Morgan raised an eyebrow at the dragon's comment. She hadn't meant to stand as if she was scared there would be a fight - in fight, she just didn't feel fear. She had been a fairly fearless person before her death, but this seemed different. Perhaps a blessing given to her after her revival? Surely it wasn't hard to imagine she would have a few more blessings than she did in her previous life. However, she truly wondered if the old creature understood what he was saying. After all, Excalibur was a force to be reckoned with, even if it wasn't specified towards dragonkind. Regardless, she was keen on letting the dragon leave, especially since she could sense the unease of the men around her. Surprised they hadn't been more uneasy though - perhaps some effect she had with her new blessing. "Do not worry, ser - I'll protect her with my life," she reassured the giant dragon, to which he only gave a slight snort.

"He seemed unique, even among the dragons," she replied with a soft smile. 'Gods, I've missed her,' she silently thought to herself before nodding and gesturing to the queen they were done, though she did not mean to command royalty.

Meliadoul walked over, not seeming offended by the gesture and looked to the sky for a moment. "Well.. it is pleasant that he's on our side. Vis knows we need as much help as we can muster." Her eyes found the pair once more and nodded. "It'll take until the morning to get a pair of horses ready for travel. While airship might faster, it's loaned to the front lines, so it's the best we can offer." She sounded a little apologetic. "One of the guards will escort you to your room - you'll probably see Odessa, my knight commander, who's prepared it for you both. Unless you need more of me, I need to direct orders to the front lines. Unless you have any questions?"

".. actually," Morgan started, "what are these creatures that plague the land? You.. said alien?" While she had plans on how to reach the trade city in her head, she hadn't a clue what the danger was exactly. It was not oft that people used the term alien. That implied no one could explain where they were from. Even the fey, from Avalon, were never referred to as such despite being on a different plane of existence.

"Aye," she replied, letting out a sigh and a shrug. "They are abominations of the strangest order. The closest thing they resemble are demons, but even then.. they are somehow colder and strange than even those evil monsters. As far as we know, they simply showed up twenty years ago - from Eagrose to the east - and corrupted the land into a frozen dark wasteland. They are as fast as the most agile desertman and strong as the northernmen. Perhaps even more so. We lose ground each day, though it is slow. They seem nearly endless." The queen frowned slightly and shook her head. "Thankfully heroes of our own time.. have held well enough.. I only pray you and the others can tip the scale." With that, she gave a sad nod and glanced to Nimue. "M'lady? Do you have anything to ask before I go back to my duties?"

---

Note to Self: Being dead made one loose lots of practice.

Auges’ feet hit the ground near a small pond in the middle of the thick forests of Illisk. Ugh, how did she get so tired so quickly? Was the stone out of power? Or was she just getting careless? Or had she got so lost in thought she had just traveled further than she intended and ended up wearing herself out? Blegh, at least this little clearing made for a good rest area. The transmuter sighed, yawning and stretching as she walked over to the water's edge and pulled off her boots.

“Whew...” She shook her head, taking a seat her the edge of the pond and letting her feet soak. The water was...oddly clean and clear, for an unmoving pond in the middle of the forest. Felt very...clean, too. Odd. So was the large tree on the opposite side of the small grove. That tree looked like it had to be ancient. Gnarled, twisted roots snaked along the ground, all the way around the pond and it was a good few meters taller than the rest of the trees.

If she wasn’t in a hurry, she’d stay and study it.

But for now, a drink.

Auges reached into the wet soil at the bottom of the pond, a flash of red as she pulled up a number of clear glass vials filled already with crystal clean water. Well, might as well get some more practical and fast ready to use weapons.

As Auges went about the area, she noticed that the sounds of animals increased. Namely, birds. The songs became louder and more numerous. Even beyond that, deer and other animals of the like would be noticeable through the foliage. They were just congregating as if some force commanded them as such.

Auges stopped drinking from the vial, observing the congregating animals curiously. This certainly wasn't an average happening, was it? She stood, quickly putting her boots back on in case she had to make a swift exit. She tugged lightly on the chain the stone was hanging from. Could never be too careful.

Before being able to make a move, Auges would notice something odd happening with the tree that was peculiar. It seemed as if the bark on the tree was being pulled apart by some supernatural force. Inside of that was something quite remarkable. Something not quite human, yet not quite a beast. It bore significant resemblance to a human, but the feathered body and wooden horns on its head said otherwise. Not to mention the pitch eyes that studied around before falling face first out and onto the grass.

She didn't know what she had just witnessed with the tree, but whoever that was looked like they were injured, or at least tired. Perhaps it was fortuitous that she ended up at this lake. She quickly stashed the vials into the holders on the inside of her cloak, quickly casting Aurae to skim across the pond and towards the tree to where the feathered woman was.

She approached slowly at first, but upon coming to the conclusion this wasn't some sort of hostile humanoid Auges fell back on her doctor skills and practices. She first felt for a pulse, for a fever, and quickly checked the obvious for any signs of distress. Upon finding none, Auges simply stood over the humanoid, eyes furrowed. She doubted they would understand her words, but she had to at least see if she could wake them.

"Hello?" She spoke softly. "Are you ill?"

The being pushed itself up slightly, but found the feat difficult and plopped back down. After a bit of a struggle, it held a hand out, spread out it’s fingers and practically dug into the ground. After a minute of this, the being started to push up again, this time being more successful. Finally, it showed itself to Auges. Though it was likely more a “she” than an “it.” ”I am merely weakened from the years of slumber.” She studied Auges’ face and body before speaking again. ”A child?”

She…She could understand this creature perfectly? And it seemed she could understand her? Auges audibly giggled. Oh, oh, this would certainly be so much fun!~

"Well, miss," She spoke in the childish tone she usually spoke with. "I certainly look like a child." She giggled. "But what about you? You just popped out of that tree like an apple! Though, an apple wouldn't be as pretty as you."

”As pretty as me?” The being asked. She was slightly confused. ”Most find this appearance daunting. Or perhaps not appeasing.” How odd was this child, she thought. ”Regardless, you may call me Maire. Would you tell me yours, so I don’t have to keep calling you ‘Child.’”

"Auges, miss! Nice to meet you, Maire!" She replied with a grin. "And what'dya mean that most would find it disturbing or unappealing? Your feathers are so pretty!" Auges continued to offer Maire a happy, child-like grin. "Uhm uhm, so. What are ya doin all the way out here inside of a tree?" Information was always good.

Maire couldn’t help but give a smile. Such flattery in the first few minutes of talking? Someone was a smooth talker. She walked over and gave Auges a gentle hug. ”My you’re a cute child. That said, you ask why I was inside the tree?” She added, breaking the hug and looking back at the tree. It wasn’t a tree she remembered. ”The last I remember was slaying the dragon and then. . .” Maire went almost deathly silent, putting her thumb to her lips and then shaking her head. ”I should be dead. Or, perhaps, forever the trees. I should not be as this. I gave myself to revive the forest.”

Yes. Plan successful. Hugs from pretty lady. Auges you smooth talker you. Being a child was such a good idea. For a few seconds, Auges seemingly enjoyed the contact perhaps a bit too much before realizing she might get a little suspicious of that. But…that was concerning. Dead? Dragon? Curious, but perhaps?...

"E-eh? You died?" Auges considered a few options here. She could tell Maire. That would be the polite, nice, and decent human being thing to do. They had a common circumstance, after all. "B-but you're here, so you can't have died!"

Or she could not.

That was always an option.

"Hmm, it is such a pretty tree though…so maybe you just slept for a while?" Ahh…she wondered how long she was going to get to play the naïve child? Or at least, how long Maire would buy it?

Maire was too concerned with her current predicament to be worried about the personality of a child. Rather, she needed to explain there was no other way. ”No. This can’t be possible. The forest was destroyed. To bring it back, I used the last of my strength and the strength of many spirits to revive it. I shouldn’t be here.” She pondered the possibilities. There was no possible way for Callaeci to be responsible. Regardless of how much power the spirit would have gained, it could not bring her back. ”I know of nothing that can give life to those no longer with us.”

"But you're standing here and I'm talking to you." Auges replied with a quiet giggle. "So…maybe not worry about it for now?" That seemed like the sensible thing to do in this situation. "Hey, um," She hesitated for a moment before continuing. She should hide things completely, at least. "If you don't have anywhere to go, maybe you could travel with me? I'm heading to a city called Bervenia to the south of here! They have a really great library. Maybe you could find something there?"

”Even so, wouldn’t you find it weird to remember effectively dying, only to wake up healthy enough?” She had to ask. Perhaps it were a fruitless question, but she needed to ask it. It was the oddest thing to her.

"Well…I guess? I haven't thought much about it today. I just need to get to the city." She replied, frowning slightly. Oops, a tiny little slip there. Ah well, maybe she wouldn't notice. "…hey, can you fly us there pretty bird lady? Walking all the way there would be difficult and my feet are already tired from hiking all the way down those mountains."

”I can. . .” Maire said, but now she was suspicious. ”But I should ask how much you thought of ‘it’ beforehand.”

Auges simply tilted her head quizzically to the side, holding her arms behind her back as she smiled up at Maire.

”Nothing? So be it. If that is so, perhaps I’ll find the answers I seek in the forest. I might not be able to fly you to the town as it is then.” Besides, she wanted to see the state of the village. She might be able to find out how many years it has been since she’s been gone. ”You’re more than welcome to come with me, Auges. I want to see something with my own eyes either way.”

"Eeeeh?" Auges pouted a bit as the offer of flight was rejected. On the other hand though, she might as well tag along with bird lady for now. "Hey, leaving a defenseless kid like me alone in the forest is bad." She giggled. "But I'll tag along! I'm curious."

”If a wild animal ate you, it’d be the natural state of things. Not that it’d likely happen either way. The animals here should be peaceful enough to humans.” Maire said as she started moving towards the location of Derwent. She answered the onslaught of questions that came from Auges. Many of them were about herself and she answered what she found not incredibly personal.

