Reserved.

Reserved.

There was silence as the final seconds of Yggradrasil came to a close. Most players were gone by now, back to the troubles of the real world. However, a select few of the once large player-base remained unwilling to part with a game, that have given them much more than its creators could ever know, until the very last moment. A number of players from PVP guilds came together for a final all-out battle to the end, with the power PVP couple Cersei and Sunder the last ones standing. Others wandering their favorite areas of the game, basking in the fantasical sights that once awed them. Each player was enjoying their last moments in their own, unique way just as it should be. For being just a game, Yggrdasil gave them an all an invaluable commodity...an escape. Players have come and gone in the years of Yggdrasil's operation but those here at its end...were also at its beginning. For the first and last time in the game, the entire player community were united in one thing: saying goodbye. An in-game service annoucment counted down the time unitl Yggradsil was gone and the world the players created in it. It was mere moments away.

The game known as Yggdrasil ceased to be, though it was not the end as the player called Volaris would soon find out. While the rest of the Catherdral of the Damned had logged out and were now gone, Volaris remained in spite of the counter having reached and stopped at 00:00:0000. The Cathedral of the Damned no longer residing in the haunted swamp it once resided. Instead, the large and forbodding structure was nestled deep in the depths of a vibrant green forest. The tree-top reached over the top of the Catherdral, though itself was in a clearing caused by its sudden appearnce in the terrain. Around the forest were green, rolling hills that transitioned to a rocky crag towards the south. It woud appear peaceful and serene if it were not for the signs of battle at a large fort some distance from the forest. It is also the closest structure to the cathedral.

The timer stopped at zero.

Volaris stared at the zeros as they faded away from his vision. Despite the official timer stopping… Nothing changed. He could still feel Rule nearby, the tower still whispered with his aura… He made to pull up the main menu. It didn’t appear. His mouths frowned as he stood again, ghosting through the room back into the main chamber. Nothing seemed out of place but Volaris felt an itch in the back of his mind, just a incessant prodding that suggested something was wrong.

The ring flared and the familiar tug pulled at his gut and the scrying room appear around him. He stared at the item for a long moment. The idea of heading to the scrying sanctum to see if anyone else was still around had barely crossed his mind. And he didn’t activate the teleport command. Had they pulled a elaborate prank and just needed the servers clear for a massive update?

“Show me the Cathedral of the Damned.” His voice was raspy and echoed in the chamber for a long time as fifty mouths spoke just slightly off each other. The image didn’t appear. He repeated the command, casting the hand with his ring over the surface. The cathedral slowly appeared, as if being pulled from the bottom of the pool, and he focused on the image. For the moment, everything was silent. He flicked his wrist, casting the magical eye flying across the surrounding area. He repeated the action.

“Show me Baron.” The image faded and the Cathedral’s steward took its place. It would be the reference. He commanded the scrying pool to show him ten different locales he knew the pool could see, returning to Baron after each failed attempt. Each one was a failure. He straightened from his stooped position. If the very location of the guild had changed, it wasn’t unlikely the guild’s defenders also suffered some changes. His interest was piqued. The ring flared briefly and he materialized at the steward’s side.

“Baron, seal off the Cathedral completely and bring the other guardians to the Scrying Sanctum. I will need a report of all our holdings once you do so.” Volaris commanded before disappearing back to the Sanctum. He checked his reflection in the pool briefly. Still twisted and horrifying. Excellent. He returned to the image of the Cathedral, looking around the immediately area in an attempt to find anything familiar.

Baron knelt as Volaris appeared, stooping down to make his knee touch the floor. It wasn't difficult predicting his time of teleportation; Baron could sense Volaris' movements and their intentions a split second before he made them. Being the Guild Steward, Baron was privy to great deal of things happening within the walls of the Guild. He gave no word of affirmation regarding the Supreme Being's presence but it was clear that Baron was showing clear respect. Baron wasn't much of a talker if he could help it. "... Your will be done." He replied in a concise manner with his surprisingly normal voice. For a being literally made out of mystery, his voice was one thing that didn't seem so unnatural.
Baron knelt up only after Volaris had left his near vicinity, making sure to dust off his suit. His long limbs made it so that he had no need to bend himself down to reach his knees. Raising his left finger up into the air to cast the spell "Message", Baron took a split second considering what he wished to convey to his fellow Guildmates.



With his message finished and sent, Baron teleported instantaneously back to his assigned post, the Tower of Way. Although it was Colonel Stauffenberg's personal chambers which none had jurisdiction over save for him, Baron judged that with the Colonel's absence it was acceptable to trust Volaris' judgement and commands. Baron would accept the consequences gladly if he were to be proven wrong. He began to shift through the hundreds of items laid out in the gallery, activating several of them that may serve as defensive measures and using others in order to summon Monsters capable of buying time. He decided to summon 2, Level 50 Geists, due to the item being non-consumable in nature and reusable after a cooldown period. In the long-term, using the item temporarily like this will cause no permanent effects.
After placing down some additional defenses, Baron shifted through a few magic items, equipping himself with 2 of them; Ring of Absolution and Chronometer of Dyson. While the items didn't belong to him, for they all belonged to his Lord and creator Stauffenberg, these were specifically assigned to Baron often during various campaigns and Baron judged them to be useful in the current situation.

asd

The Tower of Knowledge was always active, in some way. Even bereft of a single living or undead soul, there was always the subtle sounds of bubbling and boiling. And even if that were to be muted, you could often hear the sounds of the organ playing within the walls...or whatever instruments they had back there. It was how the Professor liked it. However, he wasn't here right now. The timer had hit zero, and he was not here. The cauldrons and tables quietly bubbled, an piece of organ music played, but otherwise...all was still in this corner of Dead Moon Cathedral.

Oh, you may be wondering 'Wait, hold on! Wasn't there suppose to be some sort of guardian here?!'. Indeed... Opposite the door that led into the Alchemist's haven was his many guarded shelves of components for mixing and matching...everything, a huge supply of things to use in potions and explosive compounds - all of it protected behind metal slats that were part of the shelves...but shuttered closed whenever someone pulled the lever on the right side of the room. That lever was locked in place, though, and normally kept by the Alchemist himself, the Master of Change, Professor Daryl Von Madness.

But as we said, he is not here, so the key to that lever - and the key to his potion safe - must be elsewhere. Now, where is it? Where would he keep it if he wasn't here? Well, that semi-circular shelving area held the answer. No, not behind the shutters. Before[ them. Right in the middle, sitting upon its pedestal, was a stone gargoyle. It was in a crouched position, hands upon knees and tail lying coiled behind the feet. When inactive, or when using it offensively, the guardian of this laboratory sat in stone sleep, or rather Stone Dream. When the message from Baron was received...



Stone tore away as the gargoyle tore open her personal encasement and stretched all of her limbs, followed by the scratch of all itchiness. This was Morningstar, willing servant of the Guild and guardian of the Tower of Knowledge for the Professor. Right now, however, she was nothing if not a little confused. She'd heard the call, but found it peculiar that the word came from Baron and not the Supreme Lords of the Cathedral. Looking around, she expected to find the plague doctor masked man at work, but she didn't.

"Daryl? Daaarrryl! Hello? No? Hmmm...that's strange."

In her mind, he was so often there that she expected to find him at the Cathedral, always. True, he obviously had to go out and GET his components, but that was usually when she was asleep or killing intruders. This time felt different, though, and she knew why it felt different. Reaching into her item pouch, she pulled out the dark green key with the symbol of the eye on it, the Alchemist Key. He gave it to her, for safe keeping. At least, that's what she assumed. He wouldn't give it over to anyone, normally. Well, perhaps the other Surpreme Lords, but she didn't know such things. This was the key to everything he worked for, everything he personally made...

"Well...I guess I'm looking after this now, too."

So saying, she stepped over to the center of the room and looked down to find another keyhole there. That was where the potion safe lived, but both that and the shelf lever...had a little trick to them. If you twisted the Alchemist Key in the wrong direction...like Star did now...several secret passages to the area behind the walls opened, and a bunch of Homunculi, Flesh Golems, and even big Chimeras began to come out! They lurched and snarled into the room and...looked around. No enemies. No one but Morningstar, their de facto leader when the Supremes were not around, especially their creator. Immediately, they all began speaking in very weird tongues that took someone like her to even understand. Morningstar held up her hands.

"I don't know either, so calm down! Baron said to step up security, so we're doing it, okay? Spread out and start roaming the Cathedral. You see anyone that doesn't belong, I don't need to tell you how to handle 'em. I have to go to the Scrying Sanctum, which is pretty far down and I don't have a teleport power, so I need to get moving."

