On the western coast sits the castle of Vraweth, where Queen Meliadoul directs the effort to aid Zidel and Illisk with her famous Knight Commanders, though Commander Odessa stays with her at the castle. While it boasts a beautiful garden, strong walls, and everything they need, on the nearby cliff that overlooks the sea is a unique location. The tomb of Excalibur and it's wielder. Only recently rediscovered through ancient texts and tomes, Queen Meliadoul has declared it important enough of an event to place a royal guard at it's entrance, to be sure that grave robbers do not disturb it. Her majesty has even decreed it a grave crime to open such a holy site in such dark times as the Shattering. No one goes in or out of it and there is only way in, which makes most of it intact.

Inside it's damp and dark, a single drip echoing across it's walls. It's built like a dome with a single stone casket in the middle, to which a picture of Excalibur is etched into it with the words, 'rest easy my beautiful Queen of Knights.' It's nearly empty however and only the casket is lifted up high on a platform. Dusted has settled all over from the ages past of it being undisturbed. A few foot prints here and there from a week ago, but otherwise is still and quiet. Suddenly a cough is heard from inside the casket. Then more coughs and muttering. Then silence before the crackling of stone against stone moving as the top of the resting place is forced to the side.

---

Morgan pushes the stone slab to the side, enough that she can crawl out, though it balances itself. Rubbing her eyes and trying to adjust them to the dark, she coughs once more, feeling dust enter her lungs. 'What in Vis' name?' she thinks to herself, sitting up as she tries to get a look around. The last thing she remembered was.. light.. and warmth.. and vague images of waterfalls everywhere. Before that though -

Her eyes widened as she pushed herself up from the rotting bed material. She remembered dying! She remembered laying in Nimue's lap as life slowly drained from her. "What in Arlina happened?" she asked herself softly, looking down at her clothes. They were strange, nothing she wore before, and yet familiar. 'That's right,' she thought as she recognized the outfit. She was in Avalon after she died, though any memories were fuzzy at best. "But why.. am I back?" Crawling from the stone box, she started to make her way to the door, that maybe she would find some answers. Though she already had some - there was an image of a city planted in her mind. A calling to go there for some reason and she couldn't put her finger on it, but she held the knowledge to make it there. That of course meant, she must've been dead for quite a while.

Pulling on a chain, the ancient door that held her prisoner slide sideways, revealing the morning sun. She shielded her eyes for but a moment before her eyes focused on the image of a spear's point in her face. "Halt! By her majesty's decree, you are trespassing on holy ground!" Morgan could only blink a couple more times, unsure of what to say to such a strange phrasing. "You are to follow me to face judgement!" Suddenly, the man grabbed her wrist and yanked her out of the tomb, only to shut it back them. Again, he poked her side with the spear's point - though it didn't even feel uncomfortable. Morgan just groaned softly as she let the man lead her, her eyes taking in the new beauty of what was once Camelot, and the castle that was not there before.

Not long after, she found herself being lead through the front gates of the castle proper and into the throne room. The guard passed her off to one of the others, whispering what she assumed to be her apparent crime, and likely heading off to guard the 'holy site' once more. Two guards stood by her while a messenger was sent away, both of them staring her down like she was nothing but a strange rogue. She was patient however and simply folded her hands, taking in the sight of it all.

"Bring her forth!" called a powerful voice from the other end of the room. The guards prodded her as to get her to hurry to stand in front of the throne. The figure that stood before it was a powerful figure of a woman who glared Morgan down. "You!" she demanded as she guards stood behind Morgan, pushing her forward. The knight could only glanced back before looking the queen straight in the eyes. "Explain yourself! How dare you ignore my word. Who are you to deny such sacred grounds?"

The queen seemed to stare at her impatiently for a few moments before Morgan finally stood tall and exhaled slowly. "I am the Queen of Knights and wielder of Excalibur, Morgan Oaks. Pray tell, who are you?" This only seemed to make the queen even more angry as one of the guards laughed at the outlandish claim.

"I doubt that, rogue," she spat in a huff. "If so, then summon your blade, knight." Her voice was poisoned with a sharp annoyance, but Morgan was none-the-less calm and collected despite the strong aura this queen gave off. Glancing behind her at the guard, she could see the utter disbelief in everyone's eyes to which she merely dismissed for the moment. Holding out her palm, she mentally called out to the legendary sword - an artifact that she had been intertwined with since that day on the lake. There was a bright flash, but within a mere blink, sat the blade on her grasp shining with it's blue brilliance. She could hear some of the guards gasp, the queen herself widening her eyes in absolute awe. Everyone was silent at the display.

It was broken though as the doors to the throne room opened once more, a guard pushing in another blonde woman, seeming just as offended as the one who brought Morgan in. "Your majesty!" he yelled out, snapping everyone's attention to him, including Morgan. "I found this woman defiling the holy cherry tree!" The queen didn't seem as quick to snap to anger, but instead glanced between Morgan and Nimue in bewilderment.

However the legendary knight pushed one of the guards out of the way and stepped forward a few paces. "N-Nimue?.." Excalibur seemed to disappear in a mist as she started to walk towards the wizard, then ran, before she was right in front of the fey-blood. The guard holding her arm let go, not sure if he truly just saw Excalibur or not. "Nimue! By Vis I'm glad to see you!" Without letting the wizard respond, she pulled Nimue into an embrace and let out a sigh, as if she finally found some comfort in this strange place. However she pulled away and stared into the woman's eyes. "But.. wait.. why are you here too?" she asked. The entire court was speechless.

Harena Empire, Library of Vis.
Lab of Saint Auges
- Roughly 2000 years ago.

The mocking ticking of the clock was the only sound in Auges' lab in the Library of Vis as the transmuter glared at the dark red stone in front of them. Their head rested in their hand, the other hand balled into a fist and resting on the desk that was used most often as her work station.

There was no other way, was there?

"Geh…damn it." Should she tell Ante? The very thought about telling their twin made them frown even deeper. In the recent years since the second Nashaan war, a noticeable change had happened in their relationship that they couldn't deny. She knew the cause, too. It was this cursed stone, wasn't it? After a few tests she could confirm that the both of them were being intrinsically influenced by it, and not in a good way.

In her case, it made her paranoid and less trusting of others in general. She had never really liked people a whole lot to begin with, but the stone seemed to be making that worse.

In Ante's case…they were pretty sure their dear twin was growing increasingly emotional, or at least…violent.

What should she do here? It'd only work for one of them. And one of them wouldn't be getting out alive.

Oh Ante, should they do?

”I’m here, Auges.” A voice called from behind. It was the other half of the pair, Ante. ”So it’s ready and stuff?” Was added with a great questioning tone to it. ”I mean, it’s been a long time, and I can wait a bit longer. . . But you know. . .”

For a few moments, Auges didn't respond. They were seemingly too caught up in their thoughts, as was usual these past few years. How did Ante get in? They hadn't even heard them enter. That wasn't good. Ante could have just…no, no, Ante wouldn't do that. They wouldn't. As much as she thought otherwise, they wouldn't…probably.

"Ante..." The twin spoke quietly, not bothering to look or greet the other. Instead, they reached for the dull ruby colored stone. It was their work, after all. Hers…and Ante - no no, that was bad. No no. Bad thought. Ante helped just as much with this as work she put into it. "We must talk." Auges spoke coolly, standing up from their seat with the stone still grasped firmly in their hand.

Her left hand brushed against the knife in her belt, just in case. At close range like this, her transmutation might fall short.

"About the stone…it is almost complete…but there's a catch we must talk about my…dear twin." The word 'dear' was said with a hint of forcefulness, almost as if Auges hadn't even meant it. Why had she done that? That wasn't…true. Ante was her dear sibling. They were inseparable, and yet…

”What catch?” Ante said, eyes narrowing. There were a few things off. Ante wasn’t the smartest cookie in the bunch, not like Auges was, but there were a few things this twin could bring to the table. For example, noticing things. The words sounded wrong, hand brushing against the knife. . . The hand which Infinitus Gladius rest in its ring form curled up a little, almost to the point as if holding a blade. ”I don’t think you ever mentioned anything about a catch before, Auges.”

Auges looked at Ante from over their shoulder, a dozen thoughts running through their head as she tried to drown out the more treacherous ones plaguing her. Wouldn't it be so much easier, if she just…the transmuter frowned again, clearing her throat as she turned to face their twin.

"Well," Auges began. "You know how progress has…stagnated these past years? There was some to be sure, but not as much as we previously made. As it turns out, there's a very key…item, needed to complete the stone." Auges hesitated visibly before continuing. She could do this. If Ante tried anything, they were ready. Not that they expected Ante to do anything…they wouldn't. "…and in the end my research leads me to believe that it will only work for one of us…meaning that I will be unable to keep my promise to make both of us live."

Ante’s face went to shock, an almost pale white crossed the twin’s face. ”Work for only one of us?” Auges was joking. Right? This was some cruel elaborate joke wasn’t it? It had to have been. ”No. No. Nononono-nooo! You! YOU SAID! YOU SAID WE COULD BE TOGETHER! FOREVER!” Ante took a step back, face changed a bit. There was an attempt at confidence, but it altogether fell to a mild look of despair. ”Wait, no! Good joke! Hahaha. It’s really good! Heh. Hehehe. HAH!”

Auges' face betrayed no emotion whatsoever as Ante's face paled. The transmuter simply looked on with a neutral, almost condescending expression as Ante burst into a fit of anger. Expected, but it still hurt regardless, but she couldn't betray any emotion here.

"Ante, I know I have a habit of teasing you my dear," Auges replied coolly, sounding a bit like they didn't have much patience. "But this is not one of those times and that was not a joke. For once in your life, would you please try and be serious about something?"

”I’m plenty serious. . . No, I just don’t want to believe your words. You just…” Ante’s face went downward, studying the floor then to Infinite Gladius. ”No, this isn’t a joke in poor taste. I knew you were hiding something from me for so long. I just let my love for you cloud my judgement. Right? Or else you couldn’t have kept this secret from me for so long.” The ring transformed into a sort of sword, ready to cut. Ante just smiled. There was no more control over the emotions inside. ”If it will just work for one of us, then I just need to make it work for me. Then, I’ll keep you around and you will be right. Even in death, we’ll be together forever.” Ante really wasn’t making sense at all. For the most part. The corruption from the Stone had done much to the Wardancer’s head.

Auge's simply remained staring, narrowing her eyes slightly as the blond gave their twin a cool glare. Hah…haha, her suspicions had proven to be correct, hadn’t they? Her heart felt like it had been ripped out, but that was fine. It was fine. She had the stone. The corner of Auges' mouth twitched. She wasn't giving up the stone.

So red, so pretty...so hers. It was hers. It was her lives work - no nonono. This was getting out of hand, and a small voice in the back of her mind was screaming for them to stop, but they couldn't.

"Haha," She tilted her head to the side. "I'd prefer not fighting, my dearest sibling." She raised her arms, her right hand still gripping the stone as her mouth curled into a cruel smirk. "I'm terrible at it, after all…but this is my lives work you ignorant, adorable fool of mine. I won't let anyone take it from me. Not even you. The things I could do with the stone…Heh, They wouldn't call me a Saint any longer." Whatever rationale Auges had been trying to keep, had fractured the moment Ante had turned on her.

Ante’s eyes narrowed. Of course! ”Of course! OF COURSE OF COURSE OF COURSE! I knew it, KNEW IT!” Ante cut at the air, ”BOTH OF YOU! MINE!” Whatever logical thought Ante may have had was gone by now, overpowered by the influence of Auges’ Stone. Ante launched at Auges like some sort of wild animal.

What happened next…happened too fast for Auges to properly register. She extended the hand holding the stone towards Ante. There was a flash of red hued energy as it arced along the ground from Auges' feet. A spear of earth shot from the ground, impaling Ante on it in an instant.

”Ahh.” Ante said after a good bout of screaming. ”You win I guess. You were always good at winning.” Before long, Ante’s body slid all the way to the ground, with muttered grunts in between. The Bladedancer coughed up some blood. The end was near. Only a few more words came out of that one’s mouth. ”I love. . . You. . . A…” Ante’s head hit the floor covered with blood from the injury. Dead.

The transmuter stared coldly as Ante died in front of them, barely even registering their twins words. Suddenly, her entire body felt numb. The hand holding the stone lost its grasp on it as it fell to her side, and the stone fell to the ground in a pool of Ante's blood.

"...An...te?"

Her body felt so numb. She couldn't move, and her chest heaved trying to breathe but unable to. What had she been doing?

"...Ante?"

Her voice echoed in the dimly lit stone chamber that passed for her lab. Suddenly, she was on the ground, on her knees in front of the unmoving body of her Twin. The stone spear crumbled as she hit the ground. She couldn't move. Why couldn't she move? She was in peak physical health. She wasn't sick. That was impossible. Why was she so tired? She felt so...drained. What was this...odd feeling? No, she knew what it was. It had been the same when Julius had died.

But why?

A warm feeling brushed against her right hand. She glanced down at the ground, a red liquid carrying a familiar scent greeted her vision...blood? That wasn't good. Was she bleeding? She should stop that. Where was the stone? An easy enough fix, even as unstable as it was. It was on the table, yes...no, it was in her hand? She was holding it a few moments ago...Her eyes shifted to the unmoving body of Ante again.

"...Ante!" Realization hit the Transmuter as the foggy events of the past minute or so started to become clear, nearly causing them to lose whatever lunch they had before. She struggled to move, falling over onto her hands and knees as she had to fight her entire body. She forced her body to move, almost crawling over the blood-soaked ground to the body of her twin - staining her clothes with their blood in the process. She knelt next to them, holding their head in her lap.

...no pulse. A large hole in their stomach. Severed spine. Panic. Her breathing quickened.