Soon enough, the duo found themselves at a river. A look at it would likely tell Auges that it was just how it has always been, but for Maire it was something very different. ”This use to be where the bridge to Derwent was.” She retrieved a jewel from on her person beneath her mass of hair. It gave a soft light and the water cleared and showed a line of rocks from one side of the river to the other. According to her words, these were likely the remnants of the bridge. Whatever has not eroded away. ”It’s been a long time.” She looked notably sad. She really didn’t need any more to know what was going on. There were large trees where the village should have been.

Auges was silent as Maire observed the place where she had likely once lived. She wasn't able to really get a lot of information from the feathery woman, but…well, it'd be cruel and unusual to keep messing with her like she was. Auges walked closer to Maire, grabbing her hand gently as she looked up at the woman.

"Well...I don't know what was once here. I don't know any more than you do, Maire. I woke up myself not too far from here." Her voice lost that childlike inflection she had been speaking with earlier, and had taken a somewhat more mature and serious tone. "I am Saint Auges of Harena. Doctor, healer, and…well, let's just say a bit older than I look, heh." She giggled. "I don't know what happened either, but I'm…in a bit of a similar situation to you." She gave Maire's hand a gentle squeeze.

"I am not entirely sure what happened, but I have a strange compulsion to travel to Bervenia. It's a city to the south of here. I am quite sure we can find some answers there." She released the hand of the woman, before giggling in her previously childish fashion. "So hey hey, maybe we can fly there now?" She looked at Maire eagerly.

There was a lot to take in. Bervenia? Saint? Harena? None of those words matched anything that Maire knew. Maybe most surprising was the change in tone. She knew the child was hiding something, but not that she wasn’t, in fact, a child. She didn’t have much time to ponder Auges’ change when she had a sudden vision in her head. A stone city. Something grand in design, but it didn’t sit well with Maire. . . Either way, she felt that there was a need for her to get there. Was this not the same place Auges wanted to get there. ”I don’t know how I should take your deceit, but I’ll assume it was to protect yourself.” The water that was being separated by Maire churned and then crashed together loudly. She just looked at Auges calmly and with grace. ”Just be sure not to hold back or hide important things.”

Hopefully, Auges realized that a fall from the air would be the end to a recently given life. ”Now stand back for a bit.” She ordered. She seemed to focus and soon enough a pair of wings pierced their ways through the rough mass of hair that covered her body. They were beautiful and large wings that shared color with the feathers that covered her body. She flapped them a few times, making sure she had a correct feel for them. They felt as they did in the past. That aside, her hair that reached the ground got in the way. ”How annoying. Auges, do you have something that could help keep my hair out of the way?” She didn’t want to cut it, but perhaps a “doctor” as she called herself, had a way to pull it back.

Her hair? Auges contemplated it for a second before seemingly coming up with an idea. It was a such a pretty silver color, so it should have something equally as pretty to go with it. She walked a few feet away before reaching down, and taking a handful of grass from the forest floor. A flash of red light, and the pieces of grass had formed into a neat hair tie. No, not good enough just yet…hmm, she spotted a few red flowers growing some distance away. With a satisfied smile she walked over and picked one, and with the same magic before twisted the red flower into the hair tie. She walked back over to Maire and set about tying up her hair with the grass tie. It was rather simple for now, but it was a bit stronger than normal grass thanks to the stone.

"Annnd done!~" She giggled. "I think that looks wonderful on you."

”Wonderful. Thank you.” Maire said, flapping her wings a few times to test them again. It was much easier now. Now that all the resistance was gone. It was time to test her wings. She crouched slightly and with a single large blast from her wings, she took through the trees and into the air.

Auges had not been expected a blast of wind to the face, completely messing up her hair and cloak. That said, she was too focused on Maire to really even notice. That was…really amazing, honestly. Sure she could fly with the aid of magic, but she had never seen a creature - or persona rather, quite like this before. To say she was intrigued was…well, an understatement.

Wait, right, she should be up there with her.

"W-wah! Hey, don't forget me!"

A couple of minutes later, Maire landed. It wasn’t the most gentle landing, but she seemed perfectly fine. ”Apologies, I needed to test my wings. If I’ve been gone for as long as it seems, I wanted to be sure of their strength. It seems it is not a problem.” The Bird-Woman walked over to Auges and put her arms around the child’s torso. It was the best way to hold on to someone her size, after all. ”Are you ready, Auges? Hopefully you don’t feel sick.”

"Wah? Sick? Don't worry about that. Heights don't bother me! Besides, a strong pretty lady like you wouldn't drop me."

”I’m not talking about that so much but. . . Well, if you’re alright with it, let’s go.” Double-checking her grip, Maire took off with the same amount of force as last time. What she really meant was the take off. It was a bit. . . Rough. Regardless, they headed south towards Bervenia at a decent pace.

Al’nehak stifled a yawn as she continued her way down a dirt road. The air was quite different from what she was used to. The air of Bervenia was a different change. It was warm and carried a scent of fresh growing grass. Her eyes looked up again looking around as if expecting something new. Far into the distance she saw was a commune of farms. She saw a lone rancher atop his horse motioning at his herd of cattle to continue moving forward. She saw verdant grassy hills jutting out of the ground and clusters of wildflowers -beautiful marigolds- in front of her before her camel decided to make that its snack.

“What an idyllic view! You wouldn’t even realize that there is a war raging on the east,” she remarked humorously to herself.

Al’nehak yanked her reins and gave a light kick to the camel. Time was wasting and her steed had already rested an hour prior. The beast let out a long, guttural groan and reached down for one last bite before continuing to move once more.

She let out a small exasperated sigh. The city was actually not that far. Perhaps another hour or two at the rate she was moving. Still, it would be so much easier to kill the camel at the start and raise it as her steed. Travel time would be reduced significantly among other benefits. But alas, this would blow her cover and she was fairly certain a necromancer’s reputation wasn’t all that hot in the present day, especially so when there were books written about her in the most negative light.

The oldest and strongest emotion of man is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear was fear of the unknown. She had hoped to do away with this thinking in her time but somewhere along the way, she had erred. She knew why. Now with this war happening to the east, which fear would be the greater of the two?

Her brain trembled at the thought. How ironic and droll would it be if necromancy was instrumental in saving the world? Regardless of who died, be it friend or foe, which was one more added to her ranks. If the stories she heard about were true regarding the frozen wastelands, then who better to fight in such an environment than the dead? The dead felt nothing. They feared nothing. And most of all, the dead saving the living was unthinkable but such times called for desperate measures. Perhaps then, society would see this school of magic in a new light.

The camel stopped and let out a grunt as if it knew that they have arrived at the place she wanted. In front of her was a spitting image of the city that had hounded her the past few nights. The great trade city of Bervenia stood tall and she had never seen so much people coming in and out of the city’s gates. It was much more livelier than Rhyad.

“Bervenia,” Al’nehak uttered as her hands instinctively reached for her coin purse, still somewhat stunned that her visions had actually lead her to the correct location. She quickly recomposed herself and opened her coin purse, half expectantly hoping to see it filled with gold coins. It was completely empty. Of course it would be empty. She pouted, “What am I going to do at the city? I don’t have a copper coin to my name. Money, I need money to do things. Legally anyway. Ah it’s so tempting to go wild. So tempting!”

She paused to think. What could she do to earn some cash to get started? What was she good at to help with this? Necromancy was obviously out of the question but when it came to actually inventing magical devices, which was something she was quite skilled in. Of course, she was a trained surgeon too with a plethora of practical experience!

Things were looking up. She had 2 venues of legally earning money now. First one was to sell magical trinkets she made. The other was to use her surgical skills to earn money, perhaps out in some hospital of some sort. However, the first option required actually having the necessary tools to create such devices. That required money. Therefore, the best option was the second choice. Yes, she would be a surgeon!

But before any of that, there was one other thing that just came to mind. If she wanted to be up to date on current events and magic, there was one important place to go.

“Bervenia should have a vast library. I would like to know more about the advances made in magic today and what has happen since my passing. I don’t mind working a hospital. I should get going, it’s going to be a long day. Let’s go you beast! To Bervenia! Hyaaa!”

Genbu was sort of caught off guard by the star knight. Everything was pretty new to him, so a random person approaching him wasn't totally new, but from the look Maya gave, something big was happening. He had no idea who this Madam Royce was either. He turned to Maya and whispered to her hoping to gain some clarity. "Should I go with him? Who is Madam Royce?"

Maya just looked at him like he had four heads. "How do you not know who she is." Maya said quite audibly.

"I am not from here. I do not know anyone." He tried to defend himself.

"Well that's obvious. She's one of the Twilight Trio. This is a star knight. They help defend Bervenia, but now they are actually being deployed against the aliens." Things were slowly coming together, but Genbu was still feeling a little confused.

He still looked to Maya for an answer whether to go to Madam Royce. "So, do I want to go with him? Will she treat me poorly like the others?" He had learned in previous days that people typically acted similarly to their leaders. He didn't even know he was being treated poorly until Maya helped him, but he liked having her around. It was like having an assistant to help him learn and navigate.

"Ha, no, you don't need to worry about that. The guards are just idiots that abuse any little power they have. The Madam Royce and the knights are a lot better, as long as you haven't actually done anything against them. They were the primary force that stopped an invasion from Illisk a long time ago. A couple of fanatical tribes thought they could conquer Bervenia. They were pretty dumb."

The knight had been waiting patiently to see what he might need to do, but fortunately it seemed it wouldn't be hard. He decided to speak up now. "The Star Knights retain the utmost respect. If you have been harassed, please tell us and we will take care of it. Madam Royce would also like to have an audience with you. She reigns with grace and elegance. She would never say so, but it is an honor to be in her presence."

"It really is." Maya piped. "I'm almost jealous of you. I won't be coming. I have my own reasons, but maybe I'll see you around again."

"Uhh, bye", Genbu was barely able to get a proper farewell before she left. "I guess I will be going with you then. Is there anything I will need first?" He was mostly concerned with his appearance as of now. If normal people would treat him differently without a shirt, then surely it would be inappropriate to confront a ruler like that.