She didn't have a teleport power because she had speed and flight on her side. So saying, she get a running start to get down those floors, her initial task having been completed.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



Meanwhile...down in the Arena...



The room was empty, bereft of any sort of being...save for one. In the very center of the room, lying asleep on the ground, was a cat. It was a Bombay Cat, a sleek-haired feline that - in this case - had red eyes. He was had started in a curled-up position, but...as the timer hit zero, things began to change. Here and there, he had begun to twitch and fidget. His position became less ball-like and more lying on his side, as - and we understand that this is unusual to describe with a cat - his sleep seemed somewhat disturbed. He made no noises akin to a cat at this time. This was because he was a Bakeneko, a demon/ghost cat, a supernatural entity with greater intelligence.

He dreamt of destruction.

Garlock...

As he relived the death of his owner, the man who raised and cared for him straight from kittenhood, the cat became more agitated, and the room began to change. It grew darker, and more hellishly menacing. Some of the stands began to fill with figures, silent watches that were shadows of people, except they were all cats. They were black cats with cat masks on who stood like people, all of them. All of them there, all of them staring directly at the center, all of them staring...at him.

GARLOCK...

The cat bore his teeth and extended claws in his sleep, thinking only of the mass destruction and murder of a village and its people, of many such places burnt to the ground and the growing darkness that emerged from within them. A growl like a lion the size of Kansas echoed through out the room, as a swirling swarm of shadows formed above it all, red eyes cast downward upon him, as well. The eyes were both accusing and demanding, full of anger and contempt, but for who? For all who stood in his path? Or was it for...



The eyes of the cat finally snapped open, as a voice penetrated the aether, reaching his mind. No, not the voice of his nightmares, but rather the voice that came from outside, the voice of Baron. The cat rose to his feet and looked around.

"Still here, am I? Alright..."

All of the shadows - every single figure in the now-crowded stadium, as well as the swirling mass above all their heads - now flowed towards tha cat, rejoining with the whole that was the Bakeneko, and Garlock assumed his humanoid form. He was a standing Bombay Cat creature whose features were hidden within a midnight-blue cloak, his ears pressing against the hood...but obscured by the appearance of a black helmet of evil. He wore black metal gauntlets and similar boots, with a belt that was also black and had a skull for a buckle. None of these were real items. They were part of the appearance of his form, and could change around at any time. It was just a disguise. He was always a cat, and he was always going to BE a cat. A cat that destroyed all in his path. Looking the arena over once more, he enacted his teleport spell and vanished, no doubt to find his way to the scrying area, as asked.

He reappeared a moment later with a grumble, gestured towards whatever controlled the cages of the arena beasts, and left once more once they were all free to roam the Arena.

First came the ice, a miniature deluge of sparkling white chips from the cooler behind the bar. Into the glass afterward sloshed a sizable serving of tonic water, the stream lessened bit by bit until its overseer stopped the flow at what she envisioned to be the three-fourths mark. With that out of the way, only the gin remained, and with practiced precision the bitter liquor lofted into its resting place. In two deft turns the cap to the gin bottle found itself tightly fastened once again, and the next moment the whole container lay on its shelf as if nothing ever happened.

Behind the bar counter, the smartly-dressed military woman grasped the glass, her fingers exerting a delicate pressure. She wheeled it around in a little circle, making sure that the drink's components were mixed. Satisfied after a few seconds, she allowed herself a slight smile as she brought up a sliced lime from a covered dish and squeezed it into the glass before impaling it upon the lip. “Two bitter flavors, unpleasant on their own,” she murmured in her liltingly-accented voice, then inhaled deeply to take in what little scent the finished product offered. “Put together, they cancel out one another's faults, and make something altogether excellent. That is the essence of gin & tonic. But that principle can be applied elsewhere, no?”

“Commander Lichter...”

In front of the bar stood a squadron of thirty skeleton warriors, standing at attention in various stages of boredom. Before them were two more unique monsters at attention, one a voluptuous naga pyromancer, and the other a wizened witch. Of the two, the former had been the one to speak, her rather catty tone complimenting her ill-fitting, sloppily-worn uniform. A meter to her left, the wrinkly green crone stooped with head bowed, silent and proper.

Helena ignored the naga, having started to drink her creation. A half-minute passed as she continued to take sips, twice stopping and making as if she were about to speak, then seemingly changing her mind and returning to her gin and tonic. “Lieutenant Odile,” she said at length, her voice steely. “One cannot alter her own nature, but the lengths to which you seem to go to remain inflexible beggar belief. Lieutenant Gretchen has been making a clear effort to adapt -more so than the other lieutenants- but you refuse to accommodate even her. Your creator had other purposes in mind for you, I think, than military responsibility, but General Bitrate left long ago. It would be prudent to dwell on today's lesson.” Setting her glass down, Helena crossed her arms. “But if you do not heed me, perhaps Tatter will be able to sort you out in a more...direct manner.”

The naga went white, her mouth opening and closing, though no sound came out. Leaving her to work the threat over, Helena addressed the witch. “Lieutenant Gretchen, please relay to Lieutenants Hollow and 'Tungus' that your next mission will be to the Silverdrift Mines, to put down the infection festering there and retrieve the Wretched Core. That is all.”

After the witch bowed and turned to go, her skeleton troop and the terrified naga in tow, Helena beckoned over a member of the Iron Lounge staff—a moleman. “Inform the staff to prepare the room for a number of the Supreme Lords. I'm not sure of the arrangements of this celebration of theirs, but we must be ready when they ret...!” The knife-fighter went silent as a voice echoed through her head. She -no, all the guardians- had been summoned.

---

With a tremendous noise the old, sturdy door burst open, slamming into the wall beside it, to admit Helena to the Thaumaturgium. She sprinted in an unnatural manner, very bent forward and low to the ground, her arms and legs pumping farther and faster than a human's ever could. Rounding a corner of the wooden balcony, she reached for the carpet. Her fingers grew, morphing into brutal claws, and their steely tips dug into the deceptively rigid surface of the carpet. They ripped right through and stuck in the wood beneath, allowing her to turn right on a dime and launch forward once again without losing much speed.

As she barreled toward the Scrying Sanctum, an ephemeral, high voice called out from the ether. ”Hey, what gives!?” Alongside Helena, the carpet rippled, and rising strands of it billowed upward to keep pace with her. The strands detached from the carpet, and in a matter of moments they wove themselves together to form the upper half of a young girl, the loose weave on her torso and lower arms billowing behind her like tentacles after some sea leviathan. ”If you're gonna come into my turf and rip up my poor carpet, you better be ready to re-shelve all the weapons in your lounge!”

In a voice remarkably even despite her exertion, and one tinged by disdain, Helena replied, “Tatter. I wouldn't do it anyway, so it's no use. And shouldn't you be in the Sanctum already?”

The ubergeist shrugged, which looked a touch off with unformed forearms. ”Eh, I'm already super close. Could pop in anytime I wanted. What do you think's going on?”

Helena slid to a stop, the elaborate door to the Scrying Sanctum just ahead. “No idea,” she admitted, taking a moment to smooth out her cloak and adjust her cap. With a flick of her wrist, her deadly ghoul talons receded. “Last I heard the Supreme Lords all went out for some kind of event, but if Volaris is here, something may have happened. Did you lock down your area?”

Giggling as if her fellow guardian was an idiot, Tatter replied, ”Duh! The Thaumaturgium's always ready to party. You shoulda seen what I was working on. Actually, it was an ongoing mutation, so depending on when I get back I bet it'll be REALLY interesting.” She stopped by the door as well. In preparation to go in, her whole constructed body wove itself into humanoid form, complete with a flowing robe. Tatter gave Helena a parodied bow, and in an outrageous attempt at a formal voice told her, “After you, madaaame!”

Helena rolled her eyes, and marched inside, with the little spirit floating in on her heels. Already present were Baron, as eerie and uncanny as ever, as well as Garlock of the arena, as well as Volaris himself. Just the sight of the great being, his nightmarish form as imposing as it gets, made Helena take in a sharp breath of air, her heart quickening. Behind her, even Tatter straightening up, her simulated face grown serious. The two took their places along the chamber's walls, standing at rapt attention in the fleetingly beautiful glow of the scrying pool.

A soft humming could be he heard vibrating throughout the cold, stone bedchamber. Numerous maids rushing back and forth, each one seeming to be in a hurry to get their tasks completed. The line of scurrying maids led to the source of humming, a young woman with shimmering gold hair and striking crimson eyes, though they remained closed at this present moment. Numerous maids were attending to her right now, combing and brushing her golden locks as another group seemed to be helping her into a beautifully handcrafted gown, the light shimmering off of the flowing blue fabric to create a dazzling effect. Not that the young lady needed the effect to turn a few heads, by human standards she was already an outstanding beauty that could steal the hearts of men at first glance. However, her 'Father', a Supreme Being beyond human comprehension had would be coming today and she wanted to make herself as presentable as possible. Well, she had only heard her Father was coming. The majority of the Supreme Ones were coming after all so she reasoned he would too.

