The mood in Delteria is ecstatic. People from all over Y’vera have come in droves to partake in the festival of the century. Even Ashen are partaking in the celebration. Ivory stands behind the counter in her shop, the Sacred Mind, in Upper Bethany, listening intently to the chatter going on inside. She was always open during festivals, selling mixtures, herbs, and sometimes even drinks. A seedy looking Naga had wondered in along with a human she recognized from Veracity. She immediately started putting together Alex Stravier’s usual order while listening in on their conversation.

“When Vulcure crashed down 100 years ago, the city was unprepared. It had just been the focal point for a rebellion, an uprising, and two rapid changes in leadership as Cynthia was killed and Coyote and his cult were driven off. Most people alive at the time were grateful for the ordeal; Cynthia was a tyrannical ruler. Being the first one on Y’vera made her think she had power over everyone else. Apart from some residual god-like power, she was no more fit to rule than any of us. But enough of that.

“Bethany is the focal point to the festivities. Vulcure landed here when he fell, so it's only natural we expect the next Nebula to land close by. Speaking of, you know the of performance at the Midway Church? I've heard it's breathtaking, with all the mages from the Arcane Heights showing off their magic. You should check it out if you haven't. Vulcure himself will be attending the next showing. Oh, and there’ll be plenty of rich folk there.” Alex winks at Tarkus. He had assumed he was the roguish type while drinking with him at the Drunken Lady on Barion Square. He picked up his order, which was bundled nicely on the counter, and left a small bag of gold in its place. Ivory was taking care of another customer and gave him a nod as he waved and walked out with Tarkus.

“You can come visit me Veracity’s guild hall sometime. The place is a wonder of architecture up in Barion Square. I'll give you a tour. That is, if this next Nebula doesn't come crashing down on the place.” They went their separate ways, Tarkus towards Lower Bethany and Alex towards Barion.

Inside Sacred Mind, Ivory was wrapping up a discussion with a curious Fae, Sapphira. “...so I use this mix to enhance the flux channeling abilities of blood. There’s ones that blocks it t-” Their conversation was cut short by the bells of Midway, signaling that only two hours remained until midnight. “Are you going?” Ivory asked, referring to the performance that the rest of the shoppers were leaving to go see. After a short conversation, the two were walking down to Lower Bethany.

At the Church of Midway, Vulcure is standing at the door greeting everyone as they arrive. Next to him are two golems, outfitted in full armor, decorative enough that their crystal cores are still visible. They were designs of Vulcure’s own making. Ever since he showed up on Y’vera, humans have experienced a technical renaissance. He brought with him knowledge of harnessing flux through crystals, which the Fae have adopted wholeheartedly (especially in their Port City Tarver), and a special form of magic that captures disembodied souls in crystals. It was as if Vulcure’s arrival was intentional, coming at a time when they needed the technology to recover from war.

Vulcure greeted each character, shaking their hands with his large stoney ones. From a distance Vulcure looked to be a very large human, but upon closer inspection you can see he is made of the very same stone that Delteria is crafted from. Somehow, you can tell life courses through him.

Inside, the performance is just beginning. Musicians changed from their festive jingle to a dramatic song. Several Fae fly out onto the stage, circling each other and leaving trails of sparkling light in their wake. Sapphira could fully appreciate the skill it took in flying so deftly while channeling the flux to create the magical trails. Fae naturally have more precise control over flux due to their size, but the trick still requires bouncing flux off their wings to help in flight while creating the vortex that makes the scintillating effect.

Out came several human magii. Humans have an affinity for magic, but only because their blood flow pattern is so perfect for channeling it. By carefully manipulating their airflow and heart rate, they can cast specific spells. Everyone's spells were slightly different from each other's as a result of biological differences as well as technique. The wizards all carefully conjured up fireballs to throw at each other while another came stomping across the stage in a Werewolf costume, pretending to be Coyote. A tyrannical woman, representing Cynthia, was struck down by the wolf, but soon after two wizards created ethereal swords and shields and charged shoulder to shoulder towards the wolf, striking him down in a magical explosion of color all over the entire cathedral. The crowd went wild with applause. As the magical dust cleared, Cynthia’s soul rose up into the sky and the injured werewolf hobbled away. The two brothers stood tall amidst more Fae gliding around them.

Then, in the large window behind them, a star sparkled bright, and began streaking across the sky. As the mages began casting another spell, everyone in the room got silent in anticipation of the re-enactment of the fall of Vulcure. Even the normally loud (but abnormally huge) Ogres in the back quitted down. The light behind the window got brighter and brighter before it finally broke through the metal framed glass in a fiery ball of destruction. It continued its rampage through the large gold plated symbol of The Archaeon before finally crashing into the stage where the two mages stood.

Most of the crowd is cheering on the performance, but in a moment clarity Sapphira, Ivory, and Tarkus realize this wasn't part of the play. An actual Nebula had fallen a couple hours early of midnight, choosing this cathedral to land in. Vulcure is sprinting across the Cathedral with his golems close behind. He runs up to the pile of metals, which is slowly taking shape….

"What are ya buyin', stranger?", the slightly graveled voice spoke. "All kinds of trinkets and oddities at the right price!", it said again; this time the owner of the voice showing an assortment of valuable objects. Unfortunately, not a single customer seemed to care about the Naga's wares. He was beginning to grow impatient. This unfortunate merchant was Tarkus, a male Naga that was too stubborn for his own good. Becoming annoyed with the lack of gold moving from someone else's pockets to his, the lizard decided to close up shop and at least see the festival from another perspective that isn't behind a stall.

After wrapping his merchandise in a sack and clipping his folding seat to his back, Tarkus began to explore the other shops. He began to notice many similar faces. "Damn rich humans," Tarkus grumbled. However, his luck was starting to turn around. An extremely expensive-looking wallet was peeking out the side of a tourist's pouch. Just out of reach, at the critical moment Tarkus's arm was firmly grasped. "Tarkus, my friend! I see you've gotten used to how we treat guests in Delteria," spoke the man that still held the attempted thief's arm. The man was Alex Straiver, member of the guild Veracity; a group of traders that don't quite trust Tarkus for reasons that cannot be determined. Grumbling again, the lizard let his target carry on without even noticing. "Ya really know when to ruin the perfect moment." "I can't let an old friend turn to crime, not again at least. Besides, they won't let you back in if you get caught another time." "Don't remind me."

The two wandered to a small shop in upper Bethany. The Sacred Mind it was called. A woman was behind the counter, not short though not as tall as Alex or Tarkus. Stepping inside, the Naga immediately covered his nose. "What in the world is that smell?!" yelled the lizard. "Can't handle your herb, Tarkus? I thought you of all people could," laughed his companion. Standing a bit away from the stronger smells while the two humans talked, Tarkus stole glances at the various spices and ingredients between coughs. He couldn't catch most of their conversation but could tell the two were at least friends. "-Oh, and there’ll be plenty of rich folk there," Alex said to Tarkus with a wink. Alex grabbed his order off the counter, replacing the empty space with a small bag of gold, and motioned for Tarkus to leave with him.

“You can come visit me Veracity’s guild hall sometime. The place is a wonder of architecture up in Barion Square. I'll give you a tour. That is, if this next Nebula doesn't come crashing down on the place.” Tarkus nodded, not quite paying attention to the man. The two parted ways as Tarkus pondered where to go next. He decided on the lower part of Bethany; not quite as savory as the upper city but one can find a nice deal on rare items there.

"This place is a bit of a dump," Tarkus thought aloud. Garbage in a few gutters and a vagrant sprinkled here and there. "Psst. Hey scalehead." Tarkus stopped in his tracks and turned towards the voice. "You wanna buy some stuff? I got clothes, blades, bags, I got everything." Pondering for a moment the lizard simply said a single word. "Shoes." "What?" "Ya got shoes?"