"No, you are fine as is. Madam already knows who you are, and she is eager to see you. She is very understanding as well." Genbu was rather shocked now. He was expected after 7000 years. That did not seem right or make sense to him. A lot was happening very fast, but he didn't know what to do other than just roll with it. The walk to meet this ruler was short for Genbu. He did have plenty of time to let his imagination soar. For a woman to rule such a grand city, her presence alone must make men shiver. An image of a woman with white skin sitting atop a throne with long shallow stairs, adorned with long robes and magnificent jewelry filled his mind. Surely she would have several magnificent guards lining either end of her chamber. Who knew what other new wonders would surely intimidate him.

Nothing could have prepared him for the truth though. Upon entering her what he was told was her chamber, he was shocked to see no one around. Where were all of her advisors and guards and anyone really. There were only books. The books were everywhere. It was probably more books than he'd seen in his whole life. The room was naturally lit by magnificent panes of glass. He never imagined a single pane of glass would ever be able to be fashioned so massively. What came next was truly shocking though.

"Madam Royce, Genbu has come." He said with a slight bow. When a little girl clad in green turned swivel chair, Genbu just stared for a moment, trying to take in this turn of events. When he finally gained composure, he copied the knight and bowed his head as well.

"Hello, Madam Royce"

@Lyla

Maire and Auges

Maire and Auges reached the city soon enough. Instead of risking the landing inside the city, Maire landed somewhere outside the gate on flat, open land. It was a bit of a rough landing too. Maire needed a bit of a rest before she thought to fly again, especially if she were to carry a child as such as this again. Regardless, it felt as if the land itself absorbed most of the impact from their landing, thanks to the powers of Maire's crystal. "Well then. We've arrived." Maire said, making sure Auges had decent footing before letting go. "This is it. This is the place the vision called for."

Ante Magnus

"That's the city there on the cliff." The Caravan Leader said, look at it with Auges as it came into view. [b]It'll still take a bit to get up there though. We have to pass it by to go up the cliff a little further that way. Ante just nodded happily, looking at the beauty of the "City on the Cliff." All the water, the grass, trees, beautiful stone. . . It was all amazing.

As it went out of view, Ante waited as patiently as possible for them to get back to the city. They followed the road up an incline that eventually lead to the city. "Wow, this is amazing." It wasn't as amazing as Harena's splendor in it's time, but it was still pretty great! The most busy place Ante's been since. . . Whatever's happened. "This place is beautiful. Much different from the desert. It has a lot of nice colors to it, lacking that distinct tan color from back home."

The Caravan Leader couldn't help but laugh a bit. This was the natural reaction for a child after all. "Well, we got you here, and you protected us so I believe our transaction complete. We'll be in town for a bit, so if you need anything you can come find us. And here, a little extra for the horse we captured." He handed Ante a small sack of coins. Unsure of how much these were worth, Ante accepted them quietly.

"Thank you. Vis watch over you." Ante said, putting her hands together. The merchant smiled and nodded before the caravan went off on their own. "What to do now?" The Bladedancer muttered, wander the city, wondering why there was vision leading her here.

---

The flight was pleasant enough. She had always enjoyed flying, especially on the airships of Harena. One of her favorite pastimes really! And having someone else fly you around now, was just the best! Especially on someone so soft and cuddly. So Auges was a little more than disappointed when the flying had to come to an end, just outside the city gates. She supposed it'd be too much to ask for Maire to carry her all the way into the place, wouldn't it?

"Wooow~!" Auges giggled as they landed and Maire released her. "Wow, you fly almost as well as I do." She gave Maire an imipish grin. "Hehe, it's so nice to be the one not doing the carrying for once. Thanks, Maire!"The Doctor twirled on her heels towards the walls of the city, giving Maire only a few moments to contemplate what exactly she meant before the air currents lifted her off the ground, just slightly. "Whew, it would have taken a whole lot longer to get here on my own. Not to mention exhausting. Hey hey, I'm going to find a library around here...probably the best place to find answers. I'll see ya inside the city, alright?" Before Maire could answer, Auges bolted into the air, waving a brief goodbye to the friendly bird lady before dashing in the direction of the city and over the walls, not caring one bit for any of the laws she may or may not be breaking in the process.

Finding a library was going to be difficult enough without being able to understand or ask for clear directions, but hopefully whoever ran the city valued knowledge as much as those of Harena had, and spotting the library from the sky would only be as difficult as spotting one of the largest buildings in it. Settling down in an alleyway so that no one would question a child dropping suddenly from the sky, Auges began walking about the city. Listening, this language definitely wasn't anything she was familiar with which made it doubly difficult to gain any sort of relevant information.

Still, after a little legwork, clever thinking, and buying a cake at a bakery she had managed to find her way to what looked to pass as the Library of this place. It wasn't as impressive as Harena's Libraries, but perhaps she was just biased. It would serve well, though. Auges walked into the building, paying no mind to anyone else who might currently be inside and quickly got lost among the numerous shelves and tomes.

For the next few hours, she'd spend whatever time she was allowed in there, reading over the tomes and history books she could manage, trying to first piece together the written language as well as find anything referencing Harena and what had happened to it.

"Thank you!" she chimed cheerfully, hopping out of the chair. "Oh, and of course - there is a child wandering towards the markets? She's a bit... ummmmm.... revealed and has a large ring for a weapon. Well, it's a ring, but not a ring, but it looks like a ring, right? Right." The small woman simply nodded to herself. "There's another guest after that - she'll be near the tavern by the front gate, being harassed by some drunkard for being a plant woman. Shameful, really. Then by the time that's all done, just head the library, okay? There will be another small child and woman talking. Invite them over as well."

The knight only seemed to pay attentively to the green-dressed child before nodding once. "Of course, madam." With a simple bow, he was off, almost as if he was used to following the small rants and directions of the woman.

With the room empty excluding the pair, the child just grinned for a moment. "So.. kind of crazy, right? How many years has it been? A little over seven thousand.. maybe? I don't know, I'm not good with the past. Xenobia is the one that sees the past the best. But hey! I saw you coming, right?" Royce seemed to beam proudly before sitting down. "Well, might be a while, yeah? So you can have a seat or.. uh.. stand.. or, um.. whatever you're going to do." She winks at him. "Right - I'm an oracle. I see the future the best, but no, I can't see everything. That damned moon makes it harder too." She paused, relaxing in her chair. "... and I look younger than I am." At that, she simply smiled. She was definitely a strange character.

---

The camel snorted loudly as if to announce to Al’nehak that they had arrived at their destination. Al’nehak glanced at her surroundings. It was quite busy, significantly more so than Rhyad.

Al’nehak dismounted and took the camel’s reins in her hands. She pulled on the reins and the camel began to follow her. “I’m afraid this is where we part ways my dear. I can’t afford to stable you and if I just tie you up, there’s no guarantee someone will steal you so I am just going to have to find you a new owner.”

This was a large city and she needed directions. “Excuse me,” she motioned toward a middle aged woman with a bag of groceries in hand, “If I may have a moment of your time, do you know where the library is and a place I can sell this camel?”

“If you want to find a buyer for your camel, try the bazaar. See that building way over there with that big sign? You want to go there and make a left and continue that way until you see this fountain. As for the library, we have several but the nearest one, well the largest one too, is straight down this path. Big flag at the entrance. You’ll know it when you see it.”

“Thank you for the help.”

“Of course.”

Al’nehak watched as the lady disappeared into the crowd. “Come,” she said tugging at the reins, “Let’s find you a new owner.”

[Some time later, leaving the bazaar]

The sad sound of three silver coins jiggled softly against the busy commotion in the streets as Al’nehak finally found the building the woman had pointed for her. A giant flag of Bervenia stood at the entrance of the library.

Al’nehak entered and went up to the receptionist desk. “Pardon me, but where might I find a good history book?”

The man look at her, puzzled by what she had said, “এইযে কেমন আছেন আজ?”

“Come again?”

The man held up his hand, signaling for her to wait. He disappeared into a door and not too soon after, another person came with him.

“Good day to you madam, how can I assist you today?” the other man spoke in a thick Zidelian vernacular.
“I’m doing research and I’d like some books on the world history of Arlina. I understand this is quite a lot of time I am looking at but it I am only interest in the past five to six hundred years to the present. I’d also like to see any works detailing the downfall of the Eastern Kingdoms.”
“That can be arranged. Is there anything else?”

“Actually, I would to read up on any contemporary sources on Al’nehak. I’d like to read these works in Zidelian if possible. Thank you. ”

The man turned to his younger coworker and said something that Al’nehak could hear very clearly but foreign. The younger worker disappeared once again behind the door and the other man scribbled something on a piece of paper before he left the desk. “Please, come with me.”

It was a silent trip up two flights of stairs before the man stopped at a row of desks. Numerous other people were sitting at these desks, absorbed in whatever literature they were reading. The man motioned for Al’nehak to sit down.

“We are bringing you some of the works you have requested. If you’d like to read more, you can go to these specific sections to find them. I must return but do be patient. Someone will be here soon.”

She watched the man leave the room, softly tapping her fingers on the table as she waited.
--------

Well, things had been going…somewhat well. She had elected to ask some workers for books regarding Harena and more recent history, as well as a few word references such as dictionaries and the like. She had gathered a few useful ones - a number of books were lying open on her desk, turned to various pages regarding the history of Harena. She was able to at least read a little and after cross referencing a few words in references and what she could hear people speaking it wasn't too difficult to piece together more simple words. Learning of what happened to Harena and what people thought of her, gave her a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was no saint…no matter what she did in life.

It was then someone else was made to take a seat at the same desk as she was. Auges turned their head up from the large book she was reading, a few notes scribbled in ancient writing from Harena laid scattered across a few pages. Well, maybe she should make conversation?

"Ah…this library doesn't know its history books from fiction." She complained in her best attempt at the language being spoken here, casting a glance over to Al’nehak. She was unaware this person hailed from the region that was once home to Harena.