As made obvious by the soft hum she made, she seemed to be in a good mood. Who wouldn't? She hadn't seen much of her Father around these past few months, though it had felt more like years to her. An eternity even. Ah, how good it would be to see his face once more. To merely bask in his presence would be enough for the girl. As the maids put the finishing touches on her outfit, her eyes open so as to let her dark hues sneak a glance at the large mirror a group of maids held in front of her. Analysing the reflection she saw, wondering if the gown was perhaps just a little over the top? She doubted she could steal any of the limelight from her Father, but it wouldn't do to give the impression she might be trying to do just that.
"You, fetch me my coat." With a snap of her fingers, she pointed towards a maid without sparing even a moment to glance as she gave her order. "And make it quick. My Father shouldn't be too far off and I wish to be ready for his arrival." As the maid scurried away, they took a few steps back and bowed their heads respectfully towards the blonde.

While she admired herself in the mirror, twirling around to have a view of the entire dress, she heard Baron's voice penetrate her mind. Gah, such an annoying pest. What could he possibly want now, moments before her Father's arrival? She supposed she would at least listen to whatever he had to say. As much as she hated to admit it, but to her, he was higher ranking seeing as he made by the Guild Master. The 'most powerful' of all Supreme Beings. That much at least deserved some respect from the prideful girl anyway.
Oh? This message was...disturbing, to say the least. She dwelled on what her fellow NPC had just stated, stroking her chin thoughtfully as she became immersed in her thoughts. If he was relaying a command from the guild master, that was one thing. But instead, he was sending out a message from Volaris? She wasn't going to lie, the Specter gave her the creeps. Not that she would admit it.

"Lady Elizabeth, all the preparations are complete." The maid she had sent to get her coat had come back and her voice snapped Elizabeth back to reality, a dark silk coat in her outstretched hands.
"...I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel all plans I had. I'm sure when my Father arrives he'll understand. All of you are dismissed, and tell all the guards to be on high alert." With heavy reluctance she spoke. She doubted Baron would be summoning all the guardians for no reason at all, let alone telling them to seal off the Cathedral. Something was off, though Elizabeth couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"...It has already been done My Lady." As the maids filed out to comply with her commands, she was semi-startled by the sudden appearance of a demonic woman with half-black, half-white hair. Though it lasted only a moment, shaking her head and looking down towards the knelt down form of her guardian.

"I should've expected no less Megu. So you have the entire forest on alert I assume then?" Just the assured nod she was given in response was enough to settle some of the nerves the young woman was feeling. This was the first time such an incident had occurred during her time as Guardian, so it was reassuring to have the level-headed Megu having already deal with the majority of what needed to be done.
"I've increased the number of monsters and patrols as per protocol, I have also begun arming the maids and increasing the defences in general on the floor. I presume it should be enough as a measure for now, as we have very little information as to what exactly seems to be the problem Lady Elizabeth." Excellent, that saved Elizabeth time having to do it herself. As stated, she enjoyed having such a reliable guardian at her disposal. Her Father was truly kind to have blessed her with Megu's presence.
"Excellent work as always Megu. I trust you have set up the chains of command?" Another nod Excellent. Then nothing is stopping us from joining the others. Teleportation." With a soft smile, she placed a hand on Megu's shoulder before the duo vanished from sight.

The next moment, they had reappeared just outside the Chamber's doorway. Megu was composed and ready to enter, however, Elizabeth took just a brief moment to take a deep breath and straighten out some loose hairs. Before then taking yet another deep breath. She needed to be composed and elegant here, so as to not tarnish her Father's name.
with Megu a step behind, the blonde took long strides inside. Her blue gown flowing behind her like a waterfall, looking quite out of place by how overdressed she seemed to be.
"This had better be important Master Volaris, I was meant to be meeting up with my Father any moment now and I wouldn't want to keep him waiting." Despite her rather dismissive words aimed at the Supreme Being, her tone was respectful and calm. Speaking more like a mother speaking with a principal, patient and respectful but still annoyed with her children after they had gotten in trouble at school.
Megu wordlessly stopped a few steps behind the Crimson Eyed Mage, bowing respectfully towards each respective fellow Guardian and Volaris.
"What my Lady means to say is that I'm sure we are all quite busy and would like to know the circumstances behind our sudden summon Lord Volaris. I too am curious as to what is so important to summon us all here...is everything all right?" Frowning as she spoke, her concern was obvious. Why was just Volaris here, and not say Stauffenberg, the guild master? Something was definitely off.

The sounds of a somber melody played in the background of Samaels dimly lit room. He lay lounging on a chaise, wine glass filled with blood, swirled around the way most humans do before taking a sip of their sweet red nectar. Only candlelight was allowed into the room, dark black flames burning on red candlesticks that were peppered around the room. His master had seemed...off the last time they spoke, as if the Angel of Death himself, would need to reap his own soul. It was an impossible thought, not a single soul, or soulless creature has ever defeated Azazel.

Samael turned to face a black mirror on his wall. The obsidian slate reflected only one thing, and that was The Fallen Kingdom. Indeed even his masters intellect was outstanding, he had devised a trick so wicked that had anyone been able to defeat the fearsome trio, they still wouldnt get to the next level of the castle. The mirror showed the fields of flowers, all the marigolds blooming their golden hue, the small building in which trespassers would enter, and Abaddon. Dutifully waiting for the next victim to enter. Samael took another sip as he sat up on the chaise, gazing into the mirror.

A message suddenly appeared, breaking Samaels concentration on the mirror in order to better listen. It was the Barons' voice, calling for heightened security as the guards stepped away and met in the Scrying Chamber. "Now what could they want? Surely without Azazel here I cannot erect the dead, nor am I capable of commanding them." Samael tapped his fingers against his chin, the sound of leather smacking soft flesh. Finally he stood and faced the mirror once more. "Pardom for the intrusion but it will appear we are needed." Samael stepped into a shadow and appeared directly behind Abaddon, within his shadow. Samael quickly ducked as the creature swung their great axe at him. "Calm yourself Abaddon it is only me. We are needed and for that I must set up defenses." Samael called upon his vampire familia to stand and guard the area should anything besides them enter. The shadowy figures nodded as the spread amongst the fields and surrounded the small building. With that Samael threw up a large shadow with the wave of his hands, stepping one foot in and holding his hand our for Abaddon to grab. "Come now, we are needed, and it is rude to leave others waiting."





The fields music continued to play as it had every day since its creation. There was something to he said about Azazel and his taste in...anything really. Though this house of horrors was sure to give anyone a fright, this room was quite different. The music was whimsical and uplifting, which Azazel would argue was the perfect music to be had when dancing with death and his army of undead. Abaddon did quite enjoy the song as it gave a serene atmosphere to them and their master. To any intruders however, well the flowers made sure it would be a different tale all together. They made others fears come to life, the undead seemed more terrifying than ever, the field decayed and unholy, the sky appeared cracked and bleeding, and the music slowed down to an eerie melody that would only serve to haunt any intruders dreams. Abaddon stood there dutifully, hands crossed atop the pommel of the great axe, of which he used for support when standing still.

The peace was soon disturbed by the Barons message, to which Abaddon stood up straight, getting a grip onto his axes handle, when suddenly a figure appeared behind him. With great swiftness Abaddon swung his axe at Samael nearly missing him. You're getting faster there old friend. Or is it I have become too predictable?" the mouths all spoke at once, giving Abaddons deep voice a thunderous boom each time he spoke. Samael said his piece as abaddon nodded. "So it would appear. I trust in our commanders scheme and that it will keep any intruders safetly at bay in this room. Now then comrade, shall we go see what it is they have called us for?"

The pair drifted into the darkness only to appear in a shadow of the Scrying Room behind the others. First Samel came out with soft, unheard steps. Behind him appeared Abaddon as the dark portal closed, showing the giant brute whose eyes glowed as his hood remained on. In unison they both took a knee before Volaris, keeping their heads bowed until spoken to. Samael with one arm crossed over his stomach to signify a bow as well while Abaddon held one hand gripped onto his axe while he knelt. Neither spoke until spoken to.

