad orders.


    I land before the makeshift prison and dismiss the ironcoat guards. My knuckles knock the door, blasting it down off of its hinges. A fit of coughing explodes amongst the dust and splinters. I leave my sword by the doorframe, barring it off from any unwanted guests. Though if I have spectators or listeners, I have no thoughts on the matter.


    The unknown soldier of this Blood-Tax army finishes his coughs. He spits out a glob of thick saliva, coming short of my armour by quite a bit. It never so much as got anywhere past his own stripped down legs. My eyes dash to the armour set aside on a nearby table.


    I approach it, picking up the decent enough quality steel and looking it over. There''s nothing special about it, other than it is seemingly designed to make the wearer more intimidating. A suit of plate that is as much daunting as it is functional. I look back his way, finding a random scrap to play with.


    He already understands my strength, he already knows what I am. No one serves on a front in this war and fails to respect what a Valkinvar is. Much less one that is free to walk and pace, swing and reach. He might be holding up, but it''s only a matter of time before he breaks to my will should I take the route.


    "I''m no torturer... I''m not here to bleed you dry. Leave you screaming for the gods and goddesses or your mother should she still live. I am simply a curious soul." I explain, fiddling with the metal until I have it compressed into a crude imitation of a bean. He keeps his attention on me, his expression otherwise unyielding. Bar those little winces as the metal bends and screeches.


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    The unknown soldier scoffs, biting back whatever he might have on his mind, "Heretic..."


    "Of course." I let out, rolling my eyes in disbelief at the very word coming from a mouth like his. As if he or anyone from his homeland has the right to speak such a word. The genuine faith of the world might still exist out there, beyond Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy... But I know full well how predatory this faith regarding Jhrarda the Mighty is.


    It''s disturbing as it is disgusting.


    "I have questions that you will answer." I tell him, finding a chair and dragging it over. My magic soaks the wood, granting it the strength to withstand my weight. I drop on to it, showing off that little trick regarding my power. It''s hardly scary, though Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst certainly enjoyed the display.


    "I have no orders to give you... No words that will betray my oaths and honour!" he hisses, spitting for me again. I raise a palm faster than any bullet fired at me today. My magic catches and suspends the saliva. I flick a finger along my gauntlet, igniting some sparks into existence and painting the man''s face.


    "I''m not concerned about any of that. Despite the current circumstances... It is all irrelevant." I answer and the man breaks out into an uproar of laughter.


    "WE HAVE YOU AT THE GATES! YOUR CITY WILL FALL!" he growls, howling some more with that cruelty he considers funny. I lean back, his words and actions having nothing but the lightest influences upon me. Hearing him is something I don''t have a choice in, after all.


    "What exactly is the ''Blood-Tax'' and what are the ramifications of that banner we seized?" I asked, and the man shuts up, his face blank with confusion. He blinks again and again, settling into the process.


    "The Blood Tax is the penal arm of the Royal Army of the Jhermonikra." he answers, his voice rather flat for all the character it had before.


    "So I''ve gathered. And your part in it, given how different your gear is to those of your dead comrades?" I say, following his answer with another question. He sneers at my final word.


    "Comrades? They''re prisoners who owe His Lunar Majesty their blood for their crimes!" he lets out, his words bordering on an incomprehensible hiss.


    "So you are some form of governmental attach¨¦?" I ask, lingering on this distinct separation that he insists upon. Hating prisoners as an act is one thing, having a genuine hatred is another. Mortals can be quite cruel indeed when there''s no one to stop them.


    "I am a Field Warden." this man answers and a slight nod knocks my head back and forth. Quite apt in naming, at least. The troops are prisoners, so the officers are nothing more than tag-along wardens. Clever.


    "The fact you are all prisoners and related is why you have lesser equipment?" I ask the Field Warden, and he scoffs as if it''s obvious, basically answering for him. My lips stretch out into a line and I think back to Giant''s Victory and my time there. Facing men like these Blood-Tax soldiers was the norm. Seeing men like this Field Warden in the distance was, too.


    Then the Zaphadren-Valkinvar came with her plan, sending me out into a battle that almost killed me. Only, I did not fight anyone who wore the uniforms of these Blood-Tax soldiers there. No banners or similarities to be seen anywhere beyond the most basic and characterless. Nearly every battle since then has been those shadow-faced men.


    "Which calendar do you follow?" I ask, focusing on the lost city of Giant''s Victory.


    "The Ecliptical...?" he answers and I shrug, clinging to the Deitic Calendar instead. Though I know of the Fourteen Moon Gods, I refuse to give credit to their names.


    "About a decade ago, within that timeframe, anyway. All I ever encountered were men of your Blood-Tax penal units. Why was that?" I question, narrowing my eyes and bringing my head forward just so he can see them through my helmet. He gulps, leaning back and finding some sneerful confidence with it.


    "Because that is what His Royal Majesty, the Prince Jhrartur ordered," he explains, though I am tempted to believe that there is so much more to it. I doubt I will get this information out of him. Still, this grand plan all circles back to that one man. That one sickly looking man on that airship.


    "Mm." I let out, thinking back to whatever I can, however vague in my memory it now is. I do not recall ever hearing of shadow-faced men before my encounter with them at my last battle at Giant''s Victory. They simply never existed up until that point. I only ever really saw the Blood-Tax soldiers until then...? The majority of the Royal Army of the Jhermonikra''s troops, anyway.


    A deception, perhaps? A series of unfortunate events? There are a fair few things to describe what happened back then. Perhaps it is as simple as the fact the south was the lightest front as far as the fighting was concerned. I never heard about the finer details because it was never needed. The lower intensity of the war in the south *was* because of the Blood-Tax focus there.


    A means to shore up a battle-line without stretching the main force thin... We have done it here before. The Armies of the True Faith as they were generally called. Unofficial militia made up of fanatics and holy men.


    Still, it''s not really enough to say anything. The word of one so-called field warden with how grand the source is. But I suppose I can bring it up with someone back in the Great Temple of the Four-Winded Valkinvar. I''m sure I can find someone. At least a single voice to bounce a theory about while I try to gather what evidence I can.


    My life these past few grand-cycles has left me an awful lot of time to think. Too much time to ponder and consider the details of this war. Though I might be able to occupy my body, my thoughts are a separate entity once it is all in place. I just can''t shake this feeling, this primal thought that there is something terribly wrong with my home.


    I still remember the sounds so clearly, my first encounter with an airship. It paralyzed me still back during the Siege of the Long Battery Fort. It terrified me in my time at Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst. Even now, embers of such terror linger in me, waiting for the shields and walls of Thurn''s Forge to fall. My mind has no trouble painting me a portrait of this grim future...


    Me alone on a canvas of fire and smoke, alone and clothed in broken steel as Seven Peaks glare down onto me...


    "So is this nonsense done or-" the Field Warden begins to ask and I interrupt him with my blade. I draw it back to my side and flick it clean of blood. The man slumps down in his chair, his head barely clinging together. My eyes narrow and I motion for an ironcoat to come over.


    "Recover the Field Warden''s gear, add it to our baggage train. I will return from my patrol when logistics comes back." I explain, magic already surrounding me and my person. He stiffens up, my words registering so slowly compared to me.


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce- WAIT!" he calls out, my sonic boom blocking out the world. I rise into the sky and dive for the immediate valley, hoping to clear my head of worries and woes. A lie can at least savour me here. An excuse to at least cut down a scout or two should they follow that vile Mighty Moon...

 Incline 3: Wing-Head Vapooliar

    I crash against the mountain and dig my hand in. My magic sucks away into my muscles, amplifying my weight. The mountain cries pebbles and rocks, and soon, the earth itself. My arm flexes in, throwing me away into a brief, crater-making jog.


    With a sigh, my magic returns to normal and I carry on walking through the isolated valley. An odd sight to find, this close to Thurn''s Forge itself, but looking around... I can see why it has remained this way. No free-witch is ever going to come this close to the lands of the Valkinvar and the heart at its imperial core. The Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra, however, do not fear our power and they really haven''t done so for a long time now.


    What looks to be signs of a small, religious retreat has been reduced to ash and rubble. Like the disgraced Thoucomm Pathort told me all that time ago. When the war turned the way it did. Our life is going up into the sky as ash and all we shall see of it again is the settling grey that comes with it.


    The desecrated footpath cracks underfoot, my armour doing it no favours in its glass-like state. Were it not for the fact the destruction is so tailor-made to specific spots, it could''ve fooled me. But as is the same with much of our world, you go on long enough and you will find the markings of gods and goddesses. A shrine to all with a first among equals here.


    I bend down, picking up a piece of shattered pottery still stained with its offerings and scents. My eyes survey the glove of my palm and I rub it along the ash, getting some of it off. It''s like our home, really. We can take back as much as we want, but the fires will still have been lit. Murky messes will still remain if we are not diligent enough.


    Yet... With the walls already shattered and the roads gone, our generations dead and not even buried with dignity. It''s a wonder if Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy will ever survive the war. If the Valkinvar as a group will, either. Maybe we will live, but I can''t see the future with us holding Thurn''s Forge as we always have for more than two-thousand years.


    Though, I suppose that is the way of things. The Ringed City of Ancient Suhurlodst is where the Valkinvar came from. A whole empire''s worth of land away, deep into the boundaries of what was a kingdom. Now but one more land on this Continent of Wind. Who knows how the Valkinvar will carry on? It''s just not destined to last in Thurn''s Forge. Not like this.


    It''s a wonder where we would ever go, really. Thunlanann is nothing but wastelands as far as the eye can see and... And where there is life, there is no magic. We will die of starvation rather than in battle and all of us, no matter how pride shattered we are...


    "All of us would rather die with our blood soaking the mud." I let out, finishing my heavy, tiresome thought. I throw aside the piece of pottery, breaking the now meaningless thing even further apart. My fists tighten and I shudder over the thoughts I am allowing to besiege me. If I allow these thoughts to remain or grow, nothing good will bloom. A plot of land is as susceptible to weeds as it is flowers and trees with sweet fruit.