Still waiting and looking at nothing in particular, Al’nehak’s ear’s perked up when she heard someone speaking at her. She lazily turned her head at the source. It was a teenage looking girl and she looked a bit flustered. She slowly repeated her words again.
“I am sorry, I don’t understand what you are saying,” Al’nehak replied in Zidelian. She glanced at the text the girl was reading.

“Harena? Now that’s an interesting topic,” She sighed softly, “Not that we understand each other.”

Before she could say anything else, she was interrupted when a trolley full of books rolled up to the table and the librarian took off several books off and placed them in front of Al’nehak. “Here you go madam. The books you were looking for.”

“In Zidelian?” Al’nehak asked.

“Yes. When you are done with them, just leave them at those carts over there.”

“Thank you for the help.”

“Enjoy your stay,” replied the librarian, wheeling the trolley off into the hallway

Al’nehak picked up the books one after another reading the titles silently in her head, “The Eastern Kingdoms: Rise and Fall, Arlina: The Definitive Compendium V, The Scourge of Zidel, and many many more.”

She looked up once again and saw that the girl sitting across from her was still looking at her intently. Al’nehak tilted her head ever so slightly and smiled encouragingly. “Yes?”

Was…was she speaking - well, it wasn't entirely her native tongue but it was definitely close enough!

"Oh, nothing." Auges replied with a smirk, this time in the tongue she was much more used too. "I was just thinking about how good it is to finally find someone I can speak to without trying to finagle long foreign words together." She said with a giggle. "I'm Auges! So, what are you doing here?"

Al’nehak struggled slightly to understand. The girl was certainly speaking a dialect of Zidel but it was one that she had never heard of at all. She understood what the girl was talking about but there were words here and there that seemed off.

“You have an interesting dialect. It’s a bit strange to be frank but at least I can understand you. I am Alia Amari. As for what I am doing here, isn’t that obvious?” she motioned at the books in front of her. “Reading is a pastime of mine. What about you?”

"Heh, you're the one with the interesting dialect here. I've never heard it before, but it's not impossible. It's a pleasure to meet you, Alia Amari. Glad to finally have someone to speak with." Auges replied with a small smile. She wasn't entirely sure about the books she was reading - none of the names were familiar but she didn't linger on the subject. "And I'm just doing a bit of…reading about Harena." The transmuter continued with a light shrug. "Specifically about a certain 'Saint' by the name of Auges Magnus and a few mysteries regarding them." She leaned forwards a bit on the table towards Amari.

"You wouldn’t happen to know anything I don’t, would you? I've done quite a bit of research myself, but it's always good to have others opinions." She wondered how Amari would answer? It'd be funny, regardless.

“Ah Auges Magnus? Her story is well known in Zidel. A powerful magician rumored to have created a Philosopher’s stone and whose disappearance lead to the ruin of the country she loved. She was instrumental in protecting Harena but without her, the nation eventually fell to Nashaan when she disappeared after that fateful battle.”

Al’nehak pointed her finger on a map, indicating the last known location of Auges. “Yet no body was found so it was possible she lived until the end of days. Or perhaps the spell she used blew herself and the Nashaan host to nothingness. If she did lived, then even as Harena burned to the ground, Auges never returned and her countrymen were said to have cursed her name with their last breaths as the great city burned in a great inferno.”

Al’nehak leaned back and stretched. “Of course, whether or not she was truly hated near the end is up for debate but I doubt it. There is only so much one person can do to influence the outcome of a war and she gave much for her nation. It would sully her name if her countrymen reviled her. Another matter that comes up is the stone. Did she gain immortality through the fabled Philosopher's Stone? I’m not sure but if she did, I wonder sometimes if she intended to protect Harena forever and if so, did the people of Harena grow too dependent on their saint to the point they couldn’t effectively govern or defend themselves without her?”

Al’nehak paused briefly, “She did have a twin but I can’t remember too much her. Didn’t particularly cared for her in history classes. Amu? Ani? Antler? All I can recall is that she disappeared by the third war with Nashaan and was quite short in stature. Ah, sorry did I ramble on too much? You caught most of that I hope?”

Suddenly, Al’nehak realized something as she was awaiting for an answer. Auges? Didn’t this girl called herself Auges? Was it a coincidence? A youthful looking girl with a strange accent that was Zidelian in origin. Impossible...

“You did call yourself Auges right?” Al’nehak said calmly, strongly restraining the disbelief in her voice. “Are you the same Auges in the old texts?” she continued with a small chuckle. ”There is no way…” she thought to herself.

Auges' mouth curled upwards into a smile as Alia recited some well-known facts she could have told the other scholar herself. She had lived those facts, after all. She had to resist audibly giggling when Alia mentioned her name. Now this was definitely entertaining, though she hadn't entirely meant to introduce herself as Auges. It'd be silly to try and cover it up completely now.

"I wonder…if I said that I am would you ask for a miracle like they did of her constantly back in Harena?" She let her words hang in the air for a few audible, silent, seconds before laughing audibly and continuing.

"Heh…apologies, dear Alia. I am most certainly not the same one in the history books. Augestine Albertus is my full name. I am simply used to people calling me by that name It sometimes slips my mind to introduce myself as such. I truly don't know what my parents were thinking when they named me that."

“I see. So a nickname of sorts. Still, it’s quite the coincidence that it is the same as the Saint. I suppose you get a lot of people mislead when you introduce yourself that way,” Al’nehak replied. “By the way, are you interested in any of these books?”

Before Augestine could reply, the clattering of plate mail echoed in the highway. Al’nehak stopped and turned around to look at the entrance as did Augestine. The echoes became louder and louder. Soon the entire room looked at the opened door with interest.

A knight appeared dressed in an impeccable set of plate mail. Whispers were abound in the room. Al’nehak looked on with bored interest.

“That’s a star knight! What’s one of them doing here?”

“Looks like he’s looking for someone. Hey, he’s moving over to that table!”

The star knight approached Al’nehak and Auges. He gave a courteous bow. “Please come with me. The two of you have been summoned by Madam Royce.”

Al’nehak looked on incredulously at the knight. Why did this knight come to their table? Was she in trouble? And what was this knight talking about? “Pardon? Rice? What about rice?”

"…If this 'Madam Rice' you speak of isn't going to feed me rice related dishes I'm going to be disappointed." Auges mused to herself, poking a bit of teasing fun at Alia. "But, Alia, I think the knight means 'Madam Royce'. Sounds like a fairly important person."

“Again, who the hell is Royce?” Al’nehak asked angrily.

"Hmm, let me talk with him a little. I have been studying their language a bit so I can understand them a bit better."

The two spoke as Al’nehak could only look at them. The number of gazes she felt on them was somewhat irritating and getting to her nerves. Suddenly, Auges stood up. "Well, I wasn't expecting a royal invitation." Auges mused, a smirk forming on her lips again. "Instead of Rice, how about sweets? Ooh, I wonder if I can use important royal person as a status for free cake..." It seemed Auges went off into her own little world for a second before clearing her throat. "Aheh, anyways, Alia, I think it could be interesting to go with him." Honestly, she was at least somewhat curious. She could find answers at least.

“But my books, I haven’t even opened a page-” Al’nehak started to complain.

"Oh don't give me that. Reading will come later. At least, for me. I have all the time in the world, heh. I don't really have much care for royals myself since all they do is cause needless wars…but we might as well see what this is about. They assure me we are not in any trouble."

Maire

Maire didn't even have a chance to say anything before the little ball of energy just flew off. Literally. Scratching her head, slightly confused, she just entered the city. A lot of people ignored her, thanks to her innate calming effect. Most in fact. However, drunkards were a different story altogether. Drunkards did alway seem to ignore the calming aura. "Oi, yea stumpy wench! What's your problem! Walking into town, thinking you own it an' all?"

Maire was thoroughly surprised. She'd not been insulted as such before. She was always in a position of respect back home. The only things she'd ever been called were 'bitch' or something of the sort when she dealt with bandits. "I beg pardon?" She said, making sure she had heard him correctly. "Is there something wrong with my being here?"

"You bet your feathery hide I do! You think you can just w-- Waltz on into the city looking all strange and plant-like when there's a weird invasion in the east!" The drunkard said, stumbling halfway through, catching himself on a wall. "I say no! Now get!"

Maire had no real response but a slight shock in her face. Then a man in heavy armor came up and put his hand on the man's shoulder. "Ain't ya' been drinking too much? What would yer' wife say, friend?" His voice sounded sincere, and his grip firm, but gentle.

The drunkard turned and his face turned from annoyance to disappointment. "Bah, you Star Knights and being right. Still don't like this tree-head walking around." He complained some more before waddling off to Vis knows where.

"I'll make sure she's under careful watch." The Star Knight said merely to appease the man but shook his head a bit. "I apologize for him. Some of the people around here are a bit on edge. The "Captain" sent me out here to collect ya'. Said Madam Royce wanted to converse."

Maire looked him in the eyes, unsure of the man. "Madam. . . Royce?" She had to ask. It was a name she'd never heard of before. No one from here time at least. "I apologize. I'm new around here."

"I can tell. Never heard of a woman in a dress of feathers and tree bark on her head around here. Or, anywhere for that matter." He took a moment to consider that, but shoved the thought away mentally. "Well, let's not stand around, I'll take you there." Maire nodded and followed the man. She didn't feel anything negative from him, so she wasn't likely in trouble.

Ante Magnus

How did it end up like this? "And I'm telling you, I ain't no belly-dancer." Not today at least. Idiots like this came up every once in a while, getting handsy with the goods, in this case Ante. Pissed her off too. "Now bug off somewhere I can't see you." Course, the body of a fourteen year old didn't do much for intimidation.

"And you shut your damn mouth. I know a belly-dancer when I see one! Why else would you be wearing those clothes?" The opposite party said. While it's true Ante was doing a little dance for pity money, it was nowhere near a belly-dance.

"And I told you that it's not!"

Out of anger or something else, the man put his hands on Ante's shoulders and shook them a bit. "I've been down south, I know that's a belly-dance." He was brave, or just really stupid and in the thought that he could over-power a kid. "Why don't you admit it?!" He was probably a bit drunk. Didn't matter much to Ante though.