She could fix this. She could fix this. Everything was under control. Where was it? Where was the stone? Frantically, she looked around and noticed it lying in the pool of Ante's blood. She reached for it, clutching it in one of her hands. The once dull colored ruby, sparked with an otherworldly light as the energy in it stabilized, the unstable energy from it ceasing in nearly an instant.

NO NO NO!

This was all wrong!

"...give...them back..." Was something caught in her eye? It was starting to water. Her hand trembled around the stone, as her eyes started trying to wash out whatever was stuck in them. "I don't care...I don't...just give them BACK!" She shouted at the inanimate object, but it only replied in silence as the pale red light from the stone stared at her scornfully.

"No no nononono." One of her eyes twitched, as her knuckles around the stone started to whiten. She glanced back over to the body of Ante. Then the laughing started. This was a joke, right? yes, this was funny. A joke! A cosmic joke! She had to laugh at it, it was so funny! The stone she created to heal people, through so much trial and error, experimentation, and with magic that would get her expelled from the city...The thing she could use to never loose anyone she cared about again...took the only thing in the world she cared about.

She threw the stone against the far wall. No. It wasn't the stones fault...it was entirely on her. In a brief second, she had let her emotions get the best of her. With her own hand...if only she could distance herself more...perhaps...

The mage's shoulders slumped.

Oh merciful goddess...was this the folly of those who tried to play God? The folly of those who sought research and answers through any means? Even at the cost of sacrificing others and everything else? The desire to know? The desire for knowledge? Was it so wrong? Did the ends not justify the means? She was going to heal, save, and protect so many people with it! Was it so wrong, Goddess?! So wrong to deserve having everything taken from her? The only thing she cared about after her parents passed!?

What had she even been doing? The thoughts of the previous few days were foggy at best. Like she had been in some sort of haze. How did...this even happen? It took a few seconds for the alchemists laughing to die down as she picked up their twins body, and hugged it close to her.

"I'm so...so sorry." She choked out words through her tears. "I'm just a fool, like always...I-I love you too, Ante." She vaguely recalled their last words, and returned them.

And now she would have to live with it...for however long she was going to live.

...

no.

She couldn't stay here. She had never been the type to dwell on things. To let something like a little roadblock like this stop her. She...she should move. She'd bury Ante next to Julius. They'd like that. She could do it, easily with the stone. No one would question her going to visit an old mentors grave.

Trembling legs eventually supported her weight as she stood. Fine, then. She'd take this cursed stone, and do exactly as she said she'd do with it. It was the least she could do, even if atonement was something she'd never have.

---

Harena Empire, Library of Vis.
Lab of Saint Auges
- Roughly 2 years later.

Auges slumped in her chair, a deadpan expression studying the stone as her other hand wrote quietly on a piece of parchment. She couldn't take this any more, could she? The living was fine, but all they wanted her to do was to kill people these days. Fight in their wars as some sort of divine protection. Bah...she was a doctor, not a fighter.

....she was so tired.

There was the sound of a door creaking open as someone stuck their head into the door.

"Doctor Magnus?"

"...what is it, Thomas?"

"You...aren't changing your mind, are you?" Silence passed for a few seconds as the door closed, and Thomas - her apprentice for the past two years since Ante died, and the only person she ever spent extended periods with these days.

"No, I am not Thomas." She went back to writing, letting the amulet fall from her hands and hang limply from around her neck. "I am compiling my notes for you. All my years of study, accomplishments, theories on magics and sciences of all kind. It will serve you well."

"Master Magnus I doubt-"

"You have a brilliant young mind, Thomas. Much better than mine and you aren't tired of these endless wars that our fool of a nation wraps itself up in." She stopped writing, resting the pen on the table next to her notes as she got up from her seat and walked over to the taller man. The only real thing she disliked about looking like a child, was being so goddamn short all the time. Ugh. Not to mention anytime she traveled outside of Harena, people always had difficulty believing her about anything.

"I know. You think now that I am running, being a coward." She coolly gazed up at her apprentice. Despite looking like a child and being much shorter than him, she still managed to somehow appear serious, and at times even a little intimidating. "I am a doctor. I heal people. I save lives. That is what I do. I am not a fighter. I don't like it. It's messy, and in the end someone always gets hurt. Someone always looses a loved one. Fighting should always be a last resort between people when you are defending yourself. At least...that is what I made an Oath to do..." Her voice trailed off as she sighed. "But in the end I can't protect everyone...not even the people in this world that I care the most about."

"Doctor Magnus...Auges, I know what happened but that's no reason to leave! Harena needs you! I'm just an apprentice I'm not-" He suddenly found himself silenced by having her place a firm hand over his mouth.

"You don't need me in any aspect, Thomas...and Harena needs me like it needs those Nashaan fools constantly biting at its heels." She removed her hand, as she walked back over to her desk and gathered her notes from her writing desk. "You are brilliant, Thomas. One of these days you'll become a great healer, thinker, and philosopher of Harena. The name Thomas Aquinas will go down in history as one of the most influential people of this age. Harena needs to not rely on me anyways..." She shook her head. "I love this country, I do, but in the end I can't protect such things, can I? You know that." She walked back over, handing her notes to the young scholar.

"...this will probably be the last time we meet, Thomas." His expression clearly wanted to know where she'd be going. "I will travel...I need to get away from here. This place isn't somewhere I can stand being any longer." She walked past him as she continued. "I give the lab to you. If anyone has any questions, there's a document in there that has taken care of all the legal precedents. I give you everything here that I still have."

"May the sun shine on your travels, and the winds bring you comfort, Auges."

"...haha, the sun is the last thing I need right now." She laughed bitterly, tugging on the sun shaped amulet as the door shut behind her.

That was the last time anyone in Harena saw the Immortal Saint.

---

Ha...sun really was the last thing she needed, wasn't it? The sun cast its warm light in the area around her - it's scornful rays feeling much warmer than usual, ever since that day. Not that she minded, she deserved every bit of it. The doctor looked back down at the path before her. A well worn path she had made herself, simply to be much easier to get to the top of the mountain.

It was about time, wasn't it?

It had taken her a while to arrive at the northern mountains. It was the place where no one would be likely to find her...or whatever remained of her with a bit of luck. No one would find the amulet, either. She'd made sure of that. As she walked, the winds picked up ever so slightly, but she paid them no mind. She had grown accustomed to them in her short time living here. She cast her gaze back up to the sky, meeting the sun with a frown before quickly looking back towards the path. The warm desert sands of Harena were far, and no matter how much she missed them she'd never return. She wouldn't allow herself too.

Eventually the path up the rocky slope narrowed, and the alchemist had to balance carefully in order not to fall. She wasn't ready, not quite yet. She could have used a bit of evocation to make this easier, but she was still working up to courage to do this. Not long after she reached the end of the path, the steep slope of the mountain her only companion now.

...and a bottle of Ante's favorite drink. Magically transmuted, of course...that was the only way she could get it up here, after all. She sighed, opening the plain bottle and taking a seat, throwing her legs over the edge of the rock face, leaning her back against the wall behind her.

"Hah..." She frowned, tossing the cork down the mountain before taking a large swig of the drink. Absolutely disgusting, but it was appropriate.

"How long has it been now, Ante?" She spoke to the air. "...a few years at most, really...and yet, here I am. Still...alive." Auges shoulders slumped as the mage rest one of her arms on her knees. A few seconds passed before a few tears started forming. "...Still...stupid and...a huge idiot." Another drink. "Haha...I could never do anything without you, could I? Sure, I was always the calm one. The smart one. The one who had the plan, but..." She grit her teeth, grinding them together. "IT MEANS NOTHING IF YOU'RE NOT HERE!" Her voice echoed across the mountain. "I just can't, Ante. I can't do anything. I can't heal anyone...I'm no doctor. I couldn't even save you or Julius! Or mom and dad or anyone I cared about! What's the point of being a martyr, a Saint, a hero at all if I end up alone?!"

Another drink. She felt sick.

"...I'm so tired, Ante. So very tired of living. So tired of everything. I haven't even slept in what feels like a week." She chuckled, setting the bottle on the ledge. "...haha..." She stood, looking over the slope of the mountain beneath her.

...this should be high enough.

---

The sun rose once again, over the cold northern mountains, illuminating them with its pale glow. A bird cried in the distance as it looked for its early morning meal, complaining slightly as a cool breeze buffeted it. Upon the tops of one of the mountains, sat a very child like person wearing a slightly tattered cloak, but otherwise clothing that could easily be described as marking them as someone of nobility, or well off merchant. They seemed to be sleeping, leaning back against a rock wall as their legs hung over the edge of the sheer cliff below.

In truth...they looked extraordinarily out of place in these wild lands. Not to mention their rather precarious position. One would think them probably a fool. Thankfully, it didn't take them long to wake from their seemingly drunk slumber, as a bottle laid next to them.

"Hrm..." The seeming child stirred, eyes blinking open with a yawn and a stretch. For a few seconds, they sleepily gazed over the landscape, not entirely too aware of their situation. They rubbed their face, trying to rub the sleep out of their eyes. It took Auges all of five seconds to realize something was very, very, very, wrong.

"...huh?" She suddenly bolted up, nearly falling over the edge of the ledge again as she took a few moments to steady herself. "By the great goddess!" What in the name of Vis was she doing?! Well, no, she knew what she was doing but how did she get here. She distinctly remembered the...the...'splat' part. It felt like it was very, very, recent, but she also had some very, very, distinct memories of walking for a very long time, under a harsh sun.

...what on earth happened? It took Saint Auges a few moments to process all that had happened, and collect her thoughts. One: she had died. She made sure of that. Secondly: She was now alive, after an indeterminate amount of time. She held her hands in front of her, simply studying them. This wasn't a...dream or anything, was it? Some sort of ill fated hallucination her mind was giving her after going erm...'splat', was it? It felt so real, if it was. She turned her head towards the sky, a heavy weight being felt around her neck as the amulet she wore made its presence known.

Quickly, she pulled it from under her clothing and studied it. It looked so...normal. Just as she remembered it.

...so not only was she somehow spared death from splattering all over the ground, the amulet was as well.

"Heh..." So, not only was she a failure of a doctor and a fool, she couldn't even kill herself properly, could she?! Her hand tightened around the amulet again. It was probably because of this accursed thing, then...just like everything else was its fault, too. A few seconds of silence passed as she glared at the stone, then she sighed. No, she didn't have enough information to blame whatever happened on the stone.

"Well, alright..." She gazed at the unfamiliar landscape below. Enough time had passed for the landscape to shift, if even a little. Some things were recognizable from this height, but at the same time...huhm. She wondered how Harena was faring in her absence.

"Mulcent Aurae!" Her body became light as the gentle wind caressed her body, causing her to hover a few feet off the ground, before zipping down the mountain side and traveling South. If nothing, she was now curious as to what happened.

Al’nehak opened her tired eyes and saw nothingness. She felt immensely burdened, her senses numb and her mind could only wander aimlessly as she tried to refocus her thoughts.

“Ah, so this is the afterlife?” she mused, “It’s not so bad.”

She took a deep breath and was surprised by how cold the air was. She pushed herself off the ground and sat upright. A dull pain registered right over her heart and she pressed her hand over her chest as if to alleviate the pain. She grimaced slightly. Perhaps killing herself with a bone spike through the heart wasn’t the best way to go.

“Mhm, it still stings a bit. And I still have this amulet. Why do I feel so tired?” she wondered aloud as she let her hands fall to the ground, “Is this sand?”

She caressed the ground, slowly letting her fingers regain its sense of touch. It took a few minutes before she felt something in her fingers: a feeling of soft, cold, grainy. Al’nehak grabbed a fistful of sand and allowed it to sift through her fingers.

“That’s sand alright. Didn’t think the afterlife would remind me so much of home. It doesn’t feel all that different from being alive. What is that sound that I hear?”

Al’nehak closed her eyes again and allowed herself to drift away into the wind. A calming and rhythmic pulse was close by. It was a metronomic and soothing murmur. She took a deep breath. How fresh was the air she breathed in! She felt so alive! Why, she practically taste the saline tang of the ocean!

The ocean? The ocean! Al’nehak pulled herself up in disbelief as her eyes frantically searched her surroundings. Did the impossible occur? In the distance she saw the moonlight grace the gentle evening waves. She found herself absentmindedly walking towards the edge of the shoreline and with each step, she saw the same cliffs, the same trees, and the same shoreline. With trembling hands, she dipped her fingers into the water.

Cold, very cold.

She took her hands out of the water and laid down on the wet sand. The swash washed up to abdomen and it was just what she needed to cool her head off. Unless this was some sort of special purgatory just for her, there was only one conclusion that made sense to her. She was alive. She had to be alive. She felt alive!

“How…? I was sure I killed myself. But if by some mean I have returned from the dead, how did that happen? I certainly couldn’t have done it.” She frowned. Too many unanswerable questions to think about.

“I have a second chance at life but do I really deserve it? I’ve caused so much problems in the past. Should I be grateful?” She paused, furrowing her brow with a hint of confusion and bemusement. “Come to think of it, I’m still stranded on this island. This large, lonely island. Ah this is too much to take at once. I’ll consider my options in the morning.”



She yawned. “Coming back alive is rather tiring…” she remarked. Al’nehak got up and walked alongside the shoreline, following the long stretch of seaside cliffs. Finally, she arrived at a cove. Even in the darkness she saw signs of her former home; the remains of a makeshift bedframe, the splinters of a chair and most prominently the hash marks etched onto the walls. She wistfully smiled and traced her fingers over the markings. The entire side of the wall was covered with them.

“5 years…how much time has passed since?” Al’nehak laid down and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

A roar echoed inside the cove and Al’nehak was up and wary. It was a strange and mechanical sound, but somewhat familiar. It suddenly clicked. The roar of an engine, did she hear the engines of an airship passing through? If it was an airship and it stopped on the island, this was a miraculous chance! She ran as fast as she could out of the cove and strained her ears, attempting to follow the direction the engine was coming from.