    My magic rushes across the ground and I ascend into the air again, a gentle rise to my posture. Looking up and down the small, lonely valley... I need to leave it behind. Leave it to be forgotten until some far off time comes.


    Even if it is to just use the hidden, out of sight area as a means to ambush our hated enemy is something...! Something we can be proud of. While defeat is bitter, fighting our way out of it and to a bloodied victory will give us time to recover. Something, anything, that will let us force a stalemate into this conflict, at the very least!


    The short-rising peaks pass me, remaining underfoot as the rest of the earth is. I glance back the way of the fortress, ruined only so much as to remove the make-up of our people. A beauty that is appreciated only for its means to observe and mount guns, small and heavy. My eyes close, sealing tight as my magic carries itself away on the winds.


    What few animals dare to stay around here comes into my thoughts. The birds, game and rodents. The carrion. No people, though, none that are to be concerned or regarded with.


    An outline of the fortress spreads across the black of my eyelids, then the ironcoats. The soldiers I protected completely and utterly. The scene grows, adding to my grasp of the situation. Pack animals suddenly introduce themselves, an odd scent coming back through my nose, past my tongue and into my lungs.


    I open my eyes, taking in a deep breath, "Ah, they''re here."


    I propel myself forward, heading back to the fortress with haste that is anything but desperate. The air teeters on wanting to explode with rapturous joy, the kind only a Valkinvar-Imdvarce can readily experience. But I hold myself back. The sound, while a sign of what I claim and cling to being, is loud. Very much so.


    My toes stretch against my sabatons in anticipation, gripping the edge of the fortress rock. I skip along, coming to a steady descent down some stairs. The ironcoats salute as is expected of them, but are otherwise idle with nothing to do. They''ve found posts to take, but we''re all anxiously aware of how this meeting is about to go.


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    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce, splendid timing of return." my assigned officer chirps with force. I gesture for him to be at rest. Though his forceful blinking has me thinking he''s had enough of it. He wants to move, something to do, regardless of how boring or stale it might be.


    "Friendlies approaching!" a man at the gate tower calls out pointlessly, and I keep my hidden glance to the damaged gates. A stone catches in my throat and I gulp it down, dreading the omens that come with that banner on the lead wagon. The mark of this fine country''s military government. Logistics and all that comes with it.


    The very men and women that have somehow convinced themselves that we should be lethargic. We have all the time in the world right now to spread ourselves out to the best defensive lines. To force a grand opening with the full might of the Valkinvar and all of the Ordoars! And... We''re playing the role of the submissive servant to...


    Tablet pushers.


    Now, having fought in this war for as much as I have, both after and before my fall from grace. I can respect the need and necessity for these details coming about and being invasive. We need equipment, funds, food and water to run campaigns. The mere idea of where to go and how to do it comes from these experts!


    However, whatever it is. These past few years have seen them become utterly useless. Retreating to Thurn''s Forge made sense as the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra marched and flew in on us. Millions of shadow-faced men marching without a single twitch of fear. Hundreds of thousands of those airships and so much more coming in with them.


    When the fortresses kept falling. The cities, too. No town, village, monastery, castle or cave held out. We needed to gather at the capital, where the magic in this part of the world is at its strongest. When the moment came, we were supposed to fly out as one. Show them what it means to be a Valkinvar!


    And yet, here we are. Subjects to incompetent kings the likes of which the men of Thrurstradtur would patronise us in deposing in bloody revolution. Thankfully for all of us here, I suppose, we''re not required to do anything but keep our helmets on. No niceties, no smiles. Straight to business.


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce, are our reports ready?" the head of the investigation asks and I step aside, turning to my ironcoat commander. A slight shrug comes about him and he snaps away, going into the fortress.


    I turn back to the logistics lot, briefly eyeing their rough gear and jittery posture, "He''s just going to arrange the ironcoats into order. If you''d be so kind as to come with me."


    "W-We''ll stay here." one woman lets out, further back. I glance down the people, meeting her eyes. She looks away, a slight jitter to her person. My eyes narrow over the details, picking up taints of purple and sickly brown.


    "That is fine." I answer, setting aside the worrisome thoughts. I have my frustrations and my thinly stretched patience, but we''re all on the same side, regardless. A civil war is hardly what we as a people can afford right now. We must galvanise to the deepest degree and never shatter or bend.


    "We saw on the way up here, you have already made a point of clearing the fortress?" the lead investigator asks, checking over his tablet and all the menial tasks no doubt listed on the clay face.


    "Of course. Word has it you''re being quite tight on maintaining our advance." I say, unable to hold back my bitterness. Some of them flinch, a reaction the lead investigator manages to hide under his heavy cloak and styling.


    "Orders are orders, are they not, Valkinvar-Imdvarce?" he asks back, his voice cold and blank for a reason beyond professionalism. I grit my teeth and nod, knowing full well the pain of having to keep in line with such stupidity. Messengers are often the ones to die horrible deaths, even when they''re not the ones speaking.


    "Indeed." I answer, going silent and turning away to the fortress. I return my attention to the logistics people, watching them go about their duties as awkwardly as possible. Any soldier is given a wide berth, and it''s almost like I''m watching a pack of girls gossip. Pointing, muttering, jotting down.


    A behaviour I am oddly baffled by since I''ve left Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst. While the school held its students to a high standard, there are cracks in all systems. Slipways and deceptions. The Valkinvar are perhaps the only place I know of where there is no tolerance for anything other than the willingness to die for each other.


    Even people like Uala and those who doubt me because of the state I returned to Thurn''s Forge in will do so. Bleed and give their lives for me and I will do the same. It is simply the maturity we as soldiers and more must face. Though when our sole purpose cannot be achieved, the ones so easily targeted and blamed will face punishment.


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce!" the ironcoat officer calls out, rushing back with his reports and the other tablets of note. He passes them onto me and I let my magic float them on to the logistics lot. A heavy sigh blows against the inside of my faceplate and I gesture for them to follow again. This time with the reassurance of my magic all around them.


    Some dare to trust me and we head inside, the eyes of all the ironcoats hidden by red glass and mail face drapes. Their tricorns shadowing the rest of the details that might slip through. An unending wall of rivets and hidden faces. Nothing for these lot to be concerned about.


    "Your report here says there were no deaths or injuries?" asks the lead investigator and I turn to him with a nod.


    "Yes, I ensured not one bullet or cannon shot made it into my men. We took back the fortress without-" I begin to explain, the lead investigator''s caught attention interrupting me.


    "And what of this?" he asks, gesturing towards a small group of men on the walls, applying some temporary bandages.


    "There was an incident with the rubble, nothing more," the ironcoat officer answers, a rattle and straightening of boom-pikes echoing throughout the suddenly silent mountaintop. Not even the winds dare to interrupt us with their whistle. The lead investigator pulls out a dangerously marked tool, and he stamps it down onto the tablet. He twists, leaving.


    "You have got to be..." I can''t even finish as my frustrations get the better of me. Silencing me better than any armed man for a thousand grand-halfmans ever could!

 Incline 4: Wing-Head Vapooliar

    I glance up from my ryphurgok, two kinds of irony holding my thoughts down in the moment. The use of such animals as something beyond cattle came from our enemy. There''s also this impatience that is itching every single joint in my body. The want to fly far and fast...


    Riding back from that fortress to within sight of the Line Before. I could already be halfway across Thunlanann by now if I was actually allowed to use my magic. Once again, another stupid order in place these days. The ironcoats can''t even fly or do anything with arcane superhumanity, and they''re still complaining, too!


    A sigh carries my glance ahead and I eye the rubble of one of the seven fortresses of the Line Before. So much of its ornate grandiosity is now gone, not even so much as replaceable. Those strange guns the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra brought with them on their airships. The way they destroy things... Only magic shields can possibly stand up to them.


    "I guess it''s a good thing I have the fortress name committed to memory, then. Nemoilous." I let out, breaking the silence of the marching and the heaving of equipment and loot. My fingers flex, shifting my hand and fingerplates about. The reins stretch and strain, the head of my animal moving ever so slightly to the pressure my body can exert. I ease up on the behaviour and let my arms flop.


    It''s almost like someone wants me to feel defeated with these sluggish orders. I should be out there, in the furthest countryside, attacking the enemy. Not riding a trotting beast along a distance, one I can leap in a single bound. The work to restore the local defences isn''t even all that engaged, and I know full well we have the supplies.


    Thurn''s Forge has always had a steady mining operation going down into the canyon, adding more layers to the under-city. Both sides of it, even. It''s not just the city half called Thurnmourer-Thunlanann, but Thurnmourer-Jherikra, too. The quarries have no reason to slow down. The defence of the city needs more nigh-unbreakable rock, not less.


    The fortresses need them, not just the seven of the Line Before, but all the fortresses and castles down the Seven Ways of Thunder. As far as the Seventh Line and all that lies between them. Towns, villages, even simple wells. Anything we can use to set up a gun position or ambush.


    It''s not just me, either. Returning ironcoats and the odd Valkinvar from other battles pack the road. Ahead and at my sides. A lazy highway with no energy to it, no sense in the slightest.


    I look ahead, crossing my eyes over the endless peaks of steel and oak. I turn around, doing much the same. Only, behind, I can see an end to the soldiers and baggage trains. Ahead, back to the city is overflowing. All of these troops should be going the other way. I should be soaring.


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    "Dammit... Oh, to an evil god''s betrayal with it." I mutter, hoisting my way up to my feet. I hop off of the animal, leaving it all the lighter and freer to speed off. Responsibility shackles me again and I keep the animal still. A lucky man I don''t and never will know the name of takes up my old seating and I fly off.


    Gossip chases after me, clinging to my ears and sliding off. It''s all worthless noise, anyhow. The Fortress of Nemoilous comes close and I land within walking distance. The looks it shows from a distance do not even do justice to the damage it has received. Our great enemy didn''t even have the decency to keep their battlements in place.


    What few people are here aren''t even workers. I blink away my wide eyes and steady my shaky breath. I march on, going through the shattered gates to find not one man working away. Someone rises, a tablet in hand.