"Hands off." Ante said, gently trying to shove the man away. Didn't need to hurt anyone if it weren't necessary. Of course, the aggressor only increased his grip. The Bladedancer had enough. "I said hands off, bozo!" Holding back a bit, Ante smacked the guy with enough force in the shoulder to knock him off and then knee'd the guy in his stomach. "I know I learned just enough in the caravan ride to talk a bit, but this guy's an idiot."

Of course, the fighting was noticed by a pair of guards. "Hey! What's going on here?!" One commanded as the other examined the man passed out on the ground.

"Drunk as can be." The second stated as he drew near. "Taking a nice peaceful nap now, I think we can take a guess." He added with a mild chuckle added it. "What say we take him home like this, I think everyone reminding him he got his ass knocked flat by a child should be punishment enough." The first guard shrugged and looked to Ante.

"I guess he'd never be able to live it down like that." The two guards waved Ante off and made their way off into the crowd. "What to do now? Could just find a nice bar or something. Feels like I've not had a drink in years."

From behind, a voice called out. "You there, child." It was commanding to be sure. A bit on the rough side. A type of voice Ante was use to hearing. Still, she couldn't help but roll her eyes as she turned around. "My apologies for bothering you, but please come with me. I'm a Star Knight. You have been summoned by Madam Royce."

"I just. . . Star Knight, no, actually. . . Who? Madam Royce? Don't know anyone like that. Does this have something to do with why--. No, nevermind. I'm not as smart as Auges, but I'll get to the bottom of this." Without much else said, Ante nodded and followed the Star Knight.

The land was dotted with trees unfamiliar to Icarus and pathways that he had once used now lay lost to the passage of time. Thankfully Solarius seem as unphased as ever by the changing of the world and provided capable as his guide through the overgrown terrain but the sheer difference in the landscape left Icarus wondering ’If the very look of the land has changed so much since I was last here, how much will the rest of the world have changed?. As he brushed through the shrubbery, the frost from the cold morning air drifted across his armor. Thankfully his union with Solarius prevented him from feeling the debilitation of the cold despite the harshness of the weather.

It was almost half a day of travelling later, with only a few diversions to forage on the land, that Icarus found a more welcoming sight. As he gazed across a well worn but still maintained pathway Solarius explained ’This is one of the major trade routes used to reach Bervenia, follow it to the right and you will reach it soon enough’. Glancing down the road which seemed to stretch to the horizon without any capital in sight, indicating that it would still be a long trek, Icarus sighed before asking ’And once I have arrived then what?. Silence was Solarius’s reply, Icarus only hearing the sound of the gravel crunching beneath his footsteps. ’Right - you’ll tell me when we get there won’t you Icarus muttered more so to himself than to his other half.

The sun had began its afternoon descent while the knight began his lone walk towards Bervenia, the landscape rolling by without any major sites to break the monotony of the relatively flat landscapes and rolling plains. The solitary trek would not last, as hinted at by the heavy wear of the road and tracks the rumbling noise of a horse drawn caravan sounded its approach from behind. Icarus kept a note of its approach through the increasing sound until a gruff male voice spoke above the noise ”Ahoy there Stranger”. Turning to face the caravan Icarus spotted a rather bulky man driving, giving him a suspicious look. Nodding in return Icarus replied ”Greetings, how fares your travel?”.

”They have been as fine as the weather, no heavy rain or snow to slow our travels” The man replied with a smile before adding ”Must say you are a brave one to be travelling with no supplies and all alone - have you not been hearing the rumours of bandits along these roads?”. ’Ah so that would explain the suspicion - I would make for an odd sight on these roads” Icarus concluded. Explaining the exact nature of his situation would likely only draw more suspicion so instead he replied ”Wouldn’t think bandits would go for someone in full armour, especially when they don’t seem like they would have much on them”. The caravan leader seemed to consider the statement and glanced across the open plains on either side of the road before internally reaching his decision as he gave a chuckle ”That be a true statement lad, besides they probably figure anyone crazy enough to travel alone ain’t worth the trouble of robbing.”
By now the caravan had caught up to Icarus and he half expected it to begin pulling past but the driver slowed the horses pace to match Icarus’s own, clearly still seeking to talk for a bit. ”So where you be heading stranger, awful lot of country road to cover before you reach a proper destination like Bervenia”
”Bervenia is my destination actually, I have business in the city”
The man gave him a curious glance ”Bervenia you say. Well call me old fashion but it don’t seem right to me to let a man walk when I’m heading for the same destination”
There was a moment of consideration for Icarus - he wasn’t certain how long the trip to Bervenia would be and it would be much quicker to rely on the caravan.
”As kind as the offer is, I’m afraid I will not be able to offer you any payment”

The man gave another short laugh ”Don’t worry about that, just giving you a lift won’t hamper me much. And as you said, your appearance might scare off any potential bandits, which is payment enough in my books”. It seemed that this individual was a good samaritan and Icarus suspected it would be more difficult for him to refuse the offer than to accept it. Relenting, the driver brought the Caravan to a stop long enough for him to board before continuing on the Journey, and resuming his questioning. ”The names Samson, and if I’m going to have you on board though, will be needing a name as I can’t be calling you Stranger for this whole trip.”. Leaning back against the wood of the wagon Icarus sighed internally, it was beginning to seem that the other reason the man may have made the offer was to have company to talk to.

”Icarus will do” He replied simply, perhaps hoping that Samson would only be attempting to make pleasantries. Such hopes were dashed as Samson continued with his onslaught of questions. ”Pleasure to meet you then Icarus. If you don’t mind me asking, what sort of business brings you to Bervenia. Myself I am a trader and normally you only find other traders and merchants on this route. Can’t help but think that ain’t your line of work though, you seem more like the military type but as fancy as your emblem is I can’t say I recognize it”

”I wonder if this is how Solarius feels when I ask him so many questions…” Icarus mulled internally at the sheer amount of words that were now directed at him. Processing everything that had been asked he eventually replied ”A good observation - I am indeed no merchant. I am not surprised you don’t recognize the emblem though. It was from a relatively unknown town many years ago, I would be surprised if there are people who still recognize it”. His answers however only seemed to provide Samson with more fuel for his questions ”A small town you say? Quite some fancy work on the armour, I take it you must have been quite a big deal for that town. And surely the folks from your town would recognize it?”.

There was a slight pause as Icarus pondered the best way to answer, the silence dragging on long enough that Samson shot him a sideways glance. Shaking his head Icarus sighed before he replied ”If any of the townsfolk saw me they would no doubt recognize me, but that would be the problem. It was during a very trying and desperate time that I managed to rise through the military ranks, and I guess in many ways I became a hero for them to rally behind. But even as a ‘hero’ I could not stop the realities of conflict, in the last battle even though we were victories so many lives were lost, I don’t know if the town would have ever fully recovered”. To his credit, Samson did wince when he realized he had dug up a potentially painful memory for the knight and quickly apologized. ”Ah, my mistake Icarus - rude of me to be prying into such strong memories. But by the sounds of your tale you saved the town did you not? Surely when you returned you must have learned of its fate?”

”There really is no respite with this man is there!” Icarus thought, somewhat stunned by the bold questioning. Icarus was having trouble deciding if Samson was truly interested in the story and was wanting to hear more despite the heavy emotions tied to it, or was perhaps just uncouth enough not to care. Knowing if he did not answer Samson would soon enough prod, Icarus continued ”I did save the town but...well I never returned after that last battle. The rest of the townsfolk that had joined me on that final conflict had perished - and in many ways I found myself unable to return to the town.” Icarus explained, knowing that if he explained the true nature of his death and rebirth he was unlikely to be believed he instead crafted the tale to be vague enough not to reveal those specific details while still conveying the intent of the story. ”So instead of returning to town I ended up going my own way into a sort of retirement. Given how trying those battles had been it seemed fitting to just relax and cut off from the world. That was many many years ago, and perhaps in some ways I think the time to return to the town has long since passed.

Samson nodded in approval ”Now that there is a good tale, even if you were trying to undersell it.” He replied with a laughter as he contemplated for a moment ”Spice that story up a little bit and you could have a tale fitting for a legend, you definitely got a look to go with it” he added giving the knight a small grin. Perhaps Icarus had underestimated how interested the tale could be to others, for him it had just been how life was but now that he thought about it, it was true it could make for a good tale. Samson’s voice once again broke through his thoughts with yet another question ”But you said you were retired, I take it sometimes changed then to bring you back into the world?”. By this point Icarus simply resigned himself to the unending barrage of questions, it was really a small discomfort to contend with for a quicker travel time. ”Something like that, In many ways I felt drawn out of retirement and pulled towards Bervenia. Could be I had just rested long enough or maybe I just feel it in my soul, that there is still something that I need to do”

Samson gave Icarus a long stare before grinning ”Well you may not have heard of the stories in your retirement but there is rumours of strange creatures plaguing these lands - and word is Bervenia is the current place all the would-be heroes are heading to do something about it.”. Icarus interest perked up at that tibdit of knowledge, as he realized Samson could very easily be a good source of information for him on the current tidings of the world. Intrigued he asked ”That does sound like a worthy cause - as a trader you no doubt have heard far more about these creatures and the plans to fight them? What more could you tell me about them?. Samson grinned widely ”Ah well then it’s a good thing we have a long trip ahead of us my friend as Samson has plenty to tell you. Now the first I heard of it was a few months ago when they were still mostly rumours…” he started, and true to his word of there being plenty, continued well into the night.

--- 2 Days Later---

By the time they had arrived at Bervenia, Icarus had got some understanding of the current situation plaguing the lands - though it was hard to know which parts were rumours and which were fact. More important Samson had provided Icarus with directions and key locations of where he should head once he was in town. Apparently if he was going to want to keep his weapons on him and not raise trouble, it would be important for him to get them registered. Shortly after arriving, Icarus bid the traveller farewell and found even the noise and bustle of the town to be a reprieve for Samson’s unending questioning. Making his way towards the destinations that had been provided by the merchant he held off on asking Solarius any questions from now, finally having an appreciation for what his other half no doubt endured from him from time to time.

