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Sorry for the long delay, I got sidetracked by a sudden offer and funding of schooling, so needed to arrange all that first.
Deep, dark sky spread out before them.
As their Wyrms and Dragon glided silently upon the easy currents, their way was lit by a myriad of stars. All twinkling far, far up above them.
Here in this lake of Darkness, blanketed by the Night herself Eilis gazed up as she allowed herself to lean back a bit against Arn.
Her gaze moved from the stars to the face of her companion, or where his face was supposed to be. Unfortunately, his face was hidden in the deepest of shadows. Even the small light of the stars was not enough to grant her the barest of contours.
Perhaps it was fortunate though, she thought.
For she would not have been able to keep a straight face, not when she allowed her thoughts to drift to what could be.
A soft sigh escaped her lips wistfully as she allowed the warmth to spread to her cheeks.
From the moment she had awoken by his side, he had cared for her and comforted her.
Wrapping and blanketing her in his warmth, even now. As the gentle heat he was emitting he did for her.
A smile formed on her lips. He would probably staunchly deny it.
His words of comfort again, brought the blush more fiercely to her cheeks.
“You are not alone. I will protect you with my life.”
Even the memory of his voice send shivers down her spine.
There in this silent night, her hand sought his, trailing along his arm until her fingers finally rested a top of his.
Knowing they flew a little ahead gave her some confidence. This was as good a moment as any, after all she was alone with him without being attacked or chased.
And those moments of peace were rare indeed.
“Arn…” She whispered barely allowing her voice out as she tried to keep this just between the two of them.
“Arn, I have to tell you. You’ve been the only one that ever looked out for me the way you have.
I need you to know, should the worst happen…to me, to us, that I didn’t believe happiness existed. For how could it when surrounded by such cruelty and spite?
Meeting you however…Meeting you has been the best thing that ever happened to me. You were the first to see that I am a person first and not some tool to be used and discarded.”
She felt the tears prick in her eyes and violently wiped them away.
“Now, I am scared for what we’ll find there. I…I know that I owe it to Uilles to face my past, but what if it turns out that all of it is for naught…Should it all be inevitable and if there is no way out for me I want you to know that I…” She swallowed pressing herself on.
Come on! Say it! Tell him!
“That I…that my life…means nothing.” She faltered for moment taking a deeper breath. “…nothing if I don’t have you to share it with me.” She whispered feeling herself grow even smaller as she tried to keep herself from lighting up like a beacon from the sheer embarassment of the confession.
“Nnnow I…I know I am not pparticularly ppretty, especially now, but…I wanted it said for once. Aloud. Before Fate decides to throw another problem at us and this moment of opportunity is lost once more.” She bit down on her lip.
She closed her eyes tightly as she exhaled through her nose, her whole body wound up like a spring, clearly nervous and fearful of his answer, but continued.
“I am scared Arn, I am scared I am going to lose you…I..I can’t lose you.” She confessed. “The visions I’ve seen make no sense to me, but cause great fear and doubt. Whatever lies waiting for us on the other side of the Rift…I don’t want or trust.” She turned her face around looking for the glimmer of his dark eyes.
“You’re the only one I trust. Something is there…in Sensaridh I mean. For its name causes great unrest in me as well as great recognition. Something is very wrong there…” She urged hoping he would not dismiss her worries for just nerves or trauma of some kind.
The sting of regret flashed sharply through her skin, it was as if her body was protesting her actions...It worried her.
It at times felt invasive and reminded her of a familiar cold and detached feeling she experienced when she was taken over. When her soul was pulled out of the driverseat and into the passengers, just there along for the ride. Unable to act, unable to speak, at times even wondering if she still existed at all.
It was Tourmaline.
She knew it was him and this concerned her greatly.
Because if she was worn down and overtaken, what would become of her? Would her soul cease to be? The thought alone was terrifying in and of itself.
Do you double?
– Somewhere above Olysium –

Fire, Ash and Smoke.
The groaning of metal and the cries of anguish filled the air.
The people screamed in panic, out of fear and pain as the dust swirled around them, cloaking them in a dangerous fog as the Vaimese elite troops charged down the streets.