    "Valkinvar...?" he questions, not even sure how to address me.


    "Imdvarce." I answer for him, and he returns his attention to the tablet.


    "Pardon my rudeness... But, where are the supplies we need?" the man asks, and I blink.


    "What do you mean?" I ask back, approaching him as he spins the tablet around. I snatch it up, staring down at the unfulfilled promises covering it from top to bottom. My head comes away, going across the ruins to find plenty of shattered statues, mosaics and pieces of art. But none of it is fresh stone to work with. Let alone armaments and even a proper garrison.


    "We don''t understand what the problem is. We''re hoping you might have an answer if you came up here," the man asks, his timidity getting the better of him as my sword comes into view. Not even out, just that. In view.


    My helmet hides my arched brow and I head on through the fortress, not sure how to even answer his question.


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce?" he asks, arguments breaking out all across the ruins. Spreading on and on, words slandering the Valkinvar and anything else they can get their verbal hands on. All the way from the entrance and to the battlements. It''s not even hard to find my way around the fortress, like it should be. There''s so much damage to the walls that new paths have opened up.


    The dead have barely been given enough respect to have their blood cleaned up...


    "What is going on, indeed?" I say to myself, stepping out onto a circular platform with railings and broken piping all about it. A gun position that is quite explicitly missing half of its namesake. My hands come ahead, landing on the crumbling battlements and I can''t help but squeeze tight. The magic rich stone holds against my power and I look out across the vast plains once occupied by our enemy.


    So many hundreds of thousands of troops at the barest of minimums are here and it''s nowhere near even that number. All these men that should be marching out to reclaim what they can of their homes. Our homeland. And nearly all of them, all of us Valkinvar... We''re all headed to Thurn''s Forge which doesn''t even have the self-respect to man the walls like they''re expecting an attack.


    What happened to this country in my time since my defeat near Giant''s Victory? Is the collapse of our most basic of wartime senses an old problem, as ancient as us, or are they fresh? I can''t comprehend it at all. I just can''t.


    "No use in it now. I''m already in enough trouble." I groan, not even able to say the word in any way one can call mature or professional.

 Incline 5: Wing-Head Vapooliar

    Soaring above the wrongly marching armies, I settle myself down before the Valkinvar Gates. My eyes take in the beauty of the carefully crafted bronze and the endless art bedecking it. Our history and our greatest successes and names. Sword and armour are hammered into the stone to outline the gates all the more.


    A masterwork of architecture and engineering. The kind we used to be able to find all over the country, let alone the desolated plains before the city. I turn around, stepping aside so as to get out of the way of one of my sisters. She doesn''t even pay me mind, heading on in with that magic staff of hers keeping her attention.


    My lips shift at the sight of the Valkinvar-Staguiffmani and I set aside my babe thoughts. I have enough perplexions frustrating me at the moment. I do not need to add to the mess. Whatever happened on the Cycle of Screaming Witches is their issue to handle. Still, I''ll benefit from the Valkinvar Gates opening for her.


    I zip into the city with the power of flight, running ahead into a gentle skip. I slide to a stop with mixed feelings. While it feels good to be within the periphery of my home, the emptiness of it all is daunting. The loss of so many of sisters and brothers to this damned war is not even the issue... It''s the lack of soldiers mustering at all of the points.


    I walk over to one, my memories repeating on me as the eyesight of a decades older version of me replays. Before I went out to the south, long before I ever ended up as I am now. I was something of an optimist compared to these cycles. There I was, on a platform like this, my weapon planted into the special stone sheath... Ready to march out at the head of an army. Ready to fight.


    And now there is no one here like this. No triumphs are in play, no victors returning for rest and reward in equal and grander measure. Barely anyone is walking the Parade Ground. Only Valkinvar are coming through our namesake gates and barely any of them are, too.


    The strength in my body fades and a lonely shyness overtakes my posture. I keep looking around and it never changes. It''s all empty for too far and for too long. What happened to my home? What happened to Thurn''s Forge...?


    The spirit that created an empire thousands of years ago is gone. The spirit I could find a mere ten grand-cycles ago is gone, too. During the height of the Siege of Thurn''s Forge, this place was filled with troops. Men ready to make their final stand at the very edge of the city.


    Now you would wonder if that ever happened. I''m barely able to keep myself sane through the presence of the gun platforms and other barricades. Somehow, someone thought to dismantle most of it. The idiocy makes no sense.


    We''re not attacking with enough aggression, and we''re not rebuilding with enough determination!


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    At the rate we''re going, there''s not even going to be a Second Siege of Thurn''s Forge. It''s simply going to be the Fall of Thurn''s Forge. An impossibility not that long ago. Before the airships came.


    My chest rises, and it bursts with another heavy sigh. I spot proud banners fluttering on gentle winds that still blow as they always have. The sky is alight with the purest emeralds and greens and lesser. A spectrum of all the colours of wind magic. All the powers of the people of Thurn''s Forge are here. The Valkinvar''s shine the brightest, but it is the city itself which draws most of this light.


    The power is here. Our source of greatness still blows about, unimpeded even in the face of those airships and the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra. They might make their capital at the Wind-Mountain, but they cannot stop the will of magic and its attraction to mortality. The magic flowed to us even at the height of the First Siege of Thurn''s Forge.


    The dull colours of sea, laurel, fern, shamrock, sacramento. Middling beauty found only in aquamarine, turquoise, opal, peridot, and serpent. Prehnite, olivine, onyx, chrysolite, andalusite, and more! The shimmering greatness with the ironically low Breezing Star to the grandest Gyearian Emeralds.


    It''s all here in Thurn''s Forge. The people of the city live. All four of the Valkinvar Ordoars live. Our blood pumps with life, still, the blood of the gods and goddesses which gives us our mortality... Our command over magic, it''s all still here!


    "So why...?" I can''t help but speak, my thoughts breaking out into the quiet open. One that does not even have the decency to be silent because of the dead. We are alive, all that Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy is remains in this city. And we''re not fighting.


    I don''t understand why we''re not fighting?


    The capital of an empire that has refused to give in, but we might as well. What good is carrying on if we''re not going to cling to what is ours? Our grip might be slippery, but so is our great enemy''s! We need to go out and fight and I don''t even have the right to speak up about this...


    My head turns slightly, catching hints of Valkinvar Staguiffmani on the approach. A pair of sisters whose power is reaching out to me, prickling my lungs. My next sigh defies their show of force and each moment they''re in the air only makes their armour clearer. Veterans of more than several centuries. Robes blackened by the symbols of chains and clipped wings.


    As many would mistake them, the military police of the Valkinvar.


    "Name and rank," the lead of the pair asks, her voice heavy and thick with disdain. Her hair shimmers with distinct highlights of Returning Gale Emerald. Long locks that threaten to cover her shoulders should she dare. I reach for my helmet, taking it off and announcing myself before their mockery.


    My face remains plain and straight, though my mind is burning with a passion that can only be satiated with the same behaviour back...


    "Wing-Head Vapooliar. Valkinvar-Imdvarce." I announce to them as is proper.


    "As brainless as the stereotype is, Vapooliar." the lead says, her smirk growing as my snarl breaks out into the open. She slips her hand into her robes with an unusual manoeuvre. Her arm goes across her matrimonial scar, almost as if to hide what is intentionally before a slit in her robes. Her arm comes back out and she twists away, a pair of enriched cuffs in hand.


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce Vapooliar, you are hereby detained for violation of the First Law of Waionr." the other Valkinvar-Staguiffmani explains, her voice not all that enthusiastic for what should be religious righteousness. I hold my arms out, awaiting my pathetic excuse for a punishment.

 Incline 6: Prisoner Vapooliar

    "What in Waionr''s name...?" I let out under my breath, baffled by just how many Valkinvar are currently occupying the Dungeons of the Broken Oaths. I blink repeatedly, only growing more confused as I see how unassuming everything is right now. The name, the stories of this place... It''s nothing what one would expect from a prison.


    It''s clean, well-looked after and none of the prisoners are wanting. If anything, it''s more like a holding pen than an actual dungeon like its name suggests. But, perhaps that is just more proof of how far the Valkinvar have fallen? Even the least looked after places are a mess in how they should be.


    "Dungeonkeeper, a new body." one of the Valkinvar-Staguiffmani holding me calls out. An unknown woman rises, her armour not bearing the familiar markings of the four Ordoars. The flowing robes of the Staguiffmani, the sharp plate of the Imdvarce. The bulkiness of the Ammimpaurst or even the distant aetherealness of the Wiswipide, an uncanny fusion of my Ordoar and that of our esteemed casters.


    This ''Dungeonkeeper,'' is perhaps closest to our hammer-wielding brothers in that her armour is overly large. Yet that is all. Chains and shattered cuffs drench her armour. A grim reminder of what I can only presume to be what traitors have existed within the Valkinvar.


    "Oooo, another one here for absolutely nothing," the Dungeonkeeper chirps, her personality catching me off-guard.


    "You''d think these traitors would be sped along to their punishments." one of my captors remarks as she shoves me ahead. I stagger ahead into the Dungeonkeeper''s arms and she sets me upright again. She meets my eyes with hers, their colour bright with warmth.


    "Don''t worry about a thing, Valkinvar-Imdvarce. Whatever is going on up top, it''s nonsensical." she explains, her actions as gentle as a mother with her newborn child. She nudges me into the expansive dungeon, though she doesn''t grant me the courtesy of free hands. Most people here don''t.


    "I thought this dungeon was meant only for...?" I start to ask, offering a quick glance at all the dull art etched into the walls. Even down here, an artisan is still needed.


    "For those with broken oaths? You would think. But, for some reason, everyone is now down here. I can''t say I''m all that bothered. It''s nice to actually have visitors!" the Dungeonkeeper squeals, her pale face and its emotions reminding me of a little girl. I frown in thought and look back at my fellow prisoners.


    "I am still reduced from my prior standing, however?" I ask, knowing somewhat of the procedures.