Wearing his new "shoes", which in reality were just scraps of leather decently wrapped around his feet, Tarkus made his way to the main event of the festival at the Church of Midway. Waiting in line to enter, Tarkus shook the hand of Vulcure. Not quite a golem, Vulcure was something else entirely. A sight that Tarkus had never seen before. Inside, the show had commenced. Tarkus took a seat in the second row between a somewhat familiar smelling human and an ogre. He was never really interested these kinds of performances. The dancing and flying Fae bored him to no end. However, shortly after that several magii took the stage to show off their skills. They created fire from nothing to throw at a one another like children threw snow in the cold part of the year. Magick was never something Tarkus had the aptitude for, so he was interested when another could perform it well. Then a human dressed as Coyote and another dressed as Cynthia showed their face on stage. The wolf defeated the tyrant Cynthia as two other mages revealed themselves and ran through the beast with their blades. It was all for show of course but it reminded the Naga of when his sister would take him to the acting troupes to watch whatever show they had on that month as a youngling. Tarkus however, was taken out of his thoughts by a bright explosion of dust in the cathedral. Though part of the play, another event coincidentally began to take place at that moment.

A bright light, lighting up the sky as if it were day, slowly grew in size. "That isn't getting bigger, its getting closer!" Tarkus thought aloud, to the chagrin of his seating neighbors. As the glass shattered, Vulcure with his golems were already at the stage. Tarkus vaulted the seat and its inhabitant ahead of him out of instinct; a feeling of caution and an itch of curiosity coursed through him...

Brushing the last bit of the potion across the door frame, Ivory whispered the incantation to seal the ward inside of her shop. While it wouldn’t stop anyone from actually causing harm, it did give off a subtle influence that would make them think twice before doing something of ill intention. Her family had used the same recipe for years on the blankets they passed out to the homeless around the church, in an attempt to reduce the criminal element in the area. She cleaned up the herbs she had used and drank the last bit of mead resting in the bottom of her cup. It wasn’t her favorite drink to mix with blood, but she liked to keep the more expensive wines for when she closed the shop at the end of the day. She rinsed out the glass and put it away, then went and officially opened for the day.

There were many festivals that had graced Delteria in her lifetime, especially now that so many new races and religions were abounding in the area, but the Festival of the Era was by far the most elaborate that Ivory had experienced. Shopkeepers opened earlier, stayed open later and were experiencing record sales. Magicians came in from areas Ivory was only familiar with through rumors to perform, food was being made and consumed like never before, and the Fae were even spotted out and about. The decorations in the town center were so intricate and mesmerizing that she was convinced they must have been created by magic.

Ivory flipped the lock on the shop door and pushed it open, propping it with a heavy stone. Customers came in and out constantly for the day. However, two men eventually entered that caught her eye – a Naga who gave off an uncomfortable persona and Stravier, a member of the Veracity guild. He certainly wasn’t her favorite customer but he was consistent with his order and always paid so she kept to herself and got him out as quickly as possible. She put together his wound sealing salve, made mostly of honey and clove oil, a lavender potion to ward off insomnia, and two packets of a cinnamon herb mix that she knew he liked to put in his cider.

While she wrapped the packaging, Ivory overheard Stravier talking with the lizard about the Festival, as well as the anticipation of a new Nebula falling. It was exciting to think about. What would this new being look like? Would they remember falling? There were contradicting stories as to whether Vulcure remembered his falling and since Ivory had never met the man, she had never heard the rumor put to rest either way.

A wispy fairy entered her shop that interrupted her thought process. The Fae headed to the counter right away, stood on the tips of her toes, and gazed right into Ivory’s blue eyes. “Hi, I’m Sapphira. I’d like a peppermint lip balm please.” Her wings glistened in the candle light of the shop and her snow colored hair had a light flow, as if working under its own power. Ivory turned and set the small jar on the counter.

“Alright. Is there anything else I can get you?” she asked, trying not to get caught up in the uncommon sight in front of her. It was rude to stare, after all. The fairy seemed to pause in consideration before answering. While Sapphira contemplated the supplies across Sacred Heart, Ivory dropped the wrapped package for Stravier on to the counter without a word. He reciprocated with a payment of gold and the two men left the shop.

“Well,” the fairy began, “what else do you have?” Ivory smiled at her inquisitive nature. Its was similar to her own, although she would never be as blunt. She turned and grabbed the nearest potion. It was one she had been working on for a long time but had yet to perfect.

“I like to call this Augeretis. I’ve been working on it for a while. Its simple purpose is to heighten magic use. One of the problems we run into most is our inability to tap into the flux itself, so I use this mix to enhance the flux channeling abilities of blood. There’s ones that blocks it t-“ The ring of the bells in town cut her off mid sentence. It was nearing time. “Are you going?” she asked, curious if the Fae even cared enough about a new Nebula. Surprisingly, the fairy perked right up.

“Of course!” she proclaimed, excited at the prospect. “It’s not every day that a piece of the god falls to us.” Her wings flitted in rhythm with her words. Ivory couldn’t help but become somewhat enthusiastic herself. Her own curiosity was now at peak levels.

“Well, why don’t we head out to the church together then?” She moved to close the door. It was a bit earlier than she normally liked to end her day but seemed totally worth it. While Sapphira had her back turned, seemingly watching the events out of the shop window, Ivory grabbed a couple small vials of blood. They would be enough to get her though the night. “Ready?” she asked, turning back to the small girl.

Once the two made it to the church, they were greeted at the door by Vulcure himself. Ivory was a bit caught off guard, being able to experience the presence of someone she viewed as a celebrity, but quickly composed herself when making a slight bow to him as he shook her hand. The girls quickly found their seats and watched the display in front of them. Glancing around the room, Ivory saw the lizard that had been in the shop earlier in the day. But soon, she was easily caught up in the drama of the play, her emotions becoming captivating as she watched Cynthia die. Her family had always worshiped the goddess and it was surreal to see the portrayal of her death in person.

Suddenly a bright streak was visible in the sky. It seemed to catch most everyone off guard. Ivory rubbed her fingers together slightly, channeling the flux to read the emotion of the room. Most of it was amazement. The crowd cheered as the object hit the stage. Is this part of the performance? she wondered. Sapphira seem worried next to her. “This isn’t part of the play, is it?” Ivory asked. Sapphira just shook her head. The two watched as Vulcure approached the stage, the exact spot the Nebula had landed.

Sapphira normally avoided festivals of any kind, she was rather tiny and lots of people usually didn’t end well for her. However this was special, and she wasn’t the only one who thought so. She was one of many fae who decided to grace the festival with their presence and it was quite amazing to see, how many different races showed up. She wandered around for awhile, flying higher than she normally did in order to not be crushed or ran into. She shopped some, although she didn’t buy much, in between the fact that a lot was overpriced for unsuspecting tourists and trying to keep her items in her possession and out of the grasp of sticky fingers. Eventually she found herself in some type of apothecary, which she knew she needed some more lip balm. Her skin dried so easily, and chapped lips were the absolute worst. When she entered the shopkeeper looked unoccupied so she flitted up to her and stood at the edge of the counter, although she was still much shorter than the shopkeeper even on the tips of her toes and her spine straightened as straight as it could be.

“Hi, I’m Sapphira. I’d like a peppermint lip balm please.” She asked the shop keeper as politely as she could. The shopkeeper seemed rather surprised to see her, which Sapphira didn’t mind in the least. Curiosity is something she was intimately familiar with, so she could not be displeased with others who felt it as well. The shopkeeper retrieved the balm and set it in front of Sapphira. Sapphira inspected it and decided it was of adequate quality. She retrieved some gold pieces out of her bag on her hip before the shopkeeper asked if there was anything else she needed. She considered the request, off the top of her head she couldn’t recall anything she needed, but perhaps the shop offered something she didn’t know or remember that she did.
“Well,” Sapphira began slowly,” what else do you have?” Sapphira asked her and the shopkeeper smiled, which means that she had succeeded in not offending her.
“I like to call this Augeretis. I’ve been working on it for a while. Its simple purpose is to heighten magic use. One of the problems we run into most is our inability to tap into the flux itself, so I use this mix to enhance the flux channeling abilities of blood. There’s ones that blocks it t-“ The ring of the bells in town cut her off mid sentence. It was nearing time for the show. “Are you going?” Sapphira perked up as the shopkeeper asked the question and nodded empathetically.
“Of course! It’s not every day a piece of the God falls to us.” Sapphira’s wings fluttered behind her, to accentuate her words.
“Well why dont we head out to the church together then?” The shopkeeper asked as she closed the door. Sapphira shook her head in agreement, glancing out to see the already large crowd had grown even more in size.
“Ready?” The shopkeeper asked and Sapphira nodded again.
“I never got your name by the way.” Sapphira mentioned as they started towards the church.
“I’m Ivory.” Ivory introduced herself and Sapphira smiled broadly. Look at her, meeting new people. Her mother would be...if not proud definitely not as disappointed as she could be.

