Blaze

I’m woken up by an older lady pointing out where I can sleep. My eyes groggily find my sister. She’s drunk. It’s painfully obvious. She’s never been much of a drinker but it looks like she’s taken several sips too many. I should probably drag her out with me but she’s crawled into Gaul’s lap. Yes definitely drunk. I consider pulling her off but he’s a big guy and can take care of himself. I’m sure he’ll see her safely out of here and straight to bed…alone. Just like me unfortunately. I sleepwalk/stumble to our hut and hit the hay.

Flame

I curl further into the warm arms that belong to Gaul. Comfortable, happy. I’m cradled in his lap which is stiff with muscles. My head hurts. Then I remember I was explaining our monarchy.

” So Inferna is a wonderful regent. She was basically born for it. We all were really but she breathes it.” I lean back again into my Gaul pillow. It really is wonderful. I should thank Blaze when we wake. Wake? Am I asleep? I’m unsure now. My eyes are too heavy to lift. I probably should wake though. Then a thought flings itself into my mind. My eyes open, I sit up ramrod straight. The most serious realization just dawned on me. I have to tell Gaul, but I’ll need courage. I grab the pitcher that has what remains of the drink and start downing it. This liquid courage works wonders. It’s how I found myself here in this comfy Gaul chair. I’ll need all the courage I can get for this announcement.

“Heirs!” That wasn’t how this was supposed to start but I’ve started now and I might as well get it all out. “I’m supposed to help keep the line of succession going. Blaze has to have kids. Technically I’m supposed to as well but the little buggers are aggravating but they might not be if they have the right genes. See you’re a god of fate right? And I’m basically a warrior princess so it’s prefect. Gaul, I would like you to father my children.”

Sia

Several piles of frozen fish later....
Pushing a large block of ice with fish frozen throughout it onto the dock and up onto one of the stands, I look over too Lexiana floating along the surface of the water. "Hey...im worried, i should be able too feel Razz and the fact that i cant means whatever took him is changing things Galen cant change...We have too find them aside from needing there help too fight this fight, i dont know what not being linked is going too do too he and I. This hasn't happend before..its not supposed too." Swigging the last of the bottle and tossing it at Blazes lodgings i take my top off and jump into the water too relax. Swiming over too lexiana i tug her under the water too face me. "Blub blub blub blub?"

Gaul sputters midway through a large gulp of his drink, barely managing not to dowse Flame in the strong alcohol. He coughs a bit, then straightens up and looks down at the small fox curled in his lap. He had barely noticed when she had settled there, but her stories had been a welcome distraction from his own thoughts, so he didn’t mind.

“Flame,” he starts softly, “I don’t believe that parenthood is something to be rushed into. While I’m flattered that you chose to ask me, you should really take some time to decide if that’s what you truly want.” Gaul smiles slyly, and then adds: “Plus your brother seems like he’s ready to settle down any time, so long as he finds the right woman.” He then leans over and whispers into her ear.

He then stands up, carefully picking her up as he goes. She is quite obviously drunk, and ill-suited to be walking on her own. He carries her to the hut that is set aside for his companions, sets her down in front of the door, and turns to walk away. He calls back softly over his shoulder that he’s going for a walk to clear his head, and will be back soon.

A few moments later, Gaul is standing outside of Sven’s hut. Just as he raises his fist to knock, he sees a small hole near the door, just big enough for what he needs to do. He forces the small bloodstone into the crevice, whispers his apology to Sven for his deception, and walks back to where he left Flame, ready to sleep like the dead.

Lexianna

I mean to offer words of encouragement to Sia about Razz but she catches me off guard.
Being a guardian over the natural universe,  I speak all languages so I immediately know what Sia says.  I don't understand it though. Not at first. I replay it again in my mind. And again.  Understanding brings the heat to my cheeks. I look down out of embarrassment from the forwardness of her question. That's a mistake... she's shirtless. A small "eep" akin to a squeak of a mouse escapes me and I immediately look up.  I answer honestly though I'd rather not answer at all.