    "Oh, yes, that''s right. I am supposed to technically..." she explains, cheerfully going about her work like the impossible rarity it is. I can''t help but smile at her passion and energy, and a giggle erupts as she comes close, tablet in hand and ignorance on mind.


    "Vapooliar." I answer and her smile grows.


    "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sister Vapooliar. I''m Valkinvar-Exalsonarden Styadesx, at your, hopefully, limited service. Most people default to ''Dungeonkeeper,'' however, I''m needed so little they all forget about me! Imagine! Though, please, feel free to come down here again to chat!" she introduces herself as a few groans erupt behind me. She leans aside, waving at the sources, and I try to follow the gestures.


    "I suppose I can make time." I say, not all too sure if I can promise anything to one of the five Valkinvar-Exalsonarden. A smile burns bright inside me, though, because of words. She''s entirely correct! It''s been so long since anything of note really happened with the Valkinvar and traitors... The last incident is practically ancient and I''m pretty sure I can catch rust on her ornate armour.


    "Wonderful! Hopefully, you''ll be in and out with no issue." she tells me and I can''t help but cock a brow.


    "Surely someone of your status would prefer prisoners to be secure in their torment?" I ask her, not all that accustomed to the traditions of the Valkinvar''s prisons and means of capital punishment. The last incident of note was so many grand-cycles ago and my time away has scrubbed my mind of so much. Shameful as it is to even try to admit in my head, let alone my thoughts.


    "I know... We don''t get much work down here these days. Not since I first got the job four-hundred years ago, even! Still, this is excessive and over such strange things. I tried to put on a scary act at first, but then so many started coming down here. I think out of everyone, only one actually did anything bad, and she''s right over there, doing pull-ups," the Dungeonkeeper explains, her arm slipping in as much as it can past the bars.


    I follow the finger, stretching to its limits and spot a fellow Valkinvar in half of her armour and a top. I nearly look away, yet, as I do so, I spot a distinct pale line around her left arm socket. My hands come up in thanks towards the Valkinvar-Exalsonarden and I approach my sister. Others step aside and I arrive before the familiar face.


    "Oh, Sister Uala, you yet live." I let out, surprised to see the old bane of my life from the Long Battery Fort, still alive and well.


    "Do I know you?" she asks, her voice gruff with more than just exertion. I look over her body, not catching sight of a single bead of sweat, no matter how hard she pushes herself. Or pulls, rather.


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    "Sister Vapooliar, you gave me a rough time back at the Long Battery Fort some time ago." I answer, an awkward smile to my lips as she drops to the ground. The dungeon rings with smacked upon stone and I take a slight step back, now able to see her face. It''s bruised and cut-up, stained with marks of violence that seem so very out of place.


    "Right, you. The Valkinvar-No-Crotch." she scoffs, her slur catches a few nasty chuckles from our sisters and what few brothers are down here with us. I turn around both ways, catching signs of no Valkinvar of the Ordoar Staguiffmani.


    "So... How did you end up here?" I ask, and she snorts, her magic throwing her back up to her habit of exercise. I walk around her, looking up and down at her motions and the well-sculpted muscles that make up her body. She''s certainly gained a fair few scars since I last met her. Though I remember her arm one the most. While I find her to be abrasive, that day did show me her spirit in the face of even execution.


    "Fight." she answers, eventually.


    I frown, "A fight?"


    "Yep." Uala fires out without a moment to spare as I take in some of her features. She''s not all that different from anyone else among the Valkinvar-Imdvarce. Short-cut hair much like my own. Sandy brown with lines of Breezing Star daring to give it colour, though she''s certainly got more to it than me. Curiously, most of her magic-coloured hair is braided into a thin tail around where her occipital is.


    "That''s not why she''s here, specifically." some brother of the Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst answers and Uala burns red, throwing herself at him. The gods show their will and our unknown brother throws Uala to the ground despite the handicap of chains.


    "No fighting, please! Or I will actually have to enforce discipline!" Valkinvar-Exalsonarden Styadesx calls out, her words chilling the entire dungeon to a complete silence. I gulp, blinking in surprise at the overwhelming power coming into the dungeon from her. She lets up, that sharp look making way for the chirpiness of before.


    "So... What actually happened, then?" I ask Sister Uala, helping her up as best as I can. The Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst heads away, his bald head not turning once as he finds another place to rest.


    "I disobeyed one of those stupid orders. The same that likely got you stuck down here with me. I, however, was willing to call them out on the stupid enforcement of it!" she explains, building herself up into an almost throthing snap.


    "I see. Then everyone else is also here for those reasons?" I ask.


    "Not occurring to you, Stupid?" Uala goes and I sit down on one of the stone benches around the dungeon''s edge. An artistic piece for someone''s garden in any other part of the world.


    "Just trying to make conversation and pass the time." I mutter, rolling my eyes at Uala''s petty childishness.


    "More to it than asking questions alone." she goes, throwing herself onto the magic dense stone with the kind of force that would reduce castles in weaker regions. It''s no wonder Thurn''s Forge is able to last the way it is in the face of such an overwhelming enemy. So much magic flows to this city and everything benefits.


    It''s no wonder the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra is so arrogant in regards to us being apart of it. Our war or not, they see our absorption as inevitable and I suppose they''re right. Whatever has destroyed us, though, will not be them. Our inability to fight will see us die in cells like these and worse.


    "Try not to think too grimly about what will happen. The punishments are basically nothing." Uala shrugs and I look over at her, narrowing my eyes in some disbelief as those bruises of hers make it hard to believe. Well, at worst, only she will see anything extreme, or maybe not even that.


    "People are just handed their punishments down here?" I ask, not entirely sure how the Valkinvar justice system will be able to handle such a quantity of its own prisoners. The entire thing is practically a ceremonial affair. We''re indoctrinated to such extents that we barely even break our schedules, let alone our laws. I''m probably the only one with any reason to break any of this, given my unique circumstances...


    I''m, with all respect to what the Valkinvar are... The only one who truly belongs here. In the Dungeon of Broken Oaths. My virgin promise to Waionr is gone, nearly a decade worthless and dead as any corpse I have made with my blade and spells.


    "Believe it or not, somehow, they still feel fit to go through all the pomp and ceremony of a proper trial... Well, a sped up one, anyhow." Uala huffs and I join in with her feelings of resentment.


    "Somehow, our time at the Long Battery Fort feels almost like a dream. There were plans, actions. We had our backs against the mountains, literally, and we still fought as Valkinvar should. Now we''re barely even fighting..." I say, insulted by my current circumstances. I spent too long out of the war as I handled my trauma of losing my sacred virginity at the claws of the osibindah. And now, after going through all that I did to get back into the war...


    Here I am, wasting time in a cell.


    Time I could spend flying across the country. Hopping from fortress to fortress. Battering down our invaders and freeing our people. Their machines will burn black with ash and their bodies will return to the god-bloodied clay that made us. But, no.


    "Makes one wish they died alongside Wing-Head Allyoceer." Uala sighs and I look her way, recalling the woman who gave me the confidence to properly fight in this war again. She made me a Wing-Tip, and that experience then lead to me getting a further promotion to Wing-Head.


    "There are many sisters and brothers I wish were still alive. But, I would not want them to be alive to see this," someone remarks and we look over at her as she hides behind her veil and long, flowing, black hair. A void broken apart by shimmering shades of Pride''s Eye. Her skin, though, couldn''t be any more colourful from exposure to the Orbital-Halo and its light.


    I try my best to welcome the Valkinvar-Wiswipide over, but she declines my offer. Her grace and elegance of movement reminding me much of the mannerisms of her Ordoar''s leading Valkinvar. The stairs echo with heavy steps, anchoring much of the dungeon''s attention. Our sister looks that way, too, a shyness to her one might expect from a fair maiden.


    No new prisoners come into view and the Valkinvar-Exalsonarden rises to meet them. Her cheery demeanour drops away, vanishing into the wind that comes with the individual. I rise up in an attempt to get a better look at who is here. My mouth opens in disbelief, the telltale signs of our new arrival''s importance changing so much about our circumstances.


    With her hair split in four tails, in four sections... One of our native emerald, flaming ruby, shocking gold and wet sapphire. The Zaphadren-Valkinvar. Why is she here...?


    "Once again, she arrives at such strange moments." I remark under my breath, not quite able to hear what she is saying to our warden. Hopefully, we will be out of this dungeon soon.

 Incline 7: Prisoner Vapooliar

    My fellow Valkinvar-Imdvarce drag me along, but two of many others who have been called to represent the shame of their Ordoar. Yet, despite the looks of such a grand display of justice, no one in sight seems all that concerned for it. The grips are my arms might as well be purely for the aesthetic of having a prisoner secure than for anything else. So at least I am not alone in thinking about how ridiculous this is.


    So many sisters and brothers are here doing nothing but escort prisoners of no crimes. For every so-called traitor to the Valkinvar, there are two guarding them and me. So many Valkinvar are wasting their time in this utter fa?ade and mockery of our traditions, our history. Too many are in the city and not out in the countryside, taking back our home.


    "What a waste of time..." I let out with a tiresome sigh, rolling my shoulders about. My sister Valkinvar secure their grip, reaffirming to what few onlookers there are that they have me under control. We step ahead, one small stride closer to the great doors separating me from this fool''s court. Whoever is in charge of our justice system now has no right to be.


    Does a Valkinvar even hold the seat or...?


    My jaw tightens, grinding my teeth up and down against each other. Armour plates flex with my fingers and I shuffle about again. The doors open too quickly for the scale of what a Valkinvar being taken prisoner by their own kind is. My sisters drag me in as my feet linger and I take in the sights.


    To think my first time in the Chamber of Traitor''s Judgement would be as the judged. They only taught us so much about this place growing up within the Valkinvar. Need to know, as the saying often is. Enough to spur on the imagination, but not enough to make any of it seem truly real.


    Though the Valkinvar are an order dedicated to our oaths to our future husband, the God of War, Lord Waionr himself. He is lacking in what this extensive chamber is decorated with. In fact, anything that so much as calls to him is smeared and lacking in detail. An intentional design to show how we have parted with the ways of our future husband.