They continued onto the church, where they were greeted by Volcure. Ivory seemed nervous but Sapphira wasn’t so easily star struck. She curtsied, of course, her entire body dipping down as she did. She went back up to height and followed Ivory into the church, finding seats. Sapphira perched herself on the back of the seat, her wings fluttering to help her keep her balance and not tumble backwards. She was enraptured by the play, it was all quite a spectacle. Until something literally fell from the sky. Sapphira’s entire body tensed, and she started floating slightly above the chair. She, mostly unconsciously, started to channel the flux around her, ready to make a quick escape if need be.
“This isn’t part of the play, is it?” Ivory asked her quietly and Sapphira shook her head. They just got to see an event that only happened once a century, and it was fantastic. Sapphira rose up above the crowd slightly before getting dizzy and landing back down.
“Holy...” Sapphira whispered, eyes wide.

---

Igneous was sitting against a wall in Lower Bethany, which was surprisingly quiet save for the Church of Midway. He was staring at the sky while feeling the parts of his body that had chipped when he was thrown from the golemsmith’s forge, a building overlooking Bethany from the wealthier district of Barion. It wasn’t uncommon for broken golems to be thrown here and salvaged for scrap, but it was unusual for one to still be alive.

As he scanned the constellations of The Sky with the eyes behind his visor-like face, a shimmer caught his attention. It was slight at first, but then he noticed four more surrounding the first one. They all split off almost simultaneously: one each to the north, south, east, and west. The final one headed straight down. Igneous was too caught up in the spectacle that it didn’t register that the Nebula was falling straight for his position. He barely moved as it crashed loudly into the Church of Midway. Curious, he made his way there.

Inside, the once elaborate symbol of The Archaeon was now a glowing, swirling, molten mass. Vulcure’s booming voice could be heard above the noise of the audience: “EVERYONE STAY BACK!” His guards were already blocking off the stage and keeping the curious at bay, one of which was a Naga armed with an axe and… a chair?

The mass began to take a humanoid shape. It was as tall as a large Naga, but with a build more similar to that of a human. The Nebula finally took shape, body still red with heat. Some pieces floated, setting him apart from the golems created by mortals. The cathedral fell silent as he turned to face Vulcure…

"Brother!" Caeleo’s voice sounded slightly metallic. Vulcure scanned The Sky through the now open ceiling, trying to discern who had fallen. He hid the shock on his face well when he realized all of Archaeon was missing.

“Caeleo? But you-”

"Someone else will take up my role. If it’s still needed, that is."

“You don’t mean the Crystal is in trouble?” Vulcure stepped forward, his cape flowing behind him.

"There’s a conflict brewing in ithica. The brothers. I sent the others as a precaution." He looked up toward the now empty spot in The Sky.

Vulcure suddenly realized now was not the time nor the place to discuss the Crystal of Balance. He turned to the crowd and motioned Caeleo to step up beside him. The room was filled with murmurs that came to a halt as Vulcure’s voice boomed once more: “People of Delteria! This is Caeleo!” He raised Caeleo’s arm high as the crowd erupted from the tension.

Sometime later, the church had been emptied and a few remained outside: A Naga, golem, and some Ashen dwelled in the shadows of a nearby alley; Vulcure, Caeleo, his guard and some individuals from Veracity discussed politics by the entrance; and a small group of humans and Fae gossiped nearby.

---

The dust of the impact stirred around Ivory and the murmur of the crowd made it difficult for her to hear the conversation ahead of her. Vulcure's guard was persistent in keeping the crowd back. The push of those behind her who were curious in combination with the resistance of those in front of her caused Ivory to feel slightly claustrophobic. She strained to listen to what was being said on stage but very few words were audible from where she stood. A Naga pushed up against her back, breathing down her neck. She tried to turn to see if it was the same one from the apothecary earlier, since there weren't too many in the room anyway, but there wasn't enough space to look. "Caeleo?" She caught Vulcure say. Caeleo? Was that the name of the Star? Ivory glanced around to see if Sapphira had stuck with her but it was difficult to see a Fae in a crowd because of their height. The commotion on stage held her attention anyway.

"...conflict brewing in ithica..." she heard the Nebula say. Flashbacks of her family's ministry work in the ithica area brewed frustration inside of her. Her family knew nothing of her vampirisim and at times, it wore on her. Other than her encounter with Xen, Ivory had yet to come across another vampire. It was a lonely existence. She often considered seeking Xen out if not for anything other than companionship, but she wasn't even sure if he was alive. Sure, there were rumors of his pillaging and other infamous acts, but she also knew how greatly stories could be exaggerated, especially if Xen desired it.

"People of Delteria!" Vulcure's call snapped her attention back into place. A conflict in ithica? Isn't that what the Nebula had said? ithica was well known for being the island where Storxx and Rolark called home. If the new Nebula's first thought was to mention a conflict, it must be serious. Maybe serious enough for Elk herself to make an appearance. Excitement sparked inside of Ivory. This could finally be her shot.

"Excuse me," she said, pushing past those in the crowd in an attempt to make her way to the new fallen Star. She took another second to see if Sapphira was still with her but her search came up empty. The Fae would find her eventually. Or not. At this point, Ivory was apathetic either way. While she weaved through the mass of people, she tried to come up with a reason why Caeleo would want her to join him in ithica...if that's even what his intention was. Her mind drew a blank and doubt started to creep inside her. She was being brash and she knew it. A few people scowled when she moved by them. Ashen seemed to naturally allow her space, likely in fear of public chastisement. She tried not to stare them in the face as she murmured "pardon me". By now she was outside, only a few feet from the edge of where the guard was holding people off. What am I doing? She hesitated, racked with indecision. Suddenly, an idea came to her. She called out without thinking, "Caeleo!" She prayed to the Goddess that her voice would be heard. "Caeleo! I'd like to offer you a Welcome Blessing on behalf of the people of Delteria!"

---

Leaping over the chair ahead, Tarkus launched himself into the commotion. Blinded by the flash and dust of the impacting object; he was lead by a mix of stupidity, courage, and curiosity. Tarkus' trusty portable seat had other ideas however. The metal chair caught itself on the seating of the church, causing the Naga to begin his descent far earlier than he imagined. Narrowly avoiding ending the life of the human woman that sat in front of him before, Tarkus was able to regain his balance. Though, he did look a bit foolish trying to fix the chair clipped to his back while attempting to look menacing to the mysterious glowing figure.

"Brother!" he heard booming from the slightly less blinding machine. "There’s a conflict brewing in Ithica. The bro-" Tarkus ignored the rest of the things words to think inwardly. Ithica? That place again? Something tells me I'll have to go back there once more. That dreadful place. The lizard was cut off mid thought by a woman almost bowling him over just to see the fallen star. "Caeleo! I'd like to offer you a Welcome Blessing on behalf of the people of Delteria!" she shouted. Tarkus thought she was mad to just run up to a still burning space rock. Though immediately the guards pushed the two and everyone else out of the church. A Fae seemed to meet up with them outside while the small group waited.

After some time the church was almost entirely empty. The masses seemed to have their fill of strange situations. Tarkus, asleep against the wall, was awoken by a gruff voice. "You, Naga and that herbalist. Come with me." The guard motioned towards Caeleo, the fallen star. The Fae followed close behind. Tarkus could see a strange looking golem already there, covered in a glass that was darker than the night sky.