Mothers clutching to their children watched on as fathers and sons of age were rounded up and forced to their knees at gunpoint.
Any form of struggle or resistance was brutally beaten down, even carrying a weapon targeted you as a potential threat and earned yourself a bullet.
Olysium’s honourable guardsmen who had defended the city for so long were dragged behind flying crafts, those poor dead bastards were the lucky ones though.
Those that surrendered and alive were rounded up by the Vaimese soldiers that now were making their way into the City.
Those that were wounded and in smaller numbers were...well dealt with.
As the streets littered with corpses and blood the officers set their soldiers to their initial task.
The Belisians were sorted, documented, numbered and chained.
Like mere sheep they awaited their fates as their future was uncertain with these new overlords.

Helluin stepped out of his ship and into the rubble that was now the once glorious city, The Jewel of the Skies. He sneered at the sight as he opened up the vizor of his helmet.
His dark blue armour gleamed, polished to a shine drawing the attention of those around him.
The soldiers hesitated for a mere moment before they continued, lost in pursuing their own form of justice and vengeance for the loss of the comrades upon the citizens of this shitstain of a city.
Their rebritution was swift and brutal.
Helluin doubted that even their own officers would be able to bring these soldiers to heel again. To reel in the anger that was roused in these men.
Still, there were at least some soldiers that still had followed orders...His men, he thought as he watched them secure the area and keep a strong hold over their own emotions as they pulled one of the rabble off of some unfortunate girl.
True Discipline.
His subordinate immediately rushed to his side ready to report.
As always a good demonstration of pure diligience in their duties…
None of that barbaric behaviour he had noticed other soldiers do.
His men knew that true duty would be properly rewarded, instead of receiving the instant gratification by raping some fairhaired hussy in an attempt to take revenge.
It was utterly stupid.
But those that only lived through their primitive urges never understood what true victory meant. They would cause impurities.
A mixing of the bloods.
They had already done this once before and look where that got them.
What was a true citizen of Vaim these days?
The subjugation of the Revendahli lead to them being swallowed by the Empire. It wasn’t like they were eradicated like the cockroaches they were. No, instead the Tahjai convinced the Teryns to keep them as slaves and allowed them to breed.
Breathtakingly stupid.
Helluin shook his head as his subordinate Tamrin babbled on about the numbers of streets they had covered, the resistance they met so far, the number of houses that were collapsed and the amounts of people that had surrendered.
It was all rather annoying, but it had to be done.
The Belisian Kingdom had long since been a nuissance.
Like a nasty thornbush threatening the lush blooming garden that was the Empire with its poisonous thorns.
Everyone knows what one has to do when such a threat gets too much room to grow.
Now if it had been up to him it would have been ripped it out.
Root and stem.
After all, what good were the Belisians? Keep them as slaves? Anyone with any sense would not even suggest such a thing due to the long standing history between the two and if you did enslave them you damn well shouldn’t let them near your person or let them handle any vital manual labour.
So the question was what in the Blue Skies did the Tahjai want with these people?
“...are secured and Sir, Teryn Jaspar wanted to see you as soon as you landed.”
“Hmm? Jaspar? Teryn Jaspar Vollsung you say? Did he happen to mention why Tamrin?”
“No, he spoke very little...”
Helluin’s frown deepened, he knew that tone.
“Spit it Tamrin.”
“Sir, it is not my place to say, but Teryn Jaspar has been collecting the children...” He hesitated for a moment before he continued keeping an eye on the stoic figure that was his Lord Captain. “Apparently the Mages set up some sort of vessel or portal to transport them...”
Helluin snorted unimpressed, he had seen those crystals before, a bit of old technology that had been guarded and passed down by those that had come before. The mysterious Old Ones.
“Where are they sending them off to?”
“They wouldn’t tell us Sir, those spellslingers told us to mind our own business and keep the peace. To do our jobs. Teryn Jaspar didn’t even flinch. He’s supposedly keeping an eye on them North from here, at some large estate.”
“Very well Tamrin, I’ll get to the bottom of things, carry on and if you face any opposition you have my authority to crush it. Within reason mind you. Make it clean, this whole ordeal is messy enough as it is and I certainly don’t relish to do any extra reports on some ‘mistaken victims’.