It grew fainter and fainter but Al’nehak could pinpoint it heading generally northwest. If it landed, it would be on the opposite side of where she stood.
“I doubt it will actually land here but it’s a chance I’ll take. If it didn’t, well, it will be good to know what has changed here. I can secure provisions a little bit later,” she thought.

An hour and a half of trekking later, as Al’nehak emerged from the underbrush she couldn’t believe what she saw. A large settlement was right in front of her. This desolate island was now populated and bustling with activity. On the cliff side overlooking the settlement were airships. Boats of the fishing variety were out at sea already in this sunny morning.

Al’nehak could not believe her momentous luck. She was worried how she would leave the island as constructing a sea worthy vessel would have been quite a difficult endeavor. Now, all she needed to do was secure passage by sea or by air. But how to get aboard? Mind control the captain and its crew and get aboard for free?
“What are you thinking? There’s no need to use such questionable methods. I can find a better way. Think, what do I have of value on me? There’s nothing on my pockets…oh there’s a chain around my neck! The amulet! Of course, I can get aboard this way!”

She frowned slightly. The amulet was a potentially dangerous artifact and she did not exactly have the right tools at the moment to make it inert and safe. Was there another approach? She had nothing of value besides it. She sighed, “Some sacrifices have to be made right? It’s either this or violence.”

The town was already busy in the morning and Al’nehak could feel the energy brimming in the air. Striding through the fish market, Al’nehak felt the curious gaze of strangers upon her. She took a moment to look at the locals and then herself. Here was a woman whose clothes not only looked out of place, it was ragged and torn, exposing her arms that was covered in intricate tattoos.
She chuckled to herself. No matter, she didn’t care what people were saying about her. It was a nice feeling seeing people after so long. She went up to one of the local merchants. “Excuse me sir, do you have a moment?”

“You’re a fresh face,” the merchant remarked glancing over at Al’nehak, “And you’ve got a strange accent too. A little hard to understand. You’re definitely not from here. What do you need?”

Al’nehak smiled. She was worried that there would be a language barrier. “What is the day, month and year right now and who should I see to get aboard a boat or airship?”

The merchant gave her a quizzical look. “Well, if you want to know the date, it’s XX/XX/XXXX. As for who to see to get off the island, just head to the docks or airfield. There’s always someone leaving the island. You need directions?”

“No that will not be necessary. I can find my way around. I do have one more question. What is the name of this place and how long would it take to reach Zidel?” Al’nehak inquired.

“Lady, I fear you have hit your head and forgotten a lot of things. No need to scowl at me. I’m not going to pry into your life. This is Lyrcel and we’re pretty famous for exporting our fishes and bananas.”

“People buy goods from this place?” Al’nehak said skeptically, “I know how large this island but I find it incredible you’re able to export goods profitably judging by how great this place looks. Those airships must’ve been a fortune.”

“Yea, lots of people pay top dollar for our bananas and fish. The best in all of the Southern Seas. Now as for your second question, depending on where you want to go in Zidel, it’s going to take about a week to two weeks by boat, and about 3 to 5 days by airship,”

“I see. Thanks for your help,” Al’nehak said, turning around and heading for the airstrip

The merchant waved his hand in the air. “Wait, how are you planning to pay for passage? You don’t look like the type to have any money. And she’s gone. What an odd fellow.”

432. That’s how many years had passed after she died. She killed herself and 432 years later through some unknown means, she revived. How much has the world changed? Do people still remember her? If so, should she should use an alias to avoid potential trouble? Would the kingdoms and land she knew still be there? What was her purpose now? There was much to think about.

She arrived at the airstrip. Airships. They were quite uncommon back in her day and she had never ridden one before. She felt giddy at the prospect of seeing the world from above. The airstrip was partially fenced off and workers1 were posted alongside the perimeter. From where she stood, she saw four airships in the hanger. Possessions and goods were already getting loaded into them alongside maintenance checks. “Probably for commerce, I wonder if they will let me aboard one of the airships for this amulet.”

“Hey you! The girl?” barked a voice from behind, “Get out of here, you’re trespassing! And what are you wearing? It is a shameful display! Put some clothes on!”

Al’nehak turned around to meet her insulter. He was a middle aged man with a chipped shoulder and was dressed quite seriously and formal. It was a very sharp and distinct set of clothes he wore and it gave off an air of affluence. Clearly someone of importance. If there was any other person on this island besides her, Al’nehak had the feeling that this man in front of her would stick out like a sore thumb too.

“I am Al-“ Al’nehak began.

“I don’t give a damn about who you are, leave this place immediately! You’re on my airstrip!”

She nearly blurted out her name. She didn’t know how people would react to that name but she did not want to take that chance. Al’nehak quickly changed gears. She never really did like pleasantries in conversation. It felt forced and fake. Being direct and blunt just felt more natural. She removed her amulet from around her neck and gestured at it, “I’ll get straight to the point then. I am looking for passage back to Zidel. I don’t care where in Zidel. I just need to get there. This is my payment.”

The man’s eyes widened briefly at the sight of the amulet. “You’re fortunate we are going to Zidel. It is a business proposition then. Let me have a closer look.”
She put the amulet closer to the man’s face, somewhat irritated from being yelled at. “Hmm…it is a lovely design. Gold and are those ruby gems? I believe so.” He looked up suspiciously, “Lady, did you steal this?”

“No, it is mine,” she said coldly, gazing straight at the man’s eye, “Do we have a deal or not?”

“…That depends on your proposition to me.” the man replied. “What are you looking for in exchange for this neckwear?”

“A decent cabin, 3 meals a day until the end of the trip and some cash leftover so I can travel.”

The man backed up and placed a single finger on his lips, deep in thought. After minutes of deliberations, he spoke in rather polite manner, “Yes we do. As for accommodations, you’ll have your share of breakfast, lunch and dinner. But because of limited space due to our wares, you have to share a cabin with two other men. Is that agreeable?”

“…I will take it. I hope they will behave themselves. What of the money?”

“You have my word as a gentlemen that they will respect your privacy and boundaries. As for the money, if I deduct the cost from your lodging and food I’d say I can give you 7 silver coins.”

“You’re getting a steal here aren't you. When do we leave?” asked Al’nehak.

The man checked his watch. “Yes but you are the one who is willing to part with it. Two hours from now. Bring all of your things and come back here in that time. And please, change into something more suitable. We'll make the exchange aboard the ship.”

“This is all I have and I don’t have money to buy new clothes.”

The man could not help but tilt his head in confusion. “But you paid your flight with something so valuable, how can - never mind you don’t need to tell me anything. Do you mind wearing men’s clothes? We have some spares if you’d like, free of charge.”

“Oh it’s free? That’s nice. Quite altruistic of you,” she replied.

“No, that would be you madam. BRANDON! GET SOME SPARE CLOTHING FOR THIS LADY!”

“But we only have spare men’s clothing!” shouted the one called Brandon.

“That will do, it is better than what she’s wearing anyway!” the man shouted back. He faced Al'nehak again. “Since you will be boarding the Grey Goose we should at least know each other’s names. I am Edward Levin, your captain for this voyage. And you are?”

Al’nehak paused for a moment. “I need a new name. One that won’t arouse suspicion,” she thought to herself. “I am Alia Amari. Pleased to make your acquaintance. How long will it take until we arrive in Zidel?”

“Miss Amari,” began Edward, “It takes 4 days on average. We’ll land in Ryhad. If you have any questions feel free to ask around. If there is nothing else, I must go make preparations. You should get some more fitting attire soon. Remember, 2 hours is when we lift off. You’re free until then.”

Ante Magnus

Burial Site outside Harena Proper

Ante woke violently. Eyes went wide and the dancer start to pat around. "There was a giant hole! And Auges! And. . . And. . . I died. There should be no coming back from that fate." But here I am were the words that wanted to escape lips, but alas they hovered at the point of escape and retreated inward. "There has to be a reason. No. For now, to figure out where I am. This is a sandy area, so for sure this must be in Harena. The empire is big and it encompasses most of the sandy area so I just need to find. . ." Almost as soon as saying it, Ante noticed something in the distance. A city perhaps! It had some of the archetypal architecture of Harena. It was just time to get closer.

---

As Ante encrouched on the city, there were two noticeable things. First off, it looked a hell of a lot like the city of Harena. Second off, it was destroyed. "No way this could be Harena, it's too dead and destroyed. This gatehouse though. It looks just like the one we marched through on the way back from both wars." It was heavily destroyed but it seemed to be standing for the most part, much like the walls that outlined the city. Hell, there were even the hills that were similar to Harena. Someone must have went through a lot of work to imitate the structure of Harena and make it look like hundreds upon hundreds of years of sandstorms came through. Besides, there was a lot of sand buildup on the walls, it looked like there were plenty added.

Now was the time to enter past the gates. The insides looked worse than the outsides. From ground level outside hardly a thing was visable, but the inside painted a whole different story. Buildings that should have been there were reduced to little more than it's foundation. What was once a fountain had ought but a large skeleton covering it. It seemed like those beasts Naasha brought out in the Second War. By now, Ante was putting a couple things together. "I really did die. I think. If nothing else. . . This is the remains of Harena?." Ante's knees buckled and met with the soft sand. "It's all gone. The Emperor, the people, the Temple. . . Auges. . ." Ante remembered all that happened between them before the stone pillar made a meat ornament out of the more emotional twin. "I'm sorry, Auges. Really. . . I'm so, so, so, so, so very sorry. I'm in control of myself now. No, I don't even deserve you if you are still around."

Soon, a vision clouded Ante's mopping. It was not familiar at all! It was all grassy and so much clean looking water! A paradise one might call it! It was calling! "Perhaps the Harenan's retreated there!" Ante had come to a decision. For some reason, someone had planted this information and if Vis willed it, Ante would find a way there.

---

Ante hadn't been traveling for long. The desert was just about as bad as the twin remembered with the exception of having no water. With that in mind, Ante was extremely lucky that there was a traveling merchant caravan going in the same way. Doubly so that they were kind and accepting. "Thank you for being so nice. Where I'm from, merchants weren't so nice." Ante said, sitting across from the merchant.

"Is not a problem." He said, stroking his beard. He spoke a language similar to the one spoke in Harena but it was different. It must be a seperate dialect. A really corrupted version as Auges likely would have said. "I'm just glad we could save a stray soul in our own journey. It will bring pride to all. Great point of honor taken in helping others where we can. All we ask, is you help sort through our items once we reach our destination."

"Just tell me what you need done. I'm sure there's more I can do to assist. I may look like just a cute little girl, but when it comes to my swordplay. . . Well, let's just say I was called the 'Elegant Bladedancer of the Sand' back in my time." Ante added, thinking over the path. From what these guys showed on the map, they should all be heading to the same place. Luckily, Ante had found them while struggling through the sand.

"Is that what you were called? Did they give you the title of the hero of old then?" The Merchant Leader joked.

"Hero of old? What do you mean by that?" Ante asked, curious.

The Merchant Leader looked slightly perplex but answered after a couple of seconds. "My apologies, I thought perhaps you may know since you speak a version of the language. I'll assume you've at least heard of the Harena Empire? The old one, yes? Well, there's been a tale passed down in our clan of two twin heroes. One adapt at magic, Saint Auges and a one a Bladedancer. Saint Ante, was her name though she apparently had no great desire for such a title. Both ephemeral children and both beautiful the stories say much like yourself miss." He told the tale in such a soft and gentle tone, Ante couldn't help but believe his words meant one thing.

"Y-yea. I s-suppose I do get told I'm fair beautiful or cute sometimes." So, Ante and Auges. . . "How long ago was that suppose to have been?" Ante had to ask. With Harena destroyed as it were and Ante actually alive, there was little else to ask.

The Merchant Leader took the question with a smile and a nod and looked up to the roof of the inside of the cart they were in looking for an exact answer at the back of his head. "I would be in the thought of about two thousand years ago, give or take some. In the oral tradition it is not to be exact you see? But that is what most agree upon, yes?"

Two THOUSAND? That's. . . . Well, that's much long than Ante or Auges lived! Well, maybe Auges was still alive! Yes. . . Maybe. . . Ante was in the opinion that she would not be able to show her face to Auges if the ever met again. Not after that display. It was so fresh too. The Merchant Leader seemed to take notice of the flux of emotion in Ante's face as he decided to ask. "My apologies, is there anything of problem with what I have said? Is there ought of the tale you take offence to?" He seemed obviously concern if he made offense. If there was anything, now was not the time to make her benefactor worry.

"No, I should be the one apologizing to make you worry." Ante mentioned, fixing any stray emotion on her face. "I just remembered my own sister, is all. Again, I must thank you for taking me in with you."

"Is no problem, as I said. We just expect you to assist where we need it. Now, if you need, go ahead and rest. The road to Bervenia is long and we expect a couple of bandits. If you are as elegant the Blade-user as you claim, then perhaps you could help with that." He added looking expectantly into the eyes of Ante.

The twin just looked back into them confidently. "Of course! Leave it to Ante Magnus!" The Caravan traveled to Bervenia with very few incidents and those that occured could easily be overcome with Ante's skill and the Merchant's Shrewdness.

---

---

---

The wind against the cliffs of Bezir had sounded like sobbing for thousands of years. It could have been a peculiar facet of the interaction between the stone and the constant breeze on the island, or maybe the way the sea drove against the rocks of the shore. Regardless, it was always a consistent weeping, low and wailing.

But not today.