---

Wrrrrr, new directive received. ithica. Crystal of Balance. Protect.

Vulcure finished repairing the damaged, dark, reflective golem. He found him outside, wondering seemingly lost in the darkness. Vulcure was among those who believed golems were just as alive as the other races of Y’vera. Not everyone shared the sentiment, however.

Caeleo continued discussing things with the influential figures from Veracity and some curious Delterians. Among them were Alex Stravier and Bob-Drakken, a purebred Naga with beast-like features. Bob-Drakken wasn’t so sure about the danger the political climate posed.

“So you’re saying Storxx and Rolark would be willing to put the crystal at risk? And for what?”

“They’re old, and dying. There’s a technique Cynthia left behind for immortality, but it involves controlling a majority of the flux on Y’vera. We call it a flux takeover.”

It was about this time that one of Vulcure’s guard arrived, leading the group of individuals Caeleo had asked for. He turned his head to look at them before returning to his conversation with the Drakken family member.

“As you know, the Crystal was created by Elk to stabilize the flux of Y’vera in order to sustain mortal life. It channels a huge amount of flux through it before distributing it evenly across the world.”

“So,” Stravier chimed in, “they want to use the Crystal to achieve a flux takeover and alter the rules for themselves. Clever.”

“Exactly. There’s no telling what type of effect a flux takeover will have on a plane with mortals. It’s never happened before. It’s possible it could wipe out mortal life, or worse...”

A stony silence fell over the group. Golems could be heard toiling away, repairing the damage to the church. Bob and Alex gave each other a knowing look before Caeleo started again:

“It was my job to observe the Crystal. Watch over it for dangers. I couldn’t do it alone, so four more were assigned to watch over the rest of Y’vera for threats. I dragged them down from The Sky when I fell. Laeon to Silent-Run, Ipotael to Rissdar, Asael to Tarver, and Aefrit to Dunley. We all agreed to gather a force and convince Elk to help us protect the crystal.”

Our protagonists recognized the names of stars as they realized not one, but five Nebula fell that night. “You all are that force,” Vulcure chimed in, addressing the crowd, “you reacted confidently to Caeleo’s arrival. We need people that aren’t just warriors, but also ready to choose to protect Y’vera over the opportunity for power.”

“Drakken,” he continued, “I need you to find Elk and inform her. I know Veracity keeps tabs on her.” Bob-Drakken nodded. “As for the rest of you, we’ll be leaving from Lothair in a week’s time. Rolark and Storxx will likely hear of the Nebula arrival soon, and we can only keep our intentions secret for so long.” (A week is ten days on Y’vera. Likewise, a year has 50 weeks)

With that, Bob-Drakken and Alex Stravier took their leave. Vulcure approached Tarkus: “This is Igneous,” he presented the so-far-silent golem made of jet black rock, “I want it to accompany you. I can’t force you to help us, but something tells me you aren’t completely unfamiliar with the landscape of ithica. If you don’t want to help, feel free to keep it around. It’s a stray.”

Caeleo was talking with Sapphira and Ivory: “Thankyou for the warm welcome.” He at least knew how to keep to formalities, despite his indifference to mortals. “We’ll be leaving Delteria tomorrow morning if you want to accompany us. And you, Fae. You probably need to head back to Tarver? If you could accompany us, I know Fae have many useful variations of magic and enchantments.”

---

Words, haze, dust settling were the initial observations of the dark golem. Something from above had crashed into this structure next to it when it had been investigating what all the commotion had been about. The next thing Igneous knew, there was a crunching from behind and the world had fallen away. Something or someone had pulled Igneous away to safety. Although momentary, the golem gradually began coming to and was face to face with some other golem. It started, "You're looking not too shabby for a golem that had a wall fall on them," it paused as though thoughtful, "what's your name wandering one? You don't seem to be like the others I've seen throughout the land."
Igneous waited for it to finish.
"Igneous."
"Ah, well then Igneous, I'd like you to accompany me for a moment," pause, "my name is Vulcure- here let's get you up." Igneous was brought to its feet and followed Vulcure around to the front of the church. Vulcure stopped in the middle of the threshold and addressed those who would listen. What was this about protecting Y'vera? The black golem thought to itself. It had only just recently entered this world, and it figured that it rather liked existing here, perhaps it would be worthwhile and assist this other golem thing in protecting Y'vera. Vulcure had helped Igneous when it was in trouble it rationalized, deciding it would do whatever Vulcure asked of it.
It was then that Vulcure then touched its glassy, mineral arm and pulled it over to a lizardman that was standing nearby,
“This is Igneous. I want it to accompany you. I can't force you to help us, but something tells me you aren't completely unfamiliar with the landscape of ithica. If you don’t want to help, feel free to keep it around. It’s a stray.” The black golem stepped forward.
"I will help protect Y'vera.”

---

At Ivory’s outburst, both Vulcure and Caeleo, as well as a few of the nearby guard, turned their attention to her. The sudden onslaught of attention gave her pause, similar to the way she felt the first time she saw Xen’s blood red eyes, although no where near as terrifying. She mustered up the courage to repeat herself. “Caeleo, may I bestow this blessing upon you?” Caeleo didn’t respond. He did, however, turn to Vulcure, as if waiting for the Nebula to reply. At first Ivory felt slighted that the new fallen star would brush her off. Then it occurred to her that he may not have been familiar enough with what she was asking to give her an adequate reply; he was deferring to his brother, who knew the customs of the people better than he. Vulcure seemed to pick up on this as well. He made a quick motion of his hand as he replied.

“Step forward.” Ivory obeyed, gracefully moving around the guard that stood before her. The crowd hushed, only some of them familiar with the ritual Ivory offered to perform. When she reached the two Nebulae, she bowed slightly out of respect and training. She then pulled a small bottle of oil from her cloak and removed the cork. The aroma of the mixed herbs circled around the group - chamomile for purification and protection, lavender for peace, rosemary for a smooth and beneficial transition and even a bit of mugwort for luck and success. She started by whispering a prayer to the Goddess, thanking her for sending Caeleo as a gift to them. She touched the oil to the inside of his wrists, accessing the flux to attempt to reach his own flux energy. If she was being honest, she had no idea if this type of ritual could even affect a Nebula. But she was going to try. She finished the blessing by touching the oil to the middle of his chest and asking Cynthia to watch over his travels. When she put her bottle away, Caeleo looked into her face. His metallic shell was unfamiliar to her, but somehow his eyes still conveyed warmth and understanding.

“You are a healer?” He asked. His voice was a give away that he wasn’t human, even if he had appeared so. Ivory nodded as a response.

“Yes, I own an apothecary a few streets from here.” Caeleo simply nodded, as if filing the information away for later use. “Are you going to ithica?” She couldn’t think of a more strategic way of asking the Star’s plans, so she decided a direct approach would get her results faster. Caeleo answered, seemingly unbothered by her blunt question.

“Soon.” The response wasn’t as informative as she was hoping for, but it was something. At this time, Caeleo rose, leaving her standing alone, and went over to where Vulcure had been joined by Stravier and a Naga that Ivory had seen around Delteria, but whose name she hadn’t yet learned. She approximated it to be around 2am so she stepped away from the men speaking, slipped back through the crowd and headed to her shop to replace her oil and feed the alley cat that often waited by her door. She played the conversation with Caeleo over and over in her head. It was too brief. She hadn’t made enough of an impact. There was no way he was going to need her to accompany him to seek out Elk. Maybe she could follow them anyway? The guard that he would no doubt have traveling with him were trained far better than she was. Would she be able to keep up with them without being caught? A woman’s wail snapped her out of her thoughts. She had reached her shop, only to be met by two women at the door. One was doubled over, clearly in pain.

“Please! Ivory! My sister needs your help!” Ivory rushed to the woman’s side, pushing open her door.

“Come inside quickly!” She urged them, helping to drag the pained woman inside. She pulled her to the very back of the shop, where she often met patients with varying illnesses. “What is wrong?” She asked.