" I..um... well yes. Yes I have. It was many years ago though." My Second existence to be exact. I was much more free spirited then and Lucy is an adventurous girl when not in weapon state. The rarity of that alone driving her adventurous nature.  I don't share any of that with Sia. Instead I do what I do best. Redirect.

Though others would hear unintelligible gurgles,I once again speak to Sia underwater," My it's gotten late. We should get dry!" I float us both up and onto the dock.  Next I stir a warm gust of wind to dry us. It takes seconds. I locate Sia's shirt, pull it over her head and push her towards the hut. "Off you go. Bed time." I push her in and close the door before she can object.

I turn to look at the dock. One platform left.  I raise fish from the river in vortices of water and drop them on the platform. The water collects and recedes to the river. Finally, I freeze them so they'll be fresh when the collectors come. With that, I slip into the hut silently.

While everyone else was off doing as their hearts desired Oshite and Osore left to just a short distance from the encampment. Neither of them were a fan of large crowds or crowded spaces. The two of them had been jumping dimensions together ever since they had met. Never having a solitary place to stay so they spend all their time living in the wild. Sleeping among nature, the fresh breeze blowing across their faces, and nothing above them but the stars.

Oshite laid against Osore as he reminisced over the adventures they had.

"Think we should continue helping them?" Oshite asked passively. "We've never had a group to go around with. No one that were even remotely strong as us. Nor anyone capable of travel by themselves."

Osore didn't say anything but she brought her head around and nuzzled it into his shoulder. Which for Osore's size usually pushed Oshite over time and time again.

"I feel the same way. I think we've found our purpose. Something to live for, to fight for. Our reason of being." Oshite finished before closing his eyes and resting.

Razz

"You were going too kill her wernt you?" Looking up from my stupor i see myself, horns twisted and wreathed in black flame. "Go away. I dont need you anymore." He smirks back at me and tilts his head. "If i had been there you wouldnt be here and wouldnt have lost her. Im here too help. Your so desperate too go too her you were going too hurt this little one. Its almost like that time before..." "Before shouldnt have happend. It was your fault..you wouldnt let go." "Back then there was no you and i Azreal. It was us. I am what you needed, and what youll need again soon dont you think Black Thorn?" Jumping too my feet i strain against my bonds. "DONT CALL ME THAT! Hes gone and so are you!" "Im only gone when you dont need me. We have too find her Black Thorn, you and i both know what happens if we dont. Either find her, or we will. "

Blackout
Dawn comes and the fishing village wakes to a both joy and dismay. Their fish stockpile has more than enough to pay their tribute. But there is also a platoon of Imperial Knights in the town square. The taxman smiles greedily until he sees the piles of fish and the countless fishing children. He scowls as Furm saunters up to him. The two banter with backhanded compliments and fake smiles. Finally the taxman asks.
"I heard there were some outworlders in town. Where might I find them?"
"Not sure. I gave them a hut to rest in but didn't to check if they were still there in this morning's preparations."

The taxman looks to the captain. The captain nods draws his sword and marches towards the hut where the group is. When he arrives he orders his troops to be at the ready.
"Offworlders, you are under arrest for the crime of trespassing in Lord Shadow's territory. Surrender yourselves and face justice."

Zaak
Zaak is surprised to see the first Lotus. He turns to Li-li. He's not happy with her tone. A soft pulse from the umbra tells him her thoughts. There will be time to correct her later.
"The Umbra is reality that transcends it's normal limitations. I'm not sure how just let but it is undefined in the opposite manner of Formless. This gives it a unique characteristic of utility. You see, I needed an ontological weapon that could redefine the clearly defined. I sharpened the Umbra into a poison that could kill the unkillable. Though it has now gone dormant." Zaak directs his attention to The First Lotus.
"How are you here? Why aren't you joined with Lexianna?" Zaak asks.

