While they were reading their letters, Ilya had gathered some basic supplies for the trip back. He made sure to bring a rucksack with some basic medical equipment, a few guides, and some woodland survival gear. The equipment in this world was more sophisticated than what he had used during his adventures in the old world, but they both served the same purpose. His load was smaller, which was especially important because he did not have a horse to bring with him on the journey. He also made sure to bring his rifle, an old Kalashnikov, with him, hoping that he would not have to use it. Lastly, he picked up an old envelope, with the words "for myself" stamped on it in cyrillic. He knew what documents it held, though that did not bring him any comfort.
During his search, he found the cassock and staff that Mei's parents had told him to hold onto, and handed them to her when she had finished reading her letter. He didn't really know what their purpose was, but he hoped it would help them. Ilya thought Mei was the most interesting of the young royals, being raised at a buddhist temple could lead to some interesting conversation topics during downtime. He though it was lucky that he was able to find everyone so quickly and that they were willing to go along with him. Delay could make them less eager, it was probably best to make the trip as soon as possible even if it meant leaving some of the others, like Belle, behind.
After he had gathered his supplies, he heard that all three of the royals wanted to go to the old world. Ilya took a deep breath, and said a short prayer to himself. He said "It looks like everyone agrees. I'll take you the the other realm, but you have to remember that it might be dangerous. I'll try to keep you safe, but I do not know how well I can protect you. Let's hope that everything turns out alright." After his short speech, Ilya pulled the pendant that he had been given out of his pocket, and clutched it tightly. "Ok everyone, come close when you are ready."
It had been a long time since he had visited the old world, and he had grown less fond of it over the years. The changes had made it barely recognizable, and Ilya had grown to like life on earth. Going back would be hard for him too, but he knew had to help save his home. When everyone had gathered in a tight circle around him, Ilya opened his hand and let the pendant take them into the realm of fairy tales. The blinding light dazed even someone as stoic as him, but he recovered quickly. He took a moment to look at their surroundings, and found that they were in a clearing next to castle. It looked like a generic fairy tale castle, though a trained eye could pick out the french aspects of the architecture. Ilya decided to check his maps while he listened to the reactions of his companions.