---

---

---

It was a bright, sunny day, the kind that no one ever seems to truly deserve. In the forests outside of the castle, a bulky man with a long, curling, red beard sat beside a small fire, smoke curling around the flame in the center of a clearing. Someone who knew the man would have said that the expression he wore on his face hardly fit it, and they would be correct. It had been a busy night for Harun. He had scrawled a fox’s name backwards around the perimeter of her nest, planted forty acorns in places where they would grow, given an old carpenter a flower that longed for his touch, and slew a hare as sacrifice. Now, the spirits delivered. Beneath his cowl, the carpenter shifted, becoming a slim figure in the forest, grinning broadly. He had been led this far, and now his confirmation on Castle Vraweth, the incense clearing his mind and focusing his vision. He had been careful, sending four separate scouts for the same information, all with matching stories. Somehow, through the twists and turns of time, Xil’Gurash had come to rest on the hip of this ‘Odessa,’ leader of the guard for this nation of Vraweth.

...Or something along those lines. As things stood, he wasn’t entirely positive on her actual position, but she seemed important. Xil’Gurash had taken to her, having been passed down the line of Knight Commanders or something of the like after the Southern Sea had swept him onto Vraweth’s coast. Supposedly she was a tall, stern-faced woman who took to no nonsense and didn’t speak often. More than that, she lived her life with constant vigilance, surrounded by the Queen’s own guards and actively leading their military. She used shortswords and longknives, which meant that Mr. Oh-So-Prim-and-Proper would be getting plenty of attention.

Additionally, from what the little birdies had told him, there seemed to be some guests of honor who had shown up today. A woman and another woman, both rumored to be ancient warriors reborn. It was a story that struck uncannily close to home, and frankly Harun was very, very uncomfortable with it. On one hand, it may be a key to learning more about his own situation, but on the other… He had dealt with ‘heroes’ before, and they were always a pain in his ass. Proud, forward types who were stronger than they knew what to do with. Generally they were known for killing someone or something important. Harun’s nose wrinkled. Not his style. Everyone he had killed had wronged him or someone he was immediately close to in a personal manner. Completely different. And on a more practical note, by all rights, this all meant that on top of her usual guard, on top of keeping steady company with the Queen of this nation, Odessa was also sharing her home with the kingdom’s most powerful mage and greatest warrior. And a dragon was there, for about five minutes yesterday. More or less.

The job was getting complicated.

Altogether, that meant this job would have a few hooks, maybe even be impossible for someone who was a mortal man… But Harun wasn’t mortal anymore, was he? Not quite. And soon, the Sandwalker would steal back the first of his long list of missing items, property gone for too long. A red-breasted swallow left the clearing, the fire smouldering itself behind him. There was work to be done.

---

---

The guards all seemed to be nervous, understandable with the visitors they had been keeping as of late. Maybe it was the nerves, maybe it was that no one suspected birds to commit larceny, but Harun made his way into the inner palace with no problems, shifting from a red-breasted swallow to a wolf spider, crawling up the inside of the castle before changing once more into a rather small mouse. He would move more swiftly that way, and with a castle this large there was no way there was a complete lack of vermin. With all the vaulted ceilings and fluted archways, he had already passed one birds’nest that was being handled by servants. One more poor, innocent creature of the wilds through the passages wouldn’t go with too much notice.

The spirits Harun had hired to be his eyes and ears had told him several important pieces of information, and of those a few were relevant to his task at the castle. Odessa worked her ass off, and held a strict schedule of training, paperwork, tending to the Queen, and handling her own matters. She lived inside the castle, though she worked in a separate room than she slept, her study closer to the ground floor though still in one of the towers. And before noon, she was almost always in her office.

Today was no different, the warrior sitting in a stiff wooden chair with a sharp-edged desk in front of her, dressed in brown trousers with a dull grey tunic. Her hair was in a functional braid, kept out of her practical face with a piece of twine. Her boots were brown, but not too much so, and her frame was well-muscled but certainly not that of a titan. Overall, this was a woman who wouldn’t have looked out of place working the fields with the rest of those Harun had encountered on his way here. There were few people who would be more dull to spy on.

Appearances aside, there was one facet of her visually that was well and truly stunning for the thief; a glimmering ruby sat on the end of a dagger’s handle, the crossguard decorated with an assortment of gems and most likely made of gold. Xil’Gurash was here.

Sitting in a crack in the wall, the spider that was Harun waited and watched as the mighty Lady Odessa filled out paperwork, his objective sitting idly at her belt. Outside of the room, two guards stood watch as the knight “couldn’t always be in armor” according the her queenliness. Mind, that was as the spirits had phrased it, so it was to be taken with a grain of salt. All the same, the thief waited. He could hardly be inconspicuous with stealing a dagger from a woman sitting down, her lower half below a desk in a room six stories off the ground, guards on the only exit anyone reasonable would take. For now, he had to wait. And wait. ...And wait. Wax dripped from candles in the study, shadows from the small flames flickering along the walls. The steady scratching of the Commander’s quill kept a steady level of background noise, the wind blowing through the trees outside. ...Patience. He had plenty of patience. After all, he was the man who spent three years telling stories to leave an island. He knew about patience. Aaaaaall about it.

...Fuck it.

The spider made its way behind where the woman was seated, hunched over her paperwork. Then, where once there was an arachnid, Harun stood in all his glory, facing away from the Commander with his hand already wrapped around the knife. Before the woman could react, he had already pulled the blade free from the sheath at her side, a silvered edge shining in the candlelight. “Orsetz Durash kil… Harun?!?”

Before he could respond to the dagger’s query, however, the guards swung the door open, startled at the exclamation from within. The world seemed to move in slow motion as Odessa yanked another knife from her boot, jaw locked in an expression of cold determination as she lunged towards the amber-eyed urchin. It was at times like these that decisions are made. There was a clean exit directly behind Harun; he could leap through the window, turn into a bird and be gone. Or, he could take the fun option…

Where the thief had been standing, a cat appeared, darting through the guards’ feet before returning to his proper form, flashing the three above him a toothy grin before darting down the stairs. “Xil! It’s been too long. I see you’ve done well for yourself, that’s nice. You do remember a more appropriate language, I hope?”

“I… Yes, I do, but how are you here? How are you alive? And why, for the love of all that is holy, did you steal me from someone who can rightfully use me against the forces of all that is wrong in the world?!?”

Harun’s smile deepened as he ran, “You see, I would love to answer that right now, but your kind friends seem to want me to stop moving. Permanently.” He lunged forward and down as he hit the bottom of the stairs, slipping inside the guard of the poor sunuvabitch posted at first floor entrance to the tower. Harun's brows knit together, his frown thrown off by the way he couldn't keep the corners of his mouth down. “Weird, it's almost like I stole something. Sorry if it’s rude, but I’m going to have to borrow you again. For… a while. 20 years or so? I’d like to last a little longer this time.” As Harun spoke, he flipped Xil’Gurash in his hands, the blade passing effortlessly through the wooden spear handle wielded by the flustered guard. The thief kept running, unperturbed. “So can you tell me exactly where the Queen’s chambers are? I’d like to get into a little more mischief before I go, really leave my impression. I could take some jewelry, maybe a nice cloak, heavens know she can spare it with the weather you’ve been delighting in around here. Oooooh, are poofy pants still in style in the West? I know it’s been long since Cordial was a world power, but it was such a grand time when everyone enjoyed the poofy pants. Also, I noticed they're gathering traveling supplies outside. What's that all about then? And there's a dragon? It's not Lilian or Alder, is it?” Grunting and weaving through a thicket of blades and pikes as he went, Harun screamed through the castle with a horde of heavily armed men and women behind him. It was just like old times!

The blade did not respond immediately, though that was probably for the best. The thief could tell through the empathic link between his dagger and his wielder, the knife was highly upset. To be entirely honest, if it had a face, it might have been holding back tears of frustration. Defensively, it shoved these emotions deeper inside itself, instead taking on a strong, sarcastic tone as Harun turned a corner and came across a large set of double doors, cracked open. "Well, You certainly won't need directions to the queen's location."

"Oh? How's that, old friend?" The thief slipped inside, panting ever so slightly and laughing to himself. As he turned, he saw upwards of two dozen guards, probably a few bishops, mages, knights in ceremonial armor, a red-headed woman with oddly out of fashion clothing, a busty fey-touched, and what looked to be the queen, if the throne and crown were any measurement. For a split second, the recognition struck him, the spirits descriptions coalescing into a small click in his head. He had… heard of these people. One of them he could keep pace with, two would be an issue. Damn. Swiftly, he changed pace, in one motion sheathing Xil’Gurash and going into a low bow, directed towards the queen. As he bent over, his clothes morphed from the dark green, murky wear he had been sporting to jewels, silks, and a loose shirt of the deepest purple. With his mouth below the room’s field of vision, he whispered frantically to the dagger, all too aware of the guards with spears sprinting down the hallways directly behind him. "Xil, I don’t suppose the queen understands Kashiyem, does she? If not, I would like to point out that I came to get you because you're a good influence on a young hooligan like me who really just needs some direction in this life and definitely not because you're an excellent knife, so give me a hand on this one?"

There was a long moment as the blade considered, hesitation and tension in the air before it responded in equally hushed tones. “...I’d rather not.”

"You'd rather not, buuuut...?"

There was another long pause before the blade did the best he could to sigh, frustration and disappointment oozing in his voice.“But I will TRANSLATE this one time. This ONE time. But so help me by all the gods above and below, by Vis's Blessed Bosom and all the stars in the sky, we’re having a talk after this. A long, serious talk!”

"Good man!"