Sia

Starting awake at the yelling outside i fall off the table and wander over too the door. Opening it wide i see solders and the old man from yesterday. Rubbing my eyes i close the door and look around for my pouch. Finding it i dig out a glittering green gemstone the size of a babys fist with a note attached too it. Opening the door again i set it down outside and give the men a thumbs up and close the door behind me. Reclaiming my place on the table i drift back too sleep.

Blackout
The captain narrows his eyes. He strides forward. Picks up the gem and reads the note which simply says "Bribe." He clicks his teeth and eyes the door in contemplation. Finally he whirls around and addresses his platoon.
"Men, it appears we have been mistaken. There are no offworlders here. We march for Shadowhold." The knights look at each other then shrug and sheath their swords. The platoon marches back the way they came.

Blaze

I wake up to a pillow directly in front of my face. My sister is curled on the other side of it. I sit up to get a good look at her. She's in the fetal position, making herself as small as possible and looking every inch innocent. Clutched tightly in her hand though is a dagger waiting to cut down anyone who dares approach me uninvited in the night. I hear her heartbeat quicken and pick up to match my conscious state. I sigh, roll my eyes, and seek cover.

Flame

I'm on my feet, my dagger arcs through the air as I cut the throat of the would-be assassin. I open my eyes and the only thing cutting is the rays of the sun through the roof of the hut. I groan and shut my eyes tight again. I hear many receding footsteps. A person yelling about a place called Shadowhold. I slept way too soundly if I didn't hear them approaching. This is why you don't drink on the job and besides that..

"Oww..." I rub my head and whimper.

" A pint sized fox shouldn't try and drink her weight in alcohol. " Blaze is using annoying brother voice.

" Not like you tried to stop me." I open one eye to see him shrug. I immediately close it again.

"Lesson learned the hard way. "

I groan again and lean against the wall. I don't even remember getting here last night which means Blaze must have carried me out. "When did you even carry me in here?" His answer surprises me.

" If you're looking to thank someone it wasn't me." He nods towards a sleeping Gaul and my face could be a Christmas ornament for how red it goes. I rack my brain trying to remember if I said something stupid but my brain is a big black void. I hazily remember talking about Haust. Didn't I? This is going to be maddening but maybe it'll come back to me slowly. I send a silent prayer to the ancestors that I didn't make a fool of myself.

Li-Li

The First Lotus doesn't answer right away. Instead she stands back, surveys her healing work. Once satisfied, she takes a seat on a bubble of light crossing her legs. I'm sure it's unintentional but she paints quite the provocative picture. I shift my stance, aiming for regality.

She seems to be weighing something as she stares at Zaak. Assessing him? I see the calculation passing quickly in her eyes but I'm not sure I completely understand all it holds. "How are you here? Why aren't you dead?" Her voice flows like a waterfall but has the strength of a typhoon. So different from my mother’s soft harmonic cadence.

Aside from that, I see the point she's making. Though I believe I detected a tease in her tone, or was it a taunt? I can't completely tell as her subtlety isn't as familiar to me. Her voice fills the silence that follows, "We're wasting valuable time when we should be acting. Wouldn't you agree...Zaakielo?" She says his name softly like a kiss but there's a hardness in her eyes that belies her tone. She'll be difficult to read.

I open a portal and start turning the clock dials. If I'm to rule, I'll need a scepter which means...
I turn to Zaak. " We'll return to the Oasis shortly but first, I need my weapon. So, where did Omega hide the box? "

Lexianna

Well that was quick. I believe it's time we're on our way. I head outside and straight for the Elder. Without hesitation, I gently embrace him. " Thank you for your hospitality. My friends and I are going to do what we can to make life easier on you all. " I snap my fingers sending waking energy to the group. As I'm on my way back to them I pause outside the entrance to the hut. An idea forms.