    My circumstances, however, that have truly parted me away from my future husband are not why I am here today...


    The Valkinvar-Imdvarce at my side take me up the ornate steps, intentionally covered in fanciful stones of other kinds. Slate, granite, marble, anything to hide the redstone that proudly dominates most of the city''s architecture and design. Anything and everything to distance the guilty from their former duty. Even the floors find themselves endlessly scripted with mantras of guilt and judgement.


    The two leave me on a podium, and they draw their blades. Both tips go down, straight into the ceremonial locks. The arcane mechanisms beneath me push the podium up and magic from above forces me down. I don''t resist at all, and collapse to my knees. The emptiness of the impossibly vast chamber carries the clang of steel on for too long.


    I do my best to glance around, barely able to find the strength to move my head and twist my neck. Those who are judging me and passing my sentence are of but one uniformity. The Ordoar Staguiffmani. Odd ones in that I have yet to see anyone of their number be trialled or held in the dungeons.


    Regal as ever, they certainly do their best to fill up the space given to them. Flowing robes and silvery armour, some more like dresses I''d expect to see on aelenvari petals. Many of them bare tattoos of magical origins, only there so long as they will it. A display of power as much as it is of one''s artistry and skill as a witch.


    Unlike the architecture of the chamber, however, they''re all distinctly lacking in their dedication to Waionr. A peculiar thing to see, seeing as I quite vividly recall the detail that they''re supposed to be even more adorned than usual. So as to taunt the traitor Valkinvar with envy, as they still have Waionr''s love. Though, I guess, in a way, fate is being kind to me where their actions cannot see.


    I force my head towards the centre of the audience and find it empty. The throne that my judge should be sitting upon is certainly lacking its core details. It''s but an empty chair, right now. Another off detail about this whole affair, given how quickly things should be moving along.


    A sigh of annoyance and bother leaves me, my attention returning to the chamber. Focusing my magic, I battle against the oppressive force from above and sit up. My head has an easier time of looking about and I mind the five other divine who make their presence known to me here.


    The twin-bodied god and goddess, Oramvaleood, Morality. The mask-blind God of Justice, Enorcoustice. Opposing the blind god is one blinded not by attire, but by anger and hate, Avanvenger, Vengeance. And finally, a strange choice if one is theologically ignorant... But, to those of us here, we know why Apahthein, God of Apathy, is really here. Dereliction is his name in such places as this.


    All of the divine who so much have any connection to the idea of a traitor. Of which I am not. All of the divine who relate to the act of crime. Of which I have committed none of.


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    A pair of doors swing open on a bright gull, though it is hard to see what shade of emerald it is precisely. Familiarity answers the question for me and the Valkinvar-Zaphadren once again makes herself known. A feeble Valkinvar-Staguiffmani following after her like a lost kitten. Her arms overburdened with tablets that glow no doubt with the names of the accused. Stupid as such lists are.


    The Zaphadren-Valkinvar takes her seat on the Judge''s Throne, setting aside the quarter of her hair that is gold with lightning. Her servant passes her the first of the tablets and sets the rest down. Our sister Valkinvar visibly struggles and is more than happy to show her joy at the lost burden. My eyes narrow and the force above picks up, smashing my forehead against the stone.


    "Valkinvar-Imdvarce... Wing-Head Vapooliar..." the Zaphadren-Valkinvar lets out, her voice catching on itself as she no doubt recalls who I am. I wince at her words, paranoid over what she might suddenly be full of questions about. She was the one who ordered me on that disastrous attack out of Giant''s Victory nearly a decade ago. I can only hope her memory is fickle, or she is too preoccupied to say anything of note...


    "You are hereby-"


    "Yes, I know!" Zaphadren-Valkinvar Gemorli snaps at the simple helper.


    "Hurry along already..." I sneer in contempt for the farce that is this waste of manpower.


    "For the crime of violating your chosen orders, you are hereby stripped of your privileges as a Wing-Head. You are now broken down into your pettiest state, a mere Valkinvar-Imdvarce. Privileged only by her position within our great Four-Winded Valkinvar. Your penance shall be found in the streets of Thurn''s Forge, of which you shall patrol diligently from here on out," the Zaphadren-Valkinvar orders, leaving my eyes wide with disbelief of all things.


    I am being judged in the one place a Valkinvar should never want to find herself and... And I am being punished with patrol duty...? I''m being convicted of nonsense and getting punished in much the same way? What foul pest has set itself into the Valkinvar to eat away at its spirit and heart!?


    The podium gives way, dropping to the ground with a crash. My sisters step in, grabbing my arms once again and hoisting me up. One hand comes to my helmet, lifting the visor and exposing my face fully to those watching. I meet the eyes of the Zaphadren-Valkinvar despite my daze, and she gives me such an odd look.


    Her hand comes up, performing a silent sweep of the chamber. My two sister Valkinvar chop their hands over their matrimonial scars, and drag me off. They pull me away into a small chamber, one not really intended for anything other than storage. One kneels behind me and the other goes in front.


    "Is it even worth it?" I dare to ask, not even sure why they''re going through with what should''ve been done in the chamber before.


    "With all due respect, Sister Vapooliar... I''d rather not go through the humiliation," the one in front of me says. The one behind lets out a hollow giggle, her fingers going through my armour straps and segments.


    "Somehow, I feel more embarrassed being involved with this than being potentially on trial for something actually treacherous," the Valkinvar-Imdvarce behind me says and me and the other one murmur in agreement. I sigh again, feeling my body grow lighter with each movement of their dexterous fingers. Plates fall away, banging on the stone and ricocheting off of their armour and then to it.


    They reduce me to my barest, only short of being truly naked. The pair rise up and back away, half-hearted gestures coming from them. They both depart and I am left alone in this empty storeroom, nothing on mind or in hand. Another sigh riles me into action.


    Forcing one leg up, I fight back against the shakiness induced by the podium''s magic. I wobble myself stable and let my magic flow out to my armour. Picking up the pieces, my makeshift bag carries it all out with me. My marked palm opens wide and I call for my sword, retrieving it in no time at all.


    I take the quiet path and still come face-to-face with esteemed Temple Guards. They give me a look over, their eyes saddened by the utter mockery of what we are. One silently opens the door out and the other steps ahead. Her hand comes to my cloth-covered shoulder, squeezing tight.


    "Hold your head high, Sister Valkinvar. This embarrassment will pass if you let it." she tries to comfort me with and I avoid her eyes and all the ceremonial decorations about her plate. I shake my shoulder out of her grip and walk on out, stopping only as words catch in my throat.


    "I doubt anything will pass these days... Only the return of our enemy, defeat marching alongside them." I tell them and they go silent out of understanding, rather than anything else. They quietly close the door, leaving me out in the great outdoors of Thurnmourer-Jherikra. The Temple City. The Grand Temple of the Four-Winded Valkinvar.


    A city in and of itself.


    "So, I guess that is it, then. My impatience has chained me with shame. Inaction. And... I''ve spited the memory of Wing-Head Allyoceer by losing the very rank she leads to me gaining... Wonderful." I let out, stuttering only so much so as to prevent a tear coming to either of my eyes.


    What has become of my home that it would debase itself in such an ungodly manner? What foul taint is spreading about the halls, building-up in the corners and shadows? War is coming and the Maidens of War are practically at peace. A shameful mockery is the only way to truly describe what we are now and I have no idea as to why or how we''ve ended up like this.


    My grip reassures itself on the blade of my sword and a pitiful motivation fills my heart. I cannot fight the war right now. I can''t, not without truly going rogue and against my duty. The best I can do right now is try to investigate what is going on. To the best of my reduced ability...


    I hold up my shoulder plates, parting them from the collection of armour floating at my side. I didn''t even notice my sisters strip me of the denotations of my rank. They''ve left quite the unsightly scar on the steel, a scratch that is so blatant and obvious that everyone knows what it is. My mouth straightens and I return the parts to my arcane baggage.


    "First thing is first thing, then... Got to get myself dressed." I let out, a chill finding its way to my body as if even the world itself wants to point out my shame. Not even great shame, simply put... Belittling shame that has no right to so much as mark anything in my life.

 Incline 8: Valkinvar-Imdvarce Vapooliar

    My right foot falls against the gilded stone tiles of the temple, freshly reweighed by the presence of my armour. All ten of my fingers go about my person, tightening up every strap and realigning each steel plate. Hands clasp my wrists and shaking them about, stopping as a satisfying click rings out the empty path. I get up fully, letting the armour settle into place with a few final shakes.


    I put my sword away, sheathing it along my back. Coming out into the open, I leave the portico behind, my idle hand bidding its farewell to the carved stone. Flight takes over my instincts and I twist around to look at what I am leaving behind. A pillar, each with their own story, made of redstone but painted and carved in such a way as to tell a story. A story of each Valkinvar who has lived and died.


    Passing on to Waionr so that they can live their lives in death as they prepared for in life.


    "I wonder how many we have failed to make purely because... Too many of us have died in so short a time." I let out, struggling to speak it more so because my thoughts are selfish. Anyone can figure out the artistry and detail required is a lengthy affair. My thoughts do not even align with my words. I''m just wondering if they ever made one for me, after my defeat near Giant''s Victory.


    I never joined the war again for almost a decade after that. In my absence, did they consider me dead or did the thought never occur to them? They clearly knew I had left Giant''s Victory, as a Valkinvar-Imdvarce by the name of Ogawa filled in for my posting. One she died at... No, butchered at.


    "Or am I that unaccomplished as a Valkinvar that I am not even entitled to such a legacy?" I dare to doubt myself with as I lazily float away, the energy for something faster eluding me. A sigh comes on out, blowing me out into a spin and setting me on a proper course. I fly above the levels I am at and carry ongoing. The highest spires of the Chamber of Traitor''s Judgement come into view and I reach for them.


    My fingers curl at the first opportunity and my feet find their footing right after. I lean away, catching my limp body on the wind and swing around, glancing at what I can. Bafflement is certainly an odd sensation to pick up on the breeze. Yet it is here.