A lone figure lay dozing on the sands, the warm sun of the South beating against the cold currents of the sea. The figure was lithe and sharp, his naked body shining in the sunlight as his chest rose and fell with a gentle rhythm. His skin was dark and his hair was long and soaked, like he had recently been swimming. Soon, the warm waters of the Southern Sea rose over the beach with a small wave, slamming into the sleeping man.

Harun woke with a gasp as saltwater went into his nose, stinging at his eyes and filling his mouth with the taste of the ocean. Scrambling up the beach, he coughed and hacked, clearing his lungs of liquid as he tried to remember where he was. By Vis’s bountiful bosom, the Southern Sea was a bastard of an old man. He shook his head, muttering a few choice curses as he tried to remember where he was. He remembered… flying. Flying for a long time in blue, clear skies. There was water below him, but Her warm gust kept him aloft…

He blinked. He was on the Isle of Bezir, he knew those cliffs anywhere. Those were the cliffs that… his body had broken against. He remembered his vessel being crushed between the grinding boulders in the surf, a pitched storm screaming in the night sky. He remembered his love fighting for her life, strangling the breath from the Eastern Wind. His eyelids no longer felt heavy as he felt the cold grip of panic on his heart for a moment before he felt a familiar, warm breeze.

“...My love?” His voice was scratchy as it came out, soon settling into his older, dulcet tones. “My love, where are you? Are you hurt?” He blinked again, trying to get his bearings. His clothes were gone, his jewelry cast off before he set off on his voyage. That was one of his favorite parts of leaving, the dispersion of his belongings to the people. They were alway so overjoyed… They were his people, after all. But he was missing something, no, some one very important. The wind blew around him frantically, whipping his hair back and drying him rapidly. “Thank the Goddess… No, no I’m fine. I’m fine, truly.” He smiled and spread his arms, closing his eyes as he embraced the day. She was alive and well, and that was what mattered. “I know, I know.. You were worried, but it’s alright. I was… sleeping, and your father woke me, that’s all. Truly. I yet brea-” A quick gust cut him off, his eyes opening widely as his voice cut through the air like a blade in the night. “...so I did die.”

---

The Thirteenth Lord of Shadow breathed deeply, closing his eyes once more and relaxing his arms, his shoulders, his body. He felt the reassuring breeze on his well-muscled back, smelled the sea foam whipping against the bottom of the cliff-face. Danger from the East, though this time not from the Wind. Xil’Gurash was gone past Her reach, he knew not where. The spirits could not tell him how long it had been, only that it had been long. A smile crept from one cheek to the other, the grin splitting his face ear to ear. He hadn’t had a true adventure since the death of the Bastard Emperor. “Once more unto the breach, then.”

Five hours later, a single albatross crossed the beach of southmost Zidel. His Beloved knew little of what was going on, but the spirits were restless everywhere. The minor spirits of each breeze, animals, the sea were all restless and uneasy. Something was very, very wrong and Harun was eager to stick his nose dead in the middle of it all. The bird glided across the threshold of the land, peeling off towards a small caravan he saw. The spirits kept poor time when it came to the passage of years, but people kept track of those things. Changing into a small glass shrike, he soared above the caravan for a time before screaming downward into a kill spiral, landing on the largest turban he could find. If traditions still held, this would be taken as a sign of good fortune. If they did not, well.. It would be humorous for him.

Burying his claws deep into the fabric of the leading hat, Harun turned around to survey the caravan. He heard a few good-natured chuckles after the man he was riding exclaimed in surprise. That was a good sign. Still, he saw camels, lots of water, food supplies for at least another two week’s trek, and a child who looked as though she didn’t belong to any of the men she was with… As their daughter, anyway. Her hair was a bright red and her garb… oddly ceremonial. Between her clothes and the ring she bore, she was dressed rather nicely and wore no chains... daughter of a noble, perhaps? He could use that.

The shrike swooped over to her camel, settling on the saddle in front of her and letting out a small chirrup. If things went smoothly, he could play the part of a friendly spirit for a time. He turned to look at the girl, cocking his head and issuing a slight scree. She looked friendly. He just had to hope that appearances didn't prove deceiving... For once. Maybe then he could figure out what the hell was going on.

~7200 years ago~

The never ending quest for perfection had drawn Genbu to a city a few days North of Wudang. A terrible dragon was terrorizing farmers in the area. At least, most called it a dragon, but it was really a hybrid monster a mad wizard had managed to create. Nonetheless, that didn't stop the fact that a beast that lived in the frozen mountains separating Wudang and Illisk was raiding the villages. It's raids were terrible and would ravage and nearly destroy any village it visited. The Jade Emperor had even sent soldiers to deal with this beast, but the troop never returned from the mountain hunt. Genbu didn't need to be asked, but instead wanted to go and help the people with this problem. He hadn't visited north villages yet, and there was always something new to learn in a new place. The trip was normally a five day hike, but it only took him a few days. The villagers accepted him eagerly with open arms. The first night they treated him to a feast and a traditional show. He tried to deny their gifts and told them he hadn't even helped them yet, but they insisted on giving them to him and that he would win. The idea of winning by destroying this beast didn't bode well with him. He learned that all things had some purpose and most were just misunderstood. There were times he was able to solve problems without violence. He always sought peace first.

He slept well that night. The mountains were cold and during the hike up the mountain the temperature dropped dramatically. Everything felt... dead. There was no energy in the air or rocks there. The only thing that held energy was the raging blizzard. The first day of the hunt was seemingly unsuccessful. He was able to find a cave near a cliff face as the sun was setting though. He turned back to look over the cliff and saw the beauty that was Wudang one last time. He turned back to the cave and prepared to investigate it. This was to convenient and something would have surely made a home of this cave already. He wasn't surprised at all when the beast showed itself. Until now, he had believed every being had a purpose, but this one had no presence. It didn't have energy, but it still moved. It was just there and empty. Even overpowering negative energy could be helped, but this thing was an abomination. He no longer felt any reservation against destroying this thing. The fight lasted 2 days, but Genbu was finally able to defeat the abomination. He unfortunately sustained a plethora of wounds as well. Normally, the amount of wounds would be fatal, but he was able to protect his head and his heart and thus would be able to survive. It would just take some time to heal. He was able to drag himself to the frozen cave. A few days of sleep and he would be able to drag himself back to the village and a few more weeks and he would be completely fine. He never woke up the next day though. The cold temperatures of the mountain froze him in the middle of the night. The dark warrior met a frozen end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Genbu woke up with a shocked breath. The air felt warmer than it used too. It was still cold, but there was much more energy. The sun's broken rays filled the cave. Whistling wind could be heard along brushing leaves. After a few seconds of regaining his bearing, he began to flex and fidget, expecting to be met with searing pains and sores across his body. Instead, he merely experienced a little bit of stiffness. "I must have slept longer than expected." He said to himself. As he sat up, the first thing he found was his generals, still lying where he left them. They were covered in a dust that could have only collected over several years at least. "How long did I sleep?" He looked down at his clothing to notice that he was barely wearing anything. The only thing that remotely preserved his pants was the cold, but as he continued to move, the waist snapped and the ragged pants fell to the floor. Wearing nothing now, he felt another cool breeze. He looked up to see foliage covering the entrance to the cave. What felt so dead the day before, now felt abundant with life. He cut his way back out into the open and walked to the edge of the cliff. He nearly couldn't believe his eyes. "Oh Guanyin, what is this?" Wudang had tripled or even quadrupled in size. Something, struck him inside his head. This was Bervenia now. How did he know that though? He had to have slept for tens if not hundreds of years. It wasn't even a minute that he was on the cliff edge before an airship could be heard traveling overhead. He looked up in awe at the strange contraption. It certainly looked man made, but it was so large and... flying. What sort of amazing magic was required to power that thing? How much has the world changed? How long did I sleep? Was I actually dead? These were some of the questions running through his head now.

"Well, just standing around is not going to solve anything." He knew he needed to get back to Bervenia. Everything within told him to go. There was no path down the mountain, but that would only slow him a little. It was much easier than traversing the slippery frozen mountain he had climbed. He was worried about meeting people though. He was indecent and this would not be a good way for a hero to make his return, or for someone to make first impressions. About halfway down the mountain and much sooner than he expected to find any form of civilization, there was a small log cabin. It didn't feel like anyone was home at the moment, but the cabin was being used. There was a line of clothes hanging outside of it. He felt guilty while doing it, but he stole a pair of pants. He would surely repay them one day. They fit nicely and were very comfortable. "This tailor must be amazing!" They were just average pants.

He continued down the mountain another day, passing by what seemed like a myriad of buildings before reaching the North gate of Bervenia. The walls were so magnificent. "The Jade Emperor has really outdone himself now." Genbu marched confidently to the gate.

"Stop!" Genbu halted to see a finely armored woman pointing towards him. "Come here." Genbu looked slightly confused, but approached the woman still.

"Can I help you?" He asked mostly out of habit.

"I doubt it." She retorted. "Let me see your papers." Genbu just looked back at her even more confused now. "Your papers! If you're just going to be carrying weapons around, they need to be accounted for. This isn't anything new, so if you don't want me lock you up right now, turn around and get your weapons registered. We don't need barbarians causing trouble, especially now." Genbu was still confused and worried he'd done something wrong, but fortunately she pointed to a building. He began walking over and noticed that a group of men with matching armor and weapons weren't even questioned as they walked through the gates. He shrugged it off and continued into the building.

There were counters manned with men and women who all looked equally annoyed with everything they were doing. "Uhhh, I was told to come in here and get a paper for my weapons." The man just looked at him still annoyed.

"Yes, this is where you can register weapons. For what purpose do you carry them."

"Uh, personal protection" The man just stared at Genbu like he was an idiot.

"I can assure you sir, our city is very safe. You won't need your weapons."

"Well, I guess it's more for your protection." Genbu was referring to the fact that everyone in the room would have gone mad if he wasn't in control of the generals, but the man understood it as something else.

"If you are a part of the efforts against the dark moon then just say so. What's your name?"

"Xuan'Wu Shen" The man laughed as he filled out the form.

"Just because you take the name of a 7000 year old legend doesn't mean you'll be as good as him." Genbu laughed nervously.

"Yeah, that's true." With that Genbu took the paper and quickly left for the city. The guard from earlier eyed him as he walked past her, but this time she left him alone and said nothing. His first impression didn't feel very good, but at least he avoided jail narrowly. He still had a lot to figure out. He kept walking, but he was still trying to accept the time difference. There was also this 'dark moon' that was lingering with him now too.

As Morgan embraced her so suddenly and outright, the fey-blooded wizard at first could only blink in sheer surprise. It has been....heavens, thousand of years perhaps since he had been alive. At least, that was as much as she could guess after the things that had happened thus far.

She had woken up, sitting against a cherry tree, and a lot of people had been staring at her as if they had seen a ghost. Perhaps she was one, because as she remembered things...albeit mostly fuzzily at the end...having died in her home in the small village she had retired to very long ago. She had died, removing the spell that had kept her alive for 175 years by her calculations. And yet she was not in that home now, this was surely no the afterlife, and she was not dead at that. More so, the blasted tree she had been leaning against began talking to her of all things, asking if she was all right and if she felt odd at all. As if such a thing was normal by any stretch of the imagination. Yet, at the same time she felt a familiarity with the talking plant. She could feel the potent magical energies flowing through it, as if it had been enriched with magic for millennia at that.

Then one person had shouted about someone napping against the tree. Another had shouted back about her being some kind of "legendary hero" who had returned. Even as she has slowly regained her wits and her senses, the people in this seemingly vibrant town square around the tree began to argue and shout. It was all...so confusing, to be frank about the matter. Words like "wizard" and "crook" being thrown about, through the tree had been helpful enough to lift her back onto her feet in the course of things. Really, it was the firs thing that seemed trustworthy, though eventually by the time she had regained herself completely it had been too late to really ask anything or speak a word. Two armed guard had stomped in, silencing the crowd and seizing her away from the tree....despite its protests.

Could a tree protest too much? Not that it appreciated having to be shrugged off while trying to pull her back towards it.

The guards had then roughly told Nimue she was breaking a commandment of the queen of Vraweth. Vraweth? Had another nation taken over Camelot over the years, perhaps? Or had the nation come from it? History had always been such a subject to try to understand, one kingdom and place overtaking another as time went on. And right now she was still very confused about thing, but making educated guesses about it all at the very least.

But she had simply gone along with things, not resisting the guards as they rather forcefully and somewhat brutishly escorted her quite a ways. It was a familiar direction to her, but for a bit she could not pin it really. However, eventually they came upon a castle, a great citadel that sat with a familiar glory as compared to Camelot of old. Through the front gate she had been led, past guard and people who looked upon her strangely or with a look of disgust, before finally entering what seemed to be the throne room. And then...well, this had happened. She had seen the familiar glow of Excalibur, the redheaded figure that she thought would never be seen alive again, and the familiar glow of a certain throne the queen sat upon.

"M-Morgan...by the gods....i.......what..... i think by some providence someone has brought us back to life," the fey-blooded wizard exclaimed, Nimue blushing for a moment and stuttering with her continued surprise, before slowly beginning to get her wits about her again, her mind beginning to once more process the things she had seen and such, though her eyes stayed locked into the lovely green of Morgan's own eyes, "But...how long has it been? By Vis, i have missed you though. It was so many years after you died until i...finally met my own end."

What in the name of the Pendragon family was going on in this place?!

However, somewhere far away, deep in a cave located away from the habitation of humans...something began to stir. And by stir, it was more like a great, black colored dragon arising from underneath a pile of gold and jewels and valuable things that had been stored here for millenaia. Heavens, it had been a long time since he had awoken, but right now he had begun to arise, to stretch his great and monstrously sized head, to stretch his great limbs and terrible claws....for a good reason.