“Aye Sir.” Tamrin said as he saluted, before he rushed back to the men.
Helluin watched him walk back and shout orders, before the squadron set out again securing more of the Capital.
Helluin himself moved towards the new directions.
It had been awhile since he had last seen Jaspar.
They had been good fellows at the Academy, that was until the Vollsung family fell ‘out of favour’.
Jaspar’s father apparently had grown too trusting and too cocky with his ‘needs’. Naturally this weakness was found out and exploited. Ultimately his position was usurped by lesser men.
A shame, but it happened in the Empire.
Again by the hands of some backwater hussy, hooked and played like lure on a fishingline.
It had been in poor taste though, the report had stated he had been strangled by two slaves in some sort of strange sexual position…Tied like a hog as the slaves had gone to town on him.
He couldn’t recall the rumours exactly but it was said the room had smelled of wine, piss, blood, shit and acid.
He groaned, he’d rather not think about it.
It had altered life for Jaspar though, too young to take his father’s place. They were lucky to not have been ‘taken care of’ Helluin remembered Jaspars mother remarried the next day.
Desperate for a ‘new’ husband and the protection and maintaining of status that came with it. She threw herself upon the mercy and good will of some Magister high up in the Tahjai order.
It didn’t do Jaspar much good though. He was taken from the Academy, to be homeschooled by his stepfather.
The Tahjai...Helluin felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought.
Those in the know knew those damned mages were up to something and as soon as you trusted them they would knife you in the back.
Helluin was convinced of it.
After all he had watched Jaspar change.
He turned darker…
Whatever his stepfather did it left its scars on him.
Gone was the jovial smile and the twinkling mischieveous light in his eyes. Instead a pair of hollow grey eyes stared back and a thin line had replaced the wicked smirk of his younger days.
As he approached his destination he already saw the different mages help out to sort the prisonners.
He heard the cries and screams of a teenager as a baby was ripped from her arms and taken away.
He watched as she was easily held back by two Tahjai apprentices, eager to earn their promotions as their magic left her choking and dangling up in the air watching as the mage that had taken the baby didn’t spare her a glance or word of compassion.
Further down two twin brothers had been placed in a makeshift ring with one of the Tahjai Battlemages that was testing their abilities whilst nodding in approval at the fury with which the boys fought.
As Helluin walked past the line of children that the mages had set up for ‘inspection’ he noticed their hopeful and frightened looks up at him.
If they expected that their rescue would come from his hands they would be sorely mistaken. He ignored them as he noticed Teryn Jaspar stand guard at the inspection desk behind one particular Tahjai. Magister Elegost.
The old Magister still maintained a menacing aura, despite his deceptive frail figure. He sported a short thin white beard, a hooked nose and bushy eyebrows. His long fingers gestured the children forward one by one, no doubt part hypnotism and part telekinesis.
Helluin moved to Jaspar hoping there would be an explanation for his summoning.
“Teryn Vollsung, you asked to see me?” He asked greeting him with a friendly bow of his head.
He watched Jaspar’s expressions carefully, but there wasn’t even a ghost of a smile.
He nodded and gestured for them to move into a different chamber, walking in front of him to lead him out of earshot.
Once one of the other rooms, pressumably a former library, Jaspar turned around to face him again.
“All right, Jaspar what’s this all about?” Helluin asked as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“What’s with all the secrecy? What’s with the children? Why did you need me?”
Jaspar however didn’t look at him, no it was almost as if he could not face him.
Helluin frowned and grew concerned, intending to demand an explanation, before a voice from behind startled him.
“Ahh forgive me for keeping you waiting. You are young Teryn Helluin Faelre are you not?”
Helluin turned to the Magister that came up from the doorway behind him, passing him with a youthfulness and fluid motion that shouldn’t be there considering his age.
“It was I that called you here, undoubtedly you have heard of me, I am Magister Elegost, Mastermage and Scholar of Waelwold.”
“I am aware of your position and elevation in station yes, though I did not have the ‘pleasure’ of meeting you yet...but it seems that will be remedied today.”
“Yes, quite well put Young Teryn. Quite well put. Though I fear our meeting will be soured somewhat as I am afraid we have some bad news. It concerns a relative of yours...a cousin I believe. A man called Ravros? Does the name ring a bell, per chance?”