A quiet humming bounced around the small chamber as a jigsaw puzzle piece hovered in the air, spinning indecisively. It dropped next to a piece, turned itself, and slide easily into the piece. The humming changed, Yggdrasil’s victory tune hummed instead, but quickly returned to its previous melody. The sound of a page turning and another piece lifted off the table at the tip of a wand. The changeling flipped another page and placed another piece, flipped another page and placed another piece. She glanced over at the half finished puzzle and put down her book, adoration pouring over at the scene. Half of the Supreme Being stared back in as much splendor as a measly puzzle picture could capture. Anna sighed happily and ran her hand over the pieces. She paused as Baron’s message reached her.

A shiver ran through her as she heard the mention of her Lord’s name and stood immediately, puzzle and book forgotten as she stepped quickly to the door and threw it open. A wiggling mass oozed up from the creaking planks as she walked through the next room, not bothering to look back as Rule34 pulled itself together behind her. She slammed the door, just moments after Rule slipped through.

“For what has the Master summoned us, Anna.” Rule rumbled as Anna warded the door and hid it.

“Greater Glyph - Explosion. Greater Illusion.” She muttered, creating an illusionary copy of the door several feet down over an explosive rune. She turned to look at the Ooze, disdain in her eyes. Why Lord Volaris felt the need to create… this was beyond her. “Do I look like our Lord, slime? I dare not even attempt to comprehend the mind of one of the Supreme Beings, much less our Lord. We will soon discover our Lord’s will. And hopefully,” Anna sighed wistfully, “Be blessed with an objective from our Lord himself.” Anna opened a gate that led directly to the door of the Scrying Sanctum.

Anna stepped through, her hand hovering just above the door. To gaze upon the glory that is the Supremes, and more importantly her own Lord, was a privilege one did not just squander. She was to gaze upon grace and wisdom embodied, power given shape-it took more than a few seconds to prepare oneself for such an honor! She blinked as Rule slipped through the cracks under the door and she hurriedly pushed it open as well.

She took in the other Guardians, including Rule who quivered in its own show of deference. It never quite got the hang of bowing. Stupid ooze. She immediately took her place next to Samuel, kneeling to her creator.

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The Guardians, Elizabeth specifically, provided significant proof that his earlier hunch had been correct. Though it was expected since he was dreaming. It was the only reasonable explanation for why the game was still running other than a prank patch, which made even less sense. He must have fallen asleep just as the game shut off. He cleared the image off the scrying pool with a flick of his wrist and he stood fully, reflexively stretching from his hunched position and finding it unnecessary. If only he could escape back pain in the real world as well. He saw and felt the Guardians enter the sanctum, the two sensations rather odd in tandem. Although Volaris had experienced in Yggdrasil for the vast majority of his play time, it felt sharper than the game-more tangible in fact. More natural. He shrugged it off as a particularly vivid part of his imagination. Instead, he trained his sightless face at Elizabeth while they awaited the arrival of more Guardians.

“You are unaware then.” Volaris spoke softly, his voices echoing around the chamber still. Of course his imagination wouldn’t give him the easy route. When did he do anything the easy way. “At the zenith of this moon past, Yggdrasil was meant to disappear entirely. Everything it held, everyone who called it home, everything the people in it had done doomed to cease forever and always. Expect for those like my companions. Like your father Elizabeth. We were slated for a crueler fate and so many of us, resigned and powerless, left for it before the zenith. I spent the last minutes of my time here wandering the halls I helped build, just as resigned and frustrated as the others. And yet as I watched the zenith approach and pass… here you still stand. Here you stand before me, one who should by all accounts no longer exist, in this sanctum which should no longer be. A fascinating problem at the very least.” Volaris cast a hand over the pool and brought the cathedral and its surroundings into focus.

“And so I searched for any shred of what was. For the graves and fog and shambling horrors that circle our home. And instead I find nothing familiar, no trace of what I know I could see, no trace of those I know I could see. I find our defenses outside vanished and replaced, our Cathedral in view for all those who wish to find it.” Volaris cast his sightless gaze across the Guardians that had shown so far. “And so here we are, in an unfamiliar place with a few familiar faces, for no reason at all after someone or something tampered with that which we worked so hard to achieve. It was a grievous mistake on their part and one I do not intend to forgive nor forget.” He words turned cold and sharp at the end.

‘Lets see what effect that has on them.’ Volaris thought to himself. 'I didn’t use any command prompts so there shouldn't be much of a response.'

Guardians and minions of the Cathredral were not inhibited by the natural defenses of this place. There was no true barrier for those that worked and dwelt here. They could pass from one place to the next freely. That said, if you were not a teleporting creature, you could not instantly flit about the entirety of the place with little effort. You had to do the footwork, or the wingwork. Whatever. So, the fact that the Cathedral's security was thoroughly against invaders only worked to their benefit. For instance, if a prospective 'hero' were to follow - say - a boss as it was moving at full speed for the exit and the hero character did not have the right to enter that door, it could slam down, iron-clad, in his face. That would never happen in YGGDRASIL, but here and now...Morningstar could take her Key Item to the next floor down without having to complete the means to get downstairs herself, thus forcing any invader into a non-standard Game Over.

The spiral staircase to the next floor opened and shut after her automatically, allowing the gargoyle to run on down unhindered and without delay. The Akashic Records - a MASSIVE library of floating bookshelves and directories - sprawled out before her...and she needed not pay any of it any heed. As per her induction into this place, she was given the immediate secret of the whole entire puzzle floor, pulled the ONE BOOK that would activate the floorpad teleporter, and immediately moved on. The process continued with the Forge. No locked doors were a hinderance to monsters, nothing stopped her from moving on. It was all an arduous process, but only in the sense of the place having quite the sprawl from top floor to bottom. She dropped down into the Arena, then, and saw that Garlock was already gone and moved onto the next floor. Fallen Kingdom: Same deal. They'd see this flying streak in motion that was Morningstar head directly from entrance to exit.

AT LAST - though very little time had actually progressed, on the whole - she was on the right floor. The Profane Tower, in all its Escher-esque glory - Daryl's words, not hers - was a testament to all things weird, including the creatures which dwelt within it and even the Supreme One who created it. And yet, it was all part of the grand scheme which the Alchemist loved. Morningstar heaved a sigh of relief that she had not taken too long, after all, and proceeded towards the Scrying Sanctum.

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Garlock did not bow, as others did. It was not some question of loyalty, but rather that he was along the same lines like some sort of on-site consultant who benefitted, but did not necessarily follow all the company rules because he did not have to. He was a cat, and when did cats ever bow? Others bowed and Garlock just sort of stared blinking. It was a matter of fact - though he did not know this, of course - that when Daryl made him, his 'bow' animation was to tuurn into a cat and ignore you, licking his paws. In short, he was made realistic from the get-go. If anyone asked, it was 'Because it's more funny that way', and it was. Still, though, the black magus just sort of glared while everyone else went all 'My Lord...!' on him. Meh. He was here. That's all that mattered. And on the other end of things, he had to snort his amusement at the spectacle that was Elizabeth. This was not a decidant aristocracy. Why act like it was one?

Then, there was the abrupt arrival of Teacher's Pet. You know...the dutiful hellspawn warrior who pledged herself to the Cathedral because - unsurprisingly - damnation was damnation for ALL. He couldn't blame her, but it seemed like the girl was insane, maybe more-so than he was. Picture this for a moment: You live your existence - an eternal existence - in a box filled with pain. The pain is always different, every day, and you don't know when or how to expect it. It always delivers you into a world of hurt, because your world IS hurt. Garlock went on the rampage because of ONE bad day. Morningstar had had ALOT. He wasn't afraid of her, per se, but her attachment to the Supreme Ones as her 'saviors' seemed a little unhealthy, at times, especially where the Alchemist was concerned. This was further-exampled by te following...

Star had entered the room in a hurry, essentially slamming the doors to the Scrying Sanctum open and then shutting them again with the spoken apology of "Sorry I'm late, IF I'm late! It's a bit of a rush to get down here from the top floor.", which was understandable, but she could've come in quieter. On the surface, she had a friendly-enough demeanor. However, as Volaris began to speak what he knew...you could see it having an effect on her. First, to learn that the world was suppose to be winked out of existence was a surprise, that she was shocked that Daryl did not tell her. She then sneered because Garlock's reaction to hearing that the world was to be destroyed was "Good.". That cat... Why did they take him in?

The news continued, though. The Supreme Ones knew that the world was to be destroyed, but that for some reason...it was not. Or at least, not in the same sense that one would think. Volaris was clearly saying 'That isn't the world we know out there.', that their world WAS gone and that only perhaps those who were here within the Cathredal remained of it all. But...wait... Where was everybody else? Were all the Guardians accounted for? What of the Supreme Lords of the place? This... Garlock didn't seem to care that much. Or rather, it DID affect him, but in a different way. And as he spoke up, others would see Morningstar pull out the Alchemist Key, staring at it for a long moment...