“It’s poison! Her husband has poisoned her!”

“What kind of poison?” Ivory immediately started to drain the woman of blood, catching the red liquid in a basin at the end of the table.

“Hemlock.”

“Are you sure?” The woman nodded in response. Fortunately, this was not the first time Ivory had dealt with the poison. She pulled a potion made of peppermint and valerian off a shelf behind her. She handed it to the sister. “You need to have her drink this, slowly. If she starts to seize, stop.” The woman obeyed and the poisoned girl drank it easily. Ivory tended the open wounds made from her cuts, sealing them with a wax while the girl continued to drink. She must not have ingested much of the poison because she was alert within a short time. The two women thanked Ivory for her help and headed off with a few small vials of vitamin supplement to aid in her recovery and a promise to contact the authorities at dawn. Ivory turned to her basin of blood. She poured the remainder of the potion she had given the girl into the basin and channeled the flux to activate it. The hemlock additives to the blood first coagulated into a dark mass, then evaporated. Purifying blood was one of the first things Xen had taught her after she turned. The process still mesmerized her. Suddenly, there was knock at her door. It was still too early for the shop to open, so she figured it had to be the women again. Maybe she hadn't gotten rid of all the poison. She opened the door and was started to find a member of Vulcure’s guard. “May I help you?” She asked. He told her that Vulcure and Caeleo wanted her back at the Church. They were in need of her assistance. Her heart sped up. “Yes, please let me grab a few things.” She was weakened from the blessing and the healing, and she needed blood. She shut the door, drank a bit from the basin, stored the remainder in a couple vials, then headed out with the man. As they came upon the site at the church, the guard stopped in front of the Naga that had been to the store with Stravier. He spoke to the lizard.

“You, Naga and that herbalist. Come with me." Reluctantly they followed with Sapphira trailing close behind. Vulcure spoke up, talking about how a few of them would be heading to ithica. Finally, her chance to find the Goddess was here.

---

As foot traffic resumed normal levels, Barion Square became the bustling center for trade and conversation Delteria was known for. The North Gate, also known as Cynthia’s Gate, was designed and constructed by her order using stone and crystal, crafted such that the crystal reflected the rising sun’s rays in beautiful patterns across Barion Square. The more romantic residents of Delteria usually gathered to watch, but today they were joined by a mix of fighters, mages, and politicians preparing for the journey to Lothair and ithica.

Caeleo was standing on the outside of a ring of Delterians, mentally detached from the crowd that was discussing fighting techniques, politics, and fluxcraft. He was eager to set off and unhappy with the widespread lack of urgency. As he scanned the crowd, he spotted a few other like-minded individuals from the night before: Tarkus, Sapphira, Ivory, and Igneous. He quickly broke away and headed towards them. Perhaps this group will want to leave already.

“Caeleo!” Ivory was the first to acknowledge his presence, “What’s causing the delay?”

“Yeah,” an irritated looking Tarkus chimed in, "I could've been selling junk all morning instead of standing around here with the lot of ya."

Caeleo was pleasantly surprised by the Naga’s bluntness. “Time is of the essence,” he echoed the sentiment, “but Vulcure insisted on helping the others prepare.” There was deflection in his voice that betrayed his true emotions on the situation, a shift from his previously monotone and metallic voice. He was getting used to his physical form.

Igneous spoke up, “Why do we have to wait for Vulcure?” The group fell silent. For some reason, nobody had stopped to consider that they could just travel to Lothair on their own. It’s not like it was a difficult road to travel by any means; the riverside path was taken daily by plenty of traders. The group grabbed their belongings nearly in sync and loaded up the 1-horse wagon they had laid claim to earlier that morning. Within a few minutes time they were headed across Lake Delteria's Fae Bridge.

Most of Delteria's architecture was of human creation, but the bridge was built by Fae craftsman as a gesture of their goodwill. Traces of Delteria's block-ish style could be seen intertwined with the Fae's liberal use of carefully crafted loops, curves, and crystals that both enhance the visual appeal and channel flux to ensure structural integrity. Fae made excellent builders; their flight coupled with their small hands allowed them to quickly and accurately construct any structure with ease. The path north was littered with similar, but smaller bridges made of both wood and stone crossing the Delthair River, almost as if the Fae made them for fun. Sapphira was sure to tell her new friends all about the history of the bridge as they crossed it.

---

Ivory headed back to the apothecary after Vulcure and Caeleo finished their remarks about the journey to ithica. Most of it was vague and over her head but one thing was clear - she was headed to get what she wanted from Elk. Her party members weren't aware of this, of course, but there was no reason she couldn't take advantage of their presence and resources. After all, the trip there was rumored to be eventful, even dangerous. There was safety in numbers as well as a fully trained guard.

Once back, she went up to the private sleeping quarters above the shop. She wasn't sure how long the journey would be and didn't want to overpack. She threw together a simple bag that contained two sets of clothes, a brush, and a small pillow and blanket. She decided to pack pants. It would likely cause a stir among the group but she knew they needed a healer and would be hard pressed to find one after they headed out, especially over something like her dress. After a small bit of debate, she decided to throw in one of Xen's journals. It was her favorite because it elaborated on the day he found the Blood Thistle. His writing was initially exciting and adventurous but a lot of it was about his crimes and exploits on the seas. It would have been too hard to believe, had she not met the man himself. Now the writing seemed dull in comparison to the real thing.

The groups were instructed to meet at the North Gate in the morning and, based on the peek of the sunrise on the horizon, she only had a few hours to finish getting ready. Back downstairs, Ivory grabbed the box of healing supplies that she often took with her when travelling. It contained all the serums, potions, mixtures, herbs, and salves she thought she would need for this type of adventure. It also had two scalpels, small bits of rope and silk, a syringe with a few needles, and a hunter's knife. She had yet to use the knife but didn't want to be stuck without it. The bottom of the box pulled aside to reveal a hidden compartment that she used to store blood vials. It wasn't easy to find unless you were looking for it but even if it was discovered, it was simple to explain away - transfusions were a new practice but were familiar enough with the townspeople that she wouldn't be criticized for it. Granted, they could only be done between two live patients, but most laymen didn't know that. Finally, she grabbed two large coin purses from under a floorboard beneath a patient bed. She had been saving since the day she moved out of her family's home. If she was cautious about it and relied on bartering her services, she had enough money to sustain herself for a couple of years without a source of income. She divided the coins among four separate pouches and placed them in various locations, strapping only one in the traditional holder of her bag. That way, if she was robbed, she would still have the majority of her money with her. She was set - she had enough blood vials to last her two weeks if she used minimal flux. She placed the rest of her supplies near the door and headed back up to sleep. She hadn't slept much over the last week and didn't know when she would sleep again. She laid in bed, cast a spell over herself to prompt her to wake in time, and quickly fell asleep.

------

Once awake, Ivory's excitement for the trip blossomed. She grabbed all of her things and headed into the Barion square. The North Gate was crowded early, as if people had grabbed their things and slept in the square. It wasn't entirely an unreasonable thing to do but Ivory's practice with sleep spells had made it unnecessary for her. She browsed the crowd, looking for any sign of a familiar face. It looked like she was the first, of those who Caeleo had called on by name, to arrive. She took a few minutes to greet others that she had never met before, asking if anyone was in need of a healer to start their journey. She rubbed a few muscle ointments on joints but otherwise the majority of the population seemed in good health. She heard many discussions of strategy as well as a few conversations between those who were just excited to travel. The people seemed diverse, which would be advantageous when she decided to slip out to make a deal with Elk. It was likely she wouldn't even be noticed. Eventually she found a side corner of the square, by the gate front, that seemed a bit quieter than the rest of the area. From there she could see the majority of the crowd.