“He’s a very distant relative of mine, yes. No doubt this bad news you will inform me off will mean that he is one of the fallen.” Helluin deduced out loud, receiving a nod from the elderly mage.
“I’m afraid so as he has not reported back yet...Our seers...have difficulty locating his signal. We believe him to be a casualty of this war. It was brought to our understanding that you were close...he mentioned you a great deal during our time with us.”
“Good Magister, when one is born within a family such as mine no one is truly close, so I would be surprised if he praised me. I wasn’t even aware he had dealings with the Tahjai.”
Helluin’s frown deepened wondering if that moron had left some outstanding debts.
“If it is a money matter I am afraid you’ve come to the wrong person, you’ll need to talk to my elder brother. He inherited father’s fortune, I am merely the spare.”
“Oh no, no, no Good Young Teryn, none of the sort. None of the sort. We Tahjai place very little importance upon coin, when other riches are to be considered.” Magister Elegost spoke as he moved around him, forcing him to turn with him to keep a proper eye on the man.
“No you see Ravros was part of a little project of ours and we hoped that you might be willing to fill his place so to speak. Not without just reward of course, after all when all is said and done no man can stand up against your might and that of the Empire you’ll create.”
Helluin sighed getting rather dizzy from all this turning about and dancing around the subject.
“I’m afraid you have chosen the wrong person to approach for this, I am not that suicidal nor that ambitious. I learned long ago that magic always has a price. A price I am unwilling to pay.”
Magister Elegost clacked his tongue in disappointment as he moved away from the door his long fingers tapping the temple of his head for a second.
“Ah Pity...”
Within an instant the invisible threads the Magister had laid around him tightened and held Helluin, pinning every limb in place.
Fury and Disbelief at the treachery flashed across his face as he turned to Jaspar who looked at him now with an expression of guilt and silent apology.
“WHAT the HELL do you WANT?” He demanded to know turning his anger towards the Magister again, who was busy laying out a set of particularly sharp tools.
“It would have been better if you had been willing...A willing heart is stronger after all,” He heard the Magister mutter before he turned towards him with a strange clawlike tool.
“Don’t worry, once we’re done with you even your older brother won’t recognise you….”
I can partner up with you if you want I'll pm you.
Have fun and enjoy! Best wishes to you and your Family.

I will be working, as I had Christmas off, I'll see you when you get back.
Sounds like a wonderful spin on the 'get sucked into different world'. I am in and very curious to are what you'll set up.
When the first hour had passed Tyrhallan got up, his sword had been cleaned and put back in its scabbard, it would be his turn to take the watch and he had gotten some shut eye in despite the pain and throbbing his wound caused him.
He made his way over to Tobi and Alexa finding them back to back stubbornly trying to keep themselves from falling asleep. He squatted down slowly placing a hand on their shoulder to give them a curt, but firm shake.
“Tobias, Alexa you both are dismissed from guard duty.” He spoke softly, loud enough for them to hear, but kept at such a volume that Arn and Eilis wouldn’t wake up.
“I suggest you both get an hour or two of sleep before we attempt to cross the Rift.” He suggested and gave them a pointed look, allowing the shadows caused by the small fire to aid him in this.
“Besides...what kind of Captain would I be, if I didn’t take care of those whom I decided to defend. If my duties merely stopped at the door and were purely for show.”
He noticed the look of concern thrown his way, but dismissed it with a gentle smile.
“I’ll be fine. Now get some shut eye...don’t force me to make it an order.” He replied with a humorous tone.

Later that night, Tyrhallan woke them all up again.
“Time to get up...if we wish to get across the deepest parts of the Rift before the dawn I suggest we should go and get ready.” His simple words and gentle shaking waking them.
He himself waited for the others to get ready and join him at the fire. He had spend it drawing upon the ground, pulling most of it purely from his own memories and studies, it would give them some indication of where to go.
Before him on the ground he had created a map of Ith and in particular ‘The Rift’.
As they gathered at his side he used the long twig he had used to pinpoint the locations.