"So, the world as we know it is gone. Good riddance. I hated it. The only thing that bothers me is that this world won't be any better, and that no one will even KNOW that my old master existed, to know his passing and regret."

This must have triggered something in Morningstar just then, because the chamber suddenly shook as she punched the floor, teeth clenched and with tears that were...well...rapidly evaporating. Her eyes glowed with anger, one hand clenching the indestructible key that was to all the alchemic work that Daryl owned. She wasn't going into a berserker's rage, as was her power to, but she was pissed!

"Volaris, what happened?"

When she looked at him, her eyes were glowing fiercely, but it wasn't just anger there on her expression. She cared about the Supreme Ones as much as others were loyal. This was tearing her apart inside.

"You MUST know! Where are the others?! What happened to the world?! You said you knew it was coming ahead of time! If the others aren't here, are they just as dead?! TELL ME!!"

The last part was not in her own normal female voice. It was not something Volaris would expect before. He would've heard demons speak in shows and such, but this was different. He could feel it. Demon vocals were felt to the core, and Star had a voice on her, at times. Even still, he'd feel the shock of it, but also the sad imploring of it. She desperately wanted to know what happened to those she'd pledged eternal gratitude towards, those she served willingly for delivering her from the deepest, darkest pits of Hell. She wanted to know, somehow, that they weren't now writhing in torment instead, as she had been once. And that outburst was why Garlock, of all people, thought she was insane, barely keeping herself together.

With every new face -or, for want of a face, presence- that entered the room, the already-thick tension filling the Scrying Sanctum simmered down even further. More well-versed than most in the domain of etiquette, Helena prided herself on being able to get at least a passable idea from her fellow Guardians, however inhuman, on how they felt, and behind the usual motions of respect, reverence, or -in one case- indifference, she could see the same somewhat-worried confusion that nibbled at the back of her own mind. Additional arrivals, including her 'brother' Jack, eventually confirmed for her the suspicion she'd had originally: that this was a comprehensive meeting of all significant personnel remaining. No Supreme Lord aside from Volaris had shown his, her, or its face, nor given any indication of their presence whatsoever. Helena felt with absolute sincerity that if her own eminent creator were present, even if not here already, she would have been able to tell.

But Helena knew nothing—no comforting feeling, no empirical evidence, no soul-borne bond. Yseult Concasseur, the Legion Duster, was not in the Cathedral of the Moon.

Kneeling at the ghoul commander's side, Tatter hid her disquiet less well. So long as the strands of Daywight Weave that composed her girlish shell were interlaced with any part of the ubiquitous carpets that wound through the guild hall, the Ubergeist could extend her consciousness through them. This allowed her to conduct a rough search of vast swathes of the Cathedral, most acutely in the Thaumaturgium, but the results did not please her. Everything seemed normal, given the heightened level of security, but nowhere could she detect any active trace of a Supreme Lord outside this very room. Nor could she send a Message to Yseult, try as she might. No doubt those others capable of emotion felt it also, threatening to erode their stalwart walls of absolute confidence in their almighty masters. The question hung in the air: What was going on?

This gnawing unease troubled some more than others. Immediately after her arrival, the one Helena recognized as Elizabeth addressed Volaris without hesitation or, seemingly, tact. Despite her preoccupation with discipline, however, the knife-fighter could not blame Elizabeth for her outburst. To her knowledge she maintained a closer sort of relationship with her creator, the esteemed Butcher, than many of the Guardians could boast of. Of course, many saw their makers as parental figures after a fashion, Tatter among them, but few received reciprocal feelings anywhere near as fullheartedly as the Damned Knight's 'daughter'. To a degree this bothered Helena, though never half as much as it did Tatter, whose youthfulness seemed to extend to both 'body' and mind.

With a sigh, Tatter retracted her strands from the wall patch where she interfaced with the Weave. “No use. Nobody here but us Guardians,” she whispered. Her eyes turned to Volaris, as did many of those present, who articulated a reply to Elizabeth's demands. They grew wide as she listened to him alongside Helena, learning with bated breath the destined demise of their world. The realization shook them both, though in different ways.

Lady Yseult knew about the end, and didn't tell me? Any of us? Tatter's glowing eyes fell upon the floor. She was okay with us all just...ceasing to be...and didn't feel like spending her last few minutes with us? ...I thought we were...like a family. Her fingers tightened into fists. And now she's gone, and I'm still here. It's not fair!

Trying to compose herself, Helena raked her hair back across her head. How hard it must have been for them, to know the exact date of reality's end. Even now, having survived, we came so close to oblivion...were I not made of sterner stuff, I might have collapsed. She glanced at Tatter, observing the anguish written on her face. Despite all the time the two had shared, she couldn't intuit what the being who so often took the role of 'little sister' was thinking. Still, her own position, and the duty it held, meant that she couldn't stay silent. Leaning over, the ghoul commander whispered to her comrade, “Steel yourself, Tatter. Yseult would have wanted us to put on a strong face without her, and represent through our actions both our worth as creations and hers as creator.”

An orange glow reflecting off the weave of Tatter's body caught Helena's eye, and she looked over her shoulder to find that Jack, standing on her other side, had leaned in as well. He gave a sagacious nod. “Alas,” he murmured, suppressing his voice a bit less well than Helena had, “Though fate has dealt us a poor hand, we must chin up and look to tomorrow. We don't know anything for sure yet. It falls to us to go on, and to find our mistress once again.”

The idea that Yseult might still be alive somewhere seemed to strengthen Tatter, and she put aside the thoughts troubling her to straighten up and put on a neutral face. After mimicking her, Helena affixed her eyes on Volaris, but inclined her head ever-so-slightly to the right to address Jack. “I'll say something.”

Giving another nod, the pumpkin gentleman muttered in reply, “I had fancied you would. Much obliged.”

First, though, Garlock spoke his bit, contributing little other than reinforcement of his reputation as a fatalist. Lord Daryl's other creation, however, more than made up for his flippancy with a frantic fury as audible in her voice as it was visible in her burning eyes. When her voice dropped to a nightmarish snarl, Jack jumped in fright, but Helena managed to do nothing more than deepen her frown. Maybe her mind was working to insulate itself against harmful thoughts, but she hadn't really considered the possibility that the other Supreme Beings existed no more. The very notion made her skin crawl. How could something like that even be possible? And if it was, on that question's heels followed one still more dire: what had caused it to happen?

Once an opportunity presented itself, the ghoul commander stood to attention, her boot clapping against the floor, and spoke up to Volaris. “My lord, it would be my honor to take a small party and scout out the surrounding area. In addition, if you approve, Jack will work to establish perimeter defenses, including sentries, until a more permanent solution can be found.”

Volaris stared impassively at the Professor’s aggravated Guardian. Normally, he would feel some degree of remorse or empathy for the poor woman. She did after all just lose someone important to her. And yet he couldn’t bring himself to conjurer much of an emotional response. The specter put the thought away for later. His fingers tapped on the edge of the basin as the others spoke.

'Interesting. Far more expressive than Yggdrasil.’ The specter thought. ‘I may have to have to sit down with each of them to discuss current events.’

“Settle down Morningstar. Your question is not so simply answered. There is a tale to be told and it will take some time to tell. For now, we prioritize our safety. We know nothing of where we find ourselves and could be stricken down at any moment. I will not see my comrades’ precious creations annihilated when they have been granted a second chance. Once I am certain none of you are in any danger, we may sit and I will tell you our history.” Volaris looked back down into the pool, refocusing on the fort he found while waiting on the Guardians to arrive. It was in rough shape, walls missing chunks and bodies scattered around the gates still. Broken arrows and weapons littered the grass around the roads and evidence of fires put out recently scarred the insides. People rushed to and fro, some carting bodies, other bandaging the injurer, some wandering in a daze.

Volaris turned his eyeless face to the ghoul and didn’t speak for a long while. Yseult Concasseur and Volaris rarely crossed paths and when they did their exchanges were brief and polite. The demon’s personality reflected well on her creations if the other Guardians were anything to go by. Helena’s request fell easily into his plans. Giving her a goal would likely help distract from what the Ash Demon’s other creations were muttering about.