    The skies are clear of Valkinvar, but I can also see beyond the walls and the magic shield covering more than just the city. Nothing has changed, more armies are returning that leaving. Almost all of them are going about it so strangely, as well. The Valkinvar are leaving the men behind, heading to the Parade Ground and then going off on their way. An uncharacteristic slowness to nearly everyone.


    Even the walls themselves, which should be teeming with ''punished'' Valkinvar, are lacking. There''s no sense of congregation, either. Not one of the walls, no matter how far ahead or back they are, is packed with troops. I know it shouldn''t be at this time, but with everything that is happening, it somehow feels natural.


    "Now''s not the time to be on the defensive..." I remind myself as my magic propels me to a different angle. Sorrow weakens my grip and what is below pins and chains my eyes. The only place where the Valkinvar are gathered in any form of scale. And it''s all to bring people into this very building so they can be tried for petty crimes, ones not even worth the slightest pomp.


    A slap-on-the-wrist level of corporal, and yet, here they all are. There I once was. Going into the single most vile building for any Valkinvar to find herself or himself in. The Chamber of Traitor''s Judgement... It''s in the name. This place is for traitors, not rightful protest of benign orders and rulings.


    My mouth tightens up and I fly away, not wanting to heat my temper any further. I keep on flying, going high above every single tower, peak and spire in the Grand Temple of the Four-Winded Valkinvar. My hand comes out, bashing me away from the magic shield so I don''t crash into it. I drop down further, lingering in the air a safe distance from the powerful magic.


    Despite its emerald source, the shield is a deep purple at its highest concentrations. A phenomena people struggle to grasp even to this day, but, the astronomers of the world believe they already get why. The World-Shield, the very thing that keeps All-That-Remains safe from the Nothing caused by the divine war of eons past. Magic, in its natural state, reduced to defensive wants, takes on this colour.


    I look away from the sky and towards the ground, initially at the deep darkness that never seems to end. Thurn''s Forge is the City that Spans Continents. The bridge between our homeland of Jherikra and the neighbouring deadlands of Thunlanann. Thurnmourer once crafted his finest weapons here. It is said that near here is where the first of humanity was first born, the first true mortals.


    There is so much history to Thurn''s Forge that even staring down at a bottomless canyon evokes awe and dread in equal measure. To say nothing of the grand city that came about as a result of our efforts. Thurn''s Forge never used to be much, nothing more than a city in Thunlanann that was scared away during the Time of Liquid Mountains.


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    We helped the people spread out from their terror of the waves and flooding. We turned them into an empire, once the greatest in all of modern Jherikra history. A power not seen since the Ancient Jhermonikra who fought the world even without a breath of magic to their names and minds. And now we are back here again, founded by war, and dying by war.


    The ancestors of the oldest families of Thurn''s Forge are watching us. Watching us go back to having but a toehold on the soil of Jherikra. Soil we''ve spilt rivers of blood for. Soil we''ve lit forests alight for, melting down mountains of steel, and the very earth has buckled to our mines and quarries.


    All that power and might and we''re here... Reduced to this by the unexplainable appearance of those damnable airships. The Valkinvar are some of the greatest witches on the continent, no doubt the globe. And yet, we''re nothing more than a shadow these days to machines, of all things. Not the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra''s own witches, but to machines. Pieces of steel and copper and more.


    Science that we cannot grasp and has no place in this world if you''ve only ever been in this land...


    I turn away from the city and look south, towards the lands of the Dual-Republic of Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst. It''s not just our great enemy, even they have technology beyond what exists in my home. Though we of the Valkinvar are powerful compared to so many, it just seems so odd that we would turn this blind. The Seventh Law of Waionr explicitly speaks of the dangers of arrogance and hubris.


    It is, after all, how Waionr even became the way he is, from Savage War to the War of Armies. His own arrogance got the better of him, the belief that he, as War itself, could never lose a fight. And he lost to the boundaries of a conflict beyond him. Where he could only do so much before the God of Law and his supreme grasp of rules.


    Our great enemy is a vast empire, far vaster than it was a decade ago. Even then, there''s only so much land for them to do things in. The maps might seem overwhelming, but the truth is far stringier and more of a web that people would like to admit. All nations of this land are like that.


    We don''t consider the osibindah hives that have sealed off roads and pathways. Or the aelenvari flowers and their home Garden-Monts. Kelbalid tribes and their free roaming of the few plains we do have. Even migrants from other lands, so notably beneath the surface, in the Water-Veins alongside the hwardgon and so many more mortal races.


    Still, the Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra somehow did it. The whole rest of the world somehow did it. Waionr''s Chosen Theocracy is the only nation in this entire land that never stayed in stride with modernity. The future might''ve been ours, once upon a time, back when gunpowder was youthful and the mere idea of guns was but a shattering barrel away from death and nightmare. Now it is not. We are to be of the past because we somehow never left it.


    I don''t understand it at all. I was educated, like all other Valkinvar in the art of war, the development of its technologies and the applications they would bring. Being outdone by invention and ingenuity is nothing new, but we always triumphed and fought our enemy back. So why is it now that we''re so far out of scope that we cannot even grasp the difference between us...?


    Our enemy marches on us with magic-fed weaponry, ballistics that require no lead, brass or even simple stone. Machines move of their own will and the very Orbital-Halo is blotted out by the shadows of airships. It''s not just them either... It''s the whole world. Somehow my home is at a loss, as am I with how I have no answers for them at all in this conflict...


    "We need to fight with all we can... Scream, kick and bite against the dying of our empire''s imperial light. Not hide..." I sniffle, my eyes watering as an uncomfortable terror nearly shakes me out of the air. My magic gets back under control and I turn stiff with inaction.


    A long breath escapes me, and I relax, my instincts taking over as my thoughts wander again. None of this makes sense. Nothing is making sense, just as it never did all those grand-cycles ago. The airships make no sense. The weapons make no sense and the Valkinvar''s utter failure to so much as act respectable makes no sense.


    Nothing makes sense!


    "Well, if I am to be confined to the city on such pathetic charges. I might as well make the most of my right to patrol the city. From the highest points in the sky, to the furthest walls on Thunlanann itself. Even the underside of the Great Bridge if I need to." I tell myself, resolving to handle this mystery that exists so far beyond the scope of my life. Yet, with how I seemed to have been the first Valkinvar to fight against the airships and their soldiers, I feel compelled. Obligated.


    The gods and goddesses might not have intended for me to take this up, but I shall. Whatever is going on with the Valkinvar and this war, I want to find out. I need to, for the sake of my life and so many more. The contradiction of the Valkinvar must carry on for as long as I live and perhaps even longer.


    Though we fight to prove our worth when we die, going off into Waionr''s loving arms. We also fight for it is the want of all who live a life worth living. Death is to be something that happens to us, not a want we throw ourselves into with suicidal abandon. The Valkinvar must keep on living so we can die as we should, in glorious battle, worthy of the scars we cut under our left breasts, towards our hearts...


    I may lack the sacred virginity all female Valkinvar should have, but I am not absolved of my responsibilities. It took a long decade for me to understand that. A long time that I spent out of the war that I need to make up for. I''ve lost too many friends, sisters and brothers for this to end like this. I will fight with all I have and more than the world ever gave me when I was born.


    "If I am to not fight in this war as I should... I will figure out what is so wrong in this city and the Valkinvar. I must figure it out. I must..." I reassure myself with, muttering the thoughts without end as I descend to head back into my home. The Grand Temple of the Four-Winded Valkinvar.

 Incline 9: Valkinvar-Imdvarce Vapooliar

    I come to a stop in the evening light, looking about the fortifications below and the city on my left. I drop down, planting my armoured feet gently on the stone of the defensive walls. Moving ahead, I put a hand up on the crenelations. My body moves further, pushing me a slight distance ahead of the merlons.


    "Still... Even now. More are returning than leaving." I let out, unable to contain my repetitive sigh. I was never under any of Jaadagoren''s illusions to begin with, but the Goddess of Illusions would be most welcome in a moment like this. Knowing someone like her is about would ease my spirit. It would probably ease the spirits of everyone.


    Just that simple fact that we know this is all a dream...


    My sighs come back and I lean away from the upgoing walls. I throw myself away, going into a walk as one of my free hands wanders aimlessly. It finds its way to my shoulder pads and my upper chest piece. A delicate grip rubs away at the scratches in my armour. They won''t go away no matter how hard I rub.


    Having shame in print is one thing when it''s sealed away in the libraries and tombs. Having it all over your armour, the set you wear every cycle and are practically inseparable from, is something else entirely. Those who wish to sabotage me will always have a means now. It''s no longer rumours and petty gossip. Now it carries on with what they can physically touch.


    My hand curls up into a fist, stretching the leather and flexing the gauntlet plates. I throw the fist to my side, swishing the armour about. I arrive near the Valkinvar Gate just in time to watch three of my sisters come back from their battles. Well, skirmishes. Training exercises.


    I frown in thought, focusing on the three Valkinvar I am unfamiliar with, as far as names are concerned. All I know about them is that it is an odd sight. Three men all together. Not one of them of the Ordoar Ammimpaurst, too.


    Yet, despite it all, they find themselves to be in a somewhat merry mood. A slight smirk comes to my face and my thoughts are swift in their execution of it. I need to break the news to those of my wing, make it clear what has happened. Assuming they have not already learned of my shame, though, I''m willing to bet that with so many sisters and brothers finding themselves wrongfully shamed... It''s chaotic, to think and say the least.


    "Still." I let out, setting off into the sky once again with a defeated limpidness to my four limbs. The Parade Ground passes on by and I offer a gesture of greeting to my three brothers, just in case. The Grand Temple of the Four Winded Valkinvar draws ever near, its veritable fortifications of wind chimes and other appropriate d¨¦cor twinkling in the late halolight. My speed picks up, popping and weaving me through the pillars of many pathways until I''m in the open again.