I'd like to know this Shadow, I'd like to know all the rulers honestly. Perhaps they can be reasoned with? Perhaps not. Either way I believe it's worth a shot. I hold out my arm and within seconds a dove with cloud- white feathers alights on my arm. I blow gently on the bird and its feathers change to inky black. I whistle to it, asking a favor. It's more than happy to oblige. The dove takes a scroll from me in its beak and elegantly flutters off. The message is for Shadow. We'll see about him soon enough.

I walk back into the hut humming. " Alright dears rise and shine not a moment to waste. I believe we all agreed upon seeking out the rebellion?"

Found is more accurate. I can feel them now far to the Northwest. With that in mind I focus on our group, reaching farther out to include Oshite and Osore as well. I place us directly in the middle of the Rebellion encampment. They don't notice us, yet. I put up a light shield just in case they're startled enough to attack. Finally, I clear my throat loudly.

" Hello."

All heads in the immediate vicinity swivel in my direction.

I give a small wave," Would one of you be a dear and kindly fetch Karnariel for me? We'd very much like to speak with him."

Blackout
A young man goes sprinting into a nearby tent and begins shouting about an attack. The rest of the rebels gathered produce weapons and surround the group. They are all visibly terrified. They are mostly young boys and girls between 10 and 18 with the rest being elderly. Very few look to be in fighting condition and the adults that could have been considered battle worthy are obviously overworked and malnourished.

The tent flap flies open and a man steps forth. He is incredibly pale. His skin is an ashen white and his hair matches. He is covered in dirt and his clothes are threadbare. But his eyes. They are a piercing red and gold. He has a sword in hand but his guard drops when he sees the group.
"Lower your weapons. These aren't enemies." He says.
"But Kar, what if their here to kill us." A young man answers.
"These are offworlders. Powerful ones. If they wanted us dead... we'd already be dead." Karnariel says as he approaches. "What brings you here? With an entrance like that you're obviously not just passing through. So, care to explain yourself?"

Lexianna

I go to the worst planets all the time. The ones that really need my help. Ones where newborns are skin and bone, unable to care for themselves but left that way, orphaned too young. Where one breath is just as toxic as the last and the average life expectancy is young teen if you’re lucky. Where an always corrupt bureaucracy gets fat off child labor. I see it all the time but it doesn’t get any easier. The only way to fix those problems, is to heal those planets from the inside out. I start with the planet itself, then with the people on it.

The same can be said here. We can feed these people we can alleviate their pain but that’s a bandage on a long infected wound. We need to fix the problems with the ruling class. It may not have been what drew us here, our main goal; but it’s a goal nonetheless and we won’t leave until this place is healed.

I lower the shield and look beyond Karnariel to the young man who spoke a moment ago. He looks capable. If bandages is all I have for now, then bandages are what I’ll give until I can produce the cure for this place. I produce a box and set it down in front of him.

“Supplies. Blankets, clothes, food etcetera. Don’t worry it’s bigger on the inside.”

My attention is back on Karnariel. I take his hand in both of mine. “My name is Lexianna and my friends and I have come to help in your rebellion. So mind filling us in?”

Blackout
Karnariel eyes Lexianna as the young boy takes the supplies.
"You're an angel." He says almost harshly despite his posture relaxing. Taking a deep breath he starts explaining.

"Where do I even begin. We don't have the manpower to field any sort of meaningful army. We're starving. Hunted. Our swords are scrap steel and everything else is repurposed farm equipment. What you see here isn't our main battle force but honestly their not much better off. We're more espionage. Our scout regiment is in okay shape but their exhausted." Karnariel sighs.

"The Scouts are in North Point right now. They're searching for the Valkyrie's base of operation. The Sun Cloaks, our main fighting force, is dead in the water to the north. Without orders and more troops to bolster their ranks they can't march on a stronghold or even challenge the Lords' forces."