“Anna will make the first move, screening us from prying eyes. Once she completes her spells, restrict your scouting to the east of the Cathedral, Helena. Prioritize stealth but if you should be compromised, bring them back to us alive. Morningstar and Garlock will scout to the west and Samael will scout the South. Again, stealth is the priority but bring back anyone or anything that compromised you. Jack and Rule will maintain our perimeter in the time being. Finally, Elizabeth and Megu will accompany me to a fortified settlement not far from here. Once we reach the edge of the forest, Megu will stay within its boundaries and scout the northern section while she waits for our return. To those ends, Elizabeth and Megu dress in plain clothes. We will strive to avoid attention. And if I have not yet given you as task, prepare yourselves for battle. I would not have us blindsided while we work.” He turned his attention to the ubergiest.

“Except for you Tatter. I have a special task for you. Stay a moment.”

Elizabeth's impatience was clearly on show as Volaris didn't respond straight away. But, she held her tongue as one by one her fellow guardians began to show up. Must he be waiting for them all to arrive before speaking? How annoying. Though it made sense, Elizabeth instead felt a pang of annoyance towards the other guardians who had yet to arrive. A Supreme Being had summoned them after all, it might not have been her Father but that was the only reason she didn't feel like lashing out. If it had been her Father they had been keeping waiting, however...

Which bought her attention to the 'woman' that burst through the doors now. The gargoyle, Morningstar. The slamming open and then the closing of the doors was enough to earn a sharp look from Elizabeth. How rude could this woman be? First, she was late when she had to make a loud ruckus. Louder than a hail on a tin roof she was. At least, she thought that's what her Father would say in this situation. She had a headache already, and Volaris was only just starting to address them properly. Lovely.

Though her annoyance faded as Volaris spoke. Instead, replaced by...concern? Worry? Anxiety? What was this sensation she was feeling? What was she unaware of? Half turning towards Megu, at first glance one mightn't notice any sort of discernable cracks in her stoic expression. But she had known Megu for almost her entire life, she could easily pick up on the slightest clues and changes to her feelings. Just by the subtle shift in her stance, the occasional twitch of her left eye. Megu was either annoyed or concerned, the latter being the obvious answer when reviewing their current predicament. Which made the nerves the young girl had been starting to feel multiple. Not much concerned or worried the Flame Demon, so for just such a short statement to have an effect...

Volaris' next words confirming the fears that were beginning to form in Megu's mind. Something drastic had happened, something which not even a Supreme Being such as Volaris himself could understand. So how could any of them even begin to fathom such an issue?
But first, her concern for her mistress took centre stage as Elizabeth went silent. Her entire prideful and cold demeanour falling to shambles as she failed to come to terms with what was being said.

The world...everything in it...was meant to be destroyed? Wiped from existence? The Supreme Beings knew about it, yet did nothing to prevent it?! Or...was it they were unable to do anything about it? Impossible, each and every Supreme One was an omnipotent being of divine power. Nothing was beyond them! Especially her Father! But...if he knew it was the end and chose not to do something about it...why didn't he see her? Why didn't he send word?! While the gargoyle exploded in rage, Elizabeth instead slowly fell to her knees. The disbelief evident as she refused to believe what Volaris was saying. "M'lady!" Megu was quick to get to Elizabeth's side, attempting to console her to the best of her abilities. Though it wasn't like it was unexpected to see Elizabeth so distraught. She was arguably the closest to her creator, even if most of it was programmed in.

"Disappear....entirely? Y-you're kidding...right? Like my Father would ever allow such a thing to pass! He...he's..." Mumbling, the girl seemed to be barely holding back the tears that were quickly forming. So many thoughts ran through her head. The most prominent being, where was her father? Had he been coming to see her but couldn't get here in time? Or has he just abandoned her and gone off to face whatever this cruel fate was Volaris spoke of? And what was this fate worse than death? To be honest, she thought everyone here must've been the ones to be facing that fate right now. How could she carry on without him? Without her Father by her side?
"Lady Elizabeth...don't bring shame to him now. What would he say if saw you?" While those words might seem a little harsh, Megu knew preying on the young lady's pride was the best method right now. Now wasn't the time, she could mourn and cry her eyes out later. When everything had been sorted out, and they were alway and out of sight. She was still young, despite being a floor guardian, and developing hence why Megu had been assigned by her Father to assist. The Ying to her Yang, so to speak.

Megu might've reprimanded the gargoyle for her outrage, but after being asked to calm down by Volaris she saw no need to. She was more likely to listen to a Supreme One anyway, plus there was no need to repeat what Lord Volaris had already stated. There was too little information to go on, and it seemed like the situation was quite puzzling for even the mighty wise one before them now. This only highlighting their plight further. But luckily, not all the floor guardians seemed to be getting emotional and losing their heads right now. Helena made a typically disciplined and composed suggestion, as expected of the ghoul. She held her in high regard, having seen first hand her devotion and loyalty. Not to mention her ability to keep a calm and composed mind despite even such a situation as this one. It would seem that Volaris agreed as well, though altering the idea a little so as to not only give each guardian a task but also not overwork any of them. As expected of the Supreme One, he too had come to the conclusion that giving them something to at least do would distract them. Even if only a little. At least until they had a better grasp of the situation anyway. Though her grip tightened on Elizabeth, the girl also seems to be visibly jolted by the mention of her name. Was she to accompany Volaris? Alone for the most part?

"I assume it's a human settlement then?" Clearing her throat, Elizabeth looked towards Volaris. Megu was right, now wasn't the time for tears and grief. Her Father could still be alive after all! But, following on from what Volaris had ordered her mind was obviously back on track by her question. It made the most sense, why else would he pick Elizabeth? She was the only one who could get into such a settlement without drawing too much attention amongst the guardians after all. Not without the use of magic anyway, but those with such abilities had other tasks assigned to them. Plus, her prowess in battle would hold them in good stead if something were to happen.
"As you command my lord, please allow us both a few moments to prepare." Bowing her head, she quickly turned her attention back to her young charge and whispered softly into her ear. "Come Lady Elizabeth, please stand. It wouldn't do for the others to see you be carried right now would it?" Smiling softly as that drew an immediate reaction from the teenager, she and Elizabeth both were back on their feet when the doors were slammed open....again.

Turning sharply at the new arrival, Elizabeth couldn't help but roll her eyes. Why must it be this eyesore?
The very much late new arrival was hunched over, huffing and puffing quite heavily as they tried to catch their breath. Their big, white fluffy fox tail swishing around nervously as the golden-eyed, androgynous kitsune quickly gave a sloppy salute to Volaris and those present.
"I'm sorry for being so late Lord Volaris sir! Ladies! Gentlemen! But I ran here as quickly as I could after hearing the message and there were so many stairs...." Pausing, to continue catching their breath but also glancing over everyone it was quite quickly apparent the tension in the room. Kat had missed something important, hadn't he? Oh dear, hopefully, they weren't too mad with him and filled him in.
"Umm...did I miss something?"

They were late for the summons of the Supreme Being, Volaris, extremely late. It angered Sagi to no avail and Lexicon was too nonchalant for it, constantly groaning that since it was not Lady Ladata then it was not important for him. However, after a tense standoff between the two in the sacrificial chambers, Xirphi, the roamer that she was, had split the two up by grasping Lexicon with the tendrils that made up her tongues. It was not as if he could fight back either, Xirphi’s personal strength was to great for either Sagi or the child genius to do anything that would be known as damage to her.

Yet, they had arrived and bowed to Volaris, except Lexicon who was too arrogant for his own good. ”Bow, welp,” Xirphi commanded to no response from Lexicon, it angered her but she did not show it. Instead she let loose a tendril to wrap around the child’s neck and slam him face first into the ground, it was not too much strength in that it was harm the boy too much, but enough to show who was dominant.

”Many apologies, Lord Volaris. As the spawn of Mistress Ladata, it is inexcusable that we be tardy to any summons of a mighty power, such as yourself, forgive us,” the golem spoke, a hollowed, echoey voice emanating from the armor Ladata had spent so much time to perfect. He towered over the child and the devourer, even while bowing down to Volaris, before he stood and his full height was understood. It intimidated the boy, though not so much for Xirphi who knew her more perfect form was far larger and superior than anything most of the guild could form. The many eyes on his gauntlets gazed around, scanning for any hostile entities as he followed his orders of protecting the guild.

On the other hand, Xirphi, while in her bow, edged closer and closer to Volaris, stating in a sadistic tone, ”I will make sure that this insolent child learns his place in comparison to such magnificence as yourself. Despite being a brilliant young man, he does not know his place within the guild.” Her Speech was slightly impeded by her tendrils which still held down the subject that she talked about. However, Lexicon was still noticeably struggling against the grip, despite how futile it was against Xirphi’s personal strength.