"Damned whatever deities or whoever else the hell just did that," the dragon muttered to himself, his booming and tremendous voice echoing in the cavern, "Well, whatever happened someone or something just brought my master to life....probably. Bloody hell, i thought i was done with this stuff....but i had better go see what in hells Nimue had managed to get into this time. Though i better not have to kill another group of bandits after this...but if its a necromancer i'll have a few choice flames for them as well for disrupting me like this..."

Not appearing very happy, though with a flicker of concern behind his vivid and frightening eyes, the great dragon known as Aldebrecht began to lumber his way to the entrance of his domain. As terrible as he also sounded, however, the concern for what had just happened when his mental link with his supposedly-dead master from 12,000 years ago had simply been awoken again out of nowhere.....well, spoke for itself. Not that his attempt to go investigate would prove fruitful in a little while when he would get close to his destination...

@Lyla

Ante Magnus

@Tominas

On the path to Bervenia, Sidepath to Rhyad

Ante laid in the lead wagon with the Caravan Leader. It was a boring trip but to be expected. At least she wasn't out in the sun all day. On the Caravan Leader's suggestion, she attempted to rest some, but found that it was close to impossible to do so right now. "It feels so slow getting there. You guys do this often?" She had to ask.

"Yes, well, I think it's worthwhile. We have plenty of useful resources that they lack in Vraweth." The Leader said, stroking his beard. He was currently counting some different coins, and putting them in their place. "And they, the supplies that we lack. The coin is a good reason as well." He said with a sly smile. Ante couldn't help but laugh at that. It seemed his objective too.

Ante took a look out the front of the open wagon and looked at the camels. Dirty creatures at times, but definitely the best choice for out in the desert like this. The Harenan military used them a lot. "So, we're going to stop by another city now?" Ante said as this bird landed on one of the camels in front. "A bird?"

"Yes, we should be arriving in Rhyad here today sometime. We'll be resting there for the night. They've always been fair to us." The Leader said before looking at the bird that Ante mentioned. "A bird? How rare out here. There are not many out here typically. Perhaps it's because we're getting closer to the town."

"Yea." Ante said looking at the bird some more before putting a finger out closer to it. "Come on little guy, come to me."

---

Eventually the colder rocky mountain gave way to tundra like forests. It all looked so similar, yet so different from when she was here however long ago it was. She took mental notes of a variety of changes in the landscape, but for the most part continued on her way, swiftly moving a few feet above the ground as the wind carried her. After she had woken enough to get her mental faculties in order after the shock of waking up after she was certain to have died, something tugged at the back of her mind.

The image of a city, and knowledge of how to get there. Bervenia. She could at least be certain after drawing a few conclusions that some outside force was the cause of her resurrection. The stone wasn't capable of such things. It could only give life, and take it.

"Gah!" Lost in thought as she was, didn't see the other human in front of her. She crashed into the other human hard enough to knock the sturdy built northerner right off his feet and send her tumbling to the ground, the sparse grass crunching beneath her.

"OOf..." For a few seconds, her head reeled in dizziness. At least there were likely no major injuries from the fall, thanks to the stone.

"Oi, for the love of Vis' holy knickers...!" There was a groan from not far away as Auges sat up, eyeing a rather grumpy looking man who was dressed in a number of furs, carrying a large sack full of what looked to be pelts. A northern hunter? She had very little interactions with the northerners in her time...and wasn't too well versed in their language. This might prove to be a slight problem. She could at least gather from what he had just said that he was in both considerable discomfort and a few base words to work with.

She stood up, brushing a few loose pieces of grass off her robes and cloak as she turned her head back to the man.

"By the northern winds brat, watch where you're running!" He shouted, obviously more than a little upset. "Bloody wolfs breath that almost killed me...what's a kid like you doing out here anyways?...dressed so outlandishly to boot? You're a foreigner from the looks of ye." The man in question was nursing a deep cut on his arm - a bloody knife not far away. Ah...oh dear, looks like when she ran into him she caused him to have a little slip up.

"Apologies," She spoke in a shaky tongue, studying the northern man carefully. "You're hurt."

"Eh? I've had worse from me wife." He chuckled causing Auges to frown slightly. "...You don't speak well, do ya kid?"

"...no." She replied simply. "Not from here." Best to use simple words to get them across well enough. She walked over to the man, and before he could do anything she studied the wound that he had. Before he could say anything there was a spark of red light as she channeled her transmutation - the wound knitting itself close with almost no pain or discomfort. "There. Better."

The man simply stared at the place that once had a medium sized gash in it, and then to Auges. "Well, you're not an average foreigner are ya kid?" The stout man stood, grabbing the knife and the furs he had been carrying back to his home. "Still, not safe out here for a kid like you to be by themselves. You should probably head back home...woods have been getting more dangerous as of late."

Well, perhaps this man could be of some use.

"Map." she continued. "If...possible, I need one of the region."

"You lost or something?" He said, sheathing the knife and turning to face Auges again.

"Traveling. Lost mine." Not entirely true, but it'd be difficult to explain 'flew down a mountain and ran into you'.

"Phew...well, kid, there's a village not to far from here. I can take you with me - probably have a map or something there you can borrow."

"Aha, thank you, sir." She offered him one of her typical small smiles.

"Got a name, kid?"

"Auges...stine. Augestine, sir." Perhaps she was being overly cautious, but...she didn't want people recognizing her if she could help it. She wasn't entirely sure how well known she'd be outside of Harena - and at the moment she didn't any connection to the place...not yet, at least.

"That's not a name ye here every day, is it? Call me Aric. Hunter, trapper...drinker of ale." He chuckled. Auges simply gave him her usual neutral expression in response, though he didn't seem too bothered by it. "Well, lets get to walking. Probably at least take half an hour to get there. Hunting camp was pretty far from civilization, heh."

Auges was glad at least, this northern man was friendly. She had heard tales of them back in Harena...most, weren't exactly the good sort. Adjusting her cloak slightly, she set off after Aric. Once she'd get to this village she'd ask about this Bervenia and where it was at. She already knew the quickest and safest route, oddly enough. It'd only take her a day and a half at most, perhaps, if she traveled non stop and only rested long enough to rest a bit. Still...she'd like to see it on a map before going...get a since of how long she had been dead for.

Cold stone walls as high as the eye could see. Rough and jagged, they would scratch the hands of whoever tried to pass them. Avilus seemed to stare at them for an eternity. The walls never degraded. In fact, with each passing moment, the walls seemed to double in size. Even so, he felt like an observer. The unfriendly rubble - his unfriendly rubble that had managed to be shaped into a quick barrier seemed to be infinite.

As his sense of time and reason was distorted, so was this reality. the rocks seemed to warp and shift whenever he looked away. He couldn't even ask himself basic questions. The walls seemed to get closer and closer. Still, Avilus never moved. He could only look as his creation spiraled out of control. Every time he blinked, the walls seemed to jump towards him. He was surrounded. The stones dug into his flesh and crushed his body. Every time he moved or even took breath, the rocks dug in deeper. Strangely, it didn't hurt. Rather, he felt nothing.

No matter how absurd the scene was, he couldn't question it. He felt oddly at peace. That was, at least, until he felt a distinct burning under him. The heat seemed to travel up his leg, ending beneath his knees. The pain was real this time. He forced himself to look down only to see a large fire contorting his flesh into a black char. He began to scream.

It hurt.

It really hurt.

He began to slam his head into the jagged wall, only for it to crumble away. Freedom. Before he could escape, a new sight appeared. Rather than the stone walls, he saw a new city. One he had never seen. Still, the fire roasted his feet and he had little time to think. He quickly scrambled to escape the fire, only for the vision to vanish into darkness.

Suddenly, light.

Everything ached and his feet felt like they were on fire. Avilis looked around. It would appear that his body was submerged in dirt, save for his feet and head. His head felt caked with generations of soil and his feet were a deep red and covered in sunburns. He slowly raised himself from his dirt nap and investigated his own body.

He was completely nude.

How embarrassing.

Avilus quickly began to search for his bag. He always kept at least one bag with him. Perhaps it would clue him into the mystery of his situation. He managed to find a small leather strap and pulled.

Snap.

The strap had broken, an event that had only caused Avilus to giggle. After a brief and humourous respite, Avilus began to dig into the earth, only to uncover a thick leather sack. He opened it, revealing to himself a change of clothes and numerous novels. He quickly put the clothes on and looked through the books. All of them fell into three categories - humour, gossip, and romance. How embarrassing. In fact, the books had reminded Avilus of his own journal. He always wrote what happened to him.

Rather quickly, he found it. Rather, he found the broken bindings of the book. The pages had been eaten or destroyed by rain. He had no clue on how he got here. The past month had been forgotten, it seemed. He just remembered talking to his advisors, taking a nap, and waking up here. It was quite hilarious, in fact. Avilus had already been rolling on the floor, his chest ready to burst from laughing. Quickly, Avilus jumped on his feet. No point in laughing himself to death in this forest.

He began to walk, his feet aching. It would be a terrible idea to walk with his burns. Rather quickly, his prayers were answered. A farm! He quickly hopped the fence into the staples. A horse! Huzzah! He had thought. He quickly "borrowed" a saddle and placed it upon the horse's back. He opened the gate, jumped on, and rode out.

Of course, the farmer was watching outside in shock. Before he had even a chance to get angry, Avilus grabbed a book from his bag.

"I am commandeering this horse," he yelled as he tossed the book into the man's arms, "reparations!" He quickly rode off. The farmer was confused. Avilus was laughing. He rode straight. He was going to hit something eventually, after all.

".. oh Nimue.." she replied with a sad tone, pulling her friend into a hug once more before nodding. She had finally decided to take a step back and keep talking. "I noticed that too. Apparently I've made a name for myself after years.. or decades.. or centuries. I'm not sure." She gave a slight smile to Nimue. Even though her love, Ovelia hadn't made it or so Morgan assumed, she was none-the-less joyed that she was not pulled into this world completely alone. One might suspect that the images of a city might imply others being revived as well, but she knew Nimue and felt safe in her presence. She had always felt safe, honestly.

Suddenly Morgan felt the presence of another and looked to her right to see the young queen, very clearly shocked but also trying to get their attention. As soon as Morgan recognized her presence, "you are truly her.. and this is.. Nimue?" She gently pointed to the wizard and slowly rubbed her face. "By Avalon, how is this so? The slayer of the western dragon stands before me.. and of course her wizard companion." Morgan raised an eyebrow at that. "However one cannot deny Excalibur's presence," she continued, standing a bit straighter. "We would be honored the assist you in any way Dame Morgan.. though.. may I.. ask, do you know why you have returned? Only by Vis' will are you back with us."

Glancing to Nimue for a moment, Morgan leaned on one of her hips, the throne room completely silent as they waited for her to talk. "I cannot say for sure, but I do know we head to Bervenia.. for reasons unknown. I know my way however, we would only ask for steeds - lest.." She turned her attention to Nimue. "You know of better means to make such a trip? I can only imagine your magical prowess had outstripped my skill in the time you yet lived," Morgan's words seeming proud and easily flattering.

Before Nimue could answer, the queen seemed keen on interjecting just once more. "I see. Perhaps you are here to stop the Dark Moon that hangs in the sky to the east." As Meliadoul got a look of concern from Morgan, she continued, "strange, alien creatures that have never been recorded, appeared to the east twenty years ago. Since then, they have corrupted the lands and slowly pushed back the four kingdoms. I would not say Bervenia is on the front lines, but it only a week's travel to the war." The queen seemed a bit less shocked than the guards, who still seemed to be in quiet awe of the pair, but her body language still spoke of respect and surprise. Not to mention she was far less hostile than she was before. With that, the knight looked back to Nimue, keen on letting her speak now.

---

---

---

Harun blinked, the shrike’s third eyelid sliding across its pupil with an audible snip. Words were being exchanged, and he was sure the young one addressed him, but the language was foreign and strange… which meant that he had likely been gone for longer than he thought. He would have to address that later. For now, though, he hopped up on the girl’s finger, cocking his head and chirping once. A caravan would be good for travel, and as a shrike he would eat less than a mouse. All the thief had to do was ingratiate himself.

The bird hopped on then. It seemed fairly tame, a pet of sorts? Ante looked around but there didn’t seem to be anyone anticipating it. Most birds she ran into would run away quickly. ”What type of birdie are you? It’s pretty.”

”A shrike, I believe.” The Caravan Leader said, staring at the little bird. It was interesting for him to see a bird. ”Odd place for a bird, but there is a city coming up so it might not be so odd.” He added. Looking ahead he noted something in the distance. ”Ahh, yes, a city I spy. Rhyad, it is called.”

The shrike turned its head towards the leader of the caravan, cocking it as if confused. Letting out a small scree, it flapped twice and took off, soaring towards where the tanned trader had pointed. Harun couldn’t understand this language, it had been too many years since his death. But all the same, sure enough, that was a city. Not one he recognized… most likely nothing to be surprised at, there. He needed to find someone who could tell him the date, grab Xil’Gurash from wherever he was, and then he would be on his merry way to Bervenia.

A city which he shouldn’t have known about… That was odd. In his head, he saw a clear route to the city from where he flew. It would only be a week or so, less if he were something a little more conspicuous… He shook his head. Maybe this had something to do with his return to life. He had lived for long enough to know when something wasn’t a coincidence, and this sure as hell was no coincidence. Leaning to his left, the shrike spiraled back down to the girl’s camel, landing with a muffled thud on her shoulder. The caravan was headed that way; he may as well travel in style.

It wasn’t too far, and soon enough the pack of traders crested the final dune on its way down to Rhydal. The city was… Well, it reminded Harun of Cordial. It was busy, though not with walls or guards or glyphs. Most likely, this one existed as part of whatever government that had exchanged places with Kalem over the years. There was a small pang in Harun’s chest, knowing that things had changed so much. Still, he had business to attend to and spirits to speak with, there was no time for moping.