After some time, the Naga, Sapphira and a new golem who came with the Naga had found their way to her. Each arrival had been somewhat awkward and they didn't really speak while they waited. Soon, they were impatient to leave. It seemed as though the more people who arrived at the square, the more they were itching to be on their way. Caeleo eventually found them and seemed impatient himself. It was the new golem who finally spoke up, making them realize that they could leave on their own. Immediately they headed toward the wagon that had somehow managed to be given to the group. While they loaded it, Ivory decided to get to know those she was travelling with a bit better. The Naga from the shop helped put her alchemy box into the back. "Thanks," she said, hopping down from the wagon. "I'm Ivory. I saw you before, with Stravier."

"Yeah, I remember ya," he uttered, jumping down himself. "You own that healer shop a few blocks from here."

"Yes," she sparked up a bit, prideful of the recognition.

Before she could continue, he added, "It's Tarkus." Then walked away.

That one is a bit gruff, she thought to herself. She glanced over and saw Sapphira struggling to carry her own belongings, but instead of talking to her, she tried to make her way over to the golem. Just then, Caeleo announced that they were ready to head out. I can just introduce myself later. She wanted to make sure she could sit near her things, to prevent them from being messed with. She didn't know any of these people enough to trust them yet.

--- double post ---

---

“It’s just a wheel, right?” Caeleo stood on the side of the road with Tarkus, both of them confused as to how they forgot a spare wheel, “How hard can it be to replace?”

“I bet we could use the silent heap of junk we’ve been hauling along.” Igneous perked up, and silently looked their direction from inside the wagon. His featureless face seemed to glare at the Naga. “Oh have a heart, Tarkus,” Sapphira glided to Igneous’s side, “He’s alive, you know.”

“What about you, Sapphira? You have some woodworking experience, right? If we provided wood, would you be able to make us a new wheel?”

All eyes were on Sapphira now. Not used to the attention, her small form began to turn a tint of red. She mustered up as proud as she could, “I-I, ofcourse I can!”

“Excellent, we’ll just have to go get some…” Caeleo trailed off as he looked around the vast plain with not a tree in sight. Tarkus was already getting a few tools and weapons together, which involved strapping the metal chair to his back. “Hey no-face,” he addressed Igneous, “Watch after this lot. Me and the star are gonna get some wood.” Without another word, he set off to the west, knowing the forest wasn’t far. Caeleo followed, leaving the trio to fend for themselves.

The wagon began to fade into the hills behind it as Caeleo struggled to make conversation. He spotted the axe on Tarkus’ belt. “Why did you bring your weapon?”

“Bandits.” A few more minutes passed before Caeleo asked another question, trying to make a connection. “What about the others? What if they’re attacked?”

“That’s why I left the rock there. Bandits don’t normally stray that far from the forest, anyways.”

“Can he...it...? Can it fight?” His voice carried a hint of concern. He had picked these people to come with him because they were unique. He didn’t want to lose valuable tools at this point.

“Yeah. I sparred with it last night. It can hold his own. Must have some been programmed for fighting or something… There,” Tarkus pointed to a forest coming into focus, “That’s the place. We gotta be quick. The Lord here doesn’t like guests.”

A few moments later they were both working away at a couple small trees. They only needed enough wood for one, maybe two wheels. A spare couldn’t hurt. The brush rustled nearby, putting Caeleo and Tarkus on alert. Caeleo stepped forward, not one to back down in the face of danger, let alone that posed by humans. His voice echoed out louder and more commanding than before, “Who’s there?”

Silence. The wind blew, rustling more leaves, making the moment linger on longer than it should have. Just as the moment seemed to pass, five bandits came out from nowhere, three for Caeleo and two for Tarkus. Surrounded, they were forced to fight.

At the same time, a pair of bandits were approaching the broken down wagon...

“Suppose we jus’ pretend we’re soldiers, here to help ‘em out to get their guards down.”

“Ah, shaddup. They ain’t as dense as you, that’ll never work.”

“I’m tellin’ you it worked before on me old auntie’s best friend’s brother’s daughter’s husband.”

“And I’m tellin’ you he was a bloody idiot! Yore ‘ole family is bloody idiots!”

“Ay mate, fuck you. What do you suppose we do?”

“We’ll jus’ walk up and steal their shit. It’s not like they’re prepared enough to even have a spare wheel. What makes you think they’ll be prepared enough for us?”

“...that makes a whole lotta sense. You always were the brains, mate.”

“Thankya, thankya. Now shaddup before they hear you shoutin’.”

---

Two bandits lunged at Tarkus from both sides; each swinging nothing more than a metal stick. The first struck the bar of Tarkus's portable seat and fell off balance. The other caught the metal rod on the axe. Unfortunately, the axe was rather shoddy in and of itself; shattering almost immediately upon impact. "I knew that damn old man cheated me!" yelled the Naga as he reached behind to grab something to protect himself. His hand falling first on the metallic chair; the lizard wielded the seat as a mace, bludgeoning the first bandit halfway to meeting his God face to face. The other highwayman recovered to see his cohort's blood and bits of bone on such an unconventional weapon. "Bryce!" He yelled in shock for his fallen friend. Caeleo managed to easily dispatch the three bandits that charged at him when he spotted something odd in the trees. Before he could say a word, a loud bang echoed throughout the woods. Both Tarkus and the thief fell to the ground. As the fallen star sprinted towards the two, another slides out from the tree with the rifle still aimed at Caeleo's head.

The air was tense. Neither had moved an inch for a moment while the two watched the other's movements carefully. Caeleo couldn't see the face of the stranger between the wide brimmed hat and the mask. He could only guess and react to their next move. Right before the star charged, Tarkus howled in pain. "Was that part of yer plan?! Shootin' me in the fuckin' back?!" The stranger walked over to the lizard and looked him over. "You know them?" Caeleo asked, the shock still visible on his metallic face. Caeleo recollected himself and helped Tarkus stand. "Yeah. They've been following us since we left the church, damn clerics. Must've sent 'em after us. Didn't think it'd be you though." "Thank you for the help but next time try not to kill our group members. What's your name?" The star motioned at the cleric who was busy inspecting the corpse of the bandit that bit bullet. The top half of his head was only partially hanging on. "Its Tavren." Tarkus managed to cough out. "You won't get a word out of 'em. Haven't spoken once in the decade I've known 'em." Caeleo and Tarkus watched as Tavren searched the pockets of the former bandit. Seemingly frustrated, the new acquaintance dropped the corpse and began to search the others that Caeleo dealt with. None one noticed that one of them, the one who was nearly killed by the chair, was still alive. He stumbled up behind Tavren while Caeleo tried to address Tarkus's shoulder. Raising what was left of his metal bar high above his head, the bandit was about to strike when another shot rang out. Without turning at all, Tavren had fired a flintlock pistol at the now dying bandit.

After the wound was dressed and the wood was acquired, the three began their trek back to the cart. "You could at least explain what you're doing here." Caeleo said, looking down on the cleric who only came a little bit short of Tarkus's chin. Saying nothing once again, the fallen star seemed to get more and more frustrated at this. "I told ya, won't get a word out of 'em." "Can they talk or not?" "No idea. I heard some clerics get their tongue cut out before they can be part of the-" Tarkus was cut off by the crash coming from the direction of the cart. The trio quickly ran towards the wagon, trying not to drop any of the precious wood for the new wheel.

---

Ivory never looked up from Xen's journal as the cart came to a halt only a short way into their journey. Tarkus, Caeleo and the fairy jumped off to investigate the issue. She wasn't sure what Sapphira was going to do to help - she was quite tiny to be able to lift a wheel - but she kept her opinion to herself and stayed busy by looking over the status of her belongings. It wasn't out of the ordinary for jars to tip or even crack on long trips but everything looked to be as it had when she packed it. "...of course I can!" She heard Sapphira exclaim from the other end of the wagon. After a bit of commotion, Caleus and Tarkus headed off on their own.

"Where are they going?" Ivory demanded, jumping down from the wagon. Sapphira and Igneous met her where she stood.

"They're gathering wood. No one thought to bring a spare." Igneous responded, but didn't meet her eyes as if he was looking past her. Maybe Sapphira would be able to help, after all. Coming out of her thoughts, Ivory turned to look where Igneous' gaze remained, off her shoulder. A shadow shifted on the edge of the woods. Maybe we can catch a bit of food while we're stranded here, she thought to herself. She turned back to the pair in front of her.