“Right now, we are here somewhere, these little bits of floating land were declared our border when the world was shaped anew. The village of Presper lies on about the same line North from here. The reason why our enemy desired to cross there and not here has to do with the tales surrounding the Rift. These skies have become famous for swallowing its travellers, rumours of those that have crossed the depths and made it spoke of great monsters roaming its currents and treacherous weather phenomenons. Whilst I would prefer to do this with far more manpower and tools at our disposal we are pressed for time. Doing this during the day would be utter lunacy, but doing this at night is not going to be any better.” He looked at the others seriously.
“This is where we are heading...Rhevendahl, we’ll take a more southern approach, hopefully evading the deeper hunting grounds of the horrors that is said to roam the depths, but there’s still a chance of us meeting one. If you do don’t panic, we’ll try to deal with it together, keep heading towards the Morningstar should you drift too far away from the group, with a little luck you’ll meet the Rocky red ‘Bleeding’ cliffs of Rhevendahl’s border. Should you however lose any sight or bearing just try to gain your bearings and remember with the stars being where they are at this time the constellation to look for is the Guardian, he should be above that area. The Morningstar, being your best point of reference.” Tyrhallan said before pointing at the drawing he made of it before showing its position in the heavens.
“Arn and Eilis you’ll lead the way, after which come Alexa and Tobias, I’ll be last, as I’ll be best suited to draw off anything attacking us.” Expecting some form of protest he explained himself by adding.
“With Viscera being the faster Wyrm and having to carry only myself we’ll be able to outmaneuver most enemies so you can slip past and away from danger.” When no serious protest followed he continued.
“Our final destination is Sensaridh, Rhevendahl’s former capital. Once it had been its crowning glory and hard to miss, but don’t expect to find it so easily nowadays, from what I understood from the accounts of the event Vaim leveled it. They clearly intended to erase any trace of Rhevendahl’s once powerful past and significance so if we can find something like a broken down ruin I’ll consider it lucky.” Tyrhallan stood up and cast the twig aside. “Try to imprint the map to memory and above all be careful, what we’re about to do I would not even ask of my own enemies to attempt, but alas we have no choice. Those who want to back out...this is your final opportunity… Once we cross, there is no going back.”
Somewhere near Olysium a scream tore through the heavens as the two sisters regained their sight.
Scylla’s wretched screams seemed to be partial pain and partial horror knowing what their failure would cost them.
What it would cost her…
In despair she tore at her own shadows, her fingers thickly draped in her own magical Aether. It’s shadowy, smoky substance tainting her fingers turning them inky black.
Vilca however raised herself up rather calmly making her way over to her sister and with the barest whispers she uttered.
“Curb your grief sister.”
Scylla turned to her in anger.
“Curb my...You dare! You dare say that to me?! Our lives are forfeit! My baby...I will never know where that bastard put my son! Your own ‘medication’ relies on us getting ‘that’ girl to him!” She roared back her temper and fury fully displayed, not giving a care who could possibly be listening.
“Oh keep your tongue and your mind.” Vilca said dismissively as her hand made a simple throw away gesture and Scylla instantly felt her own hand clasp over her own mouth.
Damn her sister’s power.
Sometimes she wished that her sister would use her powers for once for their benefit instead of keeping it hidden most of the time.
She glared at Vilca who’s veil was lifted by the wind revealing exactly what the magic had cost her.
The once smooth silken and porcelain skin had turned to a paler gray and some of the veins now darkening the eyes to the point where it looked like she was weeping tears of ink or ash.
Her once luscious locks no longer held their shine, twisted and ragged, lifeless, closer to the web of spiders.
“Dear sister, I will remind you, before you blow a casket, we haven’t lost anything yet. This simple turn of events was...’Unforeseen and unfortunate’, but nothing we can’t overcome.” She told Scylla who used her other hand to break the spell on her other arm, giving her sister a hard look and seeing the tiniest smirk hidden in the glance she cast at her before relenting and allowing her to reply.
“Unfortunate? Are you kidding me? They got away! There won’t be a next time, he made that perfectly clear that if we were to return without her, we would be as good as dead!”
“And there you have it.”
Scylla eyed her sister sharply. “Have what?”