"As for what we've accomplished so far... I'd like to say we took down the Admiral but that credit goes to a man named Poe of Ravens. And we've not heard from him since." Karnariel stops. "Actually, I know how you can help." Karnariel waves the group into his tent where he lays a map out on a table. He points to the tip of South Point.

"Here, the remnants of the Admirals forces are being transported to East Point by sea. About 8000 If you can take the Command Sphere that they answer to you can bring them... here." Karnariel places a marker on a small cove on the east side of South Point, near where The Sun Cloaks are camping. "By doing that we can bolster our forces enough to march on Shadowhold."

"The only thing i'm worried about is Smoke Hat. He's a pirate that's been consolidating power in the wake of Admirals death. He'll definitely be after the Command Sphere as well."

"I'm going to assume you don't know much about the Lords' forces. The short of it is they're immortal. Every full moon through the Curse of Servitude the Command Sphere reanimates those under its influence. And it doesn't matter what happens to the body. It creates a new one upon each resurrection. Not to mention The Lords themselves. They can resurrect immediately on the spot when killed. Plus the light that accompanies their new body will break any blood stones you might have. I only tell you this because Lord Shadow has been active lately. If you encounter him... run. He's far too powerful to challenge without a Bloodgem."

Gaul, ever the heavy sleeper, awakens surrounded by unfamiliar, gaunt faces ogling the group. He gets up slowly, the soreness of battle having finally caught up to him from Ragnarok, and stretches carefully, all the while eyeing these malnourished people he can only assume are the rebels mentioned previously. With a startled look on his face, he begins frantically patting his pockets, searching for something. He snarls menacingly.

“Which one of you has it? Where is my bloodstone?” Slowly, he begins to eye each of them suspiciously, waiting for someone to crack. Just as he’s about to lose it, a brief flash of memory takes over, and he sees the stone being placed carefully through a small crack in a door. He sighs deeply. “Sorry. Disregard that. I’ve remembered where it’s gone.”

And with that, he sits on the ground and waits for his next assignment.

Sia

Groggily stumbling past Gaul I lean on one of his shoulders and whisper into his ear. Lifting my hand I mutter the words of the bloodstone and it drops from my hand into his. Makeing my way over too the map table I kick over a barrel with some odd cups on it and use it for a chair. Thudding my head onto the table I ask Karnareial, "Do the regular foot soilders regenerate or just the higher ups? How is your navy? How many ships? What of the western flank is there any action there?" Takeing a small bottle from my pouch I Peer into it with one eye closed and sniff, tossing the empty bottle behind me without looking and thud my head back too the table.

Lexianna

"There's one other pressing question we'd like to have answered if possible."

Karnariel has laid everything out. I look over the map he's hunched over. I see what he wants. I think we can do it. To be certain though, brings me to a big point for all of us.

" Do you know of any prisons or places they may keep people like us? Two of our group were captured and we'd stand a much better chance against everything with them."

Blackout
Karnariel takes a moment organize the questions in his mind.
"All soldiers and knights under influence of a Command Sphere are resurrected. We have no ships to form a fleet and establish a naval presence." Karnariel pauses a moment. "As for the western front... it's nonexistent. We attempted to march on West Point once. With disastrous results. Crossing the 50 miles of desert expanse is difficult and taxing on resources. Not to mention Rider is powerful and leads an army of calvary. We currently have no way of taking West Point."

Karnariel is about to speak when Lexianna asks another question.
"Prisoners are a constant influx to East point. The Mystic performs experiments with his Dark Arcana. It's marsh land so troop movement is difficult and there is a Bounded Field in place that prevents approach from sea. They may be there. Or if they happen to be a particularly attractive or strong men they may have been transported to West Point. Rider has established a matriarchy where men are practically slaves. She's always hungry for pets."

Sia

Perking up at the mention of male prisoners I turn too Karnariel
And ask "Would they have a use for a large impossibly strong Firedemon? They've taken my Darling. And I swear if he's off getting laid while I'm here worried about him, he's gonna be in trouble."