Entering the city, the shrike split off, letting out a small cry as it flew into the streets. Tucking into an alley, the bird disappeared, replaced by a dusty tomcat that walked through town. The thief searched and searched, soon finding what he was seeking. The caravan had kept him well enough, and it wouldn’t hurt to leave a small parting gift.

Twenty minutes later, Harun had found the girl, spiraling down once more as a shrike. He let off a greeting as he descended, catching her attention as he settled down beside her once more, this time a long strand of red gossamer trailing from his tiny beak. It seemed to suit her color scheme, and he offered it up to her with another chirp.

The bird had disappeared as the neared the town. ”Ahh, bye little birdie.” She said as they pulled into town, a few villagers came to the Caravan, knowing them apparently. The exchanged pleasantries a bit. The diminutive form of the language Harena used was pretty similar, at least enough for Ante to talk pretty normally. It seemed as if it were preserved well. It might have just been small packs of people though.

She still wasn’t too sure about the current nations. Harena was gone. . . Naasha? In the middle of thought, the small bird from earlier came down holding a nice red ribbon. ”Oh, you’ve come back little guy and what’s that you’re holding? For me?” This was definitely not something she had expected but she grabbed it from the small thing. It matched her hair well at least and seemed to go with the rest of her outfit as well. It seemed her charm even worked on small animals! ”Why thank you, little Shrike! I appreciate this present much!” There was a fairly large smile across her face now.

Grinning internally, Harun took off. Hospitality was always welcome, regardless of what he looked like at the time. At the end of the day, a ribbon for a place to sit was one of the better trades he had made. Honestly, the girl had reminded him a touch of himself when he was a child… though infinitely cleaner. And nicer. Probably a little less eloquent. He really needed to stop comparing people to himself.

Regardless, he had repaid a kindness with a kindness, and as always the winds were with him. Tucking into an alley, the shrike left as a young man wearing traveler's clothes, exchanged with a bit of gold the thief had pilfered from a fat merchant when she wasn’t looking. The caravan had been nothing but good to him, no reason to be rude. Things were looking up for Harun. He was no longer nude, he had coin at his side… now he needed a knife. With a practiced hand, he plucked one from a man on the road, slipping it into his own belt when no one was looking, ducking into an alleyway, walking out the other side as a tall, dark woman with no knife at all. Old habits died hard.

Still, there was plenty of work to be done, and information to be gathered. He couldn’t speak the language of the locals, but spirits never changed, not really. The smile spread once more at the corners of Harun’s face. There were bargains to be made.

---

Once again, a glass shrike set off from Rhyad, this flying with purpose. Outside of the city borders, Harun didn’t bother with subtlety. He changed mid-flight, the small body of the shrike spreading out to the giant wingspan of the albatross. He was making excellent time, had brightened the day of a friendly young girl, and soon he would have an old friend at his side. At times like this, Harun couldn’t help but to wonder what could possibly go wrong.

"I will not die until I achieve my goal. Even though the journey is one of hardship, I will never give in...therefore, I will die with no regrets."

Current Day, Uncharted Location - Former Capital of Westmarsh

The cold morning wind drifted down from the snowcapped mountain peaks, the icy air rushing down the rocky slopes as they carried the frigid temperatures past the bounds of the mountain. Brushing past the trees dotting the landscape, leaving a rustling of leaves and a bending of branches in its wake. Drifting over the scattered settlements while villagers did their best to numb the bite of the cold air the breeze headed deeper into the wilderness, the paths and buildings giving way to land that had been claimed by nature’s rampant overgrowth.

It was deep in this wilderness that the breeze swept over a long forgotten location, marked only by fragmented ruins that could barely reveal the extent of the proud city that had once stood here. And at the centre of this ancient location, where a patch of scorched earth still lay barren, that the rushing wind stirred awake a sudden visitor to this location.

For what had felt like an eternity, he had only known the feelings of warmth and heat, unburdened and free his sight had always been overwhelmed with the sensation of light. Yet now new sensations flooded his mind, the biting wind chilled his armor and cooled his flesh. The heavy metal of the armor pressed down against him making its weight known while the light he had become accustomed to fled all at once, leaving only the darkness cast by his closed eyes. For a minute the man lay there unmoving, perhaps challenging reality by ignoring the current events and seeing if he would return to his previous state. But as time passed the burdening sensations become stronger as other senses returning, the rushing breeze now reaching his ears and carrying the faint cry of bird songs from the nearby countryside.

”What is going on...where am I?” Icarus thought to himself as he glanced around the unfamiliar landscape. These scattered stone that had been reclaimed by the grasping roots and grass of nature seemed alien to any of his memories. Wrenching the helmet from his head, the cold steel of his gauntlet held his face up as he searched his brains for an answer. What he found though was a familiar presence, one that ignited a trail of memories in his mind and one that he had not felt in an eternity, the one of the Phoenix. As the presence settled within him a fire ignited deep in his soul, flooding heat through his body and driving off the cold and restoring his vitality while strength surged through his body.

With his restored strength Icarus pushed him up from the cold and damp grass while turning his attention inwards. ”Solaris what is happening here, how did I end up in this place?” Icarus asked of his other half. Though the Phoenix had never required the concept of a name Icarus had dubbed it with ‘Solaris’ soon after they were joined and it seemed to have accepted the name without complaint. A wave of thoughts answered his question, the array of images loosing conveying the thoughts of the divine creature - ”You perished during battle - extinguishing yourself and your enemies in one blazing moment”

The answer awakened a flood of memories that all at once rushed back to Icarus, the most prominent of those being that battle in which he fell.



Icarus spent a silent moment mulling over the memories, and more importantly what that meant for the present. ”So I perished that day, so then I take it that this -” he asked the Phoenix as he gestured around the alien landscape “- is the result of what you did? That Westmarsh fell on that day? If so...then how long have I been gone for it to become overtaken by nature? And more importantly why am I back, I thought you mentioned that despite rebirth being a part of your cycle, my body was that of a mortal and thus could not be reborn like yours..

A strong emotion of frustration came from the Phoenix as despite the two of them being joined in one body, it was still a divine creature and could grow annoyed at the curiosity of its more mortal half. ”Yes - this was my work, and yes you were gone long enough for many of your kind’s empires to rise from the earth and fall back to dust. And yes I did tell you that rebirth of your body was beyond my power! It still is”. The Phoenix left the comment to hang there and burn Icarus’s curiosity but the Knight knew better than to ask it’s divine half, if it wished to tell him it would have. Solarius often refused to tell him things he should already know or information that was not meant for a mortal. ”Well if it was beyond your power then...It could only be the work of Vis.

Though Icarus was sure that was the correct conclusion, as who else could have such a power but the Goddess herself, that only raised even more questions. Sighing he shook his head ’If there’s a good reason for this I am certain I will be told. For now I think it’s long past time I left this city behind. Standing up and dusting his armour off, glad to know that the equipment he had perished in had been returned to him, he asked the Phoenix ”Very well, I won’t be getting my answers here so let us be off. I may need you to guide me as this is very different from how I remember”.

His reply was that of a city he had never seen - showing him the path across the land there ’You are needed at Bervenia, I will tell you that much and show you the way there. It is best not to keep them waiting. The last statement was too much for his curiosity to ignore ”Them? What do you mean by them Solarius, are there others or did someone summon me? Icarus demanded from the Phoenix but his only reply was the directions across the landscape to reach Bervenia. ”Blast you Solarius, I forgot just how frustrating you could be!” He replied angrily to the silence before letting out a soft chuckle ”...but, it is good to have you back. Let us see what is in store for us at Bervenia” Icarus finished as he made his way through the wilderness back towards civilisation.

Four days passed and Al’nehak could see the city of Rhyad coming into view. In that time, she had learned a great number of things about the current state of the world. She was still reviled worldwide and textbooks across many schools painted a rather dire picture of her. It was understandable. Revealing herself now would only bring headache but fear was a potent weapon. For now, she decided to travel quietly and avoid trouble. Perhaps there would be a time to reveal her identity.

Her homeland, Zidel, had recovered a great deal since her death although there were still isolated areas that were marked with her corruption. The worst of them, specifically Pila, was quarantined instead. As to what manner of corruption had lingered so strongly after so many years, the crewmembers gave her several fanciful explanations: that Al’nehak cursed the city with her most powerful spells with her dying breath to the most absurd explanation of all was that the Council of the Twelve had deliberately left the city to its own devices in order to study necromancy themselves!

It was an amusing theory and yet it was the only one that gave her some pause. In the many hypothetical scenarios she ran in her head, she found it impossible for the Council to do something like that. They were stubborn and clung hard to the old traditions. To do something so radical was unlike them. She scoffed. Would the blight last if left to its own devices for 4 centuries? No, it seemed very unlikely especially without someone to control it. Then again, it was her most potent version of the blight.

For now, she would dismiss it as nothing more than gossip. Perhaps she’d get to the bottom of it later. What was more pressing was the issue a darkness coming from the east two decades ago and bringing with it, strange and alien creatures, all of them hostile to humanity. And to herald its coming, the lands afflicted with the dark become a frozen wasteland, devoid of light and warmth. The surviving kingdoms have banded together to combat this threat with mixed success.

She felt her brain squirm violently. Strange new alien creatures originating from the east? The very same east where she had felt fear in a very long time? A chill ran down her spine and she felt her fingers twitch uncontrollably. She smiled. There were new specimens to be studied and carefully dissected. Helping humanity in the meantime? That was a nice secondary benefit.

The Grey Goose began its descent into the city’s airport. Not a moment later, the Grey Goose docked and the crewmembers aboard began to unload its cargo. Edward Levin was already on the ground when Al’nehak joined him.

“Here we are, Rhyad. Ms. Amari, You know how to get to Bervenia from here?”

“Yes. It’s all in my head.”

“For someone who kept asking so many questions about the world these four days, you just happen to know the way to Bervenia? Now that is strange indeed.”

Al’nehak gave no answer and instead, merely nodded at Edward Levin. “Thanks for the ride Mr. Levin. Before I depart, let me give you this piece of advice. If I were you, I’d sell that amulet as quickly as I can. I just remember that those who are bound to it experience misfortune. I’d know.”

Before Edward Levin could respond with anything, his mind still processing what Al’nehak was trying to say, the necromancy disappeared into the crowd. Edward Levin scratched his head and took out the amulet he had received as payment.

“Damn, she can be fast when she wants to. Huh, so this amulet brings misfortune?” he said to himself, utterly confused. “It looks completely normal and nothing misfortunate has happened these past 4 days. Maybe I should magically appraise it first. She seemed deadly serious about it,” Edward pondered a moment before he pocketed the amulet once more.

7 silver coins and a list of things to buy. First on the list was a set or two of new clothes and a nice backpack that was good for long distance travelling. For that, she spent 1 silver pieces. Then to secure a ride to Bervenia, she paid 5 silver pieces for a camel as a caravan ride was too expensive.

As the reins to the camel was handed to her, Al’nehak looked at her palm. A single silver coin. A piddling single silver coin. Al’nehak groaned audibly. So much for the list of things to buy. With one silver coin, she’d had to scrap the bottom of the barrel. The most important thing to secure now was provisions but how much could a single silver coin could buy?

“Blast it, I forgotten how much easier it was to just take everything you wanted for yourself,” she thought to herself. “Coming from money does help a lot too. Being good is a pain.”

At the end of her shopping, she had acquire water, some jerky and nuts for the desert trip. For any other normal human, the quantity of the foodstuff she had acquired would be inadequate for the trip but Al’nehak was no normal human. Thanks to her modified body, it was enough to last the trip. The camel would serve as emergency food if things truly went bad in the desert.

Packing everything in her bags, she mounted the camel and began her trek towards Brevenia. Perhaps these visions of the city would clear some things up.

Genbu was spending his time wandering around the new city of Bervenia. It was at least new to him. Considering it probably just grew out of Wudang or over top of it, Bervenia could be thousands of years old. The language had changed quite a bit but, he could still make it out and, what seemed different was easy enough to figure out. It had only been a couple hours of exploring before a set of guards approached him. "Hey, do you have papers for those weapons."

"Uhh, yes, I do." He scrambled to pull the papers out and show the guards. "Yeah, this is the second time today I am being checked." He said sort of nervously as they looked over the document. He mostly just wanted to fill the silence, but he didn't like being questioned so much and began to wonder if it was going to become a regular occurrence.

"Maybe, it's because you're not wearing a shirt." He turned to see a smaller woman speaking up from behind him. "You know you can't just 'search' someone because you feel like it."

"We're just making sure everyone's weapons are legal."

"Yeah right, you'd never inspect anyone as long as they looked official. If had a flag with banner of Vraweth or Zidel, you'd let him do whatever he wanted." The guards had handed his papers back, but Genbu was feeling very uncomfortable as their argument ensued.

"Why don't you pipe down before we search you for illegal weapons."

"Oh, you'd like that. Come on. They aren't worth it." The lost Genbu quietly obeyed. He noticed no one else was really shirtless, although a couple of ladies attire was close, he didn't really think it was that much of a problem though. She led him down the street and into an open alley. "You don't look like you're from around here. What's your name?"

"Uh, It is Genbu and, I am from here. I have just been... away for a while."

"Ya know, I do remember some things from history class. Good job giving the name of an ancient legend. My name's Maya by the way and, what do you need those weapons for anyways?"

"Well, what if I told you I actually am that legend. At least I think I am and, now I am back and I guess I am going to be fighting against the dark moon. Is the Jade Emperor creating an army to fight this dark moon?" Maya just stared at him incredulously.