Clearing his throat, the thief unbent, casually brushing the hair out of his face with a flick of his wrist. His jewelry clinked together as his posture shifted, polished gold and silver woven together in countless small chains around his dark neck. The southerner’s amber eyes scanned the room once before coming to rest on the queen of this place, a lazy smile sliding across his face as he stood up his full height, utmost confidence suffusing his handsome features. On the inside, he was screaming. “Hail, O Might of the Westlands. I ask that you hear me before you judge, and take my words into account before brash action steels the hearts of men. The spirits of his land tell of the pitch devils from the east and the coming of the Darkened Moon. I have heard tell of Castle Vraweth with its staunch walls and mighty soldiers, powerful magicians and eldritch magics. I have heard of your heroes, boldly standing against the cruel strength of the Ebon Beasts beneath Black Luna. And I have heard,” His hand swept forward, fingers pointed towards the redhead and the fey-touched. His smile was one of knowing, while on the inside he prayed for their ignorance of his own name. “Of the resurrection of your legends, O Dragonslayer, Felspeaker."

He paused for a moment, making sure he had the attention of the room. Her Majesty was frowning, but that seemed to be more her default position than a bad sign. Excellent. He let his face slide into a mirror of his own in his youth, losing several inches of height. His mouth curled downwards, his eyes serious and hard, too bitter for a face so young. "I myself died to the Southern Sea millenia ago, returning now in the world’s time of need. I come to you, a man who has escaped the chilled grasp of Death, guided by Vis herself, to offer my services. I am the Lord of Cordial." He stood now as a tall, black-skinned man with a long beard, a crown resting on his head and a scepter of gold at his side. "I am the Errant Emperor of Tet." A short, stocky woman clad in traveler's clothes, barefoot with calloused hands. "I am Ghosttongue. I am Sandwalker." A lank man, bound in furs and coated in frost. An ambiguous figure, wooden staff in hand and completely wrapped in clothes made to disperse the heat of the Southern Sun. "I am Kingkiller, Dragonfriend, the Formless Night. I am the Thirteenth Lord of Shadow, and I come to beg for you to help me save this land.” He ended in another sweeping bow, arms extended at his side. His final form came back to his original, warm amber eyes shining through the chamber. Not a bad monologue. A lot of it was nonsense, but a lot if it wasn't. Still, between his own words and Xil’Gurash’s reputation for righteousness, he may have very well made it out. The guards seemed confused, whispers flying around the room. The queen’s brow knit while considering his speech. Surely, this would be fine.

He pointedly ignored the swiftly approaching sound of plated footsteps from the hall behind him, holding his pose and praying for a swift response from Her Majesty and the heroes with her.

Genbu just stared in a confused awe at everything that was going on around him. This child, Miss Royce, was pointing out more people that were coming to the city. Much in the same way he suspected he was pointed out. What she was doing seemed like a very rare power, but he wasn't sure if that was just the sort of power the Trio had. It seemed more special people were going to be coming though. Hopefully, he wouldn't be the only one feeling this lost. She finished describing the others to the knight, and he responded rather plainly. It baffled Genbu that this could be normal, but this whole situation was anything but normal. It getting significantly easier to roll with everything as with every passing second it all seemed more surreal. At least he had some time to talk before the others arrived.

He found a seat near her and helped himself to it. "This certainly is a little crazy. I am Xuan'Wu Shen or Genbu. Most people know me better as Genbu." He wasn't sure how much she already knew. She knew the future though, and if he was going to tell her who he was, then she already knew who he was, but if he didn't tell her would she not know then. Thinking about that hurt his head for a second. He was just going to stick with the basic pleasantries as he always did and treat her normally. "I am a warrior of Wudang and a seeker of Tao. I guess I am from around seven thousand years ago." He wanted to hold back from bombarding her with questions, but there was nothing else of which he could think. "Do you know how I am here now, or why I am here now? What is the dark moon, and what happened to Wudang and the Jade Emperor. Is Xenobia of the Trio, and are all of the Trio oracles? If I may ask, how old are you, and how are you as old as you are?" Genbu felt like he exploded with questions, but there were still so many more. He was going to have to figure things out as he went, and somethings were coming slowly, but even as they came it was hard to process all of it.

@Lyla

Royce swings her legs idly as the man went about asking his questions, twirling her hair with a finger and smiling softly. The poor man was so confused. "Well, the dark moon.. truth be told, no one knows! I mean, I know of the creatures that are in the front line, but.." she paused dramatically, "I can only guess this thing is keeping our sight from piercing it's darkness, yeah? But yes, I know who you are. I would've known even if you didn't say, but the manners are appreciated!" Royce seemed to beam happily.

"As for your.. and any of our special guests.. your empires have faded away into the current kingdoms. Such is mortality, I'm afraid. They laid rest in history books though, at the least, and your legend is known well enough. Also yes, we're all sisters and oracles. You can thank Vis for that - speaking of, she is the only one capable of calling you back from whatever void you might've been in, whether Avalon or otherwise." A knock was on the door, to which a knight simply nodded to Royce before she grinned.

"Just in time! Wouldn't you know?" she said with a wink to Genbu. "Show them in! Oh, right - show in Auges first.. then, uh.. you know, Ante after. Uh.. the well dressed girl and then the other one." Sometimes she forgot not everyone knew everything she did. One by one, Maire was lead in, followed by Al’nehak and finally Ante.

"Welcome!" she smiled happily, putting both arms up in excitement. It was then that all of them realized they could understand the woman with perfect clarity, as if she were speaking all of their native tongue. Later, they would realize they could understand each other perfectly as well - at least in the oracle's presence. "I'm Royce, this is Genbu.. that is Maire - even an older legend than you Genbu! Then that's Al’nehak and finally Auges and Ante, the sister saints. Oh, uh, and.. try to behave, yeah? No one needs to be hostile around here. You're all on the same side." Though she was an oracle and knew things might happen, she was not perfect and thought it best to quell any feelings between the sisters and the necromancer right away. "Like Genbu asked - Vis invited you back to life to face the dark moon. It's pretty bad, okay?" She nodded, slightly more serious than before.

@Lyla - talks to Royce
@Pyromania99 - Ignores Ante

---

Well, this certainly not what Auges had been expecting when she had been invited to this place. They even knew who she was! And...she turned her head towards a very similar looking person. Ante. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw her twin, after so long...in seemingly perfect health with none of the cursed stones influence on them or her. Auges hesitated, trying to think of something to say to their other half...but came up completely empty.

So she did nothing, completely ignoring her twin for now, seemingly coldly brushing past them.

Instead she focused more on what Royce was saying. Darkmoon? Vis resurrected them? Auges frowned. She had heard murmurings of dark omens and bad tidings on her stay in the little northern country of Illisk. More curiously was that she could understand Royce completely...as well as everyone else in the room. Hm, some sort of magic or something. She wouldn't dwell on it. Wouldn't be her first run in with such a thing.

So she'd do what she normally did.

"...Hey you're miss Rice, right?" Auges replied with a giggle, walking over to Royce. "When do we get the free rice dishes? If you know who I am, then you know I haven't had a decent meal in nearly two thousand years if that's when Harena fell."

Al’nehak scowled angrily. The cover that she had maintained was unmasked in the blink of an eye. Rare was the case when a necromancer’s reputation was in good standing. Now that her true name was known, it would be a matter of time before the others gathered in this room learn of her past actions. How would they react then?

She gave all the occupants a cursory look. The host in question, Madam Royce, was not what she had anticipated. A mere child? She certainly acted like one from the way she twirled her hair and laughed. Worse, her saccharine disposition and know-it-all attitude reminded her of someone she’d knew in the past. Al’nehak felt a dull pain once again in her chest.

She had introduced everyone as if she had knew them already. Was she clairvoyant? A seer perhaps? Regardless, the fact that this Royce seemingly knew a lot her yet she herself knew next to nothing did not sit well with Al’nehak. Ignoring the pain in her chest, Al’nehak carefully considered the child’s words. The most important she said was that Vis had brought them back to life to fight the dark moon. If her words rang true, then true resurrection was possible! How else could she explain her and the others coming back to life? But, could such a power be wielded in mortal hands? Surely, such a thing was reserved for gods? Her brain trembled. This dark moon became more and more alluring.

As for the others, what brought them here? She turned towards the barbarian looking man. Burly and a powerful physique. He had originated from the northern empire most likely. Madam Royce called her Genbu. Unremarkable so far. Her eyes fell upon strangest occupant of the room. It was clearly humanoid but quite different. Horns, avian features-those were avian features- what and who was this Maire? Did she, no, did it bring about considerable attention on its way here?

Then came Ante and Auges. She called them by their other title, the sister saints, and there was little reason to not believe Madam Royce’s words. Still, to see these two legends standing before her alive was quite surprising.

“I always thought that legends exaggerated how youthful the Sister Saints were but to think I am seeing them both in the flesh. It is true then, both are as short as the stories say. You told me a small lie 'Augestine', I had my suspicions when-” Al’nehak began to quip as Auges coldly brushed past Ante.

She stopped herself from finishing her sentence. Would one not welcome a family member with open arms instead of that cold greeting she had just saw? “Bad timing. Is that animosity I sense?” Al’nehak wondered to herself.

"...Hey you're miss Rice, right?" Auges replied with a giggle, walking over to Royce. "When do we get the free rice dishes? If you know who I am, then you know I haven't had a decent meal in nearly two thousand years if that's when Harena fell."

Al’nehak let out a small chuckle. “Making that joke at my expense, how very nice of you Auges Magnus.”

Maire looked around the room, unsure of who all the others were. She of course recognized Auges. Then there was someone that looked eeriely like her. Her sister, Ante, as it were. There were a number of others in the room, but she decided she'd let others speak. She was curious as to who this "Vis" was, but she could ask question later.

Ante on the other hand, couldn't look more dejected. Just looking at Auges, she seemed to have so much to say. Many emotions crossed that child-like face. Shock, to fear to anger to utter sadness and despair. It didn't help when Auges walked by completely silent. It seemed as if her whole heart sank past the floor and into the great pits of some otherworldly place. She wasn't even sure what to think. Auges was here. Well, she had the Philosopher's Stone, right? It stopped their aging hardly a day in 30 to 40 years, so it wasn't too strange that Auges was still alive and well. Still, she was still upset. From the going mad and trying to kill her. Ante just wanted to escape.