"Allow me to add to Xagi's apologies, Lord Volaris. Baron teleported into the middle of the chamber without even a split second's worth of warning. Accompanying him was Skout, another NPC of Stauffenberg's creation. "Skout had been assessing and scouting out our recent vicinity for some time now. As he had wondered to beyond the Cathedral's perimeter, it was... difficult to locate him." Skout felt that Baron just gave him a stinging stare, although he knew this to be impossible since the steward had no eyes to speak of.
"Lord Volaris," Skout knelt immediately before the spectre, bending his knee with his head bowed in respect. "Please forgive me but... I have taken the liberty to assess our current surroundings before I was retrieved by Baron due to your summons. I shamefully beg your mercy for being tardy to your call, my lord." The steam automaton vented a small amount of vaporized water from his joints as he further bowed his head, far enough that his wide-rimmed hat had covered his face entirely. Although he could not make any expressions, Skout imagined he was blushing slightly in shame.

Once given a few moments for contemplation the supreme specter began to rattle off a series of orders, his hollowed voice echoing through each guardian he addressed. Helena's own assignment surprised her for a moment, since Volaris seemed to be limiting her mission, but after a split second she delivered a knowing nod. Of course. Given our unknown situation, he wants to devote as much personnel as possible to scouting the area, and a fuller roster means more ground covered and fewer weaknesses for exploitation. My Lord is one step ahead, as always. Jack's presumed offer to secure the Cathedral's perimeter was approved, though Volaris also appointed him own slimy creation to join the gentleman in this task. Helena could not immediately perceive why Rule would be chosen for such a task, but could only imagine that her master harbored some hidden knowledge about what exactly was going on out there. A moment after she came to this conclusion, Volaris' briefing concluded, and the guardians dispersed purposefully.

A few minutes later Helena set foot in her old haunt once again. On the way in the sight of numerous posted guards and armed defensive measures told her that her lieutenants had carried out her orders to the letter, as reliable as ever. With the mobs on general alert, she knew their leaders, left idle, would be prime picks for her elite scouting squad. When she passed through the gateway of the Iron Lounge, she spotted the six of them standing around a table, weapons at hand and in heated conversation—Odile the naga, Gretchen the witch, Hollow the war lich, Tungus the troll, Aulau the sandworm, and Psugeosh. The moment they became aware of their commander they fell silent, snapping to attention. Even with their faults, the sight of them filled Helena with a touch of pride, the sort not felt since the glory days of her first life. Though not as strong or significant as any of the guardians, they fought for the guild with all their strength and had reaped many a reward for its glory. This vital mission would, however, call for more subtlety than either Aulau or Hollow could provide.

Having made up her mind, Helena proceeded to make her announcement. “Our Supreme Lord Volaris has bestowed upon us a task of great urgency. The Cathedral has been transported by unknown means to an unfamiliar location, and we must get a lay of the land. I will lead Gretchen, Tungus Odile, and Psugeosh east. We will move with speed and stealth.” She made sure to place great emphasis on those two words. “If we are discovered, which we won't be, we will capture and bring our finders here alive. Given the nature of this mission, this will not be considered a learning exercise. Any failures to comply will meet retribution. Those not selected will remain here to await further orders. Am I understood?”

Six voices rang out in reply. “Yes, ma'am!”



The moment the great doors creaked open, a blast of cool, fresh air hit the Patch King full-force. A sharp breath of surprise escaped him as the flames within his eyes and maw surged momentarily. He welcomed the sensation, but not its unfamiliarity. For as long as he could remember, quite literally, exiting the Cathedral of the Moon meant walking into a miasma of death and dark magic, swimming in curses and littered with hidden monsters, all blanketed in fog thick enough to choke a man. Yet all Jack could see now was an ordinary forest. Clean, lush....pleasant, even. The sight seemed as extraordinarily normal as it did untenable, for as of only a handful of minutes ago the guild hall lay devoid of outer defenses. That would not stand. By now Anna's magic surely lay across the building's walls, so it was time for the Patch King to go to work.

Making his fingers into a tent, Jack strode across the threshold. Behind him followed a small army of plant monsters, from skittering pumpkin spiders to towering pumpkin warriors. Within this throng a lone splotch of purplish-black stood out like a sore thumb, and to Jack this stranger seemed out of place in more than that. “As always,” he began, his manner that of a perfect dandy, “I am beyond thrilled to make the acquaintance of a fellow guardian, particularly one of such esteemed caliber. Were I not gratified to treat you with every ounce of courtesy you deserve, I confess I might be trembling in my boots to merely exist near one whose strength and status so immaculately dwarfs my own.”

After reaching a satisfactory point, Jack cracked his knuckles -more for show than practical effect, given his lack of bones-, wiggled his fingers, and then cast his arms up like a magician beginning his opening act. Points of light covered his hands, and from them poured a fountain of seeds. They went every where, and his minions hurried to scavenge them up before scurrying out in all directions. A few moments of this later, Jack ceased the flow and turned his hands forward. This time when seeds appeared they shot like bullets, embedding themselves into the ground wherever he aimed them. “If I might be so bold, however, I would dare to ask of you a favor. I am simply at a loss as to why the venerable Rule34, a scourge of the battlefield second only to the Supreme Lords themselves, would be assigned to the lowly role of perimeter defense.” He moved as though in a dance around the perimeter, spraying seeds all over. Meanwhile, his gourd entourage attended to the ground beyond his reach. “If memory serves, your talents -while, of course, commendably vast- do not include ones catered to taking over and securing territory.”

At length Jack's journey brought him back to the Cathedral's front entrance, and by the time he stood there once again, preparations were complete. Turning to Rule, he gave a slight bow. “Naturally, you would be more than able to eviscerate any poor curmudgeon who assailed the front door. Yet, I cannot help but hypothesize that you, as creation of our excellent Lord Volaris, are possessed of special knowledge as to what we may be facing.” With a flourish Jack gathered himself once again, holding his hands up in an elaborate pose. “Hence your seemingly unfitting assignment. Excuse me a moment, sir...”

Kneeling, Jack placed his hands upon the ground. The vines composing his arms unwound, digging into the earth aglow with life energy. All around the Cathedral, the ground began to shake. After another moment, the soil exploded all at once. Enormous green vines, thick tangles of black briars, twisted trees dripping with moss, dense patches of corn, and of course, innumerable pumpkins sprang to life, growing to full size in moments. Leaves grew, matured, and fell to earth in a matter of moments, fallen across gnarled roots that burrowed into the soil like fingers digging into sand. Pumpkin plants carved their produce into jack-o-lanterns, their vines twisting into eerie shapes. Skitterjacks sat themselves in every nook and cranny, their unblinking green eyes vigilant. Before long, a vast field of creepy flora blanketed the area, stuffed full of pumpkin monsters just waiting to cut loose.

Jack released a pleased sigh as he returned to his full height. “Ahhhh! How truly delightful, to be allowed to 'stretch my legs' in such a manner. It is the rush of the conqueror, I imagine, for as a warlord may take a land's people, I may take the land itself. I am truly thankful your creator gave this honor to me.” Fiery eye winking, Jack turned back to Rule. “Speaking of, I do not mean to presume, but were you thinking of satisfying my curiosity?”



Blinking in surprise, Tatter composed herself and remained as still and quiet as she could manage, Only after the complete departure of the other guardians did she address Volaris, her cloth hands clasped behind her back. False as her face was, it portrayed rather convincingly the mixture of worry and confusion that plagued her as she spoke. “Y-yes? What do you wa...ah, sorry, I mean, uh, what can I do for you, my Lord?” Her mind raced to try and picture what Helena, ever the picture of dignity and discipline, would do in her place. Think, damn it. I've never even spoken to a Supreme Lord other than Yseult before. How am I supposed to act? One wrong move and I could be banished! Along with her concern, however, there existed a strain of intrigue. What exactly could she do for him that necessitated a 'special task'? Her abilities and duties were, of course, potent as they were unique, but only Yseult had ever made use of them. The more she thought of it, the more interested Tatter became. What would Volaris ask of her? Some new, exciting, devious use of her magics? Etiquette or not, she needed to know.

Well, at no point in time were the cat or the gargoyle really going to worry on decorum. So, for any that really expected that, the most you were going to get was that Morningstar was deeply loyal to the Supreme Ones and Garlock was a cat. That's the best offer you're going to get. The lady gargoyle wasn't going to hold back. She never held back. It was neither in her training nor her background to know how. And if Garlock EVER referred to anyone with much civility and grace...you can bet that it's only being done in order to mock you. Suffice to say, Morningstar DID try to calm herself when Volaris asked her to. She nodded her head respectively to the leader.

"I'm sorry, Lord Volaris. You know that I care about each and every one of the the guild for having made me welcome in the only place I rightfully call home."