"Right, the Jade Emperor ruled years ago. He's been long dead. Now the Twilight Trio rule. They've never really built an army before, just a military they call a self-defense force, but since the dark moon appeared, they've been creating a new force. You must be crazy if you plan on fighting those things though. Although, if you claim to be an ancient turtle with a snake tail, you just might be crazy. Can you transform into Genbu?" Genbu looked at her a little daunted from this new information, but he didn't really have any reason to doubt her. It seemed quite the opposite and that she doubted him.

"I can't transform, but this spear and shield are the Generals and, I can do this." Genbu closed his eyes and focused for a moment before his hands began to glow and soon a burst of light flew from them, knocking a trash can a few meters back. That seemed to impress her a little, but not as much as he was hoping. She still definitely doubted him.

"Meh, magic isn't super common, but I've seen better. Anyways, let's go get you a shirt. People aren't going to stop looking at you funny unless your wearing one." He didn't tell her that was only a fraction of his power, but he didn't feel the need to try and convince her. He wasn't sure if the fact that he had no money was important either, but they would figure that out later.

---

For the most part, Auges kept themselves quiet as they walked a few paces behind the larger northern man. Mostly because he was talking and she had no idea what he was saying. She could pick up a few general words and phrases, or at least the general intent behind the words but for the most part trying to speak in any lengthy coherent fashion that would be beneficial would only result in headaches. Instead, she took to making mental notes about the scenery. The north was so vastly different from the Deserts of Harena. She had seen them before of course, but the smell of the pine forests still felt so unfamiliar to her.

The man, Aric, kept talking as they trekked through the forest. The path wasn't a well worn one, and she ended up nearly tripping on multiple occasion. Perhaps that was because she was still lost in thought though. Trying to piece together the little clues she had. But perhaps she was thinking about things too hard as Ante often told her she did. She turned her gaze from the trees in the distance back towards Aric.

"You've been studying that rock for awhile now." He chuckled, glancing over his shoulder at her. Ah? Yeah, she had picked one up a few minutes ago. She had wanted to try practicing to see if being dead had somehow affected her abilities but she wasn't sure if she could do it in front of Aric. She stuffed it in her pocket. "So where you from, kid?"

"Lots...of sand." She replied coolly. Perhaps she could get a bit of information from Aric before she arrived at this small village he had mentioned.

"Sand...eh? What's a kid from Zidel doing all the way out here in Illisk?"

"Learning." She simply replied again. Zidel? That name was unfamiliar to her, as was the name Illisk. Had she been gone long enough for entirely new civilizations to be founded? What had become of Harena then? Perhaps Zidel was simply the more modern name for it? More questions then answers, once again.

"Learning? Esh, you magic types are dedicated at least..." He grunted as he continued to walk. "Well, I won't pry." Auges gave a small nod of appreciation. "We're here anyways!" Aric replied jovially, gesturing forwards. The sounds of voices and other noises that one might expect in a village caught Auges' ears. She had been too caught up in her own thoughts again to notice it.

...ha, she should pay more attention to her surroundings.

She followed Aric into the northern village. It looked much like the ones she passed through to get here in the first place. At least that aspect hadn't changed all too much over however long she had been deceased. A cool breeze blew through the small village, and the sound of idle village life met her ears. Even before committing the sin of suicide she hadn't heard it in so long...it was both comforting and disconcerting at the same time, if such a thing was possible.

"Here we are! Skuror. Own little slice of heaven." Aric gestured towards the scattered wooden houses. "Come on then, my house is on the other side." She nodded quietly, continuing to follow. To say Skuror was a lively place was an understatement. Seemed quite a number of people knew Aric as well, judging from how they greeted him. Most seemed to go about their business and pay her no mind though, which was a blessing. Conversing with multiple people at once would be difficult. It didn't take long for her to follow Aric to his home. He walked up to the door, motioning for Auges to stay outside for a moment as he sat the furs and other items he collected while out hunting on the ground next to it.

Before he could say anything else though, the door to the wooden cabin opened and a rather tall woman dressed in simple furs and cloths exited.

"Aric! 'Bout time you got back." She quickly took note of Auges before he could reply though. The woman looked shocked for a moment before turning her head towards Aric. She placed her arms and gave him a questioning look. "...I know ye have a habit of bringing lost puppies back, but that is not a lost puppy."

"Hey now," Aric shrugged. "The kid was lost in the woods. Couldn't just leave her there, Gyda."

Auges simply turned her head from the older woman to Aric, suppressing the urge to giggle. Ah, being mistaken for a child was as fun as ever when it wasn't being a hindrance. Though, she couldn't really tell what they were saying to well it was clear at least that they were having some good natured humor - likely about her.

"Eh? What's a small thing like her doing out in the forest by themselves?" The woman, Gyda turned her head towards Auges. After a few seconds of processing the words and thinking of a proper sounding reply, Auges finally managed one.

"Not here." The young looking mage simply shook her head in response. "Zidel. Traveling myself. Need to get to Bervenia." At least her words sounded more confident, though. Still, she kept the talking to the minimum. Hm...if she could get her hands on a book, it'd make this a bit easier. "Aric said you may have a map?"

"Aye, we got one of the region. Aric uses it in his hunting trips." The woman, Gyda replied as the smell of freshly cooked meat of some sort wafted out of the door. Oh dear...how long had it been since she actually ate something? She was tempted to stay around for awhile and simply observe things but she should really be going.

"Head inside, Augestine. Gyda here will get it for ya." Nodding quietly, Auges looked towards Gyda who had already moved back into the house.

The rest of the evening past uneventfully. Aric and Gyda were more than friendly, which was a welcome blessing. They even invited her to stay for dinner! She wasn't particularly a fan of northern foods, but after being dead for so long she could really not care. They even offered to let her stay the night if she wanted. Night came swiftly enough. She must have been revived sometime during the late afternoon. She hadn't thought to check the time before. Still, not that it mattered. She couldn't stay until morning. She got up from the sleeping space offered to her, quietly making her way towards the door. Might as well leave something at least in thanks too, shouldn't she?

The transmuter pulled out the stone she had pocketed earlier She didn't have any money with her, so this was the best she could do. She wrapped her hands around the stone, a brief flash of red light emanating from between her fingers. When she opened them again, the stone had shrunk to be much smaller, and shone a gold color.

A small nugget of gold.

She left it on on the table after making some paper and writing a small note, only leaving her name.

Best if she didn't get involved too much with others for now, using her Mulcent Aurae, the transmuter sped off in the direction of Bervenia. With any luck, she'll find answers...

@Lyla@Crusader Lord

---

As the wizard heard Morgan speak well, if not greatly, of the fey-blood's magic skills in front of the entire court, a blush swiftly arose to Nimue's face in a manner not seen in thousands of years. Which is to say, since she had been a hornier teenager or younger adult who had been around Morgan and such. Heavens, she missed the redhead more than she knew...and it was perhaps time to talk to Morgan as well on that note. Yet as she then listened to the queen's words, she began to calm again, taking into account the serious situation that was being presented before them. A dark moon hanging in the east? Alien creatures invading the lands twenty years ago and corrupting everything? Not to mention her only being mentioned as Morgan's "Wizard Companion" leaving her curious as to how their lives had been translated into legend. Poorly to an extent, if the fey-blooded girl had to guess about it all from her gut instincts.

"Perhaps we were returned by Vis for this such occasion, and are to specifically meet in this place i too feel compelled to go to as Morgan stated, now that the current four kingdoms in this age are being attacked by this unknown and likely very dangerous foe from the sounds of things," Nimue said after some thought, speaking aloud as her eyes trailed about the room to see if all were listening, before continuing on with her speaking, "Mortal magic cannot hope to enter the realm of true ressurection only Vis herself would be capable of. Such is the nature of things. Even my own magic only managed to extend my life and cease my aging."

"With that all in mind, however, i and Morgan are likely not the only ones who have been revived in this case. Other 'heroes' of the past of these current nations and past ones might be awaking as we speak right now, if this is such a threat as to fully resurrect at least myself and Morgan for such."

The wizard sighed for a moment, seemingly in her stride as a complete and utter nerd of magic as she spoke to the others, though attempting to analyze the situation aloud at the same time. It would perhaps be nostalgic for the knightess and "Queen of Knights" to see her former sister-in-law like this, who had been the premier mage of her day and age. Even so, as Nimue thought for a moment on what to say, a couple of fingers on her right hand rubbing her temple as her mind's gears began to turn, a slight tremble could be felt even through the stone floor. Not enough to be the likes of an earthquake, but...the sign of something happening. And on that note, the wizard's eyes popped open suddenly, as if remembering something she had forgotten to mention a bit ago. The color left Nimue's face as she looked back between Morgan and the queen, before speaking once more.

"Oh Vis. Oh no. No, no, no. I forgot about Aldebrecht entirely for a bit there. By the gods, the dragon i turned itno my familiar is still alive. And he's on his way here. To see if i am actually alive, probably."

From the reaction it seemed that this might not be the best thing in Nimue's mind to be happening. but at the same time, that sort of tremor was familiar to the mage. The beat of a dragon's wings, a gigantic dragon's wings, was a thing one could never forget. And the panic that could viably ensue if she didn't do something might not be the best for a kingdom already in the middle of war. Not that the people could perhaps hurt Aldrebrecht, but that he could accidentally sit on them as well.

Not to mention the property damage if they managed to anger an already grumpy dragon in some fashion.

---

The queen seemed to key on the wizard's words, folding her arms over slowly as the effect of awe slowly faded from the room, though not entirely as the guards mostly left the trio to discuss. Those who had escorted both heroes eventually went to the side to stand watch - as they had always done. Some of the maids whispered to each other in the distance. Morgan smiled softly, remembering the rants of her friend and sighed silently to herself. 'Ah, same as always,' she thought affectionately. However the shaking of the ground brought the guards on high alert, the queen pulling her own blade as Morgan stood at the ready.

"Wait.." Morgan said, eyeing Nimue. "A dragon familiar?" She could hear the loud beats of wings in the distance. ".. what in Avalon did you do after my death?" she asked, slightly frantic. "Gods, I do hope he will behave, at least?" she continued, wanting to make sure that everything was okay at least. To that, the queen tightened her grip on her blade, but motioned the guards to stand-by, getting the gist that the dragon may be friendly. However dragons in general was amazingly powerful and extremely rare - the only reason Morgan has even managed was because of Excalibur, back then.

---

"Morgan," Nimue said, moving over to the slightly frantic knightess and putting her hands on her shoulders, trying to look Morgan in the eyes and assert a sense of calm to her, even as she herself tried her best to allow the color to return to her already pale face, sincere care for and a genuine attempt to soothe the redheaded knightess shining in her eyes at the same time, "It will be ok. He'll be fine here. As long as i'm here he won't try to eat anyone or such. He definitely knows better than that. Though he will likely be grumpy."

Hopefully. Hopefully Aldebrecht would not eat anyone or such, but she could not say that aloud without perhaps setting the entire area on alert to attack a dragon if he but breathed in their general direction. Which would not end well for the kingdom, rather than ending badly for Aldebrecht. Oh in the name of Vis, she hoped the dragon would be on his best behavior....which at times was not saying much. Of course she could still beat the old lizard after all these years, she guessed, as she was back in her prime and Aldebrecht had been around sitting for heavens knew how many millennia since Nimue's.....first death. In that case it would be like old times....minus keeping the fight away from a town. And in this case, the current queen was here of this land and was likely not equipped to fight a dragon if she guessed right.

"Wizard, are you alive or is a necromancer playing tricks?" a great, booming voice said, reverberating through the walls of the castle like an echo chamber for a moment before fading away again.

'Aldebrecht, please just land outside the castle. I swear to Vis that you are going to startle the people in here with me at this rate!' Nimue communicated to her familiar, using the mental link she sensed had been reestablished between the two of them.

"Ah. That same nagging tone as always, Nimue. Fine. I'll land outside the castle, but i can't promise part of the forest won't get a bit squashed in the process," the dragon said aloud, too lazy to communicate back through the link and instead speaking aloud again where all could hear, even as the boom of his wings lightly shook the stones of the castle and a great 'thud' shook the very ground itself a bit as he finally landed on the ground. And indeed, he would be squishing at least a few trees in the process. As for people, he had avoided smashing them, though to him it likely wouldn't have mattered if he didn't remember that Nimue could transmute him into a blasted mouse again if he angered her. He had make that mistake a few too many times several millennia ago when he had traveled with her.

Nimue sighed, hearing a few small shouts outside as more than a few people likely began to notice a rare dragon, among the already rare species of dragons in general, sitting next to the castle with a perturbed and grumpy look on his face from being interrupted from his nap. Though as much as she sighed and tried to be confident, the color never really returned to her face at all. Indeed, the mage was still an amount nervous after all of this time, but mostly for the reaction of others and fearing that half the area might be burned down if the dragon was tipped over the cliff of emotions and into an actually terrible mood beyond his general grumpiness.

---

Everyone in the throne room was quiet for a few seconds before Meliadoul spoke up, gesturing to the royal guards. "Go outside and calm the people down - let the guards know that the dragon is fine. Fetch Odessa while you're at it. I'll be out in a moment." The guards ether saluted or simply took off, following their queen's commands without question. Eventually, she put her blade away and looked at Nimue. "I trust you.. but please make sure that he is.. civil.." she replied, hesitantly, as if it was hard to garner the attitude to just accept the presence of a friendly dragon. With a nod, "Dame Morgan, Lady Nimue.." She then started a jog outside the castle herself. Which only left the pair for the moment.

Taking in a deep breath, Morgan slowly relaxed and watched Nimue for a few moments. ".. and you know I trust you as well - with my life. If you say the dragon is friendly and civil, then I have no reason to doubt your word." At that, she simply smiled, seeming far, far less shaken about it than just about anyone. "Perhaps it would be best we speak with your companion though? He obviously went out of his way to see you - as grumpy as he may be." At that Morgan almost snickered, gesturing for Nimue to lead the way.