    I float around, gathering my bearings as the colossal nature of my home continues to embarrass my sense of direction. An old song plays through my head, and while the lyrics escape me for tonight, the tune is as bright as ever. I follow along the instincts they set off, heading on down to an open field marked with paused duels and forgotten gear. Many trails have lined the graph with the language of the traveller and I look along them, finding a treasure for my nose.


    "The Hall of Feasts." I let out, both excited at the prospect of a filling meal and hopefully finding anyone from my former wing. I land on the ground, joining the growing crowd as they make their way after the smells. It''s a contradictory feeling, being here, among all my sisters and brothers. Silently walking or making small talk to pass the lengthy time as congestion builds.


    It reminds me of simpler times, when I was still training to be a Valkinvar. When so many of us were still training to be one. While my earlier desires and sense of reason want this to not be the case right now, as there''s a war we still need to win. My heart cannot agree at all. This is where I belong, among the Valkinvar as a whole.


    A smile makes its way towards my lips, a proper one, perhaps my first proper one in a while. At least, the long while that this cycle has been. My time back at Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst was by no means miserable as far as physical aspects are concerned. Outside of the resident royals and their associates, I had too many comforts to count. One of those royals might as well have been me. I still would have such luxuries if I never re-joined the war, remembered what I am and what that entails.


    I suppose that''s a good thing, knowing the wealth of decadence of Suhurlodst Academy of Arcane Learning and Understanding has no sway over me.


    An amused huff breaks my smile open, giving it more depth than a mere lip curve could ever do. It''s funny, really. My time in Thrurstradtur-Suhurlodst was so comfortable except for one thing. They couldn''t supply meals that would properly satiate someone of my strength and needs. An odd irony, given its state as *the* school for magic, a world famous one at that. The act of eating became so passive-minded that it came as such a shock when I finally returned home and exerted myself so heavily in battle.


    Nearly a decade of being away from home and for all that War involves himself in, the one realm he plays no part in holds my fondest feelings. The simple love all mortals and animals share, that of food. A love that is only getting stronger as my mind reassures me of my location. The smells keep getting more potent, clearer. The crowd breaks down, moving aside and revealing the lights of hundreds of lamps, thousands of candles and so many more ovens, stoves, pits and utensils.


    All boiling with scented water, sauces and mixtures. Burning with meat as it chars and its fat bubbles. Fruits and vegetables slicing open and meeting butter on the hot iron pans. The ting of bells the buzz of mechanical clocks as two-manned trays of bread come out, their crust cracking in the cool air.


    It''s certainly hard to tell how much of this food is truly fresh, but it''s rich in the magic we all need to preserve ourselves. I approach but one of many fruit trees gifted to us by the aelenvari garden-monts within what was once Waionr''s lands. My magic defies the rules of the hall, bringing me up just high enough to snatch away a voluptuous string of berries. Some of my sisters giggle nearby as a more strict member of our kind throws a mocking threat my way.


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    I giggle under my breath and strip the berries off of their branch, flooding my mouth with flavour. Rich and tart and messily pinkish-red! The little branch finds itself bare, naked off all nutrition and flavour of note and I pass by another tree and its potted brethren. I stab the piece of plant into the soil, offering a silent prayer that it turns to clay in time.


    I come to a stop in the opening of the Hall of Feasts, eyeing the crowds as my duties get my mind back on track. Though much effort has gone into making the Ordoars mingle when they can, old habits are hard to kill. Former classmates, the frequency of missions and campaigns with others. Mutual loss... Oddly, however, the only members of the Valkinvar not involved in this are the Ordoar Staguiffmani.


    A frown settles on my face, but I deny it the ability to hide behind my helmet. The master-crafted steel settles in my curved up arm and my lips straighten. Whatever is going on, it''s not hard to see that some kind of animosity is settling in. Whether it is old Ordoar rivalries or something more severe is hard to tell. My mind is so far from places like this to pay attention.


    Though, I suppose they''ve been like this for a while, since the Cycle of Screaming Witches. Whatever pain they had to endure, it was unlike anything we of the other three Ordoars had to experience. Yet despite the events of that cycle, I know I''ve seen an odd emotion amongst their number. That of disappointment.


    "... Never mind that, I suppose." I let out, forcing my gaze away and looking towards where my sisters and brothers of the Ordoar Imdvarce largely are. An expansive task, it is, however. With us being the most populous of the Valkinvar, even with the sourness of the war... We''re certainly everywhere in the Hall of Feasts.


    And it''s no use calling out for my old wing, either, I need to trust my eyes and attention to detail.


    Carrying on through the gaps between tables and firepits, I manage to spot at least one familiar face. I pick up the pace, coming out into another open space and barely avoiding a column of my sisters. I''m an odd sight right now. I know that for sure. Rushing about so eagerly, like a girl one hundredth of the age of even our youngest.


    "Am I still our youngest, actually...?" I ponder for barely a second as I finish approaching who I hope I am right about. She notices me, rising up with wide eyes, along with two others.


    "Wing-Head Vapooliar!" Cetrepe goes, her peek-a-bang going aside to the dictation of her finger. It fights back, landing right back where it started with a slight sparkle. The shine of the mutually shared Breezing Star Emerald that most of our number share. Bar me with my Whisper Beryl glow. I guess that will come to haunt me at some point now, too. I''m now stripped of the rank that someone as weak as me doesn''t deserve.


    Ah, the old irony I''ve never been able to escape... Weakest of the Valkinvar.


    I bring up a hand, an awkward huff to my tilting head, "I''m afraid it''s just Sister or Valkinvar-Imdvarce now. We are equals again, at least in rank."


    "Mm, so it is true... Then." Osses mutters, catching me off-guard as she gets uncomfortably nosy regarding the scratches on my armour. Unlike the other two, as well, she doesn''t need to do much with her hair. I can''t exactly delude myself into thinking she''s not able to quite see the scratch marks when her hair is spiked up like a collection of mountains. Each point designed to show off how much her hair has changed in accordance to the influence of magic.


    "Osses, step back. But, yes, we... Uh, we heard about the demotion. We''ve been talking about it since-" Bsess says, an overly zealous Cetrepe stepping ahead of her.


    "-Since we heard about it! We tried to keep everyone around, but most of them went off to find new orders!" Cetrepe whines and I raise my hands, smiling at the camaraderie I''ve at least been able to forge with these three. It''s certainly been a busy few grand-cycles since our first siege together back at the Long Battery Fort.


    Bsess steps ahead, knocking Cetrepe back with a gentle rattle on the nose, "What I can''t understand is, though... Is well, why have we been punished for it, too?"


    "Punished!?" I repeat a little too squeakily, not even sure how this has come about. Osses flicks at my closest arm, catching my attention as a hand delicately goes across her hair spikes. Bsess emulates her, knocking her simply grown hair over her right ear.


    "They came to us, sisters from the Ordoar Staguiffmani and-" Osses explains, Cetrepe once again launching ahead. Almost with enough force to accidentally trigger a sonic boom. I catch our sister, pushing her back as the other two pull her back with well-tempered patience.


    "-And they went all on about how we''re basically grounded! It''s not just us, either. Any wing-head or wing-tip or wing-joint so much as accused or seen in the Chamber of Traitors Judgement has had their entire wing suspended!" Cetrepe finishes, still fighting back against the other two.


    "Wh-What!? That''s... That''s ridiculous!" I let out, taking a step forward as my building sense of energy enforces my need to move at least somewhat. My arm goes sweeping, rattling some utensils and plates in the distance. Someone hollers their complaint and I refine my mood, not wanting to cause any needless issues for my former subordinates.


    "We''re just as surprised as you are. If I didn''t know any better, it''s like they''re trying to make sure everyone is here for another siege." Bsess huffs, her finger twirling a knot of hair for her to vent her stress against. She tugs at it as the mood settles down between us. An uncomfortable misery at a problem that seems like it has no right to exist.


    "Well, I guess that is more for me to look into, then." I mutter, sighing away as my thoughts weigh my view down. Osses slips her hand to my chin, bringing it back up to their view and bright smiles. Smiles they keep up despite our circumstances. I share in their joy, put-on or otherwise.


    "Regardless of what the rest of our former wing think, you''re still Wing-Head Vapooliar to me," Osses says, her voice rather sweet compared to her usual quiet roughness. My smile grows and our hands meet their opposing one. Our armour claps against each other and we shake our wrists together, pulling in each other close. She pats away at my armour and the other two sneak in their little gestures with Cetrepe, notably giggling about it.


    "She''s right. Rules of the matter be damned. What did you even do...? Seems like they''re punishing literally everyone these days." Bsess remarks, gesturing the other two back to their spots on but one of many lengthy tables. I follow after them, lingering at my seatless space at the end of it.


    "You''re telling me. Exalsonarden-Valkinvar Styadesx was utterly flabbergasted by how many sisters and brothers she suddenly found filling out the dungeons." I say, smiling my amusement even as their faces fall flat with little emotion.


    "Who?" they all go, their voices all distinct even with the clashing and synchronicity between them. My head falls down into a hand and I laugh. My laughter grows until my head is back into view.


    "Oh, this is going to be good to explain. Come on, scoot." I say, striking my bottom down onto the bench and shoving Bsess up further along so I can find some actual space for my backside. I lean ahead, gesturing the three closer so we can at least have some clarity to this without me having to constantly speak up.

 Incline 10: Valkinvar-Imdvarce Vapooliar

    Cetrepe skips ahead of us. The way she moves about is so unbecoming of a Valkinvar that Bsess can''t help but shy away from her long-term wingmate. The knowing Valkinvar-Imdvarce comes to a stop, her posture straightening with typical discipline. Her grin grows and grows, her eyes unyielding against Bsess'' own. Me and Osses continue to watch, almost finding it amusing enough to laugh over.


    "Grow up!" Bsess relents, storming off only a short distance before twisting and flying away for the rest. Cetrepe giggles, giving chase and the two quickly vanish, their sonic booms lingering longer than they do.