There was alot going on here and much to determine and tell. The only question to it was what...and how. Morningstar would be motivated to find answers all the questions that were being asked, and perhaps still the ones yet to be known. It was a drive that Daryl had instilled in her. And while Garlock retained the natural curiosity of his species...what he really wanted to know was how terrible people were...and how to act upon them. They knew nothing, but soon he would attain a sizable picture for reference... Now, they were both getting orders to scout to the west of the cathedral when...a newcomer! Kat the kit had arrived, looking entirely clueless. You could just about see the Cheshire Cat grin on Garlock's obscured face.

"Yes, Brer Fox. You missed...everything."

Spoken with absolute sinister attitude for no other reason than to mess with him. Well, at any rate, they had their orders. And while Garlock did not really like orders, these ones involved going outside where it was warm and pleasant. What? Yes, he was a bad guy, but even bad guys can like it when it's sunny out. So, he turned around, raised a hand, and-

"Wait a second!"

-Morningstar stopped him in mid-act of departure. Garlock glared at her now.

"What?"

"Well, it takes a while, going from top to bottom of this place and back again. Give me a lift?"

There was a pause...and then Garlock simply went "No." and teleported away! Morningstar's surprise at this was only encompassed by her irritation as she shouted "You...cat of a biiitch!" and flew off at top speed to get out of the Cathedral's depths under her own power. It should be noted that stealth means two different things to these two creatures. To Garlock, it would be easy. He would romp around in cat-form once on the surface and generally look cute and adorable. For Star, well... Her idea of not being seen was to be flying very high up so that she was maybe a speck in the sky. It's not wholey certain how well that really worked, but she wasn't exactly a ninja, so it was at least an attempt.

Anna fumed as other Guardians had the audacity to do anything other than grovel beneath her Lord. They should be busy climbing over each other to serve Him rather than pondering and lamenting their home. Goodbye and good riddance. Those hypocritical, backstabbing bastards deserved their fates. A Supreme Being, her Creator, still existed to lead them and they should feel blessed rather than dismayed. At this point, they should be blessed Lord Volaris hadn't yet whipped them within an inch of their lives! This situation may be beyond their frail understanding but nothing could escape the wisdom of the Supremes. Lord Volaris certainly had a plan. All they had to do was bring it to fruition.

“As you wish, Lord Volaris.” The woman crooned as teleported both Rule and herself back to the main hall. She stepped back to her tower, casting layers of illusions and glamorous over the Cathedral and the surrounding area, replacing it with an image of the forest and heavier than usual undergrowth.



Rule slipped through the door after the talkative Guardian. The ooze rarely left the tower, content with the squishy and screamy preys his Lord always provided. And as much as it would prefer to stay somewhere it could feel everything, it was an order from a Supreme Being and Rule wasn’t about to disrespect the Lord. Rule only existed as it did because of its Lord and Rule would not pay back that kindness with ingratitude. Rule settled at the bottom of the cathedral steps and focused on feeling the area.

The ooze was slammed with sensory information. The twitch of hundreds of things on the ground, the long movements of things above, tinier things scuttling about beneath the other hundreds of things, the cool sensation of the wind, the other Guardian flailing about and chattering incessantly, stronger vibrations suddenly swelling- it all cascaded over the ooze and Rule was frozen, malleable form barely twitching as it attempted to process. Irritation bubbled, literally, on the outside of the ooze as it sorted and acclimated. Jack’s incessant prattling didn’t help.

“You… much… Know as…” The words, normally issued from an artificial orifice the ooze created, came out sharp as they burst from individual bubbles. Rule didn’t have the mental capacity at the moment to keep a mouth in shape. “Distrac… Attackers while… Kill you… I bait…” The outside was a bad place, Rule decided quickly. Why any of the Guardians ever wanted to leave the Cathedral was beyond it.



Volaris wanted to run a hand over his face as more of the Guardians made their way in. It almost felt like he was back at his old job, his employees up just after morning meetings were concluded. He needed to get out more or something if his subconscious was twisting his escape into a mockery of the real world.

“I expect those of you arriving late while strive not to do so again.” Volaris’ said cooly as he address the latecomers. “There are many lessons to be learned from failure but tardiness teaches the least. In light of the severity of our current condition howver I will overlook this issue once. I recommend it not happen again.”

“Skout. While your forward thinking is appreciated, make sure you check in with myself or Baron before investigating new or unusual phenomena. If you were to be injured or compromised, we would have never known and you could have put your other Guardians at risk.” Volaris let his tone return to neutral as he continued. “Since you have some knowledge of what lays outside, you will be acting as an intermediary between the three scouting parties sent out. Helena, Samael, and Morningstar and Garlock are searching the East, South, and West respectively. You will be their point of contact and communication between them. Magical communications are forbidden until I understand more about this world. Inform the others as you meet with them.”

“Baron, bring Kat with you to find Anna once she has completed her task. The three of you will investigate the Akashic records for anything that may have caused this. Legends, rumors, items, spells. If it is even mentioned within the realm of possibility, bring me the source information as quickly as possible.” He nodded at Baron and Kat briefly before moving on. “Xirphi and Sagi, you two will stay in the Grand Dome Room. If anyone other than a Guardian walks through the Cathedral doors, destroy the way further into the Cathedral and then kill the intruders.”

He took a second to contemplate Ladata’s youngest creation and sighed inwardly. Children were alway a struggle for him. Questions and curiosity he could handle. Poor judgement skills combined with an unreasonable amount of energy not so much. Adults understood hierarchy and logical progression, following orders most of the time. But children were a natural disaster, difficult to control and intent on bring hell on earth. Volaris’ mouths frowned as a realization came to him. Not only Lexicon but Elizabeth, Tatter, and Kat, who was technically an adult but Frankly Volaris failed to see him as one, were all children. So four children locked in a horrifying building, two of them twisted beyond belief. When he wakes up, maybe he’ll try to hunt these people down and offer to pay for proper therapy.

“Lexicon will be staying with me for the time being.” Given they knew nothing about their current predicament, Volaris intended to find out the extent to which magic worked here and if the rules of Yggdrasil still applied. With Tatter and Lexicon working together, he felt they were the best chance not only to illuminate the rules of this world but bend and push at them until they could get exactly what he wanted. The specter only hoped he wouldn’t have to put his foot down, so to speak, too often with the pair.

Both Xirphi and Sagi rose, keeping their heads bowed to the Supreme One before they turned and left, leaving Lexicon to smirk as they left silently. The boy looked up to the specter for a moment before away once more, thinking of what to say to the being who had wanted him to stay. Once Lexicon knew Xirphi was out of earshot, he turned away from the door and said, ”Forgive me, my Lord. I only act the way I do as I view myself superior to the common rabble of the guild, especially Xirphi. Despite her physical strength being superior to me, she could never hope to match our intellect, Lord.”

He had an evil, twisted grin on his face as he looked at Volaris before letting out a small scoff, ”Her constant swooning is also an annoyance.” Lexicon chuckled a bit before a dark lightning flicked between his fingertips. He watched them dance before inquiring, ”But I digress, my lord, what would you have me do?”

The child was far smarter than many people perceived, then again that was the curse of the damned book that he had carried around. Though in all reality it was a decorative item in Yggdrasil that was ultimately useless in nearly all ways, however, it served Ladata’s purpose of making an evil sadistic child to be her heir. An heir to an unholy throne.

---

Meanwhile, Sagi and Xirphi strode down the hall, the kobold form of the dragoness sat atop the mythical golem crafted by the Godsmith. ”I cannot believe the nerve of that child, not bowing to likes of Volaris. Oh, how I wished to end his mortal life then and there!”

”Then you would be attacking the guild, secondary objecti-“

”Protect the guild, yeah, yeah. But Volaris is a Supreme Being and thus he deserves to be treated as such! He is so powerful, and the way he invokes people to go mad and obey him is just astounding. It really makes a girl want to swoon!” Xirphi said aloud, spreading out on the top of Sagi’s head. The golem did not care about the dragon’s motions, though her tail in his face was an annoyance.

”You mean girls such as yourself?,” Sagi asked emotionlessly, before he felt the lizard drop of his head with a light shriek of surprise. He heard her land on the ground and began fumbling for words to deny his claim only for the golem to continue walking off without her.

Soon enough she was now perched on his shoulder, ”I do not swoon! I am a murderous demon dragon and I feel nothing.”

”False statement, I have noticed you in several sadistic moods. And you constantly vie for Lord Volaris’ attention, and I would believe affection. However, it is none of my concern, nor desire, to know what goes on with your feelings,” the golem noted before hearing Xirphi sigh beside him. At least now she accepted the silence that Sagi had wanted, talking to others was never his forte.

But guarding the Guild was.