Maire had taken notice and slide over to the child-like figure. "Are you alright? Ante, was it?" She tried looking her in the eyes but she evaded as she could.

"No, just, leave me alone." Obviously, there was a lot of emotion behind this one's issue. For the moment, Maire decided to leave her alone like she wanted. "Thanks..."

Royce smirked at Auges. "Actually, just for you, someone is bringing rice right now." Without a moment to think about it, a servant came in with a plate of steamed rice, handing it over to Auges with a polite nod. Without saying anything, he left to which Royce just moved on, glancing to the saint playfully - she knew the woman was going to ask for rice. "There's still another joining us - well, who's in the city. He's kind of a fire knight I guess. He'll find his way," she explained. "However the last three will take a couple days, so please rest in our building. Read, eat, train, get to know each other."

She relaxed in her chair and smiled softly. "Like it or not, Vis brought you back for this reason. You'll be an adventuring party like none has existed before, all heroes in your own rights. You'd imagine with combined strengths, you could move mountains but..." she paused, sighing and shrugging. "I'm not sure what's in store for you. This dark moon is nothing I've ever seen. My vision has never been perfect, but it blocks it completely at times. I don't know what you will find or how you will win, but I do know the first step!" She held up a finger. "One of the later guests, Harun, will suggest an airship. That's the first stop. When he gets here."

"Any other questions? You each have a room already prepared and there is a training ground in the back if you wish." She then thumbed behind her. "Also books."

---

Morgan was getting ready to leave with the queen seeing them both off, though she had been a little distracted all morning. She had not gotten the time to talk with her.. friend.. about what happened the night before. Was friend even the right word anymore? Nimue had proclaimed her love in the most intense way one could imagine and just thinking of it made Morgan shiver. She wasn't given the chance to talk though, to ponder this new revelation. Instead Nimue just made sure Morgan could not talk most of the night. Her face flushed lightly at the thought. Truthfully though, she wanted to speak. She still had to think about what this meant and how she felt with Nimue being in love with her. She had a feeling she might have loved her back - that she had always loved her from the moment she saw her in that dungeon.

Suddenly a man came sliding in, causing a break in Morgan's thoughts. It wasn't long before he gave an entire speech, shifting from one form to another. For a few moments after the queen was silent, the guards confused but still at the ready, Odessa coming to a sudden halt and narrowing her eyes at the thief. "Your majesty-!" she started before the queen held out her hand, causing her to hold her tongue, though fuming quietly. The only reason he had got away was because of his shapeshifting, but she couldn't deny he had skill equal to hers, a knight commander.

"Dame Morgan?.." the queen asked softly, glancing to the woman, as if deferring to her judgement. "Do you think it's true?" Meliadoul seemed skeptical, folding her hands in front of her. She had dressed today not in her armor but gown to see the heroes off, before the interruption.

Morgan had nearly went for summoning her blade before the man went on with his act, causing her to raise an eyebrow. She had no knowledge of him, though perhaps she felt she should have. Glancing to Nimue though, she walked towards the man with the confidence that only a dragonslayer could have. However, she wandered if that's all people truly knew of her. Was no one aware of Excalibur? Or what it meant to wield the blade? Not that it mattered. It only mattered she understood and that Nimue understood - slaying a dragon paled to the fact that she had the holy sword. Regardless, she took a moment to study him before tilting her head slightly.

"... you're not telling the entire truth," she spoke very plainly, causing the guards to tense. Morgan held out her hand to indicate for them to stand down. "But neither is your statement wholly a lie." She paused, folding her arms and looking back to Nimue once and then nodding once. "Vis revived you for the same cause as ours. It would be foolish to deny your request. We ride east.. and I imagine with your display you need not a horse." Suddenly she leaned a little to the side and looked directly to the dagger, as if she knew something was strange with it. ".. hm.. the dagger might very well keep you true as well."

The legendary knight turned back around, walking towards Nimue and nodding to the queen. To which she just sighed softly and waved to the guards and Odessa. "Let him go then. He's under Dame Morgan's authority, so please provide him with what food he may need or provisions - within reason." She turned to Morgan and Nimue then and smiled softly. "May Vis watch over you. We will do our part over here." It was a simple farewell, but the queen seemed to be the no-nonsense type. Odessa even more as she curtly ordered the guards to return to their duties.

The knight commander walked to Harun then and gave him a stare down. It wasn't exactly anger or like she thought little of him, but rather a silent respect and reminder that she was no pushover. "It is not oft that one gets away from a knight commander." She gestured to Morgan once. "Best behave, rogue. She is the best of us. With that, however, what are your needs?"

Places to stay? Training Grounds? She seemed to provide everything any of them would need. So, they were all powerful people from the. . . Past? That. . . Well, that explained a lot. For Maire, she understood why it looked as if the village had weathered away. For Ante. . . It explained why she were alive after being killed for attempting to murder her own flesh and blood. Maire spoke up though. "I have, well, too many questions. The first being. . . Who in the world is 'Vis'? I've never heard of such a being before." That seemed to be the most pressing at the least. "And then, just who are you? You know us all without having seen us in person. You are a prophet of sorts then? You will pardon me, but I would know more of the one who asks help of us before offering the power of the forest to their aid. That aside, I know nothing of this era."

Ante kept her ears open as the feathered beauty asked a couple of serious questions. That said, "Who was Vis?" Ante was a bit of a dunce back in Harena, but she knew who Vis was. The Great Lady, was a way she was called back home. Well, that didn't matter to Ante much. What did was another in the room. Someone with a bowl of rice in their hands now. With a pathetic look, she looked up to her twin, studying her features and trying to size up if it would een be possible to talk. If Auges looked, she'd quickly look away, as if not worthy to look up the face a divine being.

@Lyla

To be brought back for the purpose of defeating something that threatened all of humanity didn't sound so bad. After all, the enemy was a completely new threat and it was stimulating that there was so much to learn.

Still, Al'nehak could only wonder why Vis would bring her back. The others standing in this room could be considered as heroes in their time and their exploits were held in high regard for the later generations. Why did she, someone far from a hero -a murderer in fact- come back alive? There were more qualified heroes than her. A chance at redemption? Her necromatic powers were needed? Both perhaps?

"Won't it be a strange twist of fate if those who came back refused to heed the call to war?" Al'nehak thought to herself.

There was another pressing question Al'nehak had. She approached Madam Royce and spoke in a voice low enough for only the two of them to hear.

"It appears you are very knowledgeable about many things. Necromancy has always been seen as a taboo subject. Has that attitude change today?"

---

---

The morning after had been....oh by Vis, a mixture of things really. Could she even call Morgan a "friend" anymore, or anything like a "sister" since they had once been in-laws? She had confessed to Morgan in their shared bedroom, breaking down and leading two into into....well, certain activities. And really, afterwards she had been so tired she had fallen asleep rather quickly and deeply through the rest of the night. Even when the two had arisen in the morning, she had not been given the chance to really talk about anything with Morgan since they needed to travel, even though she had the hunch Morgan would want to talk about all of...this, what she herself had said to the redhead, what...oh gods...the two had done. Morgan now knew she loved her, for longer and more deeply than the wielder of Excalibur had even perhaps suspected in life. Yet...the other woman had seemingly reciprocated these feelings back to the mage as well, with similar passion at that point in time. Had Morgan...had Morgan loved her back before? Had the redheaded Queen of Knights ever in the past fostered feelings for her? If so, how? How, when Ovelia had taken up her time and romantic attention?

But as she had waited by Morgan, after having eaten some breakfast in the dining hall, something had interrupted the process of things before the queen could begin to see them off. In a lovely gown, no less. Some commotion could be heard a ways off, resulting in a sneaking fool - well, a man - appearing into the room and then suddenly bowing before the queen, and then with the magical dagger at his side seemingly translating for him for the assembled individuals in the room. Nimue kjept a straight face, but internally was a little miffed at being called "Felspeaker". Neither she nor Aldebrecht for that matter were part-demon, but all the same the man seemed aware of her and Morgan's legends somehow. Likely he came from a later time than they. Yet even as Morgan went about speaking before the queen, and Nimue continued to meet Morgan's gazes with her own looks of affirmation that she had her back, the mage did not trust this man much really. He had slunk into the room like some sneaky rat, only seemingly sheathing his dagger when he had seen just how many people and what people were in this room and immediately trying to put on good airs.

With this all in mind, he still knew what the mission was to get to a certain city and such, and that was a strong hint at his nature as an actual resurrected "hero". This being noted, what amount of trust could she put in him despite this, with what he looked like, seemed like, and appeared like between his entrance and quick manner to move to speaking rather than...stealing more things, perhaps? Though while the others seemed convinced that Morgan alone could keep this seemingly slippery individual in check, the mage had another idea.

"Lingwus"

Having muttered her translation spell, the mage walked over to where Harun was standing in front of the knight commander. Though instead of any smile, her face bore a scrupulous look and piercing glare, things that were not to take lightly. She was not Morgan, nor she was a specialized wizard, but one could say she had more than a few surprises in store for troublemakers and their ilk.

"Listen well, rogue. You seem to know of us somehow, so know this: If you seek to rob the queen or such here, or if you stab us in the back at any point, there will be consequences. Painful ones. I will find you in such a case if you try to flee, no matter what place you hide in or the like," the mage said in a stern manner, her translation spell transforming her words into Kashiyem in the process when they hit Harun's ears, before the mage put on a small smile before she continued speaking, "So let us get along well, ok?"

With that, the mage left things off and began to move back towards Morgan, her smile becoming more sober as she gave a nod to her...well, companion or lack of a better words since the two had yet to talk of things yet. she also let out a small, somewhat private sigh, perhaps a little exasperated at things for a moment. But indeed, she wanted to talk with Morgan as well, to figure all of this out between the two of them as well.

Ah, but at least she was used to the concept of travel. That would be something to help soothe her nerves a bit, perhaps, whilst on the road. Albeit, she would not have Aldebrecht's banter to keep her company this time, though it was safe to say that while she appreciated Aldebrecht...Morgan was a companion she had longer wished to travel with in any case.

@Lyla@Tominas