"Have either of you ever hunted before? Or gathered vegetation?"

"Nope," Sapphira answered, her voice still chipper despite their current predicament. Igneous just shook his head. Maybe hunting isn't a good idea. She had never done it either. She had food rations to last until they came into a town, but if they ate them now, they would be hungry again too early. She did, however, have some taffy that a shop keeper in Delteria had given her as a supplement to payment after Ivory set his daughter's broken bone. It was always her policy to allow bartering for those who were of less means than others.

"Ok, well, would either of you be interested in some lemon taffy? Carrigan made it." The blank faces on her party members' faces reminded her that she was the only true Delteria native on the trip. She smiled, "I promise it'll be the best taffy you've ever had." As she turned back to the wagon, a rifle blast rang out from the forest in the same direction Tarkus and Caeleo had ventured off to. At the same time, a man disappeared beyond the end of the wagon, invisible behind the canvas wagon cover. Ivory held her fingers to her lips to keep Sapphira and Igneous quiet, then motioned for them to follow her. She crouched down by the wheel and channeled the flux. Unbeknownst to the group, Ivory had practice at sensing the flux signature of those around her. It had manifested after Xen had turned her into a vampire, a bastardization of her healing and alchemy abilities. Tapping into the universe, Ivory focused on the man she knew was just around the corner. She got no reading. In the past, this happened when the person she was reading used their flux so little that they gave off no signature. Common thieves then. She turned back to Sapphira and....where was Igenous? Suddenly he appeared in front of her, holding two unconscious men up by their necks.

---

One in front, two behind. Mostly makeshift weapons, but one carried an impressive looking mace, probably stolen. Caeleo was used to observing his surroundings; he had done it for 200 years. Unfortunately, having a physical form was new to him. Nebula are initially just entities in the sky, each composed of a single crystal. Every century one Nebula chooses and falls to one of Xeron’s paintings, choosing where they fall and how their physical form will manifest as a result. One perk of this is that Nebula get to choose what brand of magic they will use. Since their bodily structure doesn’t have to match traditional biological structures, they can have incredibly unique flux signatures. Caeleo’s particular brand was light-powered beams.

Caeleo began channeling flux through his core. The bandits were faster than his core, and began battering on his metal frame with little effect. He tried deflecting them to the best of his ability, but Caeleo was still inexperienced. It was one thing watching combat and another actually participating. He sliced through one bandit’s throat with blades attached to his arms, but the others were already backing up to re-evaluate their approach. Caeleo’s attack finished charging, and he reached out his hand. He let forth a continuous beam of concentrated light that inflicted serious burns on both remaining combatants. It was enough to get them to retreat so he could turn his attention to Tarkus.

After a brief encounter with a silent Cleric, the three were headed back to the wagon together. Caeleo was still suspicious of the cleric’s motives, but he welcomed having a competent combatant travel with them. As they approached the wagon with the wood needed for repairs, they heard a loud crash from that direction.

Caeleo and Tarkus approached tactically, taking care not to make too much noise and leaving Tavren to cover their backs. The wagon looked exactly as they left it, with the addition of two unconscious Ashen propped against the side. Sapphira, Ivory, and Igneous were nowhere to be seen. “I wonder where they’ve gotten off to.” Tarkus wondered out loud. Caeleo was less concerned with the people: “What do you think that sound was?” From his previous vantage point in the sky he would have been able to tell immediately. Caeleo put the wood down by the broken wheel and looked inside the wagon. Everyone’s belongings were still there…

“Did you hear that?!” Sapphira’s voice startled the trio as she floated down from above. “I don’t see anything around for miles, but that crash sounded like it was RIGHT THERE.” She pointed enthusiastically to the east, where Ivory and Igneous were walking back from the nearby river. Igneous was staring confusedly at some taffy in its hand, not sure what the woman wanted it to do with it. She took an exaggerated bite out of hers, as if in demonstration.

“We thought it came from the wagon. Sounded like an explosion,” Caeleo explained, “Anyway, we brought the wood. Think you could work your magic and fix the wheel?”

Sapphira glided over to the other end of the wagon. As she rounded the corner she jumped back and let out a startled scream that sounded more like a squeak. “Oh, that’s Tavren,” Tarkus elaborated, “A Cleric. Been followin’ us. He'll do you no harm.” Tavren was busy searching the bandits for useful items. “Oh, well, nice to meet you Tavren!” The cleric stared at the fairy’s tiny outstretched hand for a moment, shook it, then went back to looting. That was enough for Sapphira, so she set to work.

Fairy artisans were renowned for using magic to enhance their craftsmanship. Sapphira had picked up the basics of many different magic based crafts, woodworking included. Over the next several minutes she magically weaved the wood pieces together to make a mostly functional wheel.

Tarkus and Igneous were discussing the bandit encounter while watching Sapphira work. Caeleo greeted Ivory as she returned, “What is that?” He nodded towards the taffy. “Lemon taffy! From Delteria.” Caeleo, in all his time observing, hadn’t paid much attention to human foods. They disinterested him, so he changed the topic. “Did you find anything out about that sound?”

“Oh, right. We didn’t see anything. You don’t suppose it had to do with the Crystal of Balance, do you?” Ivory concealed the fact that the thought was dominating her mind. “It would make sense. Perhaps those two fools saw the Archaeon fall and knew their time was running out.” She could see Caeleo’s concern, despite his metallic features. “Hopefully Asael is making better time than we are.”

---

Igneous dropped the two thieves at Ivory’s feet. They appeared to be Ashen, which wasn’t a surprise. The tendency of society to push their kind out would often resort them to deviant activities in order to survive. She leaned over and check their pulses. They were still alive, just unconscious. "We need to check on Caeleo and Tarkus," she stood, brushing dusk off her legs.

"I'll see what I can see from higher up," Sapphira responded, flitting her wings and rising above the heads of the two that remained on the ground.

"They're fine. They're with someone who has been following us since we left." Igneous spoke in a monotone cadence, as if his observances were obvious to everyone.

"What? How - how do you do that?" Ivory asked. She had attempted to read him before they left but as was common with a golem, she had no reading.

"Do what?" He asked, tilting his head slightly, attempting to mimic a human response. It unsettled her a bit.

"Assess a situation. Like the bandits. And how do you know they're fine?"

"I can hear them." He looked off into the direction Tarkus and Caeleo had gone. "They're headed back." Ivory strained to see what he could see but her human vision was apparently paled in comparison.

"Are you sure?" She didn't want to risk ignoring an injury but had no real reason to doubt him. He simply looked back at her and nodded. "Alright, well, would you like to gather some water with me? It looks like one of the barrels tipped over when..." she trailed off, motioning to the thieves that were propped against the wagon. Igneous' eyes briefly drifted to two men he had detained, then he walked over and grabbed the empty barrel.

"There's a river in this direction," he titled his head to the opposite side of the wagon. The gesture was so human that she let out a brief laugh. Igneous' face remained stone-like. Ivory called up to Sapphira, who was too high in the sky to hear her. She didn't want to waste too much time getting the fairy's attention so the two took off in the direction of the water.

At the river, Ivory peppered Igneous with questions, mostly interested in his creation. "So you don't remember anything?" She picked berries while he waded out to gather the coldest water he could.

"No." Talking to him was difficult with his brusque answers. It was similar to Caeleo's conversation style - as if it was only necessary to give and receive information. No small talk. She gave up and pulled more taffy out. When Igneous walked back up on to the shore, he strapped the barrel to his back. She handed him a piece of taffy and turned to head toward the wagon. A startlingly loud noise broke around them. Igneous cried out in pain and covered his ears. While the noise was loud, Ivory didn't have the same reaction. She pulled off her cloak and threw it around his head, attempting to muffle the sound. When it died down, Igneous stood. "Thank you," he said, without expression.