---

"It would be more than best to speak with him. He was probably hibernating a lot of the time since my death. Were he to exhaust himself too much, he'd have to feed....and..." the mage said, slightly skittish in her words for a moment as she continued to try to smile at Morgan, letting the words trail off purposefully to hint to Morgan just how bad that could be if Aldebrecht of all dragons had to actually feed. A giant among dragons, a titan as compared to humans, and immense grumpiness that would make Vis unable to make him smile, but that was Aldebrecht. Able to eat the entire countryside if he was hungry, too lazy to get on Nimue's bad side unless he really got that hungry.

And even then he had that hoard of gold of his to snack on if needed.

Leading Morgan through the castle, asserting a sense of calm as she noticed the regular people about them either going about their business or scrambling in a slight panic, until they came to the outside of of the queen's stone and well-built domain. However, as they turned the corner and looked upon the new arrival, it was hard not to see it as a rare and terrifying sight of the great and majestic dragon. Standing before them was an immense dragon, at least "immense" as compared to any human, a glowing pattern on its stomach and pieces of gold, jewels, and other treasure encrusted near permanently into his stomach scales. Further, his body all over was coated in great, weighty black scales that would seem to weight a great deal each. A pair of jagged, turned horns lied upon his head, crusty and fearsome looking from sheer age and experience in...goring thing on occasion. Perhaps other dragons that had gotten on his bade side? A pair of fearsome, draconic, ancient eyes were locked into his head, sitting above the great maw that held his array of teeth and could expel the mighty fire of a dragon. Even his sheer size was enough to make a few guard outside, despite their bravest faces, seem as if they were nigh to pooping their pants on the spot. Especially since the dragon sat there with a patient but ultimately grumpy disposition about him.

"Ah, mage. It is really is you, and not some corpse-puppet necromancer raised. I suppose your sleep was far better than those i've taken in the last 12,000 years?" the dragon said as he noticed Nimue, his voice booming with an echo bouncing off of the castle walls, not seeming very surprised upon seeing Nimue, though he raised an eyebrow at seeing Morgan as well, "Ah, is that the woman you went on and on about back then? The little dragonslayer? Haha. This is quite the sight. But I swear, if you don't tell her you've always wanted to get-"

"Aldebrecht! Don't you dare finish that sentence!" the mage said in a frustrated manner at the dragon's words, her cheeks puffing for a moment as a deep blush came to her face, a glare akin to a thousand blades shooting its way into the great dragon like he was an annoying sibling who tried to tell her secrets out in the blue, though after this the great dragon laughed and left Nimue finally calming down a bit more than before, though to her it seemed he had not changed a single bit in these millennia, "By Vis, i never should have divulged that to you back then.... Still, it is good to see you, for what it is worth, you big scaly old lizard."

The dragon scoffed for a moment, as if playfully offended, his grumpiness fading for a moment as the banter seemed to bring up his spirit briefly, before he spake once again in his same voice.

"Old and scaly is right, little mage. Ah, but hearing you again bring up this old dragon's heart a little. Mind you, this does not make up for your presence waking me again, though at least i don't have to scorch the area to try to kill some necromancer if you had been some shambling corpse right now."

That was another thing Nimue had been worried about. Aldebrecht was not the one to take the hard route to such a problem. Not that he was dumb, but he needed quite a lot of rest for a dragon. And really, he wasn't the oldest among dragon if it had been as long as he had said. Still, mentally gulping and pushing away that former fear, the mage let out a sigh of relief before a small smile donned her face whilst Aldebrecht went back to his grumpy appearance and expression once more. Not that he wasn't happy, but the was probably very tired right now.

"You're lucky i didn't catch you doing such a thing, or else it'd turn you into a mouse. Still, you've earned your rest after all we went through, so don't think i'll be calling on you at all unless i seriously, truly need it," Nimue continued, speaking before looking to her side, remembering Morgan was there again as well before gesturing to the redhead next to her. Nostalgia was truly a distracting thing sometimes, "Ah, but you already noticed Morgan. Aldebrecht, this is Morgan. Morgan, this is Aldebrecht...who was my traveling companion for a time in the past."

---

While even the queen seemed slightly shaken by the massive building-like creature that was Aldebrecht, Morgan seemed nearly unphased by the creature's presence. However she did raise her eyebrow at the title, 'little dragonslayer.' The only thing she could do is mentally smirk - oh, how little did he know of her prowess, especially with her time spent in Avalon. If nothing else, her causally fearless expression would do enough to likely pique the dragon's curiosity, even if it was silently given. Though she was unsure of the embarrassment that Nimue gave way to, wondering what it was that Nimue wanted to get. 'Strange,' she thought quietly. None-the-less, the two bantered a bit before she was finally introduced. Normally Morgan would have felt it polite to bow or some other similar gesture, but in this case, she felt it might make a bigger impression if she stood her ground.

"Well met," she said, standing, no fear in her eyes. "It is a pleasure," was all she could think of adding. After all, she did not know the dragon, but he seemed civil enough, if cranky from lack of apparent sleep.

In the meanwhile, Meliadoul stood, watching the exchange before trying to reassure her men that it was okay - that if Morgan seemed comfortable - then things were likely not as dire as it might seem. Though she even thought it was quite the scare to see such a large dragon, never mind a dragon at all! Regardless, before long a woman with short, brown hair came marching outside. She seemed on edge, thanks to Nimue's companion, but otherwise was collected much like the queen. She wore light plate, though it looked custom made and master crafted, with dual shorts swords on her hips. Speaking softly to the queen for a few moments, she simply bowed her head and wandered off. The queen stood to the side, looking as if wanting to speak to the pair, but being polite and not interrupting their conversation with Aldebrecht.

---

"Ah, the pleasure is mine as well, i suppose," the dragon said, giving an audible chuckle before continuing on, amused by the redhead's silent fearlessness and standing her ground, "Truly if i wanted a fight you would seem to give a good challenge in the process. It has been a long time since i saw someone stand there like that before me."

Afterwards, the dragon seemed to slightly...was he shrugging for a moment there?

"Still, after all these years i'm still very much due for a nap, and i'm very keen now to get back to my lair of all things. Unless the entire countryside is willing to become my next meal if i stay up too much. Of course, no one should think that they would be following me back home either. I could do for a lovely warm snack in that case," the dragon said, a slight grumpiness easily leaking into his words amidst his casually speaking, like this as if it was nothing special to him but also was a very real threat to any possible treasure-seekers who might want to follow him back to his home.

Truly, he had seen a lot in his thousands of years of being alive by this point in time, including the occasional idiot trying to take his things. In that case, eating them alive was rather enjoyable to his palette, "But whatever deity decided to bring you both back, just try not to waste it too soon. I've seen how brief you little humans tend to live, short of transmuting yourselves like the little mage there did to extend her own life by a great deal before."

"So with that, i suppose, i will be off."

Giving a great heave of his wings, sending great gusts of wind that bouced off of the sides of the castle walls, and perhaps cracked or broke a few smaller windows in the process, Aldebrecht's immense form began to move off of the ground with each beating of his great wingspan that was surprising even for a dragon. Bit by bit he would move himself off of the ground, until in the air once more he began to fly back towards his lair of treasures. Much to the likely relief of the queen and others, this direction would take him far from the castle itself, in the opposite direction actually. But all the same, Nimue felt glad for the dragon's sudden departure as well, fitting after the things he had said and the like. Dragons could sleep for a long time, and his boast of eating the entire countryside was no false thing either. That was literally what she had stopped him from doing all those millennia ago, as he had been in the middle of a feeding when she had run into him first.

Turning to Morgan, and noting the queen's seeming appearance of wanting to speak to them, the mage calmly noted the situation before speaking once more.

"Ah...well, that was Aldebrecht for you," Nimue said, her tone and appearance becoming calmer as the dragon grew ever distant to them, addressing Morgan directly though indirectly being able to be heard by the queen near them as well, "Still, Morgan, i think the queen might want to speak to us. At least...since Aldebrecht is finally gone."

Ante Magnus

Ante and the caravan spent the night at the town. Supposedly, they should be out of the sandy areas soon. The thought alone made Ante feel as if she were leaving her home. . . But that has been gone for many, many years. Regardless, they gather their things, pack the wagons back up, check supplies, feed the camels. . . And a few other things. Soon enough, they're on the road north. Ante takes a seat in the front carriage with the Leader. "It's always exciting going on the road again." He mentioned, looking towards the coming road. For now, it was all sand. Soon enough, however, there would be more and more green. A world that Ante had never really seen before. Or, was it moreso a world that Ante never really had a chance to visit? "Have you ever been this far north before?"

Ante just looked at him and the out the front of the wagon. "I. . ." Ante wasn't sure what this place was called anymore. It wasn't Harena. Naasha? Likely not. "I've not left the sand in my life, aside the life saving rivers." It was truely sad to think about. A life encompassing one grand city and it's outlying regions. . . As well as a twin that was well loved.

"Ahhh, one of those types, heh?" The Leader said with a slight couple of nods. "Yes, yes. I thought you one that has never left the sand's embrace. Worry not, my friend. For soon, you will enjoy the sight of wonder greens and color you likely have not seen in such abundance." Ante was unsure how to reply to that with anything but a somewhat unsure nod.

"Uhhh, yea, sure. . ." The Bladedancer let out. Green? That sounded. . . Like an Oasis? "Well, I don't have a clue. I'll just believe you on it then. Isn't it a mostly sandy world out there? I've heard stories but. . ."

The Leader just smirked. "It is grand, very grand, I assure you!" He seemed very confident in that. "That said, it makes it easier for bandits to ambush caravans. So be prepared." With that warning, the caravan slowly made it's way through the desert. Ante made idle talk with the Leader to try and figure out the current situation of the world. Luckily, The Leader took most of the questions as someone from a backward village ignorant of the world. And soon enough, they came to a mountain pass, terrain different from much of what Ante had seen since the journey began. "Ahh, we'll see the new terrain . . . Well, rather soon."

There was a small camp set up at the pass. A town, really. Not much happened here, the caravan stopped for a little rest, but the day was still young so they continued after a couple hours. A few more hours, the sand started to disappear into a brown grass. Not entirely unknown, this was still a sight for Ante. Before much longer, the grass started getting more and more green. Then, trees. More and more until there was nothing but trees the eyes could behold aside the road in front of them. "This. . . This is amazing!" Ante said, looking at all the foliage with awe. Trees were not unheard of or unseen, but this much was a different story altogether. "You were right. This is really pretty. I've never seen this before. I wish Auge... Nevermind that." Ante had a slightly down look before retreating back inside the carriage. "Well, how much longer before we get there then?"

After a slightly confused look, the Leader spoke, "Not too much longer. A day, two, maybe three. We'll have to rest soon though, camels are looking a little tired." He moved over to the front of the carriage and spoke to the driver before coming back to the back and making a hand gesture to another, signaling they were going to stop soon. There was a clearing big enough for them to hitch the camels, settle the wagons and make camp. It was simple enough. They obviously had plenty of experience and by now, so did Ante. It was cozy as it could really be.

The night went by quietly. Once morning came, they packed up and set out on the road again. Not long after, something did happen. A whistle. Loud, and from the backside of the entire Caravan. "I knew it, some bandits. One whistle means. . . Not too many. My friend, could you go and deal with them?" He asked Ante, getting a simple nodded before the Bladedancer hopped out of the backside and made it toward the back. This was by no means a small caravan either and took a little to get to the back.

By time Ante had got there, a couple of the merchants were fighting off some men. Even further out were some enemies on horseback. The first thing done, was dispatching of those currently fighting. Ante willed the Infinitus Gladius to turn into a small dagger, slicing the neck of the first bandit and then stabbing the other in the back. "I don't know you, but my apologies." She said to the dead, and badly wounded bandit. Next, was a wild throw at one of the four men on horseback. It pierced him in the shoulder and was either powerful enough, or shocking enough he fell off his mount. The horse itself veered to the side and hit one of the other riders before running off out of sight. The dagger quickly returned to Ante's hand and threw it again, hitting another rider in the chest, killing him instantly. The other two, not wanting to die most likely, stopped their advance and ran off at the sight of a fourteen year old girl that either killed or badly wounded four of their "friends."

"I feel sloppy." Ante mentioned looking at the bodies. A couple of the merchants went to settle the horse down and remove the body. A nice prize for a job well done. After a multitude of thanks, Ante returned to the front-most carriage and to the Leader. "It wasn't much. Probably nothing your merchants couldn't handle."

[b]"Truth as that is, we didn't have anyone with an injury. We can be thankful for that."[/color] The Leader said, before they continued on their journey to the city. It wasn't far away now.

The doors creaked open as a man dressed in blue and white armor appeared. "Yes madam?" His voice echoed ever so softly within the room, filled with bookshelves and skylights, that shined just beautifully within the makeshift library.

"Ah, yes, yes. Um... he's here! The one, the one? Yes. Please bring him to me! He doesn't have a shirt, after all - easy to spot. Have a spear and shield? You know the one, I'm sure. Goes by Genbu. Be a dear and fetch him, will you?" The speaker, a seemingly young girl dressed in green with almost a glow about her, who also happened to be spinning in her chair as she spoke - like a child. She giggled softly as she finished, flashing a girlish smile at the star knight.

"Of course, madam," he simply said, bowing his head with the utmost respect. Within moments, he had disappeared, closing the old doors behind him.

---

Before Genbu could make his way to buying a shirt, a guard seemed to come from around the corner. He was dressed differently than the city guard, signaling him as different than the others - of course everyone in Bervenia knew them as the star knights. It had been the same man from before, strong-looking and sporting a trimmed beard. "Excuse me, Genbu?" he asked, slowing to a stop before the legendary hero. "Madam Royce would like to see you." Unbeknownst to Genbu, he had just been summoned by one of the Twilight Trio.