    Osses brushes shoulders with me, the scrape of our steel plate welds our eyesight against each other. Our smiles take flight and vanish, an uncomfortable severity replacing the emotions. A similar silence takes hold, one only broken up by the hustle and bustle of all our sisters and brothers all about us. I raise a hand, taking us away from them and getting us out into the open field of the courtyard.


    We share a look at the sky as the last moments of daylight pass on from this world. Our words continue to escape us and I watch as my former subordinate makes her way to one of the trees. She runs her hands across the bark, picking at some of the sword marks, and I follow the pale, yellow-tinted lines as they fly off over the grass. I dash off, catching the splinter and coming back in time for Osses'' next blink.


    She huffs, looking away as her helmet bounces about her grip, her mouth finally opens, "You are certain?"


    "I am," I answer swiftly, nodding much the same as our past conversation in the Hall of Feasts repeats on me. I''d much rather have some of the meat I had do so in my breaths or burps, but this is all I am getting out of it.


    "Look... I know it seems strange, Sister Vapooliar, but... Be careful. Whatever is going on, it''s not right. It''s as unnatural as the heretical faith we put so much faith into fighting." Osses tells me, her hand scraping down the tree. She comes back towards me, a stiff aggression to her steps. I mind the grass below and rise into the air, encouraging her to do the same.


    "Naturally, I will take care of myself." I say, unable to think of much else to say as a stuttery huff breaks up my voice.


    "Try not to overwork yourself, either. I understand we''ve all been relieved of duty under dubious circumstances, but don''t let it become an excuse." Osses insists and I nod, a slight smile managing its way back to my lips. I throw my helmet high, catching it further than it started and I twist it around. My nearest thumb goes across the polished metal, an old saying echoing about my thoughts as I do so.


    Beware they whose armour shines in war.


    An odd saying when one considers the reality of what it means to care for your steel, but I understand the point of it. Still, I know for a fact that I am a skilled warrior. All of the Valkinvar are. Every single one of us.


    And yet, it''s the same everywhere. No one is coming back scratched up and wounded. We''re all being grounded from expeditionary duties, and our energy is going to waste. Nothing else seems to have changed. It''s just our right to fight and conduct this war. The Seven-Peaks Union of Jherikra will be back at our gates the first thing when they come back north.


    "Say, Osses... Have you happened to have seen Sister Dannatili since the incident?" I ask and Osses memory comes to life with all manner of events. However, she knows without further clarification what I am on about.


    "I do not know, the Ordoar Staguiffmani have been awfully closed off from the rest of the Valkinvar for a while now. Frankly, I don''t see what talking to her will do for you. She always gave the impression of only involving herself with us so far as it meant surviving the Siege of the Long Battery Fort." Osses says, her thoughts coming out with little to no restraint.


    I smirk a bit, not sure if my former rank would''ve affected her in any way. The reality has set in consciously, but in her instincts and habits, I cannot be sure. For a moment, I might be able to use this with the others. At least so long as I hide the scars of my armour as a result of my deornamentation.


    "I''m aware, I know. Still, I feel like it is worth a shot, at least speaking to her to get some idea as to what is going on. The Zaphadren-Valkinvar has always been quite close to her Ordoar. Perhaps she has let slip some plan or statement that would otherwise indicate a greater plan...? At least something to make sense of..." I say, turning towards the rough direction of the Chamber of Traitor''s Judgement.


    It''s certainly tuned down in its business, but there''s still a lot of Valkinvar needlessly heading into it. About as many coming out with nothing but a conviction of shame for their petty crimes. Whatever they might be. A frown settles in on my face and Osses puts her hand on my shoulder, bringing my attention back to her.


    "Well, either way, I hope you discover something. Our higher ups have been quite difficult to reach as of late and while we Valkinvar are certainly no casual mob. I fear the consequences our frustration might create, should we be forced into becoming one?" Osses lets out and I nod. She salutes me and I salute her back, chopping and upturned hand over my matrimonial scar like her.


    She heads off, getting a respectable distance before her magic forces sound to break. I watch her vanish, her magic vapour trail keeping her in sight even as the darkness of night takes over more and more. She keeps ongoing, as far as a pair of knotting Valkinvar in the distance. A smile comes to my lips for but a second, an assumption of Bsess and Cetrepe on mind.


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    "Now... Sister Dannatili." I let out, forcing my attention away. My magic builds up, sending me exploding through the air and one of many library towers comes into view. My speed vanishes a firm distance away and my legs catch the ground before I can fall. I jog on into the tower, my magic dying down as I disturb some of my sisters and brothers as they read and study.


    I silently offer what condolences I can and make my way to the nearest Valkinvar-Staguiffmani. While a forlorn hope burns bright inside of me, it is but an ember that will not work out. Of all the Valkinvar-Staguiffmani to run into, the odds are simply too low for it to be Sister Dannatili. And it most certainly isn''t.


    Yet, still disappointing either way.


    "Excuse me, Sister, might I have a moment of your time?" I ask her and a smiling face comes around to face me. However, upon landing on my gear, my weapon specifically, her expression shifts. The warmth freezes over, leaving only a desolate desert of ice. Though no magic flows from either us, at least, not what is beyond our passive auras... I still feel a dangerous presence from her.


    "You are in my way." she answers with much the same coldness as her expression shows. I step aside, intent on avoiding her, however, what plate armour she does wear seems to be magnetised. She smacks against me, the finer plating of her armour drawing a long scratch across my chest plate. I look down, following the trail with a finger, as my mood otherwise remains calm.


    "Do you know where I might find Sister Dannatili? She''s a Valkinvar-Staguiffmani, like you." I ask and clarify, moving on with my question regardless, and my unknown sister continues to walk off. She reaches one of the flight platforms and vanishes off into the night, a trail of glittering Might''s Touch Emerald remaining as she vanishes.


    I frown, not sure what to make of that prickly mood. It''s almost as sharp as the blade I have sheathed across my back. Footsteps come near me and I turn, hoping to avoid another needless brush against someone. My eyes meet no features of a face, only the broad width of a man in all of his war gear and glory.


    I look up, finding a thickly bearded man with a messy mop of hair that is somehow the neatest I have ever seen it. My nose gets the better of me and I take in a deep sniff, taking in no signs of alcohol. I smile and the behemoth smiles down at me, his hand finding the top of my head and ruffling it with enough static to make it seem like he''s an Eusorochii.


    "Brother Lavauroas!" I let out, happy to see my old comrade-in-arms after so long. I forgo the usual manners and head straight for him, driving a blow straight onto his chest plate. It bangs like a gun, disturbing the peace of the library, and the Valkinvar-Ammimpaurst circles me. His grin grows, and he returns the blow, sending me flying out of the library. I halt myself in the air, shaking my head about as the laughing Valkinvar flies out on a wave of complaints.


    "Sister Vapooliar, it has been too long." Brother Lavauroas finally returns in greeting as he hoists me up straight. Well, straight for someone who is in the air, flying. His hands pat me down, drumming my armour with the weight of a Valkinvar whose physical might is far beyond most of our number. His motions linger on my chest plate, undamaged by his blow, but he keeps it up.


    He stops, staring at my you-know-what spots. and I look away, shame furrowing my brow.


    "They got you too, then?" he asks and I nod, turning away from him and looking towards Thurnmourer-Thunlanann. He joins me at my side and we both stare across the Great Bridge, towards the half of Thurn''s Forge where the majority population live. Compared to over here, you could not suspect a thing was wrong.


    "Y-Yes. I didn''t come to this library tower for that, though." I answer, turning halfway his way. He mirrors me, floating backwards to put distance between us. I note how he hasn''t got his war hammer with him but otherwise don''t think much of it.


    "Sister Dannatili, right?" he recalls and I nod again as his thick eyebrows sink as their weight would imply. A long noise of thought goes through his nose and my thoughts slip their moors.


    "I have to admit, though. After what just happened with that Valkinvar-Staguiffmani, I''m not sure I want to speak to Sister Dannatili. I''ve heard enough about what is going on with the Ordoar Staguiffmani." I say, putting a finger back on the scratch mark. To have such a casual action damage my armour where Brother Lavauroas'' full-on punch did not is... An interesting experience, I feel so readily to admit in the open.


    "It is in mountains of rock that we find precious ores and gems." Brother Lavauroas waxes poetically, catching my thoughts off-guard.


    "Still..." I let out, making sure I understood correctly, "Still, I cannot be sure that Sister Dannatili is even interested in speaking with me. We''ve hardly kept up since the Long Battery Fort and I was only hoping our past companionship during that siege proves itself to be at least something of worth." I say and my brother Valkinvar nods away, a hand combing his beard. A few hairs come loose, brown ones of no value but what they hide that shines with one of the lesser emeralds.


    "You''re not the only one looking for answers, Sister Vapooliar. Many have gone about trying to find out what they can and they can only discover so much. No one is entirely sure but the Ordoar Staguiffmani as to what is happening with them." he shrugs, not thinking much of it despite his knowledge.


    "What has happened to you in recent cycles, then?" I ask, not seeing any signs of a dishonourable demotion across his armour. It is, however, quite dull with dust despite how much effort has clearly gone into polishing it.


    "Same as they''ve been having me do since the old shack. They''ve been having me try and make munitions for the cannons. Though, thankfully, nothing quite like the Mountain Cracker. However, as of late, they''ve been having a lot of me and the others of the Ordoar Ammimpaurst work as quarrymen." he explains.


    "All of you?" I ask, my brow hooking up.


    "Might as well be. I know in times of peace, we have historically worked such roles. But on this scale when there''s so few new families to fill out homes and walls to repair. It boggles the mind more than any hangover I''ve had, that''s for sure." Brother Lavauroas explains and my eyes settle down with this miserable knowledge.


    "I see... This enigma of a problem continues to grow, then." I say, huffing over my new facts to stew over.


    Brother Lavauroas puffs his chest, throwing an arm onto my furthest shoulder with a sudden tackle, "Come, Sister Vapooliar, let us free your mind for the time being. There is much work to be done while you are tied to this cage of a wonderful city."


    "Very well!" I answer, freeing myself of his constraints and narrowly avoiding his retaliating grip.