"Uh yeah, sure." Ivory strapped her cloak back on. What the hell was that? A stroke of realization told her that it was likely the Crystal. She looked up at Igenous who still had no expression. She decided not to ask him what he thought of the sound and the two left for the wagon. They walked the majority of the trip in silence. Ivory debated back and forth as to what she should do with the knowledge of Igenous' advanced hearing. Xen had taught her early that others could not be trusted and that lesson stuck with her every day. If the party turned on her when she went after Elk, it would be to her advantage to know things about them that they didn't know she knew. She needed to keep Igneous on her side as long as possible. Once the wagon was in view - including Tarkus, Caeleo and the new guest that Igenous had predicted - Ivory nudged Igenous' elbow, reminding him of the taffy he held in his hand. He looked down at it, seemingly still confused as to what he was supposed to do with it. Ivory smiled and made an exaggerated bite. He just stared at her.

Caeleo questioned the pair of them about the noise. Ivory chose not the tell him about Igenous' response and the golem didn't offer up any information either. Was it really the Crystal like it seemed? If it was breaking faster than they anticipated, it was possible that her mission was in vain.

---

“Aaaand done!” Sapphira proudly floated to Tavren’s eye level with the wheel held in both hands. It was about the same size as her, but she didn’t struggle to hold its weight. Tarkus took the wheel and got to work. “Give me a hand with this, rocky.” Igneous dutifully propped up the wagon. It was nothing for him. He felt a strange loyalty towards Tarkus ever since Vulcure put him in his care, but he still couldn’t shake the powerful urge to protect the Crystal of Balance.

The sun was just setting in the south as they set off again towards Lothair, this time with greater urgency. Sapphira took her turn driving the wagon. She seemed to jump eagerly at any task given to her.

“Are fairies always this high energy?” Igneous thought aloud. The other three passengers turned their attention to Sapphira, who was happily riding on the back of the horse with her hands tangled in its mane, humming a short tune.

“They’re a quarter of our size with just as much energy. If you think she’s a handful, you should see Tarver.”

“Sounds like a headache.”

“For you. The port is quite popular amongst tourists. The high energy atmosphere is an experience like no other. Sleeping in a crystal bed after a long day is paradise…” Ivory trailed off, lost in a nostalgic thought.

“Fae weren’t always like this, you know.” Attention shifted to Caeleo. “They lived with us in the void and The Sky.”

Ivory’s curiosity wrested her from her nostalgia, “What changed?”

“Everyone became interested in Y’vera after Cynthia and Elk arrived, and that included the Fae. The Fae acted as a collective, selectively evolving the species in order to harness more flux. They weren’t entirely original, though. Many of their ideas came from observing the work of Gods. There were even groups that broke away, trying to imitate the Gods themselves. The Fae that live here on Y’vera had been observing mortals. As they strove to copy them, they also strove to perfect them. Some Gods and Nebula say that Fae are the perfect humanoid.”

“How did they become mortal?”

“They imitated the process the Gods used to reincarnate, killing themselves. They reincarnate not as a single progenitor of the Fae species, but instead as hundreds of Fae, establishing the port city Tarver quickly as an economic power.”

"You sure know a lot about our world despite being here for less than a week."

"It was my job, well, our job, to learn about and document your histories."

---

Sapphira was known for investing everything she had into her projects, without hesitation or reservation. She was also known for taking projects on without much forethought on the subject. She lived freely, flitting from one project to the next, devoting herself entirely to each and every project she tackled until something else distracted her. Perhaps that is why she joined this little merry band of travelers on nothing more than the fact that she thought it would be fun, despite the fact that she had no real discernible skills that would be useful to them for the most part. She was good with her hands, that much was true but she was a Fae afraid of heights, with no skills to protect herself, and she didn't actually know these people. In all honesty, she forgot the star that fell's name almost right away. She knew it began with a C, and she knew that it was something pretty but that's all she had for the longest time. Instead, she mostly fiddled with her newest sword. It was almost finished, it just needed to be sharpened and she needed to fine tune the hilt but since she wasn't the best judge of balance, that would have to wait until she could find someone to test it.

Sapphira was jarred out of her thoughts when the wagon broke down, and she flitted outside to take a look at what was wrong, hearing the tail end of the Naga's quip towards Igneous.

“Oh have a heart, Tarkus,” Sapphira childed as she glided to Igneous’s side, “He’s alive, you know.”

Sapphira's attention was redirected as the star that fell began to speak, and while she knew that he was talking to her, she was once again focusing on how she couldn't remember his name. C...Chaloir...Calui...Calitūrus...and then she realized he was asking her a question. It took Sapphira a second, her cheeks warming as she sputtered out an answer.

“I-I, ofcourse I can!” She managed to get out, as proud as she could since she wasn't paying attention at all. She watched as the Naga and the Star that Fell went off, before Ivory jumped down from the Wagon.

"Where are they going?"" Ivory asked, and while Sapphira was about to respond, Igneous beat her to it.

"They're gathering wood. No one thought to bring a spare." He wasn't quite looking at Ivory, instead he was looking just past her and Sapphira almost asked but decided against it at the last minute. Instead, she decided to study the other three wagon wheels, so that she would be able to craft something similar that would hopefully hold out better than the previous wheel. If she had enough time, tools, and supplies she would've been able to make something that far surpassed when they currently had but given the lack of all three of those commodities, she would just have to make do.

"Have either of you ever hunted before? Or gathered vegetation?" Sapphira turned her attention back to the Ivory and smiled at the thought.

"Nope." Sapphira replied, thinking if they would try now. Just because she never had before, doesn't mean she couldn't now. How hard could it be? Lots of people did it, other Fae even. Ivory, however, decided to table that idea as she changed the subject, offering them taffy instead. Sapphira took a piece gladly, popping it inside her mouth. She made a small face at the tartness of the lemon but once she got over it she was about to thank Ivory when she heard the shot ring out. Ivory pulled her back behind the wagon before Igneous dealt with the two Ashen who were apparently trying to loot them.

"We need to check on Caeleo and Tarkus," Ivory said and Sapphira looked up at the sky. It wasn't particularly windy, and she was trying to make herself useful. What use was a Fae who couldn't fly? She went up into the sky, trying to control her stomach and keep it from heaving everything she's eaten in the last few hours. She turned her attention back towards the ground, and saw the other two members of their party return to the wagon and she thankfully flitted back down.

“Did you hear that?!” Sapphira called to them, as she finally managed to come closer to the ground, and she felt less like she was going to throw up. “I don’t see anything around for miles, but that crash sounded like it was RIGHT THERE.” Sapphira pointed in the direction of the other two, as the returned from the river.

“We thought it came from the wagon. Sounded like an explosion,” Caeleo explained, “Anyway, we brought the wood. Think you could work your magic and fix the wheel?”

Sapphira went to go inspect the wood, although with her magic she would probably be able to fashion a wheel strong enough to get them to town no matter what kind of condition the wood was in, as long as it wasn't riddled with holes and bugs. As she turned the corner, there was another man, seemingly looting the bodies of the men who had tried and robbed them. She let out a small scream, glancing over at the other two who didn't seemed to be overly concerned with this newcomer.

“Oh, that’s Tavren,” Tarkus elaborated, “A Cleric. Been followin’ us. He'll do you no harm.”

Sapphira nodded, holding out a hand. The man shook it and that was that. She turned her attention back to the wood and focused on making a wheel so they could continue their journey. If those two were willing to attack them in broad daylight, she couldn't imagine what was waiting for them after the sun set. It took her a few minutes but eventually she fashioned a wheel that lived up to her standards, and brought it over to the group, lifting it and handing it over to Tarkus.

Once they set out again, it was her turn to drive the wagon. She sat up against the neck of the horse, humming tunes into it's ears. She listened to the Star that Fell talk about her people, before they came to Earth. She knew about it, of course but it was strange to think her people were reincarnated from the Stars. She liked the thought of it, but she didn't dwell on it much. Instead she sung her songs to the horse she was on and tried to remember the Star that Fell's name. C...Calere...Calidus...Calor...Caleo!