“Why on Ith would we return without her? To report of our failure? That my dear sister is as suicidal as it is stupid. No, we will simply have to track them...hunt them down the old fashioned way.”
Scylla snorted and threw her hands up in the air, her entire posture and expression screaming disbelief at Vilca’s words.
“And how pray are we to do that? We took her last living relative that had bloodties with her. Besides that ritual cost you most of your magic, need I remind you how long you had to recuperate for? I don’t see how we’ll be able to discover where they exactly are, Rhevendahl after all is still big enough to hide in.”
“True any blood connection we had to her is gone, but we know where he is planning to take them. Tourmaline would never pass up the opportunity to regain some level of control again...and aside from that I don’t need anything from her particularly, after all, when travelling in a group all one would truly need is a tag on that group. So many options and weaknesses...and sometimes a little bit of luck goes a long way.” Vilca said as she brought forth her other hand.
Bloodstained, she opened her fingers revealing the bloody object within.
“An eye for an eye.” Vilca said with a cold delighted smile attached to her lips.
Scylla looked with a grim hope at it.
“When did you do that? Who’s...who’s is it?”
“It is the red Knight’s. I took it as soon as I caught some semblance of sight again, I initially hit him with a snarespell, but the bastard was quicker than I expected. It struck his eye instead and tore it out, perhaps that was our luck in this... For what better than to see through the eyes of one of her protectors, to follow them so we can find the girl and capture her.” She turned to her sister with a cunning light flickering in her eyes.
“So you see dear sister, not all is lost...in fact our chase has but barely begun. We will succeed, for where ever they go, they won't be able to hide from us and the best part is they don't even know what kind of intel we have on them.”
Vilca smile grew as she rasped.
"So stop your screaming and rest up sister, for we WILL succeed."
Tyrhallan smiled as he watched the others interact with one another.
Eilis worrying about Arn, who in his own concern tried to brush her help off. Or the teasing advances of the young mage towards Lady Brightwind. It was almost comical if it wasn’t so endearing. A little bit of warmth and light in their currently cold and dark world. A bit of levity to drive the bitter sting of their loss away.
All in all, they had barely escaped the two dark sisters by the skin of their teeth and yet their ragtag bunch was pretty much all that was left of the Belisian army, as far as they knew.
He groaned in pain as he thoughts of shame and grief filled his being.
As he sat himself down near the others he couldn’t help but hear the myriad of voices he had once known. Voices that had regarded him as their hero, their savior or loyal leader.
Those that had entrusted their lives to him, those that had called him Captain.
And where had he lead them?
Straight into the machine...To be slaughtered.
He was as much to blame as the Vaimese soldiers were, their deaths were on his conscience. He should have died and sacrificed his life for them. That was how it worked. That was what being a Knight was! A Life of Servitude and Sacrifice, one of Honour and Glory….well so much for honour and glory.
He took out his blade, his ancestral sword and regarded the blood that had stained it.
Fatebringer…
What kind of fate would you steer us to? He wondered as he took out a rag out of his armour and started cleaning his blade attempting to return it to its deep black reflective depths once more.

Eilis fussed over Arn ignoring his scolding with a pout that told him that this time around she wasn’t going to listen.
“You’re worse off than I am. You’ve always safeguarded me...let me do something back for you for once.” She argued before she conceded. “But I’ll keep my own limits in mind. If you want to be of use you...you...you can... keep me warm.” She muttered softly as she continued to seep little bits of her energy into him.
The growing twilight however helped hide her blushing cheeks as she tried to avoid looking into his eyes.
“Arn...please remember...whatever happens...I don’t want you to…” She stopped herself knowing she couldn’t ask him to not sacrifice himself for her, because she would do the exact same for him...for them.
Her hands lowered themselves to his chest running her fingers absentmindedly over Arn’s armour, her expression filled with worry that she tried to hide.
She was a danger to all of them...
Before she realized what she did and returned back to her healing process. Though this time trying to keep a brave face through it all.
Eventually though Eilis was clearly spend and she stopped, trying to catch some sleep she leaned against Arn for warmth and security as a blanket had been tucked around her shoulders, trying to cover Arn as well.
With twilight fully set Tobi offering to take up the first watch, whilst the rest of them attempted to regain some strength and sleep.
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